Work

For the last few months i have been applying like mad to, well, everywhere. The market is tough, and its really tough with only a few years of experience.
I was recently asked to submit some hand and computer drawn textile illustrations. I haven't done a fabric print by hand since college, mostly its unusable. sometimes i sketch something, scan it and create the actual print in illustrator, but rarely.
Below is what i came up with to send them. I'm rather happy with how they turned out, I always feel my croquis are a bit cartoon-y.
p.s. click the images for a larger view.

makeup

I don't talk about makeup much. mainly i like clothing, and makeup irritates my skin- even the hypoallergenic stuff. so i just don't wear a lot.

Recently i discovered that a certain fashion/gossip web site that i frequent does reader submitted makeup/skin/hair advice.

It's worth a read through.

Beauty 101

i know what i want for my birthday

I want this.
Could I make it? Maybe. or something similar, that gave the same impression, but was less complicated. frankly i think you need an industrial machine to do some of those seams.
Absolutely stunning.

garden finds

Rummaging around in my garden the other day I found a few ripe tomatillos. This is the 3rd year we've had them, and the first year of any actually ripening. They came back from last year- most likely because I am a lazy gardener and left everything in the garden over winter. Clearly the seeds were incubated enough from the plant material to come back. I also found a tomato. Who knew?
We also had lettuce come back, and of course pumpkins of some sort.
Everything seems slow to mature this year, i hope we have some full size pumpkins by Halloween- assuming it doesn't freeze too hard. [Last year i planted giant pumpkins, only to end up with yellow squash.]
I had not really realized that leaving the plant debris would be enough for seeds to sprout in the spring. Denver- while it is fairly dry in the winter, does get quite cold at times. Last year our first big freeze was the second weekend of October, where it hit 17 F.
I recently visited a picking/ homesteading garden with my mother [you can read about it on her blog], in Boulder, where I learned that the owner overwinters her Zinnias by covering them with leaves every fall.

I'm hoping for some of these big flat red lovelies

Autumn!

It's finally here!!
Summer is nice and all, but i dislike the never ending heat.

Autumn means warm days with cool nights. shirts to sweaters, sun to snow and beautiful beautiful leaves.
For me there is this kind of energy around autumn, its like, anything can happen and all sorts of wonderful things do happen. This is the best part of the year- what i look forward to most.

mittens, apple cider, halloween, pretty trees, pumpkins, tea, cool air, bonfires, comfort food, sweaters, etc.

what do you love about fall?

cabin

We had a lovely trip.
the aspens are starting to change in the high country, the nights are cool and the days are sunny and breezy.

I believe we have started a new tradition. Campfire Curry. No one is skilled enough to actually cook it over the fire, but it was a perfect, round the fire dinner.

Apparently it is also hunting season, as shots were heard while hiking.

i don't have any really great stories, but we had a good time, the weather was beautiful and that is all i can ask for.

Cabin Weekend!

Cabin Weekend!
it's been 2 years, i cant wait!

from the last time we were there:

peach ice cream

I got some peaches from my neighbor recently. A big ol box. First i made a couple pies and then i but some in a jar with some rum and then i thought i would can some and make ice cream.

Being lazy, as i am, the peaches sat for a couple days and by the time i went to do some canning they were rotten. Well, not all of them, about enough for a pie or two batches of ice cream.



I stumbled upon this recipe the other day and decided to give it a try.

from what i can tell from licking the spoon, it turned out pretty good. Even though i forgot the vanilla.

the result

For those of you waiting with baited breath, I chose the fancier and cheaper Morgen Monroe.

maybe I'll paint the case.

sold a roll top desk and a pair of roller skates to buy a banjo.

For several moths i have been taking banjo lessons. Actually for the last couple i haven't, but have been practicing at home.
I have been renting an instrument, the deal was, the rental fees from the first 6 months become a store credit towards purchase of an instrument, after that they just go into the void of rental fees.
I've reached my 6 month mark, and I'm still interested in learning. really learning, how to play.
Its an instrument that i like, and my chance to have a musical ability beyond the simplest one note song i learned on the recorder in 3rd grade.It has become clear that it would be in my best interest to invest in a really good beginner/ intermediate banjo, rather than a cheap one.also i have been renting a nice one. so you know. hard to go back now.
So. i sold my roll top desk, and my roller skates to buy a banjo.
Option 1.
I've been renting the Deering Goodtime II. it's easy to tune and the sound is good. but its plain. and who ever designed the head was an idiot.



But I've been researching painting it. I've heard that painting can change the sound, but by how much i don't know. A number of months ago i fell in love with the Sara Ryan painted Creston guitars.What if i added similar style designs on the back and head? [i do know of people who have taken the whole thing apart to refinish it, but i don't want to do that.]



