Card Catalog of Creativity

If I Were A Book II

2009-12-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

You're The Bell Jar!

by Sylvia Plath

Though you may do a good job of fooling others around you for a while,
you are truly not okay. Which is not to say that you're incapable of great things or
holding it together for a while, but ultimately you feel crushed beneath the weight
of expectations and the idiots around you. Some people try to help you along your way,
but it's those who don't try that do the most good. Electro-convulsive therapy may
seem like the answer, but it'll probably just get you killed.

Take the Book Quiz II
at the Blue Pyramid.

How To Heal A Broken Wing

2009-04-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

For the first time in a long time I found myself missing working with small children. Yesterday I came across a new picture book by one of my favorite authors, Bob Graham. If you are not familiar with him I suggest you check out some of his books. All of his books are about modern young families that combine compassion and appreciation of the small things in life in an urban setting. In Jethro Byrd, Fairy Child a child finds a small family of fairies living in the empty lot next to his apartment building. I am one of those people who can see broken glass as fairie dust sparkling on the asphalt and I love that this book teaches children there is magic everywhere even amongst cement and weeds. In Let's Get A Pup Said Kate the family cat dies and the family decides to go and get a dog to fill the cold spot on Kate's bed. The family gets the perfect Pup but how can they leave Rosie, the older sweet dog at the pound? The family is unconventional and realistic. The parents have tattoos and piercings and the house is a bit of a mess. In Oscar's Half Birthday a biracial family set out from the city on a long trek to a grassy spot to celebrate Max's Half Birthday. The story is full of love and is sure to melt your heart.
I was quite pleased to come across How To Heal A Broken Wing as it is a classic example of how wonderful Bob Graham's books are. This is a story about taking some time out of your busy urban life to focus on nature and how hope and compassion can heal. Being a city parent and having a child who has a very big heart when it comes to animals this book touched me deeply. The story begins with a busy urban scene, people in greys hustling on the street talking on cell phones and looking straight ahead. One of the great things about Graham's books are his representation of all people. In the crowd you can find elderly people, woman in burkas and people of all colors. No one noticed the bird that flew into a building and fell to the ground... except for Max. Max is in bright colors standing out from the rest of the dingy city scene. He and his mother take the bird home where Dad helps to make a safe place for the bird to heal. Another great thing about Graham's books are the details he puts in to add depth for the parents reading it to their children. The book doesn't have a lot of words and in the graphic novel like pictures we see Dad lining a box with a newspaper depicting pictures of war. This is subtle but represents how even in times of great difficulty hope can heal. They help the bird to heal with time (we see the calendar squares marked off and the moon change phases) and they return to the street to set him free.
Bob Graham's books are a sweet reminder about the simple things and I suggest reading them with someone, old or young, that you love.

Did You Know? It Will Blow Your Mind.

2009-03-31T09:38:00.001-07:00

Did You Know? It Will Blow Your Mind.

Posted using ShareThis

Express Yourself: DIY Shrinky Dinks

2009-03-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

These are the coolest things ever!
Honestly, I could not write up better instructions than this person, Paper Tart's Shrinky Dinks, so just visit their site.

The supplies are simple

Recycled #6 plastic (ask your local deli manager to donate some and ask your co-workers to recycle with you)
Sharpies
Scissors and a Heat Gun

To put it simply, you draw a cool image on the plastic with the sharpie and cut around it. (Keep in mind, it shrinks to about 1/3 the size.) Cut a small hole in it if you plan on using it for a necklace or keychain. Heat it with the heat gun on a heat resistant surface (I use an old cutting board). Because the heat gun blows, you can hold the plastic still with pliers. (Don't worry when it balls up, just keep heating it.)

Express Yourself: Steal These Ideas!

2009-03-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

Packing Tape Wallets
What makes these really cool is that you can use anything under clear packing tape! Popular items are foreign newspapers, maps, graphic novels, sheet music.

All of the instructions are right here in the pdf file. Just right click the file to save it.

Altered Mint Tins
I always saved my mint tins, hoping I could find what they were good for. I finally found it!

The collage paper will stick to the tins wonderfully if you apply the glue to the paper and stick it to tin. I use Mod Podge as a glue and sealer.

Secret Book Boxes

Using book glue, paint the outside edges of the book. Use a Xacto knife or box cutter to cut out the middle of the book. Coat the inside of the 'box' with the book glue.

Locker Magnets

Key Tag Choker
I actualy "stole" this idea from Dragon*Con. (They gave those following the YA Lit trac these necklaces)

Express Yourself: Bottle Cap Pins

2009-03-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

I have used and re-used this craft program at my library. It is always a huge success, even with teen guys!

Supplies:
Scissors
Bottle Caps rinsed with water and dried (ask your co-workers to help you collect some)

although having an assortment of different brands is cool, if it may be an issue at your library that some caps are from beer, you can lay them out and hit the backs with a quick coat of spraypaint.
Pin Backs

Industrial strength glue

Mod Podge

Collage Items (colored paper, magazines...)

Save some fun clip art or slogans on to your computer as jpeg files. Print them out using the thumbnail setting. This will make them small enough to fit into the bottle cap. They can also cut small pictures out of magazines.
Brush the Mod Podge on to the paper and place inside the bottle cap. You may also want to brush a layer of glue over the intire image for protection.
Using the industrial strength glue, glue a pin on the back.

Express Yourself: Graphic Stationary

2009-03-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Envelope:

Find a small-ish sized envelope and carefully open it up. This is your template.

Recycle a page from a weeded graphic novel. Be sure it is large enough to fit the template. Trace the template on to the sheet and carefully cut out.

Using the template as a guide, fold the sheet into an envelope.

Use a glue stick on the side edges of the bottom flap and let dry.

The Card:

Cut a peice of paper or card stock to fit the envelope. (Trace around the envelope and then cut it just a bit smaller)
Find a cool cell from a page out of a weeded graphic novel. (It can be from the same one you used for the envelope or not... the choice is yours.)
Glue it on your card.
Use white out on the inside of the speech bubble.
When dry, write in your own message.

Express Yourself: A Novel Idea! Paperback Wallets

2009-03-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

Supplies:
Covers from weeded paperbacks (these can be popular, well loved YA books weeded from your collection or retro donated copies of classics and pulps)

Contact paper

Velcro

Needle and thread (optional: if you choose to use this, you will want upholstry thread and a strong sturdy needle)

Directions:
1. Cover both sides of the Novel Cover with contact paper.
2. Fold the wallet into thirds to create the wallet shape.
3. Either sew the sides with needle and thread or use a small strip of contact paper to hold the pocket together.
4. Attach the velcro to make a closure for the wallet.

Express Yourself: Altered Book Club

2009-03-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

How To Have An Altered Book Club In 5 Easy Steps

1.Start going through your library's donation box and gather up a bunch of books. Think about what would make a cool altered book. I like books that inspire a cool theme for the project. I selected a book of etiquette for my project.

2.Make a cool flyer to promote your program using torn book pages. Tell the teens you will have old books for them to use but they can bring their own book if they have one they want to use.

