Big Time Hikers & Crafters

High FIve

2010-11-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

The weekend after the Giant's won the World Series, we drove to San Fran with Craig & Bernie to celebrate. The boys got to visit the stadium and make the best high-five ever. It was great to get out of town and enjoy the city as I've been couch-bound for some time. We met some of their awesome friends they went to college with, and saw a show at the MOMA.

Picnic Zoo

2010-08-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

Playing Catch-Up. Last weekend we went to a sweet lovely picnic at Griffith Park hosted by Christine. She'd baked a strawberry rhubarb pie that tasted like the essence of summer. It was so delicious I ate a massive pice and spent the rest of the day Ukuloo-looing int the shade. She'd planned it near the site of the Old LA Zoo, and amid the empty cages we discovered one wild beast still on display. The rare & magnificent Piggle.

Pinnacles & Sequoia National Forest

2010-08-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

We set off last Thursday night for our summer vacation. The plan was to not really have a plan, we thought we'd just head to Big Sur then Sequoia National Park and try to camp in non-reservation sites as we came across them. We'd be gone through the next week and get back into work the next Tuesday, so our trip spanned 2 weekends. Well, Big Sur was totally full, no campsites to be had in the whole place, plus David was getting itchy, it looked like it was chock-full of rich hippies and their rich-hippie offspring, so we just enjoyed the scenic drive, and pulled out our trusty California Atlas (from Benchmark Press) and searched for a new destination. We drove on a few more hours and discovered Pinnacles National Monument.

Pinnacles is amazing, it feels remote and has beautiful scenery with the CLEANEST most fresh & lovely bathroom facilities I've ever experienced at a campsite. Pinnacles is also an ancient volcano which is located on the San Andreas Fault, and has split in half and traveled some 200 miles apart. "Rising out of the chaparral-covered Gabilan Mountains, east of central California's Salinas Valley, are the spectacular remains of an ancient volcano. Massive monoliths, spires, sheer-walled canyons and talus passages define millions of years of erosion, faulting and tectonic plate movement."

We hiked Moses Spring Trail up to a beautiful resovoir, and down through some Talus caves, which I'd never been in before. There are huge suspended boulders balancing over delicate streams, and you feel such awe down under them.
We left Pinnacles after a few days and took some crazy country backroads and saw lots of farms & abandoned churches & lots of golden California hillsides. David tricked out the little Bee and made her drive crazy over those windy roads, and I decided to turn it into a wine tour.

On our way to Fresno to pick up supplies before we headed into the Sequoias, we got a text from Justin, Maddy & Ari, who were also on their way to a campsite called Dorst Creek in the Sequoias for a 3 day vacay, so we changed course and camped in their site. We had so much fun with our family, we hiked Tokopa Falls, saw the Sherman Tree, and played in Dorst Creek all day. We had several black bear encounters, including the first night there, when they raided our food locker while we were still cooking & eating dinner, then raided our picnic table while were were securing the raided locker.

After we left them, we headed North to the very bottom of Kings Canyon, and found a place a quite, serene Moraine campground. No reservations here allowed, and not that many other people. We spend our last few days enjoying the Kings river, just a hop over s small hill behind our tent, and hiking that area. We did a 9 mile round trip trek to Mist Falls one day, and followed it up with a 7 mile round trip to Weaver Lake in the Jennie Lakes Wilderness. These were the most beautiful hikes we have ever done, there are so few people out there, it so quiet and wild. Nature has just flourished in all the peace out there, and I've never seen such views of giant trees protecting little sun dappled meadows of wildflowers. Mountain views down into expansive canyon rock and river. I felt like I was in my very own church for 4 days, endlessly worshiping life & creation.

Engaged!

2010-07-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

What a magical orange & yellow party Mark & Tiffany threw to celebrate their engagement! I was pretty excited to test drive my new digital camera, which I think takes pretty nice shots - making magical memories of family & friends.
The wedding will be in the fall next year, and after seeing what an amazingly coordinated party this was, I can't even imagine the splendor that awaits us to come!

Picnic Time Ukulele Face

2010-06-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

vinyl

2010-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

So as I've been practicing my ukulele more, and taking some lessons from a co-worker's 16 year old son after work, I needed to go to a real music store to buy a CD or 2 to practice songs with. I got fed up with iTunes this year, as I can't transfer the music where I want to go easy enough and I can't share it, and I sort of just missed the cover art. I watched Love Jones recently, and was inspired by the record store scenes, and just missed the record store.

So on a lunch break last month, I rediscovered Soundsations, the record store Christine and I used to frequent in college. Well, it's even better than I remember, and I've been buying more used CDs and vinyl ever since. It's so great to ponder the album art on a large scale, and put on a record on a saturday in the front room, leave the front door open and sit on the porch, relaxing and soaking up music, which I realized had been pretty absent from my life somehow.

Here's what I've been listening to from my new used record collection :)

uku-lulu

2010-06-25T21:39:00.001-07:00

I've been practicing more, and really enjoying it. I found a great site called ukulelehunt.com which has been so great for finding the easy chords for songs I know and like. I have been trying to learn 3 or 4 songs, and subjecting David to it endlessly, and he's pretty patient with me, I know it's got to be annoying... but I can't believe how much joy it gives me to feel musical, even if it's not sounding real good yet. I am trying to use music to lull my pet-friends into harmony with one another.

2010-06-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Agata, David & I met Mark & Tiffy at the California Cactus Center in Pasadena, off a reccomendation from Amanda Siggyfoos. It was incredible, a garden of magic succulent delights!

Then on Sunday, we took Pig-Pig to a dog beach. Guess what, the Dog Beach is the happiest place in the world, it's impossible to be unhappy there among all the dog friends.

Reyes Creek

2010-06-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

So I finally got up some pics from our Ojai camping weekend at Reyes Creek. Luckily, I go camping with the best photographer EVER, Miss Bernie Mac. It was Piggy's first camping trip, and (as usual) THE BEST OF OF HIS LIFE, for 2 days in a row!
But it really was the best day of his life, he got to play in a shaded woodland creek all day with his 2 boys and a tennis ball, and go on a fun 5 mile hike/run. He got to sit by a fire while we cooked sweet potatoes, chili and sausage, and roll in the dirt and pant in the hot hot sun. He got a free prime rib bone at The Deer Lodge, an awesome biker-y restraunt/bar on the drive home along the 33. It was the most fun ever, I think I had the best day of my life too.

Soccer Pig

2010-06-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, like every day, Sweet Pig had the best day of his life. His grandma gave him a SOCCER BALL.

SATC2

2010-06-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Guess what, I had really low expections for this movie and they were far exceeded. Bernie, Tiny, Lindsay and I went to see Sex And The City 2, and we danced, laughed, shrieked and thrilled in the back row with red vines and wine coolers. It's so much better than the first one, we LOVED it.

Tomorrow morning David, The Sweet Pig and I are Ojai bound for a camping weekend in nature.
The Sweet Pig is especially excited. But, he kind of always is.

2010-05-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

The Memorial Day weekend just blew by....
my parents and my tiny grandma came Saturday morning to stay a night, and we had a really nice time visiting and working in the yard. David dug up most of the palm trees, and we replaced two of them with purple wisteria, which one day will make big droopy beautiful blooms all around our front window.

We all went next door to a jam session party at the neighbors, AMAZING. Musicians playing flute, tuba, trumpet, trombone, xylophone, bass, & drums, and even a couple amazing vocalists, filled the afternoon into the evening with soulful tunes; I felt really lucky to be welcomed there, and blessed to live next to such joyful life and talent.

Sweet Pig moved in to stay that night, and we've been busy ever since, getting him set up with food, fixing the gate and backyard to be doggie safe, training and playing and romping about.

Sweet Pig is in the Hood

2010-05-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a doggie slumber party. We met a boxer from a rescue, and he came over to play ball, and spend the night. He is a HYPER-HYPO. Elwood guarded the kitchen with his life. He plunked his girth in the doorway and wailed, "You shall not pass!" but doggie passed. He passed and he even spent the night in our bedroom on the floor in his crate, and kitty slept in the bed, and we felt like Noah's Ark with so many animals around us.

Until we met him, there had been a difficult name debate. I wanted to call him either Dr. Dre (because I really love Dr. Dre, and I also, still have love for the streets) or Sweet Pig, after our delicious favorite pizza at B.J.'s Brewery. Well, doggie came into our lives snorting like a piggy pig, snorting like I've never heard a dog snort before, so Sweet Pig, you have been christened.

We have to do a little fix'n in the backyard before he comes to stay for good, so it'll be a couple weeks, but we have officially adopted him as our new dog-pig baby.

2010-05-19T18:37:00.001-07:00

Yep. That's me. In a bar. With a baby.
Nothing out-hips a hipster like showing up to a hipster-bar with a pissed off baby.

2010-05-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

Recent Life Events:

1. We are looking seriously into getting a dog.
2. I had my first ukulele lesson from my co-worker's 16 year old son, and it was awesome.
3. My tomato plants out back are making lots of green tomato babies.
4. I finished reading a whole novel in one glorious day.
5. Discovered great things in the neighborhood within walking distance, an amazing Mexican bakery/restaurant, and a great local plant nursery.
6. Busy being so so happy.

2010-04-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

Calm relaxing weekend - basked in the sun on the front porch leafing through books, and caught a baseball game at Dodger Stadium, felt a lot of love for Los Angeles ;)

Best In Tent Camping

2010-04-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

I just bought this book on Amazon, and it arrived in the mail today. I'm excited to jump in bed with it, and read and plan some weekends outdoors, hiking and dreaming under stars. It promises to be "a guide for car campers who hate RVs, concrete slabs, and loud portable stereos." Sounds perfect.

2010-04-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

Have not been around much as I'm working a lot, and had some family troubles. My grandpa Johnie passed away Saturday night, the day before Easter. I'm really sad about it, I loved him a lot, and also I am sad for my grandma. There were married over 60 years, it's hard to imagine living with someone that long, then losing them. But she is doing ok, and luckily my mom is the best daughter ever, and taking great care of her. I love my family so much, and it's hard to watch it getting smaller and smaller. The service was yesterday, at the First Baptist Church in Lompoc, the same church my grandparents ( and my parents too) got married in. So today I took my grief out on the weeds in the back yard, and spent some quiet time thinking of him.

2010-04-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Be Wowed with the fact that I made my skirt. I have finally found a little time to craft, and have been dusting off my patterns I've been meaning to get to for FOREVER.

Forestiere

2010-03-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

I had a rare, special weekend, with good friends and good weather, out of the city, closer to nature. We drove out to Fresno, and camped at Lake Milerton, one of the Ca. state parks. The reason for the treck was to see the Foresteire Underground Gardens, but I'll get back to that in a minute.
These are Bernie's photos of our lucky campsite, under a monster tree of beauty, before a smooth, glassy lake. We spread out over our big space, and set up tents, laid out in the sun at the water's edge, basked in the twilight, ate bacon wrapped sausage and fire baked potatoes. It was like heaven.

(I have also sampled pics from Christine's Flickr, I took snaps on my film camera, so again, I have to wait to get my shots.) Dinner evolved into campfire dance party, under a full, radiant white moon. In the morning we ate eggs and bacon, and some of us took a nice jog around the campsites, and cooled off in the lake before packing up. I was reborn in the lake, it was so cold and clean, and made my heart want to explode with it's fresh purity. I don't do cold water, but I had to go in. I needed to shock some part of myself into quite calm.
The trip ended with our stop at the Forestiere gardens in Fresno - a true find. It's more amazing than I can explain here, but to summarize, about 10 acres of land were tunneled under and developed into a network of chambers - living quarters and gardens, by one man with a second grade education. He dreamed and created, completely self-taught. Trees grow up through the ceilings of tunnels into the light at ground level. I was truly staggered by this functional work of art.

I can't believe I've lived in California for 28 years and never heard of this. It's really worth the drive to see, and the tour is great.I bought the book they sell, and am looking forward to reading more about him. The book says maybe 1% of people who live in Fresno have visited, and I was appalled. It should be totally famous, I was so inspired about pursuing a dream and not being lazy with my life.

Winged Ladies of Punch Studio

2010-03-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

Long Beach Finds

2010-03-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

I met Agata & Dari at the Long Beach Antique Market last Saturday for some amazing times.

My fave find of the day is this old wooden sewing box, which folds out into 3 levels on each side, and was packed with old wooden spools of thread.
Can't wait to fill it with all my bits and pieces that litter the table, and get down to more summer sewing.

Adventure

2010-03-08T21:58:00.000-08:00

We awakened our appetites for adventure this weekend on an amazing last minute spur of the moment camping trip with Bernie & Craig, new friends and camping buddies! Bernie invited us to come, as I'd been begging her for some lessons on how to use my camera better, and she used to teach a photo class before she worked at Punch. I can't wait until I develop my film, all my photos of Salvation Mountain are on it, and some shots of the wonderful Slab City outdoor library.

I'm jumping ahead though - here's the lowdown I found online to describe the place:

Several thousand campers, many of them retired, use the site during the winter months. These "snowbirds" stay only for the winter, before migrating north in the spring to cooler climes. A group of around 150 permanent resident live in the Slabs all year round. Most of these "Slabbers" subsist on government checks and have been driven to the Slabs through poverty; some of the "slabbers" also have a strong desire for freedom from the American government. The site is both decommissioned and uncontrolled, and there is no charge for parking. The camp has no electricity, no running water or other services. Many campers use generators or solar panels to generate electricity.

Located just east of State Route 111, the entrance to Slab City is easily recognized by the colorful Salvation Mountain, a small hill approximately three stories high which is entirely covered in acrylic paint, concrete and adobe and festooned with Bible verses. It is an ongoing project of over two decades by permanent resident Leonard Knight.>

I was taken aback by Salvation Mt., Leonard gave us a few tours of it, and his mind is pretty gone, but he's lovely, wants you to take lots of pictures of his message that God Is Love, and spread them around the world. He seems so small and yet has built his own mountain, an outpouring of paint and clay and love, it's staggering to stand before, above and within.

We set up camp in a dusty spot that looked OK, rummaged through some trash to make ourselves some makeshift chairs & tables out of tires and an E-Z Financing banner, and had a great day exploring the slabs, playing dominoes, making friends with a traveling Canadian who had camped nearby, checking out some sun-down musical talent, and feeding s'mores to the hippies.

We were rained out the next morning, and packed our tents up in bare feet, as the water level rose and we worried for the Bee Car's ability to drive out of the mud. Our new friend, Leo convinced us to take a dip in the natural hot spring with him on our way out, as it was so cold and muddy, and this would be relaxing and soothing, and we were only too eager to do so... and then the Bee really did get stuck in the mud, and all of us pushing couldn't get it out. Stranded in the middle of NOWHERE, Bernie called AAA, and we made the best of things by getting into the hot springs anyway while we waited for an hour or so. We dunked ourself in the hippie soup, and waited to be rescued as it rained on our faces, and the earth cooked our bodies. The bee eventually made it out, and we got home, feeling like the craziest, happiest, filthiest goonies.

Bernie took lots of digital pics, so I hope I'll get some soon from her to share, for now, here are a few shots of my phone, just a taste, more to come.

Spontaneous!!

2010-03-05T19:44:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought we couldn't get more homebound, David & I are off for the weekend to Slab City, California on a whim. Salvation Mountian, here we come.

Happy Plants

2010-03-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

I get really mad when the rain keeps me in on the weekend, but when it's over, the plants are so so happy! I did a patrol on Sunday morning to see how beautifully everyone is responding to so much water lately ;)

VDAY -2010

2010-02-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

This weekend I got to catch up on sleep and sunshine, and good friends!
Levan & Heather had us over for a V-Day party on Saturday, and we had yummy cupcakes and kept Leo up all night by using out outdoor voices inside :) Sunday night, Agata made us dinner in her lovely dining room with red flowers, red cookies, chocolate dipped strawberries and an amazing homecooked meal. I think it's my nicest Valentine's weekend ever :)

Placed Mats

2010-02-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

I received these beautiful floral napkins from Crate & Barrel as a wedding gift, and I set out recently to make some pretty placemats to go with them. Lo and Behold, I actually found the same fabric print online, and ordered enough to make my own super matchy mats. I selected a green for the side borders that coordinates with the print AND my newly painted dining room! I'm super delighted by this. I sewed them up, and put them out only to discover they are too large to fit our little dining table. So I'm embracing the overlappyiness here and pretending it's intentional!

Also all week, though I was stupid tired everyday, i eeked out a few felt mongram valentines for the work girls. We all wore them proudly today, in a loving Valentiney mood!

Fallen Fruit Trees

2010-02-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

On Thrusday night, I went with the Punch Studio Art Department Ladies to an opening at Royal T Cafe - a fantasy/Alice & Wonderland themed show. The art was not much to mention, but there were free "Eat Me" cupcakes, great costumes, and free absinthe cocktails, and a fun free photo booth.
Today, I joined Agata and her niece Amber in a trek to LACMA, for free fruit trees. There is an on-going art project by a group called Fallen Fruit, who map public fruit trees and fruit overhang so you can eat through the city for free, and they kicked off 9 months of upcoming EATLACMA events with this weekend, 2 days of handing out free fruit trees. (EATLACMA, Fallen Fruit's nine-month series of events with tree adoptions, followed by lectures, tours, artist-curated gardens and food-themed art installations) Read more about them "here!" So Agata and I each got a California Cutie orange baby tree. Mine is already planted in the backyard, cozy and ready to grow!
After checking out the BCAM with some random free tickets from a nice lady outside, we headed over to Manni's Bakery for lunch. Amber got a chocolate raspberry cupcake with a heart on it, and it looked delicious! A lovely unexpected day of friends and trees! The next Fallen Fruit event at LACMA I really want to go to: bring tomatoes from your garden to the museum and make salsa, accompanied with Latin Salsa dancing lessons! Spicy!

Details, details, whale-tails

2010-02-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I tagged along with Agata on a trip to 3rd street in Santa Monica as she had to check out stores for her job at Guess, and then hit Hennesy & Ingalls, Mecca of all art books. I still appreciate good store design after working there, and it really impresses me when I see a creative window display or in-store installments. I loved this floral cut out display,and this peacock sculpture all made out of rolled & folded & burnt paper. I wanted to buy it, rather than actual merchandise.

On my own crafty front, I made myself a bookcover for Moby-Dick, complete with sewn in whale-tail bookmark! I love it, it makes such a difference to me when the basic tiny details of my life get lots of love and attention and the mundane becomes charming.

Housewarming!

2010-01-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

Wonderful housewarming/birthday party!
House full of family and friends and 1 sexy chef.
Thank you everyone for coming and bringing nice food and drinks and friendship!

Staycation Adventures!

2010-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

Mr. Cat and I have been having the nicest Stay-Cation together, puttering about the house all week, and making it more homey. We've had a lot of tea, finished 2 books, and have listened to the constant rain for 4 days now.
Monday I did venture out into the downpour and was rewarded with this charming find at the Council of Jewish Women Thrift in Santa Monica. I love it - it's my very own arm chair for quiet reading and tea sipping. Elwood tried to take over it, but David chases him out of it on a daily basis.I painted our dining room this "Bonzai Tree" green, which was a big pain in my back, legs, neck and arms, but deeply rewarding once finished. It's so satisfying to finally get some color on my walls. I did one wall in our bedroom too, a nice light blue, and I'm all painted out.
I spent my birthday yesterday driving around with Tiny hitting tons of thrift stores on her side. We went to St. Vincent de Paul, and we felt like crazy ladies trying on all the thrifty fashions. These two are my favorites, the pants-sweater and the pony jacket.
We ended our day with tea and cheesecake at Aroma Cafe, steamy trying to get warm from all the rain we'd soaked up in our travels, and realized we were the only people in the room NOT on a first-date, making first-date faces and first-date conversation. We got out of there when we couldn't take it any more and trolled on home.

2010-01-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

Went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market on Sunday with Christine & Tiny, and I got these lovely old books! I have not decided if I want to convert them into journals right away, or maybe read them first, the native trees book seems especially nice to read through.

Trees Please!

2009-12-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

After Christmas, my parents stayed a couple nights, and gave me a most generous and wonderful early birthday present, 2 glorious fruit trees for the back yard. They helped us select, transport and plant them, and I was a Tiny Shoveler. I dug the whole whole for the Avacado on my own, and a good part of the lemon tree hole too. David extracted one of our pesky palms, to his great excitement, no easy feat.

2009-12-28T17:56:00.001-08:00

After some days, you just need to drink a whole bottle of wine, calm down, and say to yourself, "Tomorrow, I will do better."

2009-12-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

Oh Christmas. The delight you bring.

Ari really liked her new leg warms and matching mittens, stuffed inside her new purse, along with cupcake & donut earrings. Kids are so fun to shop for!
I finally got to see and hold tiny darling McKenna, and was very amazed at how teeny and quiet and relaxed she was. And her feet are so soft you can barely feel them. Amazing.
Here's hoping the US postal service did it's job and got Warren his Xmas surprise on time.
He was supposed to receive this handmade stocking, stuffed with tiny presents to warm him with holiday cheer on the other side of the country, deep in Brooklyn snow. If it didn't come, Warren, don't look :) I want to thank all who contributed, it was wonderful of you to be tiny Santa's.

I'm wiped out right now. Just dug a hole in the backyard all on my own, to plant a new avacado tree, a very special and generous birthday present from wonderful loving parents. Photos to come :)

2009-12-21T18:31:00.001-08:00

Why does Elwood want to lick the spine of my diary? While I was unaware, he has soaked the lower corner of the binding with his naughty hunger. I told him the book is not for eating, but he just looks mad.

Wheelies

2009-12-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

We visited with David & Heather & Lily this weekend and delivered their Christmas presents. I made her a funny big-head kitty that I got a free pattern for from Amy Butler's site.
David gave a David a wheelbarrow, which turned into a wheelie ride. There were lots of wheelie rides yesterday, actually.Heather and I went to the Long Beach antique market, which is only 3 miles from their house (Lucky!) and we got a couple treats. I got this pretty mirror, and this funny plant in a shell, which I love. I saw one before in a Japanese restaurant and wanted to make one for myself, and now I've got one!
That place is full of good amazing finds, I was drooling over furniture, and can't wait to be able to afford some.

2009-12-17T19:05:00.001-08:00

My December sounds like:I've been listening to this steadily for days and am no where near sick of it yet. It's very calming and peaceful and beautiful, and satisfies my hunger for festive but not annoying.

2009-12-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

I am so very sleepy and tired. All the running around and Xmas shopping and wrapping and crafting and baking and driving across the city has pooped me out. I was too tired to wash my hair this morning, and now I regret it as it's time to go to work and I realized how bad it looks and now I'm hiding it under my bad-hair-hat. I love my job, but for sure, today I'd like to hibernate and play house all day, in my bed, in my jams, with Mr. Cat all the day long. Catching up on my pile'o'books. Too bad, time to go work it out.

Crafty Christmas

2009-12-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I hosted a tiny craft day, to fill our house with Christmas coziness. David helped me bake gingerbread cookies until midnight Friday night, those are really hard to make. You have to re-freeze the dough every time you roll up the scraps to cut more pieces. But they came out well, and were tasty. I also baked a cranberry pear bread that was delicious and I ate at least a pound of.
Agata, Christine and Rachel came and it was so happy to have good friends talking and drinking tea and stitching and drawing and filling up the house with warmth. Agata has been working on these felt desserts which she's making into a baby mobile! So cute. I worked on my project, which is making little bags that I'll stuff with different holiday teas for the designers in the office. I carved a potato to stamp my design on the muslin bags. Then there's a secret Xmas gift we all worked on that I'll post after Christmas... but also amazing was one of my friends, Karen, from work, popped in at the end of the day and whipped out this fabric star for my tree! It goes with the little fabric birdies beautifully!

White Whale

2009-12-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

I fought my old-lady urges to go home at the end of every day, and Friday night I stayed at the Fox Hills Mall (now turned Slauson Super Mall) until 8:30 or so, getting some Xmas shopping done, and then buzzed the bee-bomber to Venice to see my dear friend Josh Hart, who had some pieces in a show at a gallery called CAVE in Venice. It was so nice to be out, it was good to remind myself to not hybernate all winter long like a big sleepy bear. There was live painting by John Park out front under trees all a twinkle with Christmas lights, and it was just lovely to be enjoying it at the end of a long week. The show inside was good, I liked most everything there. My favorites were these tiny humming bird scuptures by LeeAnn Hale, and this painting of a nautilus creature dangling Japanese lanterns onto this girl by Dominque Fung.But of course, I'm a sucker for Mr. Hart, and he had this series of lovely paintings featuring white whales and Mr. Jinx.I just bought a copy of Moby-Dick a day before, my interest stirred by a recent podcast of Studio 360, and I decided it was an omen, so I bought the second painting, if you look closely, please note the tiny Jinx paw peeking out from the big heart. I've never bought a painting from a gallery before, and it felt fantastic to support a friend who is so talented, and spend hard earned money on something so original and beautiful for our home. I am also banking on the day when Josh is finally quite collectable, and I will have my own collection of his work to send my furture kids to college with :)

Am I 90 years old?

2009-11-29T19:05:00.000-08:00

I feel like it. Weeding and weeding has given me an ache in me bones and hips and back, and I feel pretty rickety. I'm so close to being done though, and it's really delicious every time I clear a few more feet of jungle-forest and replace it with happy little plants.
David is very amazing, and is almost done re-bricking our path out back. Hours and hours of sand and sawing and tamping and strange proceedures that go into such a man-endeavor. A lot of people I've not seen for some time have been asking me what's new or what I'm up to lately. I'm up to old-lady activities. Weeds and flowers and Xmas-ing my new home for the first time. What's that? A pair of home-made magical stockings? How old-ladyish of me.Oh my, what a lovely wreath, made by me at a Punch Studio Xmas party 2 years ago, amazing!I'm really enjoying my nesting, it was wonderful to come home after 2 days of lovely peaceful family time to 2 days of sprucing my house for the holidays and taking care of chores. Lots of sweeping, lots of weeding, lots of sewing and stuffing, and I'm quite cozy by Sunday night. Now to put lights on our lovely fatty Christmas tree and adorn it with tiny birdies.

one more day...

2009-11-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

Jam packed days.
Tabetha's baby shower was fun with food and crafts and presents and big pink bows! We painted on onesies and she looked lovely.
Joel's b-day in the park was also fun, I frisbied for the first time since, I don't know, fourth grade? and I caught it once or twice even. Sunday I finally got to set up the craft room all day, and was attempting to start making our Xmas stockings, but the sun was going down and the light in here isn't bright enough for working with out it. So... sigh... maybe next weekend :)
I had a quick visit from Hazel, so lovley to see her! And she brought me these amazing darling tea cups with magical animals drawn on them, my favorite is the duck with a crown.
Just wishing this weekend was one day longer...

Babies

2009-11-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

Oh Man, am I behind.
Last weekend was a really fun crafting baby shower for Melissa, hosted by Rachel, with lovely handmade decorations and lots of delicious treats. We made stuffed animals and felted onesies for baby Grace, on her way soon.

Today I'm on my way out to another baby shower for my friend & co-worker, Tabetha, and she is getting a stroller from her registry from me and the other Lindsay combined. But it's too hard to resist knitting up some tiny baby booties, so she's getting these too!
It's hard keeping up with all the events going on at the end of the year, plus I've been majorly allergy ridden since we've gained these hardwood floors, so I've not been around much. But I'm determined to make it to Joel's b-day in the park today after the shower, and just rest tomorrow. Rest and whip more of this craft room into shape, it's needing serious attention.

2009-11-07T15:25:00.001-08:00

Another happy Saturday spent mucking around the back yard. The going is slow, but I just want to keep steadily at it. My hands are puffy and sore from weeding, and David pulled every brick out of the backyard path, stacked them into a tidy wall-pile, and is digging up 3 inches of dirt and weeds to lay in sand eventually, before re-bricking the thing. Elwood ate some grass, and can't tell where the birds are chirping from, because he is a half-deaf one-ear. I feel old-lady sore now, in my back and my hips, from all the bending and leaning over, but it's wonderful. It's truly wonderful and does my heart more good than I can say, to sit in my own grass, and look at flowers and touch the earth, and feel the breeze. I'm not kidding, living under a freeway with no real access to outdoorsiness for 3 years got us here, and I don't ever want to live again with out a little bit of outside that one can claim and be in, even if it's just a porch or stoop, with a potted plant sitting on it.

Also, gardening all day is a good way to keep me out of stores where I want to buy things I can't afford to decorate & furnish my house. We started arranging the crafty room this morning, and I'm hoping to get some drawing or painting in tomorrow. Well, time for a shower, I have filthy hobbity feet from my gardening day.

2009-11-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday was full of yard work, Agata came over and we cleared out a massive trash can full of crazy weeds from the back flowerbed of our backyard, and it is much prettier now. Elwood likes it, he likes to sit in the dirt, eat a couple plants so he can throw them up later in the middle of the night, and then burrow deep into the remaining weeds along the side flowerbeds that I'll have to get to next weekend.

Suday I was useless, my allergies have been flaring up with all the grass and dust I've been taking in, and now they're developing into a fairly stong cold. So I slept like a zombie into the midday, then lounged half passed out in the back yard in my new patio chair, as the hot sun dried out my sinuses some, and managed to read some of the Sunday paper. David assembled his BBQ the day before, and he made us hot links for dinner, and was very very very happy.

The Art Department Represents on Halloween

2009-10-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

Oh Yes We Did.

Halloweenie!

2009-10-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have finished my Halloweenie costume! it took a bit of painting, but it is all done, even my hat.

I am going to have a halloween costume for the first time in 3 or 4 years, and it is for my office party tomorrow. I am really excited about it, and actually kind of want to wear it everywhere, everyday....

McKenna

2009-10-27T07:11:00.001-07:00

I'm am so happy to see a first photo of Moriah's new baby, tiny McKenna :)

China Cabinet

2009-10-25T17:43:00.000-07:00

We spent some time this weekend working on the house a bit, David helped me hang up this lovely embroidered fabric piece, a gift from Agata, of nice Polish ladies cooking. It's in the kitchen, above the washer & dryer, I think she told me it says something like a wife makes a house a home, or something like that. iGoogle translates it to say "A good hostess house makes merry." I like both of those.I am truly excited about my first real craigslist find, this gorgeous china cabinet we got from a nice man in Long Beach. He said he got it from Billy Barty's sister, who he used to do some work for, which makes me feel AMAZING. It's just beautiful though, I'm completely in love with it; it feels exactly my taste and it's the kind of furniture I've always wanted to have, old well crafted wood with lots of history in it. My favorite is the skeleton key that locks all the doors, and the beveled glass windows. I put our beautiful coral bowl wedding gift that I've been storing forever in the center space; it finally has a beautiful home to be displayed in!

2009-10-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

We moved!
It took most of October to pack and move and start to settle. Elwood loves the new house, and has gingerly tasted the outside world, no further than the front patio. But he LOVE to sit at the big window in the front room and spy on the neighbors. We are now trying to come up with a way to keep him from scaling the inside of the fireplace and hinding in here. He thinks he is a tiny santa claus, and tries to go in there every chance he gets.

2009-10-06T07:02:00.001-07:00

My next book on the shelf to read just arrived yesterday. I ordered it some time ago, but it was just released recently. It's a novelized version of the Maurice Sendak book, also combined with the screenplay for the movie of Where The Wild Things Are (which I can't WAIT to see!).

A trade on Etsy got me these boney earings which I plan to wear to the movie when we go to see it :)

2009-10-03T19:08:00.001-07:00

What a day. I drove to Lompoc early early early this morning to attend a service for my beloved Courtney, who has sadly just lost her mom, Diane, to cancer after years of battle. The memorial was really lovely though, and her family looked beautiful and wonderful together, and Courtney spoke in an amazingly composed manner, with so much love and warmth about her mom, it really moved and impressed me. It just goes to show what a strong and courageous heart she has. It wiped me out, also, being at Trinity Church after many years, and talking with lots of people I knew, and some I barely remember, in what seems like another lifetime, was emotional as well.

After the reception my Dad stuffed my car with plants to take home to the new house, and do I mean stuffed. I had my own tiny greenhouse on the drive back to LA - during which - I was spotted by Levan & Heater on the 405, it was a magical LA moment, spotting friends in the middle of disgusting disgusting traffic :)

Blackroc

2009-09-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Guess what's awsome?
Damon Dash putting out a collaboration album uniting The Black Keys with hiphop artists like Mos Def, Ludacris, Pharoahe Monch, M.O.P, the OBD, Q-Tip & the WU-Tang clan. Coming soon...

2009-09-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend, I feel like I came back to life a little. Friday night Lindsay and I went to the Wiltern to see Bon Iver, an amazing amazing performance that moved me to near tears, and feeling very blessed for all the love in my life. When you see someone do something so beautiful, pouring out music and emotion so purely, it really makes all my bitterness and judgements and meanness just drain out of my heart. If you've never heard of this band, I really reccommend you go pick up their album.

Another Oktoberfest come and gone. Tiny Bun Bun came with us this year, and we met up with Agata & Bill and Heather & David, and sang and danced and drank the night away. They've introduced a new guy who's taking over for the old MC, and he cracked me up with his booty dancing and high spirits, but David felt really distressed by this changing of the guard. He did get a magical moment, when we spotted the old leader of the pack, and got to take a picture of him. I likened it to David Michael finally getting to sit on Santa's lap after all these years, especially when you consider that Oktoberfest is his Christmas.

Our House Coming Soon!

2009-09-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

2009-09-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

My new Oktoberfest hat arrives in the mail tomorrow! I am so excited it's green velvet and pure magic.

Moooovin'

2009-09-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Good News is that we are very close to moving into our first house :) David and I have been breathing in the rubber dust of the 10 Freeway for three and a half years, and now we are out of here. If all goes according to plan, we'll be moving in early October, so we've been sorting and packing our life into piles and boxes and trash bins every weekend in anticipation. Elwood is delighted by the new obstacle course of boxes and packing material that have overtaken his world. Who else do you know who is dorky enough to have full boxes labeled things like, "early" and "late journals" ? Probably just me.

What?

2009-09-11T17:37:00.000-07:00

2 am at the Tattle Tale on a Thursday night, what a collection of friends that was so happy to be reunited! Today was pretty brutal, this Tiny is not used to week night shenanigans, but it was well, well, well worth it.

Music Exchange

2009-09-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Amanda is in town, so we get to have dinner with her tonight - a nice treat! We have a music exchange to do, we each made a mix for the other and made our own packaging for the CD. Mine comes in this old paper fold out of a photograph that I affixed a paper pocket to the inside cover and wrote all the tracks by hand below. It ties shut with a yellow ribbon and has the mix title pasted on the outside with matching paper left over from making the pocket. I hope she doesn't already have these songs...

If anyone else is interested in doing a similar trade I would love to!

2009-09-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend I flew to Phoenix to visit with my friend Moriah and go to her baby shower. It was a great time, and I finally got to give her the elephants I sewed way back when I found out she was pregnant. Now she's 8 months, and the baby will be here so so soon!

Look at Ava-Long-Arms here, she kept me company on the couch quite a bit :) Wonderful to visit with good friends and celebrate such a happy occasion.

Some Fun FINALLY

2009-09-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

So, David & I have been working on trying to buy a house, and it's sucked our funtime away for a month now, and I finally broke free this weekend and had real leisure! Agata & Tiny & I went to the Fowler Museum at UCLA to see the tea exhibit, and it was just what I needed, thinking about tea & meditation and slowing life down a little, admiring ancient tea pots and reading poems about the ritual of drinking it.
After, we enjoyed deserts at a nearby cafe in Westwood and had girl time, which I also really needed. I hadn't seen either of them for so long and it was great to catch up.

2009-08-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Studio 360 just did a segment on these Auto Tune The News bits, I have to say, I like them better as just sound, I don't care for the visual, listening with out seeing them is sort of cooler, but they amaze me.

60th

2009-08-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend we drove to Lompoc and had a little party in my parents backyard for my grandparents 60th anniversary. I made them this garland of paper hearts, one for each year they've been married. It was a little sad because my grandpa wasn't feeling well enough to get out of bed to make it to the party, and our family seemed really small, but we still had a wonderful time talking and laughing, it's hard to not enjoy such a beautiful backyard full of bees & flowers. We went over to visit my grandpa that evening when we was up and feeling better, and he looked pretty good. I took photos with my film camera, so who knows when they'll be developed...

FASHION

2009-08-19T21:04:00.001-07:00

2009-08-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

There is a new exhibit at the Fowler Museum at UCLA called "Steeped in History: The Art of Tea" on display Aug 16–Nov 29. I really want to go! Possibly Sunday if I'm back from Lompoc, or maybe the next weekend. I'm having my steaming morning cup of Earl Grey right now. Anybody want to go to a museum of tea with me? There is a great podcast on Stuff You Missed in History Class about the "Boston Tea Party" and the "East India Trading Co." that makes me really in the mood to go see this. You can listen to them on iTunes if you search Stuff You Missed In History Class under Podcasts, or listen directly from their website.

One Year

2009-08-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

My folks visited us yesterday and we had a lovely dinner on the patio at Dominick's.We topped of the night with three scoops of gelatto on a frozen marble slab. I was showered with beautiful 1st Anniversary paper gifts of handmade & limited edition books. The pretty red heart one is from David and my parents picked up the other two in a thrifty book shop in Montana on their summer vacation. It seems much longer than just one year, in a very comfy way, but it also seems the wedding was just a couple months ago. My grandparents are celebrating their 60th next weekend, and I'm looking forward to celebrating with them.

2009-08-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

While driving LA & searching suitable neighborhoods to move into, we totally drove by the house from Six Feet Under! It's on Arlington before you cross Adams. It's massive, so amazing, and I can't believe it's real and someone lives in it.

2009-08-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

It's very exciting to be looking for a new place to live.
But if I could move in anywhere, guess where it would be?
The NY Natural History Museum of course.
Sigh... dreamy. To live there, in a box of lights.

2009-08-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

Animal Collective reads my mind and sings it back to me so poetically....

Is it much to admit I need
A solid soul and the blood I bleed
With a little girl, and by my spouse
I only want a proper house

I don't care for fancy things
Or to take part in a precious race
And children cry for the one who has
A real big heart and a father's grace

I don't mean to seem like I care about material things
like a social status
I just want
four walls and adobe slabs
for my girls

Nautical Photo Booth!

2009-08-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

2009-07-31T07:02:00.000-07:00

Found these images on apartment therepy of this room decorated like the book Where The Wild Things Are. I am so so so excited for the movie which won't be here til December, but I love the idea of painting a room like this. I desire it badly.

Broken English

2009-07-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

I officially have a new favorite movie. Beautiful story, beautiful clothes, beautiful city, beautiful Parker Posey, and closes with a song written to incorporate the title, just like in the 80's. I think I could watch it 100 times and not be sick of it, just like The Anniversary Party, Elizabeth and Stealing Beauty. That's my list of all time movie loves.

2009-07-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

Musically, this month looks like:

2009-07-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

My newest McSweeneys book to read.

"Robert Coover, one of the true revolutionaries in American fiction, presents a new collection of short stories, revealing the cruelty of puppets, the perfection of a jigsaw puzzle, and the lonelinesss of the invisible man. Outlandish and precise, menacing and humane, this collection finds new life in our oldest tales."

"Coover shows he has plenty of fire left in this bawdy and witty remix of 18 popular tales -- from Puff the Magic Dragon to the Pied Piper and Casey at the bat. In [his] hands, our stories shimmer as we hope they might, showing us a more open way of living."
–Minneapolis Star Tribune

PLUS you can get it at the McSweeney's garage sale online, for ONLY 5 DOLLARS.

Grace Jonzed

2009-07-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

Last night at the Hollywood Bowl, I was powerfully moved by the incredible force that is Grace Jones. I'd never seen anyone do that many costume changes at a concert, or sing like a hurricane with ten yard of gray silk billowing in the wind across the stage, or tiptoe-shimmy across it in a giant rose shaped dress with a hundred points of spiked fabric while crooning La Vie en Rose, and then spin around to reveal there is no dress at all in the back, only shiny nakedness, to the delight of thousands of screaming queens in the audience. I was left wondering why I'd never really heard of her before, and in the wake of Michael Jackson's passing, as we all ruminate and wonder at his ability to entertain, I have to say, after last night, I really don't understand why she isn't as big as him or bigger. When you see a show like this, for me at least, it shocks me and makes me realize just how crappy and trite and expected most of our entertainment is, you've just gone numb to it. Then you see someone really get up and make art, and everything else just starts to pale in comparison. She sang live to this video last night and it really blew me away.

Marry Me Bill!

2009-07-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we attended the wedding of our beloved friends, Agata & Bill. It was so beautiful and she looked amazing in the big magnolia headpiece she made herself. The ceremony was on the beach, and the reception followed at their home in San Pedro. We drank sangria, ate tacos and dates wraped in bacon, and danced the night away in our fake moustaches. My favorite part of the night was watching them cut their cake and dance after to "Marry Me Bill", while we all stood around them with sparklers lighting up the night. And it was so great to see Kristen again, in from Seattle to celebrate!

2009-07-22T18:04:00.001-07:00

Some days, you really need a beer after work, and there's one in there, and it's just so beautiful.

Ephemeral Weekend

2009-07-20T17:50:00.001-07:00

On Sunday Lindsay took me with her to hunt down treasures at the Long Beach Flea Market. She was on assignment to collect more ephemera for the collection at work, but also to look for lovely decorations for her new apartment. I found some good little books to turn into new sketchbooks for myself, which I love, from the early 1900s. We also found some good pieces for work and had a lovely time sorting through boxes and boxes of old victorian artwork. I love the flea markets in LA, and want to go again soon.

Family

2009-07-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

I've been working hard on my family book again, and have been doing lots of cleaning up of old photos scanned from different people's aging albums. It's amazing to see similarities in faces of parents and kids you never noticed before, I've been marveling over it. It makes me miss my grandparents so much, especially seeing them when they were younger, wishing I could talk to them like an adult now about their lives, instead of the kid I was when they died.

Cut

2009-07-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

2009-07-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading this beautifully illustrated biography of Mark Twain. I'm quite smitten with him, no wonder everyone loves him so much! He's ONLY the greatest American EVER, geez. Also do you know why his pen name is Mark Twain? It's a little term from the days when he was a steam boat captain, riding the mighty Mississippi River. The depth of the water is measured by throwing ropes into the water to see how deep it is. Such as "Half-Twain", "Quarter-Twain", and "Mark-Twain" - which means a perfect depth for safe water. Here's my drawing of his lovely wife, Olivia.

NY in BW

2009-07-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

Friends!

2009-07-06T07:15:00.001-07:00

I was so lucky to get to vist with so many beloved friends last week after work and at lunches, and over the holiday weekend, but I am still teetering on a cold I can't shake, I guess from doing too much, I can't wait to feel better so I can keep going! Lucila I have to see you again while you are still in LA!

Agata in Vegas

2009-07-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Im still trying to recover from the amazing fun we had in Las Vegas this last weekend for Agata's bachlorette party. You girls know how to bring the party! Dance dance dance, we had a blast! Also, some good poolside chilaxin and BBQ action.

Moon

2009-06-24T07:14:00.001-07:00

Last night I was quite tired and headachy from a day of work stress, and the social security office. (Guess what, when you finally finally finally get around to legally changing your last name, it's no fun.) So after work I got to see David's new office, wich is above Golden Apple Comics on Melrose, and he took me to see Moon at the Arclight. We haven't been going to the movies hardly at all, as there's nothing we've been willing to spend our theater $$ on, and it made for a treat. It's definately worth seeing in the theater, Sam Rockwell is great, and the lunar landscapes the movie are beautiful. I can't tell you much as it's a plot you don't want to give away, but it's really good. It's directed by Zowie Bowie too, and I thought it almost a really nice love letter to Ground Control to Major Tom.

Flower Market

2009-06-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

My folks came to visit for the weekend and take a tour of the downtown flower market. We had a great time wandering and ooing and ahhhing all the gorgeous varieties of flowers. I bought some Gerber Daisies and my dad made me an amazing arrangement for my living room. It's so cheap there, if the drive wasn't such a task, I'd go every weekend to fill my life with lovely blossoms.

home is where I want to be but i guess I'm already there

2009-06-20T07:31:00.003-07:00

I love it in the end when he's dancing with the lamp. So beautiful!

Most Buzzworthy

2009-06-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

On Friday night we got dressed fancy and attended the Key Art awards held downtown at MOCA Geffen, where we got to drink open bar all night and sample delicious foodstuffs and snag appetizer treats of silver trays carried around by servers, including cool ice coffee with whipped cream at the very end of the night. There was a free digital photo booth which was really fun also, but the absolutely best highlight of the night was that David's company won an award for the Tropic Thunder website they created, in the category of Most Buzzworthy. This little bee wholeheardedly agrees.

2009-06-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

I got my NY black & white film back yesterday and spent the evening mounting photos in the extra pages of my sketchbook. Not it's so full it's bursting open and I can't really close it all the way. Maybe I'll come up with some sort of latch or tying device to keep it shut. I love leafing through it an remembering our trip. The black & whites came out really cool, none are perfect exposures, but I love them, they're really contrasted and feel like old postcards almost. I wish I'd done a little more drawing when I was there, but the photos are wonderful, and really capture the city better than I could attempt to sketch it.

Tiny in the Big Apple

2009-06-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

The last week David and I went and stayed with Warren in his beautiful Brooklyn brownstone. He's got the most amazing fireplace I've ever seen complete with winged lions, and a dungeon way underground.

We spent every day seeing parks, museum exhibits and the sights of the city. I loved the Flat Iron Building especially, and the Museum of Natural History. The J. Morgan Pierpont Library took my breath away. I discovered Chocolate by the Bald Man, a real life Charlie and the Chocolate Factory like shop. I got to finally have tea at Teany, which I've dreamed of forever.

2009-05-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

House cleaned.
Bags packed.
Elwood arranged for.
How will I make it through an 8 hour work day dreaming of vacation?
Back in a week!

2009-05-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

All I want to think about is vacation. I made myself a sketchbook for the trip out of this old hardcover we found in a thrift store. Can't wait to start drawing and wandering the city with it.

2009-05-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

I said I would do too many things this weekend, and ended up missing out on some more backyard pirate action, and some Topanga Banjo Fiddlin'. But I did get to enjoy BBQ backyard action at David & Heather's, and took Agata to try on some pretty wedding dresses, I just need to pay more attention to the dates in my kitten planner in the future. I also managed to squeak in a little craft time to make a fabric book cover for my NY travel book. Vacation in 2 weeks! Hot Dog. I even made a little pocket on the back cover for a map that came with the book. Now maybe I wont look as extremely touristy when I'm lost in the Big Apple.

boogyman

2009-05-15T07:14:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's Friday. Lets start this day right with a little Mos Def and some dreamy typography :)

Mutha's Day

2009-05-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

I went to Lompoc for Mother's Day weekend, and had a great time with my family. David and I helped my dad with a BBQ/Plant Sale at Cabrillo for most of Saturday, and I got really sunburned, but Iiked being around the plants - it's so pretty out there in his greenhouse. That night Laurel David and I had really great dinner in SLO, and went to a few bars for some awesome blackberry mojitos and a little dancing. Sunday we had BBQ leftovers reinvented in the beautiful backyard at my parents house, flowers and bees all around, and my mom got all her lovely presents. I made her a scarf with her initials on it, and a little fabric bag to keep it in.

Green

2009-05-08T07:14:00.001-07:00

I bought these great green blue heels on Tuesday - so frivolous am I! What got into my head to buy such fancy treats? I was looking through my phone pictures & realized - I must have been inspired by this cupcake I ate on Monday at Bluebird Cafe!

La Noche De La Fusion

2009-05-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

My weekend was filled with a delightful visit from my sister and my nieces and cousin. All three girls got their ears pierced at the Bev Center, and with much bravery and squealing.

Saturday night we took them to the Gary Baseman opening at the Corey Helford Gallery and it was a great success! There was a carnival themed free party in the parking lot, with fire dancing and Brazilian drumming, and a BBQ fire pit where you could write down then burn away your fears and insecurities, wich we all did, except Ari and David who don't have any of those. Best of all where models dressed up like characters from the paintings, it was pretty amazing.

Also, Ari won a Baseman tee-shirt in the ball toss booth, and we were all jealous.

Him Can Fly

2009-04-29T07:19:00.001-07:00

He is pretending his box is an airplane.

Arr!

2009-04-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Last night, 2 BunBuns got invited to a little party in Northridge, where we saw the most spectacular backyard I've ever seen in my life. It was like walking into a tropical resort in Las Vegas or Disneyland, completely Pirate themed with a pool, jacuzzi, several life-sized Pirate statues, a 2 story poolhouse/pirateship you can sleep in complete with a "plank" and giant ship steering wheel, a ginormous trampoline built into the ground for great bouncing, a pavillioned gaming room with pool and poker tables, a firepit and tropical outhouse. Also, a large patioed area for dancing perhaps, with a backdrop painted to look like a beach. We were in awe, and so so jealous.

This Bun hurt her back a little I think, bouncing a little too hard on the trampyline, and today am quite sore. Instead of going out to do any errands, I spend the whole day giving my kitchen a complete scrub down. I almost had a heart attack when I got up on a chair to scrub up high on my stove fan, and for the first time ever saw the top of the refridgerator. Now, I'm sure every normal sized or tall person who has ever gone in my kitchen has probably had a good view of the filthiest surface I've ever seen in my life, and I feel deep deep shame to know this. Being a dwarf sized person, I had no idea, and I spent half an hour up to my elbows in bleach scouring it. It's so lovely right now, so clean and wonderful,I don't even want to use it so it can stay like this.