Merry Christmas!!!!!

Bon Appetit!

Or not...

I promised The Squeeze that once I closed my office down for the year, I would dig into the storage unit and organize (okay, toss stuff). It's a generous sized storage unit given most lofts we looked at had no closets, never mind a storage unit right across the hall from our front door, but it's STUFFED. And, admittedly, most of it mine.

I've already cleared off one full shelf of old Bon Appetits, but have this pile to do today. I'm clipping the recipes I've used and ones I think look yummy. It's interesting how "out of date" some of the recipes feel (umm, I'm shocked? Look at the dates of those magazines!!). I don't look forward to Step Two which is organizing the clippings. But, I did have a thought for a new blog(!): Maybe I should make at least one of the clipped recipes a week to see if it is worth keeping....

Ironic: now that I have a six burner Viking stove, I have no room for the Bon Appetits!

When I get my i-phone

Pictures will be better than this!

What I love about Long Beach:

-- Today I shopped locally. Not only was a particular item for My Squeeze a better price than I found on the internet, it was 20% off and as a thank you for shopping locally I "won" a $5.00 gift card to Jamba Juice.
-- Other than that gift, I was able to get almost all handmade things, many made by local artisans, the rest fair trade and was always greeted by perky store clerks.
- There was no traffic holdup, even on the big main drag of 2nd Street in Belmont Shores. I LOVE no traffic.
-- A local bank sponsored all the parking meters to be free and I found a space in front of all three places I needed to go.
-- Really wonderful people I met at the organic community garden came by to pick up my baked goods for our garden bake sale at a local church. I never thought I'd ever say I had to make things for a bake sale in my city life.
-- And this: FLOATING CHRISTMAS TREES. I pulled off to the side of the road after The Squeeze's gig at a "Cheers"-like bar in Sunset Beach to take the picture. At BRIX, everyone knows each other, there was free food because the owner wanted to celebrate Christmas and people even had their kids there. How crazy is that?! Most importantly, I could pull over to take the picture because there was room on the side of the road, no permit parking, and just space. Space Space. So, I took pictures with my cell phone of the floating christmas trees while people walked their dogs, greeted each other and I realized that I live in a GREAT community.



And when I get my i-phone in April cell phone shots might actually be blog worthy!

Chrysalis...

This was the chrysalis I found clinging to my basil when I decided the season had passed for it. I found it too late, but put the leaf on the lantern above the other one. I didn't know if it needed the nutrients from the plant, but it seemed so close to coming out of its cocoon - the gorgeous gold bands running through it, the outline of its wings. I feared what the torrential rainfall would have done to it over the past week, but there it was, right where I placed it.

I worry, though, as it seems the Monarchs have been stretching their wings in the garden over the last two weeks or so, if this one is destined to make it to its beautiful butterfly stage. It was so close. It makes me sad and scared because sometimes I wonder if I'll ever make it to my butterfly stage, either.

Monarch Butterflies

This month as part of a very profound class called "Dreaming Out of The Box", run by my dear friend Madaline Blau, we are supposed to monitor what "excites us". This does:

Our little organic community garden is also an official Monarch Way Station which means we have milkweed, lots and lots of milkweed. I found a chrysalis on my basil and have been watching the above one on a blue lantern in the garden. Last week one must have finished its cycle and was pumping its wings in my garden...unfolding and stretching them. It was amazing. Each day in the garden confirms for me the miracle of nature.

The BEST thing about living in a loft...

A christmas Tree in my bedroom!

Connor Part Deux

I think this is my favorite. Totally sums up trying to take pictures of dogs!

Bounty from the Garden

I hadn't been to the garden for quite a few days because I was sick and my squash and potato plants had become like something from a science fiction movie. I ended up having to cut back the squash because it had some kind of mold which I'm told won't impeded on my tiny growing squash, but was traveling to my snap peas so chopchopchop went the infected leaves. I also took out the lush catgrass because a ton of snails were hiding in it during the day and eating my broccoli plant to bits at night! I loved it at first when the garden was still just tiny seedlings because it had grown so fast and tall that it made me feel a bit of immediate gratification while I waited to see if any of my seeds would grow into plants.

Todays "harvest" included the last of the basil for more pesto and a few snap peas. It was also time to take the tiny broccoli heads. I cut two more freakish sunflowers and headed home to make a stir fry with the peas and broccoli for me and The Squeeze. The broccoli in particular was really, really yummy.


An early shot of the snap pea growing across my "bridge to nowhere". My Dad reminded me it was how my Uncle Al used to grow them...by making string lines for them to wrap around. Mine is strung over the monster squash.

Buy Handmade : Kristen Dunn Bookbinding

This entry is going to fall under the "connect" part of the mission of the blog.

I'm so blessed in my life to have so many artistic and creative friends. A constant discussion is about how to find craftsmanship in our lives. We want to surround ourselves with things that are not expendable. Most of you know that I'm a sucker for the handmade, for rich materials, and for things that get handed down from generation to generation. One of the best bits about moving to the loft was making friends with our downstairs neighbors; Kristen and Ray. Well, Kristen just happens to be a bookbinder/box maker and her work is amazing. She is so concerned about her clients and their needs. Best of all, she does the most beautiful work at such a reasonable price. (I filched some shots from her website...sorry Kristen!)

