secret passageway to my heart

blueskies @ 2008-08-19T20:39:00

2008-08-20T03:39:57Z

Your result for The Director Who Films Your Life Test...

Sofia Coppola

Your film will be 64% romantic, 16% comedy, 32% complex plot, and a $ 24 million budget.

With few films under her belt (The Virgin Suicides, Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette) as a writer/director, she's already highly respected and connected -- her dad, Francis, directed all The Godfather movies and Apocolypse Now. Sofia's good at making the romantic drama that is your life with poignant sullen moments of introspection. You saw how she stylishly handled Marie Antoinette's life, no? And who didn't have at least a lump in the throat at the end of Lost In Translation? She's already won one Academy Award for her writing, now she'll be the first woman to receive one for directing -- YOUR FILM!

Take The Director Who Films Your Life Test at HelloQuizzy

tagged by seine

2008-01-01T17:42:32Z

A. List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
B. Tag seven people to do the same.
C. Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it."

1. I own too many jackets and coats for a girl in Southern California. I guess I just like winter style. Once, our coat rack, weighed down mostly by my collection, toppled over during a party, and I was so embarrassed I wanted to hide under the gigantic woolly pile.

2. I didn’t know how to flare my nostrils until recently. Thanks to Rama, I learned how to flare my nostrils on demand. It got so bad, or I got so good, that my nostrils sometimes flared without my even trying.

3. My head is littered with white and gray hairs. It has been since I was a teenager, but I didn’t mind until I hit my mid-20s. I used to get red highlights to cover them, but it cost too much to keep it up. I kind of like them, now. I feel wise.

4. I make myself fresh coffee almost every morning, but I hardly ever finish my cup. I think I just like the ritual.

5. I still practice my handwriting, testing out new ways to write the lower-case “a” and my married woman signature.

6. I buy books more quickly than I can read them.

7. I have a collection of recurring dreams. My stock anxiety dreams include losing my car in a parking structure and showing up at class the last day of school only to realize there's a big exam and I haven't been to class all year. On the other hand, I sometimes dream about wandering through lush hills or fields; sometimes, even riding down a hillside river as if it were a water slide. Those are always fun.

If I don’t tag someone, do I get bad luck for 10 years?

west LA / santa monica restaurant recs?

2007-08-14T18:05:07Z

Totally random and last minute, but:

Rama & I are meeting a friend for dinner tonight, and I have no idea where to take her. She's visiting from NY and likes most everything, Rama is vegetarian, and I am craving Japanese food.

Any ideas?

calling all miracles

2007-08-09T18:54:17Z

optimus ethan Ethan "disguised" as Optimus Prime.

♥

As many of you know, my nephew Ethan has been in the hospital for almost a year waiting for a heart, and today they may have found one.

The heart is being flown in as I type this & he is scheduled for surgery at 1pm today.

Please keep him in your thoughts, prayers, hopes and wishes today that the heart is a match and the surgery goes well. And please also remember the donor's family; they're giving such a precious gift to Ethan.

trying

2007-05-22T03:59:10Z

that's us Photo by Rama

I'm trying to find a rhythm, one that balances work and play, family and self, living and recording the beauty in the everyday. I have a feeling that I will be learning, practicing and stretching for my whole lifetime.

♥

good things
* Celebrating one year of marriage(!)
* A visit with Ethan, finally
* A clean bill of health
* Watching The Lady and The Tramp over a big plate of pasta
* Two new Darling clients
* The Montecito Inn
* Charlie Chaplin
* Swimming in a heated pool (as the sun comes out)
* La Super Rica taqueria & McConnell's ice cream
* Baking lemon cookies for no good reason except that it's so easy

blueskies @ 2007-05-02T18:53:00

2007-05-03T01:55:25Z

Grant passed away yesterday morning. He was surrounded by people who love him dearly. Pleaes keep the prayers, wishes and thoughts coming. His family could really use them.

a small request

2007-05-01T19:04:27Z

Please say prayers, send warm wishes and think good thoughts for my 1 1/2-year-old nephew* Grant, who is in a coma right now. I don't even know the full story of how he got into the condition that he is, and I hadn't even met him until I visited him in the hospital** yesterday, but I hear he is a dear boy and I know a lot of people love him very much. I cannot imagine being in their shoes right now, and I don't know what else to do for them but pray. It's just heartbreaking.

