Rhinestone Armadillo

WIP

That would be "work in progress", not a misspelling of whip as in "Whip It Good".  Any Devo fans out there?  That has got to be one of the weirdest videos ever.

I have a few train case commissions finishing up.  A client had me make cases for all of her little girls.  She's giving them to her daughters for their birthdays this year. The hard part is done, now I'm just applying coat after coat after coat of sealer. They are really flat right now, but they'll be much glossier after I'm done.

I think I'll take a break from commissions after these are done.  I want some maternity leave!  From here 'till post-baby time, I'm only going to work on my projects.  I'm feeling nesty and want to sink my remaining energy into incubating this little girl and doing family things.

The spectacle that is Tom Jones

Ah...the spectacle that is Tom Jones!  Did you know he had his chest hair insured for $7 million?

Nice banana hammock, Tom.  Hey---I hope you ladies will forgive me if I don't get a shot of my husband reenacting this photo with our soon-to-be-born daughter.  Actually, that would be pretty funny. Adam's such a good sport he'd probably do it, too.  He'd draw the line at that perm, though.  That poor baby is all, "Oh, Daddy Tom....no! Maybe if I twist my head violently in this direction I can keep from getting chest hair in my delicate newborn nostrils."

I'm ashamed to say I've spent the last half hour watching Tom Jones clips on YouTube.  That man was a piece of work, I tell you!

 

I've got to tell you...around 1:15, I started laughing uncontrollably.  Like, hysterically, hurting my huge pregnant belly laughing.  Smearing my mascara.  Violet (already in bed) yelling, "Mama---wassa matter?"
For those of you around in his heyday, share some info, please.  Was he hokey back then, or was he for real?  'Cause I get the idea that the ladies throwing their panties onstage at him in Vegas weren't joking.  There is not one man in that audience.  By the way, YES!  I did just say 'ladies throwing their panties onstage'.  It's not in this video, but apparently women would just pelt him with underwear and hotel room keys in Vegas. 

Apparently, he's been married to the same woman since 1957, but has been one of the most notorious cheaters of all time.   Even Elvira claimed to have lost her virginity to Mister Jones.  Eeeeeek!

 

His heels....his heels!  And his band's hair...gee whiz.  Could Mister Love Machine's pants get any tighter?

 

Now, this song isn't one of my favorites, but the video is killing me.  I'm not sure if this was a British version of American Bandstand or what, but this is easily some of the lamest-ass dancing I've ever seen.  Treat yourself by skipping to around 2:00 minutes.  Are these people on that proverbial brown acid?  I've never witnessed more unapologetically awkward dancing in my life.

What the HELL are those pants made out of?

 

Check out the first few seconds then scoot along to 1:02.  This very attractive lady is seriously ogling him---it's just killing me.  This guy must have been crawling with everything from crabs to bed bugs.  I bet he single-handedly spread VD across the western seaboard.

 

Does it totally gross anyone else out that the ladies want him to wipe his sweat on a handkerchief then give it back to them?  And does is creep you out that he repeatedly kisses women from the audience on the mouth?  Check out the above video at 50 seconds for some classic movies and a lady almost pulling her hair out.  Pulling it out.

 

Be warned....he's still out there!  Shaking it for the ladies.

Wales must be so proud.

Badgermin

This is fabulous.  It's a badgermin....a theremin combined with a taxidermied badger.

 

Skip through the annoying 'Keep playing, mister piano man!' segment and watch the 2nd lady playing it.  Boy....how I would love to have that thing in my living room!

First day of Autumn

 
It's here!!!! Fall is finally here! I was happily surprised to wake up to fog and a 55 degree morning, since it was over 100 earlier this week.

 
Violet as the Acorn Squash Fairy.  I decided to take her outside and just follow her with a camera and see what happened.  She decided 'the pumpkin needs a nest'.

We started the day with an autumn breakfast.  See the tiny owls? Their eyes are tiny bits I cut off a piece of candy corn.

 
 Violet was overjoyed to get a piece of candy corn with breakfast.  I need to take that kid out more.

