Feel Good Friday

Yahoo! Friday! Get Funky! Oh yeah! The weekend is almost here and I am feeling good. I've started my weekend early by blasting The Clash in my office and dancing around for a little bit. Doesn't everyone do that at 7:30 in the morning? Anyhoo....here are some things that are making me feel good today. I hope they do the same for you!

This isn't really a website or a place to go but it's my playlist and it is making me so happy right now. I'm jumping around the office like I'm twelve again.

Do ya-ELO
Wild One-Those Darlins (we'll get back to these guys!)
Howlin' at the Moon-The Ramones
I fought the Law- The Clash
Train in Vain-The Clash
Head on -Jesus and Mary Chain
Everywhere at Once-The Plimsouls
Mr. FixIt-The Amazing Crowns
I was Wrong-Social Distortion
Give a Little Bit-Supertramp (I know, this it totally out of left field, but it makes me feel good)
Alright-Darus Rucker
And what EVERY girl has on any mix tape, CD, ipod-ABBA!-Any song will do!

Okay, so now that I have you moving your butt, dancing around, smiling, I want to introduce you to Those Darlins. They are a super sassy girl band with a southern twang. My friend Lori emailed me and said that this song reminds her of me and that she could see me singing it. I completely agree with her! I think this might be my new theme song. I instantly fell in love with them and had to check out the rest of their CD. It is amazing! If they are coming to a town near you, check them out.


Speaking of cute, I was cruising Flickr this morning and ran across the cutest little embroidery! It was stitched up by kunderwood. I love her hair!


I adore everything louiseblack does! Her corsets are amazing.


We have been having a heatwave in Portland this week. It's been anywhere from 90-107 this past week and incase you don't know, the majority of us in the Pacific Northwest do not do well with heat. So, when I saw Craft post a DIY for ice cream drumstitcks, I knew I had to make some.


Well, there ya have it!A few things to make you happy on this Friday. I strongly suggest to make your smile a little bigger- put on your favorite outfit, blast your favorite tunes and dance like no one is watching. It works for me!

Pixieland!

When I was a little kid, I would visit my aunts in Oregon and we would go to Pixieland. I loved that place! They had a log flume, a train you could ride, and a cheese cave where you could try every kind of cheese your little brain could imagine. Besides having an awesome cheese cave, they had a diner. I love diners! We don't have a lot of them on the west coast and it's something I really miss.
Pixieland had their own Pixie Kitchen, and although I'm sure I was full from the cheese cave, I'm betting they have fabulous food.

So, even though Pixieland and Pixie Kitchen closed, the memories are still with me. I'm lucky enough to have some of the figurines from the restaurant. They are so adorable!

I love this little mermaid! She is the cutest!

The little seahorse cowboy.

The whale looks pretty happy that the captain is steering him.

And last, a little Pixie serving ya some grub.

The best way to know that you have an authentic Pixie Kitchen figurine is to check the bottom. It should say Pixie Kitchen, Ocean Lake, OR. You can still find a few out there but they are scarce. Of course I love the hunt, so I'm always on the look out. Oh yeah, I'm thinking that I need to start Pixieland II, if nothing else but for the cheese cave. Who's with me?

I'm Just Giddy over Giddygirlie

When I first saw Giddy Girlie on Craftster.org, I knew we were kindred spirits. Then is happened- she posted her Venture Brother's set, I knew I had to interview her and find out more about this amazingly talented person. She is pretty rad!

Who is the real giddygirlie?

My real name is Mia and everyone pretty much just calls me Mia. Except Kate who, despite being a 'real life friend,' sometimes calls me "Giddy" and my husband is "Mr. Giddy."

You do so many different crafts, which is your favorite and why?

They are all my favorites, in different ways and for different reasons. I am terrible about picking just one of anything, so I always tend to be working on several things at once and switching between them when it suits my mood. I like the delicate control of the needle with embroidering small pieces of work, but sometimes it's nice to work with something a little more "loose" like the dot paintings, which have no pre-set pattern or design to them.

One constant thing in my work is that none of it takes very long to accomplish. I really like to be able to see tangible results, so long-term projects (like knitting a sweater) are too frustrating. Most of my work only takes a couple of hours, even if I spread it over a couple of days.

