pistolheart: the blog

Architecture

2011-12-06T10:52:00.005-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with the Chicago-based band, Architecture. Comprised of three women: Erin Dorr, Melissa Harris, and Rebecca Scott, Architecture has a psychedelic, layered, sound, that is both charming and whimsical.

Erin Dorr

Rebecca Scott

Melissa Harris

Their sound and energy pushed me to go for a Bohemian-inspired, youthful photo shoot. Rebecca also shared with me that they love the '70s photographic style, and they are inspired by the look of films from that era. Keeping that in mind, I bounced some amber light around during some of the interior shots to get a warm, unique, tone in some of the images. I also applied some filters and distressing to some of the images in post-production.

Overall, I'm really happy with the series, and thank the ladies of Architecture for the opportunity to work with them.

Check out the music here: http://architectureband.com/ and keep your eyes peeled for shows!

Torch Singer: These Remote Places EP

2011-11-16T15:11:00.003-06:00

These Remote Places is finally complete, and available for listening/downloading/purchasing. The band can't wait to get started on a new batch of songs. Cover art is by Donovan, and the little boat and house images did end up being used as stickers. We played a little show on Sunday, the 13th, to release this recording.

these places

2011-10-24T19:15:00.003-05:00

A couple of ideas occurred to me in the early morning hours, and these two images are the results. I was thinking about creating landscapes out of different materials, with lone objects/places in them. The band is almost finished wrapping up our second EP, which we are calling These Remote Places. Donovan had created a series of works by the same name a while ago (you can see them on his blog, here).

I am really happy with the boat on the water, and maybe should just leave it at that. It all flowed so naturally...it's always a bit of a blessing when that happens with work for me. When I am still half-asleep, the work turns out better. Less self-consciousness in my hands, maybe.

Anyhow, I'm feeling good about this as a series overall. Working on some more ideas to add to it, but we'll see. Sometimes, ideas have brief lives.

grandma's wisdom

2011-08-18T10:44:00.007-05:00

“Art used to be a mystery to me. Then it seemed to be simply hard work. Now, I think it is both of these. Anything that includes learning appeals to me. As a mother, teacher, in various occupations, through community service and especially through quilting, I have been able to continue learning. The opportunities to experiment with color, fabric, design, scale and dimension are endless; I never expect to get tired of quilting.”

--Barbara Kapost, my grandmother.
Excerpted from her Quilting Autobiography, written for The Ontario Bicentennial Quilt Symposium, 1984.

Missing you and loving you, Grandma.

HOT DOG TIME!

2011-06-20T14:05:00.005-05:00

(image courtesy threadless/cartoon network)

Chicago-based t-shirt company, Threadless, is currently hosting an Adventure Time themed design competition! Mathematical!

For those of you who don't know, Adventure Time is a cartoon on Cartoon Network that is hilarious and absurd. I love it! So, I had to create a design for the contest, and decided to focus on my favorite of all of the Princesses, Hot Dog Princess!

My design depicts Hot Dog Princess with a new gang that I created based on the style of Adventure Time drawings. This gang is made up of classic Chicago Style Hot Dog toppings: Onion, Celery Salt, Tomato, Mustard, Sport Peppers, and Pickle. I gave the design a little bit of a distressed look, so that, when printed, it will have a vintage t-shirt look.

Take a minute to check out the contest, and while you are there, rate my design! Thanks, everyone!

I made cheese!

2011-05-04T09:10:00.007-05:00

gathering supplies

The latest issue of one of my favorite magazines, Culture, had a recipe for making Paneer at home. Paneer is a very simple, plain, cheese, that is a staple in Indian cooking. If you frequent Indian restaurants like I do, then you have probably eaten it many times in dishes like the common Palak Paneer, indulgent Malai Kofta, or, my favorite of late, Aloo Matar Paneer (yum).

bringing milk to a boil

I daydream a lot about running away and becoming a farmer. Raising goats, cows, sheep, and, of course, alpacas, and creating the finest yarns and cheeses in the world! Of course, I know next to nothing about what it takes to run a farm. As it stands, I can't ride a bike on a chilly day without having an allergy attack. Achoo. Excuse me. Where was I? Ah, yes…Lately, my farming dreams have turned into entrepreneurship--cheesemongering. If I were there, telling you about the wonders of a triple-creme, or some kind of truffle-laced beauty…wouldn't you just have to try it? I can be very compelling when it comes to snacks.

after adding vinegar to boiling milk

straining the curds from whey

cheese!

Making cheese has filled me with confidence and curiosity! What next? Ricotta? Mozzarella? The cheese is my oyster. Or something. You guys should try this, too. Maybe we could become cheese-makers together.

browned paneer with salted honey

the unemployed

2011-03-30T10:01:00.003-05:00

Maybe you thought about it, maybe you didn't.

Walking by the sealed up Borders building this morning, I noticed the newly unemployed workers had tied their discarded name tags to the door handles. Scribbled on them were phrases like "laid off," or "seeking employment." Sorry, guys. That seriously sucks. I want you to know that I did think about you, as I was buying my 40% off JAMIE magazine, and I hope you find something new to do.

This economy is exhausting.

status quo

2011-03-29T17:00:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, I see a message in a piece of graffiti and think that it is directed solely at me.

STAY AS YOU ARE showed up outside of my office, and I like to look at it. This city has a habit of quickly covering up non-commissioned graffiti works in various shades of beige (my husband likes to document the blocks of cover-up jobs around town), but I've been looking at this for about a week, now.

Thanks, whoever you are, for putting it there.

100

2011-03-28T10:46:00.002-05:00

Let the trumpets sound! I feel extra special today, as my Coraline doll has officially been "favorited" on Ravelry 100 times!

Thanks everyone!

thoughts right now

2011-02-12T11:15:00.000-06:00

snowed in.

2011-02-06T14:56:00.003-06:00

It's not news; the midwest got dumped on. Our backs ache from shoveling, our eyes are blinded by white on white on white on white. They just don't make boots warm enough.

I enjoy being indoors, and I kind of enjoy walking the dog in the snow and watching him bound around in snow drifts taller than he is. Buckley would probably eat all of the snow if he had enough time. Donovan and I made it out to run errands yesterday, and last night: more snow. This has me thinking: I need a car that can handle Midwestern conditions.

The only thing to lift our spirits: biscuits with lemon curd. Now what?

Living Room & Wedded Bliss

2011-01-21T11:33:00.013-06:00

cover of Torch Singer: Living Room EP

The buzz around town is: Torch Singer released an EP back in December. I have been slow with the posts, but check out our band's music on Bandcamp. If you like what you hear, consider purchasing. Your money will go toward practice space rent. What a good cause! If you purchase the hard copy, you'll also get our limited-edition "arigato" packaging, which includes artwork featuring our favorite animal friends! Your eyes are not deceiving you, that's the Buck-Man on the cover. He's famous now.

Putting out Living Room took a lot of hours from members of Torch Singer, as well as my brother, Andrew and his friend Michael, who recorded and mixed everything. Jon and I worked out the artwork, which we are pretty pleased with, and the Beat Kitchen hosted our release show back in December. If you're in town, come out and see us play! We are working on getting a show booked for March. Keep your eyes peeled.

In other news…

patrick & sam wave to the camera

Finally got around to posting an Events page for Samantha & Patrick's wedding. It was a two-day-event in the city and on the prairie of lovely Illinois, and we all had a blast. Since Patrick was preoccupied, I had a new photo-buddy join me, my friend, Sheila (check out her blog: fleece feels like home). It was her first time shooting a wedding (I think), and Sheila did an awesome job. We found out that we make a great team.

Cheers to S & P!

Runner-Up

2010-11-04T12:21:00.004-05:00

I entered a couple of photographs in Venus Zine's 1st Annual Photo Contest a while back, and just found out I was a runner-up in the Food category. Pretty neat!

My entries:

black&blue berry tart with lime curd (food category)

samantha at her wedding party (portrait category)

Thanks, Venus Zine! I feel like a pro.

The Other Mother Workshop

2010-10-18T18:07:00.007-05:00

I spent the majority of my weekend working on one of my Halloween costume accessories. What can I say? I'm coo-coo for Halloween-Puffs!

This year, I'm going to be Coraline, and really wanted to create my own "Little Me" like the Other Mother's spy doll in the movie. It's just a creepier costume with it! Plus, I have been having a lot of fun knitting toys lately.

I realized I had a pretty basic doll pattern in my collection already--part of Ysolda Teague's Whimsical Little Knits (a must-have for knitting enthusiasts!). The pattern is called "Poppy," and I pretty much followed the doll form exactly, except for the color changes, yarn weight, and needle size. I used worsted weight yarns on size US5 needles, using both dpn and magic loop methods.

Me being the internet sleuth that I am, I was checking out other Poppy projects on Ravelry, and came across another Coraline doll that used the same pattern--with notes on how to construct the little jacket! (Thanks, RubyCanyon!) I made some tiny adjustments to the pattern to compensate for the larger doll size (and I like m1 instead of kfb; oooh! knit lingo!).

All in all, I am super excited about how my Little Me turned out. Just call me your regular ol' Other Mother.

Can't wait for Halloween! Yeah!

The Owl Barn Calendar!

2010-10-07T11:29:00.002-05:00

Just found this awesome little project at The Owl Barn: Make your own Owl Calendar! Shivani at the Owl Barn has some wonderful ideas for printing and gifting this calendar at Christmas time, too. What a fantastic project! Thanks for sharing, Owl Barn.

Renegade Finds!

2010-09-15T18:04:00.009-05:00

image courtesy Renegade Handmade

Who went to Renegade Craft Fair last weekend? I did! I did! And, let me tell you, it was totally overwhelming. Posters that I have been drooling over via the internet for ages were right there in my face! Artists like Laura Berger, Vahalla Studios, Slow Industries, and Tugboat Printshop, and that's just naming a few! I went in seeking art for my kitchen, and it was actually so much, I didn't know how to choose.

image courtesy Squeaky Queen

After making a complete round of the fair, a couple items were stuck in my head. One being Squeaky Queen, dealer of "soaps, potions & sundry curiosities." Smells are luscious, and the best part for me? SOY-FREE! Yay! I went with two lip balms (pear crisp and carrot cake!) and a handmade soap (deep blue sea). Completely recommend that you order some stuff from this lady.

photo by me. logo courtesy Happy Despina.

