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Archive for May, 2010

Tom’s Shoes

Posted in Social Consciousness, Style on May 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

So much of the world spends their lives shoeless. We have countless pairs piled in our closets, lining our baseboards, & it would be impossible for us to recall all of the shoes that have adorned our feet in the past. We often feel powerless to think of this gaping difference of life, but here is one easy solution:

Make your next footwear purchase from Tom’s Shoes. For every pair they sell, they donate one to a child in need. That means, by buying a pair of their shoes you are buying one for someone in need as well. It’s a two-fer! It’s also a simple step that we can take in our spot on the globe that benefits a child on another side. For more information on their mission click here. To see my favourite pair click here! Happy shopping!

P.s. They have vegan options!

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May Sale!

Posted in Crafting, My portfolio on May 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

I’m a bit late here on the updates — sorry about that. But I just wanted to share with you another sale that I’ve made! Keeping track of not only my creations, but also my sales, on this blog is helpful for me to organize the projects that have come & gone from my life. So here’s another, a sweet little Hair Bow that has now travelled its way all the way across the globe to Australia!

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Posted in Portland, Reading, Writing on May 25, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Perhaps I’m a bit of a geek, but I just loved the tour that Ryan & I took today of the childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Located just down the street from where we live, I cannot believe that we have been living so close for a couple of years now & we’ve only just mustered the gusto to visit! I mean, when we lived on Deering Street I passed it every single day on my walk to work. To me, history is fascinating, & since I’ve been out of school now for a little while I no longer find it draining or boring to listen to dates & names. Plus, standing inside such a gorgeous structure really helps me focus my concentration!

My recommendation today is that you see the Longfellow Museum tour at 489 Back Street *ahem!* Congress Street, tout de suite! You don’t have to be a lover of poetry to appreciate the tour either! There is a bevy of information about Portland’s history, & also about the early years of our nation! In fact, you’ll find that the Wadsworths were quite fond of George Washington & made it well known that they were in fact friends of his.

It being a small house, the tour didn’t take a huge amount of time from our day, but the self-guided tour of the exhibits next door in the Maine Historical Society allowed us to explore the pages of history at our own pace. So go now! Run along! Hear the sad story of this famous man’s beard!

Hours of operation for May-October:

Monday–Saturday, 10:30am–4pm; tours on the hour, first tour at 10:30am, last tour at 4:00pm
Sunday, 12pm–4pm; tours on the hour

The prices are:

Members: Free
Adults: $8
Seniors & Students: $7
Children: $3

Visit this site for a two-for-the-price-of-one ticket coupon! And visit this site for more info!

Photo from the Maine Historical Society

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Upholstered nightstands? Now there’s an idea!

Posted in Crafting, Home Decor on May 21, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

These days it seems like buying cheap plastic “stuff” at Walmart is a solution to all of your storage problems. They have organizers that are light, probably already assembled & they don’t cost much at all. But your home will look like a college dorm, these rickety stands will probably break within a couple of years, & when you do toss them out with the garbage, that plastic will never decompose. So then, we realize that to combat this, a better solution for finding cool furniture is to frequent yard sales, antique stores, & even the dump can have some gems. Then we are reusing pieces that no longer have a place, but come with a great back story (even if you do make it up yourself).

BEFORE! (Photo from Curbly.com)

But how can you make it yours? Painting it would be the most obvious idea, but personally, I like this one. Upholstery? Who’da thunk it? Those geniuses over at Curbly keep me on my toes. :)

AFTER! (Photo from Curbly.com)

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Visiting the International Cryptozoology Museum

Posted in Portland on May 21, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Well! We were finally able to visit the museum that I raved so excitedly about back in this entry when Ryan & I went to the Green Hand Bookstore (conveniently they are located in the same shop). My thoughts? It was fantastic.

