Calling all Teen Altered Artists...

Well, how exciting is this? I've been asked to write an article for Listen magazine about altered art! I'm really, super excited!!!

An important piece of the article is getting quotes and feedback from teens who actually do altered art. If you know of any teens interested in altered art/mixed media or if you are a teen who is interested in either, will you P-L-E-A-S-E contact me? Pretty please?

Something Old, Something New...

For awhile I have been feeling a little torn about my blog. It started as a cottage-style, vintage and art sort of place, and now due to my "green" inspirations, has taken a different sort of turn. In order to keep things neat and tidy (or at least attempt to!), I've started a new blog "A Chick with a Conscience" If you are interested in environmentalism, humane treatment of animals and humanitarian efforts (along with bits and pieces of living more simply, more frugally and better on less), I think you might find it interesting!

I do plan to continue to post here off and on, but will try to keep this blog specifically set up for posts about vintage/homemaking type posts, along with any cottage-y ideas and inspirations. See ya over there (I hope!).

Falling in Love (at first site)...

This is a yurt. Tucked into a thicket of woods in rural Maine, it was so beautiful, rustic and unexpectedly comfortable, I felt completely happy and in love. I loved it's rounded sides and the pretty handmade chairs, the benches gathered up around the fire, the tiny, efficient kitchen area with everything hanging from its own special hook or tucked away in sliding wooden trays. I loved the forest and the smell of the trees and the canopy of leaves dancing overhead. I loved the patches of bright blue sky peeking through the more sparse areas of branches. I loved the clear dome top that allowed me to see the bright stars overhead before falling asleep. It sort of felt like an on-the-ground treehouse.

To the right, is the solar shower-also a first for me. There is something so right about bathing outdoors. I'm far from an exhibitionist-one of my sisters says I was born with clothes on(!) but this I fell in love with. The black plastic bag hanging from the pole was filled with water which was warmed by the sun. There was a nozzle and shower head coming from the bag that you could turn on or off as you needed water. My one regret is that I didn't use the shower a little earlier in the day. The water was pretty chilly by the time I got in, just before supper. Still, it was wonderful. Now I'm scheming to figure out how I can have one of my very own in the back yard...but privacy is much more of an issue on a small piece of land so I will need to do some creative thinking!

I told you the kitchen area was cute! The folks that own Frost Mountain Yurts thought of EVERY detail, many I would never have thought of myself. It was a lot of fun cooking on the propane stove, which heats a lot faster than my own electric one.

This romantic and rustic dinner for two was leisurely prepared in the late evening, just in time to need a pretty candle flickering. When I was little I was a bit obsessed with "Little House on the Prairie" and talked my mother into buying me a blue enamel set of dishes similar to these to have my meals in.

Doesn't it Seem...

Doesn't it seem that bike riding and other outdoor activities are ten times more fun and freeing when you do them like you did them when you were a kid?

I just went on a gorgeous summer bike ride...I was surfing the internet (one of my favorite pursuits but I say it shamefaced), and thought "Wow. It's really gorgeous out! Wouldn't it be fun to take a bike ride?" and I did and it was.

Now I'm sitting back at the computer because while I was riding I kept feeling that I-need-to-write feeling. My heart is still beating fast, my brow is a little sweaty and I feel all tingly. When I was a kid biking was my one freedom, the one time I could be completely alone and I cherished that. Growing up with three older sisters, two parents and a large German Shepard in 1200 square feet of living space, you would have too.

There is something though, in feeling the wind in your hair as you careen down a hill, feeling your heart hammer in your chest as you work your way up one, and thinking that you are doing it for FUN and because you want to, not because you need to get your heart rate in a certain range or you just ate "something sinful" and now better burn it off. Exercise really and truly is a great gift we can give ourselves, but I often forget that and think of it as exercise, like a dirty word. I think it should be called something else completely-exercise brings to mind exhausting aerobic classes or toning sessions where your instructor yells at you like a gym sargent to lift your quivering leg 10 more times. But movement, in it's true form is enjoyable and loving. Dancing, yoga, walking, strolling, biking, playing outdoor games...movement has a much better connotation for me.

