Rain!!!

double rainbow!!!!

What a sweet start to the day!!!!!

Tour de Fat

Vanessa

Marie

Fransisco

There were so many crazy bikes and costumes I wish I could have captured them all...but I had beer to drink!

We did some port-a-potty karaoke..Salt'n'Peppa's Push It...it did not sound as good as we planned.

Around 3:30 near the end, after many beers and a churro, I was sitting in the shade just being exhausted and drunk. It was so hot and sunny! There was a cool band playing that incorporated marching band style and a dude on stilts and all of the sudden this giant guy with giant hands and arms comes out. His mouth was moving to "Tiny Dancer" as the song played. I was so exhausted and confused that I thought it was so hilarious and freaky at the same time.

Then we rode on to Cornish Pasty. Thanks for a good time Tour de Fat, until next year my friend.

Play

pasta necklaces

we need more pictures of this guy

Madeline's Halloween display including her "hairy pumpkin"

Rainy Tuesday

You know you are an Arizonian when you have to take a picture of the rain

a piece of HAIL!!! does this mean summer is over?!!?

I pretty much have rainbow colors on my mind 80% o the time.

Drowning corn stalks

peppers, sweet potatoes, peppers

Ben's signature Napoleon pose, including boogers.

sibling love.

I get a ton of energy and happiness on rainy or overcast days...just another reason why I should probably relocate to the north west...or east coast. We had a good day yesterday playing outside, reading 39384 books and doing about 5 art projects, and listening to music!

The Social Network

On Saturday me and Nathan went to see The Social Network. I thought it was very interesting and a great story. I did however have a problem with the way women were portrayed in the movie. There was a "killjoy feminist", a million brainless Harvard party sluts, an insanely jealous Asian girlfriend, some Victoria's Secret models, and girls who gave blowjobs in the bathroom of a bar. The story fails to mention all of the women who helped make Facebook successful (uh Mark Zuckerberg's sister?!). Zuckerberg also apparently had a med school girlfriend who did so much for the company and she's not part of the story at all. Anyway, I did enjoy the movie but I found it interesting that this happened. There was a discussion about it on Jezebel.com and I found a link to another discussion about the portrayal of women in the film. This comment was posted in response to the article...


If women spent half as much time trying to change the world as they do bitching and moaning, then maybe they would accomplish something. But the reality is, that men are the ones who change the world and they have been since the beginning of time. Zukerberg is just on in a long line of them.

Instead of whining about how women are portrayed in this movie, why don't you ask yourself, why women are viewed as sexed up plastic dolls, airheads, self obsessed victims, hangers on, gold diggers and ball busters. Then you might want to do some investigating. First thing you do is turn on the tv. Then get on your facebook and look at how women portray themselves, then watch a little Real Housewives or Kim Kardashian. Then get back with me on why women are portrayed badly in movies about men who change the world.

I find this man's thoughts very insightful. It is so true, we all know that women are only good for making babies and sometimes dinner for their husbands. Women are certainly only viewed as whiny, gold diggin' ball busters because that is all we do! We should stop complaining and sit back and let the men just do their jobs in peace. I know that all of the woman I am friends with on Facebook certainly make themselves out to be slutty bimbos. He's so right. In fact I can't recall one woman in the history of mankind who has done anything significant like some of those great men. Genghis Khan blows someone like Virginia Woolf out of the water any day. Do you know how many people that man killed? It was epic. Even if a woman could be a genius, she probably would waste her talent by spending most of her time moaning and bitching to her male superiors. When I turn on the TV and see people like the Real Houswives and Kim Kardashian, I know that their self image and close mindedness issues are completely the fault of the female population. I feel bad for the male producers who have to put up with their idiotic drama all of the time and even more so for the everyday men who have to put up with their countless media propaganda. In conclusion, I know that women are the heart of the problem when it come to the horrible issues we have. We should have never marketed ourselves as sex objects thousands of years ago. If women had not have chosen the path of slavery, sex objectification, prostitution, being uneducated, underpaid, and generally idiotic people, we may have stood a chance in today's world to make something of ourselves and change the world through some great invention like Facebook. For now ladies, lets just keep our mouths shut and our legs closed and try not to make our image any worse. We need to let the men focus on all of the great changes in the world happening today.

