The Grand Adventures of C & D Randazzo

Long Lost Blog!

2011-06-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have been sorely neglecting my blog duties! I promise it's not you, it's me. Dom and I have finally moved into our D.C. place but it's not exactly home yet. This next week, painters will be arrive and hopefully by the end of the week, it will be a little more to the taste and stylings of C.K. Randazzo. :)
I also have a couple of projects on my agenda for the weekend! There will be some furniture transformation happening that I'll be excited to post on the blog.

Once we have paint on the walls and the carpet cleaned, I will actually receive the shipment from Zambia. I always say that it's amazing what you can live without, but I must admit that I am tired of living without. I want art on the wall, creative, comfortable spaces, and those little things that make me happy like drinking homemade espresso out of my favorite mug.

I just keep imaging the the dinner parties, bbq, and get togethers to come but I am anxious to get the show on the road! In the mean time, I have PLENTY to keep me busy namely business registration, new website for the newest branch of my business (SO excited about it, but more to share later!), and a whole lot of technical logisitics.

Goldy Locks....

2011-04-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this baby! Snagged her off of craigslist for 25 dollars! She's going to be a beauty in my new office! I think the white frame needs a bit of repainting.....debating between Chrome or White. Thoughts?

MidCentury Modern 0 Vintage Clothing 4

2011-04-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Dom was working second shift this week so he indulged me by letting me drag him around to a few vintage stores around U Street. Our initial target was Ruff & Ready Furnishings, but it turn out they are only open on Saturdays and Sundays. As was our second target, Millenium Decorative Arts. We were able to check out the fabulous Goodwood, which "yelpers" everywhere have been raving about since my arrival. It was fab! And totally out of my price range, I made a mental note to my older, hopefully slightly wealthier self that this is place to take note of. There was a white leather chair that I attempted to put in my handbag prior to leaving the premises.

Anyhoo...I did have the good fortune to stop into Junction Vintage which is a fabulous vintage clothing store. They have a great selection of items, and the girl working there was great! I told her that our furniture mission had been a fail. And she proceeded to give me the in's and outs of the vintage furniture stores in the area. She even revealed #asupersecretstealofadealfurniturespot. It is on my to do list to follow up on this lead, and will be revealed at a later date! Rule number #1 of thrifting, make friends with those who do it for a living. They know things!

After a walk through the botanical gardens and a fabulous lunch at the Native American Museum with my honey. I dropped him off at work and continued my hunt. I went down to Georgetown where I visited Random Harvest which had some truly beautiful shabby chic meets Hollywood regency pieces. It was a great place to be inspired, but I was definitely out of my price league. Same story at Susquehanna Antique Co., they carry mostly old world antiques which are alittle too frufru, fancy schmacy for my style. To each their own...

Luckily, the day was not a waste. Since I was in the area, I HAD to stop by Second Hand Rose, the mecca of high end D.C. vintage shopping. They've been in the area for over 30 years and they have a wealth of designer labels from every era. They also have a killer sales rack. I didn't have much time left on parking but I did manage to grab this houndstooth Elle Tahari Blazer for $10 dollars, it's original price in the shop $169. It is definitely vintage, fully lined wool blend. It is in PERFECT condition. A girl can never have to much hounds tooth right? Now where is my $10 mid-century modern table??

Collecting my own version of pirate gold....

2011-04-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I dig a good deal, especially when it comes to vintage items. On Friday, I decided to get myself out of the house (letting Dom catch up on his zzz's after the night shift) for the sole purpose of going to look at antique/thrift shops. I was actually on a mission for mid-century modern furniture but these things never quite turn out like you plan.

My first stop Bethesda Flea Market, held on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. It was cold, and there wasn't much there in terms of furniture. But on my way back to my car, I ran across this tiny little thrift shop that was gold mine! You can visit too if you're are up Bethesda way! All items except those in the two lower rooms are half price on Sundays, and discounted 10% on Monday!

Now I know that some people have some pre-concieved notions regarding "junk" shops. For me it's more about following my pirate tendencies and treasure hunting. If it's not your thing than you will never understand, but if you dig a good bargain and some vintage gold then let me know and we can be mateys. I love the fact that you never know what your going to find, and that keeps me coming back for more.

My retro booty from this trip is as follows:

One fab wrap party dress with gray and white stripes, double wrap bow, and fabulous layered skirt. Tag reads: Remedy: Made in NYC unlike most. Looks vintage, but I couldn't find any info online about. Total steal for 10 dollars. Might be coming to a wedding near you!

One fantastic vintage skirt suit. Fab puffed sleeve with shoulder pad, bow tie, and skinny belt. 100% silk, blue with orange diamond design. Made by Maggy London Petites (Jeannene Booher). Not sure of the year but I found several Maggy London suits on Etsy in the $40-$60 dollar range. My steal....$12. The bow is my favorite part!

The third and final steal of the day is a gorgeous wool blazer, fully lined, 3/4 inch sleeves, with gold buttons, and a lot of sass! This piece has already made it's d.c. debut. Made by Point of View, very Ralph Lauren. I doubt it's vintage, but still fabulous. I dig a good blazer, I am certain I have way more than I need but when you pick one up for $8 you can't really complain, right?

So the moral of the story is I came home without furniture, but who needs it when you have fabulous outfits to wear out? Somehow I don't think my husband is surprised. Anyone up for thrifting?

Starting from Scratch

2011-03-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

The greatest thing about moving into a new place back stateside is that we have no furniture. Call me a perpetual optimistic or design junkie, or both! But I am STOKED!! Seriously, we don't have to face any of the guilt attached to the first sofa "that was donated to me by Aunty J when I was in college", lucky for us we bagged the sentimental stuff before we left on this trip. (#insertdisclaimerhereitonlytookme5years!).

This means that we get to start from scratch. We literally have everything we could ever need in terms of home goods, so its been nice to be able to focus on furniture alone. I'm not exactly sure what I would call my style, but it is something along the lines of "midcentury modern" meets "industrial" meets "vintage" meets "modern". Sooo... "Midmodindvindern". :) That's a whole lot of i's and d's folks!

Luckily I have certain friends who love to frequent estate sales, and they have already scooped up several steals for me! I've also been scouring craigslist like a fiend! We won't move into the place until July. But I am keeping myself motivated and inspired by making little inspiration boards for myself! Here's round one!

Stateside Update!

2011-03-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! So sorry I have been slacking on the blog, we've only had a few life changing moments over the last month! We are settling into our temporary place in Virginia. And readjusting to the glorious luxuries of being home.

Thanks to everyone who has been checking up on us and on Dom's health. He is doing better since we are back in the states. We have had a serious change in lifestyle since our arrival, namely a super duper elimination diet that cuts wheat, gluten, dairy, red meat, coffee, alcohol, etc. Initially this sounded super scary! However, it honestly hasn't been too bad and it forces some creativity in the kitchen.

I must say though, I have learned a whole new style of grocery shopping. Thank goodness for Trader Joes and Whole Foods! And we know have a cabinet full of weird, expensive food items. And I have learned how to make some strange, yet delish dishes! You should know that Dom is loving all the experimentation in the kitchen, and loves even more that for the first time ever I make sure he's got lunch prior to work. Who knew we were capable of such gender roles?

Anyhow life is almost perfect, we're just waiting for Grace to join us stateside. Apparently she has mad kitty survival skills as she escaped the vets office after attacking the vet's assistant, and sought refuge on the roof. They did manage to wrangle her back in her cage, but not until she'd missed her flight by a good four hours. Needless to say mission "send grace to civilization" was a bust. We hear that they plan on sedation next time. Lets hope she doesn't remember a thing!

Featured Zambian Artist: Chalyapa Lwandu

2011-02-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

Dom and I made our final Zambian art purchase, a lovely piece by Chalyapa Lwandu. Chalyapa focuses on more traditional content with a-typical techniques. He works fibers into his paintings which give them a lovely texture. I love the rural, ceremonial feel to his work. What I like the most about his pieces are the multi-dimensional texture, print, on top of the content. You can look at his piece for some time and see different things. I am so please with this painting! I can't wait to have it on top of our mantel somewhere!

Zambia Art: Stary Mwaba

2011-02-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

I was first introduced to Stary Mwaba's work on my first weekend in Zambia. He showed at a Christmas fair, at the time I wasn't aware what a phenomenal body of work he had. But even then his pieces really grabbed my attention. Since then Stary has been to the New York, and had exhibitions several other places. His work is becoming international, so I knew we needed to add a piece to our collection prior to our departure.

Much of Stary's work depicts transition from rural life to city life. Transformation is a reoccurring theme. This is from Stary's newest series, where he creates pieces that incorporate chitenge material, a traditional African cloth. The material is used mainly by women as clothing and is patterned with a number of different designs both traditional and political. They represent to Mwaba a key part of the African culture, which have been manipulated by businesses and politics. Read more about Stary and his work here.

Stary is such an amazing artist, his story is inspirational. And his pieces allow the viewer to consider the many transitions that individuals go through, and the changing world that we are all a part of. I look forward to seeing where he goes in the future.

D.C. Bound

2011-02-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

Well friends, Dom and I are off on yet another adventure. Due to an unforeseen medical issue it looks like we will be returning to D.C. a bit earlier than we had planned. Dom was diagnosed with a chronic condition right after his arrival to post. Unfortunately for us, there is no doctor here who specializes in the type of treatment that Dominic needs. So Med has changed our clearance and we are being sent back to D.C. for awhile. Possibly a year or two.

Things are still a little up in the air, we know that we will be leaving in the next two weeks, but don't have the exact date yet. As of Monday, we will be packing up. Didn't I just unpack? Oh well, there is nothing to do but move forward. I am going to a be an old pro at this before it's all said and done.

Anyhow, we look forward to seeing you all stateside. If you know of any apartment openings, please let me know as we are on the hunt. See you soon!!

Crystal's Crafty Creations: Paper Globe & Our Winner

2011-01-25T12:05:00.000-08:00

I have a bookmark folder full of crafts ideas that I am hoping to do at some point in time. The truth is I almost never get to them. But I think about them pretty frequently. I had a bad week, I am feeling defeated by all the waiting on work permits, stupid logistics, and well lets face it I hate sitting around. So today I decided that I would do something for myself.

I visited my Aunt in Venice when I was in grad school and purchased some lovely marbled paper there. I have a paper obsession. I've been dreaming about what to do with this glorious stuff since the day I bought it, but nothing seemed right. Then I stumbled upon the perfect craft tutorial on Photojojo (love them!) I saved it in my bookmarks after Christmas but today was the day it became a reality!

I'd like to say that I know that some people have a few pre-conceived notions about crafting. They attribute it to grandmas and cat ladies. I do to, sorta (as my Granny was a serious crafter...her quilts, crochet, embroidery is to DIE for.) I totally fly the crafty flag! In fact, I always say that my idea of perfection would be me sitting at home making things for my etsy shop (this may be my time friends).

Anyhoo....here are some photos from the sphere I made from my luxurious venetian paper, I can't wait to locate some fishing wire and hang it up. Did I mention it's gorgeous from every angle? I need to do more crafts they make me happy!

Now drum roll please! Time to announce the winner for the CSN drawing. I had Dom do the honors of drawing from the names of everyone who entered! Congrats to Dee, you will be receiving an email regarding the gift card at the email address you gave me! I loved seeing your glorious picks, my readers have rocking, good taste!

A Giveaway!

2011-01-20T00:43:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

I was going to skip out on the blog today as I've already posted two blogs this week! However, I'm super excited because CSN stores contacted me about hosting this fabulous giveaway today and I had to do it.What's good for my readers is good for me right? Getting their email made me feel like I'm really operating in the blogosphere, and I thought only my mom read my blog. Heehee!

Do you guys know CSN? Love them! CSN sells everything from swing sets, to shoes (don't ask me how I know), to cookware! We recently purchased this fabulous looking t.v. console from them (we haven't put it together yet as we need to have some furniture removed from our house prior to fitting it in the living room). And that was pre-giveaway therefore I have no bias! CSN has over 200 stores and I'm betting you can find pretty much anything you want, if not hire me as your personal shopper and I promise to deliver!

Are you having the post holiday, "I really shouldn't blues?" Well refrain no longer because for one lucky commenter on this post I will send you a $25 gift certificate (emailed) to use at any of CSN's 200 online stores, on anything your little heart desires! This covers everything but shipping.

Leave me a comment about what fabulous CSN jewel you have your heart set on and why!

The FINE PRINT:

1) Only open to US and Canadian peeps. (Sorry! I don't make the rules, I only enforce them.)
2) Leave your comment by Tuesday, January 25th by 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).

That's it! Easy peasy, right? Good luck!

Making Zambia Home: Part 2

2011-01-19T07:16:00.000-08:00

Well today I took some more photos of our work in progress! I decided I should wait until the house keeper came to take photos since the kitchen was a wreck! Once Patricia worked her magic, I busted out the tripod and took some more photos. I still did not get to the whole house, but here's part two of the Zambian digs.

I love the green we chose for the living room! I knew exactly what color family I wanted prior to heading to the paint store. I learned a vital lesson in paint choosing while I was there. Right before they were about to mix up the green paint, the painter told me that he had calculated the cost wrong. He told me that the shade of green I had chosen was going to be over a hundred dollars just for the green pigment alone. What the heck? Apparently some greens are greener than others. I opted out of the pricey paint for literally the shade right next to it which was normal price. I'd like to think I have a special talent for always finding the most expensive item in the store, case in point. That my friends is champagne taste on a beer budget!

So some of my favorite items in this room are below...I always say it's the little details that count. I'm on the hunt for a gorgeous, colorful, Zambia piece for the mantel piece. Meanwhile, you guys can dream with me!

These two lovely pieces were done by the oh so talented, Stephanie Thorton of Abracadabra Glass in Abilene, TX. Stephanie did several shows at the gallery I worked at in college, and whenever I'm in Abilene, I always stop by her shop. We purchased both of these pieces this summer, and I was lucky Dom didn't fill up the entire car. The disc is his favorite!

Speaking of glass, I've long been a fan of this fantastic medium! There is a little glass blowing shop in the glass museum at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV. The top piece came from that shop, and we got to watch the glass blower make it. It is a frequent stop on my visits to my grandfather. The piece below came from the glass gift shop which is located above the museum, it is filled with treasures from the beaches of Haiti.

I have a new obsession with throw pillows, specifically throw pillows from Etsy. How fantastically, amazing are these guys? The two jungle themed pillows came from Carlos Santiago's spectacular shop, this man knows his pillows! The darling, little snoozing dog came from RobinandMould in the UK.

Moving on, one of the best functional spaces in our house is the kitchen. It is by far the largest kitchen I've ever had, and quite a change from Dom and I bumping into each other ever two seconds. It had so many lovely, existing neutrals so I thought it could handle a bold pop of color. Boy did it ever!

I get so much pleasure from all the little details! Dominic purchased this key rack for me this christmas (from Etsy...where else?). And I love these vintage-esque flour and sugar holders. They have been living in my storage unit virtually since I bought them. It makes me happy to see them out in all their glory.

Did I mention that we might of splurged on a couple of high end appliances prior to our arrival? Oh be still my heart...never mind that's just all the pastries and caffeine!

Just for fun, I thought you might want to see how the other half lives. You remember the pre-apocalyptic shopping excursion I did prior to my departure from the states, where it looked like I was outfitting a bomb shelter? All those goodies have to fit in this house too. Luckily, I have a pretty big pantry, and a guest closet.

Making Zambia Home: Part 1

2011-01-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

As promised, I am posting photos of our new home in Zambia. It will probably be a two part post. We had an incredibly productive weekend, we got the house painted, and started putting the final touches around our house. This is the first time in years that I have had all of my art work in one place and it makes my heart happy to begin crafting a home so to speak!

My favorite room so far, just might be my office. This is probably because I have never really had a real office in my home before. Besides the fact that I bought a whole load of new toys that I am just beginning to utilize to their fullest! Usually I stick a desk in a bedroom and call it good. But this is truly a creative space and it feels very put together, and I LOVE the art in here. Kudos to my talented friend Jonathon Kimbrell for the lovely Marilyns, and my mentor Timothy O. Sutherland for the lovely photo. You guys make my space!

Here is our dining room, which is just gorgeous! I love the combination of grey/tan wall (Soap Bubble according to the paint store) with the rich furniture. It feels modern, but young to me. Once again the art in this space makes me so happy! The large painting of wings was done by my friend Leighanne Meador, post Hurricane Katrina. I don't think it's ever had such a wonderful show case spot! The far wall is my Haiti wall, there is a mirror was crafted by Haitians from oil drums (which isn't pictured) and two small paintings were done by Leroy Exil who Dom and I had the pleasure of meeting in person while living in Haiti.

Dom and I have slowly been working on the outside of our house as well, and our biggest accomplishment so far is the gorgeous rose/herb garden we look out onto from our patio. It is a little slice of heaven to have your morning cup of coffee and feast your eyes!

Here's a little shout out for the ladies of T.I.P., check out the glass on my patio door.Yes those are teeny, tiny sailboats.

RARA carries on!

2011-01-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

Today while reading my friend Kevin's blog, I learned that the business, RARA, that she nurtured from the ground up in Haiti, and sold shortly before the earthquake is alive and well in Haiti. I can't tell you what hope that gave me. Many of you recieved RARA as Christmas gifts, the year before last. I was an avid support of RARA and all it stood for in Haiti.

In Haiti, RARA bands often roam the street in times of celebration, utilizing found materials to make a variety of instruments. Kevin used this concept of using found materials to create bags from trash, and jobs for needy women in Haiti. Purchasing RARA bags promotes sustainable projects and artists in need in Haiti.

Kevin also shared a link to own of her U.S. RARA importers, Tesoros Trading Company, who is selling RARA bags and now promoting a new program to help local artisans in Haiti called Hearts for Haiti.

I truly believe that art in Haiti is one of the things that could revitalize the Haitian economy. The vibrancy of their art in every form still astounds me. Support Haiti and the creatives that pour themselves into art every day.

Buy a heart for Haiti, and generate a donation to the HAND/EYE Fund's artisan grants program supporting Haiti artisans in their struggle to rebuild their lives and businesses in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake.

Hand-carved river stone hearts from the village of Cormier, located in a rural zone just east of Port au Prince, represent the best link between Haitian artisans and the distant markets they must reach to earn a living. HAND/EYE Fund, through its Austin, Texas importing partner, Tesoros Trading Co., offers employment to the carvers by buying the hearts from them. The proceeds from sales of the hearts go to the HAND/EYE Fund's artisan grants program in Haiti - which offers small cash grants to artists and artisans who need to rebuild houses and workshops, replenish tools and raw materials, and gain access to design input from the markets in which they are trying to sell.

The HAND/EYE Fund supports skilled artisans in their struggle to earn decent livelihoods through preservation of ancient traditions, innovation of new ones, exploration of new markets, and educating the consuming public about the cultural and economic importance of their work.

The Fruits of Our Labor

2011-01-10T21:42:00.000-08:00

New Years at Kanyemba: Part 3

2011-01-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

Our third and final day at Kayemba, found me up at 5:00 a.m. for the second morning in a row. The sunrise was even more gorgeous than the day before for oranges and pinks flooding the sky. It was the perfect ending to fabulous weekend.

Around six, Dom and I joined a group of people to take a canoe ride down the river. I was nervous about the boat tipping over so the camera didn't come along. We didn't see as much wildlife as we did the morning before, but floating down the river in the peaceful quiet of the morning was spectacular. You can also hear all the animal sounds which is more difficult with the speed boat. I think Kanyemba will definitely be a stopping point in a future!

New Years at Kanyemba Lodge: Part 2

2011-01-02T22:49:00.000-08:00

For a photographer, few times are better than the quiet sunrise, when it's just you, your camera, and the awakening world. This year at 5:15 a.m. on New Years Day, I was standing on a wooden deck overlooking the Zambezi River contemplating the last year. I believe that moments of beauty often bring healing to my heart. And watching the sun crest over the horizon I felt at peace with life.

