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 atime 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.
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
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.
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:
eat on plan
email my health coach, Jason
clean out the food cupboard over the stove, putting back only what my family (not me) will actually eat
In just a few hours, I'll be participating in my first fashion show. As a designer.
I spent hours today adding more beads to one of the skirts that will be featured in the show. I wish I had time to do more.There really is never enough.
Did you come here looking for more delicious photos of my new obsession, RDJ? Sorry to disappoint, but this post is about my hometown and my feelings about being back here for an extended time.
Really? Skip the sappy nostalgia and get to the man candy? Okaayyy...
So I recently read Robert Downey, Jr. described as "sex on a stick," accompanied by this photo. And as appealing as lesbianism sounds, I look at this photo and understand myself to be HETERO. A woman with a physical reaction to an attractive man. Nothing gross, nothing....moist. Just a catch in the breath and a feeling that "I would has that."
I saw this photo, had this reaction, and used my new iPhone to find Sherlock Holmes at a RedBox near me. It was elementary, my dear Watson. (Incidentally, that line is never spoken in the movie.)
I've seen this movie before. Once in the theater, once at home. Nevertheless, I watched it twice. The pairing of RDJ and Jude Law must have really lit a fire under the Holmes/Watson fanfiction crowd. I thought they were great together.
"Under this pillow lies the key to my release."
I bet it does.
Never satisfied with a little something if I can have an overabundance (sometime I'll write about my new, and growing, collection of milk glass lamps)--I watched a bunch (multiple hours) of RDJ YouTube videos. He's a funny mix of arrogance and self-deprecation which I find endearing. And, you know, I don't have to live with him, so his past --drug use, incarceration, The Pick-Up Artist-- doesn't affect my feelings. If anything, being a comeback kid is MORE appealing than being the golden boy (coughBradPitt).
This is a man who has become more attractive with age. He's cute in his early movies; he's a heart-stopper now. I love his Tony Stark--an alcoholic womanizer who reinvents himself as a hero--it's perfect. And I think that his wife, producer Susan Downey, is Robert's real-life Iron Man suit, the armor that allows him to be something completely new, something better. He loves her--and that's sexy, too.
The interwebs are very concerned with RDJ's height--or lack of it. He, himself, jokes about how tall Gwyneth Paltrow is in comparison and how he wears lifts for his recent roles. Big deal--those of you who know me IRL, know that I'm not opposed to teh short. [The Artist's drivers license says he's 5'5" and mine says I weigh 160--we're both lying.]
I think many leading men are on the shorter side of average. And I have a theory: short guys have to try harder. Tall men get a pass; I don't think they have to have as much personality. Short men have to cultivate...something. Funny. Cute. Smart. Injured. They try on roles, and consequently, can play a variety of parts. Add a pair of platform shoes and a good camera angle, and the audience doesn't give it a second thought.
So, Robert Downey, Jr., I'm looking forward to Due Date (with Zach Galifianakis!) later this year and Sherlock 2 next year.
And readers, I leave you with this adorable clip from Ellen...
This weekend is BlogHer and it's in New York. Last summer, when the location was announced, I thought for a week or so that I might commit to attending. (New York! The two times I've been to NYC were really fun, if a bit hot and grimy. I glimpsed Bobby Flay while eating in his restaurant. I attended a taping of The Daily Show which had the most boring guest ever. I did a little shopping--and some work, because both visits were business trips.) But I didn't commit and, since I rarely blog, it's probably a good thing.
You'll see that I haven't actually written a post since March. Sad. I really wish I had an excuse, but no. If I'm going to entertain the idea of BlogHer 2011, even for a short while, I'd better start writing again. To ease into it, here's a summary of the past few months:
I completed another year of grad school. I should finally graduate in Spring or Summer 2011.
I bought a used car. It's not a Volvo.
I rented a house in Bend, Oregon, my home town, for part of the summer. I drive back and forth (8 hours round trip) every week to see my family.
So there are the highlights. And this officially qualifies as being the world's weakest, laziest blog post.
Tomorrow will be better; perhaps I'll write about my new obsession with Robert Downey, Jr.
One of the books not in the stack from the other day is Throw Out Fifty Things, since I just picked it up at the library about half an hour ago. Apparently something is transformational about 50 things, so I'll try it.
I keep a box in my car trunk for Goodwill and I pulled out 10 things to take a photo:
1) Plastic magazine file. [replaced by many wooden magazine files from IKEA]
2) Plastic skirt hangars. [replaced by many wooden skirt hangars from IKEA]
3) Lunch box that I purposefully scammed from the kids section at Wordstock, but don't use or need.
