I'm especially good at making messes

The scene at my house yesterday:


Can you find:

1. Glue gun
2. Box of crochet doilies
3. Pinking shears
4. Knit alphabet block with the letter "I" on it
5. Angela Lansbury
   

One of these things is not like the other...

One of these things just doesn't belong.

Of course she does!! Just not in the laundry cycle!

HUH?

Lately, it seems I've been too busy even to eat a semi-proper meal. (Although I did splurge the other night and go here! Probably the best dinner ever!) I've felt too tired to upload photos or construct a thought. Sad.

The thing is, in order to have periods of Inspired Living, one must have times of uninspired living, right? It's not even like my days are that uninspired, they just don't have the extra hour or two here and there to log in and type about it. I'm still making and knitting away getting ready for Christmas time at the Flea and developing a few new patterns for Blue Sky.

What I've mostly been doing though is preparing for a dance performance in LA:

HUH?

Santa Monica Museum of Art
Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15, 2008
7 pm
$15, $10 for SMMoA members
Seating is limited. First come, first seated.

Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com

Choreographer Melinda Ring and dancers Kimberly Hamlin and Sari Nordman
take over Martin Kersels’ sculpture “Rickety”. As one moody individual
portrayed by three people, they navigate the sculpture’s split levels
and awkward spaces with a mysterious group mind to the accompaniment
of a ticking clock and other ambient sounds.

This performance is in conjunction with the exhibition "Martin Kersels:
Heavyweight Champion" on view at the Santa Monica Museum of Art
from September 13 to December 13, 2008.

Santa Monica Museum of Art
Bergamot Station G1
2525 Michigan Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90404
www.smmoa.org

I like getting to be a dancer and fly to places to perform. (Actually, this is the first time I'm doing it, but it seems like a cool thing!) In order to be a better dancer I have to take a break from the feverish making of things and relax more. I'd love to think it was a conscious plan, but the truth is, when I get home I'm tired and don't have enough mind focus to come up with new ideas. So, in order to retain a little bit of productivity, I'll sit and work on a harf for a while and that seems to be enough for now.

I'll be back at the flea market November 23rd with a table full of new jewelry, trees, craft kits and harfs.

If you know anyone in LA... tell them about my dance!!!

Country Living Mention

Back in April, some editors from Country Living Magazine visited the Brooklyn Flea to take photos for an article. I'm pleased as punch that they included my hats and a little blurb in their article. I'm in such good company too!!

Thanks to everyone who came out today and made my walk home a lighter one! I'm totally looking forward to more Fall days at the Flea!!!!

Also...
Thanks Jemaine for swerving by my booth to check out my cuff links, even if it was brief. You're pretty "mother flippin" rad!

If you don't know Jemaine, check out this and get with it quick!

The new "to do" list

Some might remember this letter tray from an earlier post...

What was originally just a nice display has now developed into a sort of to do list. It's where I put lost buttons in need of re-sewing, charms I mean to do something with or photos I want to remember to admire on a daily basis. Basically I'm thinking I'll put anything small up here, that needs remembering and over time it'll become a little library of "thoughts."

Instead of having to find a suitable mismatched button, I'll know right where I put the matching one! This will also save me the trouble of configuring a back up outfit when I can't think of anything but the skirt in need of mending. Have I ever mentioned that virtually ALL of my mending occurs three minutes before I'm supposed to walk out the door?? Yeah. There I am, sporting half an outfit, frantically sewing on the end of my bed, when I could just throw on pair of jeans and tee shirt like a normal person.

But back to the tray... I'm always really interested in clutter. I certainly don't like messes, but there's something to the little chatchkas we humans collect. Every home seems to have some, whether its refrigerator magnets, tiny toys, rocks & shells, or even "real art." Imagine.

I'm also really interested in people's inability to deal with their clutter. In other words, organization, or lack thereof. In my world, what might look like a simple pile, actually has a lot of rhyme and reason to it. I think this is the difference between a mess and a display, the intention. I love the idea of turning a bad habit, or organizing weakness, into display. My idea for someone who is always throwing clothes on the floor, is to throw them on the wall instead. Install a grid of hooks, or even just long nails, and stuff your clothes up there instead. Sure it'll look like a pot of spaghetti clothes... but you'll have room to walk, you won't have to take the precious time to put them away and over time, it might end up looking kinda cool up there.

So here are all the thoughts so far in my tray:

This stack of British coins looked so beautiful against the dark wood, I just want to regularly admire it. I love the detailed edges... how come our coins aren't as cool?? Also, I might want to design something based off of these patterns.

These sparkly buttons need to be re-attached to this coat.

A squid and my handsome Grandpa in his navy uniform!! I miss you!

A map box I need to find a new chain for and scented green tea oil to liven up my draw papers!

A little lost tree bird checking things out, a broken pin that needs fixing or a new life and green thread that is just pretty.

Two charms that need chains and a "G" typewriter key for the pair of initial cuff links I owe my friend Garth.

Thanks Martha!!!

My lovely and stylish pal Martha, who also happens to be an awesome stylist, took two of my necklaces for some test shots recently. The finished photos make me so happy and proud... I just love how they look! Thanks Martha for working your magic!



And please do check out more of her work at her website!

Uninspiration

First off, let me express my deep respect and awe for stylists. They are the ultimate merchandisers. They take products to new levels of desirability by placing them in dreamy lifestyle scenarios. Despite being completely fake and two dimensional, we covet these ideal lives and in turn, rush out to buy, buy, buy! Or so is the hope of companies like Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn and Ikea.

