pimp my shoebox

i've been busy, i swear!

2010-03-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

even the sun has an awesome grill at sfai

the view from school, as breathtaking as ever

superbowl spread on the day the saints made history

sometimes he sneaks up on you

new batch of little girl headbands in the works

quick visit with djuna and her parents
(djuna models the mini beret i gave her for her 2nd birthday)

anton, writer/producer and all around sweetie
(currently script supervising for his short "charity")

xmas comes to the shoebox

2009-12-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

nathan and i trotted out my nutcracker collection this past weekend so that there would be some semblance of holiday cheer in our shoebox. all these years living on my own, i haven't often had an xmas tree, which is completely tragic being that i love them so. this year it dawned on me: wreathes! the poor man's tree. still fills the room with that gorgeous smell.

my favorite nutcracker is the pink haired pirate. he has a treasure map draped over his arm... and a pegleg!

this stocking is as old as i am, knitted for me by great grandma flo.

happy birthday, little boots

2009-10-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

new favorite things

2009-10-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

i made a few discoveries during our trip and developed a love of a few simple things that had somehow eluded me till now.

drip coffee
aspen trees
chipmunks and their cute little striped bodies
convertybeetle living
desert at nightfall
long underwear
chile rellenos
cherry 7up
straw sun hat

and really, the list can go on. my love also grew for perennial favorites like spending money and adding to my coozie collection.

victorious

2009-10-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

L, crew needed. R, shoot dates.

i pitched alone forever at the scary cow pitch meeting this sunday and was successful in recruiting a buttload of awesome people to fill out our crew. as is customary, my insides turned gooey and i had to take some notes before i went up in front of everyone to do my bit. hilarity!

rainy day hiding

2009-10-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

san francisco is none too happy about the storm that barrelled through the region yesterday, but i sure enjoyed staying warm and cozy tucked away in the shoebox.

this was the first time in a while that i could keep out of the rain and have the apartment all to myself, so i indulged in some of my favorite rainy day activities, many of which are holdovers i guess from rainy days at school when i was teen.

what are your favorite rainy day activities?

mine are reading, watching movies, padding around in slippers, and drinking hot cocoa. typical!

old news, but

2009-10-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

hearty congrats to my favorite restaurateur!

trip index

2009-10-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

guess where

in the spirit of one of my favorite reading activities, harper's index, i give you our road trip in indexed form...

states traversed over eight day trek, including california: 4
portion of days we drove with the top down on the convertybeetle: 8
freeways, highways, and interstates we drove on: 19
chipmunks i almost ran over: 3
mosquito bites sustained: 0
lodgings we stayed at: 4
portion of lodgings touting historical notoriety: 2/4
casinos we strolled through: 7
casinos we "patronized": 5
amount of money spent gambling: $250
winnings: $30
las vegas buffets we glutted ourselves at: 2
lowest temp v. highest temp: 49° v. 107°
trips to walmart: 3
times we used the convertybeetle's a/c: 1
days we would have needed a/c if we weren't speeding in a convertybeetle: 8
books i brought to read: 3
books i read: 0

en route to the gc

2009-10-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

just before dusk on the 67

where the deer are

arizona desert before it gives way to the pines

california desert

2009-10-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

one of my absolute favorite moments on the trip was driving towards death valley our first night. the sun was setting in the desert, we were heading to nevada with no idea where we would later be resting our heads. we'd been in the car for hours, i'm talking 10+, but we were still digging the road. we listened to pulp, goldfrapp, and joy division (plus elegia from new order). the music was depressing, but we were so happy.

yosemite

2009-10-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

day x day

2009-09-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

leaving east bay

day 1 out of san francisco by 10am or so, drive through yosemite, early supper at a taco truck in bishop, watch the temp gauge in the convertybeetle climb past 100° as we drive through death valley in the dead of night, pull in to pahrump, nv, for gas and lodging but decide to push on for vegas. 12+ hours of driving total.

day 2 up early, shopping spree at vegas walmart (beer, camping supplies, beef stew!), head east out of town with the top down in a sea of air conditioned cars, take the 15 thru a wee slice of arizona and into utah, another stop at walmart (long johns for grand crayon!), lunch at the cracker barrel, put the top up for a cool down, cut back over into arizona via the 59 past a town called hurricane (hurricanes in utah?), warm weather gives way to chilly breezes as we connect to the gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous 67, pull over to change out of shorts and into jeans and sweatshirts, continue on the pine and aspen lined road passing deer families eating their dinners, finally arrive at the north rim campground at the grand canyon just as darkness falls, set up camp, build a fire, admire the evening sky, collapse in cozy sleeping bag.

