Archive for the ‘This Life’ Category

This Auntie business is serious fun.

Really. Can’t help myself. I went into Freddy’s for a  birthday card (which I did manage to remember) and found myself in the baby department. I immediately spied this adorable play set that said, “My Auntie thinks I’m Awesome.” Perfection. Except it had ruffles and flowers and was clearly meant for a girl. Um, kinda think nephew’s parents would not approve. I thought about buying it just the same and sending it along with a note that said, “Um, more babies please. I’d like a girl next.” But I should probably reserve that level of obnoxiousness for my own child. In the future.

FAR in the future.

So, I bought this set instead. I mean, it’s not quite the same sentiment, but it does have a futbol on it so, that counts for something. But it makes me sad that there wasn’t a boy’s outfit with the other saying on it. And I’ve spent the afternoon vacillating between wanting to write an angry letter to Carter’s for their clear bias toward girls and wanting to design my own baby line.

Seriously. I’ve waited forever to do this and I can’t help myself. Is there a support group for doting Aunties out there?

Back to our regularly scheduled content. . .

I’m glad y’all had a good laugh with me yesterday. My not real list of New Year’s Resolutions is providing blog fodder, at least. And the in the case of yesterday’s post, a Christmas Card photo? Heh, who am I kidding, I don’t send Christmas Cards. Aren’t you relieved.

I know I said I would stop buying unframed art until I framed the stack piling up in my studio. But. . . but. . .but surely original watercolors found at ridiculously low prices at the Goodwill shouldn’t count, right?  And how could I pass up this little thing, it had a green tag and green tags were 50% off. COME ON. . . Original Art + Deep Discount = Wende breaks her promise.

Sue me.

What tipped the scales (though, I was probably going to buy it anyhow) was that the back was inscribed with a title: Summerland Morning.  For those of you who don’t know it, Summerland is a little surfing town directly adjacent to Santa Barbara. Though we’ve not been home in 3 years, it’s never far from our thoughts. Palm trees and sunshine, these are the visions that keep us moving forward.

And Summerland is special. Like Gelson’s and Butterfly beach, it’s on our must do list whenever we make it home.  We have a favorite breakfast place there, a favorite burger joint, and we stop for coffee at the local art house cafe on our way out of town to take in the view, one last time before we journey north.

I miss home most in the winter. So, this was a little gift  from the Universe. Hey, even the Universe is a good shopper.

Original watercolor “Summerland Morning” by Sally Bailey.

He said, “I remember thinking I should stop before I leave a mark.”

This is my new water regimen. I know, I know, plastic bottles. It’s a sensory thing, I really only like water out of plastic  bottles. So to reduce waste, I’m refilling these bottles every night and lining them up on the counter for the next day. Not a perfect solution, but it’s better than not drinking enough or blowing through 50+ water bottles a week.

The only down side, I think I’m going to be peeing. A lot.

A new painting from Evelyn Heilberger of Paper Violet Studio. Evelyn is closing her Etsy store and her work is lovely. (and if you’re bargain hunting, then you’re going to swoon!)

Hand Me A Shovel: Or Random Post Ahead

We survived the storm(s). I can’t say the same for counties south of us which  are dealing with immense flooding. Or for our friends to the North who found themselves tunneling out of the snow only to be met with ice. We feel fortunate, what hit our portion of the coast felt mild by comparison. Especially when you consider Wednesday’s high was 53 degrees.

La Nina is nothing if not unpredictable.

So, it’s just rain for us. And lots of grey days. January.

After spending 6 months letting Mireio simply exist, I’m slowly getting back in the studio and making things. And relearning to chase sunlight. I forget how taxing that seems in January. But I’m certain that if I were to troll the archives, I’d find lots of posts with me whining about the lack of quality light.

It finally dawned on me (pardon the bad pun) that I’m going about this photo business all wrong. I should stage and practice shoot new items without light. Forget light, it’s not important. THEN, when the sun does deign to show her face, I know exactly the shots I want. No wasting precious sunlight trying to decide how things should best be staged.

I’m embarrassed  it took me 5 years to figure that out. Let’s just consider me a cautionary tale.

Wow, this is a really random post.

So, then there is this lovely piece of work that arrived in the mail today. Sometimes, I feel like I’m stealing art off Etsy. In this case, the studio is closing, so the pieces (originals!) are marked down to guilt inducing pennies. Despite the bargains, I limited my purchase to just this one because I really need to tackle the stack of unframed prints I have first. I have dreams of having them all up on my walls (and my walls painted). Buying more pieces isn’t exactly helping that process along.

