July 7th

Sometimes I wonder who likes coloring more, me or him? Either way, the pencils have had a lot of paper time lately.

~~~~~~~
(this is a photo and word set I did today for Habit. They have invited us all to play along for the month of July and being a HUGE fan of the project was thrilled to participate)

random tuesday stuff...

I am getting quite a little collection of vintage cameras. I just ordered (won) an sx-70 on ebay and can hardly wait for it to arrive. I have several other polaroid cameras and a couple brownies plus my beloved Yashica. Love them all and need to find a better way to display there sweet little faces in the house.

Have you noticed the new tool bar below the photos I post? You can now order a print or a card (folded, flat or post)right from my blog.
Cool, huh?

Hope this post finds you all well on this cool but sunny Tuesday afternoon.

Be well friends,

V~

trains and automobiles, no planes please

I think I have to have one of these before things are complete. I mean, look at it. always wanted one, always.


picked up my mom from the train station today. She rolled in from a week in Jersey visiting family. She doesn't fly, she just doesn't.
The boy and I played hookie from work and school today to hang out with her and catch up.
So glad she is home again.
I missed her!

green gaurd

keeping watch over the kitchen.



Somewhere along the way I came across these little army men. It started in college, placing them here and there. I would put them in my plants and in other unexpected spots around the house sort of as a joke with my roommates. I like to think they are keeping watch over me and the random spots that they are placed. The bottles are old finds from my childhood. I have carted those things around with me for years.

I have been meaning to get outside and find some green in my world. I actually spotted a fantastic old motor home that would be perfect for a Polaroid or TtV shot but it is in a shady part of town near some of the weeklies along 4th St. I have snapped the shot mentally, and maybe this weekend I can talk someone into taking a walk down there so I can capture it. There are also some great signs in town that would fit the bill, again getting out when there is still light is a trick these days. All in all I am having a great time spotting all the green around the house.

So glad tomorrow is Friday. It has been a long week and today was one of those days where anything I touched sorta went south. I am looking forward to having brunch with the girls this weekend and possibly a lunch date with my bff to a new eatery on CalAve. (Freeman's Natural Hotdogs- the site is www.fnhotdog.com)

Be well friends!

green-like sugar

Before we moved into the 'big house' we lived in a sweet little 1960's casa. A two bedrooms one bath sort of deal. It was our first house and we were ambitious about making it our own. We promptly set to ripping up all the carpet (including that which was in the bathroom-eww, say it with me, ewwwww).
We (or should I say Daddy-O) installed hardwood floors thru out the 800 square feet of bedroom, living room and front entry. As with most projects when you spruce up one part of the house you start to see where the rest of the house needs help. The interest rates were dropping and so, like so many others we re-fied the house. This gave us a bit of money to go big and remodel the kitchen. We gutted the thing, all the way down to the studs.





I learned how to hang drywall and cook in the microwave . We did dishes in the tub and ate out more then I liked to adimt. We had a guy come in and tile the floors, we had new appliances delivered (oh how I miss that dual fule stove), silestone counter tops and cabinets installed. The place was gorgeous. One of my favorite parts about the new kitchen was that we had a plate rail installed. We had received a set of dishes for our wedding (that I adore) but there were only settings for four, a much smaller number of settings then we regularly needed for when friends or family showed up.
The hunt was on for dishes that we like, no, that we loved. And just in time, a Crate and Barrel catalog arrived in the mail.
It was settled as soon as we saw them in the pages, Samoa Dinnerware was it.
Now, in the new house, we don't have a plate rack to show off our fancy dishes. But there is one piece of the set that dose get to live outside the cupboard doors and be part of the counterscape- the sugar bowl.

I love it's little round handle and squat round belly.

Around JoJo's Place

I talked about it a little bit last year, and I can't help but mention it again this year, my mom has the best decorations for whatever season it might be, but some of my favorites are the ones she has found over the years for Christmas. Many of these aren't from when I was little, but rather things that she has scored at garage sales and thrift shops.
I think she has some sort of magic thrifting dust tha she sprinkles around because almost every time we go 'saling' together we find something good. In the warmer months you can almost bet that Saturday or Sunday morning she has a new little treasure or two.

Thank you all for the fantastic birthday wishes yesterday. I got so many phone calls, text messages, emails, comments here and on flickr, it made an otherwise ordinary day special!
All of you make my world amazing- xo

a taste of morning sun

mouse in the house

Thank you laura . Your package today was so so sweet ad such a surprise.




came across this recipe .
I had to try it last night- I had all the ingredients, so why not.
perfect!

Feed em'

Hi gang,
Taking a little inspiration from Mommy Moshpit I invite you to a round of "Virtural Cirlce" If you aren't familiar with Stacie's blog or her game here's a quick run down... I ask you a question and you, dear reader, in all of your wisdom help to answer it- or at least leave me a little of your wisdom and advise.

So here goes---
