Collecting art on the cheap

If you like the idea of owning original art but think you can't afford it, a solution awaits you in Seattle. Venue in the Ballard district is home to an Art-o-Mat, a former cigarette machine that now dispenses original art for a mere $5.

There are more than 90 Art-o-Mats in the U.S. -- from Key West, Florida to Las Vegas, Nevada -- with art from more than 400 artists hailing from 10 different countries. So even if you don't live in Seattle, maybe there's an Art-o-Mat near you! Among the goodies in the Venue machine are postage stamp earrings by Brandi Crye from Eugene, Oregon; mini paintings by Jodi Reeb-Myers of Minneapolis; miniature designer paper bags by Cynthia Larkin of Thomaston, Connecticut; and fused glass bobby pins from Gerry Klein of Omaha, Nebraska. Oscar decided to buy the origami from a San Diego artist named Casey, and was happy with his beautifully packaged purchase. I love the idea of supporting artists -- and of reusing these retro cigarette machines. Buying art this inexpensive is a healthy habit!

Urban chickens

We live in a residential neighborhood, but it's pretty urban. It's very densely populated and though the houses have yards, most are tiny -- it's extremely common here to use the plots of grass between the sidewalk and the street for gardening. I was initially just surprised that people can tend front-yard gardens without getting all their produce stolen, but hey, I'm coming from a neighborhood where $3 basil plants repeatedly got dug up out of my yard. I was even more surprised that a lot of our neighbors also keep chickens. (The chicken in the photo is in an enclosure directly across the street from Oscar's middle school on the strip of land between the street and sidewalk.) In the summer the chickens from a nearby house frequently strutted down the sidewalk; a crudely printed sign on their fence noted that "It's okay if the chickens are out." (I notice that those chickens are now securely fenced in their yard, though, so maybe in the end it wasn't okay.)

Some quick research reveals that Seattle allows up to eight domestic fowl on any lot, but no roosters. You shouldn't keep just one chicken because they like to live in groups. Structures housing chickens have to be at least 10 feet away from the house.

Legality aside, it seems like a lot of effort to get eggs, and it must cost more to feed and house the chickens than eggs cost. I assume you have to heat the coop somehow; the temperature has been dropping to freezing levels at night. Also, the egg production rate lessens after a chicken's first couple of years, and some chickens lay eggs only in the spring. Do chickens make good pets? Personally, I find them intimidating -- ever since I learned that they're dinosaurs' closest living relatives I expect them to attack me like a velociraptor from Jurassic Park.

Still, the idea of a mini urban farm is sort of appealing to me, and I've heard that fresh eggs taste a million times better than store-bought ones. I am trying hard to be more of a locavore too. And we actually do have a chicken coop at the side of our house, though it's not 10 feet away. Is urban farming in my future?

Christmas fondue

There's a saying in our house that comes from a '70s-era cookbook: "Your party's a success the moment you decide to serve fondue." It's because sitting around a pot of bubbling cheese with long double-pronged spears makes eating an intimate event. According to my favorite fondue cookbook, there's a Swiss tradition that ladies who drop their bread in the pot must kiss the nearest man, while the man who drops his bread must buy the wine. And of course, there's the fact that cheese + bread = deliciousness. It's obviously not super healthy, so we restrict this indulgence to Christmastime.

Ever since the time Chris and I consumed an entire pound of cheese fondue on our own one Christmas Eve night, we try to invite people to join us when we have fondue. And with apologies to the many well-meaning friends and relatives who have gifted fondue cookbooks over the years, we only use this one classic recipe from the 1968 Nitty Gritty Fondue Cookbook:

Cut up 1/2 lb. each of Emmenthaler and Gruyere into tiny cubes. Rub fondue pot with the cut side of a clove of garlic and discard. Put 2 cups dry white wine into pot and when it's hot add a tablespoon lemon juice. Toss cheese with 2 tablespoons flour and gradually add to the pot, stirring constantly. Add 3 tablespoons Kirsch, a dash of nutmeg and paprika, and you're ready to dip your bread cubes.