Oh, I love it!

I am now officially addicted to green blogs and all the great eco-friendly shops and sites on the internet~who knew? I have a tendency to go full steam when I'm into something, and this is no different. However, instead of just reading about all the depressing statistics, I'm reading about all the great, incredible, fantastic and innovative things people are doing and it's making me so happy!

This site has such a creative idea to help save the elephants...recycled "poo" (sterilized) and made into stationary! My sister, Aimee, bought me a set for Christmas and I absolutely LOVE it. It's thick, heavy, and pretty and it helps elephants which I love.

Then I found this blog which is inspiring. The author is a journalist and lives in Toronto but is making all these green changes regardless of living in a big, commercial place. Often I have been guilty (am still at times) of thinking/saying, "Well, it would be easier to be green/live more sustainably if only I had a few acres in the country/worked less hours/had "green" friends, etc." Posters like this remind me that there is PLENTY I can be doing right here and right now, on my little 3/4 acre lot.

I also found this blog which is dedicated to doing one good thing after another...and then there are my old standbys: Simple Living and Mother Earth News.

So much inspiration~makes a girl's head spin...

Is There a Job for Me?

When I was little, I certainly never thought "I want a completely pointless and useless job when I grow up. I want to push papers around and re-type documents and sit in my air conditioned office on my bum and watch the natural world outside of a window that doesn't open."

A few weeks ago, sitting in said office, staring out said un-opening window, I wrote this:

I wonder what it is that makes me impossible to please at work. Like an unhappy and ridiculously picky suitor I hone in on each and every negative workplace nuance and explore it until there is nothing left but an empty shell. “Too boring. Too stressful. Too beneath me. The expect me to do what?” I’m quite a princess in the workplace. Maybe it comes from having such a great home life. Often the people who thrive at work, especially those who overwork or let their entire lives revolve around their jobs, are those with less harmonious home lives. They work so hard and give so much because there is nothing at home for them to look for. Maybe it’s because I’m so happy in my little colorful nest, so happy with my sweet, calm husband and furry pets and cool family, that I find it so difficult to find happiness at work. I’m not sure, but would love to solve this mystery once and for all.
I know other people who dislike their jobs, but somehow they just keep plugging away at them, year after tedious year. In a way I envy those people. They know how to really make it stick. They know how to tough it out. When the going gets tough they don’t run away, resume flapping in hand. They stay put and meet the challenges head-on, or at least hibernate quietly until they are over. There must be a certain security that comes from that. A certain feeling of pride that they toughed it out, they didn’t let work get the best of them.
I’ve never had that feeling. When the days get rough, I start scanning the want ads. Maybe THIS time, it will be the right place. Maybe here it will be different… It never is. Of course, I rationally know that no place is perfect. There will never be a group of people that you completely get along with, never a place with extra high staff morale and positive, thrilling work that excites you everyday. I know this, rationally. But some part of me keeps thinking Is this it, then? This is the best it’s going to be? Really? Because some whimsical, unrealistic, dreamy part of me doesn’t want to believe it. Doesn’t want to believe that work means lists of menial tasks, coworkers who don’t share your point of view (or any opinions other than their own), and sleepy afternoons when you want to lay your head down on your keyboard and have a nap (or a good cry). Part of me refuses to believe that work has to feel like drudgery and that bosses can treat you like a gnat, change the rules at any given moment and then wait for you to smile and nod your approval. Part of me can’t believe that for the next thirty-odd years, this is life. Bland space, windows that won’t open, bosses who don’t respect, desk drawers that stick, coworkers moans rising in unison, nominal raises with a pat on the head. Can it really be true? Is it too much to ask for work that makes you feel fulfilled and proud? A job that gives a little back when you put so much into it? Long vacations and well wishes? Color and light and beauty and fulfillment?
Maybe in fact, it is too much to ask. But you know what? I’m asking anyway.

