come blow bubbles!

i'm MOVING!

2009-07-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

okay, okay, i'm not actually moving, but my blog is. blogger has been good to me for the past couple years, but i've been contemplating moving for a while, and after this last 4 day error message thing i decided it was time to take the plunge.

for now, i'm not going totally custom but i AM now on my own domain name! instead of having to type blogspot or wordpress or whatever else, you now just have to type comeblowbubbles.com. i wanted to make this transition as easy as possible. things may be tweaked, etc. over the next couple weeks, so don't be surprised if it looks a little different the next few visits.

the best thing about the new blog? bigger pictures!!! so change your readers/bookmarks to comeblowbubbles.com and come on over! all the old posts and comments have already headed over there, we're just waiting for you! let me know what you think.

peek-a-boo stu

2009-07-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

yes, stuart, we see you.

bad cat behavior, ep.8

2009-07-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

yes, the boys are at it again. this time, i came in the door and saw something...weird on the floor. i wasn't sure what it was until i saw the box. let me clarify--the previously unopened granola box that had been sitting on our counter. notice i said previously unopened.

they acted like they did nothing wrong. stinkers.

FINALLY

2009-07-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

so FINALLY after 5 days of no blog working i have blog access again. thanks to whoever posted on the help board to help me. anyway, that time sort of made me decide that i'm going to make the switch to wordpress. i'm not sure exactly when, but it's going to happen. i'll keep everyone posted. just thought i'd say i have about 5 blog posts that i've been meaning to post, and i havent been able to. soon, i will. for now, i've run out of steam.

new music!

2009-06-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

so brandon and i went to a ben kweller concert. if you've ever talked to me in person about ben kweller or a ben kweller concert, you know how giddy i get. i immediately transform into a 14 year old girl (thankfully without the squealing).

anyway, this time we were beyond pleasantly surprised with the amazing opening acts! in the past, i've liked some opening acts, i've not liked others, but rarely do i get as excited as i did about jones street station and princeton. princeton opened for jones street station, who opened for ben kweller. both are relatively new and unknown bands, but i think they have great potential!

just a tip: jones street station is streaming their entire album on their website. i highly recommend a listen! they are a folksie/bluegrassy kind of good summertime jam band....i hope you like! two of my favorites: last time and tall buildings

happy fathers day!

2009-06-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

just wanted to give a great big "happy fathers day!" to all the fathers out there, especially my own fantastic dad, and josh ( my brother-in-law), seeing as it's his first official fathers day.

dad, you're the greatest!

photo courtesy of edyta szyszlo photography

claire and her gecko friend

2009-06-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

when my sister, josh and claire were in hawaii (they just got back last week), they had a little gecko friend that visited them in their room. here is yet another moment showing claire's affinity towards animals...makes me crack up every time...

8 months

2009-06-14T22:24:00.000-07:00

i can't believe this muffin is already 8 months old. i love this baby so much! she's such a little joy and blessing. i got to spend saturday with claire, josh, jen, my parents and brandon for my dad's birthday and boy did we have a lovely time, although as you can see most of the time i was distracted by the baby.

she's not crawling yet, but she gets close. she also is all excited to stand up and take a few steps--with help, of course.

as you can see in this picture, claire's hair is finally becoming apparent...

she likes drinking water out of a straw, although she makes a funny face and ends up with half of it down the front of her...

she also loves animal. if you saw the gecko video on my sister's blog, you could get a taste of that. at my parent's house, she saw miss kitty and giggled and smiled and tried to move towards her however she could--looks like she takes after her dad's affinity for animals (that's what she's doing in this photo--going for miss kitty)!

i love spending time with claire, and thankfully she enjoys me (so far). i got in the car on saturday when we got picked up from bart, and claire got a big grin on her face. i was able to walk around the store with her away from my sister and she was fine (i even caught her smiling at little boys in the shampoo aisle). i can't believe 8 months have already gone by! i can't wait until i see this little pumpkin next!

ny times

2009-06-12T11:41:00.001-07:00

image courtesy of James Estrin/The New York Times

so, the headline on nytimes.comright now is regarding this dusk-to-dawn drop-off program for people with alzheimers and dementia. the idea is simple--it's a place for people to go to occupy them during restless nights, and to give them a place to be to ward off night terrors--to generally help them avoid "sundowning." just read the article--it's adorable and an uplifting article to read in times where 99% of the news is depressing and heart-breaking.

busy girl

2009-06-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

so, i've been a busy girl, although i'm not really sure what i've been doing. training has been a failure--i've been uber exhausted, my legs have felt tired and achy, i'm not really sure what's going on. work has been really busy, so i've been working late and laying low in the evenings. i feel like i've sort of neglected the blog, but mostly ben and stu on the blog! it's not because they haven't been up to cuteness and mischief, either. i haven't captured a picture yet, but ben has been jumping on our flat screen tv nightly, which has been his go-to bad cat behavior as of late. when this happens we quickly whisk him into the bedroom, at which time he cries and cries and cries until we let him out. he usually has to go in a few times, but it seems like he's learning...maybe. stuart has been..well, stuart. the loaf/walrus/blob of the house, he wallows around, rolling on his back, squeaking when he hears plates clanking around. everyone want to join me in a round of "ooooh stuuuuuuuuu..."?

anyway, i finally uploaded some pictures and also took a few of these devilish boys showing their softer side...

group groom

and now, a little video showing why one of stuart's nicknames is growlypants...

birthday pub crawl

2009-05-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

thursday was chris' birthday, and so he planned a pub crawl for saturday to celebrate. the weather was foggy and overcast, but that didn't stop us! first stop was alembic, on haight street. i had heard of this bar about a year or so ago, but i hadn't made it there. saturday was the day, and alembic did not disappoint. great atmosphere, cool interior, and delicious drinks made for a great first stop!

this is not it (that was chris' drink), but i got a drink called bees knees--gin, lavender honey, and lemon juice. so delicious!
next stop was magnolia pub & brewery, where we enjoyed beer and some french fries. sara and i discussed sewing machines and affective filters, while everyone chatted most likely about more normal things.

next stop, toronado, a bar in san francisco known for it's bajillion beers on tap. okay, so maybe bajillion is over-exaggerating, but there's still of draft beers. after toronado we had drinks at elbo room, famous to us for their photobooth. more chit-chatting, more people, more fun. after elbo room it was definitely time for dinner, so we went and grabbed some tacos at a nearby taqueria, where chris got to enjoy a birthday cupcake, courtesy of annie.

after dinner, before parting ways we decided that ice cream sounded delicious, so off to bi-rite we went!

a tasty way to end our pub crawl adventure. it was a fantastic day of drinks, friends and fun. thanks, chris, for organizing the outing!

cat saga

2009-05-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

so. on friday, the bed we had ordered arrived, and friday night i decided to assemble it. alone. brandon was in iowa for his brother's graduation, so i decided to tackle the assembly--i am known to decide to take on feats like this, which usually end in tears and frustration.

first off, i come home to find a champagne glass shattered in the kitchen, and a vase knocked off the counter, prevented from plunging to it's demise only by the corner of a stool which was holding it up. great. first task upon arrival from work--clean up the glass that is all over the kitchen. literally ALL over the place.

so clearly the cats were already going bonkers, confused because brandon wasn't home. on top of that, these big boxes and packaging set them into a flurry of activity. i would have taken photos had i not been so focused on finishing the bed. imagine stuart chewing on cardboard, ben chasing his tail in a pile of bubble wrap, the cats running up and down the mattress which is leaning vertically against the wall. at one point stuart decided he was king of the castle--he was lounging on top of the mattress, laying on his back, lolling about. ben would run up, stuart would bat him in the face, and then ben would run back down. repeat 4 or 5 times. more tail chasing. then stuart would try and run off with the allen wrench. you get the picture.

two hours, some sweat and a little blood later, i was done with the bed and it was time to put on the mattress and box spring. the latter was down the hall in the bathroom, to help prevent the cats from climbing up and down it. i tried to slide it out of the bathroom vertically, which it turns out is a bad idea, because it didn't fit all the way through. the box spring is vertically half way through the door, stuck, and ben decides to climb up the box spring on the inside of the bathroom. while i'm trying to get him down so i can slide the box spring back into the bathroom and flip it, stuart climbs up on the outside of the bathroom. i now have a cat on either side of the box spring, neither really knowing how to get down, both pacing and meowing. because the thing is in the doorway, i cannot get a stool into the bathroom to help ben down. i try a number of tactics but none work. i then work on stuart, who just clings on for dear life when i try and pull him down. total failure. fast-forward 15 minutes, both cats are still there, i'm begging them to get down, it's midnight, i'm exhausted and on the verge of tears. i even try beckoning with treats and that doesn't work. ben FINALLY got down (dug his claws in, threw his back legs around and shimmied down), and about 10 minutes after that stuart got down the same way. hilarious now, infuriating at the time. i swear--do i have cats or toddlers?

good morning!

