The Origin of Love

Portland Teaser...

I saw a lot of things in Portland. This was one of them. A big post is on its way!

Sunday Stash?

Oops. I'm a little late on this one, but it's been a hard, hard week. I wish it was still last Sunday! Anyway, I think this Kokka fabric would work really well on a large totebag with contrasting red/brown for handles or trim. Yes?

Pink Slip Special!

In honor of my recent redundancy, I'm offering a super deal: Just mention "Firefly Express" and get 20% off any order in my Etsy shops until the end of August! My loss is your gain!

Billy Ball Ring!

Hey guys! As a kid, I thought that when I was a grown-up, I would be so happy because I'd have the freedom to buy as much "sugar cereal" as my little heart desired. And while I do eat my fair share of Lucky Charms (sometimes marshmallows first, oaty bits second), sometimes I hate the responsibilities and hardships that every adult has to face. More on this at a later date.

On another, totally different note, I found this great ring by RecycledRings on Etsy that looks just like a billy ball (craspedia)! It's a little pricey, but pretty darn amazing.

Hey America!

There are some lame stories going around the Internets right now. First, the legendary Bob Dylan gets mistaken for a transient. Then Shah Rukh Khan, a beloved Bollywood star and one of the most famous people in the world, gets detained at a New York airport.

It is beyond ironic, and just gets into plain ridiculous territory when you discover that Khan was in the US to promote a film he made about racial profiling after 9/11. Seriously? Really? I am astounded by the TSA's levels of ignorance, yet absurd things like this happen routinely, and not everyone has celebrity status to back them up. Blergh.

The only thing I can do as an American citizen is apologize to super-hottie Khan by playing this video from Kal Ho Naa Ho, a great Bollywood starter film that will make you weep like a little weepy baby by the closing credits.



Moral: don't be a racist, an ageist, or a jerk, and above all, know your celebrities, people.

The (My) Great Depression

Nerds! Just as I was getting all cozy and comfortable at my job, I get the axe! Such is temp life. Honestly, with all the relentless cutbacks at the company, it was a miracle that they let me stay as long as I did, and I am very grateful for that .The good side: I actually did a lot of real work during my time there, so my resume is vastly improved with new skills. The bad side: People were nice, and I need money!

However, time heals all wounds, and so does a classic screwball comedy! Here's one that fits the day perfectly. My Man Godfrey is the story of Godfrey, a "forgotten man," (read: homeless dude) ruined by the Depression and living in a dump, and how he comes to work for a prominent family as a butler.

There are so many snappy zingers and unforgettable character actors in this movie, I can't even begin to tell you. It's truly, timelessly hilarious. And, it's in the public domain, which means you can watch it online for free or buy a copy for $1 at Walgreens like I did.

Here's the preview, which contains zero zingers, but just a wee taste of the atmosphere (unlike modern previews, which always give away the best jokes!).

Onward and upward!

Happy Feet!

Something magical must have been in the air last night, because Peter agreed to take dance lessons with me at 200 Grand next month!

This is kind of scary for both of us. I'm a terrible dancer. It is not one of my many, many, many natural skills. My friend once convinced me to join her at an intermediate level salsa lesson, and I still cringe when I think about it. (Yes, I made it out of the room before I started crying.) Pure torture!

I need about double the amount of practice time to catch up with the average person. And that's frustrating because I like to excel at everything immediately without having to work at it. Doesn't everyone? :)

But I've always wanted to know some traditional dances, as well as some zippy swing moves. And now I have someone to practice with. This video of the foxtrot doesn't look too hard...

When Opportunity Knocks...

I've been reading a little self-help literature lately, and my most recent book told me that I should give myself permission to do something frivolous and not worry about it.

Therefore, as a gift to myself and a boon to my always questionable mental health, I made the bold step of ordering three tickets to go see PEE WEE HERMAN, live on stage!

