Paisley Ann Home

2009-06-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

A FABULOUS Before + After
Check this out. I love the room makeover for a darling 10 yr.old little girl. I found this over at Creature Comforts, a blog I like to frequent mostly because it gives me that orgasmic feeling that I get whenever I find design that just hits the spot. It's like eye candy.

BEFORE:

A*F*T*E*R:

Please check out the whole story on the Creature Comforts blog, she has a great eye and you might just find some other really lovely things:
http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/before-after-my-daughters-bedroom-makeover.html

2009-06-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

ReadyMade came today!! ReadyMade came today!! After two long days of posting. I'm sorry... after 4 of thee longest hours of my life, over a period of two days, I am officially sick of posting items on my ETSY shop...I just want to relax and perhaps bathe in a bathtub of pure bliss...the kind of bliss that exists when an artist is free from doing mundane things that are totally necessary, like posting items on Etsy. :) There! Ha! So my bliss will consist of a pure unadulterated reading Ready Made from cover to cover...if I don't fall asleep first. Hopefully I will get back to creating tomorrow.

2009-06-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

Indie sacramento- May 2nd, 2009

It's already been just over a month since I traveled over the hill to Sacramento escorted by Ben (age 8) and Eric (age 31), the two finest, most low-maintenance introverts one could ever be accompanied by. Coincidentally, one of the photos the photographer grabbed was of Eric manning the booth, while I was fluttering around salavating over all of the amazing handmade goods.
This fair did two things for me. It gave me an inexpensive alternative to the craft fairs that cost ($250-$350). The second, is that it encouraged me to do more of them (the inexpensive ones). I made over $250, which covered my expense, gas, supplies, etc, and gave me a little left over to order some cute business cards from Moo.com. Slowly but surely I am building this business.
This summer I have pulled my Paisley Ann Home goods out of the local boutiques so that I might have enough inventory for all of the shows I will be doing, all of which were precipitated by the Indie Sac. So, thank you Indie Sac! Even in the pouring rain I was lavished upon with many gifts.
As a bonus, I got to do a trade with an amazing girl who makes hair clips. Mine was rather boho with a red feather, delish. Whenever I wear it I get loads of compliments. Eric purchased a lightbulb terrarium, that we are proudly displaying on our windowsill.

2009-01-29T17:43:00.001-08:00

FRESH PRESSED! Los Angeles, Ca 12:06 p.m.- 6:32 pm.

Today I worked at a silver magnetic table in Fresh PRESSED, a do-it-yourself, screen-printing shop. I spent most of the day brainstorming with Jonathan Sample, the owner. I am working with Jonathan on creating different merchandise for the shop for Valentine's Day. So for the next couple of weeks I will be in Silverlake on Thursdays and Fridays. We are trying to come up with different textile designs for the shop. Perhaps some plushes for your loved ones, etc. He is a great guy and the mid-century look he has going on is rad. Everybody who works in the shop is a designer. All of his promotional goods as well as the look of the shop all look like he put a mid-century laundromat in a blender with an old Stuusy logo and pressed puree.

2009-01-29T17:39:00.000-08:00

FRESH PRESSED, L.A. Interviewed Jonathan Sample. He was a great guy! Gave me all sorts of tips on what he did and did not do right when starting his screen-printing business.

The tip I put in my pocket to keep for a later time, when I am on my back at home staring at the popcorn ceilings, and wondering why the f*&^ I am an artist....

"Don't talk about doing it..Just do it. Ideas are everywhere. Everyone has an idea."
-Jonathan Sample, designer & owner, Fresh Pressed

2009-01-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so today--not so much motivation to sew. Yesterday I took a bunch of owls into La Bussola, and sold two before I left the door. Things are going well on that front. Tonight I might have to do a little sewing to feel productive.

Went to Bibo coffee this afternoon and met up with Bean Paulson of Coyote Craft and Leah Ruby, a fabricator who runs a gallery in Virginia City, and their little kiddos. It was awesome. I seriously cannot wait until we have a craft day in the next few weeks.
These girls are wicked funny and have darling taste.

2008-12-22T03:06:00.000-08:00

The Registree.com is kickin yo!

Eric started a family gift registree application back in 2001. But every year he worked on it a bit more, until now it is a totally full functioning website..You guys have to check it out!
It is simple and here is my elevator pitch:
TheRegistree.com is a site where a person has a wishlist that friends and family can see and reserve or buy gifts for without the person knowing what was bought for them. It is perfect for solving problems with double-buying. The best part is that there are no ads. Raaddd!
Everyday we are developing it into a more user friendly site. If you have any comments or questions you can paticipate on our blog: www.theregistree.com/blog. we also have all of our recents news and new upgrades and features posted on the blog.

