Live Life to the Fullest

I wanted to play with my new bottle of Goosebumps spray some more so I used it to make the background for this pretty little ATC.  Such a simple card with a not-so-simple saying...

If you're like me, there's never enough time to do all the things I need to do much less try to squeeze in more of the things I want to do.  I realize that I'm becoming somewhat of a recluse and am letting life bog me down.  I'm trying to take baby steps to change this - not staying at work so late, cutting down on my Facebook usage, scheduling time to work on my art, etc.

This weekend I took a huge step and am spending most of my holiday weekend at a church Single Adult Conference.  It's been very uplifting and I've even made a few new friends.  Yesterday was a tour of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography followed by an amazing keynote speaker, Robert O'Brien.  Then we had some terrific workshops and I even learned how to play Bunco  =)

Today, I'm looking forward to more spiritual edification with church services and a fireside.

Blast from the Past

Several of my friends (especially the long-distance ones) have commented that even though they enjoy seeing my art on the blog, they would like to hear more about what is happening in my life.  The truth of the matter is... not much.  I work full-time (and then some!) and spend most of my spare time working on my art and moderating our Paper Traders group.

The art group is continuing to grow and expand and we created a blog this year - which is terrific, but also a lot of work.  I think we get a pretty decent level of participation in our group swaps but it's often hard to get people to host projects so that task generally falls to us moderators.  Not that hosting is difficult, but when you do it regularly, it doesn't leave much time to fit in other things.

One of the "other things" I keep telling myself I need to do is to participate in more Single Adult activities with my church.  I am perfectly happy staying in and doing the art thing but I'm never going to meet anybody at home in my pj's  =)   I did recently break out my old gypsy costume and put in an appearance at the annual Halloween dance.  It was nice to see a few old friends but I didn't really meet anybody new (it's hard to interact with people in a dark room with loud music) so my goal this next year is to get out of the house a little more before I turn into a complete recluse!

This past week, I actually did get out of the house to spend time with an old friend who was here for business.  Tim was my very best friend in high school and I haven't seen him since before graduation - 25 years ago!  Sometimes when you reconnect with old acquaintances, it's nice but a bit awkward; but this was not like that at all... instead, we were immediately able to start up a conversation almost as if no time had passed at all.  It was great to catch up and rediscover our friendship again.  Below is a picture we took when we were in high school... the other photo is (a grainy cell phone picture taken in the dark) from our meet-up this week:

It's hard to believe I've been back in San Diego for more than a year now.  Time has really flown.  I recently added more shelves to my art studio but it's STILL not clean and organized enough to unveil to the rest of the world.  I went "home" to Wyoming this summer and got to see my oldest nephew graduate from high school.  I am so proud of him and excited to see him starting college now.  I'm planning another trip for Thanksgiving this year and am really looking forward to seeing my family again.  I love being in San Diego but it's awfully far from them.

So, that should get me caught up for awhile... I promise to try to be better about keeping everyone updated  =)

Game Day

It's time for another installment of the Paper Traders blog challenge!  The theme this time is "Game Day" and you can interpret that any way you want.  I used some baseball images layered over an actual San Diego Padres ticket trimmed down to ATC size.  There's plenty of time to get in on this one so come play with us!

Let's Go Traveling... to Balboa Park

For our Round Robin Journal project on Paper Traders, I'm working in Janne Ryan's book this month.  Her theme is "Let's Go Traveling" and I chose to feature San Diego's own world-famous Balboa Park, which is one of my very favorite places.  I love the beautiful gardens and breathtaking architecture, the wonderful concerts and plays, and all the fascinating things to see and learn about in the multitude of museums.  Located in the heart of San Diego, it is a treasure of the city with many free attractions and free parking, too.  You can learn more about the numerous things to see and do here by checking out their website: http://www.balboapark.org/

Saturday Swap Meet

It was time for another scavenging trip to find more steampunk playthings.  Above is a photo of what I found today.  Stay tuned to (hopefully) see these items featured in some new art soon!

Live in the Sunshine

My friends and family are having a chilly Spring but here in San Diego it's mostly sunshiney and getting warmer all the time.  Soon the heat of summer will be here (ugh!) but until then, I am enjoying the pretty blooms all around me and the mild weather of the season in Southern California.  Happy Spring, everyone!

Surfer at Sunset

I am really loving being back in San Diego again and am enjoying the beautiful Spring we've been having.  I know that Summer is just around the corner and then I will be complaining about the heat (ugh!) but I will enjoy this cooler season while I can.