2009-05-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

happy monday morning from ben and stuart!

the weekend (so far)

2009-05-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

so far, this has been quite a lovely weekend. it started out with a baseball game on friday night in amazing seats (they were given to me), and then followed up with a drink with kelly and shane, who are in town for the weekend. it was great to catch up with old, dear friends!

today was the great urban race, that josh and brandon participated in.

it's basically a scavenger hunt/race throughout the city--like the amazing race, but only in one city, not all over the world. brandon and josh had a great time, but are now absolutely exhausted. while the boys were racing, my sister and i were on internet duty to help the boys decipher some clues. we also had entertainment in the form of claire while we waited...today she ate some carrots for us, and we giggled at the faces she made

after the time with claire and jen, i headed up to the orbit room for birthday mojitos for sara's birthday. YUM!

no, not marathon

2009-05-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

i wanted to start this by saying no, i'm not running a marathon, just for clarity. however, in a moment of clouded judgement or insanity or something, i decided to sign up for the san francisco half marathon this summer.

this means yet again training begins. i've taken the few weeks sort of off, although recently i have become addicted to spinning. next week, however, "vacation" is over, and i'm back on the training schedule. i go back and forth between excitement and "oh my gosh what am i doing" as the pain of the last half creeps into my mind. my comforting thought? the fact that, seeing as it starts around 6am in san francisco, the chance of me having to deal with 85 degree heat is slim to none. i'm half sort of in shock and nervous that i signed up, but excited at the same time. july 26, here i come! luckily i have my training buddy again...thanks brandon!

it's that time again!

2009-05-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

for some of you it's probably been too long, for others maybe not long enough, but i decided it was time for some more ben and stu. i feel these lil guys have been neglected on here, though just from a lack of me taking time to photograph them--not for a lack of them being naughty and cute. anyway, today started out with me babysitting my boss' daughter so he could take his wife out to a nice mother's day brunch (i was at work on saturday, he had mentioned they hadn't found a babysitter and i volunteered since i did my mother's day thing yesterday). after that i went to work for a few hours, then headed home. i stopped at the pet store and picked up a new toy for the boys, and then photographed them as they played with it. ooooh silly ben and stuart.

first, i'll start with what brandon and i have dubbed stuart's "senior portrait"

happy mother's day!

2009-05-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

happy mother's day to all those wonderful mothers out there! i celebrated mother's day early, spending saturday morning with my parents, grandmother's, and brandon (jen, josh and claire were at a wedding in vegas this weekend). we went to the cliff house, where we had fantastic views of the ocean along with amazing company and delicious food.

thanks to all the moms in my life! what an amazing bunch you are.

best album cover EVER

2009-05-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

check out this pitchfork article about wilco's new album, entitled wilco (the album) coming out in june. seriously this might be the best album cover i've ever seen in my life. no joke.

cover can bee seen here: wilco (the album) cover

meltdown and muffin!

2009-05-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

this weekend was thankfully filled with not much. i had this big idea that i was going to totally clean the apartment from top to bottom, but per usual, i started and quickly felt defeated. how am i supposed to reorganize when we aren't increasing our space? i mean, i know it's possible, but on going through our stuff i realized we don't have THAT much to get rid of, and while it may not be the most efficient organization, we aren't THAT inefficient. then i had a downward spiral, deciding we need a bed frame finally and that i hate our bedroom, and that it isn't soothing or relaxing in there, and it drives me nuts in there. i talked with my mom, who sort of talked me off the ledge, listening, knowing exactly how i feel. we also sort of have this thing when we've been in a space for a certain amount of time we need to revamp. i also went off about how i wanted new living room furniture and to swap our living room and dining room, etc. but i have decided 1. one step at a time and 2. a bunch of new furniture is neither needed nor practical right now. this spiral ended with a couple decisions--we're getting a bed frame, and we're getting some more storage furniture for the bedroom to give ourselves the tools to make better use of our space. YAY.

so, that was pretty much my saturday (cleaning, breakdown, recovery, then planning), but my sunday was filled with resting and hanging out with jen, josh, and claire. here are some pictures from the afternoon.

swings!

2009-04-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

i only wish i had seen or thought of this, but some fun-loving, brilliant minds decided to put swings on bart. i LOVE this type of thing!

here's the article: pranksters install swings on bart
and a flickr photostream: bart swings

baby dominic!

2009-04-28T22:17:00.001-07:00

this weekend was not only natalie's wedding, but our first occasion to meet baby dominic, the 3 month old baby of our friends jenn and jon. what a darling sweetheart! the pictures speak for themselves...

he was very well behaved while he got passed around from girl to girl...to girl...and back again. what a pumpkin!

friends [this pictures says it all]

2009-04-26T23:19:00.001-07:00

i don't have much more to say than ladies, you mean the world to me and i love you all to pieces.

wedding weekend

2009-04-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

natalie's wedding was this weekend, which was a fantastic end to my 6 weeks of madness--and what a gorgeous, amazing wedding it was! such a fun party. the site, the food, the drink, everything was just perfect.

"in my dreams, i see myself hitting a baseball"

2009-04-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

so tuesday night was my first baseball game of the season, and what a perfect night for it!
and yes, this was how the sky actually looked--no photoshop enhancement here!

we played the padres, and it turned out to be a great game. warm weather (read: i was wearing capris and a tanktop. i put on my baseball hat by the end of the game to keep warm), a grand slam (by the giants), some excitement over what we thought might be a bad call (it ended up being the right call), good friends, and a win! what more can you ask for.

heat wave continued

2009-04-22T23:20:00.001-07:00

the cats really don't know what to do in the heat. i mean, these are san francisco boys. they know fog and cold. when it gets hot, they definitely have a significant drop in energy. this was stuart's latest attempt at keeping cool

who wants to rub that tummy???

heatwave '09

2009-04-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

the first heatwave of '09 has officially hit san francisco. we had temperatures in the 90's today, which is insane for this city by the bay. it's been a very sticky but sunny and beautiful day! too bad i had to spend it indoors behind my desk. the kitties do not enjoy this weather...they loll about on the floor, lethargic and hot. here are some snapshots of them surviving the heat:

first, we have stu hogging the fan

then stu, coming out of the sink after he went in for a drink

and finally, the boys lounging on the floor

tomorrow is supposed to be hot again, but by the end of the week we're supposed to have rain. ooooh san francisco weather, how crazy you are!

more racetime

2009-04-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

here are some pictures my mom took...obviously i will not be looking my best in these, but hey. i just ran 13 miles. in ridiculous heat.

the race crew

race time!

2009-04-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

race day arrived! man oh man. we trained for the mileage, but not really the mental aspect of racing OR the heat. well, to our credit, unless it's a day like today (over 85+ degrees in san francisco???) it makes it pretty hard to train for heat in sf. of course it had to be the hottest weekend in MONTHS for our first half. i am happy to say, however, we made it! it was tougher than i anticipated, but i'm glad we did it. i'm very proud of brandon, jessi and i, and thanks a bunch to josh and garrett. josh paced me and encouraged me to keep my legs moving, while garrett ran with jessi to keep her motivated.

now, to back up, our "race weekend" began with a delicious home cooked meal. we got our farm fresh to you box on wednesday, so we decided to use a bunch of the ingredients. i made:
* a green salad with carrots and tomatoes
* roasted potatoes and carrots
* sauteed chard and yellow onions over chicken

yummy!

on saturday josh picked brandon and i up to take us to the santa cruz area, where we spent the night...

so today was the big day, and it ended up being WAY hotter than we thought it would be. thankfully, i purchased shorts the other day. i was worried about running in them because i had never worn them for a long run, but they turned out to work great! i would have DIED in pants. my parents were kind enough to come down, cheer us on, watch us cross the finish line, and hold me up afterward (thanks dad...i thought i might collapse into the sand). we gathered ourselves, got our t-shirts, and then hobbled out to the car to go get some brunch/lunch. overall, a successful (if not slightly painful) race day. i have a whole new level of admiration for marathoners...

nyc 09, day 3

2009-04-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

day 3, easter sunday! claire slept in a little bit, so my sister and i sent my mom and grandma on their way to mass (so they could get a seat). jen, claire and i joined shortly after and stood at the back of saint patrick's cathedral (you know, easy exit in case of baby meltdown).

after easter mass (and after we worked out our communication mix-up of where everyone was), we headed up to the east side for easter brunch. we were going to eat somewhere else, but that didn't work out so i introduced the family to le pain quotidien, home of that amazing brownie i had on the day i got there. i had the vegan six vegetable quiche--it was AMAZING.

we then wandered into central park to take in some spring and sunshine.

we then walked through times square (well, after a quick stop in starbucks for some hot cocoa--it was COLD! i also had a reality check--the employee went in the bathroom to restock the t.p. and pointed out that someone had been snorting in the bathroom. he was even kind enough to show me the signs that indicated this activity. there's a small gap in photos for this period of time because i was holding a sleeping baby...i'm not complaining.

after times square we wandered over to bryant park to soak in the sun, rest our feet, and give claire some time to kick her legs around.

mom, on the phone with uncle peter

claire also got her first carousel ride. it was perfect--the carousel was playing french music! claire enjoyed herself, as did grandma and jen.

after our exciting day, claire got a bath at the hotel. boy, does that girl like to kick!

i love this baby, can you tell?

pippy & timmy break

2009-04-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

so, i have become flickr friends with someone in rome--our common bond is our pair of ridiculous kitties. a few of these latest antics are just too good to pass up--i had to post. countering ben and stu, let me introduce a pair of beautiful orange sisters, pippy and timmy!

first, we have timmy-in-a-box

pair in a pair...who knew kitties liked skinny jeans!

for this next one, you have to click on the photo and see the second picture...ooooh silly kitties!

last but not least, pippy the musical kitty! first, her singing debut

and then a little air piano!

thanks to pippy & timmy's mom for giving me permission to post her adorable girls! it definitely brightens my day to see new pictures of them...what cuties! brandon even asked me the other day if i secretly wished that i had pippy and timmy because i'm always showing him their pictures...teehee...i told him there's no way i would give up ben and stu, but they are awfully cute!

nyc 09, day 2

2009-04-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

day two--our visit to see aunt josie! we got up early to take a train out of grand central station to about an hour north of new york city.

when we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to see that aunt josie looked (and acted) the same--it had been over 10 years since we had seen her. at 94, she can still go up and down stairs like nobody's business. she even insisted on making us her lasagna and meatballs! what an incredible woman. i'd like to think i take after her in the crafty department--at 94, she is still crafting her time away.
claire was absolutely infatuated with aunt josie, and lit up in a big smile every time she was around.

we had a wonderful visit, meeting her family and reminiscing about old times...the end of the day came far too soon!

on the way back from our day trip, we decided to stop for some photos in grand central...

nyc 09, day 1

2009-04-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

new york, day 1. i started out in sfo on thursday night. my flight was supposed to leave at 10:50pm, but due to our plane being late, we did not take off until after midnight. yay delayed red-eye!
after my arrival, i dropped my bags off at the hotel and headed to my go-to meal place, le pain quotidien. i adore this place and have gone every time i go to new york. apparently they have them in la and other places too, but they have not graced san francisco with their presence. i will wait patiently...i had a seat in the little back sunroom area, and this was my view looking up

after my healthy meal of vegetable soup, i decided to indulge in the most amazing brownie i've ever had in my life. turns out the secret is that there is barely any flour in these, so they are pure decadent goodness.

i only ate half there, but after frustration at my room not being ready an hour after they said it would be, jetlag/frustration/pure exhaustion got the best of me and i consumed the other half. YUM.

anyway, after le pain i decided to wander back to the hotel. i had my laptop with me and was just too tired to try and walk around more. on my way back i took a moment to appreciate what has to be one of my favorite things about new york in spring--the bulb flowers EVERYWHERE.

anyway, eventually everyone arrived safely to the hotel. after a "comedy" of errors (not so funny when you're overtired) we eventually settled down. i couldn't wait to give claire her easter present, so she got an early visit from the easter bunny--a knitted bunny rattle. she seemed to enjoy it (she's in a phase where she likes to wave things around, especially if they flap or make noise)

gone, gone, from new york city

2009-04-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

i will be posting pictures from ny soon (i didn't get a chance to upload while i was there), but just wanted to say i'm back safely and i had a fantastic time! plenty of claire pictures to come =)

in ny

2009-04-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

well, i made it safely AND found free wifi in our hotel lobby--double yay! my flight last night took off about 1h30 late (leaving at 12:20am instead of 10:50pm, but that wasn't overly horrible.

now i have to wait to check in, so i'm off to explore the city a little bit (unfortunately laptop in tow for me), but i'll certainly be back later to update! i can't wait to see claire in the city.

and for the excitement of the day...two things.
1. apparently (i guess i was asleep) some guy got drunk and unruly on the plane. when we went to deboard, they held us all while the cops came to escort him off. whoops! i did actually notice him when he got on--he seemed slightly aggressive and cranky when trying to find a spot for his luggage overhead.

2. the twa terminal! last time brandon and i were here, we were hoping to catch a glimpse and failed miserably. it's going through repairs currently, so you can't go in it but the jetblue terminal is right next to it, so when i was heading to airtrain i saw it! yay!!!

nyc, here i come

2009-04-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

so, sorry i've been sort of MIA this week. i have been working till at least 7:30pm every day this week and now i leave for new york tonight! i'm on a red-eye, so i get to go home after work, finish packing (just the toiletries, etc.) and then head to bart to go to the airport. whew! now, hopefully i will get to update some blogs while i'm there, but so far it looks like my hotel doesn't have free internet which i'm not happy about. we'll see...so i'll either be updating while i'm there or when i get back! i'll be back monday night, so it's not like i'm gone for a long time.
in the meantime, happy weekend everyone!

nat's bridal shower

2009-04-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

whoooops...when i went to type the title of this post, i wrote baby shower. luckily, i fixed this...no need to start rumors! natalie's BRIDAL shower was this weekend, and boy was it beautiful! it was held at metro lafayette, which had amazing food and a great environment! i highly recommend--i would love to go back sometime.

anyway, it was a gorgeous sunny (slightly breezy--yay allergies) day with lots of beautiful ladies and a relaxed, fun time. i cannot emphasize how great it has been to hang out with the high school girls--we've now seen each other three weekends in a row! i love spending time with this wonderful group. again, i am so fortunate to have them!

all-in-all, a perfect day (minus the sunburn on, eh hem, one side of my nose only. luckily it has faded away today)

unfortunately i had to miss joanne's engagement party with the girls today in order to get some things done before new york, but i hear it was lovely! halfway through my crazy 6 weeks, only 1 trip to ny, 1 half marathon and 1 wedding left!

more cats

2009-04-03T17:32:00.001-07:00

so, first off thanks to everyone and their comments regarding my pain-in-the-butt cat. i know it's probably a phase, just a longer phase than i'd like. ben takes opportunities like this to remind me of my commitment to being a pet owner, and remember that he has needs too, and our relationship can't always be on my terms...oooh how it's not on my terms.

and yes, i realize having kids is like this times 10, and i also realize it sounds like i'm talking about human kids, not cats.

anyway, i digress. i just HAVE to say, all you cat--and even non-cat--people out there, head over to edyta's blog today. i found her post today SO hilarious. just to give you a snapshot...the post starts out with the following text:

"Friday! Is it a dress, lingerie or a jogging suite? Oh Boris, it’s a bag."

and has this picture at the top:

photo courtesy of edyta szyszlo photography

so head on over there to see what boris' mischief is all about...ooooh boris.

