the big day

This past Saturday I took the plunge into selling my work. Sidney organized an art bazaar for the fiber art group we belong to, Running with Scissors, and she did a most awesome job of pulling us all together.

All the stock I've been working on for the past couple of months finally got to come out and play:


I've decided to split my work into two shops - Fibra Artysta and Mixed Bag Designs. I'll talk more about that later, still trying to get things organized in both camps, should be set to go by the end of the week.

One of the most exciting things about doing this is that every single table reflected the artist's personalities and showed how diverse our group is.

Check it out (click on the pictures to make them bigger):

Top to bottom: Kate of Oma's Patch, Leann of Wicadoo and Mary of Turtle Creek Quilts






top to bottom: Deb of Life in Stitches, Janice and Kat of Stitchnut





top to bottom: Barb, Carol and Cynthia

Because I am a total dork in every single way humanly possible, I neglected to get photos of Stephanie's and Sidney's tables. *sigh* The two people who did a large portion of the work and I put off taking pictures of them until, well, the day ran out. Visit their links so that you may admire them, they are completely admire-worthy.

The turnout for the show was really good, especially considering this was our first run. In addition to the tables and the shoppers, we were lucky to enjoy a performance from the Oakland Choral Society:



It was a really nice addition to the day and some very talented singers.

All in all, the experience was great. I sold nearly all my stock for Mixed Bag Designs. What I do have left will get tossed up into the etsy store by the end of the week and then I'll do a little talky talk here about how I'm going to play this out. I don't want to turn this blog into one big commercial so that's why there is a separate one set up for it. But I'll babble more about that later, still trying to recover from all the hubbub.

Not to mention the fact that my house looks like a cyclone hit it and its time to start digging out from underneath it. I swear, there has to be something like a cleaning fairy somewhere in existence, need to trap some of those little buggers and put them to work...

Where I Stand Sunday

The list of excuses has dwindled down to a single sentence, one that is not strong enough to hold weight. The needle slides through the fabric, creating a familiar rhythm of meditation. The small works are placed out like a peace offering, new and unsure and full of hope. My mind wraps around them in a single strand of pride, knowing that they are the best they can be.

Where I Stand is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell. (The project is now in Year Three. Year Three will feature artwork inspired by that week's Where I Stand photo as well as the photo that inspired it. Year One and Year Two can be found here.)



INSPIRED BY ARTWORK TECHNIQUE: Leann's graffiti stencil technique as shown in her article "Letter Imperfect" in the May/June 2007 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine


Original photo:

happy thanksgiving

I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving holiday, full of family and friends and lots of good food and warm fuzzies.

Thanks for hanging out with me here!

pass the zanex please

I've been happily humming away making stock for the bazaar this Saturday. I can say that now without hyperventilating - the "this Saturday" part.

The detail that threw me into a frenzy this morning was realizing that I neglected to figure out how I wanted to display things. Three things ran through my mind:

1) My mother always told me if you're going to do it, do it right. (Couple that with the fact that I'm a Virgo and you can imagine the obsessive attention to detail that inspired.)

2) My store taught me that quality product is step #1 and presentation is step #2. Gotta make it look pretty.

3) It has to be light enough that I can move it around on my own when my back is at its worst. (I plan for the bad days so that I don't have to stress about needing help.)

I admit that I considered just placing things on the table and standing next to it while doing a Vanna White style presentation as people walked by. But really, I'm not all that interesting to look at so I sucked it up and figured out a plan.

I must have paced back and forth through Joann's at least ten times. I think I made the staff nervous. I wouldn't be surprised if they had security stalking me. I hemmed and hawed and generally drove myself nuts. As much as I detest the stores this time of year, I was thankful for the crazy sales today.

I came home and cobbled this together:


Forgive the lousy photo (pay no attention to the box of Christmas tree ornaments in the background.) I've no time to stage things properly - I'll get better snaps at the show. Several of the items I've made hang. Including these wall art pieces. The little pieces are a new series I've become addicted to - its called the Zen Pebbles series and has felted pebbles, hand dyed cheesecloth and fabric. I only intended to make a few but once I got going, I couldn't stop.

