oh happy day!

first of all, i would like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to the wonderful leigh-ann for being so so sweet and mentioning me on elsie's blog today. i am overwhelmed with flattery and gratitude, this is just what i needed today :]

i'm still taking a mini-etsy break because of school, but i have relisted the print leigh-ann mentioned today. this print means so much to me, it's a doodle i drew when i first started dating my boyfriend. it's now my desktop background at work, i look at it everyday, and when leigh-ann asked for a copy i made an extra one for my inspiration wall. i seriously am on cloud 9 right now :]
you can find it here.


thanks so much for stopping by!
<3

today.

i feel inspired.
but today, i have to study.

little mermaid red.

this is the color i've been trying so hard to achieve, and i finally did it! how long it will last, who knows. but i'm having fun with it while i can :]
today i got the biggest smile on my face (as per usual) from reading leigh-ann's blog. a few days ago she asked her readers to write her "about me," and she picked mine to put in her profile! i am honored and flattered. leigh-ann has such a bright spirit, i am so thrilled to be quoted on her blog :]
speaking of the wonderful leigh-ann, i ordered a super-rad custom book bag from her (she's having a sale btw) and while i'm waiting i was inspired to revamp an old tote bag. i painted over the 'saves the day' logo (no offense guys, you're still my favorites) and added a little embroidered bicycle.
and i did it again! this is my submission for the latest work your soul challenge. i love this blog, its very inspirational and it's getting me motivated to scrap again.
alright, time to exchange some i-love-you's with the boy and then tuesday's guilty pleasure: nip/tuck.
and here's a cute little picture of us on our 6 month anniversary :]

for the first time in a long time

i sat down and scrapbooked!
i must start doing this more often.

my fingers are stained black

the first half of the drawing class is done with charcoal. i had to start painting my finger nails so they wouldn't look so dirty all the time. i haven't drawn anything since high school really, and those are pretty laughable. not because i think they're awful, but when i was 14 i thought the coolest things to draw were sarah michelle gellar and josh hartnett.

here are my first three projects.
our first assignment, 12 tones.
my first self portrait. we have to turn one in every monday.
yesterday's in class assignment.

i'm trying to get the hang of it. develop a technique, manage my time and try to work more and think less. it's been such a fun experience, and i still have eight more weeks to enjoy.

andandand i'm so excited because i just bought this!
i've decided to start collecting old cameras. i just feel like i need something cool to collect. we'll see how it goes.

these are a few of my favorite things.

from my winter vacation, that is.

the holidays can be stressful.

my niece always delivers good laughs.

christmas day with my love.

ugly sweater party with some elves :]

in reno with my little brother at his wrestling tournament. he makes me so proud :]

getting ready for new years eve with my best friend.

best holiday vacation ever.

mama always said

if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

i had no idea i'd get such a big response from my last post. thank you to my friends and family for being so understanding of the purpose behind that blog. your support means more than you'll ever know. and to those who choose to remain anonymous in their awful comments, thank you for proving my point about how wretched the internet really is. in real life you have an identity, and therefore have to be accountable for the things you do and say. but here, you can say anything you want and not have to own up to it. i got a lot of comments about how much i was exaggerating, that i wasn't anything special and that nobody cared about what i had to say. why so many comments then? many comments were rude and really unnecessary, posted by people who didn't want to own up for any of their put-downs. i hope your harsh words made you feel important.

the last thing i wanted to do with that post was start "internet drama," but i guess more people read this blog than i had thought. i deleted the catty comments because i believe nonconstructive criticism, and altogether inappropriate put-downs, should be left back in junior high. i wrote the previous post for myself, not for you. those were emotions i was feeling at the time, and i felt the need to clear the air and put things in perspective. for myself. i was in no way trying to "call people out," and it's really upsetting to see that so many had misinterpreted what i was trying to say in that post.

i created this blog to share my life with the people i care about. i've said time and time again that i'm away from home, and often use this blog as a way to communicate with my friends and family about whats going on in my life. its their opinions that really matter to me, not the ones of people who chose to say harsh things and then not own up to them. i understand that there will always be criticism of the things i say, do or create, its just unfortunate that some choose to be petty and hurtful instead of constructive. but like i said, i have more than enough support from those out there who truly know and love me.

on a much much brighter note, i am so happy to have gotten a chance to spend time with those people these last few weeks. this holiday season was by far the best yet. i've never felt so close to the people i care about. thank you all for making this break the most memorable one yet.

on monday i go back to school. new classes, new schedule, new beginnings. 2008 was great, but i can already tell that 2009 will be even better. here's to learning, loving, and laughing.