Tomato Necklace

Handsome Treasury

Celebrating Eugene! Part One

Welcome to the Eugene Celebration! For those of you who don't live here, our hippy, liberal, inclusive, gay/lesbian-positive, kid-centered, peacenick town celebration, where our congressman finishes up the parade, on foot, pretending to shovel slug slime, may come as a bit of a cultural shock.... enjoy.

Come ride the peace train!

Here are some friends! Hi!!!!
(The parade theme this year was "I Dream of Eugenie". Get it? The town of Eugene? So that's why everyone is dressed as a genie, even on the peace train.)

The peacetrain was really long, and beautiful, but I've only included a few of it's segments for your viewing pleasure....

The peace dove brought up the end of the train. Better than a caboose any day.


What are those costumed ladies DOING to those dressed up feet? It's the local foot massage clinic of course! They are using their magic wands on the unhappy reflexology chart feet! Then the feet smile and dance all around.

And now to break up the peace........
The Emerald City Roller Girls!!! In the last few years, roller derby has become HOT hot HOT on the west coast. We have the Emerald City Roller Girlz who are a great deal of fun, do teen girl summer camps, and all sorts of off-rink events. I plan to attend the derby next weekend and report back, just for you......
These girls will make you laugh and take you DOWN!!!!! check out those mamas rollering with their babies.



Stay tuned for Eugene Celebration Parade part two.......

What's the Scoop??

This is the scoop! Our new kitten.

We had to trade Sage in. He would not stop peeing in the house. We talked to the experts, took him to the vet, did all they suggested, and in the Cat Rescue people agreed, he needed a different home. He didn't bond with any of us, and didn't like the kids! I've never heard of a kitten who didn't like us.... but I've never had a Siamese before.

We were looking to replace him with another older kitten, but none were suitable. Mudslide Sydney, here, found this wee orange guy and we were all smitten. He was only six weeks old (pictured here) and spent much of his first week sleeping on the bed. He loves the kids and sleeps with them too.

We named him Lil Scoop, because he reminds us of a little scoop of sherbet ice cream. He's so pale and cute. Still has blue eyes, but gold in the centers. Will they turn gold or brown, do you think?

Scoopie is now 8 weeks old and quite the spunky fellow! He races around with Saffron though he's not even as long as Saffron's TAIL!!! Pounces and wrestles happily. He is getting to know the puppy and doing so well with everything! We adore him. Soon, he'll be big enough to be a proper playmate for Saffron.

My very handsome boy, Saffron! He's five months old now, and large for his age. Gonna be a big guy. Isn't he handsome? He's so sweet too. I've never had an orange guy, or picked my own kittens for that matter. Always taken in a stray.... and now I highly favor these sweet natured orange guys. Good thing 'cause we now have two!


Very naughty Girlz! If I leave the back door open, while they are having their daily walk about, Star leads Lacey right inside! Penny is the newest hen, and still rather shy. She's hanging back, keeping an eye on the big Girlz, while they greedily gobble down the puppy's food. Sheesh, Girlz. Go OUTside!

Street Faires Comin Up!

"Interplanet Janet" get your wrist warmers here! Why am I getting Interplanet Janet and Lottie Lottie Lottie get your adverbs here, mixed up? What's the tune to Interplanet Janet? If you think I'm insane then you aren't old enough to have seen Schoolhouse Rock and have your brain permanently plagued like mine is. Saaaaaay...... let's YouTube Interplanet Janet and listen together! REady? Go here and check out the groovyness. We used to get these Schoolhouse Rock cartoons between our Sat morning favorites. Isn't that FUN?! She rocks!

Anyhoo, these wrist warmers are called "Interplanet Janet" and are fresh off the Bliss Monkey Presses available in my etsy store.

For you locals, here is Aly The Red's upcoming street faire schedule:

Meet Your Maker (exciting new location)
Oct 3
Kesey Plaza downtown -- as part of the First Friday Gallery Walk
evening

I love this monthly event: a gathering of quality, hip designers, selling our wares for one evening a month. Being right downtown as part of the First Friday Gallery walk will be lovely. Bring your friends and support your indie artists/crafters/hip mamas!


