Vintage Color Palettes - Pilgrims

I was scanning this postcard to post for sale on The Cedar Chest and was overcome with the colors. I love these colors and love them together. You would see these color combos a lot in the 1940's bark-cloth fabrics (which is when this postcard was made) but you seldom see them anymore, especially together. I don't care that they're not popular anymore. I like them. I mean, really, don't we all need some nice rich maroon in our lives.

To find out more about this card and who thee pilgrims are, check out the listing on The Cedar Chest.

The hex color codes are from top to bottom: 843f3d, 9fa431, 415c67, ece3d9

October in the Railroad Earth

Stopped at the train tracks today on a golden October afternoon. I took pictures of the train and immediately thought of the Kerouac prose piece October in the Railroad Earth.

It's about his days working on the railroad in San Francisco, which he often calls Frisco (I think he was the last person allowed to call it Frisco). His time on the railroads didn't really last too long, like most of the stuff he did, but, like a good writer, he got lots of material out of it.

THERE WAS A LITTLE ALLEY IN SAN FRANCISCO back of the Southern Pacific station at Third and Townsend in redbrick of drowsy lazy afternoons with everybody at work in offices in the air you feel the impending rush of their commuter frenzy as soon they'll be charging en masse from Market and Sansome buildings on foot and in buses and all well-dressed thru workingman Frisco of Walkup ?? truck drivers and even the poor grime-bemarked Third Street of lost bums even Negroes so hopeless and long left East and meanings of responsibility and try that now all they do is stand there spit- ting in the broken glass sometimes fifty in one afternoon against one wall at Third and Howard and here's all these Millbrae and San Carlos neat-necktied producers and commuters of America and Steel civilization rushing by with San Francisco Chronicles and green Call-Bulletins not even enough time to be disdainful, they've got to catch 130, 132, 134, 136 all the way up to 146 till the time of evening supper in homes of the railroad earth when high in the sky the magic stars ride above the following hotshot freight trains-it's all in California, it's all a sea, I swim out of it in afternoons of sun hot meditation in my jeans with head on handkerchief on brakeman's lantern or (if not working) on book, I look up at blue sky of perfect lostpurity and feel the warp of wood of old America beneath me and have insane conversations with Negroes in several-story windows above and everything is pouring in, the switching moves of boxcars in that little alley which is so much like the alleys of Lowell and I hear far off in the sense of coming night that engine calling our mountains.

That's the first paragraph. 

I've had Kerouac and the Beats in my head because I am currently cleaning out my storage unit and I have boxes filled with many books on Kerouac and the Beat Generation writers. Most of them were bought in the Bay area in the 80's and 90's. I am selling some on The Cedar Chest shop right now and will probably list more soon.

I remember one night around 1995. I had been reading Carolyn Cassady's memoir of her time with Neal and Jack (It's called Off the Road and I remember it being one of the best books I'd read about that time) and one night I had a particularly vivid dream that I was there in that apartment hanging out all night with Jack, Carolyn and Neal, drinking, dancing and taking pictures. The one scene I remember the most was Jack sitting on the floor cross legged (I was standing up looking down at him) in a light blue-grey sweatshirt and he just wouldn't shut up. He was really obnoxious.

Vintage Color Palettes - Reveries

In the midst of the beginning of fall I am bringing you this pretty spring vintage postcard. Such a lovely image and the colors are awesome.  There's no date or writing on this postcard, but I would guess it is from around 1910.

If you're interested in the hex color codes for this they are from top to bottom: f99975, da4045, f9c7e0, a2bf63

the monster

There are a number of people or groups that I am and have always been interested in. Every couple of years my obsession will get rekindled and I will delve into it again. One of these deep interests is Mary Shelley, her family, friends, influences and of course, her book, Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley

Mary Shelly was 16 when she met Percy Bysshe Shelley, an already married man of 21. They had an affair and then he left his wife for her.

