Native

Honeycomb, Type and Letterpress

Awhile ago, I saw an article about the Moveable Type Truck that was traveling across the country setting up a print shop everywhere it stopped and was super excited to see that Salt Lake City was on the route this past Monday!  We went over to The Mandate Press and tried our hand at creating our own letterpress prints.  Mandate is an awesome print shop and the staff was so friendly and helped us each print the honeycomb part of the design on the Vandercook press, then we took them out to the Type Truck and Kyle showed us how to use a proof press with wood block type to finish off the print.    If the Type Truck is coming to your city, I highly recommend you visit it!  Thanks to April and my Mr. for coming with me on such short notice!

Bear Claw Yurt

Last month, I went on a winter camping trip with some friends to a yurt.  Started off with me breaking a ski pole in the first three minutes (thank goodness for people who plan ahead and bring extras)  but it was really fun overall and so, so beautiful!  The air was so fresh, skiing in was a nice and the yurt was cozy.  Despite having the most uncomfortable beds ever.  My favorite part was the night ski.  The sky was so dark and was filled with stars that I can't even remember exist when I'm in the city.  It was cold, as evidenced by my frosty hair, but completely worth it!

Raw Gems

We went on a rock hounding/treasure hunting trip to Montana for our one year anniversary so I put together what I wish I'd worn and brought.  It was really fun, although downright cold, and I'll share pictures of what we found a little later!

 

Science, secrets and librophilia

Anything scientific peaks my interest and these Mad Scientist Blocks by Xylocopa Designs are no exception!  As soon as there's a wee one in the house, they'll be out on our floor for sure. 

I also recommend the Curious Expeditions blog for furthering your knowledge of the unusual and noteworthy. 

Tonight I've read about Painless Parker, the touring dentist with a bucket full at every tooth he ever extracted.  He traveled in a covered wagon from town to town with a P.T. Barnum ex circus manager as his guide who created a noisy ruckus with show girls and buglers who covered up any sounds of pain from patients so that Parker could keep his legally changed first name accurate to his business. 

I heard the tinkling sounds of one of only 12 known Polyphons from the Musical Wonder House. 

I was also intrigued by the story of Bob Diamond, a 19 year old Brooklynite who heard tale of a secret tunnel under Atlantic Avenue and went off to search for it.  It purportedly held the body of a British man, the lost diary of Jon Wilkes Booth and Persian Vampires, according to H.P. Lovecraft.  After a year of research and a renewed sense of adventure from seeing the opening night of Indian Jones, he found an unmarked manhole on Atlantic Avenue and crawled into a long forgotten tunnel, which you can now take a guided tour of next time you're in Brooklyn.

 

I finally stopped reading after the Compendium of Libraries around the world, but I'll soon be back for more Curious Expeditions. 

Peeling, for the better

I remember being enamored by all the beautiful tile and colorful walls on all the buildings when I visited Lisbon last year.   I imagine that with a little more time and a bit more imagination, I might have also started to see what Portugese artist Ana Ventura sees in the cracks and nicks of paint and plaster.  Her (in)visible series is clever and darling!

Found via CRAFT magazine

Bathing Beauties

I found these vintage swim basket tags in my favorite antique store here in Salt Lake and have finally put some of them up in my shop.  I have a couple more to work on but haven't decided how to use them yet, I wanted each one to be different.  They were found with a metal detector which makes me want one of those even more.  An underwater metal detector to be specific, to accompany James and I on our dives.  I know I've lost countless precious items in lakes and waters and I'm sure I'm not the only clumsly one out there.  Anyway, back to the swim tags.  I particularly love these because they came from Saltair and the Saltair has quite a history of it's own.  It was built in 1893 with the idea that it would become the Coney Island of the West, and it was for some number of years.  It hit it's hayday around the early 1920's and then after a couple fires and rebuilidings, the Great Depression and the invent of motion pictures, travel out to the beaches of Saltair slowed.  Despite having the world's largest dance floor for a time and showing movies at Saltair, it never regained it's early popularity and eventually closed it's doors for good after an arson fire in 1970.  It was later reopened in the 1980's and now sits as a concert and special event venue, but it's grandeur is mostly gone and only visited through photographs and, vintage swim tags.  

Also, I have yet to test this out for myself, but apparently you can't sink in the Great Salt Lake due to the high salt content.  Scientific experiments will commence on this next summer. 

Buffalos and Bears

 

 

 

This summer we took a road trip to West Yellowstone.  I think I went there every summer as a kid and James had never been, so off we went.  We watched a documentary on old lodges in national parks before the trip and in honor of it, spent a couple hours on the patio of the Old Faithful Inn, waiting for the geyser to go.  Lots of animals, all very close to us and lots of tourists, trying to get closer to the animals.  I was positive we were going to see a buffalo gore someone a couple times, but rangers kept a good watch over the people.  We did see BEARS, including two baby bears in fact, which I can't say I've really seen in the park before, at least not this close, even though it's known for them.  As we were driving through the mountains, two cubs ran right in front of our car and we stopped in the middle of the road and took pictures of the momma bear eating a tree stump and the baby bears scampering up the hillside to her.  It's a beautiful park with amazing geothermal features, worth a visit if you're nearby or passing through! 

(tip: if you camp, opt for Canyon campground and avoid Bridge Bay and make your reservations way in advance.)

ride, pony, ride

This carousel bike is equal parts awesome and terrifying.  I found it over at Pitch Design Union who recently discover this blog that is all about bikes and bike culture from the past to the present.  I myself hadn't ridden a bike since childhood until I decided while living in LA that traffic was horrid and I might as well enjoy my 5 mile commute, outdoor style.  I started off with a rusty $20 craigslist mountain bike but soon upgraded to my currently beloved little red speedy Univega road bike.  I spent a summer going on lots of group rides, from small get togethers along the beach paths with friends to the large scale group rides with hundrends of cyclists.  If you've never been to one, it's definitely worth a go.  Try looking for a Critical Mass bike ride, a themed bike ride or other rides in your city.  

That's me an my backpack styled R that I made for the Alphabet Soup ride.  The point of the ride was to cycle around to other letters and make words with your new friends.  Mostly though, I heard a lot of "aRrr, matey" from others as they passed me.  I gave the R to a roommate a few moves ago and can't help but wonder how it fairs now. 

drift on, dreamer

I used to want a hammock but now that I've seen this boat by Okooka, I've changed my mind.  I'd prefer to drift along while I nap.  I like the thoughts behind the design as well- it's along the lines of the place you sleep being a safe haven, the place where we trustingly lie ourselves down and close our eyes to the lulls of the night.  

via notcot

MoOM

Today has been a great day for discoveries.  While sitting on hot reserve at the airport I have found: a) suitable spot of grass, complete with shade tree, to pitch my blanket and read outside, enjoying the sunny weather b) the spot in the airport with 4 bars of internet access and a conveniently located outlet for recharging c) the deliciousness that is a honey lime chicken salad in the C terminal and d) MoOM, or the Museum of Online Museums.  I could spend hours here and if the trend of crew scheduling giving me hot reserve shift after hot reserve shift, I probably will.  There are galleries for every imaginable thing you could possibly curate.  A few examples:

Gallery of German TV Test Patterns

International Collection of Vintage Soap Labels (at first I thought the she hands were making a shadow puppet.  I've been practicing my mine...I'll post about that another time.)


Museum of Vintage Octopus Pulp Covers

There are plenty more online museums to be explored.  Take a look and let me know what your favorites are.