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A Manifesto

This is the Holstee Manifesto.  I found it through my BFF Korie.  It resonates with everyone from 18 year old high school grads to 40-something moms with wanderlust.  When I was younger, I used to keep a little journal and add quotes, song lyrics, and inspiration I picked up along the way.  It is high time I return to that practice.  This manifesto is a great place to start.

The Ironman Plan

My son is a typical boy.  Typical in that he loves to build things.  It all started with those beloved Legos.  I can’t begin to count how many zillion Lego pieces we must have.  Got to love those Legos.

Video games don’t do much for him.  He hasn’t quite found his sport yet, but give him a project to build and I can almost see the the gears start to engage behind those amazing hazel eyes of my redhead.

Now that he is old enough, J is my action/sci-fi flick date.  We rented the first Ironman movie and he was hooked.  He was on the countdown for Ironman 2.  He literally handed me notes for a month, reminding me of how many days until Ironman 2–complete with drawings.  J  is fully committed to completing his very own Ironman suit and he intends to wear it to Comicon 2011 next summer.

First we started with sheet metal, an anvil, and some basic tools:

After his frustration with the alignment of the eye holes and his refusal to create a paper template for the mask (and my growing fear that I would soon go broke buying practice sheet metal), J set out to find a better way.  Google and YouTube to the rescue!  I’m astounded by my son’s research skills when it comes to what matters most.  He found there are Ironman Fans and Plans all over the world and they share their clever crafts generously.

J and his Dad are now working together on the suit.  A few trips to Home Depot, some large plastic trash cans, sharp craft knives, plan print outs, a little math, and Ironman red spray paint and lots and lots of obsession (on J’s part) and lots and LOTS of patience (on Daddy’s part) and this suit just may happen!  Here is what we have so far:

Here are the templates printed from the internet that need to be cut from plastic:

My son uses my old heat embossing gun (from my old scrapbooking/cardmaking days–remember those??)  and melts the plastic enough to bend to form just before painting.

J made this Arc Light from Home Depot ingredients and a recipe he found on YouTube.  It will fit in the chest plate he has built, but knowing him, he will come up with some other design by the time this suit is ready to wear.

This is the painting station in our garage.  I’ve only gotten a little snippy when J couldn’t wait for me to move my car out and he started painting.  The boy will will see all of this end if I see red overspray end up on my white car.  Just saying.

I don’t know how many books J has read on Ironman now.  We have several.  The boys have said we all may need to head back to the theater and see IM2 again, you know, “For research purposes”.

Ding Ding--Round Two! School Board to Vote on our Charter School Petition (again)

Thousands of man hours, endless revisions, legal counsel with the best charter firm in the state, more than 700 signed Intent to Enroll Forms in hand from an awesome parent community--we have dotted every "i" and crossed every "t" and jumped through every hoop this adversarial district has thrown at us.

Our little grassroots effort that started with a group of pink-slipped educators from the top-performing elementary school in 13 counties in California (API of 965) has experienced a groundswell of public support and academic accolades. Our proposed Board of Directors includes the President of the California Association for the Gifted, an owner of an esteemed Chinese school, a San Bernardino County Teacher of the Year, a former school board member and Deputy District Attorney, and an Associate Dean of the University of California Redlands and author of many research based books on the theory of Multiple Intelligences, our school's core educational philosophy.

Our charter school is endorsed by the Chancellor of UCLA, Howard Gardner, Thomas Armstrong, Assemblyman Curt Hagman, Congressman Gary Miller, and a host of other local supporters.

We are encouraged by the groundswell of public support.  In a a relatively short time, our Intent to Enroll forms (the evidence by which the district will evaluate our solvency) have grown from 118 documented families "Meaningfully Interested" in leaving their district schools should the charter school open to 692--and more are coming in by fax, email and mail by the hour.  Seriously exciting!  This is just an indication of interest.  Open enrollment will take place in the spring after we go public.  By the way, I will be the P.R. person.  I need a job.

