Late Night Alumni - Finally Found

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZSJFHi36ho&w=853&h=505] My friend Damian is one of the most inspired people I know. He is smart, funny, CREATIVE and genuinely one of the kindest men I know.....Oh, and he makes rad videos.

He is co-owner, documentary filmmaker, TV producer and writer for Kineto Pictures. He concepted, directed and edited the above video and I kind of love it. He did an amazing job.

Feel free to share the video and read more about Damian here:

http://blog.kinetopictures.com/finally-found-the-music-video/ http://twitter.com/damiandayton http://gladhanded.blogspot.com/ http://toothyshoehorn.blogspot.com/

Oh, and how great is Late Night Alumni? I wish I was old so I could have been in that video.

Hoods

I love hoods. I just do.

I've been trying to find the impossible coat for our trip to Europe in a few weeks.....warm, stylish, lightweight, casual but could be dressed up...I tell you impossible.

During my search I came across this line by Chris & Mike. So many great finds for a hood addict. I only wish they weren't all last season and sold out. I would pay almost any price for the burke biker fleece coat.

Hope Springs Resort

The two days we spent here in January, were some of the most relaxing days of my life. No phones. No TVs. No people. Just me, my man and some mineral pools.

All of these images are strait out of the camera (I cropped the last one slightly). Shot on my Hasselblad 501cm, 80 mm lens with Ilford 3200 Pro film. LOVE this film.

Thinking of starting a darkroom group once a month. When that happens these might be some of the first images I print.

Sticky Rice

For 14 years my Thurston Grandparents lived in La Jolla California. I loved as a young girl flying to stay with them, playing on the beach, shopping at the NEX and watching Elvis movies. One of my favorite memories was my Grandma making sticky rice for us to take on our flight home. She would soak the rice and pull out her sticky rice basket and the finished product would be wrapped in tinfoil for us to nibble on while traveling.

I have wanted to buy myself the setup for awhile now and every time I ate mango with sweet sticky rice was reminded of that fact.

As one of Grant's birthday presents, I bought "him" the magic maker:

I bought the kit from Import Foods...complete with a cheesecloth and a bag of Thai sweet rice.

Here is the recipe I pulled from the site:

Method: Rinse rice 2-3 times, until water runs clear.Place rinsed rice in a bowl and fill with cool water so the water is approximately 2-3 inches above the rice (see Step 1). Let the rice stand in water for 6-8 hours. Drain the rice, place it in a cheesecloth, wrap it up and put the cheesecloth inside bamboo steamer. Put 6-8 cups of water in sticky rice steamer. Then place bamboo steamer inside sticky rice steamer (see step 2). Be sure the bottom of the bamboo steamer does not touch the boiling water. Place a standard 8 inch lid loosely over the top of the bamboo steamer (see Step 3). Now turn on the heat (Med/High) and steam the rice for 45 minutes (or until tender). Enjoy!

It works and it's delicious. I might just have to plan a mango and sticky rice night and invite everyone over.

The Calendar Winner is...

...Rachel Allison! She wants one, she gets one.

This lady also has a love of the photographic image. Check out her photography site, here.

Rachel shoot me an email (rachel@rachelthurston.com) and let me know where to send this list making mama and I will mail it out pronto.

There were a few of you, win or not, who expressed interest in possibly buying a calendar....I am up for ordering a bunch, but need to know how many are really interested. Email me or leave a comment if you want to know more. I'm guessing the cost will be around $30. Not the cheapest calendar out there but worth it!

Thanks to everyone who loved the list making madness as much as me. Why in the world I have to create my own calendar with months and weeks and NOTE SPACE, is beyond me. This is what people need!

Giveaways warm my soul. I already have an idea for the next one....

Calendar Giveaway

I have spent way too much time in my life looking for the perfect day planners/calendars. I love my paper calendars. I need them. I need to scribble and make lists. LOTS of lists. I need to use my medium bic blue ball point pens.

After searching everywhere for a book that included a month at a glance, week at a glance and plenty of note taking space, I screamed one last time and decided to take matters into my own hands.

The concept was my idea (with inspiration from past Staples calendar that they stopped making) and the genius behind the layout and creation was Julia's.

Since the printer messed up on the first batch (with minor margin issues) we have 2, slightly imperfect calendars to giveaway. The calendar months go through February of next year.

To enter leave a comment on this post and to double your chances leave one on Julia's blog as well. We will pick the winners and mail you these beauties asap. Entries can be made until Tuesday, Feb 23 midnight PST.

Cover is made of thick frosted plastic There is a 2010 and 2011 year at a glance..which I use to keep track of potential jobs & booked jobs. I love being able to see my whole year in one place.

Month at a glance with a facing blank page for notes (print flaw, far right numbers cut off...)

Week at a glance with a blank page for notes

back cover

Good luck fellow list makers.

Leather Craftsmen Custom Books

Leather Craftsmen is one of my favorite bookbinding companies.

This is the 10x10 high end album I offer wedding clients but I think it would also be a nice book to fill with family or vacation memories.

I just love the simplicity and timelessness it has.

I prefer to lay the images out on the pages in a way that doesn't detract from the subject....no crazy overlapping collages in this house.

Let me know if you want one. I can hook you up.

