EvilKate

Belated Christmahannukah

2008-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

Every year I celebrate Christmas & Hannukah in January with my special group of ladies. The 07/08 party was hosted last night by Auntie Fafa at her new digs in San Francisco. Great job, Fa! We had a big group of 19 this year with all the significant others that attended. There were also some impressive gift exchange gifts, many being homemade. Kristen created the image collage above and made it into a calendar, and now we all want copies. That is the scanned version so it doesn't look quite as good as hers. Her boyfriend, Peter, was hazed a little bit but I think he secretly liked it. Or maybe not so secretly...

Here is Auntie Fafa recreating the Will Forte & Peyton Manning skit from SNL. Such expression and energy!

I was really happy I could come to the party, what with being a walking time bomb and all. It was buttloads of fun and I love seeing all of you ladies. Feliz 2008 everybody!

Evil in training

2008-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am wrapping up the great scanning & archiving project of 2007. This is one of the photos that I came across today. I kind of wish I still had that shirt. And that lollipop!

Evilbebe is almost here...

2008-01-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

My blog negligence is astounding, no? In my defense I have been wrapping things up and am now officially on maternity leave. The shoes are off and the ice cream has escaped from the freezer. The nest is almost ready for Evilbebe to arrive. Here are a couple of pics of her evil lair. Its not completely done but if she arrives tomorrow I think she will find it an adequate place to being scheming and plotting.

Ps. The images below look faded for some unknown reason but if you click on them you can see bigger images and actual colors.

This sign was all rusty but Mr. Evil sanded for several hours and repainted to get it looking perfect. He is racking up so many good husband points lately. And what is his reward? Sleepless nights and living with hormone crazed banshee (that would be me).

These are Evilbebe's ugly little friends :-)

Our bags are packed and ready to go...

I made a couple of collages for her wall. Mark says owls are the new black.

Here I am ready to explode like Jiffy Pop. Lord have mercy!

You know you love being married to a geek...

2007-12-23T21:20:00.001-08:00

...when you get a Macbook Pro for Christmas!!! And its all set up and ready to go with the new OS :-)

You know you're married to a geek...

2007-12-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

...when he keeps you awake at night because he's trying to solve a Rubik's cube next to you in bed. True story, people.

NERD ALERT UPDATE: here is a triumphant Mr. Evil with the cube in question.

The belly is unstoppable

2007-11-25T21:41:00.000-08:00

Its getting huge, people. 32 weeks and still expanding. Thank you for taking portraits today, Kerstin!!

I want to eat your baby.

2007-11-19T00:46:00.000-08:00

My family threw me a fantastic baby shower last weekend. This is the cake, made painstakingly by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. I wish I had this kind of patience! My second cousin who is about 5 years old said, "I want to eat your baby". And so she did :-)

Today's Cool Find: Monkey Key Caps

2007-11-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today's cool find is the Monkey Key Cap, which you can buy here at the Bust Boobtique.

When Cat Sharks Attack

2007-10-31T14:01:00.001-07:00

My friend, Sandy, dressed her kitty like a shark for Halloween. He swam all over the house backwards hoping he could some how back out of the costume. Have you ever noticed that when you put a sweater on a cat they go stiff and fall over? Happy Halloween!

Barbizon Model(s) of the Week

2007-10-30T23:33:00.001-07:00

I took these shots of my teammates today at work.

Dear Team,

You guys are nerds. Don't forget to give me a good peer review for 07.

Love,
EvilKate

What do you think I should put in the middle square???

Halloween Dia de Los Muertos Shower

2007-10-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

What is more fitting than a Halloween baby shower for Evilbebe?? Mwahahahaha!

My favorite bunch of gals threw me a Halloween / Dia de Los Muertos shower this past weekend. It was THE best shower I have ever attended. Awesome food, fun games, everybody in costume! I ate so much decadent stuff that it made my feet swell up and I didn't even care! To top it all off, these ladies chipped in and bought us a stroller and carseat!! I am very spoiled and truly grateful to have such thoughtful friends. Thank you again, girls. Evilbebe can't wait to come out and be squeezed and tickled by all of you :-)

Pictured here from left to right: a hippie, a Dia de Los Muertos lady, a provocative blue fairy, Dorothy, Mother Nature (aka fat pregs lady), a Top Gun pilot, a cowgirl, Audrey Hepburn and Minnie Mouse.

This one's for Auntie FaFa...

2007-10-23T18:24:00.001-07:00

27+ weeks

2007-10-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

You saw her from the inside, now this is what she looks like from the outside. 27 weeks and still growing! I can't really complain though. I've been fortunate to have a very healthy and relatively comfortable pregnancy.

Mark noted today that I must have weekends off since I didn't blog over the weekend. Yup! Thats right! Those are new rules for the blog post-a-day challenge :-D

Evilbebe's First Photos

2007-10-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Today Mr. Evil and I had our 3D ultrasound appointment. I am happy to report that everything looks normal and is as it should be. 10 fingers, 10 toes, and she is most definitely a girl! She preferred to stay in a curled up position with hands & feet tucked in so we had a hard time getting good shots. I had to cough, turn on my side and poke her a bit to get her opened up. Then she'd yawn, stretch and curl right back up.

We learned a few things about our baby:

1. She is most definitely a thumb sucker. She had it in her mouth almost the whole time and even looked like she was trying to get her foot in her mouth at one point. This is going to be a hard habit to break! I won't tell you how old I was when I finally quit.

2. She has a dimple in her right cheek. We had a hard time seeing this but the ultrasound technician noticed it immediately.

3. She is head down and the placenta is in the posterior position. Which explains why I can feel every kick.

A rare moment without the thumb in the mouth:

Thumb in mouth:

Profile shot:

In a curled up position:

At the 11th hour...

2007-10-18T23:09:00.001-07:00

You thought I wasn't going to blog today. I waited until the last minute just to scare you :-)

I just want to thank the Bermans for my beautiful, functional, and highly coveted diaper bag. It's called The Mothership and I love love love it!

Mine.

2007-10-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

Tattoo City rain boots, you shall be mine.

U2 is obscene, says Mr. Evil

2007-10-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Mr. Evil sent this article to me and said, "U2 is obscene". They're going to build a gargantuan skyscraper that will be the focal point of downtown Dublin. One might say they're compensating...

Bono's U2 Tower to be Tallest in Ireland

At least the thing is going to have a solar panel on it.

In more important breaking news: Mark got new shoes today. Nice socks, sir.

Day 3 of the Challenge and still going strong!!

Two posts in one day!

2007-10-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Somebody stop me, I'm on a roll. You're totally going to become spoiled with all of this posting I'm doing. But I just HAD to call attention to this one. Kathy Griffin is dating Steve Wozniak??? Here's my favorite comment from somebody on Dlisted:

"it has been proven time and time and time and time and time over and over and over and over again that women love men with money. look at this dude's face. now tell me he wouldn't be single if he worked at walmart"

I'm not going to say anything. Except that he looks like an ewok. And I love Kathy Griffin. And she must really want an iphone.

You thought I would forget...

2007-10-15T15:55:00.001-07:00

Day 2 of the Blog-a-Day challenge and I'll bet you thought I would forget. Well I won this time. Ha!

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate my best friend, Mrs. Berman, on tying the knot a week ago. Can I just say - this wedding was so beautiful and so much fun! Everybody had a fantastic time and this marriage is going to last because Mr. Evil officiated the wedding (when he marries people they stay married). Doesn't her hair look awesome? And why does my head look like a pea on top of my ever expanding pregnant body? Ah Mother Nature, you are cruel...

These are the bridesmaids. Left to right: Brian (no i'm not gay) Hubbinger, the bride's sister, the bride, yours truly, and Sara the gorgeous (not to be mistaken for Angelina Jolie)

One-a-Day Challenge

2007-10-14T10:38:00.001-07:00

I'm soooooooo lazy. In response to several complaints that I don't post enough I'm issuing the "One-a-Day Challenge" to myself. I will post one blog post per day to show you that I care. I might even post more than once a day, you never know. Look at me getting all carried away on a Sunday morning :-)

Today's post is brought to you by Mike & Bridget's wedding. I shot their wedding a few weeks ago in Vacaville and I have a whole new respect for wedding photographers (hats off to you, Augie)! I ran into a couple of challenges, one major one being my equipement, and learned a great deal about shooting events. Being the photographer and the assistant are two very different things.

Here is my brother at the wedding with my new sister-in-law, Nicole. He was the best man...

Don'tcha?

2007-10-01T12:48:00.001-07:00

I know this doesn't make up for my recent blog negligence, but...

Happy Birthday Auntie F

2007-09-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to Auntie Fafa! Here are some pics from her bday brunch. Doesn't she look like Lisa Loeb?

Ye shall receive

2007-09-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

Mark complained that I don't blog enough. Hey everybody, here's a picture of Mark :-)

More babies!

2007-08-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

I promise to start taking photos of people over 2 feet tall. I swear I will! But first, here are a few recent shots I took of Jenelle's son, Jered. He is a healthy and happy baby at 3 months. What big blue eyes!

Sorry boys, she's gettin married!

