Hipsta-Shots

Some cool shots of the screen and porch using Ryan's Hipstamatic camera app on his iPhone:

Porch Videos

A quick glimpse of the porch:



A shot of the lanterns (couldn't really see them in the first video):

Screens are UP

Yay! We got the screens and frames up last night! Our neighbors may not be too happy, seeing as we were using power tools on the balcony till close to 10pm, but all for the beautifying of our space :) The pictures below still aren't the best (using an iPhone) and we don't have everything out there yet (futon mattress, pillows, plants, paper lanterns, etc), but I wanted to at least capture the screens and frames.

My mom bought the screen (1 4-panel screen that we disassembled into 2 2-panel screens) for us from a local place called Legacy Decor (right up in Newport Beach). We looked for like a full day online for a screen I liked and finally found one at a place about 30 miles away, hehe.

Ryan and I built the frames around it (okay, more Ryan and I was just the foreman). We used 5 1x4's - 4 for the posts and 1 split in two for the brace on top. We painted them with an outdoor paint so that the weather wouldn't effect them as much (I know, I know, we don't get much weather, but when we do, I want the stuff safe :)) . We also sprayed everything with a weatherproof lacquer type spray to help protect it. We used black zip ties through the natural space in the screen and drilled a few holes in the frame and attached everything to the balcony railings (they aren't attached to each other because we didn't want to possibly wreck the screen if we ever decided to move it inside).




When we get everything out on the porch I will be sure to take more pictures. Also, I think I will try and remember to take a few from below the condo so you can see it from an outside perspective too :)

Hope you like 'em - cause we LOVE THEM!!!

Facial Hair

Okay, normally I DISlike facial hair, but this just makes me smile :)




Last week, it was the World Beard and Moustache Championships 2011 in Trondheim, Norway. We’ve been marvelling at some of the highlights we’ve come across searching Flickr. Those are some impressive beards and ‘stashes, keep up the good work guys.

Porch Progress

This weekend we may some real progress on our porch, but I don't have many pictures to show for it... oops! The screen that madre had ordered was delivered last week. It had been rainy and gray (not to mention Ryan had some work dinners at the beginning of the week) so we didn't get around to putting them on the porch until yesterday. When we put them out there, I decided that they seemed to small for the space. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE THE SCREEN, I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE SCREEN, I just wasn't sure if it filled the space like I was hoping it would. I had posted a picture on Facebook about people's thoughts on it - and I got some great responses. What we ended up doing was building a frame around the screen, (our of 1x4's) so that way it filled out the space a little more. Right now the wood is drying in the garage (we painted it black so that it looks like it goes with the screen itself. We are hoping that the paint dries tonight (it was oil based because it is for outdoor and has a longer dry time) and we can actually 'create' the frame tomorrow night. We might not get it up and set on the porch until Wednesday or so, but we hope we will get it done in the next few days. We also bought a couple paper lanterns (battery powered) to hang out there. We put the hooks up and tried them out. I really like them (but of course, no pictures - sorry). Obviously there is enough light out there already because of the lights on the building or on the sidewalk, but the aqua lanterns give it a cool look. I think we really like the direction that everything is heading and are excited to get it done before the weather gets nice (that way we can use it all summer long). I will TRY to take more pictures (it may be difficult because during the week we don't start on it until it is dark, so it is hard to take good pics), so be on the look out :)



A picture from the living room of Ryan on the futon (while I was trying to decide my feelings about the screen):



An idea of the screen compared to the space (I am at the other end of the porch taking the picture):

Kill Room

Take a look back to last season and watch the cast and crew talk about Dexter's sacred world, the kill room, and give a behind the scenes look at how the sets are put together.

What's Yours?

What's your One for One?

TOMS Next Chapter - What's your One for One? from TOMS on Vimeo.

For TOMS, the Next Chapter starts on June 7 when we’re not just a shoe company anymore, but the One for One™ company. And that's what our One for One box represents. What's your next chapter? How do you want to build a better tomorrow?

Ceremonial Keg Delivery

Cheboygan Brewery - This Friday ~5:15 pm will be a ceremonial keg delivery to Johnnie's, Mulligans, and the Rusty Anchor. What makes it "ceremonial"? The horse and buggy, just like it was done 100 years ago.





More of the pictures from the delivery here.

Congrats Ry!

I am so proud of my hubby! This morning he passed his motorcycle road test. YAY! WAY TO GO PETER PIE! (I don't think that I will be able to pass the road test, so I think next time I get my permit I will take the motorcycle class so that I can by-pass the whole road test) You are da bomb dot com Sammy!