University of Oregon Fall STreet Faire Oct 8, 9, 10th Etsy team booth #116 13th Street
noon-5pm

Our Eugene Etsy Street Team did this group show last spring and had a blast. Not only did we have a GREAT looking booth, jam packed with variety and color, we also had a lot of fun, got to know eachother better, WHILE making money. I'm hoping Bullfight is gonna bust out her magnetic moustaches to drag the crowds over again! Bring your friends down and say hi!

More Peace

On this day, I'm sending out some love to the world, and wondering what sort of something special I can do today. I can surely find inspiration in this list from "100 Ideas for Creating a More Peaceful World" by David Krieger. I bet many of us do many of these things each day!

• Be generous with your smiles.
• Be kind.
• Respect the Earth.
• Walk in a forest.
• Plant a tree.
• Contemplate a mountain.
• Protect the Earth.
• Live simply.
• Help feed the hungry.
• Erase a border in your mind.
• Teach peace to children.
• Read Chief Seattle's Letter to the President.
• Be honest.
• Demand honesty from your government.
• Think about consequences.
• Commit yourself to nonviolence.
• Support nonviolent solutions to global problems.
• Speak up for a healthy planet.
• Demand reductions in military expenditures.
• Be fair.
• Pledge allegiance to the Earth and to its varied life forms.
• Think for yourself.
• Ask questions.
• Recognize your unique potential.
• Join an organization working for peace.
• Be less materialistic.
• Be more loving.
• Empower others to work for peace.
• Oppose all weapons of mass destruction.
• Support equality.
• Speak out for a nuclear weapons-free world.
• Support a Department of Peace.
• Listen to your heart.
• Help the poor.
• Fight against militarism.
• Study the lives of peace heroes.
• Help create a community peace park or garden.
• Commemorate the International Day of Peace.
• Help strengthen the United Nations.
• Support the International Criminal Court.
• Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Advance the rights of future generations.
• Be a voice for the voiceless.
• Join an action alert network.
• Be forgiving.
• Laugh more.
• Play with a child.
• Support education and the arts over weapons.
• Help educate the next generation to be compassionate.
• Take personal responsibility for creating a better world.
• Sing.
• Write a poem.
• Organize a church service on the theme of peace.
• Learn about another culture.
• Help someone.
• Support the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
• Oppose the arms trade.
• Clear your mind.
• Breathe deeply.
• Sip tea.
• Express your views on peace to government officials.
• Fight for the environment.
• Celebrate Earth Day.
• Think like an astronaut, recognizing that we have only one Earth.
• Be constructive.
• Let someone else go first.
• Plant seeds of peace.
• Work in a garden.
• Change a potential enemy into a friend.
• Be positive.
• Share.
• Be a good neighbor.
• Send a note of appreciation.
• Tell your friends how much they matter.
• Say "I love you" more.
• Don't tolerate prejudice.
• Demand more from your elected officials.
• Walk by the ocean, a river, or a lake.
• Recognize that all humans have the right to peace.
• Respect the dignity of each person.
• Be a leader in the struggle for human decency.
• Be a friend.
• Send sunflowers to world leaders, and call for a world free of nuclear weapons.
• Oppose technologies that harm the environment.
• Lose an argument to a loved one.
• Value diversity.
• Walk softly on the Earth.
• Appreciate the power of the sun.
• Speak out for global disarmament.
• Support a democratic order.
• Teach non-violence by example.
• Remember that "No man is an Island."
• Spend time in nature.
• Boycott war toys.
• Be thankful for the miracle of life.
• Seek harmony with nature.
• Remind your leaders that peace matters.
• Oppose violence in television programming for children.
• Listen to Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
• Celebrate peace.

Tea Time Art Quilt

Tea Time is a 20" art quilt on a wood frame- a project I designed for Lark books, "Pretty Little Art Quilts". The cups button off to be changed for seasons or reversed or rearranged (who says art quilts can't be played with?). The tea bag has real tea in it. I had a lot of fun doing this project. The background is four different textures of white fabric, evocative of fresh linen, curtains and crisp cloth napkins.
(click to see an enlarged photo)

Studio Treats

Here's some photos of the new porch set up right outside my studio. It's set up for fall and about to get a clear porch roof so we can have an outdoor room. In Oregon, as you may know, it rains. And I'm looking forward to having covered outdoor space we can sit hang out comfortably. I picture wearing a sweater, some wrist cozies on a drizzly day and taking a hot cup of tea outside for a little fresh air and light, and a good sit in my cozy red chair. Those chairs rock. I mean that literally and figuratively!

