Pasta for dinner

I got up this morning a went to two garage sales to look for fabrics and tins. Neither had good tins, but both had fabric remnants and scraps. Good finds! The second one also had a great old iron baby crib with layers and layers of green paint. I wanted it for my craft show display, but not for $125. Way too much money for the amount of time I spend at craft shows. Next I went to the flea market south of town. I was hoping there would be lots of vendors there since it was Labor Day weekend, but it was just the opposite. I did find some fabrics remnants, plus a vendor with Japanese indigo. Remember the poncho I posted earlier this week? The price for the indigo was higher than I wanted, but I did buy three pieces (I was hoping to get five). 

Today I Bacon Day. Who knew there was such a thing! It's an unofficial observance held on the Saturday before Labor Day in the U.S. Celebrations typically include social gatherings during which participants create and consume dishes containing of bacon. Unfortunately, I've thawed turkey meatballs to eat with pasta tonight. No bacon in the casita.

Today I'm creating pillows. On the way home from the flea market, I decided that I couldn't just sit around for the next three or four days until I return to Houston. So I stopped by the fabric store and found interfacing on sale for 50% off (I was out of it). I'm pulling out the sewing machine to see how many burlap pillows I can make. If I don't occupy myself, I'll want to go shopping ... and maybe eat bacon.

Mixed weather in Santa Fe

It can't decide whether it wants to rain or shine in the high desert this afternoon, so it has done some of both.
The pic-of-the-day was taken around 5 p.m. You can see there are dark skies and blue skies and wet streets.

Former co-worker, current friend, and sometimes client Kelli was in town yesterday to scout places for an upcoming meeting she is coordinating. We met in the bar about 5 p.m. at the Four Seasons where she was staying. After a refreshing cocktail and lots of catching up we went a little further out of town to Gabriel's for dinner. Good view and Mexican food, with even better margaritas. Then it was back to the Four Seasons for a nightcap. We sat out by the fire pit and enjoyed the starry, starry skies. Since it was such a special occasion, I broke my longstanding policy to only drink Baileys Irish Cream in December. Last night the Baileys was shaken (not stirred) over ice and then poured into a cold martini glass. Nectar of the gods! So yummy.

Today I'm creating nothing. Yesterday I packed up my sewing and tins so I took the day off from creating. I read about a shoe sale at one of my favorite stores so I went to check it out. I left empty handed. Next I walked to the other end of Sanbusca Market to a clothing store I like. I found two jackets there, both on sale, that I couldn't resist. They'll be perfect for the cooler months in Houston.

Thoughts about Leigh

For Leigh.

My cousin, Leigh, died today at 12:31 p.m. in Houston, exactly one week after her 60th birthday. This leaves many of us in sorrow and tears, but I know it's what Leigh wanted. She had many many surgeries for her cancer during the past two years along with radiation and chemo. For about a month she had been bedridden and continually asked when would "it" be over.

I'm so glad that when I was in Houston earlier in August I spent time with Leigh. And, as I wrote after I last saw her, I'm happy that the last words we said to each other were "I love you."

Today I'm creating time to remember Leigh. Since she was a little girl she giggled when she laughed. It drove our mothers crazy, but right now I'm smiling (and crying) as I think about her giggle.

A special find

Big ole' suitcase to use in my craft show displays.

After lunch I spent about an hour and half helping a real estate friend with some marketing ideas. He is always helping me, so I was happy to help him get organized and plan for the future.

Later I went to a resale shop to look for old Mexican tablecloths. I found many, but the shop thinks the tablecloths are more valuable than I do. While I was in the shop I found an big old suitcase (see pic of the day) for only $19.50. It's going to work really well in my display when I have craft shows. I may put a mirror on the inside of the lid so ladies can look at themselves when they try on jewelry.

Today I'm creating a delicious dinner for myself. I saw a recipe for chicken salad that uses avocado instead of mayo. I boiled the chicken this morning and have been waiting all day to try the recipe.

