Seriously people. Someone snuck into my room at night, snatched my dreams and then wrapped them up in this cute little Crafternoon package. I am so excited I want to run outside with my spray paint and go crazy… but that would just be silly, and wasteful.

I’ve always wanted to take a printmaking class with Sierra Nevada College’s Mary Kenny. Now, I can at Brickelltown’s first Crafternoon session. I’ve already RSVPed. You should too!

Please note the time is incorrect on the flyer. Class is from 4:30 to 7pm, same date.

(now all I need is a pet…)

yes!

green is the new view

So I’ve been meaning to stencil the backside of our planters all summer long, but just got around to it today. I always cringe when imagining our neighbors looking at that plain wood (while such a good view greets us daily).

I went with a jade/manzanita inspired design to match the foliage under our deck. My first “test” design (pictured above) came out pretty well, but I’ll perfect it a bit before moving on to the larger planters.

Though I’m happy to tick this off my craft to-do list, I am running out of wood to stencil. Wonder what our landlord would think of some wall art?

Yep, I’m another year older. Just so you don’t miss out on the fun that was my birthday, here’s a quick recap of the weekend.

Friday morning: I wake up to the best wrapped present ever, from Chris.

dying to know what's inside? though i guessed a kitten, it was not

Then, it was on to kayaking and paddleboarding off Sugar Pine Point.

the water is so blue!

chris is the tiny speck in the middle left of the photo

Saturday was River Prom, an annual Truckee River float in formal attire. EPIC

this ain't seaworld... it's as real as it gets!

Saturday night we camped at Lover’s Leap, then climbed the next day. Here I am on Pop Bottle, clinging for dear life. SO HAPPY to say that I totally enjoyed the experience in the end. (For those of you who don’t know: rock climbing was formerly my nemesis, taking me out for a summer after breaking my ankle on this very same route.)

somebody help me!

<THE END>

I just turned in my Wanderlust post-mortem to Moonshine Ink; the issue will hit stands August 13, so you can read all about my crazy weekend then. In the meantime, enjoy these photos from the Squaw Valley festival…

nice view...

the gold coast stage

photo booth sessionhead bangin' w/ rom and julievic, scotty, me. gettin crazy

p.s. Don’t forget to send in photos for Moonshine Ink’s Summer Photo Annual (the Aug 13 issue). Deadline is August 3. Send submissions (300 dpi @ 4×6 inches) to info@moonshineink.com. Include image title, short photographer bio and contact info.

monkey + leaves get ready for the shower

my creations, pre-shower. in-action pics to come.

Just went to the best baby shower ever. Here’s why it’s so superlative in my mind:

1) Tasty libations. Not only was there a keg of beer and a DIY cocktail bar (with organic lemonade and limeade), there were creative concoctions like iced green tea and lemonade (my new favorite drink).

2) A thoughtful menu. Grilled pork sandwiches were complimented by melon salad and roasted potatoes, and homemade vegan veggie burgers were yummy leaf-eater options. The caramel-colored bbq sauce topped it all off with a big fat YUM; I guessed it’s secret ingredient to be mustard, yet it was ranch—is there anything that dressing can’t do? Dinner was served with beautifully shaped bottles of rosé.

3) Coed. Males and females gathered alike to toast the unborn. Party lasted late into the night as the father-to-be took the celebration to levels that no impregnated lady would do.

4) Bonfire. Fire pits are the best… especially on cool Tahoe nights.

5) Monkeys. (or any other fun theme to decorate with abandon) This was my favorite part because I had a hand in it, thus a little swell of pride to see my handicrafts in action. Using some old packing material (from my popsicle mold shipment) as a canvas, I stenciled monkeys galore, and a BABY = ♥ sign. Then I crafted a tree on an umbrella in their yard, stenciling the leaves and making bark and coconuts from the package’s padding. Monkeys were clothespin-clipped on a line already adorned by the host.

Yesterday, I got a phone call from a concerned friend: “What is up with your picture in Moonshine Ink?”

Yesterday also brought an email from another concerned friend: “I saw your article in Moonshine, it was good. You need a new photo though, it doesn’t look like you. Aren’t you a model???”

And they weren’t alone… just straws that broke the camel’s back. Thus, I promptly called up my friend and photographer extraordinaire Ryan Salm (look for his new blog soon) for a quick photo session. And voila, no more hideous self-portrait. I hope you enjoy its debut in my upcoming column, out July 16. And I hope this means no more complaints…

out with the oldin with the new

North Tahoe Arts’ upcoming ARTour is one of my favorite events in the local art world. Like a treasure hunt for art lovers, it’s filled with surprises, like Carole Sesko‘s historic art shed or Andy Skaff‘s backyard bears—real ones (see photographic evidence taken by Andy below).

Seeing artists in their natural working spaces is a secret (well, not anymore) pleasure of mine… the disorder, the decor, the little muses around the room, the unfinished works—I love it all. [note: I am excited to report I’ll be writing an “In the Studio” profile on a renowned taxidermist for Western Art & Architecture‘s winter issue. Can’t say I’ve ever imagined entering a studio of that caliber…]

So join me for the ARTour hunt July 10–12 and 17–19. Download the map, then follow your folly…

tree climbing practice, as viewed from Skaff's plein air working space

tree climbing practice, as viewed from Skaff's plein air working space