Livin' La Vida Horse Show

Every now and then, a kitchen goddess has to get out of the house. Previously I mentioned a horse that literally eats everything in our wallets. Seen above here, Sadie is a force to be reckoned with.

Hmmm, or maybe its the girl that rides her. Either way, they're both awfully good at pulling the heartstrings into little bitty knots. I took a break from my exciting life of web development and artistic endeavors (seen below) to spend 2 exciting weeks up in windy, cold, and dusty Waco for a horse show.


I took this girl here ....

this jumping machine here ....



and courtesy of our barn friends, the Richter girls, Grace and Georgia (who can both look glamorous no matter how much dust is in the air!), we took on Waco on behalf of our 'ghetto barn', Russell Equestrian Center, which we love very much, right down to the last duct-taped pair of chaps and faded charlie-brown christmas tree.

Our barn did not win the christmas decoration contest sadly, but every single member of our entourage was fully committed ....


From our faithful groom Carlos and studly Rockstar, who wanted to be in the christmas spirit (or at least eat it at a later time un-monitored) ...

or Colonel Santa, aka Colonel John Russell, former Olympian and local revered equestrian patriarch ....



our group brought it on for Waco. Here you've got, from left to right, Carlos, Brigid in front, Ana with a knee up, Colonel Russell in ropin' gloves, Shane and Georgia.
We strapped the girls into the golf cart for the bumpy and often helter-skelter jaunt (did you know you can get up to 8 people on one golf cart?) to the jumping ring ....

and turned them loose with their speed-demon horses on the verticals, oxers and wayward christmas trees of the Waco christmas show ring.

My princess pair were rewarded with a 2nd place ribbon and a fair amount of carrots, mollasses cookies and caffeine for the one with the ear-to-ear grin. So, while I'd normally be doing more of this ----

or this ---

watching moments, like this, suits me just fine.

Mama's In The Kitchen

I think the thing I liked most about this exhibit, other than the excuse to buy yards and yards of the frilliest girliest fabrics ever created....was working with the Kitchen Goddesses. Stephanie, one of our students from the International Academy of Design and Technology, was a great example of a modern-day woman, with her life in motion. As part of Rockabilly Hour, Stephanie brought her own cutie-pie along.

And Madeline. A new and very talented member from the Guardian Angels Performance Academy, she gave life to our frazzled, multi-tasking modern day kitchen goddess with the phrase 'i just don't have time'. Even now I find myself repeating 'grey grey grey. it works. it just goes with everything!'. We were also very very lucky to have Jessica Story participate as well, and I'll be posting video of her kitchen poetry as soon as I have the files downloaded!

Sorry for all the delays folks! Just as the last piece was being stored away, I was already back at work on a huge deadline that just wrapped up. My goal is to continue onward with the kitchen goddess concept in different incarnations.
And of course, most importantly, a huge thanks to Laurie Brainerd, for all her help, and for opening up FiberArtspace to the Kitchen Goddess, in all its quirky and unusual trappings. We love you Laurie! Remember the jello!

Luminarias Exhibit Day

And that's all she wrote, folks! Today was the last day of this particular exhibit, 'The Kitchen Goddess Goes to Work', as part of the city-wide Luminaria art event. At the end of the day, taking apart the exhibit was a little bitter-sweet, but my aching feet made sure we made a fast exit once the last viewer had departed. Above, you see the lovely Kitchen Goddess Cindy, acting out the lines from 'How to Be A Good Wife' to an excited group who were taking notes, yes, on what should be going on in their homes.

I'll write more tomorrow, as I'm just too tuckered out now. But I think overall, the exhibit was a great success, and the overwhelming response from viewers was they liked the interactive exhibit, liked the jello, and loved the kitchen goddesses. Who wouldn't?

I will start tomorrow by posting a couple of videos as well. We have two very talented young actresses from the Guardian Angels Performance Academy who did both kitchen poetry and acting out the part of a frenzied multi-tasking modern woman. Until then, remember the advice from your local kitchen goddess crew, and always remember to use potholders at all times!

