Nerd Central Station

REDIRECTING!

2008-08-18T19:00:00.004-04:00

Hi! I have a new, new, newer blog. Please update your links! http://breannetrammell.tumblr.com

a new locale.

2007-10-21T23:30:00.000-04:00

still some stuff to iron out but i will start posting to my new web log starting. now. update your sausage links! there are a couple of new projects on the main site, too.

http://breannetrammell.com/noodlez

xo

tinytiny.

2007-08-28T15:33:00.000-04:00

My pal Kelly has a print for grabs @ Tiny Showcase tonight!!!

hell yez.

2007-08-27T10:41:00.000-04:00

not carla.

2007-08-20T12:31:00.000-04:00

PS: Clara's got her site up now, too.

i've had a lot of coffee.

2007-08-20T11:38:00.000-04:00

I finally updated my site. FOR REALLLLZ.
And I have new blogz coming soon, too.

its cute. because i said so.

2007-07-24T17:30:00.001-04:00

Fifi Lapin

one horse boat.

2007-06-25T22:27:00.001-04:00

Niki & I rowin' it up, across and down the river.
We got the hang of it on the way back.

Dang.

2007-06-16T14:33:00.000-04:00

The shirt Clara and I were commisioned to do here and here.

summer reading.

2007-05-22T13:01:00.000-04:00

One pose per second.

you. me. us. we.

2007-05-21T16:59:00.000-04:00

Delaney and I are in James' board game video.
More RISD MFA thesis work here.

juan is my tool guru.

2007-05-21T16:39:00.000-04:00

No matter how much I plan things out in advance I still do everything at the last minute. These prints for example. And putting together the frames, from scratch, when I should have just paid to have them framed as it would have probably cost much less and saved me loads (LOADS) of time. So I shipped them out today and the show opens here next week.

Drag race this weekend!

getting past wednesday.

2007-05-19T20:16:00.001-04:00

This seems kind of irreverent but I'm posting it mostly for Delaney, Colby and Austin. Taken from Quint's blog.

I am almost done with everything.

application.

2007-05-16T02:00:00.000-04:00

In a very rough state, but posting to show a little preview of what the How To Use Guide will contain. (Thank you PB teen!)

toss up.

2007-05-10T18:25:00.000-04:00

So I talked to Maria after class today. Her advice was to open up the pattern and distribute the images even further out into space. I also reconfigured the pattern so I can print with a bigger screen and not be confined to the textile screen. Here is my first test - you'll have to click to see it fully. There will be two layers overprinted: polka dot patterns in turquoise, pink, purple ink + the invisible/fluorescent ink as the top layer. Also, these are all ink drawings.

not so scientific.

2007-05-09T22:32:00.000-04:00

I had to watch yesterday's Veronica Mars on the internet because our DVR isn't dvr-ing. However, I cannot find where to watch the GG episode. Some notes:

- Liberty Lunch is/was an old club in Austin
- Delaney has the Built By Wendy shirt Paul Rudd was wearing
- Paul Rudd should do more cameo appearances
- Two words: LEO + YUMMY

That's all.

update.

2007-05-09T21:06:00.000-04:00

FYI: I have stuff to post for class but its not transferring from the server to my computer. Some sort of error and its way too big to email to myself. Also, my new bulbs have still not arrived.

In other news: Becca and I both have work in the Hillel show which opens tomorrow.

hi how are you.

2007-05-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

I'm a year late on seeing this, but its so so so good.
The Devil & Daniel Johnston

r.i.p.

2007-05-02T12:41:00.000-04:00

New Wesley Willis book @ Nieves. To accompany this show. I'm assuming this is the same Wesley Willis I saw in Fort Worth when I was probably 18. It was a really strange show but in the best way possible.

natalie!

2007-05-01T12:16:00.000-04:00

My friend Natalie (& risd textiles grad) is a finalist for the Design Sponge scholarship. I love her hankies and wallpaper.

Vote for her!

research.

2007-04-29T15:26:00.000-04:00

I interviewed my cousin (who's 13) for the wallpaper project. Among some of her "likes" are Nicole Richie, pigs and elephants - any excuse to google baby animals is fine by me. Isn't that a weird baby carriage? Poor little piglet is just stuffed down in there.

futures update.

2007-04-28T18:11:00.000-04:00

En route:

New black light bulbs (for track lighting)
Roll of stonehenge
Fluorescent pigments

My textile screen puckered like crazy when I restretched it. I coated it just to test it out later today, maybe its not as bad as I think. I have the inks, cellulose, carpet tape etc. Just need to see about the movable wall and start crankin' it out.

The weirdest misspelling of my name yet.

may 1.

2007-04-25T23:47:00.000-04:00

Kate Moss @ Topshop!

rollin. hatin.

2007-04-24T10:47:00.000-04:00

I'd like to see this.

bacon!

2007-04-22T23:25:00.001-04:00

bacon!
Originally uploaded by breanne..

Clara and I collaborated on a bunch of stuff - mostly silkscreen mash-ups - for yesterday's RISD sale. Sold all but one tee and most of the totes; plus some offers to sell the wares through a couple of shops. Score! The weather was so nice. My left arm is really sunburnt.

just saw this on joy's blog.

2007-04-17T16:31:00.000-04:00

Faythe Levine's Handmade Nation:

more stuff.

2007-04-17T16:00:00.000-04:00

Kyle Field's Ding Dong Forest

Edie Fake's Silk Stalking print

(both @ cinders)

PS: Jen Corace has a tee and letterpress print for sale @ 730P tonight - Tiny Showcase.

stuff.

2007-04-11T22:31:00.000-04:00

Textiles Conference in Philly

The "Protective Charm" quilt with appliquéd voodoo (charms) figures used to heal OR ward off evil spirits. I tried to find a higher quality image, but this is it for now.

goods and services.

2007-04-11T18:08:00.001-04:00

goods and services
Originally uploaded by breanne!.

almost done.

2007-04-11T16:25:00.000-04:00

Peppermint photos here! I still need to stuff it - we're estimating it will take about 20 bags of polyfil = 30+ pounds of fluff. Next week I'll be doing some freestyle quiltin'. And I found the *most* amazing quilt - a "protective charm," which I'll post later. I have to go do my taxes now.

old & new favorites.

2007-04-09T22:51:00.000-04:00

Dana Carlson

Victoria Reynolds

upcoming.

2007-04-07T22:18:00.000-04:00

I'm making a gigantic stuffed peppermint (4' in diameter) for this.
Call or email if you want the back-story.

show ribbons.

2007-04-05T18:34:00.000-04:00

Not the best photo, but a peek at what I've been doing lately. Ribbons to commemorate the tv shows I was never allowed to watch when I was younger.

recap. mostly for myself.

2007-04-05T17:34:00.000-04:00

I was talking to Lira and Kelly after class and Lira reiterated that I should focus on a story!!! behind my piece (rather than having it be just an art piece - I think Maria mentioned that). I told them I had been thinking about interviewing my 13 year old cousin and her friends, who live in California. Somehow she found me on myspace and sent me a message out of the blue, which was kind of creepy but at the same time really great 'cause I'm sort of out of touch with some of my family in California. Katie also sends me text messages every once in a while, which kind of goes along with the "Like, OMG" and dialogue bubbles. As I was saying earlier today, while the images that I've chosen are definitely super girly, they're also somewhat self indulgent. So ultimately, I think directing the process toward an end use and further conceptual development will be what I focus on.

aamr.

2007-04-03T18:14:00.000-04:00

VIRGIL MARTI INTERVIEW

chatting with MTD.

2007-03-28T19:48:00.000-04:00

oh yes.

2007-03-27T18:09:00.000-04:00

I just ordered 48" of pure black light trippy goodness.
This was the best deal around from what I could find.

file under: love.

2007-03-26T21:35:00.000-04:00

David Shrigley: A recent recommendation. I recognize some of the work, particularly the meringue book. Really, really great.

half nels(wo)on.

2007-03-26T15:36:00.000-04:00

I have to agree with Colby's description of Half Nelson. It left much to be desired but Ryan Gosling's part was incredibly (cringingly) intense; so good that now I want to see the Notebook.

my own private photobooth.

2007-03-20T18:47:00.001-04:00

futures stuff.

2007-03-19T00:28:00.000-04:00

Just some things from Ellen Lupton's "Skins" that jumped out at me the other day in the library. I jotted them down before they closed (early and saferide was cancelled). The librarian dude came into the copy room and turned off the lights while I was making copies. Really super. I'm not too impressed with him. Especially when he (or whoever else) acts pissy 'cause I don't do the self check out. So yeah:

- Knowledge gathering device
- Pleasure/pain
- Responds to heat & cold
- Lacks definitive boundaries
- Complex, ambiguous forms
- Mediate b/w users and products in digital realm (customized buttons and controls)
- representational: avatars

balls to the wall.

2007-03-18T21:21:00.000-04:00

l.p.p.

2007-03-18T01:58:00.001-04:00

I have some new stuff for sale @ Little Paper Planes.

2007-03-15T18:33:00.000-04:00

Um, yeah.
Demos in class today were awesome. I loved the ooing and aahing in unison. I was thinking of screening some line drawings with sobo / silver leaf. So then its conductivity could be used in place of embroidering with thread?

this now. more later.

2007-03-14T18:57:00.000-04:00

Gina sent me this link: How to make a soft battery pouch.
So rad. Will definitely be sampling this for the quilt.

Joey Berzowska interview.

Lots of other links here.

stuff.

2007-03-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

Wood Engravings
I channeled my inner dude / dad / brother / redneck country bumpkin

PS: Soon I will be posting things for my textiles class.

thursday.

2007-03-07T01:17:00.000-05:00

A poster for an exhibition on Thursday that Clara and I printed today. She wore a muscle hoodie. My "dude" art will be on display.

the BEST.

2007-03-04T00:52:00.000-05:00

More here.

maximum destruction.

2007-03-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

(I never thought I would post about something like this.) Last night we went to see Monster Jam at the Dunk. I took pictures of homemade posters.

In general, it was pretty awesome.

vast assortment.

2007-02-15T20:17:00.000-05:00

I did this four color screenprint as my Valentine card this year. They're never done on time. I might as well just make some shit for President's day.

So the backstory: I was really sick at the beginning of my wintersession, on the couch for at least a week when I wasn't in class. There was a Roseanne marathon on Nickelodeon so I'd DVR the show at night and then watch during the day. Roseanne was one of many programs that I wasn't allowed to watch growing up. My parents thought it was or would be a negative influence. Over the past five years I've been doing a lot of catching up on a lot of things. So there's more from where this came from. You'll see.

Amoung other things.
My tower was in the shop for three+ days and its acting buggier than ever.
We're going to NYC tomorrow to visit Sweet T and to see this and this and this.

And I added more books here. If you fancy something let me know and I'll make you a sweet deal.

file under: wishlist.

2007-02-08T14:15:00.000-05:00

Topshop & Jcrew

more pattern.

2007-02-08T13:44:00.000-05:00

Cute bags from Target and Anthropologie. I'm also really loving this afghan tote, which I could totally make if there were only more time in a day.

studio.

2007-02-04T01:10:00.000-05:00

I found the function on my camera that will take sequential lomo-esque photographs. The other picture is of some samples from my textiles class.

for robbie.

2007-02-03T16:34:00.000-05:00

Adriane Herman's cupcakes... I went to her lecture at UNT a loooong time ago. Perhaps almost ten years ago. Now she's at Maine College of Art and I might just look her up. SLOP ART RULEZ

stairway to stardom.

2007-01-28T21:22:00.001-05:00

My new favorite pastime:

cute patterns.

2007-01-26T19:54:00.000-05:00

Red is Anthro, Blue is Topshop.
These make me wish for warmer weather.

i like, love it.

2007-01-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

The winds are kickin' it up right now. It is chiiiiiiilly! D and I went to look at a few lofts near my studio this morning (they're *this* close)... The past week has been helacious on the homefront, neighbor-wise. Our landlord doesn't give a shit about anything and told D to "call the police next time." To top off all of the noise and blatant disregard for common courtesy, things like our towels (as well as the entire apartment) smell like cigarette smoke from time to time because the dudes downstairs are too lazy to go outside and the smoke travels up through our vents. Lovely.

On the brighter side, I received my new print in the mail today and its really great. Even better in person.

Speaking of prints, I don't like (and have seen a big crop lately) digital prints of prints. And c-prints of prints. For $50+? So not cool... definitely questions the integrity of printmaking.

p.s.

2007-01-13T20:23:00.000-05:00

Megan Whitmarsh poster @ Little Paper Planes. $10 = a steal! I love the bigfoots and yetis.

days of yore.

2007-01-13T17:06:00.000-05:00

I've had this fabric for ages it seems like and finally recovered our two dining chairs over the summer.

Spent yesterday afternoon in the type shop. I had forgotten pretty much everything from the South Dakota workshop, but it was super easy. I can't wait to do more.

orla kiely.

2007-01-10T20:30:00.000-05:00

I posted about anthro's astrid chair over the summer and now it comes in an Orla Kiely pattern. L-O-V-E!!!!! Her stuff is totally out of my budget but it all really tickles my fancy. Mandy and Robbie: she seems to be right up yer allies, too.

christmas in january.

2007-01-08T22:08:00.000-05:00

Maxwell sent these to me - they came in the mail today!
Also, please note the cherry wallpaper. Its covering a very small space between the dining room and kitchen, about 2' wide - if that! I love it.

rules of thumb.

2007-01-06T21:51:00.000-05:00

1. Never buy office chairs or mattresses from ikea. You definitely get what you pay for meaning it will only withstand five or six months of use.

2. External hard drives to back yer shit up.

And P.S. Beyonce is an angel.
Is Solange her sister/cousin? She was on the dvd cover of Bring It On II.

not exactly international.

2007-01-05T18:21:00.000-05:00

...but I'll take it! Proenza Schouler at Target in February.

fyi.

2006-12-02T21:09:00.000-05:00

I really love this print by Rachell Sumpter.
There's a few more in her "New Wave" series at Little Paper Planes.

(I have some new things on the site as well.)

wolfgirl.

2006-11-29T23:27:00.000-05:00

My heart slightly skipped a beat when Kiki Smith was mentioned in yesterday's GG. I love her work and we're working on getting her to come to RISD as a visiting artist. Its kind of a great compliment if you're written into a script, a sort of dovetail with pop culture. That's how I see it anyway.

Also. I never write about this type of stuff but I had to FF through parts of Veronica Mars - WOW. I'm getting excited for the marathon and cannot wait for next week. And then the next week we'll be back in Texas.

a few things.

2006-11-25T00:27:00.000-05:00

We had nearly one day of peace and quiet with no neighbors around. I've already started on my second complaint letter (read: bitchfest) to the landlord. Too much guitar: I can't believe I just wasted five minutes of my life trying to find this and this. Yes, they are one in the same. You want to see our other neighbor? I thought so. This is exactly why one should never join such an obtuse network.

Oh, and we're selling some books.

fall.

