Wednesday, July 30, 2008

The Garden and I

New haircut!! I love it. I. love. it. It's so light and fluffy and hopefully less maintenance than that crazy grown out thing I called a haircut. 





Turquoise necklace I always get compliments for. As you can see, this is pre- new haircut.



Garden! Tomatoes, gorgeous flowers and carrot tops! We're also harvesting peppers already! Hungarian wax and jalapeno. Delish. We're pickling the Hungarians.





Getting my Needles Out

I'm home! Hooray! I got my hairs chopped (pictures soon) and it feels so good to have a neck again.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the fall Interweave Knits. They are using stitch and color combinations to their fullest advantage. Also, I want the boots in that first picture. Knits' styling never fails to show off the projects and make you want to knit and wear everything! So, yay for Interweave Knits! If I actually end up making any of these, it will so be the vest. I love vests and love Lamb's Pride Bulky (the suggested yarn), so my choice is pretty clear.








Friday, July 25, 2008

Suburban Despair

Eric and I are staying at his parents' in Westland this weekend. They're out of town and need us to watch the doggie. They live in one of those neighborhoods with the houses that are all the same and even have the same floorplan (when I first learned about this, I was disturbed). His mom has done a beautiful job with their backyard, though. It is an oasis in the middle of a concrete desert. I love going outside to enjoy it, but the noises of the neighborhood and, in particular, of their rude, bad-parents neighbors, always make me go inside early. This morning, while waking up under the sun, I was forced to listen to them talking to some girl about her trashy boyfriend who cheated on her. Talk about that inside! I think I will bust out my iPod and declare war.














Thursday, July 24, 2008

Sorry 'Bout That... (Garden Adventures)







I Have Five Jobs

Starting now, I have five jobs. One is only about an hour once a month - keeping my mom's website up-to-date. Check her out, she has a bead store, The Creative Fringe, in Grand Haven, MI. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend her, and not just because she's my mommy. She has done a very very good job putting together an awesome shopping experience!

Starbucks. Between 20 and 30 hours a week. Last week was 35. Insane. I really enjoy working there and love the people I work with. Plus, free coffee, tea, and drinks. Hooray!

School. I've started doing work study for the ladies in the Fiber Design department. I met with Susan last Wed. and we ordered a ton of stuff and I have a to-do list and a shopping list. I'll be working with her sporadically this summer and going in by myself. During school, I'll be running errands (mostly buying stuff) and then probably working a fixed time once a week.

Lucky Clover, Inc. I make jewelry for this company. I don't design it and it's not the type of jewelry I would/do design (this is), but it keeps my skill level high, I enjoy doing it and I love my boss. Plus, it pays. Yay!

And, my newest job (as of today): I will be teaching knitting classes at a new shop in downtown Plymouth, Michigan Custom Boutique. She just opened shop and I really like some of the home decor stuff she has. She has these beautiful pillow cases (I usually don't really pay attention to pillows, until recently) that are hand embroidered in India with the crewelwork style. They're stunning! Anyway, I'll be teaching knitting classes there. This weekend, I have to come up with my lesson plans and stuff. Oh man.

So, I'll be busy in the next few weeks until my summer class is done. Then, I'll be really busy when school starts up again for fall! Obviously, my hours at Sbux will go down and I'll have to take less jewelry, but man. I'm almost worried...

I will leave you with some pictures:

Friday, July 18, 2008

Yesterday, Thursday, I went to the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. I went with Eric, Matt and Noah. It was so hot. The air was broken at work and then it was hot outside. It's gross, but I was basically sweaty all day. Ick. We didn't get to everything, but I saw a few artists that I really 
liked. 
First, is Doug Odom. He's an "outside artist", someone who is not formally trained in the arts. He's from Alabama. Matt had seen his paintings when he went earlier and wanted to show us. We talked to him a bit and he has the funniest laugh ever. He was so cheery and had that Southern Alabama drawl and a laugh that was actually a cackle. I liked him a lot. He doesn't have a website (unfortunately, I also wish he had a blog), but I found this picture of him and some of his work on this website. It's about a show he did at Virginia Beach.