My wall-art find ended up not being a poster at all, because once I saw this chalkboard buck-head by Happy Despina, I knew it had to be mine. Of course, I meandered all over the place and hemmed and hawed and made her hold it for me while I ran to an ATM...but she was more than happy to oblige me. How great is this addition to the living room? I LOVE IT! Thanks, Despina!

Had a great time eating brunch with Jon & Sheila at Milk & Honey, walking until my feet were on fire, and taking in some handmade culture. You can still shop Renegade online and in the storefront! Yay!

Blog to come: photos from Samantha & Patrick's wedding!

The Astronaut's Birthday

2010-09-12T10:15:00.003-05:00

Donovan Foote (a.k.a. the husband), has been working hard all summer with Redmoon Theater on their latest production, The Astronaut's Birthday.

Working in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Redmoon team tells a comic-book-style story on the façade of the MCA. Donovan's role was lead illustrator, which means he penciled nearly every cell of the show. Phew!

The show is getting wonderful reviews so far, and you may have noticed it on the front page of the Chicago Sun Times yesterday!

If you are curious about how they managed to project, animate, and astonish their audience with the final product, I suggest you go see it.

Buy tickets: Redmoon Theater Tickets

inside-out

2010-08-21T19:19:00.005-05:00

For my mom's birthday this year, I finally made her a German Chocolate cake (her favorite). I've put it off for some time now, but living in a place with central air conditioning--I know; I'm spoiled--I decided to give it a try. After looking through a few recipes, I decided to try this one from Gourmet Magazine (via epicurious): Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake.

Yep, I doubled the filling--come on, now, it's a birthday! Let me tell you, it was delicious. Worth. Every. Bite. Still, this is definitely one of those cakes that makes the phrase "a piece of cake" complete nonsense. 3 cake layers, roasted coconut and pecans, condensed milk in a water bath...8 pans and several hours went into this goodie. I guess mom is worth it.

In other news, and contrary to all of the above, I have decided to see a nutritionist. I'm both nervous and looking forward to these visits. Dealing with the budget and insurance and all that crap is never fun; but between the Type II diagnosis and the soy-allergy, I am starting to lose steam in the kitchen. Don't worry, I'm not baking cakes like this every week. In fact, my doctor says I am doing super--diabetes "controlled." Biking to work in 90º, humid-as-hell, weather is not, I repeat, NOT, easy (yes: I wear a helmet, I use hand signals, and I have all kinds of lights and reflectors and doohickeys), but the proof is in the sugar-free pudding: I am getting healthy.

Life is hard, sometimes.

learning how to animate with dogs.

2010-06-22T18:51:00.002-05:00

I've always wanted to do stop motion animation. I figure animating gifs is a good way to start. Here are my first two attempts, using THE BEST DOGS IN THE WORLD as models. The first one, on top, I did using a free gif animator called "gickr." The second I did using Photoshop CS4--neat, right?

found: brontosaurus

2010-05-12T14:25:00.002-05:00

Lately, I have been playing in a band. It's pretty exciting.

This dinosaur graffiti was on the outside wall of the space where we practice, and I love it.

Dear Sparrow,

2010-03-28T22:18:00.004-05:00

As we left for the show tonight, I noticed one of your brethren lying cold on the sidewalk. A fallen friend. His death, a mystery. Was it his first flight? Did the brick wall show no mercy?

As we arrived home from the show tonight, I noticed the full moon. This may account for the strangeness in the air. You flew into my kitchen. Disoriented, surprised, we shouted and ducked. The dog tried to take a nibble, but I think I saved you in time. We set you outside, and you sat, staring, in shock. I went back in to fetch a box and prepare a nest for you to rest easy for a while, but when we tried to place you inside, you miraculously regained your bearings and flew away. The moon lit you in silhouette.

This is all you left behind.

bellies

2010-02-15T10:11:00.003-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, I went over to my friends' Mark & Melissa's to document Melissa's oh-so-cute-preggy-belly. They are 99% sure it's a girl, and their apartment is bursting with baby accessories...most of them, PINK, of course. Not sure where Melissa found this adorable shirt, but I think it gives you a good idea of their sense of humor.

It was important, to Melissa especially, to document her pregnancy this way. We exchanged stories about trying to dig up old family photos, and she shared with me that there are a lot of holes in her family records (literally--heads were removed!). But I have seen her photo album collection, and I know her kids won't have the same woes.

I love that my friends trust me with these special times in their lives. Makes me feel all special. Thanks, guys!

She's going to miss this belly...

THREADKNITS!

2009-12-29T13:36:00.003-06:00

Check it out, ladies & gents! It's my very first Threadknits entry! Similar to the Threadcakes contest (remember that crying orange cake I made a while ago?), Threadknits is a contest hosted by Chris Cardinal of Threadless, where contestants create knitted or crocheted entries based on Threadless designs.

My design is based on Juju's Delivery's Take Me To Tokyo. As you can see, I've created a huggable plushy of the hitchin' Godzilla featured in Juju's illustration. This is my first attempt ever at improvising a toy, and I couldn't be happier with how he turned out! Even if I don't win, I'm glad that I created this little monster, because he is super cool (if I do say so m'self!).

I have ideas for more entries, and the deadline isn't until March, so, hopefully I'll get at least one more in for the judges. Wish me luck!

check it out

2009-12-11T13:22:00.004-06:00

So, I inherited a chair from my Aunt Carol. She is a pro antique hunter, and I end up with lots of nice things as a result. She had upholstered this chair a while ago with colors that didn't so much go with my stuff, but I love the chair. I went on etsy and found this awesome upholstery from etsy seller, "iheartlace." Handed the fabric to my mom with a puzzled look on my face, and a little while later, voila! Reupholstered chair! Didn't she do a great job? I wish I was handier at sewing things.

up to some things...

2009-11-25T10:29:00.004-06:00

That's right, folks! More couples photos. My friends Tara & Adam got hitched back in October, and I was the lucky duck that got to photograph the event. I met Tara back in the photo program at U of I. I think that somehow, knowing her as well as I do, and my respect for her creative talent really made me push a little harder to get great shots. I'm really happy with how these turned out! The setting definitely helped (event at the Chicago Botanic Garden, dinner at The Publican), and the weather was gorgeous, but I think it was the friendship that put me at ease--I felt really free to take the shots I felt were interesting, instead of what I thought people might want.

In other news, collaborative art projects are on the way. Sadly, my old laptop hard drive died this week, and I'm at a loss what to do without some of my files that I had yet to back up...yes, it hurts. I'm generally really good about backing up, but I was having issues with my backup system (broken external hard drive case) and was taking my sweet time deciding what to do about that when this happened. It got me thinking about the old days, and ruined rolls of film. Somehow, it was easier when things didn't work out in the darkroom. Maybe because it was more about my mistakes than technological failures? One minute, your computer is okay, the next minute: dead. Photographs, gone. Data harvesting: approximated at minimum $500.00. New computer...owie! High-paying day-job? Nowhere to be found! Feeling: stuck. Words of encouragement: appreciated. Sigh.

katie and kevin, sittin' in a tree...

2009-08-04T17:49:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday, I got to spend a few hours with my good friends Katie & Kevin taking pictures for their engagement announcement. These are a few of my favorite results. Pretty good looking couple, don't you think?

I decided that I like this little vignette effect created by extending my lens shade while keeping the frame wide open. Katie said she liked it too, so I got to play a little...

We really lucked out with the weather.

I brought a couple of props to incorporate some orange/red/pink colors, but I can't take credit for this cookie idea–it was all Katie, who had spotted the snack at the bakery a day or two earlier.

I had so much fun taking pictures and running around town with them; I feel so proud that they would choose me to take their pictures. Congrats guys! Can't wait for the big day.

threadcakes!

2009-08-03T21:20:00.003-05:00

Chris Cardinal, of threadless fame, started a contest called threadcakes back in 2007, where contestants bake/build cakes based on threadless t-shirt designs. Winners take home a whole bunch of goodies–including a threadless gift certificate and a surprise package from Charm City Cakes.

Check out my entry at: http://www.threadcakes.com/entries/view/481

My cake is based on the threadless design called "Nothing Rhymes with Orange." And to build a sphere, I baked the cakes in identical oven-safe bowls instead of in cake pans. In order to bake the cakes all the way through, I simply lowered the temperature to 325º and lengthened the baking time (took about an hour). It was guesswork, but turned out great! It's a nifty trick to keep in mind for future cake building.

The competition is pretty tough, but I hope I win!

sprucin' up the place

2009-07-24T14:44:00.004-05:00

Lots of new changes to pistolheart.com today. Be sure to check out the new "events" portfolio and tell me what you think about this use of slideroll (www.slideroll.com). I think it's pretty slick, and I might do the same with the "art" section if you all agree.

You probably already noticed, but the blog layout is a little different too. It's the new homepage for one; I figured since you are probably stopping by to read the blog, then the whole "news" thing was a little unnecessary. Hopefully, you think this layout is better too–nice and simple! Less is more? Tell me what you think!

UPDATE: another new blog template! This little "birdie says" design is by Gisele Jaquenod, and I think it is pretty cute. The question is: is it *too* cute? I know I am getting all fidgety with the site, but until I love it, that's the way it goes. Help me, dear readers!

UPDATE AGAIN: v3.0 is pretty much a go! i think the birdies were cute, but a little much for me. New events page is yet to come, but at least there is something posted for now. Yay!

thinking about this.

2009-07-23T14:36:00.002-05:00

Magic Words

In the earliest time,

when both people and animals lived on the earth,

a person could become an animal if he wanted to

and an animal could become a human being.

Sometimes they were people

and sometimes animals

and there was no difference.

All spoke the same language.

That was the time when words were like magic.

The human mind had mysterious powers.

A word spoken by chance

might have strange consequences.

