July 23, 2008 Good friends, good times.

Posting photos from my trip to Chicago last, last weekend. Lent Joy a hand photographing another wedding. Unlike my last trip to Chi-town, which was only a month ago, this trip was super short - only 36 hours! But I’ll take a short trip any day if it means hanging out with good friends. Seriously, there’s nothing quite like spending time with friends to make one’s summer a blast.

Sahrie picked me up from the airport and I spent Friday night at her place. Glad to see her and MJ! Saturday morning, we headed out to meet Joy for a day of beautifying and shopping. Girlfriend time is fun.

Stopped by a restaurant for some grub. While there, I had to watch my beloved SF Giants lose to the Chicago Cubs. Boo.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I got a super cute haircut while I was there! It’s short and piece-y and reminds me of a cut I used to sport in the 5th grade. Ha! So to commemorate the occasion, we played Rihanna in the car.

Trekked it over to Joy’s place to spend the rest of my trip with her family. The last time I was there, I totally forgot to take a photo of her house rules. This time I made sure it was the first thing I did.

The last time I stayed over, little Rocket was only just crawling around. And in the short time since, he’s become a walking demon. Rocket, indeed. Glad to catch this shot of him when he was actually sitting still.

Had the pleasure of taking these family photos of the Uzarraga clan. They are a beautiful family. So happy to spend some time with them.

CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER
For the fantabulous Kelly Purkey. Who is now a Garden Girl. Who is a girl I love with all my heart. Sincerely and truly and so damn happy she’s on the team!

Congrats, KP!

July 20, 2008 Cupcake psychology.

My cupcake is trying to tell me something, I swear it is. It’s either happy with me or aghast at something I’ve done. If you figure out which one, please let me know.

July 18, 2008 Grace’s Love List - 7/18

And I’m back! Missed you all. And now on with the list.

• Horacio Salinas does some pretty awesome work. I enjoy how he takes everyday items and transforms them into something completely new. Good art. Good art is meant to do exactly this.
• Okay, my chalkboard fetish is getting out of hand. These chalkboard necklaces from Sherry Truit are cute, cute, cute. Great for leaving small messages. 1 + 1 = <3 is a good one, I think.
• These Neiko bags are to die for. I really have a thing for bags constructed with highly polished leather pieces. Very office-woodsy chic. I can see myself sporting these at work. Now if I can only find one that will fit my camera and her lenses….

• Did you know that your favorite movie theme songs have lyrics? Yeah, I didn’t either. But apparently they do according to this guy, Andrew Goldenberg. I loved reading the feature the LA Times did on him. I develop mad crushes on geekly, clever guys in glasses. Did I ever share that? LOL. Well I do and I love the cleverness behind his endeavor.
• Props to the “Props” collection from Hella Jongerius. Functional items with animal fable twists. I wouldn’t mind a snail-shaped vase. Or a birdie pitcher. Or a dragonfly ladel. Very imaginative.
• While everyone will be waiting in line in the theaters to watch The Dark Night, I will be staying comfortably at home watching the season premiere of Psych, a.k.a. Grace’s most favoritest show for the foreseeable future!! I love everything about this show: Shawn, Gus, Shawn + Gus, Gus + Shawn, Li’l Shawn + Gus, and all those 80’s references. I pride myself in spotting the pineapple references in each episode. And I love just how fun the show is. Hands down I will always pick a comedy over a drama. And the funny over the serious. Psych is just it for me.

And just a little of the great stuff that is Psych

SO THAT’S IT FOR ME
After a week’s break from blogging, I’m feeling restless and you know what that means. Wild, wild things will be going on and soon.

‘Til tomorrow, friends.

Yes, I said tomorrow.

G’night.

July 11, 2008 No love for the Love List today.

But crossing my fingers for tomorrow.

No Internet because my laptop battery is dead and I left my charger in the hotel room. Brilliant, Grace.

No mobile phone service because my generation one iPhone is being “serviced” in hopes of it getting traded in for the newest one that just came out today. Hmmm…

So I’m paying for service at an Internet cafe. Just dandy. Trying to catch up on email. Trying to get phone service so I can return calls. Let’s see how that goes.

