.another 6 months.

hello lovelies!
it seems that another 6 months has flown by!

i am back down to working one job now, doing some massage and creating on the side.  i handmade, bought locally or re-homed most of the gifts we gave this christmas, my garden did so ridiculously well that i could not even keep up with the tomatoes!  let see . . . i traveled a bit - went to thailand, back east for a visit, down to southern oregon to see family . . . mostly we've had non-stop visitors since moving in to our new place last May.  it's been fun being NE PDX's most hospitable bed and breakfast.  i am also now the proud co-captain of my roller derby team, the Heartless Heathers for the 2013 season.  we are about to have our season opener in a few weeks - and i am so proud of how hard we have all been working this pre-season!

so, this was a big HAPPY NEW YEAR jumble update . . .

i will close by plugging a few facebook pages i've started.  the first is Bird on Wire Handmade (which i may just change to TJLoves).  here you can find my lovelies as i create them until i get that etsy shop.

the second is Hudson TShirts. a place where you can become a fan of our alaskan malamute Hudson and the  tshirts that bear his face.  hudson tees were a creation between myself and my dear collaborator, the fantastic textile designer and superhuman whitney. . . the first printing of shirts were a fundraiser for the man-friend and i to raise gas money to move back to the PNW . . . now tees are being printed so that hudson can leave his "print" on the world for years and years to come.

lastly, i've updated a few of the mixed media bars on the side ...  more on that to come.

for now i leave you with a few photos of my life since i last posted:

 strawberry rhubarb jam with rhubarb from my front yard

 an example of how my tomato plants took over the plot- they actually got much worse than this

 the man-friend and i celebrating our 8 yr wedding anniversary in sun river, oregon

 my 31st birthday float trip down the sandy river.  photo by corinne krogh

 climbing with friends at smith rock in central oregon

 at the top of the angles' rest hike in the columbia river gorge with my sisters in sept

 at the highest elevation a person can hike to without technical climbing gear on mt hood oregon, with my leaguemate Roller Eclipse

 my travel companions at the loi krathong festival in chiang mai, thailand this november

an example of what you can get when you shop from hudson tshirts

 my boy in his christmas sweater

the heartless heathers celebrating their win against seattle's hometeam the sockit wenches last month

i've missed you all!  what have you been up to in my absence?

.small steps.

i'm taking small steps today . . .

my sister recently lent me the book, "handmade marketplace" by kari chapin

{image credit}

this book has inspired me to take a few more steps toward really "making" my living.  i've been big into handmade and local crafts for a long time and i've always dreamed of the freedom and pride that can come with making my own living by selling all the goodies that i make . . . so here goes!

i've made a bird on a wire facebook page for you to follow
i've set my sights on fixing up my etsy site as well.
i'm working to make the branding fit with the blog, etc.
i've also added a little button on the sidebar where you can like this blog on facebook.
look at me, being all tech-savvy!!

i've also been cleaning up the blog a little.  i consolidated all the crazy links on the side bar (that used to lead to all my favorite websites) into a short list that will take you to a more detailed page of wonderful websites that you can choose to patronize.  so, you can still follow tj's loves, it just doesn't look as messy.

i think i might get rid of the mixed media buttons as well...

suggestions?  comments?  things that work for you?  i'm open to help and support!!!

2012, the year i took my life back and made it my own.

.heartless.

to prep for our season opener, we had a "formal scrimmage" last night.

for this, i got crafty!

since i was just drafted a few weeks ago, i don't have my uniform yet.  also, since my last team's colors were green and pink (instead of blue, like my new team), i had to make some changes in my roller derby wardrobe.

and . . . voila!!  bella constrictor's new scrimmage-worthy shirt and helmet (never mind the very crooked "h")

the shirt is just a simple workout top with built-in sports bra that i ironed letters on to.

the helmet was my same triple 8 helmet from the river rat years . . . i just added my new number (H155) and the heartless heathers' trademark heart (using paint pens).  on the other side, i think i'm going to put the same heart . . . but with a snake wrapped around it!  aaaaawwwww yeeaaahhhhhh!

tonight, i'm going to see my sister TC who just got back from Mozambique!  She was there over christmastime, so it's time to give her presents!  i LOOOVE christmas and giving gifts!  i made her some pretty awesome stuff!

xoxoxo!

.finished the painting.

remember that post i wrote about a painting i was working on? i finished it!!!!

i took this photo with my cell phone because the man-friend is presently using the camera for a research project for his dissertation . . .

but i wanted to share the final project!


also, i have been crafting and doing yoga more regularly (yes!) while still finding time to nap and roller skate.

balance is a huge goal in my life right now. that and getting rid of excess (see: rolller skating and yoga). my friend, miss c, and i are hosting another ladies' clothing swap soon too! so if you are in the area next friday - hit me up for some free goodies!!!

.yes please.

slept in late. started the day at breakfast with the man-friend. picked a million cherry tomatoes at the garden. used our new walkie talkies to chat with my girls down the street. found a new storage thing for our records and record player. now i am listening to lady gaga on vinyl and organizing my craft supplies.

i think i am about to cut the neck off a bunch of t-shirts so that i might actually wear them and then i'll go blanch and freeze our surpluss of summer squash and eggplant . . .

then PRACTICE!!! oh it's so muggy.... i should really switch from beer to water.


must be my day off.

.30 day journal challenge day 3 and cover.

so i finally made the cover of my journal for the 30 day journal challenge. i created the drawing and cut it out and used mod podge to glue it on top of images i cut out of an (gulp) anthropologie catalog . . . i really like how it turned out (except for the wrinkles from me being too hasty with the mod podge.

i also completed prompt #3 -
Journal Prompt Number Three: It's always nice to share with someone why you love them. Today, I want you to draw a picture, doodle, sketch, of a person who you love, or admire. Then, write that person a letter telling them why they mean so much to you!
i chose my sister, miss D. she really is a fantastic person! the more i get to know her, the more i really admire her and respect her. she is about 6 years younger than me, but we get mistaken for twins sometimes :) i take that as a compliment. we really weren't close as children, growing up in a house so full of people and having such a big age difference . . . but after i finished college and she started coming up to visit me from time to time, we started being friends (rather than just big sister and little sister) and it's a totally new and lovely dynamic.

she is currently living in juneau, alaska and have the adventure of a lifetime (as is usual for her). this fall, she and a few friends are traveling to Ireland to participate in wwoof and i hope to be able to join her!

you can read more about her adventures at her blogs here and here. she's the bees knees.

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right now i am listening to a johnny cash vinyl and getting ready to work on my journal prompt for today. then we'll be heading off to watch the final game! are you a fan of the celtics or the lakers? me? i am in it for the pizza, the beer and the company!

.giveaway: spring cleaning!.

to celebrate having 10 followers, i am going to do a simple giveaway. it's just a collection of things from my own craft room that i pulled together while doing some spring cleaning. the items include: a pretty sequined mask, a paper flower, a grow your own dragon!!, an iron on british flag, some stick on tattoos, some glass beads, a hair decoration/comb made by ME!, some vintage flower patches, and a few cute pins. i might add more to the final package, but this is the bulk of it right now! just a few little cute things to help you get creative in your future crafting projects.

to enter:

leave a comment on my blog about what sorts of projects you are planning to tackle for spring cleaning (one entry)

become a follower of my blog (second entry)

blog about this giveaway (third entry)


the lovely winner will be drawn and announced on Wednesday, June 2nd!


alright, now i am off to take the pup to the park to go swimming! it's hot here and he's still got part of his winter coat on. i keep telling him to take it off.

.finished!.

phew.

i finally finished all my crafts for Miss janel's fantastic craft swap. just in time! i'll be taking their photographs and then sticking them in the mail tomorrow morning! can't wait to see what everyone else is working on! yay!

.parisian masquerade ball.

{image credit: here}

a friend of mine is having her birthday party this weekend - the theme is a Parisian Masquerade Ball! the man-friend and i LOVE any excuse to get dressed up in costumes so we are headed to the local thrift store to find some awesome outfits and then we'll spend the rest of the afternoon making masks out of plaster strips to paint and decorate later.

what should we go as?
the sun and moon?
cat and mouse?
opposite color schemes?
ravens?
owls?

hmmmmm . . .

i'll definitely post photos of what we decide on!

also, i know i owe y'all pictures from our trip to NYC - i've just been suuuuper busy working lately! i have the day off tomorrow so we'll see what happens. i might drive out to bruised boutique to get some outdoor wheels for my skates since derby is about to begin our outdoor season (we practice at a rink outside during the summer) and i don't want my indoor wheels to be torn up . . .

.craft swap!.

so, i am very excited to be joining in with miss janel from run with scissors for a craft swap!

there are going to be about 30 of us all sending in little handmade treasures for miss janel to parcel out and send back to us.

i am really looking forward to seeing what creative and amazing things other people make. and i am also REALLY looking forward to creating 30 of the same, but unique little crafties to share as well.

bet you wanna know what i end up making, huh?

you'll just have to wait and see.

.pdx beards.

more tj loves:
two of my favorite things combined: beards and portland, oregon!

image credit {thirstyfly}

this print can be purchased here at society6. you can find out more about artist rachel caldwell here. this image was also found on the cover of the weekly portland mercury, so cool. you can see it here.
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mmmmmm. today is snow day. it's supposed to snow 6-12 inches so the city has freaked out, hired the snow plows (they've been driving around the city since like 6 am - how am i supposed to sleep in if THOSE PLOWS ARE DRIVING AROUND?!), issued a parking ban, and cancelled everything! you know what though? i already had the day off. so i am planning to clean my house and do some crafties and get ready for our party friday night.

yes! our party! the man-friend is taking his big exams this week for his PhD! he's been studing for about 6 months straight (well, all his years of college really, so years and years) for these exams. he takes his last written exam today and then on friday he sits in front of a panel and answers questions . . . ooohhhh the stress. i'm sure he'll do fine. and also? i am glad to have him back just in time for valentine's day! we're gonna do all kinds of celebrating!

.domestic friday.