It would suddenly come alive

and what people wanted to happen could happen--

all you had to do was to say it.

Nobody can explain this:

That's the way it was.

– after Nalugiaq

Edward Field, 'Songs and Stories of the Netsilik Eskimos

you've got it

2009-07-20T14:17:00.003-05:00

Head on over to RIPT Apparel and buy a t-shirt designed by my husband, Donovan. It is only available for one day, and costs only $10! What a steal! (clicking the photo above will take you to the site)

RIPT is a pretty nifty, new, Chicago-based, company that has guest artists create t-shirts that are on sale for a day, and then they go to the "graveyard," never to be seen again (though the site does mention potential "zombie sales"). Definitely worth checking out--it is handy if you become a fan on facebook, as they post a new t-shirt daily.

fritz pastry

2009-07-12T16:20:00.002-05:00

My friend, Mike (a.k.a. twobitme, or "Online-Mike"), hooked me up with a little freelance-photo-fun for his friends at Fritz Pastry. Owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Nathaniel Meads and Elaine Heaney, with their friend, Jared Nance, Fritz offers a wide array of beautiful pastries, yummy coffee, and an inviting atmosphere (free wi-fi, even!). They're open from 7am–7pm every day of the week, and are located on Diversey, near Southport.

strawberry rhubarb tart

french-style macarons

fritz cakes! (vegan cupcakes)

i got to eat this!

You too, can treat yourself to some outstanding snacks and drinks at this cozy spot–after looking at photos like these, how could you pass it up?

1408 W. Diversey Pkwy
Chicago IL, 60614
773.857.2989
pastry@fritzpastry.com

field trip!

2009-07-09T19:20:00.005-05:00

I took the day off on Monday, and Donovan and I went to the Shedd Aquarium. Last year, we donated to NPR, and they sent us free passes, so, it was a cheap day to boot. Neither of us had been there since we were kids and there are lots of new things to see there–including the Wild Reef exhibit and the newly renovated Oceanarium.

lobby lights

Jacana jacana bird (check out those stick legs!)

little catfish party

very big Amazon fish

this guy was sleeping with just his nose above the water

I wore a bright, multi-colored, top, and it seemed to attract the animals to me. The blue iguana (above) caught my eye from his sunny rock-perch, and ran up to the glass to get a better look at me. What a charmer! And I think he really liked the camera, too.

jellies!

rockhopper penguin antics

funny cartoon belugas

in retrospect, I wish I had bought this alligator hat

droopy-eyed octopi

We were surprised at how busy it was for a Monday afternoon, if we hadn't had our tickets in advance, we would've been in line for hours. I wanted to make it there early enough to see feeding time presentations, but I guess I was in vacation mode, because I just kept sleeping. Still, we had a great time! So many fascinating things. You should go!

knit-o-holic

2009-06-29T22:20:00.004-05:00

orchids & fairy lights hat pattern by tiny owl knits

Today, I took a facebook quiz titled "What kind of Knitter are you?" that deemed me a "knit-o-holic," and I realized I was way past-due in sharing some of my knits with pistolheart readers. A few months ago, I got back in touch with a college buddy of mine, Tara (tarajohnsondesign). Tara and I both studied photography at U of I, we both romanticize the Pacific Northwest, we both love our dogs more than most other things, and we are both knitters. So, Tara got me involved in her weekly knit-knit group, and since then, I have constantly had a project on my needles.

paper moon hat pattern by Beth Hahn

Matilda hat pattern by MK Carroll

I was taught how to knit by my friend Marie, junior year of college. I was terrible at it! I remember knitting a few lumpy, misshapen, blobs, and then letting the needles hibernate. I picked up the hobby again when my niece was on the way, and spent about a year making her a baby blanket (slowwwwwwwww...).

handwarmers pattern by creative yarn

Now I am a little obsessed. Buying yarn is definitely an addiction. I'm also addicted to Ravelry, an online community for knitters and crocheters, where you can share projects, find new ones, and share ideas with other fiber-obsessed-folks. I just finished knittin' up these fingerless mitts from a free pattern at Creative Yarn perfect for bicycle riding in the summertime. Trust me, you can't swing a mouse without hitting a blog about knitting around here. Get it? Mouse? Instead of cat? Like the clickety-kind? Okay, that's another side-effect of the hobby: obnoxiously innocuous word-play.

the wool eater blanket pattern by Sarah London

If you're on Ravelry, my user name is Pistolheart, of course.

system failure

2009-06-16T19:40:00.004-05:00

Oh, Photo Of The Day, why did you fall from glory so fast?

I'll tell you why. There was something about POTD that seemed to point out my flaws to myself; flaws that I won't bore you with. The big reason, of course, is that it really bites the big one to come home from working on a computer all day, only to work on a computer all night. God, I miss the darkroom. I miss studios, and chemicals, and paper, and ink. I miss Friday Night Margaritas and seemingly endless amounts of time to work on art. I miss...well, college? There is a sentiment I never thought would come to light. Why do we never recognize what we have when we have it? I guess then it wouldn't have been as much fun.

Donovan finished my bicycle, which is named the Robin. It's a Raleigh, and he did a super custom paint job. I've got orange glitter grips, ground FX, and a jelly-bell that goes brrrrrrrrrrring! Now, I love mechanical projects. Putting things together, taking things apart, that is the bread & butter of creativity. But the bike thing, it kind of belongs to Donovan; at least, he won't ever really let me help (men...hmph!). It's okay though.

Hopefully, sometime soon, we will cruise up the bike trail to the Botanic Gardens. We will probably have to take it easy though--I haven't ridden a bike in ages!

ode to popcorn

2009-05-05T22:24:00.002-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: May 5, 2009.

Oh, popcorn, thou art crisp and delicious.
I scatter your kernels in a boiling puddle of oil
firework display into none other than you
snack of dreams

Sprinkled in salt and parmesan,
no pretzel could ever compare
You are my companion at the movies
and the enemy of my enemy (that bore, Ebert!)

Paired with a Cherry Coca-Cola
I will consume thee–Nay! Devour!
Together, we will keep the dentist
in business.

may flowers

2009-05-04T22:04:00.002-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: May 1, 2009. A bar seems like a good place to live, if you are a ghost.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: May 2, 2009. I'm not sure why city planners continue to plant rows of trees under power lines. You just end up with rows and rows of mutilated trees. It is kind of sad.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: May 3, 2009. Archive day! Here is a sweet portrait of my friend Samantha from a few years ago. Isn't she a knockout? She is blonde now.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: May 4, 2009. I get allergy shots every 4 weeks for dust, trees, mold, and cats. My allergist's office is in a cool old building in downtown Evanston. One of my favorite restaurants, Mount Everest (Nepali & Indian food! Yum!) is also in this building. This means that every time I get shots, I also crave naan.

These are the pretty milk-glass orbs that light the hall.

yummy

2009-04-30T22:46:00.002-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 30, 2009. Sometimes, all I want is cereal.

what year was it?

2009-04-27T23:10:00.003-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 25, 2009. Tonight I attended a bachelorette party for my life-long friend, Loren, and her man, Steve. People always tell me that it is strange and lucky that I have such a loyal group of friends from childhood, and I feel so honored to know all of them. I have known Loren as far back as I can remember--believe me, there are stories. It is kind of a bummer that she lives in the south burbs, and I in the north, but we share the understanding that, if needed, we are there for one another. Which brings me to...

PHOTO(s) OF THE DAY: April 26, 2009. A couple of photos I dug up from the "archive." Yes, I am really one of those girls that has been taking pictures since puberty. Here are Loren & Steve circa '96. Maybe even 1995? That's my high school bedroom. That is a poster from The Crow on the wall behind Steve. We are old. They are getting married. Finally. This makes me happy...which brings me to...

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 27, 2009. Unexpected flowers from Donovan today. He always gets so excited about surprising me that he gives away the surprise. It went something like this: get home from work, sit down in front of the computer, try to show him things on facebook until he finally says, "Why don't you go in the livingroom?" ::hint hint::

Aren't these daisies just the happiest?

we're roughing it.

2009-04-24T13:32:00.005-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 24, 2009. To make up for missing a few days (I unplugged!), here are photos from our family camping trip...

donovan singing (actually yawning)

pretty little flowers

that's me, roasting marshmallows. also very proud that i built a fire.

that's donovan, roasting marshmallows. wishing i would stop boasting over my fire.

it had been a long time since i had seen so many stars.

we discovered that buckley is a true "city-dog," after a long night of not sleeping, trying to make him stop barking at the dark. there he is, still wide-awake, begging for breakfast.

seen again here, begging for donovan's breakfast (looking sharp in his coat that his gramma made for him).

finally passed out in the tent around 1:00 PM. we thought he'd be knocked out forever, but he woke up again after about a half-hour, and we packed up the camp.

It would seem that our trip heavily revolved around the dog. I guess he hasn't spend enough time out in the wild. Poor Buck was really freaked out by nature-after-dark. A crunchy leaf? Bark at it! Hooting owl? Go crazy! We had planned on spending two nights, but after one sleepless night, tired and sore, we packed up camp. The good people at Starved Rock gave us our money back for the second night, and from the sounds of it, it was not the first "city-dog" they had seen pass through. Oh well. Everyone got a bath upon returning home, and Buck is back to a rigorous schedule of sleeping at least 18 hours a day.

wrapped in plastic

2009-04-20T21:21:00.002-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 20, 2009. The owls are not what they seem.

And I am not camping.

ketchup or catsup? you decide.

2009-04-19T20:39:00.003-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 18, 2009. My nieces. How cute are they? I am playing catch-up with Photo of the Day because after a day of fun at Rory's birthday party, I was far too tired to look at the computer yesterday. In fact, I even got a little sun-burnt. Ultimate irony of sunburn? Our family camping trip is looking canceled due to Mother Nature's threat of SNOW. I am actually feeling a bit unstable from this setback. I really, really, need an escape...

