And now my life is complete

Yesterday at work, I was talking with one of my co-workers about summer vacations. I'm not a huge summer vacation person; the beach isn't really my thing (as I lobster in the sun) and I find traveling to places where it's as hot or hotter than where I live unsatisfying. When I was a kid, we usually moved over the summer, so our vacation was usually a trip to Detroit on the way to wherever we were moving. I usually go on trips in the spring and fall. They're my favorite seasons and traveling in the US is amazing in both seasons because everywhere I travel looks like a postcard. Anyway, I told my co-worker I was taking a few days off in August to participate in a baking contest. Her response was: You live such a creative life! I smiled and took it as a compliment.

The funny thing about this comment was that I don't always feel that creative. I know I do a lot of creative things: make glitter purses, embroider all the things, sew, bake elaborate confections, volunteer at a museum. Sometimes, though, I have zero creative energy to do these things. I have three unfinished embroidery projects in my house right now. I know I need to finish them, but I come home from work and just don't have the energy to work on them. Preparing for a tour, something I truly love doing, is like having a second job (although one where I get to make vagina jokes and make fun of the myth of the white male genius painter). 

What I've come to realize is that I'm often too ambitious in my creative endeavors. I put a lot of pressure on myself to make a certain thing or write a specific thing. Doing that saps the creativity right out of me. Comparing myself to other artists and crafters is equally draining. What I've realized recently is focusing on small projects may be the best way for me to get over my overachiever, perfectionist tendencies and enjoy the creative process. Yes, that's it exactly.

Enter the button maker. 

I don't know your life, but I can tell you one thing about mine: I have wanted a button maker since I was twelve years old. I would love to say it was the release on one of my favorite movies, Empire Records, that inspired me but that movie wasn't out yet. Maybe it was because I went to my first concert the year prior, and started buying concert merchandise like buttons. Maybe it was because I was going through my 1960s/hippie phase, and buttons were a big thing. I don't really know. All I know is that I've always wanted a button maker.

I asked for one a few times over the years, but no one ever bought me one. Yes, I'm now an adult and can buy my own things, but I always come back to the idea that this would be the easiest gift in the world to get me. A button maker or a label maker...I am easily pleased. Finally, for my birthday this year, my friend Anita bought me a button maker. My life is now complete.

Button making is easy and surprisingly soothing. I could make buttons for hours if that was all I needed to do in my life. The tricky part is to the get the placement of the image or words right on the button; the model I have is for 25mm buttons, the smallest size. Images are easier than words, but anything will work.

We hit the jackpot with some old magazine Anita brought over. One was a Rolling Stone issue on the greatest albums from the 90s. The album covers were the perfect size to cut out and make into buttons. Between the two of us, I think we made over a dozen buttons. They're amazing and I will wear them with pride.

I also made a fabric button (lower left, green flowers) and embroidered a design on some denim (under the Nirvana album). I used too thick of a thread for that one, but definitely think the embroidery buttons could be a fun, small project. And that's the thing about buttons: it's a little project that takes less than a minute to make. Can't draw or paint or embroider? No problem! You can still make a button. All you need is a cutout image and the button maker. It's also a low impact arm workout; who doesn't love any activity that combines fitness and art?

I'm convinced there is such as thing as a "button making zone." Had we not decided to start watching Stranger Things, I'm pretty certain I would have just kept making buttons all afternoon. I've started collecting little pictures and magazine pages to turn into buttons. I'm practicing tiny lettering so I can fit words on the buttons in the right position. Some people meditate, I make buttons.

So now, dear Island readers, what should I name the button maker? I feel like it needs a name. Any suggestions?

Coming this summer to the Island: a few new Lazy Movie Weekend posts, I enter the Arlington County Baking Contest, and Keely helps you ease your way out of summer (because he's a very smart cat).

Stuff I Love: Glitter Obliteration

I have fond childhood memories of covering my hands in Elmer's Glue and then peeling off the glue once it dried. It was an incredibly satisfying way to pass the time. There's probably a very specific reason this was so satisfying (something to do with the primitive brain, I would guess), but I'm a fairly lazy blogger, so today we'll chalk it up to this: kids like gross stuff. Peeling glue off your hands is part satisfying and part gross.

I thought this memory would transfer to my current state of using multiple types of glue to create my purses for Nyx 2019. I used, at my purse making peak, up to three different types of glue at one time. Glue is messy, so I've spent many days with glue all over my hands. I've been playing a fun game called "Is that dried glue or a cut?" The results are about 50/50 (sequins are sharp). This isn't a review of glue, but I'll say that I'm a fan of E6000, despite its smell, and matte Mod Podge. Mod Podge is the closest to Elmer's one can get. It's what helps make the purses all glittery.

I'm officially done with my purses. I set a goal of making 10 purses this year (we can make up to 20) and I finished my 10th purse on Friday. The only thing left to do is make my purse tags and bag each purse for transport. Oh, and fly to New Orleans, but that won't happen for another week. 

There is not glitter purse class one joins when becoming a Nyx sister. There are some videos online by fellow krewe members and many, many purses for inspiration on the Nyx Purse Tracker. But no class, so most of my experience this year was trial and error. It's also been incredibly fun and creative. It's been one of the more rewarding creative/artistic projects I've done in awhile. Since there aren't a lot of rules and the more glitter the better, it's been challenging in the best way possible. I love all the purses I've created and am already thinking ahead to next year. Before we get there, let's discuss what I've learned about creating a glitter purse.

