frame by frame

the blog is moving

2010-01-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

After much deliberation, I am merging my photo blog with frame by frame to make life simpler in the new year. Ronin's will still exist (although I'm incredibly behind) as a private blog, but the photo blog will be my main one.

Please update your link to this. Thanks!!

image via

french macarons

2009-12-31T19:54:00.000-08:00

plain with buttercream

tinted pink cookies with buttercream rolled in crushed peppermint

plain cookies with egg nog flavored buttercream (cinnamon and nutmeg)

As I mentioned before, Noz & I made french macarons before Christmas to give as gifts. Unfortunately, although we doubled the recipe, by the time our husbands and us sampled each of the different flavors we made, there were only about 15 left each to take home/give as gifts. Fortunately, they were incredibly amazing. Crunchier on the first day, and then soft with a hint of crunch on the second. Try them, it takes a little time but won't let you down.

christmas baking

2009-12-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

tonight noz and i are going to be making candy cane and egg nog macarons from this fantastic blog. i can hardly wait. some are going to co-workers, some to friends, and then the rest to southern indiana where we are headed wed. night for a snowy christmas.

also, here's a sneak peek of ronin's first christmas outfit! i have to put it on him as much as possible to max out the use. (he's sitting on jan's lap at church. he really love his dad.)

ronin as baby jesus

2009-12-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

sorry for all the ro pics lately! (but you have to admit, he's pretty cute, right?) i do have other stuff to post but what with moving and all, i just keep falling further behind.

rach took this image of us and ronin for the singles ward project last week. he was 'acting' as baby jesus. didn't he do a great job? i really love having fellow photographers as friends.

photo by rachel thurston

first santa encounter

2009-12-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

he didn't mind one bit. plus he was wearing his air jordans in case he got scared and needed to make a quick get away. next year we'll work on teaching him how pull on santa's beard.

(at our church christmas party)

the growing ro

2009-11-24T09:09:00.001-08:00

this was taken last week. i wish i could share him with you in person. it's so much better.

egypt in my pocket

2009-11-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

i know, i know, i'm so behind on posting. you want to see more photos of Ro. i need to finish posting on his blessing party. and knotts berry farm last weekend. but we're moving to a new apt right in the middle of the holidsays and we've been going non stop.

the focus of today's quick post is pure craziness. i've have these black cords from banana republic for about a year now. one pocket open, one still sewn shut. i cut open the strings to open the left pocket today at work and found..

a NOTE.

a small folded up white piece of paper. written in EGYPTIAN! (yes, the pants are made in egypt)

ok, so now fellow friends, does anyone know what this says?? i'm dying to know. is it nice? creepy? a love note? do tell..

happy halloween!

2009-10-31T10:20:00.001-07:00

superman by day, tiger by night.

blessing reception: part I, the decor

2009-10-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm splitting this up into two posts. First, the decor & food, and next the people. I went with a simple R theme, for Ronin, and green & white as the colors.

First I made simple flags from a white & green sheet of paper. I cut them out, glued them to toothpicks, and then cut out the v-shape on the ends. We put the white ones on the cucumber sandwiches and the green on the pb&j for the kids. We made the pb&j a little more interesting with pear and apricot jam.
Sprinkles are a really easy way to customize a cake without adding extra frosting (for me, less is more). I used Illustrator to print out a large R, cut it out and lightly set it on top of the cake after the frosting had dried a little (about an hour). We pushed green sprinkles into the R, lifted off the paper, and voila.I got a green and white plastic tablecloth from target along with green & white striped napkins. Chocolate cupcakes in green, white & yellow liners from Surfas and ikea trays helped tie the theme together. We had cranberry white chocolate scones, orzo salad, croissants, meringues, and homemade chinese noodles (thank you uncle!).
Last but not least, the refreshments. $3.50/case bottled water from albertsons got an easy makover with 2 colors of green paper and a little creativity. We brainstormed words that described Ronin and created labels in illustrator that emphasized the R in each word.

It went from simple
to creative
to ridiculous
and on to how the little one came about. (korean + irish & we are both german)

sorry for the lack of posts

2009-10-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

but i have a bunch to post this week, so stay tuned! i've been busy with freelance work, I'm trying to finish up Ronin's baby announcements, and plan a reception for his baby blessing this week. Above are some of the items i have gathered (iphone picture) - i'm doing a green & white color scheme with easy brunch/lunch foods. Also working on some creative labels using the letter "R".

for those of you in the LA area, please join us at his blessing!

dets:
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Sawtelle {Sunday, Oct 25th, 9am}
reception at Mar Vista Park {10:30-1:30}

new baby blog

2009-09-30T11:03:00.001-07:00

My sister in law alicia started a private blog just about my nephew, writing things down each month, like a journal entries that document his growth, accomplishments and stories. I wanted to do a similar one for Ronin and future kids, so I started one too. I'm keeping it private, so let me know on here if you would like to be added and I will do so!

details of the roni

2009-09-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

his eyes are more alert

blondish hair

milk filled belly

his hands & his monkey toes

i wanted to capture some details while he is still little. or not so. he is already up to 8 lbs even though he only grew a half inch at his 3 week checkup today. he has gained a whole pound up from his dr's visit 2 weeks ago. she said several times that he is a very good eater, haha.

for other good news, one of my pre-pregnancy jeans with a hint of lycra fit today! i'm still nervous to try on anything else but leggings with spandex, but it felt good to wear something that fit the old me.

ps i take a lot of photos when he sleeps. i just can't help it.

the birth story

2009-09-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

i mentioned earlier that my doctor had said the thursday before ronin was born, that i was already dialated to a 3-4. i also had a leakage of something that is gross. starts with m and ends with 'ucus', but again, any day or weeks from then something could happen. i was large, uncomfortable and not so patiently waiting for this little boy to show up.

tuesday morning, jan woke up to get ready for work, and i half woke up to say goodbye. while he was getting dressed, i said, um, i think something just happened and i don't think it was pee. i went and stood over the toilet and saw fluid slowly draining out and thought, this is my water breaking or my bladder is totally shot. the contractions started almost immediately, but weren't too bad yet. i called the dr's office, which wasn't open, and waited for a call from the on call doctor to confirm or deny my suspicions. i waited 20 min's, no call. called back, and the lady said she thought he might be in the delivery room, but if i was worried, to just come in. i thought i would take a nice hot shower, but it only lasted 2 minutes because the pain was getting worse by the minute. we gathered all last minute supplies, inhaled a bowl of cheerios and off we went. by the time we were close to the hospital (about a 40 min drive) my contractions were 3 minutes apart and hurting pretty good.

at the hospital, i was the only person in the waiting room, and it took ages for someone to get a wheelchair, slowly...slowly wheel me to the elevator to get upstairs, have the nurses slowly, slowly put me on the fetal monitor and check me just to say, oh, hm, you're already at a 6-7. (i thought i would have gotten an epi at a 3-4!) it was 9 am. i was bent over in pain while jan was trying to figure out why nobody was hurrying. i finally got into the labor & delivery room, and had to wait for the drugs. the anesthesiologist said it should kick in in about 15. that turned into close to 30 with an extra dose of the epidural.

but once it kicked in....i was great - see? beyond great. pain? what pain? i was still contracting every 2-3 minutes but didn't feel a THING. life was good. i facebooked, emailed, called friends and family. hello people, i'm happily in labor - i survived contractions! (barely, all the while previously telling jan that this was it, we were going for nothing but adoption the next time) i didn't get just ice chips, i got italian ice. cherry. then lemon. then lemon again. all i wanted. mmm.

