It's no Jack-o-lantern Spectacular, but here are some from the party. Mine's the one with the witch and the cauldron in the middle.
10.29.2007
Pumpkin Carving Party
Andrea and I hosted our first party as roommates tonight, when several of her friends/coworkers came over for a pumpkin carving party here at the house. These are the jack-o-lanterns. This evening's festivites were the follow-up to the Hasbro Halloween Party last night. Andrea won sexiest costume for her beer wench costume, much to her complete surprise. I've really enjoyed meeting and hanging out with such a fun, smart, creative group of people.
10.22.2007
Elephant at Roger Williams Zoo
It was a nice day today, warm and sunny. Not bad for late October. P and I went to lunch and to the zoo at Roger Williams Park. It was a pleasant afternoon.
Moving, still.
The mattress, some boxes, and the Mojo. After the pod arrived from Chicago, there was stuff everywhere. Like my bed. and my stuff. And my cat.
Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular!
That's what they call it, and if you have the opportunity to do so, go see the Jack-o-Lanterns at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, RI before Halloween. Or find something similar near you.
At first I thought it would be 5,000 of these. And there were lots of what I'd call "traditional" jack-o-lanterns. And there were lots of them. But the highlight were the bas-relief carved images on hundreds of others, a few of which are below. For more images, click on the photos to be directed to my Flickr site.
I was like a six-year-old, full of wonder. I know, hard to believe. But it was awesome. Hopefully you will be inspired too.
AB FAB!!! Patsy and Edina Jack-o-Lantern
This pumpkin alone was worth the cost of admission. Absolutely Fabulous?!?! It's like they were speaking right to me!
And how random. This is an iconic show, yes, but it's years old and not even on TV in the States anymore, to my knowledge. It made me feel so good to find this silly thing that I love so much is loved enough by someone else to have led them to carve an f'in pumpkin dedicated to it.
Edina is good, but Patsy is classic. The cigarette, sunglasses. The bouffant. Drinking straight from the vodka bottle.
"Nightmare Before Christmas" Jack-o-Lantern
Part of the trick with these is the Sharpie. All of the black area on the pumpkin is drawn in Sharpie. These pumpkins are not cut all the way through. Rather, the skin and topmost layers of flesh yield remarkable variations in lightness, even when very little is cut away.
I am gather inspiration for the Pumpkin Carving Party Andrea and I are throwing here next weekend. :)
Hokusai "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" jackolantern
The hits kept coming! Clearly the carvers of these pumpkins are tapped into my inner monologue. Here is the famous wave scene from one of Hokusai "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" woodcuts. This is a pumpkin, people!
JOWYCOII
The title is the acronym for "Jam Out With Your Clam Out II", also known as the Columbus Day Weekend fiesta with the Fish Crew in Providence, RI as well as Salem, MA and Ogunquit, ME. Here is but a small sample of pictures, below. Love you guys!
Who's Cuter than This?
Erin, in the kitchen at the fabulous Salem house, posing in Libby's shirt from Thailand.
Apple Peels
Me peeling 6 pounds worth of apples, 3 of Cortlans, 3 of Macouns, for two pies for the weekend.
Smirnoff
A toast to the campsite, Libby and I got 9 airplane bottles of Smirnoff, one in each flavor, one for each of us, and had a raffle. The flavors ranged from palatable to wretched. Here's Nicky holding the empties.
Stones in Brazer Cove
Classic Maine. Nothing sounds quite like cold ocean water running over these stones.
A Charming Crowd
Burkie, Ben, Missy in foreground, Amy and Brazer mugging in background. This is Friday night of JOWYCOII, in Salem, MA at Nick's boss' house. Terrific accommodations, and the libations flowed freely.
The Cabana FINISHED!
I got to see the cabana last month once it was all decorated. It's small and just outside the frame to the right is a five-foot partial wall that divides up the space. I'm really happy with how it came out, as are the clients. Crafted Spaces is about to kick off its next project. I'm very much looking forward to that.
10.19.2007
NaNoWriMo Throwdown
Amity and Beth have been on the NaNoWriMo tip for a number of years now. I've always been in school, and November is NEVER the month for anything other than school-related writing.
But this year, Ladies, I'm throwing down the gauntlet. I've just created a myNaNoWriMo account! Who's up for a 50k support group? This goes for anyone who happens to read this, by the way. We can do this! I'm going to start trawling old journals and see what novel ideas I've dreamt up over the years.
