Wednesday, July 30, 2008

SPC: Skillz part deux


Is making a fortress out of hand-molded play-doh bricks a skill? What about if you do it during a staff meeting? If so, I win.




I'll call this: the skill of multi-tasking. The skill of being a kinesthetic learner (I've learned that I must have something to do with my hands or I can't listen for longer than 7 minutes). Luckily, my boss gets this and often provides us with tools (playdoh, pipe cleaners, stickers, etc.) to keep our hands busy during a meeting.

I also call myself a creative problem solver. (thank you Odyssey of the Mind). I'm growing out my bangs...and the whole "hair in your eyes as a fashion statment" is KILLING me. I like to be able to see from both eyes (I think they call that DEPTH PERSEPTION). Yesterday, I begged and begged around for a bobby pin but no one had one on them. Luckily for me--there were pipe cleaners on the tables at the staff meeting. TA-DA, I thought. A hair solution! I even added a heart...my love for pipe cleaners will go on.


NB. When there aren't any tools, I doodle. (See here and here.) And then I cut out my doodles and tape them into a notebook, which, by the way, is getting quite puffy and full.

Friday, July 25, 2008

SPC: Skillz




Sorry for the absence, SPC. I've been traveling...to Vancouver, WA (America's Vancouver they kept telling me), to Minneapolis, MN, to New Orleans, LA.  It's been a busy four weeks--without much in the way of "skill" to show for it, unless you count my expert traveller status that allows me to use the black diamond lane at security (it's a pretty great system, actually, except that people get to self-identify their traveller status...and some people apparently don't get that having nine bags, three cameras, two laptops, a purse dog, and lace-up shoes doesn't equate with "expert" traveller).

I'm back to show off that skill of mine that might make me the happiest...baking.  I have long loved the sweet smell of flour and sugar and cinnamon blooming in my oven (okay, the smell was good, but the taste was the real object at hand), long loved presenting expertly crafted (and a few tasty but aesthetically challenged concoctions) to those I love.  Because baking calms me, warms my kitchen, and feeds my belly AND soul, I have recently been exploring new worlds of baking, stepping out of my comfy little quick bread and tart land into the realm of yeast breads and pies and puff pastry (read: I never used to bake ANYTHING that required a rolling pin).  I am now embracing the rolling pin.  [In fact, I might need to make myself a tshirt that reads: Embrace your inner rolling pin.]

I owe a debt of gratitude to my sister, who taught me not to fear working with yeast.  There's really nothing better than kneading bread dough.  It's one of the only times in my life where I'm actually just doing one thing...a calmness takes over because it has too; you're elbow deep in dough and flour for ten minutes.  

Anyway, here I am making my favorite yeast bread to date, Swedish vetebrod, which has loads of freshly ground cardamom in it, plus a buttery, sugary, cinamonny center.  YUM.

Find the recipe here.

See other skillz here.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

it will be amazing


i stole the words from Post Secret...but the design is mine. i may need to print a million copies onto stickers and plaster them all over the city. feel free to do the same.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Another satisfied customer!


Just look at Second Sam in her custom Gavron Designs shirt! See how happy? It's a complete 180 degree change from this day.
You too can be this happy by visiting Gavron Designs and ordering your tshirt of wonder today.