string*THEORY

Time Flies When You're Stressed Out

I'm not really sure how to start a journal entry after such an extensive (and unannounced) absence. I feel as if I owe you all some sort of explanation followed by a blow by blow account of what the heck I've been up to these past two months. The truth is, it would be too much to go into now, but I promise that I'll slowly divulge my past whereabouts during the course of my next few entries - which will (hopefully) be more regular.

Before I jump in the warm Caribbean water that will be my account of a recent vacation, I want to say "thank you" to those of you who have thought to reach out to me, and a "sorry" for not sending you the big virtual hug of thanks. Another "sorry" for not noticing or acknowledging your recent triumphs, I've been just as out of touch with your lives, as I have with my own. Slowly but surely I will catch up with you.

Ah yes, the Caribbean...is there anything better then letting the stresses of the world drift away with the seagulls as you let the warm thickness of the salty Caribbean water carry and show you what it must feel like to fly? Fear not, the photos above are not some ominous hint as to where I've been spending my time these past months. The photos were taken at El Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A peaceful cemetery by the sea and one of my new favorite spots to shoot.

The long awaited respite was filled with sun, sea, food and beautiful people. Maritza, why didn't you mention this about Puerto Rico? It really should be renamed as "Land of the Hot People". And did I mention reading? I had an opportunity to reignite my inner bibliophile with two amazing novels, The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Both incredible for their attention to detail, character development, and homage to the power of the female spirit. I'm going to keep this momentum and post-vacation flame alive by jumping into my next novel. So, I must ask, what are you reading now? What is your favorite book?

A Series of Extremes

25 days. Has it really been that long? I'm not really sure what happened in the whirlwind that has been the last 25 days or so, but I'm certain of one thing, and that it's been a series of extremes.

I can't go into it much here, but basically my days have been filled with the most extreme of every emotion + feeling you can think of. Anger, fun, sadness, irritation, exercise, travel, fatigue, energy + happiness. All packed into a few short weeks. Fun (can you sense the sarcasm?). Needless to say, blogging + design work has taken a back seat. Interesting how the tough times inspire us to abandon the things that keep us grounded. Life is funny that way.

I'm slowly jumping back into things. Very slowly. And my first project "back" was this here diaper bag + changing pad. Remember when I first mentioned it? And how bad do I feel that the babe made it to the world before the diaper bag did?

Horrible, I feel absolutely terrible about that. I had dreams of the proud new parents happily skipping out of the hospital with their sweet little thing in tow along with their new custom diaper bag spilling over with baby this n' thats.

It didn't quite happen that way, but the good news is that the little babe is in the world, she's safe + happy and her parents couldn't be more excited. I couldn't ask for anything more. Welcome to the world baby Satya!

::Let Summer Begin::

no, no, this isn't one of those mis-placed posts brought up again by bloglines for some unknown reason (is it me, or has that been happening a lot lately?).

For those of you who have never visited this fine little city I live in, let me just warn you, it's cold in the summer. Like, really cold. Like, I wear sweaters everyday kinda cold. Yes, yes, it's true. And if you don't believe me, well, do yourself a favor when you come and visit, and budget in an extra $12.99 to pick yourself up a cheesy Golden Gate Bridge sweatshirt when you realize that your typical August attire isn't going to cut it.

So rather then go on and on, I'm going to take a little break and go where the summer is sure to be, my hometown of Sacramento. Where today, it's "unseasonable cold" at a nice dry heat of 90 degrees. Yes! Now, that's summer.

As much as I love San Francisco, I have to say that I miss all of the rituals of summer. The types of sweltering summers I'm used to from Sacramento and Spain. Hot. Hot like, you can't eat dinner in the house and long summer evenings are spent enjoying cold-soup gazpacho in the backyard while hanging out half awake as the sun tends to put your mind to sleep. Hot like, the obligatory night swim, right before heading up to bed, because without it, comfortable sleep cannot be had. Hot like, turning your house inside out, just to survive. Dragging the TV outside to watching the Olympics with your dad. And setting up camp outside with your sisters, because really, what's a summer sleeping cooped up inside, when you can get a slight break from the heat by sleeping in the backyard?

