work for idle hands

so! ummm, yeah....

2006-09-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

long time no blog! you know, i'm not even sure why i'm writing this. i guess because just letting the blog slip away without saying goodbye is too "unfinished business" for me. nobody likes unfinished business. so yes, that's right, i'm ready to call it quits here in blogland. life is just too busy for me to play around here anymore, and that suits me just fine. the bummer is that i barely have time to check out all your wonderful blogs anymore, either! i promise to still check in and comment when i get the chance, though. i really do like you all. very much, actually, which is probably the main reason i've stuck around this blog-thing for so long. i still may get it together enough to start a craft blog someday soon, but i'm making no promises. holy hell, this is rambly. sorry. i'm actually pretty sick -- sinus infection-type thing -- and feeling miserable. ugh. but at least i get to sit down long enough to write this final post.

so thanks for being my blog friends, peeps. hey, i still want to get a blogger's retreat going with some of you ladiez -- maybe next year? i guess i'm technically not a blogger anymore, but we'll bend the rules for me. heh. it'll be like blogher, but only with people you actually like and want to hang out with. no classes or panel discussions, just fun and booze and no anxiety! yeah, that would be rad. doesn't that sound rad? let's start talking about it for real! who's in?

that's all i got, folks. thanks for checking in on me and what i'm doing. i'll be around if you want to email me.

xo debbie

orgasmic

2006-08-25T08:48:00.000-05:00

orgasmic
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

so when jack is eating something good (ie: candy, cookies, anything with massive amounts of sugar) he makes this face. this picture doesn't even capture the rapture (hey! band name! heh.) he's feeling. to be honest, it creeps me out. oh, and makes me laugh, of course.

the fine art of procrastination

2006-08-24T07:23:00.000-05:00

i'm quite skilled in this area, though lately my procrastinatin' ways are bordering on avoidance. i have convinced myself that when jack starts school next week (HALLELUJAH!) that i will get back on track. on the agenda:

paint bathroom and buy a new bloody sink (well, not really bloody...)
buy a new damned washing machine -- current one has decided it will only wash with cold water
finish wholesale order -- almost done, but not quite.... i have learned that agreeing to stitch a complicated design on black shirts is A MISTAKE.... it's way too hard to draw/transfer the design
get started on crafty bastards stock
organize damned office/craft room so i can do work without feeling CRAZY
make a doctor's appointment to figure out what the hell is wrong with me -- so i've been waking up in the middle of the night with ferocious hunger pains. like, gut-wrenching pains. i googled and, considering symptoms like low energy and depression and others that ring a bell, concluded that i may have hypothyroidism. while it's nice to put a name on it, i'm totally freaking out about the possibility that it could really be low thryoid. since i got back from austin i have steadily gained about 5 pounds, which is just enough to make my clothes uncomfortably snug and my gut irritatingly bulge-y. and even though i have been waking up 1-3 times a night with these insane hunger pains, i refuse to eat anything because i don't want to gain any more weight! it seems that a lot of folks with low thyroid tend to put on weight and are unsuccessful with losing it because, in addition to being hungry ALL THE FUCKING TIME, their metabolism slows down. WHAT KIND OF FUCKED UP CONDITION IS THIS?? sigh. so yeah, it might not even be low thryoid, which apparently goes undiagnosed A LOT anyway, but i'm at a loss to figure out what else it could be.

rough cut

2006-08-22T17:40:00.000-05:00

here's a prelim cut of the X dance party video on the pancake mountain site. you can see an awesome close-up of that little rocker natey! so awesome.

if you weren't sure of how much a nerd i am: the whole time we were next to exene and john doe, all i could think was, " dude! she did it with aragorn!" and "dude! he was in road house, one of the best movies EVAR!"

sweet, sweet shellfish

2006-08-17T12:50:00.000-05:00

how i've missed you so!

jack is allergic to shellfish, among other things, so we do our best to stay far away from the tasty critters on our dining out excursions. it's really not so hard for us, but i do have to remind the grandparents to skip their weekly red lobster fest when he's visiting, which he happens to be doing right now. he's with grammy and grampy for a couple of days, and it is doing wonders for my sanity. repeat after me: 10 more days until school starts! YAY!!!

last night we threw caution to the wind -- we don't know if natey's allergic to shellfish or not -- and went to legal seafoods. natey munched away on corn on the cob (his new favorite), cole slaw and rice, while dave and i indulged in oyster po'boys and lobster rolls. oh my god, it was good. really, really good. SIGH.

i know it's silly, but i feel like we're cheating on jack.

dude, we're right next to john doe!

2006-08-15T19:53:00.000-05:00

dude, we're right next to john doe!
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

okay, so this photo is not so great, but still! we're standing next to punk rock icons john doe and exene cervenka! awesome.

we got to bust a move with the legendary band X for a pancake mountain dance party at the 9:30 club today. it got off to a rough start, as we were waiting outside the club for over an hour in the oppressive august heat, but it ended so well, i'm not even going to bitch about that. jack and nate danced their asses off! it was hilarious, and all the girls were in love with them. heh. unfortunately, it was hard to capture the brilliance of their dancing in pictures, but i'll be sure to pimp the pancake mountain dvd when it comes out. the lee boys are sure to be in it, showing off their mad dancing skillz. well worth 15 bucks, i'd say! heyyy, i think i've found the perfect holiday present for friends and family! heh.

damn you, internet!

2006-08-13T20:41:00.000-05:00

you and your infinitely vast pool of resources! you and all your damned information! oh, and i might as well throw google up in there, too. damn you, too, google!

sooooo, i think i have hypothyroidism. 'twould explain a lot. now i have to go to a doctor to find out for sure.

crap.

family portrait

2006-08-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

Lee family
Originally uploaded by editrix.

taken by my awesome friend amy, who is in town with the equally awesome doug. we brunched with them today, and it was great to see how they're doing. i wish they would come to DC more often, but i do think i might take them up on their offer to visit them up in somerville, massachusetts. i've never done the whole boston thing.

big thanks to amy for taking one of the best pictures i've seen of the whole clan! we all look happy, which is the best you can hope for with these hooligans. i mean, all of us looking at the camera at the same time is asking WAY too much. seriously.

I'm back, y'all!

2006-07-31T09:34:00.000-05:00

Back from Austin, Texas and happy to see my crazy boys. Not so happy that it's fucking HOTTER THAN HELL here, but after sweating my butt off in Austin, I'm not even going to complain. There is just no comparing DC heat to Texas heat.

The Austin RnR was totally awesome and very successful, and I got to hang out with all kinds of cool internet kids like Aaron, Shannon and her husband Ant, Siobahn and, of course, Paige. It was sweet. Everyone was so cool and nice and not all creepy, which restores my faith in this whole blogging thing, you know? I mean, I know bloggers who really are nothing like I'd imagine they'd be in person, but the folks I met this weekend were as fun and funny as I thought they'd be. Nice.

I really suck at the blow-by-blow recap of events, so let's just say that there were avocado margaritas, fish tacos (the kind made with fish, pervs!), multiple stubb's barbecue trips, a morning news show interview, it's always sunny in philadelphia (you really must watch this show), lots of beer and laughing and picture taking. I spent most of the time with Paige, and I think it's safe to say that we are totally BFF now. LYLAS! 2 good+2 be=4 gotten! Heh. But everyone was seriously awesome. Y'all are welcome to crash at my house if you're ever in DC!

Oh and "y'all" is officially my favorite word now.

another list!

2006-07-23T15:33:00.000-05:00

i got into crafty bastards. woohoo! i wonder why i'm not obsessing over it yet. hrm. must be because i'm...
leaving for austin in 2 days! yeehaw! i am very excited, if you couldn't tell. it is going to be awesome. i have yet to get anything ready or think about what i'm packing, though. par for the course, people.
we had RnR yesterday, despite the stupid rain showers, because the supernice folks at austin grill let us use their stage! yes, i am a networking genius. heh. it was fantastic. the margaritas were cold and strong, the music was great, and there was AIR CONDITIONING. sweet.
i got to meet xiobhan and her cutie-pie boy beck at the RnR. i just love meeting people i know from online and finding out that they're not freaks. what? you know it happens!

so yeah. pretty good weekend, i'd say. i'm gonna be hella busy this week, so i probably won't be ablogging so much. later skaters!

can i get away with a list?

2006-07-18T21:51:00.000-05:00

things and stuff:

jack is at camp grammy's (my mom's house) for the week. since yesterday. am i totally horrible for not missing him yet?
RnR is saturday. the weather was looking decent, but now thunderstorms appear to be rolling in. if we have to cancel AGAIN i will be PISSED. ugh.
i have 2 dozen shirts to stitch up for that wholesale order and i have yet to start one. why oh why must i be a world-class procrastinator??
i leave for austin to visit paige in 8 days. yeehaw! i am more excited about RnR in austin than i am about the one in my own damn yard! plus, i'm scared i won't want to come back to DC! seriously.
i find out this week if i got into crafty bastards. hrm. i'm actually not obsessing about it, which is odd for me. i truly think if i don't get in, i will be okay with it.
OH MY GOD, I'M BORING MYSELF TO DEATH. sorry. i just feel like i'm ignoring the three people who bother to check this if i don't post! heh.
leslie, if you're reading this, you'll like this: i told natey we were going to see baby maddox, and he said, "see beebee maggots?" i swear. it was pretty damn funny, even after the tenth time we asked him to say it.

thanks for stopping by, folks! good night!

wow.

2006-07-11T07:18:00.000-05:00

really, wow. that benjy ferree is supernice and incredibly talented. seriously. he is so nice that he gave me his EP last night, but i wish i had bought it, that's how much he deserves to get paid for making music. oh well, i'll make up for it when his full-length comes out. so, if you're in town august 19, you'd better get your ass to RnR to see benjy play, as well as the cute, rockin' boys in greenland and the lovely laura burhenn. it promises to be a rad show. if the music world is just (ha), this kid is definitely going places.

can i freak out now?

2006-07-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

RnR has always been about relatively unknown indie local music 'cause, well, the big guys ( i'm looking at you, ian...) usually have conflicts and booking agents and other hurdles to jump and i'm just not about all that. one of the things i love about the DC scene is that it is small and really welcoming, and the bands that i don't personally know genuinely love it when i ask them to play. yes, even the big guys think it's cool, but it never seems to work out. i'm okay with that. anyway, it is kinda laughable to imagine some of the larger-than-life punk icons playing in my dinky backyard. that doesn't mean i won't ask, though! heh. so the bands that play RnR still have day jobs, but their love of playing music is obvious, and i'm sure they'd all quit in a second if approached by a label to make a record and tour the country. or another country. or the world! anyway, the closest i've gotten to booking a "major act" was the carlsonics, who had been signed by some label.... sorry, i don't remember which. they were a bunch of sweet kids playing raucous garage-y rock, who made a record, toured around, played SXSW, then decided to form a new band called nethers, which sounds nothing like the original band. i love their new stuff and would have them play in a heartbeat, but i fear they've gotten too busy (big) for RnR. we've been in touch, but it never seems to work out....

today i received an email from someone who has been a fantastic supporter of RnR, who also happens to be very well-connected in the DC scene, to tell me that he has found someone to fill out the august bill--someone up-and-coming and very cool and who would love to play RnR. someone who just got freakin' signed to DOMINO RECORDS, the home of arctic monkeys, franz ferdinand, stephen malkmus... the list goes on! so this incredibly talented local fellow's name is benjy ferree. remember it. check out a song here. nice, yeah? i think so, too. if you're in town, someday you'll be able to say you saw him play in a sweaty backyard for a bunch of kids! heh. i'm freaking out a little, but i do hope this works out.

now playing

2006-07-05T11:41:00.000-05:00

franz ferdinand - what you waiting for (gwen stefani cover)

brilliant. yes, i have the gwen stefani record. shut up.

TAKE A CHANCE YOU STUPID HO! my new mantra. heh.

oh, for fuck's sake!

2006-07-05T09:40:00.000-05:00

i am looking for a new towel bar and accessories, as we are about to start renovating our bathroom. our shitty, little, desperately-in-need-of-a-makeover bathroom, with it's hideous once-white-but-now-dingy-gray floor tile that never EVER looks clean. WOOHOO! i am quite excited. we've got a paint color and new bath and tile and such all ready to go, we just need to look at the little things like toothbrush holders and shower curtains and towels and towel bars now. these are the things i LOVE, people. little details mean a lot in my book, and seeing as how we are certain to never remodel or redecorate this bathroom again, i think it's worth it to take care in choosing all the parts.

so how many of you knew all the choices there are in the towel bar department? well, i'll tell you, it's A LOT. and, as per usual, i am attracted to the expensive ones. the ones with german names, for some odd reason, like kohler, rohl and hansgrohe. the ones that are the most spare, clean and minimally designed. THE ONES THAT COST WAY MORE THAN A FUCKING TOWEL BAR SHOULD. why is that?? seriously, am i wrong here? heh, i'm sure all the bath accessory aficionados out there would be like, " $100 for a towel bar? perfectly reasonable!" hrm. we shall see how this goes. the one thing i know is that i am a sucker for quality, and if it's not totally insane, am usually willing to pay the price for good stuff. and as *ahem* frugal as the husband may be, he usually feels the same way when it comes to purchases that can be seen as long-term investments. trust me, i'm definitely going to shop around, but i can see it now, i'm in bed bath and beyond or some other huge box store, checking out towel bars and thinking, "wow. this is one shitty, cheap looking towel bar for 30 bucks!" heh. i'll keep you posted. ooh, maybe i should post before and after pictures. that will give me something to blog about!

it's my worst nightmare come true.

2006-07-04T17:32:00.000-05:00

yikes! so i have been negotiating with a children's boutique in michigan (i have no idea how they found me) about wholesaling some 60 bugs long sleeve tees for fall. this is my worst nightmare because i am completely inept when it comes to business dealings. seriously, i am totally naive and trusting of people and their intentions, and am probably the world's worst negotiator. i do/make things because i enjoy them. money is a nice by-product of any endeavor i take on, but i think i'm just one of those spaced out "artsy" types who has no clue how to succeed in the business world. like, if i had to do 60 bugs full-time to feed and clothe myself? holy shit, i can't even imagine! i don't want to imagine! i'd be beyond destitute. *shudder* but back to my nightmare...

i did a little research on wholesaling and the like, and i emailed the owner of the boutique a figure per piece, wholly expecting a "thanks, but no thanks" reply, but she was totally cool with it. she's picked some designs, and now i'm just waiting to find out how many and what sizes. as you can imagine, it's only taken my OCD a few minutes to kick in and repeatedly calculate the possible number of shirts multiplied by the wholesale price, as well as think about how the fuck i will pull it off if she wants a lot of them because i only have so many hours a week i get to work uninterrupted and she wants them before fall so we're talking august at the latest and what if she sees them in person and hates them and maybe i need some kind of contractual agreement before we go any further and UGH. there's more, but even i'm getting bored typing out my inner monologue. heh.

i'm excited that people like 60 bugs, and this is actually not the first wholesale inquiry i've had, just the first to (almost) come to fruition. it's just i can't ignore this stupid fear of the unknown. i have no head for business, and i have a particularly bad habit of selling myself short. it will all be fine, though, right? don't mind me, i'm just thinking out loud. SIGH.

chalkboard tee prototype

2006-07-03T14:44:00.000-05:00

chalkboard tee prototype
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

i am a friggin' genius! okay. maybe i shouldn't go that far, but this is one of my favorite brilliant ideas lately. you got your little baby tee, you got your velcro "chalkboard," and you got a bunch of letters to write up anything you want! you know, some people have a problem with parents using their kids as billboards, but i am not one of them. heh. i would refrain from vulgar language, but pretty much any other word is fair game, i think.

oh, and if you have seen this idea somewhere else, i do NOT want to know. seriously!

want to read an interview i did?

2006-07-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

sure you do! i must warn you, though, that most of my responses were written by me, so i sound somewhat articulate, but there are a few that came out of a conversation i had with the writer, and those sound like i'm a bumbling idiot. heh. thankfully, those responses are in the minority. so yeah, check it out at the DCist.

oh, and while i'm stopping by (bad blogger!) i should mention that the RnR Showcase we did the other night that is mentioned in the interview (the sweet flyer that accompanies the piece was designed by the one and only paige maguire) was a rousing success. i think i'm going to be helping them book more shows, so i'm psyched! not to blow my own horn (heh, right), but quite a few folks have told me that i should be a show promoter. sounds nice for the future, but i just can't fathom doing more than booking RnR and shows at the neighborhood bar right now. we'll see....

twinkle twinkle smack my booty

2006-06-27T19:29:00.000-05:00

sung to the tune of "twinkle twinkle little star," obviously. yes, my speech delayed 2 year old has come far under the tutelage of his rump-obsessed 5 year old brother. at this point i'm just happy that he's saying anything, so i guess i can put up with inane butt references for a little while longer. did you know that you can find a way to stick "booty" in pretty much any sentence, phrase, lyric? ummm yeah. i'm curious to see where this obsession is going. heh.

i know you want to know the rest of the song, but it's really nothing more than two lines. sing it with me now!

twinkle twinkle smack my booty
smack smack smack smack smack smack smack [while bending over and smacking your booty]

you think i could make this shit up??

how do you do it???

