Community!

I always want to hate most tv shows; they have work pretty darn hard to prove their worth to me. (Sorry, Parks and Recreation.) It even took me a while to warm up to 30 Rock, a show that I love so much it gives me a little tingle, like seeing the boy you had a crush on at, say, community college.

I spent two excellent years at community college, where I met a smorgasboard of freaks and geniuses alike, and honestly, got a better education than at the four-year state school I later attended. Therefore, I was kind of excited to hear about NBC's new show, Community.

The premise is kinda silly; a lawyer who gets caught with a fake degree is forced to back to his local community college, but whatever works to get into the strange dynamics of all 2-year schools. I thought the pilot had potential, and upon watching the second episode today, I am forced to deem this show hilarious! Chevy Chase as the obligatory obnoxious "returning student" is inspired; nobody does pompous ass like he can (I wonder why!). Here's an episode for your judgement.

Sunday Stash!

I couldn't resist this fabric. I am currently making an Amy Butler bag with it; results soon in my shop. In other news, I'm watching The 'Burbs and drinking iced tea with one Sweet 'n Low. I know the saccharine is killing me, but I don't care. A woman has to have some vices.

A day in the life of a shiftless drifter...

I don't think the sale is over, either. Get your own inside pants!

Oh yeah; here's a humorous video about Ghostbusters!

RIP Johnny Castle

RIP, Patrick Swayze. I didn't see Dirty Dancing until I was mostly grown-up, but I've watched it enough since then to make up for lost time. A classic. The Swayz had a weird and varied career (To Wong Foo, anyone?) but was beloved by all. This quote from my fave film website sums it up nicely: "He’s made a lot of bad movies, too, but somehow, most of those only endeared him to us."

Here's how I'll remember his charm and gorgeous dancing skills. Sorry for the terrible quality, but it's the only video with the actual sketch. Enjoy!

Sunday Stash!

Whew, I just made it! This new Kokka fabric is the best; from making little dolls to appliqueing on everything. I'd like to have yards and yards of it, but as I am both poor and cheap, I only have a half-yard.

You mean I have to pay attention?

I swear, guys, I don't just sit around watching movies all day. Wait. Well. Okay, I do. But I do it simultaneously with a million other activities, including any crafting or sewing. It drives people crazy. They ask, "How can you stand not actually watching the movie?" as I'm usually looking up only occasionally from my work to see the picture. But I can hear all the dialogue just fine, and that's enough entertainment for me.

However, this doesn't work with silent movies, which is what I chose to watch tonight after going through 25 screenfuls of Netflix options. I'd never heard of this one, Aelita, Queen of Mars, and for whatever reason, it was the only thing I could consider spending my time on this evening.

Basically, it's about a bunch of poor folks trying to make it through the days during the Russian Revolution. One of these guys really, really wants to go to Mars, and the best parts of the film are his Martian fantasies. Oh, and did I mention it was the first movie about space travel?

I won't lie to you: it's pretty darn slow, but worth it for the scenes on Mars; the sets and costume design are crizzazy! Get a taste, or watch the whole thing on YouTube.

Earlier today, I made this while "watching" Clueless, an equally enjoyable film that takes a little less scrutiny to comprend.

God Gave Rock and Roll To You...

The couch I watched all my vacation movies from.

Whenever I visit Portland, I stay with my beloved friend Derek, who lives in the same building I used to live in. It's a little bit like going back in time, to return to the exact same building where I spent my formative years making all the strange choices one makes in their early 20's, but I love staying somewhere familiar and cozy. Not to mention that Derek's apartment is impeccably decorated with a film memorabilia collection that demands its very own future post.

Derek also has the amazing skill of curating an evening at home with absolutely appropriate drinks and films that you'd never end up watching otherwise, and blowing out your mind with their awesomeness, no matter how avant-garde. On my last trip, I was introduced to the super-trippy short films of Kenneth Anger, and the beautiful underwater cinematography of Jean Painleve. The Criterion Collection recently put out an amazing collection of his works, including a big chunk of films re-scored by Yo La Tengo called "Science is Fiction." Beautiful! Here's a sampler.


Also, I guess when you search "Jean Painleve octopus" on YouTube, the following video comes up as well. A magical non-sequitur to take you into whatever today has to offer you! Enjoy.

Experimentation

I'm pretty proud of myself for stepping up and attempting the most difficult Blythe pattern I own. It was pretty tedious, but doable! The sleeves ended up being way too long, so I shoved them up for a more casual look.

Now on to a week of even more tedious work, manning the front desk at another big technology company. Just kidding. I love boring jobs! Work is work and I'm glad to have it. Hopefully there will be ample time for blogging, though.

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!