Stitchasaurus

Good News!

2012-01-27T11:02:00.000-08:00

BOOM! MRI Results confirm: No no disease activity in over 2.5 years now, making this "winning streak" officially 10x longer than those in even my wildest of dreams. *Does touchdown dance*

YAAAAAAAAAAY!

Immediately, a list of things I'm grateful for ran through my head. It's funny what comes to mind:

Being able bodied on this borrowed time (duh)
Getting to *move* as much as I do (helloooo crossfit!)
My beautiful home, my beautiful life, my silly dogs
All the wonderful people in my life (for mad serious)
Getting to be the colorful tattooed lady I am with wide acceptance
A job that excites me, a position of expertise, people I like to work with and a promising future
Tons of fun adventures, big and small

I asked my beloved neurologist what he thought of patients using diet as a complementary treatment to help control the disease. He told me it's all hooey. Ha! Maybe it is, maybe it is just luck, but 2.5 years vegan and 2.5 years disease free? Major coincidence if it's not a contributing factor. In any case, it's the best I've done so far in my nearly 7 years so I'm sticking with it!

Now, if I could just get over this sinus infection already and get back into the gym...

Take a deep breath today, and be grateful. This is a gift.

Cheers,
Karla

Leanout: The Great Brussel Sprout Experiment

2012-01-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

I have supposedly hated brussel sprouts for basically my whole life, but I decided that I should waive my childish hatred long enough to give them another, adult-style shot. When I came upon the idea of blackened brussel sprouts, I knew this was the option to try.

But first was the quinoa since it takes forever to make.

Recipe - Quinoa:

Boil 2 cups of water.
Add 1 cup of quinoa and return to a boil.
Cover and cook until all water is absorbed (about 12 minutes).
While you're waiting for the quinoa, chop up veggies and heat in a skillet with olive oil to soften (I used mushrooms, green onions and onions).
Once the quinoa absorbs all the water, toss in those veggies, fluff everything up, cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Now, with the quinoa basically done, you can move onto the other two dishes.

Recipe - Spicy Tempeh:

Slice tempeh into 1/4" slices.
Coat a pan generously with olive oil, soy sauce and red pepper flakes and heat.
Add tempeh slices to pan and cook until lightly crisped.

Recipe - Brussel Sprouts:

Wash and halve 2 cups of brussel sprouts.
Coat a pan generously with olive oil.
Add 3-4 cloves of minced garlic and cook until lightly browned.
Add brussel sprouts to pan and cover.
Season with salt and pepper. Add oil as needed to prevent drying.
Allow a few minutes between stirrings so brussel sprouts blacken a bit.
Sprouts are done once blackened and soft.

Plate it up and you've got yourself a harty, healthy, kinda pretty looking meal!

Unfortunately I'm so stuffed up, I can only sort of tell that it tasted alright. I'll definitely have to try this one again when my nose and mouth are more cooperative. Off to the couch for rest and trashy TV.

Cheers,

Karla

Back on the Grid

2012-01-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hello again! Been a while. That cute little snow flurry I was so excited about last week turned into a beastly winter fiasco. It snowed for about a week straight (unheard of here in the mild Pacific Northwest) accumulating about 12-16 inches of the stuff and to cap it off, we had an ice storm to really seal it all into place. And I do mean seal - there was a solid 1" sheet of ice on everything.

Everyone makes fun of Seattle for being so wimpy about the snow, but I'll tell you what. It really screws us up out here. The hill I live on was undrivable for a week. Trees were falling down left and right under the weight of the snow; people literally died because they were crushed by trees. Power lines collapsed leaving 14,000 people in my city without power, during one of the coldest storms of the year. I was stuck at home for well over a week and for 4 of those days I didn't have any power at all - no heat, no lights, nada. It was complete pandemonium.

On the bright side, I got some great photos, I got to know some of my neighbors better, I refamiliarized myself with my board games, practice my low-light cooking and basically do a lot of forced relaxation. A little chilly, but not a bad arrangement.

Eventually, things got a bit melty. A couple hours of heavy duty digging, and my car was free. I took refuge across the bridge where power lines remained unfractured. I don't think a warm shower and big cup of coffee ever felt so good!!

In any case, it's good to be back. I'll be pulling together some new leanout recipes with whatever ingredients didn't go bad in the refrigerator. Stay tuned!

Cheers,
Karla

Uniform Dressing

2012-01-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

Have you guys seen that Shit Yogis Say video? It cracks me up. When the girl finally drank the icky green liquid she was describing so enthusiastically - I was dying at the faces she was making. HILARIOUS. And, oddly, makes me want to do some yoga.

I watched it like 10 more times than was appropriate though, because her hair is so rad. I'm growing mine out and this is total inspiration. It's about the same color and texture, so I think I stand an honest to god chance of looking like this pic above at some point in... oh, about 3 years.

Why is it, though, that the pictures of long hair that inspire me the most are the ones where the ladies have their hair up?? Pony tails, braids and - my fave - the high bun, all leave me salivating and measuring my baby hairs. This picture below from BlueBirdsFlyBotique is another favorite inspirational photo.

I can't wait! Minus the dreaded dreadlocks I had for all of 3 months, I haven't had "long hair" since 2007. And even then, it only ever barely touched my chin. It hasn't been long long since I was 7 years old. Here are a few shots from when I last had it a reasonably considerable length:

That seems so far away! I'm going to need some nearer term inspirational photos soon, I'm sure, because right now my hair just feels awkward and a little ridiculous.

*Thankfully* I am overcompensating with wardrobe. It's nothing fancy, but I'm sure digging the current rags. I've received feedback all over the map - some girls calling me a fashionista, some saying I've fallen into a rut lined with stretchy pants (true) and basically everyone saying I look so Seattle, which I can't tell if that's a compliment or an insult. *Shrug*

I work out in Wunder Unders all the time. Love them for the gym! But then I saw this 30 Day Wunder Under Challenge and, upon admiring all the cute outfits, realized I'd been selling my stretchy pants a little short! It was time to take them on the town.

Pair them with Toms or Uggs, a hoodie and lots of layered accessories, and I'm one happy little hen! Oh, and the blue neff beanie I got in Boston, which I can't seem to pry off my happy little head. Last week (before I got snowed in) I think I wore stretchy pants three days in a row...

It was bliss. I didn't even want to take them off to wash them. I'm going to keep this up until somebody provides me with something comfier. Perhaps by my 30th birthday (when I envision my hair will be in a messy bun all its own), I will have found another favorite "uniform" to occupy my closet. But for now, I'm loving the idea of stretchy pants, over the knee socks, comfy boots and long, long hair.

What clothes do YOU wear day in and day out but never get sick of??

Cheers,
Karla

Leanout Recipes: Quick n Easies

2012-01-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

Ever looking for a simple easy, whole foods vegan meal you can make in less than 20 minutes? I've got TWO, count 'em - two - for you right here.

First, is a new twist on a meal I've made before: hummus, cucumber, tempeh sandwhich. Only, the gym put the kibosh on my bread (apparently bread is not a whole food... who knew?), so it's a nekked sandwhich!

The hummus is really simple. I've spiced up my original recipe with about 1.5tbsp of red pepper flakes. Just put the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth:

15oz can of chick peas (I'm told fresh is even better)
1/4 cup of the liquid from the can
4tbsp lemon juice
1.5tbsp tahini
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2tsp salt
2tbsp olive oil
NEW: 1 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes

For your protein, cut tempeh into 1/4" strips. Grill it up in a skillet with extra virgin olive oil, soy sauce and, yes, more red pepper flakes. Put it all on a plate with sliced cucumbers and sprouts. Bonus - I had plenty of cucumber and hummus left over for dipping! NOM.

The other easy recipe I have also offers the same spicy tempeh as the protein, so grill that up exactly the same way. But isntead of pairing with the cucumber and hummus, this meal cools the spice with a creamy, delicious veggie salad.

Just slice up avacado, cilantro, cherry tomatos and onion and toss in a bowl with balsamic vinegar over top. Everything is to taste - add more of the things you dig, less of the things you don't. And a note about chopping up the tiny tomatos: it's time consuming, but it sure does make them easier to snatch on the fork!

Plus, both these options look good on a plate. And hey, who isn't up for a few "impression" points??

Cheers,

Karla

Leanout Day 12: Miso Soup

2012-01-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'm going to have to find a new way to label these blogs soon; I'm losing track of how many days I've been participating in this leanout challenge. It's snowy and cold, which has me in the mood for soup. I wanted to try something new, so I decided on miso soup from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Cooking (which is an awesome book that's gone severly underutilized in my kitchen).

Ingredients:

6 cups water
3 oz. udon noodles, broken in half
1 cup shitake mushroomrs, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
3 tbsp miso of choice
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp sesame seeds

In addition, I added cubes of extra firm tofu for protein and sprouts I *grew* myself in the sprout kit my big sister got me for Christmas. Like my magic bullet (yeah buddy), it was one of the gifts that had me scratching my head, but that I've ended up loving! I was so proud when these guys busted through the roof of their little enclosure:

Anywho, this is pretty quick to make, only about 25 minutes start to finish and most of that is waiting for the water to boil. There are two simple steps:

In a large pot, combine water, udon noodles, mushrooms, green onions, garlic and ginger. If you're following my recipe, add the sliced tofu as well. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until noodles are tender.
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup broth from the pot and miso. Mix well and add back to the pot. Add toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds and simmer for 1 more minute.

I ladeled up my bowl of soup and topped with my sprouts. Now, ordinarily, I'd add a ton of sriracha! Unfortunately, it doesn't meet the 5 ingredient or less requirement, so I'm out of luck. That said, this soup did need a little seasoning. I think next time I'll add red pepper flakes as it boils to get a little heat. Or maybe even as a topper in my next bowl. This yielded about 4 servings, so I've got lots of great leftovers.

All in all a success! Not sure what I'm going to get up to next. I've got stuffed peppers, quinoa, brussel sprouts and asparagus on the list. The kitchen's going to be smelling very good over the next couple of weeks.

Hope you're all keeping warm out there!

Cheers,

Karla

Snowmageddon 2012

2012-01-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

Monday funday! The new batch of Amazon Fresh groceries arrived on Friday - bags n bags n bags of produce. My fridge is like a cornicopia of veggies right now. Amazeballs.

The ingredients for my vegan chili was the first thing to hit the pans. Last time, it gave me so many quick and easy lunches! I am *not* a morning person so it's nice to just grab n go in those early hours.

But I got to thinking... this onion mix that's part of the recipe is really pretty stellar on it's own. All you do is aauté onions, garlic and red pepper flakes on the stove until the onions are soft (3-5 minutes). Then add cumin and chili powder and sauté another 2 minutes.

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chili powder
1/3 tsp cumin

I've thought of a million things to put this onion mixture on but very few fit into my vegan and (current) <5 ingredient challenge. My favorite idea is the spicy onion buger! I really want one of my omnivorous or even vegetarian friends to this mix on a patty and bun. It's so spicy and delicious, it'd be amazing. Add some creamy, gouda cheese to take the edge off, and I think you'd find something close to perfection! Someone go make it, eat it and report back!!

Other than the onions and the resulting chili that's been safely packed away in my fridge, the cooking has been pretty unimpressive this weekend. In fact, almost everything about my weekend has been unimpressive in a really impressive way. It's included non-stop lounging, a lot of NFL divisional playoff games and SNOW!

Snow, snow, snow and more snow... in fact, everyone on this glorious little hill of mine is snowed in. Which is awesome because I am at home working in my jammies and admiring the views. Here are a few pics from the weekend:

I hope you're all enjoying your first day back to work, or if you're one of the lucky ones, the extended holiday. Keep warm out there!

Cheers,
Karla

Friday Fun Day

2012-01-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

1. What time did you get up this morning?
Per usual - 4:45AM, but then I realize I had a beasty cold and went back to bed until the luxurious hour of, oh, SIX am.

2. How do you like your steak?
Fake and from a dirty Chinese restaurant. (In my pre-vegan days, rare and with a side of red.)

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
I had free passes to see that “I don’t know how she does it” movie, which is basically about a woman killing herself and her family to check off her to do list. My BFF and I were the only ones laughing in the entire theater… like, hysterically. Apparently none of those other hacks have ever crumpled into tears over unfolded laundry or showing up to a bake sale with a store bought pie. o_0

4. What is your favourite TV show?

Real Housewives. Or any reality show in which there’s a good chance that one spoiled brat may throw a dining room table at another spoiled brat.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I’d live in a big converted warehouse in Georgetown – across from the tattoo shop and the vegan pub. I’d have a huuuuge, open space with poured concrete floors, a lofted bedroom, a ton of walls and good lighting for art and a roof deck up top.

6. What did you have for breakfast?

Peanut butter soy milk shake and blueberries.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Mexican! Specifically, vegan punk rock Mexican. Nothing like fake chicken tacos and metal on the jute.

8. What foods do you dislike?
uhhh…………………… does not compute.

9. Favorite Place to Eat?
In bed. Something horrendous like a corn dog with mayo. Preferably after a night of drinking. Those meals definitely taste the best.

10. Favorite dressing?
Balsamic vinegar, straight. I could DRINK that shit.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?

No joke.

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Holy hell do you even have to ask?? STRETCHY PANTS! Stretchy pants for days. Weeks. Months. YEARS!!

Look at Alba over here, could she be any MORE relaxed?!

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?

Venice. Before it sinks.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?

Half full but I’m ordering another round as a back up.

15. Where would you want to retire?
A yurt in Montana. With goats, chickens and my sewing machine.

16. Favorite time of day?
Post-gym, pre-everything else.

17. Where were you born?
Washington.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
Silly girl, nobody reads this blog.

20. Person you expect to tag you back first?

I repeat…

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?

22. Bird watcher?
Bird LISTENer. There’s nothing sweeter than sun pouring over the cascades onto my bedspread in the morning and birds singing it’s praise.

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
I rapidly cycle between the two. Sometimes on the same day, which gets problematic.

24. Do you have any pets?

25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share?

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
For the longest time, I wanted to be a veterinarian. But then a friend who worked at the zoo let me watch a surgery on an aardvark and I realized how gross animal insides are. The truth was, I really just wanted to be a dog…

27. What is your best childhood memory?
Laying on my dad’s stomach – his prickly beard combing my hair – riding his breath; uuuup when he breathed in, dooooown when he breathed out. Nothing was safer in the world.

29. Are you married?

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Most definitely. I floss too.

31. Been in a car accident?
Lots, actually. Only one that was my fault, and many that weren’t. I guess I just have bad luck??

32. Any pet peeves?
The words “tats” and “gages”. People who don’t say “thank you”. Capitalization errors (specifically, capitalizing things for no apparent reason). Ironically, people who correct grammar. The list goes on…

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
ONIONS! I could eat onions raw. Onions, spinach, fake pepperoni and balsamic vinegar.

