Shakin's Friday Feature

I'm inspired by Nienie in so many ways. The least of which is to be a better blogger. So... in as much of a Nie-esque way as possible, I bring you...

Sha-kin's Friday Feature (as promised in the post New In Oh-Nine.)

Did you know that I am a member of a very large and very active team of Etsy artists and crafters called The {newnew} York Team? Well, I am... and so is the lady that is my first Friday Feature:

Simone Tan Simone has an Etsy shop chock full of handmade goodness, including some verrry cute bags.

Shakins: Hi Simone! How long have you been crafting?

Simone: I would say all my life. Everyone in my family is always making stuff. My Dad is a physician, but learned how to repair watches when he was a kid. so he was always working on something in his show. When I was eight, my grandmother from Indonesia came to visit and taught me how to crochet. My mother taught me how to sew, and we both learned how to knit together sometime in the seventies. Interesting because she's left-handed and I'm right-handed. You can't really help one another out when everything is reversed.

Shakins: You're so well traveled! Would you name all the places you've lived:

Simone: Hamburg Germany, Oberlin OH, Nanjing China, Taipei Taiwan, Hong Kong, San Francisco CA, Brooklyn

Shakins: Education?

Simone: Another person who couldn't figure out what she wanted to do with her life and went to law school.

Shakins: You have Kids, right?

Simone: One amazing daughter.

Shakins: How does she inspire you?

Simone: My daughter has a wonderful perspective on life (well, all kids do, but I'm proud) and this incredible ability to get it down on paper without any hesitation. These are some sketches she made when we were at the Natural History Museum

Shakins: Soooo... the world wants to know; what's your favorite ice-cream flavor?

Simone: Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean

Shakins: What's your greatest accomplishment?

Simone: Having a happy family, (sounds so totally corny, but in the end I think that's what life's about)

Shakins: Absolutely! What's on your mind lately? Simone: Why isn't anybody buying the pac-man bag? Do I really want my phone to tweet me all the time? What's up with Plurk? And why is the CPSIA such a mess? Can you believe that pilot?

Shakins: Wow. That's a lot to think about. Phone tweeting has it's advantages I guess. Anyhoo- I was wondering: What's your favorite item in your shop?

Simone: My pac-man bowling bag .

Shakins: You have so many great bags- why is that particular one your favorite?

Simone: It looks like a very normal purse, but you take a closer look at it and there's the monster looking right at you. The zipper color matches the tiny little bits of purple in the sweater and the inside lining is soooo soft. I covered and handstitched the inner seams with black flannel tape. In short, I just love that thing. I know, I should just keep it. Shakins: Oh that's cute! You're so creative! O.K. I have to ask- What's your favorite item of mine?

Simone:Night Owl-I love the texture, the colors and that tiny unobtrusive owl. There are plenty of ways to do it wrong-It's just fun to look at. I like the message. Ballerina's I like the expression on the faces of the Ballerinas, you can read all kinds of stories into that painting.

Shakins: Aww... I'm blushing. I wasn't expecting you to name 3 favorites! I like the Ballerina painting too. I never thought I'd still enjoy simple art like that as an adult. What surprises you the most about your adult life?

Simone: How it's not so different from high school. Similar insecurities, cliques, etc. I still feel like a kid, but then I look in the mirror and wonder who that middle-aged woman is.

Shakins: I hear that! You're stuff is so colorful and cheery. What's your favorite color?

Simone: I think pink, at least for now.

Shakins: If you could describe yourself in one word what would it be?

This is a test.

This is a test of the emergency blogger system.

I'm messing around with the html, and am using this as my test post.

This is only a test.

Were this a real blog emergency then real blog emergency information would follow.

Wowza

Well, that was intense!

Changing your template is quiet the process since your widgets are lost when you delete your blogger.com provided layout :(

BUT... I'm almost back to where I was, widget wise.

Wow! What a way with W's I have today.

Whew!

Warning: You're now entering a construction zone!

Please do pardon the mess... La Sha (the blog) is getting a makeover!

Things I Love About New York #4 : Etsy Labs

Imagine a place where shelves are stocked with craft supplies, sewing machines are available by the dozen, where arts and crafts experts are on hand to give advice, where lace and buttons flow freely... and for free.