Last night we had chocolate fondue after the cheese to make it even more caloric, with strawberries, bananas, grapes, and marshmallows for dipping. For the kids, this was definitely the high point of the meal.

Ghosts of Christmas past

To me the best Christmas ornaments are the old ones. When I was very young, my parents bought a little artificial Christmas tree for my bedroom. I still have it! The plastic base was destroyed many years ago, but my father made a sturdy circular wooden stand for it. I have many of the ornaments from the same time period.

My dog got loose one December and brought this rubber dog head home. We don't know where it came from, but we hung it on the tree that year -- and I still hang it up every year and think of Ginger.

I have two of these lion ornaments. I really liked them because my Zodiac sign is Leo. That sort of thing was important to me in elementary school. I'm not sure why.

And I thought this was one of the most beautiful ornaments we had. I loved the soft flecked texture.

This ornament was sent to me from a Norwegian pen pal. I was impressed that she found a lightweight, flat gift that was so cute. I don't remember what I sent to her, but I sincerely doubt it was anything worth keeping!

My sister sent me some ornaments of children's storybook characters many years ago: Madeline, Paddington Bear, Snoopy, and Babar.

I used to have more of the characters from the Rankin-Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special, but the Bumble still survives.

And here's the first ornament I purchased at an after-Christmas sale at my favorite boutique when I was in high school. I wonder how much I paid for it.

And this porcelain Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim ornament is very poignant. I'm not sure if he ever read it, but my father watched A Christmas Carol on TV without fail every year. I developed a love of Dickens and Victoriana in college, and my mom gave me this ornament as a gift when I lived in a brownstone building in Boston.

I love taking the ornaments out every year and having all these time periods and memories jumble together. And despite the ornaments' varying styles, they seem to go together for me because they tend to be whimsical and story-themed. At this point many of them are looking pretty shabby, but I can't help being sentimental about them. Christmastime seems a good time for it though, don't you think?

Eat, drink, and be merry

A few days ago NPR reported that 3/4 of the respondents to a recent poll said they'd rather not have a company party. Instead they want cash bonuses, gift cards, or paid time off. If corporate America is paying attention, the company holiday party may go the way of the rotary telephone by next December.

Luckily I got to enjoy a lavish party this weekend, courtesy of Microsoft. The party, held at EMP, was just for the Interactive Entertainment Business portion of the company (the other divisions have their own parties), but it was still huge. Attendees were provided with a map and a schedule. Besides the museum's regular exhibits, there was 5,900 square feet of additional tented space, and bars and food stations (catered by Wolfgang Puck) throughout all the areas. Entertainment included dancing mascots, go-go girls, a comedy show, a dance club, and performances by Blues Traveler and -- most exciting to me -- CeeLo Green (whom I watched while leaning on a case holding Michael Jackson's glove and jacket).

Because I worked in videogame journalism for a long time, I got to attend a lot of huge parties like this one for the E3 trade shows, and I love them (and miss them!). And the party really made me miss my former co-workers too! So...I'm hoping this won't be my last one. Even though I made the mistake of wearing giant high heels and could barely walk, I tried to enjoy every minute.

New neighbor: Yogurtland

The big news in the neighborhood this morning is the opening celebration of a new Yogurtland, which from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. is giving away free frozen yogurt while supplies last. Judging from the steady stream of people snaking through the store, they may not last long! The store also gave away gift cards and T-shirts before we arrived, but the upbeat staff were still handing out free rulers to the kids. (Their slogan is "You rule.")

I had mango and cran raspberry tart, topped with fresh mango pieces, strawberries, and dark chocolate bits. Oscar had mango and vanilla topped with mini Junior Mints, sprinkle-covered chocolate chips, Fruity Pebbles breakfast cereal, and coconut shavings. I was impressed by the variety of both flavors (snowflake mint! taro! kona coffee blend!) and toppings.