Underdeveloped Nations

I was just thinking about sustainability..and capitalism...and all off that heavy stuff which unfortunately crosses my mind often. I have come to the conclusion that America has a huge ego. When we beleive we are "fixing" the rest of the world, we are actually just teaching underdeveloped nations to play into our consumerist economy. The first mistake we often make is that we think these countries are "underdeveloped". We fail to see how rich their cultures already are and how they used to be economically and socially advanced. The problems these countries now face; no jobs, health care, food, clean water, and housing, were brought on by us. Our demands for their natural resources destroy their homes and economy. They can no longer live simple lives weaving baskets or growing vegetables because of us. We pollute their rivers and streams with factory sludge and cattle waste. They become dependent on what Americans buy: beef, gold, diamonds, wood, and so much more. We have created a disgusting gap between the rich and poor in these places. They now thrive on our dollars yet we and their own rich give them no affordable opportunities for the masses to acquire medicine and other necessities. Then, as this economic system ruins the lives of indigenous people we think it is because they just can't help themselves, because they are not as "advanced"and they don't have the "technology". We forget that like our European ancestors they too have live for thousands of years off of their land and developed a rich culture and way of life. Now, I do value humanitarian efforts Americans and other "developed" nations pour into these countries. It is so important that we help families establish fair-trade businesses and help communities acquire clean water. Our goal right now should be to make sure that everyone has basic human necessities as well as protect their rights. But in the long run, we need to walk away. We have no right exploiting so many people just for our economic gain. We have already destroyed thousands of languages and traditions just by globalization. We need to reflect on the past. America has already made so many mistakes (Destroying Indian culture, WWII concentration camps, Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and we are on the brink of disaster. We think we have developed the ultimate dream way of living (the truth is most Americans are depressed and those who we consider "poor" are the most content with life). America is young. Perhaps we should listen to the wisdom of those great age old cultures. We need to leave them alone and let them heal the damage we have caused in such a short time. I truly believe in a sustainable, efficient post-industrial society and I would like to see it happen in my lifetime. I can't imagine anything better than getting back to roots with family, traditions, and self-sustaining agriculture. The first step is to lead by example and America has a lot of persuasive power. We need to utilize our voices before it becomes too late. Most importantly, we need to let those "underdeveloped" nations remain that way.

Happy

I am happy today. We went to whole foods and got fresh local bread and picked out a nice hunk of quality cheese. Then we came home and made sandwiches that were sooo good. We had organic raspberries and fresh squeezed organic local orange juice too. Nothing could be better...except having these things come straight from your garden/farm of course...:) Nap time.

When I live on a lake one day...

*Image stolen from a beautiful blog

New Music

Okay i've been listening to the Cave Singers nonstop for a while now. It never gets old, really. I love their albums, so give them a try!! Invitation Songs is the first album and my favorite one. Welcome Joy is the newer album and is also excellent.

Try the Cave Singers on pandora! It will be amazing.

I hear they will be in Tucson in the late fall. Any takers??

Does physical appearance make one worthy of serious consideration?

Obviously not. But as soon as I read that statement I immediately made the connection that most of my shortcomings in life stem from not feeling good enough, and yes, sometimes even beautiful enough to do things or talk to certain people. This sounds crazy, I know. But when you really think about just how much American culture pushes the importance of a woman being pretty, beautiful, or sexy though any media we experience it makes sense. Even in shows and movies where a woman is a hardworking and smart “career woman” she is thin with perfect hair, perfect skin, and extremely stylish clothes.

Now, I try to keep myself sane and I know that for the most part America’s expectations of what a beautiful woman should look like are ridiculous. But there are many times in my life where I can remember not feeling like I was even worthy to talk to because I was having a bad hair day or because I thought my nose was just too huge! I don’t even want to think about how many other women have felt this way too.

I like to think I have a level head on my shoulders, but I guess we can all get sucked into this trap sometimes. We do live in a very…different generation after all. It takes hard work to push away all of these messages that people and companies send us (buy this or that so you can be better at ____!) But I have to remember that physical appearance is in no way a measure of my true self. It is much more important to develop my inner-self rather than worry about wrinkles, how skinny I am, and what clothes I wear. I hope someday soon the American archetype of beauty will change for the better.

