Etsy Blogged

I would like the thank Kristen of 622press for such a lovely review of my work. 

She has included a wonderful holiday gift guide on her site. I am so very flattered to be include in someone else's post. Take a look-see at her post.

Below is work from my senior thesis project. 

Sumba is a set of ceramic mixing bowls I designed and made to be easy to hold and pour. They where finished last May, and have also been shown at Industry Gallery at the Pacific Design Center. 

If you are interested in the purchase of these mixing blows, you may wish to view my Etsy shop.

Sunset Hike

We went for a late afternoon hike at Deukmejian Wilderness Park.

Psychic Haircuts

Our strange blog name has a personal history, but it has come to my attention that the two words are related in another, far more interesting, way. The name Psychic Haircuts originally came from my childhood entrepreneurship, when I wrote on a piece of poster board: "Psychic Readings or Haircuts - 25 CENTS."
However, when I searched for the blog name on google, I stumbled across this article. The basic idea is that your hair is an extension of your nervous system, and if you remove your hair, you remove some of your sensory signals. The example the article uses is Native American trackers in the Vietnam War, and how when they were forced to get buzz cuts, they could no longer access their tracking skills.
Other examples of this occur in mythology. In Sampson and Delilah, Delilah cut Sapmson's hair and he was defeated in battle for the first time ever. Nisus, king of Megara was invincible as long as his magic locks were intact. When his daughter Scylla, who was in love with his enemy King Minos, cut them while he slept, his powers vanished and he was captured by King Minos. Apollo means "golden haired" and "never shorn". In the book series A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin, the Dothraki only cut their long braids when they have been beaten in battle. In black magic, a lock of hair is enough to cast a spell in the right direction. Berenice gave her hair to Aphrodite so that her husband might survive battle, Aphrodite accepted and placed them in the sky. Rapunzel's hair symbolized her purity and in the Disney version, used it to heal.
Even today when we leave a bad relationship we have a strange urge to cut off all our hair, as if it will help us to forget. Wearing your hair down symbolizes loose, independent power, and a tight bun means you're in control. Many magicians use their hair to weave spells into, braiding the incantations strength. And after discovering the mythos of hair, I feel perhaps there is something to these psychic haircuts.

Two Heads are Better then One

Mountain High

I would like to thank my friend Darcy for being a fabulous and modeling my knitwear and my bags. Here is a tastes of the photo shoot from yesterday.

Sweater is knit with %100 raw wool using a random lace pattern, it is made in one piece.

Hat is knit in the round using a wool silk blend.

She has a sophisticated expression, no? Black Scarf is knit using the basic lace pattern.

This green artist beret is knit using a Japanese yarn that is made from bamboo, silk, and cotton. All knitwear is made using original patterns. -Changwins

Top 10 Horror Films

October is the month of Halloween. Where sprits are said to roam on earth on the night of all hallows ever, October 31. Halloween is also one of my favorite holidays because we get to dress up and pretend that we are something else. And so in the sprit of Halloween. I am going to list my favorite movies to get in the mood for Halloween. In no particular order:

1 Donnie Darko (Directors Cut)

Not a typical horror movie per say, however it dose have many elements of a horror movie and the entire plot revolves around the count down to the end of the world, which falls on Halloween. This movie is shot well. Has a 80's sound track and boast an amazing cast, including:  Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze and Jena Malone. Donnie Darko, 2001 written and directed by Richard Kelly.  The Director's cut of the film was released on May 29, 2004.

2 Let the Right One In

In the era of the Twilight, this Swedish film does the vampire genre right, making them scary once more. The plot revolves around a friendship between a thirteen year old boy and a vampire that urges him to seek revenge from his bullies. Understated and superbly shot, Let the Right One In will be sure to please lovers of the vampire genre and non-vampire fans alike. et the Right One In, 2008 directed by Tomas Alfredson. Based on the novel of the same titleby John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay.

3 Night of the Living Dead

The original zombie movie, enough said. Night of the Living Dead ,1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman.

4 An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London tells the story of David; who after waking up in a hospital after an animal attack, Is not sure if he is going crazy when he has a visions dead best friend telling him to kill him self or is really turning into a werewolf. The movie won the 1981 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and an Academy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup. An American Werewolf in London 1981, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne.

5 Kwaindan

Kwaindan literally means ghost story in Japanese. Apart from felling completely different then any other horror movie I have seen. This film has some of the most beautiful set design I have seen and uses traditional Japaenes folk tales to give the audience a spook. Kwaidan  1965 directed by Masaki Kobayashi. It won the Special Jury Prize at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival^[1] and an Academy Award nomination.

6 Interview with a Vampire

Is told by Louis, as he traces his life as a vampire back three centuries. This film also has three scary vampire hotties: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Antonio Banderas. A young Kirsten Dunss plays a brilliant young vampire turned around the age of 5, her role erned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.  Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles 1994, directed by Neil Jordan, based on the 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.

7 Suspiria

This Italian cult classic that tells the story of an American Ballet student being possessed by witches. It is set in an old art nouveau building that uses the bright reds and greens of the walls to full effect. Again this is on my list because of the breath taking cinema-photography. It also boasts one of the best psychological sound tracks I have ever heard.  Suspiria , 1977 directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Daria Nicolodi. 

8 Thirst

Made by the same director that gave us Old Boy. This Korean film gives fresh blood in to the Vampire genera. Telling the story of a Priest that accidentally is turned into a vampire due to a failed medical experiment. All hell breaks lose as his blood lust grows and he leaves the priest hood. Thirst, 2009 written, produced and directed by Park Chan-wook.

9 In the Company of Wolves

In the Company of Wolves is a post feminist re telling of the story of Little Red Ridding Hood. If nothing else, see if for the special effects and the pure nostalgia. The Company of Wolves, 1984 directed by Neil Jordan, and starring Sarah Patterson and Angela Lansbury.

10 The Shining

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”  The Shining tells the story of a man gone mad with cabin fever after being influenced by supernatural presents in the hotel he stays in, he attempts to kill is wife and son after being snowed in. The Shining, 1980, produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson,Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd.-Changwins

Angeles Crest

Today had surprisingly perfect weather for October. So I took a drive into the mountain too look for inspiration. This is what I found

 

A charming house on the way to the canyon.

Classic Signage.

The lizard king.

A bee in flight.

Yellow Earth.

Busy Bee.

Canyon Bridge. -Changwins