offline

Things I've been doing instead of
sitting in front of the computer...

watercolor painting
decoupage
browsing cool new fabrics
buying cool new fabrics
brainstorming
sketching
gardening
gardening
gardening

All this smooshed between the boring stuff.
Must find a way to live with a little clutter,
chaos and dust so I can make more
time for the fun stuff. Need more fun!

perfect poppy

*
Because I just can't get enough of orange and green, together.

color me passing strange

I'm going to take a small break from sharing stitches, paint and doodles to tell you about something I've mentioned a time or two before... I want to share the work of another kind of artist- a poet, a musician, a performer. His name is Stew.

The first time I heard Stew and his band, The Negro Problem (and this is up for debate because the husband is sure we heard of them long before this program, but...), was on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic". (Click the link and listen- I'm thrilled they still have it available for streaming. You'll need RealPlayer, as far as I can see... but I promise you it's worth it.) I was hooked! I was entranced by "The Statue Song (Indoors Again)". Listening to that song was like watching a movie. "Ken" was an equally brilliant and sympathtic (and fucking funny) song about Ken, who is forced to be with Barbie and who only wants to love as he'd like to (with G.I. Joe). And then I was pushed down memory lane with "Monsanto". (Remember that strange "Adventure Thru Inner Space" by Monsanto ride at Disneyland that was usually the first ride you hopped on because it was right there at the entrance to "Tomorrow Land" and very rarely ever had much of a line? You'd sit in those white pod-like chairs that swivelled and looped you through, making you believe you were shrinking and have become the size of an atom being looked at under a microscope? Thinking about that stirs something up, doesn't it? Yeah, and Stew put it in a song!) On "Morning Becomes Eclectic" it was sung slowly with a banjo in a different tune so I could grasp the lyrics - unlike the recorded version where Stew's words fire out like a machine gun.

"Monsanto, come back to me.
I'll wait there
I'll wait there
To Disneyland in Winter
To Disneyland in Winter
When everybody else is gone
Take a ride a million times
There ain't nobody standing in line
Everybody oughta have a mother or a brother
who would take them on a magical time
To Disney land in Winter
To Disneyland in Winter
Ya know when everybody else is gone"

A lot of Stew's songs are like that- where you miss pieces of the lyrics and they are left up to you to fill. He stitches words together so they all kind of seem like one big word, with a melody. (I've always thought that about Tracy Chapman as well. Isn't is FUN singing "Fast Car"?) And in the blogs and message boards Stew fans all offer their interpretation of those lyrics because, as they also like to mention constantly, Stew never publishes his lyrics.

Stew has an incredible discography, but also not to be missed is a wonderful little diddly he wrote for "Spongebob Squarepants". Yes, I said "Spongebob Squarepants". (Additionally, I have heard a Stew song on the long gone television series, "Ed"... God I loved that show- especially after I heard a Stew song playing in the bowling alley!) "Gary's Song" was written for the episode where a distraught Spongebob is searching for his pet snail, Gary, that ran away from home.

So after hearing this awesome band, I kept my eyes peeled for them. This was before iTunes and even a little too early for Amazon. Back then, when you heard about a band, you went to a record store to buy the CD, if they had it. (Yeah, back then they were "Record Stores".) So it wasn't until we caught them at one of their gigs at Java Joe's in Ocean Beach that we finally picked up a CD. The show was, obviously, even better than hearing them on the radio. We were so entertained by Stew's expressions when he sang. When we would listen to the CD in the car, the husband and I would repeat the hand gestures and facial expressions of Stew as we sang. We had to. That was part of the song. One time we were lucky to catch them singing just down the street from us at the "Adams Avenue Roots Festival". There were lots more Java Joe's shows and even a few trips up to their native Los Angeles for gigs. One L.A. show was an installment of "The Cover Problem" where they would sing their versions of covers for a single artist. The show we went to was Madonna. God I wish I could have a recording of that show. It was fantastic!

