uneven surfaces

My New Assistants

2011-10-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

Two new assistants have joined my studio! They promise to make production easier! Meet folding table and table top ironing board! My full sized ironing board had to be retired after an on the job accident left him crippled. And we're all awaiting the arrival of Nanny's antique folding leaf table that will double as a cutting table and a dining room table. Expected around Thanksgiving.

It's been raining cats and dogs here since last night, which is the perfect weather for doing a little stitching! I've got the screen door open and it smells wonderful! Happy Sunday!

Stella is not impressed by folding table.

Project Modern Challenge #4

2011-09-30T21:33:00.002-05:00

Ok, it's done! I hit the send button and submitted my entry for Project Modern's Challenge #4. Project Modern is put together by the Modern Quilt Guild for members from all over the world to submit quilts based on the challenge theme. The prize is fame and fortune, well maybe not, but it is a bundle of quilting goodies, and all entries are posted on flickr. Here's my entry, description first:

I’ve been searching for my own voice in modern quilting for the last several years and I can finally say that I’ve found it. This 49" x 46" quilt entitled “Linda’s Roses” expresses my love of bold colors and my affinity for designing free-styled quilts. I’ve had the concept for this quilt floating around in my head for several months and this challenge gave me the push to execute it. The women in my family love the color purple and so when my cousin recently gave birth to a little girl, I wanted to make her a purple baby quilt. My cousin had purple roses in her wedding bouquet, so I decided I would create abstracted purple roses for her new baby.

The roses were created by piecing random strips of various shades of purple around a lighter shade of violet, which formed the center of each rose. I tried not to think too much when piecing the strips so the roses would develop naturally. I chose a gray background so that the roses would really stand out and then quilted random spirals on top of each rose and straight lines in the gray background. Everything about this quilt is random, even the way I pieced the gray background created a random shape that I fell in love with. I will definitely be making more roses in the future because the process is so freeing and the end result is so wonderful.

And then a couple of in-process photos, and yes, I forgot my walking foot, what was I thinking?? I guess I wasn't! How could I forget one of my favorite attachments?!

San Antonio Quilt Show Re-cap

2011-09-25T14:35:00.002-05:00

Mom came to town last weekend and we headed to the Greater San Antonio Quilt Guild Bi-Yearly Show. The theme was "Call to Colors," so there were red white and blue quilts everywhere! Overall we enjoyed ourselves and were inspired by some of the quilts we saw. It didn't seem like there were as many quilts as two years ago and the vendors didn't have much to offer. There was really only one booth offering modern fabric for sale and my favorite local quilt shop didn't even bring any fabric to the show! I was so looking forward to raiding their booth. I only took a few photos of the more interesting quilts, but I didn't take down names, so if you know who the artists are, please let me know and I will give them credit. My favorite is the first one below!

In other related news, I'm planning to attend the Houston International Quilt Festival for the first time this year! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

This was my favorite in the art quilt category, which probably has something to do with my desire to get a tattoo, but I'm too chicken to really go through with it!

I thought this was a fun pattern! Reminds me of a basket weave tile floor.

It's a given that the preservation architect would love the quilt featuring the adobe churches of New Mexico!

And the cat quilt! I've been wanting to do a mini portrait quilt of Stella for a long time.

Turtle Watching

2011-06-28T20:25:00.000-05:00

Stella and I are turtle sitting for the next door neighbor while she's on vacation. It's been fun watching him swim and sunbathe on his floating rock, and last night I let Stella onto the counter to check him out (normally she is not allowed on the kitchen cabinets). I have caught her staring at him several times from the ground, so I thought I would let her get a better view. Those rocks on the counter are what I have been using for added security on top of the lid just in case she somehow finds her way onto the counter, but it is a little too tall for her to jump onto.

On Sunday I made a couple of drool bibs for my new baby cousin who I get to see this weekend!! One is made from a cute Asian print I have been saving for something special and the other is a purple patchwork I whipped up really quick. I actually made a second out of the Asian print for Ruby Jane, which I hope to give to her this week when Rachel brings her to the office. I really had an assembly line going, a baby bib sweat shop!

My most exciting news is my new thread storage container! (I know...I am a big nerd who gets excited about organization!) I got it on sale at JoAnn's and I am in love! Most of the thread I have in my stash is borrowed (stolen) from my mom, sorry mom! When I do have to purchase thread, I like to work with Gutterman 100% cotton unless there is a specific color they do not have. I am in the process of slowly organizing my studio as the funds permit and I have my eye on some additional containers to store works in progress, but I'm waiting for them to go on sale.

Other weekend fun included going a little shoe crazy at DSW. I went in for the flip flops and came out with the red Michael Kors and the Steve Madden's! I love me some Steve Madden!

I hope your week is off to a good start, mine can only get better as my vacation gets closer!!

Hello World

2011-06-24T19:47:00.002-05:00

Remember me?! Maybe not, but I remember you. I've been busy, quilting, traveling, and there's that day job that gets in the way of all my fun!

I finished Rachel's baby quilt just in time for the shower along with the cutest bib and booties! I have the quilt back in my possession to put the label on and to take some proper photographs, but in the mean time I've included a picture of the top before I quilted it. Rachel even cried when she opened my gift, so sweet. I love her dearly. The baby was born on June 14th and they named her Ruby Jane. I love the name!

I finally finished organizing my stash into my Granny's chest of drawers and I am so happy with it all in one place.

I have big plans for this weekend, quilting, cleaning, and studying for my next registration exam, four more to go. Tonight, I plan to watch Friday Night Lights and get some long over due hand sewing done.

Sunday Stash: Weeks 11, 12, & 13

2011-03-27T18:11:00.001-05:00

Finally, I know, an update. I've been busy ok, so quit looking at me like that! I did complete Rachel's baby quilt top, but of course I can't show that for a few more weeks. Let's just say I love it and when it's quilted I know it's going to be even better! Instead, you get to see all the beautiful things I've purchased over the last couple of weeks. Above, Stella decided this fabric made a good seat while I was photographing it. And below, a Dream On Jelly Roll and some yardage for a Quilt Retreat Challenge. I've been wanting to use this line for something, and we plan on doing the Jelly Roll 1600 challenge, which should highlight this fabric perfectly.

Also, JoAnn's had their solid's on 40% off, so I stocked up on a color scheme I've been admiring, along with some remnants I had to have.

Now for the Stash Report, I'm not doing as well as I'd like. If only I had more time for the things I truly want to invest my energy in...

Weeks 11, 12, & 13:

In this Week:  -16.5 yards

Out this Week: 0 yards

In year to Date:  -92.25 yards

Out Year to Date:  8.75 yards

Net for 2011: -83.5 yards

Sunday Stash: Week 10

2011-03-06T19:20:00.000-06:00

Nothing new in or out this week for the Stash Report, but I did want to show you the lovely bowls I got today at the SA Potter's Guild Charity Event called Empty Bowls. You buy the bowl and they fill it up with the soup of your choice and the money goes to benefit the SAMMinistries, which serves our local homeless population. I went with my friend Jen and it was a beautiful day to be outside at the Southwest School along the River where the event was. I'm in love with the three bowls I got!

I also wanted to share my latest score from this month's meeting of the San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild. We had a sale of patterns, books, magazines, and basically anything people were tired of looking at related to sewing and all proceeds go towards our retreat fund. I purchased this bag by the very talented and creative Loretta. All I have to do it sew in the lining and attach the straps, which came with the package. She free motion quilted the circled and the side pockets are quilted in a diamond pattern with turquoise thread. Stella seems to like it too!

Stash Report:

Week 10:

In this Week:  -0 yards

Out this Week: 0 yards

In year to Date:  -75.75 yards

Out Year to Date:  8.75 yards

Net for 2011: -67 yards

Sunday Stash: Week 9

2011-02-27T21:52:00.000-06:00

I did it!! I finally collected all of the purples I need for my Single Girl quilt. Now to pre wash and cut um up!

I also showed great restraint at Hobby Lobby yesterday and only purchased this pretty. The color combination and pattern are very me!

