re-play

Armed with a well rounded list of 'music must haves', I recently set out on a music seeking mission to one of my favorite used record and CD shops, Bull Moose Records in Bangor, Maine. As I had a limited amount of time to spend perusing their extensive offerings, I had to keep my focus and referred to my (alphabetical) list often: Toni Childs- check! Bill Chinnock- check! The Decemberists- check! Grace Jones. Grace Jones? Yup. Whilst on my way to the checkout, I got snagged in the J's... and what a find! I remember listening to Grace Jones' ten-track compilation Island Life (on cassette!) at full volume, over and over until the tape finally, and unfortunately (or fortunately for you if you happened to live in the apartment next to mine) wore out. That was in 1985, and I can tell you that Grace Jones sounds as good today as she did back then (better in fact, since I scored it on a pre-owned CD for only $2.97!) . From the innuendo and double entendre laden "Pull Up to the Bumper", to her bossa nova infused rendition of "La Vie En Rose", Jones' music is at once classic (and classy) disco, and remarkably edgy and fresh, urban-pop. And I hear that Ms. Jones released a new record, Hurricane, late last year. It will probably be a while 'til that one shows up in the 'pre-owned' pile. But in the mean time, and in honor of "Record Store Day" on April 18th, I'm planning my next music seeking mission- let's see... where did I leave off... Emmylou, Feist, Gomez...

metallic-a

Behold- the humble #10 tin can. Strong, stable, well proportioned. Everything you could ask for in a man- err, can.
And I find myself inexplicably drawn to them- kind of like a crow to a shiny piece of aluminum foil.
If fact, I have been finding new and unusual uses for them just so I can keep them hanging around without them just, hanging around. Such as... kitchen utensil holder, plant pot (obvious choices), dog dish stand (you know, to keep them at the dog-gonomically correct height), and my yet to be attempted newest crafty idea (although admittedly not novel)- pendant light fixture shades. That'll keep 'em hanging around a while!
In the mean time...
Artists who are upcycling tin cans and such in some really fabulous ways can be found on Etsy. One of my favorites is Christine Terrell of adaptive reUse. Check out her fresh as spring, Polka Round Charms bracelet. Another artist making fun and funky pieces is Vicki Wolf of wearwolfs. Her pins and brooches are just too cool- check out this one.