Seeing as I was already up, I dragged Dom out on another speed boat adventure so I could take advantage of the fantastic light that was swirling around in the New Year. We took off to see what other wild animals we could find.

The purple billed heron is a massive, beautiful bird. You can see more photos of this one and the weekend here at my professional blog.

The crocs were out in full force, I was happy to shoot them with a long lens and keep my distance. I learned that this one was female, the ones that are brighter in coloring female, the darker ones are male.

My favorite shot of a large hippo harem!

It was an amazing morning! We stumbled upon a bachelor herd of elephants. Bachelor herds are all young males and usually one older male who is responsible for herd and for teaching the young bucks the ways of life. They were playing in the water when we arrived. What is about elephants that is so awe inspiring? They are the most majestic creatures, and it always seems to me that they are regarding me in the most human-like fashion.

I wish I could explain the glory of the trees in Zambia, some are over a 100 years old and they are gorgeous. This one is a sausage tree (See the sausage-like bean bods in the leaves?)

Here is a male crocodile, who wasn't too keen on showing us his face, which suited me just fine.

We spent most of the rest of the day by the pool, enjoying the company of our friends, and the glory of complete relaxation. But I couldn't resist snapping a photo of a creepy, crawly friend in our bathroom in our room. Does anyone know it's name? It looks like a walking stick, but was such an intriguing little critter.

I finished off New Years day like I started it by documenting the sunset of one of the most perfect days of my life. Welcome 2011! May you bring many adventures my way!!

© Crystaline Randazzo Photography - All images are copyright of Crystaline Randazzo and in no way are to be used by Google, Google Advertisers or any third party. These are not your pictures. Steal them and I will sue you.

New Years at Kanyemba Lodge: Part 1

2011-01-02T10:53:00.000-08:00

Dominic & I took off for our first "real" Zambia outing over New Years with our friends, Phil & Katherine Nervig, their cousins Brit and Mike, and their kids Jack and Sam. We drove about 3 hours to Kanyemba Lodge, which was spectacular! It sits overlooking the Zambezi River and offers spectacular views, on the water wildlife spectating, and various other activities.

Within ten minutes of arrival, I was sipping a gin & tonic, eying the pool overlooking the Zambezi River and I had already seen my first vermit monkey. I admit in advance that this post and the ones following it probably has TOO many photos, but I shot over 600 this weekend so I figure that for me this was narrowed down.

We took a refreshing dip in the pool had lunch, and then hopped on board the speed boat to spy out some game park wild life.

Dom and I saw our first hippos! There were literally hundreds of them on the river. Fun hippo facts include: Hippos do not swim...they walk on the bottom of the river. They are nocturnal animals, and spend all day in the water, and come on land during the night to eat. They can stay under water for 5-7 minute intervals before having to pop up for air, and they do this all day even while they are sleeping. If a mother has a male calf she will hide him from the father as hippos are very territorial. Male hippos will fight "to the death" in order to gain a herd, or as I called them hippo harems.

After some animal viewing, the speed boat stopped at a sand bar where we all chilled out with some New Year's champagne watching the scenery at sundown. That my friends is the perfect way to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new!!

I loved the hippo footprints all over the sand bar. Here are theirs and mine. Just in case you wanted a size comparison, I am a 7 1/2. :)

We arrived back to the lodge in time for a spectacular dinner, and an evening full of good friends, bananagrams, and ringing in the New Year!

Grace the Christmas Cat

2010-12-27T05:04:00.000-08:00

Well Dom and I caved and got a pet, I consider it a halfway cave as cats are much easier than dogs. We'll see if we leave post without one of those. Grace is about 2 1/2 years old and she has been living at the American Embassy where she is spoiled rotten! Well the Embassy is moving to a new location in the new year and we were recruited as Grace's adoptive parents. She is a very sweet cat, and I felt horrible this morning when I had to go and cat nab her, take her to the vet to be poked and prodded, and then locked her in our master bathroom while she adjusts to the new living quarters. But she did behave beautifully at the vet and didn't bite or scratch once!

Initially, she crawled behind the bidet in the master bath and would not move. Not even the good tuna cat food would get her out. But once i removed the cat carrier from the room, Grace was golden! She came right out and allowed me to pet her. Something tells me this aversion to the cat carrier does not bode well for our future travels. She is such a beautiful and curious cat, I think she will adjust rather nicely in our family. Something tells me she's going to be a Mama's girl as she already crawls into my lap and loves to snuggle up beside me.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T02:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Spirit

2010-12-24T02:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received some sad news from my friend Katie Haley Kilpatrick, her mom's house burned down on December 23rd. Luckily, everyone was safe but her mom lost her home and everything in it. I haven't gotten to speak to Katie directly except by email so I have little information behind the cause of the fire.

However, it made me realize how little all the "things" at Christmas matter. And that we should be cherishing each moment we have together because that is a bigger gift than anything underneath the tree.

I encourage you all to pass along some Christmas love to Katie and her family, by donating to Abilene Teachers FCU in her name Wanda Haley. You can also send her funds via paypal at wonderh@email.com or send a check to her temporary address at 7363 County Rd 487, Merkel, TX 79536.

*Update**

See Katie's blog for more info.

Holiday Love & Hippos

2010-12-21T05:57:00.000-08:00

Painting HGTV Style with Sherwin-Williams....

2010-12-20T01:01:00.000-08:00

Well I have been in Lusaka about 3 weeks, and while I love our house, this week I decided it was in serious need of some color. I know it was painted right before our arrival but the entire house is beige. Our furniture is a nice neutral brown (brand new which is a huge perk for those of us in the foreign service) but this means my house is beige and brown.

So Dom has given me the go ahead to get it painted and I am so excited! Is it sad that at 28, I have NEVER gotten to chose paint colors for my house? Considering my addiction to HGTV, it's a travesty. Needless to say I have had the best time just dreaming about my house colors!

I found a great online tool at Sherwin Williams called the visualizer where you can upload the photos of your house, mask in the walls, ceilings, etc. And test your paint colors! For the record, I thought it was super easy to navigate, but then again I use masks on a regular basis. The best news for me is that even though I don't think we have a Sherwin Williams we do have a paint color matching place where I can print off swatches and have them make the colors I want.

Anyhow here is the first batch of rooms I "visualized" over the weekend! This gives you a chance to see the new digs as well, though in a slightly less beige version.

Living Room:

Dining Room:

Kitchen:

Entryway/Hallway:

Hopefully I will get to the bedrooms and office this weekend! I cannot wait to do some home improvement!

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-15T22:28:00.000-08:00

Today, I was reminded of a Christmas tradition in our family. To tell you the truth, I haven't gotten to spend Christmas at home for the last two years, so I had sort of forgotten about it. But when my Grandfather remarried the lovely Ann, our fairy grandmother (or so we like to call her) she introduced a family tradition which needs to be passed along. And the memory of it just brought joy to my heart.

There is a box that is placed under the Christmas tree, it is the last box to be opened every year. And in this box is a kazoo for each member of the family. Post gift opening, each member of the family selects their Kazoo and kazzoos we wish you a Merry Christmas in a line around the house. It is hysterical to try and get through the entire song amidst the hysteria and nose humming! And it reminds me how very special Ann was, and what joy she brought to our lives.I have to believe that she is there laughing with us each Christmas.

I know they won't get here by this year, but I think it's time i brought this family tradition to our house. Now I must do some kazoo shopping...

Words to Inspire

2010-12-14T03:30:00.000-08:00

Gift
by W.S. Merwin

I have to trust what was given to me
if I am to trust anything
it led the stars over the shadowless mountain
what does it remember in its night and silence
what does it not hope knowing itself no child of time
what did it not begin what will it not end

I have to hold it up in my hands as my ribs hold up my heart
again in the mountain I have to turn
to the morning

I must be led by what was given to me
as streams are lead by it
and braiding flight of birds
the gropings of veins the learning of plants
the thankful days
breath by breath

I call to it Nameless One O Invisible
Untouchable Free
I am nameless I am divided
I am invisible I am untouchable
and empty
nomad live with me
be my eyes
my tongue and my hands
my sleep and my rising
out of chaos
come and be given

Having a Moment....

2010-12-09T01:55:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up in a contemplative spirit. This happens to me on occasion, especially when we have just arrived to a new post. I know that many of you out there consider this to be a glam lifestyle, and in some ways it is so I won't argue with you too much! But what those of us in the foreign service know, or at least their spouses know, is that we spend a lot of time waiting around for things to happen. The #1 hurry up and wait item on my list is a work permit, first and foremost. I have to meet with HR this week to see what type of work permit I need to work freely in the local economy or perhaps get a consultancy license. This is my major stumbling block to start working, I've recently learned that even to do volunteer work (i.e. pro bono photography) I may need a permit as I could be taking jobs from Zambians which is frowned upon. I have yet to learn the time frame or the cost, but I expect in typical third world fashion it will take time. This does not mean I could not be enormously productive and do such things as a complete file restructuring (why would one procrastinate on that?) and Digital Asset Managment organization. But I haven't quite gotten around to it.

Still I was thinking about another foreign service spouse who found her legs while "trailing" (I hate this term, but have yet to come up with a better one). So I decided I'd brush up on my egg poaching skills this morning in honor of being more than a follower, and by creating your own destiny no matter where your adventures may take you.

My camera seems to be close by my side lately, and the mundane things have been striking me with their simplicity and beauty. I consider this a good thing as many times in Haiti I struggled with the simple act of picking up my camera, now it seems like an old friend beckoning me to document the early hours of this newest adventure.

I guess the truth is no matter what our best efforts are, there is always the chance that our efforts will fail. Looking back, I know I have, but at the same time falling flat on my face is often the defining moment that forces me to make the most of the situation. In the end it is not the destination we are after, instead the glorious bumpy journey.

So there it is, the success, the failure, the journey. Bon Appétit !

Paper Good Obsessed

2010-12-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't already know, I have mad love for paper goods. Cards, napkins, wrapping paper. Basically in any form. Picked up a roll of this today and am already thinking I need to go back and get about three more....love Zambian Christmas decorations!!!

When in Zambia...

