Starfish Studios

Posted by libby on January 6th, 2009 in and · 1 Comment

I’m very excited to announce that as of February 1, my camera and I will be joining Starfish Studios, which is a small collective of photographers at 619 Western in Pioneer Square, Seattle. 


[619 Western, 1917. Photo by Calvin F.Todd.]

619 was designed in 1910 and is one of the largest studio enclaves on the West Coast and contains workspace for 2-D and 3-D artists. Starfish is Angel Ceballos, Marc17, Bloodengel, and soon, me. We participate in the monthly first-Thursday Pioneer Square Art Walk, which is the largest citywide.

I gripped a shoot for Angel at the studio on Saturday, and having now spent some time in the space, I’m very eager to begin photographing there. The building has a ton of character–fragile windows, internal exposed brick, crusty hardwood floors, and a creeky antique elevator with manual doors and day-glo paint. I have not had access to much in the way of studio space in the past (which has prohibited much portraiture since I moved to Washington), and I tend to shoot images in ambient light and found locations, so having dedicated workspace should prove to be both a blessing and a challenge.

I already have some ideas for shoots, but I am always looking for models in the Seattle area. Please let me a message in the comments if you’d like to come play someday!

Cheese Booze Dip

Posted by libby on January 2nd, 2009 in and · 0 Comments

Cheese Booze Dip, originally uploaded by exoskeletoncabaret.

Christmas this year had a theme, and that theme was cheese. I swear, there is no more perfect food. Ok, besides bacon, but that is another post.

This is my rendition of glorious vegetarian food blog Eat Me, Delicious‘ cheddar ale dip. I followed the recipe they posted here pretty much word-for-word, though I added an extra dollop of Grey Poupon because I really adore the stuff. I blended Negra Modelo into the cheddar and cream cheese goop, and the dip emerged from the food processor as a success.

And like the blog says, eat me! Delicious.

Frozen Music

Posted by libby on January 1st, 2009 in · 0 Comments

My friend, Mercedes Brugh, has a new Etsy store:

Mercedes, of Frozen Music, handmakes some of the most detailed fused glass jewelry I’ve ever seen. Her pieces incorporate whimsical CAD drawings etched into a dichroic coating on sheet glass. I own one of the Dia de los Muertos pendants pictured, as well as a glamorously rendered green glass circuitboard. Check out her Etsy store for additional pieces in brilliant colors.

In Etsy-related news, I’ve started listing items again, such as these propeller-shaped white clock hand earrings with sterling silver findings and delicate freshwater pearls. More recycled, upcycled, and funky fresh jewelry to come!

Thank you.

Epic Apricot Baked Brie

Posted by libby on December 31st, 2008 in and · 2 Comments

Molten baked brie cheese nestled in a cradle of dough and blanketed with apricot preserves, anyone?

Secretly, my favorite recipes are just like this one–incredibly easy to prep but impressive on the table. I love to drop jaws with under five minutes of work, and this delectable cheese appetizer does just that. I made it for Christmas and the entire thing easily disappeared into my somewhat particular relatives. Tonight, for New Years, I’ll reproduce the epic cheese goodness. Here’s how:

1 7-8 oz. Gouda or Brie (I used a round baby Brie but do experiment)
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1 tube of Crescent Rolls dough (you can even get non-perforated stuff these days)
1 egg white, beaten

You totally get to cheat with pre-fab dough–I decree it.

Make sure seams of dough, if any, are smoothed over. Make 1 large square from dough. Place cheese in center and top with a heavy helping of preserves. Fold dough up and over cheese and pinch seams shut. Brush egg white onto dough, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F in a buttered oven-safe casserole, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is gooey and bubbly.

It can be served as it is, or you can include crackers for scooping runaway cheese. Tasty, and made of win.

[Thanks to my mother and her friends for suggesting the idea.]

On Pointe With Von Claret

Posted by libby on December 16th, 2008 in · 1 Comment

If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind gift and you’d like to assist one of my friends and models in acquiring new and much-needed dance gear in exchange, bid on Finn Von Claret’s autographed ballet shoes:

This auction is for my size 9 autographed Gaynor Minden pointe shoes. These shoes have traveled with me and have been used in every Abney Park show since I was inducted into the band…I have signed both shoes, and now I retire them, and offer them for auction to help with the cost of a new pair. Thanks for all of your support and love!

- Ms. Finn Von Claret, H.M.S. Ophelia

pointe shoes

Finn gave me one of her well-loved toe shoes for a shadowbox over which I’ve labored meticulously for months. Mine’s just baby pink, but here’s your chance to score her original Abney Park silver glitter shoes for your own collection.

Many thanks from both of us.

Sticky

Posted by libby on December 8th, 2008 in and · 0 Comments


Sticky, originally uploaded by exoskeletoncabaret.

Sometimes internet recipes are too good to be true.

This is a photo of some pumpkin spice candy I made, mid-way through the process. As lovely as the bubbling brown goo looks in my saucepan, the results of this kitchen experiment were decidedly disappointing.

I expected such a simple recipe, only containing three ingredients (plus the blend of spices I added for my own personal palate), to be a total piece of cake (pun intended). However, even those of us who cook regularly and aren’t afraid to tweak and tinker in the kitchen experience epic food fail. My candies turned out dull, bitter, saccharine, and unattractive, and I ended up pitching them out after the first taste. They looked nothing like the fat, luxurious orange pumpkin blossoms from the blog post at Sugarlaws. I wonder where I went wrong.

But this is the peril of fooding–you win some, you lose some. Shame about this one. It looked delicious.

Daikon Monolith

Posted by libby on December 2nd, 2008 in and · 2 Comments


Daikon Monolith, originally uploaded by exoskeletoncabaret.

Yes, folks, I did it again. I succumbed to yet another pickling experiment, this time with a chunk of daikon radish, acquired from the Asian grocery I frequent in the International District of Seattle. Pickles are so incredibly easy to make, and these went over very well at the Thanksgiving meal I shared.

Pre-pickling, the massive daikon loomed on my yellow cutting board like a crisp, snowy henge. I pried off the rind and chopped the radish into medallions, tucked it smartly into a mason jar, and bathed it in a salt, garlic, and pepper brine.

The lacto-fermented daikon pickle recipe came from The Urban Homestead, which is a superb book by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen of the blog Homegrown Revolution. They recommend using a very clean quart jar (I boiled mine and let cool), and enough daikon rounds or quarters to fill. I added a few garlic cloves for flavor, and then mixed in a solution consisting of cool bottled water and 2.5 tablespoons of sea salt. Iodized salt is frowned upon as it kills the good bacteria that make these sorts of pickles tasty, good for the digestion, and safe to eat.

The salt water should be blended in a separate container and then poured over the radish pieces, leaving a small amount of “breathing” room at the top of the quart jar. Cap it and set the daikon aside in a cool and dark place to hang out for a few days. Expect some amount of fizzing when you open the pickles, but toss them if they smell off or feel squishy. I tend to rinse the salt water off of mine before consuming, but you can eat them directly from the jar if you prefer.

I think these pickles would be epic in vegan sushi. Yum!

Updates This Evening

Posted by libby on December 1st, 2008 in · 0 Comments

Recently, I’ve been on a blogging hiatus, but I have many projects to share after I return home from work. Stay tuned for daikon pickles, pumpkin spice candies, new vacuum tube and clock hand jewelry, and possibly more.

Serious Hair

Posted by libby on November 15th, 2008 in · 1 Comment

Serious Hair, originally uploaded by exoskeletoncabaret.

A relatively rare self-portrait, pre-club on a Friday night.

I’m especially pleased with my up-do this evening. Ever since my hair was cut into a poor excuse for an a-line with bangs, I’ve fought with my technicolor locks daily. My saving graces are a tiny-barreled Vidal Sassoon curling iron, piles of hair pins, and of course, enough mega-hold hairspray to provide myself with a dedicated hole in the ozone layer.

I lacquered the front of my hair into a halo of tight pincurls, some neat and old-school, and some with cheeky spiked ends. My sidelocks and the crown of my hair were put in ringlets, and the back is already so short that it could only be rolled under in a series of wee barrel curls.

And yes, I desperately need a color touch-up, but don’t remind me.

The Crisp

Posted by libby on November 7th, 2008 in and · 3 Comments

This is my first autumn in Seattle, and I’m pleased to report that it’s actually been longer than a week, which is the manner in which some seasons in Indiana behave.  I’ve enjoyed watching the trees crank up the brilliance of their colors and then shed, and even with the amount of rain we get here, there are still trees that proudly sway with heavy copper and golden bowers.

Possibly the best aspect of fall is the FOOD. Oh goodness; I’m such a sucker for apple season’s bounty, spicy warm cider, huge vats of steaming soup, and the quintessential autumnal perfume of clove and cinnamon.

Last weekend, Willow and I got together prior to a potluck to fabricate a fall fruit crisp. Like most of our cooking adventures, nothing we did was entirely precise, but the results went over superbly at the party. We were inspired by recipes in the Joy of Cooking and Bread & Honey.  I scored beautiful pink pearl apples, which are about the same shade as granny smiths on the outside, but are bright pink inside, and sweeter. Yum.

SPICY AUTUMN APPLE AND PEAR CRISP THING
[all amounts are approximate and should be tinkered with]
3 pink pearl apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
3 firm bartlett pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon or so lemon juice
a buttload of ground cassia cinnamon
a buttload of ground clove
3/4ish cup all-purpose flour
3/4ish cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar (at least)
1/2 cup white sugar (at least)
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter (at least–we may have doubled this…)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F if you’re intending to bake this right away. We made it ahead of time and baked it at the party.  Mix apples and pears into a Pyrex baking pan, and squeeze lemon juice over the top to preserve the color. Toss butter, white sugar, brown sugar, flour, and oats in a large mixing bowl until the goo looks like delicious brown mud. Take photos. Add in an exorbitant amount of freshly ground cassia cinnamon and cloves and mix well.

Willow and I made about double the topping that the other recipes call for, but we really like the crispy part. Evenly drop the goo onto the pan of fruit, and spread it gently with your fingers. When you’re ready, bake the crisp in the oven for 30-40 min. or until the fruit is soft, hot, and bubbly. Let cool for a few minutes and serve to absolutely smitten guests.

Happy in a pan. :) See larger images on Flickr.

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