175 pages in one month is a commitment, and a challenge of course. I usually edit WAY too much as I write. But if you break it down, it's less than 6 pages a day. And the material one has at the end of it is a terrific jumping-off point for editing.
The best part though will be the celebration at the end. This is like those teams of people who train together for marathons. Here's our literary 26.2 miles. And together we will finish this race.
But this year, Ladies, I'm throwing down the gauntlet. I've just created a myNaNoWriMo account! Who's up for a 50k support group? This goes for anyone who happens to read this, by the way. We can do this! I'm going to start trawling old journals and see what novel ideas I've dreamt up over the years.
175 pages in one month is a commitment, and a challenge of course. I usually edit WAY too much as I write. But if you break it down, it's less than 6 pages a day. And the material one has at the end of it is a terrific jumping-off point for editing.
The best part though will be the celebration at the end. This is like those teams of people who train together for marathons. Here's our literary 26.2 miles. And together we will finish this race.
Where I've Been
Zib "gently" reminded me that I haven't blogged in a while, so here's a roundup of what's been going on lately:
Red Sox Nation: Watched a thrilling game 5 at the brother's house tonight. Good game, good times. We're coming back to Boston baby!
Unpacking: Got it on the run. I can't seem to just focus on it, but I make time every day. October is all about settling in. Unfortunately, October is rapidly drawing to a close. But it's getting there.
Halloween: Looks like the Midnight Fairy will be making an appearance at a Halloween party next Friday in Boston. Andrea and I are doing pumpkin carving here at the house next weekend too. To gather inspiration, I went to an AMAZING Jack-O-Lantern exhibition the other night. 5,000 carved pumpkins at McCoy Stadium. I didn't bring my camera, but the camera phone was a champ. I'll get those up soon. Most of the pumpkins were your average carved Jack-O-Lantern, but there were some mad skills at work there. The highlight: a pumpkin in honor of Ab Fab, with a portrait of Edina and Patsy's famous drinking-straight-from-the-bottle-of-vodka pose. It was worth the $12 admission just for that.
Home: Had a lovely day on Sunday with Melissa, baking her mother's Italian bread just as our moms used to when we were kids. I grew up on that bread, and to make it myself with her (and have it come out well for that matter) was an absolute treat.
Work: CTU is going fine, and I've been doing a bunch of wedding photography work lately, with another couple weeks' worth in sight. Could be an interesting career path, believe it or not, as there might be an opportunity there. But we'll see. I'm definitely interested, pursuant to the next category:
Existential: I applied for three jobs this week that look promising, but no calls yet. However, I feel like the small business/creative path (ie. Crafted Spaces, which is still on the radar; and the aforementioned wedding photography, etc.) is opening up. I had a tough week last week with trying to get settled and feel settled, and during that time I had a great talk with Pats about the directions I'd like to take. It does all remain to be seen, but I have faith that the right path is working itself out. And finally:
Creative: Yes, I've been AWOL from the blog, but only sort of AWOL. I've actually been working on it, but offline. As of now, I have over 500 posts on ICON, and it's been time to archive and sort and DO SOMETHING with all that content. So I have been. The cause of my protracted unpacking has had a lot to do with cataloging and storing so I can actually DO SOMETHING with all the stuff I've been dragging around all these years. Basically all the work that's haunted my closets for 5 years or so is going to start seeing the light of day. I'm working on a full retrospective. I feel like once I have a sense of everything, I can start to put together bodies of work for publication and exhibition.
So that's what's going on. I have some long-overdue pix to upload, which I plan to do over the weekend. Thanks for staying tuned :)
Red Sox Nation: Watched a thrilling game 5 at the brother's house tonight. Good game, good times. We're coming back to Boston baby!
Unpacking: Got it on the run. I can't seem to just focus on it, but I make time every day. October is all about settling in. Unfortunately, October is rapidly drawing to a close. But it's getting there.
Halloween: Looks like the Midnight Fairy will be making an appearance at a Halloween party next Friday in Boston. Andrea and I are doing pumpkin carving here at the house next weekend too. To gather inspiration, I went to an AMAZING Jack-O-Lantern exhibition the other night. 5,000 carved pumpkins at McCoy Stadium. I didn't bring my camera, but the camera phone was a champ. I'll get those up soon. Most of the pumpkins were your average carved Jack-O-Lantern, but there were some mad skills at work there. The highlight: a pumpkin in honor of Ab Fab, with a portrait of Edina and Patsy's famous drinking-straight-from-the-bottle-of-vodka pose. It was worth the $12 admission just for that.
