It's Good to be the King

Oh Elvis! How I love thee! Your birthday was the 8th but your hip shaking, pop songs and southern draw live on in my heart forever. To honor the king, I give you a few of my favorite Elvis movies.

The BEST Elvis movie, hands down has to be Viva Las Vegas. Why is this movie so great? Two words-ANN MARGRET! Oh yeah! Ann and Elvis together-you can not go wrong with this movie. Elvis plays a race car driver wanting to make a name for himself and Ann plays a cute lifeguard who isn't looking for love but once Elvis comes into the picture and a little hip shaking songs come into play, she can't resist. Yes, I know this is a typical Elvis movie but yeah, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Oh Elvis! At least in Girls, Girls, Girls-you admit what you like and beg anyone to judge you for it. This time Elvis plays a fisherman wanting his own boat. And as Elvis can-he gets caught between two lovely ladies-Stella Steven (ME-OW!) and Laurel Goodwin. Who will he end up with-the saucy Stella or the sweet Laurel?

Love Me Tender was Elvis' first movie and really showed the world that not only could he sing but he could act (quit snickering!) The plot in this movie is a little bit more complex than his later movies. Elvis plays Clint Reno-one of the Reno brothers who decides not to go off to the Civil War. Instead he stays behind and marries his brother's sweetheart. The movie involves the family dynamics of jealousy, bad decisions and betrayal. It is not your typical Elvis movie but is one that should definitely be watched. Be warned-it's a tear jerker!


There are so many more Elvis movies that I could include: Kid Galad, Fun in Acapulco, Jail House Rock, GI Blues. The list goes on and on-not to mention all the concert footage.All pretty much have the same story line but the singing and dancing are always a blast.

So, fry up some peanut butter and banana sandwiches, put on your sparkly jumpsuit and shake those hips on down to the video store for some hunka hunka burning love! All hail the king!

A Little Question for Ya!

So, it's a new year! Time for a little bit of a make-over. I know! I know! Things are pretty much perfect but I'm asking you, my faithful, wonderful, hot, saucy reader-what would you like to see more of or just see in general. There are a few things that will definitely stick around:
Movie Monday
Tie One On Tuesday
Interview Wednesday (as long as I can find people to interview-be careful, if I haven't interviewed you yet-it's coming!)
Feel Good Friday

Maybe vintage patterns? Some more crafty goodness? Some cool things in your area? Tutorials? Guest Bloggers? Nothing at all-keep it like it is? Let me know what you think!

Feel Good Friday!

 Special thanks to Kind over Matter for the above picture.

Is it just me or has this week been SOOOOOOO LOOOOONNNNGGGGG! UGH! First actual work week aft er the holidays is so painful but never fear! I am here to make your Friday a little brighter!

I am in love with the blog Happy Loves Rosie. There is so much to look at, interact with and just die over on this blog! Not only does she have the cutest camper ever (one day mine will be restored to it's cuteness!) but she has the cutest pupper, Max! Eeep!

I love everything about Mochi Studios! Rita is just a doll and her crafts are as sweet as she is!

Okay, So I am all about self love (keep it out of the gutter!) and I really think EVERY person needs this scale! Think you are putting on a few pounds, No! You are just looking fabolous! 5 extra pounds from the holiday-No! You are perfect! Oh and did I mention-it's velvet! VELVET PEOPLE! VELVET!

Oh man! I am feeling 100% better now that I am some happies on this Friday and since I don't want to get OMP all upset, here are some puppies for your viewing pleasure.

At last but not least~ I want to wish Sebastian a happy 1st birthday! Silly little man!

Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad.  ~Norm Papernick

Tie One On Tuesday

Ah the new year! Time to start those resolutions-here at Faster Kittykill, we want to make sure that we are sticking to our New Year's resolutions too. One of them is to add more veggies into our diet and of course I couldn't think of a better way than in a little cocktail. Now before you all roll your eyes and say, "Pam.....you are kind of missing the mark here."  I want you to give me a chance and prove that you can have a balanced diet with these great veggie cocktails.