3.Start collecting odds and ends for "altering" your books. Checking the lost and found is a good place to start. You never know what you'll find... old photographs, bookmarks, newspaper clippings, etc. You can also go through the youth services craft closet and gather neat sheets of paper in different colors and textures that they have left over from other projects. Keep old weeded magazines and graphic novels for collage purposes. You might want to add bits of string and ribbon, broken jewelry, fake flowers and other odds and ends. You'll be amazed at the things you'll find to use. You can find great things at the craft store, but spending money on collage materials is never neccessary.

Another great resource is to print out public domain images or clip art.
Check out:

http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/vintageresources.html for vintage labels and photographs

http://www.squidoo.com/artistfreebies great free collage image resources

Keep everything in a bin with file folders so that the teens have all kinds of inspiration in one spot.
You will need some other supplies like:
scissors (if you have fancy edge scissors, those can be fun to use.)
glue sticks (you'll need A LOT!)
Mod Podge glue (for attaching things that are heavy or have dimension.)
white out, markers, hole punch, paint and other basic craft supplies.

4.The first meeting should focus on the basics. When the teens arrive they should choose their book. They first step will be to teach them how to tear pages out and glue pages together. This is important because they book will need about 1/3 of the pages removed in order to close properly and by gluing the pages together you give a sturdy place for your work and make the book a bit stronger as well.
Then just have fun! Let their imaginations run wild! Collage and paint the pages.

Have books available for them to look through for inspiration. My favorites are:
ALTERED BOOKS WORKSHOP
ALTER THIS

Incourage the kids to start a collection of collage items they would like to add to their book. They can cut out images from magazines and bring in small items that mean something to them to add to their book at the next meeting. Be sure to talk up the "project" you'll be leading them in next time.

5.At the following meetings, all you will need to do is teach yourself a technique from one of the books such as the ones mentioned above. Don't worry! Many of the techniques are very easy. You can find lots of beginner level techniques and move up with confidence as you have more meetings.
You can make a page pocket by folding the paper, making holes with a hole punch and sewing!

Another great idea is hole punching the edges of several pages and using fabric scraps to tie them together. It makes the book look cool from the out side as well.

The most important thing is to practice before you get in front of the teens. You'll want to give them tips and tricks and work out the kinks before they are staring right at you. Be sure to gather all the supplies you will need! After they complete the mission they can have time to work on whatever their heart desires! I would encourge them to take a few items home with them for working on their book between meetings. It might be nice to start the third meeting off with everyone sharing what they have done so far. Be sure to keep a supply of books for new teens to use! You may also want to check with local craft stores to see if any Altered Book Groups meet and would like to teach a lesson to the teens. I found a great woman from PANOPOLIE come and show our teens how to do several different techniques. She even brought supplies! It was nice to have someone else lead the group and it gave me a chance to participate with the teens. She tought us some cool stuff!

There you have it! 5 easy steps to a great reoccuring teen craft program!

Hooray Valerie!

2009-02-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

One of my co-workers deserves some applause!

Valerie H. Nicholson wins YALSA’s 2009 MAE Award for Best Literature Program for Teens

Amanda Palmer

2008-11-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

This was an excellent show! One of the best I have been to in a long time.

The intro was amazing! The whole concept behind this project, aptly titled "Who Killed Amanda Palmer" is based on graffiti under a bridge in Boston that read "If you see Amanda Palmer in the street, kill her" under which someone wrote "That way she'll live forever". To kick of the show the intro/description was narrated by Neil Gaiman. Here's a little video:

After the narration, Amanda came out in a wedding dress/death shroud-esqe costume, was hoisted in the air and began some mean piano playing! Her first song was Astronaut, which is one of my favorites and my daughter's most favorite. I wasn't sure how the set would sound with just piano and all but I was blown away! It sounded full and rumbled my body!

(I decided to go ahead and post this since it has been in my drafts for a long time and I am obviously never going to get around to finishing it.)

Dewey Yourself!

2008-11-13T16:38:00.000-08:00

sarah campbell's Dewey Decimal Section:

013 [Unassigned]

Class:
000 Computer Science, Information & General Works

Contains:
Encyclopedias, magazines, journals and books with quotations.

What it says about you:
You are very informative and up to date. You're working on living in the here and now, not the past. You go through a lot of changes. When you make a decision you can be very sure of yourself, maybe even stubborn, but your friends appreciate your honesty and resolve.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

The Halloween Blog Post

2008-10-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

Here is my costume! I slept in rollers to assure my hair was authentic. I am very proud.

Here is a link to information on haunted libraries

We held a "Librarians Go Goth" program as part of our Teen Read Week festivities. When the teens voted for the Teen's Top Ten, we added a spot to nominate a librarian to go goth! We took some before photos and the teens got a big kick out of this. Here were our results:
The winners:
Mrs. Valerie runs our Printz Club and works at the Youth Services desk.

She became "V", our angst-y goth.

Mrs. Honey is our Youth Services Manager.

She became our perky goth.

Mrs. Mary is famous for her family story time.

She became our sexy goth!

These ladies got into the part and did a fantastic job. I highly recommend this program idea.
I think it would have been a bit better if we had the teens dress up the librarians with their clothes, make-up etc.
This cost no money to do. The prep involved creating the voting display, finding victims, er, um I mean volunteers and arranging days for them to dress up.

Barack the Casbah

2008-10-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today Barack Obama came to Raleigh. I happened to have the day off so I decided to walk the two blocks down to the rally. I was really excited because this was the first rally I had gone to. I think I read that 25,000 people were at the event. Everyone was smiling and there was a great energy surrounding the whole affair.
Everyone was pleasant. There was no pushing and shoving and everyone remained in the lines they put us in. I always have a problem with lines. I feel herded and controlled.
The crowd's energy was great and people of all kinds were represented. His speech was inspired and passionate.

I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to participate in this landmark event.

Amazingly there was only one protester. He had a large sign and on the back of it he had printed FREE SPEECH in large letters. Although I didn't agree with his sign I knew that he had just as much right to be there as we did. I was glad he was permitted to silently walk with his sign.
I was also obsessed with the security. It was crazy to spot guys in the crowd and on top of buildings.
Another crazy aspect of the rally was the "vendors". I would much rather give my money to the campaign itself and not the guys making their own version of merchandise. I did enjoy the stencil artist in the cool bus. Kudos for actually making a buck on something that isn't just a cheap imitation.

I also thought this was cool. Look closely and you can see where someone drew Obama's face in the dust on the glass. Pretty cool.

Where has the Dark Faerie Librarian gone?

2008-10-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

I am still alive. I promise. I am just adjusting to a new life. I promise to return with great things.

I am at Dragon*Con!

2008-08-31T06:45:00.000-07:00

Please read about my adventures here:

http://mommyndarkfaerie.blogspot.com/

The Ogre that stole my heart

2008-06-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

One weekend morning, our YS Manager arrived to find a huge Ogre on lawn of the library.

Questions circulated as to why this Ogre found his way to the Library... A student art project? Trash? A prank? He was moved into our workroom while we tried to solve the mystery. Seeing him everyday, I have become quite fond of him...
Unfortunately, not all of my co-workers feel the same. They have discussed painting over him or throwing him away. They called him ugly and they called him trash.

We finally found our answer as to the origin of the monster on a local teens deviant art page. (it can be found here: http://www.beckeez.deviantart.com/)
This instantly made me think of the book P.L.A.I.N. Janes by Cecil Castelluci. (If you haven't read this, you really need to)

I feel honored that we were chosen to be a part of this teens artistic mission.
I am fighting to keep the monster in the library.
I would hate to see something happen to a piece of art that anyone worked on. It is about 7 feet tall and took time, tools, sweat and a vision to create. I think it would be disrespectful to paint over it or trash him. I am even more passionate about this because a teen made it. Not many teens really commit so strongly to an artistic mission like this one. I hope I can convince my library (or another library) to display this monster and I hope it encourages the teen who made it to continue with her art. I will certainly keep my eyes open for it.

I think this monster fulfilled his artistic destiny. He aroused questions and emotions. He confused us, angered some of us and even made a few of us giggle.

VIVA LA MONSTER

Steampunk

2008-06-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

What is Steampunk?
It's a movement, it's a genre, it's so much more than you ever knew.

With a scene present in the local area, I thought I would experiment with a few ideas surrounding this underground phenomenon.

First I set up a display of Steampunk Literature. This included a booklist, books, a captains hat with goggles, some large gears, an old book from the early 1900s and a technical steampunkesqe drawing.

This actually attracted a lot of attention. One woman checked out a majority of the display moments after I had set it up. While checking out she mentioned that she was glad to see the display and get a booklist because she was having a discussion with a friend about the "Steampunk Genre" and her friend didn't believe that it existed.

I also threw a little steampunk into a program we were doing. My co-worker found a great program idea on another blog and we did our own version of A Great and Terrible Tea.
The idea is loosely based on the Libba Bray books A great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels and A Sweet Far Thing. I promoted the event with tea bags. I just stapeled our event information on the end of the string and put them out in a mug.

My co-worker also made a great flyer that a few teens mentioned caught their attention in the evaluation.

The event was a blast! We had a quiz on which Great and Terrible Beauty are you. I had a blast making the quiz. (Which I can email anyone who wants to have an event like this.)
We then talked about Victorian Calling Cards and the teens made their own calling cards using an assortment of supplies.

Here are a few:

We then had tea (in our own favorite teacup)
and homemade scones (lovingly baked by my wonderful co-worker and amazing supervisor). I played my Sleepy Hollow Soundtrack and one of the teens borrowed it from me. We then played this amazing version of Mystery Date Gemma Doyle style that my co-worker created. Watch her blog for details about her fabulous creation!

We also awarded prizes for costumes. I love costumes and dressing up, so we have these at programs a lot. Here are the winners:

Animazement

2008-06-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

We want teens to come to the library.
We get the books they want to read.
We hold events we hope they'll want to attend.
We go to the High Schools to tell them about these things.
But what else can we do?
Getting the word out and letting the teens decide on their own that it would be cool to go to the library is hard. How can we do effective outreach to teens?
My co-worker came up with a great solution... Set up a booth at an Anime Convention!

We not only promoted our library's collection and events, but we obtained other literature from cities within a days driving distance. We also handed out sheets on how to get a manga/anime collection started.
I must say this was an amazing experience. LOTS of teens came up to our table. A lot of adults came up to our table. We met librarians from all over and exchanged ideas and stories. We bonded with our local teen patrons who are anime fans and met new ones. People were excited to know about our events and anime clubs. Some we're excited to learn that libraries offered such things!

We raffled off a Ramune and bag of goodies every hour and one of the highlights was seeing the teens get so excited about their goodies.
Another great surprise was to see the teens I worked with at my old library in Boone. It was great to see them and hard to believe it's been 2 years and they are graduating and going to college!

I made a steampunk costume for the event because I love any reason to dress up!

I also met other people in the community who would love to donate their time and talent to the library. I must say that I left the event inspired and excited to come back in future years.

Ren Faire

2008-04-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Our annual family trip to the Ren Faire is always fun. Despite all the money Ian and Kevin spent at the Faire last year, neither of them wore their costumes. I'll be sure to remind them of this when they feel the urge to buy costumes again.

This year we battled the rain, but it added a bit of authenticity to the day. This made Kevin happy as it ment many trips to the Mead Tent to dry off. They have great bawdy entertainment which begins with the disclaimer that "if the kids get the jokes, it's not their fault."

All and all we were soggy, but had a good time. Phaedra got some Baby Dragons (2 anoles) and named them Rose and Thorn and we are going to have more baby dragons! Joy!

I leave you with my Knights in action.

...I laughed and laughed

2008-03-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

At this:
for all your library etiquette needs

Candy Girl A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper by Diablo Cody

2008-03-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

I have a confession.
This was the first adult book I have read in a long time.
I even felt a little guilty that I spent time reading something that I wasn't going to recommend to a teen at work. Then I realized how retarded that was and realized I only spent 1 night (yes, it was that good. I haven't read a book that fast in awhile) and I was going to recommend it to my friends, and it was damn good!

I love her voice and wit, and I must admit, I think I have a crush on Diablo ;)

Seriously, I really enjoyed this little memoir and you might like it too. (But only if you don't blush easily, because it is a bit... um...dirty.)

Now, here are some songs to take your clothes off to.

Eva's Next Top Libarian

2008-03-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ha! My co-worker and I had a 'photo shoot' for our Librarian Trading Cards today. I was fooling around with them in photoshop and I really like this one.

Teen Tech Week!

2008-03-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is my post about TTW 08

First of all, I just finished BEIGE by Cecil Castellucci. I enjoyed this book, but by far, the thing I enjoyed most was how each chapter was the name of a punk song. There were some great songs! Don't believe me? Here, listen for yourself:

I found a very cool website called Project Playlist (www.playlist.com) You get to create your own playlist and post it anywhere just like I did above! I think I am going to start making book playlists. This seems like a great way to market books to teens.

Here are some photos of my TTW display. I think it turned out great and I wish the pictures captured it better.

I also had a CD Swap Party. Teens brought in a mixed CD, we made cool collaged covers for them while listening to music and discussing our favorite songs. We then swaped them and had all new music to bring home!

Wow! Teens take the pictures for YOYA's covers!

2008-02-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

It's true!
Here is a link to the info so your teens can send in photos.
I think I feel a program in the works.

Anti-Valentine's Masquerade Ball

2008-02-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

This was, for sure, a very successful program. We had a large turn out, 40-something teens on a Friday night and I learned a LOT.

We had about 6 of the older teens arrive at about 7 to help us set up. These were teens who helped from the start... they brought cds of music to play, helped bake the cookies and hung christmas lights. The space looked really nice. I also had a co-worker score us some half-dead roses from the grocery store. We set up the cookies and drinks and dimmed the lights(just a little).

The teens wanted an old silent film to play on a projector as ambiance, but unfortunately, the laptap we were given wasn't able to play dvds. grrr. but i smiled and moved on.
We had 2 activities. One was to make a mask. we had plain white masks, feathers, ribbon, glitter and hot glue guns.