2010-12-07T05:44:00.000-08:00

Today my neighbor Felice called me up and asked me if I wanted to join her for coffee. Luckily I have no pressing social calendar as I am still meeting people, and even better she happened to take me for breakfast and coffee at a local place called Zebra Crossing which hosts among other things the best barista in Lusaka, a gourmet chocolate shop, and a salon. I got a lovely cappuccino delivered with a perfect heart design in the middle. Too bad I didn't have my camera with me or else you guys could of enjoyed it too!

Along side Zebra Crossing in Abba House there is an adorable boutique full of craft items from Zambia and Zimbabwe, I was fully suckered in by the idea of adding some African ornaments to my Christmas tree and here are some of the holiday frosting I chose for mine. Who doesn't need a warthog, leopard, baboon, elephant, and yes, and most importantly a hippo! Are you singing...yet?

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

Well I got two! See some more shots of my safari themed gems below:

A New Post & A New Adventure!

2010-12-06T03:43:00.000-08:00

Hello friends & family!

I know I have sadly neglected this blog while Dom & I were stateside but I will do my best to keep you abreast of our travels now that we have arrived at our second post Lusaka, Zambia. Dominic arrived in Zambia at the end of September, and I joined him after spending two months traveling the U.S., seeing my family and friends! I spent Thanksgiving in Arizona with the Kline crew and then did some serious international travel (perhaps the longest flight of my life) in order to arrive in Zambia into Dom's waiting arms.

I should say that we are fairly certain that we have landed in paradise! We have a lovely home, complete with beautiful outdoor space and a pool (photos will have to follow in a later blog post). Zambians are an incredible gracious and polite people. And to top it off we live in a country that has movie theatres, malls, spas, restaurants, etc! We are definitely moving up in the world!! Or should I say third world?

My first week in Zambia was spent unpacking the house, attending various social functions, and fighting some serious jetlag. All I can say is I am thankful for tylenol p.m. as I virtually had to drug myself in order to sleep at night. I'm hoping week two will bring it's own challenges!

This weekend we decided to go to a nearby game park called Chaminuka, it is about 45 minutes from Lusaka and we had heard that the food was good. So we gathered together a group of other newcomers hopped in the toyota rav4 and sped down a bumpy dirt road to find our next adventure! We had no more driven through the gates of the game park when we saw a heard of zebras, a little farther down the road we saw a pair of giraffes! We got out to take some photos, and I couldn't believe how close we were able to get! It was truly incredible!

The lodge was a lovely structure complete with a sculpture garden, gift shop, pool, and restaurant.

It sat on a hill overlooking a lake, we took a walking tour around the lake when we discovered that our group was too large to do the horseback tour (they apparently only have 3 horses and the guide gets one so two for guests) and the riding tour didn't have openings until after lunch. We were shown the lion and hyena enclosure and both times were almost on top of the animals before we saw them. I have no doubt that they knew where we were from a mile away.

After our walking tour we headed back to the lodge to grab some grub. They serve up a mean breakfast buffet at chaminuka and our group put down some serious chow!

Post lunch we headed off for our riding tour....

It was a wonderful way to begin our foray into the world of safari and well worth the sixty bucks!

Solvang: The Land of Danish Pancakes!

2010-07-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

From L.A. we went up the coast to Solvang, a Dutch inspired town, with the worlds best pancakes. I have never had any so good! We must thank Matt and Katie for the suggestion of Paula's Pancakes, they were delish!! I suggest the Danish style with powedered sugar on top! Yum!

Dom and I were both in food comas for the rest of the day.

After Paulas, we headed to the Mission Santa Inés that is in Slovang! It was a our first California mission. I love all the old beams in the ceiling, and most of all the beautiful gardens outside. From Solvang we headed to Santa Barbara, but returned to Solvang that evening to hit up their fantastic farmers market and wine tasting rooms!

The Bright Lights of Hollywood: LA

2010-07-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

The first night in California we spent with a fellow photographer Jessica. She literally moved there the Friday before we arrived and was kind enough to put us up for a night. Our first stop was to eat some Thai food! Yum!

Then Dom and I carved out a few hours to see his friends from Allegheny, Matt and Katie. We spent a wonderful evening on their charming, second floor patio drinking some bubbly and catching up. I got to hear some fantastic stories from their college days and topped of the night by eating some strawberry shortcake with fresh California strawberries. I am ruined on strawberries for life!

The next morning Jess took us to The Fairmont Hotel Miramar, which his where her hubby works as one of the chefs. It was a fantastic meal, and the hotel is beautiful! We left Jessica, and had to walk off our food coma at The Getty Center.

Luckily for me, there was a fantastic photo exhibit up! The exhibit was entitled: Engaged Observers: Documentary Photography Since the Sixties. This was truly a highlight from this trip. I fell in love with Sebastiao Salgado's work all over again. I found new inspiration in Larry Towell's long term documentary project on a Mennonite community. If there was ever a moment when the documentary path felt right for me, this was it. I love to be inspired! Of course, I bought the book, and you should too! Especially if you can't see the exhibit in person! Here are a few photos from LA.

A must see for those of you in LA!

The view of LA from The Getty!

The Gardens at the Getty, we were shown the perfect shooting spot by one of the Getty Guides!

California Bound: First stop Joshua Tree!

2010-07-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to get to the road trip portion of our vacation. We have planned a 4,000 mile road trip packed with camping, wine tours, and some of the most beautiful sights in California. We decided to take a bit of a detour to see Joshua Tree, which was so worth it!

It is a bizarrely beautiful place, the cactus and plants are out of a Dr. Seuss book, I wonder if the doctor drew his inspiration from this place. I could practically see Green Eggs and Ham taking place before my eyes. What a fantastic intro to Cali!

Independance Day: Part 2

2010-07-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

Dom and I seriously miss having homestyle 4th of July's. It had been too long since I sat out on a blanket with my family and watched the sky light up. The kids had so much fun playing Frisbee and running around like little maniacs, and there was something so comforting about sitting with my mom and my sister and soaking up the moment. I have to give those two....they make pretty babies!

One of my favorite things about fireworks is after the explosions, when all of the little sparks begin to make their downward spiral toward earth. It always surprises me to see the delicate strands of willow trees within the fireworks. For me that is where the beauty is, the pictures of the aftermath. As usual, I was experimenting with that on camera, I think you'll know what I mean.

Many thanks to our troops who made it possible for me to sit with my family and enjoy the fireworks. Freedom is not free, and the sacrifices you and your families make daily were not forgotten on that day.

© Crystaline Randazzo Photography - All images are copyright of Crystaline Randazzo and in no way are to be used by Google, Google Advertisers or any third party. These are not your pictures. Steal them and I will sue you.

Happy Independence Day: Part One

2010-07-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

Dom and I spent the 4th of July weekend at my parent's house in Dewey, Arizona. I haven't been home for the 4th in years, and Dom and I haven't been to see fireworks in I don't know how long. Even better, my sister Linda and her crew came down so I got to see her as well!

Saturday we went to see the parade in Prescott, AZ. It might be the longest parade I've ever been to! But we had a great time! I got some photos of the family while we watched. The kids are getting soo big!!

After the parade Jordann was a flag girl in a performance the church did in honor our troops. She did a fantastic job! Here are some photos from the event:

I am still behind in my photo ingest so I will do a second post regarding the weekend and the fireworks we went to on Sunday night!

© Crystaline Randazzo Photography - All images are copyright of Crystaline Randazzo and in no way are to be used by Google, Google Advertisers or any third party. These are not your pictures. Steal them and I will sue you.

Abilene & The Land of Enchantment!

2010-07-05T16:23:00.001-07:00

Dom and I headed to Abilene after our fab weekend in Ft. Worth. We were royally spoiled by Judy's southern soul food! Ribs, black eyed peas, cornbread, and blue berry pie. Needless to say we never wanted to leave! Judy & Steve were fantastic hosts, and we enjoyed the relaxation, not to mention running around my old stomping grounds!

After two days in Abilene, we hopped in to the car and drove to my home state! New Mexico! The land of roadrunners, adobe, and hatch green chili! We made the 7 hour car ride to Taos to see Tim and the gallery. As soon as we arrived, we ran down to the Taos pueblo and got there right before it closed.

Approximately 150 people live within the Pueblo full time. Other families owning homes in the North or South buildings live in summer homes near their fields, and in more modern homes outside the old walls but still within Pueblo land. There are over 1900 Taos Indians living on Taos Pueblo lands.

The artisans were hard at work making beautiful pottery and tiles! It was fantastic!

The artists of Taos Pueblo produce beautiful handcrafted wares using techniques passed down through generations. Today, Taos Pueblo potters are challenged to produce high quality pottery by putting a high polish on vessels.

It was a very quick outing but it made me fall in love with the southwest all over again. I wonder if I'll every get the wilderness out of my system!

Here are a few more shots from the day:

Bon Voyage!

2010-07-02T23:18:00.000-07:00

Our second night in Texas, we ate some mean Railhead bbq ribs with Gail and Christopher, finished it off with an old fashioned sno-cone.

Then we headed to downtown Fort Worth to celebrate Trisha's big move to her new job in Salt Lake City. We had a fantastic time and I got to see my favorite ex-roomates Trisha, Nicole, and Leighanne (Carrie you were very missed). I cannot say how much I miss these girls, it was such a highlight to have a night together.

Everything is Bigger in Texas!

2010-07-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

Dom and I flew into Texas on the 25th of June. Can you say reverse culture shock?! Not only is everything bigger in Texas, it was an overload of good friends, good tastes, and fresh air!

We spend Friday night with Trisha and Luke, and got to see Leighanne and Blake. We had fantastic mexican food, margaritas, and darts. It was too much fun being back together! Besides Dom and I kicked some tail in darts. Glad to know that we haven't lost our touch!

Thank You is Not Nearly Enough!

2010-06-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

Albert Einstein once said, "The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving." If this is the case, you are all worth your weight in gold. Dominic and I received piles of boxes from our friends and families. You truly poured out your love onto Haiti. Each week the boxes we gave away were replaced by more, and we have been able to give constantly to those around us since the day of the earthquake. This would of never been possible without all of our friends and families at home who took their time and money and packed up boxes to send to us on a regular basis.

