i fart art.

dance fever.

2012-01-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

anyone who knows me, knows how much i LOVE prom and anything associated with it. so when my company party invite was sent out with a prom theme, i squealed with delight! they asked us to submit photos from high school and i immediately dug these up when i got home. vu and i laughed at how little we looked back then. good times.

my junior prom and the first dance vu and i went to together. :)

vu's senior ball at the opera house in los gatos. spring 1996

my senior year homecoming. my dress was $20 thrifted!

senior year sadie hawkins. wish i still had those shoes!

senior ball. another thrifted dress. $7(!) and my mom made the shawl. :)

happy friday the 13th!

2012-01-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

today started off pretty crappy. i woke up late, threw on a shirt that is uncomfortably fitted, dropped my birth control pill on the floor in the dark and had to use a flashlight and get down on all fours to find it (didn't want to wake the husband), worrying that if one of the dogs found/ate it, they might grow boobs..., and got to work late without having my morning cereal. :(

after taking a few deep breaths and getting my morning tea, i've managed to calm myself down from a frazzled morning. i also had a random moment of inspiration looking at my mini succulent garden on my desk and decided it needed a little extra love.

i cut out a piece of paper, folded it in half, cut rounded corners, and drew a heart on it (thankful for sharpies at work!). then i folded a small piece of tape to create double-sided tape to adhere it to a t-pin.

now my mini succulent garden feels complete and has a little sign of love to share. this will definitely lift my spirits on the days i get to work on a clusterf***-filled morning. :)

seal of approval.

2012-01-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

the last couple of months have been a blur: thanksgiving, christmas, holiday and work madness,...and between it all the only thing keeping me sane was painting. as i've stated several times before, i'm a procrastinator, as bad as they get. i need deadlines and without them i will never finish a project. the upcoming PMS {personal made space} show at empire seven studios is this friday! i've completed 24 new paintings and have ONE left to do. it's been an exhausting journey, but so worth it when i take a step back and see what i've created. i sometimes forget how amazing it feels to be an artist.

here is a sneak peek of one of my pieces in progress:

and here is sabbath giving his seal of approval last night after i finished my second to last piece:

i was in the studio over the weekend, prepping and finishing most of my installation. several of the other amazing artists have already installed or are in the process. it's looking pretty incredible and i can't wait to see everything when it's done. i highly recommend coming by this friday... rad art, fun people, sweet beats. you can't tell me you have something better to do... :)

goodbye hiatus!

2011-12-29T16:05:00.000-08:00

there's no excuse as to why i haven't posted anything since september other than the fact that i'm lazy and work has been mad busy. now that the "storm" has passed, i can start blogging again.

with the year coming to an end, it's nice to have a project to work on and carry me through into the new year. i will be showing new works with several other amazing artists (jennifer ahn, elena carrasco, roan victor, frances marin, bella pinon,...just to name a few) on january 13, 2012 at empire seven studios for it's first show of the year: PMS (personal made space)!

don't expect to see any photography from me this time around. here is a sneak peek of what i will be showing.

come out to support. there will be cool art, rad people, and fun music. why would you want to miss out on that?

dog gentlemen.

2011-09-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

remember the paintings i did of the dog-children? well, i scanned them as well as some fancy borders i drew, threw them in photoshop and tada! this is for part of a zine my artist friend, frances, is putting together for the upcoming sjmade festival. :) the paintings will be shown at the annual art party hosted by anne and mark sconberg in october. yeah!

dog portraits.

2011-09-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

jeff and sabbath weren't always this photogenic. i think they finally got used to the idea that i love taking photos of them at any given moment. :)

lazy labor day weekend morning!

since i have a jillion photos of the dog-children, it only makes sense to make some art of them. here's a preliminary sketch of sabbath on a piece of wood. the piece is roughly 5 inches in diameter.

sabbath is almost done,.. just have to add some finishing touches and a border and background.

since i was on a roll, i decided to paint all the dogs. (clockwise from top left: sabbath, zephyr, revs, and jeff!)

little bastard.

2011-08-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

this is revs (a.k.a. troublemaker). he may be cute and look innocent, but he wreaks the most havoc of all the dogs. he has the most energy and loves to give hugs! (he gets all up in your face and pushes his cheek up against yours!) i'm lucky to have such a loving dog-nephew. :)

silly animals.

2011-08-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

the dogs always offer endless amounts of entertainment. here is a quiet moment they had that i found hilarious.

metro photo show.

2011-08-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

jenny and i had a photo show at the metro building last september and i forgot to post any images from it. almost a year later, here it is!

mantrip.

2011-08-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

vu during one of his past backpacking trips in yosemite.

the husband has been gone since last friday. he's on his annual "mantrip" (that's what i call it) which is a backpacking adventure him and his best buddies go on every summer. i'm not going to lie, i'm jealous that they get to take a week off from their lives every year to go and do this... not that i want to go trek through the wilderness and dig holes to poop in for a week, but envy that no matter what, they make it a priority to spend this time together every year.

it's always tough when he leaves because i can't see him for an entire week or even talk to him. being the stressed out paranoid that i am, i'm constantly wondering if he's been mauled by a bear or swept away by a heavy river current. absence does make the heart grow fonder, so i guess this is a good thing, but damn, it sucks when your best friend is non-existent in your life for 8 days. the boys are scheduled to be back home sometime tomorrow. if he hasn't been mauled by a bear yet, he will be by the dogs and me once he arrives home safely. :)

dogs, dogs, and more dogs

2011-08-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

i don't have any new projects to share, so the next best thing is to share more photos of the animals. enjoy!

sabbath and jeff just kickin' it.

jeff enjoying a ray of light during the afternoon.

zephyr being ridiculously cute.

sunbathing brothers.

sabo enjoying the early morning light.

revs taking a nap. could he be any cuter??

jeffrey talking while playing.

jeff trying to one-up zeph on cuteness.

zephyr anchoring himself on a pennant banner i was working on.

weekly dinner at the parents' house.

it hasn't been much of a summer, but the dogs still wish you a happy one!

home sweet home.

2011-08-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

my friends, julene and emerson, recently settled into their first home together and it's amazing! yesterday was their housewarming party and i loved touring their new digs, seeing all the personal touches they've added. since i wasn't sure of what they'd like for their place, i decided to go with the failsafe target gift card and a cute arrangement of succulents from trader joe's. looking at the plant arrangement, it needed something to make it a little more special and personalized. with a few bamboo skewers, assorted construction paper, embroidery thread, and prismacolor pencils, i constructed a mini pennant banner that says "home".

it's always exciting moving into your first home and i wish julene and emerson all the best! :)

jake ryan.

2011-07-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

i'd like to introduce you to jake ryan. he's mercedes' (a close friend of mine) dog-kid and quite a cutie.

mercedes' birthday just recently passed and i decided to paint him for her.

although i would never consider myself a painter, i have fun dabbling in it from time to time. i'm pretty happy with the final outcome. :)

treasure chest.

2011-07-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

just this past weekend, jenny, natasha (a dear friend of ours), and i ventured to sf to the indie-mart, a local indie design, DIY and music party. we scored some sweet earrings, took some fun photos courtesy of magbooth, and the best treat of all was discovering big daddy's antiques! all three of us "oohed and aahed" as we slowly and curiously explored the huge warehouse. here are just a few photos of the beautiful treasures we saw...

♥ SIGH ♥

she's crafty.

2011-07-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

the last time i was browsing around cost plus world market, dreaming of my future backyard, i found this cool pig grill. it was only big enough to cook up two small burgers so it wasn't very functional. i immediately thought, "how cool would this be as a planter?". my mom loves pigs (she was born in the year of the pig!) and love plants, so it only made sense to get crafty.

the pig planter settled in nicely in my mom's abundant backyard. she loved it!

sabbath enjoying my parents' new patio furniture. :)

jeff vs. man vs. food.

puppy face.

my mom got this glass container for $1.25 and suggested i make a terrarium with it.

it was a bit challenging because the opening is so narrow, but i used my inner macgyver and found that chopsticks worked perfectly!

sabbath was my assistant and had to inspect my progress.

i could only fit three small succulents in the container, but i think it turned out pretty cute.

it looked nice next to my new air plants, but i ended up giving it to my parents to enjoy. my stepdad, bill, said, "that's NEAT!". :)

baby mania!

2011-07-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

one of my closest friends, mariana, and her man, isaac, are having a baby! she's due in september and i can hardly wait to be an "auntie"! she asked a few of us to be her official baby shower committee, putting together a whimsical and fun event that doesn't have the typical, tacky decor. jenny and i are in charge of decorations and are having so much fun gathering all the different supplies to make it happen. last weekend we visited with mariana and isaac to shoot some photos for their thank-you cards. i'm not sure which one they'll end up choosing, but i came up with this design for fun. i thought the hand-drawn banner with text added an extra little touch to their already adorable photo. the mustaches and felt elephant were made by the one and only jenny, of course! :) here's to mariana and isaac! xx

nine years young.

2011-06-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

yesterday was sabbath's unofficial birthday! i can't believe we've had sabo for 8 years. where did all the time go? in celebration of my favorite little bastard, we had steak for dinner. :)

here's to the next 9+ years, black sabbath!

leo the cat.

2011-06-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

this morning i ventured to santa cruz to shoot engagement photos for friends, liz and brian. we ended the session with a family portrait snapshot of them with their cat, leo. leo was quite the charmer. is it weird that i feel more comfortable shooting animals than people? now, if i could only make a living doing this...

Etsy Craft Party: Craft on-a-stick

2011-06-07T08:06:00.001-07:00

Get your party pants on! PeepThread and The Cheddar Guppies are hosting a San Jose Etsy Craft Party on Friday June 10th.
Where: Roy’s Station in San Jose, CA
When: Friday June 10th from 4pm to 7pm
Why: Last year, over 5,000 people participated in over 500 meetups from Dallas to Romania, and this year the goal is for over 15,000 people to share in the spirit of Craft Party
What: The theme is “Craft on-a-stick”. At this event, you will be able to make awesome photobooth props and put them on sticks. The best part? You can pose with your creation in their photobooth!

Join the event Meet-Up Group to RSVP and get the scoop

tardy for the party.

2011-06-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

if i haven't already mentioned a million times before, i'm a HUGE procrastinator. :S it's my biggest weakness and i'm trying reeeally hard to overcome it. SIGH. here are several photos i should've posted years ago, but kinda just put on the back burner till now.

i made a plush donut for jenny a couple years ago...felt, polyfill, and bead "sprinkles" all hand sewn during a random moment of boredom. it's about 2/3 the size of an actual donut and turned out pretty scrumptious. :)

while backing up some stuff on my external hard drive i got distracted (surprise, surprise...) and started looking through old photos. here's a snapshot of the trifecta sunbathing, circa 2008. LOVE!

also found photos of sabo in 2008 during a moment of dog bliss. sun, toys, nap...what more can a dog ask for?

he's a sucker for the camera and knows how to work the puppy face.

sabbath is another one of my weaknesses!

another photo i shot back in 2009...my friend, katie, and her dog, sookie.

i FINALLY updated the photologist blog jenny and i haven't touch in nearly two years (shame on us!). check it out here: the photologists!

nom, nom, sun, run.

2011-06-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

why is food SO delicious?! even though i'm a picky eater (i still hate veggies), i still enjoy many different foods. i don't eat out as often as i used to or would like to, but when i do, it makes it all worthwhile.

manduguk, one of my favorite korean soups.

la villa is my go to spot when i'm craving ravs. they have the best ones in town. actually, scratch that. they have the best ones EVER.

ravs + cheese bread + aranciata san pelligrino = heaven.

my work, zazzle, now offers custom doodle speakers! since i'm a sucker for wood grain prints, i designed this one!

the subzero fest is this friday and i've been trying to create some new work to sell. here are a few work-in-progress pieces. jenny, carlos, roan, sean, pellet, and i will be holding down the fort at the empire seven studios tent! be there or be square!

i've been eyeing this cactus at my parents' house for awhile. my mom said i could have it, but i'd feel bad taking it since she's had it for so long. the palm-sized flowers on this thing are amazing!

sunny days are here again...well, at least once in awhile and when they are, the dogs love to soak it all in on the patio.

sabbath playing cute.

sabbath goes wherever the sun is...

they're glowing!

took the dog-children to the park down the street so they could run around like the wild animals that they are.

jeff was pooped after all the hot laps he ran and plopped himself down for a rest.

vu bought me some flowers a few weeks ago. LOVE. this is what they looked like when he first brought them home...

...then after about a week and a half, i modified it down to this.

as of today, this is what i've tapered the bouquet down to. i'm korean, we're frugal and like to make things last as long as possible. :)

quick fix.

2011-05-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

after i wrapped jill's gift, i was bothered by the fact that it didn't seem complete. i ended up working on it some more and am very pleased with the outcome:

after i added the border and filled in the heart, it finally looked just right.

a few more of my succulents are starting to flower! i love how colorful our patio is starting to look.

sabbath being a lover, not a fighter.

jeff fell into the space between the back of the couch and the cushion, but seemed to be okay with it. :)

sabbath wishing the cold weather would pass and that the sun would come out.

simple things.

2011-05-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

sometimes i am so busy with my daily/weekly/monthly routine that i overlook the little things i should be paying more attention to...

jenny and the dog-nephews stopped by the other day to drop off a bouquet of ranunculus (one of my favorites!) just because. it made my whole week!

some of the flowers started to droop so i trimmed and placed them in a shot glass to take to work. it takes such a small thing to bring a little extra joy to my workspace.

spring is definitely in the air (although the last few days felt more like summer!). our flowers are starting to bloom. i love these (does anyone know what these are called?). they remind me of tissue paper!

vu and i hit up la villa's last week - our favorite italian deli and one of the reasons i would never leave san jose. they have the BEST raviolis. PERIOD. they also have a wide selection of cheeses and pastries. i bought these pastry puffs at the last minute and am SO happy i did. these things are like pillows of sugar that just melt in your mouth. brew up some black tea and you're all set. :P

my homegirl's (jill) birthday just passed a couple days ago. i wasn't sure what to make her and then all of the sudden, while i was at work, i had an idea. jill gave me a card awhile ago with stamps of her and her boyfriend, nathan, on it. the images were so cool, i thought they'd look neat as a woodburning. i tweaked nathan's eyes so they're looking at her and added a little heart to pull them together.

i haven't bought wrapping paper for probably over 10 years now. i like the idea of just using what you have. brown paper bags never seem to get old and i have a ton of them. add a little ribbon and a simple cut tag and tada! done.

no post is complete without photos of the dog-children. here's jeffrey looking very distinguished.

what i wish i could be doing right now...napping and dreaming of fun things. xoxo

pretty.cute.

2011-04-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

jenny and i worked on a collaboration artpiece for part of our friend's (mariana!) birthday gift. mariana shares our love of cupcakes, ice cream, and original art. this was also our first time working with gouache. so far, i love it!

artists are real life macgyvers. you make do with what you got. i couldn't find my palette, so used plastic wrap instead. whatever works, right? jenny's pieces were already in the frame...it took me awhile to get around to mine.

the piece was missing something until i added a quote: "life is uncertain. eat dessert first!"

mr. pat parra performed at the studio recently to promote his newest album "lowered". i'm a huge fan of pat, both as a friend and artist. check him out here.

i found this image of a chihuahua puppy and imagine it's what sabbath looked like as a pup! can you see the resemblance?

while working on some paintings, i looked over and saw sabbath wreaking havoc. he was in major kill mode with his fox toy.

being easily distracted by just about anything, i put down my brush and conjured up an afro for jeff with all the polyfill sabbath was throwing everywhere. jeff didn't seem to mind...sabbath continued his kill for at least 30 more minutes.

jeffrey protecting one of his toys.

he has cartoon eyes!

snapped this photo this morning when i was leaving for work. i spy sabo in his "cave"!

happy friday folks!

breath of fresh air.

2011-04-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

a few years ago, jenny and i went to the sf renegade craft faire for the first time and were both in awe of the amazing art we saw, gawked at, purchased, and shrieked over...but the best highlight of that day was when we were leaving the event and met two very creative and interesting people. crockett and sandra are an artist couple who live in sf and do fun collaborative work that makes you smile. they are currently selling a LOT of their work before moving to santa fe. we were lucky enough to have them come visit sj and stop by E7S to show us the goods! i scored seven new pieces to add to my art collection. :)

some of the stuff they brought for us to look through...there was even more than this!

check out their amazing work here:

SCUBA

crockett and sandra

crockett and sandra's visit left me feeling happy and sad. happy because i love being around such creative people. talking to them made me feel inspired to go home and start making stuff. they reminded me a lot of how i was during my teens/20's, when all i cared about was making art, day in and day out. which leads me to why i also felt sad. now, i feel like a joke of an artist, barely creating anything these days. every so often, i'll rise to the occasion when it's someone's birthday or a friend needs me to whip up something for a project, but other than that, i've been on a VERY long hiatus. i have a workspace, i have a darkroom, i have lots of supplies and unfinished projects. what i don't have is the time or motivation. i've turned into a tore up nine-to-fiver. guess it's time to reprioritize and get myself back on track. it's long overdue.

jenny recently discovered the best candy at the local japanese market. the fruity hard candies fizz in your mouth! i had to get my own stash and ended up buying gummy snacks and cookies too.

last week was vu's and my 3 year wedding anniversary. typically, we like to treat ourselves to a fancy dinner at forbe's mill or mccormick & schmick's, but this year we wanted to indulge in some good ol' pub food. cajun chicken sandwich, onion rings, and canadian fries (poutine) at trials! :P

my brother-in-law, quoc, just got married last friday! him and rosanna (his new wife!) asked jenny and me to make their favors. their wedding was beautiful! i've turned into one of those people who cries at weddings...i guess that officially makes me an "adult"?

sabbath says "hello!"

leather anniversary.

2011-04-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

today is vu's and my 3 year wedding anniversary! we're going 15 years strong now. couldn't have asked for a better husband, boyfriend (yes, he's still my bf!), best friend, and partner in crime. here's to the next 50!

art, thorns, & bile.

2011-04-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

why are mondays and tuesdays so hard to get through? SIGH.

last weekend was very eventful. on saturday, jenny, roan, sean, and i were slanging our artgoods at the SJMADE fair! it was a long day...we were there at 10:30am to set up, the event was from 12-8pm, and we finally got out of there close to 9pm. as exhausted as we were, it was an awesome day, full of ART, yummy food, and LOTS of people. (i also made a good deal of $$$!) it's great that there was an event like this to celebrate the mass amount of creativity that lies in SJ.

SJ MADE

on sunday, we ventured out to a show hosted by the local cactus & succulent society. i missed it last year when vu went and couldn't wait til it came around again.

they also judge people's submitted plants. this vase was only a few inches across in diameter!

i loved this one. it reminded me of the cactus monster character in super mario brothers 2. :)

i told myself i wouldn't buy too many plants, but ended up spending over $100. it's an investment, right?

i created a cactus/succulent garden in my long planter box. i can't wait til they start growing and fill the surface more!

we grouped the pink/red ones together in a smaller tabletop pot.

a panoramic view of our patio (click to enlarge).

sabbath enjoyed being outside while i was gardening.

meanwhile, jeff was inside and barfed. he was sad. :(

...but looked so cute, even with a little barf still on his chin!

vu and i finally made our way to hunan taste. this place is LEGIT. it's the first time i've had chinese food that wasn't super greasy and i didn't feel like i was going to have a heart attack afterwards. also, the service was GREAT! we'll definitely be back soon.

kids are so smart.

break-ups & mind over matter.

2011-04-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

i haven't broken up with anyone since i was about 15. yesterday, i officially broke up with facebook. yes...facebook. as much as i think social networking has its perks, i also think it has a major downfall.

i grew up knowing all my friends phone numbers by heart and when we wanted to know what was going on in each others lives, we would call and meet up, hang out, shoot the shit and it was always a good time. nowadays, everyone is constantly stalking each other on facebook, seeing where you've checked in, what events you're going to attend, what you ate for lunch. i have cut the facebook line and reverted back to phone calls/emails/texts (and the occasional tweet). i'd like to focus my energy more on my art, this blog (which has been neglected), and most of all my family.

the other day, during my weekly dinner with the parents, i couldn't help but notice that my stepdad, bill, seemed vacant. a few years back, he was diagnosed with the early stages of alzheimer's disease. it's a terrible disease that he is familiar with since his mother was taken by it a long time ago. it's tough seeing him forget random things that most would overlook and blame "old age" for, but we know it's the alzheimer's. he's still sharp as a tack, but every now and again, his mind seems to drift off and then he snaps back to his old self. i've always looked up to him and feel lucky to have such an incredible person in my life. i can only hope that he doesn't progress any further or at least not too quickly. i refuse to lose him too soon.

here's an old post i wrote about bill:

wilber grant lager (bill) is my stepdad. i hate that "stepdad" sounds so negative. i'm proud to call him mine and feel lucky to have had two dads growing up.

i was about seven years old when i first met bill. my mom and him had been together for several years and were living together. i was intrigued by him; he was like someone out of a movie or tv show. i followed him everywhere and constantly asked questions. when my mom and bill got hitched in 1988, i was stoked that i got to be the flower girl in the wedding ceremony.

i'm so grateful that i have three parents who have also become my great friends. it's funny how as you get older, you can talk to them about anything versus the awkwardness as a kid growing up, feeling like your parents will never understand you.

thanks dad, mom, and bill,...for always being there and supporting me with tough love and constant guidance. i'd be lost without you. xoxo.

p.s. fun fact: bill is related to ulysses s. grant!

p.p.s. when people ask my mom what her last name is, she says, "lager, like the beer!" with her korean accent. :)

bill and his mom (year?)

bill and me cooking (early 2000's)

lovefool.

