That Jolie Girl

Junk to Funk 2008

Last Saturday, Smartwick and I had a great evening out.  First we hit happy hour at Bernie's Southern Bistro (great happy hour!) and then we went to our favorite knitting instructor's book signing at Close Knit.  It was great to see her and get my book autographed.  It was my first time at Close Knit and the people were so nice.  I purchased yarn to make the beloved Gauntlet Gloves.  They told me that I could return any unopened unused yarn that I didn't need.  Talk about service!

Then we made our way to the Wonder Ballroom for the 3rd annual Junk to Funk Fashion show.  The show exceeded my expectations.  It was so much fun and the designs were amazing.  This dress made from old Vogue magazines was my favorite. 

This was the first model on the run way.  Seeing how fabulous she looked, I knew it would be a great night.  The show was hosted by our beloved (and cute!) mayor elect Sam Adams.

The couch dress won the audience award and second place.  It was breathtaking.

The zipper dress received a ton of applause from the audience and won third place.  It was amazing to see how many of the designers were also the models for this show.  

I love this local shout out since this dress is made from Franz bread wrappers.  So fun!

My poor iphone could not handle the glare of the bright lights.  My pictures were miserable.  Luckily I found this great article with amazing pictures.   She difinitely had the inside scoop and her article is filled with lots of interesting details about the show. 

Book Signing - Boutique Knits: 20+ Must-Have Accessories

This Saturday, Smartwick and I will be at Laura Irwin's book signing at Close Knit from 5:30-7pm.  I'm so excited to get my hands on this book.  The press has been amazing and it has been the number 1 knitting book on Amazon.  Definitely check out her blog, Precious to see lots of amazing pictures of some of the books projects.  I'm still drooling over the gauntlet gloves.  This would be a great book to have in your library or to give as a Christmas gift.  Come down to Close Knit and get your copy autographed.

Wonderous Art Wednesday

Lisa Congdon is my WAW artist of the week.  I learned about Lisa Congdon years ago.  Her sister is from Portland and started her blog about the same time that I did.  It was always a favorite on my blog roll.  It's been so interesting to see these sister's evolve.  It's a testiment to what blogging can accomplish.  Over the years, Lisa has been able to make art her full time job.  Something I wish for myself.  It's been so interesting to see where she pops up.  I instantly recognized her work in ReadyMade, DesignSponge and countless other places.  She is definitely an inspiration to me.  Her work is constantly changing.  Her are some recent pieces from her Etsy store.

Boy, Time Flies...

15 years ago today, I was watching my first niece being born.  I can't even explain the love I felt at that moment or the love that still grows today.  She is such a joy to my life and I'm so blessed that she lives so close to me.   I wish her the best today and all days.  Happy Birthday!

This is one of my very favorite pictures of her from so many years ago.

Photofunia

Looking to kill some time?  Photofunia is a great way to do this and create some pretty crazy pictures.  This site is super easy to use and it's easy to save your creations for future use.  You could probably create very cool Christmas cards in minutes.  There are about 80 different effects to choose from so the fun is endless.

I'm ready for change

Along with the rest of America, I was glued to my TV last night.  I was thrilled that slightly after 8pm pacific time, Barack Obama was elected president.  I had been trying not to get my hopes up since I've been disappointed in the last two elections.  Finally, America has the opportunity to repair the damage of the past 8 years.  I hope we as a country we will work together to make all the changes Obama proposed during his campaign.  His acceptance speech was dead on.  It will take a individuals and a united country for real change to happen.  This was the first step in the right direction. 

These pictures were taken with my iphone.  His speech brought tears to my eyes.  As I heard a lot of people say last night, I feel so proud of my country and can't wait to see what happens next.

I Heart Weddings

I had the privilege to attend my friends' wedding on Sunday.  It was held in a beautiful barn in Independence.  The setting was just gorgeous and the bride was stunning.   She asked if I would take a few pictures to help document the festivities.  Well, documentation is my middle name.  I was thrilled to do this for my friends.  The lighting was beautiful, but dim so I was really unsure of how things would turn out.  Granted, the picture quality could be better, but I think I did a good job of getting the mood of the evening. 

 

I ended up taking about 500 pictures in 4 hours.  I know, it's a lot even for me.  But with the lighting, I wanted to make sure I got good pictures.  Many were blurry, so I'm happy I had lots to choose from.  I sent her an Picasa album yesterday.  I figured the almost instant gratification is worth it alone.

The officiant was the groom's Brother-in-law.  He also played the Wedding march on the saw.  It was so cool!

Each guest received a CD as a party favor.  It was such a great night.  I haven't been to many weddings as an adult.  I was so happy to be able to share in their happiness.  They are a great couple and will have a happy life together. 

Encaustic Present

I can't even remember the last time I blogged.  How horrible is that?  Life has been crazy and things like blogging have been shipped to the back burner.  Hopefully, I will be back in action now.

Here is an Encaustic piece I did for my cousin's Birthday.  This picture doesn't do it justice.  It looks much better in real life.  I really like using the song lyrics in pieces.  I drew the Celtic knot by hand.  The helicopters (do these have an official name?) were found in my neighborhood.  I really like how this piece turned out.  When I was making it, I just kept thinking about my cousin and how perfect this would be for him.  I'm happy to report that he liked it!