First Throw Pillow

So, J made the flower. We carved our own stamp. Mixed our own paint. I painted a pattern. Cut the fabric. Stiched a pencil onto it with yarn. And then I sewed it up. Ta-Da.






It's not perfect, but looks great for a first try.

Camera Pictures

Jason (Kelso & Dan). Vess. Erin.




No one stole it Erin. My bad.

2009: Realer Than Real

Thirteen Things I will do this year:

Write three business plans on paper
Truly consider going to Graduate School (noncommittal)
Eat Raw as often as possible
Talk less shit (outside of my home)
Spend a lot more time with nature
Have more sex (and no more babies)
Build a grow box and tend a garden
Be a high energy, focused parent
Witness two of my favorite people get hitched
Condition my body for optimum performance
Escort some virgins to the Big Apple
Beam with smiles at the homecoming of my sister
Be more loving to the people in this world


I like making lists, its so homo-sapien.

Flip the Foyer: Panel This!

Seeing as how our first try wasn't all poppy and fun like we had hoped, we proceeded to spend 11 hours creating these busy babies. You see, we were in a bit of a time crunch. Our Holiday break in an empty house was coming to an end and we wanted to surprise the neighbors with a kick-ass foyer upon their return. Their return meant the countdown to the house party was coming to an end; shit needed to be right on. The foyer had been kinda last on the list of fix-its but it was also the first impression of our home (and we're house-proud kind of people). So we had planned on partying-up the foyer by hanging our hand stamped fabric panels. The finished result looked dope. If Greg The Mayor would post some pictures yo, I'd be able to demonstrate the beauty that was our foyer. Until then, here's a glimpse of the process.

Mperfect pattern.


Stamps.


Slick.


Pretty.

I'm A Sucker

Bring it.

Marketing works on me. Strolling though the isles of Target two weeks before Christmas, I grabbed two 6 packs of Coca-Cola Classic in glass bottles from an end cap. We simply don't buy canned coke, plastic is out of the question. If we do happen to make a soda purchase, it's 365 Brand Root Beer or the occasional Coca-Cola Classic in a glass bottle. On to the story: as I grabbed the sodas J says " You're a sucker for target Marketing". Right then and there, I noted that I needed to give this observation a bit of thought. That thought surfaced again last night. I was talking to J about my recent literature indulgences (to remind you, I have now read all of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels in less than 6 weeks and have moved on to Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series), and I pondered wether or not HBO is owned by the same company who produced the Twilight film. It would make sense for the deeply influential parent companies to successfully market a vampire craze right in time for the holiday season. Although I have yet to research weather they are marketed with the same money, I assume the answer is yes. And this observation bums me out beyond belief and makes me mourn the day I finished Orwel's 1984. I left that book with an eye-in-the-back-of-my head sensation; I was not going to be foolish and naive of the persuasion that big money brings to the table. And although I acknowledge that living life as a sceptic can suck the bliss from almost everything, I also acknowledge how much fun it is to be willingly naive and take part in normal society type shit like drinking soda and reading soft-core porn vampire novels.

When it comes down to it, I simply need something that can help me relate to other humans. And unfortunately, that's not usually conversations about atheism and nutrition.

12.29.08

It's the end of 2008 and it can be said that I took on more than I ever had imagined in one year. I made the most amount of delicious, nutritious food that I have ever made. I grew a human. We helped transform a foreclosed dump into a beautiful, historic home. I brought a human to Earth. And we moved again, one week after we had Mary Jane. As if we weren't overwhelmed by the holiday's and preparing for our party, we pulled some all-nighters creating together. It was long overdue and now I'm feelin' it. I want more!

J created a pattern.



We carved a stamp using the pattern.



Inked the stamp.




And made an interesting cloth.



Although it didn't turn out to be as beautiful as I had hoped, it was a damn good first try. Mary Jane dug it. Mperfect what?

Redless Velvet Cake

I once heard that red food coloring is derived from the pigment in the shell of beetles ( i.e. ladybugs). I can no longer eat red food coloring. Hence, Redless Velvet Cake

(Recipe Coming Soon)

Christmas Kitchen

Sometime around noon on Christmas Day.

I have to admit that my favorite moments around the holiday season are spent at home in moments like these. I know this time of year is focused on family and togetherness, but that just leaves me with an empty pocketbook and a load of anxiety. Christmas in the Midwest is difficult when you're a atheist vegetarian. There's nothing to eat but fattening side dishes and desserts (if you're lucky) and you're forced to nod your head in prayer to earn the right to eat them. (Side note : I usually end up sticking my tongue out at the youngest member of the family during these awkward moments, kids don't care about god either).

But in true holiday spirit, I am left to feel for my atheist/vegan/vegetarian friends this time of year. When home is no longer the house you grew up in and family doesn't feel like "family" anymore, at least I am comforted by knowing that I'm not in this shit alone.