The first drink that comes to everyone's mind when you mix veggies and alcohol is of course the Bloody Mary, but let's put a little twist on it with this recipe.
The Bloody Maru
Ingredients:

2 oz. Sake
4 drops Worcestershire sauce
2 drops Tabasco sauce
dash of horseradish
dash of fresh lime juice
pinch of salt and pepper
tomato juice
Combine all ingredients except the tomato juice in an old-fashioned glass half-filled with ice cubes and stir well. Add tomato juice to taste. Stir again and serve. Garnish with veggies such as celery, stuffed olives, pickled green beans

Now doesn't that sound like a tasty way to get those veggies in your life. I bet you won't be slapping your head saying you could have had a V-8 with that nutritious drink! I mean really, it's like a veggie patch in your mouth.

Still not convinced-well what  about a Zucchini tini?
Ingredients:
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) zucchini water
(To make zucchini water, grate a large zucchini into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Toss the grated zucchini with a pinch of coarse salt and allows it to sit for 15 minutes. The grated zucchini then can be pressed (using hands or the back of a sturdy wooden spoon) to extract the water)
2 ounces unfiltered cold sake
1 ounce gin
1 thin slice of zucchini, for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, combine the zucchini water, sake and gin. Fill the shaker with ice, then shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the zucchini slice.

Last on our tasty trip through the garden patch is a Cucumber cocktail. I personally hate cucumbers, so you are on your own with this one people....
Ingredients:
6 limes, rinsed
1 cup packed mint leaves, no stems, plus 6 sprigs for garnish
3 unwaxed cucumbers
½ cup sugar
2 cups vodka or gin
Sparkling wine
Thinly slice 3 limes and place in a pitcher. Juice the rest and add juice to pitcher. Add mint leaves. Slice 2 cucumbers and add, then add sugar. Muddle ingredients. Add vodka or gin. Place in refrigerator to steep 30 minutes or longer.
Cut remaining cucumber into super think rounds.
Fill cocktail shaker with ice and top with mixture. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Top with a splash of sparkling wine, garnish each glass with a cucumber round, and serve.

Wow! I can feel myself getting healthier by the minute!   These wonderful cocktails will definitely keep me in shape-although probably not the shape I'm going for....I might need to rethink this resolution.

Break Those Winter Blues

The holidays are over, the decorations have been put away for another year. Now what? Time to settle into those winter blues-NEVER! I say! NEVER! Time to pull out that coconut bra, mix up a Pina Colada and watch these tropical movies.

The first on your tropical adventure is Blue Hawaii. This is one of my favorite Elvis movies. Yeah, I know most of Elvis' movies are a boy, a girl and some hip swaying singing but this one is so pretty! Elvis stars as Chad Gates, a soldier just released from the army. His father wants him to join the family business but Chad has plans that involve girls, singing and helicopters. Hello! Who doesn't have those kinds of plans? Not only is this a great movie but a mighty tasty drink...hmmm, that gives me an idea.

Let's do a little island hopping and head on over to the South Pacific. This Roger and Hamerstein musical deals with war, racism and love during WWII. Love blooms between a military nurse and a French planter. While some of the movie is light hearted it does deal with racism and the boxes 1958 can place people in. The music is amazing and the set design makes you feel like you are on the island in a grass skirt and a sailor (or maybe a sailor in a grass skirt).

Our last stop on our sunny vacation is One Night in the Tropics with your tour guides Abbott and Costello. This was their debut into film. For those of you who have never seen the famous "Who's on First" skit, here is your chance. A couple of smooth talkers hire Abbott and Costello to make sure their weddings go off without a hitch. Hilarity ensues and your gut will be busting from all the laughter. I swear you will go around the house yelling, "HEY ABBOTT!", wait, that might be just me.

So there you go all my snow bound buddies. A couple of movies to help your forget that it's -20 degrees outside. Get that bathing suit out, slap on some suntan lotion and melt your troubles away. Remember to turn and be careful not to burn!

