Bento Box Hotdog Bears

Hey lovelies! First off, i want to wish everyone a happy crafty 2009! Wow did 2008 suck or what? But at least we have an awesome new president coming and 2009 is at least showing some promise..

Life in beJessie land has been a little crazy. I got laid off from my day job, which isnt necessarily the WORST thing in the world. I mean, we all know how much I LOVED it there (Im being sarcastic) and I think sometimes the universe does for you what you don't do for yourself. It was definitely time for me to get the hell out of there in a big way. However, Im just hoping that my new job will come quickly as my last day at the office is on the 16th.. and Im sorta starting to panic. But anyhow.... So all good vibes are much appreciated and I promise I will repay them with tons of craftygoodness this year. Now on with what is important.. bento box hotdog sushi bears.. yes.. the world just ISNT ready for that kind of awesomeness, but I know you certainly are..

So my daughter has for the past few years decided that she is Japanese. She listens to Japanese pop bands, and even keeps note books upon notebooks of Japanese translations.. she watches all of her movies in Japanese.. so when she asked for a Bento Box for Christmas.. I wasn't surprised. We live in New York so we have more access than most to Japanese and other Asian markets. I figure hey, if she wants to eat veggies and sushi type snacks rather than processed crap, Im all about it. I admit to fibbing a few times to get her to eat her veggies ("hey Gabs, those green beans, they are from Japan") dont judge me.

Anyway, this was inspired by a recipe we found in a book called Hawaiis Bento Box Cookbook-Fun Lunches for Kids written by Susan Yuen. She has SO many cute ideas for bento lunches that are fairly accessible and fast and easy. While this one is not one of the healthier by any means, we thought it was super cute and is what she is going to bring for lunch tomorrow in her shiny green bento box. It was super easy to make, if you can get your hands on some Norri.

Anyway, we are LOVING this book.. my ADD is in full swing and its totally distracting me from some soap making I have to do.. blah!!!!!!!!!

STRESS

So, today I got up early, stood in line for approximately 2 hours in Astoria- I voted, then got my free starbucks coffee. Tonight I will retrieve my child from her grandfathers house, order some food with Nikki and just hole myself up in my apartment with a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of wine.

The. Stress. Is. Killing. Me.


Dear Red States:

If you manage to steal this election too we've decided we're leaving.
We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue
States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California,
Hawaii, Oregon,Washington, Minnesota,Wisconsin, Michigan,Illinois and
all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the
nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New
California.
To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states.
We get stem cell research and the best beaches.
We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood.
We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.
We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss.
We get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs.
You get Alabama.
We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red
states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian
Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families.
You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-
war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once.
If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids
they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose,
and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's
caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope
that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources
in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of
the country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and
lettuce, 92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality
wines, 90% of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the
corn and soybeans (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal,
all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and
SevenSister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with
88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs),
92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of
the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all
televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and
the University of Georgia.
We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38% of those in the Red states believe Jonah was
actually swallowed by a whale, 62% believe life is sacred unless
we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44% say
that evolution is only a theory, 53% that Saddam was involved in
9/11 and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are people with
higher morals then we lefties.

Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt
weed they grow in Mexico.


Peace out,
Blue States

Bansky Battles the Gray Ghost

Fred Radtke aka the Gray Ghost


Living in NY in the early 90s was time when NYCs graffiti was being "fought" when trains suddenly were becoming "graffiti proof" when NY laws started having less tollerence for graffiti, and going out "bombing" often involved the artist, a lookout person (usually my job since I didn't draw or paint at the time:)). We had to have fake IDs and permission to get labels and spray paint, and because we were all underage, most of us used the same person to hook us up with our supplies. I had friends who were arrested for amazing pieces done on the side of abandoned warehouses.

So today when I see Galleries showcasing superstar graffiti artists, huge exhibits and herds upon herds of NYCs elite coming to schmooze and drink expensive drinks whilst gazing upon some graffiti art on canvas still amazes me. Im still in awe of the people who celebrate the "graffiti artists" referencing them as street artists, and I guess I still don't know whether to feel like the artists have won, or to feel like part of the art form, that being the pursuit of making the art, the chase, the underground..has been stolen. Still I cant help but to whimper at pieces by people like Lady Pink, and want to fly to England to see a Bansky and to almost be brought to tears standing with my boyfriend gazing at a Sheppard Fairy (in a Gallery).

