My Weekend & Twitter

Hi guys!  How has your weekend been?  Mine has been uneventful but that is ok since next week is going to be non-stop! 

Yesterday was a pink day:

Pink nails, sunglasses, shirt, purse, and earrings!

I got another post card in the mail yesterday:

The card says "All you need is the courage to be you."  Sadly I couldn't read the name on the card but there was an address: www.dixonhill.net!  The card was from Helen and she blogs - go check out her site!  Sadly, only 3 cards left to go.  The fun is over way too soon.
Today I went to Yoga.  Sadly it now feels like an accomplishment when I get my butt up out of bed early enough for 930 yoga...anyways, it was an awesome class and a great workout. 

I also went to Walmart today.  I had a very maddening experience.  I was in line behind a lady who's order took forever to ring up.  Then, she tells the cashier that she would like to ring up her 2nd basket separately - I had not noticed this because of the kids in the basket.  So, she was paying for this basket with 6$ WIC checks - thus, only 6$ worth of food could be rung up a a time.  So, while waiting patiently for this to happen I noticed that she had on $100 jeans from The Buckle (a store in the mall) and then about 5 minutes later I noticed she had a Coach purse!  I was like "SERIOUSLY!" - in my head that is, but really, you guys understand my reaction, right?  So then all the basket was run up and the cashier walked away.  So we stood there for about 5 min and she finally came back with formula!  The lady did 2 separate transactions for formula!  I am usually pretty good about waiting in line at Walmart because I know its going to be a long wait, but this was ridiculous! 

Anyways... on the upside, I almost finished a new painting today.  I started it last night and worked on it more today. Now, I just need some pennies and it will be complete.  So, I am hoping tomorrow I can get some, or that someone will give them to me because I have a chance to give this painting to its future owner on Wednesday!  If all goes well it will be finished tomorrow and I can show you guys the pics - because I know she doesn't read the blog, in fact I don't think she even knows I blog!

Lastly, I wanted to tell you guys that I have decided to give Twitter a try.  So, if you want to find me, my twitter name is @mimsrachel. 

Have a great night and hopefully I will see you tomorrow.

Last Few Days Catch Up

Good morning friends!  I hope you have something interesting planned for this weekend.  I am going to go to the farmer's market (which is small here) and then maybe some shopping and some art.  Nothing to set it stone - just whatever I feel like. I have some ICAD cards to show you:

Yeah its sideways, but I am too lazy to fix it.

Yeah, that is what I do at work... that and play on the internet, yet I am supposedly so valuable that I can't take classes?  Anyways....I've been walking around with some of those in my pocket for several days or weeks - oops!

I did some art journaling last night:

Yeah that last one is about a concert I am going to - Breathe Carolina.  I'm overly excited about it, but whatever.

I went to Kohl's yesterday trying to find a specific item and of course I didn't get it but I found two other things:

That bracelet is actually a juniors bracelet - there was a different one for ladies but my wrist is so small it didn't fit, but its ok the jr.'s one was less $!  And you know I have trouble resisting pink things. 

Lastly I want to show you the first post card that I have received from the Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap put on by The Kat Eye View:

This post card came from Elane and she is in Edinburgh!  She took this picture at the Edinburgh Zoo. 
I love mail art.  I need to go get myself in another postcard swap stat! If you know of one please share.

Ok friends, I need to get moving so I can accomplish something today!  Have an awesome weekend!

WOYWW 27 Jul (Long one!)

Hey guys, thanks for stopping by!  Just a warning that this is a long one - I've got a lot to tell you about!  First I will start with the WOYWW part, so if your visiting from Stamping Ground (visit this link to see more desks!) you can skip the rest if you like.  So, what is on my work desk?

I finally finished that painting!  Also, this morning I picked up this box:

Its a pencil box, but did you see the inside has that netting and elastic?  I am going to decorate the box all crazy and use it as my travel journal kit!  I am excited about it!!

