Tiki-papier - Tiki Papier

On your marks; Get set; GO!!!! Time for the caption contest, now live on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/tikipapier.

¡Feliz Dia De Muertos!

Last year, the World’s Most Fashionable Paper Doll and I were in Oaxaca for Day of the Dead.

Oaxaca is one of our favorite cities. The traditional crafts pre-date the Spanish conquest, but still fill the markets with beautiful work. The crafts aren’t yet watered down and mechanized for a tourist industry. Alongside the artisania is a community of young artists. They trained as ceramicists, printmakers, and textile workers. Most of them were taught by their families or local elders in addition to their schooling. They take their craft seriously. Todo bien hecho is the phrase we learned. Their technique as a foundation for aggressive, modern, and deeply personal work. The art being done in Oaxaca has its roots in folklorico, but it is the future. The printmaker Alberto Cruz and the sculptor, Isabel Sanchez come immediately to mind. Burro Press and the shop Miku Meko are a good starting point for your own exploration.

Eat as much as you can while you are there. The food is stellar. There are cooking classes at Casa Crespo. We also vouch for their chocolate and cocktails.

We will go back. There is much more to learn, much more to eat, and we still need to tour the Botanical Garden.

Must I be happy always?

The caption contest is on! Leave your caption in the comments below if you can find your way past the hashtags. Winner announced Monday. Other competitors on FB.

How I Learned To Swim

The Friday Caption Contest is on! Winner announced mon 2/26! Get your quip on in the comments below! #caption #contestday

Tiki Travel Tip no. 3 In France, pick up an Opinel number 10 tire-bouchon. It is the ideal picnic knife. It's got a proper blade, sharp enough for meats and large enough to cut fruit, but still small enough to carry in your pocket. The corkscrew works perfectly. It is a simple tool for a civilized picnic. So much better than dinking into your food with a cheese knife or trying to open a bottle of wine with the delicate twisty prong of a survivalist's chatelaine. Loathe multibladed knifes. If ever I am reduced to using the same tool to saw through branches and gut fish, I'll desperately need a functioning corkscrew which they never have. I'll be very disappointed if I'm straining bits of cork out through my teeth during a zombie apocalypse. For now, while we can still lay on a blanket in the grass and eat glamorous snacks, it's good to have this knife. It is simple, unpretentious, and neither more nor less than it needs to be. #tikitested #tikiapproved

So, like this, but... smaller.

A few pics from our Dia De Muertos video.