i need a cat trainer

2009-04-01T23:14:00.001-07:00

i need a cat trainer, and no, this isn't an april fool's joke. in fact, this is the opposite of funny. as you've seen from my bad cat behavior posts, my kitties can be naughty. however, most the time it's semi-cute naughty, like awww, those goobers. the side that you don't see as much is the pest side of ben. i feel bad, because he clearly wants SOMETHING, but i have no clue what it is. i play with him, he gets bored. i pet him, he gets tired of that. he makes a distinct whiney meow noise (oftentimes sounding like he's saying "raoul"), and if no one responds, you just brace yourself for bad behavoir, whether it be wine glass bumping, cord chewing, or picture frame moving. i love this cat to pieces, but every night he drives me insane. i frequently can't get things done because he's causing trouble every couple minutes.

i've tried playing with him until he tires (the down time doesn't last long), we've tried ignoring the bad behavior (we end up with broken wine glasses)...i just seriously don't know what to do. pretty much every evening i end up getting upset and telling him that i don't know what he wants, and asking him if he could PLEASE just one night be good. sometimes we're so lucky as to have him nap in the evening, but most of the time he doesn't.

the worst part is, i feel like it's just because he's ridiculously smart, and so he gets bored. i get new toys from him, we try and entertain him, but i just don't know what to do...

so, in conclusion, anyone know a cat trainer? i don't know what else to do...either a cat trainer or a cat wheel...anyone want to donate a cat wheel?

most amazing deal ever!

2009-04-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

so, edyta (my wedding photographer) is offering the most amazing deal ever. as in, it seriously makes me contemplate wanting to get married again (to the same guy, of course!) just to take advantage of this if i were to enter and win. she's giving away a FREE day of wedding photography.

the package includes:

Complimentary Wedding Package (includes 8 hours of coverage, 20pg 10×10 album of your choice, online hosting, disc of images). Couple must pay for travel (airline ticket, car rental and hotel if needed - this will serve as the deposit to secure the date). $4400 value!

sign me up! umm....edyta, can we enter to win just a portrait session? teehee....jealous! so ladies (and gents)...head over to edyta's blog to get more details and send in your entry! this is an amazing (and cost-saving) opportunity.

farm fresh

2009-03-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

so after chatting about it this weekend with my friend natalie, i was convinced that i should sign up for farm fresh to you. it's a company that delivers a variety of usda certified organic fruits and vegetables to your doorstep (or, um, your office's doorstep if you have a gate like we do). what i like about this service? it's reasonably priced, gives recipes with the produce, it's going to force me to expand my cooking repetoire (and get out of our 5 meal rut we're in), and will force us to eat more fruits and veggies--not to mention the benefits of eating organic. it's also extremely customizable. want all veggies? done! all fruits? done! only local? done! every other week/3 weeks/once a month? done! we started at one box every three weeks--this will give us an opportunity to test out the service, and see what we think will be a reasonable delivery schedule without wasting. they apparently post what will be in the box on the friday before your delivery, and you can email or call in to change out an item if you don't like it. i can't wait for our first delivery! here's to healthier cooking!

sick sunday

2009-03-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

well, our fantastic weekend in vegas ended with a not-so-fantastic plane ride. i was expecting a little bit of turbulence as we departed vegas and flew over the mountains, but i was not expecting 45 minutes of it. i wasn't hung over or anything, but man did i get sick. i get motion sick extremely easily, but i've never actually gotten sick. i guess there's a first time for everything! our fasten seatbelt sign was only off for about 15-20 minutes, and multiple people on the flight were ill. it was awful. at least i have good friends who still like me after sitting next to me. the flight attendants were so sweet and kind, so that was nice-- one even checked on me when he walked through the cabin. thankfully we landed safely, but i was obviously feeling a little under the weather. brandon took the opportunity to snap a photo of me while i was napping...then i woke up but we snapped a few more of the kitties because they were being so cute.

vegas! (aka joanne's bachelorette)

2009-03-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

so, this weekend i went to vegas for my friend joanne's bachelorette. it was SO amazing--there were 7 of us from high school plus two of joanne's other friends. we had a blast! it was fun/tiring/relaxing all at the same time. we flew in friday afternoon on virgin america. the plane was full of bachelor/bachelorette parties!
the lovely bride and friends

when we arrived, we checked in the hotel room and chilled until we had to get ready for the night out! we got all dolled up, went to dinner and then out dancing at a club, thanks to hookups from tati.
saturday morning i got up early and went for a 10 mile run with tati--it was her first time going 10, and she did great! i was proud. we then went back to her house, showered, baked some cakes for later, and headed back to the hotel to meet up with everyone else, who were resting poolside. i have to say a bloody mary after a long run is just about the most amazing thing EVER. it's a heavenly way to replenish all the salt you've lost.

after the pool, we had a mini "shower" for jo, where we unveiled the shirts i had made for us to wear.

to give some background, in high school joanne's mom shared something with joanne about kissing, which joanne passed onto us. it's sort of a "classification system" for kisses...we were always pestered with the question "was it a peach, a plum, or alfalfa?" now, if you say these aloud, carefully pay attention to what your mouth/tongue does and you will see what the differences are.

anyway, we came up with the concept of using peach/plum/alfalfa for the shirts, all of us being peaches and plums, and joanne being alfalfa. i made up some graphics on my computer and then screenprinted them.

so saturday after the shower we got ready, all wearing our shirts, and went to dinner and then danced for a bit while waiting for our show to start.

group photo courtesy of melissa

all in all, a much needed, much enjoyed girls weekend. we should have these more often. not to get all sappy, but i'm so thankful to have such a wonderful group of friends. whenever i'm with them i am amazed at what a fantastic, beautiful group of girls i have as friends. it says a lot that here, almost 10 years after high school, we're still hanging out. thank you, girls, for being so fabulous. i love you all.

happy birthday, brandon!

2009-03-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

sufficient to say march 24-25 is an emotional roller coaster in our household. poor brandon gets a depressed wife the day before his birthday, but i always perk right back up to celebrate him. i try and look at both days as a celebration of life, but march 24 will always be difficult.

anyhoo, first off happy birthday, husband! i'll save all the gushy stuff to say to him in person, but i'd just like to say how incredibly glad i am to have him in my life. he's such a rock for me, and he keeps me sane. we decided to keep it low-key, because he's been working on an architectural competition and i've been busy getting ready for vegas so we're both exhausted. i got him his favorite cupcake from the place down the street from my office (that takes the cake)--it's a cupcake filled with peach cobbler, but i'm mad because his present didn't arrive in time, and it's my fault. i put the wrong sf zip code. i put my home zip with my office address...whooooops. at least he got a cupcake, right?

also happy today, flowers from tati arrived! i'll take better pictures in natural light tomorrow, but this is what i snapped tonight. she meant them to arrive yesterday (we had the fortune of living together when we went through the loss of stacy, so we have an extra bond when it comes to that) but ups can't leave stuff at my house because they can't get in our lobby. i was THRILLED to see they have a feature where you can request a different delivery address online. it says 'in close proximity' but i chanced it and put my work address--they arrived! they are a gorgeous mix of bright pink, pink/orange, and orangey/peach roses. it got a little awkward at work to explain why i had flowers, but for the most part i avoided the conversation. one person, however, pestered me until i spilled it. it's not that i mind talking about it--in fact, i don't mind at all. i typically just feel bad for the person who asked--it's never what they expect and usually makes them feel awkward. oh well! i love my flowers.

cocktails

2009-03-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

so over the weekend while out with friends for the bachelorette, we started discussing how we like gin, and how we are liking the trend of herby/refreshing drinks. on saturday night i had a gin cocktail with apple, lemon, basil and honey--it was SO delicious and refreshing.

this morning i woke up and checked my normal blogs, and saw this post from edyta...how timely! as she said, great minds think alike:

Trends of 2009 - Custom & Complex Cocktails

photos via edyta via brides

butterfly nets

2009-03-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

up and up you go
for to steal the secrets of the heavens
will you share them with me,
my bright and brilliant spy?
-butterfly nets, bishop allen

i was going to try and come up with a song lyric on my own, but i had to copy chris. it was just too perfect and applicable and fit the mood.

i cannot believe it's been 4 years.

go ducks!

