Search results (tags) for: "desert"

Keep it Weird: In the Ecozone

2009-12-11T15:00:00-05:00

Is global warming the Debbie Downer to your unseasonably pleasant winter? Before biodiversity drowns under melting glaciers, let's celebrate the ecological niches of eccentricity. This week's Keep it Weird took me on an off-roading tour of biomes. I'd love to inhabit any of these environments, where the strange is a particularly aggressive invasive species.

Explore the ecosystems with Desert Couture by attilladesign, Forest Triple Lipped Vase by ingermaaike, and Muncher - Driftwood Monster by SeanGrady. Check out the Related Items below for weird in its natural habitat.

More Keep it Weird Posts | Swamp Creatures | Driftwood Sculptures

Burning Man Packing List

2009-08-21T14:20:00-05:00

Furry leg warmers in late summer? EL wire pasties? DIY dust masks? Oh yes, it's that time again. From August 31 to September 7, your neighbors are forgoing Labor Day in the Hamptons or cook-outs with the family, and instead, they are caravanning out to the Nevada desert with rebar, hula hoops, and tutus in tow.

My excursion to Burning Man last year opened my dust-covered eyes to an attitude about art and community that overcomes ego, commerce, and greed. This year's theme is Evolution, and if the 50,000+ Burners who congregate to erect monumental sculptures, light their musical instruments on fire, cook bacon for strangers, and paint their unicycles gold are any indication of the future for humankind — Darwin, be blessed!

Are you trekking out to Burning Man this year? Don't forget stamps to send letters from the Black Rock City post office, psychedelic spandex to make your own go-go outfits, and salty snacks for when you're feeling dehydrated. Here's a packing list to get you started on your journey "home."

Black Thai satin CABARET VEST

By TimjanDesign, $114.

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0g - Black and White Blended Cyclones

By SomaticGlass, $50.

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Red roses - LED light-up flower garland

By bluemoonkatherine, $45.

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Circus Dust Mask Set

By dirtybirdyvintage, $25.

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Metal Cage Visors

By brooksbot75, $10.

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Double Sahara Hip-Bag

By rubyzaar, $210.

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black leather Dr. martens combat boots

From womyn, $98.

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Transitional Curly dreads custom order

By Dollyxdecay, $150.

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Five Lens Steampunk Goggles

By steampunk22, $125.

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Hippy In Wonderland Postcard

By sasiko, $2.98.

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REVERSIBLE Leg Warmers and Apron Dress

By deconrestruct, $90.

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Atomic Pickles 1 Quart

By ThePantryGreenBay, $6.50.

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LEOPARD Spandex Lycra Fabric

From diysewrad, $3.50.

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Punk Rock Bikini Summer TOP Shirt

By CrudeThings, $25.

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Black and White Striped Skull Pasties

By gothfoxdesigns, $15.

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Black Vintage Malco Modes Petticoat, Small

From cheesecakevintage, $50.

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Cruiser Bike Seat Cover

By BeatriceHoliday, $34.99.

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Patches McFeather Duster

By BubblesAndFrown, $13.45.

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SALE 'Alice' Corset and Bat Choker S

By Forgefashion, $75.

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green led earrings

By Aula46, $40.

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Army Green Insulated Canteen and Bag

From TheLovelys, $9.50.

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POPPY LONGSTOCKINGS RAINBOW BRITE

By poppyswickedgarden, $14.

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Blonde Ears

By mspresto, $35.

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Condom Holder - Punch of Aqua

By BehaveLittles, $5.50.

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Flame Note Cards

By whisperhandmade, $12.

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Devil girl SPIKE SKIRT pvc gothic

By melissae, $100.

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Black lace gloves, armwarmers

By estylissimo, $15.

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MOD Fabric Stretch Knit

From SelvedgeShop, $12.

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Collapsible Travel Hula Hoop

By HappyLoveHoops, $25.

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Flaming Thor Helmet - Fire Hat II

By megaplow, $450.

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COUTURE POMPOM HAT AVANT GARDE

By couvert, $75.

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Playa dust mask in purple leather

By TomBanwell, $49.

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Unique Parasol -- Blacklight LEDs

By RuffDreams, $350.

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Party Survival Shoulder Holster

By lelulaserlight, $19.

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Itty Bitty Teeny Tiny Little Green TuTu

By mtcoffinz, $25.

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Spiked Elegance - Electric Red Feather Earrings

By intrinsicimagination, $16.

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What are you bringing to Burning Man this year? Leave it in the comments!

Items Tagged "Burning Man" | Steampunk and Noir Gift Guide | Past Burning Man Posts

From Brooklyn to Burning Man: An Artistic Experiment

2008-09-09T14:21:00-05:00

At the end of this past month, I left the humidity and concrete of Brooklyn to camp in the desert of Nevada for the sake of art and the American Dream. I had just finished my Summer Internship at the Storque, and with some handmade buttons in tow, I embarked on my first Burning Man journey.

["Altered State" by Kate Raudenbush: The structure looks like the Capitol, but is composed of white steel carved in the style of Pacific Northwest Native-American imagery.]

The Burning Man festival is a week long affair, where fifty thousand participants make the pilgrimage to the center of an otherwise uninhabited desert. Large-scale art installations that spit fire or provide a climbing challenge sit out in “deep playa” while the theme camps that compose the “city” hold bluegrass jams, tuna melt-offs, and post-modern breakdancing.

[Michelle in a mustache, watching a fireworks show at the Flaming Lotus Girls' piece.]

This year’s Burning Man theme was the American Dream, which translated to covered wagon art cars, political tepees, and Alexis de Toqueville quotes. I camped with friends of friends, drinking pickle juice with whiskey, eating dolmas, and building shade structures in colorful tutus.

["Dr. Rainbow" and Michelle contributing to a mural on our ride back from breakfast at The Shady Waffle camp.]

There are a few central tenets to the Burning Man community, such as a “gifting” economy in which I was gifted from strangers an orange peeler, a necklace, a bloody mary. Litter on the ground is called MOOP (Matter Out of Place) and is swiftly picked up by any passerby. No one is allowed to be a spectator, only a participant. At Burning Man, I was encouraged to hug strangers, contribute to sculptures, and make the place more beautiful.

[Giant night wire man sculpture!]

Everywhere I looked, I was inspired. These artists construct giant glowing ketchup bottles from which to serve the masses fresh (and remember, free!) French fries, giant pirate ship vehicles that glow on the horizon and blast James Brown, or bicycles pimped out in fake fur and EL wire. These projects were clearly labors of love. The only motivation here is bliss, and consequently the results were high quality, innovative, and affecting. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Etsy, in this collective joy of making things out of passion, contributing to a community, and believing that we can help each other do more.

[Michelle amidst Gary Miller's "Papover Rubrum Gigaxiticum"]

For more stories of the artistic and handmade experience, check out This Handmade Life.