We also had a "vandalize a romance novel" area. This was a huge hit.

The teens danced and goofed off...

as you notice, the pictures have turned to black and white... this is because, just like the masquerade scene in Labrynth, it was a surreal. This is what happened...

Thankfully, they all cleaned up the majority before they left and a few older teens stayed to help even longer.

This introduces the biggest lesson I learned. It should have been divided by ages. The difference in behavior was obvious. The younger teens made a mess out of the crafts, one boy getting burned. They tore apart the roses and novels and threw them around. The older teens carefully made elaborate masks. Giggled and censored and drew in the novels.
Do't get me wrong... the event was still a success, and everyone had a great time.

Gothic Martha Stewart

2008-02-10T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today we baked and decorated cookies for the young adult Anti-Valentine's Masquerade Ball.
They turned out amazing and we had a lot of fun.

With no oven in the library, 2 teens and Elizabeth (my supervisor) came over to help.

Elizabeth brought her daughter who is 4. She played with Phaedra while we baked and much mischief insued...
They gave each other tattoos, did make-overs on each other and created elaborate costumes out of dress-up clothes.

The cookies were a lot of fun to make..

Here's a few of our favorites

The girls were our taste testers...

maybe the black icing wasn't a great idea.

If I were a book...

2008-02-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

You're Watership Down!

by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Feeling a little misplaced

2008-02-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

"I will join your century but only as a doubtful guest." -Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls

Metamorphosis: Change Your Things

2008-02-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

Bottle Cap Pins
I have already done this as a program and it was very successfull.
I also made these as presents for my co-workers, using old novel covers.

They best way to get images that are small enough is to print them out using Windows Picture and Fax Viewer using the Contact Sheet print size.

Altered Mint Tins
I always saved my mint tins, hoping I could find what they were good for. I finally found it!

The collage paper will stick to the tins wonderfully if you apply the glue to the paper and stick it to tin. I use Mod Podge as a glue and sealer.

Comic Cards

These are simple and look like you bought them at a specialty stationary store.

To make the envelope, just carefully unassemble the envelope and use it as a template to cut out and fold the comic pages.
For the images on the card, just white out the speech bubble and write in your own message.

Altered Books

Secret book boxes

Using book glue, paint the outside edges of the book. Use a Xacto knife or box cutter to cut out the middle of the book. Coat the inside of the 'box' with the book glue.

Paperback coin purse
Many old paperbacks have great funky covers. Go through your donated items and see what you can find!

Tear off the cover. Cover it with clear packing tape or contact paper. fold it into thirds. Sew it together to create a pocket with a flap. (You can also just use tape, but it's not a lot of sewing and makes it look much nicer.) use self stick velcro create a closure for your wallet!

You've heard of a Duct Tape Wallet...
Here's a Packing Tape Wallet!

What's great about this is that you can use anything... newspaper, sheet music, book pages...

Here is a scan of the directions:

Movies!

2008-01-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

I just found out that NICK AND NORA'S INFINITE PLAYLIST is going to be made into a movie!
info

I am also very excited about the A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY movie!
info

And of course, TWILIGHT!!
info

Change Your Inside

2008-01-18T10:14:00.000-08:00

Many Teens are getting ready to graduate and will be living on their own for the first time or in a dorm at school. A great program idea to get them ready for this is a RAMEN COOK-OFF! Everyone knows that Ramen is a staple food in your teen and early 20's, so why not give them the skills (and forethought) to make Ramen so much more. It could even be used to impress a date!

You can give prizes for the most creative, best tasting, best presentation, etc...

There are great websites out there, just google "Ramen Recipes".

More on the Inspiration Cards

2008-01-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

I wanted to add a great idea to the previous craft idea I mentioned. Dove Chocolates have neat little inspirational sayings inside their wrapper that are perfect for this craft. (I used one on the "live your dream" card pictured below.) Buy a bag of Dove chocolates, let the teens eat them and make their cards with the wrappers!

Metamorphosis- Change Your Outside

2008-01-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

This is the section of the summer reading manual that features my contribution: Barbie Makeover.
I had this event in Boone NC at the Watauga County Public Library. It was a huge success! We bought dollar store Barbie dolls and asked the girls to bring in their old ones (if they were ready to part with them or even still had them around). We got all kinds of supplies and we made Barbie more realistic. We gave her grey hair, zits, used different flesh colored clay to make her body more realistic and cut of her feet and reattached them so she didn't have to walk on tiptoes. While we worked on Barbie we showed a documentary calledI, Doll which takes a well rounded look at Barbie and how she influences peoples lives.
We had wonderful discussions and the girls loved it!
The best part was our display of our work.

I have also conducted a mehendi program and it was very successful as well. Again, this program was at the Watauga County Public Library.

Another wonderful program idea for teen girls would need to be advertised as "a program to bring out your beauty". Teens will think they are coming for make-overs, but they will make this:

You can buy rolls of chain and necklace closures, bags of small keys and the bottle charms at craft stores. print out the word confidence, throw in some glitter and everyone is gorgeous!

I also had an idea for a program based on the book,
The Plain Janes. In the book, PLAIN stands for people loving art in neighborhoods and was formed by Jane to make the world more beautiful, noticable and happy. I call these Inspiration Cards. They don't really change your outside, but rather your world. This could also be used along with the book, Stargirl

They are collages made on playing cards with words and phrases designed to inspire and encourage. The purpose is to make them and leave them in public places to make someone smile, or think, or feel warm and fuzzy.

Teens always love my collage programs. It's so creative and easy and open ended. You can buy the metal words and phrases in a craft store along with great paper. It's really easy to collect great collage supplies and it really doesn't cost anything! Save your weeded magazines and old foreign language newspapers.

The very first program I did when I began working in Wake County was a Tshirt Surgery program. There was a HUGE turnout and they keep asking for another. There are great books out there to give you directions and tips, including Generation T.

Our TAB group also make Tshirts using stencils. If you have a graphic image you would like to use, print it out, tape a piece of overhead projector acetate sheets to the image and use an xacto knife to cut out the stencil. We love our shirts!

Up Next: Change your Inside

Don't bug me, I'm reading

2008-01-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

I am a contributer for the CSLP Summer Reading Manual for teens and I will be presenting at our regions event. This is my second year presenting on teen crafts. I wanted to give everyone, not just those who came to my session, a place to go for ideas and photos, so I am putting it up here.

Maybe I'll help even more people.

This year's theme is Metamorphosis @ Your Library (Catch the Reading Bug for the little kids)
This leads to the most wonderful topic- BUGS!
I really like bugs, and I have a dead bug collection. I don't kill them, I have to find them... I use them for art.

The manual includes a craft on "BUG-IGAMI" and I had a few great ideas to add to the idea. We have this great lamp in our YA area and I thought origami butterflies would look beautiful hanging from it. But for those who don't have our amazing lamp, I came up with a whimsical idea to get your YA area ready for Summer Reading!

