Sunday Stroll - 3.5 hours, 550+ steps.

This past Sunday we did one of our favorite hikes. It took a total of 3.5 hours mostly going uphill. The reward was 550+ steps to finish off our intense hike.

The trailhead starts in the suburbs of Pacific Palisades. You trek on a paved road for a while. All the wildflowers are in bloom.

It has been a long time since L.A was so lush! I felt like I was in Ireland.

This canyon houses the "Ruins of Rustic Canyon". Once known as Murphy Ranch, it used to be a colony of sorts, supposedly a mysterious Nazi Compound...

This canyon goes all the way to the Valley. We did that hike a couple years ago and let me tell you it was 5 hours long and I needed Kentucky Fried Chicken afterwards because I burned so many calories.

This is all uphill for now, and is the hard part.

Again I marveled at how lush and green it was.

Still going up, the end is in sight.

So many beautiful wildflowers dotted the landscape.

It is pretty lonely up here. No one except for a few lone mountain bikers.

An hour and a half later...Pretty much the end of the road.

A natural sculpture

Ahhh. the view looking down the Pacific Ocean.

If you thought it was over, you are mistaken. Down to the boy scout camp we go.

We are in the canyon now and the dark is fast approaching

Some ruins of a mysterious past...

Mostly now covered in grafitti.

We did a a lot of jumping to get over the creek.

Abandonment

Pretty fields but getting a little eerie

and dark...

More ruins and grafitti

The bright colors actually make it less creepy.

Ok its a race against time to get to the steps...this is when I fullfil my running through the woods fantasies.

We made it! The steps lead us back to the paved road and back to civilization.

They sort of keep going and going...

You think its over but no, more steps.

Its a little over 550 of them.

Legs...Burn.

It is dark but the view is welcoming. Back to our cars and off to a hot dinner. I slept well that night!

Full Moon

The moon is exceptionally luminous tonight after a day of rain. I really want to do yoga to the full moon but it is advised that yoga not be practiced on a full and new moon. In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, these days are observed as yoga holidays because we are made of water and will be affected like the oceans tides by the moons gravitational pull. This pull can leave us more vulnerable to injury. On full moon days our life force or, prana moves upward and this increase in energy can cause us to over exert ourselves. On new moon days the pull of the moon is diminished leaving us lacking in energy and a decrease of life force, causing our practice to be less than dynamic. So I will try to be a good student of yoga and admire the moon instead of doing any half moon poses or moon salutations...but that doesn't stop me from doing some Kempo Karate!

Here is a beautiful Ashtanga yoga demonstration of Steven Green shot on location in India.

I want to be able to do that someday...

I did it! My first screen print shirt!

So after messing up my emulsion previously, I made sure to really wet down the yudu screen (but not dripping) with water, then applied the emulsion paper and squeegee'd it smooth. I dried the screen this time for over an hour in the built in yudu dryer AND I let it sit in there for a few hours before attempting the screenprint. I was going to do a test shirt, but screw it! I went ahead a put down a toddler shirt and first flooded the screen with ink (not applying pressure to the shirt yet, only on the screen) then I put the screen down on the shirt and went over it twice with my squeegee. It came out PERFECT. I was surprised that I didn't mess it up! However my second shirt DID . I ended up spraying the screen with water as I was afraid it was going to dry to fast and the water ran into my 2nd shirt. Ah live and learn...

My First Screen

I totally messed up the Emulsion

But my image actually looked pretty good.

So my first YUDU experience turned out ok. I mean, it wasn't an epic fail. I followed all the instructions but I don't think I got the screen wet enough to apply the emulsion, and then I think I didn't let it dry enough before I burned the image. Burning the image is fun! ...but then I washed it too vigorously and messed it up. I will try again soon.

Happy Valentines Day!

May all your dreams come true!

I Got Me a Yudu!

Just a quick post to say that I got myself the YUDU screenprinting machine and I can't wait to try it out! Since things are soooo sloooow at Dollface LaLa, I thought what a good time to try out some new techniques, make a few shirts and see how they do on Etsy. Yes that means I may open another store. I am an Etsy addict...but thats for another post! Meanwhile I will keep checking the door for my delivery.

If you are reading this on Wednesday the 10th, I will be at Disneyland!!

