My New and Improved Space

When Jason and I first began searching for a new home, I dreamed of the day I would have my own space -- a space for creating and producing my art.  When we finally purchased our home in the summer of 2008, I was just giddy with excitement.  I cordoned off one of the bedrooms and converted it into my own art studio.  Though it was a little small, it was cozy and all mine.

Fast forward to 2010.  Brace yourself as you bear witness to the state in which the studio was kept...  Eeeeeek!

Clutter, Chaos, and Wasted Closet Space!

I knew something had to be done about this hot mess.  The state of chaos often forced me to do work in the dining room or living room.  There just wasn't space to do anything creative in the actual studio.  The lack of organization left me with an icky feeling, especially when I had to go in there to use the computer.

So I decided to take action and ask for help.

I went to Lowes and purchased a Rubbermaid closet organization kit.  With the help of my friends Beth and Shannon, the new closet was installed in about an hour and a half.  Once the closet space was reclaimed, Shannon put on her organization hat and forced me to go through various piles I had avoided for months (she's one tough cookie).  After five hours of cleaning and organizing, I ended up with the following heavenly results:

My Dream Come True

I'm so happy with the space now.  I feel just like Julie Andrews spinning on a mountain top singing my heart out.  What would a girl do without the help of her fantastically organized friends?

"Maria, these walls were not meant to shut out problems. 

You have to face them. You have to live the life you were born to live."

-Mother Abbess from The Sound of Music

Scherenschnitte Under the Sea

There once lived a mermaid trapped in the mind of an artist.  All she wanted was to swim in a beautiful sea.

The artist heard the mermaid's lament and decided to set her free.

The artist drew the mermaid on some pretty paper and cut her loose.




The artist also gave her a sister so that the mermaid would not be lonely in her new world.




The artist covered the sister mermaids in glue so that they could be safe and secure in their new ocean home.




But the glue proved to be a bit unforgiving... Oopsie.




The mermaids forgave the artist.  Afterall, she was setting them free into a beautiful underwater home.  Their only request was to be made pink (their favorite color).  All was forgiven and they lived happily ever after.

“A mermaid found a swimming lad, 

Picked him for her own, 

Pressed her body to his body, 

Laughed; and plunging down 

Forgot in cruel happiness 

That even lovers drown.” 

-William Butler Yeats

Words to Live By: Weeks 38, 39, & 40

My friend Jeanine is surviving and thriving after breast cancer.

Wow...  Has it really been three weeks?!  Holy smokes.  A lot has happened  since Week 37...  For instance, I got a bad case of the stomach virus that incapacitated me for a few days.  Getting sick definitely through me off my creative schedule.  I feel like I am just now getting back into the swing of things as far as my art is concerned.  But enough about me...

Jeanine and I got together the first week in March to have a long deserved Girl's Night and watched Spring Awakening at the DPAC.  Despite being pumped to see the show after receiving several assurances from others that the musical was amazing, it fell short of our expectations.  The cast was definitely talented and the music was very entertaining, but the story just did nothing for us.  C'est la vie.  (To make up for it, we're planning to have another Girl's Night with our fellow Patten women to see Wicked in Charlotte.  Yippee!)

During the second week of March, Jeanine had to go to the doctor to get some tests run for recurring head pain.  After many tests, nothing could be pin pointed to explain the headache-like symptoms.  In the spirit of looking for the silver lining, at least the doctor didn't find anything serious.  But it still pains me that she has to experience any pain or discomfort.

Last week, Jeanine took her son to his first middle school dance.  Can you believe it?  My, how time flies.  I remember when Jake was just a wee little lad when Jason and I first started dating.  Now he's taller than me and growing into quite a handsome young man.  I know that he is one of Jeanine's greatest accomplishments and inspirations in life.

Here's to hoping many good things for Jeanine in April and the months to come.

Week 38

Week 39

Week 40

Words to Live By: Week 37

My friend Jeanine is surviving and thriving after breast cancer.

Jeanine finished up her last round of radiation.  (Hip-hip-hooray!)  I found out that she was having some pretty uncomfortable reactions to the radiation treatments.  At least now, she only has to do chemotherapy until November.

Week 37

I Heart Schnitzels

Last Thursday, my friend, Amanda, and I signed up to take a German paper cutting class called "scherenschnitte."  It means "scissor cuts" in German.  Neither of us could pronounce this, so we decided to refer to the class as schnitzeling.  (Yes, I know that schnitzel is a sausage, but it's the closest we could come to pronouncing the word.)

So on Thursday, we found ourselves trekking across NC State's godforsaken campus, full of pot holes and road construction, to the Pullen Arts Center (we made it there after two or three attempts despite using a GPS).  The class, however, was worth the trouble.  Our instructor was very knowledgeable and friendly.  She provided us with special scissors for cutting, different weights of cutting paper, a light table, and a packet of templates to try.  We had two hours to cut and snip to our heart's content.  Amanda and I both tried the hardest patterns the instructor had to offer.  I figured, if I'm taking the class, I want to be able to show I learned something.

Here the are the patterns we tried:

My Scherenschnitte

Amanda's Scherenschnitte

And here are the results:


With a little extra time at the end of class, I decided to try and create some of my own miniature schitznels.  They didn't turn out as well as I had liked, but it gave me ideas for the future...



Although scherenschnitte can be killer on your hands (those scissors are just so small), I can see myself trying it again the future.  Einen schönen Tag noch!

"Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable."

- George Bernard Shaw

Words to Live By: Weeks 34, 35, & 36

My friend Jeanine is surviving and thriving after breast cancer.

Catching up after a busy, busy February...

Jeanine seems to be taking radiation well.  She has been spending some much needed time with her girl friends and even got to see her boys on the big screen this month.  (Jason and I even even caught a glimpse of Terry and Jake on ESPN as they watched Duke play Georgia Tech.)  Life has been good and the love has been felt all around. 

2010, so far you have been good to her.  Thank you.

Week 34

Week 35

Week 36

Build Your Wild Self

While perusing my list of inspiring blogs, I found this interesting link via flossy-p's blog.  The site, Build Your Wild Self, is sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the New York Zoos and Aquariums.  What a great way to learn about nature and let your imagination run wild!

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."

- William Shakespeare