The Chairman's Waltz

Up to 15% or more is meaningless.

2012-02-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

I can't get over how ridiculous and adorable these pictures of my cats are. Yes, Buster, I caught you.

In a world of my own.

2012-01-31T18:09:00.000-08:00

Tofu cooked with black beans, lemon juice, salt&pepper, cayenne pepper, and soy sauce, easy over egg, lettuce, melted sharp cheddar, mushroom slices, caramelized green bell pepper and onion slices, some of the beans and tofu on cinnamon raisin english muffins, avocado and tortilla chips.

Rice noodles and red lentils tossed with two beaten eggs, crushed red chili flakes, lemon juice, sugar, salt&pepper, and soy sauce, carrots cooked with garlic, salted sunflower seeds on lettuce.

Homemade butternut squash soup, with onion, carrot, golden raisins and potato, -made while announcing the intro and theme to the Powerpuff Girls- asparagus cooked with salt&pepper and olive oil, and a grilled cheese sandwich with sharp cheddar, roasted tomatoes and tofu slices.

Wherever I wander...

2012-01-29T18:05:00.000-08:00

This is such a beautiful, minimalistic room.

I love the soft lighting in this room. It just seems so cozy. I want some lanterns for my house!

I want to know what kind of snake this is. It's gorgeous.

How ridiculously adorable are these lions?

I really like this photo. The forest looks so mystical. I also really like the idea of the animal mask. I'm considering getting one and modeling some of the clothing for the store.

This man is purdy. The photo makes me think of artist studios and the 90s. Not sure why.

All the other kids.

2012-01-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

I uploaded a whole bunch of my comic books onto etsy. More here. Don't forget almost everything has free shipping until I graduate! Help me afford being able to move.

The universe will have its way.

2012-01-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

I've been saving loads of different interior design pictures lately. Unfortunately I browse so long I never save the sources, I just save them and when I go back, never know where I got it from. I always add credit when I know it, or find it. Here are just a few that I really like of kitchens.

It was acceptable at the time.

2012-01-10T10:50:00.000-08:00

I've been having so much wonderful food while down here. Unfortunately, much of the time I forgot to whip out the ol' camera before it was devoured. These are still from Flagstaff eatin's.

Red cream potatoes cooked on low/med in butter, olive oil, salt, thyme and basil, green bell pepper, carrot and onion cooked then laid inside the eggs, along with crumbled goat cheese.

Fried okra, toast with spicy hummus, vegi soy fish balls (weirdest texture ever...) with sweet chili sauce, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, pecans, golden raisins, dried figs, and I actually forget what else...cooked in vegetable stock.

Homemade lentil soup and tea. Sooo good.

Hey, watch it!

2012-01-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

These are the things I've amassed while being down here in Phoenix. I mean that I got myself, although the sports bra and running shirt my mom got for me, since I needed them.

*A dark shade of pretty, sparkly purple polish.

*A new woven belt. I broke my last one, and this one is much smaller and fits me properly.

*A new pan. It is a wonderful size and shape. Now I'll have an in between from my wok and regular frying pans.

*I'd returned the Patagonia jacket and bought a much cheaper substitute. It's a pack-down type, and all that, which will be great for camping.

*A shirt with dinosaurs on it!

*A pretty green t-shirt.

*A wooden mortar and pestle.

*New wonderful art pens. (I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to pens.)

*A super pretty bowl. Here's a close-up:

*A black mug with handle. It has a nice weight.

*A black pot, great for cooking rice.

*The third book in The Hunger Games series. I still need to find the second one before I can start reading it, haw.

*A pretty basket. I think I'm going to use it to store my toys on my shelf, and give me a little more room.

I never really took the time to make an end of the year post, as I had in 2010. But, I think I can summarize a few key points worth noting from last year.

*I adopted a kitty on June 1st. I named him Sir Thaddeus Rex, also known as Mr. T, Mr. Fluffbutt, Mr. Crazypants, or Mr. Purr-Monster. I love him, even if he is the Pinky in the duo.

*I had a summer job as a security guard working for The Cardinals. The hours were strenuous, but helped me get some money I'd lost over the summer.

*In April, I officially started a new attitude toward working out and with more gusto began a pilates and running regime. I've kept to it, and improved my endurance and strength greatly. Over the last few months, I've added lifting weights and a second pilates video to my routine. I feel fantastic.

*I'm always discovering new wonderful music. <3

*I finished the first semester of my senior year of college!

*I bought an electric guitar. I want to start practicing really badly once I get back to Flagstaff!

*I decided to read more. I got a goodreads account, and it's really helped me to motivate myself to finish reading each book, so I can add them to my list. I'm not picky about what I read. I'm trying to just read any and everything, I guess, even if it's tough to get through.

*And of course, I cooked loads of good food.

The pink lady's pledge.

2011-12-30T11:36:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd highlight some artwork I really enjoy from etsy. Etsy is bursting with artists, and I've probably only skimmed the tip of the iceburg, but, here you go!

Jason LaFerrera makes animals out of cut-outs of maps. They're very clean and well done.

Chasing The Crayon does really interesting illustrations with animals. This is one of their more out-there ones, which I really enjoy.

Groundwork does super beautiful, simplistic illustrations with fine detail work.

CrowBiz prints detailed animals onto maps or pages from vintage books. It's a nice look.

GollyBard does wonderful illustrations of animals and nature. I love the pallet she keeps throughout her art. This is a storm cloud.

Siiso does beautiful abstracts.

Cathy McMurray does neat abstracts and abstracted landscapes.

I'll cover more in another post, before this one gets ridic long!

Etsy update!