I scrounged through my studio and came up with two displays for the bird's nest necklaces and the other hanging items and my heart rate has finally returned to normal. After I'm done with this post I have to make tags and an inventory list and oh yeah, there's this turkey thing going on tomorrow that I need to make something for.

I really need to get moving on that. I'll leave you with a photo of freshly groomed little man lounging on his westie blanket (what? Your dog doesn't have a blanket with a picture of him/her on it?):



Oh, and by the way...I had to enable comment moderation on the blog. Not something I really wanted to do but the spam robots seem to have discovered me. I've been having to go into old posts and delete comments linking to ads that are, frankly, obscene. Its mostly been the older posts but one popped up on a recent one the other day and I figured that it was not likely to end any time soon. I'll leave moderation up for a while and hope that they'll get bored and move on to torture someone else. So nothing personal, I obsessively check my email a few times a day so I'll see any comments left fairly quickly. Stupid spammers...

can you guess what it is? winners

A couple days ago I posted this entry and got some rather interesting guesses. Wasn't expecting eyeballs and ovaries but hey, I love the imagination behind it all.

They are bird's nest necklaces.

Only two people got it exactly right (part of the requirement to be in the running for one) but since it seems that I didn't give good enough hints and there weren't more correct answers, I'm going to go ahead and give one to each of the commenters who got it right.

So congrats Mary and Stephanie, you'll each be getting one of these. You have a choice of a brown or grey nest and either a black or a brown necklace cord. Just drop me an email and let me know what your preference is.

These are one of the items I'll be selling at the bazaar this Saturday (holy cow, better get crackin', lots to get done!). After Saturday they'll be going up into one of my new etsy stores for $12. There will be a big announcement here when the store is up and running!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a million things to finish sewing by Saturday in addition to the turkey thing in between. Busy week!

batik and chicken feet

I gave batik a whirl for the first time today. And I figured what better way to give it a shot then to take a class with Rayna Gillman?

But before I could start with the fabric and the wax, I actually had to make it to the class. Which proved to be a little bit of an adventure in and of itself. Woke up to this today:


Which is actually a little bit deceiving because in reality, the fog was waaaayyy thicker then this. I ended up taking the highway rather then the back roads hoping they would feel less like driving underwater but it didn't. Nothing starts a day on the right note like having to drive at 45mph on the highway in order to feel comfortable with the whole twenty feet of visibility you have.

But, I made it there in one piece and drug all my stuff into class and plopped down at a table. Rayna was hosted by the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild and I only knew a couple of people there. So it was fun to meet some new fellow fiber addicts.

Rayna dove right in with a demo:


And then set us loose to reek havoc on our fabric. We applied soy wax and then painted with textile paints. This is the very first one I did:


I'm not digging this one so much. Usually I just let whatever surface design I'm applying do its own thing but I felt like the batik needed some closer attention. (This sort of made me twitch, I'm not too much about being precise. Of course, the desire to be neater was my own weird thing, not Rayna's instruction. I'm still not sure where that really came from.)

One of the issues I was having was that I brought my wood letter press blocks to print with. Lately I've been fascinated with using letters and numbers to create pattern and thought this would be a great chance to use these. Yeah well....that's about where the thinking ended.

I usually print with the wood blocks by sponging on paint and then stamping them on fabric. Know what paint is? (You probably do, you're all pretty smart.) Yeah, you're right - a resist. One that also apparently works efficiently on wax. I couldn't get the buggers to print good at all.

Which sort of meant I was seriously lacking in objects-for-printing category. (Sort of embarrassing considering I'm usually so prepared.) Luckily, my table mates were incredibly prepared and incredibly generous with sharing their supplies.

Particularly Linda, also known as the chicken-feet-lady.

Here's why:

I think its a masher. I called him cool. He's standing in my wax pot in that shot. His little wire orange feet made awesome prints. Here's one piece I did after he walked all over it and I gave it a wash of paint:


I like it better then the first one. (I stamped some X's in black paint over top. Not sure if that was a brilliant idea or not since the white spots are still wax, haven't ironed them out yet. Only one way to know if it works - pray for my iron.)

