Ties to St. Louis. Who knew?

Last night I went to a symphony concert with my good friends, Cindy, Ann and Teresa.  It was a performance by the world-class Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra of music from Warner Bros.’ Merry Melodies and Looney Tunes cartoons. Needless to say, watching Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote while listening to fabulous music was a good time. The show’s creator and conductor, George Daugherty, was a charming fellow and an excellent MC for the evening. From him we learned of some really interesting ties between St. Louis and the Warner Bros. cartoons. For example, we learned that Carl Stalling, the composer of most of the crazy musical pieces that accompanied the cartoons, was once the organist at the St. Louis Theatre—now Powell Symphony Hall, where the concert was taking place.



Powel Symphony Hall photo from here

Stalling also happens to have been born in Missouri. The first piece of music he composed was for an unknown animator named Walt Disney. Do you know where it was screened? In St. Louis. At the Fox Theatre. Across the street from Powell. And Warner Bros Symphony Orchestra conductor Felix Slatkin was born—can you guess where? St. Louis. And he is the father of famed former Saint Louis Symphony conductor, Leonard Slatkin! Who knew??!

Sharon

Ties of love and kindness

Just a quick post today. Yesterday afternoon I went to see the movie, A Single Man.  It was directed by Tom Ford, the fashion designer. Even though it dissolves at times into scenes that look like a Calvin Klein ad, it still has a moving story and a very human performance by Colin Firth. It really got to me.

If you see the movie, you will understand the title of this post.

Sharon

1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse

I am excited to announce that Secret Leaves' work has been published in a design book. And not just any design book. The book, 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse is one in a series of my favorite design books, the 1000 series from Rockport Publishers. In my opinion, Rockport is one of the best, if not the best publisher of books on graphic design. I already have 1000 Graphic Elements and 1000 Greetings in my personal design library.

 
The Scrap Journal, a perennial Secret Leaves favorite, scored a full page (page 19) in the book, which features all manner of quirky, beautiful, useful and ingenious recycled products and art.

  
1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders and other fine bookstores.

Sharon

What happens in Vegas...

Just got back from visiting my dear friend Kelley in Las Vegas. We have been best friends since fifth grade...and without going into how old we are, that's a l-o-o-o-n-g time.


That's me on the left, Kelley on the right.

I don't have a single picture of the Strip to show you. Frankly, I was kind of appalled by it. It is pretty--in a way--but I just kept thinking that only in America could there exist this kind of excess, extravagance and over-indulgence. Still, I think everyone should see it at least once.

Kelley treated me to LOVE, the Cirque du Soleil show set to the music of the Beatles. I have to admit that when the show first started I thought 'I'm not going to like this.' But it just got better and better (and more and more trippy) as it went on and I wound up absolutely loving it. And of course, the music was amazing. There is a little video clip on their website that hints at how cool the show is. If you ever go to Las Vegas, I highly recommend it.

Image courtesy of MGM Mirage

On Sunday, we drove to Zion. I didn't realize that Zion National Park, along with the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and others, I'm sure, are just a few hours drive from Las Vegas.

Now I ask you, how can the Vegas strip compete with this?

Sharon

New products, discontinued products and Secret Leaves' name in lights

I have a few pieces of news to share and thought I would share them here. First, I am excited to announce that handmade stationery products from Secret Leaves paperworks have been selected as movie props for upcoming Screen Gems feature film The Roommate, starring Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl, Minka Kelly from Friday Night Lights and Cam Gigandet of Twilight fame. Recycled paper journals, handmade recycled stationery, 100% post-consumer recycled gift enclosures and handmade greeting cards were among the items selected as set dressing for the suspense thriller, which is currently in production.

As a result of the Screen Gems news, Secret Leaves has been getting some good local press as well. We were featured in Sauce magazine's Daily Sauce and also in the St. Louis Business Journal. The story is also circulating the web. Kind of a fun little tidbit, no?

Secondly, I am dropping some items from the line and have added some others. I have three Cigar Box album kits left and once they are gone, I won't be offering them anymore. This is largely because when I first introduced them, there wasn't much of anything like them out there, but now I am seeing all kinds of items packed in cigar boxes for much cheaper than I can afford to offer them. The good news is that the three I have left are on sale, marked down from $85 to $45! Email me if you are interested in them.

Kit #1 - Maduro SOLD

Kit #2 - Partagas SOLD

Kit #3 - La Gloria Cubana SOLD

There are also some new blank note cards added to the line, which are not on the web site yet.





They are quite lovely, multi-purpose, have across-the-board appeal and are reasonably priced at $3.95 each, retail. (If you are a shop owner, email me for wholesale prices. For those of you who haven't ordered in awhile, there are several other new products you may not have seen.)

If you have any questions or would like to purchase something, you can contact me here.

Sharon

Hauntingly beautiful - Antony and the Johnsons

I have been listening to this man's haunting and profoundly moving voice for two weeks straight. I am mesmerized by the beauty of his music.



The clip is from the Leonard Cohen documentary, "I'm Your Man."

Leonard Cohen:

"A lot of those songs are just the response to what struck me as beauty--whatever that curious emanation from a being or an object or a situation or a landscape, you know. That had a very powerful effect on me, as it does on everyone. And I prayed to have some response to the things that were so clearly beautiful to me and they were alive."

What a perfect, simple yet profound statement about beauty and the urge to create art.

Also check out the Antony songs Her Eyes Are Buried Underground, Epilepsy is Dancing, Aeon and Hope Mountain. And pretty much anything by Leonard Cohen.

God bless Leonard Cohen and God bless Antony. What beautiful spirits.

Sharon

Two great blogs

John Malkovich animated short film on Not the Kinda Cool You're Looking For

ABC in physics diagrams on Notebookism

We are so pleased to have been featured on two excellent blogs recently. Curtis James featured our Scrap Journal on his blog, Not the Kinda Cool You're Looking For. From an amazing animated film by John Malkovich to a heartbreaking documentary about hoarders (scroll down the post to the film Possessed) to all kinds of oddities, peculiarities and trifles, we beg to differ--this is exactly the kind of cool we are looking for.

Also, thanks to Notebookism for their nod to our Scrap Journals. Here is a quote from their About Us page:

"We all share a pleasant affliction - the urge to create on paper.

The smell of smooth creamy paper sends our hearts aflutter. The delicate tinkling of nib against inkwell accelerates our pulse rate. We stare endlessly at the first blank page.

Welcome to Notebookism. This is the place to indulge yourself with kindred spirits."

Sounds like our kind of people!

Visit these two cool blogs. You will thank yourself.

Sharon

Everybody's doing it

It seems like everyone we know is going to Florida. Ann and I are no exception. Ann, as you know, recently traveled to Orlando and Key West, and last week, Michael and I returned from five days in beautiful Siesta Key.

I have so many photos to share that I am going to break it into three posts. This first one will deal with Strange Beauty. As you know, Ann and I are attracted to the stranger aspects of nature. And nature, strange and otherwise, was in abundance in Siesta Key and Sarasota. See for yourself:

Boardwalk from Michael's parents' condo to the beach.

I came home with a big bag of gorgeous sea shells.

The obligatory sunset shot...

Blue herons, like this one, were plentiful.

If you are familiar with our work, you might recognize some familiar motifs.

Spotted this little guy off the cafe deck at the Ringling Museum. I thought he was a bronze sculpture...until I saw him move his head.

Beautiful little lizard spotted (pardon the pun) at Selby Gardens.

Look at the roots of this tree. Doesn't it look like something out of Pan's Labyrinth? Note the people (on the left ) to give you an idea of scale.

Well, that's enough Strange Beauty for now. Next post: The Ringling Museum.

Sharon

This week in music

Things are very busy here at Secret Leaves World Headquarters. We are filling orders, planning our year ahead and trying to organize the stupendous mess we call our studio. It is sometimes too much for two girls to handle. But to soothe our worried minds we turn to our trusty boom box and let the tunes wash over us and then we realize, once again, that life is good and we are lucky to be doing what we are doing.

So what have we been listening to that has cured all of our ills? Well one CD that is helping is the Ditty Bops' latest, Moon over the Freeway. If you are hankering for some sweet girl harmony singing with a very talented band backing them up, then this is the CD for you. And in keeping with our recycled paper goods theme, these girls spread the good green word wherever their touring takes them. This year they did a series of farm shows where they played at various barns across the country in support of local farmer's markets that promote organic and pesticide-free foods. They also helped raise money for Farm Aid. In 2006 they did a tour across the country using bicycles as the mode of transportation. And I found out that dhlovelife has a link to their website. You remember dhlovelife, don't you? (Yes, this is a shameless plug of our Scrap Journals featured on this cool website. See blog post below.)

Ann

What we are listening to...

This week's choices are all over the map. We enjoy the old stuff so we dug out some of the standards... T Rex, the Band, and Bob Dylan. Then we ventured into the 80's with some This Mortal Coil and the Pretenders. Sharon's husband made us a playlist on Napster which totally took us down memory lane with bands like Bauhaus, Iggy Pop, Wire, PIL, to name a few. He is addicted to downloading these lists so there is more fun to come. Ok, you are wondering if we ever listen to anything beyond 1984. Well... yes we do. We rounded out the week with Essex Green, Guided by Voices and Lily Allen.

And speaking of Rock and Roll. This weekend is the annual Rock and Roll Craft Show here in St. Louis. This is a super cool event that showcases the area's finest crafters with an alternative flair. It lasts two days and includes live bands and a cash bar. Who could ask for more. Is Secret Leaves participating? Of course we are! It is our fourth year and it just keeps getting better. It is put on by a group of women who run a smooth ship and the variety and quality of the goods is very much worth your time. Check it out!

Seven + Seven Random Facts

One of our fellow NaBloPoMoers, TC of I Have Things, has tagged us for a meme. Kind of like a chain letter in Blogworld. So here we go, beginning with the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share seven facts about yourself. (Since there are two of us, you get fourteen--count 'em--fourteen facts.) Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here goes:

Seven Random Facts about Ann:

Ann playing in the Misses at the Rock n Roll Craft Show

1. The drums are my favorite instrument.

2. The middle toe on my left foot is my shortest toe.

3. I like to make my little rat terrier-mix Pilar dance to the theme song from Sex in the City.

4. My favorite numbers are 5 and 7.

5. Would like to have the super-power of becoming invisible any time I want.

6. Do not like to put my head under water.

7. I feel like I am still 27.

Seven Random facts about Sharon:

Sharon at her best friend Kelley's wedding

1. My favorite song is "Yesterday" by the Beatles.

2. I have a fascination with murder and mayhem.

3. I've seen the movie My Own Private Idaho eight times--four of them at the theater.

4. In my first two weeks working at Elizabeth House, I locked myself in back hallway three times.

5. The beauty of my physical surroundings is very important to me. (I understand why postal workers shoot people.)

6. I enjoy teaching people how to do stuff.

7. My nickname in grade school was "Derry for the Defense."

OK, your turn. We tag:

A Treehugger's Wife

Diary of a MILF in Progress

Splendid Sustenance

Towards Sustainability

Welcome to my closet, here's a black dress

12Frogs

Down the Rabbit Hole

Why The Music Posts?

Rilo Kiley

We are trying to post every week or so about the music we are listening to. I thought I'd explain a bit further what's behind this. The reason is...music is pretty dang important to both of us. I've been an avid listener since I was about 10 years old. I still remember my first full-length record: It was the original soundtrack for Jesus Christ Superstar. And I remember that the next few records included Who's Next, Neil Young's Harvest, Carol King's Tapestry and the Yes Fragile album (Can you guess how old I am?). This started my long career as a music fan--to be more accurate, my rock music addiction. Later on in my youth, I bought a bass guitar and three months later began playing in bands. To this day I still partake in both of these habits and don't see them going away any time soon.



Sharon has a strong passion for music as well. She has been around it for most of her life and spent much of her earlier years going out to support the local music scene and ended up marrying a musician. Her husband, Mike, still actively plays and is a successful music engineer with his own recording studio. Needless to say, music is a constant staple in their household. I will let Sharon fill you in later on her influences but I can tell you her interest in lyrics plays a huge part in what floats her boat.

Here is what we've been spinning this week: Sun Kil Moon Tiny Cities, Rilo Kiley More Adventurous, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Raising Sand, and Liz Phair Exile in Guyville.


Alison Krauss and Robert Plant

Ann

A Good Weekend For The Movies

After the hectic rush of last weekend's Unique Boutique adventure and, of course, all the hubbub of cooking and eating Thanksgiving Day, I took advantage of a rainy Saturday to relax and go to a movie. A luxury these days. Although it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I chose No Country for Old Men. It has been getting a fair amount of critical acclaim and I usually love the work of the Coen Brothers.

I enjoyed this movie. But without giving too much away, if you want the story to tie up neatly in the end, this is not the flick for you. Also, as in most of the Coen Brother's work, there is no shortage of violence. But it is well done and the dialogue is very entertaining. I woke up today still thinking about it, and for me if a movie stays in your mind and makes you think, then it is well worth the time you took to see it.

And in keeping with my relaxing weekend and fatigue of eating turkey, I plan on more movie rentals tonight with a big plate of nachos! I can hardly wait.

Ann

What we are listening to this week

Kaki King

This will be a busy week at Secret Leaves World Headquarters. This past weekend was Unique Boutique and we are preparing for the upcoming Artisan's Reception at Home Eco on November 30, as well as the Rock-n -Roll Craft Show on December 8-9. I like to listen to easy stuff while I am working, so maybe it will be a little Red House Painters, perhaps Luna Penthouse--and I have been listening to Todd Rundgren a lot lately too. Ann is a fan of Kaki King. She might want to hear some other girl rockers too. We'll keep you posted...

Sharon