Friday, November 20, 2009

Buy HANDMADE this holiday season

JUST DO IT!!!

Don't miss the fantastic annual event Craftmas Bizarre 4! For four years running folks have been doing all their holiday shopping at the fabulous Fake Gallery !

BUY HANDMADE! 100% lead free, not made in China.

Free Wassel & Free Waffle bar and crafty demos and lots of surprises.

Sunday December 6th, 12p - 5p

The Fake Gallery
4319 Melrose Ave (at Heliotrope)
LA CA 90029

FREE PARKING

Mention JJM Handcrafted sent you and you get in Freeeeeee other wise have your $2 buck ready.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

If you want to cry

read my high school friend's blog. Today's entry is particularly heart-wrenching. When he posted the link on Facebook he suggested you have kleenex at the ready.

Background, so you know what you're getting into...

His lovely wife died suddenly while 6 months pregnant. His blog is dedicated to his and his children's heartache and healing. It makes me cry frequently.

I hope he doesn't mind my posting the address. But I think anyone who would read it would certainly have nice thoughts in their head for him and his family. I really do believe that the kind/warm things you think about someone far away, whether it is crying along with him or sending love via the waves of the internet, I know that energy helps.

http://www.anitaslove.com/

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Chris Brown

I like Chris Brown's music. According to some of the more popular gossip blogs I'm supposed to stop liking him and boycott his music because he beat the crap out of Rihanna.

I'm pretty sure that he'll never beat the crap out of me and maybe I should feel more strongly about Rihanna thing, but I don't.

I really like his new song I Can Transform Ya. So catchy!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

New stuff for the Brewery this weekend

Drink in style with this glow in the dark skull flask



The unfinished monkey


Sea Monkey or See Monkey?


I debated a long time on the background. Put it out there for comments and the overwhelming response was GREEN. I extruded a variety of greens, and started some vines. The vines needed a little more punch so I added some color. Then my extruder broke. Tragic. It is the most important tool I use. So rather than continue with the strands of clay I filled in the background with solid pieces. First I did it in yellow, not good. Then I did it in cream, again not good. I settled on blue. It is a bit brighter than I like and it looks a little ocean-y. That's fine, he can be a Sea Monkey or maybe See Monkey.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

pondering

Which FOX news program will be the first to interview someone from the Kopechne family? (fyi "the Chappadquiddick incident")

Why do torches from the hardware store come fully fueled and ready to go? And cost $16. And the professional kitchen torches come sans fuel and are double the price?

Is it because the hardware torch must sit upright whereas the creme brulee torch can be used perpendicularly?

Is Italy a good destination for the Christmas holidays? Specifically Rome?

If not Christmas, maybe Australia or Japan in January or February?

Friday, July 31, 2009

Emma

I know in my heart she is communicating to us it is time for us to let her go. We just don't want to listen.

She's 14 and a half years old. It isn't like she's going to recover from old age, one never does.

We just need to accept the signs and not wait to long. Waiting to long will be too painful. For us and for her.

I wish she would just die in her sleep, it would make it so much easier.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Up in the gym working on my fitness

For months my co-worker-friend Melina and I would bitch to each other about our figures and lack of discipline to stick with a workout routine. We decided to try working out together, hoping that would keep us motivated. And accountable. She lives in a hilly neighborhood, so we started out hiking up around the back hill of her house. OMG, straight up, just when you're ready to die, it flattens out for a few steps. That kept us interested for a little bit but at one point she mentioned The Bar Method. We both agreed to try a class.

We took our first class on May 23rd. The class starts out simple enough, deep knee bends with some arm punches. Then you pick up your 2 or 3 pound weights and you do arm lifts and variations arm lifts. After about the 3rd movement and 50th rep I gave Melina a look like what have you gotten us into. Had I only known what was to come.

My first clue should have been a conversation with a women in the lobby while we were waiting for the earlier class to end.

Door opens sweaty women pour out
Random Girl: Oh I bet their happy that's over.
Melina and I look at her with blank faces.
Random Girl: is this your first class?
Us: nodding yes
Random Girl: Oh then you have NO IDEA what I talking about.

The class is comprised of bar movements at the ballet barre, mat stretching and other various stretching between active muscle work, core work and but lifts.

Things like this:

At the barre out arms distance, with your hands resting lightly on the barre. toes and heels together, stand on tippy toes, tuck your butt up, suck your gut in, bend knees a foot. Little up little down x32, down down hold x32, pulse x32.

Second position (toes pointed out feet just at hip distance) tuck butt, suck in, put one leg behind you, hinge forward, lift leg to hip height and lift the leg up an inch down an inch x 32. Followed by little adjustments, toes pointed, flexed, knee bent..... x 1,000,000

Feet together, knees bent, ball between your thighs. Squeeze, tuck, up, down, tuck tuck tuck, squeeze squeeze squeeze.

