Calamity Kim

Yeti Spotted in Sarasota!

On the first day of the New Year everyone starts over- FRESH!!! It is literally a blank page on the calendar, just waiting to be filled in with something wonderful.
We loaded the bikes on the car with whispered thanks to our friend Laura, who gave us a bike rack, and after making a picnic lunch, we drove over to the Legacy Trail to have a bike ride.
The slightly foggy edges on this photo are from the air conditioning making the camera cold and then when you go outside you should wait until it gets to that temp before snapping pics- buts as you can see, I never do remember! Yes, that is my pink bike and I am such a lucky girl to have alien head valve covers too!
Found em several years ago at Walmart, in the bike dept, in case you were wondering!
Looking up- the sky is so blue it hurts your eyes...
It was a lovely day, with a moderate breeze that felt cool and nice. I checked the temp in the car and it said 67 degrees...later it would warm up to 75...perfection.
I have written about the Legacy trail before and now the county has wisely added parking for those of us who don't live near enough to ride over- eventually maybe, but this is day 1, remember!
It really is a nice trail- smooth, clean and not too crowded. It's nice to witness families getting together to ride bikes or roller skate; Dad's pulling 3 wheeled things with kids stowed inside- sort of like a modern day rickshaw for short people.
I stopped to take pictures because there was evidence of the true spirit of Christmas along the trail.
 
Some sweet Elf had decorated a small evergreen with silver glass balls. I missed it on our way down the trail but saw the merry twinkle on our return.
It warms the heart to see that someone went out of their way to make the trail just a bit more festive and I was happily surprised to see evidence that not everyone has a Grinchy outlook concerning the holidays.
I know lots of my friends here online have had deep snows and cold, frozen toes this winter, so please, enjoy some of my Florida Sunshine.
 *** Every year we start the diet and usually it lasts until my February Birthday when I bake a cake and then never get back to the regime.
This year I intend to try a bit harder than that for I have become a weeble and am not happy with my apple shaped torso- I need to carve out a waistline again and exercise daily to burn some of this stored fat- man, I bet I could last months in the wilderness on this stockpile of adipose tissue.
I sit too much- that's my problem.
I sit and sew.
 I sit and type.
I sit and write and read and sit and drive.
Fat ain't gonna burn itself so I need to get moving!
If you are on a diet or a lean regime then let me know and we can encourage each other and maybe loose some weight...
otherwise I'm gonna look for a job at the circus...as the Fat Lady!
Just trying for a laugh- it's Friday!
 Lets have fun!
Monday the Aprons Begin!!!
 Yahoo!
xxxooo
Love and celery sticks!
calamity kim

Surface Design Guild of Sarasota Welcomes The Holidays!

Oh what a glorious week of festivities I'm having!
Tuesday night was our Surface Design Guild Holiday Party and we had a brief meeting and then enjoyed all the various dishes that everyone brought- from meatballs to brownies it was wonderful!
Everyone was supposed to bring an ornament also to display and I was too late to get a snapshot of the spider (made from beads) on a wire web,  but I did get pics of a few.

These were beaded and then draped over the frosted glass balls-
they were so lovely and elegant.
My friend Cheryl made the peace crane ornament- she is so creative and I love her crane mobiles (which will be available at The Atomic Holiday Bazaar this Sunday) made from water colored junk mail and magazine inserts.
There was a variety of different ornaments and I wish I had taken my pictures sooner- I could have shared more-
The snowman was made by my friend Laura and she used the clover pompom maker that helps you make perfect pompoms in several sizes- isn't he darling?
I love him!
 The fabric house was made by Judy and I just loved the wrapped binding- she sewed the layers of top and bottom fabric with batting in between and then wrapped the edges and stitched them all together- very cool!
It was stuffed with love and fiberfill.
Each side was a bit different and I really thought the yoyo flowers looked great!
My hasty pictures don't do these sweet ornaments justice- I was in a hurry, and full of meatballs and creampuffs so I might have been a little shaky! I should have taken pictures first but I didn't think people would be leaving so soon!
If you live in Sarasota or close enough to do the drive, our Group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6 pm at the Fire station on Waldemere behind Wendys, right off of hwy 41. Look for the hospital and it's the street directly across from it.
The Surface Design Group is about embellishment, I suppose, and our members do so many different forms of Art & Craft that it's difficult to explain. I often say anything that can be done to alter the surface of anything else- that pretty much includes everything from beadwork, painting, stitching, knitting, felting, embroidery, well you get the picture!
If you would like to join us,  we would be delighted to have you visit us. Our next get together is a Play Day on Sunday, Dec 28th at 1 pm and our next regular meeting will be January 13th at 6pm.
The Play days are when we get to do whatever project has been demonstrated at a meeting. January's program will be Dimensional Art and we will be learning some simple techniques to create beautiful 3 -D painted designs on glass, fabric or wood.
Email me at [email protected] if you need more information or would like to join.
I need to get back to making stuff for Atomic Holiday Bazaar- y'all have a nice day, y' hear! ( Sorry, I just saw Paula Deen on the Bonnie Hunt Show and I can't stop the southern twang from coming out!)
Good Lord!
Love & Stitches,
Calamity Kim
ps: we have a tornado watch! Look out Oz- we might be headed your way!

Siesta Key Sun Days in Sarasota

After parking at access #9 and gathering your bag, with towels, suntan lotion, camera in one hand, chairs and floaty things divided between you and your best friend; you start walking toward the beach. It is a perfect 81 degrees with little humidity and the sky is blue and clear and it just makes you feel good to be alive and here on this spectacular spot on Earth. Nature is everywhere and looking up you spot some sea grapes overhead.
Do you ever wonder what its like someplace else?
 Because of Flickr I share other folks worlds and especially during the Fall and Winter Seasons there is often frost and snow while we have the best weather of the year.
 Now, don't think it isn't torture during those long Summer, months when you sweat in the shower, because it can be hard to survive!
But its all worth it once Fall begins.

Looking around as you walk down the path to the beach, you see that the grass has bloomed a wonderful pink and you sigh with momentary pleasure at the beauty before you, as the wind makes the stalks dance, the sun shines and sparkles on the gossamer grass.

It is lovely. Your load is too heavy and you have to keep walking.
This will still be here when you get ready to leave and walking back,  you know you can take pictures then.
 Your steps are quiet because you might see a rabbit, you have before.
 They must love living in this grass.
Finally you make it to the beach and the view opens up and its clear and lovely white sand, fine as sugar and so clean. Your eyes are drawn to the sails glowing like stained glass windows in the bright afternoon sun.
 Children laugh and run.
Gulls and pelicans sing and squawk, gliding through the air doing nose dives into the surf to catch their dinner. You get settled: towels on chairs, floats blown up and walk out to the waters edge. It's cooler than last time, a week ago when you were here so,  you decide to walk to get warm before cooling off in the water.
You walk down the shore, listening to the waves whisper a soft hello, remember me?
 The sun shines and sparkles on the water while you walk looking at people, at shells on the sand, at birds everywhere.
You notice how the tide changes the shore line;
each new day it seems to be different.
 After going to the North end as far as you can you start the journey back, collecting a few special shells along the way.
Gray scallops today.
 A tiny sand dollar, perfect and white,  held gently so it doesn't snap in two.
 Getting back to your friend you grab floaty and start walking into the water.
Trying to avoid the small minnows and fish swimming by you stop and stamp your feet to let them know you are there.
With worried eyes you look at your friend already waded out farther than you and hear him laugh and say- it's OK- they won't bite you!
 With a small amount of fear and trepidation you continue and lay down on your float and start to backstroke- the current is swift- when suddenly a fish jumps through the air!
Then another fish!
You are caught in a school of them- hundreds, no thousands of small fish swimming where you are trying to float, to relax!
You turn to say I can't do this when a fish jumps up and goes down the top of your bathing suit and you scream and reach up and flip your top down and get the fish out before you have a fricking heart attack at the thought of a fish being inside your bathing suit!
Not caring that the good folks on the beach can look- you panic and reach in to the side of your suit, under your boobs, free for all to see, to grab that stinking fish and hurl him out into the water!                                                                                      Quickly fixing the top of your suit,  you muster what small dignity is  remaining in your sinking spirit and stand up in the water.
Grabbing your floaty, you get back to shore as quickly as possible avoiding the stares of people walking by.
Just another delightful day at the beach with Calamity you think as the Mr is laughing himself silly, back in the water with fish all around. What fun you had, another day at the beach!

Siesta Key

looking up, originally uploaded by calamity kim.

This week Lost 2.0 began on channel G4 and ever since Monday I have been wanting to go to the beach...

To walk along the water's edge and hear the ocean's voice.

To people watch and wonder what their story is...

To chase sandpipers, gulls and pelicans as they hurry about looking for food...
To see Mr Fred get all relaxed and happy...

To laugh and play pretend: "What would you do if you were rich?" One of our favorite games...I'd buy property in Paducaka and Washington and Oregon and France and Hawaii of course!

To lay on our floatie things and get carried down with the current and be warmed by the sun and cooled by the perfect water temperature...

To see green everywhere and new construction...
Just another day at the beach...

Thank goodness there's no smoke monster's or polar bears! Plenty of sunshine and coconuts though! I wanted to give you a peek at my hair- I got it all cut off again and feel lighter and less like my favorite witch Broomhilda... I'm off to play some more- much sewing to be working on...it's good to relax every now and then and do nothing but look at the clouds and imagine peace and joy in everyone's hearts...and laugh at the kids playing in the sand and chasing sea gulls... Happy Saturday! love & stitches, calamity kim

Grandma Moses and Roses

As I begin to type this I feel tired already!
We had so much fun yesterday!
Walking around the museum and the rose garden, having lunch topped off with Crème brûlée and then a little quilt shop action has exhausted me!
I will try to show you a few things of beauty but please check this link out and visit my Flickr set of photos.

First we went into the section where the Grandma Moses paintings were on display and marveled at her work.
I was never a big fan, dare I admit,  but I think I am converted.
Her naive style always seemed too simple and plain but when you are up close you can see all the brush strokes and a sparkle of glitter- which surprised and delighted me. Apparently she was criticized for that use of glitter but continued to add it because she wanted her snow to twinkle and shine.
Once,  as I was asking the girls what they thought a shape was, pointing with my finger, not touching the glass covered painting, a docent immediately appeared (on silent ninja feet and could have killed us instantly as we were caught unaware) and admonished me and said that "they like you to keep a distance of 18" at all times from any art work".
Well, the trickle of fear went down my spine and then as we were leaving Cheryl asked a different docent if pictures were allowed and she said yes, without a flash.
So, I started to take a few and someone then narced on me to the ninja Docent and I overheard her say that photography was forbidden under any circumstances as I rounded the corner into the next room, expecting at any minute to be hauled out by my ear and tossed into the back alley where "no dogs allowed" boomed in a big voice.
It's not like I tried to sit in her rocker.
Or steal her licensed fabric.
Or liberate her apron and wear it!!
You can't take me anywhere, I tell ya!

I loved the quotes on the walls. The letters cut from vinyl.
She celebrated the homemaker and considered her painting to be like any other home keeping hand work.
Like sewing or embroidery,  which she did until her arthritis became too bad.
She died the year that I was born, 1961.
So we drank our fill of Folk Art , and said goodbye to Granny Moses and then went to the next exhibit which featured Jacob Lawrence.
Then we were back out into the sunshine and after a delightful lunch we toured the Rose garden.
Love bugs and honey bees.
I wish you could see it like it was- and smell the air, perfumed with hundreds of blooming roses.
It was a sensory overload for sure and we were saturated and sated with art, food, beauty and friendship. A wonderful day.
Now, this morning seems cloudy and I suspect more much needed rain. It rained several times over the weekend and as I cleaned and straightened and organized I was glad. Blah, Blah, Blah...anyway- I am off to sew until this evening when it will be the monthly meeting of Surface Design. We are having a hat swap and a speaker.
I will recharge the batteries!
Have a happy Tuesday and I'll be back with more Show & Tell Tomorrow!
Love & Stitches,
Calamity Kim

Atomic Holiday Bazaar Rockin Art & Craft Show!

