Boob-Ha-Ha

I’ve never been considered shy. I’m that nut who will walk up to you at the grocery store and ask you how you’re going to fix that cheese. Or who invites you to lunch five minutes after meeting you. Friendly. Boundary-less. In need of social skills. Whatever. It works for me most of the time, and it’s really worked for me in getting goodies for this auction.

In one case, I didn’t even have to ask. Someone left a comment on one of the auctions, offering a Papier Mache Bowl.

It’s a papier mache bowl made with a wire-frame base. She painted it with copper on the inside of the bowl and used a copper patina on the outside. The bottom is a glossy black. Signed with the artist’s thumbprint. There is also a hidden note of good fortune trapped in the base.

It stands 8″ tall and the bowl diameter is 12″.

Bidding to start at $20 $61.

To which I said, “Thank you! We’ll take it! It’s gorgeous! Who are you anyway?”.

Her name’s Erika. She lives in Boston, found us via Fluid Puddin, and is possible undead. I’m not sure. I don’t care. Who says zombies can’t be good people?

I know what you’re thinking. She makes jelly. She’s running this Boob-Ha-Ha thing. She occasionally writes on her own blog. Does Robin ever sleep?

No. I’ve decided I don’t need sleep. It’s for the weak who have nothing better to do. Granted, it’s easy to say that at midnight-thirty, after the two-hour nap I took this afternoon. A nap I took after baking a cake from scratch! With a three-year-old’s help!

Anyway, if I were home, I might be sleeping by now. Most likely I’d be reading. But I’m not home. I’m minding Beqi’s young one, who’s sleeping at the other end of the couch.

That’s right. I make jelly, organize auctions, blog, make cakes from scratch with the help of a three-year-old, naps, and I got Little Eddie, The Child Who Never Sleeps, to sleep.

I rule.

I need a blanket. Like the Ice Ice Baby Quilt.
(You know, I’m starting to feel like Elaine on Seinfeld when she wrote for that horrible catalog, trying to come up with clever ways to segue into merchandise descriptions. Sadly, I often feel like Elaine. Anyway.)

This comes from my pal Allison, proprietor of Squaresville. Since I love Allison’s storytelling skills (she’s also an English teacher), I’ll let her tell the tale behind this quilt:

The beauty of this quilt is its genesis. I had it
planned out on graph paper, but then El Ice Storm 06
hit, and I had to put it together at my MIL’s house.
So, I wasn’t able to lay the blocks out and rearrange
them if they clashed. It turned out fine, and has many
happy memories of rockin’ out in the MIL’s kitchen
with her and her Best Hits of the 70’s CD. “Summer
breeze, makes me feel fine, blowin’ through the
jasmine in my miiiiind…” Good times.

Thus the name “Ice Ice Baby”. It’s appropriate, since Wendy happens to be the only remaining Vanilla Ice fan in existance.

60″ wide and 84″ long-ish.It is a summer spread-no batting. The backing is
lightweight upholstery fabric.

Let’s start the bidding at $40.$101.

Allison’s also offering the chance for one lucky bidder to win a gift certificate of sorts to her Etsy store. The winner will get to choose either one pair of potholders or one oven mitt. Bidding on the Squaresville faux gift certificate starts at $15 $26.

I started this post on my laptop Thursday afternoon, then remembered that all the photos were still on my desktop. Being too lazy to go to my basement, where the desktop lives, I decided to postpone until today, which really isn’t the best way to treat one of the most blow-you-out-of-the-water donors in this auction. Sorry, Julie.

There’s a local photographer named Julie. I’ve never met her, but she’s a friend of a friend. For months I’ve been obsessed with her St. Louis Personified project. Go look. It’s amazing and makes me a little weepy.

When I’m not being a big crybaby, I tend towards pushy bullydom. Even though I had never met Julie, I didnt hesitate to pester her to get a photo framed and give it to me for the Boob-Ha-Ha.

I have the supreme Power of the Push, because Julie’s donated fiveframed, matted, and signed prints. And I got all weepy again.

You’re dying to see these prints, aren’t you? Get a hanky.

Crystallized Sugar

11″ x 14″ black frame, 8″ x 10″ photo. The original is here. Bidding begins at $40$176, although the urge is strong to just throw a bunch of money into the coffer and keep this for myself.

Lost Sock

11″ x 14″ black frame, 8″ x 10″ photo. The original is here. Bidding begins at $40$61

For a Cure

8″ x 10″ black frame, 5″ x 7″ photo. Bidding starts at $35$51. Here’s the original.

All Stars

8″ x 10″ black frame, 5″ x 7″ photo. Bidding starts at $35 $81. Here’s the original.

Stupid Girl

8″ x 10″ black frame, 5″ x 7″ photo. Bidding starts at $35. Here’s the original. If this isn’t purchased by s0meone I know who spent July 4th exploding generic Barbies with fireworks and videotaping the hilarious carnage, well, then something just ain’t right, my friends.

Do you think Julie just donated all those amazing framed, signed original photos and left it at that? No. She did more! Her family has their own pet project called Love Stems. As Julie explains, “If we succeed at teaching our children one thing, we want them to know that they can change the world…even if it starts with toilet paper rolls.” That’s right - Julie’s family creates darling pots of flowers made from snipped, painted toilet paper rolls. Then they deliver the flowers to places like the local Shriner’s Hospital for Children and the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. And now all of you Boob-Ha-Ha auctionees can have your very own pot of Love Stems.

Love Stems #1

Bidding begins at $10 $16.

Love Stems #2

$10 $12 starts the bidding.

Now Julie’s talking about offering something that involves this guy.

God, I love strangers.

I’ll bet a lot of you are regular readers of Fluid Pudding, the blog hosted by my pal Angela.

That’s right. She’s my pal. I always feel terribly boastful when I mention our friendship on my blog or to other bloggers, since she’s somewhat of a biggie amongst Mommy Bloggers. Fact is, if it wasn’t for her, you probably wouldn’t be reading me, because I think about 95% of my readership came directly from her recommendation when I started Poppymom a little over three years ago.

Since you probably read Fluid Pudding, you no doubt know that she’s crafty. She gets around. She’s crafty. She’s always down. She’s crafty. She’s got a gripe. She’s crafty. She’s just my type. And I say this only because among her writing and crafting talents, Angela claims to know all the words to the entire Licensed to Ill album, a claim I intend to make her prove one of these days.

In the meantime, she knits and donates. Here’s what she’s got:

The Stripey Purse, made in my all-time favorite color combo of purple and green. Main body is 10 inches wide and 6 1/2 inches tall. Magnetic closure with decorative button. Bidding starts at $20. $51

Socks! She’s knit a pair of socks for the auction! You know you want these, especially if you’re a Harry Potter nerd. These are the Horcrux Socks. I’m not far enough along in the HP books to know what that means, but if you do, you know you want these for the upcoming movie and book releases:

100% Superfine Australian Merino Yarn (Worsted Weight)
Superwash (lay flat or tumble dry on delicate)
Perfect for lounging (or skating on hard wood) as you read Harry Potter
and The Deathly Hallows
Will (probably) fit women’s size 7-10ish or men’s size 5 1/2 to 8 1/2.
(UK 39-43). The opening bid will take $15 $31 from your book and movie budget.

Fluid Pudding. Felted Bowls. Both somewhat contradictory terms. Both awesome. While you can’t buy Fluid Pudding, you can buy her felted bowls.



Large striped bowl is 4 1/2 inches high and 5 inches wide.
Tiny red bowl is 3 inches high and 4 1/2 inches wide.
Tiny red bowl fits nicely into large striped bowl.

These are really cute for Christmas. Like, fill them with something that
smells good, or dump wrapped candy into them, or even put shiny
ornaments in them. THAT would be cute!

They’re fuzzy! And they’re bowls! That’s pretty fucking unexpected, no? Bidding begins at $20 $36.