I just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that our move to Oregon went smoothly, and we are currently lounging around the new apartment amidst a mess of boxes and bags. The first thing we did after unloading the truck last night was make sure the free wifi in our building was good enough to play WoW ;)

Things are coming together nicely, and even I’m starting to feel shocked by how little we really have (glass bottles and vases aside!). Once we get fully settled I’ll take some more photos around the apartment.

Felix got a little freaked out by the whole experience (8 hours in a car isn’t good for anyone, let alone a cat!) and spent the evening curled up under his cat bed. He’s back to his normal self now, soliciting for treats and being glued to the window sill.

Also, I started another 365 project! It’s my goal to not be lazy about it, and I’ll try to make a post with each week/month’s summary here. You can still view the images from my first 365 that spanned December 2007-08 on Flickr.

Thanks to all the friends and family that helped us with our move, whether it was by literally being here, giving us thoughtful housewarming gifts or just offering help / well wishes.

I am in l-o-v-e with these vases and cups from White Forest Pottery. They’re exactly what I have in mind when I envision the sort of accents and small touches that would be hanging around my dream home. I mean, how cute is that spoon that comes with the cream/sugar set?

Unfortunately, these small touches come at a big price. Thankfully, dreaming is free.

(via Cindy Loughridge)

I told you I was addicted to fried eggs! Chris and I demolished a whole carton in under a week. And, while I’d love to eat eggs forever, I really can’t justify buying anymore for two reasons: 1) We move in two days and 2) I’m not exactly the waif I used to be (a fact that’s been exacerbated thanks to old high school friends and their darn photo tagging!).

The other week I discovered gelato, though, which is especially wonderful if you’re a savor-er like me and not a devour-er (like Chris! hehe). Maybe it’s because it was served with such a tiny spoon, but it felt like it lasted so long!

I have to admit I didn’t really know a lot about gelato, so since I’m sort of skimping out on this Friday’s food post, here’s some fun facts about the dessert that’s taking America by storm (I’ve always wanted to say that!):

The plural of gelato is gelati. (So cute!)
Gelato usually contains between 4% to 8% butterfat. American ice cream contains between 10% to 18%.
When ice cream is made, air is added to increase the quantity. Gelato does not add air, resulting in a creamier taste.
Unlike many types of ice cream, gelato often does not contain eggs.
Despite what some infer from the name, gelato does NOT use gelatin as an ingredient.
In Italian, “gelato” literally means “frozen.”
Gelato is served between 10 to 15 degrees warmer than ice cream, allowing for a better taste (I always thought ice cream was too cold to enjoy without a glass of room temp water by my side!).

(via Gelato Italia Inc. and Wikipedia, of course!)

On an unrelated note, there’s been a couple updates to the blog. Last night I got restless and changed the layout to something even more simplified. Sometimes when I get these urges I chuckle at myself, because page design seems so insignificant in the face of RSS feeds.

I also got out the external hard drives and dug up copies of photos that had gone missing on some posts, so now you can see them (if you’re curious, it was these three posts).

Earlier this year my mom did what every artist dreads, but must eventually do: sort through old portfolios and sketchbooks. She tossed what she hated and kept what she liked or could be re-used. Some of the stuff she scanned and put on Flickr, where I immediately demanded that she hand them over to me.

Having an artist for a mother is the best thing in the world– I’m never at a loss for things to put in frames and hang on my wall. Not only are these charcoal sketches beautiful (a word you’d rarely use to describe my mother’s art, hehe!) but the top right one is our old family cat, Mr. Gomez.

And Felix proved that he can’t be trusted around a portfolio.

I also finally got to see these charcoal-gesso paintings my mom’s been doing of my 365 self-portraits. Never in my life did I think they were THIS huge. Sorry for the unflattering shot, Mom! :)