pocket full of ticket stubs

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*+***/Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol/Martha Marcy May Marlene***>the Darkest Hour**>Tinker Tailor Solider Spy.

It's been a big week for going to the movies, which is what I imagine/remember my life without school will be/was like.

* incredibly graphic, but people brought children to
** so bad it's (not quite good, but) okay
*** slightly uncomfortable content for first time hangouts

judge

I haven't even heard this yet, but I'm pretty excited about it. Greg Kamprath (+) on Judge John Hodgman, one of my favorite podcasts.   Hear it out.

fond of Fonda

I was thinking about that movie Klute (which is kind of good in the 70's private eye/prostitute/stalker/drug scene/NYC way) today, and then realized I'm heading for Jane Fonda 40 years ago hair.  At least the crooked bangs part.

Then I looked into what she was doing 40 years ago, and it was "getting arrested for kicking police because you have too many  vitamins on your person".

Right.

stamps

HZ, your Christmas present came*.

*from Canada.  In this envelope.  From "Junior leBlanc".  Now I just have to go leave this guy some awesome feedback on eBay.

croc

A Christmas crocodile that a student made on Saturday at Nest.
Kid's stuff is so good (sometimes).

gargar

My neighbor, who has the exact same house as me, went out of control with the Xmas decorations this year, big tree and everything.  So in keeping up with the Joneses I decided to go a quarter of the way there, and put up a couple garlands.

I got a little of this at the Rite Aid then I wanted more.  The rest?  Philly Aids Thrift free box.  Again.  I feel like I get a hit every single time I go by there.  So thanks PAT, thanks for garlands.

zining

On Sunday we went to this zine workshop thing at the Leeway Foundation in the city.
Talked about:  graphic design, zine fairs, issues*.

I don't know about everyone else, but the most valuable lessons I took away from the whole thing were about folding/paging one sheets(!)**,

and this new kind of gluestick I like.  It was okay.  We made these little trial run guys that will be good to reference.  I'll start working on some great works of literature soon, don't worry.

*not like "issues" of a magazine, like issues like fat-phobia.
**how had I never learned this?

not your stairs

Mail from mom.

books

I have a little book in this show that opens in a few days:

If you happen to be up in that hood on Monday during those specific hours, come by!  There's probably a lot of other good shows happening in the building too.

industry

Back in the (sticker) game.  It's been a million years since I used my Xyron*, but Nikki's recent birthday was maybe the perfect excuse to break it out. Made stickers of her cat's head, and played a highly evolved 30th bday version of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.

*If you don't have a sticker machine in your life, I feel sorry for you.

burny

It's weird that I don't have my own cooking show yet.

Oh, were you curious about what could be in that delicious looking tortilla?  White rice. Cheese.  Taco sauce.  Pretty gourmet.  (hashtag "make-do", "late night cookin").

dis-track, pro-crast

Maybe instead of presenting this paper, I could do a Powerpoint presentation about all the things I've done instead of doing this paper.

• Cat bath.  
• Bringing in the A.C.  
• Painting sticks I've found.  
• Making stickers for a birthday. 
• Laundry, vacuuming, windows.
• Gym.
• Reading homeschool mom blogs.   
• Experimenting with watercolor resists.
• Organizing all my Halloween costumes.
• Overtending houseplants.
• Skully and Mulder, still.
• Managing my phone contacts.
• Checking the mail to see if the porquipine quills I won on eBay came yet.

ironing

Making everything in the waffle maker lately.  Favorites: french toast (waffles) and grilled cheese (waffles) with honeycrisp apple slices!   It's like the most beautiful sandwich press, and I'm a little mad I didn't think of it ten years ago.

NYS

More eBay.  And now I have to official quit buying anything for my home - my walls are gettin' full up.

I got the biggest topographical NYS, and pretty cheap too!  I always start out with trying to figure out perfect eBay xmas presents for everyone, but just end buying stuff for myself.  eBay's got all that positive language:  "Good luck!"  "Hope you win!"  "Congratulations!"

postponement II

Got flag fixed up and hung!  I like it a lot, but it brings up this fear I have that my house is turning a little fun-housey.  Oh well.

winning pennants

There are two kinds of good mail
1. Mail from people* (which barely ever happens, unless Rander goes on a trip and sends a postcards three months later, after he already got back, but I'll take what I can get).
2.  Something from eBay** that was so cheap it was pretty much free because obviously no one else was interested in it, and that auction item was insignificant enough to really remember/look forward to, but then it arrives as kind of a surprise, and is kind of cool.

*a hint.  You could send me something.
**getting pretty deep into eBay (again).

postponement

Went to Philly Aids Thrift this Sunday to pick up one of the WWII battleship flags I'd been eyeing up for at least a week or two.

