Bellies, Brides and Businesswomen

A sampling of some of my recent photowork.

I *still* just want a pretty apron.

I started this project early 2008. During the Guildess Discussion on Inspiration in March 2010 I was encouraged to keep working on it. It's been a long time since I really made ART. Since early 2009 I started doing silly creative stunts, began facilitating art and craft for others, and explored tiny visual exercises. Domestic spaces and the events that occur in them inspire me on a daily basis.

Yellow Wallpaper

Reference :

Yellow Wallpaper

by: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Treasure Hunt

Yet to be determined animal skull found at Gorzek Residence circa 2003 while cleaning up brush in woods. Initially Laura was not allowed to have it. Don Gorzek decided circa 2003 to burn years of forest brush with hopes of achieving dream of converting house into successful photo studio.


True-Vue Stereoscope viewfinders found 2010. Amazing find! These toys are educational film strips that are viewed in 3D. Pictures with depth. Laura sort of remembered playing with these as a child. Don Gorzek also remembered having one as a child when West Allis Central High School Library was throwing them away. Too neat not to keep.


Originally owned by George Korkos. He had a rummage sale at his sister, Sue Gorzek's house circa 1999, when he decided to sell all of his worldly possessions and bike across the country. Laura has a strange obsessions lately with aprons and thinks tool belts are "man-aprons" and wants to keep it in her personal collection.

New Venture

When one door closes another one opens. I am working on a little side business while I look for new employment. Check out the corresponding photography restoration blog for more details :

Grasshopper Restoration

Weekly Status Update - 09|12|27

Better late than never, right... Anywho, most of the week I was trying to think of different things to do with mushrooms. Sunday night I decided to make Mushroom Soup. It called for 8 1/2 cups of mushrooms. A carton of mushrooms is 8 oz and my hungry logic converted 8 oz to one cup. The carton looked bigger than a cup and even confirmed "8 oz = cup fact" with the stocker so of course I bought 8 cartons of mushrooms.

For your reference 8 oz of mushrooms is actually 3 cups. The one and only time I considered returning groceries, I misplaced my receipt. Immediately, I made a double batch of mushroom soup.

Here's the recipe :

5 oz bread
4 tbsp butter
1 small onion
8 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2/3 cup red wine
4 cup veggie or chicken stock
salt pepper

1. soak bread 10 min. drain and squeeze.

2. In large pot, melt butter, add onion. Add garlic and mushrooms. Cook till mushrooms release liquid.

3. Add bread and thyme and pour in wine. Cook till alcohol evaporates. Pour in stock. Cover simmer 30 min.

4. Blend together

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Then I came up with a "Chicken and Rice Soup" Recipe with what I had around the house :

1 chicken breast
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
splash of olive oil
8 oz of mushrooms
3 carrots
splash of white wine
5 cups of chicken stock
tarragon
fennel
white pepper
bay leaf
1 1/2 cups of steamed rice
dallop of sour cream

1. Cube chicken. In large pot heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic. Add chicken.

2. Cook chicken for the most part. Add chopped mushrooms and coined carrots. Shake in tarragon, fennel, and white pepper.

3. Add a splash of white wine. Then chicken stock. Add 1 bay leaf. Cover and let simmer 30 min.

4. Take out bay leaf. Add Steamed rice. Stir. Add a small dallop of sour cream. Stir.

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I took the last carton of mushrooms home for the holidays and served them up with eggs and sausage for breakfast.


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With mushrooms on the brain I made a Mushroom Cloud Mobile! yay!

Felt mushrooms are made with a long rectangle of felt spiraled up into cylinder and stitched shut. Then cut circle of felt and stitch a loose running stitch along outer edge. Pull tight to make sack, then stuff with fiberfill. Hot Glue cylinder inside mushroom cap. Waaa laaa!

Weekly Status Update - 09|12|20

Basically felt like I woke up on the wrong side of the week. Constantly felt off balanced. But luckily pulled through and got back on track by the end of the week. Compared to many people around me, my week was just full of mild annoyances. Time slipped through the cracks in the floor that is still covered with a pile of clothes. A little dirt around the house is a pretty good price to pay for the amount of time I spent with friends. I have a feeling that this upcoming week will again be jammed packed with socializing and neglect of the daily routine.