The Char Makes

Cultural Arts

2012-02-09T00:44:00.000-08:00

I've been really excited about all the art classes that are available here at the Atsugi base. This is a sampling of the classes I've taken over the last month. I'm really excited about continuing some of these while I'm in Japan and beyond!

SHODO

This is the art of Japanese calligraphy. These are the practice sheets spread across my living room floor. The characters I was practicing are SEIKOU, which means success, in honor of my husband's first full marathon later this month and some new years words like TAKO which means "kite".

IKEBANA

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging. This arrangement was made in the MORIBANA style out of camellia, carnations, and a red branch which I don't know the name of.

red branch detail

CHIGIRIE

Chigirie is the Japanese art of torn paper collage made out of WASHI paper and a rice glue.

This festive image I made is of white and pink plum (UME) blossoms.

The details above and below show the fibers of the washi paper.

ETEGAMI

"this is a pepper"

Etegami breaks down to: E = pictures and TEGAMI = letter/message. It is a Japanese folk-art consisting of a simple hand painted drawing with a few (very few in my case) words. My very first etegami is this bell pepper, and my second etegami creation is this yellow and orange tulip that is fully bloomed.

"spring"

I love Japan.

xoxo

Char

Happy 2012

2012-01-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a little pencil sketch I started yesterday in honor of the "tatsu doshi" (辰年) which is the year of the dragon. My drawing is of a traditional Japanese dragon. It has 3 toes vs the Chinese 5 toed and Korean 4 toed counterparts. I think I'm going to finish him with watercolors and colored pencils.

Stay tuned for more dragon art. It's a little bit out of my comfort zone, but after seeing all of the dragon themed New Years greeting cards that my grandmother and aunt received I thought I'd make some artwork inspired by this year's zodiac sign. Medieval dragons to come too!

Happy New Year!
xoxo
Char

Wind Chime

2011-11-14T21:24:00.001-08:00

Today I constructed a wind chime made out materials I picked up on a recent trip to Kauai. I chose glass beads in colors that remind me of the island. I felt particularly lucky to find a Japanese netsuke in the shape of an octopus to go along with the ocean theme.

I'm tempted to point the fan at the doorway and dream about Hanalei for the rest of the day.

xoxo
Char

Striped SoMo

2011-10-03T05:04:00.001-07:00

These parts become...

a Sock Monkey!

Happy Sewing!

xoxo

Char

Pelican

2011-09-29T23:27:00.001-07:00

"my goodness my guinness"

happy tea

xoxo

Char

Gangy

2011-09-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

This is a little illustration of my grandmother.

She will be 88 next month.

xoxo

Char

Yunomi

2011-09-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

This is another little drawing that I made on a tea bag wrapper, this time with pen and watercolor crayons. It is my "yunomi" that I use at my grandmother's house. Yunomi is the word for this Japanese style teacup. It could be that I've been using this cup for 15-20 years... It's hard to pinpoint exactly when, because stepping into my grandmother's house is like going into another dimension. Time, like my grandmother's stories of days past, isn't linear there.

xoxo
Char

Van Gogh Blue and Yellow Mug

2011-09-25T02:07:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite everyday tea drinking mug.

I painted it about 12 years ago when my friend Susan and I went to one of those "paint your own" pottery studios. My favorite glaze at the time, and still remains to be one of my favorite colors, was a rich navy blue that also had a tendency to look ultramarine or cobalt depending on the evenness (or lack of it) in the application of the glaze. The glaze was called Van Gogh Blue. Can't you just see "Starry Night over the Rhone" in that glaze?

My favorite mug sits on top of my felt hedgehog coaster. In the foreground of the photo is my favorite patchwork coaster that my grandmother made years ago.

Here is my doodle on a teabag:

Happy Tea Doodle
xoxo
Char

Teapot

2011-09-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of a little drawing I made of a teapot. The image was taken and edited with my beloved photo toy that I told you about over breakfast the other day. I've been doing a tea themed documentation project with the photo application, but for my blog I'll be posting illustrations of those featured tea related items.

xoxo
happy tea doodles
char

Alphabetical letters...

