turning fall

I just finished my math homework and my history homework wasn't available yet online. It's strange going to school after such a long break, 8 year. I feel a little old to be trying at this point but i remind myself that everyone has their own path in life and it is only destructive to compare them. But it helps that i don't looks, or dress similar to others my age. I don't know that my style and taste has changed much since I was 18. It is just more defined, sharper edges to my taste, more distinct and well sewn finished seams instead of raw edges to my clothing. I still tack up prints from artists I follow on instagram on my walls, when back in the day I found my interests on livejournal and flickr. back then I used sticky tack and now I use holographic fancy tape and wooden thumb tacks or wire/string and mini wooden clothespins. It feels like or I should rather say looks like fall now. The temperature is still in the 70s but leaves have changed and fallen, it recently rained for 3 days straight and the ground is still saturated almost a week later, pine needles, small branches and pine cones litter the ground where we live. I started to bring in some of my house plants that usually live outside because they tend to die when I bring them inside. I haven't quite mastered inside plant care yet. So now the two small windows in our living space think garage windows is now a mass of rich green vegetation, a mini tropical forest. The plant section at Lowes is my favorite, if I lived in a larger city I would go to local nurseries but as it is the local nurseries where I live do not carry cacti or house plants usually. I started knitting again recently and finished a pair of ankle socks last week, a project that had the first sock casted on and the small 1" rib done, I just picked it up from there. This week I started a pair of crew socks an inch or so taller than ankle for my friend to wear with her ankle boots. I also updated and am starting to use again ravelry. check me out on ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/projects/eveneve I didn't make any beads this week because of school and knitting. I also had been feeling pretty drained from social media lately and have been using instagram less even though it's my favorite. It been refreshing and a relief to step a small step back and remember to be present and have peace and joy in being myself and pursuing what I feel lead to pursue that day and not feel so bogged down that I had people unfollow me on instagram or not make any sales this month on my etsy store. One productive thing I have been doing towards my business is going through an online workshop my mom signed me up for build-a-business. Im taking it slow, taking my time, focusing on school and real life.

the years go fast but the days go so slow

So here I am sitting in our poorly lit apartment but it's 9:33am and some sunlight is filtering in through one of our windows. It usually feels like it has the light of a cave but I am thankful that it has windows at all even if they are those little ones at the top of the garage door made wall. Before we moved in my parents in law couldn't remember if the place had windows at all but we make up for it as much as we can with strings of lights. We have some clear glass globe bulb lights and jalapeño lights. Drinking morning coffee from our landlords keurig machine. I really need to clean our space soon, it looks like a tornado of clay, paint brushes and tubes of gouache and acrylic, bubble wrap and tissue paper, found wood & drywall pieces and tiles, folded clothes that need to be put on their shelves but instead are stacked on top of books and origami paper and block printing supplies, computer cords and phone charger, stacks of zines and scrapbooking paper(that is used for collage), comic books, dowel rods, vhs tapes, canvases, guitar and original nintendo games and controllers. All of this reminding me I need to vacuum and to be more organized in our tokyo sized living space in the middle of the pine tree woods of east texas with all of its beauty and spiritual darkness.

Sometimes you have seasons of life were nothing much changes, you go to work, it's not so terrible, you go home watch tv and forget about your troubles briefly, go to sleep and repeat for days if not years on end, interspersed with interests like weaving, knitting, painting, gameboy pokemon, photography. That was my life till this year. My creative diligence has been maturing i would say intentionally since 12' in Orlando where Jamin really picked up on art not only being something you like and enjoy and pursue when you are interested but also work that you pursue even when you are not so motivated or inspired. But also it has been maturing since 06' when I lived on my own for the first time in Denton and started pursuing art on my own drawing faces with india ink and calligraphy pen at the local bars listening to jam bands and jazz quartets play.

