Art and Music.

When I am stressed, basic decision making ability goes completely out the window. Even something simple like picking out a flavor of ice cream or deciding what brand of toilet paper to buy becomes difficult. My response is a quiet, 'I don't know' because honestly....I don't want to decide, I don't want to be in charge. I just want someone else to tell me what to do.

There are certain, stressful situations in which I don't mind being in charge. There are times when my survival mechanism kicks in and I can easily remain calm and take care of the very serious things that need to be addressed. But later, when faced with the reality of the new normal, the stress possesses me and I am unable to function at my regular pace.

Earlier this week, I was out with friends and someone decided to put some money in the jukebox. "Come on, Nellie, help me pick out some songs," he said. We stood in front of the touch screen, as he scrolled through an alphabetized selection, waiting on me to choose something I liked. I felt completely frozen. I couldn't choose a single song I wanted to hear. Finally, after several minutes of choosing nothing, I dragged over a friend with a very sophisticated level of musical knowledge to help him. And I scurried away, tail between my legs.

Its times like this, when I am feeling underwhelmed, self-conscious and embarrassed that I am quite pleased to retreat inward and become an introvert. I want to grasp tightly to my thoughts without letting a single one escape as part of the conversation. I don't want to hide out at home, alone....I still want to to be among friends, but I do not want to be the center of attention. I just want to listen. To exist on the outskirts of the conversation, asking questions, soaking in the answers, but not revealing my own  opinions.

Later that night, I was sitting around with a group of friends who were discussing the White Stripes. The three of them went on an on about their favorite album, favorite songs, least favorite songs, and side projects of Jack White. It was as if they were speaking a different language. Sure, I have listened to the White Stripes, and I can generally identify a song of theirs when I hear it. However, I lack any an all ability to name any albums or song titles.

This is true of most music for me. I love to listen to music....usually, I adopt a favorite CD and play it on repeat for a long time, as if no other music even exists. It becomes a sound track for a particular season and when I hear it again, later, I recall that time of my life and the music conjures up special memories. I would never claim to have any real knowledge of any bands or musicians.

In fact, I don't have a favorite band....and I don't actively seek out concerts. If I am writing, or working at school, I rarely turn on music....It isn't a necessity for me to function. Sometimes I revel in the stillness and quiet of my classroom and my home.

Suddenly, the group realized that I hadn't contributed anything to this conversation. They apologized for leaving me out and someone quickly asked me who my favorite artist is....

I completely froze.

I went from fondly listening to a foreign language, and appreciating the experts discussing their opinions to being thrust in the spotlight of a question that I wasn't prepared to answer.

"Um...I dunno....I like a lot of different ones...I don't really want to talk about work." Yeah, I actually said that. It was the most awkward transition, and one I've later thought about what I would've said if asked again....I was outwardly uncomfortable and inwardly writhing....a total....'ahem, I carried a watermelon' moment.

A few friends of them threw out their favorites, some artists I had never heard of....putting me even more into a silent, frozen uncomfortable position. I should have said that music and art are seasonal for me....I go through periods of time when I am completely obsessed with one particular genre, usually because I am studying it for the benefit of my students.

I don't HAVE a FAVORITE artist....I can appreciate all art to some extent. If I walk into a gallery and see a Anselm Kiefer, I get really excited but I would never say that he is a favorite, that would just be....weird....I can appreciate his work, but I would never hang it in my home. Just as I might get excited about a Hopper, or an O'keeffe, I would never say that any single work is my favorite painting ever. Who is your favorite artist? That is such a loaded question...especially for an art teacher who happens to love every single thing.

Art is more of an experience for me. When I think about my time in Venice, for example, I will never forget the juxtaposition of the historical architecture with the modern, voluptuous sculptures of Fernando Botero. Now, whenever I see a Botero I am transported back to the shiny, smooth sculptures, poised as a Renaissance era classical Greek bronze in the streets and alleys of the Floating City. I actually have a Botero print hanging in my house...but his work isn't one of my favorites, really....I just appreciate it for that experience.

