Wading

I've been so swamped with art projects, which I could not be happier about, I haven't really had the time to post very much. Poor old Mimsy gets neglected a lot, but I'm working on documenting more.  I think keeping up with bloggy therapy is good for the soul.

For now, I think I'll make a list of art projects/commissions:

1. custom kid's book (written but not yet completely illustrated)

2. two watercolor portraits for bff's mom

3. custom illustration

sketch detail of custom illustration

4. more handmade plush creatures (like the ones in the pictures below) for a local shop

Sally Sugar Skull

Mumford T. Monster

Lola Love Bunny

O'Malley Ogling Owlie

Love Ninja - This little guy is sold already, but I can make more upon request.

5. keep up with my etsy shop
 
Now, if I can just keep myself prioritized...

Year End Survey

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before? Went whitewater rafting and kayaking.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?  I've never been one for new year's resolutions, but I did set the goal of illustrating a children's book in 2010. Turns out I made the deal to illustrate another person's children's book in 2010, and I'm illustrating it this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope, but they're all pregnant now. My sister, my best friend and her little sister. It's a conspiracy to make me want to have a baby, but it won't work.

4. Did anyone close to you die? Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit? None this year.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? The means to work from home. I want to make enough money via art to quit my day job. I don't wanna be rich. I just want to get by doing what I love.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? The entire year has been pretty memorable. I made new friends, got reacquainted with old ones, and my husband and I went on lots of adventures.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? It's a toss up between making an illustration deal, and surviving going down a river in a boat by myself.

9. What was your biggest failure? I quit my current job for one that paid more. I thought I'd like it, but ended up freaking out, and quitting to come back to this one. I hate that it happened at all.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I have a weaselly immune system, so I get tonsillitis a lot, but I wouldn't call that illness. I also found out the panic attacks I've been having all my life aren't panic attacks at all, but a severely erratic heartbeat.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My Kimchi Kitty's life. He was dying, but we were able to pay the vet to find out what was the matter, and save him. ♥

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My mother in law.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? My sister in law. Her decisions for herself make my heart hurt.

14. Where did most of your money go? Into having a home, and vehicles to drive to work.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Seeing Andrew Bird and St. Vincent in concert.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2010? "Too Afraid to Love You" by The Black Keys, and "Friends" by Band of Skulls.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
 a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer? Happier! ^_^ Fatter. :( Richer-just not monetarily.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Changing.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas? With friends and family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010? I've been in love for the last 11 years. Wow.

22. What was your favorite TV program? True Blood. It's my dirty secret, and I often hide my eyes.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don't hate anyone. I just prefer not to think of some people.

24. What was the best book you read? A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? The Black Keys' new album.


26. What did you want and get? My kitchen remodel. 
 

27. What did you want and not get? All my debts paid, but we're working on it.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? True Grit.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 28 in 2010, and I can't remember what I did. I'm sure it was wonderful, though. My husband always does something sweet.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Not having such an awkward relationship with my dad, but I think it's getting better...

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Cute and comfy.

32. What kept you sane? God. My husband. Art. Music. In that order.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I pretty much always fancy... 

Johnny Depp...

image credit

Russell Crowe...

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and Sam Worthington.

image credit

 34. What political issue stirred you the most? I hate politics. Let's not talk about it, m'kay?

35. Who did you miss? My dad.

36. Who was the best new person you met? All my new friends are pretty amazing, if you ask me.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. The same lesson I learn everyday- God is love.


38. What do you want to happen in 2011? 2011 will be the year of paying off credit cards & such. The year of FREEDOM!

Thanks to the lovely Melanie for this survey.

Pics or It Didn't Happen

Oh, it happened. All of it. You want photo documentation of why I've neglected my blog so? Well, you got it.

There were:

Picnics in parks...

 

canoe trips...

bicycle rides, swimming, and sunbathing on blankets in the yard.

 

My adorable husband...

played his guitar...

 

while I sang praise songs, and squinted into the sky on steamy Sabbath afternoons.

