Thanks for the mammaries

Way back in the early days of The Mustard Room’s textile screen printing department, we were given a sizable donation by my generous Dad-in-Law; a donation which included many used screen frames, squeegees, and glow-in-the-dark ink. These screens were used to print, among other things, apparel supporting the cause of La Leche League. Workable negatives of clever captions such as “I Eat at Mom’s” were still visible when the screens were entrusted to our care. Mama Jane discouraged me from printing my own LLL apparel using said images. Since that day, we have more or less squeezed the ever-lovin’ life out of these donations, particularly the screen frames. The weathered wood has been re-stretched and washed to the point that the frame no longer lies flat and the metal brackets at each corner are wiggling their way to freedom.

Following our eleventh collaboration with Westwood United Methodist’s student ministry dude, Dr. Lemons, we decided it fitting to retire the old lady pictured at the top of this post. This frame which was handed over to us so many years ago will now be forever stretched with the screen bearing the word ‘Inked’ as she has been so many times.

I only just now realized how ridiculous this post has been.

Nevertheless, sail on, silver bird! Your memory shall live on in the apparel which you gave your life to help ink…

Keep your cameras where we can see them

Them Jane gals and i saddled up and headed to the windy city for a hot minute. For moments upon moments we’d been chit-chatting about a short trip north to the Museum of Science & Industry to experience the Fantastic World of Jim Henson exhibit. Well sir, that’s just about what we did. Our road trip began with some intense conversation regarding personal and family goals for the new year. Baby Jane decided that twenty-eleven would be the year of learning to fly solo on the potty. After about an hour’s worth of discussion, i reluctantly agreed. After all, i’ve put these gals through enough already. In what seemed like no time at all, we had been robbed by a hand full of toll booths, we plowed through two floors of IKEA, and finally found ourselves passed out in a Red Roof Inn.

The next day, i was awaken by a toddler feeding me bunny crackers while the soft glow of PBS Kids fell gently upon us. We lifted our tired bodies from the hotel linens, freshened up, and stepped out into the fresh winter snow as it beckoned us onward toward the heart of Chicago. Once we arrived at the museum, there was time to ride the rails from Chicago to Seattle and back again before our 12:45 appointment with the Muppets. On the way, we saw a cattle drive as well as a family picnic being interrupted by a ferocious bear. Outstanding.

When we were finally granted access to the Fantastic World of Jim Henson, we were informed that there was to be no personal video or photography taken during the tourof the exhibit. Grrrrrrr. Well, anyone who knows me is privy to the fact that i am nothing if not a stickler for rules. Therefore, i had to instead hijack the following imagery from the interwebs to present them as my own…

Regardless, we did see all of these things and so much more including silkscreen prints, sketches, ideas, storyboards, short films, fraggles, etcetera. Rather than not do justice, i’ll simply say that i left the exhibit quite inspired and with an even deeper appreciation for the artistry, craft, and vision of the dreamer, Jim Henson.

Thanks to the lovers, the dreamers, and you.

We used to vacation

Let me preface this by saying that the new year that is 2011 has found me in extremely sluggish form. Maybe it’s the post-holiday blahs. Maybe it’s the self-imagined urgency/weary frustration toward potty training. Maybe it’s the checklist of half-successful repair projects reminding me that they’re just that: half-successful. Did i use that colon correctly? Crap. Now that’s going to bother me as well.

Now, on to more pressing matters which are, in actuality, not at all pressing whatsoever. I have spent way too much time contemplating what to do or not do with this blog during the past four or five days. It’s quite embarrassing actually. And yet, there’s the heart-on-my-sleeve truth of it all. Again, this is all absolute ridiculousness. However, it’s been bugging the crap out of me. Now, after losing minutes of sleep over this decision of no importance, i’m happy to announce that this will remain our blogging home for 2011. Please hold your applause and allow yourself a moment to catch your breath.

So here we are, almost fourteen days into the new year, and our first post is spent rambling on about the greatest non-event in perhaps all of history. You’re welcome. All that being said, i’m gonna try real hard to be more frequent with my visits to ye olde companion. After all, them Jane gals and i are cookin’ up some new goodnes for the year upon us. Meanwhile, enjoy the following rendition of an olde tune as captured by a fly on the living room wall.

Dear Daisha – 11/05/10

Thanks for joining us. Enjoy every sandwich.

Don’t that make you feel beleaguered?

In sort of recent times, we concocted this video in the chilly snow in one take whilst the wee one was fast asleep (?) at nap time.

Yay for absurdity.