FORTUNATE FRIDAY!

I want to make sure everyone knows that there is some really cool and fun stuff happening this weekend and I would love to see you all there! On Friday, the Unfortunate Heads will be playing at the Blanton museum's B~Scene. The Blanton opens to the public from 6pm to 11pm on the first Friday of every month, providing music, food, drinks, museum tours, and hands-on art projects to Austin's art lovers. This month's theme is the American West. The U-Heads will take the stage at 9:30pm and its going to be a really fun show!

The same evening, my superdupercool friend Clane Hayward will be reading from her book, The Hypocrisy of Disco at Book People. Growing up in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco during the "free love" era, Clane has some incredible stories to tell and a razor-sharp wit to tell them with. She'll be signing books after the reading...at least until we steal her away to B~Scene!

And if you can handle it, The Unfortunate Heads will be performing the following evening at Trophy's at 9pm. If you're still trying to decide whether or not to buy a day or weekend pass to Fun Fun Fun Fest, don't worry about it. You won't have the time or the energy with all of these other great things going on. :)

Fri Nov 2, 2007
7:00pm Book People--
Clane Hayward, The Hypocrisy of Disco

9:30pm Blanton Museum of Art--
The Unfortunate Heads at B~Scene

Sat Nov 3, 2007
9:00pm Trophy's--
The Unfortunate Heads

See you this weekend!

Hang on to your costume! There's more fun to be had!

Hey y'all! I sure hope your October has been as fun-filled as mine so far. I'm barely keeping up with it all, and its not over yet! This is the last week of the month, which means HALLOWEEN is creeping up on us. My alter ego, "The Costume Nazi," was once again in full effect this year, and I dare say my peeps would agree that it was worth the daily nagging, the bossiness, and the frequent trips to Hobby Lobby. I made myself a grackle/blackbird costume that was perfect for letting out my inner goth. (She gets out so rarely these days.)

We transformed Justin into the best-looking ghostbuster since Harold Ramis. That proton pack's construction kept me awake at night, and sadly I didn't even get a good pic of it.

I even helped Katie a bit with her Christo's Surrounded Islands ensemble, though I must say that she needed very little assistance. I think the Costume Nazi's regime has rubbed off on her over the years. ;) Katie, I want a pic to compare you side-by-side with the original!Speaking of Katie, check out these AWESOME pumpkins that she and some friends carved! Katie did the Edward Scissorhands, lower left. Can you believe these? I'm thinking of commissioning these carving professionals for portraits next year...

If you want to see more photos of great costumes and halloween fun, PLUS pics from Maker Faire and a daytrip to San Antonio, check out my photos on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16967901@N08/sets/

Blue bird on my earlobe makes me happy...

Check it out. I created this little birdie design in Illustrator, traced from a copyright-free image I found in one of my craft source books. I love it so much that I wanted to make them in all sorts of colors! I started with these three, colored in with pencil on shrink plastic, then baked and bejeweled into earrings! The little blue birds I sent to my BFF-Rae for her very belated birthday. They will look darling with her sparkly blue eyes and shiny blond hair. The gold ones I kept for me, and...the black ones I'm keeping for me, too! But they're soooo eazy, that I can whip another batch for whoever wants 'em! Holla!

October in Austin is Hands-On, Haunts-On, Hearts-On

I can't believe how much cool stuff is happening in Austin this month! Whether your type of party involves paper mache, costuming, or bondage (or all three?) there is at least one thing happening for you this month, probably several.

Saturday, October 6th is WORLD CARD-MAKING DAY.
Did you know that crafty card-making has its own holiday? It does! And you should celebrate it! Make someone a card. It doesn't have to be fancy. Maybe just a quick note to say "hello." This would be a great time to get started on holiday cards, wouldn't it? There are several occasions coming up, you know. Myself, I am celebrating World Card-Making Day 5 days early by making my little sister a birthday card. However...the card is actually 5 WEEKS late. Sorry, Megan. Uh,"thought that counts" and that whole thing? http://www.worldcardmakingday.com/

The second weekend in October will see the first ever TEXAS BURLESQUE FESTIVAL, a 2-day sextravaganza! Burlesque troupes and performers from Texas and beyond will be strutting their stuff--literally--on Friday the 12th at the Parish, and Saturday the 13th at Antone's. There will also be live music, vaudeville stage acts, etc., plus educational panels and workshops during the day! The festival ends with competitions and awards on Saturday night, where the audience will choose the winners. Can you handle it? Check it out at http://www.texasburlesquefest.com/