2008-12-22T02:07:00.000-08:00

Wow! So, I stayed up a couple of nights last week, and sewed my little tush off in an attempt to get 20 plushes done by
Saturday so that they could go in La Bussola for the last weekend before Christmas. I didn't quite make the goal, and felt a bit like Elf when he fails to make his quota of etch-a-sketches. But quite honestly, it was still an amazing feeling when I finished 9 of them. Well, to my amazement, I was emailed this blog post from my friend Pamela who saw my plushes in the store today and bought one for herself. I have to say that it is Pamela's freaking crazy ass work schedule that motivated me to try to keep up with her creative zest and manic production. Plushes are new for me, but anyone who knows me knows that I have a hard time doing mass prodution of any one item for too long, before I must challenge myself with a new endeavor or medium.

Check out the following post: http://www.sewintoart.blogspot.com/

Also check out her purses as well. You can find a huge selection of them in La Bussola, but also online.

2008-12-07T22:30:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I sat in La Bussola during the downtown Wine Walk. I was there to do illustrations, but instead I sat and brainstormed with Pamela as to how we were going to get an Etsy team together for Reno. I know, it sounds rather boring. We actually talked about our husbands, kids, life, dieting and all sorts of other things. It was a perfect break for Pamela--who I can't thank enough for coming down and taking some pictures. She, by the way, is working on her craft all of the time. So she is very busy and has very little time to dilly dally. But we also talked about balance and how easy it is to get carried away with work. To be honest, I tend to have the opposite problem. But I gave it my best shop in empathizing with Pamela as she explained her plight--frantically working all of the time. I am very happy to see my friend's work doing so well at La Bussola because she is so deserving. Her purses are crazy cute, but what most impresses me is the quality of her work. She pays attention to every detail.

Pamela also featured me on her blog this week. I want to give you guys the link:http://sewintoart.blogspot.com
There is a link on her blog to the interview she did with me as her "featured artist."

Coming soon: I am working on drawing a pattern for some plushes. My first installment of 10 of them will be in La Bussola first. Will update you soon. By the way by the end of this week you should be able to find some of my prints in Rad Betty's.
So, please come see my stuff down there.

Goodnight for now, back to Wii Mario Cart with Eric and some white ambrosia from 7even Teahouse.

2008-12-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

The Registree.com!!!

We just re-launched TheRegistree.com with all sorts of upgrades and features to make shopping for your family more efficient.

Below is a screen shot from the actual site. We are also adding both Facebook and Iphone applications. Coming soon, I tell you. Coming soon! Please tell your friends and family about it!

2008-09-29T01:27:00.000-07:00

UP-CYCLED CHAIR #1

After reading Eddie Ross' blog about fancy finds he gets at flea markets and thrift stores I decided that I will have to frequent the local thrift stores on 4th street for more than just the $5 chair find. Right now I have two rolls of fabric that I majorly dig, so I am constantly on the lookout for wooden chairs with a fabric seat that I can paint and re-finish. However, so often in my search for the perfect piece o' crap chair, there is a pot of gold. Maybe it is milkware, or a pair of rad sconces. I am going to make sure to keep my eye open for the stuff that Eddie finds...hopefully my eye is 1/8 of as good as his. Here is the chair that I painted antique white, distressed with sandpaper and re-upholstered the seat. Oh, need I forget, I printed out an illustration that
can be found in my Etsy Shop: http://www.paisleyann.etsy.com. I then strung beads on DMC floss and place the beads in a circle around the decoupaged illustration. I stabilized the beads with Krazy Glue.

2008-09-29T00:49:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I put my first piece of furniture in La Bussola,
a boutique in dowtown Reno. It was a small dresser that I painted
cherry red and the faces of the two drawers with a paisley pattern.
I enjoyed painting the dresser, except for my neurotic tendency
to never be satisfied with my work that led me to re-paint it three
times. Needless to say I was done with it. Like stick a fork in me
if I ever have to see that dresser again. After that whole dramatic
ending, I decided that I was only going to paint something once,
and if I didnt love it then "oh-freaking-well". I would drop it off
sooner than I could get another coat of paint on there. Stay tuned
for pix of the finished products.

2008-03-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

As you may have already known, I have just started to put more work up on my Etsy account. I currently have 4 items, all of which are prints of my original illustrations. This piece is one that I did with markers, pen, and pastels. Please take a look at my Etsy shop.

http://www.etsy/paisleyann.com

2008-02-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

Julie Blackmon photos are strictly reminiscent of the steampunk era. She has a keen eye for compostion and the absurd in the everyday. She chronicles the lives of 30 somethings who are the hipsters that their baby boomer parents wish they had been.
Every photo brings the viewer on her knees as she tries to make since of the context.. the subjects, the furniture, the interior design and the color pallettes that are uber-ecclectic. As your eyes snan the picture your brain jumps tracks from the 20's to the 50's to the modern and back. She even throws a few of your grandmas gold curtains in to add a flair that will remind you of Sunday afternoons --without the musky smell of your Grandma's attic.
Check her out: www.julieblackmon.com

2008-02-29T13:50:00.000-08:00

Sublime Stitching (www.sublimestitching.com) is an embroidery pattern company with a hipster flair. This sheet is a kitchy camping set of designs by Jenny Hart. I recently embroidered the airstream on to a short-sleeved knitted sweater. It will soon be up on my Etsy site. ..www.etsy.com/paisleyann
All of her patterns are pretty funktified and can add drama to any old article of clothing. This is not your grandma's embroidery and you will not find hearts or teddy bears.

