My Own Personal Fun-A-Day!

While I was busily preparing for the tapestry demo (of doooooom), I managed to miss the entry deadline for the 2009 annual Fun-A-Day Show! Oooops! Ah well... I didn't actually finish anyway. So here's an almost complete month's worth of Animal Combination Drawings!

1: Panda ("Panda")

2: +Walrus ("Wanda") 3: +Salamander ("Pandamandrus")

4: +Meerkat ("Katamandalruseer")

5: +Spectacled Bear ("Pandamandled beerkalrus")

6: +Octopus ("Spectoctamanda meelrus")

7: +Kangaroo ("Meerktopuspectamander walbearoo")

8: +Big Horned Sheep ("Octospectahorned wandamanderookat")

9: +Mandrill ("Salamandrilled pandarookatrus sheepectapus"

10: +Emperor Tamarin ("Empactlerus hoctarookat tandamandrillander")

11: +Vampire Bat ("Kangapandamander octobeemarin manrushat")

12: +Sea Turtle ("Vampamandaloorill turtaclebigbear walroctapusmarin")

13: +Three-Toed Sloth ("Bigaroodrillanrin waltacleblothle vampamanapus katamander")

14: +Platypus ("Walpusheeparoo seatamarillat spectandamandearpus")

15: +Great White Shark ("Sharkatoedapus vamplymandrill walbearoo tamasheepanda")

16: +Humpback Whale ("Woctopandmanbackat platyroonedillarin slothearatlarkat")

17: +Ring Tailed Lemur ("Whaleothopusharkrill lemperorkatypus kangkatrusandamander spectursheep")

18: +Hippopotomus ("Hippoplatypandamandrill meerpirbacklotharoo octamarinusemurtle sheeparkear")

19: +Clown Fish ("Fisheepippoctopandamatidalrus turtrillanrinearoobat clothalemurtypsharkat")

20: +Giant Anteater ("Anturtailothat humpandamandrill octopippopusaroo fisharkatamearusheep")

21: +Marine Iguana ("Mandriganaroopo walraclotharinda sharkurtereepypus whalemurishire manderkat")

22: +Anaconda ("Antacondalothale tamandrillemurtle walamandisharkat bearoopusiguanippo fisheepat")

23: +Moose ("Anandalrusharkat moondrillemurisheep salaguanopusippo kandaturtamacled vamplathale")

Actually, at the end there I was pretty sure I had accidentally re-invented the Chinese Luck Dragon. Turns out that January has a lot of days in it! Gah! Thanks to all my Pickle Cohorts for picking all the animals!

Ok, I gotta run to pick up the (ungodly expensive) 'zines for tomorrow's demo of dooooom and then off to the REAL Fun-A-Day show!

Southern Exposure

A few weeks back I was talking with my father about the ailing economy. I was telling him about how nobody seems to want handbags in a recession so my boss was asking us to take unpayed days off; he was telling me about how his job at the American Friends Service Committee was coming to an end at the end of January. Sort of joking, I suggested that we take a funemployed-adventure vacation and to my surprise, he took me up on it! So, last week, my father and I flew to Southern California and spent a week at the Palm Springs condo my parents own and rent out to make some extra cash.

(?!??!?)

Let's just say that... my vacation wasn't just a break from the philadelphia cold and my daily routine, but also from my social class: The condo was literally ON the PGA west golf course and Palm Springs is completely filled with rich old people shopping in really bourgie strip malls.

(Actually right on the golf course... Notice how only the "lawns" and the parts where people have to tee off are kept at maximum green... that's because Palm Springs is actually in a desert. So.... all of this is forced greenery.)

Now, I know that I live in state of relative privilege (as proved by my ability to access this kind of vacation at all). I know that even though I'm a woman, I'm white and that because I grew up in an upper-middle class situation, the social position and power that comes with it will always be part of who I am and how the world responds to me. But, having just finished discussions about working class women of color in my feminist discussion group, I was shocked to see so many of the structures we had criticized being played out everywhere I looked- and to find myself implicit in them in ways beyond my control...