This can be hung from the ceiling or a branch can be put in a small bucket with rocks to hold it in place.

have each teen that signs up for summer reading make a butterfly to add to the branches! Or have teens make one for each book they read all summer long! Imagine how many butterflies!

Why not add christmas lights? And if origami is intimidating, you can always have the tissue paper and pipe cleaner butterfly option. They are beautiful as well, and variety is nice.

This can also be a take home craft program to go along with the "MySpace- not the computer kind" Interior Design program. Girls would love to have one of these in their room!

To go along with the idea of metamorphosis as change, have the teens write a wish or something they want to let go of on a butterfly and attach it to a helium balloon and set it free. You could also do this along with the Monarch Butterfly raising actiity, "Set Them Free" mentioned in the manual. Use the PostSecret books by Frank Warren as a display to promote the program.

Origami bugs and tissue paper butterflies make great Book Flags for Teen Picks when they are attached to a clothespin! This will also have your Teen Area crawling with a festive look!

I also wanted to share some of my favorite jewelry that people of all ages love that would make a great teen prize:

These can be found at:
maxilla and mandible

and cheaper here

up next: change your outside!

a bit of peer pressure

2007-11-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

Buy Handmade Video from Etsy on Vimeo.

fall in the city

2007-11-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

I brought my camera while Phaedra and I walked home from school today.

Her school reminds me of my elementary school on Long Island.

These are just some cool trees and sights along the way...

Home!

almost done with the house

2007-11-28T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here is the living room...
One wall is painted orange, the rest will be light gray and the trim will be black. Dramatic.

You can see we have more work to do...

Here is the studio. It's just basically a room to work in, but interesting, of course.

It has more work too. we still have 2 walls with nothing on them yet :)

Bottle Cap Pins... A Fun Teen Craft

2007-11-26T07:11:00.000-08:00

These were so easy and so much fun!

My very first Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T07:04:00.000-08:00

The menu
Turkey Breast with Turkey Gravy
Pear, Cranberry and Walnut Stuffing
Acorn Squash
Baked Corn Casserole
Garlic Mashed Potato with Parsnips
Baby Portobello Gravy
Shelley's Pumpkin Cake

The Punk Rock Faerie

2007-11-26T06:59:00.000-08:00

My daughter wanted to be a punk rock faerie this year for halloween. I think the costume turned out to be wonderful! She even won most creative in our neighborhood costume contest!

Teen Read Week Fun

2007-11-26T06:52:00.000-08:00

Lindsey and I created a really fun display:

Secret Book Recomendation Cards:

The Move

2007-11-26T06:45:00.000-08:00

Check out our new house!

YA furniture arrives in time for Teen Read Week

2007-11-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

Banned Books Week Treasure Your Freedom to Read

2007-10-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

2nd Annual Eva Perry Library Teen BBW celebration/demonstration

Vegetables Rock! By Stephanie Pierson

2007-10-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

This book is perfect for answering questions on nutrition and diet and will make the decision of becoming a vegetarian easy on both the teen and the parent. The facts are disguised behind a fun, casual voice that makes the information digest a little easier. After reading this book you will know what you need to be eating and how to gain those nutritional elements.
It also explains the emotional side of being a vegetarian. It tells you all the different reason people decide to become a vegetarian and asks you to know why you are a vegitarian. It expresses that if you know why you are a vegetarian, you can defend yourself when meat eaters critize you. It also helps explain the different types of vegetarians (from vegan to sortavegetarian) and uncovers some of the spiritual reasons vegetarianism is practiced. Did you know that word 'vegetarian' has nothing to do with vegetables? It comes from the Latin word vegetare which means "to enliven". Another interesting fact.... The first American experimental vegan community was in part founded by the father of Louisa May Alcott.
The downfall to this book was it's recipies. I don't think they would really appeal to teens. Some of them seemed a bit to complex for my taste and I like to cook.
I will still definetly recommend this book to teens who think they would like to become a vegetarian AND to parents of vegetarian teens.

Harry Potter Party

2007-10-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

My Grandma

2007-09-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

I recently got the news that my Grandmother had died. I always felt that I was never sadned when old people died because I felt as if it was their time and they were in a better place with bodies that worked, their memories making them feel complete and a new found calm and completeness. For reasons unknown, her death hit me hard. It brought a lot out in my family and I regretted the last few years where I was not as close to her as I once was.
As a child, I was very close to her. I spent a lot of time at her house and she really inspired the creative side of myself. She was a creative woman and she would allow me to use her paints, taught me calligraphy, how to play the ukellee and took me to ceramic classes. Some of my fondest memories take place in her bedroom. She had a beautiful antique vanity and she would let me put on her make-up and perfume and lotions. She always seemed so glamourous to me, even though she was old and I got a sense of feminine beauty that my mother never gave me from her. I also remember her old antique bed that always had the best linens and piles of pillows. She had a featherbed and as a child I needed a step stool to climb into all of its plush glory. The head and foot board were elamboratly carved and huge in stature with a flat surface on top. I had a basket of small creatures, animals and people I had collected and we called them my "cast of thousands". She would lay in her bed, with her make-up and red hair beautiful and perfect and I would perform a variety show for her. If she didn't like the performance she would take a bamboo cane and swipe the character off stage. Very Vaudville.
Another favorite memory I have is when we found a dead dragonfly. We put it in a plush jewelry box and wrote the story of his life. My Mom still has the story and she read it to me when she shared the news of her death.
In my later years, I realized how much I was like her and how much she was an integral part of who I was. I had her write me letters about her life and I cherish those snipets of what it was like to be her. I am thankfull, now more than ever that I asked her to do this for me.
I was lucky enough to have her be a part of my daughter's life and I cherish the photo we had taken of 4 generations of women from our family. I also cherish that I have photos and stories to share with Phaedra when she gets older.
I am sad that I won't be able to go to her memorial service, so I am saying goodbye in my own ways here and sending a piece of artwork to be displayed to thank her for the creativity she gave me. In saying goodbye to her, I would love to share some pictures of her with all who happen upon this blog...
My Grandma at 16:

This picture isn't the best, but it is of her and my Grandfather making out on his letter jacket:

My Grandma and Grandpa:

My Grandma on the beach:

My Grandmother as a woman and mother:

Thank you, Grandma. For what you've given me and what I have to pass on.

Teen Advisory Board Meeting

2007-09-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today I stood in for my partner in crime and facilitated the Teen Advisory Board. It was so refreshing to be around such a great group of teens, the gave me energy and smiles in a pretty dismal view of life. We started by talking about upcoming programs and they were fueled by my passion for BBW and I am so glad to have such a neat group of teens inspired by something that inspires me so much.
Another topic we talked about was Teen Read Week. My co-worker and I are going to do a display together and we want to recreate a teens bookbag. I had them bring their bookbags and share their contents with me. I thought they might think it was cheesy, but it seemed they really enjoyed letting me and the other teens at the meeting into such a frivilous and personal aspect of themselves. Here are some neat still-life photos they help me compose...

We then painted some of the bookends for the shelves in the YA area. It gave them a chance to put a bit of themselves and their creativity into the YA area. They had a lot of fun and I think they will look great on our shelves.

