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Mundane Monday::Bread Tabs

March 14, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Inspiration & Education 4 Comments

To continue my post about collecting and using Mundane items in craft and art I’ll share with you a little project I began earlier this year.

I’m an artist and therefore I’m a collector (I don’t really know any artists who don’t collect SOMETHING odd or beautiful!).

Starting with stickers and stuffed animals in childhood I’ve now elevated some of my collections to things a bit more valuable but sometimes I love to collect the “Mundane”.  These types of collections usually begin with an idea or something that sparks my interest, visually or otherwise and it runs its course, I explore the possiblity and eventually let go of the collection.  Thank goodness for that because I’d probably be considered a “Hoarder” if I held onto everything that ever caught my fancy or sparked a creative idea!

So, I’ve been collecting these little colorful plastic bread tabs (tags, clips, whatever you call them) for about 2 years now, maybe even 3.  My friends and family have also been collecting little stashes of them for me.   They are always asking if I’ve started to use them yet.  “What are you doing with these again?”  “Oh, I’m not sure yet.” I say…”I’ll use them in some art project.”  Well, I finally am!  I was inspired to start playing with them about a month ago.   I love the colors and the shapes and I can’t even tell you where all I’ve found them.  Most recently I found a whole bunch at the county fairgrounds imbedded in the partially frozen gravel and dirt.  No, I didn’t sit there and chip away to get every last one but I got a few.   Like anything, once you begin looking you will see them all around.  I feel I’m picking up the currency of a future piece of artwork when I find one and this series of work is titled “Our Daily Bread”.

Here are a some of the works I’ve created so far.  They are really just studies and play, experimentation with something mundane to see where it will lead.  It may lead to more experimentation and it may lead me to a larger work, design or collection of work.  For now, I’m enjoying the “mundane” possibilities.

I’m very interested in not only exploring the form/shapes and colors but also some more esoteric meaning I’ve begun to associate with these bread tabs.  The title of the series “Our Daily Bread” refers to a Christian passage in the bible (Matthew 6:11) but I’m not really exploring anything associate with religion here.  What I am exploring are the practices of breaking bread, sharing meals and the issues surrounding food and agricultural shortage around the world and found currency.   If you have any thoughts you would like to share or comments about this new project please leave them here!

Do you collect anything “Mundane”?

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Clutter Free Friday

March 11, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Organize 2 Comments

“Living Empty means we release the things that are no longer in alignment with who we are becoming. The release itself tells us who that is. The emptiness shows us the way.”~Christine Kane

If you have been following my blog this year you may remember my word of intention for 2011 is Clarity! As I clear away some of the physical (and emotional) baggage I’ve been dragging around I’ve recently realized that I want to help people find clarity in their own lives.  I will be working towards becoming a Professional Organizer, so this will be a subject you will be seeing more of here.  I’m actually surprised I didn’t include de-cluttering in my Wednesday Wellness series!  Living organized is living well!

My mission is to help my clients Cultivate creative solutions for a more joyful home.

Clutter Free Friday

Do you hang onto stuff because you think you might use it again one day, because it’s sentimental or you just can’t part with it because you love it?  There is no right or wrong answer but there are those of us that have a very hard time parting with things. I am not a hoarder by any means and I also don’t consider myself a minimalist (and I certainly don’t think everyone needs to be) I fall somewhere in the middle, which I suspect is where most people fall. I think we all have areas in our homes and our lives that get cluttered and overwhelming and sometimes we need a push to get started. I think it’s a very healthy process to get rid of things that you no longer need.

Making small changes in your home can create big changes in your life!

Every Spring and Fall I go through a period of purging that usually lasts a month or two. I get rid of things that I no longer need, things that are broken, things I just don’t love anymore and things that I know someone else could use more than me.  I have a rule that I picked up somewhere, whenever I get something new I have to get rid of something.  For example last week I got a new pair of PJ’s but I got rid of a pair (actually like 3) that were worn out and I didn’t really use any more. I also have a rule that I rarely buy books. I’m an avid Library user so I get tons of books from them and I consider all the late fee’s I get my contribution towards the library system. If I can’t find what I want at the library I usually ask around and try to borrow it and if that doesn’t work I may end up buying it myself. I love books but my house would be filled to the roof if I owned every book I read or wanted to read.

 

So, what are you doing this weekend?  Why not get started on that Spring cleaning if you haven’t already.  Maybe start with some books and some of those winter clothes you haven’t worn once this winter. Go ahead, give yourself permission to live a little lighter and find a little more joy in your new found space!

Wednesday Wellness::Bringing Home the Green

March 9, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Home, Inspiration & Education, Wellness & Mindset 2 Comments

Keep houseplants and get out and garden if you can. Bringing home the green can be incredibly healthy! These 15 houseplants are easy to grow in a variety of settings.

I’m currently starting some seeds for my garden. It is that time of year when we all start thinking about things turning green, the cycle of growth and spring flowers.

Bringing Home the Green

I’m a big fan of gardening and that includes anything from designing landscapes, creating garden plans, choosing plants, starting seeds, pruning, raking leaves etc.  Some people have NO interest in growing anything and for those of you who feel that way, okay fine maybe you could just keep a couple houseplants!  Seriously, houseplants improve indoor air quality haven’t you heard?  They create oxygen and help filter out toxins in the air.  Some of the hardest working houseplants are also the easiest to care for.

NASA and ALCA (Associated Landscape Contractors of America) conducted a study testing common houseplants for their ability to remove indoor air pollutants and below is their list of the 19 that do the best job.  The study revealed that in a home under 2000 sq feet there should be about 15 plants (in 6″ pots or bigger) to have the best effect.
1. Philodendron scandens `oxycardium’, heartleaf philodendron
2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron
3. Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana’, cornstalk dracaena
4. Hedera helix, English ivy
5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant
6. Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig’, Janet Craig dracaena
7. Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii’, Warneck dracaena
8. Ficus benjamina, weeping fig
9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos
10. Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa’, peace lily
11. Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron
12. Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen
13. Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm
14. Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant
15. Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena

If you are more into gardening outside then I think any gardening activity you do is good for your overall health and wellness.  Fresh air, Vitamin D (but use the sunscreen), exercise and a sense of peace and well being are all benefits that come from being out in nature.  Recent research is showing that there are tremendous yet unknown benefits to getting some form of exercise outdoors.  There has even been a term coined recently “Nature Deficient Disorder“, check out this article for more about that concept.  It kind of makes sense to me!

One thing I always try to incorporate into my gardening is growing a bit of food.  It’s fun, it’s easy and it’s healthy.  I’ve done the majority of my food production in one form of container or another over the past  years.  I’ve grown garlic, lettuce, spinach, bok choi, kale, radish, beets, strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, malibar spinach and all sorts of herbs in containers.   NOW is the time to start those seeds for the upcoming season.  If you are interested in learning about how to start your own seeds  check out these great videos.  The Grow It Eat It website is one that offers a tremendous amount of information specifically on gardening for food production.

Whatever you like to grow, I hope your growing something!  It’s good for the soul, good for your health and good for the planet.

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Mundane Materials-Rubber Bands

March 7, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Art, Inspiration & Education 6 Comments

Rubber Bands may be considered by some to be mundane because they are used for all sorts of everyday things.  They stretch, they hold things together, they bunch up, they come in many colors and they can be spotted these days being used in lots of unconventional ways.  Here is a round up of some of the unusual rubber band findings including jewelry, vessels or containers some beautiful artwork!

Painted Desert Ring by Margarita Mileva

Floral Pin by Margarita Mileva

The three pieces above are examples of work by M2-Margarita Mileva of Milev Architects where her work explores “opportunity to experiment with new design challenges, ideas, materials and forms” as seen through the eyes of an architect.  Fabulous, don’t you think?  She is certainly someone who stands out as truly innovative.

Fine Rubber Bands by RuRong

Rong Rubber Band Necklace

The two pieces of Jewelry above are by a former SCAD student who’s work I saw at the ACC show in Baltimore (2010).  I did some research and found out she is a Metals/Jewelry major and is origionally from China.  Her work may or may not be available for sale but you can get in touch with her via her Flickr account.  I love how she uses rubber bands in such an elegant way by combining them with more precious materials.

Red Rubber Band Ring by Colleen Baran

The two rings above are by Jewelry artist and designer Colleen Baran.  She blogs about her Ring A Day project over at her blog SeeSeeBe.  Check it out, she’s got some wacky and cool rings (and other stuff).

Rubber Band Cube by An Pham

Rubber Band Cube by An Pham

These two pieces of artwork are by an artist I came across on Flickr; An Pham.  I don’t really know much more about her work but she explores using other ever day materials in her artwork as well.

Rubber Band Digital Art by Patrick Gunderson

Long Woven Earrings by Amila Hrustic

Woven Earrings by Amila Hrustic

Necklace by Christian Diehl

Each one of these artist works with rubber bands as well as other materials, sometimes digital, sometimes photography, architecture or landscape.  The work they do explores the possibility available to each of us in what we might consider Mundane materials.  Seeing beyond the mundane to the possibilities is what makes these artist work so interesting.

What materials do you consider Mundane but worth exploring? Next week I’ll share with you a new project I’ve begun which explores the use of the “Mundane” plastic bread tabs that comes on our bread bags.

Wednesday Wellness::Natural Beauty

March 2, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education 3 Comments

The hazard symbol for carcinogenic chemicals i...

Image via Wikipedia

Use natural and organic health and beauty products (that are not tested on animals and that do not contain parabens and other carcinogens).

Your skin is your largest organ so what you put on it is as important (if not more) as what you put in it!  A lot of people don’t realize how many products they use on their body contain formaldehyde and other carcinogens.

In the past may people have questioned the importance of avoiding some of  these ingredients and research in this area is ongoing with continuing evidence that supports a variety of health problems.  It’s becoming more widely recognized that certain ingredients are in fact carcinogens and in some cases are linked to specific forms of cancer.  The ingredients I try to avoid and an explanation of their uses are as follows:

  • sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates~ used as a foaming agent, can damage hair and skin follicles and even cause eye damage and liver toxicity.
  • mineral oil~used as a moisturizer or moisture barriers and derived from petroleum, can clog pores instead of allowing oxygen while moisturizing
  • propylene glycol ~used as a solvent, surfactant and wetting agent and derived from petroleum, can penetrate the skin extremely quickly and cause brain, liver and kidney abnormalities.  This is the main ingredient in Anti-freeze!
  • animal products (ethical reasons)~ can be listed as keratin, elastin, collagen, stearic acid and tallow.  Several of these are said to improve skin texture but the jury is still out weather there is in fact any significant benefit or harm to their use
  • parabens~widely used as a preservative, there is a low level similarity to estrogen which is still being studied to see if it can cause hormonal interference

Many products may also become contaminated by chemicals and because of this you may not even realize there is a problem since those ingredients are not listed (by law contaminants don’t have to be even if the company knows about them).   Some large corporations create huge quantities of products that are intended to have longer shelf lives and  preservation is one of the main reasons for some of these chemical ingredients.

I’d like to make a point about being overly paranoid and living in a bubble here.  As my grandfather, who is a retired Medical Doctor (General Practice) of over 45 years has pointed out to me, people need to be careful not to be too careful!  We live in a world that is increasingly paranoid (in my opinion) about germs and for babies and young children we need to allow them to be exposed to a certain level of “harmful substances” so their own immune systems can learn to build antibodies.  But, we also need to be aware of the ever increasing level of toxic substances that we are exposed to on a daily basis from a variety of sources.  These substances can have a cumulative effect and doing a little research can help you make a more educated decision.  My hope is that you will make your own choices based upon what you are comfortable with.

Related Articles
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Wednesday Wellness::Natural and non-toxic

February 23, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Tips & Resources, Wellness & Mindset 4 Comments

The skull and crossbones, a common symbol for ...

Image via Wikipedia

Use natural and non-toxic cleaning products in your home.

I do this and I think you should too.  Maybe you don’t care what I think but if your reading this, maybe you do, just a little.

Nasty Stuff-Chlorine, Formaldehyde, Chloroform, Lye,  Hydrochloric Acid, Ammonia , Phthalates, Parabens, Petroleum Distillates, VOC’s…these are the worst offenders causing a whole spectrum of health problems that you probably don’t want to know about but should.  I don’t have kids but I care deeply about how and what I surround myself with and if I had children I’d probably be even more fanatical about this topic (I’ve been known to buy bleach on occasion and use products that may contain Lye and maybe a hint of Ammonia-I’m not perfect, I confess!).

Now that I listed the Nasty why the HECK would you want to use toxic products?  Hello?

