Circles Mark the Spot

On August 13th, I got a special invitation from my friend Chloe, the owner of Reading Frenzy--take the next 17 days and make a piece of art for the shop's upcoming 17th Anniversary Party. Here was the description she gave:

"Every anniversary is a time of reckoning and potential crossroads for me. I've also been thinking a lot about memory and spatial navigation (and how they're connected), documentation and artifacts, hence the theme: MAPS.

"Your assignment, should you accept it, is to create a work of art that maps something significant to you. This map could reference a place, real or imaginary, your past, present, or future, a state of mind, a dream, a fear, a to do list. Really anything you'd like as it has something to do with mapping." 

I've wanted to make something focusing on crop circles for several years now. The patterns are beautiful; the origins are mysterious. Also, a lot of crop circle manifest in England. A bit of digging and I found this site which catalogs recent crop circle activity.

As it happens, on July 26, the following crop circle was discovered near Avebury, Wiltshire, England:

What's so special about July 26? It's the day I went to Stonehenge. What's so special about Avebury, Wiltshire? It's about 25 miles north of Stonehenge. Which means that *I* was only 25 miles from this crop circle on the day it was first seen.

Let the art-making commence.

 E   L   I   Z   A

All of the fabrics and trims came from my stash, so I didn't have to buy anything new. I bought the silk plaid ribbon on a vacation to Vancouver, BC in 2010. The green transparent buttons were purchased in Oxford on July 21 at a cute little shop. I often buy sewing notions when I'm traveling since they are inexpensive and small. I rarely use them so soon after the trip.

Oxford, England

So if you're up for a First Thursday in Portland, swing by Reading Frenzy to see my work and other map-inspired pieces at the X (Marks the Spot) show. Or if you can't make it on Thursday, swing by anytime in September.

Hello...Is it Me You're Looking For?

December? Really? And before that only a few posts in all of 2010? These have not been very good years for blogging. I blame Facebook.

Oh, but I did blog the hell out of a month I spent in London this summer: The Book Tramp in London. Go check it out. I'll wait. (No need to bookmark it--the blog is complete.)

It's not like these were uneventful months, either. A lot has happened in my life. How do I recap more than a year of my life in the easiest possible way? Pictures!

I got LASIK and bought a red Mini Cooper.

I rented a house in Bend, Oregon for the summer 

and made a bunch of art.

The skirts I designed and made were in a fashion show 

and I met Seth Aaron Henderson.

I went to Vegas for the second year in a row.

I had a solo art show at Angst Gallery.

I rocked my book publishing classes 

and managed the design department at Ooligan Press.

I got a tattoo of the new Ooligan logo--

together with about 10 other HOoligans.

My daughter graduated from high school, 

and now attends Washington State University - Vancouver.

I spent four weeks in Europe on a study abroad program, 

the first 6 credits towards my Masters in Library and

Information Studies at Florida State. But you read all about that, right?

I got another tattoo and made a crazy video about it.

I graduated (with honors) from Portland State University with a 

Masters of Science in Writing/Book Publishing.

 

I lost at least 26 pounds.

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So there you have it: the entire blog updated in just twelve pictures. With some luck, I'll be back in the next few days--I'm on a roll.

Fat

Today I began Medifast's Take Shape for Life program. I've eaten just one of my five Medifast meals for the day. It wasn't good. But I didn't really expect it to be delicious, so I'm okay. Chased the oatmeal with a cup of black tea hoping to mitigate the caffeine headache I'm likely to get without my morning (and mid-morning, and sometimes afternoon) cup of coffee or Pepsi.

The point of the program is to teach me a new way of eating. To erase all my previous conditioning and start fresh. My goal is 70 pounds, which is not impossible.

I also want to learn to run--and hula hoop. And swim and bike and rock climb and be stronger and healthier than I have ever been in my entire life.

Today's specific goals:

1. eat on plan
2. email my health coach, Jason
3. clean out the food cupboard over the stove, putting back only what my family (not me) will actually eat

Grace in Small Things #9

I'm thankful

1.  for off-leash dog parks

2.  for handmade pillowcases

3.  for my bright red Mini Cooper

4.  that I get to go on vacation with really fun girls

5.  that school starts again as soon as I get back