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My awesome friend Annie came over yesterday and made French Toast. It was perfect.
She scraped a vanilla bean in to the egg mixture and then did the toast in cocoanut oil. She also brought maple infused balsamic vinegar which went well with the raspberries.
Food this lovely and company this delightful deserves the Bunnykins plates.
Coffee, cranberry juice, tea... practically perfect in every way.
--
Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea?
How did it exist?
I am glad I was not born before tea.
~ Sydney Smith, 1855
Yesterday I slipped over to the Dorell Fabric Outlet and picked up this bit of lovely... for free.
http://dorellfabricoutlet.com/They have two big bins filled with free fabric remnants. The first one is free, others are two bucks a piece. I also bought a piece of fake suede.
I was inspired by this pattern on "Weekend Designer" an awesome blog with all kinds of free lovely patterns and advice. Go check it out. I'll wait. (Though it may take you an hour or two, there is so much glorious stuff there.)
http://wkdesigner.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/soho-slouch-tote-2/Once I got home I started cutting and we were off to the races...
The fabric was a lovely light purple, the color Arwen might wear.
The bag came out okay. The overall shape is a little big and boxy, great for carrying books or art supplies but incongruous for such a feminine fabric. I may add a few outside pockets for cell phones and pens and sew on some foofy bits like lace or something. I don't know. What I was most experimenting with was how the thick and thin fabrics worked together.
I did the lining in matching plum colored linen.
Dorell also had a remnant of this strange fabric that I really liked for five dollars. I just don't know what I'd do with it. I may go back a snag it if I can think of something. There was about a yard and a half. Suggestions, anyone?
Sewing mania continues. What's next? Time will tell.... Marilyn
In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running. ~Jeff Bezos
Thread is flying in the Toymaker's Workshop. I'm working on my first sewn toy pattern, something simple for kids to make.
Yesterday I went to H&L fabric warehouse in Anaheim. It's a supermaket of fabric.
I could have gone crazy but I like to have a pattern in mind before I start loading up on material.
I thought this strange bird fabric was cool but didn't buy it because I couldn't think of anything to make with it. Maybe the lining of a jacket? What do you think? Suggestions?
I also liked this teal print too, but again, wasn't sure what to make with it so I put it back.
These are the three fabrics that I ended up buying, teal knit for a top, pink satin to make my mom a pillowcase and a yard of paprika colored lace to use for trim.
I made this yesterday, a long knit lightweight jacket in cranberry with plum voile trim. Snazzy! Bring on the cold weather.
May your seams be straight!
Marilyn.
--
I cannot count my day complete
'Til needle, thread and fabric meet.
~ Unknown
We are all about the manias here at Casa Del Aguas. The boy is out in the garage working on a giant orc axe. The Wonderhub has been practicing surf guitar and building ukuleles. I've been learning to sew clothes.
Burda patterns are kind of cryptic but worth the extra effort. The ones that I've done have nice quirky touches that make it worth sorting through the scattered instructions and lack of little triangles to match pieces up.
http://www.burdastyle.comI know this is monochromatic. I'd normally pair the grey top with a bright scarf and jewelry. And the pants are just flannel PJs that I'll wear with a teeshirt.
I have ten to twelve more yards of this purple color in linen and cotton. I'm not sure what I'll do with it all yet. And below is some of the things that I'm working on. The scoop neck top is don. I'm going to try the knit pants next.
Here's a page listening what fabric I have left. I have tons of patterns that I get on sale for a buck or two. I've found that Simplicity patterns live up to their names. I've also been hacking each pattern a little bit to adjust the fit. The peasant top that I made was voluminous so I sewed a stretch of elastic in the back to nip in a waist. The thing that I would like to learn is what makes larger size clothing look good. I'm on a mission!
Do you sew? Anyone have any tips? Is there a trick to folding patterns back up? To me they seem like the devil. Anyone have a really fancy machine that they love? Tell me your story.
Sew on! Marilyn.
--
"One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty, and it really helps. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see. Your body is your temple, it’s your home, and you must decorate it." ~ Gabourey Sidibe
What a day! Every summer, I've been trotting down to San Diego for the ComicCon. It's really changed over the last ten years. When I first started going there was hardly a female person in sight. Now about half the folks are girls and not just girlfriends dragged along.
"Women 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (31%) than boys age 17 or younger (19%)" ~ These statistics are pulled from the ESA report Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry.
So it is exciting to me to see women dressing up, playing games, buying comics, writing comics and books, and generally having a good time. For one thing it helps me blend in.
I took the train down with The Legends of Animation... that's Bob Singer, Art Leonardi, Iraj Paran, and Wille Ito.
The Legendary Animators of Classic '60s CartoonsLegendary and award-winning animators Bob Singer (character and background designer, Bugs Bunny/Scooby Doo), Art Leonardi (designer/director, Pink Panther),Willie Ito (layout artist/Bugs Bunny, Flintstones), and Iraj Paran (character and title designer, Super Friends, Josie and the Pussycats), share their vast experience shaping animation history and creating hundreds of classic characters and cartoons we love from Disney, Warner Brothers, and Hanna Barbera, with over 100 years of experience among them. The lovely lady in this photo is Hiva Paran, who is one of the nicest people on the planet.
After taking the Orange line instead of the Green line and getting lost, we finally got to the Convention Center. This is Art doing his best "where the heck are we?" face. He had everyone on the trolley in stitches. Many thanks to all the kind folks who helped us get turned around and back in the right direction.
One of my favorite things is the people who cosplay and dress up as their favorite characters. This group of Classic X-Men was awesome.
Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones was epic, complete with wooden sword and neck wound.
I"m not sure who this Superhero is... any ideas?
I checked out the Warhammer booth for limited edition show specials for the Boy.... because I'm THE BEST MOM EVER! Why, might you ask? Because I fought my way to the Hasbro booth to ask about Magic the Gathering cards and these words actually came out of my mouth...
"Uh, hi, do you have any Alternate Art cards of Garruk Caller of Beasts?"
Nope, they were sold out.
This panel of the Big Bang Theory as Keane paintings was cool.
As was "Geek Chic" truly droolworthy custom made furniture for gamers.
www.geekchichq.comI had a pleasant chat with artist and weapon designer John Chalfant.
www.jchalfant.com It's the 20th Anniversary of
The Sandman this year. I love Neil Gaiman's stuff, he's the hardest working writer in town.
I also got to meet Jeanne C Stein and Samantha Sommersky who make up the writing team of S. J. Harper. Here they are with their new book,
Cursed.
The highlight of course was the Legends of Animation Panel. The room was packed and the guys were so funny. An hour was way too short to hear these wonderful artists talk about their experiences as animators for Hanna Barbara, Disney, Warner Brothers and UPA.
Leslie Combemale of the ARTINSIGHTS Animation and Film gallery did a wonderful job of moderating the panel.
Afterwards we had a delicious dinner at the Marriot Hotel in our own private room. Swanky! That's Michael H. Payne on the far right, author of "The Blood Jaguar"
Bob had the tallest hamburger in the history of food.
Then like Cinderella, the ball was over and we took the long train ride back home. Willie said that he had a long list of chores and gardening waiting for him, but that it was nice to be a star for a day. I agree. I had fun. Thank you ComicCon, see you next year!
"The Brigadoon-ish village of Comic-Con becomes more tangible each hour as it slips out of its long sleep to emerge into the sunlight." ~ Larry Marder
My daily wardrobe is pretty pathetic. I keep expecting those people from What Not To Wear to show up at my door and start smacking me around, but to my knowledge that hasn't happened yet. Most days I'm a tee-shirt and jeans kind of gal.
But I got to thinking... back in the day, I used to be kind of glamorous. Heck, I was a fashion designer for years, going on research trips to Paris and London. I had silk suits and heels, leather gloves, and Italian handbags. But as the years passed my life changed and my priorities. I worked at home and didn't need suits or uncomfortable shoes. I was busy doing other stuff, being a mom, driving to swim lessons, baking cupcakes and cleaning up cat barf.
Shopping got to be a maddening experience. Cool clothes are easy to find in smaller sizes and cheaper too. Plus size clothing is for the most part frumpy looking, not flattering and hard to find. Old Navy's website sells larger sizes "Exclusively Online!" with an exclamation mark, like it's some kind of bonus feature. I used to wear a lot of J. Jill but they too only sell larger sizes online. I want to try things on before I buy them, thank you very much.
So I decided that if I couldn't find cool clothes that fit me then I would punch fashion in the nose and make them myself.
Here's a list of what I don't have...
• tons of money
• a big closet
• a tall and slender supermodel figure
• a tolerance for uncomfortable clothes
Here's a list of what I do have....
• feet that are practically square, like Barney Rubble after a bad night of bowling
• a hobbit shaped middle-aged lady figure, like a trashbag filled with water balloons
• the ability to put a product line together.
• a fifteen-year-old sewing machine
• time
• manic optimism
So I put together a plus size clothing line for one person, me, and started sewing. Here is what I've made so far... Some pieces missed the mark, like the flannel pants... they are huge. I feel like Kipling's rhino when I wear them, and one of the pockets is backwards. Other pieces are wins. The kimono sweatshirt is amazing, simple, warm, yet much more flattering than a regular sweatshirt.
This is my "to make" page... One of the local JoAnn's is closing so I picked up a shoebox full of patterns, five for a dollar. I bought a bunch of fabric for 75% off. I am set!