Verdict? We both loved it. Thank you, Yogurtland! You rule!

Middle school music

My amazement continues at the vast chasm between Oscar's scrappy little elementary school and the mega infrastructure of his middle school. Last night's winter concert drove the point home. The beginning band, cadet band, concert band, and the symphonic band all performed in the enormous auditorium of the high school next to the middle school, and I sat in a comfortable theater-style seat instead of a folding chair. The students have a strict dress code: I had to purchase Oscar a winged-collar tuxedo shirt, a black bow tie, black dress pants, black dress shoes, black dress socks, and a new belt.

In Oscar's beginning band alone, there are 42 students listed on the program, including six other clarinet players. The cadet band has 80 students; the concert band has 66 students, the symphonic band (an elite group that requires an audition) has 57. And the school also has an after-school jazz band program. According the notes on the concert program, more than 500 students at his school are involved in the choir, orchestra, band, and jazz ensembles.

The music program is so big it has its own PTA-type support system called FOMAHI (Friends of Music at Hamilton International). It does its own fundraising, has its own website, and is in fact its own nonprofit corporation! The group seems to be exceptionally well organized -- maybe better than the school itself.

We had some problems with Oscar's schedule at the beginning of the year, initially because he was assigned to Japanese, band, and P.E. -- but had no science class. It slowly dawned on me that science was probably actually required (it is!) and we had Oscar's schedule changed to swap P.E. for science. In the first few days of school, Oscar mentioned that the kids in his band class didn't even know what middle C was, so I wrote to his band teacher who said he'd test Oscar on trumpet to see if he should be in the cadet group instead of with the beginners. He passed, but Oscar would again have to change every one of his classes to get in -- which he absolutely did not want to do -- so in the end he changed from trumpet to clarinet to alleviate boredom. I'm not sure that was the best decision, especially after learning that he picked clarinet because it was easy to carry, but whatever.

Anyway, the concert was lovely, and the symphonic band was extremely impressive. The director of all these bands, Dan Rowe, told us parents at back-to-school night that he does not believe that talent has anything to do with success in band. "It's all about face time," he said. These kids must have been putting in a lot of face time. And they are so earnest in their playing -- I just love watching them. Their performance was every bit as enjoyable to me as going to the symphony.

Sock monsters at Sock Monster

I don't normally shop for novelty socks, but these Christmas stockings in the window of The Sock Monster caught my eye! Do you think they would scare Santa away?

Do you know anyone who might want to find these under the tree?

Pear crisp

I don't ever make pie. I mostly just eat the middle of the pie anyway, and it just seems so much easier to make a crisp instead. And I have no proof, but it's probably healthier too. Last night I made a pear crisp -- it's pear season! (Thanks Len and Liz for the Harry & David pears!) It's super, super easy, and since it's homemade, it's fancy enough to serve guests.

Here's how:

Peel and thinly slice 4 medium ripe pears, and put in greased 8 x 8 baking dish.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon allspice and 1/8 teaspoon ginger and sprinkle it over the pears.
Then combine 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 brown sugar, and cut in 1/4 cup cold butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over pears.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes and serve warm.

New favorite book: Speakeasy Dollhouse

My best friend from junior high and beyond, who I also lived with in college, is the renowned artist Countess Cynthia Von Buhler, who is the most talented and beautiful woman ever. You'd kinda want to hate her for it, except she's also exceedingly nice and funny -- and she works harder than anyone I know. (I know her as Cindy, but you should call her Cynthia.) She started out as an illustrator, but she's not one to rest on her laurels, so she just keeps doing more amazing, diverse work including performances and installations. She's illustrated many books (most recently the Evelyn Evelyn graphic novel published by Dark Horse Comics, and writes them herself as well (But Who Will Bell the Cat?, The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside).

Cindy's maternal grandparents lived in the Bronx and ran speakeasies during the Prohibition. Then her grandfather had an ice delivery business. One day her grandfather went out with one of his four children to collect a debt, leaving his pregnant wife at home. He was murdered. In August Cindy raised $16,811 via Kickstarter to publish a picture book for adults and produce an immersive play influenced by Sleep No More in New York City, all to explore this murder.

