Idle hands

I've been busy making some kitchen linens with this cute piece of fabric I found at Beverly's...
...a placemat and pot holders...

...jazzy snuck into this one...

...my mosaic plant stand (finally sealed!) and some newly potted pansies...

Travellin' traveler

Part of my new job at NWP is traveling to events all across the country. Here's a sample of where I'll be going in the next 8 months or so:

Washington DC
Philadelphia
Denver
Red Lodge, Montana
Denver (again!)
San Antonio

In addition, Jenny and I are planning a reunion trip to the Southwest - hiking the narrows in Zion National Park, a trip to Bryce Canyon, and possibly Death Valley (if it's not too hot) I'm also planning a few camping trips this spring - anyone interested in going to Half Moon Bay and/or Napa, let me know!!

Las Vegas

I just spent the past weekend relaxing in Las Vegas. No, I didn't go down to the strip, and didn't even put a quarter in the slot machines! I went to Vegas to visit my grandparents in celebration of my grandmothers birthday. It was quite a relaxing weekend - visiting, eating good food, playing ping pong at the rec center (hahaha) and driving up to Red Rock Canyon. It's incredibly beautiful up there, and if you're ever in Vegas and need a break from drinking, it's definately a nice road trip. While I was up there, surrounded by the desert mountains and sagebrush, I began to think about Utah and how much I want to go there this summer. I'm hoping that I will get to go on at least 1 trip this summer, if not even just going out there for a while and spending some alone time in the desert is what I really need right now. So anyway, it was a good weekend to clear my head and think about all the trips I want to take this summer. I can't wait!

Santa Cruz history

I just found the coolest book at the library today - it's called "Local Girl Makes History - Exploring Northern California's Kitsch Monuments"....(I'm still trying to figure out what 'kitsch' means...is that the same as 'chotshski' that my mom uses?) It's written by a UCSC historian that grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the history behind some of the landmarks in the area (like the cave man ride at the beach boardwalk and the infamous cat statues in Los Gatos). I just started reading it, but I've already been transported to my childhood, where I also experienced those same landmarks (and have similar fond memories like the author!) I'll let you know how it goes...and I'm sure I'll share the random information I learn with you all :)

Winter visit

I started off my weekend early on Friday by taking the day off and heading up to my parents house for a fun winter visit! Paul came home late Thursday night (a Valentine's treat!) and we packed up and left for a lunch date at my dad's house. Friday night we spent at my mom's drinking beers with some of my rafting friends and laughing WAY too much. Saturday we headed up to Yosemite for a friend's photography exhibit and some picture taking at the Awanhee hotel (if you've never been before, it's a MUST. Especially right now with all of the snow!) Sunday morning we were lazy...my mom made a yummy french toast breakfast and we walked around the meadow and watched Reggie swim in all of the fresh ponds that have formed from the recent rain. It was a beautiful weekend, and I was sad to say goodbye!
The Awhanee covered in snow

Paul and I

Mom and Kev
Half Dome

Happy Valentines Day!

Some treats I made for my Valentines Day dinner with the girls tomorrow...
Paul will be home late tomorrow night. Whoohoo!

The lineup is IN!

Yeah, Bonnaroo 2008! Jenny and I have renewed our vow to attend at least 1 more Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee - check out this lineup, why would you NOT want to go? (p.s. tickets go on sale Sunday, Feb. 16th at 9am PST...the show is June 12-15) Let me know if you wanna go!!

My first blog from Bonnaroo 2005: http://whereisshannon.blogspot.com/2005/06/bonnaroo-bay-bee.html

