Paleolithic Update: Tuesday Lunch

If you have read my earlier post, you know that this is my week of eating like a cave woman. Although I can tell you the cave peeps probably never had it this good. For lunch today, I had this beauty waiting for me when I walked in the door. Thanks to Mikie, the man with the eggtastic plan. It consists of almost hard boiled eggs, some lettuce, grape tomatoes, black olives, and dill. I also had a bed of greens on the side (not pictured) with a little olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon on top. 

I can say that after eating I felt satisfied but not overly full. Now it is about a half hour later and I am feeling still satisfied; no craving at the moment. I will keep you up to date on the whole primal Nina week long experiment as things transpire.

A Week Long Experiment: Paleolithic Diet

This week I am trying something that is a little off the radar of usual Nina behavior. I love food, and I am really not big on restrictions of any kind. Sure I don't eat pork or red meat but that's not really work for me, I haven't eaten them in pretty much my entire life and never really had desire to start. This week though I am going against the grain, if you will, and cutting it out completely. (Grain that is.)

I have been reading a lot about Evolutionary Fitness and the Paleo Diet lately, and a friend of mine, who has a great new blog, is also really into it. After some more research, we decided to give it a try at our house! The idea behind Evolutionary Fitness is really mimicking the activities and eating habits of our hunter gatherer ancestors. Agriculture, let a lone chemicals and industrialized food, changed the foods we intake and our body composition has yet to catch up. On our shopping trip last night we gathered meats, which for us meant just chicken and turkey right now, eggs, nuts, tons of veggies, and some fruits and berries. The idea behind a lot of these foods is that they could be safely eaten in their raw state. This eliminates pretty much all starches and grains from the table. I have been curious to see how my body would fair without carbs and dairy, for awhile now, and here my chance to find out.

If anyone keeps up with my other blog, Look What She's Eating, you already know I keep a sort of half day food journal. For this experiment I thought I should document all my meals and snacks on here, and will continue to post what I eat at work on Look What She's Eating. 

For breakfast this morning I made two eggs, with red pepper and shallots, the rest of the raw pepper on the side, and of course, water.

Then, since I don't go to lunch until about 1:30ish, I had a handful of blanched almonds around 12:00. 

I sounds silly, and it could be just mental, but I think I might actually already be feeling better than I did yesterday. I am just feeling clear headed and I have no heart burn, which I often get after eating a meal at my desk at work. Stay turned for more meals, and more results, and check out the above links for more information!

Horsing Around With My Little Pony

Artist Mari Kasurinen suites up My Little Ponies as some of your favorite film characters. (Via Jezebel) Here is My Little The Bride (From Kill Bill), My Little Cry Baby, and of course My Little Wookie. Check out The Guardian for Edward Scissor Hands, Alien, and more.

Is the Veronica Mars Movie Dead?

Okay Veronica Mars fans, ready your best poutty face. Things are not looking good for the chances of the Veronica Mars movie. (Via NY Post) Apparently creator, Rob Thomas, when asked for comment said, "While the pitch [to producer Joel Silver] went well and I don't think the movie's dead, right now it's looking depressing. I think honestly if we would have had the pitch ready a year earlier, it would be a go project ... This is the least optimistic I've felt in a while." Ouch. That does not sound good.

Listen up movie guys, there is obviously a concrete pitch here, and Kristen Bell (Veronica) is already on the cusp of becoming a bigger star. A movie like Veronica Mars, marketed correctly, could really do well. The TV show didn't attract the kind of audience it should have based on the fact that most people though it was some sort of girly-girl Nancy Drew meets 90210 bunk. A properly produced movie could satisfy the old fans and attract a whole army of new ones. Don't let this one slip through your fingers studio execs. Us fans won't be the only ones missing out.

The Best TV Finales Ever

This is my list of the best television series finales. Yes, I'm sure I am missing some. Heck, I haven't even existed for the entire span of TV's fleeting reign as king of the American household. It is rare precious in television's illustrious history though, that it actually lives up to it's ruling class status, and gives us something truly golden. Those are the times we live for. Television can make us laugh, scoff, cry and often fumble for the remote. But we have relationships with the shows we love the most, and when they sign off, they can leave us feeling angry at not having lived up their potential (I'm looking in your direction final episode of Seinfeld), full of longing for more, or in the most rare cases a sense of all encompassing satisfaction.