• Glitter is not created equal. Super fine is best for covering a purse (thin layer of Mod Podge, pour or dip, allow to dry, brush, and repeat if needed). Larger glitter is better for design items and lettering. It took some time to figure out what worked best for each purse, but I'm now the proud owner of 20 different glitter colors. I'm 100% okay with this and will enjoy using all of these colors in the future.
• If you ever need to know how to remove metal/jewelry glue from your hands, let me know. I have a tried and true method that involves an emery board, sea salt scrub, sitting on your bathroom floor cursing metal glue, and a cat staring at you, judging your choices. The cat is the most important part of this formula. 
• PUFFY PAINT! I did not realize my life was missing the magic of puffy paint transfers until this year. I mostly used puffy paint for lettering, but it was a revelation. The way glitter sits on puffy paint and makes it look even more shiny and beautiful, is pure magic. Next year, I want to use puffy paint for shapes and figures. I feel like this will elevate my purses even more. 
• Naming my purses helped me focus on them and treat each one like a special event. Some of the names include "I Call Everybody Darlin'", Nyx Delivers the Stars," "You're the Cat's Meow," and "Glitter Obliteration" (my 11th purse, a bonus purse, inspired by Yayoi Kusuma's Obliteration Room.) 
• The smell of E6000 glue will haunt my dreams, but man does it hold sequins and rhinestones and palm fronds and unicorns like a champ. E6000 forever.
• I know understand why artist Mickalene Thomas uses chopsticks to place rhinestones on her paintings. Rhinestones have a mind of their own, so tweezers were very important. 
• When you need something to hold tiles or rhinestones in place while the E6000 cures (that's a thing with epoxy-adjacent glues like E6000 and Gorilla Glue), a Mr. Bingle coaster is the best item to use. It's New Orleans-y and whimsical, which is basically my new way of living life. 

If you're going to be in New Orleans on February 27, come out and see the Mystic Krewe of Nyx roll along the St. Charles Avenue route. I'll be on Float 11, on the upper level of the tandem, driver's side, position #1. Make me a pretty sign and maybe you'll get one of my fantastic purses.

Enjoy some photos of my purses in various stages of progress. I'm taking next weekend off from the Island to get ready for my trip. I'll have all the details (that I can share) in upcoming posts. Check out Instagram during the parade for photos and videos when I can post! 

The Detroit Project, Part One: Erin Has a Vision, Part Two

NBC's crafting competition show, Making It, recently completed its first season. The show, in the great tradition of The Great British Baking Show, is an incredibly polite competition show, pitting crafters, craft bloggers, and interior decorators against one another. Patches are awarded to the winning crafter in each round, and they get to hang out with Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. They all seem to really like one another and help one another out. Despite being a long-form commercial for Etsy, the show was fun to watch and was both calming, because everyone was so darn nice to one another, and inspiring. I want my own makers shed! I want to make really fun light fixtures out of reclaimed wood and my imagination! I want Nick Offerman to think I'm creative! Be my friend, Amy Poehler!

Since last summer, I've been on a creative journey of sorts, finding inspiration from my friends in our monthly Wine & Crafts gatherings, working on a craftivist project, and experimenting with random materials like using cassette tape ribbon in place of embroidery thread. I've always enjoying making things, and the more ambitious the project the better. I enjoy a challenge; that's why I made a purse out of Legos and occasionally make my own gummy bears. Figuring stuff out is half the fun of creative projects. At its heart creativity is problem-solving. I do love to problem solve.

Once I started working with the cassette tape, I started to think about more ways to broaden my project scope. I love a lot of the irreverent, political, and feminist patterns out there today, but I wanted to start creating my own patterns. If a random person on Etsy can do it, I'm pretty certain I can too. I've started small, with patterns for badges and key chains. And I was slightly more ambitious with my Ziggy Stardust inspired piece for my aunt. Lettering is a pain in the ass, especially when you use cassette tape ribbon for cursive script. Regardless, these smaller projects were the starting point to something grander.

My family is from Detroit. Both of my parents were born and raised in the city. They probably would have stayed in Michigan had my father not joined the Army. We moved from Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit, when I was four years old. I'm the only member of my immediate family who didn't grow up in Michigan. My brother went back for college, and lived in the apartment upstairs from the house our mother grew up in. For me, Detroit has always been a place I love fiercely, but have no real context for beyond the houses my parents grew up in (which my grandparents lived in until their deaths), my aunt's house in Corktown, Tiger Stadium, houses of relatives outside of the city that I recall from visits, and landmarks that are significant to us, but may not be to others (Lafayette Coney Island, Belle Isle, Dearborn Music, original location, and Pewabic Pottery).

I started to wonder what I could to create to explore my love of Detroit, my family history in the city, and discover a sense of home. That's another thing I think about often: where is home? I grew up all over the US, spending most of my time in New Orleans and Northern Virginia, two places that could not be more different from one another. At one point in my life, I considered New Orleans home, and to some degree, still feel very deeply connected to the city. I've never considered any part of Northern Virginia home, except for the fact that my family lives here. For me, I don't see NOVA as the place I'll live forever. Actually, that idea horrifies me a little bit since all I can think of is an endless loop of driving on 66 and hating everyone. This is not to say I don't have delightful childhood/teenage memories of NOVA and enjoy my adult existence here (to some degree), but it's not home.

I also want a big project to take up my time. What could be bigger than depicting the city of your birth? (Okay, okay, I was born in Southfield, MI, but you get my point.) With my Detroit Project, I want to tell the story of my family in Detroit via the places that were and are significant to us. The plan is to include landmarks as well, places that people need to know about and shaped the city of Detroit. I don't know what all of those places are yet, but I'll figure it out as I go. And yes, I'm aware that other artists already depict cities, but that's fine. My interpretation is not their interpretation. That's the fun of art.

So that's the idea, but now it's all about how to accomplish this whole thing. I identified a few places to start:

• My parents' childhood homes
• Tiger Stadium
• My aunt's house
• The Detroit Skyline
• the train station (Ford Motors has recently bought the station and is restoring it)
• Holy Redeemer Church (where my parents went to high school)
• Lafayette Coney Island
• Hamtramck Disney Land

I want to design each pattern myself. I've been baby-stepping my way to drawing patterns, using some of the set design knowledge from my college days to help me figure out basic shapes and that I can, in fact, make lines work together to form shapes and buildings. I bought a pattern from Etsy recently so I can practice buildings (yes, it's Detroit-themed). I need to visit to take photos so I'm working from my own images. I also plan to go through all the photos in my parents' basement to see if there's anything I can use there too. My brother took a few photos of places for me on his recent visit; the houses both do and don't look the same.  

I've decided to start with Tiger Stadium and make something for my brother. Tiger Stadium will always be my favorite baseball stadium. It was torn down years ago, and the space is now a community baseball field (which is great to see). When we were kids, we'd sit in the bleacher seats to watch games and do the Chicken Dance at some point in the game. I have a lot of fond memories of that stadium and my brother has even more (he worked there when he was in college too). Next week, I'm attending Stitch & Pitch at Nats Park here in DC, a random attempt to get crafters to come watch baseball. I have no idea if this is going to work. I'm basing the design on the original blueprints of the stadium and incorporating a few additional elements to enhance the vintage feel.

