Adventures in Thrifting

Today, my fiancee and I went to the MCC (Mennonite Community Centre, I think?) Thrift Store. It was a grand ole adventure. MCC is nice, because it's way out of the way, you're more likely to find curious things for less money, and the variety is amazing. Not to mention the fact that money from the thrift store goes to  projects and people in third world countries. To give a preliminary sense of what wondrous things we found, my fiancee found a pith helmet. A pith helmet. You know, the cool hats people wear in safaris. How cool is that! I found a few cool things. And a lot of great books.

Here we have a vintage girl guide belt (it's so wonderfully worn! Not to mention the beautiful buckle made of heavy metal), a medical corset (second one I've found in a thrift store! It doesn't have any  lacing, but it actually fits me, and it's really cool. Though I kid of just want to hang my corsets on a wall. They're so pretty), and a piece of vintage art. It's a miniature portrait of a woman with a dog, set into dark velvet and a heavy ceramic frame. It's lovely.

Here we have the inside label from a vintage Navy uniform jacket (it fits me perfectly- and of course I had to snatch it. I just have this weird thing with vintage uniform pieces, and they always end up being my favourite clothing items. And the history! It's wool, with worn cuffs and this great label, and patches on the arms). I also found several books. A few of these are ones that my fiancee found. I found the following books:

-The Annotated Alice- This is exactly what the title says. It is Alice in Wonderland, but it has annotations. I didn't even know that such a thing existed, but it's fascinating! It has references that what may have inspired the illustrations, references in poems, et cetera, et cetera.
-The Zombie Autopsies- Found by my fiancee. It is a book about zombies. It got a lot of good reviews from zombie writers and people who are considered creators of the genre, such as Max Brooks and George Romero. 

-The Irish Fairy Book- Also found by my fiancee. It is a collection of Irish fairy tales and fables. It looks absolutely lovely, and I'm interested to see what the Irish tell their children!
-The Twilight Hour- A collection of really weird stories. It was published in the 1960s, so it has weird illustrations with terrible colours, but it looks fantastic. I skimmed through a few of the stories. They are strange and Aesops Fables-Grimm-like.

-Questions Children Ask- A book from the 1940s, full of answers to children's curiosities. Y'know, answers of the universe, how things work, and so on. My favourite part so far are the "Do's and Don't's of Electrical Storms". I kid you not.

-Dolls- I can't recall the actual title, but I think it was self-published. It's a manual and instruction book on making dolls. It looks really neat, and I think it will make a great reference. Both for doll making and comics drawing. 

-Lady Gaga- This is a photography book by Terry Richardson. Now, this is a book that I got from the dollar store. That being said, it is absolutely brand new, but it was dirt cheap. The cover price was $50. I got it for $3. I bought a copy for my friend as well, as he is even more fond of Lady Gaga than I am. Very likely the best dollar store find I've ever discovered. Dollarama book section- Check it out.

Finally, I found a neat vintage dress. It's kind of pretty in a weird way, but it was $3, and I mostly bought it because of the woven tapestry-esque piece that makes up the majority of the front bodice. I do enjoy quaint images of 18th century folk. 

It was kind of too bad, though. We went to the thrift store and the dollar store to look for things to make decorations for our wedding. Nothing was found. However, I think we might have enough frames now (I did find a cool one for $2. It's oval and ornate, but without glass or backing. Nonetheless, it was begging to be bought and be painted). So far I have 3 vases, and I need to get paint for those as well. Going pretty well, though. Still, though we didn't find many things for our wedding, we found so much cool stuff! My fiancee... HE FOUND A PITH HELMET! A day with a pith helmet is a good day.

Jacquard Magic!

Finally, after a semester of weaving, I am happy with something I've made. These aren't even cut off the loom yet (and won't be for at least another two days... I might  not even see them again until the 29th). These were woven using a Jacquard loom, which is in all technicality, the oldest computer. It is a computerized loom, which now runs by using computer files to create photographic and drawn images onto a woven material. For our class, we had to do two woven samples, and then it was our choice as to whether or not we wanted to do another project on the Jacquard. I needed to do my last project (two pieces/projects on one warp), and because of the wonderful experience and work of the rest of the semester (awful), I decided to utilize the Jacquard. There was no guarantee that I would like it, but I couldn't stand to thread another loom. And the result? Success! I did two projects on one warp. I did my samples, and then two more pieces. All very ratty (except for my stages). I'm so happy with them. I'll post about these more later on, when they are cut off and finished. I am going to make a rat king black plague potpourri. Nice smelling and adored with dead rats. Story of my life...? (Not actually. That would be unsanitary).

Celebration of Birth

I can't believe it... I'm twenty-one years old. Crazy! This is now my twenty-second year on this planet, and it's been a good run so far, and I think that it will only get better. My birthday was wonderful. Really relaxed, productive, and best yet- I was in Saskatchewan! Back in the prairie, having a great break from the city and... my life, really. At least my life in Calgary. I was still able to get Comic Expo stuff done and organized (one of the main reasons I was able to come home, actually), but everything feels different. It's cleaner, more open, there's dogs, and it's just a good change of pace. I'm a city person... but only for a few months at a time. And even then, I yearn for the prairie or the woods... Or anything beyond concrete and asphalt streets. 

My parents gave me some great cake decorating things, which will come in handy. I've been wanting icing pipette decorating tips for a bit, and my mum knows me well! They gave me several things that will be fun and useful, and will be really nice to have for wedding preparation (at least cupcake-wise). I can't wait to test them out! I do enjoy decorating cakes and cupcakes. I just need practice... maybe I'll try to make fancy flowers.

It's also really nice to have some quiet. My parents had an appointment, and they figured that I would like some time to myself and quiet, so they left me at the house. It was so peaceful. Quiet inside a house in the middle of nowhere... It's a different type of quiet than in the city. Even with music, or dogs walking around and clicking their claws across the floor... It's such peaceful tranquillity. I feel like it's much easier to be alone in the country. It's an absolute solace, and it's something that's difficult to grasp when in the city. It's also much different to walk for miles in the country versus in the city. Miles in the country and you're still alone. Maybe you'll see a badger or a gopher or a fox. Maybe a hawk. But people... they are only the sound of trucks on a far, faraway road. 

 

And, of course, it's just nice to walk in the prairie. Pull on some wool socks and rubber boots, an old military jacket, and a RadioShack toque. The way it feels to be out alone in an open wilderness, under an ever changing sky, with my canine companions... This is what I miss when I'm in the city. It's something that can never be captured or compared in an urban area. I think the only thing that comes close is when I'm in a cemetery. Even then... it's not the absolute feeling of peace and solace. As Corb Lund says, "This is my prairie, this is my home."

Story Time with Grimm Fabrications

Have you ever wondered about the stories behind Grimm Fabrications, and the fairy tales that inspire various aspects? Well, the time to answer your wonderings is now! I decided that it would be fitting to read tales aloud, and then explain how it connects to Grimm Fabrications. This first segment is about the story and fairy tale behind the upside down rabbit logo. Please, let your curiosity be quenched!