Snow

I'm in retail ... now snow. biggest shopping day of the year is approaching ... now snow. putting chains on the car ... can we get a break here please?!

step away from the technology

okay ... so with my favorite site being unavailable in the middle of the afternoon on my day off ... I am stepping away from the computer... don't look at art ... DO art ...

the god's must be crazy ...

my art friends ... I can't get to my art friends!!!

We're having huge problems with our ATCsForAll site. I'm having withdrawl symptoms! It has made me realize that (unfortunately) I may have to use facebook contact more with my art friends. I would rather keep them separate (for the most part) ...

Hopefully, the moderators and "powers that be" can get the system upgraded before we lose contact with all those folks. Thankfully, I have a hard copy address book for those whom I have traded with, but .... I have no "regular" emails for these people ...

Interesting how these little things become a huge part of your life. Art should be freeing, not frustrating.

I just don't get it

We try to set up "events" to drive business. The company sends out emails that undermine our efforts. We are only allowed to offer a certain amount off. Then the company comes behind and says they'll get more ...
I just don't get it. I just don't.

meeting

You know ... sometimes technology just sucks. We had a store meeting tonight at work. A video was to be played that was to be accessed through our work computer. The bulk of our meeting was centered on this video. The video link didn't work. "It'll be up in 2 to 3 days" we were told by the Help Desk when we called. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Finding out 45 minutes before my meeting was to start was rather upsetting. I'm sorry, but that is simply unacceptable to me. They have known for How Long that this was coming up? They instructed us when and how, and then dropped the ball? Now I have to pull people away from doing their jobs to watch this during this next week?! How is that productive?

I love my job. I know, I know ... Go with the flow ... but, seriously?!

zentangle

Played around a bit with zentangle-ing. It is rather meditative.

vacation

ahh. Just started vacation. Tonight we drive to Idaho for a funeral tomorrow. Then on to the parent's. Mom's birthday is Tuesday and it'd be nice to see her and Dad. Will come home early in the week and probably talk the Handsome Husband into taking the trailer to a campground nearby so I can sit and do art all day, and read, and stoke the fire, and then he can come be with me at night after work. (he's not on vacation)

I was thinking of heading north, but really feel the need to stay close to home. Maybe I can talk my sister & her sweet hubby into coming down with their motorhome for a day or two (hint... hint). Quiet, alone time is always good, and I need to recharge before heading into .... Christmas in Retail .... I guess we'll see how I feel in a few days. :O)

I am looking forward to a solitary Samhain celebration. I've been tossing around different ritual ideas for months. we'll see ...

girlfriends

Sometimes I really envy women that have "girlfriends". I love and adore my handsome husband, but it would be nice to have a few friends to do "girl stuff" with. I guess if I didn't hole up in my house after work I may be able to cultivate some friendships.

journaling

seems I suck at journaling! LOL. I forget to do it! I even bought an awesome journal that makes it real easy to do it daily. Just fill in the blanks. Ummm ... the blanks are still blank!

Back to it I go!

I've been doing some drawing lately. Not a lot, but some. It makes me happy. My handsome husband does it with me too, which makes me very happy.

Been busy at work (that's a good thing), but am feeling overloaded. So much to do and not enough time. I have a great crew, but we are all struggling to get things done. When it is all said and done, we are still having fun.

Phil and I went camping the other day ... One 24 hour camping trip ... first one in 7 or 8 years! That's way too long!! Have caught the bug again, so we'll be doing much more. The campground is only 10 miles away so it will be easy to go for short trips. I had planned to do some art, but found that just sitting by the fire and staring at the flames was what felt right. Relaxed so much (and quickly!) that we both slept for almost 12 hours!!

Happy Autumnal Equinox ... will be enjoying the evening tonight after work. Have all my supplies, just need a little focus.

Inconsideration

Sometimes people just don't understand the impact of their actions on others.

An employee TELLS us she is taking next week off because they won a cruise- AFTER the schedule is posted and we already have 3 people on vacation! I will be gone, my team will be working overtime - and working HARD - to cover for this. I just want to scream at her, which I cannot do. How inconsiderate. How rude. How ... how .... how .. damned inconsiderate!

Time to hire about 3 new part-timers. Time to let her go do whatever it is that her husband wants her to do.

sidenote: I have NEVER heard of someone winning a trip that they could only take if they leave in 5 days. What a crock of bull. If you want to work something out, then talk to me ... but do not LIE to me ...

