Little Odd Crowd

PEARS IN HEAT

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 05:26:00 +0000

Slow Cooker Chai-Spice

Pear Applesauce

Ingredients:

5 medium apples (I used Granny Smith)

5 medium pears (I used Bosc)

1 tsp lemon juice

5 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground cloves

1 tsp vanilla extract  

Do this: 

Peel, core, and cut the apples and pears into half inch chunks, then combine all ingredients into in your

slow cooker. Heat on low for 4 hours, stirring about once an hour. Use an immersion blender, food processor, or blender to puree fruit. For a chunkier version of the sauce, remove half of the mixture before pureeing, then recombine.

Yield: 6 half cup servings.

Enjoy! As with any of the recipes, let me know how it goes if you choose give it a try. Thanks for stopping by!

xKlara

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 06:15:00 +0000

BICYCLE TREATS

Human-powered, pedal-driven eye candy

BIKE PORTER:

"Copenhagen Parts proudly presents: the Bike Porter – an integrated handlebar and basket."

WEBSITE: http://copenhagenparts.com/products/bike-porter

"REEL"

by Yeongkeun Jeong

"'Reel' can transform the main triangle of the bike frame to store your belongings. The silicone stickers are attached onto the frame and the elastic band is wound up between them. Unlike common bicycle accessories, the flexibility of the band allows the user to express their style by customizing the shape of ‘Reel’."
Collaborated with Aareum Jeong

WEBSITE(scroll to "REEL"): http://yeongkeun.com/

BUDNITZ BICYCLES No. 3 Honey & Black

"Model No.3 Honey & Black is our ultimate all-around city bicycle, now with an elegant European make-over.

Includes the same features as our Model No.3 Black Steel, including our handmade titanium handlebars and seatpost, with the addition of beautiful German-made cream performance-rubber tires, a honey-leather Brooks titanium saddle, and matching Brooks leather grips."

BLOG:http://blog.budnitzbicycles.com/

WEBSITE:http://budnitzbicycles.com/bicycles

Homemade Soy Vay Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 05:24:00 +0000

A week has passed since my first posted recipe. I have yet again fumbled around in the kitchen and happily come away with a favorite! This week's recipe is not vegetarian, but it could easily be adapted to fit such a diet. I discovered the recipe during my quest to determine wether Soy Vay offered any low-sodium alternatives. (NOPE). Please, do not surrender, keep your chin high. I have tidings of joy: you can make your own!
P.S. I know that this image does not inspire mouth-waterings. The dish actually turned out kind of ugly, so I just put the lid on it. Ugly or not, it will be invited back.
xKlara

INGREDIENTS

4 Skinless chicken thigh

2 tbsp San-j low sodium wheat free tamari

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp dijon originale mustard

2 tbsp clover honey

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp orange peel

1 tbsp lime juice

1 raw clove

Directions

Mix together all the wet ingredients.

Pour over chicken.

Place in a 350 degree over for 45 minutes.

Periodically spoon the sauce over the chicken to help to glaze.

Enjoy!

This dish is not low-sodium, but it is a healthier alternative to a Soy Vay brand marinade.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh

Amount per Serving:

Calories 175

Calories from Fat 71.5

Total Fat 7.94g

Saturated Fat 1.82g

Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 421.03mg

Total Carbohydrate 10.6g

Dietary Fiber 0.48g

Sugars 8.07g Protein 15.35g

Hail and farewell...

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 01:09:00 +0000

Thank you Mr. Bradbury, for your contribution to the world's collective imagination. Your footprint, so distinct, is palpable and unmistakeable within my own musings. For me as it was for my father, star-gazing will never be the same again. Those ancient Martian cities, their silent dry canals, and your “balm of sun and idle august afternoons” are such striking inventions of fancy and fable, fantasy and nightmare, and are such I could never hope to build. You will always stir and move me.

So long, friend...

-Klara

-----------------------------------------------------

A few favorite excerpts.

(Illustration by Joseph Mugnaini)

The small boy, on the country road looked up and screamed. “Look, Mom, look! A falling star!” The blazing white star fell down the sky of dusk in illinois. “Make a wish, “ said his mother. “Make a wish.”

