Hat Peeps by Flora Change
Those mermaids hate that thing by Steve Lieber
Robot by Eric Rewitzer and Annie Galvin (mine has pink flowers instead of green)
Balancing Girl by Jamie McKelvie
I bought the first two through Etsy.com, the robot at the Renegade Craft Fair, and the last direct from the artist. Now to get them framed and hung.
The third bookbinding class I took at Home Ec was Japanese stab binding. This was the only binding that I had never done before and it was my favorite. I tend to want to pull my stitching tightly, which worked out really well for this type of binding.
To make the holes for the stitching, we used a power drill.
I’m convinced Cheddar sleeps like this in the morning to taunt me as I’m on my way out the door to work.
Four events happening this weekend, in order from the least likely that I will attend to the most likely.
Grilled Cheese Invitational. Each year I think I might go to this, but it seems like a lot of standing in line for grilled cheese sandwiches. Still, this might be the year!
Festival of Books. When it first started, I went to the Festival of Books every year. I haven’t gone for the past several years. As much as I love books, the festival is hot and crowded and it isn’t easy to get into hear the author panels.
Unique LA. I love going to Unique LA to shop for upcoming birthday gifts and even get in some early Christmas shopping – it’s where I bought my nephew’s new pal. I am always inspired by the creativity on display.
Fiesta Broadway. In order to attend this event, all I have to do is stay home and open the window. Last year the festival stretched all the way down Broadway from 1st to 9th; this year the area is different but it looks like there will be a music stage on the street just below our windows.
Besides all this, there are many, many other things going on in LA this weekend. I’ve also got a list of things to do a mile long – get my hair cut, prepare for a presentation next week, design a flyer, finish organizing my files, get stuff ready for Rick’s birthday, and a ton more.
In the mail, among the bills and sale notices, was an envelope with print collections from two of my favorite webcomics The Loneliest Astronauts drawn by Ming Doyle and She Died in Terrebonne drawn by T.J. Kirsch, both written by Kevin Church and a drawing by Mr. Krisch.
I’ve always loved a good detective story. My mom jokes that it is a hereditary trait – she gave me a steady supply of mysteries she read while I was in junior high and high school, and my grandmother literally read every mystery novel in the library starting in the As. She Died in Terrebonne has just what I like from a story, an intriguing mystery, quirky, interesting characters and a likable, flawed detective with fantastic hair.
Also, check out the art – fantastic, isn’t it?
(This photo doesn’t do it justice, but my scanner isn’t working.)
Thanks for the artwork, Team Agreeable!
I’ve taken a few classes at Home Ec in the past few weeks. I took two bookbinding classes, case binding and coptic sewn binding. I took a bookbinding class while I was in graduate school, not because I was interested in archives or preservation, but because I needed some creative outlet and I’ve always loved working with paper. I’ve forgotten most of what I did in those classes, although I have held on to a couple of the tools. I decided to take the classes at Home Ec for the same reason; I need a creative outlet that doesn’t involve sitting in front of a screen. Both books are bound so tightly that they either don’t open very well or don’t quite sit closed – I’ll have to practice a bit more.
The other class was on needle felting. I’d never even heard of it, but a couple of the women at my first bookbinding class had taken it and raved about it. Since it involves stabbing a bit of wool repeatedly with a very sharp felting needle, it sounded wonderfully stress-reducing as well. I enjoyed the class, although I was wiped out and feeling very un-creative after a day of work. I came home and continued to make a few more things, including this pin. I have a couple of felted flowers I bought at a craft fair, and I’d like to make some more in a variety of colors.
There’s at least one more bookmaking class at Home Ec and maybe I’ll branch out and try my hand at crochet!
A quick list, so I don’t miss another week:
1. Needle felting, which is making things by stabbing wool fleece with a very sharp needle. More on this later.
2. Turquoise (the color, not the stone). I find myself still obsessed with the Pantone color of the year. I even bought a gloriously turquoise purse and was so enamored of the color that I didn’t realize until a day later that I hated everything else about it – the shape, the style, and the handle. I returned it.
3. Forage
4. RIP Alex Chilton
Angels Flight re-opened today, after being closed for 9 years due to a fatal accident in February 2001. We live in the building across the street from the base of the railway, and have been eagerly anticipating riding it ever since the cars were put on the track in November 2008. Every once in a while, we would see the cars move up and down the track as they were tested and re-tested for safety.
Today, were were finally able to pay our 25¢ and go for a ride.
Inside the car on the way up.
Approaching the top of the hill.
The view from the top.
And back down again, as we pass the other car.
(Sorry about the crummy iPhone photos, I forgot to bring my regular camera.)
1. Drama Fever is like Hulu, but devoted to Korean dramas. I’m addicted to Boys Over Flowers right now. It’s a story set in an exclusive high school, filled with more beautiful people with fabulous clothes than any three CW teen dramas combined.
2. Bookbinding tools – I have plans.
3. Continuity. Do not start playing this game if you have other things to do. I cannot state this strongly enough.
4. Marina & the Diamonds – I am not a Robot
I’m not particularly interested in winter sports most of the time. I grew up in Southern California and my total experience of being in the snow as a kid was an annual trip to the mountains to build a snowman and slide down a hill a few times on a disc. Although I went to school in Utah, I’ve never been skiing or snowboarding and it’s unlikely I’m going to take it up any time soon. I prefer my limbs unbroken.
However, I love the Olympics. I love getting caught up in the rivalries and intricacies of sports that are unfamiliar to me. I love watching people do amazing things – flying through the air, shooting down the ice at 90 mph, spinning above the ice.
This week’s four things* are my favorite things about the Winter Olympics so far:
1. Shaun White and the Double McTwist 1260 (it’s at about 3:45 in the NBC video)
4. Gold medal winners in pairs figure skating – Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo
