I’ll go pack and zip up the suitcases after I write this. I can’t wait to get to a hard wired desktop computer. I need to change the picture settings so I can post pictures you can actually see. That would be nice. I hope to do that on Friday but we’ll see how productivity goes. I’m looking forward to going home but I’m not looking forward to the giant pile of laundry waiting to be done. I can do laundry best when I have nothing else to squeeze in between washing and drying. Since I haven’t had that luxury since after the wedding when I was bonding with my stepdaughter that week, I sort it and make Jesse wash and dry it. He’s good about it and doesn’t complain. It’s much more efficient for him to do it since he can lug off 2 18-gallon tubs better than I can.

We need to go shopping for a tall dresser and two 6-foot tall mirrors. I’m determined to get my dance corner up and running as soon as we have time to go shopping. Which probably won’t happen this weekend because the daughter is coming for a visit. Yeah, a 7 year old and hopefully no jet lag. Eh, oh well. Just gotta go with the flow. And the flow is telling me to chill out and de-jet lag on Friday.

Oh, and act like a minimalist and clean up the apartment and rearrange my desk.

Thursday we made it to LAX and even on a plane but Seattle got snowed in so Mom had to pick us up. We took an extended nap then headed to Rancho Cucamonga to pick up some gear from REI and the Bass Pro Shop in Victoria Gardens. BPS was a bigger fail than expected so we bought all our gear from REI. Looks like we’re going to need to join Ryzzie snow camping in Yosemite in the spring.

Friday came and after more delays, we headed off to Portland. I made a new friend (I’m a magnet for kindred spirits it seems) because they didn’t seat us together. She eventually asked if I was an engineer because I talk like one (+1 nerd point). I gave her my card and said to keep in touch. Dinner in Portland was really good (quiche and clam chowder) and the delay was horrible. We were supposed to leave around 6 and ended up leaving closer to 9. Thankfully we got a tail wonder but we still didn’t arrive in Anchorage until midnight (1am PST).

Let’s see… Yesterday we woke up at the buttcrack of dark (sun doesn’t rise until 10 am) but breakfast was well worth it with the fresh waffles and cold milk. Off to the train station and we eventually departed for our 11.5 hours train ride to Fairbanks. We saw lots of big moose and missed the caribou. I made jewelry in the dining car and actually got some design work done. Haven’t gotten to do that for quite some time, enough that I was very pleased with my efforts. Home has been so hectic trying to get down a routine. But I think it’s time to throw routine to the wind and just get stuff done. We made it to the hotel, geared up and went for a walk in the snow. Got lost and the restaurant on Yelp wasn’t on Google so I demanded we go back to the hotel. The restaurant was nicer and pricer than expected so I got some bottled water and a salty frozen pizza. That was enough. Watched the tail end of an Ice Age movie and then went to bed.

Breakfast this morning wasn’t nearly as good as Anchorage but we had time to eat and later visit with the older couple and brave solo elderly lady who adopted us in Anchorage. Hopefully we get to see some of the Northern Lights this trip. Jesse’s going to peek out at the clouds at dusk to check visibility. My down jacket from Land’s End has been perfect.

And off we go to the Hot Springs! Pictures when I get to a computer. I think my default settings for pictures is set on small. Grrr.

Citrine in Rose Gold Filled… /drool

Apatite in Yellow Gold Filled

Sunstone in Sterling Silver and Rose Gold Filled… this is my favorite, but it’s hard to choose between this and the apatite.

There are still a few more pieces I haven’t taken pictures of yet. But the only thing that really comes to mind is the Citrine bracelet in Rose Gold I need to add another bead to and just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Really, I need to hammer the wire, wrap the bead, then attach it. Eh, I’ll get to it eventually. We were supposed to leave for Alaska today but Seattle got snowed in, declared a state of emergency, and cancelled all flights. So we’re leaving tomorrow for Portland then Anchorage. Hopefully no weather issues.

We’re headed for a little cold gear shopping. Better take pictures.

Once my finger tape gets in, I can play with my drill and polishing things. They’re silicone and work basically as a sander for oxidation. I tried it without the tape and the tag heats up really fast so I really do need it. Boo. I suppose I’ll hammer and oxidize stuff over the weekend if I have time. We’ll see.

Did I mention we’re heading to Alaska for our honeymoon? Haha, yup, next week in the middle of winter. No, not on a cruise. We’re taking a rail tour from Anchorage to Fairbanks then a van up to the Chena Hot Springs. It’ll be epic for sure. When we were deciding what to do and where to go, I gave it some real thought and decided no bugs and no humidity. Eh, let’s go see the Northern Lights. So we figured out when the New Moon would be (viewing is best with no light in the sky) and booked our flight.