2011-09-24T06:03:00.001-07:00

I started this project 3 years ago when I went to stay with my grandmother for a couple months...

This is where I picked up during my last visit just after that nasty typhoon:

I got through H-I before I got too sleepy. I'll be visiting her again on Monday, so more photos to come later in the week!

xoxo
Char

Breakfast

2011-09-15T18:55:00.002-07:00

Some of my friends have been playing with a photo application on their magical phones, and I recently joined in on the fun.

This is a photo I took and edited with the aforementioned application:

This morning for breakfast I was inspired to make homemade hash browns and eggs over easy. No toast this morning, because potatoes are starchy enough.

Here is what you need for the hash browns:
a potato
oil or butter to coat your skillet
a lid for the skillet
salt and pepper to taste

This is what you do:
Heat your skillet - medium
Grate a potato
Drop your butter in the skillet and roll it around to coat the entire surface.
Once the skillet is hot put all of your potato bits in it.
After about a minute cover it with a lid and keep cooking it for about 3 minutes. Covering and cooking will ensure that all the potato bits get cooked through.
Remove lid and when the bottom looks golden and crispy, flip it over and cook the other side until the second side is crispy and golden!

Bon appétit.
xoxo
Char

Angry Pony Flies

2011-09-03T16:40:00.001-07:00

Angry Ponly flies on a big big air boat.

look how his curly mane flows.

xoxo

Wildlife on Mt St Helens

2011-08-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

Summer Shots

2011-08-27T10:46:00.003-07:00

sweet one hundred, sun gold, & sun sugar

splash

red plane

Volcano

2011-08-25T23:08:00.003-07:00

My 7 year old step-kid is "writing a book" about volcanoes and he asked me to contribute a drawing for his cause. I had a lot of fun making this drawing called "Volcano Erupting at Night" for his project.

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 8/22/11 Bittersweet Cobb Burger

2011-08-24T10:52:00.007-07:00

top bun with heart shaped sesame seeds...

tomato

avocado

bacon

turkey patty

bleu cheese crumble

lettuce with a vinaigrette dressing

bottom bun

more excellent family time

the last doodle in the little moleskine

xoxo

char

Daily Doodle 8/21/11 Mermaid Beer.

2011-08-24T10:44:00.004-07:00

The weekend full of boating on lakes, sunshine, and happy family time ended with a delicious lunch with mermaid beer and fish tacos.

8/20/11 Anchor Love.

2011-08-11T19:26:00.001-07:00

homemade gyoza. mmmm. dinner.

happiness

xoxo

Char

Angry Pony

2011-08-11T07:44:00.002-07:00

Until now, Angry Pony's background had been shrouded in mystery. We've just learned that Angry Pony was raised by wolves. An angry pack of vicious wolves.

Daily Doodle 8/10/11

2011-08-10T19:01:00.003-07:00

Drink and doodle of the day.

Crushed ice, water, and a squeeze of lime in a tall skinny glass.

Refreshing. <3

xoxo

Char

Angry Unicorn

2011-08-10T16:54:00.004-07:00

I collaborated with my friend Billy to create the above drawing... He gave me the subject, and I made it come to life on a scrap piece of paper.

It is the mystical cousin of Angry Pony, Angry Unicorn.

I would like to mention that my Angry Pony collaborator Nikki had nothing to do with Angry Unicorn. In fact she insists that "there's no such thing as a mean unicorn" which Billy deems as "lies".

What I heard through the grapevine is every time someone litters a cigarette butt an angry unicorn is born! They're just invisible to most people. The truth will be told through science one day.

Angry Pony Delivers Maggots in the Mail

2011-08-09T19:56:00.003-07:00

It's been a while since you've last seen him. We've found out why, it's because he's been busy delivering maggots to peoples post boxes! He is an odd pony.

Daily Doodle 8/9/11 Ducky

2011-08-09T15:04:00.001-07:00

Ducky on the move.

Happy Doodles!

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 8/8/11

2011-08-08T16:31:00.002-07:00

Warm and cozy.