Banned Books Display

2007-09-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Every year I look forward to Banned Books Week and plan a big event for my teens at the library. BBW really stirs a passion in me that reminds me of the flame I had as a teenager... believing that some how I can make a difference in the world and caring enough to speak my mind and go against the grain. I also love how talking about BBW to teens gets them surging with that passion. Readers or not, teens feel something about this issue.
This year will be no different and I have kicked off the crusade with a display in the foyer of the library. Here are some pictures...

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

2007-08-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

I just finished this amazing graphic novel and can't wait to get it in the hands of others.

First of all, I feel it's important to say that I am not a huge fan of graphic novels. It takes a certain something for me to truly enjoy one and this one had it!

This is the story of Jane. Jane was in the vicinity of the trade towers on 9-11. The book shares this moment of her life in such a beautiful way. While the madness is going on Jane notices a dandelion that has pushed it's way through the sidewalk. No one, with all the madness going on, has managed to step on this flower and Jane decides that if this flower can survive, so can she.

Her parents did not feel the same as her and they move to a suburb where it is "safer". Jane also knows that nowhere is safe and instead of letting her fear motivate her she becomes inspired by the unknown man in a coma she helped at the devastating scene she survived. She knows nothing about him except that he possessed a sketchbook with a cover that read "art saves". She decides that art can save her and tries to look for all of the beauty in everything. As we all know, this is not an easy job. She quickly comes up with a plan that can save her and the world and teams up with her unique and genuine group of misfits, which happen to all share the name Jane.

I won't give anymore away, but what transpires is the formation of a girl gang called P.L.A.I.N. (people loving art in neighborhoods). They perform guerrilla acts of art inspiring people to think, laugh and live. But of course, as with all thought that is unique and different, it is seen as threatening. The school and the cops and Jane's parents are determined to catch these art terrorists, but the Plain Janes have other ideas....

vacation

2007-07-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

as a kid, i remembered being loaded in the car while it was dark and sleeping most of the trip, awaking with only a little ways to go to get to our destination. i thought this would be the way to go so we didn't have to entertain phaedra for the whole 11 hour drive. we left around 1am Thursday morning, drove about 4 hours and pulled over to sleep a few hours because phaedra wouldn't go back to sleep. we stopped at a horrible little motel and slept till 8am and hit the road. i am convinced it was the right decision... we all got some rest and could have a plesant journey.

we got to florida and i took over the drive. of course, i was cought in a speedtrap in lawtry florida, one of the most famous in the nation.

we arrived in st.pete and checked into our hotel. st. pete is a neat little area that has a retro cabana feel to it. our hotel was right on the beach with a large pool and a tiki bar. we were starving, so we immediately went to the hotel restaurant. i ordered a pina colada and king crab legs. what a way to begin the vacation! we then walked down the beach to my cousin's hotel where the wedding would take place. we met my dad and stepmom, aunt and cousin and my mom at the bar and had a few drinks... which led to a lot of drinks. phaedra went to sleep in the suite with some of my family and kevin and i strolled the beach to our hotel. i have never been big on going into the ocean, and this was my first experience with the gulf. i was quite drunk so kevin convinced me to get in. even though it was dark, i couldn't believe how warm and clear the water was. eventually we ended up in the water naked swimming toward the pool of moonlight on the water and floating around pretending to be mermaids. we went back to the hotel, changed and showered all the sand off of us and crashed out. you know you've been together a long time when your kidless and drunk and just pass out.

the next morning we went for a swim in the ocean and then got ready for the wedding. here are some pictures for you to enjoy:

the reception was fun and in a beautifull location overlooking the beach. guess who caught the garter!?!

the next day we went swimming in the ocean and the pool and went out to dinner with my dad and aunt. we ate at the restaurant above the wedding hotel and it revolves! it was very cool!

sunday we drove home and stopped at cheesy tourist traps

check out this really freaky thing i found... i'm not sure what it is...

Weeds by Mz. Red @ the library

2007-07-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

An alternative look at libraries and librarianship

any feedback?

ALA...photos

2007-07-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

The gathering of librarians sharing knowledge...

I totally geeked out on how amazing this was!

The Hollywood Librarian Movie Premiere:
I walked the Red Carpet! See my claim to fame!!(page 5)
My co-worker, Lindsey, looks simply smashing!

Fabulous friends

FREE BOOKS! AUTHOR SIGNINGS! OH MY!

Author Breakfast
John Greene

Laurie Halse Anderson (with tattoo of the first word of Beuwolf)

Lois Lowry

Jack Gantos

Some sights and experiences
A Library of course

The Metro

Chinatown

The Eva Perry Teens

Lunch with Marcus Zusak

The Printz Award Reception

I need your help... Library Zine!

2007-07-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

I recently attended the ala conference in washington dc and i was uber inspired by a session i went to where several libraries discussed their zine collections.

we recently had a teen produced zine at my library and i am very interested in getting it started back up and testing the waters to take it one step further. So, i need your help....

I am going to create a library zine, so that "higher ups" can relate and learn what a zine is. I need your contributions for this to work.
the title of the zine is WEEDS mz. red @ the library. it will be an alternative look at libraries and librarianship. i am currently writing feature articles on how to express your funky individualism in a professional workplace and discussing the new look of librarians. I am also doing a "twisted storytime" section and other great surprises...
BUT.... I need you!
i need:
true library stories... tales of strange patrons, strange finds in returned books, etc...
librarian testimonials... why did you become a librarian? what do you love most about your job?
book recommendations for the truly well-read.... what is your favorite book and why?
Networking... what are you the expert on and how can we contact you?
Art... anything inspired by the library or librarians, etc...

I am not only looking for librarians to contribute. If you love the library tell me why... love a librarian? why?... write a funny story about the library (or even a short erotic piece...)

send me anything!

My life in high school

2007-05-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

It has been a very exhausting (but fun) week, and I still have 2 days to go!!
I have been booktalking to 9th graders all this week. I was a bit nervous because it was my first time to booktalk in a high school, but I am doing a great job!

The hardest part is being there at 7:30 in the morning. Another challenge, as an introvert, is finding time to restore my energy when I am done.

I have had the pleasure of working with 2 excellent teachers so far and I am very excited to meet the next 3 teachers I will be working with.

Here are the titles I have been talking about:
My Secret
Found
Generation T
Pick Me Up
Zine Scene
Girl Director
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Doing It
An Abundance of Katherines
So Yesterday

I am also telling them about programs we have done or will do in the future. I have mentioned:
Banned Books Week (this is their favorite)
T-shirt surgery
Teen Zine
Cyber Summer Reading
TV Production Workshop

Amazingly, I have done the best in the classes that are considered the "trouble-makers". It was an amazing compliment when the teacher told me if I could get through to them, than I had to know I was good at what I do.

The teens have been the most responsive to My Secret, Doing It, Banned Books Week and very eager to sign up for Cyber Summer Reading and the Teen Mailing List.

Hooray Me!

Day 2: Magic Kingdom and Epcot

2007-05-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

We woke up and drove to the Magic Kingdom. We wanted to ride our favorites from last time and Kevin wanted to ride his favorites. We spent from 9 am untill 2 pm, jumping to our favorites.