I couldn't decide which one to bring home, because there were kind of a lot of choices.  So, just like in a restaurant where every single thing sounds good, I picked (and carried around) several favorites, mulled it around for a few, and at last minute changed my mind and ended up with this guy. Given the ginormous size of my house (joke) I obviously chose one of the bigger flags, which is probably (really) 9 ft. long.

I looked it up, and this flag means "postponement", which makes me wish I would have bought one that meant something cooler, like "This ship requires a quarantine", "I am on fire and have dangerous cargo on board", or "stop carrying out your intentions".  Oh well.

Currently patching it up a little, because there are a few holes - you know, from battle*.

Anyway, expect to see it up soon at Tiny House, and if you too need a giant flag, now you know where to get one.  AND:  fyi, Black Friday morning, everything in the shop is half-off.  It might be the only place I go all day, and maybe just for another flag.


*probably.

Fright

On real Halloween, we went to that haunted house at the Jomar warehouse down in South Philly.  The FRIGHT FACTORY.

When you first get in, you're like, "Oh, cool, we're at a mummer storage facility" (really - old floats and costumes all over).  But that's not the real beginning.
Then you go through round one, and get your picture taken, and you think "phew, we're done" but really?  The adventure is about to begin.  They say they're giving you a tour guide, and to be careful.  And then?  Your tour guide immediately gets murdered, and you're on your own for 3 whole more sections of pitch black haunt.

I think we rated it about an 8.  It was really scary, really long/thorough, and all the people who worked there were super into it, which makes anything better.  I would say next year?  Do it.

broke

Halloween casualties.

(Not so bad).

Philly Photo Day

Tomorrow (Friday, the 28th) is Philly Photo Day!  So, short version is that you (anyone) take a picture* anywhere inside city limits, at any time of day on Friday.  You upload it to the Photo Arts Center, and they print it and hang it as part of a big exhibition at Crane on November 10.  Every single picture people send in gets in the show.  Some of it is good, and some is bad, but it's all worth seeing.

(Here's my picture of Gallman that was in the show last year.)

This is really good because it's fun (and you should be taking Halloween pictures anyway), and we get to go eat and drink and try and find our photos day-of, and if you're trying to build a resume, this is a super-easy add for your "exhibitions" list.

*if you don't have a f'real camera, you can camera-phone that jawn - they're not picky.

mocs

These were so good they almost made me feel a maternal twinge.

hearing

Remember I used to have a truck?  And then I sold the truck, and tucked *most* of the money away, but also made a lot of impulse purchases?

I got these yellow headphones.

They are so so great.  With more consideration, I might not have picked yellow, but I still like them a lot.  And, AND, they came with a stereo-to-mono adapter (not that important to most people maybe, but for me?  Awesome surprise.)*

I also impulse bought some red white and blue sneakers.  I immediately wore them, and thought "what on earth! why isn't everyone wearing sneakers all-day every-day?  This is great!".  Then I realized I guess a lot of people are wearing sneakers all-day every-day - I'm just not one.  But now I'm a "sometimes, now I at least have the option" person.

Oh, and I got a Kindle.
Yikes.

*other things that are great with these, aside from the adapter:
  - folding (obv)
  - pause/play button on the cord
  - cloth cord, doesn't really tangle
  - there's a output hole, on the far side, that someone else could plug their headphones into, and then you could be listening to the same thing

32 numbers

The slowest (not really), most recent collab calendar is done.  It looks rad.

Contributors?  If you didn't get one yet, it'll happen soon!  Promise.

This stuff takes forever, but is always worth it.

snips

Back in August, around birthday/hurricane season, an awesome discovery was made:  cable tv.  In my house.  Not all the channels, but some good ones - TLC for instance.  History Channel.

Yesterday?  "No Signal".  Then I realized that all these little pellets in my alley (that kind of look like tiny pebbles?) were snipped up cable.  Like not only was Comcast all "Oh, this girl has been watching too much Hoaders Buried Alive, and not paying the piper, we need to cut her off", but they were all "we're got to cut her off and send a message".  They seriously went to town on the actual cable and chopped it up good.

Message received.

mail

I just got the best surprise birthday present in the mail:

Seriously, so excited.  (And, surprised.  It's October.)  I'm going to have as much sparkling whatever as I can drink.

stlant

While we're stairs-talking, here's a picture of my stairs plant.  I just grows up from the crack between the first and second step.  In a spot that doesn't receive any sunlight at all.

When I first moved in, I thought it was weird, but solvealbe.  I ripped it out clean, two times. Plant came back.  I painted it a little on accident.  Plant thrived.
So this time, I'm just going to see how it goes - I'm gonna let it grow.  My mom (really) thinks it's a rose, but I kind of hope it's some sort of spider or bad luck eating creeper.
Time will tell.
I mean - it looks kind of healthy, right?

steppin'

With the best help, got the whole kitchen painted last weekend (even the so-dirty-it-was-almost-black-ceiling).  And then, partially because Kelly insists her carpeted trinity-stairs are less slippery, I bit the bullet, ventured into the FLOR world, and carpeted the stairs.