(This custom book was designed for these folks. Loved this wedding)

Origami Surprise

I have found so many interesting and inspiring people through my giveaway connections. One in particular had the most creative idea for sharing my work. Check out the genius:

Minimum Wage, I love imagining my website address hidden in a beautiful box in the coffee shop's dark secret corner. I hope I get an email from one of the finders.

Everyone check out her amazing blog minimumwageart.blogspot.com for all sorts of artistic treats. The bio on her blog reads, "scrap wood art sold for minimum wage - because even folks with dirt under their nails deserve art."

I couldn't agree more.

I hope everyone can find a secret little box of their own this weekend. xo.

Seattle Vacation Giveaway

I know this may be coming on a little strong for my first giveaway, but honestly I wanted to give something I would want to have...and there is nothing I crave more than little side trips to beautiful places with amazing food. For that reason I decided I want to give away a weekend vacation to Seattle, Washington.

The giveaway winner will receive:

$400 to be used towards flights/rental car

A $300 gift card for one of the following hotels:

Hotel 1000

Ace Hotel

Inn @ Harbor Steps

(all great locations and close to Pikes Place and the water)

$75 gift certificate to Elliots Oyster House (our favorite waterfront restaurant..we dream of alder plank salmon)

The total giveaway value is almost $800.

Here is how you enter: Obviously I am doing this to drive the new and the old to the blog and shiny new website. To be eligible to win you must spread the word of this giveaway and/or my blog or website (www.rachelthurston.com) and then leave a comment on this post telling me how you shared. You can spread the word through blogs, twitter, facebook or any other creative means you may have.

Here's another hitch, there has to be at least 100 comments for the giveaway to be valid. So spread the word!

Posts can be made until Wednesday, February 3rd at Midnight PST.

I honestly love Seattle. There are trees everywhere and the air is fresh and the food is ...well to die for.  Seattle reminds me so much of the motherland, Alaska. If you've been you understand my love and if you haven't been, it's time.

I have a million other suggestions for what to do, eat and see. So when the winner, wins, I will email you info and suggestions. I only ask one thing of my precious Seattle giveaway winner, you must take photographs of your stay and let me share them on the blog.

This is so exciting. Good luck!

(ps. immediate family not eligible. Sorry dudes. It would just be weird if my sister won.)

Sisters

How was everyone's Christmas? Ours was eventful with all of the family together and then Kate's wedding on the 26th. Busy, busy.

As part Christmas gift and part wedding gift to my sisters I had these bracelets made for us. Since Anna had to miss the wedding since she is in the MTC we wanted to have something we could all wear on the wedding day to connect us. Mine read "1 of 3", Kate's, "2 of 3" and Ann's, "3 of 3". I love them SO much (my sisters and the bracelets).

I found the amazing Wire Lady on Etsy. Go here to order your own custom wire twisted jewelry!

Fresh Balsam

This season we bought a Noble pine tree but it never hurts to have a little extra piny help. Bath and Body Works has the BEST smelling "Fresh Balsam" scent. We have this candle and the antibacterial soap in our bathroom. I feel like I live in a Christmas forest.


Have a great weekend loves. What are your weekend before Christmas plans? I have a fun 60's photo shoot this morning and maybe going to Disneyland tonight. Early family Christmas party on Saturday and then teaching a lesson on Sunday on the TRUE reason we celebrate Christmas....then maybe a Sunday afternoon nap? xo.

Kauai- Part 3- Where to Stay

The north shore of Kauai is my location of choice, preferably in the Princeville community. I have stayed in many different condos/apartments/villas within the community but my favorite development by far as been the Villas of Kamalii. The one I found for Grant and I was my favorite unit within the villas. It Is unit #51 which the owners lovingly call "The Rainbow Connection" and once you check out the views from the lanai, you'll know why.

Coming from our humble 520 square feet abode, it really felt gigantic. The kitchen was beautiful and clean and equipped with a vita mix blender! There were two huge flat screen TV's, 30 second walk to the pool, hot tub and grill and the most amazing viewing from the lanai. Seriously we just sat out there and stared.

I am totally plugging this place, because if you ever need a place to stay on the north shore Adria and Louanne were great to work with and their villa beautiful.

You can find more information on renting this unit here.














Amara Bliss Yoga Retreat

(Photos borrowed off of Amara Bliss's site)

How amazing would it be to stay in that adorable yellow hotel and wake up everyday to mediate and do yoga?!

Sounds amazing to me.

My friend (and one of my former brides!) Lisa, is one of the instructors for an amazing week long yoga retreat in San Pancho, in Nayarit, Mexico.

Go here and check out Amara Bliss Yoga Retreat website to get all the details.

I would love to go and will if I can figure out how to squeeze it into my schedule.

It sounds dreamy to lay in savasana ocean side and have an instructor rub my temples or straiten my spine. dreamy.

Are You Happy?

Bought this here a couple of weeks ago.

Seems like a good question. It never hurts to be reminded that if you aren't happy you have the choice to change something. I firmly believe true happiness is a choice, and now I can look at a pretty piece of art to remind myself.

Fan Club




I made this wee little book for my sister to take with her on her mission.

It is 5x5in (the perfect size to fit.. anywhere really. I wanted her to be able to keep it close). It has photos of all of the fan club members and words of encouragement.

Really I think the best part is the corner stripes on the front and back covers (Italian flag colors), which were Grant's idea. It pays to have a creative brainstormer in the next room.