34. Favorite Flower?
Lilacs. What could smell better?

35. Favorite ice cream?
Cheap vanilla ice cream covered in Hershey’s chocolate syrup. I haven’t found an acceptable vegan equivalent.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Does Chipotle count? I LOVE Chipotle.

37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?
Not a one!

38. From whom did you get your last email?
Arsenal store… zappos… the gym… man, I had to dig really far to get one from a human! A friend emailed me a picture of beaker.

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Lululemon!! All luon all the time. I should seriously get a weekend job there just for the discount…

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Deciding to floss when I get home instead of before bed is about as spontaneous as I get :)

41. Like your job?
I do!

42. Broccoli?
Steamed, covered in chipotle spice with field roast sausage and rice. NOM!

43. What was your favorite vacation?
We went to the Oregon coast a lot when I was young. I remember this one year I spent the entire trip on the beach by myself listening to Third Eye Blind and making hemp necklaces. I’ve been much cooler places since, but I don’t know that I’ve ever felt that relaxed in my adult life.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Out to dinner… uhh…. I had breakfast IN with a bestie, Devon. Does that count? We ate all our foods.

45. What are you listening to right now?
Cloud Cult. On repeat. It’s musical bravery.

46. What is your favorite color?
It changes cooooonstantly. Top contenders are always pink, orange, yellow, white, taupe, purple…

47. How many tattoos do you have?
3 big ones, 2 medium sized ones.

48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
Infinite! It’s an open invitation for all who enjoy wasting time.

49. Coffee Drinker?
Indeed! It’d be tough not to be in this town.

50. Are you in love?
With life. Every day.

Leanout Day 8

2012-01-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

Leanout Day 8! I've got some interesting stats to report. It's been over a week now that I've been eating whole foods exclusively (all less than 5 ingredients), so I thought it was time to do a quick check in.

Here are my statistics 8 days in:

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 154.5 lbs (down 2.6lbs)
Body Fat: 20.1% (down 0.5%)
Chest: 36.5"
Waist: 31"
Hips: 38"

Honestly, I'm a little shocked! I said at the beginning that weight loss wasn't a goal and it hasn't been. In fact, I'm fairly certain that I've eaten MORE food over the last week than I ever have before (literally - some days I pack 2 lunches and breakfast has doubled up too), so I was fully expecting to gain a bit. Needless to say, I was surprised on the scale. I guess the good news is that I now know I can eat even more food and maintain my weight. Good stuff!

I made the last meal on my planned menu yesterday: Tofu scramble. This was a good one to make at the end of the week because I have a TON of veggies left over from other meals that I was able to incorporate and use before they went bad. Here's the spread:

Once I started chopping, I got a little nervous that I'd seriously over ordered on the veggies compared to tofu. Once it was all in the pan, it ended up being about half n half, which worked out just great.

The recipe, if you can even call it that, is super simple: chop up your veggies and grill them in a deep skillet with olive oil until soft (about 10 minutes). Then add soft tofu (drained) and scramble for another 5-10 minutes, until all water has cooked out. Season to taste with garlic powder and tumeric. I had red peper flakes on hand in case things weren't tasting right, but I never needed them.

Here's the final product. I served the scramble with a side of cherry tomatoes and cucumbers in an effort to use them up before they totally wither up.

In other news, it's been absolutely stunning in Seattle lately. It's cold and clear, which is making for miraculous sunrises, sunsets and views. My little slice of the world (particuarly outside my bedroom window where pink skies rise over black mountains and silhouetted trees) stuns on the regular, for sure.

Stay tuned for lots of pictures of leftovers (ha). New batch of groceries arrives from Amazon Fresh on Friday and we'll start a whole new group of recipes. Yay!

Cheers,
Karla

Food for Thought

2012-01-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

Someone posted this article on Facebook this morning and within a half hour or so had 20+ comments. I find these photos and the article *so* thought provoking. In reading this and participating in the discussion that resulted, I had a lot to say. The trouble is, so many of my thoughts are really conflicting!

On the one hand, I think our country has some really unhealthy issues with food and weight. The convenient lives we’ve developed for ourselves have taken us SO far away from our food sources. We’re addicted to sugar, everything is over processed and we’ve got additives we don’t even recognize and high fructose corn syrup is in everything. Factor in that we’ve all got desk jobs, comfortable couches and lives skewing toward sedentary (anxious, depressed, overworked) exhaustion and we’ve got a pretty unhealthy nation on our hands. And that’s a big deal.

On the other hand, we’re REALLY hard on ourselves. We know we’re unhealthy and we overreact to it. We over emphasize “skinny” as an ideal and, as we strive to get there (usually through really misguided, extremist and ineffective exercise – endless hours on the treadmill anyone? - and even MORE processed food) we cause ourselves so much stress, anxiety and depression that it gets down right abusive. We get even more insecure and hung up and, God forbid, if we fail with the weight loss (as many people do with the unhealthy attempts) we beat ourselves up about it and the whole nasty process starts all over.

God, I’m exhausted just thinking about it. Who wouldn’t want a cookie and a nap on the couch after all that?? But, I think this line in the article nailed it: “We need more variety of healthy female body images.”

Both sides have it wrong, this article included; weight and size aren’t the right things to focus on at all. Bottom line, we shouldn’t be pushing for big women or slight women. I think this plus sized model is gorgeous. I also think many of the very thin models are quite beautiful. That’s the point; it shouldn’t be one or the other. It shouldn’t be ABOUT that at all. We shouldn’t try to push one or the other on ourselves or the general population.

Instead, we should be what we are. That sounds simple, but practical application stumps a lot of us. I mean this in two ways. First, we have to accept wherever we are on the journey of health. We beat ourselves up a LOT over not having a clean enough diet, not going to the gym 5 days a week, and over just not being good enough in general – we have to stop the self-abuse and start appreciating the steps we’re taking, accept the reality of where we are and stretch however much is reasonably realistic for us. Anything else results in frustration. The second part of this is that if/when we get there – once we’re eating a healthy, whole food diet and exercising at our peak – our body will find its own, unique “happy ideal”. Maybe it’ll be thin, maybe it’ll be bigger, maybe it’ll be muscular or maybe it’ll be really lean. But whatever it is, that’s OUR body’s healthiest balance, and we have to accept, praise and love it for what it is… and never try to MAKE it something different.

At my bigger weights, I’ve been criticized for not being thin enough. At lighter weights, I’ve been criticized for being too thin and too muscular. Hell, I even catch flack for working out like I do and participating in this whole foods challenge. You can't please anyone! That noise is always going to be there. And it *will* be until we can all get over ourselves and our ideas about what people SHOULD look like and start focusing on health instead. You have to be strong, drown it out with your own confidence and self-security and remember: You are the best you that you can be. Even if you’re on the path to your goals, you are doing your best. And that should be celebrated wherever you are, whatever you look like. You’re you and that’s just perfect.

I’ll close this unprecedented rant with a thought I repeat to myself on the regular: Everything in moderation, even moderation.

Cheers,

Karla

I'm thinking on SAND here!

2012-01-10T20:35:00.000-08:00

Leanout day 6 has the least inspired entry ever. I woke up with a gnarly cold and knew no cooking would be taking place in this house today, so I took photos of my breakfast instead. When I posted this "before" picture of the ingredients on the gym's facebook page (per contest rules), everyone was like "zomg, wtf is this crazy vegan up to now??"

I'm not that crazy, I promise. This isn't some kind of peanut sauce over berries situation. It's just 2 scoops of peanut butter blended with 2 cups of soy milk over ice and berries on the side. It's a simple, delicious way to get a bunch of protein in a glass. And hey, who doesn't love blue berries?

Aaaaaaaanyway. Yes, I am sick. So instead of writing a blog that makes sense or is in any way educational or inspirational, I'm going to just say random shit that's on my mind like...

My dogs are so awesome.

We should have a holiday to honor stretchy pants.

And why - dear God - does this Lululemon model have SUCH a stubbly belly?

Am I the only woman who prefers her men with a little... fur?

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is max effort for this fogged-out brain of mine. I am going to bed early so I can get up early for an important meeting. I can't decide which would be more career detrimental... calling in sick and missing the opportunity altogether, or showing up in this state of mind. TBD, folks! TBD.

Cheers,
Karla

Leanout Day 5: Lentil Soup

2012-01-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

My slow cooker is so my new-old-once-again favorite thing! I stewed up this killer soup all day Sunday and tonight I get to have effort-free dinner. Thank goodness because I'm feeling pretty burnt out after what feels like 4 straight days of cooking. I went to QFC *three times* on Sunday. That's waaaay too much.

Anyway, this one's an easy one. The actual "work" in this recipe only takes about 10 minutes, but you have to remember to start early so you can soak the lentils. Or, if you're like me, you'll totally forget to do that and end up using "cheater" pre-soaked lentils. Natch.

Ingredients:

2 cups lentils
4 cups water
4 cups vegetable broth
1 onion, diced
4 stalks celery, sliced
3 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

Recipe: Soak lentils at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have the time (or be a cheater and use pre-soaked). Mix lentils in the slow cooker with remaining ingredients and cook on "medium" for 8-10 hours. My slow cooker is apparently a bit of an extremist and only has 2 settings, so I did 2 hours on "high" and another 7 on "low" and it turned out just fine. I added bread for dipping and bon appétit! (I ate it with a hummus/cucumber sandwich made of leftovers on the side - nom.)

Too bad I started so late in the day that it was bedtime by the time it was done, it had to straight in the fridge. Saaad panda. Don't fret, though. It was just as good reheated.

Nerdy reading optional...

On another note, I wanted to share this amazing song. I had to do something really breave today, take a step I know I've needed to take for years but never had the courage to take. I sat in my car today and played Cloud Cult - Energy on repeat while I worked up the nerve. Have you heard this song? It's potent stuff.

/We feel our hearts break as the engines fade./
/Still need to find it. Still need to find it./
/So we took the written words of our philosophers,/
/and built a fire from it. Let's get those engines lit./
/We took the church's veil and built a mighty sail./
/to carry forth this ship. but we're still losing it./
/And I heard the captain say, I heard the captain say,/
/"We' re so close to it, so very close to it./
/We still have energy in us."/

Let's get those engines lit!! Here's to bellies full of wholesome food and hearts full (for the first time) of hope.

Cheers,
Karla

Leanout Day 4: Best Breakfast EVER

2012-01-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

Today is a day of happy experimentation! I woke up STARVING, but not for my usual pancakes or toast. I wanted yogurt and berries. Too bad the soy yogurt available at my local store is processed to shit and has about a million ingredients in it, so it's a no-go for the whole foods challenge. So, I got clever.

Ingredients were simple (this is an emerging theme for me, apparently):

1 package of soft tofu
Vanilla extract (maybe 2 tbsp?)
Sugar (maybe 3-4 tbsp?)
Raspberries
Blueberries
Bread
Peanut butter

Flying by the seat of my pants (since I'm not much of a soy girl and I've never used soft tofu before), I scrambled the tofu up in a pan. I just kept scrambling until it got less shiny and most of the water burned off. As I went, I added vanilla and sugar. NOM!

Once it was done, I put it in a bowl, topped with berries and added a side of toast. Oh, and my favorite coffee on earth. It was *so* good! Definitely another case of shocking myself at how well it turned out. Again, I made an omnivorous, processed-foods friendly friend taste it as a sanity check and it got the thumbs up.

My friend Devon - your typical hungover omnivore - came over to join me in the lazy breakfast making. Turns out, his meal was Leanout-Challenge compliant as well! He made an omlette with reddi-eggs (definitely processed but with only 3 ingredients, so he got by on a technicality), bacon, mozarella cheese and avacado topper.

Here we are - good happy kids who cleaned our plates.

Now I'm working on lentil soup for tomorrow - another slow cooker recipe. I can't believe how much fun I'm having doing this!! I totally forgot how much I love to cook. Well, and how much I love to eat... ha.

Now, time for laundry, cleaning up and general weekend responsibility. Maybe I'll even take down my Christmas branch. I hope you're all enjoying your time off!

Cheers,
Karla

Leanout Day 3: Slooow Cookin'

2012-01-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

As soon as I started the leanout challenge, I knew this recipe would be on the list! Vegan chili. Ready folks? This is going to be a good one.

Before I became vegan, I cooked with my slowcooker a LOT. I loved piling in meat, veggies and broth into the pot in the morning and returning home to delicious smells and an effort-free dinner. When I became vegan, I scaled WAY back on cooking, mostly because I didn't know what I was doing. Later I did develop some great recipes, but by then I'd gotten out of the habit of crockpotting. Several years later, our reunion is long overdue!

So here we go. Protein-packed, spicy vegan chili. Ingredients are pretty easy:

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chili powder
1/3 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 28 ounce can tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
2 cans black beans, drained
2 cans red kidney beans, drained
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp soy sauce

The "work" in the recipe takes just a few minutes. Sauté onions, garlic and red pepper flakes on the stove until the onions are soft (3-5 minutes). Add cumin and chili powder and sauté another 2 minutes. Once done, add this - along with all remaining ingredients - to your crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

The trick, I suppose, is leaving it alone and not eating everything else in your house in response to the amazing smells it fills with! haha. BUT, if you can manage it, the payoff is HUGE. NOM.

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Karla

Leanout Day 2: Lazy Burritos

2012-01-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

Leanout day 2 was a success! It was a really looooong day at work and I am *super* sore from Thursday's workout (heavy backsquats + 200 lunges = walking like a cowboy) so the theme of day 2 has been EASE.

Lunch was simple - just leftovers from day 1. Turns out the quinoa salad and the hummus/tempeh/cucumber sandwiches were just as delicious cold. I let coworkers have a few bites and they all dug it, which is good news because it means I'm not crazy.

Dinner was simple too, and is the chosen highlight meal of the day. BURRITOS! Ingredients are a synch:

Refried black beans
Pinto beans
White rice
Onion
Cilantro
Whole wheat tortillas
Avacado to top it off

The recipe couldn't be easier. You just steam up the rice and add chopped cilantro to taste. Heat up the beans (I mixed em together in one lovely mash). Add both to a warmed tortilla and top with chopped onions and sliced avacado. I also added jalapeno peppers which MADE the meal. NOM!

Back in my processed food days, I would've included veggie crumble for protein sauted in chipotle peppers and adobo sauce for heat/seasoning and, lastly, I'd have coasted the outside of the burrito in Earth Balance buttery spread and fried it up on the stove. That recipe is to DIE for, but this isn't a bad substitute, and is obviously healthier. Maybe on a less lazy day I'll attempt the adobo sauce from scratch and re-try this.

