behind the music

Okay, not really. But behind the music sounds better than behind the zippy pouches. Or does it? Not sure. Anyways, a little while back Melissa posted about her workspace and I got inspired. See, Melissa's "studio" is actually in her bedroom. I know we've all seen lots of bloggers' beautiful craft studios and drooled over our keyboards at all the natural light, sewing space, large cutting tables, and shelves and shelves full of fabric. Well I have, at least. I, for one, do not have a studio (as I'm sure most of you don't). I am lucky enough to have some space to call my own, even if it's in the living room.

So I thought I'd share a little of that with you all today. I know that I'm very lucky to live in an apartment that's large enough to accommodate this much sewing space as well as a roomy living room with space for a (very) large plush couch.

So my "studio" is pretty much just set up along the wall in my living room. I also have a table and my ironing board set up in our dining room where I do all my cutting and laying out of projects. We don't have a dining room table, so I just use a plastic folding table that I bought last year to do craft fairs. It works fine and I don't worry about ruining a nice table, which I will once we get a real table.

First up is the sewing area--obviously the center of the whole operation. Until about a month ago, I was using a table that was Jared's and worked just fine but was not cute, had no drawers and was too short so I had my sewing machine propped up on a really thick book. Not a good idea--the machine definitely tipped over a few times while I was in the middle of sewing something. So this awesome desk that I just scored last month at my favorite antique store is no doubt an improvement. It's not too big (the last one was much bigger and tended to accumulate more crap), but it's still big enough that I can push the machine out of the way and do a little bit of pinning or minor cutting without getting up. To my left, there is a built in cabinet where I keep some other supplies- stamps, small paper, shipping supplies, etc. I also like that I can look out the window from my seat. Not that there's too much going on on the side of our house- but sometimes there's a funny squirrel. This is also where I have my inspiration wires hung (details on the current wire here).

Next is this awesome storage cabinet that I picked up at a yard sale last summer. It kind of smelled like cat pee for a while, but that seems to have gone away. I love the color and the countertop is this '50s sort of yellow kitchen counter deal (I have no idea how to describe it, I may need a class in interior design). Mostly I keep sewing notions, zippers, my roll of tracing paper, and other stuff in here. It's nice to have another place to pile stuff, and I try to keep it relatively organized. I have piles of fabric to be washed, upcoming projects I want to start, new books/magazines, etc.

Ahhh, the fabric. Before I got this IKEA shelf, my fabric was literally just piled all over the floor and driving me insane. Not to mention it was getting incredibly dusty, which totally defeated the purpose of prewashing everything (which I really really do my best to do- I try to not even put the fabric on the shelf until it's been washed). This shelf really saved me. I've mostly got everything color coordinated and then some random stuff on the top shelf, like wool felt pieces, large pieces of batting, and other random fabric that I couldn't figure out where to shelve. I really find that having everything organized on shelves like this makes it easy to find the fabric I want to use and helps me be more efficient. It also helps me see everything I have, so I don't lose some piece of fabric in a big pile only to find it later after I've already finished the project I wanted to use it for in the first place.

I also have about four good-sized ziploc bags (in the box in the bottom right corner there) that I keep all my scraps in. Because of all the small pieces I make, including cards (where I could honestly make use of a 1/2" piece of fabric) I never throw any scraps away unless they're absolutely too small to be useful. On the other side of the living room, we have an entire wall of built-in glass-doored cabinets, and that's where I have a shelf full of craft books as well.

And in the suitcases, I mostly keep finished products and stuff for craft fairs. The black one has interfacing and batting, and the large tub on the bottom is where I currently keep all my yarn. Is it obvious that I haven't been knitting a lot? That's something I'd like to work on getting more organized, but I just don't really have the space right now. When we move into a real house, I'd really like to have my own studio. It doesn't have to be big. But it would be nice to have a little bit more space, and something that was all my own.

So there you have it, my little "studio" tour. I know it's not that impressive, but I'm certainly glad to not be doing this in the kitchen or on the floor like I was in my last apartment.

broken record

Sometimes I feel like I may sound like a broken record here. Especially when it comes to bread, and the baking. This is my third version of this shirt (BBW/Simplicity 3835). I can't help it, though. It's just so easy and absolutely perfect for summer. The length is great for bike riding (I hate when shirts ride up in the back-or the front for that matter!-while I'm biking) and the little short sleeves are good for covering up the shoulders from the sun.

