Milking My Dreams

I've moved ;)

2009-10-10T12:21:00.001+08:00

Just as an FYI- I'm posting my links and such on tumblr:

http://sweetmu.tumblr.com

Come join me over there :).

The city, that's where we belong

2009-08-31T03:18:00.008+08:00

California's been good to me
I hope it don't fall into the sea
Sometimes you've got to trust yourself
It ain't like anywhere else

California's been good to me
I hope it don't fall into the sea
Sometimes you've got to save yourself
It ain't like anywhere else

Sun down
Blue eyes
I kinda like this part of town

California has treated me good
I pray to God that the hills don't flood
Sometimes you've got to trust yourself
It ain't like anywhere else

So come on, boy, take us home
To the city
That's where we belong

Things will change
But still the same
Like bars and clubs
With different names
Twenty-four hour grocery stores
Where the kids hang out
Just like before

Is this the place
That we are sure
Like Paris, London, Tokyo
Boy, it's great to be back home
The city
That's where we belong

Just some photos of the last several months. I know I haven't been keeping up with posting. Sorry! At least I keep Facebook up to date, haha.

The truth

2009-08-06T13:26:00.001+08:00

"There's always going to be another mountain, and I'm always going to want to make it move."

California Soul - A stroll through Palo Alto

2009-07-09T13:29:00.006+08:00

My "back yard" (just a slab of concrete, but with beautiful afternoon sun!)

Parked on the Stanford University campus for a stroll with Charlie

More of the Stanford campus... you can see the beautiful mountains in the background. For some reason with this cheap camera you can barely see them, but they look awesome in real life.

A walk through the neighbourhood in the evening. Love all the plants. So lush!

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This is the kind of elaborate landscaping nearly everyone has! No wonder, you can enjoy it year-round.

This house is on a street near mine and very typical... it looks like a normal American house, but it probably cost millions in this town. Another street down you can find the mansions, but it's much less lively there and I felt strange trying to take a picture of the mansions... Maybe another time :).

Charlie in front of one of my favourite plants/flowers. They're just about as common as grass here. So pretty!

On some days, I'm lucky enough for this to be my commute. Again, this is the Stanford campus. When I was in LA, this palm-tree lined street was a very common sight, but in Northern California the vegetation is different, so this is really a treat.

Like a sound you hear

That lingers in your ear

But you can't forget

From sundown

To sunset

It's all in the air

You hear it everywhere

No matter what you do

It's gonna grab ahold of you

California Soul

They say the sun

Comes up every morning

And if you listen

Oh so carefully

The winds that ride

On the high tide

Whistle a melody

So the people started

To sing

And that's how the surf

Gave birth

I'm told

To California Soul

California Soul

- Marlena Shaw, California Soul

2009-06-16T13:50:00.001+08:00

Good SF House Nightlife

2009-06-08T03:29:00.006+08:00

Who knew when I'd move here I'd find that many of the DJs I've listened to for years are native to the bay area? Examples: Miguel Migs, Julius Papp, etc. My favourite club by far so far:

Mighty

Have seen Miguel Migs with Lisa Shaw here, as well as DJ Spen! And Dennis Ferrer is coming up next week. I love this place, because it's really relaxed and laid back, as well as a bit outside of downtown, which makes parking super easy and free! The location also means people really come for the music and have crazy dance-offs, since there's much less hype with more underground DJs like this then say a mainstream Kaskade. This place is tailored perfectly towards the Defected/gospel house crowd. So, yeah... this is like my dream club. Amazing place, and good acts pretty often.

Other places I've been to are:

Ruby Skye

Fun place that goes 100% for the show factor with cheesy trapese acts and such. The opening DJs seem to be much better than the headliners, since the headliners take a trance-y spin on things like at Crobar in Chicago. Still, theoretically good mainstream House. An option for me if nothing's going on at Mighty :).

Temple

Quite honestly I went here for Little Louie Vega, ended up meeting a friend not into House music and taking off before he came on, ha, so maybe my judgment is not fair. But, really, I wasn't impressed. They have this catacombs section that looks like a scene out of a freakin' Indiana Jones movie. Nonetheless, they have quite a few big-name acts that come through, so I'll be checking it out again, and who knows... I might change my mind? :) They have a section called the Destiny Lounge (see above), which I never made it to, and that looks more like my kind of place as far as design is concerned!

I guess personally I prefer it if there is only one theme going on at a club, but hey... that's the way the bigger places like to create diversity, I suppose.

Then there's also all these Sunday afternoon outside deck parties that I'm excited for this summer. Whee!! :) I love this city.

Nor Cal Beaches

2009-05-18T11:27:00.003+08:00

Today, I finally had that first surf lesson... The one I've been trying to schedule for weeks, and dreamt about for basically all my life :). I went with the Santa Cruz Surf School, which ended up being really great... but the water was so crowded with surf schools that it barely mattered, ha. Anyway... of course the big question is... did I really surf? And, sadly, the answer is a big, fat no. I paddled a lot, and I stood up on the board, but did I stand long enough to actually ride a wave? Not in the least! Others seemed to have more luck or talent, but I had so much fun that I didn't care. Definitely want to go out and try that again very soon!

Funny thing is that I actually met a German au-pair in my surf class... and she also drove an hour to get there and actually lives in, ta-da, the same town as me, ha. So, all fingers crossed that we can go out and practice together. Way safer than doing so alone, and certainly cheaper than going to a lesson every time.

Anyway, here are some more landscape pictures. I hope they don't bore you too much! :)

This is on the drive to Half Moon Bay. If you look closely in the picture, you can see the line of cars that flows through the mountains... You are literally going 5 miles/hour for miles and miles on end. I guess everyone else thought a day at the beach was also a good idea. Totally worth it, when you get there, though, and, of course, the scenery is stunning.

This is the beach at Half Moon Bay. I find it waaaay prettier than Santa Cruz, and it was a lot less crowded, but the waves here are famously difficult... and it's one of the most sharky waters in the world, so I thought I'd pass on that one...

Another view of Half Moon Bay. It's actually a state park, and where I am standing there is a nice walkway that goes on for several miles and has benches, grills, etc.

This is back in Santa Cruz. I learned to surf (ok, no, I learned not to fall off the board while sitting or lying on it... that's really all I accomplished! HAHA) at Cowell's beach, where the waves were nice and small. However, just like these beach pictures, the ocean there was PACKED so half the time I couldn't get up on my board not due to bad timing or lack of talent, but simply because another surfer was centimeters away from me and I thought it might be better not to hurt anyone :). So... better luck another time! Next weekend maybe?

This beautiful place

2009-05-12T13:36:00.004+08:00

1 hr South-West: Santa Cruz

(Where, supposedly, I am supposed to have that first surf lesson again this Saturday.)

45 mins North: San Francisco

Ca. 20 minutes North: Burlingame

0 minutes away: Palo Alto - my apartment! :)

5 minutes away: The prettiest (from the outside) Starbucks ever! I never appreciated landscaping until I moved here, but there are perfectly manicured plants and flowers EVERYWHERE! So gorgeous.

Please excuse the bad quality of the photos. I've just been snapping them on the go when I finally do remember to take my camera. I'll upload some better ones (hopefully) after this coming weekend... even with people in them! Ha :). Wait until you see the Stanford campus. Jaw-dropping beauty!

Let me just finish with some awesome music I've been listening to, because... why not? :)

You know I really like it

I know I'll always be here

You know it makes my heart beat

You know I'm happy up here

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Happy (belated) Holi!

2009-04-21T12:33:00.006+08:00

Wow... I'd never heard about this, but then I watched an American/Indian movie recently AND read about the festival happening at Stanford... Next year, or at least some point down the line, I need to go to India to participate myself. Looks like an absolute blast. Have never seen anything like it. What do you think? Beautiful?

In any case... the festival is on my map next year, if only in Palo Alto.

Photos courtesy of this website.

My new gym

2009-04-19T10:17:00.003+08:00

Dance Off- What a way to enjoy life!!

2009-03-30T03:57:00.001+08:00

Life Is For Sharing!

Moving Cross-Country

2009-03-28T09:06:00.005+08:00

Just a few photos from my move to C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A, and a few (very few) from my ne apartment. I promise to supply more photos of my apartment, Palo Alto, Stanford, etc. in the coming weeks... this is all I have right now, and I'm sharing it the first day I got internet, so there! Ha.

Anyway... could you say I'm happy? That'd be a gross understatement. I'm currently totally enamoured, excited, content, looking-towards-the-future-and-appreciating-the-present... I can't imagine being happier than I am right now. Work starts Monday, which I'm also very excited for.

What a change from a few months back... I look back on everything that happened in the last year and feel like it was a minor detour to get me here, where I belong and will be able to, Achtung: cheesiness alert, bloom or however you may want to put it.

Love you! Leave me a note after my absence of several weeks to tell me how YOU are doing. MUAH!