And I am asking. Only very quietly and a little too timidly at the moment. Changing careers is a very scary thing and starting over where you know nothing and no one and, may feel completely incompetant is very scary indeed. But if I look back in 5, 10, or 20 years, won't being stuck in the very same place seem scarier still?

A Farm Girl Extravaganza...

Wow~what a day! This was the first annual Farm Girl Sale for myself and group of 3 others...and what a sale it was!

We worried this week as each of us scoured the weather reports which forecasted rain, rain, a thunder shower and yet more rain. The morning was misty and foggy when I got up at 5:15 to start loading the truck with all my goodies, a process in itself. I was pretty proud that I managed to haul in a full sized dresser and large rolling craft table on my own (though I did score a few black & blue marks on various body parts doing so). I sweaty, hot and hungry when I finally pulled into my sister's yard and surveyed the canopies we had set up the night before. Then it was unpack, unbox, chuck empty boxes under the table and greet my friends and sister as each in turn came out to set up their own wares.

What a lot of fun we had~and the weather? GORGEOUS! It was sunny and hot with a nice cool breeze all day. We laughed, talked, ate yummy food and swapped a few "must have" items. A perfectly lovely day~I can't wait till sale time next year, girls!

Simply Amazing...

Wow~this family is incredible. A husband, wife and 2 y.o. daughter have decided to live without electricity, modern indoor plumbing, and to avoid contributing to CO2 waste by not using transportation other than their own feet-all this in New York City, consumerism capital of the northeast! The blog is aptly called LowImpactMan.

I have to say as I was reading it last night, it got my little wheels spinning. Now, first of all, I wouldn't want to do something this drastic right at this point in my life for an entire year...but could I do it for a day? A week? I mentioned it to my husband who's first (common sense) thought was "What will we do with all the food in the fridge/freezer?" Hmmmm, good point. This started me thinking about cooking in general-how does this family eat hot foods? Or don't they? Do I have that many sandwich recipes in my repertoire? I had a quick image of me hauling a cast iron fry pan out to the backyard fire ring after work... But the family doing the one year experiment started with just a week, so there must be a way, right?

I've also been ultra-inspired by The Compact which, for those of you who haven't heard of it, is a group of people in California who began a one-year experiment to try to live with just the bare necessities: Food, hygiene products (Toilet paper, etc.), and underwear. There's a story about it here by USA Today. That's it~no new anything else. They are allowed to purchase from thrift stores or obtain used things through craigslist.org or freecycle.org. Personally, because they are able to buy used, it doesn't seem like it would be a very hard challenge...but then, you don't see ME running to sign up! It would be much more difficult to not BUY anything for a year, except the aforementioned food, hygiene items and underwear. But THAT is a little extreme for me. I wonder though....

Go check out LowImpactMan..this blog is fascinating and there are lots of great links on the blogroll...even if you aren't especially interested in simple living, this blog is very intriguing and well-written. Take a peek!

I Have a Feeling...

I have a feeling that is just perculating in the back of my mind. It's not quite fully developed just yet, but I can feel it back there, readying itself...

It has to do with our innate drive to hunt and gather. When our ancestors were alive that is how they spent almost all their time during the day, right? What if THAT is one of the reasons that we feel we need to "stock up" on sale items and buy extras "just in case"? What if it's because of this long ago instinct, handed down subconsciously from one generation to the next that we feel the need to buy, consume, focus on material things? Of course, as I write this part of me is saying "Well, it COULD have something to do with the constant bombardment of the media. It COULD have something to do with the fact that we Americans tend to measure our worth by what we own/consume/have that others don't." And yeah, I'm sure that plays into it greatly. But what if by consuming and worrying about keeping up with the Joneses, we are really trying to fill the very primitive need we have to hunt and gather?

To test my theory out, I'm conducting an unscientific (but fun!) experiment. This summer I have done a few things when the urge to shop hits me: I've started gathering....produce. I made my first ever batch of canned goods a few weeks ago (homemade garlicky pickles), I've picked/cleaned/frozen strawberries and raspberries for winter and I'm starting a list of items to buy for the holidays now, so that I can start stocking up and hopefully get all the shopping/creating done for the holidays long before they arrive. I can't explain it exactly, but I DO feel like there is some part of me inside that just sighs with pleasure every time I've completed one of these tasks. It feels good to know that I'm preparing things now that we can enjoy later. It feels so old-fashioned and pioneering to "put up" things for winter. Though I don't have enough produce from our garden to can, I do plan to frequent the local organic produce stand and farmer's market and do a lot more canning this summer.

Here's to living more simply...

Living Authentically...

Lately, I feel that I've had a real wake up call: I have to find a way to live more of my values and less of my ego.

My ego is very fragile. Sometimes it thinks that what other people think/have/do/say is of the utmost importance. My values are pretty strong and basic: I want time to make meaningful connections with family and friends. I want to take time to savour life, not live it on auto pilot. I want to make a difference in the world-make this a better journey for another being. I want to love more and worry less. I want to appreciate all I've been given and not spend much time at all wishing things were different/better/easier. I want to live simply and passionately and completely alive.

I have been bombarding myself with material in this area: Watching my "Affluenza" tape (a show about paring down and living more simply and better), finally seeing "An Inconvenient Truth", and reading voraciously any books/magazines/message boards on living better on less and leaving some resources for some of the other billions of people I share the planet with.

I think what is hardest of all, for me, is the fact that 97% of the people I know are NOT interested in simple living/questioning materialism/environmentalism, and making the world a better place. That sounds awful~I don't mean that I am better than anyone else because I am interested in those things. There are plenty of people who do WAY more than I do in one or all of the above mentioned subjects who would probably look at ME as a bad example for any of the four....

I guess what I mean really is this: I don't want to live for things anymore. I don't want my life to be about buying things/cleaning things/organizing things, working a job I don't particularly like to pay for more things, etc. I want my life to be filled up with so many simple, beautiful pleasures that I don't have to look to a store or an online shop to try to find what will make me happy. I want to make some changes, but this time slowly, deliberately and with much love and care. It's nothing I need to rush or force or hurry myself to do. I think I know deep down what is most important and what isn't and I will take the time I need to uncover those things for myself.

A Big, Busy World...

I just finished a book that changed my life. It's Material World: A Global Family Portrait. Now, I know what you are thinking (or at least what I think when I hear that something like a simple book changes someone's life). "How can a simple book change someone's life???" Read this book and see if you don't feel different for yourself.

The concept is this: 30 families from around the world place all their possessions in front of their homes, and the photographer snaps a photo. It's an interesting concept, but what is most fascinating to me is the personal information about the family and the statistics about the family and country they live in. For instance, while reading every single entry I noticed that each family of 3-10 lived in a much smaller living space than I do. MUCH smaller in some circumstances. And I truly don't think my house is all that big! As a matter of fact, I feel embarassed to admit how many hours of my life I have spent wishing my house were "different" and "improved" and how much time I've spent worrying about how I can remodel/change/make it better.

I think what the book does most for me is puts things in perspective and helps me to see really and truly, how connected we all are on this planet. It helped me to see I had things in common with women living on the other side of the world...little things that I never would have known about. It also showed me the differences: The freedoms and luxuries that I have every single day that other women don't have. It was completely eye-opening and I hope you will check it out for yourself.

A Few New Things...

