Holiday Vacation

I'm headed to see family and friends for Christmas.  

I'll be back after the new year...and hope you will be, too.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

GAH

There's nothing quite like having two tall, gorgeous, tan, bikini-clad women running passed you on the beach to make you feel like an albino three legged cow.

It's almost like when a cruise ship harbored in Kodiak

Joe and I did some shopping and grabbed lunch at the Ward Center, close to downtown.  We pass two Japanese girls laughing and snapping pictures in front of Ben & Jerry's.

Joe:  You know, this is just an everyday Friday afternoon for us.  But for them it's part of a once in a lifetime vacation.

Etsy: Turned into Reality

Artwork Inspiration

Pocket Theater - Bear Story by Roadside

Wearable (and Carriable) Pieces

Vintage Bally Black Pumps from TheABomb

Black Coach Purse from Merelle

Courage from CuriosityLovedBooks

Well Played

So, I have a thing for commercials.  Especially ones with amazing music.  Especially ones that are funny in a clever way.

Video game ads this season are amazing.  Have you noticed?

Gears of War 2 using "How It Ends" by DeVotchKa

Price of Persia using "Saeglopur" by Sigur Ros

And those GameStop ads?  First the cartoon bunny video game: 

And the most recent holiday/gift buying themed ones:

(This one is the most recent, and my favorite so far...but there's lots of others.)

Love 'em.

Take a moment to give

Just click to make donations:

The Hunger Site

Evolve One Evolve All

The NonProfits

Care2

Tehehe

It's insane how much this photo makes me happy.

via Cute Overload!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have a lot to be thankful for.  

And really, I'm very grateful for a boatload of crap.

But these wrinkles that appeared on my face over night?  Not on the list.

It runs in the family

My parents sent some local magazines to me a while back, and I thought it'd be fun to share.

99 blocks: Downtown's Magazine

June 31, 2008

Excerpt from an article grading different aspects of life downtown

September 11, 2008

Dad got his very own write up, because "he's a downtown institution."  And because he's super awesome.

Most recent rude awakenings

7:30 am on a Sunday:  across the street neighbors playing music so loud with bass so high it vibrates our bedroom windows

6:15, 6:52, 7:30, 8:45, 9:18 am on an off day:  wild rooster

4:45 am on a Tuesday:  popping sounds coming from living room which turns out to be Zeke eating the entire contents of the kitchen garbage can.  The buffet line started in the kitchen, wrapped through the dinning room, and ended on the living room rug.

5:30 am on a Saturday:  music and bass from neighbors again

7:15, 7:50, 8:05, 8:45 am on another off day:  wild rooster

5:49 am on a Wednesday:  68 pound King jumps on top of me, in the bed thought to be too high for him to get up onto, because the windows were open, and it was windy outside, and it kinda sounded like running lawnmowers, and he freaked out.

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

One of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes I've made.  Ever.  I think it was the Smart Balance.  And I might have added a bit too much baking soda...

(Leftover Halloween Candy) Chocolate Chip Cookies

ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup softened butter (if you use Smart Balance butter get the kind for baking, not the other kind...the other kind ruins whatever you bake...just a note)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 - 2 cups chocolate chips (or 10 mini bags of Hershey's Kissables left over from Halloween that you had to promise to use up in cookies just so your husband wouldn't eat them all)

directions:

1.  Hand mix butter and sugars until creamy.

2.  Add in eggs and vanilla until combined.  

3.  Slowly stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.  Once dough is formed, mix in chocolate chips.

4.  Refrigerate for at least a half hour.  (If you refrigerate longer, you might want to cover the dough.)  

5.  Drop tablespoon-sized balls onto cookie sheet.  

6.  Bake at 375* for 10 minutes.  

7.  Let cookies sit on the sheet for a minute or two once out of oven.  Then cool completely on wire rack.  

Enjoy!   

Jelly fights over Jam

So during these very hard and difficult times, Joe and I argue.  About whether or not Jim and Pam from "The Office" will stay together.

Joe says Pam will end up cheating, and they break up.

I say that's pure blasphemy...then cover my ears and run out of the room, screaming lalalalala.

