time is for the birds

Sewing again!

2012-01-22T15:12:00.000-06:00

I haven't sewn in some time, let's see...um, over 2 years! I didn't/couldn't bring my sewing machine to Guatemala when we moved. Moving house via luggage is not an easy task. As luck would have it, I was able to purchase a brand new machine in December and bring it back with me! It's taken some weeks to start using it but, I have and I've just begun.

*I got a Brother XL 2600i-love it a lot so far.

Workspace.

My etsy shop featuring my sewn efforts.

I gave my old appleseeds shop on etsy a new life with a new name:

Horse Drawn Wagon // timeworn mayan textiles

I am working with old well loved vintage Mayan traje (clothing). All of it is handmade from the ground up. It's all been woven on a backstrap loom and a lot of pieces are even woven with fiber harvested and made by hand. All of the designs and patters and imagery on the traje is threaded in as the piece is being woven on the loom this technique is called brocade. Guatemala is 65% indigenous Maya Indian and most of them, especially the women, still wear the traditional clothing. All of the clothing is village specific, although plenty of modern Mayans tend to wear whatever they like from which ever town but, for the most part you can tell where someone lives or is from by the huipil they are wearing. Being obsessed with the indigenous culture and absorbing it like a sponge, I find myself living the simple life they do: going to the market everyday, preparing all of my meals from fresh and scratch and just taking life one day at a time. Spending a lot of time in the markets, I have almost become bi-lingual but, not quite, I don't exactly speak 'Spainish' instead I speak 'Guatemalan Market Spanish'. I write this smiling because I think it's funny but, what it really is is just the Spanish I need for my life at the mo'. What I am getting at is I spend a lot of time in the market and that's where most of the used (and new) traje is sold and traded. I've been collecting pieces to sew for a while and it's great to finally be getting around to it!

Deconstructing a vintage Chichicastenango huipil.

The huipil from Chihi is attractive to me in several ways. First, I love the patterns and colours, second, they are thick n' heavy and feel great, third, they are three panels attached by a hand-sewn external seam called a 'randa'. I love the panels because I can simply separate the and make pillows from the outer two panels without even having to cut into them. I have lots of ideas for the use of the middle panel but, haven't gotten to any of them yet. Here are some of the pillows I've made so far:

It's all very exciting to me and I can't wait to venture on to making different things!!

Happy Birthday, Margret Atwood!

2011-11-18T06:22:00.006-06:00

King Charles River, 1963

Happy Birthday to a favourite Author and fellow Lady Scorpio!!!!!

I just love Margret Atwood's writings. I get lost in her novels like no others, the more I read the more entranced I become by her words. I've never read more complex thoughtful insightful stories. She's a living legend and her body of work is beyond impressive; an inspiration of all time.

I've read these:

The Edible Woman*

Handmaiden's Tale

Oryx & Crake

Cat's Eye*

The Blind Assasin*

The Year of the Flood*

Robber's Bride*

Moral Disorder

*I have these books here with me on my bookshelf.

living wreaths

2011-11-10T06:09:00.000-06:00

Graves are decorated to the hilt for All Saints Day and Day of the Dead....here's a glimpse of the living wreaths that gorgeously adorn the graves in Xela Cemetario a week into November.

Simple. Beautiful. Amazing.

i heart vintage leather.

2011-11-06T07:24:00.001-06:00

The more distressed the better. The more battered and forgotten about the leather looks, the more I like it! I think that might be why I've found such badass leather bags here for a song!!

1st find! Cinammon Brown Leather Backpack Q20.
So practical. I use it for market shops & overnighters.

Most recent find: Oxblood Leather Bag with Wooden Handles. Q10

Pricey one! Warm Brown Soft Leather Bag Q30
I fell for this bag & passed it up b/c it was Q40; thought
about it for a week & went back with the luck to actually
find it in the crazy ass Minvera pacas. And I got it for Q10
less! Woohoo! It's a great bag..the straps adjust to two
lengths, there is one main pocket in the middle and then FOUR
huge saddle bag type pockets-two on each side...this bag
holds so much! la la love it.

stumbled upon...

2011-11-05T06:48:00.001-06:00

...a new trick! Well, not really a trick per se but, a handy discovery that I will put to good use. The other day it just so happened that we didn't have any fresh towels so, I grabbed one of my vintage linen tablecloths that I am so fond of. Turns out this table cloth functions way better than any towel I've ever used. It absorbs the water swift and gentle. It's miles softer and thinner making it easier to maneuver than a towel and it's so big I was fully wrapped. And on top of all of that it dried about ten times, if not more, faster than a dang towel! Oh, there is one more great thing about this: it rolls up even smaller than a towel making it the perfect on the go 'towel'. I have to just add one more thing, even though I have all vintage towels that I think are so pretty, I think the vintage linen tablecloth is just gorgeous. Mine aren't just tablecloths any more! I got this one here in Xela at the pacas in Minerva...love the pacas here! <3.

potato face.

2011-11-04T07:45:00.007-06:00

Pretty awesome eye & eyebrow for a tater.

That ain't all, this spud has two awesome eyes & eyebrows!

With a cute lil nose too....what a face!

aguas amargas

2011-11-03T08:07:00.000-06:00

We decided to finally go and check out Aguas Amargas. A little hot springs destination not too far away from Xela. So we hop on a bus and head in that direction, getting off the bus in a small pueblo that we have to walk through. Mind you we had to tell the bus where we were going and we had to ask a few people which direction to walk and they all happily told us which way to go to get to Aguas Amargas. What they did not tell us, is that it was completely destroyed in a hot mudslide last year! Classic. It was a fantastic day even though we didn't get to soak in the hot thermal waters there.

What is left of the entrance.

It's so destroyed and overgrown it's hard to see what's going on. If you see the little waterfalls towards the top right-ish part of the photo....those little waterfalls are going over what was the road.

This was one of the cabana rooms with a tub that thermal water flowed into. Egads, now it's a mudroom!

This the road going there. Totally washed out. It was fun walking down through the little river.

flowerheads

2011-11-02T12:50:00.000-06:00

Not everysingle time but, a lot of the times I buy flowers and arrange them I am left with the odd flower heads that fell off or can't be used in the arrangement for some reason or another. I can never bring myself to toss the beauties out with the stems and scrappy leaves! The last batch I floated the flowerheads in bowls of water. Floating flowers are so enjoyable to have around. Win win. I've also strung flowerheads and used them for some tipico photos in the background.

Happy All Saint's Day!

2011-11-01T15:36:00.000-06:00

Greetings from Guatemala on All Saint's Day (Dia de Todosantos)!!! We'll be in the cemetary today for sure. This is a special day here. Families gather in cemetaries; they clean and decorate their family/loved ones graves and picnic there all day. The traditional dish of the day is a funky mix of up to 50 ingredients called, Fiambre. Flying kites is a popular past-time on this day; creating a link between life on earth and the lives of those that have passed to the other side. This will be our 2nd year participating in the tradition. =)

These giant handmade kites are just amazing.

Fiambre. Putting a 'blue flower' on top is super popular fancy!
We've yet to have the pleasure of sampling some local Fiambre.

(Already walking around today more cars than not that have gone by me have someone with a big ol' dish of
Fiambre in their lap! It's kind of awesome! )

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:14:00.005-06:00

I may very well live in another culture with a whole different way but, that doesn't mean I don't think about my own cultural going-ons. Here we are on Halloween and I have so many fond memories of dressing up going trick or treating and I will cherish those forevs. I wonder what the most popular costumes will be this year?? However, as an adult I don't exactly miss Halloween but, I do wish everyone especially all the kiddos and my friend and family with kiddos a huge safe and Happy Halloween!!

a personal trick to summon super-power

2011-10-30T07:10:00.000-06:00

Me & Mike in our Superhero states of being.

When I find myself in a situation where I need to really bring it and be intimidating (you know, like when I feel like I am being scoped out by some street urchins or banditos or something); I imagine that I am that guy above and Mike is that hyena! It totally works!! I just project as much as I can that Mike and I am them. This image serves us well. I think they are the perfect superhero duo flip side for Mike and me.

Mike & Me at any given 'regular' moment.

pink house!

2011-10-29T08:08:00.000-06:00

I've seen a million different pink things raising awareness for Breast Cancer (pink m&m's, kitchenaide mixers, cars, ribbons out the wahzoo) but, the all time coolest thing I think I've seen is the White house lit up pink in honour of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Breast cancer sucks....pass it on.

assam tea

2011-10-28T06:30:00.002-06:00

Assam is a north-eastern state of India surrounded by 6 sister states also bordering Bangledesh and Bhutan. The area is known for it's gorgeous geography, preserved wildlife such as the one horned Indian Rhinoceros, Assam silk and Assam tea. Of course that's not all it's known for but, those are a few big ones. I am just chomping at the bit to visit or possibly live in the culturally rich area.

Assam tea is a black tea clearly named for it being produced in Assam. It is a tea that is known for its robustness and strong bright colour. This is the world's largest tea producing area. It seems to be of the perfect land lying between two significant rivers, the perfect altitude, with the perfect amount of rainfall which is heavy in the monsoon season and the perfect temperature! It's this combination of elements that gives Assam tea such a strong unique flavour for a black tea.

I know it's my favourite black tea!!

frijoles frescos!

2011-10-27T07:56:00.001-06:00

I haven't figured out exactly what type of beans these are but, I sure am enjoying them! They are gorgeous and so much fun to work with. We've started drying and collecting our favouritest ones. My boyfriend said the sweetest thing; he says, "One day we won't live in Guatemala and have access to these beans and you'll be so happy to have a dried little collection of them.", darn tootin' sweet boyfriend!

Growing up in the South in a truly 'Southern' family, I was always around bushels of fresh beans and peas. I loved sitting around the backyard in the shade tree shelling them with my Granny and aunts. We usually 'put them up' (canned) and I am sure I ate plenty of fresh peas and beans but, I don't recall any kind of fresh beans like these at all.

Beans have to be one of my fondest foods. They are beyond healthful and combining them with grains such as rice offers such a complete meal. I recently made sure we ate beans and grains everyday for 2 weeks just to see if we'd feel different and we absolutely did! We noticed that overall we felt way more satisfied in the hungry & craving departments. I'm just going to colour us lucky that we love beans so much!!

xela cemetary = xela dogpark (for us)

2011-10-26T07:07:00.001-06:00

Having 2 dogs (Mike and Marcel) and living in a city with no yard puts us in dire need of a dog park. Well, it's probably no surprise that Xela doesn't have a 'dog park'. But, we're lucky that just a few blocks from our house is Xela's gigantic amazing cemetary which serves as a really great dog park for us!

All the boys get to run off their energy....it's a good thing!

Mike really gives Zach a run for his money or rather...honey.

Water faucets for doggie drinks....how perf!

At 1st this is the only way Mike would drink out of the faucet. He owns it now.

Marcel has loved hiding/playing in the tall grass since Day 1.

Yay! Grass & sunshine!!

Not only do we have expansive lawns for dog play;
look at gorgeous Volcan Santa Maria looming in the distance.

PS-These are all pictures from 1 year ago and Mr. Marcel is all grown up now.

tomatillos

2011-10-25T07:33:00.003-06:00

2 lbs. tomatillos Q4

noun, plural -loes, -los.

a plant, Physalis ixocarpa,of the nightshade family, native to Mexico, having yellow flowers with five blackish spots in the throat and bluish, sticky berries in a purple-veined calyx.

I love green sauce whether it's for a hot dish or just a green salsa! Both of which are super easy to make. For green salsa just blend tomatillos, onions, garlic, cilantro and lime. For green sauce just boil tomatillos, onions, garlic 8-10 minutes then blend with lime and cilantro. YUM!!!

Cutting them in half isn't necessary. I just can't resist.

drinking fresh aloe

2011-10-24T07:13:00.000-06:00

A leaf of aloe from our local market. Cost: Q5

Drinking or eating fresh aloe may be hard to swallow for many but, with the awesome health benefits in mind, I've choked it down enough times to like and crave the stuff. I first heard of eating aloe when I was a kiddo; I knew a Mediterranean family that ate a nice slice of aloe flesh everyday and they swore by its longevity factors. I always thought of them eating aloe. Especially when I started having kidney stone issues and was turned on to aloe big time! Aloe is an anti-inflammatory and it'll fix you right up in so many ways if you're ailing from: digestive disorders, arthritis, kidney stone issues, burns, scraps, cuts, bug bites, joint and muscle pain, diabetes, high cholesterol, dry skin and any inflammation. Pretty incredible, eh?

Here is a fantastic link that'll tell you some of the truly amazing benefits you can reap from aloe vera!! It also has a great video showing you how to harvest the flesh from an aloe vera leaf.

We blend aloe flesh with water and coconut water. It might take some getting used to but, it's so pure & healthy!! You can also just blend it into a blended fruit drink. =)

Once Upon a Time

2011-10-23T08:08:00.001-06:00

Kinda of looking forward to the season premiere of this! It looks like it might be good and I could use a weekly show. I love Ginnefer Goodwin in Big Love; I am stoked on seeing her in this as Snow White.

Ginnefer Goodwin

**UPDATE**
Watched it, love it!! It was a bit confusing how the worlds were existing together but, I got it and like it! Looking forward to watching next Sunday....exactly what I wanted!

Meg Allan Cole Crafts

2011-10-23T08:05:00.000-06:00

This is not Meg's first appearence here. Because she's more than all that! Girlfriend was just on the news giving direction on Halloween costumery. She is one crafty lady that I just adore. Love you Meg!!!

Meg bringing some crafty goodness to Fox News!

You can find her with all her amazingness on fb here and on her own YouTube channel here! You have to see her eggs & bacon costume for couples...it's a riot!

luck + me = sweet tv with a dope cozy

2011-10-22T07:11:00.001-06:00

Flat screen tv covered, when not in use, with childs huipil from Todos Santos.

Lucky: 1. Recently was given a sweet little flat screen tv*. 2. We have free cable. Me: Really happy to have it. But, it can't just stare me down all the time.
TV Cozy: Used traje. A little girls huipil from Todos Santos.

This is a great solution for me. I get to look at something that I admire so much while at the same time concealing the television screen and keeping it dust free while not in use. Win, win.

*Haven't had tv in over a year. Recently I stayed a long weekend at a besties house in the states and her husband gave me a tv. It's just right, small, light weight flat screen. I surprised Zach with it....we are so grateful! It's so much fun to have it! We get a channel from Germany, one from Italy, and one from France. A bunch from Mexico and South America...it's really cool to see news and stuff from other countries. Not to go on but, there are a few good movie channels too. El Pelicula plays really old Spanish movies 24/7...always a great go-to and it's really helping me with my Spanish! Oh, another great thing is that they let all the cussing fly here. Nothing is bleeped out and it's great! To just hear people speak for real and uninterrupted. Bueno Onda!

colourful corn

2011-10-21T05:28:00.006-06:00

It doesn't take much to amaze me and put a wonderous smile on my face! That's exactly what happened when I 'shucked' this corn. I've never seen corn like the corn I see here. And even more so, I have never tasted corn like the corn here. Truth be told, I wasn't all that much of a corn eater before I moved here. Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike corn, I ate it and I liked it whether it was corn on the cob, creamed corn, corn pudding, corn bread, or hello popcorn! But. But, I didn't exactly think corn was offering me all that much. I didn't choose it as a side when cooking or use it as an ingredient much. But, here the corn is exciting and delicious. My favourite way to eat it is boiled then roasted on a grill, topped with lime & salt. This scrumptous treat is served on the street in corn husks. There is nothing like natural packaging!

i dreamt about pyrex.

2011-10-20T07:29:00.001-06:00

These are my absolute dream pyrex dishes!!! They are rather extraordinary, don't you think?? The colours are delicious and the pattern just blows me away! I've tracked down a few pieces online but, they are in far away countries with the most ridiculous shipping costs....looks like they are going to have to remain a dream for a little while longer. Best thing about them is: they go with the mixed up set of dishes that I am currently putting together so, when I do find a piece or two, they'll fit right in. If you happen to have some of these that you are willing to part with, please do be in touch with me.

putting together a daily dishware set of pyrex.

2011-10-19T07:10:00.003-06:00

My family (grandmothers, many aunts, countless cousins, my mother and now brother) adores dishes from across the ages. My mom and brother are in the midst of a pyrex frenzy and I've caught the bug. I won't be 'collecting' per se but, am in the process of assembling a daily set of mixed and matched white and turquoise pyrex. My darling brother has started for me! He is a lucky duck living near a bunch of dope thrift stores in Pasco County, Florida. You can see his finds and part of my mom's collection on my brother, Stephen's flickr: PyrexScout. He's a total dream pie for gathering pyrex pieces for me. He's scored 6 plates (white with a thin turquoise ring around outter edge) and 2 oval platters (white with a sweet turquoise band around edge with white leaves and pretty detail) for me. Here they are:

I like the idea of being open to mixing and matching. Maybe I'll just keep it to different pyrex as long as its basically white with colour detailing. So after browsing all the lucious pyrex on etsy, I've made up my mind. I am going to mix up white & turquoise/aqua, brown & white AND red pyrex pieces!!!

