Bluish Barn

I am too busy to write 2,000 words, so here are two pictures:

1. Last Saturday’s Squirm Orchestra Performance. (Don’t forget, Saturdays in August = movies!)

2. Cicada escaping its shell near the back porch. I don’t know if this is a magicada/17 year cicada, but according to this chart, it could be. They are noisy and everywhere. Really, any insect with a musical drum  called a “tymbal” in its abdomen is a friend of mine. (Also note, there seems to be a lot of general concern over cicada noise ruining one’s wedding day and quite a few online planners and calculators to prevent this fate. Recently engaged, take note.)

Our most recent wreath was made out of old 7″s by the illustrious Lish from Handmade Detroit.

Handmade Detroit is a “loose collective of people who like to make stuff” that organizes the Detroit Urban Craft Fair (which just opened submissions for the August show), Sunday Crafternoon in Ferndale, and the Handmade Detroit Holiday Market. They’re awesomely busy, and busily awesome.

But that didn’t prevent the storm last week from blowing Lish’s beautiful wreath off of the nail it was hanging on and smashing it to pieces on the concrete underneath. I should’ve fastened it better. I’m so sorry, Lish. You worked hard on it. Everyone really liked it for the few days that it was up, I swear.

And I know this isn’t the best time to ask, but if anyone else out there wants to make a wreath for our house, please write to timothy AT bluishbarn DOT COM or just drop it off anonymously on our front porch. I promise we’ll hang it with extra care.

Created for the Bluish Barn by our friendly neighbor “Girl Next Door”:

Those are real tater tots, shellacked to death and comingled with spent ketchup packets.

What will our next wreath look like?  The call for submissions is still ongoing.

We’ve been changing what hangs on the front of our house almost every month since we moved in. We’ve had a few actual wreaths, a worn-out old tire (pictured), a bundle of barbed-wire, and presently a coil of copper wire. Now I’m running out of junk and places to store it. So…

We’re asking all artists and non-artists to make or find a wreath for our house. The only requirements are that it be vaguely circular and no more than 30 inches in diameter.

We will hang your wreath on our front porch for one month, maybe more. The neighbors who walk their dogs and cyclists and ballers who meet at the park and people parking their cars to walk to Casey’s or the train station will all walk by and see your work. Plus, we’ll put a picture here on the blog, a short bio if you want, and a link to your site.

Email timothy AT bluishbarn DOT COM if interested.