gf dinner party

since b's mom is town, I thought it would be nice for her to meet some of our friends. (we can be pretty hermit-like most of the time) so I called up my friend bobbi and invited her and her bf carlos over for dinner last night. I love to cook and make most things from scratch when I do. but I've only thrown a handful of dinner parties in my life, and find the whole time management thing a big challenge. (I started cooking as soon as I woke up, and still served dinner an hour and half after our guests arrived.) I hadn't planned on having appetizers since I didn't want everyone to fill up, but realized it would have been a good idea. b got beer, soda and chips, but the chips went fast. so anyway I thought I'd share the recipes for what I made last night because I realized that I pulled off something pretty great- a gluten-free Italian meal for five. Not consciously making it gluten-free, but it's just the way I cook now. So here's the thing- I usually don't post recipes because I seldom measure anything. But I'll do my best to estimate, and some of the recipes are ones that I got online.

Salad
1/2 to 3/4 head romaine lettuce, cut into strips
4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
generous handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves

Dressing
adapted from Grandpa Blake
dollop of mayonnaise (I like Trader Joe's organic)
squirt of ketchup
dash of tamari soy sauce
squeeze of lime

Polenta with Mushrooms
I found this amazing quick-cooking polenta at union market. I thought I was buying regular polenta and didn't know there was such as thing as quick-cooking. It's ground much finer than the regular stuff so the texture isn't quite the same. but I found that with the addition of mushrooms, it is greatly improved. I prepared it according to the directions using water instead of chicken broth, and subbing pecorino romano for parmesan. I buy it by the block at Whole Foods and grate it as needed. Before preparing the polenta I sauteed a whole bunch of crimini mushrooms (cut in half, then medium sliced) in butter, olive oil and fresh thyme. when the polenta was cooked I stirred in the mushrooms and transferred it to an oiled bowl, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. When it was ready to serve I placed a plate on top of the bowl and flipped it over, exposing a perfectly-molded polenta. you can leave the bowl over the polenta until everyone is ready to eat, to keep it warm.

Quinoa Linguine
This is hands-down the best pasta substitute on the market if you have a sensitivity to wheat. Cook according to directions and toss in a bowl with butter and olive oil.

Pasta Sauce with Turkey Meatballs
Smash and coarsely chop 3-4 large cloves of garlic. Chop 1/2- 3/4 lg. white or red onion. Saute both with a douse of olive oil, a pinch of dried chili flakes and (about a teaspoon?) of rosemary in a large pot. I like to break the rosemary up a bit in my fingers before adding. Saute until onion is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent the garlic from sticking. Add two 28-oz. cans of tomatoes. I used one can crushed and one can of whole tomatoes. I cut off the stem end and chopped the whole tomatoes before adding. Then add about a teaspoon of dried oregano, a whole bunch of chopped flat-leaf parsley (about a 1/4 cup?), and 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried thyme. Fresh basil is lovely in this sauce but out of season right now. Maybe some stores have it- I don't know. Oh, and I usually find that the salt in the canned tomatoes makes it unnecessary to add any to the sauce. So simmer the ingredients a while, partially-covered, stirring occasionally. I cooked the sauce about halfway before adding the meatballs, then finished cooking. I'm not one to leave a pot of sauce on the stove cooking all day. As soon as the herbs have melded into the sauce, it's ready for me. Maybe an hour of cooking tops. It might have been a little longer with the addition of meatballs. (before adding the meatballs I blended the sauce with a wand blender. this is great for combining the tomato chunks and the juice. just a few blends to break them up)

Turkey Meatballs
adapted from cooks.com
1 1/4 lb. ground turkey
1 jumbo egg
2/3 c. breadcrumbs from 1 1/2 slices 100% rye bread
rounded 1/4 c. grated pecorino romano
rounded 1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 t. dried oregano

Mix all ingredients together with your hands. Use two soup spoons to portion mixture into 10 balls. Heat a little olive oil in a wok. Then roll each ball between your hands before adding to the wok. Brown each one, rolling to get all sides, then add to the sauce. The meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce. As you might be able to tell from looking at the original recipe, I increased it by 1/4. The butcher I went to only had 1 1/4 lb. portions of ground turkey. But it ended up being the perfect amount for five people. About the meatball rolling- handling ground turkey can be very messy. I found it much easier to form the balls roughly first with the spoons, then shape and compact them by hand to finish.