One of the places we gave items to on a regular basis was the World Reap for Christ Church. One of my co-workers, Jeudy, is a preacher there. He and his wife run the church, a school, a clinic, and a training program. After the earthquake, Jeudy had over 30 people living at his home. His daughter had been critically injured, and his wife had accompanied her to the U.S. for several months during her recovery. His daughter is still in the United States recieving physical therapy, but Jeudy and his family are praying and believing that she will walk again.

Several weeks ago, Jeudy and his wife Miriam came to our house on a Saturday morning. They asked if they could schedule a weekend to show us what the items we had donated had done for them. We had not idea what sort of celebration that we were agreeing to, just that they wanted us to help them pass out some items to the children. We agreed along with our roommate Brittany who had passed along many items from her friends and family.

The weekend before last, Jeudy met us at our home and we followed him to his home. It is in the process of being repaired from the earthquake, they have filled in many of the holes in his home.
Jeudy was so thrilled to have us there.

He took us to the back of the house, where many of the supplies we had given had been organized into small bags according to the ages of the children. These were the gifts we were to be giving.

As always, I am amazed by the resilience of Haitians and the heart they have for their people and their country. I will forever been amazed by Jeudy, who in the midst of the crisis in his own life, showed up at the embassy every day and helped me get water to American citizens when the citizens of his own church had lost everything. His heart is shining with love for people, and an example of how each of us should live.

Jeudy took us to see the clinic where they treat people who are ill and do training courses. Miriam is a nutritionist who trains people from the mountains on nutrition, healthy living, and basic medical training.

We also saw the school which has been seriously damaged. The children have been doing school on the church grounds as the building is too damaged to use. Jeudy's dream is to have a compound where the school, church, and clinic can coexist instead of separate properties.

I cannot tell you how surprised I felt when Dom, Brittany, and I walked through the gate of the church. There were so many children! Truly, I don't think that we had any idea how far the items would go when we gave them to Jeudy. The children were so excited to be there, many of them had traveled since early that morning to get to the church for the event. And then the festivities began! We were welcomed with open arms by Jeudy's church, the children sang, the adults sang, the teenagers danced, they had a full band. It truly was a great celebration.

Towards then end we were asked to speak to the group, and then we helped pass out the gift bags to the children. Those bags had just the basics, flip flops, hats, soap, toothbrushes, and an occasional toy. But they were so excited to get them! A few kids answered some bible trivia correctly and got a big gift!

It was a joyous day my friends! But none of it would of been possible if each of you hadn't packed up boxes and sent them our way. Please share this blog with the friends of friends who helped as well. We got so many boxes from people we didn't know, I would love for them to see that they truly touch lives with the items they sent. Dom and I are so blessed to have all of you looking over our shoulder in our times of need, those boxes were you wrapping your arms around us when we needed to feel your love. Thank you all for that!

The International Art Collection Begins!

2010-06-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, I mentioned that Dom and I were thinking over a big art purchase. Today was the day we did the deed! I was so excited that as soon as I got our Georges Desarmes home, I hung it on the wall. This is ironic as our movers are coming on Monday, but I just had to enjoy it for a few days before it gets packed up and sent on its way to Lusaka. This will be my eye candy for the next 48 hours!

We also had a chance to meet the Haitian artist Leroy Exil thanks to our friends Angela and Charles. We purchased two of his smaller pieces. It makes me happy to think that I get to take the vibrant colors of Haiti with me on our next adventure! We also had some handmade frames made which make them extra authentic!

When we visited Leroy, he was in the middle of preparing for the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival where he will be showing his work. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival begins on June 24 on the National Mall also will feature other artists from Haiti. Some of their work will be sold to benefit Haiti's cultural revival. To all our D.C. friends, please participate in this festival, it will be a great way to get amazing art, and support the people of Haiti.

If you want to do some art shopping in Haiti we highly recommend Monnin Gallery. Toni is a fabulous lady who is truly working hard to help Haitian artists. She has set up a foundation as well, so if you are looking for an organization to donate to, I suggest this one! Haitian art is vibrant and beautiful and an amazing part of their culture. Everyone needs a touch of that in their lives.

Croix-des-Bouquets & Our Three Headed Skeleton

2010-06-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Dom and I coordinated a group trip to Croix-des-Bouquets. This is an area north of Port-au-Prince where the Haitian artisan's build their amazing metal artwork and sculpture out of old oil drums. It is a quick drive, and a must see in Port-au-Prince. What I truly enjoyed about this trip is that the artist shops all seemed to have their own little niche. Several of the artists had created their own independent style. You can find something for every style & size, intricate whimsical creatures like mermaids, tree of life, birds, crosses, mermaids, mirrors, voodoo inspired pieces, sculpture, etc.

True to form Dom and I bought a pile of gifts for the friends/family we are going to see this summer. Dom also picked out a piece from his favorite artisan, who creates a mix of original sculpture, masks, functional items, and truly has developed his own signature style. I enjoy the fact that his art does have some darker elements, as some of the metal art feels a little "cleaned up" for the consumers. Or as our friend Susan said, "People want to buy butterflies and rainbows, not the more eerie pieces." Dom has a special love for the skeleton pieces of this artist. So he was happy to have his own three headed skeleton playing the bongo drum hanging on the wall by the end of the day. I like that my husband is becoming a bit of an art bad ass. He has grabbed Haitian art by the horns, and has a better memory for artists names and facts than I do. This piece is eclectic & humorous and that is definitely a part of my Haiti experience that I want to remember for a long time to come.

Crystal's Crafty Creations: The Shirt Dress/Tunic

2010-06-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

My mid-year resolution was to try and do more creative things just for me. Sometimes I feel like when your business is a creative one, you can loose the enthusiasm when it comes to being creative. So I decided to put down the camera and sit down at the sewing machine. I should admit that I have not used my sewing machine since undergrad. So it's been about five years.

Lucky for me there are a ton of online tutorials, and mom was just a phone call away when sewing tension issues arrived!

I found the idea at this blog, but deviated from the original idea multiple times. I'm not good at following directions, besides this was a creative exercise!

Here's how it went!

I hijacked one (ok maybe three) shirts from Dom's donation pile.

Out came the scissors, first button the shirt, cut off shirt cuffs, sleeves, a straight line from under arm to underarm, remove the pocket, and cut the button lapel from the top of the shirt.

Sew up the sleeve opening, put the sleeves together and sew the straight edge together. Make sure the former sleeve opening is on the outside of the garment.

Same thing for the other side of the sleeves, i prefered for the top to come up to a point so I didn't cut the sleeves off in a straight line, this is one of the deviations from the original idea.

Here is the back of the dress, it has a vest feel to it that I really love!

One of my challenges was I didn't have any elastic so once again this called for some change!

So my solution was to pin/sew some faux pleats into the skirt. This allowed me to avoid downsizing the bottom of the original shirt.

Finally it's starting to come together, the skirt was the toughest part for sure!

I really loved the way the bottom of the skirt turned out! Still not straight enough for the perfectionist in me though.

The devil is in the details! And I love details! I also added halter strap to the top of the tunic.

Here's the final product!

Side view

Front View!

Back view! Please ignore the purple bra straps!

It was definitely fun! But I didn't get it right until the 3rd try. Too bad, it's time for me to pack up the sewing machine for it's big trip to Lusaka, Zambia. What fun, to do something really creative for a few days!

5.31.2010 It's Raining Art & Cows

2010-06-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those days that seems off before it ever begins? Dom and I definitely did last Saturday. We had planned a day of browsing through the Haitian art galleries. And I will admit I was very excited about it! This is something I have been waiting to do for months, bidding my time. Reading up on Haitian Art history. Day dreaming about the amazing Haitian pieces adorning my walls.

We got in the car, and headed of to Pettionville. We should of known from the beginning that something was just not right about the day when we pulled into traffic behind a taptap (which normally is public transit in Haiti) and this one had a cow in it. The poor cow looked pretty tortured, and all I can say is that I was glad that I was not in charge of clean up. Cow plus Tap Tap= Messy!

We hit gallery after gallery. Reflections, Nader, Marissa, Monin was sadly closed. I was like a kind in a candy store! I had some serious art lust after my visit. Dom and I fell in love with a George Desarmes that we saw at Nader. We have a date to meet with another Haitian artist tomorow (blog to follow I'm sure), so unless something major happens I expect the Desarmes to find a new home with us. It is definitely the largest purchase we have ever made in terms of art and I have butterflies.

Here's a similar piece to the one we were considering and a few more just for fun:

I love the stylistic quality of his work and all of the colors. Also I love the framing techniques he uses with the natural elements like the trees. Beautiful! I love it all over again just talking about it!

Tiga: I had never heard of Tiga prior to this trip but I love, love, love his art! It is very Picasso with a modern twist. I really enjoy the use of color.

Philipe Dodard was my favorite! His work is significantly about our price range but he uses virbrant colors and textures. You never get tired of looking at his work, there are so many different elements that can draw you in.

Haitian art has a facinating range and I truly do wonder if we will ever again live in a country with such fascinating art culture.

Anyhow, our art trip was fab! Too bad it poured the whole time we were in the second gallery, and traffic on the way home was a beast! I took the opportunity to make some artsy shots through the glass which you can see at my photo blog if your interested. Sadly this is what it looked like. It took us two hours to get home.

5.21.2010 Milot: Citadelle Laferrière

2010-05-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

Dom and I have been hearing about the Citadelle since we arrived in Haiti. We have seen it in street painting but never in person!

Here is a little history for you:

The Citadelle Laferrière is a large mountaintop fortress located in northern Haiti. It is the largest fortress in the Americas and was designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritages site in 1982. The mountaintop fortress has itself become an icon of Haiti. The Citadel was built by Henri Christophe a key leader during the Haitian slave rebellion, after Haiti gained independence from France at the beginning of the 19th century
The massive stone structure was built by up to 20,000 workers between 1805 and 1820 as part of a system of fortifications designed to keep the newly-independent nation of Haiti safe from French incursions. The Citadel was built several miles inland, and atop the 3,000 ft (910 m) Bonnet a L’Eveque mountain, to deter attacks and to provide a lookout into the nearby valleys. Cap-Haïtien and the adjoining Atlantic Ocean are visible from the roof of the fortress. Anecdotally, it is possible to sight the eastern coast of Cuba some 90 miles (140 km) to the west, on clear days.

