Monday, January 31, 2011
You think you know it all and then WHAM
Yeah, that's right.
So I spent a fair bit of time last week working on a batik tablecloth. Because of the limited selection of dye colors available to me at 11pm on Friday night, and my unwillingness to wait until the next day to get a better dye, it looks alot like this bit:
Only bigger and wider. Table sized y'all
I had a bit of trouble with the wax and so I set out to do more research Saturday morning, only to discover that doh! (slaps forehead) my batik thing isn't a batik thing (correct word: tjap) at all. It's for woodblock printing.
Luckily, I happened to have supplies on hand for that, supplies consisting of 1) a wood block stamp (who knew!) 2) textile paints from the gift we made HNs dad for xmas and 3) stuff to print on (anything not nailed down or meowing)
NOTE: camera still in shop, so all pics taken with white balance challenged camera phone.
Test print 90 million. After printing solidly on some yardage, HN and I decided some negative space was in order. I had some rucksack canvas kicking around and thought I might make a mega bag...unfortunately for me I refused HN's offer to draw me some straight lines (registers or something in block print speak) so it came out crooked.
Ah well, it will be something!
Angle from which you can not see my mistakes:
Then I decided too much black, so I tried painting it in in various ways:
I like it, although it makes the whole thing a little cartoony looking in a way I'm sure I can use somewhat but not what I was thinking for the tablecloth in my head.
Then I tried just painting the flowers, which I think I like a bit. Not sure if this is the color I would use for an actual tablecloth, but I think I can trim the crooked parts off and make a sweet pillow for the living room.
More to come, for sure like. I've already collected 2 sheets and several pillowcases that I didn't like that much anyway and HN has gotten into the game by bringing me other candidates. It's about to get arts and crafts up in here!
So I spent a fair bit of time last week working on a batik tablecloth. Because of the limited selection of dye colors available to me at 11pm on Friday night, and my unwillingness to wait until the next day to get a better dye, it looks alot like this bit:
Only bigger and wider. Table sized y'all
I had a bit of trouble with the wax and so I set out to do more research Saturday morning, only to discover that doh! (slaps forehead) my batik thing isn't a batik thing (correct word: tjap) at all. It's for woodblock printing.
Luckily, I happened to have supplies on hand for that, supplies consisting of 1) a wood block stamp (who knew!) 2) textile paints from the gift we made HNs dad for xmas and 3) stuff to print on (anything not nailed down or meowing)
NOTE: camera still in shop, so all pics taken with white balance challenged camera phone.
Test print 90 million. After printing solidly on some yardage, HN and I decided some negative space was in order. I had some rucksack canvas kicking around and thought I might make a mega bag...unfortunately for me I refused HN's offer to draw me some straight lines (registers or something in block print speak) so it came out crooked.
Ah well, it will be something!
Angle from which you can not see my mistakes:
Then I decided too much black, so I tried painting it in in various ways:
I like it, although it makes the whole thing a little cartoony looking in a way I'm sure I can use somewhat but not what I was thinking for the tablecloth in my head.
Then I tried just painting the flowers, which I think I like a bit. Not sure if this is the color I would use for an actual tablecloth, but I think I can trim the crooked parts off and make a sweet pillow for the living room.
More to come, for sure like. I've already collected 2 sheets and several pillowcases that I didn't like that much anyway and HN has gotten into the game by bringing me other candidates. It's about to get arts and crafts up in here!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Right now!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
30 seconds of human interest
Don't even ask why I'm watching this drivel. Ok, it's because I'm bored. I hope you're happy.
anyhow
1) "I'm Jennifer Lopez" I'm sorry, shut up. Or at the very least be kind enough to also introduce your ego. But I guess she didn't ask the brain damaged girl "do you know who I am" which is probably a step up from her usual.
2) Steven Tyler get off her! Yes, it's all very nice to play well with others but if a stranger came up on me all smothering with their fake love and hugging on me from above I would push them off and back up. Only she can't do either and I find this very disturbing. Let's all do the Hello from a respectful distance. blech.
3) At the end of the video they're all walking out in the cold with coats and sweaters...except the girl in the chair. Mental note: please dress your invalids in weather appropriate clothing before parading them to the unsuspecting. I think this is where the Snuggie could really shine.
gah. That's enough human interest for one day. I feel dirty.
anyhow
1) "I'm Jennifer Lopez" I'm sorry, shut up. Or at the very least be kind enough to also introduce your ego. But I guess she didn't ask the brain damaged girl "do you know who I am" which is probably a step up from her usual.
2) Steven Tyler get off her! Yes, it's all very nice to play well with others but if a stranger came up on me all smothering with their fake love and hugging on me from above I would push them off and back up. Only she can't do either and I find this very disturbing. Let's all do the Hello from a respectful distance. blech.
