I am moving “Chloe Lou” over to a new blog service provider, with a whole new name!
Check out the new blog here (with all of my old content transfered)
4.731764736
Resolution #1: Drink More Water
8 cups of water a day, right? To find the ‘correct’ amount, specific to your body – divide your aprox. body weight in half. That number is your water for the day – in ounces.
In my VOSS 375 ml bottle of water that would be 4.731764736 VOSS /day. Definitely more than what I have been drinking, but doesn’t seem as impossible as 8 cups.
Good Morning
Monday’s wake up call: Canada Post with my first Pyrex delivery from Etsy!
Mail is very close to the top of ‘My Favorite Things’ list. Even though I had a horrid sleep and woke up with a headache, opening this box was better than a bottle of advil extra strength liqui-gels!
In With The New
Meet VAIO – the newest addition to my life in 2010.
On my first evening back in the city I dropped my old Toshiba off the side of my bed. If the screen had been closed maybe it would have survived its fall but as fate would have it, the internal screen shattered so badly I could not see a thing.Its certainly not an ideal situation. Starting a new semester and used to relying heavily on computers I was in tears seeing the future. Visions of a sugarplum-less fairy-less computer-less term was bleak [more debt].Nate [being the wonderful boyfriend that he is] squeezed me until I felt better and woke up the next morning before work to go computer fixing/shopping.Our first stop was Robotnix who told us it would be a couple 100.00 to repair the screen. On a laptop that was 2 years in December this hardly seemed the way to go! We turned to Future Shop expecting at the best to drop 400.00 on a Gateway or HP basic laptop to get me through the year. We harassed the sales guys until they showed us their “best” value …..this little laptop I have been drooling over…second only to Macbook Pro’s!!! The Sony VAIO NW series retail for a cool 899.99.
Check out all its neat features. On top of super high processing speeds and loads of memory it has a built in Blue Ray player! Eeek! [ OH and its pretty 
] We left Future Shop after spending 200.00 on this laptop – simply because its a floor model that was missing the battery and the power cord. It came pre-loaded with Windows 7 so basically the laptop was free 
A die-hard apple fanatic, I can honestly say that this is the best version of Windows Microsoft has ever created!
It was the most ‘rewarding’ accident I’ve ever had. And the perfect start to a new semester.
I was going to go to bed early tonight …..
Oh Etsy
During my daily blogging fix and blueberry bagel this morning I came across this gorgeous tulle layered dress on Art of the Steal. (www.norstrom.com 54.00) It would make the perfect New Years party dress complimenting my latest etsy purchase: a victorian vintage cameo brooch from Etsy seller Iceirnia at $6.50. I can’t decide if I would replace the bow with this tiny brooch, or simply pin the brooch to the centre of the bow. Either way it would be a delight to wear!
You’ve Got Mail
People always talk about the gift that continues to give throughout the new year- here is mine from this Christmas. Inserting your little key into your mailbox and finding a crisp little magazine wrapped in plastic every month of the year could not be a more perfect gift to give someone.
Here are some magazines I love:
Merry Christmas to All
Plug in the village houses. Straighten up the figurines. Battery lights up the four bears. Turn on the tree. Favorite ornaments on the branches. Fill the woodbox. Build a fire. Gingerbread cookies out to cool. Icing goes on the shortbreads. Red plaid Tablecloth. Good china from the cabinet. Ginger ale in the punchbowl. Mix it in good.
Bacon in pieces. Simmer the scallops. Fill up your plates. Hold hands and give thanks. Its Christmas Eve.
Under ten quilts. Sound asleep. Alarm goes off. Wake everyone up. Tip-toe downstairs. Don’t wake Mom and Dad. Find your name. Sweet chocolate and candy. Throw on the yule log. Grab a present. Dad starts. Hot coffee. Sausages and hashbrowns. Almost finished. Favorite presents. Cut off the packages. In the car. Off to Grammy’s house. Warm hugs. Turkey and potatoes. Mince meat pie. Sharing stories.
Merry Christmas!
Pyrex Realities
I bought my first, second, third and fourth pieces of pyrex tonight on Etsy!
