Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

Saturday eventually got better after the rain stopped and the sun came out, even if it was humid. Sarah and Dennis came over for dinner and the food was amazing. Per Sarah’s suggestion, Steve went to our newest fish monger, Captain Craig’s, for some wild salmon and sea bass. Both were spectacular pieces of fish. We seasoned the salmon with our favorite, [Penzey’s Northwoods](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysnorthwoods.html), and did a [Trinidad](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeystrinidad.html) mix on the sea bass. Thanks to Steve’s amazing ability to perfectly grill, both were outstanding. The Trinidad seasoning made the sea bass taste buttery and the salmon was rich and zesty. I made a mushroom 7-grain pilaf and Sarah brought a spinach salad made with greens from her garden. We topped off the meal with some white wine, strawberry shortcake and a rousing game of Spades. All in all, a great start to the holiday weekend.

Today we’re off to [Greg and Steve’s](http://gregoryholman.blogspot.com/) for a late lunch, then a possible dinner/Trivia Night with Matt, Sarah, Mick and Carrie at [Patton Alley Pub](http://www.pattonalleypub.com/). Tomorrow is dinner at Duane and Prudy’s. So much for a relaxing weekend at home!

I had plans this morning that did not include rain. I was going to get up early, go to Lowe’s, stop by the Farmer’s Market, come home and plant flowers. Instead, I awoke to thunder and lightening and there’s no end in sight. Steve and I have been enjoying a relaxing morning in our “coffee area” in the kitchen hoping for a break in the weather, but it hasn’t happened. I guess we’ll spend the day working inside which is a good thing as our house is a pit. Hope wherever you are is sunny, warm and wonderful.

Yesterday Steve had a Business to Business thing to attend in Arkansas so I went along for the ride. The event was held at a hotel that was near a gorgeous outdoor mall which meant only one thing to me – shopping at the Gap. I’ve been purging my closet of things I don’t wear and trying to find new items besides black t-shirts and crop pants. I stated earlier in the season that I was not going to wear crop pants, but I had to lift the ban. Jeans are just too hot and I don’t want to wear shorts every day. What I am doing is wearing more of an ankle length pant with a skinnier leg. I just don’t want the baggy mid-calf crop of past years. Because I have such long legs, I decided to buy the ankle length jeans which make them the perfect length for crops. I’m also making Steve’s wardrobe my project so I found some great new casual pants and a navy linen shirt for him. Because I was killing time, I wandered into the Coach store where I found the most lovely [burnt orange bag](http://www.coach.com/content/product.aspx?product_no=11081&category_id=904). I strongly hinted to Steve that it would make a nice b-day gift for me, but in reality I think it’s much too expensive. Perhaps if he gets a nice comp check or something, but we don’t normally do such large gifts. Still, it’s one of the nicest bags I’ve seen since, well, last fall when I bought the patent bag. I’ve been disenchanted with Coach since they started all the crappy logo and patchwork bags, but when they do something nice, they really know how to wow me.

Today is errand day and I’ll be catching up on all the things I didn’t do while I was out playing yesterday. Guess I’d better quit typing and get to working!

Years ago my dad gave Steve his old red [Craftsman tool chest](http://www.craftsman.com/toolsequipment.html). It has four shallow drawers on the top piece, and two drawers and a large cabinet on the bottom piece. Steve was thrilled and put it in the garage for all of his tools. Fast forward several years and I have a metals studio started in our basement. Steve had mentioned the tool cabinet a few times and offered to clean it out for me to use, but I declined thinking I hated him to give up such a nice cabinet if he really needed it. Finally, this weekend, Steve told me he really didn’t use it and I could have it. He took apart the two pieces and now I have a lovely four-drawer unit on top of my bench and the two drawer/cabinet unit under my soldering table. Everything is getting so organized! I’m still cleaning up the window installation mess in the basement, but things are slowly getting organized and cleaned. I’m gearing up for what I hope is a creative and productive summer!

School is officially over and I now am faced with an empty schedule. Plans this summer include cleaning the basement and studio, pushing myself creatively and experimenting with enamels. In case anyone is interested, I did receive an “A” in my class, but more importantly, I received some really nice words from Kevin. It was a good end to a class that was often frustrating for me. Kevin and I butted heads in the beginning and many of the students annoyed me with their lack of work, but I did learn some cool new stuff. I’m actually considering setting up a powder coating area in the studio. I swear, my work area gets bigger and bigger each year. Perhaps I should tighten things up a bit.

Speaking of work area, as many of you know I had new windows installed. They are wonderful except now anyone can see into my studio. I don’t think it’s too obvious from the street, but I still don’t want strangers to have a clear view of my tools and supplies. I planted window boxes outside the windows, but still think I need more privacy without sacrificing light. Suggestions?

I recently submitted two pieces to a show and received this email today:

Hello Tammy,
 Thank you for your entry in Form, Fabricate, and Forge. I am pleased to inform you that your entry 80 Untitled has been excepted. 

