Saltwater Acorns

MUST... KILL.... SNOOZE...

2012-01-26T13:14:00.003-05:00

I decided finally to deactivate my snooze button. I really hate the snooze button, it's an evil enabler that I abuse REALLY, REALLY badly (ever hit snooze every ten minutes for over 2 hours? Oh yeah!) The snooze button gives you a false sense of being well-rested because quite-frankly, you're better off with uninterrupted sleep. I'm the worst, and even if I wake bright eyed and bushy tailed, I love hitting the snooze, and ruin what otherwise would have been an easy waking up. Even though it offers to some bewildering dreams, my snooze button had to go. Would you believe there is not much of a market for alarm clocks without snooze? I had a hard time finding any.... so destroying my snooze button was the next best thing....

Death by nail polish. The button of snooze is now sealed with 2 coats of pretty pink nail polish.

"To the Girl who works at Starbucks down the street from my house on Del Mar Heights Road; I swear to God, I'm not a stalker."

2012-01-24T22:49:00.003-05:00

i had to share this after blog-stalking magic in your veins.

On meeting new people...

2012-01-24T01:21:00.002-05:00

I guess one of the best quotes I heard recently is, "If you never ask, the answer is always No." & the world is too big&beautiful to not leave any stone unturned, even with people. I have a right to be myself, as does everyone else. I have a right to say "Hi," & be friendly & perhaps meet someone new. I have to trust that I am an interesting person with plenty of nice things to offer as a friend, and that it's unfair of me to assume someone won't like me before they even get a chance to know me. People are so incredibly unique and layered, & I love finding out new, unexpected things about people. Meeting new people can be a journey too!

My apologies!

2012-01-23T02:21:00.005-05:00

For the lull in posts lately... I kinda went on vacation mode during winter break; relaxing, working, spending time with friends & family & just resetting myself for the new year & new semester. I'm taking a lot of exciting classes, trying to meet more people & break down all of my fears & limiting ideas so I can live a great big awesome life.

& I dyed my hair! I'm so happy to be pink again :)

Wake up to your own Truth.

2012-01-17T01:57:00.001-05:00

routines are good but...

2012-01-10T18:23:00.001-05:00

"We close ourselves off to fulfilling and exciting possibilities. We can think we are happy living in a certain way, but really we are ignorant of the alternatives." - How Planning Less Can Set You Free

2012-01-05T15:36:00.000-05:00

"Life, where should I begin?"

I choose freedom.

2012-01-03T14:34:00.005-05:00

Something happened recently that's kind of wonderful. It wasn't an actual physical event, I don't think, but something inside.

I feel free. I know I'm free. I've chosen freedom.

I choose freedom from preconceived thought. I choose freedom from limitting beliefs. I choose freedom from fear. I choose freedom from sadness. I choose freedom from opinions and judgments.

I choose me.

And I don't even really know what that means, but I know that it's okay not to know, and it's more than okay to go find out.

I welcome new experiences. Challenges and obstacles I would have previously hidden from. I choose the chance to grow, conquer and aquire new skills.

I can be anything I want to be.

That's powerful. That's freedom.

Happy Winter Solstice

2011-12-21T16:09:00.003-05:00

Stonehenge marks winter solstice sunset GALLERY

Everything You Need to Know About the Solstice on December 21st

Letting Go of the Fear of Uncertainty

Wishcasting Wednesday: What is your Winter Wish?

Make Your Own Releasing Bundle

Goals for Winter Break!

2011-12-11T19:17:00.009-05:00

Winter break for me starts December 17th and ends January 14th. That's 4-weeks of free time!

What will I do with myself!?
1) get eyes checked
2) visit the city
3) make art every day YEAH!!!
4) research art, rent books, camp out in a barns&noble
5) go on dates with my boyfriend!
6) art nights are back
7) earn money
8) clean my room
9) bunny-up room
10) clean up "studio"
11) a lot less computer & tv time
12) but i will finish doctor who season 6
13) bellydance?
14) go to OB's often
15) exercise
16) hot chocolate and cuddles
17) snowboarding
18) snowball fight
19) snow fort building
20) practice yoga daily

This list has my permission to grow or shrink as I see fit. I just want to do something purposeful with my break. Start new ideas, break old ones, expand my experiences!

Connections and Creativity

2011-12-09T21:27:00.003-05:00

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.

“Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have." - Steve Jobs

I feel like this post directly relates to my post about questioning my authenticity and wanting to push past my comfort zones. I'm hoping to experience things differently by doing this, and so the above quote really helps reinforce the importance in having lot's of different experiences. Adventure time!

Donate for an amazing art project!

