Photo of the day #2, and a computer nerd question

First the nerdy part- I spent hours yesterday adding links to my sidebar, and now only a few of them are showing up. WWHHYYY??? I guess I will have to figure it out in my spare time, which means it won't happen today, that's for sure.

On to the picture of the day. Here is a bachelor button, taken last Easter. Soon, I keep telling myself, soon, it will warm enough that these will bloom again!



That's all for now- I am back from the dentist, have to pick kids up, and head to Nature Study- we are drawing mammal skulls today.
Later,
LB

New work

Hey! Wanna see what I am up to? Here is my latest piece. It is for someone, who like me, is in love with turtles. I had the patches, and then a bunch of pre-cut brights, so it went together in a flash. It is approx. 10" X 30".


Here is a close-up so you can see the beading I am doing on it. I am such a newbie when it comes to beading on a quilt, but it is easier with each bead, if just a tad time comsuming.



When I showed my design walls in yesterday's post, you may have been wondering what those blobby brown things on it were. Well, this is something new for me too- colored pencils on hand-dyed cotton fabric. One night when I was auditioning fabrics for a quilt, I saw images in this one fabric. Thought maybe it was due to smoking too many pencil shavings, as Ree would say. But, no, when I looked again, there they were- fairies, just waiting in the shadows. So I got out my new woodless pencils, and started playing. These are some of the results.

THis one is a wing-ed lady flying. Can you see her wing stretched out behind her, and the sillouette of her curvy body?



This one may be harder to make out. It is a lady with deer-like ears and wings. She also is shapely, with a nice hip to her.



THere are a couple more, one that looks like an elephant with two sets of ears, and one that looks like your typical Peter Pan-type fairy with a funky butterfly on his outstretched arm.
I am wondering if I need to buy some SHiva paintsticks to play with these more, and have no idea what they will be incorporated into, but they have been fun to play around with, and I can see my shading skills inproving.
I'd love to know what you think.
TTFN,
LB

photo of the day #1

Hmmm, now that I can post photos, which one will I choose? And can I come up with something snappier that "Photo of the day"? I think I will show you the bench that Papa Dude and the children made for me last year for my birthday. I love it. It is around a crabapple tree between our driveway and our next door neighbor's house. She built a bench last summer, so we have a great meeting spot that is nice and shady in the summer. Easy to earn bonus points if you can tell on which holiday this photo was taken.

More later,
LB

Christmas in February

OK, OK, I know this will be 2 months late, but remember in December, when you were visiting all your fave blogs, and they all showed pics of their special holiday decorations? The ones that made you think of your great aunt or your best Gramma-type lady? Well, here we go, better late than never, because I know a couple of you who will really enjoy seeing them. Then I promise to post some pics of artwork, okay?

These are our stockings. They are huge, and hold a ton. I made one for each of us, and my mom. THey hang on our tv cupboard. As you can see, my antique vase collection and my Christmas music boxes are dispayed nicely in the glass shelves.

Next is one of my faves- this is the top of our current studies bookshelf. On the shelf, you will see my snowman collection. On top, is the Santa and reindeer that belonged to my grandmother Gladys. It is always a heart-wrenching yet happy time when I unpack these each year.

Here is a close-up:

Here is a pic of the piano wall. As you can see, I have family photos on the whole thing. At Christmas, I put banners up on all the walls- some are Santas, and some are robins with holly. This is the piano that I have come to adore, because my Young Lady plays hours and hours on it every day, bringing me much joy.

Here is our entryway, with all our bell swags, and the stars I bought this year.

Here is our tree, with the two wierdos, umm, I mean dealightful kids working on the decorations- or are they hugging the tree??

Okay, now I am even closer to being in integrity with Dy, Amy, and the whole picture thing!
LB

Studio Pics! Finally!

I finally got my Fine Young Man to learn how to upload pics from my digital camera! Yay for us! So, I will now try to put a few pics of my studio up. First off, is my pride and joy, the 2 4 X 8 design wall panels. As you can see, there is room enough for a few projects at a time, with room for whatever inspires you, to boot!













