It's just 6 days 'til Christmas and I am so not ready. I wanted so badly to do so many things ...make a wreath, decorate the house, make a million cookies.... and did so little. However, cute boy and I decided to only make or recycle presents for each other. (He's all biodiesel-use-it-up-wear-it-out-or-do-without-ish) So I have been busy making him stuff (no I can't tell you what it is ....he might read this...shhhhhh) and I also made D this Senor 'Stache, The Christmas Moustache but I am still not painting for my show which btw is in 43 days!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Ok...enough about that....but do look at this amaaaaaazing bed from slmetalworks and check out this cupcake blog I found, I don't know if I have ever seen anything quite so amazing! Off to do some work!?

Crane Wife 1 & 2

Do you ever just hear a song and feel like it gets to you? It's not the words or what it means but just the sound of it. I feel that way about The Crane Wife 1 & 2 by the Decemberists. I don't know what it is... I have been listening to it over and over and over. It even made tears come to my eyes the other day.... not for the words...I am not even completely sure what they are ...but just the sound of it. It's just too damn beautiful. Ok I know I am getting all swoony...but it's just that good.
Still trying to paint and it's not happening. Two of my paintings will be in a show called "The Art of the Educator" opening next weekend at the Dauphinee Gallery in Foxboro, Mass. Let's just say that they are due today and I was screwing it together this morning and painting the edges. Let's hear it for procrastination!
This weekend I am going to have some quality girl time at the Burren in Davis Sq. and seeing a book show at AIB. I'll let you know how it is.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

yeah..the snow is here. I really hate snow....hate hate hate. I especially hated it when it was snowing like crazy on my way to work yesterday morning. The weather man said it wasn't going to stick, that we wouldn't get much at all. WRONG! There is snow still on the ground today mister!!!!
Ok, that's enough of my rant. D said "today we are going to have a good day" this morning as I pulled into the parking lot. Ok, yes, fine...if you're going to make me then fine, I will have a good day. Maybe he's right? I am forcing myself to have a good day. So that is that. Is it really that easy? That's my challenge for today.
So Craftland is up and going! Cute boy and I went to the opening on Friday night...some good stuff there! I absolutely love the 1 boy 1 girl tshirts and the art school drop out necklaces!
You can see the prints I made at my summer class.... we worked with pronto plates and I combined old religious paintings with 1950's kitsch images. So much fun!
Ok...I am off to have a good day....I hope you are too!

Oh Valencia

here i sit at my computer the decemberists blaring in my ears... waiting for school to be over. this might have been one of my crankiest weeks ever.... i have just been plain mean....i just hope the cranky pants come off for the CRAFTLAND opening tonight!!! and also for the two parties i am going to with cute boy.
so as of today i have 2 MONTHS!!!! until my show at Jaec's in Attleboro...my first solo show...yeah...can you say NO INSPIRATION?! paint, cupcake, paint!!!
here is a little quick collage i did for danielle's birthday..her 30th! we sang the carpenters constantly when we worked together....
have a good weekend! and check out leah at the harvard square craft fair sat and sunday!

puppy love

So I am just sitting here waiting for Thanksgiving break to begin....listening to this beautiful music you need to hear. Ahhhh....so lovely. Be sure to listen to "Thanksgiving". It just makes you swooon.
Anywho.... here's a picture of Ty with my new crush the afforementioned Butterscotch the Pony. I freakin love that thing.
I made the best soup last night from Kara's recipe. I will post it soon because it is just so good everyone needs to make it. Squash and apples and curry......mmmm.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

It's Not Over Until It's Over

and it's over!!!! Yes ....I am finally finished with the hell they call the GRE!!!! It's been hanging over my head for at least a year and then I put it off and postponed it and the finally the dreaded day came yesterday. I had studied and studied and studied and when I got there it all looked like some strange alien language but it's over!!! I did average... I do not want to be average...but for something so ridiculous .. average will do.
So I am basking in the wonderfulness of not having something so scary hanging over my head like a giant grey storm cloud....so I am making a list of things that I know can fully enjoy without reservation:

1. Listening over and over to "Oh Valencia" by the Decemberists
2. My favorite shoes...black cherry Danskos clogs
3. Daydreaming and laughing about Butterscotch the pony that I saw at Target.
4. This girls blog that I love and wish I could be her.
5. Getting ready for the superfabulous Craftland that I am taking part in...opening December 1st in Providence. What will I wear to the party???


