elaine...is easy going... i promise!

elaine benes. 

you know her you love her. 

she is the woman that is played by julia louis-dreyfuss on SEINFELD. 

i am she, 

she is me. 

or so i have been told on an occasion. 

my friend told me that i am like elaine. 

his assumption or analogy was that he believes that i think i am easy going. 

in fact i am not. 

but i really am you know....

my reality is that i think i am difficult, 

but probably not as awful as many folks. 

most likely not even truly close to elaine either. 

this issue was raised many years ago as a testimony to obliviousness. 

i specifically like the episode of SEINFELD, 

where elaine developed a skin rash and wore a tee shirt to the doctor's office. 

she did this so that it would be easy to examine her without her changing into a johnny. 

i identify with this. 

when i think i am easy going, i am... imagine my fists all clenched and shaking with certainty. 

ok, so i am elaine after all .

rats. 

well, i was in my basement in the corner of my husband's carpentry area, 

where the drill press is set up.

its geography is such that it is set up with a large flat space adjacent to it.

this would in most worlds, be considered a table. 

not in my mr.'s lingo. 

it is his very precious work space. 

it bears consideration, that it is very pricy as space in our house goes.

 he claimed it as his own when we moved in.

that was decades ago. 

in fact, we have lost a dog, gained a new dog;

(even steven)

added 3 babies, now nearly fully adult proportioned each...one bigger than all of us;

several businesses later

(so the crap equipment associated with each: baking, mothering, architecture, and now jewelry)

and just the junk that comes along with everyday living

(piano, red dead mustang, rowing machine... none in use at all and all under mr.'s ownership).

i actually use the drill press if not multiple times daily at least for 30 hrs. a week. 

i use it and its adjacent space. 

this includes the "table".

since the original claim was made a very long 20 yrs ago... it remains firmly in my hub's mind as his. 

i should get some rights of ownership from usage and whatnot. 

i can't remember what it is called, an easement perhaps?

my little flowery pieces that compose my jewelry are spread out in pairs for earrings,

stacked for ring compositions, 

ordered in size increments for layering pieces. 

all of this makes tons of sense to me. 

there are also loads of little things that get popped into flower centers. 

they can be as small as 1/4" across. 

it is when i am not looking, 

someone likes to come and flex ownership muscles. 

last night i went to the corner of floral management. 

it was completely covered in swirly, curly, long, short, narrow, wide, chunky, dusty sized pieces 

of shaved wood. 

the drill was originally a thing for wood, although my purposes are metallic. 

do you know how much crap fits between and on quarter inch metal doodads? 

and on top of unsealed metal bits? 

it is enough to make me make lots of unpleasing noises. 

and you KNOW i did. 

i had just cleaned the space from all of that last attack of woodliness. 

frick. frick. frick. 

this is how i know i am a decent person. 

i did not wake my mr. to yell at him for his lack of consideration. 

in fact, i swept the floor and muttered loudly. 

i am not easy going... if i were, i would have just taken it in stride. 

i am 

elaine benes. 

sigh. 

***

in spite of my frustrations... of which there are many...

i was able to post these recent additions to my 

jewelry garden. 

parrot tulips:

hyacinths

lime flower

and 

anemone

also i have listed two cuffs in my etsy store. 

i have more to come... 

but i am getting myself ready for my representative to show my things with his other artists. 

so i am feeling a bit cranky and frazzled. 

thanks for looking in. 

my world is quirky. 

xoxo. 

w.

spring vacation time...but not for me.

three children. 

three schools. 

three slightly different vacations. 

overlapping. 

insanity. 

they are getting set up to do their summer shizzles. 

as they might say. 

only in a tone and vocabulary of mocking me. 

ie, getting jobs re-established for the upcoming summer now.

the newly minted 15 year old had last week off. 

she required ferrying around to both season ending activity of ice hockey 

as well as, readying for the upcoming Spring lacrosse season. 

there are 61 high school gals trying out for 40 spaces. 

things are gonna get wild soon when this transfer of sport seasons gets official. 

friendships may well be tested to a breaking point. 

the boy came home last friday, via his love interest and her family. 

he spent the night as a guest in their home and continued to migrate homeward the next day. 

saturday night was spent at his older sis' apartment in Boston, 

she still had a week of classes til she could escape her collegiate responsibilities. 

then the eldest wunderkind came home. 

now we are on the 4th day of her break. 

