Wacky Wednesday #68—Caution Tape

BEWARE!
That’s the message in what I’m wearing today: caution tape.

Different colors of barricade tape indicate different hazards. Yellow tape is used to caution against trip hazards and low hanging objects. This is delightfully ironic as I trip over my own shadow and I am a hazard to my own health! I’m quite accident-prone, constantly banging into things. Could this date back to my first year, when I learned to walk after crawling only briefly? It’s believed that babies who crawl longer develop better spatial awareness, and I am lacking in that department. Or could it be that I am thinking of so many ideas at once and don’t think to look up or down? Either way, I’d do better if the whole world were padded and draped in caution tape.

I have no idea how this idea planted itself in my brain but I jotted it down months ago and ever since then I’ve been collecting caution tape from trees and parks and places where caution tape was used. I don’t take it when it’s still blocking off areas, only when it’s clearly been left behind. You can buy a giant roll of this tape but that doesn’t interest me. I like collecting found objects, and recycling things headed to the dump. Or making my own.

Here’s the cost breakdown on today’s costume:

Caution tape found in public spaces                                       $      0

Yellow plastic tape (on clearance at the 99 cent store)      $   .40

Black clothing worn under the tape (already had)               $      0

Hot glue sticks                                                                             $   .20

Pipe cleaners for hat                                                                  $   .20

Sharpie                                                                                         $ 1.00

Total                                                                                             $ 1.80

I don’t know whether my message of caution is intended for others, or as a reminder to myself, or is just a fun effect with lots of contrast and surprise factor. Maybe all of the above. A win-win-win.

It took me hours to decorate this parking lot to match my outfit, but it was worth it....

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Wacky Wednesday #67—Strawberries

 

Today I’m wearing placemats. And why not? That’s what Wacky Wednesday is all about: crazy FUN!

Today’s creation started taking shape when I found some strawberry placemats at a thrift store and decided that they had Wacky Wednesday appeal. I love that these berry placemats are many times bigger than actual strawberries. A change in scale always sets the tone for fun.

 

I love strawberries—one of my favorite flavors—so this is a happy association for me, more appealing than if I’d found cabbage-themed placemats. Oh sure, cabbage is good for you, but it’s not in my top ten favorite vegetables. Strawberries? A different matter. They are colorful, delicious, and good for us—a source of fiber, Vitamin C and antioxidants (but hey, this is just a bonus—really, they’re just yummy).

One appealing aspect of wearing giant strawberries is that their shape is identifiable from quite a distance. You don’t have to be inches away from me to understand these shapes. For me, red is a happy color, a celebration. It energizes, and is full of life. And since I don’t live near any bulls, I won’t be charged by any horned beasts who see my red outfit.

 

(Fun fact: I just learned that when bulls charge at a red cape it has nothing to do with the color red. They are colorblind to red. It is the waving of the cape that leads them to charge.)

Anyway, when I saw these placemats for sale at Goodwill, I knew they could become a costume. Fun to wear. Fun to see. Good all around.

Total spent for today’s costume:

5 placemats from Goodwill                          $ 1.99

Red fabric for hat (already had)                  $       0

Fabric for earrings (already had)                 $       0

Hot glue sticks                                                $    .30

Red skirt and tank top (already had)          $       0

_________________________________________

Grand total                                                       $ 2.29

More fun facts: strawberries aren’t true berries. They are a member of the rose family. SAY WHAT?

Final fun fact: the ancient Romans believed that strawberries were medicinal. They used the berries to help with depression, fever, fainting, bad breath, kidney stones, and sore throats.

As I child in the 80s I had a Strawberry Shortcake doll, like the one below. My sister had a Blueberry Muffin doll--similar, but with blue hair. Both dolls’ hair smelled sweet.

It’s funny—today’s costume took less time to make than other costumes because I didn’t paint or create these big berries myself. But several people told me that this was one of their favorites among the costumes I’ve made. Red is cheerful, yes. And maybe strawberries remind people of summer, a season most of us love. Who knows? Either way, I’m glad that people liked this costume….

Well, it’s been fun talking berries with you, but the bees are swarming around my outfit, so it’s time to take off the strawberries and set the table for dinner. Berry placemats, anyone?