All this butt and thigh work is rewarded with crunches. Followed by back dancing, as they call it. On your back, feet together butt tucked, squeeze..... right, right right... left, left, left

And on and on. Your muscles just quiver and shake. They really encourage the shaking, the more you shake the more your core muscles are working, it builds change that is repeated by all the instructors. The instructor walks around the room giving praise and encouragement, telling you how beautiful your shaking is, how beautiful you are. You do wonderful stretching in between, a itty-bitty break.

After that first class we took advantage of the trial offer of unlimited classes for 50% off for 1 month. The first couple days after that first class, I thought I might die. Melina felt the same. Our muscles hurt so bad, to sit, to stand to walk. OUCH.

We have stuck to it! I've gone to 13 classes! I'm still sore all the time. I have a really hard time with Arabesque movements, my lower back just burns, but less and less each time. I know if I stick to it, at some point I'll see it in the mirror.

Both Melina and I plan to sign up for 3 more months. I'm excited for results.

In the meantime, my legs hurt every time I move, so its just better not to move.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Caffeine

Why oh why can't we be friends? I love coffee, especially with half and half. Nothing beats a hot creamy cup of coffee.

However, I just cannot deal with the effects. My heart jumps, I feel like I'm having an anxiety attack and then there are the calories from the cream.

I need to quit you coffee.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Up Next

Kinetic mobiles. They should make for a good summer project!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

And more

A colorful primate.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

One more

I neglected to post the clown yesterday. He is creepy.

Friday, April 10, 2009

arty stuff

The bird again.


Small salt and pepper shakers


Pie server in blue


Super crappy pictur of the owl. It looks so much better in person. I think I will sand it just to finish it up a bit more.


Tree

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sunday

We started our day with coffee and Rock of Love 3. Such trash. All the girls are whores and Bret is in DIRE need of a makeover. Rock the haircut Bret. Do it. Bald is Rock N Roll.

I'm putting the No Kneed bread. I'll put it in the oven in just a few minutes. Matt is making Vietnamese style chicken soup and we're both drinking a bloody mary.

I plan to finish up a new art piece and start making some rings. I found an easy wire twist ring that will show off a bead nicely.

A nice long walk and watching Rachel Getting Married is also on the agenda.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match

Did you know that male Northern Mockingbirds sing both day and night from February - November. They have a spring song and a winter song. The single males sing more than the partnered males.

I have a male who I would like to find a partner. So if you have a single Northern Mockingbird, probably a female is preferred (are there gay birds?), please send her my way.

Let's make a love connection.

Seriously, the bird sings all night. Not solid singing, but anytime a car drives by or a person walks by, or a plane flies overhead he sings away. He's going to become bird soup if he can't find a ladybird friend.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Long Weekends

For valentine's day I got Matt House of the Dead - Overkill for wii. Zombie killing at it's best. It is multi-player so we get to rid the world of zombies together. It is a pretty hilarious game lots of cussing and half naked girls, including half naked girl zombies!

We had a lovely valentine's evening at the local sports bar/wings joint. We figured it wouldn't be a hot valetine date destination and we were right. We spilt wings and spinach artichoke dip, both of which were sub par. We then came home to play House of the Dead. It was a perfect low key night.

Today we walked with Emma to starbucks, she'll probably sleep the rest of the day. It is a bit farther than she is used to walking these days. She is really showing her age, I can't belive she'll be 14 years old in just 3 weeks. She's getting a special pupcake from the local dog bakery.

We're going to spend the rest of the day watching movies and playing the wii. We have Secret Life of Bees and Hamlet 2. Later, we'll walk over to Blockbuster and return Hamlet 2 and exchange it for Pineapple Express. I really like the combo of both by mail and looking in person at the store.

Tomorrow! I do love Monday holidays. Tomorrow I plan to do some baking. I'll probably start one of the breads tonight and make a couple other loaves tomorrow. Both Matt and I loved the Spiced Prune bread, it doesn't sound appealing but it is really good! Especially toasted with butter, the prunes get all carmalized and crispy.

My birds have been spending more and more time in the feeder. Throughout the day the male bird comes to the feeder and coos. Sometimes the female bird comes to join him and they both sit in the feeder for a little while. I hope that I can catch them making the nest. According the the internet one of them sits in the nesting area while the other gathers nesting material. Then it comes back and lands on the back of the one in the feeder to hand off the twings and leaves.

It will be fun to have another batch of baby birds!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Professional Juror

Seriously. Jury duty again. This time it's for District Court which is under Federal jurisdiction. So I can't even use the I just did jury duty excuse, since that was Superior Court.

This trial is expected to last 4-5 weeks.

As far as jury duty goes, Federal is way better. Better food options and they pay more.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Free

We're done with the 30 days of restriction! But honestly I was off as soon as we hit Aspen. Come on! Free vacation food or restriction and not eating? Um and the whole open bar all the time, hard to decline.

Sadly I'm back on coffee. I am especially busy at work right now and it is a treat for me in the morning. If I need a quick break in the afternoon I go back for a half caf/half decaf, save the cup and register a gift care and it's free. I'm far less concerned with the caffeine than the half and half I add by the bucketful. Seriously I need to make myself switch to whole milk or something. Either that or exercise extra everyday to burn off the dumb fat calories.

We're still cooking everything we eat. I'm still making any breads we eat. We're not using sugar. We don't have any junky food in the house. Except for salted caramels, I try to only have a few a week. Soon enough they'll be gone. And ideally I won't make any more.

Matt is still choosing not to eat a number of things no caffeine, sugar and very limited dairy. We've both had the occasional alcoholic beverage. In fact I plan to have one shortly.

Overall I don't feel any different. I don't have any food alergies that effect my everyday life. Shellfish and I will never be friends and I know my limits on other fish, those are easy to control. It was a good January challenge. I'm glad we did it.

Our first dinner out in a month was to our favorite place Pitfire Pizza Co. I seriously love that place. We had a lovely dinner on the patio near the fire pit, which is a great new addition. We split a big salad and the winter special spare rib pasta. I had a sangria and Matt had a beer. It was a warm 75 degrees and we took our time walking home. Well worth waiting a month!

Monday, February 02, 2009

Market Research

I start a new market research study tomorrow. Sadly this isn't driving sporty new cars, but rather using hand cream.

The cream is approved for human usage, which is good, seeing how I am human. I do have ridiculously sensitive skin so hopefully I don't break out immediately upon usage. It is nice to get compensated for doing something you do anyway.

So anyway I use the hand cream 3 times a day, fill out a couple forms and they pay me money.

I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a whore for products.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Aspen a photo essay

Michelle and I in the toasty warm Monster Energy Drink viewing suite. Catered, open bar and heated! So lovely.


The viewing suite overlooked the superpipe.


Early in the day, hardly any people.


Oops.


Escorted out.


Me standing at the base of Aspen mountain. Burr.


Michelle and I with the slope and style finish behind us.


View of our viewing suite from far away. Just below and to the left is the ESPN broadcast booth. The judges are above and to the left.


Smiling, happy camera man.






Gretchen is the local favorite. She fell 2 out of three times. Once really, really hard. She is super cute.




Pack them in!


Michelle and I getting ready to snowmobile! I'm terrified at this point.


Cold. Why didn't I bring a freaking scarf? I was cursing myself. It was fun to go snowmobiling. But I was nervous a lot of the time. It was hard to steer and the whole shear cliff drop off thing...


Michelle took a turn at driving along the flat mountain top.




Inside the warming booth drinking hot cocoa!


Up at the top!



Our breakfast, lunch and activity pals, Tom and Cheryl.


There was a group of Russians who also were snowmobiling. One of them was an Olympian who plays for the Detroit Red Wings. Pavel Datsyuk‏. Michelle and I are about as far away from sports as you can get so we didn't know who he was. He was just the handsome Russian in the Olympic snowsuit.

Sleds! Can you imagine?








The crowd watching the Next Big Trick on snowmobiles.


Levi LaVallee team preparing the top of the mound of snow for a soft landing. Completely futile in hindsight.


Levi after the DOUBLE BACK FLIP!!! video to follow at the end


The crowd assumed he hit it, but sadly he fell off on the landing. He over shot the landing by the entire mound of snow.

One of the most fun activities was handing out Monster Energy Drink swag while waiting in line for the shuttles. You would have thought we gave people $100. So freaking excited. Here some of our favs.





Michelle and I at the top of Aspen Mountain for the fancy Monster Energy Drink private party. It has been a long, long time since Michelle and I have been to a party like this. The last time was Hustler's 25th! We had a BLAST. Seriously so much fun.


We rode up and down the gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain a few times. It was gorgeous.








After every few runs on the superpipe a group of kid snowboarders or skiers take a run down the middle of the pipe. My new friend Chase, the next big snowboarder who is 14 and sponsored by Monster, told me that this clears away the slush created by the snowboard. We chatted for a long time and I learned a ton from him.

This boy is a local kid who lost his leg in an accident.




After each competitor this guy would follow filming from an on the ground angle in HD. They were able to get some amazing shots.


The crowd watching the pipe.


This is one of the guys who rides for Monster.


At the end of EVERY race the competitors take a few swigs off the signature monster drink container. Fantastic branding and marketing, so impressive.


Shaun White the winner of the superpipe.




Crappy video of Levi LaVallee doing a double back flip.