i am so completely happy to have all of them in house, but they are simply torturing one another. 

i have the joy of shutting up and watching. 

there are extra dishes lurking around every corner. 

there is more action in our only bathroom. 

with a bff for the youngest added in for the past weekend, there was some sleep space shuffling. 

it is a constant state of activity. 

and torture. 

i just took the kiddles with me to pick up the little one from hockey practice. 

this is a convenient stepping off spot to food shop, as the market is near by. 

the boy was hungry looking at the food. 

 it feels like he is on a nonstop eat-a-thon.

that isn't accurate, but he does enjoy the smugness of eating well these days. 

nothing worse than someone who has had a 180 degree turn around. 

so he snagged an apple mid-shop and paid for it himself. 

it did not fill him up adequately... so he purchased a roll of fruity flavored mentos candies. 

the only reason this is of any interest to anyone ... is that he did not eat all of them at one time. 

one of those yummy candies was rolled up into a ball and inserted into one nostril. 

so mature. 

then there was the incident of sleepwear. 

the eldest forgot her jammies at school. 

she borrowed some sweatpants from the laundry. 

the plan was for her to borrow some of the hubbie's to wear.

she instead took a pair of the youngest's and refused to give them over for athletic practice usage. 

then she tortured the younger sister telling her that her friend has a made up name. 

these games are on their third running week. 

i keep finding my husband hiding out in the basement. 

he claims that he is working or doing laundry. 

i am unsure that is an accurate description of his subterranean activities. 

the by-products are of course welcome... so i am not arguing. 

i will be going to the work space below shortly. i want to to make another cuff. 

it is highly addictive...

 and i just bought a fresh new tool to play with while pursuing my obsession. 

the Spring seasonal showings that my rep is doing on behalf of his artisan stable 

kicks off this weekend. 

i need to get some display board ready for him to take with to the big shew. 

this required a lot of emails back and forth. 

it was a little frustrating with all the distractions orbiting my teensy weensy active brain.

tomorrow holds a lot of pressure to complete successfully. 

things feel like loads of moving parts in a familial jigsaw puzzle or rubic's cube. 

***

tomorrow is the joy of tennis, with children or not. 

i have no idea if they want to play or not. 

the boy played last week and it was a gas. 

we had a lot of fun. 

also there is a coffee meet up with a lovely friend...

i get to see her about twice a year now. 

this is a sweet experience when it rolls around. 

 it is a rare treat.  

 i am off. 

no do not crack wise. 

oh yeah, and the boy ate the mento he had jammed up his nose. 

so gross. 

so very completely gross. 

so very him. 

it is uncertain if i will be enjoying anymore of those ever again. 

the memory is a lot like a retinal burn. 

this house is going to be super quiet soon.

 and i shall be rather conflicted;

delirious about the renewed lessening of food bills,

sleeping slightly more normal hours,

working on fresh ideas, 

and missing the heck outta the little gremlins. 

xoxo.

w.

20/20 hindsight, SOWA love, & new cuffs.

in the day after the joy of SOWA Winter show...

i actually slept well. 

a very good thing too, since i was worn to a nub. 

i was so excited to go, i did not sleep the night before. 

so, i got to see some of my all time favorite artisans. 

what could be better?

spending time next to a really super sweet artist i have only traded emails with. 

now we are firmly attached as camp buddies. 

the stuff we were able to share was so valuable. 

she sent me a really great resource for something i need. 

i was able to perhaps share something equally useful to share with her. 

and we laughed our butts off. 

not to mention she was featured in the fresh installation of 

BOSTON. COM

(that is the Boston Globe website ladies and gents!!!)

http://www.boston.com/thingstodo/gallery/sowa_winter_market_finds/

along with my buddy thea, of "oh how cute coaster company"

there was notice of some delish macarons... 

thea tried to entice me with these. 

i know that i would not have stopped at two. 

so i opted to try them another time, 

when some semblance of control might be possible.

on my other side, were the sweet gals of "rebecca mae designs"

they recycle all kinds of wonderful woolies into cozy mittens.

and yes, i was entreated to some love as well. 

it was a great day, since i had brushed my hair... 

as you must all know, that does not always happen in a timely manner. 

second verse...

so not only did i have a spectacular day hanging with my homies...

but i was shared with the boston globe reading world. 

FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC !!!

oh yes and i earned some geld too. 

what a day. 

