Professional Sideburns With Mustache

I gave my brother of really old set of professional sideburns + mustache for his birthday. I couldn't resist buying the costume kit because it looked like it had been in the store for 50 years just waiting to disguise somebody. Yesterday, we busted it out for a photo shoot.

Max got his hair cut on Wednesday, and he thought that with a mustache he and the dog would have the same do.

And I look like a Mexican bandit or something. I had to be serious so the mustache wouldn't fall off. But the sideburns are looking a little too real. Yikes!

Super Bowl XLIV

The Super Bowl is my favorite football game of the year, because it means the season is over. Sara and her husband invited us to watch at their apartment. Sara cooked up a delicious feast for us (she wrote about it here)! Before the kickoff, we had a few competitive games of wii bowling and then we settled in to watch the game. Sara and I mostly just talked, and we all ate a lot.

The best part of the game was the halftime show, strictly because The Who's drummer was making the most hilarious faces. Sara and I busted out our cameras and acted like the paparazzi. I think I took 70 pictures, trying to capture him in action. Maybe you had to be there, but the four of us were laughing ourselves silly.

Overall, a great night with great friends. What did you do for the big game?

Guess Who's Visiting This Weekend

My sister's coming this afternoon! She should get here around 3:00, and then the fun will begin.

Tomorrow night we're going to see Ingrid Michaelson at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, and I'm practically bouncing up and down with excitement. We've seen her live once before, so I know it'll be a great show.

Happy weekend, folks.

*Yesterday's Lost In Thoughts was a good one: a beautiful illustration, colorful soap, snuggly stuffed animals, and a music video!

Presidio, Marina & Pier 39

Even though we couldn't see Kristen on Tuesday (she had other people to see, of course), we switched our flight to the Tuesday night red-eye because it was significantly less expensive (about $400 less) than the Monday night flight. That meant we had an extra day to explore the city.

I had a 2:00 pm ET phone call (11:00 am PT), so we didn't really do much besides get some breakfast until noonish. At that point, we met Drew for lunch in the Financial District, near his office building. From there we walked over to the Ferry Building, and just looked around a bit. We'd also been there briefly on Saturday for the Farmers' Market.

Then we caught a cab to the Presidio to have coffee/water with a friend from college. The Presidio is a national park that used to be an army post. Now the old houses are used as offices, and our friend works in one of them. We were in an odd sort of behind-the-scenes-looking business section, so I didn't even think to take any photos. Nuts!

After coffee, we basically crossed the street and we were at the Marina. Wow, what a view of the Golden Gate Bidge! It was really windy on the beach, and we saw two guys getting flown by a kite. It looked like a lot of fun until one guy crashed into the ground big time.

We took a bus from a Divisadero Street stop at the Marina over to the North Beach side of town and went to Pier 39. I took pictures of the carousel, the sea lions, and the hilarious tourists (and their dogs).

After a long day, we had dinner with Drew and headed to the airport. We took a cab to the financial disctrict because he was headed back to work (seriously), and then we took BART the rest of the way to San Francisco International. Our flight was scheduled for 11:25 PM, but we took off around midnight.

A Sunny Wedding Day

On Saturday our friends Kara and Dave got married! I've known the bride since 6th grade, and I met her husband 2 years ago at Sara's wedding. They're a wonderful couple, and I enjoyed being a part of their big day.



I had a great time at the wedding. I danced my tush off, and I was exhausted by the end of the night, but that's the way it should be! We sat at a table with Sara and her husband and some of Kara's friends from college. I really enjoyed talking with everybody, and I think Kara and Dave have excellent taste in friends (wink, wink).

The wedding was in North Adams, so I got to spend some much-needed time with my family and my dog. My gramma and my uncle were also visiting, so it was full house! Friday night we all had a great big family dinner with lots of talking and catching up. I love that Eric fits right in.

Saturday, before we left for the wedding, it felt like prom because my parents and my sister busted out the cameras and snapped a bunch of photos. They don't get to see us all dressed up very often.

*Want to see pictures of the ceremony program I designed for Kara & Dave? Click here!

♥♥♥♥♥

A Little Bird

This morning I woke up to the beautiful sound of birds singing, and it put a smile on my face. 

