bad phone photo of beautiful oakland

i took this photo while walking around lake merritt a while back. it just showcases how amazingly beautiful oakland's weather is almost all the time! i love that i live so close to the lake...even if it does smell like geese.

Manhattan

I just got back from a family vacation to New York City! My aunt was getting married, so we all flew out to attend the wedding and to do lots of touristy things, of course. We stayed at my new uncle's apartment in the Upper East Side that had a roof top garden and a balcony...a rarity in Manhattan, I guess. 

My main goals were to eat, shop, and see I love lucy's apartment (which doesn't actually exist I found out!) I had super great fish and chips at A Salt and Fish Battery in Greenwich Village, which my sister suggested. There were real British guys working there, too!! We went to Serendipity for frozen hot chocolate on our last day and I think I want to paint my apartment pink and grey because of it! We ate real New York bagels (sorry NYC, but I didn't taste that much of a difference.) I had a slice of pizza at the Museum of Natural History and accidentally covered it in garlic thinking it was parmesan, so I don't think I really got a good pizza experience. I didn't ever get a chance to eat at the street vendors, either. So I am definitely planning on going back! 

As far as shopping goes, I went to Canal St. and looked at fake stuff, I went to 5th Ave. and looked at real stuff, and that's about it...except for the occasional H&M visit, which was a lot

 because they are on every corner it seems. I bought an awesome Pale Force poster on clearance at the NBC store! I was really excited about it because I love Conan. 

The humidity made me miss my perfect Oakland weather! It rained almost every evening at 6pm sharp! I would love to go back in the fall or spring....or maybe even winter!! real snow!!

Anyway, now I feel like I am rambling a little...so here are some pictures!!......

me at the wedding in my super cute vintage dress i got at the alameda flea market back home

view of the hudson river from the empire state building

those super great fish n' chips i was telling you about

walking around madison square park

how american!

you can see more pictures on my flickr

Random CCA Exhibit

A few weeks ago I was asked to take part in a hurriedly thrown together exhibit at CCA featuring Obama's mother's Indonesian textile collection. I guess that she collected traditional Indonesian batiks while she lived there and now that Obama is president, the Indonesian consulate decided to send them off on a tour across the country! Since all the San Francisco museums were booked for the summer, CCA was asked to show them along with some student work. 

huipil : i wove with cotton and brocaded with cotton and raw silk

my prints : block printed, stenciled, resisted, dyed, and discharged in 2 colorways

tutu : made with 36 yds of tulle, 4yds of silk organza that i used various shibori techniques on...i was a little disappointed with the camisole that was put on the dress form, and i think the tutu looks much better in person.

weaving : warp is linen ikat dyed with procion on top and tumeric and cochineal on bottom...weft is acrylic on top and wool that i spun on bottom

sewing

i finally finished my dress today yay! 

i started out with this pattern...

...and then changed the top a bit. i bought this beautiful ikat fabric from piedmont fabrics a few months ago...

the academy of sciences

i recently took a trip across the bay to visit the super-cool academy of sciences in golden gate park! 

my best friend christina, otherwise known as the christ. she works as a platinum tour guide! fancy!

twins

upside down jellies

these guys

for more pictures, visit my flickr page