January 31, 2008

Skirt Flyers

I've been working on a flyer for my upcoming project with Manos de Mujeres Unidas in Punta Mita next month.

I have one in color:


and one in black and white.


Ooops! It should say, Van AL taller...

January 30, 2008

Still not easy being green Skirt



In honor of Kermit's "birthday" (which I found out is actually in May, but who cares?) I'm sticking to green skirts all week. Monday I wore Skirt 39, yesterday I wore a green T-shirt and today I am in Skirt 72.
I found creating the Kermit banner inspirational yesterday. The kids and I had a great time with it. Hopefully today will be another great day!
**********************************************************************
It was an interesting day...
Here are some of 4th's Andy Goldsworthy inspired earth works.


January 29, 2008

It's not easy being green skirt

Kindergarten is celebrating Kermit the Frog's birthday all this week. In case you are like me and did not know, Kermit's birthday is this Friday, February 1st. To celebrate, in art today we made Kermit a special surprise...
The kinder-kids made a banner with, paint, color, crayons, markers, glitter, magazine pictures, leaves; basically all things green.


When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why,

But why wonder, why wonder?
I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!
And I think it's what I want to be.


~From the song It's Not Easy Being Green:
Amen Kermit...

January 27, 2008

Weekend Update Skirt(s)

I've been traveling around the past two weekends.


Click on the links below.
Weekend Travel Skirt 1
Weekend Travel Skirt 2

Enjoy!

Weekend Travel Skirt 2: Camping in Mayto

Some friends and I went camping South of Vallarta. We traveled to two towns: Corrales and Mayto.

We stopped to have lunch in Corrales, a very small fishing village. It reminds me of what I imagine Yelapa must have looked like before it turned into such a tourist destination.



No beach here to set up camp... boo!

Onward!
Looking for a camp site, we stopped at this gorgeous isolated beach. The view is stunning and endless, but it was way too windy to stay.


We discover we are not alone...


Finally, we arrive in Mayto. We set up camp and walk up to Mayto Hotel to enjoy a margarita. We saw baby humpbacks jumping out of the water in this bay,

and watched the sunset.

(Sigh...)

That night while we slept the sound of the water was very calming, despite the ATVs that were roaming and mean dog that barked right outside our tent.

The next morning we went for a walk along the very long beach.

Mayto has a station that monitors and protects the sea turtles that lay their eggs on this beach. I didn't see any turtles, but I did see some whales!


On my walk, I hunted for shells. I'm always looking for inspiration for jewelry that I dream of creating. I found something. This will look nice on a leather cord.

Made in Mexico

January 25, 2008

New School Skirt

Today's skirt is one that I haven't worn in a while, Skirt 36, at least not since last June. It's beginning to warm up here in Vallarta, my computer tells me the highs are in the 80's. Ahhh... it's in the 30's at home.
Enjoy it while you've got it!

New School Skirt:

I enrolled in Spanish classes at Spanish Experience Center today.

After my exam, I treated myself to a meal at Lolita's, just before the Malecon. It's always packed with people, so it has to be good right?

¡Claro que sí! Look at all of the food that came on my Mexican Platito! (Una enchilada de pollo, carne de res, un chile relleno, una quesadilla, una gordita, y tortillas de maiz y salsa al lado!) I could have eaten it all, except that I had a piece of cheesecake before my test...

Strolling on the Malecon...

Mira la Buddha


So, it reached 91 today. Can you beat this?

January 24, 2008

Perfect Lovers in Puerto Vallarta


Ugh! Now I know why pants are always a good option... With sporadic hot water, it's hard to shave my legs all the time, unfortunately I’m running out of options. I’m wearing Skirt 40.
This morning on my way to work, I stopped by a new coffee shop in the Plaza across from school. My mocha was good enough, but I saw something in the shop that reminded me of a work known as Perfect Lovers by the artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres. The owner of the shop is Italian, so one of the clocks is meant to be on Italian time, but here it is: a serendipitous homage to a beautiful piece by a contemporary Latin American artist at my neighborhood coffee shop.

January 23, 2008

I've been bad Skirts...

I say that I've been bad because I've neglected to update Skirt Project, even though I've worn skirts the past three days. What I regret is not taking a picture of the outfit I wore on Monday, Sailor Skirt & Shirt... I got lots of compliments on that outfit.

I wore Skirt 61 yesterday. I never did get a shot of that skirt that day in July, I had finals...

Anyway, yesterday was a good day. A decision was made and I went to yoga where a new teacher was filling in. I was more confused with the poses and flow of the class, and the instructor's first language is English! Oh well, sometimes it just happens that way.

Today, Wednesday, I am in the exact outfit that I wore in Late, Late, LATE Skirt. I'm wearing this outfit because it matches the picture that I drew in that post, and it just felt right today. When I think of that picture I am reminded that I am going places and I am in charge of the direction of my life. Indeed...

I met Denise this afternoon who works with PEACE. To learn more about PEACE, check out this article that I read today. Anyway, Denise is bilingual, very sweet and always wears skirts. She is going to help me with the project. I am very, very excited!