Next week, I'll share the process for creating the pattern and what it's like to embroider at a baseball game. That's a sentence I never thought I'd write, but here we are. Over the course of the next year, I'll share various projects from the Detroit Project, as well as unveiling my Badass Herstory project contribution. Here's hoping I can pull this off and make some cool pieces about a city I love very much.

Next week: We adventure to Nationals Park to experience Stitch & Pitch. I'll share my Detroit Tigers themed piece for my brother, and we'll discuss whether or not embroidering at a baseball game is a good idea.

Erin has a vision

One of my favorite quotes from the incredibly quotable film Waiting for Guffman, is when Libby Mae (Parker Posey) explains what Dr. Pearl (Eugene Levy) will come to realize once he starts working with the Corky (Christopher Guest) on the Blaine musical:

"Corky has a vision."

Whenever I get random ideas or schemes, I can't help but think of myself as Corky St. Clair, visionary, creative, and a tad bit delusional. Isn't that the definition of genius or something? I've been doing a lot of creative projects this year, coming back to embroidery, painting, and crafting as a way to relax and try new things. I host a regular Wine & Crafts gathering with friends and I try to spend two nights a week doing something creative (one night on writing projects, one night on some other project). This is how one finds balance...or at least that's what I tell myself.

My friend Anita was cleaning out her basement last week and unearthed a box of cassette tapes from high school and college.

Many of these gems were created by me; remember that true music love never dies. I'd still include these songs today were I making someone a mix tape. Anita still has a tape deck, so she can listen to these tapes should she be so inclined. Some, however, aren't worth keeping. This lead to a text conversation between us later on in the week about how to recycle or reuse the unwanted tapes and some VHS tapes she wants to get rid of too. We came up with a bunch of ideas including cases, purses, business card holders, collage art using the liner notes, and weaving a purse out the tape ribbon. Then I made this statement:

"I wonder if one could embroider with the tape ribbon." 

Or in Waiting for Guffman speak, Erin has a vision. Yes, I can look up on the Google whether someone else has figured this out already, but where would the fun be in that? Like that time I made a purse out of Legos, the fun in this idea is not only in the final product, but in the process of figuring out whether or not it will work. (You can read about my Lego purse here, here, and here.) Throughout the week I came up with five possible options for using the tape ribbon as embroidery thread:

1. Stitch over the tape with regular embroidery thread, like you might do to add embellishment to regular ribbons.
2. Shred the tape (by half), use the thinner strips as thread. Stitch as normal.
3. Stitch with full tape.
4. Fold and stitch.
5. Twist and stitch. Basically, braid two full size pieces of the ribbon and use regular thread to connect it to fabric and to add additional detail.

Before I get into each technique, here are some other things I discovered:

• Shredding tape ribbon is a pain in the ass. I used an Exacto knife, a pair of embroidery scissors (similar in size to manicure scissors), and a quilting edge and none of them were great. The scissors worked best, which was surprising to me. This step would also prove to be completely unnecessary, but I didn't know that at the time.
• People are fascinated by this idea. Possible reasons for this: people want to be environmentally conscious, nostalgia, they think I'm super cool and creative. 
• Consensus amongst some of my crafty friends is that embroidery probably isn't going to work and I should pick up weaving as a new hobby. Sigh.
• I spent a lot of time thinking about this project during the week. I had sort of a weird week and having this to focus on was helpful.
• I may have figured out the theme of my Badass HERstory project. More on this in a future Island post.

Now to the important question: Did it actually work? YES! A resounding yes! Now, not every technique I thought of worked, but I have figured out how to use tape ribbon for both embroidery stitches and cross stitch.

The two best techniques were options one and three; stitching over the tape and using the full piece of tape as thread. The shredded option proved to be too thin; it easily snapped into smaller pieces when trying to bring the "thread" through the fabric. Option four was unnecessary after option three proved to work beautifully. Option five is fine, but I wouldn't call it my go-to way to accomplish what I want to accomplish.

I started with stitching over the full piece of ribbon with embroidery thread. I like the contrast this creates with the colored thread. Tape ribbon comes in black and brown, so using the thread helps add some pops of color. This technique would be best for creating an object to be displayed, maybe adding it as an edging to a larger piece or as the center piece for a project that will be under glass or not moved very often. The ribbon is delicate and tears easily. Stitches can't be too close to one another, as I experienced, since that shreds the ribbon and leads to tears.

I didn't mark the tape for this option. Were I to do this technique again, I would probably mark it lightly to make the stitches more even and consistent. A straight stitch or a chain stitch are probably the only two stitches I'd try since they don't rely on moving a needle through the same spot on the ribbon. I used tape to secure the edges; this helped a lot.

Using the full proved to be the most effective, and frankly, most satisfying option. I tried to use the shredded ribbon first, but it was too delicate and easily destroyed. I tried on both cross stitch fabric and plain cotton fabric and the result was the same. When I switched to a full piece of ribbon, it worked beautifully on both types of fabric. As you move the needle in and out for each stitch, the ribbon becomes more like thread, getting thinner with each pass. The brown tape, found in the Sony tape I was using, does this faster than the black tape from the Memorex tape Anita was using to braid the tape. She made some rosettes out of the braided tape.

For this technique, I tried a straight stitch and a cross stitch. Both work well with the ribbon. The texture is fun and the "thread" is glittery. This is one of my favorite things I've hand-stitched in forever:

I'm obsessed with this little practice piece. The photo doesn't really do it justice; there's something dreamy about the stitches. I want to make an entire piece in this way, rather than the planned nature of most of my embroidery projects. It's whimsical in all the best ways. I'm pretty sure a back stitch would work as well, but didn't try it yesterday. Next time...

The cross stitch was also a success. This technique creates a cool texture, whether it's one line or stacked lines of stitches. I'm pretty sure this would be a cool lettering technique too.

I could have cross stitched with tape ribbon all night, but I'm an old lady and eventually needed to go to sleep. I decided my collective stitches were like a modern day sampler; maybe one day some random person who inherits my possessions will find this and think to themselves, "So that's what you do with tape ribbon. This lady was a genius!"

Time to figure out what to do for my first full tape ribbon project. Maybe something fun to display in my cube at work. Just remember kids, Erin had a vision and it worked.