2011-12-09T10:14:00.012-05:00

Come Undone by Beth Cavener Stichter

“Come Undone” is an installation of work delving into my questions and challenges towards gender identity, and involves a directed collaboration with 3 artists in the creation of large scale mixed media elements."

Please click the link and watch the video on this project. Beth Cavener Stichter is an amazing ceramic sculpture artist who creates these amazing large scale animals. She inspires me with her ability to convey action in these figures so convincing you expect them to wiggle to life in front of you. The sheer massive scale in which she works at... astonishing. She breathes life into these characters by giving them human emotions to convey, like the time she built a timid rabbit onstage at NCECA, figuring he'd be stage-fright, LOL! Her work covers issues on emotion, sexuality and the internal struggles, which can touch a lot of people more than they would like to admit to. They are absolutely stunning, putting her on my list of artists who inspire me, I hope to one day get a chance to see her work in person.

Visit Beth Cavener Stichter's gallery to view images of her beautiful sculptures.

I just pledged a dollar, and I ask you to please do as well! Every little bit to help see this amazing project come to life. I'm really happy to get a chance to be apart of this, even if it's in a small way. Click here to donate!

Thanks guys!

newest creation

2011-12-07T14:52:00.004-05:00

I made this guy last night, over a course of about 10 hours. The detailing of the fur took two hours alone, and holding a pen hurts now LOL! Click on the pics for bigger images.

Don't forget to smile!

2011-12-06T15:32:00.000-05:00

spellcheck hates how I spell greatful :P

2011-12-06T11:57:00.002-05:00

I am greatful for practing mindfullness this morning. I am greatful for my deliscious breakfast and deliscous coffee. I am greatful for the crisp Dr. Pepper. I am greatful for how beautiful my drawing turned out. I am greatful for nice compliments from my teacher. I am greatful that she invited me to show up at any time in the future to draw in her classes. I am greatful to be called an inspiration. I am greatful for smart, helpful advisors (who are also handsome). I am greateful to recieve advice about my future. I am greatful for choice. I am greatful for potential. I am greatful that I'm starting to find other students who help feed my inspiration. I am greatful that my advisor told me everything I needed to hear, or needed to rehear.I am greatful for my boyfriend who knows me better than I know myself sometimes. I am greatful for the opportunity to apply for the SPWF! I am greatful for my creativity! I am greatful for realizing how much power I have! I am greatful for the chance to change! I am greatful for Winter break in 2 weeks!

Happy Bunday! Prepare for this CUTENESS!

2011-12-05T09:16:00.000-05:00

Questioning Authenticity.

2011-12-05T06:43:00.005-05:00

It's funny, I go back and forth with ideas of who "I should be."

Sometimes I try to guise it under life designing, but I'm not so sure I'm always being authentic, or if I'm trying to shape a reality for myself based on how good of a time others are having. I CONSTANTLY romanticize almost everything I read on blogs, FaceBook posts or Twitter updates. If I idolize or envy that person in any fashion, that daydream is intensified.

I keep thinking I'm broken, not where I need to be, and constantly trying to fix myself. It's why I'm so into self-help and advice blogs. If I deeply believe that everything is okay, I wouldn't be perpetuating this self doubt by constantly reading about how I can improve myself. I've been reading personal development blogs OBSESSIVELY for oh, AT LEAST two years. Whenever I was introduced to ZenHabits.net.

So yah... that's embarrassing. These blogs have helped a great deal, they are loaded with lot's of fantastic, insightful advice and lessons. I am very grateful for every single one, as they have impacted how I think of myself and view the world. There does have to be a time where the reading stops, and the action begins. This is a deeper problem I enable, which is the constant need to learn learn learn without ever following through and participating. A lot of my life experience comes from behind a computer screen.

If it isn't self help, it's the pursuit of an aesthetic identity that for whatever reason, I think would make my life appear to be more amazing. Meh.

For the last 24 hours or so, I've been wondering what I want do next. Several times I've thought about cutting off my supply of enablers. I think this is a serious move, one that will make me VERY uncomfortable. I am not kidding when I say I spend A LOT of time, daily, reading blogs. It's a major time waster for myself, and guilt promptly follow, in terms of other activities I'd like to be participating in.

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." - Mahatma Gandhi

I think in order to understand Authenticity more completely; challenging myself, my comfort zones, and beliefs will give me a greater understanding of who I am. There is still a significant amount of consideration I want to give to this. I plan to continue practicing mindfulness, positive thinking and focus, as each I think will benefit unquestionably. I'm not making any moves yet, but the change is coming. I foresee winter break being the time for change.

What I've been working on...