2007-08-28T11:52:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I went to Chatsworth for Mrs. Berman's bridal shower. We had cupcakes from Sprinkles, there was a pinata and the bride got drunk. Can you say perfect party?

By the time the pinata exploded Mrs. B was all tuckered out.

Here come the bridesmaids. For the 100th time, Brian is NOT gay!

Try not to be jealous...

2007-08-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

...of my fantastic new cupcake carrier. My best friend, Mrs. Berman, gave it to me this weekend. Its not only the perfect color pink, it is extremely functional (holds 3 dozen cupcakes). I don't know how Mrs. Berman finds these things but she always has the hook up! Apparently she bought it from Jenna Fischer's sister -- Jenna plays Pam on The Office. Anyway, eat your heart out :-)

UPDATE: You can buy your very own Cupcake Courier here while supplies last!!

http://www.cupcakecourier.com

Purple & Pink

2007-08-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I did a maternity shoot with our friends Allison and John (and Cooper their charming and photogenic beagle). I Was curious to see how the pink backdrop would turn out and I like it more than I thought I would. Both colors complimented Allison's glowing complexion nicely. Can this girl take a bad photo?? I don't think its possible, folks! Allison, thank you again for being such a patient and willing model. You look absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to meet your baby in person and squeeze her (but not too hard, I promise). I had a lot of fun shooting you guys :-)

A bit dramatic I know but I heart photoshop...

Good husband

2007-08-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

What a good husband Mr. Evil is, to take maternity photos for me. I set up the lights etc. but he took the shots. This is our Evilspawn at 17 weeks. I also got some new backdrops and I'm loving this lavender color.

Auntie FaFa Exposed

2007-08-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

The infamous Auntie FaFa in her true form. If you're not familiar with her you can visit her blog here. She is a crafting, cooking, sewing tornado.

Pickles and Hearts

2007-07-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

Gracie was kind enough to let me practice some portrait photography on her and her perfect belly. I mean PERFECT. It is totally round and her skin is gorgeous. If only we could all look like this when pregnant!! I had a lot of fun taking these photos, not to mention meeting their funny, playful doggies. Thanks again, Gracie! You should be a model I swear.

Zeitgeist the Movie

2007-07-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

You may or may not agree with the facts presented and conclusions drawn in this documentary. It is extremely thought provoking and I think everybody should watch it. No matter what your personal/political stance, its good to at least consider some of these topics and be aware. Its starts out very slooooow and they begin by talking about religion, moving on later to politics and economics. But stick with it and I guarantee you'll be pulled in.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Up to my eyeballs in babies

2007-06-24T21:44:00.001-07:00

I've been hanging out with more babies than adults lately! My good friend, Eibleis, brought her 3 month old son over today. Isn't Ruadhan (pronounced Rowan) irresistably squeezable? I made him laugh today and I think this is because I'm his favorite aunt ;-) They're going to Alaska for a few months, and when he's back its 6 month photoshoot time with his favorite aunt. Have a safe trip, guys!

The littlest J

2007-06-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ok ok, I finally have something to blog about this week. Last night I finally met the newest J in the Nilluka family. Jered is just 3 weeks old and very sweet. Congratulations to Jeff, Jenelle and Jamis on making their family complete! You may remember Jenelle's pregnant belly from my earlier post. Here are a couple of shots that I took. And when I have more time this kid is going to get seriously familiar with my lens. Have I mentioned how much I love RAW images??

lazy lima bean

2007-06-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and I'm too lazy to come up with an original blog post. Plus I'm leaving the office at 1pm. So here's a pic of an adorable marmalade sheedee that I stole from Cute Overload.

I knew you'd like it.

Pip Pip Hooray!

2007-06-11T12:15:00.001-07:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of shooting my first female baby. I couldn't have asked for a more patient and mellow subject! Piper (aka Pip) was such a good girl for two whole hours. We met at the Yahoo! campus and shot both inside and outside. Thank you for letting me take pics of your little girl, Yuko! I had a wonderful time. You're so lucky to have such a sweet and happy baby. Here are some of my favorites:

Public Service Announcement

2007-06-08T16:36:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by Natalie Dee

The Real Me

2007-06-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Ooh looky, I'm a nerd sex symbol! Thanks Brian Gregus for using your awesome Photoshop skillz on me. There are many more in this collection hanging on the walls at Yahoo!. I even get to ride a motorcycle in one of them.

Barbizon Model of the Week

2007-05-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

Mark Mark Mark. Nobody ever gets tired of seeing Mark! Week after week he suprises and delights with new poses. He's my little shutter monkey :-)

Brady is growing up!

2007-05-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

This past Monday I spent some time shooting Mr. Brady. Isn't he the cutest midget you've ever seen in your life??? He was such a good boy and full of energy & curiosity. It was also a new learning experience for me, as I've never shot a toddler who can run around. I had to be super quick! A big thank you again to Shelly & Adam for letting me practice on their little guy. Prepare yourself for ultimate cuteness...

And the Winner Is...

2007-05-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Alright you guys, this was a *very* difficult decision. It took me all weekend to decide. Every submission was imaginative and made me laugh! The 2nd place prize goes to Zane for the following submission:

I'm like Jo-Jo, the idiot circus-girl with a pretty new pet. So i
stroke it, and i pet it, and i massage it. I love my little naughty
pet. You're naughty.

Zane, you are now the proud owner of the Swinger's Motel keychain by Eldorado Club!!

And the first place prize goes to Michelle for this caption:

"You used to like my scalp massages!"

Michelle, ye shall receive The Good Book! Perfect for those who like to drink at Mass(you know who you are).

I would like to thank everyone for their participation. Courtney and Dave, always a pleasure to read yours. And mom, nice touch with the King Kong reference. Please come back for the next Caption Contest!! There are more fun prizes in store :-)

Photo Caption Contest!!!

2007-05-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

Write a caption for this photo...
Are you guys feeling creative this week? Please send me your best photo captions for this picture! I will accept entries until 5pm on Friday, May 25th. After that I will choose the most clever submission and a runner up. The first place winner shall receive The Good Book:

Ahhh, the Good Book. Good for all of us pious individuals. So good, in fact, you'll open it up time and time again. So easy to find your God with this book. Perfect for church! Each 5 1/2 x 4 inch book contains one 4 oz hip flask that is recessed into gold leafed pages. The flask in curved to easily fit into your pocket.

The runner up shall receive this very cool Swinger's Motel keychain by Eldorado Club. The design and graphics are very vintage-motel inspired.... reminiscent of a time that is sleazy, sexy and unfortunately lost to the past.

HAPPY CAPTIONING! :-)

Barbizon Model of the Week

2007-05-15T21:42:00.000-07:00

What can I say? Mark is my muse. Just look at what he's willing to do for photography.

Girls Rock

2007-05-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

This week's cool find is Rock & Roll Camp for Girls. This camp is Portland based and founded by a non-profit org. Their mission is to "...encourage, engage and showcase the musical, artistic and individual talents of girls and young women ages 8-18, and to empower them with tools for self-reliance as a means to enhance and affirm positive self-esteem".

There are a lot of things to like about this. For one, they're teaching young girls to develop their skills - unlike so many influences that put emphasis on being pretty and thin at an early age. And I like listening to a bunch of crazy little girls on a sugar high confidently sing off-key. Reminds me a little bit of me as a kid :-)

Listen on MySpace
Make a Donation

Crazy Cake

2007-05-13T00:49:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen such a cake? It was neat looking AND delish. I took these pics at my future sister-in-law's bridal shower today. The food was great and we didn't have to play any shower games :-) Thanks, Nicole!

And the Winner is...

2007-05-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to everybody for participating in the first Photo Caption Contest! All of these submissions had me LOL'ing. It was an extremely tough call to pick just one! The winner of the first Photo Caption Contest is Jason Lane with:

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya, and this is my sister Gloria..You killed our father prepare to die.

I had to pull in a panel of judges because they were all excellent. Other strong contenders included Todd's submission, as well as the submissions by Courtney and Dave. Great job you guys! I have some witty friends.

Jason, you are the proud owner of a brand new Hello Kitty Waffle Maker!
This state-of-the-art waffle maker makes 4 different Hello Kitty-shaped waffles at once. It is stainless steel with a built in thermostat. It also has a stay cool decorative exterior with locking lid.

Stay tuned for the next Photo Caption Contest over the next couple of weeks, with more great prizes...

Contest: Name this Photo

2007-05-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the pics from this weekend's Cinco de Coco birthday celebration. Can you come up with a creative name? I will accept entries until 1pm on Tuesday 5/8. Afterwards I will choose the winner, and there is a mystery prize! Have fun :-)

A Very Vegas Wedding

2007-05-05T00:57:00.000-07:00

Mr. Evil and I just returned from a fantastic wedding in Las Vegas. Our good friends, Jasun & Christina, got hitched at the Tropicana Chapel. They were married by a singing Elvis and it was one of the best weddings I've ever attended!! We had a great time and I was able to get a lot of shots after the ceremony. The clouds suddenly moved in and covered the direct sun for about 30 minutes. We had great light and I was so happy! I know, I know, it doesn't take much.

Jasun and Christina, we wish you two all the best. You guys are perfect for eachother and I hope you have lots of fat babies :-) Thank you so much for letting me take all of those photos on your special day. I loved it! We're looking forward to seeing you soon. Here are some of the shots...

