S-a-t-u-r-d-a-y NIGHT!

Nevermind the Bay City Rollers...it's Saturday.
I have a massage gig downtown this evening, but when that's all wrapped up I'm going home, putting my feet up, drinking some beer and watching "Bubba Ho-Tep." Yes indeed...because it's just that kind of day.
For those of you that haven't seen Bubba Ho-Tep, you really should check it out. Bruce Campbell plays a geriatric Elvis living in an east Texas retirement home who, along with the help of his side-kick Jack , who thinks he's JFK(played by Ossie Davis), does battle with an evil Egyptian mummy.



Sheer Genius.

thursday's bullet points about ghosts and coffee

because my thursdays are hectic this will be to the point:

* Ghost hunters ROCKED last night...although I disagree with their interpretation of the second EVP they captured...they heard "I will do this." Do we all become Shakespearian actors when we die? I certainly don't know anyone who speaks that way. I heard "I will..." and then a word that begins with a "th" sound. They should seriously consider bringing in a speech pathologist as a consultant...they would, without a doubt, be able to more accurately decipher EVPs since they specialize in recognizing speech patterns.

* My mom was sweet enough to swing by my house this morning with a cup of coffee from McDonalds for me...and I hate to admit this, but McDonalds sugar-free vanilla coffee blows Starbucks version out of the water. *hangs head in shame* Those of you who know me, know I despise chains like McDonalds, Burger King and the like for numerous reasons, but I'm afraid I will have to lift my boycott and make an allowance for their coffee. Delicious. Seriously. Yum.

other things i'm loving right now:

*Smith's Rosebud Salve: great multi-tasker...it makes you lips soft and shiny, makes my cuticles and nails (and i have a habit of picking at them when i'm anxious) look amazing, makes my elbows nice and soft, looks great on the cheeks for that dewy look and it smells fantastic. The only way this stuff could get any better is if it changed flat tires and did laundry.

*David Lynch: I have been resisting the urge to go on another Twin Peaks bender...whether this is due to my friend Charlene's recent visit (we would have TP marathons in high school, complete with coffee and cherry pie) or because my mother and I were talking about Kyle McLaughlin (sp?) I do not know.

*Spray Paint: it's ability to simplify crafting projects is AWESOME.

*Special K protein water: as a vegetarian I am always looking for a little extra protein. Since I started drinking this once a day I have noticed I have more energy...who knows whether it's due to the extra protein or the fact that it is LOADED with b vitamins.

Hope you all have a smashing Thursday.

We're All Mad Here

My photo "Forgotten" is currently featured in an absolutely stunning (and seriously spooky) artist treasury. It's titled {{We're all mad here}}.
This is one of the most talent-filled and drool-worthy treasuries I've seen in a long time and I am so completely flattered to be included. Thank you to xenya for putting this wonderful collection together.

some babbling

Here's the newest addition to my shop. It's one of my favorite photos of my friends Colby and Aaron taken during
one of their body suspension performances with ICU in Austin many many years ago.

I have had too much caffeine this morning. I'm shaking like a leaf.
I had a million things I wanted to say today...about Memorial Day and relationships and appreciation and loss...but now that I'm here, typing, I simply can't find the words...
how funny.

It's Sunday...

Since it's Sunday I thought I would take the easy way out today (not only is it my favorite day...have you ever noticed how quiet Sundays are?...but this particular Sunday I have a ton of projects to finish...) and post a list...let's make it a list of essential films, shall we? Movies, both old and new, that everyone should see at least once in their life (or, if you're like me, 80 or 90 times...yeah...i know...)
So here it goes:

*Harvey
*Buffalo 66
*You Can't Take It With You
*Jezebel
*Gaslight
*Road to Morocco
*Arsenic and Old Lace
*Heathers
*The Outsiders
*Roadracers
*Rebel Without A Cause
*Suburbia (the 1980's version...not the one that came out in the 90's)
*Penelope
*True Grit
*Gormenghast
*Bleak House
*La Jetee (this is the short film that 12 Monkeys was based on)
*Willard
*Romper Stomper
*Bartleby (the version with Crispin Glover)
*Titus
*Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
*Sid & Nancy
*Stand By Me
*Cold Mountain
*Man Bites Dog
*Amelie
*Delicatessen
*16 Candles (THE BEST of the John Hughes brat pack films...let's face it...The Breakfast club SUCKED...it's an entire film based on high school stereotypes...it would have made a better after school special than a feature film...)
*Beatlejuice
*Trainspotting
*Welcome to the Dollhouse
*Pi
*Secretary
*Donnie Darko
*Boondock Saints
*Mystery Train
*Slackers
*Some Like It Hot
*Benny & Joon
*Death Becomes Her
*The Evil Dead Trilogy
*Star Wars (as thought that needs to be said)
*Cemetery Man
*George Washington Slept Here
*A Patch of Blue
*Dead Alive
*Any and All of George Romero's zombie films
*Giant
*Bubba Ho Tep
*Romeo Is Bleeding
*Fire Walk With Me
*Battle Angel
*The Iron Giant
*To Kill A Mockingbird
*Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
*Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

I'd better stop or this could go on for days and days and days...
but rest assured there will be more to come in a future post...
i love movies.

