Weekend bits

 
Birthdays have always been treated with the appropriate amount of reverence. Celebration is commiserate with age and major milestones surpassed, and the wishes of the birthday girl or boy are almost always honored.

Who am I kidding? We just like to celebrate, and this past weekend was no different. Allie just happens to be visiting from Germany, and we were lucky enough to get to celebrate her 28th year. The formula was pretty simple. Start with dinner at an Irish bar. Toss in a little sangria from the Spanish place across the street, and end the night with some rock and roll. 

All quiet on the western front

Things are likely to be quiet here for the next couple of weeks as I finish packing up my apartment, tackle some major work deadlines, and hang out with visitors from afar.

This past weekend was a whirlwind, and believe it or not, this is the only picture I managed to take. Allie blew into town from Germany on Saturday afternoon, and we spent the rest of the weekend running from place to place. Target, Anthropologie, Chipotle, Urban Outfitters...I was one tired girl. We also went out to dinner with the #31DDD girls on Saturday night. Despite the fact that you apparently can't get a table for eight people on a Saturday night at any restaurant in Fairfax Corner (even if you're willing to wait over an hour), we still had a blast. I love reconnecting with people you haven't seen for a while and making new friends.

Scenes from a weekend

, a photo by Serena McClain on Flickr.

Such a full weekend that seemed so incredibly short. So much of my weekend was filled with packing and various move-related things. I managed to pack up a significant chunk of my apartment, all the while managing to find time treat myself to breakfast and sneak out for belated Christmas celebrations with two of my dearest.

Kara Walker: Hirshhorn Twitter chat transcript

Do you guys like chats or talks hosted via Twitter? The jury is still out for me. If you're looking for an example on how to do it right, you should check out @Hirshhorn. I love how they pair a well-moderated online chat with a series of other artist events to allow you to engage with artists on a number of levels.

I'm rambling! What I really want to share is a transcript of today's @Hirshhorn Twitter chat with Kara Walker. I was stoked to hear that she was going to be showing there. Her pieces are so powerful, political, and convict you. I seriously enjoyed her responses today and appreciated how she seemed more than willing to cut through the crap.

Caveat: I transcribed the chat to share here. It's entirely possible I missed things. Also, I only included the Q&A portion (no comments to KW that weren't addressed).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@CanningMichael - What effect did the Whitney show have on your studio practice afterwards?

KW - That show traveled for about a year and a half to different venues, and during that year and another year beyond, I was in a slump and a quandary about how to keep my work moving forward. Part of the difficulty had to do with not feeling capable of escaping my "fame". And I found myself trying to avoid making large silhouette installations.

@CityAthena - What is the most unexpected reaction you have gotten to one of your art pieces?

KW - Is having your work removed from a gallery "unexpected"?

@amhill - Why does the silhouette have such power?

KW - Our shadows have a lot of power because they are abstract representations of our bodies. And the silhouette, an a cutout, is an abstraction of that. In some ways the silhouette cutout is an attempt at objective truth. 

@MetEveryday - What are the most unsettling and inspiring aspects of the art world for you as a contemporary artist?

KW - The most inspiring - or let's say the best thing - about my experience in the art world so far is having the opportunity to try out all my ideas and find audiences for them. Perhaps the weirdest aspect has been working with institutions with big PR departments. Being followed by photographers.

@RA007THOMAS - In your process, is it first a mental sketch or a pencil drawing?

KW - Usually I begin my process with a combination of reading, writing--a kind of quasi research-based process--and from there I start sketching in a sketchbook and work my way up from there to larger work, sometimes film and video and sometimes the large silhouette installations.

@aziza - 1st, i love your work. here's the question: what do you hope ppl take away or learn from your work?

KW - I don't think that I'm setting out to make work that solves problems in a cozy and narrative fashion. If anything my work poses lots of problems about the way we mythologize race, the way those mythologies carry over into our daily intercourse.

@BlaireGoesToNYU - What do you do with all of the extra paper that you cut the silhouettes from?

KW - Usually the mice in my studio eat it.

@suzisart - Do you have plans for the 150th Civil War/Emancipation anniversary?

KW - Isn't that over with?