the time ticked by. 11:00 i was dialated to a 7 for sure, 2pm, i was at an 8, 4pm a 9, and by 6 pm i was at a 10, no pitocen. pushing started around 6 ish. the nurse said it can take 1-2 hours depending on how you push. jan and i looked at eachother - let's do 1 hr - i'll push hard. ok? ok. before i started i looked at my drugs, and it was empty! wait, before i push, i need to fill this up! oh no, it's fine, it lasts for quite awhile. i believed them. bad, bad idea. i pushed for an hour. after 1 1/2 hrs of hard pushing, she said, well, you're still at a 2 (as far as his body placement - the goal is to go from -2, to -1, to 0, to 1, to 2, all the way to 4 when he's crowning). after a whole hour of hard pushing i hadn't gone anywhere. i kept going. half an hour later, barely at a 3. not even close. then he got stuck on my pelvic bone. more pushing, nothing happened. i was starting to feel more and more pain but they said they were letting it wear off a little for me to push. they kept telling me i was doing great, oh, julia that was a good one! (don't ever listen to these people). nothing happened. i got to the point where i was running out of strength at the count of 7 instead of 10 on each first push and the epi was wearing out fast. they offered the vacuum and i said yes please. suddenly, vacuum man and a whole team of pediatric people come in. it was a circus. my body started to feel the urge to push on it's own, and the pain kept increasing. (my friends told me epidurals = pressure, no pain!) vacuum man's hands didn't help at all, i could feel everything. but together, we got the baby out.
i saw the back of his head and this long body and that was it. he wasn't crying enough so they didn't put him on me, they took him away and tried to clear his lungs. i laid there, totally in shock and exhausted. jan came over. 'is he cute?' i asked. with tears in his eyes, he said, 'he's beautiful'. i said, oh, ok. out came the placenta, and they stitched me up on my small tear. can you feel this? the dr. said. yes, i said, but at that point, whatever, right?jan cut the cord, and they finally gave me my little boy. puffy eyes with vaseline, yet perfect little features. the circus left, and my aunt said, are you hungry? are you kidding? nozomi and aunty broke out korean sushi, fruit, hawaiian chips and we all ate. food was wonderful.

(late the next day)

i have to admit it took a little while to adjust to being a mom. to realize he was mine, and mine only. i wasn't holding a friends baby. it wasn't a nephew. he was part of jan & i and needed me for survival. he is 2 weeks old. he has the softest skin, especially his feet and his shoulders. he smiles when he sleeps, which is a hint of what's to come when he does it because of us. we love it. i was so worried that i would be too tired at night to take care of a baby. my body does it. i jump out of bed and comfort him. feed him. change him. jan has become and expert shusher and swaddler. his arms create the perfect swing. we didn't know if we would be able to have kids (another story), and yet we were blessed with this little boy. we couldn't be happier.

lately...

2009-09-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

i haven't been blogging. we have had family in town, both jan's and mine, friends come to visit, and most of all, i have been selfish. i have been soaking up this little boy. every sleeping smile, all his old man faces, the way his body is slowly plumping up and the excitement i show him the few times he doesn't cry when i change him and feed him in the middle of the night. i just love him. we all do. this week i will write out the birth story before i forget (like i could..) and post more photos. for the most part, he is a perfect baby. i feel so blessed. ok, off to feed him. and then stare at him some more. and love my little miracle baby.

aunt rachel took some photos

2009-09-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

at the hospital. i'm so grateful that she took the time to do this. i love the moments she captured that i couldn't. thank you, thank you. please visit us soon. ro-ro misses you guys. click here to see more.

photo of jan & ronin via rach

meet the little man

2009-09-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

ronin: aka ro-ro, roni, the 'noodler'

{this is for his uncle jonathan}

{my old man face}

{long toes like my dad}

ronin - pronunciation (RO nin)

gaelic for "little seal"

also in Japanese feudal history, a "ronin" was a masterless samurai.

that's right, my little man is a warrior.

we might have had a baby

2009-09-02T21:46:00.001-07:00

the countdown didn't even finish, but we had our little miracle. stories of delivery & photos to follow, we go home tomorrow!

ronin august bender

sept 01 2009

8:43 pm

7 lbs, 21 inches long

blue eyes, honey brown hair

we love him. he is perfect. soft. has pretty skin. and lips. jan's long toes. my eyes. we can't wait for you to meet him too.

wkend update

2009-08-31T10:35:00.001-07:00

well, i wish this weekend had been more eventful (hint hint, baby), but it was pretty mellow. jan had to work parts of sat & sunday to help with military events, and his cousin (whom i've known since kindergarten) came into town and stayed with us and helped pass the time. saturday we finally got to the annenburg photography exhibit and it was amazing. absolutely incredible modern space, photography, video presentations, everything. so many moving photos. if you are in los angeles, go. it's free. it's so worth it. we all left touched & inspired. they are going to have new work every year, so we'll definitely be back.

ps. a primary girl looked at me on sun. and said, you're still pregnant? yeah, tell me about it.

pregnancy update

2009-08-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

went to the dr. yesterday, and found out i was already 3-4 centimeters dialated! so, the news is that the baby could come any day, or i can stay this way for a couple weeks. she didn't tell me how much i was effaced, and i forgot to ask, so that part isn't available to help. the good news is that she said i've already gone through my pre something labor so as soon as i have any regular contractions, i can go right to the hospital and get on with things! my vt came over last night to help me clean the house & finish packing my hospital bag, and noz and scoshi came by with vanilla cream puffs for no reason, except that they are really, really good and she wanted to share. pregnancy really has it's perks sometimes. we'll keep you all posted!

los angeles zoo

2009-08-24T09:48:00.001-07:00

i have been wanting to go to the zoo for almost 3 years. any zoo, really. we finally went, and while we were so grateful for the free passes our friends gave us, i don't think we'll be buying the yearly pass when mango arrives. we'll stick with the san diego zoo. some of the attractions were great, (gorillas & sea otters) while others looked just sad - the hippo, black bears, and lions. smaller roaming areas, fake rocks for the hippo..while the gorillas lived with custom caves, a waterfall and real trees galore. sorry about cutting off my face. that's me 37 weeks pregnant, and after walking in 85 deg. weather for over 2 hrs, i just looked really tired pregnant, not happy pregnant. next time we'll shoot us at the beginning, not the end.

sunday activity

2009-08-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

defrost self-picked blackberries. make cobbler. eat.

i like to think if i don't add as much sugar or butter as the recipe states, it will allow me to have 2 servings, which i did. luckily it didn't interfere with the taste one bit. i also added a dash of cinnamon. this is really easy, and so very good. we only had light cool whip in the fridge, but i would have loved some vanilla ice cream. and i made mine in a pie dish as you can see. j had to leave for sacramento to work for the week, and he commented that he liked that i made this just as he was leaving, so i'd be the only one finishing it. um, yes? he had 2 large servings before he left to help take care of his share.

(this cobbler won the grand prize in the “Betty Crocker Recipes from the Soul” recipe contest)

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained)
blackberries
1 cup sugar (i used 3/4 cup)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted (i used 3/4 of a stick)
Cream, whipped cream or ice cream, if desired (love how they say 'if'- of course it's desired!)