The panels are on a sliding rail, like closet doors. Behind them, I have tons of shelf storage. I have cleaned and organized them since this pic, so they look even better now.














I have two tables set up in an L shape. There is room for 2 machines, one for me, one for my Young Lady. On one table, I have a cutting mat, on the other, is my ironing cloth. I didn't adhere it to the table, because I like being able to take it off in case I need lots of room for a project, like Valentine making, or beading a quilt.
As you can see, this is also a good space for setting up my laptop, or encouraging cats to lie on fabric and piles of beads.















Here is a good view of the fabric wall. All my fabric is in the white plastic drawers. THe tall drawers hold all my collage materials, and the big brown cupboard holds all of our art supplies. Again- this area has been reorganized since these photos were taken, but I wanted to go ahead and post them so you can see the space.

Let's see if Blogger will let me post one or twomore. I just want to tell you, I know this isn't a real fancy space, and having to share it with 3 cats, and the spiders that they don't eat, with no ceiling yet does make keeping it tidy a challenge, but I am so pleased with the feel of the space. It is cozy and open.

The wood stove makes it nice and warm down here at 4 in the am, when I am not sleeping. The cats like it too.


That's all for now. Now that I have this process down, I am hot to show you new works, old works, my Christmas decorations (that have been sitting patiently in my camera since December!), and the kids and cats.
Thanks for being patient, Dy.
LB

This Artist's Way

Last week, Amy and I started reading The Artist's Way. I am hoping that it will help me recover from this almost 2 yr old block I have been in. The studio has helped immensely, but something is still missing. For the class to work, I am supposed to do a weekly check-in each Sunday, so here we go.

I really struggled with the morning pages, but was successful with taking myself on an artist's date. I thought it would be the other way around.

The idea behind the morning pages is to do 3 pages of free-write first thing when you wake up. I have heard it called "brain drain" before. I have been trying to get up at 6 am, and I really struggled with getting 3 pages written at that time of the morning. Sometimes I wish we were supposed to be doing night pages- I lay awake in bed, with at least three pages of nonsense and unbidden thoughts floating around in my brain. I did 5 out or 6 days this week, with some days not being a full 3 pages. Sigh. I vow to be better at them this week.

I called Amy early on in the week, trying to come up with ideas for an artist date- this seems like a strange concept for me so far- doing something to support and excite the artist within. I ended up finding some time after a tortuous Massage Therapy appointment last Thursday, to expore a Big Lots store near the massage office. I found tons of fun little doo-dads for collaging- sticky string, 3-D stickers, art papers, cheap fancy envelopes, paper leaves, etc. I came out of there with a huge bag of goodies, and only spent $20. Now that I have played with some of it, I want to go back and get lots more!

For our exercises this week, we were supposed to explore who were our early champions and villians when it came to being artists. I really had to search to come up with any villians in my life when it came to my making art. I found lots of champions, though, and it was interesting to search back through my memories and think about people who were supportive of me when I was young- hadn't thought about some of them in many years.

My studio is coming along so very well. It is still rough in spots, but I have almost everything put away and organized, and the cool part is that I have actually been creating this week! I quilted a small wall hanging, which is now in a hoop, waiting to be beaded. My Little Lady (the daughter formerly known as the Girl) and I have been making Valentine's Day cards for our close friends this week. Funny- I have made one in the time it has taken her to make five!! I am committed to being in my studio every day, and am getting closer to this being a reality. With all the other responsibilities and commitments I have, this is turning out to be a major deal!

Today, I will read ch. 2's lesson, and get started on it. I am so glad to have a partner in this exercise. It has made it so much easier to actually do the work, and show up at the pages, knowing someone else is putting in the effort and doing the time too.

How did you do on your goals for this week, Amy?

