LizzyHouse

it's a stamp world!

Mal and I were watching senseless tv, because it's too hot to be outside; when all of the sudden the UPS man showed up. I wasn't expecting anything and neither was Mallori... well here is the story.

A couple of months ago I was scanning Print&Pattern when I came across this book. They have one at Amazon.UK but it would be almost $80. I have always loved stamps, so it wasn't quite worth $80, but it was worth a fight. So, while I was in New York I was struck with a brilliant idea! Kathy and I went to the Japanese book store, Kinokuniya... so I decided to ask. First I asked if they carried it. No. Then I asked, can you special order? Yes. The girl working at the desk found it on my description, "it's a book with a lot of stamps on the cover, and it has stamp in the title". Then she put in for a special order. She wasn't sure if they were going to be able to get it, but I gave her all my info with the hope that they would. She also said that I would just be charged for the normal price of the book and shipping from New York, not Japan. Sweet.

Well, its been over a month, so I sort of forgot about it.

That UPS man showed up and had two packages for me. Some Mohawk paper, that was clearly Mohawk paper, and a small package. I opened it up and to my disbelief was my little stamp book. "It's a Stamp World!" What a great surprise. Also, a box from my mom and sisters arrived. Books for my birthday, and I had lunch with a good friend of mine... and my Stamp book showed up, and paper from Mohawk! What a dream come true/ good day!

it's that time again.

it's been a couple of months since I had a quilt to work on. I've always got a million things going on, but for the next couple of weeks i'm just working on my BFA by day, so why not a quilt by night? I am going to do our new (sort of new...) pattern by Cherry House Quilts: Foreign Currency. It's going to be sweet action. I was really proud when I bought the fabric. I got everything for the entire quilt, including the back, for under $70! Cool, huh? The great part about the pattern is that you use 20 fat quarters so it makes everything really easy, and most shops offer some kind of deal on fat quarters. The back of the quilt was a  real steal because the shop in Idaho Falls, the Quilted Daisy, has a great discounted section and I got nearly half of a bolt for 60% off. Too bad it's really beautiful fabric, too. I am not way into reproduction stuff, but I just really like this one pattern, by Jo Morton, and my peeps at Andover. It couldn't be softer and the printing is really nice. So, needless to say I was very pleased with myself.

So, Mal's birthday was fun. I made s'more cupcakes like I said I would, but the funniest thing happened. I originally got the idea from these peeps, but they do more of a graham cracker flavored cupcake, and we wanted chocolate, but the one bowl recipe for chocolate cupcakes is easy enough to make vegan... if you wanted to make them vegan, lower fat, and or kosher. All dreams come true. Well, here is the funny part. I made essentially what is a butter cream frosting with marshmallow cream. Well, marshmallow cream has this inherit desire to be one with the lowest possible point of possible contact. This frosting would creep! At first I thought, "disaster!" but then I thought it just looked like a melted marshmallow, and the graham cracker crumbs made it look at little burnt. Plus they tasted really good (kind of messy though), and the villagers rejoiced.

we thought the matches were a nice touch.

We played a really great game of charades, and by great I mean we came up with some really impossible/ hilarious things for the other team to act out.

It's been a really eye opening week. I feel like a new person... not because of the cupcakes, but just a lot of different things, and I couldn't be happier. I feel like I really have a new understanding of who I am, and what I am supposed to accomplish. It's a good feeling.

Also, thanks to everyone for all your kind words of encouragement and everyone who has bought something from the shop. Your support means a lot to me.

Let's all have a really good week!

as promised

working hard

I've been putting in extra hours the past couple of days to get everything done... doing a lot of printing for the soon to be open shop (it's my etsy store)... as well as fabric stuff, and not to mention, but Mal's birthday is tomorrow so we have a lot of cleaning to do. I wish that I had time to do a new installation. There is just soo much to do; it's crazy!

I want to know what everyone thinks about this... we went to the store last night to buy some watermelon for the party and while the girl was ringing me up I ran to get something else. Well, when I got back I had out my card, but then I saw the total. HOLY COW. My total was over $30 I had very few things... just some ingredients for these dream cupcakes... I started scanning the screen, and sure enough the watermelon was over $10.00. It was just a normal sized watermelon... actually one of the smaller ones, but it cost about $12 so we had to put it back. I bet it wasn't even an All-Star watermelon.

Are you running into outrageous produce? My biggest problem with it most of the time is that it doesn't even taste good. It's really a problem though, because we are having a summer magic themed birthday party. What's that without watermelon. I can't ever remember paying more than $5 for a watermelon. Something has to give. What do you think? Are you running into the same problems?

with great ardor!