KW -  I've just been asked in the studio about the 2006 exhibition I curated at the Met in New York called "After the Deluge." I was given the opportunity in late 2004/early 2005 to put my work in one of the smaller contemporary galleries at the Met. After about a year of hemming and hawing it occurred to me that having this venue was kind of an outlet for a semi-political set of questions. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the city was flooded, there was a lot of talk among artists, as usually happens in the face of catastrophe, about what an artist can do. So I chose that venue to be the site where I could ask questions, present images, and maybe try to visually contextualize the tragedy we saw unfolding in New Orleans. 

@vmfa - Civil War commemoration ongoing until '14. As a topic, it is still alive.

KW - I've been working with the subject of the Civil War since 1994. My work's been shown in Atlanta once in that time, and for the most part the reaction in the South to the work that I've been doing has been tepid or timid.

@jennygolightly - What was, in yr opinion, the most politically-charged work you've ever created? What work is most near & dear to yr heart?

KW - For the most part, the reaction to the work is politically charged, because it's charged material, but I can't think of one piece specifically that stands out from the others. As for the near & dear question, there's the first piece I made at the Drawing Center, "Gone: An Historical Romance of a Civil War as it Occurred Between the Dusky Thighs of One Young Negress and Her Heart." Partly, this was because it was the first time I had the opportunity to make a large-scale piece. I wasn't sure I could do it before that moment.

@suzisart - AW's shadows is large scale spectacle, as are your installations.Are you as intrigued by pop culture?

KW - A lot of the work is a direct reaction to pop-cultural representations of slavery, race, racism, etc. Warhol's kind of blunt honesty, his ironic distance was a point of departure for my thinking about how I wanted my work to be read.

@LadyTerror - i love hearing early stories of childhood exposure to art and art processes of kids. what are your early memories of making art?

KW - Hi, LadyTerror! My earliest memories of making art were when I was probably about two-and-a-half. My dad's an artist and he was always giving me materials to work with, chalk, acrylic paint, etc., so we have lots of pictures floating around of little me drawing on the sidewalk in front of the house. There was a lot of effort to hold on to my early abstractions.

@MusNightwalker - what other artists do you like to see your work exhibited with?

KW - I really prefer to be exhibited alone.

@ablackgirl - Re: The End of Uncle Tom Any connection to it and the way you see yourself in conversation with other Black women artists?

KW - If you're talking about the piece I made called "The End of Uncle Tom and the Grand Allegorical Tableau of Eva in Heaven," it's really a work that's in conversation with Harriet Beecher Stowe. I was specifically asking myself, "What is the author's relationship to the characters she creates? Does she have a responsibility to them or do they operate as free agents outside her control?"

I'm moving...take my stuff!

For nearly five years, I've lived in a 488 square-foot studio apartment. It's the first apartment I've had that is all my own. This cozy lab has allowed me to experiment with my style and has given me a space to figure myself out. Halloweens, birthdays, dinner parties, Rock Band nights, Gilmore Girls marathons, photoshoots...this space has seen it all.

This studio has also started to seem incredibly small for the last couple of years. Don't get me wrong, I don't need a ton of space. I appreciate how it forces me to make tough choices before bringing things into the house. Still, I dream of being able to shut a bedroom door. I want to throw another party. So, when the opportunity to upgrade to a one-bedroom apartment in my same complex came up, I jumped on it (almost literally). I move in under a month!

In order to pare down a bit before moving, I thought I'd see if could give away a few things and move with less. If you want any of this, claim it in the comments.

letterpress drawer (similar to the one linked)
random box of books (that I haven't read)
random box of yarn
blue and brown floral shower curtain
yellow batik shower curtain
owl scarf rack
set of metal robots
set of urban vinyl toys

P.S. Will also be offering these same things to work peeps.

Stumbling through Staunton

This weekend I decided to make the most of an annoying situation. Do you remember that 54-hour train ride back from Texas (I'm not going to let you forget it 'til I show you the video)? Well, this shrinking violet had had enough and got off the train in Staunton, Virginia. Instead of sucking it up for the remaining six hours (that isn't a typo), I rented a car and just drove the 2 hours home. I knew I needed a rental car for work and, in my train haze, decided I'd just figure out getting the rental back.

This probably wasn't the most strategic decision I've made. The train made me do it!

Luckily, Ravena was nice enough to agree to follow me down to Staunton for the epic car return. The great thing is that Staunton is charming and has so many things to see and do. With a tasty spiced hot cocoa from Mugshots in my stomach, we did a bit of window shopping. There are more than just a few shops downtown. In just a block and a half walk, we passed a chocolatier, thrift shops, galleries, and even a children's shop called Grandma's Bait. I think my favorite thing that we passed was a tiny boutique hotel called The Storefront. No lobby or accoutrements, it's simply your hotel room. Guess where this girl is staying during her next meeting in town?