2007-07-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

*INFJ *INFJ *INFJ* Annie is an INFJ.
Oh my gosh I am so relieved. For a minute there I didn't think she would ever be identified. So, Beth (INFJ) and Annie and me (ENFP) are making oatmeal cookies. I made Annie take the Meyers-Briggs typology, while I was talking to some guy about his Saab that he was selling on Craigs list for $600 (yaah so I called 45 mins. after he posted it and some girl was already test driving it. So if she doesn't come back in the morning to get it..He is going to call me back...ok so I am letting it go..its gone). Anyways, so back to my story. Annie has been my best pal since 7th grade when we taught an art class at a convalescent home.. (even now she is reminding me of two of the women's names and the racist biznatch recreation coordinator that didnt realize we had more talent at age 13 than she). Anyways. So Annie and I go together like peas and carrots. When we hang out it never feels rushed or strung out, or difficult. We almost became roomates a few months ago and often discuss the future, a time in which we might collaborate with our art. Her brilliant and witty writing, with my sillyness. I hesitate because I fear that the P in me will not follow through and she will be left diappointed. But I never could figure out what she was in MBTI terms. So, now, finally, she took the test. And she is an INFJ. INFJ's have become abundant, or at least more visible as of late. Interesting. So hooray....Annie now knows who she is (she just wispered under her breathe loud enough for me hear, bull$%**). More importantly, I can blame everything she does on the fact that she is an I N F or J. Muuauuuauuuahhhh muuuuuahhhh. I am systematically, and mathematically breaking down all of my friends into one of 16 categories. So Beth suggested I make friends with one of each of the 16 personalities, I informed her that I only like approximately 2% of the population...which rules out the other 15 personalities. So here's to you, Annie, you make me proud. And here's to our friendship, which makes me more proud. I wuv you, sissy.
So what exactly does an INFJ have to say to the world?
"Ghandi is as Ghandi does." -Annie
Ashley: ok?!?!

2007-06-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Today, I feel like I am about to make a decision that could land me in an empty pool.
I am not necessarily sure if I want to dive head-first into that monstrosity of cement. I think I better sit this one out....
Ok, but if I sit this one out..I will never know...what could have been.
For all I know, there could be a forrest fire down the street from here, and when the helicopters were transporting water, they accidentally dumped 10,000 gallons into the pool at precisely the moment that my toes left the diving board. And as I descend I feel the tip of my nose shatter the barrier between O2 and H20 gently release me into a tension-free zone where I feel nothing but coolness that sooths the burning sensation in the region behind my belly-button.

2007-06-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

O, so after being introduced to This American Life on NPR (via online archives), I am addicted to David Sedaris.
The man is like rediculous. right now I am at the library, getting a copy of one of his books. I don't know which I will start with. But the Miranda July book that I am reading is coming near to a close, and I need something equally disturbing to make it through the next month. The ticker on my library lab computer tells me that armageddon is coming in 6 mins. I better hurry and decide what that means exactly for me exactly.

Peace be with you and your family today..Shalom

I am off to pay my library fines...

2007-06-11T23:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so check this article out: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/bedding-blankets/the-man-pillow-001108

The man pillow vs. The body pillow.

A friend just sent this to me. I'm sorry but that is hilarious. However, I think that the body pillow is so much more practical
Here are the reasons why:
1.) Yes, in theory the man is bigger, making it natural for the woman to rest her head on his arm. However, who does that for 8 hrs. a night?! With the body pillow you can wrap your leg around it, you can lie on top of it, you can wipe your nose on it (should you get a sudden itch). I mean who sleeps up right, and so uptight?!? That is a very ISTJ pillow if you ask me. But whatever, it is Japanese. Aren't they all ISTJ?! j/k.

2.) The body pillow can also stunt double as a decorative backdrop to the throw pillows you might have on your bed. (e.g. my body pillow is chocalate, the perfect backdrop to bright colored throw pillows such as olive green, red, orange, or pink). The man pillow would have to hide in the closet during the day..because "h*%* no!" it is not staying on my bed. My first thought when looking at it, is that all it needs is a matching bed pan to go with it. And we don't leave those things out for the guests to see now do we!??!

3.) Bottom line: This pillow should only be marketed to senior citizens living in convalescent homes where they are confined to a twin bed, are missing a deceased spouse, or for people who pee the bed and therefore are not allowed to sleep with anyone else.

