Santa Gage

That is my silly son under the sweater and Santa hat. He has been ill for about four weeks and my worst fears were relieved this morning at the pediatric G.I. Specialist and Strong Hospital. We are so fortunate to have this amazing hospital and its staff right down the street. The poor kid has been in a lot of pain and vomiting a couple of times a day for well over a month. We were assured that he shows classic symptoms of a bacterial stomach infection. He is taking and anti-biotic and hopefully by the new year he will be right as rain. Let us all count our blessings and help those who have less, bring love to the world and rejoice.

Foundling with bird

A local store called Arenas is carrying my hand sewn foundlings and owls. Arenas is one of the nicest flower and decorating shops in Rochester and I am honored that the owner likes my work. I will be delivering cards there soon, and I have other miscellaneous items n the store as well. For locals, there is no better place to shop for gifts. After you have enjoyed the eye candy in the store - go have lunch down the block at Orange Blossom.

Cupcakes and Candy

Bake it Pretty has posted the tutorial for these adorable cupcake ornaments. If child has a birthday around Christmas this would be a super party craft (I would make the glitter balls ahead though!). Also on this website is a tutorial to make White Chocolate Candy Buttons. I wish I had found it sooner, as I am selling my wares at the Knitting Guild tonight. They would have been a fun give-away. You do need a Button Mold to make these though - so look for one next time you are out and about.

Upside down and backwards

¡ʇı ǝǝs - sǝɹoʇs ǝɥʇ uı 'qǝʍ ǝɥʇ uo - ʇı puıɟ oƃ - ǝɔıןɐ pǝןʇıʇ ǝɹnʇɐɹǝʇıן ɟo sǝɔǝıd oʍʇ ǝsǝɥʇ ɟo uoıʇɐʇdɐpɐ ɹɥ 4 ʇuǝןןǝɔxǝ s,ןǝuuɐɥɔ ʎɟʎs ǝɥʇ pǝssıɯ noʎ ɟı ʎɐʍ ǝɥʇ ʎq ˙puɐןɹǝpuoʍ uı sǝɹnʇuǝʌpɐ s,ǝɔıןɐ puɐ ssɐןƃ ƃuıʞooן ǝɥʇ ɥƃnoɹɥʇ ɟo ǝɯ spuıɯǝɹ ʇı¡ooʇ spɹɐʍʞɔɐq puɐ uʍop ǝpısdn ǝdʎʇ uɐɔ noʎ ǝɹǝɥʍ sı ǝɹǝɥ ʇnq - oʇ ʇuɐʍ pןnoʍ ǝuo ʎuɐ ʎɥʍ ǝɹns ʇou ɯɐ ı ¡sıɥʇ ǝʌǝıןǝq noʎ uɐɔ

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

I was given this recipe by my dear friend Sarah. I seem to have trouble creating a consistent outcome for these - but they are my favorite snack, so I continually try to make them correctly.

You'll need: (and the amounts are random as I don't measure for this recipe - likely the reason they rarely come out the the way I like them best - but no matter what you do - they will be delicious).

Two 6 oz. bags of Almonds

Brown sugar

White sugar

Cayenne pepper

Honey

Olive oil

Mix up in a big bowl, as you will be adding the almonds, to this bowl about

1 cup of honey

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup of olive oil

and then heat it in the microwave for 1 or 2 minutes

Toast the almonds on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about five minutes. Don't let them burn.

Add the almonds to the hot sugar mixture and let the whole mixture cool for about an hour.

Spoon the almonds out of the sugary stuff with a slotted spoon and spread them in a single layer onto parchment paper.

Now mix up about:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

a tablespoon of Cayenne pepper

a pinch of salt

Sprinkle this mixture onto the sticky almonds, let it sit five minutes or so and then sort of toss them around, you sprinkle more white sugar on until the almonds don't seem too wet. You can put the almonds into a ziplock bag and squish them around more, this way your hands don't get so messy. when they are ready, which means not clumpy yucky sticky messy - place them in gift bags.