At that particular moment, none of these ideas about art bubbled up to the surface....I just sat there, dumbfounded by my own embarrassing display of knowledge about nothing....I knew nothing...I said nothing...and I was humiliated by my own behavior.

I guess with this post, I am trying to rectify the situation. I'm thinking of all those 'could've' 'should've' 'would've' things I wish I had said. I'm also trying to find blame in the fact that I have been under a lot of stress lately, and that is why I froze...not because I'm uninteresting with no knowledge of art or opinions about music whatsoever.

I will never be an expert on music, or art....I will have my interval, in which I study everything about Ancient Chinese art and culture...or in which I listen to that Shakira CD on repeat a thousand times....but a few weeks later, both of those things will fade into the file of that season, melded with that time in my life, like the familiar smell of my mom's perfume, conjured much later as part of the vernal spirit of my youth.

Creative Friends

Wow. So I totally organized the photos into this post ages ago...but I am just now getting around to writing it up. 

Without naming names, I just want to say in writing that I have been blessed with some amazingly talented friends this year. They are the kind of friends that love art. They are the kind of friends that are excited about pinatas, magnificent corpse drawing, and blind contours. They are the kind of friends that will crochet stuffed foxes, prepare film all old school in the dark room and go local to clay studio openings.

To the outsider, none of these photos go together. But for me, they tell a story. And I am so thankful for a great group of people who appreciate the handmade, hand drawn, creativity outlet, silly sketches and all the other fun things that I have been craving for years.

Like I said, these photos might not make any sense to you....but they mean the world to me.

2012-2013

First Day of school. Happy New Year. Let's Do This.

Olympics. My motivation for watching is completely pure. I promise.

 

My greatest contribution to team USA thus far. I should earn a gold for this amazing photo collage. 

That is all.

Question: Do you think too many people are blogginabout the same stuff?

Blogging is fun for me, I really enjoy showing my photographs, crafty creations, and doing some real writing from time to time...but sometimes I get completely MENTALLY BLOCKED....not for lack of ideas...but lack of motivation.

There are just TOO MANY people, writing the about all the exact same things. Taking the same instagrams of picnics and bike rides and date nights and crafts projects.

Don't get me wrong,  I enjoy the blogs I read...but sometimes I feel like they are all regurgitating the same 'happy life' 'creative girl' 'photographer' 'what I wore'--type stuff over and over. And what one person sees, another one feels compelled to blog about the same topic.

Maybe I just read blogs that inspire me and great minds think alike...perhaps I need to read blogs with a little more variety in order to find true inspiration from the internet.

Sometimes I get an idea for a new blog post, and before I can take a photo or write about it, someone else posts something so similar (and sometimes slightly better) that it seems like a waste to even finish the post.

Case-In-Point. In January/February, we were engaged in a lengthy Japanese art unit. One of the fun things about this culture is gyotaku fish printing.  Using a rubber fish set, I demonstrated how to print onto Japanese rice paper and onto vintage fabric.

The student prints turned out so cool! I was excited to share this idea on my blog, until I saw a beautiful DIY on fabric printing appear on a really famous blog just a few days later. I know printing on fabric isn't a new idea...but I felt like I would've been 'copying'  to post such a similar idea at nearly the same time.

Do you ever feel this way?
Do you think too many people are blogging and sharing the same ideas over and over?
Does it ever stifle your creativity?

Barrista?

 I'm a little depressed that all of my fun spring plans are now over....the NYC trip, the state convention, my birthday.....

Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to summer and school getting out...but I've purposely cleared my plate the last few weeks and I have fewer obligations than I think I have ever had...so it feels a little strange to have 'free' time...so....yeah...

Purposely, I kept my summer open...I'm not teaching any classes nor do I have any obligations beyond May 19th....

I'm a little nervous that I will get depressed/bored/lonely and I'm considering getting a tiny, little, part-time job to keep me busy. Something unlike what I already do...maybe an early morning coffee shop....

Photo Collage Friday. {Number Three}

For today's photo collage, I wanted to share something funny with you.

Sometimes when I see a huge vat of some cheese....or a mound of leaves....or a pile of papers...or an assortment of objects in a basket....I think to myself....'wow, I would really like to Scrooge McDuck that bucket of bobbers" or "man, that cake looks delicious, what I wouldn't give to Scrooge McDuck that frosting."

Scrooge McDuck is the rich uncle Duck in a comic series Uncle Scrooge, but I remember him as the uncle to his grandnephews on Ducktales.

This collage is dedicated to all the photos on my iPhone of things I want to Scrooge McDuck.

I found a picture of good 'ole Scrooge McDuck doing what he does best.....going for a swim....(or #Scroogemcducking) in his room filled with money and gold...so that you get a good idea of what I am talking about. 

Story and a photo.

Gum, black hole and dog tags......

One day a few months ago one of my students had on a necklace. It was one of those key chain dog tags and it had been personalized with his name and football number on it. It was very shiny and new. I told him it was very cool. After that, he just HAD to give it to me. I knew his mom would probably be wondering where it was eventually, so I put it somewhere safe so that when he came to me later I would be able to give it back to him. My safe spot just happened to be a special zipper pouch that I tuck into my purse where I carry my lipstick.

Today my student came to me during class wondering where ’my’ necklace was that he gave me...I told him that it was safe, in my purse. Of course, being an inquisitive 10 year-old, he wanted to see it...to make sure that it was safe. I went to my purse and unzipped the lipstick pouch...but the necklace was missing. I knew that I hadn’t taken it out of my purse so I began searching for it. I looked in the side zipper part. No, it wasn’t there either. So I started to remove a few of the bigger things, my wallet, my address book, a bottle of lotion, my checkbook, some ink pens, my gianormous set of keys, a granola bar.....

Finally, I spotted the shiny silver dog tag at the bottom of my purse....That’s right...it was buried beneath the bottomless pit of bobby pins, paper clips, buttons, earrings, pennys, rocks, scraps of paper, gum wrappers, tiny chunks of trident that have wriggled free from the wrapper, rubber bands, reciepts ...there it was....luckily I had found his necklace...but....when I rescued it from the rubble I realized that it had been slimed with some of that yucky spearmint gum...chunks of the gum had somehow goo-ed up the chain and his once-shiny namesake was now minty fresh with rubbed on gum residue. He saw the gum immediately.

He looked up at me. ’What did you do to my necklace?’ All I could do was laugh. ’I am sorry’ ’your necklace got gummed’ was all I could giggle. I went straight to the sink and got some soap as he watched me frantically trying to clean off his precious un-shiny dog tag key chain. Other students started to gather around at this point and I tried to explain that I didn’t realize it had slipped from the safe spot into the bog of junk in the bottom of my purse. I scrubbed and scrubbed, but the gum was stuck...Lime green gum.....I vowed to take it home and use some special gum remover to clean it off. "My mom’s purse wouldn’t have had yucky gum in the bottom of it" he said...."I know, but this kind of thing happens to me, I’m so sorry" I laughed, embarrassed.....

Um, yeah...my purse is not going to be a safe spot for children’s treasures ever again!!

five hot dogs heading back in space.

You might be wondering why I would post an image of some hot dogs after a silly story about dog tags and gum at the bottom of my purse.....well....recently, I participated in a photography scavenger hunt and one of the photos I had to take involved linear perspective. This photo is 'five hot dogs heading back in space'.....they aren't exactly lined up to be in 'linear perspective' and they also aren't in outer space...I wanted to create a little play on words with this title...to encourage the viewer to ask questions and think a little longer at they photo than they might normally do if they just saw a photo of hot dogs.

This is a lomography photo--taken with black and white film, fish eye lens on a Diana Camera.

Finding a Balance.

Your startup disk is almost full.

Your startup disk is dangerously low on space.

Your startup disk is so low your computer is barely able to function.

These are the worst possible messages for a blogger, photographer and movie maker to see on a computer, but these are the sorts of messages that have been plaguing me for the last two weeks. 

