Veteran's Day

So I think that being in Kansas City is about connecting what I want to do with what I'm doing. This Kansas City adventure is about building a lifestyle of connections between people, places and ideas that I care about. It's a nice feeling, becoming who I am.

It's like last week. Julia's parents were visiting from Sacramento for Veterans Day. We've never had so many people for dinner! The regular Sunday night crowd were there. My Mom, her boyfriend Mister Ed, sister Megan, brother Dominic, Julia and I were joined by the Fredenburgs of the West. It was a ruckus night of squash soup, lasagna and apple pie!

It's dangerous to move somewhere away from people you love. Because everywhere there are people worth caring for. And after moving once, you'll always miss someone from where you were.

So it was the most amazing feeling, not last Sunday - but the Sunday before, to be surrounded by so many people from all over who I love so well.

And the more recent Sunday night's dinner was good too.

Jamie

New Etsy Update

Great news! New Etsy update! I'm sure its a relief to all you in blog-land that I've updated my Etsy shop once again. Now all of you that have been clamoring to get your grubby little mits on some homemade wares have your chance to finally live big!

Don't worry though, my friends with custom orders, your items are being diligently worked on my me and all of Midwestern elves. They are adorable and all wearing their puffy Chiefs jackets, carefully crafting your custom orders and gearing up for winter.


Things have been getting a little chillier here, well only yesterday, but still! It snowed just a little bit, you really had to look hard to even notice, but it was there alright! I'm just gearing up for winter weather!

Great Idea

Things are going pretty well, craft wise. So well that I'm constantly crafting. (well to be honest, I've been sick and my parents were visiting us here in KC, where the playas play, so I've taken a break until today.) Here is another custom dress that I made for a lovely someone on Etsy.

All this crafting makes me think I should put an ad on Craigslist for an intern or something. I could even offer course credit to a fortunate textile design student! The art institute is right around the corner from me, an easy commute for any student! They might be a little disappointed though when they get to our apartment and find out that I actually should have put "sweatshop work in my sunroom" instead of "perfect fashion design internship, great experience!" in my Craiglist ad.

Art students! Just think about it!

Halloween Fun

Jamie and I really enjoyed reliving the dream that is high school prom photos! In these type of photos, it's very important (a 17 year old Mathew Debarry, who was the photographer at the prom, told me) to show off your fingernails that you carefully manicured for the occasion.


I'm a ghost, Jamie's mom (Anne) is Tinkerbell, and Dominic (Jamie's brother) is an alien. Sometimes on just the right Halloween night, a totally unscripted, candid photo of a few friends having a good time without any coaxing, can be captured, with out poses.

Jamie was a cube. We went trick or treating with Dominic around the neighborhood, and there were hoards of kids! MANY people were visibly angry at Jamie's costume because it wasn't super clear. "What the heck are you?!" Some people reacted well, but a lot of kids just stared blankly at him with a little bit spit coming out of their mouths.

Things ended a little differently at our favorite annual Halloween riot! Things get a little scary sometimes, but what's Halloween without a little mob danger?!

First Crafting Post!

Thats right guys, this is my first blog post about crafts! And I'm sure it wont be the last!


My Etsy shop has been doing rather well ("rather well" means better that what it was before, which was uneventful to say the least). I successfully sold everything in the shop, and had a bunch of custom orders for other things that had already sold. This is great! But also crafting has consumed my every waking hour (when I'm not working on my new found love of blogging!)


Here are a few different views of a dress that I made for a fine female lady in Australia! Exotic! (The top photo is the original version of the dress)

Michel and Barack Obama, Our New Crafts (we're still doing crafts though too)

One of the many luxuries of living in the Midwest is that presidential candidates come to your town! Sure California has fun in the sun, but Barack Obama and his extended family don't even bother with the beach parties and the obvious electoral votes that will go to him. As a result, Jamie and I have become VERY POLITICAL. Well, to be honest, we are more political than before, but not obnoxiously so, we don't have T-shirts, yard signs, buttons, or even annoying advice for friends.



A few weeks ago, Michelle Obama came to town, and we went to go see her. Emanual Clever (everyone's favorite ex-mayor/current congressperson) spoke and got everyone riled up! There was a big crowd, so mostly what we saw of soon-to-be first lady was a red pantsuit, but it was a fun raucous time!


Last week we got the whole enchilada, with Barack Obama himself! We took Dominic, Jamie's 11 year old little brother, and got on the bus with all the other decked out Obama supporters. It was a pretty long event, just hordes of people and lines and demonstrators and counter demonstrators and demonstrators against demonstrating, so by the time Obama got there everyone was tired of the whole thing. Unfortunately we hadn't been there since three in the morning so we didn't have prime seats, so the result was that we got to see his very bright white button-up and that's about all. We aren't deterred though, and might go to a friendly election party on November 4th! See you all there,

Julia

Hey friends, enemies, and interweb busybodies! This is my first and outdated post about our trip from the Heartland of California to Heartland of the Nation! That's right, here's a little bit about the great trek East on the Missouri Trail! The wonders of Nevada and its scenic rest stops, never ceases to amaze! This was one of very first stops along the trail, and it was here that I got a little nervous about a leering man in the desert. Nevada!

We also stoped at Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and enjoyed all the dino memorabilia. Jamie is very smart about computers but not as smart about things that are real vs things that are fake. Here is trying to lure one of the fake dinos into our car with treats and petting.
Here I am, surveying the land, from the view of the dino.


I think our favorite spot on the trip was Strawberry Hotsprings in Colorado. This particular hot spring had all the liberal "back to nature" ideas of home but without all the discouraging cold ocean water!

What a paradise Colorado is! It has everything that I could ever want! Earthy hotsprings, adorable B&Bs, and winter sports! We stayed at the Holiday Chalet in Denver and, as you can see from this photo of the kitchenette, it is adorable! Kudos to the Holiday Chalet.

The haven that is the Holiday Chalet ( (303) 437-8245) also has a tremendous tea service!

It only took us a few days, but we managed to make it to good old Kansas City, MO and set up shop. Stay tuned for updates about Midwestern crafts, Jamie's "how-tos", and tons of webisodes!