Photo Friday

One of the frames from several photobooth strips my friends and I took at the San Diego County Fair last month.
Photobooth pics are our annual tradition.

Photo Friday

(click on image to enlarge)
EEK...
did I really wear that????
Spandex daisy leggings with MATCHING EARRINGS!!
oversized shirt
Fanny pack
braces on my teeth
weird curls in my bangs
Good Lord...
With debs, Tomi Jo, and Tracie at the Del Mar Fair, 1991

Never tear up your photos--you never know how much laughter they'll bring later.
Or how often you'll say "wow...I looked pretty good there!" (uh...not this time, lol)

Ooh la la

My friends Scott and Jen took me to my first wine-tasting for a belated birthday present.
Scott is quite the connoisseur, and I get delightful perks when I go over to their house for dinner.
He's always bringing out a couple of reds--last time we even started with a sparkling wine in a beautiful apricot shade.
Jen is an amazing cook--she can decipher every nuance of a dish ("I taste white pepper").
She took a sip and detected raspberry and oak.
Okaaay.
I'm not there yet.

I asked Scott if he would be so kind as to start teaching me about wine.
It's such a huge, complicated subject.
I started reading Educating Peter (sort-of a Wine 101) but wine is something one really needs to see, smell, and taste.

They took me to lunch at the WineSeller & Brasserie--a good choice for my first experience in that it was informal.
I didn't have to worry about swirling and sniffing correctly, if you know what I mean.
Wouldn't want to make a fool of myself.

Lunch was lovely.
We started out with asparagus soup with wild mushrooms and chantilly creme, big hunks of rustic bread, and an appetizer plate with roasted eggplant, green olive tapenade, and a marinated goat cheese.
Scott had beef (was it the rib eye? I'm not sure. I'm not much of a beef eater).
Jen chose Duck Confit, and I had the ravioli with ricotta, truffle, and artichokes.
We split the sampler of three desserts--carmelized banana cannoli, Vahlrona hazelnut torte, and creme brulee.
Scott also ordered a flourless chocolate cake with Grand Marnier that we shared.
French Press all around.
Ah, it's so nice being treated to the good life on occasion.

Along with our meal, we each were given six tastings of various Syrah.
We got a sheet of descriptions, and tried to match the glass to the descriptions.
Descriptions were wild adjectives--scent of blueberry pie, cherry cola....hint of chocolate.
Um, I didn't really get that.
I got every match wrong.
That's okay.
Nothing quite like quality time spent with good friends.
That's always the right thing.

Speaking of, that same week three other friends treated me to a Parisian-style bistro.
Coffee and about three hours conversation--it doesn't get much better than that.
Well, it does when chocolate is involved


My friend Tracie gave me a gift card in a unique package--a pig-shaped container made from a water bottle!

Who said crafts are for kids?

Photo Friday

A nameless person shot this photo, probably on a 110 camera, with my friend Sue and me off in one corner.

We were 18 and on our first big adventure...a long drive to Long Beach and a boat ride to Catalina Island.

I've known Sue since the fourth grade.
Her mom was like a second mom for me.
Our friendship has survived despite attending different high schools, then her move out of California when we were juniors.

That was over three decades ago.
I really need to take a trip to Catalina again.
And this time I won't wear a silly hat.

Reconnection...

Last year, as I've written about previously, I reconnected with a dear friend I have known since fourth grade.
We kept in touch through moves to different schools, then different states, but lost contact around 2000 or so.
So reconnecting again, stronger than ever, has been incredible.

Too, I reconnected with three women that I had a falling out with for about a year and a half, but women I have known since the early 1980's.
So again, pieces of my heart healed.

I also reconnected with a co-worker I knew in the late 70's.
That has been interesting, and who knows where it will lead.

But yesterday, I got a letter (a REAL letter, not an online version) from a girl I was best friends with since first grade.
We were so close, that we spent every day after school together, and our fifth grade teacher, Miss Barto, actually took us aside one day and told us we really should expand our social activities at recess instead of just walking around the playground holding hands and talking.
Wow.
I remember thinking, uh...why?