3) At the end of the video they're all walking out in the cold with coats and sweaters...except the girl in the chair. Mental note: please dress your invalids in weather appropriate clothing before parading them to the unsuspecting. I think this is where the Snuggie could really shine.
gah. That's enough human interest for one day. I feel dirty.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
What was fun about December in pictures
ok, so it's really just "How was Christmas and New Year's" since I've covered anything else but here goes
Another shot of our awesome free homemade xmas tree
JJ proposed at this place, which is one of my favorite places we go to walk the dog when in NY.
Went to Boston and had a kick ass Christmas breakfast with the Glennon Garons. I had heard about the wonder of Williams Sonoma croissants before, but now I believe.
New Year's eve was a smashing good time spent in our neighborhood, with our neighbors. And Champagne.
The Miracle of 34th St did not let me down yet again!
Another shot of our awesome free homemade xmas tree
JJ proposed at this place, which is one of my favorite places we go to walk the dog when in NY.
Went to Boston and had a kick ass Christmas breakfast with the Glennon Garons. I had heard about the wonder of Williams Sonoma croissants before, but now I believe.
New Year's eve was a smashing good time spent in our neighborhood, with our neighbors. And Champagne. 
The Miracle of 34th St did not let me down yet again!Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Just tell me why
beans and pork and kale make soup SO GOOD. It doesn't even particularly matter which pork product you use, so long as the bean(s) coordinate.
Last night I finished a vat of sausage, white bean and kale soup and am now cooking up beans for a bacon and 5 bean medley -with kale. Kale was on sale this week so I bought a metric ton and now I'm shoving it into everything I make, which luckily this week seems only to consist of soup with some sort of pork product. Kale hearts pork and beans 4 EVA!
Last night I finished a vat of sausage, white bean and kale soup and am now cooking up beans for a bacon and 5 bean medley -with kale. Kale was on sale this week so I bought a metric ton and now I'm shoving it into everything I make, which luckily this week seems only to consist of soup with some sort of pork product. Kale hearts pork and beans 4 EVA!
Monday, January 3, 2011
oh right, happy new year.
yay, happy new year! HN and I rang it in with style, with champagne, and with an adult man in nothing but a bonnet and a diaper. He (the baby not HN) was hairy, smoking a cigarette and wearing a facial expression of being so over it a la mall santa but he definitely still has to do this because what started out as a joke one year got around and now LOTS of people from the neighborhood come looking for him so he can't not do it. I don't care what the internet says, YOU sir are the miracle of 34th st! He shuffled out of the house in the diaper, cigarette in lip, dropped the ball and then shook and sprayed a bottle of champagne over the crowd. Did the Rocky cheer and went back in the house.
AND THEN!!- HN and I both got accidentally bombed off champagne which we haven't both done at the same time for a while so that was fun too. HN dressed to the 9s in a suit and I in jeans and many coats (too cold for a dress) cruised around the streets until 1am. It was very first date in a romantic comedy without the awkward should we or shouldn't we kiss part at the end.
So that was pretty fun.
Also cool: my dad got me a Kindle. Yay! and a nice leather case too! It's the perfect combination of pricey and thoughtful that just makes you feel like a present is special. and it's not even just because I'm his favorite, he got the same thing for my sister. Homeboy was straight up expansive this year! Made me glad I'm making him a quilt. Will trade labors of love for expensive presents? Wait, not like that...
Anyway I dig the Kindle. I wasn't sure I would as I am very attached to the physical page, and I don't think I will ever not need a paper copy in hand to follow instructions, so to motivate myself to really give it the old college try I decided that I would purchase a book I knew would be gripping enough to keep me interested. I had an Amazon gift certificate so I spent 15 dollars* and downloaded a cheesy police mystery which is my guilty secret of reading material. I Love The Kindle!
It's just like reading a small paperback and with the case I can keep my hand inside like I like to do with books so I was able to forget it wasn't an actual book in relatively short order. The only downside is sometimes I like to refer to a previous page and that's a pain, although my dad says I can set bookmarks. It's just that with cheesy police books especially, you never know what might turn out to be significant and I like to look back and see how the clues line up once you know the answer. But you can't really do that because you don't necessarily know at the time. Whatever. I still really like it and I also downloaded the entire Sherlock Holmes, which is another must, and if nothing else will make the Kindle worth itself when I travel. Pretty much every night before I go to bed I read a little Sherlock Holmes, and I have it in 2 huge volumes which are heavy. I always bring one of them when I travel, and that shit is fat and heavy and the Kindle would be a knockout on that alone. It just sets me up right for success. Sherlock Holmes is like a blanky to me and when I'm on the road and want to chill out it's the business.