* Pearl Jam
* Metallica
* Jack Johnson
* Kanye West
* Robert Plant and Alison Krauss featuring T Bone Burnett
* Phil Lesh & Friends
* My Morning Jacket
* The Allman Brothers Band
* The Raconteurs
* Willie Nelson
* Death Cab for Cutie
* B.B. King
* Sigur Ros
* Levon Helm and the Ramble on the Road
* Ben Folds
* O.A.R.
* The Bluegrass Allstars
* M.I.A.
* Umphrey's McGee
* Iron & Wine
* Yonder Mountain String Band
* The Swell Season
* Talib Kweli
* Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival
* Gogol Bordello
* Broken Social Scene
* Robert Randolph's Revival
* Rilo Kiley
* Mastodon
* Lupe Fiasco
* Against Me!
* Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
* Pat Green
* Ozomatli
* Tegan & Sara
* Solomon Burke
* Drive-By Truckers
* !!!
* The Avett Brothers
* Israel Vibration
* Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet featuring Bela Fleck
* Larry Campbell, Jackie Greene, Phil Lesh & Teresa Williams
* Aimee Mann
* Ladytron
* The Fiery Furnaces
* Orchestra Baobab
* Ghostland Observatory
* Jose Gonzalez
* Dark Star Orchestra
* Minus the Bear
* Donavon Frankenreiter
* Lez Zeppelin
* State Radio
* Battles
* Jakob Dylan
* Two Gallants
* The Sword
* Vampire Weekend
* Little Feat
* Nicole Atkins
* The Felice Brothers
* Mason Jennings
* MGMT
* The Lee Boys
* Black Kids
* Serena Ryder
* Steel Train
* Grupo Fantasma
* Back Door Slam

Thinking positively

Super Tuesday was just 2 days ago, but I have only begun to process the primary election results. The fact that this is one of the busiest weeks at my work has made me less involved in the election coverage. Anyway, I'm sad and surprised that Obama didn't take California - what happened? It was a fairly close race, and he did well in other states, but he didn't clinch California like I thought he would. He's still my #1 candidate, a choice I would actually make (not by default, which is usually how our candidates end up winning the presidency). I hope that you all voted on Tuesday - if not, you should be ashamed! And if you happen to live in a state that hasn't voted yet, vote for Obama! Si Si puede!!

Crafty Sunday

It's Super bowl Sunday, and Jenny and I have decided to do some crafts while watching the game (well, we're not really watching the game...it's really just background noise). Anyway I made some cute napkins for an upcoming Valentines Day party I'm hosting, and Jenny worked on some fun earrings and an earring holder. What a very productive day!

Forgot the bib

Cadence came over last night for some hangin' out time with me, while Marie and Dallas went out on the town. When it was time for her to eat, I couldn't find her bib. She took full advantage of getting as dirty as possible without mommy or daddy around...whoops!

Hoot! Hoot!

My mom bought me the pattern for a cute Owl family, and I decided to make a few for Cadence. What do you think??

Yikes!

I have YET to post my pics from atlanta...it's been quite the crazy week for me! the new job is going excellent-ly :) i'm not really pulling my hair out like this woman, but i might soon with all the work that's piling up!!

It's snowing in atlanta....whatttt?

I come to "Hotlanta" for a weekend conference, and guess what?

It's SNOWING! Hotlanta my ass!

Atlanta here I come!

So my first "official" business trip begins on Thursday in Atlanta, GA. I can't wait! I will finally get introduced to all of the people I have been coordinating with and talking to over the past 2 weeks (which is how long I've been here at NWP, but it feels longer!) There's a lot planned for the weekend, including 3 full days of conferencing. In between I'll get to catch up with an old friend from Alabama (who Kristin and I met almost 10 years ago in high school!) and catch a live soul/blues/r&b show in downtown Atlanta. I can't think of a better way of spending Martin Luther King Jr. weekend!

Portland time

Before my traveling for work begins, I thought I would kick off my frequent flyer miles by visiting my friends Nate, Jasmine, and their adorable son Malcolm in Portland. We spent the weekend browsing downtown...my favorite Powell's bookstore (dangerous! hard to leave w/out spending your paycheck), Peet's coffee, the Fulton Pub, and some fun kitchen gadget shops (also very dangerous!) We headed back to the cottage and made lemon cupcakes, ate yummy soup, and lounged. A perfect weekend. Thanks friends for the hospitality!!

What a guy!

Some pics from Paul's pre-birthday celebration in Santa Cruz (thanks Ernie, for being the cameraman!)

Need anything ironed?

I have a cat that does ironing really cheap :)

Happy New Year!

Just a quick post to show ya'll some pics from our Tahoe trip. I've had a nasty cold all week, so we just hung out around town, drank coffee and wine, and ate yummy food. New Years was fun - nothin' outta the ordinary, just stayed in Alameda with our friends Martin and Emily and had a great time at Lucky 13 bar. Happy New Year to you all!



P.S. if you look really closely at this picture, you can see a snowman!

Christmas in Alameda

My little gingerbread house












Jazzy and the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

















Paul's new leglamp
















My tablescape in our little apartment












Happy Birthday Paul!

















mmm...ice cream cake!