Soul Collage

I spent last weekend in Bellingham with my sister. We went to a Soul Collage class. I'm hooked! Really gets you to look inward. A huge help with dissecting yourself. I love it!
Childlike

Jump

Haven't named this one yet ... still searching for what I was feeling as I built it...

May is on it's way!

Azaleas, rhododendrens, poppies, fritilaria, pansies, daffodils, tulips, bluebell-type bulbs (not sure what they are, but have a ga-jillion in my yard. The apple tree is in full bloom. Lilacs are starting to open.

Beautiful, sunny morning (so far) ... time to go ride my new bike! I'll post some pix in a while.

What the future may bring!

Been playing with some art supplies. Drawing, coloring with my Prismacolor pencils, journaling. Enjoying the time with paper.

Tony (son-in-law) came over yesterday. He is interviewing at this very minute for a job at the Port in Bremerton. We practiced interviewing ~ he is very qualified for this job! Exciting.

When this comes through we'll have our daughter and grandchildren so close by! No more missing those important things ... learning to crawl, easter egg hunts, concerts at school, track meets ... :)

some of my ArtFest products ..

My making paintings out of pictures ... sucked.

notes to & from myself ... great techniques ... had to teach myself the journaling part. My housemates helped. I overthink it.

ArtFest 2010

Ferry feet ... or are they fairy feet?

Sisters in heart and art!! On the ferry to Port Townsend!

ArtFest was great

We had a fun time. We laughed, we drank, we made art. Met new people. Learned new techniques. (I need to upload my photos ... I seem to forget to use my camera! Silly me!)

Now I've signed up for Carla Sonheim's "art of silliness" online workshop. Draw, be silly, have fun. That's a good thing! What a wonderful teacher she is. What a positive force.

a few more of today's angels

Here are a few more done today ... gettin' my whimsy going ... :O)

and ... some more Angels ...

And ... some more :O)

Here are some Angels made the other day

Had a fun play date at Leslie's ...

1000 Angels Project

Here are a few of today's angels. I'm sure having fun ... I found a cute book at Borders that I got for $3 and it has such cute dogs ... aren't they angels on earth anyway?!

Art makes me happy

Spent yesterday making 50 ATCs for ArtFest trading. Once I finally came up with a design I set up an assembly line and was able to crank 'em out. Made a few Shrinky Dink charms ... cute , but small.

Today I went over to Leslie's house and we worked on Angels for our 1000 Angels project. I finished 6 more. I did 2 more once I got home and have been working on a few more backgrounds. I'll get some posted soon.

Day off ... what to do?

I've been doodling this morning, but must get something truly accomplished today ... just 'cuz.

Have been focusing lots of white light and positive energy my sister's way today. Candles lit throughout the house, chants chanted, energy out there!

Now to go grocery shopping, get a hair cut, order some refill ink for my Copic markers, do some laundry, and make some angels ... hmmm ... looks like I will get some things done today!

sometimes I just gotta whine

Finally get a day off with Phil (first one in over 6 weeks) and I am sick. I am so upset. It's going to be probably a month or so before we get another day off together.
He made me a nice breakfast for Valentine's day ~ a veggie omelet and turkey bacon ~ I can't taste it very well ... I've been a lump on the couch for a few days now.
He apparently had made plans for our Valentines Day, and I can tell he's a little disappointed, but he hasn't told me what those plans had been. Guess we'll do it another time.
Okay ... I'm done whining now... well ... almost ... I just want a day or two per month with my love ... this is stretching out to be too long of gaps.
NOW I'm done whining ...

Garden is growing ...

Snowdrops are blooming, as are the hellebores. Bulbs are popping up all over and little buds of green are showing all over the roses and honeysuckle. The columbine, hollyhocks, and lupine have all broken ground. I can see the poppies starting to poke up out of the dirt and the rhododendren buds are swelling.

We planted some primroses and pansies in pots by the door so we have happy flowers winking at us as we come and go.

aaaahhhhhh

Wolf Moon

Meandering around the backyard last night ... cloudy ... spots of rain here and there ... I looked up and the clouds parted for just about 5 or 10 seconds .. the moon winked at me ... and was gone.
What a gift.

My friend Cheryl was in town yesterday and came over for dinner and some ATC doodling time ~ what a delight!
Going to have to schedule some time with Helen to go to Yakima this summer ...

Beautiful full moon last night ... now I understand better why people have been a little snarky the past few days. Interesting how the phases of the moon affect people.