Cut to a lifetime later (the husband and I are now daddy and mommy) and we hear news of Stew taking his little Public Theater production, "Passing Strange" to Broadway. I check ticket sales almost daily, trying to find a way to get us there. Can we take the kids AND my mom so she can babysit the night of the show? Can we fly for one night and leave the kids? Dammit how can we do this?!? We keep waiting for an answer to hit us when... we read that the show has closed. We waited too long. So we wait impatiently for Spike Lee's release of his filming of the musical. (watch the trailer HERE) We finally got it and I've been watching it for a couple weeks. This ain't your Granny's musical! I suppose I should just buy the dang thing because I'm holding up the Netflix queue. (Don't want to keep others from seeing this amazing show.) I'm just so moved by songs like "Arlington Hill" and "Keys". (see their performance at the Tony Awards HERE)

"You know those L.A. ladies
in their Mercedes
They lock their doors if he just sneezed
Now he's like- Bitch please
She gave me her keys
He said the kind of place I wanna be
is where no one is cold or scared of me
And then she handed them these
Her keys
No one ever made him feel as real
as when she handed him her keys
Welcome to Amsterdam"

I'm moved by the whole thing, but mostly I'm moved by songs that really strike a chord with me. And what I hear most is me asking myself, why didn't you get yourself out to New York to see this thing? It's the same feeling I had when I was in High School and falling deeper and deeper into my appreciation for John Lennon, knowing I would never know what it was like to see him perform live. Only, I could have seen "Passing Strange" if I had just pushed it. One of those things I'll always regret. So, lesson learned - I will never miss those kinds opportunities again. But back to the show, watching it is like being at the theater, at a rock show and at church all at the same time. You get pulled into the emotion of the story and then you're bopping your head and rocking out. There are truly deep songs like "Arlington Hill" that haunt me and stop me dead in my tracks to ponder the meaning of life. (Watch the video HERE and imagine these words opening the scene in clip #1: "He took a trip for the first time in a bug on Arlington Hill") And then there are songs like "We Just Had Sex" that I find myself singing to myself again and again and again. (Watch the video HERE- clip #5) And, I absolutely love how the show starts:

"You don't know me and I don't know you
So let's cut to the chase the name is Stew
I'll be narrating this gig so just sit tight
We might play all night
Been on the road- me, her and this band
For one thousand dates of one night stands
Oh, and by the way can we crash on your couch tonight?
Say is that alright, is that alright?
Well before we get to your uptown flat
We're gonna do a little play since you paid for that"

When I saw that at the start of the ride I thought, "Yeah. That's Stew!" The same Stew I can picture sitting on stage at Java Joe's singing and chatting in between songs about things like how incredible greasy taco stand quesadilla cheese is and asking for a couch to sleep on in a way that sounded like a joke but kind of really didn't. So many times I wanted to say, "Come on over!" Don't drive back up to L.A. tonight!" but didn't and probably should have. Why not?

"Passing Strange" is pure genius and I recommend it to everyone I know , and don't know, for that matter. So rent this, if you can. Read Stew's blog, if you want. Listen to some music, if you will. I think you'll dig it. I'm still diggin' it after all these years.

"After so long feeling so alone
I feel like picking up the phone
and calling up that place called home
To say I've found a brand new family
a place where I can be that thing called me
No more saying uncle to Uncle Sam
Now I'm telling L.A. just who I am
Color me Amsterdam
Amsterdam"

sushi anyone?

Don't know why I decided to do this - where do ideas come from? They just hit you when you least expect it! Sushi on baby booties? I don't know... I think it will be cute. I've got to finish them today and see if I'm completely nuts or if they actually look kind of cute. (I like this photo of the sushi sitting on the bootie. The cuts in the bootie piece look like chopsticks!) One of these days I'll have to try eating sushi. See what all the fuss is about. For now I just appreciate the beauty of sushi. So beautiful! Wish all food could look like that!