New Bags

I just posted the bird one on Etsy. But the Squirrel has already found a caring family to keep it safe and warm for the winter. Right now I am looking forward to a weekend of holiday parties! Beginning soon, at 4:00! I have to go get dressed!

I am ready to end this selling season, but nervous to find out how the money part will be, or not be, in January. I do just lovemaking these things I make. I want to experiment on some weird dolls and other strange creatures. I also want to knit myself a sweater. But I am going to focus next week on making hand made holiday gifts, so check in for the recipes and quick crafts that I will be sharing, including microwave peanut brittle, candied orange rind, hot mustard and cookies of course.

torch work

I created these strange maggots with wings at the torch on Tuesday. I am not sure too many other people will appreciate these characters, but I like them. The glass flowers were made in a class I took a while ago. They are made of Borosciliate, which is kind of interesting glass to work with , but I am bored by the boring clearness of it.

More Etsy

I am almost sold out of fingerless gloves and very busy making a few customs pairs. I made these ivory gloves with pastel embroidery a while ago, but no one seems to like white gloves - so last week I over-dyed them a light brown.

I like the new look a lot and may even keep them for myself - I have one pair of my own fingerless gloves and would like another pair. But they are on Etsy for now, as well as this beautiful Wedgwood blue pair.

More More Fire

Saturday and Sunday I assisted at the more Fire Holiday Open House. It is such an amazing community of artists and admirers. I watched Jen (above) work on these stunning glass birds (below) all day! In the pictures she is making a really large bird, about 11" in diameter. She has a whole flock of the little ones and they are only $75. They are so beautiful and full of character in the most subtle, abstract way. I really believe she will soon become a glass star and these little beauties will be out of most of our reach.

More Fire is open every day 11:00 - 6:00 until Christmas. There are still many beautiful ornaments ($20 each - buy 6 get one free) and jewelry. Don't forget - where ever you do your shopping - buy local and buy handmade if you can.

Jen made this precious baby bird in its blue nest a while ago, and I had been eyeing it at More Fire. My wonderful husband bought it for me for Christmas and it was supposed to be a surprise, but that didn't happen for reasons I won't go into here. I am so happy to have him and see him every moment as I am now working at home and around him all the time.

agreements

I have been working so much I have hardly had any time to think. At my old horrible job I had plenty of time to think, a fine example of that old adage - you don't know what you have until its gone. But I am trying to balance my time better and I did do some thinking this morning. A friend of mine turned me onto a wonderful book, The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz.

One of the agreements I have found to be very difficult is the one about not taking things personally. And when it comes up in conversation, many of my friends find this difficult too. I have been thinking about this a lot. And I now believe it is because we are such individuals in our culture. We are supposed to be independent and for the most part work alone and succeed on our own. But this agreement to not take things personally requires us to be a community and to be thoughtful and aware of others and to simply get outside of ourselves. It also requires us to be confident and strong in our knowledge that who we are, what we do and how we behave is right. And we all know how very difficult that can be.

I think feeling criticized is the same as feeling hurt in our culture. But no one wants to hurt anyone else, really. When criticism comes my way I find it helpful to remind myself from where it comes, but not in a defensive way, in a responsive way. I think to myself, this person is feeling something that is having them say or do something that is seemingly hurtful to me, but I know it is not meant to be. I figure that they are in the midst of something that is making them feel less confident or insecure and I do my best to agree with them and say something that may be helpful in strengthening their soul. I certainly don't have this all figured out, or am I able to be confident and kind all the time. Basically I believe we all struggle so much, every moment, I wish we could all help each other more and try to remember what is really pertinent.

thisweekendisSecondStorie

The second show I am in this weekend is Second Storie's Indie Market at VSW. This is the best Holiday arts sale in Rochester. Vendors come from all over the eastern seaboard and inland to sell the most original unique and wonderful art. I just cpompleted the purse pictured below. There is only one like it - get there early!

