Entries Tagged as: meme
Abundance – Wellness Wednesday
December 19th, 2007, Comments (10)
I'm overwhelmed with abundance at the moment! I think in the past I got used to having low expectations in regards to every one and every thing. It was a way of protecting myself against getting hurt. This is one of those habits that goes way back and becomes a part of your identity even when it no longer serves you. As I mentioned earlier in my post about defining beliefs, I'm trying to let go of those old rules that I've made up. In a special twist, I was randomly assigned the essay "Bust Your Toast Rules" for Patti's 37 Days art card challenge, which takes a very amusing look at this very thing.
One of my old rules has been: expect little to nothing and then you're never disappointed. But you see, when you expect little to nothing, that's often what you get! And then what happens when I start getting all I ever wanted, but never dared to expect? I shrink away from it. I'm one of those people who gets embarrassed by praise, is shy opening gifts, gets uneasy around abundance. It's funny noticing this about myself. I want to shake it off like an old sweater and put on something sparkly instead. I'm not talking about money necessarily when I talk about abundance either. It can be in all forms, small and large.
Yesterday, I received a beautiful lotus vase to hold my pens as a gift in a fun swap with Karen at Zazazu. I totally love it! I also received on the same day my first copy of Body & Soul which I won in a drawing on Karen's blog!! Thank you, Karen! I gobbled it up last night on the couch! I also got some beautiful holiday cards from friends and family, an item for a surprise gift for the hubster and the latest issue of Art and Life. And today, today I'm goin shoppin for a new car. Eek! Oh my, power windows and locks, something I've been longing for after years of owning a very, very basic car! Wee!
Ok, so I wrote all the above yesterday, but when I went to take a picture of the vase, my camera had run out of batteries, so I put it in the charger and ran off to do errands and didn't get back to it til this morning. But I think, it's good timing for a Wellness Wednesday post with Christmas just around the corner and lots of gift giving and receiving on the horizon. Perhaps if you too have trouble receiving, you can take some time to prepare yourself and be ready to be open to abundance in all its forms. Right now abundance for me is being up early in a quiet apartment, freshly showered in a stunningly blue shirt, jeans, and socks my grandma gave me with a big orange cat snoring behind me, looking out my window at the bare criss-cross of branches, seeing the silhouettes of geese flying in formation, and feeling warm and cozy when it's so wintry outside.
Ah, and the art above is my art journal which I pull out on occasion and I hope to be using much more in the coming year for Creative Every Day 2008! I have the journal turned vertically here because I drew a large jellyfish across the two pages. The hubster thought it looked like something rather phallic in it's early stages which made me laugh, but hopefully it looks less like a body part and more like a jellyfish now. And if not, oh well! 
Hope your day is deliciously abundant.
A Little Meme Action
December 13th, 2007, Comments (12)
I'll admit, I'm still feeling a little tender and teary, everything is making me cry tonight, oy! And yet, I've made the most of a night on my own with breakfast for dinner (scrambled eggs and cocoa!) I danced around the kitchen in polar bear pajama bottoms. And watched some of my favorite shows with snuggly kitties keeping me company. Maddie is right, gray days pass and happier days are on the horizon. I'm not even unhappy, just blue. And I know it will pass. And in the meantime, I'll keep doing what I can to be healthy and happy. With the idea of some light-hearted fun in mind, how bout a meme? This one has been floating around the blogosphere and I saw it last at Kelly's. So, here goes.
Do you own a gun?
Hells No
What do you think of hot dogs?
I know they're gross, but I'll still eat them at Fenway Park.
What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Water, tea, or (eek!) coca-cola!
Can you do push-ups?
Yes, the girly kind.
What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
My wedding ring and engagement ring together. Love them.
What is your secret weapon to lure the opposite sex?
Umm, secret weapon? I'm not so good at luring I'm afraid. Maybe that's my secret weapon!
Middle name?
Melissa
Name three thoughts at this exact moment:
- Tabbers (my cat) is like a fuzzy heating blanket
- Tim Gunn is hilarious
- I'm looking forward to a snow storm!