So, for the next few days, I'll be soaking up the final days of summer, in the most traditional sense of the word. Swimming in the day, rubbing aloe + calamine lotion in the night (another lovely feature of Sacramento summers is the giant mosquito's).

I'm going to try to post. It might be the typical long rambling posts with lots of photos or just daily postcards a la Liesl. Because really, do I need to have that hot computer sitting on my lap as I struggle to keep cool?

The Wedding Fight

Well, this time two years ago we were waking up to get ready for yet another party.

Our main mission at that point, was not to find and iron our clothing, but to find and fix our car which had broken down at the diner that we ate at after we got married the night before. But all of that was after we had to quickly put down our ginormous burgers because a huge fight had broken out between a bunch of beefy frat boys. Soda and french fries were flying all over the place and I didn't want to get my gown dirty. Not to mention getting punched in the face on my wedding night. Well, I suppose I try to avoid that on any given night. Yes, we were still dressed up, and yes, sitting in a old-fashioned diner while some guys were getting their asses beat.

We high tailed it out of there to realize that we would be sitting in the parking lot for an hour while we waited for a cab to pick us up because the car wouldn't start. I slept. My new husband waited. And waited. And called again. What were we waiting for? Oh, yes, the cabbie. The cabbie who wouldn't get out of the drivers seat to help us put our luggage in the trunk, but instead let the weary newlyweds struggle with six weeks of honeymoon luggage. I'm pretty sure he was drunk. This is the same cabbie that was so anxious to move on to his next fare after dropping us off at our hotel, that he backed over our luggage crushing all the mosquito coils I so carefully packed for our trip to Indonesia. Of course this wouldn't have happened had he managed to get out of the car to help us.

We laugh about it now, I promise.

Anyway, the bags are packed (not really, but I couldn't think of a better segue) and we're headed down to Key West tonight. I really couldn't be more excited. Looking forward to just sinking into the warm sand and dozing off between chapters. A couple of margaritas and maybe a slice of some key lime pie would be lovely too.

I'll be back with photos of clear turquoise waters + a few projects I've been working on next Tuesday.

Enjoy the holiday, and as always, be safe.

This Time Two Years Ago

This time two years ago....we were on to....

• Day 2 of the 3 Day wedding
• Getting kisses from guest number 450 of 800 for the weekend
• Twirling around with 1 of 2 maids of honor + 6 of 8 bridesmaids
• Receiving well wishes from 2 officiants, 4 grandparents, 4 parents, and 5 sisters (I'm feeling really lucky right now)
• Balancing 3 strong (and quite particular) cultures - plus our American one
• Hyperventilating for the 4th of 12 times (Kidding about that one. Well, sort of)

The south Asian cultures has a whole bag full of good-luck protocol that brides + grooms are mandated to follow. All guided by superstition, naturally. Good thing for that, because the past two years have been pretty darn sweet with this little guy sitting next to me right now.

As you might expect, when you have a three day wedding, the chances of simply hilarious (and sweet) things happening multiplies exponentially. During the ceremony, this adorable little cherub you see up there did what he could to keep himself occupied. He rolled around in the grass amongst aromatic rose petals while peering up into the bright sunny sky through the decorative fan that was given to all our guests in hopes of keeping them cool. He had all the bridesmaids giggling + guests craning their necks to see what all the commotion was about. I've been to so many weddings where I've been inspired to do the same. Ahhh to be young again....

Tonight will be a night of celebration, just the two of us, sans our 800 well wishers (not that I wouldn't do it all over again). And this week? Well, this week we're off to Florida for a little R+R. It will be my first trip to Florida, ever, and I'm looking forward to the new adventure. Both of Florida, and the new year to come.

The Shop is OPEN!

Wow, after a long night of on-and-off internet connection - not unlike my final days in college (glitches galore!), the shop is officially OPEN!

