The Senakams | Corgi + 3

Chez Senakams

My day started out nice and relaxing- the sun was shining, birds were chirping, coffee was brewing... it really looked to be a promising day.

But of course, life is never as it seems... before I can even finish my cup of coffee, the day start to slowly slip out of control like a runaway truck. Pretty much everything that could have gone wrong did, and here are just a few that went spectacularly so:

1. My work laptop crashed midway through a lengthy report (that I moronically have not yet saved). Called IT, waited an hour, couldn't get any help (what was I thinking calling them anyway?). Three hours later, I restarted the project. Laptop crashed again. Banged head till it bled.

2. Received package in mail- only that it was a "Return to Sender" for an Etsy order I just sent out yesterday (and it was only the SECOND order from my little store)! Apparently I used the wrong envelope that indicates it's priority when I was told to pay 1st class postage. Even though for this particular destination, priority and 1-st class will get on the same plane and arrive on the same day. I love USPS.

3. Tried gocco'ing a Thank You card for my cousin whom I'm letterpressing baby announcement for. In my already flustered state, I messed it up big time.

Don't be fooled by this photo where things look OK being small- click on it to get a supersized image, and you'll see the piece on the machine is smudged. I didn't even see it till I printed took this picture and realized about 20 of them were printed like that. ARRGGHHH...

4. Sharks lost. Trailing 0-3 in this 7-game playoff series. Time to shave off my playoff beard.

Seeing this damsel in distress, my very kind hubby not only cooked me dinner, but also presented me this menu below that he specially prepared to help me understand this intricate gourmet meal:

I particularly enjoyed the pungent 99 Ranch garlic, hormone-free chicken, and quality Rainbo large enriched white bread.

I'm awarding the culinary rising-star Chez Senakams a Michelin Star, as well as a Zagat rating of 28 for Food, 30 for Value, and a 25 for decor (the 25 for decor is my fault, as I have messed up prints strewn everywhere).

And this is the pretty Paper Elixir Thank You card I'll send to Chef Jacques for taking such good care of me. Merci, Chef Jacques!

And the Blog Award goes to...

Moi!

Who would have thunk, eh? I was pleasantly surprised when the very kind and talented Lily of XueOriginals (based in Tokyo, Japan) informed me that she has chosen me as one of 5 recipients of the Arte y Pico Blog Award! Awww.... I feel all warm and fuzzy :) Thanks !

Part of the "rule" of this award is that I have to pass this award to 5 other bloggers, and command that they send it to another 5 bloggers, and so on and so forth.

Well, guess what- I feel like living on the edge today, and thus I'm going to recklessly abandon all rules, award this to 5 blogs that I truly enjoy reading, and leave it up to them whether to pass it on or not. How's that for a rebel!

The blogs I picked are ones that I read on a regular basis, and each of them enrich my life in a different way.

And now, in no specific order, the award recipients are... *drum rolls*:

Craftstew! One of the first blogs I read regularly, as I'm drawn to many of our common interest: being craftsy (aside of having a fairly cerebral "day job") and love of our corgis (hi, Lucy!). You gotta see some of the quilting projects she's involved in, they're so beautiful and intricate. She inspires me to be a more patient person.

Corgi Tails! One of the most dedicated dog person I've ever met (in person or cyberspace)! We share the common thread as being first time dog owners, and there I thought that we're fairly responsible dog owners, but JuLo totally put us to shame! Her blog shares all the technicalities as well as emotional ups-&-downs of being a dog owner, must read for dog lovers (especially if you're newbie).

Rhymes with Spoon! What do lawyers do in their spare time? If you ever wonder, read Sara's blog! And you'll see that evil lawyers are just like normal people too (sometimes). Totally kidding (about the evil part, not the just-like-normal-people part, of course). She reminds me that clothings doesn't just come from a store, and inspires me to dust off my neglected sewing machine and take a stab at it (pun intended).

Psilology! I have only recently started reading this blog, and have learned a great deal about navigating a craft business in cyberspace from her. She also makes the most adorable hemp clothing for kids! I think we'll have a baby just so she (it's gotta be a girl) can wear those pretty dresses.

Heatherfuture! Another wonderful blog I've just recently begun reading. A neighbor from across the border up north (eh?), a fellow lover of all things fun and creative and vintagy, a do-gooder (see her Acts of Kindness blog), and a die-hard hockey fan (Go Sharks! :P). I read her blog to keep myself visually and creatively challenged and amused (what's up with the moustache?)

A round of applause for the above 5 bloggers for making blogworld a kinder, richer and more beautiful place!

Road Trip Part III- Loooooong Way Home

It's been a most wonderful 8 days on the open road- bathing in the most gorgeous sunset in Sedona, spending quality time with Bryson and family, taking in the vastly diverse landscape across the continent.

It was really a fantastic experience, except...

What on earth do you do with yourself for 12, 13, 14 frigging hours stuck in a moving vehicle on a mind-numblingly boring road that doesn't seem to end?!?!!

Well, as we found out, first, you've gotta have plenty of snacks. And I mean, PLENTY. Coz trust me, the clock stops ticking when you stop masticating (wow, it rhymes too, so it must be true).

What got us through was 4 huge grocery bags of junk food, including a Costco-sized bag of beef jerky, various Chinese pastries (washed down with copius amount of coffee and red bull), chips, candies, cookies of all kinds imaginable, plus a medley of artificial-color and preservative laden garbage that I'm too embarrassed to admit that we've shoved in our mouth (OK, Flaming Hot Cheetos was one).

Secondly, you gotta keep your mind going, coz otherwise it'll disintegrate to mush or make you want to murder your spouse (or both).

And not being particularly prepared in this department, we resorted to making up games along the way...

The first game was "Harry Potter Trivia".

Yes, we are hopeless nerds. We even dressed Bryson up as a wizard and attended the HP Book Seven party last year. We entertained ourselves with questions like "What was Harry's address before Hogwart's?" and "What subject did Dumbledore teach before becoming headmaster?". (Answer: "4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging"; and "Transfiguration").

And by the way, I won, ha ha! Nerds.

The second game was the all-time road trip favorites: "Examine Your Body Parts".

First, I examined my pores. Every single one of them. Counted Bryson's too. Then, I tried to carefully excise all those pesky hangnails without making myself bleed (unsuccessfully so. Ow.). And lastly, I examined the corn on my feet. I've always been mesmerized by how grotesquely thick they can get.

And I mean, why are they called "corn" anyway? Do they taste like corn?

I was seriously tempted to answer this last question for myself when we clocked in like the 1001th mile and have been stuck behind this cow truck for the last 4 hours. But I decided against it to regain the last shred of dignity.

You can imagine our joy when we finally drove past the first bookstore along the freeway, and had the brilliant (albeit a bit late) idea that we should go get ourselves some books on CD! We gladly emptied our wallet of all cash for a whopping 15-CD set by our all-time favorite author, Bill Bryson (whom Bryson's named after).

This is truly our lifesaver- it gave us 16-hours of solid entertainment and kept us from turning into zombies. Best $75 I've ever spent, and definitely beats counting pores or corn-examination.

But if you ever go on an extended road trip and want to save yourself $75, go visit your local library and stock up on books on CD before you leave. You can thank us later.

(P.S. This is what Bryson does every night when we get to our motel. I don't think he knows how unflattering it looks)

Road Trip Part II- Family Time

Ola! We've spent these past few hot and humid days here in Austin (or more accurately, Pflugerville) with Jacques' family, eating, chatting, playing with the kids, breaking up kids' fights... and then eat some more.

Everybody ADORES Bryson and constantly want to hug and pet him, which sends him scurrying around the house all day trying (usually without success) for some quiet "Bryson time".

As the only dog in our little family of three, he's probably a bit overwhelmed by the warm reception from his large extended family in this household... I just counted and there are 14.5 of us under this roof! That is 6 adults + 2 kids + 4 dogs + 2 kitties + 1 fish (fish counts as half).

Whew! Now that's a family.

Cousin Nitro the greyhound, Auntie Jessie and Cousin Tyler all want to shower Bryson with affection (Bryson: your love is suffocating me...)

Cousin Toby the golden retriever (who just got shaved for summer for the first time!)

Feeding turtle with Tyler, Sara and Jack at the back of a restaurant (there were literally hundreds of hungry turtles there fighting for the few morsels of bread we were tossing in. I think they were actually eyeing the kids...)

A typical dinner time- everybody (of drastically various heights) patiently waiting for their bowl, surprisingly well-behaved

Cool Cousin Tyler- gotta love those pouty lips!

