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Into fake paneling? Check out this blog honoring all things faux wood. And then visit this online store with inspirational color palettes combined with assorted fun stuff such as vintage paper-images-fonts and more at paper relics. Nice cards at Binth, cool asia goes euro shopping at millimeter/milligram, and a beautiful finnish blog crayon* winter.
and speaking of seeing the cyber forest by way of the trees: make your own forest
I win!!!!@#$%^&*(!!*^%$) bunny has legs and can now hop right off the olympic podium. Am I too early? Have I disqualified myself by finishing four days too soon? Well, since there are no real medals being handed out, I'm going to declare myself a super duper uber winner having completed my project early therefore finishing in 1st place. Yeah, take the gold baby and 'round my neck the bling bling goes. Meanwhile my long armed bunny sits atop our rais fireplace chatting with our cherished ceramic froggie friend. Next time I knit this bunny, I may cut 2-4 rows of arm to correct for proportion issues, otherwise this bunny is freaken perfect.
love bunnies too? visit the inspiring bunny-knit-along
Here’s a tasty street sign treat for way to work wednesday breakfast — your standard, run-of-the-mill, chicken scratch and sticker graffiti camouflaging the city's rules and regulations and adding to drivers perpetual frustration in the never ending parking war.
Hello, hello! Bunny waves hello to all of you with her new arms. Being truly olympic in my knitting spirit, I've just finished watching the skating short program and have simlultaneously completed bunny's arms, yeah! Just legs to go. Perhaps I will complete this bunny early and be challenged to design and knit her a sweater? But I'm also home alone sans hubbie and have much to do in the wee hours between dinner and pass out. Not sure I'll get much more than two legs done by cast off closing ceremonies. We'll see, eh?
There's no greater burden than having potential. — now that's a heavy thought with credit due to the not so nice skating commentator Dick Button
whatever "Dick" that was an amazing performance by Sasha, you go girl!
I didn't want to post my valentine gocco print since it was a surprise for my man. Now that heart day has come and gone I thought I'd share my "bee mine" illustration. Also in the image are some samples from my fellow classmates. (The image isn't great 'cause it's just Treo. My little Canon's battery is dead and I can't find the charger...) I'm still dreaming of owning a gocco, so I suppose I best just splurge and buy one off eBay? Sadly, I doubt a trip to Tokyo is in my near future.
Going forward is a matter of ordinariness. —Dogen Zenji
I just returned from part II of gocco class at sfcb. Teacher "Ivar" is a quirky duck and though he knows what he's doing and is definitely a gocco expert, his heart is surely not in teaching. Now that's no excuse for my lack of attention to detail as shown by my poor registration due to rough handling and time anxiety, but hey, it happens (to me often!). I'm frustrated by the registration process on the gocco, but I'm sure it's simply operator error and lack of patience. I should also lighten up since this is only my second attempt at gocco'ing. My first screen was missing the "s" in ordinariness, that sucked and the plausible explanation was that the registration guides were blocking the screen burn. After polling and determining that "ordinarines" was not an actual french word meaning "ordinary," I bought a third screen and re-burnt. I thank Ivar for giving me half price off the sfbc mark up. I wish I had had more time to re-ink and re-print all the sheets, but alas... If I were in my art barn studio I'd be up way past midnight wasting tons of ink and paper while searching for the perfectly registered print. It's probably for the better that I only had three hours. So what have I learned? That I should really take my time and focus on each print so the registration is perfect, otherwise why bother!? No new lesson there, just same old — same old. Attention to detail and clear focus are always the key qualities to a job well done. Too bad just having a good time doesn't make a perfect print.
it's getting harder and harder to go to work. The more Max grows up and aware of the world, the more fun he becomes. The more fun we have together, the more I feel like I'm missing out when I'm not there. It's hard to accept the way things are. I imagine it may be equally as difficult to accept the ways things would be even if I changed the paradigm entirely. So there you have it, clear insight into my daily existential issues.
Now back to the bunny... who can hear! Her distinguishing bunny features were knit and sewn last night. I even went too far and tied a little brown bow around her neck, sooooo cute.
from a bill posted on the mission wall, the paragraph below reads:
Mission Dolores, 3321 16th Street, 1906
After the earthquake struck, destroying the basilica parish at the Mission Dolores (but not the then 131- year old mission), some claimed that the true fault of the earthquake rested not on geology, but in the the morality of San Franciscans. These dogmatists cited San Francisco's rowdy Barbary Coast bars and brothels and the opium dens of Chinatown as reason enough for their God to punish the city, "San Francisco was so wicked and bad that god had to strike it down, so as to punish it." Anti-dogmatists retorted, in particular, one poet mused at the surviving A.P. Hotaling whiskey warehouse in downtown San Francisco:
If, as some say, God spanked the town
For being over frisky,
Why did he burn the Churches down
And save Hotaling Whiskey?
