It’s that time again! Another year of planning the TF birthday Jam Boogie Night . A night to gather the troops, friends, and family in one special space in NY, and party till we drop! As we get older though, not many of us last that long anymore lol! but…it’s still a good time. Hahahhah….yeah…anything past 2am is a little tricky for us these dayz. Thankful the hommies came out to celebrate with smiles, and well wishes for the tooflowers. I am filled with love to have each and every one of you in my life. You all do amazing work, have kind hearts, and continue to spread love to the world in your own unique ways. LOVE YOU ALL!!! (((THANK YOU )))

Customized B-day Cupcakes by Jenny Kinns!

toooooooooflowweeeeeeeers!

Shout out to my love love for sticking it out after a long day of work and an early morning shift. Love you babe!

MY chicas 4 life!!!! I LOVE YOU LADIES!!!! Thank you for the boogie night jamz!!!

Where the sweet toother’s at?

Lindas y lindos!

beer buddies…

Hot mama:)

B-day explosions 101…

Chill Will…the one and only.

Shout out to the lovely Ariel Palitz who’s been a good friend since I was a teenager. Happy I got a chance to rock a private bday celebration at Sutra Lounge. Love your place honey love!

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Happy Birthday papito lindo. Wherever you are in the cosmic existence of this world and beyond I know you are smiling in peace, and happiness. On this day you came to be once, and lived a beautiful dream. Full of smiles, and good times. I celebrate you, and thank you for being such a wonderful man on planet earth. I love you, and missssssssssss you dearly.

Hooked up with one of my best friends this weekend to rock one of her favorite pieces off my sketchbook at her new cut & sew shop in Brooklyn. Alex, and I go back like peas & carrots;) I am so happy and excited for her!!! Cheers & congratulations to your new venture kid! LOVE YOU!!!

“Love Saves the Day”

flower childs at heart since 1992

Summer is finally here! Everything is brighter, sweeter and more colorful. Time to whip out the spring dresses, and bring out the summer fun!

I’m not a fan of the NYC beaches…so this year the sun bathing begins here! on acres of lime green fresh grass. All amenities included + a kids park! you gotta bring the little ones. It has a spectacular view of the best city in the world;) Breathtaking views morning, noon, and night! boardwalks, gardens, beach chairs, hammocks, and more. We love it here…Queens baby! no reason to go anywhere else…

peeps picnic 2011 at Long Island City Pier, Queens NY. aka ( Gantry Plaza state Park )

Kick back, relax, and swing on the hammock. Napping here is bliss…

sunnnnnn sets…..

It was a beautiful day;) Gotta love days like this. Go out there, and take advantage of the sunshine, the public parks, and the fresh juicy fruit! It tastes so good on a hot summer day. Most of all take advantage of making time with your loved ones. I miss my family dearly, happy my hommies are here to make days like this special too;)

Love you guys!!! Thanks for coming together for some fun in the sun, sharing yummy grub snacks, mixing the i-tunes, and keeping lot’s of ice in the cooler. You know how much I love ice! Loca for ice…

Dinner anyone?

Lounge 47, Long Island City Queens. Yum…

SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER TIME….

PLAYA PALMS…

Back from paradise! Tired from travel not gonna make it to Toy Street today:( Sorry folks. Need some rest from rest, but luckily my bloggy blog post is ready. SOOOooooo every year babe and I take off for some fun in the sun at one of our favorite beach spots in the Carribean – Playa Del Carmen. There’s a lot to experience here, especially natures amazing beauty. From it’s soft sandy beaches, crystal clear blue waters, sea life, bird life, and rocky underwater worlds. You name it, they got it, and you are free to visit all of it, and pay locals prices if your a trooper. Last time we checked in at La Tortuga hotel, one of our favorites. This time around we wanted to step out directly on to the beach, so we scored a great deal at Playa Palms Beach Hotel…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE!

PLAYA PALMS BEACH HOTEL

Gotta love the beach views…

grounded, but ready to float away…

Spent the first few days beach bumming it out, and thanking the powers that be for a chance to take a break from the daily hustle. As I get older I think daily of giving it all up for the chance to live in such beauty, such peace…

Then we remember…we have a lot more to see, and we can’t do it on pesos;(

CENOTES

Last time we came we missed the chance to check out the cenotes. So this time we made sure we visited at least one of them because there’s  bunch of them…

Ready to discover what these under water caves are all about…

WOW! You gotta come here…nature is amazing!!!

beautiful under water caves for all to enjoy ( cenotes )

I’m ready you ready? I’m ready, but are you ready? Go I’m ready, no you go first, lol

eeeek! – a must…

ahhh…Happy Birthday babe!

Like nothing I have ever seen before. Loved it! Good times. If you come here just take the$3 vans to the cenotes and pay the $10 entrance fee. It’s a bit of a walk but there’s always someone nice enough on the road there that can scoop you up. Beats the expensive tour, you stay as long as you want, and when all the tour folks leave you have the place to yourself;)

COZUMEL

I don’t recommend it. We took the 25min ferry which was like $25 each round trip to an area where there was no beach. We asked the local for the nearest beach which was like 15min away so $14 later we arrive to a beach full of people, expensive food, and hard sand. Maybe there’s nice spots in this Island but it must be far far away. If your a snorkel freak I hear that’s pretty much all that is good here because of so many rocks. I think the best thing was our breakfast that morning and the flicks we took before we got on the boat!

Breakfast at El Bistro at La Tortuga Hotel – Now that I recommend…

AKUMAL

We were heading to Tulum which is one of our favorite beaches for the day when one of the locals recommended we check out Akumal. A beach where you can swim with sea turtles!

AKUMAL BEACH – Mexico

coco loco?

Let’s go find us some turtles….

I’m investing in some snorkel gear from here on. Renting it can get pricey…I better see some turtles!

OMG! ((( YES ))) We got to see 3 big turtles! Wow…they are so beautiful….what a beautiful experience…

I made a little sea offering on the way to the beach to give thanks for our beautiful trip as it came to a close…

I thought about my grandfather the whole time I was here. I thought about how he loved to take paseos with my grandmother, and how much of what we were doing was how he liked to live life. To the FULLEST. With every step we treasure what is most important, so that we may see the beauty that is around us, in front of us, in us. I tried not to get sad, but at times it was hard. I know he is with us everywhere we go. Helping us grieve in our own way. Showing us how to keep smiling. Thinking of you always Papito, no matter where I am, where I go, and what I do. You are with me always…

Off to paradise for some birthday time with babe, a peaceful break from the never ending city grind, and some sun! Spring is taking forever to hit New York, WTF? We out…

Whoa…did I make it on the latin network? Univision interview airing on Thursday morning nationwide over 100+ cities. ( “Despierta America” 7am-10am Channel 41) Many of us grew up with this channel because our abuelas, mamis, and tias watched their novelas, our abuelitos, papis, and tios caught the futbol. Occasionally we all sat around to watch that silly man Don Francisco on Sabado Gigante too. My family has come a long way. This one is for you Papito lindo!

Shout out to Meres at 5Pointz for letting me rock the interview session and do a little live painting for the piece. THANK YOU! and big ups to Shana Louallen for rocking the PR and taking behind the scenes flicks:)

Gracias Linda y Cesar! The interview was lovely. Can’t wait to see it! eeeeek….

Finding it hard to put this post together…I don’t even know where to begin. Last week I lost my grandfather, our papito Raul. We flew back to Ecuador heartbroken…to say goodbye. A part of all of us feels empty, and we can’t help but fill it up with tears. I’m going to miss our talks, his little laugh chuckles, his silly jokes, his words of advice, and most of all…watching him gear up to build, climb, and fix things. As the days pass we are comforted by the beautiful memories he left behind when we flip through boxes and boxes of photographs. We are all so thankful for everything he strived for so that his family can have a happy, and loving home. Our lives are blessed because of you, and we will honor your life in all we do. Estrañadole mucho papito lindo de nuestro corazon…

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YO SUN.

Back from our little NYC winter break. Even though it was a little cold in Los Angeles during our trip, we made the best of every rain drop, and every hoodie we brought along. When the sun did come out, we made sure to soak in every last shot of vitamin D. Ahhhh….the life…

Baking under the sun with our girl Izzy Izms. Special hostess with the mostess for the week. Sending a big fraggie thank youuuuu!!! ((( WE LOVE YOU KID )))

Our first day was pretty cloudy,  but we geared up and headed downtown for some street art strolls to get our juices flowing…

Brotha from anotha flick time…

Iphoto photoshoot? Why not, strike a pose Izzy!

Them walls got us amped. We caught the painting bug, so we hit up the nearest home depot for some $4 cans…

then stopped by Crewest for the good stuff! Montana 94’s my fave. Missed kicking it with Man One though;( but caught a nice little exhibit called “THINGS THAT GET BUFFED”

I loved those paintings!

Couldn’t hit up any walls that day because is started to rain so we went for a Silverlake noodle run. Rainy days are perfect for Pho! Mmmmmm….

Before we called it a rainy night, we went to support our boy Marka for his Mini Gods release at SIXHUNDRED…

Congratulations!!! Love those little guys, I need to get one…

VENICE BEACH ACTION…

The rain finally took a break! It was sunny skies the rest of the week. Thank you mother nature;) We linked up with our gal DJ Moni for brunch and sipped on some bellini’s! YUM. Shout out to our fraggie friend Mike who was away on a film shoot;( LA moves kid!!! Get em’…

las tres amigas ready to chow down…

Can’t go wrong with the Eggs Benedict with spinach! @ 3rd Sq Cafe on Abbot Kinney Blvd…

It turned into a beautiful day to paint and hang with friends;)

My first time painting on a beach, and I LOVED IT!!! Felt so good to paint under the sun, and catch some beach breeze. This is a great spot to paint on the weekend. Just speak to hommie who runs the location, sign an agreement form, and it’s all gooooood in the hood…

Some places are just funky fresh!

Vee got down on the action and rocked an ACB piece of a throwie he’s been working on. It was fun to do our little collabo on some chillax tip, no pressure, just fun…

Got a chance to sneak in a mini interview for a women graffiti video in the works…The universe works in mysterious ways…

Shout out to our friends Marco and Daffodil who came through to kick it and sip on some coronas. GOOD TIMES!!!

TOOFLY, ACB, & VEE. Venice Beach, CA 2011

Who’s hungry!!!?

After a fun day under the sun, we reunited with our girl Moni. She whipped us hungry artists a home cooked meal from scratch! WHAT…It was delicious. Thank you Moniiiiiiiii!

Big ups to everyone that pulled through for the communal grub, and got our activist hearts pumping again. You guys are truly ((( INSPIRING ))) individuals, and as a collective oooooh watch out!

12 DEEP…

New Yorker grooves, and moves…

We were on a roll, and our mission: Party till you drop! Got on the guest list for the 12th anniversary of the Deep party at Vanguard, and hit the dance floor. Partied with some of our favorite NY DJ’s Dj Spinna, and Rich Medina;)

Long weekend indeed. Day 2 and it felt like I had been here a week!

Rebel nights…

MR CARTOON…

As we mellowed out from our crazy party night, we hooked up with our hommie Victor who gave us a little tour through Mr Cartoon’s studio and shop…

Estevan Oriol, and Mr Cartoon flicks on the shop’s wall…nice….

I love Cali style;)

Big ups to Mr Cartoon for his persistent work on his illustration craft, and giving back to the community through youth art workshops and mural projects. It was great to finally meet in person;) thanks for the introduction Victor!

STREET STROLLZ…

Last few days we took a chill pill cuz our peeps had to get back to work so we went for some cappi shopping on Abbot Kinney blvd…

Oh snap. What you know about spicy fruta? Coconut, Watermelon, Cucumber, Mango, and picante baby!