Next month, I am hosting an ATC swap on our Paper Traders group.  The theme is "By the Seaside" since I am really feeling the love of living in an ocean-side community.  I made this ATC as an inspiration for the participating artists.  I used my watercolor pencils to paint the background and added some sandy texture at the bottom by combining acrylic paint with some resin sand texture gel.

Spring is here

Baseball is starting, the weather is warming up, the ice plant is blooming, the rain is tapering off, everything is green everywhere you look... Spring is here!

To get into the spirit of the season, we had a pennant banner swap on Paper Traders.  Here is a picture of the one I made (which is now winging it's way to Linda)...

... and I was the lucky recipient of Darlene's beautiful creation which I will be hanging up in my studio to get my creativity blossoming  =)

Scavengering for Art Supplies

Yesterday, I spent the morning at the swap meet and then checked out some of the local thrift stores... all in my search for cool stuff to use in my art.  I'm trying to come up with something for a Valentine Steampunk Assemblage swap we're doing on Paper Traders.  I found this store called Architectural Salvage that is awesome!  Most of their stuff is too pricey for my pocketbook but it sure was fun to browse  =)

Catching up on the past six months...

Moving back to San Diego has been terrific although I still feel like I'm in my adjustment period.  It took me several weeks to find a new home and even longer to get unpacked... I still am not completely settled in but I'm getting there.  I found a cute duplex in the suburbs and am blessed to have a nice landlord, a friendly neighbor, my own laundry room, a garage, a yard, and the best part - a whole room to dedicate to my art studio/office!

I used my birthday gift cards to buy shelving for the studio and I am almost done getting everything put in its place.  I would have been done ages ago if I didn't keep hauling stuff out and making messes (along with art) along the way.

Shortly after moving into my new home, I discovered this nest of baby birds right outside my window.

I've really enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones since coming back to San Diego. 

Sadly, my best friends relocated to the Monterey Bay area shortly after I arrived.  I was lucky enough to get to spend a long weekend with them over Halloween.  On the way home, I took the scenic route down the famous Highway 1...

Being back in Southern California gave me the opportunity to attend one of my online artist friend's art showing... and to finally meet her in person.  Kate Carvellas was as sweet in person as I'd come to know her online and a talented artist too!

Although I went home for Thanksgiving, I spent a lovely quiet Christmas at home this year.

I'm looking forward to the new year and good things  =)

San Diego, here I come!

 (photo from www.vroomvroomvroom.com)

Lately, my posts have been infrequent at best.  I wish I had some new art to show you but I've been spending what little spare time I have sorting things to give away...  You see, I've decided to move back to San Diego this summer!

I am super excited to be going back - I miss all my friends so much and I will even be returning to my old job.  My bosses and coworkers in San Diego are awesome people and dear friends so it's going to be really nice to get to work with them again.

In the meantime, I am trying to pare down all my stuff to the bare minimum.  I'm getting rid of all my "big" clothes - so I won't even be tempted to let any of those old pounds climb back on!  Lots of extra shoes, videos, old computer equipment, linens, craft supplies, and most of my furniture.  I still have tons to do and I know the next two months will fly by - I'm planning to move over Memorial Day Weekend at the end of May.

The most important thing still to do is find an apartment! For those of you who are in the area, let me know if you've got any good leads  =)

Ode to Facebook

I would just like to say that I love Facebook... a couple years ago, I moved away from San Diego and left so many dear friends behind. Facebook lets me know what they're up to and I can share photos, drop quick little notes, play games, etc. with all the people who matter to me. Sometimes I only have time to give one of their comments a "thumbs up" but at least they know I'm checking in with them. I love how simple it is and it makes me feel like we're still connected even though we're far apart.

After moving to Colorado, I made a few dear friends here who ended up moving away thanks to the military. Again, Facebook is there to the rescue! Many of my long-distance relatives have joined Facebook and I'm closer to them now than I have managed to be in years, all thanks to this great website.

And, if I'm bored or need a stress-reliever, there's always a fun game to play or quiz to take... my favorite time-waster is Hatchlings. Come play with me, if you'd like!
http://apps.facebook.com/egghunt/r.php?r=625761555

Happy Birthday to ME!

This is the pretty e-card I got from my Mom for my birthday today. When I got up this morning, I was feeling a little bummed that I am so far away from all my friends and not having anyone to celebrate with... but then I found gifts and cards in my mailbox, received several phone calls today, and my email and facebook were filled with well wishes - I love all my friends and think they're so awesome for remembering me across the miles.