Things are slow so lets get physical

Things in Etsyland are at a snails crawl, so lately as you may have noticed I've been putting my focus toward health and fitness instead of painting and crafting. I am quite passionate about leading a healthy lifestyle which is a good balance to my artistic and creative side. Without good health, I would not have the energy for all the aspects of life– especially motherhood, which requires so much.... So since January 25th of this 2010 year I began my journey to be in phenomenal shape physically and mentally. Why start now?

I fit the typical story of someone who has always been fit and then had a couple babies and cannot loose the belly. I also have Diastasis Recti, a separation of the abdominal wall due to my large babies that has left me with a weak and protruding belly which makes me very depressed as I used to have a flat stomach. Having my children at 35, then 37 made it so much harder to get back in shape. Even though my energy level is quite high compared to friends my age, being an older mom meant battling the mommy weight and the "getting older weight" that just suddenly appeared. Having a desk job as a graphic artist wasn't helping my battle of the bulge either. Add in the lack of time, motivation and a mean sweet tooth and it is a loosing battle. I also need to lower my cholesterol which is quite high (256) and probably a genetic issue as well.

I started working out an hour a day at home back in July of 09 and had terrific results after only 30 days using this program called p90x...then I got laid off in August and fell off the wagon. Trying to start a Etsy business and doing more sitting left me with no time to work out. My body just sort of got stuck in a sitting position. Fast forward 5 months later (Jan 2010) and I am starting back up again! This time I mean it! Due to those few months of not exercising I feel rickety & old and have some new aches and pains...and that belly is only getting bigger. I have less energy to play with the kids and too lazy to walk the dogs...I do not want to be this person as I head into my 40s. I am going to be 39 in April 2010 and I want to spend my last of my 30's with a killer body! That is my birthday present to myself!!

I hope that my posts about health and fitness are just as interesting and inspiring as my posts about Etsy and Artmaking. I plan to start another blog that goes more into detail about my daily workouts/nutrition and when I get that going I will link it!

After the debauchery back to the health foods

So this week is all about going back to my healthy foods. From strawberry cakes to a low carb tofu and egg whites scramble with spinach and goat cheese. Green tea instead of cream tea. It is not as bad as it looks really!

Trying to be good with 2 strawberry cakes

I had to make not one but 2 strawberry cakes...

It was a little hard to resist so I gave in.

So I've been pretty good with my diet that goes along with my workout program. I've been working out daily now for 2 weeks with a diet that is high protein & vegetables but low in carbs and almost no sugar. It was working out for me until my 2 little ladies joint birthday party where part of my invitation said, "endless desserts" so I had to deliver. I made 2 strawberry cakes, cupcakes and offered cookies and other scrumptiousness. Yes I did have not one but two slices of that cake AND the cupcake. So I threw in a yoga workout in addition to my regular p90x workouts. I still lost 2 inches off my waist! whoo hooo!

A Luv Luv Sale at the shoppe!

Two Hearted Peeps

Its a Luv Luv Sale! Any heart and love themed print is on sale for only $10! AND I am extending my Dessert sale as well. $10 YUMMY and LOVELY prints 'til the end of February at the shoppe! xoxo!

Back in the Game

It has been 5.5 months since I fell off the p90x wagon. I am back in the game as of yesterday. P90x is an intense exercise program where you work out for about an hour daily at home. The thing that makes this program work is that everyday is a different workout so what happens is that you experience muscle confusion which means that the body doesn't get a chance to plateau (which is what usually happens in the gym). Getting laid off and starting the etsy store meant even more days (and nights) sitting and working. When I had the graphic design job I would at least take breaks and lunches! Any one who has an etsy store knows how hard we work and how addicting it is to be online and promoting...My body definitely feels it. One thing I really don't like (hate actually) about painting and crafts is how your body is often hunched over for hours on end...it is really hard to stop working when you are in that creative zone... But a new zone is something I need to get back into. That is the sweat, heart thumping, hard core mental and physical zone of movement and exercise!

Healing Power of Touch

The Healing Power of touch... I took 2 leaves off the same plant. The leaf on the left I paid attention to it by just holding it a couple times a day, the one on the right I totally ignored. After a couple days the ignored one is not looking so hot. After a week it has declined rapidly. (This was done in 2003 and no I do not still have these guys, they eventually met the same fate)

Positive Thoughts and Prayers

Sometimes it is easy to get depressed when one hears about the problems of the world and disasters that befall innocents (such as this weeks Haitian earthquake)...especially when we are helpless to do anything. Even with all the strife in the world one must take the time and remain positive and hopeful. I am hoping that there will be more survivors. I grieve for those that have left this earth plane and I do hope it is beautiful for them on the other side. But for now I will take a break to recognize the light in this world and its life force. I wish I can help out physically in some parts of the world but alas I cannot.

