Bigib Designs

From Narita to Yuzawaya in Shinjuku

2012-01-15T23:29:00.000-06:00

On the way to the US, I have 9 hours transit time in Japan. I could choose sit down in the airport or I could try exploring Japan in 9 hours... I decided to choose the later one.

We arrived at 8 am at Narita airport. After custom, look for info and money exchange, we're ready to go out at around 9. From Narita airport, I went downstairs to where the trains are. But before doing that, there is a convenient store that sells some omisubi ( Japanese rice ball). I decided to buy some just in case we got hungry on the way.

We took Keisei Line and head to Nippori station. It took about 1 hour to get to Nippori station. From there, we took Yamanote line to Shinjuku for the next 15 minutes. The cost was about 1190 Yen for adults. Children pays 1/2 price, while children younger than 5 is free. Total trip time was about 1.5 hours ( including the time to buy ticket, time to ask the officer which line to go and time to get familiarized with the situation.

We went to Takashimaya building. On the same building, they have Tokyu Hands and Yuzawaya. We went to Tokyu Hands first but then decided to go to Yuzawaya. It's comparable to "JoAnn" but it stacks up about 5 floors up. I looked for paper... washi paper to be exact.

My jaw dropped to see rows and rows of papers. You could easily mistaken it for fabrics.
I spent about 1.5 hours there, looking for fabrics, paper, rubber stamps... if only I have more time.
Then, I went in line to pay. They have line A and B. Lucky for me, Ami, our friend's daughter helped read the Japanese word. Line A if you need some cuttings while B, you just pay. So, I went to line B.

We had beef bowls for lunch, in a small store kind of across Takashimaya building. It's yummy and cheap. Only about $3 a bowl.

We have to catch 5 pm flight, so we decided to head back at around 2:30 pm. We arrived at 4 pm at Narita and we have enough time to go through the custom, board and sit in the plane.

I think it was the best 9 hours in Japan for me...

Resep bagaimana membuat play doh (playdough) buatan sendiri

2012-01-09T13:20:00.005-06:00

We're back home from our trip to Indonesia. There are so many changes from the last time we visited. I saw so many people are on cell phones and there are more kids play stuff like play dough are becoming more common there.

So, I thought I want to share home made play dough recipe I used to make when our children were younger. Please excuse my Indonesian...

Resep 1:
1/4 cup garam
1 cup tepung
1/4 cup air

Campur garam dan tepung di mangkok lalu tambah air. Di aduk, pencet-pencet sampai menjadi seperti konsistensi tanah liat. Mungkin harus tambah air. Resep ini tidak tahan lama, bisa rusak.

Idea lain, bisa di tambah pewarna makanan atau kilau2.

Resep 2:

1 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
1/2 cup tepung jagung (maizena)
3/4 cup air

Campur baking soda dan tepung di panci pakai tangan. Lalu di tambah air. Orang dewasa bantu untuk taruh di atas api kecil. Aduk terus sampai menggumpal. Jangan masak terlalu lama karena bisa hancur.
Setelah dingin, anak kecil boleh mengadon sehingga lembut.

Translated from http://www.kiddinaround.com/pages/3-Easy-Recipes-for-Making-Homemade-Play-Dough.html

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-31T23:10:00.000-06:00

Wishing you the happiest, prosperous new year...

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-24T16:25:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas...

Christmas is about sharing something that God has given us. Not just sharing "stuff" but also sharing you talent and blessings.

If you have food in your fridge, you are blessed. If you have family whom you can come home to, you are blessed. For those who can celebrate Christmas without having to worry if someone is going to bomb the church, you are blessed.

Remember those who are in need, who can't be home for Christmas.
Thank you for all the patrons of Bigib, LLC who appreciate my works.

May you have a very blessed Merry Christmas.

How to choose a boots

2011-12-15T14:30:00.000-06:00

Well... may be the title is a bit general. I think I should say how I chose a boots. Well... here's how it all begin.

I decided I want a boots for my birthday gift. Not any boots... I want a cowgirl boots with lots of intricate details on the shaft, with heels that looks like a true cowgirl boots and comfortable. Hubby got one for me but not quite what I have in mind. I decided to go to Sheplers

Originally, I'm looking for $40-50 boots. After walking in the store, I realized it won't get me anywhere. There's one Old West Corona Boots that is around $60 but they didn't have my size. So, I have to order one.

The lady in the store helped measure my feet. I'm standing up straight, with the socks on, I saw my toes is touching line number 7 and about 1/16" more. The lady in the store said I'm 7 or 7.5, B or C. ( I have a wide feet). I ordered 7.5 B.

It shipped to my house. I tried it on. It looks great, but few minutes later, I feel something is hurting my toes.... I walked around the house, something is not quite right.

I decided to shop for more boots. With Black Friday is coming, I keep looking for some more options online.

There is one that caught my eye. Ariat Heritage Leather Cowboy Boots- J-toe, Wingtip. It has intricate detail, the color I liked and it was on sale. I decided to buy one and shipped it to my house. It wowed me the minute it came out the box,... I put it on... I walked... and it ouched me. It has a nice sole, nice perfect look I was looking for, but it hurts my toes, again...

Three times is a charm... right? I decided to go to Sheplers again and talked more about how to choose a boots.
I have a wide feet. My option would be square toes instead of pointy toes. Not all square toes are made equal. I tried Ariat Legend square toe, it's still hurts. Looking at my feet, I may need to find a wide square toe shoes.

Heel... I want to have a comfortable everyday boots... I learned there is a cowboy heel and roper heel. The cowboy heel is made for easy horse riding. It looks nicer to me.. but I need the boots for everyday use, not so much for riding.

Sole... Ariat has a special sole technology. It really feels like the sole is gripping your feet.
It feels a very comfortable sole. I would have chose Ariat if only it didn't squeeze my toes.

Shaft... ah... that's where the beauty lies... It shows the details of the boot maker.

After returning Ariat, I finally settled on Boulet Boots. The sole is not as cushy as Ariat's but my toes are happy. I figured, if necessary, I could buy Ariat foot bed or get Dr. Scholl insoles. In addition to that, I love the details and the color of the Boulet Boots.

House for sale in Waukesha Wisconsin

2011-12-14T00:21:00.016-06:00

Our house is for sale... may be not quite appropriate for the blog theme, but I think it's blog worthy...

Location:
North west of Waukesha, cross street Meadowbrook and Northview. It's close to St. Anthony's, Meadowbrook, Montessori School, GE Healthcare headquarter, University of Wisconsin - Waukesha, parks, daycare, Sentry, Pewaukee Lake, bike trail, pharmacy, banks.

Features:
3 bedroom, 2 bath, built in 1999, two tiered large freshly painted deck, heated garage, in ground firepit, new patio door glass, new garage door spring, finished semi basement, GE washer, dryer, stove and refrigerator.

Good size kitchen and dinette with lots of cabinet. Main rooms are all in the same level. Finish semi basement is great for a family or recreation room. A secluded den is cable ready for an office. Flat backyard is great for a pool or even possible expansion.

The property is within walking distance to park, bike trail and Meadowbrook elementary school, with tested rating 9 out of 10 by Education.com http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/wisconsin/waukesha/meadowbrook-elementary/?page=test-scores#tab-test-scores.
It is near Pewaukee lake, near grocery stores, banks, pharmacy, restaurants, post office, I-94, near daycare, near University Wisconsin Waukesha. The location is private, bordered by mature trees.

Living room is facing some greenery. There is no neighbor across the street.

Main bedroom has a big walk in closet.

One of the bedrooms.

One of the full bathroom

Closed utility room with utility tub.

Did I tell you we have in ground fire pit? We always do a summer solstice party enjoying the fire with friends and family.

A plus: You can see Waukesha fireworks located at Waukesha Fair Ground from the deck. If you are lucky, hot air balloons may be in the area during the Waukesha State Fair. A honey crisp apple tree that will bear fruit in the next year or two and raised vegetable garden ready for planting. Last but not least, this is the place that inspired all the great works I've done...:)
Wouldn't you agree?

Please contact me for info.

Teacher's gift idea

2011-12-08T23:47:00.005-06:00

It's Christmas time... what should you give for your teachers? When I post that question on my page, usually the answer would be gift card...

This year, I decided we should do something different... as now my daughter gets a little bit older, she can do handmade items. We decided to make a name necklace.

I let her practice in a piece of copper sheet for several times. Started with the right technique of hand stamping, then try stamping on a straight line and a curve. After 7 tries, she decided to do it on a piece of sterling.

I drilled the hole for jumpring and close soldered it. I think it's a pretty good for a first timer... Wouldn't you agree?

Simple stringing necklace for kids

2011-12-01T16:56:00.000-06:00

Looking for a project for kids? How about this simple stringing necklace. You can choose the simple colored beads and some interesting bead for vocal point. The child can learn about pattern, counting and perhaps some patient...

Any stringing material would do as long it fits the holes. I use 49 strand nylon coated steel wire for stringing material. I end the necklace using self closing clasp and jump ring. It turn out that it's so easy to open and close, that she could take the necklace off herself.

What do you think?

Cyber Monday Coupon

2011-11-26T23:57:00.001-06:00

Get 15% off total purchase of $50 or more at Bigib.etsy.com. Coupon code CMBLOG15.
Offer expires Nov 29, 2011 11 am CST

Happy Thanksgiving Day...

2011-11-26T01:56:00.002-06:00

How did you spend your Thanksgiving day? Well... we spend the morning of our Thanksgiving day volunteering at Turkey Trot Anthem. We prepared some drinks for the runners and cheered them.

Then, in the afternoon, we went to visit our friend and have Thanksgiving dinner with her family.
She cooked Turkey and all the trimmings. I brought some veggies, fruits and appetizer.
Then we played games and eat pie, and play again, and much some more... That's the fun part.

The more serious part, I'm thankful for the family and friends, for the roof above my head, for the food, for the job, for the health, for the opportunity, for the freedom and for all the blessings.

Thank you to all the patrons of Bigib, LLC. It has been a pleasure to help you all.

Stylish Breastfeeding or Bottle feeding Reminder Bracelet

2011-11-22T18:22:00.002-06:00

Moms can be stylish too... One of a kind breastfeeding or bottle feeding reminder or tracker bracelet. There are no numbers on the bracelet, only symbols. You can wear it as a regular bracelet and no one will know that you are tracking on something...
To learn more about this, please visit bigib.etsy.com.

Free tickets to Winter Glory

2011-11-13T00:41:00.002-06:00

WDCC is giving away free tickets to Winter Glory...
To learn more, go to WDCC facebook page or click to this link.
Good luck...

Art Fair at Harley Davison = Winter Glory

2011-11-05T13:56:00.000-05:00

Where to find cool Christmas gifts in Milwaukee? Where to shop for great stocking stuffer? Where to find unique, totally awesome gifts?