Feel Good Friday! Happy New Year!

Welcome 2010 and welcome Feel Good Friday! I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve and celebrated the new year in your own special way. Today's Feel Good Friday goes out to you! I want to thank you for your overwhelming support and love in 2009 and look forward to seeing everyone in the new year. There will be some new features and of course the wonderful old ones.

I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends-like you-in my life. Thank you for making my Friday and everyday feel good. You make me smile and giggle more than you will ever know.

Happy New Year Everybody!

xoxox
Pam

Hanging out with Spotted Dog Farm

I noticed Jere's work on Flickr one day and knew we were kindred spirits. Not just because of our location (I'm a true Southern girl at heart) but also for our love and dedication to keeping puppies safe and making sure each one is loved. I love that every stitch of every piece of work she does, tells a story.

Who and what is spotted dog farm?
Spotted Dog Farm is just me, Jere Alexander, and a motley brood of dogs, donkeys, chickens, rabbits and my little handspinner's flock of sheep. It's a real place but it's also a pastoral dream that I'm trying to express in life and in art. I like how the name confuses some people - sometimes folks think I'm a dog breeder - so it kind of hints at how different animals are constructed since in this place and time, most people don't think of dogs as farm animals.

Your embroidered pieces have so much depth-what's your favorite and why?
Thanks so much!! So far I love the piece "I give you my tomorrow" the best. It's of my Rosie, who if i had to choose the most beautiful dog I've ever known, she would be it. She's just perfectly adorable with her underbite and her thick little body. It's hard to embroider a pit bull face straight-on. Their heads are such interesting shapes that I was afraid would lose expressiveness if I flattened it out in 2D. And at first she was looking more like a pig than a dog, but I used different stitches to make something of a sampler on her face. The triangle pattern in the vintage linen reminds me of a chain link fence, and the title is a lyric from a 70s song by Tim Hardin.

Who inspires you?
I am endlessly inspired by the handmade revolution, and textile artists like Nicole Licht/Astulabee, Beefranck, Porterness, Iviva Olenick, Sandrine Pelletier, and so many others. The cheeky, subversive angle of contemporary embroidery just kills me. I'm awed by soft sculpture artists - again Astulabee, Hisa Kato, Jennifer Murphy and Jennifer Muskopf. I am also seriously fascinated with some of the sculptors working with taxidermy, like Emily Mayer, Iris Schieferstein and Polly Morgan. I know it's creepy to lots of folks, but since i'm already used to working with animal fiber, it's not such a stretch to use furs and skins (although I would only use thrifted or roadkill, not hunted).

 What advice would you give to the masses?
Oh, I'm not in much of a position to give advice to anyone! But my hub has this little joke that we always laugh about, and I think it's very instructive. It's from some police movie with Sean Penn although I don't remember the name. It goes something like... Two bulls, father and son, are standing at the top of a hill looking down at a pasture full of cows. The son says to the father, "Hey dad, how about we run down and fuck a couple of 'em?" The dad replies, "Naw son, how about we walk down and fuck em all." So when I get all manic, I'll just think "walk don't run... fuck em all..."

Do you have a website?
Well, yeah, I have a love/hate thing with my internet presence. I love making online friends and connections in the craft world, but there are so many crazy pit bull haters, and I have no tolerance for that negativity. Some day, I hope to learn css and flash and those other obscure languages to make a beautiful website. Right now I have spotteddogfarm.com to describe my work, and then I blog over at Pit Bull Patriarchy, pitbullpatriarchy.blogspot.com.

Bonus Question!
Best name for a pet
The most magnificent name I've heard is Iris Ladonica Deville.

Worst name for a pet
I knew a shelter dog with a head injury that had been dubbed "Wee Toddy."

Gah! I think I want to be Jere when I grow up! Her attitude, spirit and just plain ol' kick butt good nature makes me smile on a daily basis. Her work is so inspiring. It makes me sleep a little better knowing that there are people like Jere out there in the world.