I promise you, her work is as beautiful as many of the higher priced bookbinders I've explored as a photographer. She uses imported materials that range from Japanese cloth to Nepali handmade papers. Please check out her website at:
www.kdbooks.com

She has an online store, too, which you can reach through the website. I hope you'll consider her for your special projects and presentations. Plus, check out her adorable picture on the website which I think should be on the home page!





Kristen makes gorgeous wedding album, memory books, scrap albums. She really works with the client to make it just what they want.


For my agent/producer/writer/director friends....How about a bound script? It's a lovely start of production or award gift.





For my photographer friends....she makes beautiful presentation boxes or sleeves for photos/discs. Or if you are a clothing or jewelery maker, she can make custom boxes for your pieces. How about those of you planning on giving jewelery this Christmas? She makes the cutest, tiny boxes, too. This big one she did for a custom woodworker to give samples of the wood.

Homesteading

I haven't done a proper garden blog yet. I've taken pictures of it from a dirt plot to a thriving green bunch of things so that will find its way here at some point. But, this weekend, I seemed to have gone all Little House on the Praire - maybe because of my cold. So, now is a good time to do a bit of introducing to my heavenly 12 x 5 foot plot of dirt. Today, I "harvested" one beet, two radishes, 3 sunflowers, and herbs (you have to start somewhere). Then I cooked using tons of left over Thanksgiving veggies etc. I also fed my Amish Friendship Bread, but that's a whole blog in itself! Anyway, I guess I'll introduce you to my little organic garden plot a bit backwards by way of the final food dishes.


My first beet! I actually roasted it and ate it with salt, pepper and olive oil. And while red beets aren't my favorite, it tasted great because I grew it! Although I can't wait to use the beets (soon, they are getting big!), next year I will try to plant only golden beets because they are so sweet and tender. This was a varietal pack of seeds.


And my first two radishes. The smaller one came out by accident....


I still have about twice this much basil left in the garden. I'll probably cut it all down this weekend. It was a wonderfully bountiful plant, but it seems its time has come and the space can be used for something a bit more "winter cropish". Everyone at the garden mocks my sunflowers. They have full sized sunflower heads on freakishly short (maybe one foot) bodies! I planted them late but bless their little sunflower leaves they bloomed anyway. I cut three today to bring home.


When life gives you basil...make pesto. I froze most of it, but kept a bit out for some paninis tomorrow. The Squeeze has become quite the Panini Master with his toy from Williams - Sonoma!


I also decided to finally make soup from the leftover Turkey. I used fresh herbs from my garden: thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and sage.


And it made a yummy soup.... Given my cold, I should have made this on Friday rather than Sunday. Live. Learn.

Steve Harris Jazz Collective

Thanksgiving was wonderful and my gratitude blog is in the works. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, plan to come to the aquarium and check out The Squeeze's very own Jazz Collective playing besides the GI-normous tree at The Pike on Sunday the 21st and 28th, 2-5pm. Take a ride on the Ferris Wheel or carousel, have a hot chocolate and listen to the jazzed up Christmas tunes.

The Holga

I only started shooting digitally about two years ago and I think my heart is still with film. There is definitely an advantage to digital: the immediate nature of it, the shooting info as a learning tool, the ease of processing (although not the post-production time which is grueling), and the ease of sharing the work. But, there is still something about shooting film and getting a proper traditional print that I am drawn to emotionally and creatively. Recently I pulled out my Holga and decided it should go with me where I go because it is so light and indestructible. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it's considered a toy camera. It is made of plastic, it takes 120 film which makes it medium format, the negatives are square, the shots are vignetted in the corners, and it has the following options for controlling the shot: close, further, a bit further, pretty far and then a little symbol showing a mountain which I would then categorize as really far. Oh, and you can double expose by not advancing the film. But, because it is plastic there are light leaks. So, my holga, like most, is taped up within an inch of its life. I used to have a lot of problems with light leaks, but after I read Michelle Bates' book called PLASTIC CAMERAS: TOYING WITH CREATIVITY, I think I finally got it taped correctly! Of course, you can still get light leaks when you lift your tape flap to see the numbers of the film as you are advancing. I suspect that is what happened to the second shot below which is most obvious by the lower right and left hand corners:



There are some photographers out there who really create gorgeous art with them, so the idea of it being categorized as a toy camera is almost an insult. But, it IS a fun camera, so give it a try....

6:45am - FOG

There were lots of foghorns last night. Far enough away that they sounded sweet.

My morning walk yesterday...

Just a few blocks from The Loft.

Our clock

One view from the loft.

On the first full day of summer....

On the first full day of summer, Steve (aka "my squeeze") and I (aka "Squidly" for blogging purposes to keep screenwriters looking for an agent from finding me with "the google") moved in to our beautiful Loft in downtown Long Beach.

So many of you have been terrifically supportive of this big life change and excited and curious about our loft living. Given we have just passed the first full day of Fall, it was long overdue to create a blog that could keep you all in the loop with our loft, my photography, and Steve's music:

A Squid's Eye View From The Loft.... enjoy it. comment on it. share it.