It shows how innocent we were, huh?
We weren't concerned with boys or popularity yet.
We weren't worried about make-up or diets or brand names.
I had never even heard a cuss word at that time.
Are kids today more sophisticated or cheated?

Anyway, Anna's letter is such a fun thing to receive.
Her family moved a couple of years later, and she went to a different junior high school, so we discovered different friends and experiences.
By the time she was 23, she was married with three kids.
I was living at the beach, partying, and dating different guys.
We were on different planets.
So we lost contact.

But the connection, the foundation, we built as kids remains.
I mean, I've never been the kind of person who had acquaintances and called them friends.
My friendships are intense, no holds barred.
They are as close as family.
So hearing from Anna further brings another piece of the puzzle back to my heart.
It's phenomenal.

Photo Friday

(click on image to enlarge)
I spent Christmas with these girls again this year, but this pic is from (I think) 2004.
We've been friends since the early 80's.
They're more family than anything else.

Mosaic for Tracie

I think she liked it!


I started a mosaic project for my friend Tracie a couple of years ago.
I got this idea to do a glass-on-glass using shards of stained glass scrap.
I chose greens and reds because Tracie loves jewel tones, but when I started gluing these...they just seemed over-the-top.
I wanted to start over with amber-colored glass, but I couldn't get the pieces off that I had already glued.
Too, truth be told, amber is something I would like, but the project wasn't for me--it was for Tracie, and she likes the bright colors.

Anyway, initially I was going to use a vase, but I found this pretty clear crystal bowl at the thrift store for only $3 because the rim was chipped.
It seemed the perfect foundation.
So, I started gluing, didn't like what I was seeing...
and it sat in my garage for over two years just gathering dust.

This year, I really needed a birthday present but was limited on funds.
It just made sense to use what I had, so I pulled it out and started gluing again.
Initially, it was just too muchy much, but then it somehow just got better and better.

I grouted it in black to simulate the lead on stained glass, which toned it down beautifully.
I added rectangular black opalescent tiles to the top edge to cover the chips.
I took the irregular, organic glass shapes and arranged them on the bowl using a glue that dries clear so the bowl can be illuminated and the flame will shine through.
But let me tell you, irregular shapes on a curved surface...whew, what a puzzle!

Here's the back:

(click on image to enlarge)

Here's the right side.
I made no attempt to form designs on the whole, though that would have been nice.
I did, however, form a flower on this side since I had these teardrop-shaped pieces.


Left side:


And for the front, I followed a section of the bowl that was frosted, and I attached all sorts of charms that represent Tracie--karate girl (she's a black belt), coffee and wine lover, Viking ship (her husband's heritage), a Greek coin (her dad), US Airways button (she used to work there), cross and sand dollar for her Christianity, swimsuit for her former beauty queen title, her love of baseball, pilgrim pig (joke between us), etc.
My mom's comment to this was "wow, it looks like a real artist made that!". Uh, thanks (I think).

(you can click on the image to zoom the detail)


For her birthday cake I usually make a German Chocolate, but since we combined Christmas with her birthday this year, I thought it more festive to make Red Velvet.

I posted about this before. Recipe here.

Photobooth Friday

Me with two of my best friends in the world.
Starting to fade already, but taken sometime in the 90's (when will I learn to date the back?).
We ritually attend the San Diego County Fair (formerly, the Del Mar Fair) and get photobooth shots of us squeezed in (up to five people sometimes) making faces...

I have strips of us all the way back to the early 80's.

Ceramic Cafe

My friend Brandie has been suggesting that we go to a paint-your-own ceramics place.
These shops used to be everywhere, but seem to have dwindled in quantity lately.
It's a shame, because this is really a fun activity!
Perfect for all ages, from kids having a birthday party, to two old ladies just hanging out.
(uh, I was not referring to myself there).

Basically you go into this shop filled with unfired ceramics (is that what greenware is?)

You pay for an item (a bowl, canister, cup, etc) and paint it as you choose.
All the paints and brushes are included in the price.
What I like is the ability to linger there (there are no timed constraints),
and I'm able to catch-up with a friend while accomplishing something creative.

Brandie painted a dog on a plate for one of her beagles.
I decided to paint bumblebees on a footed bowl.

(click on images to enlarge)

I experimented with a gradation of color, along with a splashing and sponging.
I'm pleased with the result.


The wings and the dots are in puff paint


I can't wait to go back!
Next time I'm going to paint a magic wand.

If you live in San Diego and want to try this location in Del Mar, make sure you stop in upstairs at the Champagne Bakery for their creme brulee.
That is one amazing treat, let me tell you!

Memories...

This morning I picked up the phone, as I have done countless times since forever, and I dialed 853-1212.
Instead of "at the tone, Pacific Standard time will be..."
I got a message saying that as of September 19, the time service will no longer be in effect.
Whaaaaaa?
It's like a piece of my childhood vanished or something.
I mean, some things you just expect will always be there.

Yes, I have a clock, but I like to verify it every once and awhile.

But speaking of jolts of childhood angst,
the weekend before last was my high school reunion.
It was held at the Hard Rock Cafe in La Jolla.

I didn't attend.

As much as I loved high school, reunions are all about show-and-tell, and
"look how far I've come"...
and, honestly, I don't have anything to say.

I don't mean to be dour here but, no home, no husband, no kids, no great job doesn't bode well.
Don't get me wrong, I believe in myself as a person...
I just don't look good on paper, as it were.

What has been interesting though, is that a few people have contacted me,
saying they missed me.
And photos of the event have been online to browse through.

This is all churning up all sorts of strange emotions in me.

I dug a bit into storage and pulled out a few pics of memory lane.
I still have boxes of old diaries to sort through.
I can't even fathom the drama recorded in there, but I'm looking forward to finding out what I had to say.

Me, the last day of 9th grade after a whipped cream attack.
Note the fuzzy 110 camera.
Uh, yeah, I just dated myself with that comment.


Sophomore year, a sort-of modeling pose shot by some guy at my church.

An artist friend of mine at the time later copied this in charcoal.
I took it to another friend to get framed and never got it back.
I still know the framer, so I'll have to retrieve it.
Kind-of a fun thing to have.

Swim Team Float cruising down Casa de Oro in Spring Valley.
I can't remember what grade this was (junior?).
It is amazing how many details I have forgotten.

(click on pic and 'all sizes' for zoom)

I'm seated in the center with my mouth open.
I was no doubt yelling some cheer.
By senior year I was up for 'most school spirit', but lost out to a cheerleader.
I never did make the cheer squad, sigh.

Modern Dance summer show "the Train".

(again, click on pic then on 'all sizes' above pic on Flickr page to zoom)

This is just a print off the negative, but I'm on the far right in the dark leotard.
That leotard rocked--it was navy blue and a wrap style.
Modern dance at my school was a huge big deal.
I was the first person at the school to dance with a guy at the annual show.
We got a standing ovation.
He and I used to win all sorts of awards at under-21 clubs at the time
(Journey, for those of you who were there back in the day).

Good times. Literally.

A kid in a candy store

After two and a half weeks off work, I returned.
It's hard to get back in the rhythm.
My body aches from standing on concrete.

But I do have Saturdays off, so yesterday I did something I haven't done in a ridiculous amount of time--I met a friend for coffee, and then we went shopping.
Funny how what is probably nothing special for the average Jane is really a big deal treat for me.
Even my friend having the entire afternoon available to lounge around with me was a treat!

Seriously, I can't remember the last time I went shopping.

