thrifty days spent in a good way

current tune: "Rabbit Heart" by: Florence and The Machine

Mushrooms make me happy. They're cute. Quaint. Colorful. And are quite decorative on mugs, plates, and any other kitchen accessory that catches my eye!

As a child, my father worked at a large company called Coleco, and had one of their computers...possibly as "Adam" computer with a Smurf game on it that he and I used to play when I was in elementary school. I adored the Smurfs so much as a child growing up in the late '80's - early '90's....Smurfette, of course being a favorite.

So...! I purchased these little cuties today at the Salvation Army on Erie Blvd. for $0.79 a piece!

I apologize for the less-than-lovely photos...
but...aren't they just adorable?
I am head over heels for these little salt and pepper shaker and small sugar dish!

These little shakers reminded me of the Smurfs and I just couldn't pass these retro ceramics for such a fab price! They're a bit chipped in places and faded....but they still hold a lot of love.

I also picked up a teal high waisted 1960's skirt and a patterned hippie-love skirt. Both of which I loved as well!

I'll post better photos, I promise, of these! Hopefully some of me wearing them in some unique ensembles. I need to take in the patterned skirt a bit, but I am just itching to throw together a vintage-artsy-chic ensemble with the teal high-waister skirt. And I am very pleased that high-waisted skirts, shorts, and pants and slowly coming back into style!

And lastly this little beauty! I picked up this funky cheap headband in the basement of Carousel Mall in 99cent city. I would like to get back into headbands as a neat accessory as well!

I want to find headbands like this that are simply....gorgeous! I stumbled upon this great find on Splendicty.com and would love to have it for my own! They have some absolute fabulous headbands and accessories that rock my socks!

What are some of your favorite fashion accessories to stylize your own statements?
Besides your fab selves!

diner days

current tune: "Heartbreak Hotel" by: Elvis Presley

I love diners! I love diners so much that today I craved just to go..sit at a cozy diner...have some good diner coffee...and diner grub! So...Nick and I set off to find a diner in Syracuse semi-close to us and stumbled on a little gem called, "Doc's Little Gem Diner!"

Isn't their sign just the greatest?

For all of you familiar with the Syracuse area it is located on Spencer St. in Syracuse....not too far from the Carousel Mall.

It was a fun and relaxed experience having lunch there! The waitress we had was very nice and I also had the chance to fill out an application, have an interview with her, and meet Doc himself as well. Unfortunately, they are not presently hiring...but it would be sooo rad to work at a little 1950's-esque diner as my job!

Nick and I split a tuna melt (I indulge in fish every now and then for protein and iron...) fries, and some fried zucchini. It was a first time having fried zucchini....which was delish, but very hot.

The diner was so quaint and good-feeling...like you have spent hours there with friends over mugs of coffee and good conversation. The chrome had a great 1950's feeling and the pipes were painted black with floral stibble all over too! Of course there seemed to be some older regulars there that simply added to the charm!

Diners are a big part of my life and almost a staple for comfort things. I hope everyone has a little something inside them for these iconic representations of "homestyle Americana f00d" and appreciate them for their quirks and unique style.

Someday I'll go across the U.S. and stop at many diners on my way of exploring America from a car with good people, good conversation, and good music!

teal tuesday

current tune: "Sweet Apocalypse" by: Moby

I am in loooove with the color teal. Call it what you want: teal, aquamarine, turquoise;etc....but I love the intense blue/green concoction of color in my life and around me!

Here are some teal lovies that caught my eye!

Stoffer's microwave mac&cheese dinner on a classic plastic child plate.
Sometimes, you just need a good classic...in a hurry!
this adorable piano playin' octopus print found on Shanalogic
Teal doors on businesses or residential homes. I think it makes a bold statement and pop!
I want a good poppy door when I find my cozy home in the future!
This very cute dress found on Forever21.
This is such a fab party dress that I would throw a waist belt with a possibly a tassel scarf!
Forever21 has some great summer dresses with spunk!
This fab satchel found at Urban Outfitters.
I like the bright color and the business of the small pockets (..but good for organization!)

I'll be keeping my eye out for key finds!
happy teal tuesday!!

there are dinosaurs in the mall!

current tune: "Killing For Love" by: Jose Gonzalez

Some days are best spent starting the day off slow. Visiting friends close by. Seeing a new exhibition at a local gallery. Cooking for people you care for. Walking around town. And playing childhood boardgames.

Thursday I went to visit some good friends, Bill and Zoe, to bring food and company and ended up staying to play the 1990's Milton Bradley board game, Mall Madness. I never actually owned this game, but it was a hoot to play....especially from a much older age!

I made up some yummy vegetable fried rice....in an almost Mexican taste. I can thank Taco Bell for their generous donation of hot sauce packets for giving my dish some heat!

Once I got to Zoe's, she, Bill, and her roomie Brook had been playing Mall Madness for quite some time. She was addicted! Nick and I decided to indulge with her once more and sat down to play the game. As shown above, I spiced things up with a plastic toy dinosaur that one of Brook's children left around the house.