* Like so many nephews, he is not really related. His late grandfather was a close friend of my Dad's.
** Marie, he's staying at the Children's Hospital. I thought of you yesterday when I visited.

trying to focus

2007-04-17T18:19:51Z

starlet A polaroid I took many moons ago

They say, "When it rains it pours," and right now, I am braving stormy weather of too much work and not enough time. So what do I do? Spend 15 minutes writing a good things, list. Of course!

♥

good things
* Discovering Cadbury mini eggs (how did I not know how good they are?)
* A satisfying walk
* The Boots cosmetics aisle at Target
* Hearing a happy client's voice
* Year of the Dog
* Baking cookies with Siddo
* Tiny packets of collage ephemera
* Kyle's cousin Kyle
* Lunchtime chats with Rima at the Coffee Table, our old stomping ground
* All the spring time blossoms, even if they make me sneeze

spring

2007-04-09T23:07:51Z

ranunculus heaven My favorite flowers in a happy tangerine hue.

The weekend was blissfully spent eating too many jelly beans, taking long naps and watching movies. Today it's back to work. I wish I had spring break.

♥

good things
* Watching TV after 40 days of (practically) none.
* Stranger Than Fiction on DVD (thank you, Easter Bunny!).
* Making Easter brunch with Mom. A tall pile of blueberry pancakes. Bacon dipped in maple syrup.
* The new issue of Optic Nerve is out—and I can't wait to read it!
* Auntie Em's mini cupcakes.
* Rama's making a spider-fan out of me.
* A rainbow of embroidery floss & bakery twine.
* Velcro.
* Cherry Coke Zero.
* Trading fonts with Sheila.
* Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. I'm already married, but I buy it still for its beautiful design (and for client research).

no apologies. just hello.

2007-04-04T06:04:09Z

so nice to greet you A pile of my new set of cards ready to be sent to Nest.

♥

good things
* Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies & a cup of milk
* Swirls of color in jars of water (while painting)
* Rama got an ipod shuffle
* One-minute drawings
* Dinner at dish with Becky & Jremy
* A phone call with Stella
* Lifesavers jellybeans
* Listening to This American Life while we work
* Flip-flop season
* New rubber type sets
* Songs that resonate in your heart and shake you to the bone in the best possible way
* And, oh yeah,

so soon?

2006-11-28T21:38:34Z

happy birthday to me Cupcakes are the way to my heart. Rama knows this and got me a ton for my birthday. The best part is he gave them to me on the Friday before my birthday so that I could share them with our friends and family when we hung out.

Another year, another birthday, another Thanksgiving, another winter holiday. Time flies.

♥

good things
* Six months of wedded bliss with Rama.
* A foam heart in my latte.
* Port 2 Port's letterpress calendar. They're sold out, but you can buy some
of Mav's beautiful cards at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=10325
* The Border Grill restaurant in Santa Monica.
* Stranger Than Fiction (The Christine Movie of the Year).
* Making tsis-mis (chit-chat) with my darling cousin Marybeth.
* Quickie collages at Craft Night.
* Homemade minestrone.
* Little Ethan's laughter when he watches Sponge Bob.
* The sound of the tea kettle on theh stove.
* Flying Jet Blue.
* All the lovely hellos and birthday treats. Hello, 31. It's so nice to meet you.

ups, downs

2006-10-26T00:40:06Z

ferris wheel

♥

My 6-year-old nephew Ethan is in the hospital right now. He has suffered damage to his heart (he was born with a heart defect but the cause of this recent damage is unknown), and he will be in the Pediatric ICU until he gets a heart transplant. I cannot imagine being in his position, much less his parents'. After visiting them at the hospital last night, all I could think was, "What else can I do? What would I want somebody to do for me?" But my mind was blank. It's unfathomable to me.

