Apples + Trees

I am my father's hitchhiking daughter.  Tonight I learned that my father hitchhiked from Seattle to Minnesota with only $1.56 in his pocket at the age of seventeen.  Along the way he slept under the stars in a storm drain by himself.  *sigh*  Its too soon to tell tall tales from my summer trip but I know he would laugh and nod in understanding.  In ten years I'll tell him.  I swear it.   

I am my mother's political daughter.  Yesterday I fought with some of my closest friends politically, not something I am happy about but feel compelled to speak my mind.  I am one of the "uncool" yet I can't help myself.  After a long day, I arrived at my parent's house late last night to find a shameless 3' x 6' sign on their front lawn touting their view...practically blocking the house.  And, I couldn't help but giggle.  Today my mother made phone calls for her candidate and I stand in awe of her dedication.   

I love the time that I am in.  

Tonight I watched as my dad exclaimed in admiration that his grandchildren's group picture "is the BEST picture that I have EVER SEEN!" ("Honey! Its true! Besides the group picture of our own kids.") as my mother waltzed by...dancing with herself across the living room while Roy Rogers yodeled in the background.

I love the time that I am in.  

Such good trees.  Such solid trees.  Such wonderfully magnificent complicated silly trees.  

Message from my machine

I picked up my sewing machine from the repair shop a few weeks ago and I just now noticed that there is a guitar pick taped to the front of it.  What the...?

 
When a mystery guitar pick shows up on your sewing machine, I guess there is only one thing to do.  Better get to practicing.  

The Hot Pink Magic Quest

A chance meeting at a festival in Port Aransas, Texas...

led to a Friday night emergency Magic Dress demo in San Antonio, Texas...
which led to an order of six hot pink Magic Dresses while on the road in California.
Two sewing machines loaded in the car for an 8,000 mile treck.

Here the quest begins.

In between shows like this:  

And scenes like this:

I would hunt for fabric in places like this: 

 The Los Angeles Fashion District

 If you were wondering, no, hot pink poly-spandex ITY is not an easy fabric to find...

But, ah-ha!!!  Found it!

Cut, measured and assembled the six dresses in two different
 friend's houses in San Francisco, California...  

and maaaaaybe one Motel 6 in Big Sur.  What?

And sometimes, after a long day of driving and
seeing absolutely breath-taking sights like these:

You get to lug two sewing machines up to your dodgy Motel 6 room to fill an order.

See the wine and Diet Coke?  A sure sign of a productive night.

Um, do you want to see the amazing Motel 6 bed spread up close?  Of course you do.
(Don't worry, you can't get germs through a computer screen.  Um, not that I know of.)  

Can you see the Motel 6 sign?  Genius.

And after all of that...
This is the hot pink Magic Dress result.

(drumroll).........

SO worth it in every way!

Are they the cutest or what???

Scenes from a Bath Tub

Stumbled upon this little gem courtesy of my four year old niece.  Um.  Awesome.

Well, hell...

I'm back.  Let's do this blog thing. 

No more blazy.

You should come with me.  

Happy Birthday to ME! (two weeks ago-ish)

For my birthday I gave myself Freedom...all wrapped up in a beautiful gigantic road trip.  I'm hitting the music festival/artist fair circuit for the summer with stops in Taos, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, San Fran and Salt Lake City to name a few.  Join me, whydon'tcha???

But first, pics from the birthday and my party.  

birthday rainbow!

 my favorite things.

half way through a very important wish.
yay ME!

Ocean Kayaking = Awesome.

That is all.  As you were.  

Facebook Funningness

These Facebook posts struck me as so unnaturally funny tonight that I had to share:
First:  

Q***n W***n

I finally did it. I swooped into a full elevator and just as the doors closed I turned around and said, "You're probably all wondering why I gathered you here." It went over like gangbusters.

And:

  N****n  L***h comma goes inside the quotation mark.  I just wish I wasn't so OCD that I felt I had to say that

Is my Magic Dress cape showing?

7:45pm Phone Call
Caller:  "Yes, I have three brides at my house who are considering the Magic Dress for their bridesmaid dresses.  And they would like to see them STAT."
Me:  "Are they drinking wine, ma'am?"
Caller:  "Yes, strawberry wine.  And pizza.  Did I mention one lives out of town and is only here for a short while?  Possible bachelorette party orders, too."
Me:  "Don't let them stop drinking.  I'll be right there."

8:55pm Magic Dress Demo
9:35pm Pink, Crimson, Lavender and Plum Magic Dresses are born.  Bridesmaid crisis averted. 

Just another Friday night.  

Palm to Pine.

Goodbye Port Aransas...


Hello Walker, Minnesota!

Port A. Favs Foreves

A sweet ride.

Salty bars.

Cinnamon roll(s).

A perfectly rusted garage for photo shoot.

Wild waves.


Tall boys on the beach.