Battlestar Galactica

I was guzzling down a potent cocktail of emotions during the Battlestar Galactica finale on Friday night I can tell you. I was reduced to tears at several of the show's heart wrenching moments, and was literally perched on the edge of my seat for some of the hardest hitting action of the entire series (seriously AMAZING). I didn't want to tell my friend, while she was still in the afterglow that night, but I did take issue with the very very end. There was lots of ending. I loved how they gave us time to really relish and experience the characters at the end of their journey, but I think they may have taken it a single step too far. Without giving anything away, I felt like they abruptly changed the tone to make a point which didn't really hit home for me. All in all though, an epic science fiction opus.

Six Feet Under

Ahhh, Alan Ball's emotional masterpiece. I can't actually fathom ever seeing a TV show end in a more satisfying way. They truly gave your closure on a show that will have no doubt weaseled it's way deep into your heart by the time you view the final episode. If you haven't seen the show, it's very hard to describe the intensity and richness of the finale. I can only tell you my reaction was openly weeping, for I don't even remember how long. I've always wanted to watch it again. At first I didn't think I could handle a return to that flood of emotions right away, now I am waiting for just the right time.

Veronica Mars

I will always be a fan of this show, the heroine, Veronica, was just too bad-assed-witty-girl-powered for me to ever let her slip out of my heart. I will admit though that the show did start to go down hill a little in the last season, redeeming itself only with a spectacular series finale.  I wrote a full review of the episode when it aired, which you can check out if you'd like. Really I would suggest at least watching the entire first season of this show if you haven't seen it, you don't know what you're missing, this ain't no teeny-bopper detective agency.

Extras/The Office

I included these amazing series finales in one entry because they are both the brain children of writer and lead, Ricky Gervais. They also both end in probably the most satisfying format you can give your fans, the two hour TV-movie. In each of these finales the characters are given even more of a chance to breath and be real, veering into the comic then tragic then back again. Not many other times have I laughed so much, and then cried at the most touching of moments. We'll have to wait and see if the American version of The Office lives up to it's namesakes example when it ends, hopefully not for a long time.

Freaks and Geeks

We all  had to live through High School, and no other show has ever been able to capture all the agony and all the elation that the trials of adolescence can bring. (I also think Judd Apatow has yet to top this, his first project.) Lindsay, the main character, runs the gamut from mathlette, to bad-girl in the course of the show, constantly trying to make sense out of who she is. In the end, she breaks free from her home town and embarks on a journey to truly find herself.

Arrested Development

Nothing wins me over like pure unadulterated funny. This finale pulled together all the loose ends of the series, and some you didn't even know existed. You finally learn who the real "man" behind the curtain is and many more dysfunctional Bluth family secrets. This one is a must watch, must re-watch, and must quote. "Nope, you're looking at balls."

Well that's my list. Did I forget any?

Top 5 Things About Spring

Happy first day of Spring everybody! We've had a few warm days here as a great preview of what we have to look forward to in the next few months. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it through this Winter at some points, and I don't want to speak too soon about the worst being over for fear of incurring the wrath of Old Man Winter!

In the spirit of Spring though, with it's easy to love charms, I thought what is more agreeable than a list of good things. Spring is full of them!

Gardens: Every day on the way to work I pass a farm stand. They are closed all winter long, but this morning the marquee sign outside the small barn-like building stated proudly, "'Seeds are growing!" I felt a tingle of anticipation for fresh asparagus, strawberries, and lettuce, the first crops of the season I will be stopping on my way home from work to pick up. That is about the closest I can get to homegrown. I can't really grow a garden where I live, I have no outside area, and the only large windows I have faces west, making it hard for even house plants to thrive. Let me tell you though that I am mega-jealous of anyone that has a plot of land large enough to grow a bit of anything, so if you do have one, follow the lead of the White House, get organic, and grow grow grow!

Thunderstorms: So what is it that makes those gardens grow? You guessed it, a healthy dose of water from mother nature in the form of rain, and lots of it. I have always loved a good thunderstorm, but I understand if this doesn't make your own personal list. My poor doggie used to shiver like it was 20 below every time there was a big storm. She would hide under a bed or the chair your were sitting in, not peeking her little panting head out until the last crash and flash has passed. I know friends who would love to do the same thing. Me though? Can't get enough personally. During a thunderstorm, I can feel that electric charge in the air through my whole body, and the sounds are some of my favorite naturally occurring music. (I guess it's mostly percussion though huh?)