CAUGHT HIM (or her)

YAY! I just happened to have the camera on the couch (from putting the pictures of Valio Con on the computer) and a FAIRY was FEEDING! I was able to snap 3 quick pictures (it took me a while to work it, because it was trying to focus on the screen in the window, etc)... BUT I HAVE PROOF THAT THEY ARE FEEDING!!

AWESOME Proposal!

My girlfriend Ginny gets taken to the movie theater to see "Fast Five". After a preview for the Hangover 2, a trailer for a movie comes on. A trailer I made of her father and I where I ask her father for her hand in marriage. After he gives me permission, I race off to the theater she is at to ask her to marry me.
What she doesn't know is our familiy and friends are in the theater with her watching the whole thing, along with about 100 strangers ;-)

By: www.MichaelEscobar.com

Slobstopper

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!



This is a REAL product! The Slobstopper is an adult bib meant to fix those messy spills and stains, especially for the busy, commuter lifestyle. Order yours at http://www.Slobstopper.com

Kev Live in Michigan

Kevin did a little Live Show for some friends in Michigan :) Here are a few of the videos:






New York:



The Moon's Love Song:



Surface and Me:

Cancelled Shows

What a bummer! I am sad about - Law & Order: LA, The Chicago Code, and Detroit 1-8-7. What ones are you sad to see on the list?!

Has Your Favorite TV Show Been Canceled? A Guide to What the Networks Axed

Just prepare yourself, because what you're about to see is ugly. In truth, a lot of the shows deserved it, and cancellations were expected, but there are a few sad ones. So without further ado, our complete list of canceled TV shows, updated in real time as news breaks.

CANCELED SHOWS, BY NETWORK:
ABC
'Better With You'
'Brothers & Sisters'
'Detroit 1-8-7'
'Mr. Sunshine'
'My Generation'
'No Ordinary Family'
'Off the Map'
'V'

NBC
'America's Next Great Restaurant'
'The Cape'
'Chase'
'The Event'
'Friday Night Lights'
'Law & Order: LA'
'Outsourced'
'The Paul Reiser Show'
'Perfect Couples'
'School Pride'

FOX
'Breaking In'
'The Chicago Code'
'Human Target'
'Lie to Me'
'Lone Star'
'Running Wilde'
'Traffic Light'

CBS
'The Defenders'
'Mad Love'
'Medium'
'$#*! My Dad Says'

THE CW
'Life Unexpected'
'Smallville'

The rest of the article here.

Valio 2011

YAY! Ryan did such a great job yesterday at the conference. He sold 3 pieces and donated 2 for prizes. I am so proud of him and all his great work! He met some cool guys that are commissioning him for work and possibly doing collaborations in the future. Below are some of the pictures that I took at the event:

Ryan working on the live piece during the conference lunch on Sunday:

The two giveaway pieces:

A piece he sold to a cool dude Kyle (http://kylesteed.com/):

Ryan giving a little talk during the conference about his pieces:

Ryan hanging out on the roof chatting with conference attenders:


The rest of the pictures are here (on my Facebook page).

Lidstrom Returning?

Nicklas Lidstrom sets July 1 deadline

Nicklas Lidstrom insisted he doesn't know whether he's returning to the Detroit Red Wings for a 20th season or retiring at the age of 41.

He has, however, set a deadline to give the Red Wings his decision.

"Before July 1," he said Saturday, two days after the San Jose Sharks eliminated Detroit in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinal.

Lidstrom's teammates and coaches obviously hope he returns.

"If I was Nick, I'd come back and I'd keep coming back," said Mike Modano, who is leaning toward retirement. "If he gets the Norris, he has a chance at history of catching Bobby Orr."

Lidstrom is a Norris Trophy finalist for the 11th time in 13 seasons. If Lidstrom wins his seventh award in June for being the NHL's top defenseman, he will match Doug Harvey's total and trail Orr's record by only one.

He signed a one-year, $6.2 million deal June 1, 2010, and likely would come back with similar contract terms if he chooses to continue his career.

The rest of the article here.

Valio Con

Ryan was asked to do some live art during one of the lunch breaks at Valio Con 2011.

NEW Valio Con 2011 Trailer from Valio, Inc. on Vimeo.

It is a conference for Web Designers and Developers that one of our friends, Drew Wilson, is putting on. Ryan gets to take a couple of his pieces that he has made lately and try to sell them. Also, he is going to be doing a live piece while the conference attenders are eating lunch to raffle off. We will be heading to the Carlsbad Inn in an hour or so to get set up and hopefully sell some art :)

1-8-7 Cancelled

BOOOOOOOOOO! I really liked this show! And Detroit!

