31 Days Begins

Some years back, a blog challenge began one cool crisp October to write every day on one topic for thirty-one days. I found this year's current challenge happening at The Nesting Place but I wasn't 100% sure of what I would write, could write, or even might want to write about for every day this month...hmmm....Then, sudsing away, it hit me in the shower (my muse's favorite cropping up place--that and behind the wheel driving, neither place equipped or even really made for writing, jotting notes, etc. as one is super soapy and wet, the other life threatening to try writing while driving...*eh-hem...I've done it anyway...shhhhh....)

But, back when I began writing over at Life in the Trenches, I recall writing about jobs I would've enjoyed and at the top of my list would be a restaurant/food critic--especially like those guys on TV who get PAID to travel the world and sample amazing international cuisine....aaahhh. That seriously was never offered during job fairs or career planning days in high school...I feel ripped off somehow...So, what I would like to do is venture into that world however tangently (yeah, I made that word up...) and offer up my own reviews of the restaurants we frequent locally.

Mind you, I (obviously) have no formal training in the food critiquing industry beyond my own personal love affair with food, so I'm not sure I'm actually qualified for this endeavor. So, perhaps keep that thought tucked away over the next thirty-one days that what you are reading is more 'palate opinionated' rather than any 'real professionally trained experience related'. Yet, in the end, doesn't our own personal taste determine our true likes and desires more than someone else's professional opinion anyway?

And, so I begin...I love New Bedford-and New England-and seafood-and coffee. We eat out probably more than we should but there's just so much wonderful food to try around here!! From super fresh seafood, simple little hot dog shops and diners, breakfast joints, and pizza places to even cooler international fare-especially here in New Bedford with its dense Portuguese population along with Cape Verdeans, Indians, Guatemalans....There's a literal buffet of different eatery experiences to take in and I am determined to try them all! I'll start with the restaurants we've eaten at--including coffee shops and ice creameries--I made a list and have more than thirty-one to write about! If all goes well, I've continued my list to places we've been wanting to try, so this could very well continue past the thirty-one day challenge--who knows? At least it gives me a reason to write again--and I'll still post arting projects as they occur for those interested--maybe I'll have to start up a second 'just writing' blog...

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

~Lao-tzu

Happy October!

current time: 5:26 am

on the menu: just finished an egg pita. I'm {trying} to give up carbs but they have this evil way of sneaking into your day...It's not as easy as you might think to not eat carbs. There's suddenly an awful lot of salads, which feels very vegan again (that lasted about a month...) and I'm still not losing any weight. Next step: blaming it all on the hormones and middle-aged-ness. Blasted getting old...

out the window: my flock of sparrows nibbling who knows what in the lawn

reading: Winter of the World by Ken Follett, Book Two of the Century Trilogy

"Winter of the World picks up right where the first book left off, as its five interrelated   families—American, German, Russian, English, Welsh—enter a time of enormous social, political, and economic turmoil, beginning with the rise of the Third Reich, through the Spanish Civil War and the great dramas of World War II, up to the explosions of the American and Soviet atomic bombs."

It's heart wrenching, beautifully written...I just wish I had more time to read!

Also reading the usual assortment of art books: Cultivating Your Creative Life, The Artist's Way, Poemcrazy...

listening: I've started listening to K-Love when I work out in the mornings rather than the usual hard and fast paced mix I have on my MP3 player. It's so great to get that extra inspiration every day, so much more uplifting and heart filling--lovin' it and this is one of new favorite songs, That's How You Forgive by Shane and Shane:

watching: I am hooked on Duck Dynasty. I never wanted to watch this show--what in the world could possibly be interesting about these wild looking, long bearded cammo wearing fools? I was never so wrong in my life. It is easily the funniest show I've ever watched and every episode ends with the entire extended family in prayer together over dinner. I love their family values, the Christian message so soft and subtle yet vibrantly there, and I laugh 'til I'm in tears every time. You gotta watch--I promise you won't be disappointed!



good things: 

• The weather's cooled off and leaves are starting to change
• Pumpkin lattes are everywhere
• Beach, beach, beach, water, water, water--last weekend we spent beaching at Newport, Fort Phoenix, and Horseneck and this past weekend was the Working Waterfront Festival--so much water fun!

