Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

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Year One

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A year ago, Michael and I got married. It’s truly hard to believe we’ve taken another turn around the sun together, but I’m so thrilled that we have.

 

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Our wedding day was pure magic, and although it’s hard to believe it’s so far in the past, it’s so much fun looking back on. We had everything we could have ever wanted: a beautiful ceremony, a polka band, my favorite cake and an evening of dancing to the very best Motown has to offer. I am so happy and so fortunate that we were able to celebrate our union in such a heartfelt, silly and wonderful way. And I count myself even luckier for having married Michael. It’s a true joy to know that I’ll have this caring, sweet man by my side for many years to come.

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Here’s to more happy years and more happy polkas!

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Busting Creative Ruts

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: , ,

 

Ever been in a creative rut? I’ve been there lately, and it is no fun at all. But being stuck is all a part of the cycle, so you may as well try to work through it.

Not sure if you’re there? Well, let me know if any of these scenarios sound like you. Projects that typically go quickly or are easy-breezy and ultra-fun seem to take for-ev-er. Starting a new project sounds about as appealing as deep cleaning the basement. Works in progress are going super wrong and you’re getting frustrated rethreading that bobbin for the tenth time. Or, quite simply, you just feel like you’re all out of ideas (and Netflix isn’t helping the case). It’s totally OK. We’ve all been there. Here are my tips to get the ball moving again.

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1. Start fresh

I find that when I’m in a rut, it’s sometimes best to scrap (or just put aside) all those WIPs. Maybe you’ve found yourself stuck because you’ve been looking at the same pattern for too long or trying to perfect the same recipe. Start new. That might just give you the clean slate you need.

2. Go easy

I recently tried to start fresh with a new project and I found that pressuring myself to create an original embroidery design was sinking me further into a rut. Instead of forcing myself to sketch out a handful of new designs, I decided to go for something simpler: a counted cross stitch that I didn’t have to create myself. Trying a simpler and smaller version of your favorite craft sometimes gives you that satisfaction of completing a project and the confidence to move onto something new.

3. Try something totally different

Maybe your go-to craft isn’t doing it for you right now. That’s totally normal! Set aside whatever it is you do for a while and pick up a new project. Take a stroll through your favorite craft store and see what peaks your interest. This new project just might get your creative juices flowing again or become a new favorite hobby. Win-win!

4. Pick up something old

Similarly, you could pick up an old project. Whether it’s an old WIP that’s this close to done  or a long-forgotten DIY, these old loves might inspire you to get working. I recently picked up an old dress pattern to get me moving again. It’s a simple one – which is perfect for getting me out of a slump – and just the right piece to push me into spring.

5. Take a break

Sometimes the solution is just time. Maybe what you love is putting you in a sticky spot because you overdid it. Don’t force it. Give yourself permission to take a break. Sometimes after a marathon sew or days of baking the solution is just catching up on a favorite show or a walk outside. No shame in that game. You’re still a maker and you’re still awesome!

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I hope these tips are helpful to all you makers out there that might be struggling. I’m working my way out of a rut right now with a few patterns from Plastic Little Covers and regular Malcolm in the Middle marathons. It’s definitely helping!

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On Keeping Kaminski

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: ,

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Our wedding ceremony was by all accounts beautiful. We chose music that spoke to us, readings that touched us, exchanged heartfelt vows and, with the help of our officiant, created a very personal feel. At the closing, however, there was no “I now present for the first time as husband and wife: Mr. and Mrs. Michael Stock.”

That piece of the puzzle was deliberately missing by our own device. It was left out because I chose not to become a Stock but to remain a Kaminski. This decision, out of all my supposedly radical wedding decisions, was the one that was met with the most resistance.

Stock is simpler than Kaminski. What if you have children? Don’t you want to share a name? It’s just easier to have a single family name. Wouldn’t it be nice to to be “the Stocks?” Did you think about hyphenating? Don’t you want to be married? I heard it all, but I stood my ground. Don’t tell me what to do.