We took our favorite teenager camping/rafting in North Carolina, and she survived to tell about it. She's not the most outdoorsy gal, but she's always up for anything.

I  purchased the coolest tee shirt on the face of the planet. It's a man's, and it's too big, but I don't care. It's Kermit, and he's rocking out. I had no choice.

Some friends of ours went out of town for a week, and the husband person and I had the pleasure of puppy-sitting for them. We went to check on these adorable mutts every night, and spent the weekend at their house.

Barkley is the fastest tongue in the South, and quite the cuddler.

His mom, Lucky (aka Lucy Fur), has a bad reputation for escaping the backyard, but I think she's just misunderstood. She runs to the neighbor's house to see another of her puppies. She's such a muppet. ♥

 

All in all they were wonderful hosts. We were licked, wiggled upon and generally adored.

And, of course, my creative compulsive disorder has been running rampant. Not only have I been preparing for an upcoming Sidewalk Art Stroll (Next Thursday!), the lovely Ari went and had her 28th birthday. I made her a water doodle portrait...

 

...and some Muppet magnets. I already made her Kermit & Pepe last year, so now she has a whole slew of them. Gonzo and Beaker are my favorites. What about you?

 

Then there were the puppy portraits for a friend of a friend. Psst! I love me some friends of friends. I get more commissions that way.

I'll be sure to post about the impending Art Stroll after the fact. I'm working on getting prints of all my waterdoodles into my etsy shop before the event. We'll see how that goes! 

Oh! And my dear friend, Debra, took my husband and I to the Star Wars Exhibit at The Space & Rocket Center, where I met the love of my life. *blushes*

R2

 

I'm certain I'm leaving things out. It's been all kinds if hectic, but I can't complain. Life is good, and I thank God.

Bodacious Bloggers

It's about time for another one of those bloggy hiatus posts,  wouldn't you say? Poor little Mimsy patiently waits to hear from me, but I'm too busy painting and neglecting her to notice. You all know the story, right?

I've been working on painting three puppy portraits for a couple weeks now. I'd have had them finished a long time ago, were I not employed full time. Le sigh. I'm also plotting/sketching characters for the children's book I've been asked to illustrate, about which I'm still totally stoked and already mentioned here. Then there's The Sketchbook Project I mentioned a while back. Haven't touched that yet. Oh! And the lovely Ari and I are planning on entering a sidewalk art stroll next month, so I've got to be getting work together for that as well. I need more time. So much to do, so many places to be.

What about all you bodacious bloggers?* Have y'all been so busy with summer shenanigans that you didn't mind a few less posts to read? I hope so. I know you hang on every sarcastic word around here...

Speaking of around here...my house looks like it was ransacked. Mr. T (That's the husband person, for any new readers out there.) (HI, NEW READERS! <3) and I just got home from a camping/rafting trip in North Carolina, and are beyond beat. My face and shoulders are ever so slightly crisped, and, now that I've showered, I'm ready to sleep 'til Tuesday.

I miss your blogs, people. I'm sure I'll be catching up soon, as well as posting pics of paintings, doodles and camping trips. *mwah*

* Yeah, I said "bodacious bloggers". What of it? I like alliteration, and I'm too sleepy to be cool. Just go with it

To The Moon

I have been all kinds of busy lately, and haven't been doodling or painting much. Which is why this little number has remained unfinished for quite sometime.

Well, I'm setting a very attainable goal for myself. I will finish this water doodle this week. You can hold me to that. I should be posting the finished product by midnight on Sunday.

Looking Up

 
*Googled "Up" and found this gorgeous image here.

You know when you feel overwhelmed, and you just want to run away and hide? Yeah, I've been feeling that a lot lately. Work, church, home, and the interwebs all seem to be taking more out of me than I've got to offer. So...what do I do?

Well, let me tell you. I sign up for NaBloPoMo, cause that just makes all kinds of sense. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. Maybe I'm losing mental stability. It just seemed like the thing to do, so I went with it.

This month's theme is "Look Up". I'm certainly trying.