It may have been years (I buy stuff online usually, and I go to thrift stores, but a mall? Rarely if ever).
We met at a small shopping center in the north county.
We caught up over cappuchino-chip smoothies at Panera, and I bought some cinnamon-sugar bagels for later. She ate a panini.
My friend brought her laptop and showed me pics from her recent trip to Zurich, Paris, and Prague.
Amazing.
She's the one with the travel bug who alternates taking trips with her children.
One year she and her daughter go on a trip, then the next year she takes her son. Every third year she and her husband go somewhere--a romantic getaway for just the two of them.
This arrangement works beautifully for them, because they each get one-on-one time with her, and she gets to travel a lot (every three years is fine for her husband).

After the photo journey and lots of laughter, she and I then wandered into little boutiques, oohing and aahing over things.
I loved the luggage tags by Anne Taintor


It says "someone had to set a bad example".
There are several other collaged, retro designs.

I made my first ever trip into Anthropologie.
Wow.
I felt like an alien from another planet.
It was a candy store.
An entire corner devoted to aprons, oven mitts, and dish towels!!

We explored Z Gallerie, Black & White, Sur La Table, and Tillys.

At Borders, I considered buying Tim Gunn's book, and also Ice Kabobs--ice cube trays for ice shapes on a plastic stick (made by See Fred)


We went to Ulta and I bought some new make-up.
I usually wear Laura Mercier, but I opted to try new brands--Sue Devitt foundation, and for lipstick I bought Purminerals.
I bought a cosmetic brush for the foundation.
They gave me a cute Baby Phat make-up bag.

I spent all my money,
but it was really really fun.

I think of these moments in life as the glue that holds my days together.
Making memories, connecting with good friends....really, it's magic.

Miscellaneous

Ever the champagne taste, beer pocketbook....
I haven't mentioned shopping ideas in awhile.

Whoever is lucky enough to be the person who writes about stuff like this for major magazines....wow, what a dream job!
Just cruising sites and catalogs and shops and showcasing fun stuff.
Man, that would be cool.

Anyway, I can't help drooling over a bunch of goodies.

Monkey measuring spoons from Gooseberry Patch.


Spider towels, also from Gooseberry Patch.

I finally bought this print that has been on my 'gimme' list forever--Come on In, by AshleyG (etsy).


This recipe for strawberry tarts looks yummy.
One of a gazillion I have on my 'to do' list.
I love the cooking sites that include reader reviews and have a place to keep your recipes in an online recipe box.

Speaking of food, I'm craving me some Dakine style...
gotta have macaroni salad (sans tuna or artificial crab...eewww).

Ooh, how about a refreshing Pomegranate Cosmopolitan?
Several recipes are available online. Here's one version.

Fun site by Lisa Butler, called Spinning Tails, about spinning dog hair (something I really do want to learn how to do).

Also just a quick note here to say how lovely it was meeting Laura K of Blogging Project Runway and her daughter Kaitlin this weekend.
I wish we had more time to talk, but I'm sure there will be many opportunities in the future.
It's fun to finally meet blogging pals!
Laura, by the way, is gorgeous and so so sweet--even more so than her blogs indicate.

I was hoping to hook up with Jen of The Felt Mouse also, but it was not to be.
Hopefully soon for her luau party.

More Fair Fun

(click to enlarge)

Bright colors and sounds.
The sounds of summer...








The Fair is all about yummy fried food.
My favorite is Tasty Chips--homemade potato chips spritzed with vinegar.

I haven't tried the Fried Avocado, Fried Cola, Fried Snickers, Fried Twinkies, or the Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwich.

But I'm willing (especially the avocado).

I love the pink Gingerbread house, the "Barb's Better Buns" booth, the Indian Fry Bread, the roasted corn, and of course the sliced green apples with caramel.
But I always buy an artichoke sandwich from Roxy--a local restaurant in Encinitas.

More Photobooth Friday

More Fair fun...

an early Photobooth Friday

 

I couldn't wait all the way until Friday to post this.

I wrote in a poem on this blog a couple of years ago,
about giggling girls in a photobooth, making faces....