And then I argued with myself. You have your father’s name don’t you? Every woman in your family took their husbands’ names. Names are just arbitrary assignations. What about your hypothetical future children? Lots of feminists take their husbands’ names. And I had to quash those arguments too – they were all just reiterations of the same garbage.

I kept Kaminski because that’s the name I want.

I want my name because I don’t feel it’s necessary to take on a new identity – even if it’s just symbolic, even if it supposedly unifies us – after marriage.  I want my name because Michael was never asked if he was going to change his. I want my name because I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of updating everything from my passport to my auto insurance to my punch card at the pet store. I want my name because although I’m married to Michael, I am still part of my messy Michalek-Kowalewski-Kaminski family.

Despite being confident in my choice, writing this post is still emotional in some ways. Is Michael disappointed? Is his family offended? Am I not a good wife? And I have to fight those feelings because not taking Michael’s last name doesn’t mean I don’t love him or our familes. Not taking his name only means that I’m not buying into some outdated, patriarchal, hierarchical baloney.

And it took me years to master the cursive K. I don’t want that going to waste.

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Hi-Fi Fo-Fum

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It’s been a while, folks, but I figured I’d give you a little update about what’s going on in the old cabin. Some great news: the hi-fi is working! I love this piece so much, and it brings me an absurd amount of joy to see it spinning, especially given its history.

HiFi_5When I moved in, this little Magnavox stereo was being used as a nightstand. My mom and I shuffled it out to the living room and gave it a whirl (probably for the first time in 40 years). She ran a touch slow, but I’ll tell you the first few weeks I stayed in the house (sans internet and television) having it to play the Godspell soundtrack was my saving grace. It was a pretty emotional time, so filling up the house with “You Are the Light of the World” and “Day by Day” really gave it (and me) some life.

HiFi_3But after a few months, the slow turntable was getting worse, and playing David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” at half speed was pretty spooky. Because she’s the greatest, my aunt took the hi-fi in for repairs as a birthday gift. It took two months for the repairman to sort the thing out, during which we found out that this 60-year-old hi-fi is pretty rare. He also discovered that no matter how hard he tried, that old turntable wouldn’t keep spinning at that 33 1/3 rpm-s that you need. In the end, he dropped in a new turntable; better a new functioning one than an aggravatingly slow original. It made me a little sad to see the original one go, but I have to tell myself that a new, fully-functional table is better than some groggy, never-quite-right original.

Having this record player fixed has been such a huge treat. It’s pretty much the peice de résistance of the living room, and now I can play my Cat Stevens albums to my heart’s content, and when our friends come over, we invite them to peruse our small but well-loved collection and crank the tunes.

It’s the little things, kits.

HiFi_2And I wanted to add that the clever title came from my mom. She remembers a stereo shop called Hi-Fi Fo-Fum growing up (she also remembers pretending this record player was a piano when she was little – talk about a good memory).

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It’s In the Cards

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Hey, kittens! I’m back from my (incredibly long) hiatus. I assure you it’s for a good reason. See, for the past few months I’ve been working on applying to, interviewing for and starting a new job. Yay!

Now, I had been keeping my eye out for new opportunities for a while, but nothing was really materializing. I wanted to stick to writing but wasn’t sure if I wanted to stick to retail. Since this was weighing on me so heavily, I shouldn’t have been surprised when I had my cards read back in New Orleans this fall that the topic of career popped up. The reader said to me, “Nope. What you have is not for you. You’d do well in the medical field.” I love to believe in this sort of thing, but I was having a hard time with that one. The medical field? I’m not a nurse. I’m pretty sure that sounds crazy boring. 

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Well, December rolled around and a pal of mine emailed a job posting to me. The company he worked for was hiring a copywriter. And the company? Wouldn’t you know it, they sold medial equipment.

And here I am now with a brand new job that I’m totally digging – a totally new field, cool people and all the Cherry Coke I can drink. Cheers!

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Mullet Month

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I check my horoscope on Refinery 29 at the beginning of each month. Does it mean anything? Meh. Does it help me procrastinate an extra five minutes at work? Definitely. Typically I read the post and immediately forget everything it says. But this month, good ol’ R29’s horoscope said that for Miss Pisces, December is going to be a mullet month: business in the front, party in the back. Reading that I decided that if it wasn’t written in the stars, I was still going to make that happen.

Which is why I’ve been sparse around these parts. The first week of this month I spent doing all the shopping I could. Last week I tore up the house getting it ready for new counter tops (which look amazing!), and this week I’m trying to put it all back together so when the weekend hits I’m ready to party. Cue up that Kristen Wiig gif.

Since I’ve been working away like head elf and never took the time to photograph step-by-step anything, I figured I’d just share some random snapshots of Christmas cheer. Why not? Who doesn’t like looking at cookies and teeny Tina Belcher ornaments?

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I’ve still got a few loose ends to tie up for my post-Christmas extravaganza (AKA family day after Christmas party), but I’m going to shift into party mode anyway – and you should too! Happy holidays, everyone! Hope they’re merry and bright.

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K.I.S.S.

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You know: keep it simple, stupid. I’ve decided that it’s is my holiday motto this year.

Typically I am your holiday overachiever. I’ve painted, drawn or scrapped together holiday cards. I’ve always had wrapping paper schemes complete with the perfect bows, ribbons and tags. One year I couldn’t find any labels to match my paper so I painstakingly hand painted every tag with gold paint and glitter like a crazy person. Most years I also make at least one gift for everyone on my list. In years gone by I’ve literally made every gift, again, like a crazy person.

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But this year unlike days of yore, I’ve decided to cool it a bit. I ordered cards online. I have a gift wrap scheme of sorts but no bows and certainly no customized tags. I made only one gift – a small trinket for a pal and coworker. And you know what? It’s helped me to relax and enjoy the season. Instead of killing myself over origami ornaments, I get to sit by my tree and watch Christmas episodes of Bob’s Burgers. Rather than spending nights up to my elbows in glitter, I get to listen to Christmas albums on the hi-fi while stirring up kolaczki.

I recognized that the activities that once made me feel in the holiday spirit stressed me out a bit. Don’t get me wrong – I’d love to make more gifts and craft a little more, but with a full time job and lots of entertaining (plus trying to finish up the kitchen) these festive activities felt more like chores. No one should have a meltdown over sewing a Christmas skirt (although I did).

With only a month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I say make the most of it in the ways that fulfill you. For me, this meant maximizing nights home with Michael, spending more time with family and making more cookies. It also meant scaling back shopping a bit, simplifying the wrapping and lessening my crafty workload. It doesn’t mean I was less busy, but it meant I just felt more balanced. In the future, I’m sure all these factors will shift around, but in the meantime I’m going to enjoy the last of this pre-Christmas season the best way I know how: eating cream cheese pillows, watching the cartoon Grinch and hanging out with my fam.

Happy holidays to you and yours. Now go take a break. 🙂

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First Snow Pompom Wreath

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: ,

Not so long ago, we had our first snow here in Milwaukee. It was totally dreamy and gorgeous and perfect for getting me into the Christmas spirit. It was the kind of weather that makes you want to hole up inside with an easy afternoon craft, so I did just that.

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A few weeks ago when I was at JoAnn, I saw a wonderfully tacky pom pom wreath. Huge, puffy and gorgeous, it also cost upwards of $50. Since I’m a crafty gal, I decided I’d make my own version only much smaller and more affordable. I figured it would be relatively simple, making it the perfect snowy afternoon-in make.