I see you do a lot of comic/pop culture pieces. What are your favorite comics, cartoons, shows?

I have a lot of fun making the pop culture types of pieces because it offers a challenge to me, to take an established icon and interpret it in my style, but also because it gives the products a lot of recognition and I love being at craft fairs and conventions and seeing people's faces light up when they see something that they know and love sitting on my table.

I live a very childish life, which lends itself very naturally to cartoons and silliness. My husband is a comic book artist, which is where I get the majority of my comic book input. I don't read many monthly books, but I really love the Fables series and Y The Last Man was brilliant. I also like some of the cheeky books, like the Haunted Mansion series and the works of Angus Oblong, and even the adaptations of Futurama and The Simpsons.

My all-time favorite TV shows would be Arrested Development and Spaced, and favorite cartoon, The Venture Brothers. Both of them have very intricate plot lines with brilliant foreshadowing and call-backs, so in addition to being extremely well-written, they reveal a new 'layer' each time you watch them. I love them!

Inspiring words for the masses?

It's probably not "inspirational," per se, but one of the things that I am trying to overcome is my shyness about talking to creators that I like. I've found myself, more and more lately, sending off an email or meeting someone at a convention or craft show just to say "I love what you do" or "I appreciate what you create" and it's been a very positive experience. (This also works, even if you can't afford their work!) I think it's always nice for anyone to hear that they've made a difference in someone's life - even if it's as simple as you made someone smile. One of the best compliments that I've ever gotten came from a 6 year old boy who liked what I'd made for him. That kind of thing sticks in your heart and helps you get through the 'blah' times, so share your appreciation freely! And if you ever come across someone who DOESN'T like your compliment, I'll take it instead! ;-)

What or who inspires you?

I'm inspired by everything, all the time. I pick up cues from sunny days and smiling dogs and use it to fuel my inner giddy girlie. There are also quite a few artists that have the ability to tickle my funny bone every time. A short list of the eleventy billion people who make art that I love: BeeFranck, Kate (Junebug Memories), Kevin Kidney & Jody Daily, MimiLove, MrXStitch, Roscata, Scott Campbell, and Shannon (Giggly Mama)

Do you have a website? Etsy?

I keep a personal blog over at http://giddygirlie.blogspot.com and a crafty one at http://giddycrafts.blogspot.com. I also sell my crafty geekery over on etsy at http://giddygirlie.etsy.com!


BONUS QUESTION!
If you HAD to make out with Dean or Hank which would you pick?

I think it would have to be Dean. He's the sensitive one, who will put on a play to entertain you and dress up in his finest for your date. Even though he won't be able to protect you should a supervillian come after you, he'd make you feel like the most special person in the world. Plus, he practices kissing his hand, so he'd be better prepared than Hank. ;-)

Oh! Such a tough decision! I'm not sure who I would pick! Dean is more sensitive but Hank has a hoagie stand-yes I am totally geeking out on The Venture Brothers! Thanks Mia for an awesome interview. I can't wait to see what you create next.

Hot Fun in the Summertime!

Ah summertime, nothing is better than floating in a pool, radio playing, catching some rays. Yeah, that would be nice if 1-I had a pool and 2- It wasn't a million degrees outside. So, I've decided to stay in my air conditioned house and watch a few rock n' roll movies. Now before I get started, yes I know there are a ton of them out there and I will definitely revisit this topic time and time again so if I don't pick your favorite this time, I probably will in a few weeks.

This week, I am going to focus on some summertime favorites that I remember seeing when I was a kid.



Let me start with Rock n' Roll High School. I remember seeing this movie for the first time at the midnight movie (Remember those? Rocky Horror always comes to mind) in Chapel Hill . What's not to love about this movie? The Ramones, PJ Soles, blowing up a school. C'mon! It doesn't get much better than that. The soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission. I had heard that originally Cheap Trick was suppose to be the band and not the Ramones. I think I may have peed my pants if Cheap Trick was the band, but that's a whole other story. If you were a little punk rock chick in the 80's, you wanted to be PJ Soles in the movie (minus the crush on Joey). She was cute and sassy. You have horrible Principal Togar trying to keep Riff Randall down and destroy rock n' roll. The struggle finally reaches a boiling point when the kids take over the school and The Ramones show up to help out with the decline of the student body. OMP says, "Say hey to Vince for us!"
If you know this movie, you get the joke.