So far so good! I feel just as healthy, full and strong as I usually do and I'm having fun cooking the meals. My grocery budget hasn't been destroyed yet, but I worry about keeping on track in week 2. See, every 2 weeks I order $200 worth of groceries and my hope is that they'll last until the next paycheck. At this point, I've only got 3 meals left to make from scratch, so I'm going to have to make the leftovers last the week, or do repeats of these 5 meals with the bits I have leftover. It'll be tight!!

Stay tuned for some slow cooking recipes this weekend. I haven't used that thing since I became vegan, but I used to LOVE pouring in good stew or soup ingredients in the morning and coming home to delicious dinner with no additional effort. It'll be nice to do that again.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Karla

Leanout Day 1: Beginners Get All the Luck

2012-01-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

First official full day of leanout cooking! My house has never been so full of produce, this is amazeballs. As part of the challenge, I'm taking a picture of the ingredients, posting a recipe and posting a photo of the finished product.

Today's meal of choice was dinner: Quinoa salad and a sandwich. It sounds super simple but actually took me like an hour to make (mostly because I'm a pretty hopeless cook - ha). Here's all the raw goods:

This is my first time making hummus, quinoa and tempeh, so I was nervous to say the least. Who tackles three complete unknowns in one meal?? But hey, what's the worst that could happen? So I dove in. Amazingly, everything turned out pretty great. I was *shocked*, shocked.

First up was the quinoa salad:

Boil 1.25 cups of quinoa for 10 minutes
Once complete, drain the quinoa and leave it in the strainer.
Put strainger over 1-2" of boiling water, cover and stream quinoa for additional 10 minutes.
Meanwhile whisk 2tsp olive oil, 1tsp lemon juice, 1tsp soy sauce, 1/2tsp cumin in a large bowl.
Cut 4 bell peppers into small pieces and grill over the stove in olive oil until soft.
Chop 1/4 cup of cilantro.
Add cilantro, peppers and quinoa to large mixing bowl and toss with sauce.
Serve!!

Next was hummus, which was so stinking simple I can't even believe it. I will DEFINITELY be making more of this! All you do is combine the following ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth:

15oz can of chick peas (I'm told fresh is even better)
1/4 cup of the liquid from the can
4tbsp lemon juice
1.5tbsp tahini
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2tsp salt
2tbsp olive oil

I used the crazy Magic Bullet that my mom got me for Christmas. Kind of a random gift - very 3am infomercial if you ask me. I think I actually asked "Is this what's really in the box" when I'd unwrapped it (smoooooth), but it turns out the things is actually pretty rad! Maybe my mom knows me better than I know myself. Eep! Though, I had to dedicate an entire drawer of my kitchen to housing the parts of this blending monstrosity.

Anywho. Lastly, I made tempeh which was also super simple. I just cut it up into 1/4" strips and grilled it on the stove in olive oil and soy sauce until it was nicely browned. Done! To pull it all together, I smeared a whole wheat pita bread with hummus, added sliced up cucumbers, piled on a few slices of tempeh and some sprouts and BINGO - nomwhich, which a side of salad.

And so I sit, fat and happy. Other members of my belly today include:

My homemade protein shake (Adam's peanut butter, skim milk and ice blended)
Apples, cherry tomatoes, almonds
Leftover Sukiyaki courtesy of my dear friend Michelle over at Low Amine Recipes
A pack of gum I chain-chewed during a 3 hour meeting (natch)

I tracked the nutritional information for most of my meals today. Man is THAT a pain in the ass. I don't think I'll be doing that anymore. It's super simple to track stats when everything comes from packages, but when you have to add up every single ingredient (and there are like 40) it takes forever. FOREEEEVERRR.

But before I gave up, I did notice 2 trends I fully predicted:

Protein is NO problem - I had 80 grams by lunch without even eating extra portions (who said vegans can't get whole protein??). I'm guessing by tonight I was up to 100-120 easy. Most people would never need nearly that much, but given how often I workout, it's good to shoot for.
Fat is super high - most of the vegan foods that have high protein are also high in fat; think beans, nuts, etc. I think this is okay given that I workout as intensely and as often as I do, but I'm curious to see how my body responds. Stay runed!

All in all, it's really nice to be out of my food rut, I enjoyed cooking tonight more than I thought I would and overall I've been pleasantly surprised with the deliciousness of the stuff I've made. Who knew?? Maybe it's all beginners luck. But I'll take it!

Cheers,
Karla

Stuck In A Rut and Running Amuck

2012-01-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

I am SUCH a uniform dresser. If I find something I love, I buy it in like every color and then spend the next 6 months mixing and matching the exact same pieces in different shades until they literally fall apart.

Lately, it's all about stretchy pants. Specifically, Wunder Under Pants from Lululemon. Typically, I'd think I'd be against spandex in public, but I just don't care. They're too comfortable. Add a hoodie, a pair of Uggs and a slouchy hat n scarf and I'm putty in your hands.

Anyway, I updated it with a jean jacket and slip ons for spring. I'm kinda digging it!

This is my first pair of Toms shoes. I've been a hater for a long time. But all those cute girls running around the city with extra foam lattes in skinny jeans and classic Toms wore me down and I started to wonder. The final nail in the coffin was that I got a Toms gift card for Christmas. DONE! Anyway, my new shoes arrived yesterday. Holy mother of comfort and all things sacred; now I know why you people won't shut up about your Toms!! It's like wearing pillows on my feet. I guess my feet can join the rest of my body in the comfort rut.

Time to get these stretchy pants to work. Those Toms won't pay for themselves.

Cheers,
Karla

Leanout Challenge: Benchmark Stats

2012-01-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

The day has come - my least favorite part of this leanout challenge: Benchmark statistics. The idea is to take 3 simple measurements:

Chest @ the nipples
Waist @ the belly button
Hips @ pelvic bone

I'm adding weight and body fat to the list, just out of curiosity. Now, I'm totally down for tracking measurements. I'm not trying to lose weight or anything, but I do like to keep tabs on what my body is doing in response to crossfit (gaining muscle, gaining fat, losing either..) and to make sure my diet is keeping up with my body's demands. I usually check in every month or so on this stuff. But taking a benchmark measurements *right* after holiday break just seems mean, so I've been dreading this. UHG.

Anyway, here are my statistics:

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 157.1 lbs
Body Fat: 20.6%
Chest: 36.5"
Waist: 31"
Hips: 38"

The good news is, I only gained about a pound and 0.3% body fat over the holidays. Considering I spent 10 days gorging myself on cookies, drinks and every salty snack in sight and NOT working out, that's not bad. That excess should come off easy peasy. It'll be interesting to see if anything else changes.

Stay tuned for recipes and photos. My full leanout eating started last night, so I should have some good stuff to share soon.

Cheers,

Karla

15,000 Words

2012-01-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

I could catch you up on everything that happened in the last year... but a lot of that is sort of irrelevant now. So instead, how about I give you a quick glance at life these days?

For starters, I moved.

Back to my townhouse in Issaquah. Remember that one?

I had to refurnish it, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

The view is still as amazing as ever.

The dogs still make me laugh EVERY single day.

And with DaVinci, we're a foursome.

I discovered a love of lifting heavy things.

And now that I've got my own space, I've reconciled with my sewing machine.

I've even been under the needle a bit myself!

All in all, life is pretty rad.

Full of shenanigans, great friends and dinosaur t-shirts.

What more could a girl ask for?

Cheers,
Karla

Leanout Challenge: Preparation

2012-01-03T11:36:00.000-08:00

Holy hell, it's been a year since I blogged. We're going to gloss right over that...

New year, new goals to crush! 2012 is starting with a 90 day "leanout challenge" hosted by my gym. Details are scarce on what the full lineup will be like, but we've got the first 30 days figured out. It goes a little something like this:

STEP 1: Grab some measurements for a benchmark
STEP 2: Change your eating habits: Limit yourself to foods with >5 ingredients
STEP 3: Take photos and share recipes daily
STEP 4: Track your progress

I am STOKED! I don't have a lot of extra weight to lose... maybe a holiday cookie or two, max, so that's definitely not the driving factor for me. Mostly, I'm interested in changing the way I eat. I've always had a pretty serious interest in whole foods (80% of my diet is there already) but, frankly, ever since I came back to my bachelorette pad and started cooking for one again, I find myself in a pretty heinous food rut. Seriously - it's like, plain "chicken" patty and a can of baked beans most nights. How *sad* is that? This is EXACTLY the kick in the pants I need to get cooking again and ditch some of that reliance I have on pre-packaged, quick fix meals.

Honestly, I have another, secret motivation too. Crossfit is pretty closely tied to paleo eating - a really meat-centric, caveman-like diet (which I totally get and fully support). But needless to say, a vegan in the gym is a little odd. A little part of me is kinda psyched for an opportunity to prove to my crossfitting family that vegans can A) eat whole, nutritious, protein-packed meals no problem B) prepare that shiz in DELICIOUS ways that'd made even non-vegans drool and C) hang with the big kids in the gym, move big weight and have fun doing it. Most everyone there is super supportive, of course, but I see their skeptical glances whenever I utter the v-word! This is a chance to really show my stuff!

I'm a little behind our kickoff date of January 2nd, as I've been traveling (in fact, I'm in a plane as I write this), but thanks to the god-forsaken length of this coast to coast flight, I was able to do some serious menu planning and online grocery shopping up here at 35,000 feet. By the time I land, the food'll be at my doorstep, the recipes waiting at my printer and I'll be ready to dive into this challenge head first. Seriously, the future is so rad.

So, how's it going so far? Well, I can say this - when did everything get so many damned ingredients!? Simple things like vegetable broth, refried beans and bread are all too many ingredients for me to buy off the shelf. There is going to be a LOT of cooking in my house!! I can almost taste it now. Week 1 menu items include:

Peanut Butter Protein Shakes
3 Bean Chili
Hummus/Tempeh/Sprout/Cucumber Pita Sandwiches
Quinoa Salad
Burritos (my faaaaaavorite)
Lentil Soup
A delicious sampling of raw fruit/nut/salad snacking

Stay tuned for recipes, photos and weekly check-ins on the measurements to see if anything's changing. I'll get the benchmark measurements/weight tomorrow morning. A lady needs to do that naked and on an empty tank ;)

Welcome to the adventure!

Cheers,

Karla

One Shot, Folks

2011-01-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

Everyone always asks me what I'll look like when I'm old with all of these tattoos. Today, the answer is here in this photo; I will look happy to have had the courage to live my life exactly as I saw fit, and if I am very lucky (as this woman here appears to be), I will have the love of a man who appreciates me for exactly who I am.

How cute is he looking at her? Or maybe he's just admiring her boobs. Whichever ;)

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas was an absolute blast. I ate, slept, and ate some more. Pepper in a ton of movies, a trip to Pike Place Market and one family-fueled Christmas Eve and that's been my holiday season so far. Pictures are more fun than words.

That last one there is the best Christmas gift ever - my amazingly talented boyfriend designed that just for me. It has everything I love: The space needle, Buddha (complete with a ghetto chain with our apartment # on it), both my dogs, a lotus flower, the great wave, sun rays, swallows and even a bowl of grape nuts. The guy floored me.

I hope you're all having an amazing holiday season! I'm finishing my last day of work for a bit, and then it's nothing but Kinect games and drinking for the next 4 days.

xo
Karla

Careful with those flux capacitors

2010-12-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

For reals? How has it been a month? Pesky time warping technology. Well, I did get a lot done during that time. I’m moved, I’m unpacked and I’m effing thrilled with how everything’s come together. Check it out, here are my two favorite rooms in the new pad:

Also, a Christmas branch! I had visions of this beauty hanging over my dining room table and for weeks I walked around Seattle looking for a branch. I swear I covered a 15 block radius without a single candidate. Then I went to the eastside for a friend’s kid’s bday party and I practically tripped over this one getting out of the car. I guess you subrbians do have some luxuries we city kids don’t. Anyway, got the bugger home, spray painted it, wrapped it in lights and hung it the fuck up. It’s perfect. Can’t wait to put presents under it.

I got tagged in this photo on Facebook yesterday. God I miss warm weather. Look at that – I was almost tan!! *cries* I hate this time of year.

Nine more weeks and I’ll be sipping tropical slushie drinks on the beach in Brazil. Vintage black bikini, big "fuck off" sunglasses and the rays crisping up my pale winter skin. It’s the only thing keeping me sane in this incessant rain.

Tonight, my tall drink of water is taking me out for a last-hoorah drink. Holiday family time starts tomorrow!

Can You Smell That?

2010-12-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

I am bored and boring. I am boring myself to tears. I mean, not my life, that’s effing stellar of course. Mostly the way I look. Every day I look in the mirror and I look exactly the same as I did the day before, as the day before, as the day before that.

I rode to work today playing this Pigeon John song on repeat. You’d think I’d be completely sick of this album by now, given that I’ve listened to it only about 52,690 consecutive times in the last 3 weeks, but it still makes me dance in even the worst traffic. I dance and I fantasize about being a 30 year old hip hop rap artist (figure it’ll take me a few years to make the big time). Anyway, now every time I see to Scott I shake my ass, groove in his direction and sing “I’m just tryin’ to meetchya!” Poor guy!

But bouncing to work in my white xB with the hippitie hoppies might be more fun say…. If my hair looked like THIS! Right?!

(via Mrs. KorBack)

Or if my armed looked like….. THIS! Right?!

(via Lomokev)

Let’s just agree that I’m in a dangerous state of mind, and change is probably on the way.

The Cold War

2010-11-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

I’m starting to get an idea of what new parents must feel like, all exhausted, sleep deprived and desperate for a little cooperation. It’s day 4 in our house, and the first 3 were basically completely sleepless. Here’s a little taste of what’s going on in our home:

All day every day Ace is running circles around the cat, eventually getting too close, eventually getting smacked in the face… rinse, repeat. All day. All night.

Finally finally finally after nearly 72 full hours of this, he got tired of all the running and passed the eff out. So for one blissful night last night, we were all able to get some sleep. It was amazing. He’s back at it this morning, of course, but at least we’re all back on full cylinders. Scott and I were in VERY questionable shape there for a bit.

I’ve been locking the boys out on the patio for an hour or so every once in a while just to give the cat a chance to walk around freely, eat and use the litter box. Of course, he chooses to use that time to torment the dogs…

G’damn animals.

Although, in this moment, Scott is filling the house with music while I work in my jammies and watch the snow fall over Lake Union. For a girl full of complaints, life is pretty fucking amazing.

Here's the Story of a Lovely Lady...

2010-11-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

Why hello interwebs! Gosh I miss you. I’m sorry I had to disconnect you at the old house. And I’m even sorrier (is that a word?!) that you’re not hooked up at the new house. Soon we will be reunited, my love. And in the meantime, we have our office trysts to keep our appetites somewhat satiated.