For example, when we arrived at the condo it turned out that the space had not been cleaned since the previous guests had been there. Every single bed had been used, every single towel dirtied; there was food in the fridge and on the counters... and all of the surfaces were covered with empty drink bottles and dirty tissues. (I don't leave my house that messy, let alone anywhere that I would stay on vacation!) As the "homeowner" my father (and myself) couldn't help feeling a little invaded by this past group. We wouldn't leave your house in such a state! But thus is the nature of renting (it's not like we're ever there... my parents have only ever been there once before and that was 5 years ago) and the only thing we could do was call the cleaners (a group of predominantly spanish-speaking women) and complain that they hadn't come on time- thus taking our frustration with the mess out on them. And they came, and they cleaned, and it was awkward. How do I convey that I'm a progressive feminist in that situation? Do I, can I at all? Is it inappropriate? I can't even articualte the way I feel without feeling a little bit ass-holey... How can we talk about these things?

I some ways, the "vacation from class" that I mentioned earlier is the exact opposite of the way I felt throughout the trip: I was aware of the classist structure of the area I was in at every moment of the trip.

That being said... my dad and I made choices that saved us money. We ate in a lot, cooking eggs and reduced-gluton toast, and we even made food from the fruit trees in the condo yards!

(Orange juice from the orange trees, grapefruits for breakfast, and a lemon meringue pie!)

And over-all, we had a great time! I loved spending time with my dad- traveling with him is so laid-back. (And I can kick his ass in boggle every time.) Here are some highlights from the trip:

We took an arial tramcar up to the top of Mt. San Jacinto! 8,500 ft up!

Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park!

Very educational tour of the Wind Farm!

Checking out tide-pools on the coast of San Diego!

And, CLEARLY, date shakes. That's right! Milkshakes made from dates! (I'm 70 at heart.)

Lots more photos and lots less socio-political rambling on my facebook page!

Happy Inauguration Day!

I've got my chocolate-chip Obama pancakes, and I'm ready for a great speech and lots of pomp and circumstance!  Yay Obama!

***Edit!  After the event!***

SWOOON!  C'mon, you guys know you cried, too!  I lost it when Obama was coming onstage flanked by two women.  Swooooooon...  

Other Highlights:

Aretha Franklin's Hat!  Also, her singing, clearly.

Biden OFFICIALLY dethroning Cheney.  

Obama stumbling over the oath!  I had goosebumps, I can't even imagine Obama's nerves!   

Oh yeah, and NPR trying to convince us that the "overwhelming" amount of purple clothing in the crowd was a symbol of unity and bipartisanship.  (Get it?  Red AND blue??  Nice try, guys.)

Happy happy day!   I hope everyone gets to celebrate in their own special way!

Fun-A-Day: Halfway there!

Philadelphia loves Fun-a-day! Fun-a-day is a project sponsored by Philadelphia a collective, ArtClash, wherein anyone who is interested does something everyday for the whole month of January. Then, in the beginning of February, everyone brings their work, or documentation of their daily action, to a gallery and the show hangs for the rest of the month. Past fun-a-day projects have included things like: Piggy-back a day! My roommate Sarah got a piggy-back from a different person every day, or Mend Something Every Day! Apparently, the item mended was then drawn on adorable animals for the show installation. Amazing!

I was totally excited to engage in this project, but I completely forgot about it until the 1st of January, so instead of being able to organize some of my more elaborate fun-a-days (like: face a phobia every day... anyone got a pet spider I could, uhm, face?), I decided to go with something I've been thinking about for about a year; ever since my Baltimorean friends and I did animal combination drawings the summer before last.

Animal Combinations! Add a new animal every day! I started with a panda and have been selecting a new animal to add into the mix every morning. They're getting pretty... uhm... sci-fi? (Doesn't hurt that I've been watching the X-Files while drawing...)

Drawn on the 8th of January, this "Octospectahorned wandamanerookat" is the combination of panda, walrus, salamander, meerkat, spectacled bear, octopus, kangaroo and big horned sheep.

