'Scuse Me, While I Kiss the Sky!

Wheeeeeeee! I'm so happy! I finished my developmental psychology class which means, school's out for summer, baby!

I didn't have to take the class, but I am so glad I did. It was very informative, interesting and will definitely help me in life and in my work. It also means that I finished my prerequisites to apply for a graduate program in Art Therapy. I still haven't decided if that's what I'll do, but I have some time to think about it, and it's nice to know that it's done in case I decide that is what I want to do.

Here is the cover of my Developmental Psychology book.


And, for vanity and cover comparisons, here I am on the cover of a Psychology of Women text book.

This picture was taken when I was 16 years old, and yes, that's really me.
(On the left.) This book is out of print, my face littering a landfill somewhere.

It sure would be great to get my hands on a couple of copies...

Wilco

Wilco

Wilco will love you baby.

Stay-Cation All I Ever Wanted

Stay-Cation have to get away! Oy vey, this heat!

I wrote this post about some fun adventures in downtown Dallas that I had last week. I wore a new skirt that day, (actually I bought it last year, but this is the first appearance it makes on Skirt Project). And I got a parking ticket, but it was totally worth it. I will write more about it Wednesday. I'm finishing up my last psychology class, and I'm doing pretty good so far. Wish me luck!

SIGNS

My photo for Thursday's Photo Assignment from Smarts & Crafts. A few of my favorite things: lights, my 'hood, and beer. Next week's theme is LIGHT. Play along with me, it's fun!

Adventures with Grace

My stint as a single mother ended earlier this week, and I had the BEST time. I forget how great four-year-olds are.

Face painting at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Skipping to my Lou:

Play dates and kiddie pools

We went downtown for a pool party, "Miss Lydia! These are the biggest buildings I have ever seen in my life!"

The skirt that's testing the waters belongs to Ashlee.

Grace and I made the cupcakes for the party:

The mini-cheeseburgers on the top are actually teeny tiny cake cookies. Nabisco calls them Cakesters.

Here are the ingredients I used to make the mini-cheeseburgers:

Here's how we did it:

1. Color, or buy fondant in the colors of red, yellow and green. I like this fondant, and these gel food colorings. Be careful when you are coloring the fondant, it does stain.

2. Split one Nilla Cakester. Don't worry about scraping off the cream filling, it looks like mayonnaise.

3. Pinch some green fondant to make it look like lettuce, and place on one the Nilla Cakester halves.

4. Next, place one chocolate creme Oreo Cakester on top of the lettuce.

5. Roll out the yellow fondant, or squeeze with your fingers. Cut into a square and place on top of the Oreo Cakester.

6. Roll the red fondant like a snake and cut into small pieces. Softly squeeze the red pieces between your fingers and place three on top of the cheese.

7. Top off the burger with the last Nilla Cakester half.

Enjoy!

Here's a graduation cake that I made for my friend Kevin, using the mini-cheeseburgers.

(Actually the cake is a store bought chocolate ganache cake, but I made the burgers and the sign!)

Well Done!

Get it?

Summer Staycation

Check out this post I wrote for Art & Seek. It combines a few of my favorite things to do: shopping and art!

Texas Discovery Gardens

My friend Jim is visiting from down under. We met in a metals class and took a real liking to each other. He's going back to Oz next Wednesday, so we hung out at the Texas Discovery Gardens, an "organic urban oasis" located at Fair Park. I wanted to practice taking pictures. Maybe it had something to do with hanging out with Jim, but I kept going back to lessons I learned in art school.

Brace yourself, I took LOTS of pictures yesterday.

The Texas Star

Did you know that this is the largest ferris wheel in North America?


Line


Form


Positive and negative space


Texture








Color Theory and Mother Nature

More botanicals:

My mom used to call me her passion flower,

"cause it only took one night."

Hahahaha! Sorry mom.

Echinacea


It's been so long since I've seen a pine cone...

Jim made that bracelet for me. The big star shaped seed is a Eucalyptus seed. It smells so good. He also made this matching necklace.

The green stone is Atlantisite. It's a combination of the minerals serpentine and stitchtite (small flecks of deep purple in the mineral.) It's only found in Tasmania, made by Jim, therefore is special.

I owe you a scarf Jim. I promise.