So, when it comes to my art, who I am is the possibility of being a prolific creator of art.
LB

update on the education of The Fine Young Man

So. It has been an interesting week with my son. I am still battling, or should I say, working with, the school system to see if my Fine Young Man can attend the high school full time next school year. It is taking a great deal of my time and energy, but it will be okay in the end. I just know it. Because I have an amazing son. He sees that fighting me over schoolwork for the last couple of years has caused him (and me) a great deal of trouble and inconvenience, and he sees that it is going to take effort to dig himself out of this situation. We are working on baby steps. This week, he is in integrity with all of his work. This is a huge triumph. Yay!

In other news, the Fine Young Man is going to state with his speech and debate team! He is also going to the national trials! He had a tournament just last night, and took first place in Humourous Interpretation. He is just getting better and better, and his routines are so much fun to watch!

Aaacckkk. Dumb Blogger

I know, I know. I haven't been blogging again. Sigh. I have been fighting Blogger. Then when I finally think I have it down, it blows up in my face again. And then I just have no energy to post anything. But I think I finally have it under control now, and think they will accept both my name and password. Can't believe it took me all week to get it in gear on that. I am such a computer nerd.
LB

Quick update

The money negotions have started for the Wonderful Job. First offer was less than what he is making now, but they have tons of perks, incentives, commissions, etc. that bring it up to what he is making now.Papa Dude countered, fairly on the high end, so we shall see what happens. I know he will take this job no matter what they offer, as it is so much more of what he wants to do. He talked to several other field engineers in the company, and they are all telling him it is worth it, and that money doesn't always have to come directly from the salary to be good and steady.

Midnight the Van died last night, or at the very least is in critical condition. The Dude thinks it is the power steering. Sigh, could it not have waited just two weeks, till we had the money in hand that Papa will get from not using up all his vacation time at the U? He is out getting parts for the little toyota, so we can at least have it to use.

I spent several hours yesterday dealing with the public high school my Fine Young Man wants to attend, as well as the dept. of education. I am not yet ready to talk about my experiences and feelings on this matter- still in the middle of it and sorting it all out, but, I will tell you this:
I never, ever thought that *I*, the person who has always told anyone that would even sorta listen to me, that homeschooling was so much better than a public school education would now be working as hard as I am to get my son into the public school system. Sigh. I will fill you in on this one when I have more solid info. Let's just say, being an advocate for my son to get into public high school is hard, and I am fighting my personal stories about the system every step of the way.

Well, better get off this thing, and get dressed, it is going to be an interesting day. Kids are cranky, the Dude is cranky, and I get to hold it all together, with cranky-less mama glue.

Later,
LB

Hey Amy!

Amy over at The Foil Hat, tagged me for a great curriculum meme. Well Amy, it just so happens that I did this one already, back in August, and I had tagged YOU to do it too! So, you go read my old one, and I will go read your new one.

And as always, I will tell you that Amy's writing is very good, very funny, but don't foget to check out her soaps, too. I am in love with them.
LOL,
LB

Birthday report and other stuff, too.

The Girl had a great birthday. We started by sleeping in till 10 am, glorious! Then we drove to the Seattle Center, had a snack in the center house, and then it was off to the Science Center. We got to see a live boa constrictor, play with the water features, and most heavenly, spend an hour in the butterfly house, which was lovely. We always learn something new about the butterflies. This time we learned the to tell the difference between the Blue Morpho and the Giant Owl butterflies by their eyespots.

After a fun trip through the store, where the Girl picked out a couple of little things (and the Boy didn't ask for a single thing!), we headed back to our neck of the woods. We stopped at the fabric store where the Girl picked out a miniature quilt kit called Little Women, with repro fabrics, and a simple nine-patch block.

While we girls were in the fabric store, the boys ran over to the grocery, and picked up a healthy cake mix, that we will make some time this week.

Then to her fave Mexican restaurant, where after dinner, they brought her fried ice cream (which she couldn't eat, but graciously accepted, then gave to her brother and Papa as soon as the waitress left.), and a cute sombrero with a poleroid picture of her and her brother. She really loved this!

