Awesome Crafting

Don't you just love this:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25516801

So great and creative... maybe I can figure that out sometime. I love etsy and it's homemade goodness!

Something fun I love

Here is a link to the regal listing for free kids movies this summer:

http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx?state=CA

I usually make it to at least one showing. Last summer I went to Waterhorse, but it got too scary for my one year old. :) But, it was worth a shot. My theatre isn't a Regal, it's a Krikorian, but they have it too, for a buck. So, check your theatre, just to see.

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo256/cstuessy/Krikorian%20Summer%20Kids%20Series/SanClementeKSFlyer.jpg

I hope I can catch at least Kung Fu Panda, which is a favorite. My daughter loves this movie because Panda's (and puppies) are her favorite animal. I have to limit watching it because I think it's a bit violent for a not-quite 2 year old, but she has learned some pretty cute kung-fu moves. So, a theatre experience would probably be fun, especially with popcorn!

Looks like there are some good ones out this year. I liked The Tale of Desperedux, and still want to see Horton. Hmm, what else to say... oh yeah, and I know this is 'technically' for kids, but I used to go sometimes before having a child. hehe Or you can always borrow a friend's kid or relative to take on a cheap date. :) Makes some great memories with those kiddos who need a little TLC.

Mwaaahahaha

I like it.

Sketch 2 in the works

Kinda too hard to see the drawing, but that's the sun coming through some rain clouds and the little crab & sea cuke (from illustration 1, see "getting closer" below) dancing there @ the bottom. Anyway, I got to work a bit more on it... I need to develop the clouds more, in a stormy type way, accentuate the dancers & seaweed, add a little texture to the sea floor, perhaps pronounce the beginning of below-sea-level a bit more, and possibly add green/grey/& blue rain drops. -If you wanted to know... actually helps me remember too!

So far...

Earlier today.

car sketching

working on #2 sketch in car

On the way up to Thousand Oaks this past weekend, I got to work during the day! Normally I don't have the space to work on art during the day unless I want some "help" with it. :) In this case, my little helper was asleep in her carseat. hehe So, I had a good 45 min. to think and work on illustration #2. Unfortunately after the munchkin awoke I kept turning around so often (runny nose emergencies!) I wound up fairly carsick and had to shelve the art and actually stop for a soda to soothe the tummy. But, still a good time, and Darin was a great sounding board to help me over my illustrator's block.

Deal!

50 cents! i was thinking of ordering it so happy!

I just got a book at the Friends of the Library for $.50 instead of the 12 bucks or so that Amazon has it for. Very exciting. It's about bread, recommended by my sister. So far it's pretty new-age - enlightened/buddist baking, but some nice down to earth thoughts weaved in there. Of course I'm only on the intro. :)

Sunscreen Review

Grahams Natural Alternative : Sunclear spf 30+ active ingredients: 25.9% zinc, other ingredients: triglycerides, rose hip oil, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, shea butter, vegetable oil, vitamin e, vitamin a, coconut. www.itchy.net.au

My full review: we like CA baby for it's natural ingredients and zinc base, but it is rather white and thick, and tends to give a white sheen for a while. This is nice, pricey, but cheaper than CA baby since it holds more in the bottle. I'm really happy with the short list of ingredients! It's got a lot of oils and shea butter in it, so it feels/looks slightly greasy but also smooth like a nice oil rub or lotion and I feel like my skin is more moisturized for having it on. Since I have dry skin, and it looks like so far Mikayla tends toward dryness too it's not bad, this might not be good for more oily types. I don't really like it on my face though. Like most sunscreens it doesn't wash off easily, even the hands, which can be annoying, but necessary I suppose. Also, many new natural/zinc sunscreens are out there which are nano-ized zinc. Someone with a scientific background that I know has suggested that this could be dangerous in the long run (testing still not out for long term use of nano-ized zinc) as it is a hard metal absorbed into the skin ("we just don't know"). Both this lotion and CA baby are micro-ized zinc so the particles aren't as small and aren't absorbed into the skin... however, Grahams Natural particles must either be smaller or maybe due the oil it spreads farther because it's not white on the skin. We haven't been burned either, so it works well! What I missed about CA baby, and like about this is the smell- it smells very much like a sunscreen ought to- due to the coconut probably, it is beachy and sunscreeny. :) I missed that nice smell!

getting closer!

Sitting here enjoying my tea, working on my illustrations, & watching Lost with my hubby. I'm getting closer to finishing my first drawing of about 10... it's very soothing & freeing.

blueberry pancake beauty

Here's a quick shot of my blueberry pancakes from this morning. The photo really doesn't do it justice. It was striking really, a blue dough pan fried to an orange crisp in parts. I just had to share the moment. I haven't made blueberry pancakes in ages. I make pancakes quite frequently, just sans berry, so this was a fun treat, and a beauty to behold. :) So, that's my big news, how about you?

Fall

Ah, So I just figured out how to send my blog a picture from my cell phone. Well, my hubby really just told me, no actual figuring necessary. This is a photo from the beach yesterday, I thought it was great- fall at the beach. I intended to post a pix of my delicious cinnamon smothered Swedish pancake, made by my favorite Swede, with a cup a coffee. It was a yummy picture, but I took too long to send it and well, it got deleted... all that is left is this:

Swedish pancakes, cinnamon, coffee, combine that with pleasant conversation and crafty plans; it's been a lovely evening.

