Coffee Filters

Coffee filters on the wall? Who would have thought? But here it is, above this lovely-lit area of what I presume to be a living room. I ask myself...as a creative-minded and artistic individual, could I pull this off? And second of all, would I WANT to pull this off?

My answer: undeniably yes. Something strikes me about the way some people can take the mundane things in life and create a work of art. I've never been able to do that. I need the newness of a sharpened pencil. The crisp hues of my colored lead awaiting the stroke of a line or the shading that brings it all together. The texture of a Vellum template staring at me waiting for that 'new' piece to jump out and place itself on the paper. But coffee filters? Never would have guessed.

One must note that this just didn't happen. This wall decor was well thought out and then as was placed on the wall, disorderly-order took hold and Voila! A wall piece worth noting. It's hard to look at the detail. The image holds that back from us, but I can only assume the tacks are really what pulls this off. I can't imagine using just hum-drum push pins. This was carefully thought out and then placed in an undulating fashion that puts into image cherry blossoms blowing in the wind.

My concern, in the end, dear fellow wall-decor seekers, is the longevity of the coffee filter itself. I imagine inevitable wilting. An eventual thick layer of sticky dust that happens upon the best of our said brick-a-brack. Any sort of heavy, humid environment would wreck havock on the poor little filters too, eventually taking those lovely cherry blossoms and pouring rain all over their little blossom wind parade. But the wheels haven't stopped turning. I've been rummaging through the internet looking for the Googled "cheap wall decor ideas" in the search box and have come up with some interesting ideas. one in particular that I'm on the look out for: Ceiling medallions. My friends, they aren't just for ceilings anymore. They range in price, but going to your local hardware or Home Depot, you can pilfer through and find some reasonably priced medallions to do as you'd like with. I intend on buying three, small-ish ones for my small-ish apartment. You can paint them, texture them, hodge-podge them and turn them into something that looks like a true artist resides in your home. I shall have pictures soon enough!

Pet Shop Boys in da house!

Did you hear that? Yeah, that's right. The techno body-pump in the heart of Seattle last night at The Moore Theatre. Pet Shop Boys back in town with their Pandemonium Tour. Was it the base-line pumping brick and mortar or was that my soul remembering days when?

As a child of the '80's I was rushed back to an awkward seventh-grade dance at Franklin Junior High School, Yakima, Washington, circa 1984 or so dancing to West End Girls in the tiny cafeteria hoping a boy would ask me to dance. A time of swatches, crazy hair, spandex and of course, techno music. Last night brought it all back. The stage set with white boxes in all shapes and sizes as the screen for digital video. Men in hard hats and white clinical coats arranging them to suit the next set of songs. Back up dancers dressed in primary color spandex with boxes for heads and angles jutting out from beneath their costumes. A stage show for the digital and electronic lover in all of us. The Pet Shop Boys took us into the future and we liked it.

However, ninety degree angles didn't steal the show. Choreographed dancers added an element of surprise during their slow-song segment where Neil Tennant, lead singer and Chris Lowe, the mix master extraordinaire donned a disco ball jacket. For 25 years, the Pet Shop Boys have remained a mainstay in the techno scene inspiring and influencing electronic musicians across the globe and last night, they performed songs that spanned their career in all of its wonder. Their music transcends generations. People of all ages attended in anticipation of what they hear on the albums. Pet Shop Boys did not disappoint. They sound just a good live as they do on disc.

Their latest release, Yes, Pet Shop Boys, debuted on March 23 earlier this year and the hits just keep pumpin' their way up the charts. It didn't matter that I was sitting alone at the concert. My daughter, now 14, sat a few sections away with a friend and even her generation can't help but love what they saw. The Pet Shop Boys, now into their 50's, can still sing about love, life, heartache and still get the party started.

A Season Upon Us

Fall is my favorite time of year. I get a soft scent of it in the mild September evenings. I look forward to watching the leaves slowing turn colors of red, orange and yellow. People seem to change a bit too. New haircuts, softer tones, a new attitude. Slowly, light jackets come out of the closet and your favorite sweatshirt makes it's way back. Football traffic picks up and a subtle scent of savories in the air makes it very exciting. The sun is waning earlier each and every night. I love it.

For most knitters, Fall tends to be opening season. Although an all-season knitter myself, I thoroughly enjoy starting a Fair Isle or a cabled project and airing out all my sweaters to be worn through the rainy season. I recently finished a Fair Isle hat called Selbu Modern. I used Mini Mochi and a Dale of Norway yarn. I'll take a photo of my finished hat and post later.

