{justme}

monday gratitudes

2012-01-23T17:14:00.000-05:00

Today I am grateful for...

Another good Dr. appt today. Only18 more days to go...more or less!
Beef stew in the oven.
Working from home today writing grad school reccommendations for students.
The baby's car seat being easy to install in my car.
My mom
A sunday date day with my husband for lunch and the movies to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie.
Orange Juice. I can't get enough.
Knitting. Lots of projects going right now.
Getting work done and things crossed off my to-do lists.
A half-price sale on Troll Beads at the local Paper Store. Bought my sister this one

aquarius - photo from http://www.trollbeads.co.us

for her birthday tomorrow. And this one for me!

green shadow - photo from http://www.trollbeads.co.uk

That's all for now! Happy Monday!

a new year

2012-01-02T11:57:00.000-05:00

Ebelskiver - Danish round pancakes

So we enter a New Year! Last year marked a year of extreme ups and downs. More than any other year for me and my family. But this year is starting out a wonderfully exciting note. We are getting ready around here to welcome Baby Ellie.

Yesterday Cary and I celebrated our first married New Year quietly. Relaxing, cleaning, watching the Lion King, and enjoying a quiet day at home. My mom gave us an Ebelskiver pan from Williams & Sonoma for Christmas. They are little round pancakes. We filled ours with blueberries, rasberries, blackberries. We used defrosted frozen berries from Trader Joes and the Ebelskiver mix from Williams & Sonoma. They were heavenly! I would like to get the cookbook to get some more ideas. They were suprisingly easy to make...no harder than regular pancakes. I actually found them easier since I am not good at making normal sized pancakes that don't fall apart when I flip them!

Today I "killed" Christmas. That is how my Dad affectionately calls the New Year tradition of De-Christmasing the house. So I took down the tree. Vacuumed. Though sitting here I still see needles on the rug. And I will probably continue to see needles in the rug until next December! I can't wait for Cary to bring back the three large Christmas totes to my parent's storage shed so we can reclaim some of our space. We are going to stay in our 1-bedroom apartment until next October likely. So we are working to streamline things as we get ready for the baby. I have taken many bags to the Salvation Army and we have cleaned closets, reorganized. We are almost ready. In a few weeks we will order our crib. Just waiting to get my Rewards credit from Babies R' Us to put toward the cost. I need to wash all the baby clothes. My mom has been so helpful and generous. She has gotten so much for us...along with our other family and friends and my shower. I need to also bring an extra tote of larger clothes back to my parent's for storage until we need it. I think we are going to be able to easily make our space work for awhile without feeling overcrowded. I am definately in full Virgo nesting mode!

So with that in mind, I better log off for now and write more later!

Happy 2012!

day after Christmas

2011-12-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

coffee table decorations and our tree

This Christmas was wonderful. It marked a year of extreme ups and downs. It was perfect to have my family close, under one roof and all healthy this year. I am grateful. Christmas passing also means that we are that much closer to meeting our baby girl Elizabeth ("Ellie"). I'm starting to freak out. I'm excited but nervous. I'm hoping to have some down time today since I am feeling so tired. But it is hard for me to sit still and not "nest!" I just ordered photos. My hope is to start an Ellie scrapbook to get back into scrapping. It has been a year since I have. Since my dad got sick last year. I have been focusing on knitting. I think on Friday I will take a trip to my LSS to get some inspiration.

Anyhow...here are some other photos of our Christmas this year...

the men. my other christmas sugar cookies looked like weird aliens!

table decoration

cookies for cary with his mom's recipe

our disney honeymoon ornament

the tree

cary bought a present and wrapped it up to me from the soon-to-be-new baby.


me. this marks the beginning of a new year, journey and adventure.

Happy Day after Christmas!

baby hats and other things

2011-11-11T14:56:00.001-05:00

Bonnet from Sirdar #1242 in Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo

Finished another cute, girly, pink knitted thing for the baby. Now I started in on a regular-old, grown up hat for me! Needed to switch. I am almost finished with another little sweater for her though. Need to finish sleeve #2 and then piece it together. I still haven't done any scrapping, drawing, collage, cardmaking. Not in almost a year. But knitting has been my outlet. I am considering going to my LSS tomorrow and picking up a few things with the $20 coupon I got there to start a baby scrapbook. We'll see.

Started out this pretty fall day, Veteran's Day, having breakfast at a local pancake place with my husband. So happy and so grateful he is home safe with me. Thinking of all veterans today....especially him, my dad, my grandpa, and my uncles. Thank you to them and all veterans.

Happy Friday!

monday gratitudes

2011-10-17T19:37:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful...

We got to the apple store....apple orchard (Not to be confused with the Apple Store!) this weekend and bought ourselves a pumpkin and my favorites...Cortland apples!
For homemade apple pie (from previously mentioned Cortlands and Macs)
I have been attending Sunday night knitting circle
To have met a nice, young mother at the apartment gym today. She is new to the area and we had a nice chat.
To be reading on the Kindle I got for my birthday.
For pink, ruffles, purple, girly things!
For decaf tea
To have such wonderful co-workers.
That when our daughter is born she will be able to have the same pediatrician I had after my first retired. I really liked her.
That Cary put together his computer desk. It looks nice and he really deserved his own "station" for his gaming!
To have girl's night to look forward to this weekend.

Today I was able to check many things off my To-Do lists. That made me feel so much better. I was feeling like I was drowning in lists of things that need to get done....at each of my two jobs, this apartment, artistically, baby prep, etc. Overwhelming. I was able to get a lot done.

Here's to a good week!
Happy Monday:)

first baby sweater...for me.

2011-10-13T19:39:00.000-04:00

I finished my first sweater for the baby. I took a class at my local yarn shop to learn the basics to make the Pinwheel Sweater. Such a fun pattern and a lot easier than it looks. The pattern is clever...it can be worn two ways so it fits babies through 4 years old depending on how it is worn. In the class it was so fun to see how different the sweater looked with the color choices each knitter made. Here are a few closeups and different angles...

edging

spread out...back view

back of the sweater

I'm now working on a different sweater pattern in a really nice cotton yarn I have used before and love. Have a few other small projects going too. I haven't been scrapbooking or making cards so my outlet has been mainly knitting. When I have the energy! Last night I fell asleep watching tv by 8:30pm! I'm in for a long pregnancy.

Happy Thursday!

monday gratitudes

2011-10-10T16:46:00.000-04:00

It has been awhile since I have regularly blogged and since I have done my weekly Monday Gratitudes. But I have much to be grateful for lately. We are expecting a baby girl this February! We are very excited and cannot wait to meet her. I have been feeling pretty well, aside from a nasty cold and cough the past 3 weeks. We are figuring out how we will juggle everything, organize our little apartment, and enter this new phase. Exciting, scary, overwhelming, happy....all sorts of feelings!

Here is what I am grateful for today...

my first day back at the gym since getting a nasty cough three weeks ago.
a good night's sleep
my knitting
a freshly vacuumed living room
apples with cinnamon
Indian summer in New England
long weekends
fall scented candles...cinnamon, pumpkin, etc.

I hope to share my most recent knitting project later this week!

Happy Monday!

disney honeymoon

2011-09-17T09:22:00.000-04:00

At the end of August we went to Disney for a week to celebrate our honeymoon. We had a ball! We had never gone on vacation together before and Cary has never gone anywhere! Here's some pictures from our adventure..

In front of the castle after our arrival!

Love all the details of Cinderella's castle.

Cinderella's Castle. The magic kingdom was our favorite and we went back every day and
saw the fireworks 4 or 5 times. Amazing.

Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios. Amazing images projected onto sprays of water. Breathtaking.

We had an elegant dinner at The California Grill on top of the Contemporary Resort and our desserts were so special!

At Epcot with my bride ears. Always said "I won't wear those!"
But what the heck, you are only on your honeymoom once!

Paris at Epcot. Epcot has always been one of my favorites.

The Tree of Life at the Animal Kingdom

African dancers at the Animal Kingdom. We got pulled up with a few other people to do an African dance in front of the crowd. It was the bride ears. I tried to hide. I don't dance and am shy so no-one who knows me would believe it!

Close up of the tree. It really is a work of art.

Our dream home! We had breakfast a few times at the Grand Floridian and have fantasies of escaping our real lives, moving to Disney and living at the Floridian. Beautiful resort!

Relaxing in FrontierLand

This little statue is so sweet in front of Cinderella's castle.

Our last night. It was hard to leave. If you had told me a year ago that in August I would be getting married and spending a week in Disney I would have said you were out of your mind. It was truly a magical week and summer!

Today I am feeling a little under the weather. Chest congestion and cough. So I'm having a pajama day and hoping I can feel a bit better. In the next day or two I will announce some VERY exciting news:)

Happy saturday!

life

2011-08-29T12:48:00.066-04:00

It has been over a month since I have written! This year has definately been a roller coaster of extreme lows and highs. I got married and just came back from our Disney Honeymoon this weekend. I am so happy. Our wedding was perfect and our trip was magic. They were everything we hoped for and everything I dreamed of. We kept everything on a budget and did most of the work ourselves. My amazing cousin, who was like a sister to me growing up, did the photography. I made the invitations, placecards, strawberry & herb planted centerpieces and the bouquets with help from my sister. My parents hosted a wonderful BBQ the day before the wedding. It was a beautiful day and weekend! The rain held off for our ceremony along the Atlantic Ocean. I'll share a few more photos and share some Disney photos later this week! It has been months since I have scrapbooked and I'm hoping that when I get photos back I'll be inspired!

My bouquet I made myself from Trader Joe's flowers, Irish rosary my Nana gave me, and my shoes.

waiting for the rain to stop

Dad giving me away.

prayer

first kiss

looking at the future

placecards

the brunch reception room

first dance

emotion while dancing with my dad. so grateful he is here.

our amazing strawberry shortcake

girlfriends

Hoping to post some Disney photos soon! Happy Friday!

monday gratitudes

2011-07-18T19:17:00.000-04:00

dad's roses - they were taken from my grandmother's rose plant

Today I am grateful for...

my beautiful, small, wonderful Bridal Shower thrown by my sister and my mother on Friday night! It was a linen theme and I got several really beautiful gifts
cream puffs at said shower:)
"I'm sorry" rose bouquets
beach days and New England ocean water when it isn't so cold it is numbing
sunflowers
quick dinners
pasta salad
new, fresh white towels
wedding planning
my family's soon-to-be improving health
short, summer work weeks
pay day
my balcony garden
my Irish heritage

Happy Monday!

wedding planning

2011-07-09T09:55:00.001-04:00

I just typed out this entire post and blogger wouldn't save...grrr! Anyhow...

I have been a terrible blogger...mainly because I have been trying to plan a wedding in 2 months! So far so good...aside from one major drama with the location yesterday. They were trying to pull a good-ol "bait and switch." We had to unleash a groom-zilla. It seems all is well now. Thank goodness. Wasn't sure what we were going to do. If we weren't getting married in a month we would have taken our business elsewhere. But I'm not going to let that blip ruin the fun I'm having planning. I have been enjoying it. Not stressing. I'm so excited but don't want time to go to fast. I want to take this all in.

