See Day 1 and Day 2, if you haven't already.

Today I’ll finish the details and really work it hard to shrink it down to size. That involves more rubbing with more soap and hot water, with my hands and with hand tools. Whatever area I focus on, that area will shrink more in… Read full post »

A boy living in a New York apartment can see across the alley into the building next door. In one of the apartments he can look directly into the bedroom, and  nightly he watches the woman who lives there. She lies on the bed in her nightie, rubbing her body all… Read full post »

I think there are enough literary folks in my age group on this site for me to ask - Do you remember and could you give me the info for these two books? My mother gave me these books when I was just a kid, in the 1950's, and I can't… Read full post »

All Things Considered (npr.org) had a report today titled : "Recycling Industry Slows As Consumers Shop Less” The article mainly focuses on the economic downturn in the recycling industry, but that's not what came to the forefront for me. I caught the following as I jumped ou… Read full post »

I have been spending the last week making new pieces for my craft guild application. This is what I should have been doing over Christmas, and not just because I procrastinated (It’s due January 19th). I love making felt, making clothes, working with fibers. It makes me feel whole, something I… Read full post »

<Snark> 

From the AP wire:

Mar 19th, 2009 | NEW YORK -- A "Project Runway" finalist is accused of using her cat as a weapon during a spat with her ex-fiance.

Kenley Collins told the New York Post that the Brooklyn police report exaggerated the incident. She calls it

… Read full post »

 Hi all-

I just got back from my show in Winston Salem, just unpacked my van and have lots of last minute things to do before I can post a recap. None of these to-do items have anything to do with Thanksgiving, unless you count catching people on the phone before… Read full post »

OK, I'm ready to start. Welcome to my little HOLIDAY block party. 

First, does anyone  just really NOT want to talk about the C word? Please start a live post that is fiercely off that topic so we can go to your blog and get some relief from over-analyzing. I am… Read full post »

When I was a kid, I was always designing something - clothes, houses, anything that I thought could be made better. I was especially inspired by an exhibit of Paolo Soleri's futuristic city models, and after college, I went to RISD for architecture. 

Eventually I shifted into other… Read full post »

Well, we just got our first snow of the season, like everyone else in the Blue Ridge mountains and now it's moving up the coast to DC and New England. Better get that shovel ready, folks! Like an idiot, I sold mine at my July yard sale (*sheesh*)

So here are… Read full post »

Disclaimers first, I think.

I did 12 years of public high school, in a school district that lost it's accreditation while I was still in school. I still got into a top private university. My mom typed my papers for me while I was in high… Read full post »

This is why. Can we trust some bot to read our keywords and not make a mockery of our thoughts... on our own blog? Most of my favorite content on OS flips a bird to the hype and dreck being hawked by Ads by Google. Why would we sell… Read full post »

All the layers are done. I’ve patted them and they are already locking together to form a shape that is maneuverable.  (see Making Felt, day 1 to see the beginning of this process.)

 The photo of the jacket after all the layers were done didn’t turn out well, so… Read full post »

I missed Dorinda’s Open Call and I’ve been busy in the real world and away from the computer. But, after reading many of the interviews, (and feeling a little left out of the fun) I decided to steal some of the questions, even though they are meant for the real writers on this… Read full post »

There’s a lot of weather going through the mountains tonight. It’s moving over the Appalachian Trail from Tennessee and flowing east across the ridge and into our valley and then southeast down into South Carolina. Whatever Nashville has right now, we’ll have in the morning. It&rsqu… Read full post »

I expected gas prices to go up after Hurricane Ike struck Houston, and was not surprised to see them go up days before it hit. What I did not expect was the shortage of gasoline this long after the event. About two thirds of our local stations here in Western North… Read full post »

And other reasons to believe in love on Valentines Day when you’re single.

This is the flip side of the coin from Lea’s great Valentines post -  a slightly different slant on her topics. These are, instead, reasons to continue to cling to hope for love in the fu… Read full post »

I just saw a big splashy ad on IFC (Independent Film Channel) for Open Salon. I don't know why that makes me uncomfortable, but yeah, it does. It's spreading an even wider net - all those independent film fans who watch cable on Sunday nights (ok, I'm making fun of myself… Read full post »

Just a short post tonight, as a way of apology for being mostly MIA this week. (Well, more like hit and run) I just finished two jackets for orders and a third for an exhibit coming up, so I’ve been up to my elbows in wool and soapy water. I don’t… Read full post »

As I posted last night, I have had a run-in with Bank of America over $25. This was a hidden charge involved in a wire transfer from Ireland. I had done all the research up front and talked to the branch manager about exactly what it would cost to receive a wire transfer,… Read full post »

Exactly one week ago, it was snowing, and there was 3 “ of snow on the ground and the temp was around 25º. Tonight, it’s 78º at 8pm EDT and spring is obviously making a sneak preview. I had a productive day; I turned over the garden soil, ready for planting… Read full post »

It’s 6am and the sun won’t be up for another hour. I am usually not up at this time, in the sense that I am out of bed, but tonight I just couldn’t fall back asleep. Lately I wake up at 4am and can’t force my eyes to close again. It’s… Read full post »