day 3 make our first cups of drip coffee and it takes forever, head out to the kaibab national forest for my first view of the grand canyon from point imperial, take beaucoup pics, back to camp to make a picnic lunch, head out to north kaibab trail and hike down as far as we can go, take beaucoup pics, eat sandwiches on the trail and make friends with mules as they pass by, crawl back to the convertybeetle, back to camp for showers, laundry, dinner, and a little reading before dark, chitty chatty by the fire into the night.

near mono lake, yosemite

day 4 with heavy hearts, we break camp, back on the road with the top down and we are shocked when the convertybeetle temp gauge confirms that it is 49°! completely bundled up, we make our way back to the interstate, stop for a bathroom break at an vermillion cliffs overlook, buy the most beautiful turquoise and feather pendant from a navajo woman named genevieve, more sandwiches in the arizona desert, shed some layers, retrace our steps through utah, back in arizona for a minute, then on into the punishing nevada heat, finally arriving in the hustle and bustle of late-day las vegas, settle in our room at the flamingo with a view of the live flamingos, dinner at the buffet (not so good, crappy crappy service), a little gambling, long stroll down the strip with occasional pop-ins at other big casino-hotels, nice to sleep in a bed again.

day 5 up early and head out to explore the flamingo on me own while nathan sleeps in, visit the wedding chapel, the pool, and the animal sanctuary (turtles! huge koi! swans! flamingos! duckies!), read up on bugsy siegel's flamingo legacy, back to the room to wake up my travel companion, finally packed up and checked out, we stroll back out on the strip in search of a better buffet, happy to find a good one at the mirage (sushi! bread pudding! enchiladas! pine nut & salami & pasta salad!), gamble a negligible amount at the mirage and discover a nickel slot call kitty glitter! one last trip to my favorite walmart, back on the road for another marathon day in the convertybeetle, spend the rest of the day cutting thru the vast and beautiful nevada desert, nathan buys a capgun at a truck stop and pretends to be clyde to my bonnie, traverse the extraterrestrial highway (375), reach tonopah, an old mining town, after dark, opt to check into the silver queen over best western, really good mexican food for dinner down the street, a few rounds of digi poker and a winning round of kitty glitter at the little ramada casino down the road, then off to bed.

day 6 our last day in the desert, we are eager to hit the road and leave town before gassing up, and about an hour later, we just barely make it back to tonopah for a fill-up and some bk, back on the road and on and on and on through more vast desert, past vacant walker lake, through more wee towns, finally cross the border into california and on into beautiful forested hillsides, lots and lots and lots and lots of bikers, jeez, get to lake tahoe with no place to stay, nathan randomly finds the cal-neva resort in our guide book from the library, we head up to crystal bay on the east (feels like north) shore and score a $300 room on the top floor for two nights at less than $100/night, dump our stuff and fawn over the lake views from our room, back out for burger dinner and chocolate malt at the char-pit in king's beach, the past week catches up with us and we both fall asleep earrrrly.

on the way to death valley

day 7 finally a chance to sleep in, brunch at fire sign cafe in tahoe city on the west shore leads to impromptu drive around the entire lake, fall more in love with lake tahoe, ice cream sundaes in south lake tahoe, back to the room to regroup, aha! let's go to the beach! lay out by crystal clear water on the beach at sand harbor on the east shore, get some sun, catch up on a little reading, back to the room to spruce up for dinner at christy hill in tahoe city, eat on the outdoor deck facing the water, dark but still beautiful! love the cab, malbec, calamari, chili relleno, panko-crusted halibut, and filet mignon, try to pull an all-nighter, but can barely make it past 11.

day 8 the saddest day of the vacation, time to go home. pack up the convertybeetle and head into neighboring incline village for hearty breakfast at crosby's grill pub (and casino-- still in nevada), more outdoor dining with gentle rustling of nearby creek, then digest on the beach at zephyr cove for a few hours, pick out a few pretty rocks for souvenirs, witness a lakeside wedding a few yards away, back in the convertybeetle, drive off into the sunset.

what's a convertybeetle?

