A year? Really? A whole year since I threw my hat in photobooth friday pool? Ridiculous. It was clearly past time so I went straight to the hat rack at Wasteland and picked out my favorite four, plunked my butt down and came out with this.



Yessirree. And this one? Would you have left without this hat?



Nope, me neither.



Happy PBF, people. I'm apparently off to the Arctic.

...please let me explain. It all started with a phone call about Pearl. A delightfully thick German accent inquiring after her. Fabrizio grew up in the Bavarian countryside. His grandfather had owned a nearly identical car, same color and shape. Seeing Pearl had flooded him with memories of his boyhood. Could he please come test drive her? Why, of course! He loved her, drove her so well and agonized over the decision. Alas, he opted to hold out for the 1950 Nash he has always wanted but "won't you please join us at my restaurant's anniversary party?" And how could a girl say no to that? especially when the restaurant in question was Suppenküche. I will leave it to you to do your research on how fabulous this famous little German restaurant perched on a corner in San Francisco really is. The plentiful reviews say it all...but here's a little peek at some of the very VERY cool interior...

metal swallows soaring across the ceiling...


butterflies and pine trees stenciled on the walls...


bier specials and branches and laminated leaf photos and skulls...


And here is where the story gets more interesting..."it is a costume party!" - do you have the accent in your head? - "everyone please come dressed as a gnome".

Um...ok...but...fresh out of gnome costumes around here. So I put on my green boots and fairy crown (dude, fairies and gnomes TOTALLY hang out together, right?), packed my favorite bier frau...


into Pearl and headed into the city. And just look what we found! Boy gnomes...


girl gnomes...


bier drinking, lederhosen clad gnomes...


and to my GREAT delight, my very favorite...one tattooed, gun-toting lederhosen clad gnome...


See you next year, meine freunde!

B.elinda, B.eautiful, B.rave, B.right, B.adass, B.eloved, B.rilliant, B.est friend, and

B.ook maker!


I am so very proud to blog about this beautiful labor of love. This book one woman's journey told in Quilts written and created by Belinda Maurer Fernandez about her mother Betty Elaine Maurer's inspirational journey through life thus far as seen through her amazing and inspired quilts. Shot by her talented lifelong Photographer dad, Kurt Maurer...this is a beautiful inspiration of a book.


#19 Japanese Pattern by Betty Elaine Maurer

I am no quilter but this book tugs my hearts strings and makes my fingers itch to learn. Not a 'how-to' book - there are plenty of those out there - more a coffee table book of brilliant inspiration and joy and beauty. Do yourself, or someone you love, a favor and pick one up right here, right now.


Colors of Cozumel (section) by Betty Elaine Maurer

and a happy, happy weekend to you all!

I made the cut!

This photo was chosen as a finalist for the May photo contest over at Greeblemonkey... I drooled over the lenses I could have rented with that $250 prize from ProPhotoRental but, alas, it was not meant to be. I take being nominated amongst such talent as the highest of compliments and heartily congratulate the winner, Sarah Long :)

bench mondays.

it has now been another four weeks.

yay!

on the inside.

These promo/postcards are the fruits of a tremendous labor for Belinda and I. Three months, ten photo shoots, a series of eight final images by yours truly. All concepted, expertly designed and executed by the lovely B. Along with the cards, there are eight posters and a website explaining the iWALK program far better than I can.

I lost track of the hours we put in long ago but I will tell you that I have never been more proud of anything I have worked on before. And it's not just the product we've created of which I am proud. It is also this wonderful project.

Sonoma County in Northern California is determined to help their community get healthy and this is just the beginning...if you live there, please join up and get walking!

The full set of images can be viewed here.

and felt like this:


and tasted like this:


and although I barely had a moment to sit down, I enjoyed every minute of it.
hope yours was all kinds of lovely as well.

(oh, and that coconut cake? total success.)

our weekend will be filled with hot sunny days
very important swim finals (go, riley go!)
john hughes movies (can you believe he's never seen sixteen candles?!)
and homemade coconut cake at gramma's house.

may yours be just as rad.

dude.

love l.

...who will you be someday?

You do not know.
No hard, fast rules.
No lofty goals.
You are beautiful right now.
And will be a whole new kind of beautiful later.
One that will spread intricately patterned wings and take flight.
Flight with purpose and delight.

Just like me.

And everyone.

No matter.