From my experience there are 2 reasons people haven’t already made the switch to non-toxic:

1.) They think that toxic means cleaner…!*@#???=healthier (please refer to the Nasty above, does that seem healthy to you?).

2.) They think natural means more $$

Seriously, do you want to have anything with a skull and crossbones in your house (and I’m not talking about your sense of fashion or your funky taste in art)?

I don’t and sense I’m not paid to endorse any products here (or anywhere) I’m not going to.  I’m sure you know how to use a search engine of your liking to find the ton of websites, books and blogs out there that already give you the specifics about what to look for and how to make your own-it’s easy and cheap (so you can eliminate #2 from your excuses now). 

As for #1, there are a lot of germaphobes out there and I’m not one of them.  I’m very healthy, I don’t get sick often (neither does my husband) and I spend a lot of time in my home (I work from home) so something must be working for us.  If this is your excuse for not using natural cleaners than I urge you to do a little research and give some products a try, you just might find that they smell better, don’t require using heavy duty plastic gloves to apply and work just as well as the toxic avengers!

One note of warning, so-called “green” cleaners are a big area of revenue for business but not all products are created equally.  Some “green” products are nothing more than the same old toxic cleaners diluted and with “essential oils” added.  Beware, read up and be a smart consumer (read the ingredients).   Seriously, it’s not that much work and you and your family are worth it.

Your life is worth living well so don’t pollute it when all your trying to do is clean it up a little!

PS.  For those of you who are lucky enough to hire cleaning help, supply them with the cleaners you want them to use in your home and make sure they are using them:)

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Field Trip Flavors of France

February 11, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Home, Inspiration & Education, Photography 2 Comments

Since I didn’t get very far last week I’m happy to bring you a bit more of France today sharing, some of the great food experiences we had and saw in Provence.

I was completely in love with the French markets.  It seems like practically every city and town has at least one market a week with a ton of fresh produce, fish, cheese, sausage and other meats, textiles, spices, flowers etc…who needs the regular store when you can get practically anything you need at the open air market.  And Everyone shops at them!  On market day it’s just a part of life to prepare your list, get your basket and bags out and head out to get what you need for the week (or half the week if your lucky enough to live in a larger city that has them twice weekly).  This way of life is so much more connected to agriculture and fresh food, it’s ingrained in the culture and I loved this aspect of the French lifestyle.  Look at all the lovely goodies that I saw at the markets in Orange, Marseilles and Avignon. Flavors of France

To start the trip out hour hostess’s landlady insisted on having us for a very special truffle omelet for dinner.   We were truly lucky to have such and exquisite home made meal in the home of a gracious and fun woman!  The process of preparing for this omelet required buying the fresh eggs and truffles at the weekly market and infusing the eggs with the truffles by some process of keeping the eggs in their shells and allowing the truffle essence to permeate the eggs.  It was divine.  We also had this incredible Spelt (that I have yet to locate in the US) served simply au pistou.  I’m still hoarding one last bag of it that I brought back.  It is much more nutty, sweet and delicate than the spelt whole grain you typically find in the US.   Another truly memorable dining experience (really they all were!) was the fresh daily croissant’s that our hostess went and got for us each morning.  Some days they were chocolate, some day’s almond and some days just plain.  Our typical breakfast was a croissant and plain delicious yogurt.  I can’t believe I didn’t get a photo of that!  Every meal was delicious I think due to the truly fresh ingredients that are standard in Provence.  With the slightly mediteranean climate they have a pretty long growing season with not too many very cold spells.  We even got to experience the Mistral while we were visiting~Woosh!

Dining in Provence

And then of course there were the sweets!  So many delicious sweets, pastries, candies etc. we tried to restrain ourselves within reason but we did a lot of walking so we had a good excuse to indulge.  Probably my favorite though was the combination of chocolate and orange.  In the image below right are some green sugar coated chocolate orange candies that we found in a small Chocolatier in Saint-Tropez.

French Confections

These candies were the inspiration for a cookie recipe I “invented” this week (I’m apparently not the first person to “invent” these but I’d never heard of them and didn’t look up any recipe for them before I concocted my version).

The recipe, below is a French inspired twist on Oatmeal cookies.