This is from yesterday at the Atomic Holiday Bazaar- a craft show extravaganza that won't make ya puke!
There was some mighty cool and hip stuff there and I was so happy to be a part of it. That is after I stayed up till Midnight (late for me!) and tossed and turned the night before in dreaded worry. Why do I do that? It's such a waste of time and just fills me with worry and uncertainty.
I should just relax and be thrilled but this time I was not sure if my stuff would fit in with the theme of the show. I did a country craft show and had a bad experience. This turned out to be the perfect place to be!

I was glad that I spent so many days working on the magic slippers. They sold very well. I also sold some collages and a lot of other stuff. I will have a much better idea of what to have next year and will have lots of paper dolls and more quilted bags and pillows.

I had an awesome location right up front and next to some wonderful ladies who made it a wonderful experience. I will post more tomorrow and include their info- I am just worn out, you guys! Hahaha! I am not sure if I am exhausted from the stressful anticipation or the actual experience, but I feel worn out! I still have everything in the car to unload ( we went to Carraba's for dinner last night and were too stuffed to unpack) and I am baking a tart apple pie to take to the Surface Design Group Meeting tomorrow.
Wed is Knit and Bitch at Picasso's Moon yarn shop and I have a new BFF!!! Yeehaw! What a wonderful thing!
To actually get out and meet real live people and enjoy it!
So novel for me- I am usually all comfy here in my granny gown and slippers typing away, Sadie at my feet, coffee getting cold, and wishing I could come over to your house and sit and share ideas and make & do some arts and crafts!

Fred took all the pictures for me and you can click on any one of these to get to my Flickr set and see more. Once they let the people in, the room was full (wall to wall!) of holiday shoppers until about 4 when it slacked off a bit. I wish we had gotten pictures of the Roller Derby Girls- They were Hot! And some of the cool hair do's being created for free with sputnik like sparkle ting-ting and ornament balls and bows pinned in place- they were way cool! There was great Flamenco music and a fashion show and it was an all around awesome event!

Christmas in your heart

This is Siesta Beach. This is one of the reasons I find it difficult to do Christmas. That's sand, not snow. I need snow for it to be Christmas! Now, I am sure that it's all a state of mind. I have lived here for 22 years and am still not used to wearing shorts and going for a walk on the beach on Christmas day. I miss NC and the cold and the silence of snowfall. But the music of waves isn't too bad. It just reminds me of Summer, not Winter!

There is an awful lot of Santa figurines wearing swimming trunks in the stores here too. Like Santa after Christmas- he is relaxing at the beach with a few umbrella drinks before heading back up to the North Pole. Ugh. Not Christmas for me.

The beach on Lido Key has a lot more shells than Siesta but it is much smaller due to erosion.  We used to go there and collect shells when Troy was little and we would boil coquinas and pick to tiny creatures out. I would marvel at God's paintbrush used to paint them all a million shades of purple, pink, yellow and blue.

After a long search I found some shell lights for the skinny alpine tree in the guest bedroom (well, its still Lexi's room to me, but when she isn't visiting it's for whoever is).
I used some flamingo light covers and it has a sea horse and a mermaid or two.
Nautical themed Christmas- but it stays up all year because we really don't have a place to store it.
I also like it as a light to read by when I seek out the quietest corner of the house.  The bed is very comfortable. The mattress and box springs are so thick and then the frame so tall- its almost like climbing into a Princess and the pea bed. I help Sadie up there and she will curl up beside me while I read and nap and when I start the inevitable snoring, she gets down by herself. Must hurt her delicate ears. teehee.