-Bradbury, Ray. “Kaleidoscope.” The Vintage
Bradbury. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. pg 242

Yes, even Grandma, drawn to the cellar of winter for a June adventure, might stand alone and quietly, in secret conclave with her own soul and spirit, as did Grandfather and Father and Uncle Burt, or some of the boarders, communing with a last touch of a calendar long departed, with the picnics and the warm rains and the smell of fields of wheat and new popcorn and bending hay. Even Grandma, repeating and repeating the fine and golden words, even as they were said now in this moment when the flowers were dropped into the press, as they would be repeated every winter for all the white winters in time, Saying them over and over on the lips, like a smile, like a sudden patch of sunlight in the dark. Dandelion wine. Dandelion wine. Dandelion wine.

-Bradbury, Ray. “Dandelion Wine.” The Vintage Bradbury. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. pg 207

(Illustration by Joseph Mugnaini)

“A carnival should be all growls, roars like timberlands stacked, bundled, rolled and crashed, great explosions of lion dust, men ablaze with working anger, pop bottles jangling, horse buckles shivering, engines and elephants in full stampede through rains of sweat while zebras neighed and trembled like cage trapped in cage.

But this was like old movies, the silent theater haunted with black-and-white ghosts, silvery mouths opening to let moonlight smoke out, gestures made in silence so hushed you could hear the wind fizz the hair on your cheeks.”

-Bradbury, Ray. Something Wicked This Way Comes. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1962.

(Illustration by Joseph Mugnaini)

“Who wants to see the Future, who ever does? A man can face the Past, but to think--the pillars crumbled, you say? And the sea empty, and the canals dry, and the maidens dead, and the flowers withered?” The Martian was silent, but then he looked on ahead. “But there they are. I see them. Isn't that enough for me? They wait for me now, no matter what you say.”

Bradbury, Ray. “August 2002: Night Meeting”. The Martian Chronicles. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1950. pg 85

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ray Bradbury's Night Meeting, by Daniel Torres.

See More HERE

Awesomeness.

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 04:27:00 +0000

"Hack things better"

Sugru was a happy discovery during my internet travels. What an inspiring bit of creativity! Sugru allows you to repair and even improve the stuff you already own, rather than having to go out and buy new things to fit your need. I have felt increasingly frustrated that most of the items we use in our day-to-day lives are designed to last only a short time. Sugru in a sense allows you to reclaim the item, make it work for you and add to its longevity.

-"Sugru is the exciting new air-curing rubber that can be formed by hand. It bonds to most materials and turns into a strong, flexible silicone rubber overnight".

Sugru's exciting material properties:

Sticks to almost anything

Hand Formable

Flexible when cured

Waterproof

Air cures at room temperature

Removable

Stable at high and low temperatures

For more information visit the website: sugru.com

Thanks for stopping by! I hope Sugru inspired you in some way. It has left me with some ideas for

improving a few of my things. Until next time.

xKlara

Foodie feature:

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Tue, 29 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Hiya, folks.
Nourishment has been on my mind a lot lately. It can be difficult to find and prepare healthy, whole food meals all day, everyday. If I forget to prepare a lunch for myself in the morning before I leave for work, I am left settling for the least offensive choice I can find. Depending on where you live, work and play, the choices available will vary, but prepared foods tend to be poor. My relationship with food has changed a great deal in the last year, and my frustration with heightened dietary needs has moved me to consider new avenues of exploration.
A wee bit of back story: I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) as a college freshman. However, it wasn't until a few years ago I began to show some signs of organ involvement. At first there were traces of protein in my urine, indicating my kidneys were affected by the disease. Then last winter I was faced with a serious flare. It's not clear why the flare was so aggressive, but suddenly my kidneys were unable to regulate blood pressure, which went through the roof. Climbing just a couple stairs was exhausting, I slept as much as I could, I had constant headaches and severe nosebleeds, my ankles were swelling, and I was losing an alarming amount of weight. I learned during the first hospitalization that I was experiencing kidney failure, and that my poor little kidneys had been damaged so severely that they would not recover. I will need a new kidney, but for now my kidney function hovers around a happy 30%, and with that I can live.
This is where nutrition comes into the story. I am on a special diet for folks with kidney disease. This includes a drastically reduced sodium allowance, as well as restricted potassium and protein levels. The most difficult part so far has been finding foods that fit my sodium requirement. Salad dressing, pasta sauce, bread, and soups all contain very high levels of salt. Grrrr. I want to learn to make most of my own food from scratch. It will be healthy, delicious and good for my kidneys. I have decided to highlight the process in a weekly post where I will feature a recipe, give it a try, and report back with results.

xKlara

CUT TO: Wednesday evening

This dish is simple, light, sweet and perfect for summer. The hardest part was peeling the orange. I doubled the recipe so I could enjoy the leftovers for a few days. The only suggestion I have to offer: make sure that you rinse your quinoa prior to cooking. The grain has a bitter coating called saponin, that doesn't jive well with the rest if the flavors. Enjoy!