After I painted the second piece I realized two things: (1) paint is wet and I didn't feel like hauling wet fabric home and (2) I wasn't feeling the love on the colors. Luckily this occurred to me in the morning and I decided to just print wax on fabric for the remainder of the afternoon. (Plus Linda and Karen were printing machines and I was feeling a little jealous of the incredible piles of fabric they had. I decided to shamelessly copy them. I don't think they minded.)

Linda also brought this guy:

I considered smuggling him home but I made too much of a fuss over how much I coveted him so I figured she would be able to figure out who the thief was. (Plus she was super nice to let me use all her stuff so that would have been impolite.) I fell in love not only with the fact that he had rolly googly eyes that swirled around every time I swung him toward the melting pot but also because his mashing butt end produced some very nice graphic images. I was so smitten by the image that I printed six fat quarters with him. I have an idea for a series. I'll have to find me my very own googly-eyed-potato-masher. Oh, and a chicken feet too. Liked that one a lot.

Lest you think I only mooched off Linda, you would be wrong. June was also kind enough to lend me her deep-frier-thingy (that's its technical name) and I printed this:


Feels a little bit like it has an asian flair to it.

I could go on showing you the rest of the fabric I printed but its all white with wax stamps on it. Picture twelve more just like the one above but with different objects I borrowed. So let me show you some fabric other people did. Here is Linda (aka chicken-feet-lady) merrily covering up the pink in a pink piece of fabric:


Turns out she is not a fan of the devil color either. Yet another reason to like her.

Here is Eunice's fabric (another lovely lady I shared a space with):


She got into painting the wax on wit a brush rather then stamping it. I love the movement in this one, feels windy.

I missed getting a shot of Karen's fabric (the other table mate). Know that it was all brilliant and she conquered her dislike of red.

Another couple shots. Here is Connie's piece, totally love this:




And Kaye's fabric. She wasn't sure she liked it but it was so my colors:




I've got a pile of white fabric full of wax to paint. And then I have to iron all the wax out. I'm not sure that batik is my calling but I'll see the pieces through that I've started. I'm hoping I'll be happy with the end result.

Unfortunately, it will most likely need to wait until after I'm done with the holiday bazaar next weekend. Have quite a bit to do to finish up items for that.

All in all a rather nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon. More soon...

Where I Stand Sunday

She reaches out to me, pushing against the pages of the book, searching for a view of her own hand. Each day that passes by she becomes more real, a friend that is always with me. I can feel the wind against her face as she lingers at the end of her dock, contemplating the things in the river. The only obstacles standing between her and the world are my fingers against the keyboard, searching for the right way to give her voice.

Where I Stand is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell. (The project is now in Year Three. Year Three will feature artwork inspired by that week's Where I Stand photo as well as the photo that inspired it. Year One and Year Two can be found here.)

INSPIRED BY ARTWORK TECHINIQUE: digital alteration

Original photo:

headless chicken here

Holy cow, my schedule has been packed this past week. I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not happy unless I'm running about like a headless chicken. At least it keeps things interesting. Here are a few of the things that have been occupying my time (notice how I managed to avoid calling it random, pretty savvy eh?).

On Monday I got a call from Joan asking if Running with Scissors would be interested in hanging an art quilt display in downtown Northville for the holiday season. And it would be preferable to have it up by Friday. Luckily we are a very talented group with lots of work so it was fairly easy to gather enough artwork to do it. Although the pictures below are lousy (I plan to go back and stalk the display at night to see if I can get a better shot), its pretty spiffy that we've got a display in a storefront right on Main Street:



On the home front, this went up today:

I'm a big fan of the Christmas tree, find it all warm and cozy and as soon as it goes up, it stays lit whenever I am in the room. Dooley lays in front of it when its in the room, just love it.

I also drug my brother to my storage unit to dig this out:


I haven't done my normal baking marathon in a couple of years so this guy has had quite the respite. Well, the rest is over. Its getting a good washing next week and recipes are being pulled and soon I will make everyone in my family fat with cranberry bread and cookies.