2011-12-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

It feels like forever since I last did an etsy update. I wanted to say the store is still up and running and everything. At present, almost everything in the shop has free shipping for a big moving sale I'm having. This will be running until I graduate, because I want to get rid of as much of the inventory as POSSIBLE before I have to trek across country or wherever I plan on going! So please hop on by and get some of your holiday shopping done. :D

Also, my kitties are adorable. Mr. T has taken a great liking to my bat pillow. He snuggles it whenever possible.

And Buster is obsessed with this super soft olive blanket I brought home. I put him on it and he immediately went into kneading mode and zoned out. Heh.

My breakfast this morning:
Apple cinnamon granola, plain yogurt, coconut shavings, honey, chopped pecans, dates rolled in oat flour, golden raisins, kiwis and a banana, and then a little bit of cold coffee mixed with chai green tea and milk. Soooo good.

Change is gonna come.

2011-11-20T13:32:00.000-08:00

I know I've been really quiet. Been sorta busy with school and not feeling that great. I turned in my graduation application, it's pretty crazy how soon it is. If all goes as planned, I'm graduating in May in the spring. I'm looking forward to a bunch of my classes. They'll be much more active and outside-oriented, which is what I like to do. I passed my wilderness first responder, and am now all medically certified and jazz. The weather here is so weird. It's November, but sometimes it's still t-shirt weather during the day. Right now it's rainy and cold which makes sense, but jeez. I'd bought a jacket from Patagonia (waiting for it to arrive) to finally be able to effectively battle the brutal winters here. I get tired of layering up with everything and being a big puff ball and STILL being cold. I also got Batman pajamas. Because I'm perpetually an 8 year old boy inside. I've decided to learn how to play the electric guitar. I was able to buy one from my teacher for a sweet deal. I'll have to take pictures of it sometime. It's super badical pretty. In the meantime, enjoy a SAS post.

And because it's just so funny.

Pretty Lights is my most favorite new band. I love everything by them.

It's about that time.

2011-10-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

These are a few pictures from my trip to Utah in March. I know, way late. Unfortunately a bundle came out blurry, but these are ones I could salvage. There are a whole bunch more on my Flickr.

Let me take you on vacation.

2011-10-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Carl Warner is a super neat artist. If you look closely, you'll see everything is made from food! They're all photographs. He sets them up on a landscape so that when he photographs it, it has depth.

Watch your heart when we're together.

2011-09-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

After having looked at loads of interior shots with collages of paintings and the like, I decided to go through a box with a whole bunch of postcards I've saved and put them up on the wall to display. I quite like it. I've recently moved around stuff in my apartment. My desk is now on the far wall under my kitchen window, and the coffee table is where it used to be. I really enjoy it. My apartment feels a lot more open, and I have more floor space.

And the gods made love.

2011-09-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

Veggie ham, cara cara orange, easy over egg, french bread with pineapple jam.

Marble rye bread with lettuce, tomato, avocado, cranberry orange spread, and fresh mozzarella, the remaining bit of tomato with some salt, pickles, jiacama, and mushrooms cooked in olive oil and cayenne pepper.

Sweet potato cooked in paprika, chili powder and cumin, beans, veggie ham, carrots and onion cooked in brown sugar, zucchini cooked in olive oil and a little salt and pepper, plain white rice, grapes and chai tea.

Tuesday eats a day late, but not a dollar short.

I heard there was a secret chord.

2011-09-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

Has it been a week? Really? Dear good freakin' potatoes that's frightening. I guess I can see that, as I've had a week's worth of classes now. Well, mostly. Class was cancelled today so we could have an even longer weekend. Oh how I love my major. Though it's chilly at 5:15am when I generally leave my house for work, it warms up nicely during the day. I definitely want to get in a lot of hiking before it starts inevitably snowing! I'm going tomorrow morning. I'm going to try and make it a more strenuous hike, so I can be more leisurely later and take some photos around town. I haven't been able to take any pictures of all the beautiful flowers that had bloomed during the monsoons. We've had SO much rain this summer. So much so I bit the bullet and bought a rain layer from Patagonia. It's a pull-over with only a pocket on the inside, but, it can compact into that pocket for when I go camping, which is uber handy. In March when I went on my trip in Utah (Still haven't developed those photos!!) I had a lot of trouble with the bulkiness of my clothing in my pack. Next year wherever the class plans on going, I'm going to be more prepared! Anyway, these are older, but some various sunsets in and around Flag.

More on my Flickr.

Don't push me, cause I'm close to the edge.

2011-08-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

A few design inspirations and interiors I enjoy.

Oh my god, I want that mushroom lamp so much.

Spreading its disease.

2011-08-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

The Burning House is a blog I found a little while ago. The idea is, in your haste to leave your house if it were on fire, what would you grab? Sentimental things, practical, both? I'm not sure what I'd grab, other than my cats and laptop. Outside of that I haven't given it much thought. I like seeing the photos people have composed of their belongings, and possible accompanying descriptions.

Let's find love while we may.

2011-08-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

These take the idea of 'gif's to a new level. They're literally living pictures, capturing a true moment in time. The photo carrying more weight in your memory, as it lets you relive through other senses- the feel of the breeze that day, the fizz of the bubbles in your drink. Artist Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg have created what they call cinemagraphs, making animated photos.

You can find more here.

Better open the door.

2011-08-21T11:59:00.002-07:00

I feel like every time I start a blog entry I mention how long it's been since the last post. Time is a strange thing. I've been busy off my rocker at a short summer job, working as a security guard for the Cardinals while they're up here practicing. The hours are insane, and I haven't any internet at home still, so I've not been up to date on much of anything. Luckily I get to read at work, so I'm trying to get through all the books I own that I haven't read yet. I've gotten outrageously tan from the long hours spent outside during practice or field security.