Happy Toes

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 8/7/11 Seven

2011-08-07T20:32:00.004-07:00

Seven is the number of times I was woken up by my niece and nephew as they had a slumber party at their grandma's house last night... which is also my explanation of my delayed Daily Doodle post.

Seven is the number of times I checked my e-mail to see if I had word from my Bunny in Thailand today.

Seven is the number of years my step-kid is, and the highest number of sneezes he had in a row today.

Seven is the number of times I listened to my current favorite song "how dare you" today.

Papered Ceramic Tiles

2011-08-02T21:35:00.004-07:00

Some lady friends and I just had a fun craft night. We made papered ceramic tiles. The tiles can be used as coasters or wall art. They were so very easy to make.

Materials:

4x4 tiles $0.16 at the hardware store - they were actually 4.25"x4.25"

4x4 scrapbook paper

Mod Podge

Instructions:

Adhere paper to tile with Mod Podge and let dry.

Spray clear spray paint and let dry.

Done.

Happy Crafting

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 8/2/11 Three

2011-08-02T21:21:00.004-07:00

Blind Melon sang about the wonders of the number 3 in their School House Rock hit "Three is a Magic Number". I agree, some things work in threes, like tricycles for instance.

xoxo

Happy Doodles

Char

Daily Doodle 8/1/11 Rabbit Rabbit.

2011-08-01T18:44:00.003-07:00

This morning as I sat in traffic during my attempt to get through Seattle on I-5, I heard an old familiar roaring noise coming from the sky. The Blue Angels are back in town!

Rabbit, Rabbit.

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 7/31/01

2011-07-31T23:35:00.002-07:00

Wow, it is late! This is getting posted just in time!

Yes, I saw a "snap and point" duel today.

There is a lot of power behind this technique of attention getting.

Happy Doodles

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 7/30/11 Camera

2011-07-30T11:42:00.002-07:00

I joke about this from time to time but there is a little bit of truth in the following statement; what is mine is mine, and what is his is mine also. I can probably learn a lesson or two from my husband's selflessness.

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 7/29/11

2011-07-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

A significant shape and color from childhood.

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 7/28/11 Pavlov's Theory

2011-07-28T14:00:00.004-07:00

It never fails that hunger strikes as soon as I finish brushing and flossing at night.

Happy Healthy Teeth!

xoxo

Char

Colorful Cars

2011-07-27T22:34:00.002-07:00

My niece and nephew LOVE Cars. They line up all of their toy cars and hold "drafts" to see who gets to play with which one... by playing I mean horde and cart around in their back packs! It is pretty cute and funny to watch. These kids are tough negotiators in the making.

Today, I got to spend a bit of time with my niece while her brother was at swim lessons. She showed me all of her cars and started lining them up. I couldn't help but to guide her into sorting them by color. I was also curious to see if she'd go along with it. At first she corrected my method by telling me "good guys go with other good guys" and the "bad guys go with the other bad guys". Once she saw the rainbow she was on board and helped me find the "matching colors".

Car Rainbow!

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 7/27/11 Bioluminescent Fire-Squirrel

2011-07-27T22:30:00.004-07:00

Need I say more?

Happy Doods

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 7/26/11 The Absurd

2011-07-26T22:56:00.003-07:00

After talking with one of my oldest friends Soozle today, I started thinking of absurd scenarios like grown women in business suits tucked in an old school baby carriage with a "binky" and a "blanky" in tow. What?! Soozle's influence was completely behind my most absurd Daily Doodle from the archives. Going off of the mood I was in after my afternoon chat, I wanted today's doodle to be absurd but the lady in the baby carriage just wasn't happening.

2011-07-22T09:16:00.003-07:00

In honor of my friend Aya's birthday today I dedicate my daily doodle and my camping trip this weekend to her. She is one of the most courageous and adventurous people I know, and I look up to her a lot. <3

I'll doodle through the weekend, but probably will not post 'til Monday.

Stay tuned!

Happy Trails!

