Wondering in Wonderland: Life after Life

I was waiting for my ride after work tonight and I was watching this stray dog lap up a puddle in the parking lot. He seemed perfectly content with his puddle and barely noticed me noticing him. It got me to thinking. If I died and came back as something what would it be? At first I thought I'd come back as a cat, but then I thought I might enjoy being a spider more. Once, I had the chance to witness a spider at work making her web. I remember being so completely amazed. Spiders are amazing artists, even though their work is fleeting and mostly under appreciated. I'm not sure if I'd really enjoy eating flies though, but if I was a spider it might be the equivalent of a yummy steak. What would you like to come back as?

Random, huh? Yeah I'm pretty random.

Crafting in Wonderland: Thrift Store Crafts

Last week I was at the thrift store looking for a punch bowl. I didn't find any punch bowls, but I saw a lot of glasses, wooden trays and old records. I picked up a wooden try with a wine motif. Today Allan sprayed a white coat of paint on the ray and later this week I'll be decorating it. I'm going to use it as a coffee table tray, to keep things organized.

I think I'll be going back later to pick up some glasses and some old records. The craft store is close to thrift store so maybe I'll get some etching powder for the glasses. I have some ideas. :P As for the records, there are so many ideas floating around the internet of things to do with old records!!! Here is an example of one.

Busy Busy Busy in Wonderland: A review of yesterday's activities

Since I'm off this weekend I did my best to keep myself busy yesterday.

I worked on some more projects for my gift exchange on Monday night. I made my friend Michele something I think is really cute with fabric I think she'll like.

I started cutting out peices of fabric for the cat toys I'm planning on making for our local animal shelter. I need to get some catnip though.

I did the usual laundry, straighten up, wash dishes thing. I added more links here. I found some more crafting websites and also green websites.

I added a link to the organization my mom is director to, Guma Mami Inc. They help people with dissabilities.

I was on crafter and decided to see if I can join a swap. I've never done one, but I'd like to. I sent in an app for the pink, fuzzy, girly swap. :P Hope I can join.

I also got curious about what a wist is. So I joined. It seems fun. It's basically like social bookmarking or wish listing.

I also watched Viva and Allan play tug of war. I recorded Viva and Allan playing with her big pink tennis ball, but I'm having a hard time uploading. I'll try using my photobucket later.

Viewed in Wonderland: When graphic artists get bored

Allan found this and I just had to share!

Celebrating in Wonderland: Half way through the holidays

Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope everyone is having a safe and fun filled holiday season. Mine has been action packed, a little stressful, but very very worth every lost hour of sleep. :P

I spent Christmas morning at work, but the holiday pay makes it worth it. I spent the afternoon finishing up some gifts for family and friends. The early evening I spent stuffing my face and exchanging love and presents with my family. Later in the evening we spent time with our friends exchanging laughter and gifts. I think everyone appreciated their home made gifts. I got a few "You really made this?" comments. That always makes me feel good. :P

And the fun is just beggining. We have one more Christmas party, Allan's Birthday, and New Year's Eve all before 2008 comes to a close.

Cast of Wonderland: Meet my family!

Thought I'd post some pictures and info of my little family. :P Allan and I have been together for almost 5 years now. We live in our little apartment with our 2 girls, Merlot and Viva. Merlot is our sweet little persian who we've had for about 3 years. Viva is our rescue puppy. She's only about 9 months old and we think she is predominantly cardigan corgi, but who knows.

Crafting in Wonderland: delayed post

I tried to post these pics a few days ago, but I was having a hard time and gave up. These are some pins I decorated for a friend and the pin cushion/sewing kit jar I made for her. Hope she enjoys it!

Crafting in Wonderland: my new toy and my new finished project

I had to go to the craft store to get some stuff for the presents I'm making. I picked up this awesome rotary cutter. Maybe now I'll be able to cut fabric straight . . . yeah right. :P



I also finished the purse I was making for one of my friends. She's one of the only chicks I know who skates. I had asked Allan to put together all the shirts that've shrunk or that he doesn't wear anymore. Among that pile I found this shirt and decided to use it to make her gift. I spent less than $2 on it. I only had to buy the strap and I had velcro lying around already. :) I love it. I hope she does too!

Zeitgeist in Wonderland: Hope for the future

I can home from work a few days ago and wanted to get to work with my holiday crafting and planning, but Allan stopped me. He was watching a movie on the internet and wanted me to watch with him. He was explaining about how money is made, conspiracy theories, and then started describing a project by a group of people that wanted to make the world better. I was like, "uh oh", sounds like a cult. But he felt so passionately about it I sat down and watched the movie with him. And I'm glad I did. It made me think deeper about things I was thinking about anyways. It made me realize that maybe there is hope for the world and maybe my waiting for Wonderland isn't silly. Wonderland is a possibility if only we all worked together for the betterment of all life on earth and the earth itself.

You think I'm crazy??? Watch the movie and check out the web sites if you have time. I just think it's about time we start realizing that what is truly crazy is that children are dying, people are starving, we are at war . . . and there are other ways to deal with it. There are other ways to live. If we could work together, all of us, we could realize all of our dreams - to provide a better life for our children, to live freely, to not have to turn on the news and be dissapointed in our fellow man.

The Zeitgeist Movement
Zeitgeist Movie I can only reccomend the 2nd one. I haven't watched the first yet.
The Venus Project

The Venus Project - Designing The Future - VO
Uploaded by ManchaFu

Now I'm off to do some of that holiday crafting I've been putting off.

Crafting in Wonderland: Home-made Christmas update

I thought I'd post some pics of the presents I've been working on! :P

This is part of a sewing kit I'm making for a friend.

A tutu I made for Allan's little sister.

An apron that will come with a hostess cook book I'm putting together

This apron comes with a matching recipe envelope filled with mostly vegetarian recipes.

Celebrating in Wonderland

Happy Black Friday everyone. I know I said I wouldn't be shopping today, but my dad asked me to take my nephew to pick out some jeans on sale at Macy's. So Allan and I braved the crowds at the mall to get Mikey some Levi's on the cheap. We also bought a couple quality pillows for only $20, for both. We love good pillows.

We also took a detour, since we were alredy on the road, and went to American Music. I got Allan new strings for his acoustic and electric guitars. Mikey had fun looking at the guitars and books. He's 9 and is currently taking guitar lessons. When he was 7 Allan and I bought him his first real acoustic. And little does he know my parents got him an electric. He's going to have an awesome christmas.

Anyways I plan to spend the rest of my day helping my dad make a rib roast and decorating my apartment! :) Tonight we're going to the autumn festival to enjoy Japanese entertainment, snacks and carnival games. I'm excited!!! I'm going to make Vivz wear her sushi costume!

Hope you have a great Black Friday. Don't stress too much and remember, as Allan told Mikey, every day should be Thanksgiving!

Celebrating in Wonderland: Thanks Giving on Guam

It's Thanks Giving day here on Guam! I just finished making my latiya for my family party and my friends party. Latiya is a favorite local dessert. It's basically half a sponge cake topped with a yummy pudding.

I learned how to make latiya a few Thanks Givings ago. Allan and I just moved in to OUR first apartment. We were previously living with my brother and his fiance, but since they got engaged and had a baby on the way, we decided they needed their own place. Anyways, I decided to put together a full homemade Thanks Giving feast for all our friends. Most of them didn't have anything planned with their families so it was welcomed. When I was planning the menu Allan, who for the most part doesn't have a sweet tooth, mentioned that he likes latiya. So I called my mom and she lent me a local cook book with the recipe. Every one enjoyed the meal, but most especially they loved the latiya.

I haven't perfected it though. The sponge cake always floats and that makes it look kind of funny, but it's made with love and tastes sooo delicious. Every time I make it I'm reminded of that day and the love I have for Allan and the friends and family I make it for.

Happy Thanks Giving!!!

