Creative Thursday

a 36 hour get away

At the moment Sean's teaching schedule is packed, which makes it challenging for us to get away for even two days at a time. But this does not mean we're not going to get away! oh no.

Because I've said it 100 times before, getting a change of scenery even if it is a whirlwind change of scenerey is so, SO good to do.

It helps when you have great friends you like to visit too, who also happen to live in beautiful, serene locations surrounded by vineyards. 

• So we took the Amtrak Surfliner train up North to Sab Luis Obispo this weekend. Highly, highly recommend this if you are wanting to see a glimpse of California, especially along the coast. In some sections the train goes right along the edge of the water, and it goes all the way South to San Diego too.
• Castoro Cellars in Paso Robles. One of my new favorites. There's an interesting story about the Vineyard name. I'll save it for you should you go. In fact there's almost always a good story behind wine names and labels.  Turns out I like to ask a lot of questions and learn all about wineries. Must be the entrepreneur in me? I like to know all about busineses and bond with their brands. And the bottle I photographed was the best - Due Mila Otto. You can only get it in Paso Robles.
• Tasting wine with the Frantic Meerkat aka Kim. We are enjoying the Due Mila Otto
• First time trying wine straight from the barrel. Interesting to taste the difference between a new wine and one that had aged even a year longer. 
• Mincy, Sean and Kim on to Shale Oaks. {Mincy likes to keep his privacy so this is the only photo we have of him.} When I asked questions this time, I discovered that every detail from the construction of the winery, from the countertops to the water used to flush the toilets, to the organic wine making - all completely sustainable. It's no longer enough just to be 'green' people- Sustainable is the new buzz word for businesses. And I like it.
• With scenery like this. I could probably live here.
• Vineyards seem to have incredibly sweet dogs on the premises. The first one was Roxie {by the barrels above} and the last one was Chris Brown. Do not ask the story about his name, because I don't remember. We met him at our last tasting at Pasoport which specializes in you guessed it Port. Which was especially delicious and amazing when combined with cheese + quince. good times. good times.

No, no, no

 

This is one of those videos that is making the internet rounds. If you haven't seen it yet, oh you must! Outi told me about it yesterday and I can't stop watching it. I love it so much, it hurts. 

Culverland

That's our friend John. He's standing on a blue square {waiting for a blue car to drive by} of a game that he developed, designed and painted with his wife Kim that is now on a sidewalk in Culver City.

 

For those of you not familiar with L.A., it is a big city and by big, I mean wide. It covers a large expanse, and for this reason much of the city is broken down into what I like to call "digestible" neighborhoods, each with it's own personality or vibe. Culver City is one of those neighborhoods, originally famous for its film studios, that in the last decade has been through quite a bit of re-gentrification and is now extra hip and happenin' {also one of my favorite L.A. neighborhoods ~ umm, hello Tender Greens = one of my favorite restaurants}

On a *side note* please don't quote me on my history of L.A. or Culver City, and John and Kim {because we know you did most of the work} I hope I have the facts right about how this game evolved, {but I am also guilty of having margaritas during the time you explained more of the details as to how this project came to you, or how you found it?}

Funded by an arts grant from the city of Culver City, John applied and won. Seriously, how great is that? a} that there are grants available for this type of creativity and b} John won. In his regular life, he is a writer, mostly television, a surfing friend of Sean's {first} and then me via osmosis of me dating Sean.

I'm going to be honest and say that while a certain childlike quality exists in me, insert my art here,  I tend to shy away from game playing. What is that anyway? Is that called becoming an adult? Because I used to love games. In fact I could play them for hours at a time. You know I think it's really because as adults we very rarely get to play games the way we used to as kids...unless there's money involved and then your in Vegas. 

A game that asks you to move ahead a space at a time when a certain color car drives by in a certain direction, here's what playing Culverland did for me: It brought me right into the moment. Since being "in the moment" is not only a catch phrase for our time but something I'm trying to do more of in my life {because it calms me down, keeps me grounded and appreciative of what I already have} I was pretty excited to find myself there....for a moment. Well, probably at least ten minutes.

 

It was crazy fun. All of us played together, Sean, I,  John, Kim and their son Ian who is 5. What's the message of this story. Play more games. Be in the moment. Oh and have the best margarita{s} ever on a Friday afternoon with your friends at Kay N Dave's ;) 

Now if that doesn't make you want to run out and play Culverland? Do it soon! It's only up through November 1, 2010.

single baby

In honor of YouTube's fifth anniversary. Can you believe YouTube is only, already 5 years old? Talk about changing the landscape of the internet forever. And to think it all started, like everything starts, at the beginning, with one single video.

I've always wanted to share this video with you. It's a favorite.

So if you aren't one of the thirteen million people who has already seen this, a Monday laugh for you.

We're living in Paris!

 

This is what I've been sitting on for weeks now.  A total leap of faith. A dream we are no longer content to wait on anymore. We decided now is the time.

We're living in Paris for a month.

I've been sitting on this, because it still doesn't quite seem real, and so many things have had to come together for this to become real, things that are still coming together quite honestly ~ but I knew when I blogged about it I would be committing to the reality of this dream even more.

So here goes. Years in the making, another dream about to happen.

Sean and I have had a dream of living part-time in Europe pretty much since we met. It's a dream we shared that bonded us right away. 

The dream began for me as a little girl. My mom is from Germany and our family is there. Fortunate to visit it every year as a child, the time never felt like enough. Europe has felt like a second home to me and I've always imagined going for a longer time, maybe even living there part time. 

Somewhere in my ultimate dream and plan for my life I envisioned the freedom to travel the world, to live in new places, to explore any time I want to. This little business of mine I've been building has had that intent in mind. Another reason it has all worked out perfectly, I can now work anywhere in the world with an internet connection. 

I am FREE.

I emphasize living and not vacationing for this trip, as we will be experiencing this city as a resident.  This will be a working trip for Sean and I as we are also launching a new e-course this Thursday, inspired by this adventure, that we will teach from Paris! Come with us!!!

happy birthday Seanie

you rock my world!

{quote from, and inspired by, one of my long time favorite movie "Singles"}

{We're celebrating a special birthday over here today, be back soon}
 

today it's all about me & an outfit ~ bloganista week 1

 

Oh, and it's also {just one more post, I promise} all about Camera Bag...

Photo above is the "Instant" filter

Thanks for all the app/article sharing and for tolerating my newest obsession. I thought I'd close out the week with a post all about me while demonstrating the affects of my favorite filters/cameras on the same photo in the Camera Bag.  Lovely, don't you think?

Also, I think this is such a fun idea started by Erin of Design for Mankind Fame. You should totally come and play along. It's a Flickr group called Bloganistas, intended to demonstrate that even though we, who blog, all work from home, we might actually have style and do still wear things other than sweat pants. Although in this week's photo, I'll say it's all about comfort in my "trip to the farmer's market ensemble", as I traded my "sweat pants" in for the BEST EVER winter leggings from American Apparel. Highly, highly recommend them. I will warn you now, once you put them on you might just never take them off ~ again.

happy Friday to my blog friends! xoxo

"helga" filter

"colorcross" 

original Iphone photo

"magazine"

"1962"

before it's too late

 

 

 

 

 
  

  
  

 

 

 
  
  
  

 

   
  

 

 
 
My Christmas vacation in photos.

I know I said I'd be back tomorrow, but I've decided to sneak in a day early. It's time, I'm ready to gently close out one decade and enter into the next.

1. the grove

2. seanie

3. kitties napping Christmas Eve

4. home made pecan pie, and by home made, I mean the crust too

5. Christmas Eve

6. ornaments

7. Lulu in Lolo

8. everyone is sleeping

9. from Sean

10. my new amanda blake art print, a gift from Sean

11. Seanie + me ~ It's hard to take a self-portrait {on a new Iphone!!!}

12. santa claus

13. zucchinis

14. skyping with my family in Germany

15. garbo girl

16. a holiday gathering

17. santa monica Irish pub

18. studio doorway

whew!

This is a girl opening night of her show, relieved that all of the work is done. This is also a girl and her man trying not to pose for a photo, and being silly instead. {isn't the wall color awesome?}

Fun is on the agenda for today and then tomorrow I'm back with a Creative Thursday announcement that I can keep under wraps no more.

thanks so much for all the show well wishes & to everyone who was able to make it in person! & see you back here tomorrow then

facebook finally

I've been avoiding this like the plague. The invitation to join facebook has been sitting in my inbox since the new year....yesterday, I gave in. 

It is SO much fun, I had no idea. I've already reconnected with a college friend I haven't seen in 15 years, has it been that long???? Good Lord. Now I have a whole new thing to obsess about on the internet.

Sean has already asked me this Sunday morning if he will "now be losing me to facebook".

...maybe for a few days.

And if that's not enough. If you don't already know enough about me and my daily shenanigans. I'm now on Twitter too.

(I'm not making any promises as to how long I'll be there....as much as I love the "internets" I can easily get overwhelmed ...and going outside is probably a good idea from time to time.)

hey, happy March!!!!