Not many words this week, sorry for the bad pictures, I waited a little too long and the light was gone.

Week 9:

In this Week:  -4 yards

Out this Week: 0 yards

In year to Date:  -75.75 yards

Out Year to Date:  8.75 yards

Net for 2011: -67 yards

Happy sewing!

Sunday Stash: Week 8

2011-02-20T22:09:00.000-06:00

My vintage beauty has a new name! The Stitch Witch! Thanks to Anna who had these great quilt-themed stickers. My sewing machine once belonged to my Nanny (mom's mom) who never really used it, so it is in mint condition. I love Stitch Witch because she doesn't have a computer for a brain, purely mechanical. As long as I keep her clean and oiled she should last a very long time.

Below is my stack of purple fat quarters I'm collecting for my single girl quilt. Hopefully I will be able to start cutting them up before the Guild retreat in April so that I can focus on sewing them at the retreat. I've got 27 of the 36 purples I need and I've hit all of my normal fabric stores. There are a few more in the city that I can check out. Don't you think those purple bunnies are so cute? I got extra to use it on a baby quilt sometime in the future. Only 1/4 of this stack was purchased this week.

Here's Stella sitting on the rest of the fabric I got this week that wasn't purple. Her paws are on my favorite polka dot, the same one I used for binding Bricks and Mortar. I was so excited to find more of it this week! It's a Mary Engelbreit print.

Unfortunately there will be no sewing this week because I have my next architecture licensing exam on Saturday. Study, study, wish me luck!

Now for the stash report:

Week 8:

In this Week:  -9.75 yards

Out this Week: 0 yards

In year to Date:  -71.75 yards

Out Year to Date:  8.75 yards

Net for 2011: -63 yards

Oh and I got a new rug from West Elm yesterday. It's gray and white zebra, one of the few animal prints I like. They are closing our local store, so everything is on cheap. I'm sad, but glad to get the bargain. I originally wanted to use it in the kitchen, but decided it wasn't smart to put a white rug in the kitchen, so it is now in the studio sector of my apartment. It's really soft on the toes and Stella loves it.

Sunday Stash: Week 7

2011-02-13T22:17:00.000-06:00

Finally, some pictures of the finished Bricks & Mortar Baby Quilt! It's in the mail this week Casey! Hopefully to arrive before baby!

I did't get much sewing done this week, instead I cleaned the apartment from top to bottom for my first house party on Friday night. It was a big success and we crammed around 20 people into my tiny space.

I did, however, add a ton to my stash, a few yards of Tula Pink's Parisville that I plan to make a sewing machine cover with, four yards of Amy Butler's Full Moon Polka Dots in Lime and Tangerine, and several quarter yards of purples for my Single Girl Quilt, pattern by Denyse Schmidt. Also 8 yards of Kona Ash for the Single Girl background.

I've recently decided to do a redwork quilt of some of my favorite architectural landmarks from across the globe. As I get this project going, I'll be sure to post the pictures.

I forgot to tell you all that a couple of weeks ago I refolded my entire stash and neatly transferred it from the clear plastic box that it was overflowing from and into my chest of drawers. It is much easier to access now and I feel more organized.

Well time for the Stash Report. I'm satisfied because most of the purchases this week were for future projects.

Week 7:

In this Week:  -19 yards

Out this Week: 0 yards

In year to Date:  -62 yards

Out Year to Date:  8.75 yards

Net for 2011: -53.25 yards

I hope the weather where you are is as fantastic as it was in San Antonio today!

Sunday Stash: Week 6

2011-02-06T23:16:00.000-06:00

I promised pictures of finished quilts today, but alas, you will have to wait a little longer. Instead, here are my two block of the month entries completed while watching the Super Bowl tonight. Yay Packers! (I can't believe Christina messed up the words to the National Anthem!) The blocks are the ticker tape parade pattern (raw edge applique) in Valentines colors. I really kinda hope I win this month because I like this pattern and had fun trying the technique for the first time. Tomorrow night is our make-up Guild meeting because of the snow last week and my super cool friend and fellow fiber artist Laurie Brainerd is our presenter at the meeting. Did I tell you I am going to be a performer in her interactive art piece, the Modern Quilting Bee, at Luminaria this year? I am very excited! If you live in the area be sure to come and check us out in March. I'll post more details as it gets closer.

Now for the Stash Report, nothing in or out this week, but things are in progress.

Week 6:

In this Week:  -0 yards

Out this Week: 0 yards

In Year to Date:  -43 yards

Out Year to Date:  8.75 yards

Net for 2011: -34.25 yards

Have a great week yall!

Saturday Stash: Weeks 4 & 5

2011-02-05T11:30:00.000-06:00

OK! Gotta play a little catch up here for the last two weeks of missed Sunday Stash. I went a little crazy, but almost all of it was on sale. So Week 4, JoAnn's was having a crazy sale, so I picked up some fun stuff including some linen remnants and my LQS was having a huge sale on Moda, so I snatched up some more pretties for my stash. Week 5, I purchased some fabric I actually needed for baby quilts! Everyone is pregnant! Well not everyone, but a lot of good friends are. These purples are for Maeve's baby quilt, my super awesome cousin. She's having a baby girl, name to be revealed at birth, and our family's favorite color is purple. I'm not showing the fabrics I picked up for Rachel's baby quilt, sex to be determined at birth, because I want it to be a surprise for her, but I think she's going to love the color combination.

Look, my desk is clean! A sneak peak into my workspace. The sewing machine normally sits where the fabric is. I think I need to come up with a name for my sewing machine. But that will have to wait until another post. Onto this week's stash wrap-up. I did finish Magnolia's Baby quilt, I'll post pictures tomorrow, so that counts as fabric out the door for the past two weeks. I think I've more than made up for the first two weeks of the year when I didn't buy any yardage. I'm a very happy girl!

Weeks 4 & 5:

In this Week:  -39.5 yards

Out this Week: 4.5 yards

In year to Date:  -43 yards

Out Year to Date:  8.75 yards

Net for 2011: -34.25 yards

I love thread!

2011-01-22T23:19:00.000-06:00

I love thread almost as much as I love fabric. I love searching through all the colors to find the perfect one to compliment my projects. I try to always use an all natural cotton thread; Gutermann is my favorite, but they do not make a ton of colors in natural cotton. I was so excited to find that JoAnn's carries 800m spools of the basic colors like black and white as shown in the photo above. I felt like I hit the thread jackpot! It's sad, but I was really giddy, but if you know me I tend to be giddy a lot. The over-use of exclamation points in my blog posts might just give that away though.

I've had a very productive sewing weekend so far. I purchased oodles of fabric at JoAnn's last night (major sale) and at Las Colchas today (all Moda fabrics $4.99/yd.). I finished quilting Magnolia's baby quilt at the sew-in and even made the binding.

Last week I finished whip stitching the binding on Casey's baby quilt and embroidered the label on the back. I plan to take pictures of this one in the morning, so stay tuned.

There's only one day left before the work week starts, so make it count!

Sunday Stash: Week 3

2011-01-16T22:10:00.000-06:00

After a little research last night I discovered that my Antique Singer was built in 1923! Very cool. After inspecting it a little closer, the electrical wiring is totally corroded, so it would definitely have to be redone if I ever wanted to use it. It might be worth getting it looked at just to see what it would take to get it going. I think it could be fun to hear it run like it did in 1923. One day I will get around to photographing it.

Yesterday I picked up these pretties at Las Colchas. No immediate plans for any of it, but I want to make a yellow and red quilt one day and so I couldn't resist this red remnant with the yellow flowers. It looks like a vintage table cloth. I had to have the 30's purple print and the multi-dots by Alexander Henry (my favorite fabric designer!) and Loretta and I both grabbed this Asian print, but she got it in beige. I think it will look nice with my favorite parasol print that I have left over from the Geisha table runner.

Now for the Stash report: I am basically finished with Casey's baby quilt, or I will be before next week, so I'm counting it as done to counter act my purchases! Hey, I'm still in the black.

