Two More Art Journaling Books

May 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Yep, still all art journaling all the time around here. Or at least reading about art journaling and watching videos about art journaling. Not a lot of actual journaling going on, though. Not none, just not a lot.

The Art Journal Workshop was excellent. So excellent that I’m going to take a peek at the dvd that’s attached to the book. (I never do that.)

I’m also not much of a “prompt” kind of person but I really liked all of the exercises and prompts in this book. Of all the art journaling and mixed media books I’ve read recently, this is my favorite.

Painted Pages is not my favorite. It’s probably my least favorite. Not because it’s not a technique book but because the pages here just don’t work for me. Not a bad book, just not the book for me at all.

Filed Under: 2013, Altered Book, Art, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction

Missing This and Of Course, There’s That and TW is Nuts

May 23, 2013 By 1 Comment

Oops.

With the art journaling moved to the nice little dedicated corner of the family room… I’m not actually remembering to journal. hahah. When they were on my desk, I could pick them up and doodle. Or throw down a layer of paint. Or at the very least, remember to do something with the calendar a day thingy.

Out of sight, out of mind — I skipped four days of calendar journaling because the altered book is in the other room. I also haven’t done anything with The Pocket Scavenger because that book was also in the other room.

If only I didn’t mind prairie dog goo in all of my pages, then I could move the red table in here and the expedit into the other room and … but no. Not happening. I just need to develop a new habit — and maybe get back to taking those work-day breaks I’m supposed to be taking.

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But not taking because work is weird and I can’t seem to find a good long stretch of time that works. Maybe it’s just this week that’s the problem and next week will be better.

I hope.

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Speaking of weird work – TW has a new job so she’s doing that thing where she tells everyone all about how awesome her job is and how they should do THAT thing because DID YOU KNOW…?

It’s amusing but it can also get a little tiring.

Poor Annie, the librarian. TW tried very hard to convince her she should come over to BlogHer and enter sweepstakes and giveaways. We used to be Annie’s favorite library patrons — now, I’m not so sure. Hah.

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In two weeks we’ll be in Austin. Where it’s warm. Where my baby girl will also be. TWO WEEKS! I’ll also get to hug some co-workers and some friends and listen to food bloggers talk about food and food blogging. Food bloggers are fascinating creatures. I always feel like I’m gawking at the exotic birds and flowers when I go to BlogHer Food. So awesome. I can’t wait.

And did I mention it will be warm there?

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I’m back to wearing two pairs of socks and two jackets IN MY HOUSE again.

Damn Chicagoland. Can’t we just move to Savannah and be done with it?

Filed Under: Daily Dose, Day to Day

Dog Food is Complicated

May 22, 2013 By 3 Comments

When DID dog food get so complicated?

I’ve had at least one dog for most of my life and I’ve never spent more than two minutes choosing a dog food. What’s the cheapest? Have I bought it before, only to have the dog turn up her nose at it, (though honestly, this has always been more likely to happen with cats)? Have I bought it and the dog had any weird stomach things happen around the same time that might be attributed to this dog food.

And that’s it. End of thought process.

So why in the hell am I not only asking people on Chatter/Twitter/Facebook about dog food but also considering only higher priced dog foods — dog foods you can’t get at the grocery store?

Hell, I even asked the damn vet if he had a dog food recommendation.

And when did dogs start having gluten problems? Is that new? Because I’m almost 50 years old and for a good 40+ years of that time, I’d never seen a single gluten-intolerant dog. I worked at a KENNEL for three years and we never had a dog come in with a special gluten-free/grain-free food. EVER.

Skeeter will LITERALLY eat anything at all. It might not do her tummy any good to eat Elly’s sock or the Hershey’s chocolate bar wrapper she dug out of the trash — but she’ll eat it but here I am wondering about what food to buy. Whether we should just stick with the brand she’s used to, just in adult formula, in case she doesn’t “like” a different kind. Then again, she’s thrilled when she can break into the shih tzu’s room and eat his Kibbles n Bits (or whatever inexpensive food HE is eating.)

I’ve become one of those dog owners. I have to just admit it – to myself, and to all of you (who have already figured that out.)

It wasn’t the making of the dog toys last weekend that cinched it. It is the indecision over dog food.

Hell.

Filed Under: Daily Dose, Day to Day, Personality

Long-Legged Beagle

May 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I took Skeeter to the vet for her scratched cornea re-check (and also to have the weird lump thingy on her face looked at) — the receptionist went to the back and told the vet tech that a beagle with the longest legs EVER was waiting.

When the vet tech came out, the receptionist said, “SEE, doesn’t she have long legs?”

I laughed, “If she was a beagle, yes – those would be long legs. But she’s not a beagle.”

