Monday, September 24, 2007

My New Favorite Tune!

The artist's name is Leslie Feist, she just goes by Feist. This song is "1, 2, 3, 4" off of her "The Reminder" album. I've been obsessed with listening and watching these. I apologize in advance if I cause you to become obsessed too.

This first video has great sound and is from the David Letterman show. The second video is my favorite because it has the most amazing choreography, and yes it's all one shot. I watched the director's cut that showed how it was filmed, it is truly spectacular!

ps. Sharon, now your 1st post makes sense =)



Tuesday, September 18, 2007

I'm an apricot




"Soft and sweet, over time you let your provocative nature shine through. You are definitely unconventional, but you don't broadcast it. You offer people a fresh perspective on life - so fresh that it can be shocking!"


Orange is one of my favorite colors. If you like it too, take this quiz and see what color orange you are.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Would you like a margarita?




This is my favorite margarita glass. I bought a pair at the Goodwill on El Toro Rd, Lake Forest, CA they were .50¢ ea and they've lasted for 5 years. They are the perfect size and I love how they look in the sunlight next to my sink about 5:45 in the afternoon.


I hate that summer is coming to an end. It doesn't feel right to make my favorite drink while the leaves are starting to change and there's now a slight chill in the air. Since I live in Orange County, I think I can fit in a few more before fall officially arrives.


In case you want to know how to make a "real" Mexican Margarita; it's half tequila (5 oz.), one third (2 oz.) fresh lime juice and one sixth (1 oz.) triple sec which is a citrus liqueur. The rim of the glass is rubbed with lime juice and dipped in salt. The ingredients are shaken with cracked ice and strained into the salt-rimmed glass. It's served garnished with a wedge (not a slice) of a mexican lime (the tiny ones that look like key limes) You can get a bag of 25 for .99¢ at the 99¢ store, also on El Toro Rd.


This margarita is smaller and more potent and definitely more refreshing than the typical huge, frothy happy hour concoctions, you know, the ones that taste like a 7-11 slurpee. Be careful; there's a fine line between great conversation and inebriation ... therefore these should always be served with food, even if just a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa.


From my experience, the best time to enjoy a margarita is not at a noisy bar, but at home with my husband, preferably while sitting on a green plastic adirondack chair on my freshly mowed lawn under the huge tree in the front yard while watching the girls ride their the bikes and draw with chalk.


Now go enjoy your margarita before the eggnog and cider arrives =)

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Teddy finds a home!



While at a thrift store, my daughter found this wonderful little scrap of vintage crewel embroidery of a sweet little bear. She asked me if I could make something for her with it, this is what I came up with.

It's a dress; the denim for the top came from my jeans that I cut to make shorts. The buttons are from a jar I bought at an estate sale recently (circa 1940's), the crochet trim from my favorite ribbon shop in downtown LA and the fabric from the the Flea Market line.

I so love these colors together, too bad I used the last of my scraps to make the dress. I made a bunch of new stuff this past weekend. I'll post pics the next time I get to come up for air, I have a very busy week ahead ... but hey who doesn't.

Hope you all get a chance to slow down this week and take time to do what you love =)

Friday, September 14, 2007

Money vs. Wealth



I started my day by reading the newspaper. They carried a story, from the assoc. press about Jack Whittaker, the winner of the highest paid PowerBall jackpot in the U.S. The article entitled "Powerball Win: Fantasy or Nightmare?" ends with a quote by Jack ...

"I'm only going to be remembered as the lunatic who won the lottery," he said. "I'm not proud of that. I wanted to be remembered as someone who helped a lot of people."

As I reflected on this today, I thought a lot about my dad. He was a preacher, his churches were mainly in the middle of California; the farming areas and were mostly comprised of migrant workers. He barely made any money, as a matter of fact our family was often paid with crates of fruit or vegetables.

Since he had such a flexible "work" schedule, he often spent the week fishing & gardening; and I spent most of my childhood with him outdoors. We ate fish often, since it was readily available because my father was such an amazing fisherman. He taught me how to tie my first hook and do my own line by the time I was 4, he even taught me how to clean them too. That's me in the picture, I'm 5 and was so proud of all the fish I caught by myself. I really should teach my girls to fish, I really miss it.

So after all this thinking and mulling over the difference between being rich vs. being wealthy, I pulled out my favorite gift from my husband Jon, a poem he wrote for me the year my father passed away, hopefully he won't mind me sharing it with you.