The Haitians outfitted the fortress with 365 cannons of varying size. Enormous stockpiles of cannonballs still sit in pyramidal stacks at the base of the fortress walls. Since its construction, the fortress has withstood numerous earthquakes, though a French attack never came Henri Christophe initially commissioned the fortress in 1805. At the time, Christophe was a general in the Haitian army and chief administrator of the country's northern regions. In 1806, along with co-conspirator Alexandre Petion, Christophe launched a coup against Haiti's emperor, Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Dessalines's death led to a power struggle between Christophe and Pétion, which ended with Haiti divided into northern and southern compartments, with the north under Christophe's presidency by 1807. He declared himself king in 1811.

Christophe suffered a stroke in 1820, and some of his troops mutinied. Shortly afterwards, he committed suicide, according to legend, by shooting himself with a silver bullet. Loyal followers covered his body in quicklime and entombed it in one of the Citadel's interior courtyards to prevent others from mutilating the corpse.

The day Dom and I went to the citadelle it was completely enveloped in fog or cloud forests as we like to call them here. It made for some interesting photographs as fog is so reflective.

The walls of the citadel rose out of the fog like shadows. The scale of this place was amazing.

There were cannons everywhere! They were beautiful.

I did not know that the citadel was seriously damaged by an earthquake. But at one point, I flashed by camera flash at the ceiling and almost had a heart attack. There were cracks all the way up the wall for 4 floors. The floors themselves were completely gone. This place was a relic of what the earthquake of 1842 left behind. I have to admit my one thought at that moment was I needed to get out of there pronto!

Later that evening we met a geologist at our hotel. He said his company had done some extensive studies of the area, and they believe that Cap Hatien is due for 9.0 eathquake any day. As I was trying to fall asleep that night, I wondered if Dom and I had seen it just in time. I can't imagine that the building could hold up considering that considerable damage that has been done to it.

For more photos got to the Haiti Gallery at www.crystalinerandazzo.com

© Crystaline Randazzo Photography - All images are copyright of Crystaline Randazzo and in no way are to be used by Google, Google Advertisers or any third party. These are not your pictures. Steal them and I will sue you.

5.21.2010 Milot: Sans-Souci Palace

2010-05-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

On our big trip up north, Dom and I made sure to schedule a day to go to the Palace and the Citadel. Here is a little bit of Haitian History.

The Sans-Souci Palace was the royal residence of King Henri Christophe, Queen Marie-Louise and their twin daughters. Construction of the palace started in 1810 and was completed in 1813. It is located in the town of Milot. Its name means "without worry." Crippled by a stroke, King Henri I committed suicide on the grounds of the palace on October 8, 1820. According to Haitian legend, he shot himself with a silver bullet. He was subsequently buried in the Citadelle. His nephew and heir, Jacques-Victor Henry was bayoneted to death by revolutionaries at the Palace on October 18, 1820. A severe earthquake in 1842 destroyed a considerable part of the palace and devastated the nearby city of Cap-Hatien; the palace was never rebuilt. The palace (before its destruction) was acknowledged by many to be the Caribbean equivalent of the Palace of Versailles in France.

Sans-Souci Palace

This should give you some idea of the scale of this place!

Dom picked up a tour guide or two, they were amazed that he spoke Kreyol.

After a quick camera lesson we got a shot together.

See more photos on my website in the Haiti Gallery: www.crystalinephoto.com

5.19.2010 Just Beachy at Cormier Plage!

2010-05-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Dom and I took our long anticipated vaction trip to Cap Hatien in Haiti. I thought that I had already been to the most beautiful beach in Haiti, but I take it back! Cormier Plage was a beautiful place to stay, the food was delicious, the ocean was beautiful, and the beach was divine.

The beach has always been a source of inspiration for me. There is something about the waves beating on the beach that sets your spirit at ease. I found myself picking up my camera often, and really letting myself be inspired by my surroundings.

The rainy season made a for a perfect back drop for the sea treasures we collected.

I found the the rain changed as a back drop as much as the sea does.

I'm a sucker for reflections.

I enjoyed Iacocca so much that Dom read it too!

Is this a Haitian hydrangea?

I loved the beach themed decor!

Palm trees!

See photo three for explanation!

5.7.2010 Photography Blog/Website

2010-05-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hi guys!

Check out my new photography website and blog!

http://www.crystalinerandazzo.com
http://crystalloveslight.blogspot.com

3.19.2010 Return to Santa Domingo

2010-04-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Dominic picked me up in the DR on my trip back from Uganda. We got to spend a couple of restful days in the DR before heading back to Haiti. He got us a room at El Beaterio Hotel which was an nunery. It is a beautiful place, and Santo Domingo has such gorgeous architecture. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that these two countries share the same island! They truly feel like two different worlds.

We had a great time trouping around the downtown area! We got to see the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor in Santo Domingo is the oldest cathedral in the Americas, begun in 1514 and completed in 1540. According to a placard we read downtown Christopher Columbus's son laid the first stone of the church.

We ate dinner across from the Alcázar de Colón, or Columbus Alcazar. It it a beautiful plaza overlooking the former home of Columbus's family.

El Beaterio

Cathedral of Santa María la Menor

El Toro

Dom's steak was still cooking when they brought this to us.

Yep! Back to this guy.

3.7.2010-3.13.2010 One Mango Tree in Gulu, Uganda

2010-03-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

I spend my second week in Uganda working for a non-profit called One Mango Tree. One Mango Tree uses a fair trade model to provide income generating opportunities for women in impoverished and conflict-ridden areas of the globe. Their first project is now well underway in northern Uganda, a region devastated by more than twenty years of armed conflict. The war has taken the lives of thousands, displaced more than two million, and destroyed the once-vibrant local culture and economy. The jobs they've created through their partnership with tailors have changed the lives and circumstances for hundreds of people in the region.

I got to spend a whole week with these beautiful women and their children, whom they bring to work with them as there is no childcare. Each day they gather to sew, to take tea, and they are a strong support system for each other. They were eager to share with my that One Mango Tree had changed their lives for the better. Enjoy the photos from the week.

3.1.2010-3.6.2010 Obaya in Lira, Uganda Part 2

2010-03-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

The first organization I worked with in Lira was Obaya, a non-profit that focuses on sustainable agriculture and education. They run two separate programs which both focus on allowing people to return to their local villages post-war and giving them the tools to be able to make a living in these remote places.

The second project that I worked on was the Education portion of Obyaya. The run a similar program where they pay to educated teachers, as the teachers begin to earn a salary the pay off the cost of their education. I spent a day in life of a village school teacher, what a rigorous schedule! She put American women to shame with all she got done in a day. I hope I took a couple of those lessons home with me!

3.1.2010-3.6.2010 Obaya in Lira, Uganda Part 1

2010-03-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

The first project I documented was the agriculture project. This project focuses on providing local farmers with chickens, goats, oxen, and seed. There are a few farmers who focus on honey and are provided bees. Obaya initially provides them with a few chickens, once the farmers begin to make a profit from the eggs and offspring they pay Obaya back for the initial cost of the chickens. Then Obaya might help the fund chickens or oxen next. It's a progressive relationship, and each time the farmer pays off the initial cost Obaya is more likely to fund his/her next endeavor.

2.28.2010 Uganda, The First of Many Africa Adventures

2010-03-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I had the amazing opportunity to go Uganda on a photography workshop with Momenta Workshops with two fantastic instructors, you should check out Jeff Hutchens and Jamie Rose photography work as they are not only incredible photographers but really great teachers as well. I highly recommend their workshop, and Momenta goes to lots of places besides Uganda. All my fellow photo junkies should definitely check them out.

The workshop focused on working with non-profits, and creating a personal picture package for your portfolio. Both weeks I got to work with non-profits that focused on sustainable projects. It was fascinating to learn that even the third world is going green!

There were 5 students who went on the workshop with me and I truly was impressed with each of their works and perseverance through 2 weeks of varying levels of challenges. Working with non-profits is tough! Making beautiful pictures in the same place 4 days in a row really challenges a person creatively, and pushes you to look beyond what is directly in front you.

Directly following this blog, will be two addressing both Lira and Uganda specific projects! Here some fun photos from the trip! Consider this your behind the scenes look of what it means to shoot non-profits in Uganda!

Our first meeting with our non-profit heads in Lira.

Fizzah and I getting the back ground story on our non-profits.

Agaton, Whittney, and Madga look considerable less serious.

My first day post shoot, after being on the back of a boda (motorcycle, riding double), 45 minutes both ways to a remote village.

Magda was the only one who understood what riding a boda for 1-1/2 to 2 hours a day could do to you. It was worse than horseback riding.

Exposure lessons, I will never forget the Sunny 16 Rule.

BLT....T is for Top Up, guess you had to be there.

Our nightly fire hazard, when the generators are on, you plug in!!

Nightly editing sessions.

Jeff....A picture is worth a thousand words.

I am not sure I can explain Shit Head (really that's the name of the game).

Our hotel turned into a club on the weekends, so the hotel owner reserved us a table. Woohoo! Please note that our favorite waiter James (of the Whispering Chapati) is over Jeff's shoulder.

This is the crew of boda drivers who brought us back to the hotel after dinner.

On yet another Boda ride, the others all made fun of me because I would barely hold on to the boda driver. Who wants to hang on to a strange man? Fizzah took this photo while we were riding 3 to a boda.

At our hotel, The Acholi Bear, we spent a lot of time editing on those balconies.

Out shooting in the local market in Gulu.

Ralph (Oh Agaton!)

Whitney

Magda in her favorite The Green Bar! I think she got a marriage proposal from the owner.

Fizzah and I on the Boda!!

Can you tell I had a great time on this trip?!

***Most of these photos do NOT belong to me as they were taken by all of us on the trip, I must give credit where credit is due!