I think I may have found my next Searching for Stars Hollow location. :-)

Today

Today, a photo by Serena McClain on Flickr.

I took this photo as I was leaving work for the #janphotoaday and found it so representative of this week. Missing bow (it's under my desk), orange tights (thanks, mom), and feet that are still swollen from more than 54 hours on a train.

Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been a bad week. It's just been a busy, tiring week following a holiday. I'll spare you stories of 3AM fire alarms, windchill in the teens, and a computer that is being cranky. ;-)

Finding my mornings, a goal for the new year

I kept my New Year's resolutions simple this year. I usually develop a list of like ten things I want to take on/habits I want to break. Too much ambition can be a recipe for failure. While I fared pretty well last year, I wanted a simpler list to tackle in 2012.

My goal for 2012 are mornings. Specifically, I want to consistently get up early enough to actually have enough time for a morning routine that includes makeup, breakfast, and some prayer or devotional time. A typical morning for me is hitting the snooze button roughly 5-7 times, brushing my teeth, throwing on my clothes and bolting out the door (usually 15-20 minutes after I finally pull myself out of bed).

I was inspired to make this a goal after reading about Inspired to Action's Hello Mornings Challenge. While Kat's challenge is geared toward moms, I think it's just as beneficial to the single career girl. The Hello Morning Challenge doesn't officially start until mid-January, so I'm using these first two weeks to slowly stop using my snooze alarm as a crutch.

All that glitters

Did everyone have fun ushering out 2011? I usually find the pressure of New Years Eve incredibly stressful. I dislike the whole societal pressure to have an amazing time this one night of the year. I do think celebrating the end of a season with friends and family is worth it though.

I got a little crazy with the spray adhesive and glitter yesterday while prepping for the evening's activities. I spotted this tutorial and knew I had make some to hand out at the bar. Once I busted out the glitter, it was all over. I wanted to glitter everything. Cue my shoes. I've been crushing on glitter oxfords despite how 2011 they may be, but I haven't been able to find a pair in my size.

I took my glittery bows out to an Irish bar in the wilds of Virginia to meet up with friends.

Happy New Year

I considered doing a number of different wrap-up style posts for 2011, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm still tired from all of the train travel and stuff. Plus, there's some celebrating to do. I'll be back in the new year. I hope you all are able to ring in the new year with style and grace!

Catching up on some #31DDD

A few photos from my trip to Texas. 

I fell behind on my #31DDD prompts over the holidays, so I'm taking a cheat day to knock a few out.

What was the last real, personal piece of mail you received? Who was it from?
The last piece of personal mail I received was a surprise cookbook from my mom. She saw me mention it on the blog and mailed it to me. :-) She's putting me to shame in the mail department!

If you could have chosen your own name, what would it be? Why? 
You know, when I was little I remember wanting a different name, but I can't remember for the life of me what it was. I'm pretty sure I even lied a told a couple of people my fake name.

What dish do people wish you would make all the time?
I don't share my cooking enough with other people for me to know what people would request. Is that weird? I bring people food, but I never seem to bring the same thing. I guess you could say I don't have a signature dish that I'm known for.

How old were your parents when they had you? What were you doing or hope to be doing at that age?
My mom was 26 when she had me. When I turned 26, I had just started at my current job a few months before. I took a huge cut in pay to work for a non-profit, so I was also moonlighting for an environmental group called Clean Water Action. Essentially, I was working my tail off when I turned 26. That birthday, in particular, hit me pretty hard. I think it was a combination of crossing over that mid-twenties hump and because I knew it was how old my mom was when she had me.

What's your dream job, no holds barred?
I'm still like a little kid who wants to be a fireman and a doctor and a baseball player. My dream job would be able to do everything I've always wanted and not just one. Can I run a gallery, write novels, and travel to Africa doing humanitarian work? Want to know a secret? I'm pretty sure I still can ;-)

Will you have resolutions for 2012? If yes, what are some of them? If no, why not?
I'll likely pull together some resolutions for 2012. I always set new goals around my birthday and try to think of tackling loftier life changes around the new year. It's an important tradition and kind of neat how we all band together in pursuit of betterment. Maybe I'll post a few once I figure out what they should be.