This morning I also got this:

Its to haul all my art stuff in when I am teaching, or even going to a class!  Speaking of teaching classes, I met with my coordinator today and we scheduled more classes from now until December.  She also told me that Edge! Program that hired me to teach Meditative Drawing to kids has decided to hire me for October to teach art journaling to kids too!   I love it - I am an art teacher!  So exciting. 

Lastly, I want to tell you about the paintings that I entered into the Fort Bragg Arts & Crafts Contest.  I got honorable mention for one of them (not sure which one though).  I entered these two:

I got this:

I know its not like getting first or 2nd place but its still cool!

So, I guess that is all for now.  Tonight is my last night of teaching the kids meditative drawing, so for a few weeks I hope to have a bit more time to do my own art!  Wish me luck.  Have a great night everyone!

Painting (in progress?)

Hi friends!  Hopefully your weather is better than ours - storms for the last several hours!  I did manage to get my oil changed today though which makes me happy - I was feeling pretty guilty that I was driving around so long after I should have gotten it done.  I also made good progress on the painting:

I am not sure if I am going to leave it or do the idea that I had originally which was to do circle tangles inside some of those lines.  I have not yet done it yet because I kind of like how it looks now.

Today was pretty uneventful, but that is how I like it - no drama!  But, no drama means nothing to talk about - sorry! 

Have a great night and I hope to "see" you tomorrow.

Sunday

Finally I had a productive day!  I made it to yoga and it was very nice - got a good stretch of the back and hopefully I won't be out of commission this week like the last 2!  I also washed and dried my sheets & comforter, replaced my air filters, baked sweet potatoes, and went to several stores!  I even worked on a painting for a few hours!  Its the one in this post, but its not finished yet.  Hopefully by Wednesday for WOYWW!    I know it doesn't really sound like much but trust me it took a lot out of me to get it all done.  Sorry for the short post, but I did want to say hi.  Hope you guys had a great weekend, and I will "see" you tomorrow.

Week Recap

Hey guys, sorry its been a few days.  This was a really rough week.  I cried for about 2 hours at work Monday and then again on Tuesday.  Wednesday was a little better, mostly because I was gone from our office for half the day.  Thursday improved and Friday was better too (I only worked for 2 hours!)

So, things are not 100% resolved yet but I think we made some good progress and hopefully here in the next week things will be set.  I am hoping it works out where I can take 4 art classes that I need as undergrad credit before I start my masters.  It appears that I won't be able to make it to FSU this fall, so on the advice of a friend, I am doing my best to make a decision that I can be satisfied with and will help me deal with still being in limbo about when I will get out of the Army.  If I do get to take the classes I will be a full time student and wont really have to work which will be AWESOME!!!

On top of all the mental and emotional stress that I had this week, I was having some serious physical problems.  Sunday evening my back started to hurt and it just got worse.  I was on pain killers all week.  Friday was the first time I was able to not take pain killers.  Today was my first day to be able to walk without my cane.  I am VERY afraid of re-hurting myself (even though I didn't do anything to hurt myself in the first place!)

Anyways, so that was my crazy week. I did this index card about it:

I did a few things today that I have wanted to do all week, but with a hurt back I couldn't.  I wanted to get a pedicure - got me some nice pink toenails now!  I also went to a new store, The Christmas Tree Shop, that my friend told me about.  I LOVED IT!  Here is what I got:

Pink Plastic Bowl for my apples!

Dish mat, Dish Brush, Hand Soap, and 5 pack of dish towels

Because I don't already have enough stationary hehe

black wall shelf

All of that for only $33!

And, unplanned, but not surprising, I did a bit of shopping at J.C. Penny when I walked through to get my pedicure.  I ended up with this dress:

Isn't it cute?!? Originally $70, I paid $23.79! I also got some earrings:

and a shirt:

All of that for only $35!