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 7/21/11 DADDY

2011-07-21T13:20:00.005-07:00

My dad and I like to give each other a hard time. We tease relentlessly and sometimes find one another extremely offensive. He doesn't understand how we've come to sit on opposite sides of the spectrum in political and social views, but he taught me to be fair and open to listen. He is also fair and open to listening. He also taught me to stand up for myself and to speak my mind, which I'm sure he regrets every time we drink a little too much and start discussing the topics of unjust wars and our country's financial calamities.

My dad is a special guy. He is 62 years old and in better shape than I am. He runs half marathons and kicks butt in all of his classes at his gym. He served his country for 24 years and had a great career in the US Navy. He has seen a lot, has done a lot, and I value his life experiences from growing up on a rural farm in West Virginia to hot-stepping through the nightlife and steak dinners in Hong Kong. Thinking of all of his positive attributes and the progressive life choices he's made helps me overlook that he thinks he's a Republican. :)

The caricature I make of my dad has not evolved much over the last 25 years I've been drawing and doodle making. It is how I always see him.

Salute, Papá!

Ciao!

Char

Daily Doodle 7/20/11 Grumple-lumps

2011-07-20T11:59:00.004-07:00

Today I met the　”ふきげん　な　とかげ” ;　translation: "grumpy lizard". As grumpy as he looked, he turned out to be an exceptionally cooperative subject today as he sunbathed near the nasturtiums.

Happy Doodles

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 7/19/11 Toast

2011-07-19T09:53:00.004-07:00

Nothing says friendship like this quotation: "I will give you the toast right out of my mouth".

Makes you wonder what was going on, right?

Happy Doodles

xoxo

Char

Daily Doodle 7/18/11 Unders

2011-07-18T21:45:00.002-07:00

Today I was making a doodle of a steak, and at a glance it looked like a pair of men's briefs to someone else:

the steak that was mistaken for briefs

men's unders

So I decided to resume my Daily Doodle project and kick it off with a pair of briefs.

Happy Doodles

xoxo

Char

Misty Pink Morning

2011-07-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's strictly coincidental that I'm posting two in a row about pink.

What I found beautiful was how soft and fluffy it looked with the million droplets of water that were delicately resting on every surface of this plant.

xoxo

char

Pinky Pinky

2011-07-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

willow

columbine

london pride

tiny pea like weed

wild, wild rose

Here is Jake behind the striped pink

Setting Sun

2011-07-17T16:59:00.003-07:00

I happened to peek out my window yesterday just as the sun was setting. The golden light on the trees outside was so beautiful I scrambled to find my camera, climb out my bedroom window onto the roof, and took a few snap shots before the moment was lost.

...instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know

You realize that life goes fast

It's hard to make the good things last

You realize the sun doesn't go down

It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round...

xoxo

char

Naranja!

2011-07-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

honeysuckle

native lily

some orange lilies behind a light orange coreopsis

orange stems of moss spores

Yellow...

2011-07-16T10:25:00.004-07:00

Jake with some dandelions

succulent

tiny clover like flower

dandelion

shamrock

pansy

A Life Partner

2011-07-15T15:03:00.002-07:00

So there I was, stuck in a quandary. I was invited to a wine and cheese tasting party and did not have a date because my husband was floating in the middle of the ocean somewhere approximately 6,000 miles away from me.

A light bulb flashed somewhere above my head and I knew what to do: make a cardboard representation of him to be my date and escort to this exclusive event. Due to time, financial, and resource limitations, he did not turn out to be actual size.

So it goes...

The next phase of my project is to create comment bubbles of his common phrases. Due to the colorful words in his diction I'll spare you the comment bubbles; in his words "they don't say 'curse like a sailor' because 'sharing is caring' is taken".

xoxo

char

Angry Pony and Humidity.

2011-07-12T17:05:00.002-07:00

Humidity doesn't work for Angry Pony.

Angry Pony Surfs

2011-07-11T19:57:00.004-07:00

Angry Pony surfs with sharks.

Angry Pony

2011-07-11T18:51:00.001-07:00

Angry Pony feeds feral kittens cow milk.

Color Study

2011-07-01T18:13:00.003-07:00

After spending most of the week with all the special little ones in my life, I logged in a lot of drawing and coloring time. I was surprised to see how many more colors were available to kids now, than when I was a little girl coloring with crayons. After seeing some of the interesting color combinations being used, I couldn't resist sorting them and documenting the color groups I formed.

happy colors

xoxo

char

Angry Pony Summer Fashion

2011-06-24T14:31:00.003-07:00

Angry Pony is ready for some hot summer weather.

This means he also ready for his orange shorty shorts.

Purple

2011-06-24T13:25:00.005-07:00

The next feature in my color series is Purple:

Jake standing in the field of plum topped grasses

centaurea

purple lupines

pansy

a pale violet

the underside of weeds pulled from the vegetable garden reveal a pretty purple secret

Red

2011-06-23T08:21:00.003-07:00

I love spending time at my parent's countryside farm all year round. Summer has finally made its way there after a long and drawn out chilly spring. My favorite thing about summer on the farm is the vibrant colors that are scattered all about. I spend as much time possible exploring with Jake and my camera. Jake spends most of his time chasing field mice and phantom scents from the night before, meanwhile I try not to miss a single detail surrounding us. In this post I'd like to share with you a few photos showcasing the range of Reds we've captured.

my exploration partner, Jake

dianthus from the garden

weeds in the field

native maple

smultronstället

scarlet

Angry Pony

2011-06-21T21:05:00.004-07:00

My gal pal Nikki and I came up with a character named "Angry Pony" recently.

He is thirsty for booze and has a bad attitude.

Here are some situations Angry Pony had us chuckling about:

bubbles!

cheez!

gimme box wine!

LTLYM #27: Take a picture of the sun.

2011-06-18T22:45:00.004-07:00

Elma, WA, USA

Argyle SoMo & SoEl

2011-01-27T20:12:00.003-08:00

This year, for my favorite little 3-year-old's preschool auction, I donated 2 stuffed argyle sock animals that I made.

Here they are hanging out on an icy January morning.

Each animal has a belly full of dried lavender.

Happy sewing!

xoxo

char!

Icy

2011-01-10T20:49:00.004-08:00

Taken on 1/3 at Nikki and Po's.

A Snow Day Breakfast

2010-11-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

chanterelle mushroom

This morning I had a late start to my day because the power was out at work, and I didn't have anywhere to go. I decided to get some laundry done, and make myself a good hearty scrambled egg breakfast burrito... like I do almost every morning. This morning's burrito was very special because of the ingredients.

When I saw my folks this past Sunday, my dad had just returned from his annual elk hunting trip where he also did some mushroom picking. He came home with a whole bunch of chanterelle mushrooms which he shared with me. The egg part of my burrito came from my mom's friend Carolyn's chickens. I also included some shallots and fresh parsley from the garden.

a pat of butter for sautéing

1 egg

3-5 chanterelle mushrooms (rough chop)

1-2 shallots (diced)

3 tbs fresh chopped parsley

smoked Gouda

1 tortilla

hot sauce

black pepper

Sauté the shallots and mushrooms on a medium heat until the shallots are clear and the mushrooms start browning. Grind in some fresh black pepper to taste, add the parsley and give it a quick stir. Just when the parsley starts to wilt but is still bright green, add your 1 beaten egg and scramble until the egg is cooked. Kill the heat and top the scramble with some smoked Gouda. Wrap the scrambled eggs up in a warm tortilla (use a dry skillet and not a microwave, kids) and enjoy with some hot sauce.

sunday, bloody martini, sunday

2010-11-09T14:42:00.002-08:00

So, my mister (and many of our friends) appreciates a good Bloody Mary. I hate tomato juice and felt little left out so I started experimenting with The Breakfast of Champions: the Martini in efforts to start getting used to the taste of bloody mary mix.

The Classic Gin Martini:

2 parts Gin

1 part vermouth

The Vodka Martini:

2 parts vodka

1 part vermouth

The Sunday Bloody Martini Sunday:

1 part* bakon vodka

1 part gin

1 part vermouth

1 part bloody mary mix (or 2 parts depending on how tomato-y you feel that day)

2 green pimento olives

1 pickled asparagus

Put all liquids into the cocktail shaker with about 4 or 5 ice cubes. Next, shake it about 7 times and pour everything** into a glass. Then, garnish with olives and asparagus. Finally, sip and enjoy!