Flourless Chocolate Cake
from all recipes.com
Here is a simplified version of this cake. It's very quick and easy to make, but more fudgey and dense than the more familiar cake-like version. It was my first time trying a flourless chocolate cake. I will try one of the more complicated versions (where the egss are separated and the whites beaten) when I have more time. But if you're in a rush, this is a great (and impressive) dessert option.

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
3/4 c. sugar (I used turbinado)
1/2 c. cocoa
3 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease an 8 inch round cake pan, and dust with cocoa powder. (line the bottom of your pan with a piece of parchment, cut to fit)

In the top of a double boiler over lightly simmering water, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

We added blueberries and sliced strawberries. I never buy fruit that's sold in a plastic box or shipped across state lines. really. Tutu bought the fruit.

served with barley tea, available in Korean food markets. barley tea has the nice hearty and toasty flavor of dark teas, without the caffeine.

about the herbs:
If you cook a lot, buying small bottles of dried herbs and spices can be very costly. I buy most of my spices in bulk at Indian grocery stores for a tiny fraction of the price. But for Mediterranean-style herbs that are readily grown in the U.S., I prefer to buy them fresh and (if appropriate) dry them myself. Some herbs are ill-advised to dry or purchase dry such as basil or parsley. But the ones I dry as a rule are rosemary and thyme. I learned this trick from my mentor, Michael King of Richmond's Grace Place. Take your bundle of herbs (unleash them from their rubber band first) and place in a paper bag. roll down the top of the bag and fasten with a paper clip. Place on a shelf and within a week or so you will have perfectly dried herbs. Roll the leaves off the stem with your fingers and decant into a glass herb jar or vitamin bottle. Keep your herbs inside a cabinet for maximum freshness. Light and heat are enemies to herbs.

I hope you enjoy my recipes and we all agree to cook more in the new year! go local! go fresh! compost if you can.

what I was doing in 2006

conducting a photo shoot. photos by janessa clark, modeling by kaitlin hines. click here to see the whole set.

after christmas sale

hey kids, we've marked some items down on the ebmerc site. we'll have some new designs coming after the holidays, including a metal version of the world links necklace. and there are many new designers for me to sift through and place orders with. we made the rounds of the many holiday craft/ indie design shows that were taking place around town and found some really cool stuff. after our initial launch and inventory selection, it's a good time for us hone in on what we want to sell and refine the collection.

and while you're at it, check out the pieces I have on sale at the molliedash shop.

what I was doing in 2004

After months of work leading up to the holidays I finally got a break and things have slowed down. I spent a few hours cooking today, then promptly passed out for a brief nap. b's mom is here from cali and we're hanging out. The weather's been pretty gross so it was a good day just to stay in. I cleaned up the site, pulling off sold items and putting them on my flickr page. That led to looking through my old files. I was wondering why I had posted necklace photos from 2003 but skipped the next few years. I realized today it was because the pictures needed editing. So here's a few from 2004, when I was using a lot of fabric scraps. See more here.

last minute shopping

The orders are all of sudden rolling in! So while I can't guarantee the time of their arrival, I will keep shipping as long as the orders keep coming. thanks guys, we all know it's been a tough year. I appreciate each and every order.

new bracelets

Ah, finally getting caught up with the jewelry. There are a few extra luxurious ones in the mix this time, made with chains from Italian silver bracelets. Crafted from vintage coins, lockets, bells and hunting tags, these are pieces to treasure and hold onto. So if you know someone special out there...check em out here.

so...

got in a bit of yoga this morning. feeling like I've crossed a hump in terms of getting things done. b and I were fortunate to have no thanksgiving plans this year. for the next day we had to be up early and out the door wearing heavy backpacks full of merchandise. the first day of gifted was fun, for sure. I was a bit dazed from taking various herbs and homeopathic remedies, not knowing if I was getting a cold or having allergies. turns out I was fine, making it through the show without a sneeze. we had a lot of interest in our products and our booth looked great if I do say so myself. b rigged up a display from a light stand and a fishing pole, from which the kreepy dolls dangled and delighted. design glut's world links necklace caught many peoples' eyes, including julie chang of fox5 news. yee-haw industries' letterpress products were a big hit, as well as andrew clark and kiel mead's rings. we'll be out there again this wednesday, and we'll be switching up the product mix.

after hitting the bed like a rock friday night, I got up early yesterday and starting putting products away, deciding what to take next time and doing some administrative work. then the exhaustion hit me and b and I both crashed in the late afternoon. watched some various shows on hulu (have you seen rick steves' europe? I highly recommend it!) then walked to peaches for a late dinner.

today? I'm going to model some of my own jewelry. yes, it's true! this season i made some extra-big bling, the scale of which is hard to tell from the photos. now, I think it's time for coffee!

oh, and in case you hadn't noticed, new jewelry!

my window is up

hey kids! if you're in or around brooklyn, go check out my window at brooklyn design lab. it will be up until december 4.