Greetings from Haiti

2010-02-11T22:32:00.001-08:00

Dear Family & Friends,

First of all, Dom and I would like to thank all of you for the emails, phone calls, and packages that we have received from you over the weeks after the earthquake. We cannot express how blessed we feel to be safe and sound and so well loved by our families and friends. We were able to take a vacation to the Dominican Republic last week and are spending this week in Wisconsin with Dom's family. This has been some much needed R&R and we are so thankful to be with our family. We are planning on returning to Haiti on Sunday, February 14th and anticipate that unless unforeseen changes occur we will complete our tour there in July of this year.

We know that many of you have put together packages for us and others have been asking for ways to help Haiti. We plan on putting the packages sent to us to good use upon our return. However, we understand that we are really unable to to reach those who need the most help. Our immediate circle of friends are those who have jobs to return to, and a means to rebuild the life that they once had. Many Haitians do not have this opportunity in the future. Dom and I feel that it is important to encourage our friends to consider making monetary donations to some organizations listed below as opposed to sending aide through us. We simply cannot reach the people who require the most help and we feel it is so important to direct resources to the proper venues.

We have been matching the donations of our family and friends, and have already donated $500 to Catholic Relief Services. We chose Catholic Relief Services because it had a base in Haiti pre-earthquake and we personally know the people working at the non-profit. We also support the American Red Cross and the World Food Organization and feel that these three organizations are doing profound work in Haiti. Please let us know if you make a donation and we will match that as well.

The Haiti that we lived in before January 12th is a different world from the one we live in now. But we believe that we are there for a reason and should see the challenge through. We both have great love for the country and hope that in some small way we can contribute to the process of rebuilding.

Much love to you all,

Crystal & Dom

1.28.2010 Solace

2010-01-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

My very wise mother sent me an email telling me I should take a photo of the beauty around me in the time of disaster. I know these are not the photos that people are clamoring to see in the post earthquake disaster of Haiti.

However, my heart cannot take documenting the sadness and the fear that surround me at the moment. So I have turned my camera toward other things. These things are more mundane, just simple and beautiful. From time to time I need to turn my eyes away from all the sadness around me and remember that beauty still exists. Perhaps, step by step by just having my camera on my person I can begin to show you Haiti in a different way.

I got home today around 5 and none of my fellow houseguest were home. So I sat outside on my front porch for awhile by myself. I feel safe outside. The quiet was nice, except for the occasional helicopter. I found my quiet moment for the day and maybe some tiny piece of my heart was healed just by looking at the sunset.

Meet Lulu, she is the most ferocious four legged beast in our neighborhood. The dogs in our neighborhood have helped all of us more than anyone knows. I often see a crowd sitting out in the yard with the dogs. Its as if Lucy, Lulu, and Mojo know we all need to be comforted. Many of these dogs will be evacuated out in the coming days and none us really know how to tell them goodbye.

Life Post Disaster

2010-01-28T16:14:00.000-08:00

Insides quaking...
Ground is shaking
Death, destruction
Loss of Function

Concrete fragments,
Life is stagnant
Heart breaking
No homes remaining

Life sustaining,
We, ever changing
Breath together
Help each other

Moving forward,
Past the rubble
Remember Haiti
In her glory

12.25.2009 Our First Place Continued!

2010-01-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

I promised more photos of our house in Haiti months ago, so here some are from Christmas. You will notice the kitchen and bedrooms are missing because those rooms were a wreck that day. But you can get an idea of our place. I'll add the other rooms soon!

Our "formal" living room with Christmas tree!

Long view of the living room and dining room.

Entry way with stockings!

Dining room partially set for Christmas Dinner!

Dom in the den studying up on carving turkey.

Our back yard patio.

Lucy, our neighbor Liz's dog, whom Dom plays with in the backyard every night.

12.25.2009 Randazzo's First Christmas and First Turkey Too!

2010-01-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

This year Dom and I celebrated our first married Christmas, and our second Christmas together in Haiti! This year the stove worked! Hurray!

We decided to step things up a bit this year and invited our neighbors over for Christmas dinner. Our menu included turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green chili sauce (of course), grandma's rolls, deviled eggs, and cranberry. Needless to say Dom and I were most concerned about the turkey as neither of us had done one before. Here some photos of Christmas day and us obsessing about the turkey.

It looks pretty good!

Never get between a man and his turkey.

Our fridge was stuffed!!

Dom learning how to carve from some professionals!

The most important addition to Thanksgiving...the green chili sauce!

Thank goodness Liz had a meat thermometer!

Dom is getting ready to make the cuts!

12.13.2009 Ambassador Merten's Christmas Picnic

2010-01-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

Ambassador Merten held a Christmas party for all of the embassy. It was geared toward families with lots of activities for the kids. We also had the pleasure of seeing one of the Haitian Boys Choir perform which was amazing.

I think it's safe to say everyone enjoyed the performance, the kids were especially enthralled with the choir.

Among other things there was a crafting table for the kids where they could color Christmas Pictures, make antlers, etc. It was a big hit, and one of my favorite spots to photography.

I also shot pictures of kids from the Embassy with Santa, I must say that I get the most enjoyment out of the kids who are terrified of Santa and their parents are insisting on baby's first or second Christmas photo with this large, bearded guy. For all others who get enjoyment out of things like this, here you go.

12.5.2009 Rosa Mina Orphanage Christmas Party Part Two

2009-12-16T14:38:00.000-08:00

After lunch it was time for the big give! It was quite a process to get the kids in order. Here they are anxiously waiting to see Papa Noel! I love that Joel is grining at me and the camera, can you tell this was a great day for them??

I actually have pictures of every single kid getting a gift as I felt like it was a big moment. But I am only going to post pictures of the six kids we got gifts for. I think that was the best thing by far that we have done for Christmas this year.

Joel was thrilled with Papa Noel and his soccer ball!

Fernandia got some girly prettys! She loved her sunglasses, photos to follow.

Michelaine was thrilled with her lip gloss and star necklace.

Roselaire, or Wowo as he is fondly called was so excited about his soccer ball. He is seventeen and it is what he has always wanted for Christmas. He wouldn't even open the package because he said he wanted to be at home and alone before he did.

Mackenson's box was as big as he was and he was beaming for the rest of the day.

Packy was our littlest angel, he was not exactly thrilled about Papa Noel. I think lots of kids are alittle scared of him at that age. I think he liked his gift though!

Here are a few more shots of the day! I think it is something Rosa Mina will remember for a long time.

Papa Noel with Pastor Roland & her husband.

Packy SMILING for the camera.

Fernandia showing off her jump roping skills.

I love how the gifts all became universal property after the giving. The kids basically shared everything that they had received. I think that's what Christmas truly is. We gave to them, and they gave to each other.

12.5.2009 Rosa Mina Orphanage Christmas Party Part One

2009-12-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

Right after Dom and I returned to Port-au-Prince we had the Christmas party for Rosa Mina. We'd come home with our suitcases full of gifts. I had so much fun wrapping up our 6 christmas angels gifts. We were both surprised about how hard it was to find gifts for kids that met our criteria which included one piece items as small pieces get lost quickly, developmental gifts if possible (soccer balls, jump ropes, etc), no battery operated items, no electric items. You'd think with commercial America, it would be a breeze! I will say we felt very accomplished when we finished our shopping.

We showed up early at Ambassador Merton's house to help set up for the party. Our friend Brittney showed up with all of the toys in the back of her car. Who knew Santa drove an armored vehicle! People from the embassy sponsored every child, so they all received a gift.

As usual in Haiti, the kids were late. We'd all pitched in so they could ride a bus over. But the bus was late so we were all anxiously awaiting their arrival. The best thing for me was that a little girl name Lyesha was there early with her new mom! She was adopted and was to leave with her new mommy the following Wednesday, she was chattering on about going to Argentina and she was all smiles. I thought it was awesome that she got to attend the Christmas party with her orphanage family before she left. Here she is playing with Sonia, one of the regular volunteers.

Finally the kids arrived! And we were all so excited about their arrival! I think they were all alittle overwhelmed by the big ride, and then being at this huge house. But the excitement was in the air!

The kids played on the lawn for a little while with some hula hoops, soccer balls, and the big boys played volley ball. Then Papa Noel showed up. They were so excited! They all ran to him, singing Christmas songs. It was one of those overwhelming moments that I don't think any of the volunteers excpected.

They all lined up for candy canes and to tell all of their Christmas wishes!

Next on the agenda we had lunch, bbq style. I don't think the kids had ever seen hot dogs so big! They all just stared at them at first, then a brave kid would pick it up and go at it! Dom was the grill master!

One of the best ideas was to have activity on the tables for the kids. They loved having crayons, play dough, and whistles. I'm not so sure the orphanage owner was thrilled with the whistles but they were having a grand time!!!!

Below is one of my favorite little girls, Fernandia. She is always very focused on whatever craft project is at hand. She is also one of the quieter girls, I have quite a soft spot for her in my heart. Below she was making patterns in her play dough, she was so focused I don't think she ever knew I was watching her.

12.4.2009 The Grand Canyon

2009-12-07T19:28:00.000-08:00

Dominic and I decided to see the Grand Canyon after Thanksgiving prior to going back to Haiti. Due to our time constraints we went to the Southern Rim as it was closer to Prescott Valley, AZ where my family lives.

We got up super early to catch the sun rise which seemed like a great idea at the time. Unfortunately for us we were ill prepared for the arctic temperatures of 7 degrees! Needless to say we did not wait for optimal light, nor did we even consider hiking as we were frozen!

Next trip we will plan a longer, hopefully warmer trip! Too bad we we have both turned into Carribean wimps when it comes to cold weather!

11.23.2009 Viva Las Vegas Part Two

2009-12-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

Time for the highlights section of our trip. One of my favorite things to do in Vegas is to watch The Belagio's fountain show. We got to catch it in the daylight and after dark! They were totally different sensory experience, but both were a blast.

The first show we watched was the daytime show, the music was the pink panther and I had an awesome angle on the fountains and the Eifel Tower, I have to say I loved the daylight shots!

