Issues

My daughter enjoys plucking her father's leg hairs.

I know she's at it when I hear my husband screaming from another room.

Nuts o' Nuts

Olive begging for pistachios. 

Look at that pathetic gaze.

Just like our dog, Beans.

Doing It

I, like most folks, have a bucket list. (List dictating all the shit I want to do before I kick the bucket.) Mine has yet to change since college, and it remains short and feasible. It reads like so: 1) Get a puppy, 2) Have a baby, and 3) Write and illustrate a children's book. Number one and two on the list have been achieved (Beans and Olive, your Ma thanks you), but number three remains to be seen. But I'm working on it. I read "Writing Children's Books for Dummies" (desperate times call for desperate measures) and have began brainstorming the plot of my very first tale in a brand-new Moleskin. (A glimpse into my mad mind above.) You excited? I am! Self-imposed deadline? December of 2012. It's happening.

Master of My Universe

Holy crap. Our munchkin is over eight-and-a-half months-old. For those of you who followed me through my post-partum months (remember THIS entry?) I am long past my exhausted-frustrated-crying phase of mommyhood and am now in the triumphant-relieved-amused phase. I am in total, utter love with the ankle biter. Josh and I feel so lucky to have someone so incredible in our lives. I know I'm totally gushing, but look...

Behold. Our budding foodie. 

Ordering up a storm at Umami Burger. "Got milk?" (The answer is, "No.")

OMG. So filial!

Helping her Ma fold her Pa's undies. What fun.

With my mini-me finally under control, le hubby and I went on our first Sundate (Sunday date) yesterday. We ventured out for brunch and a movie sans baby. (She chillaxed at home with the nanny.) We grabbed a very adult brunch at Barney Greengrass and then caught a viewing of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom. Though physically away from Olive all morning-afternoon, neither of us were able to refrain from talking about nor avoid sharing iPhone photos of her during our short time away. Which leads me to point out...

It's a good thing we're obsessed with this baby. I hear there's a strict no-returns-policy when it comes to this sort of thing :)

Doodles to come.

Fashion's Night In

 One my many fashion idols. Alexander Wang's niece, Aila :)

To my husband, Labor Day marks the transition from summer to fall. To me, it signifies the start of my favorite season to shop for and ooh-ooh-ooh, let's not forget Fashion Week! My fingers can't refresh the Style.com website and Garance Dore's blog quickly enough. Seeing all the cool kids stomping around ol' NYC in deliciously creative outfits from the comfort of my pajamas whilst in bed is one of my favorite past-times. With Olive in tow, I knew that I wouldn't be able to make it to any boutique parties on Fashion's Night Out. Who am I kidding? I'm so socially awkward, I would never have made it out with or without my lil' monster. But armed with a laptop and internet connection, I can do some serious damage. Miniature lumberjack me, be gone! This mama needs new pieces!

Little black waffle jacket by Iro. Oui, please! The texture! The leather trim. What is love? THIS is love. Hunter green suede pumps by Rachel Zoe BFF Brian Atwood. Taking them! In these, my legs will look as if they go on for miles. Is that even possible when you're only 5 feet tall? Theysken's for Theory Frigi flared pleated shorts. Need! Worn over black tights, I'm going to look so Katherine Hepburn goes downtown. Equipment Diem contrast collar blouse. Effortless. So-Garance. Flare-legged jeans by Elizabeth & James. Done. Move over skinny jeans, my cankles deserve to breathe. Phillipa paisley tunic by A.L.C. The cut is so feminine and lovely. RAD message tee by Zoe Karssen. Nike Dunks in navy suede. Elizabeth and James Centinela glasses in tortoiseshell. And the piece de resistance? A Stella McCartney Bryce wool and cashmere coat in navy... 

Ahhhh... Whoever said that money can't buy happiness, simply didn't know where to go shopping. (Pearls of wisdom borrowed from the mermaid herself, Bo Derek.) I'm so happy, I'm glowing. Am I diseased?

Hubby, if you're reading this, I love you. Life is too short to look ugly. 

And if you're still steaming, please read THIS:


“He’s always asking: ‘Is that new? I haven’t seen that before.’ It’s like, Why don’t you mind your own business? Solve world hunger. Get out of my closet.” ― Michelle Obama

- - - - -

I think about death. In fact, I think I do so than most. But like most folks, I think about how I could avoid it and how I could avoid be surrounded by it. I am awful with good-byes, and well, death to me, is just one big, unwelcome farewell.

This past weekend, a dear mentor and friend of mine whom I've known for a decade decided to bid adieu early. He committed suicide and left a letter for his friends to digest. Months shy of 40, he explains that endless disappointments became his overwhelming end and according to my friend, "a life not entirely made." He insists that his friends could not have stopped this from happening, but I can't help but think differently. 

The loss of someone so humble, generous, brilliant and genuinely caring... is heartbreaking. It is out of selfishness that I cry, because I know, my friend, that you're finally at peace. I should be happy for you, the way you've always sincerely been happy for me. Always smarter than the rest of us... even when gone. Ha!

But I miss you too much to say good-bye. So I won't. 

Take care, SWC. We'll meet again.

You Complete Me

Never thought this day would come, but my thesis is FINISHED. I am presenting it to my advisors this Friday back at UCLA, and then *crossing fingers* I will officially receive my Masters. (I walked in graduation over a year ago - pregnant with Olive - but never received my actual diploma because I hadn't turned in my final film.)

This labor of love was inspired by my difficult munchkin, whom my hubby and I love and adore, but struggled dearly to appease during her first months in this world. All characters and props were fabricated from the Amazon cardboard boxes her baby gear arrived in. Pieces were then scanned and manipulated in After Effects and Final Cut. (I had initially hoped to shoot them in stop-motion under a down-shooter camera, but ended up having to learn After Effects when I realized the project would be more feasible if made that way.)

While the short is minimally-animated, spastically-timed, and probably leaves you thinking, "Wahhh? That's it?!?" I am still proud to have, simply, finished. It wasn't easy making time in my packed child-rearing day to grind this out. And it wasn't easy uploading this film online for the whole world to see. (Feeling kinda' naked.)

I hope you like it.

P.S. Thank you, Alexis and Jeff, for making this possible. I could not have pulled this off without you two!!!

So Close

                               

Ermahgeeeeeeerd!

(Olive crushing me with her baby fat.) 

I'm presenting my thesis before my advisors next Friday.
Animation is all done. *mother-daughter woot*

Rendering, compiling, and color-correcting is taking an eternity, but the little one has taught me that baby steps are always the way to go.