But in New Orleans, its still the 90s in this aspect, only the artists aren't being harassed by the police, but by an individual anti graffiti vigalanti known locally as "Gray Ghost". In a city that celebrates Dr. Bobs "Be Nice or Leave" signs, where colorful street art is decorating what is still the glum broken down houses, water lines still in clear view on the sides of buildings, where huge empty parking lots display empty shells of what used to be thriving supermarkets and stores. All a reminder of what went wrong not just for New Orleans, but what went wrong for us as an entire country. All a reminder of how our own country failed us. Street art began to cover the sides of glum buildings, giving us a story of hope, with proof that the soul of this city wasn't taken away. But then it fades to gray. When the "Gray Ghost" takes it upon himself to roll over the art with gray paint. When I arrived in New Orleans this summer, I couldn't help but to notice the gray smudges EVERYWHERE. On signs, on buildings, under the interstate. All the markings of the Gray Ghost. I couldn't help but to think "hmm well what makes this guys gray smudge any less offensive than what may be underneath?" What makes his gray paint any better than someone's spray paint? And if you think this guy might know the difference between a "tag" and an actual "piece" you would be wrong. Any sign of any graffiti art in the city has been smudged over, but what shocked and horrified local residents more than any of it was his painting over Dr. Bobs "Welcome to Bywater Be Nice or Leave" sign. This sparked a petition in the Bywater, a neighborhood where many of New Orleans well known artists reside, to ban the Gray Ghost. In return people have created stencils saying "This shit is boring" that have been sprayed over the Gray Ghost's smudges.

What alarmed me was my recent visit to New Orleans- after hearing that Bansky had done a few amazing pieces. My jaw dropped, though I dont know why, when I heard that the gray ghost had painted over the Bansky pieces. I was in total shock. If you go to Banskys website, he talks about this and how we came to New Orleans and why and how the vigilante known as the gray ghost had done so much more damage than good.

(photos: Bansky)

Furthermore beef has erupted between Mr. Ghost and NOLA Uprising, an oganization whose mission is "encouraging people in all faubourgs of Greater New Orleans to publicly display works of art, regardless of how simple or untutored it may seem to be, for the purpose of rebuilding and restoring the human spirit in our city. NOLA is a unique and beautiful city that has historically embraced the spirit of personal freedom that supports the growth of the artist, musician and writer ... the goal of the NoLa Rising Project is to showcase that spirit." Handmade street signs made by members of the uprising to replace the ones lost in the storm were defaced by Ghost and the Ghost took it a step further to sue the uprising for defacing public property.

So who is the Gray Ghost? His name is Fred Radtke. He is a 47 year old resident who drives around in his white dodge (with a red pinstripe, no less) with a trunk full of gray paint and a roller. He lives under the philosophy that one mark of grafiti will lead to more crime in the neighborhoods. He has been quoted comparing grafiti artists to cults of Satan. And in this article, hes calling asian shop owners "Orientals".. blech.. this all just leaves me feeling a little dirty. I dont know, sounds like a quack to me. But Ill let you be the judge.

All I can say is back in my day, an ass whooping would have been in order.

Get your fabo anti gray ghost tshirt here

Psssst. Guess what?!?

yes bitches its true. Go the etsy shop!

Pot Psychology gets some LURVE

ok.. be warned.. kiddos under 18.. cover your eyes..

My two favorite buddies and their Pot Psychology vlog is getting tons of love and this time from Sarah Silberman! YIPPEEE! These two remind me of the old school nights spent up in sunset park with my peoples back in the 90s.. ahhem.. I mean umm.. it reminds me of some kids I knew back in that crazy Pacific High School.. (oh yes I did, honey!)

Anyway, if your having a bad day, and need a crackup, or if you accidentally drank a cockroach like I did this morning because my cup of iced coffee was infested....check em out.

Whats Good In My Hood

So I realized in my last post that I didn’t give proper respect and props to the places in my hood that keep me alive and happy. With all the focus on LIC, I forgot to mention a few of my own lifelines, so before they find this blog and throw shade at me I decided I should give them the love that they deserve.