Today it was raining when I went out for my early morning walk. I walked a different route than normal and strolled through an old cemetary nearby. I wish I had brought my camera (isn't that always the way?). There was a thick mist hanging over the back portion of the graveyard, near the tree line. And (how perfect is this in an Edgar Allen Poe way?) there were ravens (ok, crows) standing in the front portion of the cemetary. It felt so mystical and I swear when I breathed in the cool, misty bits of air I felt charged somehow...

The photo above is my new friend...she's very quiet and always listens patiently~I took this on a previous adventure to the same cemetary. Other people may find me morbid, but I love old graveyards; all the ancient stones and sculptures and all the beautiful moss and wear that they often show off. Only OLD graveyards though, not new ones. I stay away from newer stones too, they don't have that same aesthetic beauty to me.

Along the line of new things like my friend above, I'm working on a new blog and a website to go along with it. I've hesitated writing about it here, because now I will have to be accountable for actually going through with it...which is exactly what I need. I realize I've come quite a long way in some regards, to the whole concept of ChicChick. I'm sort of in a transition place...working on changing careers and changing other aspects of my life right along with that. I will most likely keep this blog going, for sharing the day to day simple pleasures, but I feel a real need to begin somewhere with my new career, and a new blog and website to showcase my online portfolio is probably a great place to start. I'll keep you posted...

Seeing it New...

Have you ever seen something a thousand times, but never really SEE it? I'm reading this great book on digital photography called "How to do Everything with Digital Photography" by Dave Huss. I like it because it's (mostly) easy to understand and he gives some great pointers on photo taking...

Yesterday I brought my camera to work with me and kept it with me all day; on my morning walk at break, at lunch, even at my desk. It was amazing how many interesting photos I got during an "average" day.

I'm feeling doubly inspired, as I'm taking a Photoshop Elements course in July. I can't wait to learn tricks and techniques to improve my photos.

Isn't learning new stuff the best? It's one of my favorite things in life...especially if it's stuff I really WANT to learn.

Look around you today, bloggettes and see if you can't see something "average" in a whole new way. That's your homework for Tuesday!

It's in the Bag...

The South Burlington Art Hop is having an auction of bags created by locals to raise money for the fun fall event. A coworker told me about the project, and got me the canvas bag to embellish. Here are some pics of it~I just finished this morning (and it's due today!).

A Bit of Paint Here (and here, and here...)

Do you ever pick up one of your hobbies out of the blue and then feel so enamoured with it you just can't stop?

Last summer I took my first ever watercolor painting class. It was fun, but hard to pump out one painting after another. Also, my fellow students painted these gorgeous pieces that left me feeling a little inadequate.

But last week I pulled out my paints and brushes and thick watercolor paper and just can't seem to get enough of it!

The painting above is my favorite of the three...I'm really into pinwheels lately and I like the way this turned out.

This teapot was the first of the three. I like the red contrasted with the green and the way the shading came out. Shading for me is the hardest part!

The painting to the right is a first for me. I've never painted a human before. I found a very simple sketch of this man, (I think he looks like "The Thinker") from an art magazine and loved the lines and shadows. It was much easier than I thought it would be. One thing about painting (and writing) is that if I set it aside for a bit and come back to it, things really stand out to me that need to be changed. If I just forge ahead and try to finish it all at once, it seems that I miss subtle changes that would have improved the piece.

A Bit of Excitement...

Well, what good news I got this week! I am going to be one of the new correspondents for our local newspaper, The St. Albans Messenger! I'm really very excited about this new adventure. I think it will be a lot of fun to learn more about my community and also to have more of a reason to write. I love writing! I just love it.

Above is a photo I'm playing with in Photoshop Elements. I'm going to be taking a class (I think) in July to learn more about this program. I've had it installed for about a year and I just can't seem to make myself sit down and read all about what it can do. I'm really excited to learn more about it~I think it will be a great asset to my altered art projects.

