Sassafrass

She this girl here.....

....that is my cousin Cassandra. She is awesome, funny, witty, sarcastic, smart and beautiful. She is the youngest of 3 girls and has really developed her own personality. She has this hysterical way of really pushing her Moms buttons, but you can't help but love her once she gives you that smirk of hers. When she was little my Mom told her that she was found in the jungle and called her "Jungle Girl" for years. She is a shorty and even makes me feel tall! We share a love for photography and also share the belief that Brandon Boyd (the lead singer of Incubus) is a GOD. A beautiful man with an even more beautiful voice whose brown eyes are like pools.......oh wait....... this was about Cassie.

Cassie is a lot of things and on top of everything she is a artist. She paints and attempts to knit and recently has moved into jewelry and I was very surprised and VERY excited to be the recipient of 2 of her pieces. (Art and beauty seems to be surrounding me lately!)

Here is one of the necklaces she made.......




I KNOW! Its really big piece at almost 2 inches long and just gorgeous. I have worn it for the past 3 days. The Phi adores it and constantly asks me to borrow it.

Here is the second piece.....

Yes that is Brandon Boyd, lead singer of Incubus on a necklace. Cassie and I are just on the same wave length about certain things and Brandon is one of them. What I love about this piece, that you can't really see in the photo, is that there are clouds behind his head that give this piece so much depth.

Yes my cousin Cassie is one talented woman. I am trying to convince her to sell some of these creations. Maybe if she gets enough people asking for them she will do it!

Thanks again Sass (the oil to my water), I LOVE them and I LOVE you!


Also.......


Check out my new article over at Photo Bliss about the end of kodachrome film here

IheartFaces- Wedding Bells

My entry for the Wedding Bells category this week.



For more entries please visit iHeartFaces

Emergency

So The Phi will be starting a new school in September. Filling in all the paper work we got to the emergency contact list. I knew exactly the people I would list, no hesitation and it got me thinking.

See we don't leave The Phi much. She is with one of us all the time except for at school. The rare times that we do leave her it is with either my sisters, parents (well really Mom, because Dad will not watch any of the kids by himself. This man has never changed a diaper), PR Dad's Mom, or The Phi's god-parents. Some of these on the list have kids and others don't and yet I am still totally comfortable leaving my precious precious child in their care. Why?

The more I thought about it, I realized it came down to this. These people love The Phi just as much as PR Dad and I do. I know that like us they would do anything and everything in their power to keep her safe. It feels good to have people like that in your lives.

Weekly Wieners

So here is a new edition of my Weekly winners. Please enjoy! And for more please visit Sarcastic Mom here

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Teaching The Phi how to pump her legs on a swing

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What I was looking at right after I heard the news.
RIP Michael Jackson

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Rain God Aztec Dancer at Farmers Market

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Ice Scream, U Scream

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A kiss for Nana

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8 Strong and Beautiful Women.
My Mom with her sisters.

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Felix with his Nina Mercy

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and always the silliness.......................

Welcome back and happy birthday

Spending the day in SP with the family. Celebrating Enrique's end of his military duty and his birthday. Wonderful to spend the day with these people. My people.

Elissa* Lerma

The Original MJ

I was laying on The Phi's bed with her watching The Muppet Show. I flipped open my ipod touch to see if there was more news on Michael Jackson being rushed to the hospital. I opened my Twitter and already there was discussion that he had died. I did not want to believe it. What did these gossip sites know anyways? I flipped on the television and the news was live at UCLA Medical Center and all they knew was that Michael Jackson had been rushed there and were waiting for news.

We got into the car and I switched on news radio and CBS news said it, "The King of Pop, Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50". I was crushed.

See I was a child of the 80's and Michael Jackson and his music were a big part of my childhood. I had a cloth tapestry of this picture....


on the wall next to my bed for years. I had the Michael Jackson doll that came complete with a sequined glove. I had a big button with him dancing that said "Beat It". Or did I have the t-shirt?

You know how some kids have a cartoon or movie they watch over and over again? Mine was the "Making of Michael Jackson Thriller" video. I remember begging my parents for it and keeping it in a special place in my bedroom because it was too precious to be with all the other videos.

I vividly remember this performance....




I don't remember if my Mom let me stay up, woke me up when it came on, or recorded it for me, but I remember seeing this for the first time....completely amazed.