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 19, 2009. Today is "Archive Day," as was decided last Sunday. This is the neighborhood cat, Hank. I think I could list the cats that I have actually had good relationships with on one hand, and Hank is totally one of them. He wears a bell on his neck, and I can hear him follow us when we walk the dog sometimes. If Buck isn't too close by, Hank will walk right up and ask to be petted. What a good cat!

eyes as big as jolly ranchers

2009-04-17T23:16:00.002-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 17, 2009. Cupcakes for miles!

the scenic route

2009-04-17T00:51:00.002-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 16, 2009. I'm telling you guys, this vacation is much-needed. I am pretty much in that state of being tired all day long these days. For instance, I started a knitting project, ripped it out and started over twice, and then gave up on that one, only to move on to a new pattern and start screwing that one up. This lady needs a break! Even this blog is not interesting. But I think the photo is still good.

have to get away

2009-04-15T23:03:00.004-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 15, 2009. I'm using up some vacation days next week. I plan on: sleeping, knitting, reading, cooking, and working on art. Me and Donovan are going camping for a couple of nights, too, which is really exciting. Lots of camping equipment that we got for our wedding, and haven't had the chance to use until now. Buckley's first camping trip! I just love pitching a tent.

rainbows and clouds come with the package, ma'am.

2009-04-14T19:08:00.006-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 14, 2009. Today is my niece, Rory's, 4th birthday. I understand she wants a chocolate cake "with a sun on it," and a chocolate-sun-cake she will get (as well as a few other goodies). I am going to assume that rainbows & clouds come with the whole chocolate-sun-cake package.

Here is a fun quiz for you to take:

Your rainbow is shaded violet.

What it says about you: You are a creative person. You appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

"more grenades"

2009-04-13T22:45:00.003-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 13, 2009. Nothing doing.

Realized that hubs and I are going on 8 years now.

Yep, I am lucky like that.

(so is he.)

sunday = archives day

2009-04-12T20:54:00.003-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 12, 2009. I realized last Sunday, that a lot of Sundays for me are either a.) family days, or b.) uneventful. This realization gave me the idea to have an "Archive Day" once a week. Why not make Sunday Archive Day? I don't know, maybe I shouldn't create any rules in this Photo of the Day project, but I have been taking pictures for so long now, I think there are a lot of photos that I never gave the recognition they deserve. Maybe I'm not done with them yet. And, now that I am carrying my camera everywhere, I am usually narrowing down the photo of the day from 2 or 3 good shots.

Today I dug up and old photo that I think I shot on Halloween 1998. This whole roll of film was a success to me, and I remember including 5 or 6 of the shots in my application portfolio to the photo program at U of I. This is a scan of one of those original prints, and it has been shuffled around and scuffed and spilled on...and for some reason, I like it even more now. Sadly, I can't seem to find the rest of this roll, but I may know where more of the prints are...

sun doggies

2009-04-11T23:58:00.002-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 11, 2009. It was a lazy morning in the Foote Household. I finished knitting a new hat, and husband thought about bicycles, and doggy was sun-napping. Doggy, more commonly known as Buckley, soaks in the sun whenever the sun allows it. He follows it around the room like a cartoon cat. I've never seen a dog do such a thing, but Buckley is not your average canine.

When we did venture out into the world, driving north on Skokie Blvd, we noticed this little fella running around. We pulled over and followed him on foot into a little park, where he sniffed, peed, sniffed, peed...and acted as though he were on a mission. A timid little guy, he wouldn't let either of us get close enough to find out who he was or where he lived. I snapped this picture of him in hopes that I'd be able to zoom in on the tags, but he kept moving about and shifting...hmph. If he's your dog, I'm sorry I couldn't do better than to give you this update: he was OK and running around the park just south of Lake on Skokie Blvd this afternoon around 3pm. Little doggy, I wish you the best of luck, and hope you made your way home today.

most coveted chair

2009-04-10T22:50:00.002-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 10, 2009. This is the chair my grandma gave to me. It is a nice piece of furniture. One of the few pieces that I have that is not from IKEA. I have to keep my yarn basket on it, because otherwise, when I'm not looking, Buckley jumps up there to take a nap. I decided that he is like a kid that way--you know, when kids get to that age where they just constantly want the one thing that you are using, or that you are trying to keep from them. Buckley even does this with things that he already knows he doesn't like. For instance, if I'm eating an orange, he knows he doesn't like oranges, but he will sit and stare at me until the orange is gone.

the lesser siren

2009-04-09T22:49:00.003-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 9, 2009. I love the shapes of bare trees. These particular trees remind me of those amphibious creatures with external lungs...like the Lesser Siren. Don't know what I'm talking about? Ask google.

Also, a note to my new pal, Tucker the Schnau, here is what I believe: life just ain't right without a dog.

double whammy

2009-04-08T23:05:00.002-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 8, 2009. My name is Teresa, and I am a shopper. I love driving out to the burbs and meandering through the mall, just to look at things. In the mall, I can space out at interesting color palettes, eat a pretzel, test some lipsticks on the back of my hand, and marvel at the bizarre lengths stores will go to with their displays just to get people to buy things.

If we turn this mannequin up-side-down and put it in a yellow birdcage, surely then they will not be able to fight the urge to buy these underpants!

Since starting Photo of the Day, I have been trying to carry my camera everywhere I go, usually wearing it around my neck. This way, people aren't startled by me pulling a camera out of my bag at random. The interesting side-effect is that people will just walk up to me and start talking.

"You're a photographer? I took a photography class and loved it, but I'm really no good. I know someone who is a photographer. He/She is doing really well out in New York."

There it is again--that strange emotion that photography evokes in people--1 part reminiscence, 2 parts love, 1 part fascination, and a dash of humble. At first, I was a little taken aback by the out-of-the-blue small talk, but now, I think I am more prepared to tell them what exactly it is I'm doing. What am I doing? I'm just seeing what happens.

inheritance

2009-04-07T21:33:00.004-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 7, 2009. Lately, I have been thinking about collections. What compels people to collect? Why do they choose to collect the things they collect? What purpose do collections serve? There are things that my husband and I collect for fun--like books, albums, movies. There are things that I collect that serve a purpose--like yarns, decorative papers, picture frames. Then, there are things that I collect for no reason other than, I like having them around. Two of the most prominent collections are (1.) rocks and (2.) mixing bowls. The rocks have become bookends, paperweights, and get used in mini-displays around the apartment. The bowls are put to use in the kitchen. There are ceramic bowls, steel bowls, pyrex bowls, various glass bowls, and jadeite bowls. And I can even tell you about other bowls that I've seen out and about that I would like to buy and bring home (ZAK recycled "confetti" bowls, for instance).

I like to collect things that remind me of my family, too. My grandma recently moved, and as we packed her things, we came across an overwhelming amount of family photos. They are treasures to me. Many of them tell stories to me about my dad's family that were before my time. Pictures have that kind of mysterious effect on people. My 4-year old niece, Rory, is fascinated by photos. Thanks to the affordability of digital photos, my sister has been sharing Rory's photographic works with me for some time now. Could she feel the same way about pictures as I do?

In this way, Photo of the Day is more than just an exercise for me. I am trying to overcome some fears by sharing random pictures with you, but I'm also collecting ideas for the future.

the brave little koi fish

2009-04-06T10:30:00.006-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 6, 2009. On May 5th, Japan celebrates Children's Day. On this day, people fly these brightly colored carp windsocks as symbols of strength and courage. So the story goes, a little carp, against all odds, swam his way up to the heavens. I say, why not keep him outside year-round? And now, courtesy Wikipedia, I present to you the koinobori song:

Japanese:
屋根より高い鯉幟
大きな真鯉はお父さん
小さな緋鯉は子供たち
面白そうに泳いでる

Romaji:
Yane yori takai koi-nobori
Ōki na magoi wa o-tō-san
Chiisa na higoi wa kodomo-tachi
Omoshirosō ni oyoideru

Translation:
Higher than the roof-tops are the koinobori
The large Black Carp is the father
The smaller Golden Carp are the children
They seem to be having fun swimming.

and then i was betrayed

2009-04-05T22:27:00.003-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY, April 5, 2009. Do people that live in Oregon eat Oregon canned fruits? I would like to live there so that I can find out. What is it about the Pacific Northwest that draws us in? Green moss on the trees, fresh seafood, a fine misty rain, the perfect compromise between city and country. Will I ever get to live out this dream of mine? I hope so. I will miss my hometown, surely...

And then, Mother Nature decides to spill a giant, flavorless and colorless Slurpee on us. It is snow sludge, and it is April, and I my feet are cold and damp. The cost of a UHaul seems more reasonable every day.

a proposal

2009-04-05T01:14:00.004-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 4, 2009. This little tree seemed to kneel down and ask, "Will you take me home?"

I didn't. And I have to admit, I feel a little guilty.

at the corner of northbrook and japan

2009-04-03T22:40:00.004-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 3, 2009. In Northbrook, across from the mall, there is a tiny subdivision (for lack of a better word) of Japanese-style residences. Today we noticed that a couple of them are finished, and there are people living there. Big windows, very modern, sustainable resources, and large decks on the second level above what appear to be the garages. Somehow, these buildings manage to be both stark and warm at the same time. They have chain gutters, and unique brick paving in the driveways, and even though they stand next to one another in neat little rows, they all look special.

I want a house very much, and yet, at the same time, I do not want to settle down in one place just yet. I have noticed that this concept, of being compelled in two completely different directions, is a consistent theme in my life.

sprouts

2009-04-02T23:18:00.004-05:00

PHOTO OF THE DAY: April 2, 2009. I like to grow herbs from seed every year, and usually it's a mixed bag of what will grow and what won't grow due to my "plant first, plan later" mentality. This year, I decided to try the little plastic greenhouse boxes that fit ever-so-perfectly in the windowsill. The kit came with the box, and lots of little discs that magically turn into dirt when you pour warm water on them. Sow seeds. Place in window. I haven't had to water anyone once--and just look at how lovely! Two kinds of basil, oregano, jalapeño peppers, chives, sage, spearmint & thyme. The only seeds that haven't sprouted? Rosemary. Any tips on growing rosemary? Let me know.

photo of the day

2009-04-01T21:31:00.005-05:00

It's an ambitious new project...PHOTO OF THE DAY. Can a busy person, like myself, manage to pick up her camera and take one post-worthy photo every day? That is the question! Let's try it...

