banksy tags the simpsons

i missed last night's episode of the simpson's because i was at a tiki bar enjoying myself with friends...but i caught the opening on youtube this morning...and it was great! banksy has sort of gone mainstream.

burst at the artisphere

i am sitting outside writing my random blog posts: the sun is dropping rather quickly now and i just got a little chill! or maybe i'm getting chills because i am excited about the party in arlington tonight to celebrate the opening of the 62,000 square foot artisphere in the old newseum space. there is a lot going on over there: exhibition space, concert and performance areas as well as laser light make out (!) theaters (2!). the party starts at 8...ends at 2 and features house diva ultra nate all the way from charm city: holla!

rat control

i saw this dead rat laying in the middle of the street...yuck.

most dangerous neighborhood?

wow...i was shocked to see the navy yard area in southeast dc named as the ninth most dangerous neighborhood in the country! really? i dont think so, but they have the stats to prove it. this neighborhood is near capitol hill, and i have lot of friends who live there, including mann of mannmade designs...and hello cupcake is opening their second branch there...do i even need to mention the marines (hot, but dont ask and dont tell)? this hood is filled with great shops, great restaurants and great people. i have never felt threatened or frightened when visiting, and most everyone on the street says 'hello!', which is typical of most places in dc and its surrounding burbs...so, all i am saying is, its worth the risk to go and hang out there, but watch your back, i guess!

my new favorite etsy shop

today, these fab fingerless gloves arrived from ankara, turkey, home of the amazing elde: i am in love! not that i like cold weather or anything, but these marvelous mitts will at least make it more bearable! i am eyeing a few more pairs...

i caught a fish!

i went to cockrell's creek seafood and bought myself a rockfish to eat...

part of my new series of sterling silver animal and gemstone inspired jewelry. my sister sent me the beautiful abalone shell.

what would you do for a klondike?

now that is devotion: delicious devotion!

festive weekend

there was so much going on around here today, it left my head spinning...and it continues! if you missed art on the avenue in delray or crafty bastards downtown, i feel sorry for you. hopefully, you werent there because you put your activist hat on and marched down to the national mall for today's big rally. tomorrow go to fell's point for all kinds of festivities in charm city.

spiders in my studio

my opinion of spiders in my studio is conflicted: on one hand, i am highly allergic to most spider bites...on the other, they eat the humpback crickets that reside above my soldering station: they scare me more than the spiders.

hotel washington

i had drinks at p.o.v. @ the hotel washington...the views are awesome...the fake velvet rope: not so much.

the godfather

of go go, that is, chuck brown will perform the final free concert at woodrow wilson plaza today, 5pm. start getting happy a little early...dont forget your cowbell!

national adopt a shelter pet day

i wish: but its not true...doesnt exist, even...but, people who love animals are trying to make it happen!

please be one of the 250,000 plus voices lobbying the-very-busy-but still-listening president obama for a day dedicated to man's-best-friend-but-got-left-behind-somehow. it is so easy: its online and already done for you at freekibble.com. the project ends september 30, so hurry up!

thank you daily candy for the heads up!

severe thunderstorm warning

i am really hoping these cumulus clouds will turn into actual precipitation  tonight: we haven't had a serious rain event in weeks and my trees look stressed!  im hearing a little thunder but not seeing any action...but i am hopeful: we are under the warning til 10pm.

museum of animal perspectives

like animals? check out the museum of animal perspectives: an online tour of streaming/recent  cameras inside of animals houses and around their habitats...there is a lobster in maine...a kingfisher somewhere in the soviet union...and a laughing kookaburra in australia...and much much more! actually, very cool site.

midget wrestling

why is the mister attending this politically incorrect event...and sending me photos??? not weird at all...

dawanda

in addition to my herban elements and design options etsy shop, i have a european virtual store via dawanda, high contrast it is called. i dont pay as much attention to this venue as i should, but i did sell something today: these great bird on a wire earrings in natural copper...

weekend stuff to do

arts on foot is so great and just one of a myriad of weekend shizz to do...and you should get out cuz the weather has not been finer in a while!

•dc shorts is a film festival featuring 97 movies 24 minutes or less (hence: 'shorts'): its the perfect prescription for the add/adhd crowd! the grand bash is tonight at the navy memorial plaza: get over there and party hard...oh, yeah: and watch some films! thru next thursday...
•celebrate yet another new project over there near the nationals' stadium: the yards park is now officially open and they are having a festival to prove it! it is supposedly "the centerpiece" of the newly renovated waterfront: guess i will have to check that out...there will be pies...
•page to stage is a free event at the kennedy center sunday and monday featuring a lot of theatrics and possibly some jazz hands.
•happy architecture week! there will be many events celebrating the nation's capital and its multitude of foreign embassies...get your a.i.a. on, but dont forget your passport.

new iPhone

Enjoying a lovely meal with the mister @ rock creek before picking up my new iPhone.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

arts on foot

arts on foot started today: immerse yourself in art while the weather is fantastic here in the nation's capitol! buy stuff at the fine art marketplace...attend one of the many activities like crafts, theatre and dance demos...watch a film...eat some food and drink argentinian wines...sounds like a good thursday to me!