"I love the state of Alabama," he told two young women in bathing suits. "So I put in all kinds of things from Alabama - leaves, dirt, sawdust, roof tar."

This woman, Janice P. Ho, was really cool, too. She was really nice when Matt and I talked to her and I was attracted to the shapes and feelings in her jewelry. One, she seems interested in sustainability. The photo above is of a necklace called "Poof Poof Tree". At the show, there was a description next to it saying something about how the tree can shelter the emerald on the bottom. The photo below is a brooch called "River". You can see the movement in the leaves.


This guy above is Dylan Strzynski. There are geodesic domes and windmills in his paintings. Which are made with printing plates that he etches. He manipulates his paintings throughout the whole process using both additive and subtractive methods.

I only got to see the Ann Arbor Fiber Guild's booth as they were closing. I found some really nice yarn that I will have to go visit tomorrow! I couldn't really see much else...

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I've Been Busy

It's true. This summer has proved to be busier than I thought it would be. That's ok. Much of it is good busy. Here's a summary:

Last Friday was the Plymouth Art in the Park. It was... an art/craft fair. A few good booths, most of it just wasn't my thing. But they had delicious kettle corn and strawberry lemonade that only I liked! The Plymouth Pottery Guild had a booth. Lots of great stuff there! I almost bought a mug, but bought yarn instead. I'm kind of sad now. Hopefully, I'll find a great mug in A2's art fair. I did get they yarn though. It's beautiful. From the Au Gres Sheep Factory in Michigan. She handspun and handdyed it. I have no idea what I'll make... It's a 2-ply light worsted. Any suggestions?



Also on Friday, Eric and I went to his great-aunt and -uncle's house to help them move stuff for their huge garage sale. There were lots of people buying stuff and there was LOTS of stuff. Seriously lots. Their whole basement was a labyrinth and they had already moved a lot of it upstairs. I got a few goodies though! I'm really excited about them. As of late, I have had a minor wooden-produce-crate-obsession. Nothi
ng to worry about... They're beautiful. And such a thing of the past, for the most part. Now, it seems everything is in cardboard boxes. I got a Welch's crate from them. I also got some really cute mini planters with flowers on them. And an Argoflex medium format camera! It's beautiful. And in such good condition.




Saturday, we went to the Ann Arbor farmer's market. Yay! I was so excited about everything. I got some cherries to make pie with. I might just make jam instead. Jam is much less scary... Also, some more blueberries and eggs and garlic and maple candy and green/yellow beans! And, I got a delicious mocha from Sweetwaters Cafe


Sunday, I made my first freezer jam! My mommy is a serious fan of freezer jam. Not only is it quicker, it also keeps the fresh fruit taste we so love! It was a total success. I was afraid I had ruined it. You see, after I stirred the hot sugar/pectin mixture in with the fruit, I realized I didn't have any jars to put it into! I had forgotten to get them earlier. Oh no! I ran (drove) to Meijer with my hands still stained and sticky and still in my pajama shirt and bought mason jars. It's ok, though. My jam, if I do say so myself, is so good I want to make a million more batches!



I promise I won't do this disappear-then-huge-post thing again.

Brittany

Thursday, July 10, 2008

It Was a Chelsea Morning

... and the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses.


Is there anything better than waking up to an open window with morning sunlight streaming in? 
Perhaps sitting next to said open sunny window with your favorite mug (thanks Audrey!) full of delicious caramel rooibos tea.


The Northville farmer's market is much better (in my opinion) than the Plymouth one. They actually had produce in Northville! And my strawberry mission has been successfully fulfilled. Now, to make jam!

I think I'll just eat these. And maybe do some pit spitting as well!

I don't think I got enough blueberries to make jam, but I might still crush some of them and put them over the lemon custard Guernsey ice cream we bought. Mmmmmmm.