Out of Chaos Comes French Toast! Who Knew?

When the Bear was little, he accompanied me to a project site visit. After we got back in the car, he said, "When are you going to be done?"

"We're almost done now," I said.

"Really?" he said. "It doesn't look like it."

"I know, but there comes a time in a project when all the elements are complete and you just need to clear away the extra stuff and B*I*N*G*O, everything falls into place and you're done!"

As a child of a woman who has worked in construction for thirty years, that observation and "DON'T PANIC" have stood him in good stead.

So, remember last week when I mentioned I was in need of some extra dough? To recap: As I've mentioned before, designers are often supply-rich. We've got samples of this and seven of that and some of those and a little here and there.

A week ago Sunday, I got some of the big things out and brought them into the dining room. My goal last week was to make something out of this that I can sell; something people will buy; something fairly easy to fabricate; something not terribly expensive, something artful and beautifully made of what I have on hand and that I don't have to buy more stuff of to be successful.

The driving force of the item was coffee. To be more specific, coffee made in a French Press. This is Seattle after all and the home of the quintessential (not to mention ubiquitous) coffee company ~ Starbucks. To quote the great Howard Schultz and the Daily Mail (my guilty pleasure) "Mr. Schultz says he uses a Bodum French press which results in 'the best cup of coffee known to mankind.' "

I concur! There is only one drawback to the French press ~ having it stay hot.

Enter "French Toast" my French press cozy. Keeps my morning coffee hot, looks fabulous (I'm a designer, after all) and fits both my French press and several of my regular tea and coffee pots. Double duty. And, lovely. Lovely on the counter in my kitchen, on a tray on my tuffet in the living room, on the coffee / tea table for a buffet.

So, I whipped out 10 different "French Toast" patterns. This is the final version of my first ~ a tan and cream silk with black piping, silk organza trim and a gold wired ribbon handle. Doesn't it just look like a pageant!

Nice!

So, whether, you are keeping your regular French press warm or using your large Haviland / Limoges porcelain pot from your mother or the tall Russian carafe of hot chocolate with brandy after dinner ~ they all stay hot in the "French Toast" ~ How cool is that!

Life is too short to drink coffee or tea from a naked pot!

Day 46 Everyday Grateful ~

Putting together my French Toast cozies
Turning my dining room into a photo studio
Happy!

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2130468/CEO-Starbucks-says-best-cup-coffee-known-mankind-home-simple-French-press.html#ixzz1xbwRQCYw,

http://www.starbucks.com/

Notes from a Writer's Lair ~ Impressions of Janet.

We hear about how being a writer is a lonely pursuit.

Imagine a lair overlooking Lake Union. More an aerie than a lair. The walls integral colour stucco in a warm summer butter with a glow of the trowel and a patina of age. Floor to ceiling windows open onto a deck for a 180+ degree view of the city. The storm clouds move in over the hill; the rain pelts the glass; the pink of the setting sun.

Imagine that everywhere you looked there was a place of visual beauty to rest your eyes and soothe your spirit.

Imagine it was small but exquisitely appointed. Coffee? No problem. Practically at your finger tips. A kitchen almost a galley. Spare and beautiful.

Imagine an evening curled in the arm of the sofa; a book open on your lap; the day behind you; the city alight; the city at your feet.

 

Now, imagine you shared this lair with your beloved ~ he in his studio, you in your sanctuary; pen to paper; the flat click of your keyboard; the ring of the phone.

At home. At work. Together.

Ah, Janet! Lovely. . .

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Book-of-Answers/87787827023
http://www.facebook.com/WritersRefuge
http://www.facebook.com/Louisaswriters
http://www.facebook.com/Hedgebrook



Logan Benedict is Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson ~ All Good News!

Sometime between October 11 and November 4th, I'll be on the train to Portland to see Logan in "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson."

This morning, I received the following email: 

I was offered my first title role in the Portland Premiere of a new musical called “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.” This theatre attracts the best people in Portland, so it’s an honor to get the offer. It’s also exciting to know the whole cast is going to be great.

It’s almost impossible to explain what the show’s about without totally confusing you, so I’ve attached links to clips and features on the Broadway version. Artistically this is going to be an amazing character to portray and develop, so I couldn’t be more excited.

It’s a new and intimate theatre, but it gets tons of buzz and I’m certain this will be the most talked about show this fall. It’ll run 10/11-11/4 and has an option for a two week extension, which will happen most likely.