2007-06-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

So tonight was the second meeting Andruw and I had to create the a logo for my boss.

Here is the total time spent on the project thus far: 35 mins (Andrew and me at It's a Grind coffee shop, grinding out some idears.) + 35 mins. (me drawing sketches in spare time) + 45 mins. (tonight at it's a grind, transfering my drawing into a graphic representation of a lotus flower. Yaah so andrew was able to use the camera on his IMac to "scan" the sketch. I am so jealous)
Total time= 1 hr 55 min
So this is what we've got so far (see exhibit B)..
Next step is to send .jpg to boss, who will either confirm or deny our right to continue with this image (which we shall perfect if she like) or else, she has the right to command us to throw away this image and start over with a different image.
I am crossing my fingers because this image is totally not her taste. But I think I can sell it.
Anyways, it has been fun..and soon it will be done. Hopefully we will have more logo collaberations to talk about.

2007-06-10T01:32:00.000-07:00

Self-Portait Week

Self Portait #6 of 7
Two in one day. Why? Because I want to get it over with. So I can move onto my next
thing! Me laying on my bed. B-O-R-I-N-G! Tell me about it. I just liked the focal color on the flower.

2007-06-10T01:13:00.000-07:00

Self Portait #5 of 7

Getting ready for bed. No, wait a second I never wear the robe unless I am about to get into the shower and don't want to get caught running through the hallway in my birthday suit. This must be me getting into the shower. Yes, my hair is dry. So I can't be getting out of the shower. Anyways, you dont need to witness the internal dialogue...

2007-06-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

Imogen is a band I learned of after listening to my "Last Kiss" soundtrack. Ashley Maher had Imogen on her myspace page as a friend. Apparently they knew eachother when living in London. Anyways, that is besides the point. I added "Hide and Seek" to my mypage, just because Ashley Maher and Imogen are friends, and I would like to honor that. Also Imogen uses "crop circle" in this particular song, and I think that anyone who will sing about crop circles is a friend of mine.

So, last night I went to a show in Alta Dena at this cute little tiny place, with a little tiny stage that had a mural of hay bails and looked like a john steinbeck set.
It kind of felt a little toon townish too I have to admit. But sitting there were three of the most unique female voices. One Adjoa Skinner (a girl from buffalo who went to Bible school in Africa who did an angelic version of a Sarah McLaughlin cover) and lived in Ghana, Ashley Maher (a fiery redhead ENFP in tribal looking garb who is married to a man who she says is purple black), who prides herself on being able to ji-rate (sp?) her hips, and Lisa Lynne a former bass player in a heavy metal band who now wears flowing silk and plays the harp and whose following avgs. 55 yrs.old. Lisa also started a huge program at City of Hope where Cancer patients can learn to play the Harp. So all of them had purpose and meaning towards which they direc their music and out of which their music flows.
Anyways, the venue was so tiny, and the girls flowed so nicely together. Ashley's humor was spot on and the Beatles covers were great. Ashley did a lot of her own music and it was beautiful to see how crazy her lyrics were. She did this one song called "Frank and Loretta." It was about two coffee table books, one about the Gee's Bend quilters, and the other about Frank Sinatra that she found in a house she was house-sitting at. The song is about how she learned the concept of doing things "my way" from Loretta and Frank. It was crazy because Loretta is one of the quilters in Alabama whose work I saw in MOMA in 2004. Her work stuck out to me more than the other quilters because she created her own patterns. I too quilt, and am fascinated by the whole art of quilting. I have been to many shows and done my research, so very few quilters are pattern-free. I wish I could quilt with Loretta...but then again maybe it wouldn't be so much fun, since half the fun is knowing the rules just to break them. If we hung together, there would be no rules...that's no fun to break rules that don't exist.
Anyways, after the concert, a friend of mine is friends with Adjoa and was trying to hook us up for a roomate situation in L.A. So she invited us over to Lisa's house in Alta Dena..which by the way was the most whimisical candle-lit living room full of harps I had ever seen. We ate hummus, sipped on wine, and ate split pea soup as we had a sing-along. It was pretty great. Then I had a conversation with Ashley Maher about what it is like to be an ENFP. What a day, then to Pasadena this morning to work with a clt. Now I am taking a nap, so I can go rollerblading round the lake. Maybe I will bbq after that.

Peace!

2007-06-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Self Portait Week

Ashley #4
Hello folks, these here are my eyeballs.
Ashley: "Is there anything you would like to say, I- balls?"
I-balls: "I see you."

2007-06-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

Self-Portait Week
Ashley #3

This a kitchen photo shoot. Not to be confused with a bathroom photo shoot,
or a runway shoot, or a laundry shoot.