So I’m hoping the Love List will go up tomorrow. Cross your fingers for me!

July 10, 2008 Using my stuff.

Through the generosity of others, I’ve found myself lucky enough to have a lot of scrapbook and art supplies to play with. Coupled with the supplies and tools I purchase for myself, I’ve accumulated a lot of stuff. Quite honestly, I have more than I need. This isn’t necessarily a good thing.

I have a personal rule that I started two years ago which is that I must use my stuff within six months of getting it. If I haven’t, then that item gets donated out. It doesn’t matter if it’s still in its package. If I haven’t bothered using it within six months, it gets tossed into my donation box.

Good rule, right? I’m very strict with myself and really do follow it. And it’s painful when I go through my stash and donate out an item just because I was too lazy to use it. Sucks that I spent money on something I never bothered using. Double sucks when it’s an item someone generously sent my way.

So to get out of that rut I started making my own kits. I grab different combos of patterned paper and cardstock and a variety of embellishments, put them all in 12″x13″ Itoya PolyZip Envelopes (my absolute favorite carriers), and stack them in a large wicker basket. When I feel like creating, I grab a collection and just go at it. Works like a dream. And I force myself to use the items that are only in that specific kit.

This works for me because my style of scrapbooking is such that I frequently combine odd embellishments/papers together. I create these kits immediately when I purchase or am gifted new items. I combine new supplies with older items, frequently pulling things together without thinking how they’ll work together. I don’t remember half the time what I’ve put together. And it may be months (but less than six!) before I actually pull out a kit to work with. Opening up one is always fun, though, because I find items to play with that I forgot I even had and am re-energized to use that item again.

Two thumbs up.

So that’s a little method to my madness. What’s yours?

July 7, 2008 Vegas, baby!

I guess I’m a chatty, catty with all the posts I’ve been putting up this week.

And in this one, I’m sharing just a few of the photos taken with my camera during my recent girlfriend getaway trip to Las Vegas. Hot, hot sun. Fun, fun times. And let me point out already that these are the photos that I can actually post. There are more that are *ahem* controversial.

We booked our flight via Virgin America. Have you ever been on this ride? So, so smooth.

Inside surrounded by their signature purple lighting was Virgin America’s media center unit which they call Red. Here I am chatting with my friend asking what our Vegas plans were.

We stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations just off the strip thanks to some time share goodness. This elephant met us once we entered the room. And the chocolate coins, too.

Helery, Cat, Jeannie and I did some shopping inside the Caesars Palace Forum while we waited for Aileen to arrive. I always enjoy visiting Caesars Palace because of its decor.

Hit up Anthropologie and their collection of letters and numbers. Can you guess what this trip was all about?

After a night of *ahem* party fun, here are Jeannie and Aileen early the next morning being LOL silly.

I actually did a bit of work and held an engagement shoot (which I’ll share in a future post) early Sunday morning and these two came with me. We did a session at this landmark Vegas sign. It’s actually much smaller than how I thought it would be.

Walking around and checking out the sites. This is the water foundtain in front of the Paris hotel.

I was loving the columns inside the Miracle Mile shopping complex. Doesn’t this pose just scream passion?

Cat and I as seen in the largest rear view mirror in the world.

Do we look like Kanye or what?

This was the closest I got to a Chippendale.

Sunday night meant the seafood buffet in the Rio. I only had enough energy to take a photo of my dessert because I was already slipping into a food coma.

After a night of partying *ahem*, we headed to a much needed spa appointment the next morning. The most fantastic spa experience I’ve ever had; I highly recommend the Mandara.

And after the spa was more lounging by our pool. There’s nothing quite like lounging by a pool on a Monday morning.

I looked up and saw this.

I actually didn’t gamble at all during the weekend; I’m not much of a gambler. But I was highly amused by a lot of the slot machines, especially this eBay one. Don’t people gamble already when they make purchases from eBay? Funny.

Walked the strip our last night there. Stopped by the M&M shop and took a photo with this guy.

You tell ‘em, girl.

The girls re-enacting on this fake Brooklyn Bridge the Miranda and Steve scene from the SATC movie. Hilarious.

The strip. Lights galore.

And the obligatory photo of the water fountain show at the Bellagio a la Ocean’s Eleven. Just lovely.

Thanks for letting me share! Cheers!

July 6, 2008 Color me happy.

Because this month I’m the guest designer for the Freehand Scraps kit club. I met Heidi, the owner, and DT member Amanda at CHA this past winter at the 2Peas Ice Cream Social and they were just sweethearts. So when Heidi asked if I could serve as their guest designer for this month, I jumped at the chance. This month’s kit titled “Flutter” just screams Grace (!!) all over it because of the colors included. Is it obvious yet how much I love color? The kit also includes little bits like vintage postage stamps and fabric swatches that add to its uniqueness. Love it.

Here are two projects I created with pieces from the kit. The combos from the kit are fantastic.

Thanks for letting me share!

Cheers!

July 4, 2008 The 4th with a kid.

Wish I was a kid still.

July 4, 2008 Grace’s Love List - 7/4

• I’m not much of a gamer but I do occasionally enjoy playing an online flash game. Poiser, a physics puzzle game, is one that I’ve been playing. I love the look - everything hand drawn and on grid paper. Reminds me of all the doodling I used to do in physics class.
• How do you hide an elephant? Great question and the answers offered from this Worth1000.com challenge will leave you highly amused.
• I need to pull out my Silhouette soon and create something. I might even try this idea I found decorating cakes using paper cutouts. Fun, stylish, and totally girly - just like me.

• The web designer in me is tickled with this icon watch from &Design. I am thoroughly enjoying this 8-bit inspired design. Ca-ute!
• I don’t know what it is about these stainless steel concrete rings from Escape Design, but they highly appeal to me. I like the sleek look, but I love the fact that it’s so elemental. I wonder how heavy it is. Maybe I need to order one to see.
• Are you a member of the Behance Network? I am. I find constant inspiration on the site, most recently from these sketch designs from Linzie Hunter. Her lettering sketchbooks are fun to browse through as are her other designs. Cool, cool, wicked cool.

BEING LAZY THIS WEEKEND
That’s my sole priority. Nothing but creating and cleaning then creating some more.

Happy 4th to everyone!

June 27, 2008 Grace’s Love List - 6/27

• These snow globes from Walter Martin are pretty rad. Some disturbing, some surreal, some super sweet - all of them very, very cool.
• I’ve never really been a video game player, but I did dabble when I was a kid. My favorites have always been and always will be the classic 64-bit games. Which is why I enjoy these designs by RETROnoob so much. Old school video games in their real life environments. Can you imagine? Reminds me of the Pontiac SpyHunter commercial I blogged about earlier this year.
• Did you know you can personalize M & M’s? I never did! I thought this was only available for corporations, but never realized individuals can have it done, too. What a great idea. When would I do this, I wonder? The possibilities are endless.

• Saw this magnetic white eraseboard on Flickr. Great idea. I’ve had a fetish recently about blackboards (see here), so maybe now I should start considering eraseboards. Rust-Oleum has a Dry Erase paint you can use to create something like this. A great idea for a kid’s room or an office, I think.
• This guy. Is hot. Fell in love with him in Becoming Jane and now I can’t wait to see him in Wanted. The movie looks awesome, but I really am going to go see it especially to watch him. Time which will be well spent, I say.
• Hallelujah! God bless Firefox 3. Everyone please move away from Internet Explorer if you haven’t done so yet and install Firefox 3. Aside from its many new and improved upon features, the single line item I am falling all over for is the fact that Firefox 3 (unlike previous versions) now has the ability to to render color profiles true. What does this mean? It means you’ll be able to see your photos in Firefox exactly how you see them in Photoshop, which most browsers have been unable to do (except just recently Safari). You do, however, need to turn this feature on in Firefox 3 because the default installation has this feature turned off. But go over and read this post on dria.org to see how to do this. I did and it was really, really easy. And now I see my photos and everyone else’s exactly how they’re meant to be seen.

OFF TO VEGAS THIS WEEKEND
My friends and I are having a girlfriend weekend getaway to Vegas, baby! I need to take it easy because my ribs still need some TLC, but I’m planning on documenting the entire trip with my trusty Nikon D300 (which I just bought the other day). Seriously, I need to stop treating myself.

Cheers!