So, now even though I have tons of things left on my to-do list (oil change, new air filters for the house, ETC ETC) I am done for the day because I would like to be pain free enough tomorrow to do yoga and be productive! 

I hope to be back tomorrow with some art pictures!  Have a great weekend!

WOYWW 20 JUL

I'm a day late, but you guys don't mind right? I didn't get to do my WOYWW post yesterday because I was teaching art to kids!  I had  good time, we did mandalas, a few tangles and watercolor paintings.  When I got home I was super tired, so, I am doing my post today!  Here is my art table:

And up close view of the painting:

I colored in the flower.  I think I know what I want to do with it next, but I am not 100% on it yet.

For more work desk views, go to stamping ground!

For my regular readers, Its been a tough week at work so far.  I hope it calms down and I can get back to posting regularly and doing some interesting things so I can share them with you!

Have a great day everyone!

Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Extreme Makeover Home Edition is in our town!  They are re-doing a house for a local veteran.  She runs a Women Veteran's Home - she helps women veterans transition from the military to civilian life.  So, the house she uses for that is being re-done. 

The BOSS group and I went to volunteer with the USO to collect canned goods at the benefit concert:

BOSS group with Ms. Fayetteville

Group Photo

Trying a fried Oreo that someone bought

After we were done volunteering we went to check out the house:

The original house - about 1200 sq ft

New House in Progress... basement, 2 stories and attic!  About 7000 sq ft

You know we had to get a photo with the pink port-a-potty

It is supposed to be finished this Thursday.  I can't wait to see it, and hopefully I will get to see the episode too!  It is supposed to air in October. 

Have a great day everyone!

BOSS Myrtle Beach Trip #2

Saturday we went to Myrtle Beach again, but this time we actually went to the beach. 

Group Photo - there was 18 of us!

2nd Ave. Pier

some of our group standing on the pier...that's me there on the right!

My friend Madison and I on the beach

I had a great time at the beach.  I took a nap and played in the water.  I also read and book and worked on a tangle:

Hopefully I will be able to finish it some time soon.

I've got a super busy week ahead of me, so I really hope that I have the time to keep up with blogging, but if I disappear don't worry I will be back soon.

Have a great day!

Tangles (ICAD) & Art Class

Yesterday at work, while playing online, I found tanglepatterns.com which is a Zentangle page that I had not previously looked at.  What I like about it is that it gives links to step-by-step instructions on how to do certain patterns.  It doesn't have just the standard patterns but some pretty cool ones.  I did a few on my index cards (which I now carry in my pocket!) so that I could use them in a tangle piece later.  Here are the ones I did:

 And I even transferred them over to large format so that if I end up teaching them to the kids in my art class I will have a very visible example.

Speaking of my art class, I didn't tell you how it went.  It was Wednesday evening and we had severe thunderstorm warning and a downpour of rain.  I ended up only have one of the 14 kids that was signed up!  Since it was raining the kids horseback riding class was canceled so I let 3 of those kids come to my class.  I taught them a bunch of tangles and had them do a project.  The 3 girls from horseback riding seemed very tired and were no very enthusiastic - they moved very slow so there was a lot of waiting on them to finish so I could go onto the next step.  I talked to the lady in charge of the program and she thinks that next week more of the kids will show up.  I hope its small though because it will be more fun that way I think.  Next week I think I am going to bring watercolors so that they can pain a few pages in their journals and then tangle on top of it.

Since writing the above (and saving it as a draft post) I have explored the tangles web page some more.  Here are some more tangles that I thought were cool:

 I think these s-curl tangles are my new favorite tangle!

I am excited to use some of these new tangles in my art journal pages!    I did use some of the ones at the top of this post when I did a tangle while waiting to see the doctor on Friday:

I like how it came out.  I know its just a tangle but something about it seems kind of creepy to me.

Well, I hope this post gives you a little bit of tangle inspiration!  Go check out that website and find something that is new to you and try it. 

I hope you guys had a great weekend - have a wonderful night!