Loren Coleman, the owner, curator, & tour leader for the museum, as well as the go-to guy for knowledge of all creatures unknown, led us on a personalized & detailed trip through the world of the weird. From Bigfoots (Bigfeet, perhaps?), to Coelacanths, to Thunderbirds, & even our local Turner Beast, we saw them all! My favourite part was probably the display depicting animals that were once thought to be completely ridiculous & unreal, but that we all, even as children, recognize today to be real! For example, at one time the concept of a gorilla was so out of our realm of believability that it was considered a cryptid (a mysterious & rare creature — often unreal). He suggests that a lot of animals that we sometimes scoff at may in fact be real — they’re just good hiders.

It was a great experience. We were especially impressed that at the beginning of the tour he asked about us! We felt so special to have a tour tailored just for our specific interests & histories. I mean, he was involved in such projects as MonsterQuest, Coast to Coast, The Mothman Prophecies, Swamp Thing (in fact, the character Coleman Wadsworth is him). And he was interested in who the heck we were (p.s. he has souvenirs from some of these sets in the museum for ogling)!

So basically, I think you should go. & if you do, you should look for the painting below…because if you’re reading this blog, chances are you most likely know its painter :)

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Results of a Digital Age

Posted in Uncategorized on May 20, 2010 | 2 Comments »

In reading a friend’s blog post today, I realized that one of the first long-term effects of our digital age may be making itself apparent now in my life — speech impediments? Maybe I’m way off, but it seems to me that these have been occurring more & more around me every day. At first, I noticed it in my own speech. I would stutter, or mix up words, sometimes combine words accidentally, or skip them entirely, & as I became more aware that I was doing it I also saw it in other people around me. Could this possibly be a result of living in an age where visual stimulation on an LCD screen matters more than taking cues from another person’s body language or having an actual verbal conversation? Could there be a growing anxiety of other human beings because we are so used to hiding behind our computers/phones/etc.? Is all of this evident in our shakes, stutters, & the holes in our conversation?

What do you think?

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With summer on its way…

Posted in Music on May 19, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

I present you with this song (please click that link, it’s the sweetest little tune. & make sure to read the accompanying comic).

Ryan & I discovered this new release on one of the very first Spring-feeling days this year. It was the perfect timing. The opening line of Jacob Borshard’s song (featuring Cake on Cake) “Summer Will Have Its Way” was exactly what I needed to hear.

I was sick of mittens like you wouldn’t believe

& all those turtlenecks were strangling me

But now blossoms line the lanes

& the honeybees have come out today

You can give up on Summer, but Summer will have its way.

Then the next bit exemplified what I love about Jacob; his embracing of innocence & his love of fun.

I was riding your girl’s bike ’cause my boy’s bike got stolen

You know the Dark Side tried, but they can’t keep me from rollin’

If you don’t know Jacob, he is one of the ukulele artists that Ryan introduced me to long ago, & I find him ever-appropriate. He is a creator as Ryan & I are creators — we may not have direction all the time, but we are constantly trying to express ourselves. He writes music & draws comics among other talents. These are all available to you, the appreciator, on his website.

I was made for love, I was made for summer,

Come here, honeybees, & kiss me.

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Inspiration & Sale

Posted in Crafting, My portfolio, Painting on May 19, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Recently I’ve been having fits of inspiration. I say “fits” because I’m almost wild to find an outlet for all of the excitement & conductivity I feel. However, the problem I face (that I believe often plagues other imprecisely named “crafters/creators”), is that I find myself unaware of the proper direction to pursue. How can I get all of this passion out of me if I can’t pinpoint the right medium to use?

And so I trudge on, searching for some light to be shed upon something that I may not even yet be aware of, knowing only that I feel certain feelings because of certain images, sounds, or experiences. Here is some inspiration for you:

Photo from Sprinkle-diary.blogspot.com

Photo from Marie Antoinette (2006)

Photo from limepublish.freshlime.cz

♥

And, on a much more satisfying note, I just sold my later Jenny Lewis painting which has been adorning my own wall in anticipation of a final resting place since it was painted about two years ago. For an untrained painter, this is incredibly refreshing. With little direction in the medium, just the inspiration I mentioned previously, I was able to bring something into creation that another person wanted enough to pay money for. It’s a happy life that we live when we are able to make.

