Christmas morning snapshots
Here are a few of my favorite present-opening snapshots.
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On the Needles
Very cool handbag knit using Banana Silk in Rangi Changi. 90% complete.
A funky vest to be worn over a sheer white top knit using Tahki Cotton Classic in Blue Slate. Top-down pattern in the round by the venerable Knit & Tonic. 70% complete.
Short-sleeved sweater by the lovely Amelia Raitte. I've only just swatched using Jo Sharp Soho Cotton in Thyme.
Photo Albums
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Photography
January 08, 2007
November 14, 2006
Briefly beachy
Ella and I snuck away for a jaunt on the beach yesterday afternoon. We didn't bring our bathing suits or towels or sand toys. Hell, we weren't even wearing shorts. But, it had sand and waves and crabs, and we had an hour of fun in the afternoon sun. Here are a few pictures.
November 01, 2006
Bye-Bye Kitty
Ella has a fascination with all things co-branded--what child doesn't, I suppose, and I she keeps telling me that this or that is her "Barbie" toy or her "Princess" t-shirt or her "Hello Kitty" jammies. It drives me nuts, and I'm sure that's one of the main reasons she persists. I could rant on this topic ad nauseum, but I don't have time right now.
Anyway, when asked what she wanted to be for Halloween, Ella immediately bellowed, "Hello Kitty!" So sick of the constant talk of popular girl brands, I blurted out, "What about if you're Bye-Bye Kitty instead?" Seeming perfectly satisfied with that little play on words, she took it a step further and said, "Okay, I'll be Bye-Bye Ricker." Ricker, aka Rickie Lee and Rick, was our siamese cat who died last year.
So off we went to the fabric store in search of something in the sealpoint variety, yeah right, and we ended up getting some black minky fur that had us both purring in the aisles of bolts. Little did I know...
Whatever you do, don't ever sew anything with fur fabric. It's a lint nightmare. I had it in my nose, my eyes, my mouth. The only good thing about this project, which I did entirely without a pattern (as is evidenced by the neckline), was that I learned a lot about my new sewing machine. (More on the sewing maching another time) Closed overlock, gathering, different trinkets and accessories galore. It was pretty fun. And all in all, she made a very cute kitty:
October 30, 2006
On our own
I haven't been taking nearly as many pictures as I'd like lately, but I did manage to shoot a few on some recent 'quality time' outings with Ella.
July 14, 2006
Summer concert photos
Ahhhh, I finally found my camera battery recharger. It was buried in a box in a tub full of things Matt didn't deem worthy of unpacking, and I've been going nuts without my camera for weeks.
Here are a few of us at the concert in the park last night.
Recently Rented
Across the Universe
There's something so satisfying about watching some of your all time favorite songs fictionalized on film. Normally I'm not a big fan of musicals, but for too many reasons to count, this one rocked! (*****)No End in Sight
The list of very prominent insiders who agreed to be interviewed in this exposé on the US failure in Iraq is, in a word, staggering. I was left feeling like someone had just been slapping me across the face for an hour and a half. You know, in a good way. (*****)Michael Clayton
Who doesn't love layered characters and a tense, gripping plot? Tilda Swinton's performance really knocked my socks off—all that lonely psyching herself up and the moment of her final realizations. Wow. (****)Gone Baby Gone
It's extremely rare that a movie make me contemplate my own morality to the point where I'm still hashing it out weeks later. Such a complex tale with overlapping story lines and intense emotions—3 cheers for Ben Affleck (and his wonderful cast) for totally pulling it off! Can't wait to see what he directs next time around. (*****)The Business of Being Born
As much as I wanted to love this documentary (such a passionate subject for me), I only just liked it, a lot. I wished it could have been more profound, made its point more absolutely and been a lot less NYC elitish. Classic case of my hopes being sky high. It was good. Watch it. (****)Into the Wild
Profound, inspiring and beautifully acted, this movie about making the most of our humanity is both uplifting and sentimental. Emile Hirsch bowled me over again and again. Loved Eddie Vedder's soundtrack too. (*****)Eagle vs. Shark
Jemaine Clement, of Flight of the Conchords fame, is brilliantly despicable in this black romantic comedy from New Zealand. But as his lovesick girlfriend (sweet Loren Horsley) slowly learns more about why he's such a schmuck, you can't help but smile, cringe and wish them well. (****)Waitress
Such a sweet, deadpan, non-cliché fairytale with the ever-adorable Keri Russell, not to mention Nathan Fillion, who is pure perction as her OB/GYN lover. I found it refreshing to see a pregnant character struggling to connect with her baby and accept what the future has in store. (****)The Lives of Others
Edge-of-your-seat and elegantly told film about a patriotic man in East Germany whose blinders are slowly removed as he is forced to choose between his convictions and condemning an honorable man. (*****)The Fountain
Love stories don't work without chemistry, and Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz totally have it, in abundance. Watch it because it's beautiful. Watch it because it's trippy. Or hell, watch it for the most seductive, sensual sex scenes in recent memory. (*****)
On my nightstand
- Michael Pollan: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
After a long library wait, I finally have this in my hot little hands, but now I'm having trouble actually picking it up. The first chapter leads me to believe this one isn't necessarily going to teach me anything I don't already know. - Laura Lippman: What the Dead Know: A Novel
I felt shockingly undisturbed by this story of an infertile couple who loose their adopted teenage daughters to a kidnapper. The frequent time and perspective jumps didn't seem confusing some much as convoluted, and I'm always irritated when I figure out the big twist a chapter before it's revealed. (***) Al Gore: The Assault on Reason
I don't usually find non-fiction books about politics to be page-turners, but this one has me on the edge. Deftly balances democratic ideals with the problems we face as modern-day, plugged-in Americans. (****)Barbara Kingsolver: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
Inspiring, intelligent and passionate. I haven't read a Kingsolver book I didn't love, but she takes it to another level for me with this memoir of a year spent feeding her family with local and homegrown food. I'm already dreaming of an expanded garden this summer. (*****)T.C. Boyle: Talk Talk
Read this entire book in one blissful, hangover-induced stupor. I love the varied points of view of T.C. Boyle's novels. An identity thief, a deaf woman and a special effects artist--those are some pretty interesting perspectives... (****)Randine Lewis: The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies
Love her descriptions of how Chinese medical doctors view the body and health. She gives me hope. (****)Angela C. Wu: Fertility Wisdom: How Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help Overcome Infertility
Dr. Wu practices in San Francisco, and after reading most of this book, I'm very tempted to go see her. Her recommendations are so counter-western-intuitive, but her written explanations make me hopeful. (****)Kazuo Ishiguro: When We Were Orphans
I've been trying to read this for years, but I'm finally past the 100 page hump. So, it's looking like I might actually finish it this time. (***)T.C. Boyle: The Inner Circle
A riveting fictional account of sex scientist Alfred Kinsey and his apostles. Such a page turner. I always find myself drawn to Boyle's naïve characters, probably because they're so believable. (*****)Michael Pollan: The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Intricately blends history and politics and our modern food woes. Loving every word of this very important work. (*****)
Listening to
Feist: Let It Die
Lovin' her. She walks a line between the emotional and tongue-in-cheek. Her BeeGee's cover, Inside & Out, is so, so fun. (*****)Amy Winehouse: Back to Black
So reminiscent of Dinah Washington and Barbara Lewis. Watch her acoustic sessions on youtube. There's no denying she's something special. I hope she gets her life together because I think she's a special talent. (****)Feist: The Reminder
Embarrassing that it took an ad on the Apple website to turn me on to this amazing force. I am so smitten with her I can hardly stand it. (*****)Lucinda Williams: West
Haunting.Tori Amos: American Doll Posse
I'm embarrassed to admit that my 5 year old knows a lot of the words.Wilco: Sky Blue Sky
Hate it Here—brilliant!Half the Perfect World
Boozy with romance. (****)Modern Times
Cannot get enough of this blues-y album. (*****)
