Florid Disposition

Privacy Setting: High!

2009-05-11T22:16:00.001-07:00

one of the things we love most about our house is how it's entire persona lends itself to interaction with the neighborhood. this is a good thing, however you need a little something to call your own. so, while tyesha was visiting her mama for mama's day, i turned the backyard from public to private. here's a pic of the carport and the gaping hole for the whole world to see what we do in 'privacy'

hi neighbors, everybody & dog walkers galore!

i built out my first wall ever, then hung the corrugated steel.

here i am...reasoning.
...and this....this is the grand ultimate culmination of my carpentry skills.

now that i've done the dirty work, i'll leave the "nicing up" to my love, cause she's got that touch...
this summer, this carport will be rockin'!

I Woke Up This Mornin'

2009-05-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

and went outta my head.

In front of my house someone painted tulips,

On an oil soaked tree that is dead.

Thank you!

Pickled Jalapenos

2009-05-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

something about those pickled jalapenos in restaurants i just can't resist.
for me it's not far from sashimi, the way the flesh melts away as you bite into it.
my internal temperature rises, my vision blurs, my forehead, um, glistens.
so, of course, i'm going to try to make them at home.
They've been prepared and are pickling in the fridge.

blister the skins in a little oil.

pack them in a jar with a few carrots, garlic, salt & pepper.

half water, half vinegar; bring to boil and pour over to cover.
nothing left to do now but wait...
I'll let you know how they turn out.

DIY is alive around the world.

2009-04-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

These shots are from a flea market in Santiago, Chile . I would love to take a series of trips focused on the new wave of handi-crafts. Going to have to start looking and planning:)

Check out the blog entry, I found it on NotCot.

Picnic Table

2009-04-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

hi. it's hubby. how are you? well, where to begin...

it's a perfect 4 seater with plenty of head room for sure.
seems solid. safe. handles real easy, too
this picnic table is such a cinch to make you'll be cruising to comfort in your own yard in less than a day.

here's how it panned out for me...
$10.89 worth of reclaimed lumber from habitat for humanity restore.
$7.99 for a box of decking screws from my favorite hardware store in town.
$5 for sandpaper.

$23.88 for a picnic table? what a great deal! now, i could have spent $5 on petro co's wood sealer and kept the price under $30, but since getting by on the cheap,
i sprung for some of ms. nature's good stuff.

$31.99 for osmo's wood and concrete sealer from ecohaus. this blonde/red stain brushed on forgivingly (watch the drips) and one coat left a wonderful-to-touch surface that i'm looking forward to wearing down over the seasons to come.

not including the six pack, that's a $55.87 picnic table.
nice.

design from portland space's may/june 2008 issue.
somehow my copy survived dirt, mud, sawdust, beer, rain & snow...

cardboard coasters

2009-04-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Loving these recycled cardboard coasters from Delight.com. Particularly loving that they are actually made of mostly recycled cardboard and naturally derived glues and not just trying to appear eco. Like duct tape wallets....on first look they give you the feeling of reused but in the end you realize they are just another product using new materials, I can't imagine what it takes to make duct tape!

pretty.

If you like the duct tape wallet then you will really love the products that will be coming out of almost launched company MilkMunny. Eco and supports a good causes. That's fashion I can get behind.

poster one

2009-04-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

playing around with some art ideas. how do you like this one?

From the sewing room.

2009-03-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Finally got a few gifts off to the family so I thought I would share.

I've got to come up with a name for this scarf design. It you have an idea let me know.

I really like the color combo of this one and I put little flowers on it, which I hope the girl I gave it too likes them.

I love this quilted fabric, the colors are so soothing and the design is so delicate. I have a little left so, I think I'll make a pillow for me.

The blanket came out nicely. It has a good amount of weight and is just the right size for sitting on the couch on a cold night. Hope you like it Ma Snow!

like.

2009-03-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

via: thinkdesign

by:Glenn Jones aka Glennz

Msssssssssss Samantha Craine and the Midnight Shivers

2009-03-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

We attended Pickathon just outside of Portland last summer and it was one of the best festival experiences I've had to date, save WOMAD first year (nothing comes close to that) Anyway, the festival was amazing and we left with some new favorites tucked neatly into our hearts. Many of the objects of our affection will be back this year and I gotta say, I'm completely overwhelmed with anticipation.

This is the first installment of, "Why you should go to Pickathon or at lease buy the albums of the artists that will be there" blog posts.

enjoy. let me know what you think.

Samantha Craine and the Midnight Shivers hail from Shawnee, OK and Perryville, MO, which my Okie friend Jason was beyond tickled to find fellow Oklahoman at the festival.

Last year they self released an EP and in just a few weeks their first full length "Songs in the Night" is coming out.

On first listen you may think you have heard this before, as her voice has a quaility that seems to be spilling form many young ladies souls these days, but keep listening. The lyrics have a resonance that says with you and her confident and graceful delivery of the songs is hypnotizing. I also really love the drums, they keep a simple beat but catch my attention just at the right moments. Overall I think the band plays in a comfortable way that expresses their understanding of each other and this in turn puts the listener at ease.

Listen to Traipsing Through The Aisles here

and watch this

yes! a shirt for me.

2009-03-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

a wonderful play on the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster, which i never really related to. I guess I'm just a person who doesn't need a lot of calming down. But I could use encouragement to keep at what i love, making things!

i love that the design can be worn by girls or boys too. there isn't enough cool stuff for boys.

i'm not buying it because i'm broke so this is officially added to my wish list!

available here: howies
found via: NOTCOT

baby dolls

2009-03-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

“You are not the boss of me”

Ha. I love this photo blogged by miss abbey.

I particularly love it because i have been wanting to photograph my doll collection. this is inspiring. i think i will bring a couple to seattle with me this weekend and see what i come up with.

Little stools

2009-03-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

Aren't these stools from Inhabitots wonderful. I especially love that you know they will ship in nice flat minimal packaging. Some may say I already have too many little chairs and stools but I just can't resist them!

laughing like a crazy person at my desk

2009-03-13T16:02:00.001-07:00

like music? like smarty pants? how about laughing?

may i suggest you tune your dial here and listen to the SXSW preview show.

while you're at it listen to the end of year shows, excellent way to catch up on all the music you should have listened too this past year.

I am also enjoying @notatSXSW on twitter. ha.

yellow shoes

2009-02-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

there is nothing to say....beautiful......yummy.

by elephant and chickpea
her blog

the second cutest dog in the world

2009-02-27T14:27:00.000-08:00

I've been looking at pictures of this amazing little dog for sometime and i just had to share.

I hope Rudi isn't jealous. I should totally make a Flickr set of just him. Stay tuned for that.

To see more of little Wilfredo go here. His Mommy's art is pretty wonderful too.

Pandora Station #1

2009-02-27T12:00:00.001-08:00

On the softer side, yet full of life.

Lyrics rule.
Mostly men with the soft accompaniment of the occasional woman's voice.
Current yet timeless.

Featured artists: Joshua Radin, Bright Eyes, The Weepies, Belle & Sebastian, The Acorn

What is it?

Station: Artist: Rocky Votolato

Living Rooms

2009-02-27T09:46:00.000-08:00

if you're like me your home is a living, breathing, changing animal. i rearrange, move decoration, bring new items in, take old things out, constantly. i respond to my moods and what i totally believe is the mood of my home, and adjust, improve and mess up all of my previous carefully placed arrangements. i also have a house mate, my hubby and he has ideas from time to time so we move things around then too.

i like many of you are addicted to decorating and design porn (see link list to the right) but i always wonder how the rooms got that way and what they look like as the seasons change, when someone gets a bug at 10pm to rearrange the living room or they are just messy on a Tuesday night.

