Sweeter Than Bee Pollen

Watercolor illustration prints available by request at Mad Shiny Shoppe!

Earlier this year, I found myself feeling like someone came and wrenched every last drop of honey from my happy little hive. That someone was my now ex-boss, whom I often refer to as "She Who Must Not Be Named." With her verbal and emotional abuse, she was pretty much a nightmare, and that's coming from someone who can get along with just about anyone.

When I graduated college, I had no idea how to apply my studio art/art history degree. A friend's father offered me a job making art with homeless and at-risk youth, so I jumped on the opportunity. I absolutely loved that position, but funding was cut the next year. I was bumped into a couple neighboring positions, and just counted myself lucky to have a job.

To cut a long story short, I stayed with that agency for six excruciating years, before I'd had too much of She Who Must Not Be Named's tormenting. I'm currently working as an artist/author from my humble home, and it's good great dripping with awesome. Quitting was terribly frightening, and things haven't exactly been perfect, but this new beginning is definitely sweet.

The Man Loves Chickens

How's it going, friends? Mr. T and I have been doing pretty well. We've been experiencing some changes lately. Some have been good, and some not so much, but we're dealing. Can't really complain.

I happily edited my employment status on the book of face last night. Self. Employed. I can't even begin to express how good it feels to be able to say that. Working from home definitely has its ups and downs, but the ups seem to be winning.

There are so many things that I wasn't able to do while working full time, little things like making  gifts for people. It's been years since I had the time and energy to make Mr. T a homemade valentine, so this year he got a little foxy fox card.

I cut out the pieces...

Colored them...

And then glued them together.

I also made him a felt plush chicken.

It's not as strange as it sounds. The man loves chickens.

I used to read posts about people quitting their day jobs, and I was so jealous. Pretending I was content worked for a while, but that hopelessly trapped feeling kept rearing its ugly head. I was so tired of begrudging other people their happiness, because I was too afraid to go looking for my own.

I am incredibly thankful that I'm able to focus on my artwork right now, and I hope I can keep it up.

Time Well Spent

It's been almost a week since I quit my job of five years, and I'm pretty happy with how I've been spending my time.

I can't remember the last time I was able to spend days in a row making art, and just enjoying life. Maybe that's a little dramatic. I know there are a million different ways to enjoy life in the ever day. As of late, my days had become somewhat of a soul suck. I'd come home with the intentions of being creative, but would end up crying all evening.

The first couple of days I cried a little, cleaned a little, and cried a little more. I've spent the last few days promoting my Etsy shop, working on commissions and just being thankful for the time to do it.

Behold!

"Boom Chicky Boom" card

"Ninja Love" card

"Nuts About You" card

Wee Hand-sewn Owl Plushies

My husband is being incredibly supportive about the whole "me not working" thing, because he's wonderful. However, unless my art sales become a lot more consistent, I'll have to get a job before too long. I'm just enjoying a little time off before it's necessary.

How Can Anyone Walk on Water, If They Won't Get Their Butt Out the Boat?

Anybody out there? It's been a long time since I was in a sharing mood, and I feel as if I should apologize for that. I allowed blogging to become just another place that I couldn't speak my mind. I'm not proud of that, and am in the process of changing it.

I've worked for the same nonprofit for over five years, and I've been unhappy with my working situation for around two of those.

If any of my faithful few are still out there, you may recall me blogging about landing a better paying job, giving my notice and leaving in 2009. You might also remember me spending one day on the new job, before crawling back to what I knew. What you won't remember are all of the feelings I never expressed, because I knew my boss read my blog.

Well, I went back to the old nonprofit job thinking I hadn't had it so bad after all. My paycheck wasn't a hefty one, but I was doing something good there. Believing if I just did my job to the best of my ability, I could put up with my boss not respecting me. I also thought I could handle snide remarks and nasty jokes at my expense, and rude comments about others...

I realize now that I have spent about three of the past five years just waiting. I've been waiting for something to change for me. Finally, I realized that I had to be that change. I've learned that we can't expect the constants around us to vary. We have to be the variables.

So...I quit my job last week. Live and learn, right? I'm taking a little time off, before I start looking for something else, and am not-so-secretly hoping that my artwork will make me a rich woman.

In the meantime...

Nothing but blue skies from now on. ^_^

The Wonderful World of June

I'm just going to go ahead and count May's NaBloPoMo a success. So I didn't post every single day, and I sort of forgot about the theme. Phooey! It got me back into writing pretty regularly, and that's what it's all about, right? I'm going to keep telling myself that I'm not a procrastinating failure, and move right along.