I'll post pictures of my new trivets and magnets soon.
xo

Under Pressure

OH yeah....it's been awhile...I know I know. I'm terrible. Honestly, there hasn't been a lot to tell you about. I have been a slacker and not done a lot.
But now I am totally stressed. I have to take the dreaded GRE in two weeks and I am completely lost in the math ....lost I tell you! It's like I never took high school math!! Thankfully the wonderful Kara has offered to help me study. I also am preparing to do Craftland, the amazing craft show in Providence which begins in early December. I am trying to make tiles and cupcake plates for that. I also have a small solo show in February to prepare for. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...how does one get all this done?! I have no idea...and basically am just shutting down, eating candy and hiding in bed.
However, here are some pictures from Kathleen and Matt's wedding and me and cute boy's trip to the apple orchard. More to come as work gets done (hopefully) Send your mathy vibes to me!!!!

So Far Away....

I can't believe how long it's been since I have made an entry....I won't apologize because I don't really know if anybody reads this. I don't have much to say .... I have been busy with work, trying to make arty stuff and a cute new boy. Here is a current picture of me reading... hope you like it. Haaa....I look suspiciously like the deer from my last entry......

another brick in the wall

Ok the title has nothing to do with anything...it's just that Pink Floyd was on the radio. This is a random post because I have really nothing much to say... I haven't painted in a long time. I did some prints using pronto plates and will post those soon. Other than that I've been busy with working, avoiding the heat and new boy daydreams.
Anywho... do you ever just get a wierd word or image in your head and you're not sure what it means? Well, this morning I kept thinking about deer. I thought about it a little and googled it. I realized it's probably because I am feeling bit fragile, skittish and a touch on the vulnerable side. INteresting...perhaps I will be hiding out in the library today, avoiding the heat and drawing deer.
On a funnier note, I had a dream that my mother was yelling at me as I was leaving the house that "next time Tommy Lee comes over you are not invited." My mother wouldn't know Tommy Lee if he fell on her.

Peace out...stay cool.

que sera sera

Not much to say...back from Florida. I will not say much about that except that 1. Never go on vacation with your parents 2. I am polka-dotted with bug bites...its gross.
Just a bit of good news though.... I got two shows! One will be in February at Jaec's Cafe in Attleboro and the second one will be at the Attleboro Arts Museum next November. Two small, but SOLO shows! Woohoo! Now I must paint my ass off....wait...is that possible?

Smooch!

da da, da da, da da (Jaws Theme)

Well, here I am at the end of my first week of vacation!! I've been in Florida visiting my dad. Today we leave for more central Florida for a night of "camping." Camping means a cottage on the water with only a few cable channels. I have had a nice relaxing time...well as relaxed as one can be with both her parents while they do their little game of "remember that time...." This usually begins the time when I have to stick my fingers in my ears and say "lalalala" I am easily embarrassed and believe that parents and their children should have a strict line of not crossing into territory that is too personal. Apparently my parents do not know of this rule.
But there have been some cool things....
1. saw a baby shark on the beach
2. saw a giant egret (a bird that looks like an ugly white flamingo) on my dad's carport roof
3. ate lots of shrimp
4. swam in the beautifully warm gulf waters
5. bought a new red purse
6. no work!!!

I'll try to get up some pictures...Im not used to my dad's computer.

School's out for the summmmmmmer!!!

Woohoo! I am officially done with my 7th year of teaching! Now only 30 more until I retire! Woot!
So I've been totally MIA because well...I don't know. I've been tired and cranky and busy and lame. No real excuse. Let's see if I can catch you up on what's been oh-so-exciting around here.
1. I had a deep fried twinkie
2. I painted a few little paintings. (this one is silly ...it's my favorite joke/pick up line)
3. I finally washed my floors.
4. Kathy was in Prov. last weekend so I got to stay at the Westin with her on Harvard's dime. (am I allowed to say that?) But I got to soak my sad little feet in the hot tub which was nice.
5. My godson Tyler and I wrote a story about a ghost tree, a balloon and a dog who were searching for food to bring to the swimming party but a wolf came along so they threw him in a cave of fire and he turned into popcorn and they lived happily ever after.