2007-06-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Self-portrait Ashley#2

Imagine..you are at your brother's baby shower...totally bored by present # 373...the same pink onesie you saw back at #129...then there is the discussion about where you can return it etc. etc. Oh yes.dont forget the gift receipt is in the bag...and so 3.5 hrs. later me and Aunt Jan ( the "N" who swooped in when I was little and introduced me to finger paints and cross stitch and rainfalls in hawaii) go into the back of the house and start trading clothes (amazing that after all these years and the muscle atrophy I suffered from not training so hard in soccer I was finally able to fit in her clothes) so now I am jumping on the bed as my heart is racing with the excitement of the freedom I now felt. Freedom to be alone with another person who spoke my language, who understood my creed, who just wanted to giggle. "Janny sit down I have to take a picture of you right...there!!!!" Ironic because there is a picture on the dresser of me in a California Angels uniform posing with a bat for "picture day", sporting the same little bob that my mom insisted I wear for the first 12 yrs. of my life..making me almost indistiguishable from the boys... Of course, Janny had to comment for the 45th time, "I love that picture of you." I thought to myself, maybe someday I will love that picture of me too...but if you say it again.......I snapped the shot of her in the green chair next to the green lamp. she hated the picture and i hated her cheesy grin,so we switched places..I wore her dress....mind you I was wearing a black pixie skirt and a grey baby-t..it would have never worked with the warm tones.. I liked wearing her dress even though it went aginst all I ever believed about authenticity, me wearing someone else's clothes for a photo. The mere cat fact that the sleeves were reminiscent of my quilting bee days was all the justification I needed to stay in that dress...the three layers of translucent tie dyed silk...oh how delightful. SNAP. One of my favorite photos of all time was born in a house that I thought was beyond its glory days. So now you know the story, more than you wanted to know.

2007-06-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Self Portrait Week
This week I am going to do a series on self-portaits.
Day 1: Entitled, Ashley#1.
aRTIST'S COMMENTARY:
tHIS IS A PORTAIT OF THY SELF...AS I GROW OLDER THE CONCEPT OF "KNOW THYSELF" HAS BECOME ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT AS I EMBARK ON LIFE-CHANGING DECISIONS. ONE THING I KNOW IS THAT i HAVE A "WIERD RELATIONSHIP WITH TIME" THIS SHOT IS A PROFILE SHOT OF THE GRANDFATHER CLOCK IN MY LIVING ROOM, AND ME OWN NOSE. aS YOU CAN SEE, MY ENTIRE FACE IS COVERING THE FACE OF THE CLOCK...LEAVING ONLY A FEW TELL-TALE signs THAT THERE IS IN FACT A CLOCK BEHIND ME, ONE BEING THE SUN-MOON cycle, AND THE OTHER, THE ORNATE "BUTTRESSES" THAT SEEM TO BE HOLDING UP THE 2-INCH LEDGE TO THE RIGHT OF THE FACE OF THE CLOCK...HMMM?!?! sO AS YOU CAN SEE i HAVE LITTLE RESPECT FOR GRANDFATHER CLOCKS (YOU CAN BUY AT COST-CO) AND TIME ITSELF. i AM MUCH MORE inclined TO BELIEVE IN THE ESSENCE OF TIME rather THAN TIME itself..... I will leave you with this quote: "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen all at once." -Einstein

2007-05-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

You Tube

There are only three videos I have found that I really enjoyed enough to pass on:

1.) 1 week in art

2.) Anjelah Johnson's trip to the international nail salon

2007-05-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

Natalie Merchant...does she not look like Norah Jones in this pix?!?! I love wearing my hair like that... Well, ever since Tigerlily was released I became addicted to her voice and the depth of her lyrics. My gosh, I was just a wee little girl. Singing, Carnival. Well, about four yrs. ago I started listening to Ophelia. The depth of those songs is crushing. A bit like tracy Chapman's New Beginnings album. They both like to dwell in the ghetto when they write lyrics. And Nat has a strange fascination with homelessness. I understand that to a certain degree. I think that being an "N" in a sea of "S" people is sort of like never feeling at home. When I judge the satisfaction of my friendships I judge them on whether or not I feel at home. Home, my friends, is definately where the heart is. And when I hear "skin" from the Ophelia album I feel like Natalie has taken up residence in my kitchy little home. made observations..and written a sic rendition of a woe is me..I am me..and you don't even know me fool..love ballad to those who never allowed her to be herself.

2007-05-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

T.J. MAXX- At approx. 3:14 p.m

Made a run for T.J. Maxx

purchases:

-1 pair of A&Fitch jeans...totally

holey...and totally righteous. ($19.99)

-1 roxy t-shirt...yes I despise shirts

with logos...but this one also had a few

moose all over it and looked sort of tie-

die..and the brown and rust colors

were so earthy..I couldn't resist ($9.99)

-1 purple purse (Did I mention

I hate purple but this purse had

two doves (in paisley fabrics) kissing.

I couldn't pass up a good applique job.