Ponyo

I cannot,

will not,
stop
watching
"Ponyo".


The kids keep watching it and I find myself standing there,

mesmorized,
after a half hour.


It's whimsical and beautiful
without being falsely so.


Garbage, pollution, industry are almost just as beautiful
as the dark and mysterious depths of the ocean.


Like I said,
MEMORIZING.
I could stare at Hayao Miyazaki's ocean for hours.

As much as I loved "The Little Mermaid" when it came out,
I'm pleased that my boys will grow up with Ponyo.

another spoonflower contest!

I've been working on this fabric design all week to submit in the Boba Baby Carrier contest being held at Spoonflower.com. (click on the photo to see the design in repeat) Flipping through the sketchbooks, drawing, scanning, manipulating, tweaking, thinking, tweaking, re-thinking, re-tweaking... I'm done. For now. For this submittal, anyway. Now I need to get some samples run and there'll probably be more tweaking to come. And then the fun begins - sewing something with it.

I still have to post birthday pictures. Don't know why I'm procrastinating on that.

party prep

More party planning pics...

I think that one of the greatest inventions since microwave popcorn has got to be Google Image Search. You can find just about anything for including on your party tags, labels and invitations from the image search. Grabbed this classic Mickey image from a Google search and used it for making the thank-you tags for these goodie bags.

I've got half of my sugar cookies iced. The other half will be red. I LOVE the combination of this light blue with red. (notice the ribbons on the goodie bags?) I found some great polka dot napkins in light blue and in red from Target for the party. Aside from Mickey, my theme is polka dots (think about Minney's dress) and the colors light blue and red. I like putting my cookies in this big glass jar. Everyone can help themselves to a cookie during the party and I don't have to worry about the little ones getting into them. Next up... the cake. Everything is baked and now it's all about assembly and decoration.

The husband comes home every night and hesitantly asks, "So how's the party prep coming along?" He knows how wrapped up I get in it all. It consumes my life for the week prior - and, I LOVE it. Love having these kinds of projects. Once they're over, I actually feel kind of sad. (But, no worries... I've got the next BIG project brewing up my sleeve, so stay tuned.) The party prep is right on track. True, I am a bit behind on my to-do list... but I'm feeling ambitious this afternoon and am confident that I can catch up. Time to hit the yard and tackle the mowing, weeding and gardening. It's a perfect day to be outside. So, time to put on my gardening hat and iPod and get my hands dirty!

if you've got ears, say cheers!

My late night project: Mickey Mouse ears. We're gearing up for another birthday party! My BIG 3-year old (as of yesterday) will have his birthday celebration this weekend and it's all about Mickey. At least 30 of us will be all ears!

I was so pleased to find stiffened, black felt at JoAnn's. And it's Eco-Fi (made from recycled plastic bottles) to boot! I wasn't sure how I was going to get black felt ears to stand up... and fortunately I didn't have to. This felt, sold by the sheet, worked PERFECTLY. I simply sewed a sleeve to slide over a plastic headband, catching the ears in the seam. These will be so much cuter than the paper ears we saw at the party supply store and a whole lot cheaper than the $5.99 fabric ears I found online. I have this vision of a whole crowd of ears at the party. They'd better wear them! I'll be the honorary ears police making sure they do.

And now I'm off to do more party prep. The yard work will have to wait until last night's rain dries up. (Yes, MORE rain! Am I in Washington state?) There are Mickey sugar cookies to be iced, a cake to be designed and baked, toy clutter to attempt to manage and goodie bags to be stuffed. God I love throwing birthday parties! Can't even imagine life before the kids and all the birthday party fun.

sand and snow

I will always be a California girl. I LOVE being 10 minutes away from sand and 60 minutes away from snow. A couple hours from LaLa Land and a very short drive to Mexico.