I reconnected with old friends at the San Diego County Fair tonight.
There were tears of joy, a restored comfort, and the rest of the world ceased to exist for a few hours.

Magic.

Such a long story, but we chose to meet up here...in the photobooth.
Where so many meaningful moments have played out...

I hope someday we'll be old and gray and still meeting at the fair,
decades of friendship memorialized on little strips of paper.

Daily Happenings...

Sorry for my lack of regular posts lately.
I have had back-to-back dog-sitting jobs, so I haven't been home to scan photos.
I have lots of ideas to post about, especially to the purse blog.

Ooh, I dyed my hair today!

A few weeks ago, I had my hair pulled back, and when I went to pick up my mom so we could attend an event together, rather than greeting me, she gasped.

"What happened to your hair?"

Translation: when did you get some gray?

Well, gasps are not acceptable.

As much as I like my natural strawberry blonde, it is getting a bit ashy as I get older.
And I just don't look good with highlights anymore.
Back in the day, I was pretty blonde, but now highlights make me look pale.

So I told my stylist to just do whatever he wanted (other than cutting too much of the length).
Low lights, the same shade, darker...whatever.

He chose darker. It's auburn now.
Almost a brown with red highlights.
I like it.

He also layered it more (I said I wanted it like Carmen Electra). (I couldn't find an image with all of Carmen's gorgeous layers, but this is about my color now)

I think he could have cut more, but I really like that he always veers to the conservative.
Nothing worse than having too much cut.
I'm not willing to let him bring up the length.
Not yet anyway, though it would be so much thicker if I did.
Anymore, I just let it air dry--I don't do squat with my hair.

I wish I had gotten rid of bangs years ago.
We (my stylist and I) were joking about how my bangs used to react to humidity (frizz and Frankenstein up).
I said when I went on dates I'd be thinking,
"please don't go to the beach...please don't go to the beach..."

He said, yeah, you can just tell them you're allergic to fog.
Ha! so true.

What else is happening?
Well, some old friends have resurfaced and we may mend fences.
That would be nice.

And the San Diego County Fair is in town!
I've already been once, and I'll certainly go again.

More to come...

Magic in a meal

The older I get, the more I have come to realize that the essence of this life is in the connections we make with other people.

I mean, you don't have to go out and cure cancer or solve world poverty to give your life worth.
All you have to do is touch one person.
Just one.
And more than likely, you've already done that.

But the joy I find in day-to-day living is often tied to small gestures--
sharing cups of tea with a good friend, for example.
There's something about hot drinks and good conversation that is just all emotionally warm and fuzzy.

Or there's joy in what I want to call breaking bread (though that is actually a religious term).
I mean there's magic in dining together.

I met a new client the other night. Let me preface this by saying I don't advertise--I don't need to.
I work word-of-mouth, get booked over a year in advance, and taking on new clients that are referred by people I know cuts down on the 'creep factor'

Anyway, I figured this meeting was going to be a quick, "here's the dog food, here's the house key, oh--and nice to meet you".
It must be so odd to turn over ones home to, for all intents and purposes, a complete stranger for several weeks. But I digress.

Well, it turned into three hours of a lovely evening.

They invited me to dine with them--literally just welcomed me into the home.
The client's mother was visiting from Portugal--a little grandmother, her identity all tied up into family and food.
And the meal was AMAZING.

The grandma made a steamed chicken, infused with garlic, set atop a bed of carrots, asparagus, and broccoli.
The flavor was surreal.

Then the plates were cleared, and out came little ramekins of fresh fruit.
The lady who hired me said her mom cut fruit for two hours that afternoon.
After that, flan.
"Bom", the grandma was saying (meaning 'good').

Then, tea.
But not just any tea.
Tea that had been plants the grandma brought over from Portugal.
A homegrown and homemade tea, with raw sugar, hot in glass mugs, to aid digestion.

I can't fully explain the wonderfulness of it.
All I know is that is what life is all about--that sharing, that welcoming, that warmth.