Image
Cassettes image by Anita
Other images by me

Stuff I Love: Wine & Crafts

A few weeks back, I took a Gallup Strengths coaching workshop for work. I use the assessment in one of the programs I manage at work and took the workshop to help deepen my knowledge of strengths-based development so I can expand what we're doing with the assessment in the programs. One of the activities we did was an exercise focused on what we value and how those values are evident in our top strengths. The top value for me? Creativity. I worked with my partner to discuss creativity in my work and personal life and it was the sort of satisfying conversation that always seems to happen at these types of workshops. I always get all excited about the way I'm going to bring the knowledge back, both professionally and personally. Then go back to my life and forget everything and question my life choices and ennui settles in and I'm like, "What happened?"

Thankfully, that didn't happen this time. I haven't completely figured out what I want to do with the assessment in my programs, but I haven't lost that feeling I got when talking with my coaching practice partner about creativity. If anything, I've spent more time thinking about this since the workshop thinking about creativity and bringing that more into my life than I've thought of anything else. Creativity is a skill and a talent. It's focused on using imagination to create and solve things. People often mistake creativity for artistic talent; the two aren't the same. You can be creative and not artistic and you can be artistic and not be creative. Artists who are also creative are probably better artists, but the two are not synonymous. Creativity is about problem solving and thinking differently about the way things are done. It can manifest in art and crafts, but it doesn't have to.

I have some artistic talent; I can sew, embroider, write, and paint. Remember that time I made a Lego purse? I'm not a great painter and never will be, but I enjoy the process and the feeling of painting. I enjoy embroidery more, so I tend to stick with it when I want to have both a creative and artistic outlet. There's something truly magical about bringing a new project into the world. I'm mostly self-taught when it comes to embroidery and I'm constantly impressed by what I'm able to create with a few stitches and some fun patterns. Since the Women's March last year, there's been a flood of feminist embroidery and cross-stitch patterns on the market. There's something very therapeutic about stabbing fabric over and over again and have it become a "Nasty Woman" wall hanging or a "Girl Power" patch. It's also a nice connection back to our feminist and suffragist foremothers, who used crafts, sewing and needlework in particular, to hand make signs and sashes in the early suffrage and equality movements.

Back in the spring, when I was laid off and felt terrible about life, my friends did an excellent job of helping me stay positive and focused on doing fun things so I wouldn't drown in the pool of horrible that a job search often becomes. One April afternoon, Emily came over to watch movies and hang out. She brought a crochet project she was working on with her (she was making me a Franken-blanket, her specialty). I had a cross-stitch project I was working on. We sat on my couch, drank wine, and watched the mini-series version of IT and sewed and crocheted the afternoon away. Anita came by later in the afternoon, bringing her own cross-stitch project with her. As we all sat and worked and talked, we decided to start a monthly crafting/project day. Wine and Crafts Day was born. We've met once a month since September. Hosting duties rotate among the group and we've added a few additional people into the mix. There's no requirement of having to know how to do any type of craft or art project; we've all informally agreed to teach people new skills if they want to learn.

My first Zakka embroidery project.

It's been a great way for me to bring my friend groups together and be around a group of women who laugh and create and have fun. It's nice to not have an agenda; so much of all of our lives are based on agendas and to-do lists and calendars. I'm a planner, but even I can't deal with being scheduled to death. I know scheduling is a necessary thing, but I have a dream of one day not living by my calendar. We even got Anita hooked on Stranger Things and Chief Hopper; she was not disappointed.

In addition to being able to focus on various embroidery projects, I've also rediscovered my love of hosting gatherings. I don't know when I stopped having dinner parties, but I'd forgotten how much fun it is to plan the food and set everything up in a welcoming way. This isn't nearly as involved as a dinner party, but it's nice to have an excuse to try out fondue recipes (happening today) or bake a new recipe or roll out an old favorite. I spend a lot of time by myself, which is both good for me (and my introverted nature), but also something I need to occasionally remember not to do. There is such as thing as spending too much time alone. I don't spend time during our monthly gatherings writing, but I know that each one has helped me get back into my novel and given me the much needed kick in the pants to finish it and put it out in the world. Soon, friends, soon.

It's almost time for the group to gather and get started on our projects and eat some fondue. I'm not sure the cheese fondue is going to be good, but there's always chocolate fondue to save the day!

Today's project - another Zakka project. This one is going to be framed and hung in my living room.

Coming in March: It's Women's History Month! Whatever will we talk about for an entire month dedicated to women and their achievements? Check it out all month long!

It's not so easy writing about nothing*...

Earlier this week I finished Patti Smith's new book, M Train. I'm a huge Patti Smith fan; she's one of my musical idols and her first book, Just Kids, is one of my all time favorite books. I've been eagerly awaiting M Train and was not disappointed in my experience. It was very different from Just Kids; there was no specific narrative although there was a connection throughout the work. Where Just Kids focused on Patti in New York in the 1970s, M Train moved through time with some rhyme and reason. Much of the book is about travel and her life with her late husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith (of the band MC5). I was so impressed with the sadness in M Train; it never became maudlin or a Patti Smith pity party. It's just there like it is in life. If you're a fan of Patti Smith you should add this to your reading list.

M Train is also the last book I'll read until the end of November. Yes friends, it's almost time for National Novel Writing Month! For the last two Novembers, I've spent the month writing a 50,000 word novel in one month and refraining from doing things like reading, being social, and eating complete meals. I'm a planner even when writing so I typically use October for prep for the month. It's actually encouraged; as long as you don't write any of the actual novel, you can do prep prior to the start. For my past novels, I did things like character sketches, timelines (very important last year), and ideas for endings while not actually writing anything. The character sketches were probably the best prep I did. Each of my characters, particularly in my first year, were fully fleshed out before I started. I knew all the details I needed to make them come alive on the page and I felt very connected to each one. Last year, I did a little less on the characters (although they all had a complete bio) and more on the locations I featured throughout the story. Those places were characters and I wanted them to be as present and realistic as possible especially since most of them are real places that you can go to (or could have gone to at one point in history).

I had every intention to get prepped for this year. In September I settled on my idea and should have been in a good place to start mapping out the characters, deciding which war my reenactors would reenact, and was set to create to fictitious museums. All I had to do was figure out how the ancient order of museum scholars would fracture and become the warring factions they are today.

