Hi, my name’s Faith, and you are…?

Whoo-hoo! I’ve made it to 250 posts! When I started this blog I wasn’t sure how long I was going keep up with it. But over a year later I have to say that I’m enjoying it quite a bit.

I originally started this blog to keep family and friends updated on the goings-on of E, but connecting with neat people here in blogland has been an appreciated bonus. It does make me kind of curious about who is reading, though.

So, how about you? What brings you to my neck of the interwebs?

I Heart Art (& Comics): James Kochalka

I’ve enjoyed the work of James Kochalka ever since N’s brother Ken loaned us American Elf years and years ago. Back in 1998, Kochalka decided to keep a daily journal by drawing a comic a day. It seems like a project destined to peter our after a few months, but Kochalka kept at it and is still at it today.

American Elf: Volume One collects the first five years of daily comics. (Regarding the title, Kochalka draws himself as a somewhat balding, buck-toothed elf.) The comics range all over the place: some capture funny exchanges between him and his long-suffering wife Amy, some highlight a moment of beauty or wonder that stands out from the mundane, some celebrate the mundane, and some just defy description. As you would expect from the daily format, there are a few throwaway strips, but as a whole Kochalka’s work is solid and enjoyable. Kocahlka doesn’t pull many punches and so following the lives of him and his family (sons Eli and Oliver are born during the course of the project) is engrossing and charming.

Kochalka is still drawing daily comics. In addition to the first collection, volumes two and three are in print. I would recommend reading the collections; they make for quick, fun reads. But if you have time to kill at the office you can also read all of the strips online.

“But what does this have to do with art?” you might ask. Well, a couple of months ago I saw that Giant Robot was having another Post-it show. And I saw that James Kochalka was participating and that his Post-it was still available. The drawing was of his cat Spandy (frequently featured in American Elf) and was just $20 so I snapped that baby up.


I had it framed and now it hangs in our bathroom. I look at it as I’m getting ready in the morning and it makes me smile.

Jewelry Boxes: Update 6

I know I haven’t posted about woodworking for a while. To tell you the truth, I haven’t had much to post about. Two weeks ago class was canceled because of the college’s spring break and then last week’s class just kind of frustrating. I didn’t accomplish as much as I needed to in order to finish on time and I’ve been a little bummed about it since class.

The main thing that I accomplished last week is that I got the tray and lid supports cut down to size and glued in. And I was also this close to finishing assembling the trays (but didn’t take any pictures of that part since, you know, it didn’t end up happening.)

I cut strips of walnut down to 1/4″ thickness and then sanded them to 1/8″ thick.

Then I cut the strips to the width of these grooves in the boxes.
(Not pictured: the strip I ruined because I brought the saw down on it before it (the saw) was spinning at full speed and it (the wood strip) got ripped out of my hand–safety first!)

And then I glued the strips in place.

I’m hoping that I’ll be able to finish assembling the boxes in the two classes I have left, but applying the finish at the shop is pretty much out of the picture now. I guess it won’t be too bad: the boxes are small enough that I can oil and lacquer them at home without too much hassle.

I need to stop moping about running out of time but it’s frustrating. If I had just one more class period I would be set! (Le sigh.) Oh well, I’ll buckle down and do my best to finish as much as I can.

Going to a show

Well, Miranda had her baby yesterday! Both Miranda and little baby girl A seemed well (if understandably a bit tired) when N, E, and I visited them last night. Cute stuff.

Tonight N and I are going with some friends to see Bishop Allen perform. They seem to tour Salt Lake City/Provo more often than other bands. I think tonight is going to be the fourth time we’ve seen them in concert. They always put on a great show. You can listen to some of their songs on their website.

A Helpful Hint

When I made spaghetti sauce last week I cooked it in my big Le Creuset French oven (which I got at almost half-price so don’t judge, yo!) But when I went to pour the sauce out I discovered that some of it had burned on the bottom. It was horrible! I scrubbed what I could off and let it soak with dish soap overnight but to no avail. There was still a thick black layer of crud on the pot.

Then I did a search online and found that some people recommended mixing dishwasher detergent and water in the pot (you want to stir it so the powder dissolves) and then bringing it to a boil, covering it, and letting it sit overnight.

I decided to try it out. It was amazing! The heavy burnt-on crud started lifting off the pot as soon as the water came to a boil; it didn’t even have to sit overnight.

So if you ever find yourself in a similar situation I would definitely give it a try.