Bloggity Blog Blog

Oh, my poor little Mimsy has been neglected so lately. Life has taken on a new hectic, an exciting bit of chaos really. Only problem is, my head is spinning all the time, and Mimsy waits. She waits as I consider all the things I could post, as I decide I need to but really don't want to because people expect it, and as I fall asleep because my brain is exhausted. Well, Mimsy...wait no more! 

Thanks to 20 Something Bloggers, the old blog is getting some much needed attention as Carlee, from Living in Place, guest posts here today! Aaaand I'm over at her place, folks. Please come comment, so I don't feel like a complete blog slacker that no longer has followers?

I've only been doing this blogging thing for a short while now. Six months ago I probably didn't even know what blogging was or what it really meant to be a blogger. It's actually really hard to even remember what I was thinking before I took the leap into the world of regular blogging because the entire blogging experience has changed my life that much.

First, a little background about me and my blog: My name is Carlee and I, too, am a 20-something blogger. Over at my blog, Living in Place, I’m trying to find my niche and my passions by writing what I observe and experience around me. So far that’s mostly been any Gen Y (or Millenial) issues especially related to work, career & technology with a few reviews of local events thrown in there.

So I want to share with you, my audience-for-a-day, some of the reasons why I love blogging and “being a blogger”.

• This isn’t my personal diary anymore. When I write something for my blog, people actually read it, consider the ideas, and respond. It is such an amazing feeling to know that even near-strangers care about what I’m thinking and saying.
• I would even go as far to argue that bloggers grow as people faster than non-bloggers. Who else can say they have an audience of readers supporting you and giving you constructive critical feedback. Friends and family are too close to me to really give me the feedback I need to grow professionally and personally.
• People know me before I even know who they are. Actually, that’s a little unsettling sometimes now that I’m experiencing it more and more often. It really helps with networking when I’m meeting someone for the first time and they say, “Oh yea, I really love your blog” or “I’ve been sending that one post to all my friends”. Seriously, it makes it so much easier start and continue conversations.
• Community. I know everyone says that, but it’s so true. One of the best things about being a blogger is our potential to create a community or a group of followers who care about the same things as we do. Or just the ability to meet so many different people online—people that we probably never in our wildest imaginations would have thought we would have met.

Like this community—I didn’t know last week that I would be guest posting on Heather’s blog over here. But how awesome is it that I’ve been able to share my ideas with a completely new and mostly anonymous audience (at least to me) today? I hope that all the other bloggers reading this will share what they think the best thing about being a blogger is, and if you’re reading this and don’t blog, why not? 

Thanks, Carlee!

El Condor Pasa

I'm in a constant state of disarray, as of late. It's really got to end. I just have so much to do. I haven't even had a chance to read all your blogs, and that, my friends, is a necessary. Oy vey.

In an attempt to catch up in the ol' Greader, I came across something refreshing. Barry posted an "If I Were" list, and we all know how I feel about lists...

Yeah. I ganked it.

If I could be a month, I’d be October.

If I could be a day of the week, I’d totally be Saturday.

If I could be a time of day, I’d be 7pm.

If I could be a planet, I’d be one we don't know about.

If I could be a sea animal, I’d be an otter.

Need I say more? Oh yeah, image found here. I don't know how anyone gets a shot of an otter. I've tried. They lounge around being generally adorable, until they see you with a camera. Apparently cameras/photographers are the universal sign of spaz to all otters.

If I could be a direction, I’d be left. ( I asked Mr. T, and that's what he said.)

If I could be a piece of furniture, I’d be a book shelf.

If I could be a liquid, I’d be raspberry lemonade.

If I could be a gemstone, I’d be an emerald.

If I could be a tree, I’d be a ginkgo.

Found this image here. Thanks Google!

If I could be a tool, I’d be a pen.

If I could be a flower, I’d be an tiger lily.

If I could be a kind of weather, I’d be snow flurries.

If I could be a musical instrument, I’d be a Whamola.

Yes. A Whamola , and I googled and found this image here.

If I could be a color, I’d be green.

If I could be an emotion, I’d be worry.

If I could be a fruit, I’d be a grape.

If I could be a sound, I’d be puppy grunts.