Some things:
1.  The wall color is not exactly as pictured, but is in that family.  Not at all the pale butter yellow expected.  (Some kind of lesson about not judging the "Oops paint" by it's label.)
I know all the colors don't really "go" together, and it's weird, but it's growing on me.  I just want Josh to like it.
2.  Cutting FLOR tiles:  Everyone (including the website, and real people, and the guy at the hardware store) tells you to get/use fresh blades all the time.  They're right.  Also worth noting: this is no job for an X-acto.

costuming

Right after school/midterms/papers, 214, haircuts, and deciding which kind of Ambien to take at night, I spend a fair amount of time thinking about my Halloween costume, and how it's gonna work out.

I ended up buying a lot of parts on eBay, most recently, all this hair from Hong Kong, and this big red dress.  It has a copyright on it (?) from 1989, just one year after Beetlejuice came out, so I'd like to think that it was inspired by the film, and therefore a perfect ($3.50) investment.
BUT:  I have a lot of sewing ahead of me guys.  I don't know.  Consider this a "before".

ghosty

Here's the newest jawn on my walls.  Frowny Ghost.

(from Matt Smith.  He's my nephew.  He's 6).  I like it a lot.

hex

My studies in X-Files Mythology were put to the test when I found this pile of (assuredly) graveyard dirt that appeared in the middle of my bedroom floor.

Definitely someone is trying to hex me (put a hex on me?), but so far* it's not working.  

*So far, I also don't have a broom yet, so it hasn't moved.

warmed

Roxy brought me some cotton candy.  It was kind of weird to start with, then fell behind my miracle bookshelf.

I found it today.

Now it looks like this:

very hard, very red (not puffy, not pink).

Thanks, though.

For anyone else looking to drop some housewarming presents, start thinking HALLOWEEN.

'tique-ing out

On Saturday, I started my new little job at Nest.  On the way there (okay, and on the way back) I stopped by this flea market at St. Pete's.  It was pretty good, and it happens a lot, in different neighborhoods on different weekends.

Crystals, croquet, this tiny traincase (that is no longer available.  Because I got it).

Most regretted "did not get" item?

The tiniest bear skin rug.  Oops.

Anyway, it's a regular thing you can* go to.

*"can" = "should", and looking at you Melissa, Carina, Amber, Kelly.

expeditin'

Spent all afternoon working on assembling this whole thing.  Then it didn't fit where I wanted it to, even though I measured so so much.  I don't want it in my house.

Anybody want an assembled 2x4 Expedit?  Make me an offer.  It's even on wheels!  You can walk it home.

toss

There's something so gratifying about throwing away soaking wet flats, just because they're wet.

It feels luxurious, and preposterous, and indulgent.  And like a big "f' you" to the rain.

pompomeranian, 2

I've been having a hard time* with getting the internet at my new house.

BUT, T was over this weekend, and like a big hero, found the one spot in space where my Roku picked up the internet.  So now, it's supspended in mid-air between my tv and the window, utilizing an otherwise unused string of bright red pompoms.  And guess what:  I get so much Netflix now.  And everything else.  I still can't check my email, but I can watch tv**.

*a "hard time" means
1.  I am too stubborn/cheap to set up with Comcast. 
2.  I was too nervous to just ask my neighbor to share his password/bill.
3.  After I got up the nerve to ask him (which was no big deal), I am too un-motivated to follow through with reminding him about it.


**X-files, obv.

29

29 started with a day off, tubing down the Delaware.  We saw a fish with a hole in it, which is hard to explain if you didn't see it, but every other part was really pleasant and nice and relaxing.  On the way there, this:

At night, we went to Ray's Happy Birthday Bar, and people karaoke'd.  Everyone who sang gets +1 from me.  Here's Kamper, killin' Hey Jude.

Thanks for bdays, guys. 

word play

Get it guys?

It's a bud vase.


There was a wedding on Saturday, which means that now there's just unending flowers and infinite delicious food.  It's all pretty nice.

cal 2k12

So, there's 16 of us working on another collaborative (international!) calendar project this year.  I've got more than half of the contributions(?) in, and they're looking good - it's going to be a nice collection again.  Some are pretty straightforward, some are a little more abstract.
Here's one of mine (a sneak peek, if you will).
Rats, as usual:

So, if you're involved, and you haven't gotten them in yet - get on it.  If you're not in on it, just imagine how awesome your life would be if you were.  You should get 15 friends who want to do a art project together.