Art-a-whirl

This year for art-a-whirl, I decided that I wanted to get some stuff. I love things made by real artist type people, but darn it, they're always so much more expensive than the crap I can buy at Target. So I sewed myself up a bunch of reversible/expandable headbands, and sold them to the crowds. I made enough to snag some of the art work below (although the Puny Bunny was a gift), a cute ring that I'm too dumb to photograph without it being blurry, and cover my costs plus a tank of gas. Not too bad. The novelty of selling something I made was fun. I especially loved seeing little girls dancing in the hall while wearing my headbands. Art-a-whirl is fueled by lots of people who are passionate about their art, and the selling part just buys them the time to make more of it... Their art seems to define who they are. I felt really out of place in that aspect. I don't have a strong political or spiritual belief tied to my little headbands. Indeed, they are not meaningful, and are even less practical than say, a baseball cap. But it's the making itself, not even the product that excites me. Anyway, blah, blah, blah! I had fun.

Here's a bunny print by the talented Puny people. I can't wait to pop it up on the wall.

This sassy gal was printed by AmyJo. I've been a fan of hers for a while now, so it's kinda great to have a piece of her work. It was also pretty great to meet her. What a nice, nice person.

I can't remember the name of the person I got this from, but I LOVE it. It makes me feel very punk rock meets punky brewster.

On a side note, we got together with some friends on Saturday night and played Times Up. If you're into playing games, this is so fun. There's a bit of trivia involved which inevitably makes this big-picture girl feel like a dipshit, but not true this time... so, so, fun.

Bit of a bummer... The adoption home study with our social worker that was supposed to be tomorrow afternoon is postphoned until next Tuesday! So tonight we'll be watching Lost in our very clean and child-friendly home.

Iced Coffee

PRODUCT ALERT! I love iced coffee, and for a long time now, I've been trying out different ways to make it at home. Brewing it in the pot and popping it in the fridge tastes funny to me, even when I add lots of ice! One time I even made ice cubes from coffee, and that even tasted funny. Based on a recommendation from Treehugger, I ordered the toddy. This little system makes the best iced coffee ever, and it's so concentrated that it lasts me at least a week. It's not a fast process... You get 1 lb of coarse coffee grounds wet and let them sit and stew for 12 hours. Then you let them filter into your container for another couple of hours, and voolah, it's done. It's definitely cheaper than hitting Starbucks everytime the urge hits me, but more expensive than brewing hot coffee everyday.

Dear Alexander and Julia,

Welcome! Thank you for putting your trust in us to help you build your family through adoption. We look forward to working with you during this very exciting journey.

We received your adoption application and have officially opened your case file. LZ in our Minneapolis Area Office will be your adoption worker. She will be calling you in the next day or two to schedule your first home study appointment.

Again, we welcome you to our adoption program and wish you the best as you work to complete your adoption.

With warm regards,

The International Adoption Staff of
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota

***We're official. It's happy and exciting and getting-to-be-very-real news. Now we just have to hurry up and wait for the next 10 or so months!***

This is another busy week at work, with a district-wide art show going up on Monday. Unfortunately, I'm so over being stressed, that I can't seem to get my butt in gear for the next big thing. Alas, I'm on my break, and blogging about nothing instead of getting something done. Oh procrastination, how you vex me so.
When I do get a little time in my grubby little hands, I want to try out this cool project. I've done the freezer paper stencils so many times, that I can't wait to try this cool little twist.
I'd also like to sew this dress.
Again, these are both forms of procrastination, because what I really need to do is go out and give our yard some attention. In the fall, I prefer the do-nothing approach to gardening because I'm sick of it all. That means in the spring the new stuff is trying its best to grow with all the old dead stuff lying on top of it.
More procrastination? My new Blueprint magazine came in the mail yesterday. I've been pouring over it non-stop, and this is my least favorite issue so far.
As a side note, I got my hair cut at Moxie on Monday. It's my second time there with Angela and she's awesome. Anyway, she dried my hair with a diffuser and it seemed managable to do that myself. Especially, ahem, because it would only need to be done once or twice a week. Which brings me to my question... Do any of you Minneapolis people have a diffuser cluttering up your life? If so, I'd love to take it off your hands in exchange for some of my own clutter that might make you happy. Let me know.

Why having today OFF totally rules...

There are lots of reasons why having today off is so great, but here are just a few...
1. I like my coffee in a ceramic mug, not a travel mug. Travel mugs don't feel good on my upper lip, and during the winter time the heater makes the outside of my traveler so hot that it burns my lower lip. Today I drank lots of coffee in a Minnie Mouse mug that my sister brought me from her honeymoon.
2. Last night I did not experience Sunday-night-get-ready-for-work-panic. Instead, I surfed the web and kept thinking about how great it will be to have Monday off.
3. This morning I woke up before the alarm clock went off, and it was already light out.
4. Today the city of Minneapolis replaced the tree they took down. While I'm sure it we paid for it good and plenty, we did not receive a bill and we did receive a very nice little DVD explaining how to take care of a new baby tree.