***

two more of my cuffs... 

i sold my third one. 

and am keeping this prototype. 

more will follow, and i sold one i did not take pics of. 

rats. 

so that is some of the poop from yesterday! 

it was a swell time. 

xoxo.

w.

SoWA winter market, new ideas and insomnia.

it is obvious that flip-flopping is a political thing.

at least as we grow closer to the season of elections and such. 

unfortunately, i am currently in its throes. 

there is a show tomorrow at the SOWA winter market. 

i am expected to attend as a vendor. 

it is like going to summer camp and the reunions that everyone has that first week. 

i adore many of the other vendors that will be at the show. 

i met several for the first time last time i participated. 

they are awe inspiring artists in every sense of the word awe. 

they use materials, colors, shapes, and personality... just as any artist should. 

with vigor and effort and obvious love. 

the down side is that i am unable to sleep. 

not an unfamiliar issue as you all must know. 

so i have decided to not try to for a bit. 

usually, when i fall asleep, i do so in the format of on my side. 

i most often awaken just as i dropped into dreamy unconsciousness. 

it is a non turning experience that i learned how to do, when i was pregnant with my first child. 

that was decades ago now. 

so when i toss and rotate on a spit like a suckling pig, it is time to try anything else. 

today was a day spent in the basement. 

i am unaware when i am down there. 

all that i see are my flowers and the many, many combinations of colors and shapes that can be stacked. 

i try to keep to a limited palette of colors to simplify things. 

it is simply impossible. 

MOTHER NATURE 

is my guide. 

the things i see are of course manipulations of vintage metal forms that in my mental eye, 

are available out in the world to see by naturalists. 

i studied biology, but it was mostly a jumping off point.

madness and interpretation have taken hold. 

it is nothing that i am able to really rein in with myself.. as often as i may try. 

many stern conversations have been played in my head. 

most have been for naught. 

just can't seem to do it. 

i remember being all kinds of hyped up for a show last summer. 

it was not a hugely successful one, financially. 

it allowed me to flesh out a couple of ideas that i was sorta noodling around with. 

rarely do i have much time to simply bounce ideas off of other artistic people. 

and so it was done. 

i bounced a lot. 

one of my ideas, was to make a leather cuff with a flower on it. 

just a flower. 

only one. 

hmmm. 

never happened. 

i was trying to emulate another style of bracelet i had recently started to make. 

that style, was a fabrication to use up all sorts of end pieces of vintage enamel chains. 

i made a few and it turned out that they were like popcorn. 

they were fun to wear and i could make use of a lot of left over pieces. 

so i made them. 

they are chains with a toggle closure that is hitched to a nice flower... 

put into a form that might allow one to close the bracelet without the aid of trained parlor maids. 

a self closer. 

this is often a deal breaker when you talk about jewelry. 

my idea for another kind of bracelet held that closure idea firmly in its grasp. 

it was that cuff issue. 

i wanted to use some snaps. 

i figure everyone can get snaps done perhaps a little simpler than a toggle or lobster clasp. 

it bears notice, that snaps on things only work

IF YOU HAVE THEM TO INSTALL!

i went on a search mission. 

i bought rivets, clothing snaps, silver colored snaps, golden colored ones. 

all sorts of sizes and weights too. 

and i amassed a small inventory of the little suckers. 

and i lost them every time i needed them. 

each kind has been replaced more than once. 

my organizational challenges are simply overwhelming me. 

after cleaning up and sorting and putting some things away,,, 

i found my collection of snaps. 

yesterday ...  finally. 

my daughter and i struck a bargain. 

any time i need to keep track of something that is that important to me, 

i should tell her where i am putting it. 

her memory is still sharp as a tack. 

as my own can barely hold anything anymore. 

youth. 

never underestimate its fabulousness. 

so i finally got my spit together and tried to make a cuff with a snap closure. 

as you may see, i was successful. 

the snap was installed. 

the flower was applied. 

the happy dance was danced. 

and as expected, there was a few more than one flower in the experiment. 

shocking. right?

here it is flat out. 

here again in the round.

round...

round... again.

the prototypes were drawn in what is a remarkably useful new(to me)tool. 

the sketchbook. 

i have heard its virtues extolled over time, but never took advantage of them. 

pretty foolish in hindsight. 

i am nothing if not a little compulsive, 

so i made three more cuffs. 

those were on a 'tooled' brown leather base. 

there needs to be some refinement and perhaps some further developments with the style. 