Home and Creativity

It takes a lot of force to live deliberately today. Of course as I’m thinking that, I accidentally put the already ground coffee into the grinder instead of the whole beans. It is too easy to become distracted and overburdened with unnecessary things that the TV or the Internet tells us is important. Even going to the gym, the guy wanted me to pay an extra $600 a month for a personal trainer! At the same time, it seems easy for us to get caught up in finishing our home and getting good deals on the stuff we choose to keep in our homes. I think most of us just have the wrong definition of home. Home is a place you retreat to that makes you fully comfortable and safe. It should not be a receptacle for trendy, gaudy accessories and cold design. Some of the greatest designers and creative people have sparse homes. They realize that the process should be evolving, and that a home should revolve around its owner’s life. It can never truly be finished. A homeowner should not mould to a homes needs.

Our society propels the idea that we are one giant mass, on entity that can be marketed to and exploited. We have to remember that we are each an individual and are born with so much creativity. It is difficult to find your talents in this sort of setting. We have to make a special effort to remember to be creative and then work very hard at it. It is all too easy to go out and buy pre-fabricated furniture and plastic plates and forget the amazing quality and timelessness that can be found in handcrafted, unique pieces. I have fallen into this trap and probably will again in the future. We can also go buy prints of famous painting that don’t hold a lot of meaning to us, call it art, and not attempt to create something with true value.

But finding your creativity can be difficult as well. I don’t think we should all run to Michael’s and buy some stickers and put them in a scrapbook. I’m talking about acknowledging your needs as a human and making something that works for you. Bringing nature inside the home or shaping nature in the outdoors, like a garden, is the most common way humans are creative. Living slower and making better decisions can be creative. I think growing vegetables and cooking them is too. I love to write as well. It is low-impact but can be incredibly versatile and unique. We should look beyond what others tell us is the right thing to do. Most people don’t know what they’re talking about or why they do and say the things they do. They just do them because that’s what they were always told. Just live and create what you feel is right.

Of course, some people are drawn to color and space more than others. When I was a kid I was always moving around my furniture and when I was a teenager I painted my walls yellow and purple! Later I tried to imitate what I thought was the colors of Mexico by painting one wall orange, one red, one lime green, and one bright yellow. I’m grateful my mom put up with this and allowed me to experiment with color. Now I’m obsessed with negative space. I also have learned to appreciate natural commonplace objects as art. I’m sort of on a minimalism kick although my home does not really represent any of this. Homes don’t always tell us about people especially if someone else designed it. I would be very content right now just having nothing in my living room and adding objects and furniture that I find and love and that are functional. I would also love to be surrounded by books that I truly love. Books have a way of representing who a person is.

I hope I don't come off as crazy...sorry people.

Home Inspiration

I don't like the colors here, a little too country for me, but I like how tiny this kitchen is. I like open shelves opposed to a huge room of bulky dark cabinets.

I wish I had a cozy bathroom like this to take long baths in!

I like pretty houses. Usually something simple. Not too fancy, expensive, or cold. This last picture gives me some (goodwill) ideas for Ben's room when he starts going to grade school...long ways off, I know!

recent projects

a good rainy day

collage finished yesterday

play cake

life goals for me!

http://www.43things.com/person/mkelsey

Much better...

My second attempt at a clutch turned out well. I used the extra fabric from recovering the cafe chairs so really I only paid $1 for the zipper, which I found at Tempe Sales. I made the pattern myself but followed construction instructions from a sewing magazine I had.

I broke another needle in the process, so I'm down to my last one and I'm not looking forward to figuring out where and which type I need to get when this one breaks.

I have an extra white zipper and more interfacing left over so I think I'm going to make another smaller bag with some fabric scraps for more practice.

I also found a cool tutorial online for reclaimed leather clutch that's cute so maybe I'll grab an old leather jacket from goodwill for $1 and try that as well!

Sewing is not just for grandmas anymore, people.

knit scarf

Today I made a scarf...because it's so cold out right?

Actually I've had this scrap fabric for a while and only had enough to make a scarf.