Another reason I am excited:

It's half-price chicken day at El Pechugón! Yay pollo!

Later that night, Café with Spanish Experience at Café San Angeles.

¡Qué divertido!

January 21, 2008

Color of Love


So, I learned how to knit and have been doing it to help mend my broken heart. I learned to purl two weeks ago and just completed this scarf for my sweet niece. I like the colors. I hope it's long enough... Almost ready to knit that skirt!

Sailor Skirt & Shirt

I heard on TV this morning that this is Blue Monday, the saddest Monday of the year. That means that it can only get better, right?

I thought about wearing a blue skirt, but instead I went with red Skirt #? because it's bright red, and Lord knows I need something bright in my life these days! It's a red sailor type skirt that I've paired with a sailor type shirt. It's my uniform, because I've got a lot to get through today due to my number one passion: procrastination. These are some murky water times right now... but soon everything will be crystal clear.

At least the sun is shining today...
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right

January 20, 2008

Weekend Travel Skirt 1: Mascota, Talpa y Estancia

My friend Claudia invited me on an adventure this past Saturday. We traveled by bus to Mascota, Talpa de Allende and Estancia. These towns are in the Sierra Madres, east of Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco.

It was such a freezing journey. Note skirt, jacket and jeans!

Mascota
We started our adventure at 6:30 in the morning, arriving in Mascota around 8:45.
Just in time for breakfast at the Municipal Market, I tasted café de olla. Café de olla is coffee that is made in an olla (ceramic pot) with cinnamon and piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar). Mmmmmmm! Mascota is an old town, established in the 1500's and about 4,000 ft above sea level. The name is derived from an Indian word that means place of deer and snakes. Claudia was a great tour guide...

In the square in Mascota, you can see the steeple of the church that was finished in 1880, but took 100 years to construct.


Mascota is very quaint and clean. People are friendly there too, very helpful.


Another view of the church, which is dedicated to the Virgin de los Dolores (Virgin of Sorrows).


We didn't have much time in town, but next time I would like to visit the cemetery which dates back to the 1600s. There is also a museum that has petroglyphs from the region, but they were closed. However, el museo de pierdras was open...

Francisco is a life-long resident of Mascota and operates el museo de pierdras (Rock Museum). It's full of historic photographs of Mascota, and every surface imaginable in his house is covered in tiny rocks; including a working television and telephone.

In el museo de pierdras.


Does this look familiar?

¡Mil Gracias Francisco!

On the way to Talpa, you can see the town of Mascota on the left.


You can feel something magical in the air once you arrive in Talpa, and I'll never forget the way that the air smells; like sweet guayaba (guava) and incense.

Souvenirs de Talpa de Allende
Many stores sell and make rollos de guyaba (candied guava rolls), like the one I am holding here.

The owners of this shop let us get up close and witness the making of this spectacular sweet treat. They also gave us a taste of rompope. Rompope is a sweet liquor made of eggs and sugar. It reminded me a lot of eggnog, but yolk-ier.

Here, buckets of fresh, peeled guyaba are waiting to be made into candy.


Mixing the candy: this batch has food coloring in it.


Talpa has many artisans that craft huaraches -
Mexican leather sandals.


Other popular souvenirs of Talpa are made of chilte (gum). Arboles de chilte (gum trees) grow in the region. Chilte is edible, but tasteless. Flavor is added to create what is known as chicle (chewing gum).

Raw chilte on the left, tiny gum hats on the right.


Huaraches made of gum. Guess it's not always bad to have gum on the bottom of your shoe?


Talpa de Allende is one of the most important religious sites in Mexico, because of the Virgin Rosario of Talpa. She is said to have healing powers, and many people make the pilgrimage to Talpa seeking answers and miracles to their prayers. She is as small as a doll, encased in a glass box high in the church and dressed in an ornate golden dress.
I'm here! Mira mi!

At Talpa's main church that was built in 1782.

Inside the church: it was packed because of a wedding...

It was beautiful. The church was full of love. Mariachis were playing as we prayed, and the bride wore a skirt! Sorry the picture is blurry.


Leaving Talpa. So beautiful, clean and colorful!

Bye Talpa... on to La Estancia.


The terrain is so colorful, but what impressed me the most was the color of blue that flashed by when we passed agave crops.


La Estancia
At the bullring, where we went to collect arrayan.


Arrayan: a small, very bitter acidic fruit.


At Claudia's grandmother's house, there were so many trees and crops to see.

I saw coffee, banana, papaya, orange, lemon, lime and avocado trees. I'd never seen avocados on a tree before.

So many sights, sounds and smells: fresh cookies, roosters and parrots, just to name a few.

On the way home, the sun was setting behind the Sierra Madres.

This trip was awesome in that it evoked a true sense of what life in Mexico was probably like for my grandparents. It was all new to me, but some how felt very familiar... I can't explain it, but I am eternally thankful for the experiences I had this day.