Vote to Send Money to a Hawaiian Classroom! (It only takes a Moment.)

Teach For America is the reason Eric and I are here on the Big Island of Hawaii. The organization's mission is to help close the "achievement gap" in the United States, defined by Wikipedia as:

" the observed disparity on a number of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, ability, and socioeconomic status. The achievement gap can be observed on a variety of measures, including standardized test scores, grade point average, dropout rates, and college-enrollment and -completion rates."

Did you know that Hawaii is among the nation's lowest scoring across many of these measures? I certainly didn't before he was placed here. It's easy to think of Hawaii as a land of pineapples and glamorous resorts, but in reality, many parts of Hawaii are extremely poor and rural.

One of Eric's fellow TFA members is in the running to get a $25,000 grant for technology for his classroom courtesy of Pepsi. Like so many TFA members, Matt is a commited and passionate teacher and I'd love to see him win this grant money. If you'd like to take a minute to peruse his idea (helping his sixth graders improve literacy while learning to employ technology!) and give it your vote, we can bump him up in the rankings! The top 10 ideas recieve funding.

And Matt says "Just showing my kids that something like this is possible is worth more than money." Amen to that.

Make Your Own Jolly Roger Cupcake Flags!

Here's how to make your own Jolly Roger Cupcake Flags! (No time to make your own? I've got 22 left and I'd be happy to ship them to you for $5. Email me at thefabulousmissbATgmailDOTcom and I'll send you a paypal invoice!)

If you'd like to make your own, you will need:

Black Paper (mine was 12x12" cardstock)
Paper Cutter or scissors
Toothpicks
Hot Glue Gun
Silver or White Sharpie

First, cut your cardstock into rectangles.

I made mine 1" wide by 2" across...

and got 48 flags from my 12x12" paper.

Heat up your hot glue gun and get out those toothpicks!

Draw a fine line of hot glue on one side of the flag.

Then press your toothpick into it. I made sure to alternate the sides so that I didn't end up with them all facing the same direction.

You're halfway done!

Next, draw on the skull & crossbones Ed Emberly style. First, a figure eight for the eyes.

Then, a triangle for the nose.

Add lines for the teeth.

And finish off the top of the skull.

Then, add the bones in an X on either side.

The finished pile!

Ready to feed to hungry pirates!

Summer Inspiration Board

I spied these pretty inspiration boards over on Gilt the other day and I thought I'd share what's pinned above my desk right now.

My summer inspiration is all about color, relaxation, sun, sand and sea. I really wish I could pull of the effortless surfer chick look, but I always gravitate to more tailored, feminine looks. We'll see how another year in Hawaii affects my wardrobe.

What's inspiring you at the moment?

Fave Crafts Radio Interview

My friends at Fave Crafts kindly invited me to do an interview on their new Radio Program recently. Tiffany and I chatted about how travel has inspired my work, life in Hawaii and why artists and crafters should value their work. Listen to the whole episode here, or download it for free on I-tunes. My segment aired on 6/15 and begins around the 58 minute mark. Let me know what you thought!

Alphabet Party Cups

Don't you love the idea of alphabet cups? Perfect for parties, picnics and summer in general! (Kudos to the prop stylist too! They know what gets my heart a flutter!) Discovered via Oh Joy!

Studio Peek: Refurbished Wedding Cake Decor!

Psst! Look what I've been up to in the studio!

Before, they're teenagers avoiding their studies...

After- They are Love Birds are exchanging Sweet Nothings via telephone right before their big walk down the aisle! So pleased with how they turned out. Snap them up here.

Have you transformed anything lately?

Tired of plain old Chocolate Chip Cookies? Try these!

Do you have a sweet tooth? Lord knows I do. I try to keep it at bay by refusing to buy store bought cookies. Instead, if I'm really in need of a little sugar buzz, I have to go to the trouble of mixing up a batch. In many cases this technique separates a serious craving from a minor one.

I'd been in a bit of a chocolate chip cookie rut- (I like to stir up the batter and then roll it into a log, wrap it in plastic and freeze it. Then when I'm feeling like a little cookie, I can cut off a slice and put in the oven at 350 for one single warm cookie just when I need it.)