Today, I am finding comfort in little things, like a tall iced coffee and a walk to the market. There are always good things to be found, right?

good things
* Brach's autumn mix.
* The Road Home, a sad and lovely film.
* My favorite new pencil pouch.
* Starting a new moleskine.
* Burt's Bee's lip balm.
* A perfect bunch of grapes. Rama's enchiladas.
* Consolidating our CD collection.
* Having Henry around.

fall came quick

2006-10-10T20:05:58Z

come back, summer I love this shot so much. Rama snapped it while we had a lovely end-of-summer dinner at a restaurant in Malibu. This is the view we had from our table, can you believe it?

♥

I really do intend to post more often. I just keep forgetting to!

good things
* the last water balloon fight of the summer
* count chokula & boo berry cereal
* Veronica Mars rules the school
* our new luscious lime lamp
* productive days followed by lazy nights
* getting along with my sewing machine
* wish list fun at kaboodle
* guess who will be at next month's felt club?

good things

2006-08-01T19:06:29Z

my first roasted chicken My brother Ricky's recipe. The potatoes cook beneath the chicken and are so good!

* our cherry and cheery red cuisinart coffee grinder
* X-Men fighting game (LD, it's like Def Jam Vendetta, except with X-Men!)
* working, side by side, with rama
* rama's my husband!
* blueberries. strawberries. canteloupe.
* harold & maude
* the glendale beeline
* turning a new page on the calendar. august already?
* starting a piece. and finishing it.

some of summer's good things

2005-10-03T00:20:55Z

* diagonal stripes and dotted lines
* my talk-about-everything-and-nothing friendship with katherine
* our morning cup of coffee
* the sun flooding into our living room
* the black-eyed peas
* prang watercolors and my new water cup (with lid)
* developing an illustration style
* happy toes (aka pedicures)
* dancing, laughing and taking pictures with erlina & miguel
* video poker at agua caliente
* rediscovering the local library
* the chronicles of narnia
* anne lamott
* traffic isn't so bad when you don't have to drive it every day
* the guy who replaced my headlights for free, yes free
* checking items off my wedding to-do list
* mid-week movie dates with rama
* rama & i are learning and growing every single day

p.s. hi, again.

good things {san francisco edition}

2005-03-24T01:11:15Z

♥ The color- and art-filled homes of our dear and lovely friends
♥ Simon Evans and vintage typewriters at MOMA
♥ So many bookstores with so many nooks and crannies (and 35% off This is San Francisco)
♥ Sidra Kahlo
♥ Surprising Lisa with a visit and getting to meet her beloved Calvin
♥ Cherry blossoms in bloom
♥ 826 Valencia
♥ Sabrina's secret studio (It's not really secret, it just feels that way)
♥ The luxurious vacation mindset: thinking only of what are we going to do and eat and see next
♥ Keeping a travel journal with Rama

calling all new yorkers

2005-03-19T00:17:17Z

Can you recommend a spa in New York? A fellow bridesmaid and I want to give a gift certificate for some pampering to the bride-to-be. Our friend, who lives in Brooklyn, is not high-maintenance but would probably love a massage or facial. Of course, who wouldn't?

good things

2005-02-04T19:42:49Z

It's so wonderful

♥ Japanese candy and packaging
♥ Harney & Sons teas
♥ A full house after two weeks of way too much quiet
♥ "Nothing Better" by the The Postal Service
♥ Low cholesterol
♥ My mom's funny stories with her constant giggling
♥ Being surround by so many creative and kind people
♥ Accomplishment: Rama's completion of his monster illo assignment and my near-completion of a web project
♥ Happy Owl Glassworks
♥ It's Friday!

good things

2004-10-13T00:18:06Z

* Drinking coffee or tea out of my new beautiful mug. The chocolate brown exterior/light pink interior makes me happy, even at work.

* Fred 62's hashed browns. Bay Cities' Italian sub. Ginger Grass's space-age tofu.

* Lorraine and her sweet melodic voice.

* Lying on a roof in downtown LA and staring up at the sky.