Week 3:

In this Week:  -3.5 yards

Out this Week: 4.25 yards

In year to Date:  -3.5 yards

Out Year to Date:  4.25 yards

Net for 2011: .75 yards

I hit the Goodwill downtown today, but it was a bust. They had a nice jewelry box for auction with lots of nice pieces, but the auction ended on Friday. I hope you all have a great week, here's another shot of Stella sleeping while I stitch.

Sew-in: Binding Edition

2011-01-15T22:24:00.000-06:00

I spent most of my day at the SA Modern Quilt Guild Sew-in where I worked on attaching the binding to Casey's baby quilt. I had the perfect red polka dot fat quarter in my stash that goes perfectly with the 30's fabrics. I could not be happier with how the whole quilt has turned out. I had such a great time sewing and chatting with Loretta, another guild member who has a great artistic eye when it comes to picking fabrics and patterns for her designs. I am always inspired by the women in our guild! I even got to meet a male quilter who is a patron of the shop where we meet. He was very interesting to talk to because I am always curious about how men get into quilting. He had brought in a vintage 1930's Singer that he bought at a local flea market. He's having it repaired and it turns out it is a larger version of the one I won at the Austin Quilt Show several months back. AND! One of the women who works at the shop teaches classes on how to use and maintenance your vintage machine, hooray!

After lunch I went to the Salvation Army by my house. I have several projects in mind that would require used clothing, but I wasn't in the mood to commit to any of the things I saw. I did purchase some vintage jewelry to deconstruct and repurpose into new pieces. Making jewelry is another hobby of mine that you may not know about. I have made a lot of the pieces that I wear almost daily.

It has been raining all day, the perfect day for sewing. Stella crawled up in my lap this evening while I was hand stitching the binding. She's so sweet when she's sleepy. Stay tuned for the weekly stash update tomorrow, I have made my first fabric purchase of 2011. So much fabric, so little time...

My New Favorite Fabric

2011-01-10T22:37:00.000-06:00

FINALLY! A picture of the most coveted Enchino fabric! The Little Red Scooters! Aren't they so cute? Don't you just love them? I can't wait to see what I decide to make out of it, but I will take my time and find the perfect project, and I might even frame a small piece for my studio. And when I say studio, I mean the other side of my living room/dining room because when you live in a one bedroom, open plan, super cool apartment, you live in your studio 24/7. This is not a bad thing though because I am always present in my creative space and my sewing machine is always begging me to sit down and work. Maybe one day I will post some pictures of my studio. And now a couple of cute shots of Stella helping to make the Bricks and Mortar sandwich ready to start quilting tomorrow night. Stay warm friends!

Sunday Stash: Week 2

2011-01-09T23:38:00.001-06:00

Well, week 2 of Sunday Stash and I'm doing pretty well on the not buying any fabric thing. I finished the Bricks and Mortar Quilt top just in time for Casey's Mad Men themed baby shower. She loved it and I promised to have it quilted before the baby is born in February! When it actually gets mailed out, I'll add it to the Stash report. It's late and I need to hit the sack, so this is a short post, but hopefully I'll find some time this week to post.

Week 2:

In this Week:  0 yards

Out this Week: 0 yards

In year to Date:  0 yards

Out Year to Date:  0 yards

Net for 2011: 0 yards

Sunday Stash: Week 1

2011-01-03T00:09:00.000-06:00

I decided it might be fun to participate in the official Sunday Stash reports that are happening out there in the blogosphere. I got the basics from here if you're not familiar, but I altered it a little to suit me. I promise nothing with this other than I will attempt to report each Sunday and hopefully with a picture. I'm curious to see over a year's time how much fabric I take in verses how much I use to create fun things. Nothing to report this week since it was a short week, although I did order some coveted Echino red scooter fabric on Friday, which was technically last year. I thought this fabric was gone forever, but then by accident I found it on formandfabric.com. I splurged and got 2 whole yards, and we won't discuss how much that cost me, but hey it's from Japan, and I've been coveting it forever! I'll post pictures when it comes in.

Week 1:

In this Week:  0 yards

Out this Week: 0 yards

In year to Date: 0 yards

Out Year to Date: 0 yards

Net for 2011: 0 yards

Little Quilts

2010-12-29T21:40:00.000-06:00

Now that Christmas is over, I can show you some of the gifts I made. First are two doll quilts for two very sweet girls, my cousins Casey and Grace. Like most girls their age, they love the American Girl dolls, so these quilts are approximately 20"x24", a little larger than the normal doll quilt. I usually don't like to use pre-cuts because I like to put together my own collection of colors and prints, but for things like this they work in a pinch. I chose Moda's Sugar Pop Charm pack because I thought tween girls would like the bright colors and floral patterns. First up, Casey's quilt is 2" finished squares with a 2" white boarder. The backing is a pink flannel I had left over from the backing of a baby quilt.

Next is Grace's quilt, which also has 2" finished squares, but for this one I added 1/2" sashing between the blocks so that it would be different, but similar to Casey's. I have a sister and I remember when we had matching toys, we would get into fights when we got them mixed up, so I wanted to be sure they could tell them apart. For both quilts I finished the binding on the machine (my first attempt at this) because I was in a hurry, but I still prefer hand finishing at this point. Maybe with practice I will learn to like it better. It does save time. The back of Grace's quilt is a modern lime green pattern left over from Camden's quilt. I thought it went well with the Sugar Pop fabrics.

I still have some outstanding Christmas gifts to finish, but they shouldn't take that long to complete. So many projects, so little time. Happy New Year.

Camden

2010-12-21T19:04:00.000-06:00

This one is for Camden, my second cousin who just turned four on Sunday! He is the sweetest little boy and so smart for this age! I was inspired by this frog fabric to make a green quilt mixing shades and patterns. I straight line quilted it and used a zoo animal print for the back because Camden loves to go to the zoo. I think I'm getting the hang of photographing quilts, although I think I waited a little late in the evening for these because there was hardly any light left. The size is comparable to a toddler quilt, I never seem to make quilts to standard dimensions.

Penelope

2010-12-21T18:46:00.001-06:00

It's Finished! Well, actually it has been finished for a long time, but maybe I should say it's photographed! That's been the only thing holding me back from mailing it to the cutest little girl! Now that Christmas is here I decided it was time to bite the bullet, take the photographs and send it out to California. I hope Penelope and her parents like it.

This is the baby quilt that got me back into quilting and was my first exploration into creating my own modern design. Needless to say, I'm now a full blow fabric whore!

It is hard to see in the photos, but the dots are made from polka dot fabric, the field is an eggplant purple, and the binding is a polk dot batik in turquoise (more detail below).

My first handmade embroidered label, and my stitching gets better with each one I make.

Playing Catch Up

2010-12-11T11:41:00.001-06:00

Wow! I've been so busy, I've been neglecting to blog! But never fear, here is a little of what I've been creating. The other night, I wanted to sew, but not on any of the Christmas presents I need to be finishing, so instead I sat down and whipped up an improv block using Denyse Schmidt's method. The above is what emerged. I'm happy with it.

A few weeks ago I helped my friend Jay throw a brunch for his kitchen warming party to celebrate his (mostly) complete kitchen renovation. He's in the process of rehabilitating his fantastic 1920's home (I am so jealous). As a gift I made him a manly pot holder, something I thought I would never make, but they really make great gifts and can be completed in one sitting. Guys like handmade gifts too you know!

The rest of my time has been spent working on Christmas gifts, which I can't blog about just yet. Maybe after Christmas I will do a handmade gift round up so you can all see the fun things I've made.

Merry Merry!

Inspiration

2010-11-14T21:58:00.001-06:00

I seem to always post on Sunday. I think this is because I am finally recovered from the week enough to focus on blogging. This weekend's theme was inspiration. I finally got around to taking a picture of a parking garage that has inspired me and will no doubt become a quilt in the near future. And today I got to spend some time with a great fiber artist and friend Laurie Brainerd, who's work has always inspired me. Check out her website http://www.lauriebrainerd.com/. I got to see her studio spaces of which I must say I am jealous! One day I too will have a space with great windows and plenty of room to spread out all my projects.