It screamed my name..I swear..I could

hear it all the way from the housewears

dept. "Ashley, don't judge me cuz I'm purple."

($24.99) Carter told me it is a hippy purse.

He said the same thing about my Last Kiss

Soundtrack..Amos Lee is not a hippy..

a hipster maybe.not a hippy.

Other cool finds: 1-$10 pair of rubber booties

They looked perfect for surfing or jet skiing,

or just walking in the ocean...totally hardcore

like North Face or something..but I hid them

somewhere in the store when I used the

bathroom and couldnt find them afterwards.

Total Damage: $54.76 (satisfaction level: 8)(out of ten)

2007-05-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

so here I am with my new pup. Penelope.
This was in August. In February...I sold her.
It was terribly sad. The other day I saw her again.
I felt like a jerk. She heard my voice and came
running. I think she thought I came back to get her.
She really is in a much better home. They spoil her.
and they appreciate her chi ways. But I couldn't stop
crying on the way home. The visit was short...but so
sweet. Attachment..is a strong thing..stronger than we
want to believe.

2007-05-30T09:34:00.001-07:00

Check out www.mosaic.org

This is the church i am at right

now. I think that you will like.

2007-05-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I am not one for
editing my posts, but I wrote a post and then decided..."what was the point of saying that?"
The truth is that I found this picture on the naked pastor's website. http://nakedpastor.com/
..he also had an icon of a frothy beer..that said something like "share a beer with me." I thought that was interesting and wanted to inquire further, what kind of beer that may be...mainly because I have bud light in my fridge and the taste is going to make me ralph if I ever have to drink it again. But I like those nectary or fruity beers...those are nice. and I would love to share a beer with someone who could suggest something new that I might like as well...while discussing God and theology and the spirit... ok..so back to the picture..This woman is naked.
And some pastor dude put this on his site....a piece of art that had a naked lady...All I have to say is "we've come a long way baby." I love it. It's art people...get a grip.

2007-05-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2004)

This is Miranda July-director/actor. This is why I love people who think out of the box. This movie was insane. And you didn't even know it was insane until you thought about it later. Not like Susan Sontag let me squeeze every last drop of anything that was pure out of it by carefully and succintly defining why it was so beautiful until your veins run dry. No, but by all "N" standards, this film, made connections, connections btw that made any synaptic leap look easy. And.. it gave the imagination a mental workout. Nothin like sweating acetycholine. Anyways. the scene at the end with the bird picture that the dude takes off his wall (cuz he thinks its hideous), and puts in a tree in his yard...quite possibly one of the raddest scenes in any movie..ever..ever.

2007-05-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

Everywhere we look there are familiar faces. Do you ever see a person, take a double-take, think "She looks just like so and so." "No, really, just like so and so. Same nose, lips, hair"
We generally leave it at physical appearances or personality similarities..but really it goes deeper than that. We all have such similar genetic make-up, that we are all more alike than different. We all have hearts that beat at approximately the same rates, and we all have a soul that craves something more than what we can see with our eyes. We crave with an insatiable hunger, that depth of love (incredible love), and peace (like a river) that only God can supply.

2007-05-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Ok so this is "Girl." The boys at the group home found this bull-frog in their backyard...the vineyards of ______. They named her "girl." Whenever they wanted to address her they said something like, "Go girl, "Hop girl," "Whoa girl," "Yo go girl," "Wait up girl," "What up girl," etc. It was the cutest thing. We had to let the poor girl go a the end of my session, so we said good-bye and we prayed for her. Well Hank (his name has been changed to protect the innocent) prayed for her and I almost shed a tear.

I don't know why I guess it just touched something in me...as I thought about how each boy in the group home went through the same good-bye process with each of their parents. Each one had to face the uncertainty of whether they would see their parents again.

I turned to Hank and Hank assured me, "she would be alright."

Hmmm.....are you alright?

2007-04-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

2007-04-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

Now I have only one thing left to do: nothing. I don't want any belongings, any memories. No friends, no love. Those are all traps.

-Juliette Binoche, Blue (1993)

Oh my goodness. I feel numb, why?!

2007-03-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am leaving for NYC. Yes, a sudden trip to honor Andrew David Forrest for getting hitched...to a girl named Lainie.
Yes...it is quite unsuspected...Andrew getting married...but nonetheless, I find it captivating.
I find it captivating that two people can find their way home.

So where will I be going while I am in New York. Well, with a budget of $156.34 I will not be buying ANYTHING. I have packed a paper bag with 5 packets of hot cider....8 english breakfast tea bags, 5 quaker oats granola bars, and a bag of walnuts and a bag of pecans.
I will also bring a few cup-o-noodles, in case of emergency...(say my friends want to eat out all fancy) so this weekend food will be covered but the five of us have to split the cost of the rental car and the cost two nigths stay in a hotel. So essentially...I am not so sure I have enough money at all. Oh yes, I almost forgot, I have to buy a weekly subway pass as well. Yikes!

