story of the schminth scarf

the schminth scarf

I used to snip decorations out of construction paper and decorate my sister's room when she was coming home from college, even for a weekend! I was eight when she started school. Even though she kept in touch and sent me letters and funny stories in the mail (soap operas about oysters!) I missed her so much my heart hurt. Our mother had died the year before, and I was bereft and lonely, a small plastic boat lost at sea. So I would decorate her room, hide in it and "surprise" her every time she returned. 

When I sat down last week to design this new scarf I found myself cutting kraft paper in the same style as the decorations that filled her room. An old pattern, so familiar, revisited by my hands before my brain knew what it was making. So the schminth scarf is named for my sister Cynthia, who was generous enough to accept her fated role as surrogate mom and remains one of my best friends.

cheap shots, morning thoughts

quick morning thoughts:

sometimes the cheap camera phone is best, mostly when the real camera is at home.

working in white wool this morning, sculpting something like a barnacle moth? what is that? there is new construction going on next door, lots of clanging fences and idling diesel things, and somehow, a very strong wafting of suntan lotion.

taking a picture is a great way to get started on my day.

also, i'm plotting everything in Notebook right now and loving it ... collecting photos, planning collaborations, keeping my daily lists, hoarding my favorite quotes, organizing notes for my imaginary book ... i'm letting it hold the obsessions of my brain. so far, so good. i like having a brain repository.

secret lentil lookbook #1

Secret Lentil lookbook number one ... one abandoned building with every kind of decay you could hope for. this one is all black. Enjoy!

lookbook!