Though not a huge fan of the show, I did enjoy last night’s episode of “Glee”…
featuring one of my all-time favorite cult classic movies – “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
It’s about time that Rocky and the gang made a pop-culture resurgence!
Many a midnight showing… ahh, the memories!

A shocking realization in Frankenfurter’s lab – Janet. Dr. Scott. Janet. Brad. Rocky. Ughh…

So there I sat, watching the episode and singing along with every song word-for-word.
Including all of the snappy retorts that have become legend to midnight viewers across the
country! Although I must admit that I did refrain from throwing rice & toilet paper
and squirting water all over my condo! I thought they did a very good job with it…
the costumes, the camp, the cover versions of the songs and some of the artistic liberties that
they took along the way – including Barry Bostwick & Meatloaf making cameo appearances
as TV network executives. Very clever… and you know I like clever!

The morning sky was crisp & clear, with vibrant oranges & brilliant blues!
From my back porch, the early sunrise made it look quite calm & serene… NOT.

After yesterday’s “storm of the century” hype – and the incredible wind blowing
through the city, this morning was no different. Still windy. Still blustery. It was a LOT
of fun riding along the lakefront, with crazy winds blowing from every direction!
And “surprise” bursts of wind every time there was a break in the buildings allowing
the wind to come whipping through! But looking at the pictures… quiet… serene…

And speaking of talented friends… here’s another one! Metalsmith Amy Taylor!
She makes great jewelry. She makes me laugh. She also made me this…

In the past, she’s made me two pendants using slices of vintage bowling ball instead
instead of a semi-precious stone! Anyone can use a stone… but a bowling ball, c’mon!
And this time, she’s outdone herself!

All of Amy’s jewelry is based on a creative use of a hinge! So all of her work pivots,
turns & twists. And as an eternal necklace fidgeter, this one is perfect of me!
Flip it, twist it, spin it. Either way you look at it – it’s groovy on both sides!
But what is it you may ask?… and don’t even guess a stone!

The “stone” center of the pendant is a piece of paint slag. Apparently, when they closed
the Ford automobile plant, someone was ingenious enough to chip some of the paint
off the floor. Picture years & years of auto paint, layers & layers… chipped off the floor!
When the chunks were cut down and smoothed into cabochons, the layers of paint
are revealed to show off these groovy patterns of colors. Different on both sides!
So a quick flip of the hinged pendant shows off both sides of the paint slag cabochon!
Brilliant… I told you so! Check out more groovy stuff at www.AmyTaylorJewelry.com

She also made a smaller necklace for my Mom, but she hasn’t seen it yet. Soon…
I’m sure she’s going to love it.

I’ve said it many times…  ” I love having talented friends.”
So much creativity. So much exuberance. So much talent. And always willing to share!
Martin Chadwick has been featured here before… but look what he’s been up to now!
A large scale pastel drawins on the city streets of Raleigh, North Carolina!

I met Martin & his wife Christi when they took my beginning pottery class at Lillstreet.
While Christi had a session’s head-start, Martin quick caught up and was quite proficient.
It wasn’t until later that I found out that he was an architectural model builder and an
incredible painter. They have since moved to Raleigh, North Carolina… where Martin
is becoming quote the local celebrity!… at least in the art circles! And look how he’s made
his mark on the city streets of Raleigh. Check out his work at www.ChadwicksWorld.com

Too bad it’s just chalk… and it’s got rain at some point, right?!
And pay no attention to the typo in his website address in the picture above…

This morning was cloudy, misty & damp.
So even though it was quite warm, the morning mist made the city practically “disappear.”

And since it was warmer than usual, I decided to go all the way down to Promontory Point
and back. Kick off the day with an extra-long ride. With a beautiful view of the city’s skyline
from the south side… that is if the morning fog wasn’t obliterating it?!

While at Promontory Point, I found this great “installation” of cement bricks along
the lakefront. With the morning sunrise in the distance, they kind of look like Chicago’s
version of some ancient Stonehenge… even though I’m sure they’re just some form
of a lakefront breakwater!

The morning mist was so thick that it was even dripping off the berries.
And by the time I turned around at Promontory Point, I was dripping wet too.
Yet the city was still clouded over as I pedaled home.

After a beautiful (yet windy) afternoon of riding…
I went back to the studio this evening for some more fun… and more stamping!
Including another batch of mugs, this time made with B-Clay for the back of the kiln!

And there’s never enough bowls, right?
But don’t ask my Mom, she already thinks I have FAR too many bowls in inventory!

Plus, after a lot of stamping… I also cleaned my studio. Long overdue.
Okay, let’s not get crazy. There’s still a LOT to do. But I did make some good headway.
And, prepared another great surprise for my class this coming Tuesday night.
It’s going to be a big night of demos catching up from last week’s impromptu night
with Amy Higgason. So it’s going to be a night of plates, ovals and lidded jars!
And a special surprise “treat”…

As I was running in & out today, trying to get out on my bike to enjoy the beautiful
Indian Summer weather, I turned quickly and noticed this dramatic shadow cast across
some new “ClayQuilt” tile boards I recently finished. Amazing what a little light can do…

Well, it’s official… I am a dork.
Look what just arrived today “hot off the presses” from Amazon.com…

And I’m very excited. Can’t wait to start reading it all, deciphering & dissecting
the facts and figuring out what really happened to my favorite island survivors!
The stories, the back-stories, the flash-sideways, the connections, the numbers…
so much more!!! I’m very excited. And yes, I have already started the entire series
re-watch – I’m in the middle of Season One already. It’s fun watching it all over again
especially now knowing how it ends. And watching for all of those “clues” they kept
throwing at us – and we had no idea at the time!

So yes, I am officially a dork. And proud of it.
Admitting there’s a problem is the first step, right?!

This morning was still cold. But not as windy. So it felt a little warmer this morning.
So why not take the early morning opportunity to go a little further today?!
And I did… all the way down to the Museum Campus for an early morning
sunrise at the Adler Planetarium.