I moved to tumblr!

Why the move you ask?
Well, tumblr has a lovelier interface and it is easier to use. I also can post a variety of media types. I've embarked on the journey to post a project a week that I am working on. As a creative, I find it important to always keep exploring what is around you and keep experimenting. So, I hope you will join/follow me in the leap into the tumblr world.
Find me here.

New Year, New Inspirations

I just watched Julie & Julia last night with my family. It was a better movie then I thought it would be. It inspired me to get in gear. I wouldn't say I'm not a finisher. I'm a finisher, but I don't think I finish things to the best of my ability. I have all great intentions, but things just never work out. I was tossing and turning this morning at 5:30AM, not only due to my back and neck pains from falling down some stairs yesterday, but also to all the projects I want to do. Then I got to thinking about my blog and how I severely neglected it since this summer. I have had many adventures during this past semester that I could have shared. Adventures through projects, things I've seen, and inspirations I have found. So, time to combine this blog with my design blog and keep things flowing. With logging in this morning I noticed I have more followers then I thought I had and that I possibly do have some great things to share. So, look out! More things are to come.

3.5

Only 3.5 weeks left of being spoiled by the Colorado landscape. I'm sad to go, but also excited to see my friends. It's nice to get messages from you guys saying how much you miss me. It means a lot to me. But, I should not be thinking about leaving already. I still have so much to do! This Colorado adventure is not quite over yet.

Tomorrow morning I am getting up bright and early to run and also meet up with John and Susan for a trip into the mountains to check out some land. From my understanding, it is somewhere up in Woodland Park. Hopefully we will be passing the Donut Mill! That would be quite the treat and Susan and John have yet to eat there! Unbelievable!
So, I am looking forward to a nice day tomorrow. Those two are a lot of fun to be with.

Tonight, I just watched Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. It wasn't too bad of a film. I enjoyed how proper everyone acted in the movie. After the movie I practiced the guitar for quite some time. I have been getting better, but as with anything, it is a slow process. I decided to go to the beginning of the book and start transitioning between notes with only play notes with one finger. So, after I get the notes down with using just one finger, I'll add in all the fingers to play the notes and hopefully I'll be better at transitioning.

Again, another wonderful, funfilled day full of learning.

A storm of Rustic Bread and Eggplant Lasagna and red wine

Another week in the real world. This week has been very eye opening and has helped me know to a certain extent what I would like to do once I graduate. But, I will always be exploring my many options.

After work I stopped by the new Sunflower Farmers Market that opened up in town. A great store with great prices for organic and local food. I picked up some eggplants, tomatoes, and sourdough bread.

I came home, turned on some music and just started cooking away. I used a recipe off of the site called vegan yum yum. It's alternating layers of grilled bread, tomato sauce, and olive oil baked eggplant slices. I had that with a wonderful glass of red wine. A nice storm accompanied me at dinner with lots of hail. You could hardly see out to the backyard it was coming down so hard.

My mom knitted this lovely sweater for me. It is made with hand dyed yarn from Japan. I think the colors make it look like a landscape. It such a beautiful sweater and I can wear it in the colder and warmer months.

Early morning breeze, scuffed knees

Today has been filled with nothing but adventure. I woke up at 5:30 this morning to something hitting my bedroom window. I saw a hawk above the window well, very still and cocking its head back and forth. It was not making a noise, which was puzzling since I kept hearing a banging noise. Then 'boink'! A young pigeon plastered itself against the window. Then again and again. You could just see it saying "Oh please let me in! For the love of god, do you see this hawk's beady eyes?"
So, I walked upstairs in a daze and found Aunt Mary in her writing room and proceeded to stumble over my words to try and tell her the activities happening at my window. She finally gave up on trying to decipher what I was saying and just said, "Let's go down and just check this out". By the time we had got to the window, the hawk had left and the pigeon was up against the corner, still as a statue pretending he was not there.
When Uncle Pete woke up he climbed down the window well and retrieved his pigeon. It turns out he is the runt of the batch and can't fly so well. He seemed to be okay. Uncle Pete said it looked like the hawk had gotten him at least once. There was a little bit of blood on his head, but nothing more then that.