Someday I'm going to be playing bar trivia in England and answer the winning question for my team with an obscure Sherlock Holmes answer and be the wonder and hero of all who are present! It's going to be awesome.
* -which is RIDICULOUS for a book with no overhead, and I will be seeking out cheap and free content in the very near future. Just as soon as I finish this stack of actual books I stole from my dad to read. For as much as I love reading, I struggle with paying 30 bucks for a book. Or even 10.
I think Thanksgiving should be after Christmas, so I could devote more energy to being thankful for those people who are thoughtful that you might not realize are thoughtful. For a holiday I don't generally love a ton, I got some sweet stuff this year. I don't get many presents but the ones I got were all spot on and I like that.
:)
As an added bonus to all of this awesome, my work is closed today. They had us open on Friday and closed today and all of our customers were closed on Friday so there were 0 phone calls and it's basically like a free 4 day weekend. sweeeeeeeet!
And I made meatballs last night so I'm going to spend the day with the leftovers and my sewing machine. It's like a Sunday replay in here!
2011 is off to a great start so far and I will have some pictures of December's installment of the great adventure once I get around to uploading them. I think I'm going to do a long picture-y post of my favorite moments because I haven't posted some pics from a bunch of fun stuff and I should. So check later, and bring comfy shoes and a hot drink because it's going to be epic.
AND THEN!!- HN and I both got accidentally bombed off champagne which we haven't both done at the same time for a while so that was fun too. HN dressed to the 9s in a suit and I in jeans and many coats (too cold for a dress) cruised around the streets until 1am. It was very first date in a romantic comedy without the awkward should we or shouldn't we kiss part at the end.
So that was pretty fun.
Also cool: my dad got me a Kindle. Yay! and a nice leather case too! It's the perfect combination of pricey and thoughtful that just makes you feel like a present is special. and it's not even just because I'm his favorite, he got the same thing for my sister. Homeboy was straight up expansive this year! Made me glad I'm making him a quilt. Will trade labors of love for expensive presents? Wait, not like that...
Anyway I dig the Kindle. I wasn't sure I would as I am very attached to the physical page, and I don't think I will ever not need a paper copy in hand to follow instructions, so to motivate myself to really give it the old college try I decided that I would purchase a book I knew would be gripping enough to keep me interested. I had an Amazon gift certificate so I spent 15 dollars* and downloaded a cheesy police mystery which is my guilty secret of reading material. I Love The Kindle!
It's just like reading a small paperback and with the case I can keep my hand inside like I like to do with books so I was able to forget it wasn't an actual book in relatively short order. The only downside is sometimes I like to refer to a previous page and that's a pain, although my dad says I can set bookmarks. It's just that with cheesy police books especially, you never know what might turn out to be significant and I like to look back and see how the clues line up once you know the answer. But you can't really do that because you don't necessarily know at the time. Whatever. I still really like it and I also downloaded the entire Sherlock Holmes, which is another must, and if nothing else will make the Kindle worth itself when I travel. Pretty much every night before I go to bed I read a little Sherlock Holmes, and I have it in 2 huge volumes which are heavy. I always bring one of them when I travel, and that shit is fat and heavy and the Kindle would be a knockout on that alone. It just sets me up right for success. Sherlock Holmes is like a blanky to me and when I'm on the road and want to chill out it's the business.
Someday I'm going to be playing bar trivia in England and answer the winning question for my team with an obscure Sherlock Holmes answer and be the wonder and hero of all who are present! It's going to be awesome.
* -which is RIDICULOUS for a book with no overhead, and I will be seeking out cheap and free content in the very near future. Just as soon as I finish this stack of actual books I stole from my dad to read. For as much as I love reading, I struggle with paying 30 bucks for a book. Or even 10.
I think Thanksgiving should be after Christmas, so I could devote more energy to being thankful for those people who are thoughtful that you might not realize are thoughtful. For a holiday I don't generally love a ton, I got some sweet stuff this year. I don't get many presents but the ones I got were all spot on and I like that.
:)
As an added bonus to all of this awesome, my work is closed today. They had us open on Friday and closed today and all of our customers were closed on Friday so there were 0 phone calls and it's basically like a free 4 day weekend. sweeeeeeeet!
And I made meatballs last night so I'm going to spend the day with the leftovers and my sewing machine. It's like a Sunday replay in here!
2011 is off to a great start so far and I will have some pictures of December's installment of the great adventure once I get around to uploading them. I think I'm going to do a long picture-y post of my favorite moments because I haven't posted some pics from a bunch of fun stuff and I should. So check later, and bring comfy shoes and a hot drink because it's going to be epic.
Is that even a question?
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/02/new.york.snow/index.html?hpt=T1
Yes, they did. I dated a plow dude once. This is exactly what they do.
Yes, they did. I dated a plow dude once. This is exactly what they do.
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