In the meantime, enjoy a SAS post.

Birthday comic

2011-07-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

I'll be 22 on the 8th. Yep.

Sweet sugar swing.

2011-06-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Looking Into The Past is a really neat flickr group, with the idea of taking a picture of a past event/place and holding it over the present-day actual place. The juxtaposition between the two is interesting to see.

Via: Toronto Before

Via: Ivan Sciupac

Via: Tobography

I'm a sucka for your love.

2011-06-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Yellena is one of my most favorite abstract artists.

When the truth is found to be lies.

2011-06-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

I went through my photos and found a bunch from my last trip to North Carolina that I never posted.

There are a whole bunch more on my Flickr.

We went blueberry picking. Which, contrary to what Jim Gaffigan says, is totally badical. I want to live closer to farms here so I can pick all the fresh fruit growing this summer.

We made fresh blueberry cobbler and homemade rosemary bread.

We went to the dog park. Blue is the dog in the picture above and Quixie (I'm actually unsure how his name is spelt) is the dog on the far left. They're my sister's.

Put your hands up.

2011-06-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

My birthday fast approaches. Which makes me feel very weird about my place in life. I'll be 22. I remember when I was younger, how far away that seemed. Hopefully if all goes as planned, I will be able to graduate in May, and then I have to do an internship in order to get my actual little piece of expensive paper to say I've completed university. I've been planning on hopefully being able to get my paperwork done to get a work visa to live in Quebec and get a place with my friend Ruki. I'd really love to live there and work on my French and finally meet my friend. Going along with it being my birthday, these are some things I'm longingly looking at. I did end up buying myself the Glam Breakfast mug that I mentioned several posts ago because it came back in stock.

Again, I don't need new frames at all. But these are glorious.

Most amazing teapot? Maybe.

I really want some nice woven sandals like this for summer.

In other news, kitties:

Etsy update!

2011-06-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Just a preview! Check it out.

White Rabbit

2011-06-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Potato, chickpeas, jalapenos, carrot, onion, mushroom cooked in the juice of sweet pickled peppers, cranberry sauce, tofu cooked in the juice from the cranberries, and a hard-boiled egg and milk.

I didn't (and rarely) finish everything I served myself, so I cooked everything (and added some yellow squash and butter lettuce sliced in strips) again in some tea, sugar, nutmeg and honey, and then cooked peas in the tea and steamed some broccoli.

Blackberries and powdered sugar.

I feel like an awful blogger. There are so many things swirling in my head that I want to post, and the week just seems to escape me, with no real reasons why. This summer has been very slow and lazy, the days pouring together in a steady stream. I get my homework done and go jogging, and laze around in cut-offs and a t-shirt, breathing in the sun. Jefferson Airplane and Girl Talk have been on frequent loop in my itunes as of late.

I fumble for the clock.

2011-06-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

My friend Nikol bought me a neat tea infuser for xmas last year. It has these little flowers that bloom in hot water; it's super neat to watch. (You can see my reflection in it, haha.) I used a loose-leaf tea that is comprised of a bunch of different things- it's called Happy Tummy. It was really good. I ended up using the left over tea to cook my food in afterward. It was delicious. I'll probably blog about it on some other food post.

How do.

2011-06-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

These flamingos landed in the shape of a flamingo. It's pretty neat.

I found this old picture of Buster as a baby in a box when I was cleaning my apartment. Isn't he darling?! Look how big his feet still were!

I couldn't resist. Look how glorious this cat's mustache is.

I love everything about this photo.

Well, hello, there.

2011-06-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

I adopted another cat. He is gigantic, but has the highest little meow, it's hilarious. Meet Sir Thaddeus Rex, also known as Mr. T. He was named Garfield before, blah. He's 7 years old and easily weighs 20lbs. His paws are enormous! So far he's still just been slinking between the different corners of my apartment and hanging out in them. I'm hoping he adjusts soon. Oh, and he's a total purr-monster. You can hear him clear across the apartment.

It comes in a little glass vial.

2011-05-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

Orange, over-easy egg, spinach and cooked onions, tofu and a homemade sweet potato biscuit.

Homemade black bean soup with sour cream and a tortilla with melted cheddar. This is the second time I've made the soup. It's really quite tasty. This one has a few alterations from the first one and is less thick and has more broth.

Pasta and lentils with homemade spaghetti sauce and grapes.

Like a hitman, like a dancer.

2011-05-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

More from my trip to North Carolina. I feel bad for my lack of posting lately. It's summer now, though, and my classes are all online. Unfortunately I no longer have internet at home. I'm currently on campus, sitting outside, enjoying the weather. Not too long ago we were still having random hail storms. So the warm weather and sunlight are much appreciated.

There are more on my Flickr.

Please turn on your magic beam.

2011-05-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Another artist from my sidebar was Jen Stark. She also does really complex sculpture work. Her illustrations are why I originally liked her, though. They're just so interesting and intricate.

Reach out for me.

2011-05-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

Clearing up some of the links in my sidebar again. I also went through the blogs on my list and cleared up ones I haven't really even looked at in months/years, and updated with new blogs I'm in love with.

Whole Larder Love is an amazing blog, about growing your own food. I want my life to be like that. Just without the meat part, since I'm a vegetarian.

Some places that offer cool wallpaper/fabrics:
Walnut Wallpaper
Blik Graphics
Reprodepot
Domestic

The dreaming tree has died.

