You Don't Know Jack

Once Upon A Time...

...there was a boy named Jack:

 ...who used a lot of sunblock.

 

Jack lived with his mother in "The Hovel by the Phallic Fountain."

The hovel needed a new roof, but Jack and his mother had no money.

 

So they decided to sell their only cow, Boxy.

(Look, I don't know what it is, either, but this story is going to move along a lot better if we can all just agree it's a cow, OK? Moo.)

 

On the way to the market, though, Jack met:

...the Way Stuffed Cellulite Man.

 

Mr. Way Stuffed convinced Jack to trade him the "cow" for a tray of tragic spleens.

(Sure, they look happy now, but that's only because they don't recognize my masterful use of foreshadowing.)

 

Jack's mother was livid when he can home with the spleens, and made Jack give them a proper burial.

(See? Tragic.)

After a miserable night with no supper, Jack woke up to see a flowing vine where he'd buried the spleens:

Flows like a river.

 

The Tragic Spleenstalk reached all the way to the clouds. As Jack stood gaping, suddenly the Faceless Fairy appeared!

"Jack, climb the spleenstalk to find a magic chicken who lays golden eggs!" she projected telepathically.

(She doesn't have a mouth. Try to keep up.)

"But beware the ogre who guards the chicken!"

 

So Jack climbed the spleenstalk, and there was the chicken:

In a festive knit straitjacket.

 

Jack had just grabbed the bird when he heard a roar!

It was the ogre, Oh'Duh!

"Take the bird not you will!" Oh'Duh screeched.

 

Jack quickly fled down the spleenstalk, where his mother was waiting with a dump truck and a huge load:

...of dirt.

Before the ogre could follow, they knocked over the spleenstalk and buried it, trapping Oh'Duh in his cloud city.

With the money they made from the golden eggs, Jack and his mother were able to build a brand new home by the Phallic Fountain, complete with matching turrets.

(Those two really know how to use their heads.)

 

And they all lived happily ever after.

Well, OK, maybe not ALL of them.

 

Thanks to Amy, Giopi, Sarah J., Graham K., Sara E., moxie, Jenni Q., Shannon C., Becky C., Flowe L., Dani S., and Daniel C. for the fairy fail ending.

*****

I always like twisted fairy tails told from the villain's perspective, and this version - as told by the giant! - has rave reviews:

Trust Me, Jack's Beanstalk Stinks!
The Story of Jack and the Beanstalk as Told by the Giant

Only $7, too, if you'd like to add it to your kids' library.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

Sunday Sweets: Watercolor Cakes

Apparently watercolors date back as far as the cave paintings of Paleolithic Europe. (Thanks Wikipedia!) It was done on things like stone, leather, papyrus, and now ...

(By AK Cake Design)

You guessed it! Cake!

 

Heck, maybe it was always done on cake, but everyone ate the evidence back in those days.

(By Nevie-Pie Cakes)

I mean, given the choice between a slice of beautifully watercolored cake such as this one, or a hunk of buffalo carcass, I'd go for the cake.

I probably wouldn't have survived very long back then.

 

But enough talk of carcasses. (Carcassi?) Back to the pretty cakes!

(By Hey There, Cupcake!, Photography by Siegel Thurston Photography)

And this pretty cake is particularly stunning. Look at all those bright beautiful colors!

 

I love the transparency here, almost like the cake was wrapped in tissue paper:

(By A's Exquisite Cakes & Chocolates; Photo by Jessica Schmitt Photography)

(Dear wreckorators: PLEASE do not go and actually wrap a cake in tissue paper. Please. No, really. Put. The paper. DOWN.)

 

Did your art teacher in school ever show you that trick of sprinkling salt over your watercolors? It gives it this super-nifty texture, kind of like... this!

(By neli)

It's like an ocean wave of the night sky, with pretty flowers for stars. Love it.

 

Of course, my watercolors all tended to be a drippy mess - but thanks to this next one, I know drips can be deeeeeLIGHTful:

(By The Art of Cake; Photo by Erik Hornung Photography)

Like rain down a window, or tears down a cheek, or something equally poetical and artsy.

 

Or how about a modern Jackson Pollack approach, with random splatters and splashes?

(By I Dream of Cake)

Bonsai!!

 

Edible paints are sweet, of course, but good ol' buttercream can also give you that soft watercolory look:

(By Miso Bakes)

It's like springtime on a plate! I love those dreamy pastel roses.

 

And how's this for a painting come to life?

(By CakeCentral member Panel7124)

Once again I'm not sure I could bear to let anyone actually CUT this cake. I just want to put it on a shelf and stare at it forever and always.

 

And finally, check out this frothy, watercolory wonderfulness:

(By Lucia Simeone Cake Design)

I dub thee... rhapsody in blue!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

******

P.S. If you've ever wanted to dabble in the arts, this is for you:

GenCrafts Portable Watercolor Kit

Comes with a pad of watercolor paper, 2 re-fillable brush pens, and a handy travel case.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot: