T.J.'s Mexican Night and Knit Chair Covers

We had a Trader Joe's fiesta last night. Mini beef tacos, guacamole, sour cream, baked beans, and salsa verde, total yums!

 
Here is a pic of my dad kinda-sorta modeling the knit chair covers I made last year. They came out a little wonky and weird looking so I never posted them. But since I was getting rid of the chairs I wanted to take a photo before they go. I added removable pillows as the stuffing, so they were super comfy. I think this was a fun way to change the look of the chairs without making any permanent changes/damage.

Goal of the week: Not look like a dirtbag

It has come to my attention that I look disgusting.

Exhibit A: Small group of 20 something girls uncontrollably staring at me and whispering from one foot away on the subway. Perhaps they were impressed with my hobo-like ability to carry 4 full tote bags of stuff or perhaps they were trying to figure out what type of smiling animals were patterned on my t-shirt. More likely it was that I smelled like turpenoid, had paint-splattered denim on, and was wearing a cardigan when it was 90 degrees out.


Exhibit B: Elderly woman looked like she was either going to barf on me or call security when I was looking at some trousers in Banana Republic. You think strangers would try to encourage the purchase of a new pair of khaki trousers by a woman wearing paint-splattered denim and a holey black t-shirt (when it was still 90 degrees out). Sal said I looked like a "biker chick", which I guess is fine for the Fall but not for the Summer.

Ok, so I gave in to the societal stares and bought some new t-shirts and a pair of new jeans, and will try to incorporate some skirts into the wardrobe this week.  I just find it hard to be practical (wearing something that I don't mind getting paint on) and be season appropriate.

BUT my clothing practicality did pay off this week though...

I experienced my first train evacuation! The train was unable to enter the station because of a "police investigation" which I strongly suspect means "dead body on the tracks" so the whole train was forced to evacuate the train through the last car.  As the girls in front of me were freaking out in their barely there strappy sandals and mini dresses I was pretty happy to have my comfortable shoes and dirty denim on. You never know when you will have to navigate train tracks with subway rats... but I am determined to find a happy medium this week.

Prescription fulfilled

My dentist prescribed the Storm King Art Center in upstate New York as a good day trip from the city.

Three legged Buddha by Zhang Huan

It is primarily an outdoor museum located in the scenic Hudson Valley.  They had a small exhibition going on in the visitor center/ museum building. My favorite piece from the indoor selection was this round bookshelf below.

Unfortunately we didn't come prepared, especially for a hot day in the summer. We envied the other visitors who were all geared up with picnic blankets, food, beverages and even art making materials.

Pyramidian by Mark Di Suvero

On the way back home we stopped at Palaia Vineyards for my first (pink) wine slushie and some bread and cheese!

We made another stop at the Woodbury Commons Outlets for a little bit of retail therapy.  Overall a good day, not recommended for the super hot days of summer, but still a good getaway.

Tip of the week!

Do not consume any pastilles/candy/mints with this warning label, *especially* in a you-can-hear-a-pin-drop classroom environment. Ungodly groans from your intestines are definitely a distraction from making sure the proportions of your painting are correct. Ugh.  So I will blame my lackluster painting this week on Phenylketonurics  Phenylalanine. You heard it here first :).