I also want to try more tee-shirt hacks and do more tie-dye.
How about you? What would you make if you could make anything? What's your favorite creative activity?
Marilyn.
--
Imagination creates reality.
~ Richard Wagner
Jeepers, I haven't written anything in a long time. Silly Facebook gets posts every day and my newsletter goes out every month but poor neglected blog... you get nuthin' I wonder why that is?
We have been busy... in no particular order...
The Wonderhub and I went to a concert in the park last Tuesday. Tasty sandwiches and a Beatles Cover Band.
We went to see Emo Philips reading Peter and the Wolf at the Huntington Beach Library. He was wonderfully funny and we got to meet him.
I made focaccia for a potluck, stuffed with olives, artichoke hearts and cheese, topped with home grown tomatoes and Parmesan. Tasty!
I've been trying to sew a little every night. One of the local fabric stores is going out of business so I've been stocking up. I'll post more on this mania later.
The Secret Garden Book is coming along nicely...
The cats have been helping out as only cats can. The boy is learning how to drive... so creative and busy! That's our summer. How about you?
Marilyn.
Oh be swift to love,
make haste to be kind.
~ Henri-Frédéric Amiel .
The Mencats made a lovely Mother's Day brunch this morning for me and my awesome Mother-In-Law...
The boy came up with the menu. Bacon and cream cheese stuffed French Toast.
He chopped and fried the bacon, then beat the eggs.
The Wonderhub was the head supervisor and dish doer.
I'm a vegetarian so my French Toast was stuffed with berries and cream cheese. So fine!
The boy made me a little heart carved out of oak.
This is the boy with my amazing Mother-In-Law. She just got back from Burma.
This is what my hub wrote about his mom,
"My mom rocks!
She taught me how to make hospital corners and do sutures like a nurse (I'll show you the scar later) She taught me how to re-finish furniture.
When a teacher wanted to send me back a year because of my dyslexia, she got me tested, but then wouldn't let them move me up a year.
She taught me how to grow tomatoes like a farmer and how to curse like a sailor.
She once got in trouble for riding a donkey through a hotel rec-room on a family vacation.
Because of my mom, I love travel, shows on PBS and drinking tea. Sometimes I spell color with a 'U' in it.
Because of my mom I love to read and cook. I can iron.
She's the first person to call if you are hurt or in trouble, because she will get you out it and/or tend your wounds--then threaten to beat the crap out of you.
My mom rocks!"
In case of the zombie apocalypse or getting stranded on a desert island these are the two people that you want on your team. By sundown you would have running water, electricity and be sipping a cocoanut cooler in a handwoven hammock in a two story treehouse.
Tonight we are hanging out with my mom. :-)
Happy Mother's Day!
Marilyn.
--
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy,
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~ Marcel Proust
Spring is here!
I went to Little India with my friend Aleta yesterday and picked up some delights. We both love to cook so it was a treat to just wander through all of the spice shops and small groceries. I bought Rooster sauce, chapati, garum masala, lovely fennel (so fragrant), broad beans and a used sari from the thrift store.
We hung the sari on the gazebo. It matches the tablecloth I made... and the cat.
(Fabric from the outlet store = nine bucks) :-)
The pond is doing well and the two new GIANT fish, Odin and Big Pink have settled in. I love to watch them swim around, so relaxing. We've had a few waterlilies so far.
Mister Turtle getting some sun. A student gave him to the Wonderhub because she wanted to make sure he had a good home and didn't think that he would survive at her house.
Mister Turtle is fat and sassy here.
We have four blueberry bushes. The berries never make it into the house. We just eat them as soon as they are ripe.
T
he zucchini is coming along in the back raised bed. We have tarragon, thyme, lettuce, spinach, chilies and a huge amount of basil. Bring on the summer pesto!
Artichokes tonight!
The tomatoes are doing well. The wonderhub planted everything from romas to heirlooms.
We grow them in pots because the soil here is adobe.
Limes are done, lemons are coming in.
We had home grown broccolini the other night. Delish!
The Wonderhub is working on a few new guitars and ukuleles.
He's also making some very fine pens if you are interested. They make lovely gifts.
Lovely hand turned exotic wood pens = thirty bucks plus S&H.
I'm working on two books, more about that later, and waiting to here back from the fabric company about my design submissions. The boy has another six weeks of school before summer vacation.
What creative things are happening at your house? Do dish!
Marilyn.
--
"Let the beauty you love be what you do, there are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth." ~ Rumi
My love affair with comic books started at an early age. Every summer my family would jam into our car and drive to Mississippi. It was a four day drive fueled by watery Koolaid, ritz crackers and comic books bought at gas stations. Once we got there my grandmother had crates of comics from a drugstore that had the covers torn off, remainders that hadn't been sold. I was in heaven reading my way through Richie Rich, Wonder Woman, Lil Lulu, Dot, Batman and all the Classic Comics, illustrated versions of Shakespeare and Dickens.
