Growing Up

These are the young women of my life.
I am so privileged to have so many wonderful friends and to have been in their lives for as long as i have.
This photo was taken at the first bridal shower for this group, and none of us could believe that we were already at this stage of our lives.
It's gone by so quickly.

As time passes I will continue to be flabbergasted at how far we have come.

Searching.

I need a job.

end of story.

relatedly...i miss You.

Things to look forward to:

The hilarity of my job comes in part from the weird emails we get.
Here are some things that my news room was notified of:

1.) 40th Anniversary of the moon landing! ("one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!")
2.) National Lasagna Day! (no joke, this is happening on July 29. Get yourself some!)
3.) Tomorrow is National Junk food day. (grab yourself some Cheetos!)
4.) On July 23rd, the Ice Cream Cone was introduced in 1904
5.) July 23 is also Mosquito day! (yay malaria!)
6.) July 24th is my favorite Looney Toon's Character's B-day- Marvin the Martian 1948
7.) July 26th is a Happy Birthday to Bert from Sesame Street
8.) And July 27th is Ian's favorite Looney toon's Character's bday- Bugs Bunny 1940

So grab a friend and celebrate! Good luck finding a lasagna day hat to wear though.

Things that make me think of you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REbZO82tkgw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXN0BuCnErc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-pUaogoX5o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEU9Q8NlOiY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMGhrDS3Eps (my personal favorite!)


7 days.

Did I mention, I love you?

Poetry

Last night I was snooping through my room and stumbled upon a book of my poetry stuffed to the brim with loose leaf of poems waiting to be added.
I spent the later part of the evening putting the stragglers in and remembering where the poems came from.
Instead of a journal, the poems talked about the life I was leading rather than the activities from day to day.
I felt very nostalgic.

I found one that was just as applicable today as it was when i first wrote it in the back of my Math Notebook.... (Construction-insert here)
Though I feel more alive now then i have in two years, I'm just not inspired to write more poetry right now.

Just waiting for the creative spark...

10 Days until San Diego...I simply cannot wait. <3

Makin Movies

My friends are a rare breed.

For as long as I've known them, movies are what keep us occupied.

Ian got to be involved this time.

Yes, we were cops from the future.

I have a bazooka for an arm.

A new painting

He's going to be here on Saturday.
Can you tell i'm a little excited?
I love painting.

Cali-vania

Most Played: Ham and Cheese, the Soundtrack

While everything in my life is currently in transit, moving from stable just as quickly as it moves to unstable, there is one thing that I have been able to rely on other than close family.
Never in my life have I found so many smiles, so much laughter, so much music, poetry and a desire to travel as I do now.
I feel more free than ever, even if life continues to speed by all around me.

On Monday as i embark on yet another surgery to correct this painful wrist, someone will be traveling for me...and i wonder, how did i get so lucky?

Like peas and carrots...like ham and cheese.

thank you for completing the puzzle.

Life

A college graduate...
..Unbelieveable.

Whats even better is that in the time it has taken me to graduate, I have also found something new and exciting.

It's been there for a long time, only now am I able to embrace it, to invite it to stay.

Sometimes you just have to say what you need to say.

I love you.

The Last TU Painting

School is nearly over.

Finals begin late next week and graduation is two weeks away.

May is finally here and I am so excited for a new month!

Those who know me continually ask if I'll miss college.

I'll miss the process that college was...introducing me to the next thing, and supporting me as I achieved the honors that I did.

I'll miss some of the professors and some of the friends that I've made, but...its time for the next thing.

College is over...and life is beginning.

I'll definately miss my painting class...I've seen an incredible improvement in the few months of insturuction.

This is the last painting:

....It's been fun.

Home Stretch

My final project for painting was a self portrait.

Though I don't know that I completely achieved the part where it's supposed to look like you, I definitely nailed the shadowing. Baby steps.

 In other news, this is my last real week of classes...and then all of my energy gets to be with final exams. 

I need a job. 

Winding Down

So this is the last in-class painting that will be done in Intro to Painting. 

I'm a little sad that there isn't more time for this class, i really enjoyed it.

This one is still a work in progress, we have another week in class to work on it.

Next up...self portrait. But i don't want to post that one until it is complete. 

An incredible suprise!

