April 2026. Things I did. Things I made. Things and people I cherished.
I enjoyed college basketball. I did lots of sewing. I helped bring folks together - curator talk and movies. I showered my cats with love. I sang made up songs to Noah and the cats. Not pictured - books I read, doctors I saw, classes I took, fruit I ate, the overconsumption of ginger (it really fucks with you), laundry laundry laundryā¦
March 2026. Cats! Knits! gather here! Sunshine! Sunsets! Governors! Making Things! Doing Good! Being Better! Costume Designer availableā¦ but also happy to be in my little corner of the world making a little bit of a difference.
Happy 25 (TWENTY FIFTH) Anniversary to us! On February 18, 2001 these two young adults decided that they wanted to share a home, an adventure, a life together. It hasnāt always been easy (a Tiger and a Dragon are a POWERFUL FORCE) & anyone who has ever worked with the two of us knows it still remains ā0 days without a weird argumentā but what a gift to spend life with someone who also wants to keep exploring all the possibilities and sharing joy, heartbreak, and healing. Hereās to another 25 (should the fates allow) years being awesome, laughing, wrangling cats, crafting our one precious life. LOL @noahprops - grateful to have found my person. ā¤ļø
JANUARY 2026! What the hellā¦ very full month of snow, birthdays, cats, salt, spiceā¦ Iāll share books Iāve read so far this year - currently absolutely crushed by The Phoenix Pencil Factory. And enjoying Parks & Rec - just started Season 3ā¦wholesome soul soothing knitting time.
Happy Birthday @noahprops ! Not yet 50 but getting closer. Thanks for food adventures, a love for hair claws, and a commitment to making the world less terrible every single day. Iām your biggest fan. (Photo by HJSmith. Jasmine Matcha shaved ice by @kanomwaanla )
Just me and my cat on set. Theodore was the purrfect #BodegaCat . This is my equivalent of the winter concert - so proud of this furry superstar. #TheodoreOfGatherHere #CostumeDesignerAndHerCat
Maybe Iāll read another favorite in the next couple of weeks but I was worried you might need to put a book on a gift wish list or need a book to gift. These were the Top 6 books I read in 2025. Still recommending them, read some of them multiple times (audio and visual), and wish I could read them all again for the very first time.
1. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor. Please read and then tell me who dies, or better yet, who is the author.
2. Bat Eater and other names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker. Epic ghost story and the pandemic and xenophobia and and and
3. James by Percival Everett. I read this on January 2, 2025 during our annual gather here inventory day. It was my first book of 2025 and it remains so clear in my mindās eye.
4. Weāll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida. Like most people, I struggle with work/life balance and mental health. Iām lucky enough to have 3 amazing cats that need me and never let me despair.
5. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. āThe world isnāt endingā¦Our world isnāt ending. It already ended. It ended when the Zhaagnaash came into our original homeā¦and took it from us.ā
6. Homeseeking by Karissa Chen. āHome wasnāt a place. It wasnāt moments that could be pinned down. It was people, people who shared the same ghosts as you, of folks long gone, places long disappeared. People who knew you, saw you, loved you.ā
Runner ups:
āļø The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei
āļø The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
āļø My Friends by Fredrik Backman
āļø I See You Called In Dead by John Kenney
āļø Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
āļø Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma Cityā¦ by Sam Anderson
October. Most of the monthās photos are fitting pics from current design job. And pics of buttons, leather, zippersā¦ lots of blurry cat pics - not posting any of those on the grid.
Here are the faves from October 2025 - @christopher_steele ās wedding is prominently featured even though I stopped taking photos right after the one of @agreeleyo . Sorry Sarah and Logan - I swore I took your photo š« .
A few costumesā¦ a fabulous fabric ornament by @shortcakescraps and @goodgreif_lisa ās patchwork ghost. Lucky to know so many gorgeous humans. #October2025š
Interested in the behind-the-scenes of an emmy-nominated costume designer?
This week's episode features the brilliant @vee.bee.jay , who shares all about the craft, thought, and artistry that goes into creating the characters you see in your screen.
Listen to VBJ and @amydevers on your favorite podcast app!
NEW EPISODE!
Costume Designer Virginia B. Johnson Deploys Deep Craft and Rigorous Cultural Authenticity for Powerful Storytelling
Emmy-nominated costume designer @vee.bee.jay grew up with a ādragon mother,ā which shaped her structured habits and her ability to work smoothly amid chaos. Her childhood was filled with intergenerational connection and crafting - learning sewing, embroidery, knitting and crocheting from a āflock of Filipina aunties,ā which fostered not only a sense of community, but a foundational skill for her eventual career. Although she was a pre-med major in college, a serendipitous side gig in a college theater costume shop sparked a passionate pivot to a career that now includes critically-acclaimed and award-winning projects like Hillbilly Elegy and American Primeval, and the opportunity to lead teams in the art of deploying deep craft and rigorous, reverent cultural authenticity to drive powerful storytelling.
Listen to this amazing conversation with Virginia and @amydevers wherever you get your podcasts!
Special thanks to our sponsor, Wix Studio. @wixstudio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.