4) Thread holders: one purchased new, one inherited, one from Goodwill (not in photo). [replaced by plastic thread cases that will be easy to transport and keep thread dust free]
5) CD crate that I hand painted with my Grandma Marge in 1989. I recently paid my son to move all my music to iTunes and have no need of this crate. Future photos will no doubt show stacks of CDs after I've decided which to purge (and how.)
6) Glass vase with negative connotations
7) Silk sweater purchased from Goodwill Outlet (clothing by the pound!). Used when I got it, now hopelessly stained. I saved the little yellow buttons.
8) Beginner tarot cards from Goodwill.
9) Power supply (nearly new) for the Mac that died last fall, incompatible with all of the 3 laptops in the house.
10) Plastic bowls from Target a few years ago.
I was concerned when I started the list that I was just replacing things, not really getting rid of clutter. But it's not too bad. I hope future photos will show more real de-cluttering. Now I just need to get this stuff out of my trunk. Then it's really gone.
This is my current reading list. I'm trying to get through these books before school starts again at the end of the month.
The War of Art: Just today I signed up to do the May session of Mondo Beyondo. A link from Mondo Beyondo creator Andrea's blog led me to this book. I spend a lot of time reading crap on the internet. And refreshing my email and Facebook for no good reason. This book says I'm just creating resistance to my better life. I think I need to read more--and check out the author's blog--before I get back to my own work.
Bluebird: Subtitled "Women and the New Psychology of Happiness," this book was written by Ariel Gore, who I've loved since first reading Hip Mama magazine back when my kids were small. Ariel lives in Portland and I've been to a few readings she's done. Currently, like the rest of the world, I'm enamored by bird images.
The Courage to Start: This is a book about running. I bought it last summer and although I easily found the courage to start reading, I haven't yet finished it. Also, not yet running.
The Not So Big Life: I bought this so long ago that I'm not sure what it's about. I do remember that I paid full price, which is ridiculous for a hardback book that I didn't read. The author is architect Sarah Susanka of the Not So Big House series.
The Spark: This book got me an extra 500 SparkPoints on SparkPeople.com. I liked the first few chapters, although the paper it's printed on is really cheap. I have yet to fully commit to SparkPeople, but I'm working on it.
So apparently I'm all about self-improvement right now. Good for me. I'm trying to figure out where I'm going, what I'll do when I get there and who's coming along.
Gym today: treadmill 12 min at 3.3, including 90 seconds running at 4.5 bike 30 minutes strength machines
I finally caught the Biggest Loser last night, a rerun of the second to last episode of the season. Shocking to see how large these people were and how great they look now. Except that "great" is relative. Now, after losing 60 lbs, these women look like me. Still obese. Still not at a healthy BMI. Still likely to gain it all back.
It tells me that NOW is when I have to fix it. Not when I'm 50 or 60. There may not be a "too late" but there certainly is a "late enough."
So I bought a 3 month pass to the rec center and am officially a member of Weight Watchers. I went to the gym 4 times so far this week. But I don't seem to be really embracing the "bite it, write it" mantra of WW. In fact, I haven't written down anything. So that's next week's goal.
And in January my friend Sue and I are going to do a Biggest Loser challenge at the gym. I've got to make changes. I'm not happy with the body I have.
I think Thanksgiving may be my favorite holiday. I love birthdays, mostly. Christmas is highly over-rated.
But what is not to love about a giant homecooked meal with the people you love? This year, as is typical, the Rancho Cherrio Thanksgiving will be just the four of us. Three who will eat turkey and gravy and one who has chosen not to have Tofurkey.
I made the menu yesterday afternoon. The Magician and I shopped at Whole Foods and Winco last night.
Turkey Best Dressing Ever Cranberry Relish Garlic Mashed Potatoes Gravy Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows Steamed Broccoli Dinner Rolls Pumpkin Hazelnut Pie(s) with Whipped Cream
Today I will make the cranberry relish and the pies.
This recipe, or a form of it, has been traditional at Thanksgiving and Christmas in my family of origin since time began. The original recipe was my Grandma Bill's, I think. It calls for SIX CUPS of sugar. Which is just like her. This was a woman who liked to have some strawberries with her sugar, not the other way around. She is the reason that I still sprinkle sugar on my cottage cheese (negating its usefulness as a diet food.)
The recipe is simple: cranberries, orange wedges with the skin on, apple wedges ditto, sugar. And this is the only recipe I make that calls for the antique meat grinder.
I use the wedges to push everything through the meat grinder: watch those fingers!!
