my weekend was for...

a dinner & movie date:

 i have been feeling a bit down so i asked tom if we could do a little date night. we haven't done one in a while and it was so much fun. we went to a new pub and they had really yummy locally sourced food and of course yummy beer too. we popped in the shop next door and i snatched up a cute little shirt and then we headed over to watch Moonrise Kingdom. SO GOOD! i think my favorite wes anderson movie to date. if you haven't seen it yet, GO.....NOW!

a bike ride to get coffee and an unexpected surprise: a ukulele player!:

we stayed and finished our coffee and listened to him, he was actually really good!

getting business done:

i made sure i got a lot of work done this weekend. i just need to add my name to the banner for my business card, reformat the size in photoshop and then figure out where i want to get them printed. the wedding invitations i am working on should be wrapped up this week. i think they are gonna turn out really cute. i will share when they are complete! i also worked on a website for tom. he is getting asked to do a bunch of side work, so we are making him business cards too but started with a website too! exciting!!!

sun, wine, cherries and a good book:

the sun finally came out so tom and i took advantage and went to the park literally across the street from our house. we brought some cherries, left over wine and our books and basked in the sun. it was really nice. plus there was a concert going on in the park so you could faintly hear the music and still read at the same time. i am almost done with the first book of the lord of the rings! i love fantasy so much!

local beer:

enjoying the new shirt i got on our dinner/movie date

the local brewery by our house, drakes, was having a 1 year anniversary party so tom and i rode our bikes out and grabbed a few beers, then we took the shoreline way home. it was really pretty to ride at night and ride along the shore and wetlands. plus there were no cars which makes a night time bike ride better!

we both had a really great weekend, it was a nice balance of work and play which i needed. since i am not feeling a 100% myself lately, it was important for me to have somewhat of a chill weekend. i am so grateful to have tom in my life. he really loves me and i couldn't ask for a better friend and partner in life. thanks, tom for always being there when i need you and for always knowing how to cheer me up!

xo,
cb

bits and peeks

well, hello everyone and happy monday! i hope everyone had an excellent weekend. here are bits and pieces of our weekend!

finished up a recent tattoo design that i will show later this week. also updated my tattoo design portfolio and will be slowly adding more.

did some thrifting. hit the mother load of crocheted hangers, an illustrated flower book and some embroidery wall art! good times! i will showing the most magical find of all the later this week too!

found some plastic dinosaurs and added them to our succulent garden. they are so cute! if any one has any they want to get rid of let a girl know :)

a glimpse of what i wore thrifting. a new lace dress from urban and my oh so favorite clogs!

made a fort at work. we spent the night there friday night. it was soo much fun! we had to be up so early for the bike ride and the train doesn't start running till 6am which is when we needed to be at the start of the ride.

we didn't finish our 80 mile ride. we turned back about half way, it was pouring rain and tom and i were both soaked to the bone, even though we had rain gear. we didn't have anything for our shoes so we road for 6 hours with wet feet and wet clothes. it was cold and we were pretty numb to the core. it was a bit disappointing but at least we tried which is all that matters!

hunger games! my mom picked us up and we had a great time. it was sooo much better then i thought and left the movie a super happy little clam :)

>>> what isn't pictured: swimming at the gym, watching the entire first episode of downton abbey and eating pho after our long wet ride. it was a great weekend despite the cold wet ride!

tell me about your weekend?
xo,
cb

gilbert our two wheeled bullet

happy wednesday! thank you all so much for the wonderful comments on our anniversary post. tom and i had a really really great evening together not even the rain could damper our spirits. so far october has been a great month and it started off great albeit we both didn't think things would turn out so great the first day of october.

saturday started off rough. we had gone out with friends the night before and stayed out a bit too late and we both got NO sleep! it was horrible. while getting ready we both were a little unsure how it was gonna pan out but got dressed and headed out. it was crazy to see the city so silent at 5:30 in the morning. it was really nice to ride through the city without all the crazy cars, wish it could be like that all the time.

we had to stop and get coffee, thank goodness peets coffee is open so early otherwise it would have been painful.

the ride started off at 7 and went all the way to point reyes station and then back to sf. this type of ride is called a brevet which is a timed recreational ride, with no support. if our tire went flat it would have been our responsibility to get back on the road and finish the ride. we had check points we needed to get to, the first was at bovine bakery at point reyes where i ate a huge chocolate croissant, it was the best thing i had ever eaten! we both felt really good at that point and took our time resting and stretching. we had done this leg of the ride before so it wasn't bad.

please excuse how terribly horrible i look in this picture but it is so rare to get a picture of us on the bike together!

the second leg was tough and really hilly. i had never gone this route so i had no idea what to expect. there was a point when we got to the top of a very steep hill that i thought i wasn't gonna make it, i actually wanted to cry i was soooo exhausted. but being a tough little lady i pushed pass it and i munched on a snack, drank a bit of water and i was totally fine and the rest of the ride was great. although both of our knees felt like at any moment they would shatter, is that possible?

 the ride was so beautiful. we saw two bucks, a fox and a gaggle of turkeys! it was hard to take pictures as i just wanted to concentrate on pedaling but i will always remember seeing them, the fox was a high point and pretty much every time tom and i ride we see turkey's which i take as a good omen.

 we finished the 80 mile ride in time, 7,5 hours and at the end they had a little feast for us. gilbert was such a champ and people loved seeing him. people took pictures of us on him, it felt like we were famous, it was kinda weird. tom & i stuck around a bit and then headed home and passed out. our knees & butts were totally spent but it was worth it. we had a great time together and we make a pretty awesome team! we went, we rode, we conquered; ***high five us***

xo,
cb

sew september update 4!

 howdy everyone!
i am super stoked to show you my handle bar bag. i think it turned out even better then my first one and is the right size. the lining i bought was PERFECT and it holds it shape wonderfully, yay!

 instead of buttons i added strips of the floral fabric and used snaps for the closure. i need to figure out a better way to attach the bag to the handle bars. the snaps i think may not be as durable and i fear that they might unsnap going over bumps but i will have to test this bad boy out before i make any assumptions.

i am just super proud of myself for taking a pattern and changing it to fit my needs. i am gonna make a few more, for family and friends so that i can get better at making them, then i will be confident in having them in my shop! i have so much fabric that i am just DYING to use for these bags. fun pattern and color combinations. i think if i would allow myself i would sew 24/7 with no sleep just so i could get out all my creativity out. sometimes i feel like it is bursting from the seams or it comes RIGHT before i need to sleep... what is up with that?!?!

today tom and i are gonna go to the thrift store to scout out some fabric for my cape, we shall see what i find! the rest of today is going to be a work filled day; making owl earrings to ship out to one of my stores and trying to squeeze in some sewing.

**this weekend is our big bike ride, i am really excited and nervous but i know it will be fine. i would still love some good luck vibes sent our way for good measure, thanks in advance :D**

have a great weekend everyone!

xo,
cb

untitled

happy frinesday, hehe! (thanks jordon for the new word)

 tom and i are gearing up for an 80 mile ride oct 1st so every thursday night at 6 for the next month, we will be meeting at one of the local bike shops and going on a group ride to prepare for the long ride. the group ride is 14 miles, with a good amount of rolling hills and a few lead bikers to set the pace. last thursday was my first time doing this ride and it was fantastic! the road is a dead end with ranches on either side so it isn't a well used road which is perfect for us bikers.  we did great and it will only get better every time we go.

the best part....letting gilbert FLY! since the way up was mostly hills it meant the way down was mostly down hill. it was the closest i will ever come to actually physically flying. the feeling was incredible and we both felt so fantastic. i am looking forward to this weekly ride now more then ever!

me looking like a hot mess after the ride but grinning from ear to ear!

xo,

cb

Two wheels please!

