random adventures by hippofairy

FEDS get FIT!

2012-02-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

yes, i'm one of your "beloved" federal employees. i'm overpaid and under-worked. right. in my office, we're completely overworked because we are understaffed. only thing we have going for us as essential federal employees is job security.

(that's me all the way on the left)

anyway, that's not what i wanted to talk about. i joined other federal employee in southern california this weekend for a training run for the LA Big 5K in a few weeks on march 17 (the 5k is a fun warm-up on saturday morning for the people running the marathon on sunday). we met at bluff park in long beach. it's a nice route right on the beach.

thanks to the great coordinators in our area, a bunch of us got together to run a few miles. 2.25 to be exact. we started with a yoga stretch

then ran the course they set up (i ran the course twice with my friend so we totalled about 4.5 miles for the day).

they even had waterstations. how nice! thanks for the water!

and booths promoting good health. we got a t-shirt, a set of resistance bands, a waterbottle, a pedometer, and a bag (to take home all our goodies) just for coming out and participating. awesome insentives right?!

and they had a photographer (which i borrowed this pictures from) to document the day. thanks awesome photographer! :)

all in all, it was a nice cool day for a run. i felt good after the workout and had lots of fun spending time with my co-workers outside of work. we should do this more often!

lent is so hard...

2012-02-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

i really am not doing a good job of giving things up for lent. yesterday was only the second day and i already found something i NEED to have online... and so i asked my husband to get it for me for my birthday. yah, my birthday is in october. not anytime soon.

here's what i want:

they have them in with different colored eyes. the set is limited to 30 pieces each (making 210 pieces total). the figurines are a larger (6-inch) size of the little mini blind box guys i got over the summer.

they came packed like this:

i would like to have one of each of all of these, but i only have 3 little ones.
but my husband picks blind boxes really well, and he got me one of these Mr. T ones! woo hoo!

i really want a big one! there's a whole set:

The ZX Teas are a Limited Edition run of Black Tea, super-infused with flavour.
There are seven different SUPER INFUSIONS to choose from, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink, Purple. Each one standing 6.5" tall, and come complete with cup & saucer, silver stirrer & two sugar cubes!

i only want one, but since there are only 30 of each... i'm thinking that by the time Easter comes around they'll all be sold out. :(

it's not that they are cute... i am completely addicted to TEA. i drink at least 2 cups of tea everyday. somedays i drink 5. i have a kettle at work and a kettle at home... i have a growing collection of tea cups and mugs... and i have at least 6 different tea balls/strainers. i swap teabags on Swap-bot and Flickr.

anyway, i better stop looking at these. makes me sad to think i can't have one because my husband said it's cheating... that he's shopping online FOR ME. ahhh... well... i love you too, honey. :(

observing lent

2012-02-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

i am a Christian, so i try to be a good Christian. for the past few years, i've observed lent. yes, i know usually this is associated with Catholics and not eating meat, but for Christians (like me) we usually just give something up to remind us that Jesus gave up his life for us. so, a small sacrifice to remind us this for 40 day and 40 nights is not much to ask. i've also started reading a new daily devotional for Lent on my iPhone. hopefully it will help me connect with God and hear him more clearly (his love, guidance and encouragement).

i don't remember what i gave up last year. it wasn't that difficult i guess. i think i gave up chocolate. but for me, out of sight/out of mind... so that was easy.

this year, it'll be harder. for 2012, i'm giving up buying craft supplies, shopping online, and eggs. these are all things i'm addicted to. but... i can do without for lent. it really will be a struggle, since i sit at a computer all day and want to check things out on Amazon (new dvds and books and gadgets) and etsy (craft supplies and handmade goods). also, i LOVE eggs. i really could eat eggs everyday and be happy. i don't eat a lot of eggs because i'm trying to keep my cholesterol down, but when we go out i always want to have an omelet or over-easy fried eggs or a breakfast burrito or quiche.

dietary restrictions are not that hard for me. recently i went to the doctor and was scolded because my triglycerides were too high. so i've started a low cholesterol diet. i rarely eat beef or pork, once a week i'll have fish, occasionally i'll have some chicken or other seafood... but mostly i'm vegetarian eating lots of whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat bread and pasta)... and keeping my proteins limited to tofu and some cheese.

lent started yesterday (on Ash Wednesday): February 22. it ends on Easter Sunday: April 8th.

i'll hopefully be blogging my progress as the weeks go on.

what are you giving up for lent?

Day 25: a song that makes you laugh

2011-10-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

haha, so i'm months behind... i totally forgot about the "30 day song challenge" i was doing!
so, here's my day 25. i hope it makes you laugh. :)

tiptoe through the tulips by tiny tim

52 weeks of mail - week 1

2011-10-15T21:35:00.001-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/52weeksofmail

i send lots of mail for Swap-bot swaps and Postcrossing postcards, but most times, i'm not sending to somebody i know just to say HI.

The idea of the project is to mail a letter or a card to a friend or family every week for a whole year. So, for week 1, i sent a letter and a postcard to my penpal in Spain.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Octopode Friday Challenge #14: MEN

2011-10-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here's my entry for the Friday crafty challenges at The Octopode Factory.

This week's challenge is themed: MEN.

stamped the bat boy stamp from Octopode on white cardstock and cut him out, then stamped "Happy Halloween" using a craft store's dollar bin stamp and cut it to create a strip, and colored in both stamps using my Zig markers. Covered the CD using the wicked witches background scrapbook paper (i bought from Zinnia). accented a few of the witches using the Sakura Clear Stardust pen (though you can't see it in the picture). then, i cut a strip of shiny red paper (from Martha Stewart Halloween crafts) slightly larger than the sentiment. adhered the sentiment to the shiny red strip and stuck the whole thing down towards the bottom half of the CD. Adhered the bat boy to the CD over the strip,and added glow in the dark Martha Stewart Crafts glitter to the outside edge using double stick tape. Punched holes in the top and bottom addiing eyelets using my Crop-a-dile, so i could add a ribbon to hand the cd from and a dangle at the bottom: a black aluminum rose, a glass blood drop bead, and a clear Swarovski crystal crescent moon (from a bit of leather cord).

i've missed most of the Octopode challenges, but i did get a chance to complete this one!

The Octopode Friday Challenge #2 - TIME

2011-07-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here's my entry for the Friday crafty challenges at The Octopode Factory.

This week's challenge is themed: TIME.
i did another set of journal pages for a round robin journal that i have at the moment.

all the images are stamped using Octopode Factory rubber stamps, in all kinds of Stampin' Pad colors.

the small blue drippy watches, the medium sized red watches, and the small bright pink pocket watches are all from Octopode. the other stamps i used are from Stampin' Up, TJ Designs, and Teresa Collins. the quote, large clock and gears are from the Stampin' Up Sense of Time stamp set.

Friday Challenges at The Octopode Factory #1 - Alice in Wonderland

2011-07-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

Lily, at the Octopode Factory, has created a new blog for Friday crafty challenges.

i'm late for the first challenge, which was Alice in Wonderland, last week.
we don't have to use her stamps, but i love Lily's artistic talent, so of course, i'll always be using her stamps in some way. plus, you get entered into a giveaway at the end of the month. BONUS! :)

for the first couple of weeks, i did journal pages for a round robin journal that i have at the moment.

here's Alice:

all the images are stamped using Octopode Factory rubber stamps, and colored in with my Zig markers. i also embossed the major characters: the Cheshire Cat's patches in magenta, Alice's dress in blue, the Hatter's hat in clear sparkle, and the White Rabbit in clear.

the page is distressed using the Tim Holtz blending tool to add the ink from my Stampin' Pad in Rich Razzleberry.

i like these pages a lot. i think i'll add something similar to my round robin journal (now that it's back from traveling around the world). :)

day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral

2011-07-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

sing me a "goodbye".. after i'm cremated.

from the Sound of Music - So Long, Farewell

day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding

2011-07-03T02:38:00.000-07:00

being that i already had my wedding in 2007, i guess i can post a song that i wanted to play, but didn't get to. i love this song and think it's so perfect, but we couldn't play it in the church because well, they have a nice organ and everything. live music is always best, right?

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon collie and the infinite sadness

day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad

2011-07-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

i love this movie. it made me sad, but hopeful.
from "The Crow" - It Can't Rain all the Time by Jane Siberry

day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy

2011-07-01T23:53:00.000-07:00

i listen to this song when i'm happy, but i also like to listen to it to MAKE me happy. :)

OFFICIAL Somewhere over the Rainbow - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole

day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry

2011-07-01T22:44:00.001-07:00

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!
BULLS ON PARADE!

it helps with the anger... yah... i feel better now. :)

day 19 - a song from your favorite album

2011-06-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

here's a song from my favorite album: A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar by Dashboard Confessional

Dashboard Confessional - Hands Down

day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio

2011-06-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

I think Rivers Cuomo is brilliant. and i love this version of Tomorrow (from Annie).
i wish they would play it on the radio. i'd like to hear it more often.

Weezer/Rivers cuomo - Tomorrow (annie the musical) (Cover)

day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio

2011-06-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

i only listen to the radio and work and in the shower.

here's a song i hear a lot. not too bad, since i like this one. :)

Michael W. Smith - You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)

day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate

2011-06-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

i used to really like this song. now... i can't stand it. don't know what happened, but... here's the 'ugh' song. now get away from me. hahah..

The Police - Don't Stand So Close To Me

day 15 - a song that describes you

2011-06-22T00:52:00.000-07:00

okay, so this one took me a couple hours to find. yah, i guess i don't know myself too well. hahahah...

but here's the best song i could find:
Rhythm of the Ocean - Hawaiian Style Band

i love the ocean. i love the beach. i love the surf. i miss Hawaii.

day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love

2011-06-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

this is such an odd song, but i love it. it makes me laugh.
PUSH THE LITTLE DAISIES AND MAKE UM COME UP!

i hope it makes you smile too.

Ween - Push th' Little Daisies

day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure

2011-06-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

Dirty Dancing is one of my very favorite movies.

this song is featured at the end, and is the best dance number ever!

here's my guilty pleasure:
Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - Time Of My Life (from Dirty Dancing)

day 12 - a song from a band you hate

2011-06-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

i could name you a lot of solo artists that i don't like, but it was hard for me to pick a band.
but... for some reason, i don't like Gloria Estefan the Miami Sound Machine. it makes my eye twitch.
Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine - Can't Stay Away from You
enjoy this while i go bang my head on the wall

day 11 - a song from your favorite band

2011-06-17T01:22:00.000-07:00

I LOVE DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL!

oh yes, i'm emo. :)

Dashboard Confessional - Stolen

day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep

2011-06-17T01:19:00.000-07:00

it took me a little while to figure out which song put me to sleep, but i think i got it! it helps me relax.... lowers my heart-rate and blood pressure. :) nice. good night!

Pachelbel - Canon in D

day 09 - a song that you can dance to

2011-06-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

i love SKA!

the first real concert i went to (with out my parents) was DANCE HALL CRASHERS!
(and Go Jimmy Go and Save Ferris)

it was 1996 or 1997? and i went with a few friends from high school and we danced our legs off! who knew that ska was such great exercise?!

YAY SKA!

Dance Hall Crashers - He Wants Me Back

day 08 - a song that you know all the words to

2011-06-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

ah, i love Linkin Park.
Mike Shinoda is hot and i can (try to) sing at the same pitch as Chester Bennington.
this song is just awesome too. here's the video and the lyrics. :)

Linkin Park - "Leave Out All The Rest"

"Leave Out All The Rest"

I dreamed I was missing
You were so scared
But no one would listen
'Cause no one else cared

After my dreaming
I woke with this fear
What am I leaving
When I'm done here?

So if you're asking me
I want you to know

[Chorus]
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed
And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Leave out all the rest

Don't be afraid
I've taken my beating
I've shared what I've made
I'm strong on the surface
Not all the way through
I've never been perfect
But neither have you

So if you're asking me
I want you to know

[Chorus]
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed
Don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Leave out all the rest

Forgetting all the hurt inside
You've learned to hide so well
Pretending someone else can come
And save me from myself
I can't be who you are

[Chorus]
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed
Don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Leave out all the rest

Forgetting all the hurt inside
You've learned to hide so well
Pretending someone else can come
And save me from myself
I can't be who you are
I can't be who you are

day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event

2011-06-13T23:54:00.000-07:00

I'M TO SEXY FOR MY SHIRT... TO SEXY FOR MY SHIRT....

BWAHAHAHHAHHA....

okay, so this song really does remind me of an event. NOT SEX! hahahaha...

this sexy song reminds me of my high school freshman cross country state championship trip to Maui. we were all in the van together (freshman, sophmores, juniors and seniors) and this song came on the radio... and we ALL started singing and laughing so hard, it was just too funny!

it definitely reminds me of good times in high school when we all got along so well!
yay for 1992!

Right Said Fred - I`m Too Sexy (The Original)

day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere

2011-06-12T23:02:00.000-07:00

day 6 of the 30 Day Song Challenge

this song reminds me of Paris. i visited Paris in the spring time of 2009.
the song is from the "Amelie" soundtrack. the movie takes place in the Montmatre district of Paris. we got to see a wonderful accordion player playing this song on the steps up to the Sacre Coeur. ah Paris, how i love and miss you!

day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone

2011-06-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

day 5 of the 30 Day Song Challenge.

this song makes me think of my brother. he was only 5 years old, but this is the song he used to sing! awesome. i love you, little brother!

"Sara" (1985) by Starship

day 04 - a song that makes you sad

2011-06-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

day 4 of the the 30 Day Song Challenge.

i was gonna pick "Hawaii '78" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, but my husband told me this other song always makes me cry.... and yah, he's right. he knows how to make me cry. haha

song that makes me sad:
City and Colour- The Girl

it makes me cry. :(

day 03 - a song that makes you happy

2011-06-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

day 3 of the the 30 Day Song Challeng.

here's my happy song:

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE

Alice in Wonderland Tea Party in a Box

2011-06-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

it's taken me quite a while to get this completed, but i finally finished everything last night and sent it out in the mail this morning for the Swap-bot swap, "Tea Party in a Box" in the Down the Rabbit Hole group.
for the swap we were to create / decorate a cigar sized box and fill it with goodies you would use / want for a tea party.

my box contents:
Afternoon Teas book
tea cup
Celestial Seasonings Tea

plus the handmade stuff:

set of coasters

set of invitations

cupcake toppers

tea tags

and the box

top

side

side

side

side

the inside

detail of the inside

front inside

i used Alice in Wonderland paper from Graphic 45, lots of rubber stamps from Tweety Jill (i own the tea party, Alice in Wonderland, Down the Rabbit Hole, and Through the Looking Glass), Stampington tea themed rubber stamps, Stampin' Up morning cup set, and some random stamps i bought off Ebay. the stamps are inked in StazOn black and chocolate. the polka dot paper and roses on the inside are random sheets from my stash and i sealed the edges using some Japanese washi tape i bought at Zinnia.

day 02 - your least favorite song

2011-06-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

day 2 of the 30 day song challenge.

i hate this song. i really hate this song. it makes my ears bleed. i hate it more because Rachel sang it on Glee. i really don't like Rachel.

i really want to like this song... especially this version, but.. i can't. i really can't. it's not possible right now.

hey, at least i could find a video without running out of the room screaming!

day 01 - your favorite song

2011-06-08T02:35:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of the 30 day song challenge.

my favorite song is.... Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional!

the 30 Day Song Challenge

2011-06-07T18:07:00.001-07:00

I've come across this on facebook and a few blogs and thought it sounded quite interesting....the aim is to post a different song each day according to the rules. Looking at the list some of them look a tad bit harder than others but im going to give it a go:

day 01 - your favorite song
day 02 - your least favorite song
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
day 11 - a song from your favorite band
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
day 15 - a song that describes you
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
day 19 - a song from your favorite album
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 - a song from your childhood
day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year

What a great Easter Sunday!

2011-04-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

we woke up relatively early to go to church in the morning. we made it to the 10:45 am service at Calvary Chapel South Bay (great church, great pastor and wonderful message). after eatting some sushi and miso soup for lunch at the Marukai food court's SushiBoy, we headed down the I-5 to Carlsbad. our destination was the beautiful flower fields.

as a kid (maybe 20 years ago), i remember them seeing them on both sides of the freeway when we drove by from Disneyland to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. now, it's smaller and you can't see it from the freeway, but oh the flowers are amazing!

we spent a few hours walking and taking pictures all around the fields. the lack of insects was very apparent. i wonder what they use to spray with to keep the bugs away? because of that we didn't buy any flowers to take home, but i did pick up some postcards from the shop.

the flower fields are right next to the Carlsbad Outlet mall... so of course, i had to do some shopping. my goal was to find a nice belt. it didn't happen. but... i did make my first Coach purchase! i got 2 purses and a small wallet (for traveling).

here's my receipt.

can you see.... i SAVED $492. have you ever saved almost half a grand?! it's crazy. and pretty awesome.

here's the bags i got:

a black one

a brown one

the bags were on the clearance rack and the greeter was passing out "30% off your whole purchase" coupons for that day only. that's how i saved so much! it was a great day for shopping!

oh and here's the wallet i got. it's kinda pink, but it's really soft. :)

Happy Easter!

a fair trade!

2011-03-10T01:04:00.000-08:00

i got offered a private swap on Swap-bot last week and had to take it! denimblu14 sent me a couple of Prince William and Catherine Middleton royal wedding postcards in exchange for a hippopotamus pinback button / badge.

she sent the postcards so quickly that i didn't get a chance to send her her package yet. here's the postcards!

aren't they awesome! i'm so excited to have something so historic. :) i'm very excited to see the wedding too! hopefully it's during my waking hours!

and here's the hippo button i made. (and the rubberstamp i used is on the right)

i'm sending her a tiny hippo toy and packing them in a linen bag i stamped with a hippo too. :)

hope she likes the button!

what happened to the elephant?!

2011-03-09T01:43:00.000-08:00

okay, so i baked the elephant according to the instructions on the Sculpey package. but it turned BROWN! agh! can't send a brown burnt elephant for what should've been an ivory elephant... so i painted it with iridescent pearl acrylic paint. interesting that the pearl turned silver.

here's the original elephant:

and what it looked like after i painted and glossed it:

not ivory, but not bad, i guess.. it's on it's way to England at the moment!

Day 28: Flea haiku

2011-03-01T02:29:00.001-08:00

okay, i'm not a poet. but i'm tired and i can't bring myself to attempt anything that requires more effort. not that poetry is easy, but i don't want to get my hands dirty and make a mess at this time of night.

here's a little poem i wrote in honor of the little "friends" that dottie gets from the cats next door.

FLEA HAIKU
my dog is itchy
because the fleas are eating
she scratches all night

my husband wanted another variation... thus the edit.

he gets crazy flea bites. i think he's allergic. or he just has sweet blood, they attack him and not me?

i even drew a little flea. see? haha... good night.

Day 27: Teeny Tiny Felt Brown Bunny Stuffie

2011-02-28T01:13:00.001-08:00

made a little tiny bunny out of light brown felt. it's for the Swap-bot swap, "OTT: Year of the...Rabbit" in the One Tiny Thing group.
the bunny is about 1.5 inches long. he has 4 independent legs and 2 separate ears... and i made the pattern myself. :)

the little Lego flowers are just for scale.