I made a lasagne after work today. My first one ever! and I'm pleased to report: it was delicious.

You might notice in the photo of the day, today, that I used fresh mozzarella. I sneaked a bite with a sprinkling of salt--always do--and YUM. Is there anything more delightful than cheese in this world?

You might also notice two new-for-me vintage Pyrex "Butterprint" bowls. I would like to collect: Pyrex Butterprint, and of course, more Jadeite.

Wish me luck in this new endeavor! And come back to see the photo of tomorrow. And the next day. And the next...

annual music round-up

2009-01-02T22:48:00.006-06:00

I keep commenting to friends and family about how shocked I am at the rapid passage of time over the past three or four years. Big changes have been made in my life, and I have plenty to show for it--a great husband, for instance, some work that I'm really proud of, and creating and maintaining www.pistolheart.com.

Reflecting on this year's music, at first I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to think of enough music to make a proper compilation, but when I scrawled down a list of bands that I wanted to include, I ran out of room on my sticky-note. Buckley and I sat on the couch this morning and pulled together "T's Best of 2thousand8." And, to our shock, we couldn't whiddle down our choices to fit on just one CD--that's right, kids, it's a double-sided album! (really just split on two CDs)

The final playlist is as follows, and, since it's sort of a little tradition, I'll talk a little about why each song is great.

Side A: Mellow
01. Bat for Lashes: Prescilla. I actually bought Bat For Lashes: Fur & Gold at the tail end of last year, along with a few other 2007 releases that you will see in the track list. Love the whole album--go out and buy it. Natasha Khan has a great style that reminds me of wandering around esoteric shops with my friends in high school. Your cue: burn some sage!
02. Jenny Lewis: The Next Messiah. Acid Tongue, sadly, is not as solid as Jenny Lewis' prior release with the Watson Twins, but there are still some excellent songs on here. This doozy of a ditty is just over a whopping 8 minutes long, but if you sing along, like time, it all goes by too fast.
03. Jace Everett: Bad Things. I would not consider myself the world's biggest country genre nut--I love my "alt-country" (ie Neko Case, Ryan Adams, some Wilco, etc.), but once you get into the over-produced stuff you lose me. So, I only own this single track by Jace Everett, but it is forever endeared to me as the opening title music for the HBO show, True Blood. If you like vampires, and especially if you like Louisiana (I love it!), then check out the show.
04. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals: Cobwebs. Cardinology is, I think, the best album Ryan Adams has released since Gold. This tune in particular has superb rising action, and Ryan gets really up there with the harmonies and lilting...good stuff, Maynard.
05. Jesca Hoop: Dreams in the Hollow. Another one that I picked up after putting together my 2007 best of list. Jesca Hoop comes recommended by none other than Tom Waits, and she also has connections to Louisiana (New-Orleans-love). The album is layered, childlike, and magical. This is my favorite track.
06. Amanda Palmer: Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing. Amanda Palmer's solo release, Who Killed Amanda Palmer? is so good that I even dedicated half of a blog to it. She's not just a musician, she's a performer. I love her music, and I dig that she appreciates her fans the way she does--read her blog!
07. The Raconteurs: You Don't Understand Me. I don't know what happened, but one day I woke up and said, "Hey, I really really like Jack White." I didn't get into The Raconteurs first album, even though everyone and their mom told me I should, but I love Consolers of the Lonely.
08. Aimee Mann: Borrowing Time. New Aimee Mann! Finally got to hear her play live at Ravinia this year. I only wish that a.) it wasn't at Ravinia and b.) that she had headlined the show. The new album is pretty mellow, this is the most upbeat track on the record by far. It really brings back memories of I'm-With-Stupid-Era Aimee, and I hope that it means more-to-come.
09. Vampire Weekend: Oxford Comma. I don't know why this album seemed to get such a bad rap with the kids...it's great for BBQ background music, and great on the headphones when you're walkin' the dog. Don't hate them because they are preppy. Wes Anderson is preppy, and we all love him.
10. Colin Hay: Overkill (Acoustic Version). That's right, I watch Scrubs reruns...a lot. They always air the same episodes, especially the one where Colin Hay just shows up and follows J.D. (Zack Braff) around playing this song. I don't know why, but it sticks with me for days.
11. Beck: Orphans. Don't forget about Beck! I always forget about Beck, but there he is, in the B's, putting out a million new records. They are all good! Except Mutations, which I personally think, is kind of a downer.
12. The National: Slow Show. Boxer by The National is the record that your friends (like me) kept telling you to buy over and over for the past year. We mean it, it's worth the dough.
13. Sia: I Go To Sleep. Some People Have Real Problems is Sia's best album (even though the cover art is just terrible). I love Zero 7 and her other solo records, and yes, yes, Breathe Me is still so good and so sad. This new record though, to listen to all the way through is just better. A little more uplifting, and a great one to jam to while baking. Singing & baking really go together like peas & carrots--the results are always better for both the baked goods and the songs.

Side B Dancey
14. Santogold: I'm a Lady. We were trying to verbally tally all of the commercials that have Santogold songs on them--the lady knows how to make a buck or two! I can't think of a commercial that this particular track is tied to, so, maybe it won't sound so familiar...
15. David Byrne & Brian Eno: Strange Overtones. I think this song woke me up nearly every single morning on my alarm clock radio. It's a weird song to wake up to, kind of dreamy, kind of jangly, or maybe jungly.
16. Portishead: We Carry On. Third is the much anticipated new release from the NOT trip-hop group, Portishead. It's heavy and layered, and oh-so-good. This is probably my favorite song to drive to from 2008.
17. Lykke Li: I'm Good, I'm Gone. Samantha pointed Lykke Li out to me early this year (an email that I believe read something like, "I think you will like this..."). For a while, the album was only available as an import, at with converted rates and shipping, was something like $35. Silly Swedes! Then I noticed that Lykke Li was playing a free show in Chicago, and had planned on going (but didn't!), but not too long after, I found Youth Novels in Borders.
18. Nicole Atkins: Together We're Both Alone. Neptune City seemed like an overlooked album this year. It has very nice cover art, which is what prompted me to give it a listen. I think Nicole Atkins is like the female Rufus Wainwright...or maybe like Martha Wainwright. Like a Wainwright. This track has a nice Verve-esque feeling to it (epic string line!).
19. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings: Nobody's Baby. Sharon Jones was the talk of the town for a couple of months this year. She has a few records out with the Dap Kings (also Amy Winehouse's band, in case you didn't know), and she is a definite soul queen. OOooooo, whee!
20. She & Him: Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? I think everyone can agree with the statement: Yay Zooey Deschanel! Ever since hearing her sing in Elf, I've been hoping she would become a slashie.
21. Cat Power: Metal Heart. I like to give Chan Marshall a hard time. I don't think it's fair for people to bother going on tours and charging people money to watch them have stage fright, and it's a "disease" that I just don't have sympathy for. But after years of my friends telling me to just listen to the music, I finally get it.
22. The Dresden Dolls: Night Reconnaissance. More Amanda Palmer! But now with her partner, Brian Viglione, in The Dresden Dolls. They released No, Virginia, as a B-Side collection to 2007's Yes, Virginia. There are some great tunes on here, and the Dolls have shaped up to be one of my favorite bands.
23. Datarock: Princess. Of all places to discover a new band, Forever 21 is not one I would ever brag about. I'm not sure why we were even in there, but I'm glad we were, because Datarock is one of my favorite electro finds this year! Get your dance on, because you CAN'T RESIST!
24. Hot Chip: Ready For The Floor. I guess Hot Chip has been around for a while, but no one clued me in. Made In The Dark is an iTunes find. Here's what I do: I find a band I like, then I look at the little "Listeners Also Bought" section of the iTunes store and click on something random; sometimes this is good, sometimes this is bad. No matter what, it's a fun time-killer and a great way to find new tunes.
25. Crystal Castles vs Health: Crimewave. I think I found these guys after reading a review of their record in TOKION magazine. Pretty wild stuff--very good. Some tracks get a little bit grating with the video-game noises, but all in all, worth the dough, and another great album to add to your electro section this year.
26. Cut//Copy: Heart on Fire. If you like groups like New Order or Pet Shop Boys, then Cut Copy is for you! A little bit disco-ey, In Ghost Colors makes a great soundtrack to any party, and as the soundtrack for our NYE party this year, is a great way to wrap up T's 2008 Best Of.

There's no way for us to control the passage of time, or where we are headed. It may seem like a luxury, but music keeps us all connected to ourselves and to one another. Don't forget to pay attention to what you are listening to this year, and support your favorite artists by spending a little money now and then and purchasing their music. It's food for the soul, and what could be more important than that? Actual food? Nah!

Love,
T

amigurumi

2008-12-30T20:13:00.004-06:00

I received a lot of nice surprise gifts on my birthday this year. Don't know about you, but in my family, we have definitely toned down the gift giving. Children have become adults, yielding way to new children (more on that later) that we now need to spoil, and we have all agreed that it is best to keep it simple, home-made gifts are a plus, and we usually draw names at Christmas these days. It's a recession, people!

So, this year, my mom planned a nice little dinner at her house with some of my nearest and dearest. My Uncle gave me a couple of books, one of which is called Tiny Yarn Animals: Amigurumi Friends to Make and Enjoy.

Now, I am a beginner crocheter at best--up until now, I remember making a COASTER, yes, a single coaster, when I was probably about 10 years old. I picked it up again back in 2007 when I realized I wanted to crochet the boutonnieres for the folks participating in my wedding. I'm a two-needler most of the time (that's code for "knitter"), and one of the best knitting books out there is the ever-popular Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitters Handbook by Debbie Stoller. She also released a book on crocheting called, Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker which helped me to make said boutonnieres with ease...a whole bunch of 'em.