 I have known that I needed to off load a bunch of pictures and movies onto an external hard drive for a couple of weeks but I had a tiny little issue with my external hard drive--it got fried! And the new one isn't formatted to the operating system on my mac. So while I was able to save the info from the fried external hard drive,  I am not able to write anything new to the one terabyte hard drive to clean off my mac hard drive.

With my hard drive almost too full to function, I haven't been able to upload any new photos or do much of anything--especially with my computer running ridiculously slow!

Last night, I was trying to edit a photo in Photoshop and my computer actually informed me that it couldn't save the changes I had made. My startup disk was too full to make one simple change to one photo. Wow.

It was time to delete some stuff. I had to decide what to get rid of to make room for the new stuff. Documents? Photos? Videos? How would I know what was too precious to get rid of? What if I deleted something really important and realized it a little too late?

So I started deleting things....I started with .zip and .mbx files...and then I went into my video folder and realized that I had lots of video footage that needed to go---several gigs worth!

(I am really stressing about not being able to back up the photos and videos I want to keep on my computer so I am hoping to figure out a solution for my external hard drive problem soon)

As I was working to clean off my computer, I started thinking about how I have been too busy to sit down and write anything lately...or edit pictures....or even take pictures. I have started making room on my internal hard drive to fit new things in. I have had to give up some of my old 'things' to make room for new 'things.'

Since the year started, I have been really trying to find a balance between my bad habits and living a healthier life. I didn't really set an official 'resolution', but just 'be healthier' this year....so I have been exercising and eating healthier in order to lose a bit of weight and just feel better about myself.

Successfully, I have stuck with my 'diet'--10 pounds later -- I actually have to keep eating healthy in order to keep it off...

The hardest part of being healthier is finding time to exercise. I realized that I needed to burn about 500 calories a day to lose anything....and that is seven days a week...exercising for at least an hour...

Now, I have found some really fun activities including a spin class, zumba classes and hiking a local trail...but I must admit....I hate getting all sweaty...it ruins my hair...and it is such a pain to change clothes 4-5 times a day if I have to do something after going to the gym.

Working out for a minimum of an hour every day has sliced into my creative time. By the time I get home from the gym and cook a healthy dinner, and prepare a healthy lunch for the next day....there is barely time to relax--forget about doing something creative!

Its a little bit overwhelming. With all this working out, I feel ten times busier than normal.

I am looking ahead to things coming up--evening events at school, family visiting, and even my birthday weekend-- I just don't know how I will function if I can't squeeze a workout in every day...and SOME creative time to blog, take pictures or make something cute. 

I feel like I have committed to this working out thing....and if I don't do it every day then I will lose what I have built up, I will lose motivation, and I will get out of the habit and quit forever.

My startup disk is dangerously full.

My startup disk is barely able to function.

Find a balance. Get rid of some stuff. That is my only option. How do I decide what stays and what goes?

So, for now....I have traded in my craft (and computer time) for the gym...I just hope it pays off....and I find time to make some cute stuff soon. I am going to a crop this weekend....but I will have to skip Friday night in order to make time for my sister who is in town from Hawaii, and go late on Saturday in order to go the gym before, and leave early for a birthday party that night....

Finding a balance. Family. Friends. Work. Exercise. Art. Relaxing. Sleeping. Chores. How should I arrange things? What order should I put everything in?

(Oh, and did I mention, I am teaching an extra class on Wednesday nights 4--7:30 at the local art center....so I work 12 hours on Wednesdays!)

 How do you find a balance?
How do you do everything?
How do you make it all work? What do you give up in order to keep your 'hard drive' from crashing?

 A complete double rainbow last summer....taken with my hipstamatic.

Let's gett this blogging started.

The past few weeks have been insanely busy.

Too busy to spend much quality time with my family. Too busy to get the laundry done. Too busy to work out. Too busy to make art.

It just seems like if I stay at school until 5:00 (after getting there at 7:00), I just don't have much energy when I get home. So maybe, I am not busy, just tired....too tired to blog...too tired to craft.

