Rad Ass Radish

Uh-oh. There she goes again...with her veggies.

Am I becoming, like, The Veggie Lady? Hmmm, maybe I'm ok with that...?


My latest is a spicy little root, Randall, the Rad Ass Radish.

Please click here to visit Randall at my Etsy Boutique and see his full portfolio of pictures + cheeky bio.

All I can say is thanks to some cancelled plans, a bit of rainy weather and my recent love of all things red - radishes are appearing out of thin air up in here.

Well, maybe just two.

Hope that your weekend is equally colorful, vibrant, fun and relaxing.

xo

I'm calling her Jan

Here is our newest family member. Quite photogenic, wouldn't you agree??

Haha. I've had my ol' Kenmore for a good 10 years and really didn't think that I needed anything more than that. So I kinda shrugged him off when Jzboy said he wanted to give me a new machine for Christmas. Then we browsed a few Sew & Vac shops and a couple Janome/Babylock dealers. Didn't take me long to change my attitude. Jzboy did a lot of the research - because there are some serious techie points to consider. I fell in love with this Janome after getting a very good demo, a promise of lessons for the life of the machine and that was that. Those lessons are certainly going to come in handy as I have NO IDEA what to do with 14 feet!

Christmas gift + a full liquidation of the Jade fund x limitless creative opportunities = Priceless Distraction for Waiting IA Mother2Be

Steppin' it up a notch...or 20.

Riddle Me This

What has the largest arm of its kind, the accuracy and control of a racehorse, 14 fully functional feet, speaks 10 different languages and purrs like a kitten?

Today

This is how I feel about it today.


Maybe I'll feel differently tomorrow.

Walk on the Wild Side

Unveiling my very first....Wild Blueberry! Her name is Indigo.


You all realize that I'm mowing through the baby name list that I've kept for...hmmm...I think 15 odd years. So this is what I decided today: Because there is very little, if nothing, that I can do about all the bad news floating around our IA cyber community - I'm gonna take the blues and make blueberries. Rationalizes all the time spent on this project as well as the zoning-out diversion that they've provided...reruns of The Office helped, too.

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Click here to see more pictures of Indigo. I'll be adding more blueberries over the next few days...so stop by my etsy boutique for updates.

Wordless Wednesday....

Why the Rain Rocks

It is our rainy season here in California & I couldn't be happier. Right now we've got this cool weather system going through dumping a boat-load of rain and treating us to some very rarely heard Thunder & Lightening! We've been very lucky & haven't lost power or experienced anything more than finding a few shingles on the ground. So far the storming has been great and here are some reasons why:

1. It's amusing to watch the cats respond to booming thunder by doing that skootchy walk low to the ground.

2. Drinking homemade lattes & finishing up the last of the Christmas cookies.

3. Time spent communing with the TV - Rainy Day Movies (we saw the Outsiders) & nail-biting football games (we were rooting for the Steelers).

Better luck next year.

4. Good excuse to put off the yardwork one more weekend...combined with hopeful prayers that this rain will make up for my poor gardening ethic over the past few months.

5. The all day dark skies give permission (& inspiration) for napping, crafting, reading, relaxing.....

6. Time to finally make my annual New Years Hoppin' John blackeyed peas. Btw, is it still lucky if you imbibe 4-5 days after the 1st?



7. Holiday Decor is Packed - yesssssss!!

8. We can keep a close eye on our sick cat, Cleo. (Anyone out there in cyberland have experience treating a pet for Diabetes?)


This picture was taken before Cleo got sick - now all Iris seems to want to do is bite her on the back & (maybe?) kill her? You know how cats sense when another is sick? Its weird and, yes, Cleo is safely quarantined.

9. Playing with new Christmas Gifts that got lost under the tree...like my 24-Pack of Ultra Fine Point Sharpies and Bend the Rules Sewing book!

10. Did I mention crafting????? I finally finished my third (& final?) Wild Carrot....Paige.


I hadn't planned on giving her glasses, but was inspired to do so after signing up for an Etsy contest. The topic for the challenge is "Science" & Paige is a clever, smart little carrot that dreams of going to UCBerkeley to study Information & Library Science. You wouldn't believe all the cool stuff that has been submitted so far - there are some very interesting and talented folks on Etsy.

Click here for more pictures of Paige at my Etsy Boutique

Anyway, it felt like a Project Runway-esque activity and anyone that knows me knows that I love a good, old fashioned contest/game. I'll definitely post when it is time to vote, so you can see all of the entries! Til' then, it is back to catching up around the house & around bloggersville...while we brace for the next round of storming.

XO

Rusty's Got a Sister!

And, I've named her Ginger.

Click here for more detailed pictures of Ginger at my Etsy Boutique

There may be one more Wild Carrot in the works...but now I've got Wild Blueberries on my mind. (Cue maniacal laughter) Yes, I have officially gone mad. The good thing is that I'm mostly ok with that & I'm having fun.

Happy New Year, ya'll.

XO

Its Still Wednesday

(Late, but Wordless None-tha-Less)

Only B/C I Haven't Heard It Yet Today...the Waitresses

Long Live the 80's. Big Hair. Big Lights. Big Time.

Hope that the holiday met your expectations. XO

Mister Heat Blister

Guess What's Onnnnn Toooo-Night????

Here's to a happy, healthy and groovy holiday to everyone.

XO - wzgirl

Gasp!

Go over and visit Cuteable.com...

(click here)

...to see what took my breath away this morning.

Yay! I think that this is just what I needed this morning. Like an early Christmas gift.

Thanks, Cuteable! XO

My First Doll!

It has been a while in coming - but my first doll has made the transition from the drawing board in my head to reality!



I'm calling it a Wild Carrot that goes by the name of Rusty (after the band Rusted Root). There are more on the way, if only I didn't have to do the old 9 to 5 thing - sewing and playing around with color is sooo much more fun.

Here's a link to Rusty's home on Etsy - and if you'd like to see more pictures!

Yay!

Feuerzangenbowle

I thought that I'd gotten the best White Elephant gift evah a good few years ago when I scored this album:


It remains one of my all time fave cds & is frequently played as background music for social gatherings. I was willing to accept whatever crappy gift I might get in the future b/c I felt that I'd gotten my end-all/be-all gift and that was probably my quota for this lifetime as far as the Dirty Santa game was concerned. Fine.

Last night, however, lucky ol' me actually ended up with an extremely cool White Elephant gift that may outdo the Beastie Boys - we will have to see. First impressions, though, are high on the cool/unique/intriguing factor!

Here's a pic of the gift:


And, here is what is inside:


It is all the ingredients for a real-live-authentic Feuerzangenbowle. Aka - German Burnt Punch, Crambambuli...or "Flaming Fire Tongs Punch". A blazing spirited beverage which was made famous by a 1940's German movie called Die Feuerzangenbowle. Apparantly the show is all about a man who imbibed a bit too much of the firey drink, dressed up as a student and goes back to school at the urging of his drinking buddies.

Gotta love a good German Comedy....one that has (according to University of Google) inspired a cult following all over Europe. Have you see this one, Dad?

Anyway, sounds pretty cool doesn't it? Some of the key ingredients include fresh, organic oranges & lemons, cloves, juniper berries, a bay leaf and cinnamon sticks. Some of these:


Sugar Loaves....

And some of this:


Super, duper strong Rum (at least 54% alcohol). Whoa. Plus you add wine to that! Prost!

Ok, and that funky looking sheath-thing above the bottle of moonshine? That is an integral part of this entire process. It is called a "Feuerzange" and holds the "Zuckerhut" (or SugarLoaf) above the pot of punch while you douse it with the hooch and then light it afire.

Oh. My. God.

I found some great vids online of people engaging in the holiday Feuerzangenbowle - and it looks very cool. Especially if you like lighting stuff on fire...and then drinking it. Anyone know Deutsch?

(Contrary to the celebrants in this vid - you are NEVER supposed to pour the rum from the bottle onto the flame...ahem)

Stay tuned b/c you know that we are so going to blog this....now, who wants to come over????????

Alles Gute! Herzlichen Glückwunsch!

Sometimes Dreams Change

Anyone else get goosebumps?

And, maybe a teary eye?

Mexico Lindo

Ah....Mexico.


Mexico - Mexico - Mexico - Mexico.

Si, Mexico.


As a Californian, visiting Mexico feels a lot like being at home. The food, the language, the mellow vibe. I only ate fish and vegetables & I couldn't have been happier. We got a few nice souvenirs but the best one was the tan on our Sorry-Ass-Northern-Californian-Hides. We were in the sea as much as we were on the sand ~ and ~ as much as we were sipping frosty drinks in town post sunset. It was excellent. Muy Bueno, for sure.

Isla Mujeres was our destination. Same place we visited last November. Lovely wee island.


The sands are powdery white and the sun is all too kind this time of year. No sunburns, no blisters...no phone, no internet, no stress. LOTS o' Chillaxin'. Very nice combo.


The sunsets - ah, the sunsets. And, the beautiful blue agua. Gorgeous.

I'll save the food-love for another post, but suffice to say, it was wonderful.


This year we stayed close to the town center of Isla. Cheaper and quieter but still incredibly close to la playa. We found this sweet hotel called The Francis Arlene and scored with the top floor room. I couldn't help but refer to it as The Penthouse. Not only did it rock to reside without others above us - but we got the entire rooftop patio to ourselves the entire TIME! How flippin' cool is that? A nice benefit of being able to travel on the "shoulder" season, I think.


Last November we took a trip to the Yucatan to visit Chichen Itza - this year we embraced the beach and only boarded a bus to get to/from the airport. Good Call. It was nice to unpack our bags and hang on the island solamente.


The main reason we went to Isla Mujeres over Thanksgiving was because of a promise that Jzboy & I had made to each other. Last November we vowed that if we weren't back from China with our child by that time - we would return to the lovely island. Funny thing is that now we're thinking that an annual visit may just be essential for our souls.

Whatever may come...this is how we're feeling now. Now is good.

Be. Here. Now.


Our mantra, as much of a struggle as it feels at times, is how we'll try to focus. As my dear buddy, Barb (who happens to be a Shaman), says - we will strive to be "Grounded In The Present".

Easily (& Thankfully) Distracted

While on vacation I had all of these creative vibes going so by the time I got home, I was totally stoked to have a blissfully mellow weekend nearly alone with my Kenmore. Here's what I did:


I fell in love with this Matryoshka fabric because of the colors and the cute factor. To me, it was an excellent basis for a holiday project. A bit of sketching on the beach & I have an original design! Yay. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to create something with my own pattern...my own vision. Sweet.

Click here for more detail & pics....

So, that being said, I do have a doll pattern coming to life. She/He is slightly beyond rough draft & I'm really looking forward to some time to play around with fabrics/design soon. My goal is to have some for my Etsy shop in early 2008!

This Etsy thing has been a great distraction for me in the midst of the holiday season and considering all of the adoption referral/timelines uncertainty. When I'm busy, creatively engaged and positively distracted - I can cope. You can only spend so much time in Mexico or on the motorcycle to distance yourself from rumors and angst. This is my newfound elixir.

Thanks to everyone who has dropped by my shop and given me feedback...& sales!

xo

View from the BeachTowel

And, oh what a view it was!



We're back from Mexico & although quite chillllly, very happy to be home.

Who's even happier? Iris, of course.


More later, I actually spent some time with my notebook this trip.

XO

Bringing Sexy Back

That was my response when a old friend asked if I needed my head checked when I told him about our motorcycle trip. Especially when he realized that we'd be covering well over 400 miles. "Cuz' we're 'Bringing Sexy Back', I explained".

Doesn't that sound like a good idea?


Jzboy had his own reasons for wanting to get his bike (& perhaps his wife?) going. But I had to find something flip - with an amusing catchphrase - to afford me some distance between my fear and my desire. Whatever works, right?

Once I put aside the images of crashes, fire, ambulances and paraplegia - I really got into it. It actually took less time than I'd imagined, maybe a half hour or so into the trip. In retrospect, I think that I was more concerned about Jzboy's safety than my own.

And, he was fine.

Surprisingly, I ended up feeling a lot safer than I ever thought I could. I think that my calm had to do with our finding a very quiet road to start our journey, riding as a group (you're much easier to see when there are three bikes vs. one), traveling with friends that embrace the importance of taking breaks, a partner that tells you earnestly that "the passenger is boss" (& that said "boss" is "precious cargo" to him) and the promise of winetasting and bountiful dining options at the end of the journey. Nice.

Here is kinda how we got there:


Highway 25 was beautiful and it seemed that we had the road to ourselves once we got past Pinnacles National Monument. The dusty, craggy hillside and one lane road made me forget that I was in California & gave me flashbacks of motocycle films I'd seen and panoramas I'd imagined as a backdrop for such an adventure. It was beautiful, meditative and humbling.

Jen & her Hubs were the inspiration for this trip. About a month ago, at their pre-pre baby shower/adoption referral announcement dinner they casually invited us to tag along with them on this trip. Both of them are wayyy experienced on the track and on the streets (uhm, yeah, Jen's cool like that) and the invite was just the right inspiration for Jzboy to resuscitate his beloved Yamaha Turbo. The Turbo is 25 years old! Uhm, yeah, Jzboy's cool like that!

(Guess which one of us was dreaming of hot cocoa and a nap?)

I was by far the luckiest of the bunch because all I had to do was kick it on the back of the bike & chill. It was a blast. I got to enjoy the wind through my ponytail, the scent of ripened strawberries in the Central California Fields in my nose, the invigorating chill of the fog as we set out on our journey (& as we made our final approach toward home), the familiar images of freshly turned farmland mixed with pungent manure, the dizzying rush of adrenaline, even the butterflies that were there at the start of the trip.

These multilayered sensations made me forget my initial trepidation as well as the stiff back and sore rear end that became souvenirs of the trip.

Totally worth it.

Taking a Deep Breath...

...and going for it.

I've got an Etsy shop! It took a bit of work loading pictures and mustering up some courage - but I did it!


You can see a preview of what I'm calling "Cafe Couture" to the right of the blog over there. Click on the blue link "buttercupbloom" to get to the shop.

Or click here....

I got the idea for the "java jackets" after roasting my fingers one too many times on a hot Americano. Over the past week, I've test-driven the design & love it. Got a lot of compliments, too. Cool thing about these little puppies are that they are made from %100 recycled materials - reduce, reuse, recycle baby! So much better for the enviornment (& for your style) than those cardboard thingys they hand out at the cafe.

C'mon over to the shop...
(Just promise not to tease me about the slightly cockeyed and fuzzy pictures, I'm an Etsy-Newby)