hi! hope everyone had a great weekend! man, did we do a lot of riding around this weekend and it felt great!! it was a bit bittersweet because this was our last weekend that we will have two days off together.  my hours at work have changed and i am ok with it but hopefully that will all change and tom will get thursday and friday off too!

the weekend started off great with a sushi date on thursday night, then followed by a bike ride to our favorite breakfast place in town friday morning. the east bay bike party was later that night and the theme was dinosaur attack so i thought i would make it a dino sort of day. in the morning sported ONE of my dino shirts, the brontosaurs.

wore my alligator earrings

we got home and got ready for my cousins who were coming over to have a bbq before we rolled out. i changed into my other dino shirt... the tyrannosaurus! rawr! this is my all time favorite shirt.... which actually tom stole for me from his sister when i spent the night at their house about 9 years ago. funny story...tom actually had this shirt when he was growing up...there is a picture as proof of evidence but we don't have the picture at our house so couldn't scan it :( years later kelly-anne found it at a thrift store and now it is mine!!!

horrible picture BUT this is where the theme of the ride came from. people joke that these cranes look like dinosaurs...and they kinda do

my cousin looking fly

this bike was SOO cool! it was lite on both sides, i want this bike!!

this ride was probably my favorite! the ride was long and we went to the port of oakland and where there were no cars the entire ride which made it fabulous! tom and i really let gilbert fly that night! i took a bunch of pictures and even some videos only to come home to mostly blurry pictures that you couldn't even tell what they were of and all the videos were upside down and iphoto has no button to rotate videos... geesh technology is awesome sometimes. next time we go i will shoot a video that is right side up!

this was is my TOO HOT TO RIDE face

saturday my mom was having a bbq at her place so tom and i decided to ride our bikes there. she lives about 30 minutes away but we had to take the train part of the way there because the road to her house is not a road i would EVER feel safe riding on. we took a trail once we got off the train called the iron horse trail that tom and i did a few months ago, see our adventure here! the ride to my moms was about 8 miles from the train which is really easy but it was 8 miles of HELL!!!!!! it was 88 degrees out and we had a really strong headwind, and no shade, not great conditions to be riding in but it was nice to be out and joke around while riding, i just wish i had prepared a bit more for the heat!

kiki looking all pretty in the sunshine

this is not even half of the ducks that live there

i love my moms place. it is surrounded by a stream with all these ducks and if you feed them they will swarm you!

 some of the the ducks have these fancy headdresses on and not sure if it a birth defect or a certain breed that gets to walk around with such fanciness but either way this guy had it going on!

we left my moms house with full bellies, sunkissed skin and rode home by the light of the moon. it was a romantic ride and was a perfect way to end our weekend together. we woke up sunday morning to go to work wanting more time together even though we spent 2 full days together... i wish there was a way i could get paid to hang out with tom all day. if any of you know, hook a sister up! hehe

xo,
cb

aww may...

well, its may folks and i have to say it is my favorite month and boy did it start off to a GREAT start! i want to thank you all for such wonderful comments on my 62 mile bike ride! i feel so lucky to have such great readers that make me feel so blessed!*** virtual high five to each and every one of you, you all rock!! ****

so yes, may, a fantastic month and here is a little list why!!!

* ummm ITS MY BIRTHDAY on the 21st!!

* "white lightening" will be complete!

* its national bike month

* may 12th is bike to work day!

* may 13th is the east bay bike party and the theme is BIRTHDAY.... so so appropriate!!!

* i start my new job, YAHOOO!!

*my one year blogaversary!

* finally i am done with sewing those bags & hats for monaluna and i can refocus on citybirds!!