Let the show begin!!! Think Pink Panther...du nah, du nah, dun nah nah nah nahh ha!

Pretty awesome, right??

We also spent time going through the fall decorations at The Bellagio. Can you say talking trees?! Amazing! I didn't even know that they did fall decorations, I was expecting Christmas, but Thanksgiving gets props in Vegas.

Here are my two favorite shots of the day. No one could tell me why the fountain in front of Paris was red? Anyone know? Maybe I can learn some random Vegas trivia.

That night our friend Mel, who lives in Vegas, picked us up for dinner. She also took us to the famous Las Vegas sign! This is our classic Vegas moment.

Before we went to see the Cirque show, Mystere, we took a walk down the strip and saw the amazing night light! The air was brisk (and did NOT smell like burning garbage, unlike Haiti), the walk was beautiful, and the show was amazing! It was a great way to end our trip in Vegas prior to heading off to see my family in Arizona.

This is the more classic angle on The Belagio, still like the day time shots better but what is not to love about this spectacle?

11.22.2009 Viva Las Vegas: Part One

2009-12-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

Well Dominic and I finally got to make our first get-away stateside! We left Haiti for the glitz and glamor of the city that never sleeps...Las Vegas! We had both been seriously overworked in Haiti and you can't get any farther away when you consider the comparisons of Port-au-Prince and Vegas.

We stayed downtown, at the Golden Nugget. This is where I always stay in Vegas as the idea of Old Vegas appeals to me. The Golden Nugget just added a really glitzy new wing to our hotel, see the photos below. We liked it so much that we extended for another night! The new wing opened during our stay and I was madly in love with all of the glass light fixtures. I have a glass obsession.

Off course we spent our entire second day in Vegas at the Strip. We literally walked the entire thing, I am pretty sure it was about 4 miles. We also tried out the Double Deuce double decker bus. I highly recommend it for those of you who want to hit Vegas sans rental car. It was a breeze to navigate their public transportation.

Dom had never been to Vegas so we had to see the sights! He is very patient with me as I wanted to have photos of everything! I also think we deserve some points because we actually took photos together. Generally, we forget about those as I am always behind the camera.

Dom at our first stop, The Mirage.

One of my favorite shots of the day, talk about great light.

Dom showing me all the angles of Cesar's Palace with mojito in tow!

The coolest new architecture in town, according to me!

One of my favorite casinos, The Luxor.

Doms first time in Paris.

Post gelato at The Venetian. Yum!

Dom and I at The Venetian.

See my favorite highlights of the trip on my next post!

11.15.2009 Rosa Mina Orphanage

2009-11-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

As some of you know Dom and I have been volunteering at a local orphanage called Rosa Mina on Sundays. There is a group of people from the embassy who go and play with the kids. We do crafts, play games, and love the kids. It has been truly one of the most eye opening experiences that I have had since I've come to Haiti.

The woman who runs the place, Pastor Rollande, currently has 70 kids. She feeds them on $60.00 a day. The orphanage is currently trying to remodel the bedroom areas for the kids. People from the embassy are giving their crates that their supplies come in to build bases for the beds. They are really in need of donations as they have such a great need. Here are the rooms they are trying to remodel in the next few months.

This is one of the bedrooms they hope to redo.

This room will be the classroom, they are trying to have a primary school onsite.

This week we made friendship bracelets out of colored yarn. I'm not sure if Americans can even fathom how happy that piece of brightly colored string made these kids! Crafts are always a big hit, the kids get so much enjoyment from them. Here are some photos of them in process.

I have been saving a banana or two from each bundle Dom and I get. I made over 100 banana nut muffins and we brought them to the orphanage. I think the kids really enjoyed their "pam ketz".

Packy is one of my favorite little boys, but today even the muffins didn't make him happy!

All of the kids love having their photo taken and even more so they love seeing the photo on the back of the camera. There was a crowd around me the whole time asking for their photo. Too bad it's hard to kid the candids that way, but we had a blast! Enjoy the show!

Thumbs up is a universal sign!

Enjoying his muffin!!

Group shot post muffins

Sonia with her crew. Sonia brings the crafts most weeks and does such a great job with coming up with activities to entertain the kids.

This little girl was diligently working on her writing for a good portion of the time we were there.

This was Jenn's first trip to the orphanage.

Dom's sunglasses were a hit, the kids loved trying them on.

Meet Joel, I love him because he is all boy! As his shirt says "Short, Cute, and Loveable!"

The older boys could not get enough of the camera, they wanted to play fight and catch it in camera. I could of entertained them for hours with the click of a shutter.

Sometimes I wonder if the older kids get over looked. From our first visit to Rosa Mina I noticed that the older kids are always watching over the younger ones. This boy tutored the others on their homework for the entire visit. I believe the owner is currently trying to raise funds so he can continue going to school himself.

Yesterday, Dom and I chose 6 of the kids from the orphanage to sponsor for Christmas. A group who volunteers set up a christmas tree in the orphanage and have an angel for each kid. We are hoping to have all of the kids sponsered for christmas. There are very few toys at the orphanage so we are trying to get each child something for christmas. If any of you are interested in sponsoring one let me know. It will need to happen quickly as the gifts take awhile to get to Haiti, but I will be home in Arizona for the next two weeks and can bring the gifts back in my suitcase.

10.25.2009 Artisan Einstein Albert and His Bowls Part II

2009-10-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here are the two bowls which Dom had already purchased prior to me arriving in Haiti. They are the Diana bowls.

Einstein told us that several years ago he was at an Artisan Fair at the Javitz Center in New York City. A woman at his booth love his work, but asked him if he could make her a custom piece. She sketched out the shape she wanted, left a number to contact her and left Einstein to his work.

He was immediately approached by the other artists who asked him if he knew who she was. He said no, they told him that it was Lady Diana. He immediately called home and had the order rushed, they turned over the product in a week.

He then delivered the bowl back to her. She asked him what she owned him, and he asked her if he could use her name on the bowls instead of taking payment. The Diana bowl is now one of his top cellars. And to think Dom bought them without knowing that story...he must just have great taste!

10.25.2009 Artisan Einstein Albert and His Bowls

2009-10-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Dominic and I took a tour to the workshop of one of our favorite Hatian artisans. We already own several of his beautiful wooden bowls (ours are the Diana bowl which have their own story to be told at a later date!).

These bowls are hand made by Einstein Albert, one of the premier wood craftsmen of Haiti. He is running the businees which his father started - making bowls out of the fast growing Gommier tree (or the Gum tree). Einstein Albert's workshop is located in Mariani, on the eastern edge of Port-au-Prince, where he employs several apprentices. He also has several farm areas where he grows the trees.

Here are some photos of Einstein's inventory which he takes every Sunday. These bowls have been formed but not sanded, stained our water proofed! It is amazing how many different style of bowls he has, he says that they are constantly coming up with new designs.

During the next stage of the process the bowls are sanded down. Every bowl is done by hand! While we were at the workshop there was quite a team of workers, these are truly a handcrafted product. One of the women told us that they work 7 days a week to keep up with the demand for his bowls.

Einstein isn’t the only producer who is nervous about the recent push to raise Haiti’s minimum wage to about $5 a day. Although the legal minimum wage may be only about $1.75 a day many companies explain that they provide 15 days of paid vacation a year in addition to bonuses and payment for work done over $1.75 worth of labor a day. They claim their workers usually make closer to $5.75 a day. Garment manufacturing companies are being encouraged to stay in production and new investment is being sought. In the current economy, and with Haiti’s poor infrastructure, the minimum wage increase is everything but attractive foreign investors and struggling local production. Clinton and other supporters have proclaimed the possibility of a rejuvenated craft sector to lift Haiti from economic strife.

Each bowl is then inspected and any imperfections in the wood are filled with a type of putty.

Here are several of the bowls in the process of being lacquered, there are many coats of lacquer applied during this process.

Einstein’s bowls are made to last! They are made to be waterproof with up to 10 layers of lacquer which turns the naturally light wood into a rich dark chocolate brown. These bowls can be used to serve hot foods or cold foods. They can be left in the fridge full of last nights dish. And takes little effort to clean them off with a damp, soapy sponge.

In the past, Einstein bowls were sold at Neiman Marcus and other major department stores for hundreds of dollars. Now, he employs 30 people who he is occasionally forced to put on standby due to the former US embargo on Haiti in 2005 and the current recession.

He makes a beautiful product that will last a life time for a moderate price. You can be sure we stocked up on some Christmas presents over the weekend. The bottom line Crystal + Einstein Bowls =Love.

P.S. I will post some photos of the finished bowls and tell the Diana Story next post!

10.11.2009 Basin Bleu

2009-10-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has taken me so long to post these photos! I was sick last week and never got around to it! The day after we went to Jacmel, we decided to go to the waterfalls at Basin Bleu. It was quite a trek to get there from the beach. In order to head up into the mountains we had to ford a river! Yes, literally that is us in the middle of the river!

Then we were left in the hands of God and Greg as we climbed up the treacherous mountain path! The view of the ocean from the top of the mountain was definitely worth it!

Once we reached the waterfalls, we obtained a couple of guides to show us the way to the waterfall. It was quite exciting as we hiked and scaled the side of the mountain on our way to the waterfalls!

Finally we reached the falls!!! To bad that it rained the night before so Basin Bleu was Basin Brown!

Still we didn't let that stop us, let the fun begin!

Greg was the bravest among us!

Here he is before his big jump, yes he did jump off!!

So we climbed back up the mountain and headed back toward Port-au-Prince. The road was incredibly rocky! At one point, we stopped and asked a guy on the side of the road if the road was clear, and he said he didn't "think" there were any mudslides. Then we asked him if we would be able to come back up the mountain if there were. He told us, "No, you can go down but you can't come back up." I think we were all alittle freaked out at that point, except maybe Dom. But we made it down the mountain, and amazingly ended up in cloud forest which was amazing! We drove through clouds down all the way down the mountain side and of course had to stop for another picture of the million dollar view.

We also stopped at a road side fruit stand and got enough fruit to last a month. Needless to say I will need my mom's banana nut bread recipe as my freezer is full of bananas. Here's a photo of Dom with the spoils of war.