After all of that excitement, uncle Pete and I packed our packs and pedaled away to work on our bikes around 6:30AM. We could not have picked a better morning for a ride. There was a nice cool breeze and a blue sky filled with clouds. The first few miles of the ride were brutal. We would pedal up a big hill and only coast down a little hill before the next hill. It was a constant roller coaster. At one point I wasn't so sure if I would make it. I was behind uncle Pete and it looked like he was dominating those hills. Until, he had pulled over to wait for me to catch up. I slowly conquered the hill and met up with him. Both of us talking inbetween gasps of air. So we took a little rest and dominated the rest of the hills like true gladiators. We pedaled through town for a bit until we reached the Santa Fe trail. A beautiful red graveled trail that stretches for 40 some miles I believe. The trail was full of wildlife and little streams of water. The Air Force Academy is in Colorado Springs. We saw about four or five parachuters above us. It was quite a site and I wish I had my camera on me. Maybe next time I'll catch them. They jump just about every day. I usually see them on my way to work. It's fun to try and find a pencil dot of a person jump out of the plane.

Eventually the trail splitted in two and I heard uncle Pete behind me say something along the lines, "this way". So I tried to turn around, but turned to sharp and just bit the dust. He was just trying to tell me that he had to take that trail to get to his work. So I scuffed up the knees pretty good and rode the rest of the way to my work. I made great timing and got to work around 8:45 AM. Thank goodness work has showers, otherwise I would have been one stinky person. I felt very accomplished and downed a banana and some strawberries when I got to work. I was extremely hungry.

Our bike ride was around 26.4 miles! The longest and hilliest ride I have ever been on.
Aunt Mary was on call today as our first aid team. Luckily we didn't quite need her. But, she came in handy. After work we were suppose to ride and meet up at this great bar called Trinity. Right before I was about to get off of work that unusualy Colorado weather kicked in and started pouring down rain. It didn't seem like it would be one of those 10 minute showers. So I called Aunt Mary to see if I could be picked up. Here she had uncle Pete on her cell phone and me on the house phone. Uncle Pete was soaked and waiting under a dry spot. So once each of us got picked up we all headed to Trinity.


It was a happening place tonight. The entire parking lot was full and the bar packed with all sorts of people enjoying every aspect of Trinity. We decided to sit out on the patio and enjoy the freshly watered earth. We ordered a few drinks and all sorts of great food. BLT sliders, Tuscan platter, and Vegan buffalo wings that are absolutely to die for.

Ace Pear cider. Such a beautiful drink all around.

It was a bit chilly.

The accomplished bikers!

The scuffed knee.

(Don't worry Mom,

this wound won't get infected!)

We then came home and watched an episode of Sherlock Holmes on PBS. And now I am tired and starting to feel a bit achy in the legs. Hopefully they won't hurt too bad tomorrow. We are having the neighbors Susan and John over for finger foods and drinks tomorrow night. So I am looking forward to another great weekend with family and friends. Happy 4th of July!

A weekend in Denver and Boulder

We left Saturday morning around 9:45 AM to head up north to Denver. We were meeting up with friends of Aunt Mary and Uncle Pete's at a Chinese restaurant. We all had tickets to go to the Botanic Gardens of Denver for a Japanese Tea Ceremony. We could not have asked for better weather. The sun was shining and there was a slight breeze that touched us. The gardens were full of beauty that stretched on and on. At the back of the garden underneath a collage of green and through a small bamboo gate was the tea house. Leading up to the tea house are stepping stones. It is very important in their culture to only step on these stones. Especially when you walk up to take a bath before entering the tea house.