In case you can't tell, this is not a live bird (though I wouldn't mind getting one). Doesn't he look curious? I can relate to that. I'm a big asker of questions. I'm always wondering about things. Why this, why that? I think the bird's expression is enhanced by the slight cock of its head. Or maybe it's in the eyes. No matter what, I find this little guy lovable. Plus, that yellow is gorgeously peppy.

He's normally attached to my inspiration board, and keeps me company while I work. I actually rearranged my inspiration board today. Recent additions inclue a bag that once held lemons and a candy wrapper. Yum. Candy!

Check out Everything Little Miss for the latest edition of Lost In Thoughts.

Do Two Negatives Equal A Positive?

Today is April 15th, known as tax day here in the U.S.  I've had my taxes done for a while, in order to apply for FAFSA loans for business school.  Most people know that April 15th is tax day, because, well, most people wait until the last minute to do their taxes.  What many people don't know is that April 15th is also the day Lincoln died.  Not exactly an uplifting piece of trivia, but might as well get all the bad feelings out of the way today and start fresh tomorrow.

Once A Year

Lara, Lisa, Barbara, Janet, & Efren

David & Peter

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving because of my family. I was fortunate enough to spend time with my mom's side (the top picture is of my mom, Barbara, and her siblings) and my dad's side (the bottom picture is of my dad, Peter, with his brother). 

Smiles, laughter, and general merriment were plentiful, because we were all so happy to see each other and catch up. It's the only time that all of the siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas, grandpas, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren get together. Once a year really isn't enough, but it's way better than never! 

So Alike

If I didn't know any better, I might say that this was a photo of The Schwarz. But since I took the picture, I know that it's actually his uncle. In this instance, like so many others, the family resemblance is uncanny. The Schwarz was standing just the same way, not 15 minutes earlier. 

There are likenesses in the way they speak and gesture, and in facial expressions. You'd notice similarities in their sense of humor as well. It's not limited to just The Schwarz and his uncle, either. He and his brothers each notably resemble each other, their parents, and grandparents. 

Jack-O-Lanterns

I love it! People really get creative at Halloween. The one in the back looks like it has seen better days, but the two in front are still fresh and silly. Sure, they probably saw this idea in a magzine or online, but they still went ahead and did it. They made the effort and look at the delightful result! They chose wonderful pumpkins and carved them well. 

Z

Isn't he so handsome? He's my family's dog and he lives at home with my parents and my brother. My sister named him Z because he was the last puppy left of the litter. Cute, right? 

He's usually so crazy that photos are just a blur, but this one is actually pretty good. I've been missing him lately and I was happy to find this old picture. Sometimes he's a bad dog (see minute 9:11), but for the most part he's totally sweet (he'll even jump through hoops for me!). He's so loving and high-spirited that it's hard not to smile. 

First Dance

I don't know if they practiced their dance or if they stepped on each other's feet because I couldn't take my eyes off of their faces. They smiled all night long. 

It was a wonderful start to a happy life together. 

Kids

These two kids are from Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA. I imagine the one on the left is saying, "this guy with the camera is freaking me out," and the one on the right has a look that says, "tell me about it."

Memory

Last night we watched Away From Her. It's about an older couple and the toll Alzheimer's takes on their relationship. It's a beautiful movie that explores love and emotions. 

The main character, Fiona (played by Julie Christie, pictured above), has Alzheimer's, which is quickly progressing. She's a smart and interesting woman and it's difficult to see her losing her memory, especially through the eyes of her husband. I took a picture of the television screen just as the movie was at a turning point; she's leaving her house to enter a nursing home. It is interesting that her personal appearance degenerates at the same pace as her mind. Here you can see that she is perfectly made up and clearly aware of how she looks. As time goes by her hair becomes disheveled, her clothes get sloppy, and she loses all sense of color and taste. 

I can't imagine losing my sense of self and not even remembering which colors I like (oranges, reds, and pinks).

Happy

I really love it when animals smile. I always wonder what they're thinking about. Does a smile mean the same thing to a dog as it does to me? I like to think so! I imagine this guy, Dozer, is truly happy to be in park. Is that drool due to excitement? It's quite possible.