“Rent” starts rehearsals a week from Wednesday, and I’ll start “BBAJ” 9/11. Things are looking up! Enjoy the clips.

(I left the grandparents off this email due to the swearing . . . and general adultness of the show . .  . so I’ll inform them separately.)

Love,

Logan

http://www.loganbenedict.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F38kGsMr5s4

This is a seven minute piece that PBS did on the show. The writer talks about the how he shaped the characters. Probably the best video to explain the madness of this musical. Very cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRSlBjNhqjY
5 minutes of Jackson music. It’s basically like doing a drama, a comedy and a rock concert every night. GREAT music. Best example of what you’re going to see me do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkKUuCRf55U
This clip has interviews from the writers and the original star with pics/vids from the show and discussions on parallels between Andrew Jackson and today’s politics.
http://portlandplayhouse.org/season-five-we-the-people
Theatre Site
http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/theater/reviews/14bloody.html?pagewanted=all
New York Times Review
http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/arts-and-entertainment/articles/best-diversions-may-2012/
Voted Best Theatre
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Portland-Playhouse/117958841762
Theatre’s Facebook page. Some nice photos of past productions

Subcultures I Knew Nothing About ~ Artistamps and Art Stamp Designers!

This past weekend, I went to a 20th Anniversary celebration of my friend Zen's mixed use project in Seattle ~ Whaac All All.

Robby and Janet, the owners, are artist and wordsmith respectively.

Robby is an Artistamp designer. His "country" is Tui Tui. And, what a country it is. Or, to paraphrase the great Jane Austen, "It is a truth universally acknowledged . . . what's a great country without great stamps?" There are commemorative stamps, First Day Covers with appropriate cancellations, stamps for various govermental departments, Fest Day stamps, famous Tui Tui elected officials ~ you get the drift.

Robby's nom de l'art is Dogfish.

His work is fully realised, intricately imagined and flawlessly presented ~ all on the face of a "stamp." It's breathtaking in its depth of detail.

Mail Art is not without its risks. Every Mail Art designer knows they have arrived when they are visited by the Treasury Department (AKA Secret Service) or when the FBI stops by their studio or investigates their entry in an international exhibit to be certain they are producing art and not postage. Keeping all that in mind, there is nothing more fun than receiving a letter from Robby. It's a pageant! It's stamped, cancelled, and dated ~ the only thing missing? A papal bull.

On Saturday, I got to spend some time in his studio. This is the best way to descibe it ~ Robby's studio is a wonder.

The 20th Anniversay Banner

Beautiful studion sink and storage

Detail of the stamp frame.

Small group of stamps

Stacks of stamps

Letter to NASA to add First Day Cover to Magellan

Small flat things need thin flat drawers.

Gorgeous papercutter!

How fun is a sheet of stamps in a stamp frame!

What's a stamped letter without a cancellation?

And, then there is Janet! More tomorrow . . .


For more Artistamps Mail Art information:

http://planetdada.co.uk/wordpress/artistamps-dogfish/

http://jas.faximum.com/library/idac/idac_0217.html
http://networkedblogs.com/418K1
http://artistamp.artinfo.ru/collection/dogfish/en/1pic.htm#1
http://artolympix.com/artistamps
mailart : Message: PUBLICATION ANNOUNCEMENT - ARTISTAMPS by James W. Felter
P A N M O D E R N . C O M 
Anna Banana's Publications

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistamp

The Perfect 20th Anniversary

What an inspiring weekend!

My friend, Zen ~ boy genius architect, and I attended the 20th anniversary of one of his projects (for which, I played a very, very, very small part in the design.)

The building is a mixed use structure overlooking Lake Union. It's on an amazing but difficult site, and, wow! what a view.

As I've mentioned before, Zen is a damn genius. Couple that with clients with exquisite taste, fascinating worldview, deep artistic sensibilities and you get brilliance.

Robby is an artist and Janet is a writer. When you talk about people in history you'd like to have dinner with, I say why go back in time? These are people you'd certainly drag a chair to the table for and maybe even bump Napoleon to the kiddie table.

 

The design of the building was inspired by their love of the Coast Salish people: their traditions, customs and language. As we all gathered around for greetings and a toast, Robby spoke in the Lushootseed dialect and Janet translated the welcome. Utterly cool! And, completely dear.

From the lintel over the garage to the shape of the building, everything was fully realized in support of the vision developed by the client and the architect. And, twenty years on, immaculately kept. Sublime!

The day was gorgeous; the project exquisite; the light fare toothsome and beautifully presented; the guests convivial and interesting; the hosts generous. Lovely.