If you are looking what to do in Milwaukee on November 18, 2011, you have to go to Harley Davidson Museum. Premier event of Winter Glory Fine Craft Fair will be held at Harley Davidson museum.

If the name sounds familiar, Winter Glory is the sister fair of Morning Glory an annual Wisconsin Designer and Craft Council event. Cherry picked artists will display their pieces and surely they will awe your artistic senses.

To learn more about this, visit WDCC webpage.

Quick and dirty halloween costume

2011-10-31T11:30:00.002-05:00

"Mommy...mommy, I want to be a leopard for Halloween...."

"Yikes..." that was my first reaction. She wants long gloves, mask and shoe cover in Leopard prints. I have no clue how to do it.... She said "please... please... puh leeezzz". I told her I will try to make it but no promise.

We went to a craft store and looked for Leopard prints she likes. We found a suede type fabric with sparkles on it and it's on sale. We bought 2 ft fabric costs around $3.50 with coupon.

I found this quick way to make glove in you tube.

So, I brave myself making a pair of gloves.... a long gloves to be exact.

Then the next one is mask. She wants leopard ear and mask.... I searched on the interenet and found how to make a hat on youtube and modify it from there,

This is how my pattern looks like. I add the cat ear on top and add 4" on the bottom for the mask.
Then, I make a cut for the nose and eyes and the mask.

Of course, I have to add a tail, just like in my previous blog on how to make cat's tail. She then wears black tops and bottom and the new leopard costume.

It took me about 3 hours total to work on it. If I could make it better, I'd make the ears stiffer.
I saw similar outfit at Walmart, that comes with ear head band, tail and gloves for $15. I could have gotten that one and safe time.

But I think that 3 hours worth spending... (so I can share my experience with you).
Just like Mastercard ads...

Fabric for Halloween costume, $3.50
Time spent searching for how to... 2 hours
Time spent making costumes... 3 hours.
The feelings... priceless...

Watermarking on Corel Paint Shop Pro X3

2011-10-29T12:05:00.001-05:00

Now... you have made the silhouette like in my past project and would like to post it on the internet. If you are really concern that someone may copy your picture for personal use, you may want to watermark your work.

First, is to create your own watermarking. You can write anything. I write mine "Copyright Bigib". Open new file, I chose 300x200 pixels, color transparent, RGB 8 bits channel, OK.
Click Text tool (A on a box), choose your font, size and create as vector. Since I will be putting the watermark on a black surface, I chose white background (color of the letter) and null foreground (color for the letter outline).

To add a keyboard short cut copyright symbol, use alt+0169. For registered symbol use alt+0174, for trademark symbol, use alt+0153. I then add the wording "Bigib". When you are happy with the wording, click apply (green check mark on the palette). You then can move the writing to the center or anywhere you like it.

Then file, save as PSP image. You are now ready to watermark your picture. Open the picture file you want to add watermarking. Zoom in or out so you can see both images.

Go to image, watermarking, visible watermarking. A new window till open up. You can browse and chose the new image you just made. You also have the opportunity to set the opaque, emboss, size and even placement. I want to place mine in the center.

And then save the final picture as jpg. Now you can upload to the internet. The watermarking helps deter someone from using your image.

There is also an option where you can track your image, which is using image, watermarking, embedded watermark that would take you to Digimarc. This is a service you need to subscribe.
For me, I think I'm happy with the visible watermarking.
Happy trying...

How to make silhouette with Corel Paint Shop Pro X3

2011-10-17T10:33:00.001-05:00

You have a nice picture and you want to make a silhouette? I learned that making silhouette is as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4.

1. Using a program called Paint Shop Pro by Corel Draw, choose a picture you want to make a silhouette. I chose a giraffe picture I took when visited Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Open the file. Using a magic wand, I traced her. If it's not showing, view, palettes, tool option from the menu. Hold the shift key if you want to include the picture, hold ctrl key if you want to exclude the picture.

2. Choose selection, invert. You are telling Paint Shop to choose the background, not the subject. Choose material (on the right hand side or choose view, palettes, material) and using a dropper, choose the far right color (white). Right click your mouse. It will change the color to white. Then edit, clear.
You will have a giraffe with white background.

3. Choose, selection, invert. You are telling Paint Shop to choose the subject. I want to change the giraffe color to black. On the right hand side, choose material. Bring your mouse the bottom very far left and right click your mouse. This will choose the color black. Edit, clear.
This will make the giraffe looks black.

4. Subject is almost perfect. I use marker tool to darken the area that is imperfect. When you are happy, select the subject using select tool, copy special, copy merge, paste as new image and save the file. You just make your own silhouette project.

Buying a house of your dream

2011-10-10T22:30:00.007-05:00

We recently moved and needed to buy a house. I thought I share my experience in house hunting. Whether this is your first time buyer or not, it may be a good idea to learn it again.

First, what you have to do is to set some money aside for your new house. If you don't have cash to pay the house in full, you need a mortgage. A pre-qualifications from your lender is recommended so you know how much house you can buy. Current conventional 30 years mortgage interest is around 4%. To avoid Private Mortgage Insurance, you need to put 20% down. Depending on the city where the house is located, closing costs could ranged from $2500 - $5000. Lenders may required you to put 2 month reserves for taxes and insurance. If you are looking to buy a $300,000 house, you will probably need about $68,000.

If you don't have that much money, there is an option to get an FHA home loans that only requires to put 3.5% down, which significantly reduce the money to set aside around $10, 5000 plus closing costs, earnest money and other reserves.

If you are a first time home buyers, you may qualify for some first time home buyers credits if you purchased your house by July 2011. Please check with IRS publications.

As I was searching for houses, other than regular sale houses, there are HUD houses available for sale. Unlike regular sales houses that sold by the house owner, HUD houses is sold by Federal Agencies.

If you do want to buy a HUD homes, you need a real estate brokers. Referrals from friends or internet directory for realtors is a good start. I suggest you do your own interview to choose the one that fits with your work style. Some brokers needs a contract, some don't. Most brokers will provide you list of houses according to your parameters, shows the houses, do a comparative market analysis (CMA), write and submit a contract, negotiate on your behalf, help with house inspection and do the closing. Zillow.com, Trulia.com or Redfin.com are some of real estate search engines you can use. Other than house listing, some provides lists of realtors, information about neighborhood, advice, etc. I found out that Zillow are not always accurate with the newest house listings.

After the contract is accepted, the next step would be a house inspection. House inspector helps find major flaws in the house. Some brokers have worked with house inspectors in the past. It's a good idea to choose home inspectors you are comfortable with.

If the house looks fine, then you will come to the closing, sign the paperwork and you are a new home owners. Congratulations...

Fall colors in Colorado

2011-10-05T00:49:00.004-05:00

Fall colors in Colorado is quite different than the one we experienced in Wisconsin. Since there are not too many red wood trees grows in the area, there are not too many red colors during Fall.

There are a lot of Aspen trees that turns yellow in clusters. You will find patches of yellow colors between green evergreen colors. The kids love to see something new. They think it looks more like cheese on top of broccoli.

If you live in Denver area, the best place to go is Kenosha Pass on hwy 285, south west of Denver. It takes only about 1.5 hours to get there, worth a day trip. Colorado Trail passes Kenosha Pass.

If you like natural (less groomed) camping area, this is the place to go. Some fees required to camp in the area.

The trail is pretty wide that would fit about one car wide or ATV. I met a local hikers who has hikes several times in the area. I was caught in the rain with them while waiting in line for a pit stop. They said there is always afternoon showers, at around 3-4 that would last about 1/2 hour.
So, if you plan to hike, don't forget to bring poncos or rain coat. Have fun hiking...

Magnetic bookmarks at Broomfield Days...

2011-09-19T23:46:00.004-05:00

Broomfield days opens with a race, yummy breakfast and also not to mention art and craft fair and the parade. Bigib, LLC was there for the art and craft fair bringing magnetic bookmarks to fellow fans.

New styles fits for boys, girls, men and women. Great for gifts for anyone in the family. LimitedbBookmarks will be listed on my Esty store too...

Hello Colorado,... meet me at Broomfield Days

2011-09-14T23:48:00.001-05:00

Mark your calendar, September 17, 2011...
Bigib will be at Broomfield Days in Colorodo, booth 96 silver. New magnetic bookmarks will be waiting for you to take home...
Look forward to seeing you...

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo... more than just a zoo

2011-09-06T10:09:00.004-05:00

Wondering what to do in Colorado Springs area? Do stop by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
As a parent who has been to several zoos, I do believe this one is different. It is located near the mountains. In addition to seeing the animals, you got some perks for beautiful view. It is not just seeing cage after cage or location after location.

The location is kind of tricky to find. Do, find the directions before you go. Depending how fast is your pace, you may need all day to do this trip. Parking is limited. It's a good idea to come early when the zoo opens.

I noticed most people will see Giraffe exhibits first as it's located close to the entrance. You can buy lettuce for $2 to feed the Giraffes. We decided to take the sky ride first as there were hardly any lines. We bought the ticket in the entrance, which is cheaper than if you buy at the ticket booth near the sky ride. Hold on to your belongings as wind gusts may be playing with your hat.

Sky ride would take you to the upper part of the zoo. They have picnic tables, food stalls that sells ice cream and spectacular view. If you want to buy lunch, Grizzly Grill is one of the place. The food feels a bit pricy. My daughter ordered grilled cheese, which I think the worst grilled cheese I've ever eaten. I ordered brisket and coleslaw for $11. The brisket is great but the coleslaw is tasteless.

The zoo design is very clever. They are using the topography of the mountains to strategically locate the animal and the viewer so that you feel like walking through animal habitat. My favorite place is the birds, where you could go in side a house where the parakeet are flying freely. The wallaby is my second best. Then the moose, tiger, wolf area.

Don't miss Will Rogers Shrine as part of your zoo trip. They close about 1 hour before the zoo closes.

Denver Mint Tours

2011-08-28T23:25:00.004-05:00

While you are in Denver, Colorado area, you probably do not want to miss this tour. If you only have few days in Denver, do make an early ( give yourself about a month a head) reservation on line. The reservation will tell you in detail about list of items allowed to be brought with you during the tour and do really follow the instructions or else they won't let you in.

Parking located near Delaware in USPS building. It costs about $5 for the first 4 hours.
It's a good idea to bring an umbrella. It could be scorching hot you have to wait outside before they let you in.

The tour starts promptly. They allow you to take a potty break and drink before their 30 min tour. You will be greeted with security and metal detector. Then, you will find yourself in a room filled with old coins or other monetary exchange. Beads, spices was once considered as money.