Palo Alto, CA

2009-02-26T03:52:00.002+08:00

"With its leafy streets, rolling hills and the expansive campus of prestigious Stanford University, Palo Alto has long been a desirable location. But it was the technological innovation that took place in its midst that truly put the city on the map.
First, Stanford classmates Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard founded their pioneering company back in 1939 in a Palo Alto garage now known as the birthplace of Silicon Valley. Decades later, another pair of brilliant Stanford students, Sergey Brin and Lawrence Page, founded the now global giant that is Google. In fact, during the hardware and software boom of the ’80s and the internet explosion of the early ’90s, Stanford produced many of today’s high-tech players (including Yahoo!, Hotmail, Cisco Systems and Sun Microsystems), while Palo Alto itself is also the home of social networking giant Facebook. This technological innovation not only brought cash and cachet to the city, but saw the price of homes in the area jump to a median price of more than $1 million.
Over the years, Palo Alto has grown into a community that is home to people from all over the world. Indeed, it’s the mix of technology, academia, affluence and arts that gives this highly cosmopolitan city its effortless sophistication.
As the City of Palo Alto’s website states, “In a place where the median household income is more than twice the national figure, you’d expect some great shopping.” For fashionistas, there are the luxury chains and high-end department stores at Stanford Shopping Center, as well as plenty of designer boutiques along University Avenue. But downtown Palo Alto isn’t just about style. It has everything from an Apple Store to hair and beauty salons, bookstores, jewelers, art galleries, unique gift stores and more. And lest we forget, Palo Alto’s revamped Town & Country Village, on the corner of Embarcadero and El Camino, has plenty to offer for foodies and shoppers alike."

-from The Wave

So, I found an apartment ca. a 10 minute drive from where I'll be working, which is entirely unexpected and exciting. If you're curious, you can check out this website: http://www.parkerpaloalto.com/features.html

I didn't really take any pictures while I was there, but it was mind-blowingly gorgeous in the area, so rest assured that I'll do so when I move there!

All my love,
Cora

NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS

2009-02-11T12:51:00.002+08:00

So, though I'm still heartbroken at times, I have new and better things to focus my energy on:

I'm moving to California! I have a fantastic job offer, though I won't be able to disclose details on this blog. If you ask me personally, I'll tell you what I'll be doing and for whom and all that wonderful stuff.

Anyway, in case you hadn't noticed... In my mind, California was always this wonderful, far away dream land that maybe, some day in my life, I would somehow manage to be able to visit again or even live in. Just do a search on my blog for the word California, and you'll find a ridiculous number of posts:

http://cjharmony.blogspot.com/search?q=california

So, I move in about a month! It's mind-blowing and scary and, more than anything, exciting to try to plan this and start a whole new life out there. Luckily I've already had much support by my parents and friends, who are throwing money and time and places to stay and so on my way until I'm back to making a higher salary than at a non-profit. On my current salary, the move is certainly a bit challenging. So... thank you all for stepping in! I'll pay you back when I get there and get my feet on the ground- how do a few nights in a nice apartment in the Silicon Valley area sound? :)

Well, that's another thing I need to find first, but then... you're more than welcome to visit :).

Now, of course, I'll leave you with some lyrics about California (oh, there are sooo many!).

Much love,
Cora

What do you say
We leave for California?
If we drive all night
We can make it by the morning
We could leave this town
If only for the weather

-California by Metro Station

The loveliness of Paris
Seems somehow sadly gay
The glory that was Rome
Is of another day
I've been terribly alone
And forgotten in Manhattan
I'm going home
To my city by the bay

I left my heart
In San Francisco
High on a hill
It calls to me
To be where little cable cars
Climb halfway to the stars
The morning fog
May chill the air
I don't care

My love waits there
In San Francisco
Above the blue and windy sea
When I come home to you
San Francisco
Your golden sun
Will shine for me

-I left my Heart in San Francisco by Tony Bennett (at least the version I have)

Only can play the cards
The dealer dealt us
The end of the cycle is closing in
With you I see new hope begin again
There suddenly seems to be promise
In California

Distance is only an obstacle
Hardly a match for a miracle
Finally ready to go
To California

-From California by The New Amsterdams

And end I don't want to believe

2009-01-13T06:32:00.002+08:00

You sit around

Wishing for forever and a day,

But only made it half way through.

Wishing is for children

And the games they play,

Who never thought it through.

What ever happened to the stars

That were in his eyes

The way they lit my soul before?

You can't return those stars

Back to the skies

The world needs them more

I bet you never thought

It could be that bad

That nothing else could bring you back

And when your heart was cold and black

You got by, and you survived

They say it gets easier

At the end of every day

So why do I wake up with tears?

You can turn a phrase

Ten million ways

And still, it won't

Be clear

Love is gravity

With a pull you can't deny

That's why you're always

Falling

When you hit the ground

You can't stay down

Your life is calling

I bet you never thought it could be that bad

That nothing else could bring you back

And when your heart was cold and black

You got by and you survived

-You Got By by Sara Gazarek

I've got to keep telling myself and just wait it out, I guess...

A Year in Review

2009-01-01T02:23:00.002+08:00

Blog instructions:

1. Look up your first post of the month from every month this year.
Copy the first few lines from each post.
2. Link to the original post to the header.

My year 2008

January: Desk Mission Success
As you can see above, my desk mission is now completed. Merle--- thanks for the tip with Ikea. I checked on their webpage, and they have some beautiful stuff. Unfortunately, their delivery options weren't that great, and the lower price really didn't justify driving for 6 hours to get to the nearest one!!

February: These are the days you feel alive
I am going dog-sledding in California on Tuesday! WOOHOOOOO!!!!!! :)More news soon :). I'm pretty sick right now, but thoroughly enjoyed my first day of vacation by drinking juice, hanging out at Target and Barnes&Nobles (some of the best stores in the States, hands-down), planning the following 2 days in the Reno/Tahoe area, listening and singing along to a new CD, picking up a rental car, and just relaxing. I also couldn't get over the views I've seen... a few people from work and I went to a fondue restaurant up at Incline Village last night... and driving down the mountains in the dark, with the snow and the stars sparkling, was simply stunning.

March: 25 Steps
As I will rarely, if ever, be updating this blog anymore, I have a new link for you if you are curious. It's a list of 25 things I wish or plan to achieve in my life-time. I'll be posting whenever I make progress towards those 25 accomplishments. (PS: wow, didn't follow through on that one!)

April: Charlie the Dog
So, the whole idea of NEVER writing in this blog again might have been a bit unrealistic. I have updates in my life or things I'd like to share that aren't related to my life goals, so I guess this is where I will continue to post that stuff :). Also, another reason I stopped writing on this blog was the abundance of change in my life... change I was not yet willing to share. So, now I am back! (HA!)

May: My Life of Beauty
So many thoughts, so many opportunities, so many changes, so many of my 25 things getting closer and closer to reality... now all I have to do is CHOOSE! (Hmmm... not sure I made all the right choices!)

June: Summer Plans
My dear friend Annie is getting married in July, and I just booked a flight partially with miles and all my hotel reservations with my last Marriott points. This means I am going to get to go to Orlando/Cape Canaveral July 4-6!!!!!
I also booked a convertible, so I hope it'll be just like college for one more weekend. I never thought I'd miss it, but I think I am becoming more positive in general towards the US, and with that change, I'm figuring out that no place here will ever be perfect to me.

July: Winter Park
Rollins College (above) from Lake Virginia. The pool is right there, because due to alligators and water snakes and what not in Central Florida, you might want to avoid the lakes themselves
(My first post, Summer in Wisconsin, was all pictures.)

August: Moving in
So... we're still moving in, waiting for the maintenance company to paint our place (hopefully next week!), trying to find place to put our stuff in this decidedly older and less storage-heavy apartment, but other than that (and the spiders and the bats), I love this place! And I for sure love living downtown... :)

September: Bento Day 1
So, my first day of Bento was interesting. Had slept horribly the night before, not falling asleep at all until 3 am, so that I got up 1.5 hours later than planned, and instead of having lavish time to shower, get ready, spend time on Bento, etc., had to rush off to work. So... I came home at lunch (lucky to be living downtown now - 5 mins walk tops!) and threw it together then. Clearly, I don't have any of the cute supplies yet, so really it just ended up being lunch, but hey: I cooked! (PS: Yeah, so I am not making real bentos now, but I still bring my lunches to work. Success!)

October: Madison gets some recognition
Yes! One of my favorite design blogs ever - Design*Sponge- put up a city review for Madison! Oh, the joy! I know and like most of the places, but there's a lot of second hand stores I've never heard of... If you happen to be visiting Madison this weekend, there's a bunch of stuff going on... of course the Open Art Studios both Saturday and Sunday (check me out at the Lussier Community Education Center), which you will love love love if you enjoy Design*Sponge...