On gifts and giving

My goal was to post this leading up to Christmas, but life has a way of changing the best laid plans. Still, as we bask in the post-family/present/gluttonous food* haze, the train of thought below may be even more relevant.

As you can see from the photo above, we were pretty darned blessed this Christmas. However, as I was putting together the list of wants Santa requested, I couldn't help but think about how I should be giving something back. I like doing stuff for other folks and have dabbled in volunteering and giving (from candy striper to teen hotline volunteer to giving circle member) for pretty much my entire life. I know that probably sounds like a humble brag, but it really isn't meant to be. I just want to provide some context for where I'm coming from. The fact of the matter is that I've stopped doing those type things the past few years and have instead largely focused only on me. I could give you excuses, but that just continues the whole "all about me" theme.

Anyway, the point I keep dancing around is that there are some amazing organizations out there that have reignited my enthusiasm for giving. I've already pledged to support at least one of these in the new year and thought that, with all of the resolutions being made, someone else might also be on the lookout for a good organization to support. 

Can you spare a few dollars a month/year? If so, do it.

Compassion International - I stumbled across this organization in much the way I stumble across any number of things online. I was looking for podcasts and found myself listening to an episode of the Simple Mom podcast where they discussed their recent trip to the Philippines on behalf of Compassion. [Don't even ask why I was listening to a podcast geared toward moms. I'll never tell.] Listening to the story of their trip and the children they sponsor, I was hooked. I ended up spending some time reading blogs from other Compassion participants and researching their rating on Charity Navigator. Nothing I found scared me away. In fact, I found myself even more impressed with the commitment this organization makes to children and to the real impact they have.

Girls Write Now - I was always encouraged growing up, but what if no one had been there to tell me I could do it? What if I hadn't been prodded and challenged? I'd like to think an organization like Girls Write Now would have found me and given me that structure. Maybe not. As someone who works for a nonprofit, I know organizations like this can't thrive only because folks think they are peachy. Money talks. Girls Write Now is in the final stretch of an end-of-the-year drive to raise $80,000. They're close and could use all the help they can get.

*The most sinful thing I ate this holiday season may have been during a late-night dinner Christmas evening at an Austin Dennys. I had a burger with a hashbrown and cheese sauce on it!

A salad for Christmas

I'm pretty sure I don't possess the skills to make the above dish look appetizing, but let me assure you that it is damn good.

For the past three or four years, I've taken charge of cooking Christmas dinner (really lunch in our house). I always tend to try out one new dish on the masses. Last year, I experimented with acorn squash and fell in love. This year, in my quest to lighten up the meal, I tried Homesick Texan's tomato and cucumber salad with cornbread croutons.

Okay, so perhaps the addition of cornbread takes something away from my attempts at a healthier side. I don't care. This salad was refreshing and contained just the right amount of kick. The cornbread croutons were spot on. I might have to make it more often once summer rolls around.

Btw, my version didn't include the red onion or the cilantro, and it tasted just fine. Also, I think all of you need to run out and buy the Homesick Texan cookbook. This is the third recipe of hers that I've tried, and they all have pretty much knocked my socks off.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

We wrapped up a lovely celebration tonight with Super 8 and a few intense rounds of Uno. Getting to spend time with my family is the best part of the holidays. I hope everyone gets to spend it with someone they love.

whoa (#31DDD)

We passed this sign on the way to dinner last night, and I immediately knew we needed to take a photo there. I also wanted an excuse to wear the new vintage hat I scored. It's turquoise with satin and velvet bows, some of my favorite things. Plus, a cold front moved in last night, and temps were actually in the 30s this morning!

Today's #31DDD urges us to brag a little. I really don't like outright bragging and would prefer to slide in the regular humble brag. Ha! That said, you should probably know that I have a talent for finding "what I wore" shoot locations. It kind of sucks because taking outfit shots isn't something I do on the regular. Instead, I need to be able to transport these location ideas to folks around the web.

Can you tell how excited I am about this sign?

Holiday DIY: how to wrap a gift

One of my Christmas/birthday superpowers* is my ability to wrap presents. I'm not talking about super cute embellishments or unique boxes. I'm referring to the simple act of neatly creased corners, hidden seams, and tightly bundled paper. While I've seen plenty of inspiration on the web for livening up your gifts, no one really shares how to get the actual gift wrap to look good.