Also, the pattern is super duper easy. This is actually the first time that I made it exactly like the pattern says- the first time I used the neckline from the dress and lengthened the sleeves with no elastic, the second time i did the same for the sleeves- and of course it came out perfect. No modifications necessary just cut, stitch, press, wear. Easy. Peasy. So much different than my Japanese patterns (which I'm planning on getting back to pretty soon here, so stay tuned for that). The fabric here is something that I picked up over at Crafty Planet when they were having their big moving sale ($2/yard!), but I can't find it online anywhere. At first (when I tried it on with my pajama pants right after finishing it on Sunday morning), I was worried that it looked a little hospital gown-ish. But now I'm thinking not. Phew.

In other news, I got bangs again. And, no, I'm not sick of them yet.

summer manifesto

Inspired by the likes of andrea, molly, and shari, I've decided to create a summer manifesto. Even though it's not feeling quite so summery here today, I know it's coming and I this "unofficial start to summer" weekend seemed the logical opportunity to come up with some goals and wishes for the next few months. So, in no particular order, here goes.

This summer, I will:

::make pizza with veggies fresh from my garden.

::work on putting together a photo album of all my film photos from the last couple of years (something that I did after graduating college for four years worth of photos and was a most satisfying accomplishment. The hardest part was actually finding an album that I liked).

::make a present for one of my college roommates who is getting married in August (I've finally decided what the present will be, which was the most difficult part of this project).

::make a dress to wear to said wedding, in Oregon (which we just bought our tickets for, so excited!!!)

::have more fresh flowers in my house.

::bike even more/drive even less.

::visit the downtown library.

::go on three camping trips (this is allowed to extend into the fall, or at least until it's too freaking cold to sleep outside).

::visit as many more of the 10,000 lakes as I can.

::spend as many hours as possible on my new glider bench on the front porch, and eat as many meals as possible at our new backyard picnic table.

::go for evening walks.

::see live music.

::hit up some good yard sales (a nice vintage typewriter is at the top of the list this year).

::read at least three books.

::shoot at least five rolls of film.

...and hopefully much more. What will you do this summer?

edited to add: you might notice that I keep adding things as I think of more/read your suggestions. this list is meant to give you all some ideas, but mainly for myself. I plan to revisit it as the summer moves on to remind myself of what my goals were back at the end of May...

essential ingredients: fungus and yeast

When was the last time that you tasted food so amazingly delicious, it actually made you smile? Or even giggle? I, for one, cannot remember the last time that happened to me. Before last night, that is. Okay, rewind. Before I moved to Minnesota, I'm pretty sure I had never heard of morels. Last spring, must have been around this time, Jared spotted some at our local coop and suggested that we get some. I was a little intimated (by the price, but also by the thought of cooking some "foodie" fancy wild mushroom), and said we could pick some up on the next trip. Well, lo and behold, by the next trip to the coop, they were already gone.

So on Monday, when we spotted some at the coop, we snatched them up right away. Choosing carefully and pretending to ignore the pricetag (all I can say is that I'm glad mushrooms don't weigh much). The very next day, I spotted this photo by the lovely Molly and enlisted some morel cooking advice. I'd read that they don't need much, just a simple sautee and would be just perfect on some nice toast (I'll get to that bit in a minute). Molly directed me to this post of hers that she wrote last year. I don't know if I can describe the feeling of eating morels much better than she did, so I'll just let you read her words for yourself.

In the meantime, prior to spotting the morels at the coop on Monday, we had a little trip to our local bookstore (I had taken the day off, in case you're wondering who the heck has time for leisurely bookstore and coop trips on a Monday) where I picked up this book that I've been coveting for months. I don't feel that a full review is necessary here, I'm sure most of you have read one by now (perhaps this one, or this one), so I'll just say a few words. Keep in mind, I've only tried the first recipe so far. Basically this book gives you some basic bread recipes that are SUPER simple (read: mix some ingredients together in a container, no kneading required, let it rise for about two hours, stick it in the fridge, done). Once you've got your dough in the fridge, you've got enough for about four loaves of bread. Then, when you're ready to bake some, you cut off a hunk of dough, shape it (still no kneading), maybe add some other ingredients if you want to go the fancy route, let it rest, then bake it. All while you're making the rest of your dinner/breakfast/lunch/dawdling on flickr.

