Stuff I make, places I go, and things I do.

This took FOREVER.

2012-01-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, David!

The Best Wedding Card I Ever Made

2011-09-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

The outside.

The inside.

All my lurve and luck to Megs and B!

Summit County Slumber Party

2011-09-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Next summer, there needs to be a lot more of this:

We have no idea how much fun we're about to have.

Whheeeee!

Blue Lake

2011-08-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Bro, Ben, and I hike up to Blue Lake in Brainard Lake Recreation Area.

How's the water?

Luckily, the walking staff was not needed to fend off mountain lions.

Happiness!

My 1st 14er! (Ain't No Mountain High Enough)

2011-07-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

Natalie and I climbed Mt. Democrat (14,148') on the 4th of July. Very apropos. Great weather, great company, great work out, and super-fun descent. I'm officially a Coloradoan!

At the trailhead.

Strong ladies summit.

Oh good. We climbed the right mountain.

From whence we came...

And this is why I will never graduate.

2011-03-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Trophies are so passé.

Craft Therapy: Cross-stitch

2011-01-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

I think I've found my new favorite hobby.

Shelf thing makeover

2010-03-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today sucked. The only thing that could have possibly made me feel better was to make something. I'm not even going to talk about what this thing looked like before, but it was at least three different pastel colors and had several rusty nails sticking out of it. So I painted it, glue-gunned some 25 cent-a-yard Ikea bargain print on to the back and *poof* a new home for my mint. I feel better now.

Totally non-functional shelf thing turned semi-functional...but WAY nicer looking.

Cymbal clock

2010-03-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

Here's half a high-hat left over from that crappy drumset I used to have. I'll use this clock way more than I ever played that set. I accidentally broke the small hand on the other clock I disassembled to get the parts. But it wasn't anything a glue gun couldn't take care of! Neat, huh?

Keepin' time...

San Francisco

2010-01-23T17:26:00.001-08:00

It had been a long time, but I finally made my return to SF. I got to see/do/eat lots of beautiful/fun/tasty things. Photo highlights:

The Davids take in the fresh sea air at Sutro Heights Park.

The Superior Palace Chinese restaurant in the Outer Richmond advertises the Land of Enchantment.

Napa in winter. Note to self: next time go easy on the wine the night before a wine tasting trip.

David and Casey admiring a piece at the MOMA.

Posing at the Lands End Trail head. Awesome views all around.

"The Gonzalesi" prepare empanadas. Success!

Christmas Tree Hunt!

2009-12-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Schuch family for inviting us to their annual Christmas tree hunt in Las Vegas, NM! Aaron, David, Michele, and I had a lovely, mix cd filled drive, a hearty breakfast at Spic-n-Span, and a brisk afternoon at the camp site. And I got me a Christmas tree!

We came in varying degrees of preparedness.

Could you be the one?

We don't know who David is waving at, but Aaron is tough, and that's one damn fine tree!

Conference at the University of Hawaii

2009-10-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

Meghan and I celebrate 17 years of being dorks together. She was the best conference stowaway ever.

Balloon lands on runway in ABQ.

Trees in Hawaii are good for hiding (near Waikiki).

Pearl Harbor Memorial.

This is NOT Waikiki (Ala Moana).

Some good old fashioned hole-diggin' on Kailua Beach, our favorite.

Some kind of weekend

2009-10-16T14:52:00.001-07:00

Between the balloon fiesta and Michele's party, I probably slept 6 hours that whole weekend. But it was SO worth it.

Zach rolls up in the Vanana.

Joe, Michele, David, Daniela, me, and Zach do the Balloon Fiesta.

The Copper Family Band celebrates Michele's 27th at Zinc.

My friends are super fun.

Santa Fe with the Boys

2009-09-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Our annual La Cueva High School Drumline Santa Fe trip to remember our old friend, Dean.

Aminal and Kevin

Brian and Joe

Craigen, me, and Brian

More facial hair, less head hair, but still friends after all these years.

La Luz Trail Hike

2009-09-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Can't believe this is the first time I've done this hike. Also I can't believe those crazies that race up it every year. This time we took the tram down...maybe some time I'll make the round-trip.

Start

What a view

So that's what this rock looks like from over here...

Finish. Nuthin' too impressive, but I'm proud :)

New Mexico Wine Festival, Bernalillo 2009

2009-09-07T19:03:00.001-07:00

Our goal for next year: have a booth at the Wine Fest to sell Blessings. This year was lovely, and I truly love our tradition of taking the train to Bernalillo, dancing and drinking at the wine fest, and enjoying dinner at flying star. Wine Fest 2009= great success!

David, Aaron, and the lovely Sandias.

Clinky clinky!

David continues to peer pressure us into drinker faster by signaling discreetly that he has already finished his glass and is ready for more.

The more wine we had, the less things made sense.

David strikes a pose in front of our D.D.: the Rail Runner.

Full of wine and cake-in-hand, Aaron and I are ready to call it a day.

So-Cal Summer

2009-08-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Our quick father-daughter road trip to LA (my second trip there this summer). Just an attempt to cram in one more summer activity before school started. It was short but sweet. Drove by the apartment where my parents first shacked up and texted a photo of it to my mom, ate a French dip at Philippe's, strolled around Old Town Pasadena, and got to hang with the fam. And of course, a stop at the In-n-out in Kingman.

I'd actually never been to the Griffith Observatory before. It's always fun to geek out for a bit.

Oh good. No earthquakes.

I weigh 25 lbs. on Mercury.

The LA skyline. Can't you see it?

Blessings

2009-08-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Our new line of all-natural, aromatherapy soy candles. Coming soon to a farmer's market near you!

David measures the wax for our test batch...

and melts it...

while I prepare some herbs from my garden.

Loving the effect of the mint and rosemary in the wax!

This one turned out a little messy, but boy does my hallway smell awesome!

We have the best ideas! And just sometimes, we follow through with them. The test candles were a great success and now we can experiment with different essential oil blends. Time to really get creative!

Donald Pliner- Peace boots!

2009-08-30T15:49:00.001-07:00

Check out the raddest boot EVER, designed by my friend Michele for Donald Pliner. The theme was to design a boot making use of the peace symbol. Her design was chosen, put into production in brown AND black (so hott), and is now available all over the place for a high fashion $595/pair. I tried them on in both colors at the release reception at Goler in SF yesterday. I gotta say, if I had a spare $600 laying around, I'd get the black ones. If I had a spare $1200, I'd get one of each. Big ups to Michele, makin' us proud!

My friend's work in the September issue of In Style magazine. Holla!

I upholster more things.

2009-08-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

Had extra fabric and didn't learn my lesson the first time.

Before

After

I upholster things.

2009-08-04T19:26:00.001-07:00

So this was an interesting learning experience. I disassembled my chair about a week ago but bailed on the project after burning the *ahem* out of my finger with the glue gun. I then sought out a staple gun, deciding that that was probably the better route to go. Turns out I have no idea how to use a staple gun. I soon got tired of sitting at my computer on my keyboard bench and braved the glue gun again...this time with a little more caution. Maybe a little too ambitious for me, but it turned out okay!

Before. Blah...

After! Pretty! And matches the room!

Jeans to skirt

2009-08-04T19:16:00.001-07:00

An irreparable crotch-hole inspired this pair of jeans turned skirt. Normally I hate this look for jean skirts, but I'm super psyched about my results! I would never buy something like this, but I've worn it probably four times in the past week. Right now the hem is unfinished, which is nice and casual for summer. I may hem it to wear with tights when fall comes around.

*Shout-out to Jordan for giving me the idea to use the bottom part of the legs to fill in the gaps in the skirt. Most smartest!

Front

Back

Summer school...

2009-07-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

Four weeks, six credits, lots of reading, four trips to the creamery, a few good hikes, two arts fests, and zero Joe Paterno sightings.

#1 thing about State College, PA: Fresh Ice cream from the Penn State cows. From the udder to the cone in an average of 4 days!

Katie poses on our lovely walk to school.

Day trip to Pittsburgh.

High-5ing the Pitt Panther.

In the University of Pittsburgh's "Nationality Rooms" imagining how weird it would be to teach in an India-themed classroom.

Football stadium before fireworks show.

State College 4th Fest: one of the top 5 fireworks shows in the nation. And the land lady gave us tickets to the box seating! Yeah free food!

Destination: Claremont...and some other places

2009-06-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

Friends, music, food, booze, roller coasters, chicken, Olvera Street, Little Tokyo, mall bar, Doug Benson, beach picnic, Long Beach, DANGER walk, lots of movies, driving, walking... Man, what an awesome trip.

Photo highlights:

One night while I was sleeping, Meagan and Aaron composed and recorded this.

Knott's Berry Farm: Aaron's very first upside-down roller coaster! Boomerang!

Weeee!

I remember loving this bridge when I was like 5 years old.

Wine and snacks + Laguna Beach = Perfect. And happy seagulls.