Day 26: Secret Garden ATC

2011-02-27T02:10:00.001-08:00

stamped up a little artist trading card (ATC) tonight for my partner in the Swap-bot swap, "The Secret Garden Swap" in the Hundred Acre Woods group.

i used the Stampin' Up Two-Step Stampin' Bird on a Branch set and the "amour" from the Clearly for You set.
the branch is stamped in VersaCraft chocolate, the bird in VersaCraft black, the flowers in stampin' pad regal rose and daffodil delight, the sky in tempting turquoise, and the sentiment in stampin' pad melon mambo.
i added a few pink pearls and rhinestones to accent the flowers.

i'd like to have a tree like that in my secret garden. :)

Day 25: Elephant Ribbon Bookmark

2011-02-26T00:34:00.001-08:00

i made this for the Swap-bot swap, "The Secret Garden" in the The Hundred Acre Wood group. it's based off of the wonderful book, "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

the story starts off in India where the little girl, Mary is born and raised until her parents die when she's 10 years old. she is sent to live with her uncle in a big strange house in England. she wanders around the house and finds a room with Indian things including ivory elephants.

i already made an ivory elephant out of polymer clay, but i love the idea of Indian elephants so much that i had to make a bookmark to match. :)

Day 24: Paper Flowers

2011-02-25T02:38:00.001-08:00

put together some pretty paper flowers today for the Swap-bot swap, "Make Me Some Paper Flowers-INT" in the Crafting Queens group.
we're required to make and send 10 handmade paper flowers.

i used my Sizzix Big Shot and a 3 of the flower dies that i have, some plain single-colored cardstock paper, and my zots (sticky dot adhesive)...

and here's what i made!

Day 23: Pirate ATC

2011-02-24T01:59:00.001-08:00

made a simple Pirate ATC (artist trading card) for the Swap-bot swap, "OTT Arrr...Pirates" in the One Tiny Thing group.
i had made a pirate pocket mirror, but my partner is a guy, so i couldn't send that! i don't know any guys that use pocket mirrors, do you?
here's my ATC:

the image is from Peter Pan (got the photo from Piddix.com), the letters are stickers, and i added some sparkle with the multi-sized rhinestones.
i hope he likes it.

Day 22: Sculpey Ivory Elephant

2011-02-23T02:32:00.001-08:00

crafting up some goodies for the Swap-bot swap, "The Secret Garden" in the The Hundred Acre Wood group. it's based off of the wonderful book, "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. i actually just finished reading the book for the first time this month.
the story starts off in India where the little girl, Mary is born and raised until her parents die when she's 10 years old. she is sent to live with her uncle in a big strange house in England. she wanders around the house and finds a room with Indian things including ivory elephants.
so i made a little ivory elephant from Sculpey polymer clay.

Day 21: Pirate / Skull Pocket Mirror

2011-02-22T01:05:00.001-08:00

i was so excited to get my partner assigned for the Swap-bot swap, "OTT Arrr...Pirates" in the One Tiny Thing group, that i wanted to make and send something right away!
so here's what i made:

it's a pocket mirror made with Alexander Henry Skulls fabric. yah, i got it made and was all ready to package it up. so i check the address and uhh... my partner is a MAN. oi. well, i guess this pocket mirror won't work. guys don't carry mirrors do they? ugh. he said he collects cards in his profile, so i'll have to make him an ATC or something. i read profiles all the time! i just assumed that my partner was a woman. i only found out he was a guy by going to his Deviant Art page. hahaha... glad i noticed BEFORE sending out the package!

Day 20: Mini Blue Monster Stuffie

2011-02-21T01:07:00.001-08:00

had to complete some crafts for a Swap-bot swap, so i drew a little monster, and created a pattern to make a mini stuffie.
he's about 3 inches tall and made out of felt. i stitched him up with matching embroidery thread. i highly recommend buying embroidery thread if you're doing small hand-sewn projects.
it's cheaper, you can split the thread to reduce it from 6 (i usually sew with 2 or 3 strands), and it's easier to sort and store.

here's mr. blue mini monster! (he's next to the Lego guys so you can see how small he is)

Day 19: Twilight Saga- Twilight favorite quote skinnies

2011-02-19T23:37:00.001-08:00

February 19, 2011
ahhh twilight. i love vampires. not necessarily only the moody teenage ones, either. (my favorite character in the Twilight sage is Dr. Cullen, Edward's "father")
so, i made these skinnies (like ATCs but bigger at 3x5 inches) for the swap-bot swap, "Twilight Saga- Twilight favorite quote skinny" in the Twilighters united group.
i printed out the movie images, cut them out, stamped and embossed the quote, and added a few rhinestones.
the quote is actually a hand-carved rubber stamp i bought from dragonflycurls on Etsy. she's got a bunch of Twilight themed stamps. i'm slowing growing my collection. :)

Day 18: Lego Scarab Attack

2011-02-19T00:16:00.001-08:00

it's been ages since i've played with Legos! I LOVE LEGOS! i grew up with these toys. my mom bought me and my brother a whole bunch of legos that we mixed with bigger building blocks to randomly create things. it was a giant box full of adventure!

so... today i got my package in the mail from Lego.com

i had to make my Scarab Attack set tonight. the box comes with all the pieces and instructions.

when you follow the instructions, the whole thing looks like this:

and then...
this is me being creative! :)
feel free to add your own captions to any of the pictures (click on the picture to add a caption to my flickr page too)
hahahaha...

DIE DIE DIE! (or give me your cupcake)

scarab regrets eating all those tacos

i'm hungry

thank you. i love chicken

afternoon tea with chicken legs and fries

my dog has the BIGGEST fleas!

Day 17: SketchMee Grasshopper

2011-02-18T02:28:00.001-08:00

Got stuck at work late tonight, so I used one of my favorite iPhone apps, SketchMee for my thing-a-day.
I took a picture of Little Dood, my "pet" grasshopper, altered it with the app... And it looks like a great drawing! Of course I use this app because I can't draw or paint very well. :) I love it. What do you think? Do you use this app too?
Sent from my iPhone

Day 16: Cupcake Tags

2011-02-17T00:24:00.001-08:00

these are to go with the cupcake notecards i've been working on the past few days.
used the same Studio G cupcake stamp that i used on the envelopes for the tags.
and the big fiskers scalloped circle and a smaller circle punch that fits in the middle.
tried to use some very festive party-like paper to make it fun. :)
kinda cute, i think.

and these are all the cards that are being sent with the tags (these were made earlier this week):

Day 15: Blueberry Nom Cupcake Notecard

2011-02-15T23:42:00.001-08:00

here's the last notecard of the set! and it was such a fun thing to make with my new Stampin' Up Create a Cupcake punch!

here they are!

it's a set of 4 cupcake notecards i'm making for a Swap-bot swap, "Soph - 1Q11 Send Your Handmade Specialty - US".

the other cards: number 1 (chocolate), 2 (vanilla), and 3 (lemon).

cute huh? i still have a few more days to send these. i think i'll make something extra to add to the package tomorrow.

Day 14: Lemon Nom Cupcake Notecard

2011-02-14T21:42:00.001-08:00

this is number 3 of the set of 4 cupcake notecards i'm making for a Swap-bot swap, "Soph - 1Q11 Send Your Handmade Specialty - US".

here's number 1 (chocolate) and 2 (vanilla).

Day 13: Vanilla Nom Cupcake Notecard

2011-02-14T00:22:00.001-08:00

i made a cupcake card yesterday too. but this one is a different color! :) it's a different flavor. i'm thinking that it's vanilla (yesterday was chocolate).

and as always i stamp the envelope to match. :) two more to make to complete the set (so you know what's coming tomorrow).

day 12: nom chocolate cupcake notecard

2011-02-13T02:20:00.001-08:00

i love my Stampin' Up paper punches. i just bought the cupcake punch and thought it would be fun to make some cards with it, so i can show my husband i'm using all the stuff i spend my money on! :)
here's the punches i used on the card:

there's a stamp set for the cupcake punch, but i don't have that yet. (saving it for my next order)
i simply used some of my solid colored scraps of paper and they look beautiful! almost good enough to eat. :)
the "nom" rubber stamp is something i custom ordered and got for $5 online at RubberStampChamp.com (the text stamps are cheap. they sell them by the size).

here's the completed card.

it's pretty clean and simple. i'm making a whole set. check in with me tomorrow to see another cupcake card.

Day 11: Inspiration Whimsey Jar

2011-02-12T01:25:00.001-08:00

I made a whimsey jar for the Swap-bot "Inspire Me Kit!!" swap in the Rainbows & Rainclouds group.
we're to send our partner 50+ items to inspire them in their crafts. i counted 50 and then added more and more.
i fit everything in a jelly jar! (of course i washed it and aired it out first)

i thought it was prettier than sending everything in a bag.
so i glued a pretty purple flower to the lid, wrapped the lid with ribbon and added a mini mirror to the center of the flower.
all the goodies inside look nice, but mostly you see the heart ribbon wrapped around the inside.
hopefully it'll arrive safely to my partner in Washington!

Day 10: Microwave An Mochi

2011-02-10T23:49:00.001-08:00

i felt like something sweet (but not too sweet) after dinner tonight.
i rummaged around in the pantry for a bit and gathered together some ingredients, grabbed my beloved cookbook, and made some dessert!

here's the recipe i used from the Hawaii's Best Mochi Recipes.

oh yah, here's the translations:
mochiko: rice flour
tsubushian: coarsely ground red bean paste

Microwave An Mochi
2-1/2 cups mochiko
1-1/4 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 can coconut milk (12 oz)
2 cups water
3/4 cup tsubushian

Mix all ingredients until smooth and well blended. Pour into large greased microwave tube pan.
Microwave on MEDIUM HIGH for 15 minutes. Cool.

the original recipe uses koshian (smooth bean paste), but because i used the tsubushian, it's a chunkier mochi. but it tastes just as good. :)
and it's even better with tea. nom nom nom...

