stuffaboutminneapolis

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Mugshot Monday - "Little Toothpick Guy" coffee cup with Morning Glory Cold Brew by Peace Coffee

I'm in the process of learning how to make decals and put them on my ceramics. This is was a recent test.

I made this little 4 ounce stoneware cup way back in 2019 when Jeff Oestreich was teaching me how to make handles in class I took at Northern Clay Center.

I tried making a one-finger handle and it turned out ridiculously HUGE. 😂

But it's a cute little cup and I love how the decal worked out.

I got a lot of help figuring these decals out because I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm testing a black-only decal with the help of Kip O'Krongly, and I'm testing out some full color decals with the help of Isaac Shue.

Each side of this mug has as decal from each artist's decal printer as a test to see if one printer was better for just black artwork. Both turned out awesome.

Kip and Isaac are AMAZING potters and you need to check out their work. They are also amazing people who have been SO helpful as I stumble along and learn how these decals work. Thank you!

I'd also like to give a shout-out to Adam at PX10 Pottery--he showed me how to apply the decals and he fired 'em up. Thanks, Adam! (You need to check out Adam's chicken plates if you have not already.)

If you're curious about the decal artwork for this test, I doodled that "Toothpick guy" stick figure on a syllabus back in the '90s during a Media Ethics lecture at UW Eau Claire.

The little stick figure later became the mascot for a 'zine I did in Eau Claire from 1992 to 1994 called TOOTHPICK. He was on every cover.

I made T-shirts, socks and stickers with Toothpick guy back then. Might as well make a TOOTHPICK coffee mug as well, right?

I hope to do more of these decal tests as I learn what I'm doing, so stay tuned!

See also my 720+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

All I want for Christmas is a snakeskin book?

This copy of Death Valley: Swamper Ike's Traditional Lore: Why, When, How? was a Christmas gift to the famous American lawyer, Clarence Darrow, given to him by his sister Jennie in 1903.

We definitely think this is one of the most unique bindings in our collection. The thin wood boards feature strips of snakeskin in a coiled pattern (with a drawn-in tongue!) and the title is branded onto the cover, probably with hot iron.

The book describes an excursion from Los Angeles to Death Valley in 1901.

"Ike was a peculiar character--one such as it would be expected would revel in regions the thought of which would repulse most men."

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Jayhawks Tour Update April 2024

Spring has sprung and we've got a bunch of shows coming up - with more announcements on the way.

We're back on the road in a few weeks with a show in St. Louis followed by two nights in Nashville.

We return to the east coast in early May with 4 shows, including a headlining slot at the Sing Us Home festival in Philly. NOTE: due to an unavoidable conflict, Karen Grotberg won't be able to make these May shows. As in recent years, our old pal and bandmate Stephen McCarthy will be playing with us again on this run.

On June 6, we'll be making our only Twin Cities concert appearance of the summer at the cool Utepils Brewing Company location, tucked away in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood. Then we're off to Spain to do some shows with our good friends at Heart of Gold.

On the Fourth of July we're doing the American Music Fest in Berwyn with a one off in Western Michigan. August finds us in the Ohio Valley for a couple of shows.

We're working on more 2024 shows to add to the schedule - the latest tour news can always be found on our website:

Tour dates & ticket links: bit.ly/JayhawksShows

See you soon!

TOUR SCHEDULE (as of 4/10) 4/19 - St. Louis, MO - Sheldon Concert Hall (sold out) 4/20 - Nashville, TN - City Winery (sold out) 4/21 - Nashville, TN - City Winery 5/2 - Beverly, MA - The Cabot 5/3 - Hartford, CT - Infinity Hall 5/4 - Philadelphia, PA - Sing Us Home festival 5/5 - Tarrytown, NY - Tarrytown Music Hall 6/6 - Minneapolis, MN - Utepils Brewing Company 6/13 - Barcelona, Spain - Parallel 62 6/14 - Bilbao, Spain - BBK Music Legends festival 6/15 - Vigo, Spain - Mar de Vigo Auditorium 6/16 - Madrid, Spain - Noches del Botanica 6/17 - Valencia, Spain - La Rambleta 7/4 - Berwyn, IL - American Music festival 7/5 - Three Oaks, MI - The Acorn (sold out) 8/15 - Lexington, KY - The Burl 8/17 - Cincinnati, OH - Memorial Hall 9/13 - Grass Valley, CA - Center For The Arts

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Mugshot Monday - "April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse Minnesota" *prototype* coffee mug with Morning Glory Signature Blend by Peace Coffee

Did you see the solar eclipse today? I didn't because I live in Minnesota and we had overcast skies across the state.

This cup is a fun prototype I was working on for an official commemorative April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse in Minnesota coffee mug.

The illustration was drawn by my son Milo (@milodrawswut on IG). His full illustration is actually a bigger more awesome drawing--I cropped the sun/moon part into a state of MN.

I like how it turned out!

There's a disclaimer:

"*Technically, MN only had a 70% outage. And, MN was mostly overcast. ☹️"

Minnesota wasn't in the path for a full eclipse, even though the illustration could be interpreted to suggest that's what we saw.

But also, the entire state was covered in clouds on the 8th. 😭 So there wasn't much to see at all, actually.

It was a huge bummer!

This prototype started as kind of a joke to make a commemorative eclipse mug for an area that wouldn't see the full eclipse. 😂 But I've decided I’m going to actually make one for myself.

I can’t imagine anyone else would want one of these, but let me know if you're weird like me and want one. $10-$15 price range, dishwasher and microwave safe!

Hope you had a better solar eclipse experience than we did here in Minnesota. Cheers! 🌒 ⛅️ 😭

PS: I'm wearing regular sunglasses in my mugshot, but don't worry--I couldn't even find the sun in all the thick cloud-cover.

See also my 720+ photos from the Mugshot Monday project here: www.MugshotMonday.com– Every Mug Has A Story

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

I got Naps at the end of January this year. I initially chose her because of how calm she was when she was all curled up. When I got her home, she ran and hid for a few days until she started popping out every once in a while to sit near me or watch whatever show my roommate had put on. About a week and a half in, she started sleeping on my roommate's pillow and would sit peacefully when we were moving around the room. Eventually, she found that my bed was also very comfortable and the best place to sleep in it is directly on top of me. Now, she curls up with me every night and demands as many pets as I’ll give her. Every morning she sits on me and stares at me until I wake up (that’s more creepy than cute). She never used to meow or make a sound but now she’s talkative every time I come home (and quite possibly the loudest purrer) and loves to climb around- even if she is the most uncoordinated cat I have ever known. She’s made her place in our lives and I’ve forgotten what life was like without her- she’s the best!

— Laena

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Happy Solar Eclipse day! 🌑🌒🌞

Here is our copy of the 4th edition, volume 1, of Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language (1773) and Johnson's definitions of "eclipse" and "ecliptick." This is one of our larger books, which is especially evident next to our smallest book (The Inaugural Address of John Fitzgerald Kennedy).

ECLI'PSE. n.

1. An obscuration of the luminaries of heaven; the sun is eclipsed by the intervention of the moon; the moon by the interposition of the earth. The word originally signifies departure from a place, to which Milton alludes.

2. Darkness; obscuration.

To ECLI'PSE v. a. [from the noun]

To darken a luminary.

To extinguish; to put out.

To cloud; to obscure.

To disgrace.

You might spot some words you don't know within eclipse's surrounding entries. A new one to me was "eclegma," "A form of medicine made by the incorporation of oils with syrups, and which is to be taken upon a liquorice stick."

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Spring reflecting.

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

At our last monthly open house of the semester, we pulled a few items with poetry for National Poetry Month. In our copy of Ballads En Termes de la Ley, we stumbled upon a poem about the 1892 Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball Company case, which many students recognized from their 1L contracts class.

A notable case in terms of contracts within advertisements, Carlill v. Carbolic involved the company's advertisement stating that buyers who found the product didn't work after using it as instructed could claim £100 (the equivalent of $20,186 USD today). When Louisa Carlill contracted influenza after using the smoke ball three times daily for nearly two months, she went to claim her reward. Carbolic claimed it wasn't a serious contract, but the court held that there was a fully binding contract.

"Mrs. Carlill has sniffed the Carbolic

Smoke Ball--nasty thing--thrice a day;

Fits of neuralgia, the gout and the colic,

To such pains would be simply child's play.

And yet, after all's said and done,

Influenza has held her in thrall"

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Before Babe Ruth there was Gavvy Cravath?

Clifford Carlton "Gavvy" Cravath was a star player for the Minneapolis Millers who won batting titles in the American Association in 1910/11 and also hit 29 homers in 1911, setting a Minor League record.

Cravath was already 31 years old when he joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 1912 but he still led the National League in home runs six different seasons.

Cravath's 20th-century record of 119 homers was broken by Babe Ruth in 1921.

#gavvy cravath #minneapolis #minnesota #baseball #sports #vintage #history #Millers #philadelphia phillies #babe ruth #home run #twin cities #midwest #retro

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Shark Tales No More. Live Sharks Caught in Minnehaha Creek

Shortly after Jaws opened in Minneapolis theatres back in the summer of 1975, the number of swimmers using our area lakes and pools plunged significantly. So, when a 10 year-old Minneapolis student approached Minnesota DNR biologist Dan Marais about three fossilized shark’s teeth she had found in Minnehaha Creek, he could only smile to himself. More shark tales, he thought. That is, until he actually saw the teeth.

They did, in fact, come from sharks. However, two of the specimens were clearly not fossils, but teeth shed from a contemporary shark. Curious about the origins, Marais called a colleague at the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife to help identify the teeth and perhaps avoid falling victim to a hoax. What he learned made the small hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Lab technicians positively identified these two teeth as having come from a two-to-three year-old Bull Shark.

Worried about the negative effect on local recreation a man-eating shark might possibly cause, Minnesota officials ordered an immediate sweep of Minnehaha Creek. On Saturday, March 26, conservation officers began their search below the falls using ultrasonic stun devices to drive any fish downstream and into gill nets strung across the mouth of the creek. Despite catcalls and hoots from park patrons, the team worked downstream throughout the day and into the night. It was difficult work with shallow water and an unusual number of recently downed trees blocking the creek.

A little after midnight, two juvenile sharks were captured along with dozens of rough fish and several spawning Northern Pike. Both sharks were malnourished and docile, but in overall good health and the two fish are now in a special hospital tank at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, undergoing observation and a slow acclimatization back to salt water. The staff there have named them Lenny and Frankie, after two of the characters from the 2004 animated feature, Shark Tale.

This summer, scientists plan to install experimental freshwater sonar devices to watch for sharks in the two-mile stretch of the Mississippi between the Ford Dam and its confluence with the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling State Park.

For the safety of its visitors, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board ordered signs prohibiting cliff diving or swimming in or below Minnehaha Falls until further notice.

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Just wanted to share an update on our dog we adopted from the Coon Rapids Animal Humane Society a month ago. He was a stray named Bagel by AHS, but we have named him Chester. He was 18 pounds and very underweight when we adopted him. Since then he has gained two pounds and become an irreplaceable, snuggly member of our family.

He’s learned basic commands, how to use our doggie door and has become fully house trained. His “big brother” Coco came to us from the Golden Valley Animal Humane Society six-years ago and the two of them bonded instantly and are almost inseparable.

We can’t thank AHS enough for all their work helping animals find forever homes. We will forever be a supporter of their work and will definitely adopt again from AHS when the time is right. Thank you!

— Elizabeth

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

My boyfriend and I were looking for a dog to add to our family and the first time we saw Cooper (formally Gavin) we fell in love!

Originally we were told he would destroy the house being he was already returned once but he is the best boy! He cracks us up with his high energy but he is also our snuggle puppy and couch potato. He fits right in with our family!

— Jordan

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

We adopted Tango (the stray named Happy by AHS) in December and did not expect that adding a third cat to our household would actually make things more peaceful! She recovered fast from her surgery and has been having a lot of fun playing with our other cat, Fluffy. Now that Fluffy has a new friend to play with, he has had less time to bother our elderly kitty, Violet, who is not amused. Tango enjoys climbing and birdwatching and has claimed a napping spot on the kitchen radiator by a nice sunny window. Thank you to Animal Humane Society's Coon Rapids adoption center for bringing this perfect baby into our lives and for taking such good care of her before we could bring her home.

— Theodosia

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Did you know that when it opened in 1973 at just over 775 ft the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis was the 16th tallest building IN THE WORLD? By comparison the 16th tallest building today is the Lakhta Center in Saint Petersburg, Russia which is nearly double the height at 1,516 ft!

#minneapolis #minnesota #twin cities #downtown #history #travel #midwest #aesthetic #wanderlust #skyscrapers #russia #architecture

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

We adopted our kitty Polly from Animal Humane Society's Coon Rapids location back in July. AHS did a great job fixing her all up, and even though she was recovering from a kitty cold, mites, and a spay but when we spent time with her she immediately plopped down in our laps and started purring and we knew we had a winner!

She is now living her very best life and enjoys, among other things, balls of yarn and chewing on pens. Also we love her extra toes!

— Greta

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

We just love having Dietrich as an addition to our family. He definitely came in and stole all of our hearts. He’s so playful, attentive, & he loves to cuddles and get lots of love.

He loves to be outside free and running in the back yard. He looks forward to morning and evening walks. We get a lot of compliments on him. Thanks for allowing us to adopt him & make him our family the best choice for us by far.

— Jaime

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Ace adapted really good. He loves the other dogs and his new home.

— Craig