"There's a dinosaur in the mall....!!"

Playing Mall Madness brought back memories of when I was middle school playing these silly games with my friends, or during sleepovers. I had Dream Phone at home and it is along the lines of Mall Madness, in silly early 1990's games. You had to go around and call different guys and see if you could get a date on a big hot pink phone. You had to call around and listen to clues to find out which hunky guy on the game was your secret admirer....oooh la la!
We had a lot of fun trying to buy things and seeing the ridiculous names of the stores. [ Frump's Fashion Boutique was just one of the names! ]

I suppose it was meant to keep kids occupied and teach them to be good little consumers....it's only practice kids, for the real world! We did have a lot of fun with the fake credit cards and when things went on sale.

"Attention all mall shoppers there is a sale at the shoe store!"

Did anyone else play this game while they were growing up?
...and were there anymore sweet games like this?

album appreciation: strawberry alarm clock

current tune: "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow" by: Strawberry Alarm Clock

I think I was first introduced to Strawberry Alarm Clock was a late-night infomercial for a TIME retro collection of cd's. It was on really late and last almost an hour with two relatively famous celebrities acting it. They would talk about the bands, and "oh, how i loved them.." or "...you know what the kids in high school did this behind the gymnasium..."

They showed bits and pieces of the music videos or live footage from that time to go with the artist and song. I heard these guys and wanted to download them for myself. They were psychedelic and had an awesome sound!

The group, originally named Thee Sixpence, initially consisted of Ed King (lead guitarist), Mark Weitz (keyboard), Lee Freeman (rhythm guitar), Gary Lovetro (bass), and Randy Seoldrums.

Their song "Incense and Peppermints" reached #1 on the Billboard pop singles chart in 1967.

The album, "Incense and Peppermints," was the first album by the pyschedelic pop band. Released in late 1967, the album reached #11 on the Billboard 200 album charts and includes the band's #1. In addition to the six regular members of the band, the album also features the flute playing of Steve Bartek, who co-wrote four songs on the album with bass player George Bunnell.

Side A:

"The World's on Fire"

"Birds in My Tree"

"Lose to Live"

"Strawberries Mean Love"

Side B:

"Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow"

"Paxton's Back Street Carnival"

"Hummin' Happy"

"Pass Time with the SAC"

"Incense and Peppermits"

"Unwind with the Clock"

Bits and pieces of the band memebrs disbanded and joined other groups from the late '60's-90's. The original line up re-joined for one last time an approximately one-hour set at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL, on April 29, 2007.

Thankfully you can still listen to this great '60's band on vinyl in any classic record store or eBay.

party like it's 1969!

we need each other

current tune: "Revolution" by The Beatles

Today I realized how much I want to give back to this community I have become a part of during my stay in Syracuse, NY. I want to do more on my part of feeding the homeless, the poor, and the cast out by this capitalistic and consuming society that runs the majority of large cities in the United States. I look at my roommate who is not even native born to America (who is from Columbia) and see what she is striving for and doing for the community she lives in.

She is an inspiration to me. The people on the street are an inspiration to me. And the kind people I meet are an inspiration to me.

I want to check out Food Not Bombs and possibly donate/help cook and hand out food to those who need it. And also start volunteering more in the community around me.

This weekend I'll be tentatively be volunteering with an upcoming activist gallery, ArtRage. I visited the gallery twice (once with my class and once with Nick) and fell in love with the gallery, the curator, the people, and the voice and passion behind ArtRage.

The present exhibition is a very powerful one on the revolt going on in Oaxaca, Mexico. It consists of woodblock prints and photographs all of people standing up to unjust power and tyranny. it is both inspirational and moving. I recommend anyone who lives in the area to go and see it for yourself!

Thursday I plan on going to the event, "The Power of her Word," after I get out of class with Anita.

Here is an excerpt from their website:

"...Revolutionary women of Latin America - lending our voices to their poems and songs.

Powerful words of love, justice, equality and liberation: selection inspired by the women of the Oaxaca 2006 uprising.

Join us on Th3 Thursday, July 16th at 7pm for an evening filled with Latino music from Colleen Kattau and Caroline Kim. Otilia Ortiz, will present a video (short) about a young sandinista woman named Arlen Siu. Other poets and singers include Violeta Parra, Giaconda Belli, Natalia Toledo, Gloria Martin and Jenny Terrero who will read from her book, “The big apple turns brown when you slice it”. Featured will be the poetry of Bertha Muñoz ..."

-ArtRage.com

How do you give back to those around you?

Friends, family, co-workers, friendly strangers...?

shake it up, baby

current tune: "Twist and Shout" by: The Beatles

Things I like:

giving homeless people food
spending my time with good friends without the need for money
making awesome sandwiches
experimenting with tasty coffee
necking on back roads
exploring new places -( i.e. train tracks)
comfortable silence
watching jeopardy high
being inspired by bathrooms
surrealism

photos of inspiration around me:

photos in order of appearance: my friend's space heater in his bathroom, my boyfriend's aunt's farm, cheese sandwich, spoons I found on the side of the road in a lunchpail

some art I made

current tune: "Jazz Potato" by: Mr. Scruff

After feeling like a dry well with the full lack of resources, inspiration to get me creating art, and the financial status I've been living in for awhile now I finally found a good creative outlet that serves both my creative side and my love for pop art and pop culture.

