Dale's Trip--California!

This is Dale in Sedona, Arizona, contemplating another picture. Chase snapped this one of Dale.

And this is the resulting shot of the photo above's quiet contemplation! The Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona, Arizona.

Seals on the beach near La Jolla, California. They have a special section all to themselves!

Paraglider flying high at the San Diego glider port.

Crazy insane adorable seal, leaving little seal prints in his wake! Awwwww!

Dale in La Jolla, California, shooting the seals. With his camera!

Wittle Seals, lounging on the beach.

Dale and Chase's host in San Diego was Michigan native and old friend Rod. He moved to California to enjoy the sun and surf. Seems to be going well!

Dale's Trip--some quick photos

Dale emailed me a few photos of his road trip with his best pal Chase. Chase is moving to Arizona, as I mentioned before, and Dale drove out with him. They arrived in Arizona yesterday and Dale emailed me a few pictures of the trip so far. I'm sure he'll have plenty more to share later. The above photo is Dale in Taos, NM at the Rio Grande.

This is a shot of Chase & Dale at the Painted Desert. Dale said it was a little late to get the full effect at sunrise but this gives you the flavor!

This amazing place is where a meteor hit the earth! Look at the size of that crater! It's crazy! Dale says it is 3/4 of a mile across and 800 feet deep!

Dale cracked me up by providing his first impressions of Phoenix (Dale is not a big fan of very hot climates):

Phoenix is a god forsaken land of dirt with a smattering a foliage just scraping by to exist; seriously it feels like God is in the sky trying to burn all the people on the ground with a magnifying glass. No human was ever meant to live here; for example the houses have industrial air conditioners mounted on the roof. It appears to be a constant battle between the bastard burning sun and a desire to live.

While Dale's Away...

Dale is driving with his good friend Chase this weekend--all the way to Arizona! I'll be sure to share pictures of his trip when he gets back! Chase is moving to the Phoenix area and we wish him well! We will surely miss him. He's been our most frequent guest since moving to Illinois!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, you'd think I didn't know how to shower without Dale telling me! Ha! Anyway, I spent a good portion of the day getting crafty! How happy this had made me! Of course, I completely lost track of the day but I have some proof I did something with it:

I made these pairs of earrings from a kit, sadly. I didn't want to learn on expensive pieces or on the antique beads I plan to work with. I was lucky to have a lot of jewelry from family members and while much of it is not my style (four heavy strands of beads for one necklace is too much for me) the colors are pretty. So I want to make some contemporary jewelry with my antique pieces. This is my first attempt to make jewelry and boy was it challenging--but totally fun!

I like the bottom middle ones best, I think. Though the top left ones are also a favorite! Cheapies, but still cute!

A Silly Side Trip

Dale I went to the First Ever Franchise McDonald's in Des Plaines, IL.
You can read about it here.

I try not to clutter up our friends & family blog with my stupid obsession with Roadside Americana!

Dale's Trip Downtown

Dale took a trip downtown on the train last week (to buy my Valentine's Day present! Wheee!) and got a prime space in the front of the train. He had his camera with him (of course) and took a couple of shots he liked and wanted to share.

A nice shot of the oncoming trains...

And a sneak peak at Chicago's new Trump building. I really can't stand Donald Trump. I think he represents pretty much everything I dislike about our consumer culture and the quest for money above all else. *ahem* Anyway, it's still a lovely winter photo!

Bela's Teddy Bear

This is Bela. He is plum tuckered out and needs his rest. He's tired because he's been playing with his teddy bear all afternoon!

This is Bela's Teddy Bear. Clearly, he's seen better days. You know the story of the Velveteen Rabbit? Bela loves this teddy so much that it would not surprise me if he woke up one morning and simply walked away!

Bela carries little Teddy all around the house and even takes him to bed on occassion. He drops the bear in corners and howls at it and he makes odd "rowr!" noises while carrying this little guy around in his mouth! It's ridiculously cute.

Wedding Memories & Other Thoughts

While most Chicagoans are busy prepping for the Big Game, we're being crafty and going to dinner! As you can see above, I finally got around to putting some of our wedding goodies in a cute display case. Dale and I both worked on it (he's quite crafty--and certainly opinionated) and we are very pleased with the results. The shadowbox includes our wedding invitation, program, CD favor, photo, hand-stamped cocktail napkin, bubbles (with custom name & date), a couple of silk leaves that served as part of table centerpieces, and little pieces of sprig from my bouquet. It makes me happy that we have such a keepsake. And thanks to Target for having frames on clearance thsi week! We're going to hang it in the living room.

What else is going on? We went to Benihana with our friends Rebecca & Pat tonight. It was tasty and it reminded us of all the fun we've had at Japanese Steakhouses with friends back in Detroit. We love Chicago--and very much enjoyed our dinner with R&P--but we certainly miss hanging with friends back in D-town!