Thank you for allowing me to share some of this with you. I have been on this journey since March 18, 2009. I have written from the first blank page and literally pulled many all-nighters. This is our second attempt with our local school board. We are changing paradigms here. Our local district, like many is so embattled with problems they cannot see beyond their own mess to get out of the box.

I hope tonight the box can be opened for the few that desire the choice.

To see what we have been up to visit our website www.oxfordchampions.com

Find us on Facebook

Visit our OPA Blog

If nothing else, throw up a positive thought, prayer, wish, and cross 'em if you've got 'em!  We need all of the positive vibes we can get tonight!  Regardless of the vote, post board meeting, I will be toasting to something...either victory or a resolve to move on the the county appeal.

GO OPA!

Portland Rocks!

Every August, my husband attends an industry trade show in Portland, OR.  This year, I insisted on tagging along.  After all, Kel lives nearby, and I was determined to meet her!

My mom graciously offered to tend the zoo (three kids and two puppies...what else do you call it?) and we flew off to the great Pacific Northwest on the only airline that serves complementary Widmer Amber Ale and Starbucks coffee.  We were both happy travelers.

Portland in August proved to be everything we remember: green and cool, bike and pedestrian friendly, perfect climate, and a foodie's paradise.  We had a fantastic time.

We stumbled upon a terrific "comfort food chic" joint called Mother's Bistro on Thursday morning. You have to respect a menu that states at the top: "We cook with real butter" and "the best food is homemade food".  I'm not sure if it was the portobella spinach scramble or the multiple crystal chandelier lit dining rooms, but we went back again Friday morning.


T attended his trade show all day Thursday and I was on my own to explore.  Since I was on vacation and all, and my residual migraine was still a bummer, I found a wellness center and thoroughly enjoyed a 90 minute Shiatsu massage.  Then I stumbled out onto Alberta Avenue and walked 26 blocks enjoying the bohemian vibe and eclectic store fronts and dining venues.  I made note of crepe shoppe with colorful sofas in what used to be the garage space of a house-turned-restaurant.

I met T back at the hotel and we hiked the streets in an older warehouse district in search of a interesting restaurant called Rocket.  We took an elevator to the 4th floor of a red building and found our way out to the balcony with an amazing view of the city.

The food was divine, the company perfect, and the atmosphere was pure Portland.  I found Rocket in a restaurant guide and was drawn to it with a description of the "extremely local" menu, harvested from their rooftop garden.  This, I had to see.  When I called to reserve a table I asked if we could tour the garden.  I was assured that if the chef had the time, he would be glad to show us.  We were given a private tour by Chef Leather Storrs, tasting unique varieties of Globe basil, radish, cilantro, and arugula (rocket) picked from the rooftop while the sun set over the western hills of Portland.  Perfect.

Energized by the Rocket experience, I convinced T that we should find our way back to the Alberta Avenue area and the little dessert and crepe bar in the converted garage I had seen earlier that day.  We navigated the city bus line, found our seedy stop, and walked in 26 blocks at 10 PM.  I don't think my husband was too thrilled with my idea of urban adventure, but the handmade dessert crepes sure changed is mind.  We both agree all of the walking was a necessary prep for the crepes.  We pushed our luck too far with walking out to 33rd  and waiting for a bus.  We stood at the bus stop on 33rd and Alberta counting Subarus  for the next hour.  We finally gave up and called a cab. It was a good day.

The highlight of our visit was spending a very fun afternoon and evening with Kel and Bob from Vancouver.  They graciously drove us all over Portland and Vancouver showing us the best of their beautiful cities. We covered a lot of area: downtown Vancouver, Fort Vancouver, Battle Ground, the Portland Rose Garden (gorgeous), Rogue Alehouse (nothing better than a local hefewizen on the patio on an Oregon summer evening), and a gluten-free dinner at PF Changs. Kel later introduced me to her "four shot Americano" but I was a little intimidated and ordered the junior two-shot version. Loved it and now I have a new way to enjoy my coffee. We, of course had to end the evening with coffee and dessert in another charming cafe and linger in the perfect August evening.  We loved their company! I knew we would have a ton in common and they were so easy to talk to and enjoy.  The guys got along great and of course Kel and I chatted up a storm. They are fantastic, interesting, fun people and we are so glad to know them!   