One of the lovely perks about being an illustrator is getting pro passes to Comic Book conventions. I've been going to the San Diego ComicCon for somewhere around twenty years but this was my first Wondercon.
Cosplay - Characters in Costume
There were a ton of people in costumes of all kinds, superheroes, elegant steampunk adventurers, Storm Troopers and Wookies, anime and video game characters. Here are a couple of my favorites...
An adorable Angel Castiel from "Supernatural"
My favorite for innovation, "CatDog" from the Nickelodeon cartoon.
I saw lots of Doctors from Doctor Who, mostly Tens and Elevens, but also a couple of Fours with long scarves and a Five, complete with celery boutonnière. This guy in red is
Doctor Horrible from the online musical.
Small PressMy favorite part of going to comic book conventions is seeing the small press sections, indy self publishers. In the last couple of years the San Diego ComicCon has grown so huge that these small visionaries renting small tables have been replaced by slicker money backed imprints. But here at Wondercon they were out in full force.
A few of my favorites...
Wylon Robotical the world's only flower delivering robots...
I bought a little field guide to these innovative creatures. See more of them here:
http://barrymcw.com/wrylon/ This array of whimsical handmade toys is from Victoria Rose and Ann Sidenblad's booth, Rawrz Toys. Lovely stuff!
http://rawrztoys.com/This caught my attention, Tapastic. It's a website that hosts webcomics, similar to the way YouTube hosts videos. The interface seemed very elegant and accessable for iPads and other e-readers. I look forward to checking it out.
http://tapastic.com/ How can you not love "Penguins Vs. Possums"
http://www.penguinsvspossums.com/All in all, it was a great event. When I first started going to comic book conventions I was one of the few girls in a sea of guys. Then about ten years ago I started seeing a mom pushing a stroller or a bored girlfriend with her fanboy boyfriend as well as indy tables with female authors and illustrators. Around six years ago I started seeing more Anime and girls would attend wearing hats with kitten ears. Now, I am happy to say that half the people are female, dressed as superheroes, Frodos, angels, Edwardian Adventurers, My Little Pony, Tintin, warriors and yes, Doctors and even Captain Jack Harkness.
It makes me happy to see doors opening and a new generation of women reading comic books, making comic books, writing, drawing and dressing up like heroes.
Do you have a favorite character? Who would you dress up as?
Marilyn
Here's a photo of my own video game character offspring on the right, Xemnas from Kingdom Hearts. He is posing with a cute girl in a blue dress holding a fanged brain. I can't pretend to know that that means.
Spring comes early here. All the rest of the country is freezing cold and dark. We are planting and planning. The wonderhub built a bunch of new raised beds and cleaned and replanted all the pots.
My adorable mother-in-law bought us a flat of heirloom tomatoes and basil at Roger's Gardens. They had a special event called Tomatomania, which is the perfect name for a place that sells two hundred varieties of tomatoes. They had everything from romas to beefsteaks, tiny yellow cherries and pink blushes, black zebras and Amish varietals. Now, I'm dreaming of summer pizzas and tomato salsas.
So now are 'maters are in pots up to their necks in good soil, with three aspirin at the roots in full sun. They've doubled in size in the last week.
We had some beautiful guests over last night. Joel and Tori McKinney and their daughter Abby. They are artists that live on the Banks of Plum Creek, in Walnut Grove, Minnesota.
http://www.blackhawk-studios.com/We noshed on cheese and baguettes, drank beer and tea and talked about art. We talked about making art, learning art, art in the schools, selling art, teaching art. Joel and Tori lead summer workshops in bronze casting, ceramic tile murals and fiber arts. How cool is that?
Tori is an amazing weaver and fiber sculptor. She told me about a spraying diluted bleach on stencils tie-dye technique for dark fabric that I have to try.
Big Joel and Little Joel. We named our kid after this guy.
Joel 2.0 and Abby hit it off great. Abby draws Manga and they were off talking their own language.
One of the things that we talked about was how little art education kids get in schools. Big Joel talked about taking middle school kids to an Artist Co-Op and having them pick several artists and write about what they liked and didn't like didn't like about their work.
Art teaches critical thinking, decision making, planning, hand eye coordination. Making art tethers you to the real world and lets you think past it. Making art is a gift that we should give our children.
What are you making this week?
Marilyn.
--
"Invent your world. Surround yourself with people, color,
sounds, and work that nourishes you." ~ SARK
I'm wearing the sassypants today.
Can't find a teeshirt that fits in a decent color?
Made one!
Like the way a ten dollar sweatshirt feels but don't want to look like a giant raisin?