Taking a bath consists of walking up the stone path to a rock that has a puddle of black stones surrounding its base and a bamboo is coming off the top of the rock. The water runs through the bamboo shoot and lands in the top of the rock. From here you take the bamboo ladle and scoop up a cup full of water. First you rinse your right hand, then your left, then pour the water into your right hand, put the water in your mouth to rinse the mouth.

The Bath.

After taking a bath we then were allowed into the tea house. It had a great floor, which I hope to have in my studio one day. It was concrete with polished black stones stuck in it. The tea house had sliding windows for the walls which allowed for a nice and peaceful breeze to flow in. One of the Japanese instructors said that a tea house was suppose to be a place were you felt relaxed and leave refreshed. It certainly does. Everything is jut so peaceful. The tea house was built in Japan and then the builder took it apart and traveled with it to Colorado and reassembled it.

Outside of the tea house.

The door where the host comes in and out of.

The stone is where you sit and take off your shoes.

We had to wear white socks in order not to get the tatami mats dirty.

We were served the best green tea ever in these Japanese bowls. Before we are served the tea and while the host is making the tea we eat sweets. There was a crispy sweet of some sort and then a powdery texture ball sweet.Everything about the tea ceremony is just about enjoying the present of one another. You do don't converse and the guest takes there time to observe the aesthetic work of everything from the scroll, flower arrangement, the pot that holds the tea, and the tea bowls.

After the Tea House, we traveled about 30 minutes or so to Boulder. We stopped at the paper store called Two Hands Paperie. It's a great paper store that has journals of all sorts, stationary, pens, paper, books, wax seals, and so much more. It is hard to not find something you like there.

Then we headed up the street into a great book store. This is how all bookstores should be. Old hardwood floors, wooden book shelves from floor to ceiling just full of books. After getting our fill of books, we needed to fill ourselves up with some food.

We found a great place called The Corner Bar. They had great food and a great patio to sit on. However, our server just did not understand our friendliness.

Aunt Mary picked the best dessert of the night.
A chocolate torte with dark chocolate ice cream accompanied by figs.

A nice big hat

When we got to the hotel Uncle Pete was so excited because they sold great beer at the front desk! You should of seen his face. He was like a 5 year old in a candy store. So, we went down to the desk and got us some brews. The rest of the night we enjoyed the luxury of cable television and watched Independence Day.

We enjoyed a lovely Sunday brunch at a Mexican restaurant. The made the best mojitos and margaritas. We are going to try and duplicate them one day. After eating we had gone into this wonderful art gallery. I struck up a conversation with one of the artists who sells her jewelry there. She has a studio just outside of Boulder and gave me her number and told me to stop by anytime and she would love to show me her work. So sometime in July I plan on going up there to check our her studio!

Strawberry Mojito!

We left Boulder around 3 and stopped by the guitar store so Uncle Pete could check out his dream guitar again. We all just sat and listened to him play and the guys that worked there were just prepping for Uncle Pete to buy the guitar. They grabbed the case from the back and were just waiting to see what the outcome would be. Well, you could tell that Uncle Pete fell in love with the guitar. So we all left Boulder with all sorts of goodies and smiles on our faces.

Friday 26

When I had got home from work on Friday, Uncle Pete had done what looked like two days worth of work on the small pond in the back yard. Most of the plants he had even planted around the water feature.

We then decided to go out to eat to one of my favorite restaurants in Palmer Lake called, Bella Panini. It is a small Italian restaurant that is always full of great people, wonderful food, and a refreshing patio to sit on. We were quite the entertainment of the night. All three of us had worn our glasses there. At first people gave us looks, but then we had people start commenting on them. One group of people asked me to take their photograph because they just loved our glasses and asked where we had gotten them from. It was a joy to tell the that they were from elope and that I am a designer there!

Aunt Mary has never finished a dish at Bella's before...Congratulations!

Our waiter, Matt, was kind enough to humor us and take a picture.