graphic novels

i collect books...but i dont necessarily read all of them. i used to read constantly when i was a kid: from the san francisco chronicle, to the trilogy of the rings...the lion, the witch and the wardrobe series (did not know of the friendship between the two authors until today), and then malcolm x's autobiography, as well as anything tom wolfe...to my parent's college text books: i  was reading it...taking it in. but after like, eleven years of college, i dont really read books anymore. i do read the wall street journal daily, aol.com...occasionally tmz and perez hilton, as well as everything on etsy...additionally,  all of the 50+ blogs i get a feed from, research info for my four blogs...technical stuff i need to know to complete whatever project i might be working on....and dont forget email and twitter's stream: basically, everything on-line and frankly, i read enough! when i am purchasing a piece for my collection, these days i really prefer picture books because i am more of a visual person than the typical intellectual type here in dc. recently i have added  a few books to my shelves. 

the first is a retrospective of charles harper, illustrator extraordinaire...

reintroduced to us by admirer todd oldham. this book originally came out as a large coffee table book, but was recently published in a smaller format that i find more useful for perusing. next, i bought a work from my second favorite tom and jerry director (after my idol chuck jones), gene deitch, who apparently was the graphics guy for a hard core jazz 'zine when he was in his 20's: truly amazing work.

another book that recently rocked my world  was a gift from cherie lester: a retrospective of photographer tim walker. my mom subscribed to "the good book" (vogue) back in the 70's and i remember a lot of his photos from those vintage editions: super great.

so...i am inspired to create!

these three very different tombs are giving me some kind of motivation to work on a new line of jewelry that is both surreal and cartoonish yet completely modern and very wearable! did i mention 'cool'? more to come next week after i set some stones...

waiting for earl

i was going to drive down to the bay and put our kayaks up on the porch and secure any other loose items before earl hit virginia, but i decided to wait and see what is going to develop...and what has developed is a stronger, more determined storm that the forecasters arent so sure about. so, i am rethinking my plan! i took the above photo during tropical depression ernesto a few years back: it was really scary with many, many tornadoes and millions of dollars in damage done in my modest neighborhood alone: the red cross was there for a week while we didnt have power and that was just a depression! this category 4 hurricane is strengthening and wait...oh, great: they just posted a state of emergency for both maryland and virginia waters!

what is it with me and wigs?

i do not know what is with me and wigs!

 wig shop window displays are visual candy: strange, hairy candy, but sweet nonetheless!

(see patty hearst up there?)

these icons of old inner city life are probably busiest during halloween and other wig-centric events.

but you see wig window displays less and less these days as shoppers head to the mall or online.

maybe it's the hats that catch my eye. 

or the ladies' painfully blank stares.

tea party with raviolis

what a lovely day it was here in the nation's capital: upper 80's...bright turquoise skies with puffy white clouds...hoardes of tea party-ers.well, that part sucked cuz they all came in their mini vans with their "bush is starting to look good!" bumper stickers and "dont tread on me!" american flag t-shirts to tie up traffic far and wide in the megapolis...i still managed to take the dog on a sweet hike through rock creek park and pick up six different types of raviolis and two types of cheese at eastern market. 

i said hi to mann made, shoba and cherie lester and gave john wye a peck on the cheek since i hadnt seen him in a while...came home through thick, confused traffic and grilled amazing drumsticks...ate them with a chopped savoy salad with green onions and a blue cheese vinegrette for dinner...currently enjoying a martini...

poetry in the park

head to carter barron amphitheatre  tonight at 7:30 for their annual outdoor poetry festival with an evening of readings by local and national poets, including major social commentary from the cornel west theory and the last poets...

admission is free...see you there!

crape myrtles

crape myrtles are the iconic late summer flower, bringing bright blooms of color to otherwise desolate urban landscapes. later on, some produce little seed heads shaped like tiny bells which i cast in sterling silver, and make jewelry from.

mid atlantic flood alert

yeah...we got too much rain again: that's the road between the wooden barricades...this extreme weather is becoming a pain: too much snow...too much heat...too much rain...wtf?

county fair

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

synch or swim?

you can get spiked at the capitol skyline hotel pool all afternoon today, but stick around for the washington project for the arts synchroswim 2010 synchronized swimming competition for artists and other like-minded individuals...creative attire recommended.

meylin's taco and pupusa truck

i thought i had died and gone to culinary heaven when tacos el gringo showed up...but in conjunction with virginia's recent shift into the center of the national immigration debate, tacos el gringo has disappeared: i feel nothing but anger...and hunger. thankfully, through my tears i saw a shining beacon of hope: meylin's taco and pupusa truck.

muy delicioso!

actually, the tacos are so f-ing good, they are all i think about now. meylin's spankin' new mobile kitchen is located at the corner of veirs mill and university boulevard in wheaton ...she's open late...

dog days in dc sale

it is predicted to be only in the upper 80's on saturday-not 100°-so go enjoy the city...after i buy raviolis at eastern market, i might pick up a birthday present for myself, then head over to the dog days sale in midcity: used to be the red light district and stop-and-cop when i worked on some presidential campaign back in the day...