VaVaVa Voom!

Normally I don't like to post images of myself, but this one is for my mom. Look mom! Look Catherine! I learned how to iron! There's documented proof now! Sniff... your little girl went and grew up and now look how domestic she is!

The olive tray and table got rave reviews, but our VaVaVa Voom object that attracted the most attention was the leggy and sultry iron and Irony Board. People just couldn't keep their hands off the long hand-wrapped cord, or the pink velour of the board. It was the host to quite a few educational and entertaining ironing tutorials, one of which we'll post a video of, here online! Soon! Because we know you too, would like to be as well-versed as we are here, in the Kitchen Goddess household.

The two lovely Sanders sisters, Zita Barbara and Martha Mauricia arrived just in time to give cooking classes with lunchmeat, and to scramble eggs for us. Always a pleasure, the perfectly attired Kitchen Goddesses impressed everyone with their extensive knowledge of All-Things-Kitsch.
I will be posting many more pictures of the exhibit over the next several days, as we gear up for Luminarias, and the final outing of the Kitchen Goddess exhibit for now. On Saturday, 12 -4, one week from now, the kitchen will be rocking, and we're even thinking about having a Rockabilly Hour during the show, with Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers. We'll let you know!

A Peek Into My World...

One of the things I liked the most about creating the pieces for this exhibit was finding ways of presenting mundane kitchen items in a colorful and irreverant fashion. I loved taking unexpected fabrics and 're-assigning' them to a new role.

It took me weeks to hand-make the 'Bad Eggs' carton and each individual egg. 'Tasty Beans', an item from last year, was an exercise in embroidery patience, as was 'Milk'.

And here is the stove of my dreams. I imagine only fluffy cakes, puddings, and divine hams coming from this satin confection of an appliance. Dr. Seuss would be envious of this.
While whimsical, the pieces show that a commonly belittled skill, textiles, often labeled as 'craft' or 'hobby', can have a great deal of planning, design and skill to pull it off. 50 yards of seafoam satin can't be wrong!
Today we had the kids from Say Si visit our exhibit, and tomorrow we'll be inviting those from Celebration Circle into our lovely lovely home. There will be pickles-on-a-stick, there will be devilled eggs, and there will be plenty of sass and good home economics wisdom to share. I do hope you'll be there! More pics to follow soon!

Kitchen Goddesses Overtake Blue Star Art Complex!

A vision of loveliness in green, our retro kitchen goddess Zita Barbara Sanders started off our 2nd day of the Kitchen Goddess exhibit in style, beckoning visitors in from the windows of her lovely home. We were very lucky to have several kitchen goddesses hosting the show tonight: Zita Barbara (click on her picture to see the full-sized image), Mauricia Martha Sanders, Sonia Knape and April King-Bennett. We also had two young members of the Guardian Angels Performance Academy participating in both the modern and retro world. They gave spoken word performances from the minds of young aspiring kitchen goddesses, from both sides of the exhibit: both modern and retro.

The exhibit was all about audience participation. Walking towards surprised visitors on robotic stiff (Stepford-wife-esque) joints, our goddesses implored them to sample salami rolls, pickles-on-a-stick, fresh olives and more. Many visitors were surprised that yes, the jello was real, and yes, you could eat it. And yes... it was tasty!

Here we have Art, one of our very obliging visitors, and a student from a local university no less, resting long enough to be properly fed a nutritious snack by goddesses Sonia (in green) and April (in brown with fuzzy scarf). The last thing any of our diligent goddesses would want is an earnest viewer of the arts, to go out with an empty stomach. More later! We still have several exhibit days to go, and one more performance by the Guardian Angels Performance Academy next Saturday!

The Opening Night

Ah yes. You know your opening night is a success when your goddesses really get involved in their household chores and take nutrition and motherly duties seriously. Above, you see Kitchen Goddess being choked by the ever-smiling Goddess Deserea. That'll teach her to put the tuna casserole on the table five minutes late!
***forgive the images you see here--- my pocket point-and-shoot isn't so hot. :(


Tonight (Friday) will play host to some other kitchen goddesses, Mauricia Martha and Zita Barbara, the Sanders sisters, as well as the lovely Sonia Knape. I hope that you can make the opening and we'll be waiting for you, devilled eggs in hand! Please make sure to check out the images on my 'kitchen goddesses' photo album in the upper right corner! More will be coming out shortly! Until then, our goddesses wish you well and hope that you eat everything on your plate!

Does Domestic Bliss Come In Polka Dots?

I've been busy putting the final touches on my installation for the upcoming kitchen goddess show this week... that's right! THIS WEEK! ALREADY! HOLY COW! ...and in between full-fledged freak-out attacks and naps prompted by total exhaustion, I've been giving a lot of thought to the whole kitchen goddess concept that I've been building.

While the whole premise of the show is humorous, whimsical and while standing at a green satin stove with furry stove elements, downright silly, there's some real beef to the women who've stood there before me, making statements about women, working and happiness. I had the chance to talk last weekend at length with Deserea (seen above, luminous and fetching in blue polka-dotted confection created by designer Jenna Gandy), about the modern-day balancing act between working, being a wife and mother, and somehow, trying to find happiness. I think Deserea's words pretty much say it all:
"I was once the happy housewife ignorantly blissful in my own world, until one day I found out that through all the struggles of being a young mother, trying to balance children, housework and somewhere in the midst of all that finding time to breathe, that nothing I did would ever be enough..."
Like many modern-day supermoms, Deserea discovered that even carefully balancing everything and still appearing capable left her no room for herself and her own pursuits. Now a single mom doing it all on her own, she found she had to carve out the space for her own passions, in order to find happiness.
"I had to completely re-make myself, and realized that it was time for me to live my dreams. I went back to school, started my own photography and graphic design business (http://jupiterimaging.multiply.com/) and accomplished many goals! Every day is a step by step process of balancing, and anytime anything gets added to my plate- I have to rebalance. I have learned to be strong and to stand tall no matter what, even when it gets hard and I feel like I am stretched to the finest. I adore the women that went before us, they had way more to balance, yet somehow they were able to make it work so well. If I could go back in time I would learn as much as I could from these super women! I am a modern day supermom to many of my friends, but I can't tell you that it's easy to do so much, a woman could go out of her mind if she wasn't me..."

Now friends, you try doing all that while looking as radiant as Deserea, Kitchen Goddess Extrordinaire!

Sonia, The Kitchen Goddess

Mother knows that while encouraging her daughter to attend those typing and dictation classes in college, brains must also be added to with a healthy sampling of beauty, sophistication and some good solid cooking skills. Our modern-day kitchen goddesses have long ago left behind aspirations of going to college to land a good husband, and are looking to leave their mark not only in the business-world, but in the hearts and minds of you hopelessly un-color-coordinated saps.

Sonia Knape, one of our sassy and worldly kitchen goddesses, is prepared not only to bake up some hazelnut cupcakes, but she'll sing to you in Russian while she gets down to the business of filmmaking. She's smart, she's punctual, and she's got eyes like a hawk. Currently a student, she aspires to be a working filmmaker, just as soon as she completes her studies in Russia!
me: so, you're finishing up with your degree here. What would you say is your strongest points in your studies?
SK: Keeping everything to the point, no dawdling, and still having dinner served at 5pm.


me: wow! I'm lucky to even be on my way to the grocery store at 5! If I were following you around at the grocery store, what would I see you putting into your cart?
SK: Cereal, syrup, herbal tea, coffee, macaroni and cheese dinners, and for my baking, sugar, flour, eggs, milk, vanilla extract.

Maybe Sonia will serve us some of these next week at the opening then? We do love our kitchen goddesses that can cook! Everyone knows that cupcakes are the food of goddesses. Cupcakes and kitchen goodies aside, our kitchen goddesses know the important issues of today, and are going to be involved in changing things!

me: Who do you think has done more for women’s rights than anyone else?
SK: Katherine Hepburn—she made wearing pants fashionably acceptable.

me: If you held an influential public office, what is the first thing you would do or change?
SK: I would demand better public transportation: devise routes for a light rail and employ people to start construction on it.
me: If you were to challenge a member of the opposite sex to a competition, knowing you could win, what competition would you choose?
SK: Sing the duet “Anything you can do, I can do better” from Annie Go Get Your Gun

I love our kitchen goddesses! These women are driven, funny and in all cases, hell on wheels. Sonia will be joining our kitchen on the First Friday exhibit night, so be sure to visit us! And now, I'll leave you with an exerpt from the always hilarious, 'How To Be A Good Wife' from a 1954 home ec book, with instructions on how a proper kitchen goddess would be expected to prepare for 5 pm.

"Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home"....

OK Everyone! Meet Jenna Gandy! Jenna is helping to design and create some of our outfits for the kitchen goddesses for the upcoming show. Jenna is a student at the local campus of the International Academy of Design and Technology. She is graduating in just a few months, so we were very lucky to snag her work before she gets totally booked up. She's been working in the field for over six years, specializing in wardrobe styling and her own unique clothing line. When she's done with school, look for her to start making her presence known here, possibly with her own shop or doing trunk shows. Jenna has ties both here and in Toronto, where she's been working with The Artist Group Limited, with Tara Shea.

So. Like edgy unique clothing? Like bright colors? Bold fashion statements? Wish you could have something that looks runway-ready? Well, then you'd better contact Jenna! Email: jennagandi@gmail.com.

And here is the lovely Deserea, one of our sassy and outspoken kitchen goddesses, who we'll be hearing more from this week. Deserea is wearing one of the dresses that Jenna custom designed for the show. A vision in turquoise polka-dots, our kitchen goddess greets us where it all starts: in front of the house with her favorite turkey casserole. (click to see her dress up close!)

Check back here soon! I'm going to post more pictures of Jenna's outfit designs. She has taken on the tricky project of outfitting our youngest kitchen goddesses, who are a handful. I'll also be posting the creation of Linda Yang, another talented design intern, as well as the words from an honest-to-god-modern-day goddess.

A Vintage Dress Among Us

Last Saturday, when it was actually chilly and raining, I went to Southtown and came back with this fabulous vintage find. I visited Agosto Cuellar's vintage shop, Jive Refried and found two great dresses that scream kitchen goddess.

Make sure you visit Jive Refried's blog here. http://jiverefried.blogspot.com/

I hope this dress will make an appearance at my show, maybe with a pair of duck-yellow gloves and some yellow heels....

Speaking of fashion, I've been so pleased to have two fashion design interns working with me on the show. Both students at the International Academy of Design and Technology, Linda Yang and Jenna Gandy are creating custom-designed retro dresses for some of our kitchen goddesses.

Once they are done, I'll photograph the dresses and post their information here. Both designers are working on a clothing line, and as you ALL know, buying and supporting local artists and designers is the way to go!

Quote of The Day

"I do cook. I enjoy making cereal, Jell-O instant pudding... I've mastered the T.V. dinner. I was lucky enough to receive a whole baking set, along with cookbooks, gloves and a crystal cake display for Christmas. Getting a baking set for Christmas is either a compliment or a sign I need more practice. Nevertheless, I discovered I enjoy baking cookies. My favorite are chocolate chip."

---Zita Barbara Sanders, Kitchen Goddess

Future Goddesses...

Watch yourself, world. You'd better be ready for the next generation of kitchen goddesses. Sure they're cute, but these girls are tough as nails. When they're not color-coordinated and shined up, these two can be found spending time doing this:




Hours every day. Every day of the week. Spent riding and training 1,200 pound creatures that spook at balloons, clouds and jump over rails higher than your car. (if your car is a compact) These teenagers don't so much as flinch when they are faced with crazy, insane and psychotic creatures affectionately named ,'widowmaker', 'deathride' and other sweet names.