This week I started a new project even though I still need to quilt Magnolia's blanket, I wasn't in the mood for that kind of focus, so I started piecing another baby blanket for a friend and fellow preservationist who's little girl is due in February. I'm using the Hello Betty honey bun I got on sale because I think she will appreciate the vintage prints. I'm calling this pattern "Bricks and Mortar" a phrase commonly used in the preservation/architecture world. See the photos below, I'm trying to better document my process.

Sunday Stash

2010-11-07T22:17:00.003-06:00

These beauties are helping to expand my gray stash for that future TBD project. I picked these up on Friday at the Quilt Haus in New Braunfels and everything I have heard about this place is true! It is big and has a great selection of modern fabrics. Most of these grays came from their sale room where I also picked up a Hello Betty honey bun for 30% off.

I also finished the top for Magnolia's baby quilt last week, the first born of one of my oldest friends Ryan and his wife Amy. This is a design I created during a conference call at work, you know the kind, where you have to listen and don't have to say much. I'll post more details when I get it quilted as I just finished the back tonight and plan to get the sandwich made this week and hopefully quilting by next weekend. I hope everyone has a productive week. *Ciao

Dia de los Muertos

2010-11-03T21:41:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I'm a day late, but in honor of yesterday being Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead), I thought I should post my recently finished wall hanging called "Ladies of the Grave." This was my first attempt at photographing a quilt outside and I got mixed results. I think next time I will try it inside, but I need to rig up some kind of mechanism for hanging them on the wall.

The pattern is a folded courthouse steps, which I love because it is so forgiving. The backing is a yellow sunflower print that I wanted to represent the traditional marigolds used in Dia de los Muertos alters. The binding is a green striped print; I love binding with stripes! I quilted it very simply with a variegated thread that pops against the black sashing. Enjoy the additional photos below. Tomorrow is the November meeting of the San Antonio Modern Quilt Guild and as usual I am overly excited about it!

On another note, is it Saturday yet?

Living a Balanced Life

2010-10-20T22:59:00.001-05:00

I've been so busy at work that I feel like I'm not living a very balanced life, which is my #1 goal and one of the main reasons I left New York City after grad school. I think it is so important to make time for yourself and the things that you enjoy or else you will go crazy like I have been lately. You have to find a balance between your work life and your home life. Make time to take walks in the neighborhood, read books, feel your toes in the soft grass, create art, take photographs just for fun, spend time playing with the cat, buy or pick flowers for the house weekly, and spend time with the ones you love. I could go on and on with my personal list, but I'm really trying to remind myself daily that these are the things that are important to me and I have to make time for them or else I am only living a half life. What is on your list?

Amid the chaos of the TSA Convention last weekend, I did manage to finish my Halloween wreath for the front door. I spray painted a grapevine wreath black and hung a felt bat in the center using invisible thread. I like the way my yellow door makes the bat stand out.

I purchased seven white baby pumpkins at Central Market tonight that will eventually make their way into the red bowl on the coffee table. I hope to post pictures when this actually happens, but in the mean time I have to start packing and baking biscuits for our camping trip to Big Bend this weekend!! So excited, but already so tired that I wish I could teletransport to avoid the 6 hour drive.

*Allie

Wednesday Stash

2010-10-06T20:25:00.001-05:00

Wow! Long time no blog! I've been traveling all over the state and to New Orleans for a 5 year reunion with my fantastic classmates and friends from grad school! I've been so busy, I haven't had much time to quilt, but I did make time to craft one of my decoupage paintings for our New Orleans hostess, the amazing Toni. She is into fencing, so when I originally found this great print of early 20th century ladies fencing, I knew they had to go to Toni. I chose grey for the background instead of one of my usual bright colors because Toni is the queen of black and grey, a true architect! For those who don't know, black is the official architect's uniform, but you have to choose fun bright shoes. I usually choose to wear all black with red shoes. :) The painting is below photographed in my "Tiffany Blue" bathroom.

Over the weekend I went to Hancock's on a whim because I had not been in a while and I wanted to check out their stock and see if they had something I couldn't live without. Of course, lucky me, they were having a blowout sale, so I went through the tables stacked with $2.95/yard bolts and found the fun fabrics above. The tiny trees and the owls are sooooo cute and I've decided to start collecting grey fabrics for a future quilt.

I'm trying to finish binding the Dia de Los Muertos wall hanging to take for Sew 'N Tell tomorrow at the SA Mod Quilters Guild Meeting. I guess I need to stop blogging and start sewing.

*Ciao!

Sunday Stash direct from the Austin Quilt Show

2010-09-19T20:15:00.009-05:00

Get ready, this is a photo heavy post direct from the Austin Quilt Show!

First! Look at the adorable Japanese imports I got! Little Piggies and Eiffel Towers!

Gorgeous batik fat quarters in black and white!

Cat in the Hat fat quarters!

Fun strawberries and cute skull and cross bones!

Amazing hand dyed quarter yards from stitchindye an Austin local with a great modern sense of style. A girl after my own heart!

And an unexpected purchase, a vintage pearl ring from India. It's rough around the edges and looks Medieval, I love it!

Now for Quilts from the show, overall nothing blew me away, but these are some that I enjoyed...

This is the inside of a carousel, very architectural!

mmmm Strawberries!

2010-09-15T22:07:00.004-05:00

This Saturday is the Sit 'N' Sew meeting of the San Antonio Mod Quilt Guild and I wanted to have a cute pin cushion bracelet to take along with me; 1. for a functional reason - to have convenient access to pins when sewing, and 2. it's a cute sewing accessory for the modern girl! I didn't have a pattern, but improvised the whole design along the way as an adventure. Quilts have to be so planned out, that I wanted to approach this project in a less structured way, like I would any other art project. Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits and I've seen some cute strawberry pin cushions out there, but none as a bracelet, although I bet they exist somewhere. The next accessory I'm working on is a cupcake pin cushion for sitting on the table, which is proving so far to be harder to improvise, but I will conquer it! *Ciao!

The Modern Quilt Guild

2010-09-08T20:14:00.006-05:00

Wow! I've been busy lately! But I've still managed to get some quilting and other miscellaneous sewing done in the evenings and over the Labor Day weekend. I finished the green quilt from the last post and I promise to put up some pictures once I have time to photograph it properly.

Last week was the first official meeting of the San Antonio chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild, a group that started in Los Angeles in 2009 and has taken off world wide thanks to the internet. There are chapters everywhere! I'm really excited about the group and the opportunity to make some new friends with my same fabric obsession! The SA group is made up of all ages and skill levels, so I know I will have an opportunity to refine my skills. We meet twice a month, once for a guild meeting and once on a Saturday for a sit-n-sew or a field trip or event. Did I mention how excited I am?

Our first assignment was to make a name tag for ourselves. We could use anything we wanted and design it in any way we wanted. I got what I thought was a brilliant idea! I think it's silly like me. What do you think? See the photo below! I can't wait to show it to the group. I taught myself to hand embroider the satin stitch for the lettering using an internet video. I'm such a nerd!

The Guild is also going to be doing "block of the month" activities where one of the officers gives us a pattern and color selections or fabric choices to create one quilt block. At the next month's meeting everyone will put their name on the back of their block and one block will be drawn from a basket. The winner will receive all of the blocks to make the quilt. This month's block is called "Random Reflections" by KarrieLyne of Freckled Whimsy. I believe the block was featured on the Moda Bake shop website at one point. It is a fun pattern and a nice easy block to being with. The photo below is the block I created. I like the aquas and greens in the patterned fabric, so I decided my block would feature a larger proportion of those rather than the white fabric.

Then, over Labor Day I decided to abandon a Dia de los Muertos quilt that I had designed and was almost finished quilting, but was not happy with how the quilting was turning out. So I've redesigned the block to add some more complexity to it and I'm really in love with it. More updates to come soon, Ciao Bella.

