Saturday, March 20, 2010

My Interview on Dieselpunks!


I am so excited to announce that I had the privilege of being interviewed by Tome Wilson from Dieselpunks! In my interview you will find where and how my passion for retro living started. Where I get my inspirations. And how I came to be the woman that I am today.

Being featured and interviewed for the Dieselpunk and Steampunk communities has been such a wonderful honor. I thank Tome for granting me such an opportunity to share my passion for retro living!

And in case you haven't heard about the Dieselpunks or Steampunks cultures, I invite you to visit: Dieselpunks.Org! You will find this website so interesting and fascinating!


Here is the link to my interview article on the Dieselpunks website:
"Interview Carmen Johnson of Retrotimes Productions"



Have a fun weekend!


Chao,


Carmen






Wednesday, March 17, 2010

My Pretty Top is Out of Stock?


I totally am looking forward to Spring! For one thing I can't wait to see what's new in Spring fashion. Right now what's in fashion is mend, alter, and cut. Pretty much you have to be your own seamstress and pray that you don't end up looking like Lucy on that episode when she made her own dress. Trust me, if that was in real life you will end up in the funny house!

So what's the other option? Well sometimes you do feel like getting something new, fresh, and unused once in a while. I am a girl that loves window shopping online and in person. When I do window shopping I get inspired, I get a work out, and at that moment I have no money!

But then there happened to be that perfect item that I totally would fall in love with. So I wait for several weeks to save up to buy it. Then after several weeks later I have reached my goal and I am ready to make my purchase. I'll run to the store or to my favorite online store, and there it is my perfect top. But then in a matter of seconds my happy face becomes a frown. There underneath my pretty top is an ugly note that reads: Out of Stock!

"What? I can't believe it. But didn't I just came to this store a few days ago and there were still selling my top?"

So then I would try refreshing the page to make sure that it wasn't a computer glitch. I would go around the store to make sure that maybe they must have that shirt in another rack. So after I looked and looked everywhere, I realized that yes my top was sold to that girl that perhaps have not a closet, but a whole room the size of my house full of clothes that she doesn't even wear!

But then do I feel defeated? No! So I go around and look for something similar to my top. I can't get all upset for a top. And plus that top may not even really looked good on me. As a matter of fact I don't even think that I really like the colors.

Then there in front of me I found another pretty top. This top has everything that I was looking for. The cut is perfect. The pattern is pretty, just the way I love it. It's in my favorite color. This is definitively the top for me!

So then later on that evening as I would leave the house with my hubby for a nite out he ask me, "That is a nice top. Where did you get it?"

"Oh this old thing. Well I got it out of my closet. I totally forgot I even had it."

"Well it's looks great on you!"

"Thank you baby!"

That sure made my day. Hubby loves my top. I didn't spend a dime. Here it was the complement that I was looking for.

In a way that "Out of Stock", can be a blessing in disguise.



Chao,


Carmen





Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Down Time with Mom!

I have been enjoying some girly down time lately. These past few weeks have been especially perfect for me because my mom is in town! I cherish every moment that I have with my mom. How I miss being near her!

In this picture my mom is caring for her brother's children. Since she was very young my mom loved taking care of others. She is that kind of person that will leave everything in a moments notice to help family and friends. And although she studied in one of the best Universities in Miami, she is the kind of person that didn't believe that a career defines a person. But that showing love and kindness to others is what really defines and makes a person special.

Mom always taught us children to enjoy the simple things in life. We learned to live with little. And to be content with what we had. And although at times things were hard for us, we always had everything that we really needed. And that was the love that we had for each other.

My mom has always been that warm blanket for me for when things get gloomy and gray. And she has been that cheerleader for me on my many dreams and endeavors in life

I think that it's so important for a girl to have somebody to trust and confine in. I am very blessed to have somebody that is not only my mother, but that is also my confidant, teacher, cheerleader, and friend!


I Love you mom!


Thanks for always being there for me!



From gatica with love!






Monday, March 08, 2010

Meet Me in Tokyo!