Anywho. The new apartment is coming along! We got our orange wall done, and our big red stripe. All that’s left in the living room is a little brown stripe to separate the orange and white, but we have to wait for the paint to REALLY dry before we tape it off. And look! We even got the green done in the bedroom! YAY!

Tonight’s the big night. The boys and I spent our LAST NIGHT in Issaquah last night, bundled up all together on our air mattress. I woke up to a view of the Cascade Mountains, all covered in snow for the first time this year. What a sendoff. Tonight after work I’ll head “home” for the last time to pick up the dogs, and then we’re off to the new place! Scott’s bringing the cat over too, and our little Brady Bunch family will spend the night in our new home for the very first time.

Wish us luck. Last time the animals were all in one place, it was like living in the cold war. But this time, we have beer. We have food and beer. We’re prepared to wait it out. And really… we have no other choice :)

You Look Like a Monkey and You Smell Like One Too

2010-11-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

Indeed, I have successfully made it to the age of 27.

Normally, I get all introspective and reflective on my birthday, looking back at what I’ve accomplished, assessing the challenges I’ve faced and listing out my hopes and dreams for the coming year. And yes, I am doing some of that. But this time, when I look ahead, all I really want is more of the same.

The last few years have been hard. And as I move out of the house I’ve lived in for 3 years, I feel like I’m sort of graduating from those struggles. Every difficult experience I’ve been through inspired me to make change, and change things I did. Thank goodness for struggle! This year I can honestly say that my life is exactly what I want it to be!

I’ve got:

A strong stance in life and a clear understanding of what works for me on this earth
The best big sister ever, a loving dad and little baby niece who fills my heart with joy and snuggles
An amazing family of friends comprised wholly of people I truly love and trust (and now, their fat little tykes too, who make me laugh with their baby farts and spit bubbles)
A boyfriend who’s a better fit for me than just about anyone else on the PLANET and who makes me feel lucky every single day
Two of the goofiest, most easy-to-love dogs in the world, who make me laugh out loud even when I’m by myself (and soon, a fat orange cat that actually holds hands!!)
A job I am good at and actually love doing and people I love to work with
A (beautiful) roof over my head, a fridge full of vegan treats and beats on my radio

What else is there? So more of the same, I say. I think 27 is going to be a very good year.

Let’s try for 28, now, shall we??

-Karla

Day 9: Inside Your Refrigerator

2010-11-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

I am skipping day 8: Ugliest Article of Clothing You Can’t Get Rid Of because I am heartless and can get rid of anything. Thus, I don’t own anything that I don’t completely love :) Hooray for my Buddhist unattached ways!

My fridge is a constant source of entertainment for my friends. I’m sort of famous for having almost NO food, at least 10,000 condiments and usually beer.

BTW, check out the illustration of FDR on the side of this Fireside Chat beer can. LOVE.

It’s true. I don’t really cook much. I eat out a LOT, and when I do eat at home it’s usually something really depressing like 3 bowls of Grapenuts, a bag of chips and an English muffin, or 3 veggie dogs on 2 buns with expired ketchup. In fact, when Scott and I started dating and he saw the inside of my fridge for the first time, he said “Wow, you might be the only person on earth that cooks less than I do.” Turns out, his fridge looks exactly like mine, but with like… unexpired products and a bag of chicken nuggets.

We stayed up late last night painting a wall in our new apartment. I brought a couple six packs for the effort, and when I put them in our new (super fancy) refrigerator, we laughed and said “There we are, all moved into the fridge!” We got a lot done last night. Don’t you love our choice of creamsicle pink??

Just kidding. That’s tinted primer. We’re painting it bright orange with stripes of red/white/brown at the end. My super talented Photoshoppy boyfriend mocked it up for me yesterday:

(I like the one on top)

Don’t you love it? This place is gonna be rad. I like it. I turn 27 tomorrow. Talk about a clean slate for a new year!

-Karla

On the Road Again

2010-11-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Oh hello blog! Sorry for the neglect, I had to MOVE this weekend! That’s right, move. I found the perfect renter for my place, which is AWESOME, but the lady needs to move in on the 20th. That meant this weekend was my last work-free day to get stuff out! Holy cow. It’s all good though. I got a 17-foot truck, 6 of my very best friends and a couple cases of beer. And now, my Issaquah townhouse is totally empty.

Btw, who speeds in a 17-foot Uhaul??

Well, my place isn’t totally empty yet. I’m sleeping there on an air mattress and the dogs are kickin’ it with me. As it turns out, my clever dog Ace can open the door handle at the apartment. Stinker. And because I’m not fond of the idea of coming home to all my animals wandering the 7th floor, we’ll wait to move in until they get a nice round knob installed that Ace can’t get is grimy little paws wrapped around.

Oh well. Camping out in the townhouse this week means I can spend my evenings getting everything in order in the new apartment. Unpacking boxes, arranging furniture and, best of all, painting!

We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves for our walls: A long orange wall for art in the living room (with racing stripes to separate it from the kitchen) and a bright green art wall in the bedroom. I’ve got my fingers crossed this turns out alright. I’m including some of my favorite inspirational photos below.

Wish us luck!
-Karla

It's Coming...

2010-11-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

Pst... did you see? They have candy canes in the stores now. Christmas is coming!

Day 7: Favorite Room in the House

2010-11-10T10:20:00.000-08:00

How aptly timed this post is… I just packed the last of my belongings from this house into boxes last night. I sat there on my kitchen counter looking down at my piles of dishes, plates and bowls in boxes. It’s such a strange feeling, looking at your life in aggregate like that.

It reminds me of that Jets to Brazil song I always loved…

/Our lives spread out on the floor/

/looking at these things/
/Most of them are yours/
/and it's so nice/
/sitting very still/
/without those old shoes/
/I could never fill/

I have a lot of memories in that house. The first Thanksgiving I ever cooked. The Christmas I finally had my whole family – including my divorced parents and their new partners – all in one house peacefully. The snowstorm where I got stuck inside for 10 days… my first Christmas completely by myself. The heart-wrenching, soul crushing, oh-my-god-can-I-even-survive-this pain, slow demise of a 5 year relationship with a man I loved with every cell, thought and breath in my body. The year I lost my job and struggled to keep the lights on and mortgage paid… the house felt like a prison that year. Then there was the big, drama-fueled blowout with my long-disfunctional family that's left me without much of a family at all. Ironically, that was one of the strongest years of my life; without a job, my ex or my family, I rebuilt life in the image I'd always wanted it: Full of art, music, new friends, old friends, dog rescue, tattoos, many many evenings in the city and a whole lot of love. Eventually, I started dating again and rebuilt that part of my life in this house too. The day I got the phone call - sitting in my home office - that I'd gotten my dream job at Microsoft. Then there was the summer I got the crab pool for the back deck, and for the first time I had all my friends over – real friends, my new family – for a totally vegan BBQ. And now with a new partner and a new life that doesn't fit as well in this suburban townhouse package, I'm packing boxes, spackling and painting it up for a new couple who will make new memories of their own... what a ride.

But my favorite memory of all is in my favorite room of the house. I bought this place when I was 23, and I was THRILLED. I didn’t have a lot of cash, so I was painting the whole thing (all 3 levels of it) by myself in the 2 weeks before I moved in. I’d go over to the house every day after work, change into grubby clothes, climb on step ladders, sweat my face off and – one loving brush stroke at a time - painted my place “Aviary Nest” tan. Finally, it was the last night of painting. It was about 11 o’clock at night, the blue tape was still on the walls, the drop clop was still on the floor. Exhausted, I plopped myself down in the middle of my empty living room. I unpacked the red lamp I’d been eyeing for years (literally years) and plugged it in for the first time right there on the floor. I cracked open my window to let a little breeze in, and as I sat there falling in love with it all, I heard them for the first time… the frogs singing in the wetlands behind my house.

I’ve loved, lost, dreamt, hoped and experienced a lot in that house. It’s hard not to get emotional about leaving it. I’m not sad to go, that’s not it. I crammed about as much life into that house as you can in 3 and a half years, and it’s definitely time to move on. It’s just amazing to see, at milestones like this, how much has changed, how much has stayed the same and to recount the experiences that fundamentally change who you are as a person.

And thankful for all that I've learned there, how much I've grown in that home, I’m ready to go now… ready for new beginnings!

Day 6: Something I Ate Today

2010-11-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

I was sure that when this day came, I’d be posting a picture of a burrito. They say you are what you eat, and I’m convinced I am:

70% Burrito
19% Indian food
9% Grape Nuts
2% Other

This morning I went rouge and switched things up. I had a plain onion bagel and a venti, iced soy chai latte. Weird combination, right? What can I say, the heart wants what it wants.

I went out to a hip hop show last night. I drank whiskey and stayed up too late. On a Monday. I was exhausted when I woke up at the crack of dawn (literally, I can prove it, see below), and for some reason plain bagels are ALWAYS what I want on slow-moving, post-boozey mornings.

I’m really going to miss my sunrises. I mean, it’s going to be okay. My new place has an amazing view of Lake Union and we’ll literally get to watch the sunset every night over the lake (if the sun weren’t setting at like 3pm while we’re all at work, natch).

But the thing I love about sunrises is that… when I wake up in the morning, I pretty much hate life. I HATE waking up. I hate that the coffee pot is so far away, that the floor is cold, that I have to take a shower, that makeup/buttons/car keys are all in my future. But when I roll over and I see those rays of sun coming up over the mountains, painting the clouds pink, my bad mood drifts right away. I guess we’ll see if I can find something else that’ll cheer me up when I wake up with my grumpy pants on. Perhaps my snoozing boyfriend and his adorable cat? Yeah. That’ll be better than any sunrise I’ve ever seen.

Day 5: Your Favorite Shoes

2010-11-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

This should be a really easy post for me, favorite shoe. But omg, I have to pick just one?! This is ridiculously hard. I mean, what criteria do you even use?! You've seen my closet... to call me a shoe fan is sort of an understatement, right?!

The really gorgeous shoes come to mind first; the super tall, super vamp BCBG booties that I just love and the over-the-knee, distressed leather super tall boots I wear ALL the time! But the booties are so uncomfortable I can hardly wear them at all. The over-the-knee boots are SUPER comfortable, but definitely a fall-only shoe, so really limited use. Uhg.

So then do I swing the pendulum toward comfort? I wear my converse "chucks" and my tall Uggs ALL the time. They're both ridiculously comfortable, and feasible for wear like 9 months out of the year. I love them dearly, but if I wear them too often or with a sort of uninspired outfit, I start to feel like a real slob. So... those don't really count.

So I guess if I had to pick my actual FAVORITE shoes - the ones that make me feel special, the ones I turn to for almost any outfit, the ones I find myself reaching for throughout the year, and the ones I'd be happy to walk 15 or 20 blocks in, I guess I'd have to turn to my gold metallic wedges by Hive & Honey:

They're pretty, they go with anything, they're definitely one of a kind and they're comfortable as all get out. I mean heck, any high heel you can drive a golf cart around the city in gets an A in my book!

I was sort of mourning the loss of my shoe collection yesterday. I mean it's not going anywhere, God no. But I'm moving downtown to the middle of the city, which means a LOT more walking! Now, I love my heels, and happily wear them for 10 even 12 hour workdays without a single complaint, but I hardly see myself traipsing across town to the Sounder's game, up the hill to Broadway or 1-2 miles north to my neighborhood bar... I just don't. I'm going to have to get a pair of ACTUAL sneakers with ACTUAL support for pretty much the first time in my adult life. And I have NO idea where to begin.

I'm crusin' Zappos for good options but everything either looks so... hippie-ish, hiker-ish or jock-ish. I really just want a pair of decently cute, decently supportive kicks that I can wear with pretty much anything (God, what do you even WEAR with sneakers?!). So if any of you have good recommendations, please let me know!

Day 4: Last thing you bought

2010-11-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

Maybe I shouldn’t have started this blog challenge mid-move. I have only been buying very boring things lately! I rented a 17’ foot truck for a day, bought a crap-load of packing tape and more sharpies than I’ll probably know what to do with once all these boxes are unpacked.

I don’t know what keeps happening to the sharpies. Am I tossing them into the boxes after I label them and before I seal them up?! All I know is, I turn around and all my sharpies are gone! Rather than unpack and repack all my boxes, I just keep buying more. Oh well. You can never have too many sharpies, right?

I can’t wait to get this move officially underway. I haven’t signed the lease at my new place yet because I’m waiting to finalize lease terms on the house I’m renting out. So, I’m basically just packing up everything I own and moving it into my garage. “Hurry up and wait!” When I finally get it packed into trucks and moved into the new place, it’s going to feel SO GOOD!

I have a renter who wants to move in ASAP which could mean I’m moving as quickly as this weekend. We’ll see!! I keep reminding myself this is a good problem to have – better to have an eager renter than no renter at all!

Listen to my going on and on forever. Ohmigosh I can’t wait ‘till I can think about something – ANYTHING – besides this move!

Day 3: Knick Knack

2010-11-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

This challenge was hard too! I’m not much of a knick knack person. And since I’m in the middle of a move and all my stuff is packed into boxes, I don’t have hardly anything out anymore! But I do have one very prized possession still unpacked.

My Dinosaur Keychain

I love dinosaurs. I spend a lot of time adding –asaurus to various words:

Sleepysaurus = tired Karla

Grumpasaurus = grump Karla

Chompasaurus = Karla drinking Champaign (or “chompy” as my workmates and I call it)

Twitchasaurus = Karla jacked up on caffeine

Stitchasaurus = Karla sewing or crafting

Slopasaurus = Karla probably spilled food on herself

The list goes on. It started at a young age, too. It's one of my dad's favorite stories to tell. See, my twin sister and I are very different. We look different, we act different, we have VERY different interests… basically, you’d never know we were twins.

Case and Point

Anyway, when we were little toddler-aged kids, Jacque would walk around the house carrying a hairbrush, asking everyone to brush her long, flowing brown hair. While I would walk around with my dinosaur encyclopedia, asking everyone to read the various entries about types of dinosaurs to me. Haha - perfect. I think that my dad loves having such different daughters. One for whatever mood he might be in.

Anywho, I love my dinosaur keychain.

Day 2: Favorite Shirt

2010-11-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is hard. So, when I first read “favorite shirt” I immediately thought of this one. It’s the one I wear when I want to look good, and still stuff my face full of French fries and beer. The banded waist and roomy middle let you do that, you see. Genius.

But truthfully, my favorite shirt is probably the wife beater.

For me, every outfit starts with a wife beater...

Wife beater + vneck sweater + jeggings + boots

Wife beater + hoodie + baggy jeans + flip flops

Wife beater + cardi + jeans + heels

Wife beater + dress + leggings + boots

In fact, if I ever get married, you can probably bet there will be a wife beater layered under my dress. I don’t even want to tell you how many I have, or that they have a dedicated drawer in my dresser. But shit, you find the RIGHT wife beater that isn’t too tight, isn’t too transparent and doesn’t bag out after an hour, you buy MULTIPLES. Am I right or am I right?

…or, am I crazy? Whatevs. It works for me!

Day 1: Self Portrait

2010-11-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

TA-DAH! Here I am, getting ready to go to the Sounders playoff game on Sunday. I wasn't too sure what the crowd would be like on a Halloween game, but it was awesome. Basically, it was like watching soccer with a bunch of zombies, aliens, sluts and about 1,862 blind referees.

Also, this is my favorite coffee cup. It's on its third incarnation, that's how much I love it. I tote it everywhere with me just like a kid with a security blanket. In fact, one of the times I broke it, it's because I was using it as my water cup while running on my treadmill. The song "Paper Planes" by MIA came on and when I went to do my running gun pose, I knocked it out of the holder (which was CLEARLY not built for coffee cups). It shattered into 1,000 pieces and I cried right there on my treadmill.

... I should probably buy backups for this cup. The day it dies for real, I will be downright inconsolable.

30 Day Photo Challenge

2010-11-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

I love pictures. My friends all groan when I get invited to parties because I take photos of EVERYONE and EVERYTHING. But you know what? They AAAALLL come crawling back the next day when they want to see if I got any pictures of them looking cute ;) jerks. Anyway, I'm perfectly suited for Fawn & Flower's 30 day photo challenge.

1. Self-portrait
2. Favorite shirt
3. Knick-knack
4. Last thing you purchased
5. Favorite pair of shoes
6. Something you ate today
7. Favorite room in house
8. Ugliest article of clothing that you can't get rid of
9. Inside your refrigerator
10. You, in front of your house
11. Something you waste money on
12. Favorite movie snack
13. Dream date
14. Favorite restaurant
15. Something that challenged you today
16. A random act of kindness
17. Guilty pleasure food
18. Something with huge sentimental value
19. The oldest thing you own
20. Something you're good at
21. Cutest pair of socks
22. Your bedroom
23. Favorite mug
24. Something you're reading
25. Your handwriting
26. Your pet(s)
27. Something you decorated
28. Your favorite holiday
29. Something someone made for you
30. You with your loved one(s)

Let's be honest, this definitely won't happen in 30 days. For as much time as I spend on the Internet, I'm pretty bad about updating my blog daily. Even worse about taking regimented pictures. But I'll give it my best and I bet we'll have some fun.

Hang on to your butts, people.

October 31st, 2010

2010-10-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

xo
Stitch

I’m a gangstah for real – I feel so damn gangstah!

2010-10-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

My new jam - So Gangster - by Pigeon John

Life is sometimes so fucking rad I can barely handle it. 2010 has treated me really well and 2011 is going to be even better, I think. I move to my new pad on Dec. 1st. Check this: floor to ceiling windows, a view of Lake Union, a huge-ass open layout with wood floors and an AMAZING kitchen, a roof top deck that’ll make your jaw drop and a concierge. Spoiled brat, anyone?!

The neighborhood is rad too. Eastlake is right downtown – literally 5 minutes from anywhere – but it’s so laid back and chill, and totally has its own little vibe. There’s a rad little coffee shop right downstairs, a market full of every variety of beer and wine you could ever want, and the best dive bar in the city is just a few blocks away:

Eastlake Zoo Tavern

All that’s next is to convince Santa to bring me one of these rad little Ruckuses so I can tool around all over the city without having the hassle of parking. Bar-crawling scooter gang, anyone?!

Yes, 2011 will be a whole new scene. The wetlands, the frogs, the subrubs… they’ve treated me well. But you only live once, and I need a little time in the concrete.

xo
Stitch

The "In" News from Way Out

2010-10-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

When did Halloween get to be so much like Thanksgiving?! I swear I’ve attended at least 3 potlucks in the last week. And that’s dangerous!! Though, not in the way you think. I couldn’t care less if my waistline expanded a little… no. Potlucks are dangerous for driving!

I almost got in 2 potluck-related car wrecks yesterday. Once when I was trying to save a slice of pumpkin pie from falling off my lap, and again when I was too busy trying to guide a spoonful of that pasta salad into my mouth while sitting in traffic.

… I may have a problem with food.

In other news, I’m renting out my townhome! $1300 a month for a killer 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 3 story condo with an attached 2 car garage. Priced to move so I can get my behind over to the city where I belong. Keep your ears peeled for good renters for me! Tons of pics on my flickr feed.

Ok, it’s Friday, so time for me to crank out some work so I can enjoy the weekend unfettered.

Hope you all have a good one!
-Kar

Fun with USPS, Part II

2010-10-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

zomG MAIL! I love mail. Actually, 99.9999999923% of the time, mail is incredibly boring. That’s why I was so stoked to see a mystery package in my usual pile of junk mail yesterday. Naturally, my first thought was "oh crap, a bomb" (hey, blame the terrorist-related novel I’m reading), but then my inner optimist took over and I thought, “….oooooor, it could be PRESSIES!”

Luckily, they were in fact, pressies. Super fun delicious pressies from my sister from another mister over at Fawn and Flower. (Don't read her blog? You should. She's hilarious.)

First of all, best card EVAR! This is totally going on my bulletin board. Giant creepy eyes? You will win me over every time. Every, single, time.

Bow ties? You’ll win me over too. Especially on pouches that totally match my hoodie (for serious). Actually, totally funny you sent me this, Coralene, because *just yesterday* I was over at your blog reading about your cute little pouch and thinking to myself “I really ought to get one of those”. Magic, I tell you, magic!!

Perhaps cutest of all were these fine little ladies (which I immediately stabbed into my nearby plant). How cute are these?! Of course, they really belong on spools of thread, not in shrubbery, and they will live happily on my craft table with their delightfully snobby, disapproving smiles (which I adore).

Rock on, sister –thank you so much for the goodies. Totally made my day!! Now, back with my sniffles to the couch. Will this cold EVER end?!

xo
Karla

I'm Going to Brazil.

2010-10-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those moments in life that hits you unexpectedly? That unearths a thought, a feeling or a fear you thought you had totally under control? I just did. Watching Grey’s Anatomy nonetheless. That’s right, brainless, drama-fueled trash TV that I consider a guilty pleasure.

But right here, at 21:14 (the 3rd chunk between commercials), there was a scene written just for me. An injured patient comes into the hospital afraid a car wreck she was involved in will ruin her upcoming trip to Brazil. She admits to the doctor (but not the cute ambulance driver) that she has Huntington’s disease, a progressive, degenerative disease that causes nerves in the brain to waste away (sound familiar?). She downplays the seriousness of her illness and focuses on how able bodied she still is, how much she plans to enjoy life; but when she goes to sign the release she needs for surgery, her hand tremors…

Doctor Grey: How long since the chorea set in?

Laila, kind of laughing: Chorea? I call that my spastic hand trick.

Laila, more seriously: A few months ago I guess.

Doctor Grey: You told your doctors, they know right?

(Laila is silent with a guilty expression)

Doctor Grey: Laila!

Laila: No guilt trip, please! I was just starting to like you.

Doctor Grey: But you need to tell your doctors because they can help you.

Laila: I watched my mother go through this, Dr. Grey, I know how this goes. After the spastic hand comes the slurred speech. …and then the trouble walking and the difficulty eating. …and the seizures and the memory loss. …and then the dementia sets in so badly that you don’t know whether you’re in the super market or…. the bathroom! So screw going to the freaking doctor! I am going to Brazil.

Holy-e-shit. In that moment – I can see it. I’ve had slurred speech, I’ve had trouble walking, I’ve had difficulty eating, I’ve had memory loss and just weeks ago I was joking about my spastic hand trick. And in that moment - I can see MS coming at me like a freight train. I’m sitting on the tracks. I’m sitting on the tracks, smiling at everything around me, taking in every inch of green, every drop of sunshine, every song I’ve ever wanted to listen to and every friend’s smiling face I can possibly squeeze into my day… because sitting there on those tracks, why on earth would you look at the train?

“Screw going to the freaking doctor. I’m going to Brazil.”

I’m going to Brazil.

Procreation Nation

2010-10-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

‘Tis the season, man. I’ve been to about 1,852 weddings this year and attended a nearly as many births. Ok, not quite that many, but you know what I mean. I guess this is the age of change for my crew!

This one is special though. This is my very best friend in the world that gave birth to her first child. And boy was I a baby about it. I mean, I’ve kept my cool for almost every other milestone I’ve witnessed this year, but when one of the women you love most in the world becomes a mother, when her dreams start coming true and you watch her heart fill with maternal love… that’s really something.

She’s such a freakin’ natural at it too. It kills me! The baby was like 3 hours old when we finally spoke on the phone and she’s all “yeah he’s breastfeeding right now…” no big deal, already multitasking. I’ve been saying it for years and it’s clear now I was right (duh) – Mariya was built to be a mom.

Anyway, big love to the new family. I am so excited to be (pseudo) Auntie Karla to little baby Louie.

xo
Karla

Whoopsie Daisies

2010-10-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Oops. I forgot to mention – I was MIA the last few days because I was in Boston!

A few highlights from my trip:

I learned how to sign “All my bitches” in American Sign Language.
Boston is a baseball town – it is on TV eeeeeverywhere.
Trains are rad. I never want to drive again.
Clock towers in Boston are OUT OF CONTROL with the songs and the constant chiming.
Bagel slicers at Fagelry Bagelry are also rad; little else is that impressive first thing in the morning.
Good bartenders are everywhere in Boston… this is both amazing and incredibly dangerous.
You know the “two if by land, one if by sea” church where Paul Revere hung his lanterns (pictured above)? Yeah, I puked on that.
I discovered that true love means you’d swallow someone else’s gum for them at a fancy party with only fabric napkins.

Here we are, all dressed up at said fancy event with only fabric napkins:

I’m now home-sweet-home in Seattle with lots of good memories, many new friends, a heart full of love and an email inbox that is downright overwhelming. Guess I better get on it.

xo
Karla

Don't Wake the Rooster

2010-10-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

If ever I had a God-given talent, it would be bed head. Case and point:

Also, I got a haircut last night. How is it that a haircut has managed to make my hair look longer?! Whatever voodoo it is, I'm not complaining. Especially when I wake up with hawkalicious hair like this. I feel like I should get a room mate just to show this off in the mornings. By the time I get to work, it's totally deflated. LAMESAUCE.

Hope you're all having a great Tuesday. Sounders go for the US Open Cup title tonight! WOOP!

xo
Karla

Last Chance Adventure

2010-10-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

I got a text message on Friday night after work, “hey, want to go camping?” Uh, yes… yes I do. And so, off we went! Packed up the dogs, the tent and our brand new two person sleeping bag (more on that later) and headed out to Spencer Spit on Lopez Island.

Holy beautiful campsite, Batman!!

We were right on the beach, which was amazing. The boys lost their MINDS running in the sand, rolling in kelp and eating dead crap that washed up on shore. Bentley played his usual role of doggy cop and barked every time the waves crashed on the shore or anytime someone splashed in the water. Nice work, killjoy.

We spent the rest of the evening sitting around the fire drinking, playing guitar and roasting veggie dogs. Perfect.

Then we slept under the stars… no rain fly on the tent. It’s crazy; I’ve been camping in Washington my whole life and NEVER had a trip without rain until this weekend, in OCTOBER. Haha. Just goes to show, the world is an effed up, unpredictable and sometimes delightfully surprising place.

But yeah, back to the sleeping thing... I always thought two-person sleeping bags were kind if ridiculous. I mean, who really can’t be separated for just one night? Those kinds of couples ~~make~~ made me wanna puke. And the idea of being zipped in with someone sort of ~~freaks~~ freaked me out – what if I flip out in response to the confinement and kill them in my sleep?! But it turns out, they’re AWESOME! Totally awesome and I can never go back to a normal sleeping bag ever again. It’s SUPER roomie, so you can snuggle when you want to and then totally ignore each other and sleep back to back not even touching if you want to. It has zippers on each side in case you want to play thermostat. And, my favorite, separate foot pods. I like this only because I'm a big fan of hostile takeovers and enjoy commandeering other people’s personal space. Naturally, I spent the evening infiltrating the other footpod and laughing like a maniacal dictator. Anywho, I highly recommend.

It was a great weekend. Hope you all had great ones too!

xo
Karla

Peeping Jill

2010-09-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

I took the boys for a long walk tonight… through the neighborhoods with the real houses. Where warm orange light pours out of windows along with the sounds of dinner dishes, laugher and the smell of garlic bread.

I used to take walks like that often in Ravenna with my dog Rainier. Eight years later, I’m in a different neighborhood with the next set of dogs, but the sentiment is the same; I hope one day I get to be part of a family again, and fill a house with love, warm light and the smell of garlic bread.

Until then, it’s tightly-bundled, cold-weather dog walks... appreciating that someone somewhere has a kitchen full of people they love.

xo
Karla

The Great Purge

2010-09-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

They hit every few months, usually with a vengeance I can’t deny. Yesterday was no different: The great Feng Shui attack. The victim? My “hers and hers” closets and the heaping piles of unsorted belongings within.

Hoodies, jeans, shoes and belts all went flying. Piles for “love”, “hate” and “wtf-idk” towered around the room. No fewer than 56 hoodies were analyzed (seriously – out . of . control). Dozens of outfits were tried on, cast aside, restyled and tried on again.

And in the end, what did I have to show for it? A knee-high pile of castaways and a very excited best friend who will comb through it all tonight. Also, I got all of my belongings into ONE closet. This is exciting for two reasons. Mostly, I’m stoked that I can SEE all of my clothes behind one door. I’m mentally lazy and now I won’t need to waste precious brain power trying to remember which shirts look good with which pants – I can SEE it all right there. But also, it’s nice to prove to myself once every couple of years that SHOULD the desire arise to one day devote my second closet to someone else, I could. No plans for that any time soon, but stay single as long as I have and you’ll start to wonder if you’ve completely lost the capacity to share. I haven’t – phew.

I sat on my bed last night staring at my closet, which now looks like a department store. Big love.

But seriously… when did I get so many shoes?!

xo
Karla

Mingling

2010-09-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Girl's dogs meet boy's cat... staring ensues. Hooooours of staring.

As long as the cat is comfortable living out the rest of his days on a countertop, I think everything should go just fine.

*<|:0)

Bravery is Overrated

2010-09-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Um yeah... this is what I look like when I rock climb... HAHA!