Renegade

Isn't it funny how when you wake up after dreaming about someone famous (whom you've never met) you want to call him up and start jabbering on about the best chai latte you've ever had, how Zeke does the cutest thing pushing open doors, isn't the North Shore amazing in winter, that Kerry would be one of the worst cabinet choices EVER, and asking if his first presidential mandate could be to cancel all 24 hour news networks.

But he would be all, "Umm, who are you?"

Flickr'd

Lots of new photos up on my flickr page.

You'll get a pretty good idea of what Joe and I do during days off.

Nerd Alert

Have you seen these?

Windows

and

Nintendo Wall Graphics

I kind of love them.

A lot.

This Halloween is brought to you by the letters PROCRASTINATION and the numbers OAHU DOESN'T HAVE ANY PUMPKINS FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS BEFORE THE 31ST

Etsy: Turned into Reality

Artwork Inspiration

A Flower For Her Hair by Lindsayart

Wearable Pieces
Traditional

Vintage Lace Collar from Historicallyvintage

Ivory Large Mum by Floreti

Modern

Lace Collar by Dandelionblu

Blossom Hair Pins by PinkfireDesigns

Romp

Things I Never Thought I'd Hear My Husband Say

After watching an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia:

"I wish they focused more on the 'Sex and the City' part of it."

Kodiak!

Vaseline based a new product campaign in Kodiak, Alaska.

Prescribe The Nation

Everything happens after I leave.

Go figure.

But awesomeness anyway.

And now I'm super nostalgic.

See reason #W.

The A to Z meme going around the blogs:

A.  Attached or single?  Very attached.  Married, in fact.

B.  Best friend?  Lots of super amazing friends from forever ago.  But I'd have to say my closest friend at the moment is my new computer.

C.  Cake or pie?  Don't make me choose!  Ok - if I have to...chocolate cake.

D.  Day of choice?  Thursday

E.  Essential item?  Is there just one?  I feel extremely materialistic trying to narrow it down.  The right answer is probably Joe.  But then that'd mean I think of him as an item.  Pretty shallow.  But my real answer is black mascara...and that seems even more shallow.  Eh. 

F.  Favorite color?  The green leaves of birch trees.

G.  Gummy bears or worms?  The bears that are made in Baltimore.  (Hometown pride!)

H.  Hometown?  Oh.  I answered that early.  Oops.  

I.  Favorite indulgence?  Sleeping in.

J.  January or July?  Used to be July, when I went on family vacations.  Then it was January when I lived in Alaska, for all the snow.  Now I'll have to wait and see.  But it's probably still gonna be January.

K.  Kids?  None, but I'm starting to get baby guilt from my family.

L.  Life isn't complete without?  Someone who will share the good and the bad with you.

M.  Marriage date?  May 23, 2004.  Now go ask Joe.

N.  Number of brothers and sisters?  One of each.

O.  Oranges or apples?  I've been eating more oranges since May 23, 2004.

P.  Phobias?  My teeth falling out.  Seriously.  Worse than death.

Q.  Quote?  None that I use readily, or have as a life motto (even though I have a huge book of quotes from high school that is all dog-eared and highlighted).  However, to seem more worldly:  

Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets. - Arthur Miller

R.  Reasons to smile?  Anthropologie catalogues, dogs at the dog park, a breeze from a fan at night, mail from home, art, favorite tv shows, the fuchsia celosia plant outside, special nicknames, slurpees, and iTunes' Genius. 

S.  Season of choice?  Spring.  However, I'm not getting much of a choice out here.

T.  Tag five people:  The first five people who read this and have blogs.  And go!

U.  Unknown fact about me?  There are a bunch of facts about me scattered around teh internets...so let me think...what don't you know 

a b o u t  m e e e . . .I'd  hate for this to turn out like I'm a contestant on Jeopardy.  They have the worst, most boring personal information, don't they?  Those meet and greets with Alex?  Ugh!  Well...

I never thought I'd be where I am now.  Growing up, I never saw myself married.  I thought I'd live in a city like New York, work in an art gallery or museum, own a cat, and wear black all the time.  I would eat take out, go drinking with friends at night, and never drive anywhere.  

The life I had pictured was stark, sparse, and dark.

Thankfully, it hasn't happened like that at all.

I wouldn't change how things are now for anything.

V.  Vegetable?  Couch potato.

W.  Worst habit?  Procrastination.  

X.  Xray or ultrasound?  Just those regular dental x-rays.

Y.  Your favorite food?  Hawaiian pizza (surprisingly not called "Hawaiian" in Hawaii)

Z.  Zodiac sign?  Taurus.

Crushes

I can officially stop blogging now because of this site:

Digital Crushes

'...so California can go hang out with Hawaii. Alaska can come, too.'

via Design Boner

It's true

Me:  rifling through Joe's wallet.  Hey, look - you still have your Alaskan voter registration card.

Joe:  Yeeeaaah, look at that.

Me:  I think that's an automatic vote for Sarah Palin.

Joe:  Alaska's not even gonna send out ballets.  Just thank you cards, with a moose saying 'Thank You'

Summer forever

It's fall?

You've got to be joking.

Etsy: Turned into Reality

Artwork Inspiration

Jade by GalaHouse

Wearable Pieces

Fleur Fatale by Annabronwyn

1950s Black Cotton Gloves from Persephoneclothing

Emo by HeavenlyNaturals

Love this

Blank is like Blank

It will end

Last month, I cried everyday for a week straight.  

It was a lot of things all at once.  And it passed.

But I'm glad to know I'm not the only one:

It'll End in Tears

Science Fiction for Realz

Too far? Or not far enough?

Large Hadron Collider, black holes, and extra dimensions

Etsy: Turned into Reality

Artwork Inspiration

"They Are Married" by anicastillo

Wearable Pieces

Vibrant Red Accordion Pleated Skirt from ChanticleerandtheFox

Wide Brim Wool Felt Hat from Damosel

Vintage Black Leather Pirate Boots from Santokivintage

Meet Zeke

Our new pup, Zeke



We picked him up at the Humane Society. He's a year old German Shepard/Shar Pei mix.
Full of energy. And loves annoying King.

Yay Women...?

I lived in Alaska for the past three years. I voted for Sarah Palin.

But I'm not too sure about McCain choosing her as his running mate.

I definitely have mixed feelings.
I'm really interested in seeing her debate, though.

Pros and cons about everything, huh?


Oh, and I have to say, reading through blogs and political articles mentioning where Palin's from...calling Alaska the middle of nowhere, saying there's more reindeer than people...it's a state! It's part of the US people. I mean, really. C'mon. I find it totally disheartening that Palin's location is being used as a negative.

And for everyone in the lower 48, the majority of Alaskans are for ANWR drilling. Do you know how much land and space is up there? I mean, there's more reindeer than people!
Who knew?

Sweet sweet nectar

POG juice is the only reason people should come to Hawaii.

Uhhh

The 100 Most Common English Words

I scored 28 out of 100

You'll just shake your head in shame when all the words you miss come up on to the screen. Well, ok, I did anyway.

Etsy: Turned into Reality

Artwork Inspiration

Blue Sisters by IrenaSophia

Wearable Pieces













Powder Blue Woven Wool Shift Dress from ShopGoodGrace
















Little Ocean Dress from FastenCollective












Miss Naomi by Oh, My Deer!

I totally got pwnd

Newest website addiction: Fail Blog

Here

Oh Blog, things have been crazy. Let's play a quick catch up.

Leaving Kodiak and moving to Hawaii...had it's ups and downs. Mostly ups. We were able to get a place (thank you Navy), and we're settling in nicely. I should have pictures soon. Well, soon as in 'as soon as I get everything put away, hung up, washed, and perfect.' So, you know, whenever.

But it's a cute place, so it'll be worth the wait.

Oahu is amazing. Beautiful. Insanely busy and crowed. And hot.

Actually, I don't think it's really hot-hot. It just feels that way to me coming from 40 degree Alaska to the middle of a tropical summer. King and I are taking awhile to get used to it.

But oh, the shopping. Stores everywhere, with everything. It's niiiiice. I missed malls.

As much fun as we're having here, I'm homesick for Alaska. And North Carolina.
I'm sure it'll pass though, when we get more settled, and involved.

As involved as one can get laying on a beach all day.

Back in July

No posts for awhile.

I'm on the move, and in and out of hotels for the foreseeable future.



Oh, Internets, I already miss you.

Mosaic

A fun Flickr find:

Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
Using only the first page, pick an image.
Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

The result:

1. Kelly Time!, 2. Jen's Birthday Cake: The layers, 3. Rose Festival Fun Center, 900 seconds, 4. Nant Ffrancon and Glyder Fawr, Wales, 5. NYC Is Full Of Celebrities, 6. L'orecchino, 7. Campanile di Giotto & Duomo, Firenze, 8. Carrot Cake, 9. The Photographer, 10. Prayer, 11. the stoic and the optomist, 12. Beneath a steel sky

Initiated

10 days until our house is packed up

11 days until it's out of our hands

20 days until we're exploring some place new

21 days until I get the worse sun burn of my life

New thing

So I put together an Etsy treasury, and thought it would make a great reoccurring blog entry.

Yes, I'm that proud of myself.

Turned into Reality : Beautiful things to wear chosen from amazing works of art

False Advertisement

A travel ad for the Dominican Republic plays across the t.v. The end catch phrase is Endless.

Joe: "Endless? Really? That's pretty ballsy for an island. But I guess 'Dead-ends into Haiti' doesn't have the same appeal."

...Forgot to mention

My WhaleFest drawings sold.
So yea!

The photo didn't, though. Totally ok, because it's hanging proudly in the bedroom...where I fall in love with it more and more each day.

Sorry, Mom, but I don't think I'll be selling it...

Me too

From PostSecret

Exactly what I've been thinking...

Check it

Christina Ricci is riled up

Amy Poehler talks feminism (and a bit about her new movie)

Ugh Chris Matthews ugh

Aside

None of my WhaleFest art work has sold yet.
Yet.

Back to the drawing board

UGH

Featured!

One of my necklaces, The Foil, was featured in a Storque article today!

Happiness!

Check it out: Etsy Finds - Chain Chain Chain

Art Show

So exciting... I entered my first art show since college. "Ocean themed" works for Kodiak's WhaleFest celebration.

A digital photographic print
Sunrise over Jewel Beach


Graphite drawings
Whale Diptych
(a gray whale and a humpback whale)

The show runs April 21-30
Eeeeee!

And they're up for sale.
Fingers crossed.

Bloomin' Surprise

Everything is brown and dreary and still cold and patches of snow are still clinging on in spots.

But it is spring!
I have proof!

Take THAT harsh Alaskan winter!

This doesn't bode well for us

On noticing the temperature read-out downtown Saturday afternoon:
"50 degrees, huh? Is it really that warm?"


Heading out on Monday, Joe says "It feels like summer today." It was 56*

Ma

Being far away from family is rough.
But reading through this website makes my mom feel a little bit closer.

Postcards From Yo Momma

Love you, Mom!

Good grief

Ooooh it's true

Daddy Likey

You have to read this blog.
If you aren't already.

I found it this past week, and just came across the Five Men's Fashion First Impressions feature...and it's love at first sight. Brilliant.

This is the only real reason women go to hair salons

So the other week I ask Joe to trim my hair. He gets a completely unabashed look of horror on his face. I anticipated this and quickly reassured him I just wanted a simple trim, nothing fancy, and I believed in him.

Joe: Ok, if you're sure.
Me: Totally. You can do it!

Joe cuts away. Doing a good job. Then I ask if he could angle the front part.

Me: You know, where it's lower in the front than the back.

His eyes light up after a second.

Joe: Yeah! Awesome! Just like Ghost in the Shell!
Me: Umm. No. Not that extreme. Not at all.

SOB

Dear Winter,

You know, we had a good run. We had a lot of fun when I was younger. I remember you were able to make me laugh and smile and think the world was perfect.
But something happened as I got older. You've become over-bearing... controlling even. I can't go out any more. I can't do anything I really want to do, because of you. You've effected all my relationships with other people. In such a negative way. I suppose some of the blame lays with me. I did move to Alaska. But you really pushed it too far. I mean, year after year, snow drift upon snow drift, frozen fingers and frozen faces. You've become so much colder than I ever remembered. It's sad. And disheartening.
I always thought you'd be in my life. In the middle of the hottest Summer's heat, I would think about you and couldn't wait for our time together. Now all I can think about is the warmth I can get somewhere else.
It's time we parted. I can't be around you any longer. Maybe one day we'll be able to meet again, and maybe then we can at least be cordial. But right now, I have to say goodbye.
Spring is stopping by, to help me pack up and move in with Summer. Yes. That Summer. You'd find out sooner or later, so I'm telling you now.
I know other people will love you as much as I did. And really, I did love you, Winter. But things changed.
I wish you all the best. And perhaps we'll be able to find each other again some day.

Sincerely,
Kelly

It's official

Joe and I are moving to Honolulu, Hawaii.

Beyond exciting!

If anyone has any advice or insight on Honolulu, please let me know!

Not-So-Weekly Recipe

A little late for Valentine's Day, but it'd still be great any other occasion. Like, it's Tuesday. Yea!



Chocolate Cheesecake

ingredients:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used chocolate Teddy Grahams, crumbled in the blender)
1/3 cup melted butter
at least 1 - 2 teaspoons cinnamon (totally optional)
1 package (8 oz) Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

directions:

1. Prepare crust by mixing chocolate crumbs, butter, and cinnamon. Press mixture into bottom and slightly up sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate.
2. Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Blend in eggs, one at a time.
3. Melt chocolate pieces in microwave - follow directions on package (about a minute and a half for the whole bar).
4. Gradually pour melted chocolate into cream cheese mixture, beating on low speed until well-blended. Add flour and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
5. Pour into prepared crust.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 350* for 55 - 60 minutes or until filling is firm. Turn oven off. Cool cheesecake 1 hour without opening door. Cool completely. Chill several hours or overnight. It really is best when the cheesecake has cooled for at least a couple hours. But sometimes you just can't wait...

Eat as is, or top with your favorite goodies. Try cherries, raspberries, or fudge sauce. Mmm.

Enjoy!

Sharing the excellence

Whitney, the lovely lady behind The Belly Chronicles and a few Etsy shops, was gracious enough to include my blog in her fun round up of sites. And of course to pass along this award:



I'm bona fide!

So, in honor of all the excellence, here's my list of (Almost) Daily Reads -

1. All Things Girls Can Tell A day to day blog of an Etsy seller with amazing goodies

2. Secret Boy Friend Dark but ohso good, and another Etsy seller

3. Plentiful as Blackberries Beautiful works by a talented illustrator

4. Writes of Spring A copyeditor who can't write. So she says. Either way, she's hilarious

5. This Is What I Do. Art student (...I wish I was that good in school)

6. Sulu-Design Etsy seller who has a unique photo-inspiration concept

7. Bent Objects So. Much. Fun.

8. Stef Choi Love her work and her style

9. An Open [Sketch] Book Lovely work, an Etsy seller, and she lives in Greensboro, NC (my hometown!)

10. Afraid To See Breath-taking photography

Go here now

For serious.

Shoeboxblog

Is it just me...

Or do HUGE GAPPING HOLES in the middle of a loaf of bread really bother anyone else?

I mean, reallyreally.
I feel jipped.


By the way...Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich + Chocolate Milk = Old Skool Yum.

ohmygodohmygodohmygod

I made the front page of Etsy! Thanks to PeachCult and her lovely treasury:

Urban Sunshine



Eeeeeee!

From Anchorage

There are few things as beautiful as a forest of spruce trees and white birches covered in snow on a cold, gray, early morning.

Important!

Please take a moment to sign UNIFEM's online petition to help prioritize world governments' actions against violence on women:

http://www.saynotoviolence.org/

LOLz

Oh God this stuff is good:



http://icanhascheezburger.com