If I could be an element, I’d be water.
This is a Clark Little shot. Love. It.

If I could be a car, I’d be an all terrain vehicle.

If I could be a food, I’m willing to bet I'd be a noodle of some sort.

If I could be a place, I’d be home.

If I could be a material, I’d be fleece.

If I could be a taste, I’d be sweet & sour. ( It's my blog. I can be both.)

If I could be a scent, I’d be Clinique Happy

If I could be an object, I’d be a paint brush.
Googled and found this image here.

If I could be a body part, I’d have to be the silliest one, a belly button.

If I could be a facial expression, I’d be a Cheshire grin.

If I could be a song, I’d be "El Condor Pasa" (Simon & Garfunkel)

If I could be a pair of shoes, I’d be some trusty old Chuck's.
Found this image at Dirty Chuck's! Gloriousness, I say.

What about you, beautiful bloggers? What would YOU be, if you only could?

Communication Is A Many Splendored Thing

My reader is bustin' at the seams, and I'm going through blog withdrawals! I'm not to the twitchy phase...yet. If I don't get caught up soon, it's not going to be pretty.

My husband finds my obligation to read and comment on blogs amusing. He also adores mocking me for having "internet friends". It's like you're all make believe people, and I have an imaginary friend disorder. T_T

Didn't the man have a pen pal growing up? What the heck?! Communication is a many splendored thing. So what if I've not met you in person?! You still matter. Sheesh!

Anyhow, I haven't forgotten about you guys. I squeeze in a few posts here or there, but with friends visiting for the holidays I just haven't the time. Catching up on reading is in my very near future.

Speaking of holidays, how about a few pics of recent get togethers/shenanigans, and maybe a critter or two?

My Handsome Kitty (Kimchi)

Chica Boo (my onliest niece)
Me (w/attempted straight hair), Husband Person & Twin Nephews

They try very hard to be completely different, but if they don't it's hard to tell them apart.

Pseudo Little Sister (Kayla) & I
Love. This. Kid.
The lighting makes us look like we have a self tanning problem.

Soul Mate & I
Can't tell that's her little sister up above, can you?
So...how was your Christmas? Filled with friends and family, I hope.

Holiday Hoopla

Well, it's officially a week until Christmas. I have yet to make my Christmas cards, finish the handmade gifts I started over a month ago, wrapped presents, or even finished shopping. Tis the season, right?

It just feels like I've been moving in slow motion. I guess that's partially because I've been having back trouble again. The whole degenerative disc thing has been behaving itself lately, so that's nice. My lower back, on the other hand, has been making it quite difficult to get around. I went and got my bones cracked yesterday, and am incredibly sore today. My little Canadian chiropractor is a miracle worker, so I have high hopes of being back to my old self again in a couple days. Until then, I'm stiff and overly cautious.

I have managed to hobble around my kitchen to make a powdery mountain of homemade hot cocoa, though. I have one or two more batches to make tonight, and all my mason jars will be full and ready to gift. Some folks are going to have a very warm and toasty Christmas and New Year, thanks to that yummy concoction. Hooray for simple recipes!

Now, I just have to finish everything else! What have you got left to do? Misery loves company, bloggers. Don't be telling me how you've been finished since November. I might have a massive coronary.

P.S. I've come to realize that I can't listen to music and type. Well, I can. I just type to the tempo of the music, and it's really funny. I'm currently typing to The Decemberists' The Tain. I. Can't. Help. Myself.

We're All Mad Here II

I know I've raved about this before, but I simply must to do it again. With the newest trailer.

Feast your eyes, folks.

Burton never ceases to amaze me. Ever. I just love his brain! Amidst all the dark and twisted, there always lies simple truth and beauty. A purity. A resilience. At least I think so.

Whether it be my paintings of children and animals, doodles of creeptastic creatures, haikus or other poems and stories, that's always been something I've striven to convey. Ever since I was a kid. Resiliency, which I believe is synonymous with hope, is a good thing. Maybe the best of things.