What time did you wake up today?
8:30 a.m.
Current hate?
Hate is a strong word. I strongly dislike the fact that my driveway is a big sheet of ice.
Name three drinks you regularly drink:
- Lime seltzer
- Coke
- tea with honey
Do you own slippers?
Yes, and they rock!
What shirt are you wearing?
A big blue shirt with a white star on it (a hand-me-down) that makes me look a little like something out of a Dr. Seuss story.
Do you burn or tan?
I tan mostly, but I can burn if I get too much sun, which I usually don't.
Favorite color(s)?
Favorite color in general is blue, but I love reds/oranges in art and my interest in colors shift regularly.
Would you be a pirate?
Um, Johnny Depp dressed in pirate gear is oddly attractive, so if he was my partner in crime, I'd consider it.
What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas I suppose. I like the lights, the color, and the time with family.
What songs do you sing in the shower?
Anything and everything from musicals, to bad 80's tunes to current stuff.
What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?
Ghosts under my bed, walking down the hallways, or in the open closet.
What’s in your pockets right now?
No pockets in my polar bear jammies.
Last thing that made you laugh?
Tim Gunn talking about 3 AM mistakes.
Best bed sheets as a child?
I don't have any strong memories of bed sheets, just vague bits about 70's colors. I remember the red and white polka-dot comforter that was sooooo soft.
Worst injury you’ve ever had?
I've had a few major surgeries, but no major injuries to speak of.
Are your parents still together?
No, they divorced 20 years ago and are happily remarried.
Do you wish on shooting stars?
Yes.
What is your favorite book(s)?
So hard to pick! I loved "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron, "Skinny Legs and All" by Tom Robbins among many, many others
What is your favorite candy?
Reese's peanut butter cups
How is the weather outside right now?
Dark. lol. Not sure. I know it's cold and getting ready to be stormy.
What was your first thought this morning when you woke up?
Gotta get up! Gotta get up!
Feel free to grab this meme for yourself!
Wellness Wednesday: Think Small
December 5th, 2007, Comments (11)
Although, I've been learning this year how to think and dream big, thinking small is still important. It's easy to forget sometimes that larger tasks get finished one baby step at a time. The same holds true for creating art. Sometimes creating can seem daunting and overwhelming, but it doesn't need to be that way. When the urge to create strikes, you might not have the time or interest in doing something big, so you might stop in your tracks and go no further. If you want to get back on the creative choo-choo train, try doing something small.
Last night, I was watching Project Runway Canada (episodes on You Tube) and it was getting the creative juices flowing in my head, so I grabbed what was literally within my reach: standard sized index cards and a calligraphy style pen that was almost out of ink (and leaked its remaining ink on my hand.) Doing something light and fun on a small canvas like this can be fun and inspiring. I simply played, doodled, made shapes and went from there. Knowing that any or all of them could end up as trash or things to be collaged or a sketch for a future piece, helps me to let go of any fears that might be holding me back. And I love these little fashionistas! They were much fun to do.
The back of business card are also great mini canvases to use. They're certainly easy to carry in your purse or pocket and are readily available for small moments of creative fun.
So, that's my Wellness Wednesday tip for this week. When the world gets overwhelming, slow down and start small.
Wellness Wednesday – Visit an Art Store
November 28th, 2007, Comments (5)
Today, I drove into the city to visit a particular small underground art store that has these fantastic wood panels that I like to paint on. I might have ordered them online, but their website doesn't have all their items on it and I knew if I just sucked it up and drove in, it would be well worth it. I went in the early afternoon when the traffic was slower and made it in fairly quickly. Once there, I fed the meter and walked around soaking up the colors and textures of an urban area, the grafitti, the layered paper stuck to the walls, the murals, the variety of people. On a door, someone painted, "throw stones at glass houses," in big blue swirly letters. As I was staring at it, the door flew open and two men carrying flowers in vases came rushing out.