Busy Bee

FRIDAY NOV. 27 & SATURDAY NOV. 28

10 AM-4 PM

SATURDAY, DEC. 5 & SUNDAY, DEC. 6

10 AM–4 PM

I have been working like crazy. Hardly eating, rarely showering and getting up super early to hopefully have enough merchandise for all the sales in which I am participating. It is amazing how much harder one works when when one is working for oneself. (I like the word one! Because that one to which I am referring is me - just me). I am selling work at two sales this weekend. More Fire, Rochester's wonderful glass hot shop is having their annual Holiday Open House and sale. You should not miss this one! It actually runs two weekends, but come this Friday, get there early and get the best of the offerings of hand made glass at low prices and each piece is completely unique. If you make jewelry there is no better time and place to get glass beads. Elizabeth and Jen spend weeks preparing the Gallery and making beautiful ornaments. At $20 each they are a steal. Also there will be demonstrations of Glass Blowing and bead making. Kids will love love love this show!

I have a number of quite wonderful items in the sale if I do say so myself. This choker has copper green glass beads that I made, turquoise, pyrite and green Czech glass beads all together on knitted silver wire. Below is a bracelet that has amethyst, turquoise, pearls, pyrite and amazing purple and copper green glass beads that I made on knitted oxidized silver wire and black silk thread.

vintage & handmade

I have been posting to day on Etsy. These vintage buttons are so cool and I have a few more pairs of gloves too. I am trying to take advantage of those Holiday shoppers out there who are looking for unique vintage and hand made gifts. Please be aware of your shopping this year if you have not been in the past - buy local, buy hand made and better yet make it yourself!

1991

Allen and I were married in March of 1991, I assume these pics were taken right around then. I found them while attempting to organize this most disastrously unorganized house. I knit the sweater Allen is wearing for him and the one I am wearing was a custom piece for a dear friend and Art History Professor. We had just gotten our tiger kitten and named him Garth after the Garth in the movie Wayne's World. I am now going to knit some fingerless gloves while watching Roseanne on the TV land network. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Hi Ho its off to Work I go

I have been posting quite a few new items to both of my Etsy shops. There are lots of new fingerless gloves at secondseed and some other interesting pieces at secondseedinstitches. I am beginning to go through my vintage button collection, but it has been difficult for me to choose any to sell, but I have forced myself. But don't cry for me, I have plenty of vintage buttons to keep me happy.

congratulations

I watched Sesame Street all the time as a child. Even when I was 21 years old, I remember returning home from Rome after being abroad for six months, and the first thing I watched on television was Sesame Street. It was such a warm and friendly reminder of my roots. Change is essential to growth and Sesame Street has been criticized for creating the short quick pace that led to generations addicted to adderall and MTV. But I believe that the consistent, exciting and new information provided by Sesame Streeet created extraordinarily talented and creative people. Google came out of it, along with a number of innovations in technology, film and education. Congratulations Sesame Street, and thank you for being there for me and my children. I look forward to watching with my grand children someday.

change is good (I am told)

Starting off fast and furious

I have been featured in a treasury on Etsy. Check it out - The colors are so much what I need right now!

out and about

This is a picture of the office I have left. (No one can actually enter through these doors, no, I have to walk through the disgusting cafeteria and down half a mile of hallways before I can get to the actual entrance of the office). It looks pretty nice from the outside, doesn't it? No one would know from just looking, that inside this room is really a black hole of boredom that impels anyone who enters to their lowest low and destroys even the hint of potential into a million little pieces.

When I started this work I was a fifth grade T.A. and I honestly, enthusiastically thought - "I'll be getting paid to help children all day!" As a stay at home mom, I had been helping my own children and their friends every day for ten years and never got paid for it. I probably shouldn't share this with the world - but in my misguided brooding I believe it is important for the world to understand that people who work in our childrens' schools are treated unbelievably horribly.
(Maybe this will help remind you to give them those Starbucks cards any chance you get!)...