2009-03-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

so the oregon ducks is really the one sports team that brandon cares about. well, i should say he cares about their sports teams, plural. anyway, i had experimented the other day and came up with a knitted reusable coffee sleeve, in order to stop using a new paper/cardboard one every day. how green of me, right? it stemmed from me collecting the sleeves on my desk and realizing just how many i go through.

anyway, i asked brandon if he'd use one, and he said if it was a ducks one, he would--thus the challenge was on. here's what i came up with, and i'm pretty happy with the result, if i do say so myself. the hunt for the "perfect" yarn colors was NOT easy, and it took a couple tries but it was worth it in the end.

saturday fun

2009-03-24T08:54:00.001-07:00

so saturday was busy. 8 miles in the morning, then i met up with my parents, sister and claire for some shopping and lunch, then home for natalie's bachelorette party.

first stop: downtown. we ran into an anti-war, anti-occupation protest/parade, so i wasted time taking a couple pictures while the parade passed

claire sporting her new giants gear...go black and orange!
and a few pics from the champagne toast at kristin's and dinner after for the bachelorette...

this was taken at beretta, where we ate a delicious dinner...

bad cat behavior, ep.7

2009-03-24T08:47:00.001-07:00

i know i've mentioned ben's habit of batting at pictures on the wall, but i finally captured it on camera. seriously, at times the pictures on our wall are like at 30 degree slants because of him...it makes my blood boil, especially because he comes up behind me while i'm sitting on the couch and does it.

notice how BOTH pictures in this photo are skewed. thank you, interior decorator ben. on a happier note, the framed picture on the right is our wedding haiku. it looks much better when it's straight, but i love it even when it looks like it's about to fall off the wall, thanks to our cat.

thankfully stu hasn't quite grasped this habit...yet...(knock on wood)

more kitties

2009-03-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

oh the cats...these were taken over a couple days...i can't resist taking pictures of them!

the paw! it kills me every time...they are so tender and sweet to each other sometimes! edyta, does this make you want to jump in their kitty cup again?

expansion

2009-03-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

i'm excited to share that we are expanding our line at adelie and the orca! we now are sporting some baby blankets and burp clothes. well, really these have been the plan for the start, but my sister took charge and photographed her creations so now they're starting to pop up on etsy! thanks jen, the seamstress. so far we've only listed one, but look for more in the coming days! i like to call this one "you're buggin' me"

now on a happier note...

2009-03-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

they did it again...improv everywhere...genius.

check out their latest--the subway art gallery opening.

on a more serious note...

2009-03-16T20:51:00.001-07:00

so a few weeks ago i got an email from a college friend, saying that he had a baby cousin born (his cousin's baby) and she ended up being sick. they found out she had a "coarctation of the aorta" and after surgery and some ups and downs, she ended up passing away. little andie grace was only three weeks old and fought hard during her short life but just wasn't able to make it (a blog was kept through her time and can be found here: andiegrace.blogspot.com). i got the email that she had passed on sunday and just burst into tears. i couldn't even tell brandon what had happened without crying again, and i don't even know her family!

anyway, i just had to get my sadness out somewhere. i thought it was very sweet--apparently the hospital she was at uses beanie babies for the kids in the hospital, so in lieu of flowers they are asking that people bring/send beanie babies to be donated to the hospital. i am off to purchase some beanie babies now...

ugh. i can barely get through writing this post without getting choked up. for some reason this little punkin's story has really touched me...

stuart, the loaf

2009-03-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

so lately the cats have been "stealing" brandon's chair. literally, he'll get up to grab something and SWOOP. his chair is occupied by a furry friend or two. we've decided to let it slide because it's been preventing them from being total pests, but it is a funny trend. last night i looked over, and saw this:

immediately i said "awww..." and then i noticed what was really going on...

busy busy bumble bee

2009-03-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

well, as i previously mentioned, i've been quite the busy busy bumble bee lately, and it's only going to get worse. here's a rundown of this weekend:
friday: work, then dinner with my parents. finish up designs for screen printing. bed.
saturday: 10 mile run. errand running. early dinner. more errand running. preparation for sunday screen printing. bed.
sunday: screen printing extravaganza with brenna and kristin. errand running. dinner. some paperwork i needed to get done. bed.

i have now realized that i am busy (with fun things) every weekend until may. wedding related activities, weddings, new york, half marathon...it's going to be a busy busy 6 weeks. hopefully i'll have some time to snap and upload pictures!

engaged (not of the marital kind)

2009-03-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

so lately i feel like i've been sort of floating. there's a lot of little things going on, and i've had a lot of distractions--mostly generated by me (yes, i distract myself). today it sort of all came to a head when i realized why i've felt in a funk--i am into a bunch of little things halfway, and not fully engaged in any of them.

beginning with work--i find myself with my mind wandering, contemplating all things i want to make, new things to add to my etsy shop, etc. i need to commit myself to what i am doing, and do it to the best of my abilities. while i'd love to create full time, it's just not realistic right now. work and art are suffering right now, but there's only one of those i can actually do something about, and that's work. unfortunately, not my top choice. while i'd love to be planning my next project and investing myself 100%, i just don't have the time nor the resources at this season in life, and that's just reality.

i have all sorts of little things that need to be completed that are less pleasant (paperwork, etc.) that i keep putting off for more "fun" things, but now the months of that nagging feeling have caught up and the nagging has turned into a much louder internal shout. there are about 50 other things that have been eating at me, and i really feel i need to do something about them, and soon. running is the only thing that i really fell i'm giving 100% of myself to at the moment, and that needs to change.

this is where the title of my post comes in--engaged. i need to be engaged, to feel engaged. in my relationships, in my friendships, my occupation, my hobbies, my art, my day-to-day mundane stuff that needs to get done...i know this is a busier time (luckily for me it's busy with fun things), but i need to remember to seek solitude, be productive and manage my time in order to avoid the stress freakouts (i am very prone to those, unfortunately). here's to hoping i can get my act together...

adelie and the orca giveaway on moderncat

2009-03-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

image courtesy of moderncat

toys, clockwise from top left: parisian mouse from 4 paws, knit fish cat toy from adelie and the orca, binkie sweetie toy from osha, catnip donut from catzilla crafts, woodland friends organic hemp cat toys from the modern pet, and mink catnip body pillow from kitty of mine.

so this week is toy giveaway week on moderncat, and there have been tons of amazing giveaways! i offered up a knit catnip toy (via adélie and the orca), and today you can have a chance to win! check out the posts from the week--some amazing etsy shops to discover, and tons of giveaways! if you have a feline friend who could use some spoiling, head on over and enter to win! thanks, again, moderncat for 1. being an amazing website and 2. featuring my kitty toy (and stu's tooshie)

good morning

2009-03-11T09:14:00.001-07:00

so this morning i decided to snap some photos of the kitties...a little mid-week pick-me-up.

so, a small funny note. i took these pictures, went into the other room to grab something, came back in, and the cats were in the same position but facing the room this time, instead of the window. such weirdos.

i left the room again and came back, and this time ben was 2 rooms away, sitting on the counter. literally i was gone 30 seconds, and i did not hear him at all. stealth kitty!
so i know it's been semi-quiet on the blog, but i've just been busy. not overwhelmingly busy, but enough where i haven't really taken a lot of pictures and the stuff i'm doing isn't overly exciting. in a nutshell, i'm working on things for some upcoming activities with friends (will be shown later), running, nursing sore legs, and crafting a little here and there. i promise i'll show that stuff later on...

shoes!

2009-03-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

so, i guess i have neglected to mention that i'm going to new york in april! it is a trip my family has been talking about for a while--grandma, mom, sister, and claire (well, claire has been a more recent addition to the roster) to go see a relative that we haven't seen in forever, and she's getting up there in age. it's going to be a quick trip right before the half marathon--i can't wait!

you might be wondering what on EARTH that has to do with this blog post title, shoes! well, i am in desperate need of shoes to walk around in. now, i am not the most fashionable person, but i refuse to wear my running shoes while exploring a city. call me vain, but i put my foot down when it comes to that. i don't look down on other people doing it, but i just can't do it.