Gah! We'll see how the 30+ animal combo comes out... Halfway there! I can't believe we're already halfway through January...

2009: It's Gonna Be Fine

I. 2008: a year in review

Here's the list of goals/resolutions I made this time last year:

Ok, let's take stock: 1. No! I read, like, 34! Terrible... but I did manage to watch all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Oh, and I've been doing a lot of reading for the feminist discussion group that didn't make the list because they were only portions... 2. yes, no, and uhm... I knit one sock on two pairs of socks... does that count? 3. Nope. 4. Good god no! less financially independant than ever. 5. eh... I think it was bad for both them and me this year. 6. I got a driving tour of Providence the week before new years! "And the Requisites...": nope, yup, nope, no way, eh..., eeh gawd no, uhmm... no?, no how, absolutely not, and ... maybe? Who knows.

I did, despite what the resounding number of "no's" up there might suggest, get a few things done that weren't even on the list: I got my website up, I got my Etsy account up, I showed work in a number of shows, etc. All of which I feel great about!

SO! That, in the smallest of nutshells, was 2008. Onward and Upward!

II. Happy Blogiversary!

My blog is one year old this month! (They grow so fast...) So, 41 posts later, I'm still here- going strong. Yay continuity! I demand birthday presents and cards from all.

III. 2009: it's gonna be fine...

This year I'm going to try to chill out. (Not doing so well so far, I know...) My new mantra is "it's gonna be fine." Stuck in Northampton for new years when you're supposed to be at Make Yr Break in Philly? It's gonna be fine. Internet hasn't worked for 5 days and the verizon people are driving you up a freaking wall? Really, it's gonna be fine. EMS threatening to turn your ambulance bill over to a collection agency? No, seriously, it's gonna be fine.

Therefore, in the spirit of a general chilling out I'm not making any concrete resolutions in the hope that, for an entire year, I can refrain from Keeping Score. It's not about your score... it's about how much fun your having, right? Kind of a whole... redefinition of success. I mean, there are definitely things that I want to do... things to make, places to go, money to apply for... but I'm just going to dive in and keep trudging through instead of only getting things done because they're things I think I'm "supposed" to get done. We'll see how that all goes and if there is any shift in my general state of uptighted-ness.

Happy 2009, everyone!

Handmade Holiday!

I made a ton of stuff for holiday presents this year.  And, because of the depression, for once it didn't look cheap!  It looked thoughtful and resourceful!  Which is how I'VE thought about it for years, but... y'know.  Anyway,  here's what I made!

Stocking for my roommate, Raph!  She said she wanted something "christmassy, but purple.  And with reindeer."  Eh?  I did the best I could.

Bird ornaments!  I made 4 of these little friends:  one for each of my sibling's families, one for my parents and one for my friend Q!  Each one had the year embroidered on the side.  I got the pattern off of Spool's blog (www.spoolsewing.com/blog)  Downfall?  My dad says that now he expects a new ornament every year.  Gah! 

Turtles for the Babies!  I have 2 nephews under 3 years old, so I usually make them matching gifts.  Last year I made the mistake of making them hats.  Even though the hats were these SUPER ADORABLE valkyrie helmets (complete with bobble-spikes and horns) it turns out that babies just don't like wearing hats.  So, this year:  stuffed animals.  You have no excuse now, babies.  Love those turtles.  Love 'em.  Aren't they cute?  Their shells are like sweaters and come off for easy cleaning!

It turns out that my eldest nephew (who turns 7 today!) is a crazy knitter, as you will read in an upcoming blog entry (if blogger will ever load my photos.)  Anyway, I made him a case for his needles!  The "E" is for Eric!

There are 2 levels of pockets, one at 2" wide and one at 4".  And there's a zip pocket for little knitting accessories!  I stuffed it full of goodies:  a pair of travel scissors, some needle stoppers, tapestry needles, and a pair of circular needles ("the only thing" he wanted for Christmas.  Besides a goldfish.  Clearly.)