I felt weird being so emotional about his death but I was a fan. I heard the news as we were driving to a park and while The Phi and PR Dad played at the playground I sat in the shade on the grass and cried a little. I was in shock, I never thought he would go so soon, or like this. I am heartbroken by this loss of such a talented man who no doubt has left a legacy worthy of the title "King of Pop".


PR Dad stayed up with me and watched some of his videos on BET and when the "Thriller" video came on I got teary eyed again. I was just so sad.

He is a pop icon and his music will live on forever.

Rest in Peace Michael Jackson

Spoiled Schmuck

So my husband knows how to make me feel like a schmuck.

For our anniversary I left a greeting card on my pillow when I left for work and posted a video on this here blog. Then I get home from the office and there are not 1 but 2 gifts for me AND a card.

And here I thought we weren't doing gifts.

And not just 2 gifts. 2 GOOD gifts.



I am such a schmuck.....

a spoiled rotten schmuck.

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3 from Elissa Lerma on Vimeo.

Bad Televison

It's summer time and that means hot hot hot days and nights in the desert. This means lots of time indoors with the a/c blasting. Really it is the only way to survive out here. This also means a lot of television and during the summer it means bad television but let me confess something....I really like the show Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.

I know I know.....

but there is something about them that seems real. Tori's jealousy, Dean's motorcycle racing, Liam's temper tantrums and Stella's cuteness. Yes the are "celebrities" but for whatever reason I can relate to them a little more.

I have even read, not one but both books that Tori has published.

I know I know

But hey we all have our guilty pleasures.

What's yours?

Baby Daddy Day

Ideally we would have loved have been with our families yesterday but PR Dad had to work so we did what we could to make it a good morning. And believe me good and morning and not two words we use in our house often. But really how could you not have a good morning when this little face is bringing you gifts....


Here is the new Famous Stars and Straps t-shirt we bought for PR Dad. He actually liked it!! He is usually very picky about t-shirt designs. The Phi picked out this one because she likes bicycles.


We also made PR Dad his own bling bling necklace to wear. He wore it all day long at work. How adorable is that?

Then we all had breakfast and got ready for the day. We sent PR Dad off to work with kisses and hugs and tons of love and appreciation.

The Best In The World

The Phi likes to pat her Dad on the head and say....

"See this Dad right here?............. He's the best in the world"

And she is so right on.

Happy Father's Day Babe. I am so lucky to have you as my partner is this little thing called parenting.

You should know what an amazing Dad PR Dad is by how much The Phi adores hum. But just in case I interviewed our little offspring........

We Jammin'

The Phi has been in a reggae music mood lately. I got her the new Ziggy Marley CD called Family Time and another one called B is for Bob which is a bunch of Bob Marley songs tweaked a little for kids. We have been rocking to reggae around here and its been pretty nice. Great music to start our summer.

While working on arts and crafts yesterday she started singing a song called "This Train" a duet with Ziggy Marley and Willie Nelson.

Check out the Willie Nelson impression.....

School's Out for Summer

The Phi has completed her first year of school. She had her last day at her pre-school on Thursday. She had a great year with only one "i don't want to go to school" crying days the whole year. She made friends and PR Dad and I are amazed had how much she has learned.

We made The Phi a deal awhile back. See PR Dad and I DO NOT enjoy Chuck E. Cheese. The Phi had gone once with my parents when she was about 14 months old but those dang commercial had her brainwashed. She was convinced that she LOVED Chuck E. Cheese and that it was her absolute FAVORITE place to go. So we struck up a deal. If she could learn to write her first name with no help we would take her. She took the deal, we shook on it and I figured I had bought us one more Chuck E. Cheese free year. I totally underestimated my child's desire to go to Chuck E. Cheese and her intelligence because before I knew it she was signing her own name on everything.

So not one to go back on a deal, and because she had gotten through her first year of pre-school we took her to the dreaded House of the Rat on Wednesday night.



The Phi a good time, but I swear this place brings out the worst in children. I saw children running around literally just destroying things. Even The Phi started to throw some attitude and I had to take her to the restroom to give her one of my awesome Mom lectures complete with "if this attitude does not stop we will walk right out of here and never ever ever EVER come back".


I don't know if it was just the one we were at but Chuck E. Cheese is not like I remember it as a child. The one we went to when I was a kid was AWESOME. This one was ghetto with dirty tables, smelly restrooms, and broken games. Oh well no one can say I go back on my word.


