rehearsing

Triple Trapeze Group Performance from Sarah Muehlbauer on Vimeo.

I have so many things to blog about and haven’t had a second to sit down at a computer and write them. This weekend was full of summer fun including the LA Vegan Beer Fest and cool movie screenings. I’ll have some recaps to share up here on the blog this week.

I had a really rewarding aerial class on Sunday as I completed all the tricks I’ve learned thus far successfully. I’ve been struggling with a few basic moves on aerial silk that I’ve been able to do, but not gracefully. This week I was able to pull them off with ease. It feels awesome to know that I’m improving.

We’re half way through the summer session which means I’m half way there to the little performance we’ll be doing. I’m excited to put together an act, but haven’t yet decided whether I’ll be doing aerial silk or single trapeze.

The video above is from a friend’s triple trapeze performance that I’m loving right now (and hopefully she won’t mind that I’ve linked to here). The choreography is so fluid and I am really into how each trick turns into the next thing without pausing. There is always something to catch your eye. I will try to keep this style in mind when I’m putting together my own little demo.

p.s. if you’re viewing this in a reader, make sure to jump out and watch the video.

reading material

I’m always looking out for new blogs to read (while simultaneously culling my somewhat out of control google reader). I am drawn to blogs that have a combination of lovely imagery and an intimate demeanor. I like to read about people’s personal journeys, but I can’t help loving some nice photography to go along with it.

These are some recent finds that I’m just getting into.

A Day With Kate

This blog about a girl in Pasadena (hi neighbor!) wins my heart as she writes about her life and adventures. It doesn’t hurt that she loves coffee and fresh vegetables.

I love her casual and yet beautifully composed photos. She also has a shop with amazing hand-painted cards, tags and more.

The Velvet Bird

I must admit I’m highly swayed by anything in the woods but Vanessa has much more going on than that. Besides a beautifully selected vintage store, she’s also started making her own line of dresses which are just stunning.

Her photos are just adorable and she has goats. Seriously, goats! What more could you want from a blog?

What are your favorite blogs right now?

summer time

It finally feels a little like summer today and it’s making me think of all the things I want to do while the sun is shining. Mostly I’ve been enjoying gloomy mornings, but a little warmth reminded me that there are lots of summer events not to be missed.

Here are some of the things I want to do this summer:

1. Go camping, preferably in the Sequoias
2. Have more picnic lunches
3. Go to a drive in movie, as I’ve still never been, ever
4. Ride my bike more (oops someone needs to get back in cycling shape)
5. Learn an awesome aerial routine
6. Go to one of the Cinespia cemetery screenings
7. Go on some some cool hikes

So basically, movies & outdoors (and circus).

What are your summer plans?

wedding quilt in progress

I finally made some progress on our wedding quilt. Instead of a guestbook, we had our guests sign squares of fabric to be sewn together. While I am still very happy with this idea (I’d much rather have a quilt than a guestbook) it probably would have helped if I’d ever made a quilt before. Ever.

Not that it’s going badly, but it started out a bit rough. Mainly because a handful of squares, cut a the last moment before the wedding, were not only different sizes, they were not even really square. On top of that, without any guidelines for signing, some guest wrote all the way to the very edges of the fabric, leaving no seam allowance at all.

After arranging the swatches into their pattern, I traced new square guides onto each piece, so I would have a uniform size while trying not to cut off bits of what people wrote. I then basted each strip together and got to sewing, first making vertical strips and then sewing those together.

I knew from the beginning it would not be perfect, and I’m quite happy with how it’s coming along. Next I plan to put some edging fabric so its a bit larger and then I’ll have to choose a backing. I’m not sure how I’ll stitch the front to the back, since I don’t want to detract from the writing.

Any ideas from seasoned quilters out there? Actually an suggestions would be helpful really.

the piano

Before we head off for the weekend, I’m bringing you another favorite film of mine: The Piano. This epically beautiful film by Jane Campion is both visually stunning and heart wrenching. It’s the story of Ada McGrath, a woman who has willed herself not to speak, who travels to New Zealand with her daughter for an arranged marriage.

The film takes place in the 1850s New Zealand, showing the raw beginnings of colonization on the island. It contrasts the strict, formal European culture with the untamed wilderness of the island. This contrast is embodied by the beach on which Ada and her daughter arrive. Read More