I crossed the street and entered the art store. And I lingered. I picked out what I needed there and brought it to the counter, so I wouldn't have to lug it around and then I wandered aimlessly. I didn't really buy much of anything at this point, but I wanted to look. I went up and down each aisle and touched the handmade paper, looked at all the gloriously rich oil paint sticks, I felt the tips of paintbrushes and the thickness of deep cradled canvases. I peeked into boxes of mat boards and opened blank journals. I checked out the flyers stuck on the wall and the art displayed there. I soaked in all the different types of mediums, powdered pigments, and adhesives. I picked up big blocks of beeswax, paraffin, and microcrystaline waxes to see how heavy they were. I quietly breathed in the scent of the beeswax when no one was looking. I poked into drawers of transfer paper and illustration board, and laughed at silly trinkets on the counter. And when I felt all filled up to the tiptop of my head with color and inspiration, I was ready to go.
Chilly days are a wonderful time to take yourself on a solo trip to the art store, even if you aren't buying anything (I go a lot without buying anything!) It's a place full of possibility and endless rows of color to fill your eyes and your heart. And if you feel inspired by a particular medium, do buy something and take it home with you and bring some of that art store color into your life.
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Unrelated to Wellness Wednesday, I was tagged today by the super sweet Karen of Zazazu to do a meme of six random things about me. I'm not sure what I haven't mentioned before, but I'll just start typing and see what comes to me.
1. I have loads of art in my home, but very little of it is on the walls. The hubster and I live in an apartment with old walls that seem to crumble when trying to put in a nail. Having huge holes in the wall is awful to me and since we painted our living rooms, I haven't wanted to wreck the walls any further. But I think it may be time to give it a try again.
2. Recently I've been drooling over patterns. Patterns on wallpaper, upholstery, whatever. I never would have imagined myself liking such a chair, but now I want two of Anthropologie's Astrid chair in different patterns (above and below)!
3. When I paint, I especially like to work on a surface that's square or long and skinny.
4. I'm very sensitive to sounds and I'm not a fan of super loud noises, especially shouting or loud buzzers.
5. I space out quite often.
6. I'm not a big fan of the color pink, but I have this hideous mug with pink hearts all over it holding the pens and pencils on my desk. I've got to do something about that!
And now, I'm supposed to tag six people to do this meme, but I'm just not feeling like it at the moment, so if you want to do this meme, please do!
Wellness Wednesday
November 14th, 2007, Comments (6)
As I was pondering what to write about for Wellness Wednesday earlier this week, I remembered a list I created recently of things that make me truly happy. Then yesterday, Jessie wrote a great post about figuring out what she wanted for her life by examining what brings her satisfaction and I decided I wanted to focus in on this. As silly as it sounds, I think sometimes we forget what makes us happy. It's different for everyone and at times it gets easy to get into a routine that is more about the status quo and less about who we are and what we love. I guess, I just figured that I would automatically include those things I love in my everyday life, but it's not always that simple. Sometimes, you need to consciously think about what brings you joy and then make the effort to include those things in your day to day life. Sure, not everything you love may fit into one day, but making room for joys small and large is a surefire way to bring more happiness into your life.
Just thinking about it isn't always enough. As with many things, I recommend writing it down. But you could also make a collage about it with images that represent what makes you happy or write a poem or a song about it. Just get it out of your head. Something about putting it out there is magical. I like lists, so I tend to write these things down. So I'll write: What brings me joy? And then start to list things such as: cats and kittens, snuggling, hearing my cats purr, laughing with the hubster, laughing in general, beautiful sunsets, crossing things off my to-do list, making art, inspiring others, making babies smile, hot chocolate on a cold night, soft fleece against my skin, the smell of aveda shampure, little boxes, birds, traveling to new places, libraries, reading, and so on and so forth.