* a day at the races...and maybe just maybe i might win some cold hard cash! hehehe 

well so far the month of may looks bright and happy and that makes me want to get up and dance!
 

now that i am down with sewing i have a little list of projects that i have been dying to get to! i am so so excited to be working with the oh so amazingly talented kristi mcmurry who will be doing some photography of my citybirds treasures! eek! so excited

well i am off to celebrate my new job with the sf bike party and have a relaxing weekend, see my mommy and my cute little nephew!

i hope you all enjoy your weekend...see you on the flip side!

i went, i conquered

well folks, i did it, yup 62 miles :D i really have never been so proud of myself! yes, we rode gilbert, our tandem and yes, there was help from the mister obviously but i did it! the mister calls me the coal shoveler, as in i am the engine that keeps the train moving! he is so cute!!! being in the back of the tandem you get a LOT of shit for "not pedaling". yes, there are some tandems that are set up so that each rider is pedaling at different speeds but this one if the mister pedals, i pedal and there is no way i would EVER let him carry my weight without pulling my own. i am a big girl with some powerful legs...plus the mister can tell when i am not doing my share so there is no way i can cheat! sorry to go off there...but since we have had the tandem i get heckled ALOT for "looking" like i am not doing anything and it gets a bit annoying. with that said......

we got up super early on sunday...earlier then i would have ever wanted to get up on a sunday but it was something that we were all looking forward to so it wasn't entirely hard to get up! we spent the night at my cousins house, made some yummy coffee and oatmeal, packed up the bikes and headed off to lodi, where the race was being held.

we all put loads of sunblock on and made any adjustments to our bikes before we headed out. the race started and ended at a winery so we did a nice big loop of the local little towns in the area. we met family there and we all rolled out around a little bit before 8. the route was all pretty flat except for some little bunny hills now and then but what we didn't expect was head winds, which is no bueno when riding!



there were 3 legs of the ride. the first leg was 25 miles...we all got split up so the mister and i were alone for the first leg ride for a few riders that passed us. the harsh head wind seemed to never go away no matter what direction we went. so it was extra nice that it was flat because if it was hilly too, it would have been quite the battle.

it was hard to take pictures of the ride as i really needed to concentrate on pedaling but this is the view i had most of the ride ;) we did see a coyote & a barn owl (yayayayya)! and a lady bug hitched a ride on our bike at some point which really made me smile!

when we got to the first stop and refreshed ourselves with food and drink. the sun was out but it wasn't hot yet which it was suppose to reach 82 degrees...eeek! so we headed out on the 2nd leg of the ride which was 20 miles to the next stop!

this was my favorite part of the ride. we rode with a group of guys and it was the closest feeling i have ever been to being in a race without having the pressure to win. in a bike race most of the time you ride in a pack, with a leader and everyone else drafting that person. drafting really helps save a rider energy because the person you are drafting is getting all the head winds leaving the drafter to rider with great ease and little resistance. this pack happened to be fast which was really fun so at times the mister and i were going around 17-20 miles per hour and were leading the pack! it was sooooo awesome! i can't even describe it, to be flying that fast on a bike and knowing that we were just busting our butts and doing a fantastic job...sooo awesome!

when we finally reached the 2nd stop the riders we were rode with came up and complimented on us and that just made me stand up so tall with pride! i had a huge smile on my face the rest of the ride!

resting in the shade taking in all the glory!

the third and final leg of the ride was the worst...we were tired, it finally got HOT out and our bums ached like nothing i had ever felt before...ever time we coasted we would adjust our bums and each time we both cried out in pain! we both had padded shorts on which IS A MUST for long bike rides but since we were both riding on new brook saddles it was like sitting on a rock for 7 hours! thank god, that leg of the ride was 18 miles and boy did we give it our all so that we could get to the finish and get off gilbert!

it was so sweet to ride down the gravel road back to the winery and have a little crowd of people congratulate us and then walking into the field where all the other riders were enjoying their hard earned lunch....it was spectacular. yes my knees & bum were sore but it was truly one of the greatest feelings i have ever felt! i felt so incredible and i for sure can not wait to do it again!!!

after a nice long shower and off to get some yummy much needed food!

i went, i conquered...take that 62 mile bike ride!!!!!!!

xo,
cb