What can I say? I'm scared of heights. We're lucky I didn't turn into a sobbing, heaping pile the first time I looked down! Instead, I screamed. And when I stopped screaming, and reached upward for the next hold. I'm totally doing this again. And again. Maybe even again. Until I'm not making this face any more.

Fun with USPS!

2010-09-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

OMG, guess who got pressies?! That’s right, ME!

Janna over at SheWearsCrazyWell is such a sweetheart, she sent me goodies on account of my lame ass body ravaging my brain. I heart silver linings, so I am totally down with this plan.

First of all – cutest card EVAR! A ridiculously cute little plaque and – my favesies – half of an adorable little twin owl set (dudedidyouknowiloveowls?!). I will name him Hewie, of course, (hers is Herbert) and will find the perfect place for him on my desk at work. YAY!!

Janna cracks me up. We might share a brain, because this is pretty much the exact dialogue going on in my head when I read this. TOTES HILAR. Way to go, sister from another mister. Loves you!!

Oh and look who ELSE thought of me! How sweet of you, Piperlime, to send me things when I’m not feeling so well! What did you send me this time? New boots and those pearls I was talking about?! You shouldn’t have!!

At first I thought the boots were too harsh looking. I never wear black… and I never wear flats, so yeah, weird. But once I put them on with some lighter jeans, I actually think I really like them!

Also - this just in - pearls are the new gangster thing. Trust me ;)

That’s all from this end. Ima go back in my cozy corner now, drink some fake nog and NOT listen to Christmas music (…cuz, you know, that’d make me totally nutso… *looks around* yup, no nutso here.)

Snug as a Bug in a Rug

2010-09-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

It’s coming! Do you see it?! It’s riiiiiight there in that tree. Fall is on the way.

I was SO sad that summer was ending – it only lasted a couple short weeks here in Seattle and I DO love me some late nights on porches with margaritas. But now that there’s a crisp in the air, warm hazelnut coffee in my cup and scarves a plenty, I’m feelin it. I’m ready and excited even.

So much so, in fact, that I dinked around my house all night last listening to “winter music”, unpacking my seasonal decorations, playing with my fall accessories and hanging lots of soft, cozy lighting. My place is such a little nest now.

Now I just need to have people over for pumpkin pie and soy nog. Natch!

JUUUUUUUST KIDDING

2010-09-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm nothing if not consistent! Here is the new uniform in action. SO COMFORTABLE! Normally I keep pretty mum on my fashion finds, but I've somehow become an unofficial jeggings spokesman. A coworker implored me via facebook the other day to wear them to work so she could see. Honey, we're all going to be so SICK of seeing me in jeggings that we'll be lucky to have a day I don't wear them ;)

In other news, my new Sounders jacket is totally lucky – the team won with a record-breaking lead of 4-0 the day I wore it!

My Seahawks hoodie, however, is clearly cursed. I’ve never seen a worse football game in my life than the one I watched on Sunday. I spent most of the afternoon with my forehead on the table at the bar. Awful. But you know what? I still love my teams - win or lose. Always have, always will. I’ll cheer for any of those bastards right down to the very end of even the worst game in history.

Also, I may have accidentally stretched my ears to 7/16”. I know I said I was done stretching at 00g, but my double flare plugs have been falling out really easily, lately. So on a whim, I thought I’d see if the 7/16th” plugs I just happened to have lying around would fit. They did… not even a stretch. Figures – when I WANT to stretch my ears, they fight me tooth and nail. When I decide I’m done, they turn into silly putty. That’s life, isn’t it?! Redonk.

Anyone in need of some 00 gauge jewelry? I have some really cute pieces that are suddenly completely useless :P

Remember When Life Was Simple?!

2010-09-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Well, since my stupid dog ate my Uggs… I’m trying to decide what to do next.

I’m so torn!! When he ate them, I thought to myself “Good. That’ll break me of that habit and rid me permanently of the fashion crutch that IS my Ugg boots.” And I resolved only to wear my ACTUAL boots from now on. But then I saw this picture… and realized that outfit wouldn’t be nearly as cute without the Uggs.

Then I thought of more outfits that actually look pretty awesome with Uggs, like these…

I mean, big kid boots and skinny jeans have their place, for sure, but do Uggs have their place too?! And is it worth an investment of nearly $200?! And if I DO add them to my online shopping cart, would I be able to resist adding these too?!?
Damn you, Uggs. Damn you.

Mam? I Think You're Drooling...

2010-09-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, I’m going to geek out here for a minute. Just one. I’m having Windows 7 phone fantasies…

This shit looks AMAZING. I’ve been trying not to get my hopes up, but (being that I work at Microsoft) I’ve caught a few glimpses of this thing in action, and I think it’s fair to get excited. More than fair.

(see it in action)

In one of the public demos, I watched a guy pull up a Bing maps app, pinpoint his exact location, speak the phrase “Chinese food” into the phone and in less than 10 seconds he had turn-by-turn directions to the 8 places closest to him. WHAT?! Not to mention, my inbox(es), my Facebook, my photos, streaming video and APPS all on a huge beautiful screen? And it actually WORKS?! Sold!

Forget what this means for my company, to finally have a competitive product in the land of iPhones… that’s exciting, but I’m selfish and – really – I just want this phone to hurry up and come out so I can use it :)

Suspend Your Doubt. Hear Me.

2010-09-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dude! Have I told you about my latest obsession?! I am OB-SESS-ED with jeggings. I know it sounds crazy, but these are like THE best invention on the face of the planet. I love them almost as much as I love burritos. Yeah, that much.

What’s killing me is that NOBODY BELIEVES ME!! I keep talking about how awesomely comfortable they are, how cute they make my ass look and how ridiculously wearable they are, but everyone poo-poos me saying “Oh, Karla, you’re tall and thin what the heck do you know?” What the heck do I know?! I know that I’m a size 10 with a jiggly middle – I am NOT as thin as I look. I know that almost every pair of jeans EVER gives me a decently sizable muffin top. I know I’ve never ever in a million years considered actually wearing skinny jeans because they make me look like a sausage. And, most importantly, I know I feel 100% confident, comfortable and burrito-eating-ready in a pair of jeggings. Don’t punish me because I’m tall. Don’t discount my advice because I do a good job of disguising my girly-belly flaws. Trust me on this. Jeggings are THE SHIT. And chances are, they'd look good on you too.

And if you don’t want to trust me because of my body shape? I'm hurt. I'm offended. But I understand. Trust the reviews. There are 70+ positive reviews on Gap.com for these jeans, and they’re NOT from size 0s. They’re from real ladies like you n me who are rockin’ 10s, 12s, 14s and 18s. My short friends (the smart ones who LISTEN to me) are rockin these like pros, and we’re all lookin’ damn fine.

I've been wearing mine so much that I actually bought a backup pair for my blue ones. And I got them in black too. This is totally going to be my uniform for fall: Jeggings + boots + oversized tops. (BTW this oversized sweater from the Gap is perfect, and only $19.99 in stores.) Might even try one of those super long strands of peals, knotted like I just don’t give a crap. Haha.

Whatever. Haters can hate. I’m stoked. If you listen to me long enough to give em a shot, I betchya you will be too! What’re you all wearin’ this season?

xo
Karla

Hooray, Drugs!

2010-09-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

I’m alive!! Wow, what a trip the last week or so has been. I’m definitely still dealing with a lot of shit, but I am absolutely on the mend. Eyesight’s comin’ back, numbness is gone, hearing is basically back and - I’m a little sad to say - the jazz hand-inducing tremors are a thing of the past. Yay! (I can still have a Dean Martin themed 50s martini shaking party, right?)

I spent a few days in the hospital doing IV steroids and now I’m a 2 week course of oral steroids. Normally, I HATE being on steroids. They make you feverish, fat, moody, greasy, nauseous and wreck your digestion. But I really needed them this time. My MS hasn’t been that bad since my first attack in 2004. Holy hell was I happy to get those pills in my mouth so I could peel myself up OFF the floor and get back into life. I was actually scared there for a bit... and I don't get scared.

Now that I’m starting to feel better, the steroids are starting to feel a little like speed! My heart races all day and I have all this energy. Last night I launched a cleaning attack on my house that you wouldn’t believe. I know I should be taking it easy, but it’s hard to do with this crap coursing through my veins. At one point I was sitting in my tub with 4 different kinds of cleansers and a plastic brush, haha. My place is spic and SPAN now. I have 10 days of meds left… I’m going to need projects! Especially since the jittery elements mean I’m only sleeping a few hours a night. Oh well.

Other complication? No booze. Which, is good I guess. When I was rapid fire online dating, my tolerance for alcohol got pretty high. I mean, I was doubling up dates almost every day for two weeks and every one of them involved a few drinks! Haha. So I’ve been sort of half joking that I need a period of sobriety just to reset the meters. Two and a half weeks ought to do it. Lesson learned: careful what you wish for people!

I’m really happy to be back in the land of the living. Thanks for all your well wishes!! Missed you!

Karla

Down for the Count

2010-09-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

Man. I’m getting my ASS handed to me by my MS this week. It started simply enough – blurry left eye, a little extra sleepy. No big deal. Now I’ve got this radical shimmey-shake in my right arm and leg, numbness on my left side and I can’t hear out of my right ear. Blarg!

The shimmey-shake is kinda funny actually. It's the move of an old man, and seeing it on my 26 year old hand makes me laugh. If it sticks around, at least I’ll be a hit at the next martini party right?? Anyway, I’m spending “happy hour” at the hospital the next several evenings getting treatment.

A Different Kind of Cocktail

For anyone who’s been on steroids, you know it’s no fun. I feel pretty ok today – warm enough to wear my summer tanks in 50 degree weather – but otherwise ok. In a few days, I’m going to be a real grump on this crap. Hopefully I won’t have to be on it too long.

In the meantime, I’m impressing everyone at the hospital with my fabulous shoe collection. I guess they're more accustomed to robes and slippers. What can I say? The fancy ones cheer me up when I feel like garbage.

New Boots I Wore with the Purple Top

Send good vibes… and maybe a martini that needs a good shake!

Laid WAY Up

2010-09-08T13:51:00.001-07:00

This jacked up back has me walking like an old lady. Actually, it has me walking like a pregnant chick, complete with the waddle, the hand on my lower back n everything. But I mentioned that once at work today and now rumors are flying, so I’m permanently banning that word from my vocabulary… and maybe eating a little less junk food.

Nothing wrong with being old… this lady’s rockin’ it well:

(via we heart it)

I learned something about myself being on bed rest: I fucking hate bed rest! Bed rest would only be fun if I invited people over in a steady stream of socialization, and I live way too far away from the city to get people to come over without holding a gun to their head.

Oh well. I’m up now. I just have to keep from doing anything crazy so that I can REMAIN a part of the upward world. So, who wants to come vacuum my stairs?! :D

Putting the SHE in Shenanigans Since 1983

2010-09-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Best weekend EVER! I don't even know what Labor Day is really, but I sure appreciate the excuse to cram about 4 days worth of awesome into one short break from the work week. And cram we did.

First up on Friday night was drinking, of course, and Pictionary. A pair I think goes especially well together. My team contained a *professional artist*! You’d think we were the shoe in to win, but we sort of sucked… I could blame our inability to EVER roll a 6, but mostly I think we just overthought the precision of our “art”. Except when I screamed “CHRISTMAS” at the top of my lungs when a simple squiggle was drawn and we totally won that round unexpectedly. Rad.

Later that night (you know, the time of night when it seems like a really good idea to walk 15 blocks for a slice of pizza and yet another beer) things got even MORE interesting. A friend of a friend who happened to be at the bar wanted an advanced copy of Halo Reach from said professional artist… and nice guy that he is, Scott was just going to give it to him. But I saw an opportunity, opened my big mouth to ask the usual “what’s in it for ME” (as if I had any weight at all in this particular arrangement) and, low and behold, I got THIS in trade: Free access to a tricked out golf cart to tool around the bars in!

Street legal? Probably not even under the best of circumstances. And certainly not in the state we were in. Scott held on for dear life as I repeatedly asked (with my 4” heels on) where the eff the brake was… all the while speeding faster and faster down the hill toward Lake Union. HAHA! Hang with me at your own risk. I want to save up for my very own bar-crawling golf cart now. I wish I had more bars to crawl in Issaquah…

Saturday was epic too. I sometimes walk dogs for a friend who runs a terrier rescue. I went over there like any other day, and ended up seeing what the surface of a dog’s skull looks like! YIKES! Massive dog fight. With 7 terriers and new fosters regularly added to the group, it’s sort of inevitable, but this was my first big one. I hung out at the vet’s with Atilla for a few hours, and the poor guy got a few stitches. Everyone’s ok now, but MAN what an afternoon.

That night made up for any of the stress though. PAX is the big game conference we have in Seattle every year, and although I’ve never been to the show itself, I DO love me some after parties! This one started on the roof of a Belltown condo playing beer pong, which was extra stressful since we had to keep the ping pong balls from flying off the roof onto highway 99. That and we went “no holds barred” with the turn taking rules, meaning that if you could get possession of the ball as it bounced crazily around the roof, you got another turn. Hilarity ensued. Once everyone was good n full of Natty Light (yuuum ;) we headed over to Shorty’s the official Bungie party, which was a complete, margarita-fueled blast. God I love me some nerds.

Sunday was the REAL adventure! We packed up the xB full of city-slicker camping gear and drove over the mountains near Yakima to hurl ourselves down the fastest moving whitewater river in Washington. Hol-e-hell, what a blast! I mean, I knew this was going to be fun, but I had no idea I’d love it THAT much! Spray in your face, the guide yelling orders, paddles smacking the water, hanging on for dear life… damn I can’t WAIT to do that again! I didn’t fall out of the boat… and honestly, I’m a little disappointed. Next time I want bigger rapids, faster moving water and fewer breaks!!

(I'm on the right side of the boat - left side of photo - 2nd from last)

Camping out was awesome too. Fire, friends, beer, love it. What a perfect end to the summer. Although, I managed to throw my back out – get this – sleeping on an air mattress. All those shenanigans, all that action and THAT’S how I hurt myself. I’m working from home and on bed rest today. Getting old is a total bitch. But hey, it’s better than the alternative, right?? ;)

I hope you all had rad weekends.

My Little PDK

2010-09-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

My baby niece smiled at me for the first time last night. She smiled at me and she gripped my finger with her tiny baby hand. I’m surprised I didn’t turn into a big mushy puddle right there on Angi’s couch.

She’s honestly the cutest baby I’ve ever seen. Maybe I’m biased and if I am I don’t care… she is gorgeous. I stared at her for a good couple of hours last night just wondering. Wondering what she’ll be like when she starts to move around on her own. Wondering how long she’ll keep her hair. Wondering whether she’ll be brave on her first day of first grade. Wondering what sports she’ll play as a teen. Wondering what she’ll want to be when she grows up… yup, this is what love feels like. I love my little baby niece. And if I’m interpreting her gurggly-goos correctly, I think she loves me too.