I decided to bring back the ardor-birds that I created back in January for a print. I carved two blocks to get the job done... but what I really wanted was to do a silk screen. Unfortunately we don't have the facilities for seriography here. BOO! One day though... You should see all the colors that I tested... gross. The oil based ink that I use is great... it's just a pain to clean. But the whole thing all together was a fun project. I am for reals opening a shop in the next couple of days.

I mean it! You can hold me to it. By July 23rd (that's Wednesday) you will be able to purchase something from me... cool, right?

this is just a test print (t/p) so the registration isn't spot on... the edition is real clean!

I also took it a step further by printing the blocks on some book cloth! I was actually really excited to make books using these special birds. But know this. It is only an edition of 3. Make of that what you will. It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas. I can hardly believe it's the end of July... bless us all

shop opening soon, AND a little preview of LizzyDish!

Fair.

i've been gone for a while, i'll be back for a while now...

I can be one of those people who will listen to the same song on repeat literally for hours. I'm sorry. For whatever reason I just don't get bored. This can be an issue in the printmaking lab, when I am happy to listen to the same cd for 3 hours, or two weeks...

For whatever reason I find it therapeutic. I kind of get into like a rhythm or a mind set that keeps me on track. When I am cleaning up, I like to listen to the same song until I am done. Almost like a contest for myself, I see how many plays it will take to get the job done. Well, I had some cleaning to get done on Tuesday night, and I just listened to Ben Folds Five: Fair, for the whole time. What a good song. I remember riding in the Monte Carlo with Luke: him driving way too fast, the windows down, the girls in the back seat, and being so happy to exist. It made it OK to exist this week. Finals week

It's the end again, and I only have one more semester to go. I'm trying really hard to not wish away this time.

Mallori and I have been reading "he's just not that into you". I think it's really great to read books out loud. One time Jessica, and I read Oscar and the Lady in Pink, out loud, by the end I could hardly get through it we were both crying so hard. Well, with he's just not that into you, we're crying for different reasons. Just kidding, we aren't crying, but our eyes have been opened. Thanks Greg. We also watched Down With Love. Thanks Ewan.

I'm a little jealous of my dear friend Miranda, because she just got engaged, and not that I am looking to be engaged, but she kept saying the other day how happy she was to never have to date ever again... get asked out by weirdy guys, never the awkward end of the date door thing, weird maybe relationships, blah blah blah... she'll have her own new obstacles, but no more dating. That lucky little devil. I hate dating. Again, trying to be positive and not wish all these great times away...

i'm the little pink one and I am not amused.

Also, Mallori, my roommate, p.a., and best friend moves on August 25. For good. Ouch! I have friends... sort of... it looks like I'm just going to be working a lot. A reclusive textile designer at the precarious age of twenty-three.

songs I currently can listen to on repeat for several hours:

• Ben Folds: Fair
• Feist: Mushaboom, I Feel It All
• Aimee Mann: Deathly
• Jon Brion: Strings that Tie to You
• Mark Mothersbaugh: Zissou Society Blue Star Cadet, Spark-plug Minuet
• Pinback: Good to Sea
• Andrew Bird: Imitosis, Glass Figurine
• The Whitest Boy Alive: Golden Cage
• Sufjan Stevens: The Henney Buggy Band, No Mans Land
• Coldplay: Lost
• Broken Social Scene: Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl
• Vince Guaraldi: Thanksgiving Theme
• Devotchka: The Winner Is
• Badly Drawn Boy: I love N.Y.E
• Asher in the Rye: The Knack
• The Shins: Phantom Limb

I'm really happy this week is pretty much over. I'm ready to get some serious work done.

i couldn't sleep

so pleased

first order of business... you all are going to think I am so bad... I am sending the books tomorrow. The ones that you won. I really loose track of things, but know they are going in the mail tomorrow... I should have asked for your forgiveness in advance. But I didn't, so I am now.

Que "The Checks in the Mail," School House Rock.

The 4th was fun... kind of a snooze fest though. It was good to take a long nap, and then I just baked a pie. It was a worth while pie. Peach Raspberry. A good pairing. I am happy for our independence. Don't get me wrong... I'm just not a very big holiday person. I guess we weren't big on celebrating Holidays at home, especially on the day of... Except Christmas, we do celebrate Christmas on the day of... and birthdays last all week. That was my doing though. The perpetual party

Saturday was so fun. My dearest John Walker was up visiting and we went up to West Yellowstone. The weather was so nice... it was just about to rain so it was a little windy. Light Jacket Weather! But they have really neat shops and I found these little gems.

little sewing kits. If you were to find these in Urban Outfitters, or Anthropologie they could easily have been $8-$12. They were only $2.25! I bought all that they had because I figured that they will make nice additions to gifts

Yesterday was an amazing day, and for no real reason other than that I woke up, and knew it would be a good day. But there is something strange in the universe that wants to trip you up on days like this... a print was ruined, I got ink on some nice jeans, rude lady wouldn't take my card at the bookstore (for $4), walked all the way to the bookstore didn't get what I needed, and about twenty other things. I just decided to not let any of it effect me. So it didn't

One great thing: My friend Matt replaced the needle on my record player for my birthday! What a great present! I was so happy to listen to my favorite record Earl Grant greatest hits... he is only the King of the Hammond Organ.