Quilting with Kitty

2010-08-29T22:12:00.006-05:00

Long day...very tired...but being creative always relaxes me! Woke up early to be at the office by 7:30 to load up 1,500 cans, etc. for the 2010 CANstruction build day at North Star Mall. This year our awesome team built one BIG Ass CANata (donkey pinata) that we named Relampago (Spanish for Lightning). He turned out very cute and we surrounded him with lots of cans disguised as candy spilling from his belly. See the photo below.

I treated myself to a mani/pedi after running a few errands and then headed home for a Sunday afternoon nap. Woke up and decided to get a little work done to have a jump on the coming week, but then it was time to do what I wanted - QUILT! I'm working on a lap quilt for my three year old cousin Camden, the coolest toddler I know! This quilt was inspired by a great camouflage-frog fabric that I decided to combine with various patterns in shades of green. I think it turned out better than I expected and I machine quilted it with straight horizontal lines. I'm hand stitching the binding and of course if I'm quilting, Stella wants to be right there. Tonight as I reclined, she sat on my chest and I covered her with the quilt and proceeded to stitch behind her head so she wouldn't try to eat the thread. This is not the most comfortable way to quilt, but she is so sweet, I can't resist her being so snuggly! Speaking of snuggly, time to head toward the bed. Ciao!

Christmas in San Antonio

2007-12-20T17:04:00.001-06:00

The tree is up, and the balcony is lit. If you look closely you can spot the glass ornaments of the Alamo and the Empire State Building. Merry Christmas to YALL! Until next time... Ciao!

A New York Experience

2006-10-25T23:38:00.000-05:00

Tonight was one of those nights, a truly New York experience. Imagine you and seven of your friends hauling huge pieces of a loft bed 10 blocks in Manhattan. That was me tonight. I so wish I has my camera on me, but since I was going to be lifting things, I left my purse at home. :( It was so hilarious, all the people in the restaurants were watching us as we passed. It would have made a good video to post on YouTube. I'll post a few more Mexico pics since most of you have not seen them. Until next time...

*Ciao

The girls buying street food the first day.

Old woman stitting on stairs outside the Cathedral.

Candles inside the Cathedral.

Probably my favorite picture from the trip, handmade bricks.

!VIVA MEXICO!

2006-10-04T14:59:00.000-05:00

I have returned from the land of all things Mexican. I am really busy playing catch-up for school, and I have a major thesis review on Saturday, so I'll just post this picture of most of the people on the trip, including myself, on the top of the Pyramid of the Moon. We also climbed the taller one in the background, the Temple of the Sun! It was simply amazing. Mexico is a wonderful country to visit for all its culture and fantastic architecture. Yall should go! The picture was taken by our preceptor, James Ke. More pictures to follow probably this weekend. Until next time...

*Ciao

P.S. That's one of our professors on his phone, I also got several of him doing the same thing, haha.

Picnic in the Park at Dusk

2006-09-24T22:28:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I haven't posted in awhile, but I promise to do better. School is busy with thesis and classes, but I'm hangin in there. This week we leave for Mexico to visit our site for Design Workshop. I'm calling it my vacation! Look for some good pictures to be posted when I return. For now I'll just post some pictures I took from Friday. We had a picnic in Central Park for Cleary and Robert's birthdays. It was so much fun, but they made us leave when it got dark. BOO! The first picture is Cleary, my roomie. The second is our view from the picnic blanket. The other pics are from outside my apartment later that night. I sat on the stoop to enjoy the cool breeze before going up to the apartment. Until next time...

*Ciao

Organization Day

2006-09-01T22:59:00.000-05:00

Today I finished up getting organized for school by completing a stack of filing I have had since last year, paying bills, doing more laundry, and buying spirals for each of my classes. I also ran some errands on campus.

Tonight I went to dinner with three other gals at a local Japanese restaurant called Tomo. I had already eaten, so I just had green tea. I wanted to get out of the apartment, and it was fun to just sit and chat.

Tomorrow I leave for the Country to spend the weekend at my friend Olivia's family farm in Upstate New York. It is supposed to rain the whole time, but at least I will be out of the City to enjoy the last weekend of summer (oh, and we get to take the train, exciting!).

The picture is of the Belgian Block Street outside Chris' old apartment in Brooklyn Heights taken yesterday during the move. Until next time...

*Ciao

Moving Day

2006-08-31T22:59:00.000-05:00

Today was a long day. I helped three friends move into their new apartment down the block. Cleary and I got to ride in the back of the Uhaul van from Morningside Heights to Brooklyn to load Chris' stuff. I can now officially say I have been smuggled across the Brooklyn Bridge. I definately got my workout hauling stuff down the stairs, my legs are killing me. The picture is of the van full of his stuff. I am still amazed we got it all in one trip.

Then tonight we took the first year preservation students to a historic beer garden in Astoria, Queens. It was fun, the people who showed up seem really fun. It was also nice to catch up with my classmates that I haven't seen all summer. Now I must sleep. Until Next time...

*Ciao

Return to the City: Part Two

2006-08-29T22:48:00.000-05:00

I made it back into the City around 1:00 am Monday morning after several agonizing plane delays . The picture to the left is taken from my window seat as we waited in the long line to take-off.

I realized several things today:

1. I have not yet used my "Tough New York Face." I'm still happy and smiley to those I meet on the street. I think it is more obvious that I am not from around here when I act like this. I like feeling cheery, but I suspect that my happiness can also be atributed to the fact that classes have not started. I still feel like a normal human being and not a tired student.

2. When the City removes sidewalk bridges from buildings that have previously been covered for months, it makes it harder to know where you are. I was walking down Broadway, when I suddenly realized I was passing a building that had been covered by scaffolding before I left. I didn't even recognize this section of the street until I saw Koronet Pizza, which used to be hidden by the scaffolding. Another note of the subject, they finally got the sidewalk bridge off of my apartment building right before I went to Texas for the summer, yippeee!! Now if they'd only take it off of my building's triplet next door!

3. I also noticed today that my name is the only one on the mailbox currently! My old roommates names have been removed, and my new ones have yet to be added. I selfishly like that way! I'll try to snap a picture before the Super gets his label maker out.

I'm tired, so I'm turning in. It's been a long day of organizing, grocery shopping, and getting my hair cut. I even mopped my bedroom floor! Until next time...

*Ciao

Kinky Friedman for Texas Governor

2006-08-23T22:27:00.000-05:00

You can always tell who your true friends are when you can get together after months apart and feel like no time has passed at all. I've had the opportunity to spend some quality time with close friends this week while in Dallas, and it has really rejuvenated me. I'm now prepared to return to NYC a happy camper. Sarah, Megan, Latricia, and Sandra, you girls are the best. I would live in a perfect world if only you four were with me in New York.

Texans, don't forget to vote for Kinky on November 7th, he's the best option we've got. Until next time...

*Ciao

King William

2006-07-27T23:01:00.000-05:00

I'm obsessed with the King William Historic District here in San Antonio. I vow to live there one day, but since the houses are going for $700,000 currently, there's no telling when that will be. Better start saving now. The houses are amazing, and it's a culturally hip neighborhood full of galleries, fun restaurants and bars. Two descriptions here: Last Friday all the 20-something girls in my office went out to Madhatter's Tea House for lunch. It is so cute and full of character with crooked shelves and giant colored top hats decorating the interior. Angela and I went to Blue Star Brewing Co. on Monday night where we sampled a couple of the beers and had yummy food. It is in the middle of an artist's community surrounded by several galleries and working studios. The Brewery itself also houses a bike shop upstairs and a large outdoor deck with misters to keep people cool in the hot Texas sun. I can't wait 'til next Friday when King William hosts their First Friday, which is when all the galleries and restaurants break out into the street for a festival of sorts. Fun should be had. The picture I've included is of Mission Concepcion, built in the 1750s. It is one of my main projects at work if you read my previous post. I tried to post it before, but I think my earlier post was way to long to hold the image. Until next time...

*Ciao

Sum-er-time

2006-07-20T19:45:00.000-05:00

Howdy,

It's been a long time since I've updated, and there is no excuse as usual. I’m having a blast hanging out with my sister this summer, but I also miss my friends. Texas is hotter than sin, but thank God for air conditioning. I’ve officially become a commuter this summer driving 45 minutes each way in traffic, but NPR keeps me company and I’m trying hard not to get road rage. I am really missing the Subway, where someone else drives. People here are way too attached to their cars.