None of this happened. Every time I sat down to write something, I would stop or get distracted by something else (it's my patriotic duty to watch reruns of NCIS on USA). Despite really liking the idea and wanting to create this world, I just couldn't get into it. This is even after sharing with my writing buddy and a new NaNoWriMo participant. Both thought the idea was good and that there was potential for some cool characters and everyone loves ancient orders of one thing or another. My heart wasn't in it and if my heart's not in it, I know it won't work. Over the weekend I decided to scrap the whole idea and start over again. With two weeks until the start of NaNoWriMo. I guess this is my year of living dangerously.

So what will this year's novel be about instead? There's no ancient society of anything. No museums to create, no art to describe. I could focus on baking, my other favorite hobby, and build on some of my short stories from over the summer (not the same characters of course since that would break the rules). I could but I'm not. I could write a full length Pickles novel but I'm saving Pickles stories for when I decide to start writing children's books.

I was in Leesburg this weekend attending a friend's wedding and the idea came to me as we (my parents and I) were driving around Leesburg. I'm pretty sure this was my first time officially in Leesburg; it's kinds of a strange place. There's are lots of developed areas (shopping centers, the outlets, breweries for miles, and strip malls) and the historic town of Leesburg. It's retained the loveliness of an old Virginia town. And then there are these long stretches of farmland and vineyards that come out of nowhere. It's a jarring contrast and it made me think of all the little towns I've driven through and visited around Virginia. Some of them are nothing more than a few buildings and a street or two; others are just a sign that says you were in one place and now you're not. We develop areas so quickly and haphazardly (or so it seems) these days. Driving around Leesburg and the surrounding area helped me form an idea that I hope I'll be able to develop during the month. I also hope I can get my act together and get some characters figured out sooner rather than later.

There's no title yet; it'll come eventually. The story will focus on a family owned roadside attraction in a small Virginia town (not unlike Dinosaur Land) and the family who owns it and has to make some decisions about the future of their business and their legacy. Rather than dinosaurs, my roadside attraction will focus on mythical creatures from multiple cultures and areas of literature. I'll still get to include my museum character in the form of the daughter of the current owner of the attraction. Like her "sisters" in my previous novels, she'll be looking for her home and community, something I think about often in my own life. There will be humor and conflict and emotion and mermaids; all the things you want in a novel.

Here's where I need your help. I'm letting you, my lovely Island readers, decide two things this year:

1. Which mythical creatures should be part of the roadside attraction? I can't say that I'll use all of your suggestions (I already have my own ideas mapped out and have let a few key friends pick one or two) but input is fun and it's possible I've left out a creature or six.
2. Do I allow you to read along with me as I write? Or do I "publish" the finished novel at the end of the month? For the past two years, I've posted excerpts from the novel on the blog and shared the finished version via a Google Doc link with a few people but maybe it's time to share the whole thing with the world. 

So Island readers, I leave it to you. Post your thoughts in the comments and we'll see where the month takes us.

Next week: One final Lazy Movie Weekend before NaNoWriMo begins. We'll take a look at one of my favorite Halloween movies that no one seems to have seen.


*from M Train by Patti Smith

It's National Writing Date Day!

Today is National Writing Date Day. Never heard of National Writing Date Day? Join the club. I was not aware that it existed until my friend Jessica shared a blog post about it with me. Jessica curates a monthly random holiday calendar for a group of our friends and she discovered this holiday in her research for September. We have decided to give it a try.

Both Jessica and I participated in National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) last year and plan to participate again this year. We've been discussing our writing and writing aspirations via email over the last few weeks and decided that we need to be more proactive in our writing and try new things. This is what prompted us to set a #writingdate for today. Of course Jessica and I don't live in the same state but that's what technology is for.

Our writing date will serve two purposes: us trying some new ideas out through some writing prompts Jessica found on Buzzfeed and some time devoted to plotting and planning for NaNoWriMo. Both of us have two ideas for novels and are having a hard time choosing so we thought it might help to try to talk them out a bit and try some character sketches. No actual writing of the novel can take place (as it all must be written in November) but prepping and outlining is acceptable.

Our schedule:

• Hour 1: Writing Date Day commences with prompt #12 (one hour)
• Hour 2: Start second prompt (we're each doing a different one)
• Whatever time left that we feel we want to spend: NaNoWriMo discussions, prep, etc.
• After that: enjoy a beer #hemingwaywasadrunk

Later today I'll be sharing whatever I come up with during the first two hours. I can't guarantee that they'll be particularly good but that's not really the point. The point is to set time aside to write and create and see what happens. I like to think of today as part of my NaNoWriMo training regiment. November isn't that far off and as any NaNoWriMo participant can tell you, it is both a sprint and a marathon. I see lots of Writing Date Days in my future.

Hello Chanel, La Deuxième Partie

It always happens. I start working on a project and I've settled on the way the finished product is going to look (and how to get there) and then BAM. A brand new idea creeps into my head and I have to stop and reassess the whole thing. Thankfully, this typically works out in my favor.

This is exactly what has happened with my lego purse project. As you may recall from my first post about the purse, I settled on a design and just had the final phase of spray painting and gluing left to complete.

But I started thinking about it again. And questioning it: Are people going to think it's a lego purse? Is it lego-y enough? What if I made the entire purse out of legos? Is the first design a statement enough? Friday night I set about designing a second purse. I'm still fully committed to completing the first one (it's way more simple than I thought). Now I have options.

Here is the initial design for purse two:

The rectangles make up the front and back of the purse. They'll be connected by a small box of legos that forms the space for my stuff. This design is actually smaller on the inside but I think it will pack much more of a wow when I actually use it. As I was putting the initial pieces together (and by together I mean just held together temporarily so I could move them around), I decided I'd need a hinge of some form to connect the boxes together and allow me to easily open the purse. I also figured I could use legos as a clasp - one side would be the flat piece and the other would be a connector piece of some form.

A more important realization came with the second design: I needed more legos. A second trip to the Lego Store in Potomac Mills was on the horizon and this time I took my brother with me. Legos are a joint toy for my brother and I. We both enjoyed playing with legos as children and have continued that into adulthood (clearly). Scott and I discussed the second purse and my ideas at lunch. He seemed convinced that a lego hinge (the kind you might use on doors in a house) would work for the hinge part. He even sketched out a rough design and shopping list for us. Lego design is a very real thing in my family. My dad even chimed in a few times with supportive comments and a tip or two.

