Paint & Flowers

I need to finish this painting. Or at least tweak it so I like it. I had a huge open space above my fireplace in my last apartment and decided we should paint something to fill it. Well I was just getting into acrylics (literally, just getting into. This might have been the 1st thing I ever really painted). Well no one else was painting so I just picked up a brush and had at it. That was a couple years ago. It's still not finished but hangs on our diningroom wall. Mandy makes it look pretty cool when she brings flowers home like this. I need to finish this. Anyone know a place where I can get inspiration and talent that's nearby? Maybe I'll try Michael's. Hahaa. jk :)

Post Its

So if you've followed my blog at all you'll know that I'm a big fan of graffitt art. I headed out to the Motherland for Memmorial and was SO excited when I came across these:

So along the highway through the Navajo Nation, you'l see a lot of these jewelry stands. There are a bunch here to attract Grand Canyon tourists and road trippers. I don't know who the artist is here. Some of the pastes were ripped down and others I didn't get pics of. They were mostly along the Tuba City junction area. So what do you think? I'm just happy to think that the art is spreading through Navajo Lands and its awesome to see that the art is Navajo based as well, our staples: sheep (dibe aren't they so cute?) and corn (nadaan), ha! I'm kicking myself for not turning around to grab some other photos. We decided we could just stop on our way back but ended up heading home a different way. Anyways, let me know what you think!

Aho! :)

Move Your Body

We'll be practicing this video at our house tonight.  You're invited.  We're gonna look so cool next time we at da club, or maybe just in our livingroom :)




(p.s. Ohana, we can do this at our next reunion!)

Aguas Fresca

Summer time and the livings easy. So, if you don't know by now, I'm a HUGE Anthro fan.  This little recipe came in a recent e-mail and I thought I'd share it.  I love aguas (de sandia, melon, fresa, etc.). I'm going to try this. I never make my own, just buy them from local Panaderias/mercados.  What would be really cool is to make them with my own strawberries, from my cute little strawberry pot (guess that means I need to grow some mint now-guess that could balance out my two cilantro plants; wait, I think I'm down to one cilantro plant now....). Disfruta!

via Anthropologie email (p.s. I'm lovin the summer catalog, so many "wants!")

Shima

I meant to do this yesterday:

I have the best mom in the world, love you mom :)

Water Colour

Ages ago I took a water colour class with my mother at the local Senior Citizen center (have I shared this before?). It was a night class and our teacher was female.  I, was the youngest in the bunch. I learned how to manipulate paint, proper brush care, the wonders of a light box, etc. with group of older women. I loved it.  I had so much fun painting (I don't really remember much technique, but still love to paint when I make the time).  I always used my mothers paints and brushes (never had my own) and perhaps in college I acquired more, but if I had they've since been lost.  I have a series of water colour crayons and pencils that I've used and a little hard paint kit (this is my current collection).  I've been wanting to get back into painting again (I took a little side path and ventured into acrylics) but over all, water colours, you have my heart (I have yet to try the other painting mediums).  So I did it.  I splurged and bought me a basic color set.  I. Love. It. Paint it tubes is so much different from hard color sets (not sure of the exact name, but you know the ones I'm talking about, the kind you that looks like the Crayola set you had as a kid...but mine is a bit a step up from that). I hate to admit that I've actually owned this set for probably a couple months now and have finally broken it out.  I didn't really paint anything fantastic, just played around with the color and my brushes, but it was fun just the same.  Perhaps if I get something decent I'll post pics.  If not, know that I'm enjoying my time with my paints, paper and ideas. Happy painting! 
P.S. Does anyone else NOT proof read before they submit? Or is it just me????

Publish Post

(photos via here and here)

23's My Favorite Number :)

Not gonna lie, this brought a little tear to my eye. Play off season is join us, and seriously I haven't paid attention since the likes of Jordan, Pippen, Stockton, Malone, Barkley, Grant Hill etc. were on the court. Oh,  Mr.#23, Kobe ain't got nuthin on you.  Watch "1998: Jordan's Last Shot" on YouTube

Pour oNe Out foR da HoMie

Poor Nate Dogg. Like Snoop said, he "put the G in G-Funk, the 1 in the 213..." He will be missed! The following is a good article reminiscencent of Nate's influence on the rap/hip hop world (P.S. the music videos aren't edited!):
Remembering Nate Dogg: Tweets and Tracks From Collaborators 50 Cent, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, the Game, Xzibit and Daz Dillinger - OC Weekly Music - Heard Mentality

Forced Insomnia

I should be sleeping right now.  I'm on a job that requires early mornings of me and I really should be in bed (I blame it on a birthday dinner with the Jarvies for Lisa's birthday and Mandy's DELICIOUS cake).  I was in bed before 8 yesterday night and know I will pay for this tomorrow.  Anyways, I really do need to get in bed so just wanted to post some of my musical loves of late (the ones I keep playing, and playing), then sleepy time.  Here we go:

Mix Tape: Uno
Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You
Lil Wayne - 6 Foot 7 Foot (Edited)
Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Justin Beiber - Stuck in the Moment
Lykke Li - Dance, dance, dance
Ice Cube - You Know How We Do It
Nicki Minaj - Your Love
Rihanna - What's My Name?

Painting My Thumb GREEN

If I don't naturally have a "green thumb," I'll fake it. Here goes, time to pull out the paints....this is what I have so far:

 I rescued this jade, can't remember where, but it was discarded and abandoned (perhaps broken off a larger plant? I dunno, just know that I made a HUGE difference in this one's life). Oh, and I used my birthday discount at Antro on these two pots (love them), don't worry, that's not the only thing I bought ;) The rock came from Montana perhaps? Not sure either (man I forget too much), but I'm pretty sure I was acquired during field camp (that's Geology Field Camp for all you out-of-the-departmenters).

 Here's the stolen aloe! So huge! And so lovely in its new, roomie home :) Those shoes you ask? Where did I get them? What? You've never seen them before? Right. So I LOVE these shoes (Mandy recently commented, "You're shoes are really dirty." I think she thinks they make me look homeless), and I wear them basically every chance I get (I'm wearing them right as I type).

 I got this cactus in LA (it was very little way back when).  I was on the job in Glassell Park when we saw TONS of cactus in this driveway that had been chopped to pieces. Apparently the owner was chopping it down because it became so massive that it was crumbling this CEMENT front porch.  I guess this should have been a clue as to how much she would grow.  She loves light and is going crazy. I love it.  P.S. If anyone want to break the top off and re-plant, let me know I've already done this twice and sent some home with my parents (she has no problem growing back and, in fact, I think she enjoys it very, very, much).

 This part of the house is basically the only place that gets good sun (south facing), so this is where all my plants go. I'll have to rearrange things once I get/make the planter I want for my little potted garden.

 Hello lovelies (can you tell I LOVE succulents?).

 What's up Mr. Aloe?

Rescued aloe (I might have taken some shoots after the gardeners trimmed a patch).