This week, my schedule is fairly open after school so I have a little bit of time for blogging and creating. I am super excited about that!

So check back throughout the week for some fun posts on little projects I have been working on!!

Hi....

Did you have a good Halloween? I know I did...went to KC to see Pink Floyd, the Wall. It was pretty incredible.

I created a new post for the Birds of a Feather blog today, go check it out!

Anyway, happy Monday!!

10 Things

1. At the mall a few weeks ago, an annoying kiosk worker slipped me a sample of hair serum. I read the instructions and decided to try it out. I am pleased to announce that the product worked like a miracle! My hair was so silky and smooth and it did not get greasy, as some products can do.

I went back to buy the serum and she convinced me that I was getting a great deal...two for fifty...wow, what a rip off. I just found the same stuff on Amazon for $9.95....Get your own, this stuff seriously rocks!

 

2. I love peanuts, candy corn and m&ms all mixed together this time of year....it is my favorite snack.

3. A reader asked me to explain what a circle journal is (from this post.)....A circle journal is a journal that is passed between friends, each person creates new pages until it is finished. We each started a journal so that we can all constantly be working on one and then, we each have one to keep at the end of the cycle. The cycle could go on for a year, a couple of months, whatever...we each live in different states so we are planning to mail the journals every two weeks...hopefully that will work out for everyone!

4. I am done with clay for the semester. (Well, we still have to glaze.) My students LOVE working in clay and I am always so impressed with their skills...especially the 4th graders that know terms like score, slip, etc. Such a fun time of year...I will be doing another clay project in the winter/spring...My skin always gets ridiculously dry from the harsh texture of the clay and the fact that I have to wash my hands like 80 times a day.

5. My house got robbed yesterday! I came home to find broken glass under the backdoor, but nothing appeared to be missing....later, before bed, I noticed a blood smear on the wall and realized that some cash WAS missing...called the police...very scary...my bedroom was totally a crime scene!! It is so scary to not feel safe in my own home! Lesson learned: get a new back door, always set alarm.

6. I am headed off to the Knobnoster Art teacher's convention this weekend and I can't wait!! It is always a good time with the other teachers from around the state and I am always excited to get new lesson ideas. What does an art teacher do at an art teacher convention?

7. Hoodies, football, chilli, socks, leaves, ...fall is good!

8. Found the most amazing, free printable OWL CALENDAR! Via the crafty crow. 

9. Shows I am watching: Glee, House, Dexter, Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, Teach: the Tony Danza Story, 30 Rock, The Office, Parenthood, Boardwalk Empire...and maybe a few more...but that is a lot of t.v. Are you watching any of these shows?

10. Really Cute toilet paper tube halloween characters, in case you are looking for a cheap, awesome craft for kids!!

I'm out, not sure when my next post will be....busy weekend!!

Jury Duty...

Getting stuck in the elevator with a group of people is one of my biggest fears. I'm not super claustrophobic but the fear always creeps into my mind when I get into an elevator with other people.

This week I performed my civic duty as a jury member. I'll admit that serving on a jury of my peers, addresses some of the same fears I have about getting stuck in an elevator.

Boring predicament with lots of waiting.
Nothing to talk about.
No end in sight.
Fear about what is going to happen next. And afterward.
Thinking about all the things I should be doing.
Phone restrictions.
Annoying personalities.
Bad breath.

All of these things could be associated with both jury service and getting trapped in an elevator full of people. Or like being on Lost. Or any situation where you are stuck with a bunch of strangers and you have to make decisions and worry about the unknown.

I think in any situation where you have to work with a group of strangers, a certain chain of events takes place. First, if you are like me, you try to recognize the people in the group, even if you don't know their names you create a sort of pheumonic device for their faces.

Serving as a juror this week, I found myself attempting to make a connection with each of the jurors by figuring out who they looked like in my family, on t.v. or in my circle of aquaintances.

One man looked just like my friend Brannon, so as juror number 7, he was automatically 'Brannon #7' (and obviously the person I would most likely turn to in case of a zombie invasion if we were under attack during our stint at the courthouse.)