Seriously people, I thought I had breadmaking down (well, kind of at least) and this is incredible. Mostly the part about keeping dough in the fridge. I have to say that as yummy as all the recipes look, I don't know that the recipes themselves are all that revolutionary. But being able to make fresh bread during the week, and not worrying about not having enough time or ending up staying up way past my bedtime because it's taking longer to rise, it's a pretty awesome thing. This is big people. Very big.

Okay, so back to the meal at hand here. I sliced up some morels, sauteed them in about a tablespoon of margarine, and spread them on some plain toast. And I almost died. In her book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver quotes Alice Waters as writing "With their woodsy, earthy, complex flavors and aromas, and their rich, primeval colors and forms [wild mushrooms bring to our kitchens] a reminder that all the places we inhabit were once wildernesses."

All I can say is that I'm seriously crossing my fingers that there are more at the farmers market this weekend.

shop update: thursday evening

Well, well. Thank you all for the well wishes on the craft fair this weekend. I had a lot of fun and it was great to be outside for a whole weekend (except for that pesky wind...). Of course I didn't take any photos, but it was a very fun weekend. There will be a shop update with many of the remaining goods (including bags, cards, coasters, and some aprons) happening this Thursday, hopefully around 7pm Central Time. For those of you who are local, I've also brought some new goods over to i like you, so be sure to check them out and save yourself some shipping costs!

Now that this fair is over, and I don't have any more planned probably until October (gah! I know, talk about slowing down), I'll be getting back to making some more clothing and household goods that have been on my list for months. I'm also hoping to be settling back into more of a normal life routine here and can be a bit more present here at the old blog.

guess what

Yes, friends, it's true. I still sew. I know, hard to believe considering it's been over a month (yes, I checked the archives) since I've posted anything relating to sewing. Crazytown, I tell you. Well, don't be deceived, there has been a lot of sewing going on. There's also been a lot of traveling and general busy-ness going on too. So that explains some of it.

In any case, enough with the excuses. Here we go. I mentioned recently that I have an upcoming craft fair. Upcoming has turned into this weekend, so here we are. With some sneak peeks. I'm way more on top of this show than I was last year (when I hadn't started making anything until a week before the show and stayed up crazy late every night sewing and listening to the BBC world news on NPR), and I'm pretty excited about that, if nothing else. The show, for those of you who are local and want to come say hi, is Johnstock. It's Saturday and Sunday and is (officially, this year) part of Art-a-Whirl. We're on the trolley, we're in the catalog, and I think it's going to be a great show (crosses fingers for good weather). Also, if you haven't yet checked out the new Crafty Planet location, this is your chance- Johnstock is right across the street (and Crafty Planet is having their grand opening this weekend too)!



Here is a bit of what I've been working on for this event. Whatever doesn't sell will be available in the shop, hopefully next week, or as soon as I can get it all photographed. I'm pretty excited about this weekend, it was really fun last year and I think it'll be even better this year. I hope some of you come out and say hi, and for those of you who aren't local, well, I'll be thinking of you!

rabarbra (that's rhubarb for you non-norwegians*)

So gardening season has officially started here in MN. Yes, it's supposed to get down to forty something degrees tonight, but I'm ignoring that forecast and focusing on the seeds I just planted in my garden yesterday afternoon. That would be some carrots, kale, salad greens, and zucchinis. I'll soon be adding some beets and spinach, as well as all the seedlings I have growing in my living room and kitchen (tomatoes, chard, peppers, broccoli, and herbs). Yeah, I'm pretty excited.

And to quell that excitement and anxious, I can't wait until I'm harvesting feeling, I decided to take advantage of something that was actually ready to be harvested. That's right, rhubarb (or rabarbra, as hanne taught me). We have some that someone generously planted on the side of our house (probably a previous tenant) and lucky for us, it's a perennial. I don't think I had ever actually eaten rhubarb until last spring, and for some reason (that is especially unbeknownst to me after the deliciousness of yesterday) I just left the plant last summer, not using one bit of it. This year, probably stemming from my yearning for something fresh and local, I decided I would find a recipe for rhubarb something. Well that something turned out to be Martha Stewart's Rhubarb Galette. Let me tell you, this was good. It was have two pieces and then another for breakfast good (and that wasn't just me- you know if Jared is having two helpings of a dessert, it's damn good. He certainly does not sport the sweet tooth that I do and is often accusing me of trying to make him fat by baking so much).