5. Because I have time to stop and smell the flowers today, I noticed that we have our first bloom of the season.

6. This morning I had time to adjust the duvet cover I made a few weeks ago. I cut up a too small and too shoddy old quilt and sewed it onto a sheet. Then I turned it inside out and sewed three sides of it shut. When I turned it right-side-out, it was a duvet. As a bonus, I found a bag of crocheted flowers at an estate sale and appliqued those on too. I have a lot of those left, if anyone wants some. I should probably put some ties on it to finish it off, but for now, it's fine. I thought I was being so smart and using sheets to make this because I have such a hard time working with large pieces of fabric, that I thought I'd save myself some cutting hassle. Not the case. The sheets weren't the exact same size, and they weren't even truly square. I'll totally make more duvets in the future, but I'll sew panels together instead.

Prom was fun. It was a lot of work, but so worth it to see how much fun the students were having. Oh yeah, the sweet hubbie and Tim worked their hienies off at the coat check. Thanks guys. Here's just a small smattering of Prom 2007, The Allure of Arabia...

Here's a quickie little post, just to stay in touch during this ultra-freaking busy time of year! Prom is tomorrow night. I made 25 gallons of punch this afternoon. My glasses will never be the same after falling into one of my mixing buckets. Along those same lines, the punch might also never by quite the same again. With my grubby hands digging around in there, trying to find my glasses. In my hot and hurried frustration, my only coping skill was to eat the tops off of three of the pumpkins bars that my mom made for the prom chaperones. Sorry Mom, I couldn't help it. There are plenty of snacks left over for them. Anyway, tonight we're seeing Hot Fuzz and I'm quite excited because Shaun of the Dead was so awesome. I'm also excited because I'm on people-overload due to all the drama that surrounds a high-school prom, and I need to do some quiet fantasy land re-charging before tomorrow. Oh yeah, I'm taking Monday off. I can't wait. I'll make sure and post some pictures of the big day real soon.

NEW LINKS PAGE

On this beautifully sunny day, I've been inside, drinking coffee, and updating my links page. I'm heading outside in 5 short minutes, but thought I'd tell you to check out da links. I'm planning on adding some more in the next week or so. Kind of speaking of links, I've been listening to the podcasts for Fresh Air and This American Life while I'm running. Any other regular podcasts I should be checking out? ALSO, I keep hearing how many amazing audio files can be checked out/downloaded on-line from the Minneapolis Public Library. But their website says those files aren't compatible with i-pods. Anyone got a way around this quandary?

Happy Birthday Mom!

Look who just turned 50-ish...

Vertical Endeavors. Oh my gosh, fun and scary and oh-so really, really hard to do. My girlfriend Katie (who has no website to link to) was an excellent instructor and made it look easy and very graceful. I can only wish that I could look that graceful... Especially with the harness framing and emphasizing my slightly robust BUTT. Lovely. Word has it that we're getting a Vertical Endeavors in Minneapolis sometime in the next couple of years.

In other news, adoption stuff is really coming together. We need to get a couple things notarized on Monday, but otherwise the paperwork is D-O-N-E. I'm spreading the word at work, which has been a little bit bittersweet. Just like you'd expect, I've gotten lots of encouragement and support. Lot's of people wanting to set us up with people who've gone through it. But unexpectantly, one woman that pulled me aside and wanted to know how I could look to "save" a child from another country when people in our own country are throwing their children into rivers. Because I didn't expect that kind of criticism, I didn't respond how I wish I would of. Wouldn't it have been cool if I punched her? Or bit her on the arm? And then said something mean and nasty about her breath? My typical response to conflict is to shy away and let it fester. Not with this one. It's nice to just accept that some people say stupid things. End of story.

Hmmm. What else? Have I mentioned that I'm the advisor for the prom this year? It's coming up in three weeks and I'm absolutely s p r e a d thin. I've been waking up in the middle of the night wondering how to go about making punch for 500. My budget for the affair is shocking. $12,000. Way more than our wedding! Wowza!



Oh yeah, I just finished my quilting class at crafty planet. I took it with Rebecca, and it was so much fun. This was taken when I was tying it off, before I put the binding on. I hadn't done binding before and it's so easy.





Speaking of crafy, here are a couple of presents that Zander and I whipped together. Isn't it kind of amazing and funny to think of him cross stitching?

By the way, this post will be labeled that it's posted by Zander. It's not. I just forgot that he was signed in and now it's time for dinner and I don't feel like fixing it. Have a great weekend!

Get over to the Groveland Gallery in the next couple of weeks to see Stella Ebner's work. She gave a wonderful demonstration this weekend on japanese woodblock printing. It was great. Her work focuses on really seeing the ordinary and sometimes mundane stuff in everyday life. She's one of those people I felt like I know from somewhere, and would like to hang out with.

Ride On

Here's one of the oh-so-many awesome finds at the thrift stores I hit this week. One of these days, I want to make her a saddle.

Sweetie Campbell

Look who we met over spring break! The girl is CUTE. She sits up now, and she also roars. We're in love.

Are you all doing your let-it-snow-lots-and-lots-so-school-or-work-gets-cancelled-dance? I'm bargaining with fate already. If I make it through this stop light, we'll have a snow day. If someone says f*** in the hallway in the next couple of minutes, we'll have a snow day. If I don't eat any junk food today, we'll have a snow day. So far, I'm winning.

