Feed Your Soul

Feed your soul is a free online art project that makes me giddy with joy! It is the brain child of Jen Wallace (indiefixx blogger extraordinaire) and is so wonderful and beautiful that I literally get choked up.  The idea behind it is that no one should be denied art and beautiful things, regardless of their financial situation.  I couldn't agree more! Every month she asks different artists to participate by donating downloadable versions of some of their art for you to print and love! This makes art accessible to everyone, and also provides a little publicity for the artists themselves.  PLUS, you can now change out your artwork as regularly as you change your underwear!  How cool is that?

Blech!

Baked Doritos are NOT delicious.*


*Please don't tell the Doritos people I said that.

Drool....

If you were to ask me:

You:  "Kirsten, what are two of your favorite things?"

I would say:

Me: "I'm glad you asked! I love good design, and good food!"

Do you know what falls under the good food catagory? Cookies. Good design?  Helvetica. You know what would be completely overwhelmingly awesome??? HELVETICA COOKIES!!!

Ummmm, HELLO!  This is brilliant!

Thank you Beverly Hsu, for being a gastronomical design genius!

Do you know what would be the opposite of this?  Comic Sans shaped dog poop. I think if I ever were to get a dog, I would teach him to poop Comic Sans. Yes. I definitely would do that.

Pitching a tent

Look, I don't know who was taking this photo...or if they had any clothes on, but it seems the fellas on this camping trip are having way too good of a time. It's really the kids I worry about, more than anything else.

Via Awkward Family Photos.

Help for Haiti

I think that we can all agree that the disaster(s) that have occurred in Haiti over the last two weeks have been both surreal, and devastating. I cannot pretend to even begin to understand the absolute Hell on earth that these people are living in, and it just keeps coming. Their entire world has been upended in the most horrible way imaginable. It is nearly impossible to watch the aftermath unfold on our nightly news without feeling the need to do whatever you can.  My heart breaks a little bit more every time I see another somber face who has lost everything.

Call me the perpetual cynic however, because I am loathe to donate money that I have worked hard for to sketchy organizations who may or may not have just popped up on the internet with the intention of taking advantage of the charity of others. It seems cold, but it is a reality that there is no shortage of soulless bastards who wait around for "opportunities" such as these to prey on those who choose to help through donations.

That is why I have been scavenging the magnificent World Wide Web to try to figure out if there was only some way to know.  I needed to do research before leaping into action (by action I mean clicking a few buttons which doesn't really seem all that philanthropic when I think about it in real terms, and kind of makes me feel like an asshole if I am really being honest with myself). In any case, I stumbled across the most brilliant charity website of all time. Charitynavigator.org offers a consolidated source for reliable charities all over the world. Each charity listed has an associated page for its income statement involving the organization's revenue and program expenses. This page also includes salaries and compensation for the CEOs and Presidents of each organization. There is a star rating system, an overall scoring system, and a comments section where those who have participated with different charities can comment on their experiences. There is also a news section for each charity where you can access any articles that have been written about that particular charity.

While it may seem callous or cold of me to take such a pragmatic approach to charitable donation, I just can't sleep well at night throwing money out into the universe and simply "hoping" that it will land where I intended it to go.  Giving to charity feels good, but giving to a charity who you trust feels even better.

Heart attacks and holla backs

Okay, I've been slacking on the whole blogging thing...I know, and believe me, I feel awful. I mean, I am pretty sure that my two followers have been losing sleep wondering if I am okay. I'M OKAY GUYS! I've just been busy.  I am knee deep in the process of re-doing my downstairs bathroom.  It is a mess, and I'm not even doing hard stuff...just time consuming. I will post before and afters someday, when I get my life together and finally finish it up.  In any case, enough with the excuses.

I took some time out of my oh-so-busy schedule on Tuesday night to go out to eat with my little bro. Pretty much he is the awesomest brother ever, but I never get to see him...even though he lives one street over from me. He works for a boys' home so he has this crazy schedule that usually involves nights, so we are never around at the same time. Anyway, I digress. In the process of trying to decide on a restaurant my little bro informs me that he has begun the Atkins diet. I worry about Atkins as a lifestyle change because something just doesn't seem right about it, but as a short term weight loss plan I am all for it if it works for you. My brother used to use this method to make weight during his high school wrestling days, so I know that it works for him, and I am so proud of him for taking the initiative to cut a couple of extra pounds in an effort to prepare for his life long dream of becoming a cop.