'Detroit 1-8-7' is canceled, producers confirm

Producers of "Detroit 1-8-7" confirmed Friday that the drama has been canceled. David Zabel and Jason Richman told the Free Press they received a call from ABC at 4:30 p.m. telling them the show had not been renewed. The network, which on Tuesday is announcing its new fall schedule, has not yet confirmed the cancellation.

“One of the most special things about this past year is that we were able to really capture a specific time and place with Detroit – something many shows aspire to. There are plenty of series that do shows in L.A. or New York or Chicago -- we’re very grateful that we were able to do the show about Detroit in the city,” executive producer David Zabel told the Free Press Friday afternoon.

"Detroit 1-8-7" creator and executive producer Jason Richman said, "“This really was a series about Motown, and we can’t thank the city and all of the supporters there enough. When we first started, many people weren’t sure about what we were doing or what the show was about. Detroit’s a tough city. But now, to have had so many people embrace us and help us, it really was an exciting partnership.”

The rest of the article here.

Great Season

Zetterberg & Leto

So I have been telling Ryan for the last year or two that every time I see Henrik Zetterberg I think of Jerod Leto. I did a Google image search yesterday to see if I was just crazy - and all I typed in was Zetterberg and went to the Google Images and LOOK what was the first image that came up:



Left wing Henrik Zetterberg led the Red Wings in goals (43) this season and has scored 12 goals and 8 assists for Detroit in 24 playoff appearances over the past two postseasons.

Jared Leto is an actor/musician best known for roles in films like Requiem for a Dream, Alexander and Lord of War in recent years, although some might remember him best as Jordan Catalano from the show "My So Called Life."

CA Adventure

Update on Disney California Adventure Park Expansion

With the opening of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure on June 3 and the completed transformation of Paradise Pier on July 1, big changes keep coming for Disney California Adventure park. Today, Eddie’s back to give you the latest update on the park’s ongoing expansion.

Check out the video below for a behind-the-scenes look at the construction progress in Cars Land, which will open in 2012. Also featured are the many updates coming to the park’s entrance, which will take guests back to 1920s Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney first arrived there.

For the latest information on the updates still to come, be sure to visit Blue Sky Cellar at Disney California Adventure park.

Handle

Okay, so I have to admit, I don't know much about beer. To me, it smells like pee, and probably tastes like what pee tastes like too (NO I HAVE NEVER TASTED PEE... I AM JUST SAYING). Anyway, maybe I will need to learn a little more, now that it is technically a 'family business', hehe. What I do know is this is a cool looking handle:



(It's a lighthouse in case you couldn't tell :) )

Ryan's Car

Char Star (aka my mother-in-law) sent us a picture of Mr. Matthew Man (aka our nephew) on one of Ryan's old toys - a wooden car.



What a cutie pa-tootie, huh?!

And we get to celebrate his 3rd birthday with him in a couple weeks when we go back to Cheboygan for the brewery opening. So fun!!

Bikes

YAY! I placed the order for our bikes tonight! I have wanted a bike since selling the Crazy Pickle last year :) I came across some AWESOME Huffys online and finally talked Ryan into getting them.

Ryan's:



Mine:



They should be delivered next week. Hopefully by that time we have rearranged the garage a little so that we will be able to fit them in there (along with all of the surf boards, car, scooter, art stuff, tools, etc). I am pumped to have them for the summer. I am also pumped to get some streamers, a bell, a basket, and a cup holder to make the bike EVER MORE AMAZING! And don't you worry - I will be SURE to get some good pictures once they arrive!

Table

The porch is coming together, slowly but surely. Today I was looking on Craigslist for a table for the balcony. I came across an ad for an 'Iron round table shabby chic'. I sent them an email to see the dimensions and it was '29.5" high and the top is 26.5" ' - which was just what we were looking for. The woman selling it was over on Camp Pendleton. We just got back from picking it up. It is pretty perfect for what we were looking for - and especially for the price :) It is pretty heavy duty - I mean I think Ryan was guessing it was about 30 pounds. We are going to spray paint it black, to match everything else, but probably not for another week or two (we are pretty well booked this weekend). I will take pictures of it when we paint it, but for now you will just have to check out the Craigslist ad photos.

Weekend of Service

This is the weekend!

WEEKEND OF SERVICE 2011 - MAY 14-15

In just a few days, we will once again cancel regular weekend services and send out over 6000 people all across North County to perform community service. With over 100 project sites and close to 200 projects, we will complete over one million dollars of improvements.