Anyhow, I originally bought this to put in the new bathroom. However, it’s propped up next to my bed currently, displacing a photo of IZ and the boy. I feel a bit guilty about that, but I think this painting is staying. I’m sorry, boys. But she’s really pretty.

Someone hand me shovel, I’m in trouble here.

New hair color—sans makeup. I may or may not have photo-touched the little wrinkles around my eyes. (Sheesh, I’m vain. But if God didn’t want you to use photoshop. . . )

My  stylist moved away last year. . . back home to Bend in February. And I’ve been in a dither ever since. But then, because the Universe knew I needed good news, she emailed me in December to say they were moving back to town and if I didn’t have a new stylist, she was available.

Somehow, I’ve only had 2 haircuts since she left. The first was a disastrous thing in June, and the second in October after growing out June’s horror!  Since then, I’ve been obsessing over my split ends via the back-light on my computer. . . gradually picking myself bald  and wondering what I was going to do about getting a haircut. There are minor miracles in life. Your fabulous stylist moving back to town in just the nick of time is one of them!

So, today she came over to our house in progress and cut my hair. And what a relief. Because she knows this crazy mop and all the fakery you have to do make it behave. She cuts, I style, and it works for us.

But then I went to the store. With a half hour to kill after dropping off the boy’s broken glasses to the optics department I browsed the baby department (SCORE! Super cute frog onesie for my nephew! He’s turning 1 month old in 4 days, that’s totally a reason to send him a present) and then stumbled into the haircolor aisle. I wasn’t drunk, and I know the name of the usual shade, but I bought a completely different color anyhow. Wreckless.

Dark Brown. Espresso, I think. Other than that, I don’t know what to think.

Figures. I own stock in buyer’s remorse. I feel badly about that too.

IZ gives it thumbs up. . .  but that boy has learned to lie to me when I’m craving chocolate and when I’ve just colored my hair. (No, you don’t look fat, have another brownie and Wow, love the color.) I wouldn’t trust him. He’s a fibber.

You can lie to me too, if you want. Or not.

Update: I’m looking at the color and liking it more. But those brows need an intervention. Or a good brow pencil. Recommendations?

Miss Sophie modeling the new paint color.

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Are you as broken up about Katy Perry and Russell Brand  as I am?¡

Well, hello. Is 2012 kicking your butt yet? It’s kicking mine. I don’t know, the most hopeful hour in my day is that fitful hour before I finally fall asleep at night. I’m convinced in that hour that I will arise the next morning and be productive. I compose lists and blog posts and dream ridiculous dreams about all the things I’m going to do. . . TOMORROW. I’m so hopeful I could burst, it’s no wonder it takes me an hour to fall asleep. It’s like New Year’s Eve every single night.

And then dawn, er, ten arrives and I realize that today is not the day.

Presently, I’m blogging this, (moan, moan, moan) and listening to a neighbor be really productive outside. He’s fixing something. Probably part of his house that is falling down into my yard. But you know, no big.

To my credit, I’ve cleaned the bathroom and tripped to Safeway for toothpaste and cleaning supplies. But now, I’m just sitting here wondering what I should eat for lunch and why I even bother making lists that I won’t tackle.  And writing this really stupid entry just so I can mark off “blog” from today’s list.

A list that isn’t even that ambitious:

Clean Bathroom, clear off stairway, change sheets, finish laundry, studio time, blog .

See?

Oh, and exercise. (maniacal laugh maniacal laugh)

Clearly it’s time to start padding these lists with things I’ve already accomplished. Better put that on the list.

Happy New Year!

Diet Champagne

New Year’s Resolutions:

Most of you know that I prefer to “theme” my year rather than do New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve belabored that point on this blog before and I’m sure I’ll do so again next week when (if)I get a clue about 2012’s theme. But for now, here’s a list of New Year’s Resolutions I could totally get behind. You know, if I did New Year’s Resolutions.

In 2012 I resolve to:

1. Drink better wine. (as opposed to drinking more wine)
2. Drink more water.
3. Complain less about having to pee so much because I’m drinking more water.
4. Complain less in general. I mean, first world problems anyone?
5. Eat more chocolate. (do I need to explain that?)
6. Have more sex. (natch!)
7. Be more organized . . . and by extension. . .
8. Do less
9. Breathe more
10. Save the cheerleader*

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

*well, someone should save the world. It probably won’t be me, but then again. . .