All of your encouraging words (you all are the best cheerleaders ever, I'm tellin' you...) is what kept me going and I'm proud to say that everything is the way that I hoped for....

Ooh! And before I forget, what's a grand opening without some fun prizes?? Of course, special treats come with every package...but the first 5 "customers" (gosh it feels really really weird to say that) will receive an extra special surprise that I whipped up last night. It's a another big fat THANK YOU for supporting me & everything I do on this blog and in the handmade crafters community.

Le Petite Boutique (trying to be fancy here): www.string.etsy.com

 

The Pops & a Smattering of Thoughts

The past few days have been post-free because I'm just trying to get by without setting fire to the place. It's been "one of those" days...weeks...months(?) involving a lot of tripping, close-calls & general all around clumsiness. More on that later....

 

Fathers-day weekend with my pops in Sacramento was everything it was supposed to be. Quiet, relaxing & just a generally entertaining time as it always is spending time with my dad. He's one of the funniest, most outrageous people I know & always full of interesting thoughts, projects and observations. The big obsession (yes, I get it from him) of the weekend were his tomato plants. Protecting his tomato plants, in particular, from a pack of wild & greedy raccoons with a a fine taste for home-grown organic varietal of this fruit of the Gods.

Every morning when he rose, he would rush out to the backyard to audit the current state of his plants and their succulent fruit. And every morning he was sad to announce to everyone at the breakfast table, that again, the raccoons had conquered another smattering of treats. It wasn't until the last night of my trip when he devised a master plan to ward off the little creatures protecting his prized plants from becoming victim to the aggressive furry friends.

It involved the dismantling of a screen door, the gathering of all the patio chairs & a tent made of beach towels. A brilliant plan despite the fact that it was a little rough on the eyes. The contraption or concoction, rather, of things ripped off the house upset my mom, as you might imagine. She put an end to the scheme, challenging my dad to come up with another, less destructive solution before the night fell & the predators emerged.

My dad opted for a less complicated fort involving some tin foil, patio chairs & the beach towels. Fortunately for him (and for my mom, because she wouldn't have heard the end of it), the tomatoes were in tact the next morning.

I'm wondering though, is there an easier way to do this? Is there some type of natural scent or bright light, or other more simplified solution that might offend the little creatures keeping my dad's prized fruit in tact?

With the exception of those handsome dad's at the top, all the photos are just some general, unrelated eye candy. The fruit of my labor from last-weeks bag-lady sewing extravaganza.

Bag Lady Part II

When someone says "best" they're usually referring to the most superior one thing in a group of things, right? Unless of course they're ten years old & their talking about their friends. In which case, there is almost always more then one, there is usually a whole group of "best".

I'm a lucky member of a group of four "best friends", & have been since around the time when I didn't realize that "best" was supposed to be only one. Good thing, too, because it would have meant a life time of quiet birthdays, boring college living-situations & a rather small bridal party.

Four "bests" is much better then 1, I have to say.

The other great reason why four is better then one is the mixture of personalities. You have the quirky one...the busy-chaotic one (that's me)...the shy one & of course, every group of four needs an organized, punctual one.

Last week, the punctual one called the busy one (I prefer to go by "busy" rather then, "chaotic") to remind her that the shy one has a birthday coming up.

Thank God for that, because, as usual - I forgot. Her big day came up...and I thought about her all day. Should I call now? Nah, it's too early. How about now? Nah, she's at work. And now? No way, its dinner time.

Then, sadly....it slipped out of my mind...

11:35pm rolled around and I did the old - "OOH SHIT"...jumping off the couch...flinging the knitting aside....and paced about, yelling "what do I do?? what do I do??". I never called the shy one for her birthday. She's notoriously early to bed (and I'm a major night-owl), so an 11:35pm phone call would not have gone over well.

So, I sent an email. Technically, I contacted her on her birthday....but really, come one - that's just not cool.

So in a bout of redemption, I ran to my sewing machine. I needed to make her the best birthday present ever. And yes, I'll add this to the rest of her "bests"...from all the previous years, that I've done this. No, this wasn't the first time.

Equipped with guilt, and the hope of tricking her into forgetting my forgetfulness, I designed this little beach bag. She's one of those "itty-bitty-purse" types that can't hold much more then a cell phone & pen. Something of this size should come in handy.

Without getting too mushy, I'll say that the bag represents her current transitional situation. Bag's are designed for transition, right? Today she lives in the hustle and bustle of sourthern California. This is represented by the cars and people on one side of the bag. Soon, she will attempt to slow her life down a bit with a move to a peaceful, natural spot in Vermont - represented by the trees on the other side. The bag will hopefully carry her most treasured things, keeping them near during this time.

Two weeks late, she'll receive her bag, a framed art-card from Etsy artist D-Kim and a few of those gift tags I told you about the other day....

Now tell me, how many Hail Mary's do I need to recite?

*.*.*.*.* DON'T FORGET*.*.*.*.*

Bay Area peeps - Movie night is TOMORROW! Details here....

*.*.*.*.* DON'T FORGET*.*.*.*.*

Proud Sisters & Jail Houses

[click on any of the photos to enlarge]

It's official, she's done. And so are my parents. This weekend was not only a celebration of my sisters (Moni) graduation from college (Fashion Merchandising & Apparel Design - how cool is that?) but also a celebration of my parents new found financial freedom as all three of their daughters are officially financially emancipated. Double...or should I say triple, cool.

The weekend brought many feelings of pride as I watched my baby sis take this new big step in her life. It was a little weird too, because I was kinda old when she was born, so I remember things like my mothers pregnancy & Moni's first steps.

It also brought a whole lot of fun as I had a chance to share my city with the family. I started out with a trip with my cousins to Oakland on the Bart (I know, I know, exciting). This was their first time riding the subway, and the trip was full of hilarious questions...like..."will we be able to see sharks when we go under the bay"....and "are there bathrooms or snacks on the subway"...and finally..."is the way back as long as it was the way here?". They were a bit nervous at first, can you tell in the photo?

Ooh look, we did find snacks, didn't we? And their naughty big cousin let them get sweets (twinkies...lot's of twinkies) before dinner, hmmm...hope their mom isn't reading this!

Then it was on to Alcatraz. And can you believe I've never been? That's the best thing about hosting visitors - the chance to visit some of the tourists sites...

Lot's of great photo opps at Alcatraz, let me tell you...or show you (better yet)....

And I'll leave you with my favorites...(life in prison looks similar to our little crafty lives, doesn't it?)...ok, I was kidding about that. The tour was pretty sad, actually. But this wasn't:

Here's to the Graduates!

Funny how sometimes my weekend is so crazy, that I'm actually glad to welcome the "break" that the week brings. I guess it has to do with a routine I can rely on, and the expectation of the consistent rhythm that the work week promises.

The weekend in Chico brought lots of proud moments as I watched my best friend graduate from Chico State. This has been a long coming transition with lots of road blocks to overcome, cities to move to (4 to be exact), and majors to choose and change. I'm incredibly proud of her and the other older students that I saw graduating that day. It takes a little something extra to accomplish this feat when your a little older, I think.

I'm home now, and will be for two solid weeks (yeah!). However, there's not a moment to rest (or craft - so sad, I know), as we're trying desperately to prepare the house for this weekends graduation celebration for my sister. We're hosting 25 relatives in our 2 bedroom apartment. I don't know about you, but my house is in a constant state of disarray, much cleaning or organizing to be done if I'm expecting anyone other then the UPS guy. Should be interesting.

My plan is to sneak in little moments here and there in organizing my studio, but it will be tough, as according to the hubs, it's not a priority. Obviously I don't agree with that. Having my buttons sorted before the party is absolutely essential....right?

Photos of that and other little projects I'm working on to come....Tis the Season of Organizing, I guess.