You will be inside a room filled with information about how do they make coins, metal mixes, machine, recycling coins and on. The tour guide is very knowledgeable. You will be able to see machines that makes coins, nicely decorated building After the tour ends, you can visit a gift shop.

During our visit, the gift shop was closed due to construction. It was an OK tour for us but very educational.

Bobolink Trail

2011-08-22T00:13:00.002-05:00

We decided to try hiking in a very kid friendly and easy trail. We went to Bobolink trail, on South Boulder and Cherryvale Road.

We started a little after noon. It was really hot and a little bit "buggy". In addition to sun lotion, hat, sun glass, a bug repellent would help. There is a parking lot but no john... so if you really need to go, you can look for shady area or find a gas station with restroom on 55 and Arapahoe.

The trail is bike and stroller friendly. There are creek access where you can try walking on the stone to the other side of the creek. About 0.6 miles, you will see access to East Boulder Community Park. It was too hot for us to continue so we bailed out to the Community Center.

Next time, we'll try going there earlier... or when the sun is not so scorching hot. It's a fun experience for family.

A trip to Water World

2011-08-15T09:07:00.003-05:00

While we're in Denver, we took the opportunity to visit Water World. If you happen to be drinking lots of Mountain Dews, keep the cans as it has $6 coupon off. If you are not, you could sign up to get one.

The park opens at 10. We arrived there about 10:30 which I considered late. Once we got in, we went to Captain Jack's area. If the benches are full, you could try other places like Big Top or Thunder Bay. There area lockers and bath house close to the area. We rented a locker for our valuables.

Some rides requires tube. If you are traveling alone with kids, you may want to rent a tube. If you want to save some money, you can carry the tube yourself to the starting point. I have to warn you that it's a bit heavy...

We tried most of the rides, including Voyage to the center/earth, Raging Colorado, Wally's world, Lost river of Pharaoh, Captain Jack, Thunder Bay, Storm, Big Top, Space bowl (this one, you need to be able to swim), H2O arena and gondola. We ran out of time...

We were there on a Friday... last weekend before school starts. Despite 30 min wait or more on each ride, we had fun and plan to come back.

When we come back, we'll plan it some time in the middle of summer, middle of the week. Hopefully the lane will be shorter. This time, we'll try to arrive 10 min before they open...

Playing with mud at Denver Art Museum

2011-08-08T01:17:00.004-05:00

Visiting Denver? Don't miss Denver Art Museum. Currently, Marvelous Mud on exhibit until September 18...
Other than live artists demonstration, you got a chance to get dirty. You could pick an apron, pick a lump of clay, some tools and then use your creativity to build anything you like.
They even have a pottery wheel...

My suggestion is to arrive a little bit earlier. The clay needs some time to dry. In the real clay world, you suppose to fire it to 1200F. My clay didn't have a chance to dry out... Too bad that I accidentally squeeze the clay and broke. Luckily, I got a chance to take a picture of it so I can share my piece.

I think it's very fun piece. Wouldn't you agree?

Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

2011-08-01T01:11:00.002-05:00

When we're in Denver, we had the opportunity to see Dragon Boat Festival. I say it's an awesome festival. Despite high 90's close to 100's, there are estimated 100,000 people came to see the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival that is filled with Asian dance and cultures, food, market and of course Dragon boat race.

We were there at around 11. As they suggested, we parked on lot G in Invesco Field. There are shuttle bus from BVSD that would take us to the location. Volunteers are working hard to make sure all the buses move as soon as it filled. At the location, we were dropped at the very far end of the festival. There are market place where people sells bamboo hats and parasols, knick-knacks, snow cones and so many more. You should try coconut and sugar cane juice in addition to Asian food.

Folding chair, umbrella, sun lotion, sun glasses, hat, drinks are essential. With almost 100 F, misting tent is like an oasis in a desert. Despite the scorching hot, I think it is worth going.

Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair August 13-14, 2011

2011-07-17T22:52:00.005-05:00

Visiting Milwaukee? Wondering what to do in Milwaukee in August?

Morning Glory Fine Craft fair is a must to see. About 140 fine craft artist will be showing in Down Town Milwaukee in Marcus Center of Performing Arts ground from August 13-14, 2011

Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair go back 37 years, when Margaret Rahill, the former Curator of the Charles Allis Art Museum, and Leslie Brockel, a former board member of the Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council, came up with an idea for an art fair on the grounds of the museum.

Best of all... free admissions...

Hope to see you all there...

Open Art Fest Boulder

2011-07-16T21:00:00.003-05:00

Visiting Boulder this weekend? Don't forget to stop at Open Art Fest on Pearl Street Mall.
Local and visiting artists providing demo and showcasing their pieces.

My experience moving with United Van Lines

2011-07-16T00:18:00.004-05:00

We are moving out of state... we need a mover. How to choose one?
We decided to search on the internet and found abundant information about how to choose a mover, say like the one in eHow.
We decide to interview 3 candidates, Graebel, Allied and United Van Lines. They all accredited by BBB.

I called each companies and all of them have a very fast respond to send their sales person in. They walked around the house and gave estimate. Amazingly, they all came with similar quote, similar service including wrapping the sofa, putting carpet and door protector. One thing that I think differentiate Graebel and United, all Graebel crew employed by Graebel while United (Barrett Moving) is contracted out.

Since we asked the quote more than 2 month from our moving date, United will re do the quotation again, but the other two didn't offer that service. They would do it if you ask.

We went through each estimate and talked to each of the sales person with questions and narrowed down to two movers and decided on one. We chose United because the sales person is very easy to communicate both by email or phone. Tony M is very professional, can explain questions in detail and very structured.

We requested "not to exceed" quote instead of "straight talk" to cap our moving expense.
Then, we're connected with the coordinator, Muge. She is very easy to communicate, explains our questions in very detail and clear.

About 2 days before the loading day, the packers crew came. Three ladies came and put all of our stuff in the boxes within 6 hours. They left few open boxes for our blankets and our last minute items. They numbered every box.

On the loading day, a huge truck parked in front of our drive way. They arrived within the time estimated. Two very strong men and a driver came, put door protection and started taking box by box out in the staging area before they put all in the truck. The last items to go in are bigger items like bike, lawn mower, shelf, .. those that can't go in a box. It took them about 8 hours to load everything up. I'm glad that all of our stuff can fit into one truck.

Three days later, about 1035 miles away from our home, the truck arrived, on time. The only familiar face is the driver. They have two other strong men to unload the boxes and assembly the beds. It took them about 5 hrs to unload everything.

I have a good experience with them. They are very professional and reliable. Yes, if I move out of state again, I'd choose them... But I think it's going to be a long time before we need a mover again...

Martha's journey

2011-06-23T00:16:00.004-05:00

I'm Martha... a fan tail gold fish. I'm sharing my story about a long trip I made.

My owner wasn't sure about how to bring me along for the long 16 hrs trip they are going to take. So they went to a pet store and ask for information.

Here are the tips they got.
1. Take all the decorations out from the aquarium
2. Take half of the water out. Please keep my water clean by not putting too much food in it.
3. Cover my aquarium so the water won't splash.
4. Put me on the floor of the car, not in the trunk.
5. During the trip, if you need too make an overnight stop, don't leave me alone in the car. It can get too cold or too hot.
6. When you stop, take this opportunity to open my cover for fresh oxygen.

It may be a good idea to put layers on the bottom of the floor. I still splash...

Once you get to the new place, you can add the decorations back, add some water and make yourself home.

Just a tip to transport fish for a long trip...

Moving to Wisconsin

2011-06-06T19:11:00.003-05:00

You just got an job offer from GE Medical Systems in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Should you move to Wisconsin? What is it in Wisconsin other than cheese, beer and sausage?
How about school, life and other activities?

If you like me, you may have all those questions in mind before making a decision. I thought I want to share our experience moving to Wisconsin.
We moved to Wisconsin because of a job at General Electric. The headquarter is located in Waukesha. Naturally, we're looking for a place in Waukesha area.

There some neighboring area near Waukesha that is worth checking including New Berlin, Brookfield, Hartland, Delafield, Pewaukee. Since we have school age children, we were looking for a place in about 10-15 min radius driving with affordable housing and good school. Fortunately, City of Waukesha met all the criteria.

About 1 exit down from exit T (where GE head quarters is), there is an area called Rolling Ridge. It has easy access to highway 94, close to grocery stores and strip malls and excellent elementary school. Meadowbrook Elementary is part of Waukesha school district that has a smaller classes and great teachers. Schools usually starts after Labor day and ends about 1-2 week after Memorial day.

Within 5 miles radius, you'll find Montessori school, parks, church, bike trails, Waukesha County Technical College, UW Waukesha and Pewaukee lake. If you are looking for temporary place, there's apartments for rent or even houses for rent. Zillow.com is a good place to start to look for rentals or houses for sale. There is an apartment in Pebble Valley area that may worth checking. This great house caught my eyes. http://jim.firstweber.com/1202590

Drive further to downtown Waukesha, you'll find shops, Waukesha Library, YMCA, restaurants and more. What I like the best is their farmer's market and art fairs.

The weather in Waukesha, Wisconsin tends to be a little bit humid during Summer, nice during Spring and Fall and cold and dark during Winter. The lowest temperature I've experienced was -15F, not including windchill. It only happens during mid of January. The deepest snow I've experienced was about 12" on the ground.

If you are into recycling, a composting bin truck load sale is on June 25, 2011. http://eeinwisconsin.org/net/calendar/details.aspx?s=96590.0.0.2209&c=3532867
A $100 composting bin will be on sale for only $38.

If you are into boating, water skiing or even kite surfing, Michigan lake is just within 30 minutes from Waukesha.

There are so many interesting things going on in Waukesha area. It's a great community, good neighbor, great schools and great place to live.

How to clean gunk from steel shot tumbler.

2011-05-24T22:40:00.000-05:00

If you are using steel shot tumbler to polish or clean sterling silver, after a few tumbling, the stell shot will eventually turned "gunky".

There is a solution you can get at a jewelry store to clean it or you can choose a simpler, more affordable option, classic coke.

Just pour the coke till it all cover the steel shot and let it run for at least 20 minutes and then rinse it. You will be surprise to see the result. Your steel shot is as clean as new.

What do you think?

How to fix a jewelry bench part 2

2011-05-09T07:26:00.009-05:00

The table top is off. I went to local hardware store and found MDF boards 3/4" and 1/2" thick.
After talking to the person at the store, I learned I have 2 options. Glue two 1/2" MDF boards, clamp it, screw it and make it a 1" thick like the original table thickness or use single sheet 3/4" MDF board.

I choose the later one as I thought it's simpler.

How to protect MDF board? I use polyurethane. MDF board is very porous and it absorbs a lot of polyurethane. My mistake was applying it in a cold weather (I can't help it, ... it's 6 months winter in WI and I was too excited to finish the project). It creates lines of brush strokes on my table. It's not the end of the world. I could scrape it off using sand paper and re apply the polyurethane.

