Salutations

Does anyone else think of Charlotte's Web whenever you hear the word "salutations"?

Oh the good days of childhood.

This is actually a post about a crafty-mccrafterson time I had this weekend. I needed a little something that had some pizzaz to give greetings to all my visitors. [I haven't actually had many visitors, but they'll come!]

I decorated a little rug I purchased at Big Lots for $2. I think you could get something cheaper, I've seen used carpet tiles for $1 at many places [carpet stores, Habitat ReStore, thrift shops] and that would work too! I recommend berber rather than a plush carpet.

Oddly enough, excluding the rug, these are all supplies I have sitting around my house on a daily basis.

Textile medium allows you to turn any acrylic paint you have into fabric paint. It creates this flexible, permanent, slightly rubbery texture for the paint. It's located in the section with the acrylics at any craft store. Just follow the directions, Folk Art recommends a 2 parts medium to 1 part acrylic paint. That's what your containers are for. On a side note, use your stiff brushes, it will make this project easier!

1. I started off by taping my general outline for my border. I eyeballed it because I'm not looking for perfection. This is a craft.
2.I chose the word "hello" and cut out enough space to paint it. I used the portion of the tape I cut to give myself a line at the top of the "h" and "ll" so my letters were approximately the same height. Yes, it totally looks like "hell" BUT the "o" is coming!
3. Isn't that "o" the cutest little sunshiny, welcoming "o" you've ever seen? I'll say it: it still looks a little like "hell-sunshine."
4. Forget the hell-sunshine for a moment and paint the border, OK?

Remove the tape when you're ready to see your creation.

Not bad, but it still needs....something.

I decided it would be improved if I added a little light yellow over the "hell" and a light yellow circle in the sunshine. Improvements, yes. Then I decided to give it a little more dimension with a white free-hand line over the green border.

I like it! (-:

Wanna come over?

Apples and Jobs

I have pictures of apples I purchased at Johnny Appleseed Festival for $5 for a half-peck. How much can one say about apples?

They're beautiful, aren't they?

OK, I'm done. I'm going to tell you about my jobs instead even though one has nothing to do with the other.

Yes, jobs. I have two. I like them both. (-:

The first job I got was at a fitness center. It's a bit of an upper-class, high-falutin' place where people go to work-out. They also have a bistro, store [selling fitness apparel], physical therapist, lawyer, dietician, child-care center, 8 basketball courts and a spa among other things.

I just randomly sent an email to their info email address and heard back within 24-hours that yes, they were looking for a massage therapist! WHOO! [Actually I sent several of these emails and heard back from EVERY.SINGLE.ONE. How does that happen? I interviewed here first and loved all the people, then I interviewed at this other place where the owner basically told me I had no intuition and was not a very good therapist. I didn't work there because I don't believe those things about myself.] I work in the spa at a fitness center. Perks? Gym membership. Whoo! 50% commission. Whoo!

Job #2? As I was searching for work, I decided that craigslist was not the way to go. I looked for jobs with specific places of business I was interested in working in. I looked at the local sports teams [Yes, this was primarily because I could meet the athletes, don't judge.], I looked at bakeries, I looked at the public library, I looked at coffee shops, I looked at hospitals, I looked at gyms, I looked at all kinds of things.

I applied for a job with the public library [to clarify: I applied for LOTS of jobs with all kinds of places]. I had an interview and 5 hours later I got a call, that they liked me, they really liked me! Yay! Job #2, procured.

What do I do? I'm an administrative assistant for the radio reading service that many people don't know exists. Basically, it's a program that reads and records periodicals so people who are print impaired can hear them over the radio, computer or podcast. Cool, right? That was large part of why I was interested in this job, chellooo--meaningful work. Also, I might get to read someday which is totally rad too.

I was really excited to work for the library because I live about 4 blocks from the downtown-branch. Yup, there are several "branches." My dreams were dashed when the HR person told me my interview would be at the branch up north just past one of the high schools. Yup, I drive 20 minutes to get to work. Luckily, it's totally worth it.

So, those are my two jobs and some pictures of apples. What's new with you?

Johnny Appleseed Festival

Last Sunday I went to the Johnny Appleseed Festival in the Fort.

Who the heck is Johnny Appleseed? Basically he's a man who traveled around Ohio, Indiana and Illinois planting apple trees.

I grew up singing the "Johnny Appleseed prayer."Do you know it?

Oh the Lord's been good to me

And so I thank the Lord

For giving me 

The things I need

The sun and the rain and the appleseed

The Lord's been good to me!

Johnny Appleseed, Amen*

*Alt endings depending on where you're singing it

People dress up. I am not one of them. Everyone who is selling something or working at the festival has to be in "period" clothing.

Fresh squeezed cider? Yum! $8 for a gallon? I don't think so, I'm on a budget, it's called "I don't get to buy much until I get my first paycheck."

Popcorn

This is the fife band. I like to call them the fifers. Fife. Fife. Fife.



Could you ever get into reenactment stuff?
I couldn't.

Oh look, there's Abraham. Hello, Abraham!

These were in the area for kids to play. Seriously, I could have stood there for hours watching these kids. The ones who get terrified are the best to watch. And by "best" I mean, I love to laugh at them.

FOOD!

These onion piles were delicious. And greasy. And delicious. 

Caramel apples...need I say more? 

I had a great time with Kate, Jacob and Tiana! [But Kate is the only one I really know, so she gets the most credit!]

STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING

Go get this book:

Read it.
Giggle a lot.
Try to read it slowly so you can savor the chapters.
Fail miserably.
Giggle some more.

Finish it and tell all your friends.

I love Tina Fey and Bossypants did not disappoint. Her subtle, sarcastic humor is conveyed through her voice perfectly throughout the book. Just look at the cover again. Subtle, but hilarious. There are also tragic childhood pictures.

Brownies

Brownies!
Glorious brownies!
[You can just imagine me singing and dancing that out. It's kinda like interpretive dance, but more spaz-tastic.]

I went up to say my goodbyes to Oliver Lake this weekend. It was chilly when I arrived on Friday afternoon, so I didn't start a fire or turn on the furnace. I baked brownies.

They warm both the heart and body.
Or not.

I whipped up my easy, one pot batch only I added a little extra salt.

Then threw in some of these:
BAM! Caramel? Yes, please.

The thing is the house was so cold that the caramel hardened, that does not make for good eats. Therefore 10 seconds in the microwave is a beautiful thing.

Later in the evening my aunt and cousins arrived and we watched a movie and stayed up late, slept in the next morning and lounged around all day Saturday.

Saturday evening we headed home. As I drove, I was hit with the "THIS IS WHERE I LIVE NOW" slap in the face. I knew it was coming. Between my crazy traveling summer and starting new jobs and moving and all that nonsense, I didn't really feel the emotional sadness related to leaving Durham. I felt sad, but it hadn't really hit me that I'm not actually going back.

It's like the feeling after you graduate college and summer should be over and you should be going back to the dorms to live with your friends and none of that is happening.

I'm happy to live in Fort Wayne. I'm grateful for two good jobs. I'm like my tiny apartment. I'm blessed to be close to family. I love living close to my college friends.

The only thing is, I miss you Durham. I miss the city. I miss the people. I miss the theatre. I miss my clients. I miss you.

That's just what I'm thinking about tonight as  I sit here at the 'bucks.

---------------------------------------------------

Brownies

• 1 stick Butter, melted in a saucepan
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder, unsweetened
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 cup Flour

Melt the butter and add the sugar to the saucepan cooking for a short time until the sugar just starts to dissolve [2-3 minutes]. Remove from the heat and add the eggs stirring constantly so you don't end up with scrambled eggs. You could temper them, but I'm lazy. Then just add the rest of the ingredients and stir them until combined. Pour into a 9x9 pan and sprinkle the top with Milk Duds. Lick the spoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Hanklin

Lately Hank has gotten into the habit of pouncing on me in the middle of the night between the hours of 3:00-7:00am.

Those are not hours I enjoy being awake. Yesterday, I went for the gold and every time I saw Hank starting to doze off for a mid-afternoon nap I would shake him awake. 

It was one of my more mature moments. 

 

What a stinker.

Check out my new blog...the cooking closet!

Hi, I'm cute

No, not me. He's cute: He doesn't live with me. Hank would hate it, plus my landlord doesn't allow dogs. Remember Ebony? My grandma's dog? This is her half-brother. Part of the Fair family. What's his name?

   

Indiana State Fair Indy for short. You know, like, "we named the dog Indiana."

We named the dog Indiana

Pop Music and Symphony Orchestrations

Should it be symphonic? I don't really need to know since I don't really care that much, but I just want to make sure that those of you who are more anal retentive than I am know that I debated that.

Last night I went to Fishers, Indiana. It was a spur of the moment trip to see this girl:
The one and only Rach McF. Love her. You may remember her from the last time I was in Fishers at Conner Prairie.
CP is the location of the really cool, totally amazing, brilliantly beautiful Symphony on the Prairie featuring the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. They [no, I don't know exactly who "they" is/are] began composing the orchestrations for this concert last February. The concert was benefitting Outreach, Inc. which is an agency in Indianapolis working with homeless teenagers and young adults.
The concert was amazing. Uh-may-zzzzz-ing.

Yeah, that's an overly cropped picture with a bunch of lust-filled women 
standing at the stage gazing as Jon McL sings and plays the piano. 

Reasons why I loved this concert:
1. Chellooo--totally makes what could potentially be a pretentious orchestra concert accessible by young people, couples, older people, families, toddlers, basically...EVERYONE.
2. I quite enjoy Jon McLaughlin's music and have for several years now, I don't have his newest album yet, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Indiana.
3. People bring their own food, laugh, chatter and enjoy themselves without the usual concert etiquette. [Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the etiquette, but I also enjoy a good conversation while I'm listening to music.]
4. We were outside and the weather was perfection.
5. Pop singer/songwriter music + orchestration = perfection
[6. Free tickets since Rach McF works there.]

Rach and I started out by chowing on some dinner followed by Oreos. Orange Halloween Oreos.
And even though Rach always ends up with the ridiculous "I'm eating food and look ridiculous" pictures, I should say that I generally look worse since we're constantly trying to one-up one another. It's just that I have the camera and she doesn't. Mah-ha-ha-ha-ha.

As the light went down it just got more and more beautiful.


Oh yeah, and this guy? He's totally taking a picture with his phone through one lens of his binoculars. Does this actually work?


Here's a video--the balance of the band and orchestra aren't stellar since the person filming is basically sitting on the edge of the stage--but you get the idea:


So the only thing I'm left wanting is a recording of this performance. Where do I get it?
 
Orchestral pop is the new black.

Final thought: this would be the *PERFECT* first date. Feel free to recommend this to all the single men you know who should ask me out. [Of course, I think the season is basically over now...]