2011-05-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

I went out to North Carolina during Easter weekend, for my sister's wedding. It's super pretty there. Unfortunately there were loads of delays and cancellations, so we didn't arrive until 2am the following day. I also decided to edit the layout of the blog and make it more simple, with larger pictures. It'll take me a while to go through all the old entries to edit the photo sizes, but, I like it.

Can't you trip like I do?

2011-04-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

Waffles with cream cheese and jam, and cooked zucchini, kidney beans, red onion, tomato and bell pepper.

Parsnips and potatoes cooked in a lemon juice and fig jam, and asparagus.

Potato, shiitake mushrooms, onion, garlic and tofu cooked in coconut milk with turmeric, corriander, salt, pepper and ground ginger, and vanilla chai tea.

I didn't finish all this, it was intensely rich. Red bean paste, cooked apples and vanilla ice cream.

Animal crackers in my soup.

2011-04-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

Etsy update!

2011-04-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

Just a preview! Check it out!

Hung up.

2011-04-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

I love everything about this video.

So, can this be my life?

Via Blackbird Experience.

Via Ellyyap.

That is just is, cause everybody dies.

2011-04-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Another artist in my sidebar is Deth P. Sun. I initially found him in 2002 sometime, but then lost track of him as I'd forgotten his name. Sometime around 2005, I believe, he started getting a lot more popularity (or at least, that's what I noticed). I enjoy the simplicity to his work, and the flat colors. He does plenty of more complex illustrations, as well, these are just the ones that draw me to him.

And I turned home.

2011-04-01T17:39:00.000-07:00

I just can't help myself.

2011-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

Potatoes cooked in rosemary, tomato, and egg whites.

Brussel sprouts and spring onions cooked in vegetable stock.

Tomato risotto, parmesan, fresh and sundried tomatoes.

Homemade apple scones.

I'll be there, and you'll be near.

2011-03-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

I figured I should do some highlights of the links in my link love sidebar so I can clean it up a little. I originally plugged those in to get rid of a bunch of my bookmarks, years ago, when I first made this blog...and haven't bothered with them much since then.

This is the work of artist Douglas Ra. He does different things, but I'm really fond of his anthro work. It's incredibly clean and detailed, which is something I strive for in my work.

You got me wonderin' why.

2011-03-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

These were all taken in the Grand Canyon last summer, when all sorts of flowers were in bloom. :D

Let's play a love game.

2011-03-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Blueberries, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, peanuts, raisins, almonds, cashews, chocolate chips, and milk.

Spicy egg-drop soup.

Mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower, bell pepper, potatoes cooked in rosemary, left overs of lemon fig parsnips, parmesan, and pasta.

Hello, my name is Jimmy Pop.

2011-03-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hello! I hope you all had a good weekend. Sorry I've been so absent lately. I went on a 6 day camping trip in Grand Gulch, Utah a little while ago. It was super fun, but super trying on my legs, oh man. I only had one disposable camera and I've yet to develop the pictures. It's too bad; I really should have brought another one, but, oh well. Luckily there wasn't any bad weather until the last day, when I was hiking my way out on the roads. I'll make a post about it at some point. I'm on spring break at the moment, down in Phoenix. It's not entirely free time, as I do have some homework due when I get back, on which I'll need to work. The weather lately has been just wonderful. At least in Flagstaff. Nice, sunny spring weather. Truly a nice break from the random snow storms we'd been having. My favorite way to enjoy it, as of now, is just to sit outside and lay in the grass, listen to the birds, and soak up the sun.

In other news, have this grossly sweet picture and try not to upchuck rainbows.

Creepin' up the backstairs.

2011-02-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

This Brak pillow is super well done.

Via: Style Sightings.

Love is for lovers.

2011-02-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

Goodness I haven't been posting much this month. I should get on that. Happy late Valentine's day.

Apple slices, bell pepper, onion and carrots cooked in teriyaki sauce, with egg whites and avocado.

Rice cooked in cumin, paprika and turmeric, zucchini, onions and bell pepper cooked in tomato puree, fresh tomatoes and basil, baked with mozzarella, a hard boiled egg, and a non-pictured salad of lettuce, oranges, cucumber and avocado, tossed with oil salt and pepper.

Udon noodles, fried tofu, carrots, potatoes and onions cooked in curry.

Apples baked with milk, brown sugar, nutmeg, lime zest and juice and topped with powdered sugar.

Everybody's coming, leave your body at the door.

2011-02-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

"A 20th-century artist, Louis Wain, who was fascinated by cats, painted these pictures over a period of time in which he developed schizophrenia. The pictures mark progressive stages in the illness and exemplify what it does to the victim’s perception."

She dreams in colors, she dreams in red.

2011-02-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

I've been furiously struggling with my internet lately, it's awful. Here's a Tuesday Eats. A resolution I have from now on is to cook more interesting/complicated things than just my simple fall back way of cooking, which is to make things with a sauce and a bed of pasta/rice. While tasty, it can get old, and I have so many good veggies from the food co-op. I'm super excited, actually. I've bought a new cookbook and have been saving lots of things from online. I'm also going to be making my own things of as much as I can from now on, such as jam, yogurt (I made my own strawberry yogurt, it was delicious! But I ate it all before I took pics.), bread, etc! I want to stop buying so much plastic, and I'd rather know what's in my food.

Farm fresh Italian bread with a fried egg and homemade balsamic, strawberry jam.

Potatoes, carrots and onions cooked in balsamic vinegar and rosemary.

Mushroom risotto with slightly burnt caramelized onions, and roasted asparagus topped with garlic and onion cooked in balsamic vinegar.

I can see the pink of dawn.