2011-02-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

ugh, it's valentine's day. don't get me wrong, i love "love" and hearts and red/pink combos, but i think valentine's day is a joke. love should be celebrated everyday, not just one day a year. the only great thing about this "holiday" is the day after sales on cool stuff with hearts all over it.

speaking of hearts, i saw some rad sequin heart shoe clips online, but refused to pay $25 for them...so i thought, "hmmm, i can make my own!" jenny did my dirty work and found the supplies i needed at michaels. with some glittery foam stickers, red felt and some mini binder clips sewn on, this is what i ended up with:

cute, right? :)

in lieu of valentine's day, jenny hosted a "celebration of friendship" ladies potluck at her home. she made plush namecards and tissue paper flowers placed in ceramic vases that said, "love", "live", and "laugh" on them. too cute!

we recently headed up to sf to see tommy guerrero and money mark perform at cafe du nord. i'd have to say, this is one of the best live shows i've seen in a LONG time. these guys killed it!

one of the few days of warmth and sunshine here in sj. sabo has missed his sunbathes and was able to soak up a bit of sun recently.

vu and i never pass up a photobooth opportunity! zazzle holiday party 2011 at menlo circus club was off the hook!

while everyone else is celebrating valentine's day today, i will be celebrating the 6 years of radness zephyr has brought to our family! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZEPHYR-MAN!!! steak dinner tonight!

odds and ends.

2011-01-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

this is what i see every morning as i'm leaving for work. it never gets any easier to leave this face!

our new favorite local hiking spot is the sunol-ohlone regional park. last weekend it was super foggy! it was surreal, walking through the herd of cows, barely able to see 10 feet in front of us.

"little yosemite" in the sunol-ohlone regional park. makes me miss the real yosemite!

jenny's rich! let's go shopping!

i was cleaning out my work/artspace and found a bunch of old photos. here's one of me, charlie, and jenny circa 1993!

we moved into our loft last april and settled in pretty quick. once the walls had color and art, the rest was easy. our neighbor donated her vintage dining table and chairs, but since we already have mismatched chairs to use, we put the gifted ones in our living room. we spend most of our time in this space and love how cozy it feels.

this is where i spend most of my days...at work. i try to make my "box" feel cozy so i don't go crazy, looking at blank walls.

another one of my favorite spots to hang out: in bed. it's especially fun when i get to dogsit my dog-nephews.

saw this when i was trying on clothes at urbn. it's disgusting and beautiful all at the same time.

for those of you who know my hubby, vu is an avid outdoorsman. he recently subscribed to "backpacker" magazine and left this out on the kitchen counter for me to see. (he circled it in red.) i LOVE it and want one!!! how rad would it be to lie down at any point in the day (and anywhere) for a nap???

dinner for two.

2011-01-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

jenny bought the animals "dinner platters" from target. the menu consisted of lobster, roadkill, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, lemon, and greens all served on plastic frisbees. sabo and jeff deserve a fancy meal every now and then...

crystal, cristal.

2010-12-30T13:08:00.000-08:00

today is vu's and my 15 year anniversary! it's crazy to think we've spent nearly half our lives together. what a long, strange (and super rad) trip it's been! we've been through just about everything you can imagine: good, bad, sad, mad, ugly, awesome, weird, insane. vu has only been my husband for about 2 1/2 years, but has been my boyfriend, best friend, and partner in crime for 15. here's to the next 50+!!!

he put it in writing.

how could i resist this???

and this?

prom party, 200X?

hip hop blaster, 2008

chicago, 2008

san francisco, 200X?

disney's california adventure, 2009

tilt mode army photoshoot, 2008

yosemite, 2007

jacobsen wedding, carmel, 2008

dandrea wedding, carmel, 2009

slap mag party, sf, 2008

we're an honest family now!

hitched on april 12, 2008!

various photobooth pics, 1995-early 2000's

♥♥♥

vi-vi-video!

2010-12-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

turn up your speakers and check out this tight video montage of a bunch of my images!
nancizzle video montage

make your own here!

pummel vision

crazy dog lady.

2010-11-29T08:54:00.000-08:00

everyone's heard of the "crazy cat lady"...the lady who has a bunch of cats, lives only to make their lives happy, and would rather spend time with them than actual people. well, i'll be the first to admit that i'm a "crazy dog lady". sabbath, jeff, zephyr, and revs have brought so much joy into my life and i can't imagine it without them. i've always loved animals and could never understand how anyone couldn't. don't trust people who don't love animals!

here are just a few of MANY photos jenny and i have taken of our little ones.

sumo & santa.

2010-11-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

this is how we roll. hope you had a great halloween weekend!

rags to riches.

2010-10-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

as an artist, it's easy to see the potential in things that others may disregard as unimportant or useless. several years ago, i bought an old, banged up chandelier from a local rummage sale. i thought, "hmmm, even if it doesn't work, it still makes for a nice decoration." lucky for me, it DID work (with 3 different light settings!) and just needed a little TLC.

the BEST $0.75 i've ever spent. period.

even though i'm a huge fan of all things green, this color combo just wasn't doing it for me. the shape of the bulbs didn't help either.

makeshift spray station on my patio. (wind = no bueno.)

after a quick trip to lowe's for some new bulbs...

...and a few feet of decorative chain to extend it from one of the beams...

it settled right in to our dining area. sabbath seems to like it too.

(since then, we've replaced the loft table/stools with a vintage table [free!] from a neighbor and some mismatched chairs [on sale!] from cost plus world market. i'll have to post photos of our new home...eventually.)

halloweeeeen!

2010-10-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

my friend, taki, asked me to make an essential piece for his halloween costume this year. he's going to be a japanese whaler (please don't be offended. taki LOVES animals just as much as i do! halloween = don't take everything so seriously!). he wanted me to make him a plush whale tail with a bone sticking out of it.

hit up the fabric store for gray, white, and red felt as well as TONS of poly fill.

google image searched whale tails to make sure i got the shape right.

pinned, cut out, and sewed the initial shape.

sewed the red and white "flesh" (sewing circles together is NOT fun) and added a stuffed bone to it before filling the entire whale tail.

it's done! sabbath thought it was a new toy for him. i'm thinking of making a giant plush steak with the leftover felt and poly fill!

sister sister, snap snap.

2010-09-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

jenny and i have been invited to have a photo show at the metro bldg for october's first friday art walk. we're selling our photos for SUPER cheap just for this show...all prints are between $20-50 framed (normally $100-200). our book will be available for sale as well. bring your $$$ and take advantage of this limited time deal!

perfect studios.