Sounds mythical right?

Well hang on to your (hand knitted) socks because...

THAT PLACE EXISTS!

... and it's called Etsy Labs.

Every Monday, Etsy Labs opens its doors to crafters of all persuasions, in a weekly crafting free-for-all. Somtetimes there will be a lesson on a particular craft for those who would like to learn it, and other times it's a come-with-what-you-will-and-work-on-it in the fellowship and bounty that is Etsy Labs.

I've missed it for a few weeks because of the holidays and family being here and whatnot, but now that the holidays are over, I fully intend to find myself on a train to 325 Gold Street around 4:00.

If you're into arts and crafts...

COME!

photo credit: yourseceretadmiral

new in oh-nine

Here's what's coming your way from the old blogaroo in the new year-

a weekly (ok, probably bi-weekly) featurette about artists I love (newnew ladies this means you!)

"Broke In The Big Apple" - I was going to start a new blog for this idea, but decided I'd rather incorporate all my cash saving creativity into my trusty rusty old blog here!

"Things I Love About..." will be brought back in oh-nine, with a VENGEANCE

'cause there are lots of things I love.

and of course you can expect continued exercises in my unabashed narcissism which automatically tells me you'd be interested to know what I did over the weekend, what I cooked for supper, what hilarious thing someone I know said, and of course, lots of pics of my paintings.

That is all.

Did I mention my in-laws were just here?

Well, they were. They came on Christmas day, and left this morning.

Peter and I haven't had much time to do any touristy things since we moved here, so it was fun to kind of play tour guide and also check out some of the tourist attractions we hadn't made it to yet.

Like visiting Ground Zero... It was foggy at dusk, and gave everything a ghostly look.

and touring Canal Street. We'd already been there once, but we had to go to M&M World again!

I think the highlight was touring NBC Studios, where we got to visit the Saturday Night Live set and also Late Night With Conan O'Brian. (Which was especially special because both my hubby and his sis are big Conan fans). Pale Force! Jamie in front of 30 Rock Jamie Et Moi

On the LAST day of Christmas...

I'm not sure exactly if the 12 days of Christmas are supposed to start on Christmas day, or end on Christmas day, but no matter to me,

because today was officially the last day of Christmas at our house.

After packing up some treats to be sent home to my Georgia kinfolk I said adieu to my visiting in-laws and then began the de-christmasizing process. Which, of course, involves a long hard look at one's financial status.

Surprisingly, we did really well to stay under budget. (It took some blood, sweat, and a boatload of tears to stay there, but somehow we made it under!)

For example: a few days before Christmas eve I said, "lets go get a tree!" which elicited an unwelcome, "we can't afford a tree this year, and all our ornaments are in Georgia anyway." So, to be spiteful I said "fine!" and pulled some cardboard out of the pile of garbage sitting by the door about to be taken to the dumpster, and began fashioning a tree. Knowing he hates trashy, chaotic-looking, thrown together things, I thought that perhaps having to look at a pile of old cardboard shaped like a tree might inspire him to join me in a little budget bending.

But then I got into it.

Really into it.

Next thing I knew I was blowdrying paper mache and looking for some glitter to make a star with.

I trimmed it down and used cardboard rolled around an old spaghetti jar to make a trunk.

With all our gifts nestled around it, it made a cozy tableaux completed by the adorable snowman Aunt Janet gave me.

He looks very happy living under his tree of not pine, but garbage.

Who knows maybe I'll save my little garbage tree for next year.

Actually no, I won't because we have ZERO closet space already, and there'll be garbage enough next Christmas.

It's 1:35 in the morning!

Since it's past midnight you know what that means...

IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!!

Do you know what I love?

Getting commissioned to do paintings, that's what. With my hours at the flower shop dwindling I couldn't be happier to have people want my art. I haven't done many commissioned pieces in the past, so I always get very nervous because I want what the customer wants, and what I imagine (and am capable of) to match up so SO so badly.

Lucky me... I've had nothing but happy customers!

(That's me)

Well the semester is over.

Finished

Finito

and guess who got all A's? This girl!

Currently drinking from the mug of procrastination

One look at our pen/post-it collection will tell you that either a doctor or a very sick person lives here.

Along the Bics and Rollerballs are Flomax, Lovenox, and a variety of other cleverly named prescriptions on pens thanks to the drug reps that filter through Peter's hospital.

Yesterday Peter brought home my favorite freebie thus far...

THE MUG OF KNOWLEDGE

I think it's hilarious on many fronts- they know how to appeal to nerds, and also because they felt the need to print a disclaimer to explain that it does not ACTUALLY make you smarter.

Oh those drug companies know how to be cute.

Homeless in New York

I can't tell you how bothered I am by all the homeless people here in New York. Not actually the people, themselves, but by the fact that they have no home.and it is very cold.

We ran out to get some fast food the other day, and a guy came in off the street. He was elderly-late sixties, early seventies

rail thin, clearly mentally deficient

(perhaps a stroke, maybe parkinsons, posibly schizo?)

sweatshirt jacket instead of a coat, old socks as gloves.

He wasn't bothering anyone- he just came in and hunkered down in the corner near the heat vent talking to himself in a repetitive stutter-a combination of religious and political banter.

I wanted to call someone, but didn't know who.

The police would have escorted him out of the restaurant, but probably wouldn't do much more than that.

Who do you call in that situation?

I still had half my weekly lunch budget in my pocket, so I gave it to him. He called me an angel and trudged up to the counter.

I don't know what else I could have done.

Remember that thing I used to do...

Remember that thing I used to do where I mixed up paint and put it on canvas or wood or something until it kind of looked like something?

Well... I still do that... and the result is still up for grabs at

my shop

Miss church today?

Thats okay- Barats and Bereta have you covered...

but don't let it happen again. WHOOOOAA!

Thanksgiving Adventures '08

Hi! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I couldn't be with my family this year, but it wasn't all bad.

In fact, it was pretty darn fun.

We left the house, and caught a train to Manhattan, but then I realized I had forgotten the XD card to my camera.

No problem!

We stopped in at a camera shop to buy a new one, and even though the camera guy was disgusted by how old and gnarly my camera is, he did have an XD card that would fit. So now I have 650 remaining photos on my camera! Before, the best I could ever get was 32! I was always having to delete photos before they made their way onto my computer, but no more!

It was a good thing I had a card in my camera, too, or else I wouldn't have been able to take pictures of Pikachu terrorizing the city.

It was terrible! It took a team of twenty highly skilled poke trainers to wrangle him back into his poke-ball.

After the the pikachu had been taken care of we all thought everything was safe and that we could relax, but then a giant ogre came along to grind our bones into bread and other such ogre-y activities. He and his Smash Mouth loving minions spread destruction and chaos with the help of a giant clover-bearing elephant.

Fortunately a space man and Zack Ephron came along to save the day. I wouldn't have been able to recognize this brave young man if it weren't for the dozens of young female narrators near by jumping and screaming,

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh- IT'S ZACK EPHRON!"

We needed to recover from all the excitement, so we found a little place to have some soup,

then we went and explored the city some.

In keeping with the day's madness, we accidentally wandered into an enchanted forest. This was a magical forest where every bridge came with it's own saxophone player, and where, despite the barely being freezing temperature, a pond had frozen over. Some of the strange inhabitants of the forest had blades attached to their feet, and I could only assume that they were under some terrible curse, because they continually went around and around in circles on the frozen water. Perhaps someday Zack Ephron will come and free them from their icy domain.

When we got back home I got to work preparing a small feast, and we decided to give thanks for surviving all the giant creatures and other chicanery that we ran into. That's why we call it Thanksgiving.

The birds in the branches are cared for.

I've loved being a florist for the past several months, but it was a blessing that fell in my lap, and I'm feeling it might not last much longer. The economy has hit us hard, and job security is a myth, a fabled thing you hear of, but see no signs of real existence.

I'll be honest-things are not good right now.

Things are not good in New York.

Things are not good in America.

But you know what?

This is when faith truly kicks in.

There is nothing like hardship to remind us of God's love and mercy.

Example: When I got my first paycheck from my current job we were down to less than $70. Total. Rent, bills, food... and all we had was $65 and some change.