We rode:
The Haunted Mansion. This was Phaedra's favorite ride from the last visit and one of my favorites as well. It is still original, and still very good. It is closing down this summer for refurbishment and I can't wait to see it after it's facelift.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Phaedra even had her arms up! What a daredevil!

Splash Mountain. This was my first time on this and it was fantastic.

Pirates of the Caribbean. Kevin's favorite. He bought himself a hat, and Ian a shirt for a souviner.

Monsters Inc. Comedy Club. It was also my first time to see this.

Phaedra was dressed as Snow White. It was so cute I could have vomited. All of the "cast members" addressed her as "her majesty". She was glowing.

Then, we rode the monorail to Epcot.

They were celebrating the Festival of Flowers and it was gorgeous!

We rode Spaceship Earth, Mission: Space, and Turtle Talk with Crush.
Mission: Space was incredible! We had read that 2 people died on the ride due to the intensity of the ride and that they now offer 2 versions. We, of course, did the more intense while my Mom and Phaedra took the less intense version. This was quite an experience, we both loved it and Phaedra enjoyed her version as well.
In Turtle Talk, Crush imediately choose the "dudette totally dressed as Snow White." He then talked with Kevin and it was all very cute.
We then made our way over the countries. Imagine the joy Kevin and I experienced when we found we could buy beer!! And each country has it's own native beer! Beer Tour!!! We began in Mexico with Dos Equis. We then moved to Norway (no time for beer) and rode Malestrom. The trolls were very neat.

I bought a souviner troll and we explored the country some more.

They had these neat stations set up around the countries where kids gathered a diecut image to add to a mask for each place they visit. They tables are hosted by a "cast member" who lived in that country. We had Phaedra gather facts from each one she went to and write them down in her passport.

Next we visited China. We ate eggrolls, orange chicken and sesame chicken salad and had Tsing Tao to drink. We also watched an acrobat show.

We then hit Germany and had Beck's to drink. Phaedra loves Germany and got to see the dancing and Grammy ate a pretzel.

To close out the night, we watched the fireworks.

Florida Vacation Day 1: Water and other liquids

2007-05-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

We flew out of RDU airport on Thursday Night. I scrambled to get packed, and we had dinner and drinks in the airport. It was nice and we felt the excitement of a vacation as we unwound and smiled. We had a small layover in Atlanta, which I never mind because I love to people watch. It quickly turned into a mad dash because they changed our gate, but running across the people movers (while kevin raced us on the normal ground)was a lot of fun. We took off just as the sun was going down and the downtown lights were surreal and beautiful. My Mom and my Aunt picked us up at the airport and we spent a little time catching up with them and then crashed out for the night.
The next day started early. My Mom made a big breakfast and then we headed to the beach with my Aunt and her new husband. We cranked up Pink Floyd and knew the day was just going to be one big party.
The first beach we went to was cold and windy and we could see rain coming in the distance. It was beautiful... the water was black in the distance.

We drove a little further to another beach which was an example of Florida perfection. The sun was shining and the breeze was still blowing, but no sign of rain here! It was Phaedra's first time to play in the water, and she loved it so much.

This was a little inlet and the water was very blue. We explored an Indian Mound and I found amazing flowers to wear in my hair and a really great shell. Phaedra was very excited that she got to go out deep in the water with Kevin.

We then had a great lunch on the beach... fresh peel and eat shrimp and pitchers of beer! It was delicious!
Then, we headed back to the house and went for a dip in the pool. We packed a cooler of beer and spent hours enjoying the sun and the water. Next was dinner... my Aunt's famous salad and my Mom's famous broccoli cornbread. We also bought Key Lime pie and it was amazing.
We spent a few hours visiting with my cousin and Grandpa and then went to bed early (with a buzz from the beer, sun and water) for Disney the next day!

My weekend in Boone

2007-04-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

We had a great, but very busy weekend in Boone.
We went to our old favorite bar on Friday night, saw some old friends and listened to Rockabilly music.

Saturday, we went to a reunion for the Boone Music scene. It was a twenty year reunion for Kevin and his old band, Dionysian Tapestry.
Here they are in 1986:

and here they are now:

We had a great time!

In the inbetween I visited with my best friend and got to see the Pocket Monkey (Sugar Glider) she was babysitting, and visit with Kevin's Mom and my Brother.

To see more pictures, go here:

sleep=medication, art and organizing=therapy

2007-04-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

Last night I made the mistake of going to bed at 8pm and woke up at 3am unable to go back to sleep. My mind was racing, so I found a few activities to keep myself busy and not focus on all the thoughts swimming around in my head. First, i cleaned out my desk and organized my bills and office supplies. I find it strange that such things relax me, but they do. My desk is old with claw feet and was a gift from my grandmother. I polished the wood and it looking so nice really made me feel good. I then cleared of all my cork boards that fill the walls around my desk. These quickly get covered in art and design projects and I thought the empty space might inspire me to make more art, which is always a good thing.

I still wasn't tired so I decided to get crafty. I bought Phaedra some plain t-shirts and I decided to decorate them. Here is the shirt I made her:

I also made a shirt for my paramore, because he was so good to me last night and cooked dinner and gave Phaedra her bath so I could relax from my hard day. Here it is:

please don't go, we love you so...

2007-04-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

Spike Jonze to direct "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. Hmmmm... I feel some programming ideas coming on...
a little blurb (it's apparently very 'hush, hush')

Ren Faire

2007-04-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

Greeted by the Green Man

Phaedra's Favorite Part
She also liked the Knight Fights. She cheered and "wanted to see blood". She also liked heckling the jousting knights. She was amazed by a pirate who pulled a coin out from behind her ear. As a souvenir she got a mermaid and fairy doll, and a bag of wish jewels.

Fantasy Parade

As my souvenir, I got a crown, a leather mask, and horns and stripe pirate thigh high socks. We ate yummy fair food, cheesecake on a stick, strawberries cover in chocolate on a stick, you get the idea...

My Kitchen

2007-03-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

I have begun spring cleaning on my two days off from work. I have a big break from work next week and I hope to get the house clean and sparkling while spending some time with my daughter. Yesterday, I got the kitchen in tip top shape. We have lived here for almost a year and I have decided it is time to get everything painted and the shelves hung so the plethora of books can finally leave the boxes in my attic. I am quite proud of the kitchen, so I am going to post some pictures for you :)

My boyfriend painted and we chose this color called "chinese yellow". We were scared to use so much yellow, but I absolutely love the way it turned out.

The inspiration was the "We Can Do It" print. I love pin-up art, war art and airplane nose art and the kitchen seemed like a nice place to use that motif. When I moved my old boss bought me a clock with the "We Can Do It" picture. I love it.

Another quirk about my kitchen is that all of my plates do not match. I have collected single plates in the blue and yellow motif because that color combo makes me happy.

Another strange bit of info... because of my last name, I collect Campbell's Soup memorabilla. It's nice because it adds a slpash of red to my color scheme.