I made the invites using Paper Source products: cardstock, Cottage Bloom stamp, and online templates. Printed them out on our home printer. They came out really nice. I found a dress off the rack at Lord & Taylor. It is a bit non-traditional but beautiful. And we foud my sister (my maid of honor) a salmon pink shift dress. Cary will wear his ASU (Army Service Uniform) and his best man will be in a suit. Our wedding will be overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and we will have a breakfast/brunch reception. Since we are paying for this ourselves we are on a very tight budget. I will be doing potted flowers for the centerpieces and making my own bouquet. The day before my parents are throwing us a rehearsal dinner BBQ. My mom is going all out with some fancy food. She is a wonderful cook.

Yesterday I ordered this for our sand ceremony...

It is called a Forever Frame and I really liked the idea of making our sand ceremony a more permanent memory in our home.

Today I have to order a photobook we made on Snapfish that will be our guestbook. It was fun putting it together with Cary looking through our years together. I also need to order a cake topper. We are having a very simple double layer sheet cake - strawberry shortcake from a local gourmet grocer. It is absolutely delicious! I am looking at this cake topper...

I just have to make sure it isn't too heavy for the cake. So I will order it and double check their return policy!

So it is all coming together slowly...

...or I should say quickly!

Happy Saturday!

monday gratitudes

2011-06-27T12:53:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful for...

my balcony garden
garden tomatos
having the fridge and cabinets full after grocery shopping
lemonade
wedding planning
my sister
a new vacuum
hamburgers
sunny days
the beach
being so close to the ocean
short work weeks

Happy monday!

engaged!

2011-06-13T15:01:00.000-04:00

I have been so out of the loop on my blog. Exciting things are happening! I got engaged on June 3rd. The 5th anniversary of the day we met. We are getting married this summer...August 14th! Loving wedding planning, my parents are so excited, I can't wait!

Happy Monday!

where is the sun?

2011-05-17T18:57:00.000-04:00

Barn at an old New England apple orchard

Here in New England we have an endless week of rain to look forward to. I decided to post a picture from a beautiful Spring saturday several weeks ago when Cary and I went to see the animals at a local apple orchard. Not sure we will see the sun again for awhile. It is hard to remember that school is out, I have short work weeks and beach days are on there way. Here are a few more shots from that day at the orchard....

It was a such a beautiful day.

I am looking forward to seeing the sun again!

Happy Tuesday!

monday gratitudes

2011-05-16T17:03:00.000-04:00

red tulips near my work

Today I am grateful for...

seeing off my fourth year of art therapy majors at thier graduation saturday
a day to catch up around the apartment today
homemade strawberry shortcake
Gap and Banana Republic Outlets
flipflops
my summer clothes
lilacs
the chance to see a chick flick with my mom and sister
cooking shows
cutting myself off from caffeine
girl's night saturday

monday gratitudes

2011-05-09T18:45:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful for....

Having a medical test/procedure done that I wasn't looking forward to...that has likely warded off future serious issues.
The symptoms that lead to the medical test....little signals that something was off.
My dad
Itunes
Trying new foods...like the sushi above! I still can't do the raw fish but I love cucumber, avacado,...
Good news Cary got in the news. A possible amazing opportunity.
Saturday morning breakfast out and a walk at the local apple orchard.
My mom's humor.
Time to paint.
Native American Proverbs.
Tulips
Windchimes
Bacon and Eggs for dinner.
Being able to run 1 and a 1/2 miles now without stopping...or passing out!
The end of school for the year!
Long weekends in the summer.
Finding a parking spot at the apartment.
New magazines in the mail.

I am hoping to get back into the Shoot & Edit challenges this week. I have been so busy with school...grading, etc. And other stuff....

That is my goal.

Happy Monday!

hemlock ring blanket for dad

2011-05-01T13:53:00.000-04:00

Hemlock Ring Blanket

Finished the Hemlock Ring Blanket last weekend. Fun pattern. The center is a little tricky but the rest was straightforward. I had purchased 4 balls of yarn because I saw that someone on Ravelry had used that many of the Ella Rae Yarn. However....partway through the cast-off row I ran out. I ran to the yarn store in town where I bought the yarn last year. Of course I had to buy yarn from a different dye lot but you can't even tell. The picture shows the color a little differently than it looks. It is more of an ocean blue with a slight green tint to it. Originally it was going to be for Cary and I. But with everything that my Dad is dealing with I decided to make it for him for the days when he isn't feeling well. He loved it!

view of the whole blanket

closeup of the center

closeup

monday gratitudes

2011-04-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

Hyacinth before it bloomed.

I haven't done my Monday Gratitudes in a long time...so here goes!

Today I am grateful for...

being there for a suprise 60th birthday for a co-worker and mentor.
memories of watching the Boston Marathon at Aunt Esta's.
the sun streaming in the window.
pink tulips.
a day to get a bit caught up on grading.
only a few more weeks of school.
doctors.
Trader Joe's Salt & Pepper chips...I am hooked!
running three times a week.
decaf coffee.
my crockpot.
treating myself to a haircut and color. Back to my natural brown...
supports.
a possible new opportunity?

I've got lots of grading to get started on today. Hoping to just spend a little time doing that today...along with some chores around the apartment. Then I want to just enjoy the day.

Happy Monday!

where's my inspiration?

2011-04-09T17:34:00.000-04:00

I am lacking motivation. Cary went out to a hobby store for a game night to try and meet some local guys to hang out with and I was going to scrapbook. I haven't in months. Not since before Christmas when all the challenges began for my Dad. I lost motivation for much of my artwork, except knitting. At least I kept doing that. This week was incredibly busy at both jobs. The kind of week where I remember that sometimes each of my two jobs could easily be almost full-time. I have continued to stay away from caffeine...except for chocolate. That would be pushing it! But this week I was put on a new medication for an issue I have been dealing with and it is knocking me out. I hate feeling like this. It will take some getting used to I guess.

I did enjoy seeing the bright sunshine when I woke up today after some restless sleep. Cary was so sweet and cooked an amazing dinner for me last night. So I made some pancakes this morning and we went out to the movies. Saw Arthur. Very funny! And now here I am....I got one scrapbook page done. Didn't really plan out the page too much. Just went with it. It was actually a page with two photos I took of Christmas Dinner. A bittersweet day. So it was somewhat therapeutic for me to do.

I have so many supplies for scrapping, cardmaking, ATC's...I just haven't felt inspired. I think one page might be enough for today. Sometimes I end up feeling guilty when I have so many projects and hobbies and am not really getting into any of them. I feel like I waste so much time sometimes! Anyhow, tonight I might look into some ATC challenges online and do some knitting. I know that creativity comes in waves...I would just like to get back into it, Maybe tomorrow...

Happy Saturday!

scavenger hunt sunday

2011-04-03T10:37:00.001-04:00

I have not been a good blogger. Life has been too busy. We are trying to get into a routine, both of my jobs have been so busy this week, and I chose to d/c caffeine this week. My Dr. recommended cutting back or d/c. So I have been decreasing and decided to quit this week. Just coffee and for now tea. I'm not cutting out chocolate. That is just pushing it! I may have tea. But for now I am not starting my day with caffeine. It has been rough! So I haven't been really focused or motivated to do much art-related stuff this week. I just took some photos for Scavenger Hunt Sunday. I did use two old photos for a few of the prompts that stumped me. I want to try and really get into next week's prompts throughout the week.

So here is my interpretations for this week:

1. High Key: Stumped me. I bought some pretty, pale pink tulips at Trader Joe's this week. I decided to photograph one of them and play with fun effects in Picnic to create strong contrasts and work with color effects. I admittedly didn't know what high key was. But I decided to just experiment instead for this one.

2. Bedroom: Loved the light streaming in the windows this Sunday morning. It makes me feel optimistic and positive.

3. Something Tiny: I bought this tiny cactus when I came back from my first trip to visit family in Southern California. It was a life changing experience. Opening up my eyes to all that is out there and I made strong connections with cousins. This little cactus sits in a tray with a photo of the sunset on the pacific and a glass jar of shells I collected while in CA. It reminds me of that trip and all the mixed feelings it represents for me: calmness, family, quiet, excitement, relaxed attitude,....

4. Off in the Distance: This is a photo I took of the "super" moon a few weeks ago. I took it from the sliding glass door of my apartment's living room. It was a cloudy night but every so often the moon would peek through. I was practicing with my new camera so some of the pictures aren't so great. But this one I love.

5. Stripes: This is a piece of sanded cedar wood. The stripes are in the rings of the wood and the shape of it's exterior. It seems silly to hang on to something like this but it has sentimental meaning for me. It was part of a tree in my parent's yard. When my dad was converting the garage into an apartment for me (and later my sister and brother), I helped him to turn that tree into one of the ceiling beams. It was an unfinished beam that showed the natural finish of the wood. I loved it. And it reminds me of working with my dad.

That's all for now!

Happy Sunday!

10-stitch blanket

2011-03-27T12:32:00.008-04:00

10 Stitch Blanket

So...I couldn't get it together this week to participate in either Scavenger Hunt Sunday or the Shoot & Edit challenges for the week. I have been trying to get back into a routine with Cary home, work has been overwhelming, and I just couldn't get into it this week. But I hope to next week. I have been working on a baby blanket for friends of ours. It is a fun pattern where you only ever have 10 stitches on the needle at time. Originally when I bought the yarn I thought it might be neutral enough but am now realizing it is more approriate for a girl. Since our friends don't know what they are having yet, I bought more yarn to do a second blanket if I need too. I know I will be able to give away each of them at some point anyhow.

Yesterday we spent some time cleaning up brush out of my parent's yard. This winter wreaked havoc on the trees and my parent's have an acre and a half. Since my dad doesn't have the energy, we offerred to do the work. It was kind of fun. Today I am doing some spring cleaning. We only have a 1-bedroom apartment so space is at a premium. I have two grocery bags to donate and a large trash bag to toss. Still have more to do but for now that is pretty good.

Happy Sunday!

Shoot & Edit: Yellow (edit)

2011-03-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/30 f3.2 ISO400 Edit

My guy is home! He graduated from Officer Enginner school and is home after 4 1/2 months. He suprised me by doing much of the drive in one day and getting here after I had fallen asleep on Wednesday night. So we are now trying to settle into a routine. I didn't get my SOOC version of this week's Shoot & Edit challenge on time. Before he had gotten home, I had been struggling all week trying to figure out what I wanted my "yellow" subject to be. Every photo I kept taking wasn't what I was looking for. But when he got home I knew what to do. I am so, so proud of how hard he worked to get achieve this accomplishment. So I took a photo of my guy's Army ASU Class A Officer Hat. The gold stripe and gold badge is beautiful. Here is the SOOC version:

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/30 f3.2 ISO400 SOOC

I started by cropping it to focus on the stripes and the badge. I also played with a lot of general editing in Picknik. In particular, adjusting the white balance made the yellow less washed out. I adjusted some of the exposure, highlights and shadows to make the contrasts sharper. But I think that just tweaking the white balance made a huge difference in bringing out the colors.

I am hoping to do the Scavenger Hunt Sunday again this week. I'm working on it...

My guy is working a security detail tonight so I am planning on catching up on my Netflix. I'm watching the last season of Weeds.

Happy Saturday!

scavenger hunt sunday

2011-03-13T19:01:00.000-04:00

I just found out about this weekly photography challenge.The idea is that each week there are 5 catagories that you interpret in a photograph. Fun! I just took photos around the apartment for each of the catagories this week. Some are better than others. It was a fun way to challenge how you look at things you see everyday. Here are my images for this week's hunt:

1. Vanishing Point
My blue willow china collection. These plates make me happy. I started with a few I got after my great aunt passed away. I supplemented with a few from a local antique store. I cropped the photo a bit to have the upward perspective over to the far right of the image.