I wish I had some cool pictures to post today. I'm taking a quilting class with my friend Rebecca, so maybe I'll take some pictures of our quilts this weekend. The class is at Crafty Planet, which is also called Crafty Ways of Getting All of Julie's Spending Money. I really do love that place. I wondered if I was crossing a boundary during the last class when I asked if it was alright for me to bring wine to the next class. I'm making a quilt for our baby. It feels wonderful to not worry about planning too much because I might "jinx" it. We just need to worry about finishing the paperwork, at right now we're just barely crawling through it. It's so hard because it's filled with questions that we haven't even thought of yet! Who gets your baby if you unexpectedly die? Exactly how will you work out day care? Tell us all about your childhood...

This is probably a boring thing to write about, but I just rediscovered the public library. I love it. It feels like I'm stealing books and then bringing them back when I don't need them anymore. Here's what I've got checked out:
A love like no other : stories from adoptive parents
/ edited by Pamela Kruger and Jill Smolowe.
By the way, I hate the title of this book. It feels so gushy and superior.
Traveling mercies: some thoughts on faith/ / Anne Lamott.
I'm not religious, but a friend mentioned that she Loves Anne Lamott and it peaked my interest. I did really like Crooked Little Heart and liked the one that was something about a Blue Shoe. It was slightly churchy though.
All new people : a novel / by Anne Lamott.
Simply pottery : a practical course in basic pottery techniques / Sara Pearch ; with text by Geraldi
Fodor's France. Have I mentioned that we're going to Provence in July? I'm incredibly excited.
Fodor's Paris.
Sew vintage : new creations from found fabrics / Jennie Archer Atwood
This is the worst sewing book ever. Boring and ugly. Barf.
Gee's Bend : the architecture of the quilt / contributions by William Arnett
This book, however, makes we quiver.

Well, today is the last day of February. Can you guess where I'm going tomorrow? Target. I haven't even looked at their Sunday circulars, much less set foot in the stores. I'm very excited to stop at our local Super Target tomorrow. (Lame, I know) March's challenge: No sugar whatsoever. Youch.

I call this painting "Scary Bonnet Girl". I picked it up at the northeast Unique Thrift store for under $2. You're thinking I was robbed, aren't you? I purchased it for the glamorous frame, but I'm starting to like the scary little girl. It's like I want to get to know her. She's so cute, and yet she looks like she could turn on you at any moment. Maybe she has fangs beneath that closed mouth grin. And why is she wearing those black little things on her wrists? My dark side assumes that she's a cutter. Zander thinks it's a tribute to those who have suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome. IF, and that's a big IF, we get rid of the picture (and keep the frame) who would like to be the first to claim it as their very own?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Life at the all-American high school where I work, on a romantic day like this is predominantly one of two things... 1)The bliss one feels when love is eternal. Of course it's eternal, you dumb old person, and here's a bouquet of carnations to prove it. 2)The crushing pain one feels when there are no carnations. Who cares if carnations are ugly? Who cares if there's not really anyone worth being interested in. I need a carnation. At least one. Please. Not everyone here fits into my two very neat emotional states. The sweetest red-haired boy came to my class early this morning to see if we'd like to hear some acoustic guitar while we were painting. Sure his girlfriend was in the classroom at the time, but while he was playing I got a little weepy thinking about how sweet life can be. How lucky we all are to have a lifetime ahead of us, how lucky we are to have people who love us, and how lucky I was to start my day thinking about it. Speaking of lucky, how lucky is it when you find someone that you love, and like, and think is funny, and creative, and kind? Very. Thank you lucky stars.

How Much is Too Much?

How much would do you in?

This weekend we met the Deets. He introduced me to the concept of a monthly challenge. This month my challenge will be not going to Target. You might think I'm setting my sights a bit low on this one. Not so. I have a bit of a Target obsession. You never know when you might need a new sports bra, or possibly a lip gloss. Oh, and spring shoes might be in and you just can never be too prepared. But to omit Target in February is especially tough. Every year I eagerly wait for their Valentine stuff to arrive, and every year I buy up a bunch of heart themed chotchkies (you get what I'm saying, but how do you spell that word? Even spell-check doesn't know!). This year I'll have to get a smidge more creative, because Target is out until March 1. Maybe they'll still have some Valentine clearance left. Sniff, right guys? What's your February challenge?

Look Who's Turning 1 Today!

Our little nephew Joey is turning 1 year old today. We had his birthday party on Superbowl Sunday, mostly to irritate his Grandpa Mike. Joey ate the cake with his fingers, walked around a lot, tried to bite the cat's tail, said "da-da," "clock," and "quack." He smiles and laughs and is SO ticklish. We love you Joey!

The Power of Broccoli

Despite the fact that I never wear aprons when I cook, I have several really cute ones. I put one on the other night while I was making dinner, and it instantly made me feel domestically competent. (Never mind that the toilet has had cat hair stuck to it for as long as I can remember) While I can't remember what I made for dinner that night with the apron on, it undoubtedly contained broccoli.