So, obviously, the thought of cops and the Atkins diet got me to thinking about meat.  I am not super into meat, I mean, I don't hate it or anything, but I get cravings for it less frequently than say...cheese, or bread, or chocolate. I would probably be the worst Atkins dieter of all time. But meat sure is pretty. All those swirls of red and pink and cream. I mean, aesthetically meat sure is a great thing.  Just seeing it makes me want to slap it...and then wash my hands vigorously.

So, I got to thinking...I can't be the only one who thinks meat is pretty. Let's see if anyone on etsy feels the same way. Then I discovered something that hadn't even occurred to me. Meat can be hilarious too! Please enjoy my meaty etsy selections for your viewing pleasure...

I love this simple little embroidered meat trio

from Crazy but Cute.

They would look so sweet hanging in a row next to the stove.

Ummm, hello!  This is a plush toy! 

That means STUFFED ANIMAL people! Post mortem of course.

 Find it and many others in Sweet Meats' wonderful etsy shop.

The Dainty Squid has got a plethora of brilliant pouches.  But this one is super meaty!

Mmmmm, bacon underwear. I wish it was scratch and sniff.

From That Bear is Knitting.

LOVE this beautiful line drawing by Tommy Kane.

He is a super talented drawler.

These funny little meat heads slay me.

AND they are finger puppets!Doesn't get much awesomer.

From What's on Your Finger?

Bacon Fish.  If I were Catholic, I might not mind Fridays so much.

According to the artist: "This is the fish that bacon would

come from, if bacon came from fish." 

Here fishy fishy fishy. From Hamburgerpanda.

This recycled piggy bank is so brilliant to me.

If you follow the link, the rearview is pretty stellar as well.

From clancyslover.

Last but not least Mike Geno's beautiful meat paintings are

absolutely mouth-watering,and yet somehow make

 me giggle at the same time.

Hope you enjoyed Meaty Thursday.  I know I did.  Holla back.
 

The Museum of Bad Art

Okay, this is probably one of the awesomest ideas I have ever unwittingly stumbled across.  The Museum of Bad Art hosts a collection of some of the all time worst artwork on the planet.  Charming in its overwhelming horribleness, these works have been collected from trash heaps and thrift stores around the Boston area, as well as donations from fans and sometimes the artists themselves.

Only slightly less imaginitive than the artworks themselves is the wry commentary describing each one. If you've got a little time to kill, I highly recommend a visit to the website at http://www.museumofbadart.org/ , or, if you live in Massachusetts, either near the Dedham or the Somerville areas, there are two location to serve you.  As impressed as I am by these artworks online, I can only imagine that being faced with them  in my immediate vicinity would either be overwhelmingly gratifying, or terribly horrifying.

Mama and Babe

"The flesh tones bring to mind the top shelf liqueurs of a border bistro. With an astonishing emphasis on facial bone structure, the artist flirts with caricature and captures features of Mamma's face which remind us of a Presidential candidate. The upright marionettish pose of the babe hints that the early bond between mother and child is as formal as it is familiar. Good old fashioned parental respect is at the center of this celebration of color and contour."

Lucy in the Field With Flowers

"The motion, the chair, the sway of her breast, the subtle hues of the sky, the expression on her face -- every detail combines to create this transcendent and compelling portrait, every detail cries out 'masterpiece.'"

Gilded Nude

"The viewer is struck immediately by the youthful female subject's oversized arm."

A L'INTERIEUR DE L'OEUF (INSIDE THE EGG)

"The French title adds to the mystique of this disturbing example of art brut."

Long Arm of the Law

"Bare-breasted blind Lady Justice is portrayed here in a variation on a traditional subject. Rather than cover her face with a blindfold, the artist depicted her with no eyes. While she is often seen holding the scales of justice, a sword, and/or a book, she is in this painting juggling a ball of dreaded kryptonite in her ample hand at the end of the long arm of the law."

It wasn't until just now, reaching the conclusion of this post, that I noticed the continuing theme of bossoms in outsider art.  This raises the question, are those artists who find themselves fascinated by the Devil's sandbags destined for a life of anonymity? Is their bravery in putting to paper (or canvas) the thoughts which endlessly run through the collective unconscious of mankind rewarded only by an inability to understand the natural proportions of the human form?  Perhaps boobs hold a deeper evil than we are prepared to understand.