On the art front, I added a new piece to my collection. This is a photo called dance of the leaves by Chrysti Haydek:


When I saw it I did the little gaspy thing and just had to have it. (All of Chrysti's photos kick butt, go check them out.) Its going to be the inspiration piece for the new color scheme for my bedroom makeover. Going to my storage unit today made me realize that its not quite the monstrosity that I thought it was (I had built it up in my mind to be the most colossal of messes when in fact its manageable) so the desire to move my bedroom furniture home and repaint and redecorate is back. Its going to be my first project for the new year, some other things need to happen before we can get to the actual fun part of decorating.

I'm also busting my booty to finish stock for the holiday bazaar next weekend. These little buggers have some stitching yet to go but they are almost done:


I plan to work on them when I'm done with this blog post. Then next week I have to focus on finishing up some other things and getting tags printed out, etc. Lots to do but I'm soooooo looking forward to it.

If you're in the area, here's the info for it:

Running with Scissors Holiday Art Bazaar
Saturday November 28, 2009
10am-4pm
Berkley Knights of Columbus
2299 Twelve Mile Road
Berkley, MI 48072

I'm taking a class with Rayna Gilman tomorrow on batik. I've never tried batik before and I love Rayna's blog and work so I figure its going to be a rocking good time. My back is being pretty cranky but if I baby it tonight, it should be fine for a one day class.

I also had an interesting time putting together the Inspired By version of my Where I Stand Sunday photo today. I'm no whiz at the photo manipulation, I can squeak by when I need to but for the most part, its a mystery. But I cussed at the programs a little bit today and managed to achieve what I was going for. I'll go up tomorrow.

OH! And tomorrow is the last day to gander a guess on what this is. Remember - one guess per person and everyone who gets it right will have their name put in a hat for a chance to win one. Get guessing!

a giveaway - can you guess what it is?

I know I promised you artwork today but its been a little bit of a nutty day so I thought maybe you would settle for a giveaway instead.

I'm participating in a holiday art bazaar next weekend with the fiber art group I belong to, Running with Scissors. I've been wanting to do an offshoot of Fibra Artysta for a while now. I've got one foot firmly rooted in the crafty world, just love that stuff.

So I decided to use the bazaar to kick that off. I'm calling it Mixed Bag Designs and will use it to indulge whatever crafty activity happens to strike my fancy at the time. I'd hoped to get the etsy store and blog for that together prior to the sale but it looks like it won't happen. When I get it up and running there will be a big announcement here with chances for discounts and giveaways so keep an eye out for it in the next few weeks.

I've been working on stock and the picture above is one of the things I'm putting together. If you can guess what it is, you will get a chance to win one. I'll give you a hint: its wearable.

Leave a comment with your guess and everyone who gets it right (and you have to be completely correct, no partial correctness (is that a word?) so give it a moment before you respond) will have their name put into a hat and the winner will be drawn. You've got until Sunday so get guessing.

**Edited to add: Only one guess per person. Yes, Kate, that includes you. ;-)

his plan is foiled...

Mom and I have been discussing the demise of my battery charger. We suspect Dooley had much to do with it. My camera is his arch nemesis. It was clearly a desperate act, devoid of any real forethought because the UPS man delivered my lovely new charger yesterday. Little man watched as I unpacked it and I can't be sure, but I thought I heard a little sigh huff out of him when I clicked the battery in place and the tiny lights all sprung to life.

Its not an unwarranted hatred. But you know, what can I tell you? He's too damn cute so he has no one to blame but himself.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I walked into the drugstore this morning and saw an animated plushie westie holding a christmas stocking in his mouth and wagging his tail (which is impaled with a jingle bell, slightly sadistic but adorable all at the same time) while it barks merrily. Well...I just had to bring it home and introduce it to the life size version of itself (minus the impaled tail of course).

The meeting went as expected:









My hand in the last shot is me attempting to keep him from dragging the wiggling plushie to the floor. Its a decoration, not a toy and the last thing I want to do is give him a zappy. Sort of defeats the purpose of bringing the cute stuffed thing home.

