oak bluffs, martha's vineyard

So, a long long long time ago when my daughter was a baby so that would be like 17 years ago.  God.  Let me just sit with that for a minute.  Ok, deep breathing, moving on....we took a little holiday to Martha's Vineyard.  We were staying a few blocks from this little community of really cute houses.  Cute, right?  So one day I went over there and painted a picture of a few of these houses.  It was a pretty good painting.  Braggy.  Then it was time to go home.  Oh no!  We were running late and thought we might miss the ferry. So we were rushing.  I put the painting on the roof of the car and ran back inside to grab something else (at this point you know where this story is going) and so when we got in the car finally and drove off at high speed the painting flew off the roof and no one noticed and it was gone and lost forever. 

That's my Oak Bluffs story.

The end.

*images via stanton, pbase,plumtv,digitalpoptosis

journeys lasting for generations

Below is a picture of an Evenki reindeer herder taken by

Chris Linder.  Click the image to view it full screen.

"The Tungas used reindeer to colonize vast areas of the eastern taiga which had previously been impenetrable and had perhaps never before been visited by any human. To this day, short of helicopters,much of Russia's land surface can be reached in no other way. Moving along rivers in winter and over passes in summer from one river system to another, forever pushing into new territory,a Tungas family could travel on journeys lasting for generations.  Today, fewer than 50,000 Eveny and Evenki are spread over a third of the territory of Russia."

-The Reindeer People

Here's a link to an article in the NY Times about these people and this book. 

The video has no video...only audio.  But the singing is beautiful, I think.

violet folklore and sorting out my crazy

Another tumblr for the pure pleasure of looking at pictures.  This one is violet folklore. 

So, what is up with you?  I'm, as we speak, typing and listening to Joanna Newsom on my new ipod.  My first one.  I finally got one because I realized I had 3 best buy gift cards kicking around in my bag.  Plus I need to start going for walks again.  Because the winter chubbed me up.  And I figured music would help me in that endeavor.  You know.  Walking.  And listening.

A few years ago I was going through a, uh, "rough patch" in life.  And I started walking 5 miles every day just about.  Because had I not my head would have popped off.  Straight off.  No joke.  It was walk therapy.  Or something like that.  Anywayz....

I lost a crap load of weight.  Walking was good.  I worked a lot out in my head.  And it was all zen and helped me sort out my crazy.  So here's a little tip from me to you- don't go nuts...just go for a walk.

the wood auction

I guess wood was the theme last night. Everything I brought home was made of it.  We have some vintage crates, kokeshi dolls and frames.  I think these things won't be in the shop till next week or so.

running across rough scree

"Reindeer have the most flexible joints of any hoofed animal- they can scratch their ear with their back hoof and can run across rough scree where a human can barely crawl."

-from The Reindeer People

Don't you love the term "rough scree"?   But doesn't it also sound a little naughty? Or is that just me?

Plus you should click the images to make them larger because you'll be all like, whoa baby!  so do it.

images from the dail mail

brooklyn renegade and sue harris design

I'm excited to be a vendor at Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this June 5+6!  I'll be sharing a booth with my excellent friends Margaux and Walter with their shops The Black Spot Books, Wandering and Peg and Awl.  I've been exploring the list of artists and crafters who will be there with me.  I thought I'd share some of my favorites periodically. 

Sue Harris Design makes pretty interesting looking layered, textured and patterned clothing and accessories with upcycled fabrics.  She's a designer out of Toronto and I will definitely be visiting her booth.

how come you don't roll on saturday, walter?

I'll be reaching my 1000th etsy sale shortly and to celebrate and get there lickety-split I'm having a big DUDE ABIDES sale.  $5 off all orders in my shop until I reach sale 1000.  To receive the discount write "the dude abides" in the message to seller.  If you pay up front I'll refund you.  If not I will invoice you with the sale amount.  OK? OK.

trampoline

Eli got a trampoline for his 12th birthday yesterday and the kids had SO much fun on it all day.  I was reluctant to get one for years because, you know, I didn't want anyone cracking their neck.  But I actually played on one a lot as a kid.  So I'm thinking I shouldn't have been so worried.  They really are a lot of fun.  And good excercise. 

Unfortunately, Eli had been home all week with a bad cough and was finally feeling better but I think the long day of play and party set him back a bit.  He's going to have to take it easy today.  Thing is, I don't know that I can keep him off the trampoline.

Oh!  And we surprised him by bringing his big brother, Ethan, home for his birthday.  He loves him.  He was happy.

folk art

Here are some things I found this morning snooping around the internets for folk art.  The top images are frakturs.  Probably my most favorite things right now.  The first image is a marriage proposal. 

Then that miniature chest is an example of grain painting in faux tiger and bird's eye maple or burl design.  Like the door in a previous post.  I'm really into this folk art decorative painting right now. 

Then that wooden thing...it's a bit of a larger piece and it's a bed smoother dated 1684.  Rocking cool, right? 

Then we have a metal rooster to celebrate my layer hens purchase. 

Then a box which is "chip carved tramp art." 

And then some furniture I would welcome in my home. 

And last, an old "I'll be back" shop sign.  I probably won't be back till Monday.  Tomorrow is Eli's birthday and I'd tell you what I got him cuz it's way awesome but he sometimes reads this so I guess I won't.  Just know this- you WISH you had one.  You WILL be jealous.

*images from folkartisans.com, auktiononline.com, countyseatantiques.com, timpotter.com

ahem!

 

Well, how-di-do-dee!  If you don't like these you're bonks in the head!  That's not very nice, is it?  I suppose you can be perfectly sane and dislike these. In fact, I was just listening to the radio, Diane Rehm specifically,  and there was a woman on there who wrote a book called Heaven.  Well, she was talking about how respectful and sensitive she was to a variety of religious beliefs and, eh, levels of fervor regarding religious beliefs and I was thinking to my little old self, self, maybe you should be more like that.  Sensitive.  If your dear readers do not favor said trunks, well, that does not necessarily make them bonks.  And why I am relating the trunks and you being bonks and religious fervor, well only the Lord shall know.  And I hope I don't get in trouble with either you or the Lord regarding this post. 

Oh, and this blog shall hereafter be called "the blog where I post stuff from links other people send me which I like."  Deborah from Kickcan and Conkers founds these here above trunks.  She's smart.

interiors

A few more interiors found on the Verhext tumblr.

good morning!

My mood yesterday:

Blah blah blah, I feel sick to my stomach, blah blah blah blah, I'm grouchy, blah blah blah blah blah, life is stupid, blah blah.

Not very attractive.  I'm going to try to be a bit more "rah rah life" today.  The sun is shining most of the time here.  Eli's still home sick.  But my house is relatively clean.  Nothing gets me crankier than a dirty house.  I get all RAWR. That was supposed to be a bad cat noise.  I don't know how to spell it.

I got 2 awesomo links sent to me while I slept last night.  The pictures above are from Verhext's tumblr.  Alice sent me the link.  I got all OCD this morning and looked through the whole entire thing.  Top to bottom.  Beginning to end.  It was good.  Thanks Alice.  I wuv you.

*Oh, does the "all my brothers drowned in 1878" note make you depressed or creep you out?  Sor-ry lovahs.  I kind of like it.