Rock PAPER scissors... paper always wins, right?

So.  I'm basically obsessed with stationary.  I LOVE LETTERPRESS.  I want one.  I want to quit my day job and just design gorgeous little 3x5 flat cards to write notes to my friends..  I love the texture of the thick stiff paper and I love delicacy of the designs, pressed into the paper grain.

I visit Paper Shops the way some people visit museums. I get emails and catalogs from a papersource.

I own an embosser.

Smockpaper.com is a recent discovery of mine - I came across some of their cards at a great little stationary store in Boston called Black Ink. (In eight months I, maybe, spent as much money in Black Ink as a normal person would spend on a food, water and gas combined... if they drove a really big SUV. )  Anywaaaaaaay.... I love these beautiful shades of pink peacock feathers.  They are so lovely and they make me want to lay on a blanket in the sun... writing love notes to my fella.

Peacock Feathers!

Fashionably Wed

I am recently married (01.02.2010) and pretty much love my new knotted life.  Its like having your best friend over to play all the time... (We aren't even six months in okay?  Cut me some slack....) I love how much fun we have and how nicely we forgive each others faults.  We are definitely still in the honeymoon stage. 

One thing I would like to change however is my wedding band.  Not forever mind you... but  more like a favored jewel.  I love my current platinum and diamonds... but I also want vintage gold! Perhaps just a plain sleek ring.. I want options!!!  It is perhaps the most lovely type of collection a girl can have, right?  So why not?  Its was so much fun to get married... who not have fun picking out the symbol of that marriage for the rest of my life???

I've been looking at all kinds of wedding bands - especially gold. My inclination is definitely toward rosy gold and intrique little flower patterns... but of all the bands I have looked at, I can easily say the ones from St. Kilda are my favorite.

This one gives me butterflies.

"Loved" Ring in 14k gold.

STOP STARING..i love you

I love stop staring.

Be Grateful

There is this series of documentaries that I highly reccomend - the Up Series. Filmaker Michale Apted has been taping a collection of children as they grown into adults from the time that they were 7 years old (7 up) until present day when they are 49 (49 up.) A new chapter in the series appears every 7 years - 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49. Each child has a different story, a different background, situation, personality. However, from 21 - 42 almost every one of them struggles. It is a fragile age - walking the line between being a child who always has a family to fall back on to becoming a an adult who has to take care of the family - children and aging parents. When a parent dies, a child faces the reality of being on their own - a time which is almost universally crushing for the individual. There is always the person who never felt any connection to a parental figure of any type, but it certainly isn't the norm.

As I enter my early thirties, I feel it upon me so clearly. How can I ever survive without my parents??? My mother is my best friend and the one person in the world who cares as much as about what is going on in my life. We all have husbands, wives, family and friends that fill in the gaps - but no one is mom & dad. So, today I am grateful to have them. I know they won't be around forever and I don't find it morbid to try and imagine my life without them. Those days will come - and there won't be any going back. The blessing is that it makes me more aware of the days I have, that I can pick up the phone, call my dad, and he will answer. It is WONDERFUL!! I am so grateful to know he is alive at this moment, thinking something, eating something, doing something. Appreciate the now - it is the only thing that matters.

Stay employed when unemployed.

Its been hard to keep busy and feel productive while unemployed. I was doing better the first few weeks ... but now I have slowly lapsed into complacency. If I even make the slightest effort to find work, I consider myself done for the day and ready to relax.

I've been trying to make "to do" lists for myself and that seems to help. The positive element of this struggle is that it provides an insight into the artists life. I have been writing daily and consider that a triumph. On the other hand, I'm spreading myself thin with multiple hobby projects that have been started but not completed.

Its such a fine line to walk - I am constantly wishing I would get a call for work and also constantly in fear that I will get a job and be too busy to do all the things I have planned!! The problem is that each day I lose steam after 3pm and can't get anything done! So, starting tomorrow I am going to try and regroup and really make some progress. One of my problems is that my mind is never a rest... I am constantly thinking of new things that I want to try.

This entry is a bit of a ramble. I was trying to figure out how to tie in some more interesting element or bit of information... but I think I better just end it in the interest of moving forward to bigger and better things. Or, perhaps I should say, just wait until the next Post! I will have something exciting to say! I promise!

Our Annual Visit from Oscar.

Okay... so I know I'm a little late...

Were the Oscars boring this year? Or rather, did YOU think they were boring? I've really developed a liking for Adam Shankman and was very excited to hear that he was producing the Oscars this year, but I have to say that I was VERY disappointed. I thought they were totally wooden and ordinary.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin's opening Monologue wasn't funny

We didn't' get to hear Lauren Bacall speak

Seemed to move slow for the first hour - which was supposed to be the most exciting. Didn't have a theme. Remember when there was the whole Cirque du Soleil theme?

Also, didn't like all the poofy skirts on the dresses. and messy hair (Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Jessica Parker.

High Points - Hot Elizabeth Smart and the dance crew. Sandra Bullock's speech. Amazing the a woman won best director.

The Who Who?

I went with SDK to see Petra Hayden and the Sell Outs, (her all girl choir). I didn't know that much about them except that a friend told about a previous performance:

"They were positively angelic. I want them to sing at
my wedding.
And for my birthday. And your birthday...
that whole birthday season I want a 9 girl singing
sleepover."

With a review like that I was positively happy to be seeing them at all, let alone entertain the thought of my birthday and slumber parties. The review goes on to talk about sleep over activities... but that doesn't have that much to with the show that I saw.

