Yesterday's Gone

It's December! Where has the year gone?!? I can't believe it's almost 2010. I remember long, long ago thinking about the year 2000 and how it was going to be like and now it's 2010! Goodness.
I've been busy with school, family (how was your Thanksgiving? Mine was low-key and great.), friends (Amber came for a weekend & brought her pup.), commissioned projects, work, and other things. I've got sorta big news I want to share but I don't want to jinx it just yet. We'll see how this weekend goes.
I got a new laptop so that means I'll be able to blog, blog, blog like a mad woman from the comfort of my dining room table, my couch, my studio, you name it! Right now I'm listening to the Tom Petty channel of Pandora and updating my Google bookmarks. I'd like to share some recent artwork once I get the photos on this computer...

Oh hey, are you on DailyBooth? Add me! I'm here: http://www.dailybooth.com/Fawne

A Weekend Away - Richmond Adventures

This weekend I had the very nice pleasure of visiting my BFF Amber in Richmond, Virginia. I found myself documenting various moments with the camera on my Blackberry and I'll share them with you.
Almost immediately after Amber picks me up we're off for sushi. My husband doesn't like Japanese or Chinese food so I hardly ever get to enjoy it. Also, there's no sushi in this town! On the right side of the photo you can see a New York Strip roll: New York Strip on top of a shrimp roll and paired with a delicious sauce that we thought was a mixture of teriyaki and wasabi. DELICIOUS!
After sushi, we hung out at a nearby biker bar during karaoke night. I was informed that dancing is illegal in venues that serve alcohol and my mind was blown! Amber and I karaoke-d very badly to Sublime's "What I Got" and hightailed it out of there!

The next morning I tabled at the Richmond Zine Fest. I've been looking forward to it for so long and it was really amazing! I was surrounded by like-minded folks who loved to write and create. Ah! I got to meet some zine super-stars such as Alex Wrekk from Stolen Sharpie Revolution, Nicole from Click Clack Distro, and Taylor from Parcell Press.

And I'm sure I dropped $40 on zines. Pretty sure.

The next day we ate lunch and the fanciest Arby's I've ever been too. Classical music was playing and there were black peppercorn and sea salt grinders at every table. FANCY! Then we visited the Edgar Allen Poe museum and enjoyed a guided tour. I was convinced a guy in our group was casing the joint since he kept asking about the value of some items and if the broken glass wall was good security. He was super suspicious!

My flight left at 6 a.m. on Monday and I got to enjoy the most beautiful sunset! I had a great, interesting weekend and I'm going to have a great, interesting Thanksgiving because Amber's coming down to hang out for the holidays! Can't wait!

On a different note, today has been bananas. It's been non-stop raining thanks to Tropical Storm/System Ida and my dang dog chewed up my BRAND NEW boots and pooed in the house (too wimpy to go out in the rain!). Just...ugh.

Things I Love Thursday

• Catching up on my journal. Reading a lot. Writing down ideas.
• Dita Von Teese on Twitter. She just seems like a super-nice person.
  
• Taking time out for me and saying "no" when I need to. Also, not feeling bad when I say it.
• Making lists for travel. Looking forward to seeing my best friend soon.
• Regretsy. So good and so wrong. Hah!
• Hula-hooping and working up a sweat.
• Finding out that my cousin will be stationed 5 hours from me. I fully expect some crazy times over the next 4 years.
  
• Very much needed down time. I actually have nothing to do sometimes and it feels mighty nice.
• Recently attending: Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions (would've loved a photo or two but the NO PHOTOS signs were everywhere) and David Cross (too bad Atlanta treated him like crap).
• Gala Darling's Podcast: Love & Sequins
• Coffee, coffee, coffee!
• & last but not least: The Sun Magazine. I love it so much and every issue has at least one story that brings a tear to my eye.

Finally! New Prints!

I've added two new prints to my Etsy shop this week. They're small little prints but they're great! There's 10 of the seahorse and 8 of the angelfish. Get them before they're gone!

http://www.momentofstars.etsy.com

I'm working on a new print right now and hopefully will be listed in the shop next week!

Sneak Peaks

Today I took a much needed ME day and focused only on my own personal projects. In the above pictures you can see the carving of a new lino block in progress. I worked for hours on that thing and it messed up my back and my drawing hand! I've got to find a better way to carve these blocks! During lunch I read an article about Shepard Fairy from a past issue of Juxtapoz magazine. He's a major inspiration to me! I've also put a lot of thought into artist's statements and bios and what-not. I'm trying my best to get my art career back on track, or at least ON a track.

So, yes, it was a good quiet morning and early afternoon. Then the kiddo came home from school and ran circles around the house with the dog right behind her. She would laugh and laugh at something Dexter did and my little heart just beamed. I'm so glad she has this puppy. Awwww.

Things I Love Thursday

This fish makes me laugh everytime! I took this video while visiting the Audobon Aquarium of the Americas in NOLA. My cousin and I laughed at it for hours, especially at 4 a.m.

More things I love: New Orleans & believing whole-heartedly that the spirit of the city watched over me and my family while we were there, making goals and setting out to make them happen, ZOMBIELAND! (& my big fat crush on Woody Harrelson), planning planning planning and making lists, Evan B. Harris (the artist I discovered from a girl's very large back tattoo), feeling relaxed, getting a haircut, saying no (this is so hard for me!), this weekend's plans: Hope Sandoval, David Cross, and Where the Wild Things Are, Matt Cipov & Circa Ceramics working together, listening to Journey all week!, rainy days and staying in my pajamas, getting more hours at work this month, reading in bed with the hubs, my BFF and going to see her soon, more adventures ahead. & this quote:

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, & demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long & its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people & grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food & for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one & no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools & robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep & pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song & die like a hero going home.” — Tecumseh

From Gala Darling's very own TiLT.

That quote is how I want to live my life everyday. Also this comic from A Softer World.

Love Love Love. More art soon!

Currently Working On

Oh thank goodness, I've had some time to get down in the studio and paint! Between work, school, and taking care of the babies (the kiddo and the doggy), and trying to hang out with my husband, I have barely any time to myself. So sleep has to be sacrificed. Not too much though, just enough to finish a painting in time for a fundraiser at the end of the month. I will get a better photo when it dries.

Also, I know two ladies that are having a crafty give-away! They're lovely Georgia crafters and make cute little crochet items and jewelry. Visit the details here on heatherxdawn.blogspot.com.