I have some white paper star lights on the tree also. Flamingo feathers and postcards with flamingos adorn it. My favorite bird, the Flamingo. They are pink due to the amounts of shrimp/shellfish that they eat. Isn't that interesting? Would they be white if they only ate peanut butter and jelly sammies?I think that the spirit of Christmas is in our hearts. It's not lighting up the neighborhood and wasting energy on trying to out shine everyone else. It isn't having more presents than anyone else beneath the tree. It doesn't have to be loud and excessive.  It's taking a moment to thank someone for their small kindness or patience. Its baking cookies together and laughing and making memories. It's decorating the tree together and remembering each ornament and where it came from.It should be your own Family Traditions. Whether you are going for a walk on the beach or having a snowball fight, spending Christmas with the ones you love is what matters.
As I was moving links for Blogs yesterday, I came across a few that I had forgotten about. Places that have made me feel happy when I visited them.
Like my memories of Christmas' past with Troy jumping out of bed and running to see the tree and standing wide eyed at all the presents! Eating breakfast Christmas Morning.  Pancakes and omelette's and bacon beside the tree.
Searching for the right batteries. Putting stuff together, taking pictures, opening presents and before the feelings of disappointment settle in, enjoying the exhilaration of Christmas morning. After all the days of excited anticipation, it used to let me drop like a rock from a 747. I needed a nap by the afternoon.  Now, he is grown and the house is still.  We don't really do presents. We get what we want all year long.  Christmas is for kids. The Santa part, anyway.
Unless we get to spend Christmas with the three beautiful grand babies, we won't be having any of that Joy.
It hurts my heart. I miss it.
At least for a moment and then I hop on the computer and visit with Natalie and her brood and Amanda and her lil' beastie and Barb and her loving family and sweet dogs.  I go to Flickr and see the pictures Lexi shares of the grandsons. I have my online family to help me through the Holidays.

I can't imagine my life without Blogs or the people who I have met through this Blog. I must say thank you for all of the comfort and joy you have given me throughout the year. Your kindness and support always makes me smile and like a vitamin for my soul- I grow and bloom and sparkle and shine. That's Christmas in your heart all year long.

gnomes, mushrooms and sushi

I started this the night before last. I found a gorgeous old wool coat at Goodwill (5.99) and brought it home to cut up and felt in the washing machine. I could see it becoming a bear or something else under my needle and thread. It became mushrooms with red polka dots!

This little gnome pattern is from the Gnome Christmas book of crafts that I pull out every year when it starts to get cool enough to work with wool and memories of snow come to mind. I had started and finished the large mushroom while watching our Thursday night shows. Earl, The Office, Grey's Anatomy. Then last night after dinner I finished the other two and the green mound to form the base after we got home from dinner. I used an awl to pierce the stem and add wire to attach it to the green base. The wire gives it strength and stability. I sewed them down and found one of my vintage milk glass bowls to hold it perfectly. The mushrooms are just two wool felt yoyo's. The top one- the "cap" is stuffed with fiberfill and then red wool circles and shapes were sewn down to be the spots. After I finished the first one I realized that I had switched the colors. It should have been red with white dots.Maybe my mushrooms live in Superman's bizarro world. Anyway, they look cute, I think. They are fun and easy to make while watching shows at night.

We had a wonderful dinner at The Sushi & Raw Bar (located in the Landings Shopping Center, here in Sarasota.)

This is the front of the restaurant. It serves delicious food created with fresh ingredients and is almost too perfect and pretty to eat. Fred loves the Tuna Tataki .I love the tables that were painted by a customer after they first opened up.

This is just two of the tables. You can click on the pictures to see more at my Flickr site. Jun is the very friendly owner who reminds me of Cheers each time we walk in-except he says "Hi Fred", instead of George! The atmosphere is cozy and romantic and there are booths or you can sit at the bar and watch Jun's fingers fly. I love the California roll but the crispy roll is so delicious that it must be sinful. It has cream cheese and smoked eel, asparagus, rice and is wrapped with that green sea weed stuff and then deep fried! The addition of wasabi and pretty pink ginger is like a party in your mouth! We both just sigh. It is heaven.

