lucy.

She's pretty cute.

puppies.

I've been spending a lot of time looking at a dog to adopt. A LOT of time.

Main problem that has prevented me from adopting a dozen dogs already: two roommates with allergies. But! I'm trying out a few things to make our house more "dog-friendly." First, we're trying a product called Allerpet-D on a tester dog (ie my brother's dog). Hopefully that'll reduce the amount of dander on the pup, making any dog an acceptable fit. Also, I've been doing some research on dander-free dogs. A few breeds that I'd love to have in our house --

Portugese Water Dog, adorable, but only available from breeders.

Wheaton Terrier -- haven't found one available for adoption yet, but still looking.

And more recently, I've been looking at the Northern Lights Greyhound adoption. Since they shed very little and rarely bark, they'd be ideal for our current situation.

Isn't she cute?? Sort of ??

We'll see how the Allerpet experiment goes, then hopefully I'll be able to get a pup of my own!

changes.

So, I've realized that updating a blog is number 2345213 on my giant list of things to do, hence the sparseness of the summer.

A few changes have occurred in the month of non-blogging:

1. New job - working at 3M in the renewable energy division testing the backsheet of solar panels. I actually love it. I've enjoyed everyday I've been there so far, even though it gets overwhelming at times. Hopefully this will lead to something bigger and better...

2. New house - we're moving to a beautiful victorian home in St. Paul that has a gigantic backyard (perfect for an energetic puppy) and a beautiful view of downtown and the river. Moving in September 1st!

3. New business - I'm working on an etsy site to sell some of my old ceramic stuff, plus all my hair pins! More details as soon as they're available.

And finally, I leave you with some pictures of the final installation I did at school. I hung the tiny pinch pots from the ceiling using an invisible thread. The room had a gentle breeze blowing through when the doors opened, which caused them to swing and spin in tiny circles. I wish I had taken a video of the shadows that were created on the floor below, the slip trailing caused a unexpected yet brilliant form -- as if each little group of dots were swing dancing. I'm looking forward to the next time I get to install it!

recently. long overdue.

Who would have thought it would be so easy to become a lazy blogger? Recently my life has been so full of activities that I haven't taken the proper time to sit back and reflect, so here we go. Highlights include:

• finally getting a job!
• working on grant writing at The Soap Factory.
• walking that large dog I posted a picture of earlier.
• figuring out how to have a life beyond a full-time job.
• learning to live without a TV.
• reading books about GMO's, Warren Mackenzie, and how monks in the Eastern US train their dogs.
• getting a new studio!!!
• catching up with friends I haven't seen in a bit.

Well. There you have it. I'm working at a production pottery business in St. Paul currently, and have been enjoying getting my hands dirty on a day to day basis. But man, 8 hours of being hunched over on a wheel can be quite demanding. So hopefully I'll figure out a more sustainable way to work, otherwise I'll be in desperate need of a massage at the end of every week.

Hope everyone enjoys the Fourth!

tara donovan.

An artist I've been looking at lately... Tara Donovan.

Nebulous, 2002
Scotch Tape
15' 9"(H) x 29' 9 1/2"(W) x 3 1/2"(D)

Nebulous, detail

Untitled, 2003
Styrofoam Cups, Hot Glue
6'(H) x 20'(W) x 19' 2"(D)

Untitled, detail
Lure, 2004
Fishing Line
2 1/2"(H) x 10'6"(W) x 26'(D)

Check out more of her work here.

aplateaday.

Yesssss. I made it onto "a plate a day"!!! #404 seems just perfect to me now.

summer so far.

Activities so far this summer have included:

• cleaning out the studio
• accidentally breaking some pieces while cleaning out the studio
• constantly looking for jobs
• job interviews
• internship at the soap factory
• gardening
• laying in the sun
• finding a subleaser
• crocheting
• reading
• taking care of this guy

I moving out this week from Keeler, my home for the last three years. I'll be taking care of Hobie, the pup in the picture for the summer in the Seward neighborhood only half a block from the co-op! And its about three blocks from Northern Clay Center, perfection.

Today is going to be a day filled with my girlfriends, a pool, and hopefully some good gossip.