Signal Hill

Fabric Flowers

2009-06-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

Take that, Anthropologie! I wasn't kidding when I said I wouldn't pay $40 for your stupid headband. I made my own. Now that I know how to make them, just stop me if you see me getting carried away with these little flowers.

I'm pretty pleased. I think I'll take myself to Copper Lounge.

Curtains? Valence? Window treatment?

2009-06-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

Whatever it is, it's the second ugliest of its kind. Second only to the one I had previously. As long as we're always improving, right? No better way to celebrate finishing comps part 2 of 3 than having a sit with the sewing machine.

Yes, it's mauve. Shut up.

Run for the Zoo 2009!

2009-05-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Haven't done this race since Girls Scouts. And I think then I ran the 1-mile Fun Run. Now I've graduated to the 5k Fun Run. My fastest 5k since high school! And decidedly the farthest Meghan has ever run. Go us!

We'd run every day if we knew there was a free massage waiting at the finish line.

And then, of course, we got to see the rhinos :)

More Homemade Cards

2009-04-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...

Welcome baby Natalia Sofía! And congrats Nohemí and Family!

Broncos Baby Quilt

2009-01-25T19:28:00.001-08:00

Four hands, two sewing machines, one weekend = one awesome quilt. Baby Jacob will enter this world a Broncos fan whether he likes it or not. We hope he likes it!

Beginning stages: No project is complete without rick-rack.

Adrienne vs. quilt.

10 minutes before the baby shower, we finished!

It's a quilt, it's a pillow, it's a quillo!

Mom-to-be, Stephanie, and her new baby quilt. Every mom wanted one!

Apron

2008-12-29T21:46:00.000-08:00

What should I do with all tis left-over fabric and those old jeans with holes in the crotch? Well this is what I came up with. No pattern! This is my first truly original design! All it took was some experimenting, head-scratching, and a little bit of cursing.

This will look fantastic over my house dress!

Pants!

2008-12-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

A little funny, but not bad. The sort of thing you'd be very excited to find marked 70% off with a tag that says "slightly imperfect". I'd buy them. Next time I'll use only one model instead of sizing them to fit a mix between me and my brother. That ought to solve some problems.

Fuzzy fleece for those cold, winter nights.

Holiday crafts!

2008-12-19T21:35:00.000-08:00

It's winter break. That means more leisure reading, more fashion mags, and more crafting!

Stocking with characters from Rudolph, my favorite Christmas/clay-mation movie ever.

Really creepy bead and safety pin mini-tree topper/ornament.
This activity was a hit at the sweater party.

2nd Annual Holiday Sweater Party

2008-12-19T21:09:00.001-08:00

Success! Although we missed Beth and her margarita pie, this year's turnout was great. We saw a lot of really great sweaters, some nice vests, and one really festive holiday sweatshirt. No better way to celebrate the end of the semester and the beginning of the Holiday season!

So much Holiday cheer.

Susan, Fin and ice sculpture.

A certain course reader is used as kindling for the fire.

Taylor and his quilted vest/Santa suit t-shirt ensemble win by a landslide. Congrats, Taylor!

No party is not complete without a craft. David agrees.

Leah and Sandra bring their A-game with homemade sweaters.

Jennifer enjoys a margarita by the fire.

Joy, Jeromy and Meghan play dreidel.

Best Halloween Costumes Ever.

2008-11-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

A long awaited "stuff I make" post. I hope the caliber of this creation makes up for lost time. Special thanks to Susan for constructing the "helmet" and for her guidance and help in the construction of the body. And a well-done to David for whipping up one fine 18th century get-up at the last minute. We are crafty!

Left to right (duh): Flamingo, C.P.E. Bach, Bumble Bee

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

2008-10-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Susan's birthday field trip. How did I not know this was only 45 minutes from Albuquerque?

Sandias in the distance.

Tent Rocks

Slot Canyon

Susan and Fin. He's a surprisingly athletic dog.

2008 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta- Special Shapes Rodeo

2008-10-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

Here it is, folks. Adrienne's pick for best special shape of the year:

Reminds me of the Tiki Room! Where the birds all sing and the flowers bloom!

Susan's pick: Noah's Ark or the Gremlin/Gargoyle

Homecoming 2008

2008-10-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

We kicked off the weekend with the alumni groups social on Friday night. Good old friends, good live music, and an open bar. Saturday before the game, the alumni band separated from the Spirit Marching Band to play pep songs in exchange for beer in the tail gate lot. We were terrible. But I can still rock a bass drum!

I was lucky to have a fan club/support team. David (a highschool band friend!) is no longer a student, so we put a bass drum on him and snuck him into the game with the band. Once a band geek, always a band geek.