* Attending the same birthday party that Jason Schwartzman and Zooey Deschanel are attending. (Weird.)

* Finally meeting some of Rama's super cool coworkers.

* Xerox machine fun.

* Love letters disguised as newsletters.

* Winsor Newton Designer's Gouache set for 40% off regular price.

* My own darling handbag with logo and everything. (Photo to come.)

blueskies @ 2004-09-28T14:46:00

2004-09-28T21:50:41Z

If you received $100 to donate to a charity of your choice, which would it be?

I may be selling some products through Café Press and I only want to mark the price up if I can find a good charity to whom I can donate the proceeds. The turnaround for payment is 45 days, so I don't want to pick any time-sensitive causes.

Any and all ideas are welcome. Thank you! xx

good things

2004-09-15T21:40:21Z

* Watching Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy walk along the Seine River in "Before Sunset" (Gosh, I miss that).
* The Temporary Thing live at the Derby. Also: Their new CD.
* Dinner with old and dear friends.
* Poker School.
* Alias: Season 3. And the upcoming return of The Gilmore Girls. But not Rory's bad relationship behavior.
* Floating in the pool, listening to the water and staring up at the sky.
* Pasta with olive oil, garlic and broccoli.
* My new (old) iPod. Uploading music to it and working out to it. All the Motown you could ever want.
* Martha Stewart Kids magazine.
* Brownie sundaes.

good things

2004-08-25T18:36:26Z

* Freshly brewed almond tea.
* Crafternight with two of the craftiest gals I know.
* Chocolate brown, the new black.
* A rainbow of blazers.
* Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, too much candy for two people and one authentic golden ticket.
* Spega yogurt in apricot.
* Fresh lightbulb light.
* Gama Go!
* Adrian Tomine's watercolors.
* Sawtelle Blvd.
* Splurging on new quilted jacket from Anthropologie even if it's 80 degrees out.
* The effortless and silly way Rama can cheer me up.
* Siddo.
* Feeling like I'm on a roll.

good things

2004-08-13T18:19:51Z

* KEXP: Seattle radio is king
* Spaghetti with turkey italian sausage
* Treasure hunt at Mom & Dad's. Favorite finds include Grandma's old buttons and broaches and Grandpa's journal from when he came to the U.S.
* Eureka brushless vacuum.
* Sandwich and poker night
* The kindness and hilarity of Rima's parents
* Uniball vision elite -- it's waterproof!
* Music filling the living room, courtesy a new-old CD player from Dad.
* Working from home.
* Selling back old CDs and getting new ones.
* The Ali. G show.
* Poppy seed buns.
* Gelato. Lychee, black currant and banna fudge, oh my!
* Synchronicity.

good things

2004-08-05T22:36:27Z

* "Lunch dates with my awesome boyfriend," says Rama, for me. (It's true.)
* Freshly picked (then dried) garden rose.
* Saturday morning cartoons -- for grown-ups.
* Smuggling snacks into the movies.
* Cheetos, included.
* Wandering the art store aisles aimlessly.
* The perfect pencil sharpener/eraser combo.
* Grilled corn on the cob, especially those burnt kernals.
* Nestle Cookies & Cream Drumsticks, especially the last chocolate-filled
bite of the cone.
* Olive oil with basil and garlic.
* Getting primo parking.
* Good customer service.

good things {7.21 - 7.27}

2004-07-29T18:37:57Z

* Breaking in my brand new sketchbook with lots of ink and glue.
* Peer pressure ... to eat ice cream! Also: DQ strawberry shakes.
* Chatting with my dear friend's dear husband about God and video games and everything inbetween.
* The gorgeous signage and rooftops at Coronado Island.
* Alias (season 2) boxed set at my disposal, thanks to the devastatingly charming D-Lo. Goodbye, Blockbuster.
* Adrenalin.
* The garlic chicken at Versailles.
* Striped placemats and checked vinyl tablecloths.
* Eating cereal out of the box.
* People watching at Comic-Con.
* Esther Pearl Watson + Mark Todd = so nice.
* Casa De Bandini.