So a while ago I was flipping through the channels and I came across some sort of reality show for art stuff, and I was like hmmn reality shows are usually awful but I like art. So I watched an episode and it turned out to be pretty ok. The show is Bravo’s Work of Art: Next Great Artist, which is kind of a hilarious title because really I don’t know if these people are really that great but I still really enjoyed watching how they reacted to the challenges and just seeing how they approached it.
You could definitely tell the difference between those who had attended art school and those who were just winging it. Thankfully, the people I liked the least got eliminated pretty early on. I mean, Nao? Really? Some weirdo performance artist going in being all “Oh I feel like I’ve already won this.” Sorry friend being weird doesn’t make you an artist. There was a challenge where they had to do something “shocking” and she made this crappy hut and rubbed fake poo on herself essentially and she couldn’t even explain it to the judges. Good job, lady!
Plus the old weirdo lady who thought writing the book title backwards was a good idea? What planet are you from?
I’m not entirely convinced the right person won. If you haven’t seen it, they’re showing it all day today on Bravo (and you can also, ahem, find it online if you’re so inclined).
I really really loved Peregrine the most, and maybe it is because she is weird in the way that I would like to be (or am already) weird. Plus she had great outfits.
The piece she made for the nature challenge was so good until that stuffy guy came in and was all “you should add more to it”. I felt like her final show was more thought out than the other two – Miles was obviously a crazy man who got a little too obsessed, and Abdi was like “humanity! race! wow!” zzzzzzzzzzzzz. But maybe she didn’t win because it seemed like her show was kind of drawing attention to how ridiculous a reality show about art is (at least, that was how I took it). I mean she had this “pony show” that was about the ponies, yes, but also the people watching the ponies. I dunno. Work of Art kind of was a modern day freak show (where did they find some of these people?).
I’m pretty sure her fawns (photo by EG Schempf) were the most awesome thing in the final show. (p.s. her husband is totally weird also.)
Also quick note to Bravo – why can’t I view your videos in Canada? Do you know how irritating it is that I can watch Bravo on my tv but not any of the other videos on the tubes? LAME.
The funny thing was I knew I was supposed to post last week but I just couldn’t convince myself to do it. Oh well. Do not be afraid! I have a bunch of other things for you to covet on my behalf.
1. Cooler weather is a thing that is going to happen soon. Wouldn’t you enjoy this delightful coat from local designer Little Houses Clothing? I know I would! I can imagine wearing this while kicking through dead leaves, with the scent of wood burning fireplaces hanging in the air.
2. A print from My Milk Toof. I would show it to you but I can’t because they aren’t down with sharing their photos. I mean I could still do it but I don’t want to be rude. So just click here and look. I would like either Summer:Thursday or Up and Away.
3. An Ice Cream machine! I don’t even care if summer is almost over. I’ve got the Ice Cream by Coco Cakes blog in my reader and I am constantly blown away by the flavours she cooks up. Well I guess freezes up but you know you know.
4. Every time fall happens I get super jealous of all the sweet boots. Having panda feet and legs means boots that fit = so hard to find. Good news! Boots for Broads does really sweet custom boots made to fit your measurements! I am all over the Wendy boot. I first heard about them from reading Frocks and Frou Frou, a blog I found by creepin’ people on Lookbook. She has a lot of sweet outfits that I am jealous of.
5. A “Will Knit For Tattoos” t-shirt from Natalie Dee, because I feel this is sort of my life. Seriously. Someone trade me tattoos for knitted goods. I want a sweet octopus (shaped like these wicked glass ones) on my chest still and also a jellyfish on my leg and no I don’t know why I want only sea tattoos but there it is. I also think the crayon pony fish from The Life Aquatic would be awesome to have on my body.
6. Despite the fact that my camera is about 6 years old and also not so great anymore because there is a cat hair stuck in the lens, I would like this delightful pink camera bag from Jo Totes. Or the yellow one. I like yellow. I am optimistic that I will somehow get enough dollars to buy a new camera. But I am wavering on the school/work dilemma (I KNOW, OK? I do not know why I am so indecisive but I just am and it bothers me also) so who knows what’ll happen. I mean I like to think of it as a “business expense” but uh I need to have more business happening before I can expense.
7. I still really really really want this super awesome Pillars of Creation quilt. It is freakin’ amazing, but also $12,000. Sad day. If I won the lottery this might be the first thing I’d order, though. Also the guy who makes them might be my weirdo soul mate.
(Maybe I could learn how to make my own? Using a different image, like maybe the Helix Nebula?)
8. And for something totally random, what about the Obama Devil finger puppet? I found this while searching for felt Christmas ornaments (sizing up the competition, you know you know – also anyone interested in a solar system set? I might make a bunch).
Yeah that’s all I have for today. But I hope I included enough links to stuff that you feel super fulfilled.
Oh p.s. I went to the beach today and swam in the ocean and it was really dirty, and sort of looked like hot and sour soup. But it was good. And cold. So cold. I got my U Pass in the mail and now I can go ANYWHERE.
Maine did not swim because he is boring. He read and sent love texts to his boyfriend.
There were a bunch of chairs bolted to the beach, and Maine was like “IS THIS ART?!” so I told him it was. And some other guy was eyeing the chairs up, so I told Maine to sit, and then after he sat the other guy sat also. I don’t know if that is allowed.
See? Guy in the shorts is awkwardly looking around to see if it is ok.
It is ok though because clearly a bird has poo’d on this art already.
Oh and I am in the process of clearing off my workspace and the cats are like WOW TAMS THIS IS THE BEST SLEEPING SPOT EVER. Cats are weird.
So Friday night, Rebecca and her friend Susan picked me up around 6:45, and then we headed to sketchytown to pick up Hilary.
We wedged ourselves in the back between some stuff, and then it was off to the ferry terminal.
This is my anxiety face because it was basically the perilmobile back there.
We got to Gibsons in the night, and tried to find a camping spot. But the campsite was totally dodgy – there was a sign saying “Find a spot and we’ll see you in the morning!” because the office was already closed by the time we got there. But it was poorly lit and scary and we couldn’t find out where the camping happened. So then we tried a motel, but it was totally full because of some logging shut down thing, but they told us we could sleep in the parking lot if we wanted – FOR FREE – so that is what we did. And it was sort of by a dumpster, but I did not notice because I had my head near scary truck town.
In the morning I ate some free berries (aka blackberries) that were nearby and then we went to Tim Hortons for a coffee. I dressed in the bathroom because I am a classy lady, and then the coffee person asked me why I was in town because she could tell I was an outsider and also weird.
Then we went and set up the tent but I did not take pictures of it because I fail at life. But it looked like how the booth usually looks. And beside us was a lady who did tie dye also but she was apparently going on about how she doesn’t like to use soda ash because it is a chemical and dries stiff. P.S. Soda ash is what makes the dye bond to the fabric, so maybe if you ever see her don’t buy her stuff because I bet it’ll wash out.
There was a shuttle taking people up to the high school where they had a bunch of merchants and the competition pieces. One of the ladies who took the Textiles program at Cap won first place in the mixed media category, so that was pretty sweet. I didn’t take pictures of that, either. Sorry friends.
But I did get some of the merchant area. So much wool and loom and quilt goodness!
Hilary and I wanted to dive into the fibre pile. P.S. I am sorry about my dodgy camera. It is old and there is a hair stuck in it and I can’t afford a new one.
I saw this creepy head at the cashmere station and was concerned it was real. But I don’t think it is.
Um basically when I saw this in the hall I was like I NEED TO OWN THIS PAINTING. Sad day.
So afterward, we shoved everything back in the van and booked it to the ferry. We were worried we wouldn’t have enough time, but then we got there mega early and had to wait. I was a bit loopy and obnoxious, and a guy in a truck kept laughing at me. Good times.
Being there early meant we were FIRST, so when we made our triumphant arrival back to Horseshoe Bay they opened the front and I was like HOLY CRAP WE ARE GONNA DROWN but I guess it is normal for them to do that actually. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a ferry in a car… Usually I walk on. Also the last time I was on a ferry we drank secret rum so maybe I don’t remember things so well.
We ended up eating on the ferry, which was kind of sad because I really really wanted sushi. But it turns out Squamish is a town full of grannies who go to bed at 7 pm anyway, and sushi was probably not an option. So we drove straight to the camp site and got there also in the night. But good news! It was a real camp site, with signs and also SHOWERS. I like being clean.
I took this photo in the morning. Check out Hilary’s awesome roof tarping job! I am glad someone was brave enough to go up there cause it was definitely not going to be me.
There were some Kiwis on Tour who were “Sweet As” but I don’t know what they were as sweet as. They were still asleep so I couldn’t ask. Sorry! This will forever remain a mystery.
So then we went to the Whistler market, and set up. For once I had dollars because I sold two things in Gibsons, so Hilary and I checked out the other stuff in the market. I got this delicious Raspberry Apple baby pie for $3. SO GOOD.
The great thing about our tent is it provides lots of shade, so quite often cute doggies are like I WANNA LAY IN HERE while their humans do other things. How cute is this guy?
Then little Miss Talulah came to visit and made quick friends with Hilary, who showed her how to weave a thing. Talulah is going to grow up to be a wooler. She is awesome. Her mom, Tess, makes sweet crocheted silver jewelery and I would totally buy it if I had one million of dollars. If you have dollars you should buy some so she can continue living the dream forever.
Going to Whistler always seems to involve food. I dunno guys. We shared a bag of popcorn from the kettle corn guy and it was pretty delightful.
Then we shoved all our worldy belongings back into the van and made the trek home. The weather was bizarre all day with the rain sun rain sun rain sun, so it got really blindingly bright. Hilary lent her sunglasses to Rebecca so we would not die a fiery crashing death in the van.
Once again we had the problem of “what to eat” for dinner and of course it was Sunday, so everything we wanted was closed in Squamish. We decided to stop at Nesters to pick up a few things, and then stopped at Shannon Falls to eat. I love how the gigantic van looks to tiny compared to the terrifying mountain rock.
We took the Lion’s Gate bridge on the way home, and that is a thing that always makes me happy.
Then today I took some of the stuff I got at the market and made sweet, sweet borscht. I got Russian blue potatoes, beets and the carrots at the market and they were all freakin’ delicious. I ended up not using the stupid turnip, though, because it was made of diamonds and I was not dedicated enough to cut it.
I gave Nova a carrot and it was like BEST DAY EVER om nom nom. He is so cute. Check out the emo hair! We also watched “What Not to Wear” together today and he lounged so hard and it was the cutest ever.
I
I treated myself to this ginger ale while I cooked the soup and it was just the right level of spicy.
I don’t even know how “traditional” this is but basically I googled some recipes and just kinda hoped for the best. It has potatoes, beets, carrots, garlic, onions, chopped tomatoes, some tomato paste and soup stock (I used beef because that is what I had). If you want to make it just chuck that stuff in a pot and add heat. Oh also I cooked the onions, garlic, carrots and tomatoes in some butter in a pan first, and then added it. Also add dill, so much dill. Serve with sour cream and more dill. Delightful!