Making a list like this is enough to make you smile, but then go back to it and look closer. How many of these things are in your day to day life now? And how can you infuse more of these joyful things into your life? Sure I may not be able to travel to new places everyday, but I can include more art-making or make a point to see the sunset this week or play with my collection of small boxes or make a point of going to the library for a half hour and I could even make a plan to visit a new city and put up some pictures of the places I'd like to visit to inspire me.
I surprise myself sometimes with how sometimes what brings me the most joy isn't the most easy thing in the world. It takes effort to take out those art supplies and then clean up the mess afterwards, I have to push myself to get out for some exercise, and this cleaning and purging thing going on in my office is a LOT of work! But the joy at the end, the satisfaction, the way I feel during and after I get past that point of stuck-ness is so very worth it. I guess that's why it's important to remind ourselves now and again why we need to push ourselves a little bit...because the joy on the other side is wondrous and we deserve that. And as a bonus, that joy tends to radiate to those who come into contact with us too, causing a ripple effect of joy that knows no bounds.
Back with art later tonight. I'm so excited for Project Runway tonight! Wee! And a big thanks to all you AEDM-ers out there for all the wonderful support and inspiration. I can't get around to everyone every day, but I do check in on all of you and I'm so inspired by your creations, your energy, and your experiences. And that fills me up.
Day 7 – Phases
November 7th, 2007, Comments (14)
10"x14" with caran d'ache on watercolor paper. This one just came out when I sat down to make something this evening. I like the phases of the moon on her and in the end I put the suggestion of a new moon in the sky. Life is all about transitions, changes, re-birth, the flow of seasons and the rolling tides.
Today is Wellness Wednesday and for this week I'm going to simply refer to my "digging into defining beliefs" post that I posted yesterday which goes into depth about believing in yourself, an essential tool for wellness I believe!
Wellness Wednesday – Be Silly
October 24th, 2007, Comments (19)
Oooh, combo post. I get to show the whimsical drawings I mentioned earlier and do a post for Wellness Wednesday at the same time. Woohoo! I'm big on multi-tasking.
So, I'm a big proponent of silliness. I encourage it. I need it. Heck, I even inserted some silliness into my wedding. Our wedding vows were a perfect combination of sweet, heartfelt words and silliness that made us and our guests laugh out loud. Among the things we promised to each other were to love and support each other's dreams and goals, to encourage and honor our unique beings, and to accept (among other things) an abundance of cat hair. Those weren't the exact words, but you get the idea. Actually the part about the cat hair was word for word.
I think laughter and general goofiness is essential to wellness. And this post was inspired by standing up on my coffee table to take a picture of these lighthearted drawings.
So, the drawings already had a a sense of playfulness, but when I looked back at this picture, that I snapped quickly and randomly by standing on the coffee table, I was struck by the silliness of it and decided to post the picture with my feet in it instead of cropping them out. Sometimes you just need to stand on your coffee table, preferably while watching the Stephen Colbert Show.
It's important while being silly to not care what anyone else (including your critic...even for just a moment) thinks. This comes in particularly helpful when making art. I included a doodle on a paper bag (from tonight's sushi takeout) to illustrate this.
I think sometimes it's easy to take art too seriously, like it all has to be a masterpiece or something incredible or why bother? Well, if we wait for this masterpiece to arrive, it's quite likely we'll make nothing at all. It's important to play, to let loose, to allow yourself to be silly even when making something so serious as art. Hehe. So many ideas will spill out while mindlessly doodling. Try it and see. It's a wonderful release and if you decide to draw in your sketchbook or on a paper bag or the back of your junk mail or wherever, you'll find the ideas start to flow. Sort of like stream of consciousness writing, doodling will show you where your mind is at. As you can see by the two ladies in flowing dresses, my head is still in wedding land.
I was starting to feel a little sad earlier. I'm not exactly feeling that whole wedding let down that can happen after the event, but looking over the pictures I got this sense of reaching a certain life milestone and feeling that sense of my own mortality. And then the pictures of my parents, who looked wonderful, but also looked sort of like...grandparents. When my mom was my age, she had three kids under the age of 6.
