The Slow Making of a Dream, Third Phase of Building: Bedroom

ZOELAB DAY 77

I am aware that my Second Phase of Building post, the latest and biggest phase of our house building project, is long over due, but now, even though it will be out of order, I am announcing Phase Three. Thanks to my parents, and their upcoming visit in February, we will now be able to finish the bedroom building, which my parents will stay in when they visit. It will be the first time I have had my parents as a guest in our home. Lucas has two months to gather a crew, buy the materials and finish the building. Will he and his men be able to do it in time? Only time will tell. 

Above photo is a shot of the North view from what will become Emilio’s bedroom, which is now our clothesline area.

View of our living space building from Emilio’s future bedroom.

Front entrance to building. Emilio’s bedroom will be on the right, ours will be on the left.

Lucas still hasn’t decided many of the important structural aspects of the house, like how he’s going to do the roof, but he’s created the basic design of the building. Lucas is an amateur architect with no training, and a moderately experienced builder, you could call his style of working “improvisational architecture.” But I am not even sure it can be called architecture, it is more like building with giant legos. No matter what I call it, I continue to be in complete awe of his vision and skill, using nothing but his imagination and the internet, in creating comfortable, elegant and unique spaces. This is Lucas’ basic design: there is an entrance in the center of the building, into avestibule, which leads to two symmetrical bedrooms on either side. Each bedroom has a closet that is also located in the center section, and a shared bathroom with an entrance from both bedrooms. This center part of the building is already built, out of cement blocks (the most popular building method around), which was started while the main house was being built. But the bottom part of the walls are made out of earth bags, which a lot of our main house is also made of. More about earth bags when I write about the Second Phase of Building.

Wider North West view of bedroom building from front entrance before earth bags and foundation. Photo taken on January 29th, 2012.

how to launch a clothing line

ZOELAB DAY 75

1) Decide that you want to be a fashion designer, or at least learn to sew your own clothes, even though you don’t believe you can because you don’t have the patience.

2) Receive sewing machine as birthday present.

3) Take sewing classes, which are fun, but lead to no independent sewing.

4) Wait years. 

5) Take another few sewing classes, which are also fun, but lead to no independent sewing.

6) Then, sew an easy project, like curtains.

7) When looking at the seams, notice that your favorite dress is also easy to make.

8) Copy it as a t-shirt, with out really knowing how, with a single piece of fabric you’ve had for years. 

9) Try other projects. Sew cloth birds to make mobile forfriend’s baby shower gift.

10) Dream about a serger. Don’t buy it yet. 

11) Instead, buy a book about sewing.

12) Take a lesson on applique. 

13) Turn favorite sweatshirt into the ultimate and absolutely most favorite sweatshirt.

14) Take independent lesson on how to copy a garment.

15) Dream about a serger, but instead buy a book about sewing with knits, saying to yourself that if you really start sewing a lot, then you can think about getting a serger.

16) Make more and more projects, before you know what you’re doing.

17) Receive a serger for a birthday present.

18) Try it out, make a few things.

19) Go to a local fashion show and believe your clothes will be in it next year.

20) Let the serger sit and sit.

21) Set up your sewing space. 

22) Write on your blog how you are going to start a clothing line.

23) Don’t do any sewing. 

24) Feel bad about how you aren’t doing any sewing.

To be continued...

how to be an artist

ZOELAB DAY 74

how to be an artist

Let everything in you count

(even shit storms) 

     and carry a pen.

    especially softness. 

listen for it, 

   its voice waits to be heard.

    paying special attention 

to the child.

Don’t judge the different parts, 

     love them or let them be.

After all, we are letting our hearts matter. 

We are daring to live from the right side of the brain.

Don’t be lazy 

unless you are trying to be lazy.

Let the child inside

live out its course. 

Follow her closely, 

delight in her delights, 

cradle her rage, 

listen to her lessons. 

Most of all, respect her, 

for she makes the artist in you.

Everything you have ever been and will ever be 

is right here in the room with you.

Don’t chase it,

let it come to you when it is called for.

You are becoming: 

1. desire/love (ego/egoless, wants something in return/wants nothing in return)

2. belief

3. courage

4. commitment

5. stubbornness

6. grace

Dare to take up space in this world. 

           You are only practicing the art of being yourself.

Do it Yourself

DAY 4

Yesterday, we spent most of the day at home. It rained intermittently all day, a perfect excuse to go nowhere. What did we do? We drew pictures. We ate a snack plate for lunch. We made play dough. Not this is not revolutionary, but it certainly is fun. Making things yourself is so much more satisfying then buying them. And.... it saves money! It also creates an additional activity for you to share with your child. Its empowering for them to be involved in projects--it gives them a sense of mastery over their universe. Its also satisfying to make the colors you want to make with adding food dye. I love the two colors we made: bright mustard yellow and internal organ pink. Everything I made with the pink one made me think of the stuff inside our body.

Here is the recipe we used which we found on the web:

2 cups flour

2 cups warm water

1 cup salt

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)

food coloring (liquid, powder, or unsweetened drink mix)

scented oils 

We didn’t use the scented oils. But it’s a good idea! You are supposed to heat all ingredients in pot and mix until it looks like mashed potatoes. Then you wait for it to cool and then knead with your hands to make it smooth. You can keep it in the fridge to prolong freshness. We made half the recipe--it came out a little lumpy, but next time I’ll use a smaller pot and less heat and I think it will work better.

The other thing I did was draw spider webs because I want the Web Map page of this site (each link will be in the center of each web) to be hand drawn. It was very fun to draw spider webs--I had never done it before. But I am not yet happy with it as the web page. I might try again and create more space between each web cluster. Here’s what I did:

I wanted to find a spider, put it on top of the drawing, and take a photo, but my husband thought that it was not a good idea as there are some pretty poisonous spiders out there. We’ll see...

We did have a good gecko sighting near our palapa--which really is a daily occurrence. Sometimes they attack each other.