Farm life pt. 1

Spring's here and I'm missing the farm. For those of you new to this blog, you probably don't know that I used to ride horses competitively from when I was 5-19. Showjumping. I quit for a while and in 2004 my life in NYC was pretty much a big fat mess and I went to work on my old trainers' farm for the winter. And did the same in 2005, which is where these old photos and emails came from:









October 21, 2005
coming up on my first whole month out here:

i've been watching way more sports than i want to but that's okay, i'm rooting for houston in the world series. my life has new meaning.

animal casualties, etc:
old calico cat followed me around with a dead mouse in her mouth and then chomped on it while my back was turned. all i heard was the muffled crunching of tiny mouse bones. i felt warm and fuzzy.

young gray stallion got pigeon fever from a fly that bit him...in his crotch. his testicles are elephant size with the infection. apparently it's all the way up into his intestines. poor guy had to get them hacked off anyway but not this way. (see photos) and now twice a day i gotta grind up meds and shove them down his throat. if he didn't hate me before he does now.

dead rat/possum/whatever. from what i understand the workers found it by the chicken coop, i think the murderous little jack russells tore it apart. (see photo)

i got to chase a cowboy pony around the field and stab it in the neck with a syringe filled with vaccine.

the alpha male dog also has crotch problems. apparently he's allergic to fleas. fast forward to him itching and scratching for a few days and he was limping around with an itchy red groin.

anyway enjoy the rest of the photos.

<3,
alexis

* all photos taken with Lomo LC-A

When the summer ends

We don't need no stinking botanical garden...

Here's a little spring mix for you, some new songs and some old, but mostly what I was listening to at the time (about 2 weeks ago):

Global Warming
1. In Blue Hawaii - Brian Wilson
2. He's Gone Away - Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny
3. As Tears Roll By - Daniel Lanois
4. Hot Stenographer - Kinski
5. Average Man - Turin Brakes
6. Wake Up - Tim Armstrong
7. Loneliness is Having No One to Miss - Dntel
8. When I Grow Up - Fever Ray
9. I Can't See - Asobi Seksu
10. All My Days - Alexi Murdoch
11. Fort Wayne - Grand Duchy
12. The Awful Truth of Loving - Rainer Maria

Wednesday wonders

Photos of the Very Large Array in New Mexico. Am I a gigantic geek? Mais oui.

Photos from sunny CH

On the way to the Flea, a tree in bloom


Vintage chairs at the Flea


Vintage wares on aqua shelves


At Saxelby Cheesemongers, hand-pressed grilled cheese paninis


Bloomin tulip on St. James


Augh! Tulips + garbage


Tomorrow is Pinhole Photography Day. I made my own matchbox pinhole camera using these instructions. Wish me luck!

Wowowow

I discovered Grain Edit, a design blog, a while ago. A great source of inspiration, ideas and designers! From there I happened upon this blog, stickers and stuff, full of great images from children's books both new and old, as well as posters, signs, photography and other things in print.

Here are my favorites:
Starfish by Edith Thacher Hurd

A newer version is available but this is from the 1962 edition. I believe it is out of print but available here at Alibris. If anyone would like to purchase this for me I would not be mad at that!

Logo for Baconfest 2009

First of all, pigs are awesome. Secondly, I love this kind of typography, where the letters form the object. I just do.

Another site I found on GE belongs to Adrian Johnson, an artist from the UK. His artwork is reminiscent of old 70s cartoons and his colors are vibrant and bright. He has done a lot of advertising work, as well as t-shirt designs for 2K by Gingham. An immediate favorite:



Also check his animations. Here are a few of my favorites:
Made for each other
Squirt
Clouds

Things that make me happy!

Few things

First of all, I got new ink. This was done by Alex Leon Sherker at East Side Ink on Avenue B in the East Village. It's my favorite Blondie song in my parents' handwriting. I haven't seen my dad in almost 9 years. And it's been about 2-3 since I've seen my mom. It's hard with them living in two separate countries. This time they're always with me. And together. A good way to spend 4/20 since I do not smoke the weeds. Also, Happy Birthday Jen and Hayden!

Second, I just happened on this blog/webstore called Yellow Owl. Paintings, prints, journals, stamp sets and stationary...these are a few of my favorite things:

Auld Lang Syne card

Ship painting

Love card

Seascape stamp set

Cat with antlers card

Polaroid 360 print

I love the hand-drawn look and simple design and colors. For buying and inspiration, please!

Weekend in Photos

Saturday

Bonbon Oiseau at the Flea! Deb & Vanessa, with the fab yellow flowered mustache


Wouldn't this look pretty with a single flower in each bottle?


Springtime is here: Dogwoods and magnolias in bloom all over the neighborhood


Sunday

A Ford Mustang, my favorite


A Ford Thunderbird, asleep


A Bonbon in my hair from Deb, in commemoration of cherry blossoms at the BBG

If...

