Felt Forest Friends

First Friday Block Party season will be kicked off with Mary Clymer as the month's resident artist at Liberty Cafe starting this Friday. Channeling her favorite theme of trees and mushrooms, Mary's playful felt art wonders feature woodland friends and snippets of color enhanced nature. The show is entitled Fun Felt Forest.

Mary works from her interior inspiration. No patterns are drawn and the work is sewn without pins, so there is a very organic nature to her process. Mary loves how forgiving and cheap felt is to work with and has been amazed at what she has been able to create when allowing the felt to take over her living room for the last three weeks.

Not too long ago, Mary entered a contest for Pabst Blue Ribbon where she created a latch hook hanging that was selected to hang in the halls of the PBR headquarters back east. This spout of recognition created a little fire in Mary's creative belly, and she has been moving forward with her crafty self ever since.

Happy Delusions, the indie craft store that Mary owns and operates on South Third Street in what she has helped coin the "DTR" (aka Downtown Renton, y'all), kept Mary from some of her personal creative outlets for awhile. Now she is feeling really happy and at home with her chosen medium and having the show and deadline looming has helped bring her work into being.


Trucker hats with cute felt bling as well as headbands will also be available at the show. Some of the pieces that are to be hung are part of personal collections that are on loan for the show, but their are some recently created pictures that could go home with any of you.

The artist in her element

NellieLynn's Cheesecakes will be there with slices of cheesecake and wine, DJ Phil Anthony will be spinning some tunes - it is the place to be this Friday evening.

First Friday Block Party starts this Friday, May 7th at about 7pm

Liberty Cafe
926 S. Third Street
(425) 235 - 1400

The Return of Fondue in Renton

Photo from drmvm's Flickr account, funnily entitled "holy crap, It's another photo of fondue"

You remember when you couldn't go to a garage sale without stumbling over a fondue pot for sale, or the three or four fondue sets that your parents received as wedding gifts that still hideout in the attic somewhere. Well, dig them out and get those burners lit - Fondue season is officially OPEN.

Yesterday was Fondue Brunch at the Liberty Cafe, and the feasting and dipping went on for a good long while. There was a chocolate pot for the varied fruits and pound cake, and a cheese fondue for the assorted veggies and bread. Totally vegetarian folks.

One of the tasty creations just prior to being consumed.

Jake seen here going for the fondue gusto.

Bill Collins, Sue Hughes and Sue Rider.

Many thanks go out to Sue Rider, who truly was the wings beneath this feast. It would not have happened without all the goodies you so loving bought and prepared. Thanks to Sue Hughes for the bananas and The Picaroon brought the sour cream pound cake, just to help out.

Liberty Cafe - whatever will happen next there?

Liberty Cafe
926 S. Third Street
(425) 235 - 1400

Christmas Cookie Catch-up

I know, I know - you have sooo many Christmas cookies at home that you could choke a small farm animal, so why would you want to look at just one more!? But, I have been remiss in reporting this happy little event that took place just 5 days before the holiday at Liberty Cafe.

A Christmas Cookie Decorating Party that Rachel Myers so lovingly orchestrated on Dec. 20th was a blast and a cookie feast. Rachel made sugar and gingerbread cookies for hours at home, and then brought them all to be decorated and eaten at Liberty Cafe. Free fun for the whole community - now that is what I call the spirit of the season.

Work of cookie art by an avid cookie decorator on the scene. This cookie, after being photographed for posterity, was promptly eaten by it's maestro.

The cookie lady herself! Thanks, Rachel, for a party well done!

Renton prepares with ghouls and gobblins

I want to take you to the scary side of Renton town - to places where people go to see the true spirit of Halloween, and more than just getting a handful of treats, where they go to get a little ... scared.

This is the Schlegel home on Williams, between 3rd and 4th, in North Renton. Every year, their yard looks a little bit more creepy than the year before. Even though the yard is full and the lights are up, Todd Schlegel assures me that there will be more to come before October 31st arrives.

Put this neighborhood on your destination list this upcoming Saturday after next. It will be ghoulish fun and laughter for all ages. Adjoining houses have also gotten the decorating bug. I will show photos of those homes in the next blog or two, so stay tuned.

Many of the special yard decorations are handmade - like this ever so cute guillotine. How very charming.

Creepy children in masks walk the lawn in anticipation of your arrival.

The undead await your presence gleefully.


Here are two inhabitants of the Halloween House - Meera and Mason Schlegel. They love the holidays and hope you come over and have some fun. The house will be "haunted" for Halloween. There might be mischief and mayhem abrew here. Please come by.

The Schlegels, Todd and Christy, when not celebrating the holidays in such great style, run a pet walking and daycare business called "Rain or Shine Pet Care". Hit the link and check them out.

Are you ready to make yourself Film Famous?!

Renton Film Frenzy - the deadline for becoming the next famous Rentonite who owns a humming camcorder and a sense of style and adventure comes to an end tomorrow, so if you ever thought of writing, directing, filming and editing a film about Renton in a 50 hour time frame (Oct. 16-18), HOP TO IT! This is your last chance to jump on this gravy train.

Thank goodness my blogger buddies, Ms Lynar at AllAboutRenton and Rich Zwicker at Renton425 have already posted about this very sizzlin' event. I am lame and have been taking pics of scarecrows in windows and pumpkins in patches - so sue me. However, you can still follow this awesome link to the Renton Film Frenzy website and get involved, or at least stay tuned for the outcome of all this energetic film-mania. There will be a red carpet gathering at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center, paparazzi and popcorn to a viewing of the entrees that made the cut and got the awards ( Curvee Awards, that is). All in all - this about putting Renton on the map, because although we may be ahead of the curve, we are a little far removed from the glitter of Hollywood - for now.

Take a peak at the previous award winners of Renton Film Frenzy, Sam Graydon and Chris (Bob) Anderson, as they consider joining in another year of filming hubbub.