Slutfest is Coming Up

2010-09-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

That's right! Halloween is only 8ish weeks away!! Time to start thinking about a costume! Halloween is silly. A couple of years ago I went to a party dressed like this:

My costume was homemade and completely RAD. I was so excited to go to the party and show it off to all my artistic friends. But all of my artistic friends were busy talking to the sexy bees, sexy nurses, sexy pilots and sexy cops… so I sat in the corner of the crowded party, pouting under my astronaut’s helmet and wondering if I could get a straw for my beer.

Last year, I was determined to make up for my folly, so I did what any woman would do. I invested in some spandex and went partying as Lady Gaga.

More attention? Yeah, I guess. But there were like 6 other Lady Gagas at that party, and I felt like just another slut in fishnets. This year? I don’t know what’s in store for this year yet. But I’m thinking about going back to my roots. That’s right… the infamous dog costume! I wore this shit for the first 10 years of my life, basically, and reproducing it at the ripe old age of 26 couldn’t BE more ME. Right?!

Oh man… I might be repeating the same mistake. But I guess what it comes down to is that I’d rather be an astronaut in the corner than a sexy bee front and center. Cest la vie. What are you guys dressing up as?!

The Act of Destroying

2010-09-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

My dog is a jerk... but I guess we now know where he stands on the whole Uggs debate. Asshole.

UM, I would've been way more upset about this if I hadn't gone shoe shopping earlier that day. Said shoe shopping lessened the blow of this loss in 2 ways. 1) I wore said Uggs while shoe shopping and my feet SMEEEEEELLED which made me like them less (and made the sales girl who INSISTED on sitting near my feet like ME less) and 2) I bought several pairs of spectacular winter shoes to wear in their stead (none of which I brought home with me, since I have giant clown feet and they have to order them "special").

Although... when I went to walk the boys in the RAIN this morning, I realized I no longer have an easy option to slip on for a quick trip down the block. Guess the dogs are living stricly indoors from now on. Way to go, Ace.

Cautious Beahvior

2010-08-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

Have you ever climbed to the top of a steep cliff and jumped off into the water below? I’m a big scaredy cat, so I’ve only done it a few times, but it’s always such a roller coaster.

(via we heart it)

You climb and climb and climb. You feel the dirt smashing between your toes as you push further with each step than you ever thought you could. Up, up and even further up. Anticipation builds. Roots, rocks and soil fall from between your fingers as your grip the earth and pull yourself forward. But none of it feels like work – you don’t even look down to see what you’ve accomplished. You only look forward, only to the next perch that’ll take you another step closer. You’re smiling (probably like a fool), your heart is beating fast and you’re racing with anticipation to make it to the top.

Then… you do. And if you’re anything like me, this is where everything changes. A million emotions race through me here at the top of the cliff. The most obvious and most powerful is of course, fear. I huddle close to the ground and cling to the rocks for dear life wondering “What have I gotten myself into?” I look for ways out – can’t go back down the way I came, it’s too steep. But am I brave enough to jump? Then there’s a little twinge of regret. Why was I so stupid to get myself into this mess? What the heck am I going to do now? Jumping seems like the worst possible choice, but it’s what I worked for, it’s still the best possible option and, if I’m lucky, it’ll pay off in ways I can't even imagine sitting here on this rock. But damn, can I do it?! Perhaps I’ll just live on this cliff forever, and eventually die here as the girl who couldn’t jump.

And so, I shake. I sit and I shake and I usually hesitate about 10 times longer than anyone else who’s ever jumped off this cliff. I don’t hear the people yelling encouragement from below because I’m alone with my own thoughts. “Am I brave enough? Am I brave enough? Am I brave enough? Isn’t this what I wanted all along? Isn’t this what I climbed up here for? What the fuck am I going to do now?”

And it happens in an instant. No decision is made, no thought triggers it, but at some point I find that my body is running… There are no doubts now, no fear, no shakes, just wind. And then my feet are off the ground and the soil is nowhere to be felt. I’m flying through the air, hurling toward the water, not a thought to be found in my head… only feeling. Too much feeling to even label. My heart is in my stomach and then SPLASH. I’m in. I did it. And I’m forever changed for it… a braver woman, a stronger human being. And I stay there under water for just a second to appreciate all that is life – the thoughts, the feelings, the quiet peace I always manage to find on the other side of every obstacle. And when I do finally surface, dozens of friends are shouting my name. And I bask weightlessly there for just another moment more, thankful that I was indeed brave enough.

…falling in love is not unlike jumping off a cliff. And I am not unlike that girl standing on the edge.

Perplexed

2010-08-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

I walked out of Target yesterday with a 12 pack of Charmin Ultra tucked under my arm and thought to myself, "There really is no dignified way to buy toilet paper in bulk."

But you know who you REALLY have to wonder about? The people who buy 4 rolls at a time. I mean, what's going on there? Is he thinking to himself, "I just need these 4. After that, we'll figure out alternate solutions"?

... some things I guess I'll just never understand.

Another Epic Weekend

2010-08-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

Oh man what a weekend! Summer is definitely in its last days in Seattle, but I am still packing in as MUCH activity as I can manage. This weekend was another one for the record books. Friday was just kind of silly... and involved mixing way too many different kinds of alcohol and drinking from a glass gun. Enough said.

Saturday was the doosie. I went with a newish guy to kayak the Tacoma Narrows with some friends of his. And thanks to the currents of the Tacoma Narrows, I learned an important lesson...if you like the person you're sharing a kayak with, use a rudder to help you steer. Coordinating paddling is ALMOST has hard as assembling Ikea furniture together and spinning in circles trying to get your heavy ass double kayak to move makes everything harder :) This is a real relationship test FOR SURE.

We practically ran straight from Kayaking to the Sounders game, which was AWESOME! I love sporting events of all kinds, and have always had a blast at soccer games... mostly because everyone is hyper as shit. The section we sat in was kind of lame, but game was still fun. And for a change I actually learned a little more beyond my basic ball-goes-in-goal level of understanding. Win!

I went to sleep that night exhausted and hoping I'd wake up with Pop Eye style forearms from kayaking. No such luck. But on Sunday the good times kept rolling. I had to go do some tattoo design negotiation that morning, and ended up having a sort of amazing impromptu Sunday afternoon with veggie sandwiches, the Capitol Hill farmer's market and some vegan cookies. Yay!

Then it was off to a BBQ for a friend that's moving away. I brought my friend Devon since I didn't know anyone. We sat at a table with some cool lookin' kids and within 10 minutes, I swear to God, Devon actually used the phrase "mushroom stamp" right there with the complete strangers. So, I started drinking heavily and kept that up for the rest of the day.

Pretty epic weekend :) Now... Monday.

Comforting a Conniption

2010-08-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Death of summer, Act 1: In which, Karla begrudgingly turns on the indoor lighting and closes the windows.

BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG. Fall is in the air, raindrops are landing on my windshield and I’m not ready to let go of summer just yet!! I didn’t sit doing nothing on enough porches, I didn’t drink enough margaritas, I haven’t spent enough evenings in sweaty bars and I didn’t float a river!! DAMMIT! I’M NOT READY!

Ok… freak out over. I have one more chance at some “cheater summer”. I’m going whitewater rafting next weekend in Eastern Washington where it’s still sunny and in the 80s. But that’ll be it. Then it’ll be time to embrace fall.

Aside from the dark mornings and dark evenings, which turn me into an unrelenting grump EVERY year, fall is actually quite lovely. I need to focus on all the fun things to look forward to…

Scarves, hoodies and beanies
Boots, sweaters and skinny jeans
Warm coffee on cold mornings
Leaves changing color
A trip to Boston!
Pumpkin patching
Halloween parties and the haunted woods
My birthday!! …hopefully a great excuse to wear a fabulous dress.
Baked goods
Red Cup Day at Starbucks and seasonal lattes
Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and yams
Thanksgiving and the Christmas tree lighting downtown
Christmas music, Christmas music and more Christmas music
Giant, vintage Christmas lights!
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and the original Grinch
Snowflake lane and holiday shopping
Snow, sledding and snow days
Hot cocoa with vegan marshmallows
That silence that only heavy snowfall can bring
Evenings in front of a fire with a bottle of wine
Good friends, comfort food and board games

Oh wow, that totally worked! I’m not really freaking out at all anymore. I forgot that I really LOVE the fall! One more hoorah with my whitewater rafting trip, and I think I’ll be ready. All fun things ahead!

Also, I got a new camera that actually works…

YAY! Happy Friday, ya’ll.

New Camera - Blech

2010-08-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

LAME. I got my new camera, the Canon PowerShot SX210IS 14.1 MP… and I was so stoked when I saw it in the mailbox, because I had kind of a hard day at work. So, I ripped it open, threw in the battery and IMMEDIATELY started taking a bunch of shots. Gotta say, I’m kinda bummed. I wanted 3 things in a camera:

Image stabilization
Quick shutter speed / no blur
Easy self-portraits (for wardrobe remix shots)

Even with image stabilization on the “Kids & Pet” setting, 80% of the shots I took of my dogs just walking around the house were blurry. Strike one.

Still semi hopeful, I try a few self-portraits. Canon ditched the usual 3- and 10- second delays in favor of an automatic “smile detection” technology, which turned out a little wonky at best. I’d stand in front of my camera smiling like a GOON for several seconds, then finally have to bend over and shove my grill right in the lens to get the thing to snap a picture. Annoying!! What if I don’t WANT to smile? Strike two.

Strike three came from out of nowhere! It has a pop up flash, which is sort of 1980s but whatever, I can deal. What I can’t deal with is that the flash has to CHARGE! Charge?! It’s 2010! Flashes haven’t charged in at least 15 years. Even the flash on my shitty cell phone camera doesn’t need to CHARGE. Blurry images… cheese-ass grins AND delayed flashes? Nope. This shit’s going back to the store.

I did get a couple fun shots out of the 200 I took yesterday…

Hopefully that’ll hold me over until I get a better camera!

Splurgey McSplurgerson

2010-08-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

Oops. The credit card got away from me just a little bit this weekend. But in some oh-so-beautiful kinds of ways, haha. And it totally wasn’t my fault. I blame the store window people. I mean, I was minding my own business going to see Scott Pilgram vs. The World when I walked by BCBG… and there in the window was the MOST beautiful pair of shoes I have ever laid eyes on. The clouds parted, choirs sang and my heart literally stopped.

I was good. I saw my movie. I went home. I resisted. Or so I thought. But I was at a different mall the next day running errands, and the next thing I knew, I was in the BCBG putting my card down on the counter. I don’t know how it happened!!
Then, once the splurging started… it continued. It continued into a hot dress that’ll look good with my new heels. And some jewelry to go with the dress…. Oh man. I justified it all with fall/winter events as my excuse. I mean, I can’t expect my espadrilles and summer dresses to work for the fall weddings and company holiday parties, can I?! I’m just preparing in advance is all.

Once I’d racked up a hefty amount on basically completely frivolous clothes I thought to myself “I don’t NEED clothes, I NEED a camera!” and since I’d already begun the spending, I bought one of those too.

I reigned it in now. We’re done. I’ll be good from now on, I promise. I mean, how can I shop when all I can help myself to do is stare at my new shoes… ;)

Stretched to Perfection

2010-08-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

Good news! I finally made a call on my ears. I'm done stretching! It's smaller than I'd originally planned, but it turns out 00 gauge is suiting me juuuuust fine. Big enough to fill the lobe, no more, no less. So you know what THAT means! Now I can start buying jewelry!! I'm saving most of my money for tattoos and travel, but I did splurge on the one pair of plugs I've had my eye on forever...

Aren't those SO CUTE?! It's funny. Literally for years I've been visiting the Omerica Organics site every couple of weeks. I'd scroll through all their beautiful plugs, pick out all the styles I hoped to someday wear, eventually get frustrated that it was taking so long to stretch my ears and end up closing the window. haha! Well, it felt really good to finally put the heart plugs in the cart and check out :)

There are at least two more styles that I'm drooling over right now, the concave suns and the inlay stars. LOVE!

But there are lots of things in the "splurge" line before plugs. A camera, for one. And some big tattoos I've got my artist drawing right now. Then it's time to start saving for wintertime adventure... it sounds like there may be some REALLY rad travel in my future, so I want to be sure I'm ready to jump at every chance I have to globe trot my way around sunny beaches come the cold Seattle winter. All fun things!

Alright, I'm working from home today... so back to meetings in bed.

xo
Karla

Absent Minded, Not Hearted

2010-08-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've not been blogging much lately. Or Flickring. My camera is busted!! Like, completely busted won't even turn on broken. And blogs just seem like less fun without photos. I mean... words are too much work for the reader, right?!

I had to decide whether to spend this month's "fun budget" on a replacement camera or a hard drive. My old laptop is really crappy and I live in constant fear that it will crash and I'll lose all my digital memories. After weeks of debate, I finally chose the hard drive. Better to have all the years of photos backed up than to create new ones, I figured. Plus, isn't it cute?!

Hopefully soon I'll have enough cash lying around to get a new camera. Actually, I'm going to NEED to get one. I have some really fun adventures planned for the coming weeks and months, and you know how I like me some adventure pictures :)

But I have missed you guys. How's everyone out in blogland?

Do It Up Right, People.

2010-08-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Life is funny. Do you ever get those… feelings? Like, you just know something without any real proof or even a logical reason to suspect it?

When my big sister Christy went into labor with my first nephew, I knew it before anyone even told me. When I was diagnosed with MS and completely unable to even take care of myself, I had absolute faith everything was going to be alright even as everyone around me panicked. When I interviewed at Microsoft, I felt relaxed and at home throughout what should’ve been a grueling 8 hour interview. Some things you just feel sure about even when there’s no reason to.

I’ve had a weird feeling the last couple of months that my life is going to be short. That the time for planning tomorrows is over. That it’s time to start living for today. Imperative, even.

I keep telling myself that it’s not true. That I’m just getting emo about the ticking clock of multiple sclerosis, or perhaps about aging in general. The truth is I never give much thought to either. So perhaps I’m just balancing out from being overly responsible most my life and exploring the other end of the spectrum? I don’t know. But I can’t shake this feeling that time is up.

It’s not a bad feeling, either. It’s inspirational and indulgent, if anything. Inspiration to live the life that’s most true to me. To approach my work with confidence and fearlessness. To dance in front of crowds I wouldn’t have before. To talk to people more openly, more genuinely and with more faith. To listen more. To try new things bravely and without fear. To sing karaoke and stay up on a school night. To give more freely. To love more passionately.