   

Day 45 Everyday Grateful ~

Beautiful weekend

Out and about to Lake Union

Nice!

http://www.mcmanigal-architecture.com/McManigal_Architecture/Home.html
for more pictures of Whaac All All see Portfolio/Residential, Whaac All All Eastlake Mixed Use

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lushootseed_language

Apollo 13 and Creativity to be Found in Crisis

When I was in my 20's, I, like a million others, read "The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe. What I didn't know until then was that our family lived in the epicenter of the space race. The heroes of the "The Right Stuff" were our neighbors and the fathers of our friends at school.

When we moved to Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, we lived in base housing. One day, during the first summer we were there, a big black car pulled up to the house next door. As the doors opened and serious men in uniform got out and started up the walk, my mother came flying out the front door of our house and literally dragged us inside, drew the curtains and told us to "sit down and shut up."

What I did not know until 20 years later was that Capt. Iven Kincheloe had been killed in a plane crash.

My father worked on the X-15 project. I remember when President Kennedy said, "We're going to the moon." For us, it was not rhetoric, it was intention in action. So, in a lot of ways, much of living at Edwards has defined my life.

As an adult and in my work, when people I was working with would say "it can't be done." I'd say, "this is America. We've been to the moon."

I'm just so not interested in all the ways things are not possible.

One of my favourite scenes in the "Apollo 13" movie is when those on Earth are given a box full of all the things on Apollo 13 available for use and told to solve the crisis ~ which, of course, they did!

This attitude has served me in good stead. While nothing I've gone through compares to the nail-biter that was Apollo 13, it's been a constant reminder never to give up, use what I have around me in a new way, look for creative solutions to get me out of the pinch I might find myself in and, if all else fails, go for a walk and keep keep repeating, "Of course, there is a solution, this is America. We've been to the moon."

Or, to quote the great philosopher, Douglas Adams, in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,"

"DON'T PANIC."

Which brings me to this week as I find myself in need of dough. As I've mentioned before, designers are often supply-rich. We've got samples of this and seven of that and some of those and a little here and there.

On Sunday, I got some of the big things out and brought them into the dining room. My goal this week is to make something out of this that I can sell; something people will buy; something fairly easy to fabricate; something not terribly expensive, something artful and beautifully made of what I have on hand and that I don't have to buy more stuff of to be successful. 

I'll keep you posted.

Day 44 Everyday Grateful ~

More Drizzle. More Drizzly. More Drizzling.

Prototype moving along well.

A bit more atmospheric than I'd like in June,

but, lovely and green nonethelesss.

Oh, Venice! You Poor Dear! What Fresh Hell is This? No, This is Not Photoshopped!

Is there no justice? Is there no appreciation of beauty? Must it always be about money? While I generally disapprove of coarseness in discourse, the phase "turd in a punchbowl" does come to mind when I see a giant cruise ship in the Venice Lagoon.

As I've mentioned before, there seem to be two types of people in the world ~ those who can take or leave Venice and those (of us) who adore La Serenissima. There is no joy in the Serenissima camp right now.

So, I was reading the Daily Mail (my guilty pleasure) and was reminded again of the vulgarity of cruise ships, in general and in using Venice as a port-of-call, in particular. Jeez! I mean really! Look at the size of that monstrosity compared with the dome of San Marco. Creeps me out!

Apparently, there is even a move afoot to relocate the famous Venice fishmarket to accommodate the cruise lines.

It feels like all the things one might love about Venice and its pedestrian way of life is ruined with these hulking behemoths vomiting out 4500 passengers at a time. And, what do the Venetians and those tourists who came on foot get? Ruined skyline. Destroyed views. Destructive waves! Pollution! Merde!

Sounds like a petition drive is needed. And, wonders of wonders, there is one. Click on the link below if you, please pardon the expression, want to put your oar in the water.

Oh beautiful, beautiful Venice!

Day 43 Everyday Grateful ~

Drizzle. Drizzly. Drizzling.

More work on a lot of small projects

Hope the bunnies in the garden are staying dry!

A bit more atmospheric than I'd like in June,

but, lovely and green nonethelesss.

http://www.petizionionline.it/petizione/salviamo-un-pezzo-di-storia-di-venezia-no-alla-chiusura-del-mercato-del-pesce-di-rialto/3328

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154779/A-giant-cruise-ship-endorsed-Sophia-Loren-swept-Venice-sparking-protests-spoilt-views-air-pollution.html