Yikes. So, I talked about all this with the hubster tonight and talked about how we're going to do holidays now that we're married (how we'll split the holidays between our families) and we've been talking about starting our own family. O my. And once we talked about all that, that which was there in my brain, but I hadn't quite put words to it yet, I felt a release and I decided not to focus on sadness any longer, but on all the good, and then the hubster ate my toes and I laughed and we snuggled up until he fell asleep. Feeling better, I doodled, took the picture with my toes showing, watched some silly t.v., and laughed at my cats' antics.
So, in summary, my wellness tips for the week:
1. Be silly.
2. Make paper bag art.
3. Ignore your inner critic.
4. Stand on furniture to change your perspective.
5. Laugh loudly and often.
6. Doodle.
Wellness Wednesday: Dance
September 26th, 2007, Comments (13)
I've decided to participate (on a semi-regular basis) in Lunar Musings's wonderful new project called Wellness Wednesdays!
This week, after dancing at two different weddings (above the fiansor and I slow dance at my brother's wedding) I was thinking about how good dancing makes me feel. I'm not a great dancer by any means, nor do I know any dancing styles like swing or latin (though I'd like to learn someday.) No, I just like to shake my booty from time to time. Dancing is good for the soul. So, where do I dance?
I like to car-dance (dancing in the car to good tunes on the radio...bound to get some weird looks thrown your way, but that's ah well.) I like to dance in the shower (just be careful not to fall on your ass, it can get slippery in there!) I like to dance in my apartment with or without the fiansor or the cats (the cats don't really love to dance with me I'm afraid). I like to make little playlists on my itunes of good dancing tunes and then dance around my studio.
I'm afraid the first dance at my wedding won't be anything fancy, but it will be lovely all the same. And then later, I'm sure we'll be getting down and having fun with friends and family. Isn't it amazing how dancing can make a wedding so much more fun?
Need some dancing inspiration?
-Check out NIA, a fitness and expressive movement practice that combines dance and yoga and martial arts and is loads of fun. Jaime teaches NIA and there are classes all over the place that you can check out.
-I loved reading Gabrielle Roth's Sweat Your Prayers. Roth writes, teaches, and makes music based around the idea of combining spirituality and movement. She has developed a practice involving 5 different rhythms that are fantastic to dance to. I got some of her music online and it's a wonderful way to sweat out whatever is going on with you.
- There are also loads of cool places to check out Freestyle Dancing, which is usually a gathering of people who dance barefoot to live music and can be quite fun.
-And there's even expressive movement therapy (sort of like art therapy with movement) that can be done one on one or in small groups. I've had one experience of this in a group and it was pretty powerful. So much is stored in the body, it makes sense that movement would help us connect to those stuck areas.
So, go shake your booty.
Ooo, update: I made this button thingamabob for the Wellness Wednesday crowd. So feel free to save it to your computer and put it on your blog if you're doing this project too! I've got it so it links to the intro to Wellness Wednesday.
All In One!
August 4th, 2007, Comments (6)
Beware of Attack Cat! Heh.
Ok, I need to properly size the art pics...coming soon. In the meantime, I've gotta catch up on some tags!
First off, I was nominated for a Rockin' Girl Blogger Award from the super sweet Cheryl and the beautiful spirit Ruby and the lovely Paula. Thank you, ladies! You Rock! The last time one of these awards went around, I tagged 10 people instead of 5 and still felt guilty. I mean, I read a lot more than 10 blogs and obviously I think they all rock or I wouldn't read them...there are so many rockin' girls on that list. Some people will make a general, non-specific tag which I totally understand. I don't like feeling left out and I wouldn't want to make anyone else feel that way. At the same time, I've enjoyed reading other people's lists because sometimes it introduces me to blogs I've never read before that I end up loving! I hope the ladies that I love dearly, know how much I love them without a nomination. So, I'd like to pass this on to 5 rockin' girl blogs that are relatively new to me in the hopes that maybe I'll introduce you to someone new!
