A Change is Gonna Come....

Changes are coming to the Pretty. Useful. Stuff. world.  Can't wait to share them with you! We are on a slight hiatus but will return before the end of the year with new products, funky shops for you to check out and all the pretty and useful stuff you can handle.  Contact Emily at Emilyontheave@yahoo.com , Prettyusefulstuff@yahoo.com or on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/EmilyontheAve

See you soon! XOXOXO

Art-Full Life Friday: Upcycling

I love upcycling. I think it is brilliant to take something used and turn it into something art-full and beautiful.  Here are some of my favorite Upcycled items from across the web:

Vespa turned Rocking Toy as seen on ohdeedoh

Man's Shirt Upcycled into a Dress as seen on Craft Gossip

Upcycled Furniture Set as seen on Adaptive ReUse

Vintage Lace Top Turned into a Necklace. Tutorial on Instructables

I have had this photo for a while. I don't know where it came from but I love it. If this is your upcyled design let me know!

Tires turned Belt seen on Sexy Upcycling

And finally.....

Circuit Board Boxers (!) as seen on Inhabitat

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National-Barbie-in-a-Blender Day: Celebrating Free Speech and Fair Use

In 1999 a lawsuit was filed by Barbie manufacturer Mattel Corp against artist Tom Forsythe over his photograph of a Barbie in a Blender (as a comment on crass consumerism says the artist).  Five years later on July 27, 2004 Mattel lost the suit and had to reimburse Forsythe $1.8 million in legal costs because the judge in the case ruled that it ran counter to the first amendment.  In celebration of free speech and fair use, FreeCulture.org created National Barbie-in-a-Blender Day. 

Photo courtesy of Ellisly

Here are some more artists following in Forsythe's footsteps and featuring Barbie in their eclectic artwork.

Barbie and Ken as American Gothic painting by Brad Goodell / Spring Creek Arts

Above is art created by Margaux Lange in high school (with artist's favorite - Carrot Barbie) seen on Midge's Mind.  Below is some of Lange's more recent Barbie work-Body Part Jewelry.

Since body parts have to come from somewhere....

Wilde Moon's collection of Barbie Murders prints absolutely delights me.

If anyone wants to buy me a present, please make it this! I am in looove with artwerx by Tracy Webster's  Altered Barbie Birdcage sculpture. 

"I want to be Barbie - that bitch has everything."

You Can Have It All pendant by G Jarvis Jewelry, Etc.

And finally....

"Ride 'em Cowgirl" original Barbie art by artist LaVonne Sallee. Photo by Paul Chinn / The Chronicle as part of an annual Altered Barbie Art Show.

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Mice on the Loose!

I am truly honored to have been a part of Truly Nolen's social media project on July 24, 2010- the Mousecar Parade.

We started the day driving down AIA in our Mousecars with our incredible drivers (including my driver Raphael who was not only a genius on insects but sang M.C. Hammer's You Can't Touch This) and headed to the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science.  There I got to live out my lifelong dream of holding a tarantula.  It was a fantastic experience!

Next we drove to Pizza Fusion for tasty organic pizza.  Their organic Mediterranean pizza with Kalamata olives was to die for.  I highly recommend it!

Next stop - Butterfly World in Coconut Creek. If you have never been to Butterfly World, take my advice - it is totally worth the entry cost to experience it at least once.  It is like being in The Secret Garden or a fantasy world. I have expected a fairy to fly by. 

You can sometimes touch the butterflies and occasionally they will land on you, but hundreds of them fly around you - some the size of little birds. BW's Barry the Bug Guy gave us an entomology lesson as well and I got to hold a hissing cockroach and a giant African millipede.  My mom (who breeds exotic pets) would be so proud!

Back to our cars to cruise on home, all of us squeaking (sorry had to) about our day.  The public's reaction to the parade was priceless - they were taking photos, tweeting about seeing the mousecars drive by and the media responded to talking about the event as well.  All in all it was an extremely successful campaign for Truly Nolen and their PR team at Tilson PR in Boca. Congrats to all and thank you for such an incredible, unforgettable time!

To see more of the Truly Nolen Mousecar Parade event images, visit:  http://bit.ly/derQCn





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Art-Full Friday: Bug Beauty

Bugs are art-full without even trying. Today as part of my "Week of Pests", I take a look at all things buggy and beautiful.  And don't forget, tomorrow you can follow our tweets as we participate in the Truly Nolen Mousecar Parade: @EmilyontheAve, @TrulyNolen, @FloridaFrecks, @ViceQueenMaria, @AmandaStewart and @Jarret23.  Monday I will be posting a recap with pics of the event, but for now- on to the insects!

Dragonflies are my favorite bugs. I love how their wings look like intricate lace. 

Photo courtesy of Dimiter Hristov.

This is an actual Katydid and not a photoshopped insect as I originally thought. Looks like Mother Nature created a bug just for me ;)

Photo seen on Veg Web.

 

Totally impressed at the patience this must have taken. This is an actual ant hill in Africa. What crafty bugs!

Photo courtesy of Trek Earth.

Speaking of artistic animals-this castle looking structure is actually a Termite Mound in Cape York, Australia.

Photo courtesy of Portland House.

 

I definitely could not talk about art-full bugs without mentioning spiders. Their webs fascinate me with their delicate strength and incredible designs. 

Photo seen on PK Photography.

Again, nature at its best. Dewdrops on a spider web make for an all natural piece of art.

Photo courtesy of LeBell.

And finally...

This statue in Japan is made of hundreds of thousands of dead bugs.

Interesting and gross and beautiful all at the same time.

Photo seen on Zichi Art.

 

Bugging Out

As promised, with only two days left until the Truly Nolen Mousecar Parade (in case you are following #MousecarParade on Twitter), today's Etsy Thursday Treasury is all about pests.

Art Nouveau Print by Kiri Moth Designs.

Buggin My Soap Line (several insect types) Handmade by Hilary.

Steampunk Insect Ring by Edme Designs

Latex Art Zen Gown by Black Lickorish

 

Matching Mother/ Daughter Ants Apron by SunnieHills0729

The Ghost of That Bug You Smushed Magnet by Paper Fruit Hair

4 Bees Vinyl Wall Decal and Over Sized Ant Wall Decal by Wilson Graphics

And finally....

My favorite cockroach of all time, from Family Guy.

"Good, Good...."

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The Mice Will Play

This week I got the very exciting news that I was chosen as one of 5 participants (+1 guest) to be a part of Truly Nolen's Mouse Car Parade!

If you live in South Florida and you see the parade this Saturday (July 24th) wave to us (and if you're on Twitter follow the event at #MousecarParade.

In honor of this event, I am dedicating the rest of my week's posts to pests - creepy, crawly, scurrying and yet somehow kinda cute pests.  And since I get to ride around in a life size mouse this weekend - today is all about Mice.

See - mice can be cute...at least in "The Pest" Series Etchings by Achiozza. 

The chicest mouse I have ever seen.  The Cosmic Mouse Ring by RFXStudios on Etsy.

 

The House of Mouse makes absolutely irresistible felt mice. I am especially taken with Anakin Skywalker Mouse (above) and Hannibal Lecter Mouse (below). 

Getting married?

Straight from the U.K., you can even have mice as your wedding cake topper:

However, if we're talking edible mice (who would ever think I would be saying that...), I think this cupcake by Martha Stewart (tutorial on Bunny Cakes) is perfect. Though almost too adorable to eat. 

And finally...

Have Your Ever Seen Such A Sight In Your Life?

Three Blind Mice caught and mounted just for you by Craft Sleuth.

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The Pear Neccessities

Over the last couple of years I have learned how to cook. I love it, but I don't have the chance to do it often.  However, after a successful vegetable lasagna last night, I have decided that this week I am going to try a new culinary adventure: Pear, Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onion Pizza. 

Pears aren't a fruit I often eat, but I love the look of them. And once I do have one I always think, "why don't I eat this more often?"  As you can probably already tell, today's post is about pears.

If you're not going to eat them, might as well wear them! Cathy at la prochaine fois makes these incredible dried fruit rings. 

Searching for something a little less frilly? Ash Hilton makes this modern, chic Pear Ring.

The steel base of Yanko Designs' Pear Tree Lamp charges three pear lights that can be picked off and stay illuminated for an hour before "running out of juice." Place them back on the tree to recharge.

 

Too cool to juice -these Buddha Pears (for sale in the UK and China) were created by a Chinese farmer. Read more about it at Just Cool Design.

And finally....

Just about the best chair I have ever seen:

 

The Prickly Pear Cactus Chair by Valentina Glez Wohlers

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