My birthday.....oh, wait

(I didn't actually miss my own birthday, I just missed blogging about it.)

Anyway, my birthday was really good. Jon and I dressed up fancy and went to the Melting pot. He gave me a really sweet note and a pair of giant, awesome headphone. My mother-in-law also gave me a set of water mixable oil paints, which I'm extremely excited about. They have the same properties of oil paints, but you can clean them up with soap and water, which is really good if your someone whose renting and doesn't have a utility sink (like me). 

Oh, and one of my friends gave me this.

How much more epic can you get than a giant birthday fortune cookie?!!

sincerely,

me

Hey look, pictures 'n stuff!

What's this!! Have I finally managed to post some new art on this art blog?!?

  

sincerely,

me

1 year of blogging!!

365 days ago, I started Art + Everything Else! 

(This is the part where I get all introspective and stuff.)

Having (and sometimes even updating) this blog has been an interesting experience. Here's what I've learned so far.

~I actually know what I want this blog to be about (sort of)

~That, while I (sort of) know what this blog is about, my focus will probably change over time

~Blogging takes effort

~ I'm not very good at exhibiting said effort

~I am hopeful (if not woefully deceived) that over time, I will get better at the aforementioned effort 

~I still have lots of hopes and dreams for this blog, some of which might even come to fruition someday

There you have it. I'm sure there's other stuff, but I can't think of anything at present. Thank you to everyone who ever read, commented, followed or encouraged me in any way. You all are the best!

sincerely,

me

Shirking

That's a pretty good description of my life a present. It also explains why I haven't posted in forever. I've been slacking on as many of my responsibilities as possible in favor of writing.

Apologies for being a bad blogger.

sincerely,
me

2 year wedding anniversary and writing stuff

Yesterday was Jon and my wedding anniversary! It's been an interesting two years spent with the best husband I could ever imagine. ^_^ 

In other news, last week was a bit crazy in the writing department. Monday through Thursday was spent writing out some bits and pieces for a story I'm currently stuck on.  To more fully express what the process was like, I drew this cartoon.

Yup, that about says it. Mood swings seem to be an inseparable part of the creative process.

However Thursday, a new story idea descended upon me while I was trying to sleep. (Inspiration is apt to strike at the inconvenient times.) I was up till 2 o'clock brainstorming ideas and writing notes. On Friday, I wrote 16 pages, which is the most I've ever done in one day!

The new idea is based on a re-imagining of the Frog Prince fairy tale. That story always bothered me because the princess is an absolute brat and she still ends up with the prince! Anyway, I have great plans for taking the original story apart and turning it into something completely different. While I haven't managed to match Friday's epic page count, I am making reasonable progress.

sincerely,
me

I'm back!

I'm finally home after a weekend of camping and an unanticipated week with my parents. My mom had an emergency surgery and I decided to stay with her while she got better. (She's doing fine now, just to let you know.) Camping was loads of fun; much better than I feared it would be. We waded up a river,  ate tons of yummy campfire food and didn't get attacked by a bear! 'Twas a good time indeed.

It was also great to hang out with my mom. I think we talked about everything there is to talk about; art, dystopia, politics, family stuff, mythology and the awesomeness of Terry Pratchett. It's been a while since we've been able to just sit and discuss whatever came to mind. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

So, now I'm back to reality after a week and a half off. Although it was nice to get away and see friends and family, I am looking forward to getting back to work.

sincerely,
me

The Wilderness must be explored!

Puns are the best. This one always reminds me of my cousin Meredith, because I first heard it from her.

This weekend, Jon and I will be venturing forth into the wilds of western PA for a three-day camping trip with some friends from college. Needless to say, I'm a bit anxious about the whole thing. I've never been on anything this ambitious before (my camping experience consists of one overnight with my family back in high school) and I'm getting rather overwhelmed trying to figure out what we need to bring. Despite my fears, I am determined to face the unknown with bravery, even if it's of the fake variety. Jon, who has more experience with camping than I do, assures me that everything will be fine.


sincerely,
me