What I didn't get a picture of was me chasing him into the living room yelling to give it back. But I did and now the little furball (plushie, not little man) is perched on top the TV where he (little man, not plushie) gives it dirty looks every time he walks by.

Ahhhhhhh....so good to have the camera back in working order.

Art tomorrow, promise.

Where I Stand Sunday

My imagination has plummeted into overdrive, yanking and stretching in a mad fit to be satisfied. Projects spool in front of me, half finished as they wait to uncoil into reality, directing my fingers as I stitch and cut and assemble.

Where I Stand is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell. (The project is now in Year Three. Year Three will feature artwork inspired by that week's Where I Stand photo as well as the photo that inspired it. Year One and Year Two can be found here.)

maybe it wasn't such a bad thing

I've been most unhappy about not being able to use my camera (as you all know since you've had to listen to me whine about it for a couple posts now). One of the things I wasn't really sure how to handle is my Where I Stand Sunday posts since its a photo essay. The key word being photo.

I admit that when the project began its third year (three weeks ago), that I wanted to do something different this year. I love the project, its near and dear to my heart but I wanted to put a twist on it.

So not being able to use my camera this week pushed me into having to compensate and the light bulb finally went off.

The third year will be 8.5 x 11 artwork inspired by Where I Stand photos. The blog will show a collage, drawing, quilt, etc.. plus the original photo that inspired it (except for this week because, well, no camera in case you hadn't heard.)

I'll be going back and creating variations of the three original photos already posted so far for this year and will toss them up on the blog when I'm through with them.

I was pretty active in the art world last year but much of that revolved around organizing and curating exhibits and events. What that means is that that was all I had time for. My work schedule was off the charts so I had to choose what would fit in and every time the exhibits won out. I'm not complaining, I make my own choices about how I spend my time and I am responsible for my own art output. But its left me feeling unsatisfied so I've made the commitment to myself to work more art in over the course of the next year. I think this variance of the Where I Stand essay is an excellent step toward that goal.

So tomorrow will look different (I'll add the inspiration photo once my camera becomes functional again) and I hope that you will enjoy the change as much as I will.

the battle is turning in my favor...

Okay, I checked the dining room, the kitchen, mom's desk, my bedroom, my studio, Dooley's toy basket, under the couch and couch cushions, in my car, in all the bags that I've used to travel recently and in my bathroom (not sure why but you never know) and I am accepting defeat: the camera battery charger is KIA.

After a bit of grumbling and generally feeling growly, I resigned myself to buying a new one. Went online, scowled at the $160 price tag Leica wants to charge me for a new one and then suddenly remembered that I am a woman with skills - and access to Google.

So off I went on the internet determined to find a cheaper alternative. Because really, its just a little black thingie with a few electronic doo-hickeys in it...you can't possibly tell me it warrants that much money.

Turns out I'm not the only one unwilling to open my wallet to Leica and throw money to the wind. I was directed to a few "generic" alternatives that work with the battery I use. I grow a bit suspicious of items that are under $10 so I turned my attention toward the $60 one. Still more then I hoped to spend but the camera wasn't cheap and I don't want to end up damaging the battery and have to get a new one of those as well so we considered it.

And considered it.

And then decided to go check Amazon.com to see if there were any reviews to see how the thing stacked up to its name brand brother.

Holy Amazon batman...how does a price reduction to $18.95 sound to you?

I don't know how Amazon is able to sell something that normally costs $60 to under $20 but all I knew was that I was about to question it. I grabbed the credit card before it had a chance to change its mind and claimed one for my very own.

Now, I'm not entirely convinced that I've won the fight yet because you know, there's still the chance that the thing could be a total piece of junk and not work. But for $20, I'm willing to take the chance.

Photos hopefully coming soon....

things that are annoying me...

...ever have one of those days in which you feel like the universe is conspiring against you? Not in any grand stance that leaves it to no doubt but in little petty ways that make you feel like someone is pulling strings and giggling like a vindictive middle schooler?