*Recipe for the week of 5/28/2012*

Cool Quinoa

3/4 cup quinoa
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 large navel orange
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (optional)

Prepare the quinoa according to package instructions, then allow to cool. * Combine the onion and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside until the onion turns pink, about five minutes. * Cut the peal, pith, and outer membrane off the orange, then slice it. cut the slices into bite-size pieces. * Toss all the ingredients except the salt in the large bowl with the onion, then season with up to 1/2 tsp. salt (I will leave out the salt in my preparation).

Serves 4

(per serving (1 cup): calories 260; total fat 13 g; sat fat 1.5 g; protein 7 g; carbs 30 g, fiber 6 g; cholesterol 0 mg; sodium 250 mg with salt added).

How does your garden grow?

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:03:00 +0000

My lovely readers (all two of you), hello! I have been distracted by procrastination and other weaknesses as of late. I have been as busy as a bee working on the house and yard. Most of my free time has been lent experimenting with gardening and landscaping. In our small backyard plot I planted several varieties of basil, cilantro, onions, beans, multiple rows of brussel sprouts, carnival carrots, heirloom tomatoes, white cucumber and a few types of squash. Adrian and I also plan to build a large raised vegetable garden in the front yard, where I will go overboard in planting everything that I see at Northwest Seed and Pet. Here are some highlights:

This is the "door" to our under-the-porch compost bin. Belle the dog decided that our compost is pretty amazing, especially the kitchen waste bits. To keep the little lady from making a mess, I bought this lovely old window at Brown building Supply and created a gate.

The littlest rhubarb.

Beans and their little ladder

Brussel sprouts

Minty mint.

Pear tree!

I hope looking at pictures from another's garden isn't akin to your Great Aunt's Floridian vacation pictures. Thanks for looking in!

xKlara

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 08:20:00 +0000

Alexander Calder's

Circus

1926-31

If you are anything like me, When you hear the name Alexander Calder you will likely visualize one of his famous mobiles. How could I have missed a thing like Calder's Circus?? It is absolutely delightful, clever and well... wonderful. Created from wire, wood, cloth and other scrap materials, these forms were an exploration with color, shape and movement that ultimately lead to calder's mobiles, standing mobiles and wire portraits. Enjoy! xKlara

Alexander Calder, Calder’s Circus, 1926–31. Wire, wood, metal, cloth, yarn, paper, cardboard, leather, string, rubber tubing, corks, buttons, rhinestones, pipe cleaners, and bottle caps, 54 × 94 1/4 × 94 1/4 in.

Source

WATCH THIS!

Beautiful, lovely

“I think best in wire”

-Alexander Calder

Source

Andy Warhol: Early Years

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:40:00 +0000

I just spent an hour exploring The Andy Warhol Museum's website. This was not my first visit, and I was only planning on staying a few minutes. Oops... My favorite feature is the interactive timeline that allows the viewer to place the significant events of Andy's life into a broader historical context. Did you know that in the mid 80's, Andy had two television shows: Andy Warhol’s T.V. and Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes. These programs were broadcast on NY cable television and MTV.
After graduating from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) with a degree in "Pictoral Design", Andy moved to New york to pursue a career in Illustration. During the 50's he became a highly successful commercial illustrator, accepting many accolades for his talent. Below are some of my favorites from the early days. Enjoy! xKlara

To visit the Warhol, click here.

Self Portrait, 1963-1964

Sprite Heads Playing Violins, 1948

Reclining Male Torso, 1950's

Female Costumed Full Figure, 1950's

Female Fashion Figure, 1950's

Lips (Stamped), 1950's

Houseboats v.1

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 01:01:00 +0000

Hello my pretties,

I have decided to write a recurring segment about tiny houses, houseboats and treehouses.

I have collected some wonderful pictures of houseboats so far: more to come.
xKlara

Source

Etsy Treasury: Baaaaa....