There is still time to sign up! Pick the project you would like to serve at and the best time slot for you and register now. There is something for everyone (family friendly and light duty), so let’s get 7000 people out there being the hands and feet of Jesus.

Game 7

HECK YES! GO WINGS!

Red Wings-Sharks Preview

Whether it's been after a heart-stopping win or a crushing loss, San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan has always been consistent in his belief that new momentum is created at the start of every game.

Never before has McLellan hoped more that his belief in a lack of a carry-over effect was true than heading into Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinal against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.

The Sharks have squandered a 3-0 series advantage, blowing a pair of third-period leads to move to the brink of becoming just the fourth NHL team ever to lose a best-of-seven series after winning the first three games.

"It doesn't matter how we got here, whether it was 3-0 or win one, lose one," McLellan said. "What matters is the input we put into the game tomorrow. That will be the mental approach. Each of those individuals in there should be confident in their skill level and their commitment level. They've proven it before and it's just a matter of bringing it to the rink and putting it on the ice."

The Red Wings would seem to have all the momentum heading into Game 7 when they look to add another memorable accomplishment for a franchise that has won four Stanley Cup titles since 1997.

Detroit is the eighth team in NHL history to force a Game 7 after being down 3-0, with three of the previous seven completing the comeback -- including Philadelphia last year in the second round against Boston.

"You can't think about that," Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "Your focus has to be on the same approach that we had in the last three games. We're one win away from moving on but we're also one win away from not playing anymore in the playoffs, so we know what's at stake. Our approach is going to be the same as we had in the last three games."

The winner advances to the conference final against Vancouver.

The rest of the article here.

Rolling in the Deep

More Adele on Glee :) YAY!

Happy Mother's Day

My mom is actually out visiting right now (she flew in on Thursday and heads out tonight), so we actually got to spend Mother's Day celebrating with her. We started out the day by watching Fargo, then went to Joann Fabrics (we are going to make our own pillows for our porch/ balcony), then hit up a few stores to look for porch things (Tuesday Mornings, Marshalls, etc), then made our way to the mall (so that mom could look for some birthday gifts at Vans), then we went to Jolly Rogers in the Oceanside Harbor for linner (lunch/ dinner), after that we watched the RED WINGS WIN, and then we ended the day with some frozen yogurt from Menchie's.

A picture of madre and I outside the restaurant after dunch (dinner/ lunch):

Car and Dog Show

On Saturday we went to Riverside for Wieners and Wheels. It was wiener dog races and a car show. Even though the drive was about an hour and a half, I think it was still well worth it.

Wiener Fest:

Speedy:

Mom and I with a dog?

They even had pigs:

Costume Contest - A Jockey on a 'horse':

Keepin' it cool:

Pop bottle pups:

Someone came with painted poodles:

Ryan fell in love with this puppy - an Australian Cattle Dog. But they need more room than we could give him...


More pictures here (on my Facebook page).

Honey Badger

Warning - There is vulgar language. But I think we watched it about 5 times yesterday :)

Screen

The porch is coming together slowly but surely. The futon mattress was delivered this afternoon. We had a fairy sighting on the fairy feeder. And mom ordered us an AWESOME screen for the two ends of the balcony. The screen is a 4 panel, but we will unhinge it in the middle and use 2 panels on each of the ends. I know it is hard to describe (and hopefully once everything is actually delivered we will be able to take pictures), but I think it will look SWEET! We first saw the screen on Amazon.com, but then actually found it cheaper at a place right up the street in Santa Ana.

MADRE IS DA BOMB DOT COM, huh?!

Let's Go Wings!

Sunny Oasis

Wieners & Wheels 2011 at Fairmount Park May 7

If you didn't get enough wiener races last Sunday at Temecula's Wiener Fest there's another event coming up Saturday at Riverside's Fairmount Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. sponsored by Sunny Oasis Dachshund Rescue. There will be a custom car show with awards as well as food booths and entertainment. No wiener dog event would be complete without wiener races and a canine costume contest judged by Riverside City Councilman Mike Gardner. The Riverside County Dept. of Animal Services will bring adoptable pets and there will be a blessing of the animals. For more details visit www.sunnyoasisrescue.org or call 951-233-2413.

Funny Faces

More Old School pictures!!

My great-grandma Stoddard and me in 1984 (check out my WILD hair):

My cousin Jennifer and me (check out my CRAZY eyes):

On a merry-go-round (check out the HOT tan and POPPED collar):

Levi and me and my first birthday cake (check out the YUMMY frosting):

I guess I was kissing my snowman?!