2. Square Crop
My paintbrushes. As I was searching around the apartment I took a shot of the brushes and pens on my desk. Some of these are old brushes, some are cheap, some were inherited. I edited it with a sepia tone and cropped it square. I like the perspective looking down on the brushes. I think my search for a different perspective of ordinary objects around our place was the best part of this challenge for me! I also had fun playing around with editing. I tried not to "think" too much when I took the photos and edited. Just went with it...almost like sketching when you start a painting or drawing...

3. Under
This one might be my favorite. I got this wine on a girl's weekend trip with my mom and sister last summer. We went to a little town in upstate New York where my mom lived for a few years as a kid. We stopped at a winery. This wine was delicious! But to my dissappointment, they won't ship from this winery to Massachusetts...something to do with the taxes I think. Boo!

4. "Welcome to the Jungle"
I was stumped on this one. Almost went into my old photos to find one to fit the challenge. But one shot I took from underneath of a shell whindchime I had caught my attention. I played around with fun edits to change the coloring and crop so that it almost abstracts the image. From a typical perspective the windchime has the appearance of a jellyfish. But from underneath, with a tint of blue, I think it almost looks like it could be underwater...

5. Calm
I have always loved white pitchers for some reason. I finally found one a year or so ago. I just love thier simplicity. Sometimes with flowers. Sometimes empty.

I also took a second shot for this challenge. I made Irish Freckle Break yesterday for my friends. There is something about the scent of it baking that relaxes me. I love the sweet taste with tea and coffee. It is a small treat.

I LOVED doing this creativity challenge! I will definately do it again. I am also going to try and do this week's Shoot & Edit challenge. This week's focus is "yellow." Which is ironically very similar to my shot for last week's "Spring" challenge...I shot yellow daffodils. So now I am challenged to find something else yellow to photograph....

Happy Sunday!

Shoot & Edit: Spring (edit)

2011-03-11T15:53:00.002-05:00

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/25 f4 ISO400 Edit

Here's my edited version of the daffodils for this week's Point & Shoot challenge: Spring. I played around with this edit more than in past edits. Did some basic edits in Picasa and Picnik. Then I used one of thier fun edits "lomo-ish." I also cropped the photo slightly...

That's it for today.

Happy Friday!

Shoot & Edit: Spring (SOOC)

2011-03-07T10:34:00.000-05:00

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/25 f4 ISO400 SOOC

So for this weeks Point & Shoot challenge the focus was spring (I linked up my SOOC here.) Well...here in New England the only sign of spring is that it is raining instead of snowing. We have had a rough winter. So the only sign of Spring is in my apartment. Some Daffodils from Trader Joes! That and my Honeysuckle candle from Yankee Candle.

Another sign of spring in my world. My guy is starting the drive back home to me from his Army Officer school in 8 days. 8 days! He left in the middle of October! Yeah! Fortunately we were able to see each other twice during these months. That made it more bearable. And his having given in and buying a cell phone certainly helped too. But it has still been hard and neither of us can wait to return to a state of normalcy....whatever that is!

I have fallen out of the habit of doing my weekly Monday Gratitudes. So here they are....

Today I am grateful for:

medication for my dad
the Army
my apartment
Trader Joes
a chance to host my girlfriends for Girl's Night next weekend
my Irish heritage from my mom
a day off
Netflix on my Wii
life events and milestones to look forward to
income
coffee on lazy morning
clean laundry
trip to Ikea with my sister
joy in decorating our place
knitting
my friends
sunday dinner with my family yesterday

Well I am off to be lazy on this day. I have Spring Break from the college this week so a few extra days off. I will be at my other job tomorrow and wednesday but have another long weekend coming up. Much needed relaxation and artwork I hope.

Happy Monday!

catching up

2011-03-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

new throw pillows from ikea. playing around with pattern.

Life has been so busy. I have fallen behind in writing here, reading my favorite blogs, participating in the Point & Shoot Challenge, artwork,...pretty much everything I really enjoy. I need to get back. This week I have a few extra days off for Spring Break and so far so good.

Yesterday I went to Ikea with my sister. What fun! I was good and didn't spend to much. Got some boxes to organize my linen closet, new throw pillows for the bed, rug in the kitchen and a very exciting...salad spinner for $3! I saw a few things I want to get on my next visit. Especially an outdoor umbrella that clips on to a side table. Perfect for my very hot, sunny balcony that doesn't have enough space for a traditional umbrella.

Here are the goodies I picked up (minus the kind-of-boring-storage boxes in my closet):

closeup of the throws. i love patterns but almost never buy them or wear them. went outside my comfort zone! love them!

6 wine glasses for about $5! Perfect to try out glass painting.

throw rug for my kitchen. funny story: saw a young couple there and the guy pointed out and suggested this rug out to his wife and she said "no...not that one." Well...I liked it!

Two hand towels to match the flower I bought at Pier One months ago for my bathroom. I love that dark purple that seemed to be popular this fall/winter.

I am hoping to participate in the "Spring" Point & Shoot challenge this week. I also have a few projects I want to work on. Get some photos developed, try out the glass painting kit I got for Christmas, paint a "welcome" sign for my parent's friends, etc. I am also attending a local "Yarn Crawl" where you can check out the areas yarn shops, find sales and fun stuff. That is later this week.

And....only 9 more days until my guy graduates from his Basic Officer Course and starts the journey back to me! That is such good news and much needed....

i need art

2011-02-21T10:57:00.000-05:00

atc's in a jar

Cary came home unexpectedly this weeked to attend a funeral. Sad circumstances but I was so glad to see him. We now have less than a month until he's home for good. He left this morning. I always feel so down the first day he leaves. I'm trying to improve my mood. I have not been doing any artwork except for knitting...and even that I'm not doing much. I need to do some. I had been in the habit of doing a lot of ATC's because they were quick and fun and challenged me. This website has a forum where people list themed swaps. I love these. They give me a focus and a deadline. I might enter a few today. I also need to see what I can photograph for this week's Shoot & Edit challenge. This week it is "pink." I skipped last week's because of all the chaos around his visit.

Well...off to try and improve my mood!

Happy Monday!

Shoot & Edit: Hearts (edit)

2011-02-10T18:24:00.001-05:00

Love. Friendship. Loyalty.

So here is my edit for this week's Shoot & Edit Challenge: Hearts. I'm really liking this edit. A lot! As soon as I saw the SOOC I knew I wanted to crop the photo in tight around my Claddagh ring.

Here is the SOOC version:

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/80 f4 ISO400

Other than that I just did a few basic edits in Picnik. Adjusted the shadows and highlights. But my favorite edits involved changing the photo to sepia. I love that in Picnik you can choose what shade of sepia to use. And then I also played with the fade as well. I really like the outcome. I'm sorry I am not very specific about each step I took...I really should write it down! But I tend to play around...adjust things and then change them back...until I finally get a result I like.

I'm looking forward to seeing all the other edits for this week!

Happy Thursday!

Shoot & Edit: Heart (SOOC)

2011-02-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/80 f4 ISO400

I had no idea what to do for this week's Point & Shoot challenge. At first I wanted to go "outside the box" and take a photo of my uncle's Purple Heart medal. I think I will still do that. But it is at my parent's house and I didn't have a chance to stop there today. I didn't think of it when I was there yesterday. I have a few pieces of jewelry with hearts. But didn't think they would work well in a photo. Then it ocurred to me. My Irish Claddagh ring. I wear it every day. It never comes off my finger. My mom gave it to me years ago and I love it. It is a link to my heritage. So I decided to photograph it. I have some versions of the above photo that are better macro shots but I kind of like that I can see a hint of a painting I did in the background. I already know I want to do some significant cropping to make the shot more interesting when I edit.

Off to enter the photo and see what other's have contributed to this week's challenge.

Happy Monday!

Shoot & Edit: Red (edited)

2011-02-06T18:44:00.000-05:00

Sony DSC-HX1: Red window on the Garage (edited)

So here is my edited version of my red photo for the Point & Shoot challenge. I am kind of just winging it a little. Not spending too much time on the editing. Using really basic things on Picnik like adjusting the white balance, highlights, shadows and exposure. It definately brightened up the red a lot. It looks a lot less washed out that the SOOC version. Unfortunately I missed the saturday deadline to link up my edited version on the challenge website...oh well.

Sony DSC-HX1: Red window on the Garage (SOOC)

This was the SOOC version for comparison. I really like the changes made in the edited version! Now to figure out what to photograph for the hearts challenge?

Happy Sunday!

wordless wednesday

2011-02-02T10:49:00.001-05:00

parent's snowy backyard - taken with Sony DSC HX-1 - edited in picnik

some gratitude...a day late.

2011-02-01T10:27:00.000-05:00

cross section of an old tree trunk my dad polished up

Today I am grateful. I am home sick from work and there is a two day snowstorm coming in. Let it snow. I am letting go of my stress about all the snow we have been having. It is what it is. Why stress? I have been letting stress make me sick for too long. It isn't worth it. Life is way too short.

Today I am grateful for:

a phone conversation with my dad today
new england
coffee in my favorite aqua blue mug
trees
chemotherapy
doctors
music choice channels on tv
my blue willow china
my cellphone
art supplies
the promise of spring after a long winter
one and a half months until my guy comes home to me
candles. especially red berry & cedar from Yankee Candle
faith
family
the future

Happy Tuesday!

Shoot & Edit: "Red" (SOOC)

2011-01-31T08:25:00.001-05:00

So here's the photo I think I want to use in the Shoot & Edit challenge this week. It's of the garage at my parent's house that they turned into a studio apartment. It is made to look like an old barn. Orginaly it was used to hold my dad's old car and I remember "helping" him build it when I was little. I lived here for years after college.

It was so fun taking photos of red in this snowy New England winter that it was hard to decide which "red" photo to choose...so here are a few others I might play around with too. I took many of these at my parent's house.

This photo is of thier pellet stove with the red kettle on top of it and the red candles in the background. My parent's have a lot of red in their house and I love how it looks against all the wood. Cary and I bought my dad this kettle for Christmas one year because of how much they enjoy red, especially for the kitchen. You'll see why in the next photo.

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/40 f3.2 ISO160

My parent's have this amazing red, iron sink in thier kitchen. I have always loved it! It is so unique. This isn't the best photo of it which is why I might edit it. It is one of those things I will always remember about the house I grew up in but it is neglected in photos. I don't think I had ever thought to photograph it before. So here it is...

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/20 f2.8 ISO400

This last picture isn't great. I was playing around with manual mode on the camera this morning photographing a mini rose plant I bought at the grocery store yesterday. Not great but maybe worth practicing on.

Sony DSC-HX1: 1/3 f 8.0 ISO 200

That's it for now!

Happy Monday!

