The Bookish Girl

The Birth of a Bookish Girl ~ 2006-11-02

Posted in Girl, You are Crazy by Bookish Wendy at 8:23 pm.
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So glad you all like the sweater! I would definitely recommend the pattern. Well written and easy to understand. This would be a perfect “first sweater” project. In fact, I think baby sweaters are a great beginners project. There is little, if any, shaping. You typically knit two rectangles and two ummm, what are they called? Trapezoids? Yeah, two sides are parallel, Trapezoid. Love the Google. Sew everything together, stick a neck on and viola! A sweater!!!

Pop Quiz…how many of you know where the nickname “Bookish Girl” came from? Hmmm, not many hands out there. Elisa, you can only raise one hand at a time, both don’t count.Rob started a novel a few years ago. The premise is based on a fictionalized account of his time in Athens, GA. Seeing as this was where we met and the book covers the beginning period of our courtship (seriously, how cool is the term courtship?!) I am a character in the book. Rather than use my real name Rob came up with an ultra-ego for me. The Bookish Girl.

She slowly morphed into my real life ultra ego. A superhero of sorts. Ready to save the world with literacy and nerddom. I love her. A few years later I started the blog and it just seemed like the right name. That was two years ago.
About a year ago Rob was drawing and I asked him to draw his image of the bookish girl.

Here is a scan of his sketchpad…
.

scan0001

How cute is she?!!

I really wanted to use her to her full potential. I made plans to make some crafty labels…for gifts, for garments, etc. On paper, fabric, ribbon, all kinds of stuff. I worked up a few designs but never got around to putting into action. The first step in all of this was to render the graphic in digital form. The scan wouldn’t really serve my purpose as the resolution was limited to the size at which he created it (too small for some stuff). The other night I finally took some time and worked in Corel Draw (a graphics software that I use frequently for work) to create the Digital Bookish Girl. It’s difficult to capture the texture and personality of a freehand drawing but this is what I came up with…

bookishcartoon

What do you all think? I’m not a big pearl person but I liked the touch…. And the color? Well, I’m not so sure of it either. I think I’ll play with her a bit more and maybe come up with some other versions. In the end, if I ever end up making handmade stuff for gifts (I used to be a maniac soap maker, I don’t know what the hell happened to that hobby) I think she’d make a great little mascot. I also think that I may be able to get my mom to embroider some labels for me (she has one of those cool sewing machines that hooks up to the computer).

Thanks Robby for creating her, you really caught the best part of me. ;)
What do you all think?

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  3. If obsessiveness were money, Bookish Girl’d be Bill Gates

31 Comments

  1. grumperina says:

    Very cute! I hope you’re able to use the image to its full potential!

    Comment - November 2, 2006 : 9:25 pm

  2. --Deb says:

    Definitely cute! Reminds me of a superhero I know: Bookworm, and her sidekick, Chapter Boy. (grin, I hope our. . . I mean, THEIR . . . secret identities are still secure!)

    Comment - November 2, 2006 : 9:27 pm

  3. Becky says:

    Definitely very cute!

    Comment - November 2, 2006 : 9:41 pm

  4. Teresa C says:

    I love her! She is so you, and so fun! I hope to see her all around this place.

    Comment - November 2, 2006 : 9:51 pm

  5. cyn says:

    i did NOT know that Rob could draw like that. I love the Bookish Girl logo!!

    Comment - November 2, 2006 : 11:12 pm

  6. Allison says:

    I love her! Cute idea!

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 3:04 pm

  7. Carole says:

    She’s *almost* as adorable as you are.

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 5:43 pm

  8. colleen says:

    So cute–esp. the specs.

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 6:07 pm

  9. maryse says:

    haha i love her. and i agree, she is almost as adorable as you are.

    what i love is her expression.

    what if you replaced her pearls with a scarf?

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 6:53 pm

  10. Cheryl says:

    She is so, so cute! I totally love Rob’s imagination.

    Your graphic is a good duplicate too! But maybe if you’re going to play with it a little the bangs could be bigger in relation to the glasses, and a little less crooked too. (I know you love it when I come over here and tell you what to do!)

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 6:59 pm

  11. Rachel H says:

    She’s fabulous!