Here are some pieces that I think might go together nicely for my set:

To go with the ovals plates above.

These ramekins are listed for a song on etsy! & will be adorable with pyrex's woodland pattern!

Aren't these square bowls the bomb?!

Woodland mixing bowls-2 of them as a set.

Love red & turquoise together...these fridge dishes are so useful!

These can be used for a zillion different things.

These plates just to mix in more red.

I can't wait to have a decent looking set of dishes. For being a dish-head, I've survived a year without my beloved Fiesta Ware (at my Mom's house, safe and sound) and have used the motliest crew of lame dishes. Well those days are numbered and I couldn't be happier!!!!!!!

My super power: I disappear when I read!

2011-10-18T07:35:00.028-06:00

I remember very clearly in grade school being assigned my first book report. I can see it all in my mind like an old movie; standing next to my mom at the kitchen table going through Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary together with her telling me what was important about the story. Of course, that's not when I first starting reading and being thouroughly sucked into books like a vacuum. That happened when I was 14 and got Chicken Pox for a 2nd time, lucky right?! It was the middle of a stiffling hot Florida summer and all I wanted to do was escape. That is when I discoverd the ultimate escape for me is reading. I get lost, I go away, I don't exist here, I live in the story. I stayed buried in books* for those miserable two weeks and have since then used books as my true hiding place. It's amazing and am grateful beyond belief that I have reading!

*books I read during my chicken pox summer o' hell: The Stand by Stephen King, The Dead Zone by Stephen King, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, and finally The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher which I have re-read countless times and given as a gift time and time again. It just has to be one of my all time favourite books on earth. It's even my Nana's favourite book and I think my mom's too.

dogs on bikes

2011-10-16T09:16:00.000-06:00

I love noticing patterns, trends and how certain things in life accumulate. Going through a folder of photos in my computer this morning, I found three pictures of dogs on bikes that make me smile.

Love it!!! Little love looks like a Jack Russell Terrier and I'm not surprised! My jrt is a genius!

Poodles are tricky characters. I bet this pal is ready to go without the training wheels!

Looks like another Terrier. What a doll baby!

Coffee? Tea? Yes, Please.

2011-10-15T07:57:00.021-06:00

The offical proof is here! Caffeine is good for you in a plethora of ways. Just look at the photographic proof here of Denise and we'll get to it after this wonderful visual reference. Thanks a mill, Denise!!!!

As Denise shows us the effects of ones morning coffee we can see it sparks her right up and preps her for yet another lovely day. Caffeine is a natural stimulant, most commonly found in coffee, tea, cocoa and kola, that when consumed in reasonable amounts has a positive effect on us humans.

Energy & Stamina
Caffeine is probably used mostly for increasing energy and stamping out drowsy lethargy. It helps us burn more calories when exercising and enables us to exercise even longer. Win win if you ask me.
Mood & Mental Health
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system giving us feelings of alterness, well-being and encourages concentration. It has been said by many psychiatrists that caffeine is a mood elevator; plain as day.
Heart Health & Disease/Ailment Protection
Coffee (not kola) is loaded with anti-oxidants which help in the prevention of heart disease.

GET THIS! Regular coffee drinkers are "significantly" less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Regular moderate intake of Caffeine has been shown to decrease the loss of dopamine producing brain cells. It's the loss of those brain cells that causes Parkinson's disease. Coffee specifically has also been proven to lower the risk of cirrhosis of the liver, colon cancer and gallstones. Caffeine can also help relieve headaches.

As little as 20 mgs of caffeine can cause noticeable physical & mood changes.

Here's a rough-guide showing caffeine content:

An average cup of tea contains around 50 mgs of caffeine.

An average cup of instant coffee contains around 70-100 mgs. Instant decaffeinated coffee contains about 3 mgs.

A 6 oz cup of espresso coffee (much larger than the normal cafe cup, incidentally) contains about 80-90 mgs.

A single-hit cappuccino will contain the same amount.

Filter coffee (called 'drip' in the US) can contain 25-50% more caffeine than instant.

A 340 ml or 12 oz can of regular or diet cola contains between 35 and 45 mgs. of caffeine depending on the brand

Some so-called 'energy drinks' contain very high doses of caffeine - equivalent to to 4+ cups of strong coffee in one dose!

One ounce or 28 grams of chocolate contains about 10-15 mgs .

I've been drinking coffee off and on for more than a couple of decades now and keeping up with a lot of the studies regularly done on caffeine...and I have to say that caffeine intake like everything else is all based upon the individual but, all in all, I really think that 1-2 cups of coffee or tea a day is rather healthful.

guinea pig fever!

2011-10-14T08:09:00.002-06:00

Earlier this year I got my 1st guinea pig, Esme. I'd been pining for one ever since we saw some in Antigua the first month we moved to Guatemala. They had them at my favourite little pet supply shop there with a sign calling them Raton de India! That really cracked me up and was the ultimate kickstart to my love for guinea pigs. Now, I mostly refer to them by their Spanish name: cuyos.

Enid & Esme hiding out on their 1st day in their new home.

Upon bringing Esme home I started reading all about cuyos online. Maybe that's the reverse order that I was supposed to do those two things but, that's how it happened. Pretty soon into my reading I found out that they aren't meant to live alone. In Sweden, by law you have to buy two at a time. So of course there I was back at the market that day to get another one. I chose another girl from the another bunch of pups that were a few weeks older. I was happy to have 2 sweet as pie girl guinea pigs!

Esme & Enid. Their 2nd day together.

It didn't take very long for me to realize that Enid was not a girl but, a BOY! This discovery was much to my delight as I secretly wanted to have a cuyo family. I couldn't be happier to have gotten a boy & a girl. <3.

Grown up Enid. A very handsome Papa cuyo!

In a couple of months Esme was with child, ok, pup. Her pregnancy suited her just fine, she became serene and sweeter than ever. She got huge, I charted her pregnancy on the calendar and she was overdue by 2-3 weeks. She was so big and I just couldn't imagine how many pups she was going to have. Online sources say that the average littler is 5-7 pups! But, alas on June 26th she delivered! Another surprise!! She only have one, not so small, pup. She had him all by herself on a bed of dried corn husks in a house fashioned out of a tipico basket (handles cut off, turned upside down, a little arched door-way cut out and then sunk in the dirt a couple of inches). It was the most dear and darling event to happen in our little backyard courtyard.

1st litter. One pup. Pup-e. 'Baby' 1 day old.

While Esme was in her final month of her pregnancy we separated her from Enid. They were only separated by a chicken wire divide so that they could still keep each other company. Esme could have cared less but, Enid was a little bummed. In the natural Guinea Pig world the females surround the birthing mother and don't let any males near her for a while after she gives birth. Male pigs want to mate the minute the female pig has given birth and it's very unhealthy for the lady pig's body to get pregnant again that fast.

Esme & her 1st pup, Baby, nursing. So sweet.

Baby & Esme munching on some greens.

As soon as it was safe for Esme to be back with Enid we allowed the little family to be together. It was fun and interesting to watch them mingle. Baby hangs with his mom sometimes and with his dad other times.
We knew that it was only a matter of time before Esme & Enid would get some buns in the oven. And we decided to let this happen in high hopes for a little girl cuyo so we could split them up into two groups. Esme is such a docile darling mama pig. Her 2nd pregnancy was shorter and she was larger by a mile. I knew that she had more than one pup in her belly this time. She gave birth in a rainstorm early on the morning of September 18th to 3 little pups; 2 boys and 1 girl on a bed of shredded carrots.

2nd litter. 3 pups. The only girl, she's the smallest.

Rosebud, the little girl.

Esme & her one-day old 2nd litter of 3 pups. One is hidden under her.

Cuyo pups are cool. They are born with all their hair, whiskers, teeth and nails. They can eat solid food from the start and can run the first day they are alive! And if you've never had the pleasure of being friends with a guinea pig you are missing out on some of the coolest animal noises ever! They whistle and squeak and eek...it's too cute! We now have 6 pigs whistling at us! Yay!

oat milk.

2011-10-13T08:36:00.004-06:00

Finally I will no longer be dependent on buying processed Soy Milk*. I mean, I've felt lucky enough as is, just being able to find organic soy milk here! I can't believe I've waited this long to try making my own non-dairy milk.
So, naturally, ever since I decided that I wanted to make my own milk I've been reading every recipe I can find on it. I've considered making rice milk and soy milk but, then I found the simplest recipe ever for oat milk. Oat milk! I hadn't even thought of it! Sounds good, right? I made it and it's delicious!!! We are enjoying it in our tea and coffee and with granola cereal.

Here's what you do:

soak 1 cup of rolled oats in 5 cups of water for 24 hours

blend & strain

>>Shake well before each use<<

THAT'S IT!!! Oh, and keep it in the fridge.

On top of oat milk being easy to make and tasting great...it's on the cheap, big time. What would have cost me over $2 in purchased soy milk, I spent about 25 cents making my own oat milk = happy me.

*We buy very few processed/packaged items here in Guatemala and we love it. The two main things that we are dependent upon that are not only packaged but, are processed and imported to add insult to injury are: olive oil and soy milk.

It's so nice to eliminate at least one of those. I don't see us not buying or using olive oil any time soon. At least not until I own that olive grove of my dreams! Do they have olive groves in Spain? South America any where?

backgammon

2011-10-12T10:42:00.004-06:00

Backgammon is a game I played as a kid and then didn't play for many many moons until this year. My mom gave me an adorable travel set earlier this year that she totally scored on at her local Flea Market, Howard's* for 2 bucks! I can't even begin to say how far that $2 has gone and is going. We play almost everyday and it's so much fun! We one day aspire to figure out and use the doubling cube. Haha!

This game lives on our kitchen table. We play almost everyday. It's so much fun because we are even-steven on skill level and that makes it all a matter of 'luck of the dice'!!

*Howard's Flea Market in Homosassa, Florida is where Mike is from. He was all by himself and that is one of the most precious days of my lives; finding that little guy. What a firey little blessing he is. Talk about a flea market find!

flowers all the time.

2011-10-11T10:41:00.003-06:00

I've finally gotten into the habit of always having fresh flowers in the house. And I've gotten so good with it, I usually have them in more than one room. My favourite places are in the kitchen/eating area and in our main hang-out room that just happens to have a really nice skylight.

Besides it's a blast looking at all the random flowers for sale in the markets. I've gotten such a range so far and there's always a bunch of flowers that I haven't seen before. I love having so much new information in the way of plants, flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables here.

It helps that my darling boyfriend brings home flowers from the market ever-so-often. And lately I've been snipping wild poppies on our walks which has been so nice! I'll def be doing that regularly.

What I am trying to say is that regularly having fresh flowers around the home makes a world of difference!!

mini succulent rock garden

2011-10-10T10:30:00.003-06:00

I've been collecting little snippets of succulents here and there throughout Guatemala and planted the cutest little succulent garden from them. This is such a great outlet for snipping really small little tid bits off plants. It is really hard for me to pass up a fine looking succulent and not pinch a lil nub to take home.

A few months back I did a fun package exchange with a pal in Tampa and I got a nice little bunch of crystals-rocks-gems. Housing them in my little succulent garden that basks in the moonlight and lulls in the sunshine has them super posi charged! I use them to enhance my special powers when needed by plucking the right one and lovingly carrying it around in my pocket. If I could I'd be teeny tiny & hang out in this lil succulent rock garden, I would lounge around in there all the time.

moon over miami

2011-10-09T10:19:00.002-06:00

I just had the pleasure of spending a long weekend in Miami with a decade-long bestie. It was balm for the soul. We went to the Russian Bath House on Miami Beach; a wonderful, wonderful experience.
Miami is such a beautiful city. I am happy that I had the pleasure of living there for 4 years and would live there again for sure! Last weekend I admired the gorgeous Miami sunsets and even found myself staring in awe at the moon over the city every night I was there. It's one of those affairs one has with cities/places and this city has its tethers in me. I just love so very many of the houses and structures there...riding around the Gables is so easy on the eyes and just sends me into endless daydreams....I think Miami is just dreamy.

i love my jack russell. duh.

2011-10-08T10:19:00.000-06:00

My little guy, Mike, is all dog-all day!! He's ready to go, you just say the word (and there are so so many in his vocabulary..it's kind of crazy). No matter what where or when he's balls to the wall!! I wouldn't trade him for anything in the whole wide world. He's my protector, best friend-buddy; my rock.

This is a random afternoon we were taking basket pictures for tipico and for the fun of it as we often do..we put Mike in a basket and there he is barking at some birds flying over! All dog, all day.

amazing worms love mustard

2011-09-13T07:14:00.004-06:00

Isn't this the prettiest worm you've ever seen? It was for me when we found them snarfing on our mustard plants. We tried to keep them alive to see what they would 'grow' into but, they didn't make it.

growing my own spices

2011-09-10T06:34:00.006-06:00

There's nothing like have herbs and spices to cook with! And there's nothing like not having herbs and spices to cook with. While there are many wonderful ingredients to be found in the markets here in Xela....there are a few things that I have grown accustom to cooking with that are not to be found! My solution? Grow them! Mustard seeds are something I incorporated into my cooking while living in Portland, Oregon some years back. I was going to traditional Indian food-themed pot lucks. I discovered a couple of dishes that influenced my cooking still to this day and probably for my ever. One of the dishes I made that had a huge impact on me was Bombay Potatoes. You start the dish by frying a bunch of spices...YUM!

Harvesting mustard seeds is fun but, a wee bit tedious. Thank goodness I've found a huge bag of mustard seeds (the dark ones) in the market...at a pet food stall. They are fed to birds. Who knew? Not me!!! Out of all the plants we had room to grow we only got about 2 tablespoons of mustard. It was a fun project and I've never regretted growing anything!

Mike even loved the plants and helped out, of course he did, he's a very good boy!

fresh herbs....nothing like em.

2011-09-09T18:35:00.004-06:00

There are so very many things that are fresh and amazing about Guatemala; fresh herbs being one of them!

Mind you it's really hard to find fresh Basil and that's a bummer but, this bunch of fresh Cilantro is what you get for Q1 (which is about 1/7 of a dollar). ...you can not beat that!

Fresh herbs are so healthful to eat and now I can easily eat them up with every meal! It's a good thing as you know who would say. Oh! And they are grown organically......sweet!

hydrangea :: life-long favourite

2011-09-08T08:50:00.000-06:00

I grew up with a giant wonderous Hydrangea bush in my Grandmother's yard situated right at a quiet corner of her house. It was always a small place of refuge as a small child sitting under and behind that magnificent flowering goddess of a bush!

I feel so super lucky to have a gorgeous one in our little courtyard!!!

lovey plants from the market

2011-09-07T10:55:00.007-06:00

I ran into these little dears for sale by an even more enchantingly dear lady from Chajul. She dug these plants up out of her garden, nestled them in a leaf secured with another plant fiber and brought them all the way to Xela. I of course could not resist purchasing one of each from her. The grassy plant I'm told will have beautifuly scented white flowers! And I'm a total sucker for succulents. I have to say I love love love the packaging. The cheese I buy at the market comes wrapped in leaves as do a few other things, I think it's rad!

Here's a map (below) showing where Chajul is in realtion to Xela (Quetzaltenango). It's a hellva chicken bus ride, a beautiful one no doubt but, it's a haul! Bless her dear darling heart.

I've never been in love with a peoples or place like I am with the lands and folks in Guatemala...I have immense love for Mayans of their ways and attitudes of life...it's a beautiful thing.

mexican jumping beans!!

2011-09-06T20:16:00.000-06:00

Those three cute little things that look like tiny mummified wooden owls are MEXICAN JUMPING BEANS!!! My boyfriend saw a gal with a box lid of them jumping all around for joy on the street in the market. He knew I would love them and thoughtfully got these for me (3 for Q7).

They do indeed jump all around! It's so much fun to watch the little squirrely things. They aren't beans at all, they are seed pods that have a larvae living in them, supposedly they 'jump'

because the lil larvae is rolling over looking for a cooler place. That's the only reason for them 'jumping' that I can find online as of yet. And I'm sorry but, I'm not buying it! It's cold where I am and those critters can't be hot!

Aren't they cute? (That little clay house is currently one of my favourite things.)

LOOK!! I caught one in action jumping !!

darling little glass bottles.