Thursday The Phi had her last day of school. I got a little emotional because this would be her last time at that school. (We enrolled her in a new school for September). She said good-bye to her teachers and gave them each thank you cards.

I am so proud of you The Phi,
but I think the 3 hours we spent at Chuck E. Cheese totally proves that.

Tears at Bank of America

I cried at Bank of America yesterday.

I was standing in line and an old Mexican lady were there with her daughter and grandson. The daughter was there to help her aging mother. The old lady reminded me so much of my Nana. From her polyester outfit to her dyed jet black thinning short hair. The daughter reminded me of my Nina Ruth or my Mom. I got all weepy and had to put my sunglasses on.

The guilt that I feel most days was multiplied by like a trillion. I saw what my family does everyday for my Nana and Tata. My Nana & Tata need so much help and I get weekly updates about who took them to an appointment or a call because there is a need for someone to take them to an appointment. I love being up to date on their lives, but at the same time there is this part that makes me feel horrible. I am the one that lives too far away to help. I so wish I could respond to my Nina's emails and say, "I can take that appointment". My cousins Erika is amazing, she is a young vibrant woman who still finds time to grocery shop for my grandparents on a mostly weekly basis. Most of my cousins and all my aunts and uncles help.

My Tata has been such an amazing person in my life. This man always had money or gum for me. This happened so often that by the time I graduated high school I had almost $5000 saved from all those singles and $5 that my Tata gave me. That is how often I saw him as a child. He always greets me with a loving nickname like, "querida", "mi reina" or his "princesa hermosa". This man always made me feel like a Queen. And now he watches The Phi play and grow up and now the dollar bills from his wallet go to her. I wonder how much money he has given away to his grand kids over the years.

My Nana was always the strict one with all the rules but when I didn't want to move my 8th grade year she took me in. She took care of me and fed me better than I have ever been fed before. She taught me morals and what it meant to be a good person. Her constant "stay in the yard" gave me boundaries I needed. Boundaries not just in her yard, but in life. To know how far I could stray.

Now I feel that I have strayed too far. Too far to be able to return every favor they did for me. Too far to help with their everyday life. My Nana and Tata have been such a driving force in all I do. From school to college degrees to how I parent Sophia. I want to raise her to be a person Nana and Tata would be proud of. Because really we all (and there are a lot of us) from my Nina Ruth to 4 week old Liana, we all come from them. From the college professor to the night club DJ. We all come from them and were taught by them. We will always have each other because nothing is stronger than that. Nothing is more important that the people who were there first. Who walked in front of us to clear the path so that we who follow know the easiest way. And we are able to stop and enjoy the view.

So ya yesterday I cried at Bank of America.

Venice Beach

I recently got into the show "Californication". Seriously a really awesome show and I hope a 3rd season starts soon. Anyways the show takes place in the Venice Beach/Santa Monica area. Very cool. Since we had another Sunday together we decided to head out to Venice Beach. I don't think I have ever been there and there are a few clothing stores in the area that PR Dad wanted to shop at.

Venice Beach is a pretty cool place. Lots of head shops and freaky people just like you would imagine.




We walked the beach area and of course we had to make a pit stop in the oh so "clean" public restrooms. After waiting for a homeless dude to get out I got to go in. And well as a photographer I found inspiration for a photo.


After walking around and enjoying a lemonade and chocolate ice cream we walked over to the Rogue Status store. A small corner shop plastered with stickers on the outside, a tagged up Scion XB inside, cash money painted into the floor, and just one rack with t-shirts, jackets and sweatshirts. They had some very cool photography on the wall. PR Dad walked out of there with a new DTA (Don't Trust Anyone) t-shirt and The Phi walked out with a big Rogue Status sticker.


Venice is such a cool artsy kind of place. This image is in the opening credits of "Californication" and I was surprised to see that it was on the top of a Longs Drug Store. But still very cool.


You see graffiti, I see a perfect backdrop for a picture.


We drove into west LA to visit The Fast Life store. If you know PR Dad than you know he has a man crush on Travis Barker (the drummer for Blink-182). Well Travis owns many businesses and one is the clothing line Famous Stars and Straps. The Fast Life is a manly boutique that carries Famous and other just as cool clothing lines.