Right along to the wonderful world of June! This month is going to be chock-full of good times, and I can hardly wait. Let me break it down for you.

Birthdays! 
My Soul Mate's dad is turning fifty this month, and he's a pretty important fella. Since I met Jodi on the school bus, when we were eleven, her parents have been a very important part of my life. I've mentioned that my dad's a good guy, he's just never been very present in my life. Well, Jodi's dad has been there...always.

Jodi's also got two younger siblings, which I refer to as my Pseudo Little Sisters. Leah is the oldest, and Kayla's the baby. Well, the baby is turning fifteen this month. Feel incredibly old much?! I was at the hospital the day she was born, bloggers. The day she was BORN.

Since we're feeling old* here, might as well go ahead and get this out of the way. I'm turning twenty-eight on the twenty-seventh. Yes, that's right, I've now surpassed the twenty-seven on the twenty-seventh mark, and may possibly go into a deep dark depression. I doubt it, but it could happen. I'm keeping my options open.

What does all this birthdayness mean?! It means that my Soul Mate, complete with wonderful husband man, will be coming home for birthday celebrations! Yaaaaaaay! I'm thrilled to the core about this. I haven't seen them in over five months, and I'm going through withdrawals.

Projects!

I'm going to begin working on a couple of really exciting things this month, too.

First, there's my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project. It came in today, and I can not wait to get started! I really can't express how much joy it brings me to know that some of my work, however rough and unfinished, will be exhibited in museums throughout the U.S. I'll probably be subjecting you to sketchbook entry posts, so brace yourselves for doodles.

I'm still in shock over this second project. I've already ranted to some of you about it, but I've got to give more details. Last week, a man came to facilitate a training at my place o' business. On his first day with us, he saw some of my artwork, talked with me a little bit and then...asked me to illustrate a children's book for him!!!

He recited the story he'd written from memory, and I'm in love with it. It's right up my alley, and totally something I can stand behind. I've already started working up some characters, but it's really in the early stages. I'm currently waiting to receive my edited copy of the book, so I can dig in.  I'm seriously waiting for someone to pinch me, and hoping and praying I don't wake up. I want to write and illustrate children's books so badly, and I think this is a wonderful start for me. Squee!

*Let me clarify, before someone thinks I'm calling them old. I'm merely in awe/thankful that I've been on this planet for twenty-eight years. I tend to go with the "you're as young as you feel" idea. I mean, look at the men I'm drawn to, for goodness' sake. I'm attracted to guys in the 34-50 range, which I most certainly do not consider "old". I just wanted to make that clear. And Todd? I guess you lucked out, young man. :P

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

I've been playing with the camera on my Droid again.

It appears that I have lots of toys...

...and an unintentional feline slash poultry theme to my life, as of late.

I'm hoping to pick my Kimchi Kitty up from the vet today, and our chickens had babies! Two of the three little silkie eggs hatched, and two out of three ain't bad (Yeah. I just referenced a Meat Loaf song.). Well, one of the chickadees needed a little help. The momma wasn't taking care of it, so Mr. T and I had to help it out of it's shell and it's spent the night snoozing under a heat lamp in our kitchen. She's very wee, and getting fluffy! I'll post pics soon.

MegaWhatsel?!

Hiya, folks! Did I tell y'all when I got a new phone? It's a Motorola Droid, and a huge step up from  my ghetto Razr. There are a lot of things to adore, but the camera is pretty exceptional. It's a 5 mega pixel with a dual L.E.D. flash, and I'm in love.

Needless to say, I've been taking a lot more photos lately. I'm no photographer, but I love playing with composition, and perspective. What do you say I post some of my favorites here now and again, hm?

I'll start with just one...

How appropriate that he's looking up. ^_^

Things Are Looking Up!

This is how pitiful my sweet Kimchi Kitty was before our last trip to the vet...

And this is him today. 

It may be a lousy shot of him being held captive at the vet's office, but at least he's a live captive. Do you see him willing me to open that door? Such spirit. Just yesterday I wasn't so sure he was going to come home again. When I opened that little metal box, he all but climbed in my mouth. And he's found his purr again!

Is he cured? Not quite. His blood work looks perfect. He doesn't have a temperature. Antibiotics didn't do squat. X-rays don't capture anything out of the ordinary. Conundrum, anyone? So...today the vet administered a barium x-ray, and low and behold, it shows what appears to be a hairball.