Shoot & Edit: Good Night (edited)

2011-01-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

Good Night: DSC-HX1 1/25 f3.2 25.4mm ISO1600

Here is my edited version of my photo for the Shoot & Edit Challenge. I am still just using Picasa and Picnik. I am planning on downloading a trial version of PS Elements based on fellow bloggers suggestions and advice which I really appreciate! I was not happy with the SOOC version of this photo. I used the auto setting on my camera which I usually like, but because this was taken in a darker room with no flash it set the ISO high. I am only just beginning to learn about those settings but I do know that an ISO that high is going to result in a grainy photo. And this one certainly is. So I decided in editing to use that and go with a black and white version. Those shots can be grainier and it adds to them. I also played around with a red-orange filter while setting it to black and white in Picnik. I am still not 100% sure what that means or how it effects the photo specifically but I like the effect. I'm following the editing tutorials only slightly on the challenges. I am learning all the possibilities but only applying a few things. Mostly I am playing around with settings right now and seeing what they do as more of an experiment. Then going back and reading the tutorials more carefully to learn more.

Today I took a few photos for the next challenge...Red. I'm excited about this one. A fun challenge during a very snowy, white, New England winter!

Happy Saturday!

Shoot & Edit: Good Night (SOOC)

2011-01-26T16:52:00.001-05:00

Good Night: DSC-HX1 1/25 f3.2 25.4mm ISO1600

This is my photo for this week's Shoot & Edit challenge. The theme was what means "Good Night" to you. This is a terrible picture. I used the auto mode on the camera and the ISO is very high and so the photo is grainy. But in the interest of working with editing and learning some things I decided to stick with this photo.

I also decided to stick with this photo because of what it represents to me. My guy is away at an Army school. He has been gone for 2 1/2 months and will be gone for at least another 2 months. Every night we talk on the phone. That is so important to me. He finally caved and bought a cell phone before he left so we could keep in contact easier. That way if I need him even when he is at school I can at least leave him a message. It makes the distance a little easier to bear. So I decided to take a photo of my phone on my pillow. I miss him terribly and this chance to have him be the last person I talk to each night means everything. Also...incidentally....on Saturday I dropped my old phone in a puddle. May it RIP. It didn't recover. Since I don't have a landline and with everything going on with my family and my guy being gone I needed to get my hands on a new one ASAP. I splurged a little. I usually buy the cheap phones. But I got myself the nice one. A Sprint HTC Evo. I had some rebates so the phone itself was expensive but still do-able. I was nervous about signing up for a more expensive plan but I am eligible for a discount so it ended up only being $10 more a month. I have to admit...I love it :) So fun!

Happy Wednesday!

fair isle

2011-01-22T08:21:00.001-05:00

Spotted Fair Isle Mittens for my sister

These are my sister's birthday present! I am so excited about them! In the past few weeks my mom quickly showed me how to do Fair Isle. Basically I wanted to know where to hold the yarn. Then on an on-line video I taught myself to use both my right and left hand to hold the yarn. I love these! The pattern was really simple and a great way to learn. It is out of a book that I love: 60 Quick Knits with Cascade 220 yarn. Easy patterns and very nice, reasonably priced yarn. I am pleased with the color combination I chose. Now I'm trying to finish up a simple hat that is using just the light blue color yarn. That may not be done in time! Her birthday is monday but we are having a family dinner tomorrow.

Off to finish knitting!

Happy Saturday!

Shoot & Edit: Good Morning (edited)

2011-01-21T09:49:00.000-05:00

Good Morning: DSC-HX1 1/60 f4 25.4mm ISO400

So I have discovered editing! I might be addicted. I have never really done much with photo editing before but I am amazed! I am especially liking it on photos taken with my old camera that came out kind of dark. Lightening up the image a little makes such a difference and saves the pictures. Anyhow...this is my edited version of my first entry for the Shoot & Edit challenge "Good Morning." I'm just using Picasa and Picnik because I don't have PS or Elements yet. I am hoping to though. I'm thinking of going with Elements. What are your recommendations?

On my edit I played around with contrast, shadows & highlights, exposure and the white balance. The white balance tool is great! Why didn't I discover that sooner?! I kind of wanted a vintage-y feel with the photo. I am liking how it turned out.

So here in Massachusetts I am having a snow day. The two classes I teach this semester were cancelled. This was going to be the first day of each class. I'm teaching two back-to-back on Fridays so unfortunately this snow day puts us a bit behind. But I'm not gonna complain! It gives me a little time on campus Monday to really prepare. With everything going on with my dad I am truthfully a little behind. I am a virgo perfectionist and hate that feeling of not being completely ready for something.

I am hoping to use my day to relax. I want to finish knitting my sister's birthday present...I'll post the finished products this weekend. I am so excited about them! Tonight I am supposed to pick her up and bring her to my parent's for the weekend to visit with our dad...if I can get out. Tomorrow, after getting new tires put on my car, I have Girl's Night with my friends and Sunday we are celebrating my sister's birthday. I'm looking forward to a happy weekend.

Happy Friday!

wordless wednesday

2011-01-19T06:50:00.000-05:00

Shoot & Edit: Good Morning

2011-01-18T07:53:00.000-05:00

Good Morning: DSC-HX1 1/60 f4 25.4mm ISO400

Through Sarah C's blog I found out about:

forever never n always photography

This should be a perfect opportunity for me to practice with my new camera. My guy gave me a beautiful camera (Sony CyberShot DSC-HX1) for Christmas. I had my last camera for 10+ years and loved it. But it was a pretty basic digital. Over that time I have grown to love photography. This new camera isn't an SLR (too high of a learning curve for me right now and way to expensive) but it is an advanced point and shoot. So I have been playing around with the manual mode and aperature only mode. I love it! He knew I had been eyeing one for a long time so he did some research and had this one sent to me while he is at his military school.

So there is my photo for this week's challenge. I believe I just had the camera on auto mode for this picture. So I didn't do any of the settings myself. I don't have photoshop so I'm not sure I will be able to do the "edit" portion of challenges right now. I have Picasa which can do some limited editing. So I'll do what I can with that for now. I am hoping to put aside a little money next month to get myself an inexpensive version of photoshop.
Happy Tuesday!

monday gratitudes

2011-01-17T19:17:00.000-05:00

Today I am grateful...

I forgot my mom didn't have school today so I showed up at my parent's at 6:30 am to spend the day with my dad. I got to spend some time with both of them!
For the walks I have taken with dad over the past few days. Each day he gets a little stronger. We'll find out this week what steps need to be taken next.
For my friends. New and old. I am grateful for my group of girlfriends from high school. It seems that our connections increase as we get older and the challenges get bigger.
I am also grateful for the friends I have made through this blog. I feel as though I have known these girls for so long and yet we have never met. I appreciate thier kind words and the creative inspirations they share on thier blogs.
That Trader Joes has such beautiful flowers at such a reasonable price.
I found Trader Joe's Salt & Pepper potato chips (thanks to my brother!)...mmmmm.....
I can be assertive.
For my warm apartment.
To hear old family stories about the personalities and relationships that have shaped who I am and where I came from.

Today I finished up part of my sister's birthday present (I gave a sneak preview here). I am blocking them and will share the finished product this week! I also finished up the Tuesday Night Cowl that I started a year ago. I have been trying to work through some old projects and use up what I have before I keep buying new yarn.

Though I kind of cheated when I bought the yarn for my sister's presents.

Anyhow. I will share photos in a day or two.

Happy Monday!

knitting sneak preview

2011-01-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

A sneak preview of my sister's Birthday present I'm working on....my first time doing Fair Isle! My mom taught me...it is so much fun!

Had a really nice weekend. Took my dad out for a walk on Friday, shopping with my brother and sister Friday night and a somewhat extravagent fondue dinner out with my cousin and friends on Saturday night. Today I spent more time with my family for Sunday dinner and gave my sister a ride home. Now it's laundry and a quiet night. I am probably the only New Englander not glued to the Pats game tonight. Hoping to do some more work on my sister's birthday present.

I have not scrapped in months. I really want to. I need to get some photos printed out soon and sit down to work. Maybe in a few weeks I'll have some girlfriends over to scrap...that will help me get back into a groove. I have been spending most of my free time with my dad and family since Christmas. I may still be doing that for awhile. So knitting has been an artistic outlet for me. But I need a little more art of some sort. It is my therapy.

Happy Sunday!

live the questions

2011-01-14T09:51:00.000-05:00

snowy tunnel road

So much going on that I wish would not be. I am trying hard to keep things in perspective. Not worry until I have to. But really? I need a break. It is nice to be with my dad today. He is doing a bit better. I got some work done on my syllabii for the start of the semester next Friday.Tonight I am picking up my sister and we are going to the mall for awhile. Tomorrow I'm meeting my cousin and some of her friends for dinner. Good things.

This is as poem that helps me when I am feeling uncertaintly and worry...

...I would like to beg you dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903
in Letters to a Young Poet

Here's to a Happy Friday...

monday gratitudes

2011-01-10T15:03:00.000-05:00

the backyard at my parent's

Today I am grateful for:

advances in medical treatment (see this post)
snow
seeing a fox today in the snow
knowing how to knit
jeapordy
growing up in the woods
passing my licensure exam
birds
my visit with cary
my family

Spending the day with my dad. Back to work tomorrow.
Happy Monday!

life

2011-01-09T18:55:00.000-05:00

Life has been a roller coaster. That is why I haven't blogged since before the holidays. I had a peaceful Christmas with my family. However my parent's were waiting two days to tell my brother, sister and I some upsetting medical news about my dad. They told us the day after Christmas. By Tuesday he was having surgury. That was the day I was orignally scheduled to leave for Missouri to visit Cary. I delayed my trip until Wednesday. Fortunately the blizzard made it easier to do this. I couldn't not be with my family through this. My dad had setbacks over the week. Meanwhile I experienced my first tornado while on the base. Yikes.

Fast forward a week.

My dad is home. He is getting a little stronger each day. We have a few weeks before we find out what his next steps will be. I am spending my days off from the school with him. My family is pulling together. I so wish Cary were home.

Thinking positive. Hoping for all good things.

Yesterday I passed my state counseling licensure exam. That is a major milestone for me. I have been working for 10 years to jump through hoops to get in a position to take that test and apply for licensure. I should have the hours to apply by mid-February.

So there is good in the dark.

I hope to post some pictures of the holiday and my visit with Cary this week. He gave me a new camera for Christmas and I love it. So fun to practice.

Happy Sunday!

recent projects

2010-12-22T19:31:00.001-05:00

I have been knitting up a storm. I finished this hat on Monday. I started it Sunday night. It was a quick knit and the perfect use of this yarn I bought this summer in upstate New York. It is so soft and has a hint of silver running through the yarn. The pattern is cute...it can be worn two ways, as a beanie-like hat or a slouchy beret. I am not a hat person and I love it.

I also finished up my sister's Christmas present. Socks. These are the second basic pair I have knit using the magic loop method. The day after I cast off I started a new, slightly more complicated pattern...it is a little hard. But I am working on it.

My trip to visit Cary comes up next week (after the holiday) and I CAN NOT WAIT! I am planning which projects I will bring with me because it will be a long day of traveling. Also he will have to report for duty each morning and may have to work at least partial days so I need projects...I should be studying for my counselor's exam but...knitting is so much more fun!

monday gratitudes

2010-12-13T07:41:00.000-05:00

Christmas village houses I have been painting

Today I am grateful for...

The chance to host dinner for my parents and sister this weekend. I loved having them here.
Teaching my last class of the semester today.
Art and creativity.
A real Christmas tree full of memories in the form of ornaments.
cable tv
A vacation in a few weeks.
My computer.
Having learned how to knit from my mom.
Trader Joe's Chocolate Ganache Torte...it is heavenly!
Coffee in my favorite aqua blue mug.
candy canes.