A few notes about the recipe- I skimped on the sugar just a bit (maybe using 1/8 less than is called for) because I had a feeling it would be super sweet. It was a bit tart (I like it that way) so if you don't want that- just follow the recipe. And I think next time I might try it with brown sugar instead of white, because I just like the taste better- so maybe it would be about 1/2 cup brown sugar instead of the 3/4 cup white. Also, Martha does not actually tell you when to transfer the dough onto the parchment lined pan (maybe most people know this, but I was at a loss). I stupidly filled up the dough with the fruit mixture, folded up the edges, and then realized how the eff was I going to get this whole concoction onto the pan?! It was a sight, let me tell you. I would (in my expert experience) recommend rolling out the dough, transferring it to the pan, then filling it up with the fruit and folding up the sides, etc. Also (to accommodate the vegan in my life) I used margarine instead of butter in the crust and replaced the egg wash with a sugar water wash. It was delicious. And I can't wait to make more.

I've been thinking a lot about baking lately. Last weekend, Jared and I watched "Stranger than Fiction" (an excellent movie for those of you who haven't seen it yet). And the baker woman character really struck a chord with me. She was so delightful, and I like to think that she reminded me a little bit of myself. I know that I've talked before about working in a bakery, and how much I loved it (well, mostly). Ever since that experience, I've harbored this little fantasy of starting my own little bakery/cafe, and seeing this movie totally brought that back. I've been baking and cooking a ton lately, and I just can't describe the feeling that I get when something delicious is coming out of the oven or off the stove. And it's an even more heavenly experience when you watch that deliciousness fill the mouths and tummies of people who appreciate it (I think this is why I was so unhealthy when I was cooking for one- it's so anti-climactic). Anyways, I've been talking with Jared more about this lately, and I know that starting a bakery (or any enterprise like that) is no walk in the park. But wouldn't it be so amazing? Yeah, well I'm not quitting my dayjob just yet (or anytime soon- don't worry mom), but I'm definitely not ready to give up my fantasy bakery just yet either.

*Also, I am not norwegian, but hanne is, and I kind of fell in love with her little video.

Side note: I have to say that I almost didn't post this today. With all that's going on in the world right now, I'm feeling a bit depressed and as though my baking adventures are, well, frivolous and unimportant in the face of thousands of people dying in Myanmar and China, hundreds in Oklahoma and Missouri, and even more being evacuated from villages in Chile. In the end, I decided to share this with you all, because I believe that it's the little joys like baking and gardening (at least for me) that make life so enjoyable. And I believe that we have to remember to appreciate all that we have- from a roof over our heads, to delicious homemade foods- especially in the face of others (both around the world, and in our communities) losing everything they have. My thoughts are with all of those that are dealing with all of these tragedies right now.

happy day mom.

This is my mom, circa 1967. My aunt just found this picture and my mom seems to know nothing about this (don't kill me for posting this mom!). In honor of mother's day this year, I thought I'd say a little about my mom. This photo was taken about 12 years before she actually became a mom, and at the time of this photo probably never could have imagined all that was to come--all that has come. Meeting my dad, having two kids, being a working mother, living far away from much of her family (despite living in the same city she grew up in), illnesses, recoveries, deaths, kids moving across the country, and all that still lies ahead.

My mom is creative, talented, sensitive, smart, funny, and incredibly strong. All qualities that I hope I've inherited from her. We had some rough times back in the day (when I was an obnoxious, rebellious teenager. Yes I can admit it) but now we talk almost every day and I don't know what I would do without her. So thanks for putting up with me, mom, I know I was a pain in the ass for a while there. Thanks for being there with me for the fun stuff, and the not so fun stuff. I love you mom, happy mother's day.

about those puppets.

So I mentioned that in addition to food, sunshine, and the beginning of the end of the hives (fingers crossed, fingers crossed), this weekend was also about puppets. And when I say puppets, we're not talking the muppet show here. We're talking about wacky bikes, masks, costumes, multiple person puppets, and lots of general craziness. We're talking about the annual May Day Parade.

I don't really feel that I need to say too much about this. The pictures pretty much speak for themselves. What I can say, is that this event is so community based, participatory, DIY, multicultural, and just all around amazing. And it's one of the {many} things that makes me proud to call Minneapolis home. And it's just an added bonus that the route is within walking distance from our apartment. This year, the weather was spectacular, and the parade was preceded by a delicious brunch at our place. I hope this is the beginning of a long tradition...