2006-11-13T20:25:00.000-05:00

On Benefit Street while running an errand last week. You'd think I used a polarizing lens, eh? No, my friends.. that is some real sky. My grandma said the leaves aren't changing so dramatically because of all the rain we've been getting. They're just falling without much color; this yellow is about as good as it gets, save for a few trees here and there. My hair is a big frizz ball today but I love the rain and the weather has been pretty normal lately, in the 50s / 60s. The more mild of a winter the better, I suppose. Better for us at least. Blah blah blah.

oh, mistah marc!

2006-11-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

Oh, for cute! I like this purple, but my life would be so much easier if I got the black. My current watch is falling apart so what better time to get a new one than xmas. The yellow enamel is peeling off, it fogs when I powerwash my screens plus the hardware is very loose and I'm unable to tighten it.

PS: We're flying out on 13 December (cats in tow, don't ask) and will return 1 January. My winter session class starts on the 2nd - Digitally Printed Fabric!

From the RISD catalog:
This intensive course moves from concept to design development and then onto digitally printed fabrics. Students start by creating presentation boards for color, pattern, a nd application in order to establish direction in their work. With Adobe Photoshop serving as the primary tool, the traditional techniques of drawing, painting, and collage are integrated with new design technology. Class instruction will lead students through the Adobe software in the development of design for extensive experimentation on the Textile Department146s Mimaki fabric printer. Students will be encouraged to go beyond the boundaries of traditional textile design to meet the possibilities of this exciting technology.

rough edits.

2006-11-09T23:56:00.000-05:00

highlights.

2006-11-06T16:44:00.000-05:00

Delaney and I were *this* close to buying a [relatively inexpensive] Chris Johanson print at the fair this weekend. It was amazing to see his work UCAP and to be introduced to Squeak Carnwath's as well. In crit today, my professor said we should get on the ball right now in order to get Squeak as a visiting artist next year. Hopefully that can turn into a huge SCORE.

yes.

2006-10-31T09:19:00.000-05:00

Marimekko in Cambridge!

& PS: I've been semi-approved for wholesale ordering through American Apparel. Watch out!

jim houser.

2006-10-28T15:50:00.000-04:00

botticelli hair.

2006-10-28T10:17:00.000-04:00

lipstick traces.

2006-10-24T18:05:00.000-04:00

Two-color silkscreen on quilted fabric placemat pieces. These were *such* a bitch to register after I printed the first color. Please note that the piece on the right is slightly stained and therefore a little skeezy, but I like mixing pretty + dirty.

so much goodness. so little time.

2006-10-23T21:29:00.000-04:00

Excerpts from amy sedaris rocks!:

- At an Obie awards reception, when Ethan Hawke told Amy that she had the prettiest dress at the party, she told him, "It looks better on the floor. You could talk me out of it." He was apparently taken quite by surprise.

- In Fall 2003, she started an amateur craft club called The Crafty Beavers. She's the club president and they meet on a weekly basis. Felt is their medium of choice, and it's largely an excuse to smoke pot.

ALSO: Looking forward to this!

AND PS: I've been craving a cranberry red corduroy (much like this) jumper or mini dress. Maybe with oversized buttons. And I love these tights from AA. My brown boots are starting to rot. Definitely worth the $20 especially since I've gotten nearly three winter's wear out of them.

p.s. as seen in N.E.E.T., this wall is nothing short of amazing.

2006-10-18T19:15:00.000-04:00

obsessive / pattern

2006-10-18T18:44:00.000-04:00

Things I like... lately I've been all about trying to get to a point where I can print wallpaper / bolted textiles / wrapping paper.

a fat fucking cliche.

2006-10-15T15:01:00.000-04:00

A piece I've been working on... I had a neat little animated gif to post but flickr is not recognizing the animation. Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to give Liz Claiborne a shout out for her amazing houndstooth dress which I've chosen to use as background. You may see one of the arm seams in the top left corner of the frame. The orange fabric is from a quilted placemat and the green is floral denim. So fucking hott. AFFC. XOXO.

this is for real.

2006-10-10T00:23:00.000-04:00

I do believe this may be the largest pug I've ever laid [virtual] eyes on -- almost as big as Big Kitty! If I saw it on the street he'd be gettin' a load of hand-sprinkles as well as some conversation. The RISD student/alum sale was this past weekend and there were dogs galore out and about. Everything from big 'ol Great Danes to a Pom-in-a-stroller. Yes. It was heaveeeeeeen! The winner [in my humble opinion] was a super fluffy Welsh Corgi. You know, with the little legs and all.

The title of this post should have been "but I digress."
Dogs are a major distraction in my life.

to be early is to be on time.

2006-10-08T23:23:00.000-04:00

happy birthday, mandy!

2006-10-04T18:39:00.000-04:00

Photo from this new book! I'm pretty sure this artist is from Texas... she did a pink blender awhile back. Can't recall a name. On another random note, today while getting lunch downtown a RIPTA bus driver commented to me that he liked my "pocketbook" (aka huge bag that I unknowingly ran into him with - it actually runs into everything) and that he just bought his daughter a big one... "Marc Jacobs... eva heard 'a dat?" She just turned 16. I told him she better love the bag forever.

winter shoe picks

2006-10-03T15:10:00.000-04:00

L --> R: Lacoste, Sigerson Morrison skimmers (I should really opt for a boot), Kenneth Cole. Still considering the ankle boots from Anthro - Megan if only *those* were at the store near your house. Damn!

i lied.