Home: Had a lovely day on Sunday with Melissa, baking her mother's Italian bread just as our moms used to when we were kids. I grew up on that bread, and to make it myself with her (and have it come out well for that matter) was an absolute treat.
Work: CTU is going fine, and I've been doing a bunch of wedding photography work lately, with another couple weeks' worth in sight. Could be an interesting career path, believe it or not, as there might be an opportunity there. But we'll see. I'm definitely interested, pursuant to the next category:
Existential: I applied for three jobs this week that look promising, but no calls yet. However, I feel like the small business/creative path (ie. Crafted Spaces, which is still on the radar; and the aforementioned wedding photography, etc.) is opening up. I had a tough week last week with trying to get settled and feel settled, and during that time I had a great talk with Pats about the directions I'd like to take. It does all remain to be seen, but I have faith that the right path is working itself out. And finally:
Creative: Yes, I've been AWOL from the blog, but only sort of AWOL. I've actually been working on it, but offline. As of now, I have over 500 posts on ICON, and it's been time to archive and sort and DO SOMETHING with all that content. So I have been. The cause of my protracted unpacking has had a lot to do with cataloging and storing so I can actually DO SOMETHING with all the stuff I've been dragging around all these years. Basically all the work that's haunted my closets for 5 years or so is going to start seeing the light of day. I'm working on a full retrospective. I feel like once I have a sense of everything, I can start to put together bodies of work for publication and exhibition.
So that's what's going on. I have some long-overdue pix to upload, which I plan to do over the weekend. Thanks for staying tuned :)
10.09.2007
A Case of Consumption
I love how in the 19th century tuberculosis was called "consumption." Even today, 1/3rd of the world carries the disease --- one that has largely been eradicated in the West. Oddly enough, other "consumption" diseases still plague our culture. One of our greatest strains of consumption, regarding possessions, is rampant in my house right now.
My roommate has a ton of stuff. When I saw the place, to be honest, I thought the distribution of stuff was a bit more equal between the two former roommates. Basically, it was not. And the short end of the stick ended up in my hand. Now, I can't really fault her for having the same consumption issue I have. I mean, I had a good feeling about living with her because I think we have a lot in common. Those things in common might not always be our best traits, but you take the good with the not-so bad.
Had I been replacing the one with the stuff, I'd be in much better shape. But I feel like a guest in my own house, stuff-wise. It's almost like my roommate's case of consumption is outcompeting mine, ecologically-speaking. My little transplanted consumption virus is fighting for survival. So I politely ask for a couple more cupboards, which she immediately obliges, then proceed to fill them up today. The kitchen is pretty well settled now though, only a couple odds and ends remain.
The real disaster is the office. I could really use a good-sized office. There's probably some space to steal in the basement, but it's damp and stinky (as basements tend to be). But in the meantime, I parse papers and books and traces of art projects I've been dragging around, trying to figure out what can go in the basement "for now" and putting off having to drag things around further. I've colonized the office and part of the roommate's spare room, and I need to do something about it immediately. I won't even get into the bedroom, except to say that I think we've hit critical mass up here. That is to say, it will be fine once I put things away, but nothing is put away yet. And we can't take much more stuff up here either.
So of course, the obvious answer is to start getting rid of things. I'm thinking yard sale. The proceeds can go toward a dehumidifier for the studio space I intend to carve out down there. I have some extra furniture and could definitely unload some things. All the old paperbacks are going to be sold, in favor of my purchase of a fresh copy if/when I ever finally get around to reading "The Decameron" for instance. Having some of my old books after 10 years is so nice, but I certainly don't need everything I have.
It'll get there. And before long I will pare down the amount of things that are here and live with less. Which will feel great. Kind of like being sick, but slowly you fight back and the viral load reduces and you begin to feel better. But like the old-time consumption, it always lingers. Sometimes the symptoms manifest, other times they remain dormant for a while. But once you have the consumption, you have it for life. Things like moving and yard sales certainly do keep it at bay.
My roommate has a ton of stuff. When I saw the place, to be honest, I thought the distribution of stuff was a bit more equal between the two former roommates. Basically, it was not. And the short end of the stick ended up in my hand. Now, I can't really fault her for having the same consumption issue I have. I mean, I had a good feeling about living with her because I think we have a lot in common. Those things in common might not always be our best traits, but you take the good with the not-so bad.