2011-01-31T14:09:00.000-08:00

These were taken by German artists Barbara & Michael Leisgen. They're really beautiful. I love the simplicity and emphasis on blending in with nature.

Song of the day: "Noite Severina- Lula Queiroga".

Ghetto afterlife.

2011-01-28T10:11:00.000-08:00

Many more on my Flickr.

Ebay update!

2011-01-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

Just a preview of what's in my ebay shop. Listings for a bunch will be ending soon, so please check it out!

The hammok that's swinging...

2011-01-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

Etsy update!

2011-01-14T23:47:00.000-08:00

Just a preview of what's in the shop. Go check it out!

And don't forget about my other shop, PirateStash, with all kinds of craft supply goodies! Still have more to upload there once I'm able to get more small baggies.

You know I'm such a fool for you.

2011-01-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

I made a new banner for my store.

Song of the day: "Let It Linger"- The Cranberries.

We sit in our rooms.

2011-01-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Here is a round-up of interior design pictures that have been inspiring me lately. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a house to me. I can't wait to be able to really do with one what I want. Lately, I've been contemplating getting a nice, folding dining room table. I figured they'd be relatively cheap, but from what I've seen online they're just as expensive as regular tables. I've also been considering getting some more house plants. Currently, I have three very large ones, but I wouldn't mind a nice small one. I accidentally killed a small plant I had, when things from a top shelf fell over while I was holding it and broke it right in half. :( There are very few places in my house where Buster wouldn't eat it, unfortunately. I've started trying to tally my belongings for the "Everything I Have" project. Numbers change with what I end up deciding to sell, and new things I've purchased. Speaking of purchases, I bought some boots for work.

They came with brown laces, and I traded them out with some red ones I had. :D I'm really happy with them.

This year, however, I've decided to try and not buy anything aside from food, and the occasional household item I may need. I may cave during my birthday, haha. But, for the most part, I'm pretty satisfied with what I own, and don't want anything else, other than more camping gear, possible entertainment things, and biking clothes. I'm excited to see how much I sell this year. There is so much in the shop right now, and I still have more. I'm likely not going to list anything new for a while, though, until the numbers start to go down a good deal. Go check it out!

Song of the day: "Dateless Losers"- Reel Big Fish.

You're obsessed with finding a new brain.

2011-01-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

Easy-over egg, pancakes, and cut up pear.

Asparagus, and pumpkin gnocchi and carrots cooked in Teriyaki sauce.

Home-made butternut squash soup with cooked onions and carrots, topped with pine nuts. It was terribly time consuming, but terribly delicious.

Song of the day: "Accidental Death"- Rilo Kiley.

Don't disturb the beast.

2011-01-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

Photo dump! I really need to get into the habit of doing these more. This year we had a surprisingly long and glorious fall season. It was perfect for hiking and taking lots of photos. I loved all the different colors.

There are more on my Flickr.

Song of the day: "Rose"-A Perfect Circle.

And we danced.

2011-01-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

I just love my kitty's belly.

I made vegan dinosaur sugar cookies! They were so cute. I ate most of them...

Just a preview of what's been listed so far to my craft shop! Check it out. I will be listing a bunch more, mostly beads.

Song of the day: "And We Danced"- The Hooters.

My name is.

2011-01-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

Here is day five, which is best friend. I couldn't pick one, so I did both Ruki and Nikol. Though I did draw more in 2010 than I did in 2009, it was sad just how little I really did. So, this year, I've decided to complete one drawing every week. Which I realize isn't truly that much, but it's more than what I'd been doing.

Also, I've opened another etsy shop, to sell all types of craft supplies that I've collected over the years and have let just sit there. I'd rather they go to new homes that will actually use them. Nothing's uploaded as of yet, but I have a whole bunch of stuff.

It's called PirateStash.

I will make updates for it as I get things uploaded! Don't forget to check my ebay shop. I have many more things to list.

Song of the day: "My Name Is"- Eminem.

Spotlight.

2011-01-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

Msthingsandstuff makes really cool cowls, and jewelry, and sells vintage.

This is mine. I love it. She uses super soft sweaters to make them, and has a bunch of cool colors to choose from, if you want a custom one instead of the ones listed.

In other news, happy late new years! I never really feel much about it. I tend to find myself focusing more on academic years than calendar years, other than the inevitable having to learn a new number when signing checks, etc. Did y'all do anything fun? I just sat around my apartment and cleaned. Super exciting, I know. But it was good to finally sort through some piles of paper I had going. I didn't really make 'new years' resolutions, solely because they were things on which I'd already been trying to work, so, we'll see how that goes. I'm going to make myself draw today.

The year.

2010-12-31T12:35:00.001-08:00

I feel like this month practically flew by! Hell, this year seemed to go by extremely fast. I don't think I could do a month-to-month run down, as many people seem to be doing, because I can hardly even remember most of what happened. There were many high points, most of which seem to be since the summer started.

Getting a job with the Albright Training Center in the Grand Canyon.
Getting the chance to hike to Indian Gardens and camp overnight, when I wouldn't've been able to otherwise.
Finding bountiful baskets, a food co-op that works with many farms across the southwest (not sure where else), and gives a great amount of produce for cheap.
Improving my endurance with biking.
Making lots of good food from scratch. I still would like to eat more healthily.
Whittling down the amount of belongings I plan on keeping, and therefore adding more to the sell pile.
Buying a new, awesome camera that far surpasses my old one. If only I remembered to bring it with me more often.
Going on hiking trips with Rochelle in Sedona and the Grand Canyon.
Discovering lots of new music!
Making some new friends.
Getting better grades this semester.
And finally, getting a job with the park service here in Flagstaff! It starts right at the beginning of the new year.