2009-09-30T07:12:00.000-07:00

nathan strikes a pose, walmart parking lot, vegas.

road warriors

2009-09-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

we spent a long week cruising across state lines in a convertybeetle and have lots of photos to show you! come saturday, september 26th, we'd been to yosemite, death valley, las vegas, the grand canyon, lake tahoe, and everywhere in between.

if i can show one image that pretty much sums up the trip, it's the composite above. both photos were taken the same day; bundled up and escaping 49° in grand canyon on the left, and cutting through the nevada desert with temps topping 90° just a few hours later on the right. and of course, the top was down the whole way!

cheers

2009-09-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

well, mom & dad finally got to partake in some trivia at edinburgh castle after years of missing out. thanks to them, we got a free pitcher for knowing the answers to some really obscure questions.

in other news, i had to evacuate our shoebox yesterday so a kindly gentleman could re-caulk our bathtub, and i took refuge at a matinee for the new harry potter. they're all finally old enough to start hooking up with each other! good lord, hogwarts was awash in more raging hormones this installment than any previous.

fiddler

2009-08-31T14:44:00.001-07:00

dad playing fiddle for his mother during their visit to san francisco last weekend.

if it's good enough for anthony bourdain...

2009-08-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

maple bacon latte at pirate cat cafe. complete with bacon-bits garnish.

i could live here

2009-08-15T06:18:00.000-07:00

rounding out my LA photos are a few architectural details from the villa that i wouldn't sneer at if they were in any of my future residences.

my favorite, most genius idea: rosemary hedges.

up at the villa

2009-08-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

michael had the lovely idea that we should check out the getty villa in malibu. my last trip there was in junior high school before the villa was closed for renovations. i'm not quite sure if photos are allowed, but a lot of people seemed to be having at it, so i took some of random stuff, like the shadows above from a caesar-style crown.

and this old plate with a greek guy puking.

guess who.

cottages

2009-08-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

right behind the bev laurel, there was an abundance of sweet little LA cottages that i couldn't help but photograph so i could drool over their fairy tale details from my dark shoebox in san francisco. humor me; i've included quite a few of them.

LA-appropriate

2009-08-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

of all the rental cars we could've been saddled with, we scored this awesome mustang while we were in LA. michael dubbed it "gay blue." it's cerulean!

i labored at styling bart for this shot that zach thought he could crash with his ambercrombie-lite good looks. jerk.

the brothers, lint

2009-08-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

stephan and nathan had a joyful reunion during our trip to los angeles.

then the beer started flowing, and it was all downhill from there.

hollywoooo

2009-08-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

road warrior

2009-08-06T06:45:00.000-07:00

berkeley today

2009-08-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

i'm gearing up for a cupcake party michael and i will be having together in berkeley, guest list: 2. the last time i was at his place two weeks ago, i snapped these photos in his gorgeous backyard. can you believe the size of that dahlia? i included my hand in the shot for scale.

here's oscar and his hedgie friend before we subjected him to six+ hours in a hot sports car. we were all congregating at michael's before heading down to LA for the weekend. there were seven of us--- i am still trying to catch up on my sleep.

michael shares the backyard with alan and his wife marie who have tended nicely to this giant plum tree. every limb stooped with the abundance of the fruit. jam heaven!

extra fancy

2009-07-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

the choos have recruited me to embroider large monograms for their series of custom prize ribbons. if you must have one, float jill & alethea an email here. the one pictured above was a gift for the lovely leah who was a tremendous help at the fair and as always, a delight to be around! while modeling the L at the fair, i was followed around a few times by admirers--- it was quite a hit!

everyone's a winner

2009-07-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

jill made everyone's day at the renegade craft fair with this amazing cutout of the coolest bunch of hot steppers you ever did see.

for more fun fair photos, visit small stump's blog.

aftermath

2009-07-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

with renegade finally over, i find myself awash in projects that couldn't be wrapped up in time for the fair. this means that i will be posting new stuff on etsy a bit more often!

i am slowly getting back to work, but will be taking a much-needed trip down to LA for a long weekend. when i get back, i will be starting work on a sketch series as well as some new designs for little otsu.

a wee prize

2009-07-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

little bits

2009-07-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

should i stay or should i gocco?