Another Meme... From ZeeSays

2007-03-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

I was requested to list 5 non-library blogs that I read.

NEW ART - a look at new art trends
ALTERED ARTIST- two women and their latest obsessions
VINTAGE STYLE GUIDE- for women who like a little past in their present
LITANY- for the latest news on my favorite band, Skinny Puppy
OPACITY- beautiful photography of urban ruins

Sculpture: The Queen of Insects (638)

2007-03-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is a sculpture I made in response to a horrific incident that happened to me when I first moved here to Raleigh.
First of all, I have always loved bugs. I have a collection of dead bugs: butterflies I find in the street, dead dragonflies,etc. I also really love beetles that are shiny and irridescent. I have never killed a bug for my collection, but I feel they have still turned against me, knowing my fascination with them.
About 3am, I awoke from a dead sleep screaming because I heard this horribly deafining, high pitched squeeky clawing sound. After totally freaking my boyfriend out and waking up my daughter, we rushed to the emergency room. I knew there was a bug in my ear, but the ER people really just thought I was on drugs. Finally, after looking in my ear, they saw the Japanesse Beetle and had to remove it. They drugged me up big time, but my boyfriend and daughter could hear me screaming in the waiting room. The little critter had made his way to my ear drum and the sound was the most painful part of all. I have the removed bug in a case on my bookshelf and made this sculpture to help make sense of this experience.

5 Questions about me... a meme

2007-03-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am participating in this chainblog from ZEESAYS
If you want 5 questions from me, leave a comment and I will give you 5 different questions.

1. Tell me about one holiday tradition your family has that you think is unique.

We have several, so it is hard to choose one. My Mom was really disgusted by the politics of Thanksgiving and the fact that it seems to be such a sexist holiday where men watch football and the women cook all day. She revolted by creating the tradition that we go bowling on Thanksgiving.
One that I created for my family is to simplify things. My daughters birthday is the day after Christmas. We have a small celebration amongst family, where I give her a special gift, we light a candle and I tell her about the day she was born and watch home movies of her baby-days. We have a real party with friends and such on June 26th, her half birthday in the spirit of Alice In Wonderlands Mad Hatter Tea Party and sing "A Very Merry Un-Birthday".

2. What is one thing you regret?

This is a hard one, because I try to not regret anything. I feel the decisions I made are for a reason, and I just have to wait for that to be revealed to me. Don't get me wrong, I know I've made mistakes, but I don't regret them because they taught me something.

3. What is one movie you think all people should be required to see? Why? If it is not a movie that most people have seen, give a 1-2 sentence summary.

Hmmm... another hard one. I am really having trouble picking just one. But, I am going to go with REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. This is really a horrible movie, but that is why I like it. I think movies, theatre, music, literature, art, etc should have the power to totally grab you inside of it's world and this movie will do that. After watching it, you feel as if you have gone through everything the characters went through and you feel violated and dirty and thoughtfull. Somethimes it takes something very harsh to make people feel anything in the world we live in where we are constantly surrounded by media violence. This movie will break through anyones hard shell.
In short summary, it is about addictions and what they will drive you to do.

4. What is your favorite comfort food?

What woman isn't going to say chocolate? I prefer dark. But on a more original note, I like baked ziti or lasagna... especially my Mom's.

5. What is the scariest thing that's ever happened to you? How did you maintain the fear from overtaking you?

Another hard one. This question required a lot of thought. The scariest thing I ever did was leave my husband and enter the world on my own as a single parent. I decided to leave because he was abusive to me and did not want my daughter to see that. Knowing I made the right decision was the only thing that kept the fear of the unknown from taking over me. I had to be an example of a strong woman for her, and if that ment she had to go to daycare and life would be a lot harder, I knew it would be better for both of us in the end.

Library Trading Card

2007-03-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

This was just to much fun!

You should make one too.

http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/deck.php

introduction (biographies~ located at the end of non-fiction)

2007-03-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

My first post is to introduce myself and tell you why I made this blog.

We all begin by introducing our selves by what we do for a living. I am a Young Adult Library Assistant in a public library. For those not familiar, that means I work with teens. I help them research, I recommend books and I plan programs to get them into the library. I want to share my book reviews, displays and programming ideas along with talking about library systems in general and the challenges working with this age group presents. I hope I will discover others who work in this profession and we can help each other and share our tidbits of wisdom with each other. I also love discussing what I read and would love to discuss my readings with others. I really do enjoy YA literature and read a lot of it, but I have also promised myself to read a few more "adult books" this year. I am going back to school in the fall to finish my masters in library science and I am very excited to be back in school. I love school and I would go forever because I always want to know more about something. Another reason I turned to Blogger is because I had a myspace page which I loved, but my library has recently blocked the site and I can no longer post on there while the desk is slow. (trust me, I will blog more about this later...)

Next I will tell you about my family. I have a 6 year old daughter and I will mention her a lot. I also hope I can use this blog to keep my friends and family up to date on our adventures. She is amazing... she started talking in full sentences before she was a year old and expresses her self amazingly. She has a very active imagination and a strong spirit of independance. She is all girl and loves pink, dolls, dress-up and shoes. She has an extreme sensitivty for animals that leads me to believe she will run a rescue mission or at least own a million strays. She is quite dramatic, but what do you expect from a child named after a greek goddess (her name is Phaedra). I am not married, but in a very committed relation to a man I live with. We create all kinds of art together and share an amazing relationship that is burning and alive with passion. He also has a 14 year old son who spends every other weekend with us. I have no family that lives close by but consider my close friends my family. I am very close to my mother and consider her one of my best friends and owe so many of my best qualities to her. We are living far away from each other for the first time in my life, which is hard. After my divorce, I lived across the street from her and I know that would drive most people crazy, but I loved it.

To get even more intimate, I am a very artistic person and do not feel complete unless I create everyday. I want to post my art on here and hope I get lots of feedback on it. I am always trying new ideas and perfecting old ones. I really enjoy altered art and mixed media collage. I love altered books and have several going at all times. I have recently explored painting and sculpture and have made a few "spooky dolls". I also enjoy photography and find pleasure on being on both ends of the lens. I also design and alter clothes, and love any excuse to wear a costume or express myself with my appearance. I also occasionally design and direct for theatre (I have my undergrad in Theatre Education K-12.) and love writing, watching and performing in performance art. I am also the lyricist and front person for an industrial band that my boyfriend concocted. We have found mild success and love creating together. It's not for everyone, but I invite you to check it out http://www.terrorcouple.com or http://www.myspace.com/terrorcouple To explain it a bit before you get totally frightened, it is based on the ideas of Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty. I take on an alternate personality when I perform and the music and live show is designed to force the audience into feeling something in this time of apathy and desensitization. As a female front person, I strive to challenge what is considered beautiful. While my performance antics are shocking, I do not rely on vulgarity, gratuitous sex or even bad language to express my ideas. My boyfriend is an amazing musician and writes all of the music. It is electronically based but adds some interesting elements of scrap metal percussion and power tools for instruments.

So that is a slight introduction of what I will be posting on here. I hope I've peaked your interest and you will be back to visit again.