Cute Clothes: I know at least in my house it is time to me to go through everything, clean out those closets and get rid of anything that is ill fitting or that I just plain don't wear. Then I can buy more stuff! Right? That's how it works? I just know I am ready for some open shoes, sunglasses, flirty dresses, and no more bulky coats! Mostly I just can't wait to see color everywhere and on everyone. Not to advertise, cause I probably won't pick one up myself, but for ladies out there looking for something on the cheap, Old Navy has a Spring "it" dress right now for only 15 bucks. Paired with a jacket and some cute shoes, you could certainly put together an infinitely comfortable outfit, that will look like it had a much higher price point. 

Music: I am of the school of though that music sounds better with the windows rolled down. There's really not many bigger joys for me than driving down an open road, tunes cranking, windows down, and word turning. I can get lost in that moment and feel like I am truly free, traveling where ever the mood might take me, not weighed down by past or future. Spring is when the magic starts. There are usually some great new releases in Spring also. This season I am looking forward to new albums from the likes of Peter Bjorn & John, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bat for Lashes, and Peaches. And for the less petrolly inclined, these will also sound great on head phones, on a long long walk.

No More Winter: Damn straight that is the best thing about Spring! No more will I be found chipping and scraping at my windshield in the early mornings, trudging through 2 foot snow drifts, or slipping like a cartoon cliche on a patch of ice. No, instead I will be enjoying budding flowers, possible baby animals, and crazy old fashioned animation. Oh that last one didn't quite fit in did it? Maybe it's because I wanted to include the video at the end of this post as it's own separate great thing about spring. I have watched this MGM Merry Melodies short since late in childhood, and I admit my brother and I are somewhat obsessed with it. It tackles the hard science behind Spring. You know, how the tiny gnome guys who live under ground have to pump color up through little tubes in the earth to make the things outside grow, all while battling an angry and vengeful, and unintelligible, old man winter? Didn't they teach you this stuff in school?

Happy Spring Everyone! Remember to party like a pagan this Equinox!

Goegraphy for the TV Addict

These are just too fun to not pass along. It would be like getting a great picture of your 5th grade teacher with skink lines and bucked teeth and not passing it to the kid to your right. It's all part of Dan Meth's great series of pop-culture charts.

And so the rest of us shouldn't feel left out...

Freaking Cool! Dolphins Blowing Bubble Rings

Sometimes you see something online that is very random, but very freaking cool! It is my job to pass those freaking cool things along to anyone who will listen.

Dolphins are amazing! I watched a PBS Nature documentary once that showed how dolphins actually do something very similar to spanking their children. Their young often swim too close to boat motors, a very dangerous activity for a fledgling dolphin. The parent will herd their baby away from the boats and chatter a scolding at him. However if the tiny dolphin continues his errant behaviour, the parent will take him to the sea floor and emit an uncomfortable slightly-hurty pulse into him, trying and dissuade the behaviour. After the pulse, they will nuzzle and coo at their child, finished with discipline and ready for more good natured dolphin play.

I had to include that because I am completely fascinated by it, and it is another bit of of dolphin behaviour that I find myself fascinated with today, a video I stumbled across, over at Boing Boing.

Dolphins, like people, love to play, and it seems like they are no less creative. The Dolphins in Sea World Orlando have developed a habit of creating water rings with their blowholes and then artistically playing with them, shaping them into smaller rings or new shapes. You can really register the joy on their faces as they go. Totally beats the hell out of smoke rings. 

Album Review: Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

I secretly loved Lily Allen from the first time I saw her on Saturday Night Live. I had heard the song "Smile" on the radio, but didn't catch on to the snarky lyrics till I saw her perform it live. I immediately started listening to tracks off her first release, Alright, Still and was endlessly impressed with her bratty charm. She seemed like a girl that would be fun to be out with on a Friday night. However she was still just my guilty pleasure, I was sure that her poppy style was too far removed from some idea I had of legitimate music for me to be a legitimate fan.