I felt lead to enroll in school, community college and see if I could get an associates. Which may not sound like such a big deal to most Americans but something that paralyzed me with fear and anxiety till all the sudden it didn't, the fear just up and left me, which I thank God for. The reason for the fear was a background of no school consistency & the absence of American high school. So I enrolled which felt completely out of character and outside of myself. It felt weird. I don't know where it will go from here and at first I wasn't sure if I even wanted to continue past this semester but I have decided I want to, at least to an associates. I would love to go on to a bachelors and masters if I can but I have no idea where that money is going to come from since when my husband tried to go back to school when we first moved here almost 3 years ago he didn't qualify for any school loans, just a grant and scholarship which fell 6 grand short for the semester. But yay for pell grants because that is the only way im able to go to school now, having dropped out of community college 8 years ago because i couldn't afford both school and living. And i'm doing really well, research papers still freak me out but algebra isn't as scary as I thought it was going to be which is quite a relief.

I've been working with clay consistently as my main art focus since last november and I love it hard. It's cool to see the improvement over the year and trying new things and new forms. This past week I tried out a friends wheel for the first time without any instruction. It is harder than it looks. I had watched some youtube videos about centering and starting out, getting the clay to stick and stay centered was the hardest part for me. I made a small tray of beads awaiting bisque firing. It's approaching the holiday season and the place where I get all my stuff fired, since I don not yet own my own kiln is starting to get busy so I am not sure how much stuff or how quickly my stuff with go from being formed to its finished state, but that is ok. I am just focused on finishing my first wholesale order for pipes, which is almost completed. I think I need to read a book about it, make a friend who knows this stuff or take a business course or courses . I want to be professional but I feel light a deer in headlights when it comes to business, a bit clueless. It's holding me back from starting any new business relationships despite the fact that she has been really encouraging and sweet to me. I dream of being involved in more craft fairs and shows, wholesaling to stores, making stuff for gallery shows and installations. Etsy being the beginning of my professional journey doesn't seem like the place where i'm going to thrive.

So now to homework hoping I can stay focused to not spend too much time on instagram and have time left for some creating today.

Friends + being and artist

I picked up my first batch of ceramic objects yesterday, fresh out of the kiln, painted and finished. Gave my friend A one of my new chillums with pink and yellow happy faces on it. Really excited about ceramic pipes, designs that look like artifacts, functional items. Our friends A+S came into town for the weekend from Austin and we got to hangout last night. Always a special time with them. I made her a mini sculpture of the illustration S did of her nose scar, a turtle unicorn, And was able to give it to her last night. Yay for handmade gifts to friends & fellow artists! 

I got discouraged in the moment this week while looking at an artists website of the exhibits she's done. Sometimes I feel like I'm not legitimately an artist because in don't have a degree in the field or the experience of galleries and being in in the Art crowd. I've always been an observer and wished I knew more artist and had chances to collaborate with others, had a studio and made my living (a better living) by my art. I'm interested in so many areas and mediums. I want to get better in them all. I had to be reminded by Jamin that I am an artist because of this need to create and it's not the recognition that makes you an artist but who I am. It's feels like a true way of being, I'm who I was made to be, acknowledging, accepting and stepping into the pursuit of it with a consistency and diligence of work. And if something eventually comes to fruition of my dream of having shows and being in an art crowd and more artist friends, I'll enjoy my icing. But until then I'm happy to just create and feel proud that I like what I make and send it out into the internet making it available to others. 

rain, rain, rain

RAIN AND GARDEN 

It's raining, it pouring & it's sticking around. I feel like i'm getting a glimpse into what it would be like to live in Seattle. I love the rain, but i don't like it when the weather keeps me cooped up inside all the time, and my outside day job selling plants becomes so slow it makes you wonder how the business is doing. I don't like it that everyone around me is complaining about the rain. I love the rain and have no control over it and I'm good with that. For the most part my garden loves it with the exception of a few things that are struggling, my avocado tree, olive tree and penstemon, but everything else has grown more this year than any other here. The ants and mosquitos could leave town, I have noticed a little bit of a difference in the mosquito population lately because of all of the spiders/webs in the garden. Chloe has gotten so big that the last time she hung out outside on her pear tree, she walked too far out on the branch and it broke. I was a bit bummed because it was one of the only branches that had a baby pear on it, poo. But i'm glad the branch didn't break and fall, it held on as i rushed over to save her. 