Then there was much discussion about Treeing Walker Coonhounds and whether that was a breed available in their database (turns out, it is — and Skeeter is their first TWC! yippeee, she feels special.)

She’d feel more special if she could just wander around looking cute, maybe stand on the scale for a minute, and then just get all of the treats. That whole standing on the really tall table while people look at her eye, put stuff in her eye, look in her again… well that part is dumb. Skeeter would prefer not to do that again for her treats.

In fact, she’d be happy if everyone just stepped back and let her get the treats all by herself. She’ll even eat the buckets the treats are in. No problem. She’s happy to do it.

Those long legs of hers make it a piece of cake to reach the treats. All of the treats.

Filed Under: Family Funk, Pets

I Made Dog Toys!

May 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I can’t believe it. I actually followed through on a Pinterest-y DIY idea. I made these dog toys over the weekend and it was awesome.

They were easy to make. They were quick to make. Skeeter likes them. Win, win, WIN!

Now I’m kind of thinking I should make some of these… or is that pushing it a bit?

Filed Under: Family Funk, Pets

All Art Journals, All the Time

May 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I ran into Raw Art Journaling while looking at another art journaling book and figured what the hell, I’m on an art journaling kick – might as well go with that for awhile.

This one was slightly different from the others I’ve read. More life coach-like. I liked it. It was nice to read a book that didn’t forget that words are a part of art journaling. Sometimes we get hung up on the color and the collage and the texture that we leave out the word portion of the journal.

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Acrylic Techniques in Mixed Media is all technique, all the time. Most are techniques I know or have seen but there were some new ideas. And, in a couple of cases techniques I might not have tried were made more appealing. I am going to hold onto this book for awhile and try some of these.

Filed Under: 2013, Altered Book, Art, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction

Rearranged

May 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

TW has been threatening to rearrange furniture and she finally did it.

It made me and Skeeter very nervous.

Neither of us are fans of the furniture moving.

We are both creatures of habit and we like our spaces to stay OUR spaces.

Skeeter will probably go pee on the floor or chew something up.

I’ll just bump into things for awhile. Maybe have a few weird dreams or nightmares.

Gah.

Filed Under: Daily Dose, Day to Day, Personality, Pet Peeves

Because I Said So

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Ken Jennings is a funny guy. I thoroughly enjoyed Because I Said So — except for that part about baby names close to the end of the book. I skipped that section because, dude — I’m rolling my eyes here.

And, I’m still gonna hang my arm out of the window someday and I’m still probably going to mix my batteries because I’m too lazy to go find four brand new batteries of the same type. So there!

Filed Under: 2013, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction

Art Journaling, Altered Book, Tag Book, The Pocket Scavenger — Gah!

May 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I’m seriously into the art journaling thing right now. Big change from the how many years I’ve had this unaltered altered book and the one year that I’ve had two tags of a JMP tag journal and … yea. Totally into it. I think it was the Doodle a Day in April that helped spur me into it.

I did the daily doodle in my altered book, which means I moved away from the idea of turning the book I hated into a book on the topic that I loved. Instead, it turned into art journal, junk journal, inspiration journal — just journal journal.

Giving myself “permission” to play with that book, that way — and keeping it on my desk every day so I’d remember to doodle, well, that did it. I’ve done some type of art journaling or doodling every day since April 1.

And it’s awesome.

I blogged about a review copy of The Pocket Scavenger over at BlogHer and I’ve watched about a zillion youtube videos of art journal techniques and flip throughs. I’m totally into this. My only problem is… my stuff is everywhere. I don’t have one good place to art journal (particularly if I want to keep my stuff safe from the darn dog.)

I’m almost tempted to let TW re-arrange the furniture in hopes of finding a space that allows me to paint a bunch of pages or gesso a bunch of pages or glue a bunch of pages all in one place — and be able to leave them alone to dry. Or be able to leave them out, open, with art materials out so I can walk past or get up and add something/change something whenever the mood strikes.

Blah. It’s such a production to do anything more than doodle with gel pens or markers (the only two mediums that are on my desk all of the time.)

OK enough griping, I’m off to gesso some tags or something.

Filed Under: 2013, Altered Book, Art, Books in Bed, Daily Dose, Non-Fiction

Chomp

May 15, 2013 By 1 Comment

I like Carl Hiaasen but I don’t love Carl Hiaasen so I figured I’d enjoy Chomp but I didn’t know I’d really, really, REALLY enjoy Chomp.

The only problem with it (well besides the neverending supply of beer the “bad guy” seemed to have and his inebriation level, but it’s middle grade fiction — that’s to be expected) was that we listened to it on audio and… Dawson, yes that Dawson, was the reader.

I kept expecting Joey and Pacey to show up… that was a little weird.

Great Cybils selection. Great book for those of you who aren’t sure you like audio books.

Filed Under: 2013, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites
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