Mutated Antlers, Horseback Riding

Once again, a piece I don't want to part with.  As much jewelry as I make I rarely actually ever wear it;  I'm a hoarder.  I just want to own it though it will get minimal use.  If they were all out and readily accessible maybe they would get chosen as I quickly grab an outfit to get ready for whatever it is I'm late for.  Lately I've been using deer antlers to hang the husband's necklaces from (he's always fabulously accessorized) but I'd need a horrendously mutated deer to produce antlers with enough hangys for the number of necklaces I own. 

So if there are any mad scientists willing to take on this project, e-mail me.  Otherwise I may try and plaster one up myself.  

Laundromats are always super fun.  In Cleveland you could (not legally) buy a 40 next door and enjoy it while waiting for your 7 loads to finish.  Here, there's horseback riding!!

Bracelets and Puppy Diapers

My brother is back from helping out in Haiti and came for a visit with his new puppy!  She poops a lot indoors so they bought her puppy diapers but they were too big.  

She played well with our kitten. She'd grab a toy and start the bell ringing so Millie would run at her to get the mouse and then the puppy would run away, toy in mouth starting the cutest relay races around the house.  

Been making a lot of bracelets to get my jewelry mojo goin again.  Since I've started doing yoga, I was inspired to use a lot of natural materials/ colors.  Hippie Stuff.  My brother gave me one he made- I guess it's a military style and I like it a lot.  Here it is (top bracelet) modeled on the arm Stella found in the trash for me!

Look at that greenery in the background.  Ahhhh....the south!

Pico de Gallo

At  a cool, hidden thrift shop I found a Navy keychain that I loved.  Since so much of my family is in the military (and it was A BUCK) I bought it to put on my fave chain.

To celebrate the amazing weather, we put together a cookout and made Pico de Gallo:

Diced Tomato

Onion

Jalapeño 

Cilantro

and fresh Lime Juice

It's great as a salsa and a topper for anything from burgers to eggs.

Perpetual Groove

There's no better way to acclimate to a city like experiencing their public transportation.  A scary thought in Cleveland, it was a lot of fun last night, making our way into the heart of Friday night action downtown.

We met up with a jam band, Perpetual Groove and the place was packed!  During the second set my husband went up and sang Roadhouse Blues by The Doors and it was great!

We met lots of nice locals and people in the music scene.  Eventually, we worked out a ride home stopping at Steak n Shake on the way and spending some time at the river around 3am.

Cut, Cut, Chop, Chop!

I found this image of thinly sliced tofu on http://veganyumyum.com/ but I still haven't found what I'm looking for.  When I was in Boston, K.t. bought a ready made vegetarian meal that featured tofu so thin it was like sheets of paper!  The textures were amazing and it really allows the flavors to get in there.  I've found a lot of hints for slicing, but none with the result I'm after.

I've also been experimenting with the art of Bangs.  My inspiration is Emma Stone from Zombieland:

I've been thinking about it for a long time and recently invested in some shears.  My only fear was looking like I was three again:

In the end, I was happy with the result although I must stress that bangs should be cut dry.  You really cant account for how much hair "shortens" when it dries; especially wavy hair.  I'm thinking that with a week's worth of growth, and a quick trim I'll be extremely happy with them.

A bit of cleaning then right back to where I left off at 2am;  making gardening aprons using my great-grandmother from Mexico's pattern.  I'd have pics but I was so inspired that I kept working til I was tired and mentally drained from so much inspiration.

Healthy Habits, another tea bag wallet

Found The How To Herb Book at a thrift store today and picked up salad fixins at the store.  Replacing one meal a day with something healthy has been pretty easy and it's keeping me on track to my ultimate goal of having 70% of what I eat being super good for me.

Sauteed Tofu

Avocado

Spinach

Flax Seed

Dried Cranberries

A seed mix

Cucumber

Goat Cheese

Mandarin Oranges

Black Forest Ham

Can't get much healthier than that!   

I've also been perfecting my tea bag wallets:

And as far as my fitness goals, today was the second day in a row I practiced Yoga.  It may not seem like a milestone, but it was an effort that resulted in a goal realized.  As I sat through one of the poses I realized that at least I did it.  

Even if you miss a day, you can't focus on what you didn't do because you're really just where you would be anyway.  Every day I wake up and stretch out on my mat I'm succeeding.  Every day I DONT, isn't a failure, but a day like any other.   I think this attitude will make it easier to return after a break and help keep positive thinking going.  

So many of the health books I've been reading put a real emphasis on not only the diet, but our thoughts. A spirit of giving and love is important and being forgiving not just toward others, but yourself.  If I go a few days without exercising, I'll just try again tomorrow.

I'm still not trying fish, though.  Blech!

Hello, NC!

Had some great help for the move!  She not only spent the night after the party to get a good head start on helping us load the truck, but she brought over a great vegan humus dip with whole wheat pita and her own hemp seed granola to help fuel us during the packing and move.  We did it all in one day to outrun the huge snow storm.  

I can't wait for her cookbook to come out!

We arrived at about 5:30am so all four cats slept throughout the trip, thankfully since I never got around to picking up sedatives from the vet.  Two slept in my lap and two in carriers.  All 6 of us were in the cab of a Budget truck!

It's great going around the city and getting to know the spots around town.  At one eatery, Woody's, we found my husband's band on the juke!

And what trip around your town would be complete without a trip to the local Krispy Kremery to see baby donuts being born?

Can't wait to start doing shows around town and I may even start doing small web pages and print design again.   

More Birthday Gifts

Sterling Silver & Pearls

Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystal

The Sign Guy a.k.a. The Dirty Bird

When I first moved to Tremont, I would wander around the neighborhood exploring boutiques, stores, and the parks.  I began seeing so many pieces of art suspended on telephone poles, on the tops of trash cans, and bolted onto trees.  It gave our surroundings great character and spotting a new one was always a thrill.

You could collect his art by swinging by a gallery during Art Walk or carrying around bolt cutters.

I own a couple of pieces of his and they are definitely going up immediately to remind me of this great eclectic, art community.

These pictures were taken at a gallery event:

All his materials are scavenged.

Homemade Gifts

This month I celebrate the anniversary of two of my friends passing through the birth canal:

Bonnie and K.t.

My lucky friends get the best gifts.  I hand knit this shawl in 3 hours (huge needles and doubling the yarn).  It was supposed to be one side of a large tote bag but upon completion of this side, I pooped out, sewed the sides together and made a shawl.

I also made her necklaces and the purple, web bracelet.

Hand made gifts are the best but you have to make sure the recipient is someone who can appreciate the thought and uniqueness of the piece.  I still have sweaters my mommy made me in elementary.