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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Oh My Deer

Hello there.

I am just showing off a little change in my bedroom, which makes me happy. New grey wall to display my new woodland friend. I have to say I've always had kind of an affinity towards taxidermy pieces. But they make me sad too. So given my non-hunting ways,
& love of all creatures.... a resin deer mounted on my wall seems fitting.

 




Made by White Faux Taxidermy

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Aftermath

Wow Christmas, it came & went so fast! Loved seeing my kids beaming faces when they were surprised with something they really wanted, & also the little unexpected gifts they didn't know they wanted until they were opened. A stuffed Llama my husband & I picked up in San Francisco, made a big hit with our daughter India.  Loved seeing aunts, uncles, cousins that we don't get to see that often anymore.  Although(sidenote), I noticed I seemed to develop an eye twitch on all 3 occasions I was with a lot of people/family at Christmas gatherings. Ha ha. I wonder what that means?

Today there is a lot of sorting & shoveling going on here at my place.  To make room for the new, a lot of the old has to go! I don't like clutter, yet somehow I have amassed quite a collection.  I think my family may have tendencies to cross over from being slight clutterbugs, to being full time hoarders. Yikes! So I've been supervising the chucking & recycling of a rather impressive mountain of things.

So another Christmas is under our belt. I'm feeling that life is going mighty fast & things are forever changing....seeing extended family always reminds me of that.  Grandparents that are no longer at the gatherings, new marriages, my once little cousins(now in their late twenties) having babies. Crazy. Someday I'll be sitting around a table celebrating Christmas with my own grown up kids.  But not quite yet :)




Yay! Christmas cards
A few of my fur children
Thor
A burping Pug...lovely
New hat
Llama friend
My aunt's place...I like how she decorates
One of my favorite little things my husband gave me this Christmas.  Love the artist: Pretty Little Thieves

Monday, December 16, 2013

Suck It Up Buttercup














Hello there.  I've been working on this girl lately & finally got her how I wanted her to look....she has a bit of a defiant look about her, I think :) She was made with acrylics, watercolors, & paper, on a wood panel.



Soooo, nothing to do with painting, & completely ridiculous I know, but lately I've been having these nightly dreams about turning 40. About 7 weeks left until the day.  I know, get a real problem, right?  But the truth is, obviously it bothers me.  I try to not dwell on it, to push it aside, & yet it keeps coming up in my sleeping hours! To be real honest here...I want to be okay with getting older, but it sometimes scares the holy hell out of me. For a person(like a lot of us women) who is pretty hard on her appearance anyway, & for so much of life felt like I haven't measured up, throwing wrinkles into the equation is just wrong! Sometimes I look in the mirror & there would never be enough money to tweak all the things I think need to be nipped & tucked!  But there are also days, the good ones, when I am a little kinder to myself.  I remind myself not to compare....I'm not 25 anymore, for petes sake!  I am grateful for my years & all that makes me my unique self.  So now I feel a little exposed, rethinking my words a bit(but no one held a gun to my head & made me write this). It's all good, I am okay with hanging it all out there, so to speak.  There's something freeing about just saying, "hey this is me & & some of the lame things I struggle with".  If you can relate, my compadre, I'm giving you the proverbial fist-bump right now :)  

Thursday, December 12, 2013

About Time

Hello, almost mid-way through December here...thought I should write.  We've been enjoying being out & doing all the Christmasy things like parties, making treats, & picking out special gifts for people(not done with that yet). Love this season, & seeing it through my kid's eyes.  I've been working on a few more nativity sets, since my first one sold & now resides in Tennessee.  




Amidst all the craziness, & fun this time of year...I just did my first Olympic distance Triathlon with my friend Susan, this past weekend. Phew!  It's over & I survived the swim! I've done a little shorter distance ones in the past, so at least I kind of knew what I was getting into. The swimming part of it is quite a challenge for me, just to keep swimming & not panic in the water, while arms & legs are kicking past you & sometimes on you.  All in all, it was a a great time. There is something about racing that is addicting, so I will be back for more :) 


Monday, November 18, 2013

A Sometimes Hermit

Hello.  I've been making a few things lately, some just for fun, & some to sell in my shop.  Also, because it is just something in me that has to create. Good, bad, however it turns out, I love to have my mind wrapped all up in some kind of project.  I don't totally love how all these turned out, but they all save me in little ways(so that I am grateful for), if that makes sense?