It's officially fall when you see candy corn at the market.  My jars are dusty.  Don't look at that. Pretend they're freshly sparkled with Windex, ok?

They're so tiny and happy that I end up eating too many.  Do you have that problem with candy corn? 

To celebrate the best season, I made Mommy & Me autumn scarves.

Is that photo any better?  They're of a super soft, translucent fabric.  I used this tutorial from Jenny at Anything Pretty. (By the way, what an awesome tutorial, Jenny!  It was concise, well-photographed, and I will be back for more!)  I made it take about 3 times as long since I used fabric that needed hemming.  I used the overcast function on my new machine.  I like how it gave the edge a slight scalloped look.  However, if you use knit fabric, you don't have to do any hemming----just gather the ruffle, sew it down, and you're done.

 
This is one of my favorite days of the entire year.

 

Here are some stunning fall foliage clips accompanied by Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1.  Satie's music is so haunting yet tranquil.  Perfect for autumn. If you can't view it above, click here to see it on YouTube.  I hope you're all taking a hike through the woods, drinking cider, and getting out your sweaters!

Violet's new favorite song

There is a little boy named Brighton in Violet's mother's day out class that is so cute I want to bite his cheek.  He's the friendliest guy, and runs to Violet every morning to give her a hug. Like, will sometimes fall down on his rush to greet her. How can that not warm your heart?

 
 Violet likes to dance to this song while trying on her different costumes. 

 

Some people say they've had their day, but I think The White Stripes are solid, time-tested rock and roll. Or, rather--Jack White is a genius. Stripped down acoustically or revved up and plugged in, their songs are good. They frequently fit my mood whether it's raucous or calm.  This video pretty much sums up how I feel about Meg. Guess I'll just keep lying here and collecting my paycheck, sweetie.

 

I really like his work with Loretta Lynn, too. He's an all-around flexible kind of musician, while always keeping his personal stamp on things. And he's pretty dang cute, too.  In a pallid rocker/Edward Scissorhands sort of way.

 
(Bonus points---cat in Halloween colors.  Copyright 'animal rummy' if you can't tell.)
He's pretty great with the Raconteurs, too. If you're not familiar with them, here's a great tune called Carolina Drama. The fuzzy haired seventies porn-looking guy (Brendan Benson) cracks me up with his sheriff's badge on his guitar strap.

 Look----Violet 'helped' me clean the mirror again.  She thinks smearing a paper towel over the mirror is so much fun she keeps doing over and over.  With spit, water from the dog bowl, milk, whatever.  That mirror stays clean for about 5 seconds a day.

She's looking in the mirror.  Look at her tiny Madame Alexander Wizard of Oz witch doll.  She has one of Little Red Riding Hood, too.  I wonder if they make more from a fairy tale series.  I'll have to look. 

 Another costume change to the Tinkerbell dress.  She's putting flowers on Donald Duck's back to make him a 'duck butterfly'.  Ah, the mind of a 2 1/2 year old.......butterflies, ducks, fairies, pee pee, goldfish crackers, and puppies.  Simple, but very busy and deep thoughts in their own way because they're so immediate and raw.  Do any of you remember thinking of those sorts of terms?  I don't think most of us can recall thoughts that far back.  I have some very early memories, but they're more like photographs of events, not day-today recollections.

That's all for today.  Remember, you guys said I wasn't posting too many Violet photos.  In case you're thinking too many baby photos.  Not that you were, but just in case.

Sulic & Hauser-Smooth Criminal

 

I have such a soft spot for music nerds.   And cello. These guys also do a great version of Nirvana's "Nevermind".

The Woman in Black

 

I was just talking about scary monkeys!  This looks like a great movie for the first cold, rainy day in October.

Hoppipolla by Sigur Ross

 

I love this video.  It made me cry today for some reason.  I especially like the old folks playing pranks on the hipsters.  If your computer doesn't show you the video above, see it by clicking here.

Violet loves to dance these days.  When I've been doing other things too long, she comes up to the computer and says, "Glasses off, Mama!"  Which translates to, "Get off that darned computer and play with me."  She'll gently pull my hands toward her and say, "Come off chair, Mama.  Watch Violet dance."  Then we hold hands and dance together.