SUPPORT AND EXCHANGES 

I've felt pretty supported in my ceramics this year which is nice. I get compliments whenever i wear my necklaces, which is like everyday now. I guess i've always worn necklaces, it's just lately they are ceramic and make me jingle and in the past they've been more fiber based like knitted or sewn. I'm excited to be working on my first artist trade with someone I don't know in person. I'd really like to do more of these moving forward. Exchange stuff we're both currently working on in a package of goodies like the ones you got at camp or from pen pals or a grandmother. I was going to include a ceramic necklace, ceramic chillum, tie dyed bag, a drawing/screen print/painting, maybe a macrame keychain. I was planning on heading up to The Mud Hut later and painted my stuff that came out of the kiln yesterday or at least starting to paint it. Painting always takes longer than I think with the 3 coat rule. 

STYLE 

It's raining cats and dogs outside, that is such a weird saying. But hey it's raining. It's so dark in here, it looks like 6am. I've been playing around with necklace cord ideas. Paracord, tie dyed paracord, knitted cord, lanyard braided plastic cord, leather cord is what i've tried so far. Tried some hollow circle shapes lately. I have my first 2 fired and ready to paint and a third I still need to finish, Like hollow donuts. I like them, they remind me of artifacts from an ancient civilization or hieroglyphs made into form or those Pokemon hieroglyphs, the unknowns. I've also really been liking happy faces, my usual squiggles and shapes, dome lump shapes, pizza, bananas and palm trees. It's funny, I have two very distinctive styles right now in my ceramics, one is natural colors browns, indigo deep blue, leather, artifact shapes and the other is bright neon green and pink, shiny reflective material, plastic and paracord, 90's/70's icon shapes, tropical, karaoke, unnaturally colored hair like pink, purple, green, blue, 80's and 90's fabric and patterns.

"when i was done dying"

Dan Deacon "When I Was Done Dying" (DDWIWDD) for Off The Air on Adult Swim from dave hughes on Vimeo.

Optimistic

Feeling really positive and excited about my ceramics lately. My husband has been keeping us diligently creative even when I get home from my plants day job. Like last night he had the little drawstring bags I got the other day all laid out with the tide dye and rubber bands ready to go. We got them all tied up and dyed up. I'll be using them as part of my packaging moving forward for my necklaces. I need to find or make some larger bags for multi bead necklaces. I love how much my husband has really taken to fabric dying. 

I got some paracord to start using and some to tie dye. I need to get some more colors and play around with macrame knotting with my beads. 

I'm In love with dan deacons song "when I was done dying". It's made me think of lyrics and stories and the nobrow art books. 

It's weird wet north west weather in east Texas this spring, Making work kind of slow. the weather can get to me at times but my garden is for the most part loving the weather which I'm happy for. 

I'd really love to work with some other artist. Like both create something based on the same idea or theme and exchange some stuff. Interested email me eveneve@rocketmail.com 

Spring

Spring is in full swing here in east texas. A lot of rain this year. For the most part my garden is loving it, my avocado tree not so much. Had a nice day off yesterday. Sold and shipped my first bead to Florida. Felt laid back and not stressed which is nice and not normal for me. Been really encouraged in my different artistic outlets via the people in my life and Instagram. I started a bigcartel to put some of my beads out there. I made 2 cactus beads on my new outside studio table we found at a local thrift store we had never been to before and had the chance to start a watercolor.