In honor of spring babies. I always poopoo the idea of having kids. Too expensive. There won't be a world for them to grow up in. They're tiring. I'm too selfish. But mainly I just don't want to HAVE the baby. Physically shove it out my no-no hole. No thank you. However, I do love children. If I had kids I'd play them these songs:


Gracie by Ben Folds from the album Songs for Silverman. I love this - very simple and great piano sounds. The video sucks but this is the best song quality I could find on YouTube. This kind of sums up how I'd feel about the bebe.


Here, There & Everywhere by the Beatles from Revolver. One of my favorite Beatles albums. Of course my child would grow up listening to the Beatles. OF COURSE.


Naked As We Came by Iron & Wine from Our Endless Numbered Days. Directed by Sam Beam himself. I think babies would love his voice. Babies love folk. THEY DO.


Rad by Smoosh from She Like Electric. When the kid gets older he/she is gonna love this album.


Little Bitty Pretty One by the Jackson 5. Tell me you're not dancing right now and I'll slap you.

What will you play your little one?

Twirl for springtime

I know I've been neglecting this blog. I've been posting a lot of quick little things on my tumblog, which you can see here. They just make it so easy to do with the little toolbar button that coming here to do an actual blog post seems tedious now. But that is just me being lazy. What I really wanted to tell you today is that the Brooklyn Flea finally comes home to Fort Greene this weekend! After several cold months spent indoors in DUMBO, this Saturday Bishop Loughlin Memorial High opens its playground once more to empanadas, artists and crafters. On Sundays the Flea will remain in DUMBO so now you can have your fill all weekend long.

The Flea is joining forces with the Brooklyn Botanical Garden to promote their cherry blossom festival, which happens in early May. The BBG has picked 5 Flea vendors including Bonbon Oiseau (jewelry), Foxy + Winston (stationery and silkscreen printing), Kimono Lily (vintage Japanese kimonos), Kumquat Cupcakery (duh), and Osborn Design (art/crafts/felt squirrels).

Here's a sneak peak at some of Deb's beautiful creations:



Every time I tell myself "Just going to look..." I can't help it - I end up coming home with a new Bonbon!

Guerrilla knitting

So I just signed up with the Montague Street Business Improvement District. They are joining forces with Magda Sayeg of Knitta Please to cover all 69 parking meters along Montague Street in Brooklyn with knit cozies.

Pink, blue, green & yellow aren't exactly what I'd call "guerrilla" colors but it will be fun to be a part of this project.

The installation takes place May 13th and will be left up until June 9th. Please come and take a look if you are in the NY area! It's like cozy, removable, KNIT graffiti :)

I am a mutant

My optometrist's office has been calling me incessantly to set up my annual check up. I didn't want to go back because he's old and grumpy. Good thing I didn't - I made an appointment at Park Slope Eye instead and went yesterday and the young doc B. told me I have chapped eyeballs. TIGHT! Apparently I have this condition where my eyelids don't completely close and it causes my eyes to become very dry and therefore chapped. My previous OD told me this and his only advice was to be conscious of closing my eyes harder when I blinked.

In OD speak, this is what I have:
nocturnal lagophthalmus
superficial punctate keratitis
chronic allergic conjunctivitis
tear film insufficiency

This time, I was given a prescription for eyedrops and told to tape my eyelids shut when I sleep. TAPE MY EYELIDS SHUT WHEN I SLEEP. It was either that or wear buggy goggles that are padded on the inside to keep my eyes shut. While neither option seemed very appealing I chose to use the tape. It was weird not being able to open my eyes in the middle of the night but it seems to be working. This morning my eyes didn't feel all bleary and dry and I didn't rub them as much. So I GUESS I'll continue to do it. The tape isn't so cumbersome either. It's not very sexy for nighttime activities though, so I might pick this up and pretend I'm Holly Golightly:


Hey hey, what can I do...(that's a little Led Zep for ya'll in the morning)

The other option, as I learned from another OD at trivia night at Keats last night, is to surgically implant weights into my eyelids to keep them down. NO THANKS.

In 7th grade Mr. Zucca warned us of bulging eyeballitis (cheating). I wish he'd warned us of this!

Half day

On our way to pick up my computer


On the way back


The girls playing nicely together, Amelia & Darcy


Met Angel at UO after work

This is turning into a knitting blog?

These are the finished Daisy Stitch Handwarmers I saw on the Purl Bee. They took a little longer because I stopped for a while to work on other projects. Very fun to make and not as hard as it looks! Don't knit it up too tightly or else you'll have problems with the k3tog.

Almost done with this bag, another project from the Purl Bee - I started this about a week ago and now have only one handle left to knit up. Very quick to do and inspiring for more projects of my own design. I thought I would have a problem with the applied I-cord but it is very simple to do. All you need is a pair of double-pointed needles, fast becoming my favorite knitting tool.

It also employs a basic crocheting technique. I've decided I want to learn to crochet as well - I think it's a good skill to have to add embellishment to projects, and there are some things in crochet that you cannot make with knitting. So la di da.

Fun time is over

Party pack for Sophie's bday - Advil, moist wipes, mints, gum, soap, condom...


Friday night aftermath. We made new friends on the train.


Saturday in Flushing


Brunch in Gowanus on Sunday at Buttermilk Channel


Such a beautiful day I didn't want it to end...Magnolias in Fort Greene