Yeah...wow....I have been really lame lately......sad.
Im off to Florida on Tuesday...yay!
I am going to go and try to post new paintings on pinkcupcakegirl.com
peace out

Final Countdown

I am writing this with the music to the final countdown playing in my head. Only 5 days left of school!!!! Not that I don't love teaching...and not that I don't love the kids...but really....I am done! I am hitting an extremely high level of laziness...so much so that it's embarrassing. I actually ate pretzel nachos for dinner last night (stale pretzels with fat free cheese melted on them.) I have done no painting, no cleaning, nothing...
However...my beautiful godson Tyler graduated from preschool last night! He won the "Boys Just Want to Have Fun" award and did a rousing rendition of skidda-marinky-dinky-dink-skidda-marinky-do. I am really just all about finishing school with my sanity in tact.

celebrate good times..come on!

Well, this weekend one of my high school friends, John got married. And although I usually hate weddings...this was a good time and I got to wear my favorite black dress with white polka dots. It was great to see old friends and get rid of old resentments. Here are some pictures of the bride and groom as well as, me and my junior year prom date!

Fool in the Rain

Thankfully it is not raining...we have had beautiful weather! Things have been very whatever but here are some things I have been working on....tunnel-y, telescope-y paintings and birds mocking me. Other than that...work, drink iced coffee, work, drink margarita...that's how I roll these days.
Til lata

"Another one bites the dust"

Not much to report...but here are some new little paintings I've been doing. For now I am calling them The Formica Milagros, until I can think of a better name.

Also...here is the view from my studio window Sunday night when we had crazy rain then bright sun ...back and forth ...back and forth.

ghetto supastar

I won't bore you with the details of another lame day.. but I did find this!!!! http://camillathehen.blogspot.com/

and a picture of a bunny but I can't seem to upload it...so look for yourself...you'll be glad you did...
http://sej.deviantart.com/

Now I am thinking...why can't I be cool enough to have a pet chicken or a bunny that I take for walks on a leash? Or beautiful green grass...or a cool airy apartment somewhere exotic... or fun shoes...or make cute skirts.... reading other peoples' blogs is just making me insecure...daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn you bloggers.

Baracuda

I am not going to lie to you....I am a miserable witch these days...I know I know...har har more than usual. Anywho...on the brightside.... I just got a call that my painting is being purchased by the Concordia College in Austin gallery. Very exciting...except that it's one of my least favorites and I am almost embarrassed to have it out there in the world. I have a feeling that it's due in part to the cute boy I had a crush on who works there and feels bad about not liking me back. Oh well I won't write that on my resume! Smell you later...

macho, macho duck

"Mallard weather" my friend Chris would call this. I call it one big, fat, nasty, sun blocking, rage inducing, grey mass that has settled above us and inside my head. I am not going to lie to you, friends, and I am not going pretend or sugar coat this.... I AM CRANKY....IM SICK OF THIS WEATHER. And a certain someone with red hair that shares a classroom with me keeps bouncing around me saying, "but look how green it's making the trees" and cheer up and crap like that. After what seems like 2 months of grey skies and cold rain I should be allowed to be cranky. I need some freaking sun light...need! If yesterday wasn't mother's day I would have stayed in my jammies all day and listened to NPR and moped. Yes, I am ranting and yes, things can always be worse.....but I need to vent. I am sick of wearing 3 layers of fleece to bed...I want to wear my new $3 skull shirts and open toe shoes.....PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Ok there now I've gotten it out of my system....I will move on... and try to plan some pinky things to do to lighten my mood. I am sorry you had to bear witness to this....better luck next time.

Stairway to Heaven

I don't have much at all to say today...I am dead tired and have to work tonight and tomorrow morning... and this weather is just gray, gray, gray....what happened to spring?!

However, we had our big art show last night. I organized a fundraiser for a local shelter by selling handmade flower pots with plants and made almost $500!!!! I've included the most amazing painting from a third grader!!! I love the crazy moustache! Have a good weekend!