At the age of 19 on a June night, Mary, Percy, John Polidori and Lord Byron were staying at a country estate and there was a terrific storm. Byron suggested they all write scary stories. That night Mary conceived of Frankenstein (and Polidori started the first book on Vampires).

Instead of reading Frankenstein again, which I do sometimes when the itch hits me, this year I'm reading a new to me book about "the curse" of Frankenstein and that night called The Monsters: Mary Shelly and the Curse of Frankenstein.

This book basically tells the story of all involved that night, including the back story of their parents and upbringing. Mary was the daughter of famous political writers, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. Both parents believed in the full rights of women. They didn't believe in marriage and encouraged open relationships  Godwin also believed that women and men were not supposed to live together. He felt that each person's privacy and peace was more important.

It's been many, many years since I read the biography of Mary Shelley, and I'm sure I've forgotten most if it. I'm only still at the beginning of the books but so far I have already read some pretty crazy stuff.  For example: When Mary's mother was dying after she gave birth to her, they thought her milk was poisoning her and put puppies on her breasts to drain the milk. Um, what?

Frankenstein is about so much more than most people think and certainly much more political and deep than the movies show. I recently saw The Bride of Frankenstein and it always breaks my heart when the Doctor just walks away and despises his creation. This to me is the one of the big lessons of Frankenstein. Responsibility. Mary was writing in part about the Industrial Revolution and the fear that machines would take over the work of people. But, there is so much more to this novel.

My obsession right now with Frankenstein has, of course, also resulted in a Frankenstein Pinterest board, too. Some neat images are there. Check it out.

Love is a Radical Act Project

Some friends of mine, Sam and Kelly, have started a wonderful project called Love is a Radical Act.  Here's some of what Sam said about the project. You can read the whole introduction to the project here.

..I do not understand or subscribe to romance. I think it often belittles the true love that motivates small daily gestures. It too often clouds the reality of a relationship – the lack of solid foundation, the acts of cruelty, the lack of common goals and interests...

..I am fighting for recognition and respect for all types of families – blended families, queer families, multi-racial families, adoptive families, families of choice, childless and child-free families, single people, and many more. I am fighting for the right to marry my partner so that we will enjoy the same protections that other couples take for granted. Heck, if someone can come up with a better system that will allow for greater flexibility and protection for all types of families, then I will fight for that too...

In honor of all kinds of love and as part of the fight for marriage equality Sam and Kelly have a few ways that you can participate. 

1. They're selling ceramic hearts that you can then leave places or take images of. 
2. They are doing he(art) bombings where one or many people go and hang the ceramic hearts in public places  
3. They're asking for your stories of all kinds of families and love. You can find out more how to get involved here. Check out the website for some he(art) bombings that have already taken place.

Last weekend I went to the beach with a family of mine that would not be recognized or valued by many people in America. It was a lovely simple weekend. A nice end to the summer. I so enjoyed taking images of the Love is a Radical Act hearts in this setting knowing that I was living exactly what this project is about.

My partner of nine years was with me. He is a true and trusted partner. He's my best friend. I so relate to what Sam wrote above about how the romance that most people think is so important is actually just an illusion. That idea actually belittles the true real love of everyday kindness and partnership. That is what I have with my partner.

We don't live together, we aren't married, but we have a strong equal partnership and his love and friendship has changed my life so much for the better.  Some people have and will dismiss our relationship, but it is strong and just as valid as any other couple or family who love and care for each other every day.

Family is where you find the people who most care for you, who want the best for you, who accept you as you are. This can come in many different forms. One is no better than the other. The fact that love can be divided as good or bad or right or wrong is absurd.

I hope you'll take part in this fun, positive and important project.

Vintage Color Palettes - Reward of Merit

I was getting ready to post this on the Etsy shop and was overcome by the colors. So, a new Vintage Color Palette was born. I love the calm colors. They're soft and rich at the same time. 