2010-07-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

jeff is settling in to his new life with us and sabbath, zephyr, and revs are helping him feel right at home. :)

jeffrey.

2010-07-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

meet jeffrey, the newest addition to our family! we brought him home last thursday and he's settling in and getting along with sabbath wonderfully. we're so excited to have another animal in our lives!

happy birthday, sabo!

2010-06-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

today is sabbath's unofficial birthday. seven years ago today he became a part of our family and it was the best decision we've ever made. jenny, carlos, zephyr, and revs are coming over for dinner tonight to celebrate. there will be steaks on the grill... and a few small ones especially for the dogs!

sabbath has brought so much joy, laughter, and comfort to our lives and we only hope that we've made him as happy as he has made us for all these years. here's to you sabo! we love you!

wedding fever.

2010-06-09T21:03:00.001-07:00

i LOVE weddings and will be attending two of them in a couple weeks. my girl, mariana, asked me to hand embroider a heart doily for one of the brides - miss katie. i'm happy to be working on something creative since the last few months have been so chaotic. love is in the air!

heat wave and subzero fest.

2010-06-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

it's been much too warm for my liking the last few days. today is supposed to hit 80 degrees and it will continue to rise over the weekend. eek! heat = sweating = cranky nancy.

today is the subzero festival on south first street, san jose.

subZERO festival

it reminds me of the sofa fest days....ah, the memories. empire 7 studios will have a booth there and jenny and i will be slanging some of the goods. (i will have silver gelatin prints - framed and unframed, buttons and stickers of my illustrations, and even some custom stamps with one of my sketches.) being the professional procrasinator that i am, i waited til last night to pull out stuff to sell and stayed up til 1:30am packaging my buttons and stickers. all worth it. should make for a fun evening and great end to the work week. :)

happy birthday, dad!

2010-05-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

today is my dad's birthday. he would have been 78. it's been a little over a year and a half since he's been gone. jenny and i still haven't come to the realization; it feels like he's on a long vacation and that we'll get a call from him any day now. since we aren't able to make it to san pedro, where we laid his ashes to rest, we decided the next best thing is to head to the pacific via santa cruz to pay him a visit.

miss and love you, dad!

art for the heart.

2010-04-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

image from flickr

art is good for your health. it's a proven fact. that said, why not surround yourself with it and go to this?

art party 2010

jenny, carlos, and i (plus a ton of other rad artists! check out the artists link on the website!) will be showing work for the second year in a row. it's for a great cause - a fundraiser for the arts council silicon valley. there will be art, music, food, drinks, and best of all, great people. what reason do you have not to go???

roma - phase 2

2010-04-23T10:02:00.001-07:00

the last month has been insanely busy, full of contracts and numbers...but it's all worth it because vu and i finally bought a place of our own! that said, i've been slacking off on getting some projects done...especially the roma painting. here it is in the second stage. it has another one or two to go before completion. i will finish it soon. i pinky swear!

hot mama!

2010-04-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

this photo of my mom was taken in november 1978. she was 6 months pregnant with me and about to embark on a uhaul road trip with my dad, from chicago to morgan hill, ca. my mom was 32 years old when she had me. i'm 31 now and can't even imagine being pregnant or ever having kids...period. i admire my mom for her strength and wit and can only hope i will be as amazing as her in my lifetime. love you, mom!!!

mom and me, sf 2009

work in progress.

2010-03-21T23:31:00.001-07:00

i'm working on a painting for an old friend from high school. she saw a sabbath painting i did awhile back and wanted one of her dog, roma. i always get nervous when people ask me to make them something. i worry they'll hate it and then i'll have to burn it. let's see how this turns out. fingers crossed!

moment of calm.

2010-03-01T16:43:00.001-08:00

vu and i went for a bike ride yesterday. beautiful weather. cheap date. time to clear our heads. definitely long overdue.

love, love, love.

2010-02-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

i'm not one who cares for valentine's day or what it stands for. the way i see it, if i love someone, i'm going to let him/her know it every day of the year, not just on february 14th. i don't mind the chocolate, cupcakes, or hearts though... :)

the only reason i get excited about this day is because it is zephyr's birthday! how appropriate that the sweetest dog i know was born on the one day everyone is celebrating LOVE. today he turns 5. i can't believe how quickly the last 5 years have flown by. i remember the day jenny and i brought him home. he was a tiny little guy and sabbath wasn't sure what to make of him. three days later, after sabo decided to open up his heart a bit, they became the best of friends. love is all you really do need.

A for effort.

2010-01-12T22:26:00.000-08:00

here's a classic gem for you. my dad would make it a tradition to have jenny and i get sears portraits taken at least every year or two. i'm not sure what year this is, but this is definitely a candidate for the "awkward family photos" site. i love how jenny's glasses are just a bit too small and my hair is cut like a little boy's. i'm guessing my dad was trying to be frugal and stretch his dollar. jenny could get new glasses when the old ones snapped from being to narrow to fit her face and my hair wouldn't need to be cut for another four years by the looks of things. thanks to these tactics, jenny and i learned to be the best bargain hunters you'll ever meet. :)

happy new year!

2010-01-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

love, sabo

love, revs

love, zeph

zephyr was feeling a bit under the weather and wasn't into the hat festivities. couldn't leave the little one out of this posting, so here's a photo of him on a playdate. :)

14 years! holla!

2009-12-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

14 years ago today, vu asked me to be his girlfriend. it's been a wild ride since. :)

our wedding invite, showcasing a collection of photobooth pictures from our first date (top left) to my college years (sometime between 1997-2002, bottom right).

tilt mode army photo shoot at jessie's (fall 2008).

after 14 years, vu and i still know how to make each other laugh and be happy. i couldn't be any richer in life.

♥♥♥

14 going on 30.

2009-12-22T17:17:00.001-08:00

a childhood friend of mine, kavita, recently found me on facebook. she posted tons of old photos from elementary through high school. in all the hilarity, i stumbled across this photo of our EIGHTH GRADE graduation in 1993. i was FOURTEEN years old. i look at this photo and don't think i look all that different. i've gained a few extra pounds, lost most of my original eyebrows (chola days...), but for the most part, i think i could MAYBE still pass for a high school student. this amuses/annoys me for various reasons. i wonder if i'll ever " look 30"...whatever that looks like.

gravyyyyy!

2009-11-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

i scored a GINORMOUS bottle of gravy last week from our turkey day lunch at work. i've barely put a dent in it and my goal is to finish it before it goes bad. so far, i've had it with thanksgiving leftovers, but need to mix it up. i'm thinking biscuits & gravy, gravy over fries, cheese and gravy over fries (yeah, canada!). any other suggestions?

sabo shirt.

2009-11-19T23:35:00.000-08:00

this shirt is sitting in my zazzle "in-progress" designs folder. there's something magical and creepy about a shirt with a giant sabbath face on it, considering he's only 11 lbs and small enough to punt like a football. i just may have to order this for vu.

nothing but love for sabo. :)

may the force be with you.