Over Christmas I received a very nice gift from someone. Unfortunelty, I already had a version of said gift and was told I could return it to Costco and find something else that I liked. Here is where the question comes in, I would like to purchas a new sewing machine. Costco carries two
1. The brother
2. The singer

I have done a bit of research on amazon and both get fairly good reviews (The brother's seem to be a bit more possitive over all) I currently own a Brother sewing machine, but would really love something with a bit more 'umph and a few more fancy functions.
So what do ya say? Anyone have any experience with either of these models? or any preference on one brand vs. the other?

snow man

It rained and rained and rained on Friday- we got a quarter of our annual rainfall in just about 12 hours. it was amazing and wet. Later on in the afternoon, maybe around 5, it started to snow. Huge, fluffy flakes that drift down and settle into the wet ground- creating a base for the others who would fall after them.
I had a pedicure appointment on Friday afternoon with my mom and by the time we were done and in our silly flip flops there was about 2 inches of cold, white snow to step into as we hurried to my car.
Once I got home I settled in with some tomato/red pepper soup and a quesadilla. I read some of my new Yoga Journal magazine and then watched as the kids across the street tossed snowballs at each other and whooped it up outside. The street looking much lighter than normal with the reflection of the snow was lit up with the remaining Christmas lights in the neighborhood. I love the way sounds get muffled and also how the are amplified when it snows.
Yesterday morning it was bright and sunny when we woke up. We threw the dogs in the backyard and we headed out front with the rest of the street to clear our driveways and sidewalks. That is when we found the huge slumping snowman at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Later that day we took out our snowshoes, my mom put on her cross country skis and we hooked up the dogs to the leash to head over to the park. It was beautiful- foggy snowy and quiet up there. I wished I had brought my camera, but it was still snowing and I was worried I would have ruined it with the moisture.
As we plodded along on our shoes the dogs hopped in and out of the snow, looking more like seals or dolphins in the ocean than schnauzers. They had a blast, but by the time we made it to the other side of the park they were tired and so full of snow they could hardly walk anymore.


We headed home and defrosted the dogs.We took care of a few things around the house and then headed out to Andy's sister's house for dinner. A perfect way to end such a lovely day.

We are getting things pulled together for our trip- only 4 more days until we take off for Maui. I am debating a knitting project for the plane. I have 2 books that I am excited to start (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and Three Cups of Tea). I have been spinning ideas around for a speech to say at the wedding- I am so excited for the trip and to be there with friends for the first half of the stay will be really fun. I am also looking forward to lazy days on the beach with sand in my toes and salty air on my face.

Be well friends!

oldy but goodie

An oldy but goodie.
I have this hanging in my bathroom downstairs, the bathroom everyone uses when they are over. It has gotten multiple questions and head scratches.
I didn't take the photo, my friend Heather did (I still need to get her a copy of the print, hmm Christmas is coming...)
At any rate two of the gals I haven't seen in a long time. One was a foriegn exchange student from Chile and living at my bestfriend's house. (We got an email from her this summer, she is well.) One moves in and out of my life like a ghost, illusive and a little lost.
But the other three (two in the picture and the photographer) are still a part of my world. I see them all on a regular basis. I have traveled with two of them across the ocean and around the UK. Lived with one of them. And have visited all of them in the different towns they have lived over the years.
We are all in such a crazy places in our lives right now. Big changes are on the way or have already begun. Marriage, the starting of families, the passing of loved ones. All things that make us realize that we are no longer teenagers, no matter how young we might feel inside.
It is interesting and incredible to look back on this picture, taken almost 12 years ago, and think about who we were and who we still are. Who we were and who we no longer are.
I am proud that I have friendships that have lasted so long, with such beautiful woman.

xo girls!
see you all in Vegas in a few weeks!

and she turned her back

pack your bags

open the door, let's go.

sparkle

because we could all use a little sparkle in our life.
and I am kinda on a roll with the shine.

score.

From last Friday out with my Mom and my Aunt.

($1 and $.75, respectively. now I just need film)

I had no idea there were so many thrift stores were in town, thanks to mom I got the full tour.


($3. here is the other side of my fancy new purse)

Happy Haunting

~~~
a few more pictures from the trip
here
and
here (move through the pictures to the left... otherwise you will be back into the Portland pictures)

orange shadows

For Angela... because she can't get enough of the oj right now- filler up!

xoxox

old vs new

(the yashica was my grandfather's and the girl scout my mom's...)

I have been seeing some amazing film photography out there lately...makes me want to put these to use.
(links have nothing to do with the words they are attached to... just have to do with some talent out on flickr.)

stringing me along

it's a short week around here.
Nevada Day is observed on Friday
and we are headed to Santa Cruz, CA
A camp trip with friends.
I can hardly wait.

and it isn't even thanksgiving yet...

or why my trip to the mailbox was so good today

thank you