I have to tell you though she's changed my mind with her new album It's not Me, It's You. The music is still catchy and poppy, nothing much has changed there except a reliance on more electronic beats. She's matured as a person and as an artist though, somehow without managing to dislodge her tongue from her cheek, a place where it seems very comfortable. There are songs on It's Not me... mocking her latest man's performance in the sack (Not Fair), a sweet sounding take down of Bush and conservatives called Fuck You, and a scoldings to an interested boy that "It never really did and now it's never gonna happen with the two of us." Ouch. 

These songs though are balanced by an innate sweetness she seems to posses. She sings, in one of the albums' best songs, Chinese, "I don't want anything more/than to see your face when you open the door/you make me beans on toast and a nice cup of tea/then we'll get a chinese and watch TV." She weaves such a simple, everyday, yet beautiful image of feeling safe and comfortable with the one you love, that every time I hear this song I can only think of doing the same. It works every time, seriously it should really be on an advertisement for chinese take-out.

She proves on this album though that her song writing is going places. She takes a stab at the at pointing out the hypocrisy in Celebrity Culture (The Fear), and Drugs (Everyone's At It), and even goes for it with a song about God (Him). In fact, my favorite line of the album comes when she claims that God's favorite band is Credence Clearwater Revival. I guess you could say that now she's got one more legitimate fan.

Weekend Movie Round-Up

Sometimes my weekends are productive and full of projects and outings, other times they consist mostly of hanging out at home with the man and the cats. Whatever my weekends hold, I try to squeeze in at least one movie, usually more. I sometimes follow through and write real reviews, usually of movies I hate the most because they are the most fun to write about. While I haven't had the joy of writing about a truly craptacular movie in while, I thought I might share my thoughts on the movies I see over the weekend anyway. Let's see, what did I watch this weekend...

Rachel Getting Married: Is that the dude from TV on the Radio?? Yes, Yes it is. He is quiet and elegant as Rachel's musically inclined groom. This a drama to the max. I didn't except it to be as intense as it was, it was really heart breaking at times, but it weighed the dark with the light well and in the end didn't feel too heavy. Anne Hathoway was amazing as ex-junkie Kym, that hype was true. The wedding at the heart of the film is joyous and beautiful, and you wish/feel you had been there the whole time as the credits role.

Happy Go Lucky: A little disclaimer here, I probably didn't give this film the attention it deserved. It sort of meandered and wavered, and I found myself doing the same thing, cooking from the other room, peeking in the bedroom to see what Mikie was up to. The character, Poppy, who the  movie revolves around, is cute and overly lovable, and I sort of found myself only half interested in her and her antics. I know people have touted this movie as uplifting and beautiful, but about all I can muster right now is a 

"meh."

Role Models: I already want to watch this movie again. I liked it because they really went for it. They didn't hold back at all with the crazy filthy humor, they treated the kids like adults, and the characters were sketched out enough that you actually do care and go along for the ride when crazy things happen like Augie (McLovin) getting kicked out of his Live Action Role Playing game. The ending is fantastic.

Happy Movie Watching! I will back back with more flicks next week. Maybe by that time I will have figured out some form of clever rating system.

Quick Blackbean Soup - A Recipe in Pictures

This has been a Winter all about hunkering down, trying to live well while living economically. At our house, where we never ate much meat to begin with, we have been trying to eat more vegetarian meals. Of course it still being Winter, we also want them to be warm, hearty, and filling. Nothing fits that bill quite like this black bean soup. It's packed full of nutritional goodness, but you would never know it based on it's level of deliciousness! This time I actually made it with chicken broth, because it was what I had on hand, but all you have to do it replace it with vegetable broth and you're good on the veggie/vegan front. I call this recipe quick because I use canned black beans instead of soaking them and cooking them from dry, but you could certainly do that if you have the time, which I never seem to.

The Ingredient Round Up:

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Large Onion

Carrots (Enough to have equal amounts)

Celery (Enough to have equal amounts)

1 Large Bell Pepper (I used Yellow here)

4 Cloves Garlic

2 25oz Cans of Black Beans

2-3 Cups Chicken Broth

1 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala

1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder (Not Pictured)

Salt & Pepper (to taste and season)

1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme

Juice of 1/2 of a Lemon

Chop your veggies:

Heat 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in your pot, add veggies (and season with salt and pepper):

Make a tiny space to bloom your spices, cook separately, like so, until you can smell them:

Start cooking veggies down until soft and translucent (a little past this):

Add Black Beans (drained but not rinsed):

Add your thyme and enough broth to cover the mixture:

Simmer at med/low heat until everything is tender and favors have combined:

Add juice of half of one lemon at end and season to taste:

Puree with a stick blender, or pour into a regular blender which is much more messy, until desired consistency is achieved. I like to make it smooth but keep some whole beans and chunks so you know what's in the soup as you're eating it. You can change this recipe up in a million different ways, it's adaptable to many different spice profiles, cilantro and chili powder would also make it sing. Just don't skimp on the squeeze of some kind of citrus at the end. It really punches up the flavor. This soup goes great with a big hunk of crusty bread, saltine crackers as Mikie likes, or just as is. I would say this makes at least enough for four people, with just two in the house we always have lots of leftovers. (Perfect for pairing with some salsa-eggs in the morning!) Enjoy!

Orla Kiely at Target

I was aimlessly walking around Target the other day, and I stumbled across this cool collection by Orla Kiely, who is know for her bold and fun retro patterns. Surprisingly her designs here are not much different than her more upscale line, although a lot of it is plastic, which I will be avoiding due to the fact that I can never keep up with what kinds of plastics cause chemical reactions when mixed with certain beverages to create poisons. 

I have to say that now that I have my amazingly beautiful blog, I am gravitating towards my retro-y fun style a lot more. We are sort of in the middle of some minor kitchen changes at home, so I didn't pick up any of these cool items... yet. Of course I am much more likely to wait till they go on sale or clearance to snatch up some mugs (am I a total cheapo for not wanting to spend six bucks on a mug?) and maybe one of those orange pear canisters for flour.

This Lady is Gaga

Lady Gaga just completely cracks me up some times. (Via Jezebel) She's totally got you beat Elton John.

Heather's The Musical?! Lick it up, baby. Lick. It. Up.

Yes, Heather's the Musical!! Ooh it felt pretty sweet just typing out the words. Two guys by the name of Andy Fickman and Kevin Murphy, apparently also behind the Reefer Madness remake musical, have been putting this together for awhile now.  Even better I hear (via Big Picture) that Kristen Bell has been at the script readings this week in L.A.! Yes she would be perfect!! Of course nothing is in stone, I shouldn't be fitting her for a monocle yet, no casting decisions have been made.  I can tell you though, that this movie will make the perfect musical. I couldn't agree with Fickman more when he says, "'I love my dead gay son.' If you can get that into a song, then that is just perfect."

Just The Funny Bits

Besides last night's interview, which was kinda dry, the Daily Show was extremely hilarious on Tuesday! It was hard to pick out just the funny bits in a episode which also featured Senior Women's Issues Commentator Kristen Schaal, from Flight of the Conchores fame stating, "In California, you're an unfit parent if you're gay, but not if you're straight, unemployed, live with your parents and have an Angelina Jolie fetish."

In the end though, I just decided to pick out the very funniest of all bits, the latest in the continuing saga of Cramer vs. Non-Cramer. CNBC's Jim Cramer has been getting his ass handed to him all week, and should really just keep his mouth shut at this point; he's not going to beat Jon Stewart. Can't be done. Jonny Stew is just going to lay a smack down of sweet sweet logic based humor. Of course Jon may humiliate himself in the process, but again you will loose because everyone knows that just makes him more lovable.

Vintage Yum

A few days ago I was trying to remember the name of my favorite cookbook as a kid, the one with the awesome campy pictures of everything, pink fluffy frostings, meat with little white puffy paper chef hat thingies on the ends of the bones, (what the hell are those things called??) and lots and lots of sixties pizazz.

Well I believe this is the book right here. (Vintage List)

The Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book from 1961. It was fab. I don't remember what recipes out of this we actually used, I just remember flipping through it a lot for my favorite pictures. If my mom still has this I am so figuring out a way to kidnap it and take pictures of all the pretty stylized foods within.

Not with a bang, but a crunch.

Sometimes it doesn't matter how god-awful an idea is, it's an idea, and therefore must be tested. Remember the Taco Town Taco, Saturday Night Live's mocking of Taco Bell and the like who combine and rearrange the bizarre goo elements of their products constantly to tantalize the taste buds of their patrons?

Well even the farcical tantalizing works a little too well.  According to a link on This is why you're fat, a great site for killing a little time by looking at the horrible monstrosities we create out of hunger and more accurately misplaced human ingenuity and boredom, the Taco Town Taco was not only constructed, it was eaten... by people! You don't believe me do you? Well feast your frightened eyes on this!