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Wacky Wednesday #66—Toothbrush Fairy

 

The Tooth Fairy is a well-known character, but today I’d like to introduce her lesser-known cousin, the Toothbrush Fairy. The Toothbrush Fairy is a playful character who travels the land, high-fiving people for keeping their teeth clean and their smiles happy. Her crown is made of shiny silver-painted toothbrushes that have been retired from daily service. The Toothbrush Fairy’s wand is also made of toothbrushes that have been taken out of circulation.

 

This idea came to me in stages. I’ll share something embarrassing because we’re all friends here on my blog: there were twenty four used toothbrushes in our house. Some were tucked into medicine cabinets, forgotten. Others had been saved as back-up brushes. A few brushes were earmarked for craft use. Several had bristles that no longer stood at a right angle to the handle—they’d been through some rough times and their barely-identifiable bristles had been chomped, twisted and flattened almost to oblivion. In my defense, I hate throwing things into the trash that might be used in some other way. On the other hand, twenty four extra toothbrushes is a little extreme. Clearly, it was time to turn the old brushes into something new, or to bid them farewell forever. Given this choice, I immediately thought of painting them silver and turning them into art. Using such a utilitarian item as decoration delighted me. And somewhere along the way, the Toothbrush Fairy was imagined.

At some point I decided that the Toothbrush Fairy should do a good deed. Fairies have magic powers, as you have heard, and I decided that the Toothbrush Fairy would bring twenty new toothbrushes to people who need them. It may seem odd to combine Wacky Wednesday with a good deed. It’s not like I call it “Giving Wednesday.” But the idea really appeals to me. Why not combine giving with goofiness? It feels good to give, and it feels good to laugh—why not bring the two together?

There are many worthy organizations in San Diego, but I decided that the Toothbrush Fairy will visit Fr. Joe’s Villages, an organization that helps the homeless. Homelessness is an issue that I ponder regularly. It’s a reality where I live: San Diego has the fourth largest population of homeless people in America (and the third largest for homeless veterans). This is tragic. I’ve donated to Fr. Joe’s Villages, and I’ve given homeless people food. Not everyone will agree about homelessness. People have different ideas about how to help homeless people or whether to help them at all. But I think most people would agree that no matter the reason why someone is homeless, every person needs a toothbrush. A healthy mouth contributes to a healthy body and a positive self-image. The Toothbrush Fairy can’t solve homelessness on her own but she wants to help in a small way. So tomorrow I will visit Father Joe’s Village and donate twenty new toothbrushes to the residents. Fr. Joe’s houses homeless people, with a focus on helping them to find permanent housing as soon as possible. One of Fr. Joe’s services is helping people to find jobs so that they can afford housing. Fr. Joe’s also helps its residents with health care, childcare and schooling for kids and teens.

As whimsical as my art is, I’m very practical and I like the idea of gifts that are truly needed, and will be used. A toothbrush is a small gift but small acts can mean a lot to someone who doesn’t have a lot of hope.

According to the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, in 2003 Americans identified the toothbrush as the number one invention we could not live without. I rest my case. (Just kidding. I’m not finished yet.)

I like to get a lot of bang for my buck, making art without spending a lot. Here’s my cost break down for this week’s outfit:

Used toothbrushes                         $       0

Silver paint (I already had)            $       0

Dress (already had)                        $       0

Wings (gift from neighbor)           $       0

Hot glue sticks                                 $    .50

20 new toothbrushes                     $19.33

________________________________

Total                                                        $19.83

This week’s creative challenge was both fun and meaningful for me. This whimsical-worthy combination actually sums up my approach to life in general: have fun. Laugh a lot. Share. Be kind. (Brush your teeth.) And smile. You never know how much it might mean to the person on the receiving end….

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Wacky Wednesday #65—Toys

I’ve said it before: we grownups need fun. Which is why I’m wearing lots of toys today.

Months ago I began stashing toys and play things that otherwise might have been recycled or ??? Take, for example, the plastic wands that come in bubble containers. Most people would toss the wand once the bubble jar was empty. Not me. I saw the colorful wands as art supplies. I like their ridged texture, the bright colors, the variety of their designs, and the reminder of the fun of blowing bubbles.

And then I began finding rubber jacks here and there, mixed with random toys in boxes (stashed there in my desperate attempts to get toys off the floor). No one around here is playing with jacks, so these also went into my collection for future art projects.