The Lego Store didn't have any hinges but I remembered that I had some in my bag of legos at home so I ended up just getting two more containers of parts (with a discount because I'm part of the Lego Club now - don't be jealous) and a large building plate. I told the cashier what I was making and she thought it sounded cool.

The only thing left to do while at my parents' house was to spray paint the pencil box for purse one and the building plate for purse two (it only came in gray and blue). I don't think I've spray painted anything since high school theatre work days. I now understand the allure of spray painting. It's fun and easy and gives you a sense of control (if could also be the fumes). My dad even has a designated space in the backyard where one can spray paint if needed. It's like a little altar to spray paint. I used Krylon Fusion which is a spray paint for plastic. I opted for a satin finish (mostly because that's what they had). It wasn't particularly windy which was a good thing. Tip: don't spray paint on a windy day.

When I got home, I started gluing the pieces of purse one together and assembling purse two. Purse one is definitely the one to go with if I want to be able to carry more than my phone and ID. The pencil box is roomier. I still have to sew and attach the lining for the inside of the box; I think I might create a little interior pocket on the upper portion of the box for my ID.

Onto purse two. A lego building plate is surprisingly easy to cut with an X-ACTO knife (and of course, I have one at home). If you cut into the plastic and then bend it, the piece will snap off easily. I still have to go back and touch up the edges with paint but I figured I'd save that until the end. I glued two pieces together so I could create the design on the front panels and the interior box on the other side. Lego hinges are not meant to be used in this capacity. I had a few different types in my big ol'bag of legos and none of them worked to hinge the two pieces together. I think I need to buy a regular metal hinge which means I will probably need to drill into the plastic to attach the piece. I'm going to have to borrow power tools from my dad if I have to drill into the legos. I'm hoping that when I find the hinge I can attach it in some other way and a drill will be unnecessary.

I'm pleased with both designs. Both are approximately the same size as a regular clutch purse so neither feel cumbersome to carry. Purse one is lighter given that it has the smaller amount of legos in the design. Purse two is more of the fashion statement. If I can get the hinging to work it would be a very cool accessory to have. Granted I won't be able to carry much but what does one really need at work prom?

I have lots left to do in order to complete both of them but I think it's doable. Now you know what I'll be doing next weekend.

Hello Chanel, La Première Partie

This is the latest Chanel logo clutch. Isn't it pretty? It's also an item that's price is listed as "by request only." I'm guessing this means it costs more than I make in a year.

So what's a girl to do especially one who is trying to up the fashion ante this year? Well, thanks to the wonderful blogger, Studs and Buttons, I can make my own version out of a pencil box and legos. You read that right - a pencil box and legos.

I stumbled upon Studs and Buttons through a Buzzfeed post (I know, I know) about making accessories out of legos. I love legos. Legos were something that my brother and I (and our dad) enjoyed when we were kids. We could actually play together when legos were involved. Even as adults we still give each other lego presents sometimes and we made our dad a tank a few years ago as a Christmas present (I think it was Christmas). Anyway, legos are so much fun so when I saw that Buzzfeed post my mind went into overdrive and I decided I would make the purse.

In November, I will be attending my company's annual company meeting/awards show/adult prom. We call it the H'Oscars and this year we have a black and white theme. I have a pretty basic black cocktail dress that I plan to wear and figured that I'd use this opportunity to consider the role of accessories in my fashion life. I don't typically wear a lot of jewelry so I've decided to focus on the shoes and a purse. Nothing screams semi-formal event more than a black and white lego purse.

Phase One: Supply Gathering and Design

Here's the supply list:

• Assorted legos
• A plastic pencil box (I opted for a standard size but am planning to do one that's smaller in the future)
• Sand paper (to smooth out the edges of the pencil box)
• Spray paint (I'm using a paint/primer combo in shiny black)
• Glue (I'm using a spray glue and a permabond glue similar to super glue - I don't want those legos to break off)
• Fabric to line the box - Studs and Buttons made an excellent point about noise in a plastic box. He used felt; I'm using a more luxe fabric and creating an interior pocket - go sewing skills!

I stopped by the Lego Store at Potomac Mills mall last weekend and bought some black and white legos to get started. I also found my childhood stash of legos while at my parents' house. I have a ridiculous amount of black and white legos and thanks to my hoarding, I have some pretty fun shapes and interesting pieces that I think will help make my design pop. Studs and Buttons's design is much more like the Chanel bag; I want to play with dimension and shape so mine will be more 3D. That's the point of legos right? Pumpkin "helped" me complete step one: sorting my legos. I organized them size and type (hello OCD). I have easy access to all of my pieces as I design.

Friday, I started to focus on the actual design. I don't draw (my skills are horrifyingly bad). I attempted a design drawing when I was waiting for my training group to arrive. Here is the mildly embarrassing result:

My original thought was to use some of the odd shaped pieces like archways to build a more 3D design than what Studs and Buttons did for his version. I like the idea of dimension and since this is supposed to be the accessory for my outfit, it should be big and bold. What my terrible drawing is supposed to show is borders of thinner legos leading to the four archways that would have a propeller with flowers attached. So it's 3D and it moves.

I tried to execute the design I drew last night. It didn't quite work the way I envisioned it in my head (or in my poorly drawn design). The archways don't meet up in a way that would make it easy to attach the propeller and I was thinking that even with glue it might not stay together so well. I haven't totally given up on this design idea I just have to play with it more. The best way to design anything with legos is to just build it. I think that was the point of legos (at least it was when I was a child). You don't have to follow the instructions if you don't want to. Then I attempted to make a flower but I'm finding that flowers and the pieces I have aren't 100% compatible. Scale wise, that flower is way too big for the purse. Smaller versions look weird and the more 3D flower designs I found online won't work on a purse.
 
After my failed attempt at making the archways happen, I found some other interesting shaped pieces and came up with a flatter design but it still has some pop. Here's the third design of the night:

It's interesting and looks vaguely like something Chanel might add to a plastic purse that costs more than I make in a year (allegedly). I need to spray paint the box to get the full effect of the design but I like this concept. I think it will pop. I could also incorporate a few additional touches in white along the sides. Or leave it the way it is. I have to walk away from it for a few days, let the design sink in before I start the next phase: paint and construction. I can always pull out the legos and try again if it doesn't end up working for me. That's the beauty of legos - you can always take it apart and start over again.

