Welcome to Des Moines, auntie!

I've been logging a lot of hours at work. In my limited spare time, I've been hanging out with my aunt who is visiting from Europe. She is just a whole lot a fun. On Wednesday, we took her shopping.

Mom and aunt, just before our shopping spree.

By the time we were done, it was dark out.

We found a lot of great deals. My aunt was impressed by the wide selection and the grandeur of the mall. Welcome to America! :)

Movie night with the girls

Work was crazy again, but I made sure to leave early enough to go to my parents' house to see my aunt Senada. She has come all the way from my native country yesterday, and it was a delight to see her. She is really funny and super-affectionate. I can't wait to spend lots of time with her this summer. I have a feeling we are going to have a wonderful time together.

Des, Jackie, Spomi & Belma

After the visit, I met up with my girls Spomi, Desiree, Belma and Jackie for a drink on the patio and then we went to see "Bridesmaids" starring Kristen Wiig.

It's like a better version of "Hangover"

I was laughing and snorting obnoxiously the whole time in the movie theater. Finally a girl movie with my kind of crude humor. Loved it and would highly recommend it!
And now a shower, a bit of knitting and late night TV, and then bed. Wish life was always this fun and easy.

Wine, metal & silver

The month of May happens to be one of my favorite times of the year. The gloomy surroundings turn green, and the weather is relatively mild. People start to come outside after spending a long winter caved in their homes. Unfortunately, it is already middle of the month, and I feel I haven't really stopped to smell the proverbial roses. Work has kept me extremely busy lately, and then weekends tend to be action-filled. This one has been no different, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

My cosmic sister Jenny

On Thursday I got to enjoy some girl time with my friend Jenny. She is my cosmic sister - every time we interact, we discover some similarities. We used to work together, but now she is in another part of the company so I don't get to see her so often. But we make time for each other. On Thursday, we enjoyed a nice dinner, wine and martinis downtown.

Budo, Yasko & I

On Friday, Jeff, our friends Spomi and Alex and my cousin Budo went to see my kid cousin play with his band. Yasko is a talented guitarist, and he always blows me away with his skills.

Heavy metal blasted my face off

Although it has been a good month so far, everything is not in its place yet. My sisters' absence is still very much felt. I can't wait for their return. In the meanwhile, I obsessively post all their post cards onto my cube wall to remind me that while I miss them, they are having a wonderful time. They also surprised me with a gift (brought by my cousin yesterday). A very luxurious and interesting silver yarn. It is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to use it. Thank you my sweet sisters!

A gift from my sisters bought in Luxembourg

I'm hoping that tomorrow (Sunday), I get to shift into neutral gear and just relax and work on my garden. Maybe I'll even catch my sisters for a video chat (thank god for Skype!)

You are the wind beneath my feathered ears...

I've been seeing lots of these around the mall, and decided I could make them myself. So after a trip to Hobby Lobby and some trial and error - voila! I made myself a pair. I have more supplies so I'm thinking of making more. It's sort of a nostalgic throwback to... I don't know... hippies in the Southwest?

You'll need some countour feathers, wooden beads, fish hook wires and some tools.

Lightweight and subtle, yet dramatic

Native American inspired

I got this from my sisters in the mail... another piece that will be pinned to my boring cube wall.

April 2011 Knitting Projects

I've been working on a lot of projects, but finished only two this month. These were knitted for my little sisters, and sent to them via my cousin who is visiting them.

Wine and Roses

Milk and Lillies

These were fun to make. Still have plenty of leftover yarn and might be making more.

Fun in plaid

90s grunge fashion lives on in our household. :)

Lunch Unplugged

The city had a concert series that allowed downtown employees to attend a concert during their lunch hour and see some local artists. I didn't learn about this until today, which, incidentally, was the last concert in the series. Lee had an extra ticket and invited me to accompany her to see the Nadas, a great local band.

The room was dim-lit and packed. It was a great atmosphere and a nice way to get away from work for an hour. I definitely needed that. (Thanks, Lee!)