good things come...

...to those who wait.
Thanks for being patient, Jackie. And thanks to my knitting gals for waiting on the photos of this project. I have yet to see the top on her, but I am hopeful that it fits. Jackie?

I took detail pictures that wouldn't give it away, but since Jackie has had her birthday sweater in hand for weeks already, I can reveal it (after a little teasing!)














ok, very little teasing. Here it is ----








ta-da! This is a Knitty pattern: "soleil". I used a hemp/cotton/modal by elsebeth lavold, Hempathy, that I picked up in Ames, Iowa. Jackie was with me at the time, so the project was intended for her from the beginning. The color makes me think of Iowa, as does Ms. JMC.

That's it for the moment. I have embarked on a knit blanket in a log cabin quilt pattern. I'll let you know how it turns out. Queen Bee, I'll try to remember to take a picture for you so you can see where I am headed. Just haven't done it yet. There is also another baby sweater around here somewhere now that I am thinking about it...hmmmmm? And then there is the skirt I was working on during the Iowa visit; not sure if there will be a photo pf that one. heh.

Props to Amoeba

Since I am on a Kanye West kick I figure I'll like to this clip of him on Jimmy Kimmel giving props to Amoeba. He also talks about Murakami. Brandy inspired me to play around with YouTube. Thaks, Bran!

at last!

It is raining in the City of Angels. We have been heading towards the driest year ever with less than 2.5 inches this year. In the desert water makes all the difference, and being an Oregonian I have been missing the rain something awful. I love the sound and the smell and the cool that comes with the rain. It is not an Iowa thunderstorm, but it'll do.

Today was a good day. Orion and I got to attend a Kanye West performance for Power 106 (LA radio) in Long Beach. The link will take you to the podcast of the interview. Kanye's show was well worth the trip south, and his website is worth checking out.

Takashi Murakami did the cover art, which is just one more reason to seek out the album. I love his work. He has a show coming to MOCA this fall and that alone was reason to renew my membership. Go art!

Even if you are not a big hip hop fan, it is an album worth giving a listen.

To wrap up a great day I found this layer cake at BLD that is to die for. Who doesn't love cake?
Rain and cake. mmmmmmmmmm.

a perfect hollywood day

The Emmy Awards left me smiling.
The sun was shining, I got to work with some familiar faces that it was good to see again, and for once I took a credential photo I was willing to show.
It was great, couldn't have been better, and I even had some fun amidst all of the hubbub. For this show I was in a new position within the talent department -- still on the red carpet during the arrivals -- but this time I was the spotter as everyone arrives. It has the potential to be a tough job; it requires that I correctly identify all of the nominees, presenters, and performers. That's eleven pages of names in a small font. All I can say is that there was a reason I watched all that tv in 2006/07!

Even with the help of my great asst. Jeanne, the security guard who claimed to only know Seinfeld and then came through in a pinch with Joey Fatone, and a couple of rouge publicists, there was never a moment to check the state of my sunburn or put down my clipboard, let alone take pictures (which would also have been highly illegal from where I was standing, and therefore not something I would ever, ever do). I will give you a glimpse into the glamour of a production office. My girl T. looks great even after a long day.


Somewhere I do have other shots. Once I get them transfered off of my phone I'll put them up (just for you, Bran!) The Emmy red carpet is much more compact than the one at the Oscars. There are more people in attendance, more nominees, and in my case, more names to know. If you want you can check out one of my study guides feel free; it doesn't have every category, nor does it have the presenters (...the cast of the Sopranos!!), but it does have photos, which was a plus.

Regarding who I saw -- everyone. Literally everyone who attended that entered on the red carpet. Many went by in a blur to be honest, and after a while I was in a zone where my brain would go: "Anna Paquin. Minnie Driver -- nice dress! Felcity Huffman. William H. Macy. Mary Louise Parker -- love her. not Doogie Howser, not Doogie Howser...Neil Patrick Harris! (Phew!)"