I am also hooked on the Beef Bulgogi. It is delicious. I also tried some of the ginger "tea"- it is made with ginger, honey and cinnamon. For dessert, the perfectly portioned ice cream mochi.Strawberry, green tea and my favorite- vanilla. Yum.
So, if you ever find yourself hungry, and in need of delicious dinner then look for The Sushi Raw Bar and Ji will keep your tea cup filled and serve you with sweetness and smiles. Just what you need after a long weary week at work.
I need to get down to the office supply store for more ink for the printer and then maybe a bike ride later to burn off that crispy roll. It's so nice and cool outside- we have the windows open again and are loving the low humidity! This is why we live here. If you don't melt in the summer you can enjoy almost perfect weather for a few months before it returns to saunas on the sun. Y'all have a nice day!

Flickr Friends Find Fun in Fabulous Florida

Yesterday I met up with Debbie (Carol's Sister from Flickr) who came to visit me in Sarasota. She lives in Coral Gables and drove up for the day. We had never met before but my nervousness disappeared when I opened my door to welcome her in and she had a big smile, a hug and an armload of cupcakes!!! Yeehaw!!!! Now, if anyone else ever comes to visit the bar has been set! She baked these tiny treats and then iced and decorated them with lovely pale pink roses. They were as delicious as they looked! I had to snatch the box away from poor Fred so that I could take a picture before they were all gone! She also gave me the most beautiful vintage ribbon and a gorgeous tiny gnome! He is happily living on the window sill in the sewing room.

After a quick tour of my house we were off on our adventure! We traveled around Sarasota from Sew Worth It! to Alma Sue's to the Goodwill Bookstore and lunch at Word of Mouth and then to Persnickity Cat- where she took some great pictures- this is a gorgeous doll bed! I just fell in love with it! Persnickity is the best shopping experience in Sarasota in my opinion and if you ever come here make sure you stop in and have fun shopping in this huge store filled with Vera Bradley bags and gorgeous garden accessories, everything from vintage embroidered linens to glass cloche, vintage quilts and Dept 56. Halloween and Christmas are something to behold and once they are set up I will be calling Deb and dragging her back! They are already starting to set a little bit of it up and these guys were helping me choose from the lovely wrapping papers. Next we were back on the road and driving to St Armand's Circle- the premiere tourist attraction during season.
Even in the sweltering heat there were people shopping and checking out the funky stuff in all the shops.
I loved the multicolored chandeliers at this shop and then at Garden Argosy- my second favorite store in Sarasota we spotted fabulous art assemblage dolls made from tins and parts d'garbage. Really quite charming. This store is also an eclectic collection of whimsy and fantasy.
From mermaids to Bunnies by the Bay. I especially love the magnet that I got that says: My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance. Gorgeous adornments This morning the tiny Gnome she gave me seems to have a twinkle in his eye- maybe he found his true love? Red is certainly his color. Barbie is a bit too sophisticated to be swayed by a handful of daisies, but perhaps he knows just the thing to say. Like: "How about a cupcake, babe?"

Adventure Sunday!

Today when Fred asked, "what do you want to do today?" I was already painting on some faerie wings and after a moments thought I suggested: "Downtown!" He said OK, much to my surprise, ( I keep forgetting that he likes spending time with me!) so we hopped in the shower and got dressed and headed off in the big red car towards Downtown, which I started singing, slightly off key and a little too loud!!
After parking, we walked towards the bookstore over on Main St. It used to be Charlie's Books & news and now it's Sarasota Books & News. I was delighted when I found my very first copy of Marie Claire Idees! After cappuccino & an espresso for Fred we walked back and sat in a swing and listened to the waves and birds by the bay. It was lovely and relaxing and we were quiet. I love that Park so much and always go on my birthday! It makes it special because we don't go there often but when we do I always see beautiful dogs and people having fun. It is lovely! Then we stopped at Tijuana Flats where I indulged in the Blackened Chicken Salad and Fred had a chimi- or maybe a burrito. We took pictures and pretended to be tourists! All in all it was a lovely day and even though it was windy and cool we wore short sleeves. Sorry all you guys freezing everywhere! Florida is wonderful in January!!! I am off to the sofa to work on Jessica's Franken Monkey which arrived via yesterdays mail. It is a sort of round robin but with sock monkeys over at Flickr- called The Franken Monkey Group. I will post some pic's tomorrow!! Tonight we are watching the Dresden Files on Sci Fi and then Battle star Galactica! Yippee!