My new favorite treat is lying in a gigantic white bed while listening to a lovely concert, dining on scrumptious lobster soup and three hearts salad, sipping champagne, laughing with new friends and snuggling with mr. bunny. ahhhhh valentine's night was truly a slice of the good life. We luxuriously lounged for hours in the best corner bed at the supperclub and had the great fortune of hearing the brazillian darling bebel gilberto singing her lovely sambas and a beautiful duet with guest artist apallonia (who, by the way, hasn't aged a day since I last saw her during Prince's purple "reign"). Yummy yummy smooch smooch it was a wonderful night, xoxo thank you darling.
p.s. an extra smooch to auntie and ray ray for bebe sitting master maximillian.
I'm feeling the olympic highs and lows as I shed tears watching the winners and losers reach their life challenges and defeats. It's amazing what humans can achieve. I'm overwhelmed by these athletes — their focus, determination, perseverance, courage and dedication not to mention talent. You go! And then there's me...comfy on the couch knitting away. Not quite the same life path, however I am passionate about my mohair baby and have successfully completed my bunny's innard container. Woo hoo, go team me.
The fun part is over! It's like I ate dessert first. The perfect little bunny head and face are complete. I couldn't be happier. There's still lots of knitting to do, the body and all six appendages will keep me plenty busy. I haven't been able to knit since friday due to my over scheduled social calendar and of course keeping an eye on mr. millian. I'm even double booked this afternoon juggling out of towners. I should be happy about all the fun but secretly I'd rather be home knitting my fuzzy friend. I'm already dreaming up other color and yarn combos and making mental lists of potential bunny recipients. Jess's pattern is adorable. I can't wait to get my hands on more of her darling designs.
You know your life has changed when you get a babysitter so you can participate in the knitting olympics. Yep, I officially cast on at the imagiknit opening party and am off hopping down the bunny trail. I'll be posting progress, even the tiny incremental bits and blunders. I'm very happy with the results so far and really loving the mohair halo around bunny's head. I'm also enjoying knitting this project using the magic loop technique and again on fabulously slippery addis. Knitting life is good today. That's my glove instructor, Maria, below.
A meme. Seen everywhere, swiped from here: suburban lesbian.
1. My uncle once: belonged (and still might?) to a freaky exctasy induced cult led by Da Love-Ananda Samraj.
2. Never in my life: will I surrender to all my doubt, anxiety and fear.
I have to practive everyday.
3. When I was five: I had beautiful long golden curls which my step mother cut off and shaped into a Dorothy Hamill, just can't forgive that.
4. High School was: too long and I really should have paid attention.
5. I will never forget: what I haven't remembered.
6. I once met: Jack Nicolson and he gave me his infamous raised eyebrow look.
7. There's this girl I know who: can read my mind. (yes, it's you dear lil' bunny)
8. Once, at a bar: I made out with a random passerby (who looked like a young Sting) after asking him for a stick of gum.
9. By noon, I'm usually: feeling like it's 5 p.m. Motherhood realigns your sense of time and makes you constantly tired. Sad but true and still ok.
10. Last night: I fell asleep on the couch again. (See no. 9 above )
11. If I only had: my art barn, more me time, and a personal valet.
12. Next time I go to church: it'll be to pay my respects or to admire the architecture.
13. Terry Shiavo: a sad story that went on way too long.
14. What worries me most: over population, and death bed regret.
15. When I turn my head left, I see: the japanese MTR pushpin bunny heroine, yeah stab 'em babe.
16. When I turn my head right, I see: one of the loves of my life, snaggle-tooth Miro.
17. You know I'm lying when: I over explain it.
18. What I miss most about the eighties: my blissful world ignorance and fitting in those skinny jeans.
19. If I was a character in Shakespeare, I'd be: Katharina in Taming of the Shrew, hee hee
20. By this time next year: Max will probably weigh 50lbs, yikes my aching back.
21. A better name for me would be: Vivian.
22. I have a hard time understanding: quantum mechanics.
23. If I ever go back to school, I'll: never leave.
24. You know I like you if: I call you back.
25. If I ever won an award, the first person I'd thank would be: my father.
26. Darwin, Mozart, Slim Pickens & Geraldine Ferraro: awards, genius, nothing much left & couldn't we have found a better candidate to represent?
27. Take my advice, never: go against your instincts.
28. My ideal breakfast is: The New York Times style section, poached eggs on sourdough toast, a double latte and a double mimosa all enjoyed while in a fluffy white hotel bed with no where to go but back to sleep.
29. A song I love, but do not own is: Dolly Parton's coat of many colors. ( urg, I admitted that?!)
30. If you visit my hometown, I suggest: not wearing shorts in the summer.
31. Tulips, character flaws, microchips & track stars: orchids, crooked teeth, remote controls & I don't follow sports.
32. Why won't people: respect each other, after all, we are all connected.
33. If you spend the night at my house: you'll eat and drink very well.
34. I'd stop my wedding for: not so much, seeing it's over.
35. The world could do without: suffering, intolerance and discrimination.
36. I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: take the SAT, GRE or any other standardized test. (but I love waisting time on emode tests)
37. My favorite blonde is: Barney Rubble
38. Paper clips are more useful than: staples becuase you can reorder the sheets.
39. If I do anything well, it's: critique.
40. And by the way: I may not say it often, but I do love you.
Hey sweetie, better put lock on your sock drawer. I came across a keep your wallet far away store on ebay carrying japanese craft books meukin: this was then, it's dangerous to enter but I managed to talk myself out of buying anything since I just went to japantown and bought the amigurumi books. I'm feeling inspired to put those old nasty gym socks to better use (after a good bleaching soak). Been click, click, clicking around again and of course found some more lovely sites to share. Visit these beauty bloggety-blogs: Oh Joy!, craftlog, Kraf-O-La, Abigail Percy, Mati Rose, Sabine Brandt, and wish jar journal. And here are a few card treats, Side Pony and uncookedland which has hilarious copywriting.