Chocolate Orange Oatmeal Cookies

Yields about 3 dozen

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup apple or peach sauce (peach sauce-pureed steamed/canned peaches)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped candied orange rind (homemade or store bought)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or pieces (more chocolate can never be a bad thing)
  • Optional:  1/4 to 1/2 cup walnuts or hazelnuts in to replace some of the chocolate

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats; set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and apple or peach sauce; mix on high speed to combine.
  3. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat on low speed to combine, 10 to 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer, and stir in dried fruits and chocolate (and optional nuts).
  4. Using a large metal scoop, drop dough onto prepared sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden and just set, about 15 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes then transfer sheets to wire rack to cool completely.

If you have a favorite Oatmeal recipe you could adjust it to include the chocolate and orange in place of raisins and nuts etc.

Chocolate Orange Oatmeal CookiesBon Appetit!

Related Article Friday Field Trip::France (hkpowerstudio.wordpress.com)

Do what bring JOY!! Everyday…

February 9, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education, Photography, Wellness & Mindset 4 Comments

Find the time each day to do what bring JOY!

This is the most fun post in the whole wellness series.  I find joy in so many simple things.

Some of the things that bring me joy are:

Birdwatching; a finch on sunflowers

do what bring JOY

Playing with and petting my cats

Best Friend Kitties

Going for a walk or dance!

walking: tree reflection
Creating my art~!Knitting with sumptuous yarn; here’s a ribbon and mohair chain necklace.

mohair ribbon knit chain

Gardening (in season but even my houseplants bring me joy); this is my salad table on our deck

Garden salad table

Preparing and eating good food; today I baked Orange Chocolate Oatmeal cookies (recipe coming on Friday!) and a Tuna Nicoise Sandwich for lunchTuna Nicoise Sandwich

Flower gazing (do you ever just gaze at the flowers?)

Lemon Geranium detail

…a few more things…

Feeling the sun on my body

Talking to a loved friend

Enjoying a glass of wine

Curling up with a good book

Taking photos

How do you bring Joy into your daily life?

Friday Field Trip::France

February 4, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Inspiration & Education 4 Comments

This is part one of a series where I’ll be sharing photo’s from my trip to Provence 2 years ago.  I have been very inspired by all things French lately and I never fully explored the imagery and inspiration that was all around us on this trip.

Produce at the French farmers markets I spent about 10 days in Provence with a girlfriend from college and her sister who was living there at the time.  It was fantastic to have her as our guide since she was fluent in French and knew her way around.  It made it so easy for us to sit back, relax and enjoy the sightseeing. Here is some of the beautiful produce at the weekly market in Orange, radishes, frisee lettuce, cheese (I love how they are wrapped!) and truffles!  We were lucky enough to be there during truffle season and we enjoyed a lovely homemade meal with truffles (I’ll share more on that evening another day).

French Photography shop and sign

Isn’t this sign charming?  It hung way above the street corner and I’m certain it attracted more than the fair share of photographers attention (both inside the shop and out).  Who needs and ADT sign with this impressive steel gate announcing “Attention Au Chien”.  I never saw a dog but with a sign engraved in your  gate you are certain to be more safe with or without a dog!

I wanted to share a bit more with you today but it seems I have come down with some bug and am going to put myself back to bed momentarily but I wanted to kick off French February with a couple images from Orange, which was home base for us for our many day trips around Provence.

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Favorite Fibers Friday Fieldtrip

January 28, 2011 by Heather Filed Under: Art & Design, Handmade, Inspiration & Education 6 Comments

Happy Friday!  This has been a relaxing week and we’ve finally gotten some real snow.  As I sit here writing this there is snow on the ground and more falling.  Due to the snow this week I was unable to get out for my weekly field trip so today I’ll bring you some fibery goodness from around the web.  These are some of my all time favorite fiber artists (not an extensive list though).  I hope I’ve shared a few new artist and designers with you here, or some old favorites.  All photos are courtesy of the individual designers and artist websites and if you click the photo’s you will be directed to their sites.

                          Spirit Cloth Stitched and Quilted Textile

                    Red 2 White Felted Scarf

Alabama Chanin Pillow

                                     Betz White Scarves

Elyse Allen Knit Textiles

Favorite Fibers Friday Fieldtrip

                                          Anne Kyyro Quinn Textile Installations

                       Jeung-Hwa Park Shibori Knits

                             Tinctory Fiber Jewelry

I’m thrilled to have work by 4 of these fiber artists in my personal collection. Do you collect any fiber arts?

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