Black Friday...

Ok world.....


What would you most like to see on "special" for my Fartsy Arts' Black Friday Sale????


hmm....

Free shipping?
BoGo?
Percentage off??

Help ME...Help YOU!!

Weird Wednesday!!!

This post is TOTALLY credited to my lovely friend (which I am sure she will love) Amanda L. of Love Your Body Detroit - a non-profit organization bringing awareness of fat hatred and stigma to our community in Detroit, MI.

Amanda and I clicked right away when we met..well at least I thought we did. I remember she had this awesome t-shirt on that was screen printed to look like there was a banana in her pocket. A T-Shirt says a lot about a person's personality and I dug it.

We met during boot camp for the Detroit Derby Girls. Sadly, I never got to really knock her down (which is not meant to be violent.. it really is a compliment to want to do that to someone) but we bonded over a John Mayer concert and have been friends ever since.

Why am I giving you all of this back story? Well, it is to clue you in on some of the craziness that happens when we get together. There are lots of laughs, weird subjects that are discussed, serious subjects, and usually beer or sangria (which never really helps, haha!)

Amanda does a lot of activism within the community.

Where you can find her:

Tumblr
Website
Facebook

I highly encourage you to check her out!!!!

Now.... moving forward to the weird part of the post. The other night we were Skyping (which I am totally obsessed with since I am now living far from everyone these days) and she told me to Google something. As I was typing I hear her roommate scream in terror as if what I was about to watch was going to be so horrible!! I can't lie and say that I wasn't scared. There have been times where my "friends" tell me to watch something that has scarred me to this day. But, this was not of them. This video actually almost made me soil my pants from laughing so hard. It combines whacky, weird, awkward, and a whole lot of other things that can't really be put into words.

The video features Joy Nash who runs the Fat Rant Blog. I love her confidence, her humor, and her message.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a child...under the age of 13.. you should not watch. NOPE. I can tell if you are.
Fair WARNING.



To those who have already seen this and it's old news, well, you are cooler than me.

Cheers!
Casey

Ah!! I am back on track!! I swear!

The last several days threw some unexpected curve balls towards me so I sincerely apologize to anyone who waits in anticipation for the ramblings of moi!

I am back, with a dented bank account, thanks to my jerky car who waited until I moved halfway across the country to throw a little hissy fit... well two hissy fits. I have been dealing with jumper cables, tow trucks, language barriers, and well, a lot of other stuff but I put my big girl panties on and I am back in action.

Let's catch up with a little late but better than never post about our Monday artists! Shall we??

{ONE!}

Yee-Haw Industries - Letterpress!!!!
Knoxville, TN

Etsy Shop - Website

They say, and I quote, "All Letterpress, All The time." Really, really great stuff. The one thing I regret about our Knoxville, TN trip is that we never got to their store.
So sad.

{TWO!}

Miss Fitt
North Carolina

Website

This artist has some really amazing items. She was positioned across from me at a holiday show one year and I just had to stare (and visit, a lot) at her work all day. I am pretty sure I just kept trying on a things but can't pull it off as well as this gal.


I have been seeing a TON of adorable little baby and kid things ALL over and I can't help but koo and oogle and awwww and get the urge to PINCH something!!! These craaaazy cute pieces are fit for that special wee one in your life. What kid WOULDN'T want an awesome pirate hat or the chance to turn into an amazing animal.

I love the sneak peek into her work space as well... check out the website!!!

{THREE!}

Sweet Mess
Asheville, NC
Etsy Shop

More owls?? OK... you got it!!

Lovely!!!

Gorgeous prints and affordable so that anyone can have their walls adorned with these fantastic mixed media artworks. I love the bright colors in this one.

This one is less vibrant and almost haunting. Such beautiful animals and beautiful work.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks artists!!

I will be on top of things the rest of the week. Girl scouts honor.

Cheers!!!

What is the weirdest thing YOU have seen??

Be prepared to go down a couple different roads in this post.. I don't exactly know where I am going but I hope it's interesting....