Drawing/Collage on cardboard
Clay Head Planter. I named her Clementine


Nativity set for next month
I was thinking the other night, as I was kind of coercing myself to go out to a gathering of women I know, that I could easily be happy holed up in my house with my family, my pets, my books, my paintbrushes & all that other good stuff & not venture out too much.  It's funny because I kind of had it planned to have a low-key weekend,  just doing things with my husband & kids.  Then when I was included in an invite,  I heard the little voice in my head say "Aimie, you won't have any friends if you don't go to these things". ha ha.  So fear of being a big loner is what sometimes makes me take the plunge. I wonder if it is that way for anyone else out there?
  Then there are times when I get out in a group & everyone is chatting it up (there are usually a few really talkative ones),  I usually sit there & nurse my drink & throw out a few random slightly awkward comments. Hmmm, maybe people invite me for comic relief? 
 I think I am better off with just a few good friends.  That is what I like. It's somewhat easy to have a lot of people around that you do things with, it's another thing to find people who actually know your heart, who appreciate your slightly different way of looking at the world.  So I find myself seeking like minded people a lot, because it is not super often I find a friend I really click with.  It's interesting that some of the people who keep getting placed in my path have some challenging personalities, issues, & a bit too much drama for me.  So I am like "ok God, what are you trying to teach me?.  Why not send me this great loyal friend, who I really get?  Why the flakey ones & the one's who have issues with truth telling?"  Sigh :(  Then I am reminded of how everyone's got their "stuff".  How it's so much easier to love a person who truly knows us & get's us, then it is to love someone who is in our life, & is difficult in some way. It makes me remember that I've made an utter mess out of my life so many times....so I need to show love to people in their current messes.  Anyway, just a few scattered thoughts on friendship, & my own weirdness. Blahhh. Until next time :)

Friday, November 8, 2013

Dia De Los Muertos

We had a lot of activities on the agenda for last weekend. Girl Scout stuff, exercise, seeing friends... fun things, but scheduled one after another.  I ended up getting sick Sunday & went down for the count, at least it was after getting through swimming my Sunday morning laps :)  But before all that, we went to the Day of the Dead Festival Saturday, in downtown Santa Ana.



My brother, his new girlfriend, & India.


We all have been taking turns being sick. Me & the monkey boy spent a few days in bed.  
Sometimes when you're sick, you play on your phone too much, making silly pet pictures.
We actually had a little rain the other day.  I broke out all my Fall stuff at once (colorful hat,pretty umbrella,etc.) cause it's not often you get to use them in this part of Ca.  Here are a few things I've been working on recently....

I kind of messed up my plan for this girl's hair, her look ended up changing a bit.
She was made with acrylics, watercolors, chalk, & papers on canvas.
A little clay mask, mounted on wood.

























































Monday, October 28, 2013

Missed You, Crazy City

We got back recently from a fun trip away, no kids, just us & good friends.  My friend Maya & I did a women's half marathon in San Francisco, & the guys came along to enjoy the weekend.  We haven't been up there in a few years, to do a race, & I've missed that city.  The noise, the chaos, the colorful people...I love it all.  




Eagerly awaiting the race start.  There were soooo many people!
Yay! Miss Tara came to join us at the Tattoo parlor, after the race.
New ink.  I've been wanting these words for awhile.  Reminder to me, I don't have to go back to where I've been.
Love the art in Clarion Alley...awesome, although the alley had quite a few memorable smells.
Like this pic of Richard & Mike
A local haunt, we had fun at : Bitters Bock & Rye
Pretty day at Fisherman's Wharf

And now for some random thoughts on running.  I am hoping I keep up the longer distances now, that I have actually trained somewhat, & am able to do quite a few miles without dying.  I have a love/hate thing with running, there are times I just can't wait for it to be over, & others where I push myself & enjoy being out there, feeling my feet pound the pavement, lungs maybe burning a little...but feeling alive & strong, & total freedom.  Ok, maybe I do love it!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Hockey Mask

Feeling Octoberish here. 

 The other day I did pretty hilly bike ride, with a crazy friend of mine....I mean that as a term of endearment :)  I used to ride all the time. It was my favorite thing, over running, over hiking, & for sure over swimming.  Now I don't get on the bike so much.  The funny thing I've noticed since I haven't been in the saddle so often is, I am afraid now.  When I am flying down a hill, I'm riding my brakes like a mad women, picturing my front wheel going out from under me, & me eating it big time.  I came to the conclusion I would feel better if I could ride wearing a mouth guard, & hockey goalie mask.  I've thought about this(as you have a lot of time to ponder on long rides), that cycling is a  lot like my life to me....when I am going up something really hard & steep, I am sometimes grumbling, usually cussing a little, praying for strength, feeling thankful that I have a healthy body & am able to do it. Then I get through that, & the dreaded downhill comes....most people enjoy this part, by the way.  I however, have issues.  I feel like I am holding on for dear life, tense, so scared I will wipe out.  It's only the rare times I actually surrender it all, tell myself that whatever happens happens, that I feel peace, & start to somewhat enjoy that part of the ride.  So I guess what I am saying here is I need more downhills, where I loosen my grasp, & realize that God is in control no matter what....but maybe the mask wouldn't hurt.


We are already mid-way through October, so I shall show some pics of some things we've been doing lately.
Pumpkin Jumping
Hay Ponies
Made for Day of the Dead
Little Birthday gift for a friend