I knew I only liked blue and pink pyrex prints from the 50′s, 60′s and early 70′s when I started my “serious” search tonight to begin my collection.
My hardest choice was deciding which print to begin collecting first. Snowflakes are one of my favorite things, and one of my favorite prints so I know that at some point I am going to make those part of my collection. I also really liked the pink daisy prints, and Grammy had already shown me two pieces her friend was selling locally in her antiques shop. The gooseberry pink on white/ white on pink print I favored as well.
When considering individual pieces or pieces being sold as a set I wanted lowered shipping costs, items from the same seller, sturdy pieces with no stains, scratches, or damage and preferably with lids (for the purpose of not refrigerating, freezing, or baking in plastic)
My final choice was based on multiple reasons. A.) I want this “collection” to be 100% usable, so I didn’t want pieces that were so ‘rare’ I wouldn’t want to use them everyday. I also needed pieces that are easier to find with little/no ware and tare – I will put them to good use. B.) The butterprint design is very country-amish-rooster-harvest on industrial mass produced glassware in a very modern turquoise blue. The combination very much clashes and opposes each other, not only as a piece but also with my typical taste in patterns, designs, and colors. For a reason I can’t explain I am completely in love with this print! C.) I wanted my “main” collection to have a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and purposes. Of the other designs I liked, there were only a select amount of casserole and mixing bowls.
I bought these two casserole with lids first.
Then these two, from the same seller.
The butter dish is a hard-to-find piece for such a popular pyrex print. The loaf pan with the lid is simple and wonderful and I cannot wait to make a banana loaf in it!
I have contacted the following two sellers for accurate shipping costs before I commit to buying
Both are sets of three, at a very low cost. If they come back to me with reasonable shipping quotes, I might be tempted to buy both.
This set only has two printed pieces out of three, but all three pieces have lids.
The three pieces in the set from this seller are matching mixing bowls, in good shape but don’t have lids. This seller also has a third single serving casserole dish that would be handy to have and I would save even more overall on shipping.
Pyrex Obsessions
My most recent obsession: vintage Pyrex in white and blue. Preferably from the 1950′s and 60′s.
Lately I have been very focused on pre-70′s fashion for the body and interiors.This Amish Rooster white on blue Pyrex is a delight to my eyes. Pyrex seems like the answer to plastic replacement.
There is just something so delightful about blue glass Pyrex, and I want to have it all. So far Etsy has been my “source”. I will hunt down yard sales and flea markets in the summer to gather the perfect collection for myself.
The snowflake designs are by far my favs.
These lovely pieces completely satisfy the need for fun vintage housewares. How could I choose one, I love them all.
Divider-blue-pyrex-snowflakes equals perfection.
The Place I Call Home
Home for the holidays means missing my Halifax home.
Here is what I enjoy the most about apartment life.
Thats It
Here it is – the semester is over, over, over.
The final pieces are in, to be regurgitated as grades in the new year.
My last FFF class began at 1:00 pm on Friday the 11th. I had been scrambling to assemble a sample book complete with fabric swatches, heat setting samples, and photo’s. I went into the studio early Friday morning to get a head start on this as well as the headpiece and shoes, all part of the afternoon critique.
But… we all know how these stories end.
I was able to finish my headpiece but I did not have a concise idea for the shoes, and did not finish or wear them.
The bodice of this dress was drafted as part of my pattern drafting final. It has fitted sleeves that taper at the wrist, a high rounded neck with four complimenting darts, single darts mid bust, and a zipper closure in the back.
The skirt is two different parts made from two heat setting techniques. The main skirt, attached to the bodice is 1″ lines sewn across, gathered and heat set. The train is 5 meters of polyester tightly and carefully gathered by hand and held in place with twine, then heat set.
The assignment was to reflect aspects of some or all of the previous projects we worked on. I incorporated mostly heat setting from #3, but also referenced the bodice shapes from the industrial materials dress. I used draping to place the train. I wanted this final piece to represent my work in the class over the course of the semester, but also be a completely finished piece.
Being constructed of 100% polyester I assumed my skin would not be able to breathe. It turned out to be the most comfortable dress I’ve ever worn. It was light and felt like air.
Finishing The Semester
Weeks of preparation, of sweat and thankfully no tears (yet) have almost come to an end.
Tomorrow the final week of the term will begin and by this time next week my third year will be half over and the glorious Christmas break officially on a roll!
Pattern Drafting is finishing itself off smoothly, my final draft has come in handy for FFF. I am creating a crazy black and white gown that has 5 meters of heat set fabric for the skirt and train. The heat setting has consumed more than one of my days off.
Heat setting can be [easily] done by taking 100% polyester fabric and adding metal objects/objects that will not melt when heated to 285 degrees F such as coins, glass figurines, keys, ect. To set the fabric around the object, it needs to be tied really tightly with twine or thread. Colored cotton threads will actually heat transfer the dye onto the fabric.
I tried a different method to achieve very tight and even wrinkles. I gathered small controlled amounts, wrapped twine tightly around the bundle, then kept adding and wrapping. This itself took hours! I used the gathered fabric for the train. For the main skirt, I baste stitched the fabric in one inch rows and gathered them together so the width of the fabric shrunk to 4 inches.
Both went into the oven for 15 minutes on 285 F. The smaller piece started to smolder slightly but there were no burn marks in the final piece.
After letting them cool all the way through, I took all of the threads out and unwrapped the twine – which was the most satisfying part of the whole process.
There was so many tiny threads from the basted piece, part of which were slightly deformed so my bobbin must have been wound in polyester thread.
The dress will be modeled in the Textile Show & Sale Monday night at Seeds Gallery, along with a blazer I made from a modified 1970′s wedding dress pattern.
For my final FFF critique on Friday I will have to make an accompanying foot and head piece.
The show has pushed me to finish the pieces earlier, which will remove stress of the final week of presentations and crits!
BTF: Final Project Preparation
My final project for Beyond the Frame is going to be similar in theme to my other assignments.
I have carefully selected photo’s that mean a lot to me – either I remember looking at them as a child or I remember the event or object in the photographs.
I am going to assemble the photo’s based on how well my memory resembles that of the photograph, if the two ‘records’ are equal or if I remember the
situation differently than what is portrayed in the image.
I will demonstrate ‘fuzzy’ memories by covering the photo with layers of trace paper, making the image appear less and less clear
based on how well I remember the situation.
On the trace paper or paper beside the photo’s I am going to write how I remember the situation in a few short sentences.
The whole group of photographs will be assembled in a cardboard box ‘house’ that I am going to re-construProxy-Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0
based on a disply Dad brought home from Sobey’s for us to play in when I was 3.
The final decision I need to make in consideration of this project is how I will light the inside of the house up and how I should
display the written elements.
FFF: Second Project
In FFF we have been studying various fiber dying and decoration techniques from Bali, Indonesia, Asia, India,Japan and other cultures rich in skilled textile design and production.
For this assignment we had to take a rectangular bolt of fabric and construct a series of dresses created from simply wrapping the fabric around our body forms, mimicking traditional or ancient dress. We spend an entire class focused on wrapping. We were to pay close attention to our body shapes and sizes and keep in mind a pattern that we later planned on adding to the surface of the fabric. The second class we cut random holes and sewed them shut to create un-intentional shapes.
The final result was a mixture of one or both techniques {draping/cutting/sewing} which we then had to dye or paint. I wanted to keep my design very simple and elegant. Mimicking classic line work done by early Greek and Roman cultures, but also tying in some of the splendid paisley motifs we had seen in textiles from India.
We were supposed to be influenced by our own preferences and personalities which is mainly why I chose to use no color, only black and white. I drew the lines to follow the simple shapes of my spine, hips, waist, bust, shoulders and collarbone in black.
Wrapping up the project we booked the photo studio to shoot and critique all of our dresses, here’s a few shots of me explaining why I chose certain elements for my dress.
Check out the rest of the class photo’s in my Facebook album
Sites and Locations Assignment
Our last ‘assignment’ was due today for Beyond the Frame.
