Christmas Kitsch Ch!na Style…

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C’mon, you know you want one!  Do you love these bazaar little Santas with exagerated pink boots?  I’ve never seen anything like them.  A couple weeks ago, my friends and I took a trip to the "tree farm".  We were all feeling a little low on holiday cheer.

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There wasn’t any spiced cider, but the spirit was definitely present.  Every square inch of space was filled with something tinsel-y.  We had so much fun sifting through the goods.  And don’t you love it when your face hurts from smiling and giggling?!?! 

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The rest of the elves…   

We jammed the van full of trees, baubles, and cheer then giddily headed for a festive lunch.  Thank you girls for a very fun day.

On the plaza…

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Rockefeller Plaza in NY has an enormous Christmas tree.  We have an enormous Santa with an even bigger mug of beer.  I have to say I did a double take when I first saw this sight.    It’s just that I never pictured Santa as a beer drinker.  We also have a building with a huge light up scene of a reindeer rubbing a magic lamp and a Genie-Santa coming out of it.  Santa’s arm toggles up and down and you guessed it!  He’s drinking beer.  There’s a first time for everything and living here, brings many firsts.

Potpourri Weekend…

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I’m sitting here listening to the "Retro 80s & 90s" internet radio station.   It occurred to me that I always thought of "retro" describing funky silver Christmas trees and swanky lounge music.  Crap.  In other news, I seemed to have turned into the casserole queen over night.  When we lost our cook, I started "cooking."  (well, I can see this is going to be a quote-y posty, sorry)  Anyhow, I did what any Midwestern girl would do, go to the Campbell’s soup website for recipes.  So far it’s been successful.  I was telling some friends about the fabulous enchilada recipe they have.  Did you know not everyone in America "cooks" with Campbell’s soup.  In fact this is the third or fourth time I’ve met someone who has never heard of this.  Gasp!  I always respond with "you don’t know what you’re missing."  "Really?"  "Yeah."  Maybe my pallet is little to be desired, but…I can sure put a meal on the table fast.

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Peace of Toast, Candie Cooper 2007

Get it?  "Peace" of toast.  The piece of felt ended up looking like a piece of bread.  I stitched it to some blue felt, added some buttons and a dove.  It was a happy accident.  Or cheesy?  I don’t really use chopsticks to eat toast, but they matched the wool and plate.  Here’s one for you.  We own four pairs of chopsticks, one normal spoon, and three forks.    Something happens when you move to this culture.  I think it’s that the "little" things aren’t so important anymore.  I watched Imagine, the movie about John Lennon, the other day.  Interesting and inspiring.  Speaking of bread or Peace bread for that matter, I love the part where he talks to the random stranger that had been living in their garden.  He asks the man if he’s hungry and then invites him in.  They all sit around the table and break bread together.  Incredible.  We need more peace.

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I’m working on the next class for Second Saturday, the crafty class for kids.  I’m thinking about felted ornaments.  This was supposed to be a star or a heart, but once I finished it, I couldn’t cut into it.  Sometimes you just have to follow the process instead of wrestling it into place. 

And with that I shall close to go make a cup of tea.  I can’t shake this nasty, yucky cough.  As it turns out, my friend, knitting teacher, and nurse in her "past" life told me Friday she thinks I had pneumonia. "Huh," I said, "that makes a little more sense now doesn’t it."  Oh, thank goodness for friends that can help shed some light through all the polluti()n over here. 

Ch!nese Dinner…

Last night we went to Mr. Savvy’s vendor’s house for dinner and to see his new baby.  Cute baby.  Which reminds me this apartment had posters of babies taped to the wall everywhere.  I had to get the scoop.  Apparently, they have a theory; if the wife is surrounded by pictures of beautiful babies to look at each day while she is pregnant, their baby will be beautiful also.  In response Mr. Savvy says, "we just hope the baby comes out looking like the mother!"  Nice.  Thank you Butch.

