I Guess They Were on Sale?

My chin has decided to host a few pimples. No, you don't get to see! I think my skin freaks out a little every time the seasons change. Do any of you have the same problem?

Dustin and I (as well as Nic & Dustin's Dad, with guest appearance by Dustin's Mom, both my parents, my little brother and Nic's Mom and Step Dad) spent all weekend at the new place, fixing things and installing things and building little hunks of IKEA made love. I built this bad boy with a little help from Dustin's muscles. I love his muscles. *swoon*

In order for us to move in completely, we need to reinforce the back fence so the boys (Widget and Fonzie, both dogs) don't ravage the planks trying to get to the obnoxious dog that the people behind us own. This is gunna be a doozie, folks!

We've been going through the boxes of stuff that were sitting in storage and I'm finding that it's really easy to get rid of things, especially now that I've kind of found my style and I know what I love and what I'm attracted to. Garage sale, here we come.

During the week, I've been doing odd jobs for Lori at The Nova, and I'm really excited for the future classes that I'm going to take. This weekend I'll be learning all about how to make soap from scratch (oil/fats and lye) at the two day Soap Boot Camp and I'm super stoked.


I'm finally starting to do and learn about the things that I've always dreamed of and it really is a fantastic feeling. It feels like my life is finally starting... like I've been standing in this doorway for so long and now I've just taken my first few steps into the room. :}

Life is good.

Fonzie loves you. Be happy.

Many A Concerts!

Two concerts since last Saturday! Nic, Bubby (Dustin) and I took BART out to the city on Saturday to see a lovely band called Margot and the Nuclear So & Sos. That poor lead singer - his voice was raw beyond belief. I wanted to hold his hand and make him a hot cup of tea with honey and pat his throat. But I'm afraid that Dustin would have probably frowned upon me doing that. ;}

[They had made this very neat "drum coat rack" type of thing, with a suitcase, wooden block and a giant plastic water jug. They all had little microphones hooked up to them, so the sounds were crazy clear.]

[Four of the So & Sos eight members]

[Nic and I, on BART, after scrambling to catch the last train back home. Did you know that, if an escalator stops working, Dustin can run me and then my wheelchair down 2 and half flights of stairs in under two minutes? Me neither.]

Tuesday, Dustin and I drove out to the Fillmore to see one of our favorite bands, The Kills.

[The view from the Treasure Island tunnel]

[The Bay Bridge]

[The Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.]

[The city at Twilight]

I wasn't able to get ANY (damn it!) pictures because for some reason, the Fillmore has this rule about no cameras. Let me tell you, Alison Mosshart is fricken' amazing. VV (her stage name) has this whole Druggie-Chic & I don't give a crap if you like it vibe. She (who is one half of the band, along with Jamie Hince) was spot on with the album, if not better. I want to pick her up, poke her sunken cheeks a little and put then put her in my pocket. I promise I'll feed and water you, Miss Mosshart! I got a tee shirt (that I happen to be wearing at the moment) and a pack of pins. Eeepp! I love goodies.

Oh, and...

I've got bangs!

I really, *really* love them (even thought my 20 year-old Brother-in-Law, who happened to be the first person to see them, told me that I looked like a man). I look at my self sometimes in the mirror, thinking about his comment and call myself Ringo.

Tee Hee!

Oh, and...

We're seeing Margot & the Nuclear So & Sos tonight!

Eeeeeeepp!

A New Begining.

We're moving out! After being (so graciously) cared for at my Mother In Laws since my surgery in August, we are finally ready and able to move back out. We will be alone. ALONE! Eeeppp!

Dustin and his Dad are at our little cottage as I type, where they're doing manly things and dog proofing the yard. /man flex

Things are really looking up... and it scares me. Please, pretty please, allow me to have good things and not worry about them being taken away! Please keep me healthy and let me enjoy the many wonderful opportunities, people and future dreams that you've put in front of me!

Will you cross your fingers for me?

Soap Crafting Boot Camp!

EEEEEPPPPP!!

I'm taking the two day Soap Making Boot Camp at the end of the month!

Signed up and everything!

Be prepared world, be prepared. You all are going to get soapy!

*squeals like a school girl*

Oh, and...

... I've discovered Thai food! Holy crap-a-monga. Why didn't anyone tell me that it was so good? I've had Pad Thai, Yellow Curry and Pad See Ew. I crave it! I can't wait until I go back to Point Richmond this Wednesday to help with the City Stroll (a sort of open house thing for the business in the city's downtown)... you better believe that I'm going to get myself some Thai!

Speaking of food (which, in my mind, led me to food preparation tools), I've just realized that I have a knife in my banner. I mean, I knew it was there -- I put it there, but I didn't realize how knifey it looks. Maybe it's time for a new banner?

Hope you all have a nice Tuesday!

xoxo
Violet

What I've Been Doing

This is what I've been doing for the past two weeks! I took individual photos of EACH of these little soap samples, formatted each one, color checked, added what the soap was colored with, how much colorant was used and where to find said colorant. PLUS, groupings of type of colorant (Dyes, Pigments, Micas and natural herbs and spices) and groupings by actual color.

It was hard fricken' work, too! I'm not used to having to be so color specific when it comes to photography. I usually take a picture and then tweak the colors so that they're a little different than they are in real life. These photo samples had to be the SAME color that they appeared to be in real life! I also helped Lori make a kick butt Power Point presentation for the Soap Conference she's teaching at this week and wrote out a list of each color, what type of colorant was used and what color category it belongs in.

[Some over-exposed (my fault) bars of soaps. Freaking amazing, right?]

Whew! I put 48 (non-consecutive) hours into this project and now that it's done, I'm bored. Who'd have thought?

[I couldn't resist taking a picture in the full length mirrors at the Nova!]

Let's see, I'm really hoping that I can take the Soap Making Bootcamp that's happening at the end of the month. I've ALWAYS wanted to this kind of thing... make lip balm and salves and soap and lotion. This is one of my biggest dream. I feel like fate's gears are starting to turn and it's going to happen. How exciting is it to be at the beginning of such an awesome path? Eeep!

[Widgey (back) and Fonzie]

The boys have taken to sniffing the Spring breeze. All the time. And I love it. The last few days have been warm (about 75*?) and breezy and lovely. I picked up a small basket of cherries from a home grown stand today. Super good! I can't wait until the yellow-ish (champagne something) ones are ready... two weeks and they'll be in my belly.

Hope that everyone had a nice mother's day. :}

Love and wrinkled, snorting puppies,

Miss Vi.

These Boys...

... are cute.

Bubby and I are heading out to Santa Cruz in the morning for a day and night in our favorite little hideaway. I plan on doing a little shopping, a little reading and a whole lot of laying around! Eeeep! I can't wait.

I'm off to work on the color match soap samples for Lori. Wish me luck!

Xo, Q.V.

A Santa Cruz Sunday

Bubby and I went to Santa Cruz this past Sunday.

We:

- had bean soup

- visited Paper Visions

- picked up few glass bird beads at Bead It

- had dinner at I Love Sushi

- sat on the beach and loved at each other (plus taffy)

- had a people and seagull watching session

- walked around the boardwalk

<3

Life is really, really good.

Eeeep! Busy Bee is Me!

Just dropping in to say that I'm still here!

I've been really busy helping Lori (of Nova Studio fame), by taking color sample pictures of a billion little soaps for the Color With Confidence presentation that she'll be giving at this year's Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild conference in Palm Springs. Yep. Said that all in one breath!

I'll be back. With pictures!

-Violet