Remove the cuffs and hem. Cut a slit down the front and bind it with left over scraps. Instant kimono jacket.
Take that closet!
--Use the talents you possess – for the woods would be a very
silent place if no birds sang except for the best. ~ Henry Van Dyke .
Kids can roll the turtles in The Turtle Arcade.
Feed the Picky Parrot
Grumpy Monkeys
And the kids can play "Counting Clown Fish"
They even filled a display case with some of my paper toys. I'm tickled pink.
The Mysterious Math Carnival will be available to buy as a PDF download soon. Let's make math fun!
Wishing you a creative week,
Marilyn.
--
"A mind is a fire to be kindled, not a vessel to be filled." ~ Plutarch
The Wonderhub was up early this
Saturday morning. He had dismantled the Boy's fort a while ago and we
had a big pile of boards in the backyard. He recycled it into raised
beds for the front garden. Our house is on a mesa and the soil is pretty
much adobe bricks that's great for growing citrus trees and artichokes.
(which are pretty much big thistles) but not great for other plants.
The leftover bits will fit in as stepping stones.
Now the planters just need to be filled with planting soil and seeds.
The fish were happy to be fed.
Mandarin Oranges
I drew this this morning
Now, off to the market. Busy day
What do you think we should plant? I'm hoping for herbs and strawberries.
Marilyn.
--
"Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls."
Joseph Campbell
This morning the amazing Wonderhub is whirling about fixing things.
He is fixed the coffee maker. I am continually amazed at his ability to fix anything.
And a guitar that he made...
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This morning the amazing Wonderhub is whirling about fixing things.
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bpNsCt-R6YE/UP2Fkmz7-0I/AAAAAAAABoI/05FdYAs_08M/s1600/coffeefixer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bpNsCt-R6YE/UP2Fkmz7-0I/AAAAAAAABoI/05FdYAs_08M/s320/coffeefixer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">
He is fixed the coffee maker. I am continually amazed at his ability to fix anything.
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xFX4w-xxVIk/UP2Flgl2b6I/AAAAAAAABoc/wiAF60KmKao/s1600/guitarrepair.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xFX4w-xxVIk/UP2Flgl2b6I/AAAAAAAABoc/wiAF60KmKao/s320/guitarrepair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">
And a guitar that he made...
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rgSvfzei0JY/UP2FmhRCl2I/AAAAAAAABos/FDRHdAnXXoQ/s1600/screendoor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rgSvfzei0JY/UP2FmhRCl2I/AAAAAAAABos/FDRHdAnXXoQ/s320/screendoor.jpg" width="320" / </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And he is building a screen door for the dining room. I am completely delighted about this </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
He also surprised me with this book, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, as a
belated Christmas gift. It's a lovely book of vegetable recipes. We
made the spiced polenta recipe last night. Every recipe that we've tried
so far has been stellar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lkPEIcA-Si8/UP2Fmc97RYI/AAAAAAAABoo/K2FQkHNnYbk/s1600/river-cottage-veg-everyday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lkPEIcA-Si8/UP2Fmc97RYI/AAAAAAAABoo/K2FQkHNnYbk/s320/river-cottage-veg-everyday.jpg" width="240" / </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A couple of days ago I tried his basic bread dough recipe. I had to look
everything up because all the measurements and a lot of the terms were
in, well... "British" Now I know what strong flour is bread flour. I can
work my way around grams and milliliters. I know that courgettes are
zucchini and coriander is cilantro. The googling was worth the effort
because the the dough came out perfect </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here's the results.... lovely pizzas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nE5W_MwxkEw/UP2FlmQyqoI/AAAAAAAABoY/4OEri2ukdAI/s1600/pizza.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nE5W_MwxkEw/UP2FlmQyqoI/AAAAAAAABoY/4OEri2ukdAI/s320/pizza.jpg" width="320" / </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The American version of this book is available in May 2013. I can't
recommend it enough if you like to cook. All the dishes are simple to
make and taste amazing.</div><div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5VxY0n1eQw/UP2FkeyHtAI/AAAAAAAABoE/U6FPcV26J4w/s1600/Owlandia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5VxY0n1eQw/UP2FkeyHtAI/AAAAAAAABoE/U6FPcV26J4w/s400/Owlandia.jpg" width="400" / </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I designed this textile yesterday. I'm still trying to master the drop repeat </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, I'm off to drink another cup of coffee. I love weekends,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Marilyn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
--</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>“Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's
self-conscious and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't "try" to
do things. You simply "must" do things.”
~ Ray Bradbury</i></div>
One of the boy's friends received a new sewing machine for Christmas so she brought it over and we had a sewing party. I'd put the machine away over the holidays and just now pulled it out again.
