Enjoying the Locals, and their movies

This one seems odd, since Blair Sterret is really more a friend then a neighbor. But boy, he is someone you should meet.

A while ago Mr. Wood and I stopped by for Blair’s practically weekly “Incredibly Strange Movie Night”.

I know what you are thinking. No, this isn’t a whole bunch of hipster college students getting together because someone has a copy of “Dark Crystal”. These are actually the strangest movies known to earth. And, Blair isn’t just some random hipster. He is the curator of the Lost Media Archive. He is the expert. ISMN is over a decade old you know.

Here is the Lost Media Archive official statement:

LMA is a Utah-based collection of mondo/ kitsch/ cult/ ephemeral/ experimental/ historical/ obsolete/ forgotten/ unearthed audio-visual and textual documents. LMA is also a resource for those who cling to bygone media formats. The LMA was founded by Blair Sterrett and works together with loaf-i productions, the Free Form Film Festival and Salt Lake City Film Festival to arrange screenings, viewings, and concerts. The LMA also promotes and initiates the creation of new and unusual films, albums, performative projects, and book events. We accept donations of any and all projection, recording, and filming devices. When possible, we maintain these machines for use by recordists and filmmakers. (We now curate over 35,000 films.)

This is what we watched last night. “The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies”, for which ISMN was named after. So, you see, it was a special night. As we learned from Mr. Sterret, Ray Steckler (director) doesn’t use a script. So his movies are essentially made up as they go along, depending on materials available, what he gets bored with and so on. Yes, it was ridiculous. But somehow charming. We got to watch a bonus interview of Ray Steckler before the film. Apparently he gave it the ridiculous name because he thought bigger name, bigger movie.

If you want to see Blair's archive or partake of his extensive strange movie knowledge, look at the Lost Media Archive site. All year he is also doing an ISMN show once a month at Brewvies movie pub in SLC (which are free!) This month is going to be incredible (if you are interested in George Melias, or just wonderful things). Find out about the film here on the facebook page. Check it out tomorrow! July 31st.

Here is a trailer for all the shows he is showing at Brewvies in 2012.

Which sums up ISMN pretty well.

If you are at all curious, you should go to one of his shows. I can honestly say, that no matter how odd the movie was, I’ve never regretted going to ISMN. I can also say that Blair Sterret is possibly the nicest, kindest, and most mysterious man in Utah County. Plus, he has the best stories to tell about all the incredibly strange things.

Shannon

Forgotten Dresses

This is what I wore last Sunday. A dress I haven’t worn in probably 2 years. I don’t have a very good explanation. Sometimes I just get shy about my dresses or something.

Back in the day I made a new dress every spring. This was one of those wonders— Circa probably 2007 or 2009. It is very different then most dresses I’ve ever made because A. It isn’t cotton (at least not the top layer) and B. It doesn’t suggest pioneerism.

Anyways. Here is why. Once I was at Good Will with some friends in high school and I saw a sea foam vintage night gown. I was in love. It was all gathers and lace and softness. It was also all snags, shortness and sheer, so it rarely got wear. But it did inspire me to make this sea foam chiffon dress of essentially the same design.

I had to wear the dress because I got an incredibly sparkly and pastel cardigan I was hoping to wear. It was incredible—one of my sunbeams stroked the front of my sweater for 10 minutes. If it can keep a 3 year old engaged and quiet it has some considerable power.

I love the lace details and the soft folds of chiffon. Chiffon is possibly the most feminine fabric in the world. There are so many mistakes in this dress I laugh when I pull it out of the closet. But that is when the beauty of pastel chiffon comes into play. It is so lovely nobody notices the weird threads, snags and stitches. And I’m okay with that.

Shannon

What I’m Making Over Here

Hi,

So, You know I make little things here and there and put them up in my Etsy Shop BowKnots?

Well, I’ve been up to something new these past 2 weeks-ish. I’ve opened another shop. It sounds odd, but it has been fun. I wanted to make the sweet, cute, little stuffed toys, and have a place to put up little paintings and art. It is called Dear Sweet World (didn’t see that coming right?) Here is a sampling of some things in the shop.