I came across these photos today from Ana Laura Perez via Daily Candy and I just love see a beautiful room in a couple different states.

I think I'm going to start a Flickr group for this. Yes!

Christmas in February

2009-02-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

I was browsing though blog links that I haven't had time to peruse as of late and I had a chance to catch up with Somethings Hiding in There. These two are so inspiring. I love the team work and the sweetness. I really loved this photo of their Christmas Tree. I am so going to have to copy the stump idea (i hope that's ok) It brings that wonderful out in the woods feeling right inside of Christmas. I also am digging Stephen's wrapping job, Hubby love is also an amzing gift wrapper, I'll have to do a post about that soon.In other Christmas news, I still haven finished gifts for a certain side of our family but I am close and should have a package in the mail within a week. Once they get it I will be excited to share photos of the lovley handmadness.

Complicated Conversation

2009-02-13T14:01:00.001-08:00

I have been neglecting my esty shop (although i think of it fondly and often) but yesterday Creashines Design included by scarf, "Complicated Conversation" in her Treasury and then this treasury was put on the front page!

I sold the scarf (thank you!) and now I am inspired to get back to my machine and sweaters. It's so funny how selling something can give you such a boost. It's the connection that I really enjoy, someone out there liked something I made. I feel a special connection with all of my Esty customers, gotta get busy and make more!

One of the little things I do with my shop is write fun little descriptions for my items. Here is the description for this scarf.

"Gray and Pink met at a club one night and spent the next 48 hours together. Their conversations touched on the the unexpected, and those topics to complicated for regular conversation. If I was to show you what it felt like, it would look like this."

is my model lovely?

it's the....

2009-02-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

who knows why some things will cause you to update your blog after close to 2 months, but this video is it for me.

ha! if only i was so clever. i love responses to everyday life especially when the life is mine. i need to go to Trader Joes tonight. i shall be singing a long as i bop down the aisles.

p.s. it's the horseradish white chedder they don't have anymore.

Thanks for the link T.

winter in portland

2008-12-21T11:50:00.001-08:00

This is what it looks like at our house today. As you can see, we won't be driving anywhere today.

Crafty Wonderland this Sunday!

2008-11-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Hi!

I will be here tomorrow. Hope to see you there! I have a lot of wonderful new scarves.

it's at the Doug Fir Lounge from 11am- 4pm

Election Etsy Finds

2008-10-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

i just bought this wonderful poster on etsy. have you seen all the election stuff people are making? there is a ton of it. i love that you can buy handcrafted election stuff. it seems that this election is really inspiring the craft world.

Gemini Studio Art Chicago

from my little search through etsy it seems that Obama is the most inspiring although there is still a lot of McPalin fans in there. boooooo. really? you never know who is lurking in your community. but what i found super surprising was how many shops had items supporting both sides. really? you are so indifferent to the enormity of this election and the effect it will have on us and the entire world that you sit back and try and make $6.50 on a pendant or $2.50 on a button instead of making a real statement? these people may just be more evil than the McPalin supporters.

Here are few items i really liked.

If I had a little girl she would be in pony tails everyday until the election.
One Plaid Aunt

great design. one of the best i've seen.

Satisfactory

look! shadow puppets. me=love these.

Orange Moon Toys

don't forget to make sure you are registered. you can call your county election office and they can check in about 1min.

Kitchen Update

2008-10-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

So stage one of the kitchen install is almost done. it has worked out so much better than we even thought. check out the amazing counter top color, out of the box it was much duller but after the first application of mineral oil the true beauty came out. We are also really please with the layout. the large surface under the window is wonderful and if someone is working there they are out of the way of the person at the stove. I can't wait to make our first big meal.

everything was effected by this work.

Birthday!

2008-10-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

today is my birthday! woot!

Happy Birthday to all my fellow Libra's out there.

i don't have much planned due to a busy couple weeks but i will find someway to make today special... actually, all the well wishes and happy birthday's from all my friends and family has already made it special. i can feel everyone's good vibes buzzing through me!

waffles, carts and the portland street

2008-09-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

if you live in or have ever been to portland you know that there is a food cart culture here. food lovers with a vision take over little pieces of land, often vacant lots on a street with lots of foot traffic, park a trailer and start making food. i like this for a couple reasons.

1. low risk. the price of starting up a trailer restaurant has to be so so much less than starting a traditional restaurant so this allows for people to actually get into the food game without a trust fund or going into crazy debt. i imagine this brings a diversity to the ownership that you can't find in the regular restaurant business.

2. the carts are cute. having a sweet little cart, some seating and decor filling up a vacant lot on a walking street is brilliant. a neighborhood can blossom without a lot of capital rich developers coming in. it also adds a wonderful vibe to the street to have people working outside, you can wave at them when you walk by. i like that.

3. food container innovation. there are so many more ways to serve food than just on a plate. i particularly love food wrapped in a small piece of paper. little waste, including the water and soap used to clean real plates. plus there is an opportunity for artistic expression.

What do you like about street carts? What are your favorite carts?

this is a waffle from Little Blue Waffle Wagon* near my house. it is beautiful, the ladies who made it were lovely and it tasted supper yummy. there are a few reviews on yelp and they pretty much say it all so I'll pass you over there. *LBWW did have a website I could find. boo!

stay tuned for more reports from the street carts of portland.

*LBWW did have a website I could find. boo!

kitchen update

2008-09-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

i've been busy if you can imagine but I wanted to quick put an update photo. this is what it looks like right now.

This is miller paint: summer olive. Don't you love it! I can't wait to see the cupboard fronts on. We had to make a change of plans with the flooring. we want to use the Click Marmoleum so we don't have to put a new subfloor down and pay someone a bunch to install the tricky Marmoleum sheets but the Click only comes in 16 colors! But the regular marmoleum comes in 250. Such a bummer. But I think the new pick will be even better. We are looking at a really great cork now. I'll update later on that and tell you about the great flooring company we found.

gotta run.

we also painted the inside of the hall pantry pink.

New Kitchen: Colors and mid week progress

2008-09-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

Things are going well. We are a couple days behind on our original schedule but for good reason and we are feeling really good about it all. We decided to replace the window and then when we did the plumbing work it became clear that the drywall on one wall just needed to be replaced.

Here is were we are with colors. The gray is the cupboard front, the blue is the floor and the green will be a few of the walls (green is showing quite a bit more yellowy in these photos). We both decided very easily on this pallet and it fits really well with the rest of the house and looks great with the nature you can see through the sliding door, blending well with the outside was important for me. I want to create seamless movement between inside and outside. Oh, and these colors will be balanced by the solid oak counter top and the birch colored cabinets.

(click the images to see a better view)

I love some parts of our modern life so much. These days if you need to go to the hardware store to pick up something you know nothing about you can just take a picture of it and bring it with you. fool proof construction supply shopping. This week we have be referring to my role in the remodel as the "Getter of Things" I've been everywhere. Wait tell you see the wonderful kitchen faucet I picked up for $35 at the Rebuilding Center. Damn! I'm good.

Chad had some fun with the drywall demo.
I feel like I really know my house now.
The chi is finally unblocked! The fridge is in the proper location. This alone made our day.

New Kitchen: Demo Day

2008-09-22T10:11:00.001-07:00

Here are some shots from yesterdays exciting activities. It went really well.

No time to write but stay tuned for more over the coming days. it's going to be wonderful!