I ended up using the whole apple, but only half of the large orange. Then I mixed it all up with 3/4 cup of white sugar. It's best if it sits for at least 24 hours before eating. All of the flavors will meld and it will be delicious.
Last Friday I saw that Sixth Street Gallery in Vancouver was planning a "Birds of a Feather" art show for January. The submission deadline was today.
Years ago I bought a fabric sample book from The Whole Nine Yards, an upholstery store in Portland. The sample book was 150 different curtain fabrics, mostly sheer, mostly in whites and off-whites. I always planned to make a feathery skirt with all these fabrics, so this art show seemed like the perfect opportunity.
I barely made the deadline, but here is the result. Sadly the skirt doesn't fit anyone in the family. It's too big for The Star, too small for me. Probably a size 8/10.
Finally my camera (recently found in my very own car after being missing for several months) is talking to my new computer!!
So, voilà! Photo blog! (Now with gratuitous exclamation points!!)
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Last weekend I took my first workshop at Oregon College of Art and Craft. I've wanted to take a class or workshop there ever since I moved to Portland in 2003. But the classes are expensive. So when better to take an expensive class, then when one is totally unemployed?!
I looked for a book arts class, but nothing fit my schedule, so I signed myself up for Handfelted Fingerless Gloves. I had some concern since there was not a photo of the project in the catalog. I'm fairly experienced in the ways of sewing and other fiber arts and didn't want to take a class that I could just do on my own. But no worries. In addition to getting instruction in wet felting and glove construction, I also met some very nice women.
On Saturday morning we made our felted yardage. We were instructed to bring lace or another thin fabric to incorporate into the felt. I brought a red and black organza. Therefore I chose a deep red wool for the gloves. I also incorporated some lacy trim that I used in 2004 to trim the bridesmaid dress I wore at Gretchen's wedding.
That evening, after my felt had dried, I quilted the yardage with a repeating heart pattern using a metallic red thread in the bobbin.
Sunday was construction day. We made learned how to insert a proper thumb into the glove. This was very challenging, but mine went much better than some of the others. I finished with a few flat circular beads on the back of the wrist. I bought these beads in Duncan, BC when we lived in nearby Mill Bay. I also used them in my Ilmatar art quilt.
Here's a photo of all the gloves from the class. I like mine the best.
I then went out and bought a book about felt. I've got a few more ideas that I'd like to explore.
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I've also completed several crafty projects in the last few weeks.
Here are pillows that I made for the new couch from fabrics that were already in my stash. The gold strip hides a zipper. The green is vintage wool from the 1960s that was once part of a kit for making a sewn skirt and knitted sweater. Many years ago I used the yarn to knit myself a vest that I still wear.
I also made curtains for our front window, also a stash buster. However I made the rookie mistake of melting a hole in the synthetic fibers. So I appliqued a cute bluebird over the hole. WIN!
I'm sorry I've been so distant. Thank you for your willingness to forgive and forget.
I was distracted this week by your handsome older brother, Art. It was just a fling. However, as is sometimes the case, our brief union bore fruit and I found myself creating, not writing. I'm not quite over him, so perhaps we could just live happily together, a ménage à trois, if you will, of Art and Writing and me, coexisting peacefully.
I participated in my first organized run/walk on Halloween in Bend. I walked the entire thing and finished last, at 55:36. The race was called "Run Like Hell" but I joked that I'd be "strolling" like hell. But even the moms with strollers passed me. There were a few times that I thought about busting into a jog, but I'm afraid of pain in my lower leg and I wasn't wearing my new running shoes. I did enjoy the walk and the after-party (and the after-nap).
I also felt motivated to do it some more. I'm planning to go to Bend for another race in April and I want to actually run it.
With this in mind, I headed to the gym on Monday to try the treadmill. I'm slow. And the leg pain is a problem. I did some walking at 3mph (20 minute mile) and some jogging at 5mph (12 minute mile). I was on the treadmill for 20 minutes and finished with some cycling.
The running was not comfortable, so I took time on Tuesday to go back to the running store to talk about my shoes. The guy there was much nicer than the associate at the Portland store. He didn't make me feel like I was too fat to take up running. He did make me buy yet another pair of shoes and showed me how to lace them to hopefully keep my toes from falling asleep.
I tried it again today. Intervals of 2 minutes of walking at 3.0 and 30 seconds of jogging at 4.5. My short term goal is to get to the point I can start a Couch to 5K program, which starts at 90 seconds of walking and 60 seconds of jogging. I think I'll be ready in just a couple of weeks if I keep up with it.
But here's the thing: my leg still hurts and my toes still fall asleep. I've googled the hell out of this, but probably will have to go back to the store on Monday to get more advice.
