MUTO.

At 7 minutes and 26 seconds, I realize this is a bit of a long video to post. But seriously, this is the most amazing animation I have ever seen. Please take the time to watch this video, from the artist BLU, when you have a chance.

Also, BLU's web site is a must see (where you can see more of the artist's work), as well as his blog!

Breaking News!

Family, friends, and friends of the interweb,

Let me first apologize to those family members and friends that neither Trip nor I have been able to contact prior to this blog post. We had great intentions of personally speaking to each and every one of you.

So... my arty, designy, greeny, lifey blog is soon to add one more category: mommy. 

Yup! That's right! Trip and I are absolutely delighted to share with you all the news of our pregnancy. It's been hard keeping it a secret, but we really wanted to make sure the baby was healthy before we spread the news. And I'm happy to report that all is well! I just starting my second trimester, with a due date of March 25th.

Even though I haven't been blogging about it yet, I have been chronicling the pregnancy, and am happy to give you a look back at my changing body and life!

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4 weeks/One Month: The day we found out I was pregnant (which happened to be the first day of BlogHer '08). Say goodbye to the flat stomach...

100# and 24"

Baby was the size of a poppy seed. Of course my family referred to the baby as "Poppy" for quite some time. PHOTO: babycenter

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8 weeks/Two Months: Really - just four weeks later and I'm already a mess? By "mess" I mean that I already had cravings, food aversions, weird cramps, sore boobies, and was freakin' TIRED. Poor Tripple... he would ask me if I wanted, say, stir fry, and I would reply, "Ew! No! Ugh!" like he was suggesting we eat roasted crickets on a bed of dirt.

101# and 25"

Baby was the size of a kidney bean. PHOTO: babycenter

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10 weeks: We had our first ultrasound this week! And pregnancy had been treating me pretty well. I actually felt really great despite the exhaustion. And yes, I was one of the lucky few that really only suffered a couple days of morning sickness (and minor at that). Bring it, haters.

101.5# and 28"

Baby's first picture! Trip got super excited when he spotted Baby's heart beating (almost knocked a tray over), and Baby even did a little dance for us -- which we of course recreate on a daily basis.

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14 weeks/Three Months: So here we are, at three months. Belly is in full force. I'll post a pic at each month from now on, so you can all be completely and utterly astonished at the metamorphosis of tiny women to big rolley-polley.

104# and 31"

Had to include this one because it looks like an alien is about to pop out of my upper abdomen. It's actually my rib. Crazy. 

From head to bottom, baby is now about the size of a lemon. PHOTO: babycenter

And just because I am pregnant does not mean I won't still be involved in the world of art and design (it is still my career, and passion, after all), and my commitment to organic, green living. I just know that the next few months (okay 6) will be focused mainly on my every increasing belly, and the trials and tribulations of becoming a new parent -- while still in school, to boot! Yup that's right, the baby is due the end of March, a full 7 weeks before I graduate from the Academy of Art and Tripple finishes grad school (at least we both finish in May - yay!).

Should be an interesting ride. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

New Single From The Killers!

The Killers posted their new single to their web site today, Human. You can find it here (link is at the bottom).

I like it. I can definitely picture myself running to it. 

I'm really loving their web site design, though. Those are some awesome page transitions! (But why is that guy's arm so hairy - eek!!)

Their new CD, Day & Age, will be released November 25th. Hurray!

Another Great Reason to Live in the Bay Area.

How am I going to make the time see all the things I want to see! First there is the grand opening of the California Academy of Sciences, and now this!

Opening the very same weekend, September 27th, is the exclusive U.S. appearance of Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose.

For the first time ever in the U.S.!
The world premiere of the largest, most comprehensive exhibit of the innovative art, science and engineering works of Leonardo da Vinci and his contemporaries comes to The Tech Museum of Innovation this Fall for only 99 days.

Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future will be at The Tech September 27, 2008 to January 4, 2009. Have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how this genius of the Renaissance has influenced and inspired much of the technology we use today.

Not only will the extraordinary machines and mechanical devices be on display, but also two beautiful paintings on loan from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

99 days, people. You have no excuses.

I Can't Wait to See the Penguins!