So, as my gift to you, I'll share how you can claim this superpower for yourself!


1. Gather your supplies.
2. Take the bottom of your wrapping paper, and use your fingers to create a crease. Tape it down (location doesn't matter, since this part will be covered up).


3. Take the top of your wrapping paper, and fold it over the top. Create a crease along the seam.
4. Fold the wrapping paper under, along the crease you created. Tape down.


5. Trim any excess paper off each end.
6. Fold the wrapping paper along lateral edge in toward the box. This will form a triangle or point with the wrapping paper. Repeat on all remaining sides.


7. Take your first triangle and fold it down, creasing it as you go. Tape it down. Make sure the first triangle you fold down points away from where your one taped seam is.
8. Fold the other triangle down. If the point hangs over the edge, crease it and fold it under before taping. This taped seam should be on the same side of the package as the seam on the long side. Repeat these steps on the other side of the gift.



9. Put a bow on it.

By the way, I'm totally using this for my #31DDD and what I was doing 5 minutes prior to reading the prompt. Of course, if I'm being totally honest, I first saw the prompt in the morning, right after I had a breakfast burrito from Julio's. Have I mentioned before how awesome breakfast burritos and tacos are in Texas? I've found nothing similar in Virginia.

*I spent one holiday season in college wrapping gifts at a department store. I had to watch a training video on wrapping gifts, and it stuck. :-)

Holiday DIY: Quill's Brush Bottle Trees

I've had fun over the past couple of days creating some fun vintage-looking brush bottle trees with my mom. I discovered Kristin's DIY for taking newer trees available at craft stores and bleaching and dying them for a more colorful, vintage feel. The shot above are my trees post-bleach.



I'm thrilled with how they turned out! These pink and blue trees are going to turn my lovely forest fabulous.

#31DDD: Unusual family traditions/eat only three things

I'm struggling to complete these last few prompts. I gave serious thought to skipping today's, but knowing that I missed a day would drive me crazy. I also struggled to think of any weird traditions my family has. These may not be all that unusual, but in honor of the season, I offer up an inside look at S.O.P. at the Dennis-McClain house.

• We open presents on Christmas Eve. Always have, always will.
• Saturdays growing up almost always followed the same schedule: grocery shopping, the mall, lunch at the mall, Wal-Mart.
• The tea towels and potholders changed with every holiday or season.

Moving ahead to today's prompt, could I choose three things to survive on for the rest of my life? Yep. I could easily live on Mexican rice, refried beans, and flour tortillas. If you are what you eat, I'm not sure I want to know what that says about me. All I can say is that I'm hoping salsa is considered a spice and not one of my three ;-)

#31DDD: Best story about New York City

Bleaching and dying brush bottle trees, today's DIY project 

I first moved to the DC area in June 1998, about a month after I graduated from college. My friend Michael and I loaded all of our possessions into his car and, roughly 36 hours later, landed just north of Baltimore. Some of my fondest memories of those early days were our Sundays spent in New York.

We were young and having so many major cities within a four-hour radius felt like an amazing gift to two kids from West Texas. A quick roadtrip to the city shortly after we moved was all it took. We were hooked; she had her claws in us. Shortly thereafter, we started driving to New York almost every Sunday. Did I mention we would drive back later that same night?

Our days didn't even involve anything all that exciting. Many, many evenings were spent simply hanging out in a couple of different cafes in Greenwich Village, people watching and pretending this was our city. New York pizza and browsing the Strand. Jazz in a dark cafe. Our weekly tithe was the sleep we never claimed for ourselves.

#31DDD: Where to find the best fried chicken

I grew up with chickens. When I was in kindergarten, we had some (one or two...I don't remember how many) that lived in a pen in our front yard. These were the brief days we lived in Sterling City, TX in a mobile home. Clerks who called me "Heidi", Reagan getting shot, a grasshopper plague, and those damn chickens, these are the things I remember.

Walking outside in my long, flannel nightgown without shoes when feeding the chickens was a mistake. They pecked my toes, and I hated those chickens. It's nice to type this while sitting by my mom because she can fill in the gaps in my memory. Evidently these were baby chicks we received for Easter some months before.

Not that the two are connected, but I can't write about where to find the best fried chicken because I don't really care for fried chicken. Blame a toe-pecking pet. Blame the fact that I don't like eating meat served in its original form. Either way, I'm leaving this one to my resident southerners.