2009-11-02T23:47:00.000-08:00

so here it is...vu's halloween costume that we transformed from last year's "baby on mom's back". we lucked out on finding the yoda mask last year the day after halloween for 50% off!

the rest of the costume consists of white baseball pants, a white undershirt, a borrowed mask/wig from our buddy aaron, an empty backpack, a fleece hooded cloak i made, and some solid brown cotton fabric for "boots".

the end result:

we're already thinking of what we want to be next halloween. :)

max to the max!

2009-10-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEN!!!

i fell in love with halloween after moving to california in 1987. growing up in chicago, we never celebrated the yearly tradition. this is the first year i decided to tackle the idea of making my costume from scratch. it was scary and exciting and in the end, i'm so happy i did. my "max" (from "where the wild things are"...one of my FAVE childhood storybooks!) turned out just as i'd hoped. not only did i choose an awesome character, it's also super warm so i won't be shivering like all the slutty snow whites and vampires out tonight.

have a fun & safe halloween!

insomnia.

2009-10-27T00:45:00.000-07:00

i should be in a deep sleep right now, but instead, i'm still up, knowing that when i wake up for work in less than 5 hours, i'll be whining like a 3 year old who doesn't want to eat her veggies...

jenny and i had a "sister date" on saturday. we spent the day in sf, scoring major deals in union square, ate a delicious lunch at buckhorn, and explored the sfmoma, running around like two giddy kids in a candy store.

my nose tingled with the onset of tears, seeing richard avedon's spectacular prints. he's one of my FAVE photogs, right up there with elliott erwitt and walker evans.

(insert asian joke here.)

i also enjoyed seeing the museum's regular collection since i haven't been there in awhile. stuart davis and marcel duchamp never fail to lift my spirits.

meanwhile, back at home...

looking for batteries to refresh my bicycle light yesterday, i was rummaging through the fridge drawers to discover a lost treasure i'd almost forgotten about. a few months ago, jenny and i did some photo design work for a friend of our mom's and not only got paid in $$$, but also scored ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY rolls of color film. i prefer black and white, but free is free, so i shouldn't complain...

halloweenie.

2009-10-25T00:11:00.000-07:00

my halloween costume is still in the works. all i will disclose at this point is the materials involved:

•disposable hazmat suit

•several yards of white fuzzy material

•half a yard of black furry material

•buttons

•posterboard

•spraypaint

•several hours of frustration (does that count as a material?)

meanwhile, i still have vu's costume to work on. we're converting last years costume (see below) into something magical. stay tuned!

hate/love.

2009-10-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

these two photos pretty much sum up my relationship with jenny. sometimes we love each other (most of the time) and sometimes we don't like each other very much (we both have our dad's temper and mom's attitude - yikes!).

*photo 1: morgan hill days! i think our dad cut our hair really short so it'd be awhile before it needed to be trimmed again. way to be efficient, dad! we're also wearing matching paddington bear coats. so cool! ...but this could also look like we're in some sort of weird cult for kids??? :| and what in the world did jenny do to upset me so???

*photo 2: san jose, circa 1992. jenny was a senior in high school and i was in 7th grade. all i can say is, "WOW." apparently, we

coordinated our colors and hair for this photo session. this may have been when i was in love with chris "mac daddy" kelly, one half of the legendary kris kross. :)

sun moon.

2009-10-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

this is a photo of my mom, sunmee moon (she goes by "sunny"), when she was in her twenties. when her and my stepdad started dating during the 80's, he used to call her "sun moon". after they got married, she changed her last name, so now she's "sunny lager". when people ask her what her last name is, she says, "lager,...like the beer." :)

wild things.

2009-10-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

today is THE day!

roots.

2009-09-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

slooooowly working on the drawings for jenny's and my upcoming show at black and brown. i think that i'm feeling nervous about this because i haven't drawn in years. it's a big step in an uncomfortable direction, but i'm ready to take on the challenge and excited to see the end result.

pouffy tulle!!!

2009-09-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite blogs to follow is:

bloggoggles.blogspot.com

a previous post showed an amazing headpiece made of tulle.

pouffy!

i just had to have one and with a ladies cocktail party planned, i decided to tackle the idea of making one myself. mine's a smaller, somewhat flatter version, but not bad, eh?

♥♥♥

2009-09-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

it's been one year since my dad's been gone...
not a day goes by i don't think of him.
i love you, dad! ♥

stitch in stitches.

2009-09-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

this is a hand-embroidered portrait i made of stitch, jill's bff. :)

it's a simple process, but just takes patience and time.

this was my birthday present to jill, who's birthday is in may...

...i didn't finish and give it to her until august.

(if you look up "procrastinator" in the dictionary, there's a photo of me.)

i DID finish it, so credit is due. growing up, my mom told me that i always start projects, but never finish them. i think it has to do with the fact that i get bored too easily...

my husband.

2009-09-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

every so often, in the middle of my mundane work day, vu will send me a text/picture message that makes me laugh. this is one of many.

transitions.

2009-08-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

for those of you who know me well, you know that i'm a pack-rat and sentimentalist. the combination of the two can be dangerous and/or fun(ny). this is a perfect example of fun...my collection of school i.d. cards from 3rd grade through college:

(please try to contain your laughter!)

3rd grade: the first year i started school in california. there are hearts, lightning bolts, and pandas on my sweatshirt.

4th grade: i remember the photographer called me "madonna". i was so stoked, which explains the giant grin. sporting a surf shirt, acid wash jean jacket, and borrowed my mom's earrings!

5th grade: typical asian girl haircut. i'm pretty sure my mom made me wear that shirt. maybe that's why i HATE polo shirts today.

6th grade: awkward "growing my bangs out" look paired with a super cool polka-dotted top.

7th grade: button up floral print rayon shirt and headband!

8th grade: my "chola" phase. don't hate; we all went through it...

that was the year i was "left eye" from TLC for halloween. WHAT?!

9th grade: toned it down. too cool for school. polo shirt again???

10th grade: post "nancy discovered tweezers" and chopped off over 12" of hair. yikes!

11th grade: bjork-inspired hair, cardigans, long dresses, and doc martens. this is the year vu and i started dating!

12th grade: wearing one of vu's old skate shirts and a vintage cardigan (still wearing cardigans today!).

college: overalls? it was the 90's...it was okay then.

mary.

2009-08-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

In Loving Memory

Mary Nicholson

(1919-2009)

today i lost someone very dear and close to me. not only was mary a friend, she was also another grama to jenny and me. i first met mary when i was in my early teens. my mom had become friends with her through welcome wagon and we lived only a couple blocks from her. mary and my mom instantly clicked when they first met. they immediately became the closest of friends and had a mother/daughter sort of relationship.

mary is an amazing woman. she always has stories to tell of her personal experiences growing up during such a different time. visiting her home was always a treat. every room was decorated with trinkets she'd collected over the years. she had a "pink" room and a "yellow" room that she especially designed for her granddaughters. jenny and i once got to stay in the "yellow" room for a week while our parents were getting their floors re-finished. i remember the first morning i woke up, i was in such a rush to get out the door to school. then mary led me to her dining room, saying she had prepared breakfast for me. there, on her dining room table, lay a whole spread of delights. a hand-painted ceramic teapot full of hot water with an assortment of teas, several pieces of toast, butter displayed on a beautiful butter dish, assorted jams, and a vase with freshly cut flowers. i'll always remember how she treated jenny and me as if we were her grandkids. spending time with mary made me stop, slow down, and appreciate the important things in life.

we recently visited her while she was in the hospital. cancer had spread to her brain and the doctors felt that at her age, radiation wasn't an option. she was sent home under a nurse's care to be monitored and left in comfort for her final days.

mary passed early this morning. as one of our friends said, "she seems to have gone in style; how many people go on their birthday?" today is mary's 90th birthday.

i didn't get word of the news until i got home from work today. i'm still trying to process it and feel the same hurt, anger, and frustration i did when i lost my dad last year. people say it gets easier, but it never does. you just learn how to handle the strain on your heart every time it starts to act up again.

i love you mary! thanks for all the love, laughs, and memories. ♥

tears...