In medium bowl, stir together blackberries and sugar. Let stand about 20 minutes or until fruit syrup forms. Heat oven to 375°F.
In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Stir in melted butter until blended. Spread in ungreased 8-inch square pan. Spoon blackberry mixture over batter.
Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until dough rises and is golden. Serve warm with cream.

la shower pics

2009-08-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

rach posted some pics from my la shower here, held at her lovely little blue house. i am making some weird faces and apparantly, my showers was hilarious. we made our own sushi, had chinese chicken salad, jap che, dim sum, orange and blueberry soda and harold (aunty carole) picked up some amazing dots cupcakes. the perfect amount of frosting, and unique flavors. my people go top notch when it comes to food and for this, i love them.

santa monica

2009-08-19T12:30:00.001-07:00

j & i are trying to take more advantage of our surroundings, so we went to santa monica last night. after 6pm, you can park for $3, which actually turned out to be free because the lot was under construction. we split a tuna sandwich from bay cities deli (amazing bread) and walked along the pier, watching the performers, sculpters, fishermen and trapeze school. next up is the Annenberg Space for Photography, international photos of the year, all in one spot. free admission. free parking (my work). i'm very excited to see this - it runs through november. photo via my iphone.

baby room (closet)

2009-08-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

people that know me know i love home decor, and have been asking me all about the babies room. well, we currently live in a one bedroom sooo, the baby is going in a walk in closet surrounded by our clothes for his first few months. things will be more normal once we move to a 2 bedroom. people that know me also know i research like crazy to find the best deal, so i'll include those as well as much as i can.

for now, this is what we do have:

portable hotel crib from hilton (free - thanks noz!), white bedding, infant stim mobile
porthole mirror from my favorite antique shop in indianapolis (similar to this)
an ikea poang chair (after tons of research, this was the best mix of affordability, comfort and modern style) with this pillow
netto cub crib still boxed from overstock for $500 less than retail & $2.50 shipping(sold out)
2 square green and white storage containers that fold flat for his books and toys (gc's + discount)
basket w/liner for diapers (i got a navy and white stripped liner, again 40% off + gc)
wood changing table top made by our friend
oeuf bouncer ($20 at consignment shop)
diaper dude herringbone bag ($25 clearance at marshalls)
vintage abc calligraphy print in an orange garage sale frame (ripped out of a goodwill book, $1 frame)

update: feeling large

2009-08-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

i haven't been blogging, i know. i am in my last few weeks of pregnancy. i feel huge. last night i was writing thank you notes and i looked down and my feet and ankles had plumped up like sausages, only a few hours after church where some girl commented on how i wasn't even swollen. can you get jinxed at church? as the night cooled off, so did the pudge, but man, it was not pretty. i've had wonderful showers the last few weeks but am waiting to get the images from people in order to post. i am ordering last minute things on amazon.

i have
sheets washed
diapers ready
car seat bases installed in both of our cars.
most of my hospital bag packed
health insurance papers ready to fax
clothes washed in free & clear detergent

i am very ready to meet this little boy and not at all ready for the 3 am feedings, or the contractions. i have a few more weeks of work before i get a break. only a few more weeks of just jan and i! the good news is, that people have shown us an outpouring of love. we have been so blessed w/family and friends ready to celebrate with us and help in any way they can.

ps. thanks for all your prayers regarding jan's work. he received an offer and started today. it's a gov job and there is a lot of red tape, so we will know in about a month if everything goes well and it becomes permanant. thank you, thank you.

ice cream cake

2009-08-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

i haven't even posted about my shower yet, but here i am posting about food. can you tell i'm pregnant? oh wait, i love food even when i'm not. :) anyways, i saw this cake on design sponge, and now i must make it next week. it. looks. amazing.

Please note: This recipe contains raw egg.

Meringue and Raspberry Ice Cream Cake
1 2/3 cups whipped cream (400ml)
2/3 cups Greek yogurt (200ml)
1 egg yolk
3 tbl spoons powdered sugar
1 vanilla pod
zest of 1 lemon
1 bag of small ready made meringues (try trader joe's)
4,5 tbl spoons crushed dark chocolate - alternatively chocolate sauce
raspberries (I’ve used fresh, but frozen ones are OK too for inside the cake)

Whisk the cream. Mix yogurt, egg yolk, powdered sugar, the content of the vanilla pod and the lemon zest (only the yellow, not the white). Turn the yogurt mix into the whipped cream. Spread 1/3 of the mix in a springform, approximately 10 inches in diameter. Cover with a layer of meringue and sprinkle over raspberries and crushed chocolate. Repeat with another layer of yogurt mix, raspberries and chocolate. End with a layer of yogurt mix. Cover with plastic and freeze for at least 4 hours. Place the cake in room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Decorate with raspberries.

i know talented people

2009-08-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

i know people with skills, and they share those with me in the form of gifts. i thought it only proper that i recognize them and give them mad props.

first my friend mandy, who made me this car seat cover to help keep mango in the dark to sleep longer or stay out of the cold when la hits the 50's. (or when we visit utah and indiana) note the brown wooden button that disguises the easy velcro underneath. i love this! she is so talented. then my sister-in-law katie who spent months hand sewing this rad bear with a shark tale. he may look angry, but it's only a trick.
note all his different moves already. i'll have him changing mango's diapers in no time.
and finally my sister-in-law holly who blew me away with all this craftiness. some people put a strip of fabric down the center of cloth diapers, holly took it up a notch and quilted mine. and then hand embroidered a B on each one. for Bender. so nobody steals his spit up. don't worry, i'll have my eye on you if you are considering this.
and then, as if that wasn't enough, put together this bomb quilt. i couldn't have asked for a better pattern or colors. i love, love this and sort of want to keep it for myself but then i would be a bad mother. check out the pattern on the right, like a sun's rays blasting out of the center of the quilt.
anyways, i have had these for some time and kept meaning to post pictures because otherwise, it's just me at home admiring them on a daily basis. they are reminders of people's love towards mango and our little family, and i love that!

honey-chicken enchiladas

2009-08-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

we made marisa's enchiladas yesterday for dinner w/friends and they were amazing. we ate them at her house before but hadn't tried them on our own yet. we changed it a little and used steamed corn tortillas, putting 10-12 in one pan and having enough chicken (with 4 breasts) for another pan of 7-8. yeah, it makes a lot. i love the addition of honey and lime. sauteeing and then marinating the chicken makes a big flavor difference. i made a quick corn and bean salad to go along with it. yellow corn, black beans, (less than the corn) lime juice and cumin. (photo via marisa - i was too busy eating to shoot ours)

please keep us in your prayers

2009-07-31T14:14:00.001-07:00

jan had 2 interviews this week with the same company and it'll be a week or two before we hear back. it's the best option we have so far. well, and the only one. we'll keep applying if this doesn't work out, but we hope it does! just don't forget us. and little mango. he'll need food and diapers, and i can only provide the first. i just thought i'd put it out to the blogging world that any extra thoughts/prayers would be appreciated!!

what a week

2009-07-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

where does the time go?? both of my work hours have increased, as well as dr's appt's, and with a husband back and catching up with friends, the time just flies. so my little blog suffers.

last night i dropped off a meal to a friend who just had a baby, and then we ate with another friend who just had a baby and brought the same main dish there. the recipe was from cooking light, called noodles with peanut sauce (basically pad thai), and i sauteed chicken in garlic olive oil for protein. it took longer than i figured w/making the batch bigger, but it got devoured and we still have plenty of leftovers for lunch today. the sauce was delish and smelled so good in the pan. garlic, ginger, natural peanut butter, soy, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, and a pinch of salt. plus noodles, carrots, peppers, peas and then a bunch of cilantro mixed in at the end. and cooking light means it's light on calories! (image via their cookbook)

2 whole years

2009-07-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

tuesday, jan & i celebrated our 2 year anniversary. with a baby coming soon, we decided to put what we would have spent on us towards something longer lasting, for him. traditionally the 2 yr present is cloth, so we are working to save for a rocking chair. our initial ideas of a fancy beach restaurant turned to walking around the culver city farmers market and sampling all the fresh fruit, leaving with peruvian food and fresh squeezed mango/strawberry/pineapple juice from the stands. we drove to the marina del rey beach and sat on the rocks and watched surfers while the sun set. it was perfect. sometimes you want a big thing, but other years, simpler is better. photo via rachel

pregnant at the pool (the real pics)

2009-07-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

rachel posted a whole bunch of images on her blog (click here). isn't she talented?? i'm huge and i don't look huge. i'm baring all and i still feel sexy. it helps that we are good friends and i feel completely comfortable in a bikini around her (we spent everyday in a bathing suit in costa rica), but i love what she did. and i love her. and grant. and my husband for being the father of our little man.