I can and will send out good vibrations and prayers.

To see a glimmer in the dust

To view the ocean inside a shell
Such a sight!
Never having to open my eyes.

Tea at the Huntington

I had a most marvelous time at the Huntington Tea Room (at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens.) I have been frequenting this fine establishment since I was a 16! The prices have gone up quite bit (its been a long time since I was 16) but the food, it is still delicious! My favorite are the scones and watercress sandwiches. I prefer a bite sized scone instead of a giant biscuit. The watercress sandwich has a bit of horseradish in it so it is quite zesty! The best part about this tea is that it is all you can eat. And afterwards you can walk around and enjoy the gardens. This outing never gets old and I will keep having tea there til I'm old and gray.

Ps: I didn't want to be weird and take a bunch of pictures of the food but I did get a close up of the strawberries and cream! Well now I have an excuse to go back, maybe on a less busy day. So for now I leave you with a rose...

A Lovely Purchase

I just want to rave about this lovely porcelain beaded necklace I purchased from a very talented young designer at her Etsy Store Violet Reaction. I was pleasantly surprised the necklace had a nice weight to it and so beautifully crafted. I got it for my mum but I secretly want it for myself!

The Dollface LaLa Blog is here.

The Dollface LaLa blog is...alive! http://dollfacelala.blogspot.com

Flash Forward

Hope you all had an exciting New Years...we just went to the local Mexican joint and watched Dick Clark. I quite enjoyed the quiet time with all my favorite people under one roof. It was a very mellow New Years eve indeed, why I think I got tipsy after one glass of champagne and went to bed by 2am! My New Years resolution is to focus on my artwork yet try and not be so obsessed about my Etsy store that I ignore my kidlets. No more spending all that time in forums! It is sooo easy to get addicted! I would like make more sales obviously so I don't have to look for another job after my unemployment checks stop coming! Which means I need to do more art and have more listings. I'd like to get back to doing more walking of my dear neglected dogs. Also to get back into my yoga and exercise. That's it. Not too much to accomplish right?

Little Ladies at 12am 1/1/10

Flashback

Christmas 2009

Hope you are having a wonderfilled Christmas. We finally put up the tree a couple days before Christmas which is early for us! One of my little ladies is having her first Christmas so that is exciting. And I finally put up the lights too and proud to be the last one in the

neighborhood to do so!

My little ladies...
♥♥
Baby's first Christmas...
♥♥
For the Christmas post I would like to show these wonderful illustrations by Mary Blair, an artist I just recently found out about even though I've (unknowingly) seen her work at Disneyland since I was a kid. I love her work and her child-like style.


I'm a bit sleepy now, opening presents can be hard work! Merry Christmas!

I am off my rocker and started a new etsy store.

(January 7, 2010) Actually I am back on my rocker and did the right thing by consolidating all 3 of my doll face stores into one universe of a store for dollfaces at Dollface LaLa! www.DollfaceLaLa.etsy.com

This store will also have its own blog, but i'm going to continue with this blog for personal fun and good times. There will certainly be dollfaced news but it won't be my only focus! Also the strangest thing in this whole trial and error of starting a Etsy business is that I had to really think hard about my business name. I found out that a porn star has the name Sandee, so I have to ditch that. There is no way I can out rank her unless I start drawing naked dolls!

Back from the brink of death...sort of

Yes I am being a bit dramatic, but our household had a case of Mal Estomac (aka stomach flu) and it was not cute. At all. But alas I am no longer under the weather and must attend to my blog...and artwork. Here is a bit of artwork that IS cute.

The Quadruplets

The absolute worse part about being sicky pants is that my best friend and I made a tea reservation at the lovely Chado Tea Room and I had to cancel. The thought of scrumptious finger sandwiches did not sit well. And now I would just love some sandwiches and scones. I am still being very good (bland) about my diet. I sit here drinking a hot cup of roosbois tea when I really want is hot chocolate.