Mr. Wood is in love with the star wars friends that I've been making. I might have to make some for him for his birthday. Inspired by lovely Julie’s children and their obsession of star wars everything. They are the reason (and with Mr. Wood’s suggestions) that I decided to open another shop.

I have to admit that Little Luke is the cutest thing I've made in a while.

Some paintings that I painted.

And, what I'm working on this week—babushkas. My goal is to use remnant material and some of the vintage niceties I've collected to make these one of a kind plush dolls. Also, as an excuse to develop more of my hand embroidery skills.

So tell your star-wars-obsessed/russian-folk-loving friend! And take a look at the new shop here

What do you think?

Shannon

Our Life: 4th of July

It was a glorious fourth

We started it off with a bike ride to the Hot air balloon festival. We missed the launch off, apparently 6:15 am is late, but we did run into our good friends and enjoyed watching the poor helpless balloons try to fight a northward wind.

The pig couldn’t catch a break…

Then we wormed our way through the parade crowds to get a breakfast. Waffle breakfast to be exact. From that waffle guy with a mustache at the farmers market. They were delicious. Both to eat and look at.

He makes them from a sugar incrusted dough, instead of a batter. So you get this rich, caramelized, sweet-dough type of waffle. Just sayin’.

Then we rambled down the parade route, trying not to hit people with our bikes, and saw the festivities. Obviously starwars came.

If Mr. Wood were here I would tell you who these people are. Alas. He is not. Tough luck.

Eventually I had to use the bathroom so we interrupted our friends quiet breakfast, and spent the morning chatting with them, and of course going to see more parade!

 

Erik and Q were busy being intellectual, while Mr. Wood and I just did our job flanking them and being cute. Just kidding, they are as ridiculous as us.

Afterwards we hurried home in the hot heat, trying not to run over the crowd. The rest of the day was spent preparing for the lovely meal. Mr. Wood made a blueberry cobbler and potato salad, I made buffalo wings, and we churned up some toasted almond ice cream in our new ice-cream maker!

We also managed to read books, take naps and play a “mysterious Benedict Society” video game. Aren’t holidays glorious? Naturally the evening ended with stadium of fire fireworks—which are huge.

Shannon

Changes

bet you didn’t see this coming

New!

Glasses!

Shannon

Ridiculous

Why?

First: I wore this to the grocery store today. I’ve finally satisfied my recent and intense desire to wear stripes.

Anyways, I had to buy another watermelon because of my next point.

Second: Mr. Wood and I are addicted to the Watermelon Milkshake. To be honest I winced when I first saw the recipe. Water+melon+milk seems wrong. But I was desperate to use up a less-than-delicious and more-than-ripe watermelon we had. So I whipped it up for dinner. Mr. Wood almost died because he apparently grew up on watermelon milk. Who knew?

Want to know the truth?

It is delicious.

Like, forget nostalgia, and it is still delicious. We are having it again tonight. That makes 3 times in 2 weeks guys.

It is freezing cold, fresh, creamy, light and probably healthy. I don’t know guys. And it is the most glorious pink color.

Watermelon Milk Shake: Serves 2

3ish cups of chopped watermelon

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

up to 1 tbsp sugar

*Freeze watermelon chunks beforehand on a cookie sheet so they don’t stick together.

1. Put ingredients in a blender.

2. Blend that fool up

3. Add more milk/sugar to taste

 

Shannon

sneaky peak

something new is coming to etsy!

Shannon

Enjoying The Locals

Saturday Mr. Wood and I got to roam around our little town. We went to the Provo farmers Market. Farmers Market’s are my favorite places.

I love strolling through the booths and talking to all types of people. I love the shy old man who sells seasonal fruit out of the back of his truck. I love the weird artsy hipster people. I love those happy little ladies selling bows and tutu skirts while balancing a baby on their knee. I love the bread place where the people have long hair and give you samples of asiago cheese loafs. I love that one person doing face painting and henna tattoos. I love the bike collective kid just sitting there waiting to talk to you. I love the old guys selling wooden toys. I love the kid with a mustache and chefs-hat selling waffles. I love those waffles. Everyone is friends at the farmers market.