I've invited two dear friends to accompany me, and come November, I'll be traveling to Hollywood to see this beloved kitsch icon! I can't wait. I wrote a whole other super-serious post about Pee Wee and television and youth and creepy adult stuff, but it got too big and intense for such a joyous occasion, so for now I'll just say that I heart Pee Wee and his Playhouse and I am SO excited to take a little trip.

Here's a clip I remember well. Ice cream soup!

Projects projects projects....

I've got a lot of projects brewing in my mind right now. It's exciting to have ideas! Here's the project I'm most set on doing (and the one I'm most likely to finish). I'm no great embroiderer, but I love how stitched prayers and sayings look; there's something about embroidered words that seems extra meaningful. My parents have a beautiful cross-stitch of the Irish Blessing (less cool version above) that hangs in my brother's room; it's one of my favorite things.

When I came across this poem last week while doing my "lunchtime literary studies" (browsing various authors on Wikipedia at work while eating my cup-o-soup), I knew what my fall project would be.

Late Fragment

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.

--Raymond Carver

Carver wrote this poem when he was getting his last book in order before his death. I love it very much. I've only ever read his short stories, which I also love very much, but now I'm definitely going to read his poems too. I think this would be really special to stitch by hand and hang in my house.

The question is, how do I find a good embroidery font? Everything online is just cheesy or made for machine stitching. I want to do something like the below; I think I'll just end up using my own handwriting though. Any advice?

Sunday Stash!

Thanks to my new blogamigo Chantry, I'm now introducing yet another Sunday feature, Sunday Stash. This is when people with absurd amounts of fabric showcase a favorite every Sunday! I totally fit into this category, so here goes!

This fabric is a new addition to my stash, from the fine folks at Superbuzzy, who have unequaled taste in zakka. I call it my depression-fighting fabric, because it's all about being mindful of the little things, like tea time and good books and cute birds.

If I can ever bring myself to cut into it, I might make a tiny quilt with little squares for each activity/reminder. Can you think of any other ideas?

If your drawers are overflowing with unused fabric and you want to join Sunday Stash too, go here and sign up!

New Weekly Feature: Sunday Laptop Matinee!

Hey gang! I just wanted to clue y'all in to the fact that a very special movie is now available on Netflix Watch Instantly for your lazy Sunday matinee!

I've mentioned The Ruling Class on here before; and it's a weird and haunting and hilarious piece of art. Here's a preview, but it doesn't really offer any insight on the range of insanity that you will see if you watch the whole movie. Seriously.

No, seriously. It's got auto-erotic asphyxiation, slapstick comedy, a murder mystery, lots of dry British humor, and more Peter O'Toole than you can shake a stick at.



If you do end up watching it, and find yourself asking, "What the hell was that?" here's a helpful article about the historical/theatrical context. Then we can have a fun conversation about whether it was more influenced by the Theater of Cruelty or Theater of the Absurd! I'm ready!

Dollyannacowgirl

I love this doll. And I'm not alone. There are kazillions of grown-ups playing with Blythes, which I think is awesome. Why not? Making tiny clothes for her is an activity I love doing! I always wanted to design clothes, and now I have my chance!

Therefore, I present to anyone interested, my new Etsy shop, Dollyannacowgirl. I'll be selling the dresses I make, as well as tiny-sized versions of Pollyannacowgirl jewelry. Hooray!

Also, I look like this now.

Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Penny

Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending the day with ten other East Bay crafters and artists in the Parlour Gallery loft at Pretty Penny, Oakland's favorite vintage shop! Here are a few highlights:

The lovely Monica of Wonderwear. Her work is delicate and really beautiful; just like her! I lusted after a necklace made with a triangle of vintage lace and gems, but foolishly left it behind. My life is a series of regrets!

Lauren Davis of CrookedSister organized the event along with fellow artist Bennykelly; above are Lauren's flowers and bowties, made from all vintage fabrics, many of which came from the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse, a resource that we are SO lucky to have in the 'hood. I got two awesome hair clips, but also coveted her hand-embroidered bags (she does everything by hand!). Here's me with my seashell hair clip along with my bunny earrings and my sexy tank from Queen of Hearts.