I made a tee-shirt and a pair of pants for the first time. The v neck tee-shirt when together pretty quick and fit like a dream. I want to make a whole closet of them.
I'd never made a pair of pants before and I had to rip out half the seams because I kept getting everything backwards. I made them out of grey flannel and they are big and baggy, ugly as homemade soap. However they are the most comfortable thing in the world, like soft little warm clouds.
think that flannel is an under appreciated fabric and if I ever had my own clothing line it would be all clothes made out of flannel for the winter, but some how sneakily look like regular day clothes, not pajamas. With my Day Flannel collection you could go to the market and run errands and not have people snark at you for wearing pajamas in public. Just a thought. :-)
JoAnne's is had a 99 cent sale on patterns and I bought five. Dangerous, I know.
WonderCon is coming up and the boy and friends are going as a Steampunk airship crew. Perhaps I should make a costume for myself. What do you think? :-)
What creative mischief are you managing this month?
Marilyn.
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<h3></h3>One of the boy's friends received a new sewing machine for Christmas so she brought it over and we had a sewing party. I'd put the machine away over the holidays and just now pulled it out again.
I made a tee-shirt and a pair of pants for the first time. The v neck tee-shirt when together pretty quick and fit like a dream. I want to make a whole closet of them.
I'd never made a pair of pants before and I had to rip out half the seams because I kept getting everything backwards. I made them out of grey flannel and they are big and baggy, ugly as homemade soap. However they are the most comfortable thing in the world, like soft little warm clouds.
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiH1FIFAvXQ/UPwsGMsWl6I/AAAAAAAABmg/u0nwgSbDook/s1600/Sewingflannel.jpg" style="margin-left:1em;margin-right:1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZiH1FIFAvXQ/UPwsGMsWl6I/AAAAAAAABmg/u0nwgSbDook/s640/Sewingflannel.jpg" width="248" /></a></div> think that flannel is an under appreciated fabric and if I ever had my own clothing line it would be all clothes made out of flannel for the winter, but some how sneakily look like regular day clothes, not pajamas. With my Day Flannel collection you could go to the market and run errands and not have people snark at you for wearing pajamas in public. Just a thought. :-)
JoAnne's is had a 99 cent sale on patterns and I bought five. Dangerous, I know.
WonderCon is coming up and the boy and friends are going as a Steampunk airship crew. Perhaps I should make a costume for myself. What do you think? :-)
What creative mischief are you managing this month?
Marilyn.
<div style="clear:both;text-align:center;">
</div><div style="clear:both;text-align:center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1vGJMtxYo5s/UPwvCgEw9tI/AAAAAAAABnI/1-YFvfIue6k/s1600/NightOwl.jpg" style="margin-left:1em;margin-right:1em;" </a></div><blockquote><div style="text-align:center;"><i><span style="font-family:cambria;">“Each of us needs something of an island in his life—if not an actual island, at least some place, or space in time, in which to be himself, free to cultivate his differences from others.”</span><span style="font-family:cambria;"> ~ John Keat </span></i></div></blockquote>
Hello and Happy New Year from Casa Del Aguas.
This is my friend Annie Rugyt. She is not just an amazing illustrator,
she is also a wonderful musician with a voice like a lost angel. She
came over a couple of days ago and tested out some of the Wonderhub's
guitars. I cannot tell you what a treat it was to hear her play them. It
was like she breathed life into the guitars and made them glow from the
inside
Annie
and I have conspired to be more aware of what life is really going on
around is in the world. So we have pledged to write about real things
that are going on around us. We have dubbed this "The Awareness Project".
The writing prompt is "Today I realized that...."
The light blue guitar is The Spazzmaster = handmade Jazzmaster
inspired guitar, Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders Pickups, Mustang
Bridge, rosewood fingerboard, vintage spec jumbo frets and vintage spec
white "witch hat" knobs.
This is a Selmer Maccferri D hole Gypsy Jazz guitar. Spalted Mango back
and sides and Bearclaw Sitka top. Ebony fingerboard and bridge.
Telecaster inspired guitar, glued in neck, Charley Christian pickups
from Vintage Vibe. Bound Cocoabolo fretboard, contoured maple top.
I love the way this guitar sounds. It's got a retro jazz sound that
transports you to a different time and place. The whole room just gets
cooler when it's played.
Also in the news...
The"Great Tidy" is in full swing. Every year after Christmas we attack
the house and garden, decluttering, organizing, and giving stuff to
Goodwill. It feels so good to have everything ready when school starts
on Monday. Here is a picture of one of the kitchen cupboards before...
(Mister Mischief is helping out.)
Before....
And After....
We fix dinner for my mom every night and so we have lots of plastic
containers. Now we have lids and bottoms all sorted. All the bowls are
ready for soup and cereal.