Here is one young man, and his art, that Mr. Wood and I especially enjoyed this weekend:

Andy Simmons of Rooney Hand Lettering

Basically this Kool Kid makes beautiful words with a lovely black pen and a cheerful smile.

  

1*2*3

Andy has a variety of pretty quotes at his shop. I know you all love pretty things. But, you should love these even more—because you are not paying for a print of something he did months ago, every print is freshly handwritten just for you! Don’t we all love honest to goodness original art? So unique prints all around.

You can find Andy at his Etsy Shop, or probably at the farmers market.

 

Shannon

Mr. Wood’s Little Art

Little pictures sneakily sketched during the day on scraps of board.

Shannon

Our Life: the end of June

Hot week huh?
Confession. Mr. wood and I have been reading To Kill a Mockingbird for over a year and have not yet finished. I love the book, but we can only read it together, which requires subtle southern accents and good weather. This is why it takes so long. See? So we did that this week, at a lovely park in Orem. I don’t know what it is called, but it has a wierdo hill in the middle. We also took the time to eat saltines and frozen go-gurts.

Last Thursday we had a mini celebration for Stephanie’s birthday (that we missed ‘cause of vacations). Kiers and I made pizzas and sodas and we ate them outside under our land-ladies big oak tree that she planted on her 50th wedding anniversary. It kept us cool from the hot sun, and filtered a little bit of the ash from the rampant fires happening right now in Utah.

Basically it was a mini party. Um the food was delicious though. To avoid buying an $8 bottle of flavored syrup I made my own for the sodas. One out of blackberry jam and one out of mint and ginger. Add some half and half, and a load of ice, and you’ve got my favorite summer drink. No, the minty one wasn't minty, but just tastes like a less sweet version of creme soda. But more delicious. I’ll post a recipe/how-to maybe some time?

Mr. Wood and I were home for the weekend for the first time in months. It was fantastic. We woke up early to a hearty helping of oat pancakes, nectarines and plain yogurt, then we were off to yard sales in search of a type writer. We didn’t find the right one, but we did get other wonderful deals! Like an Ice cream maker for $1! I’m so excited to start whipping up creamy frozen creams! Grab a bag of ice and come over, we will make you some!

We also stopped at the Farmers market. Though it is still small, I love going and talking to all the friendly community people. We saw everything from baby bows to papusas. The food there smelled divine. It was officially summer for me.
Saturday evening we went to a reception and got tickets for Beach house on the 6th for the Twilight concert. Who is going? Want to have a picnic with us? But more importantly we saw the sky.

Shannon

What a Good Day is Like

Dear current friends and future posterity. This is what I did today.

After sending Mr. Wood off to work with a belly full of egg sandwich, I was struck by the freshness of the morning and was compelled to go on a jog in my luna’s “running sandals”. On my little outing I met the Mr. Wood and I in the future. I was wearing a bright earthy outfit and had a dog, Mr. .Wood walked behind me wearing black Luna's and commented to Present-Me “I like your shoes”.

I then spent a good part of the morning working on job applications, which is always hopeful, but rarely enjoyable.

I watered the pots and pulled approximately 8 weeds.

Then I had some leftover chili and a baked potato for lunch, which was quite a feat considering since birth I’ve had an aversion to left over chili's, soups and stews. But this chili was very good. So I had to give it a chance.

Then I ate what I really wanted to eat all morning. Two peanut-butter-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies and milk. I have the opposite of an aversion to leftover cookies.

Then I caught the daily afternoon house rainbow.

Then I got to work taking pictures of little friends. Woah. Sneak Peek boys and girls.

 

Then I reached into my sewing basket and worked on some tent sized men shirt reconstruction (another sneaky peak) and mending Lovely Mr. Wood’s tattered, but handsome, shorts. While listening to some quality Indie-girl rock.

Now I wait for the best part of the day. When Mr. Wood comes home and we eat mushroom mac and cheese ,and snuggle, or read books, or weed, or whatever.

 

Shannon