Let it snow!

I'm so excited, Paul and I are going to Tahoe this weekend to visit my friend Kim in Truckee, and stay with Jenny and the Cole family in Carnelian Bay. I love Tahoe! I love the snow! I'm so looking forward to cozy-ing up by the fire with my man, drinking hot cocoa and playing a rousing game of Scrabble with Jenny and the fam. Oh yeah, and partying with Kim in Truckee! What a way to celebrate me leaving my job...and starting the new year off right! Don't worry, we'll be back for the New Year's Party in SF (if we're not snowed in...). And I promise, Christmas pics are coming tonight. I haven't had the time to catch my breath from the holi-DAZE!

Photos to be revealed

...soon! I promise! I took lots of great pictures both from Paul's 26th (Christmas Eve) birthday AND photos of presents being unwrapped. We can't forget about the gifts I made to be revealed as well! And no, thank goodness none of us looked like Ralphie this year....although there was a leg lamp involved!!

Get me outta here

I'm bored already, can't I just go home??

I'm starting to feel like this guy....

I really can't help myself...

This is what Jazzy is getting for Christmas :)

Exciting news!

I have so much to report on friends, and I apologize for not blogging sooner!
Some recent happs in my world:

- Paul is home for good. Yeah!
- We had a fantastic Christmas party on Friday night, complete with games and homemade treats and Boggle.
- I passed the CBEST test. Watch out kiddies, I may be coming to a school near you!
- I've been sewing and knitting away on Christmas gifts. I will reveal them as soon as they are unwrapped by their new owners!
- Jazzy has begun to drink out of glasses on the table, and knocked at least 2 full glasses of water all over the floor

and the best news is...

I got a new job!!!

Yes, this time around I promised that I wouldn't rush into anything that didn't feel right. And I even made back-up plans in case nothing fell through (i.e. taking the CBEST). But this new position seems great, and the folks who work there seem even better. I'm sooo excited, I feel like all that I've gone through over the last 4 months has been worth it!

More pics to follow!

New beginnings!

I know, I know...

It always seems like I'm on the move. Like I can't make up my mind about where I want to live, where I want to work, etc. And I'm sure you have about 10 different addresses for me in 3 or 4 different states.

Well, I like change. Yes, yes I do. That being said, I have a new change I'm making. I'm looking for a new job. A new gig, yes, but didn't I just start a new one? Well, let's just say it's not the right fit. Like, when you try to squeeze yourself into size 4 jeans, and you might be a size 12? Something like that. Just not fitting well.

But there is good news! Interviews are on the horizon! There's a shimmer of hope! Some great opportunities are out there. So I'm takin' on the search this time with a better outlook. No more accepting a job when my gut says it isn't right. No amount of money can make up for a bad workplace....

Wishlist my friends!

So Sophia and I (well, really Sophia since she's the computer geek) started this little amazon site, where you can buy things and we get a fraction of the profit. This will go towards startup materials for our nonprofit.

Here’s the “wish list” of what we plan on purchasing in the next few months, just in case you want to know where your $$ is going - or if Santa happens to leave it under the tree:

•“Non-profit kit for Dummies” by Stan Hutton and Frances Phillips

• "How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation in California" (book with CD-Rom) by Anthony Mancuso

•"Effective Fundraising For Nonprofits: Real World Strategies That Work" by Ilona M. Bray

•Flipchart paper

•markers

These books have all been suggested to us as “must haves” for planning and organizing purposes.

Click on http://astore.amazon.com/ebyouthorg-20 to shop and help us out!

Giving thanks....

What a mellow Thanksgiving I had this year!

Paul and his family were able to make the trek up to Groveland, where it was crisp and cold (perfect for the hot tub!) We were lazy all weekend (in a good way, of course. We even made it up to Yosemite, where Paul showed off his ice skating skills in the rink at Curry village. I hadn't ice skated since I was in 7th grade (at the same rink, no less!) I'm proud to say that I didn't fall or get a concussion, though my ankles hurt a little bit!

Enjoy the pics...


mmm....turkey....


The Bolings (minus dad and Jean)


Cadence got to meet Reggie

I need your help!

In case you haven't heard yet....