The table size is about 19x38". Then semi circle is about 7" deep and 20" wide. It's not quite a perfect semi circle shape. Table height is about 37".

I keep all the wood pieces that connects the table top. After the table top is ready, with my hubby helps, we screw the table top back.
Then I add the sides that helps beads or any round items from rolling away.

After cleaning up all the drawers and other parts, the table is ready to use. I bought a jewelry bench and anvil that can be fitted on the table top.

If I were to do it again and if I am willing to invest $100 on the table, I'd go to a local cabinet maker and order 1" natural wood table top. They would use pieces of wood, glue them together and mill it to a table top instead of one big slab wood.

I'm glad I tried this project. It makes me a better person. Best, I can share this with you.
What do you think?

How to fix a jewelry bench

2011-05-02T17:16:00.000-05:00

I bought a used jewelry bench, a very well used one. The price was right, so I decided to take a chance.

The table top looks dirty and rotten. I'm guessing it's because a pickle pot was sitting on it. My friend, Jon Hughett, gave me some tips...Use a MDF board, look for 1" thick, cut to the size and voila... As for the existing table, I could just pry it open.
Sounds easy?

Yes,... it sounds easy. I wasn't sure if I should plunge to this project. I'm so not handy but I was trained as an architectural designer.

I decided I'll try the easy way... I use steel wool and try to clean it. It turned out the table top is really in a bad shape that each time I rub the steel wool, more pieces are coming off. I don't think I want to bring this inside the house. So, I let it sit in our garage for a while.

After contemplating and doing some internet search, I decided to take the plunge. So, in the next few weeks, I will be blogging about it...:)

I went to the garage, turn on the heater (we got a heated garage) and start working.
First, I took all the moving parts out, including all the drawers and dust pans.

Then I attack the back cover. I use a raw hide mallet so it won't damage the table. Trust me, it's very noisy.
Next, with the mallet again, I start pounding the rail guard. That one is pretty easy to do too.

Perhaps, the harder part is cleaning the nail out from the wood. In the beginning, I use pliers and try very hard to pull the nail out. I see the back of our hammer is made to pull nails out. So, I use the back of our hammer and voila... nails are coming out from the woods.

Then I need to take the table top off. Thanks to Derek L who gave me some tips. I found the table top is screwed around the perimeter. Hubby helped with his electric screw drive to take the screw off.... and it's off.

Will continue next week...

Clay activities for parties from Our Creative Outlet.

2011-04-26T06:06:00.000-05:00

Needs some activities for your children or adults this summer? Tired of pottery painting? How about making your own clay pieces for birthday party or just relaxing with your friends? Yes, that's what we did to celebrate our daughter's birthday.

Karen from Our Creative Outlet in Delafield, WI offers that opportunity for us. It's all started from a big blob of clay, rolled, stamped and color. Then, let it dry, bake and it will be ready to pick up in the next week or two. You will have all the fun while she's doing all the dirty job (cleaning).

You can be as creative as you can... Sky is the limit. Best of all, it's a piece you can treasure event till the child to go college.

Wouldn't you agree?

Architectural Inspired Necklace adorn with Sapphire

2011-04-20T14:24:00.001-05:00

It's art, it's different, it's fun...
That's why I design architecture inspired necklaces.

It's made of sterling silver wire, textured and adorned with tube set lab grown sapphire.

It's so new that it's still my personal collection. If you wish, a special order is available. Please contact me.

Meet Shelly Culea, Wisconsin silversmith

2011-04-14T14:51:00.002-05:00

Meet Shelly Culea, A BFA in jewelry and silversmithing from Kansas University,

She's making classic, household silver pieces from tea strainers with waste bowls, porringers, ladles, spoons and candle snuffers that can be used and enjoyed daily.

Her past working experience including Kirchnerʼs Manufacturing, Jewelmount Corporation, Artist in Residence” within the Golden Valley, Minnesota school district

Here most recent projects including preserving work from Emil Kronquist. Emil Kronquist established the Metal Arts Department at MATC in 1913. Mr. Kronquist was born in Sweden in 1882. He apprenticed to Georg Jensen in Denmark before coming to the USA.

Emil was an early member of the WDCC and served on the WDCC Board. Thanks to “Art
Jewelry Magazine” editor Hazel Wheaton, his legacy wonʼt be forgotten.

To learn more about Shelly Culea, please visit WDCC Facebook or sculea(at)wi.rr.com

Tadpoles...

2011-04-08T16:17:00.004-05:00

Yes... for real. I've seen a picture, but this is the first time I see tadpoles. It's larger than I expected.

A girl at Girl Scout Chinook Center found it. It's still have a tail and hind legs...

Fun...

Dainty sterling silver pendant for a teacher birthday gift

2011-04-04T00:01:00.003-05:00

What are the chances that your teacher birthday is the same as you? That's what is happening with my daughter and her teacher.

For this special event, I asked my daughter, if she wants to give her hand made pieces. She decided this time, mommy will do it for her.

So, I made her a small pendant with the teacher name on it, dangle on a silicone cord.

It's suppose to be a surprise for her... so psssst.. don't tell her about it.

What do you think?

To learn more about this product, please visit my Etsy store..

Swim meet Special Olympics at YMCA Pabst

2011-04-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

Ok.. I have to admit... even though Special Olympics is one of my charity list, I've never been in their activities.

Last Sunday, my daughter and I, had the chance to do so.

We signed up to be a volunteer to do anything they need. We arrived at 11 am. After registering ant the senior center room, get a t-shirt, we went for a meeting.

I learned that they assigned us to be the escort. Our job is to escort the team from stating area, to the pool, bring to the award area and back to the staging area. It's simple...

We're teamed up with Matt. Three of us will take one group. Our first group is YMCA swim team for 200 yard Medley relay on lane 5. We took them to the designated lane, cheered them up and brought them to receive their awards. Sounds simple...

During that process, I learned something new. Despite their disabilities, they did their best, really proud of their achievements and really enjoy every minute of it. As I walk them back to the award area, everyone on the bleachers was cheering at them. I was touched and almost had teary eyes.

The process continues. There are 20 events on that afternoon ranging from heat 1-9. We were on schedule and finished 15 minutes earlier. Towards the end of the day, I was tired. I walked bear footed and my heels were sore. So did my daughter.

I 'm glad I have a chance to do this with my daughter. This helps expose her to a new experience and hopefully that would mean something in her life.

If you are reading my blog, this is a chance for you do something different tonight. In addition to your regular prayers, think about what you have been blessed with. And perhaps include Special Olympics in your charity list...

Just a thought...

In honor of Brian (Ben) H.

Maple Sugar Days at Wehr Nature Center

2011-03-26T14:57:00.005-05:00

Maple sugar days activity in going on at Wehr Nature Center, March 26-27, 2011.

Volunteers showed how to spot a maple tree, drill a maple tree, collect the sap and boil the sap to make syrup or sugar. Visitors even got a chance to taste the maple syrup...

In addition to that, visitors learn about the Native American culture in making a "Mokuk", maple syrup and a chance to visit the reptile and animal exhibits...

It's sure a fun family activity to go to...

Girls or Boys Personalized First Communion Gifts local Waukesha Pewaukee Brookfield Milwaukee - Wisconsin area

2011-03-23T17:46:00.007-05:00

There's still time to order First Communion gifts for boys or girls. First Communion name bracelets for girls or name tie chain for boys.

Bigib, LLC by Conny Karman in Waukesha is still taking orders for St. Anthony on The Lake - Pewaukee or St. William - Waukesha. Last day to order for these two parishes would be April 17,2011

Just visit her online store, http://www.bigib.com or call or mail the order form.

All others, please allow about 7-10 working days. If you need it sooner, please contact her. She will try her best to accommodate your needs.

Another milestone...

2011-03-15T19:04:00.001-05:00

Bigib, LLC has reached 110 sales with 100% positive feedback.
Thank you so much for your patronage. I really means so much to me...

Pancake Breatkfast at St Anthony On The Lake Pewaukee

2011-03-11T08:43:00.003-06:00

Mark your calendar... March 13, 2011 from 8 AM - noon. All you can eat pancake, plus sausage, milk or juice or coffee....

For only $6 for adults, $4 for children. 2 and under eat free...!

This is a fund raising activity by St. Anthony's Mens club benefiting our sister parish in Peru and Christian Formation.

So come... and join lots of us...

A short trip to JFK Library and Museum

2011-03-05T00:03:00.001-06:00

Last week, I had a chance to fly to Boston to visit a family. I took this opportunity to visit JFK library and museum at Columbia Point.

It is one of the building I admire when I was in architecture school. IM Pei designed this building and I intended to see it myself. I stayed in Braintree, MA and stayed in a hotel in the area.

When I arrived in Logan airport, I took Logan Express to Braintree . It costs $12 one way. There, my cousin pick me up to the hotel. After we are done with the family engagement, she brought me back to the hotel.

I stayed at Extended Stay America, Braintree. My plan is to take the T to JFK Library and then head to Logan Airport. There is a bus stop within a walking distance that would take me to the T (red line).

It cost me $2 to go to JFK/UMass Station and another $2 to Logan. There is a shuttle (number 2) that would take you to JFK library. If you're not sure, the station police is very friendly. There are signs, so you should be able to find it.

It took me about 1-2 hours to walk around the museum. Of course, I got to take pictures... of the building. I then had lunch, stop by the museum store and head back to the T.

I get off at South Station to transfer to SL1 that would take me directly to Logan. It took about 1 good hour from JFK to Logan.

Next time you are in Boston area and have hours between your flights, you may want to try going to JFK Library.

What do you think?

Cheap Jump Ring Maker

2011-02-26T09:24:00.001-06:00

As a jewelry designer, creativity doesn't stop in just designing jewelry. I also try to be creative in finding tools.

I am in need to make jump rings... a lot of them. I found in a jewelry magazine that one of the jewelry supplier store carries a jump ring maker. It looks great, very user friendly but the drawback for me,...it costs a lot...

I decided to look for alternatives. I was searching for pvc pipes, pencils, aluminum tube, anything round to wrap the wire... I stumbled on a wooden dowel. I found mine at a craft store. It comes in many different sizes. Armed with coupon, I got a wooden dowel no more than 99 cents a piece.

I also need a hand saw and a bench vise.

Here are the steps:

1. Choose the dowel according to the diameter jum pring you need. Use a dead soft wire.
2. Cut the dowel about half of your hand saw length. On one end, cut a slit, large enough for the wire diameter.

3. Put the wire in the slit and start wrapping the wire around the dowel. I put a masking tape just to make sure the wire stay put while I'm wrapping around the dowel.
4. Put the dowel in the bench vise and feed the rings towards the end of the dowel.
5. Saw the rings with hand saw. You may cut through the dowel... that's fine.

I do not use cutting pliers to cut jump rings because I intend to close solder the rings. I tried using flush cutter. I wasn't too happy with the result.

I think it IS the cheapest jump ring maker. What do you think?

PS: This is for prospective customer information only and not intended to replace class instructions. Please consult with your teacher before doing any of these steps.

The Fox Soup

2011-02-20T00:47:00.000-06:00

We have been reading our daughter a book titled" Four Famished Fox and Fosdyke"
Towards the end of the story, Fosdyke made a grand meal including soup. There is a green soup in the picture and my daughter wants it. She asked of I can make green soup for her tomorrow.
I didn't know what kind of soup is it, so I couldn't look for a recipe.

I happened to have asparagus for tomorrow's menu. I always left with hard asparagus stalk and I always threw it away. This time, I saved those. I added onion and stir fry them in butter. After it becomes soft, I put it in the blender and strain it. I then added some chicken stock, cream, salt, pepper and thickened it with corn starch. It turned out good (according to me).

My daughter was happy to see it...We called it "The fox soup". She played with it, stir it, pretend eating it and finally really tasting it. Only a couple zip... and that's all...

I may have to tweak the taste, but I thought it was a pretty creative idea to use unwanted part of a veggie and make is something interesting.

What do you think?

Bigib's Cube Sterling earrings is on Etsy Treasury

2011-02-07T21:55:00.002-06:00

BeadFloraJewels featured my cube sterling silver with copper accent earrings to be in her treasury...! WOW...! Look on the bottom right corner... yes.. that's my earrings.

It's an honor to be featured in Etsy Treasury. Why? In case you're wondering, Etsy Treasury is a member-curated shopping gallery comprised of lists of 16 items.

Which means, if you are featured in Treasury, you are a rare find...!

Thank you so much for featuring me. Great job Moo Crew...!

Congratulations Green Bay Packers, winner of NFL XLV

2011-02-07T09:17:00.004-06:00

I have to admit that I'm not a sports fan. But with all the hype, I certainly can't miss Green Bay Packers vs Steelers game last night.

The TV was on while I was doing something. My 4th graders was watching the game.
It is amazing to see how my 4th grader knows more about the game and the players name than me.

I was in the shower when she started chanting and screaming and knocking on my door and said "Packers touched down.... we won the game..."

I'm happy and proud for Green Bay Packers... Go Pack Go...

The Un-heart gift idea for Valentine.

2011-02-03T00:01:00.000-06:00

Looking for a Valentine gift idea but you are not quite set with heart shape gifts?

How about this constellation pendants. It's a custom order, two constellations sterling silver pendant. It's great for a couple or your special someone.

To learn more about this piece, please visit http://bigib.etsy.com

Blizzard in SE Wisconsin

2011-02-02T14:07:00.008-06:00

Blizzard hits SE Wisconsin and Illinois area Tuesday night till Wednesday morning Feb 2.
Here are some pictures from Waukesha area.

We were expecting up to 12" of snow. I'm not sure how much total snow we got as the wind move things around. There are areas in our driveway that is only have 1" of snow, there are areas that is about my hips... We couldn't find our stairs this morning. Here's the picture after it was dug out...

The mailman didn't make it to our house on Wednesday.... The mail boxes are almost buried with the snow. See the red box.

Even our window got covered with snow. This is a picture of a semi basement window. It's a mix of powdery snow on the top and sticky on the bottom... great for snowman but heavy for shoveling. Thank you to our neighbor, Mr. Batchelor, who helped us removing the snow. What a great neighborhood we live in.

The kids are home as it's a snow day. One started digging and found a "treasure". The next interest party came to join. They decided to make a "fort".
Are you ready for a snow fight?

Boys Personalized First Communion Gifts

2011-02-01T12:47:00.004-06:00

NEW from Bigib, a personalized boys sterling tie chain.

It's made of sterling silver button loop tie holder, chain, adorned with round charm stamped with the child's name and a Ichthys (fish) symbol. An outline cross symbol also available.

It fits boys size tie with measurment 2.5" on the widest part. The chain is removable for easy attachment.

To learn more about this item, please visit http://bigib.etsy.com

St. Anthony Mostaccioli Madness

2011-01-28T16:11:00.004-06:00

Mostaccioli Madness is a fund raising program runs by 8th graders St. Anthony on The Lake school. Dinner starts at 5-8 pm on Saturday, Jan 28, 2011, featuring hot piping mostaccioli with marinara sauce, meat ball, cash bar, dessert, music, silent auction and raffles.

Hope to see you there...

Waukesha Janboree today...

2011-01-22T21:20:00.002-06:00

Despite the bitter cold, we decided to go to Waukesha Janboree...

In the morning, we started with pancake breakfast at Schuetze building.
Then, we saw the First Lego League that hubby really happy to volunteer to. The next stop is Penguin egg hunt at Cutler's park. It's fun to see small kids run around try to find eggs...

Downtown Waukesha is decorated with ice sculpture. As we drove by, we saw artist in action.
Our next stop is Lowell park. Since today is Janboree, the toboggan is free. It was our first time riding toboggan. Our 4 years old changed her mind at the last minute.

We originally plan to be at Lowell park for an hour and ended up spending 2.5 hours. We were cold and decided to fill our tummy with a bowl of chili at Chili's.

What a fun way to spend the Saturday. Look forward to next year Waukesha Janboree...

Waukesha Janboree this weekend.

2011-01-21T19:53:00.001-06:00

Waukesha Janboree starts today. There are a lot of activities through out Waukesha area. Please check the website for brochure.

We have always love to go to Waukesha Janboree. Several activities we plan to do including all you can eat pancake breakfast at Schuetze Building, penguin egg hunt at Cutler's park and toboggan ride at Lowell park.

Hope everyone is enjoying the Janboree ...

Artisan Sterling Bib Necklace

2011-01-17T22:51:00.000-06:00

I needed a necklace that makes a statement for an important opening reception.
I will be wearing black... so I thought sterling would be a perfect choice.

As always, I started with doodles to get some inspiration and turn it to a constructable design. The circles are arranged so that it would create an imaginary "bib"

The necklace is made from sterling silver wire, rounded, hammered and stamped to create texture. Each is connected in a segment that strung with nylon coated steel wire.

I think it turned out great and it really fits with the occasion. Wouldn't you agree?

Opening reception at The Best in Contemporary Craft

2011-01-14T12:01:00.001-06:00

"How was the reception...", my friend Diane asked.
"It was great...!" It was my first time going there and everything is a new experience.

I got to see beautiful pieces made by fellow artists. Each has it's own characters and detail. You will be wowed with some of the piece intricate details.

I got to meet my old friends from MATC, Jon Hughett and Shelly Culea. Of course, not too miss Mary, Kimberly and Mark Huber.

I got to meet new friends, Barb Chappell and Sister Rosemarita Huebner, ssnd.
And, I got to explore the museum.

Few of my favorites including the living room size doll house, robo girl, the hidden face in a painting, pewter teapot... and some more I can't recall. Did I say a few?

It's amazing to see so many collections done by Wisconsin artists. I'm glad that somewhat I contribute a little in Wisconsin Art.

Red Coral Necklace for Kimberly Gomez of Impeccable Image

2011-01-11T22:50:00.014-06:00

When designing a necklace, artists sometimes needs to include a person factor. Just like a clothes, you have to think if the person is going to be a petite size or a larger size.

I tend to make a small jewelry, something simple yet elegant. Kimberly Gomez from Impeccable Image needs a jewelry that make a statement. Her favorite color is red.
Big necklaces is not quite in my comfort zone. But I thought it's a great challenge for me.

Based on that requirements, I looked for red, big beads. I found coral is a perfect red, big beads. But the problem with is the beads tends to be a bit heavy. I decided to combine with different size. Just red is fine, but, if I can combine that with other color like purple, orange, or yellow, that would make the color more interesting.

Finally, I want to make something wide yet I want to avoid a double strand necklace.
By doing dangles on the necklace, it will create an imaginary line that makes the necklace looks wider on the bottom.

So, here's the picture of the necklace and the matching earrings. I think it will truly make a statement for a very sophisticated person.

PS: Kimberly is going to wear this necklace on "What's Hot" at TMJ 4, Thursday Jan 12, 2011.
Don't miss it...

Here's the link:
http://www.todaystmj4.com/features/whatshot/113498289.html?video=pop&t=a&bctid=CLIP_ID_472333

The Best in Contemporary Craft at Museum of Wisconsin Art

2011-01-08T12:58:00.002-06:00

Meet me at Museum at Wisconsin Art for The Best in Contemporary Craft opening reception on Jan 9, 2011

A Milestone... 100th sales today

2011-01-03T10:08:00.002-06:00

Thank you so much to 100 customers and 100% feedback. It's been a pleasure making jewelry for you. You all means a lot to me.

New years, new memories

2011-01-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

It has been our tradition to donate our good condition, unused items to Goodwill every year. It usually happen somewhere in December, some time after Christmas. We use big boxes we got from Christmas gifts as a container for the items ( see Greener Christmas blog).

It gives us an opportunity to a "cleaner" home to prepare for new year and also close our past chapters. This year, we have a lot of children items to donate. Our baby has grown. In a way, it's good, but I also feel sad to see she's no longer a baby that would fit her baby clothes.

No more diaper bag or diaper pad needed. No more sleep sacks needed. No more baby toys needed. No more baby shoes needed. If I could, I would save most of them, but then I think someone else can use the item. So, I was torn between which ones to give out and not.

Most items are out, only a few with sentimental memories stays. Like the dress she wore when she came home from hospital, her first birthday dress and a few tiny things I hope to hand it down to her when she has her own baby...

As I was driving out from Goodwill, I had mixed feelings, leaving my old memories there, but I thought I've made a good decision.

Happy New Year 2011

2010-12-31T23:58:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year 2011...
May the year brings a prosperous year....

Home made monster spray

2010-12-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

My 3 years old thinks there's a monster in her closet. She doesn't want to sleep by herself. I remember that my friend told me there's monster pray that is guarantee to scare even the scariest monster.

I happen to have an almost empty glass cleaning spray bottle, about 2 oz. volume. I remember reading about home made atomizer. After emptying the bottle, I filled about 3/4 of the bottle with rubbing alcohol that I got at a pharmacy. I happen to have lavender essential oil. I put in a few drops, shake the bottle and label it ( so no one will accidentally use it as glass cleaning solution) .

I tested and I could smell lavender. I ended up adding more lavender oil because I want it to be more "potent"

So far, it works well. My daughter do believe it is potent and she will sleep by herself at night. She believe it works as she can smell the scent. I some time use it in my room too, just to give a nice smell.

I learned one of the lavender essential oil benefit is remove nervous tension. So, it helps soothes my daughter to sleep.

Best of all, it's cheap... nothing beats home made... :)
Wouldn't you agree?

Three MATC students made it to Museum of Wisconsin Art Exhibits

2010-12-28T00:40:00.001-06:00

Three MATC ( Milwaukee Area Technical College) metal technique students pieces was selected to be at The Best in Contemporary Craft exhibits on January 1-March 13, 2011.
They are Shelly Culea, Jon Hughett and Conny Karman, students of John Strachota and Al Jeanonette.

About total of 40 artist will exhibits their best pieces in the annual event that is sponsored by
Museum of Wisconsin Art and Wisconsin Design Crafts Council.

This juried exhibitions highlights the best in craft today from WDCC member.

The Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council, founded in 1916, is dedicated to
fostering excellence in fine crafts throughout the State of Wisconsin.

Through its educational and professional services, among Wisconsin
artists and the crafts community.

The Museum of Wisconsin art serves the public good by collecting,
conserving, documenting, and exhibiting visual art that represents the
state's unique art history throughout the ages. The museum promotes
appreciation and creation of visual art through engaging programming and
educational resources for all ages, thereby enriching the lives of
everyone through the transforming power of art.

Reception will be held on January 9, 2011 from 1:30pm-4 pm.
It's a great opportunity to meet the artists and
curators.

A greener Christmas

2010-12-26T00:01:00.006-06:00

We got Christmas presents for the family. The kids were excited, every one is happy with their Christmas gifts. I ended up with ripped gift wrapper, plastic and boxes. The next day, I piled up the recycling bins. That was last year...

This Christmas, we do something greener. We re-use those shirt boxes we got from the store from last year. Wen re-use the nice shopping bags from the stores.

When we order from online store, we kept the box as we got it from them. Yes, we tagged them so we know who are those items for. We use gift wrapping paper for those items that is really necessary, e.g gift for a friend.

Today, as we open up our gifts, I keep the t-shirt boxes for next year. We re-use big boxes from online stores for Goodwill items.

We produced a paper bag full of papers and a plastic bag full of plastics and those goes to recycling bin. We were amazed how much garbage we produced compare to last year. I thought this is a pretty good idea worth spreading.

Wouldn't you agree?

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:01:00.002-06:00

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas 2010.

After Christmas Sale is going on now

2010-12-20T09:01:00.002-06:00

Save up to 20% on select items including sterling silver constellation zodiac necklaces...
Hurry... offer ends soon...

Why do you need an image consultant?

2010-12-19T14:50:00.003-06:00

At first, I was skeptical. An image consultant? Why do I need her? I can always go shopping, buy a new outfit I like and done... right?
Well... it's not that simple.

I decided I needed a help from Kimberly Gomez, an image consultant from Impeccable Image, LLC to help me with an very important event, a gallery opening night at Museum of Wisconsin Art in January.

I emailed her the dresses I liked, so she knows my style. Then, we meet at Boston Store at a certain date and time. She's already there when I arrived and she's very professional.

In an hour, I already have 10-12 dresses tried out and narrowed down to three. Then, we head out to look for boots. She pointed out which boots that would fit my outfit and why it would looks good on me and which ones that are not. We narrowed down to two boots. She's such a queen of a deal. She could snatch out nice boots with best value price.
Then she help me choose a couple tights.

I was looking for coupons in the Sunday paper and none of those has coupons for the day I needed. Guess what, she's also prepared with a printed online coupons for me!

Towards the end, she even talked about how's my hair, make up and purse should be. At home, even my hubby agreed that it was worth the effort.

Now, why do you need an image consultant?

1. A trained people (not a mirror) will be able to see what are your strengths and weaknesses. How would a dress fits your body well from the back, front, side and you personally. Best, she knows how to match up with the event.

2. You think you know your style? Try again. After this experience, you will amaze to find out how the dress you thought "it's not you" would be a "perfectly you"

3. Never in my life I can try out 12 dresses in an hour. If I would do it myself, I probably would spend 1.5 hours just to choose the dress and another half to try it on.

4. She's your girl friend and more. Kimberly has a pleasant personality that you thought you've know her for ages. She's honest with her opinion and you can count on it.

And yes... next time I need to revamp my outfit, not only for parties but also for working outfits, I will sure think about her.

That's truly one best experience I've ever had.

FREE SHIPPING FRIDAY

2010-12-16T20:43:00.003-06:00

Free shipping Friday... free shipping for jewelry purchases to the US when you shop at http://bigib.etsy.com
Offer expires Dec 18, 2010, 11 CST.

Big dipper lentil necklace

2010-12-13T10:41:00.002-06:00

It feels like Big dipper necklace in 3D... new from Bigib designs.

It is a lentil shape pendant with Big dipper constellation drilled on it. The piece is made from two 5/8" sterling silver disc, domed, drilled and soldered. Two end is carefully filed to create a hole where the chain will go through. The chain is permanent to this pendant.

It's surely a great gift for a stargazers...

Don't you agree? To learn more about this, please visit http://bigib.etsy.com

Black Friday coupon

2010-11-26T08:49:00.002-06:00

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday coupon for Bigib Art Jewelry http://bigib.etsy.com
10% off Total today...
BEC10BLOG

Milwaukee Public TV Holiday Art Fair

2010-11-22T19:10:00.004-06:00

I had fun at MPTV holiday art fair. Not only I meet new friends, I also met our old friend, Diane and John, from Ellison Bay Pottery. This year, I have a corner booth #44.

The Holiday Art Fair should not to be confused with the auction. It's usually happen during the last weekend before Thanksgiving.

It was about 50+ artists in the show. It ranges from hand craft gifts to fine arts. It's surely cater to all kind of holiday shopping needs you want.

In case you miss it, hope to see you next year...

Find Cube of Cubes at Museum of Wisconsin Arts and Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council

2010-11-18T15:45:00.008-06:00

The cube is a fundamental geometric form, ubiquitous in daily life. Through my
architecture background, I see the cubes as not only functional, but decorative.
In this piece, I wanted to turn a simple shape into an interesting and beautiful
work of wearable art.

Just as in architecture, I always start with a hand sketch. I also add
“architectural” components to my designs, either in the details or the
materials. In this case, I used nylon-coated, silver-plated steel wire in the
necklace—a reminder of the wrapped steel cables used in suspension bridges.

Cube of cubes, my newest piece, will be shown at Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend January 5 - March 13, 2011.

It is part of The Best of Contemporary Craft sponsored by WDCC and MWA.
Opening reception will be on January 9, 2011 from 1:30-4 pm.

Hope to see you there...

Constellation charm bracelets, a great gift for your loved ones.

2010-11-16T10:56:00.000-06:00

Looking for a special unique personalized gift for your mom? grand ma? wife? or your loved ones? How about constellation charm bracelet? Each charm represents the zodiac constellation of each family member. It will be truly special for every family

Charm is meticulously made from sterling silver disc, drilled with tiny drill bits to portray a zodiac constellation, domed and brushed finish. Each charm is closed soldered so you'll be sure you won't lose a charm... (unless you lost the bracelet...:)

To learn more about this piece, please contact me or visit http://bigib.etsy.com.

Meet me at Brookfield East High School 2010 Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair

2010-11-12T00:00:00.001-06:00

Mark your calendar... meet me this Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 from 10-4 at Brookfield East High School.
See you then...

MPTV deal of the day...

2010-11-09T12:32:00.003-06:00

Get this $20 gift certificate for only $10. Valid for MPTV Holiday Art Fair Nov 20-21, 2010
Please visit http://auction.mptvfriends.org/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=128076 for more detail info.

Travel to Disney World...my review

2010-11-08T00:01:00.002-06:00

We traveled to Disney World with 2 children. We booked the travel ourselves... so I thought I share some of the things I learned.

When to travel:
I learned June and December are their peak time. July and August are so hot and humid. We traveled during the low season which is end of October. During that time, Disney offered free dining when you stay 5 days 4 night. So, if your children are in school, check out the teacher conference day and plan around that time.

Transportation:
We booked our travel online through Walt Disney World . The provide free transportation from the Airport to the resort area and back. Disney also provide buses that runs on average every 20 min to the parks which is very convenient. The bus runs until 1 hour after the park closes.

If you want to go to downtown Disney, you need to catch the bus at a resort.
Disney Saratoga Springs Resort is the closest to Downtown Disney. You can walk from one of the bus stop to go to Downtown Disney.

Where to stay:
We originally want to take the most economical option, which is staying in Value Resort (Pop Century Resort). They had a special offer going on for free dining. If we up grade to Moderate Resort (Coronado Springs, Caribbean), we would get a Dining Plan which includes table service.
The table service is kind of nice because it includes dining with characters. The kids love them...
Ceteris paribus, we would have chosen the Value resort, a place to sleep at night as we plan to be at the park all day and a Dining Plan.

Where to dine:
I think Disney dining plan saves us some money. On average, water, ice cream, pop corn are about $4-$5 each. One entree like burger, pizza is about $9-$10 plus you need drinks and may be dessert. One entree for table service is about $20, depending on the restaurant you go, plus drinks and dessert. Disney dining plan gives you points to spend and is very convenient. If you have a budget, I think it's a good plan to go. But remember, you still need to pay for the tips.
You can learn more about Disney dining plan.
It's highly recommended to make a reservation for dining with characters. We booked ours one months before the trip and it's almost gone.

Parks:
You can get a fast pass on certain rides. You come to the ride, swipe your ticket and it tells you what time to come back with minimal wait time. In the mean time, you can do something. The draw back is you can only get 1 fast pass at the time. Say if you get a fast pass at 2:06, you can not get the next fast pass for a different ride until 2:06.

We went to all 4 parks. Every parks has our own favorite. At Disney Hollywood, you should not miss Midway Mania. You sit in a ride and try to shoot the most point.
At Disney Animal Kingdom, "It's tough to be a bug" is our favorite. It's a 3D move with effects. Don't miss the surprise at the end of the show...
At Disney Magic Kingdom, Monster Inc Laugh floor is an interactive show.
At Epcot center, Soaring is our favorite. Try to get the fast past early. We got in at around 11 and the fast pass was at 7.

Fun activity for tween?
Try Kim Possible at Epcot. It's a scavenger hunt with technology. They could "control" some special features in every "World" using the cell phone.

Do I need a park hopper?
It depends. We spent one park a day. With small children, they walk slow, they need to go potty, they wan to eat... now... there are so many things that would slows you down.
If you want to hop parks, you may want to consider that you may need about 40 minutes plus for the bus. Twenty minutes for waiting (in case you just missed the bus) and about 20 minutes or so for the ride, depending on the distance.