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Most Ch!nese families have the wife and husband and then the husband’s parents living together.  It’s grandma’s job to raise the baby for the most part—even get up with her in the middle of the night!  The wife and son work crazy hours.  And that leaves grandpa to do all the cooking.  At least in this apartment.  Grandpa made a feast for us last night.  He knows my husband loves chitins and spicy food so he made accordingly.  But not too spicy as he somehow knew I don’t eat spicy.  Can I just tell you I had chitlins for the first time last night? Well, one anyway.  Kind of rubbery.  And I tried this preserved black egg.  Looks rotten really, but it just tasted sort of like a hard boiled egg.  Survivor here I come!  I didn’t have my camera, sorry.  He also made pork and different vegetables, all very yummy.   They gave us a bag of Ch!nese handcrafts and ornaments that the wife’s mother had made.  The photo above is a neck rest pillow. 

The whole evening was overwhelmingly thoughtful.  Even though we don’t speak a load of Ch!nese, it didn’t matter as eating, drinking, and being merry together is the same wherever you are in the world.

I’ve been on a tour…

A whirlwind tour, that is…

It all started on Monday when my pal K and I went to Guanzhou to buy materials for some projects and classes…and a few just for fun.

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In terms of fun stuff, it’s really easy to blow your allowance in a four story mall filled with beads and findings of all sorts.  Do we look a little tired?  We are.  I believe we got up at 6 am to make the journey, but it was totally worth it!  Nothing beats delirious bead shopping.

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This is one of my favorite places to buy kitschy glass beads.   They’re always happy to see me go as I only buy one strand of this and one strand of that.  Most folks buy fifty kagillion strands of a single bead, you know?  That’s just how they roll here.

On Tuesday I taught how to make a "garden variety necklace" and then on Wednesday I hopped a ferry to Hong Kong to go to the Gem and Jewelry show. Holy Smokes!

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This picture doesn’t really do the show justice, but I always wimp out taking photos in places like this.  I went to check out trends and to simply see and experience the show.  It was pretty crazy.  That night I caught up with some fabulous folks from Beadalon.  Seeing people you know on this side of the planet is so surreal, I can’t describe it.

And speaking of Beadalon, you’ve got to get yourself some of their new CZ Drops:

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I whipped up a few pairs of earrings on Sunday.  I couldn’t get off the sparkle train!  These things are marvelous! 

And that’s about all on my end, really.  I’ve got a shipping deadline tomorrow morning so I’m off to tidy that up.  Tomorrow is Mr. Savvy’s birthday—as of now he has to go into the factory to work.  Yay.   I’m going to attempt to surprise him by baking a sugar free blueberry cheesecake.  Yahooooo!

Beads On the Beach…

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Who doesn’t love bead shopping on the beach?  Really!  What’s better than having beautiful beads brought to your doorstep?!?!  Vendors at the beach walk around with their baskets of sunglasses, fruits, and my personal fav, pearls and funky shell jewelry.  The last time I was at the beach, I only brought home a few bracelets.  Not this time!  Check out my loot!

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Needless to say, I stocked up.  I will stash a few pieces away for gifts and the rest I will cut up and use the parts.  Those green shells in the front are calling my name right now, "Charm bracelet, charm bracelet."

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It’s always fun to use beads that remind you of a place you visited.  I will associate these with the sounds of waves, the sandy beach, my friends, the cabin where we stayed and so on.  Even though they didn’t cost a fortune, I know whatever I make with them will be a treasure of beach-side memories.

Beach or Bust…

Saturday morning we took off with seven other friends for a trip to the beach.  When I grow up, I want to be a beach bum.  I’m not joking.  I think I am a quite good amateur beach bum.

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These photos were taken from the porch of our cabin.  Quite a view and so nice to hear the waves coming in throughout the day.

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Who doesn’t love a mysterious ghost boat floating out at sea?  The rocks and boat with overcast skies reminded me of Goonies.

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Our bamboo cabin had this traditional ornamentation on each corner and roof.  I forget what it means, but I love that the builders took the time to put it on.

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Rocker loves the beach.  He tears down through the sand to the water as fast as he can and then circles back up towards the cabin.  This was taken as we were leaving.  You can gauge how tired or relaxed Rocker is by where his ears are.  Horizontal equals he’s near passing out.  Poor thing can barely keep his peeps open for the picture!  I’m looking at him now, curled up in a nest of blankets sound asleep.  I must admit, I’m a little envious. 

I hope you all had a nice weekend.