As far as my job, I LOVE IT!! I’m working for one of the top preservation firms under one of the top preservation architects in Texas. It’s amazing to finally be doing what I’ve been working towards since I began college. I’m getting a lot of experience in different aspects of the profession and the people I work with are so nice; they’re already asking when I’m coming back.

The main focus of my work has been on the Old Spanish Missions here in San Antonio. They were built by Franciscan monks in the early 1700’s, and have held up pretty well, but the limestone walls have a rising damp problem, and so we are working on a plan to do some repairs before replastering the interior walls. We can’t permanently solve the problem, but we can do a lot to postpone the next round of replastering for as long as possible. All of the Missions are still active Catholic Churches, therefore the Archdiocese owns them and has to pay for all the repairs, but the National Parks Service runs them as a Park. My boss has been doing work on the Missions since she first joined the Firm straight out of school in the 60’s, so she’s pretty much the primary architect on any work done to them. I got to help put together some completion reports for some previous work that was completed on the Missions before I got here. These are reports that go to the State Historic Preservation Office that summarize all the work that was carried out. I’m also learning how to apply for work permits from the SHPO.

At the beginning of the summer I got to take moisture readings with the protimeter on two of the Missions (remember HP'ers, I think it was Theo or someone that let us touch one of those, it has two pointy spikes coming out of the end). I’ve been working in CAD for the past two weeks preparing the drawings for the replastering work for two of the Missions. I had to do the most detailed mappings of the eroded limestone walls that you will ever see. I had to label each different type of plaster and where it was peeling, and then each little stone and the thousands of different types of mortar along the bottom of the wall where the rising damp has exposed the limestone. I can’t wait for you to see them. When I started, the task seemed impossible, but now I look at the drawings with amazement that I actually pulled it off. I did the originals by hand and them put them into CAD, Chris, you would be proud.

The other major project I’ve been working on is the US Post Office and Courts Building here in San Antonio. We are not the lead firm, the government has a firm in St. Louis they prefer, but we are the local, and we are responsible for exterior restoration and the interior paint finishes. I’ve been analyzing little tiny paint samples we took from the hallways, and I even got to use paint thinner once. We uncovered special decorative paint finishes from the 1930’s when the building was built. Paul Cret, a famous Beaux Arts architect was one of the designers. I got to write part of the historic paint report and design the layout. I’m quite proud of my cover design. Now we’re putting together color boards for the St. Louis firms interiors department to work from.

Oh oh, I almost forgot, I also got to make adobe bricks. They paid me to play in the mud!!!! We are testing the local soil taken from one of the Mission sites to see if we can find the right soil to lime mix to use to rebuild the eroded parts of the walls to a level surface before replastering. I have pictures of that. We took them to the Engineers to have them crushed to find out the maximum psi for each ratio. I have pictures of that too. We got to watch! We’re trying to build it like the Indians would have done originally.

In a few weeks we should start working on a new master plan for the Alamo. Yes, I’m working on the Alamo, every Texas architect’s dream! I told you this firm was the coolest!

So work’s great, but I love not having homework on the weekends. I get to do what I want for once in my life, and it is great!!!! Angela and I went to the Mercado (Mexican Market) in downtown San Antonio last weekend and I got a cute Mexican embroidered shirt and some other small stuff. I’m also trying to take in as many cheap movies as I can before coming back to NYC and the land of $10 movies. We got Netflix too, so we are renting a lot of ones I’ve missed over the last year. The rest of the time I’m either swimming in the pool or watching Project Runway. I hope someone with cable is letting Marissa come over and watch it in NYC.
Until next time...

*Ciao

Brooklyn by Night

2006-05-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to Union Pool in Brooklyn to see Truckstop Honeymoon, a New Orleans folk, country-like band. They are awesome and really funny, you should check them out. They are husband and wife and they sing songs about getting kicked out of Waffle House for making out in the booth. It was histerical. Thanks to Toni for suggesting this event. It was nice to get out, even though I have a paper due on Thursday and I leave for Texas the same day. So much to do. Back to work. Texas countdown: 2 days! Until next time...

*Ciao

Feeling a little more normal

2006-05-07T22:37:00.000-05:00

This weekend was great. I'm starting to feel like a normal person again. I didn't get very much accomplished as far as school work goes, but I had a relaxing two days. Yesterday we went to the Morgan Library to see Renzo Piano's new addition. We actually have to write about it for our exam for our Architecture of Additions class. It really is a beautiful space, that's a picture of the new entrance to the left. The interiors are a lot like his design of the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. I'm a big fan of his work. Enough architecture. The main point of this entry is to let everyone know I am finally enjoying my time in the City as a New Yorker, not as a student. Tonight we went to a local restaurant called the Heights to meet Katie's boyfriend who is visiting from Dallas. He seems really nice. We got to sit on the roof deck, and the weather was a little crisp, but enjoyable. It is beginning to get really hot here, so the cold snap was kinda nice. I hope eveyone enjoys their week, Texas countdown: 4 days, oh my! Until Next time...

*Ciao

You asked for it

2006-05-06T23:38:00.000-05:00

Hey kids, I know I've been slacking on the blog this semester, but when you're in a studio where the assignment is a group project with 30 people in your group, things get a little out of control. But I have had a lot of fun along the way. Two weeks ago we went to Newport, Rohde Island, on a field trip for my history class. We toured all the huge "cottages" as they're called, owned by the Vanderbilts and such. I love getting to see all the architecture I've studied in school in real life. McKim, Mead, & White's Isaac Bell House was my favorite. I've also been working on a independent study project with my friend Cleary for the Village of Nyack, NY, about an hour north by bus. We are reconnecting their downtown with the waterfront on the Hudson River with a History Trail, of which I designed the historical markers. The clients loved them!! So that's really exciting. Also we just finished presenting that 30 person project for studio last Thursday, and it was a huge success. It is a preservation plan for 14th Street in NYC. The professors and critics raved about it. Monday is our last class, and Wednesday I have a history paper due. Then I'm putting together the End-of-the-year show with some friends for our studio. It's a school wide exhibit for the architecture kids to show off their work. Should be really great if we can pull it off before Friday. I leave for Dallas on Thursday though to see Angie graduate from OU. Wowo, she's so grown up, and looks like she might have a real job before me. Good news for all you Texas readers, Angela and I will be in San Antonio over the summer. We both got internships there, and we didn't even plan it. We are both really excited to spend some much needed quality time together! I will be working for the architecture firm, Ford Powell & Carson, under the preservation architect. Woohooo! Then I have one more year here in the City for school, and after that, who knows! Well it's late, and I should probably sleep before tomorrow sneaks up on me anymore than it has. Much paper writing to be had in the morning before dinner with friends in the evening. I saw Friends with Money tonight with Cleary, and it was good, a little depressing, but it turned out for the best. The picture above is of the portion of our class that went to Newport, I can now scratch Rohde Island off my list. My goal is to see all 50 states before I die, and I mean really see them, not just pass through the airport. oh and speaking of travel, there is a very good possibility that I will get to go to Caracas, Venezuela, and Spain next year! I am so excited! Until next time...

*Ciao

Fans of Fashion

2006-01-18T22:45:00.000-06:00

So I am obsessed with Project Runway on Bravo. It's a reality show about fashion designers competing to win money to start their own clothing line. Each week they have a different challenge to design a garmet with various twists and turns. I think I like this show because when I was little I wanted to be a fashion designer, and because it reminds me of architecture school, with all the designing and critiques from the judges. And although I can't afford much, I am really into fashion and the latest trends. I had a watching party at my apartment tonight for all my fellow obsessed classmates. Some don't have a TV, and others don't have cable. We even won over a couple of newbees. It was a lot of fun, and I made Queso, but sadly most didn't know what it was, but they liked it. My girls from the South knew, and that is all that really matters. I'm slowly Texanizing the North, Look Out! The picture to the left is the first steps of our new baby calf that I got to see being born over the holidays. She was not even 30 minutes old when she was up trying to walk. Her name is Margarita, and she was born on the Eve of New Year's Eve. Her mother is Eve (who was born on Christmas Eve two years ago) and her dad is my bull Happy. She is soooooo cute. She's all gray with a white face and a little white tip on her tail. I miss her bunches, but it was fun to watch her play while I could. Until Next time...