For this project you’ll need:

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  • 12″ styrofoam or straw wreath
  • 2 skeins of yarn
  • Coordinating embroidery floss or string (just something finer than your yarn)
  • Pompom maker (mine was for 2.5″ pom poms)
  • Fine gauge wire
  • Wire cutter

I bet you can guess where the first steps of this DIY are going. You’re going to want to start by making a mountain of pompoms. For my 12″ wreath, I used two whole skeins of fluffy yarn. You can pick any kind you like – mine was extra fluffy with a little bit of metallic fiber running through it, but plain old yarn would be equally cute. My only word of advice is to grab an extra skein – you’ll end up needed more yarn than you think.

I’ve never used a pompom maker before, but I know from the interwebs that they make perfectly round product every time, so I popped for the $5 tool, and it was well worth it. I found that the package instructions weren’t quite clear enough, so if you’ve never used one before, you can follow my steps below or watch this video. Making all this puff balls will take some time, but that’s what Netflix and The Great British Baking Show are for. 🙂

So just a quick explanation on the pompom maker – it has two sets of jaws that wrap around the center (which is held together by a pin). To start, open up both sets of jaws and wrap the yarn around and around until it is roughly even with the high ends of the U shape.

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Then you’ll clip through the yarn all the way around the circle. I truly thought it was all going to hell in a hand basket at this point, but it’s not. When the yarn is clipped take a length of embroidery floss, pull it through the crevice in the middle of the pompom maker and tie a good knot or two. Be sure to tie it tight! This is going to hold it all together.

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After you’ve tied that knot good and tight (that’s where the embroidery floss comes in– I couldn’t get this fluffy yarn to hold well enough), just open up the jaws, pull the two sides apart and there’s your pompom. They come out looking practically perfect – you might have to trim a few stray hairs, but nothing major.

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Once you’ve made your batch of pompoms, it’s time to start wiring them to the wreath. To do that, I just cut a length of wire, threaded it through the middle of the pompom and then wrapped it around the wreath, twisting the ends together on the back side. I did this over and over and over again until I had filled the whole circle.

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I had envisioned the puffs being a little more randomly placed, but on such a small wreath with only one size pom pom, they formed two rings instead. I don’t mind the look at all, but if you want more of a staggered finish, I’d advise using multiple pompom sizes (probably smaller than my 2.5″ ones) and perhaps a larger wreath.

Once you have all your pompoms wired and spaced how you see fit, you can finish up the back. I simple took those pointy ends of wire and stuffed them into the styrofoam so they wouldn’t poke anyone or scratch the wood paneling. If you plan on hanging this on a more delicate surface, you could simple hot glue a ring of felt over the turned-in wires to prevent any potential scratches.

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To finish, I simply took a loop of ribbon and pinned it to the back side with a T-pin. It’s as simple as that!

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I have to say, I’m pretty pleased with the way this turned out. It is a tad muted (the shimmery fibers don’t come through on camera so well), but it has that plush look I was aiming for. Plus, it was a breeze and could be easily duplicated in all sorts of color combinations for different occasions. I’m thinking of grabbing a small pom pom maker and some super bright yarn to make an everyday version. Now if only there was a second season of that baking show…

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Get Paid

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This is a friendly reminder to all you artists, crafters, bakers and makers out there to get paid. Get paid for the work you do for others. Is it difficult to talk money? Is it uncomfortable to ask for what you’re owed? Yes and yes, but it’s also absolutely necessary.

This PSA comes to you after a coworker commissioned a piece of work from me and forgot to pay. Word of this spread to a creative colleague, and she gave me a stern talking to this morning. At first the idea of asking for money – even though it was money I had earned and a price that we discussed! – seemed way too uncomfortable. But she gave me a proverbial shake of the shoulders and said that’s absolutely not OK. Allowing others to take advantage of talent, time and experience without compensation is an insult to not only to the creator themselves but all artists; it discredits their craft and it devalues their work.

