so much to do in July....all the things I wanted to do in January, February, March, April and so...get crammed into July....Stupid snow/rain...so many things I would have done, but snow/rain got in my way........ reorganizing. mowing the lawn. having morning coffee outside. watching the scrub jays in the morn, and the swallows in the evening. and the beach. always at the beach. soon my skin will have the patina and texture of a pair of old work boots.
continuing along the theme of wrinkled and old.....as in burlap sack. My mom was from Idaho. and there's an old joke......Twin Falls Idaho, where the women are scarce, and the sheep are nervous.
Right now, I'm designing jewelry, clothes and other cute things for late summer, fall, autumn, halloween, holidays, christmas, winter.... Inspiration.......
these 2 pictures are from Desire to Inspire. If I had log cabin walls, I might paint them white too. I don't think I'd hang a dead moose head over the couch tho....and I bet it's fun to watch people knock the yellow lamps with their heads....WTH is going on with that design decision ?
I like the little gray dining room below, because it uses simple things, sparingly and artfully. Good style does not require a lot of money. Everything in the picture could have come from the thrift store. By sticking to one color, with white, and one accent color, it can be the formula to good functional style. There's no doubt this room cost a pretty penny...but it didn't have to. The "I'm broke and using junk" decorating style is in my DNA and I can do this in my sleep.
As I was outside on Thursday afternoon, burning holes in my camo pants, soon to be skirt......of course anyone who walked by was darn curious about what I was doing. Picute this: a lady (me) sitting in the driveway in front of my shop burning her laid-out pants, lighting wooden matches and holding the flame to folds of fabric.
I simply explained I was working on my costume...I was doing an art project... Ron said: "hot pants!" Which honestly, I hadn't thought of! Others said "Burning Man Pants"..."Burning pants not bras"......I have some funny neighbors !
While I'm sure folks don't see this sort of activity everyday, I like to think that I'm doing my part to Keep It Weird. Mark was watching me, and asking why I didn't use his propane torch. I explained that I wanted to use a flame-making device that I was familiar with, since I didn't know how quickly the fabric might flame up. Standing off to the side was a young man, tossing a football between his left hand and his right. He was nervous, as he watched me make holes, & pat out the small fires.
He finally asked me what I was doing. I explained. He told me that seeing camo pants being burned was very upsetting to him, since he was recently discharged from the military and he had buddies that died in the muck, in the war.
I was surprised that my art project, my afternoon fun, had caused such a strong reaction. I told the man that I understood his feelings..that seeing camo being burned would have an emotional effect on him.
We chatted some more about camo, burning, why was I using camo. I said that I'm making a costume for an Apocalypse-theme party here on Broadway on Saturday night. My thinking, I told him, was that after the war or devastation that might happen to plunge us into a post-apocalyptic world....that there would be lots of camo and military clothes around, and if I was to make clothes, which is what I do with my real life, I might use what is most plentiful and just keep on creating. And since I'm going to a party, I was going to make a party dress. Post-Apocalyptic Finery from bits of whatever is left ..........
I think he thought I was nuts and disprespectful to the military. He told me so. (that last part, anyway) I've heard this line of thinking many many times before. I am, after all, a flower child that grew up in the SF Bay Area, and was a war protester. I also spent my childhood growing up next to the Veterans Home in Yountville. I know veterans. I know the cost of war.
I told him I wasn't disrespecting the military. I don't know if he believed me. I do know he was quite emotional about watching me. It struck me that ......here was a young man who had received military training. He is capable of many brave acts. And, I saw that he was somewhat afraid, apprehensive at least, to talk to a tiny middle-age woman who was sitting on the concrete burning her camo pants.
Mark asked him what he does in the office next to us. He replied "We help people refinance their mortgage rates down." Well,neighbor, that's a good thing, I told him. Helping people stay in their homes.
Here's what I didn't tell him, because he had used up all his bravery and now just wanted to get back to his office, with the amazing view of the Tideflats and Tacoma industriousness, and the Cascades........
I know from decades of living with America's military presence all around me that I know exactly how to love the veteran, the soldier, the men and women who think they are protecting me from the Bad People. I love the military people, but I hate war. I think the best way to show respect to those who pay the ultimate price, who sign up to give the ultimate if asked to do so.... is to work for a world that has a smaller chance of creating wars.
To oppose war is to honor the military. I would love for the world to train soldiers, for Generals, and Admirals and Presidents and Captains of Industry, on whose behalf we fight war, to look at young, oh so very very young men right straight in the eye, and tell them that our most fondest wish is to equip them with what they need in battle and to work harder to make sure they never really have to use it.
I also learned that cotton camo pants require about 6 seconds of direct flame before catching fire, and one or 2 pats will extinguish a 3 inch high flame. This information made me feel better for the soldiers who had to wear these pants in the year they were made, 2001.