I decided to shake it up a bit. Here are the latest treats coming out of my oven:

Chocolate dipped shortbread. I hadn't planned to make them faces, but the gooey chocolate looked so much like a swirly pompadour hair-do I had to give them little eyes and mustaches to match.

Cream Cheese Mac Nut cookies with orange zest. I added white chocolate chips to make 'em extra decadent. From the eternally inspiring Silver Palate cookbook.

Russian Tea Cakes. So lovely with an afternoon coffee.

What's your favorite cookie recipe?

The Winner of $100 with CSN Stores is...

The lucky winner of The $100 CSN Stores Giveaway is the lovely and talented Rachel! She picked this chandelier as her favorite and said:

"It's a little more modern than I typically go for, but I just love the clean shape of it and the way the shades are grouped together."

Well Rachel, you're $100 closer to hanging that baby over your dining room table! Let us know what you end up chosing. Thanks for playing dear readers. There are more fun Giddy Giveaways coming up! Follow me on Facebook and Twitter so you'll never miss out on the freebie fun!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the Daddies out there! Hope you are duly celebrated- it takes a special kind of man to be a good Father, doesn't it?

P.S) I made this little garland with pages from a vintage children's book called "What Do Daddies Do?" It shows all the different jobs Dads do- from grocers to opera singers! The illustrations were so charming, I though this would be the perfect way to enjoy them year after year. What does your dad do for a living? Mine's a tango instructor!

Free Father's Day E-Book Download

Hey! You there! Yes! YOU! You haven't forgotten that tomorrow is Father's Day, have you? Well, just in case, my friends at Fave Crafts have compiled an e-book of cool DIY Father's Day gift ideas and they've included my easy last minute homemade spice rub how to. Download it for free right over here.

Happy Father's Day to all the Daddies out there. We sure do love you.

Happy Juneteenth Day!

Did you know that today is Juneteenth Day? I'd never heard of this holiday, which began in 1866 and celebrates the emancipation of the last slaves. I learn all sorts of wonderful tidbits from The Writer's Almanac! People across our nation, especially in Texas and Arizona, will be celebrating today with big picnics and music. What a lovely reason to celebrate. I think next year I'll be sure to plan my own celebration.

(Postcard from my vintage ephemera collection, available here.)

Book Report: My Antonia by Willa Cather

My Antonia is Willa Cather's masterpiece about life on the Kansas prairie at the turn of the century. Although I usually read non-fiction, the themes of this novel called to me; individualism, simplicity, spirituality and early feminism. I love to read classics, because they have proven to hold truth across time.

When I'm reading fiction, I enjoy thinking about how a person came to be a writer- what steps were taken. It isn't like other professions- there is no set path to pursue. Instead, you must practice, practice, practice and search your own heart to discover your voice. Cather did that ruthlessly throughout her unconventional life and this book is the result. My Antonia tells the story of two families on the American fronteir. One family has lived and worked the land for years, while the other are new immigrants from Bavaria.

Antonia is the Bavarian family's eldest daughter, and her story is told through the eyes of Jim, an orphaned boy sent to live with his grandparents in the unspoiled West. Her ruddy, earthy goodness enchants him and he spends his life trying to understand what makes her so full of life, even in the face of great sorrows and sacrifices.

I often copy down passages that are especially meaningful to me when I am reading- as a way of keeping track of the parts that strike a chord with me. Here are some favorites sections:

"[He] told me that the sunflowers were introduced into that country by the Mormons at the time of persecution, when they left Missouri and struck out into the wilderness to find a place where they could worship God in their own way. The members of the first exploring party, crossing the plains to Utah, scattered sunflower seed as they went. The next summer when the long trains of wagons came through with all the women and children, they had the sunflower trail to follow. I believe that botanists do not confirm this story, but insist that the sunflower was native to those plains. Nevertheless, that legend has stuck in my mind and sunflower bordered roads always seem to me the roads to freedom."

In my opinion, freedom of worship and tolerance are this country's greatest asset. I love the imagery of people strewing flower seed as a symbol of hope and encouragement to those who follow later.

"There was a basic harmony between Antonia and her mistress. They had strong, independent natures, both of them. They knew what they liked and were not always trying to imitate other people. They loved children and animals and music and rough play and digging in the earth. They liked to prepare rich hearty food and to see people eat it, to make up soft white beds and to see youngsters asleep in them. They ridiculed conceited people and were quick to help unfortunate ones. Deep down in each of them there was a kind of hearty joviality, a relish of life, not over delicate, but very invigorating."