It used to be said that the Emmys was known for turning out fashion disasters, but it looked to me like just about everyone has found a stylist. At some point I decided to only say nice things and mention the people who looked great. Karma and everything. There are plenty of blogs out there to trash anyone and everyone, if that's what you are into. On a positive note... Tina Fey looked great. Helen Mirren looked even better than at the Oscars -- and I thought she was stunning there! Marcia Cross is taller than I expected. Heidi Klum shows no signs of ever having been pregnant(!) It was hard not to ask the Top Chef cast "Who wins?!" The entire cast of Grey's Anatomy is quite attractive (including one young actor who I knew during MA research before he became a Mc...) It was sort of crazy to *meet* Al Gore in this context, and I never did see what role Kanye West ended up playing in the ceremony. hmmm? BTW his new album is really good. Masi Oka and James Lee, from Heroes were as nice as one could hope. And what can I say, Jon Stewart is darlin'.

In case you weren't aware, the Emmy Awards went green (as have all the award shows it seems). While the carpet was made of recycled plastics, there was no shortage of energy when it came to making the bars at the Governor's Ball out of ice. They were pretty cool (pardon the pun) and Grey Goose to boot!

Wynn in Vegas...

grandure

parasol up

gang's all here

hotties. this was a red party and that suit wins the prize!


hottest. one of my favorite moments.


cabana = pool


look who caught the bouquet


beautiful

at least orion looks cute

oh, what a night!

ahhhhh

good wedding

Vegas, baby!

This is where we are at the moment. It is no longer light out and after two days of wedding festivities I am beat. I'll post more photos as promised (...nadia...) soon. Just let me sleep a little first. The wedding was great and we are having a grand time. xxoo.

which women will rule the world?

Are you watching the Women's World Cup? It is going down in Chengdu, China, and being broadcast all over the ESPNs. The US women debuted this morning against North Korea. In the words of one of my favorite gals, Sofia -- USA! USA!


Even though I haven't played in any kind of serious way in years, I am still a huge fan of women's soccer. There are even a couple of Portlanders on the national team. All the players we used to do training camps with have retired, but it is still a fantastic team! Here, let me find another picture to lift off of FIFA's website (thank you, FIFA)...


This pic actually was posted on Voice of America where you can read the full article. I won't tell you who won today's game in case you are still planning to watch it in re-play this afternoon. It is hard for me to believe how recent this kind of athletic competition is for girls and women. I feel really lucky that I grew up playing on teams since age five. Our first coach, Pam, out there learning soccer right along with us.
Go Panthers! Go Banshees! Go PCU-East! Go Cardinals!

Hello, Los Angeles!

8 September: Four years ago today we moved into our Hollywood apartment. I came as an anthropologist ready to look deep into the soul of "Hollywood" in all its glamour and glitz. I was prepared to keep an "objective distance" and to not look beyond the two years set aside for fieldwork. Because I never viewed LA as a new "home" that I was settling into, there have been lots of times when I have been at a loss for what I am doing here now that research is behind me. Anthropologists after all are supposed to leave the field and use distance to help with writing up. Due to multiple circumstances, I didn't do this.

I recently decided that I need to move to Los Angeles. There are lots of things I haven't done because I wasn't planning to be here for the long-term. In recent months I have started investing in living here. They are small steps, but it is helpful in changing my outlook on Tinseltown. O and I are making an effort to do some of the things we have been putting off, and I have made moves towards creating a place I want to live. One of my first steps was to work on the outdoor area (more manageable than the inside!) I re-potted plants, both mine and my neighbor's. We inherited a new table and chairs, so making room for them was a task that I am pleased about.
Even though our outdoor space is small, it is an area I like. My succulents continue to do well in this environment, and I am hoping that with a change of perspective I will start to flourish here as well. There are lots of things to like about living in Southern California. Being outside year-round is one of them, and I am trying to make sure that this is something I take advantage of everyday.

Bloom

Even though Labor Day makes me think of fall and crisp days, there is no evidence of a change in the weather here in Los Angeles. In more ways than not, it is still summer to all of my sense. I am not ready to give up the long sunlit hours, or the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies. If I had a garden I would not be ready to give that up either I am guessing. I know lots of you do have gardens, and it is possible that you are looking forward to a life without weeding and watering -- however from my apartment vantage point I cannot imagine! This was a little something Maggie introduced me to that is kind of fun and a little day-brightener. It is a garden for those of us without space to plant, and a reminder that you can have flowers even in the fall. You can click on the black, or click and drag for added abundance.