And, as promised, some pictures of my cat post haircut.

And one pre-haircut.

Why, tell me why.

2010-12-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

Where is this, and when can I move there?

Song of the day: "Swimming- French Kicks".

2010-12-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

Hello! Everything in my shop is 10% off from now running until December 31st!! Just type in the code, "PirateShop" into the note to the seller box during your purchase and I will refund you 10% of the value of the item(s) in your order to your paypal!

I've not been doing much this year for the holidays. I'm in Phoenix at the moment, enjoying the balmy weather. In Flagstaff, we just had several inches of snow. My cat will be getting a haircut while I'm down here, I can't wait! He's a hairy hairy beast, and for at least a few months I will be spared his accursed hair covering every surface in my house and every last article of clothing I have. Sigh. I do love him very much, don't get me wrong. I'll surely take pictures of him.

Hope you're having a good holiday.

Some days aren't yours at all.

2010-12-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

I went to Sedona again this year, back in November, with my hiking buddy Rochelle. It was lovely, but I was highly over dressed. I had remembered the prior year being freezing! So I wore a hoodie and a wool blazer, being prepared. I was greeted with warm weather and I was quickly regretting it. There had been a lot of rain this year, as well, so the creek had swelled so much so that I couldn't cross it, as I had done last year.

There are more on my Flickr.

Song of the day: Somedays- Regina Spektor

Ebay!

2010-12-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

I've started uploading things to ebay. I still have lots, so keep an eye out.

More here.

It's neither sink nor swim.

2010-12-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

I know this is like crazy late. Blame my internet! Here was what I made for Thanksgiving, with help from my mom. Not pictured is home-made pumpkin butter.

Home-made stuffing, a sweet potato and onion tart with home-made crust, and tofurkey.

Grilled veggies with olive oil, cilantro, garlic, ginger, and thyme, and lemon juice.

Dessert was a plum crumble made with lemon zest and rosemary.

Did you find your secret friends?

2010-11-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

Artist Matthew Cusick creates intricate collages from maps.

Song of the day: "Lemon Parade- Tonic".

Looking longingly.

2010-11-18T20:36:00.000-08:00

More window shopping.

I looove the colors in this shirt.

New earrings are totally impractical, but look how gorgeous these are. I would never be able to wear glass, anyway; I live in my earrings.

This coat is so nice and has the exact type of nice, outer pockets I like. Many of my jackets are too large on me now, and I wouldn't mind one like this.

I've always wanted a bomber jacket. This one is in the nicest condition of any I've looked at for a while.

I'm waiting until I've gotten closer to my goal weight until I purchase a pair of these, but they're fantastic. They're wool biking knickers! I've been wanting them for a few years now.

This is just...because it's amazing.

I'm saving up for a one-person tent like this one! This is actually on sale, I might cave...

And this is a recent purchase of mine- an x-small ameribag. I'm still waiting for it to come in the post, but I can't wait to use it. It will fit the curve of my back and have enough room for my essentials. My backpack is wonderful, but it does put all the weight on my lower back which makes it start to hurt. Often I don't carry much with me, so this will be nice.

Ain't got no money in my pocket.

2010-11-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

I've admired AJ Fosik's work for a while now.

Song of the day: "The 7th Inning Stretch- DJ WyZz"

Sale!

2010-11-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

All skirts and dresses are 10% off through Saturday at midnight! Go check it out!

A crack on the back says we're gonna fight!

2010-11-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

Man, this week has just flown by! I feel like not much has gotten done, fooey.

I really like the idea behind this Polaroid calendar, but I think it'd get annoying to rearrange it every month...

Totoro mittens! Want!

I love everything about this photo. I used to have a blanket like that from my grandmother. I'm debating getting one, but they're mighty expensive.

Players only love you when they're playing.

2010-11-13T18:53:00.000-08:00

Goodness this took me so long. I kept taking long breaks in between... Coloring is such a hassle, and sometimes I dislike it because it takes away from a lot of initial inking details I put in. But I'm finally done with it. Wee. Day 4 is your favorite place. I love being in nature. This isn't any place in particular, just that I love forests most, and I'm enjoying the fall weather.

Song of the day: "Dreams- Fleetwood Mac".

Words words words.

2010-11-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

Photo dump! The purpose of these is to force me to eventually get all my photos onto Flickr. I have seriously hundreds I still haven't uploaded. So I try and do it a batch at a time. Nothing is ever in order at this point, there are so many.

More on my Flickr.

Song of the day: Words Words Words- Bo Burnham.

Etsy update!

2010-11-11T14:46:00.000-08:00

Just a preview of what's in the shop. Go take a look.

Morning fields of amber grey.

2010-11-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

Plain yogurt, brown sugar and bananas.

Tofu cooked with teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds, corn, lettuce, cooked cabbage and rice.

Homemade biscuits made from plain soy milk and flour, kidney beans, spring onions, yellow bell pepper, carrots, purple onion and lots of spices.

Song of the day: "Vincent (Starry Starry Night)- Don McLean".

Working day and night.

2010-11-07T16:26:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a Halloween post, but I have super spotty internet and went to an impromptu party, so, here's a delayed Halloween SAS post!

This is just random, but it seems like a super cool idea. I really would like to do it to my belongings one day, when I have the time. I have store inventory everywhere, and it'd be cool to see how much I actually own, when laid out, outside of it.

Song of the day: "D.A.N.C.E- Justice"

Etsy update!

2010-10-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Just a sample of what's in the shop. Go take a look here.

2010-10-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Here is day three of the challenge- your fav food. I love food, so I couldn't choose just one. Even this doesn't show everything I love, but it covers pretty good bases. Day four is going to take me quite a while to do, as it involves a background. I'm having fun with this challenge, though, it's really making me draw again!