* In my case, 1 part equals a little less than 1 oz

**I include the ice cubes because it's a little strong without the melt off from the ice.

2010-10-04T17:05:00.001-07:00

Jeff, Sawyer, and I decorated the rest of the pages for the guestbook in time for our reception.

Here are some details of the pages:

Happy collage!

xoxo

char.

Black Berry Pie

2010-09-04T13:57:00.001-07:00

Growing up in the pacific northwest, my favorite after school snack at the beginning of the school year was a heated slice of blackberry pie in a bowl full of cold milk (whole of course). For the first time in about 13 years I baked a blackberry pie. With the exception of a couple slices I brought over to C & B's house, I ate the whole thing and loved every bite!

This is the pie filling recipe that came from my dad's mom Virginia:

4 c blackberries

1 to 1 1/2 c sugar (I use 1 c)

1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 1/2 tbs butter

1. Mix the dry ingredients

2. Mix the dry stuff with berries

3. Pour in pie shell

4. Put cubes of butter on top

5. Cover with crust

6. Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes.

If you're lucky, I may share my pie crust recipe in the future.

xoxo

happy baking

char

Paper Crafts

2010-08-22T19:56:00.002-07:00

Here is a sneak peak of the first pages of my guest book that I've decorated. There are quite a few more to go but I'm happy with the look so far.

Happy paper, happy glue!

xoxo

Char

Fuzshrooms.

2010-08-16T05:54:00.004-07:00

An unexpected surprise in my flower bed. I had never seen a fuzzy mushroom that revealed gills on the topside as it opened up.

happy discoveries

xoxo

char

A Great Find

2010-08-05T16:36:00.001-07:00

I recently found this super great wine stopper on etsy. You can check this stopper out along with other really cool merchandise at Rebekka's shop: jadeflower .

Not only does Rebekka create really cute things, but I'm happy to have stumbled on her shop because she is very nice, easy going, and has been a pleasure to work with. She has agreed to make some stoppers for me using my own color schemes and I can't wait to see the finished product. Below are the sketches I made to show the requested colors.

Happy Finding & Happy Doodles!

xoxo

char

LTLYM

2010-07-15T15:14:00.001-07:00

My friend Ernie told me about a web project called Learning To Love You More that lists "assignments" to carryout and submit to the project founders. By the time I had looked at the website last fall, the project had ended and the website was not accepting anymore submissions for their assignments. Disappointed, my determination to participate fell into the dark abyss of "projects never to even begin for this reason or that". However, by some weird stroke of luck, a gust of wind or something blew my will out of that pool of despair (It may have something to do with 80 degree sunny weather & my body's increased production of Vitamin D) and I've decided to try the assignments out on my own and post them myself.

Here are the assignments that you can look forward to seeing on The Char Makes. They are in descending order:

70. Say goodbye .

69. Climb to the top of a tree and take a picture of the view.

68. Feel the news.

67. Repair something.

66. Make a field guide to your yard.

65. Perform the phone call someone else wished they could have.

64. Teach us an exercise.

63. Make an encouraging banner.

62. Make an educational public plaque.

61. Describe your ideal government.

60. Write a press release about an everyday event.

59. Interview someone who has experienced war.

58. Record the sound that is keeping you awake.

57. Lipsync to shy neighbor's Garth Brooks cover.

56. Make a portrait of your friend's desires.

55. Photograph a significant outfit.

54. Draw the news.

53. Give advice to yourself in the past.

52. Write the phone call you wish you could have.

51. Describe what to do with your body when you die.

50. Take a flash photo under your bed.

49. Draw a picture of your friend's friend.

48. Make the saddest song.

47. Re-enact a scene from a movie that made someone else cry.

46. Draw Raymond Carver's Cathedral.

45. Reread your favorite book from fifth grade.

44. Make a "LTLYM assignment".

43. Make an exhibition of the art in your parent's house.

42. List five events from 1984.

41. Document your bald spot.

40. Heal yourself.

39. Take a picture of your parents kissing.

38. Act out someone else's argument.

37. Write down a recent argument.

36. Grow a garden in an unexpected spot.

35. Ask your family to describe what you do.

34. Make a protest sign and protest.

33. Braid someone's hair.

32. Draw a scene from a movie that made you cry.

31. Spend time with a dying person.

30. Take a picture of strangers holding hands.

29. Make an audio recording of a choir.

28. Edit a photo album page.

27. Take a picture of the sun.

26. Design an article of clothing for Mona to crochet.

25. Make a video of someone dancing.

24. Cover the song"Don't Dream It's Over".

23. Recreate this snapshot.

22. Recreate a scene from Laura Lark's life story.

21. Sculpt a bust of Steve.

20. Take a family portrait of two families.

19. Illustrate a scene or make an object from Paul Arensmeyer's life story.

18. Recreate a poster you had as a teenager.

17. Record your own guided meditation.

16. Make a paper replica of your bed.

15. Hang a windchime on a tree in a parking lot.

14. Write your life story in less than a day.

13. Recreate the moment after a crime.

12. Get a temporary tattoo of one of Morgan Rozacky's neighbors.

11. Photograph a scar and write about it.

10. Make a flier of your day.

9. Draw a constellation from someone's freckles.

8. Curate an artist's retrospective in a public place.

7. Recreate 3 minutes of a Fresh Air interview.

6. Make a poster of shadows.

5. Recreate an object from someone's past.

4. Start a lecture series.

3. Make a documentary video about a small child.

2. Make a neighborhood field recording.

1. Make a child's outfit in an adult size.

How To Plantling

2010-07-12T16:37:00.003-07:00

It occurred to me, that I didn't explain how to fill the cups with succulents. Someone out there reading this may want to try this also. Here is my explanation.

Succulents are very hardy plants that require little water, little care, and have an amazing ability to reproduce itself with ease. As pictured in my last post, there are 2 types that I'm trying to propagate: Leafy ones, and Pokey ones.

Leafy:

The stalks of these leafy succulents have the ability to grow hair like roots very quickly. I might even be comfortable saying in a matter of days, or within a week or two. I snipped the stalk below the leaves and stuck 1/2 inch of stem in the soil. Viola.

Pokey:

The Pokey ones shoot out runners with baby Pokeylings attached to the end. I snipped the little Pokeylings off of the "parent" Pokey, then stuck the stem 1/2 inch into the soil.

In this photograph you can see runners with baby Pokey succulents attached to the end along with little bits of stalks that I trimmed off of the pink and green Leafy ones.

Plantlings

2010-07-12T15:45:00.007-07:00

An idea sprouted in my head over the past few weeks: To create terrariums in glass fishbowl/vases for table centerpieces. Practicing my habit of being as economical as possible, I've decided to use all the resources that are available to me for this project.

Since the Rents rid themselves of their chickens, we've been saving our egg cartons to use as an alternative to peat pots for starting seeds next spring. It is still summer, and I've already found another similar but different use for the cartons: succulent propagation. Once the little plantlings take root, they'll be ready to go into the terrariums!

Step 1. Poke holes in every cup.

Step 2: Fill cups with soil (courtesy of Mell)

Step 4: Fill cups with succulents (courtesy of the Morris Family)

Step 5: Water and wait.

Simple Prep, Yummy Meal

2010-06-29T06:36:00.002-07:00

cucumber, celery, green onion, black pepper, balsamic vinegar, olive oil

wild rice with sauteed mushrooms and bacon

pan fried chicken thigh with mango salsa

(mango, cucumber, green onion, grilled white corn, roasted red pepper, jalapeno, lime, and cilantro)

Some Swings

2010-06-28T05:31:00.005-07:00

This is a swing set card that I made for my favorite 3 year old O's birthday. The entire family got together to help contribute to a swing set for O and his sister.

Materials:

card stock

washi paper

a bit of black twine

paste

and even a bit of hot glue.