This passage so eloquently describes the sort of person I strive to be; one who has worked hard to build a life that is pleasing to her and basks in the bombardment of sensory experience that is the great treasure of human life. My goal is to be like Antonia, awake and alive to the finite series of small moments that make life worth living.

"Do you know Antonia, since I've been away, I've thought of you more often than of anyone else in this part of the world. I'd have liked to have you for a sweetheart, or a wife, or my mother or my sister- anything a woman can be to a man. The idea of you is a part of my mind; you influence my likes and dislikes, all my tastes, hundreds of times when I don't realize it. You really are a part of me."

She turned her bright believing eyes to me and the tears came up in them slowly, "How can it be like that, when you know so many people, and when I've dissapointed you so? Ain't it wonderful Jim, how much people can mean to each other?"

Of course, it all comes back to love in the end. It would have been so easy for Cather to make this story a simple romance, but instead, she wrote about something more tangled and complicated. She described and celebrated another kind of love- a love based on friendship, and admiration. She wrote with an honesty and freshness that is still powerful today.

Have you read anything great lately? Do tell!

Artists to Investigate: Klaus Fahlen

It was quite a challenge to choose just one image from Klaus Fahlen's portfolio to share with you, but in the end this lady won out because she perfectly suits my current frame of mind. One of the great pleasures of travel is the joy of coming home again. After madly gallivanting around some strange city, plunging back into your daily routine feels wonderful, don't you agree? I even felt happy to be in line at the post office today.

I stumbled across Mr. Fahlen's work via Oh Joy and fell instantly in love with every last illustration. It's inspired me to pick up my pen and do some fun line drawings for a change of pace. His work reminds me of one of my favorite books from childhood (perhaps you read it too!) Remember Crictor the Boa Constrictor? The illustrations there were often simple black ink drawings on a white backdrop with one color for emphasis, but he really made the most of the negative space and made all three colors work to maximum effect. There was also a great variety of texture and pattern that made them a joy to look at. (Seriously, can you click through this portfolio without smiling? I think not.) I'm just wondering where I can get my hands on some prints. (Leave me comment if you know darlings!)

P.S) If you are feeling inspired to try some line drawing, but are little intimidated by your pen, may I suggest Ed Emberley's step by step drawing guides? They are loads of fun and once you get started, you won't be able to stop!

Fashion Forward: When Showing Less is More

Did you catch this fabulous lady on The Sartorialist about a month ago? This photo just took my breath away. Talk about refreshing. I'm agog at how unbelievably sexy her toes become when every other part of her skin is covered.

I think the veil can be a gorgeous symbol when it is chosen and embraced with enthusiasm and panache like this. At it's best, the veil is a reminder that women are precious not because of their bodies, but because of an inner beauty that is carefully cultivated as they move through life. (Juxtapose that with the Hollywood Starlets so convinced that their bodies are their only asset that they have given up wearing underwear. Eek.)

I've seen many Somalian Muslim girls in my hometown of Minneapolis wearing the modest garments their religion prescribes while still imbuing their clothing with personality and imagination. (Sequins on the long skirts, pom poms on the scarves- fun with layering, chiffon, wonderful jewelery and the art of knowing what not to show.) Isn't that fashion at it's best?

Movie Review: Who the #$%@ is Jackson Pollock?

I've found myself watching lots of documentaries lately, in much the same way that I've been reading non-fiction (almost exclusively) ever since college. I often find real stories and real people more compelling, believable, far more outlandish and exciting than made up ones.

E & I recently watched "Who the #$*% Is Jackson Pollock?" a compelling documentary about a thrift store painting and a woman named Teri Horton. She bought a splatter painting as a joke to cheer up a friend for the bargain price of five dollars. When the giant painting wouldn't fit in her friend's home, the pair tried to sell it at a garage sale. A local art teacher mentioned that it might be a Jackson Pollock worth millions of dollars if proven authentic. She'd never heard of the abstract expressionist painter and neither had her friend. And so began her quest to lift, rip or burn down the velvet curtains shrouding the art world.