Introducing Structure Massage

2008-09-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

Look! It's official, the sign is up. Isn't it lovely? It's been many weeks coming but it's finally done. I came up with the concept and name, our friend Elena did the design work and Hubby made the sign. i'm so happy with how it all turned out and that it only cost around ten dollars. If you live in Portland and are looking for an amazing massage therapist you should come on into the heart of Belmont, to Structure Massage

what to do with all the corn? Sweet Corn Ice Cream of course!

2008-09-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

we have a fridge full of corn due to the super funness of picking it straight from the stalk. Now I am wondering if we can eat it all, but I just came across this and man, now I know what to do. I'm hoping I can find a recipe that dosesn't call for an ice cream maker.

Leah from Spicy Salty Sweet (who's blog is lovely and inspiring) also wrote about Cucumber Sorbet! I get excited for cucumber water so the thought of this melting in my mouth sounds heavenly. It reminds me of an amazing tomatoes and basil sorbet hubby and I had a couple years ago at Marjorie. We still talk about it when the topic of best desert moments comes up. If you haven't been to Marjorie it is a little known Seattle Must Do. The atmosphere, food and people are wonderful. You won't be disappointed.

Happy Monday!

this afternoon in portland

2008-09-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

i've been working from home today which is so nice because i don't have to get up as early and i can enjoy my wonderful house during the day.

today it is 75 and sunny and I've been sitting next to the window in my office enjoying the breeze and sounds of the neighborhood.

i haven't decorated yet but i have been working with the furniture layout. I really think this one is working for me. what do you think?

dirk and weetzie keep me company while i work.

i need a monitor but for now it's just me and my little mac. do you notice anything odd about this photo?

this my entry table with the dahlias chad and i cut at the farm this past weekend. the yolk is a new addition. i love the what it adds to the room. people have the oddest responses to it. most people say, "why do you have a yolk" and look very confused. i don't get this response yet.

this is the beast.

it is eating the rocking chair.

it's part of our "see what happens" attitude with the yard this summer.
now we know what all the plants do so we know how the change the landscape next year.

happy friday everyone. Go Barack!

a surreal take on the adirondack chair

2008-09-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

me and lovery lauren took a day trip to Cannon Beach a few weeks ago and i spotted these great chairs on someone's porch. i love this curvy take on such a classic piece.

and might i say that this little beach town was so cute. many sweet little things to photograph.

Sauvie Island

2008-09-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

Me and Hubby Love are trying to check out all that Portland has to offer in between putting in a new toilet (we got a designer one regularly $450 for $140 Ha!) and moving furniture around. This weekend we visited Sauvie Island which is a super lovely little island full of farms about 30 mins from our house. we took a hike and picked blackberries, cabbage and corn. it was a perfect afternoon. my camera lost power but I was able to take a couple lovely photos.

Report from the Pie Off

2008-09-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

So i didn't win the Portland Pie Off. But it was super fun. We arrived and set up the pies on the judging tables. i made an apple with candied walnuts and a peach custard. they both were made with my famous family crust recipe. After everyone arrived the judges started tasting, there were only 3 which seemed a little thin in order to get a good range of taste buds but it was the first year so there were bound to be some hang ups on the process. But I will say they were so cute to watch judge, they really seemed to take it seriously and have a great time. There were only 1st place prizes for the categories which left you wondering if maybe you had been a runner up. I think there were about 50 pies and maybe 100 people there to participate and watch.

I have to say my crust was amazing and the peach custard was to die for, evidenced by how quickly the crowd ate it up after the awards were given out. Isn't that so fun? After the contest everyone who was there was given a plate and we all set out to try each and everyone. Hubby Love only ate mine. Isn't that sweet. I think the apple wasn't sweet enough to sway our sweet tooth judges, but I like pie that can be eaten for breakfast, that is closer to eating fruit than desert. Many of the pies were super, toothache sweet. I guess I know what they like for next year.

The highlight for me was a beautiful absolutely delicious quiche, packed with plenty of summer veggies. i can't remember the girl's name who made it but she was as lovely as her pie. There was also a really interesting multi-nut pie. I am so dabbling in that concept come the holidays. The organizers did a really nice job of creating a fun, wholesome summer afternoon for all. Thanks Pie Ladies!

Here are the photos. Hope they inspire you to bake one up for yourself this week.

Portland Pie-Off

2008-08-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

I'm entering a pie contest this weekend! i just came across the posting on yelp and i am so excited. i will use my famous crust and probably an apple/cherry combo, but i'm not sure yet. wish me luck! I'll post photos afterwards.

stacking outdoor plates

2008-08-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

look at these lovelies. are they neat, tidy, cute and functional?

I just picked up 4 of the small and 4 of the larger plates.they are sold as outdoor dinnerware at Crate and Barrel but I think I will enjoy them daily. it is also nice to add my first plastic plates to my dishware collection for when my friends children come over. now i just need to find some great plastic cups. this past weekend i watched a 2 year old clutch one of my pretty blown glass tumblers full of ice and water and the proceed to drop/dump it on the floor for rudi. it didn't break but my heart almost did.

keep your dogs hydrated

2008-08-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

it's supposed to be 105 today and this weekend. this type of weather is sending a clear message to me to stop everything and enjoy summer before it is over. so hubby and i will be doing just that this weekend.

we plan to do a bit of city summer fun by visiting the hawthorne street fair which is very close to where we live and then spend the rest of the day and sunday exploring what nature has to offer around here. we will probably go east to explore the Gorge and Mt Hood area. There will be swimming and hiking involved and hopefully a couple good meals at roadside restaurants.

hope you all have great weekend plans!

fennel in the mary.

2008-08-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

look at this. doesn't it look yummy? maybe it's just already a long week at work, but yum.

this little piece of heaven is found at Matchbox Lounge that is near my house. the people on yelp say the burgers are awesome.

i haven't been here yet but i am on a quest to discover my new town. i'll tell you if this little beauty is as good as it looks.

thriftylicous

2008-08-07T19:46:00.001-07:00

exhibit A: 4 tiny deco pillows. very well made and only $2

i found the best thrift store! since i moved i've been missing my neighborhood goodwill that never failed to surprise and delight. the few goodwills around my new house are ca-ra-pyyyyyy. so when i finally stopped at this place near my work that always has great looking furniture outside I couldn't believe it. It is clean, organized, doesn't smell, the prices are cheap!, the variety of items is really good and the sales staff are cute and hip. Rerun is my new favorite to go scouting.

Exhibit B: Vintage model of a woman, complete with guts and an unborn baby. wow! $10
Exhibit C: I know the owl mini-trend is out but this one begged to come home and hold my toothpicks. $1.50

my mantle

2008-08-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

sfgirlbybay (whom i love very much) had a post on fireplace mantles today. it was super insprining and great timing since I am working on my new livingroom right now. she found some great examples. i like the one with the white framed mirror and the black ones (very unexpected)
i love our fireplace it is the perfect size and just screams possibility. hubby has suggested we paint it gold and well i kind of like that idea. what do you think?
I am also trying to figure out what to hang on the wall....something large, like a mirror or abstract painting or framed wall paper with cut out sillouettes of showdow puppets....i also like the idea of three images in beautiful frames. you'll notice in the photos that i have a print sitting there while i meditate on whether it's the right choice. this owning a house thing is making me so much more considerate of the design decisions i make. in a rental I would decorate in the first 3 weeks, now i want ever decision to be the right one. i need to be careful and not over think it though or we will end up with a watered down, over thought house.

i would love your ideas.

room with a tower in view

2008-07-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

this is the view out of one of my windows as i sit on my couch. isn't it wonderful. and what makes it better is that it is a community music center. how nice:)

p.s. i'm back. things are settled and i have much to tell and show you.

happy interracial marriage day!