So world, buckle up. Here are your future kitchen goddesses. They don't mess around. They're not afraid of a lot of hard work. And they're going to be at the first friday show, sending you upstairs, kitchen-goddess style.

Zexy!

I got the chance today to work almost all day on my exhibit pieces, one of which was the Irony Board, which is all done now. She's all pink velour, leopard print, lace and black crushed velvet. And while you'd surely have a fire on your hands if you actually tried to use it for ironing, she's such a gorgeous creature, having this beauty in your house could easily find other fascinating uses.



The perfect place to display your vintage toy collection. A makeup counter. A companion in the kitchen for your cookbook. A stylish sidebar for your next party. A nightstand. And then there is her companion.

The Iron. She's bright, garish, and clashes with everything. She's wearing way way too much makeup and frankly, I don't think she should be going out like that, but there she is anyway... a mess of purple velvet, pink metallic spandex and green satin.

I also met up with some new goddesses who are going to participate in the show and should have some details to share with you this week. They are all very exciting ladies, and I can't wait to see them all dressed up and reciting the 'How To Be A Good Wife' ode. I also met with two fashion design interns who will be helping out with the show, and I'll be posting details as well about them this week, along with pictures of the kitchen goddess dresses they are helping to create.

The Goddesses Are Gathering...

Like a percolating coffee pot, or the rising anticipation before a good live show, the excitement is starting to build for my kitchen goddesses across the city. Great things are happening, and I am scurrying to finish all my major pieces so that I'll be ready for the exhibit, in just 3 weeks!

Some of my goddesses work in glamorous modern-day jobs ... in the chamber of commerce, as a realtor broker, as models, actresses and local businesswomen. Others are aspiring artists, fashion design students, working moms and more. Please meet Deserea Marshall, one of my kitchen goddesses with attitude!

A local graphic arts student and former model, Deserea is comfortable both in front of and behind the camera. She's sassy, knows what she wants in life and isn't about to be intimidated by anything! Let's hear some of what she has to say:

Me: Who are your female role models?
DM: The moms from Leave It To Beaver, The Brady Bunch, and Little House On The Prairie. I wrote an essay on this for my college entry exam!

Now those are some gutsy women. Whether navigating the rigors of a full household and making it look easy or bracing against the rough life of the prarie, our kitchen goddess knows how to choose role models with moxie! I wonder just how gutsy she is...

Me: Can you run in high heels?
DM: I modeled until I was 19, and then had three children back to back, so running in heels is in my blood!

Me: If you were going to challenge a man to a competition you knew you could win, what would it be?
DM: Scrabble! or child birth for sure!

That's right guys! You might have the dual exhaust system figured out on your trucks. You might even be able to bench-press your full body weight while crossing and uncrossing your toes, but that's one thing you can't do, that our goddesses can, and with grace under pressure.

While Deserea has strong roots to family and friends, she also knows what she respects when she sees it in local businesspeople, and that's the people who know how to balance work and family. Spoken like a true kitchen goddess!

Me: Who do you admire in the business world most?
DM: Successful people who are actually doing what they love to do and still family oriented, very rare these days!


Deserea will be one of several performing as a charming yet sassy kitchen goddess in my textile exhibit that opens on March 6th in Fiber Artspace at the Blue Star Arts Complex. You'll have to come down and see for yourself! We'll save some devilled eggs just for you!
Visit Deserea's site about her photography and artwork! www.myspace.com/JupiterImaging

Chattin' In The Kitsch- en

Our kitchen goddesses are busy lining up and readying themselves for the March exhibit, but had just enough time away from ironing their going-out gloves to chat with us about what it takes to be fabulous. Martha Mauricia and Zita Barbara reflect for us.

Me: If I followed you around in the grocery store, what would I see you putting in your cart?

ZB: I like gummy bears. I get a small bag almost every time I go to the store. I have certain requirements. My boyfriend knows, and he stays at the store sifting through bags to see which one has the least green bears.