A rare tolerable side-view pic!



My space. It was fun to scale down from the previous weekend's monster space to my good old wee table. It was also divine that all my stuff was already packed and ready. If only it were always this easy!



Laureen and John are the proprietors of Volta Press, a printing studio that just had their open house yesterday! Their work is just seriously awesome, and their studio is cute and tidy, with butter-yellow walls and a kick-ass Vandercook letterpress. They take the art of letterpressing seriously and it shows! Dare I say that if I ever get married, I know who's making my invitations.


I fell in love with these earrings from It's Scrap, my booth neighbor to the left. They are made from scraps of bookbinding leather, and printed using the same kind of machine that prints book covers. Awesome, yes? Lara, the designer, is also a poet and a super-cool lady; I never thought that I could find jewelry emotionally touching, but there's something about her stamped phrases that really gets me!



I made a handful of excellent trades, including a gorgeous pair of bottle-cap bunny earrings from Lea of Salvaged Beauty, and two haunting hand-sewn notebooks from Allison of Abeo Bestia. My table was located next to these two hilarious ladies, and their good cheer made my day. Seriously, I have never encountered such a friendly group of ladies; it was a total party up there; we dished about exciting things like business licenses and sales tax and small-space crafting, which was great.

Below you'll find me yakking it up with Bess from Bird vs. Bird, a famous Etsian and fellow container-gardening, tiny-home-living, full-time-working, Yahoo-News-reading Oakland lady. Yes!



I just had the best time; from time to time a young man came around to serve us ice-cold beers, which may or may not have contributed to my epic slo-mo fall into a pile of my own purses. If that isn't a sign of a great craft show, I don't know what is. But seriously, this event was so well-curated and I left wanting to hang out with everyone again soon. I also sold a lot, which is always a bonus. Cheers to Pretty Penny, Lauren, Kelly, and everyone else who made last Saturday rock!

July!

Well, hell's bells, it's been a long time. I'm gonna have to rewind a few weeks, to my 30th birthday celebration in San Luis Obispo. I was lucky enough to spend the day with my family, doing all the things I like to do, which are mostly variations of eating and drinking. Sometimes my hometown likes to torture me with wonderful places and events that tempt me to stay forever; the charming new restaurant Granada Bistro is an example. Housed in an old building marked for demolition next year, Granada's owners created a tiny, ethereal hangout that will disappear before people realize how great it is. They serve international wines and beers at a reasonable price, and the decor is lush and homey. I'm not going to go into flowery detail, because I just read a food review last night that, and I kid you not, used the phrase "snarky watercress" in reference to some sandwich. Really?


That said, I also very much enjoy the food and atmosphere at Buona Tavola in SLO. They serve an olive tapenade with mustard seeds along with an array of fresh breads that is truly the greatest condiment ever. You can buy it in jars now, but it's never quite the same when you're not sitting in a sunny garden patio with twinkle-lighted trees.




Then, Renegade Craft Fair! What a weekend. I met tons of new people and sold my heart out. I also got to catch up with old friends and acquaintances, who just kept appearing at my booth! That was a nice surprise.

A few sweet trades with fellow vendors, including this adorable birdie ring from Beebalalou sitting on top of an apron from Hambone & Jennicakes, filled my shopping urges, so I, too, left Fort Mason a satisfied customer. Exhausted, but satisfied.


Next up: what I did last weekend, in sepia tone!

Not a fast learner...

Remember yesterday when I wasn't freaking out? Yeah, scratch that. I'm freaking out a little. So much to do, so little time! Like, seriously! This is the plight of a life-long procrastinator. I'm pretty sure that there hasn't been an time that I haven't procrastinated, no matter how important the event/assignment/job. I always wait until the last minute. And amazingly, I learn nothing from the disastrous results!

But I miraculously squeeze by every time, which should happen this time as well. I'm also really excited; I have a lot of new products and an all-new display, including my beloved pea-soup green school desk.

When I'm at work and I need to get things done, I like to listen to French 60's pop. When I need to do mindless busywork, I listen to stand-up comedy. Right now, I need to get things done, so here's a Scopitone of France Gall singing "Baby Pop," one of my nose-to-the-grindstone superjams.

I can't tell if this is the most boring video I've ever seen, or the most awesomely nuanced piece of film of all time. I suspect a little of both.

Let's do a vote; whose dancing do you prefer, the girl in the white dress, or the black?

Less than 48 hours until the big days. SO NERVOUS/EXCITED. However, I'm not feeling frantic. I spent last weekend being so edgy and crazy that I think I'm plumb out of panic, and have moved into a resigned (though I prefer to call it relaxed) state of mind. So that's good, right?

Last night we watched some episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation while I cut chain, glued feathers and charms onto vintage plastic hair combs, and ate a chocolate bunny left over from Easter. Multitasking?

Hey! I disappeared there for a while, having a strange, wonderful, painful, eventful birthday weekend. I swam in the ocean, saw Carrie Fisher put on a Princess Leia wig, ate fig & prosciutto stuffed quails, laughed a lot, cried a lot, received many greetings from friends I desperately miss, got my hair did and my teefs cleaned, and now I'm back to face the music, whatever that may be. Mostly, crafty catch-up!

I'm going down to Los Altos tonight to pick up this sweet old school desk for my display at Renegade. I don't like being behind a table; I feel hidden and also like I'm reaching and fumbling awkwardly all the time. So I thought it would be nice to be a little more accessible to customers, while still having flat space for credit cards, wrapping, etc. I've been scouring Craigslist for a good, affordable desk, and amazingly, this gem was still available. Isn't it cute?!

As usual, I'm scrambly and panicky trying to get Pollyannacowgirl stuff made in time, but that's the way I've always rolled, so why would it be any different now that I'm the big 3-0?

By Special Request...My "Tribute" to MJ

I grew up less than an hour away from Neverland Ranch. Whenever anyone saw a stretch limo in the area, we always assumed, "Oh, Michael Jackson," and craned our necks for a peek of the white glove. One of my friends even saw him once, shopping at the Toys 'r Us in Santa Maria.

What I'm trying to say is that Michael Jackson was always there, on tv, on the radio, and in our general kid consciousness. If you're my age, your best memories of him were of his early 80's persona, when you were still too scared to watch Thriller. I remember hearing "Billie Jean" when I was four or five and getting kind of spooked by it; I think I found the synth riff haunting; it made me feel sad. (I also got spooked by the song "Maneater," and any song with a robot-sounding voice. That's the kind of kid I was.)

I don't feel personally sad about his death, because the version of Michael Jackson my inner child remembers has been gone for years and years. But I feel sad about a lot of other things. How does a person get to that point? To live the way he did meant that he had no real friends, no one to say, "Hey. What are you doing? We're concerned about you," but merely an army of yes men willing to prescribe any drug, to keep weird sexual secrets, and who knows what else. Such an odd, dark path doesn't happen without the consent of many outside parties. Also, there's us, the public who loved to watch as his life became increasingly bizarre. "Did you hear what Michael Jackson just did? What a freak!" People love to watch a downward spiral.

It seems like if you magically got whatever you wanted, that things would turn out pretty good.

But if what you want is your lost childhood, you end up with a monkey, a lonely amusement park, and slumber parties that weren't quite right. It's an incredible story, really, and that's what I can't stop thinking about. Not Michael Jackson the person, because we'll never truly know about that, but the fact that his crazy, sad, fascinating story is over. MJ never stopped trying to find whatever it was he was looking for, we never stopped watching him, and that, my friends, is "human nature."

Happy 4th of July!

I know it's the 5th already, but I hope everyone is having a great weekend! I'm at my parents' house, eating as much as I possibly can and playing with dolls. (Which is an ideal weekend for me, obviously.)