Day 9: Pink Dragonfly Notecards

2011-02-10T00:58:00.001-08:00

i crafted today for another Swap-bot swap, "~ 1 ~ 2 ~ 3 ~ Swap" in the Mailbox Madness group.
my partner, ladyrn, likes dragonflies, so i used the dragonfly stamp from my Stampin' Up Bugs & Slugs set.
i inked it with Stampin' Up's Melon Mambo and stamped it on pretty striped pink paper. i embellished the eyes with my purple Sakura Glaze pen.
i added some pink lace and left it at that.
everything is mounted on off-white cardstock. i stamped the envelope with the dragonfly stamp in Regal Rose.

here's the detailed photos:

the requirements for the swap are to pick 3 items from the list below and send 1 for first item, 2 for second item, and 3 for third item.
Each item listed counts as 1 unless otherwise noted. For example: 1 roll of deco tape, 2 letter sets & 3 note cards.Choose from:

note card w/ envie
gel pen
letter set (2 papers & 1 envie)
scenic view postcard or map card
sheet of personalized address labels for you partner (30 labels)
handmade envelope; mailable size
roll of deco tape
ribbon - 1 yard minimum per piece
sticker sheet ("Stickeroni" or larger; no small reward/teacher)
unused .44cent postage stamps or equivalent (3 stamps count as 1 item)

i made 2 notecards for her, so in addition, i'm sending 3 handmade envelopes (tomorrows thing-a-day?), and a postcard (sent naked, per her profile).
i hope she likes these even though they're pink. i think they turned out pretty, and i don't like pink!

Day 8: 3D Tree Birthday Card

2011-02-09T01:31:00.001-08:00

a birthday card i made for my grandma and grandpa (in-law). they celebrate their birthday together, so we're sending them a card for both of them.
the tree pops up when you open the card. it's cut from a Sizzix Bigz die.

on the front, i used a few of my paper punches (Martha Stewart and Stampin' Up).

the sentiments are from Stampin' Up's Happy Everything set.

this is my first 3D card. i kinda like it! i hope they'll be surprised. :)

Day 7: Valentine Bookmarks

2011-02-08T00:17:00.001-08:00

time for more simple paper crafts! i broke out my stamps and papers for the Swap-bot swap, "Bookmark Swap: Valentines/Hearts" in the USA Swappers group.
the heart stamps and "true love" are clear Studio G, and the darker pink heart is my hand-carved stamp. the butterfly and "beautiful" sentiment are rub-ons.

we're only required to send one bookmark to our partner, but i made 2. :) i hope she likes them.

here's the front:

and the back:

Day 6: Pink Scrappy Spider Notecard

2011-02-07T00:32:00.001-08:00

Still using up scraps from my stash! Kinda went overboard with the teeny spider stamps, so I added a little purple dragonfly. Because more is better? I dunno. Not my best work, but cute enough and very colorful.

Day 5: Berry Oatmeal Muffins

2011-02-05T13:13:00.001-08:00

got up early (before noon) today and thought i would make myself some nice Saturday morning breakfast. i put the water on to boil, and grabbed a cookbook (from my huge library of books). put the tea on to steep and picked out an oatmeal muffin recipe from the Women of Nuuanu Cookbook II (a cookbook i got from Hawaii). i tweeked the recipe a little bit, and it's so ono (yummy)!

Berry Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup quick oats
1 cup sour milk (add 1 Tbsp vinegar to the milk)
1 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup berries (fresh or frozen)

Combine oats and sour milk. Mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Combine brown sugar and oil; add to egg. Add oats mixture to dry ingredients.
Mix in egg mixture. Stir in berries.
Line muffin pan with paper baking cups and fill 2/3 full with batter.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Do not over bake.
Yield: 12 muffins

Note: i used quick cook steel cut oats. it makes the muffins chewier. if you don't mind chewing the oatmeal, this is a fun option.
you could probably add some nuts (1/2 cup) and it would turn out fine too.
i used frozen berries and it came out nice and juicy. so... i had some chewy juicy muffins for breakfast. :)

Day 4: Spring Caterpillar Notecard

2011-02-04T22:53:00.001-08:00

http://thing-a-day.com/day-4-spring-caterpillar-notecard

i have a whole bunch of paper scraps in a little bag.  they're just waiting to be used!  i picked out the simple floral pattern and matched it with a blue cardstock notecard.  then, i added a strip of red textured cardstock and a feltie button embellishment (from Sassafras).  i used the Stampin' Up caterpillar rubber stamp with a pink chalk ink pad.  i stamped the envelope to match too.  i think it's pretty cute! :)

Day 3: Hand Carved Grasshopper Stamp

2011-02-04T01:09:00.001-08:00

there's this little grasshopper that lives on our plumeria tree out front. i love him to death! he's my "pet". i see him practically every day and he lets me take his picture and talk to him, and he doesn't freak out and run away. he just sits there and looks at me. he is even tolerant of my dog. so here's a picture of him and a stamp that i carved in his honor. :)

Day 3 Hand Carved Grasshopper Stamp

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BBC's Top 100 Books List

2011-01-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

i found this list on the internet. how many have you read? the one's i've read are in green. the one's i've listened to the audiobook are in purple.

In April 2003 the BBC's Big Read began the search for the nation's best-loved novel, and we asked you to nominate your favourite books.
Below are all the results from number 1 to 100 in numerical order!

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

Book-a-Month and Movie-a-Week

2011-01-25T18:47:00.000-08:00

so i decided at the beginning of the year, that i should try to read a book a month and see a new movie every week. i thought i would try this out for a month, and see how it goes. and so, it's the end of january and i've successfully read 2 books already (1 hardcopy and 1 kindle), and watched 4 movies. yay! i feel like i'm adding a little more culture into my life by enjoying these medias. i'll keep track of the lists on my blog pages (see them above?).

here's my book reviews on Amazon:

You Suck: A Love Story (Paperback) by Christopher Moore
4 out of 5 stars. i love vampires. i really do. i've always loved vampires. and this is the first book i'm reading about funny, horny, geeky, teenaged vampires. it's awesome! and hilarious! i had no idea this was a sequel, but it didn't matter. there is a beginning and end to this story. you don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one. this is just great story telling. i love when he goes to Abby Normal's perspective. she is freaking hilarious! great book! i'm going to have to read the next one!

Always the Baker, Never the Bride (Kindle Edition) by Sandra D. Bricker
4 out of 5 stars. a very quick read! my first Kindle book (on my iPhone), too. it was an easy and funny book. i enjoyed the simple character arcs and the family drama was quite entertaining. the heroine and hero were both very loveable. i especially liked Fee (the baker's assistant). there's no sex and violence in this book. it's basically a very nice and proper Christian love / romance story. i'm so blessed to have found this fun book for free on Amazon! i'm glad i read it and will be recommending it to others.

and to help keep me motivated and reading, i've joined Blogging for Books. they'll send me a book to read and review, and when i've reviewed it, they'll send me another one! how fun!

and then... i watched these movies:

Black Swan (January 3) - 3 star. i'm glad i saw it, but i don't think i'm going to watch this movie again. it was pretty disturbing. the acting is good and the dancing and costumes are beautiful. but everybody is too skinny (of course, what was i expecting when it's ballerinas) and the girl is crazy!
The King's Speech (January 9) - 5 stars! one of my favorite movies ever! it's such a funny and touching story about a king with a stutter. i loved the characters and the acting was amazing. i laughed and cried. and i'm definitely buying this one on dvd!
Inception (January 17) - 3.5 stars. a very fun action movie. great special effects! but... it was a bit confusing, so i'll have to watch it again. i need to try to figure out if the whole thing was a dream or where it was real and where it split off to dreamland! oh yah, it's great on bluray!
Keulraesik (The Classic) (January 21) - 4 stars! i loved this love story. i cried! i cried a lot! the characters are cute and loveable. the ending... the ending is the best. if you can find this movie you have to watch it!

Ox Tail Soup

2011-01-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

i grew up eating ox tail soup for New Year's. traditional Japanese have ozoni for New Year's, but i my mom is Okinawan, so i didn't learn about ozoni until i had a Japanese boyfriend in high school. that said, i wanted to make ox tail soup for my husband to celebrate the new year. it's the second of January, because the fridge was too full of ozoni yesterday, i couldn't make something else until we ate some room into the fridge.

so here's my recipe, altered from this recipe and this one.

Ox Tail Soup
2-3 pounds of oxtails
2 inch fresh ginger peeled and sliced into rounds
2 whole star anise
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 large napa cabbage
3/4 cup of shelled, skinned, raw peanuts (can sub roasted unsalted peanuts)

Garnishes:
Thinly sliced green onions
Chopped cilantro

In a stock pot, parboil oxtails for 30 minutes.

Cut off excess fat from the ox tails and add clean water to the pot.

Bring the water back to boil and add oxtails back in along with the star anise, and ginger. Salt & pepper to taste. Cover and let simmer for one hour.

Add the peanuts and simmer for 2-3 more hours, until the oxtail meat is tender and falling off the bone. remove bones from the pot if you want.

don't forget to replenish the soup with additional broth or water if it starts getting too low. Skim as much fat as you can from the surface as the soup cooks.

Just before serving, add the mustard cabbage and cook just until it wilts and changes color.

Serve with the garnishes to be sprinkled on top and rice.

now go take your bowl and enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-02T02:09:00.000-08:00

it's a brand new year! happy 2011!
what will the year bring?

i hope that your year is full of joy and happiness, safe travels, good health, and many blessings!

what did you do for new year's eve? my husband and i were invited to a friends' house to celebrate the night watching movies, but having worked so many 12 hour shifts this past week, i had to decline. i even called in sick (which i never do unless i'm really sick), but i was just so burned out! so, we slept in, went grocery shopping, got something to eat, and came home for the night. after taking a nap, we made some pizza for dinner. this has turned into a tradition for us... pick up pizza supplies from Fresh and Easy market, and then stop off at Mitsuwa Japanese market for ozoni (Japanese New Year soup) ingredients for New Year's morning.

we kinda made up our own recipes, so here they are... :)

photo borrowed from kiditamae

New Year's Pizza recipe
whole wheat pizza dough (premade and bought from Fresh and Easy)
flour
olive oil
shredded mozzarella cheese
can of tomato sauce
dried oregano & basil
onions (chopped)
pepperoni
prosciutto
mushrooms (we used Japanese enoki mushrooms)
cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
arugula

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Flour work area and rolling pin, and roll out the pizza dough until desired thickness. Drizzle some olive oil on the dough. Mix canned tomato sauce with dried herbs to make pizza sauce. Spread pizza sauce over dough. Add onions and cheese to whole pizza. Place pepperoni on half the pizza and prosciutto on the other half. Scatter mushrooms on pizza, then place cherry tomatoes on top (cut side down so they don't roll around). Place pizza in oven to cook for 15-20 minutes (until the cheese in the middle looks nice and gooey and the edges are brown and toasty). Throw a whole bunch of arugula on top of the pizza. Slice with pizza slicer, and eat in front of the tv while watching the ball drop in NYC. :)

Ozoni recipe

dashi:
konbu
ginger
packaged mushroom dashi

ingredients:
mizuna
kamaboko
gobo (peeled and sliced thin)
daikon (we forgot this today, but it's good peeled, sliced into rounds, then quartered)
konnyaku
enoki mushrooms
mochi

bring dashi to a boil. add gobo, konnyaku, and kamaboko. turn down to a simmer, and cook until gobo (and daikon) is fork tender. in individual bowls, add mochi, mizuna, and enoki. pour hot soup into bowls adding ingredients as wanted. enjoy!

also good for lunch. put mochi and mizuna on bottom of bowl. add soup, and microwave. add enoki as garnish.

Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu! (Happy New Year)

i started another blog!

2010-12-24T20:10:00.001-08:00

hey! because i'm so good at keeping up this blog... hahha...
i've started another blog. it's a crafty blog to keep my inspired.

check it out:

http://365creepycrawlies.blogspot.com/

i'm going to make a creepy crawly a day for a year. should be fun and challenging!

Bloggers United November Challenge...Week 4-ish

2010-12-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

"What is your ultimate gift you have received,

and what is the best gift have you given"

this was a hard one for me. i've received lots of wonderful gifts, but not given what i think are the best gifts.
so, the ultimate gift i've received was MY very own first dog.

it was right after we graduated from high school in 1996, and we didn't have summer school for once!
a friend was looking for a dog for his girlfriend, so we went to the Honolulu Humane Society every day to see if they had gotten any puppies.

we had been going for a couple of weeks with no luck... for her. but then i saw the 2 little pitbull puppies.
they were brother and sister, but complete opposites. the boy was very outgoing and hogged all the attention.
but the little girl kept was watching and tried to get to the fence to say "hello" to us, but got bumped by her brother.
she was very sweet and timid (definitely a beta). the way she looked at me... she picked me.
i knew my mom didn't want another dog since we already had 2 at home. i tried not to think about her, but to no avail... i cried.
one of my best friends, Bones, just can't see a girl cry, i guess... but he asked my mom if he could get the puppy for me and told her how i cried.
reluctantly, she agreed... and so... a few days later, i find a brindle colored little pitbull in the drive way.
she was the best dog ever (not to make my current dog feel unloved): she was already house-broken, would scratch on the door to come in or go out,
never ran away, was a pretty quiet dog, was the mediator between the two dogs we had, and loved to cuddle.

here's my love, Mokka, with her sisters, Poki (the white and brown corgi mix) and Daisy (the silky terrier).

the best gift i can think i've ever given is a handmade quilt for my high school/college boyfriend.
it was a simple 9-block pattern, but it was my first blanket, so it was pretty hard and time consuming!
my mom helped me finish it in the end, and it turned out wonderfully. (sorry, i don't have a picture of it)
but i've promised my husband that i would make him a blanket, too. i should get to that soon. haha!

Designer Con 2010

2010-11-23T18:37:00.000-08:00

this past saturday (nov 20th), i went to Designer Con 2010 at the Pasadena Convention Center. it's like the toys, indie art, and clothes from Comic-Con with less geeks. ' it was called formerly Vinyl Toy Network. it was lots of fun and i spent a lot of money. :) it was a good day.

here are a few pictures of my favorite things:

Chubby Boob crown vic
http://www.chubby-boob.com/

UrbanMedium art

rancor
Spoonful of Star Wars
Over 100 painting of vintage Star Wars action figures
by Bwana Spoons

by Sleepy Robot 13
www.etsy.com/shop/sleepyrobot13

and ONI by jay222toy.blogspot.com

cute little unicorn by Adrianna Bamber
www.abamber.com/

Beastlies, the cutest little creatures www.beastlies.com/

art dolls by Mekanikku
www.mekanikku.com/

custom Mega Gwin by _rustedhalo_

new Mugo players (of course i bought Po (the vampire-ish one on the right)
www.mugoplayer.com/

and GIANT MUGO!

and this is the stuff i brought home. :)

the best snowglobe ever! snowglobe and green screaming guy are by http://www.beastlies.com/
and the Raving Rabbid robot is by http://www.sleepyrobot13.com/

if you'd like to see more pictures i have them in my flickr photostream. check um out!

did you go to Designer Con 2010? what did you think?

Eclipse Parody by The Hillywood Show™

2010-11-20T01:40:00.000-08:00

For all the Twilighters out there...

These girls are awesome! this has got to be the best yet! :)
Great job, Hillywood!

Bloggers United November Challenge...Week 3

2010-11-18T23:23:00.000-08:00

Whats inside your handbag?

You can tell alot about a person by what they carry around with them everyday, what's in yours and why?

Well, i have 2 different bags that i carry. one for work and one for my days off. there's different stuff in each bag.

when i'm at work, i don't carry my handbag around with me. i have mostly everything i need in my pockets and i leave my handbag at my desk when i go into the field.

i'll start with my work bag. it's a bigger shoulder bag and it holds a lot! the bag is a freebie from my friend Wenyee. her brother-in-law's girlfriend works for Volcom (i think) so she gets a bunch of stuff every year as samples. score! :)

in my bag:

Nalgene water bottle (i try to drink a whole 36 oz bottle everyday)
REI hot drink mug (i have hot tea every morning)
DKNY wallet (i got as a gift when i graduated from high school 15 years ago!)
car and house keys, with mini store/buyer cards attached (my favs are my library and Petsmart cards), and a ladybug nailclipper
tissue holder (i use for sanitary napkins)
a headset for my iPhone
candy
USPS stamps (for my Postcrossing postcards and Swap-bot swaps!)
a pen (yah, i know it looks like a pencil)
a book (right now i'm reading "Stories" by Neil Gaiman, my favorite author, that i borrowed from the library)

in my uniform shirt and cargo pants pockets:

a Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington pen (my co-worker brough back for me from Disney World)
my drivers' license
a credit card and some cash
Soft Lips lipbalm and burt's bees hand repair creme
Halloween tissues (i got from a Halloween Swap-bot swap)
Twilight keychain: my work keys (for my desk, bathroom), keyfob for the elevator, pocket knife (my coworker gave me
a plastic ID holder for my passwords
my Oakley sunglasses (which i forgot i had in my pocket so it's not in the picture)
and my iPhone (which i'm using to take the pictures so it's not shown)

and then... i have all these other things on my work belt:

government issued cellphone
rechargable flashlight
pouch with disposable gloves and glass vials
Gerber multitool
and a PRD (to detect radiation... oooooo)

((sorry i'm not going to take a picture of my belt.... it's too much work to take everything off and put it back on.))

but i'm going to see the HARRY POTTER movie tonight (midnight!), so i've moved my wallet and cellphone to my non-work bag. :) it's not a purse either... but a DaKine mini back pack. it's awesome. i have 3 in different colors! and i can load it up with buttons and charms! right now i have some buttons from Comic-Con i got this year in San Diego, a couple of Swap-bot buttons, a Cullen crest (yay Twilight), and a Craftster button!
the 3 charms i got are a handmade beaded pig that my mom gave me, a handmade beaded pink penguin that i bought as a fundraiser for my mom's preschool, and a talking Mameshiba soybean (i got from my friend for my birthday last year).

inside the backpack:

cellphone
wallet
kleenex
sanitary napkin (very important)
a permanent pen (black)
a fine tipped blue gel pen
mentos candy
gum
softlips lipbalm
a mini flashlight
a totebag that zips up compactly (from Harrods in London)
an Odwalla bar and honey graham cookies (for when i start to feel like i'm getting low blood sugar)
candied ginger (for stomach aches, from my mom)
a packet of salsa and tabasco hot sauce left over from a lunch (never know when i'll want to add some spicy)
a mini umbrella (because i'll need it when i don't have it)
my Edward Cullen paper doll (from a Swap-bot swap and Flickr group i hosted)... yes, i still carry him around.
and a little sasquatch felt stuffie that i made a while ago while on a plane... just for fun.

What do you have in your bag?

November Challenge week 2 ......‏

2010-11-15T01:11:00.000-08:00

Oh dear! Your on death row!

(don't worry....... your totally not guilty and the governor is going to call to stop it before it happens).

What is your last ever meal and why?

i thought about this for a long time and my last meal would be... AFTERNOON TEA! i find this meal very comforting and it's something i could eat everyday. it's something that i would definitely miss. plus, i get to eat lots of different things! little bits of everything! yum. and then, i figure it represents me perfectly, since i'm not fancy or intimidating, but a bit random and complicated.

i love tea! i have at least one cup everyday! my favorite tea tastes like Paris: a black tea with a bit of vanilla. a hot cup of tea with milk and sugar. yum!

with my tea, i'd like some fresh scones and a buffet of sandwiches and salads like they have at the Huntington Gardens.

maybe some white albacore salad on white bread, spicy egg salad with cayenne pepper on egg bread, cucumber with cream cheese spread on egg bread, chopped watercress and cream cheese spread on white bread, curried chicken salad with walnuts on whole wheat bread, smoked salmon on dark rye bread with cream cheese then topped with baby dill and a slice of lemon, prosciutto with tomato and mozzarella on fresh french bread... all without crust!
salads: bacon and feta cheese on baby greens with marinated onions and feta vinaigrette; Caesar salad; pears, walnuts, and goat cheese on endives with a balsamic vinaigrette; and vine-ripened tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
oh yah, i'd like some crackers with olive tapenade, caviar, and imported cheeses! not all together but on separate crackers.

for dessert, i'd love some French macarons!

French macarons remind me of Paris with my husband (one of the best experiences of my life).

what would you have as your last meal?

Bloggers United November Challenge...Week 1

2010-11-07T21:28:00.000-08:00

Prompt:

Your Lotto numbers have come up!

You have taken care of your family and friends, you have 15 Million dollars to spend on whatever you dreamed of before.

How are you going to spend the money?

wow, that is a lot of money! first off, i'd invest most of the money (thinking about $10 million), ensuring that i would be set for life. being that i'm only in my 30s and i don't yet have children, i'd like to think that i could be a pretty good investor and save enough money to pay for school for my children and still be able to retire RIGHT NOW! now, that would be a dream. not having to go to work everyday...

so, after the $10 million is invested... what to do with the rest? well, i'd love to buy a house back home in Hawaii (i was born and raised there and i'm dying to go back home). what would they say if you just went and said, okay, i'll pay for this house in cash. no escrow, no waiting. they wouldn't have to work out the finances or anything. that would blow any bank or realtor's mind! hahah... i don't think i would want anything really fancy. something big enough for my husband and i, and maybe a couple of kids. i'd want a craft room, a big living room with a giant tv to watch movies on, a kitchen with an island, and a yard for my dog.

something like this for $1,095,000:

it was built in 1925. it's a 2 units! The main home has 5 bd/2bth. Guest house has 2bd/1 bath plus a large storage (perfect for visitors!).

5+ parking. Avocado/lemon trees... in the yard.

cute, huh? and it's even better because this house is near the preschool that my mom works at!

after getting the house, i should get a new car. and, hey, i just won the lottery. i should get a luxury car!

here's my dream car:

the Lexus 2011 RX 450h FWD. it's a hybrid, so it gets 30 miles per gallon! and MSRP is

$43,235, so i can even get extras like navigation system and back-up camera and still have it under $50,000. nice.

now that i've saved some money on gas for my car, i can go on a few trips! YAY for vacation! if i'm retired, i'd really like to see the whole world. uhhh... well, lots of it at least. i've already been to Canada, Japan, Italy, Paris, and London, so i'd like to see the points of the Polynesian triangle (New Zealand and Rapa Nui; the other point is Hawaii).

I'd also like to visit Australia, Tahiti, and of course, spend lots and lots of time in Europe. I don't speak much of anything except English so tours are the way for me. and i've been on a Rick Steves' tour and would love to do another one! we spent a week in Paris. ahhh, Paris. i think i could live there. would i have enough money to live in Hawaii AND Paris?! oh my, that's something fun to think about!

but if not, what if i could afford to do a bunch of tours, spending a week in each city, and just do them back to back to back?! i'd like to see more of France, Italy, Japan, and the UK... see Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, and Austria! i'd miss my dog i think. but it would be fun to eat my way across the world!

i'd also like to do a road trip of the United States! i haven't seen enough of it. only been to Orlando, New York (once), Maryland, Washington, DC, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and New Orleans. so many other places to see... i could do what my parents are doing now that my dad is retired: visiting all the National Parks!

but all these trips would have to be after the football season is over. i'm a University of Hawaii alumna and proud of it! i've been going to UH football games since i was a kid (all the way until i moved to the mainland in 2001). i still watch them on tv and via the internet when possible... and i even go to a game or two every year! so of course, if i had oodles of money, i would go to EVERY SINGLE GAME! home game and away games. how fun would it be to travel with the team and cheer for them at an opposing school's stadium! GO WARRIORS!

there would be money to donate to the University of Hawaii football boosters, church, conservation efforts, cancer studies, and the Humane Society, to name a few. the money i could share if i only had LOTS of it! if i had $15 million, a total of $500 thousand would be a nice amount to donate to various organizations. they could invest it and have returns for a long time, too!

anyways, i think i would have lots more time to spend crafting, traveling, cooking, baking, reading, eating, sleeping, and watching movies! all the things i love! it would be a wonderful thing to not have to worry about money... but, the only way to win the lottery is to PLAY! (and i never play) i think you're more likely to get struck by lightning...

oh well, i guess, it's a working life for me! and i can always dream... and save my money to do all these things, slowly, one at a time. :) makes it a little more special when you know you've earned it, doesn't it?

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

Halloween Light Show 2010 HD - Thriller ( Michael Jackson )

Disney's World of Color

2010-10-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was my birthday (yay) and so my friends and i decided to celebrate by going OUT. wow, what a concept! i think myself too old to do anything really exciting, so i usually have a quiet birthday celebration at home with my husband and our dog.

but this past Sunday we went to Disney's California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California.

we got there in the afternoon, rode some rides (Soarin' and Screamin' and Tower of Terror) then had some dinner at Ariel's Grotto, and watched the World of Color show. it was raining, so the water screens weren't as clear, but it was beautiful and lots of fun. it's a pretty long show, too... and it's free with admission!

here's some pictures:

here's me and my husband

my friend, Amy and her friend John

Melissa and Tony

and Cindy (Tony's better half) and Melissa

recommendations for seeing the World of Color:

- get reservations for dinner and the show at Ariel's Grotto. they have a set menu and reserved seating.
- OR get to the restaurant really early (we got there 3 hours before the first show) and hang out upstairs in the bar. they have the best lobster nachos and tri-tip sliders. yum! you can also walk out of the bar and go get an ice cream at the ice cream stand around the corner.
- bring a jacket. it was raining and pretty chilly at our show. it is a water show too, so don't sit too close. you'll get wet!

oh yah, they had something else that was new at California Adventure: elecTRONica. yup, TRON. so the experience is from 6pm till closing and it's down in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot district of the park. we didn't have time to stop to check it out, but i hope to go again soon! check it out if you're in the mood for glowing neon, music, and dancing.

We didn't have your typical Disney experience, but it sure was fun!

Kiwi's Blogger Follower Swap #2

2010-10-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

I've been joining a bunch of Swap-bot swaps related to blogging. it's helped keep me motivated to blog and get me new readers.

my newest blog swap is:

BLOGGER Followers #2

the requirements are to visit 5 of the participants blogs, follow them, and comment on their posts.
simple enough, right? then your partners come to your blog and let you know that they've been there by posting a comment on this post.

here's the blogs i've visited for this swap:

Stephanie write a very nice blog. she's 20 years old and from michigan. she writes about what she likes, what she's doing, and posts lots of pictures. it's a fun blog to read and i recommend it!

Beautifully Picaresque: Nic is well written. my favorite post of hers is about her $150 project (where she tries to spend only $150 on food for the month). i really should try that one month, but since i'm feeding my husband and i, i'll have to up the budget to $250. she talks about how the project is going (what she's eatting and spending her money on). she also posts about other money savings.

Bob Striks Art: Bob is from Salt Lake City. there are posts about art projects, swap-bot swaps, and reasons for creating art. beautiful pictures and great art!

Count to 3: i love that every post has a theme. and everything is about GOOD THINGS! it's a very good blog to read. it reminds you to be thankful for the good and nice things in life that we've been blessed with. not too many pictures in this blog, but you feel good after reading it!

The Berry Juice Box: a blog about Etsy and crafting. she posts about her Etsy shop and about tutorials. lots of pictures and kawaii inspiration!

i hope you'll check out these blogs! they really are great!

Work

2010-10-23T02:04:00.000-07:00

How do you spend your week nights?

are you watching television, playing video games, crafting, reading, blogging?

well, i work until it's dark every day. not extremely late, since it's the swing shift, but i start work when everybody else is taking lunch... and work until after everyone has had dinner.

but this gives me the benefits of sleeping in, time to go to get errands done (post office, bank, library), less traffic (going and coming from work), having to deal less with management, and seeing the sunset over the Pacific Ocean... and i get most weekends off.

and i'm blessed to have a job that requires me to go outside. i really do enjoy being out in the field and not stuck behind a computer all day!

here are a few pictures i took at work.

hey, wait! that's a... vampire?! :)

that's all for now! HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYBODY! :)

I LOVE PORN!

2010-10-22T01:41:00.000-07:00

yup, you heard it right! i love PORN! food porn that is... and craft porn too. :) heehee... WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! hahahah

I've always admired photos on flickr. i've even made some mosaics using my favorite photos.
here's my favorite:

but i've got a couple of new sites that i've recently fallen in love with.

foodgawker is a gallery where food bloggers can showcase their food and photography skills. It's a place for you to discover new sites, dishes, recipes and ingredients to inspire your own cooking.

craftgawker is a gallery where anyone can showcase their art, crafting and photography skills. It's a place for you to discover new artists and handmade goods to inspire your own creations.

not only can you oogle at the goodies... but they link you to blogs and sites that provide tutorials, patterns, recipes and tips! how much better it get?! they let you add favorites to your profile so you can always find them! and everyone is welcomed to post pictures.

doesn't this potato salad from The Cooking Photographer look so good?!

and these paper roses by Mummy Crafts are so simple, but very elegant.

i hope you'll check out Flickr, craftgawker, and foodgawker, and get some very nice visual stimulation!
i'd love to hear about your favorites too!

What Your Facial Hair Tells You

2010-10-22T00:27:00.000-07:00

Via: OnlineDating.org

This really made me laugh. i hope you find it amusing too! :)
BTW, my husband is clean-shaven. heeheee

heyyyyyy.....

2010-10-21T01:39:00.001-07:00

heyyyyyy.....
Originally uploaded by lildamselfly

Today, we will have a guest blogger! YAY! everybody, welcome... DOTTIE!

Hello there everybody,
My name is Dottie and i'm a good friend of hippofairy. actually, we're roommates. i really like living with hippofairy, even though she is messy. she buys all the food and we take nice walks together everyday. i get to sleep all day in my nice soft bed and look outside the window for the cats that live next door. this is a nice change from working life. yup, i'm retired! i worked for years sniffing bags at the airport. San Francisco was nice, but one gets tired of hunting for fruits, meats, plants, flowers, seeds, and donuts (wait, i'm not supposed to be looking for those. heehee). and i didn't even get to eat them. now i go hunting for squirrels, cats, and raccoons, but i haven't caught any... yet.

for my first blog post, let's talk about my favorite subject... FOOD! i love food. "it's like my own personal brand of heroin" hahaha... like that vampire kid says on Twilight (hippofairy makes me watch those Twilight vampire movies). i cannot resist FOOD. hippofairy said i have a good "food drive" that's why i was a good working dog. i would search and find stuff for the "positive reinforcement"... FOOD. it's better than money, of course, because, money doesn't taste good! being retired has allowed me to learn new things, like how to open zippers and granola bar wrappers. these skills are important, so i'll never starve if left by myself. my favorite foods are donuts, strawberries, dried fish, sausages, cereal, and bread, but i'll eat practically anything that i can get, even kimchi, ume (pickled plums), natto (fermented soybeans), broccoli, carrots, oranges, and tomatoes. what are your favorite foods?
i look forward to your comments! see you next time!

aloha,
dottie :)

Strange Etsy

2010-10-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

I LOVE ETSY!

and 99% of the things i find on there are amazing pieces of craftsmanship, art, or fun supplies.

the rest... well... i came across a few today that i'd like to share.

they aren't bad, but i wonder... who would buy that? or who would buy that for that price? and sometimes... it's just bad photography.

like this peanut butter fudge. i'm sure this is what it looks like in the pan, but are you going to send it like that? aren't you going to cut it? or if you want to take a picture of it in the pan...
this is better:

don't you think? it's a little classier. prettier... will probably sell more than a brown blob...
but to me, the best way to sell fudge is like this:

doesn't that look like something you'd want to eat?

another example of "Strange Etsy" are some postcards:

it's a line drawing. like the kind you make when you're really bored or talking on the phone. this one is a postcard, so it costs $4. really? it's cute and all, but i don't think i would pay $4 for it, would you? the seller has 14 different postcards to sell you. maybe it's you style?

another... a bit offensive?

yes. nice photo. but... really. what?! cancer? and this postcard sells for $3.25 (plus $1 for shipping). the description says to give this to someone when they get cancer. uuhhhh.... hhhmmmm....

now something not so disturbing, but i don't know who would buy something like that...

now, that's one BIG ball to have on your head. it is well made, and a very nice photo, but wow. that's a giant pompom! this size would work well on a suitcase. nobody will mistakenly take your bag with one of these on it!

now this is cute.

still a bit strange, but not as obscene. don't you think?

anyways, those were a few of the things existing in Strange Etsy-land. i'm sure there are lots out there if you're looking for them. maybe i'll come across more during my searches for treasures. :)

I ♥ Your Blog! Swap-bot swap

2010-10-19T00:55:00.000-07:00

I swap with Swap-bot!

I joined a Swap-bot swap hosted by Jex in Mexico.
here's her blog:

Jex has got a very pretty layout for her blog and she writes about crafting and swapping. some things are in Spanish, but i understand enough to read most of her posts. she's posted a few good tutorials and i'll try making that pincushion soon!

here's a quick review of the blogs of my fellow participants:

http://seren.nu/ - i love her background (with the coffee cup, crumpled up paper, and eraser). she is definitely a writer! and a good one at that. :) i'm very impressed with her endeavor to read 100 books in 2010. she's already at 83! no pictures on this blog, but her writing is very witty and entertaining.

ilovetubby - a cute blog with a fun pincushion tutorial. i want to make one of these too. :) she's got a fun list of blogs that she follows too. might have to check some of those out.

ksj1717 : fun blog by a stay at home mom of 3. she write about everyday life and includes some fun crafting ideas. she posts lots of pictures and has tons of buttons. :) i like buttons. :)

onlyincambodia : she write a lot about Cambodia (which is very interesting to me since i know very very little about the country) and posts some beautiful pictures on her blog. i like her opinions and insight in politics.

AlteredArtFreak : i love the background of this blog. i might steal it for my own. :) nah. she posts about the process of making her beautiful quilt (with great pictures). i love the pictures of her Siamese cat in the tub. :)

cfchai : a cute blog that is easy to read. some of her posts are unreadable (in a foreign language), she writes very simply, but is very thoughful. does that make sense? it was interesting to read about her vacation to Batam since she included her whole schedule! :) cute blog to read.

scrapkween : such a fun blog to read. she posts lots of pictures and i love that there's a calendar, an art quote and painting of the day, and a sudoku game to play. go excuse to come back again and see if she's posted something new. she loves Jesus and so do I. definitely following this blog!

betterthannaked : a fun blog for her vintage shop. i love her style. she's in my neighborhood too. maybe i can visit her at one of the craft fairs or vintage shows around Southern California. she also posts about designers too. i really should read this to learn more about fashion. i'm so out of it! ;)

missmuffcake: lots of love for skulls. i like the recipes she shares too. she's got quite a bit of posts in her archives, so there's lots to read. my favorite post is about the Peanut Butter Plan (giving sandwiches to the needy). she's such a great person, i'd love to read more!

myeow: a crafty blog! i love crafty blogs. the layout is so cute with the ribbon and buttons... very crafty. :) my favorite post was about the Aranzi World Caravan. she posted great photos of the cutest mascots! i have a few of the Aranzi Aronzo books. they're some of my favorite crafting books. she even posted about making a couple of the bears too! cute!

Riechan: she's an architecture student that likes crafting and Japanese things. fun to read blog about her life and things she likes, like shopping. :) i really like her Photograph Fridays. she takes some great pictures. and she's got a fun video of her Junque Journal. i want to make one too. a book full of "stuff". :)

Brooklyne: a crafty blog! she does giveaways too. and her "Sundays Off" is a great idea. i should do that. take a day for just me. no email, no Swap-bot (WHAT?!), no computer, no twitter. how will i survive?! but i think i should try it. she posts about great Etsy finds too. love!

Lima: a blog full of fun and pictures. she posts a lot about what she likes and about her swaps on Swap-bot. she does a bit of crafting and cooking/baking too. it's fun to see her creations!

Angelbaby2: a very nice blog about the happenings of the family. sad to hear that her daughter broke her arm, but interesting to hear about what they had to go through. what an experience!

SALES! :)

2010-10-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

i love sales. i love finding a good deal. don't you?

here are some great websites i found that i thought i'd share with you! :)

these sites are FREE! and have deals that are only available for a limited time, so there's lots of deals and they're always changing. and if you refer friends, like i am, you can earn some extra money to spend too. :) they will send out email reminders too, so you don't miss out on a sale.

Ruelala - this is high fashion. but at a discount, so it's not too expensive. they have lots of clothing and jewelry. on Sunday nights they have the Style-athon with great deals on (yes, you guessed it) clothes. :) right now they have deals on cutting boards, spa days, clothes, shoes, bags, rugs, jewelry, cookies and sunglasses. there's not a lot for men on this site, but my husband has found a few things he really liked (sunglasses, jeans and a sweater). Shipping is set at $10 no matter how much by buy. this was a great deal for me, since i just bought a whole bunch of ceramic dishes (plates, bowls, serving dishes, mugs) for Christmas gifts... those are heavy! and they ship via UPS.

Gilt Group - this site is a little easier to use. it's still a bit highend, but it's sectioned off into catagories: men, women, children, home, city, gifts and jetsetter. Shipping is via UPS and $8 for an order less than $50 and $10 for an order over $50. and... Jetsetter is for deals for hotels/suites, and City is for deals in your city (like restaurants, local shops, spas, theater shows, and local hotels. i've personally bought $13 for $25 worth of tea at a Beverly Hills tea shop. good excuse to go to Beverly Hills, huh? :) oh, and once you make a purchase, the deal is good for a few months after, like i have to go get my tea by the end of the year.

Groupon - MY FAVORITE! :) you really should check this one out to see if they're active in your neighborhood. i've bought multiple deals and they have new ones EVERYDAY so you have to check back often. it's more like Gilt Groups' City portion. these deals are for local businesses: restaurants, museums, theaters and the like. i've got the iPhone app so i can keep all my deals on my phone until i'm ready to redeem them (once you buy the deal, it's good for at least a couple of months). here's what i've bought so far:

$10 for $20 Worth of Handmade Chocolate and More at Madame Chocolat in Beverly Hills - who doesn't love chocolate! and for half off? even better! i can go to Beverly Hills and get my chocolate AND tea! :)
$9 for Six Cupcakes at Frosted Cupcakery ($17.70 Value) - mmm... cupcakes! this place is not far from where i work. i might have to pick these up to celebrate my birthday next week.
$35 for a Family Membership to the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden ($70 Value) - i love botanical gardens. a membership is worth it, i think. even if we don't go often, i like to donate too.
$99 for a Sensual Dinner for Two at Opaque—Dining in the Dark in Santa Monica ($198 Value) - dinner in the DARK. i've heard a lot about this place, but never had a chance to try it. now, i can for half off! how exciting! to eat without seeing... to only feel, taste, smell and hear. now that's an experience!
One-Day Admission or a Bamboo-Level Membership to Pacific Asia Museum. - ($4 for $9 admission) not bad for a day at the museum. i've been here before, but i'd like to see all the art again.

here's the current deal:

i hope you'll check out these sites. like i said, they're FREE! and i've gotten some great deals. i hope you will, too!

i am hippofairy

2010-10-15T01:40:00.000-07:00

i was listening to the radio about 15 years ago and heard a childrens' program about marine biology. it was a child asking about different animals and the adult asked the child something like, "if a hippo had a fairy god mother, what would she look like?" the child had no idea... and the adult's response was A MANATEE! :) i love manatees and i love hippos. i immediately thought of hippos dancing around in tutus (like Disney's Fantasia hippos) with wings!

how funny and how fun! i fell in love with the idea and i was just getting into the internet and Ebay... oh Ebay. so i needed a new email address (besides my school email) and created my hotmail email address: hippofairy@hotmail.com

i'm also hippofairy here on blogger, on Swap-bot, Postcrossing, and Etsy.

recently i've started thinking that maybe i should change my name to something more adult that doesn't need an explanation. like, once i got asked in a chat room if i was a big fat gay guy. ohhhh mmyyy... but i guess if you think of a "hippo fairy" in that way... it kinda makes sense, doesn't it! i thought it was really funny, but a little disturbing too.

but after thinking it over, i decided to keep my funny little name. it makes people smile. :)

i got a custom graphic made by an Etsy seller, Lyzard914, who had a sweet hippo printable card set up in her shop. she added wings and sent me the set.

it's now up in my Etsy profile (soon i'll add more things to my shop) and my avatar on other various sites.

cute huh?

here's the button:

I've joined BLOGGERS UNITED!

2010-10-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

i'm very happy to say that i've found another site to keep me blogging.

Bloggers United is a new site/group and "is the place to share ideas, promote your blog and take part in challenges to keep your blog fun, fresh and interesting!"

for the month of November, they are doing a blog prompt challenge... and of course i've joined!
we'll see if i can keep up with all the prompts, but it sounds like fun and a good challenge!

and i've learned how to add buttons to my blog... cute buttons, huh?

Happy OCTOBER!

2010-10-13T01:09:00.000-07:00

October mean HALLOWEEN... and i've had Halloween on my mind recently... lots of Swap-bot swaps to keep me inspired, and i'll have a Halloween crafty day with a couple of friends this Saturday, too!

here's my Halloween so far:

"Halloween spooktacular parcel"

entire package includes a mini vampire bat stuffie, a handmade Halloween card, a witch pinback button, a skull charm, Halloween hair accessories

close up of the creepy skull charm (to use as a zipper pull or add to a necklace or bracelet)

and the mini vampire bat felt stuffie

For the same swap, i received from Spencerette:

I made a mini owl felt stuffie sent for the "Halloween Whimsey Jar Swap"

and put together the jar and it's contents:

and here's the jar i got for the swap from cinnabear:

see the skull i used for the charm? :)

and a Mini Halloween Inspiration Kit full of crafty goodies:

and some yummies i sent for the Swap-bot swap, "Halloween Swap" in the Edibles Swappers International group

but my favorites so far are...

CREEPY ZOMBIE BUNNY with BRAIN (or he's dinner)

and VAMPIRE BUNNY

i used the tutorial from Urban Threads and made the vampire first... without the machine embroidery... and then i tweeked it to create my very own zombie ! and i added a tail to both.

Halloween isn't for another couple of weeks, so i still have time to use all those Stampin' Up and Martha Stewart stamps i bought... and those Sizzix dies... but then i could still make Halloween stuff for next year! :)

what do you remember about 9/11?

2010-09-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

(Two beams of light represent the former Twin Towers of the World Trade Center during the 2004 memorial of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Photo by Derek Jensen (Tysto), 2004-September-11)

it once again is the anniversary (is that the right word to use?) of September 11, 2001 when the Twin Towers were taken down by two planes hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists, another hijacked plane hit the Pentagon, and another hijacked plane went down in Pennsylvania when the crew and passengers retook control on it's way to another target in DC (thank God). Nearly 3,000 deaths with more than 6,000 injuries.

So many deaths, so many questions. where were you when this happened? what were you doing? this is one of those events that everybody remembers, right?

i was sleeping when the towers went down, since i was living in Hawaii and it was in the middle of the night (6 hours earlier than the East Coast). I came downstairs in the morning and i thought my mom was watching a movie. I thought it was weird that she would be watching a movie this early in the morning, especially when she would miss the ending because she would need to leave for work. it took me a few minutes to wake up enough to see that she was watching THE NEWS! i was in shock for a while. i couldn't believe what i was seeing and hearing. how could something like this happen to us? this is the twenty-first century, for crying out loud!

according to Wikipedia this is the chain of events:

"Early on the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen hijackers took control of four commercial airliners en route to San Francisco and Los Angeles from Boston, Newark, and Washington, D.C. (Washington Dulles International Airport).^[3] At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 was crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower, followed by United Airlines Flight 175 which hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.^[7]^[8]
Another group of hijackers flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m.^[9] A fourth flight, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m, after the passengers on board engaged in a fight with the hijackers. Its ultimate target was thought to be either the Capitol (the meeting place of the United States Congress) or the White House."

i won't post them, but here's a link to some Yahoo! News photos of 9/11.

Like most people, these events changed my life. my job with the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service turned into a position with President Bush's new Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Program. basically, it changed my uniform, added to my duties, and opened my eyes to the growing threat to our nation and our way of life.

here's something for you to flip through: the summer CBP magazine
and something to watch when you're ready to see some law enforcement kick some butt.

i got to see Ground Zero in the summer of 2002. it was still a giant pile of rubble. it was horrible, yet amazing all at once. i knew there were buildings standing there, not long ago, and now they were gone. i knew lots of people died there, and possibly some were still lost in the mess. i knew that many prayed for these people. i saw the flags, pictures, ribbons... all tied to the barriers around the area. i knew that people from everywhere came to pay their respects and mourn and reflect on the tragedy.

i have not forgotten. i pray that something like this never happens again. i hope that we can prevent another attack. but i also hope that if and when it comes.... we will be ready.

P90X kicks my butt!

2010-09-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

OMGosh... i am ready to pass out... but more likely, i'll just fall over and cry. I just finished the WHOLE P90X Plyometrics workout. it's a one hour session including warm-up and cool-down. there are little water breaks in between, but you're pretty much constantly moving the whole time. and how many different types of squats do you think they could think up? frog squats, jumping-jack squats, running-stance squats... but my favorite is the Hopping Heisman. i can make pretend i'm a football player. hahahhahahaha...

it's funny to try and type when you're delirious. :) and this is only day 2! of 90! wow. yesterday, i only got half way through the chest and back work out. tomorrow is shoulders and arms. we'll see how long i can last through that one.

this should make up for the birthday cake i had for a co-worker's birthday today. :)

P.S. like my Waldo socks?

my fancy dinner at Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi

2010-09-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

a couple of weeks ago, a few friends decided to go out for a fancy dinner to celebrate their wedding! we didn't get to go to their bachelor/ette weekend in Palm Springs because i was sick, but really...who wants to go to the desert in the middle of summer? i'm not a spa girl, so i think i would be bored anyway.

so we drove all the way to Santa Monica to go to....

Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi

it's really dark in there, and so i had to be a bitch and take some picture with some HORRIBLE flash! but i don't care. the food was AMAZING and i wanted to remember it. i don't think people take a lot of pictures in there... nobody else was making flashes except for me... and it was SO dark that the waiter handed out flashlights with the menus to some of the tables.

here's some of what we ate:

Prosciutto e melone: i hate melon. but i love this dish. for some reason, i can eat this fruit that i'm allergic to with prosciutto. it's sweet and the ham is salty... and somehow it's just perfect.

Rucola & parmigiano insalate: i love cheese. and they don't skimp. the salad is also not swimming in some greasy dressing. the arugula is fresh and spicy! i love it!

asparagus ravioli: okay, so this was a special, so i don't know what the fancy Italian name was for it, but the handmade ravioli was so ONO! (that's delicious in Hawaiian) BROKE DA MOUTH!

Profiterole and lemon sorbet: i love profiteroles. and i could've licked the plate clean of that dark chocolate sauce. ooohhh... so good! it's not too sweet, and not too rich. handmade vanilla bean ice cream. mmm... my husband ordered the lemon sorbet (served in a real hollowed out lemon) and he said it was really good. :) really lemony!

the food was perfect and the company was fun. it's always fun to go out with friends and share food and stories. :) i really should do this more often.

well, as you can see.. i love my food. and i love to take pictures of them! if you'd like to see other things i've eaten, check out my flickr set "eat food"
I wish i had a fancy camera with a macro lens to get some professional shots, but i usually only carry around my pocket sized Canon PowerShot SD750.

do you love to take pictures of your food too? what kind of camera do you use?

Los Angeles County Fair 2010

2010-09-07T01:59:00.000-07:00

HAPPY LABOR DAY! what did you do for Labor Day? i was blessed enough to have the day off! yay! my husband and i went to the Los Angeles County Fair for the first time. it was quite an experience and i took a lot of pictures!

here's how crowded it was.

this is the farm area that we spent most of our time in. i love animals!

most of the animals looked content

and there was a little bunny that escaped and was hiding under the bird cage (but he was so sneaky so i couldn't get a picture of him).

but the petting zoo was a little pitiful. the animals didn't look happy in the crowd so we avoided it all together.

since it is a county fair... i thought i would show you the biggest pumpkin of the year! at least for me! and my husband is there to give you some perspective.

there were also pony rides

and something strange that they called a circus

there were even elephants

and then i always remember tyke. poor tyke.

a mini zoo with an emu

a kangaroo

and some porcupines

at the fair grounds are the Railroad Museum and the NHRA Motorsports Museum (i'll tell you more about them in another post)

and i brought home a t-shirt to remember my day at the fair!

i've added more photos to my flickr if you'd like to see more from the fair.
and i'll post more about the other competitions (arts, crafts, baking) from the fair later.

have a great short work week!

Happy Holiday Weekend!

2010-09-05T02:44:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to have 3 days off in a row! (is it row or roll?) well, i got to sleep in this morning, play around on Facebook, make a nice turkey burger and berry smoothie for brunch, watch JAWS and then spent the night at a friend's bbq! here's a picture of all the dogs in attendance tonight!

that's Jeff and Burn (with human, Wenyee), Dottie and Joe (with human, Matt) and Crash and Krista (with human, Cory)

we had lots of yummy food, entertaining conversation, and funny doggy antics!
what a nice relaxing Saturday!

New Blog!

2010-09-04T01:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog! i've been blogging on Posterous but it was a bit difficult to figure out and i had to email the post. i found blogger to be easier to set up and customize. we'll see how this goes for the rest of the month, since i've challenged myself to blog EVERYDAY of September. :)

the photobooth pictures above are taken with laphotocabine and my computer's built-in camera. this would be great for parties, don't you think?

HEY! HAPPY INTERNATIONAL BACON DAY! yay! i love bacon... it's meat candy! in honor of this great day, i'm having some Vosges Mo's Dark Bacon Bar! yummm... i love this. it's sweet and salty and smokey. have you had bacon and chocolate? maybe today you should try some!

but if you don't want to have bacon with your chocolate... maybe just some chocolate?
mmm... my new favorite chocolate. :)

happy Saturday!