cheating a little

I'm back from my trip and it was amazing. We experienced so many breathtaking views and fun sights, there is so much to share! Unfortunately, I don't have much time to blog about it right now. So I'm cheating and sending you over to my sister-in-law's blog where she's updated with a few photos and the first part of our trip. Have fun, and I'll try to update soon! Here's a quick photo of a brilliant Vodafone ad that we saw in the airport. The whole thing was just genius, as it depicted Australian scenes made up in type.

a little soundtrack: a man, his cello, and my picks

I love listening to chill and laid-back music while I work on a project, and here are a few artists that have been on my playlist lately. The music is soothing and oh-so-inspiring. Might even put you to sleep! Well, hopefully you can stay awake long enough to hear the beauty of these artists.

Ben Sollee - This young man has a soulful voice to match the deep and beautiful sounds of his cello. Can't beat a guy who can play the cello and sing at the same time. "Learning to Bend" is the best name for an album I've heard in a while.

Kina Grannis - I have been listening to her sing on her Youtube channel for a long time now, and for some reason have gotten hooked on her voice. Her guitar-playing abilities and spot-on covers are entertaining. And this last original song she performed sounds like she's floating the notes on a soft breeze ...

Joshua Radin - Joyful and happy, while being insightful and deep. Something about his music feels like trying on a brand new pair of Converse. Don't ask me why.

Brooke Fraser - Piano-driven songs with heart, this woman just gets what I'm thinking. Her melodies are infectious and you'll find yourself singing the line of a song hours later.

Justin Young - The spirit of aloha is woven in all his songs, and his voice is just so smooth. You can feel his laid-back island vibe, and it really keeps me grooving while I'm trying to get something done. This video is great, he's singing in the bathroom.

I'm going to leave you with a cover of Feist's 1234 by Kina, she's just great at these!

speaking of travel

Here are a few inspiring travel shots I've collected over time of places I'd love to visit one day. Not necessarily in any order, but just photos that took my breath away. What are the top 3 travel destinations on your "Places to Visit" list?

Random fact - I lived in South Africa for two summers with a host family. It was such a great experience, but I never got to see some of the famous sites in South Africa. Especially Capetown and the Cape of Good Hope.

Top to bottom: Capetown, South Africa (from Table Mountain), Santorini, Greece, and Paris, France

images via 268 generation, flickr, and manus chau

so excited

In just a week or so, I will be off to the land down under! This is the trip that the hubs and I have been waiting for -- we're going with two of his sisters, so it should be lots of fun. One of the things that I wish my budget and time constraints would allow for is more travel. I love seeing things from another culture's perspective, and there are so many places to see. I cannot wait.

image via john white photos flickr

a weekend of the greatest type

I fell ill last week at a conference I attended in Vegas - and this is the second time in a matter of weeks that I've gotten sick! :(
But that wasn't going to stop me from attending a class that I've been waiting to go to for 2 years! Whether it was scheduling conflicts or the class was full, I just haven't been able to make it. So Saturday was finally it. An intro to letterpress class at the San Francisco Center for the Book. And it was wonderful. We had our hands full with metal type and we set out to make a collaborative class book. Now I'm hooked! See the photos below:

And yes, I know San Francisco is spelled incorrectly. :)

country girl

It's great to take some time away from familiar surroundings and get inspiration from a new place. Especially for me, a girl from the suburbs. Back in November we visited a friend's farm just 30 minutes from here and it was amazing. Gathering eggs from their chickens, mucking out the pig pen, and picking fresh strawberries helps you realize what hard work goes into getting food onto our dinner tables. And colors are so vibrant! It really was so inspirational getting our hands dirty. Take a look at a few of the pics:





And the other day, our friend dropped off a dozen organic eggs from the farm for me. They were just so beautiful - green, white, and brown. And so yummy too! Can't wait to make an omelette with them. Just add a teaspoon of baking powder, whip 'em up and it's the best omelette ever.

sweet valentine

This weekend we were away at a retreat in the mountains with the kids from our church. And boy, was it ever pouring rain! On Valentine's Day we had a special dinner where everyone got dressed up -- so to do something a little special, I created goodie bags on a budget. Before getting to the retreat center, I stopped by the grocery store and picked up 100 brown paper bags for $3.75 and a tiny lined notebook for 79 cents. I brought some red cardstock with me and a whole bunch of pink and red candies from the Asian supermarket. I had lychee gummies, strawberry gummies, peach gummies, thin strawberry cream wafers, rice crackers, and haw flakes.

Two of the other counselors helped me to cut out hearts and stuff the bags, while I wrote a Bible verse onto 45 pieces of notebook paper. Then I took out the rings of the notebook so I didn't have to rip the pages out, and paired it with the cardstock hearts. Then we stapled the bags closed. Here's what we ended up with:


I would have liked to have printed the verse on the paper, but this still came out as I had envisioned. Simple, fun, and super cheap!