New Collage

This is one of the two collages I got done this weekend. It's called "A Wrinkle in Time's Eye". I had limited supplies so it's not the most spectacular but I am happy with it.

New collage but something is missing

This is the collage I got stumped on from this weekend. I had limited supplies but I don't think that had anything to do with it.

It's missing...something. This will probably be one of those that I come across a year or so later and have an "A-ha!" moment.

New Originals listed in my shop

I finally got around to listing some new originals in my Etsy Shop!

A quick update and I'm off to bed

I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone for their birthday wishes on Sunday! They really made my day. We didn't do much of anything since we were driving back home from my SIL's graduation in Ruidoso, NM. Our nine hour drive took a little closer to ten hours thanks to all the rain we ran into. Grrr.

The graduation went well as did the trip. We made a few stops, visited family and hit thrift stores and garage sales in the area. I was able to get a little bit of artwork in during the trip. I had limited supplies once again but I'm finding I don't mind that all too much.

This guy here was drawn while waiting on dinner to finish cooking the first evening I was there. He reminds me of someone though I can't put my finger on it. I was able to get a couple of collages in as well but I haven't had a chance to upload them. I have a ton of pictures to upload from the graduation and our side trips as well but all that will have to wait until later in the week.

I managed to get quite a bit done today. I shopped all morning, met Cory for lunch, spray painted my new atc holder (I'll post pics once I put it back together), added some stuff to Etsy, picked up a bit and finished up a collage while watching the movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop.


I was not expecting this movie to be as funny as it is! I fully expected it to be one of those completely stupid but not so stupid it's funny kind of movies. To my surprise I found myself laughing out loud many, many times. It probably helps that I'm really fond of the lead male, Kevin James, too. He has such an endearing quality about him!

Anyway, I better be heading to bed. I love three day weekends but boy, the Tuesdays afterward hit you like a ton of bricks! I have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day.

What a waste of time

Well, I gave it a good go but I have to wholeheartedly say I think this book just outright sucks. Not only that, I feel I have wasted valuable time trying to read through it.

Part of it's my own fault. I should have read a little more into it before I bought it but I didn't. I was expecting it to be more on the spiritual side of things between religion and religious concepts.

Unfortunately, it's more like reading a textbook with nothing more than questions and answers. Answers, which in my opinion, don't leave you any further along than where you originally started.

With that said, if anyone out there is still interested in reading this book, let me know and I will send it to you. Otherwise, it's Half-Price Books here I come.

Just a note...

Injured by a Diet Coke

Did you know you could get cut with the bottle top of a 20 oz Diet Coke? Go figure.

The Mean Kitty Song

I laughed outright when I saw this video. Not only does this guy dance exactly like my husband and have the exact same facial expressions in the black and white shots - he has the exact same name.

It's a cute little video. Hope you enjoy it!

Taking a trip through Memory Lane

So here I am going through the library to see if I can happen upon a book to read and Oscar the Grouch catches my eye. It seems there has been a book published called Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis.
Being a sucker for nostalgia, I of course, checked out the book. I'm really eager to start reading it! I did a few searches on the internet and it's getting great reviews. I also ran across some video clips from the earlier seasons on YouTube.

A lot of the video clips have quit being aired because they are not "politically correct". I can see the view point on some of the clips but others not so much.

Regardless, I'm posting some of my favorites from my childhood. You don't have to watch them if you don't want to but they bring back fond memories for me.

This is one of the spots they don't air anymore. For as long as I can remember my family did the whole "A loaf of bread, container of milk and a stick of butter" every time we had to go to the store.


I have always loved this song. Even now I still know all the words to it.



Is he not the most adorable little boy?!? I loved (and still do) watching all the candid spots where the kids are talking to the monsters. I'm not sure if John John's spots air anymore - he had a ton of them.

Listen to his reaction at the end of the video. How can anyone not break into a smile at that?

Working on a mini art journal book

Last week I had mentioned I started working on a little mini art journal book. I wanted something where the pages were just the right size for me not to think about what I was doing.

When I work on a collage I can sit there for hours before I can find just the right piece. I worry they won't have the right wording or special touches like everyone else's does. Each of these pages take me maybe an hour to fully complete.

I started with spray paint as the base layer on all of them. Then I took out a drawer of my collage stuff, some Titanium White and Paynes Gray paint, and a rubber stamp. These are the only supplies I am allowing myself to work with.

My theory is if I don't allow myself to have all the other supplies available my mind will start to make do with what I have. So far it's working well!



I've become quite fond of using scraps of left over paper and cardboard boxes and I haven't been struggling with the collages like I normally do.

I'm also not allowing myself to go back and work on the pages once I say they are done. I'm making myself move on and trust me, that's not always an easy task.



I brought out a table to the living room so I can work while spending time with Cory. He's not too fond of my mess coming out of my art room but I think he knows I'm trying to keep it as clean as I can.

Napkin doodling at Hoffbrau Steakhouse

Meet "Elsotaur".

Elsotaur wears cow bells on her toes and comes running at the first sign of danger.

She was originally suppose to be the bull I saw on the drink menu at Hoffbrau Steakhouse this evening but I was having a little trouble.

Naturally, as Cory started poking fun *never mind the weird looks from the waiter as I doodled on a napkin* I started in on a minotaur.

Well...the minotaur head came out a little feminine and reminded me of "Elsie the Cow".

Long story short - Elsotaur was born.

Hope your weekend is moo-rific *hahaha! I crack myself up!*,

P.S. - This is the last week to enter this month's blog giveaway! One lucky winner will receive "Canvas Remix: Techniques for Creating Mixed Media Accessories" by: Alisa Burke. All entries must be received before Saturday, May 30th. Click here for more info!

Angels & Demons

I was really psyched when I saw the trailer for this. I love angel and demon movies! It comes out really soon too, this week I believe. I might go see it in the theaters instead of waiting for the dvd.

It surprised me to find out it was the sequel to the Da Vinci Code. I didn't realize they were making one.

I'm hoping I won't be as disappointed about this movie as I was the Da Vinci Code. I liked the movie but I was disappointed with it due to all the hype. I'm trying not to read any reviews about this one so that won't happen again.

New artwork but a somber mood

I originally was going to post some happy little post about my weekend and the new journal book I'm making (see image above) but I'm not in the mood anymore.

I talked to my little brother, Arin, earlier today. He has been looking for our half sister for some time now and has finally been in contact with her.

I washed my hands of that part of my life a long time ago. I think I was what, 13, maybe 14 when I last saw my father?

I never really understood why he stopped all contact with me and eventually as I grew older and became an adult, I stopped asking why.

Strangely enough as I was looking at the family pictures of my half sister I felt this huge wave of sadness creep over me. I found myself sitting there looking at graduation pictures and fighting the urge to cry.

How silly is that?

The Birth of a Super Villian

This cracked me up! Cory too. I swear he laughed for like ten minutes straight. I hope it brightens your day.

Photo via: frostyland's posterous

Star Trek

Growing up my father would watch Star Trek every night. I can't remember if he watched multiple episodes or not but it just seemed like it was always on and he wouldn't pay attention to us. I grew to dispise that show.

I would not have thought I'd be finding myself saying I think I am going to see the Star Trek movie in the theaters. Actually I didn't realize it was Star Trek until I saw Dr. Spock. It looks like it has potential.

May Blog Giveaway

"Canvas Remix teaches you how to create graffiti-inspired canvases (even if you've never painted before!) and turn them into unique accessories, jewelry and dolls.

Now's the time to get inspired, get messy and get painting!"

Have you guessed the prize yet? This month's drawing will be for Canvas Remix: Techniques for Creating Mixed Media Accessories by: Alisa Burke.

To enter, simply pop your name into the widget below my signature before Saturday, May 30th! I will announce the winner sometime that weekend.

Putting together prize packs

Wanna take a stab at what I did all afternoon yesterday? I didn't realize quite how much crap I had in our spare bedroom. I have the itch to make it into an actual bedroom but the space has been "occupied" for the last year or so.

I separated everything out for Good Will, trash, keep and AFA prize packs. Once I got everything separated I started the task I've been avoiding the past year.

Originally when I started doing the monthly ATC contest on AFA I wanted to try to make each prize pack custom to the winner's preferences. Little did I know life would hit me upside the head and make those custom prize packs next to impossible. I'm now two months behind.

So here I am sorting everything out as evenly as possible and literally making prizes for the next two years. At least I won't have to do it again anytime soon!

Every prize pack has something that everyone can relate to: Atc blanks, fibers, papers, rolos, dominoes, chunky book embellishments and more. I even discovered that through all of my own personal stuff I had enough napkins to make custom first and second place prizes for this months and have enough left over to divvy up for the next two years. It's kind of sad when you think about it. Why on earth do I have so much crap?

Is that the end of the tunnel?

My new haircut!

Here's my new do! The photos are a little blurry like the before shots because I was rushing to be ready when Cory came home from the gun show. It was suppose to storm and we didn't want to be caught in it while we ran our errands.

I am so happy with my cut! My stylist Amy ROCKS! I've been going to her for four years or so now. She's been with me through several of my hair "phases".

Amy and I put our heads together and combined my preferences from four different cuts. She made sure she took my hair texture into consideration when cutting it and showed me how to style it and especially what products to use and how to use them. I am little hair product challenged and she knows it!

You can't see the back flipping out in the front shot but you should be able to get the idea from the side views. I had hoped taking them in the master bathroom would help with the lighting but it didn't seem to. I'll try getting better pics sometime.

I can style it three different ways, smooth in front with the back flipped, smooth all over or just comb it through and let it air dry. I let it air dry today and I just LOVE how messy it looks!

Hair today, gone tomorrow

Seriously, how do all the teenagers do it for facebook and myspace? It must have taken me 10 tries each way to me sure part of my body wasn't cut off. Even then it was all blurry! You can tell I don't do the "mirror shots" too often!

This is what I looked like this morning before I went to the salon for my new haircut. I'll have after pics soon!

Dream

I didn't sleep well at all last night. I think I may have gotten too hot as my dreams normally turn a little sour when I am.

My youngest brother, Thomas, told me my mother died. I remember thinking how sad that was but I showed no emotion. I noticed I was living in a house of an old boyfriend and then my two other brothers, Arin and Giovanni, showed up to visit.

Arin, Giovanni, Cory and I went shopping at the mall which I knew we went to almost daily. I didn’t recognize the neighborhood we drove through to get there but Cory knew where he was driving to so I wasn’t worried about it.

We get back to the house and my mother, maternal grandmother and uncle all show up unannounced and it really irritated me. I ate something quick though I’m not sure what it was. I just knew we were suppose to so shopping again and I was upset because now my paternal grandmother started cooking steaks for dinner and everyone was sitting down and waiting to have one.

I still wanted to go shopping so I went to grab my stuff. Cory followed behind me into our bedroom and was asking me where I was going. When I bent down to pick up my purse our dog, a Dalmatian, ran in and quickly growled at Cory. The dog seemed to be trying to protect me from Cory though I was in no danger.

I left to go shopping and was driving an SUV with the dog in the back. I went to a strip mall that looked familiar from when we were out shopping earlier and stopped at a pawn shop. I walked around looking at the jewelry. I turned to the right to go down an aisle and found myself inside a clothing store, in my head it was Mervyns.

The racks were too close together for more than one person to pass through at a time and there were people everywhere. I finally made it through the racks of clothes and started walking to the exit door. A little blonde girl, maybe four or five years old in a frilly dress, started playing shadow with me as her toddler brother followed her close behind. I played along for a bit, watching them out of the corner of my eye. Then I stuck my tongue out at her and left the store.

As I was leaving I began thinking how I had to tell Arin and Giovanni our mom had passed away. Then I realized my mother had come over to my house and she wasn’t dead. Thomas has lied to me.

This was the first dream I remember having in a long, long time.