 I've been spending as much time as possible in my garden. We arranged everything around the camp fire this year, most of my plants I keep in containers. My favorites this year have been the bleeding heart, drift roses, coral salvia, oak leaf hydrangea, hummingbird mint, peach and pear trees which are bearing fruit this year, lavender, bluebonnets, pine one cactus, and my new olive trees I picked up in Austin last month. We made a rule to try and not watch tv before 8pm and try to spend time outside and being creative. 

Jamin and I occasionally play around musically together. Songwriting and music are one of his main creative pursuits. He's always been into music that could be described as weird or experimental, electronic stuff. So we're putting more time into it lately. He recently ordered me a korg midi keyboard to use with my Animoog app. It's fun and interesting to hear what we come up with with me not having much of a music background or understanding. Our band is called Mermaid Hair, hopefully it's not already taken, I did some research and didn't find anything. 

This year has had its hard bits but they feel like they are smoothing out.  It's been a really rewarding and actively creative year including screen printing, music, ceramics, watercolor, fabric tie dying, drawing, tattoos, sewing, knitting, spinning yarn. Looking forward to continuing creating, and becoming more motivated in getting out there with my art. 

December is here

Hi, hello out there. It had warmed up into the 70's since our first freezing temperatures and cooled back down in a matter of hours this morning. I'm hanging out in an old house from the 1940's with a room full of poinsettias, Ready to welcome December here.

I cooked for the first time for thanksgiving this year, a corn casserole and green bean casserole that I took to thanksgiving with my coworkers. The hit dish of the evening was german style red cabbage, sweet and tangy with cloves and other spices that make it smell like this time of year, warm and good. 

I've been knitting more this year since my friend Julie started a weekly knitting group. I'm working in my fifth pair of adult socks, a finished a pair of mittens yesterday and got inspired to make baby socks like the ones I saw on the Wiksten blog. Something about cold weather makes me eager to knit, I guess because it's the time when you can use what you make, it being cold and all.

 Last month I took a ceramics class, I'm in love with clay. Still a bit of a novice at glazing but I made a bunch of beads, a few spoons & a small planter intended for a succulent or cactus. I was so happy to hear about the class. I'd looked into finding a ceramics class within an hour if where I live to no avail. Then this summer we starting going to the gathering and one of the ladies who was there that night owns one of those pottery painting places and was offering a free ceramics class at the Methodist church downtown. Thanks God! I can't wait to start going by her place and making more stuff since she charges by the item to fire stuff, I don't need to wait till I own a kiln. 

new day, new dream

So much has happened this summer. So much has changed in me in the past few months. We had the chance to let my little sister take a retreat from home life and live with my husband and I for a few months, that was a huge blessing. I went through a tv and gameboy binge after she left. I felt a brief condensed period of what newly empty nesters must feel. Now awaking from that and diving into creating. I've been weaving, sewing, drawing and gardening.

Today I woke up, drank my morning cup of coffee and got ready for the day as my husband serenaded me with his new songs. He has taken this year off so far to work on his music, writing and recording (at home). He has been creating handmade home recorded albums (an ep and full length) to send to friends when he's finished them. A season of pursuing creating as it were. I felt like going to an antique store this morning, so that is what we did. Jamin had recently visited the downtown of the town we recently found our home church in Gladewater, Texas. He goes on prayer walks around the downtowns of local towns, a practice we picked up at our last church in Orlando, FL "City Beautiful Church". It's really rewarding, take some time and intentionally walk around an area and pray for it, for the people, for awakening, expecting the Holy Spirit to move. He'd taken a prayer walk recently in Gladewater and recognized that most of the downtown is made up of Antique stores. So we drove there and visited every one of them and ate lunch at the local taqueria. He had noticed this one empty space, one floor, open loft retail space with a back room, concrete floors, high ceilings, glass store front and door. He showed it to me when we visited today. My mind started reeling with ideas for the space. "I could hold classes, it could be a gallery, coffee shop, creating, vintage store." It's up for rent, so we called and it's just $400. We got home with a list of what we'd have to do to make our dream a legitimate business, what we'd need, what we could do, brainstorming. I'm excited, I really want this to happen. God showed it to Jamin first and then me separately shortly after, so I say He planted the dream. 