Armed with this limited knowledge of the one-needled fiber art, I dove into the book from my Uncle, and made a lamb. It was too easy! And really looked a lot like the photo in the book, with what seemed to be just a dash of my own influence. It got the wheels turning, and I set out to make five little guys to hang as a mobile above my brand new niece, Fiona's crib. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting little creatures (generally with disproportionate sized heads), and I have had my eye on a few titles since I first saw them online a few years ago.

detail of the book with a pile of crocheted ears, arms, and legs

attaching all of the koala parts together...dr. frankenstein, anyone?

the finished amigurumi-mobile posse.

Since I am taking a nice little "stay-cation" this week, I was able to hand-deliver the finished mobile to my niece at her home. Unfortunately, this was before I had a chance to take a proper photo! Sister promises to take care of that for me once the little one is ready for a crib. I think it's a pretty good crew to have watching over you. Hope she likes it!

Baby Fiona with big-sis, Rory, and proud Mema Kim.

throw-back jams

2008-11-24T09:24:00.006-06:00

If I had a time machine, I would take a little trip back to the 1980s and pick up some records.

I'd like to beef up the 80s R&B-slash-POP section of my collection.

Any recommendations?

make it happen

2008-11-04T09:52:00.004-06:00

go vote!

buckley doo

2008-11-03T19:10:00.003-06:00

Buckley styled his own hair today.

He and Donovan came in from their evening walk, and Buck was rocking this little mohawk. Apparently, any dog can attain this level of style by rolling around in piles of leaves.

I just thought you'd like to know.

dogpile[dot]com

2008-10-27T09:29:00.008-05:00

Gosh, I love the internet. If it weren't for the internet, I never would've found out about that Barack-Obama-Ebay-Pancake thing (and never would have found my FAVORITE picture of Barack).

I'm fascinated by how many ways there are to help others by doing practically nothing. By sending friends "Lil Green Patch" plants on facebook, I've managed to save 76 sq feet of rainforest. My goal is to save 900 sq feet--about the size of my apartment. Just to see if I can really. I will probably never see the results, unless, by some strange twist of fate, I am dropped into the very 76 sq feet of rainforest that I, single-handedly, with one eye closed (not really), managed to save...

I stumbled across an ad for dogpile today on the Daily Puppy that says they have started a new program called "Search & Rescue." If you use dogpile to conduct your internet searches, then a portion of the proceeds from your visit to the dogpile page will be used to rescue animals. It is hard for me to break away from my iGoogle page, but for dogs? I can do it!

the piemaker: a story in pictures

2008-10-25T15:26:00.004-05:00

picking apples in michigan

apples: picked

apples succumb to my knife

heaping pile of apples and cinnamon

make it special

a la mode!

Charlotte Sometimes (likes bugs!)

2008-10-06T22:41:00.004-05:00

My niece Charlotte just turned 3. I don't get to spend enough time with her, but luckily I was able to make it to the south-burbs for her birthday party at my mom's house. Information collected beforehand: like the average three-year-old girl, she likes playing dress-up, seems to dig princesses, and is very interested in the colors pink & purple. Unlike your average three-year-old, her mom informed me, she wants to be either a "people-cutter" (which translates to "surgeon" in adult-speak) or an entomologist. Apparently, this chick loves worms:

exhibit a: with worm

exhibit b: seen here torturing mother with worm.

It only seems fair that I encourage this behavior. Forget the princesses, I say! She'll get brainwashed enough by whatever they are showing her on the Disney channel. Naturally, I had to make a bug-themed cake. Of course a WORM CAKE crossed my mind, but Donovan and I agreed that would be unappetizing. So, I went with a lucky ladybug:

complete with pipe cleaner antennae!

What do you think?

barracuda killed amanda palmer

2008-09-18T08:54:00.004-05:00

Donovan submitted an entry to the threadless loves drawing contest. His image didn't get posted until a little late in the competition, but we can hope for the best. If he wins,not only does barracuda get printed on a t-shirt for all to wear, but he also gets all kinds of goodies that will help him make MORE drawings. We've been throwing around different ideas to post on threadless for a while now, but this is the first official contest entry. Tell him it's awesome so that he is motivated to help me with more ideas! You want to wear t-shirts designed by us, I just know it.

In other news, one of my favorite artists, Amanda Palmer, released her first solo album on Tuesday, called Who Killed Amanda Palmer?. I am happy to report that after just one listen: I'm hooked. What's even cooler? Ben Folds produced the record, and she's worked with my favorite author, Neil Gaiman, to make an accompanying book! You lucky duck, Amanda, the gods have smiled upon thee. If you haven't heard of Amanda Palmer or the Dresden Dolls, I urge you to check out their work. Love them or hate them, I think they are a couple of the best artists we've got--exploring multiple media, showing their bare-bones, and giving it all they've got.

something fun

2008-08-27T16:22:00.007-05:00

I just discovered a "downloads" section on Barack Obama's official website. You can find all kinds of great stuff there--desktop wallpaper, logos, buddy icons. The design for his campaign is everything I could've hoped for. As my friend Jon said, "It's one of the reasons I'm voting for him...his design is better than McCain's."

Barack the Vote, kids!

Related Find:
Obama Website Design Inspires Young Artists Support and Votes
By Kristin Gorski, 04/02/2008 - 3:14pm
Something unique about the Obama campaign's aesthetic message inspires confidence and trust in this art- and design-minded group. "By placing such an emphasis on building a visually appealing brand, Obama is validating the importance of design in communication. This in turn builds support from the design community, who might feel that a design-conscious candidate best represents their personal beliefs," Aw says. Shepard Fairey, 38, is an illustrator and graphic designer renowned for his "Obey Giant" images on walls, posters and stickers. He is also the first well-known contemporary artist to create an Obama poster. Fairey received a thank you note from Barack Obama for his artwork; the Obama camp will feature an additional limited-edition print by Fairey to sell on their online store as a fundraiser. Jean Aw sees how the ripples of this recognition could capture the creative community's imagination. "Can you imagine how thrilled many street artists must be, if this really did mean Obama would support the arts in every form so openly?"

make some photo jewelry!

2008-07-14T00:16:00.008-05:00

Last week, my grandma moved into a new place. During the process of packing her things, my aunt presented me with a little bag full of photos–some that I had seen before, and some very nice surprises. Two of my favorite finds are of my grandma when she was just a young mother. That's grandma with my dad in the top photo, and again in the bottom photo with my aunt and my dad. What treasures!

But what to do with them? Stow them away? Put them in frames? I don't want to age them by displaying them improperly...but I don't want to put them in a box and forget them either.

Then, I was wandering around the Paper Source (one of my favorite haunts) checking out their clearance sale, when I remembered that I had seen some cool jewelry kits in the catalog not too long ago. Lo and behold, there they were in the store (sadly, not on sale; but I bought 'em anyway). I also picked up some Glossy Accents three-dimensional medium (which they have in-store, but apparently, not online).

It took me a few tries to get it right, but here are my instructions for making some pretty cool photo pendants:

Scan the original photos–don't ruin your originals! Especially if they are keepsake photos. This will also help you get a better looking pendant in the end, since you can adjust the crop any-which-way. Make sure to scan them for print quality (300dpi). Then open the images in Photoshop and crop to fit the same dimensions as the pendant. The rectangle pendant I have used is about 4 cm x 2.2 cm. I had to play around with the photos a bit before I got them to a point where I could nicely crop the image to fit the pendant. Then, I printed the tiny photos on regular paper, cut them out, and dropped them into the pendant to make sure that 1.) they fit and 2.) I like the way they look.

If you're satisfied with the paper version, then go back to your computer and print the photos again–this time using a top-quality photo printer setting and glossy photo paper (it's important to use GLOSSY paper, since you need a nice smooth surface later on). Using an exacto knife and a ruler, cut out your photos to fit the pendant.

Next, you'll need to use some nice, very clear, glossy, tape. I recommend clear packing tape of some kind. Make sure to cut a piece of tape that is both wider and longer than your mini-photo. Then, carefully fold the tape around the photo, completely covering all of the edges of the photo with the tape, so that the face of the photo remains completely smooth. I started by folding down the top and bottom, then folding the sides over, making sure to keep my folds flush with the edge of the photo. If you skip this step, then the gloss-medium will suck the ink right off of your photo, and you'll end up with a blurry mess inside of a pendant-frame (it took me three tries to get it right!).

Now you want to drop the tape-covered photo into the pendant and break out the gloss-medium. Follow the instructions on the packaging, and make sure to start the glue on a piece of scrap paper to avoid getting bubbles in the glue. DO NOT SHAKE THIS STUFF. Then, go ahead and slowly but steadily cover the photo with medium. Bubbles are you enemy. Should they appear after you have completely covered the photo in gloss-medium, use a toothpick to coax them out gently before the medium dries. Bubbles WILL dry in there. They mess it all up, and you hate them.