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:39:00 +0000

A super huge thanks to Etsy user Nelago14, who included my zombie lamb figurine in her sheep-themed treasury collection (bottom row, left)! You can read the treasury comments, as well as browse other treasury collections by clicking here. My zombies haven't seen much action on Etsy, other than gracing a few lovely users' favorites list. My store can be found here. It is still under construction, as you will see if you pay a visit. Thanks for the look!
xKlara

Baby Lamb Hand Carved Rubb...
cupcaketree
$8.00 USD
Lamb necklace
StickManJewelry
On Vacation
Grazing Sheep at Broken Ba...
HarryBoardma...
$16.00 USD
Handmade felted needlefelt...
BinneBear
Sold
Sheep Pasture, Scottland
mljart
$20.00 USD
Sheepish Lamb Knit Amiguru...
cheezombie
$4.99 USD
Lamb Shaped Ceramic Yarn B...
aspeerstudio
$45.00 USD
Lamb Butcher Diagram of a ...
TheWordShop
$12.95 USD
how cute is a lamb - ceram...
AugustRain
$12.00 USD
Little Lamb for Him (Organ...
sweetpeatoad...
$53.00 USD
Bloodthirsty Zombie Lamb
mollerk
$25.00 USD
Yes - fine 8x8 photograph ...
YesandAmen
$20.00 USD

Odds, ends and some bits.

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:41:00 +0000

Some random images (and a video) for you today. These are things I found floating around that caught my eye.

INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD MOSSE

Using Aerochrome infrared color film, Mosse saturates his images of the civil war torn Republic of Congo with fantastical beauty. The striking contrast between the image subjects and the illusory colors is at the same time nightmarish and ephemeral.

Source

In this inspiring short film, French artists Supakitch and Koralie create an incredible mural for an exhibition in Sweden entitled Kimono Fusion.

Leonor Fini, Autoportrait au chapeau rouge (Self-Portrait with Red Hat

Source

Introducing: Anna Wallis

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:11:00 +0000

Good morning friends,

I wanted to preface today's post by saying that although Anna is one of my oldest and dearest friends, my decision to featuring her work is based on her talent, creativity and the beauty of her work. Since childhood, art and creativity has been a large part of her identity. Following high school, Anna Wallis studied at Cornish College of the arts in Seattle, WA. As a current resident of Spokane, WA, Anna was a participant in Terrain 2010, Spokane's premier juried art event that was visited by 4,800 of the region's art lovers.
Cheers, Anna!

Anna Wallis 2010

detail

Anna Wallis 2010

detail

If anyone would like addition information about Anna's work, please leave a comment and I'll get back to you ASAP. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

xKlara

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 05:21:00 +0000

A Family Portrait

By Joseph Pierce

Source

You can learn more about Mr. Pierce and his work here. I have included a few illustrations from his website, as well. Enjoy!

xKlara

Source

Illustrations that decorate covers and the lucky pages in between.

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:15:00 +0000

Hello all,
Missed you...
I've been a bad little blogger as of late. A bit of a ghost, really. However, my silly ailments are under control and I am ready to share thoughts on numerous random subjects!

"I'm just going to keep moving ahead. Towards that red sun."
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD (2003)
Inio Asano

Source

ELEPHANTS NEVER FORGET! (2006)
Christiane Pieper

Source

Book design by Vladimir Fuka via BustBright
Title: Alfred Jarry, Exploits & Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician

Source

Josef Vyleťal (1940-1989)

This eerie beauty is not actually a book illustration, it is instead a poster for the 1966 film Don Gabriel. Mr. Vylet'al, a Czech artist, practiced multiple areas of discipline within the arts, including illustration, design, art direction for both theatre and film.

Source

Lev Blatny, et al (eds.) Sborník Literární skupiny.
Book cover design by Petr Pistelka

Source

Book Cover by Aleksei Kruchenykh circa 1912

Source

designer/illustrator unknown, binding illus., Božena Mačingová, Taký veľký deň

Source

1970, Andrej Guľaški, Dobrodružstvo daždivej jesene

Source

Thanks for checking in!

xKlara

Naughty Disney Heroes as imagined by David Kawena

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:41:00 +0000

Hehehehehehe. You can see more of David Kawena's work and his Disney Heroes project here.

xKlara

Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid

Prince Adam from Beauty and the Beast

Aladdin

Tarzan

Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty

Hercules

Kocuom from Pocahontas

Prince Edward from Enchanted

Peter Pan

All work by David Kawena

Five things that I love

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 03:51:00 +0000

DUH...

Ok, Cadbury Mini Eggs did not actually make the list,

but maybe they should have. I can eat the hell out of a family-size bag.

Pet portrait hand-carved rubber stamps by Kazue.

Just send her a photo of your animal, and she will set right to work on

a stamp made just for you and your crazy geekiness. Actually, I am flirting

with the idea of getting a couple of rat stamps, myself. Although, If I

used them, I would risk looking like a crazy rat lady.