Everything Cindy produces is gorgeously detailed, and this project is no exception. For the book, she photographed dolls and sets to tell the story, which is similar to the technique she used for The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside.

I'm always excited to get a new book, but this one is especially exciting to me because for a lot of it, I was there. Even though the book is ostensibly about a murder that took place during the 1930s, the story is also about Cindy's own life. This project is also exciting to me as a writer and editor, because it represents a new wave of publishing, and I wanted to know all about how my friend put it all together. She's always got a million project brewing, but she took time to answer some questions I sent her. (Thanks, Cindy!!) Here they are:

Knowing you for such a long time, it seems like an idea that maybe was percolating your whole life; I remember hearing the story about your grandfather's death. How long did this project take?

I have been thinking about it my whole life, but I never envisioned it as a book until I realized that a graphic novel would be the perfect medium for such a thing. I officially started my research two years ago. As for the art, I started exactly one year ago.

This was your first Kickstarter project, right? Did you try to take it to a traditional publisher first?

I did not. I usually write and illustrate children's books. This is a picture book for adults. It is an unusual project and I felt that I needed to show a publisher what was in my mind rather than try to describe it using only words. I'm not interested in self-publishing. I see this book as a dummy book paid for by my beloved fans. I'm interested in finding a publisher for the series, but on my own terms. If that means that I need to create a few of the books before I sell the project, so be it. Thanks to Kickstarter and the play I now have a built-in audience hooked on the series.

The book is brief autobiography of you, tied in with your mother's story. What was your mother's reaction to it?

At first she was resistant to the idea, but now she loves it. She is intrigued by my findings, but constantly says that I have an overactive imagination and that I always tend toward far-fetched scenarios. My whole family was up in arms when they saw my grandma doll naked while giving birth in the test photos. They weren't upset about the nudity as much as the fact that a naked Mary Spano was not believable. They felt that such a pious woman would be covered while giving birth. I gave her a white nightgown in the finals, but the image is still rather graphic. My mother's response to the book birth scene was, "There is too much blood. It's a birth, not a murder." I disagree with her. I watched birth videos as reference and there was a great deal of blood. But overall she is thrilled, especially when the evidence points to the fact that Grandpa was a victim rather than a criminal. The verdict on that is still not out. My mother loved the play, but she said that watching her own birth acted out was "surreal."

Besides looking through old newspapers at the library, what other research methods did you use? Did your mother's tin box have any clues in it?

I ordered the court, police, and autopsy records from the NYC archives. These were incredibly helpful. Ancestry.com is a fantastic research tool. It provides census reports from the 1920s and '30s, death records, birth records, cemetery records, and military records as well as the usual family tree listings. Identity-finding websites and the online white pages have also been useful. A journalist from The New York Daily News gave me the phone number of a reputed Gotti crime soldier's lawyer. When I hit a brick wall trying to find the murderer's children, a private investigator who was intrigued by my project offered his services for free. I'm also very good at stalking mobsters. I call them on the phone and drive to their houses to spy.

The most revealing item in the tin box was the burning-in-hell prayer card. The photos and paraphernalia also gave me insight into my grandparents' personalities. I wish that my grandmother had kept the police photos of her husband after he was shot. The back of the "we regret to inform you” death letter had a handwritten note by my grandmother indicating that police photos accompanied the letter.

Random question: I love the pattern swatches you use as design elements. The houndstooth ones on your Olan Mills spread remind me of those pants you used to have -- remember them? The others, too, totally remind me of you! Where did you get them?

Yes! They reminded me of those skinny-legged corduroy pants I used to wear too. I had one pair of the magenta pants and another blue, exactly like those patterns! I found all of the patterns in the book on a stock photo site. The big pink flowers reminded me of the wallpaper in my parent's kitchen, remember that? It was god-awful and amazing at the same time.

