Mission Accomplished!

Well, it is the 30th of November. I have reached my goal of posting to my blog every day this month. Yay me!

I’m afraid that I will not have access to a computer while I’m in Europe, so it will be awhile until I post again. I have to say, I will miss my daily visits here to share. I shall return after Dec. 10th with stories of my travels.

It is just short of 2am, and my packing is finally done. I have my new camera all ready to go & play, and my ipod is almost ready to sync one last time so that I will have video goodies for my long plane flights. Time for tired little artists to go to bed.

I’ll leave you with a photo from my last trip abroad…

Bis Bald ~ that’s German for See you soon

I hate deadlines!!!

Those of you who know me well – or even casually for that matter – probably know that right about now I am running about like a crazy woman trying to pack and do last minute errands… for instance, as soon as I finish with this post I am off to Borders for a German phrase book. There is also a Trophy Ball at the dance studio tonight, so the updo took up a good portion of my afternoon. Am I packed, you might ask? I will offer no answer except for a slightly manic giggle.

At any rate, the point is that I do not have much time to share this afternoon. I thought I might just post a spread from my art journal…

Creativity

If I am rushing around & unable to create anything right now, I can at least contemplate creativity…

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves. – Carl Jung

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. – Joseph Chilton Pearce

Be Excellent to One Another

I was trying to track down some lost paperwork this afternoon while in the car on my way to an appointment and had to call information on my cell – thought I had brought the necessary business card along, but had not – and as I was asking for the listing, the operator apologized to me for cutting me off as I was saying ‘please’ because “I’m not used to anyone saying please” I didn’t mind being cut off & frankly didn’t really take note of it, but the exchange got me thinking…. Are we really too busy in our daily routine to use basic good manners?

Honestly, what does it cost us to say please & thank you as we go about our daily errands? Would it kill us to wait in line for more than 15 seconds without being snippy to the clerk who is backed up half a dozen customers with no other registers open? Is there some compelling reason we can’t wish the stressed out postal workers a Happy Holiday instead of complaining about the line when we are mailing our packages? During this season of peace & love, perhaps we should remind ourselves to show some consideration for those people who help us through our days.

I don’t mean to go off on a rant here, but the notion that the word please is so alien these days that it comes as such a surprise in an interaction as to require comment is something to take note of. I’m not pointing any fingers here, just making an observation. Lord knows, I have days when I am sure plenty of people regret having come anywhere near me, so I’m not perfect with this whole manners & consideration thing. I like to think I score in the positive column most days… perhaps I have just stumbled upon my first resolution for the new year.

Thank you for listening. I shall climb down from my soapbox now and return to my frenzied pursuit of laundry so I can pack clean clothes for my travels.

Countdown to Europe

Well, it’s only 5 days until I drag my butt on a plane to Munich. The Hubster is doing a program in Germany, and I am tagging along with a friend of ours to play a bit. We are exploring Munich until Hubby finishes work and then hopping a train to Prague to explore for the weekend. I am way excited & a little overwhelmed because as usual, I am pushing deadlines. I haven’t really gotten started on the travel preparations yet, so that is pretty much how my week is going to go… laundry, packing, making sure bills & such are up to date before I fly away. You know the drill.

Oh, the fun! 

Salvage

Maybe just one more pic from yesterday’s excursion…

Antiques & Stained Glass

Today was fun. We went on an antiquing safari with some friends – had brunch then did some trolling in the countryside. My favorite stop was an antique & stained glass place about 30 mins from here… huge stock! … beautiful pieces! They deal primarily in salvaged windows, doors, etc. Of course, I had to bring my new camera…

Caffine & Photoshop

Twice in one day again… somebody might think I’m digging this blogging thing.

I realized 2 things – I’ve posted no art yesterday or today & I finished a Photoshop piece the other night while I was way caffinated and unable to sleep.

I call it If You See the Bunny on the Road…

What can I tell you? Caffine makes me punchy – but I do like this piece. It makes me smile. Chalk it up to my version of whimsey.

Turkey Hangover

Thanksgivng yesterday. It was a lovely day here – house full of friends & family, puttering about in the kitchen, lazy evening on the couch with TiVo & leftovers.

Today is a lazy one, too. I’m going to get spoiled if I’m not careful. We always pass on the shopping frenzy and opt for movies & polishing off the last of the turkey & pumpkin pie.

I hope Thanksgiving was as lovely for everyone as it was here, and now I am off to shower and dress and head out to see No Country for Old Men with my hubby and a couple of friends… and eventually find my way back to the couch & the turkey.

Yay Thanksgiving!

Guilty Pleasures

I thought that instead of sharing the things I am most thankful for today – cause, let’s face it, it’s been done – I would change things up a bit and share a few of the things that I am also thankful for… but ashamed to admit to.

We all have those guilty pleasures that we indulge in behind drawn curtains & hope no one ever asks about. Here are a few of mine…

~ tacky souvenier shops & the kitsch you bring home from them

~ reality TV

~ Barry Manilow

~ butter fudge

~ Beanie Weenies

~ Paris Hilton’s single Stars Are Blind – it’s catchy, what can I tell you?

~ spending a day in my pajamas mindlessly surfing on the laptop

~ fan fiction

~ Golden Throats cd’s – celebrities do horrid covers of songs you know but wish you’d never heard quite like this

~ super market tabloids

~ yard gnomes

~ Ishtar – I thought it was hilarious! I actually own a copy.

~ Rachel Ray’s morning tv show

~ the Shopaholic novels by Sophie Kinsella

~ bad puns

~ Adam Sandler movies

~ ABBA

Happy Thanksgiving.