Tag Archives: flowers

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I’ve been absent for the past couple weeks due to a system overload. My system, to be exact. :)

I was working for Lick-Wilmerding High School’s dance program to help create their spring dance concert. I helped them last semester with their winter concert, and jumped at the chance to work with them again. I really enjoy working with teenagers, and the Lick-Wilmerding high schoolers are a special breed. Not to mention their incredible dance program director, Zoe Fyfe, who truly is the mama brand glue that holds it all together! In short, this spring: 45 students dancing in 32 dances for 2 performance nights = whirlwind!

My process with LWHS Dance is to come in about a month in advance of the show, talk with every choreographer – student, guest, director – and get a feel for what the concert needs. Then I check out what’s available in costume stock, get choreographers’ aye or nay, and then start ordering and shopping. This time around, I also did some sewing work for them, which was exciting. I created Japanese style obi’s, swamp zombies, and figured out how to pull off a Broadway finale quickly and on a budget. Of course there were stressful moments, but somehow, as usual, we pulled it off. The concert was great and I felt truly blessed to be part of such an amazing process. And, it’s all really worthwhile when the students get you up on stage and give you flowers in front of the whole audience – both performances!

What else is new? Oh, I turned 26 and Mr. Matt took me to see the Giants. And they won (just for me, of course!) and it was a fun night.

The same night, actually, as he finished his masters’ program at California College of the Arts. The next weekend, he graduated!

All of this has been jumbled together, and I’ve managed to survive despite coming down with a bad cold and juggling my part-time job on top of it all. This week has been recovery, and sitting down to reassess other projects and future goals. My Etsy shop has been updated, and I’m also now using my Flickr account to showcase more of my work. More, to both these sites, coming soon!

Lastly, I simply must tell you this extraordinary story of karma. A little over a month ago, my bike Gonzo was stolen. Gonzo was a very special bike, as he had been owned by my Dad, then me, in CO, then brought out to San Francisco, CA and had lots of work done to him over the years. I heard, from multiple bike mechanics in SF, “They just don’t make bikes like this anymore.” Of course, I had just gotten him perfectly tricked out just for me when he was stolen in front of the SF Public Library Main Branch downtown while I was at a dance performance. I filed a police report, put up notices on Twitter and Craigslist, and posted flyers at local bike shops. I also mourned, but my brother and my Dad insisted I should get a new bike ASAP. My brother and I ordered a fancy new road bike for me, but when the box arrived – it was the wrong bike! Then, I was in the midst of dance concert show week, and couldn’t even deal.

Then, out of the blue, a local woman emailed me. She had seen the flyer about my stolen bike in one of the bike shops. She didn’t have any leads on my stolen bike, BUT she had a perfectly good, newer version of the type of bike that had been stolen, just sitting in her garage. And she wanted me to have it.

And that, is my incredible story of karma and the generosity of San Francisco bicyclists.

Thanks, universe. :)

What’s on the horizon? 30 days of creativity, Hecho Local,  a summertime trip home, a film shoot, and SF Zine Fest 2011!

It’s nice to win things!

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I can’t believe 3 weeks have flown by since the SF ZineFest! It seems like it was yesterday. Part of that feeling is probably because SF really is a “little city, big town” and people I met at ZineFest I’ve seen around (like Ms. Stephanie of nerdJERK at the J-Pop Summit at Japantown a couple weeks ago) or who are lovely and keep in touch – like this fun story I have about the wonderful folks of Beasts of Eden.

Tia and Julia had a sweet little table at ZineFest and I definitely visited them a couple of times. Their whimsical flowers and playful animals are so colorful and touchable. I am in love with their giant squid! We did a trade and they also had the great idea to do a drawing to promote the opening of their Etsy shop and their website. I put my business card in their knitted venus fly trap friend’s mouth, and low and behold – a couple weeks later I got an email saying I had won! You can even see the drawing video on the Beasts of Eden website. I got to pick out an item from their Etsy shop for my very own.

When it arrived, I did a little photo shoot to celebrate. I think I’m going to name him Herb. He is bright pink, pose-able, came with a beautiful postcard from the makers, and has joined my tiny pink elephant parade!

Thanks Julia & Tia // Beasts of Eden! <3

All of my friends are so nice!

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I didn’t quite understand this comic by my friend Amy until today.

I woke up emotional and exhausted. Lately, I’ve been having these nights where I sleep deeply, but I have these crazy dreams that are so intense I wake up feeling like I’ve run a marathon. My brain isn’t resting even when it’s supposed to! Last night was vampires + ice skating + university graduation… WTF? Less amusing, my lower back and hips have been hurting a lot again in the last week. Towards the end of the day I’ll start feeling really sore and tight and then by the time I lie down, it’s painful.

Of course, all of this whining is following a really good Monday yesterday, when I got a TON done, saw friends, got ear acupuncture, so I feel bad for complaining.

Anyway, I went to my chiropractic appointment and almost burst into tears describing my chiropractor how my back and legs were feeling. Luckily, I have the BEST CHIROPRACTOR IN THE WORLD, and he really helped me talk it out, calmed me down, adjusted my spine and my soul, and sent me back into the world feeling so much better.

He reminded me that when I started treatments with him, I was injured and overly emotional about that. I’ve been doing so much better the last couple months really allowing myself to rest, which is hard for a dancer/athlete, but I AM healing. But now I’m on the other end of the spectrum – I’m going through a lot of changes which is emotionally difficult and now my body is reacting to that, asking me to continue to take it easy and be kind to myself. Why is that always the hardest thing to do? Why do I always run myself ragged?

When I got back from my appointment, my new roomie, M, asked me if I wanted to go get a torta with him down on 24th. It was a really simple gesture, but today, it meant a lot. And it was my first torta in the Mission and it was AMAZING. I definitely want to try all the torta places near our place now! Which means I will get increasingly chubby, but it will be sooooooo worth it…

Also, I picked up some flowers for the apartment, to brighten our kitchen. I’ve been missing sunny Colorado a lot these days, and sunflowers always remind me of Bear Creek Canyon in late summer/early fall, bright against that brilliant CO sky…

Maybe the CO vibe somehow inspired my CO BFF to contact me today… a long chat with the MQ is always a life saver!

Lastly, I’m quite pleased with how a new project is turning out… more to come, but here’s a little preview pic…

Now if only I could escape to a nearby mountain for a good hike, I would feel right as rain… hopefully soon! But until then, I really am grateful for the good people I have in my life.