Category: Awesome Things

Moooo

Posted on by Anna

Recently I have been enviously eyeing some friends’ beautiful cards made with Moo, so I finally gave the printing company a try with a set of new Mochimochi Land business cards. Nice results!

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If you’re not familiar, Moo is a UK company that prints all kinds of business cards, stickers, greeting cards, etc. They’re a bit pricier than some printers, but their uploader system is very easy to use (and fun because you can upload up to 50 images for a different image on each card), and they also have great customer service. I know a lot of crafters and people with small businesses use them, and with good reason!

Baby Donkey Celebrates

Posted on by Anna

There’s a bit of boasting going on around here, after a night of election results and too much soda pop…

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Our little Democrat is trying to offer some consolation his red friend, though, with a suggestion that he join the blue team. (Not likely, I think.)

Here’s to our shiny new president!

Spread the Lead at gallery hanahou

Posted on by Anna

A new show opens this Thursday at gallery hanahou that we’re very excited about!

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October 16 – November 20
Opening reception: October 16, 6-8 pm

What if the history of art began and ended with graphite, and your local art supply store was little more than a pencil outlet? For this group show, gallery hanahou has challenged artists from all backgrounds and mediums to drop their brushes and computer mice and see what they can do with only a B2 pencil and a piece of paper. Just as compelling as the results on the gallery walls will be the visitors’ reactions to so many artistic viewpoints rendered in shades of gray. The pencils the artists used will be included with sale of the artwork.

Participating artists include digital maestro Kenzo Minami, peaceable painting duo APAK, and Robbie Guertin, who plays in the band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and has collaborated with other artists on album artwork.

Here is a small sample of the pieces in the show:

APAK
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Tina Berning
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Kenzo Minami
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If you’re in NY, please join us this Thursday for the opening reception!

Spread the Lead
October 16 – November 20
Opening reception: October 16, 6-8 pm
gallery hanahou
611 Broadway, Suite 730 NYC
[7th floor of the Cable Building, NW corner of Broadway + Houston]
M-F noon – 6 pm, Sat by appt only

Super Shoes

Posted on by Anna

Yesterday we got word that after more than two weeks of working on it, the tech people who had my broken hard drive were unable to recover any data. It’s now been shipped off to some other, better tech people in California, who will spend another seven days seeing what they can do. But for the sake of sanity, I’ve decided to assume that all is lost and it’s time to move on. It’s also time for some new shoes.

entwineI found the perfect pair of metallic flats early this summer, and I’ve pretty much worn them every day since. They’re called Entwine, made by Hush Puppies, and they are sooo comfortable and gorgeous. Before I wear them out completely, I figured I should get another pair. So I just got a pair in black (the ones pictured at right are “apricot metallic,” the one color I don’t have), which aren’t as gorgeous as my metallic ones, but still comfortable. And for no reason at all, Zappos delivered them next day.

Wow, writing about shoes is really boring. But I love these shoes, so I thought I might let people know about them.

The Bestest Barrettes

Posted on by Anna

When I wrote about the odd lots store Big Al’s earlier this month, I somehow left out the best part: the FREE STUFF.

Yes, the store that has it all also encourages you to take something home for free, even if you didn’t buy anything (though there’s a sign posted asking that you only take one free item per visit.) On my recent visit to Big Al’s, the free table (a free corner, really, comprised of three tables) was my lucky spot. After searching up and down the aisles of faux vintage canned goods, cow computer covers, and nautical candles for a good 30 minutes, I was ready to leave the store empty-handed. But I couldn’t leave without checking out the free stuff, and it was there that I found just what I was looking for!

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You know those barrettes you always see at the drug store in the shapes of bows, daisies, dragonflies, and other things little girls are made of? Big Al’s was giving away boxes of generic versions of these, all of them black! What’s more, these generics are flimsier than the kind you get in stores, making them less bulky and less prone to yank on your hair. I would seriously have paid up to ten dollars for a box of such wonderful barrettes. Instead I got them for free!

For the past month I’ve been wearing them constantly while trying not to lose them.

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Thank you Big Al’s! Definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in the area of Wiscasset, Maine.

REMINDER! Tomorrow (Thursday) night is the deadline for entries in the Mochimochi Photo Contest! Photos uploaded to the Mochimochi Friends Flickr group after July 31 will not be eligible for this contest, though they will be automatically in the running for next year’s contest.

Big Al’s

Posted on by Anna

One of the highlights of picturesque Wiscasset, Maine, is Big Al’s, the giant odd lots store on the edge of town. Big Al’s doesn’t have everything, but it has everything else.

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The place isn’t as big as a Super Wal-Mart—it might not even be as big as most regular Wal-Marts—but its warehouse-size building is huge by Maine standards. (And I believe it existed before the L.L. Bean outlet in Freeport.)

Permit me to share some of my favorite finds at Big Al’s from my recent visit.

Thank goodness! They have scrubs.

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Thank goodness they have faux antique canned goods?

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And they have lots of yarn! Lots and lots of novelty yarn in neon colors.

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Don’t ask how many candles Big Al’s carries. As how many nautical candles Big Al’s carries. (Answer: I count at least 10 varieties.)

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And finally, a cow computer cover:

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Fits over monitor or PC!

The Kow Pasture

Posted on by Anna

I’m back in New York today, but before I left Oklahoma, I squeezed in my first visit to The Kow Pasture, to my knowledge, the one and only bar in Owasso, Oklahoma. I always thought that a town with 40-plus churches needed at least one bar. Apparently most Owassoans still don’t know that The Kow Pasture has existed there for the past 50 years.

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The cinderblock establishment is tucked away amongst scenic pastures, and probably also cows, though I only saw horses on the drive there. Since my parents discovered The Kow Pasture a couple of years ago, they’ve almost become regulars, in a sort of half-ironic way, and they’ve been talking up its rough charm ever since.

My mom was eager to point out the weathered door and barred windows as we entered. I was especially taken with the mascot.

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This cow knows that you can’t enjoy a beer without a cigarette!

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Neither can the patrons of The Kow Pasture. An atmospheric haze hung over everything inside.

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Note the shuffleboard, which you can use for a dollar. There was also a dog (maybe a doberman pinscher?) wandering around. It seemed friendly, only jumping up on me once.

The drink selection wasn’t huge—basically, they had Bud and Bud Light, and they were out of Bud Light that night. If I remember correctly, a pitcher was $6. Definitely an economical way to spend a night out. The trickiest thing is hurrying home to throw your smokey clothes in the wash afterward.

I’m happy I could see this slice of Oklahoma before returning to the big city!