{image credit: ME!}

yesterday was a GREAT day at the massage clinic! totally positive experiences all around. i LOVE my job.

also, i feel totally suuuuuper productive today. i got up early (ok, ok, 8:30 is early on my day off!!), swept and vacuumed, washed the dishes, brewed a new batch of tea for our homebrewed kombucha, did an hour of yoga, sent my sister some sketches for her tattoo, walked the dog, blended up a delish smoothie, did two loads of laundry, hit up target (totally had to buy whip it!), the craft store (to get some things for finishing some necklaces i am working on), the sporting goods store (i needed new wrist guards for derby), mailed a few surprise valentine's packages, made a batch of granola, and cooked up a yummy dinner of polenta and mushroom sauce for the man-friend and i.

phew.

now? off to see a friend play at a fundraiser for local non-prof west side arts and then to see sweet mary bee at her cd release party!

busy day!

tomorrow starts my work week. i don't think i'm ready.

.day of adventures.

miss N and i were able to hang out yesterday. she finally had the day off (she's supposed to always have wednesdays off . . . but you know), so we went on an adventure! we hit up the modern diner for grits and challah raisin french toast. mmmmmmm.....

next stop was lorraine's fabric the last remnant (pun!) of the once thriving textile industry in rhode island. it's a warehouse full of fabric and notions. and the top floor? $1.99 a yard for EVERYTHING!!! sigh. needless to say, i splurged on some awesome goodies, future plans include a bib for the wee one my sister is set to have in a few weeks!

we made our way to the "new" goodwill in attleboro, MA and proceeded to spend HOURS browsing the goods - both fantastic and hideous.

but the best part? the handful of picture frames i picked up for .99 cents to 1.99 each . . . there's nothing in them yet, but i cleaned them up and stuck them on the wall. i feel so grown up finally having something on the wall in the living room. hey, they are empty frames, but they are a start. right?
plus i got to drink 3 cups of coffee in an entire day.

{all photo credits: ME!}

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now back to tattoo designs and pondering the meaning of tuesday night's episode of LOST.

.things i am excited about.

this shirt is awesome. it says "support your local roller derby; give blood, give often" . . . i want it. anyone have an extra $29.99 lying around?
i got my first real roller derby bruise last week. its awesome! i fell on someone's skate . . . and then took some extra hits on top of it :) it's healing with some nice greens and yellows. i'll try to remember to take a picture before it's gone.

and also? it's time for the final season of lost to begin tonight!!! gonna get some snackies (it's a word) and some beer and head over to a friend's house (we don't have tv) tonight for the revelry!!!

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tonight is my "friday" night . . . day off tomorrow. think i might get coffee and go thrifting/to the craft store with miss N . . . and sleep past the sunrise . . . and keep working on the drawing for my sister's tattoo. all nice things.

.beets me.

i found this recipe for a DIY lipgloss made from beet juice, olive oil and powdered sugar! yum!

i think i'll send the man-friend to the farmer's market for some beets while i am at work on saturday so i can try it . . .

.mash up.

sorry, no post from yesterday. i spent most of the day with the man-friend at the ER. guess he's a bit stressed from all this grad school business. studying for your phd isn't easy . . . glad that he's ok, but chest pains aren't something to trifle with! so, i finished off the long afternoon of waiting with a bottle of oregon firesteed pinot noir and the notebook with miss S. plus yesterday was my monday (i work on weekends, sad i know) so i've been a bit beat from work (the students are back! work was NUTS today!). but no complaints. it's nice to have the work.

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on friday night, i went to the birthday party for miss K that i mentioned (see post about "cupcakes") . . . turns out it was a photo scavenger hunt party that included bagging groceries and pumping gas for strangers. some pretty clever and creative photos were taken and . . . the birthday girl herself got the best birthday present of all!! an engagement ring! so awesome.

when i got home from the party, i checked my email and THERE WAS THE EMAIL THAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!! a invitation to officially join the providence roller derby!!! so stoked. i've been going to league practices and new skills clinics for months. passed the first round of assessments with no serious problems and just had my interview last week. now to keep training and get even more awesomer (it's a word) so i can play in bouts when the season starts! so excited.

now, i need a derby name.
ideas include:
mazzy scar
euphoria steinem
funky cold medina
desolation rose
TSS godsmack
hora babylon
knight 2 dismember
booty calls
ultraviolent crimes


aaahhhh, i need some help here! any good ideas?

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lastly, i've started rearranging my art space. keeping my easel behind a door was NOT encouraging me to paint. and always putting things on my drafting table that needed to be taken downstairs (because it sits right by the stairs) was NOT encouraging me to be creative either. so cleaned out the tiny bedroom/big closet that i was storing my massage table in (i am renting a room to do massage elsewhere) and am converting it into CREATIVE SPACE! so. excited. took some preliminary photos and will post them soon.

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.tj loves: arts and crafts.

.as220.
.arts and crafts initiative.
.craft foxes.
.craftland.
.craftster.
.craftzine.
.design sponge.
.indie public.
.instructables.
.providence open market.
.rhody craft 100.
.red velvet art.
.secret door.
.threadbanger.
.michaelchsiung.
.society6.
.jealous curator.