back in action - kinda

you ever have one of those vacations that leaves you feeling listless, like you want to completely change everything but you don't know where to start? well I had that. I won't get into the details, but just know I'm dealing with a little vacay post-partum here.

so, the summary, in pictures, since my brain is still mush:

bike trail along lake champlain. pretty much amazing:


hipsters playing bike polo in burlington:


shelburne museum was everything I expected and waaaaaaaay more:

(Louis Comfort Tiffany exhibit)

(antique motorcycle exhibit)

(Richard Saja exhibit, very very excellent)

(the pioneer house, my favorite, it even smelled like Little House on the Prairie)

(the antique quilts were so gorgeous, I can't imagine spending 20 years on a quilt, whoah)

then from there we went to the mad river pools (which were freeezing btw)


good eats at the original barn where american flatbread got its start (thanks for the tip sara!)


kayaking at Crystal Lake



the solar thing was a serendipitous theme, ben was reading about doing this


and I randomly picked up a book about doing this (thanks for the pretty flickr photo sprizee)


and then on a bike ride we met a woman who was turning this house into a fully LEED certified residence, complete with solar store on the first floor.



hmmmmm, time to get off the computer, shut off the a/c and go for dip in the creek. back to jewelry stuff tomorrow!

weekly round up

here's another list of weekly inspirations. You'll notice that these weekly lists don't have much to do with design or jewelry - I'm making a conscious effort to take a hiatus from the design world 1) because the competition can be intimidating and 2) because I find it hard to come up with a truly unique idea/design that hasn't been subconsciously nicked from someone/thing else that's already out there.

So here's what I was up to instead:

Music:

Deluxe Noise internet radio.

I know this station is programmed by a friend of mine, but not sure which friend - Shawn or Dave? the BEST combo of morphine, the kinks, leonard cohen, the cars, fugazi, frog holler, zeppelin, the B52's, digital planets, the doors, etc. I couldn't ask for a better mix - tune in everybody!


Style Icon:

I'm loving this 8 year old, his style is out of control. He's the son of the creator of Mad Men so of course he's cool. and his name is Arlo so jeeez, he was born a hipster.


"My mom got the jacket for me—I love it because I love Frank Sinatra and this is like something he would wear. I wore the jacket with the pants because I like the different plaids together. I thought the blue in the necklace brought out the blue in the pants. It’s a blue orb with fire around it."


Wholesomeness:

Didn't have time this week for my movie fix, but I did manage an episode of LHOTP. In this one Charles and Carolyn take in a Fresh Air kid and change his life by making him sleep in hay and teaching him to swim. Features Pa swimming in his union suit. bonus.

Blog:

Grammar Vandal

I really love bad grammar. I'm a big offender myself but it makes my day when I see something like this:


I'm so easily amused I know.

Moves:

And because I can't enough of dance sequences, here's the only good scene from RockNRolla:



finally found some moves I can imitate - the spazzy jitterbug!

weekly wrap up

here's is my weekly inspiration round up. what a week's been, jeez. sad, inspiring, etc etc.

Album:

Neil Young, After the Goldrush

sweet. gorgeous. gives you the tingles.



Reading:

Tightwad Gazette

You know, because of "THE RECESSION".



Movie:

Vision Quest (on vhs)

super 80's amazing-ness with Matthew Modine. Complete with native american myths, a Red Rider soundtrack, and high school wrestling. 

Youtube:

ok I know it's from '07 but it's got bikes! bunny costumes! and handclaps! it's timeless!



and lastly, some inspiring words/art:

weekly summary

here's a little ritual I'm going to start: weekly inspirational summaries. I find that I kind of live in my own little world - it has it's own soundtrack, imaginary friends, fictional landscapes, etc.

I often get obsessed with one book, one album, one movie - I quite literally watch/listen to/look at them over and over until I can't stand it anymore. I have an obsessive personality like that ... so here's my obsessions for this week:

ALBUM:

Pink Floyd, Animals.



ARTIST:

Hendrick Kerstens



MOVIE:

Twilight (only for the vampire's amazing house I swear)



BOOK:

Museums and Women, shorts by John Updike



YOUTUBE VIDEO:

I'm ashamed (but you know you love it)



RANDOM:

Abel Xavier's hair.

wow. you don't live that far from me!

here are some blog props to  Allen Company Inc from Allentown.  She makes THE coolest silk floral bouquets.  

These are such a cool original idea, I wish I would have thought of that for my wedding. I would do it all so different - a short gauzy white polka dot dress , yellow shoes, these grey flowers ... maybe we'll just do it again!

She also has an amazing vintage selection on her etsy site. Open a store in the Lehigh Valley already!!

Proximidade! so festive!

So Mel over at Turtle Bunny Love gave me this award thing - I still don't think I get it, I guess it's like a tag ey? but thanks! I love these ...

Proximidade is described as follows: 'This blog invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! 'This blog award should be sent to your favorite eight bloggers and they, in turn should forward to eight of their favorites.