Photoshoot with Mister E

2007-04-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today Everett nearly destroyed me with his superhuman cuteness. I couldn't get over how good he was, and so cheerful & smiley the ENTIRE time! I was at their house for over 3 hours! I do think it really helps that his parents are such fun, laid back people. I had a great time today - who wouldn't with an irresistable and charming model like this?!?! Ashli & Brandon, thank you again for letting me shoot your kid :-)

Here are some of the pics from today. Warning: this blog post may contain some seriously pinchable leg rolls!!!

What's wrong with this picture?

2007-04-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the current Yahoo! home page. This page is the result of months, nay, years of careful research and testing.

And here is AOL's prospective home page design. It is still in beta. I guess if you can't afford the resources to come up with a good design, the next best strategy is to rip somebody else off. I'm embarrassed for them.

See what they have to say on Valleywag

Geeks Do It Better

2007-04-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

I married one. Geeks, nerds, technies, dweebs, whatever you want to call them, they make great partners. Here is a short list demonstrating why I love Geeks:

1. Our house is networked and we have 1.5 terabytes of storage. What does that mean for me? Infinite storage space for shooting and storing photos to my heart's content. Mwahahaha.

2. Mr. Evil studied Mechanical Engineering. He had a total of 2 females in his classes while we were in college (one of them looked like Walter Matthau). By default I was the cutest girl on the planet. Well, his planet.

3. I wiped my memory card last week and lost my mind, running around the house cussing, threatening hari kari. Mr. Evil sauntered in and calmly recovered the missing docs with one hand, lime popsicle in the other. He then retired to his nerd lair for a long session of W.O.W. (if you know what that is then you're a geek too).

4. Geeks appreciate good design and engineering. We invested in a Dyson, the world's most amazing vacume cleaner, which never loses suction. Mr. Evil *actually* seems to enjoy vacuming the house with it! Hands off ladies, I'm keeping this one.

5. Physics, Chemistry, Calculus, blah blah blah. I hated these classes and therefore retained nothing. Sorry mom, its true. If you ask me, everything happens by magic or tiny elf wizards. Mr. Evil is a walking encyclopedia of scientific information. With all of that info on demand from his head I am freed up to absorb superficial garbage. Perez Hilton and Cute Overload come to mind.

6. Science Fiction: adventures in. I probably never would have given Battlestar Gallactica or Firefly a chance otherwise. I am pleasantly suprised to find the acting decent and the plots well thought out. There I said it. Are you satisfied now, husband? Frack.

7. Geeks dont' necessarily look like geeks. Remember your mom telling you that the quiet, studious boys in high school would some day be cute and successful? It's true!!! Now they're good looking AND they have well developed personalities. Shhhhh, don't go telling everybody.

8. The latest gadgets and electronic baubles. I am up to my ears in all the technology a girl could ever want. I even have a new pink Nano that says EvilKate on the back. Le sigh.

9. Geeks attract other geeks. Mr. Evil has a large circle of friends with varied nerdly pursuits. By combining their awesome abilities they could probably hijack North America. Or at least Canada. Ipso facto, I become Queen of Canada.

10 Geeks are efficient and often perfectionists. They will always find the *best* way to do something. This includes driving places, assembling furniture, and most important of all, kissing.

For the record Mr. Evil prefers the term "Well Adjusted Technical Professional" instead of Geek.

While we're on the subject...
How to be the type of nerd that girls love
10 Reasons Why Geeks Make Better Lovers

Barbizon Model(s) of the Week

2007-04-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

Too cute for Hell

2007-04-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

I finally received my Purple Felony from KidRobot! His name is Skumbo and he is my little vinyl friend. I actually know somebody who fits this exact description...

"Satan's evil pet elephant! Dont be surprised if you see him painting your walls, eating your candy and stealing your car! Way too cute to be really evil, Skumbo left the fiery depths of hell to pursue a simpler life of booze, sleep, and well, more booze. These days he's roaming the earth, getting into adventures and living up to his reputation for being too cute for hell and too drunk for heaven!".

Friday Foto Day

2007-04-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Today I attended a digital photography workshop put on by Augie Chang, which was really fun. Brushed up on stuff I'd learned but forgotten and learned a lot of new skills. He was great about sharing his tricks with us. In the afternoon we went out and shot in downtown Pleasanton then came back and had a critique. Each of us chose a theme - mine was round objects: I highly recommend his workshop because its great for shooters of all levels. Auge is good at explaining things and does so in a straightforward manner. A day well spent!Ham.

I just like this photo

2007-04-19T12:33:00.001-07:00

I think its the colors.