2008-06-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

Today is the 41st anniversary of the Loving Decision that killed the completely insane, so called Racial Integrity Acts that were on the books up until 1967! and made it a criminal act to marry someone of a different race. Isn't that amazing.

I can't think of my life without my hubby and although I'm sure we would have still been together if we met 40+ years ago, we sure wouldn't have had it as easy as we have. We are all so indebted to the amazing people involved in the civil rights movement. And I don't just mean those of directly effected, but everyone. Each time basic human rights are realized for a group of people the world becomes a better place. A place you can feel better and better about raising your children in.

So today I am happy and grateful. This weekend is Pride here in Portland, get out support this group of people in securing their human rights. See you at the parade!

things about moving

2008-04-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

so we got the house:) and will be moving to beautiful portland oregon at the end of may. as you can imagine i have been busy and preoccupied. but i do want to write all about it and i will soon but for now a post on apartment therapy hit it right on.

Best Parts of Packing:
• Taking inventory of all that we own.
• Remembering the stories attached to objects.
• Spending time with my husband, even if it's not the most fun time.
• Appreciating what we own.
• Getting rid of what we don't want or need.
• Listening to old CDs we found in a shoebox.
• Locating a lost receipt we thought we'd never find.

Worst Parts of Packing:
• Getting everything done while working and dealing with daily life.
• Stressing about whether or not we'll get everything done.
• Realizing that, despite our best efforts to pare down, we still have too much stuff.
• Tripping over boxes on our way to the bathroom.
• Eating take out because our cooking supplies are packed.
• Misplacing the phone charger and dealing with a dead cell phone.
• Feeling like we'll never finish.

W is for Wish

2008-04-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

This is the house i found today that is perfect for us and that i so so wish we get. wish us luck.

A is for Animal Head

2008-04-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

I don't think I'm doing this alphabet theme justist....but hey it's getting me to post'n, so who cares.

check this out. awesome right?

it's from Cardboard Safari which i just read about in the new issue of ReadyMade.
They also have Rhinos and Moose and they are all made from 100% recycled cardboard (nice). I like them all and plan to get at least one for the new house. I'm really liking animal decor lately. I will do a post later this month on all the great animal things i have acquired over the years.

Happy Friday!

C is for: "Cooked All Day Chili" in 1 and a half hours.

2008-04-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

made some awesome chili a few weeks back and i thought i would share. i do what the hubby calls adventure cooking, which pretty much means I work from the heart and soul. sometimes i use recipes for inspiration but mostly i just draw on experiences and trying to recreate things others have made.

i needed to do the meat separately but this actually worked out better than if i had mixed it it. i think one of the biggest rules of cooking is to cook each ingredient how it likes to be cooked. this means adding ingredients at the right time and sometimes cooking a bunch of stuff separately and adding them together near the end.

this is a stewed chicken. i took 6 thighs (bone in, never without or you miss all the flavor) I pulled the majority of the skin off, dropped them in a pot, added a bunch of salt and covered with water. After about 15 mins in i added stewed tomatoes with some of their juice (not all of it because you want most of the water to boil off. I then added freshly toasted and ground cumin and coriander. If you've never used these spices straight from the oven and freshly ground you're really missing out, I think they are actually the key to this entire dish.

while the chicken was cooking I took 4 different types of peppers, chopped them and got them sauteing with garlic and oil.here are the spices. so pretty.

To the peppers I added pototes, frozen corn, black and red beans from a can (not the best i know) and some stewed tomatoes.
the chicken finished like this.
i put fresh tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream and avocados out for garnish and served with fresh made corn bread. i forgot to take a picture of the plate. sorry. the guests i had loved it hence the name as most thought i must have had it cooking all day to get such flavor.

i hope you are inspired to do some adventure cooking yourself!

L is for Lemon pillows

2008-04-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

spring time is a great time to get back into cooking and baking after a long winter that turns you into an unproductive sloth. i think it's because it stays light so late so there is more time for it in the spring. if you are feeling like baking something may i suggest some lovely lemon bars or as i like to call them lemon pillows?

I used this recipe this past fall at the McG's baby shower. they were wonderful!

enjoy

NaBloPoMo and R is for "Rudi and the River"

2008-04-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

The McG's turned me on to National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). I guess participants are supposed to post at least one blog entry each day in April. As you can see from my last few months of posting I am out of practice and letting my off line life get in the way of my on line life (how could I!) But i miss my blog. I miss you. so I'm going to try it.

Here's how you can help:
Get on my case if it is dark out and you have yet to see a post.
Comment, comment, comment. Comments are the juice that runs this engine.
Come and read.

Well here goes........

_________________________________________________________________
Video.

I've been having a lot of fun taking little videos with my little digital camera (not a video camera. just using the video function on my regular camera) It is so fun. If a picture tells a 1000 words then a video must tell at least 1050. I am currently on a mission to find the best way to host my little films so i can share them with peeks. This weekend i tried out Vimeo. It has a wonderful user interface and beautiful design but I'm not sure if it is the one I will stick with.

It was some what complicated to upload my first video due to not so great error messages that didn't tell me exactly what was wrong, but after an hour or so i figured it out. In order to get something that would work on the site I had to move the file from my camera into iphoto, then import into imovie then export as a certain type of file to a folder that i could access through browsing then finally upload to Vimeo. Sounds crazy but once i did it once, i got quick at it.

the film i am about to share lost some quality in the translation so you can't really read the slides but i think it is fun to watch anyway. i hope you enjoy. Important: TURN UP YOUR SOUND

rudi and the river from Tyesha on Vimeo.

see you tomorrow.

esty find: betty oatmeal

2008-03-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

came across an awesome designer, Karen Davisson of Betty Oatmeal, on etsy today and she works right here in seattle. check it out.

super beautiful craftswomanship. i love her use of vintage towels and needlepoint. i have a number of these myself and have been wondering what i could make with them. don't think i could do this, maybe a pillow.

her profile says she does custom work (hello wedding dress) and that her studio is open for visits!

for more of her work see her myspace page.

happy monday

2008-03-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

it's monday today. it's a good monday. i had a pretty good/productive weekend. we super cleaned the house on saturday. it was sunny all weekend so rudi and i got a few walks in and played with some doggie friends. i made a couple pillows here's one that i posted on etsy.i'm liking the pillow making. i think i will spend the week seeing what i can do for the world of pillows.

Saturday we had the McG's over for dinner (Fenix is getting so big and cute!) and hubbylove made an amazing bread pudding. we are starting a 14 day cleanse so i will be thinking foundly of it during this time of no wheat, sugar or dairy.