I'm not big into surrealist art. In fact, I can't remember at time I was really inthralled with it. After being at Angie's and Joe's flat and stubling through a book called, A Book of Surrealist Games, and I was oddly inspired. They jumbled up not only images but words, phrases, and sentences.

So! With the inspiration of surrealist sentences and with the resources I had avilable to me, and the inspiration of Angie and her typewriter of poetry...I created some art I am really in love with!

I like to cut out phrases of sentences or just interesting words, then lay them all out so I can pick and choose for each small story I create.

My bunny tin of words. I like to keep them in here.

This was the first piece I created.





I'm taking a like to surrealist art and what I've been doing.

More to come soooooon!

blues and free food

current tune: "Sunflower Sun Kissed" by: Yppah

I just got back from a good night filled with free music (the New York State Blues Festival in Syracuse), free money (picking up beer cans from the venue), and free food (dumpster diving) with Nick. And oh, was it an adventure!

The Blues Festival went on in Clinton Square in downtown Syracuse today and yesterday, where Dan Akyroyd made a small appearance, and was a completely free venue to the public. The turn out seemed great when I went Sunday evening and the music was worth it! I bumped into Sanders and Bahar there as well, all while watching the festivites on top of a large concrete service box above the height of the crowd. Basically, we got to jam out without having to stand and with a good view!

John Hammond and his quartet

a swanky guy with a pipe

As with any free venue I've experienced thus far, we picked up beer cans and bottles strewn about from people left around for some much treasured cash, when exchanged. I picked up a free bag of dinner rolls and was brave enough to "monkey" around with Nick and climb on a geometric public sculpture not too far from the venue.

Picking up the cans and bottles in front of a crowd is a mental trip. It's a weird mental contemplative battle where you throw your dignity aside that you hold in our capitalistic society and do what you can in the name of darwinism. When it comes down to it....those people aren't helping me live...even if they could afford to give a little.

On the way back we both decided to dumpster dive and first went to the local Aldi's on Erie Blvd. This proved to be an absolute eden of assorted goods, that were still good! We found loaves of bread, strawberries, kiwi, cookies, grapes, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli; etc. We also met two wonderfully kind and welcoming fellow dumpster divers as well.

being silly in dumpsters!

I'm happy for the plentiful bounty and for making new friends of Cassi and Brian. It's always interesting living on what others can do without.

Nick and I did go through the food and wash all the produce and go through the rest of what we could not get a good look at. We nabbed a good amount for each other and I still have leftovers for friends. I'm very happy that I took the plunge and rummaged through a dumpster....going with a freegan attitude.

say it with a smile

current tune: "Frontier Psychiatrist" by: The Avalanches

The past couple of days have been spent with Nick and Syracuse.

I'm without a job....again. I was let go from the small coffee shop that I had started working for because of the lack of business that was coming in. So I'm off to find work wherever I can, and whomever it is with (employer wise...excluding fast food establishments.....ever again)

Through these hardships I'm making new friends that live close by me and with ones who don't have a home to call their own. All in all I'm seeing what Syracuse has to offer in adventure, employment, and through social interactions.

And of course art!

Thursday I sported an off the shoulder shirt my Syracusian friend gave me and that I tailored a bit more for my style. I realized 1/2 hour before my class that I wanted to go crzy with my make-up (which isn't really shown) and wear something new!

...and yes, I have a wicked farmer's tan...

Some inspiring grafitti on the side of a business I pass on Tuesdays and Thursday (on my way to my class) on Lodi St. in Syracuse

A close up of some of the art on this wall.
I enjoy (so much) taking photos with Nick's camera of things that catch my eye or inspire me wherever it is.


This is the pizza we made together. He slapped it out (but I could have..) pre-oven baking and melty cheese action!
It has fresh onions, tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, broccoli, and green peppers with a bit of mozzarella, parmesan, and mexican cheese...all courtesy of our local corporate grocery.


This was the finished product, and boy was it yummy! We topped it off with the usual favorite of ranch dressing and cheap blush wine.

This capped off a fine day of a tour of wading through 3 of downtown Syracuse's fountains. One of which we climbed to the top of and waded (by Salina St.) and the other I biffed it completely by the Everson Museum.

It was a wonderful day, none the less, spent with good company and walking around the fine city.
Tomorrow I hope to actually make it to a food pantry that will be open and possibly check out the unitarian universalist church (don't know if that is what it is refered as....?) in the morning.

I'm keeping good vibes and lighting my adorable saint candle Nick bought for me.
(I've fallen in love with the iconic-ness of the religious candles in grocery stores)