Ah, how I love being a part of a strong supportive family, and cutting & pasting paper.

Happy Birthday!

xoxo char

SATURDAY SCRIBBLES

2010-06-12T08:33:00.004-07:00

inspired by watching Ponyo last night

If you're familiar with my doodling, you'll know who this is.

As I stumbled along the web this morning, I rediscovered a scribble generator. I made a couple doodles, selected settings and colors, and let the generator do the rest!

happy doodles! xoxo char.

work doodles

2010-06-09T20:02:00.004-07:00

In times of stress, I like stopping time all around me. As time stops outside of my personal space, it keeps going in the very spot that I am at. During this time, I create a moment.

happy doodles

xoxo char.

spider bloom

2010-05-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

Pots and More Pots

2010-05-17T13:07:00.001-07:00

Flower Pot 1 (above)

Flower Pot 2 (Below)

One of my dearest friends Susan organized and hosted a crafts and cocktails event on Saturday.

So I spent a beautiful afternoon sipping Sangria with with lovely ladies and painting flower pots.

I made 2 creations:

Flower pot 1 is a floral design with decidedly interesting broken pottery and buttons.

Flower pot 2 is an illustration of happenings in the sea.

(I'd like to make a notable mention to my friend Danielle for the beautiful azalea who is modeling in the sea-pot.)

xoxo

Happy Pots

flower power!

2010-05-16T15:07:00.004-07:00

rhododendron and wild rose

A few weeks ago I made a flower arrangement out of hawthorn flowers I found at work, and discovered that they don't smell very nice. Until today, they sat on my airy front porch where they wouldn't offend anyone. After spending the whole morning tinkering about the yard today, I decided to update my vase with my own flowers and channeled some inspiration from my Grandmother in Japan (who is licensed to teach ikebana). Since it is much cooler outside , the flower arrangements last much longer than indoors. It's a cheerful sight to pull up the driveway and see the colors of spring displayed at my home.

xoxo

happy arranging.

Things in Pots

2010-04-29T18:20:00.004-07:00

Violet from my parent's farm planted in a reclaimed tea cup that my mom made.
The cup's handle broke so we drilled a hole in the bottom to transform it into a flower pot.

Pink Strawberry.
I'm hoping the pink blooms will attract hummingbirds to my feeder.

Ceramic egg pot and a little succulent.
Once again, thanks Mell!

Right: Before... After...

2010-04-29T17:40:00.006-07:00

4/18/10: Weed Removal

Same day: Planted Columbines and Poppies from Donna and the Honeysuckle bush from Mellow.

My day trip to Kubota Garden was hijacked by a beautiful sunny day and the need to get my plant gifts into the ground. I'm thankful for my wonderful friends and the beautiful plants.

I've tinkered with planting window sill gardens in my various apartments in NYC, but now that I have a large yard here in WA I'm excited about testing my landscaping skills.

Brooklyn circa 2003

I still have a lot to learn about plants, but it has been fun testing my basic design skills and imagination to create a composition with rhythm, movement, and balance.

We'll see how the composition progresses through the spring into the summer and fall.

Happy Planting

xoxo Char

LEFT: Before... after... after... and after...

2010-04-27T17:51:00.009-07:00

3/17/10: Removing Weeds

3/17/10: Creating a border.

4/14/10: Existing ferns poking out.

Mulch with wood chips.

Day Lily transplanted from the right side of my porch.

Nasturtiums from Nikki planted. Columbines from Donna planted.

The flowerbeds are always changing.

xoxo happy planting

Spring Shot.

2010-04-16T09:25:00.005-07:00

Spring is in full bloom here in Seattle... Following a very mild winter, it has actually been spring like for a couple months now. Even on my return trip from WV mid-February, I felt so happy seeing polka dots of pink and white plum trees and yellow forsythia in bloom on a background of green as the plane flew into the the Puget Sound area. It was a huge contrast from the East Coast which was still in a deep freeze with temperatures dropping to the teens in the night.

Here are some spring colors that I documented in my own yard last weekend. More to come following a trip to Kubota Gardens on Sunday.

Happy Spring

xoxo Char.