"I say go poop, Toby!!" Jacques' mom looking quite menacing as she waves the plastic baseball bat in the backyard, trying to get Toby to stop playing and do his business. She was actually one of the first few female cops back in Thailand in her younger days, so she does have a lot of experience with baton-waving. (She really spoils the dogs rotten)

Look! There's a treat RIGHT NEXT to his mouth and he doesn't even notice it! I don't think I've ever seen him this pooped.

Halfway There- Reporting from Sedona

Hello from Sedona, AZ!

Thanks to everyone who's given us tips and sent us well wishes on this trip! We're absolutely exhausted but still giddy with excitement after a 13-hr drive, followed by a hot, dry day exploring the breathtaking red rock country in Sedona.

We'll post more photos when we get home, but in case you're all wondering what we're up to (or mostly what Bryson's up to), here's a brief recap of these last 2 days...

Our 8-day cross-country trip yesterday started with a bang- if you'd call a speeding ticket that...

Can you believe it? Right smack dab in the deserted Mojave Desert, this CHP patrol car came out from the middle of nowhere! Shucks!! I swear they must hide behind these joshua tress eating donuts all day, just waiting for us to drive by so he can pull us over. SHUCKS!!!

Showing off his assets- the pair of robust Iron Butts as soon as we arrived in uptown Sedona. "If you've got it, you gotta flaunt it!"  Geez...

Embarking on one of the many hiking trails- Wilson Canyon in this photo- amidst the striking red rock landscape.

Not so easy to get up the sandstone ledge with those short little legs, but we made it!

What happens to your feet after hiking on the red dirt trail if you're a corgi...

Getting wind-swept and sunburnt hiking up to this view, but totally worth it
(OK, OK, that was a total lie! We were actually wind-swept and sunburnt, that's why we drove to this "scenic lookout", got out of the car, walked 2 minutes and had a fellow tourist snap this photo for us. Ha!)

Howdy! Sheriff Bryson's in town! We stumbled upon this local art fair, where this guy was selling all kinds of cute doggie baseball caps and cowboy hats. Everyone was ogling over him all over town, "Ooh! Look at that cuuuute corgi!" "Awwww... can I pet him?" We're just hanging onto his coat tail like his accessories. *sigh*

Iron Butt Competition

Call us crazy, but tomorrow we are going to embark on an 1,800-mile "epic" road trip from Emeryville, CA to Austin, TX! Yee-haw!

And yep, Bryson's coming along :) And this will be the first time he meets his "cousins", aunt, uncle and other set of grandparents for the first time! Too exciting!!

As you can see, we would have traversed more than half our vast country by the time we get there. I swallow a hard gulp every time I look at this map. Definitely an iron-butt challenge (Bryson could probably out-sit all of us with those infamously "sturdy" corgi butts).

It'll take a back-breaking 25-hour drive if we go non-stop, but we figured we'll pass by so many new places we've never been to before, that we might as well take it leisurely and visit these places along the way.

So, the plan is to drive to Sedona tomorrow (784 miles, approx 12 hr), spend a day there on Sunday (can't wait to experience all the "energy"), then drive through all that's lovely Texas (probably stop a night in Abilene, TX), and spend 3 days in Austin with family.

Next time you hear from us here, we won't be in Kansas California anymore!

Rough Sketch of Next Project- Cherry Blossom

I've been busy finalizing my cousin's baby announcement (Baby Mia was born yesterday! Happy 0th birthday, Mia!), when a good friend from pharmacy school in Seattle saw my design on the blog, and commissioned me to do her wedding's thank you card!

I still get this warm and fuzzy feeling when someone want me to put my creative touch on these momentous occasions in their lives. It truly is an honor.

So, with such a responsibility in mind, I set out to design something that'll be modern, romantic, and in line with her invite's cherry blossom/red/gold theme (the enclosure on the right is her invite, designed by someone else).

And when I saw her jaw-droppingly AMAZING engagement photos (by the talented Danielle at MindCastle Studios), I knew I HAVE to incorporate them for that personalized touch. (The way the light hit them and the cherry blossoms in the original photo is sooooo darn romantic... *swoon*)

And the square card in the photo (left) is my first crack at the design. And as you can see, it's a very rough sketch done with scraps of paper (pardon the smudge marks, I apparently have yet to learn not to touch things before they're fully dry...).

I sketched the cherry blossom here, but the final product will be letterpressed onto the same gorgeous pearlescent Stardream cardstock.

The little "Thank You" note will be set in the same gold acrylic medium I've used recently in a different card to add that extra dimension of richness and texture (everyone can use a little extra bling).

My friend has given me the preliminary thumbs-up (whew!), but we might look at other photos before we finalize the design.

Doing this project makes me want to get married all over again! (to the same guy, of course :P)

A Brilliant Spring Day

As promised in the last post, here are some more photos from our evening walk at the Caesar Chavez Park last week.

This is one of our most favorite off-leash park in the area (second to only Point Isabel, of course). It's only about 15 minutes from us, but unlike the well-kept Point Isabel, Cesar Chavez feels a bit more remote and untamed, with wild flowers and tall grass flanking the unpaved dirt paths that criss-cross the hilly park.

Despite of that, it's hard to forget that you're smack dab in the middle of the Bay Area, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco's skyline right over the horizon. It really is a lovely spot.

We were taking pictures of Bryson when I heard this little girl laughing and screaming "Again! Again!!" at the top of her lungs. I turned around and this is the scene in front of me...

Wow! My heart was thumping in my chest for her! She must be having such a blast... Moments like these make me want to be a kid (just for a little while) again.

And yep, that structure peeking out from behind the layer of famous San Francisco fog is the almost-as-famous Golden Gate Bridge (trust me, the fog wins every day).

Look, Mommy, Daddy! I can fly!  The agility classes are already paying off :)

As we visit the Stonehenge-esque solar calendar inside the park, we noticed these 4 stones that must be erected recently. Apart from "Hope", there is "Determination", "Courage", and "Tolerance". These make this little hilltop spot feel a bit like some kind of temple for humanity.

Bryson is also participating in "Hope"- hoping for his next meal, that is.

Bryson trying out for the role of Simba in Lion King. Hear me ROAAAAR!

Check out our Flickr album for more :)

I'm featured!

Look! I found out this morning a fellow Etsian, springcartdesign, featured my work on her uber-chic blog, Tha Hotness!

This is what she said...

"I must admit that I am a lover of beautiful things. This morning I was wowed and have to share with you all the beauty that is Paper Elixir.  Paper Elixir is the brainchild of Ivy, a self-confessed, "paperholic".  Ivy's shop is full of beautiful mixed media goodies. Here are just a few teasers, so make sure that check out the rest here. Enjoy..."

Wow, that's nice, thanks!

She's also got some really cool stuff on her blog. I'll have to pour myself a cup of coffee (with bailey's), sit down and browse through it for some virtual window shopping (and admire photos of my stuff among all the greatness, ha!)

Oh, and Bryson just complained to me he's been feeling horribly neglected on this blog since I started my shop.

He's made me put up some of his latest photos here, otherwise he said he's gonna go on a hunger strike (...)

This is us visiting the Caesar Chavez (Berkeley Marina) park yesterday. Now that the weather's warmer and the day longer, I've resumed bringing my camera on our outings (you can only take so many pictures of your cards at home!)

He found this 3-feet pile of mulch, jumped onto the very top, and proceeded to sing "The hills are alive, with the sound of BRYYYY..sonnn..."

Stocking up My Etsy Store

After I sold my (whopping) ONE piece of collage, my Etsy store looked empty and sad (it's a 25% decrease when you go from 4 pieces to 3, ya know?)

So, fueled by the energy from my first sale, I whipped up a few new pieces these past few days so I can restock my empty shelves.

These first couple ones are a continuation of the "Falling Hydrangea" theme. There's a midget version (6" x 8") version of the larger pink/expresso color one that sold (6" x 12"), and a variation in a soothing turquoise/green tea color (in both sizes).

I just LOVE that knubby turquoise silk fabric! It really contrast those smooth, smooth hand-dyed silk ribbons (in green tea and that stormy blue) on the piece. Can't stop touching and feeling them... Hmm...

In this piece below (Angel), I was inspired by a fellow Etsian Heather's new Act of Kindness initiative. You have to read about her act of kindness, Project Lemon. It's one of the most original and creative and whackiest act of kindness I've seen!

Honestly, I can't come up with anything remotely as clever or creative as this act. So I did what I know :) I created a piece that helps you celebrate the angel in your life.

 

 

The piece is painted in acrylic in gradation, from the muddy black in the bottom (that deep, dark place you're stuck in) to the glorious fluffy white at the top (where your angel lift you up to).

The specks of gold throughout represents the light your angel shed on you to remind you of the goodness in this world.

Like a good bowl of piping hot ramen on a freezing day.

First Sale on Etsy!

I just had my first sale in my Paper Elixir store on Etsy, woo hoo!!

I came home yesterday, looking at my junk e-mail box, and saw an e-mail saying that someone has put money into my Paypal account. My first reactions was "Scam alert! Scam alert!". I thought I'd better delete it before some mafia guy in Russia drains my bank account...

But against all reasons, I opened the e-mail, just to take a peek, in case it's real... And OMG! It IS real!

I don't know why I didn't make the association, but when you put stuff on etsy to sell, someone might actually buy it. Duh.

That idea baffled me for about 5 milliseconds... then it hit me! Someone bought my Falling Hydrangea Collage!

The thought that someone had found my collage (among millions of things being sold on etsy), considered it, and decided to purchase it to adorn their (or somone else's) home (hopefully), it just fills me with such energy and optimism to continue to create and to fill the world with beautiful things I make with my hands! (*daydream...*)

I know, it's probably a bit naive. But I guess we're allowed to give ourself an occasional pat on the back once in a while, right?

The first etsy invoice! And I get to use my letterpress stationary "officially", yippee!

OK, back to work on some more pieces to decorate my empty store front! Stay tuned ;)

Agility- One More Try!

If you've been following our blog, you'll remember Bryson's previous not-entirely-positive experience with agility.

We left that class feeling discouraged, having been told "if you can't get him to play tug, you might as well not come to class". Bryson just seems to think that tugging is a waste of his precious energy, and we couldn't persuade him otherwise. We thought his career in agility is over before it even began...

But after chatting with other corgi people recently, we realized that many corgis who do well in agility aren't necessarily tuggy either.

And so when we heard that the San Francisco SPCA is holding an all-corgi agility class this month, we decided to give ourselves a second chance!

And what a difference a new class makes! Everyone was supportive and encouraging, and we were so relieved that we didn't have to play tug! (I know, it's silly). At the first class this past weekend, Bryson seemed to be able to pickup right where he left off. He even got onto the teeter (a very low one), A-frame and dog walk, all equipments that he hasn't touched before.

We were just happy that we have a nice, relaxed environment where he can stretch his short little legs, and we can entertain ourselves watching all those wiggly corgi butts! We'll try to get a movie clip next week of all the corgi action. Stay tuned!

Bryson and a few of his classmates listening (or not) to instructions. (Tryst is actually a veteran in agility, just doing demo for the rookies). On this particular day, there were actually more teachers/assistants than there were students! We enjoyed the extra attention :)

Baby Announcemnt- in Progress

My cousin in Boston recently proclaimed her faith in my work in commissioning me to letterpress their baby announcement!

Man, the pressure's on. My little niece is due in just a couple of weeks! And I hate to admit it, but it's really no secret that this is the first time I letterpress anything for anyone but myself (all I've done so far are the business cards and stationary for Paper Elixir)!

I've been indecisive about the choice of aesthetic. The thing is she's having a girl, which makes you think PINK. But if you know my cousin, you know she's not a very "pink" person (I mean it in the nicest way, of course :P).

So when I saw this rayon ribbon in the loveliest shade of apple green, it's like striking gold! It's perfect for a spring baby, and it picks up the green in this playful pink-enough-but-not-too-frou-frou Japanese chiyogami paper quite perfectly. Score!

This is a mock-up I printed out on my el-cheapo ink jet printer, just to test out the idea (sorry it's a bit grainy)...

In case you're wondering, no, the baby's name isn't really "Little Mini-me", and all the info is of course fictitious.

And yes, I "borrowed" that adorable picture from my sister's baby, Chloe! (Thanks Chloe for allowing me to use your mug! You can charge me royalty when you turn 18, ha!).

Now, I just need to wait till the baby is actually born, so I can get the "stats" and get going on the letterpress. Will post more as I get to that stage in a couple of weeks.

In the mean time, please enjoy this beautiful letterpress work by my teacher, Kim at Painted Tongue Press:

She printed this on a vintage Heidelberg press, just this side went through 4 runs (one for each color)! Just see how tight the registration is (no color crossing over into other areas), and how crisp the printing is.

Looking at her work makes me feel like the "apprentice chicken" in this Burger King commercial... *sigh*.