When we lived in Japan, I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it because I had no choice but to bike everywhere I went. When we moved back here, I continued to eat whatever/whenever with almost no biking involved and my body has puffed out considerably. In all directions. So I started Weight Watchers online, and after a few weeks I figured something out. I can eat as many vegetables as I want and it won't make me gain weight. Also, I can add vegetables to anything and that'll make me feel fuller and less likely to reach for the tube of cookie dough in my fridge. I've quit paying the monthly fee for the program, but still stick with the veggies. So broccoli mixes in with my eggs in the morning. It also gets stirred into my microwave lunches. Yes, our dinners almost always have broccoli stirred in. It's working. I'm losing weight pretty slowly, but the scale is going down way more than it's going up. I'm half way to my goal. My last real weight loss was almost immediate: 20 pounds in a little over a month just by wrapping bacon around cheese and sausage. This way feels healthier. It feels like it's something I can do for years and not worry about clogging my arteries. It also feels slow and frustrating and quite honestly I think it's harder to lose weight in my thirties. Anyway, here's a recipe I haven't made in a while, but is REALLY good hot or cold:

Weight Watchers Broccoli and Bulgar in Spicy Peanut Sauce
1 cup of bulgar, cooked according to the directions on the box
3 cups of steamed broccoli
peanut sauce: 1/2 cup of cilantro, 3 tablespoons of peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 packet of splenda, and some cayenne pepper.

New Laundry Room

Before: Lots of crappy looking dark wood that looks like it might have blood dripping from it.

After: Paint definitely brightens things up. Doesn't it look nice? It's not like it's elegant, or modern, or even kitschy, but it is so much better. Still, there's a LOT more painting to do before we can officially check this one off the list.

Alright, excuse the crappy concert picture, but it was dark in there, and sometimes, when I do remember to bring the camera, I just basically suck.

Mondays aren't so hard to swallow when they're the follow-up to a fantastic weekend away. We booked the tickets so we could hear Patty sing. The concert was wonderful, partially because I know every word to every song and had to try my hardest to not sing along, but also because it was such a tiny venue. I need to go see more live music... HOWEVER, that didn't really even compare to the fun, fun, fun time we spent with Zander's long-time friend Matt, and his lovely wife Brandi. We all stayed up late, slept late, talked for hours, drank loads of coffee, and even got some thrift-store time in. I can't wait to see them again!

True to my New Year To-Do List, I'm learning how to crochet. This is my first hat, but I've already made a scarf and some little crocheted flowers. I started out with a nice looking ball of $7 wool, but it's so scratchy that I've switched over to acrylic, which is nice and cheap. The color of yarn for the above hat is officially camo. Camo with turquoise stripes. The hat is a little bit tight, but the camera angle was kind enough to not show my forehead fat actually popping through the little holes. I think I'll make another one. A bigger one. It was pretty fun, and much more relaxing for me than knitting. I really like the Happy Hooker crochet book for explaining how to do the stitches and most of the included patterns are pretty cute, too.

Man oh man. If I owe you an email, please know that it's on it's way, and that I'm more tired than I ever thought was possible. After a lovely weekend, getting to see a handful of my favorite ladies, we started back to work on our basement ceiling. This time, armed with a kind-of-crappy-for-this-kind-of-job paint sprayer. We started at 9AM and quit around 6:30. My back and neck hurt from looking up for so long, and my hand feels like a taxidermy claw. I have paint in my ears and in my hair. I've also got both pair of glasses splattered with paint, so maybe tomorrow I'll need to break out the old contacts. I also ran this morning, pre-paint, to make up for a few of the beers consumed last night at my step-dad's 50th birthday party. It's exactly 8:38PM right now, and I'm heading to bed in abour 2 minutes. I owe much of this exhaustion to my mom and my girlfriend. Without the two of them here to help, we might have quit around lunch time. We're still not done yet, but the light is definitely at the end of the tunnel. This week starts semester II at school, and there's been a bit of drama at work lately, but I'll try and post some pictures this week! Take care friends!

Check these hats out. Man, I've been wanting to make a hat for a while now, and these totally inspire me. It won't happen this weekend though. My family is giving me one of the best bday presents EVER. They're coming over to paint my oh-so-ugly and unfinished basement's ceiling. We'll all have white paint in our hair and on our glasses, but I can't wait to see how it looks when it's all one. I'll take some before and after pictures.

To do list: 7 in '07

1. Complete all of the mountains of paperwork and be not-so-patiently-waiting for an International Adoption to happen.
2. Run a half marathon.
3. Learn to crochet.
4. Drink lots of wine... In France.
5. Sell some of my stuff at a craft fair.
6. Go see Patty.
7. Keep working on my photo booth project. (Took first set of pictures on Saturday)

Some things that aren't on the list, but I still want to do: lose 15lbs, make a quilt, try out some winter sports, floss everyday, laugh lots, buy less, keep adding onto the gardens in our yard, water-proof our basement, do all the yoga salutations a couple times a week, get together more with friends, and call my sisters more often. Whew.

Photobooth Help

Attention all twin city folks! I'm looking for photobooths. I want to compile a complete list, and visit them all. Here are the ones I already know about:
1) The state fair (I'm assuming this is seasonal, but does anyone know for sure?)
2) The Kitty Kat Club
3) The Turf Club
4) Lake Street Kmart
5) Is there one in downtown Minneapolis near the shoe entrace to Macy's?

Please comment if you know of any more!