Of all things, a hairball. Who knew hair could try to kill my kitty?! He's got a good 12-14 years left in him, and I've got an awesome vet, so that's not going to happen.

Currently, they're still trying to coax my clogged-up kitty into eating, in hopes of avoiding surgery. If he would just eat, it should get things moving naturally. Otherwise, they're going to have to open him up. While the vet can't be completely positive that it's a hairball, we should be finding out soon. I'm just thankful that he's feeling better. Fluids have certainly put the meow back in him.

While The Sun Is Out

Oh, what a week it has been?! I've seen evidence all over the interwebs which leads me to conclude that I'm not alone in my horrendous experiences this past week. No blogging for me. Just work and stress, stress and work. I can't even begin to explain the ups and downs of the past seven days (though it appears I've done just that), but they've felt like a decade and I've nothing left to give.

Luckily, the lovely Jen, over at Will Sketch For Cake, nominated me for a cheery little blog award! I am ever so grateful, really. Some sunshine to pass along is just what I needed.

So, here's the deal. The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world. *Cue huge cheeky grin for being nominated*

If this is your cup of tea, pass it on! Feel free to:

- Display the Sunshine Logo somewhere on your blog, or within your post.
- Pass the warm glow onto 12 loverly bloggers of your choice, and link to them.
- Inform these 12 pleasant people by way of commenting on their blogs.
- Share the love and link to the person that nominated you.

Easy enough, eh? Ahem. With no further adieu, the creative/inspiring nominees are:

Ari from The Happy Cactus
Shannon from Tattoos & Cupcakes
Ari from Curious Illusion
Amy from My Little Life
Megan from The Paraplegic Chef
Jay from Genius Pending*
Nikki from Whimsy Love
Katie from The Mustachioed Penguin
Desi from The Whininess of a Girl
Michelle from Michelle Woo
Melanie from Melanie's Randomness
Karishma from Being Tongue-in-Cheeky

This is a list of incredibly warm, vibrant, creative, honest, entertaining and inspiring bloggers. I love their brains, as I suspect you will. I hope you ("you" being my faithful few) will check them out. If you don't know someone on this list, you totally should.

Good day. Sunshine. ^_^

* As the only male, you may feel alienated. This is to be expected. I apologize, but I really think you're brilliant, sir.

Peace At Last.

Hello me lovelies! All apologies for neglecting you so, as of late. What can I say? Life has a way of getting out of hand now and again.

Within the last 2 weeks I:

-attained a new job!

-gave notice to my current employer.

-started the new job!

-resigned from the new job.

-reacquired the old job!

-came down with exudative tonsillitis.

-neglected all creative outlets.

-survived way too much stress.

Amidst all those ups and downs, there were a couple of nights that I let the unknown get the best of me. Quitting one job before having confirmed another is not exactly my cup of tea, but it was something I felt I had to do. So, I did it. Then I freaked out accordingly.

I managed to single handedly destroy my immune system via stress. Thus causing my tonsils to make an attempt on my life. >_<

Worry does NO GOOD. None. Remember that.

So, I am currently very thankful to be updating the old blog here. Even if it does mean germing up the laptop. I have a long weekend to relax, overcome my tonsils, and let everything sink in.

God willing, things are back to how they belong.

It's Not Pleasant

Alright. I guess we know where we all stand. I'm getting ready for work as we speak/type/read/whatever. So, I'm going to let it slide that y'all didn't have my back on this whole positive thinking ice thing. I can be benevolent and just let it go. I can.

Today has been a rough morning, already. Last night was a rough night. It seems, and I think a few of you can back me up on this, that today just sucks. It sucks. It sucks. It sucks.

Last night I had an unpleasant "discussion" with my husband person. Although resolved at this point, it still ruined my night.

Then I dropped my blueberry bagel, slathered with cream cheese, face down in the sink before beginning this post on this non-icy, once potentially awesome day.

Next, on my way in to work I'm supposed to pick up a donation. One that had been confirmed for our shelter this Christmas. I call ahead and do my spiel to this guy. No donation. No concern. No brain.

And I have now come to the realization that I am wearing mismatched socks, and I'm not changing it (No those are not my mismatched socks pictured above. I'm pretty sure those are hobbit feet.).

The only perks to this day thus far have been:
a) It's gorgeous outside
b) Your posts make me smile*

Maybe things are looking up? Have a good day and weekend.

*Thus, my mercy upon you for the non-icy day I'm having. ^__^