2009-08-20T12:58:00.001-07:00

...of laughter!

just discovered this blog today and can't stop giggling. clever!

hilarity!

enjoy! i know you ladies out there will get a good laugh...

100th post!

2009-08-17T19:44:00.001-07:00

it's only fitting to write about something that brings me great joy for my 100th post. vu showed me a youtube video awhile back that can make me laugh, even in the worst of moods. get ready for it... :)

keyboard cat!

vu then found an awesome t-shirt posted on a random site, celebrating this amazing cat and i just had to have it. i bought one for each of us and it's my new favorite shirt!

triple the fun!

2009-08-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

i saw this about a month ago at blockbuster and talked myself out of buying it, trying to be good about not spending $$$ on stuff i don't NEED.

then the tragic news of john hughes hit and i immediately had to have it. vu and i went to blockbuster friday night and i couldn't find it after searching the entire store. i felt defeated, but he didn't give up and found it for me! (what an awesome husband.)

now i have some great classics to add to my very selective movie collection. :)

wow.

2009-08-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

two of my favorite things together...bacon and mac & cheese. awesome.
http://www.merrimentdesign.com/mac-and-cheese-bacon-cups.php

photos are fun.

2009-07-31T15:46:00.000-07:00

photo booth madness at the renegade craft fair. so fun!!!

this is a photo of revs that jenny texted me a few weeks ago. i couldn't stop laughing when i received it at work. he's always up in our faces like this. love this guy!

tag, i'm it!

2009-07-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

i was tagged by sheryl!

what is your current obsession?

fruit leather, brown rice tea, and getting into better shape.

what's your horoscope and how do you relate to it?

Dearest Aquarius, you possess a certain finesse today that you did not have before. Evading difficulties before they happen frees you up to make advances. Knowing how to avoid getting bogged down is allowing you to see life from a far less pressured place.

eh, sounds like a bunch of crap to me. :)

what are you wearing today?

obey t-shirt, cardigan, scarf, jeans, moccasins

what was the last thing you bought?

lunch at chevy's.

last thing i bought for fun? gold OPI nail polish from sephora.

what's for dinner?

kalbi (korean bbq) that my mom and i marinated last night.

what is your favorite decade?

geez, there are too many to choose from! definitely a huge fan of the 1950's. the style then was so amazing and put together. i have a modest collection of authentic cocktail party dresses from that time. i only wish i had an excuse to wear them more often!

out of my lifetime, i would have to say the 1990's. it was such a strange transitional time in my life and the style was a huge part of it! i wonder if suspenders with ties and button-up rayon shirts will ever come back into fashion...

what are your "must haves" for fall?

MORE scarves! i'd also like to invest in some nice boots.

are you a cat or dog person?

i'm an overall animal person, but have only had dogs, rats, hamsters, and fish as pets. i'd love to have a cat someday too! sabbath is very keen of them.

what is your favorite piece of clothing?

that's such a silly question. i love all my clothes. the essentials i couldn't live without are definitely my scarves and cardigans. they're my security blanket.

what do you do and what is your dream job?

i'm a zazzler. i do this and that.

my dream job would be to hang out with old people and dogs all day while drinking tea and munching on snacks. i don't know what that would be considered. if i had to pick something that actually exists...i'd want anthony bourdain's job. travel, explore, eat, write, repeat.

what do you consider a fashion faux pas?

low self-esteem.

uggs with a mini skirt, tank top and scarf.

wearing pajamas and/or slippers in public.

wearing something with stains on it. ew.

***and sheryl, i COMPLETELY agree about the socks with sandals.

describe your personal style.

nancizzle.

three styling tips that always work for you.

work with what you got.

mascara, blush, and lip gloss do a world of wonder.

don't try so hard.

what are you looking forward to?

living a full and healthy life surrounded by the people i love.

now, i tag any of you who have blogs!!!

wharf to wharf!

2009-07-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

sunday was the annual "wharf to wharf" in santa cruz. i ran/walked part of it (i'm not in nearly as good shape as i could be) with my best girl, andy. it was the first run i've ever done and it was so much fun! here we are just seconds from the finish line. we weren't aware of the place markers on the ground so i just started throwing random signs as soon as we saw the photogs. (notice andy's amusement.) gotta represent, yo!

i made it to the finish without barfing, even after drinking hose water a couple times during the race. desperate times call for desperate measures. :|

now, i have to keep the ball rolling and push myself even more to survive the "rock & roll half marathon" in october. word.

she's crafty.

2009-07-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

we headed out to the renegade craft fair last weekend in sf. it was AMAZING!!! ...and so inspiring.

cupcakes, bacon, and mustaches are all the rage and i can see why!

here's a better photo of the 3" hand-stitched piece i made a few weeks ago of jake ryan, mercedes' little one. :)

my new workspace!!! finally, i can get organized and utilize my space and materials more efficiently...especially with sabbath by my side and my dad looking over me. ♥

i'm currently working on a new piece for my girl, jill, but don't want to ruin the surprise by posting the in-progress photos. the piece should be done soon and i'll post photos then.

definition of "nancy"

2009-07-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

urban dictionary is ridiculous. i typed in my name and these are the first few definitions: (click to enlarge)

#15 is hilarious. someone that knows me must have submitted this?

so that means i'm funky fresh, cool, and very negative. spot on!

running for dad.

2009-07-20T22:43:00.001-07:00

(dad & me, chicago, may 2008)

the santa cruz "wharf to wharf" run is this sunday. i'm extremely nervous and keep asking myself, "why am i doing this and the 'rock & roll half marathon' in october???" then i remember, this is the year i decided to set some realistic goals for myself. i thought, "geez, i'm 30. i should start working on the list of things i've always wanted to do."

i've wanted to get myself back into the shape (or at least close to) i was in when i was in high school, when i used to practice tae kwon do and played a field hockey goalie for four years. running to prepare for the marathons is helping...slowly, but surely.

i also know that my dad would have been so proud of me to set this goal and carry it through. i only wish he was still around so i could tell him all about it and send him photos, showing me red-faced and about to pass out at the end of it.

most days, i want to put off my visit to the gym or track, because i really don't enjoy it THAT much. i'd rather spend my time watching t.v., hanging out with the dogs, or making art.

in the end, the only thing keeping me from giving up on this goal is my dad. i still like to think that i make him proud.

missing friends.