Balance

On New Years Day I was on my way to get groceries when I saw a man running off of the highway and away from his smoking truck. I pulled over and asked him if he needed help, and probably (buried deep inside) I hoped that answer was no. But yeah, he did need some help. He needed my cell phone, which I handed over, no problem. Then, he needed a ride home. At that point, a tiny little voice inside told me that it's not safe to pick up strangers off the side of the road, but an even bigger voice yelled about how much of a jerk I'd look like if I refused. So I let him in the car and started to drive him home. (Some of you are now thinking how stupid I am, and some are probably wondering what the big deal is) Anyway, I was a little bit scared, so I called Zander to let him know what I was doing and then he rode along. Of course we're safe, but I keep thinking about all the what-ifs. Crap! What if something happened to me or to Zander because I said yes to something that I really didn't want to say yes to in the first place? I've seen that movie about passing it on, and I think karma happens, and of course I want the world to be a better place, but WTF, how do ya do it all and take care of yourself, too?

Happy New Year!

This picture will be just one of 2007's many reminders to not take myself so seriously. Could I possibly look any dorkier?

Going up to Two Harbors was a great weekend getaway, and such a fun way to bring in the new year. The weather was crap, but who cares when there are fun people to hang out with.

By the way, I got to the gym tonight at 4PM for a free weight training lesson, only to find Channel 9 News there interviewing the trainer I was scheduled with. They followed us around for a while and I'm absolutely sure that I looked ridiculous, which isn't so bad, I mean I am trying not to take myself so seriously, right? It'll air tomorrow at 5PM.

Pesto madness

While I was explaining to Zander's mom how sick I am of coming home from work and making yet another salad, (because it's quick and easy) she suggested having a few easy foods that I hadn't really thought of on hand. Pasta, pesto and shrimp would make a delicious dinner. Like practically everyone I know, I love pesto. It's good on anything, and it's good even when you're just licking it off your finger. I've made it myself plenty of times, and thought this time I'd try and buy a 'light' version. As far as I can tell, you cannot buy lite-pesto. So I made some. It's darn good. Spread some on your sandwich and see what you think.

1 cup of fresh basil
1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
garlic (I got a bit zealous and used 5 cloves! I'll reduce that to 3 next time)
a dash of tobasco, just because
salt to taste, but it's already a little salty from the cottage cheese

Throw it all in the Cuisinart and you're done.

Christmas Break

Jeez, I haven't updated this site in a while, and I still feel like I've got nothing but kinda boring stuff to talk about. Things here are good. Wow, having a little bit of time off has been FANTASTIC. We've been eating too much, seeing a couple of movies, spending time with our families and friends, making big messes in the house, and pretty much everything that has nothing to do with work. I love it. I've also been inspired to spend a little extra time at the gym with my new little ipod shuffle from Zander. I sound like a commercial, but it really is the size of a matchbook, holds 300 songs, and is so easy to use. I need tricks to get myself to do things that I'm normally lazy about, and this trick is working. Thank goodness, because seriously, by behind is on the large size these days.

Today I'm hoping to get a little sewing done. I just bought some gray cordoroy overalls for 5 bucks and now I'm hoping to turn them into a jumper. I've done this before, but this time it'll be a shorter version. As an overalls lover, I'm perfectly aware that they are not in fashion, but I wear 'em all the same. I've heard there is a scene in Mean Girls that I need to see that will make me stop wearing them. I doubt it.

Tomorrow afternoon we're taking a little trip up to Two Harbors for a New Year get-away. I don't know if there'll be any snow, but no dress-up clothes required and dang that makes me happy. Hope you all had a great Christmas!

This sign has made a surprisingly big difference in my teaching career. While it wouldn't have been appropriate to hold it in the faces of the offending elementary students, it works quite nicely for that purpose in a high school setting. Now if only I could find one that says, "Throw clay and your grubby little fingers get chopped off. P.S. I don't care if you think it's funny".

Speaking of school, here's our shiny new raku kiln. Before I actually tried this process, I thought it was only for the renaissance festival folks, and that I'd either need to be into men wearing tights or braiding baby's breath into my hair. Not so. It's fun, pretty, and all about the anticipation. Oh, and you get to be outside. I'd like to document our day, so bear with me. First, put your raku in the kiln. Heat it up to 1800 degrees and heat up the next batch on the top of the kiln.

Next, open up the kiln and notice how boring the glazes look at this point.

The fun really begins when you throw these hot pots into a trash can full of leaves and newspaper. The change in temperature makes the glaze crack a little bit, and then the cracks get filled with smoke.

Finished!

Well, even just a week later, things are feeling better around here. All the kindness that came our way was very-much-needed medicine. Thank you.

This weekend is a busy one. I'd really like to venture out and start some Christmas shopping, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. My co-worker (the ceramics teacher) recently bought a raku kiln and we're trying it out/firing stuff all day Saturday. I'm interested, but feeling over-worked right now, and the thought of going in on the weekend practically gives me hives. Especially when I really like to lay around reading books and drink coffee in my robe all weekend long.

I just finished Julie and Julia, and yes, I was drawn to it because of its elegant title. However, I finished it and LOVED it because the Julie in the book was so quirky, and smart and funny. She's also some-what impatient, which I can relate to whole-heartedly. All that reading about cooking got me to thinking about cooking something at home that is slightly more challenging than bagged salad mix and english muffin pizza.

Wouldn't this be a fun pan to bake with? The entire lasagna/brownie pan could have crispy edges! Link

Dear friends,

We recently gave you some news that we were going to have a little one this summer. We are sorry to say that this past Wednesday we lost our baby. At 13 weeks we believed we were out of the woods, and began to tell family and friends, but unfortunately luck was not on our side.

