Love Affair

Le huz travels regularly for work, so like it or not, living out of a suitcase is his thing. I, on the other hand, am a house-bound martian who gets a strange kick out of being faced with the challenge of editing my life (and my munchkin's) to fit in a carry-on-sized bag.

Seeing that we've been traveling a bunch with Olive - and will be traveling even more in the months to come (read: Taiwan and Iceland) - I began researching luggage. With a baby strapped to my front, a diaper bag in my right hand, and a collapsible stroller in my left, I'm left with no limbs to spare for all our other creature comforts. There must be a durable yet light backpack out there that one, doesn't make me look like, well, a backpacker; two, maximizes the amount of items a baby and sometimes fashion-conscious mommy would require; and three, functions as international carry-on. Imagine scrambling to purchase baby-necessities in a foreign country due to lost-luggage. Gawd. There's a nightmare I never want to experience.

Luckily, I found perfection in the Tom Bihn Aeronaut. My first trip traveling with the bag and baby was to Portland for a mere two days. Not a huge challenge. But this weekend, we're meeting up with le huz in NYC. Finished packing last night, and I was amazed to find that I didn't need to sacrifice outfit options for me or the munchkin. I was able to fit four outfits for me, six for her, plenty of diapers, formula, fruit pouches and extra bottles. The bag's smart design keeps me organized (all of Olive's clothes and belongings fit into the two side compartments (I bought two of their packing cubes), while all of my clothes, toiletries and gadgets fit in the center. The satisfaction of being able to comfortably fit all our crap into a neat little package is huge. And ooh, because I am able to carry the bag on my back, hopping on and off public transportation will be painless. It was painless in Portland!

I'm not alone in this love affair. This rad Seattle-based company has more rabid fans here. Can't wait to take this baby (and my other baby - Olive) to see more of the world!

Fantastic Voyage

Le huz and I have always bonded over our love of travel. Before the munchkin's arrival, it was possible to sneak off on the occasional last-minute trip to say, New York or even Sydney... but pulling off the same kind of spontaneity with a teeny tiny infant just wasn't possible for us. Oh, the screams. The tears!!!

Well, big news for y'all... Olive is no longer an infant. And with age has come a strange tolerance for plane rides, an adoration for the iPad (Elmo!), and appreciation of all things new and never-before-seen. As difficult as our munchkin was during her colic months, she's made up for that time by being a surprisingly good traveler. Huz and I are showered with compliments each time we take her on a plane. "Best baby ever!" "I wish all babies were like her on a plane." And ooh, "Did you give her tranquilizers? She was so well-behaved!" Armed with bottles for take-off and landing, a tupperware of blueberries and our Ergo baby carrier (God-sent), this mommy and baby duo can go anywhere! At this age, she still thinks Mommy's lap is the best seat in the house. A good thing, because Mommy's lap is free...

Ahh, a mere year-old, Olive has already been to San Francisco, Boston, all-over Maine, Taipei, Portland, and soon zee Big Apple. That's right... We're New York bound this weekend - on a red-eye flight, no less. Let's hope this little jetsetter is reeeeeally sleepy through out the flight.

Keeper

Duncan tells Shelly, "I have a crush on your brain." 

#wtfthisdudeisquotingthenotebook 

#hellyeahhesquotingthenotebook

Big Poppa

I'm gon' call my crew 

you go call your crew 

we can rendezvous at the bar around two... 

#boblovesitwhenyoucallhimbigpoppa

Imagine

Odd at Sea concept art. Wheel house interior. 

Identity Crisis

"We are dancer." 

#arewehumanorarewedancer #thekillers #cupcakeswithlousygrammar

The Usual Suspects

The whole club was looking at her. 

#applebottomjeans #bootswiththefur

YOLO-ing

Darby and Franklin attempt to Robot at Los Globos.

Just Like US

Harriet realizes she's made it. 

#puhs

It rained today in Los Angeles today. Sound the alarms...

Fab

The crab had fab abs. 

#notallmermenlooklikefabio #crossfittingcrab

Meow

Sexy cat eyes.

Cats eyes aren't only for Adele, people.

And seriously, are butter and baguette-filled Birkins just da bomb?

Maude the Mole is wearing Band of Outsiders Resort 2013. Bow by Ban.do. Birkin is vintage.

Bringin' Sexy Back

...with Riverdance.

Greta is wearing Christian Dior Spring 2013 Couture. The fez is vintage.

Nuns Gone Wild

...

Twisted

The garlic's vintage twisty tie made him feel like Rambo.

I actually haven't used a twisty tie in years... Have they been banned?

The Veggie Tells

The fennel was displeased when told he resembled a Modigliani.

On a side note... munchkin had her first taste of fennel this past weekend while dining at Beast in Portland, Oregon. She loved it! Not surprising, since the fennel was prepared by one Naomi Pomeroy. Olive is a very lucky girl.

Dress Code

Murray encounters an obstacle on his way to Funky Town.

Ratticus

 My body be weird, yo.

Concept art for Odd at Sea with Captain Sprinkles.

Magic Mike?

No. Lanvin gone wrong.

(Concept art for Odd at Sea with Captain Sprinkles)

Preparation

Morris in a tutu.

A Turd is a Turd

Polishing the turd otherwise known as the script for the children's show I'm helping to write. It ain't as easy as it looks. At this stage, I ain't impressed with what we've got. Neither are Peek & Boo.

Unimpressed loch ness babies.

Phobias

I was going to buy a book on phobias but was afraid it would not help me.

Stop Wishing. Start Doing.

SUPER rough concept art for the children's show I'm working on. 

once finalized, these designs will be made into uber-rad puppets!

eddie the yeti. inventor extraordinaire.

sherman the pygmy unicorn. he thinks he's a dog.

inseparable baby loch ness monsters, peek and boo. rawr.

top two 10 second doodles by jeffrey fletcher of screen novelties. 

bottom 10 second doodle by yours truly.

Damsel in Distress

heyheyhey, internet stalker. 

long time no see.

in case you haven't noticed, i haven't been blogging very frequently these past few months.

alas, raising a little human is more time-consuming than one might imagine.

*tired-blah-blah-exhausted-blah-blah-poor me-blah-blah*

enough with the excuses!!!

it's a new year, and that calls for a new me.

one with far fewer excuses and way more energy!!!

*care bear stare pose with stomach exposed and in the air*

but dude, let's be realistic.

i'm no longer the spring chick i used to be.

my knees hurt. my back hurts.

my heart. even that hurts.

(olive, it's all your fault.)

lost youth aside, i feel it in my post-pregnancy gut that 2013 is going to be a great year.

two UCLA buddies and i are developing and writing a children's variety show.

i've got a self-authored and illustrated children's book in the works.

a trip to reykjavik, iceland is taking place end-june.

and my baby girl is starting to blabber!

if 2013 can be even a quarter as awesome as the delectable strawberry pocky cake pictured above, i will be happy. so here's to a rad new year! *fist pump*

all photos plucked from Pinterest. if i knew who the owners and photographers of these images were, i'd post them. but i don't. grr.

Shine

"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams 

and you will always look lovely." 

- Roald Dahl

Grow a Pear

Grow a pear. But not right there.

Bun Bun

Arbus fan art.

Fantine

Fantine. Anne Hathaway's snot bubble in Les Mis.

ERMAHGERD.

i have been absent from this blog for how long?!?

deepest apologies. 

doodles to come.