Heading out to start my day/week. Happy Monday!

wordless wednesday

2010-12-08T20:10:00.002-05:00

christmas gnome

beautiful weekend

2010-12-05T18:42:00.000-05:00

my cousin's wedding reception

This weekend was spent racing to get to a wedding on friday night after work. What a beautiful evening! My cousin and I were insperable as children...only a year apart. Countless sleepovers, bike rides, days playing outside, and hours watching "The Neverending Story."

The rest of my weekend was equally wonderful. Spent time having dinner with a friend's family and she taught me how to sew a bit. She even gave me her old sewing machine that she had gotten at a yard sale for $1....

...I feel a new crafting addiction coming on...

monday gratitudes

2010-11-22T20:34:00.000-05:00

shadows on the wall

Today I am grateful for...

my students and their enthusiasm.
mentors.
the opportunity to bake pies for my clients. they deserve homemade pies for thanksgiving.
cell phones to bridge miles.
the resources to fix my car.
mechanics and thier skills and knowledge.
my airline tickets to see my guy on the base after Christmas.
the scent of the apple orchard.
new england in fall.
my apartment.
growing up with a mom who instilled in my an enjoyment of cooking and baking.

Happy Monday!

glad it's friday

2010-11-19T18:50:00.000-05:00

heath bar cookies i have been enjoying this week

It has been a long week. So glad it is Friday. I have to work at the college tomorrow and then have the brakes on my car looked at and then I'm free! I had a stressful week regarding my car. It is only 6/7 years old but I had a strange sound diagnosed at the dealership this week. They found three problems and said it would be $1800! Are you kidding me? No way. So I am taking it to my friend's husband who is a mechanic. He is pricing it at almost half that. But I'll find out more tomorrow. So needless to say I had a minor panic attack this week. It was more than the fact that my car is going to cost so much...it was all that represents. I am tired of feeling like I'm struggling all the time. I want to feel like I am moving forward personally and in my relationship. And finances play a major role in all that.

But I am now feeling more positive. It will get done. And for now I have a date with my couch and television!

Happy Friday!

monday gratitudes

2010-11-15T08:18:00.000-05:00

suncatcher rainbow maker from my dad

Today I am grateful for...

Cell phones to maintain communication across miles.
Feeling better!
The toffee cookies I baked yesterday.
Seeing my parents.
Coffee.
My art supplies and having a little extra to buy them.
My creativity.
New England in the fall.
Having taken a sick day Friday so I could finally focus on myself and getting better.
DVD's of old tv shows.
America's Next Top Model marathon! Just joking...but it helped me escape all day saturday while I was sick!
Autumn Leaves Yankee Candle.
airplanes.
Thanksgiving.

Happy Monday!

my world today

2010-11-14T10:02:00.000-05:00

Posts two days in a row...I'm on a roll! I'm feeling a lot better today and am planning on still laying low around the apartment so I don't backtrack. I have an incredibly busy work week next week. But I do want to catch up on cleaning and doing some fun projects. I decided to take a few photos around the apartment today. One of the goals I mentioned yesterday was to take more photos. I have gotten away from doing that. It is the little things I see in old photos that I love. Daily things that go forgotten years later. I also thought it would be fun to do a post about where I am at this moment in a few words. I got the idea from the blog "Dynamo" by Sandra C.

So here goes with a few words and photos of my world right now.

listening: "Top Chef - Just Desserts" on the tv in the background
eating: finishing up my sunday morning coffee. Having a cold for a few days I have been having tea instead. Oh how I missed my coffee!
drinking: see above!
wearing: pj's
feeling: tired but so much better
weather: warmer than usual for New England in November but overcast
wanting: more time to relax and recover from stress and illness
needing: creative time.
thinking: of all the things I want to accomplish today.
enjoying: a long sunday morning and the scent of my "Autumn Leaves" Yankee Candle.
wondering: if I can live by the quote, " “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”-unknown. I am having trouble with that.

Images of my world right now:

my oldest plant. i have kept it alive for 10 years.

kitchen table with one of my great-grandfather's paintings above. nate berkus would be appalled by my fake leaves!

this plate is a comfort. it was my grandmother's and reminds me of her and her house. simpler times. pumpkin was from Pier 1. It is full of hershey kisses!

what I have to do (study for LMHC exam) -vs- what I want to do (finish ATC's and other artsy stuff)

bedside table. i borrowed the latest "shopoholic" book from my mom. if you haven't read this series I HIGHLY suggest it! laugh out loud funny!

christmas card supplies purchased last week on my lss's bus trip to local shops.

my large framed drawing i did for my senior studio thesis in college and fall decorations in the hall.

clementines i bought yesterday. not sure they are completely ripe. i love these in season. above is another prized possession of my parent's. they recieved it from a family friend when i was little. a madonna and child triptych.

Well..I'm off to try and get some stuff done today!
Happy sunday!

updating

2010-11-13T14:29:00.000-05:00

autumn scents

I have been terrible about updating here. I used to be so good about posting projects and goings on in my world. I have also been terrible about keeping up with my favorite bloggers. I have always enjoyed the give and take of sharing and reading about others who have similar interests...my goal is to catch up!

Here's what I've been up to...

Sick day yesterday. Have been feeling run down for a few weeks and gradually worse last week. Developed into a simple cold but enough to feel crummy. I am hopeful that things will improve next week. I'm trying to stay in the moment because I have had really long weeks at work and next week is looking to be extremely busy. One day at a time.
Last saturday I went on a day-long bus trip to several scrapbook stores in the area. My LSS hosted. It was fun. I mainly focused on getting supplies for this years Christmas cards. Because my list gets longer and longer every year I am simplifying. I am only going to make some of the cards. The rest will be store bought. I am trying to focus on the idea of enjoying this yearly tradition instead of turning it into a chore that I will dread.
Studying for my state counseling license exam. I'm a little overwhelmed. It has been a long time and I think I may now have jumped over the hoops neccesary to apply for my license (after 10 years!) but first the exam...not telling anyone when I actually take it because I am nervous on how I will do.
Working on a set of fall ATC's for a swap and group this week. I am hoping to feel better tomorrow so I can finish them up. I have felt useless yesterday and today.
Finally got the energy to buy groceries today. Planning on baking my guy some of his family's recipe chocolate chip cookies to send to him on the base. He has been gone 3 weeks and it feels like an eternity. But I was able to get a plane ticket to see him for New Year's! We weren't sure we could find something affordale. I cannot wait to see his face.
Realizing how few photos I have been taking lately. I want to focus on doing that going into the holidays.
Laughing out loud in my living room watching all the seasons of Ally McBeal on DVD. I LOVED that show!
Staying busy so that time goes enjoyable and quickly while my guy is away from home.
Knitting! Ready to piece together a friend's baby sweater. Her shower is in a few weeks...I need to get on it! Also working on a throw blanket for us. Started this "Hemlock Ring" throw yesterday. It is looking to be a quick knit!

Well now that I've updated...I'm going to catch up on others blogs.

Happy Saturday!

wordless wednesday

2010-11-03T20:45:00.000-04:00

meet jack

missing him

2010-10-30T11:46:00.000-04:00

gingerbread haunted house cary and i made before he left

It has been a challenging week. My guy left for the last phase of OCS (Officer Candidate School) so he is on a military base in the midwest. I miss him terribly already. He left Monday. So I am trying to keep busy. He'll be away until mid-March. We are trying to figure out an affordable option for me to potentially visit him just after Christmas. Not sure if it will work out. But it is only for 4 months so we'll make it.

Today I am feeling like I have a cold coming on so laying low. But will see friends this afternoon and my sister later tonight. Going to do a little studying for my state counseling licensure exam first. Hoping to go and study in the little coffee shop in town that I love.

I will be better about updating here!

Happy Saturday!

wordless wednesday

2010-10-13T18:08:00.002-04:00

Mt. Katahdin, Maine *october 2010*

knitted gift completed

2010-10-02T09:22:00.001-04:00

Traveling Woman Shawl

Finished one knitting Christmas gift this past weekend. This one is for my mom...now I want to finish my sister's socks. This weekend will hopefully be a chance to relax. It is much needed. There have been some stressful things in my world this week that have caused a great deal of worry. There are still some worries until more answers come next week. But I am focusing on staying positive. I have the apartment to myself this weekend so I'm hoping to get some knitting done, cleaning, maybe some baking. And then going to the movies with my family tomorrow. I will be seeing The Town for the second time. Loved that movie filmed in Boston. Nice to see some authentic Boston accents in a movie!

Happy Saturday!

monday gratitudes

2010-09-27T21:11:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful for...

The Roasted Chicken and Lemon Herbed Potatoes I made for dinner last night. The recipe was from Country Living Magazine and was soooo good! And it has fed us for two nights so far...tomorrow I will use some of the leftovers for a Mac & Cheese recipe in the same issue/article of the magazine.
Time to make some ATC's tonight for a swap coming up on Thursday. Played with all sorts of Halloween papers, images and themes.
Doctors and Surgeons.
A warm, comfortable, homey apartment.
Fall days.
Autumn Leaves candle from Yankee Candle.
A weekend in Maine coming up in a few weeks.
My family. Past and present connections, memories and future moments to come.
Tortilla chips and Salsa.
Pumpkins.
Jack-o-Lanterns.
Apple Picking.
Fall in New England.
My car stereo.
The television remote control. Seriously. What a pain to have to get up every five minutes to change the channel!
Support I don't have to go far for.
Art Therapy.
Self-advocacy.
Yarn. My stash and the possibilities it holds. Always exciting to find the perfect pattern for a favorite yarn.
Cool nights for sleeping.
Hot Apple Cider.
Fall decorations....here's my fall wreath. Actually we keep the same grapevine wreath up all year and I add and take things away each season. So it isn't anything fancy...but it is fun that it is always changing. And since we live in a small apartment it saves space to have one universal wreath instead of finding places to store one for each season.

random art

2010-09-23T20:23:00.000-04:00

Don't really know what to say today. So I'm posting an old photo of a paper sculpture I made a year or so ago. I only made two because it was much very labor intensive. I keep it on the bulletin board near my desk for inspiration.

I haven't really taken any recent pictures...maybe this weekend?

monday gratitudes

2010-09-13T07:51:00.000-04:00

my 33rd birthday cake

Today I am grateful for...

a wonderful birthday dinner with my family.
my dad.
a night in Boston with my girlfriends. sushi. cannollis from the North End. wine at an old jail turned bar.
rain to water my flowers.
spiced pumpkin candle.
new england in fall.
photos of my childhood.
a good childhood full of smiling, playing, imagining, love.
doctors.
our apartment and time together.

Happy Monday!

monday gratitudes

2010-09-06T16:05:00.001-04:00

labor day at the beach

Today I am grateful for:

doctors and living in an area with some of the best in the country.
beach days with my mom.
sitting on the porch chatting with my dad.
sunshine.
pumpkin bread.
homemade lasagna. means not having to cook dinner for days.
my friends.
hugs.
fall in new england to look forward to.
my parents.

2010-09-03T13:20:00.000-04:00

I recently finished Hey Teach and wore it. I may need to replace the buttons though. They are a little too small for the holes and the sweater keeps coming unbuttoned. But all-in-all I'm very pleased with it and it was a quick knit.