2011-08-17T15:31:00.003-06:00

I just adore these little glass bottles I found at the market today. I was really happy to stumble on a whole pile of them; it's the only reason I was able to walk away with just five. Rather often I find myself in need of a small brown glass container for a potion or tincture or something I either want to split up to carry a small amount of or something I am making from scratch. They are perfect for traveling & I'll find endless uses for them around the house. Best of all, they are only Q1 a piece!! I'm getting bigger ones next time....like tomorrow.

homemade natural deodorant

2011-08-16T08:41:00.001-06:00

Living in Guatemala has changed me in many ways. And I wasn't about to let these changes (such as not having access to the lovely Weleda products I've been using for years) make me stink so, I had to find a solution and quick! Just kidding about the quickness part but, I am super stoked to have found a super simple solution. I have used and love Weleda Sage spray deodorant for a while now. It's light and airy and effective. I love that it's a simple refreshing herbal spray and I didn't want to compromise by using something un-natural. I won't even talk about stick deodorants...gross!

Well, after a tiny bit of research and thought, Rosemary is really the only fresh herb I could easily find here that I wanted to use. All I did was stuff in a bunch of fresh clean Rosemary in my empty deodorant bottles& fill with quality Vodka. They have been sitting in the dark for a week; I shake them everyday & they already smell really great!!!!

***UPDATE***
I should have removed the Rosemary at about 10 days in or less. It smelt great and was a very effective deodorant. I left the Rosemary in too long and it turned on me. Maybe it's because I used fresh Rosemary instead of dried. Nothing like learning things the hard way!!!!

pickling peppers

2011-08-11T13:24:00.006-06:00

One of the things I miss the absolute most of my home country is simple pepper sauces and Louisiana style hot sauces. I have, after a year, decided to try my hand at making my own. I started with the simple one first. After buying 3 types of varying heated peppers at the market, I consulted my Southern Momma and she gave me the simplest of instructions:
wash peppers
put in jar
boil vinegar
add a little sugar
pour over peppers & cover in jar
put on lid
let sit for 2 weeks & enjoy!!

I can't wait two weeks!!! Wahhhh! They look delicious!

**UPDATE**

The pepper sauce tastes good at 1 week, tastes a million times better after 2 weeks and tastes freaking glorious after 3+ weeks! Tastes exactly like my grandmothers! Woohoo!

pink, wonderful.

2011-08-10T21:56:00.000-06:00

While cooking dinner the kitchen window (our one street window, high up on the inside of our wall but, on the level with traffic outside) lit up intense purple-pink...I couldn't imagine what car was causing that so, I took a peek outside. By the time I grabbed my camera and made it out to the courtyard it was fading fast but, the whole sky was lit up bright rich intense purple and pink...here's the shot I got of the tail end of it. You can even faintly see the moon. It was breath-takingly gorgeous; so happy I saw what I did of it!!!

i love my dog skull!

2011-07-17T20:41:00.001-06:00

Bird's eye view of Xela; the line is the road between Llanos del Pinal & Xela.

Two of my homies/lovies on top of Santa Maria!

Zach & Marcel

Santiaguito...erupts about every 20 minutes!

Zach and Marcel went on a dude hike up Volcan Santa Maria and they brought me a really super cool present. They found an old dog skull up on the side of the Volcan and carefully brought it to me!! It's a favourite prized possesion!!!

Happy Grass

2011-02-20T16:42:00.002-06:00

Yesterday while out 'running' the dogs I decided to pluck up some fresh grass for my Guinea Girls, Esme & Enid. I've never given them straight grass before, they loved it!!

Going into the Basket Business!

2011-02-13T08:35:00.009-06:00

After yet another hiatus, I am jumping back into blogging and etsying. My main motivation? Amazing Guatemalan baskets!! I have been thinking about doing this for well over a year and it's finally high time! Yesterday we traveled to a nearby town where they are made. We wanted to go straight to the source and we did. We found the main basket making family and they were thrilled we were buying a whole bunch of their baskets to sell online. They wished us much luck and hoped to see us back again really soon.

I have big plans for selling these baskets. I hope to get them in some shops around the States and sell them like hot cakes on etsy. Check out the store: http://www.etsy.tipico.com/

This is Basket Queen, Carmen Alicia (she loved that our names were similar). She made me promise to bring her a photograph and I will....I am going to give her one of just her and her baskets but, I am going to frame the one (below) of her and her husband for them!

These baskets are incredible. They have endless uses and are super sturdy! They can really take a lot of harsh use with no sign of wear! I've had some for over a year that I use for all of my heavy market shopping and they look as good as new!

***UPDATE***
We now work with and alongside several families making and selling baskets on etsy in the tipico store. This enables the basket makers (which are all indigenous Maya) to earn more than they are used to. Awesome!

Xela Sunset

2010-10-29T19:03:00.000-06:00

Another gorgeous sunset in Xela. The skies have been mind-blowing pink in the evenings lately, I should take a picture every night and do a series.

Huge chile tree!

2010-10-29T11:02:00.001-06:00

In our not so giant courtyard is a really giant pepper 'bush' (it's more like a tree!). I am not sure what kind of chiles they are. I've cooked with them and eaten them raw and they are muy picante!! The closest I can get to figuring them out is thinking they are: Capsicum Pubescens. A Guatemalan variety perhaps.

birdwatching in our courtyard - wood warbler

2010-10-28T19:17:00.000-06:00

I am so looking forward to all the incredible birds I will see while I live in Central America. The first bird I saw here that really caught my attention is this little yellow wood warbler. I was so amazed the first morning he was flitting all around our courtyard and much to my surprise and pleasure, I see this little dude almost every day now.

Decade Volcano

2010-10-28T13:06:00.001-06:00

View from our 'living room'. I look at Volcan Santa Maria first thing out of bed almost every morning. I've dreamt of volcanoes before I knew what they were, before I could speak. The hardest fight I've ever had to fight, I fought with an amazing view of Mt. St. Helen's and I know for a fact she gave me the strength I needed. What I am trying to say is that I am strongly attracted to Volcanoes.

After moving to Xela and getting settled in our house with a nice view of Volcan Santa Maria and looking reading about her, I discovered she is a Decade Volcano. And interestingly enough, my total bff lives near one too! I have already developed a relationship with Santa Maria who is currently active and has been for most of 2010. I love her.

Resurfacing in a whole new place.

2010-10-26T17:33:00.010-06:00

A lot has changed since my last post except, funny enough, I am still ovenless and happy!(Sounds like a future post to me.) The biggest change is my recent move to Guatemala. I have always wanted to live in another culture. I have been thinking one of the best things about getting older is actually having my dreams come to fruition.

we live in the white house.
after walking the streets of xela for a week looking for a place to live, we moved into another hostel in a different part of town. as we were on the roof of the hostel checking out the view and most certainly spying for a house to rent we set our sights on the white house, after finding it (everything here is behind walls, it's a land of walls and big strong doors-again, a future post) from the street, we found out it was empty, for rent and in our budget. it's home for now.

*another change worth noting is the name of this blog. 'happy in the humidity' was left behind in florida, i was very tempted to go wtih 'happy in the highlands' but, instead decided to stick with a very favourite theme sentence of mine. time is for the birds

ovenless/stoveless and happy!

2010-05-12T14:49:00.006-06:00

Moving into the warehouse spurred us to come up with our very own kitchen. I don't have a stove and didn't choose to have one. My kitchen consists of a large stainless steel sink that drains into a bucket (we water our garden with the water), an electric kettle, an electric wok, an electric grill and a crock pot. This was mostly the set up that just happened and we are super content and happy with it. The wok especially! The funny thing is thinking about standing in the thrift store and inspecting these kitchen 'appliances' and really asking ourselves if we should splurge the six bucks for a wok or a grill. We just love both of them. Every night we steam greens in the wok and almost every day we make our tortillas on the grill. Perfecto!

I rinse our veggies outside and let the water run directly into our garden.

It is so nice to do kitchen tasks outside!

Mike is a fantastic helper!

Huge leaves of Mong Toi.

Lovin' it!

a great summer snack!

2010-05-11T20:53:00.003-06:00

Pineapples are so affordable right now! And they are so refreshing on these super hot Florida days!! We've been buying them whole, last time we were at the bodega they were 2 for $3!! Zach cut them up for us today. We squeezed fresh lime and liberally sprinkled hot red pepper flakes all over the chunks! So sweet and delicious!! Yum!

We took it in the car today for a snack on the way to the thrift store.

Hay Bale Garden Part 4

2010-05-10T12:50:00.005-06:00

There's lots of action in the garden this week! We lost most of our lettuce because we had to leave them while they were way too young for a few days and it's been Africa hot here.

We have baby tomatoes, little collards, tiny lettuces leaves, a mini squash,a happy pineapple plant,

Mike and me in the garden this week!!

Here is a spicy lettuce.

AND...here is our mystery plant revealing itself! Summer Squash!!! Yum!

Collards!!! My personal favourite vegetable!

Mike, almighty garden protector!

Happy little baby tomatoes!

Mike & I enjoying the sunshine and our garden!

Hay Bale Garden WE HAVE SPROUTS Part 3

2010-05-01T10:23:00.000-06:00

I was greeted with sprouts yesterday morning!!

Everything but, the Chinese Celery has sprouted.

The California Spicy Lettuces are in the lead!

Look!!

Hay Bale Garden Part 2

2010-04-29T10:48:00.006-06:00

The bales have been officially 'seasoned' and seeds have been sown!

And the first plant has been planted in a bale. We picked this plant up from our local organic gardening supply, Worm's Way and we aren't sure what kind of a plant it is. Here are the possiblities as we see it: squash of some kind? watermelon? I really think it's a squash.

We still have 3 bales unplanted. Going in one will be Swiss Chard and Cherry Tomatoes in another. The third might be for herbs....we're not sure yet. Oh yeah!! The third bale is for our Hot Peppers: Anaheim, Cayenne, Jalapeno, Santa Fe Grande & Serrano!!

Ha Cha Cha!!

Terrell, A Happy Fish.

2010-04-27T08:07:00.001-06:00

This is my Siamese Fighting Fish, Terrell. I bought him for my desk at work and never took him there. I fell in love with him and come Monday there was no way I was going to take my lovey Terrell to that lame arsed office!!!

I named him after my Great Grandfather. I know he's just a fish but, I had to use that name sometime, it's just too great of a name not to!

Terrell has become quiet the social little fish. He does mad jumping flips when I feed him. Overall, he's a total delight!

Starting a hay bale garden.

2010-04-26T16:45:00.007-06:00

I did the research and decided on making a hay bale garden instead of building a raised bed garden or do a container garden here at the warehouse.

Zach's family gave us 6 bales to start with!! Yay, for awesome familia!!

We are using organic bone meal to speed up the breaking down of the bales which is the first step to creating a hay bale garden.

We'll be ready to plant the seedlings and sow the seeds this weekend!

Mike will accompany us every step of the way! He loves his new job guarding the warehouse and fenced in lot. He's an official lot dog. You can see our little composting sections behind and to the right of the bales. We started those when we first moved in, it's great they had a head start on the garden. It isn't suggested anywhere but, we are going to experiment by having squash and other creepy crawler vegetables grow out of the side of the bales, especially the ends! We'll see how it goes. We are pretty excited about the whole garden.

Here's what we are planting:

Tomatoes

Hot Peppers

Chinese Broccoli

Chinese Celery

Celery

Arugula/Mizuna/Red Mustard/Curly Endive

Collards

Squash

Lettuces

Rape

Swiss Chard

Cherry Tomatoes

Behind the bale garden on the chain link fence we plan on having beans run amock!!! We have our fingers crossed that they'll provide a nice privacy fence for us this summer. We are going to grow these in containers.

platform bed: conquered for free!

2010-04-21T11:00:00.007-06:00

When we moved into the warehouse we tossed the makeshift bed base I had. I thought we would simply leave mattress on the floor...that didn't last. I've been on the hunt for a solution to get the mattress off the floor for weeks. We live a few blocks from Ikea so, naturally I went in search of a reasonably priced one there. I found a few but there was always something about them that did not jive!

Driving around Tampa on an errand Zach and I were driving through little weird back neighbourhood and found this little production shoppe that had a stacks of pallets outside of different sizes and woods. We asked if we could take some and we picked these cute small pallets that are 19" x 26" and incredibly, 9 of them together in a grid, are the exact size of a queen size mattress!!!! They are perfect in everyway & they were free!!!

In wrapping this up, I realized not only did we accomplish this for free. We also recycled something and didn't partake in consumerism, yay!

And they maintained the extreme simplicity that we were both striving for.

a peek at the sidedish shelves

2010-04-20T16:22:00.006-06:00

My little online vintage store, sidedish, has been through yet, another period of neglect. But, I am most happy to say that I have the time, inspiration and perfect space to give sidedish some love! While I may fall out of habit or not have time for sidedish here and there I never fail to collect pieces for sidedish. So, here I am once again with an empty store and an excellent stock of items!

Here are 2 snapshots from the shelves of sidedish.

I can't wait to have hens!

2010-04-20T09:40:00.003-06:00

We've built, well, Zach has built a chicken house...we still haven't built the chicken run and aren't too sure where we want it. We're also holding out until a few more big chores are done to reward ourselves with getting hens! We've decided on Ameraucanas and Copper Black Marans.

This beautiful egg inspires me to hurry up and get some egg laying hens!!

our warehouse has one windowsill

2010-04-19T10:44:00.004-06:00

I have always been a big lover of displaying things in windowsills. Naturally, that's where the best light is! So, having one lone sill makes it center stage for me! This is currently a little snippet from said sill. Those are 2 of my favourite vintage glass pieces and I found that beautiful dried pod on a walk with Mike & Zach.

green!

2010-04-17T18:12:00.001-06:00

speaking of mushrooms.

2010-04-13T08:43:00.002-06:00

Look at these beauties.

mushrooms!!

2010-04-13T07:23:00.002-06:00

I have always loved mushrooms! They are tasty little morsels! I think they are better than any meat in the world....they are so wonderfully fleshy!

While shopping at my new nearby Asian Grocery I found these 'King Oyster' mushrooms. They are amazingly large!!!!!!

I sliced them up and sauted them with baby green bok choy, fresh garlic and sesame oil. Yum!

Industrial Living Part 4-The Roof!

2010-04-12T08:08:00.007-06:00

This project scared me the most. Zach tackled the chore of fixing our leaky roof himself. I was terrified of him going up a straight ladder carrying a 5 gallon bucket of tar. Alas, he did it without a problem.

Even Mike was pretty concerned!! Once Zach went up the ladder and was on the roof, Mike never stopped looking up after him.

That night I woke up around 3 am to rain. And. We didn't have a single leak! Mind you, it wasn't a downpour but it was raining none the less. The 3rd or 4th night we were here, I woke up and it was raining all around us..I grabbed as many buckets and such as I could to harness the leaks. I can only hope they are all gone with Zach's hardwork!

Industrial Living Part 3-The Kitchen

2010-04-09T08:59:00.002-06:00

I call it a kitchen.

It's not home until the Fiestaware

is out and ready for use. I've

cooked a few meals in my

new kitchenso far. Each meal

helps me fine tune the setup.

So far so good! Each meal

has been fun and delicious!

Today for lunch I cooked organic spinach in the wok with little baby tomatoes along with: fresh garlic, onions and sesame oil. It was delicious served over Basmati rice.

I got to wash the spinach outside in the sunshine!

I truly love having a partial outdoor kitchen!

Super happy to have time to juice as often as I like!! Today we had carrot and beet juice.

After we drank our juice I filled our glasses up with water to make use of every last drop of juice. As a result our water had the most beautiful colour to it. This picture shows how nicely the daylight is diffused in our warehouse home.

Industrial Living Part 2

2010-04-08T16:40:00.009-06:00

So, we moved in on March 28th, 4 days early and with 30 minutes notice.

I did the very best I could with such little notice. All of the furniture went first and then after that it was just taking carloads of loose stuff for what seemed like 600 trips. As we've lived here our ideas for how the place have evolved and changed constantly.

For example:

This tub. We love it! Originally we were going to have it on the outside wall of the half bath. And then it got moved to the other side of that space when we moved the kitchen to that wall. Now, we are moving it outside to our covered open air space. And we plan on having a desk somewhat in its place shown above.

Here's the bathroom. The only slightly finished space. But, compare it to the pictures below!

Industrial Living Part 1

2010-03-22T05:22:00.010-06:00

I have been daydreaming of living in commerical space for ages!

And finally I get to conquer the challenge of making it happen!

One weekend afternoon Zach and I were driving around the Heavy Industrial neighbourhood by Palmetto Beach and came across a ugly little building on a corner with a big fenced in lot area with a for rent sign in the front of it. I immeadiately stopped the car and as I took it in, I said, I love this place, we should try and rent it and live here!

It took us over a week to get in touch with anyone about renting it. We found out they were asking $700 a month. Upon seeing the space we saw how much work it really needs (especially for it to be our house) and we worked it out that we will pay $500 a month and fix the place up!

When you walk in the front door you enter the first of 2 big rooms. It is a big open room with 13' ceilings. The only thing in the room is the crudest 1/2 bath and a gross utility sink laying on the floor on an outside of the ugly bathroom build out.

The adjustments we are going to make to the above picture are: finish painting the interior walls white, make the bathroom door open out instead of in, put a free standing tub where the utility sink is, paint the floors (the colour is going to be one of many surprises!) and put a kitchen on the right side of the far wall below.

There is so much to do and I am so excited about all of it, it's hard to sit still most of the time!

So very much more to come....

Calcium! Get it in you!!

2010-03-07T08:06:00.006-06:00

I am supposed to have a ton of calcium a day. I am sure most people especially women are. I am not good at remembering to take a calcium supplement and am picky as all get about supplements anyway. It just seems much more legit to eat calicum rich foods. I think my body will recognize a food and know what to do with it as opposed to a calcium supplement! AND...not to mention dairy products most especially milk mostly suck (see my link for mucho information on the subject!)

Here are some really good tips for eating calcium rich food from Dr. Weil!!

Don't like milk - or can't digest it properly? You aren't alone. The good news is there are plenty of non-dairy foods that provide calcium:

Calcium-fortified beverages. Orange juice and soymilk are good choices. Read the labels to see how much calcium is in each serving, and how big the serving size is, as well as how much one serving contributes to your total daily percentage of calcium. Look for products containing calcium citrate and malate, which may be better absorbed than tricalcium phosphate and calcium lactate. A six-oz serving of calcium-fortified orange juice usually provides about 20 to 25 percent of your daily value (DV); an eight-oz serving of soymilk contains anywhere from eight to 50 percent of your DV, depending on the brand.
Cooked greens. Turnip greens, kale, and spinach are just a few examples of natural sources of calcium from the greens family. A half-cup of cooked spinach contains about 12 percent of your DV of calcium, one cup of cooked kale has nine percent, and a half-cup of boiled turnip greens offers 10 percent.
Canned salmon with bones. The bones of this fish are softened in the canning process, making them edible—and an excellent source of calcium. You'll get a whopping 18 percent of your DV of calcium from three ounces of canned salmon (including bones). Choose canned salmon from sources in the wild (not farmed).
Broccoli. When eaten raw, you'll get two percent of your DV of calcium from a half-cup of this versatile vegetable.
Tofu. Read the package label to make sure calcium was used in its preparation. If so, a half-cup of firm tofu typically contains 20 percent of your DV, while the same amount of soft tofu provides 14 percent.

You may want to consider adding a balanced calcium-magnesium supplement to fill in any dietary gaps, as well (Dr. Weil suggests women take a supplement with 500-700 mg daily, for a total daily intake of 1,000-1,200 mg from all sources, while men should get no more than 500-600 mg daily from all sources, and probably do not need to supplement.)
For additional calcium intake without the dairy, use molasses and sesame seeds-simply add them to your favorite recipes for a healthy calcium boost.

I by no means claim to be vegan but, I am not a fan or consumer of typical bovine products!!

Helsinki Please

2010-02-28T17:09:00.002-06:00

I've been giving some good thought to visiting Helsinki, Finland.

Home of some damn good design!

new like: papaya!

2010-01-14T06:49:00.003-06:00

I've never like papaya, whether it be fresh, juiced or in a dish of any kind. It's mainly always been the smell which, consequently is exactly how it tastes! Well, I think the main reason I've never liked it is that I never knew how to property eat it!! Now I love it! All it takes is: squeeze some fresh lime juice on it and a little sprinkle of sea salt, viola!!! A delicious and very nutritious fruit!

The papaya is a big fruit, which is a good thing. I cut it up and put it in a container in the fridge to use mostly for my breakfasts but, it also makes a great snack!

PS-Check out that rad container. Love it!!!

guate rigs rule!

2010-01-13T07:10:00.002-06:00

Let me just start by saying that it is a crying shame that I only captured 2 of the many amazing rigs I saw in Guatemala. It's not surprising there are these fantastic genius rigs everywhere you look. Everywhere your eye lands in Guate you see handicrafts and handmade stuffs galoure! It's just a dreamland for critters like me.

I think the use of this bottle is pure genius as a drainage spout!!

Whoa!! One of those big ol' rectangle plastic water bottles as a lamp shade! SWEET!

I love Guatemala and will be going back asap.

i love you. i love you too.

2010-01-12T11:02:00.002-06:00

I am the first one out of the house in the mornings and I get a big kick out of leaving little notes and stuff for my Boo. Last week I was in a hurry & jotted those 3 little famous words on the papertowels...

......and this is what I came home to! So cute and we used the papertowel so, really, it was a very eco friendly notepad after all.

a special sorry package

2010-01-11T08:56:00.002-06:00

Very recently my honey bunny and I spent the night at one of his besties house for the night. We had to use his truck for an errand whilst we were there. Once we got home (about a 2 hour drive) low and behold, we realized we had the bestie's truck keys, whoops!! So we packaged them up quick in a priority mailing envelope and seeing as how it was a flat rate envelope we decided to make him a super special sorry package! One of the first things we made for it was a buch of jalapeno peppers with little labels on them that said SORRY!. We thought we were just so clever and so funny and we just knew we were going to get the best reaction. We did not. Look at our SORRY! peppers....aren't they just the cutest sorry things you've seen?!?!?

my very own little pila from guate.

2010-01-11T06:28:00.002-06:00

I just plain fell head over heels in love with the pilas in Guatemala! We found this little clay pila in Santiago on Lake Atilian and it's the only time we saw them at all. I am so happy I acquired it! I use it by my kitchen sink to hold my rings while washing dishes. Super cute!!!

two weeks sans coffee.

2010-01-10T11:26:00.003-06:00

wow! it's been two weeks since i stopped drinking coffee. the first week i didn't notice much of a difference. 1/2 way through the second week and i started feeling rather different. i've only been slightly tempted to have a cup of coffee but, strangely enough both times have been in the afternoon & evening; not in the morning as i would have suspected. all in all, i think ditching coffee for tea is going to be a great thing!!!

*my first step was to remove the coffee maker from my kitchen. i did this once i had used up all my coffee (waste not, want not). the second step of my master 'forget about coffee' plan was to set up a conveinent tea 'station' in my kitchen (pictured here). a very important componet for me was to have an electric stainless steel kettle....it's a dream!! boiling water in a minute! tea of choice lately is: organic english breakfast tea. no cream. no sugar.

2010: a year of healthy choices for me!

a walk around my block

2010-01-09T22:34:00.007-06:00

Sometimes a very simple walk around the block you live on can be so inspiring (espcially with camera in hand) and pretty relaxing. On this day as we stepped outside there was a flock of birds fluttering by. Leisurely walks are one of the healthiest things you can do!!!

The block we live on is split by an alley, as are all of the blocks in the neighbourhood. Mike & I walk the alleys more than the streets. This is the alley right behind our casita and the start of all our walks. The red fence is ours.

Beautiful citrus! I hope our recent cold weather didn't hurt the fruits!

One very gorgeous set of mouldy coloured stairs.

showers in guatemala

2010-01-08T07:06:00.007-06:00

I can only assume the showers in Guatemala are Italian because of the Italian writing on them. They are weird. I mean you get shocked once in a while when you adjust the water flow (unless someone was really super smart and put a rubber coated knob thingy in the shower). I quickly got used to it and would only adust the water with a cloth unless I was standing out of the shower, ie: not in a puddle of water just asking to be shocked!

At first I was a little leary of these showers but, I soon grew to love them! They are electric (obviously, right) and the hot water is generated right there in that big ol' weird showerhead....which means...as much hot water as you want. Now. The water pressure wasn't all that fantastic but, it wasn't any worse than at my Tampa Casita so, all in all, Guate showers win over Tampa showers! When do I get to go back??

Let's talk about the wall colour in the above 2 photos....nice!

As you can see here in this shower...the handle has a rubber sheath on it....there were no shocks in this shower. I really wish I would have taken a picture of every shower I was in there. Each one was so very different. One of the many aspects of Guate that I find so endearing.

Look for a Guate ghetto rigging blog soon!

local tampa bay area craigslist scores

2010-01-07T16:11:00.004-06:00

super cute cherry red chairs...they're only 25 bucks!

holy moly!! i want this headboard too bad it's a king size..ONLY 50 BUCKS!!!!

this dresser has potential out the wahzoo! $150

super nice birdcage!! (need) 70 bones!

I wish I had reason to aquire some new furniture or fun stuffs to redo or whatever.
I have finally made peace with the fact that I have plenty of 'stuff'!!
And with that being said, I am organizing and utilizing what I do have.
Finally!

i wanna have a ladies dinner party!

2010-01-04T07:06:00.000-06:00

And this...is pure inspiration!!!!!!

the amazing pila of guatemala

2010-01-03T09:58:00.008-06:00

This is a large pila for a big household, typically found in the old colonial houses. There are 3 stations to wash and 2 separate basins for holding the clean water for use.