Hooked up with our boy Johnny and his lovely wife who were also in town from NY. We did a double dip to the wall, mahi mahi tacos, and skater flicks…

I-phone flick by Vee Bravo. Good one kid! I stole it…

One thing I did miss out on was a beach sunset. I will catch it one day though. Till then I can admire the flicks by other photographers. This is a dope one. www.venicebeachpictures.com

THANK YOU!!!

Sending a special thanks to everyone who pulled through to share a little LA time with us. We felt super welcomed, and happy to be around all of you talented and positive beings! To our hommies who have moved to LA, we miss you dearly! We are super proud of you, and wish you all the best in the city of angels. They are lucky to have YOU. Con mucho amor, y gracias por ser los QUERIDOS HOMMIES;)

Busy season seems to be getting here sooner than years before which leaves me scrambling for personal time. All I wanna do during winter is focus on what I love to do. My own shit!!! It’s all good, I’m gonna make sure I drop some dope pieces by spring. Here’s a sneak peek at a new design I’m working on. No fonts, and no shortcuts here. If you wanna be skilled at your craft, and respected for your original flows you gotta put in the time. Get busy creating from the heart or get busy wasting away the spirit that gives you meaning. I remember the days I spent hours and hours in my room drawing and painting before the computer moved in and did a Speedy Gonzales on me. I haven’t been the same since. Luckily I stayed on top of my traditional tools, and it saved my life. You won’t ever find me blending in to the collage of garbage that’s put out on the daily. Nope. The more we stay true to ourselves, the more we enjoy life and give life. That my friends is where the true gems exist.

Marker hand styles, by yours truly…

Ready for print…

Happy New Year!!! Sorry I’m late. Back from visiting my querida familia in sunny Florida, and fighting of a cold;( It’s a tunes, tea, and thoughts kind of weekend as I catch up with my bloggy blog. Even though as you get older the Holidays take a wacky turn for us adults, it’s still super nice to get together with my whole family and watch the kids smile as they open their presents. This year aunt mimi decorated everything from the tree, to the gifts. It was lovely! Grandma made her special Ecuadorian dish, and we got on our purple Prince fun with “Let’s Go Crazy” as the ball dropped. I love my family! Not a day goes by that I give thanks that they are all well, and I can watch my little cousins grow up. Especially when they are around an amazing group of creative, funny, and loving individuals;)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

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OMG, In love with Prince all over again. Shout out to Marlon for hooking my hommie T, and I with tickets. It was an awesome and very purple night. Even the Empire State building was purple. Prince is still sexy as ever…aow!

Prince concert December 29, 2010, Madison Square Garden. NYC
I’m so happy he played all my faves!!!

Shout out to everyone that came thru yesterday for the Invisible Instructions opening! I’m getting my flicks ready so you can check out the process from beginning to end…

Welcome to the behind the scenes of Invisible Instructions…

Our hommie Leilani helping us keep on point with our deadlines. Thanks for all your help girl you ROCK.

Cern rocking some touch ups on his little funky birds which I love so much…

a little to the right…a  little to the left…up, down…where’s that red light thingy! lol

Your almost there Cole…it’s gonna be allright…

It’s looking great guys!

Dumpling House anyone?

This year Halloween fell on a weekend! Yeah yeah baby it’s not a party until you go all out and paint yo face. Shout out to my hommie Little Alex for rock’n the crews make-up this year. Good times:)

Nail action and all…

Who’s next?

References…

Alex Medussa and her Boo!

Take a guess…

It’s just me and my 99 cent roses…

Alex Medussa, Veedel Castro, and Tooflowers

Dope:) Thanks for the make-up Alex!!!

Ready to get our creepy freaky night on!

Ricardo’s Halloween house jam with DJ itunes!

Vinyl lives 4ever…

Videl Castro what’s the status?

Ricardo Cortes artwork on walls. Awesome.

The freaks come out at night.

Dress up, paint your face, have fun. Happy Halloween!!!

Till next year!