Here today I'm getting ready for Earl...now a weakened Hurricane. But still might be a Cat1 when it brushes by our coasts here in Mass. Even tropical storm winds can wreak some havoc here near the water. We live up on a big hill and during a recent Nor'easter the wind was rattling our sliding glass door pretty good. So...per order of the apartmetnt's leasing office I moved all my plants from the balcony into the living room. Good Lord. It's a jungle in here.

This picture isn't even all the plants. I hadn't finished yet. So its a bit crowded here.

I'm feeling like I need a bit of comfort food today so I'm baking some Pumpkin Bread and will make some Lasagna later on tonight. Lots on my mind. Thinking about one of the most important people in my life and a huge challenge they are facing. Also lots of other thoughts floating around in my mind. Need to do some art therapy for myself too :)

Well that's it for now!

Batten down the hatches...

more atc's

2010-08-29T19:22:00.000-04:00

ATC's for Art Therapy Alliance's Swap - "Collage Unleashed"

Here are my ATC's for the 2nd swap being organized on a Linked In subgroup of the Art Therapy Alliance. The theme was "Collage Unleashed." Since that is how many of my ATC's are made it was a lot of fun for me. I'm enjoying this way of connecting with other art therapists around the country. I sent them in and am looking forward to seeing what art I get back! Here's the four cards I made close-up...

"Live out Loud" - mixed media collage

"Recharge your Batteries"

"Artistic License" - mixed media collage

"She Flew"

le creuset and other gratitudes

2010-08-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful for:

The Le Creuset dutch oven my mom gave me! Years ago she got three pieces from her aunt when she passed away...the dutch oven and two sauce pans. They had been stored away and we recently found them. I'm so excited! My sister who is just learning how to cook in her first apartment is taking the two sauce pans. I love it!
Seeing three large deer in my parent's back yard. One had antlers which I have never seen and have always wanted to! Reminded me of being little and looking out the kitchen window to see "Bambi" when she would visit. So nice to see them back so frequently.
The rain. We need it badly.
All the help and guidance at my work.
My Dad picking up beautiful wood scraps for me to use at my other job for an art therapy project.
Doctors.
Warm blankets.
Coffee.
My computer and internet.
Cereal for lunch.
Comfort food.
Having groceries bought and put away. Cabinets full of food and choices.
Photos to remember moments.

Happy Monday!

vacation coming to an end

2010-08-22T10:42:00.000-04:00

a picnic at a local New England farm

My last week off of the summer is winding down...and so is summer it seems. I always feel sad when that shift happens. I love fall and all that comes with it but I am sad to see summer go. Also this fall will be a challenge because my guy is going to a military school for four months. So I am having more trouble looking forward to it. But I will try!

Here's a few memories from this vacation:

A trip to the zoo...giraffes, gorrillas, bats, butterflies, and a dinner at Bugaboo Creek on the way home.
A reminder to say what is on your mind. People are not mind readers.
Baby calves at the farm peeking over an old stone wall.
Mornings at the beach.
Planting some new flowers in my balcony garden.
Refocusing on the positive.
taking lots of pictures but havent done any scrapbooking.
Finished my ATC's for the next Art Therapy Alliance swap. I'll post later!
Staying up late and sleeping in.
Warm sun.
A day of outlet shopping and L.L. Bean with my mom and sister.
Too much work organizing and a crummy cold at the beginning of this vacation.
Green Grass Yankee Candle.
Wine from Johnson Family Winery I got on my trip to NY.
Jello.
The movie "The Other Guys"...so funny.
Started seeming my "Hey Teach" Sweater.

Now today we are having a late summer/early fall kind of weather day. Makes me want to bake something. We'll see...
All-in-all it was a good week. Hoping today and tomorrow top of the week!

Happy Sunday!

wordless wednesday

2010-08-18T20:49:00.000-04:00

my new flowering vine on the balcony

today

2010-08-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

ATC's I recieved in Art Therapy Alliance Swap

Random thoughts for the day:

I've been neglecting my blog. Things have been so unbelievably busy with life and work. Today I start a week's vacation (at home) and....I'm sick. Cary and I both have colds. Boo! I left work a little early yesterday and last night and this morning is the part of a cold where you don't want to get out from under the covers. But it can only be uphill from here!

I joined up with a 2nd ATC swap with the Art Therapy Alliance using collage as a technique. I would like to finish the four cards this week. I had so much fun on the last one and lvoe the cards I received back. Such a nice way to connect with other art therapists. I have been having some exciting things happen in my art therapy world at work recently. A little overwhelming and I feel like I am fumbling a bit but some exciting opportunities for me and my career.

In other parts of life I have been busy. I had my 15th High School reunion last saturday. I think I'm having a mid-30's crisis. Feel like I am not really where I'd like to be. I'm happy with my life but there are some key peices missing. I don't want time to pass me by in some areas. I am having faith that things will fall into place.

I haven't been scrapping much at all. But I signed up for Big Picture Scrapbookings class Big Idea Festival because it is using the August Cocoa Daisy kit which I haven't even opened yet. Hoping to play around with that a bit this week too. I am feeling overwhelmed with all I have done in the past few weeks and all that I have to do before the first week of September. I need a week to slow down and regroup and make some art!

Well...I'm going back under the covers until I feel better.

Happy Friday the 13th!

wordless wednesday

2010-08-11T19:19:00.000-04:00

Grapes on the vine - Mayville, NY

Another wordless wednesday. Maybe tomorrow I'll finally have a post with more words :)

wordless wednesday

2010-08-04T19:32:00.000-04:00

Sailing on the harbor last night

girl's weekend

2010-07-31T21:12:00.000-04:00

Chautaqua Belle - Mayville, NY

Weekend away with my mom and sister in Mayville, NY. Visiting the town my mom lived in for a few years as a kid. Beautiful, small, quiet. We took a steamboat ride on Lake Chautaqua today. The steamboat is one of only 4 working steamboats in the country! I had no idea. A piece of history. It was so wonderful. This whole trip has. We may make a girl's weekend a yearly tradition.Very long road trip for us split up over two days driving. We are heading back tomorrow and will be home Tuesday. I'll post more photos then!

Happy Saturday!

wordless wednesday

2010-07-28T20:00:00.002-04:00

the willow tree

halloween in july

2010-07-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

It does seem a bit early for Halloween. But I took a great class at my LSS last week using Memory Box's new Halloween stamps and papers. Neat techniques and a lot of fun! Here they are....

#1: Spooky Collage

This first card was the first and most complicated one we worked on. The owner of the store and the class teacher experimented that day to try and master the techniques for this card. They found a way to do it that came out really interesting. We started with copper/gold-like piece of cardstock that we rubbed with yellow acrylic. Then we applied Alcohol Inks in yellow, red and brown. I had never used them and LOVED them (but can't afford another new set of supplies)! Next was the fun part. We sprinkled a pile of clear embossing powder on the bottom, right corner of the inked (dry) cardstock. Then we heated it from below with a heat gun until we had a puddle of wet embossing powder. The stamp "Spooky Collage", was inked up (black ink) and ready to go and we stamped it onto the cardstock (and into the wet embossing powder). This was the result! A dimensional look. Really cool in person.

#2 Distressed Crows

This card is shades of black, orange and yellow (the photo gave it a bluish tint). This card was pretty simple - the stamp has so much visual interest on its own. We distressed the edges of a piece of Memory Box's paper with black ink and a sponge first. Then we stamped (in black ink) the "Distressed Crows". Added some black glitter to a few of the small crows with a glue pen. I have never used black glitter before and really like the effect. Obviously it has a Halloween-like appearance but I think it could be kind of elegant too. Finally we stamped & embossed the "Elemental Damask" stamp several times along the top of the card using a light orange ink and clear embossing powder. It mimics the slight damask pattern in the Memory Box paper we used. Finally we mounted the image with dimensional tape on top of a piece of black cardstock and the yellow card.

# 3 Old Fence

This was my first time using an embossing machine! We dry embossed a piece of black cardstock for the background with a spider web image. Very cool. Also used an iridescent white cream lustre on the embossed spider web - another product I had never used. The image "Old Fence" was stamped with black Stayz-On onto a shiny piece of white carstock. The edges were distressed with an edge distressor and black ink. The image was mounted onto bright green paper and mounted onto the other layers. A spider was cut with a die-cut machine (another first for me!) out of sparkly black paper and mounted with dimensional adhesive.

#4 Halloween Collage

Another simple card but I think this is my favorite of the stamps. These are nice stamps because they look like you have layered several stamps to get this appearance. But all the imagery is on one large stamp. We stamped the "Halloween Collage" stamp on a piece of inked, edge-distressed cardstock. The two spiders were colored in with a Copic marker and iridescent glitter was added with a glue pen. Finally we stamped the "Vintage Scroll" stamp across the top with light orange ink and embossed with clear powder. The imagery was mounted onto a piece of glittery cardstock with a strong adhesive.

#5 Night Cat

This last card was a little tricky but clever and a really nice effect. We started with two pieces of Memory Box patterned paper cut into the size we needed. Then on one piece we stamped the "Night Cat" image. We drew a line down from the light of the lantern down in a cone shape mimicking how the light would fall onto the cat. Using an xacto night we cut out that cone shaped portion of the paper (including the cat). We layered the second piece of patterned paper under the first (with the cut out portion and stamped image). Carefully we inked and stamped just the image of the cat into the place it needed to be (on the bottom layer of patterned paper). I'm sure my explanation is confusing but you can kind of see how it was put together if you look at the photo carefully.

So that's it! Fun cards and really nice stamps!

Happy Sunday!

a moment of quiet at the end of a busy day

2010-07-20T21:48:00.000-04:00

the "river" - flood tide

Just got home. It has been a long day. But not too bad. Busy day at work and then I took a long walk after, drove to grab a sub sandwhich for dinner, and ate it in the car before a class at my LSS. It was my own fault for cramming in too much. I had signed up for a Memory Box Halloween card class. It was fun. Learned some really cool techniques...I'll try to post the cards this week. And the walk was necessary. I have gained back all the weight I lost a few years ago because of some random medical things making exercise a challenge over the past year. But I want to get back on the wagon....

I have gotten some questions recently about ATC's...what are they? Here's a little bit of their history (from Wikipedia):

Artist Trading Cards (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as modern baseball cards,[1] or 2 ½ X 3 ½ inches (63 mm X 89 mm),[2] small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets.[3] The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland.[4] Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc.), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc.), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.). The cards are usually traded or exchanged rather than sold.

I find that they are a really great way to experiment with techniques, colors and themes without feeling as intimidated as I do with a large piece of paper or canvas. I play around more. I also like how mobile they are...I keep some in my desk at work so in between groups and sessions I can work on one to process how the session went. Probably my favorite reason for enjoying them is that it isn't really like starting a whole new hobby or artform. I am using the supplies I already have on hand for my other loves: scrapbooking, collaging, cardmaking, painting and drawing. I am having so much fun making them! I just signed up for the website ATC's for All.com and am finding it to be a great source of inspiration and challenges in the form of swaps.