It had several different elements including pre-planning, research, construction of the piece, placing the piece in a specifically chosen location (or several locations), documenting the work in the location, then assembling the documentation as photographs and presenting them to the class as an art piece.
I researched and read book after book on Freud and several essays he had written. I was looking for answers on how the brain processes information and translates it into dreams and memories that are retransmitted as thoughts, expressions and feelings .
I have been having a lot of harsh negative feelings about a situation in my life these past few months and I have been suppressing them. My dreams have turned into consistent nightmares, the normal dream world that exists has been turned into tornadoes, storms, and chaos.
These feelings of helplessness have also caused me to dream about events in the past that were beyond my control, or things that I wanted once again I am trying to achieve without results.
I wanted to explain all of the dark and twisty thoughts I’ve been having. I wanted to create and piece of work that would help me get rid of my feelings, in a positive way instead of an internal explosion. The best explanation I could find was from Freud’s psychoanalytic theories, three terms he coined to describe expression and suppression of thought in mental life. Our thinking is divided into three parts: the Id, Ego, and Super-ego.
The Id is the childlike part of our conscious and unconscious that will not take no for an answer. It knows no boundaries. When it needs or wants it goes after and gets. It does not consider consequences.
It is within the Ego that we think and act rationally and realistically.It seeks to please, and avoids conflict. The Ego covers up our irrational thoughts and impulses that are threatening and tries to find a balance between the Id and the Super-ego .
The Super-ego seeks to please society. It is within the Super-ego that our desire to be perfect is housed. The drive to succeed and other spiritual and physical goals are here. The super-ego controls our guilt principle and our ability to distinguish right from wrong.
These three parts of the psychic structure work together to control our mental activity and interaction.
Using the Id, Ego and Super-ego, I designed three bookmarks each representing a different part of the psychic apparatus. I made one hundred copies of each bookmark, then placed them methodically in books all over the NSCAD library, and in magazines in public places.
The final part of the assignment was to create a document of the work and its installation that also functioned as an art piece.
The 300 bookmarks had already cost me $40.00, so I was trying to figure out a way to assemble my 22 selected prints that portrayed good documentation of my piece while still being economic to my budget.
Ink jet printing them at school would cost another $33.00, color laser prints $22.00.
In the end I printed them laser black and white at .25 a copy for a total of $5.50. The B & W worked well, matching the bookmarks. I assembled them to resemble a book and cut the photo’s down into narrow panoramic shapes, also mimicking the bookmarks, then sewed the whole thing together on one end. I quite enjoyed the final outcome, it looked like a mini magazine.
The Persistence of Memory
Dali was a smart smart man. Memory is very persistent.
It comes and goes. Its delicate. Changes. Warps. Disappears. Recalls. Values. It distinguishes. Commemorates. Holds on. Holds back. Comforts. Empties. Represses. Releases. Fulfills. Prompts. Excites. Provokes. Redeems. Entertains. It is harsh. Reflects. Provides. Suggests. Determines. Captures. It haunts. Traces. Recurs. Remains. Awakens.
Night and day I go back. Revisit. Engrave. Commit.
The night. The must. Standing in line. Mr. Elliott. Strawberry B-B bats wrapped in pink wax paper. The stick falls apart like pieces of Kleenex. Its cold. The air hurts my nose. I’m in a car. Its spotless. I carefully move around the tissue box. Its dark. I’m happy. I look at the moon. I hold my Sobey’s bag. We drive. A water tower. Around the circle. Halfway there. The horse track. The duck pond. Look for the microwave tower. The church. The graveyard. The mailbox. Shifting down. Slobery dog kisses. Mandy. Hundreds of stars. Wind chimes. Transfers moving quickly. Peepers. Red shingles. Red veranda. Screen door. Ornate brass handle. Plastic mat. Open door. Musty stairs. Put your coat on the hook. Open the stove, light the newspapers. Add more logs. Clean soap smell mixed with country air. Up stairs. Light switch. Pictures on a shelf. Nightie on. Lights off. Down stairs. Old Cracker Barrel cheese. White soda crackers. Get the crumbs. Green kitten tiny glass. Little bit of water. Pull the blind. Green step stool. White mug. Yellow toothbrush. Spirotot faucet. Cinnamon toothpaste. Don’t flush. Up stairs. Open the door. Stack of books. Favorite toys. Into bed. Pull the gold tiny light cord. A book with a goat drinking soda pop. A book with a mockingbird who wanted to be a cat. A book with a paperdoll who’s arms move out of the sides. Hot water bottles. Bedtime prayers. Goodnight kisses. Love you. Warm quilt. Diamond windows. Big yellow moon. Quiet night.