 This guy. 

Island Moon Market

Island Moon Market - North Padre Island, Texas
See what you missed?

I mean, this guy liked it.

Well, at first he was all shy...

And I was all, "Good morning!  Come on in!
I have a changing room and everything." 

And he was all, "But, I was just out for coffee
and I didn't expect to see an amazing market today."

And I was all, "I know, right??? Its all cool and stuff and,
 like, awesome on the beach, right?"

And he was all, "Yeah..."

So, he shopped.  For a while.
And eventually made it to the free wine sample tent.

And that's when it got weird. 

By the time he left he was all "Heys Y'ALL.
Looks what I's gots, y'all!  Heeeeeey!"

And I was all "Hey, man, cool it.
You got your stuff, you look good...
but you gotta go.
This is a family establishment."

And he was all, "YOU'RE a family establishment."

And I was all, "Alright, bro, just take
your one-of-a-kind fringe necklace, and go.  

Come on, man, they're calling the cops."

As he left he mumbled something I didn't quite catch...
but the sun and the gleaming feathers reflected his message.

He had given me the bird.  

This is real.

Pirates.  Pizza while you wait.  Beer in mason jars.  Belt Sander Races.  The Gaff.

Port Aransas Artfest 2012

Port Aransas Artfest May 19 - 20, 2012

 So, I didn't exactly have a "professional" tent...what?

Trade!  I loooove a good trade, therefore I love my new headband.
Since I am going on the road hippie-style, I figured I might as well have the head gear to match.  

This is what I traded for my headband.  Super pretty, ya?

Want a fringe necklace for yourself? 

Get it here.

Or hit me up with a trade.  Dare ya.  

My Home for a Week

Sunrise.  Port Aransas, Texas

Tyler's Terrible Timing

And then there was this...stuck under my windshield wiper one night before the move. 

I still got it.

But, before I go...

"Every time a solo Britney dance party happens,
an angel gets glitter wings."

Just doing my part.  

Level Ground, Loaded Down.

The Move.

The Essex's Last Stand

My apartment has decided to battle me this last and final week:

• The shower refuses to drain in a timely manner.  It scoffs at Drain-o.   
• The toilet (unprovoked, mind you*) has decided to simply swirl the toilet paper instead of actually flushing it away.
• My phone is a static nightmare that refuses to hold a charge.
• Ronald, my creep-o neighbor, has clued in about the move which prompted him to get wide-eyed, stare into space and then walk off in a daze with his two hyena-like canines.  Uh, let's just say I am not staying at the apartment during the move because of Ol' Creepster Ronnie.  
• And it is taking me twice as long to go through eight years of junk.  Its like running in mud.  I just cannot get out fast enough.    

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Come on, Essex!  Don't fail me now!


*Come on.  Like I would post if it were gross.  I am a lady.

i need some of this in my life.

Beer & a shower

If you asked me how my day was today that would be my answer.

Simultaneously.

Thirty Days Til Evacuation

Just submitted my 30-day notice to move out.  


Cinco de Mayo has a whole new meaning for freedom.


~ahhhh~
  (sigh)

Question for the Universe

If you put three cookies in a bag but then they crumble...and then you eat the crumbs...do the calories count?

I mean, its only crumbs...right?

Hostage.

Ever park your car near a Starbuck's so you can access their wireless internet in an attempt to try and break free from the five UNassembled bridesmaid dresses that are holding you hostage in your apartment with their silent mocking when all you WANT to do is go back to your couch and shovel yogurt covered pretzels in your mouth while guzzling wine while trying to sort out the rest of your life?

WELL THEN. 


GFY.  

Dreams

Speaking of dreams, it feels as if this manufacturer went into my head and ripped this appliance right out of dreams.  See?  Dallas can't give me pancakes, bacon and coffee at the same time.  

My abusive boyfriend, Dallas.

Dallas Texas to be exact.  And while he might be lovely for millions of people, he and I just do not get along.

We've been together for eight plus years and I have finally had enough.

Since the beginning, he's had this wonderful way of luring me in with promises of happiness and adventure, huge success and shiny trinkets.  An elusive carrot.  Filled with the most decadent flavors and alluring sweetness, so Dallas says.  And then every time I am thisclose to having it all, or even some of it, I find myself broken and disappointed.  Dallas beats me up with my own shattered dreams.  And even then, exhausted and disappointed, he still manages to reel me back in with a promise of something amazing just around the corner.  Again with the carrot.  The ever-dangling out-of-reach carrot.  

Always, just around the corner.  Always, if I can pull myself together long enough this one last time to see if I can grab all the fulfillment it promises.

But this time, I'm saying no.  This time I'm moving on.

Goodbye, Dallas. 

Escape!

After 2,646 days of prison.  I am free.  


FREE.


Now to start the Rest of My Life, Chapter II.  


And-ah here-ah we go-ah...