pregnancy in the house

2009-07-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

some outtakes from the shoot with rachel yesterday (taken by jan & grant w/my polaroid). yes, i bared a lot by shooting in a bathing suit, but we wanted to embrace pregancy before my body is fully taken over by it. this was so, so much fun! i love shooting with photographer friends and can't wait to shoot her when the time comes. i love jan's lean in the last one - of course he didn't think anybody was looking and was trying not to get his white shirt dirty since he was in some of the photos. (and yes those are old school swim shorts on him - courtesy of grant.) thanks to farrah for letting us use her old school pool and chairs!

amish friendship bread

2009-07-21T21:44:00.001-07:00

have any of you done this? this is my second time, and i'm excited because i remember how good the bread was last time.

amish friendship bread is called such because right before you bake it, you give 3 (?) friends their own starter to make their own, and then you keep one yourself. it takes 10 days to make a loaf, which is a lot more satisfying than buying a store bought loaf in seconds. if you live in la and want a starter, let me know and i'll pass one off to you. it's a sweet bread and delicious right out of the oven, and then for breakfast or whenever. if you look online you can make your own starter as well. i have four more days left till baking day which is perfect timing w/my parents coming into town for a wedding. squish every few days and add some ingredients when needed - easy!

new sites for bargains

2009-07-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

i love hearing about bargains. today i'm sharing two discount sites that i heard about in the last month or so that have baby/kids stuff. the first is 'the mini social' (all babies/kids), and the second is 'haute look' (occasional babies/kids). also, one of my favorites, babysteals is launching kidssteals later this month. i picked up some baby legs at babysteals for mango the other week for 50% off retail and free shipping.

more photos

2009-07-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

more images of kimi & allens shoot now posted here

today's shoot

2009-07-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

was so much fun! while i definitely love taking journalistic photos, it's also an immense amount of fun to create a stylized shoot. i think people are wary when i say let's coordinate clothes, because the automatic assumption is the typical mormon photo: white polos, khaki pants, etc. the props i lean towards are more stylized and editorial. more to come later!

bad blogger - cute photos

2009-07-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the bad blogging, it has been a zoo since J came home. I will try to be better this week! In the meantime, enjoy these photos from my 4th. Good friends from Indiana and my darling niece & nephew.

4th of july trip

2009-06-30T09:28:00.003-07:00

i'm flying to Indiana early tomorrow. early, I'm realizing requires a 4am wakeup. yikes. there's nothing like practice for the baby! i wish i looked this small and put together on my travels. but this photo makes me feel relaxed which is how i need to feel. i get to see j tomorrow - hurrah!, take family pictures of dear friends, float on the ohio river, eat biscuits and gravy for breakfast at the campground and see the twins. i'm also requesting that j make me a fresh cherry pie from their trees - yum! what are your plans for the 4th?

eclairs 101

2009-06-28T20:43:00.001-07:00

slit eclairs, before drying

filled with pudding mixture

piped with chocolate. (note the piped ziplock looks better than the spoon dab and drag on the left)

back in college & living in sf, i used to make this recipe often. it was easier than i had imagined, and it quickly became a request of friends of mine. small dinner parties to bbq's in a park where everybody else brought chips & drinks. it was the easy fancy treat. it's been a few years, so i had a practice round for a church bbq, and then made a good batch for nozomi's 30th bday celebration on saturday. this is one of those desserts that people don't eat one of. and it is received as a gourmet treat, which is a lot of fun when you're the chef.

heat oven to 450

1 c water
1/2 c butter
1 c flour
4 eggs
1/4 t salt
small box french vanilla pudding made, then mixed with 1/4 tub cool whip
ghirardelli semi-sweet chips

Boil water, put in butter. Stir. When melted, add flour and salt all at once. Stir until it becomes a ball, take off heat & cool for 10 min's. Add eggs one at a time, stir after each. Place in pastry bag or if zip lock, seal and cut the corner. Pipe (I go down 2-3 inches and then back up along the side to make it double wide) on lightly greased cookie sheet. (too greased and it'll slide too much when piping, too big of a loop and you have a small donut that leaks the filling)

Bake 450 for 10 min's, turn down to 325 for 20-25 min's until golden brown. Cool, split in half, scoop out the middle. (this part i find optional) Keeping open, place back in off oven for 20 min's to dry. Fill with vanilla pudding mixture. (i make this while the flour/water/butter mixture cools and refrigerate to help it set up, making it easier to use later). Melt 1/2 c. chips and place in ziplock. Cut small hole in corner, and pipe on zigzags of chocolate. Refrigerate/freeze for up to an hour to help set up. Serve as it's approaching room temperature.

chocolate chip cookies with a twist

2009-06-25T22:12:00.001-07:00

i was browsing a friends blog, baby jaynes, and saw this posting for a cookie recipe. i usually pass on other people's recipes for the basic cookie because i have my own, but this one intrigued me for these 2 reasons: 1. the oats are blended in a cuisinart instead of used whole, 2. there is a bar of shredded baking chocolate added.

truthfully, i only shredded half the bar before i got tired and bored, and figured it was enough. i still think it was. also, i added 1.5 c chips instead of 2, and next time i'll cut out a quarter c. more. i love chocolate, but not when it takes over the cookie. my thoughts? very very good. crispy on the edges, but chewy on the inside. nice slightly crunchy texture while mingling with the creaminess of the chocolate chips. a pretty nice crackle on top, and a short baking time - 8 minutes. would i make them again? definitely. it makes for close to 40 with tablespoon sized scoops. follow the link to the recipe.

i packaged them in simple white takeout boxes for a friend who just had a baby, photos of her coming soon!

magic something or other

2009-06-23T09:10:00.001-07:00

i am not good at growing things. so not good that j got me a book on how 'not' to kill common houseplants for christmas. i usually buy them and they look pretty, and then they just die on me and i throw them away. well, whatever it was, can't stop me now! look at what's growing at the benders!
out of nowhere, the leafy orchid sprouted, and flowered this week.
tomatoes (growing from beneath a hanging planter)
meyer lemons
and my favorite fern that my mom grabbed from my grandpas house when he passed away. also convienent too, that my grandma's name was Fern. it's really light and pretty and i was sad when the rabbit thought it tasted good and gobbled it all up over the course of a few short days. it's finally making a comeback.
i'll keep you posted on the progress of the lemons & tomatoes! i guess if something can grow in my tummy, it can grow in my yard. i hope they don't all quit in sept. :)

graduation

2009-06-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

it seems so long ago that i graduated, and now jan has finally caught up with me. granted he did start his early years being a marine while i was in college, so he got a later start than most, but he finished in 3 years and did great! the last 4 months have been hard having him many states away, but we did it. he is smarter, i am larger, and we will be reunited over the 4th when i fly out to see his family and float in the ohio river. congrats to my husband! now, on to find him a job...

monday = best deal ever

2009-06-16T10:42:00.001-07:00

on my way home yesterday after work i spotted a garage sale. nothing fancy. huge wooded sign nailed to a tree w/scraps leftover from the day. my keen eyes spotted what looked like a svan high chair. no, it couldn't be. but there it was. definitely used, a little beat up, but still in working condition. i hollered to the guy through his steel gate (pretty ghetto) and he came out and verified that it was indeed a high chair, but it wasn't his. after discussing my meager budget, he offered up the chair for $5. $5???? are you kidding me? this retails for over $250! my cute handy husband is going to sand down and refurnish/repaint this in july. it adjusts from infant to adult which is genious. the one i got looks like this toddler set up and doesn't have the infant part w/tray, so we may need to hunt one down. who would have thought being pregnant would be this much fun??