Fall also invokes a sense of mystery. I think it's the most prominent season of change and the wonders of what this earth can do is astonishing. And in a short period of time. Everywhere I look, I see images of things I want to re-create with yarn and fiber. Although holding fast to my Pink Martini project, I can't help but see a lovely array of wall hangings of how I see this season.

Mentioning the project: I haven't gotten as far as I would have liked. A new job, a busy schedule with my daughter isn't conducive to sitting at home and making art. Sometimes, well more honestly, most times, I wish I didn't have to work at all for a few years and use the hiatus to create all that I can muster. Maybe someday that will happen. I get few and fewer moments of clarity, making creating harder and harder to do. But I digress...I will not give up. My first piece should be done soon and then moving on the next.

Pink Martini is actually coming to The Pantages in Tacoma next month, but tickets are so expensive, so I have to resign myself to the fact I will likely never see a performance. But I can enjoy the music at home and the art created from their inspiring lyrics and melodies.

At last...

I finally landed a job this past week. Took me five months and I have to say that I feel very fortunate. I am working in a private dining and catering club here in Seattle. Good stuff. It's a step in a direction. Don't know what that direction is yet...but I have to believe it is a good one.

So now, my blog can focus on my creative endeavors that I am planning. My new website...www.christyarts.com is up and coming. I have been a fiber enthusiast and fiber artist for 9 years now and with all of my teaching and knitting accomplishments, I feel that it is time to focus on something I can feel passionate about and still work with fibers! My creative focus my friends? Me and Pink Martini: Fiber arts and Music. Let me briefly explain.

Pink Martini is a joyously composed band of excellent and talented musicians and singers. I am utterly impressed with each and every album they put out and the inspiration to create something to their music is more than I can contain. So...with their albums, Hang on Little Tomato and their most recent release Hey Eugene! I plan on creating a needle felted art piece for each song suited to hang on any wall. Only the eclectic may apply....

Needle felting is so much fun. I used to teach the technique to students at two local Yarn Shops here in Seattle: Acorn Street Yarns and Village Yarn and Tea Shop. The latter being the shop I currently teach at. (I will also begin posting accomplishments of my lovely students on this blog as well and upcoming classes I am teaching). I plan on taking needle felting to creative new heights and make each represent my inspiration through various songs on both albums. Song by song until I feel all my creative juices have been thoroughly exhausted. My first piece is in production, and only shown below (click on image so that you can really see the detail of the piece. The image doesn't do it justice) to give you some idea of my progress. Needle felting is arduous and can take quite a bit of time to master and complete. It can look like mud...and then Voila! It is a lovely piece worth all the hard work.

I envision the final pieces attached to a lovely wooden rod conducive to hanging on the wall. I am giving myself several months to go through each album, but will for each and every song, post and offer my progress and would love to have comments and enthusiasm from my fiber-loving friends out there in the world!

First Song...Aspettami (Italian for "Wait") See lyrics below...It invokes in me a woman in the middle of floating leaves. A woman who is loved, sought after, almost iconic. She is holding the center of her will and chaos flows around her. Here is the beginning of what this song does to me.... As I will assume, finding out what most of these songs are saying is going to prove challenging. But with my handy-dandy research skills, I will make it happen. Fortunately, the first chosen song is in English with one Italian word: verb-wait. Okay, one down and several more to come. It's going to be a good time for all. So enjoy the art and explore this amazing band that has inspired me to do more than sit on my butt in the coming weeks...



Aspettami
Wait for me
I've been lost
Adrift at sea
In your dreams
Dream my way
Someday I'll find my heart
And come back to stay

Do you miss me
My darling
As I miss you
Take my hand
And pull me near
And never let me go again my dear

There was a time
I was safe in your arms
And the stars fell away like diamonds
Then we were young
And our love was younger still
Was it just an illusion

Aspettami
Wait for me
Close your eyes
And you will see
I'm coming home
Every sky in my heart will be blue
On the day I come back to you

I'm coming home
Every sky in my heart will be blue
On the day I come back to you

Escape

Another week, another ten or so resumes sent out and just one thing; an interview tomorrow morning at a local private catering business. Should be interesting. Their website looks remarkable and it is something I would enjoy doing. So, off tomorrow to "wow" them, hopefully.

This weekend was remarkable. The man of my life took me on another boat trip. This time to Port Townsend. Beautiful weather, quaint and lovely little town and a great bar call The Sirens. They make a mean Long Island Iced Tea. Drunken clowns at the local parade probably helped... Made me start talking about ducks and how well formed they follow each other. Like the drill team of the bird world. Anyway...

