FriDaY FuNDaY ~ propriety

When I taught second grade, I nicknamed the days of the week. For now, I'll leave you guessing on the first four. Friday Funday was my favorite because we stepped outside of the box and had an interdisciplinary creative explosion. The results of these activities amazed me, inspired me and taught me a lot about being true to my self and trusting my intuition. I loved displaying our projects at the end of the day. It was always a delightful surprise. Like little bursts of genius were sprinkled at my Reebok'd feet & bloomed like magic. Those Fridays are responsible for most of my favorite teaching memories. I wonder if the children remember them.

We've all been under the weather for the past few weeks and Scout is of the mind it's a grand scheme to force me to slow down a half step. Perhaps that is how this idea had a chance to nudge its way in the door. On Fridays I will share the little things that bring us joy and inspiration. I hope you'll find yourself smiling, touched and inspired, too. It's Friday. Let's have some FUN!

Ingredients: One favorite film, two weeks of exasperated sighs, inspiration, fate, vintage vocabulary cards, laminating machine, heart hole punch, ball chain

Makes: This fabulous recycled necklace with special meaning. The word propriety is front and center in one of her favorite What's Up Doc? film quotes. Judy Maxwell {Barbra Streisand} defines it a little differently than our Vis-Ed card. Visit THIS CLIP to see what I mean. The clip is 9 minutes, but, never fear, you will be rewarded {and excused} with comic genius in a mere 2:45 total. Trust me. It's delightful.

"Don't you know the meaning of propriety?" Eunice. {Madeline Kahn} What's Up Doc. 1972

Now for a few questions. What do you think of the Friday Funday Feature? And how do you like my newest product? I will be creating and selling these necklaces in my new joonwalk etsy shop soon. Oh! How cool is this? The film takes place in San Francisco and we did not realize that Scout was wearing her SF electric trolley tee shirt today until we started taking the photos. I love fate. ox joon

Rocket Science For Two

Evan's tutorial treasury. Isn't it lovely? Hurry and go visit it HERE before Friday 5 PM EST.

environment is everything

I wonder if door~to~door soliciting is a cultural phenomenon. We are loving our new town, but the already too-many-to-count knocks on the door and fliers showing up on our doorstep, doorknob and even on my outgoing mail clip on my mailbox {I thought that was illegal?} are something I have not experienced in any of my 31 addresses in 8 previous states.

We'd been talking about a sign for weeks. I have to say I resent the need for one. I consider my home to be my respite from the world, a place where I can work, play, write, create, enjoy my family and pets & relax in peace. Apparently, many people feel their life calling is to interrupt & interfere with their neighbor's privacy. This past Monday, the moment of defeat presented itself in the form of one clipboard laden man who, despite Evan's window presence and eye contact not 6 feet from the door, determined to knock in 3 spurts before leaving. I cannot ~ and thankfully so ~ comprehend his decision making process.

As you can see, we welcome friends and family. I'm not unsociable. I just know where to find any product and person I need or want. Don't we all?

After much thought, I created my compromise ~ this little sign. I have no idea whether it will make a difference because courtesy does not appear to be foremost in solicitors' minds. As always, I shall hope that common sense will all.

But wouldn't it be nice if this small act of kindness could go without saying?

Also found on our porch... A little bit of happy help for our wonderful mail carrier. He is a bright spot in our day and a treasure. I haven't been blessed with one like him since 1987.

Dear Mail Carrier,
Please do not retire.
Forever.
signed: your newest fans

I'd love to hear your solicitor and mail carrier experiences. What's happening in your little corner of the world?
ox joon

The Crafty Housewife Graces Etsy's Front Page!

What a lovely surprise on this January Day. Front page exposure stats: 34 shop hearts and 17 item hearts in the 30 minutes of FP Fame. The item, itself got over 600 views! That little housewife's got something, eh? Stay warm, friends. Speaking of friends, thanks to all who text messaged, twittered, convo'd and posted kind comments about the event. I LoVe my friends.
oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo joon

Upcycled Sewing Kit

Can you spy the bow shaped button? It's one of my favorite elements.

Here is another example of a beautiful, functional upcycling project. I made this for Scout for Christmas, 2007. My inspiration came from an unusual place. Arlington, MA has an old school 5 & 10. Seriously. And many of the items for sale have been there since the mid century. If they haven't sold, they remain until they do. Imagine that. Take that quality control. Things I found there include: pink famingos from the 60s ~ oh, yes, the price tags stay intact, too, a Buster Brown chocolate toned turtleneck for Scuppie {baby beatniks anyone?}, metal rack shelves...I must take photos as these need to be seen to be believed, and TADA! {tribute Pearl} ... peeking out from behind all the new packets that sport Made in China {and a most unattractive package, at that} a vintage package of sewing needles. This packet labeled SINGER and Made in U.S.A. was so superior, I knew it was a sign. It's been waiting for Scout all these years.