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Portland Public Market House

Posted in Good Eats, Portland, Social Consciousness on May 18, 2010 | 4 Comments »

I regret not taking more photos of our lovely morning at the newly renovated Public Market House today, but I suppose a blog entry & one photo of mine will do for now. I’ll also supply you with several from the Facebook page & the link to another WordPress blog with plenty of  photos!

Our day began when Ryan & I hauled our sleepy buns over to Monument Square for some coffee & reading, & left an hour or so later feeling quite ready for the rest of our day. For most of that time we were just sitting on a comfy couch overlooking the busy morning city & chitchatting about everything from King of Queens to the Red Hat Society (which, by the way, is actually kind of cute). But we also shared our space for a short bit with a nice girl around our age who we assumed was on a lunch break or something to that effect. She was munching Little Lad’s popcorn…we became so jealous that we later went out to get some for ourselves.

I suppose my message today is: if you haven’t yet had the chance to check out the newly improved Market House today should be the day. As it was before, the first floor features Big Sky Bread, a Portland owned & operated bakery which uses certified organically grown wheat, Maine Beer & Beverage Co., which has a great selection of spirits from the state of Maine as well as plenty of other often asked for groceries, and K. Horton Specialty Foods, a stand with as many cheese & meat options as you can imagine & fresh, local fruits & veggies! But, when you venture on to the upstairs section (via either of two sets of stairs, or the handicap accessible elevator), you’ll find new & creatively named lunch stands like Peanut Butter Jelly Time (I’m tempted to provide you all with this link in case you are unaware of the origin of this title), Kamasouptra — a soup shop, Pie In The Sky — your pizza haven, & the somewhat less creative, but equally as awesome, Market House Coffee stand. There are also a great many tables, couches, & chairs with magazines, newspapers, & even board games scattered throughout. With its exposed brick, local artwork, & comfy couches it is such a cozy, friendly environment! I’d even venture to say that it’s Portland’s answer to Central Perk.

The mission of the Market House is also something that I really appreciate, & I encourage you to read the whole section, but if you’ve not the time, or if you lack the patience, here is my take on it:

Portland Public Market House seeks to support a community’s entrepreneurial ambitions so we can all stand strong in times of trouble. This past year was very tough on a lot of business owners, but in Portland we kind of managed to do alright because we have a strong sense of independence & brotherhood. Portland encourages its own to flourish under the protection & support of our city brethren. This is a city that is very conducive to art, independence, & expression. A place where each individual, with just a bit of direction & determination, can turn their hobby & passion into a successful way of life. We, here in Portland, seek to explore each other’s talents & differences to form one collective feeling of culture & expression. The Market House hopes to offer the citizens of Portland an alternative to big-box shopping. That is, to make available to us a place where we can find what we need while keeping our hard-earned money in our own community.

Other reasons why I love it:

Location, location, location! Right in Monument Square, this market is most accessible by foot, thus encouraging us all to save the environment & stay healthy by walking down to the market instead of driving! There is no denying how conveniently located this place is, but parking is a problem so use your feet instead!

Also, there are not enough safe & comfortable public places for people to get out of the rain/stay warm in the cold/use a clean bathroom/etc. when they are out in the city for the day, on a break from work, or homeless. The Market House offers such options.

For more Market House gossip check out their Facebook page, or stop in to check it out for yourself!

Photo from The Public Market House's Facebook page

Photo from The Public Market House's Facebook page

Photo from The Public Market House's Facebook page

Photo from The Public Market House's Facebook page

Photo from The Public Market House's Facebook page

Photo from The Public Market House's Facebook page

Photo from The Public Market House's Facebook page

Here’s the link to another WordPress blogger who found the space equally as exciting as we did! Kudos to you, GumbyGooGoo!

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Caroline has found a home!

Posted in Crafting, My portfolio, Style on May 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Remember this little gem? She has adorned my wall for quite some time now, waiting to be sold, & finally someone has given her a home! That’s right! This piece is sold :)

Thanks, Beth in Texas!

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