Had I been replacing the one with the stuff, I'd be in much better shape. But I feel like a guest in my own house, stuff-wise. It's almost like my roommate's case of consumption is outcompeting mine, ecologically-speaking. My little transplanted consumption virus is fighting for survival. So I politely ask for a couple more cupboards, which she immediately obliges, then proceed to fill them up today. The kitchen is pretty well settled now though, only a couple odds and ends remain.
The real disaster is the office. I could really use a good-sized office. There's probably some space to steal in the basement, but it's damp and stinky (as basements tend to be). But in the meantime, I parse papers and books and traces of art projects I've been dragging around, trying to figure out what can go in the basement "for now" and putting off having to drag things around further. I've colonized the office and part of the roommate's spare room, and I need to do something about it immediately. I won't even get into the bedroom, except to say that I think we've hit critical mass up here. That is to say, it will be fine once I put things away, but nothing is put away yet. And we can't take much more stuff up here either.
So of course, the obvious answer is to start getting rid of things. I'm thinking yard sale. The proceeds can go toward a dehumidifier for the studio space I intend to carve out down there. I have some extra furniture and could definitely unload some things. All the old paperbacks are going to be sold, in favor of my purchase of a fresh copy if/when I ever finally get around to reading "The Decameron" for instance. Having some of my old books after 10 years is so nice, but I certainly don't need everything I have.
It'll get there. And before long I will pare down the amount of things that are here and live with less. Which will feel great. Kind of like being sick, but slowly you fight back and the viral load reduces and you begin to feel better. But like the old-time consumption, it always lingers. Sometimes the symptoms manifest, other times they remain dormant for a while. But once you have the consumption, you have it for life. Things like moving and yard sales certainly do keep it at bay.
10.04.2007
Crazy Late-Night Creative Mode
I'm largely on break from CTU this week, though checking in daily on the email and finding that it's a lot less stressful to just stay tuned in than it is to worry about what I might be missing.
I have exhausted myself in the past 24 hours with a rant about phobias. Namely, a fear of open flames that appears to be a potential thorn in my landlord side. Not my phobia of course. I have one, it's a fear of heights, and I suck it up.
But the best thing that's been going on since I got back from Chicago just before midnight on Monday night (and my sleep schedule got thrown off as a result), I've been staying up until 3 or 4 am doing photo work. Specifically, I'm sorting and editing blog posts. I'm over 500 now and have had a lot of organizing to do. 2007 (up to 9/19) is pretty well sifted, but there's still 2005 and 2006 to sort out.
At any rate, there's all of this material. And it's time for it to see the light of day. It feels wonderful to prepare my work. I'm taking advantage of a bit of downtime this week to get it ready to be seen.
But now it's 4 am, the Fish Crew festivities begin tomorrow, and I have to go to Narragansett during the day before the revelers arrive.
I have exhausted myself in the past 24 hours with a rant about phobias. Namely, a fear of open flames that appears to be a potential thorn in my landlord side. Not my phobia of course. I have one, it's a fear of heights, and I suck it up.
But the best thing that's been going on since I got back from Chicago just before midnight on Monday night (and my sleep schedule got thrown off as a result), I've been staying up until 3 or 4 am doing photo work. Specifically, I'm sorting and editing blog posts. I'm over 500 now and have had a lot of organizing to do. 2007 (up to 9/19) is pretty well sifted, but there's still 2005 and 2006 to sort out.
At any rate, there's all of this material. And it's time for it to see the light of day. It feels wonderful to prepare my work. I'm taking advantage of a bit of downtime this week to get it ready to be seen.
But now it's 4 am, the Fish Crew festivities begin tomorrow, and I have to go to Narragansett during the day before the revelers arrive.
10.03.2007
Performance Art at the Mall
Ah, Providence.
Our thriving arts community here got a nationwide dose of street cred this week with the discovery of a small apartment hidden in the parking garage at the Providence Place Mall. A collective of artists built a cinderblock wall and added a door and hung out up there for FOUR YEARS before being caught last week.
Click here for the article on MSN.
Our thriving arts community here got a nationwide dose of street cred this week with the discovery of a small apartment hidden in the parking garage at the Providence Place Mall. A collective of artists built a cinderblock wall and added a door and hung out up there for FOUR YEARS before being caught last week.
Click here for the article on MSN.
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