Today, on my way home from work, I took a drive through the Garden... it was so nice and relaxing. I noticed that some of the trees are losing their summer greens already - I'm excited for Fall to get here!

Today it is very hazy here and they said on the news that it's due to smoke from the California wildfires - my eyes are dry and burning and my throat is scratchy. Having experienced the Alpine and Cedar fires of San Diego and working in the insurance industry as well, I have a lot of sympathy for those who are facing this fearsome enemy... my thoughts and prayers go out to them - I hope things improve soon!

Is it only Wednesday?

I have had a rough week... or a couple of rough weeks, really. Things have been so busy at the office that I can't keep up and then, to add to the stress, I have clients who insist on making my job even more difficult. I am so ready for the weekend to get here... but it's only Wednesday (sigh)!

On a lighter note, I tried to work out my stress with some retail therapy =) This evening, I hit the clearance aisle at Jo-Ann's, swung by the BOGO sale at Payless, and treated myself to dinner at Jack-in-the-Box... I have sure missed eating there! When I lived in San Diego, there was one near my office and I went there often... then I moved to Colorado and they didn't have them here at all until just recently. Now if we could only get an In-N-Out Burger... Mmmmm....

So, obviously I am really looking forward to the weekend, just two more days... I'm planning to go to a church singles activity, excited for Broncos pre-season football, and I'm sure I'll manage to find a few hours to spend in my art studio - I'm hosting a map-themed ATC swap on Paper Traders so I need to get busy on that project, as well as do a little pre-planning for some round robin journals that are heading my way soon.

Now, art is true therapy for me - it allows the detailed, organized, perfectionist in me to loosen up and be more free and easy going... I just wish I had more time to play - weekends should be longer than just two days, don't you agree? =)

The Singles Conference

This weekend, I attended a church-sponsored Singles Conference up in the Denver area. When I first heard about the event, I wrote out a check for my pre-registration and mailed it in before I could talk myself out of going. I rarely attend the singles activities here because, well, I never meet anyone that I connect with... I'm not just talking about men, but women too. I feel so disconnected from the others - there aren't many people close to me in age and no one that I have found anything in common with (besides being single, of course). The really ironic thing about all this is that, in San Diego, I was the Stake Single Adult Representative for five years and was responsible for organizing the entire program, meetings, activities, newsletter, etc. As such, I understand the challenges with getting the support and attendance necessary to make everything a success.

So, anyway, I drove the hour-long trip up on Friday night to attend the temple with some other singles. Then, afterward, we met up with some other singles for board games and refreshments. On Saturday morning, I had to get up extra early to get ready in time to drive back up to Denver for the day. We had a short opening meeting (for which I was asked to give the invocation - opening prayer - on the spur of the moment), followed by several really good workshops, lunch, and then off to the temple again - this time to do service work on the grounds. Some of us did mulching, weeding, and planting; others, myself included, repainted some of the iron fencing around the perimeter of the grounds. I wasn't dressed for painting and, despite all cautions, managed to get it on both of my blouses AND the only pair of jeans I own that still fit decently. So, if anyone has a good idea for getting paint out of clothing, please let me know! After working at the temple, we were supposed to play lawn games but the rain had other ideas so we moved everything inside for more board games, followed by dinner, and a dance.

All in all, it was a fun yet busy weekend. I had an enjoyable time and met some nice people (but not my eternal companion). Apparently, I didn't drink enough water during the day and, especially after working outdoors, found myself quite tired and dehydrated this morning. I'm feeling better this evening but am not thrilled that the weekend is almost over and I have to go back to work in the morning. There's just never enough time, is there?

Remembering Alyssa

This week, we lost our dear friend Alyssa to a brain aneurysm. She was a special spirit and a good friend. I pray for her husband and young son to find solace in this difficult time and in the knowledge that families are forever.

Hanna

My most dearest friends, KC & Carolynn, recently welcomed their third child, Hanna. Isn't she beautiful?
Her daddy took this picture. He's trying to start his own photography business and you can see more of his work here: http://www.kcknoopphotography.com/Site/Home.html

Love my Padres!

About 20 minutes ago, I climbed into bed and turned on the news to wind down my day... they announced that the Rockies were hosting the Padres tonight and the game was tied 8-8 in the 8th inning. I quickly surfed through channels until I found a broadcast of the game and now it's the top of the 9th and the Padres have earned 7 more runs this inning... and there's still only 1 out... the score right now is 15-8 Padres... and I'm sitting here with a big ol' grin on my face =) I love my Padres!!