I realized something too. I was baking a cake for a Closing Social, and my ward bought the ingredients for the cake... so I wasn't making it for me, in fact I didn't even eat any of it, but I could not have been happier to bake it. To just take the time and make it. I realized that I don't love baking for the end product, I love baking for the process. It's an interesting thing to know

Here are the before and after of the cake:

it was gone in less than eight minutes. It was an eight minute massacre.

Also, funny enough I ended up singing. It was a talent show, but I hadn't signed up... The show started and Mallori said, "are you singing?"

No.

"Then you get yourself up there and tell them that you are.."

uh... ok.

I went and asked the kid emceeing if I could sing something, and if I could be last. He said yes to both. So I did. I wasn't planning on it... as I have not sang in public in a while. But it went alright. It isn't polished, but I do remember now that I do in fact sing. You can listen if you like. I'm singing Smile. The quality isn't great but you get the picture. I'm going to stop talking about it now.

I'm grateful for good days.

it's still a wonderful town.

shopping recap:

Let's just go ahead and say that the food was out of control. The first night one of my favorite peeps, Cliff, took me to Salute! I wish I had taken a picture of my dinner, but it had been a really long day. The food was incredible. My closest peeps know that I could eat pesto everyday for the rest of my life, and be content, this was just a validation of that contentment. Beautiful! Please go there if you get the opportunity. The service isn't of the same caliber as the food, but it's well worth your patience.

Also, ate at a place called Arno's, and it was seriously like the restaurant off of Moonstruck. The restaurant that they always go to: really Italian, family owned, bring around the dessert cart... that's where we had dinner. Maybe not exactly the same, but pretty much. The food was great there too.

I'm sure I ate more than twice whilst away, but I just can't remember. It was good though, whatever it was, it was good.

I mentioned yesterday that I was on ribbon street, or 38th, whatever. It was awesome. I was especially enamored with the store Tinsel Trading, and its sister store The Store Across the Street.

That is where I probably got into the most trouble. Vintage Ribbon, glass glitter, silk flowers... just everything I could ever need to remain happy. PLUS. They are having a moving sale so I got some really great deals on a few things. And just a little FYI, they are going to be at Quilt Festival this year in Houston, so for all of you peeps who can't get to the store, and can get to Festival, it is something to certainly look forward to. If that isn't an option either, they keep a great website and you can order lots from them.

The other great place that we went was Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore across the street from Bryant Park. The store was out of control, and I was a little overwhelmed, as there is a Japanese stationary store in the basement. I found some really neat books one of which was how to make wool felted desserts... It's hilarious!

here are my finds... I had to choose colors that I was going to stick to so I was looking with a purpose and wouldn't become overwhelmed, and not be able to buy anything.  

 

these glitter ribbons came from a store called M&J Trimming. I kind of felt that it was like the super store of ribbon... it was much more commercial. Not my favorite but I did find these glitter ribbons for my little Ashlee. They will just match her "collection" so well. Plus the giant spider brooch I picked up from one of those funny jewelry stores where you leave with eight pair of earrings and spider pin for under $20.

I had every intention of maybe catching a show, or going to the museum, but by the time we got done and I got home (to the hotel) I could hardly keep my eyes open. Turns out designing fabric isn't a cupcake. Maybe not pushing myself to go do stuff makes me boring... well fair enough. I'm a traveling homebody.

I will say this. No one is ever above a gameboy. Nobody. Ben let me borrow his Nintendo DS for the trip and it saved my life, as some airlines don't believe in being very on time. Whoever I was sitting next to would always just kind of lean back and watch over my shoulder, for a long time. I think they got the biggest kick out of WarioWare. We were waiting on the jet way at JFK for two hours, because of maintenance  and the person sitting next to me would not stop watching. He was trying to be sneaky about it. I wasn't fooled. Never am.

it' a very interesting thing. One day you are walking down a street filled with thousands of people with a million different things to do, and literally the next day, you are walking down a street by yourself, and you can't see anyone. You are the only one. Alone in both cases.

That's what being back in Rexburg is. I don't resent it. Actually I am grateful for it, but it is interesting to have your feet in both worlds. The places and feelings are polar opposites, and the two don't seem to meet; I don't think they can. What ties you to either, OR the question I keep asking, what ties me to Idaho?

Dramatic, I know. I hope you are weeping, because that was deep.