This pila was in the Don Quixote Hotel we stayed in. I alwasy woke up to the sound of the the basins being filled.

This is the typical pila you see in homes. Actually they are outside of the home. So a typical Guatemala kitchen does not have a sink in it. It's rather amazing at the ingenuity of this country and its people. Things are functional, purposeful and extremely practical. I was impressed, awed and just smitten!

Another classic example of the outdoor pila. The are most often seen in shades of blue and aquamarine. You'll see the occasional yellow or red one. These pilas are set up to hold water in the middle section with two side sections for different purposes. The left section generally has grooves cut into the floor of it for washing clothes and the right section is used more for washing/drying dishes.

Once again, an outdoor pila. This is the most handsome colour if you ask me, the red ones (though I didn't get a picture of one) are rather dapper too! I aspire to one day have a pila of my own. I think they are just the most functional thing ever, super economical and they just make sense to me! Seeing Guatemala households and how the function really get me thnking differently.

I had the pleasure of traveling to Guatemala in December 2009. What an amazing trip. I've always been fascinated with seeing how other cultures live. I was just pleased and amazed with how genius Guatemalans truly are. They use everything around them. Every where you look you see something created out of nothing that is most functional! Seeing inside the households and how they are run interested me to no end. I fell completely in love with their 'pila' that I've featured in this post. I am playing with the idea of putting together a book on the pila!!

Meg of Nest's Nest.

2009-12-08T08:08:00.000-06:00

Just a super quick peak at one wall in Meg's more than delightful home!

I had the pleasure of visiting with the Coles the beginning of Dec. It's always fun to see what Meg has done with their Nest, I don't think things stay the same very much in that household (as far as decor goes...it's eye candy galoure!) This wall was above their dining room table. It is simple as can be but, freaking great!!! Just love it!

a freebie from the thrift store

2009-11-27T18:44:00.000-06:00

This beauty was given to me for free as I was admiring her in a thrift store....the owner of the shoppe was by me and said if you like that junk you can have it! After I gasped at that comment, I was all, ok! Even though I noticed that one of her hands was broken off I really wanted to keep her and put her somewhere nice. So, here she is in a plant in front of my casita!

a sweet & simple birthday

2009-11-19T19:55:00.007-06:00

This year for my birthday my wishes were simple: to sleep in and to go for a nice walk through the woods with my Boo and dog, Mike. All wishes came true! AND....as we strolled along the boardwalk at one of my favourite Tampa parks (Lettuce Lake Park) we noticed lots of very large amazing empty snail shells laying around. My very sweet Boo took off his shoes and socks and jumped down in the muck to collect this basket of beauties now dubbed: my birthday snails!

I have big plans for these shells too! I'll keep it a surprise and post when they come to fruition. Can't wait!!

***UPDATE***

It's almost 2 years later and I've moved a few times and out of the country on top of that! I still have a few of those snail shells and I tresure them dearly! <3!

Sunny Park Day in Seattle

2009-03-08T08:06:00.011-06:00

If you look very closely, across the pond to the right up near the tree line you can see a wooden sign thingy. Well, we had the bright idea to take a 'timer' photo of us. Todd was put on duty!

Below is our first attempt and the 2nd photo is our successful one! (Erin and I counted down the 10 seconds out loud! I love how chill hanging out we look!!!)

What a perfect park day!!

And they say it's always crappy & overcast in Seattle. Pssshaw!

new haircut

2009-03-04T08:56:00.000-06:00

I held out to get a haircut in Portland at Bishop's!

When it's straight, it's very David Bowie....I've been walking around saying, 'Hi, I'm David Bowie from the 70's!'. Bishop's is such a neato place...they give you free beer (High Life) while you're there getting your stuffs done! Love that!!!!!

Road Trip-Seattle or Bust #1

2009-02-26T10:46:00.007-06:00

We are finally all prepped and ready to head out on our adventure across our great big country!

We made it out of the Carolinas!

Our first spotting of ice! Yikes.

We stopped in Nashville for the night. Super cool town! Found some good eats!

Erin was feeling a wee bit camera shy after being on the road all day.

On the road w/out a bottle opener!

2009-02-26T10:06:00.001-06:00

Here we are! Erin & Alison stuck in a hotel room in Rapid City, South Dakota with beer & no bottle opener! We figured it out and thought we'd share it with the world! Check it!

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

treehouse

2009-02-22T14:59:00.003-06:00

This darling tree house is home to Dawn DeDeaux. It is on Fish River a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico in coastal Alabama.

For about 5 years now I have had the dream to live in a tree house, preferably on the water or near running water in the tropics. I would like for my tree house to be self sufficient and very eco friendly. I would like to collect my own rain water and generate my own electricity.

Santiago Bay!

2009-02-19T19:37:00.001-06:00

This is one of those pictures that just took my breath away!

AND...I can't stop thinking about it.

It's officially on the list of places I need to visit.

An Adventure:

2009-02-18T18:23:00.007-06:00

I am flying up to Charlotte, North Carolina to Erin's.

Lucky Duck Erin got a new job in Seattle!

We will be packing up all of her big stuffs and having it moved. (Thank goodness!)

Then we will pack ourselves in her cute little car and drive to Seattle!

I am just so looking forward to spending a big ol' chunk of time hanging out with Erin!

Trés hookery awesomeness!

Pretty much going from one corner to the other and back.

I can't help but, to think of all the killer thrift stores along the way. Hmmm...

cool hotel rooms

2009-02-18T07:38:00.000-06:00

The White Hotel-Brussels

Floroom, Florence

Brussels

The Hotel Royalton-NYC

White Tiger Forest Lodge-Bandhav, India

Hotel Zorzis-Perissa

Cap Juluca-Anguilla

Armada Hotel-Istanbul

random pretty rooms in the whitehouse

2009-02-17T07:30:00.000-06:00

The Green Room 1946

State Dining Room

State Dining Room....oh, it's just the prettiest!

The White House China Room.

flora

2009-02-17T06:19:00.004-06:00

I love plants. I have quite a few, nothing out of hand. It's interesting though, most of my favourite plants are plants that my Grandmothers had. My Orange Grove Granny always had a 'Lipstick' plant on her front porch & lots of Christmas Cacti. My other Granny had Staghorns, Rabbits Foot and a big Hydrangea bush [she would toy with the colour of the blooms by putting different acidic things around the base of the bush!].

Here are pictures of my Stag!

I love my Stag and hope it grows to be gigantic like my neighbour, Beverly's! Her biggest one is bigger than my Volkswagen, seriously. And she has two others that are almost as big that have 'broken off' of her main plant and then a few other ones ranging in size. She waters hers and throws overripe bananas in the top for food! It must be really good for them because she has the biggest most gorgeous Stags I've ever seen and being from the South, I've seen my share of them!
Last summer I was in Beverly's backyard one day chit chatting as she was watering her plants and as she squirted the hose into the top of her Mama Stag a whole family of possums cam tumbling out!!! That's how big it is! AND.....that's what had been driving my dogs bonkers the previous week!

holy hobbit holes!!!

2009-02-16T06:44:00.001-06:00

As I was cruising around the internet drooling and dreaming over tree houses I ran across Hobbit Holes and now I have a whole new vision of having a tree house and a hobbit hole or two on the same property! Oh, the daydream soars high! Look at these! I am speechless.

I also notice they have a staghorn hanging (like me!) and have some big ol' mushrooms too!!!

white rooms

2009-02-15T08:28:00.001-06:00

This one takes the cake for me! I extra love it.

I've dreamt of a white room for a long time now. I wonder if I'll have one soon?

A Great Card! (a before & after post!)

2009-02-15T04:34:00.000-06:00

I got this cute card in the mail from Mlle Erin! And with one little adjustment, it is perf! Now that I look at it and think about it, there might be 2 more changes!

John is loved...even at the corner bodega!

2009-02-14T14:00:00.006-06:00

John, is in another food groove! He'll pick one thing and eat the mess out of it for a long time until he moves onto his next food trend!

As of late, his favourite food of choice is biscuits & gravy from the corner store here in our neighborhood, (I'm stuck on calling it a bodega! Their speciality is Cuban sandwiches.) Forest Hills. The crew working there says, 'I know which one you are', most days when he calls in his order. Funny! Look what they wrote on his breakfast container today!!! He's loved!

Valentine's Day 1974

2009-02-14T06:36:00.001-06:00

Valentine's Day (my first real one).

I wish I still had this stuffed animal, wait, I think I'd rather have that chair!