Julie is doing well after the procedure yesterday, and we are both feeling better than we were. The doctors are doing some tests to see how we should proceed from this point, and I'm sure they will find something that will help us. We are very lucky to have our health, each other, family, and friends, and we thank all of you for having been so kind and supportive and excited for us.

Zander and Julie

Zander sent this out to a few of you last week. Last night when I was trying (unsuccessfully) to sleep, I was thinking about how this terrible grief feels so many different ways. In the very middle of the night I thought I was pretty profound when it felt very much like a dip cone. Crackly on the outside, but soft and melty on the inside. One wrong step and what appears to be neatly tidy and delicious falls completely apart on your lap in a messy and inedible pile of mush. That's so me. I work really hard to smile and make it look like it's kind of alright, but I might also be fighting eye contact because I'm afraid that when that connection happens I'll just lose it. I'll get snot on your sweater or something. And really, I'm so thankful that we've got so much love around us that is more than happy to have to just wash that off a little later. For now, we're sad and vulnerable and raw. We are getting through it though. It seems impossible, but I already feel better than I did last week, and I trust that next week will be better than right now. I'm already looking forward to some happy day very soon where I'm camera*-ready, and wanting to get home and write all about it.

*I'm saving up for a fancy camera. When I was in high school, I'd blow all of my babysitting money right away. On hairspray and curling irons. When I was a little older, I was so broke, that there was no saving to be had- I was always scrounging for change under the seat of my car so I could buy a little bit of gas at a time. Now that I'm alright for gas, and don't need much curling or spraying, I'm ready to save up. In fact, I just got a $160 check from the consignment shop for a bunch of name-brand crap I bought at Saver's.

Have you gone to see Sweet Land yet? No, throughout its entirety there aren't any helicopters or zombies to be found. You won't miss them. Just pure sweetness is what you'll find, probably why they named it the way they did. Filmed in Minnesota. Go. The main character described her life as "all kinds of happiness". That resonates with me. The kinds of happiness that make you jump on the bed, the kinds that make you snort-laugh, the kinds that makes you worry, the kinds that make you weep, the kinds that make you work harder, the kinds that make you love harder, the kinds that make you a better person. Anyway, thanks for being a part of my happiness. Have a great thanksgiving.

1week of art works

Wow... I love this.

Ah, blissfully sleeping in until after 7... I just love it. Today I don't need to go in to work until NOON! Then I've got parent-teacher conferences until 8ish. I've got about thirty parents scheduled to stop in. It's funny, I used to dread these conferences because I felt like a big, awkward twelve year old around the grown-up parents. I'd get a bit tongue-twisted and my palms would even get a little sweaty. I no longer get sweaty, just tired out by the end of the night. The good news is that there are always some crazies in the mix, which makes for good stories later on the couch.

Yesterday, mid-morning, there was a tiny little knock on my classroom door. Interesting because that door usually gets slammed into, or practically ripped off its hinges. Anyway, it was a super favorite student of mine that graduated when we were in Japan, then got married, moved to Montana and had a baby. All before her 20th birthday. Normally I enjoy my students, new and old, but this girl has always inspired me. She makes and sells baby shoes, AND told me all about how to do it and where to buy the little scraps of leather. She sews her own clothes and just took the train across the country to get to Minnesota for a visit. Jeez, I've been so lazy lately! I'm not really making anything, and I'm certainly not traveling. On regular days, I work really hard at school, maybe get a few groceries to make an easy dinner, take a little nap, then settle into a good book or watch a DVD, and get to bed early. Lame, I know! So today, between now and noon, I'm going down to my little studio and breaking out the mosaics. My little sister is going to get a skull and cross-bones mosaic for Christmas, no matter what it takes!

Happy Birthday sweet Hubby. You are exactly what I never knew I wanted, but have all along. Thank you in advance for not killing me. Re: Posting this picture.

I've got a solid colored canvas-like couch and chair that could really benefit from a little running stitch. I've been thinking about it ever since I saw it at Design Sponge in August.

I love the mis-matchedness of this! (Via Lena) Sometimes I can get a little matchy-matchy. I might need to start my non-matching fabric finding mission this weekend.
This quote of the day (which really, for me should be a line to live by) comes from my Lego loving, football playing, student II Joe. "Whoa dude, whoa."

Right around 7:15 this morning, I broke up a fight between three girls throwing punches at another girl. I heard a slam against my door and then a string of profanities, which lead me to believe that I might be needed out in the hallway. Quickly, I put myself in the middle of the catfight, and screeched for them all to "STAND DOWN!" "YOU, YOU, AND YOU... KNOCK IT OFF!" It took a while for them to do so, but eventually I got them, bloody faced and panting, down to the office. My heart was pretty much racing all day, just ready for another go-round with that 'ol flight or fight reflex. I'm hoping to see the security tape. I can't even imagine how funny I must have looked. It truly makes me giggle just thinking about it.

Speaking of giggling, what do you think about our Halloween decoration this year? After finding Santa in our trashcan the day we moved into our place, we've really used the heck out of him.

Last night was the annual pumpkin carving over in Powderhorn, and this is what Zander and I came up with. His is the fancy Daruma and mine is the some-what-wonky-one with the eyes too close together.
And if you get a chance, head on over to the new Big Time Attic and wish Zander a happy #33! If you are sensitive to the scary-freaky-demented, stay away from Tim's last post. Nightmares, here I come. Jeesh.