First and foremost. Fattys. Fattys is a spot located on Ditmars and Crescent in Astoria. I came to this spot before I even moved to the area, and admittingly, it was one of the reasons I actually moved here (aside from the school and the fact I was escaping an ex who had a fake brain tumor, but I digress). Fattys has seen me through some pretty crappy times and has been my goto spot in my happiest times. They now accept credit cards, which is beyond fabulous. And their brunch is FABULOSO. Please. For about 9 bucks you get your meal and a mimosa (mango or paypaya or old school regular with oj) or a bloody mary. The atmosphere is festive on their walls they frequently feature art from local artists that are available for purchase. In the summer they open the back and with the fence and the trees you feel like your somewhere that should be near a beach. The food has a latin flair, serving dishes like mofongo and empenadas and café con leche. Their grilled cheese of the day is always fabulous, and they make what has been rumored to be the BEST mojitos in NYC (I still have yet to have a better mojito. Seriously). Their limeaid just ROCKS. Their sweet potato french-fries are my goto comfort food when times are shitty. The owners are quite possibly the sweetest people ever. My mother makes it her FIRST stop when she comes in to town to say hello to them. They have surprised my daughter with birthday cake, and have listened to be moan about my problems. Fattys, I love you. And your chicken chavorayo and sweet potato fries, and steak frita, and grilled cheese, and mojitos. Awe hell, I just love you guys.


Second on my list is a spot almost across the street from fattys called Waltz. When Waltz opened, I was a bit concerned about its ability to survive. They used to only own the lower level and have no expanded into two levels. Why? Because Waltz also offers low-cost rental to independent musicians, artists and filmmakers for various non-performance related projects, helping to promote creativity inside the city of Astoria and Long Island City. With the risk of sounding like crack whore mom of the year, I admit, that I have gone there more than once with child to sit upstairs, listen to the Jazz and have a glass of sangria while my daughter munches on cheesecake. Their coffee drinks rock. I don’t know if they do it anymore, but a few summers ago they served iced coffee with coffee ice cubes! Hello! Genious! The owner has made it a place for everyone. Mommys with strollers, collegekids with laptops. Boardgames are on the shelves as are used books for sale. They serve a really kick ass chai latte and yummy desserts. Its just a good place to go and distress or go on a blind date and Im so happy they are doing well. Man if I could get them to let the craft mafia do an event there, Id love em even more. Lol. Oh and lets not forget. Their sangria is Yummmeh! So get good karma and support this spot that just makes you feel good.

A third on my list is “Family Corner” a little hole in the wall and teeny tiny (it used to be an ice cream parlor in the 50s) on the corner of 31st and 20th avenue. This is straight up plain diner food BUT they have specials on weekends that are off the hook. Like Their lemon orzo soup and brisket is awesome! They also serve home made spinach pie and baklevah. But what keeps me coming back is the staff who, if you go more than once and say hi, will treat you like family. When I first moved here I was working on an art project that involved 100 “you are not a winner” bottlecaps. I mentioned this to one of the waitresses there, and seriously, I came back in a month and she had a brown bag for me full of them. Ever since then, they are my spot for cheap dinner and good convo. So if you are like me and don’t have a ton of family in the area, start going to family diner. You will create one.

Me + CommuniTEA = Love

I have this dream. To be able to quit working as a Babysitter, accountant, corporate communications person, HR assistant, therapist, personal whipping boy/bitch ahhhemmm I mean legal secretary, and be able to do my clothing and soap and run a shop full time. I dream this, I live this. And this vision is what keeps me going every day. Since moving to Astoria, the vision has become clearer and clearer as far as WHERE I want to be based out of and just how things will operate. A few years ago I discovered the sculpture park which prompted my exploration of my hood (according to con ed- but Im really astoria) Long Island City.

Since then its been my mission to try to bring more crafty goodness to the LIC area, only because thats where most of the artsists are ending up. With PS1 and blocks of buildings that have become studio space for those pushed out of their spots in Brooklyn and Chelsea, Long Island city still holds a real neighborhood feel and real sense of community. A few things I miss in many of my old stomping grounds that have now become pretentious playgrounds for observers.

I had been DIEING to try a tea house in the area called CommuniTEA. I read about it while doing a search for black tea (dont ask) and stumbled upon this website. The tea house looked amazing and reviews were great. And it was on Vernon Blvd, right next to PS1. So when Local Labels called me up so we could exchange soap (they are doing my soap pics, which is rad of them) and she said "ok lets meet at CommuniTEA" I was like DONE.

