live creatively, love passionately, laugh uncontrollably, learn constantly

I just saw this quote and felt the urge to adopt it as a goal, as a motto, as a way of life… :)

See more progress on: live creatively, love passionately, laugh uncontrollably, learn constantly

11 + 15 cheers

That’s 26 cheers total for you MovieJunkie!! 11 in 43things plus 15 in 43places. You have 32 available cheers right now. I’m very happy to have contributed on this goal to help you achieve yours :)

See more progress on: Cheerbomb MovieJunkie on Oct 31st 07 to help him achieve his goal of giving 50 cheers in one day

2007.10.30

I’m grateful for:

1. A walk at the park on a wonderful day
2. A hearty breakfast
3. A meeting to make arrangements for our restaurant project
4. Figuring out how to fill tax forms
5. Filing taxes on time

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

A tip I have about Via Tribunali

When you order a prosciutto pizza, specify that it’s ”cotto”. We were very disappointed to find our pizza cooked with regular ham (prosciutto “crudo”) :S

A quirky thing from this place: they give you scissors to slice your pizza!

See more progress on: Via Tribunali

A belated wish for Kellgo

See more progress on: Bless Kellgo With An Intellectual First Year Anniversary At 43Things On October 27th

2007.10.29

I’m grateful for:

1. Finishing Uma’s Princess Leia costume in time for a Halloween party
2. Raking leaves and clearing up half our garden
3. Walking to do errands
4. Getting some paperwork done
5. Listening to George Harrison’s music

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

Leia for a day

Done in time! I had some time to finish up her costume before the party.

Photos at the party came so unflattering because of the flash, so here she is —not as ecstatic about her costume like I was!

Of course, Uma is a princess every day ;)

See more progress on: make a costume for my dog

For the entry-level photographer

Shooting & Selling Your Photos: The Complete Guide to Making Money With Your Photography

by Jim Zuckerman

This book is a good introduction to begin selling your photography by taking the leap from being an amateur/occasional photographer to earning from your collection. Jim Zuckerman specifically addresses the dual personality a photographer must have: the creative one that captures the image and the marketing one that sells it. He addresses specific markets in which to sell your photography, and it’s very helpful as a starting point for the beginner photographer.

The only minus for this book is that he writes mostly on his experience. Of course, his method has worked for him, and he has proved to be a very successful photographer. Though he has a very wide range of subjects, I believe his book would be much more richer if he had done at least a bit of study research with other photographers (including their photographs) and what has worked for them.

Yet, I’m very happy I started with this book, and I’m ready to start working on some of his advice.

See more about Shooting & Selling Your Photos: The Complete Guide to Making Money With Your Photography

Haiku #3

It’s Saturday night
I have missed “Haiku Friday”
Only by a day

See more progress on: write haiku on fridays

2007.10.27

I’m grateful for:

1. Harvesting some vegetables from our garden — very few, but a small harvest is still very rewarding :)
2. Clearing up much of the garden and lawn — and good weather to get it done
3. Getting my photos ready
4. Being invited last-minute to a Halloween party tomorrow
5. Starting to make a costume for Uma

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

Princess Leia Costume

Uma and I have been invited to a Halloween party tomorrow Sunday! This left me with no time to get a costume. So with the materials I have home, I decided to make a “fast” Princess Leia costume.

It’s coming along OK. I don’t have a machine, so everything’s handmade, and it’s taking me quite longer to accomplish.

Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be finishing the tunic’s belt and her hairdo, while I’m at my photo stand.

Right now, it is like this:

See more progress on: make a costume for my dog

2007.10.26

I’m grateful for:

1. A “Red Green Balloon” moment —I was awed by it and missed capturing in camera
2. An “American Beauty” moment —not as impressive as the balloon moment, but I did capture it in camera
3. Nice weather and a beautiful day
4. The generosity of people
5. Gratefulness

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

Morning air

Few things compare to smelling morning air, yet this goal has lingered for ages on my stubborn effort to stretch the late-night hours…

Yet this morning, due to an early appointment, it happened: 6:30 sharp, and I was up and running. I really like waking up early, and I always ask myself why I commit to a late-owl life! The early light is so inspiring, bike riders along the lake, a morning walk with my dog… aaahhh, life’s good in the early hours…