Go to the link above for an entire photo walk-though of how this thing was created, if you dare. I know what you're thinking though, how can I not love a crunchy beef taco with nacho cheese, lettuce, tomato and southwestern sauce wrapped in a soft flour tortilla with a layer of refried beans in between, then wrapped in a corn tortilla with a layer of Monterrey Jack cheese in a deep fried gordita shell with guacamole sauce baked in a corn husk topped with pico de gallo, wrapped in a crepe, filled with egg, gruyere cheese, sausage and portobello mushrooms, all wrapped in a Chicago-style deep dish pizza wrapped in a blueberry pancake and finally deep fried with spicy vegetarian chili dipping sauce? 

Well, they forgot the tote bag.

Just the Funny Bits

In our ever expanding media landscape, there is an endless supply of things to keep you entertained, at least keep you entertained enough to distract you from whatever you're looking to be distracted from. The worst is when you're looking for distraction, humor, fun, and all you get is a steaming pile of unfunny. That's why I am devoting myself tirelessly to the pursuit of funny, and willing to report back to you, my people. 

Today I am giving you "Just the Funny Bits" of this week's Saturday Night Live, staring Dwayne, The Rock, Johnson. He's a nice enough guy, you want him to be funny, he is rather charming in a large dimply way. But the charming don't always succeed on SNL. Most skits are still a miss due to lack luster comedy writing. Some skits however, can still come together perfectly, with the right premise and the right star. Hence, The Rock Obama.

Sadly there wasn't much more funny to report on this week from SNL, but we'll 

keep you posted when funny rears it's head (Like Putin!) once again.

The New Me!

As you may have noticed, by so deftly navigating your way to my site, it friggin rocks! Welcome to the new Nina on Everything!

I have to admit it's pretty easy to look this good when you have an amazingly talented graphic designer on your side. All props go to Ann Kwilinski, her skills are unmatched! Go ahead, challenge her to a graphic design duel! She will kick you ass, no joke. She just happens to have a blog called Ink & Sentiments that you should already be perusing. (Seriously, what's taking you so long?) In the words of my dear friend Tamara, who got me the hook up on Ann's skills "I suggest you check out her blog or get at her and pay her money to make your shit look good." Word.

I Want More Moore

I just finished reading an interview with Alan Moore, creator of Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Lost Girls, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and more, over at Salon. I have spent time reading some of his graphic novels and had an idea that he must be an incredible smart man, but hadn't heard his story, or from him personally, until today. 

Moore was kicked out of school at a young age for dealing LSD and turned to educating himself through books and counterculture. Much like the way I gently nudged myself out of my second chance at college through internet addiction and then educated myself through that very same internet. We're kindred spirits!

Also I love the way he looks at fiction as just another part of our history to pull ideas from. He doesn't seem to distinguish between the outside realm of boring old reality and in the inside realm of imagination. I love this outlook on life. "The truth is a reflection of the fiction that we see." 

"If you look at that incredible burst of fantastic characters that emerged in the late 19th century/early 20th century, you can see so many of the fears and hopes of those times embedded in those characters. Even in throwaway bits of contemporary culture you can often find some penetrating insights into the real world around us." 

That right there should be my blogging manifesto. Even in the tiny seemingly insignificant aspects of culture that I find time to expound on, there is mystery and beauty and truth to be found. 

Is Art Ageless?

I was reading about two year old artist, and all around cutie, Aelita this morning. An Australian gallery owner was given her work and decided it showed talent and deserved it's own exhibition, all before he was told she was two years old. Is this the marketing of two artist's child, or is she really expressing herself in a way that can be called legitimate art? 

Then I started reading about London's 10 year old graffiti artist, Sol. Her stuff is fun and cute, and there is no denying she is a real artist, in that she actually has the intent of creating art. Can the same be said for a two year old? How knows. Here's Sol hanging around next to an amazing and funny piece of street art she painted.

Of course what would art be without comparisons and influences? Maybe people are saying world renown anonymous street artist Banksy was the jumping off point for little 10 year old Sol's art. I can see the connection. I love me some Banksy and so I am including some of my favorite things he has done for my own benefit. Mwahah.

(This one is for Tamara)

 Here is a link to all the original art in it's full glory.