Today was one of those days that make you want to stay wrapped up in your warm blankets.
In fact, it took everything I had to crawl out and go to class today.
But then when I got home I had an amazing surprise waiting for me.
A dozen beautiful long stemmed roses....You are truly incredible.
I only wish that the box held a certain Californian instead of the roses that he sent.
I just couldn't stop smiling.Thank you for being you, and for making my day worth getting up for.

"And in this crazy life,

and through these crazy times
it's you, it's you
You make me sing
You're every line
You're Every word
You're everything"

~Michael Buble

41st Student Art Exhibition: Tyler School of Art

So my work was featured in an art show here at Temple University for the spring semester. 

I'm thrilled because I never thought anything that I produced by doing this hobby was worth being featured anywhere but the confines of my bedroom or apartment walls. 

In the following pictures you'll see the gallery space as well as the two paintings that were selected to be a part of the show!

This is the wall that the two are featured on, if you can see them, they are centered!

These are the selected paintings. Both were color studies that were inspired by a typical bouquet of flowers. 

This one just makes it feel very official.

Just some more of the gallery space. Some of the student work was incredible. 

And this is the final version of the painting that I was working on last week of the African American model. Unfortunately my camera doesn't fully capture the colors and the shadows created, but it turned out very well. 

 I'm so grateful that I had such a positive experience with the art school at Temple. I'm just sad that I didn't explore it sooner. 

It's the Littlest things

The littelest things can make you smile in the morning.

Sometimes it's a message left from someone you really care about...

Other times it's just having the knowledge that they care.

I'm passionate about a lot of things, but i forgot about Sinatra, Art, music and travel.

These things were lost for a while...but recently, I've found reason to let them come out again.

My paintings reveal that I've been inspired. Below is a painting I'm still working on, a portrait of our African American model. I just love the warmer colors that come with creating a convincing dark skin tone.

As graduation approaches I am confident and optimistic about the future. Even though I am aware of how hard the world can be, I'm very ready to embrace the changes and all of the wonderful things that may be waiting once school is over.

"I've got you under my skin.

I've got you deep in the heart of me.

So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.

I've got you under my skin.

I tried so not to give in.

I said to myself: "This affair never will go so well."

But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know so well,

I've got you under my skin."

~Frank Sinatra

*Edit: I just found out that some of my artwork will be featured in Temple Univerity's art show on April 15-April 18 in Tyler School of Art!

Beautiful Weekend

Sometimes its wonderful to wake up to yellow roses.
This weekend...i did just that.
I'm quite lucky and very grateful. ;)

The second image is of the painting I did as an outside assignment. It is supposed to convey the
word "Doubt"...what do you think?

More work

Thanks for the comments guys!

Here's some more stuff I worked on yesterday...

Artist

Some days i forget why I like painting. Today I remembered, and My work made it show.

News

Sitting at the newsdesk at 4 am i had some awesome news:

Celebrate All Things Scrapple at Reading Terminal Market's ScrappleFest!
Saturday, March 21, 2009, 10am-4pm
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (March 12, 2009) - Love it or hate it, Scrapple is the quintessential Pennsylvania breakfast treat. Celebrate all things Scrapple at ScrappleFest! Local Scrapple brands will sample their products, chefs will prepare an assortment of Scrapple dishes, and a panel of local celebrities will judge the best Scrapple dish created by Reading Terminal Market merchants.

The festivities will include:
· Scrapple samplings by Dietz & Watson, Parks, Hatfield Quality Meats, Godshall's (Turkey Scrapple), Fair Food Farmstand (Vrapple, Vegan Scrapple), and Pennsylvania General Store (Chocolate Scrapple)
· Scrapple Recipe Contest with judges Drew Lazor of the Philadelphia City Paper, Chef and Cookbook Author Aliza Green, Chef Greg Salisbury of Rx, and Laura Burkhardt of Where Magazine
· Live music by the John Breslin Dixieland Band
· Scrapple souvenirs and other merchandise
· Much, much more!
Stop by the Market on March 21st and experience the many facets of this unique Pennsylvanian specialty

what?!?

Then I got a page over the news pager with the following:

*Unusual Incident*
Cell phone caller stated he was stuck in a hole . After 20 mins of searching he was found by the fire department. The victim has now been removed from the hole with a possible broken hip.

Get Away

Vacations are awesome.
What I think dampens that fact is that inevitably, you need to come home.
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to travel during my college years, i saw a lot and met people who will be in my life for many years to come.
You don't meet people like this every day.

Missing L.A.