It is made from a thrift store french style bandana with an alphabet theme, lined with high quality muslin remnants. There's a little pocket for the darning needles and that navy blue bandana pocket holds a needle threader/slicer. The buttons are from my collection and the yarn bits are leftovers as well. Some of you who have received packages from me or bookmarks from the flying housewife may recognize that yarn. I have wristwarmers knit from it. I love them. In no small part because I accomplished a rather difficult project for a beginning knitter. And I needed teeny {8"} round needles, which snooty yarn shop owners told me ~ complete with haughty sniffs ~ 'don't exist'. Well, I won that fight, too. But that's a story for another time.

Scout loves it and, lucky me, she shares. :) til next time.
Be inspired.
Because environment is everything.
ox joon

Scuppernote ~ A Happenstance Design

Last year's calendar & other recycled papers get a new life.
Tri fold notebook with velcro closure.

This afternoon while Scout was resting and the sky adhered to gray mode with a vengence, I worked on a new design. My objective was to create a notepad with a pencil attached. That didn't work out, but I love this design, which sprang from that template and formed as I went along. Here's the short of it:

Random papers are cut to the proper width. They will be stitched together & slipped into the reusable paper case (a folded magazine slice), which, in turn, will slip up into the paisley (vintage tie) fabric, which is sewn onto a card stock remnant & tucks into the inside pouch seen here:

The calendar is 2008's Scuppernut All Year Long . The view below shows the back of the note pad. If you look closely you can see that the fabric pocket wraps around the bottom edge, is pinked & stitched in place. The policeman fending off 'alligators in the sewers' (of NYC) is from a discarded Children's book. You can see the velcro closure in his choppers. Anyone else hearing little Drew Barrymore in their head right now?

Here is a view of the notepad insert system:

And here it is in place:

The finishing touch ... a denim shade cotton yarn bit with a vintage bunny button I've had forever and then some, as my favorite cousin would say. My pencil challenge is also solved as this led me to the answer that will see my design work. My template was made first, this evolved, so I abandoned that, but now as luck would have it, I am all ready for my next happenstance adventure. I'll see you soon ~ pencil me in, won't you? ox joon

So Many Good Friends Treating Me So Well oxox

Aloha from Austin, TeXaS.
Someday I hope to say this standing on an Hawaiian island and I dream of meeting my wonderful friends there. One of them surprised me ~ totally ~ when this arrived in our mailbox yesterday. Talk about your red letter day! I don't know if she wants to remain incognito or not, so, unless she tells me otherwise, I'll leave her identity a mystery. :) How fabulous is this, though, I ask you?
Sweet dreams, dear readers.
Mahalo.

2008 in a word: Inspiration

one of many pending 2008 new project starts

I tend to feel that I don't accomplish enough. OK, I'll be truly honest and admit that I most often feel that I am not accomplishing anything. I have been preparing a blog post that would be a retrospective for days now. And why? Well, it turns out that I have accomplished so much that I became overwhelmed with my notes. My blog post would be pages long and all my readers would be cross eyed. I'd be typing for hours. Then I thought maybe I'd break it down into smaller posts. Well, you know where that led me? Straight here to January the 6th. Yes, that 01.01.09 post is a fading memory. My reflection led me to a new thought ~ just write anything. A quote. A fact. A one line silly. A fragment, God forbid. Or how about one photo? Add a caption?

And so the year has begun much like many others with my head spinning. Filled with so many ideas and dreams and goals and the inevitable sinking feeling that not a one of them will ever take form. But, that is just not so. Maybe a miniscule percent of the million new (and pending) projects will flower, but when I look back this time next year, I am willing to bet ~ and you all know how thrifty I am~ that I'll be pleasantly surprised at what I accomplished.

My word of the day is inspiration. It is the word of my year. On January 01.2008 I stopped by the BBEST Thread for the first time. I applied the next morning. I also joined a small group called Create-a-Day. I made new friends and each one inspired me on a daily basis and I tried more new ventures than I could ever have imagined. Entire new worlds opened up to me.

More on those firsts another day. But for now...this morning I found this article in the Times and I hope you will read it and find it as inspiring as I do. These people are going forth, against all odds and at considerable personal expense for something they believe in. And they are not alone. The next time I speak up for something I believe in ~ which I do often ~ I will do it with a little more strength because I'll remember that I am not alone. Environment is everything.

Here's to hope, peace and inspiration for the bright new year ahead.