Yeah, its been one of those days. Allow me to spread the irritation...

1) The charger for my battery has mysteriously been sucked into a realm that I am not allowed to visit. The blasted thing is gone. Gone. G-o-n-e. No where to be found. And a new one costs over $150. Bah. Bah, I say!!!

2) Do people not realize how rude they are? Griping loudly while standing behind me at the post office because I have six priority mail boxes in my hands (which are very organized and take less then five minutes to process thank you very much) and you only have one envelope is a sign of petty immaturity that gives me the urge to crush you. (Okay, so maybe that could be classified as a little immature as well but really, you bring it out in me so its your fault, not mine....I know you are but what am I???)

3) There is some trick going on with the 60" cabled circs that I'm knitting with. Its cruel and causes me to cuss and is upsetting the dog. By some bizarre twist (literally), the yarn keeps getting tangled in the cable and within seconds it has become a brutal mess that would astound even Houdini. Its slowing progress and if this wasn't a Christmas gift, I would set it on fire and laugh hysterically.

4) Something horrific happened when the alarm clock went off this morning (aside from the fact that went off). For some bizarre reason, my bedroom only allows one radio station to come in clearly. And said radio station has already begun playing Christmas music. Waking up to Madonna singing "Santa Baby" was like being doused with a bucked of cold stinky water. Thanks radio station, I hope you get broken coal in your stockings this year.

5) Really? Do you really care what I'm making with the fabric I'm buying? Really? Because the dejected off handed way you ask me leads me to believe that you couldn't give a crap. So leave me alone or I'll have to come up with more inventive responses such as when I said "Making my dog a straight jacket."

6) I'm through dodging goose poop every time I have to visit a corporate complex. Doing the Avoiding-the-Green-Poop-Quick-Step dance is neither attractive nor dignified. Ban the geese, they are vile.

7) NaNoWriMo...well, that's explanation enough really.

I'm done now. Maybe. I'm going to go look for that camera charger again, because you know, I'm a total glutton for punishment. Its only about a two inch square and its black. If anyone has seen it, let me know because I've been avoiding posting since I can't put up pictures...*grumble, kick, stomp*...

Where I Stand Sunday

A sleepy contentment has taken up residence in me, easy and calm and welcome. Its a kindness I am gripping with both hands, this chance to slow down and see everything around me in fine detail. Everything seems possible in this moment, every door has clicked open. The respite will break eventually but until then, I will trace the outline of doorknobs with my fingertips and relish the freedom.

Where I Stand is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell. (The project is now in its third year. Year One and Year Two can be found here.)

2010 Fabrications Retreat

Every autumn I sit down and make plans for the major art things I want to accomplish over the next year. These could be as simple as making a commitment to finally follow through on the desire to make enough work for a solo show or to keep my studio clean (*ahem* we have yet to put that one in writing, something about failing before even beginning keeps me from doing that.)

Two of the major components of my list are shows that I want to curate and retreats/trips I want to take.

I can say that since I discovered Fabrications in 2006, it has become a main staple on my list. I am very very picky about taking classes, often looking for a relaxed environment that allows me to produce my own work while still learning something. I've found it every year at this retreat and have listened to other student's accounts of more structured classes that suited their personal styles. There is a real effort to have something for everyone.

The chance to spend several days doing nothing but making art is the ideal respite to a year of hard work and the stress of everyday life.

I'll be attending in 2010 again, have my sights set on Rayna Gillman's class. I found it hard to choose this year, especially since there are 2-day, 3-day and 5-day classes so not only does the retreat span a variety of interests but it accommodates schedules and budgets as well.

I'm also very excited to be curating Blurred Boundaries again this year. The 2010 show will focus on artwork that revolves around surface design and I'm currently working out the details. I'm confident it will be another exciting show.

Go on over to the website, take a moment to download the pdf of the classes and I bet you'll find something there that suits you.

