Small boy + ukelele + Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours = Cuteness!

Chantiki for President

As you know, the position of Candy President is the single most powerful office in the world of Sweets. Through its leadership can come a more delicious life for all people. In it, are centered the hopes of sugar-lovers worldwide and anyone who longs to be treated to a tastier life.

Your next Candy President will be charged with making the most important and yummy decisions of the next four years. How to provide the mouthwatering gift of candy to all people, even in a weakened economy that already threatens our very ability to procure sweets. How to maintain important chocolate and licorice production levels at home and abroad. How to rebuild and maintain a viable infrastructure of sugar development through more candy funding and research. How to prevent the collapse of our local sweet shops and the decay of our teeth. How to achieve, without further sickness, expanded candy consumption benefiting all people. And how, in a time of booming social change, to awaken every man, woman and child to the fact that a piece of comfort, a piece of candy, can lift us up to the new delectable heights.

These are among some the very real, very sweet issues facing us in the coming Candy Election. And it is on the basis of these issues that candy-lovers and candy-voters must make the most tasteful choice for their future.

It is with a knowledge and understanding of all these matters firmly in hand, that I am announcing today my official candidacy for President of the United States of Candy.

I invite you to join me in this improbable quest, if you, like me, see the future of delicious possibility stretching before us. Together, starting today, let us delight in the tasty work that needs be done, and usher in a new dawn of sweet revival for this nation.

Yes We Candy!

Coo-Worthy Pugs

Here is my offering of cute pug pictures. Stacy sends me them in an effort to feed my womanly need to see cute things and coo over them. Oh how I love to coo at cute things.

This pug is clearly waiting for a bus. To where?

I can’t tell if this pug is ready for a fiesta or a siesta.

I have had this picture bookmarked for months. I look at it when I need to be cheered up.

I don’t know about you but I would do business with this pug.

And the greatest pug that ever lived… our dear, sweet Toca!

New Blog Design

A month after the original thechantiki.com design was completed and ready for action Stacy started itching to redesign it. I would have nothing of it because I loved it so and I knew he had other (read: paying) jobs on which to work.

Time wore on and I saw that the more designs he did the better they got. This guy learns from every project he does. It’s quite impressive. Anyway, I decided to let him go to town and work up a design that is in line with current trends and he delivered.

I love it. I love that cartoon Toca is with me. I love that there is a rainbow, which I specifically requested. I love that there are no messy google ads at the top. I love that my latest tweet is highlighted. I love it all.

There’s a whole lot of love here at thechantiki.com today.

I hope you all enjoy the site and please make comments!

No one Ever Really Dies

Buzz Bake Sale - December 7, 2002

We arrived at 10:45 AM for the day-long festival. When we entered we got a flyer with the schedule. We assumed the last band would play around 7 but Good Charlotte wasn’t going on until 9:35 which meant we were in for a long day. I was happy to be with my friends but I knew I would get really bored after Everclear, the band I came to see, ended at 3:30.

We watched Nonpoint and then sat though a mostly unbearable set by Earshot. While they were on Art Alexakis of Everclear was standing on the side of the stage. I held up my little sign that read, “Art, Please play Thrift Store Chair.” He shook his head like he couldn’t play it. I put my hands on my hips like I was mad. He did the same. Then we shook our fists at each other. This put me in a really great mood. If nothing else happened, I had had my little interaction with the rock star of my choosing and my day was complete.

We wandered around a little more and I indulged a delicious hot dog. We wanted to get back in time to check out N.E.R.D.  I’d heard good things about them but didn’t know any of there music. Our seats were in the very front and I was totally digging them and decided to buy their CD. Before their last song Pharrell told everyone to come up to the front. This was bad news for me as I don’t like being crushed or surrounded by rabid music fans. To avoid it I started to head to the side and a giant body guard stopped me.  He had the security guards open up the barrier so I could go in there and sit. Pharrell said, “No, bring her on the stage.” Carol Lynn got me up the steps and we are on the side of the stage standing around with Art Alexakis, Joel and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte, and a bunch of other random people. Then, Pharrell told me to come over and put me right in the front of the stage in the middle and they played their last song, Rockstar. As soon as I got up there I flashed the crowd a rock sign and they all cheered. It was bananas.

After the song, Shay came over and gave me a hug and introduced himself. Pharrell did the same. Nice guys. Then we wandered off back stage and talked to Joel and Benji. Carol Lynn took some pictures and then we left the backstage area to track down Burak. For the rest of the day, people kept coming up and saying things like, “Dude, you were the one on stage, right?”

There was a break and I wandered around until Everclear started. Everclear wasn’t that great. I was excited to see them because I love them, but they didn’t sound as good as I wanted them to AND Art didn’t look at me once during the whole thing. I was right there in front. It was a little disappointing. After Everclear there wasn’t really anything we wanted to see until later. The bands were signing at certain times so we decided to try to catch the guys from N.E.R.D. I bought the CD and went over but they were being mobbed. Shay took the cd and signed it with my name. Then he said, “I’m going to go get Pharell to sign it. I’ll be back.” He went over by Pharell and got mobbed. After a long time, I went over to where they were and Shay said, “I’m sorry, Chandra, I didn’t forget you. I have your cd.” We took pictures. I cannot stress enough how cool these guys were to me.

I went back to get Everclear to sign their CD. The guitarist told me he liked my BMX Rider shirt and that he used to race BMX. I told him he was badass. Art asked me if I was the one with the sign. He said, “I can’t believe you requested Thrift Store Chair.” I told him that it was my favorite song and he told me it’s one of his favorites, too. It was a nice moment.

After that I was pretty much stoked for the rest of the day. We watched Hoobastank in the front. I didn’t like the crowd so close so for Cypress Hill we sat in the back of our section. It was nice to just watch them and not have anyone near me. They put on a fine show. Finally, Good Charlotte came out but I was tired so I headed out to the car and waited for my friends. We left at 10:45, 12 hours after we arrived.