The tip of my nose is cold. Stove top shuts. Roll over. Open eyes. Sun is rising. The ground is covered in frost. Out of bed. Down stairs. Squish between the stove and the wall. Crispy bacon. Fire scorched toast. Cheese wiz. Green kitten glass.
The Weather Outside is Frightful
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it Snow, We Go Dashing Through The Snow With Frosty The Snowman Watch Out Santa Clause is Coming To Town Jingle Deck The Halls With Silver Bells, and Little Drummer Boys, Lean Your Ear This Way Its Christmas Time In The City
There is snow in Clayton Park, tons of it. I can see it fluffy and thick on the roofs of the cars going by on the highway beneath me. It has stopped snowing here. The November snow is doing what it always does – turns to slush by mid-morning. The basin is reflecting the sky and looks dark, gray and icy cold. I cannot wait until Christmas!
The shops of Halifax have come alive, almost overnight with Santa’s, lights, and tinsel. The City is hanging their decorations in preparation for the Christmas parade in two weeks. I have been buying gifts, drinking egg nog, baking Snowmen cookies and trying out all of Starbucks Christmas drinks. Their new Carmel Brule Latte is the perfect mixture of espresso, salty caramel, and whipped topping. I tried the Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, if there was any mint it wasn’t strong enough to taste but they might have forgotten to put it in.
I can’t wait to get up early tomorrow morning, eat a hearty McDonalds breakfast and shop Midnight Madness at the Halifax Shopping Center. All of the stores are opening at 8:00 am and most are offering 20% off all day.
Did I mention that I LOVE Christmas?
On the Three Hundredth and Seventh Day of Two Thousand and Nine
“If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn’t need to lug around a camera.” Lewis Hine
9:03-9:24 am
Needless to say I picked the wrong morning to leave my umbrella at home and miss my bus . . .
The Thirty-first of October
Human behavior follows a predictable pattern. First it was the bus drivers blond wig and ‘truck driver’ music. Then the middle aged call center employee with a witches hat overflowing her reusable Sobey’s shopping bag. Nine hours later, getting off the same bus, a two and half foot Spiderman is running towards me.
Strange.
My 2% milk and Life cereal tastes like peanut butter – that is the strangest thing that has happened on half past the ninth of hour of this 10/31.
I walked into Paper Chase Cafe on Tuesday evening and bought a magazine whose cover promises all of my favorite things right under the title: “FASHION/DESIGN/ART/ARCHITECTURE/LUXURY/CLEARMAG.COM”.
The cover is transparent and feels crisp and silky smooth under your fingertips, like trace paper crossed with vellum. I open the cover and on the first page is a Ferragamo ad for the deepest and most vibrant crimson red platform pumps with delicate stitch details and gold stiletto heels. I briefly flip through the other pages (which all feel like sturdy glossy photographs) and suddenly clear magazine is in this months budget.
Its pricey at 12.95 an issue (twice the cost of Vogue) but there is an online subscription option for $2.99 an issue. A years subscription via web (6 issues) is only $8.00 US. Their slogan when you enter the online demo ( you can see thumbnails of all the pages and zoom in to read three pages for free) is “Turn A Page. Trees Will Thank You.”
To make this whole clear experience even better, this beautiful magazine I am holding in my hands and about to enjoy is 100% Tree Free, 100% Synthetic, and 100% Recyclable. I think I will brew a cup of sustainable Nabob Full City Roast in my filter-less coffee maker with filtered tap and bottle free water.