Here are some of my 8 favs: The Bedlam of the Beefy, Easy Sub Culture, Feather, Jessica Pigza, Scoutie Girl, My Life in Cake, Mixed Plate, Handmade in PA. Please take part ya'll, I'd love to see who you are inspired by!

happy belated fasnacht day!

I can't believe I missed the fasnacht drive thru window! I had no idea that these donuts actually had a story. So these were traditionally made the day before ash wednesday to get rid of all the lard, sugar, fat and butter in the pantry (the only way to get through the fasting of lent I suppose, zero temptation. where's the strength in that?). Gotta love the PA Dutch.

Maybe I can get some stale ones on special ... mmmm.

large enough to matter, small enough to impact

Those are the words of the mayor of Braddock, PA. Here's Mayor John Fetterman with his deputy mayor, Jeb Feldman. 


yep. that's the mayor. and his ride. This town outside of Pittsburgh has a wild story - it was once a booming steel town of over 20,000, now the population is around 2,000. It's a city of decay and crime, so much so that the gang members call it Bradocc (changing the last "k" to a "c" because of the amount of crip gang members). The mayor, a Harvard grad with a degree in public policy, tattoos the date of every murder on his forearm. BUT this town is fascinating! This mayor has dedicated his life to turning this "city" around. Look at the potential:


It seems like the set of one of those doomsday movies - like where you wake up and you're the only one left, and you're wandering down the main street with tigers ... it's full of AMAZING old (run down) architecture. It's the home of the first Carnegie Library, still in use thank goodness.  The library used to have an entry into the mines in the basement, complete with a bath so the men could enter into the the library all clean. pretty amazing, here's the library:


Mayor Fetterman does seem to be doing well, calling in big name artists to do installations, trying to get creative types to move there for the low prices and big studio space. interested?? Here's a recent street work by SWOON, a nyc based artist:


He has a master plan to turn the old furnaces into a steel heritage site modeled on the Sloss Furnaces of Alabama.  and his plans for urban gardening just make me giddy!

All in all I can't tell if I'm inspired or depressed. Being smack between Bethlehem and Reading this all hits so close to home.  and with the all the economic drama going on right now (NPR is basically declaring the end of the world!) I fear for re-emerging towns like these, especially when a proposed highway wants to wipe them out. arggg.   BUT, I think I'm inspired. and challenged. and humbled.  (let's go! grassroots, handmade, indie, locally grown, etc, etc.)


Look at this place. 2000 people. that's like the number of people in Ikea right now, at 10am on a Thursday. It's got to be do-able, right?

a movie I might pay to see

So there's an incredible hype out there right now for the movie Coraline. I don't have cable but my nephew told me all about it. in detail. I usually don't give a hoot for really hyped up movies but this one seems worth it - I just spent 20 minutes on their amazing website. I don't think it's a Tim Burton but it's got that feel. It's being lauded as a serious DIY flick - you can tell by these pics.






For once I wouldn't mind if these movie people got paid some serious bucks for their crafty skills. and they're all so attractive and look like they'd be fun to hang out with!




seriously. the cuteness is a little out of hand. next you're going to tell me that all these boys are European too! jeeez. (this guy is a dead ringer for Amelie's boyfriend wouldn't you say?)

The set is kind of giving the creepy vibe but let's hope it leaves us all with some warm fuzzies a la Amelie and Wallace & Grommet. the main character is voiced by Dakota Fanning, whom I'm really proud of for not turning out all hussy like most other hollywood 15 yr olds. and how could I forget to mention! Ian McShane (hello! Swearingen on DEADWOOD!) plays some weird circus ring master or something.

But the best part is these boxes. Apparently these attractive crafters surprised 50 of their favorite bloggers and sent them each a unique box full of random pieces from the set and promo materials. genius marketing!





here's the one given to Toy Cutter, read more about it here. what a score.

and while we're on the topic of inspiring things for kids/adults, here's some inspiring words from an unsung hero. take the 7 minutes to watch it. it's worth it.

Friday musings ...

Here's a little Leonard for ya on a bleak damp cold Friday. I've had this pic for years now, I keep folding it up and saving it, I can't bear to throw it away. There's something unbelievably cool about Spock. and when I was younger I really thought he wrote that Dr. Spock baby book (how could I have thought that?!) Anyway, he joins my older man crush group with Anthony Bourdain and Jeff Goldblum (twisted I know). What's the common denominator? maybe it's their sarcastic dead pan delivery?

But that pic is really amazing ... the best color blue velvet couch ever, the plastic flowers with matching blue centers, white pants/crossed legs, the perfect star trek hair, playing guitar. god what a photo shoot.

special thanks to ...

15 year old Diane Lane and 13 year old Laura Dern and their excellent hair for totally entertaining me on this snowy weekend. How did I miss this on late night tv in the 80's?

random inspiration

The Homemade Jamz Blues Band



Ryan Perry, guitar & vocals, 15. Little brother Kyle on bass, 12. Taya, 9, on drums. Dad writes the songs and plays harmonica.

(featuring the best pit dancers ever!!)

random inspiration

I'm not sure how we're the same species:

from the new Life Magazine Digital Image Archive.