November: Halloween 2008
We weren't in town for the big, annual halloween celebration (freakfest), so we just bought these knight helmets and swords at the dollar store... then added (and ran out of) aluminum foil. Yes, we realize we look horrible- that's half the fun :). Then we headed to the State Street area with basically the same folks as last year, and left for St. Louis in the morning.

December: One day I will go back
I was here last February for vacation, but only for a day or two, and by myself. I stayed in Reno, since that was were my client was, but once I got to these wonderful resorts (Squaw Creek and Village at Squaw Valley, where I hung out before the dog sledding took place...), I wished I would have had a week, a bunch of friends with me, and great reservations! :)

You know why I love this blog? Because I (nearly) only write about and show the good parts of my life :). Anyway... much love to you! Here's to a grand 2009!

Madison Joys

2008-12-20T04:10:00.010+08:00

Before the big snow storm:

And after the big snow storm:

It might not look that different on the pictures, but it sure feels different... when walking even, and I don't want to think about driving in this! All fingers crossed for me flight tomorrow!

Advent 2008

2008-12-17T07:33:00.029+08:00

It's a marshmallow world

In the winter

When the snow comes

To cover the ground

It's a time to play

It's a whipped cream day

I wait for it

The whole year 'round

Those are marshmallow clouds

Being friendly

In the arms of the evergreen trees

And the sun is red

Like a pumpkin head

It's shining

So you know you won't freeze

All the world

Is your snowball

See how it grows

That's how it goes

Whenever it snows

It's a yummy, yummy world

Made for sweethearts

Take a walk

With your favourite girl

It's a sugared date

So what if spring is late?

In winter

It's a marshmallow world

The weather

2008-12-16T08:43:00.002+08:00

So at least I don't quite live in the coldest place in the country... But a low of 0 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -20 certainly doesn't feel too pleasant!

Lovely Music & Lyrics

2008-12-02T10:01:00.004+08:00

Another one of my iTunes finds: Sara Gazarek

Winter puts me into a calm mood... I find her style and words to be cheeky and jazzy and hopeful... so, without further ado: Enjoy her music!

From her song "Amazing":

Sunflower beauty surrounds me

Against a sky of grey

The night time falls down

Upon me

At the closing of this day

Words cannot explain

The feeling that my heart speaks of

The choices

The boundries

When I feel the pain

Of all these thoughts of mine

These questions

The answers

When will I realize

All of life

Is amazing?

Take it in

Let it go

Can't you see

It's so amazing

I need the feeling of sunlight

To help forget the cold

Between the spaces of daylight

There lives a frozen soul

Here we go again

This wandering mind

Won't settle down

If just for a second

When I think it's gone

It starts itself right up again

Unending, relentless

When will I

Realize

All of life

Is amazing?

Take it in

Let it go

Can't you see?

It's so

Amazing

Melt away

Let life flow

Just give in

Just let it go

One day I will go back...

2008-12-01T02:09:00.003+08:00

I was here last February for vacation, but only for a day or two, and by myself. I stayed in Reno, since that was were my client was, but once I got to these wonderful resorts (Squaw Creek and Village at Squaw Valley, where I hung out before the dog sledding took place...), I wished I would have had a week, a bunch of friends with me, and great reservations! :) Wonderful places.
One day I intend to go back to Olympic Valley/Squaw Valley, California. Want to set a date and meet me there for snowboarding and dog sledding and general fun in say... 5 years? :)

Need a christmas freebie?

2008-11-27T07:41:00.003+08:00

In these wonderful (...) economic times, leave it to Oprah to do some good! Free, wonderful christmas music for download here.

Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Aretha Franklin... Oprah's got you covered! Time to ring in the holidays :).

PS: The link is good for 48 hrs only... so do download them now if interested.

Charming City

2008-11-25T13:34:00.005+08:00

One of the views from our new offices... Directly into the Overture Center, which already has its christmas lights up. Notice the reflection of the Capitol! We're just a block away.

State Street- museums, the Overture Center (performing arts), tons of quirky shops and coffee places and at least fifty restaurants... what's not to love?

Look at this picture... it's one of the lakes here, just a minute or so from my apartment. The harsh winds whips the water onto the concrete, where it freezes in strange bubble formations. It looks like snow here, but it is all structured ice. Even that pillar is covered in frozen lake water! I wish I could get a better picture, but the wind was so strong that it would shake my camera so much that it wouldn't focus!! Such a fascinating sight.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah

2008-11-25T08:02:00.028+08:00

Spent the weekend in downtown Chicago again!

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I used my last points from staying at Marriotts as a consultant to book this night. I'm a Gold Member, meaning that I've stayed in Marriotts over 50 nights during the last year. Now, I only need 48 more nights to stay a member for the next year! ;) We got put on an Elite Members only floor, read below.

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Enjoying my Starbucks Peppermint Mocha in the typical Christmas cup, and my new hat from the Magnificent Mile! Madison has so many cute, independent coffee shops that I never go to Starbucks anymore, but in Chicago around Christmas time, I just had to!

***

So, when I got the call that our room was ready, we returned to the hotel (we were forced to go shopping when we arrived, since the city was soooo busy that our room wasn't ready yet). We got a corner room on the 41st floor, with two walls of full windows facing the Magnificent Mile and another street below us. We had the PERFECT and warm view of the Festival of Lights parade below, which is a parade of floats that turn on all the christmas decorations and lights on the trees as they drive down the avenue.

The parade below us and all the people standing in the cold to see it!

Kathryn watching the parade from our room.

The view from the other window. See Kathryn in the reflection :).

The view an hour later, when the parade had cleared out.

Me: So happy!

The second view again, with the fireworks going off in between buildings/by the river.

Me: happy again!

***

Our hotel had this GIANT gingerbread house made of 1000 pounds of candy! :) Yes, I was the only one over 3 years of age who wanted their picture taken with it, haha...

***

Hanging out at Kathryn's friends' apartment.

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Then at night... FEDDE LE GRAND! at Crobar Chicago

Simply fantastic! (Sorry for the bad picture quality- I took my cheap, small camera as I hate lugging arond the good one at night.)

***

Dancing on the second level looking down onto the main dancefloor (see the "European Fist Pump" as Kathryn and her friends like to call it).

***

More fun.

The two views in the morning. As elite Marriott members, we got a complimentary breakfast buffet that was out of this world. Salmon (no, I didn't eat it...), fresh fruit and juices, yoghurt in little cocktail glasses, free New York Times newspapers, etc= love, love, love. Such luxury. I felt like I was worth a million dollars. Well, apart from the fact that we were out until 4 in the morning or so and looked like the dead when we showed up unwashed and poorly dressed before the breakfast ended, hahahaha... :D That's how you tell it was a great night!

***

Too bad I didn't take more pictures of the hotel- it was one of the loveliest I've ever stayed in, particularly in a large city and not a resort town. If you need a special treat of a hotel in Chicago, check it out here.

***

All in all, a weekend that would normally be totally outside of my current budget... wonderful times with great people in one of the cities I love so much! Shopping, nice restaurants, nice nightlife, and so forth... Just one weekend of living large.

***

Put your hands up for Chicago.... our lovely city!

What my eyes are seeing :)

2008-11-18T11:29:00.008+08:00

That train I mentioned, and, of course, my favourite painting :).

Downtown Madison- view from the old office. Most of this is run-down student housing, but the architecture here is absolutely fantastic. Would be a great thing to remodel these houses--- their structure feels like it is worth gold. No two houses look the same.

One of my favourite coffee/pastry places on the left - Sucre, an upscale lounge.

Outdoor seating will be going away soon--- it snowed today again. In the background, the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile that can be seen all around town and, of course, the Capitol on the square.

And what have your eyes seen lately? :)

Kraak & Smaak in Madison, Nov. 13

2008-11-17T23:56:00.002+08:00

I got to see the dutch DJs/Band Kraak & Smaak at a show at the Majestic last week. It was FANTASTIC music, not just for Madison, but in general! The video above is not from the stop in Madison, but the music and performance is spot on. The Majestic here in Madison is a small, remodeled theatre, so the entire show was very much more intimate than it would have been in Chicago, NYC, and all the other stops of Kraak & Smaak's tour.

In addition, I got to hang out with a cool girl I haven't seen in months, so it was time well spent :). Of course, I forgot my camera the one night I can find great house-y music in Madison, am jumping up and down (literally), singing along and pumping my fists in the air, hahaha. Check out Kraak & Smaak if you haven't before. Even Perez Hilton loves them ;).

2008-11-11T08:13:00.005+08:00

Some great thoughts on the election that I found in the news and on other blogs:
*
"My bus ride home snakes through one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. Wednesday afternoon, as our bus passed a row of dilapidated homes on a modest street, an older woman and three small children waved excitedly to us from their porch.
*
They were waving about the same thing we're all waving about.