Well, what will I do. I hope to meet up with Kevin McCarthy tomorrow. I will crash his office and surprise him. Tomorrow night I will be staying with Amanda in Brooklyn. WEd. maybe a little MOMA...all the while I will be drawing everywhere I go. I intend to put some of the drawings up on the blog so that you guys can follow.
Some other folks I would like to catch up with. gali and Oz and their little Amos, tom, and Adam (I was their babysitter). Shaina. A couple who go to origins. Tim, Paul, andrew, Danielle, Jessica, amanda...etc...ok, that's enough.
Ok, well, I must run...I need to finish a painting for church and make sure I have everything.
liek a toothbrush for example..;)
ok, peace to your mother.
-ash

2007-03-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

relationships;
remember how everyone talked about relationships?!?
they were the end all be all. You stay pure...do your daily devotions...
write down a list of what you want in a mate...then pray through that list...
and then surrender to god's will for you...even if that will is for you to be single.
Yaah...so I not sure if it was my outright rebellion, or just my forgetfulness that kept
me from completing that to-do list...but somewhere along the line I found out the real truth about relationships. I found out that they are work...lots of work. I found out that they have
UPS and downs.I found out that there are moments of ecstasy.. followed by normalcy...long periods of normalcy...Then there is the fighting. I wouldnt call it fighting...because I really dont know how to fight per say...but those disagreements...when one person wants the other person to see through the same lens...and when he or she doesnt the partner re-states his/her position...and when that doesnt work he/she resorts to sheer manipulation...yes even a Christian is capable of manipulation and self-seeking behavior. And then there is the reconciliation. The epiphany that all is well...and that the change we are seeking needs to begin with I, ME...in order for us to become WE/

2007-03-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Today my prayer is this:
That I might obey
That I might love
That I might try
to surrender
That I might be.
ok.
with me.
A cry echoing in the damask sheets: JESuuuUs!

Current Reading: When Nietzsche Wept. Irvin Yalom

2007-03-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

"I said to Power, beside me, "It is the most wonderful racial thing I have ever listened to," and Power replied, "You may hear a great deal of singing, but you will never hear anything so Irish as that. It is pure Irish. ' Tenderness, melancholy, bitterness.

-A description of James Joyce in song.

Malarkey Vision paisley anne

When a person thinks IRISH, they think melancholy, Cathloicism, bitterness, drunkeness, potaters, blue eyes, red hair, freckles, powdered-bottom babies in soiled diapers. There is a subset of vocabulary, most of it subjective garbage, that has been perpetuated through the Cranberries lyrics and memoirs like Angela's Ashes. It is always the same memoir..'my father was Irish Catholic.' He drank our food away. Mom made babies. Lots of blue-eyed babies. Little red headed babies we were running around suckling off of Mrs. o'Leary upstairs.' Dad was bitter like his side of the family. Bitter like brown ale/ Mom, sick and syrupy, bright as the circus she grew up in--and.. green. She was green as the hills of Dublin when she married Dad. Together, they broke down on their way to getting nowhere. Dad knew it wouldn't work out and quickly began to hit on a girl named Brandy...mom begged him to try to start the car. and she begged...and she begged..until Tommy nudged her, "Mom, Dad isn't in the driver's seat anymore." So, yes my story sonds the same as all the others. But it wasn't really. Not in any way the same. This is a memoir of the aesthetics of my wacked out childhood. A childhood that only survived because my siblings and I lived 18 leagues under the sea. We lived in a fuzzy world. Our vision having been checked several times...they never could figure out why we saw 4 fingers in stead of two. We never told anyone. We began speaking to one another in code. Our eyes had such purity...in color and in function. None of us being too much introverted, we could not keep silent.......to be continued.................................................

2007-02-24T16:57:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to LACMA (L.A. County Museum of Art). The only thing worth seeing was the Rene Magritte exhibit. Brilliant..I tell you. I feel invigoramus. I add the suffix "amus." because I feel like a big dork for neglecting my art and my pursuit of selling my art on Etsy.com.

Well...so I am eccstatic to report that I finished my first drawing/multi-medium piece today. No, it is not <-- THAT! But it is a start. I can't wait to prime the pump of extra-ordinary creativity.

2007-02-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

This is actually an excerpt from a book a la Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, NYC.
I thought it was totally appropriate to evaluate ourselves in light of such blemishes. I will be doing this over the weekend..but I can tell you from looking at the list that my chracter is weakened by ALL of them.

Read the following paraphrase of John Newton’s “Some Blemishes in Christian Character”.