they will have to wait for the upcoming weeks. 

along with some other "little ideas" that have been erupting. 

so not only am i a little more than nudgy about going to a show in a few hours, 

but i am also excited to show off these new pieces. 

in addition to the fresh springy cuffs, 

there are several new necklaces too. 

perhaps, weather and light will permit me to snag some quick photos of those when morning returns. 

for now, i think i got some of this out of my system, 

and will make another pass at sleeping for a couple of hours. 

most people enjoy this part of their days. 

i worry that i worry too much and i have too many ideas that will escape if i don't jot them down. 

thanks for letting me vent a little. 

xoxo.

w. 

cookie love.

life is filled with little windstorms and currents.

my son is home from college for a short two week break. 

it is flying by at the speed of sound, 

or so it feels. 

he and his younger sister are having a love-in. 

his younger sister on the precipice of being 15, are taking advantage of their combined power. 

they want me to turn the oven on and bake. 

not usually a problem, yet i am more inclined to think a little about who is really gonna eat what i make. 

uh, that would be me. 

still it is really nice to have an audience for my foodie skills again. 

so with all the ridiculousness that got me baking for crowds originally, i pulled out a fresh recipe. 

one that was not tested by my crowd yet. 

i made these cookies last night. 

and i think they were very well received. 

there is one real downside to them, according to my palate. 

i shall reserve that comment for last though. 

the recipe is undeniably one of the easiest ones to prepare i have run across. 

here goes...

chocolate chip cream cheese box cake cookies

preheat oven to 375 F

1 cake mix... the kind from a box. any flavor, i used yellow cake.

these are on sale at the market so often for around a dollar, that they are worth having in the pantry. my kids like to make them... too bad they are unwilling to make real cakes. still, it is worth the price of not measuring ingredients for nearly immediate gratification. 

8 oz. cream cheese.  the bar kind. in a box, and a silver foil wrapper.  let sit at room temperature.

1/4 c. butter. half a stick for those of you who do not think in butter increments in your sleep. margerine will work too, should that be your preference. also  let sit at room temperature.

1 large egg

1Tbl. real vanilla. since i used a box cake, this is essential. you need real vanilla notes to offset that artificial vanilla flavor. and if you are an accomplished baker/eater, you will need that extra influx of vanilla. 

1 c. of any kind of add-ins... such as raisins or nuts.  i held back, due to the pickiness of my eaters.

12 oz. chocolate chips. in my mind, nestle toll house chips are the way to go. for familiarity if nothing else. 

instructions:

1. cream together butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. scrape down sides, to get everything mixed completely. 

2. add egg and vanilla. 

3. add cake mix slowly to wet ingredients... only until it starts to come together.  complete mixing will surely make these tougher than you might enjoy. 

4. any nuts or raisins or other add-ins can be added now. as well as the essential chocolate chips. 

i like to do this part by hand, so that the toughness factor is minimized. 

5. using a small scoop or two spoons, place mounds of cookie batter onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.  i like to start the baking on the bottom oven shelf, and halfway through, turn the pans and relocate to upper shelf in oven.

these are considered done when they are just browning around the edges. 

6. let cool on pans for a couple of minutes if you can wait that long. 

*the entire prep for this recipe takes around 5 minutes... which is due to the lack of measuring  dry ingredients and need for extra speed. you need to eat these as soon as humanly possible. 

*i also used the yellow cake mix, which is for all purposes, vanilla cake. the makers of the mix use artificial vanilla which is not to my taste, so be ready for this if it that sort of thing bothers you. 

* finally, the cookies do not change shape from when the batter is on the pan. if you want a flatter, more conventional cookie shape, then flatten these down a smidge.  also, i am thinking of making them again with a chocolate box cake  and a little water. i like when there is that more conventional flattening of the cookie which is a byproduct of the baking phase. 

all things considered, these were well received. the recipe gave me an idea about what i could do to my regular chocolate chip recipe ... the venerable Toll House one on the back of the chip bag. 

also, we love rugelach here. since my table is constantly cluttered with mail and other family flotsam, i thought i might try to do a drop version of our beloved rugelach cookies based loosely on this recipe. i will keep you up to date with progress on these experiments. 

this feels like it worked out well enough to try again. i think i may make my own master mix  sometime to take the place of a boxed cake. this is where you take flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt pre-mixed in conventional proportions(like homemade bisquick).  having all these dry ingredients ready in one place, without needing to measure, makes this unbelievably fast to make and generally pretty tasty. 

