Paris in A Cup

Last week the girls had their annual tea party @ Paris in a Cup.

What's nice about this place is you can order a la carte.

Ladies who lunch: Mom, Tane Leen & Tante Friedl.

Mouthwatering chocolates greet you at the entrance.

Mom & me - it's like we're in Paris!

Fine dining at its best with Mom & Lisa. Christian Lacroix Evian pour moi?

The chic wall decor gave us inspirations for our own homes.

I always like to take a wacky picture. That's me on the right!

The femme fatales Denise, Jen and me.

I've never been to Paris, but you can sure bet I am saving up for a trip!

Until then, I'll get in the Parisian spirit by listening to:

1. Sympathique--Pink Martini from Sympathique

2. Voulez Vouz?--Arling & Cameron from All-in

3. Obsolete--M.C. Solaar from Prose Combat

4. Le temps perdu--Carla Bruni from Comme si de rien n'était

5. Ca plane pour moi--Plastic Bertrand from Ca Plane Pour Moi *this is the extra track. It sounds like a French Beach Boys song

6. Dansez-Vous--Pink Martini from Hang on Little Tomato

7. Quelqu’un M’a Dit--Carla Bruni from Quelqu’un M’a Dit

8. I Love Paris--Les Negresses Vertes from Red, Hot + Blue

9. Mon vieux Lucien--Jill Argot from Words of Love

10. Le chant des coquelicots--Amelie-les-crayons from Le chant des coquelicots

11. Temps Mort--MC Solaar from Prose Combat

12. Autrefois--Pink Martini from Hang on Little Tomato

13. Foux du Fafa--Flight of the Conchords from Flight of the Conchords

14. Je cherche un homme (I Want a Man)--Eartha Kitt from Something's Gotta Give soundtrack

15. Au Revoir--Flight of the Conchords from Flight of the Conchords

Music Monday--Pink Martini

One of our favorite bands, Pink Martini, performing "Hey Eugene" on Letterman last year



If you haven't figure it out by now, Alex also sings this song too. He pretty much sings all the Music Monday songs.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY

With LOVE Always, Armilyn & Alexander

Birthday Highlights from Thanksgiving (Thursday - Saturday):

Thanksgiving at Mom & Dad Nix's house.

The family playing Apples to Apples game - Oom Sam won!

The morning of David's Birthday, we walked at Shipley's Nature Center.

Alex fascinated by the remote control cars going 60 mph.

A dirt track sits right outside the nature center where people race their hot wheels.

Our little soiree for David. Great tapas style eating. 

Kyrin performed a little guitar solo for David.

Sweet P getting sleepy from our party - apparently not enough action for her.

Our dear friend Miki with Paloma - she's such a natural mommy.

My Chicks Clique girlie Laura came for a visit.

Uncle Moses in town for the Holidays.

The boys in the family: Moses, Fernando and David. 

Our yearly tradition of visiting Santa @ Rogers' Garden.

Alex checking out the topiaries and train.

Mr. Nix posing by the poinsettias at the age 37.

Miki looking chic like she just stepped out of the Chalet.

T-kay is up to something behind those green specs.

Kyrin & Maia in line to see Mr. Clause.

A toast to my husband and to Miki & T-kay for introducing me to him!

The Gang being silly as usual. Happy Birthday David!

Face Formers face painting

I have just begun working with my friend Brenda's company Face Formers. I love it so much. All those art lessons and color theory classes I took years ago are now paying off. It's much like painting on canvas. David designed the logo for Face Formers and the hummingbird is a sample of one of my first best designs.

Brenda is the genius behind this company. This is her at work at her son Zion's birthday back in August 2009.

I especially love Brenda's butterflies and it's probably the most requested by girls.

Brenda's older son Tyce came up with the business idea as well as the name of the company - an entrepreneur in the making.

This was taken during a practice session at our place.

Here is my frog design. We were practicing paintings that boys would like.

Fellow face painter Julie rocks the butterfly wings. More pictures to follow soon. 

Mr. Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving to all our family and friends!

Thanksgiving 1978

I have heard the audio from this story many times, but never seen the video until today. A classic Charles Kuralt report on the Chandler Family's Thanksgiving from the CBS Evening News in 1978.



Last Thanksgiving, CBS checked back in with the family to see how they are doing. Just fine it seems:


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Music Monday--Melody Gardot

One of my favorite new artists is the singer Melody Gardot. She has a beautiful voice that in time will put her up there with the great jazz vocalists. A victim of a hit-and-run accident a few years ago, she needs a cane and requires those dark glasses due to light sensitivity, but as you can see, that hasn't stopped her from making great music.

"Baby I'm A Fool" live on some Scandanavian tv:


and a bonus, her version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Music Monday--Joss Stone

Joss Stone and Common "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now"



Alex sings this one too.

Music Monday--Ray LaMontagne

Heard this one on a podcast by a couple that selected it as their first dance at their wedding. I immediately bought it and burned it as part of our 10th anniversary cd that I gave to Armilyn (last week's "Love That Girl" was right after this song)

"You Are The Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne. When I told her it was a white guy singing, she couldn't believe it. Yes, Alex has started singing this song too.

Fullerton Flora

After our smashing good time at the pumpkin launch, we walked across the CSU Fullerton parking lot to the Fullerton Arboretum.

GQ Project Upgrade

Almost every month in GQ, they have a column called Project Upgrade, where they pull an average guy off the streets of New York and give him a makeover.

This one happened a few months back, but it was my favorite as I couldn't believe the Before picture of the guy in his wide load khakis. "Pear shaped" is not a term usually given to men, especially guys under 30.

I miss him

Never thought I'd say that



post by David

Planting Seeds

After a 7 year hiatus, my Fashion Cards are back in production and will be sold at THE SEED @ The Camp in Costa Mesa. Wish me luck as I am trying to get other retailers to stock and sell my cards. A special thanks to Brenda, Miki and especially David who encourages me to do my art - this labor of love always pays off.

School's Cool

My creative class assignments for Visual Display and Specialty Merchandise class.


Window display group project. It's hard to see but the globe in the back is different shades of denim shaped into the earth - the continents are Trader Joe's brown paper bags.


Those wooden stumps are mine. I went dumpster diving when they cut down the trees in our neighborhood. I use them for the patio to display my plants (yes they are still alive).

Sorry there is a glare - this was the best photo I could take of the whole window.

The pictures below are shadow boxes - these are actually miniature scene scapes made by students in my class. Here are my favorites:

My New York flat with the view of the Hudson.

My Parisian boudoir on the Champs Elysees.

My zen studio in San Francisco's China Town.

My modern Miami penthouse.

My Texan ranch bedroom.

My ski chalet in Switzerland.

This is the one I created - it's my LA bar lounge.