SO. last time i went to ny in november, i wore some clarks privos. i wear them all the time, great for walking to/from work, etc. after walking around all day every day, however, my heels were shredded by the end of the 5 days. i'll spare you the details, but sufficient to say that my heels were swollen and i ripped through band-aids, socks and tights by the end. it was a mess. all that said--anyone have any recommendations? i think i'm looking for something decently cute but very practical. after all, it is the week before the half marathon, so i must keep my feet in working order!

bad cat behavior, ep.6

2009-03-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

this sock pictured above started out behind that door at the end of the hall...in a clothes hamper. ben and stuart have a newly discovered affinity for wool socks. like, an obsessive affinity. as in i bury a pair of socks in the dirty clothes hamper and by morning they are strewn about the apartment.

now, random fact about me, i don't like wearing socks most of the time (or shoes for that matter, if i had a choice) so it's only on very cold days that i end up wearing socks. this means the wool socks haven't had much time out, but lately these cats can't get enough. it started when we got back from tahoe and brandon dumped out our suitcase. both socks in my pair got "stolen." i put them in the hamper, under other things, and by morning they were back out. i wore another pair of wool socks, and again....put them in the hamper, and while we're watching tv i see ben run by, sock in mouth.

pretty much every day this week we come home to socks somewhere in the apartment.

ben and stuart break

2009-03-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

well, i feel like it has been a little while since i've put up some kitties. i'm guessing it's been more like 3 days or something :::::checking archives:::::: wow! no! it's been almost two weeks! time for some ben and stu indeed...

this morning i was attempting to take a picture of my newest kitty toy for etsy...the cats were helping

and here are the kids, waiting for me to put the toy back down (yeah right i'm going to put it down)

the boys eating...this was the cute moment, before stuart threw up because he gorged himself on the food.

first sale!

2009-03-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

yay! made my first sale on etsy! thank you to LoveErica for the purchase of a catnip kitty toy for her three kitty cats...

erica is a budding photographer, making her way through college currently. this is my favorite print in her shop at the moment...

how many is too many?

2009-03-05T10:01:00.001-08:00

so, i follow a bunch of blogs on google reader (which, by the way, is fantastic. i highly recommend if you are a blog follower). now i'm getting to the point--how many is too many? every blog seems to bring up an interesting feature from ANOTHER blog, and quickly your blog list grows and grows...it's impossible to absorb everything and see everything, but how do you say enough? i'm sure a couple people i know (natalie and my sister) would quickly volunteer that having children would answer this question for me, but until that point i guess i'll struggle to find the balance of the blogs....

homesick

2009-03-04T11:46:00.000-08:00

so, paris is the one place that i really get homesick for. i guess the only other place i could really get homesick for would be san luis obispo, and while there are things about it that i miss, i don't get homesick. paris, however, is a whole different story. i get a pit in my stomach, and genuinely ache for it. it's been far too long since i've been there. a lot of people like to look at pictures of paris and french things, and talk about it and reminisce about their time there. me, i avoid it like the plague. i don't like to look at pictures (when i'm feeling homesick). i don't like to talk about it, i don't like to flip through my photographs. it makes me ache even more inside, and sink deeper into my little sad party. yes, i feel beyond fortunate to have lived there, but man do i miss it. i guess it goes along with it's better to have loved and lost....?

my friend kelly is going soon, and while i'm jealous, i'm more happy that she gets to go--we were there together and i have some wonderful memories from that. i'm still trying to figure out what little something i want her to bring back for me =) oh yeah, kelly--i might have you bring something back for me...haha

anyway, when i was there i got addicted to the show star academy. it's basically american idol, but more in depth. they all live in a house together and having singing lessons/practice, dance rehearsals, exercise time, etc. every week. then every weekend they have a live show (the "prime") and eliminate someone. the show is on daily if my memory serves me correctly. i stumbled upon (err...i guess sought out) the website the other day and found a video of one of my favorite performances during the season i watched. you can see it on my tumblr, here.

running songs

2009-03-02T13:44:00.001-08:00

so, here is a list of 24 songs that really have been helping me in my run, getting me going when they pop on the shuffle...

in alphabetical order by artist...
1. belle & sebastian--dear catastrophe waitress
2. belle & sebastian--me and the major
3. ben kweller--i need you back
4. bishop allen--rain
5. blow--bonjour jeune fille
6. boy least likely to--rock upon a porch with you
7. bright eyes--road to joy
8. bright eyes--let's not sh*t ourselves (to love and to be loved)
9. damien rice--coconut skins
10. the fiery furnaces--in my little thatched hut
11. hot chip--colours
12. ingrid michaelson--be OK
13. los campesinos!--you! me! dancing!
14. the magnetic fields--i thought you were my boyfriend
15. the magnetic fields--i think i need a new heart
16. mason jennings--california, pt.2
17. okkervil river--unless it's kicks
18. okkervil river--lost coastlines (perfect for running across the golden gate bridge)
19. peter bjorn & john--young folks
20. the postal service--such great heights
21. rilo kiley--spectacular views
22. the rolling stones--sympathy for the devil
23. shout out louds--very loud
24. yellowcard--believe

200 posts!

2009-03-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

boo. i fail.

in my posting frenzy yesterday i missed the fact that i had my 200th post! happy 200 posts blog...here's to many more posts to come. thanks for reading, to those of you who read.

something to note--don't be shy about commenting! i love comments. also, you can always reach me at minimarsh6@gmail.com

academy of sciences

2009-03-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

today, chris was kind enough to escort me into the academy of sciences so i could go with my family (they have passes). it was great, but SOOOO crowded--i can't wait to go and explore more! here are a few pictures from the day...

saturday run

2009-03-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

saturday was a major accomplishment...right around 10 miles! i hit the runner's high, so that was fun. here was our route this week:

it actually felt really good after about mile 5. i just had to look sort of down in front of myself (so i'm not looking at how much further i have to go) and tune into my music. we ran from our house down along the water, across the golden gate bridge, back across, then back to the marina green.

that night, brandon and i decided to heed jessi's advice and move around later in the day, so saturday night we decided to go on a little walk. we went down to union square, got some ice cream and went into the westfield to eat.

friday friends

2009-03-01T21:57:00.000-08:00

friday night, my friend katie came into town and brought a college favorite, woodstocks pizza (there is one on her way from sacramento). it was a fun mini-reunion of cal poly people on a random friday night.

gotta love the cinnabread

chris and brandon, giggling about something...up to no good always
it was a glorious evening!

moderncat etsy faves

2009-02-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

thanks to moderncat for adding adelie and the orca to the list of favorite etsy shops! there are some other really great shops listed there--be sure to check some out!

obsessed

2009-02-25T22:17:00.000-08:00

so i had found this a while ago via this american life, and then recently remember this group and their work. i find what they do clever, hilarious, well-executed, and with great intentions:

"Improv Everywhere is, at its core, about having fun. We’re big believers in “organized fun”. Our missions are a fun source of entertainment for the participants, those who happen to see us live, and those who read this website....We’re out to prove that a prank doesn’t have to involve humiliation or embarrassment; it can simply be about making someone laugh, smile, or stop to notice the world around them."

their missions and videos are hilarious...i'd love to participate one day! here's one to get you started:

i also recommend to get you started: no pants! best buy, and human mirror. really, they're all pretty good. i hope you enjoy as much as i do!

modern ben and stu

2009-02-23T21:52:00.000-08:00

moderncat.net, one of my favorite blogs, was kind enough to show off my new duds featuring ben and stu! head over to check it out!

snuggle sunday

2009-02-22T22:01:00.000-08:00

the boys decided to take advantage of this rainy weather and curl up for most of the day...

bad cat behavior, ep.5

2009-02-22T21:57:00.001-08:00

well, this one is pretty self-explanitory from the pictures...i like to call this one: chair, or scratching post? you decide...(obviously the cats have put in their vote already)

the good news? this is a chair that brandon found on the street when he lived in san francisco during his 4th year of college, which means it is old and was free. the bad news? brandon loves this chair.

new shirts

2009-02-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

so i finally screen-printed some shirts for my etsy site, adelieandtheorca.etsy.com

the benjamin buttons:

and the stuart louis:

benjamin

2009-02-21T22:33:00.000-08:00

today ben was messing around in the window, so i decided to snap a shot. this one was actually an accident, but it came out rather well, in my opinion...

run!