2006-09-23T20:54:00.000-04:00

rendezvous.

2006-09-21T19:49:00.000-04:00

This was in NYC a couple of weekends ago. I love this gold shirt / sweater combo though it was a bit too steamy for the city. You can't see it but the shirt has a nice rectangular pattern. D didn't take very many pictures (not one of me 'n Meg) and I still have actual film to get developed. My favorite trick is to take as many photos in a five second span as possible before D notices. Usually I can fire off about 10-15 frames -- super!

My lace screen turned out pretty well and I may try to pull some proofs over the weekend after everything gets moved to my studio. This particular lace is the remnants from my prom dress circa 1998.

Edit: I've been meaning to walk into this store lately, which is near my studio along with DWR. Their stock is feminine and pretty, like a fancier high end version of Anthropologie but they also have stationary and smaller things that I can afford.

file under: weird.

2006-09-20T19:12:00.000-04:00

Two occurances, two days in a row:

1. A lady flagged me down on the street yesterday (or rather yelled at me) to ask about my boots and where I got them. I told her Newport News ($20, circa 2005 and unfortunately they are not currently in stock) and she immediately knew of what mail order I was talking about. "I love Newport News!" Then proceeded to point at me up and down, saying she liked everything I was wearing and that it was "working for [me]."

2. In Dunkin' Donuts this morning another frazzled lady told me she liked my faux missoni sweater; that I looked very "fall" and that I was "perfect."

I'm sure this will never happen again in my lifetime.

PS: School is totally mind-blowing. Like super intense I haven't really been this happy save for a couple of instances EVER. I'm starting on a lacey table cloth screenprint tomorrow.

Recap.

2006-09-17T21:57:00.000-04:00

I missed out on yet another Tiny Showcase print. Drat! (I would have loved to get my hands on Kelly's and Maxwell's too.) It seems like they sometimes sell out *instantly*.

First week of school was insane: Total information overload. Flashbacks to finding a seat in the cafeteria at a new school. Weird chit chat. Amazing classes. Taking the trolley bus -- public transpo is free with my school i.d.; I was in a full sweat on Monday due to running in order to catch the bus. Everything's been great basically.

Yesterday I painted our bedroom (only one room left which will be be the most fun to paint -- pink!) and put this together. (Ours is brown.) It was a little awkward assembling by myself, seeing how it took me, D and Colby to put together the four-shelf unit, but we've learned that from time to time you must outsmart the ikea directions. And PS: I would be happy to not ever step foot in ikea again. Ever. We really wanted to find a vintage buffet/console but its been impossible considering our budget. The brown shelves will do for now - it actually looks decent and sort of console-y with the records, books and typewriters inside.

I really wanted to fly back with D but it just couldn't happen - I already have a ton of stuff to do, which I should be doing now instead of this.

On my way inside tonight I thought I saw the fluffiest cat walking through the little alley by our trashcans. "Hello!" I think I will forever talk to animals and expect them to respond. I was on the phone with Megan and about to pet it when I realized it was a SKUNK! Holy shit. I almost patted / got sprayed by a skunk. It was eating a paper towel when Meg told me to just walk away before I end up having to take a tomato bath, or something like that.

All of the pictures from NY last weekend are on D's camera in Texas. We had no idea where to go night-wise so ended up at Vice recommendations. Excellente! Thanks, JB! I'll try to remember to post the pics later.

back to school.

2006-09-07T20:14:00.000-04:00

Throughout my undergrad years, I'd always have things electronically / mentally bookmarked for BTS. Records, clothing, whatnots -- there was always a teeny bit leftover from my grants/loans (shhhhh) that I could spend. This year that ain't gonna happen, especially the furniture, but I still like making my list and it also allows me to find inspiration outside of traditional print + art making.

1. Fancy highback with casters... this looks like a Rowdy combination. Totally utilitarian meets she-she. I love seeing old worldish furniture with funky fabrics.

2. I've been obsessed with marimekko for the longest time. Both the couch and chair are from Anthropologie. Crate + Barrel's got some stuff, too.

3. Now these are affordable and something that I will squeeze into our budget. Lots of colors, plus I saw them in person recently and the soles look super comfortable.

4. Silhouettes everywhere and I lovelovelove them. I found this particular grouping on a stationary set at Tiger & Jones.

mmm... houndstooth!

2006-09-04T12:02:00.000-04:00

just waitin' for the day when i will have a houndstooth chair or wall. besides herringbone and missoni, its my most favorite pattern.

file under: OMG

2006-09-01T13:59:00.000-04:00

Maira Kalman embroidery {via Lena Corwin}

so lovely.

2006-08-28T18:12:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago, my buddy Kelly sent me a message about her fall Augustine line. I can only sing praises here... every piece is just simply beautiful:

purple reigned.