All day I was taking pictures of my favorite finds at the different antique stores, this giant 6' by 7' shelving unit made up of little 5" cubbies, this circa 1920 mini printing press, little bottles, linens, a rug, juice glasses. I found a lot of stuff I really liked but have gotten better at waiting to buy. God had a present waiting for me at our last stop, this little missions thrift store. As we talked to the guy working there I saw out of the corner of my eye some boxes of polaroid film. I asked him if those were for sale and he pulled out 2 polaroid cameras and 2 unopened boxes and one unopened foil case of film. I bought the Spectra system Polaroid camera and he threw in the two 779 packages of film (a professional  quality version of 600 series film)(which doesn't work with the spectra camera but i have a few 600 series cameras it will work in) I've been wanting a spectra camera for a while and the patience paid off because I got one for $5. Thanks God for such an awesome day of old stuff and new dreams. 

my test picture of the trees outside our current apt.

procrastination

Yay! breakfast in bed compliments of my loving husband. Fried egg and bacon on a piece of toast with valentina hot sauce. So far it's been a day of overcast light filtering in through our east facing windows, drinking hot tea out of my beaver "life is for living; love is for giving" mug lying in bed contemplating what to do today. Many possibilities come to mind. 

In the past 6 months I've learned I would never be good at at etsy store where I came up with a product and produced it, more than one. I have absolutely no initiative to do so. The motivation is drained in any attempt to make something I'm not inspired to make of my own accord, but by demand, I loose all interest. Which I've been struggling with since November when I met  2 girls from a band we saw in Orlando Talk Normal. We talked momentarily where they mentioned they liked my watermelon necklaces Jamin and I were wearing. I offered to make and send them some of their own and some mushroom necklaces. At the time I had just made 2 so far. It's 7 months later and I feel like a failure having made only one and sending none. Granted I could blame it on moving to another state, getting in the swing of new surroundings and schedule. I'm recognizing my lack of willingness to sacrifice my time for someone else, a flaw I've noticed in different areas of my life. God's been teaching  me about this lately, stepping into being a living sacrifice (with a living hope). 

So i could make some or at least one watermelon necklace, paint my mini air dry clay bowl that has since dried since I molded it, fix up the paint of the 4 other air dry clay beads I made and mod podge varnish the paint so that they don't rub off on each other since I used gouache. write much due letters to my friends one of which I started writing a few weeks ago and is still in the typewriter. make more stuff out of air dry clay. Make music, or better worded; play around with our keyboards and garage band, layering and looping sounds till it sounds like music. scan photos, paint, draw, collage. All along resisting the urge to feel bored or lonely acknowledging that I find my being in Christ, the urge goes away when I seek God, when I talk with Him. 

day of collages and new music

Since I started my new plant shop job and it being spring and therefore busy I've fallen into a lazy routine lately involving work and coming home and watching Big Bang Theory, taking care of my plants filling up our three windows and taking care of our pets; 2 cats, 2 frogs (australian whites tree frog, American green tree frog) and an anole lizard. All of which except for one cat we acquired in the recent weeks. Now on watch through number 3 of the series I started to feel the need to be productive and creative.

Today I was browsing etsy for a few minutes and came across an item a friend of mine favorited, from there I went to the girls blog, depeapa. I found her style, colors & shapes inspiring and felt refreshed and energized to create. A welcomed response and change to my couch potato nature as of late. 

So I sat down at my desk this afternoon and created the 2 above collages. 

I turned on some music from the music blog gorilla vs bear and found a band I really like Prince Innocence a band I had previously no knowledge of. I like how they don't look like they go together, they have catchy beats and professional videos which I found interesting since they are distributed through a small label pretty pretty records that through their website seems to have only 3 bands and have yet to release a full length record and seem to only have 6 songs all of which were release in the past year. I love this video of theirs, the prism lights, the random items and poster taped to the wall, the neon pop cartoon icons overlaid over the live video. 

The other video my husband found the artist last night and from what I heard I really liked at the time and remembered and found again today. Shuta Hasunuma on the same label as Balmorhea, western vinyl. A fun found sound electronic beats.

doodles

Recently I was inspired to start keeping a sketchbook. I've always been kind of OCD about art. I want to destroy my stuff if I don't like it so pages get torn out of sketchbooks, so I tend to work with loose paper. But after recently reading Leah Reena Goren's blog I thought I'd try it out, suppressing the urge to tear out pages if I don't like a drawing or painting. I chose one I had already, a present from years back. There were a few sewing pattern sketches in it already. But I started. I'm trying to not let a day go by without drawing or painting something in it. Most of it inspired by etsy artists I like, illustrators, some plants & nature items, Jamin & furniture, stuff I find on pinterest, miyazaki films.

A few days ago we went to a local home décor and gardening store, bypassing the home décor stuff and walking straight to the greenhouse. I love being around plants. It is my happy spot, growing stuff, nature, green. I walked down all the isles, a few of them multiple times. Checking out the succulents and cacti, ferns, ground cover, palms, and a few flowering plants. I could only get one and I ended up choosing between a poppy plant, flowering succulent, pony tail palm & a stag horn fern. I chose the stag horn fern because I ended up giving the one I had to a neighbor in Florida who wanted it. And now it is living in the window above the couch where it can soak up some indirect sunlight.

I wanted to blog everyday when I recently started blogging again but realized I don't always have something to share or say really. So my new more practical idea is to do so when I have something to show or talk about. It is weird how we make rules to things (like blogging) for ourselves without even thinking about it. That we all like things a certain way. I'm trying to learn to be more carefree and just do, make.

work space

my work space looks like we've lived here for years not weeks. I'd forgotten how many pieces of inspiration I have, drawings, prints, postcards, polaroids, photographs, trinkets, vintage bits of paper, rocks, words of encouragement, posters, baskets, knitting, sewing... lots of stuff. I'm kind of a clutter nester when it comes to surrounding myself with stuff I like. It is a weird blend of organization, vintage, nature & handmade objects & bits of paper. 

cold day

yesterday we played disc golf for Valentines day. It was such a beautiful day, the weather was awesome, cool but it warmed up enough to loose the sweater while playing. I'm getting a hang on the technique of throwing. It's funny but Jamin pointed out that we are a holiday disc golf couple. We played on Christmas. Rode our bikes the 5 miles to the park back in Orlando and although I'm not much of a risk taker adventurer. It just doesn't come naturally something about being raised to not brake rules, some are still just hard for me to be comfortable with, like sneaking into a park on Christmas. But we rode up and 2 seconds later a camper drove up and entered their code and we were able to ride in after them. It was an awesome day. We played the whole 18. We had a memory making moment adventure where I threw my new disc that Jamin bought me to be my own first disc. I cut it left by early release and sunk it into the middle of man made river storm ditch. Thankfully it landed leaning on a log bellow this big pipe that crossed the river at that spot. At first I tried to reach it with a large branch while standing on the pipe but couldn't reach it. Then Jamin tried while stepping out onto another log but the stick dropped the disc and it sunk. So I took off my shoes and socks and rolled up my tights walked out onto the log and reached into the cold water but I couldn't feel the bottom so I jumped in and search for it with my feet because I didn't want to put my head under the water, it was not clear. At the point where I thought I might not find it Jamin reminded me to pray about finding it and at that point I did. Praise the Lord! I was happy I found my special disc. I was wearing layers and removed all wet clothing I still had a dress, shirt, socks & shoes that were dry. It was an experience semi-swimming in a storm ditch. 