...After all the taxes, union dues and NYS retirement monies are taken out of my pay, I take home $46 a day - if I am lucky enough to work five days a week - do the 3rd grade math, that's right, $230 a week. (This is after 5 years of 3% raises.) And I only work 187 days a year. Granted the benefits are fantastic, and the work atomosphere for most school workers is amiable. But I think now, finally, I have resolute clarity in my decision that I need to do something more with my life.
Kudos for me!

Fabric Fetish

True Up is really pushing me to get a high paying job. I am dying to order fabric! I may attempt to make this purse designed by Jessica Levitt even though I don't can't afford the gorgeous Windham fabrics...I also want to make dress made out of this Vera Garden fabric, inspired by vintage Vera textiles, (The Vera Company, owns the extensive library of prints, original artwork, scarves, and the trademarks and copyrights of the late, iconic American artist, Vera Neumann). Dooce wrote a nice piece on her, you can read it here.And I am loving this pumpkin color in Riley Blake's new line-

Work Day

The rain is helping me get a lot accomplished today. I have been sitting in front of the fire finishing many projects and I have even posted a number of gloves to Etsy.

Halloween Part II

Aster did allow her dad to take her picture before school, the sun was just rising as she purred for the camera. I will add Gage's pic when he is dressed up tonight.

Too Fun

I haven't read Dooce in a while - but I clicked on it today and there is a hysterically funny post about a vasectomy. (I warn any men who might be thinking about reading it-but if you can handle it-- it is very very funny). And anyone who knows me, better know by now, that I really enjoy her photos of her dogs.

Halloween part I

Thursday evening Aster and I continued Halloween shopping. We hit three more warehouses and the mall. She decided, for school today, to be a black and white cat like our Nemo. I begged her for a picture, but no, no picture. For trick-or-treating she is going to be Dorothy. I still have to get her a pair of ruby red slippers and blue ribbons for her hair after school.

My costume, however, did not get made. I bought red material to make Lady Bird Beetle wings but didn't have time to make them. So at the last minute I pulled the Statue of Liberty costume out of the dress up box. I realized walking in to the high school this morning that it is actually a great metaphor for my situation. I am liberated, or at least, I will soon be.Does any one remember the Happy Days Halloween episode in which Richie has a blind date with a very tall girl and she is dressed as the Statue of Liberty?

In one scene, the two of them are driving home from the Halloween costume party, late at night, and Richie's car runs out of gas. The girl is all excited because she thinks, finally, a boy wants to make out with me, but no, the car actually, truly had run out of gas and she and Richie have to walk to a gas station and back. When they get back with a bucket of gas, Richie says, how are we going to get the gas into the tank? And the girl pulls the orange tissue out of the fake Statue of Liberty torch she has been carrying around the entire time and says, here use this!

not someone else's life any more

Yeah, I feel I am definitely leading my own life now.

I realized that I have never worked this long in one one place - other than in my home, ever in my life. This would be my 5th year if I stayed. Today I am very depressed and sad about the ending of my employment. My last day is Friday November 6th. I sent my resignation e-mail and I haven't been going in much. But I actually went to work today - and I realized that I have friends in the building - and now they know that I am leaving, and they are being especially nice and supportive. Even people I didn't realize are friends are being really supportive.I want to blame the administration and leadership for not allowing me to be part of something, but really I wanted to remain anonymous there - I wanted to just do my job, get my paycheck and go home to be the actual person that I am. But some of me leaked out I guess.

So right now, and every day now, high up above or down below, I have to lead my own life.

more

I love love love this owl print from Alexander Henry's upcoming Collection (not available yet), found it at True Up. The design below is an applique owl that was in a display at the Fall Quilt Market.

True Up

Lucinda,

Thank you for telling me about this amazing blog. It offers sales alerts and new fabrics and give-a-ways! I can't wait to read every post ever posted! True up posted the fabric shown above. It is Aomi Ito’s newest collection within her Nani Iro brand which is called Antique Label. This is Vol. 1, Rose & Poppy. I really like it in the green and yellow in the back.