When this song ended she said, "It's over, Mama."  I know that's a simple and obvious thing for a child to say, but it seemed so poignant today.  Sometimes a turn of phrase strikes you at a heart level, you know?  The video, with the lovely, plodding music reminded me how it will all be over, before we know it.  It sounds like a cliche, but time is rushing by.   The change of seasons comes so quickly.  Violet's a little girl now, and it seems just last week I was holding her tiny baby body in my arms.  People I love are changing and getting old and dying, and I wish things would slow down a while.  I guess we don't get to choose the speed of our lives, do we?

Thanks, Shellie!

Wow!  Did Shellie really just say "Flying Trapeze School"?  That's pretty dang amazing. 

 

Along that vein, let me recommend "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen.  I may have mentioned it here before, but it's a great novel.  I'm not sure how the movie adaptation is going to play out, but I'm curious to see it. It was such a vivid and romantic book. You can't go too wrong with a summery carnival/circus-y movie, can you?  It has that Twilight vampire boy in it for better or worse. 

Welcome to the Summer of Awesomeness

Yeah, that name sucks.  For now, though, we're sticking with it.  Give me a better one.  Seriously. (Between you and me, whilst calling my friend Stacy to discuss the idea, I fear I referred to it as the Summer of MORE Awesomeness.)  My English teacher mother would be ashamed. 

Note:  I'm making a list of Guest Bloggers for the SOA.  If you want to chime in, LET ME KNOW!  I'll give you a whole post to your own dangself.  You deserve it. 

-Let's start up our summer playlist!  I love "How Are You Doing?" by the Living Sisters.  (The video rocks. Click the link, watch.  Go on.  DO IT!) 

 

 Honestly---how many times has someone called you mid-chaos and you've said, "Oh, I'm fine."???? Let's cut that out.  At least with our real friends.  We're not always fine.  And I think it's time we quit giving ourselves such big points for pretending to be "fine".  What race are we trying to win by being perfect all the time?  I prefer my honest mid-crisis friends to my shiny-perfect-not-a-hair-out-of-place friends. 

I'm not advocating drama queen-ness, or condoning people who are constantly doing self destructive things.  I'm simply saying, sometimes we're not having a good day.  Let's face it,  fix what we can, and move through it to our next good day.

-Find a summer lip gloss.  Wear it every day for a week, whether you're a gloss kind of gal or not.   Bath and Bodyworks has a nice selection for the summer for under $8.00.  Coconut pineapple, cherry spumoni, coconut mango...the summery fruity list goes on.

If you're an absolute non-anything-wearing-holdout.....hmmmm.  Sploosh a splash of beet juice into some Vaseline.  Smear that on your pucker.  Hah!  I came up with something for you patchouli-wearing HIPPIES!  Now DO it!!!!!

Menfolk (Do I have any menfolk out there?  Give a hollah, boyfriends.)....take a gander at these frivolous candy flavored offerings: 

-Go to YouTube and find an instructional dance video.  Pick something you would normally NEVER do in real life, like tap dancing or samba or hip hop. 

 

 I chose this bit of....I don't even know what you call it.  I typed in 'dance instruction video' and chose the first thing that popped up, with 47 MILLION hits.  I don't know what the HECK they're doing.  I kept saying to myself, "Are they in a POOL? Why are their shirts so big?"  But I did it anyway.  I've taken many years of dance lessons (ballet, tap, jazz), even taught dance lessons through high school and college.  Just so you know, I still felt like an idiot.  But I did it. ( I think a large part of stepping outside your wheelhouse is feeling like an moron.)

So....I repeat....LOCK THE DOOR IF YOU MUST!  And, perhaps, choose a gentler video like this.

Or maybe you've always wanted to learn the Cotton Eyed Joe.  Here's a straighforward instructional video. 

 

I prefer to do it along with these guys, though.  They looks so happy.

OK--that should get us started.  Are you feeling special and amazing and different yet?