So, Saturday was one of those days that was planned in advance to be perfect, and actually was. No, really. I'm not sure if this is the case with everyone, but I know that with me if a great day is planned (especially extensively planned) with the intentions of super-mega-fun, it is almost always at least partially stressful/boring/falls through/not fun. When this failed to happen Saturday, I was so happy. We woke up a little on the early side (for a weekend, hell, for always!) and headed out to the flea market, armed with an Icee. The plan was that Clint could rummage through the many many 25 cent bins at the little comics "shop" there, and I could run around looking for vintage dresses and ceramic owls and the like. Then it siezed upon me: my wierd table-front browsing phobia. I then decided that I, too, would like to rummage through huge boxes of comics for hours in 95 degree heat, rather than face all of the denizens of the flea market alone.
After much rummaging, I think I managed the find the only 30 non-superhero comics in the place (some good finds were lots of Vertigo titles I'd never even heard of, some old Dan Clowes, a Comics Journal feat. Dan Clowes, some old Love & Rockets). I also picked up several copies of some men's adventure magazines from the early 70's, which are hilarious and wonderful. There are some naked ladies, yes, but the ads are really incredible. If this magazine was the only existing relic from 1970, future generations would believe that everyone sold carpet and shoes door-to-door as an occupation. They would also be impressed and amazed at the cool "spy" toys advertised therein.
After we were thouroughly coated in newsprint (it was really quite a sight) we went for a long drive in the country, where we saw some amazing bulls the size of hippos. Seriously! There are so many delapidated barns and houses, and I just adore the textures and feeling of that rural decay. One of my last photo series was of burned-down-houses (well, houses that had been at least partially gutted by fire). I just love those environments. Ok, I know I'm seeming scary. So let's move along... After we washed off the newsprint and flea market dust, we had sushi. That evening we decided to try to recreate this amazing mixed drink my friend Keith makes at the bar in which he bartends, called "Sex at Keith's House". I know that is hilarious...there is another one called "Sex in the Woods". They are both delicious, and so we went to the package store and loaded up on the required liquors and some pineapple juice.
Here is the recipe, they are both quite simple and have only 3 ingredients each:
Sex at Keith's House:
1.) Load up a glass with lots and lots of nice ice.
2.) Combine 2 parts pineapple juice & 1 parts each of Raspberry Liquor and Ameretto Liquor in a drink shaker. Shake. Alot.
3.) Keith claims that it's equal parts of the three ingredients, but I think he's crazy. If you are using the liquors that will be easily attainable at the package store, which are fancier flavored desert brandys, you will die from the sweetness if you use that much. Be generous with the pineapple juice, my friends. You could also throw some nice vodka in to neutralize the insane sweetness, as well.
For Sex in the Woods, just substitute a coffee liquor for the raspberry. It's very good.
Well, now that I've convinced you that I'm a dirty magazine readin', brandy swillin' crazy, I'd like to turn your attention to cupcakes, which hopefully will restore your good opinion. Hopefully, you are not like Mr. Darcy, and your "good opinion once lost" is not lost forever.
Last night, I had a wonderful Thai dinner with my friends Andy and Sara. When they came to fetch me, Sara presented me with some truly lovely, lovely going-away gifts. Or maybe they were just-because-I-like-you gifts. At any rate, I love them. She made me a sweet little pillow with pom-pom trim, and also this icredible little package of gocco'd cupcake cards! Her sensibility about pretty packaging never ceases to amaze.
She will hopefully have her own Etsy shop soon! I will excitedly shout it from the rooftops when that happens.
She MADE these envelopes. Made them. She has made all of her envelopes so far, and they are just lovely and perfect. The papers she chooses are so cute, and the double-stick adhesive line just makes me feel spoiled. As Andy (her husband) "this is why she'll never be able to make any money"...he was only joking, of course, but with an uber perfectionist and thoughtful approach like this, it is hard to make any money. She probably spent at least 3 hours total making this little set for me, and I would say that's a conservative estimate. So she'd have to sell the set for $35.00 to even cover her time and materials!
The crafty business world is full of strange give-and-take, which I know many of you have experienced firsthand. Whew, and this has gotten so long winded! I guess I'm making up for those picture-only posts that made up the weekend's blogging! Happy Monday my darlings.