Lay the pendants nice and flat to dry. You'll want to put a folded up piece of paper under them so that the eye of the pendant has room to hover, and your glue doesn't slide down to the bottom. While the medium dries, go dance around, do some shopping, have a cuppa coffee, walk the dog, read a book, do whatever. Don't screw around with the pendants. Don't stick your finger in the glue to "test" it. When it is dry, you will know, because you will be able to clearly see your photo through it, and then you can manhandle it all you want. You may want to go bead shopping, and then you can put a nice little necklace together for yourself or your loved ones. The pendant with my aunt in the picture is going to be shipped to my cousin in Seattle this week. I'm keeping this one:

chocolate chippers

2008-05-23T08:58:00.005-05:00

Whole Foods Find: Enjoy Life Foods offers a small variety of foods that are free of the top 8 most common food allergy offenders. From their site:

All Enjoy Life foods are specially made to be free of the eight most common allergens. That means they contain NO wheat/gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish or shellfish--the allergens that account for 90% of all food allergic reactions in the United States. They’re also made without casein, potato, sesame and sulfite

Since learning that I have a soy-allergy last summer, I have been slowly attempting to weed soy out of my diet. For those of you who are interested, no, I'm not risking life or death here. I've noted a few reactions as direct reactions to soy consumption: puffy/itchy lip, gnarly tummy ache. If someone were to ask me, "Hey, wanna go out for Dim Sum Brunch this weekend?" My answer would be "Duh." However, my allergist has explained to me that it's possible that soy is what causes my migraines, and it could be screwing up my metabolism. The annoying thing is, the more I pay attention, the more I notice SOY IS IN EVERYTHING. It's everywhere. Cooking oil labeled "vegetable oil" is actually soybean oil; this includes all cooking sprays, margarine, etc. In other words: there goes dining out. Most ice cream has soy in it of some kind (bye bye, Ben & Jerry. I know we've been friends for a long time...but we just weren't meant to be, I guess). And, the saddest of them all, chocolate. You probably never payed attention, but pretty much all chocolate--even the finest of the fine--contains "soy lecithin." It's an emulsifier, and check it out--it's not just in food:

Lecithin is used commercially in substances requiring a natural emulsifier and/or lubricant, from pharmaceuticals to protective coverings. For example, lecithin is the emulsifier that keeps cocoa and cocoa butter in a candy bar from separating.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecithin

So, I ventured into Whole Foods (okay, I was already there; I mean, I just go there when I'm bored sometimes). I found the 365 brand chocolate bars are labeled soy-free, but on the ingredients list they say, "may contain soy." I can't make sense of this, but I eat it anyway. When I decided to bake Nigella Lawson's recipe for brownies, I went on the hunt for chocolate that I could eat copious amounts of. To my delight, I discovered Enjoy Life Foods Chocolate Chips, and what's more: they are delicious! It is clear that the folks at Enjoy Life Foods are doing their homework--not just making allergen-free products, but making tasty products. This goes for all of you non-dairy folks too: eat the chocolate.

(The brownies, by the way, were excellent. If you don't have it already, add How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson to your kitchen's library. It's worth every penny.)

hello, cake

2008-04-15T10:10:00.015-05:00

My niece, Rory, turned three this week. My mom started planning her birthday party pretty much right after Christmas ended (Rory is, as a matter of fact, the apple of "Mema's" eye). I know that it was sometime before the holidays when Hello Kitty caught Rory's eye with Mema at Target. She has good taste!

It's been a tradition for me to prepare her birthday cakes. The first year was angel food with lemon curd filling (now my mother-in-law's favorite), and last year was Elmo & Cookie Monster cupcakes. This year, the theme of the party was Hello Kitty, and so, the appearance of the cake was a no-brainer–it had to be H.K.'s head.

I decided on a triple-layer strawberry cake (from the Cake Mix Doctor recipe book) with vanilla buttercream for the substance. Then, I considered what was essential to Hello Kitty–the shape of the cake, the bow–but I was also bent on making her look flat, smooth, & cartoony. The answer: fondant!

fondant is a cream confection used as a filling or coating for cakes, pastries, and candies or sweets. In its simplest form, it is sugar and water cooked to a point, specifically the soft-ball stage, cooled slightly, and stirred or beaten until it is an opaque mass of creamy consistency. Fondant is commonly used to decorate wedding cakes. This gives the cakes a smooth appearance.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fondant

Reading up on fondant led me to the following conclusions: the store-bought stuff tastes bad, is expensive, and chock-full of mystery ingredients. People who work with fondant at home make it themselves from marshmallows & powdered sugar. Crazy, right? You can find a multitude of videos on YouTube, recipes, and of course, blogs, detailing how to make fondant at home. I highly recommend watching a video if you decide to take this project on (recipe below).

So, first I baked three strawberry sheet cakes. Then, I stacked the fully-cooled cakes using the buttercream in-between each layer. I placed the stacked cakes in the fridge for about 20 minutes to let it set a bit, and then traced around a printout of Hello Kitty in the frosting. I used a serrated knife to cut out the basic shape, and frosted the sides:

cutting & frosting

I placed the frosted cake in the fridge overnight, and the next day, I did the decorating. My first batch of fondant crumbled to bits when I rolled it out, I think from an excess of sugar in the mixture. So, I made a quick, "emergency," batch of fondant, and went from there. This is what my kitchen was looking like (in my defense, I was making cookies too):

I made a small batch of pink fondant using food coloring, and rolled some out to make the bow. I secured the bow to the top of the cake with a little dollop of buttercream, then brushed it with sugar-water to get the powdered sugar off and make it shiny. Then, I pulled the cake out of the fridge, and rolled out my white fondant to about 1/8". Slowly, I lifted the rolled fondant, smoothed it over the prepared cake, and trimmed off the excess. I used the H.K. template again to perforate the top of the cake, marking where the eyes, nose, and whiskers needed to go, then used royal icing to fill in those areas.

I felt that the side of the cake was a little empty, so I used my remaining red fondant to make little strawberries. Then I used green icing to add leaves, and a toothpick to mark little seeds on the berries. Here's the finished product:

I love making food for people. Especially things like birthday cakes that have such a wonderful outcome.

Even if it means they will end up like this:

To make marshmallow fondant:

1 package (10 1/2 oz) miniature marshmallows
2 Tablespoons water
1 package powdered sugar (2 lbs)

Wear an apron!

Place the marshmallows and water in a large, microwave-safe, bowl. Microwave for 1-minute, remove from microwave, stir with large spoon or spatula (silicone spatula works best). Repeat this step, microwaving 1 minute at a time, stirring in-between, until your marshmallows are melted and smooth.

Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and stir/fold to combine with the marshmallow goo. Keep adding sugar, one cup at a time, until the mixture is doughy and cool to the touch. At this point you can begin kneading in the sugar with your hands. You may turn the fondant out onto a counter that has been generously dusted with powdered sugar at this point, or just continue to knead in the bowl. You will use nearly the whole bag of sugar, but I would caution against using it all–if your fondant is too dry, then it will crumble and fall apart when rolled out. The fondant is ready when you can knead it without it sticking to everything, and you can form it into a smooth ball fairly easily.

Wrap the fondant tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. You can use the fondant right away, and it will be fine. That's what I ended up doing, since my first batch (which I had made and refrigerated a week prior) crumbled to bits. When you are ready, roll out the fondant on a well-sugared counter (powdered sugar!) with a well-sugared rolling pin. The starch in the sugar will keep the fondant from getting stuck to your counter, and won't make your fondant taste funky like corn starch or shortening. Again, I recommend watching a video on YouTube about decorating with fondant. After you have rolled out your fondant, gently lift from underneath and lay over a frosted cake, smoothing down the sides as you go.

Tips:

• A lot of the recipes I read called for shortening–most of the time to keep the fondant from sticking to your hands during the kneading process. I found that this wasn't necessary; you can use a big spatula or spoon during the first few additions of sugar, and then when the fondant gets to be a doughy texture, the marshmallows should be cool enough to knead by hand. If you keep your hands nice and sugar-coated, the starch in the sugar should be enough to keep you from getting covered in marshmallow (you will get messy, but you'll live).
• Marshmallow fondant can be made up to a week ahead according to other recipes I've read, but I would only make it a day in advance to finishing your cake. Make sure it's tightly wrapped, and pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds before you try to roll it out. I definitely had an easier time rolling out the fondant right after making it.
• To add color to fondant, use food color paste. Wear rubber/vinyl gloves, and knead the food color into the fondant until the color is even.

challah!

2008-04-09T18:15:00.006-05:00

I recently decided that Jewish cuisine is the most under-represented among foodies. Hence, all of the experimenting with hamentaschen baking for Purim. Then, to my delight (and also to my astonishment--are they reading my mind?), Bon Appetit did a full Passover menu in their last issue. Then, last Sunday, Donovan took the car to help his dad rake leaves and tear up a bunch of dusty, moldy, stuff at their new house, and I, in order to escape what could have potentially been an allergy disaster, was left to entertain myself sans-car at home.

A while ago, also in Bon Appetit, I read a column by a woman named Molly Wizenberg (a.k.a. "Orangette") that I seemed to have a lot in common with–we have sort of similar writing styles, and similar interests, and, more specifically, shared a fear: yeast. Our reasons for that fear were also the same (and in my opinion, well-grounded!). Whenever you read a recipe that requires yeast, suddenly your kitchen is turned into a high school chem lab. You are now dealing with living things. In your food. What's more? These little yeasties can potentially destroy your food that you worked so hard to pay for. Dead yeast in your bread dough? Bye bye flour, sugar, salt, eggs, butter…how sad! The good news is: Molly and I have conquered our fear of yeast! (OK, she did it first, but it was inspiring!)

Molly made cinnamon rolls. You can read the article here: Cooking Life The Trouble with Yeast.

I, continuing down the road of Jewish-gourmet-goodness, decided on challah (pronounced "hah-lah"–and make it throaty!). I could hardly believe the results! Check it out:

fully-risen, unbaked (naked!) challah loaf.

lovely, golden, delicious, final product!

detail of finished challah.

It was nearly too beautiful to eat. Do they issue stripes for baking successes? I'm almost thinking it would be a good club to start–conquer a kitchen fear, earn an apron-stripe (hey! that's a good idea!).

Maybe next I'll try cinnamon rolls.

P.S. If you like my apron, go buy one from Kerry at www.practicallynecessary.com.

the necklace factory

2008-03-31T21:06:00.013-05:00

Surprise! I have decided to extend the due-date for March's homework assignment. From holidays, to shows, to stress at the 9-5, it's been a busy month, and I think everyone needs a little more time to put their ideas to work. New due date: April 30, 2008 (that's right, you read it, a whole month). Hopefully, this will also give more of you a chance to participate.

Now, don't get me wrong, it hasn't been an arts&craft-less month either. I have two excellent new cookie recipes–a co-worker brought in some amazing Key Lime Pie Cookies that she was nice enough to give me the recipe for, and my friend Jessica and her daughter, Ann, shared their family recipe for hamentaschen, ("hah-men-tah-shenn")the official cookie of the Jewish holiday, Purim. I tried two different recipes for hamentaschen this year, one from the SOLO canned filling label, and the one from Jessica, and I have to say, there's no comparison–Jessica's recipe wins, hands-down. I'm also experimenting in the kitchen with fondant for my niece's 3rd birthday cake, I hope to post the results of these experiments, as well as the cookie recipes, here very soon.

