On the October agenda...

I'm collecting a collection

I have a new favorite blog and it’s all about a new collection that I am collecting; sticky tape.

(WARNING: all useful information ends here).

When I was young I use to be somewhat of a packrat. I kept everything and collected everything. I really liked to stockpile little knickknacks, especially tiny ones like an itty bitty little wooden mouse and mouse trap my mom got at a craft store for me at a 9-cent-sale. Although I had an abundance of tchotchkes and never threw a shred of paper away, I was strangely organized. I have been binning, filing and labeling since I was in kindergarten—ask my mom if you don’t believe me.

Overtime, as I grew into adulthood, I found less value for the many ornaments in my life. In fact, I began to feel somewhat beleaguered by the things that surrounded me. I began to rid myself of almost everything that didn’t provide me with a useful purpose. Overall this process has been liberating but unfortunately, there are a few things I have let go that I completely regret (my childhood keychain and eraser collection for instance). As much as I think things are just things, there is something magical about having personal meaning to belongings that might be useless to the average Joe or Josephine.

I have a few “adult” collections; postcards, notebooks and journals, note cards and stationary, charming vintage serving platters/dishes and photos of people I don’t know, (there is a project in the works with this one) old fashion magazines and childrens books—raggety ones to cut up for the lovely photos and illustrations, and empty Altiod tins (also for a project) but because I quite like the idea of a little magic from my childhood accompanying me through my adulthood I have decided to resurrect a few (meaningless) childhood collections and maybe even begin some new ones.

Let the insignificant-significant begin with:

Antique buttons, (I started this with my friend Amanda in grade school. We became obsessed with a little antique store near her home, buttons were probably the only thing we could afford)

possibly wooded spools, vintage ribbon and fabric—(I hardly sew but I am oh so inspired when I see of these things at a craft/fabric store I love; Fancy Tiger)

mini erasers...especially ones that look like food

collection of random minis, basically little things that fit into a matchbox like the image above

and decorative tape …obviously inspired by the site above. Luckily I still have two precious rolls that I got at the sanrio store long ago. Naturally they have hello kitty characters on them, they have been stored with my sticker collection…oh look at that, another collection. Perhaps I have more collections than I am accounting for. If you are still reading I am curious to know; What you are collecting?

(I told you this blog would be random)

By the way, the top image is from the movie Everything is Illuminated—which I loved, great soundtrack too.

Image links: (buttons), (spools), (erasers), (minis)

I can’t keep up with me

I just joined Twitter because Jimmy Fallon told me to. I also have a MySpace profile (which I doubt I have logged in to more than 3 times in the last couple years), and a facebook profile (which I joined in 2007 but used for the first time recently when I discovered half of the people in my email address book have a page). Other digital “mes” exist on goodreads, youtube, and two other blogs besides this one; a private family blog and a blog to catalog monthly art project that Hendrix and I participate in with a few toddlers and preschoolers we’re lucky to know. I even have a digital clone of myself on the Wii we got as a Christmas gift this year!

Well, I'd love to chat but I have to go now so I can go to my twitter page to see what I have been up to and my facebook page to find out what’s been on my mind. Jon suggested I create a few profiles to keep up with my profiles...hmmm...not a bad idea.

We've Gone Green...as in food coloring

So, when Jon and I had our first little bundle of joy we just couldn’t wait for him to turn three because all the cool toys said 3 years +. Now that Hendrix has hit that lucky number we realize we failed to account for the crazy that comes with the age of “toddler.” It is fun though to see him get really revved up about things like Leprechauns.

Our March issue of Family Fun magazine is pretty much torn to shreds from Hendrix’s obsession with all the St. Patty’s Day paraphernalia featured, including THESE leprechaun traps which you can bet we will be making before the “BIG DAY.”

Because Hendrix was so bonkers over the mini mischief-makers, I thought I’d add some subtle leprechaun sightings to the mix. After a little sticky-back craft foam, a baby jar lid and a green washable marker, a leprechaun shoe print stamp was born.

We have been stamping tiny little green cobbler feet on every washable surface in the house while leaving behind a few chocolate gold coins for Hendrix to go crazy over, not to mention a little green in all of the liquids in the house such as the toilet water. We’ve just about milked our green food coloring dry.

Originally, the only thing I had planned to do for Saint Patrick’s Day this year was to make green eggs and ham like my mom did when I was a kid. It surprisingly takes a lot of work to be community of leprechauns in addition to being a mom. This has been a fun little adventure but I'm not sure I will have the energy to do this every year; seriously, I might just throw up a rainbow.

Ira

Did you know it was Ira Glass’s birthday a few days ago? (That’s when I first began drafting this post but I was distracted by a toddler and baby until now). Anyway, as I was telepathically sending Ira good birthday vibes, I was remembering something I really love which is when I just happen to be in the car on a Friday night in perfect timing to catch NPR’s This American Life. Of course we subscribe to This American Life podcasts but we don’t always make the time to play catch up. Besides, sometimes hearing a story that makes you either laugh your butt off or cry your eyes out is a bit better when it’s unplanned.

For my church "job" I have the privilege of writing up articles from personal interviews I conduct with other church members. This little calling is amazing on many levels; mostly for the fact that people I often hardly know are willing to share their incredible lives without reservation but also because I like to pretend I have an inner Ira Glass I can summon during interviews. Perhaps THIS kit created by Frank Chimero would help. I pretty much can’t get enough of Mr. Glass.

In fact, on an obsessive note, Jon and I considered naming our second son Ira—you can’t deny it is a great name. Considering our last name though, we ended up naming him Avi and then we just subscribed to Showtime for a while to watch the This American Life television series.

Ira Glass Kit via Something’s Hiding In Here.