More, More, More!

MORE Entries!

For some reason I can't make this image rotate . . .

A Few Other Entries

I will be posting more throughout the day!

Drum Roll, Please . . .

Thanks for waiting! So, as you may have gathered from all the updates, we changed the rules a bit last night. In the end, the only votes that counted were votes from people who had entered the contest--or people who regularly visit this blog. If you tallied the votes yourself you might have come up with the wrong answer.

Soooo, who was the big winner? Well it was a very close race. Once we changed the rules, it became extremely close. The winner, by three whole votes is . . .

ENTRY #3!!!!!! Congrats, Rosemary.

BUT . . . because it was so close, and because I changed the rules, I think it's only fair to give a nice consolation prize to the first runner-up. And the first runner-up is . . .

ENTRY #2!!!!!! (Your knowledge of the world of Kiki Strike astounds me.)

Congrats to both of you!

P.S.: I will be posting other entries throughout the day. If you would like your entry posted, please send me a note at kikistrike@gmail.com

We Have a Winner!

(Art by Mark Jenkins.)

And that winner will be announced tomorrow at noon.

LAST UPDATE! THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT.

OK, I'm making a new rule. Because I can. While I don't mind friends and family voting, I think it has gotten a little out of control.

So the only votes that will count will be:

Those from people who regularly visit/comment on this blog. (Yes, I know who you are.)
Those from people who also entered the contest.

Sorry, but that's the way it has to be.

Another Update!

(Isn't this exciting!)

VOTING WILL END AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. COMMENTS ON THE VOTING POST WILL BE TURNED OFF.

And since I'm a sucker for popular demand, I'm happy to post some of the other entries! If you sent one and you'd like me to post it, please send me an email at kikistrike@gmail.

And maybe I'll even tell you guys which shirt I might just make for myself. (And no, it wasn't one of the finalists!)

Update!

Sorry for the delay in posting comments. I had to get my hair done! (I know, not a good excuse.)

I see we have a lot of ANONYMOUS votes. Please, if you did not give a name, vote again. I'm afraid anonymous votes won't be counted! (To avoid voter fraud.)

And the Finalists Are . . .

The panel of experts wants you to know how difficult this decision was! There were over sixty entries in the 1000 Contest, and they were all amazing. You guys should start your own t-shirt company. (And then use the proceeds to take over the world. Mwwahahaha.)

Alas, only five t-shirts could be chosen as finalists. The experts looked for designs that were creative, fashionable, and different from anything else they had seen.

Now it's your turn! Comment on this post to vote for your favorite. One vote per person only, which means PLEASE DO NOT VOTE ANONYMOUSLY. If I suspect cheating, I will contact the FBI. Then I'll figure out what to do. But you can rest assured that CHEATING WILL MAKE ME VERY UNHAPPY.

Also, please use your imaginations. Some of the designs are rougher than others, but all the shirts will look great in the end!

ENTRY #1




ENTRY #2





ENTRY #3





ENTRY #4





ENTRY #5

Are You Thinking?

Remember, all entries in the 1000 Contest are due no later than midnight on Friday!

Aww. You GUYS!

(Above: You will feel the same way when you're my age.)

Thanks for all the birthday wishes! You have amazing memories. Today is the day!

I'm taking a little trip this weekend, so I may not have the chance to post for a few days. So if you have questions about the contest, ask them now and ask them here!

BTW, the entries I've seen so far are amazing!

Happy Valentine's Day & Chinese New Year!

(Above: Just a random cute picture.)

Happy Alligators in the Sewer Day!

Yes, it's a real day! Seventy-five years ago today, a teenager discovered an 8-foot alligator at the bottom of a manhole in Harlem. The event was even written up in the New York Times (see below).

According to a former superintendent of New York sewers (a man once known as the King of the Sewers), that 8-footer wasn't alone. When the man went down into the sewers see for himself what was there, he found . . .

Alligators serenely paddling around in his sewers. The beam of his own flashlight had spotlighted alligators whose length, on the average, was about two feet. Some may have been longer. Avoiding the swift current of the trunk lines under major avenues, the beasts had wormed up the smaller pipes under less important neighborhoods, and there Teddy had found them. The colony appeared to have settled contentedly under the very streets of the busiest city in the world.

Is the story true? Only the King of the Sewers knows. (And I don't think he's taking questions any more.)

Read more here.

THE 1000 CONTEST!!!

(Above: Mom and Dad)

To celebrate this blog's 1000th post, we will be holding a very special contest.

The challenge is to design a Kiki Strike t-shirt. (Thanks for the idea, AWB!) The t-shirt does not need to show Kiki Strike, but it must be in the spirit of the books. The design can feature an illustration, photo, or even a phrase. So it doesn't matter if you prefer to write or draw--your talents can be put to work!

A panel of experts will choose five finalists. Those five t-shirt designs will be posted on the blog. The winner will be chosen by YOU!

Entries must be sent to kikistrike@gmail.com no later than midnight on February 26th. The five finalists will be posted at 9am EST on February 27th, and the winner will be declared on February 28th!

The winner will receive two t-shirts featuring his/her own design and a little something extra from me!

GOOD LUCK

UPDATE: Each person may submit up to three entries.

This Is Post 999

Post 1000 will be uploaded at 8PM EST.

Invasions!

Thank you all for the stories about the giant squid currently invading California waters! The key words in this tale are: enormous, carnivorous, ink-blowing, mean, and delicious.

But allow me to tell you about another invasion. The other day, while sitting in my living room, I spotted a bug just like the one shown above. I picked it up and tossed it out the window. (Because I love all the little creatures.) Good thing I didn't squash it. Apparently, it was a stink bug--a particularly foul class of beasties which emit a terrible odor when stomped. And the one in my apartment may not have been alone! My neighborhood in Brooklyn is being invaded by stink bugs! The horror!

And to top it all off, there's a coyote loose in Central Park as I write! What is this world coming to? Giant squid, stink bugs, coyotes! AAARGH!

UPDATE! Pictures of the coyote here!

Happy Groundhog Day!

(Above: Don't be fooled by the dandelions. This is not a groundhog you'd want to mess with.)

I'm pleased to report that this year, New York's own groundhog, Staten Island Chuck, did not eat the mayor! AND he didn't see his shadow either, so spring is on the way. (Yeah right. This has been the most miserable winter in years.)

I'd like to take the opportunity to point out that this is post #997, which obviously means that post #1000 is coming up! What should I do? Any suggestions? (We're also approaching our FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY. Can you believe it?!?!?)

Secret Subways

I think it's time for Ananka's Diary to return to it's roots. Secret stuff. I found this amazing post over at Mentalfloss today. I thought I knew everything there was to know about America's secret subways. But guess what! I didn't! That ought to teach me.

Some of the secret subways have already been covered in this blog. However, there's enough new information there to keep you reading!

(Notice that the post only mentions American secret subways. If you really want your mind blown, look up some of the conspiracy theories surrounding the Tokyo subway system.)

BONUS SECRET STUFF HERE.