I hope that you visited Kelly's Recipes yesterday, if not, please do. There are lots of yummy things on there. I guess after browsing some more myself, I got really hungry. I even completed the Best Food Ever TV series narrated by the lovely John Goodman. I was excited to see that one of my FAVORITE food carts here in Austin was high on the top 10 list of food carts in the country! They even featured my FAVORITE....Chicken Cone!!

OK..OK.. before I start to drool more thinking about food, on to the weird and wacky thing(s) I found for today. Now, let me first say that with the D.I.Y. movement that is happening across the nation, there are very few things that actually surprise me. I have seem some pretty weird things. This, is not so weird.. but I like it.

This funky little number comes from artist Joy Kampia. If you visit her site, you will find a few other "food" outfits as well as some really well done crocheted food items...Makes ya hungry!!

I want to wear a hamburger!!

I think this post is going to take a turn. While I love the hamburger dress...I think I can do better. Digging through my noggin to think of something wacky that I have seen, I remembered this little (OK..not so little) show in Hudson, OH.

My lovely friend Lori of Basement Art Creations referred me to this show and I convinced one of my besties to get to work, make some inventory, and share a booth with me. We drove, in a BLIZZARD and through tons of construction to get to this hotel that was in the middle of no where.

We set up at Oddmall this past holiday season, and well, the name fits. One vendor that definitely stood out was a woman who had taken old porcelain dolls and turned them into zombies.. as if those collectible porcelain dolls aren't creepy enough. I scoured the Internet to try and find this vendor but it was no use..I couldn't find her BUT I did find these which make me giggle...

This is artist Jessica Harrison. I encourage you to take a look at her site. There you will find not only these dolls, but she has these unbelievably creepy pieces of furniture that looks as if they were made of skin.

I am intrigued, yet disturbed at the same time.

THAT is what makes a good piece of art.. mixed emotions!

Happy hump day folks!

Tasty Treats for Tuesday

So here we go...bringing a fresh new topic for Tuesdays!

I wanted to expand the topics on my blog because while I love posting about art, I think there are many forms of art and Tuesdays are dedicated to the art of cooking, eating, creating, baking, and all things FOOD!!

I am very excited to introduce my first feature to you all.

I met Kelly of Kelly's Recipes back in 2005 when we both became AmeriCorps members with DownriverCARES in Southgate, Michigan. If you don't know, AmeriCorps is the domestic version of Peace Corps. Kelly and I both served local Head Starts where we were responsible for parent/child interaction groups and running a Family Resource Center and we were expected to complete community service every Friday.

I think this photo says a lot about dedication and determination......AND, they got the bush out.

Kelly has amazing leadership skills, motivation, and always has a smile on her face. There were many days where we were doing community service and felt as if we couldn't finish our work because of exhaustion and Kelly was always there cheering us on. After her service with our AmeriCorps chapter, she found her way to AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) as a Team Leader, where she served areas in the gulf such as New Orleans, dedicated to clean up and rebuilding.

Kelly now teaches in Chicago public schools and I am always excited to see her fundraising posts as she helps her school and her classroom get valuable materials for the kids to use. She is a huge inspiration and now with her website, she has added another thing to her resume.

She is still serving her people, now it's just through our bellies!!!



Here is what Kelly had to say about her new website, Kelly's Recipes:

My love of cooking has grown in the last few years. Being a pescatarian (a vegetarian that eats seafood) I love to experiment with new vegetables and continue to get new ideas. Lucky for me I started dating a computer programmer and Kelly's Recipes began. Not only is Aaron my web developer he is also my food critic.

Kelly's Recipes is a great way for my friends family and I to share our favorite recipes with each other and the world. One of our most shared recipes is http://kellysrecipes.com/cookie-dough-brownies. They are a must try! This fall I have been experimenting with many different fall foods some of my favorites so far include pumpkin alfredo, and apple butter. There are many more to come!

If you have any delicious recipes that you would like to share or any suggestions feel free to send a message on Kellysrecipes.com

Happy Cooking!
Kelly





Hope you all find some fabulous recipes to share with you and your loved ones...great for the upcoming holiday season!!!

Cheers!!
Casey

Monday's Featured Fabulousness.....and we're back!

Welcome to week three of me sharing some of my favorite shops with you...just in time for holiday shopping!

Let's get started!!

