Surtex 2012 and The National Stationery Show - Without Me

Last year, I went to New York and walked the Surtex 2011 Show.  Along with the National Stationery Show, which runs concurrently, all in the Javits Center.  I so wanted to get into the Surface Design business, and knew that if I was going to do it, Surtex may be the best way to get myself on the radar screen. 

This enormous surface design Trade Show is almost overwhelming in visual texture and artistic talent.  After deciding that not only was I not ready to exhibit my surface designs amongst such power, I also decided at the last minute that I wasn't going to go walk the 2012 show either.  I simply needed to sit down and get back to work.

So I did.

I knew that the best way to put myself into the real world of surface design was to start submitting artwork again, and turn up the pressure by entering design contests with deadlines and rules - like predetermined palettes and subject matter.  The best place to do that is at Spoonflower - they work very hard on their weekly contests.

My Groovy Kitchen Collection, shown above, came from a Palette Restricted competition with a subject matter of Retro, Kitchen Related.  Didn't take long to figure out the palette we were given was from the 1970's...almost straight out of Judy Chicago's Dinner Party opening banners!

Here's another new collection that sprang from the subject matter of Motorcycles - which had to be included or be the starting point of the design:

I was a little worried by the palette I had selected, until I opened one of my favorite blogs this morning - The Adventures of Tartanscot, written by Scott Meacham Wood, and saw these images:

So there you go.  I'm remembering now that when you are in your studio, you have to jump into a swiftly moving river and not fight the current.  Once you do that, you wind up at a place not even on the map.

Which is Exactly Where I Want To Be!

I'm off to do my sit-ups.  Have a Lovely Day...

Weight Loss, Your New Body, and Fajas

See This?

And This?

And Her?

What all these images have in common, besides hair extensions and gorgeous good looks are Fajas.

In case you don't already know, a Faja is a support garment that was initially manufactured and worn after liposuction or other plastic surgery in South America - potentially the plastic surgery capital of the world.   According to the NY Times this morning, Fajas have started creeping out of South America and are becoming explosively popular in America, especially among Latino women.  And Caucasian women.  And Asian women.  And so on.  One of the major manufacturers out of Columbia said their exports increased 47% last year.

Why am I showing you this?  Because, when you loose weight rather rapidly, and you are over ...ahem... 50, let's say, you are left with loose skin.  Especially in your tummy region.  So while you are doing your sit-ups every morning, and walking Every Day to tighten and tone your New Body, you may be getting impatient with how your previously stretched skin isn't snapping back quickly enough for you.

Enter the Faja.

A Faja is like Spanx on steriods.  Take a look at this one, recommended for after pregnancy:

It includes a derriere enhancer, so you can look like J Lo.  You have to source out the hair extensions yourself...I hear they are very uncomfortable to install.

In case you want to shop around, here is a link to a Faja Boutique in Miami...

Happy Shopping!  They have a sale running right now, and I may run into you there...

All photos, except for Jennifer Lopez, came from their website.

Thanks, Mom

My older brother posted our Mom's photo on his Facebook page today.  I was startled, because for an instant, I thought I was looking at myself from a much earlier time...

Somehow, I never saw that resemblance before, although people said I looked just like her when I was younger.  Which always made me mad, because I was young and she was old, for goodness sakes.  My gracious.  Now I wish I could go back and visit with her, and find out how she styled that hair-do.  And tell her how pretty she was;  how vastly talented; and how very much I appreciate the gifts she passed on to me.

 

Thanks, Mom.

Loosing Weight and Finding...My Ribs!

Good Heavens.  In the single-minded quest for a waist, I forgot about what else would emerge from the excessive Real Estate I was hauling around.  My ribs!  I had forgotten how the bottom of a rib cage felt - you know, those bones that get slowly buried under progressive layers of lard as one eats oneself into oblivion.

  I have my waistline in my sights now, and I'm still not hungry.  This is amazingly easy, and I'm ashamed now when I think of all that fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, pinto beans and cornbread, and especially those fried pork chops (my favorite) that I ate with such abandon...

This morning, I'm having a big bowl of Blueberries, eating them with my fingers two by two (better that way) along with a side of Sesame Melba Toast that I've quickly bronzed in my counter top oven.  It's warm and crunchy, and makes both my nose and my mouth happy.

The above image of Blueberries is courtesy of  Science Daily, which posted this article about how they may reduce Belly Fat.  And balance out your glucose levels, among other things.  Besides that, they are Yummy.

When eaten atop a bowl of steel cut oats, you have pretty much cleared your arteries, lowered your glucose levels, brought your cholesterol under control, and basically saved your own life.  With every warm, delicious bite.  I'm eating these oats at least a couple times a week for breakfast, always topped with fruit.

Since I'm so fascinated by what happened when I quit eating myself to death, I've been looking around for an occasional low-cholesterol substitute for the chicken breast I normally eat every day for lunch.  And discovered that Lentils are a great way to get protein without cholesterol.  Lentils are fast cooking, unlike other dried beans, and simply delicious.

Although fairly high in carbohydrates, they are also high in fiber so you feel full for hours.  A whole cup of lentils has about 225 calories and is packed with folic acid, iron, calcium and magnesium.  That's a chemical way of saying they are Very Good For You.  I'm adding these to the menu at least twice a week, cooked in  chicken broth that has had all the fat skimmed off, and punched up with onions, jalapenos, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro on top.  Yum, yum!

Now.  These two - oats and beans - are high in carbs, which can add bulk to your belly, but they're good for you.  This is where the rule of Being Aware of What You Eat comes into play.  If you've had oats at breakfast, don't have beans at lunch that day.  Simple.

I'm going to send you over to Tish Jett's Blog for some marvelous advice on how to conquer - getting raw, here - Bloat!  You'll want to roam around her site for awhile; she has great advice on all manner of things that are germane to all of us who are over...40.  Or 50.  Or...