Change

So, I changed my template. The black was getting a bit drab. I really want to blog more. I feel like I have all these things to share or say. But usually I'm laying down to sleep or out and about, or taking care of my little walking baby (toddler? gulp. just not quite there yet!). So, I sadly seldom write the things I want to express. Just thought I'd share that. Probably most everyone feels that way. Anyway, so... I updated my blog to a brand new color! So exciting- but, on the other hand it's kinda drab too, in a lack-of-colorful style way... maybe I'll change it again sometime, now that I know how. I have been feeling a bit brighter lately. Like, I recently decided I like orange. "'Orange!??!!?!' you say. 'Isn't orange a sworn enemy of yours?'" Well yes, it was. But I'm in a orangey bright mood lately, so... here's to orange, and blog changes, and writing, and illustrating (something else I'm doing!), and finally getting a tad more sleep, and here's also to hope, to futures, and to now.

Random dribble from September

She sat in the coffee shop sipping her latte and thinking. The tap tap tap of keystrokes buzzed in her ear. She looked up. A man with a laptop, steaming cup at his right, and electronic ear quickly powered through his message.
When I was a kid and people talked to themselves my mom told me not to stare. Later I learned they were crazy and needed help. Now it's just a bluetooth and means you're important. Man, I gotta stop letting my mind wander....

Oh, Dig That Crazy Beat.

Well, now that I have a little person to care for, and to mold her mind in fun and glorious ways, I also have a great responsibility to pass down all the songs I grew up with and love (?).

Here's a running list, I'll update it as I get suggestions.

Gypsy Rover
Jump Down Turn Around, pick a bale of cotton
Ride a little horsey go to town
Oh, they built the ship Titanic
I love you, a bushel and a peck
My Bonny lies over the ocean
Hava Nagila
Jesus Loves Me
I know a girl whose name is _______ (mom written)
Go to sleep, go to sleep, my precious creep (to Braham's lullaby, mom written)
Shortnin' Bread
Do your ears hang low do they wobble to and fro?
Who's that knocking at my door, who's that knocking at my door?
Late last night when we were all in bed...
Down by the old mill stream
Tom Dooley

Organization

Hmm... do you keep a housekeeping schedule? Or any other type? Just wondering. I'm not really into it yet.

My schedule goes something like this: when people are coming, clean up alot. Occasionally clean the floor and wipe stuff down that looks gross & that Pumpkin might want to lick. Vacuum every once in a while, more often would be a lot better. Clean the bathroom often & keep it nice. Do the laundry when the basket is full, or overflowing. Try to put the laundry away after doing it- if not, at least throw it in the closet (in nice piles of course). Throw old fridge food away every time we shop (we have no choice since our fridge is for midgets- no offense to midgets, but it's true). Keep the kitchen as clean as possible given the space. Clean off the kitchen counters/stove/areas every few days because we put crap on it & it bugs us & we need the space. Every night we put toys away.

That's about it I guess- at least what I could think of quickly- I know there's much more. I just read a friend of mine's schedule of cleaning... woah. That's kinda ambitious. At times I put things on a list, but I tend to only get through a few of the things that I mean to do. Well, it's something to think about. It could help. I think I would prefer to bunch more things together every few days than an every day schedule. What do you do?

Joy, Peace, Awareness

I went to a cool teaching yesterday- at the end the guy had us each take a slip of paper & read/pray a blessing over 4 others as we went down the line. -If we felt inclined, we could keep praying, no rush or anything. Below is the blessing I was given to read, it was amazing- this is my prayer often; it felt especially poignant in that I've been struggling with maintaining peace before sleep at night instead of insomnia which I had been fighting for a few months (until a great friend prayed for me at the end of April in WA), and yet the struggle continues now and again... So, I ended up feeling especially blessed by this- the blessing was intended to read over others, but God read it over me as I read it aloud- each time I read it, I could just feel myself becoming more joyful and at rest- I slept well last night too. :)


Day 6 - I bless you with an awareness of God's presence.
Spirit (your name), I bless you with the great joy that comes from experiencing the presence of God, sensing him watching over your life. I bless you with experiencing the joy of his presence in private and public worship. I bless you with knowing his presence in the night watches as your subconscious mind and spirit are open to the Spirit of God so he can minister to you while your conscious mind is not cluttering things up. I bless you with sensing the presence of God in those things which the world calls problems and pain. I bless you in the name of Jehovah Shammah, God who is always there for you.

Sisterly Fun Update:

Update 1:

The Chicken had 4 babies.

Update 2:

The Chicken and the 4 babies disappeared. Only feathers remain.

Update 3:

Another Chicken also had 4 babies. They live safely under the house-steps. Wheeew.

Brrrrr, is it cold in here?

I just found out I have post-micturition convulsion syndrome, so... have patience... be kind... don't discriminate or judge.

and I will kindly try to do the same when we find out whatever it is you have.

Sisterly Fun

Here's a good time- gathering eggs with my sister at her place... For some reason I think this video is so funny and keep laughing when I watch it. But, Daru said "it's not that funny", but he tends to say that a lot, and I tend to laugh a lot. Now here I go again, laughing at the funniness of his phrase & my response! Seriously though, me and Squachy had a good time.

Fancies of Fruitfulness

I just bought a young Cherimoya tree, hoping it will fruit someday! If you ever get a chance, give one a try... delicious!