Me Taking Pictures

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Today's Art Journal page

Collaging

Collaging.

I played around in Photoshop this past weekend. I want to art journal but I much prefer working in Photoshop than using paper and paint (yes, I know) so I made some digital collages. 

On this one I drew the lines using my Bamboo pen and then drew path lines so that the text would follow the drawn lines. I think it came out pretty good. The woman is a stamp which was scanned and blown up. The font is Stacy's Hand.

On the one below the paper background (minus the music sheet) is from Journal Girl. Perusing her site is what motivated me to try doing some collage work. The girl comes from my photo collection and the music paper is scanned paper. The rest are scrapbook supplies.

 

 

One Little Action 2010

Ali Edwards suggests that you should create an action to go along with the One Little Word for 2010. My One Little Word is: Observe. Therefore, I hereby commit to writing down one observation a day. I'll either find a special notebook to write down these observations or I'll use this blog to write them.

One Little Word 2010

I have picked a Word for my One Little Word 2010 and that word is: Observe.

I think I picked a word last year also, but I never did anything with it and I don't even remember what it was. This year I'm determined hopeful that I will do something to celebrate and use my word. I picked Observe because I am a terrible observer. I think that's why I don't remember things, I never really observe moments and think about things. I hope to be move observant this year.

Black & White Lights

I have a lampshade in the living that I love. I love the shape and size. I even added some trim to make it prettier. But then one of my dogs knocked it over and the light bulb burned a hole in it. That was about a year ago. Also about a year ago, I bought one of those cover-it-yourself lampshades and I've been meaning to cover it and replace the holey one since then. Well, this weekend I finally did it!

This is the new lampshade. I think the bottom trim needs a little something more though. Maybe a thin black braid. The trim is something I had in the house and it might be a little bit too old-fashioned. I'll have to live with it for awhile to see.

Then, since I was on a roll, I covered some chandelier lampshades I had bought. I have had red shades up there pretty much since I bought the fixture but I think they're a little heavy and a little big for the fixture. I've been meaning to make new lampshades for the dining room for probably two years. I used the same fabric but the trim was too heavy so I need to buy some trim for these little guys. Right now it looks a little weird to me. I think I have to get used to how small they are compared to the red ones. I also think (hope) the trim will help.

Project Runway Week!!

Project Runway will be back on next week and now I see we even get Jay McCarrol again! Yay!

The television premiere of "Eleven Minutes" is set for Saturday August 22nd at 6PM and Sunday August 23rd at 3PM.

via bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com

SYTYCD back on!

So You Think You Can Dance is back! Although technically it has been on for the past couple weeks, this week the actual competition started. Last year, the first year I watched the show, I knew from the start that Joshua would win. This year I don't yet have a strong favorite - they are all such strong dancers (well, OK, not all of them, but most of them are.)  I guess I'm leaning towards Evan because 1.) his brother didn't make it and it was kind of mean how they made them hear the news together and 2.) I like his style and he's just so darn cute. Of the girls I guess Melissa is the frontrunner, probably because she is a ballerina and I love ballerinas!

Decorating the Kitchen

Last night on the way home from work I stopped at Pier One. I was thinking about buying a metal wine rack but on second look decided against it. It looked too, I don't know, metal.
So I got a rooster wine rack. It's cute and I do have a rooster theme in my kitchen. I moved the bookcase that was in Kat's old room to the kitchen and put the wine rack on top. I don't like the bookcase there but it does give me an idea of what to look for. I'm not sure that I like the coffee maker on the bookcase either, it looks a bit crowded.

I saw a nice storage piece in Pier One that looks like a good fit for the space. It has cubbys though instead of shelves, but I think I can live with that. It's $349 though.

What ' s on my Kindle

Reading Now:

The New York Times (June 9, 2009)

I got one to see if I would like to read a newspaper on the Kindle. I have my doubts about this, just because how the Kindle works.

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

This is the second Discworld book. I haven't started reading it yet, but it's next on my list.

Murder on the Menu by Miranda Bliss

Currently reading. This is not the first book in this series, I think it's the second, but they didn't have the first one for the Kindle when I got this. I like cozy mysteries and this one seems like it might be fun.

Already Read:

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci

This was a fun book. Melucci writes about her dating woes and how cooking keeps her sane.

On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 1) by Cleo Coyle

I enjoyed this book. The writing is a bit over the top, but it was a quick read and I really enjoyed learning about coffee and what makes a great cup of it.

Through the Grinder (Coffeehouse Mysteries, No. 2) by Cleo Coyle

Since I enjoyed the first book I bought this one also. The writing here seems to be even more over the top and the whole premise of the book seemed stupid. While reading some parts, it sounded to me like it was written by a man. I later found out that, indeed, this series is written by  a husband and wife team.

Spoiler Alert, Spoiler Alert, Spoiler Alert

I thought it ludicrous that: 1. Clare would, based on the character as written in the first book, go to a Singles Party (even if it was held in her coffee shop); 2. she would find an incredibly handsome, nice, rich guy at said party; 3. she would turn down a dinner at Babbo so she could cook for a man she met once; 4. she would find out man might be the murderer but sleep with him anyway ON THE SECOND DATE (well, she did need to check out his computer, what else could she do); 5. when her daughter was almost killed by the murderer Clare lets her leave and go home by herself -- not even suggesting that someone accompany her; and 6. because handsome, nice, rich man might not come in handy in future books (too many around already that are in love with Clare,) the authors killed him off.

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

Although this is first in the Discworld series I actually started with Equal Rites, which I loved. This one was not quite as good, the plot was a bit convoluted. There was one whole section, the Lure of the Wyrm, that parodied the Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey. I laughed at that because I also love the Pern books.

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

This is the first Discworld book I read and the third in the series. I'm not sure what took me so long to find this series since I do like fantasy. This is a story about the eighth son of the eighth son and eighth sons always become wizards. Except -- this eighth son turned out to be a girl and girls can't be wizards! Everyone knows that. Except Esk (the girl who shouldn't be a wizard). Because girls can't be wizards her father hands her off to Granny Weatherwax, the local witch, for instructions on how to be a witch. When Granny figures out that Esk will never be a witch (she is a wizard after all) she and Esk set out for the Unseen University where wizards are trained. The only problem is that the university doesn't allow women (except as cooks and housekeepers). Their journey to get to the city and the university is just a great big fun read. I think if I had started with The Colour of Magic I might not have continued on with the series and gotten to this book. I am very glad I did and I look forward to reading about the rest of Discworld.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

To read at some point:

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection by L. Frank Baum