God provided.

I have faith that, no matter what, He will again.

If I lose my job I'll find another one.

juz anuthr lolcat I made

When will I stop thinking lolcats are funny? When?! WHEN?!

Probably never.

Once upon a time...

It's been a very long day, and I believe a bedtime story is in order.

(I know it's not that late, but I'm knackered out.)

Once Upon a Time ...

There was a girl

Who met a boy. They got married and moved to the Caribbean and got a dog. He studied medicine, and she worked at a resort. But she got sick of the monkies messing up her table settings, so she went to work for a camp for undocumented kids. Eventually they had to leave the island. It was very sad. She still misses her friends and the kids there. (Especially that kid, Helene)!

Now they live in New York, where he "works" at a very nice hospital and she is a florist 60 hrs per week, but still makes dinner, does class work and blogs.

The End.

Good night!

Things I love about New York #3

I love where I live.

Finally, we were able to find a decent apartment in a new city on the first try. Our last big move landed us in a shoebox apartment that had a hole in the floor in lieu of a tub and a gargantuan generator sounding like a Harley gang permanently parked outside our bedroom window. This big move, however, landed us in a cushy Queens high rise that's as dog friendly as can be. True, we may not have furniture like normal people. But somehow, the whole utilitarian desks-instead-of-a-couch thing works for us.

Things I Love About New York #2: Indie Theaters

Number two on the list of things

I love about New York

is

Independent Theaters.

Theres a small Theater a few minutes away from my place that almost exclusively shows independent films. I suspect that the reason for this is not because of the owner's overwhelming desire to be a patron of cinematic art, but because it's a really old and small establishment, and they can probably get movies that no one has ever heard of for cheap.

(This is just a theory- for all I know, the owner could be wearing a beret as he scoffs at Spielberg as we speak.)

I love it there.

The building is ancient, and the walls are covered in posters featuring actors and actresses that were mostly dead before I was born. Also, it's a very cheap way to spend an afternoon. Last week we saw Happy Go Lucky. Even though it was a little frustrating at times, it was a GREAT movie. If you live anywhere near a theater where Happy Go Lucky is showing, you HAVE to go see it. Seriously. Not seeing it would be a crime. It's more a character study than anything- the plot is cobweb thin- but somehow getting to spend two hours with "Poppy" makes it worth it. On a side note, I couldn't help thinking that artsy star Sally Hawkins bears a striking resemblance to fellow AUC wife, Gerri Dicarlo... only much paler.

Things I love about New York #1

I'm not one who is prone to homesickness, but a few bad days in a row can really make you start idealizing the past, which for me is a sunny beach side apartment in the Caribbean. But it's like Conor Oberst (of my fave band Bright Eyes) says,

"Life is how it is, not how it was."

So I tell myself to MTFU (WTFU would be more accurate, I guess) and focus on all the nice things about living here, which I will start doing here on my blog. Starting now.

Things I love about New York #1:

Mass Transit

I love that New York has such a great mass transit system. Anytime I want to go somewhere I just dig out my Metrocard and hop on a bus, or a train, or whatever. No looking for parking, no avoiding the crazy NYC drivers. I can take a book with me or my MP3 player and just enjoy the ride. This is effectively how I've done all my classwork this semester. I read a few pages on my way to work, then read some more on my way home. When I actually do get home, I can get right to brass tacks. Thanks mass transit!

One of those days

Ever have one of those days where nothing goes right?

Like when the bus you're on has a flat and you get to work almost an hour late.

When you trim the plants that weren't supposed to be trimmed.

When you manage to knock over an entire five gallon bucket full of water which then rapidly floods your boss's office because the floor is slightly slanted in that direction.

When you come home as tired as you could possibly be after 10 hours and your hubby is crazied up because the dishwasher is broken and all the dishes are dirty.

When you give everything you can, but still end up feeling like a lousy employee and wife.

It's one of those days.

I can has a lolcat!

Come see the lolcats web page!

No telling how much time I've wasted at that site, but the above pic is my first ever contribution.

Warning: Icanhascheezeburger.com can lead to serial procrastination and massive time wastification.