Eating chicken and wild rice on the boat getting a bit shnockered drinking some hard cider and playing Crazy 8's produced a night I've been waiting for. Waiting for a long time. Wind storms on both Friday and Saturday night made for a symphony of sounds. Wind blowing through the docks whistling through sail boat lines, knocking metal and wooden rings and fasteners. A cacophony of sound that eerily appealed to my senses. Made for strange dreams, wonderful love and a sincere sense that time could go on like that forever. The dock had a history and it was speaking to me.

Saturday produced what Ron and I coined the "shopper's shuffle." You know what I mean. You go somewhere like Port Townsend and you shuffle in and out of each shop, not really walking, not running, but shuffling. Your posture is shot, your feet ache like nobody's business and you feel exhausted after well, doing nothing but window shopping. Next on the schedule, we patroned The Rose Theatre and saw Julie & Julia. A charming funny movie. A must see if you are a Meryl Streep fan. Finished off at the Mezzaluna Lounge with Clam Chowder and Sourdough bread I could live for. We shuffled...all day. I think I need a chiropractic adjustment.

Now Sunday has rolled around and now almost gone and I made it through the big locks tying to two other boats. It's emotionally exhausting and I couldn't for the life of me understand a single syllable of the man yelling grumpy Gus demands on where we were to go. They need to smile once in a while. A little sunburned later and a new scratch from a barnacle and I feel like I've survived a truly harrowing ordeal.

Another

Liars

Well, you're gonna love this one. Not only is it hard enough to get a job, but company's who are falsely advertising is just wrong and I am going to release their name because it IS wrong and they should suffer for it.

Last week I applied for an Event Coordinator position at a company in Bellevue called North West Marketing Inc. through Careerbuilder.com. I was called for one of those preliminary interviews to see if they even like you before they even access your qualifications. I spent my Friday morning wasting my time driving to Bellevue; wasted my gas only to find out it's actually a Sales position. I would have to traipse all over God's creation selling their crappy idea. Not exactly an Event Coordinator, now is it?

The human condition is getting pretty pathetic when you have to advertise falsely to get someone in your company. I am thinking about reporting them to the Attorney General. It is just wrong. They deserve whatever they get.

So, that's the new news on the job front from last week. Nothing, nothing, and well...nothing.

Still waiting for my federal financial award letter to come back so that I can find out if I'm attending college this Fall. Time is running out. Still in limbo waiting for my future to begin. Off to a low-income (or no income) medical clinic. I've never had to go to one before. I hope it's going to be okay.

Bleak day indeed...

Noticeable things...

I don't know if it's just because I don't have work to think about or if I'm just getting more observant in my age, but I'm noticing so many things lately. The color of toe nail polish, the presence of rings on fingers, the expertise of hair dye jobs. I notice people having 'silent' arguments in coffee shops and grocery stores. I see false smiles a mile away. I can't help but wonder where I fit in to all of this.

It all seems a bit absurd, but I'm noticing all these little things I haven't noticed before. I was having breakfast with my daughter yesterday morning at the Varsity Restaurant on NE 65th (very good french toast) and noticed a man and a woman come in. They were lovey-dovey from the get-go. She was pregnant and they proceeded to seat themselves and faun over each other the entire time. Sweet? Annoying? I'm not sure.

The other day, I'm driving down Lake City Way and this huge boat of a car pulls up along next to me and this elderly man and woman are sitting up front. Man driving, woman smiling. Chatting away, but the odd thing was the man wearing a cap with a large bill, but in addition to this bill, he clipped, with clothes pins, a piece of cardboard to further keep the sun out of his face. Really? It made me smile because at that age I guess who gives a f#@k who see what, right?

So today, I'm on a mission to find fiber-fill for a stuffed toy I'm knitting for my niece and find myself eye-spying a mom and her two rug rats. Cute rug rats...and the boy pipes up and asks..."What if ghosts wore underwear?" I swear, I have material to last me for a lifetime if I were to just keep my ears opened to all that goes on around me. It made me chuckle and hence become blog-worthy.

On the job front, not a single call or email and I'm well into my fifth month. It's hard staying positive. I'm tired, restless and just not very pleasing to be around. My daughter is on the verge of disowning me. See, we live in a 650 square foot apartment with one bedroom. Guess who gets the bedroom? You got it, the 14-year-old. So Mom gets what? A bed stuffed into the living room and absolutely no private time with my thoughts. Forgive me for being a little cranky...

I filled out the FAFSA (financial aid) form online last Friday and sent my app to Seattle Central, so it's just a waiting game for a bit. If I don't get the financial aid to live on and go back to school, I will just have to keep searching for a job and forget the whole Master's Degree. I'm walking in the muck and mire of life right now. I'm making it; but desperation is never pretty.