Bas-relief detail on the soon-to-open Rosine Smith Sammons Butterfly House and Insectarium.




A close up of Jim's pants. He had them made while he was in Thailand.

Jim at a crossroads.

He's taken the road less traveled.

STITCH

Check out my photo on Smarts and Crafts:

Last Thursday's assignment was "STITCH." I like their Thursday Photo Assignments. It's a great idea for blog participatatorship (yeah, I just made that word up). Next week's assignment is "SIGNS," I have some good ideas for that one.

I snapped this pic a couple of weeks ago when I patched my friend's jeans. He's in Europe right now on a well deserved trip. He just had a book published.

Learn more about it, and buy your copy here.

Congratulations Walton!

Yay me!

Book of Days cont.

So, I have a problem... It's not that I have too much time on my hands, it's that I have too much to do, and I've realized how much TIME it takes me to do all the things I want/need to do. Why aren't there enough hours in the day?

In an attempt to organize, I was inspired by the posts on inchmark, a beautiful blog by a very talented stylist. Click here and here to view the posts that inspired me. Of course, I am constantly inspired by Keri Smith. This recent post, and this book are always in the back of my mind as I doodle my TO DO lists.

Yesterday, I went to NorthPark for a post that I'm blogging about here, of course I had to vsit Paper Source. Looking around, I stumbled upon this gem:

It's a perpetual calendar with grids (yay!) and a column on the side that says, "do something creative every day." I brought it home, stamped it up with my new date stamp*, and started organizing and writing my TO DOs and upcoming gigs.

Tomorrow I become a single mother for the next 5 days.

Yay!

So excited!

No really, I am!

Seriously!

*Note: I did not buy this stamp from Office Depot. I actually got one that cost less than $5. I had to buy my own stamp pad, but at least I can stamp on more surfaces.

Book of Days

I just saw this on the Madewell website. Cute, huh? BTW, their summer sale starts tomorrow.

I've always been obsessed with calendars. I used to draw them all the time when I was a kid. I think I need to reinstate this practice. I miss drawing.

WORK!

I'm working with a deadline right now and fighting the urge to muse and share my experience with my cookies from yesterday.  But, I had to post something!

DEADLINE post-it stop motion

This is a senior project from Savannah College of Art and Design.

Amazing.

Favorite Finds from the Bedridden Blogger

Let's get this day started, shall we?

My pinched nerve was so bad yesterday, I didn't get around to baking my cookies, but I did find three stellar recipes and shopped for my ingredients. So, as soon as I finish my coffee and write this post, I'll get started.

I stayed in bed yesterday, and did quite a bit of "research," trolling the internet for crafty, design and art-y inspiration. Favorite finds from yesterday.

From sfgirlbybay:

Turquoise Smith Corona Typewriter from Junk Culture on Etsy.




Images by Brooke Reynolds. I stumbled across her blog inchmark, via this blog. I also collect scraps of security envelopes. The designs are mesmerising. I intend to turn perfect squares into paper cranes.

There are so many blogs! And some are better than turning the pages of a magazine.

Speaking of magazines, the latest issue of ReadyMade came in the mail.

Sadly, this issue is lackluster. There is only one project I would consider making. Just one.
(I'll post a pic later, once I figure out how to get my scanner working.)

However, here is another project I would love to make!

Find it on instructables here.

I'm not sure which blog I first saw this project:

but I just found it again on HowAboutOrange...

Time to make the cookies!

Busy Bee

I've been TCB:
Baking and making cakes,
Applying for jobs,
Working on a class for summer school,
Going through things at my mom's house,
Helping my family,
and...

Volunteering.

Last Monday, I went to volunteer at the county jail with the group Resolana.

We made little books. Here's my book.

I didn't really know what I was doing when I started, but I just took a pen and went to work.






And then the two hours were up...


We shared our stories. I walked out feeling humbled, thankful for what I have.

I walked out.


Click here for a great article on Resolana from May 1, 2009 and the Dallas Morning News.

I'm working with a pinched nerve, and it hurts BAD! But, today is the day to make cookies. I unearthed 10 lbs. of good, usable sugar and two bags of Ghirardelli chocolate chips. I'm excited! Which recipe will I make today?

Ain't life so sweet?