BDL
413A 7th ave.
between 13th & 14th sts.
park slope
f train to 7th ave.

or go to my flickr page to see the whole set of photos.

crazy busy

hey folks!

you know those people- who can run a successful business and also have fun, engaging blogs that are updated every day or so? yeah...I'm not one of them.

oh man, I can't begin to explain the amount of work that's been on my plate. all of the details involved in launching everbrite mercantile company have run well into the fall, leaving molliedash.com sorely neglected. when my assistant felecia left in the spring to have her baby, I left the position unfilled. things got pretty slow sales-wise and it didn't make sense at the time to hire someone to make more jewelry. so b and I plugged on through the spring and summer going to trade shows and weekend craft markets looking for vendors. I started ordering products, photographing and editing them, uploading the photos and descriptions to the database, and weighing and measuring them for shipping calculations. b spent many, many hours writing the code for the site, debugging it on various browsers and operating systems, and figuring out shipping formulas. together we designed the interface and consulted on many details and decisions. by august we had postcards printed and previewed the shop at the brooklyn flea. in october we launched the website.

some time in the spring I was contacted by a literary agent who had an idea for a book and was interested in having me write it. it seemed like a great opportunity and b was fully behind me doing it. I met with the agent a few times and put together a proposal with her help. but knowing that we were launching a new online shop and that fall and holiday would be coming soon enough (my busiest time for jewelry) made it hard to focus on writing the proposal. the process of submission and re-writes was starting to stretch out longer than appropriate, and the agent finally asked me if this was something I really wanted to work on. yes, maybe at another time, but no, not right now. (the agent did continue to look for another author, so I'll let you know the title if and when it gets published)

okay, so back to focusing on a fall line and getting the website updated. always ideas for how the site can look and function better. so as it's november and it's getting kinda late, I contacted felecia to see if she would like to do a bit of pick-up work. and thankfully, she did. now we are cranking through some new pieces with her amazing speed. I did hire an intern who started in early october, and she's been helping me with other aspects of the business. I was contacted in the summer by amy of brooklyn design lab about teaching a class there. each teacher is invited to do a window installation, and my intern has been much help in putting this project together. (I install it this friday, yo!) about a week ago, in the midst of my too-much-to-do freak out, I told b that I really, really, need to get the site updated. so he sat down and worked his magic on it for a few days, and it's almost ready to launch.

so yeah, not out of the woods yet. but getting close.

arts n' crafts rain day

(posted by "and friend" of ebmerc.com)

It didn't rain. But rain would have fit the day.

In addition to Mollie's upcoming Eco Jewelry Design workshop at Brooklyn Design Lab, she is going to install a window display at their studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The theme of the display: re-purposing of non-recyclable materials.

Or some such thing... I wasn't quite paying attention.

As Joanna and Mollie worked at their extremely well-organized table in Mollie's studio, I made a gigantic mess on the floor: cutting old telephone wire, plastic bottles and magazines.



The result of my hacky labor: an Obama-headed "Mr. T Bot" Uber-Bling necklace (who pities the fool quite nicely as his cardboard voice balloon clearly indicates.)



Mission accomplished. Time for leftover chinese delivery chow.