When I can’t sleep, I climb out of bed, make sure my new husband is covered so he stays warm and asleep, venture out to the front room, plug in my broken floorlamp that needs to be connected to a wall switch, and make myself cozy on the futon. Tonight I have the blanket wrapped around my legs for warmth and I gaze around the room, wondering what else I can do with it.

A bookshelf would nice, filled with books and magazines meant for early morning reading before going back to bed for a few more hours. A medium sized mirror in the corner on each wall for bellydance practice would also be a lovely touch. The latter has been approved, but we still need to hit up Target to find something suitable. I’ve always wanted a small dance space for practicing so this will be exciting.

I’ve slowly begun to bring over my wall art… Paintings from an old family friend and framed ribbon embroidery little works of art to start with. Something He-Man needs to be included but we’ll see how to deal with that. I would love either my Xena or She-Ra framing to go above my desk. Most of this depends on the 3M wall hangers and weight restrictions. And if we decide to buy a TV or not. So far we haven’t needed one, as much as I need my Big Bang Theory fix. Oh well. I have better things to do than park in front of the TV.

I have a ton of jewelry ideas and I would like to crank out at least one jewelry piece to show off at this weekend’s bead show in Pasadena. It’s my favorite show ever and I get a lot of artist feedback on my wares whenever I go there. So I hope to make something with at least the stones from my crazy pirate rock lady.

Look, a giant cookie!

Being creative isn’t easy.  I hit a plateau in 2010 and I’ve just started getting back into the groove of things.  Let’s just say that planning a wedding takes too much energy.  I’m glad it’s over.  Oh hey, here’s a picture.

I have no idea why Jesse is pouting in this picture.  I’m still waiting for the proofs from the photographer.  Oh yes, I should show off my awesome necklace that I insisted to wear.

Okay, not the best picture of the necklace, but it shows off the whole white p0ofy package.

Being married has been pretty awesome.  I mean, I’ve made more jewelry within the past few weeks than I have for half of 2011.  I think that says something.  Not sure what, but something.  3 pairs of earrings, 3 pendants, and 1 bracelet.  I need to fix the bracelet now that I have better clasps.  It was a little tight on me, which could also mean it would be perfect for someone else.  Darn you, big bones!  Anyway, I’ve been very happy with this new wave and I hope to ride it for as long as I can.  Jesse insists I go to bed earlier (or else he gets grumpy), so I have to manage my time a little bit better than I normally do.  I do appreciate his need for more sleep, even though I’m still trying to figure out how to share a bed and the right amount of covers and PJ’s.

Tonight I hope to work on a new design idea I came up with yesterday.  I really need to utilize the stones I buy from my crazy pirate rock lady, so that’s definitely on the menu.  I have to credit my bellydance bosom buddy for that one.  We met up for dinner last night and it was nice catching up.  My intuition decided she needed a particular stone that I adore and hoard.  So yeah, inspiration at its best.  Then I thought of that new design I need to tinker with.  Even with the exact stones I need to combine.  Crazy!!!

I will end this post with 2 pictures.  The first one being some gorgeous stones and what I did with one of them and the second a wedding photo that I really need to frame.  I ♥ my Sashi. ♥ ♥ ♥

So Jesse and I walked to Target before heading over the the sports bar with a pool table.  We decided to buy a shoe rack that’s on sale for $9 this week.  We have the perfect place for it, so this will a nice addition to our cozy little cave.  Hopefully my boots don’t overpower it.  Other than that, we pretty much spent the day sleeping in (partied too hard last night), walking around, and tidying up the apartment.  Here’s a picture of some of my kitchen gadgets.

I’ve been making jewelry a lot more lately, which is really awesome for me.  I’m thinking my new focus will be rose gold since I have more access to supplies and I really love rose gold anyway.  I need to do some research on that, but I have a good feeling about it.  Whoo hoo!

Post-wedding day, Jesse and I ventured to his sister’s house where we visited and rested from the festivities.  I ended up making another one of these bracelets to replace the one I sold.

Later in the week, since we had the kid with us, I went back to spend the day at the sister’s house and made this pendant in yellow gold and rose gold respectively.  Now to figure out what stones to show off.  Yes, this is my “show off stone” pendant.  Choosing a stone is so hard.

Jesse’s been pretty entertained playing with all the kitchen gadgets we got from the wedding.  We can make nachos/salsa in record time with the food processor.  There’s even a grating attachment that’s great for cheese and hard veggies.  I plan to test it out with my meatloaf ingredients, probably tomorrow.

Still getting the beads organized and I need to see if I can fit my computer around my desk.  It’s going to be a never-ending cycle until it’s done.  Bleh. >.<