modchen dot com

silhouette bleach-stencilling, a quick and dirty tutorial

modchen — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:01:27 +0000

i really like natural kei and dolly kei, and making my own stuff, primarily because i hate paying a lot for something i can do myself.

i’ve done a lot of both positive- and negative-image bleach stencilling, although it’s been a while. but sometimes there’s something i like that just can’t be done any other way.

then i bethought me, since we are currently under about two feet of snow (and it just keeps on coming), and i am being so busily productive, Hey, other folks might want to know how to do this. so here you are. enjoy.

octopus trap

modchen — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:03:15 +0000

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

this may explain why my heart is hammering, spasming, fluttering, skipping, and stopping periodically, lately. i can feel it stop: i get dizzy; then it races to catch up. i’ve been moderately dizzy most of the time for about the last two weeks. a couple of times i’ve come close to throwing up, passing out, or both.

apparently it usually resolves itself within about two months. either way. so there’s not much point in going to the doctor. the suggested course of treatment is no treatment.

i’m perversely glad, insofar as i am capable of gladness, that there is still some winter left; i don’t think i’ll be able to tolerate socializing for at least a few weeks.
i’m as fragile as glass, and i despise it and myself. and i’m so tired. for someone who’s not even close to 40 yet, it’s amazing how much death i’ve had to deal with, and yet it never gets any easier; and my tough little pony-engine is tired, and i am tired.

in Crazy Biznatches Scorned: Vespa trashed, covered in abusive graffiti

modchen — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:24:13 +0000

Boyfriends Vespa covered in abusive graffiti by vengeful lover | Mail Online.

either this girl was nuts to begin with, or else she’s developed a deathwish concomitant to her little affaire.

a tip of my Phrenology Helmet to Eric A over at ModernBuddy, who always finds the bestest stories.

looking at some of this graffiti, it’s hard to tell which of the choices is correct.

we heart gardening.

modchen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:35:48 +0000

jasper goodall, obviously.

this is only the beginning.

OMG SO MUCH FOOD

modchen — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 07:56:57 +0000

we went to chez jane, in her infinite wisdom, which absolutely applies to food.
it is a potluck, with everyone bringing a thing that is assigned informally, as part of a balanced meal, so we don’t get like four turkeys and three hams and five things of bread. i make salad, because i’m really good at it, and a veggie, because i’m really good at it. this year it was an arugula mixed green salad with pomegranate arils and goat cheese and caramelized onions and a lemon-orange-pomegranate-vinaigrette and ho-made french bread croutons, and panseared zucchini with panseared onions and a lemon-olive-basil dressing. i think we had ten or eleven people, so the massive amount of food balanced out pretty well.

i want everyone reading this to know that i actually heard, with my own ears, four men sitting around in a room discussing relationships in a sane, rational, mature, and downright fuggin philosophical manner for half a damn hour, this evening.

we played apples to apples, which is the best non-braining post-food and drink game in the history of ever, and i won (i always win, because i am tremendously awesome at similes, i’m sorry), but everyone was having such a good time accusing each other of unspeakable perversity that i withdrew instead so they could keep playing.

also, best day of giving thanks ever. i love all of you, and i hope you are thankful for your awesome lives, and your awesome friends and families, and the delicious plenty of food you eat, and the roof over your head, and the fact that you live in relative harmony, with nobody throwing bombs at your house or hauling your SO off to Sekret Police Questioning never to return, or at least not yet. ^_^ i sure am.

Chili and the French*

modchen — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:23:23 +0000

*NBNOTX. new band name of the X! see note below.

Fig. 1. The French do not know how to spell "Chile."

Just because it’s delicious. You do not have to wait until a snow day.

Downtown Denver Chili,
or,
Ranchero Miso Chili

a fast, lean, mild and gluten-free ⁴ chili which can be inhaled in large quantities and multiplied at will.

three hearty servings, although even a modest serving is filling.

The Things You Will Need:

1 tblspn oil of your choice (i use bacon drippings… of course.)
1/2 lb lean ground grass-fed chuck PLUS
1/2 lb ground grassfed colorado lamb or mutton
(*many people are not aware that colorado produces some of the best lamb and mutton known to mankind, in addition to our far-famed beef. the spring lamb is mildest in taste; use mutton if you want a stronger flavor.)
1 medium organic yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic roughly chopped
16 oz chili beans, with their liquid
1 6 oz can organic tomato paste PLUS
1 large ripe beefsteak tomato, diced (or, 1 can whole tomatoes)
1 tblsp aka miso PLUS
1 tblsp dark brown rice miso (don’t use barley miso for this unless you’re unconcerned about gluten content.)
(*many people are also not aware that many Denverites of long-established family, like the Arakawas and the Sakatas, among many others, are actually ethnically japanese, or at least hapa – in fact, during the midwar years, Denver was considered the unofficial Japanese capital of the United States, ⁵ though that title was usurped by Chicago during the later war years. you can get high-quality miso in bulk at Pacific Mercantile, in Sakura Square, or you can get small portion containers at Whole Foods. )
1 tblspn natural unsweetened cocoa powder PLUS
1 tspn cinnamon
(*you may substitute one wedge of Abuelita or Ibarra for the chocolate and cinnamon, if you must, but be aware of the sugar content.
**hey look! you get to use your molinillo! actually, anytime you deal with miso is a great time for your molinillo, if you have one. and if you don’t have one, you should get one. )
2 tblspn chili powder – preferably mild or medium molido polvo puro – or to taste
1/2 cup black coffee. no sugar!
2 to 3 tblspn cumin or to taste
approximately 1/2 of one ancho or poblano chile pepper… or to taste.
1 dash tabasco
1 tblspn apple cider, blood orange, or other fruit vinegar
4 cups water
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Fig.2. How the French actually make their version of chili. It isn't generally known, but in old-style French Catholicism, the grinding of beef is actually considered to be a cardinal sin. So there's that.

Other Things You May Want:

beer, see note below
glutenfree whitecorn chips (i crumble ‘em if they’re not already there)
cheeeeeeese. jack, cheddar, or asiago are all good.
things such as green onions, chives, or sour cream

What To Do:

Obtain a large stockpot with a top that more or less covers it. Insert your oil and heat it to the point of fragrance.
Assemble all the things while the oil is heating.
Put meats into oil and brown.
Put onions and garlic in and allow them to shimmy and shake, while you
Cream the miso with a little water and add it.
add tomato paste and chopped tomato or canned tomatoes (if you’re using those, smush them a little with your stirrer).
Add all the things, starting with the liquids. ⁶ except the salt and pepper. you’ll add those at the end.
Cover the pot mostly and cook all the things slowly together for a long time. stir it every half hour or so.
When it is bubbling in the pattern usually called borborygmous, which is reminiscent of an agitated swamp mud which is maybe a little on the thin side, taste it with caution. add anything you feel it may lack.
Allow to cool. if you are providentially wise in the ways of chili-type foods, you’ve made this a day ahead so that it can assimilate and deepen its flavors while it cools its heels in the fridge for 24 hours. if not, you’ll have to hop from foot to foot while you wait for it to cool sufficiently to eat.
While you’re waiting, do not google “French People Eating Chili.”
serve it up and top it with any of the things you want. i like a lot of corn chip crumbles and peppercorn smoked cheddar, and some garlic chives.

it’s much simpler than you think and a lot more flexible. you can make a lot or a little and it gets better with age. try not to forget your Beano. your fambly will be doubly grateful. ^_^

also, try not to steal my New Band Name Of The X if you can help it. i kind of love it intensely and probably will for at least the next day or so.

BON APPETIT, BITCHES. let me know how it works out. <3

Notes:

this is due to the omission of the usual bottle of dark beer and other ingredients which typically contain barley or wheat glutens – more on glutens in beer here: http://www.celiac.com/articles/798/1/A-Word-on-Gluten-and-Beer/Page1.html - but always read the label on an ingredient to know for sure. if you’re not concerned about glutens and want to include the beer, feel free to do so; just subtract an equivalent amount of water.
↩
more on this at the extremely interesting article here: http://www.discovernikkei.org/es/journal/2008/1/30/enduring-communities/ , which you should check out.
↩
some purists will screech, tear their hair, gnash their teeth, and INSIST that the things must be put in separately in a definite order and with EXACT timing in a choreographed ritual as precisely graceful as the ceremony of chanoyu. this ceremony differs in almost all details from person to person, and while there may be some validity to this-or-that aspect of his-or-her version of what to do with each Thing, i am a cook making delicious chili, and not a medieval alchemist attempting to make purest refined gold; and this way works just fine.
↩
this is due to the omission of the usual bottle of dark beer and other ingredients which typically contain barley or wheat glutens – more on glutens in beer here: http://www.celiac.com/articles/798/1/A-Word-on-Gluten-and-Beer/Page1.html - but always read the label on an ingredient to know for sure. if you’re not concerned about glutens and want to include the beer, feel free to do so; just subtract an equivalent amount of water.
↩
more on this at the extremely interesting article here: http://www.discovernikkei.org/es/journal/2008/1/30/enduring-communities/ , which you should check out.
↩
some purists will screech, tear their hair, gnash their teeth, and INSIST that the things must be put in separately in a definite order and with EXACT timing in a choreographed ritual as precisely graceful as the ceremony of chanoyu. this ceremony differs in almost all details from person to person, and while there may be some validity to this-or-that aspect of his-or-her version of what to do with each Thing, i am a cook making delicious chili, and not a medieval alchemist attempting to make purest refined gold; and this way works just fine.
↩

The Seven Deadly Sites

modchen — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:16:55 +0000

actually i haven’t been a terribly sloth-ridden internet victim lately; i just haven’t been very social about what i’ve been up to. briefly:

- lots of craft

- lots of craft, and also some DIY and some home improvement

- a little reading

- oddly, a lot of etsy commissions and sales

- food

- oh god, terrariums

wow, do i sound like a very typical, insufferably hip, childfree postmodern woman. if i were reading this post and it were by someone else whom i didn’t know, i’d be tempted to recommend hipster suicide.

good thing i really like everything i’m into right now. leave behind that i just don’t care what anyone thinks about it, including my more analytical internal voices.

more later! i might even post a recipe just to piss everyone off. since i’m here posting inanities from mindless humor sites. *scratches line-item off list*

divers experiments in phototransfers

modchen — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 07:10:38 +0000

i wanna go fast.

Mr. Tillinghast loves Talladega Nights, out of what i assume is a combination of white male selfhatred and manchild boycrush and some other thing that is probably related to sheer goofy amusement.

PLUS

i have discovered a new photo transfer method, and of course i need to test it out thoroughly to determine if i want to to add it to my repertoire on a permanent basis.

EQUALS
don’t even pretend you don’t wish your girlfriend made you popculture stencil candles.

total cost, around 2.50 USD.

Go At SEO | Horrible Logos

modchen — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:41:23 +0000

this may be horrible… but it is also genius.

Go At SEO | Horrible Logos.

Horrible Logos are so magnificently heinous that i’m actually thinking about getting one. drawn by hand on a cocktail napkin from whereever homeboy gets his pints. because if you’re gonna go the extra mile to make it hideous and (debatably) unusable, you deserve a beer.

here are some logos which really *are* awful – so awful that they are NNSFW.

worst logos ever.

mr. tillinghast and i are indulging in movies (one for each of us, simultaneously: Rec 2 for him, Hogfather part 1 for Yours Most Awfully), cough syrup, and freshsqueezed pomegranate juice to take the edge off. it’s a good time of year for pomegranates.

by mia araujo

Vespa by ~hennatea

modchen — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:48:07 +0000

Vespa by ~hennatea on deviantART.

just in case we forgot that scoot stuff does go here.

quick update: i am still desperately ill – it appears that either [a] i spoke too soon about not getting hammered as badly with this particular Ick as Mr. Tillinghast undoubtedly did, or [b] i managed to suckerpunch my immune system somehow, and thereby sabotaged my chances of squeaking out of it.

either that or the damn thing really does take two full weeks to develop. ridiculous.

the enforced houseboundness has gotten me to focus on home improvement, though, and i’m managing to finish projects, so it’s an ill wind, et c., et c.