2009-07-11T10:13:00.001-07:00

my gocco equipment finally got to see the light of day again! i was up late in to the night printing a new button design for, yeah-huh, the craft fair.

i opted for candy instead of dinner.

two birds, one stone

2009-07-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

form & function

2009-07-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

with all of our traveling lately, i've had a bit of trouble keeping up with my embroidery largely because i couldn't take my snips on the airplane with me. while in phoenix, i made a quick stop in a bead store and found this cute pendant that has a blade running through it; you can cut thread between any of the grooves along the edge. it looks like a harmless piece of jewelry to airport security!

i strung it on some chain from beyond beads and added a little gingham ribbon (my new obsession) from the ribbonerie. now that i have so much sewing and embroidery to do before rcf, i'll be wearing this piece a lot.

phx to sfo

2009-07-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

i can never seem to get a photo that does justice for the view from an airplane.

hot

2009-07-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

on our last day in phoenix, we ventured out of our air conditioned clubhouse and into the city to find neat places to hang out. both yelp and rick insisted that lux was the best place for a good cup of coffee and both sources were correct!

the parking lot was lined with sky-high sunflowers.

the coffee shop was a bit crowded, so we all decided to brave the outdoor seating area. we're talking 100+ degree heat out there, and against all sense and reason, i decided to order a latte. HOT, not iced--- and i somehow lived to tell. with renegade two weeks away, i also forced myself to work a bit on some embroidery.

phoenix foodie

2009-07-07T06:24:00.000-07:00

i ate a lot of betty crocker, including this red velvet cake with dark chocolate frosting. april turned out some delicious chicken tikka masala and nan that i am still thinking about.

4th

2009-07-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

nathan's brother moved his little family out to phoenix from kansas recently, so we decided to pay them a visit this holiday weekend. you might remember shorty from here. i like the muppet baby feel of this photo. cogan is wearing the ferdinand onsie i bought him at last year's renegade craft fair.

weekend

2009-07-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

it has been a busy few weeks! nathan and i flew down to los angeles for my cousin's wedding which was conveniently scheduled on my grandmother's 80th birthday, so there was extra celebrating.

kris and skye's ceremony was very lovely. my favorite part was when we were all asked to join the bride and groom on the altar and do a sort of group hug while they had their first kiss.

gimme eyebrows

2009-06-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

this past sunday, i got up at five am and headed to palo alto for a film shoot. i'll be appearing in bryan's super cool sci-fi serial the curse of the black lotus which should be showing at the next scary cow screening in october. my role? a shrewd board member who tries to crush the protagonist in one of the opening scenes. i tried channeling joan crawford and patrick bateman, and once in the makeup chair, i kept urging ashlei to "bitch me up," hence my amazing eyebrows.

brian clarke built some incredibly awesome set pieces for a control room scene. to look at these consoles, you wouldn't believe how much of it is tape, foamcore, and scrabble tiles.

this is the ridiculously cool van brian transported all of the set pieces in. according to his scary cow profile, his other car is a 1981 gull-wing delorean. i think i just found my new best friend.

very

2009-06-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

i'm posting this ridiculously cute button i just made as the first entry for my new label past lives. in its past life, this button was a pair of embroidered silk underpants. i thought such a cute sentiment would garner more compliments on my sweater than my butt cheek.

today, i am toiling with choopy-choos at choo headquarters getting ready for rcf. our agenda for the day is prize badges!

roll like a writer

2009-06-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

i had a pretty big script deadline this past weekend, so much of last week was spent cloistered in the shoebox, crouched over my wee laptop with nothing to cheer me but my little sunburned tourist cat doll.

the left end of the sofa was my office...

... and a bottle of scotch, my water cooler.

hey dad!

2009-06-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

today is my dad's birthday, give him a hip-hip-hooray!

usually, dad's birthday falls within days of father's day, plus my parent's wedding anniversary is on the 15th. my dad pretty much dominates june.

i love love love you, papa!!

culinary delight!