things that go bump in the night

I LOVE Wednesdays. Wednesday nights I geek out on my paranormal crack: Ghost Hunters....and they're back with new episodes next week.
Woohoo!
I have been obsessed with ghosts since, at least as far as I can remember, the age of 2.
I have no recollection as to what sparked my interest, but since my childhood I have had many interestingexperiences involving many different aspects of the paranormal. I even lived in a very active haunted house complete with disembodied voices, multiple interactions by multiple people (myself included) with a full bodied apparition and the usual "poltergeist"-esque activity (slamming doors and the like) when I was in my early 20's and living in San Marcos, Texas. Once he and I established our personal boundaries (like no scaring the daylights out of me by banging about the house in the middle of the night, or the middle of the day for that matter!) he actually proved to be the best and most respectful roommate I ever had...he never ate my food or drank my beer or Bushmills.

I love visiting haunted locations. For those of you that are interested, here are some of my photos and links to my favorite "haunts:"
(sorry, but the pun simply HAD to be made.)

The Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana:



images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

Rosedown Plantation, St. Francisville, Louisiana:


images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

Jefferson Davis Memorial Hospital (now artist lofts), Houston, Texas
*photo taken prior to renovations*

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

La Carafe, Houston, Texas

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

Bath, England

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs


Tower of London, London, England

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

Warwick Castle, Warwick, England

images copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

The Driskill Hotel, Austin, Texas
*note: this photo is from http://www.showcook.co.za/ *


If you would like to discover haunted locations in your area (or a wealth of information on other paranormal topics ranging from UFO's to cryptozoology) then check out this GREAT reference site:
The Shadowlands main page

Albert Einstein and the Wonders of Glass

"I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind."

-Albert Einstein

"waiting" copyright 2008 down & dirty designs

I love the imagery and design of the 1940's and 1950's. Who knew it could be so gorgeously recreated in glass? I never knew I needed a glass girdle until I saw her work. I give to you the genius of sewn glass (yes, I said sewn glass) that is Taylor Glasgow. Enjoy!
The following images are property of Taylor Glass.

Coffee Cake Recipe


Acme GlamourWear Girdle


Good Girl Bad Girl Coffee Pot



Brilliant and hilarious.

makes me smile

I was listening to the radio yesterday when Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young" came on. I couldn't stop smiling...not because I'm a Billy Joel fan, but because it reminded me of something I had completely forgotten about...

Many moons ago I used to travel around the country working at Renaissance Fairs. At the Arizona fair I managed a pottery booth. I had a hawker, for privacy purposes I shall refer to him as L, who would stand out front all day telling jokes and singing songs to draw in business.

One night, I was walking down the trail to my campsite with my then boyfriend when we bumped into L. He was carrying his ukulele and smiling (as usual) from ear to ear. He proceeded to drop to one knee and serenade us, on his ukulele mind you, with "only the good die young."

It was just one of those wonderful random moments that, I'm quite sure, will still make me smile when I'm old and grey.



And if truth be told, I'll take L's ukulele rendition over Billy's any day.

When you leave

the text inside the silhouette (which was taken from a Meat Beat Manifesto song called "Love Mad"...I believe it was a b-side) reads: "when you leave, take me with you."
i wish the dried violets, which were originally vibrant hadn't browned...
but somehow, given what was going on when i created this
piece, it seems only appropriate that the
color faded to such a dingy shade...who knew violets could predict the future?
a perfect example of art imitating life...

on a completely unrelated note: is there anyone, other than myself, that remembers Laura Brannigan?
just curious.

oh cruel world

the good news:

Tom Waits is touring.

image courtesy of tomwaits.com
the bad news:

tickets are RIDICULOUSLY expensive, you can only buy 2 per person and they are damn near close to being sold out...a miracle would be lovely right about now.

last night

It rained last night. That may well be an understatement. The sky exploded last night. Ordinarily I love the rain...there are few things better than a good thunderstorm...but last night...BLURGH!
I woke up to a super loud clap of thunder that shook my house around 3:30 am. I rolled over and went back to sleep...well...tried to go back to sleep...the power went off, which, in and of itself, is not a problem...but what is a
problem is the fact that when my power goes out the smoke alarm in my bedroom beeps...LOUDLY...and it doesn't stop until the power is back on...so I spent the wee hours of the morning today listening to a deafening
BEEEEEEEEEP sound every 3 minutes...this continued until 6:15 this morning.
As you can well imagine, I am an absolute delight to be around today.
*checks watch*
When is nap time?

Been A Long Time

I thought I would share some of my old journal entries...nothing mind-blowing... just some collages, drawings, paintings and the like that I have done over the years. I found that I could document events visually instead of keeping the traditional diary...by keeping a visual record I can not only track personal events,
milestones and situations but I can maintain a level of privacy that the written word simply doesn't provide. An art journal also allows viewers to draw their own conclusions as to what event spurred a particular creation. Due to my schedule and complete lack of space I am feeling rather creatively challenged as of late...
I am hoping that pulling out these older pieces will help encourage me to create again...to remember there are no mistakes and that, at the end of the day, I create for my own joy, my own pleasure.

I've also signed up with technorati...is anyone else familiar with it? seems like an easy way to find and keep track of inspiring & interesting blogs...*shrugs shoulders*