And then there were the projects that I didn't actually finish by my Christmas morning deadline.  I (almost) knit my mother a pair of socks!  I finished one, and included the second, half done, needles and all, in the package.  I'll post pics when they're done.  I've also still got to finish cotton arm warmers for Melanie!  Again... photos to come with.. y'know.. the knitting of the arm-warmers.

Oh yeah.  And then I made all of this crap to sell:

Whew!  Anyway, that's why I've been a little MIA lately.  But I'm back!  Come and play with me now!  Hope everyone else had a great holiday season and a fantastic new year!

ANNOUNCEMENTS! Buy from me and look at my pretty things

Sorry for the super-long blog hiatus!  Things have been CRAZY in Nora-land.  The upcoming Christmas deadline is giving me finals flashbacks; I was up until 4:15 this morning working on presents!  I feel like I have been making things constantly for the last few weeks!  If I'm not physically knitting, sewing, or making shrinky-dinks I feel like I'm wasting time and the world might end at any second.  AND!  The internet seems to be boycotting me.  Our home internet suddenly decided not to function a week-and-a-half ago and the connection at work is SOOO SLOW it feels like dial up (and then I feel like throttling the computer).  We should be connected at home again on Tuesday and I will be throwing an all-night internet party with myself and my frantic knitting.  I'm thinking a Daily Show/Colbert Report/Rachel Maddow marathon with a little AfterEllen lesbian blog reading in there to break up the hilarity.

But more importantly, I have ANNOUNCEMENTS!!  Christmas and Me- related Shopping! and Awesome! announcements!!

1.  My artist website is up and running!  The super-super talented Melissa McFeeters, a local Philly designer, has been working diligently over the last 8 months and, drumroll please, DONE!!  (Except for the bio, which is definitely MY fault...  I seem to be unable to make my life both concise and interesting.  Anyone want to write it for me?)  GO NOW!  AND LOOK AT IT!  

www.fiberistanora.com

2.  My Etsy Shop is also up and running!!  I finally got off my ass and put a some hand-made goodies on Etsy and although they're getting a lot of looks, nothing has sold yet.  So go buy stuff!  If you buy things before NEXT SATURDAY, I will try my darndest to get them to you by Christmas!  There isn't much up there yet (mostly because I'm hoarding what I'm making to sell at the Punk Rock Flea Market, see below.)  But whatever doesn't sell there will get posted online!)  I will be selling:  recycled canvas tote-bags and wallets, cotton print wallets, small/flat 2 pocket belt bags, larger belt bags, and anything else I whip up during all that free time I have.  Check it out!!

www.fiberistanora.etsy.com

3.  PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET- NEXT WEEKEND!!  Amazing artist and friend Ketch Wehr and I are sharing a table at the Annual Punk Rock Flea Market:  

R5 Productions Presents:  The Punk Rock Flea Market, Holiday Edition!

Saturday December 20th 10:00am to 5pm

At the Starlight Ballroom / Club Polaris (460 N. 9th Street - Just Below 9th and Spring Garden)

All Ages To Enter / 21+ To Drink / Food & Drink Served All Day

$3 Admission Donation

Ketch will be selling one-0f-a-kind and pre-framed artworks, and I will be selling hand-made wallets and bags!

(You know you want one.  And another one for your friend.)

We'll also be selling hand-drawn plastic shrinky-dink charms!  50cents a pop!  Flora, fauna, vegetables, lightning bolts, Sandman, Batman, Calvin and Hobbes, the Little Prince and many more images!  You can make buttons, jewelry... they're great little objects.  AND!  Melanie and Sarah will be selling used house-hold items and vintage clothing at a nearby table, so, clearly, you have no excuse for not being there.

So come on out and see us!  And give us some of your money!

Yay for getting things done before the end of the year!  I'm very excited to have all these things finally accomplished.  But now... It's been almost an hour since I knit something and the world is feeling a little apocalyptic so I better get home and get back to work.  See you on the internet!