Hope to see you there!

forgive me

My mind is sort of all over the place. I'm making things for the holiday bazaar, I'm writing, I'm cleaning, I'm still working on mailing out an exhibit (ran out of priority mail boxes, waiting on those to be shipped to the house)...so you get random. Here goes:

1.) Dirty Jobs is on TV now. Mom thinks I'm disturbing because I often eat during the show. (If you've ever watched it you'd understand why this is not normal.) If I'm being completely honest, I find it fascinating but even more so because Mike Rowe is hot.

2) It is NaNoWriMo. I am committed to completing a chapter over the course of a three day period. I began this novel last year during NaNoWriMo, its fitting I will finish it this year during the same month. Of course, this is the first solid draft I've produced, there has been much fiddling and researching and starts and stops. We are determined to get this thing out of my head.

3) Activity #3,187.5 that is perfect for avoiding writing: experiment with a perfectly fine recipe for Shepard's Pie by using sweet potatoes rather then white potatoes and crinkle cut canned carrots rather then fresh ones and pray that after nearly chopping off a finger while cubing said sweet potatoes for boiling that it will be edible. (It was.)

4) I cannot locate the battery charger for my camera. This has upset me in a way that I can't explain. I plan to destroy the house tomorrow, I will not rest until it is located. Which means you will have to be satisfied with my ramblings for the time being. (This makes me worry about my readership, I have visions of people unsubscribing in mass...) Mom has a camera but its pink and the thought of using it makes me break out in hives.

5) Braved the mall (I am of the opinion that the mall is the devil) for a brief visit with Cathy today. She uttered a phrase that nearly sent me into hysterics. Upon entering a stall in a bathroom, she exclaimed, "Oh my, what happened in here??" Luckily she was referring to toilet seat covers being strewn all about the floor. There are far too many upsetting alternatives to what that phrase could mean.

6) I'm doing battle with a woodpecker that has decided my house is dinner. We have a lot of wood trim and apparently it is the prime rib of wood trim. The little bastard is so loud it sounds like someone is shooting a machine gun at us. I am determined to convince him that hanging about making gigantic holes is a bad idea. Suggestions on how to fight the little bugger are welcome.

7) I'm also doing battle with Dooley love. His eye is not improving. In fact, he seems determined to drive me over the edge by scratching at it and then spending the day looking like Popeye. *sigh* My nerves can't take much more of it. I'm tuning into my mom instincts with such phrases as, "Just because I can't see you doesn't mean I don't know what you're doing!" Mom finds it amusing...

8) I overheard a rather heated discussion at Joann's the other day. Two women in the yarn section were debating if crochet or knitting is cooler. Personally? I'm a yarn whore. I figure any excuse to use it is good in my book. Why limit yourself? Embrace the hooks and needles. Plus the metal crochet hooks come in really cool colors that I don't see that often in knitting needles. For some reason, a magenta crochet hook makes me stupid happy.

9) I'm going to go see this when it comes out and I am not ashamed.

10) Activity #456 that is perfect for avoiding writing: clean out the pantry. Did you know that macaroni and cheese has an expiration date? Me either. Sort of disturbing to see 2002 printed on the one pushed toward the back.

11) I still think there is a special circle of hell for the people who invented time changes. As I get older, doesn't seem to matter if I'm loosing or gaining an hour, my body knows something is not right and reacts along the lines of a little kid whining for candy in a check out lane at the grocery store.

12) The fact that my engineering knowledge revolves around product design leads me to believe that I can often "improve" the performance of many of the things I own. The fan in my studio is currently suffering due to this theory...


Excuse me while I go harass the dog. He is currently lounging on the sofa next to my chair. He was resting, now his head is up and he is attempting to not make eye contact with me. I think he's getting ready to scratch his eye. This is turning into a sport, I am determined to win...

Where I Stand Sunday

The sculpture of erosion cracks across the wood, inviting pocks of moss and decay. Its like looking down from an airplane, watching the peaks of mountains pull away from valleys. This world is the result of a tree that could bear to stand no longer, all that is left of its decades of occupation. The ground is slowly creeping back up over it, working silently to reclaim it.

Where I Stand is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell. (The project is now in its third year. Year One and Year Two can be found here.)