Going to Golden Gate Park was a big part of my childhood. We would go pretty much every summer, as we always came to San Francisco for our annual physicals. I have fond memories of the Japanese Tea Garden, the Asian Art Museum, the de Young Museum, or even just playing in the playground. But what I always looked forward to was visiting the Steinhart Aquarium (or the California Academy of Sciences, as it is referred to now). I think that's what started my elementary school aged obsession with penguins (emphasis on the "PEN").

The end of this month, the CAS (wonderful website, by the way -- check out the PenguinCams!) will reopen its doors after an astonishing remodel. It's taken ten years and great vision to unify the Academy's twelve buildings into one notable structure. Under one Living Roof, the new Academy contains a planetarium, aquarium, and natural history museum. When the facility opens, the Academy hopes to earn the highest rating-platinum- for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, working with the Genoa-based Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), in collaboration with the San Francisco-based Chong Partners, has created one of the city's greenest buildings. It's really quite fascinating what they have accomplished:

• 90% of all demolition materials were recycled
  
• 32,000 tons of sand from foundation excavation applied to dune restoration projects in San Francisco
  
• 95% of all steel from recycled sources
  
• 15% fly ash (a recycled coal by-product), 35% slag in concrete
  
• 50% of lumber harvested from sustainable-yield forests
  
• 68% of insulation comes from recycled blue jeans
  
• 90% of office space will have natural light and ventilation
  
• 60,000 photovoltaic cells; 213,000 kilowatt-hours; 5% to 10% savings of electricity
  
• 30% less energy consumption than federal code requirement

And even with such a strong focus on being green, they did not slack on the overall design aesthetic one bit. The building is breathtaking to say the least.

Opening weekend celebration starts the 27th, with free admission on Saturday. You can find the details here. 

Camping at San Simeon State Park.

So I'm a week late, but wanted to share some pictures I shot during our Labor Day weekend camping trip to San Simeon. Camping Labor Day weekend has become a tradition for the Parmelee/Johnson families, and this was yet another success! San Simeon State Park is located 35 miles north of San Luis Obispo on Highway 1, and 5 miles south of the Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument Visitor Center. The community of Cambria is located 2 miles to the South and offers gas stations and grocery stores. 

It really is a great state park, with some beautiful (and challenging!) hiking trails, and just a quick walk to the beach. I highly recommend! I also highly recommend a blowup mattress that takes up your entire tent, both vertically and horizontally. Ridiculous - maybe. Comfy - you know it! Thanks to Adam and Nay for letting us keep our bags in their tent since we didn't have any room.

Home Sweet I-Must-Decorate-For-Every-Holiday-Even-Labor-Day Home.

Buying a home is a huge feat. Buying a home in the Bay Area is a colossal feat. Designing the interior of said home leads to catalog addiction.

We've been in our home for nearly two years now, and we are still doing this-and-that, mainly because once every few months a new catalog from CB2, West Elm, Crate and Barrel or Williams-Sonoma arrives in the mail box. Just when you thought the table linens you bought were perfect year round, you get the Fall Williams-Sonoma catalog with the Halloween decor. Dang it!

Halloween Spider Web Rubber Doormat. Must have this.

Great Pumpkin Candle. They look so real!

Pumpkin Place Mats (Set of 4) Ummmm. I want pumpkin pie.

And no, it's not too early to be thinking about Halloween, silly. Shoot, I'm already thinking how I'm going to decorate my mantel for Christmas...

People First, Idiotic Ideas about Global Warming NOT Being Caused By Humans Second.

Trip and I were discussing the Palin controversy last night, and the different opinions people -- particularly women -- have regarding a mother of 5 holding such a high powered and demanding position (not to mention the whole 17-year-old daughter being pregnant thing). We both learned something interesting from our conversation: Trip learned that her youngest child has Down syndrome; and I learned the term PFL, people-first language.

When I first told Trip about Palin's infant boy, I said, "she has a Down syndrome baby". Trip quickly corrected me, saying that with people-first language you should emphasize that they are a person first. The disability comes second. So I should have said, "she has a baby with Down syndrome". Wikipedia has a page dedicated to the topic (of course they do), with a very helpful table of examples.

Interesting tidbit I thought I'd pass along...

One more thing... I am not a fan of Palin, especially since she doesn't believe global warming is caused by humans, nor does she think polar bears should be listed as endangered (I can't even get my head around that one). But I do think she is entitled to a personal life, and conducting it as she chooses. I wouldn't make the same choices as her, but it's her life, let her live it.