2006-08-28T00:04:00.000-04:00

I realized why I never watch the Emmys --- what a total bore. Although it did give me a chance to see the trailer for the upcoming season of The Office. Now if I could only catch a glimpse of Veronica Mars! So I wanted to see what was on the red carpet, which like the show fared dull and unimpressive - I guess they save the good shit for the Oscars. These however, I did like (and Conan! aka conebone69):

Kim Raver's yellow dress was nice but didn't go with the purple title. Also Sarah Chalk and Jason Lee's gal. And this lovely dress on Mary Lynn (who I only know from Punch Drunk Love: GAYBOY. She's on 24, apparently), which called to mind Gwyneth's dress from the Oscars a couple of years ago.

Not much for commentary, but not a whole lot goin' on either.

nice things that look good.

2006-08-25T15:48:00.000-04:00

2006-08-20T02:16:00.000-04:00

I'm a little bummed to have missed Jenny Hart's opening in Philly last night.

Oh well, we have bigger fish to fry here.
I painted the kitchen, all but the trim. Google's image search didn't turn up much for Robin's Egg or Tiffany Blue, which is the color I picked. They are almost the same though slightly different. I loooooooove it. I've mentioned this blue before, but believe me, its so awful.

I found this today:

Make this TWO -- let's count 'em -- TWO times where I've captured The Look.

Damn! I miss margaritas and mexican cuisine and ridin' around in the cab. Thankfully, some of Rowdy and Megan's guacamole makin' rubbed off onto me. If I could only find a ripe avacado.

file under: The Future

2006-08-19T10:07:00.000-04:00

It makes me happy just to think about how many little dogs I could tote around in one of these cars. If you ever pass thru Georgia: Micro Car Museum.

I really like all of these. But as personal rules of thumb:

Only buy things from Anthro when they're on sale

Avoid ankle boots

For the longest time there's been a stigma attached to ankle boots. Perhaps from my days at Private School? I can name names. A weird, mental image etched into my brain -- a trichotomy of hippie mom/soccer mom/band teacher.

Until now, I suppose. The grey suedes are a semi-affordable $120 so I might have to sneak those into my new winter clothing budget. We've been searching the outlet malls for coat bargains yet no luck. You'd think London Fog would have something. I'm wanting this Burberry houndstooth ($2k!) or BBW (on sale!) but should probably go with some sort of practical, down-filled north face parka.

Texas to Rhode Island, Part Three

2006-08-14T17:00:00.000-04:00

This post will be the last of my quasi-daily entries that I tried to type out during the first few days after our initial arrival.

A SHORT LIST OF RANDOM STUFF:
Dunkin’ Donuts on every corner and even inside various retail establishments. I love that they add just-the-right-amount-of-cream-and-sugar for you and they usually have fresh bagels.

Huge Salvation Army around the corner.

Two grocery stores within walking distance.

Wayland Square also within walking distance. We ate here last week. Supposed to be a new/good place but the expensive menu and no beers on tap are the only things I can remember worth noting. Delaney wants to go back on a Tuesday for the special.

Thayer Street / RISD / Brown about 10 blocks away

What’s weird? Kidz Bop, where children eerily sing all the latest songs including Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, Rihanna plus other painfully annoying “hits.” They also sound waaaay too happy. Its just all very weird.

=====================

DAY EIGHT:
Trailer / moving-in day aka PURE HELL. Of course, this would be the hottest day since we got here, because duh, why wouldn’t it be when we have to move all of our shit through a stuffy foyer and up a somewhat large, twisty flight of stairs. Brutal, that Murphy's Law. I stayed out of the way most of the first hour by painting some of the kitchen cabinetry while D and the guys brought up the furniture.

Near the end of our two hours I asked Bill who to make the check out to? When I handed it to him downstairs he asked, “Is this supposed to be a tip?” Translation: “Is this supposed to be a tip, you bitch?” I boldly replied “YES[and you better be happy ‘cause it was gonna be $50].” to which he said, “Well then we can work a little while longer.” !!!!!!! We were all set after they unloaded the rest of our super heavy book cartons. I had tipped $100.

DAY TEN:
Organizing our way through the chaos.

The dining room: a depressing, numbing sight. Besides the bath, every other room looked like this. We could hardly move. It's a lot better now and will be great when everything is done.

DAY 11:
Discovered that the closest Ikea is not in Connecticut - about two hours away - but in Mass - only 30 minutes! Below is one of our purchases which we're using as a dual workstation. Delaney modified it a bit with casters. I think its one of the more well-made pieces Ikea sells. Solid wood construction and it came with a leaf plus the topper looks like a butcher's block.

I think I may have a slight concussion from hitting my head on the bottom of a corner banister in the stairwell. Square in the middle of my noggin. Our Saturday night is consisting of beer and Overboard since we’ve given up on putting anything else together.

DAY 12:
A girl is moving into the apartment above us. She's been here approx. four days and we’ve decided she must be car-less, that its her mother’s car blocking the driveway at random times. Hello, Considerate! Anyway, this girl stomps around EVERYwhere. At all hours. For example: she was up until at least 2AM shuffling stuff around and then fully awake at 6:45AM moving more shit and yelling up to her roommate in the stairwell, which is in the center of the house, next to our bedroom. (Diagram forthcoming if I feel like it.) I’m pissed. Delaney’s pissed. There’s been talk of writing a note since day one. I have no problems writing notes, I actually L-O-V-E scrawling out the bitchy / smartass “please keep the noise down after 10” or whatever messages. Love it. I smile on the inside and out when I write them. A long time ago I was on the receiving end of these notes when Lisa was my roommate. It was our male neighbor from downstairs, Mitchell, that left them for us. **The building was really old with thin hardwoods. So I told Delaney that he should be the one to write the note since it scared the shit out of me when I was 19.