We (Sophia Teper and Shannon Fulton) are going to start our own nonprofit. Pretty big step, right? This is where we need your help. We're just in the beginning planning stages now (and maybe for the next year), but have developed a survey to get a sense of what you think about the idea, how you could be involved, and any advice you may have. Like we said, it's just the beginning stages...

A little about our idea: After working with each other just for a few months, we've realized that we both have amazing ideas that can be developed into something bigger. With Sophia's knowledge in marketing, web development, and general worldliness, and Shannon's background in nonprofits, social work, and the outdoor industry, we feel that our combined efforts can change our small portion of the Bay Area.

We envision taking East Bay area youth (Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, San Leandro, etc) on outdoor day/hiking trips in the area. Our focus is to introduce the wonders of the natural (and local) world to disadvantaged youth. We would develop a small curriculum for the students, and have the trips lead by volunteers with a variety of expertise (from Shannon's rafting buddies to Sophia's film friends).

Please fill out the survey now: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=h4W4IM2jlqOr6RgpQvBpqg_3d_3d

Please pass the word along to your friends!

pssst! don't tell paul!

I think I'm going to get him a leg lamp for Christmas. Some of you may not know the story...

When we moved into our place in Alameda, I really wanted to get a cat. Paul wasn't a fan of Uintah (my cat currently residing at my parent's ranch) so we had to get a new one. He told me that if I got a cat, he would get a leg lamp. Not just any size leg lamp, but the real McCoy...I shuttered when he mentioned it, but I really wanted a cat! And now we have Jazzy....

Paul has yet to buy the leg lamp. Maybe since Christmas is coming, he'll remember the deal. I'm hoping not. He's not getting the 6ft tall one, no way! But perhaps Santa will leave him a nice desk-sized version...

we made it!

I was just browsing on the One Brick page (an awesome volunteer organization here in the bay) and noticed that my friend erin and i are on their photos page! we "volunteered" (i use the term very loosely) to serve beer at the beer fest back in april. yes, we drank beer and got free t-shirts. isn't volunteering awesome?

I love my island city

Alameda is the shit. It calls itself the "Island City" even though it is just a man made island (but who's keeping track?) Since moving here in June, I've found all of Alameda's secret spots, from the natural grocery store (with an amazing selection of herbs and sweet peas) to a spicy vegetarian restaurant (that even Paul loves) and an old french bakery (that my mom visits every time she's in town!). I've been trying to get to know the city more, since I plan on staying here for a while. So in addition to trying out new bars and restaurants (there aren't too many we haven't hit...I mean, it is an island after all!), I am tackling the thrift stores. There are only 3 or 4 that are listed on Yelp.com, but I may snoop around a little bit more to find that treasure lurking on one of Alameda's dead end roads. Wish me luck!

7 truths meme

I've been tagged by my friend jasmine, (malcomama), to do the 7 Truths meme...and since I'm bored at an unnamed location (hehhe) I thought I would answer the truths now...

1) I am passionate about helping people...the world...animals...

2) I secretly love decorating my house, making yummy treats, and being martha stewart-esque

3) I love my family and friends more that words can say, and would do anything in the world for them.

4) I can play the guitar but can't sing for shit.

5) I want to start my own nonprofit within the next 2 years.

6) I am infatuated with my cat. It's sad, and it's true, and I have embraced the fact that I will be a "cat lady" in my old age.

7) I am so happy to have met my boyfriend, Paul, and look forward to many many years with him....

It's foggy in LA

I thought southern california was supposed to be sunny - the beach, the palm trees, the girls with blond hair? Not so much the case this weekend when Paul and I drove down to LA to celebrate our 1 year anniversary....

After buying a huge tres leches cake from the mexican market down the street from Paul's house in Van Nuys, we headed south to the O.C. (bling bling!) I found a sweet deal at hotwire.com and we stayed at the shee shee Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach. Holy dolla-bill! No wonder there is a show called "The Real Housewives of the OC". We spent most of our time inside because the weather was pretty shitty....the hot tub wasn't so bad, but it definately wasn't pool weather!

After that we headed up to Redondo Beach, where I was staying for a few days for work. Paul liked the Best Western better than the Hyatt (what the fuck?) but he's just weird like that. We met up with my cousin Ali and Bubba, and again, hung out in the room since it was cold and BLAH outside. My work site visit went really well...
I would say the highlight of the whole trip was eating at the same Cuban restaurant 3 times in a row! I became a local instantly. You know I love the mojitos!!