On woman was 76-years-old with gray hair, ice blue eyes and two moles on her face. She looked a little like my mom, mixed with a yeti, so she was 'my abominable mom'. Seriously, it was weird.

Another woman had red hair and mannerisms that reminded me of my aunt Sharon, so she was 'aunt sharon' and a there was another who reminded me of a teacher at school because of the way she would make her points and blink while looking at me, I felt like we were on the same team.

None of these characteristics were a personality flaw, just my way of feeling like I belonged the group...I had a few family members, a friend and even a co-worker. It made me feel much more at ease with the situation.

And serving on a jury is a serious situation.

The second thing you try to do if you are in a group of people, after finding at least one 'familiar' face, is try to make small talk to determine who your allies are and who is just down right annoying. We were all dying to talk about the trial, but we weren't allowed to discuss anything until the deliberation process.

So, we talked about the weather, dinner, how cold it was in the courthouse...we tried to find anything we could to make conversation.

At this point, it was clear that I was going to get along with everyone just fine. All of the jurors were friendly, and no one had a loud-opinionated demeanor.

In a crowded elevator, I think I could have gotten along with this group just fine. Thank god.

Third, after you all get over your nerves and the ice has been broken, you try to find issues with which you can agree on within the group. I tried to stay away from this...I took a book...and I just tried not to form a strong opinion about anyone or anything going on around me. My job was to be open-minded and listen to all the facts. I think it made thins easier.

Fourth, bonding ensues.  The end is in sight and you know you have done what was expected of you...now its just a matter of taking care of the final business.

In this case....we all got along so we started to make jokes. Half-heartedly about people or events related to the case. We had all bonded over our experience together and we were able to laugh about the bikers outside the courthouse...we worried, jokingly, that the gang was probably waiting to watch us come out so they could get revenge. We knew we were safe, but we couldn't help but see the humor in something, after such a serious day.

So if you ever have to serve on a jury...don't be too scared...the entire process is pretty interesting. It is our civic duty, as members of a democracy to make a contribution to justice. It is a lot like what you see on t.v., but its different when you are part of the show. When you have to make a responsible decision...it is very serious and it does weigh on your heart.

I do have a few suggestions of things you might want to consider if you are ever called to serve:
1. Take a jacket or sweater
2. Take a book, it gets boring on the recesses
3. Take some mints and/or gum
4. Take change for the vending machines
5. Don't wear perfume because people are sensitive
6. People stink....so have a mint ready to help mask their odor. Seriously.
7. Be prepared to sit. And wait. In uncomfortable chairs.
8. Be prepared to have an open mind.
9. Have your listening ears on.
10. Have a good attitude. Be humble and grateful for the judicial system. We live in a free society and the person on trial deserves a group of peers that will respect his innocence until proven guilty.

It was an honor to serve on this jury...I would definitely do it again, without dread.

Now I am behind at work, but that is okay.

What I did was important.

And I learned a lot about myself and working with a group of people.

Luckily, I didn't get trapped in an elevator with a bunch of rude, opinionated stinky people...my group was pretty decent and we were able to reach a decision. I feel good about the experience.

 

The photos in this post are from my Holga camera. Thanks for reading!

Juror Number 0157....please stand up....

I'm reporting for jury duty this morning. I thought it would give me a chance to sleep in, but the alarm went off at the usual time so I am awake, enjoying a bit of blogging time instead of sleeping.

I got a summons to appear at the courthouse today to report for duty...I am actually really excited. I hope I get picked as a juror for a trial. My boss got selected for a federal case once, and she had to be gone for 6 weeks, it was actually really cool. A change of pace. The adult world. Today I will have a chance,  to sit and listen (for the most part)...I won't have to be 'ON' all day, just on autopilot....teachers can probably relate...we had meetings all day on Monday and it was the same thing. I was there, I was physically present and my brain was on, but I wasn't really in charge of anything and I didn't have to give any presentations or do any demonstrations. Such a good feeling.