 

What to do with the Slinky that--within seconds of having been opened--tied itself in knots? Art!

This week’s accessories have both a lighthearted aspect and a message. The lighthearted part is in the mishmash of color and texture and the playful items I’m wearing. The message is that grownups need fun and laughter as much as kids do—maybe more than kids do. If making a crazy hat and necklace makes me laugh, then I’m living the kind of life I want to live. If these accessories make others laugh or smile, I’m delighted, because laughing is good for the body and the soul.

And that’s it, folks. Color. Fun. Happy. Play.

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Wacky Wednesday #64—Clothespins

Clothespins don’t get much attention--at least not from me. I don’t think about them very often—but this makes them an ideal subject for a Wacky Wednesday theme. WW often involves elevating the ordinary and using something in an unexpected way. Today’s the day to let clothespins shine.

Literally. Because I bought some sparkly clothespins at a thrift store, and they do shine. The sparkly pins are pink, turquoise and fuchsia, and they are in their original wrappers. I’m curious about why they were never opened. Baby shower props never used? Or were they a gift from Liberace to Dolly Parton? Much as Dolly loves sparkles, I’m pretty sure she’s not doing her own laundry these days. Although I like the image of a clothesline stretched over Dollywood, decked out with Dolly’s sequined outfits…

Actually, we have quite a collection of clothespins right now. Some are the plain wooden kind, left over from a school project last year—and it was a big package! Turns out you can’t just buy ten or five or one clothespin. These critters are pack animals and if you want one, you’re taking home one hundred. Needless to say, seventy five of them have been in the hall cabinet since the day after the school project, waiting for the day when I set them free to play with their peers.

So now I have more than enough clothespins. But once the plain wooden ones were next to their glittery counterparts, the contrast was giant. The wooden ones looked as drab and unflattering as a mugshot, compared with the spangled Vegas show girl clothespins. This would not do. I decided that the plain wooden ones needed some love. And some paint. And rhinestones.

Clothespins are practical. They aren’t intended to be flashy or sexy or the star of the show. But today I’ve put some fun into this functional item. They’re FUNctional!

This outfit is particularly amusing to me because of the irony of clothespins going on top of clothes, as an adornment. These pins aren’t attaching clothes to a line—they’re covering fabric. They’re not hanging the laundry out—they’re just hanging out.

And if you’re going to wear clothespins on your clothes, you might as well make a clothespin mohawk while you’re at it. A few months ago I made a Minion mohawk, which was great fun, but today’s mohawk is just as delightful to wear. Sometimes a mohawk makes the person wearing it look intimidating, but when it’s made of colorful clothes pins, I think the effect is more playful than scary.

Cost break down for this outfit:

Clothes pins (wooden ones I already had)             $      0

Glittery clothes pins (from thrift store)                  $ 2.99

More clothes pins (wooden)                                    $ 2.00

Hot glue sticks                                                             $   .70

Dress (I already had)                                                  $      0

______________________________________________

Total                                                                              $ 5.69

 

You know, this costume has had an unexpected perk: it’s made me consider how to put more fun into laundry time. Maybe it would be more enjoyable if I called it “laun-dress up.” The next time I’m doing laundry I’m going to put on a Dolly Parton wig, jewelry, sequins and stilettos and listen to Liberace….

                                                               

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Wacky Wednesday #63—Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is a divisive subject—up there with religion and politics.

Well, maybe not quite as controversial as those two, but nearly.

Some people love it. But those who don’t like it really don’t like it.

People who have had to remove a wall of bougainvillea from a house don’t feel sentimental about it. One guy in particular has no fond memories of the long, sharp thorns growing off the wall of bougainvillea he once removed. Thorns draw blood. Scrapes heal but one doesn’t forget those thorns.

But let’s get back to the present. This week’s theme is bougainvillea, and if we set aside its tendency to draw blood, it’s a beautiful plant worth celebrating.

 

Wearing flowers as decoration is not my invention, of course. Hawaiians wear them all the time. Balinese headdresses can include flowers. I love the cultural costumes that are an explosion of color. I hadn’t seen anyone wear bougainvillea and since it is such a joyful splash of color, I decided to use it as an accessory today. I made a birdcage-shaped beehive hat from pipe cleaners, and hot glued felt petals onto it, and then added some real bougainvillea to that. Same for my necklace.