Tune in later this month for Hello Chanel, La Deuxième Partie - the finished product.

Chanel purse photo 

You're doing everything wrong

I'm going to confess something - I don't use Pinterest. I know you're shocked and possibly even disappointed. I signed up for account ages ago but can't recall the password and don't know the last time I logged in. Pinterest allows you to "re-pin" images and you can create boards for themes, events, and whatever you want to save. I suppose it's meant to help foster creativity and give people ideas for how to do cool DIY projects. This blog has even been pinned on the site by someone who liked the pictures I took of houses in Alameda. Maybe she's restoring a Victorian home?

But I've never gotten into pinning. From my limited time on the site I realized I didn't fall into the following categories:

• I'm not planning a wedding so I have no use for mason jar art/lighting ideas and have no plans to ever get married in a barn (and neither do you so stop it)
• I'm not having a baby nor do I have children so no need for cute knitting projects or homemade baby food or rainy day craft ideas
• Pumpkin doesn't wear clothes and I'm not going to make her (although she would be cute as a ladybug but then she would kill me in my sleep)
• I'm not renovating a house so no need for weird DIY bookcase projects that involve upcycled wood (which I'm in support of) and some plant based resin I have to make in my kitchen (which probably smells like garbage rotting because that's always what happens with these things)
• I'm not into pickling produce, making my own beer or other alcohol, or curing meat

I even tried to get into the baking boards of Pinterest because I love to bake and I love to find challenging things to bake. I found some cool stuff but to be honest, I knew I would never make any of it so I stopped. It would be fun to try but ultimately I'd rather be on PinterestFail than on the real site.

I don't think my dislike of Pinterest has anything to do with the site itself or why people use the site or enjoy making boards and re-pinning things. Pinterest, like most forms of social media, is designed to make us all feel bad. Think about your Facebook newsfeed for a moment (if you're on FB). Aren't there days when everyone seems to be having a baby, getting married, adopting a puppy, getting a promotion, and going on an exciting vacation? On those days don't you feel like telling everyone to shut the eff up even though you're super excited for all of them (in all sincerity)? Pinterest insecurity is apparently a thing now and we're all feeling it in some way. Social media has the ability to make us all feel like lonely, uncreative, narcissistic, boring people.

Of course that's not true. I mean, it might be true for some people but overall, most of us are not uncreative or boring. Sir Ken Robinson talks about this all the time. We're all creative in different ways and we have to focus on how to best express that creativity. For some people, it's pickling homegrown vegetables and using beet ink to label your mason jars for storage. For others, it's using post-it notes to decorate an office mate's cube for their birthday. Creativity can be taught and we all have the capacity to be creative. It's just different for each one of us.

I would love to say that I feel most creative in my job since then I would be the adult person that I dream of being. But I don't feel most creative at work although I try to be as creative as possible and sometimes I achieve great things or at least things that don't make my colleagues want to gouge their eyes out to end the pain of the meeting or training I'm conducting.

I guess I would say that I feel most creative when writing and baking (but not at the same time - that could be dangerous). I love writing this blog because it gives me an outlet to share ideas and photos and tell stories (which I love to do). I started the blog because I felt disconnected from things when I moved to Alameda. It was hard to adjust and it was a way to connect outside my apartment. While others enjoy the blog, it's mostly for me. That's not to say that I'm not glad people enjoy the Island and find me amusing; I am and I appreciate that people take the time to read it. I imagine this is what therapy is like.

Baking is also very therapeutic for me. It's a lot of work whether you're making something from a mix or from scratch. Don't ever let anyone tell you that making something from a mix isn't baking - it is. I prefer from scratch in terms of process but sometimes I need to get something done quickly and a brownie mix works just fine. I like the order of baking and the process. That's why I prefer baking to cooking - I'm not as good at throwing ingredients together and having something awesome happen. I'd rather spend two days making an Italian Orange cake - that's more my style. I made this cake 5 years ago (ish) for Christmas and my family still talks about it. It was that good and is probably my favorite cake. With baking, not only am I satisfying my need for process (the type A part of my personality), I'm also making others happy (the Erin Counselor part of my personality).

So my new goal is just do those things that make me feel creative and happy and leave the rest behind. I'm trying hard not to compare myself to everyone else. It's not healthy or fun. This is all part of the process of being the leading lady of my own life.

By the way, my next baking project actually came from Buzzfeed (providing all the cat photos and 90s nostalgia you'll ever need). Bourbon marshmallows s'mores are happening sooner than you think. The bacon is optional.

She's crafty

I've always considered myself crafty. I don't mean that I'm particularly sly or cunning; I'm referring to the artistic definition of crafty. I can make things out of paper and I enjoy embroidery (especially when it involves Russian nesting dolls or hedgehogs). I've never tried to sell anything that I've made but I do like to give handmade items as gifts. I hope people like what I make. You can never really tell if someone is just being polite or honest when they tell you they like a handmade item. It's sort of like when you'd make something for your parents in elementary school; they had to like it and tell you what an awesome job you did. It's their job. As is lying occasionally to make you feel better. Go parenthood!

I appreciate the fine art of painting on roof tiles and making albums into journals or putting a bird on things. These are all things I can get behind. I like the idea that people can sit in their apartments or houses or their parents' basement and create something that makes them happy and in turn, brings some sort of happiness into the world. I also appreciate that these crafters have figured out the universal truth about humans: we will buy anything. Especially if it has a cute animal, gnome, or dinosaur on it. Humans are weak.

And so today, I found myself at Crafty Bastards, an annual arts and crafts fair in DC that I had never heard of until yesterday. A friend told me about it; one of his friends is one of the vendors and he was going to be there helping her out. When he sent me the link, the first thing I saw was that Berkley Illustration would be there. How could I resist?

If you don't know about Berkley Illustration you should take some time and visit their website. I discovered Ryan Berkley and his animal creations when I moved to California. My office has a holiday party every year and we were discussing the upcoming party and the gift exchange. Two of my co-workers kept telling me about this gift from the year before. It was a painting of a meerkat in aviator clothes. They called it Meerkat Amelia Earhart. No one had a picture of it so I decided to do what any other person in the 21st century would do: I googled "meerkat Amelia Earhart" and "meerkat aviator" and found my way to Berkley Illustration's Etsy store.

