Hellos, highlights and goodbyes [for now]

Hello Hello!

SOo.. I don't think I've really mentioned it on this blog, but I'm headed to Nicaragua for a few weeks on Tuesday. It's a short study abroad trip [only about 2.5 weeks] for travel writing. I'm pretty excited to be leaving the country again so soon. I've got the travel jitters though.. I'm nervous.. but I'm always nervous before I travel. So yeah, I'll be gone most of this month.. but I will be returning with lots of stories and lots of photos! HECK yes. This is going to be an entirely new experience for me- traveling to a part of the world like this. I've only traveled to England, Ireland and Japan so far, so traveling to a less-than-fully-developed-and-capitalized country is going to be all kinds of new. We'll be staying with host families [two students per family] for the majority of our time in Nicaragua - even more new for me. I spent a weekend with a host family in Japan, but it was so luxurious I can't compare much to it. It was a Buddhist monk, his wife [a private English teacher] and their 14-year-old daughter. They lived in an enormous [and absolutely gorgeous] house which happened to be attached to an even larger monastery, which also had an enormous garden and forest behind it. So yeah, a little surreal if you ask me. I'll be staying in La Primavera Settlement, which is mainly run by women. We'll be learning about their daily lives and what they do to promote sustainable living- from converting sewage to cooking gas to making soy foods. Apparently we'll be doing a lot of work on the cooking gas project.

I. am. excited.

Podria tomar un foto? [I've got it down. I'll be asking this a lot. Ha.]

Other than the usual battle against procrastination, life has been pretty awesome lately. I've actually had access to a kitchen and have been cooking some super delicious food. Highlights of the eats included a full Jamaican meal [Jerk tempeh, coconut beans & rice, fried plantains.. zomg, food coma followed shortly after], some great tofu scrambles, lots of roasted veggies and lots of colorful breakfasts. I have missed eating breakfast at a kitchen table for so long. It feels great to enjoy the little things again. This morning I quietly did up some dishes while the scent of tofu browning in a teeny bit of toasted sesame oil and vegetables roasting in the oven filled the kitchen. The little things bring me such joy.



So here are some things I've done lately, or eaten, or seen, or.. photographed..




Scary-faced Christian singers..

Vintage lip gloss, completely used [ew?], for over a dollar..

A neat looking possible pin cushion and a very unenthused soldier..


I've eaten some uber delicious food lately. I'm talking food-coma-inducingly good.
Oh tofu, how I've missed you so. I love you almost as much as I love tempeh.
I didn't eat plain tofu in a bowl though, I swear. It was pre-cooking it into deliciousness.



I also love cashews. Who doesn't? They might be my fave nut, after pistachios of course.


I love these cups. He has six of them, all a different language. Love em.


I'm dating a full-grown man, I swear. He just likes his Ninja Turtle bowl.

Every breakfast has become a photo shoot. Let's hope the beau can put up with it!



The New Moon Cafe show was taken down today. Thanks to the handful of you in Wisconsin who stopped by to check it out - for realsies. It was my first show and was pretty nervous, but all in all, I think it turned out just fine. Now, onto bigger and better things! [right?]


I've spent a decent amount of time sipping coffee, enjoying 'quiet time' and watching great films that I should have seen a long time ago..


New Year's Eve was decent. I wore a pretty dress [in which I was uncomfortable until I had adequate liquid courage] and saw old friends at an Alice in Wonderland themed party. It was a nice time, even if I had to ask the beau to escort me home before bar close.. Whoops!


Alright, that's it for now! I'm getting antsy and anxious, so it's time to go do something else. I guess I'll have to wait on the 2009 reflection until after I return. I hope you've enjoyed this week's highlights- I certainly did!! I'm actually pretty in love with some of these shots. I'm loving being able to do a little food photography again. Do you have any favorites?

Oh yeah, my Project 365 ends in.. TWO DAYS! [wait, no. three?] Anyway, it ends on January 5th.. coincidentally, the day before I leave for Nicaragua! How cool is that? I think it's super cool. However, and this kind of sucks, but my Flickr Pro account expired today, so there's a potential of things not showing up. Let's hope it all stays up. I'll buy myself another year of pro when I get home.. unless someone wants to get me one for a belated Christmas gift. I'd love ya forever. ;) Heck, I'd even send ya some free prints when I get back!

Think about it.



Okay, wish me luck!! See all of you later this month!

Highlights of the Week!

Recently, I...


Had some lunch with Bridgette at Bangkok Thai. Living in a not-so-awesome town means having very few choices for vegan meal options.. which means eating a lot of Thai food when I don't feel like cooking.


Went thrifting with Bridgette and found a hilariously awesome book entitled, "Gerbils, in color". I'm kicking myself now for not just buying it! Note that there is absolutely NO capitalization on the cover.



Started a new project that is proving more difficult than once thought! I'm using this and this photog as somewhat of a template for this. I'm not sure where it's going or what it means yet, but wish me luck!


Oh, what- you didn't know wolves were hardcore? Or Wisconsin? Too bad for you- they both are so hardcore we can no longer speak of their hardcoreness.


Helped the beau move to his own apartment [so awesome]. Or maybe I just picked things up and photographed them. He takes the Golden Star Friendlie Award for owning the most CDs, records and books.


Made up for my lack of help whilst the beau was moving by making us some really great nachos. Mmm. Forgiveness is achieved by filling the belly.. maybe.




That's all for now friends.
I've been thinking about 2010 a lot lately. I feel a reflective blog post coming.

Adventure Weekend Part II

This adventure was completely spur of the moment, but as I mentioned before [last week's highlights], I visited my good siscat Athena in Stevens Point for a couple of days. It was a nice break. While I didn't photograph much outside of her house, I got some neat shots inside.

I just want to say that if Ath and I ever randomly get to live together, our house will be so amazing that anyone who enters will immediately pee themselves.











Lots of bookshelf contents.
I love the first photo - that terrifying shape is Athena doing dishes. Hah.
Also, thanks to Athena for being the hand model for the "Oshkosh, the end of the rainbow" mug.. and for letting me photograph your bookshelves like a maniac.

I made a pretty necklace

I was so in love..

I filled it with Indian spices.
I think I used cardamom, cumin, fennel and black mustard seeds.
I know, strange, but c'mon. Indian spices are great. You know they are.
And they're pretty. It's true, just agree. Agree or I'll cry.





It broke later that day when I went to give Chris a hug. The cork [which was only tightly pushed in, silly me] fell out, releasing the bottle, which promptly hit the floor and shattered.



Le Sigh.


I'll make some more though- For some reason I have a small collection of tiny bottles like that. Aren't they adorable!!!?? Omg, they are. You're also required to agree with me on this or I'll cry. Just kidding. I'm so exhausted from this week I think delirium is taking over my applesauce brain. Oh noooooooooooooooooooes.

Anyway, I think one of the bottle pendants is going to house a bit of the rice I harvested in Japan [weee!]. I'm saving another one for some tiny rocks from the top of Mt. Fuji [shhh!] and perhaps I'll fill one with some lavender, just cause I love it so much.

What would you put in them? Any ideas? I'd love to hear them!