New Years Blessings 2008

Tonight is New Year's Eve 2008. In true Elsa-fashion my mind is going a mile-a-minute reflecting on all that has happened this past year and my dreams for the rest of my life.

I have so much to write about in my heart that it is overwhelming and I am just going to say that I remain exceedingly grateful for any positivity, goodness, health and love in my life.

May God grant me the strength and Grace to be an even better person this year to come...

Retro Elsa

Modeling for quite a few years now I've had my hair and makeup done in many ways. Not all of it works well with my ethnic features (read: my Basque nose and big bedroom eyes). But once in a while the stars align and voila! I come out with something that tickles me pink!

 

This video was shot after modeling bridal gowns all weekend in Orange County. I returned to have dinner at my parents and where I am caught on camera (oh man - I didn't mean to sound bossy - I was being silly) modeling my 1920s 'do and makeup.

Upon returning home to Patrick he broke out his camera like he usually does when I come home full of hair and makeup to shoot some impromptu shots. I love these shots as they remind me of an old picture I've seen of my grandmother Araiza looking as glamorous as possible in the heat and dirt of Mexico posing Hollywood style for the camera = = I obviously got a little bit of flair from her - amidst the modesty we were brought up with heheheh :) I'd also like to thank Patrick for his shots of me - they are fun and show a bright side of me that doesn't shine as often as it used to..
Click on slideshow below for more!

RetroElsa

Holiday Goodies!

 
  I would like to thank the very playful and talented Shannon and Richele who spend about 20 hours and a couple hundred bucks baking an assortment of 13 (yes! 13!!) cookies, fudge, peanut brittle... dare I go on??? They annually make it and give deliver a big tin to I'm thinking around 30 friends(?)! I am very lucky to be on their friend list and Patrick is very lucky to be dating me as he helped me the very first night to 1/3 of it! UMMMMMM....!!

*editor's note - oh, don't let the pictures fool you - that was from one of my old house parties years ago - they've grown up nicely since then :P

A Bonitacasa Christmas

Again, this video is from last year (2007) but I barely got it off my folks' camcorder in September and now onto Youtube - it took over 2 hours to load 8 minutes onto Youtube - so slllooowww!

That said: this video is quite amusing. You see a typical day at my mom's house - a lot of people talking at once (there is a reason why I speak so loudly, ya'll - - it is just to be heard!!); kids playing and running around, animals running around, and my mom's ever-present knack of shooting the ground when using the camera.

If you can stick watching it though, it's pretty funny. Starting with my mom's opener: "It's Christmas 207," and brother Gabe corrects her, "2007, mom..." - priceless.

Then if you can look out the window you see Patrick's dog, Fred-the-Basset chasing me and the kids around randomly while my niece recounts Fred visiting her dog, Lucy.

Also note that when Aunty Elsa takes over the Big Wheel Green Machines that Santa brought the kids for Xmas - I always liked those things as a kid - I am out for blood - - when you see me crash, I really am in pain landing on my tailbone... and what is funny is that no one pays attention to me but skips my injured body face down on the concrete to pay attention to the escaped Chihuahua named "Weeny" that ran into our yard from the neighbors to play with Fred...

Total pandemonium - that is why we are a lively bunch in our family! :)

Holiday Fashion

  This was actually a show from last December (2007) - - I only got the pictures 6 months ago, though hehehe. I will indulge myself posting them as this was such a fun show (although I can't remember who it was for). Partly it was fun because I got to open it (!) and also because fashion guru and the shows producer Leonard Simpson had the sense (ha ha!) to let me walk alone for most of it - which is infinitely easier to work the garments and have less stress than matching strides and turns with a walking partner(s) who are taller than giraffes...

He he it ain't brain surgery but I suppose there is some need for it to be done:)

Click on Slideshow below!

December 2007 Runway

Christmastime is Near

 

I have in my head right now the Harlem boys chorus' recording of "Christmastime is Here" on the famous Charlie Brown Christmas TV special. I love how the boys, although blessed with lovely, angelic voices (that only kids can have) still don't quite always make it to the pitch of the notes they are singing. It comes off as flawed, and slightly out-of-tune - - and, yet: it is perfect in its warmth and intention - out-of-tune notes and all :)

 

I am posting these pictures from last December of us decorating at P's house with his daughter and dog. It's a year late, but I actually never even saw these photos until about 2 months ago as Patrick has so many pictures now that he never gets around to showing anyone. I think they are lovely and worth posting.

 

We were fooling around with one of P's cameras (perhaps it was new, I don't remember). My man had on his pea coat that showcased his rugged handsomeness and I managed to get some photos of him that I thought really captured a lot going on behind his dark eyes and demeanor - something that every photographer should aspire to, I think.... :) Happy Holidays for now!
Click on slideshow below!

Xmastime 2007

Xmastime at Bonitacasa

It's quickly approaching Christmas 2008. I seem to be stuck in a rut about not getting done all I want to write about. But I will try to segue my blog subjects into the holidays a little bit more. Here is video from Xmas Day 2006 at my parents' home. It is late in the day, and almost eerie how everyone is so quiet and low-key in my family which is usually at least 50 in the house and the decibel level is great. I am fooling around with my Dad's new camcorder and am such a spaz, but it's fun...

Mow-weeee

Definitely back-blogged, I do not have the time or strength to fully detail our Thanksgiving trip to Maui a couple weeks ago. (he he I know some of you are sighing a breath of relief). Essentially this was it: we did a lot of driving and sight-seeing all around the island where we found a great hidden away beach spot on the northern side with a place to camp should we ever return; had our own special sunset pullout beach spot that we stopped to on 2 different days. We loved the old whaling town of Lahaina and its huge twisted trees offering shade in the center square. We also took a fun whale-watching trip from there our last afternoon.


We got a flat tire at dark (a little scary) after I suggested we go off-roading to the lava fields to see the sunset - past cell phone or electricity coverage. Thank God, P knows how to change a tire in the dark - we were both a little wary at our predicament and he came through like my Knight in Shining Armour on that one - phew! Unfortunately, P had the bad luck of losing his wallet on the last day - within 2 hours of our returning to the airport for our redeye flight. We figured it dropped out of his baggy cargo short pockets on our final sunset at a roadside beach where he was crouching taking long-exposure pictures of the sunset. Other than that - we did the freezing early morning drive up to the crater Haleakala where Patrick insisted it couldn't be as cold as I remembered it - - at 40 degrees and biting winds that almost made picture-taking impossible - yes... it WAS . :P

Then there was Turkey Day dinner down the street at Fred's Mexican Cafe (the chain has 2 locations in San Diego that we are familiar with). Yup, we opted out of a restaurant with an overpriced turkey flown in from the mainland and had some tacos and margaritas instead - not too shabby, indeed :P



Since I had been to Maui previously (see blog here)- I wasn't in major picture-taking mode. P took his real equipment with 2 different cameras and will post at least a couple on his flickr account when he gets around to working on them. In the meantime you can see mine on the slideshow below:

Maui2008