1. The Diary of Artist Shayla Perreault Newcomb: I believe I came upon her blog via one of these awards. I was fascinated by her use of used coffee filters in her art! And of course a sweet kitty pic or two is a sure way to win me over.
2. Cherylol: Cheryl has been consistently cracking me up, inspiring me, and wowing me with her gorgeous creations. She's awesome. Go see and thank me later. 
3. Anonyrrie: Ok, so Carla's blog isn't new to me, but she's got a brand new blog that looks just lovely and I love the amazing texture in her artwork, so I felt obliged to point you in the right dierction.
4. Contemplating the Moon: I adore Bridgette's gorgeous encaustic work. It's rich and dreamy and I enjoy reading about her process.
5. Art Biz Blog: This is a great one for all you artists. Alyson Stanfield is a teacher, writer, blogger, and coach who focuses on art marketing. I've been taking an online class with her this summer about art promotion and it's been packed full of great info. Her blog is a great resource and I have her posts emailed to me, so I don't miss a word.
I hope I introduced you to a new blog that you'll enjoy! I've also been tagged by the business savy Mindy of Wish Studio, to share 8 random facts about myself. The challenge with these memes is trying to think of something I haven't shared that's semi-interesting. Ok, here we go:
- I'm not a fan of sugar cereals. I think this is because my dad is a doctor and in my early years sugar cereal was not allowed in the house. I was the oldest, but by the time child number 3 came around, somehow sugar cereals were suddenly allowed. I had no interest though and I never found a taste for them. I'd rather eat wheat chex.
- One day in third grade, my teacher announced, "Tomorrow will be catch-up day." I was all confused thinking she meant "Ketchup Day." I spent the whole day pondering what in the world that would entail. Would we be studying ketchup? Should we all dress in red? Well, much to my disappointment, catch-up day wasn't nearly as interesting as I had imagined. It's too bad. Perhaps I should designate a day as Ketchup Day.
- In my baby book, my mom wrote that the first time I ever drank out of a glass, I was 5 and a half months and I reached for my dad's glass of coca-cola and took a few sips with a little help. I've been hooked on the stuff ever since. I can't drink diet soda as the fake sugar gives me a headache, so I drink the regular. I know it's not good for me, but man oh man do I love it. Slice of lemon and a cup of ice are like the cherry on top.
- I feel badly throwing things away. I feel bad for pieces of paper and old stuffed animals. It's a bit irrational. Sometimes, I can get up the courage and just start throwing things out. Moving usually helps this process, so I'm sure I'll unload a lot of crap when I move next.
- I don't like to play sports because I suck at them. Believe me, I've tried everything. As a kid I was put through all sorts of lessons for every sport imaginable. It's true that competition makes me super anxious and it's not a fun experience. But I think that if I was any good at sports, I'd like to play because I am rather competitive...or maybe it's just that I don't like losing. The fiansor found this out while watching me watch Red Sox games during the play offs. I get a little rowdy. Actually, I think he found this out by playing Connect 4 with me. Heh.
- I have a shoe box full of old cards given to me by family and friends. I know cards usually get tossed after they're read, but some of those birthday, graduation, Christmas, Valentine's, thinking of you cards carry messages I want to hold onto forever. I read through them sometimes when I need a lift. When my Grammy passed away years ago, I found out she had a similar shoe box with cards from us and from my dad and now those cards are in my shoe box too.
- I tend to wear more subdued colors...blues, greens, browns, grays, blacks. But every so often I like to throw in a splash of color like a bright red pocket book, an orange disc on a necklace, or bright orange flip flops. I think the quirkiness in me comes through in little bits and pieces like that.
- I have favorite paint brushes. I go through phases with certain brushes where I can use one brush for nearly the entire painting just because I'm liking it so much. I'll often have one or two brushes like this until I wear them into nothingness and have to move on.
Phew! That was not easy! If you'd like to try this meme out, feel free!
Tagged!
June 20th, 2007, Comments (10)
The lovely YogaGlamGirl tagged me for a fun meme, so here we go!
“INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.”