I'll teach you how to swim.

2010-10-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is where the magic happens. I've been trying to organize my desk. I really need to make more art.

Song of the day: The Absence of God- Rilo Kiley.

There's pride for sale in magazines.

2010-10-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

I always have such lags between Tuesday Eats posts. I take pictures and often it'll take me weeks/months to getting around to actually uploading the pic. Oh, well. I'll get the hang of it one day.

Organic frosted flakes and bananas.

Pita bread, lettuce, tomato, veggie burger, avocado, and ketchup.

I don't remember what spices were used when cooking this, unfortunately. Potato, cauliflower, almonds, raisins, zucchini and rice.

Song of the day: Stand- Jewel.

Your name echoes in the halls of the universe.

2010-10-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

From Fluffy-blog. She's so adorable, I love her.

Via Hel-looks.

Via Facehunter.

It's been so long since my last outfit post! This is also the first of a thirty-day challenge I'll be working on for drawing, so you can expect to see those as I do them.

Song of the day: Space Olympics- The Lonely Island.

All the way down.

2010-10-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

Happy October! Possibly my favorite month of the year. When fall is at its peak -though we're still having gloriously warm weather-, and of course Halloween!

I've been wishing I could hang my laundry out to dry, but I've no place to put them.

I hate that so many people drive. There are huge parking lots, left empty, which would easily be converted into a park.

Did you know crayons rank 17th as the most recognized smell?

And, of course, some obnoxiously adorable kitten pictures!

Song of the day: El Tumbaito- Guayabero.

2010-09-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

Just a sample of some of the jewelry I've listed so far. Still have lots more!

More here.

2010-09-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Varying states of a sunset in the Canyon. Some peeps and I had driven out to see the tower, unfortunately it was closed by the time we got there. I had been there once before, but sans camera, so I have no nice pics of the inside.

More on my Flickr.

2010-09-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

There are many more on my Flickr.

I can't believe how fast time is going this month! I'm certainly enjoying the cooler temperatures and breezy afternoons, or at least trying to for as long as they're here before it starts dipping into the 40s and below during the day. I've been listening to Brain Droppings by George Carlin quite a bit as of late, great stuff. I have some more updates from when I was in the Grand Canyon. Tomorrow my friend and I are going to go on a nice, long hike. :D Thus far I haven't really gotten to experience the trails here, and I want to as much as I can while we're having such lovely weather. Hopefully I'll get some more artwork done; I'm feeling quite unproductive in that arena.

I decided to make a facebook for my store. I will be making updates there about new things, etc.

Step right up, I'm a reasonable guy.

2010-09-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sea slugs are sweet.

Gulper eels are awesome. So are old-school illustrations of marine life.

Artist Caleb Charland is pretty badical. He utilizes science in his photographs. They're really super neat.

On the other hand, scientist Kristian Cvecek spends time taking photographs of fireflies.

Fall approaches. Oh, I can't wait. We don't really have leaf-changing here, but we do get rather nice fall weather before it goes directly into winter with lots of snow. I just love everything about fall; it's my favorite season. The cooking, spices, smells, pumpkins, oranges, reds, beginning to bundle up. Sigh.

Song of the day: Brains!- Voltaire.

Etsy update!

2010-09-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Didn't mean for the image to be so tiny.
Brief preview of what's in the shop. I've added numerous new things, but I've also been spending time going through older items and rephotographing them, to give the shop a slightly more uniform look, and to simply take a better picture than the original. In some cases it really wasn't showing the item that well. I have a whole box of earrings to add, as well as some more knick-knacks and many monster projects will be under-way soon! Keep checking the store.

I've been working on my comic a bunch. As soon as I get the cover page done, I'll be uploading them on a separate account, and will put a link in the sidebar. :D

Those evil-natured robots.

2010-09-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Time for another photo dump! There are many more on my Flickr.

Song of the day: The Flaming Lips- Battle The Pink Robots pt 1.

Etsy update!

2010-09-02T10:04:00.001-07:00

My shop is back online and running! I've added several new things and still have loads more to get around to. Go take a look.

2010-08-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

These are a few things I've been eying up lately. New specks are of course unnecessary, and I do like mine. But these are just so cool. I'd love to be able to get my prescription in them, but it's just too painfully expensive. I'm hoping more camping will be in my future.

These are sold, unfortunately. Aren't they neat?

I am in desperate need of some bike panniers. :D These are excellent and roomy, and pretty cheap, actually, in comparison to all the ones I've seen.

Everything from this shop. I wouldn't ever spend that kind of money on them, but they're super rad.

On a more practical level, I would really like more thin, wool clothing and special socks, for biking. It dries super quick when you sweat..which I do..a lot. My goal is to be able to bike to Williams from Flagstaff. A sleeping bag and pad and a nice, one-person sized tent. I wouldn't mind a camping back-pack too, with a good frame on it.

Indian Gardens pt 3

2010-08-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Plateau Point was another mile and a half out from Indian Gardens. My feet were killing me, but I'm so glad I still went. It had some beautiful views on the way back. There were so many shades of green in one place, it was amazing. Because of the rain, there had actually been some water run off, and a few water-falls!

There are more on my flickr.

You still don't like to leave before the end of the movie.

2010-08-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon raisin bagel, cream cheese, strawberry jam and grapes.

Plain bagel, veggie burger, ketchup, mayonnaise.

Potato, carrots, cucumber, lettuce, onion, garlic cooked in Kikkoman lime dressing and sugar, and plain white rice.