Bark at the moon

It's allergy season..or so my sinuses are telling me. My face is itchy and my eyes watering and I am feeling just lovely. Tonight's our big art show night at school so I will stick out and then I can go home and go to bed. Meanwhile here are a few tiny paintings I did this week...they are approx. 1" x 2"

Some girls are bigger than others...

There will always be someone better off than you and someone worse off. You've got what you've got...now make the best of it. That was the sermon I heard this week and I was trying to keep that in mind....that is until I went to the opening for the Small Works show at the Attleboro Arts Museum on Sunday. I had two pieces that got in...I didn't get any awards of merit or juror's choice ....but I got in....that should be enough right? But still it was a bit depressing. It is so hard to look around and see work that I feel is so much better than mine. It makes me feel like I'll never make anything as good. I want to make the best work...I want mine to be the best there. Well that's what everyone wants right? I just have to work and work and work and do the best I can. You've got what you've got - make the best of it.
Ok...so enough of that....here is a picture of the windowsill behind my desk at school....we are working on a project where we made flower pots and planted then and then we are selling them to raise money for The Family Resource Center in Attleboro. The pots look beautiful with plants in them!!! I think that the Batman cookie jar in the back agrees!!!

"theres only one way to rock..."

As usual I am trying to focus on the positive....more difficult than it appears, especially on day #2 of cold, crazy rain. So I am making a little list of some of the things I love..
1. Making lists
2. Number One Single...the Lisa Loeb show...loooooooooooove
3. This cupcake carrier thing I found online - cupacake
4. Margaritas with extra lime
5. Ginger Peach iced tea
6. Getting email
7. Seeing the newly budding grape hyacinths

And I just have to add a short list of things I do not like ...
1. Having stupid crushes on stupid boys
2. Doing laundry
3. My dry hands
4. Trying to lose 5 pounds
5. Rain, rain and more rain
6. Being cold

ok so see....the good list is longer than the not good list...
just go check out cupacake ....it will make you smile...especially since I cannot right now
later

rain drops keep falling on my head...

Booooo...vacation is over. Back to the grind now...with good memories of the awesome Pixies movie LoudQUIETloud from the Independent Film Festival in Boston and NYC! New York was a whirlwind of shopping, seeing and eating.
Here are the highlights:
Cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery, Gluten free pizza at the Risotteria, Peanut sushi at Monster Sushi, ABC Carpet, The Met's Kara Walker and Sevres porcelain shows and candy strawberries (strawberries dipped in the candy apple syrup). SO GREAT!
And I've also included a picture of my cousin's beautiful baby Violet at her baptism.

yadda yadda yadda

Not much going on...trying to enjoy vacation and make the most of the time. SO far I have not done much. Nonetheless... some cool stuff coming up. Tomorrow night is the Pixies movie at the Somerville Theatre!
Also...very important....Saturday April 29th is the Global Night Commute being held in Boston to benefit Invisible Children. If you havent checked it out...you need to...you will be moved and changed.
And finally....hopefully on to NYC this weekend!

"Grey skies are gonna clear up...."

I am just moments away from being on vacation....nothing really exciting planned but, just not being at work! I am, however, trying to plan a trip to nyc with the girls...but it's really expensive. And I also have just purchased a ticket to the Pixies movie to be shown at the Somerville Theatre during the Independent Film Festival....woohoo! So I guess, yes, I do have some fun things planned. And rest..and painting...maybe I'll even paint some pots...it's been awhile!
And I am off...with the Go-Go's song blaring in my head....Vacation's all i ever wanted....had to get away....

God Bless America

I don't have a lot to say this morning except a little about the lovely irony I heard this morning. NPR is a beautiful thing. To end a story on protesters and immigration they played Celine Dion singing "God Bless America"..... now that is just perfect. Everyone knows I have a love for the people and culture of Mexico. Can I just make one comment about immigration? We let her in the country? But not all the hard working Mexicans that actually contribute to our society?!!!!
In a less serious note...I also heard Crazy Train which made me very happy on my way to work.

reunited and it feels soooo goooood

I wish I had something funny or insightful to say today...but I don't. It's cloudy and there's still a bit of a chill in the air and I am tired and waiting, waiting, waiting for vacation. I did however find this old picture ....lately I have been finding old friends and reconnecting. It's great to see how far people have come since our silly, dumb college kid days and all the wierdness that goes along with that. Nine years later we are all different people....crazy to see where life takes us...in such unexpected directions.

vacation's all i ever wanted....