We got to tour a tugboat, a scalloper and another fishing boat--so cool!

 

Vendor tents

Boats, boats, and more boats...

• Oyster shooters (mucho better-o with chili infused vodka rather than tequila--in case you were curious....)
• Mezzetta jalapeno stuffed olives-I ate the whole jar in three days!
• Making mail art

Rather self-explanatory...there were several envies for swaps but won't post others' addies online...trust me, they were cute!

icky things and their silver linings:

• Still trying to adjust to Bug's new school schedule and fit in a workout schedule, which isn't going well but--I am adaptable and I'll figure it out...
• Middle aged-ness and hot flashes and mood swings--reminds me to take the very best care of me and my family
• Feeling lost as everyone is starting the October "31 Days of __________" and having no idea what I want to commit to for the month--trying to think creatively...

Around and About

• This weekend's activities: the Lakeville Arts & Music Festival and the Annual Blessing of the Pets
• Planning a day in Boston with extended family fun--yay!
• Cranberry festivals coming up!!

Linking up with Cynthia Lee this morning over at Spirit Uncaged

    

Lately

Well, school started and it's been a week of adjusting to new schedules and routines and even though we're still getting acclimated to the different time tables, it's slowing sinking in and feeling more settled. I love a good routine...

 

And I've broken the paints out once more. I did another abstract collaged mail swap postcard--tada:

 

 

Then fall inspiration hit, scrubbed an old slate from the meager stash we brought with us from PA and did this quilted kitty and pumpkin:

 



And more swap goodies...Karen over at Mail Me Some Art posted a notched journal swap (as I look back at the pictures she posted, I'm cringing a bit...The previous journals are gorgeous compared to what I've got going on here--but, alas! I'm not done! Hopefully I can whip these pages into shape worthy of swapping...Gonna give it a good shot, anyway...(stay tuned!!)

So now I have a couple swap thank you's to put together for lovelies I've received this past week and I'm looking longingly at my Derwent Inktense and watercolor pencils...I'll have to play with those a bit and let the acrylics sit in the box for a few days...Everybody gets a turn! I also need some simple Sharpie doodling time, just to play...Oh maybe tomorrow if I can swing it! Thanks for stopping by!!

 

More Mail Art for Monday

I've been a bit quiet this week, pondering painting again. I've really loved playing with all the water soluble media--watercolors, pencils and pastels, but it's been forever since I touched my acrylics and it's a bit intimidating thinking about diving back in. Honestly, I don't know why. I painted only with acrylics for years. Just being out of practice makes me feel awkward and unsure of myself. I spy these other more familiar materials sitting there on the table and I'm drawn to what I'm confident in using...But I also have all this gorgeous art floating in my head from the studio tours and I just want to paint!! So, I'll be practicing...a lot...for a while. I'll get there again, if I let myself play and grow and find that groove.

I have been tangling and mail arting, not just day dreaming and lolly-gagging all week long. Certainly not giving up on these outlets I've come to love. These are a few  postcards I did last week:

A doodle flower postcard for Random Acts of Mail-Sharpie and Derwent watercolor pencil

and a couple abstracts using my old acrylics, Sharpie and white gel pen:

 



I never really played with anything abstract and it was so much fun to let go and experiment! I'd like to change up the colors and play some more--which is probably a good thing since I have TONS of old paint just sitting there taking up storage space...

And this is our last week before school starts, so lots of emotions swirling around...Sad summer's gone so quick, scared of my baby going off to middle school, happy to have some freedom back and not have to listen to whining about going grocery shopping and running errands or arguing about getting chores done...I have a bunch of stuff I want to cram in to our final week--beach, family movie night, bike trails...should be a great week! Hope yours is, too!

Mail Art Monday and Studio Tour Wrap Up

Here we are, Monday again. Two final weeks of summer before the kiddos head back to school. We need at least one more beach day, a serious hair cut, and time to play with friends before September gets its claws dug in...

