what's in my hand

Some leftovers from May! With the lengthening days I've been going for longer walks around the neighborhood; on many of these walks I've encountered bountiful mulberry trees laden with their juicy black fruit, and handful after sneaky handful I usually walk away with stained fingertips, berry-stained mouth, and a happy belly.

On one of these walks a few weeks ago I made this tiny posy as I turned a corner of a big old house on a big hill. Delicate daisies and sweet, heady jasmine, accompanied by a purply foxtail grass of some sort. The jasmine lasted the longest and filled my days with its beautiful scent - I'll remember that week of falling asleep to and waking up with jasmine filling my nostrils for years to come.

 

This is an old negative I found in a crazy messed-up house that I was surveying and drawing up for work on the side. Picture mid-century hoarders occupying a 1,300 square foot house for I don't even know how many years. I wish I had seen it in all its pack-rat glory (not really), but I saw (and smelled) the remnants and dang that was nasty.

Opium poppies. So many of these were slashed and oozing their sap that contains said opiates that I was a little suspicious. Totally beautiful still, whether it's the pods or the silky red dress-looking blooms.

Middle of the week, I still have lots to say. At a later time though. Happy Wednesday!

beginners

white rides - newly acquired vintage Schwinn | the CRX

I believe I'll be making cilantro limeade all summer...spiked(?!) and as is.

My lunch on 4/20 coincidentally came out to exactly $4.20, hur hurr.

A heart-shaped spot of water | the tiny predator

A coworker's tattoo that she revealed to me on a day my spirits were low.

Scilla peruviana and these green-eyed white mums that I have a strange attraction to.

A foamy latte (the bubbles should be finer) and my password scrawled hastily by a coworker at the office, sum up Monday and Tuesday.

them: who did you kill?! me: they were asking for it!

It's just red paint!

I spent my lunch hour spray painting 40-odd stools (maybe it was more like 20-25) with a stencil that I hand-cut because I was too stubborn/prideful/lazy to get it laser-cut. Apparently I've never heard of gloves either because by the time I was finished with my task I realized I probably should have covered up my hands. My friends in studio were laughing so hard at me they said I had to take pictures of my 'red-gloved'/gory/'Dexter-esque' hand. I only do this a few times a year but I need to carry a box of latex gloves with me because I get into all sorts of messy shenanigans. Just keeping it weird!

busy as a hobbit

Friday was nice because I stayed away from the computer and got lots done instead! In the morning I got a really quick bite to eat with my mom at a local cafe - snarfed a blueberry muffin and with coffee in hand (still sleepy) walked the dogs from Sweet & Savory to the park. We walked several rounds there, and met another dog named Max, who might have been part Westie, then another pair of dogs named Callie and Copper. I've been trying to make our dogs more social, because as much as they love humans they sometimes get snappish with other canines. It's rude and a little embarrassing to have your dogs bark their heads off at another one because they think they're protecting you. Cute kind of, but in the long run it's a red flag that the dogs need to get socialized.

My mom met me back at the park once she was done with her morning errand, and we went back and shared some French toast. I joked that we're like hobbits for having 'second breakfast' and the theme stuck for the weekend! The day ended with us piling the dogs in the car and getting my sister from LAX, which was stressful and hectic. Worked at 5 this morning and doing the same tomorrow... so good night!

happy wednesday!

Today I walked the dogs to the park and talked to an elderly couple with a black pug named Lucy! It seems like every time I go to the park I end up talking to much older people... probably because all the younger people are asleep or at work. I like talking to old people though, or rather listening to their stories. It's such a treasure to listen to them reminisce, and for some reason they tell stories so well! I know I'm making sweeping generalizations here, but honestly almost every old person I've spoken to in the past few months is so animated and wonderful that I can't help but think it's a generational thing. Anyway... after my mom's first morning class she stopped by at home and made smoothies, which were absolutely delicious. Then I tidied my room and sorted out items to donate to the Salvation Army. I spent the rest of the afternoon doodling and sketching before taking myself to the dentist, then upon returning my mom handed me a handful of roasted almonds covered in cinnamon and sugar that one of the students' moms had given to my mom. I watched my mom play with one of my dogs in the last sunlight of the day before going inside to help prepare dinner. Work at 5:30 tomorrow morning, yay! Feels nice to mix things up...

keeping cool

I wore these hand-woven, pantaloons-shorts all day yesterday as I worked on my quilt yesterday and romped around in the yard in the evening. The Queen Anne's lace is flourishing in the front yard and I spent some time admiring it even though the heat was unforgiving as the afternoon melted into evening. I went back inside to sew, but then found distraction again in the vintage Ball Mason half-pint jar I found at the Salvation Army earlier that day. At $0.89 I could not resist. Today I worked from 5-12 and then went swimming with my sister! With a pool you can conquer the summertime heat.

all things go

1. "Sure, if you re-paint it it'll last longer, but then it lacks a certain charm."
2. Work injuries. No big deal, but I somehow have one on my face too.
3. Thrifted belts snagged for $0.75, $3.75, $0.75.
4. I've always been obsessed with giant leaves and my sister always finds the best ones!
5. Started collecting the stickers off of fruit again, but years past have yielded better designs.

Life always shifts dramatically after mundane spells which makes is so worth living! Blissful obliviousness to sports madness (first with basketball and now with 'football'), voice-chatting with friend studying abroad in asia, postcards, thrift-shopping with mom, hanging out with boyfriend's family & then some, quilting, reading & then not biking nor swimming (both ending soon), flaking on hangouts but making up for and following through afterward, hiking, and finding inspiration in anything and everything makes for a glorious introduction to summer.

hailstones

There was a great big storm today, and it raged for maybe an hour, with thunder crashing, lightning flashing and rain driving in all directions, as well as a smattering of hailstones, which I was able to snap a few of on my back porch. It was all very heavy and intense.

It was probably the storm then, that drained me of my energy and nudged me into an off-color sort of day. I went into a bit of a forced seclusion, staying up in my room tidying up, rearranging items, arranging stacks of books to read, doodling & planning the rest of my week and weekend. My two dogs, having nothing better to do, came up and made themselves comfortable on my bed and we spent a relatively quiet day together. Going into my second month of a break from school has made me creative in thinking up ways to stay busy without a job, but I will be starting work on Thursday, finally! So the days I have to myself will soon become something to look forward to again. Change is good and welcomed.

mmm books...

I've read maybe ten out of all the titles shown.

I spent Sunday morning perusing books & such with Tommy after an interesting (but still delicious!) breakfast at Swingers. The angles of these shots are strange because I'm still getting used to shooting with the new 50mm prime lens I got. No more luxury of zoom, haha. I also had a mini-spree at Hennessey & Ingalls and came home with a new chunk of architecture books to read/devour/add to my bookshelf. I hope it rains HARD tomorrow so I can spend all day reading miles of other peoples' thoughts, analyses, opinions and stories.

Also I had a headache all day until I started typing this out, I guess I found my release for today.