February 2009~ Happy Valentine's Day!
Greetings Woodland Watchers and Happy Valentine's Day! This is the month of love and a little bit of warmth in the middle of Winter's chill. This year it falls on a Saturday and normally Skeet & me like to go out before or after the actual holiday as the restaurants aren't as crowded and you don't have to deal with a "set" or limited menu. I am not sure what we will do this year, whether we'll do the Saturday or maybe Sunday instead. Then again, alot of the places we go to would never have a set menu, anyway.
I have been really into my old crank phonograph that I found in the antique shop, seeking out special records and doing some research on how to care for and maintain old 78's and even learning the grading system for condition. One extremely helpful site is Nauck's Vintage Records with a ton of info and you can buy the steel stylus needles from there as well! We've found some great stuff like some box sets of Hawaiian (tiki!) music, one by Bing Crosby and one by Ray Kinney and his Coral Islanders, Ringling Brothers Circus Music and my favorite, though, is a collection of Hank Williams 78's! Very Exciting! I've also got Louis Prima, Fats Waller, Billie Holiday (from Belgium!), Wingy Manone, Blu Lou Barker and Duke Ellington. The quest is way too much fun and it's amazing what's out there!
There are new Third Eye pieces listed to Tink's Atomic Universe and I am working fervently on new Fez's for the Atomic Fez Factory, here on the web site. I've gotten such great fabrics over the past several weeks, both heavy for Winter and nice, light cottons and linens for Summer. They are so fun and I love wearing them myself. I am a member of a fabulous group of artisans there at 1000 Markets called Utterly Unique which is a Marketplace of unusual and wonderful artists. Check us out!
I have recently met the owner of Botanica San Lazaro (my fave Botanica) and his name is Orlando. He was wonderful, helpful and a born teacher. He gave me a host of info in the time we chatted and he showed me all around the shop. His plans for the Botanica were very exciting and I love his idea of making it a space for all paths/religions. He'll be offering workshops there and they even have Yoga classes in the beautiful upstairs loft. I am hoping to take some of the workshops while Skeet is away for bike week. I will also delve into the studio during that time and lose myself in some new creations.
My friend Maria is heading back to New Orleans in April and I really want to get back there badly! We are thinking of taking a trip there this year. I'd even like to do a ROAD trip and stop all along the way and see what wonderful places we can find. Something about travelling the country by car and stopping everywhere that looks interesting. That is my idea of a trip! I'm really hoping we can go this year.
I've been back at Jinx Proof, of course, and Eric Newman, again, worked his magic on a new Rat Fink with an Old School body shop spray bomb which we will finish on the 13th. It's large and detailed and fabulous and it'll take us time to finish the color. We've also done some more on the low brow art gallery sleeve and are planning out the Tiki sleeve for this year. I've also aquired an Eric Newman Dunny in the series of Dunnies designed by Tattoo artists. Of course, I had to have the one done by my Inkman!! There is also a fun line of Circus Punks done by well known Low Brow artists and I've gotten a couple of those so far, Rueben Rude and Jim Koch's Electric Frankenstein. They're great and encompass two things that I totally love, carnival memorabilia and Low Brow Art!!
We've been doing lots of antiquing and have many favorite haunts around the area but one of my favorite little thrift shops that I would frequent on my lunch hour burned down recently. I was so very sad as it was in a beautiful old train station that was built in 1869. It had an awesome slate roof and when I went over there to see the damage, I could see pieces of that old roof in the rubble. It was horrible. The thrift shop itself is already looking for a new location in the area but that historic building is gone to us for all time.
Little Micky Spillane, the chihuahua, is getting very old and is having many mobility issues. Being totally blind makes it harder on the little guy but his balance is very bad and watching him makes me think he may have had a little stroke. He still eats like a horse, though, and he likes to be wrapped in a baby blanket and be carried all around. He's 18 now and I don't know how much longer he'll be with me. I will continue to spoil him and give him lots of attention until his time comes. The worst part about having our little animals is watching them grow old.
I've been heavily into the Carnivale series after getting the complete series for Yule. The story is fantastic and all that depression era carnival imagery is wonderful. They really captured the look and feel of a real travelling circus. The characters are perfectly cast and I just love it. I could watch it a thousand times all the way through and never tire of it.
And now kiddies, it's recipe time! I came upon this recipe for Elvis' Favorite Meatloaf recently and it comes from Elvis' cook, Mary Jenkins.
Elvis' Favorite Meatloaf
2 lbs. ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chipped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 package (4 oz) saltine crackers, crushed
3 8oz. cans tomato sauce
1/2 c ketchup
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently combine ground beef, onion, green pepper, garlic, eggs, saltines and 1 can of the tomato sauce. Shape into loaf and bake for 45 minutes.
Mix the remaining tomato sauce and ketchup and pour over loaf. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
The weather has been bad here this year with snow, ice, or freezing rain every several days. It's been unusually cold, too. I am so longing for Spring so we can get back outside to the flea markets and car shows again!
This month's tune is one of my all time favorites by the one and only Louie Armstrong called A Kiss to Build a Dream On (...and, yep, I have it on 78 rpm).
May your Valentine's Day be warm, wonderful and full of love and magic!
Love you all ~
Tink
Tinker's Web Item Pick for February:
Tink's Atomic Fez Factory
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