pick n' flick

Just when it seems like I've forgotten about updating this blog, I come back to it on another crazed late night on the internet. It's funny how much time has passed since I've last posted. In fact, I considered creating a new blog under a new pseudonym for a fresh start... nah, too bad.

Let's face it. Everyone has lulls, slumps, and dead spaces, but it's time for a hard look at my sloth. I think my inability to care for this blog is simple. I simultaneously love and hate the internet. It is absolutely daunting how much material there is to acquire and absorb out there in code. I feel a weird obligation to be uber current and glut myself with information, but also an instinctual urge to unplug at all costs. 

Sometimes I find myself on a diet of reblogging and digi-lurking, binging on the web until sleep claims me. In the morning I am disgustingly tangled in a nest of stale sheets with my laptop tucked in next to me. I immediately take the dog out for a long walk in tall grasses. or hop on my bike for hills and shore, or stretch myself sore in yoga practice. I yearn to be in the wilds, somewhere remote of wi-fi, twitter, or social networking. I want to read books and write letters to distant friends, I want to be in the sun. 

Inevitably, I come back to the internet again, to communicate, to share on instagram, to translate my experiences into facebook updates, to check-in on the rest of the world. It triggers another lapse into a day spent staring at a computer screen, and the cycle begins again. 

I crave both lives, online and off. I resent ever relying on the internet, and end up cursing at a google search bar. I wish I was more well read, more film literate, more worldly, more aware, with a strong visual memory, and an even better vocabulary. Everything the internet makes me capable of being, without having to ever truly be. I feel frustratingly lazy, but I can't avoid it. 

Am I alone?

It is my goal to use this blog as a way to push myself to achieve. To do. Anything.

Therefore, I announce a new schedule of events here on this blog. In the next month, I will attempt to make a post everyday. Something, anything, doesn't have to be fancy.

Every week I will post a project I am working on, updates will ideally posted on Tuesdays.

I think I can do it.

Stay tuned folks.

cozy times

It is easy to do things when they are easy, when they are familiar, and comfortable. Sometimes, all I crave are soft foods, unmade beds, and simple mushy relationships. I feel content but not satisfied. It is unbelievably scary and difficult to push yourself into uncomfortable situations where you are at your most vulnerable. It is terrifying and real. I will admit, I feel the most alive when I am scared shitless. Don't you? You only live once right? Sometimes, I need to remind myself of that.

DAY THREE.

Inspiration TUESDAY!  Here are a couple of my favorite finds via the interwebs this week:

WEARABLE ART
EDIBLE ART

DAY TWO.

Autumn yields some of my favorite annual events, and Halloween is at the very top of that list. Usually, I spend quite a bit of time brainstorming ideas for the holiday, but this year I came up mostly dry. When asking around I found that a lot of friends were also stuck with elaborate ideas they either procrastinated on, or fuzzy ideas and time running out.

Despite my horrible organization this month, I was able to scrap together 3 separate looks for the weekend that I cranked out with very minimal planning. This is the "How-to-pull-off-a-costume-last-minute-post".  These are my three costumes below- Look 1: Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice, Look 2: ICP Juggalette Fan, and Look 3: Ewok from Star Wars Return of the Jedi

I am a firm believer in either making or re-editing clothing into costume. Nothing kills the mood more than an expensive last minute store bought costume.
Rule 1 to success: Work with what you already own For a couple of my looks, I ended up re-purposing items I already owned. With a little red dye and cheap tulle I was able to transform a white dress I had into Lydia's wedding dress.
Rule 2: Face paint is a cost efficient essential Seriously. A little face paint can make your costume go from a clueless huh? to a slamdunk. Do your research. Use photo reference to inform your look.
Rule 3: If all else fails, thrift, Scrounge, and get cheap Sometimes a little creative energy can cobble together a look. For my ewok costume I bought a cheap oversize brown turtleneck and a furry tube scarf from a thrift store. I used an old work shirt for the cowl, some found rubber bands to scrunch together the ears, and a eucalyptus branch I found on my way to work for my staff. Instant score. Hope these tricks and treats help you guys get ahead next time around.

DAY ONE.

Guess what? Halloween may be neigh, but it's only a few paltry months shy of being the holidays again. Which means, it's also time to get back into the crafting saddle. So I've dusted myself off and started this project: Dreamcatcher Hoops. I love dreamcatchers. My first was a neon green and purple number covered in plastic pony beads that I scored from my local annual pow-wow. I hung it in my window until the ribbon bleached out and the beads were dull.  This version is a much more versatile accessory, and a surprisingly easy craft.

To make my pair, I used a pair of gold hoop earrings, some embroidery thread, and some glass beads. Begin by cutting a piece of the embroidery floss and string it evenly along the hoop by drawing one end of the string over the hoop then looping it through the loop you've created. Use this stitch to build the foundation around the perimeter of the hoop. Once you've got your first row, begin the second by stringing the floss through the gaps between the knots of the first stitches. You'll begin getting diamond shaped stitches like the ones below. Once you get to your 3rd or 4th row, begin stringing your beads onto your dreamcatcher. Traditionally the beads represent the spider spinning the web of the dreamcatcher. I used multiple beads to decorate the interior of my web. Once the stitches begin getting smaller and smaller, you can finish the stitches by doubling the knot in the final space.

 LE FINISHED PRODUCT!