*Ciao

Home Sweet Home

2005-12-20T00:39:00.000-06:00

It's great to be back in Texas! I'm hangin out with the family for a whole month, and most of you are thinking, A WHOLE MONTH, but really, when you like your family its fun. Sunday started out with the usual trip to Nanny's house, where I put up her Christmas decorations to give her some Christmas cheer. She's 80, and can't do it for herself anymore, so I was glad to help. In the afternoon we went to the farm to help Dad work on the new barn. This is a shot I took of him adding the trim work to the eave. Later that night we got our Christmas tree, which I might add is the prettiest one we've had in a a few years. Pictures to come as soon as it is decorated. Today I slept 'til 1:00pm because there is no clock in my room, thankfully mom has fixed that problem. I mailed my Christmas cards and made Chicken pot pie for dinner for the family. I also got quite a bit done on my portfolio, this one has to get me an internship, so it has to be good. Suggestions are welcomed when I get a draft printed. Maybe I'll post some of the pages for comments on here. I hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday Season and spending some time relaxing by the fire. Until next time...

*Ciao

The End is in Sight

2005-12-11T23:58:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I make my final presentation in studio. The picture to the left is the building I will be presenting, I call it "The Jewel of 14th Street." I think it will be ok. So far my 10 minute presentation has been about 7-8 when I have practiced it. I will feel a lot better when it is over sometime around 3pm. After that I have to write the paper over it due on Thursday. I have never written so many papers in one semester, I do not even want to attempt to calculate the number of pages I have written. I think it is a little unnecessary! That is why many of my closest friends back home have not heard from me, and though it is no excuse, I feel awful, and can't wait to be home and redeem myself. I fly out on Friday, and will be in Dallas at approximately 5:45pm. I will be making various trips all over the state to visit important people, you know who you are. Call me and maybe I will add you to the list! Right now, I'm about to get into bed and dream about Texas, where maybe there will be no snow by the time I arrive! Until next time...

*Ciao

Making Time for Fun

2005-12-04T20:35:00.000-06:00

School has been so crazy that I have not had time to update, sorry. My halloween costume was a success and we went to the Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village that night. We decided that next year we will be in it so that we can see more than we did this year.

Here is my top ten list of costumes that I saw:

10. Political campaigner holding a sign that said Bush/Cheney 2008 on one side and the other side said "And you thought Kerry was scary?"

9. The Gay Pride Band's Flag Corp each dressed as a clergy member of the Catholic Church.

8. Two guys each dressed as the Pope, skipping down the street, stopping in front of us to make out.

7. Gumby and Pokey

6. Candy Corn: A guy wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, and a candy corn colored sock hat with a sign on his back that said, "I'm one corny candy"

5. Bush with a giant globe tossing it up into the air as he passed and laughing.

4. A group of people dressed as "The Gates" exhibit from Central Park.

3. Club bouncers wearing black, holding clip boards and checking random people in the crowd to see if they were on the list. One guy's shirt said VIP and another's said "Are you on the list?" The third guy was carrying the velvet rope.

2. Guy dressed as Kikoman Soy Sauce Bottle, his date was the sushi

1. I-pod (So creative)

If you can't tell from my list, there was a lot of political commentary that I enjoyed. It is so nice to live in a place where you can discuss politics with people who feel the same as you do!

Did I mention that school has been hellacious, the work is easier, but the work load is just as intense as architecture school. My friends and I try to make time to have fun when we can.

I went to my Five Year High School reunion at the beginning of November and I saw four people that I really wanted to see and then ended up leaving after two hours. But it was worth it because I probably would have not gotten to see those people otherwise. That same weekend we had my Nanny's 80th Birthday Party and I got to see my sister, Aunt and cousins including Aunty Kimmy.

So since I had just been home, for Thanksgiving I went to Orono, Maine with my friend Chris from school to stay with his family because it was cheaper than a plane ticket. They were very sweet and made me feel like one of the family. It was a very nice and relaxing week that was very much needed. The picture above is taken from the dock of their lake house, gorgeous. I didn't want to leave. It was my first time to Maine in the winter and it snowed the whole time. Chris was a great tour guide and a real sweetheart. If he ever remembers to send a cute picture of us on the dock I will post it.

A group of us tried to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center last Friday night, but they were having a private party, so we went to the Trailer Park Lounge for dinner instead (You Texans would feel right at home here). We are going to attempt to go skating again on Tuesday before finals activities get too out of hand. Right now I'm trying to stay sane by listening to the all-Christmas Music station, while working on my final studio project that is due on Sunday.

I'll be home in Dallas on Friday, December 16, and I plan on making trips all over the state during my break to visit all my buddies. I think that everyone I love should move to NYC and share this cool experience with me.

Until next time...

*Ciao

Is that Thunder I hear?

2005-10-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

Today I enjoyed the rain drops on my face, no seriously, I enjoyed it. Until next time...

*Ciao

A Pirate Ate My Paper

2005-10-13T21:46:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am procratinating from finishing my Case Law Summaries for Planning. But good news, I decided on my Halloween costume, Hermione Granger. I've been wanting to dress as her for the last few Halloweens, but now I am gonna make it happen. I am basing my costume on the picture to the left. We have reviews on Halloween for Studio and my classmates and I have been joking that we are all going to dress in period costumes for the decades in which our buildings were constructed. Mine was built in 1916, hmmmm... Well I guess I should stop procrastinating. Until next time...

*Ciao

(Currently listening to Ella Fitzgerald)

(Oops, I Forgot a Title)

2005-10-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

Howdy, sorry for the delay between posts, but I have been crazy busy over the last two weeks, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon. The picture is from last weekend when a few friends and I went to an Indian restaurant in the East Village called Milon. It is a tiny place, but the whole interior is covered with lights. They also play music from Baliwood that makes you want to dance. From left to right are Cleary, Chris, and Marissa. It turns out that this is the place to have your birthday party because they turn on a disco ball and flash all the lights in the whole place while playing a Baliwood version of the Happy Birthday Song. It was so hilarious that I took a video with my digital camera. Next time you see me, ask me to show you, it is fun.

This past Friday I went to the Nickel Creek concert at the Nokia Theater on Times Square. They are an awesome Bluegrass band for those of you who do not know. I went with other Bluegrass lovers from my program. We had a great time just being out of Studio, and of course the music was great. I can't wait to get their new CD. Everyone should check out their opening act Leona Ness because she is a great new female artist.

Saturday I got to see family that was in town for a conference. Teena and Aunt Jenny picked me up in a limo and we toured the city in the rain. It was such a yucky day and I felt bad that they had to endure it, but we had fun together and seeing the City by car was ideal. We ate together at the Jekyll and Hyde Club, which is a "theme park" kind of restaurant with live entertainment. Picture a haunted house turned into a restaurant. I really enjoyed it even if it was a little silly. I was mainly glad to see faces that I know and love! It was so sweet of them to come and take me out, I really appreciated it!

Oh and good news, my professors really dug my pin-up presentation on Friday and they suggested that everyone use mine as an example for the next pin-up! Yeah, that made my day! Until next time...

*Ciao

The Dalai Lama and Rem Koolhaus

2005-09-26T22:45:00.000-05:00

Today I heard the Dalai Lama speak at Columbia while I was at work, the perks seem endless at this point. He did not speak for very long, but he did speak about how the Tibetian people are peaceful and compassionate. I have wanted to read his book, and this gives me even more motivation when I get time to read for fun. On Friday I went to a discussion where Rem Koolhaus, our Dean Mark Wigley, and another guy were promoting their latest installment of their magazine, Volume. The discussion was on "Power," very abstract if you ask me, and I think all three are full of it. I did, however, appreciate their comments on Bush, no matter how left they were. The pictures below are from a party I went to in Brooklyn at my friend Chris' house. His rooftop has an excellent view of the City. The picture with all the girls are just a few of the 30 total in my class. There are only three guys in the first year of Historic Preservation. Crazy, I know, but everyone is very sweet, and we are getting along fine. Until next time...