The Wealthiest Man I Ever Knew
- by Jon Hall, Christmas 1995

The wealthiest man I ever knew wasn’t a man of many possessions. He didn’t have a fleet of cars, a big house, or attend expensive therapy sessions.

He was a man of simplicity, of gentleness … of servant hood and of thoughtfulness – with a fair share of caring, he had a character like no other … strong, but not overbearing. Of worldly things, he had quite few … that which he had tended to be recycled, used, and not very new.

But of earthly things, this man was beyond rich. The love of his family, and of his God, carried him through life without a hitch. Oh, he had problems, setbacks, and failing health like the rest of us. But the love of one daughter, she is the essence of love – represented in its simplest.

This daughters’ love, showed more than caring. It showed more than admiration, something far more daring. Her love was the essence of unconditional love. Something more than from herself, something more like from above.

This man showed his daughter this love, every chance he would … He showed it through the lessons, he showed it when they were fishing, he showed it whenever he could.

And from his example, she learned something quite valuable. She learned to love in a way that was gentle, but unstoppable. It showed in those hours, many a long hour, that she sat at his bedside, frustrated, but not sour.

For she knew that this man, tired, in pain, and near the end, was going to a place unlike any other … he was going to a place where his body would more than mend.

What made this man so wealthy, was more than money could buy. It’s worth more than anything … more than the world, bigger than the sky. It’s worth more than all the possessions of the world, more than all this earth could offer. His wealth was so staggering, greater than the world coffer.

For this man’s wealth was based on a love. The love of his God, the love of his daughter. An unconditional love, more than this world could eve offer.

And in the day, that she sees her father again, she’ll give him a hug, she’ll share a tear, but she’ll know where he’s been. In the place he is now, in a place we can only imagine, this wealthy man’s there now, in a place called heaven.


Just one last thing to leave you with, it's a little snippet from my favorite Nooma video ...




Friday, September 7, 2007

Which Pill?



One of my favorite movie moments from The Matrix;

MORPHEUS: The Matrix is everywhere, it's all around us, here even in this room. You can see it out your window or on your television. You feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

NEO: What truth?

MORPHEUS: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, kept inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind.

The leather creaks as he leans back.

MORPHEUS: Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

Morpheus opens his hands. In the right is a red pill. In the left, a blue pill.

MORPHEUS: This is your last chance. After this, there is no going back. You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe.

The pills in his open hands are reflected in the glasses.

MORPHEUS: You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Neo feels the smooth skin of the capsules, the moisture growing in his palms.

MORPHEUS: Remember that all I am offering is the truth. Nothing more.

Neo opens his mouth and swallows the red pill. Morpheus smiles.

MORPHEUS: Follow me.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

There's so many things in this movie that I love.

In this part of the movie you could interpret so many things, one spin is that it's about faith. When Jesus healed, he almost always seemed to require or respond to some act of stepping out, like asking someone to put out their hand, or asking them "what do you want". Other times he would be responding to an action; like responding to the guys lowering their friend on a mat through a roof, or to the lady reaching out to touch his cloak in the midst of a crowd.

It's not just enough to believe ... you've got to step out and trust. You can't see until you choose.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

The Grass Ain't Always Greener ...


About 2 years ago we sold our house and became renters. It was about that time that all the experts started saying "there's no bubble", "get into real estate now" and "just flip that house". I admit, there were plenty of times that I felt a tinge of regret for selling, but it really was for the best.

Ever since we sold, it seemed to me that everywhere I went, all people could talk about was their equity; about what part of the house they were remodeling next, asking for referrals for contractors, who to use for landscaping, deciding which car to purchase and where they were going for their next vacation. I really would dread group gatherings since I no longer owned a piece of the OC real estate pie, nobody likes to listen to you talk about how much your last rent increase was or what kind of pet the landlord will let you keep.

Fast forward to fall '07 ... I find it sad and yes I admit, a bit amusing that the pendulum is swinging, way over to the other side. Now it's not considered polite to talk about real estate anymore. Right up there on the list with colostomy bags, brain cancer and the lastest Herpes outbreak.

And to add insult to injury, A&E ran an entire marathon of "Flip This House" this past weekend? Was that just a bad joke? Or are they just clueless?

All that to say, I do feel sorry for any friends that bought high and have an adjustable loan. And for those of you that paid a normal, reasonable price for your home, longer than 3 years ago and have a great interest rate and a manageable payment, I'm happy for you ... no, really I am.