See all of the photos from Courtney Dellafiora here.

I feel like I would need to see this at least once in my life before I die (or get too old to hang out in the desert for a week without bathing).  The scale of these works is simply amazing.  And the stories that I’ve heard are so much fun.  Each camp has a project that they contribute to the whole.  For instance, one place just makes fries and ketchup for anyone who wants them.  Amazing!

Some friends of mine built a giant geodesic dome out of electrical conduit a few years ago and this year I’m contemplating sewing a custom-fit cover for it.  It would be quite the endeavor, but could end up being quite amazing.

Have you ever been to Burning Man?  Is it as amazing as it looks?

See more pictures here.

What is your favorite thing to look at in satellite photos?  Mountains?  Man-made objects?

The raised garden beds do a good job of counteracting poor soil conditions and the pathways give it a very spa-like feel.  You would never feel like you were in a tiny suburban desert backyard with a makeover like this!

via Curbly.

1.  Driving through Yuma, Arizona in the middle of the day in summer isn’t exactly the smartest idea.  It was 117 degrees outside.  Basically, it was like being in a sauna, fully clothed, without all of the teak benches, lovely steam and cold shower afterwards.  Not exactly refreshing.  This building was cool though.  You see lots of old bombed-out buildings along the highways in the Southwest, as the pretty much never decay.

2.  Just in case it wasn’t already hot enough, there’s sand dunes to prove that you’re in the desert.  I think it might have been even hotter here.  A public service announcement to all of my dear readers: don’t wear sandals in hot sand.  It seems like a good idea, but then the hot sand rolls over your feet and literally burns your skin.  Seriously.

3.  Hanging out with little kids who are just seeing the ocean for the first time is immensely gratifying.  Although I’m pretty sure that I was also that excited.

4.  It’s also nice to be able to get a few pictures of my friend and her son, for posterity’s sake.  This is one of my favorites from the whole trip.

5.  Did I mention were were on Coronado Island, in San Diego?  If you look really closely, you can see the tops of the submarines.  Yes, they were so close that I could have swam out to them (something I wouldn’t recommend).

6.  My hair is wild and has a mind of its own, and this picture proves it.  Also, I love building sand castles.

7.  So here’s where the hilarious part comes in.  My friend is moving to Germany, so we were driving to San Diego to drop off her truck so it could get shipped halfway across the world.  She had arranged to rent a car to get back, but when we showed up at the car rental office, we were told that in fact, we would not be able to take the rental car across state lines.  Great.  Lots of chaos, taxi rides, and scary trips into the unsavory part of the city ensued, and in the end, it was cheaper and easier to rent a moving truck.  So we drove back across the desert in an empty moving truck.  A big one, at that.  Luckily, at all of the Border Control checkpoints, they thought it was funny, so we proceeded unmolested.  I think we were so hysterical, they were just trying to get us out of the way.

8.  The sunsets in the desert are ALWAYS amazing.  I didn’t photoshop this at all.  That’s what it actually looked like.  And In-n-Out?  Also amazing.  For anyone who doesn’t live on the west coast or has never been, I highly recommend it.  I don’t even eat fast food burgers, and these are the best.

It was quite the adventure!  Got home at 3am only to have to get up at 7 to make a flight out of town, but totally worth it.

Ingredients:

2/3 c. butter

1 3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. key lime juice

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. dark rum

2 tsp. finely grated lime zest

neon green food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat softened butter for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and vanilla and beat until well combined.  Add one egg, beat until combined, add the second egg, and beat until fluffy.  Add flour mixture and the rest of liquid ingredients alternately, beating until well combined.  Add enough food coloring (optional) until it’s nice and key lime green.  Pour batter into lined muffin tins/baking cups and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I like to combine this with a little bit of butter icing (1/3 c. butter, 4 1/2 c. powdered sugar, 1/4 c. milk, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla – beat until fluffy) and top with a bit of shredded coconut for a true tropical feel.

Some days I just can’t concentrate on actually making anything or doing anything productive.  Today was one of those days – all sorts of things are going on, situations are being managed, etc. and I just cannot pick one thing!  I bought a new desk for my studio – it’s still stuck in the back of my car, so no pictures today, but I’m really excited about how it’s going to fit in with my existing aesthetic. There aren’t too many good shops in this town but the thrift shop that I discovered on the army post was pretty rocking!  In addition to the big desk I got a little side table that I’m working on spiffing up (pictures to come) and an awesome little plant.  I keep killing things down here so I’m hoping that I can keep this one alive.

Since moving to the Southwest I’ve remained pretty adamant that I won’t start decorating with Navajo blankets and statues of cacti and wolves, but I had a hard time avoiding this.  I had seen some beautiful lanterns around town and went on an expedition to find one.  It’s my one concession to southwest style, but considering that it’s a Mexican import, I think that I can get away with it.  It’s pretty Mexican punched tin, and I love that it’s vaguely ethnic – it’s hard to tell if it’s Mexican or Moroccan.  I still haven’t gotten it wired up or figured out a place to hang it but I thought that I would at least show it here.  If anyone’s ever in Tuscon, I would stop at a little shop called Borderlands.  They have some really beautiful stuff.  And, as a bonus, guess who I saw there the last time?  Ty Pennington!  Yes, of Trading Spaces/Home Makeover fame.  We’re both in the know.