2009-02-21T22:23:00.000-08:00

today was my first long run of half-marathon training. well, actually my first long run EVER, but also the first long run of training. brandon went to a baseball game, so chris was kind enough to be my running buddy. he was a great motivator--most of my run was spent thinking "just...follow...chris...keep...following...chris..." i was pretty proud of myself, seeing as i've only started training in the last two weeks.

anyway, today i accomplished a 7.1 mile jog. it was slow, but i made it. yippee!

here was our route:

haircut

2009-02-19T20:20:00.001-08:00

getting a haircut always makes me feel good. i get a great head massage (always perfect at the end of a workday), good conversation, and i walk out feeling fantastic with my new 'do. here are some pictures i took...i also took one of my eye with my new mixology makeup (although it's sort of hard to see). it's been mentioned that i don't really show pictures of myself--this isn't all of me, but it's a little bit of me.

thanks to my favorite stylist, lee...he always leaves me with a perma-grin, for the hair and the haircut chat. brenna and i like to discuss how he's like chicken soup for the 20-something soul.

another reason...

2009-02-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

just another reason i love san francisco...

the grilled cheese invitational in dolores park

i went for it

2009-02-18T15:32:00.001-08:00

because i frequently have song lyrics, etc. i want to jot down, and there are times when i want to save a link/picture for future reference, i decided to go ahead and start a tumblr blog. it's basically meant for posting other media (links, pictures, video, etc.), it's extremely easy to update. i have a link in my blog roll to the right, but i made the address easy: comeblowbubbles.tumblr.com

feel free to stop by to see what i'm thinking about!

congratulations

2009-02-18T13:15:00.001-08:00

congratulations to chris! chris, via my random selection at random.org, is the winner of my lucky cat giveaway.

mixology makeup

2009-02-18T12:29:00.001-08:00

image courtesy of mixology makeup

i heard about mixology makeup on etsy through my friend natalie. she raved about the product (post here) and i looked into it but never ordered anything. never ordered anything, that is, until last week. i decided to order some samples after looking into mineral makeup further. i already use mineral foundation (bare minerals), but i did see some ingredients in bare minerals that i wasn't thrilled with. it turns out mixology doesn't use some of those ingredients, so i figured why not give it a try! i received my samples yesterday. i didn't try the foundation yet (in the morning heading out the door isn't the best time to try and find your foundation color) but i did try the eyeshadow and LOVED it! thanks to the ladies over at mixology! i can't wait to give the foundation a try. i experienced pleasant correspondence (i wasn't sure what foundation color samples to order) and quick turn-around on the shipment--i wouldn't hesitate to order more products from them.

all i need is a moment

2009-02-17T15:18:00.001-08:00

in a sort of roundabout way, i came upon this blog, all i need is a moment. the concept is simple--at a time and day chosen at random each week, a group of friends take a picture of whatever they are doing at that very moment. they then email the pictures to one person, who arranges them and posts them on the blog. the result is rather beautiful, and i love the concept. it's a way to share a moment with friends, wherever they are.

image courtesy of all i need is a moment

anyone else think this this is a great idea? this idea really warms my heart...i know that sounds cheesy, but it's true! what a special way to maintain an intimate bond with friends who aren't nearby

tahoe weekend

2009-02-16T22:32:00.000-08:00

the post will be brief, since i'm exhausted, but we just came back from a beautiful (snow-filled) weekend in lake tahoe. it was a long car ride there and back, but well worth it! the details will come later, but for now a few pictures.

music

2009-02-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

first i want to say i've decided that i want to start dumping some inspiration/things i'm really into at the moment here. i'll test it out for a while and see how it goes. if it's distracting, i might start a tumblr blog where i can dump those things. i'll try this for a bit, and then ask opinions.

back to the post. so, as you can see by my little "currently on repeat" section, i absolutely cannot stop listening to okkervil river's "the war criminal rises and speaks." there's another song i love on this particular album (down the river of golden dreams), so i think i've typically sort of skipped over or not payed attention to the first half of the album. for some reason this week, however, i've been obsessed with this song.

when i went to see him at the talking music lecture series, will sheff (lead singer of okkervil) talked about how he likes to write about characters and sort of portray them in a very human way, even if on surface level they aren't good people. this song is talking about someone who does things they never imagined they'd do in a time of war, and now 30 years later he's being put on trial. this particular verse is my favorite i think...

Now he’s rising and not denying, his hands are shaking, but he’s not crying.
And he’s saying “How did I climb out of a life so boring into that moment?
Please stop ignoring the heart inside, oh you readers at home!
While you gasp at my bloody crimes, please take the time
to make your heart my home, where I’m forgiven by time,
where I’m cushioned by hope, where I’m numbed by long drives,
where I’m talked off or doped. Does the heart wants to atone?
Oh, I believe that it’s so, because if I could climb back through time,
I’d restore their lives and then give back my own, tens of times now its size
on a far distant road, in a far distant time
where every night I’m still crying entirely alone.”

rainy day

2009-02-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

just decided to take a few pictures on this rainy day...
raindrops through the screen

and mr. stuart (ben was m.i.a.)

giveaway/belated birthday

2009-02-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

well, it has come to my attention that i have missed my blog's birthday. whoopsies! anyway, i realize that this is a perfect opportunity to have a giveaway! when i screen printed that shirt for brandon the other day, i had to test the printing first, and did so on a piece of grey fabric. after the print came out well, i thought hmph...this is too cute to just throw away! i decided to mount it on a canvas, and here is the result!

you, my blog followers, help me stay motivated to keep on making, so i've decided to give this little guy away as a thank you, if anyone is interested. he is on an 8x10 canvas which is 1 3/8" deep. there is a cut in the canvas (it came that way--boo!) so there is one small air-bubble looking thing, but it's very minor.

please email me at: minimarsh6@gmail.com if you would like this very first screen print to be yours! shipping is on me. if there is more than one person interested, i will use random.org to randomly choose a name. i will choose a recipient by monday evening (feb. 16). to clarify, don't feel bad if you know me--this isn't necessarily intended for internet strangers (although i'm certainly not going to rule any out). i'll let you in on a little secret--most of my blog readers are family and friends (and it's a small community) so most of the people who see this are friends with me in real life as well. thanks for sticking with me through this year, and thanks for your comments! i love comments, so feel free to leave them often.

resolution, part two

2009-02-09T22:56:00.000-08:00

well, another part of my new year's resolution was getting in shape and running a half marathon, today i officially registered brandon and i for the santa cruz half marathon. i'm nervous but excited--the goal is just to finish. i can work on speed in future races, right?

adélie and the orca

2009-02-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

remember my resolution at the new year? overall it was to stop being lazy, but included in that was beginning an etsy account and i'm proud to say we're finally up and running! from the title of the post, i'm sure you can guess our shop name--it's adélie and the orca, which comes from my sister's and my favorite animals. we only have a few things up in the shop, but feel free to stop by and check us out! stop by often as we slowly update...

in addition to this, i've finally done my first screen print test! prep and cleanup are about 90% of the process, but i know i'm going to have a ton of fun. brandon has wanted this graphic on a t-shirt, so we decided to use this as our first test print (we will not sell this design because it is not our image, but we have just created this one shirt for our own use)

the graphic looks a little blurry in this photo, but that's actually because of my picture-taking, and not the design. the edges of the design are actually quite crisp! slightly shaky because i did this using the screen-filler method (which is hand-painted, as opposed to the photo emulsion method), but crisp edges.
and now here is brandon posing in the shirt--he thought he should pose with the cats, to make it look "even cuter."

here's my favorite--the double head-tilt

claire's dedication

2009-02-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

today was claire's baby/parent dedication at jen and josh's church. congratulations, claire!

and yes, she still is lacking in the hair department, but she couldn't be cuter.

she was so good and didn't cry at all! no melt-down on stage for claire.

glorious saturday

2009-02-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

saturday morning started off with a lovely friend date at the de young with one of my oldest, nearest and dearest friends. we have been attempting to see the yves saint laurent exhibit at the museum and finally got around to it. we started out with a long chat at the cafe, and then we wandered through the many pieces in the ysl collection--it was amazing! it was a perfect saturday morning. i hope to have these dates much more frequently!
if you can't tell, the rain went into hiding for the day.