One more amigurumi site too, painfully cutsie.
Just bought stamps from USPS and must share these...
Really today is not on the way to work wednesday, it's work gets in the way wednesday. How dare deadlines interfere with my personal creative endeavors! ha ha, if only that were the case. Need to start buying lottery tickets to achieve mega wealth and live emersed in my craftyland fantasies. Speaking of dreaming, I'm posting the above image since it's a little slice of my idea of paradise.
I took a fun little class last night at SF's latest craze craft gym. Never fear, the word gym is only meant to draw your attention to the modern interior space or as they say "a place to give your mind a creative workout." Happily, we only lifted petite spools of thread. Ironically the little studio is directly across from another invitingly voyeuristic glass space only this one was filled with hard core krav maga students. Over the course of our three hour class we watched the windows go from transparent to dripping with steam and then solidly opaque.
Our teacher Jane was a treat, as was Besty the 13 year old wide-eyed wonder kid. Besty put Janin and I to shame by whizzing through the "as seen in readymade issue #11" rocker tee shirt project in an hour and then sewing a skirt from another tee while we both labored through re-sewing, ripping and sewing again until we had the perfect fit. I'll post a photo of my tee after a little more perfecting.
I walked out my office building turned right to stroll toward one of three starbucks within two blocks of me and then holy merde, I saw this outrageous gargantuan sharp-toothed curiosity floating on the back of a pickup truck across the street. So ya, of course I had to take a couple pictures of the spectacle. We know I'm no roving reporter as the men on the union bank picket line who are in charge of the giant GREEDY CORPORATE RAT BASTARD balloon had wished, however I blog, so there's my disclaimer to any and all strange public behavior I may exhibit. Perhaps I can crochet a mini version one day, tee hee. Then I was off to buy a latte from one of the greediest corporate rat bastards of them all. touche.
beyond cute! and I'm not talking about my darling little man Max (who is absolutely the epitome of cuteness mind you) you simply must see for yourself. Go click around the animguruimi avocadolite farm and let the pictures speak for themselves. smoochy smooch. New goal is to learn to read a japanese crochet pattern in my lifetime.
I can't believe it's true! I'm so sad to verify that it really is impossible to purchase a gocco machine in California, on eBay and all the websites I have tried (excepting the large format primo pricey version). Now that I've been exposed I REALLY WANT ONE! Guess I'll be booking a flight to Tokyo (ha ha ha). I've just discovered how super fun (and possibly "for profit " as the box says) it is to gocco. I completed a class thursday night at sfcb led by a quirky rock-n-roll guy named Yvar. I fell in love with the ease and instant gratification of this tiny printmaking gadget. Gocco offered up some serious crafting fun to be had and I only had the opportunity to glimpse the possibilities. I'm linking to the save gocco site. Please visit, sign the guestbook and help save the future of this genius little tool.
yummy yummy yum yum. I've been trawling around the net and have found so many wonderful sites filled with inspiring crafts, illustrations and the likes. I'm thinking of starting a blog roll down the side column to pay my respects. I'll get to it someday soon, meanwhile you'll just have to read on and deal with the inline linking. From the amazing Karin's style blog I've bumped into Susie Ghahremani's inspiring illustration, and her products {OMG, it's now 02.04.06 and I was reading an email sent by lovely local artist Kelly Tunstall about her show at Giant Robot SF and saw the posting that Susie Ghahremani's art which I mentioned above was stolen right off the walls! Sorry Susie, that's atrocious!}, as well as, Camilla Engman's lovely paintings, illustrations and delightful blog. Next was a retail adventure into Pomme's impressive objects of some serious desire. Next to Drawn reminding me that inspiration is everywhere. Then I was off to Ana Ventura's blog and illustration sites filled with darling projects. And some teeny tiny small objects and her list of adorable friends. I found so many more amazing artists and the above sites link to endless more but I'm too tired tonight to continue. have fun for me. bonne nuit.
p.s. happy groundhog day {sadly, six more weeks of winter}
It's raining again. It's been raining on most of my way to work wednesday entries. kinds sucks. What, is it winter or something? Well, I've managed to find a tiny cheery and cherry moment in what is otherwise dreary weather... the cherry trees are blossoming. This is always a lovely site. I love how graphic cherry trees look with their dark trunks and frilly petals. My favorite cherry tree moment is when I'm walking under the trees and the wind blows. The delicate pink petals fly off and make it seem like it's snowing. Ahhhhhh so sweet. But like I said it's raining today, so no hope of dreamy petals blowing in the breeze.