It's my "prep hour" at school right now and I'm thoroughly distracted. I should be cutting sheets of watercolor paper and finding stuff for our next lesson. I should be tidying and grading and doing very teacherly things. I simply can't. I've got tomorrow and Friday off, and I say yee-haw to a four day weekend. Unfortunately I'm not feeling super yee-haw. Why is it that it's so easy for me to see promise and wonder in all the people around me, but then shrink and worry and doubt my own future? Why does it sometimes feel impossible to be excited about right now because I'm worrying about what's next? I hate that trait and if I could choose between losing that and losing 15 pounds, I'd live happily in tight jeans forever. Superhero always seems to have some words of wisdom for me. Who is Osho anyway? Jeez, I'd really love to take a world religion class. Unfortunately my world religion class taught us the difference between the catholics and the protestants. It also covered which of the two will most definitely spend all eternity in hell. Don't worry, I won't give away the surprise ending.
On a lighter topic, Battle Star Galactica is the new crack. You want to know what's worse that admitting this addiction? Admitting that it's currently being shown on the Sci-Fi channel. Lame and nerdy! Good thing we're still watching it on Netflix.

Just picked up some Halloween candy on sale at Target today. I opened the bag before I put the cart away in the parking lot. Not a good sign.

In an effort to keep our extra bedroom an actual bedroom, instead of the junk pile heaven it so easily becomes, I'm turning a big attic closet into an office. On Sunday I headed over to IKEA to pick up a few things to help me stay organized. It was packed with loud people with their carts filled with oh so much stuff and of course, their loud children. Blech.

I bought this little honey. Think of all the stamps, paper clips and rubber bands it will hold! Then think about the three hours, 88 mini nails and 16 screws that it takes to put it together. I bought two of them. Don't do it people. You'll curse and cry after smashing your thumb again and then pull out most of your hair.

Then, right after I felt so accomplished for finally getting it together, I see how cute it looks when someone else puts it together.
While I think it'd be lovely to make mine all cute, I'm hoping one of those little fairies come and take care of it for me.

Some random stuff:
1) We sold a foosball table on craigslist this weekend. I was sad to get rid of it, but we just don't use it, and it's been disassembled in our upstairs attic for about 2 months... Anyway, the guy who bought it runs a house for ex-felons re-entering society. He said a couple of the guys will come and pick it up tonight. I hate to be paranoid, tacky and inappropriate, but does anyone have a tazor that we can borrow just for tonight?
2) Got my hair cut last night. My stylist (and sweet friend that I miss) moved to New York and so I've been searching for someone new. I won a certificate to the Hair Police last week, so that made for an easy decision. The good news is that it's right above the best shoe store EVER. Oh gosh, Heavenly Soles, why do you vex me so? Taunting me with your cute little Campers. Aimee gave me a good cut, but whisked me out of her chair with my hair still dripping wet. Not that I was looking for anything special, except maybe not looking like I just got pushed into the swimming pool.
3) Speaking of the salon, my eyebrows are out of control. (Please God, don't let Zander read this. I wan't him to always believe in the magic force that keeps my face perfectly hair free) Anyway, I look like a werewolf. I know some of you have never needed to tweeze, but I on the other hand learned long ago that a good tweezerman is my friend. I need some shaping help. I tend to let them go or sculpt them into the thinnest little line that also looks like crap on me. Anyone know someone good and local?
4) Tuesdays are always a fiesta here at the Irondale salad bar. Score for me and my fiesty little banana peppers. Not that I can really taste the food in my prescribed 20 minute lunch break.
5) I'm going to an acupuncturist today. I'm admitting it. I've been trying to exhaust every possible solution to my lovely fertility issues. This is a consultation visit. If I like having needles stuck into my eyeballs (they do that right?) I'll be referring to her from now on as My Very Own Witch Doctor.
6) Not much craftiness going on lately. It must be the changing seasons, but I'm sleepy. I've been falling asleep before nine for the last few weeks.
7) I wish I could share more specifics on funny things that happen here at school. There are some real jewels lately. However. the students still read this here blog. I'm wondering if this entry will bore them sufficiently, so they will just move on?
8) Belly Dance class starts again this Saturday. We had a break for the last few weeks, and I'm really excited to get started again. It's the beginning of the session. If any of you are interested in trying it out, just let me know. It is high on fun, and oh so low on intimidating.
9) I just picked up the cutest little polyester shirt on the Value Village Halloween rack. It was cheap but really smelled like BO. Knowing that Tide always does the trick, and that I've got a new Vanilla Lavendar fabric softener, I picked it up without hesitation. I've washed it twice now and still can't wear it. Still smells. One more washing and if it does not shape up, I'm donating it right back to the Village.
10) Hope your weeks are going well everyone, and that your Tuesday is filled with something even more exciting than fiesta salad bar...