Wait...

Visit Kazue's Etsy store Girls are Crying.

P.S. Kazue also makes couples stamps.

Via: Girls are Crying

The enchanted Stone House can be found in the Fafe Mountains of Portugal. Built in 1974, the home is nestled between huge boulders and built of concrete and granite. According to

Stephen Messenger of treehugger.com, "Although the house may seem rustic, it is not lacking in amenities, which include a fireplace and a swimming pool--carved out of one of the large rocks". Unfortunately, increased popularity has caused the current owner to move elsewhere, as well as installing extensive security precautions.

Follow this link to treehugger.com to read more about Stone House and to view a short video showing some of the interior.

Photos Via: Arch Daily
All Photos from Flickr via user Jsome 1, Feliciano Guimarães.

Super Mamika, 2010

French photographer Sacha Goldberger was concerned that his

91 year old grandmother Frederika was feeling depressed.

The answer: a superhero photo shoot, of course.

According to Eugene Kim of My Modern Met, "Frederika was born in Budapest 20 years before World War II. During the war, at the peril of her own life, she courageously saved the lives of ten people. When asked how, Goldberger told us "she hid the Jewish people she knew, moving them around to different places every day." As a survivor of Nazism and Communism, she then immigrated away from Hungary to France, forced by the Communist regime to leave her homeland illegally or face death".

So it seems that Frederika does not require a superhero costume.

The Facelift

The Wall

I apologize, I was unable to find a title. If you do, please let me know.

Pinup
Via: My Modern Met

Disastro Ecologico

Alberto Seveso

High-speed photographs of ink mixing with water!

P.S. The artist Alberto Seveso was kind enough to offer free

downloads of Disastro Ecologico. Simply click on the link below.

Via: Alberto Seveso's Website

Nestrest

Created by French designers Daniel Pouzet & Fred Frety

Oh, how I want one!

Via: Dedon

Thanks for taking a look.

Have a great weekend.

xKlara

Ladies and Gentlemen, Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, and his Character Heads!!

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:29:00 +0000

As I was perusing one of my favorite art blogs, but does it float, I came across the sculptures by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt (February 6, 1736 – August 19, 1783). He is well known for his Character Heads, a collection of busts exhibiting a range of contorted facial expressions. Messerschmidt was a German-Austrian artist and sculptor who according to a transcript compiled by German author Friedrich Nicolai in 1781, had for many years "been suffering from an undiagnosed digestive complaint, now believed to be Crohn's disease, which caused him considerable discomfort. In order to focus his thoughts away from his condition, Messerschmidt devised a series of pinches he administered to his right lower rib. Observing the resulting facial expressions in a mirror, Messerschmidt then set about recording them in marble and bronze. His intention, he told Nicolai, was to represent the 64 "canonical grimaces" of the human face using himself as a template" (Wikipedia entry for Franz Xaver Messerschmidt).

Franz Xaver Messerschmidt, Afflicted with Constipation, 1771–83, lead-tin cast

Character Head: The Hanged, 1770 - 1783, alabaster

The Yawner, 1771-81, tin cast

A Hypocrite and Slanderer, 1771–83, metal cast

The Beaked, 1781, alabaster

Have a great Thursday,
xKlara

Monkeys

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 12:06:00 +0000

A still from the trailer of "Dai Gunjyu Nezura,"

("The Great Horde-Monster Nezura"). 1964?

The film about an invasion of giant rats

was conceived by the Daiei film studio

of Japan, but was never completed.

I have decided to confess to the world my dizzy infatuation for my pet rats, Ari and Nicholas (both males). And while I would not advise one to cuddle up to a feral rat, domestic fancy rats are smart and social, each with unique personalities.

Among the many nicknames I use to address my rats: monkeys, ratties, little mens, monkey pups, honey beans, and Ari pants. Now that it is clear that I am a nutcase, I think I will make my exit.

I have included a few photographs to help illustrate why I think that rats are so neat-o.

I hope you enjoy.

P.S. Nicholas is the boy with the wider white stripe on his nose. Ari's stripe is more narrow and a bit off-kilter.

Little man Nicholas is such a lovely little fellow.
I am endlessly fond of him.

As a general rule I do not dress up the rats. However,
sometimes I will make an exception. Hehehehehe

Nicholas eating a rattie snack (a raisin). Nom nom nom.