I have been always fascinated by the culture, food, and architect of the Orient. So that is why I designed "Meet me in Tokyo". I wanted to build a scene where a couple is enjoying a carriage ride through the city lights and buildings of Tokyo. I wanted to use three main colors for my design: red, black and metallic gray colors, to bring out the ambiance of the city colors predominantly used in Tokyo. At the end I added the lamps on the sides of the building. My
Bohemian Girl Sofie is dressed in her Kimono, and course I couldn't forget to add her flapper Bohemian Girl signature hat! Meet Me in Tokyo has an of Orient feel but with a touch of retrochic feel!

To purchase my Bohemian Girl Collection design tote bags and t-shirts you are welcome to visit my shop: Bohemian Girl Shop.


I totally love Sushi food. So I wanted to share with you some tips and a recipe in How To Throw A Sushi Party by EHow.Com.

What you will Need:

Maki Sus
Avocados Slices
Cucumber Slices
Fish
Miso Soups
Pickled Radishes
Sake
Seaweeds(nori)
Squashes
Sushi Rice
Vinegared Ginger
Wasabi
Chopsticks


Steps:

1-Use a table that is low to the ground.

2-Provide pillows as chairs.

3-For each person, set out a large plate, a small plate such as a saucer, a steamed facecloth and chopsticks.

4-Set out two to three plates of prepared wasabi and vinegared ginger.

5-Provide one or two bottles of soy sauce.

6-Cut fish into sashimi slices and arrange them on large platters.

7-Provide other fillings, such as cucumber slices, avocado slices, squash and pickled radish.

8-Provide side dishes such as sunomono (pickled octopus), edamame (fresh green soybeans boiled in salted water) and miso soup.

9-Cut nori (seaweed) into 4-by-4-inch squares and stack onto two plates.

10-Provide shari (sushi rice) in a large wooden bowl.

11-Provide sake (rice wine) or Japanese beer.

12-Pass around the nori, rice and fish and have each person assemble his or her own sushi rolls.



Enjoy!



Chao,


Carmen



Wednesday, March 03, 2010

All Cakes Considered

Lately I have been having some major craving for cakes. I don't know if it's because it's cold outside or because of hormones. But today when I went with hubby to the market and I quickly picked up a pound cake. I know that a pound cake doesn't sound that exciting. Though for me it's like a big treat!

There are several reasons why we are keeping sweets away from our home. The first reason is because of health reason. For almost over 10 years I pretty much stopped eating cakes. But it didn't mean that I couldn't try other alternatives. Though over time I also had to stopped eating sweets.

My hubby on the other hand could eat everything he wanted. And he still can. Though he is reaching that age where if he eats too much sweets he feels it the next day.

Like the other day he had bought a chocolate chip cookie at his favorite book store. And the next day he had a tummy ache. I had asked him what he had eaten the night before. After he listed all the things he ate he then added, "Oh, and I ate a chocolate chip cookie." Then I asked him, "how big was the cookie?" He said that it was a big cookie. I said, "That is probably why you are not feeling good today. Perhaps the cookie gave you a stomach ache."

What was hubby response? "Oh no I don't think it was the chocolate chip cookie, perhaps it was something else that I ate. But it wasn't the cookie." All of the sudden I felt that I was trying to reason with cookie monster. Yum, yum cookie! At the end I couldn't reason with him.

The story didn't end there. Just last week hubby again had the chocolate chip cookie from the bookstore. And guess what happened the next day. Yes, cookie monster had a tummy ache. And he wasn't happy about it. So I reminded him what had happened before. And do you think that he remembered? Not only did he forgot the incident with the cookie, but he defended it. Yes, sugar can do that to you sometimes.

That is why we refrain from buying certain sweets. It's true that once in awhile we do bring some ice cream for hubby and some Dove chocolates for me. For us it is a sweet-luxury to bring
these items into our home.

This book All Cakes Considered, is a great book for those who love to try different cake recipes. Doesn't these cakes look delicious? Although I don't bake cakes, I wouldn't mind having this book in my kitchen. Perhaps I could substitute the flour and yeast with other alternative ingredients.

Today after dinner we are having several slices of the pound cake. I will have mine with a sugar free strawberry jello. And hubby is going to have his with a sugar free pudding.

I believe in once in awhile having a sweet treat after a meal. And a lot of love in the family!




Chao,


Carmen




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