For starters, the concert space was friggin cool!! It had a recessed seating area that was carpeted and had an open fireplace with couches all around. Then, off to the side there as a larger room (although the whole thing is open, so it is really a larger "section") where the stage was set up. The opening act, THE OCTOPUS PROJECT, was actually really good. They are sort of experimental and interesting. There is one chick in the band, (she has cool hair), and she played a Theramin on one song... I'm throwing that word around like I know what it is, which I do now, but when i saw her playing it, it totally blew my mind. In fact, I had to have it explained to me at the show. Now I want one. put it on my tab!!!

So, then Mike Watt (cause he is a petra hayden mentor) played with his exwife from black flag. This sounds cool, but does not sound cool. They both play bass and frankly it gets old after two songs, let along 25 minutes. I'm glad to say that I saw it though... just to brag.

After "Dios" , Mike Watt played some songs with Petra, which were AWESOME, really amazing... but I am having trouble even focusing on this portion of the show, because the next part was so good that my fingers are getting all giddy at the thought of describing it, no matter how frantically or how briefly. Maybe someone who was at the show can comment on my blog and fill in the blanks about the Petra/Mike Duet.

FINALLY Petra Hayden and the Sell Outs arrive. They take the stage. They are cute and giggly. They clearly know each-other well. Petra has the cutest dimples you could ever hope to see. (By this point in the show I have a pretty powerful non-sexual crush in the works). They sing. and sing. and sing. They voices become instruments in the most guttural ways. Whispers and squeals echo melodies that we all know so well. Grunts pound out rhythms that we feel in our chests. Most of all, the sound is so joyful. My cheeks hurt because my smile was so wide. I felt like I was bobbing up and down for the whole show...

They kicked off the show with a small set of from THE WHO SELLS OUT, the highlight of which was Odorono. The set started strong with Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand. However, Our Love Was was my big discovery of the evening. Beautiful lyrics. Jenn, I bought the cd. You will hear it. I will bring it in when I get home and after you read this (I'll probably be sitting next to you on the couch) you can ask me to put it on, because I will have forgotten.

Then the choir sang some songs from Petra's first album, and finished with her latest song God Only Knows, by Brian Wilson. It was beautiful. I thought I was going to cry. You can download it at http://petrahadenmusic.com/God_Only_Knows.mp3

After the show I shared a hot fudge brownie sunday and learned how to parallel park. There's nothing else to say.

http://petrahadenmusic.com/

Internet Overload or Where's my writing???

So, here I am at 9:18 PST on a Wednesday morning trying to figure out how to turn hobbies and dreams into money. I realize that this is an age old tale that has founded many restaurants, specialty shops, websites and failed business attempts galore. The fact of the matter is, the long hours my day job, although I love parts of it, is getting to wear on me and I want a change. I want a creative change. I want to be a writer and artist and I want to get paid for it. How terrifying that sounds - impossible really. It seems especially unattainable after the morning I have just spent online looking at ambiguous ads for "blogger wanted", "reviews wanted" and even "creative writer". Of course there are tons of these ads out there... I'm just struggling to figure out how to make that first step. Everyone wants someone who has already "done it" and so a person feels desperately doomed to fail when they have to try for the first time. Perhaps the theme of THIS blog is currently emerging... THE FEAR OF THE FIRST. How scary it is to take the first risk - whether you are trying to get a new job, lose weight, start a new relationship or even move around your furniture. Its true, there are people out there who never have this problem. Those inherently brave soles who just stride through life like challenge is what they have been waiting for. As if doing something completely different is as normal as risking to load the dishwasher without completely washing off last nights mac & cheese.

So. I guess now I have to go for it right? I promise I will apply for at least three writing posts, regardless of how trivial or how much I don't know how to sell myself. Here we go!!!!

The Joy of Leggings discovered!

Yes, I know everyone else has been wearing them and enjoying the fad for at least three years, but I just bought my first pair two weeks ago... Well, I should clarify... My first pair since fifth grade. I used to really rock the leggings with two pairs of different colored layered socks. Yes, I will find a picture to post. Be prepared for a perm and very frizzy 1/4 curling iron hairspray bangs. I now refer to those bangs as "the fly trap."

So, I have been rocking these black leggings under a short dress all weekend and they are totally comfortable and warm and I really love them. Who Knew? (beside the aforementioned three year trendies) They are like sexy sweat pants. Comfortable and stylish. Today I took it a new level by wearing them to walk the dog. I think it was a success... no one booed at me from their car windows...

Don't worry all - now that I am legging inspired, I will continue to experiment and keep you posted with my outfit combos... what will I try next? leggings with Stillettos? Leggings with Baseball Jersey? Sequins? Suggestions Welcome.

The Beginning

I have thought so much about what to write about as I try and start my blog... in the end I decided that I better just shut up (ironically) and write something or I would NEVER get started. So. Here's my deal. I love to eat. I love to cook. I love design. I love music. I love craftiness and I love my dog. Most recently, I love my husband, (prepare for eminent newlywed complaints.) I also love to read and write (not so much on arithmetic.) In my current state of unemployment, I decided it was finally time to bite the bullet and get down to starting a blog, even if it turns into my diary and I'm the only one who ever reads it. Hopefully the content will mainly consist of my opinions on where I've been, what I've seen, heard, eaten and thought. I'm sure my thoughts will vary greatly in their length and depth... but let's give it a go!