And suddenly tears were pouring down my cheeks and I felt immeasurably sad. For an alarming number of Americans, Obama is more than just president-elect-- he's father, son, and holy spirit, all wrapped up in one.And that scares me.
*

Because for every privileged, middle-class American singing rhetoric from the rooftops, there are a thousand unheard voices that've been down for far too long. And words like 'Hope' and 'Change' sound pretty in speeches and look nice on banners, but for a lot of Americans, 'Yes We Can' is more than just a catchphrase. It's a prayer.
*

"This victory alone is not the change we seek," Obama warned us Tuesday night, "it is only the chance for us to make that change." I believe that Barack Obama is a good man and I believe that he will be a good president. But I also believe that if a change is gonna come, it's not gonna come tomorrow and it's not gonna come the next day. Or even the day after that.
*

We're in a deep, dark hole and it's going to take a lot more than one good man to dig us out. And today I am mourning for the people who don't know they have a shovel.
*

You've got a lot riding on you, sir. If I can find a prayer left in me, I'm sending it up for you."
* - from this blog

***

PARIS – Barack Obama's election as America's first black president unleashed a renewed love for the United States after years of dwindling goodwill, and many said Wednesday that U.S. voters had blazed a trail that minorities elsewhere could follow.
*
People across Africa stayed up all night or woke before dawn to watch U.S. history being made, while the president of Kenya — where Obama's father was born — declared a public holiday.
*
In Indonesia, where Obama lived as child, hundreds of students at his former elementary school erupted in cheers when he was declared winner and poured into the courtyard where they hugged each other, danced in the rain and chanted "Obama! Obama!"
*
"Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place," South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela, said in a letter of congratulations to Obama.
*
Many expressed amazement and satisfaction that the United States could overcome centuries of racial strife and elect an African-American as president.

Yet celebrations were often tempered by sobering concerns that Obama faces global challenges as momentous as the hopes his campaign inspired — wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the nuclear ambitions of Iran, the elusive hunt for peace in the Middle East and a global economy in turmoil.
*
The huge weight of responsibilities on Obama's shoulders was also a concern for some. French former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said Obama's biggest challenge would be managing a punishing agenda of various crises in the United States and the world. "He will need to fight on every front," he said.
*

On the streets of Rio de Janeiro, people expressed a mixture of joy, disbelief, and hope for the future.
*
"It's the beginning of a different era," police officer Emmanuel Miranda said. "The United States is a country to dream about, and for us black Brazilians, it is even easier to do so now." - from the news here

Quotes from Isthmus.com about the election

2008-11-05T03:46:00.001+08:00

1:37 p.m.
"Honestly, it feels more like a party than election day," says Dustin Weis about the atmosphere around Madison today. He reports:

Here in Madison, nobody's somber, nobody's out to just do their civic duty. Everybody's out with a purpose, and everybody feels good. On my way to work, there was a man on ten-foot stilts dancing at the corner of East Wash and Paterson holding a sign for Obama. Outside of Fitchburg city hall, there was an accordian and tuba duet set up playing oom-pa-pa music. Every other block on Fish Hatchery road are people waving signs and balloons.

12:08 p.m.
"I am really looking forward to the day when I can come home and not have Obama leaflets waiting for me to carry them to the recycle can," declares Cathy Lybarger, a merchant on East Johnson Street. "In the time that it took me to vote for Obama, which was about 5 minutes, this flyer appeared on the door. Save a tree, you guys. Skip the houses in downtown Madison that are 50 ft. from a polling place. We don't need convincing -- we're all voting for Obama, already."

Some humor... yes, it's important!

2008-11-04T13:55:00.002+08:00

Go vote November 4!

2008-11-04T12:39:00.003+08:00

in times like these

in times like those

what will be

will be

and so it goes

and it always goes

on and on and on and on and on

it goes

and there's always been laughin, cryin, birth and dying

boys and girls with hearts that take and give and break

and heal and grow and recreate and raise and nurture

but then hurt

*

but times
times like these
in times like those
what will be will be
and so it goes

*

but there will always be
stop and go and fast and slow and action reaction
sticks and stones and broken bones
those for peace and those for war
and problems; these ones not those ones but these ones
in times like these
and times like those
what will be will be
and so it goes

*

and it always goes
on and on and on and on and on
on and on and on and on and on
it goes

somehow i know, it wont be the same

somehow i know, never be the same

"Times Like These", Jack Johnson

Of course... it will be the same, in a way. Obama is no superman. But I am happy that it looks like I will be able to vote, since I've had my share of stories of why I couldn't get to register yet, desite 4 attempts. Tomorrow it will all come together for me, I hope. If Obama wins, I do believe there will be change. Maybe too much, maybe too fast, but what has been going on here for 8 years hasn't been working, so why not try a different route? If McCain wins, there will also be change, though it's almost incomprehensible that the country could become even more conservative. Regardless of the large media coverage that focuses the attention on presidency only, there are some exciting picks for Senate, so I think ONE of the people I endorse will at least make it through. Oh well, we shall see...

St. Louis for Ryann's baptism

2008-11-04T09:30:00.015+08:00

On Saturday, Jack and I drove to St. Louis for his niece's baptism. So did all his brothers, his parents, etc. Nearly all of us spent the night at Jack's uncle's and aunt's house, which was packed to the brim with art and artifacts and fun little things to explore around each corner. Master bedroom with full-length view onto the pool? Check. Vintage slot machine? Check. Skeleton dressed up for halloween and sitting on the sofa? Check. Incredible, just incredible. I really should have taken pictures.
*

The church, too, was a true gem. It was modern in design- just stunning! The stained glass windows had just been redone by the same family that created them in the 50s, and they were drop-dead gorgeous. Highly abstract shapes with Christian words interlaced in a simple font. Really, some of the nicest, or perhaps the nicest I have ever seen. Then the holy water in the back of the church as a fountain that ran all the way through the service... very calming.

Ryann Marie was beautiful and fascinating. At some points, she looked so small and breakable, and then other times I couldnt believe what she was already capable of doing. I've never been around babies, so it was just amazing.
*
Jack and I went to the Science Museum after the baptism and the brunch, but I've got to say I wasn't too impressed. I think I just don't like science museums because they tend to be so darn loud, rather than serene or at least radical like art museums. I (we?) wanted to see the shark movie they were playing, but we were too late for that, so we took off after an hour or so.

Then, on the way home, Jack stopped at Cracker Barrel for me. Yay! It's supposed to be this down-home, old-fashioned restaurant, and while I know it's fake, I love it so much. Don't even get me started about the "Apfelkompott" thingi. Oh, and did I mention they have a store as part of the restaurant always filled with home decorations and old-time candy and seasonal items? Yeah. Shopping and yummy food together? It doesn't get much better. After a little nagging, we bought this really cute gingerbread-looking lit-up christmas train. Yes, I am a full-fledged christmas dork! I love it... I can't wait to put it up and to have it sparkle and make my day. Unfortunately, I can't find a picture of it online, so you'll have to wait until December (like, the 1st, not even kidding) to see it :).

Hope all is well with you! I had a great weekend, and I hope you did, too...

Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T07:57:00.020+08:00

We weren't in town for the big, annual halloween celebration (freakfest), so we just bought these knight helmets and swords at the dollar store... then added (and ran out of) aluminum foil. Yes, we realize we look horrible- that's half the fun :). Then we headed to the State Street area with basically the same folks as last year, and left for St. Louis in the morning. Pictures of that coming up later!

This economy...

2008-10-24T06:16:00.002+08:00

http://www.insideedition.com/news.aspx?storyID=2249

Super sad story about a family that has lost their jobs, credit, home, and now dogs... You can donate money to the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Cincinnati to help keep the dogs well until the family can hopefully pick them up again in a year... I gave 10$, not much, but the video made me cry! Absolutely heart-breaking. If you can't afford to keep your pet in these times, please make sure they are well taken care of... They're not wild, they won't survive outside.

Art & Obama

2008-10-22T06:41:00.004+08:00

via upperplaygroundstore.com

where each dot represents a US president... via obamaartreport.com

... 2 weeks left until some type of change, for better or for worse...

Another Fall Weekend

2008-10-19T23:34:00.017+08:00

Happy Birthday, Jack!

2008-10-14T08:06:00.004+08:00

Jack doesn't like the German cakes I make, so I didn't bother this year. Instead, I got him a little cake roll (which he enjoys) and stuffed all twenty-five candles into it. It was a sight to be seen! :)

Happy Birthday!

Fall Colors in Madison, WI

2008-10-14T06:29:00.014+08:00

I wish I could go travelling

Again

It feels like

The summer

Will never end

And I've had

Such good offers

From several of my friends

I wish I could go travelling again

I want to sit in the shade

Sipping my latte

Beneath the awning

Of a famous cafe

Jet-lagged

And with our luggage

Gone astray

I wish I could go travelling again

I want a waiter to

Give us a reprimand

In a language

Neither of us understands

While we argue

About the customs of the land

I wish I could go travelling again

I want to sit in traffic

Anxious about our plane

While your blase comments

Drive me half-insane

I want to dash for shelter

With you

Through the tropical rain

I wish I could go travelling again

I want to be awakened

By a faulty fire alarm

In an over-priced hotel

Devoid of charm

And then fall asleep again

Back in your arms

I wish I could go travelling again

But how can I ever

Go travelling again

When I know I'll just keep

Remembering again

When I know

I'll just be gathering again

Reminders to break my heart

I wish I could go travelling again

It feels like this summer will never end

And I've had

Such good offers

From several of my friends

I wish I could go travelling again

"I wish I could go travelling again" by Stacey Kent

Stuck in a (beautiful and confusing) moment

2008-10-10T10:03:00.020+08:00

I'm just trying to find

A decent melody

A song that I can sing

In my own company

You've got to

Stand up straight

Carry your own weight

These tears are going

Nowhere

Baby

You've got to

Get yourself together

You've got stuck in a moment

And you can't get out of it

I'm still enchanted

By the light you've brought to me

I listen through your ears

And through your eyes

I can see

You are such a fool

To worry like you do

I know it's tough

And you can never get enough

Of what you don't really need

Look at you now

You've got yourself

Stuck in a moment

And you can't get out of it

Open Art Studios - More Press for Moiself

2008-10-08T09:37:00.003+08:00

This is related both to my private life AND the goals of getting my name and art work out there, so this will be posted on both of my blogs. Anyway... Point being: Pick up the October Issue of Brava Magazine if you live in Wisconsin to read a short profile on myself on the "Women in the Arts"/"Women at Work" section.

Wonderful Times in Madison

2008-10-05T10:49:00.015+08:00

My mother is visiting for me, and of course, for my art show (the Open Art Studios). We're enjoying the wonderful autumn weather here!

Be sure to check out my other blog...

2008-10-05T10:41:00.002+08:00

.... for images from the first day of Open Art Studios. It's a free, one-weekend-only event in the fall of every year. Tomorrow (Sunday) is the last day for 2008, so don't miss it!

http://twentyfivehappy.blogspot.com/

http://www.corahardin.com/

http://www.maoas.com/

Madison gets some recognition! :)

2008-10-01T08:59:00.004+08:00

Yes! One of my favorite design blogs ever - Design*Sponge- put up a city review for Madison! Oh, the joy! I know and like most of the places, but there's a lot of second hand stores I've never heard of... Yay for looking for a make-up table in the future :)...

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/09/madison-design-guide.html#comments

If you happen to be visiting Madison this weekend, there's a bunch of stuff going on... of course the Open Art Studios both Saturday and Sunday (check me out at the Lussier Community Education Center), which you will love love love if you enjoy Design*Sponge... so much art work to be looked at, asked about, played around with and bought! :D

For more ideas, I'd always check the Isthmus listings and the tourism website. Any further questions, just let me know! :)

Cora

Open Art Studios- Press & Promotion

2008-09-27T00:02:00.003+08:00

http://www.themic921.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=LeeRayburn.xml

Click on the above link, then "Lee Rayburn, Sept. 25, 1" to listen to me promoting the Open Art Studios starting at minute 23... Yay!

Hope to see you at the opening at Overture tonight... 6-9 pm, come when you like!

My wishlist - Just keeping you on your toes! ;)

2008-09-24T01:28:00.001+08:00

In case someone wanted to buy me something for, umm, just being me :D.

Remix of Bob Sinclar's "What a Wonderful World"

2008-09-15T02:39:00.002+08:00

Wow, I used to love this song years ago, but this remix is simply fantastic... as is the love-filled video! Merle - I must plan on going to Miami next year to meet you for the Winter Music Conference. I simply cannot miss out on this music again! :)

Bento Day 4- hmmm, 6? 7? Who knows!

2008-09-11T11:08:00.006+08:00

I must say I've cheated a lot these days. I'm just not a morning person, and somehow I manage to get myself in ridiculous situations right before it's time to leave (stepping barefoot into dog poop? check. having charlie run through my paints, leaving blue footprints all over the apartment that I need to clean off before I leave? check...). However, amongst all the chaos and lack of time, I've managed to once make a beautiful (and huge) meal of pork with egg and potatoes, served over rice with teriyaki-style zucchini from the farmer's market. Mhhh! Luckily I made so much of it that I could eat it for a few days, and I never grew old of it. I didn't take any pictures of it though, sorry.

All the other days, on a small scale of victory, I DID stay true to taking lunch to work every day. It's been simple, stupid things like PB&J sandwiches, roast beef sandwiches or even just yoghurt and fruit (though I admit that day I got to hungry I went a bought a beautiful latte across the street)... So, I'm going half way! Bringing lunch to work? Yes. Making it beautiful and bento-like? No.

Anyway, today my new bento supplies came, such as small bottles for soy sauce or mayonaise or something, food dividers, a new little lunch box, etc... Yay!!! So, soon I should be making funner ones? I still wish they had some great Japanese or Asian super store around here. A girl can dream, no?

Oh well, excited about tomorrow (yes, I actually get excited about this stuff)! A breakfast of plain yoghurt, fresh farmer's market raspberries, some peaches and banana. Then I cheated again, taking a ready-made soup (but it's sooo goood- Amy's Tomato soup), adding some left-over beef, rice and beans, as well as some German bread with butter and cucumbers. It will be delicious, yet simple enough for my picky pallette! :)

Don't want a Pitbull leading this Country

2008-09-11T08:51:00.004+08:00

Some people have already said all there is to say, in my opinion. I am one of America's women who is thoroughly appaled by the idea of having a woman, Palin, who considers herself a pitbull and says "hello" to the masses by insulting Obama and all others who have ever worked to improve their communities. I experienced her widely-discussed speech verbally violent and snarky and just all-in-all unpleasant. Of course, the presidential choice is more important than the VP, but the Republican VP choice just adds to the undesirability of the Presidential nominee. Please see below for others who have made the point so much better than I could:

From Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston, who are starting a blog that collects real American women's opposition to what Palin would represent and be able to enact as Vice-, potentially event President of the USA:

"Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters,

We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farceon the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate that has a real possibility of becoming fact.

Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet.

We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for Vice President. Ms. Palin's political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we've so demonstrably benefited from.

First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does notdemonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly."

Some Letters to the Editor/Voice of the People snippets from The Cap Times (a Madison, WI newspaper):

"It is a shame that Palin, in her acceptance speech and again during her rally in Cedarburg, decided to belittle community organizers by sarcastically remarking that they have no responsibilities. With our economy in the state that it is and with prices rising for gas, health care and food, Palin should be offering new solutions instead of just disparaing others.

Sen. Barak Obama gave up the opportunity to work on Wall Street to take on tasks across struggling suburbs in Chicago. His work as a community organizer with steelworkers and as a civil rights lawyer exemplifies the characteristics of an individual who cares about making an impact in whatever way he can."

"We certainly don't need sarcastic, uninformed leaders who mock those who dedicate their lives to helping others."

And, for a funny one:

Also via the Cap Times, people were asked the following question, and one of the answers cracks me up:

"Did John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate affect your vote for president?

-I wouldn't vote for John McCain if he selected Jesus as his running mate. He could not choose anyone that would make me want to vote for him. I wouldn't vote for a Republican ever again in my life after living through the last eight years of the Bush administration."

Lastly, a nice little closing by Ed Garvey in his opinion piece:

"Why worry? Because of a few simple things like war or peace, health care or despair, great schools or permanent underclass, prisons and bridges to nowhere or a living wage, nuclear annihilation."

Some other interesting info:

10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't):

1. John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.

2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."

3. His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.

4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."

5. The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.

6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.

7. Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

8. McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.

9. McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."

10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.

That's all I wanted to share. I suppose you've heard it all before, and I really didn't add much, but, wow, I really don't think an aggressive pitbull-like character, lipstick or not, and an old man with questionable life expectancy, even if he has done great things for this country, should get together to run this country. If they are so offensive to half of America in one of the most-televised speeches in their career, can you only imagine how offensive they will behave in front of international powers they encounter? And their "change" campaign? I know it's dumb to fall prey to the ads, but come on... if you've voted with Bush 90% of the time, whatever you have coming can hardly be categorized as "change"!

Fall has fell

2008-09-08T00:51:00.012+08:00

Here comes the cool air

The light chill of the fall

Blowing from either direction

Blowing across the yard

It's crisp and it's cool

The dogs like it

As they sit around in the sun

And stubbornly

I remain under a tree

The wind gusts up stronger

From time to time

It was supposed to grow cold

As the day goes on

I'm looking for the future

Today

And at the same time

I am dreading

The outcome of our actions

Fall makes me feel

A little sad sometimes

Whoop out the sweater

And a second layer

It's time for a change

...

Back to the weather

I must admit

It looks pretty nice

Why are my legs shakin'?

Why are there

Still mosquitos?

Shouldn't they be

In bed and dead by now?

I guess I should give

Give it

A little more time

(X-Press 2, Give It)

I need a Wisconsin shirt... I'm destroying the "sea of red"!

We spent this Saturday in total Wisconsin fashion, going to the farmer's market in the morning, then heading out to a Wisconsin Badgers (University of Wisconsin) football game. So much fun, though it appears that I've come down with some kind of allergies... Ahh, well!

Bento Day 2 & 3

2008-09-04T10:08:00.009+08:00

Bento day 2: ANOTHER crazy, strange schedule, so ate at home around 2:30 in the afternoon. I had potatoes, some spicy chicken and (you can't tell it from the pictures, but I swear it's true) stars (made with cookie cutters) of green pepper. Also, the veggies on the right are some crazy conglomerate of incomplete recipes and whatever was in the fridge, but they tasted surprisingly mediocre (I was expecting a disaster)! Haha... They started off as a recipe for vegetables in a teriyaki sauce, but on discovering that I must have gotten rid of my sake, sugar AND sesame oil during the move, I ended up using soy sauce and sour cream and other random stuff, hahaha... At least I had the mirin! Needless to say, after I cooked this on the weekend, a trip to an Asian food store was needed... :) Sadly, it was food only there, no fun bento boxes and accessories, but oh well!

At least that's how I could actually make the veggies for tomorrow's Bento:

Of course, again, I took the liberty to add whatever I had most of, so now it's not just carrots but broccoli, too, and I did add Mirin although the recipe doesn't call for it, but hey... at least this time around I had enough ingredients AND I tried my luck at a cuter bento. In case you can't tell (and I wouldn't blame ya), I made an octopus and a worm digging through grass out of sausage, haha. Fun times with ketchup glue and sesame seed eyes! I feel like the worst artist EVER, haha, but you will see... I shall improve! In any case, this is healthier than pizza for lunch, right? :)

If nothing else, it's pretty fun to feel 'creative' in this way, even if I may be the world's worst cook, haha! I'm dancing around in the kitchen, enjoying the space and the open cabinets though it's oh-so-small, being inspired to paint, etc., all because of this little project. See below for my dancing and works-in-progress!

Much love to all my loves,

Cora

Feels Like Love - Life in Madison

2008-09-03T08:19:00.018+08:00

Our fantastic (no, really... not impressive, but still fantastic) skyline in the back. How many other cities are acutally stuck in the middle of two lakes? Come on... it's cool!

Finally (sort of) done moving, time to enjoy the last bit of this year's sunshine!

At the lake, 5 mins from our place.

On the bike path on, hmm, what lake? I dunno.. we have so many! Maybe I should learn this :).

By some pricey condos (we're talking like 5 million or so) at the lake on a bike ride with Jack. We're probably 5-10 minutes from the official, beautiful bike path.

Getting ready for my magazine photo! (yay!) (ps: notice something? Back to dark hair... the blonder thing was fun for a while, but I can cross it off of my list--- not at all me!)

A really cute to-go place for meat pies on the corner of State Street... I love the window design, and the food is pretty good, too!

N Hancock, Madison, WI

On the street where I live (this is the side our place faces... it's by far the cuter side!)

The view when leaving work. See the water and the boats in the background!

The reading nook/computer corner in the living room.

Same.

...
It feels like love

It must be more than just

A feeling for you

It feels like love

I'm in for more

Than I was looking for

It feels like love

-Feels like love (Morjac original), Teamsters-

...

It was interesting, when my Mom was here she stated that she felt Madison was very similar to Duesseldorf. And, now that I look at the pictures, I might have to agree... sure, it's not as exciting as some huge, metropolitan city, but it's got great culture and beautiful public places and is just, all in all, a nice place to live (ok, except for the half of the year when it gets hidden in head-high snow).

So, for now... just hanging out "at home".

Bento Day 1

2008-09-03T08:00:00.005+08:00

So, my first day of Bento was interesting. Had slept horribly the night before, not falling asleep at all until 3 am, so that I got up 1.5 hours later than planned, and instead of having lavish time to shower, get ready, spend time on Bento, etc., had to rush off to work. So... I came home at lunch (lucky to be living downtown now - 5 mins walk tops!) and threw it together then. Clearly, I don't have any of the cute supplies yet, so really it just ended up being lunch, but hey: I cooked! And I ate a small portion! Haha... So, what was it that I made?

I cheated somewhat on the main course. While I DID make typical Japanese sticky rice balls (instructions here) and even filled them with salty cucumbers, I cheated a bit (ok, A LOT) on the Indian Korma curry. For some reason, Indian cuisine, although I love it, intimidates me beyond belief. I swear you have to add 56 spices before you even get to adding a solid food... so, since I'm bad with exactly measuring ingredients, and because I don't want to spend 50 dollars on spices I may or may not ever use again, I bought an Indian curry simmering sauce. It worked splendidly! Although it only told me to add chicken to the sauce, I added potatoes, chicken, corn, onions and green peppers, which of course I had to first cook and season... so there! It wasn't a total cop-out!

I do wish I would have had more fresh/uncooked vegetables with the meal, but all in all I think it was a solid start. I also added miniature grapes (champagne grapes, as they were called), and some strawberries, which I ate with sinfully delicious 70% cocoa Lindt chocolate. Mmmhhh!

Since I was only making food for myself, and didn't feel like refreezing the whole container of curry, I ended up having the same thing for dinner, adding some raw carrots and chicoree/endive lettuce for a bit of freshness.

So, what do you think?

30 days of Bento

2008-08-31T07:21:00.012+08:00

Today, via tastespotting.com, I stumbled upon Japanese recipes to fill Bento boxes, which led me across all sorts of blogs and webpages and flickr sites filled with adorable pictures of the typical Japanese lunches. So, I thought I should challenge myself. The deal is this: In theory, cooking appeals to me. I have visions of luxury and wine-infused this and that, but I rarely end up cooking due to several factors: 1) I'm too picky for most high-end recipes, 2) I'm horrible at it, and 3) it seems to take way too much time and thought to prepare something that's actually worth-while, 4) I LOVE LOVE LOVE new restaurants and going out and all that. But... I am challenging myself to ONLY eating boxed, bento style lunches at work for the next month. My first day at work will be this Tuesday, and I'm really excited. When we moved downtown, I joined the Willy Street Food Co-Op, and as part of that, I got coupons for food worth ca. 25 dollars, meaning that I'm pretty well stocked to start this project :). Of course, I don't have any of the cute molds and no real ideas other than what I've seen, but I'm fine with starting with lamer versions, copy-catting and picking up the skills along the way. The reason I am so excited about this whole thing is that 1) the food LOOKS cute and 2) is way more balanced than the horrible, unhealthy crap I've been gulfing down otherwise... so.... yay!

As soon as I found all this stuff online, and thought that I should go for it, I started running around like a maniac in my apartment, because I KNEW I once had a bento box that I had purchased in Hong Kong. I was almost certain I had given it away in the purging, move-out process, but alas, it was found and I am set to go on that end at least! I am kicking myself, though, that I didn't pick up the shapes and the little bottles and dividers and everything while living in either Hong Kong or Duesseldorf, which has amazing shops in its little Tokyo-type area. There's nothing I can think of in Madison, at least not in walking distance, and I'm really avoiding the car with the first Badgers Football game and Taste of Madison (hmm, yes, we went... totally contrary to the point of this post, hah!) and all other things congesting the downtown roads this weekend.

Anyway... I obviously cannot take credit for any of the above pics, so if interested in real, practiced Bento artists, so to say, please click on the pictures. They'll take you directly to the person's web- or flickr-page.

Much love... Wish me luck!

Trip to Iowa

2008-08-28T10:02:00.009+08:00

Last weekend? Two weekends ago? Anyway... same usual, but never bad!

Moving In

2008-08-28T09:48:00.002+08:00

So... we're still moving in, waiting for the maintenance company to paint our place (hopefully next week!), trying to find place to put our stuff in this decidedly older and less storage-heavy apartment, but other than that (and the spiders and the bats), I love this place! And I for sure love living downtown... :) More pictures of the place, the neighbourhood, etc. to come soon... promise!

More homes I love to envy ;)

2008-07-30T21:54:00.008+08:00

How much do I love the cheesy wall mural? There are no words.

What's not to love? Beautiful bedroom/bathroom view! Modern double sinks? Oh yes! Black and white? Oh yes! :)

The above looks straight out of a catalogue to me, but it's in someone's actual house= yay! Black color, clean lines, bright punches of other colors, etc. = fun and classy all at once.

Wow, what do I not love about this one? The sofa- sleek shape and crazy color= total package. Jack is no fan because he thinks those sleek sofas don't look comfortable... while I think they are comfortable enough, and the design is worth some sacrifice!! :D The cow skin= love love love (even though it's cruel). The lamp= ridiculously cool, architectural shape. The dining area= formal yet modern, and could also work for casual breakfasts. Then, lastly... those windows! Oh me, oh my! Beautiful view, so much light, etc.= worth gold!

I love the combination of items here, and particularly that the TV is part of an arrangement of art work. I hate when a large TV is the sole focus of attention in a room... like it is at our place, haha! I also adore the muted colors and the painting, which to my happiness is not even hung. Cool beans!

All of these inspirations, as so often, come from the sneak peaks into designers' homes on Design*Sponge. Enjoy!

Summer Pictures from the Disposable Camera

2008-07-24T05:56:00.011+08:00

I got the disposable camera my mom was using while visiting here developed. Enjoy some more pics of the dog park, Concerts on the Square, etc.

Mama... ich schicke die Bilder (hard copies) nach SC, ja? :) Da sind noch viele mehr vom Konzert drin!

The Reverse Graffiti Project

2008-07-22T12:00:00.003+08:00

You can also view the video directly on YouTube.
Crazy form of art... cleaning up cities by drawing graffiti with cleaner & water on the dirt! You have to watch it to believe it!!

Apparently, this art form is making cities take action. ReadyMade (a magazine about DIY projects) states that: In Brazil, a subversive reverse graffiti installation led the San Paulo government to clean up its city after artist Alexandre Orion created a mural of skulls by removing car dirt from a tunnel wall. The police were unable to stop him because cleaning is not a criminal offense, so in order to remove his work, the city cleaned all of the soot from the panel Orion had decorated. In response, Orion created a similar mural on the next dirtied panel and the city wound up cleaning all of its tunnels to thwart future “graffiti” attempts.

Dream Home!

2008-07-22T11:43:00.005+08:00

Just discovered my absolute dream loft on DesignSponge! The combination of furniture and layout is so strange, so original, so quirkly, so ALIVE... I just love it. It's not for sale, someone actually lives there, but that won't stop me from dreaming ;). I'd of course go with a different color scheme, but I DO LOVE the use of white wall with crazy wallpaper, and so forth...

View the full post here.

What do you think? :)

Old Pics from Christmas Vacation

2008-07-21T11:00:00.003+08:00

Gotta love photo booths!

Summer Pics Take Two

2008-07-21T08:40:00.016+08:00

Picnics, Concerts on the Square, Concerts at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens, weddings, wonderful guests, Art Fair on the Square, the House on the Rock, Dalai Lama speech for my mother, the MCM/American Girl Annual Benefit Sale, time off, a girl's shopping adventure and dinner at FlatTop grill, presents left and right... what a busy, busy, WONDERFUL week!!

A Weekend with my Mother!

2008-07-16T04:50:00.029+08:00

Some photos from the past weekend... my mom is still in town, and uploading this took half the afternoon, so I'll write more later! :)

Summer in Wisconsin

2008-07-09T00:49:00.005+08:00

A completely different world from Florida!

Winter Park

2008-07-08T20:16:00.034+08:00

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

***

Rollins College (above) from Lake Virginia. The pool is right there, because due to alligators and water snakes and what not in Central Florida, you might want to avoid the lakes themselves!

The homes on the lake (selling for around 6-8 million $) are, as you can see, huge and STUNNING!! Winter Park started out as a winter home only/ snowbird town, and grew to a millionaire's paradise and propor city within about 50 years. All the villas are built on former orange groves.

Goofing off again!

One of my favorites (above) ! :)

Canals connecting all the lakes, and preventing flooding during hurricanes.

Bluest of blue skies!

***

Rollins College- Where I got my BA degree!

A crew was filming some movie again on the campus. I wonder which one it is!

A new sculpture on the campus... it's really cool, but the photo turned out shabby.

***

Enjoying Park Avenue

Bring your dog, drinks and children to cool off? Now that's a bookstore to my liking!

So, as you can tell, we spent our last day in Winter Park. where I went to college. We parked on the college campus, walked a round a bit, grabbed lunch at the Pita Pit, strolled down Park Ave (and into the air-conditioned shops--- hallelujah!), then caught the Winter Park Scenic Boat Ride which is, by the way, worth the 10$ per person just for the breeze!!! :) The houses are absolutely stunning, and I learned a lot about Rollins and the area that I did not know, as well. We also enjoyed some lovely iced coffees in a courtyard off of Park Ave that I always used to go to with my roommates... unfortunately, I didn't get to see any of them, which was a huge disappointment. In addition, there was a bunch of construction around the fountains, meaning that they were shut off, and we didn't get to many of the places I wanted to go to because they were either closed or we were out of time, such as Tatame, Houston's, etc.

I'd say this day was way less than what I had planned for and expected it to be, with the ridiculous heat, construction around Park Ave and campus, everything nice being closed, my roomie flaking out, etc., but all in all with the fun boat tour and Jack's good company, it turned out to be fun... just not nearly as fun as the two previous days. I skipped out on the opportunity to meet Nicole for brunch just so I could be back in town to meet Danielle, but it seems there was no interest on her part in the end, and that put a huge downer on that day... anyway... enough whining!! :) Point being... Winter Park is beautiful... in the winter!!! Haha... I usually left there for the summer to go back to Germany, and, boy, am I glad! The heat and humidity was unbearable... :) But the architecture was stunning. It's worth a visit!

All my love,

Cora

Merritt Island/ Cape Canaveral/ Annie & Walker's Wedding!

2008-07-08T10:00:00.027+08:00

Pictures of the stunning wedding of Annie Clayton & Walker Dawson... just GORGEOUS!! :)

Unfortunately, my pictures are all fuzzy and of poor quality. Again, they don't display the event as the wonderful design it was... I can't wait to see the photos the photographers took!

Cocoa Beach

Sorry, I simply had to share. I LOVE this Wal-Mart ad. It had me laughing for a full, solid minute. "Ohh... where is that? That beach looks nice!... Wal-Mart?! Oh..." Yes, imagine the possibilities... where Wal-Mart is a beach. Come on!

As a part of this super-american vacation, we also went to IHOP (International House of Pancakes, which is as un-international as you could get). It was not bad for breakfast, though obviously the "French Crepe" left much to be desired :). Anyway... it was a fun thing to do! Also notice how for breakfast, my hair is completely flat (via flat iron)... if you look at the other pics from that afternoon, you'll notice how my hair looks like some big, wavy lion mane. Thanks, humidity!! Lol.

Anyway... uploading these pics is, of course, taking forever, so I will post those of Winter Park/Rollins College tomorrow. Love you all! In case you couldn't tell... YES, I had an amazing time on this vacation and am so glad I made it possible to see Annie get married. Such beautiful memories were made this weekend!

St. Augustine

2008-07-08T09:17:00.015+08:00

Pure silly, vacation-happiness!

Playing around with glow sticks (yay!) while saving our space on the lawn and waiting an hour for the July 4 fireworks to begin.

***

Flagler College Campus

***

Common citrus stands by the side of the highway with huge, neon billboards, alligator heads and coconut figurenes...! They are so tacky, but oh-so-Florida, so I LOVE them!

We drove to St. Augustine for July 4 festivities. What better place to celebrate independence than in the oldest US city, with the lights exploding over a ruin?

It was gorgeous, totally memorable and 100% worth the trip! We got there, with masses of people, found the only place to eat that had "only" 30 minutes wait, which was a German-style beer garden with sausage meals, haha (yay!), then plunked down by the water with thousands of others to watch the spectacle. I could not stop ooh-ing and ahh-ing... the pictures do the whole thing no justice! This place is def. worth a trip if you are in the area.

Daytona Beach

2008-07-08T06:23:00.015+08:00

After a pretty grueling trip to Orlando where we left the house at 4 am and dealt with screaming kids, raging alcoholics and what not else as passangers on our plane, we arrived in Orlando on Friday, July 4 around noon. After we got to the hotel (thanks, GPS) with your huge (ouch!) convertible rental, we discussed our options for the afternoon. Due to the experience in the airplanes, and the ridiculous heat that left us to sweat litres even in shorts, we decided to make a day-trip to the coast. We chose to hit up Daytona beach, which I had never been to, and go enjoy the fireworks in old, charming St. Augustine. Ever since I looked at Flagler College there during high school, I have loved that little city and returned a few times during college.

As far as Daytona was concerned, as you can see in the pictures, we focused mainly on enjoying the sunshine, playing paddle ball in the water, reading, and so forth. Luckily for us, we had to take off after about 2 hours so we could drive on to St. Augustine, catch dinner and find a place to see the fireworks from. I say luckily, as the sun was so strong, and I would have 100% gotten burned had I stayed the whole afternoon, even with hat, sunglasses and a lot of sunscreen.