2006-06-22T12:13:00.000-05:00

no, really, how do you bloggers do it?? i swear i have to be the worst fucking blogger EVER. i mean, you guys are so great with the daily posts and flickr uploads and commenting and good content! i, on the other hand, am so backed up with stuff i should write about and birthday photos i should post and blogs i should check and RnR shit to get ready and 60 bugs stuff i want to do and....GAH. my ADD...okay, you know what? i think it's time i admit this is full-fledged ADHD. it has gotten so bad that my mind is racing with all the things i need/want to do, but i can't sit still long enough to do them. when i do stop to do something, it lasts about 2 seconds because i get distracted thinking about the other stuff i should be doing. add to that the two hooligans running circles around me and fighting and, well, basically i am in hell. i think that after RnR (this sunday), things should get better, but i don't know. SIGH. sorry for the bitchfest. i'm a little under the weather, too, so that isn't helping....but as i was saying, my ADD/ADHD is starting to feel crippling. perhaps it's time for some drugs. hrm.

oh, and if you're reading this drivel, thanks for checking in even though my blog sucks ass! seriously, shouldn't you be reading dooce??

NO.SLEEP.TILL BROOKLYN!

2006-06-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

whee! i am very excited for this coming weekend, because not only is it father's day and dave's fourth 35th birthday celebration, but i've talked my awesome pals SupaMB and Mamac-ta into roadtripping with me to the totally amazing Renegade Craft Fair! dudes, this is going to be SO great. there will be a ton of cool, innovative and talented crafters and artists in one big open space! i'm actually freaking out a little, because i'm going to get to meet jenny hart (of sublime stitching fame), who was my inspiration for picking up embroidery again! i'll be a blubbering fangirl! heh. you know, i've never been to brooklyn. can't wait.

so yeah, i need this little getaway after last week. i can't even really write about last week, it was so mentally and physically exhausting... long story short, dave was out-of-town for 5-and-a-half days. i was alone with the boys. i was PMSing. HARD. it was pretty grueling, but i am proud to say that we made it with minimal bumps and bruises, physical or otherwise. i think that's all i could have asked for, really.

so brooklyn here we come! WHEE! i'm sure i'll have goofy photos eventually. any of you gonna be in brooklyn this weekend?

skateboard karate

2006-06-12T11:19:00.000-05:00

skateboard karate
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

so i've been obsessed with making stencils to paint on shirts -- i suck at detailed stencils, so stick with obvious silhouetted images i can make from photos. anyway, i made these stencils of two of my favorite things: skateboarder and karate dude! these shirts are embroidered, which looks pretty cool, but i can't wait to paint some up in groovy colors.

is it just me, or does my generation have a bizarre fascination with skateboards? seriously, i'm still attracted to that "skater look" i found so irresistible 20 years ago. hrm. oh, and karate dudes will never not be cool in my book.

2 legit 2 quit!

2006-06-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

and shit! god, i'm immature. heh. so the awesome Go City Kids site has added Rock-n-Romp to their Entertainment section as a venue! pretty sweet! if your city has a GCK site you should totally sign up for the email list. you get weekly emails detailing all the kid-oriented happenings around town, which can really save a dull-looking weekend. no, i am not getting paid to promote them. heh. i really like how comprehensive their listings are, plus i'm just happy that i have found another way to promote RnR without actually having to do anything!

in my perfect world

2006-06-03T20:15:00.000-05:00

chubby, sausage-like upper arms would be HOT. especially on display when one's wearing a tank top or other sleeveless garment when it's sticky outside. and a little poochy mommy gut wouldn't detract from the way low rise bottoms look. oh no, not at all. in fact, a little foldover action when you're sitting would be quite attractive. oh, and that totally natural, make-up free look would be incredibly alluring. if you've got a few glaring zits and stray eyebrow hairs, even better! the zits and stray hairs wouldn't necessarily be attractive, but they wouldn't detract from your carefree look, either. they would be like freckles or a mole or something. natural things that you find occasionally on people's faces. nothing to be ashamed of or covered up with sunglasses or layers of concealer. oh and, most importantly, no one would have any hang-ups about the way they look in my perfect world. AND NO ONE WOULD HAVE PERIODS. oh okay, i guess just I wouldn't have a period. or hormonal shifts. OF ANY KIND.

SIGH. it's been a rough, premenstrual day, people.

now playing

2006-06-01T20:25:00.000-05:00

echo and the bunnymen - never stop

holy shit this song is fucking good. seriously. totally pretentious 80s new wave with cello and violins and an infectious beat and truly poetic lyrics. oh and can't forget totally yummy ian mcculloch. SIGH. it doesn't even bother me that the creepy singer from the goo goo dolls also loves this song and requested it for the VH1 classic video jukebox, which is why i am listening to it now. i must thank you, creepy goo goo dolls singer, for requesting this song. i can't believe i'd never seen the video before! dudes, it's no wonder i was madly in love with them 20 years ago. HOT.