after the de young, i went home for a few hours and then headed back out for a dinner party with some other friends. we cooked a delicious meal, but afterward brandon and i were exhausted and we had to get up early today so we decided to head back home. on the way, we passed city hall which was feeling a little green, apparently.

i guess many of the monuments around the city have been lit up with green lights in celebration of the arrival of the play wicked.

friday rain

2009-02-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

so we are FINALLY getting some winterish weather again. thank goodness because all the little plants in san francisco need the water!

i know i complain about the weather a lot, and i happen to live in an extremely desirable climate, but this time i'm jumping for joy at the rain. i love this cozy weather!

serious art lust

2009-02-03T23:10:00.001-08:00

so today on one of my favorite design blogs, design*sponge, i saw a piece of art that i want. badly. it is called ratp carte intégral by antoine + manuel and it is amazing. this piece combines a sort of ryan mcginness-like icon art that brandon and i love (remember our bathroom art project?), the place i constantly feel homesick for (paris), and a map--i love maps, ESPECIALLY those relating to transit lines, as this one does. i feel like this was made for me specifically. now i just need to see if i can purchase it anywhere...

image courtesy of antoine + manuel

saturday afternoon

2009-02-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

saturday afternoon was beautiful, sunny...not a cloud in the sky. while brandon helped our friend adam move, i met up with sara for a long overdue (and much anticipated) mojito at our favorite mojito place, the orbit room.

it doesn't get much better than this.

cat fight

2009-02-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

my cats enjoy having cat fights occasionally, and i mean that in the way that is usually directed at two girls slapping each other. they get up on their hind legs and, well, slap each other. it's hilarious.

flying cat

2009-02-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

saturday morning ben was having cat dancer fun and i snapped some shots (after i get tired of flinging cat dancer around, i string it up for a bit and ben jumps at it...he eventually reaches it and pulls it down, but it occupies him for a few minutes)...

and here's ben just hanging out

8 (more) things

2009-01-30T22:23:00.000-08:00

well, on facebook there has been a "25 things you may not know about me" thing going around...after i posted mine, i thought of a few more facts that are (perhaps) more interesting, so i decided to share those here.

1. i am incredibly empathetic--not necessarily sympathetic, but moreso empathetic.
2. frequently little things make my heart break when i'm out and about--things that other people wouldn't find sad. well, not really sad, but touching i guess. examples of things that have made me feel on the verge of tears:
*seeing an elderly person on the bus doing the same motion that i can only assume they've been doing exactly the same way for decades (i.e. the way they take out and apply their chapstick, the way they put their gloves in their bag, etc.)
*in that vein, sometimes seeing an elderly person alone on the bus looking lonely
*i saw a homeless person coloring in an elmo page from a coloring book with a ballpoint pen and almost cried. most people would giggle. i felt so sad/touched inside
*a 20-something guy was on the bus, his hair all done, his outfit business-casual, on the side of slightly nerdy. he was obviously going somewhere and had put effort into his appearance. it touched me and i almost cried.
when i see these things it's not pity that overwhelms me--i feel like i get a glimpse into a moment in these people's lives, and i'm touched in some way. i feel like it's an intimate moment and for some reason i ache inside. weird? i don't know
3. i can pinpoint the exact moment when i started crying in movies. i used to only cry in particular movies, and my tears were very limited. freshman year in college, however, i went to see "pay it forward" with a group of friends, and i just started sobbing in the movie. i was with a group of guys and girls, and i was SO embarrassed and mad at myself for crying and kept saying "i NEVER cry in movies! i never cry! what's wrong with me?" since then i think it has been a downward spiral--i cry more and more easily as time goes on
4. i love going to concerts but always end up complaining about tall people always finding their way in front of me, and my vertical space being zapped up (inevitably at some point i lean over to say something to a friend--feet remaining in place--and when i upright myself i find that somehow someone has leaned into my space so i can no longer stand upright)
5. i frequently have professional jealousy for those in creative fields who have more talent/experience/knowledge than me. right now my current wish is that i knew more about photography and the mechanics of the camera. with that said, i am motivated and learning and willing to take on new endeavors
6. i mentioned on facebook my morbid mind, so i'll expand on that, or at least give some examples. i have sort of a more-or-less constant stream of "what ifs" going through my head. they don't paralyze me, but they're there. some examples:
*standing on a train platform, i have thoughts of "what if there was an earthquake and i fell on the tracks" or "what if someone walked by and just shoved moe onto the track" or "what if i walked by someone and just shoved them onto the track?"
*i was on a job site the other day, on the 4th floor of a building in an area where the floors had been taken out. there was plywood, but i was standing near the edge on a beam. i moved because i thought "what if there was an earthquake right now?"
*sometimes when i'm out and about i think "what if that building just exploded right now?" or "what if i saw someone get shot?"
things like that...this ongoing game of what if.
7. i don't like football. it runs in the family. my mom hates football, my sister hates football. i allow oregon ducks games without question, but other football games must be negotiated (luckily brandon doesn't like nfl). the sound of unwelcome sports events on the tv stress me out and make me anxious.
8. i don't do well when i think animals are in distress. i can't stand giving my cats pills, i was a wreck when they had to get fixed, and i was miserable when they were upset in the car. it breaks my heart and i'm total putty. i can't handle the sarah mclachlan aspca commercials (i have to turn them). even the noah wylie polar bear commercial kills me. brandon reminds me that they're cats, they're okay. i think it comes from the fact that animals are sort of helpless, and at our mercy for their care

well, i guess that's all for now. i have a cat chewing, picture hitting, glass clinking cat who is in desperate need of some activity/attenion....

the many faces of claire

2009-01-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

i think jen's already had a post titled this very same thing, but claire makes enough faces to warrant this...

anyway, today i had the pleasure of watching claire while jen was at work (i took the day off). my dad, who is typically thursday's daycare, ruptured a tendon in his arm and had to have surgery and therefore is out of commission for a little while. it was fun to hang out with the baby all day! lola, claire and i had a day full of eating, sleeping, wii-ing, and a little bit of fuss (but not too much!). claire and i enjoyed a little wii fitness hula hooping and slalom skiing as well (although wii wanted to know why i had suddenly gained weight).

here are some pictures i took today...unfortunately a lot of them were blurry (even some of these are blurry) due to low lighting conditions and the squirmy baby factor...

bad cat behavior update

2009-01-29T18:28:00.001-08:00

so, remember the other day when i spoke of stu shutting himself in the bathroom, and then mentioned how the next day he shut himself AND ben in the bathroom? well, we have now had 4 consecutive days of stuart shutting himself in. the 1st and 3rd days, it was just him. the 2nd and 4th days he shut himself and ben in there.

what a weird habit.

bad cat behavior, ep.4

2009-01-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

stuart has a strange habit of locking himself in rooms. our apartment building is old, and doors don't really shut properly, but they stick once they're partially closed. stu enjoys going on his hind legs, putting his paws on the door aaaaaand shut. he's done it when i'm in the room even. lately, he's begun doing it more and more frequently. sometimes he locks ben in the room too, mostly he just locks himself--brandon jokes that he does it on purpose to get away from ben. regardless, it's strange.

yesterday i came home to this:

a closed door. that can only mean one thing.

yup, he was at it again. even turned over the trash can (he likes doing that too). this time, he went as far as pulling down the hand towels. when i picked them up they were warm--someone must have been napping on them!

ben decided to check out stuart's damage...

***update. when brandon came home yesterday, stuart had shut himself AND ben in the bathroom. i'm sure ben was not happy with his brother...***

blood orange margaritas

2009-01-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

mmmmm...

so my dear friend chris knows of my affinity for blood oranges. when i was in france, i used to drink blood orange juice (so, typing that makes me feel a bit vampirey...anyway, i digress) and i absolutely loved it, but you can't find it here!

for my birthday, chris decided to give me some blood oranges. the first few went to some amazing mimosas, and the next few were blended up with some lime juice and tequila to become blood orange margaritas. i have to say they were amazing, and we will be making more soon. i highly recommend trying it!