Anyway... Daytona was, as I had expected (and why I had avoided it all during college), a very white-trashy sort of place. There was big prep going on for a car race (not the Daytona 500, but the crowds and police control were still HUGE), revving engines and harleys left and right, etc. Still, it also felt like a REAL place, with people big and small, fat and thin, pretty and ugly... and that made for a refreshingly pleasant feeling at the beach.

So... enjoy these pictures! They are not that great, but it was a nice afternoon. Will report on the other cities soon.

Much love,

Cora

Just some random photos...

2008-06-25T12:06:00.001+08:00

Of the last few, normal weeks. Enjoy!

Hong Kong Memories!

2008-06-25T12:05:00.000+08:00

Grilling with friends

2008-06-25T12:03:00.001+08:00

Cuddling the dog

2008-06-25T12:02:00.000+08:00

Orchids on the balcony :)

2008-06-25T12:01:00.000+08:00

Great Ikea Finds

2008-06-25T12:00:00.000+08:00

Fruit juices nearly every day...

2008-06-25T11:59:00.000+08:00

What a stretch!

2008-06-25T11:58:00.000+08:00

Fresh from the hair stylist

2008-06-25T11:57:00.001+08:00

Enjoying my "new" hair

2008-06-25T11:57:00.000+08:00

Home in the Summer

2008-06-25T11:56:00.000+08:00

Me Me Me Me Me! :)

2008-06-25T11:54:00.000+08:00

Some more Madison weekends

2008-06-25T11:53:00.000+08:00

What I miss

2008-06-22T08:59:00.002+08:00

So, when I recently wrote I have no major grievances with Madison, I did mention missing house music. I found some wonderful clips on YouTube that show what I have been missing out on... I think that is just another reason why I need to move to a major, global city before I move 30... don't want to miss out on the chance, and end up being that awkward old lady at those events, hah!!! :)

Songs I still love this summer

2008-06-22T08:05:00.003+08:00

They may be totally outdated, but I still love these songs:

Kanye West- Stronger

(guess who ordered those kanye glasses. yep :D)

Nickelback- Rockstar

Louie Austen-Hoping

Kanye West- Good Life

Feeling generous?

2008-06-12T08:59:00.001+08:00

cjharmony's wishlist

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Want to buy me something? Feel free to pick something off of my wishlist... yes, just because. HA! :D

Photo collages...

2008-06-12T08:04:00.004+08:00

Photo layering/double-exposure fun!

Summer Plans

2008-06-01T04:05:00.011+08:00

Sunshine

Is Fine

I feel it in my skin

Warming up my mind

If I could

I would keep this feeling

In a plastic jar

Bust it out

Whenever someone's

Acting Hard

Settle down

BBQ in the backyard

The kids get treats

And old folks get classic cars

Every day that gets to pass

Is a success

And every woman

Looks better

In a sundress

-"Sunshine" by Atmohsphere

My dear friend Annie is getting married in July, and I just booked a flight partially with miles and all my hotel reservations with my last Marriott points. This means I am going to get to go to Orlando/Cape Canaveral July 4-6!!!!!

I also booked a convertible, so I hope it'll be just like college for one more weekend. I never thought I'd miss it, but I think I am becoming more positive in general towards the US, and with that change, I'm figuring out that no place here will ever be perfect to me. I do regret a bit that I did not enjoy college more for what it was, rather than missing Germany and Hong Kong all the time. Live and learn, I suppose. I am making an effort and seeing the fruits of living more in the now in Madison, and have no major issues with the place at all ;). Very healthy, I believe. Well, ok... other than the music thing!! In fact, other than that, I am starting to fall in love with the town---- which may be related to all the developments, such as working downtown and moving downtown in August into a different rental from which I can walk to work, to shopping, to parks, and so forth. But now and then, a memory of a different place and time pops up, and if I have the means to get back to that place for a while... why not? I know it will never be like my memories, but I'm not gonna let it stop me from visiting my friend, wishing her well on her big day, and enjoying the SUNSHINE and PALM TREES and all that goodness.

Yay!

PS: Most pics are from Flickr, Orlando tourism website, the Marriott hotels, etc. Didn't have that many myself!!! Crazy...

Taking it back- City Love 2008

2008-05-27T09:08:00.014+08:00

Let's take it back

To where the music started

Take it back

And bring back those happy days

I wanna feel

The way the music moved me

Take me back

I need to feel it

One more time

Can you please

Play my song for me

That's gonna make me feel

Alright

Can you please

Lift my voice for me

I want people

To sing tonight

-Lift Your Voices, Georgie Porgie

I tell everyone

I smile

Just because

I've got a

City Love

- City Love, John Mayer

More explanations/updates from my weekend in Chicago soon! :) For now, please enjoy the photos. Thanks, Cora :)

Another Madison Weekend

2008-05-19T06:42:00.016+08:00

Woohoo!

2008-05-16T10:06:00.004+08:00

Guess who gets to go to Chicago/Crobar/to see Bob Sinclar in 10 days? Yes! Moi! Thank you, Jack, for humoring my music taste ;). I've never been to Crobar, and, even more sadly, I've never seen Bob Sinclar spin, so: ta-da! All in one! :)

SOOOO EXCITED on SOOO many levels! I get into many of the big museums for free or cheap now, too, due to the museum staff reciprocity agreements. Good times.

My Life of Beauty

2008-05-07T08:53:00.010+08:00

A little talent

A little brains

With an emphasis

On the former

-A little brains, a little talent by Andrea Burns

Regrets- I've had a few

But then again

Too few to mention

I did

What I had to do

And saw it through

Without exemption

Yes

There were times

I'm sure you knew

When I bit off

More than I could chew

But through it all

When there was doubt

I ate it up

And spit it out

I faced it all

And I stood tall

And did it

My Way

To think

I did all that

And may I say

Not in a shy way

Oh, no

Oh, no, not me

I did it

My Way

For what is a man

What has he got

If not himself

Then he has naught

To say the things

He truly feels

-My Way by Frank Sinatra

Where are we?

What the hell

Is going on?

The dust

Has only just begun

To form

Crop circles

In the carpet

Spin me around

Again

And rub my eyes

This can't

Be happening

- Hide & Seek by Imogen Heap

Does it feel that your life's become a catastrophe?

Oh, it has to be for you to grow, boy.

When you look through the years,

And see what you could have been,

Oh, what might have been,

If you'd had more time.

So, when the day comes to settle down,

Whos to blame if youre not around?

You took the long way home...

- "Take the long way home" by Supertramp

*
So many thoughts, so many opportunities, so many changes, so many of my 25 things getting closer and closer to reality... now all I have to do is CHOOSE! :) It has been a beautiful few weeks, with starting a new job after much drama and some friends, family and strangers telling me I was acting too risky and irrational, getting flowers as a surprise while at that new job, seeing the sunshine and spring come out in Madison and getting to walk in it every day, being told a way I can enter the Madison Area Open Art Studios to exhibit my paintings publically in the fall, new clothes, getting the acceptance letter to Master Studies at HKBU, the economic stimulus payment, and so much more.

*
Yet, I am so torn about what to do... I want it all! It's one step after another that is exactly what I've wanted for my future... but it all coming at once isn't working that well :). And, again, I've been told again and again that I shouldn't even bother trying for these things, so you can imagine how 'proud' or excited I am to get them after all! So... wish me luck that I figure it all out and can fit it all in. It's been a really long time, probably since Hong Kong last time, that I am this excited about where I am and where I might be going with my life...
*
Yay, and nay? It's getting too complicated... Maybe I should just crack another smile and sit back and enjoy as everything unfolds?

And, lastly, thanks if you supported me through these turbulent times! I know I have plenty of people to be thankful for... :)

Spring Pictures

2008-04-28T05:26:00.009+08:00

80s Night

Crazylegs Walk Downtown

Thunderstorms and cool clouds on the way home

Jack being in town for two consecutive weeks (yay!)

Appreciating working downtown now

Signs of spring and love :)

and more...

Pictures taken over the last week in Madison, WI. My life has changed quite a bit, so wait to hear some updates :).

Spring Time Fun :)

2008-04-21T10:48:00.017+08:00

The sun is finally shining again! Welcome, Spring!

Charlie the Dog

2008-04-10T23:41:00.016+08:00

So, the whole idea of NEVER writing in this blog again might have been a bit unrealistic. I have updates in my life or things I'd like to share that aren't related to my life goals, so I guess this is where I will continue to post that stuff :). Also, another reason I stopped writing on this blog was the abundance of change in my life... change I was not yet willing to share. So, now I am back! Just beware that the updates will probably not be very exciting, and certainly will not occur on a several-times-per-week basis, as they used to.

For now, just some pictures of the semi-grown-up Charlie and the semi-grown-up Cora ;):