Spring is in the air

Nuthatches, chickadees, rufus-sided Towhees, juncos, house sparrows all surrounded ~ and emptied ~ my little bird feeder. They have also finally discovered the feeder attached to the kitchen window. Previously the huge Flicker was the only one to feed there. So funny to watch this big bird squish itsself against the window to eat. Nothing like a close up of bird butt! LOL.

My hellebores are up and blooms getting ready to burst. The lupine is coming up. Bulbs are sprouting all over. Even the Mandarin Honeysuckle on the porch is budding out all along it's spindly branches.

We brought home some pansies and primroses the other day ... time to put some color in the pots outside the back door.

Think I'll pour a glass of wine and go paint some angels ... 5 down ... 195 to go! (I figure my portion is about 200) I have 9 backgrounds started and some collage fodder lined up... 100 canvases on order, and some 50% coupons in my purse.

Plumber's Butt

While meandering down the lighting aisle at Home Depot with my handsome husband ... we got to see much more than we bargained for. Note To All Men: please pull up your pants or at least wear underwear... eeewwwww

We did find a beautiful tiffany style hanging lamp for Phil to hang over his coffee bar in the kitchen... but was it worth the picture now etched into my brain?

Finally finished two angels ...

the top one is #2

the second one is #1 ~ the child is my beautiful granddaughter McKayla about 10 years ago (has that much time gone by?!!)

1000 Angels

1000 angels ... I have many backgrounds started (about 20)... just no complete angel yet
It's a wonderful project that my friend Leslie started. We'll end up selling them and the money going to a women's support group of some kind here in the U.S. ~ still to be determined.

My main medium is collage ... I've been painting backgrounds, and cutting out wings ... lots of wings ... Have gel medium and wonderful napkins (serviettes) on hand for other collaging elements. Now that I am started, I am getting more and more into layers ... as of yet, they are all still in my mind ~ but I'll be bustin' 'em out soon!

Going to movies

We went to see Avatar in Imax 3D... wowza... I didn't realize it was a "war" movie (violence is disturbing to watch, for me anyway) ... and the 3D?! Holy mackerel! It was beautiful and amazing and ... I'm afraid of heights ... did I mention it was in 3D? Pandora was simply gorgeous though. Like being under the sea, but in the sky, and dry, instead.

I took myself to another movie a couple days later ... "It's Complicated". Funny! I just love Meryl Streep ... and she was fabulous in this too (of course!)

I keep forgetting to wear a big warm coat when I go to the theater. I always get cold. Watching people stumble with a big ol' tub o popcorn and seeing all the little bits of fluff go crunching down the aisle and all over the stairs always seems to delight me. Must be some evil twin inside me ...

I'm battling insomnia the past few days. Don't quite understand what the problem is ... although I have been eating more carbs than usual lately and that could be part of the problem. Que sera sera ...

Clare's 2 today

Our sweet granddaughter is 2 today (#3 of the 4 girls)... We got a picture emailed (via phone) of her eating her birthday breakfast ... and then one with her birthday lunch ... wearing a birthday party hat.

Phil & I drove up to Dupont and Steilacoom to explore today. Dupont reminded me of Edward Scissorhands, although bigger houses and smaller yards ... I kept expecting to see sculpted topiary ... We stopped at Starbucks and bought Phil a new French Press for his coffee (I say 'his', but he makes it for me too!)

Now we are going to go out to a movie. I think we'll go see Avatar in 3D or maybe Sherlock Holmes ... or ... there are so many good movies out right now!! How is a girl to choose?

I am not a very good journaler/blogger it seems. Hmmm ... maybe that will be my New Year's resolution!

Had a grand and wonderful New Year celebration with my sister and her hubby. We went to Whidby Island. Stayed at Fort Casey in a wonderful turn of the century "officer's house". We did some art and drank and ate and drank and went to the lighthouse and then drank some more and then did some more art and drank some more ... hmmm .... seems like some liquid was consumed! It was beautiful and fun and I just loved it! The Gorgeous blue moon came out and smiled upon us. My sister even got me to walk ... and I liked it! I'm so lazy when I'm not at work!

Hmm.. what has happened in the past few months? Our son got married ... wonderful, small, intimate ceremony at the Oregon coast. Our new daughter-in-law is adorable. She is a pre-school teacher and just ... wonderful.

We did a little fundraising within the family to send our nephew to New Zealand ... and it worked! He'll go in March. I'm filled with joy at this!!

Work has been busy ... and then not busy ... and then busy ... we're happy and employed. As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a Good Thing". Sing, dance, sell pants ... not a bad gig!!

I'll try to be more diligent about updating my blog ... This is kinda cool! :O)