Today I had a day lesson in patience. I notice a lot of people struggle with patience while driving. I need patience when wanting to use the computer but Jamin is using it, we own one laptop. I wanted to surf blogs, pinterest, etsy, scan new drawings and blog. Jamin worked on his first music video all yesterday and today making it, editing it and figuring out how to upload it onto youtube. It was frustrating trying not to be impatient. knowing how much I use the computer and sometimes wishing someone would stop me when I can't stop myself from wasting time online instead of actually making, doing or accomplishing something. So in waiting I drew my jar of favorite brushes and pens I'm currently using & my diana mini camera and I ended up liking them. 

Yesterday I was struggling with feeling inadequate, not good, talentless. I was comparing my art abilities to other people art. Not like side by side. It's just sometimes you see something, in this case other people photography on this blog I like inconnu // unknown and really really liking it and then feeling not as good as them and down. Jamin pointed out in doing that, not only is it unhealthy, it's a sin. Because in doing that being envious of others capabilities I'm not resting in the fact that God has made me exactly who I am, who I'm meant to be right now, He's given me exactly the amount of talent and capability he designed me to have right now in the areas he designed me to have them in. I can work on improving and be inspired by others work, it's just not helpful to compare myself to others. 

So today I organized my paper drawer unit (from ikea) It's a mini affordable apartment size version of those large metal paper drawer units at schools. I had stuffed stuff that was on the walls at our last two places when we moved and never fully unpacked it till today. My art, other peoples art, paper, bits of inspiration, posters, knick knack pieces of paper, art supplies, plastic sleeves, stickers. In organizing I came across some pieces of work that I had forgotten about that I really liked. It was like God was showing me I don't always have that feeling like I suck, sometimes I make something I'm proud of. It was encouraging to be reminded that sometimes I like what I make. 

happy valentines day

The light was so strongly lighting up our blinds that it seemed that they weren't even there by how much the light lit up the room this morning. I woke up around 8am which I was surprised by because I went to bed late but the heaviness of my eyes reminded me.

 I didn't realize till I was on google/reader for a while that today is valentines. The past few weeks I've been drawing heart shapes out of plants. I suppose because I knew valentines was coming up. I think it must be one of the most enjoyable holidays for kids. I always liked the time at school where you got to exchange your valentines, the candies and cartoon character themed pieces of perforated paper in reds and pinks. We're not much of celebrators of holidays or life events in the traditional sense. I think it is a part of our personalities to not plan things and just go with the flow of the day, doing what we feel lead in the moment, laid back. Last night I got some flowers though, Jamin got me some yellow daisy type ones when we first got here and last night I got some pale purple ones with green in the middle. That's one thing we thought we'd do now that we are here, always have some flowers. 

happy valentines day

patterns

I was playing around with patterns that would work for cards today while my husband was looking up Willy Mason music videos. He got inspired and I got bored and changed my skirt for the second time today. As I walked over to our couch and posted my feet up on foot stool in my what's next today mood He was like "Lets make a music video for one of my songs". He's currently figuring out which song he wants to play with a music video for first, walking around (as much as that is possible in our tiny space) playing his small guitar, playing his songs, getting a feel for which one. So we're going to play around with our friends digital camera today. 

surrounded by pine trees

We hung some more pictures up in our apartment yesterday. Jamin joked about sending pictures of our moved into 12x20 studio to Dwell because of how we used the space. It's like one of those ikea houses that you can walk around in at the store except without the walls dividing everything and making it feel smaller.

 I'm loving all the evergreen trees around here. I'm not exactly sure what varieties they are, I think just pine. but all the tall green trees are mesmerizing and comforting towering above me. It makes me want to sleep under them and the stars in the navy blue rich sky. It's a little cold for that, we'd have to bundle up. But I like camping in the cold, it feel truer in a way. The other night we hung out around a bon fire made with logs from a tree our tenants cut down on their property, they were all around 4 feet long and it was still smoldering in the morning when we step outside for our day, even in the drizzle. 