A mouth-watering staircase

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 05:04:00 +0000

The magnificent Holsteiner stairs in Wuppertal, Germany captivate and exhilarate me. I wish that public art was a common experience in every city and town. This installation by German artist, Horst Gläsker, was imagined and realized as part of the 7 Stairs Arts Festival, where seven artists were asked to respond to seven staircases. You might notice the text on the individual steps. Gläsker assigned to each stair, a word used to describe human relationships. You can visit Gläsker's website here.

Scala

Horst Gläsker

2006/2008

Holsteiner stairs in Wuppertal

Acrylic paint on 112 steps

xKlara

New Recruits

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:15:00 +0000

Hello there,
I have three new animals to add to my menagerie of future action figures. I conducted a little photo shoot, and here are some favorites.

Hostile Neckwear

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today I am showcasing the rather antagonistic tie, that I found at the Spokane Northwest Christian Thrift Store. Although a bit stained, I was forced to snatch it up due to its wonderfully insulting tone.

Until next time,

xKlara

The ghost and the darkness..of the bin of toys at Value Village.

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:39:00 +0000

I found two tigers sitting in a bin of small cast-away stuffed animals at Value Village. I imagined this assemblage of plushies (due to its proximity to a much larger bin of sizeable stuffed creatures) to be somewhat lonely and bitter about things. I immediately liberated the two cats from the malodorous bin, all the while looking suspiciously over my shoulder just in case another shopper had a mind to lift them from my person. They are the cat's pajamas.

Aside from the label Tigeress [sic] , and Made in China, there are no other marks indicating when it had been made, or by whom. I'm not sure what shape their future will take, but it will be something befitting their stately form.

The cats are about eight inches tall at the top of the head, and thirteen inches long from nose to tail.

Louisiana Revisited 12/20/06 (slightly revised)

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:07:00 +0000

In honor of Carnival, I thought that I might post an email that I had sent to friends while living in Louisiana (2006). I was fascinated by the region and had just purchased a Nikon FE (1978). I used my weekends (and later, just my Sundays, as the workweek grew to six days a week), to explore and document my experience there.

Hello Friends,

   I just developed photos from a jaunt I took this Saturday through some of the small towns between Lake Charles and Lafayette, LA. Some of these towns seem frozen in time, their antiquity only enhanced by their single stop light and "Main Street" storefronts. It's such a delight to find them hidden so close by. These are the towns described by Harper Lee, Mark Twain, Alice Walker and John Steinbeck, among others. I wouldn't fault you for accusing me of being overly romantic. I am hopelessly sentimental. And while I might think neglected, decaying spaces can sometimes be beautiful and mysterious, I realize that I am seeing them from the perspective of an outsider. As a resident, the wonderful old Paramount Theater, boarded up and closed since the 70's, would only make me sad. I went to Iota ("The little town with a big heart"), Estherwood, Jennings and Hugo. All towns visited had the same hardware store that (I imagine) smells like sawdust and skittles, has a floor that creeks and is the best place to trade gossip. The most important social event is the Friday night high school football game at the home field.

   I stopped at a "convenience" store to pick up some Chex Mix, and couldn't find the snack isle due to the stock not being organized in any logical way. You would expect to find chips, pretzels, and snack mixes all together, right? No. You aren't allowed such luxury. I had to work for my Chex Mix. It was a store where its shelf space was too great for its inventory, so everything was strangely arranged to create the illusion of abundance. I was not fooled. Finally from behind the counter, the woman with the scraggly blond mullet and missing front teeth soothingly drawled, "whach you wan bay-be?". When I told her, she pointed me in the direction of a rack partially hidden behind a cork bulletin board displaying keychains and necklaces that had been made with brightly colored plastic cord. (You may have learned this craft at camp or as a member of Campfire or Girl/Boy Scouts). As if to harmonize with the other products for sale, the chip bags were also covered in a thin layer of dust. An act of solidarity between the snacks, cans of Spam and bags of Top Ramen that were so thoughtlessly placed around the room.

   I found my outing so enjoyable that I plan on doing it again next weekend. I need more practice behind my new Nikon FE. It seems that as I learn to use my camera, the more clumsy the photos look. I have included the best shots.

Thanks for looking!

-Klara

Ear Candy....

noreply@blogger.com (Klara) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 05:58:00 +0000

My newly completed earrings were inspired by Love Lune's Talisman Necklace. Such a beautiful, simple design.You can find them here. Her blog can be found here.

I found some lovely orange thread at Shele's Bargain Barn that will soon have a new life as either another pair of earrings, or maybe a necklace with multiple small tassels.

Have a great weekend!

-Klara