Bougainvillea comes in various shades, as you probably know. Subtlety isn’t my thing, so I like the really bright ones best. I love how this plant produces a canopy of color, easily seen from long distances. It’s bold! It’s bright! It’s a burst of cheer, and it brings beauty to its surroundings.

 

This is the pipe cleaner structure I made for my beehive, in progress.

Here's the beehive completed.

 

Like the colorful leaves of poinsettia (Wacky Wednesday theme #37), bougainvillea’s magenta "flowers "are actually leaves. The flower itself is a tiny white bloom, but the bright leaves look like flowers to me.

If you’ve read my blog before you know that I get giddy by making an outfit for free, or close to it. Here’s the breakdown on what this week’s costume set me back:

COST:

Tank top and skirt (already had)                       $     0

Real bougainvillea from our yard                     $     0

Felt for fabric bougainvillea                              $1.17

Pipe cleaners for bougainvillea beehive        $  .60

Hot glue sticks                                                    $  .50

___________________________________________

TOTAL                                                                   $2.27

True, I didn’t make a dress from scratch, as I’ve done at times. But for me, the fun of this week’s look was in constructing a bougainvillea beehive. It’s delightful to wear something large and unexpected on my head and making my beehive was major fun. I like how my hair (purple this week, with highlights of bougainvillea magenta) even blends into the ‘hive. Coincidence? You decide.

 Instagram.com/sarahconleyartist

Wacky Wednesday #62: Apples

On the off chance you’ve been holed up in a cave for the last month or more, let me update you: it’s back to school time. And (despite the 80-degree weather outside) almost autumn. So let’s jump right into school mode and solve this math word problem:

   What do you get when you add one stampede of energetic students to a group of hard-working teachers, multiplied by a ton of tired parents, divided by a hint of fall, minus a summer that vanished in an instant?

(A) The first week of school.
(B) A headache coming on.
(C) An apple outfit.
(D) All of the above.


Extra credit if you post your answer in the comments section!
 
 

Here's my initial sketch.

And here's the finished product.

When did I come up with this idea, and how? I'm not sure, exactly. Could it have been inspired by a teacher I know, Mr. Brady? He has a wonderful apple shirt. I saw the shirt a year ago, but it only occurred to me a few weeks ago to make an apple outfit. Interesting how the seeds of an idea sometimes take a long time to grow. Yesterday I asked Mr. Brady if he’d wear the apple shirt today and he did. We’re twins!

 

 

Are you wondering why it’s a tradition to give a teacher an apple? I thought so. I poked around online and decided that Smithsonian Magazine’s website seemed a reliable source. Here’s what the site had to say about apples for teachers:

 

Long ago it was the common for students and their families to give teachers food (but never rotten apples, even after a bad grade!). On the frontier families housed and fed teachers. And eventually the apple became a symbol of teachers.

 

This blogger thinks a B-12 shot and a pot of strong coffee would be an even more helpful/relevant/accurate symbol of what teachers need, but hey—traditions can be hard to de-establish. And I have nothing against apples. I like them! They’re colorful and delicious and every Kindergarten and first grade classroom in America has a picture of an apple next to the Aa leading the alphabet around the top of the walls. So why mess with tradition?!

 

Total cost for this outfit:

 

Fabric and dye from stash                            $      0

Red, yellow, green felt                                 $ 1.20

Hot glue sticks                                                $   .60

Red fabric for apple hat                                $ 1.50

TOTAL                                                               $ 3.30

 

 

I made my dress from fabric I had, which I dyed red (which faded to pink once I rinsed the fabric the requisite million times). Then I painted apples on my dress and hot glued fabric apples onto it, too. My apple hat I made from fabric and felt, and it is filled with bubble wrap I already had.

 

Even if I’m not mentally ready to jump back into the school year, at least my outfit is. And regardless of whether I feel ready for school, I’m always ready to give a teacher a high five. They work so hard and give so much. Call me preachy, but I’m going to urge you to give a teacher a hug or a smile today. Teachers, you are amazing. Thank you for all that you do. Let’s give these teachers a bushel of apples. And a gold star!