258 cafe

b and I have been out on foot distributing everbrite mercantile co. post cards to coffee houses and cafes for the past week. we've had this gorgeous warm weather to take advantage of after all. on the first day we hit the obvious places, our neighborhood being adjacent to fort greene/clinton hill, and park slope being the next neighborhood down. on tuesday it was beautiful out again, so I suggested we get some lunch here in bed-stuy and pass out some more cards. we had seen 258 cafe mentioned on the bed-stuy blog but never ventured in. ridiculous seeing how close it is to our apartment, but we tend to either work at home or go OUT. we stopped in on our way to food 4 thought (which was closed for renovations, so it was peaches instead) and I met the very outgoing owner of 258, francine. she said she'd take a few cards, but insisted "try a cup of coffee!" I felt so compelled to obey her wishes that we stopped back by on the way home (to francine's amusement) and tried a cup of her joe. I'm not even a fan of flavored coffees, but I fell in love with her chocolate raspberry. just the thing for dessert. the three of us got to talking about the neighborhood and its burgeoning local businesses, and before we knew it, we had made a new friend.

francine said that she's had great success with local artists setting up a table in front of her shop to sell their goods, and asked us if we'd like to do it. the next time we came by to chat, she introduced us to frank, who was doing laundry next door. he's a jazz musician who played at 258's anniversary party, and francine invited him to play next sunday, november 1 while we were standing there. that's when it came together and we decided to set up our little table on the same day.

so stop on by. we have a neighborhood cafe! with live jazz! and coffee and treats!

november 1, 12-5ish p.m.
twofiftyeight cafe
199 malcolm x boulevard
@ putnam

A/C train to Utica Ave. Exit towards Malcolm X Blvd. and walk straight up till you hit it.


View Larger Map

then came bling

(posted by "and friend" of ebmerc.com)

Mollie is deep into rolling out a whole 'nother thing; pushing further and dishing out a brand new flavor of bling.

New pieces will be listed on the site soon. If you can't wait, then you'll need to pop on over to see Tiffany Porter at her Old Hollywood shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

She already has the latest molliedash selections as well as many other vintage finds, antiques, old-ish pieces and new items from other designers. She's got a magical little shop there in the old Polish neighborhood of Brooklyn.


m.dash busy in her lab

my new dress

look what i just ordered from frecklewonder. i've been following this site since the wee early days of internet shopping, like back in 2002. it has been a big inspiration to me in setting up my own site, in terms of ease of navigation and good photography. oh and good products too! and wow, it's my first frecklewonder purchase. usually her stuff sells out too fast for me to grab something. so psyched- hope it fits.

new designs

a whole collection of new items is coming for the website. I'm introducing pops of bright color, braided cord, and some mammoth pendants. and of course a new site design. so stayed tuned.

our favorite neighborhood spots

b and I were over in Long Island City yesterday, visiting PS1 and the surrounding galleries that were open on a Monday. we picked up a neighborhood map at PS1 that pointed out the neighborhood museums, galleries and restaurants. As we sat eating our lunch at the court square diner (best moussaka I've had yet!) b remarked, why doesn't our neighborhood have a guide like this! to which I replied, we could totally make our own. and so b did, forming a google map with our favorite bed-stuy neighborhood places. we just started it yesterday, so it will continue to grow. I need to put in the actual street addresses and links in case you're interested in visiting some of these places. so go on and check it out at ebmerc.com/our-town.

my 100th etsy sale

wow, never thought I'd get there, but it happened today. my 100th etsy sale. I've had a shop going since July 2006, just a year after the site launched. and man, have I had my ups and downs with it. the main advantage of etsy, the largest and best-known online "hand made" marketplace, is its ease of use and low start-up cost. etsy allows anyone who makes crafted or artistic goods, sells vintage clothing, jewelry or crafting supplies to launch an online shop in a matter of minutes. etsy's emphases on community building and technical innovation provide many opportunities for users to promote their goods within the site. the drawbacks of etsy involve it becoming a victim of its own success. started by a small group of 20-something crafters and techies, its founders were lacking in the maturity and business experience to handle its explosive growth in the past four years. etsy launched with a lot of fun and tricky visual tools such as searching for items from a color picker, a time machine and a geo locator. what etsy was lacking, and this is huge for an online marketplace, was a properly functioning search tool that uses, you know, words.

finally after four years, etsy has undergone a major organizational restructuring and has made a search function among its top priorities. there have been a number of etsy success stories, but they are far outnumbered by small sellers like me. I've tinkered with my product mix, and have settled on using my shop to sell "destash," those extra supplies that pile up in the studio, and some of my lower-priced vintage. I don't make a ton of money from my etsy shop, but it's a fun diversion, and a way to keep the extra supplies under control.

incidentally, the 100th sale was made to one of my best customers, who also owns a number of molliedash jewelry creations. thanks p!!!

still looking for an intern

yo.