 

We had a gorgeous final weekend for the South Coast Artists Open Studio Tour. This time we headed for Rhode Island and two little coastal towns: Tiverton and Little Compton. Thirty studios claimed space along the way, so lots to see in not a lot of time. Saturday's studios weren't quite as inspiring as what we'd seen in July and last weekend for the Art Drive, though I did fall in love with one artist's work, Don Cadoret, and we nearly missed seeing him as the brochure had his work listed as a storybook artist, and I was more interested in locally inspired seascapes. Thank goodness we stopped! His incredible detail paired with stunning saturated color has completely stirred my own desire to paint again--acrylics, not just playing around with water soluble pencils...So--we'll see! I seriously need to stock up on some new paints as most of my old acrylics are drying up or just too clumpy for any decent work. Shop, shop, shop!! Haha--life is so hard!

 

But, yesterday, I fell in love with Little Compton! Such a beautiful, quaint, picturesque seaside town! We veered off course for a little while to go exploring along the very tip of the town:

 

An aerial view shot I snagged online--gorgeous area!

 

Huge old houses, lots of farms, and some seriously expensive real estate down in here! We stopped at one house that was up for sale (for just over a million and a half...) because of this gianormous tree that took up most of the front yard:

 

For $1,695,000 you could call this place home...

HUGE!!!!!!!!!

Could just hang out under here forever, I think...

Such a groovy, swirly trunk!

 

I fell in love with the incredible enormity of this tree and it's beautiful, twisted trunk and branches! If ever existed the perfect dreaming tree, this was it...Love it!! Then, off we went to finish off the tour--met lots of super nice folks, saw some great art and beautiful scenery. Definitely looking forward to the holiday tour coming up at the end of the year--and...maybe kinda hoping to be showing in the tour next year...You never know!!

 

But, back to reality...and Mail Art Monday! This is just a quick card I did for Random Acts of Mail last week-a daughter who is the sole caretaker of her elderly mother and just feeling the pressure and weight of that responsibility. It was pure joy to send a little love her way:

 





Sharpies and Neocolor II's

Inside sentiment

Last but not least this morning, got the cutest shot of Pea and Tuck out back the other day and just wanted to share:

Which way did he go??

Today, back to cleaning and card making while studio dreaming and reminiscing over all the beautiful pretties we got to enjoy this weekend--so much fun and inspiration! Have a great week!!

Daily Paper Prompts #'s 7, 8, & 15

I'm continuing to play with some of Daisy Yellow's Daily Paper Prompts this week. I reversed the order for prompts 7 (leftovers) and 8 (faded). I started with the page on the left--spray ink spritzed with alcohol to create the faded look, then allowed the wet ink to drip on the page to the right--thinking that the drippage would be my 'leftovers' but it didn't drip very much...Plus it's on just sketch paper which curled from the dampness--not so great. I played with a little stencil and made it worse--that page is probably headed for the garbage....

 

 

 

But, I took my faded page and, using prompt 15-words- and lettered a Scripture quote:

 



 

It could also be better...but, you'll have those days. Just have to keep moving on to the next project. Think I'll do a little tangling today and dreaming about the art studio tours coming up for the weekend! Yay!

 

 

 

Daily Paper Prompt #4 Flowers

I had picked up a copy of Cultivating Your Creative Life by Alena Hennessy a while back after hearing lots of great things about this book. I thumbed through it only to put it aside like I so (too) often do...I knew I'd come back to it when it was time. And that time must be now since I picked it back up yesterday and finally worked on the first few exercises.

First, you start with 'Weeding'-writing down negative thoughts about your creativity that you've either heard someone say along the way or your own self-doubts that become that negative self-talk that loops endlessly round and around in your head, nagging at you and pulling you down. Then, scribble over those remarks, cross them off, literally dismiss them. Done and gone. Then over top, you 'plant new seeds' of positive thoughts (it's all very deeply psychologically stimulating...) So after my scribbling over of the nasty negatives, I painted a layer of gesso, let dry, then drew this little garden of Permission--to grow, bloom, dream, and play--which also fell into line with Tammy's Daily Paper Prompt #4 for Flowers--tada!

 

I am way behind on prompts (ooo, shocked, right?) But definitely having fun playing! Hopefully I'll catch up a little more today...Have a great Wednesday!