From 2009, Saturday's Skirt

I was going through posts that I had started but never finished the other day and came across 3 for the month of April. This post is exactly one year old today. Better late than never, right? I apologize for the crazy coding catastrophe. I am not going to spend anymore time on it.


Saturday's skirt is another gift from Marianne who gave me seven skirts. I gave one to my sister-in-law and have worn three already, so this one makes number 4. I have two left! But this skirt is great, because it's a flattering fit, I love the color and the embroidered navy blue starred circles compliment the white circles and feel great on the tips of my fingers when my hands brush against the fabric. I had a busy day last Saturday, but who knew it was going to be so chilly? The morning was kind of like the color of my skirt, icy blue.

"On the road again!"

On my way to Denton... it takes about 45 minutes.

My new peep toe shoes. Aren't they adorable? They are from Payless and are navy blue with pink polka dots! Definitely the best $20 I spent last week.

There was an exhibition at UNT called Graff, Tag and Bomb: The Influence of Graffiti -- An exhibition of graffiti-influenced art presented by the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design. Sour Grapes, a group of Oak Cliff-based graffiti artists, will create a graffiti mural outside the UNT Art Building as part of the exhibition.

HMS, my old candy store.

They sell art supplies here. I spent so much money here, I should just repay my student loans to this place.

Back to Dallas for brunch with Marianne, we went to Mama's Daughters' Diner.

My yummy Belgian waffles. It doesn't take much to make me happy!

There's Mama!

It was a little like a celebrity sighting for me.

After brunch we went Garage Sale-ing in a neighborhood here in Dallas called the L streets.

We hit about 7 sales where I scored a CuisineArt complete with attachments for $10, an angel food cake pan for $1, a vintage book of Grimm's Fairy Tales for 25¢ and a copy of Lolita for 50¢.

I also bought a rather large remnant roll of this pretty vintage wallpaper for $1.

After the sale we went to C's house for a fitting of Sunny Sliger's work. 

C in Sunny's skirt. I'll be wearing similar fashion at TigerSprung.

Finally, I was shat on...

And that SHAT is good luck!

*******************

It's funny to think of some of these items waiting for me back in Dallas:

My friends

My skirt and shoes

My garage sale loot

But they are!

Visitors

A good idea, so this one's for you:

We've had some friends come and visit us in Belgium. Although they did not stay very long in Belgium, it's been wonderful to see familiar faces and meet some new ones too.

Last month, my friend Taylor came to see me. This was the day Jon was in the hospital, so I could only meet her for dinner.

We ate delicious Flemish food at Belga Queen,

and took pictures with Flat Stanley at Churchill's.

Taylor's visit was short, but sweet. Just like Taylor!

Last week, two of Jon's friends came from California, via Paris and Brugge to visit. It was fun to play tour guide and show them our favorite sights. 

First Stop:  

Grand Place

It's a lovely place.

One of the most beautiful squares in Europe.

I always discover something new...

Second stop:

Manneken Pis

Still doing his thing...

Third stop:
Our guests were adamant on having moules frittes and rightly so. They selected Chez Léon, just off the Grand Place, to eat and we were not disappointed!

I will definitely go back and also invite you to check out their website for fun Belgian facts and recipes!

Fourth stop:
St. Michael's Cathedral, but first check out these ox or bull statues in the front.

They are covered with graffiti, but something tells me the work below is not of the adult nature...

St. Michael's Cathedral looks a bit like a mini Notre Dame to me...

This is the cathedral where Belgian princes marry their princesses. 

It was lovely time to walk around.

Very quiet.

I have a habit of lighting candles when I enter sacred places like St. Michael's.

This one is for my nephew... Michael.

Fifth stop:

Belgian Center of Comic Strip Art 

Belgium's beloved Tin Tin.

Here he is again on a child's T shirt. 

I had snapped this pic earlier in the day.

My favorite piece in the museum:

An ancient writing and picture of the earliest Smurf known to man.

Just kidding. 

The museum is housed in an Art Nouveau building designed by Victor Horta. This is a picture I took of the interior, notice the red rocket on the right. It was Tin Tin's.

On the stairs, a little detail you could just step over if you didn't know it was there...

Detail:

And now for some of Jon's awesome photos... He is so good at this...

This one is my favorite.

Jon pointed out that parts of the floors were made of glass. 

The glass tiles are the light blue ones below...

Sixth, seventh or eighth stop:

I lost count, but here we are by the Royal Library, a beautiful place to walk through...

A close-up of the statue in the center.

Our day didn't end there, but this is the end of postable photos. Don't worry, I will definitely be going back to Brussels. I went ahead and started a Google map of all of the places we would go if you were here. That would be fun, wouldn't it?


View My Brussels in a larger map.

Wish you were here!
xoxo

Colour Story, Part II

It's time for spring cleaning, which means I've spent the past week getting organized. I don't have much, but what I do have is starting to spill out and distracts me from projects that I want to work on. 

Illy Art Collection Cans keep my pens, pencils, watercolor pencils and markers organized. As do my cereal box file keepers. 

Some fun finds from Blokker in Belgium, plus some of my favorite Paper Source stamps.

 A colorful newspaper basket nest (instructions here) for my growing collection of paper cranes. 

So, what's the story you ask? I'm not sure, but it's pretty to look at!

A Colour Story

I've been wanting this watercolour set for a while now. 

It's from a fancy brand called Winsor & Newton. 

I was kind of bummed not to get a black in my set. You know, with my black hair and all. Still, they are so much fun to play with, and I can always go back and get more colours.

I think it will make me a better artist.

In other news...

I've been accepted to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Hoera!

New Magazines!

Introducing:

&

From the publishers of Marta Stewert:

On newsstands soon!

Just kidding...

April Fools'!

Inspiration

Image from Maira Kalman's New York Times blog And the Pursuit of Happiness, 2006.

I’ve talked about Maira Kalman quite a bit on this blog. I love her illustrations and writing because it is evident that she views the world in a unique way – a way in which I, and millions of others, relate to and appreciate.

Last week I tuned into a webinar featuring Maira Kalman. She talked about her work, her process, and her inspiration. Below is a list of the key ideas that I gleaned from her talk.

Maira’s Pearls of Wisdom

Travel

Walk

Read

Wonder

Observe

Carry a sketchbook

Carry a camera

Dare to dream

It's ok to procrastinate

The title of the webinar was called "I Wake Up and Walk, First Reading the Obituaries," which is exactly what I did this morning.

R.I.P.

Jaime Escalante

Ted Pillsbury

March 30

Sonnet 30

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance of things past,
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,
And weep afresh love's long since cancell'd woe,
And moan the expense of many a vanish'd sight: 

Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before. 

But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.

~William Shakespeare

1610    

Introducing

 iPhone update Wet.O

Be Careful What You Wish For...

My wish: I wish for time to...

You just might get your wish.