Ikea Audrey painting

Dumpster-dived leather seat, and grade school rose painting by Ms. Kate herself!

Butterfly habitat/bedroom, sweet sectional couch, handmade curtains & pillows

Me: “If your house was burning down and you had to run in and grab one thing, one would you get?”
Kate: “My blankie.”

Making decisions is hard in Wal-Mart.

Trying to make art doesn’t always work out in Wal-Mart.

Where they put workers that get out of line.

Shout-out to the often mouse-eared fashionista, Miss Gala Darling.

Why can’t these things come in adult sizes?!

Goodwill cardigan.
Thrifted suspenders.
Cactus Flower ruffly top. (Same one Karen Jensen blogged for Cactus Flower this summer!)
BDG jeans.
Goodwill boots.
Gold rope hair-tie taken off a Victoria’s Secret plastic bag (ha).

Salvation Army button-up. Old Navy little boys shark t-shirt. BDJ jeans cut into shorts. Thrifted pink belt. Cactus Flower tights. Target thigh-highs. Goodwill boots.

I’ve never been an animal person. I go through at least five lintroller sheets after the briefest of cat encounters and both of my attempts to take care of water-beings have had less then desirable outcomes (including a morbid poem entitled, “Betta Luck Next Time”). Nonetheless, I think I have found my spirit animal!!!

I first paid attention to great white sharks simply cause they reminded me of Patrick’s JAWS obsession, and I wanted to get a gruesome looking shark added to his memorial tattoo on my left leg. Then it became a full-blown obsession, prolly cause THESE FUCKERS JUST LOOK SO RAD! Here’s some of the sharkness I’ve been collecting recently…

My 2010 calendar (!), black+white art by Robert Longo, and random Googled images.

Great white sharks roll solo, staying under the radar so they can capture their prey easily. But when their jaws stretch open to go in for a bite, they actually look quite tortured themselves, as if it pains them to kill. Their mouths look like scars! Bloody beautiful.

Why, a trippy avant-garde music video of course! old smut and folk songs is a project my friends Stephen and Nathan put together seasons ago using found footage, visual effects, a video of me improvising in the forest, and a song Nathan wrote using a sample of Stephen reciting Baudelaire as his old answering machine message. I had never seen the final product until today when Stephen surprised me with a link in my inbox.

It’s 3 and a half minutes, it’s kind of sad, and it’s pretty in a way that really makes me wish I still got stoned. Enjoy!

When it was time to leave Chicago, there was no discussion — she had to ride back to Indiana with me. Destiny was a remarkable navigator, I just closed my eyes and thirty seconds later we were sitting in my apartment covered in confetti. However, after two failed attempts at domesticating mythical creatures in my life I just wasn’t ready to let her stay permanently. She was rightfully upset, but I tried to calm her by introducing her to my friends at the Unicorn Museum of southern Bloomington. Miss Destiny Aura Starlight Oleander III now resides in their permanent collection. Blow bubbles into the southeast at sunset and you will be transported to her unicove! However I could never come along — I heard from the unicorn heart curator that she doesn’t want to see me — so if you see her, tell her I love her.

What’s that ribbon I’m standing on connected to, you ask? See Chicago Part II…

Reading: Muslim Girls & Other France for my French film class.
Wearing: Silky top & huge bangle from Factory Vintage Clothing, BDG jeans cut into shorts, Express gold tights, small bangles from Cactus Flower.

There was evidence that she had ascended the dilapidated fire escape using a Forever 21 belt as a climbing rope, and jimmied open the window using a Cactus Flower bangle bracelet. The red orb around her neck appeared highly valuable, and police were baffled that it hadn’t been stolen, but a standard jewelry appraisal revealed it was purchased for 50 cents from a child’s machine in Kroger.

The following images were found on a Canon digital camera at the scene. It seems the victim took several fashion photos of herself inside the studio before the attack took place. When questioned Sunday afternoon, Studio B owner and equipment manager Jake Nelson said, “Serves her right for touching my bass.” Co-owner Kyle Tidd, who moonlights as an art curator, added, “Those photos are a joke. She’s just ripping off Who Killed Amanda Palmer.” Both men are being held for further questioning.

 

View the full file here.

Happy what would have been your 24th birthday, Pat! I miss you dude.

I feel your sarcastic older brother guidance all the damn time. I know smoking is bad for me, but your advice just isn’t that convincing when you say it with a cigarette dangling from your lips. I still remember the time you ceremoniously threw out a pack of Newports in front of me, Danny, and Mom just to show us you could quit anytime. Although maybe you just realized what I already knew at age fifteen: Newports suck.

I can still remember what your voice sounds like when you were trying to make a joke, and your stock answer to anyone stating their humble opinion: “Well, your opinion is wrong.”

I can remember exactly what your face looked like when you were lying – the same way it looked when you were trying not to laugh.

Someday I’ll have the strength to think about you as much as you deserve, and write it all down, or dance it all out. I will create something massive and dedicate it to you. But all I can do now is a little reminiscing.

I think of you anytime I see any of the following: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Roger Ebert, horror movies particularly anything Stephen King-related, Archie comics, Tales from the Crypt, Metallica, Slayer, and any metal-ey looking fonts. I have you to blame for my taste for the macabre in film, and probably for my dirty sense of humor (although I think the real culprit for this was Dad).

Thanks for letting me be a tag-along little sister and giving me the most random of memories: the first time ever getting drunk at a bonfire I wasn’t supposed to be at, Mountain Dew-themed parties with chugging contests and Roger Waters DVDs, the Oatmeal Creme Pie-throwing madness of Pattie’s Pancake Posse performances, countless sweaty deadofwinter and between the nightmares shows from the Armistice Room to the Legacy to the funeral home to Hip Christian Churches, and an equal number of post-show gatherings that tested the patience of waitstaff at Denny’s locations everywhere. Once all our best friends were the same people, we couldn’t help but admit we must be friends too, as much as that complicated our years of mutual disdain for one another.

Are you having fun in the free world? How’s your namesake Uncle Pat, and Grandma? Have you written any good music lately? Did you ever figure out what you wanted to do in life, and if so, how does that translate to the afterlife? Do you still drink 3-4 cans of Mountain Dew a day or have you finally grown up and switched to coffee? Are you mad at me about anything? Is there anything I could have done differently? I know I was a tattletale but in the later years I promise it was only in your best interest. (I have no excuse about earlier years when tattling was employed solely to make myself look better.) Also, the “Party Hard” mix you left in my car is dangerously scratched up, is there any way you could hook me up with some more expertly arranged CKY, Andrew W.K. and Faith No More? Let me know.

In honor of Patrick M. Burkett, January 31st, 1986-March 18, 2006:
-My dad’s saxaphone-playing alter-ego “PapaPatty” and the Blues for Patty Project
-A retrospective by my mom Zann Carter, about the years leading up to Patrick’s death
-Light a candle in Patrick’s memory
-Donate to the Patrick M. Burkett memorial fund via The Maple Center.

Images:
1. Pat in Between the Nightmares, taken by Matt Carmer
2. Pat on top of the world, taken by Amanda Jones
3. Pat (age 7) & me (age 5) playing chess, taken by our mom
4. Pat and our friend Katie at deadofwinter’s last show, taken by me
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Pat! My first tattoo by D’Wan, Under the Gun. Polaroid by me.

Listen to She & Him – Why Do You Let Me Stay Here while reading to get the most out of this very Zooey Deschanel-inspired outfit.

Sometimes Zooey’s mass appeal, indie girl brand of cute is vomit-enducing, but the truth is she’s got a pretty voice and she makes lovable movies. (Impromptu dance sequence?!!! Dare you to resist.) Although I do believe her best work to date is her impeccable delivery of the line “THIS IS A HOUSE OF LIES!” in a certain best-movie-of-all-time.

 

Credits:
-Urban Outfitters skirt
-forgettable-mallstore shirt
-thrifted maryjane heels (my highest to date!)
-Hanna Anderson ribbed tights (stolen from my mom)

 

Side note: Going to Chicago for a long weekend to hang with my bestie Kyle. Expect so much fun when I return!

My history of photography teacher spoke the other day about how striking it is to see how differently self-portrait photographers see themselves over time. So when we were given a self-portrait assignment, I deliberately put myself in the most organized looking part of my apartment to contrast my usual beauty-in-chaos habits and channel a new me. (Compare these images with old self-portraits like this and you’ll see what I mean!)

These were taken the night of the new moon, so the moment was just right for playing dress-up and taking photographs. I had bought new flowers and candles and was working on a list of wants for the coming year, which included giving my all to career projects such as this website. It definitely felt like I was harnessing the powerful energy spinning around!

I’m not sure I am quite this lady yet — calm but inventive, totally in control but a little wild, always transforming but still loving the now — but surely this little ritual will help me get there.

Credits:
-vintage faux fur coat
-thrifted slip
-Forever 21 studded belt (zips off, always causing quite a stir as you might imagine)
-Old Navy tights
-Payless heels (is discussion even necessary anymore about how much Payless is rocking it nowadays?!)

As always, these images plus outtakes are on my Flickr.

More here!

Cardigan slash backdrop: Wet Seal bargain rack
Whimsical hairbow: H&M
Fakers (but I have contacts in!): A.J. Morgan
Black dress & plaid scarf: Goodwill

But instead of getting jealous, I got inspired. Needless to say inspiration feels much better when not coupled with raging envy. I decided to just make do with what I have, which is actually a somewhat striking representation of my growth from cranky emo kid to confident Pollyanna. It’s not about winning the contest (though the prizes are PERFECT, see title of this post), but about proving to myself that it’s actually time to put what I make out into the world, instead of hiding it away in my notebooks and memory cards, waiting for the perfect moment to arrive. The perfect moment is now! Always always always now.

Go here to vote:

Artistswanted.org/mollyburkett

 
To add to the just-do-it tip, this post marks my official return to the blogosphere! I’ve been stockpiling photos for the past few months and can’t wait to share them all. Yay! A big thanks to my friend Aya of Strawberry Koi for inspiring me to get back in the game.