Gem and Mineral Show

On Saturday I was able to spend an hour at the Gem and Mineral Show. I bought some beads and some rocks. I love rocks. Gage wanted a piece of pyrite and I found a nice piece of marcasite. This show is one of my favorites because although I really go to shop, it is more like a giant mineral museum. The fossils and giant gems are so gorgeous.

Halloween Costumes

We spent most of Saturday shopping in stores and online for this year's halloween costumes. Aster typically buys more than three costumes, and, yes, I stupidly allow it. She bought the adorable Hogwarts school girl costume at the costume wharehouse yesterday and I wanted to buy the $5 children's Yu Gi Oh! costume and just wear the mask - but both my children adamantly insisted that it would be disasterous for them if I wore a Yu Gi Oh! mask. I tried to explain that I wasn't trying to be cool, I was trying to be weird and they said that is just what I would be accomplishing and God forbid one of their friends saw me it would be the end for them. So I belligerently put the costume back. I then said I just want to be some kind of Japanese anime and they agreed that would be okay as long as it wasn't Yu Gi Oh!

I said what I really want is to be Hello Kitty, but I can't find anything. Then Aster decides she wants to be Hello Kitty so I am not allowed to be Hello Kitty or any Sanrio character I assume. Once again I give up my freedom and my halloween costume to make my kids happy, The responsibilities of a mom are immeasurable and span an immense, dark universe.

And, of course there is no Hello Kitty Costume on the market. So today I will have to shop for ten hours for the perfect little puffy sleeve white blouse and pink skirt, go to Joanne's and buy material for white cat ears and pink bows and also big buttons. I will let you know how it goes.

2 more things

I read at Salon.com that on Sunday, it was reported that "Mad Men" writer Kater Gordon had been fired -- just three weeks after winning an Emmy for outstanding writing. Gordon began her "Mad Men" career as show creator Matthew Weiner's personal assistant. Hmmmm, (Peggy Olson undertones) so speculation about what really happened is darn near irresistible, despite the lack of confirmed information, or even any trustworthy gossip.

The article describes the fact that any young woman who rises to success is still frequently assumed to have slept her way there. And the fact that we so quickly assume any sexual relationship between a woman and her professional superior necessarily involves a quid pro quo. Can't sex and success ever be a coincidence? Can't talent in fact be a part of what might attract two people working in close proximity to each other? and... sometimes people sleeping together make really good art. The more likely reason is that inexperienced talent is cheap and Emmy award winners may not be. My guess is that Gordon is a great writer and is now ready for something better than Weiner.
You can read the complete article here.

And .. If you are into ideas about memory - check out a great new blog, artevice. It is written by someone I know pretty well...

better late than never on Mad Men

This last episode of Mad Men (titled "The Color Blue") was so very lovely. It was all about memory, mystifying memory -- trying to recall, trying to forget, trying to understand. The episode allowed me to relax for once instead of be completely mired in metaphor. This universal nostalgia theme is interesting because it is so broad and common but at the same time so intimate. The "color blue" is the only metaphor in this episode of which I am aware. I do love metaphors, don't get me wrong, but sometimes there are so many in this show it becomes overwhelming. The charming teacher's tale of the color blue reminds me of an Anais Nin quote, "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."

The most obvious point about the idea of attempting to relive the past (and maybe the present as we wish it were) is Betty reading Mary McCarthy’s controversial 1963 novel, The Group. This novel portrays the lives, and aspirations of eight women, all upper class post war Vassar graduates. The women meet in New York to attend the wedding of one of their members and reconvene seven years later at her funeral. One Blog I found wrote this - "if The Group proves one thing, it’s that McCarthy had a piercingly sharp eye for all that goes unsaid in the great institution of marriage." Another blog stated that reading the novel in a bathtub suggests a rebirth for Betty. The motif of female school ties is suggested a number of times in this episode. Don asks Sally about school but not Bobby. Similarly, Lane Pryce laments that Americans never ask him where he went to school. Bert and Roger reminisce about the Sterling Cooper “class” of ‘33 and pointedly comment on a past female alumnus "remember her?”