The open door there is my studio. I have some requests to see my studio (SAttack that's you baby) and well, it's messy. I know that doesn't shock anyone, but I'm mostly a little neater than that. Perhaps you all should poke me some more about it and I can post "now" photos and "cleaned up" photos later. What the hey!
Studio windows and new dining area.....I took these photos just this morning and love how Saffron raced across the image as I snapped.


Other view of the porch. Does a porch become a "patio" once it's covered?? While the kids were off at their dad's, I moved the grill and set up these shelves for a fun fall/winter place space. They love to return and see all the things I've been up to, esp if it involves a surprise for them. Chalk, cars, rescue heroes.... oh yea... bring on the autumn!



Ok, I was walking the doggie and came across this totally vintage goods yardsale!!! OMG. Don't pee your pants at home now. I picked up these two dearies. The vintage red print is like crazy little Dr Seuss whispies! And the red fabric parts are the pockets! The blue apron has a fun hem. I should model them for you. Oh dang! If you click the photo, it opens up big and you can really SEE! So cute.

Tonia, you should pop over Sat morning. It's by my house but on the street before mine. Grant? Right off 18th. I wanted to buy you an apron but didn't see just the perfect one.


Fun musical vege table cloth, black fabric with yellow flowers in a pail (tiny) and three vintage prints. What should I do with these fabrics??

And the Answer IS.......

Have you had a guess at the curator's real name? If not, read the end of the previous post where it shows an etsy treasury then come back to this post.

I wrote and asked what her name really is. She was most amused with our guessing. Somehow I totally missed the May reference, but luckily we have some sharp minds here... and her name really is: Cherry May Brown. Isn't that so cute? I hope she lives a charmed life! Thanks for the fun everyone.

Happy Happy and Treasury Riddle

Good Morning! Can you see me waving to you as I walk up to my front door? Its a very good morning. I'm wearing my favorite hat (it's cool and already fallish this morning = good hat weather), and my Moomin tshirt that was sent from Finland by my friend Kajsa. Her etsy shop is completely delightful. Love her work.

My guys just started school yesterday morning. My heart is so happy that they are in the wonderful Family School, both happy, AND in the same classroom this year! We have 1st through 3rd mixed grade classes in our school. It helps kids learn, teach, share, and help one another. My baby is now is first grade!!! Here they are on the first day- deskmates!

In our class of 23 kids, I think almost half the kids are siblings! My guys have been plotting this for years.

Do you understand why I'm so happy about it all? Finn's first grade year was really intense for him at the start, Quillan's first Kindy year (last year) was a huge and difficult transition for him. They go to school 6 hours. That's a long kindy day, but we requested an especially gentle teacher who keeps things very mellow for the little ones afternoons. Still, the first two weeks had lots of tears and uncertainty. That's really rough on mamas. AND in the midst of that was the experience I call my "Double Root Canal Week". When things seem rough, I say, "Yea, but it's not as bad as double root canal week....." And it's always true.

I had one root canal and the pain afterwards was really intense and got worse --- I needed a second root canal in the neighbor tooth, only I was busy having a horrible allergic to vicadin and was too sick to even crawl into the office. I'd managed life just fine without taking any serious pain meds until then. Finally I NEED them and I'm allergic! I had vertigo for 14 days afterwards. It was like I was poisoned.......

So! With school year starting off so sweetly and happily, you can see why I'm light hearted!


Parachute games. We have a parachute big enough to fit our entire small school around the rim! It's a beloved bonding exercise we always do the first day of school.


I'm in this treasury today. REad the title...... is it a riddle? Or did I just miss something? WHAT IS her name then?? Let's all guess, then I'll write and ask her! What's your guess?

Lucky 333

I feel like celebrating the 300's. Etsy sale #333 gets a free coffee cozy! Coming right up.............. will you be the lucky one?

(click here to shop if you like)

The kids are back to school this week and I'm stocking up for the big holiday rush. Coffee cozies: new designs and old favorites back in stock. Wrist warmers: never two exactly alike. Show and tell coming soon.

I'm having some wacky issues with Blogger not publishing so I haven't been able to write as much. Hmmmm

xo
Aly