*Ciao

Is anyone afraid of heights?

2005-09-16T21:56:00.000-05:00

So, this is a picture of my Professor for Structures standing on the ledge of a New York City Co-op apartment house. As you might be able to see, my classmates are safely behind a railing. This week we took a field trip to this building (my Professor's firm is restoring it) to get our first experience climbing on scaffolding. Now, in NYC you have to go to the roof and climb down onto the scaffolding from a ladder, as opposed to some systems where you use a set of stairs to climb up the scaffolding. For me the ladder was the scariest part. I do not really have a fear of heights, my actual fear is that I will fall to my death. So overall, the experience was exciting, and lots of fun! Did I mention that it is so awesome to actually be studying my true passion! Historic Preservation is where its at! (to quote Beck). I am enjoying all of my classes, but we have been loaded down with lots of readings and essays, not to mention next week we have our first studio project due. My only complaint is that I do not have a lot of free time to explore the City and go to all the great events and museums that I keep hearing about. But I think that will come in time. And if I get an intership here over the summer, I will have more time to be adventurous, if I can only wait until then. You think that I would be used to having no free time after five years in architecture school, but I think that it is harder to deal with in a city like New York. Until next time...

*Ciao

Dr Pepper is the Greatest

2005-09-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

I think I am going to survive New York City. I've found a grocery store that sells Dr. Pepper and today I took a break before class near this sweet little fountain on campus. It is called the Delacorte Fountain and I assume the lion's head relates to the Columbia mascot. Until next time...

*Ciao

The Two Old Men That Live in the Basement

2005-09-08T21:24:00.000-05:00

Today was my first Thursday of classes, which happens to be my long day. I have class from 9am-6pm with only an hour break for lunch. I survived. It was also the first day of studio. Our studio is located in the basement of Fayerweather where the only windows look out onto a brickwall of the next building or a busy street. I opted to sit next to the window with the street. The picture to the left is of the two old men that live in the hallway outside our studio. I was quite surprised to meet them on the way to the bathroom, but they are harmless. In fact I think they are probably very wise. Now it is time to sleep after a little assigned reading.
Until next time...

*Ciao

I love my job!

2005-09-08T10:24:00.000-05:00

Ok, so not only do I love my first job as a student finally getting to study something that I am extremely passionate about, Historic Preservation, but I also have the perfect work study job. I am a student assistant in the University Archives, which is where they keep all the really cool old documents on the history of Columbia. And, get this, I get to work in the coolest building on campus, the Low Library. It is not really a library anymore though, it mainly contains offices of important people and the big rotunda is used for special events. The archives are probably the only books left in the building. This library was replaced by the giant Butler library. (Side note while talking about libraries: The Avery Architecture Library at Columbia is the largest architecture library in the world. They have some really cool stuff too, all kinds of rare books and such.) The picture I've included is of the Low Library; I took it the other day when I was leaving campus. Doesn't it just scream college. Columbia's campus architecture is what you think of when you picture the typical university campus. There is something about Classical design that makes you think of education. I think it is all the columns, but it really has to do with the Romans, but that is for another blog. I won't bore you with all my interesting facts. So yeah, I'm finally starting to get used to living in the big city, but it is still really hard to be away from all the people I love. Thanks to everyone that has been praying for me, God has really shown me that he loves me in the last few days, and I can use all the encouragement I can get. God has a plan for all of us, if we will just trust him. Until next time...

*Ciao

Selling my Childhood

2005-08-13T21:11:00.000-05:00

The picture to the left is from my trip to Oklahoma last weekend to visit my sister, Angie. She was kind enough to take a road trip with me up to Bartlesville, OK to make a pilgrimage of sorts. I went to see Frank Llyod Wright's only skyscrapper to ever be built. It was awesome. For those of you kids who don't know who FLW is, just Google him. The Price Tower is called, "The tree that escaped the forest," because when it was built in 1959, it was one of the only tall structures in the area. Angie and I decided that since we were driving two hours to a place we had never been before, we should look up places to visit besides FLW's tower. We ended up having lunch at a cute Coffee Shop with great Foccacia bread sandwhiches, and later had ice cream floats in Dewy, OK. We also found a great natural soap shop called The Red Dirt Soap Company in Bartlesville. Look them up online at http://www.reddirtsoap.com , all of their soaps smell wonderful. I personally bought the Rose silk fragerance.

Angie and I also drove to Kansas during our crazy adventures in Oklahoma, just to say that we did, and because the Kansas border is only 16 miles from Bartlesville. It was hilarious, we took our pictures by the Kansas and Oklahoma welcome signs. FYI: Caney, KS is pretty dull, we couldn't even find any good Kansas merchandise to prove we had been there. I guess the pictures will have to do.

Overall, I had fun in Oklahoma hanging out in Norman with my sis and her friends. I felt like they adopted me. I cherish anytime I get to spend with my sister. And yes Angie, Jason is your twin, so now I have that brother I've always wanted!

Today was the BIG Garage Sale here at home in Red Oak. Mom and I woke up at 6am to put everything out before the bargain hunters hit. Thankfully, our neighbors were also having a sale, so our street probably attracted more people than it would have if it had just been us. The day was pretty successful, but we still have some things left to donate to a nice charity. It was hard to let go of so many things that were tied to my childhood in Red Oak, but getting rid of things now means that I can get more new stuff when my two years in New York are finished! Now that the BIG sale is out of the way, I can focus on accomplishing things that need to be done before I move to New York.

But...seeing as how my life can never slow down, tomorrow I've got a planning meeting for my 5-year High School Reunion. I'm just hoping that we will actually get something scheduled by the end of the meeting. Progress needs to be made, but it is only the first meeting. I'm only anxious because I want to contribute before I move and it becomes harder to get things accomplished. Until next time...

*Ciao

Lubbock or Leave it

2005-08-05T10:04:00.000-05:00

It turns out that the famous song, "Happiness is Lubbock, Texas in my rearview mirror," is NOT necessarily how I feel. I will miss the place that has been my home for that past five years, but I am more excited about my unknown future in the City of New York. To the left is a picture of my adorable house in Lubbock. I will always consider it my adobe casita!

This past weekend, I moved back home to Dallas, and for the past week I have been struggling to find a place to hide or rather store my life in my parents house for the next two years. I made a lot of progress at the beginning of the week by cleaning my room of the items that I have labeled B.C. (Before College). Most of what was thrown away or will be sold in our upcoming garage sale left me wondering why I had kept so much junk from High School. But I'm just glad that I had enough common sense to get rid of it now.

For those of you who don't already know, I'm moving to New York City to attend Columbia University. I will be a post graduate student in the Graduate School for Architecture, Planning, and Preservation or the GSAPP for short. I am studying Historic Preservation, which is the fulfillment of my educational goal. I got my Bachelors and Masters degree in Architecture from Texas Tech. This next degree will be a Master of Science, which is not quite a Ph.D., but it is more prestigious than a Masters. I know that I AM insane for wanting to go through another two years of school, but I can't help it.

Today I got to see my little sis that I haven't seen in forever, Kassie, and she brought her nephew Austin, who is so adorable, and he looks just like his daddy. I am soo proud of the woman that Kassie has become, but she will always be my little sister. I can see God working in her life, and I know that she is continuing to trust him. Way to go Kas, I love you!

And tomorrow I get to see my other sister (this one is biological), Angela, she is a senior at Oklahoma University majoring in Journalism. We are going to have a super fun weekend in OK, just pray that I don't get OU cooties! Just kidding sooners.

I just might be getting the hang of this blog thing, I figured it would be the easiest way for people to keep up with me while I'm in NYC. Until next time...

*Ciao