See more progress on: Early to bed, Early to rise

2007.10.25

I’m grateful for:

1. The smell of morning air
2. An early-morning walk which brings a different light for a photo mini-excursion
3. Waking up early despite going to bed as late as usual :S
4. An afternoon nap :P
5. 2.3 hours to the full moon, the October moon, and tomorrow shall be even prettier than today —sooo looking forward to tomorrow’s orange moon right after sunset…

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

2007.10.24

I’m grateful for:

1. The microcosmos of tiny drops on plants
2. The smell of rain and wet soil
3. An afternoon of photo-shooting
4. Getting things done is spite of the dreary and gloomy weather
5. Many features still working on 43T, 43P, AC, and LB —after the check-in feature going bye-bye yesterday :(

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

43T and 43P

This goal started when 43ideas disappeared, and I feared for all my entries in the 43 sites. I need to complete this goal ASAP and just keep posting to my blog on an ongoing basis. Why? Today, while going to check in at my regular places, I noticed that the green check-in button was gone! I go to the Robots’ blog to check if there was an announcement, and sure there was :S

I think all my 43T entries are posted to my blog; I’ve been very constant about it. I’ve had a few glitches from posting from “All Consuming”, but no answer from the Robots yet. My real pending are my earlier posts at 43Places. And now I’m worrying about my all consuming and lists of bests!

There’s much work and time put into those sites to find out one day that they’re gone! :(

See more progress on: post all my 43T entries to my blog

Mid-fall

The fall equinox is past and gone, and this goal is not quite done as hoped to be by that date. I know I will have it done before the fall is over, since we’ll be moving before then. The update:

1. fully clean the house of dust and spider webs
2. mow the lawn and clean the garden
3. sweep front street—needs to be done again due to all the new leaves that have fallen on the street
4. sweep outdoor areas
5. deep-clean kitchen
6. deep-clean bathroom
7. declutter and give away clothes and miscellaneous things
8. store summer clothes and retrieve winter ones
9. reorganize shed —not necessary since we’ll be moving out
10. change the soil of the two big plant pots —still pending from spring clean —one plant done: Phyllis, our ficus, has had her soil change plus a lot of pampering, the other one is still pending, and I shall name her while I’m at it!

New tasks:

1. clean the chimney’s doors and the wall on top
2. get packing materials and pack

See more progress on: fall clean

Gauge

I started doing the gauge today for Uma’s sweater. Now this is my first time ever to do a gauge. But given last-season’s failure to succeed after 8+ attempts on knitting even half a sweater (!), I think it’s time for me to straighten up and knit the gauge!

I already went through two needle sizes and it’s still too small. It now looks like I’d need 5.5-6mm needles to meet the gauge, but I’m liking how the texture is coming out with the 5mm needles. So I’ll just adjust slightly from the pattern —this will be the only knitter’s “license” I’ll allow myself this time and stick to the pattern. I get too creative too easily… I really hope not to mess up this time :P

See more progress on: knit a sweater for my dog

2007.10.23

I’m grateful for:

1. A clear day to view Mt. Rainier
2. Gorgeous, fabulous weather —perfect 20-degree temperature, clear skies, not hot not cold, everyone out, best weather of all year!
3. Running with Uma at the park
4. Eating well and staying away from nachos
5. Coming to 43T earlier than usual and hoping to get early to bed and early to rise ;)

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

Books read and reading

Hmmm, I really haven’t checked on this goal though I have read two books a month —a bit more if I count the half-read books :P

So far, I’ve read:

1. Architecture and Design Library: Retro-Modern
2. Nick Stellino’s Glorious Italian Cooking
3. Burn Your Business Plan!
4. A Kid’s Guide to Creating Web Pages for Home and School
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I’m in the middle of reading:

1. French Women Don’t Get Fat
2. Shooting & Selling Your Photos
3. The Artist’s Way
4. Vegetable Gardening
5. Square Foot Gardening
6. Successful Business Planning in 30 Days
7. Basic Watercolor Techniques
8. Cien años de soledad (just started)

...and a long list of others on queue…

See more progress on: read two books a month

Back on the schedule wagon

So today I worked on my weekly schedule —after not following it for the whole summer, and then a bit more :P While it will be more of a guide than a strict minute-by-minute timetable, what I really want to accomplish are weekly tasks and goals.