Speaking of which...I'm entering a contest to design a logo for a physical therapy group. I'm not quite sure what I' m doing yet; just playing with ideas at this point. It is at times like this when I really wish I had mastered a graphic design program like InDesign. I dabble with it here and there at work, but I'm about, oh, 40 pages into the manual! There is SO much it can do and I haven't even scratched the surface yet. I'm such a hands on learner though...reading about something just doesn't do it for me most of the time.

Well, I have the house to myself tonight and I'm off to play in my creative room...wish me luck!

A Bit of a Long Time Coming...

Blogettes: First and foremost I must apologize for my lack of posts lately. Life has just been getting away from me, or at least that's how it feels lately. Class finished up (sad!) but I've started some other creative projects, not the least of which is our annual Victorian Tea which we have had for the past 2 years (this year is our 3rd) to raise money for Shared Hope International an organization which is working to end sex-trafficking worldwide.

These photos are from our tea...we had so much fun! As always it astounds me how much work is involved in something so short (2 hours) and how many hands are needed to pull something like this off, even on a small scale. Our hard work paid off though; we raised just under $300 for this incredible organization.

Spring Sale (continued)...

A couple more things to add...this "virtual flea market" is quite fun!

Here is a vintage-looking urn (I think it was actually new when I bought it but made to look old). I've never seen anything like it before, it's very eye-catching. It measures approx. 11" x 6" and is covered with soft velvety material on the bottom (no need to worry about scratches!) Would make a beautiful vase or place to store dry toiletries or love notes! Cost is $15.00 plus shipping.

This antique quilt was purchased at a roadside market...I fell in love with the striking combination of black and faded silk pieces. Imagine the work that went into making this? It's really lovely, but fragile. As you can see some of the material is worn and shredded from age. I have it on a hanging rod but for shipping would need to remove it (unless you wanted to pay the extra shipping for such a large package!). It measures approx. 53" in length by 43"in width. Cost for the antique quilt is $20.00 plus shipping.

A Little Spring Sale...

Well, I am trying to make a little extra money and thought I would weed through some of the items left over from my little vintage shop. Thanks to the kind suggestions by one of my fellow farm girls at Mary Janes Farm Please let me know if you are interested in any of these items...email me and I will send you the mailing address, check/money order or Paypal all happily accepted!

The first item is this adorable spring-y birdhouse, painted and distressed and embellished with pretty pink cabbage roses. My husband hand made this house and I prettied it up! Although this is a sturdy little house, it would be best used indoors (plus the hanger is already secured on the back for easy display!). It measures approx. 8.5" in length and approx. 11" across. Cost is $15.00 plus shipping.

The next item is absolutely adorable! This little porcelin doll body is planted right on top of a silky pin cushion. She's approx. 7" high. She's in perfect shape and would look lovely on your sewing table or maybe on a shelf holding some antique hat pins! The cost for the pincushion is also $15.00 plus shipping.

This little seashell pink dish is absolutely beautiful! It's fully covered with tiny, delicate seashells, bits of silver glitter and measures approx. 3" x 5". The inside is painted a delicate gold. The cost of this beautiful little dish is $10.00 plus shipping. Please contact me at chicchickbiz@yahoo.com if you are interested in any of these items. Thanks!

Where Does Time Go...

My goodness~the beginning of May already...time has literally been flying right off the clock for me lately. Partly I'm sure, because I have been so busy with my art class and spring cleaning. Have you started yours yet? It's WONDERFUL to see something all clean and shiny and new looking...at least for a day until something spills on it or the cat throws up on it!

Tonight is my very last 2-D design class and I'm sad and happy all at once. I'm sad because I will miss the instruction and my incredibly creative teacher's ideas...and happy because I feel like I have had very little (like, NO) time to work on my own projects lately.

The skirt above is my final project for class...I wish you could see it in real life, it's actually much better looking. It was fun and a LOT of work to put together. I took the idea from a Journal Skirt like this artist makes and made mine into an inspiration skirt. I didn't take photos of the back but I did cover that pretty well too...