Also, I thought for a second that the photo in the upper left was my Olan Mills portrait. I was scared!

I'm so glad that you noticed that! I specifically remember calling your mother to sell her an Olan Mills portrait session. How could she resist her daughter's best friend? I chose that photo because it looked like you with your feathered blonde hair. I had a great deal of fun with the images on the walls. The therapist scene is a replica of my Connecticut therapist's office. She is an artist herself and the paintings on the walls are her own.

Did you make the dolls, or modify them? Did you make the clothes for the dolls?

I bought high-quality articulated plastic doll forms. They are bald and they all look the same, even the sexes. I added features and body shapes using flesh-colored clay and cooked them lightly in the oven. If you cook them too much the plastic will melt. Then I added hair (they also have pubic and chest hair) and painted their features with gouache paint. I did make a lot of the clothes, but I also found larger doll clothes and altered them to fit my smaller dolls. The scuba flippers on the last page were a find. I got them from a Spider Man action figure. You would think that Spider Man could swim without flippers, wouldn't you?

Anything you would do differently next time, or if you had to do it over again?

I would add the evidence collage materials to the book. I did not have all of my evidence ready for book one when I sent it to be printed. This is why I made a separate evidence booklet. Other than that, I really love everything about it: my family, the dolls, the actors, the speakeasy, New York City. I hope that my love for it is contagious.

I know the performance is a big part of this project, and since I couldn't be there (sob!), I'm wondering what you learned from it. The pictures I've seen are gorgeous.

My slogan is "The speakeasy is our dollhouse and the actors are our dolls." I see myself as the only audience member. I am "The Time Traveling Revealer of Truth." Even the ticketed guests are actors to me. They are all my dolls to play with! How cool is that? The difference between dolls and humans is that I cannot predict how humans would respond in a given situation. For example, Katelan Foisy, the actress who plays the wife of the murderer, asked me if she should be angry or scared when her husband kills my grandfather (her supposed lover). I asked her how she felt and she said that she was scared, so we went with that. This type of research will be invaluable as I write the rest of the graphic novel series.

If someone wants to buy this book, is there any way to get one now?

Good question. I made enough for my Kickstarter backers with 100 left over for my agent and promotion. At the shows we ended up selling most of those. I'm going to have to print up additional copies. Currently, the only way to get the book is to buy one at the show. I probably should have a web store to sell my books and art, but I'm too busy writing, creating, and directing to think about that.

What's next?!

We have a whole 2012 season of off-Broadway performances in NYC. Buy your tickets here!

Book Two is written, but I need to create and photograph the artwork. To do that I need funding. I'd also like to make a stop-motion book trailer. This also requires funding. It looks like there is another Kickstarter in the near future. I could stop and wait for a publisher or producer to swoop in and buy/option the book, but I feel that that would ruin my momentum. Either way, I plan to go forward full steam ahead.

Photo of Cynthia Von Buhler by Margee Challa ©2012
Artwork by Cynthia Von Buhler ©2012

Sweetish Swedish

I'm not gonna say there's nothing Chris likes more than a pancake breakfast, but he sure does enjoy a pancake breakfast. So yesterday we attended one at the Swedish Cultural Center. I'm not a big pancake fan in general, but Swedish pancakes are so much better than regular pancakes! They're light, like crepes, and the ones at the cultural center were served with a choice of lingonberries or strawberries, with whipped cream, plus a side of ham.

Apparently Swedish pancakes are also very popular! We spent about 20 minutes searching for parking, as the parking lot there is quite small, and then spent at least another 10 minutes or so standing in line. But it was worth it. The people at our table, all of Danish descent, were really nice and welcoming, and there was a folk band playing, with people dancing. There was also a selection of Scandinavian sweaters, crafts, and bread for sale. A woman handed out the words to some holiday carols -- in Swedish -- for a sing-along, but we didn't stick around for that, though it might have been amusing to try to pronounce those words.