Last week's storm brought a sufficient amount of snow to Palomar Mountain. The boys and I have a good snow trip routine that involves snowballs, snowmen and sledding followed by hot chocolate and comfy, cozy blankets for the ride back down the mountain. Of course this is followed by religiously checking the Palomar Mountain Web Cam for any signs of snow!

tweet tweet

I think I prefer short and quick peeks into people's lives. You can get just enough detail to be able to compose for yourself the whole picture. I like Twitter. I love Facebook Status Updates. I am addicted.

So I think I'll make this blog more like that. I might come back here more if I knew a post could be just a small thought or comment about the day's activities. But this would be cooler because I could include a snapshot and I wouldn't spend half my time trying to trim down my "bite-sized" update to 140 characters. Really, I waste a lot of time editing my updates! And, yes, I DO have far better things to do with my time but for some reason I'm convinced that the world simply pauses while I'm completely absorbed in Twitter or Facebook or, I hate to admit it, FarmVille. Yes, the world just stops and, so, this means that I have not wasted time at all.

So now I'll find a way to make myself waste more time on Blogger.

Why not?

So little Superman, here, and his fierce watchdog, Ringo, are securing the perimeter following a week of stormy weather. It's just not natural for little boys to be cooped up inside! Thank goodness the clouds parted so they could play off some energy and I could take advantage of the soft, rain-soaked soil to do some weeding in the garden.

a toast

*
A toast to Twenty-Ten... a wonderful year to come!
*

Started the first day of the New Year properly- behind the sewing machine, getting quite a lot done before breakfast. I've got BIG goals for the shop this year. Aiming high. So I'm hoping this is a sign of good production and creativity to come. I'm happy to be having friends for lunch tomorrow. I'll be making Bellinis. Yum! In the new year, I hope to be better about photographing everything. So hopefully I'll have a lovely photo spread to share. We'll see.

little universe

I went out into the garden the other day to check on things. I haven't been out there much in the past few weeks, what with all the Christmas hoopla and preparations and such. So I was kind of timid about going out there. I was sure that after weeks of neglect everything would be brown and dead. But I was wrong! Everything was green. Mother Nature took care of everything with all of that much needed rain. Even the brown spots in the lawn are gone now and it's even about time to bust out the mower. God bless the rain!

Lettuce is bountiful even in December!

Then I found myself with a thought that I always get when I'm out there- and then quickly forget until the next time. Being outside makes me happy. When I'm out there I'm not stressed, I'm not moody. Being outside, poking around at weeds and watering the bamboo is extremely satisfying and fulfilling. "I need to do this EVERY day," I tell myself. And then I forget. Until the next time. So I'm saying it here and I'm saying it loud- Get yourself outside EVERYDAY!

The Gingko tree has lost it's leaves for winter.

When I'm in the garden, I'm often inspired as well. I see a leaf or a flower that I want to sketch. I plan plots and imagine things I'll build to make the garden more intimate. I think about color. I promise myself I'll start some seedlings. Grow some roots! I'm very drawn to the notion of establishing roots. We've been in this house for over 6 years now and I'm finally feeling like we're establishing some roots. This is OUR home. Undoubtedly! There's the oak tree growing in the front yard that started as a seedling collected from the canyon behind my childhood home. A swing for the kids in the tree, the bench given to me by my husband for my birthday and the plumeria trees that started as cuttings from my Grandmother's plumerias. We're settling in. And that feels nice.

The Nasturtium seeds I scattered are finally growing.

And so as we begin a new year, I immediately start to think about this house- my little universe. I think I'm going to be spending a lot of time right here in 2010. I don't feel the push to go anywhere. I want to tend to my garden, do repairs and renovations around the house and work on my projects here in my "Craft Cave". (Snoop Dog was on Martha a couple weeks ago and he talked about his "Man Cave". I have a "Craft Cave"- and with shelves piled nearly to the ceiling it really does feel like a cave when I'm sitting at my table. I LOVE being in here!) And so I roll out my resolutions for Twenty-Ten...