Notice anything weird? Look again. Apparently this email, from a graduate student, informs me that my piece has been “excepted” into the show. Obviously she’s not an English major. Hell, I wonder if she even speaks English. Sad, so sad.

Last night’s crit goes down in my history as one of the longest and most frustrating. We began at 6:30 p.m. and I finally left at 11 p.m. even though it wasn’t officially over. The Intermediate group went first and set the tone for the evening. Not a single piece was done. Over a 4 1/2 month period, nobody had finished any of their projects. By the time we reached the last Intermediate student (a girl who showed up for class half the time), my patience was gone. I, nicely but firmly, voiced my frustration with all the unfinished work. I reminded everyone that deadlines are important and changes in designs can be done on the second or third piece. Seriously, these students change their ideas constantly and don’t commit to a project. I was also frustrated with Kevin for not stating this, but didn’t mention it during the crit. Luckily, almost all of the Advanced students had finished work which made critiquing the designs much more productive.

It’s raining here again and temps have dropped which does very little for my mood. I did manage to drag myself out of the house and to the gym, but have little desire to do much else. After skipping last week (and eating too many chips last night) I decided I should weigh in at Weight Watchers. Unbelievably I lost 1.4 pounds, which makes up for the 1.4 pounds I gained three weeks ago. When I told Sarah, who’s supposed to be my WW buddy and support, she exclaimed, “F%&k you!” I had to laugh. She’s frustrated because she’s back to the weight she started at two months ago. It’s still hard to feel sorry for her because she looks great, but I do understand her frustration. Been there, done that.

We have a busy weekend ahead. My sister and her family are visiting, we’re having a retirement party for my mom, and I have a bathroom to clean! Hope you have a great rest of the week and a relaxing weekend.

Well, my final project is done and all I have left is the critique (crit) which is today. First, we’ll start by cleaning the school studio (which is a pit) then continue with the crit at Kevin’s house tonight. Because the crit will take so long (two classes of students), Kevin is trying to make it more enjoyable with a cookout. Which reminds me, I have a cake to bake!

The final project was to incorporate powder coating into the piece. Because powder coating is extremely durable, we were to create something that would celebrate the durability of the coating as well as adding color. I chose to create two sets of rings/pendants that were cast. I started by carving the piece from wax. Once it was cast and cleaned up, I powder coated the pieces. I sanded off areas to create the final look. All pieces are slightly different, including the design carved into them. The idea was to take the core design and break it up over the other pieces. I decided to use red for my color since I liked the contrast. Here’s the group:

Here are just the rings. Yes, they are wearable and are actually comfortable. They fit me (of course).

Here are the necklaces. The round one is 1 1/4″ in diameter and the rectangle is 1 1/2″ high.

And I’m sure you’re dying to know what became of the monkeys. They were made into a charm bracelet for a customer for Mother’s Day. It’s so cute!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. I chose not to become a mother, a choice I’m very happy with, but I appreciate all the sacrifices and hard work other women go through to raise children.

I spent the day with my mom and had a very nice time. First, we went to brunch, then a little shopping at TJ Maxx and Marshall’s, then a neighborhood home tour. The weather was crisp and windy, but sunny and clear so it was nice to walk around the ‘hood and enjoy the sunshine.

I have a lot of admiration and respect for my mom. Sure, she has driven me crazy in the past (and still does occasionally), but I think she’s a great mom. So to my mom I say thanks. Thanks for raising me to be an independent, opinionated person. Thanks for instilling great values in me. Thanks for all the sacrifices you made for me over the years. Most of all, thanks for being my mom and loving me unconditionally. 

I guess it’s a sign I’m getting old. I’m actually excited about the new windows being installed in the basement. Seriously, it’s like Christmas for me. Yesterday, Pavel (trainer *and* contractor) installed two of the six windows in our basement and they are gorgeous. I didn’t realize just how bad the old ones were until I had new ones in their place. Gone are the old wood frames, cracked glass and painted screens. Now I have new vinyl windows that slide open and actually lock without using duct tape. Plus, I don’t feel any kind of air coming through the cracks. Maybe the energy savings will help these windows pay for themselves. In the meantime, I’ll just enjoy being able to look outside while I work.

Well, as many of you know, I’ve suffered for the past few months from a case of bad hair days. I do think that may have come to an end. After my talk with Duane on Tuesday, I called my former stylist Brook and begged for her forgiveness. She laughed, told me she doesn’t hold grudges and booked me an appointment for yesterday. Yes, I had to go a bit shorter than planned, but it looks so much better! She trimmed off the overly-razored ends, reshaped the neckline and sides and took out the weird lump I had on top. While I’m not a fan of the way she styled it, I think I love the cut. This morning, at the gym, one of the guys told me it looked much better (he should know since he’s a stylist) and I think that’s a good sign considering it wasn’t styled in any way. I haven’t yet done it myself, but I’m already anticipating it being better. Steve told me my face looked thinner so at least I’ve got that going for me!