{ONE!}

Sweet and Dirty's Emporium of Good Stuff!!
Knoxville, TN

Etsy Shop

These one-of-a-kind creations are perfect to spruce up any outfit. The color combos and the layering of fabrics is so funky, I love it! They offer several color combos and no two are the same. Best of all, these fabrics are being recycled into a mini work of art!!

They offer another style for those who like more "simple" designs. These are anything but simple, with the lovely geometric detailing, and limited color palette, these are sure to make a statement!

Be sure to visit Etsy to view Sweet and Dirty's shop and to see where else you can find them on the web!

{TWO!}

Pixey Meat
Detroit, MI

Etsy Shop

This shop from Detroit has everything you need or could want when it comes to funky!
Have you been looking for a tooth pendant? {they got it!}
Love steampunk? {they got it!}

Sparkly, creepy, and kitschy, this shop has it all.

{THREE!}

artyes
Asheville, NC

Etsy Shop
{more stuff on her website}


I am a HUGE fan of mixed media art.
I love the textures, the colors, the layering of different media. It gives me tingles....really, it does.

Maria of artyes has amazing talent and creates beautifully balanced artwork that has fabulous color combinations and wonderful use of pattern. Combine that with a variety of subject matter and you can't stop looking at each piece.

Make sure to visit her website to see her gallery of work.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks artists!!

Time for a re-cap and to get back to blogging!

Hello world!

I feel like it's been forever, but it's really only been a couple weeks since I last posted. I feel guilty for missing my Monday Featured Favorites last week but with all the Halloween excitement, who was really sitting at home reading a blog, right??

As you may, or may not, know..I have relocated to Austin, TX! I am officially settled in. Peanut is loving his new room {that has LOTS of sunlight}, I am surrounded by furry creatures in my new home, {the good kind..like dogs and bunnies...and chickens, and birds. Not like gross rats or anything.}

I would love to share some of the excitement with you!!!

This is Peanut traveling halfway across the country.
He is a tough little dude who is well traveled.

This is Mr. {Meeeester} Bunny.
He lives in the backyard along with Mama bunny. {not pictured}
He has the most velvety fur. EVER.

We stayed at the landmark Austin Motel on Halloween Night.
{not my photo} but this is EXACTLY what it looked like.
It was a funky, and cheap, little place but they don't have beds for big people.

This little funky joint is one of mine and the beau's favorite places for breakfast and yummy food.
Don't forget the scrumptious coffee too!!

THE MIGHTY CONE!!!! Food Cart style.
It is definitely Mighty and YUMMY!
This little cone is an Asian crusted chicken with Asian slaw and fried avocado in a tortilla.
Fabulous root beer too!

The view of downtown right along the river walk that just happens to be MINUTES from my home.

I was lucky to find a pretty sweet living situation. I am in a home that previously served as a Bed and Breakfast called the Summit House. Owned by an outgoing, friendly, and very welcoming guy named David {who seems to know everything Austin} the place is filled with eclectic nicknacks from around the world, local artwork, pictures of Dali and Frida Khalo, a huge world map that has pins in places that his guests came from, 3 adorable pups, and a cute little bird.

He calls himself the "Well Traveled Chef" and makes things like this regularly.....

Find more about his food on my new Tasty Tuesday's blog posts.

This past Friday he hosted a small gathering he likes to call Pasta Party Friday's. This is where he plans a dish and dessert and invites his friends over. For a mere $10 {to help cover cost of ingredients} he cooks a gourmet meal for you. You can't beat that!!!

This dinner consisted of a Thai influenced pasta dish with carrots and spinach accompanied by an asparagus soup, fresh bread from the farmers market, and this DELICIOUS pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. I got to smell it from start to finish..... a bit of a teaser if you ask me.

I am looking forward to seeing what else he has up his sleeve. I am trying to get him started on a blog.... fingers crossed he shares his wisdom of food with you!!!

Hope you enjoyed my little re-cap. As the days go by and I have new adventures in this city, more pictures will be posted.

Tomorrow I will be announcing some new and exciting changes that are happening to the blog in order to offer you some wonderful information about food, events, artists, musicians, the latest finds, and much, much more!!!

Have a wonderful Sunday evening!