Where to shop:
There are big stores (Emporium- Magic Kingdom, Mouse Gear - Epcot) in each parks that sells many Disney theme merchandises and many small booths that located almost every where and there's some specialties store tailored for each theme at the end of the ride or show. Say, we went to see Nemo show, the would have Nemo themed items in that store but not in the other place.
Disney Downtown is another place you should not miss. If you have a certain merchandise you want ( I was looking for a Nerd backpack ), ask the shop keeper as other stores in a different place may carry it.

Where do I get the Disney beanie custom ear hat:
Magic Kingdom, Le Chapeau. When you get in the park, it's one of the very first stores, across The Emporium. If you are facing the castle, it would be on the right hand. They have lots of choices. You can even pick and choose the beanie, the ears, the name... sky is the limit...
Don't expect to see a person with a sawing machine doing the custom name like used to be. It's now all computerized. You can choose 3 different fonts from "traditional" or "fun" or "script". Don't forget to mail your Disney postcards. The mail box is in front of the Emporium.

Some disappointment:
We ordered cake 48 hrs before to be delivered to the restaurant. I expected that the restaurant would know about this. They actually did not and didn't have the cake we ordered. So, I miss my birthday cake.

Everything is so spread out... which means it takes time to get to one place to another. Every morning, we need to walk for 10-15 minutes before we get to the main building for breakfast.

When is a good age to go?
It depends... The more important is your youngest should be at least about 44" and taller... There are rides that is limited to small children. So, he or she may miss the ride while one of you must wait with the smaller child(ren) who can't ride.

My two cents:
Do you really have to go to Disney? It depends....
When you go to Disney parks, you could see it as going to a theme park. Unless your children are so into Princesses and other Disney characters, any theme park should do.

I do believe Disney parks have a little bit of everything. Theaters, shows, rides, food... experience that cater to all ages. I think that's nice considering not everyone are into rides.

If you go to all parks, stays at Disney resort and all meals at the parks or resort plus transportation... it is an expensive trip that you probably have to save before you go. So, it's somewhat true it's a place where a dream (to go to Disney) comes true...

Wouldn't you agree?

Get a free lady bug lampwork necklace for purchases in November

2010-10-30T14:55:00.005-05:00

Free lady bug for online purchases $30 or more excluding tax and shipping while supplies last...
Color may varies.
Offer expires Nov 24, 2010.

How to make adjustable knots.

2010-10-28T00:44:00.000-05:00

Adjustable knots is one of the more popular knots for jewelry. It's easy to make and very versatile as you can adjust the jewelry length according to your needs. It's usually works best on cord. Here's hot to do it.

To start, overlap the stringing material

Then make a knot on one end. Make sure it loops around the other cord. Make another knot on the other end.

Then tighten both knots and it's ready to use. To loosen, bring the knots closer together and to tighten, bring the knots apart.

I think it's time for you to try it... Let me know how it works for you...

Arthicoke Spinach Melt

2010-10-24T11:15:00.002-05:00

Looking for quick sandwich? I found this sandwich very easy and tasty.

I started with half french roll, spread Nom-nom mayo (I called it Nom-nom mayo as I learned it from Food Truck Race. It's mayo mixed with Sriracha sauce) add artichoke, spinach, onion and fresh mozzarela cheese. Then I toast it until the cheese are melt.

It's a quick, simple and tasty sandwich...

I think you should try it too...:)

Glacial Drumlin Trail in October

2010-10-18T11:25:00.005-05:00

I love riding during Fall as the weather gets a bit cooler and the view are...awesome...
Definitely no mosquitoes around but there are sure some lady bugs...

The leaves are mostly on the ground... you can see the spectacular view otherwise blocked by the tree.

It's a great time to ride...A short report from Glacial Drumlin Trail...

How to make cheap home made worm composting bin

2010-10-07T12:28:00.004-05:00

Going green? How about worm composting?

As the weather gets colder, composting may becoming a chore, especially when you need to go out in snow. Worm composting is another option to keep composting going during winter.

This early Fall, I started a new worm bin, which is pretty easy and cheap.
I bought two 18 gallon storage bins which cost less than $5 each. I drill (1/2") the bottom of the bin for drainage, the side (3/4") and the top for air ventilation. I cover those holes with screen.

The other storage bin is to catch the drainage from the bin. I originally put used plastic pots to keep a gap so the water would drip to the bottom bin. As more and more food were added, the pots got crushed. I found out Styrofoam is a good option. It's light, strong and doesn't rust.

Worm likes Ph neutral condition. You can pretty much put anything that grows. No meat, butter, oil, salad dressing, cheese, dairy... any man made produce (I'm pretty sure the worm is not from Wisconsin...:). I limit the amount of starch as it will fermented and give that awful sour smell... I limit putting orange, lime or lemon (anything acidic). I would put those in garbage disposal as it helps with the smell. I also limit garden waste like stems or leaves as it will create some heat.

Then I added moistened shredded newspaper (about 1/4 or the bin depth), peat moss, shredded egg shell, food scrap and some moistened shredded newspaper on the top. If you don't have peat moss, you can use potting soil. I keep adding layers food and moistened shredded news paper and keep adding for at least 2 weeks. After you see some drippings in the bottom bin, you can stop moisten shredded paper.

Next come the worms... It's not the regular earth worms, it has to be the red wiggler worms. If you have a friend that have a worm bin, I'm sure he or she wouldn't mind sharing. They multiply fast. Another option is to go to a bait store, pet store or online.

They like cool-warm weather between 55-75 F . During summer, you can put it under a shaded area. During winter, you need to get it inside a building. I put mine in the garage or basement.

You can involve the kids with this project. In the beginning, they may be a little squeamish but later it becomes a "pet". The kids were excited to hear that I'm starting a vermi-composting. They decided to decorate the bins and name the worms.

It's been about a month after the worm arrived. They are working hard decomposing our food scrap. The drawback is there are a lot of fruit flies in the bin. I keep checking the bottom bins and see some drippings. I use this to water our garden. I also stopped moisten shredded paper.

It takes 4-6 months for them to decompose all the food scraps. Which means, if you start it in October, you will have nutrient rich soil for your garden in Spring. I think that's a pretty good deal.
Wouldn't you agree?

PS: It's been 3 months after we started our composting bin. I put the bin inside the house due to the cold weather in Wisconsin. I found out the fruit flies are now coming in to the house.
Our friend Derek recommended us to make fruit flies trap.

Cut a corner of a plastic bag and make a cone shape. Cut the tip of the corner, enough so the fly can go in. Put the plastic in a V shape on the top of a bottle and fill the bottle with juice or cider.
I just put rubber band around it and put one by the bin.

The logic: The fly can go inside through the hole, but as it fly back out, they will try flying from the side. They couldn't figure out that there's a hole right in the middle of the bottle.

Good luck.

Meadowbrook School Fundraising

2010-09-30T14:43:00.005-05:00

October is Meadowbrook Elementary School fund raising month. This months, the children will do a Walk-a-thon and do fund raising.

With that spirit, Bigib, LLC will donate 10% of Meadowbrook parents sales during October to Meadowbrook School.

If you are a Meadowbrook parents, please leave a note to seller "Meadowbrook parents". I will tally up the total sales from Meadowbrook parents and will donate that to Meadowbrook PTA.

Go... LIONS...

Love letters... a new project

2010-09-23T14:55:00.004-05:00

What should I do with love letters? Should I just save it in my drawer? in my photo album? or should I do something with it...

I'm still playing with my idea... I call it the love letter project.

I like the paper and the rip effect. So, I ripped the letter and added some new colorful papers...
Should I make a collage? a jewelry? an album cover? What do you think?

Please leave your feed back. Don't forget your email... If your idea is chosen, a price will be waiting for you...

Last week of Summer... let's go to the Zoo

2010-09-12T00:00:00.002-05:00

We spent the last week of Summer at the Milwaukee Zoo. We visited all the places till my legs are sore. Penguin is one of our favorite. They are fun to look at. Of course, we have to ride the train, the merry-go-round, and visited the newest exhibits... the dinosaurs.

Thanks to Dinosaur Train TV series at PBS, my daughter tries to name every dinosaurs she saw...

Our most favorite place is the "big cats". Never in my life being so close with a cheetah... I got a chance to take the picture so close that I probably would be eaten alive if I were to do it in the wild...:)

Yes, we plan to go again next summer...

Support Lymphoma Society

2010-09-05T09:05:00.003-05:00

Purchase by September 2010. 20% of this proceed will be donated to Lymphoma Society on behalf of Ella McNeil
http://pages.teamintraining.org/mn/twin10/emcneildot

To learn more about this piece, please visit http://bigib.etsy.com

Natural inspired bracelets.

2010-08-24T21:34:00.003-05:00

End of summer is here... I decided to design a natural inspired stretchy bracelet made from natural seeds. It's made of coral, elephant ear and carambolo seeds.

This is also a fun raising for Lymphoma Society on behalf of Ella McNeil.

To learn more, please visit http://bigib.etsy.com

Sterling Silver Bib necklace

2010-08-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine asked me to make a bib necklace for her. I grabbed a paper and pencil and starts drawing circles. I showed her if this is something she had in mind. It was better...

So, I decided to make one for my Etsy friends.

Each circles is made of sterling silver wire, cut, formed, soldered, stamped (to create details) and arranged according to the design.

The piece dangled on a 49 strand nylon coated silver plated steel wire with sterling silver lobster clasp and 2" extender.

Neckline is about 18" total. The center piece is about 4.5" wide and 3" tall.

To learn more about this piece, please visit my Etsy store.

Biking in Madison... sure...!

2010-08-16T23:20:00.000-05:00

Biking in Madison, WI is so much fun. We started at Olin Turville park and follow the bike path by the lake. It was hot with beautiful lake view. I wish there's an ice cream store near by.
I know there are ice cream stores in the State street. We decided to go to Monona Terrace and cross State Capital. I wasn't sure how do we get to State Capital but to my surprise, they have bike elevator.

It's a pretty big elevator that could fit 4 bikes. It will take you to the 5th floor, the level where would take you to State Capital. Then you just follow the traffic and go to state street.

We stopped by the spotted cow ice cream. It was worth the trip.

Yes, we plan to bike more in Madison, WI

Vista Royalle, a great place for family camping

2010-08-12T22:38:00.000-05:00

Once a year, we would have a family camping with our church. Last weekend, we went camping at Vista Royalle, Bancroft, WI. Even though the location is further than our regular place, I think it is one of the best camp grounds I've been.

It has lots of activities, including swimming pool, jumping pillow, playground, pool, mini golf, ice cream shack and more. In addition to that, they also have weekly activities. Last week, they had children carnival. The fire department stop by and did a water fight game. It's truly a family activity.