2009-07-15T09:29:00.001-07:00

two of my favorite people (a.k.a. my mexican siblings), elena carrasco & emilio bañuelos, are moving to mexico in two days. this is not new news to me...i've known about this for some time, but was in denial about it until now. last night they stopped by for a visit and to say our "see you later's" which ended in me sobbing like a child. :(

it's bittersweet; i'm super excited for them to start a new chapter in their lives together, but at the same time, i'm selfish and hate when loved ones are so far away...

this is where they're moving to...look at how far away it is from san jose!!!

they finally discovered skype, so at least we'll be in touch via webcam. thank goodness for technology! now vu and i don't have any excuse not to visit mexico!

i ♥ you, elena & emilio!!!

mission peak.

2009-07-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

vu and i both had last friday off so we decided to start off the day with an early hike at mission peak in fremont. vu's made it to the peak several times already with no problem...i, on the other hand, never have. this was the day it was going to happen.

1.5 miles of straight incline was definitely challenging, but once we made it to the top, it was all worth it.

i can understand why vu enjoys the outdoors so much, but in the end, i'm still a city girl. i'd choose a trip to a big city over backpacking any day. :)

dogs, dogs!!!

2009-07-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

zeph & revs like to look out the window downstairs, playing the parts of guard dogs. this is them making sure i leave for work safely in the morning. :)

this is an embroidered piece i made of jake, for my girl, mercedes. jake is her "kid" and reminds me a lot of little revs.

the calico print fabric is backed with batting and mounted on a 3" loop. i used embroidery thread and hand-stitched a sketch i drew of jake. when all finished, i glued some lace trim around the whole thing.

i miss creating lots of art, and this has motivated me to spend more time doing so. art is important and good for your health!!!

salad and winona ryder.

2009-07-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

news flash, news flash! a couple of weekends ago, i met up with my girl, becks, for lunch and some major sale shopping at urbn. i don't know if it was the extreme shopping that did it, but for some reason i WANTED to eat a salad for lunch. WHAT?!?

for those of you who know me well, this is a huge step. i NEVER eat salad. ever. this is a photo of it. does it count as healthy since it's covered with tri tip (YUM!), croutons, and cheese???

whatever. baby steps. i'm getting there...sort of.

my mom showed me this photo the other day when i was over for the weekly dinner date.

GASP! i think this is around 1994/95, when i started dating vu. check out the bjork-inspired hair knobs with flowers, long dress, doc martens, and oversized cardigan. also check out charlie in his reclining chair and my mom's cross-stitch collection on the wall. classic!

black sabbath bicycle.

2009-07-06T00:16:00.000-07:00

the first annual "pedals & pumps" took place on friday. the ladies held a "best decorated bicycle" contest.

being the procrastinator that i am, i was in panic mode the night before and came up with this:

cut out cardboard...

tons of newpaper, masking tape, and paper maché mix (flour & water)...

a few hours to dry, with the help of a hair dryer...

...some spray paint and house paint...and the final result is SABBATH HEAD!

sabbath was curious.

...and i won the contest! (i never win anything!)

jenny & i looking over the votes.

yeah!!! i won (a very delicious shot)!

sabbath in all his glory.

**i'm aware of the fact that sabbath's head isn't proportionally correct. i'm okay with this! also, keep in mind i did this the night before it was due, while in panic mode. not too shabby, eh?**

words of wisdom.

2009-07-02T15:52:00.001-07:00

am i really THAT old?

2009-07-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

geez, i didn't realize HOW old i was until i read this article...

stupid kid

the cool thing i discovered is that the walkman and i were born the same year. awesome!!!
i miss the days of mix tapes and hand-drawn/written cassette album covers. i still have some that vu made for me in high school! ah, memories.... :)

waiting in anticipation...

2009-06-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

two movies i MUST see opening day. oooh! i can't wait. :)

wharf to wharf!

2009-06-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

it's official...i received my number in the mail for the wharf to wharf run next month. i'm a bit nervous, but also really excited, since i'll be running it with my best girl, andy. i'm looking forward to the fresh strawberry margaritas we'll consume by the day's end. :)

happy birthday sabo!

2009-06-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

today is sabbath's "birthday", the day we brought him home six years ago. he's 49! (7 in dog years) he got to visit petco this morning and got a bag of greenies and a bunch of new toys to share with his cousins. we're grilling up a mini-burger for his birthday dinner. feliz cumpleaños sabbath!!! xoxo.

you will be deeply missed.

2009-06-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

as one of my close friends said, "a part of my childhood is lost..."

pedals & pumps!

2009-06-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

LADIES!!!
it's finally here. the first annual pedals & pumps... bike day for the girls.

love these guys.

2009-06-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

how could i not?

weekend wrap up.

2009-06-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

had a fun weekend which consisted of the following:

barf.

2009-05-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

we thought it'd be fun to get up early sunday morning and take a hike up in mission peak. 7:00am and it was already hot, there were tons of people with their entire families with them (including extended relatives), and crazy mutant insects around. vu and carlos took off ahead of jenny and me. slow and steady wins the race!

forty minutes later and not even close to the peak, i'm tired, hot, and dying for COLD water, but enjoy the view and feel the accomplishment of walking uphill for that long without puking. next goal: run the wharf to wharf in july. six miles? easy peasy.

psycho donuts!!!

2009-05-15T14:59:00.001-07:00

within minutes of getting to work this morning, the power went out (i didn't do it). we had to wait outside until it was back on and i wasn't pleased with this. as you all know, i'm not a morning person and the last thing i wanted to do was stand outside at 7:30 in the morning.

luckily, one of my fellow zazzlers brought a dozen bits of bliss....donuts from PSYCHO DONUTS! check them out in campbell! minutes later, the power came back on and we had to get back to work. BOOOOOOO!!!

in a rut...

2009-05-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

i've been in a rut lately, running around like a chicken with its head cut off. i need to slow down and get my shit together.

marble mexico bread.

2009-05-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

jenny & i love to stop by crema when we're in the area. the last time we were there, i bought a marble loaf slice with my green tea. before i dived into it, i realized it looked a lot like mexico and then spotted a flyer for a travel agency with mexico on it. weird, but so cool. i live for moments like this. :)

t-shirts = blanket

2009-04-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

every so often, i have a creative urge to make something...

i had a stack of old t-shirts that i no longer wear, but am too sentimental to give up.

i decided to add on to the already existing t-shirt blanket i made years ago. that one was 4x5 squares big.

the finished product is 6x7 squares big and large enough to cover my queen size bed. sabbath seems to like it...notice him at the head of the bed?

paper anniversary.

2009-04-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

april 12th was vu's and my one year wedding anniversary. to kick things off, we got a cake from aki's, the best bakery in town.

we then skipped town and headed south for several days of amusement park fun!

reppin' N

vu longed for beer at moe's tavern.

biggest gummy bears ever!

weeeeeeeee!!!

space mountain NEVER gets old.

(insert asian joke here.)

the morning we headed back home, we met up with my fellow chicagoan (who is now "totally LA"), danny, for some ROSCOE'S CHICKEN 'N WAFFLES!

succulent breast and waffle. BEST fried chicken!

vu couldn't wait to dive in.

danny, excited with anticipation.

first day back at work and this is what i was welcomed to.

this was a nicely added touch. sabbath is a show-stopper!