It's complete

Photos of bags to submit with my application to the
Santa Fe Recycle Festival.

After several online tries and multiple (unreturned) phone calls, I was finally able to get a silly tax number from New Mexico, which is required on my application to the Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival.

I started completing the festival application, but needed a Gross Receipts Tax number, which New Mexico abbreviates as CRS. Silly me. I would have abbreviated it Gross Receipts Tax as GRT, but I'm not part of the New Mexico government. Anyway, I could complete the CRS application online, except that whenever I got to a certain point I was stopped. After trying for days on my MacBook Pro, I decide there might be a communication problem between the State of NM and my Mac, so today I switched to the HP computer in the bedroom. Success! I got past the previous stopping point, only to find out I needed a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) number from the U.S. Census Department before I could complete my New Mexico CRS application and finish my Santa Fe Art Festival application. For every step forward I felt like I was taking two steps backwards, but all ended well. However, I'd like to state for the record that the New Mexico government may be slow, but the U.S. Census Department is confusing. The closest I could find to craft artist or artisan (my primary business in New Mexico) is manufacturing. There is a classification for art and recreation, but the classifications are all performing artists, not visual artists.

Today I'm creating a trip to the grocery store. One of the stores I like in Santa Fe is Sprouts, which I just read is opening a store in Houston. Today my trip will be to Albertson's because stores like Sprouts and Trader Joe's don't carry Quilted Northern toilet paper or Starkist tuna.

Plans to shut down the casita

Today I completed all the paperwork to enter the recycle festival in Santa Fe. I also took photos that show samples of my sewing and upcycled tin jewelry. Tomorrow I need to go to the tax office and apply for a New Mexico tax identification number. I've tried several times to complete the paperwork online, but it's not working. It's the last piece I need before I apply to the festival. Then all I can do is keep my fingers crossed for positive results. 

Pillows made from used burlap sacks.

Friends who have attended the festival in past years have been encouraging me to enter, so I wanted to sew as many pieces as I could and leave them here. When I get back to Houston I still have time to sew more if I get accepted into the festival. For now, I'm out of interfacing and have tons in Houston, so I decided that I'm finished sewing until I get back there. 

Today I'm creating one last tote bag that I have cut out. The small bags I've made don't have handles yet, so I'll work on those tomorrow, but for the most part my sewing is finished for now. I'll have a few days to do a couple of things before I return to Houston. A friend and former co-worker will be in town on Thursday and we're going to have cocktails and dinner. Then I'll begin the deep cleaning I do before closing the casita for a couple of months. Either next Tuesday or Wednesday I'll put the girls in the car and hit the road back to Houston. As usual, the summer has gone by quickly.  

Soft ponchos from Japanese indigo

At the two flea markets in Santa Fe, there are vendors from Africa who import all sorts of items. I especially like the textiles, such as the mud cloth from Africa. These same African vendors also sell Japanese indigo (go figure). Several retail stores in Santa Fe also sell indigo and mud cloth, but they buy it from the flea market vendors and mark it up.

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Japanese indigo was devised during the period from 1600-1868. First a design was cut onto tanned Japanese paper that consists of many layers glued together. The pattern was then placed on a sheet of textured cotton cloth. A paste of rice was spread over it and covered the parts of cloth where the patterns were cut out. Once the cloth was dipped in the Japanese indigo dye, the parts not covered with the rice paste were dyed a deep blue. I've seen indigo that's similar in design, but have never seen two exactly the same. Just like mud cloth from Africa, patterns are similar, but no two are exactly the same.

Today I'm creating totes and ponchos. I've already made two tote bags and will probably make two more, once my back recovers. I've also made three ponchos, two from indigo and one from a fabric that came from Guatemala. The pic-of-the-day is one of the ponchos I made out of indigo. It's really soft and cute. I can see wearing it over a long-sleeve t-shirt with jeans or leggings. I fought myself today because I wanted to go get more indigo and make more ponchos to sell. Would they sell?