Apples cooked in milk, strawberry and blueberry yogurt.

Song of the day: End of the Movie- Cake.

Indian Gardens pt 2

2010-08-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be splitting this into three posts, probably. There were some really awesome shots of all the different trees and shades of green on my way back from Plateau Point. These were in the heart of Indian Gardens. Such a beautiful, quiet place. Listening to the birds and the wind and crickets. We watched the meteor shower. It was scattered about the sky. Someone would see one, we'd turn and of course it'd be gone, and there wouldn't be one in that direction again. I saw a few really good ones, and a very large one several days later. It was amazing. The skies here are so gorgeous. The light and pollution-filled big cities are nothing compared to out here. You can see stars everywhere, so clearly. It's too bad I can't photograph well at night. If I could capture some of those views of stars, oh man.

There are tons more on my flickr.

Song of the day: Koop Island Blues- Koop.

The skies above are blue.

2010-08-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hope you're having a good weekend.

Song of the day: At Last- Etta James.

Indian Gardens pt 1

2010-08-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

This was the view on the way down. A huge monsoon storm had rolled in around 4am and was pounding. We started our hike at around 9, so the rain had slowed, but was still going. At first we didn't know if we should wait, but it was the type of thing where it was going to rain all day. Lucky for us, rain in the Grand Canyon means everyone goes indoors. We had the entire trail to ourselves, and a few mule rides on occasion. It was absolutely lovely hiking weather, and beautiful watching the clouds dip below the rim of the Canyon. It felt much like Washington. We walked through clouds, at times cutting out visibility to the bottom. Because the clouds were blocking the sunlight, the chlorophyll in the plants were bursting, making everything so green it almost felt unreal. I am so, so happy I went. I wanted to get a chance to be able to camp out. It requires a permit, which can take 5 months in advance to receive, and I of course hadn't applied or anything before going up. I had no idea I was even going to get the job. The superintendent checks out a bunkhouse specifically for park employees, for a few people in the class to be able to use. I'll write more on the next post, about the bottom! There was so much greenery, I went a bit crazy taking pictures.

There are more on my flickr.

Song of the day: Angel Standing By- Jewel.

I sailed the wild, wild sea.

2010-08-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Sourdough toast with strawberry jam, strawberries and strawberry fig newtons.

French bread with cream cheese and eggplant bell pepper spread with oranges.

Broccoli and peas with soy sauce.

Fried eggplant, carrots and cucumber in egg batter and peanut oil.

Song of the day: Chinese Translation- M. Ward.

2010-08-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

I've always been very interested in interior design and spaces. I have folders with countless photos that I've collected over the years. Some of which I've featured on SAS posts. I've several goals/things I want to accomplish for my life. Owning one of those Tumbleweed houses is one of them, and I think now how would I go about squashing down the ideas behind beautiful (but at times spacious) rooms, and make them work/incorporate things into such a tiny space.

There was another photo of forest wallpaper that featured aspens (one of my favorite types of trees), I believe, that I unfortunately forgot to save, and boy oh boy how I would love to wake up to that on my wall.

The store will be open as soon as I get back to Flagstaff. I have tons of things to add (which will be photographed with my new, lovely camera)! I will make updates about it once I start getting things up. Plus, you should be seeing some more artwork appearing in the shop here and there. Stay tuned! :D

They're quick, they're slick, and insincere!

2010-08-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

Cat hat! From Cute Boys With Cats Tumblr. Warning: Cuteness Overload! You may not want to proceed if you don't want cavities.

Jay Shafer is the designer of well-renown tiny houses. His company, Tumbleweed Houses, showcases a bunch of his houses, as well as selling a book with several more that you can flip through. He has the option of either building it himself and shipping it to you, or, there are detailed instructions on how you can build it yourself, with a fraction of the labor costs. Yes, those are wheels. Some of his designs are built on trailers, and can therefore be transported anywhere. Plus it qualifies as personal property at that point, and you don't have to pay property taxes on it. This is the one I want.

On the subject of small living with possible travel opportunities, check out this guy's neato airstream house that he renovated himself here. So very cool. There is a link on the article for more pictures.

This girl has beautiful hair.
Here's mine when I redyed it. I had purple in my bangs and on the sides the first time.

It's mostly faded to pink now. :( And my roots are growing in like crazy.

Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend. I took many pictures of my camping trip, and will definitely post them later. They'll be in two posts, likely, much like my trip to Sedona was, as it was a very distinct change in scenery between going down and then at the bottom. Super neat. The biologist inside me was squealing with happy. On a side note, my legs are so sore it hurts to move. :|

They tie themselves in horrible knots!
Song of the day: Heffalumps and Woozles- Winnie the Pooh.

We're just wandering.

2010-08-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

It's Friday, so it's time for a photo dump! I have many many photos that I haven't posted yet, from my other camera, when my computer died. I bought a new camera just recently. :D I'm so excited to start using it. It has far better zoom capability and it seems to register colors more clearly. I have yet to see if it can pick up purple, which was always an issue on my old Polaroid. I'm going to be going on an overnight camping trip into the canyon tomorrow! I will definitely be slow going back up, so I'll be taking lots of pictures. We've been having a glorious amount of rain lately. I've been checking out more companies in Oregon. I really want out of Arizona. The rain is just far too nice.

There are more on my flickr.

I've been really inspired to start trying to grow some things, if only herbs, back in Flagstaff. I've always wanted a garden, and there's really just so much inspiration around me. Unfortunately being in an apartment, I can't grow anything outside, and Flagstaff has a very short growing season, especially with the snow and hard soil. Again, all the more reason I want to go somewhere green and lush.

Song of the day- Fools- The Dodos