When inspiration is sought

Wow, quite a hiatus from the blog. No other reason then pure laziness I suppose. Creative ruts always hit me in the winter and this year is no exception. I've been trying different things to get my creative juices a flowin. Early afternoon strolls are becoming a favorite of mine (even more so now that it's snowing as I type) I finally got around to snapping a few shots of these colorful houses that dot my neighborhood and always make me smile. Ang and I are always try and figure out if the owners are in some kind of not so secret alliance to spread cheer, and if so where can I sign up?
I've also been thinking of picking up Keri Smith's Wreck This Journal I love the idea of destroying something that usually becomes very valuable to most of us, the way journals tend to do. I don't know how many beautiful journals I have sitting on my shelf unfinished because I'm scared of "ruining" them. I've really been enjoying the WTJ Flickr Gallery as well. People are doing some amazing things with this book. Which of course fills me with (dis)illusions of grandeur, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Cheers,
-M.M.

P.S. Can you believe it's December already? Seriously?

The Hotline

So here's the newest design in The Shop, it's called The Hotline and it's pairs my love of over the heart graphics with old rotary phones. Which if I could find one in working order I would totally have and use and gladly forfeit the caller ID luxury.

I just pressed a few in the red and gray for now, but have pink and turquoise coming soon. I'm really loving this design and hope to have a few pillows with it added to my couch and to my shop very soon. I also wanted to show off my grandma's sewing scissors that I finally put in a shadow box.

Up until last week I was actually still (gasp) using them and I'll be the first to admit that I don't have the gentlest touch when it comes to scissors so they really are better off with their own little place to call home. Instead of being man handled by the likes of me.
-M.M.

Rainy day patch party

Okay, so I don't own a umbrella, but I make up for it by having not one but two pairs of rain boots. Which to Andy's horror I wear even when it's not snowing or raining, but I love my Chooka boots and they always cheer me up. Any wellies really, have been floating my boat and I find I'm slipping them on more and more lately. It's been such a rainy/windy/dreary week that I needed to have a bit of fun so I had a bit of a patch party and pressed a bunch of fun new and old favorites that will be along shortly for the X-mas season.
I really love the sew a go-go patches and their close cousin the gift tags that are perfect for adorning those handmade gifts with. So now that my studio's floor is littered with scraps of brightly covered felt and paper, and my hand is cramped from all that cutting I'm going to settle in for the night with a nice cuppa cocoa in the worlds best cocoa cup that I found at the thrift for .20 and watch White Heat because someone has me in a James Cagney kinda mood.


Cheers Sunday! Don't let that bastard Monday beat you down.

-M.M.

Crafty Love in Route

The last few days have been uber busy, and now that I have this lull I'm taking advantage of it by doing a few of the things I really wanted to do but somehow someway slipped by me (boy are there more then a few).

One of those was sending the sweetest girl I know on the west coast a belated birthday/care package. I have the tendency to horde things for people and then send or give said horded items over all at once, but I've never gotten a complaint about this tendency yet. I included some yerba mate, an issue of Bust, Ann Taintor tissues with our mantra on them, stationary from the letter writers alliance (as a hint that I'd like a letter every once in a while), a embroidery kit I put together and tucked inside a pouch I made special for her. Oh and the "gift" that's more for me, one my old digi cameras. I really miss seeing her and I'm hoping she'll be more apt to send more pics if she has her own camera. Oh and perhaps get another person addicted to my mild obbession that is flickr. Off to work on new patch packs for the holidays and other fun stuff!

Happy Tuesday all!

XOXO-
M.M.

Am I the last one to know?

So many times I feel like I'm the last to know about anything, but I especially feel that way about these two ditty's that were dropped in my lap recently. A dear friend of mine recently gave me a Tom Waits album to listen to, and although I had heard of him before I never gave him the chance he so well deserved.

I reluctantly put it on and was instantly induced into a creepy nursery rhymish trance. The mystery and theatric graveness of the album is superior to anything I own. Before I even knew it was originally written for Kathleen Brennan's opera Alice, I thought how it was perfectly suited to be an opera it would be. My favorite tracks are "Everything you can think of is true", the gruff voice paired with whimsical imagery is insanely awesome. I highly recommend this album, in case I'm not really the last one to know.

So the other thing I should have known about is "The Other Boleyn Girl" which I only rented for the magnificent costume eye candy, but got oh so much more from this baby. Even more then my beloved Lifetime movies have ever dared to give. The story follows Anne Boleyn's sister Mary who in order to advance her family's interest reluctantly abandons her husband to become the kings mistress and bears him 2 children. Anne driven to be queen, encourages the king to abandon Mary and his wife queen Catherine. Chaos then ensues. Seriously if your the other person who hasn't seen it yet, do it! If only for the costumes, swanky dialogue or scandal after scandal!

Happy Thursday,

XOXO-
M.M.

Nutty Granola Bread AKA The Easyiest Bread Ever

So it's no secret that I'm a baking fiend. But I really love baking bread, there's just something so gratifying about the whole process. The kneading, the rising, taking the loaf out of the oven, slathering it with really good butter and not to mention the amazing aroma that fills the house.

Sometimes when I'm feeling lazy, but must have homemade bread I use this recipe (which is happening more and more lately) not only is it a really yummy bread but it's so easy and since I've found the recipe I've had to make it at least once a week. I originally found it in one of my Nigella cookbooks but have tweaked it a bit to what i had on hand and I'm sure you all will do the same. Theres no kneading, no rising time and the oven does all the work. Well except of the eating of course. Hope you all enjoy it as much as we have.

Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups of flour
- 2 cups granola
- 1 pack of active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup water

Simply mix the dry ingredients together and add the milk and water. Stir until it looks like a thick porridge and pour into a greased loaf pan (don't be alarmed if it fills up more then half way).

-Put into a COLD oven and then set the oven to 225 for 45 mins.
-When those 45 mins are up, kick the heat up to 350 for 60 mins.

You'll know it's done when it's a beautiful golden brown.

That's it! Told ya it was easy. It's a dense bread that's a perfect side to your favorite comfort food or great all by it's self lightly toasted with butter and jam.

Enjoy!

XOXO-
M.M.

Don't you love it...

When something unexpected really brightens your day? Well, it really made my day to run across This blog which happens to belong to the lovely "Boo" who btw has the most rocking hair EVER! (seriously folks) And who recently made a wholesale order for some of my kitchen towels for her AMAZING shop The Revue Boutique & Gallery, which is located in West Chester PA (outside of Philadelphia) and features handmade jewelry, housewares, fine art and apparel.
Make sure you check it out if your in the area, the space looks fabulous and is filled with wonderful things. I was so happy to see this picture of my towels amoung all the awesome wares and how lovely everything looks. Great job Boo, and congrats on your beautiful store!

I guess I've been spoiled today because I also had a nice surprise this morning as I got out of my car to skeedaddle my arse across the parking lot to work, (I was skeedaddling because it was raining pretty hard and of course I don't even own an umbrella), I noticed this perfect stranger getting out of the car next to me who so kindly offered to share his umbrella with me on the walk in. It might not mean much to some, but that's the first time that's ever happened to me and it really made my day much brighter on such a dreary day.

Mad about my Yerba Mate

Mad I tell ya! Most people that know me know that coffee is my poison of choice, but Yerba Mate comes in at a realllly close second. I found this yummy stuff when the wonderful Tea Noir included a sample of her magnificent Mocha Mate in one of my orders and I've been smitten ever since. While I still love her Mates (pronounced Mot-tay) I've been dabbling with a few other brews like that are sooo good including my new favorite Cocoa Mint Mate which is what's brewing in my french press above. For those not in the know Mate is a South American herb that's a great alternative to teas and is most popular in Argentina, while my preferred method to brew it is my french press (surprise surprise) the traditional way to drink it is in a small hollowed out gourd with a long filter straw made of metal called a bombilla.

It is available in tea bags my favorite is Pixie Mate if your on the go and can't be bothered with brewing it the traditional way, I must say that it is soooo much better the traditional way though. One thing I love about this stuff is it really packs a punch that lasts without the jitters that it's cohort coffee tends to hash out. I could seriously drink this stuff all day long and the best part? There's no headaches or addiction when you don't drink it, unlike my beloved coffee. So if your looking for an alternative to coffee or green tea, or just wanna try something new I urge you to give it a go. It's known for it's euphoric effects and I can honestly say it makes you feel pretty darn good. Go ahead and try and frown when you have a nice steamy cup this stuff....go ahead I dare ya.

Indie 5 Collective Feature!

The uber cute and insanely awesome Julia from Indie 5 Collective a awesome site on utube that features Etsy artists (Check them out like NOW!) Has featured my Mix tape kitchen towel and I couldn't be happier to see how excited she was about my products. Be for warned Indie5 Collective is a bit addictive and a great way to see some of the products and sellers you might be a wee bit curious about. You can see my feature HERE!
Thanks Julia!!

Happy Wednesday all!!

XOXO-
M.M.

Time in the Kitchen

Awww, the days are getting cooler and the nights a wee bit longer. It's getting to be that time of year already. Soon the trees will be bare and it'll be time to pull out those boots, scarves and hats. I can just hear some of you saying "Whoa Moxie, not yet! Say it ain't so". As much as I love summer, I'm almost welcoming these cool evenings and the promise of pumpkin spice everything that's soon to be in the air. I'm a baking fiend and summer means I find myself cooling my jets on the yummy breads and sweet treats that are seemingly ever present in my oven. I've been eyeing this book La Brea Bakery all summer long and think I'll finally pick it up knowing that it won't be just sitting on my kitchen shelf mocking me.


In honor of my beloved baking season kickoff I'm running a sale on ALL Kitchen Towels! for $7.50 each or $15 for a set. This sale is going on until the end of the week. Happy baking all!

-M.M.

I wanna play...

The piano that is. Well actually this vintage 1967 Vox Jaguar organ that I can't seem to get out of my head. I'm a pretty fierce typist and for some reason in my demented little head I think that makes me a keen student for playing the piano. I can remember sitting at the old upright my mom had in the study playing (badly) the only two songs I knew (and still do) Lean on me and Hot cross buns (thanks to my 1st grade music teacher Mr. Cummings). Encouraged only by my mom's random comments of how perfect my slender fingers were for playing the piano, I had disillusions of grandeur and was always quickly frustrated when I couldn't play Bach's Minuet in G Major by the second day. Now a day's I apt for being appreciative of anyone who could play, seemly livening up a room by inducing random sing a-longs or just adding a bit of ambiance in the background by filling the house with the rich sounds of the keys. I think of it more and more lately, perhaps it has something to do with all the Dresden Dolls I've been listening to lately. Which is strange considering I play the drums, you'd think I'd be listening to Brian's machine gun stylings; but I've seemed to hone onto the wiles of Amanda's powerful key work and wondering just how she does it. Even though I know it impossible to be able to play on that level I still dream of being that girl who can sit down at a piano and pound out a song, any song all the way through perfectly and confidently, and one day I will. For now I guess the only keyboard I'll be tickling is on my laptop, and I'm okay with that. For now.

Wishing you all much love and music filled evenings from the land of madness.

XOXO-
M.M.

2 for 20 Sale and finished business...

Just a quick post to let you all in on the onesie sale I'm having in ye old shop. Selected onesies are 2 for $20 for the next week or so. There are limited quanities so if there's a design you've been eyeing for your little one now's the perfect time to knab it.



Also it occured to me that I never showed off my finished ray gun tattoo (that has been done for quite a while now) I really love how it turned out, it's by far one of my favorites. I can't decide if it's the colors or just Parkers awesome handi work. Well that's it for now, I'm preparing for the Christmas season which is why I've been so scarce here. But vow by the powers of gray skull to update my beloved blog more and more often.

Found

I got my Maneki Neko today!
Originally uploaded by Moxie Madness

Just a little post in between pressing new goodies to show off the newest inhabiantant in the land of madness. I've always loved these ceramic sculptures, what with the bright colors and the cuteness factor being off the freakin scales, and I FINALLY found one. Maneki Neko (beckoning cat in Japanese) are usually kept by business owners who are known to keep them by the entrance and are belived to bring good luck. All I really know for sure is I can't stop staring at the little cutie resting on my shelf and if it brings good luck well all the better.

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo,
M.M.

I like....

I've been scare here lately, due to an insane amount of custom orders (which I'm super thankful for, but are leaving me a bit more frazzled then usual), but here are a few things I've been really enjoying or hope to enjoy soon.
(A.) Camera ring from Fred Flare (B.) We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (I just finished it and loved, loved, LOVED it) a wonderful dystopia that's based in the future where the soul is considered to be a disease. People aren't people but merely numbers, where "every one" and "I" are a single "We". I highly suggest it over and over again. (C) Kimya Dawson's Remember I Love You LP, Kimya has that rare ability to deliver the most lovely, abrasive, warm and fuzzy, cleverly tragic lyrics I've ever heard. I can go from wanting to cry to laughing out load within the same song. Seriously a treat that I must have once a day. (D) Sherbert Colorblock headphones, I love these headphones, so fun and vibrant they just seem to call out to me. Hope you all had a really lovely weekend,
XOXO-
M.M.

Mixing it up

After the long weekend things are just getting back to whatever's considered normal here in the land of madness. I didn't manage to ignore things completely this weekend as I had hoped, but some great things were made. I finally got around to making a few of these wall plaques that I've had in my head for quite sometime. This one is for us, but I plan on added some to the shop in the next week or so.

I also made my way to a fabulous flea market that was going on for the holiday and I scored some wonderful finds including this old hand mixer. Which reminds me of a miniature version I had as a kid that I would play with whenever I went to my grandmas. I'm planning on hanging putting it in a shadow box and hanging it in the kitchen. More on the other fab finds later, happy Tuesday all!

xoxo-
M.M.

Wrapping things up

Just a quick post to show off my little little ditty that Parker (my totally awesome friend/tattoo artist/pt designer for MM) did for me last week. For those not in the know, I'm a bit of a ray gun freak and have been wanting one tattooed on my massive bicip. :) It's not quite done yet and needs to have color added in the next few weeks, I'll be sure to post pics when it's fin. So I'm finishing up a few custom orders and trying despartely to get all my packaging and shipping done today so I can actually enjoy the long weekend. We have a huge bag of stuff that goes boom and I feel like a big kid. Have a safe but exciting 4th of July or weekend if your not in the states.

Love,

M.M

I Like You Too...

I love me some Amy Sedaris and her new book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence just reafirms why this lady can make me laugh out loud just thinking about some of the things in this book. Filled with her wicked humor, mild drug references, zany hostess tips and some really tasty recipes. It's like a strange scrapbook from an eccentric aunt. Serioulsy a fun read!
Things I particually loved...

♥ The recipes are printed on rick rack trimmed recipe cards that are smuged and stained.
♥ Adult Proof Your House
Assume guests will snoop. Plan ahead and fill your medicine cabinet with marbles.

Speaking of fun stuff I love...

We've been on the lookout for a record player for our living room for quite sometime now. But finding that perfect mix of a stand/console has been proving to be an issue...until now that is! I found this Governor Entertainment Center from Crosley that is just what we had in mind and such a perfect touch for the room.
Happy Tuesday all! (although I keep thinking it's Wedsday) and a happy birthday Nathan and Leon. :)

Much love,
-M.M.

Gotta Have

So how badly do I want this White Stripes special edition lomo camera? Maybe a litte two badly, if you ask Andy.
I'm mildly obbessed with photography and vintage cameras and I've been putting off getting a lomo for quite sometime. Since Lomo has quite the reputation of releasing cool ass cameras that go straight to the top of my lenghty "got to have" list, I usually wait it out to see if I really gotta have it. If I didn't I would have a shelf of them already, straight up.

So I'm thinking it's a good thing I held out. I haven't been able to get this beauty out of my head since I first saw it a few months ago. I just keep picturing that peppermint that's printed on the advance dial. Not only is this a pairing of two of my favorite things (cameras and the white stripes) but this model called the Meg Diana offers a removable pinhole lens, a panorama feature and a peppermint film mask filter. Oh the possibilities!





Aside from scouting out the goods on my gotta have list, I've been pressing a magnitude of the mix tape patches. I've been out of them for ages and missed them a bit. So in case any of you missed them too there are a few new sets coming to my shop, including large mix tape and brassies back patches. Hope everyone's monday is off to a good start. I'm off brainstorm with Andy about turtle terttierium ideas.

Laters gators,

-M.M.

Dear Sunday,

How I love you and hate to see you go so soon.

Thanks for giving me the time I need that the rest of the week just won't allow. You allow me to tumble out of bed at my leisure and I never feel guilty for however much coffee I may consume or how long it takes me to read the paper. Sunday, your the best time ever to go to the record shop and peruse endlessly and Andy and I are never disappointed when we leave the thrift empty handed. Unlike your dreaded counterpart Monday, you fill me with illusions of grandeur for all the things I might get done. Like getting a half assed start in on hanging the oodles of artwork I have horded away.

Or day dreaming about these amazing tea sets from Misiak (I really love the aqua one) who makes old teapots new again, and you can see these amazing dittys have a very colorful past. I would defiantly have more Sunday tea parties with these. Well, my sweet. It's almost time to bid you ado, Andy are preparing to watch movies, order take out and be as consistently lazy as we've been all day. Until we meet again, dear Sunday. See ya in six days.

Lovingly yours,

-M.M.

The good ones

Are oh so hard to find. This is proving true with my quest to revamp my living and working spaces. Now that I'm spending more time at home, I'm noticing that what was working for me just a few years ago isn't really sealing the deal anymore. Of course finding insanely awesome artwork via Etsy was simple.
Sour Octopus offers one of my favorites, I LOVE One-eyed Marge!

Sour Octopus offers one of my favorites, I LOVE One-eyed Marge!

I also really love this Pee Wee Herman Print by almost famous.
I could seriously go on all day with the rad ass prints in my favorites, but another day perhaps.
So as you can see I have the artwork covered, I even managed to secure a spectacular modern red sofa that I really had to pinch myself over. There are even hopeful prospects of a lovely vintage steel desk that is in amazing condition will likely be in my grasps. But the most eluding part has to be chairs, now maybe I'm a tad picky but I know what I want and the chair gods are not smiling upon me. If anyone can point me in the direction of a green leather retro looking office chair with a swivel, sort of like the one in the overstock.com commerical (but of course they don't seem to have any remotely resembling it) I've also got my eyes open for a gray/light blue techno chair. Or if you know of any nice modish sites for furniture give me a holla.

So until the next time, I'm looking in a new direction, and hoping that the good ones are not far away.

Je' t'adore

Amelie inspired SPT/new hair debut
Originally uploaded by Moxie Madness

Just a quick post to show off my new hair and to say how much I adore you all, cause I do. There's some changes going on in the land of madness, good changes of course. So get ready for some moving and some shaking!

Hang your thoughts on the wall

Happy Wednesday all! I hope your all being more productive then me.
I did manage to make a few of these little wall hangings and will be listing them throughout week in the shop. I've thought about doing these for some time and after a customer mentioned she'd like one for her craft room, I thought why not? I really love how they turned out and will be making more in other designs for sure. Well I'm off to try and get some work done.