next, i am going to take on some other holiday cookies that i never got around to making ... 

my show season and my wacky sleep/creative schedule just did not allow for anything extra to be shoehorned in. 

surely you remember those insane postings?

hopefully, you will try these and let me know of your successes?

if not, i understand. 

for now on, these will be my choice for school bake sales. 

too easy to mess up. 

and quick to make. 

xoxo.

w.

it is all right.

one of the best parts of my week, is Monday morning. 

you heard it here. 

i love it. 

it is when the rest of the world seemingly goes back to work.
often groaning with to-do lists and expectations of productivity.

i feel for you all, truly i do. 

here is why i adore it so. 

my husband plays ice hockey with a group of older men and women. 

it is a standing game, unless there is no ice. 

there is only no ice when there are tournaments in progress. 

for these infrequent times there is a child  involved .

so there is representation from the lower age bracket of the house. 

either way, it has something to do with that great disrupter known as:

Ice HOCKEY. 

around this house, it is the thing. 

they seem to love it beyond reason. 

and i am happy about that, really i am. 

it takes them out of my hair for a solid few hours. 

it is usually very inconvenient that they use my car and keep me housebound
for these few hours.
as much as i have to process for my own world, i don't mind too terribly.
there is the big, juicy full figured quiet that is made in the vacuum
of their hockeyness.

the quiet left in their absence has its own particular purity. 

i can count on no one coming and going.
no doors opening and slamming behind.

the sun streaming in the windows is particularly beautiful... if it is sunny out. 

if it is rainy, i can hear its pleasing soft percussion. 

cold and raw? not a problem, it is cozy in here. 

just me and the dog.
 the soft snoring of his equally uninterrupted naps. 

so damned great.

sleeping beauty.

then they come home. 

all rangy from their exercise. 

needy of foodstuffs. 

wound tightly as their muscles react to the recent play. 

conversations about the other players ensue. 

and the eating. 

the need to embellish it all with auditory percussions. 

ugh. 

slurping . 

farting jokes. 

nodding off in front of the now blaring tv... turned on without any regard. 

regard for my precious quiet. 

the inevitable announcement, that there is no gas in the car.
the car i have not driven for days...

and the expectation that my debit card is ripe for the plucking. 

it is all so familiar. 

and full of life. 

and irritating. 

unconscious as all get out. 

i know that i am feeling like Stanley Hudson.

he is a character from the American version of The Office. 

once a year, all of the employees in the whole building enjoy Pretzel Day. 

it is a day set aside for each of them to have a pretzel customized to their own specifications. 

they can build it just the way they like their own pretzel. 

and it is free. 

yup. 

once a year... 

and as Stanley says, 

"Pretzel Day, it is all right". 

yup. 

Hockey Morning...

It is all right. 

laundry time.

i am groaning. 

it is laundry time again. 

that special place where my husband's helpfulness and reality meet the mat. 

he does the laundry. 

i have whinged on about this many times. 

if i want something really clean, i do it myself. 

and this means actually doing it. 

not sitting around waiting for the last possible moment that i can stall no longer. 

it is a task.. to launder all the blankets and curtains, but they are due. 

so i am gonna go for it. 

the real problem is that i am indecisive and broke. 

it feels a lot like the plot line of the children's book:

IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE.

in my mind, if i wash the blanket on the sofa, 

then i should look at the exposed sofa cushions below. 

they are so dirty and gross

(use and dog ownership)...

that i need to replace their covers. 

how can i replace their covers, if i need two zippers... extra long...

and some cording to make the cushions' edge trim?

so if i need cord, then i need to get some at the fabric store. 

which is frightfully close to the crafting store. 

where i bought a can of paint that just did not work. 

so i need to return that. 

all this is a few miles away...

so if i am going that way anyways, 

i need two fresh spring loaded rods to hang the curtains in my son's room. 

he is coming home any moment for his spring break. 

if he needs his curtains hung, which i believe he does, 

then i need to rewash them. 

and here i come back to laundry. 

the events of the day, have now added up so high, that i am whipped. 

i want to take a nap on the sofa. 

poof. 

the beginning all over again. 

but. i will try to make it work out alright. 

it is time consuming, 

but probably well worth it all. 

just one of the many loop-de-doos of my life of distractions. 

that and cookies. 

xo. w.