FAQ

“Miss Moore, why are you still single?”

“What are you looking for?”

Default short answers: “I wish I knew.” and “A liberal Christian guy.”  I say these jokingly because obviously the answers are much more complex and, I’m fairly certain they are not interested in the long answer.

Well….that’s a great question. Probably one that could best be answered by someone other than myself because, if I had an answer to that question I’d probably NOT be single.  Ok fine.  That’s probably not true.  A few weeks ago I was asked this question at a 5 year old’s bday party where I was the sole single person (not only the only single, but the only childless….that’s another post completely).  “Are you just really picky?” and I responded with an adamant, “Not at all, I just don’t like very many people.”  (for the record I like most people….just don’t like like them) Which warranted the reply, “That means you’re picky!” Touché friend.  Ok, so maybe I’m picky….but the alternative would be settling right?  I mean, I thought knowing what you wanted was a good thing.  No? 

I’ve never been the girl that dates a lot of people.  I’ve had 2 “real relationships” and I’ve probably “dated” no more than 7? guys.  Red flag right? I must be a commitment phobe…..false.  I think it’s quite the opposite.  I am not interested whatsoever in investing in a relationship that I don’t know for certain will go “somewhere.”  (disclaimer…I am interested in investing if friendship relationships…it’s the other ones I’m talking about) Yeah, I know I know…if you don’t try, it isn’t going to go ANYWHERE.  Here lies the problem with the “I know what I want” mentality.  Maybe I’m not open to anything other than the idea in my head I have about my future husband….maybe. Yes. That’s definitely it. 

So…throw out the list? Yes, there’s a list.  And before you start judging me…it’s not crazy.  Ok ok…the very composition of the list is crazy…but it wasn’t done seriously.  I was with a group of (married) girlfriends and it seemed like a fun activity at the time.  If you are one of my close friends the list has become a topic of comical relief and ridicule.  My high school guy friends think its funny to put themselves up to the rubric and see how they score out of the 16 “requirements.”  Before you gasp, these 16 things are pretty standard...typical “good guy” qualities: {in alphabetical order} ambitious, artistic, Christian, compassionate, earth conscious, easy going, educated, funny, generous, intentional, loyal, passionate, patient, spontaneous, and stylish.  Too much to ask?  Usually, first knee jerk reaction to the list is, “Those are a bunch of contradictions.”  My short answer alone {Liberal Christian} is near impossible to come by.  Or I get, “There’s a ton of guys I know like that.”  The truth is.  I’ve met this guy before…more than once.  And the formula was not perfect.  Therefore, I had to amend the list.  CHEMISRTY.  Not an adjective like the rest, but impossible to ignore….dare I say, the most important.  I’ve tried to date the perfect guy (by my standard) and what wouldn’t you know, it didn’t work! GASP.  C’mon! The worst thing EVER is meeting a guy you are compatible with but just can’t take to the next step.  Maybe I should revert to the olden times where you were arranged to marry the perfect guy (by your parents standard) and learn to love the other person.  It works….I’ve met these couples.  But we the people of the RomCom watching free United States have been bombarded with the message that there is something more! And I want it!

“If you’re a bird, I’m a bird.” THAT’S what I want.  That’s why I’m still sinlge. The End.

cali westmont friends go camping.

on labor day weekend a bunch of us westmont alums (years 99-2010) packed up our cars and took off for fallen leaf lake in tahoe.  we drove from all over the state...san diego, artesia, redondo beach, los angeles, santa barbara, modesto, san francisco, and sacramento.  it was so fun to catch up, meet new friends, meet all the kids i've only seen in pics on instagram, and rough it.  it was pretty rough to see this every morning...

for the record this was what my car looked like from redondo to sacramento....

and here it is from sacramento to tahoe...

while everyone was pitching their tents i just had to pop mine up from the roof...this car looks just like mine with the exception of the rims....i really need to take some pics of my car.

here are some of those babies i mentioned.  how gorgeous are these moms with their little ones?

there are a bunch of us missing in this pic....bummed we all weren't there for the pic...but as you can see we had an awesome turnout.

 here's our jumping pic...this only took, let's say....8 tries?

sharon and eden! 

bear!

 

 eden!

josh and meg's baby boots and anna!

 

doug and june!

 

here's louie!

  

boots.

i wish i had taken my camera out more!

bff...no really....forever

        

  

yesterday my first friend turned 30.  we first met in pre-school at calvary baptist in gardena when we were both in the eager beaver classroom. we have SO many memories and pictures but they are all at my mom's house :( without them it's hard to do our history justice.  we went through every life stage together...first crush (mine was on roy skibiski....i think cori liked someone named jimmy?!), first boyfriends (we both liked ben....ben liked cori), first everything really.  we went to nature camp, cheer camp, and band camp together.  we graduated from preschool, kinder, 8th grade, and high school together.  she's seen my BAD side probably more than any other friend.  she's been the victim of my jealousy and my selfishness....i can't believe she put up with it.  we've passed countless notes and mailed dozens of letters to each other.  I have one with me at my condo in a notebook i like to save little mementos in.  it's from 1993 and she was planning her 11th birthday party and making sure the date worked for me.

we celebrated her 30th at disneyland!   her fam stayed at the grand california and mine at the paradise pier.  we ate at the new carthay circle restaurant in cali adventure friday night....SO good! bacon wrapped shrimp on a bed of grilled corn.....yum.  with our dinner we got premium seating for world of color too. it was my first time....and it was glorious. saturday we spent the day park hopping.  i can definitely admit that i am getting OLD.  i could not hang the whole day....whew. i was pooped.  i left at 7...pretty sure she stayed the whole day.  i hope our 40th bday celebrations include massages (i'm pretty sure tanya would agree!)

things i love about her:
1.  we can bust into a show tune at any moment
2.  i can be unfiltered with her and know she's not judging me
3.  i can go a year without seeing her and know that our friendship is the same
4.  she's a dreamer
5.  she's my biggest supporter (and that goes both ways)

the color run.

 

 

30 in lists.

Since I was unsuccessful at making a 30 before 30 list....I'm making a 30 WHILE 30 list!

1.              go to the Getty

2.              see a diva in concert

3.              ride a motorcycle

4.              go to Nashville

5.              get the tattoo I’ve been too scared to get for the last 5 years

6.              go watch the ellen show

7.              visit all the  California Missions

8.              get my masters degree

9.              learn sign language (enough to hold a simple conversation with students)

10.           host a dinner party and prepare all the food

11.           go on a helicopter ride

12.           remember friends’ birthdays and send them a card

13.           maintain an exercise habit

14.           feed the homeless once a month

15.           get my etsy store back up

16.           blog once a week

17.           watch every Sean Penn movie

18.           clips, lakers, dodgers, angels, kings, galaxy, chivas…attend one game of each

19.           cook a new recipe each week

20.           cover a wall in my house with reclaimed wood

21.           go whale watching

22.           make pasta from scratch

23.           get good at using my slr: take it out once a week and shoot around

24.           sign up for monthly produce or some sort of healthy cooking club

25.           stand up paddle board

26.           take Richard Simmons’ exercise class

27.           watch a movie at the Hollywood Cemetery

28.           take a trip to wine country

29.           run a 5k without stopping (this might require some major knee taping)

30.           fill in the blank... (something you will do with me!)

30 greatest accomplishments in my 30 years:

1.         visited 20 countries

2.         visited 17 states (drove to 8 of them!)

3.         graduated from college

4.         earned 3 teaching credentials and one subject matter authorization

5.         achieved national board certification

6.         canyoning down a waterfalls, ziplining and surfing in costa rica (oh and student teaching too)

7.         bought a condo

8.         became an auntie 2 times

9.         completed 7 years as a teacher: surviving numerous layoff scares due to CA budget cuts

10.      was a bridesmaid 15 times: biggest honor ever….

11.      first job at the Pantages in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

12.      completed two triathlons (this is a miracle)

13.      rode a gondola in Venice with Cass and the Toews

14.      3 trips to Disneyworld, countless to Disneyland, and 1 to Tokyo Disney Sea

15.      took grandma to her hometown; Fukui, Japan

16.      white water rafting 3 times: once with mom, once with dad, and once with friends!

17.      learned to sew and crochet

18.      Europe semester with some of my closest friends

19.      maintaining awesome friendships.....I met stac and krisi as babies, cori at age 2, jackie and sarah at 9, kelly at 14, andy at 15....and that's just the childhood girlfriends.....

20.      raised tawnie bonnie

21.      saw a musical on Broadway….only one so far but dozens at the Pantages

22.      danced on pointe…..one of my more painful experiences in my 30 years

23.      played the flute in the high school marching band

24.      got a 4.0…..in grad school. not so much in the other grades…

25.      traveled around Spain with Daisy without any preplanning (not my smartest moment)

26.      learned how to dance Mexican Folklorico….which is SO much harder than it looks

27.      survived teaching kindergarten….for a year….my hardest job yet

28.      countless concerts at the best venues in LA with my bests

29.      took a trip to the cayman islands with my college girlfriends after we graduated from Westmont

30.      built a home and medical building in mexico with potters clay and some of my lifelong friends

if it's broke....fix it up.

This project is from June 2011....I'm a little behind. 

I was at the Salvation Army on PCH in Torrance and came across this gem.  I know what you are thinking....why did you paint it?!! Well...I honestly wouldn't have...if it worked! I've always dreamed of having a grandmother (smaller than a grandfather) clock...especially one where the moon and sun turn on the clock face.  But...those things are expensive! So...I came across this clock which didn't appear to function and it was marked $200 with 30% off...thats $140.  I'm sold right there...I saw some major diy potential.  I had no way of getting this home so I called up my friend Darrin and asked him to come pick up this clock.  When he got there he laughed and thought I was completely ridiculous for spending this much money on a broken clock.  Somehow he convinced one of the workers to give it to me for $50....against the managers advisement...she said they would take nothing under $100.  So....$50 later, the clock was mine. 

  

So gorg...i wish it worked!!

A couple coats of one of my favorite colors! A little gold stencil detail (the same one I used on the wall behind the bookcase in the living room)...

 

 some floating shelves....and some of my favorite reads...and voila!

framing project.

got these frames at the aaron brothers one cent sale! buy one, get one for a cent. it didn't matter that they weren't all the same color, because i'd be painting them. I was more concerned about getting the same style in the sizes i needed for all my prints.


i went with a satin finish gray spray paint for the frames.


these drop cloths were such a good purchase....i've used them on so many projects...


to cut the mats, i first took off the backing to the frames the mat would sit in.


i traced the backing onto the backside of the mat.


after tracing it out, i cut it with a box cutter then measured out the size of the opening which would be cut with the mat cutter (which is an angled blade).


my mat cutter is the push style which slides against my metal yardstick nicely....however, when pushing it often slips, hence the painters tape holding it in place.


voila! i got mats for 5 pictures out of 1 mat (purchased at aaron brothers with a 50% off one item coupon)


the gray on gray wasn't the best...but i wanted to use the leftover mat board that i already had from another project. this map is called a road trip map. it has a heart where all of my friends live (outside of the la/oc area)


here's the finished project. a collage of maps and other prints of my favorite places.