Days like this have the potential for great writing opportunities. ;-)

Boxed Macaroni and the Big Bad Internet

This evening I was stirring the macaroni, thinking about how the powdered cheese mixture looks a lot like a color only found on its own planet of processed foods (sort of like krypton...you know, electric orange powdered cheese is a foreign color that probably shouldn't even be a food because it is definitely poison)...ahem...where was I...oh yes, stirring and thinking....

I was thinking about writing. I was thinking about my blog. I was thinking about my goals and how I want to create a place with REAL content. Interesting content. Content that actually inspires others, not just copy/paste boring posts. I want to use my blog to teach, to entertain, to share beauty and sorrow...

BUT when I sat down at my computer, I got so distracted by flickr, checking my email twenty times, twitter, other blogs, facebook and all the other crap in the whirling, swirling, colorful internet cloud (hmmm, that could be a beautiful picture....a cloud that is like Hokusai's wave...that is also the internet....that also depicts 'surfing')...that I got writers block.

How is it that the words were flowing out of me when I was stirring in the bacos (I was trying to cover the 'cheap' taste of the boxed macaroni with supremely bacon-y flavorful processed bits of heaven) but when I opened up the information highway my brained turned into goo?

Technology is so powerful. Technology is beautiful. The internet is grand. Blah blah blah. If I let it, I think that the internet could consume all of my time. I could just spend all weekend watching internet videos, reading blogs and then clicking on all the sidebar links, making playlists on Last.fm, favoriting photos on flickr,  editing photos on picnik. There is so much garbage out there...is any of it relevant? Does any of that stuff really matter? Does it make a difference? Will the internet help me be a better person?

On one hand, studies have shown that word games keep my brain active and help my memory later in life so I feel like playing Words With Friends on my iPhone isn't total garbage....but I will often choose to play, surf or fiddle with my touch screen over REAL interactions....like talking, listening to music, reading a book, creating something by hand....I have LOTS of hobbies...but it is TOO easy to close the door to my studio and sit in the recliner with my little gadget and fiddle around with some mindless app instead of using my 'relaxing' time to do something to truly relax. (Relaxing time = chill out time after school or right before bed if I've had a busy night.)

After school today (before relaxing time and way before the bacos and macaroni), I spent some time surfing around for Character Education resources. My plan is to mentor a student after school once a week.

I don't want to tutor someone in math or reading....There are too many other things that are important in life....I will leave the core subject tutoring up to the classroom teachers....I am a 'SPECIAL' teacher... (special teacher = music, art, p.e., counselor, librarian) I believe that kids are never going to be well-rounded if they don't appreciate the arts.....if they don't build a relationship with someone at school...and if they don't get to have fun trying new things.

Sure, reading and math are important...but the extra fun stuff is getting squeezed out of the school day, bit by bit....teachers aren't doing really fun units any more, the inspirational ones, the ones with the fun science experiments and the 'travel' unit with all the cool props and food explorations...there is too much pressure to make sure that first graders can count money and write sentences.

I've never been a mentor, one-on-one with a kid before, but I've already got the girl in mind. And I am looking forward to building a relationship with her, teaching her new FUN things and also getting to see her excel in the arts and in her life as she learns and gains experiences through this new after-school session with me.

I will be sacrificing some 'relaxing time' and some internet surfing time in order to spend more time after school as a mentor, but I think it will be like the macaroni....it will make me think...it will be real and it will be like this blog...a place for inspiration.

Blog Update

Lots of new blog posts and updates are 'in the works' just not enough time to actually write...I have been painting! And sewing! And I made all of my Christmas cards!! Nothing to complain about!!

I've got lots of posts started for next week. Hope to get some hyperlinks added and finish up some writing so that I can set those to post. I have been feeling super inspired lately. I hope this keeps up. 

;-) Happy full moon and happy (almost) weekend!!

Top 15 Memorable Albums...that will always stick with you....

Keeping with the theme of self-portraits this week, I thought it would be fun to post this recent FaceBook note that wrote with my top 15 most memorable albums.