What a fabulous Sunday I had! Good food, good friends, good, good, good.... we started off with Irish breakfast at the Burren, then went down to Symphony Hall to see Ira Glass and Terry Gross and finished up with curry fries and a mars bar toastie at the Squealing Pig. Ira was amazing of course! He's the greatest and I can't wait until there's a This American Life television show!

But now I am back to the grind...trying to be positive on this lovely Monday...only 4 days of work until vacation though!

In your eyes...

I got new glasses....finally I can see clearly!!

Tales of a 4th grade nothing....sort of

Ok I am having one of those "i-wish-i-could-quit-my-job-and-run-away" days but the good news is that there are only 3 days until I get to see my radio boyfriend...Ira Glass...with one of my radio superheroes Terry Gross!!!
I also have a confession to make....last night I saw The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. That is not my confession though. I was so enthralled with it that I actually heard my innner 8 year old girl say " I wish I had a unicorn." To which my friend, Jay, replied, "No way! Pegasus is way better!" And I knew at that point I had hit nerd rock bottom.

Spring is in the air?

I was trying to be positive today but now I am one krabby pattty. I'm sitting here at my desk cursing my ancestors for settling down in the bloody northeast! Why, oh why, is it snowing ....in April!!??? And all day?! Come on now! THis is ridiculous.... Why couldn't my great grandparents have seen New England from their ship coming from Italy and thought..."Hey, it's looking pretty cold there, let's keep heading south"?!!!

you're the birthday, you're the birthday...

boy or girrrrrrrl! It's Kathy's birthday! Woohoo!
Happy Birthday Kath!
thanks for 13 years of amazing friendship!!! Wigdome yeah!

"...your dreams are your ticket out"

You know it's going to be a strange day when you wake up with the Welcome Back Kotter theme song in your head. I always think that there will be some kind of message in the song that's in your head when you wake up or the song that's first on the radio in the morning. So we shall see what Mr.Kotter teaches me today, it's Monday, it's going to rain and it's only 50 degrees today...hmmm.

And here are last night's postcards...

home sweet home

good news! two of my pieces have been accepted into the Small Works show at the Attleboro Arts Museum! woohoo! and these are some new little pieces i did last night and today.... i've decided that they are all postcards and titled under the umbrella title "wish you were here: postcard prayers"
im off to dinner at fire and ice....later.

It's Friday I'm in Love

Ok that's not actually true... but I love a good Cure reference. I am working on focusing on the positives (note: no boys are stupid in this message) this morning...good coffee, first day of shoes with no socks, Friday, it's going to be 70 today!....
Last night my cousin and I took my godson to the coney island hot dog diner...so good! And then I worked on four more little paintings...
yay weekend!

Welcome to the jungle....?

Here are some little paintings I did last night...it was fun just painting in the tiny spaces with acrylic.
I'm a little cranky this morning after two bad coffee experiences and having to break up a fight first thing at work. Bleck.
And.....boys are still stupid.

"You Don't Know Me"

this morning is one of those crazy new england mornings when you wake up to that glittery frost on your windows in your car on your way to work and when you leave you have to roll the windows down before you even shut the door..... ahhh spring is finally here.

one more thing...boys are stupid.

where is my mind?

what a wierd day...its not quite cloudy not quite sunny...yesterday was beautiful and i forced myself to walk down to the coffee shop and when i got there it was closed. see what you get for trying to do exercise?!
here is a picture of the little table behind my desk where i keep my projects...im working a lot on sgraffito and carvings for the wall and some clay "paintings"..whatever that means....
smell you later

this is me

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down...

Ok...I am just trying this out. I think this will be an easier way to update the "journally" section of my website. I don't know if anyone will want to read it but now I can post pictures of the new things I am making and the cool things I see.