For Easter, my dad and stepmom, Phyllis, gave us a really nice present: money! So, even though most of it has to be spent on bills & rent (boring!), Donovan bought a spring jacket, and I bought beads. I'm a beadin' machine! It's a great way to spend a Sunday morning, especially after a late night out with our buddies. Here are some of the results (look at the necklaces, not my big stinkin' face):

In other news, we were at the Abbey Pub (on Elston & Grace) twice this past week. Donovan played a show the other night with his new friend Ari's band, Slow Gun Shogun. I took some pictures at the show, which you can view on their myspace page. We got to see our friends in Murder By Death play on Saturday (03-29-2008). It is always such a great time hanging out with them, and it's too bad our visit had to get cut short this time by their insane schedule. I honestly don't know if I know anyone that works as hard as they do. Their new album, Red of Tooth and Claw, is really killer, and you should go buy it, if you haven't already. Even better, go to a show and buy it (only $10 at the merch table! what a steal!), you really won't regret it.

But wait! There's more! Patrick finished his homework assignment from February. Here's what he has to say about it:

For assignment #1 I chose to edit and add to a short story I wrote a couple of months ago.
I have no experience writing anything more than freestyle poetry so you'll have to forgive
any punctuation or formatting errors. The first version was simply about Bill and the feedback
I received had a lot to do with the female character not being flushed out enough. The obvious
thing for me to do was to tell her side of the story. So that is what I did, along with editing
the first chapter about Bill. I don't want to ruin the story, but I'll just say I made it new by
adding a whole new dimension to Vicki's death. I'm sure this version will be edited or added to again in the future.
I don't see this as a book or even as a short story alone in the end, but rather as a graphic novel.
I have the strong imagery in my mind but I have no drawing skills.
Hopefully one day Donovan and Teresa can help me out with that.
Enjoy!

Download Version One: You Can't Save Her
Download Version Two: You Can't Save Vicki

I can't wait to see what you guys come up with for the RadioLab homework assignment. Don't forget! I won't!

Live from Sound Opinions: Volume One

2008-03-04T18:02:00.010-06:00

Bad news first: Donovan and I submitted entries for the cover art contest for Chicago Public Radio Sound Opinions' Live from Sound Opinions: Volume One. We didn't win.

This is what they looked like (mine is the dogs discussing the "buy it, burn it, trash it" rating scale, donovan's is the desert island jukebox):

The cool news: Even though we didn't win, it looks like the Sound Opinions crew still wanted to give us some recognition. Check it out on the Sound Opinions website!

If I were a better person, I would say, "Congrats to the winner, Louise Pappageorge," but I'm not, so, instead I say, "OMG, ours were like, totally way-superior."

HOMEWORK

2008-03-02T19:10:00.008-06:00

My friends and I often discuss life after school. We can't really be considered "recent graduates" anymore, and yet, a lot of us still miss the structure that educational surroundings provide. It's hard to balance working for a living with making time for yourself. Whether all twenty-somethings (or even thirty-somethings) have struggled with this throughout time, or whether it's a feeling exclusive to our generation, it's become a mission of mine to start putting energy into getting us all out of the funk. Give time to your art, friends!

To get started, Patrick agreed to create our first homework assignment. With a one-month deadline, the idea was simple: take an old project and make it new.

In 2002, I took a series of portraits of random people with English flash cards taped to their mouths. My roomate at the time had found the vintage box of cards at his town's local Salvation Army-type place. They were made in the 1950s, and, like the 50s, they are ridiculously optimistic and a more than a bit naive. Each card has an English word on it in bold type, and then uses the word in a sentence. For this particular card, the word is propagate, and the sentence reads: "The purpose of marriage is to propagate the human race." Need I say more?

Here's the original photograph:
I like the photo, but I always felt that all of the photos from this series needed to be taken to the next level. When I came across this particular card, how to take the piece up a notch somehow seemed obvious to me, which is always a good vibe to work with. First, I wallpapered the image on a 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper. Then, I used acrylic gel medium to transfer the images onto a 24" x 24" canvas. Then I painted the baby on it using acrylic, and used more gel medium to make the baby nice and shiny. Here's the finished work:

Whether you like it or not 2007. Inkjet transfers and acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24".

What do you think?

We want to include more people in the next assignment, and I'd be happy to post your work on this blog. So, without further ado, here's my assignment for you all:

Go to Radiolab WNYC and get inspired by listening to this episode on laughter (aired February 22, 2008).

Laughter / Show #401 / Friday, February 22, 2008

We all laugh. But why? If you look closely, you'll find that humor has very little to do with it. In this episode, we explore the power of laughter to calm us, bond us to one another, or to spread... like a virus. Along the way, we tickle some rats, listen in on a baby's first laugh, talk to a group of professional laughers, and travel to Tanzania to investigate an outbreak of contagious laughter.

You can make whatever you want, as long as it was inspired by the content of the episode. Challenge yourself, and have fun! Your have one month to finish; work is due March 31, 2008.

PS You may be wondering, where's Patrick's homework? Well, he's not done yet. Oh well. Hopefully, he'll finish soon and I'll post it here.

monkey mania!

2008-01-30T20:52:00.001-06:00

we were in Ottawa (Illinois, not Canada) on Sunday visiting our friend, Sarah (who is working on an AMAZING rehab home), and checking out Donovan's parents' new house out there (congrats!). so, of course we had to swing by Blain's Farm n' Fleet, since we don't have one in the big city. while wandering through the endless aisles of useful merchandise, i came across some real-deal sock monkey socks (a.k.a., Fox River Red Heel Light-Weight Crew Socks).

at Farm n' Fleet, the socks are $6.99 for two pair, and they come with instructions to make both the classic sock monkey, and a sock-elephant, which might be popular, but i've never seen one. maybe i'll make an elephant someday, but for now, it's monkey time.

i know sock monkeys are available in fancy kits with all the fixings you need to make fancy-pants-pre-fab sock monkeys, but trust me, those things are really overpriced (usually around $15–20) and i personally feel like they take away from the beautiful kitschy-ness of it all.

i bought the extra-large men's size 12-13 socks, which made for some lanky monkeys. it takes a pair of socks to make one monkey, and i probably spent only an hour on each of them. i hand-stitched all of the seams and used embroidery floss instead of buttons for eyes, as the instructions suggest. then, i used a flower that i happened to have already crocheted to embellish the lady, and then used craft-felt to make a handsome brimmed hat for the gent (i think he looks a little like donovan).

i think everyone might be getting sock monkeys for the holidays from now on.

the knitting board

2008-01-21T15:49:00.001-06:00

donovan bought me a knitting board scarf kit for christmas last year. it's a nifty way to make a double-knit project, and once you get going, it moves along pretty fast.

here's the details on the kit:
• 10" knitting board. a well-crafted little wooden gadget that feels nice in your hands and has a sweet homemade feel to it. it conjures up visions of grandpa putting one of these boards together for grandma in the garage (okay, my grandmas both hate knitting, but you get the idea).
• 120 grams/260 yards of alpaca wool yarn (available in grey, orange, green or blue). i think the yarn is my favorite thing about this kit. it's really luxurious and soft, and the color is just gorgeous. and one skein is enough to make a nice long scarf on the board.
• instructional dvd. the dvd watches a lot like an old home video, but i'm glad that the board comes with it, because you need to watch someone before you can feel confident using the board for the first time (or at least i did).
• knit hook. pretty self-explanatory, except it's not really a hook. it's more a gently curved thingy with a wooden handle. you just use it to lift yarn loops over one another on the pegs.

getting the tension right can be tricky business. in fact, i can't get it quite right on one side of the fabric, but i'm not sure it matters. using the yarn that comes with the board leaves you with a really beautiful, loose-knit fabric. i think using a bulky-weight yarn would tighten up the knit and possibly even out the tension too.

if you're interested in trying it out, i think donovan picked mine up at Whole Foods, or you can look at the neat stuff available on the website, knittingboard.com. i can't wait until i have a little extra dough to buy some more of this yarn to work on a normal two-needle knitting project with.

"these are a few of my favorite things..."

2008-01-13T20:15:00.001-06:00

hi, i'm teresa, and welcome to pistolheart.com. it was my 2008 new year's resolution to get a website up and running, and i'm happy to say that the rumor about never following through on new year's resolutions is officially hearsay. after considering how to make a good first impression on my new internet-audience, i figure it's always good to start with a few favorite things you might have in common with your readers (and, no, the list does not include doorbells, sleighbells, or schnitzel with or without noodles–thank goodness).

my dog, buckley. okay, so, if you're a dog owner already, he's probably not you're favorite dog–but i'm sure you can relate. buckley is an english pointer, and i found him at the urbana humane society back in 2002. he's named after Jeff Buckley, and also after the beagle in the Royal Tenenbaums. his whiskers turn up at the ends, like a handlebar mustache, and his left ear has a white spot on the tip, like it was dipped in paint. some of buckley's favorite things: freeze-dried liver snacks, barking at UPS trucks, and laying on those people who are brave enough to sit on our fur-covered furniture. i'm fairly certain that he has used his charms to convert no less than three cat-people into bona-fide dog lovers.

my piano. my husband bought me the Yamaha P140 as an anniversary/ birthday/christmas present last year. my biggest complaint about our apartment was that we couldn't get a piano up the stairs (without causing serious damage to either the piano, the mover, the stairs, or possibly all-of-the-above). if you haven't sat down at an electronic piano since the 80s, it's really amazing. the keys respond just like a piano, and i swear i can even hear hammers hitting strings in there (don't get me wrong, i know there aren't hammers in there, but i'm just trying to give you an idea of how great it is). now i just need to master it...

david bowie: let's dance. to be honest, i can never pick favorites to save my life. i could never ever tell you what my all-time favorite song was, or my favorite food, or even a favorite color. but for the sake of talking music–which i'm almost always up for–i will never turn down a listen to this record.

some other things i love: yarn, kitchen tools, boardgames, bookstores, the city of chicago, LOST, and popcorn. real life comes first, but hopefully, i'll have the time to keep this blog chock-full of interesting recipes, projects, artists, and other great things for you guys to read up on. in the mean time, welcome! and please come and visit again soon.