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 7:13 pm

  12. melanie says:

    She is adorable!!! You should definitely use her for little labels and what not. I’d even say for your blog banner too, but I’m really partial to your underwear. :)

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 7:20 pm

  13. Liz K says:

    I love the idea of being a superhero by saving the world with literature! Be still my librarian’s heart!

    So, instead of pearls (which are darling, but like you said, not so much “you”) how about a jaunty scarf? Might be hard to draw…

    Just a suggestion.

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 7:24 pm

  14. wenders says:

    LOVE her. How wonderful… I’ve been trying to find my own inner superhero for quite sometime now. I hope she’s as cute as the Bookish Girl! :)

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 7:39 pm

  15. Norma says:

    I’m in love with her, and your version of her, but I must say that more than any, I love the first (upper left) version of Rob’s, because of the two-sized eyeglasses. There is just something about that that makes it ultra-special to the eye, and makes it “right,” sort of like Mickey Mouse’s three-fingered hands. And I disagree with Cheryl — I think the bangs SHOULD be crooked. Love love LOVE it. (I do like the idea of a scarf, though, and IT should be whacky, too.

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 8:24 pm

  16. Jody says:

    I like it! She’s adorable. And I totally did the idea from Liz about a jaunty scarf – jives much better with your inner knitter.

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 8:52 pm

  17. Carol says:

    Definitely a keeper! How funny! My husband I were seriously considering moving to Athens. I researched the place up and down.

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 8:53 pm

  18. Martha says:

    Awesome. She’s perfect. And you’re pretty talented with the drawing software, by the way!

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 9:06 pm

  19. meg says:

    umm, she’s perfect. love it!

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 9:55 pm

  20. Staci says:

    Very cute!

    Comment - November 3, 2006 : 11:55 pm

  21. Susan says:

    She’s adorable!!!!

    Comment - November 4, 2006 : 12:24 am

  22. Kate says:

    I like it! Though I have to admit, I’m a little iffy about the pearls too. Makes me think of someone older or more staid. Could the shapes of the necklace just be a bit funkier? That would highlight your coolness.

    I adore the glasses, the hair, the expression… priceless! Enjoy your Bookish Girl!

    Comment - November 4, 2006 : 12:33 am

  23. lisa Co. Springs says:

    Very cute—-try putting rectangular frames on her and see what happens :)

    Comment - November 4, 2006 : 12:37 am

  24. Laurie says:

    That is wonderful! I think the digital representation is pretty accurate. While I like the pearls as a strong edge, I don’t associate pearls with you in everyday life. Am I wrong?

    Is there a difference between ultraego and alterego? Or should I just go Google this myself?

    Comment - November 4, 2006 : 6:32 am

  25. Kelli says:

    Love it. So cute. :)

    Comment - November 4, 2006 : 12:20 pm

  26. frecklegirl jess says:

    Too cute!

    I almost like the black and white version better- the big one on the sketchpad, with the uneven frame. Looks… quirkier. :)

    Comment - November 5, 2006 : 1:49 pm

  27. PainterWoman says:

    She’s cute. The pearls make her look like she’s got balls… with one to spare. Might not be too far off the mark, either. Hope you, the bump and the hubby are happy and cozy.

    Comment - November 5, 2006 : 3:03 pm

  28. Sarah says:

    I think she’s adorable! I’m just jealous that your have your own logo :)

    Comment - November 6, 2006 : 12:53 pm

  29. Mary Drew says:

    You’re right about having something around the neck, but I never pictured pearls from reading your blog. I’d think a cabled turtleneck or a neckline from something you’ve knit – or would like to knit. Remember – the things you knit give you power!

    Comment - November 6, 2006 : 7:32 pm

  30. Danielle says:

    I like the Bookish Girl graphic :) The only thing I would change is the glasses … I like how in the sketches they are slightly irregular circles, one a little bigger, or with a doubled line for the frames. But, I never would have thought this one needed improvement if I hadn’t seen the sketches!

    Comment - November 8, 2006 : 3:58 pm

  31. Monica says:

    Very cute and oh so bookish! I like the larger and off-sized frames in the first graphic and I really like someone’s suggestion of some kind of knit, scarf or turtle neck or something, instead of the pearls.

    Comment - November 9, 2006 : 2:42 pm

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