More photos here.

living life

If such a thing as the opposite of a hangover exists, I think that would accurately describe what I've got right now. I'm coming off of one of the best Sundays, if not the best weekends, in a long long time, and I'm still smiling. It was so good, in fact, that I wasn't even grumpy about it being Monday. I almost didn't care that I had to be inside at my desk all day while the seventy degree and sunny temperature that showed up over the weekend persisted outside my office windows. Yeah, it was that good.

Like Shari said, this weekend was all about the food (and the sunshine, and the puppets, and the smiles. But we'll get to those later). This weekend was about bread, hummus, granola, banana chocolate walnut muffins, hash browns, vegan spinach mushroom strata, fruit, mexican chocolate cake, and even more bread. Yes, my friends, I made all of that (well, everything except the last three). And I have but one photograph to show for it.

My first thought, especially on the heels of my photo a day and subsequent vow to take at least one photo a day (which I've kept up with so far, though not all in film), was how dumb it was to not have taken any photos of all the delicious foods that emerged from my kitchen and onto the table and into the mouths of my loved ones this weekend. But really now, there will always be more bread, there will be more granola and muffins, and--oh yes-- there will most definitely be more of that vegan strata (damn that veganomicon is right on, every time). So I'm okay with not having taken photos of all that, and just having enjoyed it instead. With my dear friends surrounding my table. And enjoy it we did (seriously, people, there are no leftovers- unless you count that half a muffin. Who leaves half a muffin?).

In any case, this weekend was about living life. It was about crafting, sunshine, gift giving, spending time with friends, smiling, eating, cuddling, book finishing, and those darn puppets. This weekend was also the beginning of something that I hope will continue for a very long time. Since I was about six years old, I've lived with chronic hives. A condition that (with the brief exception of a few years around that time when the hormones begin to change your body's chemistry) has been with me each and every day. A condition that has caused embarrassment, discomfort, frustration, countless allergists, acupuncturists, and medications, many a tear in the early years, and yes--insane amounts of itching.

I've learned to deal with the hives. Calmly explaining to people that, yes, I know my lip is swollen and, no, no one has beaten me up, it's just a hive. I've learned to deal with idiot doctors who say "well, at this point, your guess is really as good as mine." I've learned to recognize when I need to change my medication because after a few years of taking an antihistamine daily, a person will inevitably grow immune to it. And until about a year ago, I had learned to just deal with this and was over the fact (or what I thought was a "fact") that I would just have hives for the rest of my life (or, until I was thirty as one other doctor had arbitrarily declared).

One year ago is the key here. One year ago, my boss--witnessing a particularly overwhelming period of hives for me--suggested that I see a homeopath. She told me that a few of her friends had seen amazing results for their various ailments and maybe I should give it a shot. At the time, I was taking not one, but two medications for my hives (though certainly not the largest amount I had ever had littering my nightstand). One of these medications was actually a mild sedative (I later found out it was used in higher doses to treat depression, hmm), which the aforementioned idiot doctor had told me tended to work best for people with chronic hives because it just knocks your whole system out so your immune system doesn't have a chance to overreact and create hives.

Well, let me tell you that when you "knock your whole system out", you are actually knocking your whole system out. And by system, I mean body. Meaning that it's really hard to wake up in the morning. I would fall asleep, hard, and be groggy all day. I would doze off at my desk regularly. Within five minutes of taking this drug (even when I tried to just take half of the tiny pill), I would begin slurring my words and would lose my ability to carry on a sentence. Seriously. Friends, this was not living life. This was, quite literally, being sedated.

So I tried out the homeopath. I was a bit skeptical at first, I'll admit. Despite my general openness to non-western medication (I had tried acupuncture many times, and even worked at an acupuncture school in Berkeley for a time), the first session lasting two and a half hours and consisting entirely of me talking in great depth about how my hives make me feel, left me wondering if this would actually work (and definitely left me wishing that my insurance covered this treatment). And, when the first month of this treatment forced me to give up coffee, I was left wondering even more.

But I persisted. If for no other reason, then because nothing else had worked thus far, so I really had nothing left to lose by trying something new. If this all turned out to be bogus, then I would be right back where I started. I was able to stop taking that sedative pretty quickly, which at least made life more bearable (and livable for that matter) and pretty soon, the hives seemed mostly under control. I was still taking another prescription antihistamine and every time I would test out stopping that one as well, my hives would return in full force. So, for a few more months I happily plodded along, overjoyed that the homeopathic remedy was keeping everything at bay. But still, I was frustrated that I continued to rely on this other medication. Except for those brief few years when I "grew out of the hives", I have taken prescription medication every day for almost twenty years. And I was just ready to be done with that.