1. Garden every day.
2. Sketch/Sew/Craft every day - keep my mind focused on creativity.
3. Cook from scratch - Whole foods - Sign up for an organic produce delivery.
4. Avoid negativity. Don't allow myself to get stressed out over things I can't control.
5. Write & illustrate the childrens' book that has been brewing in my head. This is the year!

Mostly, I want more focus in 2010. Keep my mind healthy (gardening), my body healthy (whole food living) and my soul healthy (replace negativity with creativity) so I can FOCUS on what's really important: my family, my designs and my little universe.

Happy New Year
to you & your family
in your little universe,
wherever that may be.

patchwork year

Wow, that was quick. Christmas gone, January a couple days away. Wasn't Halloween just yesterday? It was a busy couple of weeks- sewing lots of handmade gifts, baking, decking the halls and all. I finally dug my work area out from piles of fabric, wrapping paper and boxes. Actually got to sit down at the sewing machine yesterday to work on some new things. I have a pile of onesies that I purchased eons ago with intentions to silkscreen or embellish with applique. Finally getting around to that now...

I did some quilting for the holidays. I love matching up fabrics. Now that my fabric stash is organized by color it's much easier to do. Maybe it's going to be a patchwork year. This onesie is another way of blending different prints together. I'm pleased with how it turned out and am anxious to do some more. I picked up some WONDERFUL prints at Maisonette last week. I currently have my half yard of Echino "Quiet Yard" hanging in the workspace. It's almost too beautiful to use!

some etsy picks

I've been doing a lot of Etsy browsing this week- searching for that perfect gift, getting inspiration for projects to come in the new year and updating my shop for some last minute shoppers. (This is a good week for making purchases! Next week will work too, but it's starting to push it in terms of shipping time... so start shopping now!)

There are so many wonderful things on Etsy, so I've decided to put together a little gift guide with some wonderful picks. So many to choose from, so maybe I'll continue this again in the days to come. For this edition, I've picked a lot of holiday inspired items. Additionally, there are some great stocking stuffer ideas as well. This reminds me of the year I made Christmas stockings for everyone and filled them with goodies as their gift. I might have to do that again next year. Stocking stuffers are so much fun to buy! But it helps to spend an entire year shopping for those- stocking stuffers aren't things you head to the mall in search of; rather, you pick them up here and there as you find them. Yeah, maybe that's my plan for next year.

First is a wonderful pouch for your iPod or iPhone from downstairsDesigns. I love that it even has a place for your ATM/Credit Cards. When you head out for a walk, this is all you need! Wouldn't these lovely knitted candy canes look so festive on a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with string? Made by BadAmyKnits, they're the perfect example of a Handmade Holiday. I love all of the things from HeyYoYo, but this cupcake container is the best. It reminds me of the sack lunches I used to take to First Grade. "Holiday Tree" is a precious sketch by Etsy artist naokosstoop. Love the wood grain and can imagine pulling it out every year to dress the house in the holiday spirit. This Eames inspired recycled wood business card holder by andrewsreclaimed would make a perfect stocking stuffer. And, finally, how about this vintage red and ivory ribbon? It's too special for gift wrapping, but this ribbon from SugaredSongBird would be perfect for making bows on a vintage inspired wreath or tree.

I hope you enjoyed these items as much as I did when I stumbled across them. Happy Holidays!

baking is in order

Oh Boy! The Holiday Season is here!
*
And it's actually raining here in parched Southern California. What a treat.

Are you making it a Handmade Holiday? I'm trying. Busy making some last minute things for the Etsy shop... like these elves. (I've also got a great pocket calendar, so check that out if you're looking for some teacher gifts) Come back soon for photos of my amigurumi animal parade! It's so satisfying to crochet these cute little guys. Making a couple zoos for some special little ones.

Meanwhile, I think I'll try to make the beautiful pop-up tree that was made on Martha last week. I've already folded up one of the magazine Christmas trees featured. Love the way it turned out. And on a wet day like today, though, I think some baking is in order.

*
Happy Holidays!