Celebrating in Wonderland: Getting in to the Holiday Spirit

This year I'm attempting to really go all out for Christmas. I'm off on Black Friday, but all my gifts are going to be homemade. Instead of fighting the crowds in the stores I'll be home making decorations and gifts. I'm very happy about that. To get in to the swing of things I decided to make a Christmas station on Pandora. If you haven't visited Pandora online you should really check it out. I entered "Santa Baby"and now my station plays jazzy Christmas songs, weeding out the more kiddy songs. Last night Allan and I were singing along and dancing. It really got us in the Christmas spirit.

Last night I finished the structure of one of the sewing projects I'm doing. All I have to do now is add some finishing touches and wrap it up. By Friday I'll have atleast one gift under the tree.

Wonderland in Stitches

Last night I started on the first of many christmas gift sewing projects. I got my sewing machine over 5 years ago. This is the first time I've used it and actually had some idea of what I was doing. It's amazing how many wonderful blogs and sites are out there with tutorial, patterns, and videos. For the past month or so I've been a frequent visitor of Burda Style, Sew Mama Sew, and craftster. I'm excited about this new adventure. I just hope I can find enough time to make all the things I want to before all the christmas parties!

If anyone has any tips for a newbie at the sewing machine they'd be greatly appreciated. And if you know of any great sites please-please share!

Wish me luck!

Funding Wonderland

Since the minimum wage has gone up, my pay has been adjusted accordingly. Awesome! And this news came on the same day that Allan found out he will be working at the new and improved Hope 4 Pain Tattoo shop! Yay.

Living in Wonderland is not cheap so this news is very welcome! I've also been looking into other ways to save money and keep myself occupied aithout spending so much money. Bohemia here we come.

Sharing Wonderland: Helping with a wedding

A beautiful young couple is planning on getting married this month. They don't have much money and my mom and some of her friends agreed to help them plan it. They'll be married on the beach by a friend who happens to be an ordained minister. My mom was asking me for ideas and I thought these invitations, I found on the net, would be beautiful and functional for a warm beach wedding. I'll be making these invitations for them. The bride is going to have an orchid bouquet, also made by a friend, and the center pieces are going to be small fishbowls with guppies and shells. My mom has a little container pond with billions of guppies, so she'll be providing the fish. An intimate breakfast reception will take place after the ceremony at a nearby hotel restaraunt. They'll have a filled cupcake stand instead of an expensive wedding cake. For favors they'll be giving shell necklaces with a little card commemorating the event. I'm so excited it sounds intimate, simple, and classy. What makes it really beautiful is that so many people are pitching in, which I think is a good sign that this couple has hope. People are helping because they are good people who deserve a beautiful wedding even if they don't have the bank account to pay for one!

Decorating Wonderland: I must learn how to cut glass!

How awesome are these? I have a ton of empty wine bottles. I also have empty Jack Daniels bottles that I've made a centerpiece with! :P

I think I know what I'm going to do with those wine bottles now. Wish me luck!!!

dirty warehouse and ADHD suffering musicians

Allan, my boyfriend was in this photo shoot for a local magazine. They're doing an article on the evolution of punk rock on guam. So they asked a bunch of the "old generation" and "new generation" punk rockers to get together and say cheese. The pictures turned out better than I was expecting especially after hearing Allan bitch. I don't really know why he was bitching he looks like he had a good time. lol. He's the one in the back with the beer. I think that's the pic where the photographer asked them to be themselves. That's Allan all right. :P

Wonderland musings . . .

The title for my blog comes from a painting I did a while back. The idea of it is that Alice is all grown up sitting on an oversized mushroom where Wonderland once was, but is now a dead forest lit by the distant city glow.

The point being that when we were kids the world seemed amazing and our futures seemed fantastical. :P As we grow up we often realize things aren't the way we saw them as children. I'd like to bring back Wonderland for me though. I'm attempting to resolve to get more active in my life. I want to do the small things I've been meaning to do and change certain negative things so that hopefully I will find Wonderland for myself and maybe help others discover their Wonderlands!