If you... launch it, will they come?

Yes. I know, it's been a while.....

Well, our move is complete, we are settled in, and I am looking for work. One thing that's been high, like *HIGH* on my list is to update my sorry ass website.

...And now, after SO long, I can finally say it's done. A VERY overlong time, of trials and lots of errors, re-designs and content mishaps. My site is launched. I learned alot, and even with the limitations, both on my web knowledge and working with iWeb, I can actually say I had fun with it, and I'm really happy with the outcome...

No, it's not perfect. I still can't seem to get around this terrible glitch building a website in iWeb, publishing to a folder and then uploading via ftp: the dreaded double-naming. So, my stupid site is officially:
melaniemartini.com/melaniemartini.com ....ugh!
It's stressing me out and I kind of think this is a really, really horrible flaw in my site but, I've really tried everything, to no avail....
Also, never did manage to figure out a compression for my reel with decent enough quality to get around iWeb's video hosting limitations... playback was REAL crap. But that is now resolved by linking to it elsewhere, hosted at vimeo, where my current reel, complete with lovely music by Django Reinhardt, now plays very well thank you. I hate that you have to leave the site to see it, but the workaround for that is a link BACK to my site underneath in the video description. While I'm not thrilled about this, AT ALL, ...it works. It's up and out there. Officially. Finally....

Now all i have to do is get a J-O-B! ...and blog... of course..... ; )

I designed lovely new black & white-themed matching logos and banners for my site, blog and etsy shop, complete with some custom-crafted typography. Yay! Those steps were probably the most fun task in getting this all done! Also fully functional on my site are, among other things, albums of my handmade goodies, art, and links to Rio (my final movie with Blue Sky before leaving) and both this blog and my newly-created shop at etsy, so expect to see those lovely books, cards, gloves, and my other crafty hand made goodness listed there in the coming days.....! Progress. I love it.

Another day in paradise...

It's a relative term. I'm definitely suffering from the heat and humidity. My arms are covered in prickly heat and I am definitely feeling very much like a sloth.... Taking it easy today though. Which is not to say it hasn't been eventful....

First, a harrowing brush with death. Well, not really....
We decided to walk one of the trails here on the grounds after breakfast. It's a short but very scenic loop along one side of the grounds and the river. The floor is covered with holes full of large, brightly-colored crabs! (which, for some strange reason, they don't eat here in Costa Rica....! I don't get it. I get hungry just looking at these guys...) The trees are beautiful, giant fruit trees and expansive bamboo everywhere. Very tranquil, as long as you are wearing enough bug spray... tranquil, that is, until you are issued a warning. Then you move. and fast. When a howler monkey growls at you a few times, you leave. Ain't got to tell me twice. No, really, I'm out....

Still pretty cool though, but I can't say I'll be doing much more trail walking here....! Off to lunch.

Upon our return from yet another simple but delicious lunch at the roadside stand about halfway into the tiny downtown of Cahuita, we met up with Jackie, one of the women who works here at the sanctuary. "Come here, I want to show you something..." So, we follow her out onto a path that winds along the other side of the river here on the grounds. She gives us a litte talk about what the trees and fruits are, points out some wild sugar cane and giant lizards, and leads us to a tree. She points up. A large, wild, mom and baby sloth are cuddled up in the tree on a low branch not a foot above our heads. I swear i had to restrain myself from climbing up there with them! The mother looked down at us, and I swear she smiled. (They do that. Apparently sloths and dolphins are the only animals who willingly smile, by the way....) the baby snuggled in tighter, and we all just stared. Too cool.

Back on the main grounds, more eventful stuff today: a recently rehabilitated injured baby sloth (fell out of a tree!) was being released back into the wild. Reluctantly. All the baby sloths here are cuddled up with stuffed animals (!) and this one didn't really want to leave hers behind! After being outside in the open, under a tree, for hours, the vets finally picked her up and swung her over a branch. She grabbed on and that was it. On the lawn nearby, they had a small 'jungle gym' made of criss-crossing wooden dowels out for the other babies to practice their climbing skills. These little fuzzy things were all over the place, gripping and swinging. Just too much, I almost died from the overwhelming cuteness right there....!

After all that excitement I had to go upstairs to see what 'queen' buttercup was doing. As usual, she was relaxing on her throne! And now, I think it might be nap time... for Buttercup and for us... This heat really knocks the crap outta me! Ta ta for now...

Sloth baby jungle gym...

Blog FAIL.... until now...

OK, so.... with the move, and the trip and the research and the packing and leaving work and seeing the family and friends before leaving... there wasn't much time to blog. BUT now, everything is finished. We're out, on the road, the furniture has been picked up, the move is done, and we are officially on our long and well-deserved vacation!

First stop: Aviarios Del Caribe Sloth Sanctuary in Cahuita, Costa Rica

So now, from our trip, I am officially posting again, and using this blog exactly as it was intended - keeping in touch... albeit out of necessity: our phones officially DO NOT work on our trip. So, that's that...!

So, here we are - our first official day down at the sloth sanctuary in Cahuita, Costa Rica. Yesterday was a long day. THE longest day. picked up from Astoria at 4am (pulled an all-nighter) and off to the airport to start our long journey. 2 flights and an ALL day drive later (which was gorgeous in parts - through the Braulio Carrillo national park especially!), we arrived, exhausted, at the sloth sanctuary last night around 7:30pm. In the dark the place was already amazing. I have stayed at luxury hotels that weren't as nice as this place! We promptly met the owner, Judy, and the resident "queen" sloth - 18 year-old Buttercup, and then PASSED OUT for the night!

Waking up here this morning to the sounds of the rainforest was an experience in itself. A simple breakfast up on the patio with Buttercup and the baby sloths, a quick drive into Cahuita (through the Chiquita banana fields!), and a sloth tour already this afternoon, where we got to meet a bunch of the residents here, plus a VERY up-close run-in with a howler monkey! This vacation is definitely off to a great start!

That's it for now... check back for more!

Diving right in....

So, my first art entry is my submission for an amazing charity auction taking place in March... brought about by a documentary film done by two of my coworkers at Blue Sky.

Check out the film here... and to see more of the amazing art submitted for the auction, visit the blog.

This project was slightly intimidating for me because the loose 'penpals' theme was employed by doing all the pieces on these little wooden postcards - which, while very cool, presented their own set of challenges and small disasters narrowly averted.... (i was nervous to touch the thing at first, for fear of mucking it up beyond repair.... and... maybe i should have primed it first, but that's another story...) In the end though, i'm really happy with the way my piece came out, and I'm so honored to have been able to take part in this project, and incredibly inspired by all the other artists participating.

More to come.....

Brave new world...

...First entry into the ...blogosphere? I decided to start a blog of collective randomness. Not only will this blog be for photos and updates and generally sharing and keeping in touch with family and friends, but also for showing art. When i was younger you would've had to rip the sketchbook from my cold dead hands.... I have made a commitment to myself to get back into drawing now, after battling with hand and wrist pain, surgery, therapy, etc.. for over two years. It's not an excuse, just fuels a goal. I'm rather ..shall we say, rusty? ...And i hope putting myself out there and diving into the community of my amazing artist friends and sharing will help bring the old drawing hand back to life! I know i'm definitely inspired.

The real challenge, i suppose, will be keeping it updated with content on a regular basis. Wish me luck...