even when you mess up, it still tastes good

2009-06-16T10:24:00.001-07:00

i wanted to make a breakfast shake this morning after seeing it on caroline's blog. i was all set in my mind, and then i realized i didn't have any yogurt. i figured i'd improvise, and then accidentally added 1/2 c of oats instead of 1/4 cup. shoot, this being pregnant thing really has turned me into a space case. follow her recipe, but just so you know, even when you do it all wrong, it still tastes good and super healthy.

this was my version:
1 banana
1/2 cup oats
half bottle of odwalla protein shake
1/2 cup milk
5-6 strawberries
1/4 c frozen costco tropical fruit
2 T honey
1-2 T blueberry flaxseed from trader joe's (i just pour)

currently drinking: protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins from fruit, omega-3's. eat that baby!

passive aggressive notes

2009-06-12T16:18:00.001-07:00

most of you have busy weekends. mine are slow because i lack a husband and i'm pregnant. if you have time, and feel like laughing, check out this site: passiveaggressivenotes.com

if you've ever had weird neighbors or bad roommates, it's awesome. care, this is for you...

the back story

2009-06-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

i love, love this idea. i'm always thinking of new ways to display images in our house without screaming, hey, look, it's us on the wall, big!! i have some silhouettes, but feel like something new w/more pattern would stand out and act as abstract art as well as a portrait of sorts. along comes ReadyMade mag, with the genious idea of the backs of heads as your art. i'll shoot ours this summer, and add our new addition once he can hold his head up. places like paper-source always have pretty paper to tape on your wall as a backdrop. i am going to do some profile shots of extended family this summer too as a project - i'll keep you posted. i think they would look great on smaller canvases grouped together.

trip home

2009-06-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

things i did when i went home:

1. hiked tennessee valley (saw baby rabbits, baby skunk, 2 deer, quail, turkeys)
2. ate banana carmel chocolate chip ice cream and guava ice cream from lappert's with friends
3. johnny rockets with family in the city
4. placed my dad's hand on my belly to feel mango and then laughed when he couldn't fall asleep until 2am because he was weirded out
5. picked up super cute sushi board book from consignment store for only $1.50
6. picked up some of these cute ceramic plates for mom so the grandkids don't destroy the adult dinnerware. ($2.50/ea w/my discount)
7. went on long walks with dad every day around tiburon
8. talked to the tiburon fire chief. dad's excited about j possibly being a fireman and freelancing video/editing on the side. they work two 24 hr shifts/wk and get paid well with benefits and a pension. my dad is big on pensions. we'll see. :)

overdue pics

2009-06-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

one of my friends asked why i hadn't posted recent pregnancy photos. the truth is, it's just me alone at home. i forget and feel weird taking photos of myself. so i had my brother take one when he was in town (24 wks preg). also included are the orange cinnamon rolls and my little brother and sis-in-law with face masks from lush. ever since my brother was little, he loved putting on masks that freeze your face and don't allow you to laugh. we did one for old time's sake.

clock

2009-06-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

this rad clock is coming up at target at the end of the month from Dror Benshetrit for only $24.99. i wonder if i can get away with adding it to my baby registry.

seen on apartment therapy

secret menu

2009-06-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

most of you know that a lot of places have secret menus. i thought i knew most of the tricks, but in the past week, i've learned 2 new things and now i must share. in & out has 3 flavors of shakes. but you can actually combine them into a neopolitan shake. is it good? oh. yes.

starbucks has a drink off the menu for non-coffee drinkers. the tuxedo. a mix of dark and white hot chocolate. good? again. yes. so good. (now stop reading and go get yourself one)

goodbye mochi

2009-05-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

our little friend has to leave us. i tried to hold on as long as possible, but with neither of us working full time, me being alone and all pregnant, having to travel anytime photography opps arise, the bunny has to go back to the adoption center. we love her. i am sad. anyone want a very soft bunny that looks like a panda? it would be $free and include a house, food and toys. she will travel.

awkward family photos

2009-05-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

there is actually a blog called awkward family photos. the above photo has the caption: This is for the “cheaper by the dozen” kind of unit that has trouble fitting all the kids in the frame. It’s not only a space-saver, but it’s also packed with continuity, an awkward essential. Feeling really daring?… Throw in a lean.

just browse. you'll find some classics.

baby gym

2009-05-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

We have the most talented friend in Indiana who designs and sells beautiful cuttingboards with a large variety of woods, both local and tropical. Alan has become somewhat of an uncle to us - we met him a few years back at an arts & crafts show and became enamored with his work. Since then, we have visited him at his home, met him at other shows, bought boards for ourselves, friends and relatives and I've photographed his work.

I asked him if he would design a baby play gym similar to the cariboo one I'd seen online. He put his own twist to it, making it collapsable since he knows we are short on space. We're getting a black, white & red fabric one from J's sister Holly that will be a great color stimulator (very important), but before I knew that was coming I had asked him to work on this. We can hang any toys we like on it, and pass it on to future generations. This is just a photo from his garage, we can't wait to see it in person and have Mango play with it!

memorial day plans

2009-05-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

my brother and sis-in-law are coming into town tonight for the weekend! this is their first trip down here together to visit since we moved here. too bad my other half is in school and can't join in our fun.

on the agenda:
sat:
caroline's grandma ruth's cinnamon rolls
hermosa beach arts & crafts festival
sun:
los angeles national cemetary to honor those who fought for our freedom
more pineapple sorbet
mon:
malibu for some beach time and bbq-ing
bringing a salad

what are you doing for the weekend??

diaper giveaway for mom's

2009-05-21T10:07:00.001-07:00

my friend amy at progressive pioneer is having a cloth diaper giveaway on her blog from the maine cloth diaper company. check it out and enter to win! they are super cute with those white adjustable snaps and a lovely shade of green. with budgets cinching, this would be a great help to the wallet.

targa

2009-05-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

super rad bike. only made in europe. expensive. maybe i should have hung out more w/the industrial designers at byu. It makes so much sense. No gas. Healthy and efficient. The kids are lower to the ground in case of falling. Compact. The stroller part looks great too, but might be a little more expensive to recreate. Sigh. Someday the US will catch up with some type of affordable option. I love the wood part.

graduation party

2009-05-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

sorry for the bad photos of the party, they were taken with my tiny camera. i got off work, ran home and frosted the cupcakes and then people started coming over and the fun took over me taking pictures! it was a really good time. the smartest thing to do for a party is to say yes to everyone that offers to bring something. people brought artichoke spinach dip, a fresh fruit salad, bruchetta, edamame, marinated wings with blue cheese dip and tortilla and mediterranean hummus. my friends are really good cooks.

i had everyone come prepared to teach something they had learned in grades K-college. anything at all. here is what people came up with:

how to make a bb gun from a mechanical pencil and rubberband
how to fold paper into a heart for passing notes
how to make yourself and/or others faint (not fully demonstrated)
how to text message while still seeming fully intrigued in what the teacher is saying
how to say i love/want you in 4 different languages
how to look pregnant if you are a man
how to throw a gang sign (blood) with your hands
how to spin a pencil in your hands
how to tahitian dance (the girls and guys learned separately and then we performed for eachother)

macademia white chocolate cookies

2009-05-18T09:31:00.001-07:00

i can't find the source of these - i just pasted them into an email for a recipe. i do remember it got 5 stars though. the key is to pull them out when the edges are golden and the tops are barely golden. if you go another minute, the tops turn all light brown fast and then they seem a little overdone. mine averaged 8-9 min's in the oven.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
10 ounces white chocolate chips
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped into chunks

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 F. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, beat well. Stir together flour, and the baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture,beating until well blended. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. (Edges are golden brown and center is set.) Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely.

bike ride & the getty

2009-05-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

j planned some surprises while he was home for us to do together. we've done 2/3 so far and i've loved them all.

wed. am we woke up early and biked a few miles out to playa del rey, an area we haven't checked out yet. we biked along the beach, to the little downtown to Mo's for breakfast. french toast, a california omlette (avocado, yum) and a pineapple peach smoothie. he sure does know how to feed a pregnant woman. that night i made some macademia white chocolate chip cookies for the party tonight. the recipe got really high reviews and although i won't eat nut cookies, he thinks they are amazing. i'll post it if anyone wants it.

yesterday morning we ended up at the getty. i have wanted to go to this for awhile so i was pretty excited. it's free all the time, all you pay is $10 for parking. you take a tram up the mountain to the most beautiful museum i've seen. with meetings to attend for j, we had just enough time to see the photography exhibits and wander the gardens and eat some apple blueberry pie. typically pie at a museum stand is iffy, this was fantastic. you can see the pregnant belly in the shot of me at the fountain. because i've grown so much, i can't really see where i'm walking. on the way to that rock i walked straight into the fountain, thinking it was a dry path. of course there were some elementary school kids to see it and laugh at me. awesome. please come visit me and i'll take you here. you won't regret it. we're going back this summer.

sorbet

2009-05-11T15:03:00.001-07:00

last weekend we went to the culver city antique car show on saturday. it was warm out and i stopped into ugo for some of the most amazing pineapple gelato. i don't have a gelato maker but we are going to a friends house for hawaiian food wed. night, so i'm going to try my hand at this recipe for pineapple sorbet. it says to blend it up well but i'm going to leave some chunks in there because that's what i love about ice cream/gelato. i'll let you know how it turns out.

{update: it's fantastic!! so much so that j wants me to open a booth at the farmer's market and sell it. the key is ripe pineapple.}

currently working on

2009-05-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

a party for j & our friend marisa - both of whom are graduating soon but not at the same time. instead of 2 parties, i am throwing a joint 'we've almost graduated' party next weekend.

on the list:

invitations backed by high school science book pages

the same book to cut strips of interesting graphics out to wrap around water bottles

appetizers brought by friends

vanilla cupcakes with passionfruit frosting

balloons for inside, hung upside down

balloons for the balcony, filled with helium that we will all let go at the same time as a final hurrah

color palatte: shades of yellow and orange

photo via

free museum days

2009-05-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

just found this and thought i would share w/those of you in the area. i know they have similar things in SF, you should look up the ones by you! with budgets tight for all of us, the more free things we can share with each other the better.

los angeles free museum days

recycling for babies

2009-05-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

once j leaves for school again, i'm having a sewing night at my house for us mom's with newborns coming to make some of these. back in san francisco, we would make guy's tshirts smaller to fit us, now we can make them even smaller for our babies! sleepers are expensive but necessary, why not make them stylish - for free? what a great way to upcycle our husbands shirts that they won't let go of, or even some of ours from high school. find the tutorials here, image seen on ohdeedoh.

the secret life of bees

2009-05-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

i checked this out from redbox the other night. $1.09 for a night. i read the book twice and wanted to check out the movie,especially because of the cast. it was pretty good. followed the book for the most part minus a few scenes and captured the essence of the time period. i like these movies, but it makes me glad that i was born now, and not when racism was so prevalent. speaking of bee's, check out amy's hive. she'll be harvesting fresh honey in no time. any other good movies out there that i need to know about? rental only, this woman's on a budget.

easter is past, but i'm still posting

2009-05-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

{lunch at squat and gobble in the marina}
{dessert browsing at miette}
{challah bread - note: when it says let rise an hour, don't leave for 3 hour church}
{super easy salad, but fancy enough to impress - recipe in the easter post}

{i thought i had a lot of eggs (left), then i saw my sister-in-law julie's basket. she is fast!}

I love easter. We are all in our mid to late 20's, and some (uh hem, Rick) are in their 30's. My parents haven't let up on the egg hunts and we request them every year. They have some usual tricks (plant beds, and inside shoes) but are always looking for new ways to be sneaky. My mom was up at 6am Sunday and set the table and decorated it, and I will never be able to beat that, so I let that go and focused on my bread and salad. This bread recipe makes a LOT. We only ate half of one loaf at dinner. In the future I would only poppyseed one loaf and just plain egg the second for variety. Mom's new surprise this year was a 'spiritual grand prize'. This year, I barely found any eggs, but got the grand prize, and then so did my brother! Luckily, he had already watched his dvd of the prophet for his additional spiritual grand prize, so that went to me. Parents are funny.

fellow moms - help is needed

2009-04-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

has anyone else had ridiculous mid to lower back pains while pregnant? mine appeared the week i went from 'bloated' to 'finally looking pregnant'. the new weight seems to have thrown my back off alignment or something and it is so painful. it hurts when i sit, stand and i don't sleep well at all.

on regular basis i am doing the following: pregnancy yoga, swimming, sitting in my massage chair w/the heat setting on, stretching, pushups, trying to sleep with an array of pillows placed this way and that, to no avail. oh, and ben gay, which i have just been told to replace with tiger balm which is more natural.

i am going to see a guy tomorrow who has helped me in the past, but it's never been this bad before, nor have i been pregnant before.

any suggestions? am i doomed for 5 more months?

i admit

2009-04-24T15:23:00.001-07:00

i often eat breakfast for dinner. it's one of my favorite meals, so why not? the other day i made bisquick pancakes, just feeling lazy. while waiting for the first little guys to cook (smaller batches yield more of the crispy edges i love), i read on the box that to make them extra good, to add 1TB sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, and 2 TB lemon juice. So I did, and what do you know - it's my new favorite trick. I added a little extra lemon and might add some zest next time. Drizzled with trader joe's blueberry topping (with maine blueberries), it was delish. They taste lighter, more fluffy, and have a hint of lemon flavor. ps i also add a little vanilla.

does anyone else have any good tricks to better the standard recipes -either from a box or scratch?

photo via

editing today

2009-04-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

editing again! stay tuned for a link to my photo blog coming with photos of little m who's turning one this weekend. i am super behind on my photoblog - but am trying to catch up. hopefully later today i can finally post a few easter pics too. oh, picked up an adorable sweater for mango at liz's shop, baby hank. she's having a sale right now, so check it out!

{update: view more photos of malia and baby clay in my photo blog!)

how j found out

2009-04-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

I had a hard time trying to come up with an idea to surprise j when i found out the sex of the baby since he's so far away. My friend mandy helped me execute my final idea. She had J come over to pick up an important 'package' from her mailbox, that note led him outside to another box, and inside was a folded up 3x4' poster (you can get them enlarged really easily at kinkos) that said the above words, complete with a large blue squirt gun. Thanks for all your nice words, we're so excited!!

the results are in

2009-04-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

my wishes of tunics and little leggings have been replaced with little mohawks and little black converse shoes. we're having a boy!!

cleaning takes forever

2009-04-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

tonight or tomorrow i'll post images from easter dinner, and later this week i'll have a surprise that involves the photo above! my parents are driving down to LA as we speak, so i'm on a roll to clean and do laundry before they arrive.

easter dinner

2009-04-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

this year for easter dinner i am in charge of table decor, salad and bread. i love egg-y, sweet challah bread, because of the story behind it for passover, plus it's so pretty and delish. i'm putting a new twist on the abelmann salad and making it a little fancier for the occasion. salad recipe here, challah here. (bread photo via) what are you making for your easter dinner?

ways to save for small people

2009-04-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

as we're trying to get ready for mango with a tight budget, i spend a lot of time researching to find the best items in my price range. with empasis towards style, good reviews and functionality. Two sites that i check for bargains that are typically 60-70+% off retail are baby steals & mama bargains.

we were able to receive a great full size crib (we have a compact one in our apt right now) as a gift, purchased at overstock for 75% off retail, no tax and only $3 for shipping. it's sold out, but it might come back.