Barbizon Model of the Week

2007-04-17T22:57:00.000-07:00

Its none other than Ms. Gallagher and her lovely shamrocks.

Evilkitty poses

2007-04-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

All I had to do was set the stage and wait...There is a world of evil and mischief behind those dragon eyes.

I shot my husband. Get it? Haha.

2007-04-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

Today I bought myself some studio equipment. And of course I had to take some shots right away, what with all of these new toys. The only person available to be my subject was a reluctant Mr. Evil. I had to pull him away from World of Warcraft and other assorted geek activites. In the end I think he realized that if he didn't struggle it would be over faster.

Doesn't he look thrilled to be here?
Uh oh, payback for the cat on the head thing...
Mr. Sarcasm
I think he's done playing photo studio.

Waiting for Baby J

2007-04-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

I finally uploaded pics from a recent photoshoot with my good friend, Jenelle. She is due May 30th and expecting her second boy, Jered. I had such a blast taking these photos! Jenelle, you are a such a great model. You knew how to pose...I just took took the pictures. You look radiant :-)

Yuri's Night 2007

2007-04-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last night Mr. Evil took me to Yuri's Night 07: World Space Party, which was held inside a hanger at the NASA Ames Research Facility in Mountain View. Think science fair meets Burning Man. Yuri Gagarin was the first human to go into space on April 12th, 1961. Yesterday there were 126+ parties in 35 countries taking place simultaneously, in celebration of "the power and beauty of space and what it means for each of us".

I really wished that I had my camera last night -- the people watching was excellent. It was a like a big rave happening inside of the Exploratorium. There were science projects and vendors selling food and rave gear. There were people riding bikes with big light trees attached to them (words fail me here). People on stilts, artists painting up on stages, and everybody had some kind of blinking or glow in the dark accessory. There was even a big clear plastic buddha sculpture with multicolor lights inside of it. On the main stage we saw Plaid perform, which kicked off with video footage of the first US shuttle launch (saw one raver crying, overcome with emotion and Ecstasy). Space Cowboy was also there with their crazy DJ truck.

Mr. Evil said he went there to see Plaid perform. But I think he really just wanted to talk to the science guys :-)

Spreading cheer and happiness

2007-04-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is one of those times when my mom would say in a suprised voice, "You've never heard of the Doomsday Clock???". Sorry Susan, I have not. Oh sure I spend a lot of time reading PerezHilton and DListed instead of noteworthy publications. However, in my defense, the Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 by a bunch of Atomic Scientists. And my mom was a kid during the Duck-and-Cover Bay of Pigs era. Anyway...

We are swiftly approaching our doom, peops. The clock is currently at 5 minutes to midnight. The number of minutes before midnight, a measure of the degree of nuclear, environmental, and technological threats, is updated periodically. The clock is currently set to five minutes to midnight, having been advanced by two minutes on January 17, 2007. Yeehaw! Other times humanity was flirting with certain peril:

1949 -Soviet Union tests it's first A-bomb. Clock was at 3 minutes to midnight.

1981 - Arms race escalates, conflicts in Afghanistan, South Africa, and Poland.
Clock was at four minutes to midnight.

More interesting nuggets. Linkin Park's third studio album is named "Minutes to Midnight", a reference to the Doomsday Clock, although Mike Shinoda said it is not a completely literal title. Also, The eighth episode of the series Heroes is titled "Seven Minutes to Midnight", which was the time on the clock at the release of the episode. Also, the villain Sylar wears a watch that stopped at seven minutes to midnight. The series was filmed and began to air prior to the 2007 adjustment of the Doomsday clock, which until then did indeed read seven minutes to midnight (Wiki).

"The fate of the planet is in the hands of a bunch of retards I wouldn't trust with a potato gun." (General Kimsey, Armageddon, 1998)

Ghost Ride the Whip

2007-04-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ghost Riding the Whip: Today's Cultural Anthropology Lesson

Also known as "ghostin", it is when a person puts the car in neutral or allows it to idle and then the passengers of exit while it is still rolling and dance beside it or on the hood or roof. And I love this: Ghost riding is also known as "going Patrick Swayze," or just "going Swayze," referring to Patrick Swayze's lead role in the movie Ghost (Wiki).

The phrase "Ghost ride the whip" was made popular by rapper, E-40. Although I could swear the act itself was first made popular by Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf. But what do I know? The stunt is a common practice among members of the Hyphy community. Hyphy (pronounced HI-fee) is a style of music and dance associated with the Bay Area hip hop culture.

Now you can say you learned something today.

Barbizon Model of the Week

2007-04-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

In Brian's own words:
"So I have this idea for a great movie. Its about two gnomes who find a bracelet of power and they have to take it to the burning steps and cast it into the cauldren. They form the Brotherhood of the Bracelet..."

I'm saving it

2007-04-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen such a prosh Save-The-Date card? I just received this from my BF. I had to scan it in on my lame scanner, hence the image quality. Thats right, I'm the Maid of Honor :-)

Courtney and I worked together at the local fruit stand every summer during our "formative years". We braved dirt and goats and crazy people at the fruit stand six summers in a row. Nothing brings people closer than goats and dirt. Trust me. Being forced to wear a chicken suit in August also builds relationships based on shared humiliation. But thats a blog entry for another time...

Thank you, Easter Bunny

2007-04-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Good Easter yesterday with the fam. Traditional egg hunt, sangria, lots of chocolate and all-terrain vehicles (don't ask). Here are a few of my snapshots...

Bringin Burlesque Back

2007-04-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

Isn't she fierce? The self-named Miss Dirty Martini is an international burlesque sensation. Apparently there is a burlesque revival happening as we speak. This reincarnation has been coined Neo-Burlesque and is more about the teasing than the stripping. There are a quite a few dancers out there. Who knew? The Pontani Sisters are also fabulous.

Kitty Coutour

2007-04-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

In response to the previous post somebody sent me to Miss Glamour Puss. Holy moly, there is a whole website dedicated to cat costumery. This is really amazing to me. If I tried to put a sweater on my cat she would rip my face off in 2 seconds.

Doggy Warhol

2007-04-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

This week's cool find is Noisy Dog Studio. Leigh Jackson, a dog lover and artist, will create an original painting of your dog for a fee. The paintings are acrylic on wrapped canvas and start at $175 for an 8x8. All she needs is a clear photograph of your boo boo bear (yes, I said boo boo bear). Some of you that know me are probably wondering why I would feature dog portraits when I am a borderline crazy cat lady. Well I like Leigh Jackson's style. ArtPaw.com also has interesting custom pet portraits but your photo is actually adhered to the canvas and then they paint over the top (see below). And then there is Jessica from Maxine&Sophie.com who paints pet portraits in more loose, modern style. And her work starts at $150 for an 8x10 acrylic on canvas.I'll stop here because I'm beginning to sound like an eccentric pet freak. Plus my cat just told me that she wants to do the NY Times crossword together. Of course I know cats don't talk, sillypants. She told me with mind waves...

Make Photos Not War

2007-04-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

I am so used to pointing my camera at others that I forget what its like to be the subject. Today I had the pleasure of working with Augie Chang, a very talented wedding and portrait photographer. We started out at his studio and then walked around downtown Walnut Creek. You didn't think there was graffiti in Walnut Creek, did you? Augie has a great eye for interesting backdrops and puts his clients at ease. I was having such a good time that I didn't realize that he shot over 300 images! I have assisted him at several weddings and know firsthand that he is passionate about capturing moments. Thanks for the fun day, Augie!

Naughty and Crafty

2007-04-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

For all of you wicked women trapped in the body of a 1950's housewife there is Subversive Cross Stitch. Get your anger out and make a nice keepsake for Aunt Pearl at the same time :-)

Barbizon Model of the Week

2007-04-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

In Joseph's own words:
"I was born in 1985 but I'm a renaissance man. I loves me the older women. The older the better. Cougars, if you want to have fun then look me up."

Eddie Darling

2007-04-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

"Sweetie, darling!" You may not know her as Jennifer Saunders because to most people she is Eddie (Edina Monsoon) from Absolutely Fabulous. She was interviewed in the latest issue of BUST and is a very likeable lady. Some facts:

She and Dawn French are the co-creators of AbFab and they disliked eachother intensly when they first met.

Jennifer has been big on the British Comedy scene since the late 70's early 80's.

She did the voice-over for the Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2.

She is the recipient of both a Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award and British Comedy Award.

She has three daughters and lives on a farm in Devon, England.

Oh yeah, and if I haven't said it before, I highly recommend BUST magazine.

Happy Birthday, Mom

2007-03-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's birthday and she looks fantastic!

Why I come to work every day

2007-03-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

I schlep out of bed and drag my buns into work 5 days a week. Its crazy happenings like this that make me come back for more. Watch your office supplies when Sartoris is on a bender.

You had me at Airwolf

2007-03-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

I was in love with Stringfellow Hawk. Seriously. Absolutely crushed out over the rogue pilot with the steely eyes. What was I, like 7 years old or something?? That is a pretty respectable crush when you consider my peers were head-over-heels for Kirk Cameron. Did you know that his salary for his work on Airwolf was the highest paid of any actor in American television, at the time? They couldn't have paid him enough, in my opinion! Face from the A-Team was also my boyfriend, but thats a blog post for another time...