Oh, i forgot about friday. After an insense presentation at work that went really well, the night started with happy hour with T and L, then we ended up back at my office where a crazy flip cup tournoment was taking place. wow. i love were i work.
we are well on our our way with our portland house buying adventure. i looks like we will be in a dream house by June. 10 years in seattle and only a few more months to go. crazy.

hope your monday is good one.

featured

2008-02-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

my first feature. And I quote, "Seattle designer Tyesha Snow has a whole line of sassy little neck sweaters and scarves that give new life to old sweaters. Its full on sustainable style."

so exciting.

you know, i make decisions everyday that add up to being an environmentally conscious, sustainability minded citizen of this world, but i never really thought about the sustainable nature of my sweater recycling. i guess it just comes natural:)

check out the Sustainable Style Foundation. i really love thier mission "SSF's mission is to educate, support and inspire people from all walks of life to make more sustainable personal lifestyle choices at work, at home and at play."

thank you for the write up sean!

finally the pillow (and a little shirt)

2008-02-20T16:46:00.000-08:00

i actually finished this a couple days after my last post but it took me this long to take a picture. geeze. anyway here it is and I really like it. i am going to post it on etsy and see if there is a market for cool pillows like this.

i also just made my first shirt last night. the body is a great jersey material that is so comfortable and the design really flatters the body (picture of me in it will be coming) i'm going to make a couple for some ladies i know to try out the pattern on other bodies. it's so exciting to be moving into fashion, my head is full of ideas.

a fall day in winter

2008-01-25T15:40:00.000-08:00

i've been trying to get my flickr updated and in the process came across this series of photos from a lovely fall day in seattle this past november. being that it is winter these look so wonderful. the artsy ones were taken by hubby love.

fancy baby

2008-01-25T09:57:00.000-08:00

i don't have a baby (yet) but man the stuff available to dress up your little one is almost enough to drive a fashion loving girl straight down the baby path.

i bought these last week. they were just too cute to pass up and my "someday baby" will really look great in them.

out of the box

i haven't bought these but i sure will when i need to. can't you just see the little butt crawling down the hall away from you in these. so freak'n cute.

fluffy mail

pillow time

2008-01-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

i've been a busy maker of things this past week or so. this weekend i made six scarfs (most are already up on etsy) last night i decided to take a break from scarfs and make a pillow. this was a bit of a tedious task but i just worked away while watching project runway all evening (victorya went home. can i get a "Hell Ya!" If Kit had to go she totally did. And how can you not even smile when you win a challenge?) and actually finished the embellishments. tonight i hope to finish it up and i will post the results. so here are some photos of the process. looks like a great way to spend and evening right?

weetzie and hubby did some studying while i worked. isn't she lovely.

more for your neck

2007-12-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

oh, man. i' ve been sick. again. i haven't had a voice for 4 days but that did stop me from singing a lot of karaoke at our awesome zaaz christmas party. man, my co-workers know how to throw-it-down.

so i am feeling a bit behind with christmas. which is a bummer because i love all the little details of the holiday but my head is so foggy it is hard to do them. i am planning a very lovely christmas dinner, i'm almost done with the menu and I will share when i am.

i did get some more scarves up on etsy! i'm having so much fun with these. check them out.

thank you to my beautiful model Aileen

romance for your beautiful neck

2007-12-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

i've finally posted some new items to my etsy shop and i think you are going to like them (i hope). thank you to my wonderful model Kim. more to come in the following days.

romance for your beautiful neck
sweater for your neck

smart warm neck piece

dishes for every mood.

2007-12-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

target really does have some nice dishes these days. i wish i had room for 10 different sets. i would love to change my dishwear with my mood or the season.

these are...
everyday. organized. taking vitamins regularly. doing what i love dishes.
thomas o'brien

these are...
staying up late drinking cocktails. inviting strangers from the gallery up to your flat for a 1am dinner. wearing a formal dress to sunday brunch dishes.

Benjoix

sale rack gift guide.

2007-12-11T09:52:00.001-08:00

i love anthropologie and i really love their online sale racks. i was digging around in them and found some great gift ideas at real deals. click images to go to the site.

romance on a hanger. $99.95

silk! and this cut looks great on everyone. $99.95

ruffles and flowers on gray. $49.95

i'm not a secretary. i'm your boss. $49.95

can't keep your eyes off me. can you? $49.95

little beauties. $19.95

slip them on $49.95

can we take a road trip in the spring? please. $19.95

new baby

2007-12-08T15:08:00.000-08:00

dear dear fenix was born this week. his parents are our adopted brother and sister. he was very early and is less than 5 pounds but oh so strong and oh so sweet. i held him for the first time last night and i could tell he already loves me:)

we had a baby shower for his parents last month (so glad we did it so early) The party turned out beautifully. lauren and i made all the decorations, made up the games and fun was had by all.

more photos here

the crazy old cat lady

2007-12-04T22:19:00.001-08:00

i know halloween was a while ago but i kept forgetting to post these photos of rudi. he was a crazy old cat lady (thank you corey for the the idea) he got a first place prize at dog-o-ween. he was so funny and wore the costume like a champ! I found this pink house coat made for a dog (i can't imagine who would seriously put it on a dog) I made a floral skirt and attached it to the coat. I attached doll hair to a piece of fabric to make the wig and head cover. top it off with blue eye shadow, pink lips, little booties i made and some stuffed cats and whala, the cat lady was born. i think the costume was even funnier because he is a boy!

And here we are walking the cat walk.

Punk Rock Flea Market II

2007-11-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

Hi Ya'll,

This weekend I will have space at the second Punk Rock Flea Market. Last time was awesome and there will be twice as many vendors this time, so come down and do some christmas shopping.

I am working away at a bunch of really super sweet scarfs and of course i have all of my hand selected vintage items for your home.

See you then!

When: This Saturday, December 1 2007, 10am - 5pm
Where: Underground Events Center in Belltown: 2407 1st Ave Seattle, WA

thanksgiving all around

2007-11-22T08:31:00.001-08:00

we are enjoying a visit with our relatives in Minnesota this week. we are taking photos and i'm sure you are doing the same with your peeps today. i took a moment to see how the rest of the world spends their thanksgiving and found a few photos that really tell the story of this holiday. these photos all say so much i could write a short story for each of them (anyone want to try that? I'll post here if you do) I will also post any photos of your thanksgiving plate filled to the brim. i love food pictures, even thought my Minnesota mom and dad make fun of me everytime i take them!

enjoy. and have a great day.

for my walls

2007-11-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

i love wall decals. i have since i first noticed them a few years back. but for some reason i've never actually purchased any. which is odd because i love decorating and i have always lived in rentals. So i recently redid my sewing/crafting studio and now I want some decals.

there are so many lovely ones out there. i'm having a hard time deciding. here are a few I found on etsy. enjoy!

redbeandesign

i love decorating things that aren't traditionally decorated.vital

i love the 3D nature of these.

michellechristina

cute is always good

holly

*where have i been you maybe asking? working, sick :(, sewing and preparing for a baby shower. i can't wait to show you all photos of the baby shower, it happens on Sat so check in next week for photos. i will also be sharing photos of the new awesome space i get to work in at home. everyone starting their holiday crafts?

we leave for MN on Sunday to visit our lovely midwest family. Yeah! we are taking Rudi as a carry-on so wish us, luck i'm a bit nervous but we could imagine going home without our little boy. happy friday!

happy halloween

2007-10-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

rudi shot

2007-10-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

he likes my new job too.

killer things

2007-10-23T21:39:00.001-07:00

these three things are wonderful. i want them.

i grew up using the lid of a pan to strain the water from what we were cooking. this method works just fine 90% of the time. i'm ok with that. the hubby grew up using fancy tools like cheese cutters and colanders. so we have a colander and i just feel like it takes up so much more room than it is worth. this one could bring me and my husband closer together.i've never been a big fan of these. they seem like a cute idea but how many of you actually remember to bring them out when guests are over? these ones i really like. they seem like they would feel great in your hand and they are so sublet and would go with most of your party decorations. (and they have nothing to do with beads. the men in your life with thank you)

i live in washington state and we grow apples. lots of apples and so many different kinds. my favorite are the pink ladies. but even though i like apple i have a hard time picking them up and eating them. i don't know why but i do know that if i had this graceful gadget i would eat apples all day.

these items are from the MoMa Store. Museum stores have the best stuff.

p.s. this is my 101 post. how cool.

the scarfs

2007-10-19T13:37:00.001-07:00

so here are some of the scarfs i will be selling on Saturday. aren't they cute? they are much better in person. come and see!

thank you to my model and co-photographer lauren. isn't she lovely?

a Fall Thing

2007-10-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

morning peeps. this satirdau i will be in my very first craft show. yeah! it's here in Seattle at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, Sat 9-4. If you live here please come on by. Many of my fellow Esty Rain girls will be in the show so I know you will find something you like.