I was in a bit of a crunch to find an intern before leaving for last week's vacation. Truth be told I should have interviewed more applicants. The (two) that I hired ended up seeking full-time work instead. so, if you're still interested (or know someone who is) scroll down to the sept. 2 post to read up on the details.

today

•malcom x farmer's market. bought 8 pounds of tomatoes for making sauce.
•appointment in chelsea
•picked up some garlic at the union square green market while passing through.
•L train to williamsburg to see don't become the things you hate, marial seasick maher's show at stand alone gallery on 6th street.
•Q54 bus to sizzler in forest hills. yes, you read that right.
•walked to trader joe's then another couple of miles along metropolitan, to the M train. found a stretch of dirt trail along the cemetery. yep, a couple of long blocks in queens with no sidewalk.
•home

bushwick farmers' market

I had a bunch of packages to ship, and it was finally a good day for us to check out the bushwick farmers' market, which is near the post office. also nearby is our favorite cheap cuban restaurant, collado. as we approached, we were so pleased and happy to see several tents, not just one or two, and there appeared to be a crowd of mid-day moms and grandmas shopping, some using their wic checks. (bushwick also accepts the wic swipe cards) the market has a perfect location near the gates ave. J train station, using the sidewalk around the linden-bushwick community garden. today there was one vendor each selling vegetables, fruit, fresh baked bread, honey and desserts. one booth made smoothies on a bicycle-operated blender. there was also an information booth and a cooking demonstration, which was making ratatouille while we were there. this might seem small to most farmer's market shoppers, but for our neighborhood it's huge. You might also be thinking, I thought mollie and b lived in bed-stuy. and we do. but one of the closest places for us to walk is broadway, which lays on the bed-stuy / bushwick border. if you'd like to know what the major difference is, bed-stuy is mostly black and bushwick is mostly latino. not that there aren't some of each in both, with a smattering of most every other race and culture you'll find in nyc. (we seem to have a *little india* developing a block away from our apartment, and there are more indian families as you keep heading in that direction)

so anyways, it was super great to be able to take a short walk down to broadway and be able to buy fresh, local produce and bread. I'm in love with the bushwick market after one visit because of its vibe. it's the combination of the vendors who are eager to bring some good food to the neighborhood and the customers, who are happy to have it there. one woman was so excited, she was making sure everyone knew how great the market was, recommending the smoothies and ratatouille, and keeping the vendors in line! ha ha.

because nyc's such a walking city, it's easy to see when there's a clustering effect among business. it seems like this stretch of broadway is really starting to come up. my previous apartment was very close to this area, so it holds a certain nostalgia for me. my favorite small market, (when I remember to go) ralph ave. market, is over there, as well as the above mentioned collado. there are a couple of new men's clothing/sneaker shops, an immaculate mexican-run butcher, a decent hardware store, the post office and a new walgreens.

oh, and the bushwick farmers' market is holding a *harvest fair* on september 23. see you there?

wednesday freebie on green L.A. girl

green L.A. girl is one of my long-standing favorite blogs on the net. being a former L.A. resident and one who's concerned about the environment, it's hard not to see the city as an example of how not to do things. From its dependence on water that travels hundreds of miles over an aqueduct, to its reliance on the automobile, Los Angeles has become the perfect subject for an environmental blog. In response to the city's inherent inefficiency there are myriad innovators figuring out ways, large and small, to handle the region's environmental concerns. People all over are re-imagining the way L.A. could operate, and Siel, "green L.A. girl," is always on the pulse of these ideas and innovations.

So I'm more than happy to be contributing to the twice-weekly *freebies* feature on green L.A. girl. Siel has given away a number of green items such as clothing made from sustainable materials, books on gardening and cooking green, t-shirts with green messages, body products, and of course the ever-popular canvas shopping bag. this wednesday's item (deadling is sunday) is the molliedash chevron bracelet. all you need to do is comment on the blog, and you will be entered into a drawing to win the bracelet. it's that simple!

new destash

I just posted a bunch of new destash on my etsy shop. each collection is between five and ten dollars, a really good deal. if you're a crafter that loves to use repurposed stuff (like I do) go check it out.

looking for an intern

I'm putting a shout-out to my audience first, before I make a general announcement:

I'm looking for an intern for the fall season, approximately three months.

looking for someone who can help with any or all of the following tasks:

•jewelry assembly, including wire wrapping, knotting, drilling, etc. the wire work is often with heavy gauge wire, which involves antiquing, sanding and polishing.

