Pay It Forward

I had an unusually good morning considering I slept horribly last night. My mind refused to settle, it was full of plans and ideas and worries and lists. Then I was texted out of my restlessness about dying fish and bitchy girlfriends, which had more in common in my mind than probably true and it was making it hard to concentrate. Or maybe it was the fact that it was after 4am... I listened to my overly type A boss rant about personal problems at 6am which helped me wake up a bit. And when she had strayed so far off on some random tangent that I felt confident she would never navigate her way back to her original point (which was about a guy at her job, but for some reason we were talking about orange drop cookies) I hurriedly changed the subject to the weather and my cold cold car outside. By then it was nearly 7am... but that's actually relatively good for her. Her therapy is venting and I'm her captive audience 5 days of the week.

So that was my mediocre start to my day... but once outside it was like a winter wonderland. Don't get excited, it wasn't snow. But the frost was so thick it looked that way at fist glance. It was beautiful. The sun was starting to come up so the lighting was perfect and the birds were reverberating off every icy wall. Outside was an amazing symphony of morning sounds. My car was of course frozen shut and it was like sitting in an icebox once I got in. So I played Mario on the DS while I waited for my car to warm up. Probably 5 minutes went by (I got a star!) and someone scared me half to death. All of a sudden something hit my windshield and started scraping my ice off. It took me a minute to see anyone then a chubby face appeared in the hole he'd just made, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. Some guy warming up his car had seen me get in mine and he said he just watched my car for what seemed like forever and nothing happened so he decided to help. He proceeded to scrape all the glass on my vehicle and waved, smiled and left. It made my morning!

It really did. I hope that guy realizes he made my boring start turn into a wonderful morning. He made me really want to do something nice for someone else today. Pay it forward... and hopefully that person will pass it along too. It's a contagious feeling. 

My Boy

I had an impromptu date with my pup today. I was struck with an idea while I was walking a client this morning and it made me want to bring my boy back to that park with my camera. I knew he would love the foot deep sea of leaves on the ground.

And sure enough he was a mad man. He barely stayed still for two seconds. But I managed to capture some good shots as he darted around the leaf garden.

He was a good sport. He always is. He was clueless to what I was doing the most of the time. Everything else was more interesting than me. That's fine. Find out Monday the real reason I was at that park. 

I can't tell you but I was too excited about it not to post a little hint to it.. lol. I'm weird. I know. I have to go to work. Till tomorrow...

Listening To Some Biggy at 8am

So I'm obsessed with this song...

It's been getting me through my morning. I decided to stay up when I got home from work instead of my usual routine of taking a quick nap with Mr. Prez before I have to go to my second job. But I just have too much going on today, I don't have time to nap. Although other than my online to do list... I haven't really been all that much more productive than normal. Everyone is asleep, so there's not much I can do. Dishes, vacuuming, and cleaning the bathroom would all be too loud for the boys. I know if I try to clean out my cupboards I'll end up dropping stuff and making a cacophony in the kitchen out of mere subconscious spite. I'm uncontrollably self destructive like that for some reason. So I'm hiding from my own overpowering ways in the office. Youtube has still helped me from being silent in here... I can't seem to just enjoy the quiet. Oh well.

So I have been painting with watercolor for the past week, and it's fun. I think I found a new skill to work on. I never stick to one medium for that long, so we'll see how long this one lasts. Want to see some ipod pics? Here...

This was something I sold a few months ago through the Sunflower Gallery

And the fish plate currently resides at Mom & Erich's

Whirlwind

This week has flown by and I feel like I have just gone along for the ride. I have been working hard on Christmas presents and thinking hard on Thanksgiving. I can't believe it is less than a week away. I have a fun weekend project in store to get me ready for the holiday at my apartment. Luckily I get that day half off.. I don't have to walk puppies. But I do have to pick up the kids and take them home and work all night. You can't get everything you want I guess.

I don't have any pictures right now. I know.. shame on me. I've just been too scatterbrained to be on top of that. I have all my pictures in random spots on different people's computers so I just wanted to check in and let you know I'm still chugging along. I haven't abandoned you again.. this creative streak wasn't that short lived. I'm still working. I actually really like what I'm currently working on and I hope to have more of an update later. If they look good when I finish more I might have something to start my Etsy account with.

Speaking of which... that is on my agenda for next week.Tody and I are going to work hard and get all my art pictures organized so I can really get to selling. I'm excited and ready to let go of some of this art.

So I hope to show you my fun leaf project tomorrow. I'm back to  my old candle making ways. Although hopefully a lot less messy this time. 

Yay For Elephants

Tody went on an adventure today to find elephants and he succeeded! 

I have this cream dispenser. 

And I need this mug!

They make me happy. 

My Hero

today is my best friend Cody Rate Stewart! He rescued my pictures from my cracked, battered and lifeless Ipod. I guess its heaven is thinking it is a camera... since that's what his computer read it as. But it gave back my pictures. Guess we really can't take anything with us to heaven. That's good.
So here are some great pics of us he recovered!

I am so grateful! So periodically I can show you guys what I was up to while I was on hiatus from the internet.

London Fog

Have you ever tried on a London Fog raincoat? One of those long lush vintage ones with the rich thick fabric and the heavy buttons? I have always wanted one. I found one once at St Vinny's but it was too small so I had to leave it for the next special bargain searcher who happened to be a bit smaller than I. But those coats are the image of fall in the Northwest to me. This morning I couldn't get those raincoats out of my head as I navigated my way through the fog. The little bit of cars that were out at 6am were disappearing before my eyes as they got only yards ahead of me. It was strangely comforting, like being in your own private cloud that hid you from the rest of the world.

Kitsap Fog. Doesn't sound as luxurious, but still has its mystic. And perhaps an underlining dangerous vibe... just because of the area. Makes for alluring pictures though.

The leaves caught my eye too. They have been for some time now but I've just been too distracted and lost in space to stop and really look. I've only been giving them passing glances and fleeting thoughts of how pretty a picture that would make then going on my busy way. So today I took a few snap shots. It's a wonder how something so lifeless and cold can hold so much fiery passion before it decomposes and becomes one with the earth again.

Then  saw something that made me laugh out loud like a kid at 7am as I was wandering aimlessly around my neighborhood. Oh the joys of being a tortured youth... someone's parents out there are just thrilled at how popular their child must be.

Gone are the days of throwing the nerd's shoes up a power line... this generation puts Razor's in trees. 

I'm Tentatively Stepping Back In The Ring

Sup?
Anybody still there?

Well I am still milling around for those that have wondered. I don't have anything substantial to show you. Although I can direct you to some great photography I have at least had my hand in. But lately my life has consisted of walking 2 to 3 hours a day being led aimlessly around the county by furry four legged friends then crashing on my friend's couch to hold her house down while her little one's sleep and she keeps our roads safe. I've managed to sneak in my creative ventures though. Here and there.. when I have the mental capacity to. And hopefully with this little push in the artistic direction that my amazing Mr. Prez has given me (by means of relinquishing his laptop to me) I'll slowly settle back into my old habits here of sharing my artistic triumphs and failures with the world.
I wish I had pictures to show you, but, sadly... my one means of documenting my random works of art has been ruined. My beloved ipod touch bit the dust a few weeks ago. And with it went all of my ideas, pictures, saved links to projects I wanted to try my hand at, and my precious precious Instagram family. How I miss them... But I'm recovering. I've decided to jump back into Blogging and see if that helps sooth the pain of my missed instant gratification.

So stay tuned. I've found my camera. And somehow my motivation for the time being...