Oooooo, MAGIC!

So, I was taking some online training at work this morning when my mind started to wander.  Shocking, I know. Two hours of holding a phone to your ear and staring at someone else's desktop is only really engaging for about ten minutes.  Anywho, I began stumbling around flickr so that I could do something mindless while I followed the course and I came across this super-awesome tutorial for levitation photos from lauren {elycerose}.

You can find it here.

It's pretty much brilliant and I can't wait to try it whenever my new camera arrives!

Who doesn't love bacon???

Crazy people, that's who.  Wouldn't you love to snuggle and cuddle with your very own?

Yes you would, I can tell.  Find it here.

GAAAHHHHH! SOOOOO Excited!!!

Meet my new baby!

Just purchased on ebay!  I haven't gotten her yet but I am super-duper excited.  I can't wait! It's a Canon D30.  It's really the oldest model Canon DSLR on the market, with only 3.11 mega pixels, but who cares? It's a digital SLR!  I have been dreaming of one for some time now but have thought them too cost prohibitive.  This one was a bargain at $165!  I mean, it's not the newest or the brightest or the shiniest, but I have never been one to go for the biggest and best anyhow.  I will be happy with SLR capabilities of any kind, as long as I can get the pics from the camera to my computer I will be a happy monkey.  I hope I can sleep at night waiting for my new friend. I have been considering naming her. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

My First Valentine

So, I finally finished my first new cross stitch for the etsy shop in preparation for Valentine's Day!  Let me know what you think...

My Secret Shame

Those of you who know me are probably aware of my secret shame.  I have a problem, I admit it. Believe me, the guilt that I feel about it is punishment enough. I have tried to justify it in a thousand ways, but none of them ever seem like quite "enough"...until now.

Thank you Em & Sprout !

Phew, close one!

Here is the accident I (thankfully) was not involved in over the weekend.  Not to worry, this is not me rubbernecking and holding up traffic to take a picture (I hate those guys!).  We were all stopped here because the accident had JUST happened.  This poor girl.  She looked to be about 21 or 22.  I am sure she was so terrified.  I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture or not, but there was nothing but a guard rail on each side of this road.  After that, nothing but mountainside.  Thank heavens the girl wasn't hurt, but losing control on an icy road is terrifying enough, I can only imagine at 70 mph with a drop off on either side!

Well, I guess it's resolution time...

I know I'm a bit late, but working on my procrastination was not this year's resolution. Which is fine, because I work better under pressure. I think.

This year marks the first year that I have ever made a New Year's Resolution...EVER. Well, I mean besides the ones that you were forced to make in elementary school as a homework assignment but never really took very seriously.  This year's resolution is to make something (or at least begin work on something) every single day. My real problem here is discipline. I mean, I can daydream all day about what I want to get creative with when I get home from work, but when I walk through that door, and the couch calls to me in that pleading and romantic way, I find it difficult to really buckle down on the making stuff. NO MORE! This new decade will mark the beginning of a new era! An era of creativity, of brainstorming, and of earth shattering new ideas! Lofty I know, but I am confident in my own brilliance. I am also aware that historically this level of confidence often leads to the ultimate downfall of the protagonist. Luckily, I am also confident that as per usual, I will be the exception to that literary rule. Gird your loins America! It's about to get crazy all up in this piece!

Also, some pretty calendars for the new year!

This calendar by girl*in*gear studio is super extra awesome

because it is printed on seeded paper. That means you can

plant it when you are done with it, and beautiful flowers will

pop up in its place!

Yee-Haw Industries makes this sweet ass wall calendar.

When the year is out you are left with a beautiful letterpress
print on recycled card stock, just right for framing!

Pretty, pretty, pretty! These colors are so rich and vibrant
it makes me want to lick them! Kokeshi Darling 2010 Calendar
from Stephanie Fizer.

I adore the original textiles over at Cicada Studio.

This loverly Tea Towel Wall Calendar is no exception!

I want to snuggle with each month of JooJoo's Giclee Calendar.

Giclee prints are archival, so the little characters can be framed

and enjoyed long after 2010 is but a distant memory.