I guess that's why I adore the work of people like Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Stephen King, Wes Anderson, and Roald Dahl. I think I can really relate to how they see the world, or how I perceive that they see the world. I guess it's more that I see things that I believe in their work, whether they intended it that way or not.

We are all silly creatures, living lives of nonsense, when there is truth to be had. And I believe the things we hold so dear are bits and pieces of that truth.

Ahem...can't wait for this movie to come out!

I Like Bread & Butter

I've been feeling a bit stretched lately. Pulled. Smeared. Pressed. What does Bilbo say? Like butter scraped over too much bread. Well, whatever he said...that's generally my state of existence as of late.

So, I've been thinking about all these things that I'm getting myself all worked up over. Trying to plan how to finish this or that. Hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel. An end to the current chaos and stressfulness. I was making a list in my head. We all know how I fell about lists. It was a "The Day Will Come" list.

The day will come when:

- I catch up on all your wonderful posts.

- I'll finish the 5 paintings, and gazillion other projects I have going all at once.

- I don't go somewhere every single night of the week.

- I get enough sleep.

- I stop worrying about all my friends and family.

That's how it was going. That is, until I realized in making this list I was wishing my life away. Wanting the chaos to stop is essentially wanting rest. Rest is sleep. Sleep is death. I'll sleep when I'm dead. I always say that. So, I realized I like living a good bit, and until I'm ready to kick the bucket, I'm going to work on changing my outlook on things. I'm going to focus on being grateful.

So, here's my new list. The "Until Then" list.

Until Then:

- I have the luxury of my freedom, a home and even a computer.

- I'm blessed to be able to express myself via the plastic arts, and to find great joy in doing so.

- I can offer something of myself to others every night of the week, whether it be painting a mural in a nursery, or just spending quality time.

- I have a bed to sleep in, with a warm husband (and kitty) to curl up next to.

- I have friends and family to worry about.

That's a start.

Funny Business

Well, it's happened again. The dreaded bloggy hiatus. When you least expect it...WHAMMO! You have a gazillion things to do in no time flat. I don't even know what happened most of last week, and I'm too tired to think. I've still got a pretty good grasp of the past few days, though.

Let's see. There was the Flight of the Conchords' concert in Atlanta Saturday night. Totally worth the three hour exodus that Ari and I made. They were hilarious and adorable, as usual. We may or may not have screamed like silly little girls. May or may not have. All I'm saying is we waited for silence to make our audible request, and it was honored.

Easter Sunday was totally out of commission. A lovely day with family, but chalked full of disregard for all things weighing on my neurotic little mind. I did squeeze in some knitting and sewing, though. I made my nephew an ipod cozy! I really do have a creative compulsion.

Then there was Monday. Oh dear sweet Monday. Normally redeemed only by Shannon's Memory Mondays, but this Monday also had the help of the mesmerizing Jason Webley. The man can play the piano/guitar/accordion/pretty much anything like a fiend. Not to mention his uncannily gorgeous barbaric yawp, as shown above. It just kills me. Just beautifully stirring. It was a total surprise to find out he was going to be in the area.

Other than that? A lot of unfinished projects have cluttered my poor little brain pan. Bouncing around in there like jacked up ping pong balls. I finished a couple of things that I'm far too burnt out on to even muster photographing them. I refuse. Refuse you hear?!

Oh, and I've officially obtained the crud. Sigh.

That's all the funny business for now. Goodnight good bloggers.

Just Enough Time For Shenanigans

I haven't had much time to blather these past few days. What with the wedding and friends down from Michigan and all. It's been grand, but exhausting.

I haven't much time to blather now either, but I hope to write a full fledged post later. For now, I'm just letting all you wonderful folks know that this is not another bloggy hiatus, and I will triumph(My comma usage has always been, how should I put it, questionable, to say the least. Forgive me, please.)!

What did I have time for this week? To stickerfy a couple of my office items...

Say hello Mr. Cup Holder...

and Mr. Electric Stapler.

They make me so happy! ^_^

(Okay. How unintelligent would it make someone appear if they just recently observed the COMPOSE tab in their blog composing area?! Noob!!)