I made a few things but what I'm really excited about are a the scarfs I made. lauren and I are going to go out and take some photos of them later (check back this afternoon) I will be sharing a booth with my girl theresa. She made some really lovely baby blankets and hats.

Well. Happy Friday! I hope all of you have a dreamy weekend.

yelp posting

couple photos i took walking to work this week.

juniper flowers

2007-10-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

look at the gorgeous flowers hubby had delivered to my office. they are from juniper flowers here in seattle. if you need to order flowers i highly recommend them. there is so much art in every arrangement.

i am going to try and keep flowers at my desk as much as possible through the winter. they just make your day better.

welcome Lilly II

2007-10-15T16:52:00.001-07:00

this summer my ipod Lilly had an unfortunate accident with the seat of our car. today Lilly II came in the mail to me from my favorite mac store smalldog electronics (i recommend subscribing to their excellent emails. lots of tips and tricks) anyway, now i need a new case because this one is a nano and my other Lilly was a big one. I will probably make it myself but i went out to esty for inspiration. here are some that i liked. i didn't see any that you can attach to your arm when you work out. that's what I want to make so i guess i'll just make it up. i'll let you know how it goes. if you have any ideas i would love to hear them.

shop suey?

tango bag

2007-10-11T12:03:00.001-07:00

in celebration of my new job and to accommodate carrying my new macbook on the bus, i purchased this lovely Tano bag. i have to say that it took a while to find something that was stylish yet not trendy. leather. can hold the macbook and more, went over my shoulder (even with a coat one) had a fabulous color (mine is actually red) and to find all this and not have to spend $500 (not that I would spend that much on a bag!) but i persisted with a little help from my friend Brandy and i found something that fit all the requirements.

If you like it you should check out some of the other ones they have or better yet look for a shop that sells them locally. They are made to be touched.

this is the style i got.

this is the color of mine. the photo does do it justice. it is the perfect red.

i really like this style too. isn't the blue wonderful. this is on my wish list if you are looking to get me something:)

p.s.
i've been a lame blogger lately but it is for a good reason. my new job is awesome and i am actually staying busy! So i have to figure out how to work blogging into my after work schedule now. so please don't stop reading I will get it together soon.

I would also like to encourage you to think about your current job. Is it really serving you? do you believe in what you are doing. does the company provide and environment that makes you happy? are the people smart and fun? does the work move at a comfortable pace for you? do you see growth potential? If not, why not consider looking around for something else. it can't hurt to look and you might be surprised.

happy birthday to me!

2007-10-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

sorry for the lack of posts the last couple weeks. i've had a lot on my plate and mind. but today i shall not fret because it is my birthday and I'm going to have fun!

1. have coffee with hubby and my good friend brandy who is visiting
2. get yummy brunch
3. hike around the park with the doggie
4. shopping downtown
5. dinner with all my friends
6. drinks a favorite bar
7. sleep soundly.

painting mood

2007-10-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

i love betsy waltons paintings. i haven't felt like painting for a long time but seeing her imaginative, beautiful pieces today has put me in a painting mood. this one is reminiscent of darger who i also love. check her out on etsy.

mondate

2007-10-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

monday + update = mondate where I catch you up since i usually don't post on the the weekends. The Front Yard Boutique went pretty well. Although we did have to cancel Sunday due to rain:( But again we met great people, sold some stuff and had a nice time hanging out in the yard all day. Rudi had a blast and then pooped out. like his tee shirt?

So while it was pouring all day on Sunday, I rearranged the living room and man it feels great now. i'm a rearrange every six months type of person and it was way over due. now i feel like i can enjoy the winter. forget spring cleaning it's all about fall cleaning and organizing to get the house ready to be in all winter. a few weeks ago i redid my studio/office/dinning room space. i think i feel a photo home tour coming on.

today i start a new job! i am so excited. no more driving a half hour or more now i just hop a bus downtown and i will work near all of my friends. i am so looking forward to yummy lunches and happy hours things that hardly ever happened when i worked in the burbs.

have a great week everyone. stay tuned for a long awaited etsy shop update later this week.

front yard boutique

2007-09-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

if you live in the seattle area, this saturday and sunday a bunch of my lady friends will be hold the 2nd Annual Front Yard Boutique. What is this you might ask? Well....it isn't your regular yard sale. it's more like an outdoor, slightly used boutique.

It's fall an I know your wardrobe need a bit of excitement. There are bunch of us contributing to the merchandise so there will be a variety of sizes and styles.

Music, Drinks (first ones free!), dog petting zoo and bake sale are among the other things besides shopping you will find to enjoy.

Location: Ballard on the south east corner of 32nd and 62nd see our yelp posting

Here are some shots from last year. (new location and bigger this year)

some hubby love

2007-09-27T10:27:00.001-07:00

my hubby has been taking some really great photos lately and i wanted to share a few with you. theses are from a walk we took around our neighborhood here in seattle in august. click them to enlarge to really see them. enjoy.

word to know: Giclee

2007-09-25T13:22:00.001-07:00

The Definition : Giclee (zhee-klay) - The French word "giclée" is a feminine noun that means a spray or a spurt of liquid. The word may have been derived from the French verb "gicler" meaning "to squirt". The Term : The term "giclee print" connotes an elevation in printmaking technology. Images are generated from high resolution digital scans and printed with archival quality inks onto various substrates including canvas, fine art, and photo-base paper. The giclee printing process provides better color accuracy than other means of reproduction. more...

giclee prints available on etsy:

these are fabulous. i love the depth of the cherry blossoms and the quite focus of the centered bird on strips.

hadley hutton

good lesson here.

constant dreamer

this concept of a strong print coupled with a silhouette is really lovely. it's a wonderful way to re-enforce the expressed emotion of a piece or a way to express completely contrasting ideas of feelings.

margin

the beautiful side of winter
elle moss photography

search

2007-09-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

i love google photo search. today i typed in "vintage dress yard sale" (i had a good reason) and I got these great results

so many fun photos and links to great blogs. i don't know about you but i find it difficult to keep up with all to great blogs that are out there. when i start going through my list of must reads it can take me hours to fully enjoy them and everytime i visit site i learn of another few good links. what is a girl to do? read more!

so here are i found through this google search. if you don't already read them you might want to check them out. oh, but please keep reading mine:)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...

2007-09-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

it is friday. how did your week go? did you get everything done. did you stay organized? did you save time for fun?
i found this cute idea for organizing your week at Uncommon Goods, but i think you could make your own.

happy friday everyone! hope you have a wonderful weekend.

our website loves martinis

2007-09-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

so have you noticed the trend of business websites adding blogs to their sites? what do you think about this? is it a movement to convince us that there are real people behind these online products or at least give us the impression that real human desires are defining the direction of the site not just a corporate, money making machine calling the shots. or just a new way to inform customers of products and features?

I guess we are supposed to feel like we could influence the site by leaving comments and interacting with the authors and other members of the site. Or maybe we are supposed to like the voices behind the blogs so much that we choose their products over another. Or maybe it's all about the current trend of creating community whereever and whenever it can be created.