Well...I am going to head off to bed now. Starting it all over again tomorrow!

art therapy atc swap

2010-07-17T21:13:00.000-04:00

"Someone to tell it to is one of the fundamental needs of human beings." - Miles Franklin

I am participating in an Artist Trading Card Swap with approximately 50 art therapists across the country. These are my contributions! It has been organzied by a Linked In subgroup for The Art Therapy Alliance. I can't wait to see the three cards I get back. The topic was "how art therapy helps others, our community, world."

monday gratitudes

2010-07-12T09:14:00.000-04:00

pies I made for my girls night - blueberry pie and chocolate chip pie

Today is sort of my last day of vacation for now. I say sort of because I usually have mondays off in the summer but I was off from both jobs last week. I don't want to go back tomorrow. I just don't. I'm not ready. I have fantasies of spending my days baking, cleaning my apartment, walking in the woods, making art, spending time with my guy and family, growing a garden, reading, working a part-time low stress (highlight on the low stress) job. I feel like I can't do that. I feel overwhelmed a lot. Bills, student loans, choices. Feel like I can't backtrack and do it differently particularly because of the student loan part. Acceptance is what I need to do today. Focus on the Serenity Prayer.

So today is a good day for a Gratitude List. I need it. I also need to see how I want to spend my day....Stewing over feeling stuck? or enjoying the freedom of the day?

Today I am grateful for:

having time yesterday to make some ATC's for the art therapy swap (I'll post them soon)
blueberry pie
Paula Deen's recipes and humor and love for butter ;) I got the chocolate chip pie recipe from her. So good!
my flowers and balcony outdoor space
english muffins for breakfast
lots of flowers in the apartment
time apart and how it makes us appreciate the time together much more
the smell of cut grass and coffee brewing early in the a.m.
a good book to read with lots of pages left
learning of an old friends pregnancy...can't wait to knit her something sweet!

Thanks for listening to my non-sensical babbling and complaining. It is just one of those mornings....why? I need to get over it! I have the day off and it's summer!!!

Happy Monday

atc's

2010-07-11T11:02:00.000-04:00

Took a class this week while on vacation to do some collage-y ATC's. So fun! We might start an ATC "Club" of sorts out of it too. That will be fun. I hope to make some more today to send off for an art therapy swap I'm participating in this month. Here are a few more photos...

We made a little card holder out of a die...sorry not sure what die it was since I have actually never used one

before! It was all new to me...

The theme of this one in the class was orginally supposed to have the "How do I love thee..." words and a little collage photo of this old photobooth photo of a couple...but we were encouraged to go off in our own directions if we wanted. I found this Statue of Liberty image on the table and thought it would be perfect! For some reason I have never really loved using "photos" or images of people. I don't know why? I get hung up on wondering who the people are and feeling no attachment to them. If I don't feel a connection to what images I'm working with I am not as into the art. So...I skipped the people on this one. I did challenge myself to use the people image on another ATC to try it out....fun but it wasn't my favorite card.

This was the first ATC made in the class and it was one of my favorites...but it makes me laugh that I arranged the two birds plotting thier escape from the nest with the words..."Fly away with me!"

Hope to make some more today and post them later....

Happy Sunday!

monday gratitudes

2010-07-05T18:12:00.000-04:00

hometown

It has been a nice 4th of July weekend all-in-all. Walked to the parade to meet friends and see the floats. Watched fireworks from our apartment balcony. Saw more fireworks on the 4th. Two beach days. My sister joined me and my mom for one today. Cookout at my parent's. Hamburgers. Watermelon. A delicious dessert by my mom...

...ice cream. Video games. Movies. An afternoon nap. All good holiday vacation stuff. So instead of writing a list.... this is my gratitude list for today! Hoping for many more fun, relaxing summer-like things this upcoming vacation week.

Happy Monday!

monday gratitudes

2010-06-28T12:52:00.000-04:00

the back of my summer sweater knit-a-long - Hey Teach

Today I am Grateful for:

My guy being home.
Beach days with my mom. An excuse to do nothing but relax for a few hours.
Time with my mom and sister this weekend doing errands.
My ability to be my own advocate and be persistant.
Netflix movies...I'm hooked on Army Wives and am on Season 2.
Projects to keep my mind busy.
A fridge and cabinets full of food after grocery shopping.
A vacation at home next week to look forward to...much needed.
Birds.
Cable TV.

Happy Monday!

monday gratitudes

2010-06-21T08:14:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful for...

phone calls to bridge distance.
my amazing dad who I spent time with on Father's Day.
a good cry.
clean laundry
a day unexpectedly cleared of plans
the first beach day of the summer
thunderstorms and rain on a hot summer day
summer
my flowers
netflix
creativity and artistic skills
knitting and the fact that my mom taught me

Happy Monday!

weekend nesting

2010-06-13T10:22:00.001-04:00

Since it rained yesterday and a beach day was out of the question I did some errands and shopping. I could wander around HomeGoods for hours. And I did. I have really been wanting a white pitcher for flowers for a long time. I like how simple they look. Very pretty. So I found this one for $10 and a set of four quilted placemats for $10. My guy isn't a fan of placemats on the table...he likes the plain wood but he might like it when he sees them. We'll see!

I also got this very cute red ceramic pie dish and wire "caddy" for $10. I got home and made myself a blueberry pie. One of my favorites. I tried a Trader Joes crust and wasn't as happy with it as I thought I'd be. It didn't come out flaky...a little soft. Almost like it needed to be baked longer but that didn't help either. Not sure why. I think it's the first thing from there I haven't been 100% satisfied with...
At HomeGoods I also found these adorable little cards I plan to use as invites when I host Girl's Night in July...

They are vintage-like images of Barbie. I love them! Today I get to see my girls for lunch and the movies. We were supposed to go to the beach originally...but

alas...

today isn't a beach day either! Oh well.

Happy Sunday!

a beach-less day

2010-06-12T08:18:00.000-04:00

Showing a sunny picture of my container garden. Today is panning out to be gloomy weather here in New England again. I was crossing my fingers for a few beach days. But that is not looking good :( Oh well. I just braved Macy's yesterday for new bathing suit shopping. A scary experience. I haven't bought a new suit in a few years. I gained weight this year and want more coverage until I my resumed exercise routine kicks in. I forgot how incredibly expensive a new bathing suit can be! Good Lord! I was going to get 2 but that idea changed when I got to the register. Even with sales and coupons it was kind of ridiculous.

Anyhow....now to figure out what to do with my beach-less day!

Happy Saturday!

i quit

2010-06-10T18:12:00.000-04:00

french sculpture of a child drawing

So I have already failed my self-imposed photo-a-day challenge. I'm not feeling well the past few days so it was hard to keep up with. So I quit. I don't quit often. But anyhow...I have had a few days this month that I took a lot of great photos I didn't share yet! So I've included one from my recent trip to the art museum. I loved this little statue. It represents something I hold close...childhood and art.

So that is it for me today! Happy Thursday!

Day 8: unwind

2010-06-08T20:28:00.000-04:00

It's not a good picture but it is the end of my day. My photo-a-day was a little neglected today. But this kind of represents my day. Busy. Moments of amazingness. Moments of extreme frustration. But this was my end of the day relaxation. Playing mindless games on my Wii. Helping me to unwind. So this picture represents what I'm trying to do tonight. Unwind.

Day 7: no words

2010-06-07T20:29:00.000-04:00

Day 6: quiet

2010-06-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

The sky after all the storms we had today. Scary weather but a quiet day. Just stayed home. Made a good breakfast, watched TV, scrapbooked and cooked myself dinner. Watched "Dear John" and forgot how sad it is and how the book didn't end the way I had hoped. The movie ended that way too. But all-in-all a quiet day. Hoping to get some things done tomorrow...errands and answers. I hope.

Happy Sunday!

Day 5: experiences

2010-06-05T21:20:00.000-04:00

I have often heard it said that if you spend money of expereinces -vs- objects it will last longer in your memory. That is true of today. I spent the day at the art museum with a good friend from high school and then tried sushi with her at a nice place in Boston. So good. So fun and inspiring today. My mind is full of memories and visuals from the day. It was hard to pick just one photo today. So I picked the one of the sushi. But here's a bunch of thoughts floating through my mind about the day:

Eyptian mummies, mysterious languages, ancient preparations for an afterlife.
Greek Gods and Goddesses are gorgeous.
Monet is still one of my favorite artists.
A tornado warning at home? Wierd. This is New England....not Kansas!
humid, rain, thunderstorms, sun, rainbows. Tropical weather.
My pretty new Monet umbrella came in handy during a sun shower.
I actually do like sushi. Though I went tame and got a cucumber roll. And I'm better at eating noodles with chopsticks than I thought I would be! A few firsts.
I'm tired and my feet are aching but I'm happy.
A great day started with a 5:30 am call from my guy before he headed out for his guard training just to let me know he was thinking of me. He hasn't done that in a while and I loved the wake up call.

Happy Saturday!

Day 4: slow

2010-06-04T16:09:00.000-04:00

Rice Krispie Treats

Taking it easy today. Slow. Not feeling 100% physically. Did a few errands this a.m. Post Office for stamps. Mailed off something for my guy. Vacuumed. Cleaned the bathroom. Washed a handknit sweater. Lots of little "things to do." Sat outside for awhile and worked on my sweater and another more challenging knitting project for awhile. Enjoyed the sun. Then made some Rice Krispie Treats! Haven't made them in a long time and forgot how good they are. My plan is to give half the batch to my little sister when I pick her up later at her new apartment. So proud of her! We are going to see the Sex & The City movie later. A chick flick and maybe a quick bite to eat. I'm looking forward to it.

Happy Friday!

Day 3: in progress

2010-06-03T20:10:00.000-04:00

This is what I have so far for my Mondo Cable Cardi. It was started during a winter knit-a-long and it continues! I am starting a summer knit-a-long soon and I really want to get further with this sweater. I love it. Love the yarn. But I'm getting bored. It's a lot of knitting. I am learning a lot as I go though. Today I got a few more rows done. I need to finish up the body so I can do the bottom edge and get the sleeves started. It is probably a little more than 1/2 done all-in-all. I see mistakes in some spots but overall not too bad!

I'm not feeling too well tonight and I was hoping to work on the sweater some more but I'm just not up to it. Maybe tomorrow? Today I took a few minutes to go to my LYS and pick up some Soak for another sweater that needs to be washed. I came out with the newest issue of Vogue Knitting and a new book: Happy Hooker. I would really love to learn more about crocheting.

I feel like I have a million projects!

Yikes!

But... I'm liking this photo-a-day thing. It is allowing me to reflect on my day with a photo and a few words. Helps me to think about my day and focus on little parts of my day.

Day 2: Work

2010-06-02T19:07:00.001-04:00

An average day-in-the-life of an Art Therapist. Nothing exciting today. Tried to catch up with some work since it was an extended long weekend for me. Reading about addiction and creativity to prepare for some groups. Having a regular day. Feeling a little off today in a few ways. Some inspiring moments and some frustrating. Most of the frustations had nothing to do with my work and more to do with some other issues.

After work I did a few errands and visited my family and then took a walk near the ocean. Cleared my mind. Took photos like a tourist. Took in the ocean air. Fog. Flowers. The statues. The American flags lining the walk. So today I am actually including two photos instead of one. Two photos will better sum up my day.

Happy Wednesday!

storms

2010-06-01T15:12:00.001-04:00

Day 1

I'm going to try out something for the month of June. A photo-a-day challenge. I want to post one photo each day and write about a piece of that day. A journal of sorts. I decided this a little while ago as I was sitting outside on the balcony watching a thunderstorm roll in. Trying to focus on the positive. My guy left today for almost a month for drill and annual training and I miss him already. I am having some frustrations about other things and trying to get answers. I want to focus on all that I have in my world. A little at a time. I also plan on having some of these little moments to scrapbook about at the end of the month. Some days I want to experiment with photography and my point of view. Other days I want to focus on a story. A moment. So here goes...

