Tuesday, October 31, 2006

"happy accidents"


one of the things i love about art is the classic (bob ross) "happy accidents" concept. I love believing that nomatter what mistake i make it can turn into something beautiful. sometimes the best ideas come from just messing around and having fun! :) this photo was a total accident, but it turned out to be my favorite out of about 70 shots... total mistake. love it.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! :) elsie

Sunday, October 29, 2006

so recently i have become a little bit addicted to books on cd-which i listen to in my car as i drive to school or "work" or whatever. here's what i've been listening to this past month:
The Namesake by:Jhumpa Lahiri
Oryx and Crake by: Margaret Atwood
About Grace by: Anthony Doerr (which i am currently "reading")
-emma

job perks



So, this morning as I was searching a tenant's vacated apartment for our missing rolly cart I found a beautiful, empty, red leather album at the top of a pile of empty soda cans, torn magazines, lonely socks, etc. I think it may have been our best find here at the apts.
Since we drove to Seattle from Oklahoma in our car with our choice possessions, we sat on the floor for a few weeks during mealtime and sat on our bed to watch movies on our laptop. Move outs usually occur during the weekend so we always got first dibs on anything left lying around once the tenant turned in their keys. If you are a garage sale junkie, you know the feeling! We've picked up a few items of furniture; a futon with missing screws, a chipped coffee table, a microwave, a white bookshelf that we converted into a wardrobe for Sebastian, a small bunkbed ladder that I use to display blankets, and a singe black chair from IKEA.
I think I'm going to use this free album to attempt a scrapbook of some sort. Thanks to a certain friend of mine who has a little scrapbooking know-how and keeps the supplies coming, I may even be proud of it when its done.
Happy Junking,Happy Scrapping!

The second picture is the other fun piece I found this morning. Seriously, who carries that many markers with them?

Friday, October 27, 2006

Original Recipe by Emma

so i wanted to share an original recipe that i made up a year or so ago and i submitted to Better Homes and Garden magazine for a recipe contest but i didn't win:(
but i promise it's good!

Kiwi & Poppy Seed Bran Muffins
by:Emma Chapman

Ingredients- 1 cup whole bran cereal
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
non-stick cooking spray
2-3 sliced or diced kiwi
poppy seeds (some like alot, some like a little)

Directions- In a medium bowl combine the milk and bran cereal and set it aside for a few minutes. Stir together the sugar, egg, and oil. In a different bowl stir together the flours, baking powder and salt. Add all three mixtures together and stir until well combined but do not over stir. Lastly add the kiwi and poppy seeds.

Lightly coat 12 big muffin pan cups with the non-stick cooking spray. Fill each cup about two-thirds full with the batter. Bake at 400 degree F in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Makes one batch (12 big muffins)

Enjoy!!!!

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Changes come




So, a little trip to the Midwest brought me back to my self. Its been a strange year with moving to Seattle, having a baby, trying to understand what we're supposed to be doing with our lives when our plans don't seem to be working out. My husband, Brett, and our son, Sebastian, flew to Missouri and spent the week with family and good friends and got away from the worry for awhile. We came home and found out our current weekend job as apartment managers would be ending next month which leads us closer to making decisions about our future but not like we expected. Needless to say, it was refreshing to be able to spend the weekend with my sweet friend, Elsie, and absorb the colors in her life. I'm feeling like art is the one thing in my life that I understand right now.
Sebastian has been the sweetest source of inspiration since his arrival on the 4th of July and helps brighten things up with our involved 'conversations' on the weather, construction on the Avenue, and his view from the swing.
I'm in the middle of a quilting fetish and have deconstructed about 6 pairs of jeans that were no longer useful in their existing state. I was inspired by a quilt I saw in a Smithsonian magazine about the ladies from Gee's Bend. I'm trying to see potential in garments as cloth and not just how they've served their purpose.
Resourceful of me, isn't it...

Rachel

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

some old art journals...







it's always cool looking back at old journals. these are from about 2 years ago. thanks for peeking! Elsie