TeaTime Ramblings
SusieJ
I Still See A Spark In You
Yogaglamgirl
Creative Every Day
Next select five people to tag:
Sunflower Studio
When I Finally Decided To Get It
Zazazu
Diary of a Self Portrait
Sticking to the Point
Now for the hard part — the questions:
“What were you doing 10 years ago?”
Goodness gracious. Ten years ago, I was a month away from turning 21. I was attending art school, studying art history, living in an apartment with my then boyfriend in Boston and 2 cats. I was working as a museum guide at a local contemporary art museum and recovering from a serious bout of depression.
“What were you doing 1 year ago?”
One year ago, I was working as a nanny and studying muscular therapy and fitting art in in my spare time. Woohoo, what a difference a year makes, eh?
Five snacks you enjoy:
Strawberries and blueberries
m&m's
natural crunchy peanut butter on wheat toast
or same peanut butter on a banana
hot chocolate
Five songs to which you know all the lyrics (5 among many):
Both Hands (Ani Difranco)
Fresh Prince of Bell Air lyrics (DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince) ha! funny, but true.
Anna Begins (Counting Crows)
Wood Song (Indigo Girls)
Sweater Song (Weezer)
Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
-Buy a beautiful home for the fiansor and I, our kitties and our future family with a gorgeous studio for me.
-Get my parents the home of their dreams. And a condo for the future in-laws here in Massachusetts.
-Take all my family on vacations.
-Share loads of money with animal shelters.
-Take more art classes and creativity retreats.
Five bad habits:
Staying up too late. Ahem.
Letting anxiety build up.
Procrastination.
Letting fear stop me in my tracks.
Thinking the worst.
Five things you like doing:
Making art!!
Snuggling kitties.
Laughing with the fiansor.
Reading.
Taking long baths.
Five things you would never wear again:
Neon green anything.
Fur.
Pants with stirrups
um, I can't think of anything else.
Five favorite toys:
My lovely macbook.
Bose noise-blocking headphones
palette knifesketchbook (it's a toy to me!)
cat toys (they amuse me and the cats simultaneously.) hehe.
:::
Speaking of cat toys, I was brought a very unexpected gift this morning from my big orange cat, Tabbers. The fiansor was getting ready for work and he noticed a pair of birds on our second story porch. We keep the porch door a crack open so the cats can enjoy the fresh air and sunshine during the day since they're indoor cats. Well, one of the little birds decided to fly into our apartment. In the four years I've lived here and the 7 years the fiansor has lived here, a bird has never flown in. But today, one did and its birdy friend followed. They both quickly realized that they were no longer outside and did an about face...and maybe they saw the cats and panicked? I don't know. One bird flew out the way it came and the other smashed into the glass of our porch's door and fell dead to a waiting cat. Who batted him around a bit and then proudly brought him in his mouth back to our bedroom where he dropped it next to my side of the bed (thank god he didn't bring it into the bed!) I felt sort of bad for the bird, but it was dead and somehow it was unbearably cute seeing Tabbers trot in with this prize in his mouth. I felt like a proud mommy. Heh. Of course, we couldn't let him eat this bird in our apartment, so we distracted him with a greenie treat and got rid of the bird. Tabbers seemed a little upset at first that his prize was gone, but within a few minutes he was up on the bed purring away on my stomach, proud as a peacock. I've never seen Tabbers carry anything in his mouth before. Only Sadie carries her fake prey (in the form of stuffed animal cat toys) around the house and delivers them to us at all hours. So, it was so funny to see his instincts kick in and the fact that he brought the bird to me just cracks me up.
My other cats have caught mice before when we lived in older houses, but Tabs has never had the opportunity and none of the cats have had a chance at a bird, so it was quite an exciting morning at this cat residence. Ok, really need to get to bed.
Oh, wait, one more thing. The first newsletter for my new art website is coming out tomorrow. You can sign up on the website, using the form in the lower left corner. Next month, I will have my first drawing from the members of my newsletter list for a free print!