The hex code color numbers are from top to bottom: 435d54, 96c5bf, 9d8863, d0cdb2

If you are interested in the Reward of Merit card you can purchase it here on The Cedar Chest shop.

summer's bounty

Although it's still almost a full month before summer is officially over, I'm seeing a bit of fall peeking out and sneaking into view. The air feels and smells a bit different and the light is different. I know though that we will most likely still have hot weather for another month. In this area the hot weather goes through the end of September usually.

Still it definitely feels like the end of summer. Before the heat wave last week I found 2 huge zucchinis. I look everyday, but someone had missed these. It seems impossible. I decided to make some zucchini relish with them. Something I'd never made or had before.

I found an easy recipe in a zine I'd gotten just a couple of days earlier at The Portland Zine Symposium.  The zine is Keeper's Kanzine and I highly recommend it. Not only is it a beautiful zine (I love the cover) but it has some great recipes and some great advice.

I got it from Ms Valerie Park Distro and you can get it there, too. There is second edition as well.  It was in this zine that I learned that I can put jars in the oven to sterilize. I've always been really put off by the whole sterilization process, kind of intimidated by it, so I loved this idea.

The recipe was called Golden Relish and it turned out great.  I wasn't sure how I'd like it, so I made a half batch. It's really good. If you like sweet relish you'll like it. I've had it on a sandwich a lot in the last two weeks.

Here is a picture of it right after I canned it. Today I made another half batch and I used a yellow pepper instead of red and put in less sugar. I want to see how it will be with less. Since I used the naturally sweet Walla Walla Onions I think it could use less sugar. I'm excited to try it.

The heat wave kind of burnt up my plants. I don't know if I will get much more harvest from them. I didn't get many cucumbers this year because the zucchini took over. Which sucks. I kind of like the process of having too much of something and finding a way to use it, and zukes are the best for that. But I want more cucumbers, so next year I may not plant the zucchinis.

Anyway, I'll leave you with this pretty picture I took on my phone Friday while I sat on the porch swing with my mom. My step-dad was working in the garden and he had handed her some roses. It was a lovely perfect breezy summer day. The air felt so soft and friendly.

Vintage Color Palettes - Greetings from Maine

Here is a lovely woodsy late summer palette. I love these colors together. Wouldn't you love to be at this spot in Stonington, Maine? 

The hex color codes are from left to right: d72221, b0c6c8, b4c94f, 64682f

Zines! People who Love Zines!

One of the best things about being at a zine symposium (and for me a postcard and photo sale is like this, too) is that you get to be around people who love and value zines. They've put a lot of work into their zines and they appreciate the work you've put into yours. They understand that desire for zines and they love to trade their zine for yours.

And if you've been going to zine events for 12 years like I have, then you also get to see all these awesome people that you usually only see once a year (even if you're in the same town). It's always so great to see everybody.

So, last weekend was the zine symposium here in Portland. It was HOT. The room was not air conditioned and people were sweating like crazy. But, we were all in the same boat and it was pretty easy to keep distracted.  Here are some images of my table. I didn't take many pictures around the sympoisum, unfortunately. I will update more later about the zines I've been reading. My new zines are listed in the Etsy shop now. Imaginary Life #8 is very limited.

Zine Symposium this Weekend - New Issue of Imaginary Life!

I am fairly house bound in the next few days trying to get all my stuff together for the Portland Zine Symposium this weekend. Luckily I have air conditioning to get me through during this current triple digit heat. Netflix Instant, fans & air conditioning - the zine assembler's best friends.

I made up a small amount of the new and limited special edition copies of Imaginary Life #8. There is a black and white version of this zine in the IPRC's Zine Machine that you can get for $1.00! For the zine symposium this year I made a special color version of the box and there are a couple little surprises inside. These took a ridiculous amount of time to put together, so I kind of doubt I will make them again. So, come by the Portland Zine Symposium this weekend and find me and my zines.

Here are some pics of the new issue of Imaginary Life.  I am still working on a new Paper Crush as well.