•photographing products with a digitial SLR.

•editing photos in photoshop.

•creating hand made packaging for orders.

•occasional data entry or other administrative work.

I work out of my studio in Brooklyn. This is an ideal position for a design student, whether in jewelry, fashion or product. You will get hands-on knowledge of the workings of a small design business which was built from the ground up. It's a friendly and flexible environment. Prior experience is not necessary, but some knowledge of design and eye for detail is important. College credit can be arranged.

Please contact me at info@molliedash.com if you are interested.

um, yeah.

so this is what i've been up to lately:

•brooklyn flea, immediately followed by
•gift show (nyigf) to look for new products for everbrite. we found the most kick-ass neon, sparkly, candy-like jewelry from a chicago designer. can't wait till it arrives.
•left town for a long weekend in the catskills, attending a yoga retreat with erin and alex. easily one of the best experiences of my life. got very little sleep on the trip.
•came home to my best friend willie, who had arrived in brooklyn two days before. we spent the next few days running around nyc like madwomen.
•more calls and visits from old friends (old nyc friends, meaning former co-workers, so people i hardly see any more) and yoga classes and baby visits.
•contemplating the mountain of work I have ahead, while feeling deeply grateful for the r&r I've been able to experience. one more mini-vacation coming up-woo hoo! but maybe we'll bring the laptops along.

big big sale

come check out my site, kids. many, many items marked way down to make room for new merch and (you know me...) a new site design.

help me help you!

do-over

so we're back on for the flea, this sunday the 16th. I used to never look at weather forecasts, and did just fine on my own. I think I'll go back to that method. (it didn't rain yesterday after all)

at least we're prepared, and can relax this week. the plastic mesh came today!

here's some more eye candy for you.


copper, brass and steel wire rings from andrew clark of brooklyn.


all-natural herbal soaps from family-owned master soap makers valobra, of genova, italy. cool packaging too.


pewter and glass moose shot glass from goody grams of japan. we have a rabbit version too.


nambu cast iron birds-foot bookends from northern japan.

also...EVERYTHING in the molliedash collection will be discounted 20%, 30% or 50% off!

I sincerely hope everything goes smoothly for this weekend. fingers crossed.

thinking about

•new website design
•new designs for fall
•painting
•drawing
•dancing
•reading
•getting a bike

rain

It is definitely looking like a rain day.

Not going out to the Brooklyn Flea today.... We'll try next week.

looks like rain?

so, I've been following the forecast all week, which has flipped-flopped from sun to rain to sun to an increasing chance of rain. we're going to keep a close eye on it tonight, and if it looks like a rainy day tomorrow, we won't be out at the flea. instead, we'll try for the following weekend. rats!

check-check-check it out.

this a.m. the ups man arrived with our cards, straight in from astoria, queens. (click on it for a larger view) yesterday b and I took the g train up to metropolitan ave. in williamsburg to get some supplies. I had some stretchers sitting around, rescued from the trash when I lived in astoria, over four years ago! first stop was crest hardware, where we got s-hooks for hanging stuff like t-shirts and stuffed toys from the frame of the tent; clothes pins for anchoring down price tags; light bulbs cause we needed them; bungees b/c why not; and a grommet kit for hanging the mesh. the mesh probably won't get here till monday, btw. then down to artist & craftsman supply for canvas and gesso. then back to crest for a staple gun and staples. I got rid of a lot of my heavy painting supplies when I left richmond in 1997 and never replaced them. it felt so good to have these items back in my possession, and better yet to use them today. we talked about ideas for making an everbrite sign, and b suggested painting one. great idea! I already had a stash of acrylics and brushes. and oh, if you ever get a chance to check out crest hardware, do it! the trippiest hardware store you'll ever see- artwork made of and inspired by hardware, tucked into every corner of the place. today I stretched one of the canvases and put on three coats of gesso. then I pulled down a box of vintage stuff from the closet and started pricing things: a pair of 1979 candie's, (I wore these to my jr. high graduation) 1960's ray ban "caribbean" sunglasses, a set of 60's frosted cocktail glasses, a polaroid spectra, and more! I also found a stash of bargain necklaces I had made ($10 each) and handful of puka bead chokers. tomorrow we really need to get some bins so I can get everything that's priced out of the way and I can see what I'm doing. but the weather's looking good for this weekend, so I'm psyched.