Whether Teri Horton's painting is an authentic Pollock or not is only part of this fascinating story. The subtext is far more interesting. Teri is a poor, uneducated woman who drives a truck for a living. She spends her free time peering into dumpsters for treasures other people have discarded and chain smoking in a seedy bar with a cadre of wisecracking blue collar friends.

Juxtapose her crinkly, tough as nails exterior with the rarefied air of the art world. These people are clad in ten thousand dollar suits, shiny wingtips and don crisp white gloves to handle art objects that auction for hundreds of millions but are considered priceless artifacts of Western Civilization. They can't imagine that something as precious as a Jackson Pollock original could end up in a thrift store to be discovered by the likes of Ms. Horton.

Naturally, this rubs Ms. Horton the wrong way. As the film unfolds, it becomes clear that Teri doesn't care much about actually selling the painting. What she wants is to be acknowledged in order to stick it to people she sees as snobs and frauds. In her mind, her painting is totally legitimate and these people are objecting not to it, but to her. In the mind of the art world elite however, she is a joke and a kook. They find it inconceivable that anyone could find such a treasure for such a price with such a story. Her lack of refinement and knowledge obviously exasperate the very people she needs to verify her find. If her painting is authentic, it's worth millions, but if it's not, it's a huge liability to any gallery that might back it.

For me, this movie was an interesting examination of the deep abyss that now exists between the average person and the art world elite. The fissure has been growing wider and wider ever since the Impressionists first began to do away with reality and in many ways, it was Pollock himself who "split the whole thing wide open". (Who could forget Marcia Gay Harden as his biggest fan in Pollock?!) What better lens to use for a close up than this exact situation?

Have you seen it? Be sure to let me know what you thought. If you haven't seen it, add it to your Netflix que and report back! Have you seen anything good lately?

Mismatched Floral Bedding

I've just added some mismatched vintage floral sheets to the guest room- I love the riot of color, and pattern, don't you? It couldn't be more cheerful. It's the darkest room in our home, so the splash of springtime brightens it right up.

I've learned that in order to mix and match patterns, you need to stay in the same color families and really vary the scale to keep it looking intentional. I feel like this combination is successful, but I'm on the hunt for more vintage florals to be sure! I found the pillowcases for .50 cents at a thrift store and the fitted sheet is from the charming Etsy shop My Vintage Whimsy. The wild sixties inspired print on the flat sheet is from Target five years ago, and the duvet is ancient Pottery Barn. What's new at your house?

Patricia Nicolas's Edgy Glamour

My eternally adventurous Mum just sent along a link to Patricia Nicolas's website and I'm enchanted by the undeniably glamorous rock and roll pieces she creates.
This necklace is edgy without being over the top. Perfect for this blogger, who would love to add a teeny bit of Lady Gaga to her decidedly pedestrian wardrobe. (Also, is it just me, or are the black coils a notebook binding? Genius.)


This baby takes my breath away. It has a decidedly seventies vibe, possibly because of all the natural mineral shapes, but a hint of eighties excess and sparkle. It seems like something Keith Richards might have worn, then or now.
The Queen meets Debbie Harry. I'm a sucker for jeweled animals, aren't you? What designers are on your radar lately? These pieces are all out of my price range, but they are definitely inspiring.

Decor: Change it up to keep it Fresh

Variety is the spice of life, right? I changed up our living room tableau again...

Do you like the nautical vibe? The range of blues in the specimen boxes (learn how to make your own here!) and ship model looks really pretty with the new blue toss pillows I just added to our sofa. What's fresh in your house?

Make Your Own Fancy Gift Bag

I found a big bundle of colorful gift bags for $5 and had a light bulb moment. I could gussy them for gifts giving with some odds and ends. Want to play along? You will need:

Plain paper bags- the natural kraft ones would be pretty too.

Fruit Netting- like the kind limes, tomatoes, oranges and onions come in.

Ric Rac and Ribbon- I love to find mine at thrift shops. For this project, you can use oddly sized pieces leftover from other projects.

Stapler (a hot glue gun would work well too)

Cut your fruit netting to size and staple it along the sides.

Add your ric rac, ribbon or lace the same way.

Ta da! Don't those look cute? Perfect for hostess gifts, birthday goody bags or even Christmas presents. Let me know how yours turn out, won't you? What are you working on lately?