We stayed in campgrounds no 71,73,75,77,79. I like it as the location has lots of trees and close to shower and pool. During our stay, thunder storm came by. We survived the storm as there's no water around us. It looks like the camp site across from us, I think it's 106, has a standing water. Luckily, there was no tent around that area.

Plan to come back next year....

Traveling with kids?

2010-07-30T23:47:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's possible.

We drove 16 hours with 2 children. One is under 5 years, one is under 10 years. In addition to games, dvd players and children dvd, snacks, drinks, stuffed animals, cooler is one essential item. A frequent stop at rest area is also essential. It's a good time for them to run and drain those energy and wash up.

We choose to stop by grocery stores and buy subs and fruits instead of going to fast food restaurants. We use cooler for the kids milk and sometimes for our breakfast or left over.

Instead of dealing with, "are we there yet", we include our older child in checking out the maps and look at GPS. We do carry extra maps so the younger one didn't feel left out.

When we did some hiking, I learned that map still works best for hiking. Most of the time, our GPS did not work due to out service area. If you haven't done your homework, visitors centers are best to get local info.

So yes... do travel with kids... they are fun...

I'm on Etsy treasury

2010-07-28T19:46:00.004-05:00

In case you're wondering, Etsy treasury is hand pick items by a curator based on a theme. It is very competitive to get in to treasury.
My piece was picked for "First star I see tonight..."
It's an honor to be part of Etsy Treasury.

Midsummer Night's Dream at Summer Stage

2010-07-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

Looking for family event during summer? Try Summer Stage in Delafield.
They have outdoor performances including play, dance, etc.

This coming weekend, Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare is playing at Summer Stage. Tickets available online or at the door. Brats, burgers also available.

Don't forget to bring blankets, lawn chair, bug repellent. It's a fun event for the whole family...

Live@The Lakefront.

2010-07-22T15:48:00.003-05:00

In case you are looking for things to do in Milwaukee, try Live@the Lakefront. Free music in the rotunda Discovery World every Wednesday evenings. Reasonable priced food available.

Last Wednesday, we went to see Bahia. Awesome music, people were dancing...
They got brat, burger for $3. Chips and other desserts $2. Drinks (cocktails, beer or wine) also available for purchase.

While the weather is nice, the days is long, it's fun to sit listen to the music with lake in the background. Enjoy summer...

Omaha before home

2010-07-16T00:19:00.001-05:00

From Denver, we drove about 10 hours to Omaha. With the time change and few stops at the rest area, we arrived in Lincoln during dinner time. We had dinner at Beacon Hills in Lincoln. The food are OK, I'm not too crazy with it. But I do like the decor, especially a table filled with rocks.

We stayed at Premier Suites, in Omaha. It doesn't feel like the "regular" rectangular hotel designs. It has cluster of buildings with 4 suites in each buildings. The room is roomy, but I think the bed needs replacing.
Breakfast was great... It offers eggs and sausage... yum... It has woken me up that morning with bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to drive to Wisconsin.

We stoped at Lewis and Clark park in Omaha. There is a bridge that crosses Missouri River and take you to Council Bluff, IA.
The kids was surprise to see how can they be in two states at the same time.

We had lunch at Council Bluff Hy-Vee... They had outdoor grilling service. We just have to order one... We then heads back to Wisconsin.

I felt that we are just a tiny specs in this grand country. We experienced from flat land and mountains in just hours. Weather changes rapidly.

With driving on average 70 miles/hour, I felt like seeing a movie from our car window. And yes, there will be more long distance drivings to come...

Lake Country Art Festival

2010-07-12T00:17:00.004-05:00

It happened July 10, 2010.

It's my first show at Lake Country Art Festival and I was having a blast... The weather was great, the wind was blowing just as needed. Yes, a bit hot, but I'd rather hot and dry then wet and windy.

Early morning was just great. Not too many customers yet, so I got a chance to take some pictures. Then it gets busier and warmer. During the day, it's like a hide and seek game with the sun as I'm looking to place my chair in the shades.

Other than that, the music was great. Kudos to Kettle Moraine Middle School band. You rocks.
The best part is I met new friends, new customers and had a great sales.

It was truly a great weekend for me. I hope you had a great weekend too...

Last stop, Denver

2010-07-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

Breakfast at Summerfield was great. It offers hot breakfast including egg, sausage, bagel, toast, fruits. Most people needs coffee to wake up. I really need eggs and sausages to wake me up. So, I started the day with bright eyes and bushy tailed.

Denver has a good public transportation. They called it light rail, a.k.a RTD.
We lived about 5 minutes from the RTD station. We drove to Arapahoe Village stop, parked and rode the train. You need to pay $2 for parking your car. The machine doesn't give change. Hubby bought the parking ticket and not realizing the machine didn't give change. He paid $8 too much.

RTD costs $3.5/ person as we were in the zone C. Children 3 and under is free. We decided to buy round trip ticket to get to downtown Denver.
We rode F Lincoln train, and stop at 16th and California stop. Only few steps from the train stop, you'll find Denver visitor center.

What is the likely hood for a person, who came from WI, and met someone in Denver, and we were wearing the same style watch from The Metropolitan Museum? I thought it's one in a million chance. But that one in a million chance do happen.

We met Linda, who helped us locate place to eat, to go, to visit. She brought to my attention that she had the similar watch like mine... oh wow...
We took a picture with all of us showing the watch.

We bought sandwich at Susy Q and sushi at Sushi Han for lunch. We walked through Millenium bridge, stop by … park and had lunch. It was really scorching hot, but I thought it was worthed as we could see a bunch of people learning kayaking in front of REI building.

We rode the free ride to the other end of 16 mile mall and went to Denver mint. They do have a tour, but it's fully booked. So, next time, should we come to Denver again, we will definitely book a tour. They have gift shops.., and of course, I got to buy something there.

We then continue walking to Denver Art Museum, Capital, Convention Center (where they have blue bear) and stop by the frozen yogurt place. It's not as I expected frozen yogurt I know in WI. It's very light and soft yogurt.

We then rode the RTD back to Arapahoe Village Stop. We went to Jaya grill for dinner. They provide south east Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesian) menu. It was good. But I got headache due to the scorching heat in Denver today.

We are heading back to Wisconsin tomorrow... As always, travel feels too short.

Happy Fourth of July....

2010-07-04T23:58:00.000-05:00

It has become a custom that we would watch fireworks to celebrate Fourth of July. This year is no exception. We drove to lakefront at around 5 pm and brought our bikes. We parked in the Discovery World and rode our bike to get dinner.

We had dinner at Comet. It's has the best Artichoke melt subs and Mexican cup cake ( chocolate cup cake with a kick of cayenne pepper). When we rode back to Discovery museum, the lake front drive was closed for cars. We were riding our bikes in a empty two lane street... Wow.. what an experience. We plan to do it again next year.

Regardless how you celebrate it, happy Fourth of July everyone...

Royal Gorge, Pikes Peak Colorado Springs.

2010-07-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

We went to Royal Gorge, the highest suspension bridge. I'm not very keen being in a high place. But I think it worth to be there. The tram ride was scary at first, but then the breathtaking view took it away. We also rode the incline ride. We drove the car over the wooden suspension bridge. It's a bit scary for me. Luckily, hubby was the one who drove the car, so I can close my eyes when I feel like it.

On the other side of the bridge, they have a small wildlife area where we saw rams and buffalo and kids rides. It was scorching hot and the rams and buffaloes seems to be cooling down under the trees.

TIPS: I learned that if you spend only 1 hour at the location, they will give you $7/adult. The ticket is $25. If you come at an quiet day or the line look short, you can make about 15 minutes aerial tram ( they run every 30 minutes. A round trip ride is about 15 minutes), 15 minutes incline ride, 30 minutes walk on the bridge. If you want to spend longer, try finding a coupon. I got mine $2 off at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post.

Did I tell you cooler is the most useful item we brought? We had our left over from dinner for lunch. Because it was hot and sunny, hubby decided to put our lunch on the windshield for 5 min to heat them up. Perhaps, not a very good idea but it works...

Then we drove to Pikes Peak, where we drove up 14100 ft elevation to the summit. If you don't feel like driving, there is a cog's train that would bring you up.

Up in the summit, you will find spectacular view, gift shop, cafe. It was 70F in the base, 37F in the summit. It was cold. Luckily, we were prepared for that.

I got mountain sickness again. I felt light headed and was breathing hard. Hot cocoa helps a bit, Of course, I just have to buy some souvenirs from pikes' peak.

Down close to the base, you can find Santa's workshop in North Pole, Colorado.

We had dinner at Everest, Longmont,CO. It was an interesting food. I ordered Mango Lassi for the drink, Samosa, Chicken Curry, Nan bread. The waitress helps recommend food to order. I really like the bread. It's soft and fluffy and best eaten with Curry.

That night, we stayed in Englewood, Denver, Summefield Suite by Hyatt. It was the most impressive lodging for our trip. It has one bedroom, complete with kitchen, living room ( with sofa bed ). It's very spacious, modern decor.

When we were there, the Denver Broncos' stayed on the same floor. It made me feel important...
The bed was very nice. I had one of the best sleeps during the trip.

Things we did in Colorado Springs, CO

2010-06-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

We left Aspen after having a nice and hearty breakfast at Mountain Chalet. We drove through Independence Pass and stop by continental divide to have lunch. It was a long drive to Colorado Springs. Our first stop was Garden of the Gods. It's a park with many rock formations. The visitor center is across the park. The trading post is inside the park. We met a very nice guy form the Trading Post, Laslo. He give a lot information about things to do in the area.

We tried to find all rock formations. The rock changes depending on what angle you are looking from. It's a fun family outing as each of us would come up with different idea on what's the rock formation look. The one that you can't miss is the kissing camel. There are a lot of rock climber in the park.

This night, we ate at Caspian Cafe, a Mediterranean Restaurant. The building may not look too appealing from the outside, but in the inside, is a wow. It has hanging lights on each table, curtains on the window. It made me feel like inside a high class restaurant with affordable menu. Best of all, they have gluten free kids menu.

I ordered Gyros Platter and Mediterranean salad topped with Falafel for hubby, kid.'s kabob for the baby. My gyros is very tasty, hubby likes his salad especially the Falafel. The food was great, the ambiance was great, the waitress was great. It was really a great dinner.

We stayed at La Quinta Gardenn of Gods, just a few steps from Caspian Cafe. We got an outdoor room (the entrance of the room is facing outdoor instead of a hallway) and a very strong citrusy scent room. The bed is OK for an overnight stay. It wasn''t very impressive. They provide free continental breakfast. No scrambled eggs. I wonder if we should stay at Hyatt Place just across the street. Well.. the decision was made by choosing the most reasonable hotel for overnight stay. It fits the bill...