Probably the one event that everyone is talking about in Austin this month is the AUSTIN MAKER FAIRE, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, October 20th and 21st at the Travis County Expo Center. We (the creative and crafty collective of Austin) are super psyched for this event, which is put on by the geniuses at MAKE: magazine. As the faire's date approaches, more info is becoming available about the incredible attractions we'll be seeing. Besides all the artists/inventors displaying their creations, we can also look forward to the Swap-O-Rama, where crafty peeps will be encouraged to swap or reuse old clothes and accessories to make new ones on the spot! There will also be an all-day halloween site, where pumpkin-carving and costume-making is in full effect. And, perhaps the most exciting thing to me and my crew: the Power Point Slammers have been asked to do a demonstration at the faire! It's gonna rock (in electronic outlined format)! I'll be volunteering at the Maker Faire all weekend, so give a shout out! http://makerfaire.com/

When the Maker Faire closes for the evening on Saturday, you might want to head on over to Red 7 for the SINSATIONS 2nd Annual EROTIC CARNIVAL. Somewhat like the Burlesque Festival, the Erotic Carnival will include sexy performances and live music, as well as naughty carnival games, a dunk tank, spanking booth, and more!! And the best part is that proceeds will benefit AIDS Services of Austin. So, just go! I know you're curious, and its for a good cause. Possibly several, if you consider what it might do for your love life... http://www.sinsationsaustin.com/

That is a lot of artsy-fartsy, steamy-sexy fun for one month, and I haven't even touched on Halloween yet, people! It's my favorite holiday and I know the local haunted houses are already open for business, so you can expect a post on all that is spooky in Austin soon...

A Dream is a Wish Your TV Makes

[Oh, boy. One thing is for sure: if my blog were a baby, I'd be in jail for neglect! Sorry I've been away so long, y'all. But I'm back and I have TONS of stuff to post, so stay tuned!]

There are only three things that I've desired from television in recent years and until now, the gods of broadcast have seemed deaf to my wishes. Totally uncooperative in the area of my personal interest-- HOT MEN! But now it appears my luck may be changing...

The first thing I've desired to see on my TV screen, for several years, is a return of GEORGE CLOONEY. I can only watch old episodes of ER and Roseanne so many times before I bang my head against the wall. I might even watch the later eps of Facts of Life, if it were on DVD. (And if it were only the Clooney season.) Sadly, it doesn't look like he'll be returning to the boob tube any time soon, and how can you blame him? He's moved onto an incredibly successful film career. But his movies are few and far between. I propose he have his own television series, preferably a drama so we can see him for a whole hour, rather than the half-hour sitcoms are allowed. He can shoot movies while the TV series is in the off-season! C'mon, George. How much more money and success do you really need, doing the movies and saving the world? How about saving my bored EYES!?

On a related topic, I fear that a non-TV wish of mine may have actually come true. You see, I've been secretly wishing that Clooney's new stupid whore of a girlfriend, Sara Lawson, would have a devastating accident that left her disfigured, or maybe just a vegetable. But apparently my voodoo wishing went awry, when Clooney crashed his motorcycle, breaking his own rib, and the stupid whore's foot. Oops, my bad!

Now, the second TV wish I've had recently, is for my beloved JOSH HENDERSON to return to Wisteria Lane. As Austin McCann, Josh left Desperate Housewives last season after breaking Julie Mayer's heart, and impregnating the skank-nasty Danielle Van De Kamp. Now Danielle's mother is pretending to be having the baby, but you and I both know that she can't pull it off for very long in that neighborhood. Okay, for those of you who are saying, "Josh Henderson? Didn't he date pre-prison Paris Hilton? Eew!" Yes, and Ashlee Simpson before her, and now some girl from The Hills. Guess what, people-- I don't CARE! Look how hot the boy is! I just want to drool over him from my own living room, at a safe distance where he will never find out and I will never contract whatever STDs he has. Is that too much to ask? Well, I think I may be in luck, because I have a sneaking suspicion that Austin McCann will have to return to Wisteria Lane to face his lost love, his baby-mama, and his baby-mama's mama. Hopefully there will be some hints in the season premiere tonight. I'll keep you posted...

And my third wish, which is more for American media in general, is more JONNY LEE MILLER! OMG, I've had the hots for this guy since 1996! Unfortunately, he's a Brit, so I've been relegated to seeing him only in sparse supporting roles in not-so-great American films. But do you remember him as Sick Boy in Trainspotting? Hottest bleach-blond pimping heroin addict with a Scottish accent that I've ever seen. Well, it looks like ABC (the same network that introduced me to Josh Henderson) will be granting my wish with a mid-season dramedy called Eli Stone. (http://www.tv.com/eli-stone/show/68652/summary.html) The lead role will be played by none other than the sexy ex-husband of Angelina Jolie, JLM! And, if it could possibly get any better, the pilot and two additional eps will star my second-favorite George, GEORGE MICHAEL!!! Can you believe this? Even if the show sucks, at least I'll be occupied until the next season of Lost, which doesn't start until 2008. Thank you, ABC! Thank you!

Hands Off, Bitch!

She may not know it yet, but this TRAMP is my new arch nemesis. She shouldn't have gone there...she'll be sorry!