it's also good to keep an eye out for sample sales like this one. even though we didn't have a baby yet, i had a friend pick me up pottery barn kids clothes at an average of $3/piece. that stocked us up on clothes, blankets, bath towels, hats and shoes. i've found great new or barely worn clothes at my local goodwill lately for an average of $1.50/piece as well. it's hit and miss, so you have to be willing to hunt or walk away with nothing.

baby stuff can be pricey so if you have the time, do your research and you can make it all fit within a budget. invest in things you want long term, and be super frugal with things they will grow out of quickly.

cowl

2009-03-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

my talented friend caroline made this super cute cowl. perfect for spring days when it's still a little cold out. the most amazing part is that she just made it up. big needles, a seed stitch, and voila. and you people thought she could just bake. pssh.

fabric hunting

2009-03-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

i'm helping a friend make some coordinating duvet covers for her girl's room, so we're heading to the fabric district in la tomorrow morning for a couple hours. if you've never been to this area of town, it's fantastic, but like most big cities, you really have to hunt to find what you want. not everything is $1/yard (but this store really does exist on the corner.) stores like michael levine have higher end fabrics, but overall it's a great place to find a huge selection within a 2 blocks. these are the photos i found her for inspiration via ohdeedoh - i'll post the final product when we're done.

hello spring

2009-03-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

The colors are more vivid on my screen than once on blogger, but these 2 revisions of my winter design are going up for the next few months at 2 Rodeo in Beverly Hills until the store is leased (it's under contract). I'm loving this spring 09 color palatte - very pretty colors.

editing today

2009-03-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

editing shoots today. a kids shoot from up north and headshots from last weekend (welcome to LA). busy weeks make me happy.

earth hour, march 28

2009-03-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

Turn out. Take action.
Be part of this historic event.March 28, 2009, 8:30 pm local time
World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.

i've never heard of this before. apparantly this is happening in all major cities worldwide. i'm just wondering if that means we can finally see the stars in los angeles.

pretty with ribbons

2009-03-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

i wish i had the talent to sew clothes. right now i'm just really good at straight lines. i was browsing this blog and came across a dress that the girl just you know, put together. so cute! one of these days i'm finally going to take a sewing class.

box of goods

2009-03-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

last night i came home to a box under my mat. my aunt's friend was going to send me 'something' since she owns a maternity garment manufacturing business. i pulled hanger after hanger of cute clothes out of a box! 4 tops, 1 tank top, 3 clamdigger shorts, 1 pair of white capris, and a skirt. everyone has said not to spend a lot of money on maternity clothes, but i wasn't expecting to get them this cheap. i love the kindness of strangers and pure generosity!

photo via

happy saint patricks day!

2009-03-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

don't forget to wear something discretely green, head to rite aid for a cheap scoop of thrifty mint ice cream (pic), and plant some pretty and unique shamrocks in a pot for luck all year. i won't tell if you add a box of thin mints to the day either.

i thought i'd update the old book

2009-03-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

what to expect when you're expecting (the first 14 weeks)
by julia bender

1. try not to eat anything you really like. after you puke it up several times you will hate it.

2. expect to look bloated, but not pregnant for quite a few months. it's very attractive.

3. make a clean path in the bedroom to the bathroom when going to sleep. boxes or clothes that you trip on are likely to make you curse and you don't want to teach the baby bad habits already

4. expect a lot of relations to tell you what to eat to help you feel better. most of these involve more than 3 minutes of cooking which means you won't do it

5. don't forget to button your pants when you walk around the office. it's nice to leave them unbuttoned when sitting, but it's awkward when you are surrounded by men and wandering the office

6. don't ever eat a fish sandwich to follow lent with your husband. it's the worst ever coming back up. ever.

7. be prepared on smells. everything has a funk. parking garages. apt hallways. elevators. bathrooms. the list goes on.

8. if someone ever says, can i do anything do help? always respond with dishes, please. they're really not hard, but the smallest effort is just too much when you're as lazy as pregnancy makes you.

9. buy a roomba. yes, i didn't push the 'clean' button for 4 weeks, but now that i'm less nauseus during the days, i will start. roomba, clean my house!

10. let your husband do all the dishes and cleaning as long as possible until he notices that you haven't done any in 5 days. then act really surprised.

it finally looks like a baby!

2009-03-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

We got our second ultrasound yesterday and watched the baby kick and wiggle around (do you see it doing leg lifts?). it's feeling a lot more real now even though i barely look pregnant. my brother commented on the little 'thing' near it's legs, but the lady told us that was the placenta, not a man part. we'll find out for sure in 4 1/2 more weeks!! it was nice for j to be a part of this one. we're heading to san diego for the day...

lovely wedding

2009-03-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

J & I went to Rachel & Grant's wedding on Saturday. My talented friend Jon Canlas was the photographer and I had set duties but I brought the polaroid along to take some photos of the site. It was more than amazing. A private beach just for us. The tables were set up on the sand, with food and dancing up at the building. Highlights included a friend salsa bar, fernando's homemade tacos, homemade donut holes for dessert (rasberry vanilla, maple, powdered sugar, you name it), and a bonfire to roast our favors - bags of a s'mores kit while sipping on hot cocoa. Rachel decorated with wheat grass and candles on the table, Caroline did all the design work, and Rach collected old vintage bottles to be spread around the tables up top with water and single flowers and leaves as decor. White paper lanterns hung with mini lights. When it came time for the speeches, the cutest little nieces said nice words and each appropriately ended them with, 'and i say these things in the name of..', just like a mormon prayer or testimony. too cute.

hello old friends

2009-03-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

oh no. they're back. i took last year off and didn't buy any, and totally regretted it. who was i kidding that i was saving myself some calories - didn't someone invent the word moderation? which is why the best thin mints are frozen. my favorites will always be the thin mints & samoas, but if someone buys another flavor, i'll help them eat those too.

here's the 09 lineup, starting today:

2009 Girl Scout Cookie Lineup

This year’s cookie lineup features eight varieties: time-honored classics the crisp minty Thin Mints, the shortbread Trefoils, the chewy caramel Samoas, the Tagalong peanut butter patties, and the peanut butter sandwiched Do Si Dos. The 2009 program also includes the crunchy fat-free chocolate chip, the zesty Lemon Chalet Crèmes, and new cookie: Dulce de Leche.

ok, did we all read the last part - new cookie? dulce de leche? caroline is going to flip.

letter book

2009-03-04T16:19:00.000-08:00

i love, love this idea for a letter book, seen on party perfect. if anyone see's old wooden letters like this at a thrift shop or garage sale, let me know! i just checked ebay, but only saw the old wooden blocks w/color. it's a great inspiration for photography as well as a personal teaching tool for your kids. or anything - places you and your husband /bf have visited, gone on dates to, family recipes, etc. Sarah did a great job. I'm excited to see her version of family - I had talked about doing one as well for my future kids to look at during church. and now i have a future kid!

guess what

2009-02-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

the reasons i haven't been blogging much are:

1. i've been really sick
2. i've been really tired
3. i've been really pregnant

i know it's hard to tell, but if you look close, the little blob in the black area is a baby! we are so excited for our new addition and are eagerly awaiting the arrival around september 12. j is busy tying up school & i am happy that the sickness is fading. mochi has no idea and is just happy eating broccoli. this image was taken at 7 weeks, so mango (our name for him/her) just looks like a tiny little blob. i'm now 12 weeks (mango is as big as a lime) and we're praying everything continues to go well! i heard the heartbeat, and it's really the most amazing sound...

the attack of the wax

2009-02-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

here is a recent conversation between my dad, myself, and my 2 brothers. (note the sister-in-laws sat this one out). my dad had a really bad earache and i guess it was due to some wax he put in there to sleep and some got stuck and caused an infection. a typical abelmann dialogue...

dad: All fixed. Got last big piece of earplug wax removed today. Should heal up soon
me: that's so gross. what happend to those foam earplugs? when did you start buying wax? glad to hear you are better. but quite strange...
r: awesome, save it and make it into a candle for julia's birthday.
me: what is wrong with you people?
dad: Mom did save it!
j: That’s disgusting. Please dispose.
me: please tell mom not to freeze it in water...like the goldfish
dad: We were going to put it under julia's pillow instead of money. ps it was all cleaned out by the doctor!

i left my heart..