Yes, I'm now the proud owner of a meerkat aviator print. This alone was worth the Metro ride and the crowds.

There's also this handsome hedgehog who hangs in the entryway of my apartment. I may also have one featuring a T-Rex wearing a western shirt and a cowboy hat. I just can't help myself when it comes to these delightful animals. It's not just that the prints are whimsical (and you know how I love whimsy), it's that he writes a little story for each one. It's awesome and hilarious.

Crafty Bastards was held at Union Market, recently renovated and shiny and new. It's reminiscent of the Ferry Building in San Francisco although much smaller and in a random location. The history of the market goes back to the 1870s. Like lots of things in DC, it's undergone several different versions and lives in a neighborhood that seems at odds with a trendy, artisan market. As you walk to Union Market from the Metro, there are lots of different ethnic stores and markets too. I walked over to the fair with a woman I started talking to on the Metro and she suggested walking through the surrounding market so I could see the whole area. It was a good suggestion - it was interesting to see the contrast between the older parts of the neighborhood and the shiny new part.

I'd like to come back and visit the market again when it's not a zoo. There were so many people! This is what happens when it's 65 and sunny on a Saturday in November in DC. The only reason I found my friend amongst the vendors (even though I knew the booth number) is because he's really tall and I could see him over the crowd. His friend uses up-cycled and salvaged leather to make purses, wallets, and belts. I bought a lovely purple wrislet from her. You can find Catherinette on Etsy too. She had this awesome red purse that I loved but it was a little out of my budget for today. Maybe next time.

I enjoyed my day at Crafty Bastards although I could only stand the crowd for about two hours. By that point, I had had enough of hipsters elbowing me to look at journals made from recycled book covers and Jay McCarroll's scarves and socks (yes, the first winner of Project Runway was there too). So I gathered up my reusable tote bag (nice little gift as we came in) and my wonderful purchases and made my way back to the Metro and home.


Now I just have to figure out where the meerkat and T-Rex will end up in the apartment. Or maybe one of them should make their way to the office. Nothing says office cube decor more than a T-Rex in a western shirt.

Creativity is not an option

I've just (I mean yesterday) returned from my company's annual meeting/fancy party extravaganza, the H'Oscars. Yes, you read that correctly, the H'Oscars.

The H'Oscars are definitely a lot of fun and an interesting way to celebrate success and achievement within our company. I am a proud two time H'Oscar winner (my H'Oscars sit in my cube at work where I'm sure they're very happy). It's fun to get dressed up (it is a formal event) and I enjoy debating with the guys over whether packing a tux or a formal dress is more difficult. Gentlemen, you will continue to lose this argument every year. You don't even want to know all the parts that go into looking as fabulous as all the ladies do at this event. My other favorite topic to discuss is the hooker/matron shoe conundrum that happens every year when I go shopping. Last year this sparked a very heated FB discussion. I ended up with more matronly shoes last year. This year, I decided to go closer to hooker on the scale. The shoes were amazing.

While the annual meeting portion of the event was very interesting and the awards and party were wonderful, my favorite part was our opening speaker. In the four H'Oscars I've attended there hasn't been an opening speaker. We usually hear the nominations and enjoy cocktails in a cool venue (like Churchill Downs). This year, the organizers were able to arrange for Sir Ken Robinson to speak. If you don't know Sir Ken Robinson, I'm sorry for you. Sir Ken is a leading writer and speaker in education and focuses much of his work on creativity and innovation. He's really the perfect speaker for a group like ours. The company mission statement includes a line about creating the world changers of tomorrow. You can't do that without innovative thinking or realizing that all students are not cogs in a machine.

I was first introduced to Sir Ken's work by my friend Allison. She also happens to be my manager and was originally the person conducting new hire training for our division (this is now my job). Anyway, she uses a video of Sir Ken in training that's really amazing and a great way to start new hire training. I've been reading his articles and books and following him on Twitter ever since. When it was announced that he would be the speaker I did a little dance at my desk. My co-workers think I'm weird. That's cool.

Sir Ken's speech was great. He's funny, engaging, and interesting. He talks about creativity as a process (like Andrew McCarthy!) and as something that can be taught (which I agree with). I also appreciate his discussion of creativity as something everyone should and can do. You don't have to be artistic or fanciful to be creative. Math can be creative. Organizations can be creative. You just have to focus on it as part of the process. He describes it as "a competency" (like literacy). Couldn't agree more. Students aren't really taught or even encouraged to be creative unless they show aptitude for an arts skill. That's a sad statement about education. Students should be encouraged to use their imagination and creativity. Anyone who has children or works with children knows this is the way to help with problem-solving and social navigation. It's not about who can paint well or play the violin beautifully or solve complex math problems, it's about the things that make us different and interesting as a human. I liked Sir Ken's description of imagination as "the source of every human achievement." (Yes, I took notes. Don't judge.)

The other thread of Sir Ken's speech that struck a chord with me was about life not being linear. Not everything can be planned. As much as I love to plan, I have to agree with him. Our lives aren't or shouldn't be designed based on the first few years of school or even what we study in college (I was a theatre arts management major so clearly this is true). I thought about some of my more recent life choices (moving to California, moving back to Virginia, dying my hair dark red) and realized that these were not planned choices. Once the choice was made, there was planning but I didn't make a pro/con list for either move. I didn't research hair colors for months and then pick one. I let my life be divergent and went where it took me. Did I make good choices? I think so. California was a great 2 years and I'm happy I lived there when I did. Do I love Virginia? I'm beginning to come around to seeing it's awesomeness. And clearly, dark haired Erin is the best choice I've made in years.

Sir Ken's speech really made the H'Oscars for me. I think it helped put other parts of the event into context (the goals and strategic plans for the company, the awards and the winners). Even the bus ride to and from Pittsburg (yes, we took buses). And the trading cards. Yep, we have work trading cards. Don't be jealous. I have some extras if you'd like one.

So as I go back to work on Monday, I will start my new hire training class with Sir Ken's video. I will think creatively about my job and how I can help students do the same. I will still make lists but I will also try to be a little less rigid with some things. And I will find a place to wear my fabulous shoes.

Because really it's all about the shoes isn't it?