I know lots of people that can't go to sleep when they're stressed about something. Not me, man. I am and have always been, a good sleeper. I really need less than five minutes and I'm out for the night. Instead, my worrying starts the minute the alarm goes off. This morning I stayed in bed 20 minutes later than I should have. 20 late minutes that made me not wash my hair for the 4th freaking day in a row. 20 minutes that made me drive like a crazy woman to get to work in time to park in the non-student parking lot that always fills up. 20 minutes spent in bed stressing about things I can't change. 20 minutes kind of frozen-like, knowing that if my leg is touching my sweet hubby's, then everything is all right, but otherwise I'm screwed. It wears off, and the rest of the day finds me to be pretty optimistic, happy, and a tad sarcastic. So why in the morning? Anyway, I found this great poster on one of the many websites that I check (and now I can't remember which one) and I think I need to get it tattooed on my face as a constant calming reminder.

First to whine a little... Today I've got a sore throat and eyes that hurt if I don't just look straight ahead. Bleh. Tonight is going to be really low-key.

I've been thinking about my stash of boiled wool sweaters and what needs to be done with them. I like the idea of lined winter hats and was so excited to find this tutorial. I'm imagining some exposed edges and cute embroidery.

I'm on my break right now, multi-tasking. Eating lunch, writing emails, grading papers, ordering Sharpie markers... Of course, trying to get it all done before the kids come back in. It amazes me how frozen I was just one short year ago over leaving the elementary and coming here to the high school. Never did I imagine that I would love it this much. These young people feel so strongly. They're angry and ecstatic. They're funny and intense. Today a student brought me a stack of CDs that she really thinks I need to rip onto the computer here. She worried that all of my music sounds a little like Sheryl Crow. She's probably right. So here I am, getting stuff done to an intereresting mix of Jason Mraz, John Mayer, RENT, and Bob Marley. Not even a little bit like Sheryl now.

Well friends, after a year of putting $##,### into improving our humble little home, the city of Minneapolis has cited us. "Repair or replace the fascia at east side of garage by November 20, 2006"... Or pay a big fat fine and legal action. I'm wondering if they cited the crack house behind us on Lyndale? I'm also wondering what the heck fascia is. City Pages had an interesting article about it a while ago. Yes, crime is a big ugly problem that we can't forget about for even on second over here. We've cried alongside parents that've lost their children to violence here. But somehow and somewhere, someone dreamt up a plan for curb-appeal to be our north Minneapolis genie-friend. And our genie does not like unrepaired fascia or buckets for that matter. I call BULLSHIT, and I know I'm not calling it alone. Right now a some-what-angry complainer is what I am. I'd like to get involved, get more angry, and help bring change. Don't know where to start. Bleh.

Zander is at 24 hour comic day right now. Last year I seem to remember two sorta tipsy girls tumbling in to the 24 hour scene, and disturbing the hard working people doing the drawrings. I think Drivas might have even gotten mooned, if I remember correctly???

Need Inspiration?

Go here! Way to go Rebecca!

More monkeys!

I love these!


From Craftster
Also on Craftster

Well, it's Sunday night and the weekend just FLEW by! Friday night we met up with my sister Sara and her husband. She works for the Good Earth and gets a pretty good discount at Chino Latino, so we met up there. I haven't been there in ages, and man-oh-man it tasted good. Their mango shrimp gets me every time. Oh, and naturally so do the Bloody Marys. I was up for a night of relaxing after all the hype of Homecoming at school earlier in the day. Our seniors used their mad art skillz, and whipped up a few t-shirts the night before. I was a bit flabbergasted when I realized that "Homecoming on your face," was not just bad grammar... It was a dirty little pun! The students were amazed that none of their teachers would let them wear their shirts as they were, so about 50 of them marched grudgingly down to my art room to alter them a bit. It was a pretty funny sight to see. I mean, it was very serious business. Ahem. Saturday night we headed over to the Gnome's place for a little bit of basement chilling. So nice to hang out with you guys! Today we've been doing a ton of laundry and I took a super long nap upstairs with the windows open. I love this crisp air!

I'm home for just a second before I head back to school for "back to school night". Just the parents come to this one and I'm a smidge less than excited. Not that I don't just love to meet 'n' greet, I'm just ready for a little down time. Zander's parents were in town this weekend, and geez, they kept us hopping. In a good way. We had a great time at Jeanne's show, going out to eat, watching Shawn of the Dead on the deck, shopping, and of course, getting a few house projects done. After this weekend, our around the house to-do list has shrunken by about a mile.

Now that this little gal has been sent off to her new home, I can show my newest monkey.

First day of School!

Today just the 9th graders came to school. This is so they can be humiliated about not knowing how to buy their hot lunch without the older students rubbing it in. I think it's such a great idea. This semester I'll be teaching 2 painting classes, 2 Art I classes, and an Art II class. I'm pretty excited, mostly for the painting classes. I'm also thinking about introducing some screen printing to my Art II classes, mostly because I think it's so cool and want to learn how to do it myself.

Yesterday we hit a couple of the 1/2 price thrift sales. This jokerman vase makes me so happy.

I also picked up this cool chicken bowl. It's not in perfect shape, but I just love the design.

As a perfect end to a really perfect day, last night Zander and I drank a bottle of wine and burned stuff. Who knew that'd be so much fun? After tearing down the grossest basement shower ever, we were left with some crappy lumber that was just begging to be burned. I'm learning that this Cannon family is filled with pyromaniacs, and as of last night we've done our part in keeping up the family's reputation. Apparently, Zander's grandfather used to burn all of their trash in the living room fireplace: plastic milk jugs, chicken carcasses and all!

This is my latest crafty project. I call this one the double placemat.