30 things to do before I turn 31

(Inspired by this lovely lady, who I don't know personally but whose blog inspires me nonetheless.)

1. hit up at least three photo booths in seattle

2. get gavron designs up and running

3. start saving money in an less accessible fund

4. take a letter press class here

5. create a business plan with a fee structure for the freelance graphic design work I do

6. make things out of repurposed thrift-store sweaters (felting!)

7. see at least four live music shows with joe

8. hold my nephew

9. start an etsy store selling cool crafty stuff (more on this soon!)

10. read 10 fascinating books

11. learn to bake pastry that rocks

12. get my little pooch healthy

13. go on another road trip

14. order moo minicards

15. develop that film from the oktomat...and the leica elise let us borrow...and the shots taken with joe's grandfather's camera

16. foster friendship and community

17.  sew something i actually might want to wear

18. take a cake decorating class

19. create a photobook

20. convince my boss that i should get paid to blog 

21. plant basil and thyme and cilantro 

22. hire my cousin to paint my tiny bathroom (okay...he doesn't know about this yet. but he will soon)

23. learn to use my camera's three thousand functions

24. support the expansion and total garden domination of my hens and chicks

25. scan my photobooth strips now that we have a scanner!

26. go camping by the oyster farm and eat oysters over the campfire (can't remember what the park is named...nor the oyster farm but Joe will know)

27. volunteer at kexp

28. see at least two parades

29. go hiking someplace new with the dawgs and the neighbors

30. print this puppy out and read it every day

A community of skills

I have this secret dream (which, after this posting, will no longer be a secret) that we would all get to live in the kind of close-knit community where we share our skills by helping one another...a bartering system of sorts that doesn't keep score.



This means that when I'm making chocolate pull-apart kuchen and I realize I don't have enough flour, I can go get flour from my next door neighbor...and in thanks I bring her a third of the bread. While I'm stopping by on a lazy Sunday morning with the bread, she offers me sausage and coffee and we chat with our mouths full.


I know when my neighbors are out of town and I collect their newspaper and mail for them and make sure that there's no suspicious activity lurking around their home. When the freezer breaks at PCC the neighbors give me frozen fruit and ice cream and I make them a pie they can share with friends who are over for dinner.

This is the kind of world I like to live in. (And it's one we're slowly creating, this community of mine.)


So when Second Sam asked me to hem up some fabric for her that she'd had for awhile but was suffering, I was thrilled to assist. I can sew. I have an amazing work table in a terrific studio space and the tools and know-how to help. Today Sam sent me this:

Ahh, the story of the fabric from India is finally complete. The fabric started in India seven years ago, hand delivered by an Indian friend who said that one day I would need the fabric. The fabric moved to several states and was stored in closets and boxes until it found a somewhat permanent home in an apartment in Mill Creek. The fabric was finally free to see daylight, but only after being hung by thumbtacks and chewed by residents parrots. After a seven year journey, the fabric from India has a real home - a yoga room! Thanks to Cupcake, the fabric is right where it needs to be - just look how happy I am!

As an added bonus, Cupcake provides fun ornaments from misc fabric. Holler! See referenced ornaments hanging next to a crystal and above Ganesha. Perfect!

Holler indeed.

Christmas presents...part II

(sorry for the delay.)

Round two of Xmas suprises...a little fleecey outfit for my baby nephew Brendan. This was my first exploit into sewing with bias tape...and man that stuff is great! I found fleece bias tape to go with the fleecey fabric and it was all so soft and lovely.

Plus, you can't beat the little fringe on the hood.

Or the rockin' and rollin' (pun intended) ducky patch.

bib, anyone?

something new i'm working on...which you'll probably see more of soon:

re-purposed baby gear--made from discarded (and thrifted) clothing, fabric, and linens. Here's a sneak-preview of a baby bib (which used to be a dress!)



I'm also making fabric hearts with ribbon hangers using the scraps which will be incorporated into the item tagging system.

pull-a-part bread

...with awful photographs...it's hard to take art shots of bread that smells SO GOOD you just want to eat it. (The recipe actually warns you to be patient and not burn yourself eating it too soon after it comes out of the oven.)

This awesome recipe, which I found in a Food & Wine, best of the best cookbooks book (which is like a box inside of a box inside of a box), has you roll the bread dough into little balls; dip them into melted butter; and then roll them in a ground mixture of chocolate, sugar, and pecans. OH YES, I say to this recipe. OH YES.

(psuedo art shot featuring the vinyl cling of Chihuly currently displayed on the fridge)