But much more significantly, Betty’s reading of the novel parallels her discovery of Don’s secret life. At the close of the show, we watch Betty, as she watches Don, at the Sterling Cooper dinner. The empty chair next to her possibly suggesting that she’s contemplating a future without him. What I like about his ending is that thoughts of freedom are common for all females - but clearly a personal, intimate, problem for Betty.

new gloves

I almost sold out of fingerless gloves at the Public Market Artist Row. And I have had a number of custom orders, but I am pleased to say that I have finally posted some new fingerless gloves on Etsy.

artful construction

The construction continues in the High School. At least there are often interesting visual aspects to it. All the ceilings have been removed. I especially love the lights that hang haphazardly and I enjoy looking up at all the pipes and wires.

The pic below is the completed new wing. It is so very white.

crafty projects

I found a post about this book at Tea Tod Toad. I love the baby booties she made (pictured below)from a vintage embroidered doily - (instructions are on pg 12 in the book (project by Allison Jones ~)).

Marcie Paper

I found these wonderful paintings by Marcie Paper while checking out all the websites listed on the Second Storie} website. I hope she is selling at the show in November! I want these for my home!

working together

Heather Layton thanked Allen and I on her blog for helping install her show at Cornell. I really didn't do anything at all, Allen did all the worked while I knit and napped. But she caught us working together ("the concrete construction crew" she calls us) on video, see it yourself here.
Congratulations Heather! As always you imagine the impossible, give yourself to little time to acheive it and then superbly exhibit amazingly beautiful, thoughtful, intelligent, inspiring work.

Autumn

I have had a busy weekend. I tried to sell my work at a show in a Catholic high school gymnasium. I will never attempt that again. I sold a measly $24 worth. The show was in the Fingerlakes and I thought when I signed up for it that at least I would enjoy the drive and enjoy the beauty of the fall foliage. But it rained all day. I love fall, here are some pics around my home and garden that will hopefully remind me that I do not have to drive to the Fingerlakes to enjoy its beauty.

this comes from me too

As some of you may know I am planning on leaving my current job and I do not have another one yet. I have so many emotions about this decision. I know I will be happier. I know I will be able to attend to many more chores and responsibilities and even the other parts of life I enjoy. But there are many issues in my head that bewilder and discourage me. Simply put, I feel that I am too good for the job I am in (although this is not the entire reason I am leaving). I hate that I have this arrogance. I hate that I continually judge and criticize my colleagues for being able to with stand working in this sub par, completely unchanging, non interesting environment.

But the fact is that I can't do the job myself. So how moronic am I? I cannot do the work that I consider simpletons to be very good at. I am such a mess. I wax and wane from feeling superior to feeling inferior, from being so full of myself, to then being so insecure I just want to stay in bed all day. Is there any hope of ever feeling just fine? Are their people who believe in themselves, while remaining humble and supportive of others? I hope there are, I want to be like that. I will try to be more like that.

it comes from me

Last night I watched an hour of the television series on PBS, Craft in America. The show is short segments of many artists, craft artists, who reveal what makes their work and the lives they lead unique. One can also view the show online. I was so enamored by the stories because each and every one of the artists spoke in such a heartfelt manner about the joy they receive from making something wonderful, something that comes from them. I was definitely inspired and also encourage to continue my efforts at making a living making things.

Part of one of the episodes covered the 92nd street Y in NYC. I would love to have a 92nd street Y here in Rochester. It has always been a dream of mine to own a part retail space, part instructional space for arts and crafts. The 92nd St Y classes and workshops are taught by professional artists - even art stars such as Jonathan Wahl, Director of the Jewelry & Metal Department and Bobby Silverman, Director of the Ceramic Center - and are available for all age groups and all levels, from children to senior adults, from hobbyists to accomplished artists who come to learn new skills.

I love teaching, and all the artists in this series speak of how important it is to share the skills and tradition of their craft with the next generation. I will find something that allows me to do this more myself.