**Ask me about the New Year’s Eve when Drunk Lisa pounded on the floor and yelled “FUCK YOU MITCHELL!!!!!!!!!” followed by kicking and screaming. I. was. so. pissed.

But back to D. This was our discussion about how we should write a note…

Me: A very bitchy note.
D: Yeah, bitchy, but what if I just write “SHUT THE FUCK UP” and then pierce my finger and smear blood on the paper so they’ll think we’re devil worshipers and then tack it to the door with a switchblade.
Me: They will freak the fuck out!

F the smart note, I say devil worshipers all the way.

And PS Mandy: I have not ruled out a friendly visit. They have dogs, after all. (cute dogs!)

For good measure...

Yes. Again.

2006-08-11T18:59:00.000-04:00

New color in the bathroom.
Its refreshing and I love it.
More pics to come...

Texas to Rhode Island, Part Two

2006-08-08T22:33:00.000-04:00

DAY FOUR:
Spent the night at Megan's --- yummy waffles, coffee and unlimited wireless. She toured and chauffeured us around and was most gracious in hosting the kitties in her bathroom. Awwww. I'm proud of her for tolerating them. And Delaney with all of his questions and talking. My only qualm? Love Park was slightly disappointing -- I wanted to see some BIG, BIG LOVE. Oh, and Sabrina’s -- go there… really great egg salad sandwiches. D would like me to mention H&M and the museum where they filmed Rocky. It took about six hours to drive from Philly to Providence for what should be four. Nice job, Google. New York traffic was insane for a Saturday evening. Four miles on shitty highway through the Bronx = 45 minutes. The skyline was far off but we could make out the Empire State Building; I was driving so D could see everything, which was somewhat surreal he said since he’s never been before. Finally got to the apartment around midnight and decided that we had to find an A/C or at least an oscillating fan. The closest store was about 10 minutes away, a Wal-Mart in Mass, and of course they closed at 10PM. Apparently nothing stays open 24 hours here. Not even a CVS. WTF. Slept on the hardwoods with all the windows open. It was a little dissapointing that none of our neighbors had wireless I could steal.

Love Park - Check out those ponytails!

Next door to Sabrina's

DAY FIVE:
Lots of shopping to get shit for the apartment. My intentions of packing the stand-up fan and cleaning supplies faded quickly when we realized there was no room in the car after we put the crate in the backseat. D had to buy a medium sized dog crate so Neely (the big 'un) could travel. Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Target, BB&frigginB, Bernie’s Electronic store. None of which had a decent, affordable window A/C unit. Spent at least two hours cleaning the bathtub and then I spent an hour on the Fridge while D searched for beer, only to find out that Rhode Island doesn’t sell beer in grocery stores. Liquor stores only but they close at 4P on Sunday. No luck in Mass, either. He said the only thing he could find was Dr. Pepper. BTW, the DP myth is just that. They have it at the Eastside Marketplace grocery down the street and in the Target fountain in Mass.

First day... Carolina Blue sucks. And its everywhere. This is just a peek, I'm going to post before and after pictures when we've got everything unpacked and walls repainted

DAY SIX:
Home Depot for other crap we need. Three Salvation Armies for couch. No luck, yet. So the apartment is much, much nastier than expected. A simple paint job has turned into re-caulking and striping the bathtub, painting all trim and doors and cabinets, patching holes. Our landlord gave us a $200 credit on our deposit for paint and supplies, but this won’t even cover the amount of labor completed when its all said and done. Set up appointments for cable/internet. We didn’t want a landline but its free for three months, with free installation of everything. I couldn’t say no considering the installation fees list at $70+. Finally! HBO! DVR! Woohoo!!!!! I have a lot of Project Runway to catch up on. D is reeeeeally wanting the NBA package but supposedly its $300/year. We’ll see about that one. Oh, and I called some companies to get an estimate on moving everything in on Wednesday. There is just no way we can do it by ourselves, up the stairs… all our books and heavy furniture. $300 for three dudes / two hours. This should do the trick but they want to come after 4PM to "avoid the heat of the day." Isn't it still hot then? Whatever, I didn't say anything. Beggars can't be choosey. Also, I haven’t mentioned that we live on a busy street with "no parking" signs posted in front of our house PLUS overnight parking on the street is illegal. So think about that and then our 28 foot trailer with loading ramp parked out front. Nice.

NASTY.

DAY SEVEN:
Too hot and humid to do anything (really) and the trailer won’t be dropped off until tomorrow. Texas (read: everyone but Mandy), you haven’t FELT humidity. Its as bad or worse than Houston. DISGUSTING. We have no central A/C or window units at all and only one measly ceiling fan in the living room where we're camping out on the air mattress. I have been super adamant up until this point about not getting window units but with heat indexes over 100 degrees and humidity levels approaching the same, cleaning and painting turned into searching for a window unit and driving to Cape Cod. We ended up at Sears near the Cape – they only had four units left after the couple in front of us bought two. We are happy to say that it cools the bedroom and bathroom nicely.

