DoChamp

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

M.G. — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:42:53 +0000

Recycled Rest Area

As a disclaimer, this project may not be the best to recreate as it involves a few time consuming tasks that could be dealt with better by a more crafty pair of hands, but it does make use of those old throw pillows that plague thrift stores.

Fueled by annoyance of the hefty price tag on a new dog bed and the lack of large sized ones on craigslist, I decided to re-purpose items in my means to create a one of a kind plop down spot for Delaware. I scoured the bins of second hand pillows on 50% off day at my local thrift store for a pattern scheme that would mesh well with red dog hair and my old lady home decor. My original plan was to simply sew the pillows together but I realized the necessary task of washing would be impossible. So, I changed course post-purchase – disemboweling each and stitching their fabric together in a quilt like fashion. Then, I re-sized an old duvet and sewed the quilt of old pillow faces to it. (To modify, one could easily sew the quilt of cases to a sheet thus creating a duvet.) Taking the stuffing from the disembowelment, I filled 4 standard sized pillow cases, sewed them shut, and placed them into the duvet. Voila – a unique, recycled, washer-friendly doggie mattress. Now…getting Delaware to prefer it over our bed will be a different challenge in re-purposing.

Me + De'

Rice n’ Roll

M.G. — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:24:21 +0000

We’ve had a bag of sushi rice in our cupboard for over a year (it’s even survived a move…or two) patiently waiting to be rolled in seaweed. The bag must have been an impulsive and not fully thought out purchase – as we didn’t immediately run home and attempt to make our own yummy sushi. But the time finally came to try, when we happened upon a roller mat and spoon at our local market. Using only the directions on the back of the bag, we decided on going the simple veggie only route: cucumber and avocado with sesame seeds. Things got a little sloppy but we seemed to get better as we went – though the results may resemble burritos more than sushi rolls… Here’s a picture series of our process:

The Ingredients

Dinner Time!

Bock! Bock! Who’s There?

M.G. — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:17:25 +0000

Tony as Vanna

The chicken coop is near completion and I cannot wait ’til the chickens come home to roost. Wait, I think that means, well, nevermind… Still, it’ll be nice to stop paying $6 for local farm fresh eggs, walk outside and grab a few backyard farm fresh eggs for the morning scrambler. Tony and his dad worked to make the frame (mostly out of scrap wood), I scooped about a tablespoon of dirt for one of the posts and stretched some fencing (I’m busy, yo), and Delaware mainly barked at invisible intruders and fell asleep in the sun (he is not busy). Tony got some initial ideas of where to begin with building a coop by checking out a chicken coops building plans book from our local library. He is also following advice from the Storey’s Guide to Raising Poultry on how to raise ‘em. We have a stack of Storey’s books on a variety of animal rearing topics – a handy collection for any homesteader wannabe. Photos of the finished structure soon!

frame of the chicken coop

The Front Yard

M.G. — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:15:32 +0000

We live in the city proper, but being as we are situated at the edge of a park on a dead end street – this is essentially our front yard.

the front yard

So, on the most recent big snow day we decided to finally take advantage of the steep hill that is steps away from the here’s a hot chocolate warm up, take those wet socks off comforts of our home to go sledding. We invited the nephew ’round and, as long as you protected your face on the way down from the chasing leaps and bounds of our easily excitable puppy, it was a pretty exhilarating ride.

Some Like it Chaud!

M.G. — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:32:30 +0000

Geraldine and Josephine have arrived on the Free Earth Farm urban edition scene. It took a bit of coaxing (and a higher wire fence) to get them to remain in their new living quarters – see previous post for the making of that structure – but now they seem right at home. Tony found this pair of second generation Miniature Alpine sisters on a farm in Ken Caryl, Colorado. They’re both with kid and we’re expecting the joy of animal birth in our backyard sometime in March (the gestation period is 5 months). Then it will be time to test out the homemade milking stand and the curdling begins! Chevre spreads at all our spring time get-togethers! Unfortunately, we won’t have room to keep the wee ones… Anyone want a baby goat?

Shed No More

M.G. — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:49:30 +0000

Tony is hard at work this winter transforming our backyard into the urban version of his West Virginia farm dreams. The central fixture of the yard used to be a beat up metal shed with no doors. It housed some scrap wood, shovels in several stages of disrepair, and our worm compost. It was also the summer dugout of several neighborhood alley cats and (briefly) a family of skunks. I voted complete annihilation of the eyesore vagrant carriage house but the secondary plan of moving it to the far corner and converting its remainder into goat quarters proved to be a feat of d.i.y. re-purposing glory. Using mostly said scrap wood once housed inside the shed and the planks of our deconstructed deck, Tony built a divider within the shed, two gates, and a surrounding pen. He’s most proud of his design skills on the gate blocking the hay storage and milking area. A recent change in the Denver ordinance allows residents to own two goats and up to eight chickens with a one time permit fee of $20. We’re planning on having both! Here’s to our homesteading future.