David holds mallets. HA!

It was weird to be in the band again. It was such a huge part of my life for so long. Most of my best friends- the ones who have stuck around throughout the years- those are ones I met in band. Man, we used to have so much fun. And despite the rain, the bruising, and the certain damage to my spine, I had an amazing time. I got to be a musician again! And I got to spend some good quality band time with all those people who were so close to me during my formative years. Jordan, did, after all, pour me my first shot ever.

BOYZ II MEN!!

2008-10-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

I have been to a lot of concerts. I have seen a lot of live music. This was -HANDS DOWN- the most amazing show I've ever been to. They performed a perfect balance of songs from Cooleyhighharmony, II, and Evolution, as well as some Motown favorites. I learned some very intersting information about the history of my favorite Boyz II Men song of all time, "Please Don't Go": Nate wrote it when he was only 15 years old!! And, just as I would have expected, I got very teary-eyed during "On Bended Knee". So beautiful.

I was very happy to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with Meghan. If in middle school we had known that 14 years later we'd see Boyz II Men at Isleta Casino for $15 dollars... well, we wouldn't have believed it.

The remaining three Boyz II Men.

Meghan and I treasure our souvineers.

Three very satisfied concert goers.

Perfect Saturday

2008-09-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Heidi's Raspberry Farm, Corrales

Corrales is adorable, and I love raspberries. $20 got us 3 pints of berries, two jars of honey, and a morning of fun.

One for the basket, one for me...

David gets after it.

Turkeys love raspberries too!

Abiquiu Lake

After the berry pickin', we enjoyed lunch and patio at Village Pizza (how had I never been the before? yum!) then headed out to the lake.

A clothed rehearsal for the New York Naked Yoga Troupe retreat in Jemez.

Susan catches some rays.

Even though we're all a bit more paranoid these days about accidentally drinking the water, that didn't stop us from jumping in! You couldn't wipe the grins off of our faces.

21st Annual New Mexico Wine Festival

2008-08-31T09:29:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, we forgot the camera, but here are the highlights from our little excursion to Bernalillo:

Don't worry. We had a designated driver: the Rail Runner! So much fun! It's like living in Europe again. I can't wait until it goes all the way to Santa Fe.
I wish I remembered which wines I tried. David was taking our notes. We did end up purchasing a glass of the St. Clair White Shiraz. Love me some pink wine.
In line at the St. Clair tent, this girl asked the man in front of us to take a picture of her and her friends. He said sure, under the conditions that she would show him her boobs. She agreed. The man's wife overheard, HIT him, called the girl a tramp, and the show began! As a punishment, the woman made her husband pull around thier floral suitcase filled with wine. The man turns to us and affirms his masculinity by assuring to us that he is not gay, despite his floral suitcase. David affirms his taste by assuring to the man that even though he IS gay, he would not carry that suitcase. Poor horrified man. Oh yeah, then boob girl's brother showed David and Justin his boobs. All this entertainment for only $10.
Then we were ready to dance! Local Paul Simon inspired group, Wagogo, does an interesting cover of "Down on the Bayou", and David and I get our cardio for the day.
We also sampled some delicious goat cheese and locally grown peaches. Yum-o.
On our way out we stopped into the local Obama campaign office to get a sign for my yard. (Check out some cool Obama artwork designed by my friends Manuel and Kirsten.)
We had dinner at the new Flying Star (totally one of their best locations) where a local group called "The Java Divas and John" played their reditions of such classics as "Ring of Fire" and "Sweet Home Bernalillo" to the tune of "Sweet Home Alabama". David stole one of their egg shakers. That's what they get for trying to get the audience involved.

Overall opinion of this year's wine fest: success!

That's why they call it fishing, not catching... at Fenton Lake

2008-08-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

A few photos from our father-daughter fishing trip:

What a lovely morning.

No better way to spend a day.

Just when we were about to give up, our single catch of the day! After fishing licenses and supplies for the trip, this little guy probably cost around $80 a pound. That's some expensive trout.

Ben's Big Mexican Wedding, July 2008

2008-08-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Guanajuato

En el funicular

Amigos

Paletas in the rain. Qué romántico.

Momias

Callejón del beso

Our daytrip to León proves fruitful.
Look at those fancy botas and snakeskin belt!

How can someone love something so much when it causes so much pain?:
Susan's love for tortas finally takes its toll.

Tequila

It's okay. We got the table by the bathroom.

Awwww!

San Miguel de Allende

Anything to get the shot.

Piñata gigante!

They are famous for the ice cream.
The shrimp ice cream actually had whole shrimps in it.

Taos, Carson National Forest, Orilla Verde, Ojo Caliente

2008-08-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

OMG, New Mexico is, like, sooo awesome. It just keeps getting cooler and cooler. Seriously, you have no idea. It is a totally hip place to be. Right, David? Hell to the yeah. I'm going to build a compound in Taos. Only people who love New Mexico will be allowed to come and stay with me.

Asserting our love for NM in our finest outdoor apparel.

So pretty!

Jennifer admits she loves NM...the proof!

Enjoying some Chick Light at the camp site.

Butch.

Butch-er.

Butch-est.

Teepees!

Outing conclusions:
1. We love Taos!
2. To maximize enjoyment at Ojo Caliente hot springs bring a good sandwich, an ipod, and sun protection, go during the school year so that there are no children splashing around, and finally, don't lose your glasses.
3. Eff Santa Fe. Damn straight.

Bet your bottom dollar you'll lose your blues in Chicago...

2008-06-26T12:18:00.001-07:00

Bro graduates! In purple!

We crash international HR conference and exploit open bar!

Orilla Verde National Recreation Area

2008-06-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Q: If Susan falls off her bike, but Adrienne doesn't hear or see it, did it really happen?

The Rio Grande Gorge, New Mexico's very own Grand Canyon.

What a view!

9 miles to the bridge. Now we just have to make it back.

"It's hard being this awesome."

Really, really hard.

A broken tent pole, bruised bottoms, and a banged-up shin are a small price to pay in exchange for a good bike ride, campfire pizzas, and being the most popular folks at the camp-site.

Homemade cards and envelopes!

2008-05-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

I went to the paper store to pick a couple greeting cards. $6.75!!! I thought to myself, "I could totally make this." And so I did. All it took was a little construction paper, some pretty scrap paper, and some string that was lying around. Voilá! Handmade with love. The purple one will be mailed internationally... hopefully it'll make it there in one piece.

Q: "What's for you in Alamo?"

2008-05-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

A: "The Space Museum."

Selected photos from our trip to Alamogordo, White Sands, and Las Cruces

Susan and I pay our respects at the resting place of HAM, the world's first astrochimp.

Sand got everywhere.

Sand angles!

The sledding idea was a bust.

"Billy the Kid sat in this chair. (We think)"

New Mexico has so much to offer!

Belt buckles!

2008-05-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

This piece began with its focal point, the pink middle finger. It was a very organic and effortless artistic process from there. I thank Meagan Christy for being a great source of inspiration for me.

Slightly profane, completely practical.

This one I can wear to work. My Grandma and Grandpa at Capilla del Monte in Argentina, about 56 years ago:

A more sentimental theme

Totally rad belt buckles recipe:

stuff to clip from (mags, papers, photos, etc.)
other cool stuff (sequin, glitter, paint, stickers, feathers,...)
glue
scissors
plain belt buckle (the internet is full of options)
crafting resin

Glue decorations to buckle, resin over the top, let dry, and be a rockstar.

Rockies Shmrockies

2007-08-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

I've seen this image about a million times in my life. The first time I was in 7th grade Spanish class. We were learning about the Incas. I thought it was awesome then, and since, it has never lost its intrigue. But what's special about this particular shot of Machu Picchu? I took it. My camera. I was there. I've seen some incredible things, and I've been a few places, but this...this takes the cake:

Wait wait wait! It gets even better!

Sunrise.

They travel in packs. And single file, apparently.

POTATO PEELERS NEEDED. "URGENT"

Attention all you gluten intolerant folks out there. Ever wish you could crack open a cold one? Well, have we a solution for you: Chicha. Corn based beer. Frothy, sweet, disgusting. The super low alcohol content doesn't make it anywhere near worth it.

Suffering from altitude sickness? Headache? Fatigue? Fear of heights? Chew on some coca leaves. Ain't nuthin' a little cocaine can't fix.

Unfortunately, the cathedral in Lima prohibited me from taking a picture of the Andean version on the Last Supper. There are two interesting modifications:

In place of Judas, the artist depicted Fransisco Pizarro, ruthless conqueror of the Inca people. Good political statement.
The main course? Guinea pig.

"This is the guinea pig of God who takes away the sins of the world."
~my dad

THEM!

2007-08-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

Last night we suffered a sort of... "emergency". There are no words to describe what we experienced. Fortunately, I had my camera and was able to document the horror:
That's Christine taking cover in the front yard. Despite their numbers, they were no match for our guile. Thanks to our local Kmart, our resources were incomparable, and we were victorious....for now.

True story.