So here I am a little older, and thinking that I need something a little more mature. I'm going for Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Not necessarily a music movie but man, the soundtrack is amazing! You know you remember when Phoebe Cates is coming out of the pool and The Cars Moving in Stereo is playing. That image is burned in every teenage boy's mind. Or what about when Rat is taking out Stacey and Led Zeppelin's Kashmir is playing (When it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on side one of Led Zeppelin IV-Another OMP moment, he is telling me for Led Zeppelin purist, Kashmir is not from Led Zeppelin IV) There are several plots going on here. The best one has to be the battle between Mr. Hand and Spicoli. We get to see a young Sean Penn before he was all Madonna'd and PC'd up. He plays a complete SoCal stoner and we loved him like that! So, side note-Sean,please go back to the stoner surfer, it works! There are a million memorable quotes-that I still say today. This movie does have adult themes so not one for the kiddies!


I couldn't resist this last movie cause well, cause I'm a chick, a child of the 80's, loved roller skating and wanted so desperately to be Oliva Newton John not only in Grease but also in Xanadu. Don't roll your eyes at me. You know you love Xanadu. If you were a little girl in the 80's you loved it! It's okay, your secret is safe with me. Another reason I couldn't resist this movie this week is that I have been on an ELO kick. Yes, I do know this movie is bad, so get off me! OLJ plays a muse that is trying to help Sonny(aka Michael Beck) realize his dreams. She inspires him by roller skating around him and introducing him (in a round about way-get it rollerskating, around...it's sounded a lot funnier in my head) to Danny, played by Gene Kelly. Gene died shortly after this, and no OMP, it's not from embarrassment. ELO did the sound track-which I still love and we have a brief music video with The Tubes. This movie is really bad but in a fun kitschy way and it's awesome for a girl's only crafting night.


Well, there you have it! Find your old mix tapes, dust off the walkman and roller skate on down to your video store, but this time, make sure you wear safety pads, no one wants you breaking a hip.

Scrappy Dog Sunday!

There has been a lot of rumble in my house since Scrappy Dog Sunday was started. Needless to say, Jujube has not been a happy camper. She has sulked and pouted around the house for the past month. So, of course, I HAD to give in and let her have a Scrappy Dog Sunday all to herself.

I'll let Jujube take over in a minute but just a little background about her. OMP and I think that she is perpetually stuck in her "tween" years. She will always be a little girl to us so when you read this interview, keep that in mind and make sure you have a "12 year old girl" voice on in your head

Okay Jujube, take over!

Jujube, what kind of things are "tweens" into today?
Gawd mom! Well, you know,,,I really love the Jonas Brothers, ICarly, not so much Hannah Montana anymore. She's so 2008. I really, really want a cell phone and a iPod, but dad says I'm too young and I don't have thumbs so I can't hit the buttons but I think it's because he thinks I'm a little girl and I'm not!


What do you like to do during the day?
I love laying out in the sun! Playing with Lola, chasing squirrels and cats, listening to music. The usual stuff.

Would you consider yourself a fashionista?
Mom, have you been looking at my Seventeen magazine again? PLEASE! My favorite color is pink and I'm a pretty pretty princess. Does that answer your question? Duh!

What's it like having two moms?
Well, Lola is my real mom, but you're my mom-mom. It's pretty cool cause if one doesn't give me what I want, I just go to the other mom. Oh wait, did I just say that outloud?

Any closing thoughts Jujube?
Dad said if I did this interview I could have a cellphone with rhinestones.

Oh Jujube-you are such a silly little girl

Cause this never gets old

This is what Saturdays are for. Oh Lola Mae.

Feel Good Friday

So many times we get bogged down with all the negative things in our lives. It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That's why I have "Feel Good Fridays". These are sites, places and just crazy things that make me happy and hopefully make you happy too.

This video has become a viral video in a matter of seconds. At the end, I was totally tearing up. I love that they are so happy and so silly. I hope that they are happy for years to come.


I fell in love kindovermatter when it was featured on Craft. It is so positive and just plain old fashion happiness. I strongly suggest grabbing a cup of tea, putting on your favorite bunny slippers and spending some time with these ladies.