rainy day inside

Rainy day here in east Texas. The past few days really, drizzle then storm, lightning and thunder. I love how the rain makes the greens and browns of nature more saturated, rich. I've been really appreciating my new color swatches. Before I'd tend to pick out the colors I thought I wanted to use by the bottle color. I usually ended up using the same colors over and over, not really satisfied with the result of my choices. I feel i'm choosing better now that I know exactly what color i'm choosing. The scene above was our cat being cute and ironic this morning. He was taking a nap on a crocheted blanket using the hard wood of my chair as his pillow. Jamin pointed out that "shouldn't it be the other way around?" 

these baby moccasin booties were a goodwill outlet find back in Austin. I thought they would make a good baby card for someone (don't get any ideas, just thought they were cute).

studio today

The temperature dropped last night. And I just heard thunder outside, I think it is going to rain, making it even colder. It's kind of nice to experience some kind of winter weather, since Florida doesn't seem to experience much of it. A few nights we wore sweatshirts and jackets with toboggans but as we left there it felt like it was almost summer time again. Since our space is built inside of a garage it doesn't retain heat that well so it gets a bit nippy, but it is nice to be able to wear sweaters and chunky socks and cozy up under multiple blankets at night. 

I think I, like seemingly everyone else fell in love with Rifle paper company. While I was in Florida, since it is based out of Orlando, where we were. It makes me want to paint like her. I was playing around with flowers like she draws today. It feels like copying at first, but I feel like if I continue to paint flowers it will become something my own. It is just based upon inspiration at first. 

This Asparagus fern picture used to be hanging in my friend Pam's house as shown in the picture. I took a picture of it the last time I hung out with her and she gave it to me when I took a picture of it. She was like if you like it so much just take it. She's cool. We exchanged some stuff before we left. I don't think I'd ever done that before, exchanged stuff. It's a great experience, you give a friend some things they like of yours and they give you some thing you like of theirs and then all of those things will forever remind you of that person. It's a great was to be reminded of people. 

These two pictures are from a coffee shop in Orlando I miss "Downtown Credo". I didn't frequent it that much since I didn't live in the area (college park).  But it is a great place, non profit coffee space. Great atmosphere, very fresh and great soft light. The walls are decorated like this behind the coffee bar and above where all the sugars are. The other walls are left bare or used to hang the current show of artwork. The have workshops like writing and "cultivating a creative community".  I had friends that hung out there every day. They make the best iced dirty chai latte ever. And my friend Pam mentioned above bakes the desserts they sell. She is currently starting a new business for compost called "Fork and Spade". 

East Texas

a few shots from home so far. I felt a little bad about my mass america comment yesterday, there is just something about concrete & stores that puts a knot in my stomach. But as I said the trees are great here, great and tall, full of pine cones and pine needles that fall and cover the ground. 

I drew some yesterday, succulents, pine cones & feathers. Stuff I have laying around. I'm going to try to  be more diligent about drawing. I felt like making a stationary card, so I started a design. 

Recently I found this great new book series called "Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms" & "Horten's Incredible Illusions" by Lissa Evans there are only two books in the series but I really like them. I'm currently reading the second one but I read the first one in a day. You can find them in the young adult area in the children's section of a book store. 

Yesterday some family took us out to dinner at the one thai restaurant in town Lil Thai House, a small local joint where some other young college age looking kids walked in while we were there and we briefly thought about asking where they hang out, what there is to do in town but didn't figuring they were probably in high school. It was good, we were happy to eat at a local place. I got thai tea & panang curry & Jamin got green curry stir fry. My favorite was what Jackie got, the pad see-ew was awesome.  There aren't any coffee shops around here, just starbucks. Which is fine but i'm looking more for a place to meet young artistic people, have gallery shows & local music acts play. 

I've already been to the two goodwill in town. I got 2 sweaters, a guy shirt, a yarn picture of a pixilated waterfall, 2 things for friend packages, a plastic watch & Jamin found some black cole haan dress shoes. I thought I looked up that there was a goodwill outlet (blue hanger) around here, but I guess I was mistaken or it is farther than I realize.