Mari’s blog

Fighting the social norms...nice dream

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:09:11 +0000

I found this in my writings folder just now and thought I might as well blog it....it's about two years old. I was 25 at the time.

Young Mom

Two years ago, as I moved into a new apartment with my boyfriend (from my little studio), I never thought I would feel pressured to have a baby. Suddenly, I'm awoken by the news from a casual email from an ex boyfriend about his girlfriend being pregnant with their second child. Second? Where the hell have I been? Have I been living in a fantasy world where babies don't exist until you're in your thirties? Have I been missing out on the joys of having a baby? My wake up call made me realize that I'm getting older too. All of a sudden I hear talk, I see ads, I hear friend's conversations, I get asked “the questions”. When are you getting married? When are you having kids? As these things come up more and more, I start questioning myself. I'm feeling the pressure. The nice dream is finally over. But why? (but I know why). Yes, there may be risks or downsides to not having kids when you’re young, taking contraception for too long (still in question) and not following the social norms, but I've come to the conclusion that I’m ready to deal with all of the above. Maybe I’m being selfish. Maybe I’m just freaking out a bit. Maybe that tic, tic, tic, tic, tic has finally caught up to me. Me? Oh, not me.

I'm glad I'm still sticking to my guns! Did I mention I made my first sales on DaWanda. YES!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

So what have I learned so far?...

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:12:37 +0000

Birds Nest short dangle glass and wire earrings

I recently began selling online. I recently picked up the pieces I left in what feels like another life.

I began sketching drawings of small things. Things I would be able to make in a cramped space. In a living room, where we ate, watched tv and hung out with friends. I looked to my online resources (like del.icio.us!) for ideas on what to make. I knew I wanted to sew. I always wanted to make my own clothes and even fantasized about being a fashion designer (i still do! :)

So I began the journey on the old Singer Athena 2000. It wasn't as sophisticated as it sounds and I had it "repaired" in Redwood City when we lived there. I even moved it to Seattle when we relocated, but eventually it gave up (problems with tension). Halfway down its demise, we thought we might move to London. That alone was another process and it put my plans of sewing or drawing or planning of anything at seize. I gave up on the machine and thought of other things I could make without it. I looked to sock monkeys and I sewed them by hand...*think small*. Eventually I became interested in making jewelery...*think small*. So I made a few monkeys. I made a few earrings. When that seemed to work, it came time to get down to another business. The business of selling all of our belongings to strangers (sales generated by online posts on craigslist). It was sad, but I kept my cloth, my knitting needles and notebooks of writings and illustrations. I realized that I felt more rewarded giving my things to friends than selling them to people I didn't know.

And now that I was here, in London, I had nothing but the plans I had created to make these things...patterns, ideas, some materials. But anything helped! And I'm glad I brought the most important things to me. It was my connection to a past I would never see again.

Plum Green cashmerino wool chunky skull cap beanie with flower

So I begin again to make the things that I was familiar with in the not-so-long-ago past. One month in after getting settled, I went to The Bead Shop in Covent Garden. I had yet to buy a sewing machine, so I looked to the small things once again. I also looked up yarn stores. And I bought and I made forty two pairs of earrings and four crocheted hats three weeks prior to an event I was planning to sell my made things at. I didn't have any success in selling anything. Instead I met many people much like myself...trying to stand out from the crowd, trying to get their made things noticed...people selling their belongings.

After that week of intense hand-making work, on January 24th, 08' I started a shop on etsy. I started networking online and what I found was overwhelming. Site after site of profiles and uploaders, and widgets, and friends, and comments and things...things people were making. Many, many beautiful things, things I could only dream about and sometimes i do.

Ladytron

The question becomes, who do you want to be and how are you going to succeed? How are you going to stand out from the crowd? And I figured that, I don't have the answers to those questions and who knows who I want to be or am or how in the world I will stand out, but I know that I will continue to do what I love (sales or no sales). I think it matters more to connect to the people you know rather than to sell a bit of yourself to people you don't. I always wondered and still wonder what the lines from Ladytron's I'm With The Pilots meant:

"sell something to someone you love
not someone that you don't
even though..."

Maybe I'm with the pilots.

maribel.etsy.com
maribel.dawanda.com

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I'm Finally Here, Yet Not Totally at Home

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:58:40 +0000

Abbey Road?

I recently moved to the UK. London specifically and although it sounds wonderful and everything what people don't realize is how difficult it is to go through culture shock. Yes, I will be exploring one the greatest cities in the world, but living in it is so much different than if you were to just to visit. I've been fortunate to have have gone through such a big change once before in my lifetime when my family decided to move from Mexico City to the US. Mainly for the reasons everyone comes to a new country: for new opportunities and better quality of life (also due to health problems related to pollution). I was young then and I could adapt more easily, but the language and culture barrier was a bit traumatizing to me. English was never my strong point in school, but I did great in mathematics, chemistry and even French. I pretty much excelled in everything except for English (oh well). Now that I'm halfway to being an adult, I can halfway take care of myself. The other half I leave to Toby, whom I really admire for putting up with my lack of touch of reality (among other things). Well this was the moment I waited for so long and it finally arrived a few weeks short of Christmas 07. Musicmobs, after 4 years of hard work and dedication, has gone offline (with a great exit see Last.fm), I'm no longer working over 60 hour weeks and I have finally left a tiny part of me in Seattle, which sadly was not very nice to us. Now that I'm in London I'm finally ready to start my own work. I'm very excited to see what the next few years hold for us!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Striking Resemblance

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 21:24:19 +0100

Nokia_mm_logo

I like the idea of more and more companies jumping on the mobile sharing trend. This new mobile service from Nokia called Mosh has a logo very close to our custom Musicmobs font. I feel flattered. Maybe the designer is a Musicmobs fan!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Un Flan

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:50:50 +0000

flan

Here is a very yummy and super easy-to-make recipe I learned from Mom. I make it at least once a year and share it with co-workers around this time of year. Happy Holidays!

1 14oz can condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar

Makes about 6-8 desserts

For water bath:
Rectangular baking pan (fill 1/2 with tap water)
PYREX® Prep 6-oz Dessert Dish or similar

1 . Caramalize sugar in small pan or pot on medium heat. Once the sugar has melted and is a light brown color, pour into dessert dishes. (Do this fast because as the sugar cools it will begin to harden). Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Blend condensed milk, whole milk, eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes on high.

3. Pour mixture into dessert dishes covering caramelized sugar.

4. Cover dessert dishes with aluminum foil leaving a few holes for air at the top. Place in baking pan with water. This should make the water rise to about 3/4 full. Bake at 350°F for 2 hours 15 minutes.

Once done, refrigerate. Dessert is best eaten cold. Yum Yum!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Sewing Small

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 01:25:55 +0000

Pattern Bee Lamb

I recently started sewing again! It feels so good. Besides using a half-broken sewing machine, I don't have much space to work with so I need to sew small. I went to trusty old del.icio.us (big fan) and found a couple of free patterns to some very cute stuffed toys. Sewing other's creations inspired me to design something of my own so I'm currently working on a whale which I'd like to sell on etsy if all goes according to plan. These are patterns I found online and pictures of the end results for the top two links. Time to get your sew on!

Sewing Stars Mouse Pattern
Pattern Bee Lamb
Wee Wonderfuls Freebies
Wee Wonderfuls Wee Tutorial
Linux® Tux penguin
Media Tinker Kiwa Hirsuta
Soozs Steiner Doll

Sewing Stars Mouse

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Vormator Design Challenge

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 18:34:48 +0000

Vormator Design Elements

Vormator is holding a contest to anyone who can create a design using the elements above (The Zerk, Drop, Badge, Chevron, Bar, Wurst, Cobra and The Tentacle). I really liked the idea so this is what I came up with. I'd like to think it's a lion that's why I called it 'El Mas Poderoso' or 'The Most Powerful'. I'm going along with the mascara de luchador theme too, which Edgar has been into. Happy Thanksgiving!

El Mas Poderoso

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Kink

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 19:34:20 +0000

Kink

Toby recently bought me a book at our local used book store called Kink by Kathe Koja. I had been telling him I wanted to read Going Under by the same author but didn't find it there. So far I'm happy with it because I haven't put it down.

The book is about an artsy, urban couple who live in their own little world until they meet a woman who shares the same ideas about the world with them, except she introduces them to somethingt she calls "kink". I was a little taken aback from the first few pages because the language is very cut up and fast paced. Almost like flashing images (and much like my own thoughts, although reading images as opposed to seeing them was interesting).

I can't figure out whether the book will be as predictable as I think. Sometimes I get a little frustrated with the characters because some things seem obvious to me. Like do they really think a 3 way relationship will work? Maybe in someone's little world it could.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Taking Out the Trash

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 21:32:31 +0000

Toys 50¢ each

Or getting rid the goods you don't need to make you a wad load of cash. Superb idea!

I remember doing this in Phoenix and WOW! I had never heard my Laney amp sound so good before I had someone check it out to buy. That was an eye(ear) opener.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Dulce de Calabaza

nobody@vox.com(Mari) — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 19:29:39 +0100

Dulce de Calabaza

Every year for Halloween I try to make Mom's Dulce de Calabaza. She gave the me recipe a few years ago and ever since I have enjoyed making it. Dia de Muertos is probably the holiday I like the most, because it reminds me of living in Mexico. Around this time too I'm tempted to put up a shrine to conmemorate the dead. It doesn't always happen but I like the idea of just doing it.

Ingredients:

1 small Pumpkin
2 Piloncillo cones (Ethnic food aisle at your local grocery store) but you can substitute dark brown sugar (2-3 cups) – http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/piloncillomexicansugar.htm
5 cups orange juice
2 cups water
1 large orange
1 large lemon
4 cloves
½ cup of honey
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
2 cinnamon sticks

1. Cut pumpkin in half longwise. Keep cutting halves until you can cut them into cubes lengthwise, like a watermelon.

2. Place pumpkin in a large pot.
I cook mine with everything in the pumpkin because I like the seeds and I like the stringy inside. Traditionally my Mom cooks it this way too, but you can remove the seeds and skin once it’s cooked pretty easily.

3. Add water and orange juice.

4. Add juice from orange and lemon, cut orange and lemon peels and add to pot

5. Add Piloncillo (you don’t need to cut these because they melt pretty fast)

6. Add cloves, honey and cinnamon

7. Cook for about 1 hour on medium heat (4 or 5 on your dial).

8. Stir occasionally so that all pumpkin pieces cook throughout.

You can tell it’s done once pumpkin is soft and juice is a little syrupy. It’s the best right after cooking, so enjoy!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend