***BE THE CHANGE***

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Family: Fish Hard, Live Long


Family: Fish Hard Live Long
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

Meet my Dad. He likes to go fly fishing with
the Dudes in his fly fishing club.
Yes, there are such things as fly fishing clubs!

Catch and release, yo!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Life: Holding The Light!


Life: Holding The Light!
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

Just as the sun was rising this morning I recieved word to light up a
dear friend's blessingway candle. Right now as I type a new baby is
being born into our Tribe! Squee!!!

Monday, November 8, 2010

DIY: Tutorial - Framed Vertical Succulent Garden...

...or as I like to call it, Living Art!

***AS SEEN ON READYMADE.COM***


UPDATE 2.20.12: It's thriving...
Succulent Garden Update!


UPDATE 3.19.11: It's filling in...
Life: It's Filling In!



I have a small pile of vintage frames collecting dust so I thought I'd use one to make a hanging succulent garden.  I didn't have much luck finding one particular tutorial that best suited my needs so I gathered mental notes from a few sites, measured my frame and went off to the hardware store with little more than a concept of how it was all going to come together.  I also brought Farilla along to help carry supplies for moral support.  He was none too pleased once he realized I was kinda making things up as I went along...but he finally came around!

My Supplies:

1- Vintage frame with a 16" x 20" interior opening
1- 20"x24" piece of 1" Chicken Wire
1- 9' long piece of 2"x"2"
1 - 22"x 26" piece of oak plywood for the backing
a bunch of nails (some 2 1/2 " & some 1")
1 spray can of clear satin water based outdoor Varathane Diamond Spar Urethane
~10 lbs of cactus soil
50+ succulent clippings

Tools:
Work Gloves
Wire cutters
Hammer

First, I applied about 4 coats of Spar Urethane varnish to the front and back of the frame.  I let each coat dry completely before applying the next.

With the frame laying face down I pressed a large piece of 1" chicken wire down though the interior opening making sure it was flush with the front of the frame.  Farilla then stapled the chicken wire into place on the back side of the frame.  We removed all the excess wire with wire cutters.  I highly recommend wearing work gloves while cutting the wire.  Those edges are sharp.



Next, we used the 2 1/2" nails and secured the four 2"x2"wood strips (cut down from the 9' long piece noted above) to the back of  the frame like so...



In order to keep the cactus soil from falling through the wire I lined it with Spanish moss.



Once the wire was completely covered I filled the framing to the brim with the cactus soil.



Then, Farilla secured the plywood to the wood strips with the 1" nails.



As a precaution, I slid an extra piece of plywood under the front to help keep the soil/moss from squishing out through the wire mesh as we flipped the frame up-right.  This thing is seriously heavy!



Once we had the frame facing right side up I began filling it with the succulent clippings I've been collecting during walks around our neighborhood.



I also picked up about 15 more succulents from the 99 cent store....the best deal in town.



The ultimate goal is to fill the entire frame with plants. I'll be sure to post a photo once we get it all filled in. Due to the weight I don't think we'll be hanging our vertical garden but I'm convinced it will look just as lovely leaning up against the wall on our back patio.  I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome thus far!

A couple things worth noting:  Next time, rather than 2"x2" strips of wood I'll only use 1" thick strips.  And then I'll use screws to attach those wood strips into the back of the frame (rather than nails).  This thing is so heavy the screws will help make it more secure.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Art: How To Be Alone



HOW TO BE ALONE
by Tanya Davis

If you are at first lonely, be patient. If you've not been alone much, or if when you were, you weren't okay with it, then just wait. You'll find it's fine to be alone once you're embracing it.

We could start with the acceptable places, the bathroom, the coffee shop, the library. Where you can stall and read the paper, where you can get your caffeine fix and sit and stay there. Where you can browse the stacks and smell the books. You're not supposed to talk much anyway so it's safe there.

There's also the gym. If you're shy you could hang out with yourself in mirrors, you could put headphones in (guitar stroke).

And there's public transportation, because we all gotta go places.

And there's prayer and meditation. No one will think less if you're hanging with your breath seeking peace and salvation.

Start simple. Things you may have previously (electric guitar plucking) based on your avoid being alone principals.

The lunch counter. Where you will be surrounded by chow-downers. Employees who only have an hour and their spouses work across town and so they -- like you -- will be alone.

Resist the urge to hang out with your cell phone.

When you are comfortable with eat lunch and run, take yourself out for dinner. A restaurant with linen and silverware. You're no less intriguing a person when you're eating solo dessert to cleaning the whipped cream from the dish with your finger. In fact some people at full tables will wish they were where you were.

Go to the movies. Where it is dark and soothing. Alone in your seat amidst a fleeting community.
And then, take yourself out dancing to a club where no one knows you. Stand on the outside of the floor till the lights convince you more and more and the music shows you. Dance like no one's watching...because, they're probably not. And, if they are, assume it is with best of human intentions. The way bodies move genuinely to beats is, after all, gorgeous and affecting. Dance until you're sweating, and beads of perspiration remind you of life's best things, down your back like a brook of blessings.

Go to the woods alone, and the trees and squirrels will watch for you.
Go to an unfamiliar city, roam the streets, there're always statues to talk to and benches made for sitting give strangers a shared existence if only for a minute and these moments can be so uplifting and the conversations you get in by sitting alone on benches might've

[Thanks, Karyn!]

Photos: Granite Pass Halloween Decompression

Last weekend we met up with some Legends and other memorable Space Creatures for our biannual trip to Granite Pass (aka Homeslice Decompression Vol. 2). We had one DJ for every five campers which equates to roughly 17+ hours of non-stop music.  I'm not even kidding...Farilla and I started heading back to LA around noon on Sunday and the bass was still resonating off the rocks.  So much love and appreciation goes out to those who participated and coordinated this outing.  It was fantastic and EXACTLY what team Shutterilla needed.  I'm still recovering from the sugar high.  Mad love to you all.

You can peep the full slideshow here.