All of the aforementioned companies make great stuff. Stuff that in the past I have really, really wanted, needed even. Stuff I was willing to stand in line for when my plate of Swedish Meatballs had all but won off. Seriously, it's not the stuff that bothers me. I love my Crate and Barrel Popsicle maker! The Pottery Barn shower curtain liner, that I got by ordering one too many for my friend's wedding, was the longest lasting liner I have ever owned. And dear Ikea, your cheese grater slays me! I wish I had cause to buy more, but alas, one is all you need.

In my opinion, this is how it should be. A girl or boy picking his or her favorite items based on need, desire and taste. The catalog images provide inspiration for the daily use of said items and maybe help you see things that you might not have noticed otherwise. Way to go stylists! For a while there you almost made me want to buy some giant wicker balls and cover all my books with white paper!

I feel a need to apologize for my first post in ages turning so negative. I don't want to be known as someone who tears things down, but after receiving the latest Crate and Barrel catalog, well, let's just say I'm offended and leave it at that.

Which came first, the carpet, the chair or the lime green books?
I think it's pretty common for lovers of green, especially when it comes to the pickle varieties, to always be drawn to items of that color. If I had an unlimited income, I might fall into this category myself, so maybe there is some truth to this styling technique. Still, I think it's pretty basic to stick to one pretty bold color. If you're going to go that way, really go that way and fill the room with even more green. If I were given these exact same props to use, I would have made the wall white or an almost yellow green to allow for another accent color. Then I would have added a few more props that weren't green. Maybe something pale yellow or blue. Then I would have tried putting all the green books on one shelf, because that seams like something a normal person might try.

Maybe people dream of color coded rooms, where book bindings match the carpet and the pen you leave angled just so. I dream of spaces that leave breathing room for all colors and the parade of items I'm sure to drag home from the flea market. I never want to be limited to jusst one color extreme. Yikes. What else can you put in this room?

It would have to be bright orange, green, or turquoise, right? Is my problem that I'm just not into bright, solid colors? I think the quilt is nice, but the room just reminds me of a transitional summer patio collection or something.

This room tells a similar story only at a different temperature.
Even a flower arrangement would look out of place up there. And flowers look good anywhere!

This carpet would be GREAT if it were the only colored thing in the room.
And this last room is just the hugest pet peeve ever! I can't really name it or put my finger on it, but I know it has a lot to with the shaker posed on the little shelf.
I never thought I would praise the Pottery Barn catalog, but at least their rooms are more neutral and inspiring [to me]. Ikea has the corner on inventive/inexpensive/stylish design and at least they send out fewer catalogs. The trees and I are very thankful for that.

I survived Renegade 2008!

Someone make the tee shirt already! I survived Renegade 2008!

Scheduling a craft fair in a drained pool is an awesome idea...until... the thunderstorms come and the pool fills up to your ankles! Well, that might be an exaggeration but not for my corner at least. I'm telling you, by the end of the first day, the Brooklyn Renegade Craft Fair had turned into one of the most fashionable wet tee shirt contests imaginable. Picture it, insanely cute gals in their summer frocks and high waisted shorts bearded boys in their shortest shorts, all running around soaked to the bone. I'm just saying, nothing like giant rain storms to bring people *ahem* together! My friend Anne told about how she and a bunch of kids gathered in the small, drizzle free entrance to wait it out, when all of a sudden one dude says, "Ok... townspeople!" and he spontaneously inspires them all to play Mafia. Way to make lemonade, Mr. and by the way, are you single?

But we survived! All and all, it was a blast! I made new friends and found some sweet new things, which I'll post soon.

Our booth on Saturday before the rain:




The cute kids across the way weren't scared by a little rain, they set up camp like pros!

Love the rolled up jeans and sneaks on dudes, btw...

The rain begins and NEVER ends!!

Slightly freezing...

The next day was a little less rainy. We decided to condense to one table, just in case it rained again. I think it made things cuter! There were many reactions to my Fathers Day sign... the most common being "oh crap! I forgot to call my dad!" Followed by immediate dialing.



I made this tie last minute Sunday morning and it sold right away. I'm glad I grabbed a shot of it. More cattails on the way I think.

Make it old!

I saw this on another blog. You can take a regular photo and make it old. Hmmmmm... the site is in a language I don't understand...but simple enough to figure out. Have fun!

New flickr set: Seattle

www.flickr.com

Forest Floor

Last week, at the flea, I had a special request. A commission if you will. Well, actually three, no, make it four! Gosh. It really was so cool. People just started asking if I would do a tree in a container that they brought me and I thought, sure, why not? I mean, that's what this whole shopping local thing is all about, right? PLUS they're giving me great artistic license and trust, which is a makers dream! So... three containers came to me that very day, found in another vendors space and the fourth I'll put together at a later date. Here's the first:

A mini tree in a vintage metal JELLO mold.

When I saw this container I immediately thought of a blossoming cherry tree. Perhaps inspired by a recent trip to the Botanical Garden. I usually steer clear of foliage, but just had to add blossoms on this!!


One other request was for two fiddle heads and a toadstool. I'm waiting for the container to arrive, but in the meantime I thought I'd make fern/mushroom combinations for sale as well. I'm not sure I'll be able to part with this one though, or my favorite dome cover thingy.

More forest floors...

This whole, special request container style has inspired me. I want to start seeking unique containers for my trees, like this one, that I found at Salvation Army. Much better then buying new!!

New members of the arsenal

New mini business cards from moo.com. You can upload straight from your flickr page and get twenty different photos if you want. They come in a hot little box too, that I'm totally going to re-use a million times. I feel a little guilty knowing they came all the way from the UK, however. Forgive me Earth. Next time I'll at least buy more!


Fiddle heads
And a willow tree named Xavier:

The Boys are back in town

New wares for the fellas. Is it wrong for me to want more boys entering my booth??
I love the message on this sailor photo:

To Ruth-
With love and deep respect.
Charlie BSN
1932