I still hope this is simply a morbid, twisted explanation of a completely harmless and natural progression in my life. But I got a phone call today that reminded me of the fragility of life and the very real possibility that it could end before we know it. We have no promise of tomorrow. None of us do. So I’m reminded today even more than most others to live without regrets. And not to wait for an excuse to live life beautifully.

Please Sir, Try Again.

2010-08-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

Let’s have fun with the thesaurus, shall we?

Deteriorate
Corrode, crumble, debilitate, decline, decompose, degrade, depreciate, disintegrate, fade, fall apart, regress, rot, spoil, weaken, worsen.

Alternative:

Change
Accommodate, adapt, adjust, alter, convert, diverge, evolve, fluctuate, merge, metamorphose, modify, naturalize, recondition, reform, restyle, revolutionize, shape, shift, transform, translate, vary.

I can’t tell you how many people have used the word “deteriorating” to describe me and my experience with multiple sclerosis. Now, I’m the first person to put my foot in my mouth in almost any situation and thus have a pretty big tolerance for poor word choices. But this one always gets to me.

Yes, my life is full of change. My abilities are sometimes limited. My energy sometimes wanes. Both will probably fade more permanently over time. But my spirit only gets stronger. My resolve more definite. The peace, joy and happiness in life only get more pronounced. And so what is taken from me physically is more than made up for in gratitude and celebration. Mother fucking celebration!

I am not deteriorating. Life is changing for me, like it does for everyone, just on a more definite, recognizable and perhaps unrelenting course. And like all things, change contains elements of both good and bad. I will be focusing on the good, and encouraging everyone around me to do the same.

Because ladies and gentlemen… if you know me at all, you know the last thing I could ever do is shrink away :)

No Nose Cheese for Me Please

2010-08-08T22:02:00.000-07:00

All piercings stink. Like, actually smell. Wash em, and they smell like flowers. But then they stink again. Repeat.

Stretched ears are the worst, cuz they're the biggest. Bigger holes = more cheese to collect. More cheese to stink.

Small piercings stink too though. You don't know it cuz how often do you sniff your belly button or eyebrow?

Your septum, however, is INSIDE your nose.

Uh...this might be a deal breaker. Might be.

Epic Weekend

2010-08-02T13:35:00.001-07:00

Admittedly, I overuse the word epic. But this weekend really was… epic. I formally ushered two of my best friends into the next realm of life. I stood beside Erik as he married Erica under the warm July sun in a field of lavender, and sat beside Mariya and Mike as they prepped for the arrival of little Louie with a baby shower by the bonfire. I went to sleep that night exhausted, eternally grateful, blissfully happy and a little sad to know that our lives will never be the same.

Erik and Erica: Married 07.31.10

Mike and Mariya: Expecting 10.09.10

Well… theirs won’t. Mine is the same as it always is. Me, my radical beasts, our house in the wetlands and beats on the stereo. A simple recipe I’ve mastered.

What’s next? Oh, who really knows. Love all around, adventure after adventure, shit so ridiculous we cry laughing, good luck, bad luck and everything in between. Cheers to the futures of everyone I love!

Danger, Will Robinson!

2010-07-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

This video is SO dangerous!! Kaylah over at The Dainty Squid started this madness. The video of her cute new kitten made me all gooshy and then another friend sent this video to me as reinforcement. I keep repeating to myself "I will not get a kitten, I will not get a kitten, I will not get a kitten," but crap, I want a kitten! haha.

The only thing stopping me is the logistics of it. Bentley has inflammatory bowel disease and is on a VERY restricted diet. A literal crumb of other food will make him sick for days. He ate a piece of cat food once and was sick for nearly two weeks. With multiple dogs, separation of food is easy enough. They eat in 15 seconds and I pick up their dishes. But from what I've seen, kitties like to have food all day and they aren't exactly neat about it. So, until I figure out how I could keep every speck of cat food away from Bentley without locking a poor cat in a room all alone, no cats in our house.

Now, I have to keep my mind off solving that problem... or I'm going to have a kitten by the end of the weekend :P

Hope you're all enjoying your Friday!

-Karla

Whatchya See is Whatchya Get

2010-07-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

My tattoos got a lot of attention at my work conference in Atlanta. My ears did too. Plus, my coworkers have now seen me drunkenly dance all night and close out a gay bar. So, I figure they can handle the septum ring on a more full-time basis. I like this jewelry so much better, but I haven’t worn it until now since it can’t be hidden. For better or worse, they’re gettin’ all of me now.

I’m totally digging the size my ears are at now. My original goal had been 5/8 of an inch, but I actually really like how they look at 00 gauge. My goal was to make the earlobes look “full” and I think they do… I have until November before I can stretch again anyway, so I have some time to decide, but I’m anxious to start buying jewelry for my “final” size, since I haven’t let myself buy anything during the stretching process. I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist now!!

In other mod-related news, my bird tattoo is healing up really nicely. I mean, I was a shoe girl long before ink got anywhere near my foot, but now, this little sucker is making all my shoes look even cooler than they really deserve!! Lucky is such an amazing artist. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for my next round of work.

Oh and I got a free haircut at the 7 Salon… my hair is extra radical now. I’ve got steps on both sides, the fade on the back of my head and even a little hipster tail to go with, haha. I wasn’t down with that, but the dude talked me into it. Reminds me of a duck’s butt. A cute duck’s butt, but a duck's butt. Redonk.

Erik and Erica's wedding shenanigans start tonight... gosh I can't wait. I hope you're all having a great week!

-Karla

Back from Hotlanta

2010-07-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

Honey, I'm home! What a week. Atlanta was a BLAST. We were in conferences all day, partied all night, got to know our coworkers WAY too well and experienced some of the treats that Atlanta has to offer.

I can honestly say I’ve now stayed in the world’s grossest hotel (I would’ve worn closed toed shoes to bed if I’d had them.) I met – in person – some of the top executives at Microsoft. I answered 10,852 questions about my tattoos. I got caught in an EPIC flash thunderstorm with *warm* rain. I saw my first cockroach. I danced for 7 hours straight. I cried when Steve Balmer was given a 30 year achievement award. I drank way too much. I subsisted mostly on side salads (where’s the vegan love?) I ate food prepared by Wolfgang Puck. I pet a manta ray and saw 3 whale sharks. I danced to Black Eyed Peas in the park.

Favorite work-related moment? The demo for the Windows7 phone. I’m the biggest skeptic there is when it comes to windows mobile, and I gave a standing ovation… along with 15,000 other people. It’s going to be amazing.

It was a good trip. Missed all my homies though. It’s nice to be home! So tell me… what did I miss?

-Karla

Dripping with Gratitude

2010-07-22T01:49:00.000-07:00

I didn’t realize until I read your responses to the blog about my 5 year anniversary with multiple sclerosis, how quiet I’ve become about my past. It’s not that I’m deliberately quiet about it. I’m actually really open about every experience I’ve had, maybe too open. People piece it together, eventually, that things haven’t always been perfect for me. Looking at it in aggregate, I have crammed a lot difficult life experience into my 26 years. Child Protective services difficult. Self supporting at 17 difficult. Life changing diagnosis difficult. 3 week hospitalizations difficult. Blindness and paralysis difficult. Breakup of a 5 year relationship difficult. Worrying about losing my house difficult. Forced dismantalation of a company I loved difficult. Loss of job difficult. Loss of family difficult.

Through it all, I felt like I had a clear sense of who I was in life and what I wanted, but it was buried under all the crap and logistics. My job was to survive. That happens sometimes, and it’s easy to hide behind. But in the last couple of years, everything has fallen into place in a way I would’ve never believed it could. I took a big risk a couple of years ago. I decided that if shit was going to fall apart anyway, I might as well live on my terms. And so all that past became just that: Past. Since that day, I’ve been on a path to live truthfully and genuinely with a forward-looking perspective of peace. For everyone out there who’s unhappy in life - living in fear of change, in fear of vulnerability, in fear of failure - I can honestly say this is the best decision I ever made in my life. Hardest, most terrifying decision, but hands down the best.

The key was this: I relieved myself of the pressure to be anything more to anyone than exactly who I am. Maybe it was the fact that I realized it was all going to go wrong anyway, or the fact that there’s a clock ticking loudly on the able-bodied time I have left in this world, but that was the magical moment that introduced for the first time true and hopefully lasting peace into my life. I rid myself of the obligation of looking the way people expect me to. I rid myself of the obligation to follow anyone else’s PLAN in life. I rid myself of the obligation to have friendships, partnerships and familial relationships with people that just weren’t working. And as I sloughed off the excess, an amazing thing happened… suddenly everything that was in my life was there because I genuinely wanted it there.

Stop and think about that for a minute. Every interaction, every obligation, every commitment, every relationship was there because I wanted it to be. Imagine how that would change how you feel about every day of your life - to only participate voluntarily only in the things you love.

At first that was scary. So the next step was just as important; I accepted that I am alone. Truly accepted it, made peace with it, bought it a drink and married the concept. This is vital, because hanging on to the idea that you need anything else will leave you holding on to fear. In the end, the only company you can count on is your own. So make it good. Make it real. Make it you. What I offer the world isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But I wake up every day happy with the career I’ve developed, the dogs I’ve adopted, the home I’ve made for myself and the person I’ve allowed myself to become. Talk about a great place to build from. It’s the ONLY place to build from.

And build I have. This is the part where things get even better than genuine and peaceful… they get really really good. Once I accepted that I COULD be alone and be happy with the life I built, I felt comfortable risking relationships… real friendships that give both ways and really MEAN something to me. Today, I believe that your family is the family you build. I’ve been an incredibly reserved and shy person most of my life. Meeting people has never been easy for me and voluntarily offering myself up to rejection was even harder. But I finally realized you can’t wait for that to come to you, no matter how great a person you are. You have to reach out, put yourself on the limb and hope others will reach back. I heard a quote at my work conference this week that couldn’t be more appropriate:

Commitment isn’t something you can ask for. It’s something you volunteer.

Amen. So I have. So many times this year I’ve said “for better or worse, I’m all in.” Occasionally it’s been for the worse, and that HAS to be ok. It’s inevitable. But more often than not, it’s been for the better. And I’ve got the most amazing friends on the planet to show for it. (Angi & Ken, Mariya & Mike, Erik & Erica, Annie & Andy, Nick, Eileen, Devon, Phil, Morgan, Jamie Kelly, Jai, Chrissy, Holly, Alicia and others I’m sure I’m blanking on… I’m talking to you guys.) They’re home to me. In my life up to this point, I felt like an outsider. A bit of a lost soul and really like nobody even KNEW me. The opposite couldn’t be more true today. The people in my life are genuine, they’re good hearted, they have each other’s best interest at heart and they’re there for each other because they want to be. And I’m there for the same. THAT’S family like I’ve never known it.

This is an amazing spot to be standing. To have risked big, felt so much loss, felt so alone and then to have found true peace in that... peace that then let me build even more. Who knew peace was so empowering?! It’s vital. When you can be restful and unanxious about life even as it goes wrong, because you know it WILL go wrong, you risk big with confidence and, in turn, you win big. Only more good can come from that. With nothing to lose, zero expectations and a heart that’s dripping with gratitude for all experiences this life has to offer, what else could lie ahead? I can say with total confidence things will continue to go wrong for me. But they will go right too. And as a whole, my life will be absolutely beautiful. I know that with absolute certainty now.

Atlanta or Bust

2010-07-18T18:58:00.001-07:00

Gone on a business trip. Back next week!

Quack Your Face Off

2010-07-18T10:19:00.001-07:00

Oh em gee, have you guys ridden the Duck?! What an awesome tour... so completely ridiculous and rad. There was lots of yelling, clapping, dancing in our seats and of course, quacking our faces off! Our captain was so awesome too... I think I might have missed the boat at Microsoft. I'd be PERFECT for gettin' people rowdy, keepin' em quaking and encouraging dancing in the isles!

If I'm ever in charge of planning a bachelor or bachelorette party, I want to rent one of these puppies out. Heavy drinking would be the perfect compliment to such a fun ride. As it were, I was the rowdiest bitch of the bunch. Thankfully Devon sat next to me, because he's almost as loud and obnoxious as I am. Lucky driver - we kept that boat hoppin'!

Today will be much more low key. A quick trip to the Bite of Seattle for some grub, then lots and lots of packing. I'll be in Atlanta all next week. Jealous? Don't be.

Until later,

-Karla

Bitchy the Bird

2010-07-16T08:04:00.001-07:00

Holy hell, what made me think this was a good idea?!?! Well, maybe the fact that it looks totally rad. But hot damn I have never earned a tattoo like I earned this one.

I couldn't talk, I couldn't text, the whole time I couldn't do anything but clench every muscle in my body in pain. And I sat like shit too. My chest piece? 8 hours, one sitting, no breaks, no problem. This thing? An hour and a half and I was an absolute nightmare throughout. Thank god it's done. And I completely adore it.

My new tattoo artist is the shit. Not only did he NOT screw this up in spite of my foot jerking every time he went over the top of my little foot bones, but he was also really easy to get along with (super important when someone's hovering over you for hours) and our artistic styles mesh SUPER well. Like, better than I'd ever have guessed. I showed him some of my drawings for future pieces, and it's like he knew what I wanted to add without me even saying it. Amazing. Yes, I think Lucky and I have a bright tattooing future ahead of us.

For now... I'd like a lobotomy please. Send to room #1181.

-Karla

Turn Off the Alarm, Please

2010-07-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

There are few things sweeter on a warm summer day than shirking all responsibilities and flopping out across the bed, soft quilt underneath, cool pillow on your face, summer sun warming your skin through the window, fan blowing white noise air through your hair, dog breathing softly and rhythmically beside you, birds chirping outside…

Mmmmm… nap time.

(via we heart it)

Uh, new meds apparently make me tired. And so I daydream about actual dreaming. HAH!

Where did I leave the coffee?
-Kar

Urban Dictionary Says "What?!"

2010-07-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

Dude... have you done this? Look up your name in the Urban Dictionary. You can't make this shit up!!

KAR·LA noun

A crazy girl. Who often spazzes randomly. She is a great friend. Pure hearted. She is always there for you when you need her. She believes in unicorns and has two adopted sons named Pedro and August who are from Jamaica that are drawn on pieces of paper. She loves Elmo. She is nice to everyone that comes her way.

Used in a sentence:

Karla: OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!
Alexandra: What???
Karla: OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!
Alexandra: You are such a spazz... What do you want...
Karla: ....Hi :D Guess what!?
Alexandra: What??????????????
Karla: Unicorns will rule the world and eat off of your face causing you to have wrinkles!

Absolutely hilarious. Do it. Do it now. You won't regret it.

Happy hump day!
-Kar