MM: I’m a very down to earth eater. You’d see me putting in goldfish crackers, fruits, steaks, and feta cheese. Every once and a while I put in ice cream or cake.

mmmm, cake.

Me: What is the strongest point of your studies? (both are currently finishing degrees)

MM: I’m a math person. That’s why I studied finance. It’s really a math degree in disguise.

ZB: Writing, art, music, marketing… in general I’m a creative person. I innovate and create wherever I go. To innovate something, a person needs to have a background in a number of things, not just one area in order to think differently and provide a different response to a problem that is normally answered the same way. So, to answer the question, I try to soak it all up when I’m in school, much like a kitchen sponge...

mmmm, kitchen sponges.

Now, while you're sitting on your couch with a bag of chips, these girls are cracking their knuckles and getting ready to whip us all into shape, both mentally and physically.

Me: If you held an influential public office, what is the first thing you would do or change?

MM: I would like to influence the fitness level in cities like San Antonio. I would also do more for the arts. In very intellectual cultures, art plays a big role in society. In American culture, art takes a back seat unless it attracts a mass audience and advertisers can make money off it. Therefore, most of the art we are exposed to is very manufactured to hit a certain crowd or demographic which means a lot of smaller artists aren’t heard.

Me: And Zita Barbara? What are your plans for the rest of this year?

ZB: I’m going to finish up with my second degree this year and look into different graduate programs. I of course, hope to finish my CD this year. I would like to make a music video just because that sounds like a lot of fun.

Me: If you were to challenge a member of the opposite sex to a competition, knowing you could win, what competition would you choose?

MM: arm wrestling. There’s nothing more humiliating than to hear the buddy of a boy say, “You lost to her at arm wresting…”

Be forewarned fellas! Be warned!

5 Weeks Left!

I had a very productive week last week, despite the flu running its course through my home. My fridgie is up in its almost-full glory (pics soon, i promise!), I got in a decent photo shoot with two of my stunning kitchen goddesses, completed a table, and completed a slew of smaller items. Today I sent off for my new postcards, with the image shown above.

These Shoes Were Made For Preening...

While the rest of the country is locked in a cold cold embrace, here in the southern reaches of the hill country, its a little chilly, a little drizzly, but honestly, NOT BAD. While I miss the health food stores and the easy access to good thai food that I enjoyed in Colorado; warm weather, cheap avocados at the grocery store and long summers make up for it.

I was pleased to get a lot of work done last evening on pieces for the show. I made my 6 foot tall green satin fridgie purty, started on the retro dinner table, made some grocery items and got some accessories (see above) ready for my Kitchen Goddesses. While the exhibit is about the presentation -- its always about the presentation - -- the illusion that everything 'housewifey' is easy, a no-brainer, effortless --- it is also about the women that inhabit the kitchen that really drives the point home.

Women of the 1950s were given rule of the kitchen, and as artillery, given appliances, tv dinners and gadgets intended to make their life 'easier'. At the same time, the expectation was that they would still need to look beautiful, maintain a well-run house and look no further for fulfillment outside of that kitchen.

"I Run Like The Wind In High Heels"

Spoken like a true lady, our Goddesses are both tough, savvy and sophisticated. They know their way around a kitchen for sure, but can teach you a thing or two about making it in today's dog-eat-dog world. Take Zita Barbara, for instance. In one of our interviews, she tells us how it is.

Me: What plans do you have academically after you graduate from school?

ZB: Going for a PhD. During my graduation ceremony, the lady next to me turned to me and said, “Keep going, don’t stop until you have a PhD… you have the face for it.” Apparently facial features have a lot to do with the ability to reason at higher levels. I don’t mean to brag, but I apply cream to my face everyday to prevent wrinkles and loss of I.Q.

Me: Can you run in high heels?

ZB: I run like the wind in high heels. Let me tell you, there is nothing more painful to a woman than running a mile in heels, besides childbirth.

And there you have it! Our first questions, answered by Zita Barbara. More to come in the very near future!