Cheers!
-MM

Robots, Caramels and Brain Bowls

Not only am I the proud recipent of this little vintage style wind up robot, which entertains me to no end, I also scored the ever oh so hard to score brain bowl from foldedpigs.etsy.com and let me tell you everything tastes better and well a heck of a lot more fun to eat out of this baby! I adore it and only wish I had more of them. Tucked inside (for now) are pretty much the yummiest handmade caramels I've ever had you can find them at simplyseasonal.etsy.com. Seriously folks they arrived so fresh you would have thought she made them in my mail box. Okay, I've got work to do. Get ready for a wave of new totes and messenger bags!

- M.M.

Cute and little

Are two words that will automatically kill any sort of "compliment" that someone makes about your business. I'm not denying my goods are cute, and I'm certainly not the star bucks of screen printing (and never would want to be). My life is full of well wishers who are curious about what I do even if they don't "get it" themselves. I've always had a hard time describing what it is that I do, it's often rambled and met with blank stares. It's really hard for people to belive that people are willing to fork over their hard earned money for my "cute little" goods. They think it's crazy that I'm earning a living that doesn't involve a gray cubiclue and a paycheck from the man every two weeks. Heck it was hard for me to belive it when I first started, but I know better now and work hard at making this my full time gig. I remember the first time I handed out a business card to a co-worker and they thought it was so cute that I had business cards. Hello!?! I run a business, sometimes I think they're expecting a piece of construction paper with glitter and my name spelled out crookedly in crayon. Now that would be "cute".

Goings Ons

Lots going on lately, which is why I've been so light with the old posts lately. Today has been a lazy day and I haven't had one in a while. I worked on my newest creation this afternoon before stopping for a tea break, and a wee blog post. Speaking of tea I've taken a break from coffee shortly after getting and falling in love with my french press. I still use it to brew my loose leaf teas (today it's red hot from teanoir's etsy shop, it's so good!) I adore my french press so and know that I'm not alone. Yet there really isn't enough kitchen wares that really proves that affection for thy beloved press. So....I came up with these little numbers to adorn the kitchens of french press fiends everywhere!
There's also the tree top tunics that are now available in my shop! They are inspired by my early morning outings. I love how the tree tops look against sky and have been wanting to try this idea out for quite some time.

I've also been perusing the awesome wall graphics at etsy shop Michelle Christina
She carries some of the most detailed unique wall graphics including this ditty that is calling out to be put in my kitchen but in red and white of course.

And really how sweet are these sweetheart graphics?

Off to finish up a wallet pattern I'm working on. More on that laters.

-MM

Forest Green Tunics and Shutter Bugs for the Babes

Just a quick post as I just updated ye old shop with a few new goods. Including this cute little onesie with a big ole camera.


The golden poppy tunics are also avaliable in a new color...Forest Green and I think it's smashing!


Now I'm off to bake snickerdoodles and I might just share! Happy afternoon all!
-MM

Taking the Time

Sorry for the lack of post lately. One of my new years goals was to get organized and that's taken a little more of my time and energy then I really expected.



I've also been trying to make more time for things I love to do but just haven't had time for, like baking, writing and collage. I was recently at the book store where I spotted a book of Thomas Allens pulp fiction art. His technique involves cutting characters part way from their covers so it looks as if they're coming out of the books and then photographing them for a 3-D effect. I really love how you feel as if your looking into the picture, and how some of the characters are "interacting" with one another. I stood there for ages just looking at that book amazed and awe-inspired and decided I'd try my own take at this but with TTV photography. I shall post the results soon so stay tuned.

Latest Obsession-Same Old Hijicks-Brand New Year!

Happy New Year all!!! I'm so glad to do away with 2007, great as it was for me, I'm all about the new, new, new!!! Speaking of new... TTV (Through The Viewfinder) photography is my latest greatest obsession for the new year. I'm still a total "newbie" but I love some of the shots I've taken so far.

If anything I enjoy the results a dash more due to the extra work involved. For those as clueless as I was until a few short months ago, TTV involves shooting with camera through the view finder of another camera (preferably a vintage camera) for a dramatically romantic effect, depending on the lenses the results are endless, and I am in love. Check out the flickr TtV group for amazing photos and a MUCH better description: http://www.flickr.com/groups/throughtheviewfinder/pool/