Idol: COMFORT (Privacy, lack of stress, freedom)Price We Will Pay: Reduced productivityGreatest Nightmare: Stress, demandsOthers Often Feel: HurtProblem Emotion: Boredom
Idol: APPROVAL (Affirmation, love, relationship)Price We Will Pay: Less independenceGreatest Nightmare: RejectionOthers Often Feel: SmotheredProblem Emotion: Cowardice
Idol: CONTROL (Self-discipline, certainty, standards)Price We Will Pay: Loneliness; spontaneityGreatest Nightmare: UncertaintyOthers Often Feel: CondemnedProblem Emotion: Worry
Idol: POWER (Success, winning, influence)Price We Will Pay: Burdened; responsibilityGreatest Nightmare: HumiliationOthers Often Feel: UsedProblem Emotion: Anger
Discussion questions:
Which of the heart-idols underlies each character flaw?
Which of Newton’s characters do you resemble? Why?

2006-09-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Girl has some ideas

So I just finished...writing a paper on Suicide..wow what an enigma.to those who do not struggle with suicidal ideation.
It was quite fantanstical to write on a subject that I know so little about...I mean..yes I would love for Jesus to come back and get us all. Life is by no means a cake walk..but the temptation of suicide is difficult to understand.
I underestimated the emotion involved in writing the paper. It was actually wuite draining. And my heart goes out to those who are suffering from severe depression and debilitating physical limitations.
Be of good cheer..this is not your home.
That is all I can say. I have my share of struggles and daily must die to my self...so I understand that processs. But for those of you who really struggle with this constant pain...please seek help..Please tell someone. there are other solutions.

2006-08-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

Yay!!!On vacation/ taking care of friend who recently underwent some cosmetic surgery...sssshhhh don't tell anyone..Oh well..none of you know her and she walked into Cost-Co looking like a bruised littl thang...so she has no shame. Anyways...got a new book that I think I will read when we go down and stay on their boat this weekend. It is called Life in Midford...or something like that. Coincidentally my best friend just told me today that it is the series she has been telling me about for weeks. Anyways...guess I wasn't listening...or was she not talking..yikes. So excited to read fiction..will let you know how it goes.
Off to Home Depot to buy some sea foam green paint for friend's bathroom...yay.. I get to paint.

2006-08-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

Hosted at Groovy Machine

I don't know this guy...I downloaded this pic...but how symbolic. So how exactly do we leave footprints in this world?...or at least as the picture implies..footprints big enough for people to see them?!? Or better said, "How does one individual change the world?" Some people spend all of their lives studying one rare amoeba found in the Dead Sea in order to find a cure for some disease only a 1 million people in this world will ever get.....Others...have given up on the idea of changing the world...and instead have come across a rather peculiar goal..to accumulate the most toys..the least wrinkles and the most unloving marriages...others are martyrs of their faith or their religion or their sports...who will die for a cause and tell you what a miserable death it was...all the while, their children suffered most for the cause because the parent was never at home. So what do we do? One of my Pastors, reminded me of something///the exponential power of discipleship. It is through one relationship that the world is changed..because as one person disciples another person and that person disciples a person...the growth has doubled. So maybe we are trying to do something that the Creator never intended for us to do...well at least most of us...We are trying o save the world..when just one person right in front of you might be your mission field..who in turn will help another person...and on and on. Why wait til we get the Ph.D to start making a difference. I might not be the most mature...well-rounded, Christ-like person, but I have something to give to someone else..and so do you. My goal for the next year is to invest in one younger person...who I can build up and encourage and exhort..and who I can be honest with and who can be honest with me. I challenge you to do the same...whether it is at work or home or at church..there is one person who you can hold hands with.

2006-08-27T02:21:00.000-07:00

To Be a Daddy

You will be forever mine

Baby eats first

Return to be my brother

This Haiku sort of marks the end of an era...Ryan was holding up baby socks and showing them off to the crowd gathered at my grandparent's house. Halfway through, it struck me...he is gone. He has a family now..and he will never be my brother in quite the same way. The days are long gone when we would sneak out of the house with the car and drive to Denny's in the middle of the night..or when he would come to all of my soccer games and practices kicking and screaming. Or when he arrived on that rainy August day with me on the Upper Westide of Manhattan to help me move into the Columbia College dorms. He was the man at 16, he carried those soggy boxes a good block form where the taxi dropped us. This blog is a tribute to my brother: Ryan Patrick Clift, the guy who has impeccable taste...who is meticulus and quick-witted. The man who has always taken responsibility for his choices...the man who is now paying a mortgage :) This is to no more competing with each other. No more empty hellos...and no more meaningless I love you's. You are my brother...and I am your sister.. and I love you. I will be praying for your marriage to be strong and your house to be filled with love and warmth. Love, Ash

2006-08-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

2006-08-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

So, I had a blog on MY space but it just was not as easily accessible...and I can't exactly reporoduce any of my post-modern ideas on the site...with all of the graphics getting in the way.
So here I go...I am going to record the the next several chapters of my life...to God's glory I hope. I hope you enjoy the ride...Let's make this one count!
Love, Ash