Option 2.
The Morgan Monroe MNB-1W
I've looked at numerous pics of this banjo and it is very red and apparently there is quite a bit of gold- rather than nickle color on it.
i like the mother of pearl inlay. overall it is much prettier.

the catchiest video on the internets this week

the catchiest video on the internets this week

OO, OO, OOOOOOOO

PHAMALy Presents: Disneys Beauty and the Beast

Several years ago i was working with PHAMALy on costuming. After I was hired at Miller i found that even volunteering for the evening show portion was too much- 5 to 1am.
Thursday I found that the girl i used to do cosumes with, was back in town and helping with the show. i showed up to help dress fro 2 nights. It as fun to be back. PHAMALy is an amazing company.

This years production was Beauty and the Beast.

The review in The Denver Post.

oh Etsy. you make my heart flutter.

i was going to post about our trip last weekend to Yarmony Grass. But alas, my camera's battery charger is no where to be found.

I have been looking around Etsy lately, always amazed at what i find there. thinking aobut opening a store. Seems like as good a time as any to get into the faery crown buisness. [besides i have some supplies, might as well try to sell a few.]

I always find so many wonderful things at Etsy.

Love this woman's jewelry- especially these unique constellation rings.Sagittarius, of course.

A beautiful leaf and floral scarf.
To, fun steam punk goggles.I really try not to spend too much time here.

jelly and so much more

the weather was perfect this year for fruit trees- even early blooming Apricots that almost always get frozen out. I believe its been close to 15 years since my mother apricot tree produced more than 3 pieces of fruit.we are now quickly finding various ways to preserve this bounty of fruit.
i actually started a couple weeks ago with making Cherry Bounce. a simple recipe caught my attention and i figured it would make great gifts.previously we have tried to make apple butter and plum jam and have not had luck with the seals working correctly. my friend Mary sent me a couple recipes out of the book she uses.

today i made apricot jelly and apricots in rum- following the same theory as the cherry's.
yesterday i started making apricot leather. and i hope to add apricots in light syrup, and apricot habanero jelly.
assuming these projects go well, i may see if i can get my hands on some more free fruit. apples and peaches are both popular in Denver.

Oregon Trail: The Musical- update

we mentioned this a couple weeks ago, and had some enthusiasm. we are aware that someone has it on youtube already, but we think we can do better.
beyond some enthusiasm, nothing much has happened on the project. unless Tim is secretly writing songs when I'm not around so he doesn't have to hear my helpful lyrics.
i have pretty much been forbidden to write lyrics.
So that is where it stands. i would really like to see this project actually happen. it could be fun and creative. and we had a blast helping Adam make is Dr. Horrible Henchman application.

music video of the week

Love This: Jonathan Coulton - First of May - ASL Song

ouch, my kidney

well, really Her kidney.


a friend of a friend who we have met on numerous occasions took a spill while out mountain biking Wednesday. She hurt Her kidney and had internal bleeding. She hopes to be out of the hospital soon, but doesn't have health insurance and cant return to work for a while. Below is the official write up from the Colorado Mountain Bike Association.

Help Nancy Kelly!

Nancy Kelly, Founder of the Dirt Divas and COMBA Board of Directors member, sustained an injury to her kidney while leading a Dirt Diva's ride at Lair o'the Bear on Wednesday July 22nd. She is currently in Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge while doctors monitor internal bleeding that resulted from the trauma. Luckily, Nancy's condition is improving rapidly and she hopes to be back home soon. Please send her your love and healing thoughts.

Nancy is a cornerstone of the local riding community. Through her work with the Dirt Diva's, COMBA, and local shops, she has introduced hundreds of women to the sport of mountain biking. Unfortunately, helping your community does not always come with large financial rewards -- or even health insurance. Nancy's stay in the hospital will hopefully be short, but she has already amassed a large amount of medical expenses for testing and hospital stay.

Join us in coming together as a community to help one of our own. While Nancy is resting and healing her body, we can help her heal the financial wound by contributing using the secure button below. Thank you!

If you prefer you may send checks to help Nancy with her medical expenses to:

ATTN: Nancy Kelly Medical Fund
COMBA
PO Box 280415
Lakewood, CO 80228-0415

Kinko Fry

i have really come to love KinkoFry. this comic makes my heart go pitter patter.

road trip to the balck hills

A couple weekends ago we headed to the Black hills for a family wedding. the wedding was held at the Flying V in New Castle Wyoming.

Bride and Groom

Family

After the wedding, Mr. T and i headed over to the Black Hills of South Dakota. We took a Lantern Tour at Jewel Cave- which was awesome.
We lucked out and had a cool rainy trip- instead of 100 deg and humid. We Found a homemade pie and ice cream shop in Custer SD.
Then we ventured over to Custer State Park, where we walked and climbed around Sylvan Lake. It is beautiful and different than we would have found in Colorado. My interest in Sylvan Lake steams from a family road trip photo album from the 1920s. My great great aunt and some friends borrowed dads car and took a road trip from north eastern Nebraska to the Black Hills of South Dakota. the camped and stopped to make jam along the way. Below are the photos i took and a couple of the photos they took.
Ladies on a hike. in the book, they write that they got up very very early to hike to this point, hoping to be there when the sun rose. i believe that the sun rose quicker than they could hike, but they had a good time anyways.
A fish made from a car at Carhinge in Alliance, NE.


it was an awesome trip.