The rules: Don't take too long to think about it -choose fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.

No Judging! These are not in order:

Salt-n-Peppa Black's Magic Album
Stroke 9 Nasty Little Thoughts
Matchbox 20 Yourself or Someone Like You
Garth Brooks No Fences
Christina Aguilera (Self-Titled First album)
Jack Johnson In Between Dreams
Sublime 40 Ounces to Freedom
The Chronic Dr. Dre
ZZ Top Tush
Kings of Leon Aha Shake- Heartbreak
TLC Crazy, Sexy, Cool
Modest Mouse Moon Over Antartica
Franz Ferdinan (Self-Titled)
Lilly Allen Allright, Still
Lady Gaga Fame

Orange you going to say knock-knock?

Do you ever look through your photos and notice themes?

Recently I was browsing back through my photo booth photos and noticed a few pictures from my orange dining room. I love the dining room because of the white chair railing and hand painted stripes along the bottom. I don't often take pictures in that room because in the evening the lighting is super orange (middle picture) but in the morning, (bottom picture) the lighting can be really quite nice.

I was having a little laugh at my changing hair and I thought you might enjoy a look at this great theme in my photo booth photos on my Mac.

Photo 6.
April or May 2008. Rocking the bob!! I am thinking about going back to a bob, with the bangs eventually.

Photo 131.
Not sure when this one was taken....I was sick of straightening the bob...I wanted layers. This haircut was pretty cute in person, easy to manage and very versatile.

Photo 662.
September 2010. My hair has really grown! I love having long hair. I have been trying out lots of styles. I never thought I would like bangs, but I DO love them! I took down the Venus Di Milo Botticelli reproduction so that I could make a hair tutorial (Featured on the Birds of a feather blog this week, be sure to check it out!!). I was worried the sexy redhead in the background would be too distracting. ;-)

Hope you are having a great week! Thanks for reading! ;-)

Blah Blah Blah Vampire Emergency Blah

Hey!

I would like to share that I have a post over at the Birds of a Feather blog this week...you will love the owlie goodness!!

Since school started a couple of weeks ago, I haven't had much time for crafting, art-making, blogging, or exercising. Whew. What have I been doing?? I don't even know. I think I needed a nap every day after school on the first week.

I have been playing a lot of Words With Friends. I am seriously addicted. But that isn't new. I used to be addicted to Scrabulous, then Lexulous on Facebook...but then I got an iPhone and nearly every day I wake up and play...its truly the first thing I do in the the morning...and the last thing I do before bed.

Blah Blah Blah let's skip over all the boring stuff and get right down to it. (In case you are wondering about the title of this post, it is from a quote on this season's Trueblood.)

I've got some delicious (seriously, they are delicious pictures) photos from my iPhone of things I have done (or eaten) the past month. Do you take pictures of food? Am I the only one?

 Oh coconut cream pie....the things you do to my thighs....I don't care, you are so delicious in every way.

 Hello club sandwich, so nice to see you!

 Blue oysters on the half shell....YUM!

 Fried frog legs....yummy yummy yummy.

 I baked the most delicious chocolate cake. (I didn't eat the whole thing!)

 The Cheesecake Factory...how can you go wrong?

 I always save room for dessert.

 Or at least a snow cone. Especially if it matches my fingernails.

 Farmer's Market....Homegrown tomatoes are the only ones I like.


Also at the farmer's market in St. Louis...Check out the gorgeous flowers!!

And I guess since I am sharing iPhone photos, I must introduce you to this Unicorn I met at art walk. He was being nice that night (he wasn't being a jerk.) I totally went vintage that night with a fabulous head scarf and a bring orange dress. It was a super fun night!

A couple of weekends ago, I helped my team dominate at Trivial Pursuit. It was so amazing, I had to take a picture.

And how was that for random. I hope to post some pictures from a recent photo shoot this week....Seriously, there as a baby that almost makes me cry she is so cute...almost....

All of the photos in this post were taken with my iPhone...using the hipstamatic app. Enjoy!!