We made a stop at Fred Meyer's so we could get Papa some new slacks and a shirt for his interview, and then finally home. By the time we got home, I was pooped out and crawled into bed, while the three of them watched a DVD we picked up at the SC, about deep space.

In other news, I am trying to be an advocate for my son who wants to go to the local public high school at the beginning of the semester (Early Feb), but he hasn't been integrity with his school for a while and is now behind. So I am researching GLE's (newfangled term for standards), trying to check out textbooks from the school for him to use, and trying to enroll the school counselors and officials in supporting him so he will be able to start in tenth grade in the fall. I still need to do some scheduling and planning for him, but that will wait for any new books he gets. In the meantime, he is using what we have.

He and I have a long road ahead of us this spring and summer in order to get him where he wants/needs to be. He is finally seeing that I haven't been out to get him, and I am not mean by having him do school. He sees that if he had just done what I expected of him, he would have been able to jump in mid-year and done just fine- that it was his choices that have him in this situation now. That in itself will make this torturous process I am involved in right now worth it.

My back went out after I spent all that time in the dentist's chair, so I am back to Massage Therapy 2X a week for another month at least. Sigh. I was doing so well, and was going to be done in January, but not now. I am doing my best to roll with it.

We are having a sisters meeting tonight at my mom's. Trying to enroll my mom and sisters in the idea of me being the primary caregiver for mom in the future, and that taking some equity out of her house now, and building a mother-in-law in our back yard, while clearing out her house and getting it ready to sell is a good idea to consider soon. Wish me luck on this one, sigh.

Papa Dude has his interview tonight- he is being sought out by the company that makes the machines he works on to become a field engineer. He would travel a great deal, but not long distances, repairing and maintaining the cytometers that he works on now. It would mean a great deal more money a year than the University is willing or able to pay him now. Think good thoughts for him- he really wants this, and I want it for him. It means more single parenting for me than I am used to, but better now than when they were little babies.

My studio is in a holding pattern- what with my sore mouth, and backaches, and birthdays, I haven't even been down there lately. I am so itching to be creating, as I have several ideas floating in my head right now, but it is just going to wait.

Well, we just finished our Classical Writing for today, and there is a mountain of laundry to fold, the dishes need to be done, and I am supposed to be napping right now, so this will be all for now. We still have food bank deliveries this afternoon before we go to Grandma's.
LB

Both Blogger and I are back.

Okay, I am back, and Blogger seems to be too. I tried to post several times this weekend, but Blogger wasn't having any of it!

My tooth still hurts, but I am doing better. Though wouldn't you know it, after laying in a dentist's chair for 5 hours, my back has been extremely painful and threatening to go out on my all weekend. I rested as much as I could, took vicadin as much as I could ;-), and am doing much better.

I will post again later- tomorrow is my Baby Girl's birthday. She will be 12, and I need to go get a few things ready for her. 12- how did that happen so very fast!
LB

Ouchie-Boo-Boo

Man, yesterday was a painful day! It is days like that that make me grateful for high pain tolerance.

First off, I went to the Papa Dude's dentist. I was in the chair from 7 am to noon. Realized I should have eaten before I left, because I was too numb to do so at noon.

Raced home, picked up the kids, dropped the Fine Young Man off at the High school, and the GIrl and I drove up to nature study. One of the other moms led for me, as all of a sudden, I felt like crashing. Whew! 4 hours of nitris oxide did me in, I think.

After N.S., we headed to the Girl's piano lesson. I played with Baby A while Girl worked on Chopin and Hayden.

By this point, the numbness was wearing off enough for the pain to set in. I drove into town, picked Papa up, and slid over into the passenger seat.

We picked the Boy up at school at 5 pm, took me home, and I was able to crawl into bed.Took two hydrocodones, and crashed.