I haven't fully flushed out what I think about this and I'm sure that there are many different flavors to this new method of marketing? communicating? community creation? Some of these blogs must be written by professional writers hired to project a specific image and some are probably the real deal.

Microsoft has a blog called Zune Insider described as " Music, culture and the inside scoop from Cesar Menendez a Microsoft employee working on Zune-Microsoft's new music project" and Yahoo has the Yahoo Search Marketing Blog "Our new blog connects you to the people and products that can help you make sense of the ever-changing world of online marketing, and offers a community forum for sharing news, tips and strategies." and I stumbled into the Evite blog yesterday. Each of these seems to have a different angle. What do you think? All I know is I feel like i must be slightly on guard when reading "blogs" these days. what their angle? who are they?

I must say I did find something i like on the Evite blog. S'more martinis! I don't care if they are trying to influence me a medium that I have a natural trust of due to the years of exposure to independent forms of this medium. This is a wonderful fall beverage. Can you see it. Me and all my friends dressed in a coordinating fall pallet of fleece, corduroy and velvet (possibly plaid). Sitting around a beautiful fire pit with the sun setting over a horizon of fall colored leaves. my golden retriever at my feet as i pass out this wonderful drink in antique glasses.

S'more Martinis

blocks and bunnies

2007-09-18T11:37:00.001-07:00

i made two of bags of blocks last week. the material is vintage baby room curtains and inside is a set of simple wooden blocks. blocks had to be my favorite toy when i was 3-5 years old. there is just so much possibility.
no one bought them at the flea market. but i bet they will be a hit closer to christmas.

PRFM recap

2007-09-18T10:04:00.001-07:00

So I did it. I had my very first show and it was super fun and very successful. I sold about 30 items mostly my vintage delights but I did sell one set of my reupholstered stools to a very lovely couple (thanks guys. i hope you love them)

I received a lot of compliments on my style which felt really great because i have a rule that i only collect and sell items that i love.

There was a nice presence from the Etsy Rain girls both at booths and shopping and it was wonderful to meet everyone.

Looks like the Punk Rock Flea Market will happen again the first week of December so if you missed it you have another chance.

Here are some photos. The full set can be found here.

check out mister Rudi. he was the star of the show.all the pretty little things. click to enlarge.

The paint by numbers went late in the day which surprised me because it was so lovely.
Fabric and Games! Drink like a Champ! Everyone touched but did not buy. they even came with a free beer! so if you would like to purchase these they are still available.

rudi shot

2007-09-13T08:55:00.001-07:00

army pants purse

2007-09-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

i made a little purse this week. isn't it cute? it will be available for purchase at the Flea Market on Saturday.

i like the way all you see is the flowers from the front

motel art

2007-09-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

motels seem to be the hottest venue for art installations these days. this weekend you can find art in portland at the 2007 Affair at the Jupiter Hotel and many of Seattles finest can be found at Aqua Art Miami during the Art Basel Miami Beach in December. But guess what Seattlelites, on Friday a motel very close to home will be invaded by artists for one night only.

The Bridge Motel, the one just off the aurora bridge exit to Fremont is being torn down. Such a shame because it is a wonderful landmark, i love how it contributes to the landscape of a city fast becoming a townhouse farm. But before it is torn down Motel #1 will be happening on Friday form 5-midnight.

.. For one night, its last night of existence, the Bridge Motel will be dressed up and called to shine and dance ... Numerous installation/performance artists have been given full rein the week prior, to transform each dilapidated pocket into whatever they could imagine. The opening evening will reveal the Bridge's final blossom before its inevitable razing. And to top it off, every inch of the motel will be crawling with performance artists, injecting the animation and energy of truly ephemeral art."

There is no way I am going to miss this, I've lived close to this motel most of my time in seattle and it had been the topic of many "i wonder what's going on in there" thoughts." From the look of these flicker photos, just what you might think is what's going on in there.

Should be cool. I'll give you a full report next week.

Switch plates = instant design

2007-09-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Light switch plates are one of my favorite decorating tools that I always forget about. They take about two minutes to install but the effect on the room is great. They are a wonderful way to make a design impact on a rental that you aren't allowed to paint or put wall paper up.

If you are moving someone into a dorm room or their first apartment this month these would make a great gift and be something they can take with them as they move from apartment to apartment over the next few years.

Here's a few that I like from etsy.

mosaico

brightcolorart

glassfairy

robot candy

Anthropologie has this lovely one on sale, regularly $24 now just $7.95 !
or better yet make your own.

Coffee can light switch plates
Old Tie Upholstered plates

p.s.

Sorry for the lack of posts over the past few days. my hubby took me out of town to Sleeping Lady an amazing retreat center in Leavenworth, WA. I will post some photos later this week and maybe of a video of Rudi in the river which is priceless. Let's start a great week everyone!

what blogs you reading?

2007-09-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

This is the first of what i hope will be many installments of "What blogs you reading?" where I will report on the 4 blogs that various interesting people are reading.

Our first subject is Lauren from Seattle Washington and editor of the blog Seattle Graffiti.

I will first say that Lauren has started this segment off in the right spirit, she reported *honestly* the blogs she reads most often and did not edit her answers out of what she thought might make her seem cooler or by what she thought you'll would like to hear. Bravo Lauren.

Here they are in no particular order:

Stereogum - music blog. no surprise this woman is all about music. don't even try to play the band name game with her. you will loose.

Slog- The Stranger's Blog - local weekly paper takes it to the web. very seattle. very opinionated. great place to keep your finger on the pulse of this area. smart yet hip choice.

Pink is the New Blog - now this is where she let's her gossip junkie flag fly high.

PerezHilton.com - hey VH1 is giving him a tv show, there has to be substance here right? just kidding he's pretty funny. come on you perez fans, let's see you come out from the closet. if you don't come out yourself he might just do it for you.

lauren

i'm going out of town for a few days, so i'll leave you with these links to entertain yourself until i'm back. have a great weekend everyone.

whatdoyathink

2007-09-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

check this out....do you know what it is?
it's a seesaw! what a wonderful sleek design for a classic toy. i wonder if it's big enough for me? if you have a kid i think that you must buy this. it's only $50

thanks for the tip notcot.

simple, natural

2007-09-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

Artist Courtney Skott work in furniture design is absolutely wonderful. She uses materials that project a handmade natural feel but the pieces I have seen also have a clean modern aesthetic.

These days I have been working on figuring out how to gracefully combine my desire to represent the beautiful patterns and colors of nature in a clean, bright, crisp way. Courtney's work is going into my inspiration file.

i wish these stool were available to purchase. don't you?

and this bed placed in a room with the perfect color green wall, a cream colored shag rug and a good stereo system would be heaven. it's very reminiscent of an exhibit i saw at bumbershoot this past weekend, Nooks: If You Lived Here You'd Be Home by Now, by Instant Coffee

three reasons yelp works

2007-09-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

do you use Yelp? if you live near a major metro area you really should. not only is it a great place find reviews of just about anything in your area, you can also use it in the following ways.

-Directory- How to get there, how to contact them and a link to the actual website.
-Events- Post your event. I've seen everything from Bumbershoot to someone's garage sale.
-Events- Find an event. It's fun to just see what's going on in town.
-Connect with people in your area- It' definitely a social network.
-Find what's hot or new in your area.

This is all useful stuff. Stuff that I do everyday and I'm finding that yelp is a constant dependable resources to find this type of information.