In Philadelphia, by Megan

Texas to Rhode Island, Part One

2006-08-07T17:29:00.000-04:00

I decided to post this in increments for sanity's sake -- mostly mine but then after Joel's War Forecast on TIH. No map or PPP needed here, thanks. My daily entries were getting to be too much and most of them are just recounts anyway. If we had bluetooth in the car, you would have been updated on the hour, every hour. But then with our eyes glued to the computer, it wouldn't have been a healthy road trip and we would have missed some amazing areas.

DAY ONE:
Leaving at 5AM turned into 7PM due to D’s car being looked over and fine-tuned for the journey. Pretty much everything except shocks (which we desperately need sometime in the near future… ‘cuz dude, most interstate highways and local roads SUCK between Philly and New Haven). Two minutes into the trip Neely, our large-and-in-charge kitty for those of you who don't know, took the biggest dump at the corner of Lowden and McCart. Pulled over at Albertson’s to clean up. 30 minutes later we pulled over in Grand Prairie in a Walmart parking lot. One of the cats puked (diagnosis: carsick?) and also took another horribly awful dump. Thankfully I remembered the matches I packed for just this type of situation. Decided that we can’t pull over every time they poop. We planned to drive to Little Rock and stay the night but pressed on until almost Memphis. Starting collecting state souvenir magnets.

Hope, Arkansas

DAY TWO:
Bummed --- we missed the indoor heated pool and waffle/bagel bar. Super 8 claimed to have wireless but somehow we couldn’t connect. Super LAME. Traveled thru Memphis, Nashville, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Lexington, Huntington, Charleston and ended up in Flatwoods, West Virginia. The Home of Rock ‘n Roll and Country Music in one day. Naturally, we were both disappointed to miss out on visiting Hatch Show Print and others: me - Dollywood / D - Grand Ole Opry and the Grizzlies Pro Shop. Today we ended up driving through West Virginia until 4AM because every hotel we stopped at enforced no pet policies i.e. “automatic $100 pet clean-up fee no exceptions” and no outside or side doors to sneak them in. After trying to find another hotel via wireless at the first no-pets place (to no avail) AND next-door at the 24-hour McDonald’s (3AM at this point and the payment page was down) we drove another hour to the next town where a Days Inn did not allow pets. Super! The motel we stayed in was right near a jail yet had the most inadequate lock on the doorknob only. No deadbolt. No chain. Two chairs went up against the door. Oh, and we almost ran out of gas en route to Lexington. Below the E, light on, very stressful, but we made it… good thing I bought an AAA membership.

Driving in Nashville

DAY THREE:
Delaney says everyone looked weird in Morgantown, West V. My friend is a printmaking graduate student there but she was in L.A… so we couldn't meet up. Ate lunch at the Olive Garden. At this point I'm so sick of processed chicken strips and fast food in general. I've repeatedly told D that I'm done with chicken for awhile. Beef and turkey for the next couple of months. Checked out the Morgantown Salvation Army and then Dicks so D could try to find a Kevin Pittsnogle jersey. Nothing at either. Decided that so far we like West V and Maryland the best, respectively. To sum it up, today we've seen West V, Maryland, Virginia, D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania. Washington was a two-hour detour, at the least. The White House was disappointing and had some weird sheets hanging on the balcony. Security was everywhere, blah blah blah. D would also like to mention that the roads in Penn are the worst roads in America and Philly is crappy all over. We ended up at Megan’s around midnight, hung out and then walked to the (un-air conditioned) bah for beers. Weyerbachen! PS: By now the cats have completely chilled out. They are so over everything.

Somewhere in WV - so pretty!

To be continued...

Yes.

2006-08-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

A wonderful combination: speedy internet connection + Delaney's laptop. In bed. Now if I could only have my coffee and bagel but D won't let any foodstuffs near the computer. My tower is still in the other room and has yet to be hooked up and put together. I sold some stuff on day-lab when Amy first started and was checking up on some of their new stock earlier today. I have been wanting to do black silhouhette portraits for awhile now and naturally, I totally love this:

Rowdy, they stock a Power necklace as well.
Not as good as the grayscale timer/ticker thingy, but still.

longhairs no more

2006-07-24T17:59:00.000-04:00

Our to-do list as follows:
- take my car to mesquite for shipping
- change my name @ the DMV
- try to sell some shit @ buffalo (i hate the waiting and the judging)
- wait for moving trailer
- getting my ipod fill from mowdy
- lots of packing - LOTS

Things have been pretty great despite being so emotional these past couple of days. I do a good job keeping it together until I see those who I will miss the most. DUH. Rowdy has pictures from the BBQ, which I will try to acquire when I put some books-on-tape onto my ipod.

I love the stencil library. The teardrops were my favorite apart from the houndstooth and herringbone. The two images below are from the decoupage section. If I were into that sort of thing... not that there's anything wrong with that.

PS: As of today, we have survived one month of marriage.