The juicer had been stacked wonky and was always falling off the shelf.
The Hub lowered the shelf an inch and now it fits perfectly.
All the coffee cups have lids. Yay
So today I realized that friends can light up a room and make it
beautiful more than any expensive piece of furniture or stained glass
window, and having less stuff is much better than having too many
things. Less is more? Dang straight
What did you realize today?
Marilyn.
----
To see Annie's art and read her take on the guitar test go read her blog here....
Friday I did a book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Oceanside.
A splendid time being creative.
My artist buddy, the adorable Kim Dwinell drove me down and we met with
the lovely Katie McDee who also is an amazing illustrator. We caught up
on all the news over some delicious Thai food. and sauntered over to the
book store where we made paper toys and simple stamps with both
grownups and kids alike.
Boys too.
We stamped patterns and then made envelopes.
Also in the news, yesterday we bought our tree. In our family,
Christmas tree acquiring is treated as a combination of the Indy 500 and
the Olympic Pentathlon. We time how long it takes us to park, pick
tree, pay, load and leave. We all are pretty much crowd averse so the
whole concept of leisurely inspecting each tree, whilst sipping hot
cocoa, humming carols and wearing mittens is completely lost on us as a
family.
We were unable to beat last year's time of twelve minutes, due to going
on a Saturday afternoon. Still, a lovely Nordman Fir is standing in our
living room, smelling lovely and ready for decorating. And the Boy was
so fierce in his tree carrying that one of the Home Depot guys offered
him a job.
How about you? How is your December unfolding? Do you have any quirky holiday traditions?
Warm thoughts,
Marilyn.
---
Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They're never
fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal. ~ Lenore Hershey
I was given a giant pack of sticky back foam sheets by a friend and thought I'd figure out a way to put them to good use.
http://www.joann.com/fibre-craft-4-1-2-x6-adhesive-back-foam-sheets-65pk-multi/zprd_02358083a/To make simple stamps you will need a felt tip pen, a small block of wood or a bottle cap for a base, scissors, a pencil and a piece of sticky back foam.
Cut a small square of foam the size of your block of wood or plastic bottle cap.
On the backing of the square draw a simple shape, a star, leaf or letter of the alphabet.
Cut out your shape.
Peal off the backing and stick your shape on the base.
Color in your shape with a felt tip pen or use a stamp pad.
Use your stamp to make patterns. When the ink is dry you can add details with colored pencils.
I still have 64 and a half pages of foam left. Any suggestions?
Marilyn
Imagination creates reality.
~ Richard Wagner
True friendship isn't being inseparable,
it's being separated
and nothing changes. ~ Unknown
My bestie, Julie, was in town visiting her mother, so we grabbed breakfast and some coffee.
After breakfast we decided to go to the beach for a walk. I took a wrong turn and we ended up wandering around a small old cemetery on Signal Hill. Most of the graves were from the twenties and thirties. I was struck by how most of the people didn't live very long lives. It wasn't unusual for people to have died in their forties or fifties.
It wasn't a particularly pretty place. It hasn't rained in months upon months.
You can see the oil pumps in the background... but it was quiet and peaceful.
Someone had left food and presents on this little girl's grave for the Day of the Dead.... El Dia de los Muertos.
Some of the names were little children, with sayings like "Our Little Cowboy" and "Our Darling"
This one read simply, "Sister"
This stone was for a"lumber man".
I'm thinking mine might have a pair of scissors.
Thank you, Munhollands, for the nice bench where we sat and talked for an hour, solving all the world's problems. I am so happy to be alive.
Marilyn.
“Look at everything as though you were seeing it
either for the first or last time.
Then your time on earth
will be filled with glory.”
~ Betty Smith
We're all about the manias here at Casa Del Aguas. Whether it's guitar building, costume making, painting, paper toys or cooking, we have a tendency to throw ourselves into new things with the wild abandon of Mister Toad. Somehow, we all ended up with little inner voices that say, "I bet I could..."
So I when I saw this post on Pinterest on how to make Mason Jar Salads, I was transfixed.
http://karenknichols.blogspot.ca/2012/02/mason-jar-salads.html
It's a great tutorial. After reading it I wanted to try this with all the single minded demanding of Veruca Salt. I wanted salads in jars and I wanted it now.
So I bought five mason jars, washed them, bought a bunch of veg and started filling...
The first couple jars I filled with balsamic vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, fresh basil, cucumber and lettuce.The dressing sits on the bottom of the jar until you are ready to eat, keeping the salad crisp. Then you can either shake the jar up and dig in or tip it into a bowl.
I filled two more jars with poppyseed dressing, grated carrot, red bell pepper, green peas, and lettuce.