There is also something so not commercial about it and this since of grassrootsness makes me feel comfortable and puts me in an open mood ready to believe the reviews, and creating a desire in me to contribute.

In terms of the design and functionality of the site there are a few things that they just do right.

Everyone gets to be the star.
On the home page in the most prominent location you will find the most recently added reviews. This is awesome because as soon as you post a review you can click to the home page and swell with pride as you see your words front and center. This is also awesome because as a viewer when ever you come to the home page you find the most up to date, unfiltered information in less than a second. You feel like you have your hand on the pulse of the city as you watch what your fellow city mates are writing about make there appearance on the page.
Feedback is given and received
Nothing feels better than someone telling you that what you wrote is cool. Yelp has 3 forms of super quick feed back you can give or receive. Useful, Funny and Cool. Who knew that a simple counter of this feed back could be so motivating. I come back to the site offten for the admitadly embarrassing reason of seeing if someone rated my reviews today.

It works and it is simple, just how it should be. Oh, and what makes it even crazier is that you can't tell who left the feedback, it's just a number no name attached. Take note social network sites, do people really need to connect with someone specific or just know they are noticed and acknowledged?
Non committal interest in an event
I think this functionality is key for event functionality to work in a large community. If you find an event that interests you on Yelp you can say that you will be there, but you can also just say that you think the event sounds cool.

Most online event interactions give you the regular Yes, No and Maybe options. These options force the user make a commitment of Yes or No or give the event creator a useless false hope answer of Maybe. Who wants to say Maybe or get maybe responses. It's like saying, "well I will if nothing better comes up" or "I don't want to say no to your face but there is no way I'm showing up."

Also giving one of these answers some how implies that you are a member of the group that is having this event. This can be off putting to someone who isn't interested in making a statement of inclusion.

Being able to just tell the event organizer and participants that the event "Sounds Cool" sets the stage for buzz to start happening without giving false hope to the organizer that these people are participating. It allows the users to indicate what type of events they find interesting which can drive the creation of more successful events in the future.
One last thing, every site is always working to keep people engaged in the site and with so many sites doing a lot of the same things figuring out how to get a community to gel in a more permanent way is a often a really difficult ongoing task. Yelp is helping to solve the "sticky" site problem by rewarding and connecting the most active and model users. They hold regular parties and events for their "Elite Squad" in all of the metro areas that they serve. Meeting cool people around a free beer would keep most people engaged in a site don't you think? See their blog for wrap ups of their events.

So if you haven't tried Yelp go sign up and tell me what you think. If you are already on Yelp doesn't it rock?

want some awesome stuff?

2007-08-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

you can find me and all my vintage delights at the very first
Punk Rock Flea Market.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
10:00 am to 12:00 midnight
2407 1st Ave. in Belltown (seattle)

Not too sure what to expect but I'm going and looking forward to it. There will be bands starting at 6pm. The market opens at 10am so I don't think I will sell past 6 or so, so come early! As we get closer i'll give you my blog readers a special preview! If you are going to be there too let me know.

details:
The Underground Events Center, Belltown's newest off-the-map
clubhouse, is hosting Seattle's first-in-a-long time PUNK ROCK FLEA
MARKET! The Punk Rock Flea Market will be held on Saturday September
15 at 2407 1st Ave. in Belltown, in the big basement bar formerly
known as the Downunder. Doors open at 10:00 am. Live bands take the
stage at 6:00 pm, with music from local acts Tiny Manhood, the Sea Donkeys & Geist.

Whether you're into vintage treasures, hunting for new music, looking
for customized clothing, hoping for handcrafted household goods or a
searching for a "gently used" Macbook, you'll be sure to find many
hidden treasures at this Belltown bazaar.

For this first experiment, we are featuring creators and purveyors of
secondhand and vintage clothing, housewares, used records, cds,
videos, books, buttons, political propaganda, tote bags made of felt
and feathers, handmade herbal soaps and candles, body balms, lotions
and bath salts, cards and postcards, action figures, knick-knacks,
clutter, lampshades, belt buckles, bicycles, jewelry, comic books,
video games and gaming systems, computer hardware, screenprinted
t-shirts, art prints, buttons, baby clothes, leather goods, haircuts,
massage and acupuncture, on-site tailoring, toys, smoking
paraphernalia, tattoos, face painting and much much more.

hanging light AKA chandelier

2007-08-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

i've been avoiding asking questions here in my blog even though i have many and would love to get some ideas and feedback from my creative readers. but since I've just started i haven't wanted to assume there was anyone there to answer my questions, but my analytics tell me there are at least 30 of you out there daily. i know that's not much in the blogging world but it makes me happy and now someone is there and i'm ready to ask a question.

have you ever made a chandelier or other hanging light? if so any advice? do you have a picture you would like to share for inspiration?

i've been thinking of starting a grand work of art. i want to make it big, shinny and super intricate. i'm thinking fabric. maybe stuff from nature painted.

i've been looking for inspiration online but only found a few of interest.

Dutch by Design

Rock and Royal

YaYa Chou

sneak peek

2007-08-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

i'm going to post these beauties in my shop today. although i must say it is hard to part with them.
p.s. i sold my first item on etsy today! feels good.

thriftylicous

2007-08-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

This weeks finds:

1. Ornate frame with red velvet. I foresee a new print from etsy living in here.
2. Vintage fabric with "Preserving and Pickling" motif
3. Cute elephant with butterfly figurine
4. Green vinyl seventies ski gloves
5. Drink glasses with red cross that say "Drink Aid"

1. Gold flower wall decor
2. Serious old frame to paint and add another etsy print!
3. Decoupage supply kit. How fun!
4. White duckling figurine. I'm so into white objects and vessels. I'll have to do a montage of them soon.
5. Soft fabric with circle designs. Good baby blanket material.

girl wisdom

2007-08-29T10:19:00.001-07:00

my sixteen year old sister wrote the following bulletin on my space yesterday.

" Do you honestly think that it's appropriate to have pictures of yourself on myspace where you are practically naked.I mean don't you have any common decency?! Really now.. you aren't gonna get anywhere in life if you go around showing yourself off like that.. It's ridiculous how girls think if they show some skin then they are considered cool.. Where is the self respect people, do you not understand that by doing this you are only teaching boys and men to look at you as a sex objects and not as a person. It's basically sickening.. Haha You don't need to show yourself off to be attractive, less is more. Leave some stuff to the imagination.. Duh!!!!! But anyways I only wish the best for you w****s out there.. Hopefully you will soon realize that your worth more than that. But I've said enough! I hope you all have a wonderful evening!! ♥[a]."

She is a super funny girl and know she has a really interesting future in front of her. It's nice to see her personal voice coming through. And she walks the talk, she is beautiful and attractive but I've never seen her even flirt with the sleazy side of sexy. Way to go Ashley. Love you.

a little something extra

2007-08-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

i am fan of anyone who does a little something extra. particularly in reguards to entertaining and creatating/decorating the enviroments we spend a lot of time in. for example if you are going to have a bbq in a park why not take everything out of the plastic bags and set everything out on the picnic table neatly? why not bring a cloth tablecloth (sheets work great) little bits of attention to details like this create a better environment and the photos look better.

remember the thrown together half pipe you used to hang around and skate or watch your boyfriend skate. now check this one out...
pretty awesome. something extra went into this. way to consider your environment Tim.
photos from Dwell's "Show Your Space"

etsy: new items for your home

2007-08-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

these are the most precious little glasses. i just wish you could hold them and feel how cute they are. if you would like them go here.
here's a little something special for your kitchen. i guarantee that no one else will have these. check them out here.