So the week is set, let’s see how it works… this time around…

See more progress on: follow a schedule

2007.10.22

I’m grateful for:

1. Spotting a gorgeous view from my neighborhood down the lake
2. A sunny and mild weather break from a week of rain and gloom
3. Doing some cloud studies in watercolor, advancing in one of my goals
4. A lazy Sunday, driving around, exploring the city
5. A nice chat over the phone with my dad

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

2007.10.20

I’m grateful for:

1. A lovely walk along the lakeshore with Uma
2. Not breaking something or seriously injuring myself after I slipped while walking down the slope towards the lake —I even heard it crack and it hurt, but I’m OK now
3. Having a small breakfast at Columbia City Bakery with A.
4. A delicious croissant with ham and gruyere cheese —too exquisite to be over-the-counter food
5. Time to write and to read

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

Great movie :) (rated 4 stars)

Harold and Maude

Very well crafted and edited. His acting is superb; hers, a tad overacted but good nevertheless. An odd couple, but the story is so compelling it drifts you along.

My favorite part was when he blows bubbles —instead of depicting the typical smoke scene. How whimsical is that!!?? Fabulous! ;)

See more about Harold and Maude

Not amused (rated 2 stars)

A Kid's Guide to Creating Web Pages for Home and School

by Benjamin Selfridge

As an HTML beginner, I started on this book to learn basic HTML. But maybe I’m a tad beyond beginner, as I already knew most of the information this book explains. But this would be my problem and not the book’s.

However, though the authors (son and father) try to make it amusing for kids, in the chapter explaining how to insert images, the son places three photos of the father: one normal, one with white doodling over his head and beard to make him look old, and one with some scratching and an “x” over his face! As an adult, I’ve seen worse things than this, but it concerns me that this is aimed for kids and particularly that this is seen as “funny”. There are other subtle references like this throughout the book. I was not amused.

See more about A Kid's Guide to Creating Web Pages for Home and School

Soundtrack with dialogue :S (rated 4 stars)

Ocean's Eleven

by David Holmes

For me, the soundtrack of Ocean’s Eleven is the star of the movie. Holmes compositions are very engaging and really immersed me in the story.

So why did the producer decide it was a good idea to insert some movie dialogues and whatnot in the soundtrack CD? I was really looking forward to this CD, and was very disappointed on this decision. If I wanted to listen to the dialogues, I can always pop in the DVD :S

The music is very, very worth it, but the CD is not :(

See more about Ocean's Eleven

Ladri di biciclette (rated 5 stars)

Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection)

by Vittorio De Sica

Beautifully photographed and excellently directed and acted, this outstanding film tells the story of an unfortunate event happening to a common man in postwar Italy, portraying his struggle through hardship and his relationship with his devoted son while trying to recover the stolen bicycle.

See more about Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection)

Film #1: Une femme est une femme

Almost a month after watching it, I finally posted my review in All Consuming and, hopefully, get this group going!

This weekend, I’m getting ready to watch film #2: Vivre sa vie, after postponing it several times :P

See more progress on: Have mini virtual film festivals where we watch and discuss groups of films

A review of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999 Broadway Revival Cast)"

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999 Broadway Revival Cast)

by Clark Gesner

I’ve never seen the show, and I’m sure it must be a delightful experience given the nice arrange and beat of some of the songs. But Lucy’s extremely-high and irritating voice perforated my eardrums. Pity.

See more about You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999 Broadway Revival Cast)

A review of "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

A Charlie Brown Christmas

by Vince Guaraldi

Vince Guaraldi captures the essence of the Peanuts combined with the holiday season. Excellently performed, it’s a pleasure to listen to. A must-buy.

See more about A Charlie Brown Christmas

Bubbles on a rainy Friday

Just because, I’ve been wanting to blow bubbles for a while now. But it’s that kind of “unimportant” thing you keep postponing or never find the time for. It had never occurred to me to blow bubbles in the rain, but, today, while waiting for the rain to recede, I got my soap container out and a bubble wand —and I blew away…

Besides being very meditative, I learned that the great thing about blowing bubbles in the rain is that —while logic would make you believe otherwise— bubbles seem to last longer. Maybe the moist helps them last longer before they burst…

See more progress on: blow bubbles in the rain

2007.10.19

I’m grateful for:

1. Blowing bubbles while waiting for the rain to recede
2. A rain break long enough to walk Uma to the library and back
3. Waking up early —and not by alarm clock but by hail stomping on the roof and windows
4. Listening to Vince Guaraldi on a rainy day
5. A new niece/nephew is on the way!!

