Happy New Year 2011

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

Home made monster spray

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

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

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

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas 2010.

After Christmas Sale is going on now

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

Why do you need an image consultant?

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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...

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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...!

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

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?

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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....

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.

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

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...