So thank you for the tutorial, Karen at
My Not So Simple Life. Here they are, lined up like little happy greenhouses in the fridge. Next I want to try a cilantro dressing with chickpeas and roasted bell peppers. I was going to do a couple of bacon and spinach salads but someone ate all the bacon that I baked this morning. (Gives the Boy the stinkeye.)
Oh well, next time...
What salad combinations would you suggest?
Nomnomnom,
Marilyn.
PS If you would like to follow me on Pinterest, here are my boards... http://pinterest.com/thetoymakers/
---
"If we all did the things we are capable of doing we would literally astound ourselves." – Thomas Alva Edison
Getting ready for the Long Beach Comic Con....
The boy and his friend spent the evening sewing costumes. I'm so proud of them!
They made three robes. They are going as Organization XIII from Kingdom Hearts.
The Boy was assigned to ironing duty and needle threading.
Sewing Shoulder pads.
I finished my brown jacket. Not half bad, if I do say so. Total cost = less than twenty bucks.
I still need to learn so much about sewing. Next project is a tee-shirt.
Tomorrow I'll post picts of the gang dressed up.
Good times, people, good times. :-)
Marilyn.
Don't be afraid to attempt something new.
Remember, it was amateurs who built the ark.
It was professionals who built the Titanic.
Don't be afraid to attempt something new.
Remember, it was amateurs who built the ark.
It was professionals who built the Titanic.
JoAnne Fabrics had a ninety nine cent sale on Simplicity Patterns so I snagged a couple of new patterns to try. I'm going to practice a bit more before attempting my Opera Coat design.
I'm going to attempt the jacket. It's a boxy kind of shape so I made a few modifications. I lengthened is a couple of inches (to cover my backside) and I'm going to add toggle buttons so I can close the front. I'm also going to add buttons on the 3/4 length sleeves. I bought the fabric at an upholstery warehouse, three yards times six bucks = 18 dollars... not too bad. I think the whole jacket will cost less than 25 bucks depending on what kind of buttons I buy. (Or maybe I could figure out how to make some buttons...) It's really interesting fabric, a gold with a grey blue under weave. It should go great with jeans and a scarf. I may have just enough leftover to make a hat.
I'm curious to perhaps try the pants just to wear around the house. The pattern has a super simple basic elastic waist. I'm thinking they might be nice in a soft linen with a drawstring waste and maybe a slight flare to be more of a bootcut.
Here's a pict of me wearing my first sewing experiment at the Mission Viejo Reader's Festival. I ended up sewing the button holes by hand because I couldn't figure out how to do them on the machine. Oh well, one more thing to learn. :-)
So what new things are you learning this Fall? Any sewing tips most welcome.
Best thoughts,
Marilyn.
PS If anyone missed my Opera Coat design on Facebook here's the sketch... it's based on a photo of a vintage pattern from http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Pictorial_Review_8948 I've redrawn it from the photo and now just need to get the file enlarged at Kinkos or Office Max. More later!
“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” ~ Sylvia Plath
The wretched heat of September is finally gone. (I hope.) And Halloween is right around the corner. My mom was my adventure buddy today. We stopped by Tanaka Farms to pick up some veg. They have a giant corn maze and pumpkin patch. I love these fall colors...
My mom is 81 and pretty much game for going anywhere. She is the most amiable travel companion you could possibly imagine. She art directed the photos.
It was crazy packed with kids all running around feeding goats and jumping off hay bales.
Afterwards, we went and ate lunch at Ruby's over looking the lake in Woodbridge. Then we dropped in on my sister's place and gabbed for a bit.
We finished up with a trip to the fabric store. Joann's Fabric is having a 99 cent Simplicity pattern sale. I went completely bonkers and bought five patterns.
I haven't sewn myself a piece of clothing in thirty five years and never very into it. I was more of a woodworker, quilter and embroiderer. But last week decided it was time to take up sewing clothes again. Right now I'm in the middle of sewing myself a black crepe jacket. Who knows how it will turn out?
I'm perfectly Hobbit shaped and finding clothes that I actually like is pretty much impossible. Most bigger sizes have huge ghastly prints, colors not found in nature, no shape other than boxy and unflattering necklines. Plus, women's sizes cost more than regular clothes. I shake my fist at you shopping mall! If you won't sell me a decent outfit for under a hundred bucks then I'll make it myself!
So, wish me luck with my new mania.
Here's what the black jacket is supposed to look like.... I've got a lot of Haunted Histories booksignings and presentations coming up and I'm hoping it will turn out nice enough to wear.
Next, I'd like to make something like this....
Or this... (fake fur would do just fine)
If you could make anything... what would you make?
Marilyn.
"Take your pleasure seriously." ~ Charles Eames
Adventure awaits...
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.
~ Alfred, Lord TennysonWhere would you go if you had a magical flying fish car?
Marilyn.
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