If you aren't familiar with Airwolf then you better educate yourself!

The series's protagonist is Stringfellow Hawke (played by Jan-Michael Vincent), a loner who lives in a cabin in the mountains. Hawke is a recluse, spending most of his time alone with his priceless painting collection, and playing his cello. Hawke was one of Airwolf's original test pilots. He is called upon by Michael Coldsmith Briggs III (cryptonym: Archangel) of the mysterious 'Firm', a covert branch of the Central Intelligence Agency that built Airwolf, to steal it back from its twisted creator, Dr. Charles Henry Moffet, who has taken Airwolf to Libya. Hawke, with Santini, finds the aircraft, but does not return it. Instead, he hides it and occasionally flies it to carry out undercover missions for Uncle Sam, in exchange for assistance from The FIRM in locating his lost brother, St. John (pronounced "Sin-jin") Hawke, missing in action since the Vietnam War.

All Your Glitter Limes Are Belong to Me

2007-03-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

Glitter Limes are sweeping the nation. What the smurf is a glitter lime, you ask? It is a decorative fruit slice that has been preserved and made sparkly. You can wear it as a pin, a necklace, or in your hair. The glitter star fruit is also quite chic.

Say No to Scurvy

Tag your bag!

2007-03-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today's cool find = luggage tags from Honorable Mention. They have 47 different styles with your favorite 80's movie stars and pop singers on them. Your vital information goes on the back. Six bucks, people!!
My favorites include Poison, Huey Lewis & the News and Whitney Houston. Heck, they even have Olivia Newton John (eat your heart out, Jenelle!). What are the chances somebody else at Baggage Claim will have the Lionel Richie luggage tag?

See all of the luggage tags!

pStyle

2007-03-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for this? Somebody has invented a way for ladies to, how do I say this, relieve themselves standing up. Its called the pStyle and it is made in Italy. Perfect for backpacking, traveling in Europe, concerts, etc. Doesn't it look like a shoe horn? The pStyle comes in 6 lovely colors and retails for $12. I know what I'm getting people for Christmas this year!!
Get your pStyle today

Sherry Baby

2007-03-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

Wow! I watched Sherry Baby tonight and was blown away by Maggie Gyllenhaal's let-it-all-hang-out performance. She is RAW. This execution was completely deserving of a Golden Globe but I know the competition was tough this year (Volver, The Queen, etc). I can't wait to see what Maggie does next...

Mr. Evil

2007-03-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

He is the Ying to my Yang. The Jimmy Fallon to my Tina Fey. The Gaius to my Six. The Jim Halpert to my Pam Beasley. The Quentin to my Uma. You get the idea.

Barbizon Model of the Week

2007-03-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

A few people have asked what the Barbizon is all about. Those of you who grew up in the 80's may recall their cheeseball, low-budget commercials. Looks like their marketing got a little bit better but they are and will always be ridiculous. The models I find are far superior to theirs anyway :-)

Love, Honor, and....Obey??

2007-03-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

My best friend is getting married this year and I have the priviledge of being her Maid, ahem, Matron of Honor. Yesterday we went to try on the dresses. There was something very retro Madonna about her when she was outfitted in the veil, dress, etc. Sean Penn was the only thing missing. Thank you thank you for not having a train, Court!

Bouncing Baby Boy

2007-03-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my good friends, Eibleis and Carlos. They gave birth to an adorable baby boy yesterday, named Ruadhan (gaelic spelling and is pronounced Rowan). He was 8lbs and 7oz. It was cool that they didn't know the baby's gender ahead of time. I knew it was a boy :-)
More photos of the hot mommy

Cat Head says TGIF

2007-03-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Thursday

2007-03-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

I work with mental patients.

Gem Sweaters Come Together

2007-03-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hear ye! Hear ye! Leslie Hall (aka Keeper of the Gems) will be performing Monday night at the Hemlock in San Francisco. The show starts at 7pm and tickets are $10 at the door. Wear your gem sweaters, everyone! She is opening for Fierce Perm.

Visit Leslie's page to see a behind the scenes interview:

http://www.leslieandthelys.com/

Barbizon Model of the Week

2007-03-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

In Mark's own words:
"Good Lawd! I'm hot!"

Satan's Bra

2007-03-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

IT HAS ARRIVED!!! I finally received my beautifully evil Devil Bra from Mode Merr today. Three reasons to love it:
1. Nobody will expect you to be nice while wearing Devil Bra.
2. Devil Bra allows you to channel your inner imp.
3. Devil Bra separates the brave men from the faint of heart.