Actually... One more quick crafting update from the last month before I leave.

3d cutout diarama wip

And here's my favorite outfit from the past two weeks. A dash of Tuscany to brighten up my winter blues. Pieces bought from Florence... with colors clearly meant to flatter Mediterranean skin. I matched the flow of the dress with the flow of the off-cream pashmina and covered the flow with a loosely fitted spring jacket to give structure.

There was a different day where a woman complemented me while I was drawing in the west end and told me that she adored my outfit because it was just all class and asked me where my skirt was from. I told her it was from Esprit and she looked disappointed by the answer but told me I wore the skirt well. The truth is.... you never have to shop expensive to get the same looks. You just have to find things that fit.

I was just thrilled with this encounter because it means I finally matured into all my old clothes. And it's just as well because I have not shopped in almost a year.

I have some secret plans to work with power tools and welding-- (What else are friends with studios for, amirite?)

Christmas stash

Despite being January, the leftover presents of friends & family continue to roll in-- but no complaints in from this girl, whose idea of a good time is christmas all year long. I thought I'd take the time to share some of the beautiful things I received because they are just too awesome to keep to myself.

Two friends decided to add to my always growing collection of teas and I never get sick of it.

An elegant pair of crystal earrings. With the right evening gown, I'm ready for my own breakfast at tiffanys.

A handcrafted 'condominium chicken'. Everything down to the textile and the pattern was completely original and sewn by hand.

And my absolute favorite. A handsewn chalk bag made from the empty innards of a cute dollar store bunny rabbit.

A closer look:

Adorable plaid lining and silkscreened leather for straps. I'll be wearing this to the gym with pride on Monday.

Old Bluenotes purse reconstruction.

Regular chalk bags from outdoor equipment stores are heavy and unattractive.

I needed something lighter that wouldn't throw my overly-sensitive sense of balance over.

I took a small canvas purse similar to this one and started cutting every which way. I re-sewed the straps along the top and kept the side pockets for decorative purposes.

And voila

Quick and dirty chalk bag

Chris Sharma really says it best. Climbing is a really creative and artistic thing as well as being an athletic sport. It's about finding beautiful things in nature and interacting with them.

But there`s more to it. Other sports have made-up rules, point systems, limitations. Climbing is simpler. It's not so much a sport as just our natural instincts to explore, and conquer biological and geographical boundaries. And break rules-- not even the flimsy societally enforced kind. Mountains were nature's very first people-proof gates.

And still for some reason, people find it hard to believe that rock climbing is creative. But creativity is paramount to success. You have you, (sometimes) a rope, a starting point (down here) and a finishing point (up there). Everything else is open ended, most circumstances are working against you. Now go.

A sport that's as equally mental as it is physical, creative, and rebellious.

My personal mentality around climbing stems from never being okay with being told what I can and cannot do. In this case, existing on an x-axis. I get a physical thrill every time I leave the ground with gravity pulling at my ankles. And then deeper underneath that, I get a mental thrill from knowing that I am doing what I'm not supposed to be doing.

These guys take that to the very next level. This weekend, I learned about a subsection of climbing called Base Jumping. Switch this movie to HD, turn it up full screen, and just be blown away by the freedom... and pure insanity.

This is the story of one (1) starfish's exploration of the world.

The title references an analogy (from an old boyfriend) about my inability to stay interested to anyone or anything for a prolonged period of time. I would catch onto rocks (hobbies, people, places) that would hold me in place, but only as long as the waves don't wash me away to the next.

So this blog will be pretty eclectic. Sometimes it might be about rock climbing, sustainable living, or illustration; film, music, or travel. Other times, it might be about about people I encounter, or even possibly about the people they encounter. Sometimes I might write about tidbits about odd jobs or new age spiritualism. It may even be about none of these things, the waves can so unpredictable, you understand?