Thank you Bob and Kelly for making our visit so special!  And thank you mom for watching the kids so we could go have such a fantastic time!

Every kid needs a treehouse

My son comes home from school every day and immediately jumps on this rope swing in our front yard.  The cool spring afternoon breeze feels good and and the quiet seems to give him some kind of Zen calm.  I try to let him go swing for as long as he wants.  We all leave him alone and he just loves to hang out in (on) that tree.

Realizing that this smallish birch tree is threatening to snap under his weight (and the swarm of other kids in our 'hood that have never seen a tree swing), I did some cursory research on treehouse plans and kits.  T can build anything, and would love to.  There is only one small problem... 

Dear Mr. Treehouse Blue Print Seller:

I would like to purchase your Do It Yourself Guide to Building a Treehouse.  The problem is, we live in a beige box suburban neighborhood in southern California completely devoid of mature trees.  The only trees in our backyard are Mexican papaya and avocado saplings.  Do you have any solutions for families without trees?  Can it be done?  Our lot is very small, so a treehouse, rather than a playhouse is necessary, as we just don't have any ground space to give.

Sincerely,

Carrie B.

OR....

I could smack down 10 Large and order a custom treehouse that comes with it's OWN tree:

The designs by this custom treehouse designer are amazing.  So are his prices. I guess if the housing market in southern California continues to tank we could downsize in style.  And with good shade cover, the utility bills might be manageable.  Heck, let's just put this one in the backyard and slide into the pool to cool off, bathe, and wake the kids up in the morning:

Of course then my kids would then complain that its just not fun anymore.  Typical.

These are a few of my favorite things...

I haven't spent a whole lot of time thinking about my Christmas wish list lately.  I've been so focused on getting tasks done, obligations met, and checklists checked, I haven't even had time to dream.  So tonight, join me, will you...for a little dreaming...

Let's start with toes:

Is there anything that can wash away the day more effectively than a deluxe pedicure?  My local nail shop offers a deluxe pedi with sea salt scrub and hot oil massage.  I upgrade with an acid heel exfoliation and some kind of seasonal nail art.  Had I found this darling plaid image before my 5PM walk in, I would have certainly opted for it over the plain red paint with rhinestone-centered snowflake design.  I post it here for your use....go grab a peppermint mocha and get a red and green plaid pedi...fabulous!

My dream watch has always been a Cartier Tank Watch.  I think I first saw one in 1987 and I have always held it up as the ultimate.  As a 38-year old mother of three, who is still mindful of the grocery budget, it is unlikely a Cartier Tank watch will ever grace this wrist.  However, tonight I saw a knock-off of the My Michele Urban watch and I fell in love....It still probably won't happen this year, but I do love this watch! Even better, the whole concept behind the Michele watch is trading out the band to change the look.  Love this!

Next, we have the oh so fabulous Pandora Bracelet.  My neighbor Renee and her six year old have these.  Hayley (6) lost hers.  I want to cry for her.  These bracelets are so cool!  Customize them in a million different ways.  Too bad each charm runs between $25 and $125 bucks!  I showed T these tonight and he said, "They probably wouldn't look so good empty".  Duh.
Do you love a good California Red? Go to Costco and buy a case of Red Truck California Red.  I think the bottle price is $7.99 and Costco is offering $20 off a case.  I think this is a totally decent red at a great price.  I plan to stock up.

Two Fridays ago, I had to make a choice between mopping my floors and attending a boutique breakfast.  Guess what I chose?  And guess what I bought?  A small roll on bottle of this Bella Belara perfume.  I plan to give P the small bottle in her stocking.  I may just have to procure a larger bottle for my own use.  Here is the official description: The senses are first treated to a delectable medley of apricot and red nectarine. At its heart, dew-covered rose petals and Moroccan jasmine unfold, while a delightful mix of creamy blond woods and cool moss linger.  It was the cool moss that got me.  See your Mary Kay rep for details.