2009-02-24T14:58:00.001-08:00

sorry for the lack of posts as of late, i will explain later this week. in the meantime, i am headed home to SF tomorrow through sunday. i have some photoshoots scheduled & client meetings, and was hoping to plan something fun w/you sf friends, but it seems like we are subject to nonstop rain most of the weekend. if saturday cooperates, i'm free to hike around tiburon or marin saturday am. or meet in berkeley for ice cream at fentons. let me know! other than that, i'm excited to see my family and get spoiled w/good food.

pink balloon proposal

2009-02-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

some guy proposed to his gf on the brooklyn bridge by having strangers hand her a pink balloon with a love note attached - the first was a friend of his that she wouldn't recognize. read the full story here. it is so adorable.

valentines day freebees

2009-02-13T14:06:00.001-08:00

if you haven't sent a vday card yet because you haven't had time or money is tight, or even if you have, there are some free super cute ones on the kate spade site. i just sent jan this one...

happy birthday to my niece & nephew

2009-02-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

it was the twins first birthday celebration last weekend. holls & eric threw them a great party and holly made a full spread of ethiopian food even down to the sponge bread - she is that good. here's my tribute pic to them from january - i love them and can't wait to see them soon! happy birthday a & c! ps. c's overalls are vintage from his great grandma.

peach dutch oven goodness

2009-02-13T10:16:00.001-08:00

last night i went to mel's and made some peach dutch oven cobbler that turned out so good - perfect for these chilly la nights. and yes, i'm serious - it was in the 50's! i had to use caroline's photo because i forgot my camera - and i was worried that her recipe would be too big for my slightly smaller oval dutch oven, but it was just fine. i used 2 cans of peaches, next time i will use 3 and maybe sprinkle a hint of cinnamon on the peaches as well as the batter. I also cooked it for 10-15 more min's than she said. (all ovens are diff.) it's really easy and great alone or with a dab of vanilla ice cream. the best part is that it really tasted just like we were camping - without all the dirt! some may say that's half the fun, but i vote for this option.

recipe via care's blog:

Filling
4 c ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
2 T of sugar
1/4 t vanilla

Batter
6 T of butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 c flour
3/4 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 c buttermilk (our easy trick for this is to put some lemon juice in milk and sour it)
1 t of vanilla

1 T of brown sugar

**remember, i adapted this recipe for my dutch oven. so this original recipe was meant for an 8x8 pan. so, if you use a dutch oven, just substitute that for the 8x8 parts.**

Preheat oven to 350 (i did 325° to be safe with the dutch oven).

Combine the 3 ingredients in the filling and set aside. In an 8 inch baking dish place the butter pieces and place in the oven until the butter melts. While it is melting combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. In another bowl mix together the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until everything is moistened. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon the batter over thebutter spreading evenly but not stiring. Spoon the filling over the top and gently press in the peaches. Bake for 35-40 minutes and then sprinkle with brown sugar (i doubled the amount of sugar for good measure) and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the crust is golden.

dad's retirement party

2009-02-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

a few months late but i'm just getting to posting some photos from the surprise party we threw over christmas for my dad. the theme was an old hollywood style and we added in mustaches since we've never known my dad to be without one. we set up a photobooth and decorated and black, white, grey and shades of green. we put famous 'dad' quotes on all the drinks, i cut out his silhouette from a piece of paper to sprinkle on tiny black nonparieles to create his image on the cake (you need patience for this but it's a great effect) and hung his silhouette around the house. we played a few games, sang him a song that my little brother wrote about his life, and read quotes from people in his past. i love the photo of my nephew up top staring at his mom wondering why she has a mustach. there are a lot more photos of the other guests, decor, etc. but most of this is my family.

sunday school in la

2009-02-09T16:54:00.001-08:00

we were talking at church about how when we pray we hope to receive a comforting feeling of peace from heavenly father. and how we rarely get chastized, but it has occured in the scriptures. this one older asian gentleman raised his hand and suggested that when we chasitze our kids we should use the same, gentle approach intead of using our often 'satanic' voices. the teacher was a younger guy and was trying not to laugh at his choice of words. who uses a satanic voice when disciplining? do we even know what that voice sounds like? deep and loud and do you grab your red cape and horns? we were cracking up...

unexpected blessings

2009-02-04T14:52:00.001-08:00

this week involved a lot of resumes, a lot of praying and a lot of BLAH, what in the world am i going to do?? and then out of nowhere, before my job is even done with (this fri was my last day), they have a big meeting and say we don't want you to go..completely. so i'm back part time, they raised my pay per hour and are having me do all their design work from now on. so every week, i will do that and photography.

anyways, here is a (bad) poem on how my week has been:

i had a job and then it was gone
no money for rent leads to begging at dawn
just mochi and me, eating veggies together
while i thought about me, broke, lounging in the warm la weather

i guess it's not so bad i thought, getting tan while i wait
until i thought about being evicted, j's stuff in the trash he might hate
so i turned in some resumes and talked to everyone i knew
and then my job resurfaced, my cube i could come back to

i'm still broke and poor but happy in spirit
i'll get to do more photography, now will you hire me?

(sorry, but really, what rhymes with spirit?)

did your morning involve 2 strangers + 2 cops + 2 mechanics?

2009-02-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

mine did. j's car battery cables came loose apparantly, and while driving by costco and luckily being almost stopped at a light, the entire car decided to die. no power. no blinky hazards to warn cars not to hit me, nada. luckily something worked and the hazards came back on. nobody came to help for awhile. an old guy tried but said he couldn't do anything. then out of nowhere a stranger told me to put it in neutral and 2 guys started pushing to get it into a strip mall but it was too heavy to get it up the hill so it got stuck in the driveway, now halfway in the road. i saw a big cop suv and waved them over - two big guys got out and analyzed the situation and after trying to figure out how to take out the bike rack to PUSH the car w/their car up the driveway, they played w/the battery wires and got the car to work! they followed me to a fix it shop where some nice guys tightened stuff and added washers for $15. maybe i should start paying attention when j teaches me about cars....

primary muffins

2009-01-31T16:15:00.000-08:00

i am now in the primary at our church, on the activities committee. since i just got called last week, i didn't plan this mornings activity, but i did bring some muffins. i wanted something healthy, but still sweet so i made strawberry muffins. i added a little cinnamon/sugar mix on the top. as with most muffins, they are best right out of the oven, when the strawberrys are warm. the recipe calls for sliced strawberries but i used scissors to cut them up into pieces since i was making mini muffins for the kids. they were a big hit as seen by the empty plate i brought home.

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) package frozen sliced strawberries, thawed and undrained
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preparation: Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Stir together remaining strawberries, milk, eggs, and oil until blended; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Serve with Strawberry Butter. ( i didn't have the recipe for this)

hello dessert

2009-01-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

i was browing on smitten kitchen this morning and came across this image of the most amazing looking bittersweet chocolate and pear cake. i've really only put fruit and chocolate together in a banana split or crepes. i am going to eunnie's this sunday and am going to make this for dessert. i do think our generation has a big edge on our grandmothers w/the invention of the internet. food bloggers everywhere post trial and error recipes and post many photos to boot of all the steps needed to create it at home. i am a stickler about wanting to see a photo before i try a recipe - it definitely helps the motivation to see how your final result should turn out.