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Sunday, December 19, 2010

the next step


some of the highlights of the past few weeks:

I had the pleasure of turning 28 and felt incredibly loved and lucky to have so many amazing friends, co-workers, family, and mentors in my life. Lisa and Heidi in the kitchen made me a heart shaped frozen yogurt, brownie cake and a lunch of eggplant Parmesan with tomato-beet sauce; it was delicious. I was taken out to a lovely dinner in Montpelier and even did grown up things and looked at an apartment on my birthday.

After a good 5 years of putting it off, I finally gave up my Missouri drivers license in exchange for a Vermont one- I'm still a little sad about that one, but it's good I'm forcing myself to grow up. This 'next step' also stemmed from the fact that I found an apartment to live in! Starting in January I will officially be a Montpelier-ite and be staying Vermont for at least the next year or so.


We had an intern skill share night a few weeks ago, where Megan taught us pluming basics.
Megan grew up in Buffalo, bought a house in the foreclosure auction, and proceeded to learn how to fix a house through friends, teaching her self, then teaching workshops for the community with those skills. She is amazing, and if you are ever in Buffalo, you should check out Buffalo Basics -there is even a collective wood fired bakery that is run out of the house! yum.

This week was the super fun staff Christmas party in Montpelier. photo posted below, the best goodbye party/ fun party I've had in a while. We (the interns) all hung out Wednesday night and made Yestermorrow structures out of gingerbread. We focused on the ones that would be most amusing to create, this included the boneyard (where all the wood is stored) the arches (just next to the school where all the random/ building stuff lives) the bomb shelter (a fabric form concrete structure that is half finished) and the shade cannon (an awesome portable shade structure made from a deconstructed barn by a class here this summer.)


Finished my last week of work, I can't believe it has been a year. I'm excited to still be close by and involved in YM, and so many amazing folk connected to the school. Finally I have been a one person (and part of a two person) elf workshop. I have been cranking out cutting boards, beautiful little boxes, baby bibs, wooden earrings, and other sewing fun.



thanks for reading the blog this year! If I keep doing exciting things I may keep it going, we shall see.


Hoping
everyone stays cozy this winter, and gets to spend time with people they love.
all the best, Lylee

Sunday, December 5, 2010

get your art on!

Yesterday was the first day of Boxmaking, my last class at Yestermorrow. The instructors, Skip and Lizbeth, are brilliant wood workers, carpenters, and house builders. They are talented folk who are great at teaching and pretty much just piles of amazing.
I forgot how good it feels to be in class- to have someone teach me concrete skills, to learn and to feel knowledgeable, capable and competent.

Yesterday we all made a box with the same sides, front and back pieces then got to create our top and bottom pieces how ever we wanted. My box is made of Butternut (a beautiful softer hardwood) that has beautiful little worm holes all over the majority of the wood. It is put together with butt joints and pegs, has a curly maple bottom set in with a dado ( a ridge that it is inset in to- see photo below) and a hand carved Butternut lid- I'm still deciding how to attach the lid. I'll post photos of the completed boxes.

Today I'm planning on making a few bandsaw boxes, a simple way to make a larger chunk of wood in to a fun sculptural box- I like them because it feels more organic and flowing in shape than one can do with a box that has to be measured, and square and precise...

And the frosting on Yesterday wa last night, the 6th annual Art Auction at the school.
A combination silent and live auction, then event is one of the school's largest each year and turned out to be quite a success! It was wonderful to see old friends, former interns, favorite instructors and other folk in the 'Yesterfamily' come together for the evening, and see all of the hard work and hours and hours of organizing come to fruition. Above is a photo of the walnut earrings I donated to the silent auction. (Photo credit to Tonia)
Earrings are the art I am creating most consistently these days. I love making earrings, I like the small scale of jewelry making, and this year has been the first time I have tried jewelry making out of wood. Ihave some plans up my sleeve to start selling them in the near future...stay tuned.

Happy sunday!