2009-06-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

here is a photo of my dinner from last night, very exciting, i know. it's a bright red bowl of shrimp curry with butternut squash, sweet potato, and (my favorite addition) mango. i've made it countless times and it never tastes the same as i am always fiddling with the ingredient ratios. this time, i was very liberal with the red curry paste and cilantro, and hiding under all of that soupy deliciousness is a mound of my new favorite pasta, lemon pepper tagliatelle from tj's. the curry recipe came from, where else! nigella lawson, who is a holy figure here in the shoebox.

you can find a close variation of the recipe here.

studio choo visit

2009-06-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

the choos and i got together again this week to do some more planning for renegade. look at this lovely planter business that alethea made. strawberries & marigolds!

the little boys loooovvve when you put your bag on the ground.

jill is having a blowout print sale and was oh so kind to gift me with one of my favorites based on the inside-out dollhouse her and alethea had been building in seattle. this print reminds me of the paper dollhouse my mom had as a kid, pictured at the top of le blog.

button breakthrough

2009-06-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

i learned a new trick today! this choo-approved cuteness will be available on my etsy shop soon and of course at our booth for the renegade craft fair come july.

make a wish

2009-06-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

every morning, i make a wish on ellie.

fun with chemicals

2009-06-02T12:32:00.001-07:00

pouring over my fabrics the other day, i realized that there were quite a few i'd like to use but the color schemes weren't really jiving for me. a fun and smelly way to fix that is with a plain ol' bleach bath. i love watching the colors fade slooowwwlly and letting intuition tell me when i should pull stuff out. and look! that stack of fabrics look so cute together now whereas before, they would have been way to clashy for my taste.

the bleaching party was a part of my preparations for the renegade craft fair in july where i will be sharing a booth with the choo twins of studio choo. i can't wait!!

who doesn't love a "before and after?"

quilt dream

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

i am absolutely in love with these new textile designs from heather ross's collection far far away. my favorite is the princess and the pea. also pictured: t. the frog prince and b. unicorn meadow.

if i am ever able to spend some time crafting around the house just for fun, i think the princess & the pea will have to be incorporated in to a rings quilt. we just got a pillowy white comforter that is in need of a duvet cover... too girly?

not so great

2009-05-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

i generally try to keep it lite here at pms, but geez, we had some not so great stuff happen this week and i am feeling a little beat.

nathan got in to an accident riding his bike to work on tuesday morning and i spent most of the day at an emergency room half way across town. he survived with just a few scrapes and bruises which is a miracle given that he basically head-butted some guy's windshield sans helmet. sincere thanks to michael, our dear friend, for being on-call all day.

maybe now, nathan will cave and let me buy him this styling helmet i've had my eye on.

look busy

2009-05-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

boy, we've been pretty busy since we got back from new orleans. i'm still backlogged with more wonderful photos from the big sticky in addition to more recent snaps.

what are we up to? we're apartment hunting, car hunting, job hunting, cooking more, exercising more, reading, laughing, and yep, crocheting. i have a small vase collection that i've been wanting to make protective cozies for. it's coming along!

birthday boy

2009-05-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

it was nathan's birthday last week, but i didn't get a chance to bake him anything until sunday. here is a batch of guinness chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting waiting for daddy to come home. i finagled the recipe from nigella's domestic goddess baking compendium, which is a masterpiece.

mid city supper

2009-04-24T09:05:00.001-07:00

megan had a small dinner party tuesday night, and we were happy to be invited. it's always nice taking a break from bar & restaurant hopping to spend some quality time with friends at their homes. we got there just as the day was dusking, so i got a few pictures in of the table and shana & megan's awesome garden before our evening feast.

shana and hippo, say hi!

ferry

2009-04-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

on a whim, we decided to take our bikes across the mississippi to ride around old algiers point.

nathan likes both whiskey and wine.
i've been on the natchez twice: once when i was 12 and once when i was old enough to drink a daiquiri on the deck.

old & pretty

2009-04-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

more images from the lafitte guest house...

staying in

2009-04-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

mid-stay, we moved in to the lafitte guest house on bourbon street of all places. fortunately, it was on the esplanade side of bourbon, which means we weren't tormented at night by the sounds of drunken coed yacking and screaming.

the house was built in 1849 as a private home and suffered significant water damage after katrina. fortunately, it has been fully restored since.

petunia's

2009-04-24T08:58:00.002-07:00

in all the years i've been coming to new orleans, i've never heard of petunia's, and i don't understand why not. we ate the heartiest most indulgent breakfast here! even though the food was delicious, it was the interior of this french quarter restaurant i had to photograph. lots of pink!

too much food

2009-04-24T08:58:00.001-07:00

i am always shocked by how much i devour at port of call. they bypass the whole side of french fries thing by serving up gaping baked potatoes heaped with sour cream, cheese, chives, and rocket red bacon bits. then you wash it all down with a monsoon the size of your head.

snowballs

2009-04-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

this cute little hut on magazine street sells the most eclectic assortment of snowball flavors such as wedding cake, which tastes just like betty crocker vanilla frosting straight from the can. even i thought it was too sweet.

m.o.r.e. d.b.a.

2009-04-21T13:55:00.001-07:00

we went back to d.b.a. on frenchman last night for more jazz and blurry pictures.

right before i left san francisco, i saw mardi gras: made in china, a documentary about the young chinese women who make mardi gras beads and get paid a penny per dozen. it probably wasn't the best film to get me hyped for the trip, but it did make me appreciate this light fixture at d.b.a. that is made from recycled beads.

voodoo barbeque!

2009-04-21T13:44:00.001-07:00

when we're in new orleans, nathan needs his barbeque. this trip, we finally made it down to voodoo bbq on st. charles where we watched the street cars pass as we gorged on award winning ribs.

dusk

2009-04-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

the sun sets on another day and another amazing building in the french quarter.

well dressed heterosexual male

2009-04-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

nathan was standing on the sidewalk in the quarter by hisself the other day when a horse-drawn carriage tour rolled up and the guide pointed out brad & angelina's house to accompanying tourists. he then turned towards nathan and said "and here's a brad pitt look-alike." nathan didn't seem to appreciate that in the retelling, but i say that being associated with one of the world's most esteemed male specimens is pretty good apples.

and here is the elusive neil whose tortoise wayfarers inspired this post. i really liked his whole outfit, but the glasses were definitely covet-worthy.

and not pictured is will arnett who i spent two and half hours staring at at d.b.a. last night. i didn't take a picture of him because i am from l.a. and we don't do that.

goin' to the quarter

2009-04-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

on a streetcar named thirsty, britten lulls to sleep her purse full of beer.

brunch with bunch

2009-04-20T14:05:00.001-07:00

on sunday, britten took nathan and i to brunch at cafe degas in mid city. the place is cozy and has a dining room that opens on to the sidewalk, which was quite lovely with the weather being so humid. midway through our meal it started pouring down rain, but cleared up in time for us to leave.

we chatted with several fellow diners while we waited for our tables. i met a woman with san francisco, santa monica, and kansas connections-- small world!

bunchie and i shared the peanut butter pie. it was like a reese's pb cup, only ten times more decadent, we couldn't even finish it. i must find the recipe.

they're back, and they're badder

2009-04-19T06:41:00.000-07:00

i am getting together a new batch of bad baby buttons-- now with ridiculously buggy red eyes thanks to old school fabric paint. when i get back from new orleans, i'll add them to my etsy shop where it will be joining it's fraternal twin, pirate baby.

away i go

2009-04-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

i've been training for new orleans for the past few weeks by drinking alcohol in public, preferably in parks. my mardi gras cups definitely help lend a sense of authenticity, no?

feeling purple

2009-04-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

solo brekkie

2009-04-16T13:04:00.001-07:00

i couldn't quite get up this morning, so nathan was kind enough to gimme a break from the stepford program and let me sleep in. once i was up, i enjoyed a quiet breakfast by myself: bacon & pumpkin pancakes with syrup and cardamom cream!

my new favorite culinary delight is the cream, a simple combination of heavy cream whipped with a little sour cream and fresh ground cardamom. i wheedled it from an amazing dessert recipe by elizabeth faulkner. i've made it twice to rave reviews, so i'll have to actually post about it the next time i make it.

way to go, mr. b!

2009-04-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

andrew benson is an old college friend who you may remember from a previous post. i just found out that he will be doing a live video art performance for m.i.a. at coachella this weekend! this news brightened up my whole week! daria and little djuna must be very proud.

above is a small painting mr. b gifted me with ages ago. you can learn more about the many fancy skills and talents of mr. b here and view some fun images/videos of his work (and his sweet little bebe) here & here.

pink

2009-04-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

i want to wear it!

housewife

2009-04-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

as this blurry action photo attests, i am making good on my solemn promise to nathan to cook him breakfast and dinner every day until i find another job. tonight, our lovely friends dan & leanne are coming over for dinner and i still don't know what i am making. oh, bother.

happy easter

2009-04-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

here is christian, nathan's 5 year old doppelganger/nephew, holding a wee wabbit we found for sale in a thrift store in kansas last summer.

by the water

2009-04-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

i'm stuck at work today, but looking at pictures from my last visit to the ramp do help a bit in providing some cheer. when the weather is beautiful in the city, this is where i long to be.

you can sip bloody marys by the water and pretend you're in new orleans. i've been doing that a lot lately.

apples

2009-04-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

to all of my rose and radish friends, circa 2007: remember these? i dug out my apple jacket the other day and was reminded that there is a new version of the design that caught my eye on etsy...a grandpa sweater for apples!

cat heaven

2009-04-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

girl trouble

2009-04-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

some of my favorite times occur when i'm with these ladies: sara, clariss, and little boots (latter two pictured above.)

on a sober note, elizabeth twisted her little ankle later that night. does anyone have a pair of tiny crutches she can borrow?

early morning

2009-04-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

it has been a while since i brought some flowers home. this arrangement was deconstructed from a bouquet shawan made for bride's magazine and has been my favorite focal point in my bedroom all week long.

something wee this way comes

2009-03-25T13:20:00.001-07:00

i chanced upon a wee muscari plant at trader joe's a week or so ago. it was the best $2.49 i've spent in recent memory.

i've been a good mommy! this little guy was a little stub when i first brought him home.

we miss jill

2009-03-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

rainy season

2009-03-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

these days, i am taking lots of photos from indoors in lieu of trips to the gym. i'm due at work in a few hours, and i would much rather stay in bed and listen to the rain. one of my favorite ways to pass the time!

happy birthday grandpa

2009-03-02T13:23:00.001-08:00

i love you very much!

6 weeks till...

2009-03-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

i missed mardi gras again this year and the only thing keeping me from plummeting in to a seething depression is knowing that i will be going to new orleans soon. soon my precious.

2008 recap

2009-02-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

i'm sorry i bailed on my beloved bloggy at the tail-end of 2008, especially since quite a bit happened that i would've liked to commemorate. here's a quick run through of some highlights:

above// shooting eat pray whatever in my bedroom. i was sooo tickled that we got to use a print i brought back from hammerpress in kansas city.

brenda's introduced a new breakfast item!

xmas in santa cruz.

my growing pyrex collection, thanks to carol sue!

a stroll down memory lane thanks to my oma. yeah, that's my dad. there were many drum casualties when i was growing up.

the view from our suite at the fairmont hotel on new years eve.

it was looking down at the financial district (one of my least favorite parts of the city) that i was unexpectedly overwhelmed w/ nostalgia and decided to spend my birthday at the punchline which is right next to the pyramid.

drunk people on nye, always funny.

i turned 29 on january 14th.

ted gave me a great present for my birthday: a framed picture of hisself from when he was little.

so, guess what

2009-02-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

you may or may not have heard that several months ago, i decided "duh, i wanna make films." as i posted last october, my pitch to scary cow for eat pray whatever went swimmingly and long story short, it was shot, chopped, and just recently screened at the castro theater!!

and that's not all. oh, no. it was one of five projects in competition chosen for phase two status. what does that mean? it means my next film can be any length i want. it means that i will have access to a modest budget. it means that i am special.

what are the critics saying? a stranger told me that my performance was "mesmerizing." i'm taking that one to the grave.

i missed you

2009-02-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

hey guys.

101

2008-11-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

i have been waiting for four years to elect this man.

four years ago tonight, my stomach fell as i watched the results come in in favor of bush's reelection. i believed that kerry had picked up enough momentum and that the record amount of new voters was indicative of a new direction for this country.

feeling completely crushed, all i could do was passively watch the election coverage as it broke. in other national news that night, there was a lot of excitement in illinois regarding a newly elected senator named barack obama. exceptionally charming and intelligent, talking heads were already positing that barack might run in 2008 for president of the united states, but he was quick to dismiss the idea.

this entry marks my 101st post and i find it hugely fitting that it be about this momentous occasion. this is the 1st entry of the next 100 just as tomorrow is the first day of the next four years. for the first time in my short voting career, i can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning.

barack is giving his speech right now, and he is killing it.

pom-pom-athon

2008-11-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

last night, i made pompoms for hours while watching dances with wolves. in addition to writing and producing my first short film this season, i am also making costumes for my friend maria's short the notes in the hat, a little love story about a waiter and a mime. i'll be sourcing a lot of the mime's clothing from goodwill, including a white baby doll dress that i plan to festoon with these lush red pompoms.

covetous

2008-10-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

i had been eyeing these ranunculas in the gallery all week, and guess who got to bring them home!

press!

2008-10-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

wha?! jenny at ciuccio was so kind to give me the heads up that one of my paintings was used in a storque article on etsy today! omg, guys. omg.

buzz

2008-10-14T07:57:00.001-07:00

maybe this is news to you: i joined a film co-op earlier this month called scary cow. sunday was our pitch meeting, wherein all members gather to listen to pitches and then sidle up to whichever project they want to work on.

i pitched Eat Pray Whatever, a short about three friends who get distracted at an outlet mall on their way to an ashram. i received an amazing response and i am in the process of firming up my crew roster. we'll make it over the next few months and it will show at scary cow's second anniversary screening at the castro theater. you better be there!

miette

2008-10-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

it had been a while since i'd visited miette in hayes valley, so i wandered over on my lunch break saturday to see what's new and lo, gummy alphabet! being a totally obsessive compulsive snacker, i loved spelling out as many words as i could with the random letters i was given. "quasi plum" was about the best i could do.

don't come back

2008-10-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

nathan and i can't stand our building managers, and as you can tell from this photo, we're not alone. lucky us, kgb is out of town through the end of october. we might actually be able to drink beer on the back patio. and leave our windows open while we're at work.

many mondays

2008-10-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

i've missed you, too.

last day

2008-09-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

on my last day home, rick and i surveyed my parents' yard and started cooking up gardening ideas. our neighbor has a pomegranate tree and a mango tree that both have limbs that flirt with our property. i gathered ripe mangoes from the ground in our backyard. they are small and yellow and taste delicious.

nico the obscured

2008-08-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

have you met nico? my LABF celine has two kitties, flash & nico. flash, as you might deduce, isn't much for having her picture taken. nico, on the other hand, is a man of leisure who will make love to the camera and then to your lap.

reunion aftermath

2008-08-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

i got up early sunday morning after the reunion and went to TJs for flowers and brekkie fixings. jordan & marienne came over for pancakes and brought jordan's girlfriend monica. i wasn't sure if i knew who she was even though he told me we'd all gone to high school together. when they arrived, i recognized her from grade school! we had lots of fun cooking and making a mess. jennifer & her cool dude, alan, came by later to help us finish our mimosas.

that's jordan pictured above tickling the ivories. he's always had tremendous talent with regards to classical piano. i'm not being sarcastic.

a cat named mouse. she's our little alfa female.

the beautiful chocolate goose that is destined to never be eaten.

we all hung out long enough to digest brunch and grow hungry again. it had been a while since i'd been to oki's dog, so i had the pleasure of forcing my friends to go with me and watch me eat the signature oki's dog; chili, pastrami, and cheese on two hot dogs wrapped in a tortilla. it's under $4 and there's a signed glossie of en vogue on the wall you can stare at while your arteries cry. if you no longer have the will to live, have the oki's dog with chili fries.

10 years?

2008-08-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

i headed to los angeles this weekend for my 10 year high school reunion. it was more of a mixer, very small and intimate; my old friend fredo organized it with a few other classmen in their spare time. it was very nice seeing those who could make it and daniel, one of my most prized high school friends, was my escort. we both went to different high schools and graduated a year apart, but we both had the same class song: in my life by the beatles.

collections

2008-08-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

the house in scotts valley had lots of little random collections that i was compelled to document.

scotts valley

2008-08-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

we got out of the shoebox and headed down to santa cruz where all kinds of my relatives were converging this weekend.

my aunt and uncle put us up with the rest of my cousins at a friend's house in scotts valley just north of santa cruz in the mountains. i woke up early on sunday and meditated for the first time in about a week. it was also my first time meditating outdoors! i thought it would be too cold, but it was actually nice and still. i brought my flea market ganesh, who is so cute and tiny. whoever made him even captured his broken tusk, no easy feat what with working in such a small scale. ganesh broke off one of his tusks and used it to help valmiki write the ramayana, one of southeast asia's most prized epic poems.

out of the closet and off to the flea

2008-08-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

spent most of the weekend tidying the closet and going through tons of sewing stuff. it was exciting to be reminded of the fun projects i've worked on, partial and complete, especially this apple shaped pot warmer in progress for someone who can not be named because they read this blog and i would still like to give it to them some day.

after working saturday and spending most of my free time getting organizized, it was refreshing to get up early and leave the city for the alameda flea market, my first one this summer. my favorite find of the day was this little two year old version of carmen sandiego, apparently in hot pursuit.