While I rested, the Girl made me supper, and the guys ran back into town to pick up a couple of free bookcases I had spotted the day before. These are fancy IKEA bookcases. Yay. I am not sure, but this may take our total number of bookcases up to 20.

So, I am feeling better, but amazed at how much pain I am in with this temporary crown.
I plan on resting this morning, till we need to leave for volunteer working the afternoon.
Not an exciting entry, but that's about all the blogging I have in me this morning.
LB

Chipped tooth!

Darn it! I was just at the store, buying some healthier food choices. I picked up a box of Tic Tacs because I thought it would help me with the transition to eating healthier and not eating too much candy. So I no more than get home, and pop one in my mouth when I hear a horrible crunching sound. Darn it and darn it again- I just chipped a tooth! And my dentist is out of the office till Monday. Now I am going to have to find a dentist quick, and fit this visit into the rest of my hugely busy week. You know I am saying a lot worse words than darn it. :-(
LB

Tidbit #8 Freeway debris

As we were driving south on I-5 today, we noticed that someone must have lost a load of paper- there were sheets of paper just flying and fluttering everywhere- like large confetti.

As we got closer to home, there was a teddy bear in my lane. Funny- as I glanced in my rearview mirror, I noticed everyone behind me was swerving to miss the old brown bear. I realize they were most likely just trying not to hit something in the road, but the mama side of me was imagining they were trying not to hit someone's special bear.

My next door neighbor just called and is working late and wants us to walk her dogs- good- my exercise is planned out for the day.
LB

Tidbit #7: Fitness

Yesterday I walked a mile, ate very healthily (although I felt very hungry when I went to bed) ,drank water, and even went sledding with the kids (memory making indeed).

We shall see how today goes, fitness wise. I was wide awake from 1 to 5 this morning. THe not sleeping is starting to show underneath my eyes. Sigh.

Happy Wednesday,
LB

Tidbit #6 in the form of a question:

Do any of you have any ideas about simple make-up for a person who hasn't worn make-up for 20 years, due to extremely sensitive skin?

Mom-Bob has pointed me in the direction of a beeswax-based mascara. I am also interested in eyeshadow, blush, and maybe a foundation that will look good on a very deep olive skin tone.

With all the teaching, consulting, and coaching I am going to be doing this year, I am in a place in my life where I would like to occasionally look a bit more professional, but I am going to have to work up to it, as I have experienced such painful skin reactions in the past.

As for skin care products, I am sold on the salt scrubs, soaps, and shea butter from The Foil Hat. I most likely will just contentedly order from Amy for the rest of my life. Check her stuff out if you haven't already. Tell her LB sent ya'. Just reading the descriptions of the products is fun. And then check out her blog, because Amy is one funny lady.

Off to take the tree down and put ornaments in boxes.
LB

Tidbit #5

I had a wierd night's sleep- Santa brought us new flannel sheets, but they have only been washed once, and they felt so yucky! Like sleeping between suede, or in a pile of peaches. Yucky!

I also had one of the worst dreams I have ever had which involved kissing someone, and having them get sick at the same time. Gross.

What happened to restful sleep?
LB

Tidbit #4

Tidbit #4.
Studio Update:
I truly love my partner/husband/ Papa Dude. This studio as a Christmas gift idea really rocks, you know?
I am not ready to take pics yet (maybe tomorow), still putting stuff away.
My Young Man (MYM, was the boy FKA Boy. He is just growing up so nicely.) and I covered (with cotton batting) and hung the 4' X 8' panels that are my design wall (YEEHAW!!). It was a huge challenge in communication, but the two of us came through it fairly unscathed, I think.
OK, I need to bop to John Hyatt and get more stuff put away.
LB

Tidbit #3

What I am reading these days:
a website on couching

Over the Line: Couching Rediscovered, by Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn

Between the Sheets with Angelina: a workbook for fusible fibres, by Alysn Midgelow-Marsden

The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron

Where I've been spending my money:
Dollmaker's Ink

Carma

Off to visit my mama now,
LB