Today he left for 20 days. I hate that feeling. I know it could be worse and many tell me it could. He isn't far and he isn't in danger. But still. He's gone. I will refocus and try to relax and enjoy my time away. So after wasting half of my day off, making a stressful phone call and paying rent, I decided to sit outside. I tried reading but felt I needed to get something out. So I did a page in my art journal about how I'm feeling. Art Therapy. Then I could read. But as I was reading I started feeling the wind change. The air change. Thunderstorms coming in. I love that feeling right before a storm. A calmness and anticipation. So I just sat and took it in. An occassional rain drop. Bugs flying around over my head. Seeing my tomato plants and flowers and knowing that for the second time today I would not need to water them. I woke up last night to more thunderstorms. Just like a summer day. I watched the landscapers at the apt complex finishing up a few things. Listened to the distant thunder echo making it sound like it was coming from two directions. Wondering what it must look like only minutes away at the Atlantic Ocean. More raindrops. Still not enough to bring me inside. I sat. Listened. Watched.

Finally, I decided I needed to go in. Lightening always makes me nervous. Reminds me of being a kid and our garage being hit by lightening only feet away from our house. I have seen what it can do. So I went in reluctantly and then the rain began to fall heavier. Well. Now to put in a load of laundry and wait out the storm and see what it brings.

Happy Tuesday.

memorial day 2010

2010-05-31T09:31:00.000-04:00

....Never Forget.

a few cards

2010-05-30T13:40:00.001-04:00

So Proud: Prima patterned paper,Judi Kine Star stamp, alpha stamps, cardstock, brown Archiver's Ink and Faded Jeans Distress Ink

Some cards to show on this beautiful warm, sunny Sunday! I participated in another craft fair yesterday and it was a dud. I sold my cards and some other crafts and set up my dad's pen & ink drawing prints. He couldn't be there so it was just me. I sold exactly 7 cards. Between the table price and the parking meter I was still in the red. Oh well. I got some nice feedback on my cards anyhow and my dad got some nice comments on his art. And I finished sock #2 to complete my first official pair of socks! So it was succesfully in its own way! Later on I got to see my little sister's first apartment and have girl's night with my friends. The host's husband cooked us stuffed lobster tails he got while diving....mmmmm!

Here are a handful of cards I made more recently for the sale....I'll post more this week! I'm never good at keeping track of supplies but I'll do my best...

*****

Several people stopped and kept looking at this first card but it didn't sell. I just got the stamp at my LSS's yardsale. I was thinking of my dad when I got it and this might actually become his Father's Day card.

On the Road: Great Impressions stamp, Making Memories word-fetti stickers, black Archiver's Ink

*****

Very simple card. Using Distress and chalk inks and a new stamp I got. The sentiment stamp I love and have had for while...the idea was it could be for a new graduate.

Be the Change: flower stamp by Rubber Stamped, sentiment stamp by Rubber Soul, tumbled glass & shabby shutters Distress Inks, black Archiver's Ink,yellow chalk ink, misc. blue pattered paper and cardstock.

*****

This card was fun and I was kind of experimenting with tone-on-tone embossing. So I stamped the large flower all over with Versamark ink and clear embossed them and then added the large K & Co. sentiment sticker. A wedding card...

Always & Forever: large floral stamp by Inkadinkadoo, K & Co. sentiment sticker, Versamark ink, clear embossing powder.

*****

This card is one of my favorites. I cut out the large flower from patterned paper and using a glue pen I glittered each petal.

He loves me: unknown patterned paper, K&Co sentiment sticker, diamond glitter and glue pen.

*****

This last one was very simple. Just stamped the flower and colored it in with my Prismacolor pencils and then stamped a sentiment.

Just for You: flower by saavy stamps, sentiment by Hero Arts, black Archiver's ink, Prismacolor pencils, cardstock.

I'll post a few more this week. Thanks for looking and Happy Sunday!

wordless wednesday

2010-05-26T20:27:00.003-04:00

monday gratitudes

2010-05-24T16:49:00.002-04:00

Today I am going to do my monday gratitudes with pictures....

1. I am grateful I got to see these beautiful wild Lily of the Valley flowers on my walk today.

2. I am grateful for those who have served during this week leading up to Memorial Day.

3. I am grateful I grew up here...

4. I am grateful for this guy who I met four years ago next week by some twist of fate.

5. I am grateful to have been able to see my little brother graduate from college this past weekend with honors.

6. I am grateful to have an outdoor space with our apartment so that I can grow things and enjoy the sun.

7. I am grateful that I got to have this "little" dog for 10 years before we lost her. She has been gone almost 4 years and it seems like yesterday. I miss her but am so grateful for her memory. You can learn a lot from a dog about how to live.

8. I am grateful to have the opportunity to sell my cards again this coming weekend and my dad will be joining me to sell his prints too!

Happy Monday!

good deals

2010-05-23T20:21:00.000-04:00

Got some great deals at my LSS's annual yard sale! These stamps all together cost maybe $15....plus I also got a bunch of paper, stickers, clear stamps,....for only $17. Not bad! After going to the yard sale I headed out of state to go do some outlet shopping. Summer clothes. Had fun but now I'm exhausted. Yesterday was an equally - if not longer - day. We went to my little brother's College graduation a few hours away. It was a nice day but tiring. I'm ready to crash!

Tomorrow I am off and hoping to play around with some of my new goodies a bit. I have a craft fair to get ready for next weekend and I'd like to make a few more cards to sell...

Well...enough for now...
Happy Sunday!

monday gratitudes

2010-05-17T09:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Cary and I went to the plant nursery and he bought me some plants and flowers for the balcony. I love planting things and trying my hardest to keep them going! Last year it was pretty successful. So we got flowers for a few pots and I also got a few veggies. Last year I had a tomato plant and a pepper plant. The tomatoes got the blight but the peppers did well. This time I got two tomatoes, a different kind of pepper and some lettuce. I need to get some bigger pots. Not sure they will do well, might be too crowded, but we'll see. I want to spread out the peppers a bit. I have six seedlings in one medium size, long pot. I'd like to get another pot the same size and transplant three of the seedlings.

Anyhow...this has been one of the most relaxing, fun weekends I have had in a really long time! I had a 4-day weekend. (One of the things I do love about having two jobs and one of them being a college teacher!) We went out to dinner, bought some summer shorts for me in Old Navy (which is one of my guy's least favorite things but he went voluntarily and helped me pick out a few things), went to the plant nursery, picked up a few things at Target and had fun wandering around. We also just took time hanging out at home and relaxing a bunch. Watching movies, cooking dinners,...it was a really nice weekend! I also took an afternoon and went to Home Goods to buy a covered basket for my knitting so I don't have to stare at all my unfinished projects while sitting on the couch. And I also went to my LSS and got a few treats and came home to make some cards for an upcoming craft fair. I am hoping that today I will get my snapfish order so I can do a little scrapping later.

Today I started off my week with breakfast outside, enjoying my plants and the sun. I also saw a hummingbird come by looking for my feeder....which I haven't put out yet! I heard they keep returning to the same spot where a feeder has been. So I better buy some sugar so I can set up the feeder!

So....in a way this entire entry will serve as my "Monday Gratitudes" for the week! I am feeling content, relaxing and grateful this morning.

Happy Monday!

monday gratitudes

2010-05-10T08:59:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful for:

extra days off
time with my family yesterday celebrating my mom
a paycheck
strawberries
movie theatre popcorn
Robert Downey Jr. movies....Ironman!
hot showers
getting my hair cut and colored
flip flops
new white t-shirts
warm spring days
lilacs

Happy Monday!

a sock

2010-05-06T19:15:00.000-04:00

Learned the magic loop method of knitting in the round at a class at my LYS this month. Last night I finished sock #1! It is so much fun! Now...on to sock #2.

Happy Thursday!

monday gratitudes

2010-05-03T16:02:00.000-04:00

gargoyle at a castle estate

Today I am in kind of a funk. No particular reason. Feeling unsettled, quiet, tired. I'm feeling a little of the I-know-the-grass-isn't-always-greener-but-I-can't-help-it-itis. I'm really trying to do some inner centering and grounding and just be grateful for where I am right now. Also feeling a bit lacking in the self-esteem department. No particular reaons. Probably just because I'm in my head too much. Yesterday I read this on Delaney Gates blog and I needed to hear it. I need a vacation. Time to completely clear my mind and relax. Not worry about the to-do lists. Or the should-be-doing lists. Although teaching has wound down for the year I still have my other work which gets busier in the summer with vacation coverage. I can't complain. I work 3-day work weeks in the summer. Can't beat that. I have so many projects and things I want to do. That is part of my problem. I overwhelm myself with ideas and projects and feel this nagging feeling when I don't finish everything.

Can anyone relate?
So today it is in my best interests to stick with tradition and do my Monday Gratitudes...

Today I am grateful for:

clean laundry done and in the drawers
five minutes I took to sit in the sun on the balcony
new Martha Stewart magazine and a summer recipe booklet to get inspiration
cabinets and fridge are full of good things
flip-flops
lemonade by Paul Newman
burger dinner
grades are done...now to take a deep breath and send them in
coffee
internet
reading others thoughts on blogs that could be my own
my art
new art journal
watercolor crayons
getting the mail...especially if there are fun catalogues or magainzes
new magazines
a book to read

That helped a bit...

Happy Monday!

it's a start

2010-05-01T15:25:00.001-04:00

Art journaling. A few months ago I bought the book Journal Spilling and have been looking through it since. I tried to convince myself I didn't need another journal to start this. I tried using some I had already started. But as I mentioned in an early entry I love starting journals. Something about all the new pages. New possibilities. So in honor of the end of the academic year and a lighter work week during the summer, I picked up a few things at Blick yesterday. Mainly I went in for these...

I had a 30% off coupon and so I splurged on the set of 30. I LOVE them! I love trying new materials. My first art love was charcoal. Black and white landscapes. I did those in college and still enjoy them. But it has been awhile since I have done a lot of drawing from life - or realistic. Later in grad school I loved NuPastels. I still enjoy those...along with my Prismacolor pencils. But only when I'm journaling or doing abstract stuff. Recently I have been enjoying watercolor pencils, my little set of travel watercolors and my waterbrush. If you have never tried a waterbrush I highly recommend the Yasutomo brand. I started with the medium brush. They work great for doing art while traveling.They are easy to bring to work with me and in between group sessions I can do a little thinking and painting. But they are so neat. I'm a perfectionist. But I have always wanted to have a big, overgrown, messy journal. I am not sure I can do it but I will try. It is a goal in life too. To let myself just try things and not worry about how it will look, etc. I am always hesitant about making "mistakes", getting messy, looking stupid, etc. All those insecurities. And being that I'm an art therapist...I want a dose of my own medicine. So I'm going to try it. Here's what I worked on today...

Started with a page of journaling about all the things on my mind. Then I let myself play around with gesso over my words and then my new Neocolors. Still a little neat for what I am trying to do. But it's a start.

Note: after writing this entry I noticed that Donna Downey's blog for her Inspiration Wednesday this week shows how she uses these watercolor crayons and her waterbrush in her art journal.

Happy Saturday!