If you have ever been over to Craftster, you know Phizzychick. She is an AMAZING artist and has just added some super cute bugs to her shop.


Fiberartsy (aka Crystal) knows the way to my heart


If you are in the Portland area, you already know about St. Cupcake. The bonus is now they deliver to anywhere your little heart desires. The big top and the red velvet are my favorites. OMP love the Fat Elvis.


Oh, and since you asked (I know you did) what makes me feel good on Fridays? Hanging out with my OMP and the pups. He pretty much rocks my world. Yep, Fridays are alright with me.

It's a dog eat dog world! Collecting Thursdays

There are a few things you should know about me. 1-I love animals, in particular puppy dogs and 2-I'm an avid collector. I don't mean one of those creepy hoarders that will die by an avalanche of papers but one who enjoys collecting what she likes and not getting concerned with having one of every color.


One thing that I LOVE to collect is anything vintage with puppies on them. I mainly collect ceramic dogs but I want to branch out to vintage photos, linens and books.

There is a great book called Flea Market Fidos that is a great place to start if you are thinking of collecting puppy stuff. I constantly drool over everything they have in there.


These pups are from Occupied Japan. I love the little bug on the butts.




Even though I don't have Bulldogs, I think they are so cute in ceramic form. I love her little pink flower.


This poor little guy! I really hope he cheered someone one at the hospital. A lot of the planters are Royal Copley. You can usually find their at a fairly cheap price and is another good way to start collecting.


These guys are usually another common piece you will see around. They are great at parties to hold your snacks.



My advice to anyone wants to start collecting is to have fun with it. Enjoy the art of the hunt, sometimes that can be more fun then the actual prize. Remember the golden rule-three is a collection (yes, even if it's ex's husbands).

What do you collect? Hit me up and let me know! I would love to feature you!

A little doe-c-doe!

Many of you in the embroidery world know doe-c-doe. She is the queen of vintage patterns and is an absolute sweetheart for putting them up on flickr to stitch and share. She is amazingly talented and I don't care what she says, she is the ultimate cool kid!

Tell me a little bit about yourself
I’m originally from a small town in western NY but now live in the mid-west, am not married but have been with the same wonderful guy for 20 years & work as a graphic designer. Basically I’m pretty much an introverted homebody who is addicted to thrifting. On a daily basis I swear too much, am socially awkward, drive like a maniac & act like a complete dork. It’s taken me 40 years but I’ve pretty much come to terms with the fact that I will never be one of the cool kids.

You are the queen of vintage patterns, where do you find them (and thank you for sharing them!)
You’re welcome! I started out buying a couple lots of cut, loose transfers on ebay, but the prices were just so high that I stopped looking on there. Then I got connected with a woman locally who collected vintage sewing items & she sold me a portion of her collection. I’ve added since then just from thrift stores, estate sales & flea markets. I really enjoy sharing them with everyone & love to see how people use them!

Speaking of vintage, you seem to have a love for thrifting and antiquing. What's your favorite find?
I do LOVE to thrift! My favorite find has got to be the signed Charles Harper rooster print I found at an estate sale late last year. I still get all giddy when I think about it!

Who/What inspires you?
So many people & things inspire me, it’s hard to be specific…blogs, flickr & vintage things are pretty high on the list.


Do you have a website/blog?
I have a blog called doe-c-doe but no, I do not square dance.

Any advice for the masses?
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes I see the amazing things people are making and get very self-conscious about what I make and wonder why I even bother! But I think any kind of creative activity feeds a person’s soul & that is more important than what anyone else thinks of the final product. So make what you like, what gets you excited or makes you happy - don’t focus on what the reaction of others may be.

Describe the perfect day
Bonus: Breakfast at a diner, thrifting, more thrifting, a carnival for lunch & photos, thrifting, more thrifitng, homemade pizza made by my guy for dinner, hot fudge brownie sundaes or his flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce for dessert, a funny movie, and finally off to a bed made with freshly washed sheets that were dried outside so they smell like fresh cut grass & sunshine.


If you want to check out some vintage patterns you can at Hoop Love. Also be sure to check out doe-c-doe's blog. Thank you so much for the interview. Your work is amazing and I so want to come thrift with you!