For the last couple of months, the hives were back, even while continuing to take the medication. They weren't too bad, but they were there. Every day. A little one on my neck, a lip swelling up, itchy wrists, and on and on. Last week, I was back at the homeopath for a regular follow up visit. She told me that she thought that my hives were trying to "come out" and get out of my system, but every morning I was suppressing them with the medication so they would go away, and then come back, and on and on. She suggested that I try again, to stop taking the prescription. No rush, but that I should try.

Friends, today is day five with no prescription medication, and I feel incredible. Yes, the first few days were rough. And yes, my back is pretty itchy as I sit here typing. But yes, this is a wholly new experience for me. In the past, one single day without the medication would leave me in an itchy heap of a mess, barely able to get dressed (when underwear is too tight and causes hives, we have a problem). But now, well, let's just say that this is more than bearable. And getting better day by day. I have more energy than I even knew I had, and I am so full of hope that this is the beginning of the end that all I can do right now is smile.

A while ago, I read Shauna's post about saying yes to life (actually, all of her posts are pretty much about saying yes- hello, the woman has the word tattoed on her wrist!) And though my hives are nowhere near as debilitating as her celiac, I feel like her words describe my feelings exactly. I had begun to say, not yes, but okay, to having hives forever. I had begun to just accept what I thought was the fact of my life- that I would cycle through different combinations and doses of antihistamines until the day that I return to this earth. But that is all behind me now (fingers crossed, fingers crossed). I am done with that stage of my life. I know full well that my hives could (and probably will) come back again. That they're not even gone yet. But I also know, that I am healing, and that I will live my life--hopefully without hives--with a smile.

And if you're reading this, it means that you've read this incredibly long post and I thank you, whole-heartedly for listening and letting me share this with you.

*Disclaimer: Although I have seen incredible results from my homeopathic treatments, as have many others, this post by no means intends to claim that this is the solution for everyone, nor does it intend to discredit western medicine. I fully understand that each and every person responds to different treatments in a unique way, whether it be allopathic, homeopathic, naturopathic, or anything else. This is what has worked for me, is all I'm sayin'.

en filme

First of all, thank you to all who left encouraging comments on my last post. I think that that post didn't come out exactly how I meant it. I'm actually not that frustrated with the selling--mostly I've just chosen not to do it when I haven't been feeling like it--but I do have that persisting feeling that I should be making goods to sell, and I think that feeling is what I need to let go of. Anyways, thank you all for your kind words, advice, and encouragement. I knew I could count on you all!

Before I left for New York, I mentioned that I was taking along my mom's old film camera. As an aside, it's now a family mystery as to who that camera originally belonged to, both of my parents seem to be at a loss. But now it's mine so we won't worry too much about its origins. I don't feel that I need to go into depth again about where all the recent inspiration for shooting film has come from, but suffice it to say that I think there's a film revolution going on over at flickr.

In any case, I did achieve my goal of shooting one entire roll of film during my trip. A few of the shots didn't come out, but overall I was incredibly pleased with how they turned out, especially given that this was my first foray into using a totally manual camera (except of course when I took photography in middle school and had explicit instructions- none of which have been nice enough to come back to me).

I also completed my photo a day for April a few days ago, and decided (although for a while I thought otherwise) not to continue it. It was a really wonderful experience for me, forcing me to stretch my boundaries a little bit. However, in the end, I decided that one month was enough for me, for now at least. Most of this decision has actually come because I'm wanting to shoot more film. So I'm going to try, for a while, to take a photo a day on film. Obviously, those cannot be posted daily, so this is more just a personal challenge as opposed to an all out project.

Here, I am sharing a few of my film shots from New York, the rest of which can be seen in my film=love photoset. I'm happy to report that I did start my second roll of film yesterday and I've been researching some additional cameras (I'm thinking of a holga) on ebay. I'm sensing a new addiction forming here...I'm off for the weekend, hoping to finish at least three bags for the craft fair, and will be having friends and family over for a nice big brunch before the annual May Day Parade in my neighborhood. Hope it's a lovely one for you all. Be well friends.