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

Happy birthday, MovieJunkie!!

Glad to read it’s been one of your best birthdays EVER :)

Hope this year is academically prosperous, and may your days be filled with many good movies to watch and great books to read :)

See more progress on: Bless MovieJunkie With An Academically Prosperous Birthday on Oct 19th

To Bocce or not to Bocce

There doesn’t seem to be any activity around this —and I might be moving out of the neighborhood soon—, so I’m giving up :S

See more progress on: organize the Mt. Baker Bocce Ball league

Haiku #2

It’s a rainy day
Hail is falling from the sky
On the ground below

See more progress on: write haiku on fridays

I-90 tunnel for bikes

Today, while making time for an appointment to see an apartment, I walked around an area that overlooks Lake Washington and the I-90 bridge.

Though I have passed through the car tunnel a few times, I never knew there was a bike tunnel, and with a charming balustrade overhead.

These are the little “digs” you discover while wandering around…

See more progress on: explore the city i live in

2007.10.18

I’m grateful for:

1. In spite of the strong winds today, trees fell on empty streets and not on cars or people —the only drawback were brownouts
2. Exploring new areas of Seattle
3. Returning an overdue book to the library —no more late fees for now
4. Keeping up with my morning pages in spite of a headache
5. A lazy day off

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

2007.10.17

I’m grateful for:

1. Taking the time to pamper Phyllis, our ficus —got trimming and started braiding the bottom
2. Taking the time to pamper myself with a pedicure —besides buffing my toenails, I did myself a little reflexology, aahhh…
3. Making some appointments for house/apt hunting
4. A positive response to a proposal
5. Uma being so good with cats and cats who are good to her —today on our daily walk, she played with a stranger cat who reciprocated, too funny to watch :)

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

Invite

Thank you, mahinui, for the invite. This is very motivating as I’m starting to rekindle my inner artist :)

See more progress on: Be a part of a community of amazing artists

Happy birthday, mooniebutt!!

Hope you’ve had a wonderful day!!

^{I just caught this goal and it’s barely before midnight, so I guess I got here just in time —Pacific Time that is ;)}

See more progress on: Wish Mooniebutt a Movie-Watching Birthday October 16th

Giving up... for now

Well, I failed my challenge; I never found tartlet molds; the blueberries went bad. Anyway, I’m giving up for now, but I’ll be back.

The only thing that is really disappointing is that the blueberries were homegrown given by a friend. Very shameful of my part. I will have to make up this in a better way…

See more progress on: bake blueberry tartlets

2007.10.16

I’m grateful for:

1. Beautiful, bright trees on Broadway
2. Capitol Hill —what a cool neighborhood; the place is alive!
3. Searching for places to hold an exhibition
4. A fun dinner out with a friend photographer —we had good laughs
5. Giving her first cheer to a 43T newbie —this is a first for me too :)

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

Why I recommend Cugini Cafe to locals

Good coffee and pastries in the heart of Ballard.

See more progress on: Cugini Cafe

2007.10.15

I’m grateful for:

1. Fog in Seattle
2. Waking up early, resuming one of my goals
3. Starting my morning pages
4. Doing some exercises in watercolor
5. My sweetheart Uma who came to my side when she sensed me having a little emotional breakdown

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

2007.10.13

I’m grateful for:

1. Leaves falling, but not quite reaching the ground yet, letting the sunlight through
2. Writing my first haiku
3. Still more gorgeous weather
4. Penne rigatte carbonara with A and his colleagues
5. Listening to Versions — very cool

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

2007.10.12

I’m grateful for:

1. My very so spoiled and loved dog taking a sun bath on the couch —she can’t even keep her eyes open!! Oh, the good life…
2. Gorgeous, gorgeous Autumn weather
3. Finally finishing a book it has taken me ages to finish
4. Starting to read The Artist’s Way and really liking it
5. Keeping up in organizing my photographs

See more progress on: Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.