Baby Pictures

M.G. — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:28:12 +0000

This past weekend I helped host a close friend’s baby shower. I wanted to contribute something edgier than “guess the type of chocolate by licking this diaper” game – which I had never even heard of until we had our first planning committee meet. The baby shower was co-ed and held at a local bar, so I figured the unusual was fair game. Instead of asking everyone to bring in photos of themselves as babies, I brought the baby photos to them. Manipulating the idea of the carnival cut out (since I haven’t drawn in years), I decided to make a 3D cut out board using a baby doll, a rattle, and interchangeable bibs. I added the fabric mainly to cover the cardboard but also to give the effect of a baby lying in a crib. I even fashioned the diaper myself out of muslin and safety pins. Below are snapshots of the process – my favorite being Delaware’s reaction to my dismantling of the baby’s head (it was a talking doll – and in my maniacal slasher state I kept turning it on to get a reaction – spooky).

The Process - Old Cardboard Box + Brackets + Boards

Delaware Stares Down Robot Baby

Process - Behead + Add Head

Interchangeable Bibs for Personalized Photos

I was also in charge of the Gift Card Basket "Sugar + Spice + Everything Nice"

Point Pleasant

M.G. — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:25:38 +0000

Last night we watched the film many a documentary watching acquaintance has asked if Tony has seen when they hear he’s from West Virginia – The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. With all its hillbilly twisted nonsense, I can see why some are wary of backcountry culture and don’t accept Tony’s many invitations to visit him on his mountain. But as a short segment of the film points out, though most viewers will take it to that end regardless, this is not a portrait of the state West Virginia – this is a portrait of one screwed up family (I’m paraphrasing). Which brings me to our most recent “trip” together – Point Pleasant, W.V. We we’re there for a day to check out a heirloom hog operation - Black Oak Holler Farm in Mason County – so Tony could gain some inspiration from the proprietors Chuck & Nadine. While strolling through the partially deserted main street, I learned Point Pleasant also has cinematic ties to The Mothman Prophecies – the supernatural creature was sighted in this small town in the late 1960s. The main strip is host to a Mothman museum which was unfortunately closed during our visit, so instead we took in the enormous and impressive mural along the Ohio River showing the history of this small town.

Supernatural West Virginia Welcome

Hey, look behind you!

Main Street with My Main Man (and Mothman)

History comes to life...

Dela-where?

Sweet Skulls

M.G. — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:32:48 +0000

The most haunted my Halloween got this season was a sugar skull decorating party hosted by Denver Craft Ninjas, a group I recently tripped over that coordinates get togethers for makings sake. Not so scary an affair but definitely a nice family friendly time to spend with my baby incubating and baby raising lady friends. No trick or treaters at the new digs even though I did stretch out some cobwebs and hung up my dead twin skeleton from last year’s costume on the porch. Guess kids aren’t gonna waste time on a half street that dead ends. Here’s my sloppy sugar skull for your critique…

Put me on your altar!

Autumn in New York

M.G. — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:29:36 +0000

Three reasons to plan a trip to NYC this Fall:

'Sleep No More' Macbeth PHOTO CREDIT: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

#1 Punchdrunk‘s Sleep No More (’til Nov. 12th) – Shakespeare’s Macbeth staged on six floors of the McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea. Pop up, immersive theatre – where patrons supplied with masks explore intricately decorated rooms as the characters of the play move from each setting. I read a review of the performance in The New Yorker this past spring (had to read it twice, I was so giddy with the genius of the concept) but didn’t pounce on my NYC for two days opportunity to see it. I think I went to some clam bar in Brooklyn instead. Geez. I cursed myself all the way home to Denver as I grew mad from hearing it mentioned everywhere. I thought I had missed out on a unique experience. Enter a friend’s post on Facebook (those Status Updates can be used for good) sending me on a search to find that the show has extended its run due to popularity. Visit The New York Times to peek at images and hear commentary on six of the rooms.

#2 DOC NYC (Nov. 2 – 10, 2011) – A documentary film festival at NYU and the IFC Center. Last year’s inaugural run included doc filmmaker heavyweights Werner Herzog and Errol Morris – good timing to start a new doc festival the same year Herzog’s 3D documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams and Morris’ beauty queen portrait Tabloid are on the circuit. They’ll be announcing this year’s schedule next week! Promptly following, I will be planning my “business” trip.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video.

#3 Third Rails Projects‘ Steampunk Haunted House: Through the Looking Glass (Oct. 22 – 31, 2011) at Abrons Art Center. The performance art and dance group bring back their house of horrors based on the Steampunk pseudo-Victorian aesthetic. Love the parasol spats fashion and creative rewriting of technological history embedded in this sub-culture. And those mechanical timepiece monocle octupus ray guns can be puh-retty scary.