Two pieces I got paid fairly and promptly for.
Two pieces I got paid fairly and promptly for.

And that chat really reignited that sense of creative justice I have in me. So all you makers out there: get paid. Get paid fairly for you time, talent and materials. Settle a price and form of payment up front; it is not acceptable for someone to say they’ll pay you $20 and give that to you as a $20 Starbucks gift card or a $20 shirt – those are not equivalent. Tell your client what your price is, when you expect payment, how you expect payment and, if need be, follow through. I did it today, and it feels good.

This is an important lesson, makers. Now go get it.

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Livin’ la Vida NOLA: Spooky Edition

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I filled you in last week on a bit of my New Orleans trip. Those stops were all great, but I’m going to give you a peek at my favorite parts of my trip: the spooky stuff – just in time for Halloween!

I’m a sucker for ghost stories and history, so going to New Orleans was a dream. A super haunted city with a past? Sign me up! My pals and I decided day one that a ghost tour had to happen. Admittedly, we weren’t all that prepared for our trip, so we chose a tour company at random. We booked a ghost and vampire tour with French Quarter Phantoms, and I LOVED IT. Seriously could not get enough, especially of the vampire stories. I was all I’m not into vampires, thanks but then I heard all about the casquette girls and was hooked.

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We heard a handful of spooky tales (some were seriously spine tingling), saw some historic sites, laughed at our guide’s jokes (Ducky knew what was what) and even got to see the LaLaurie mansion. You American Horror Story fans out there already know a little about Delphine LaLaurie, but for those of you who don’t – she was horrible and sadistic and also very charismatic and wealthy. Her former home (also formerly Nicholas Cage’s home) was a real fright fest. I had to get a snap in front of it because I’m terrible that way.

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After that tour, let’s just say my interest in all things creepy NOLA was piqued. The next morning we booked a tour of New Orleans’s oldest cemetery: St. Louis No. 1. I’ll be honest, I wanted to explore this city of the dead alone, but it turns out you can’t (as of March this year). So Amanda, Irina and I stuck it out with a tour group and a very dry tour guide (totally should have booked with French Quarter Phantoms instead).

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But as dense as the tour was, it was also incredibly fascinating. Despite the information being delivered a la Ben Stein in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, we learned all about the tombs. First off, I learned something very important. The graves aren’t above ground because of the water table or some such nonsense – turns out that type of burial was totally en vogue in Europe at the time these cemeteries were founded.

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I’d spare you the details, but I’m into gory stuff on occasion. Turns out that once you inter a body, it takes about a year to slowly cremate in that tomb with the help of chemicals and the scorching heat. When it’s opened up again, the ashes and remains are swept in to a caveau – or a well – beneath the mausoleum. And then I learned that something like 50 or 60 people can all be entombed in one small plot. And that boggled my damn mind. And community tombs could hold over a thousand. WUT?

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The main draw for St. Louis No. 1 is that it’s the oldest remaining cemetery in the city. It’s also home of the United States’ second most visited grave (right behind Elvis): Marie Laveau, the former Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. I was expecting something way different from her tomb thanks to American Horror Story: Coven, but it turns out when the characters go to her grave on the show, they’re going somewhere else (St. Louis No. 1 is off limits for Hollywood is what we were told).

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What was probably more interesting than Marie Laveau’s spot itself were all the “faux Laveaus” around the cemetery. These fakes are graves that are no longer maintained by caretakers because they are considered abandoned – meaning the space is old or forgotten by family for many years. These sites are heavily vandalized. Essentially the exes are superstition: visitors come in, ask Marie Laveau for a favor, leave a gift, mark the tomb with XXX and spin around three times in hopes that their request is fulfilled. If it is, they come back and leave another gift.

I’m no authority on any of this of course – all this is second hand from very knowledgeable tour guides – but I’m intensely fascinated by this now. I need to know everything about voodoo, ghosts and vampires in this town.

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Catch ya on the creepy side!