Funnest food stuff...in crochet...and just below, is one of my favorite yummy vegetarian meals...quick easy and you won't believe how good it is! I love the crochet banana !! On etsy, KTBdesigns invents the cutest cleverest things to make...perfect for the kids...or for the Klutz in the Kitchen!
This is often called Bisquick Quiche, Crustless Quiche (not an appetizing title!)...but trust me..if you like quiche...and bread..and using one Bowl....I think you'll love this!
Mix together in a glass 9" pie plate or a 2 quart bowl:
3 eggs, slightly beaten 1 1/2 c. milk 1/4 c. melted butter 1/8 tsp. each pepper and onion salt, or a tablespoon or so of chopped onion. 1/2 c. Bisquick
Make sure it's pretty lump-free. Then sprinkle on:
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (any kind) 2 c. cooked chopped broccoli, zucchini, mixed vegetables, chopped spinach or even left-over salad! Microwave for about 13 to 18 mins depending on the wattage of your micro. Turn it around every 5 mins, or just let the turntable do the work. Let it sit for another 3 to 5 mins to set, and cool. EAT !!
The milk, cheese, & eggs can be replaced with non-animal substitutes too. Just reduce any liquids by about 1/3.
A snippet view into my "studio"...Where the Magik Happens!"
too drunk to put on proper eye makeup, Gladsby's pal, Japanese 50s Elf watches over the doings....
Hi ! vintage Beistle paper skeleton welcomes you in ...
Just follow the Hand...Its cousin is Thing...
Hi! Welcome to funkoma vintage....I got all dressed up for you and put on eye makeup and a fancy dress !!
Here's my "window view of the country and uh, Seattle"....some stuff I made....really blows your mind, huh?
My friend Pee Wee, a kind of, unofficial Rampart mascot..."art", clock says 4:30, so break time is over.
The Heartbeat of bloggerville. Look, I'm looking at my Facehole page. awwww....Did you notice both a cup of coffee, and a fresh martini?? yup, that's how I roll....
A vintage car crash or 2, my favorite new hat, a scanner I'll hook up someday, vintage ice skates, skeleton wrapping paper....just the usual office wall decor....I love my dangly Puritan Shayne made for me when he was about 6 or so...so cute....John Lennon's head in a rusty Tonka toy.
Behind me, a couple of chairs....a vintage "rocking horse"...needs new legs (nahh)...file cabinet I got from Annie where I file my denim...and junk...Roller skates listed on etsy. You can sit here when you come to visit.
Ok, that's all for now...I'll show you the other side another time...the photog area, the sewing desk, the tables chock full of crap that I make into Real Cool Stuff!
surrounding me now...Just like in real life !! I went to shabbyblogs.com...click it in the far left upper corner....and got me some pretty stuff... for FREE! thank you.
Now this is the kind of stuff that intrigues me...a sweet and lovely idea of a bed made with discarded pallets...oh do I know of pallets! A house I lived in in Steilacoom just before I opened the deli was made of pallets and Army ammo boxes. It was weird and stumpy. From Design*Sponge comes this Before & After by Ashley Campbell of ashley ann photography. And a door headboard too. The simple white works well with the light wood and the punch of pretty colors. I especially love the coasters..Imagine the fun a child could have with this! Practical, hard to wreck and mobile too!
I stayed home today and didn't go to any parties...the shop is closed and I'm alone with my dog.
I made 2 necklaces and worked on other things too.
I really like to go to parties and I like to go out to eat and drink and I love spending time with my family a lot !
But none of those things get work done....and making stuff is what I do.....
here's what I did today...(well some of it !) and then 2 pics from the camping trip to Ft.Flagler....
the park ranger who checked us in was K. Shurely.
you betcha!
The first necklace is of random pretty charms....mostly hearts...this is from my vast collection of stuff...and they are both on etsy now.
The second one is a big apple..thing...I combined it with a piece that looks kinda like an eye.....apple of my eye......
it was inspired by a woman I saw in Seattle a few weeks ago.......she had long shiny hair, a black tshirt tucked in her faded jeans. Simple leather sandals and a stunning statement piece of jewelry...a long necklace with a large metal pendant....similar to this, but not this....She looked cool, collected and perfectly put together.
*************************
The first pic is going across the Hood Canal bridge and then the view from campspot 7...it took us an hour to remember how to put up our tent (it's huge!)
but finally we did it then we walked on the beach......it was 2 days of Heaven, and I am more sure than ever of the next place I want to live...not in Tacoma.
...It feels great to be able to actually create something ...to have skills...and recycle and save something from the great mountains of crap...
Of course these are skills that the US culture doesn't appreciate....yet!