I'm so intrigued by the cultural center -- which celebrates all Scandinavian heritage, not just Swedish. It has lots of cool artwork and bric-a-brac on display: dolls, Swedish horses, folk art, and of course, now, a big Christmas tree. I learned there are lots of interesting events there. Top on my list is the Swedish Kafé & Happy Hour, which is held every Friday and features Smörgås sandwiches, Swedish meatballs, and homemade Swedish pastries. There's also a Viking lecture every Friday at 5:30! Also every Friday, they show Scandinavian films with English subtitles at 2 p.m.

The center also offers various levels of language classes, genealogy services, a book group, and lots of parties and events. But if you want to start with the pancake breakfast, the next one is on Sunday, January 8, from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., with music by Skolkis, Mäd Fiddlu, and Nyckelharpa. It costs $9 for adults and $5 for children 5-12; $7 for members. See you there?

Wnsmkrngl?

Back when Chris and his friend Mike were in college almost 20 years ago, one of their friend's sister asked them a mysterious question in her indistinct, mumbly dialect: "Wnsmkrngl?" After an exchange that went something like ""Wnsmkrngl?" and "What?!" about 10 times, they realized she was offering a type of Scandinavian pastry called kringle.

Mike is now a doctor in Seattle, and when we lived in the Bay Area Chris liked to send him kringle at Christmastime, with the one-word gift message: "Wnsmkrngl?" And of course Mike would send the same thing back to him. Some jokes never get old.

Now we live in the same neighborhood! So yesterday, Mike brought over the kringle gift in person. Thanks, Mike!

I saw three ships

Every December for the past 62 years, Argosy Cruises sails Christmas ships, adorned with lights and carrying choirs, on Puget Sound lakes. You can pay anywhere from $25 (to ride a parade boat that follows the boat carrying the carolers) to $99 (for the weekend caroling boat dinner cruise) to join in this tradition, or you can head to one of 45 stops to listen for free.

Last night, the inaugural night of the festival, the ship stopped at nearby Gas Works Park on Lake Union, so we bundled up and headed to the bonfires provided by the Seattle Parks & Rec department. It was about 40 degrees, so I really appreciated the heat source. Gas Works Park has a beautiful view of downtown Seattle -- including the iconic Space Needle which currently is topped with a Christmas tree. (It's worth going to Gas Works for the view alone!) Chris thought the caroling by the Con Brio Women’s Choir was a little too highbrow, but I notice on the schedule that most nights the carols are sung by the Dickens Choir so that might have more of the "drunk guys singing Christmas songs" sound he was hoping for. The Christmas ship is going to be at Gas Works again on the finale night, December 23, at 9:45 p.m. with the Seattle Girls’ Choir, so maybe we'll check it out again.

Dick's Drive-In

Chris once described Dick's Drive-In fare as "probably what McDonald's tasted like when it had just a handful of restaurants." So, maybe a step above average fast food. However, due to its proximity, Chris eats there whenever he learns I've made broccoli pie (or whatever non-meat-containing entree) for dinner. That is to say, he eats there a lot.

I don't know much about the food (though there's always a crowd out front, and it's open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.!), but there are a few cool things about Dick's. One is that it's family owned. Second, it's a good employer: It pays $9.50/hour to start, which is above minimum wage. Even better, for employees who work 20 or more hours a week for at least six months it offers scholarships up to $22,000 and childcare assistance of up to $8,000. And it will pay employees for four hours a month of community service work.

Today I learned about the company's Change for Charity program, which this season is focusing on housing homeless families with children. Each of its six locations has boxes collecting customers' spare change, and Dick's will match customer donations from December 2010 (with an adjustment since it has opened one more location since then) to add to its homeless aid. According to a press release that Dick's issued today, Dick's Change For Charity program has raised over $500,000 in donations since 1998 -- including more than $21,000 in March for tsunami relief in Japan.

Dick's almost makes me feel good about fast food! Almost. Still, I'm happy to share the city with Dick's.