Finally, treat yourself to the soundtrack to August Rush.  The movie is predictable, formulaic, and an utter pleasure.  The actors are eye candy, the story beautiful, and the music, inspiring.  I loved this whole experience.  I'm booking it through iTunes soon.  Great music.

Do you have a Christmas wish list?  Share it! 

I can now add Firewalking to my list of life experiences

Holy shit.  I did it.  Me and 4200 other Firewalkers that is.  We came streaming out of the Long Beach Convention Center, like ants evacuating a hill and made our way around the parking lots and streets to an area large enough to accomodate such an event. I couldn't decide if I felt more like a protester joining those with common beliefs, pushing onward, marching toward a better tomorrow, or more like a Jonestownie, lining up for my Dixie cup of Koolaid.

Tribal drumming music played loudly and chants of "yes" CLAP, "yes" CLAP, "yes" CLAP would spontaneously start.  Mostly, I'm sure, to convince ourselves that we would actually go through with it. 

I was all in.  Fine, no problem.  I didn't worry a single moment about hurting myself.  Didn't have any problem with it at all....until I saw the fire and smelled the burning.  Yowza.  The truth is, I was more worried about my husband.  He was told he should never be without shoes, that diabetics heal slower and to avoid injuries to his feet.  How does walking on fire figure in all that?

We were separated and given new partners with whom we would walk the fire.  Smart thinking for keeping people accountable.  I guess these Anthony Robbins people have done this a time or two.

I was fine...totally...all in.  I took my first step, then my second, even a third.  I was in "state" and not feeling a thing...and then a thought of my husband flashed in my mind.  It was just a second, but enough to break my state and then I felt the fire.  Damn.  I kept walking (what else could I do?).  I know I didnt' stop at that moment, but in my mind, I stopped mid-walk and then I felt my owie.  It really was just a little owie.  Just a little char mark and blister.

BTW....T is totally fine.  He never even felt the fire.  I guess his ability to control his state of mind is stronger than mine.  But really, that's no surprise...Maybe that is why I suck at meditation?

If you ever have the opportunity to walk on fire, I say go for it.  In fact, I highly recommend it.  Makes for a great bar story.

"You can't depend on your eyes if you imagination is out of focus" --Mark Twain

P looking out at the downtown Los Angeles skyline from a balcony at The Getty.

Remember those science movies in elementary school as a kid: the ones where a blooming flower was filmed over time, then shown in fast speed, and you could watch the flower grow from seed to sprout to stalk to bloom in a matter of seconds?

That is how I feel as I watch this child grow.  Her world is opening up so quickly.  And I just want to do what I can to fill her experiences up with good stuff.   

Visual DNA

Rolling through blogs tonight, I peeked in on LA over at Fat Girl Pink.  I love her eye for design and she seems to just find the best stuff to share.  I was intrigued by the idea of Visual DNA.

Try it.

Read my VisualDNA™     Get your own VisualDNA™

And it just gets better and better...

Am I the last person on the planet to read about Apple's announcment of the iPhone?  I just sat through about 40 minutes of Steve Job's Keynote on this baby.  Pardon me as I wipe the drool from my keyboard.

This thing is Ssssaaaawweeeet!  Everything I could ever imagine wanting in a cell phone/iPod/PDA/free Yahoo email "push" account/digital photo album/movie viewer and oh so much more.

I've been coveting a Treo device for months now.  Good thing Verizon won't let me upgrade until late May.  The iPhone is scheduled to be released in June.

You know how families have those white etched glass stickers on the back of their Suburbans symbolizing their family size?  You know, like two large pair of flip flops and three little pair of flip flops?  Or hibiscus flowers?  Or sea turtles?  No?  Is it just a west coast thing?  Oh well.  I'm thinking of taking those white Apple stickers they give you with the iPod or PowerBooks and putting two big Apples and three little Apples (that came with Nanos).  Yeah, I'm a big Mac geek from way back.

Watch Steve Jobs' Keynote on the iPhone for yourself and tell me that you don't want one of these too.