PR Dad walked out with a new Famous t-shirt and The Phi walked out with more stickers and a very cool kids Famous t-shirt form their new Animal line. (the guy from the muppets).

I love LA. I love visiting and the sights. I was telling PR Dad that LA was the kind of place where you could never run out of inspiration for creating. Everything is so beautiful, ugly, scary and amazing. There is an energy and vibe that you just can't find anywhere else.

A B Patterns

At school The Phi has been learning all about patterns and sequences. She kept telling me "Mom we can do a AV pattern?". I was like was the heck is an AV pattern and she said "you know like red, blue, red, blue". I realized that she was saying AB pattern.

Lately The Phi has become obsessed with AB patterns. She has managed to turn some of our everyday things into AB patterns.

Here are a few our current AB patterns.

• Toothbrushes- we use Wall-E, than princess, then Wall-E, then princess....
• Hair- we do braids, ponytail, braids, ponytail....
• Chapstick- we use grape, then strawberry, then grape, then strawberry..

The kid can turn anything she does into an AB pattern. It is very cute!

A Birthday Adventure

Last Sunday my sister turned 29! To celebrate we all meet up in Anaheim to spend the day at California Adventure. I must admit, I like this place better than Disneyland.

We got there right when it opened and made our way straight to the Bug's Life Land where there are kids rides. The Phi recently watched the movie A Bugs Life so she loved seeing all the characters.

My little fearless flier!

Looking for Day-day and the kids.

This was the twins and Tio Luis' first trip and all 3 had a blast!

We rode the Ferris wheel. This is not your usual Ferris wheel, the cages swing back and forth and every time they freak me out!
The Phi loved it!

All the kidd-os at the end of a great day!

And if you go to California Adventure make sure to ride the Tower of Terror ride. It was insane! I screamed so much and so loud my voice was messed up for a week!!

sunday

Spending the day in Venice. A good drive for a Rogue Status stop.

Elissa* Lerma

It is no secret that The Phi is a Daddy's Girl. She loves her Pops. During the day she says things like "Dad is my favorite guy" or "I miss my Daddy". Yesterday we were at the mall and walked into a candy store. PR Dad has been trying to get The Phi to try pop rocks. You know that candy that pops and sizzles in your mouth. She has always been to scared to try but yesterday she tried them. And you can tell by the look on her face she was doing it and saying what she thought Dad wanted to hear.

I would put money that she never tries Pop Rocks again.

Her other side of the family

Family. We are all about family. I grew up in the same little town that my Mom and Dad grew up in. Which meant that all my Moms siblings and my Dads sibling pretty much lived near by. Despite this we spent much more time with my Mom's side of the family then we did with my Dad's. As a result I have lost touched with my cousins on my Dad's side and have remained extremely close with my Mom's side.

Keeping an extended family as large as both my Mom and Dad's families are is tough and I think that my Mom's side is just better at it. It is easy to let your everyday life keep you away from everyone but my mom's side has people like my Nina Ruth, and my cousin Patty who put events together so that we stay connected all the time.


Now PR Dad and I live a good driving distance away from both of our families. And The Phi is super lucky in that she has almost all her great-grandparents living. I found that because my side of the family has kids The Phi's age and more parties and events etc... we are starting to develop a pattern where we spend more time with my side. I want The Phi to get to spend as much time as she can with both sides. I mean family is a blessing and with the size of The Phi's extended family she is blessed like crazy. And each and every family member has something unique to offer The Phi. It takes a village people!

Recently PR Dad's Grandmother was visiting from Florida and his Aunt had a small BBQ at her house. Complete with good food and even better margaritas! Just PR Dad, The Phi, Me, Aunt Tawny, Uncle David, Great Grandma Iris, and Grandma Kim. No other kids there but none the less The Phi had a good time.

Tawny and David are such a great couple with tons of interests and hobbies. Just one of their many passions is animals and they have a backyard fit for the birds. They have feeders hanging and The Phi and I saw lots of beautiful birds.

The Phi and Daddy enjoyed some time in the water.


You know how sometimes you take a picture of your little kid and you can see what they are going to look like as adults. This is one of those picture.

The Phi and Aunt Tawny making a jungle scene in a book.
I really appreciate how PR Dad's Aunt really makes an effort to be a part of The Phi's life.

4 Generations.
(I don't know why The Phi looks so evil here!)