It was all I really wanted it to be- a tasteful chic space where people can work that serves good food and yummy teas. The back wall is a chalk board and all of their amazing brews were written across it. Then I noticed the smoothies. Gabby was itching for a Pink Monster (which was a pretty yummy blend of strawberry, banana and Pineapple juice" I ordered a Monkey something or other that involved berries and a bit of chocolate. Yummy looking sandwiches and paninis were listed from the ceiling to the floor, and the staff was super friendly. From what I saw most of the customers were regulars and it was really easy to strike up random conversation with people. Before I left I felt like I had been there a zillion times, and I cant wait to go back. Its Definately a place thats like a second home- not a pretentious snob fest. I plan on spending LOTS of time here this summer! Yeay!

Another spot I noticed right next door was a restaurant called Blend. At first I thought it was a coffee house and thought hmm.. wonder if its owned by the communiTEA people next door. Upon further investigation, I saw that it was a supercute latin fusion restaurant. I really wish I hadnt stuffed my face with Pizza before that because now Im seriously hoping to check it out because apparently they are serving Pernil and chuletas and all sorts of yummy goodness that makes me feel like Im up in Biancas-which to me is "home"- even though Im just a red headed white girl. :P I may have to make it a priority to hit this spot this weekend and see whats poppin in there.

So if you coming to visit Long Island City this summer (perhaps attending the warm up) make it a point o stop at CommuniTEA and support the hood. You wont be sorry.

Damn Yall

Based out of San Fransisco, Double Dutchess ROCKS it live.
Thank you Bust for showing me this wicked shit!

I mean dont get me wrong I used to rock the jump ropes back in my day.. but this is some next level kind of shit. Who said white girls cant jump? Umm can I be the chick in the pigtails please?

Check it.

TOO MUCH AWESOMENESS FOR ONE POST

ok sometimes, I just have a day of pure awesomeness. My day started in the wee hours of the morning. I woke up from my sleep around 4am having to go potty (which usually sucks) but when I went back to sleep I actually had a dream that I WON this sewing machine. Which, if you saw my crappy little singer I sew on you would realize that it is the equivilent of having a dream about winning the lottery. So, today my friends is one of those days of awesomeness.. so read carefully.. because if you live in the NYC area Imma hoook you up! You ready for it??

First of all, the amazingly sick talented Ms.Supayana is going to be teaching you how to make your own underwear over at Etsy Labs. Seriously. I almost fell out of my chair when I read that bulliten. The event listing is here and its only $45.00! If you dont know who Supayana is, check out her website at www.supayana.com. Girlfriend has skillz. trust me on that. Handmade DIY CHONIES? OMG Im beside myself. Here are the deets

Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Time: 7-9pm
Location: Etsy Labs, 325 Gold Street 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201

There are only 8 spaces left. So dont be stupid. Go sign up.

Ever since the mid 90s its not very often I get really excited about a sneaker. Excited enough to set my alarm clock and stand on line infront of a sneaker store. The last time I did it was for a pair of limited edition Filas (shut up it was 1993 and YOU know the purple and white double straps were the hotness and I needed them to match my columbia rain suit!) Well, while reading one of my favorite blogs (bust blog on Bust.com)I came across THESE and now Im in sneaker LOVE. WTF. A collabo of Karen Richter and VANS? What are you trying to do to me over here?!? They drop June 1 and dont be surprised if I am that person doing it old school style standing infront of the vans shop at 7 am on line waiting for them to open. Im really feeling them in the blue color.. sigh.. Im in love.




Also I was surprised when I mentioned to my girl Judy that Etsy had its own section for Vintage clothing now! If you go to the main page and on the drop down menu of categories scroll down to vintage clothing. Well, Seriously, you can get your whole summer wardrobe on there. Most of us vintage dress whores have been confined to ebay and thrift shops not in NYC to get cute dresses on the cheap, but Etsy hooked us up with this because there are LOADS of amazing vintage yummyness for you to drool over. I was SHOCKED to see how many people didnt know about this. I contemplated not sharing it with you and keeping the pickins all for me, but I need the good karnma.

Oh and this may be totally random to some to have this posted on a craft blog, but I personally get inspired by nature and if you dont, then you suck. So, when I found this live webcam that shows the birth of baby eagles all the way up until they leave the nest I HAD to share it with someone. Strange thing is, its kinda addictive. Mama eagle was in her nest about 10 minutes ago hiding her head because it was windy. Wow. Me thinks I need a life.

yeah... anyway...
Thank me later.