2011-12-05T02:24:00.006-05:00

I made this little guy over the summer while I was at Peter's Valley, and just recently got the chance to fire him. I felt inspired by wood-fired glaze effects which are found on his "shell".

A tiny hand-built bud vase, also wood-fire inspired. Both pieces were gas fired to cone10.

This little guy just went into a bisque kiln this weekend. Part of a "nesting doll" set I'm making that includes a mouse, owl and a bear.

There's a BIG giveaway over at Little Chief Honeybee

2011-12-01T22:49:00.003-05:00

I'm totally entering! You should too! Check out the official post over at Little Chief Honeybee to get all the glorious details on how to enter! I love entering giveaways, you never what the universe has in store for ya!

it's so pretty *_*

Smiles, cheers and good luck!

There are no secret ingredients.

2011-11-26T04:16:00.004-05:00

I turn 24 today!

Oh yay! It's kinda scary, I remember looking up at the age 24 from my teens and thinking about what a big important number that is. It means being an adult, and doing awesome young adult things.

In some fun news, I was 1lb away from my goal weight for my birthday! I'm so excited, even though I was a pound off I did it, I can't believe I got so close! It's empowering on a few levels. It means I was able to fix something in my life that was making me unhappy. There is no fun in being able to barely squeeze into your regular clothes (jeans were a fairy tale). A sparkle of confidence has returned. While this weekend is surely compromising all that hard work (Thanksgiving and my birthday), I do not feel defeated, I'm allowing myself these victory feasts, and will triumphantly move forward through December.

It's also a nice reminder that when I decided to stick to something, usually in the form of a personal challenge, I'm pretty good at sticking to it. Such as growing my short hair really long over the 2 years, or participating in no internet and TV every March.

It's nice to be reminded that I have to power to choose. It seems that little ounce of secret ingredient they forget to include in every single self-help article is that at the end of the day, there are no tricks, products or books that can replace this one potent, vitally important thing... You have a choice. Every second of every moment, you have a choice.

This is what I plan to focus on as a new 24-year-old. To be in the moment, be mindful and absorb it all in, and to own my choices. This is what I've learned, there is no secret ingredient.

Awesomesauce, the weekend starts today!

2011-11-25T10:02:00.002-05:00

Spell check, I reject your rejection of the word awesomesauce. It stays *triumphant nod.*

Let's see what I have in store for ya...

"The Anachronism works hard to be New York City's friendliest, most accepting, and absolutely most fun Steampunk event. ...and it's also by far the largest Steampunk event in Manhattan. The event runs quarterly at Webster Hall, on 11th street between 3rd and 4th Avenue." It's run by the same folks who do Wicked Faire and the Steampunk Wolrd's Fair. It HAS to be a steamy good time! December 4th at Webster Hall in NYC! Here's the FaceBook page for the even t as well.

5 Ways We Ruined
the Occupy Wall Street Generation - a funny and insightful article about why those "spoiled brat protesters" are a result of the generations before them. (PS - I don't think they're spoiled)

20 Artists Re-Imagine Their Childhood Drawings - This is really cool! There are a lot of really amazing artists included in this collection, and it's very fascinating to see how they used to draw as kids and how they've interpreted those drawings now.

"Botany of Desire" by one of my favorite ceramic artists, Rebekah Bogard.

Shelter Workers Are Not Broken, by Terri Kaplan of A Lesson In Physics writes about the misunderstandings of kill animal shelters and their employees. I think it's important to read, as No-Kill and Kill shelters are all interwoven in the same horrible system of pet over-population. They are not the enemies. By the way, Terri's blog is full of lot's of fantastic information on dog training, definitely worth bookmarking if you're a dog lover!

Crafting tutorial made by my friend Angela M. of Blueberry Crumble Craft. Even though fall is just about gone, this is a great one to try out for next year!

Brilliant Fucking hilarious and brilliant man with a megaphone :)

Following the same theme as above, Dr. Steel's PSA inspires you do do more with your life and your gift of creativity. I love it!

This one hits close to home for me. When I was a freshman I plundered "Goth Topic", died my hair blue and wore black finger-less gloves all the time. My best friend's mother decided, despite knowing me since I was 8 and ran our Girl Scout troop with my mother, to kick me out of her house because she thought I was a "bad influence." I'm still a little bitter about it to this day, even though I know I am SO better off in life in the end :P

Cat Hugs Baby Kitten Having Nightmare - so cute, go watch it!

Hahaha.

Have a great weekend guys!

Quite, Hush, and Focus your Morning!

2011-11-23T08:15:00.003-05:00
Today I intend to:
Have a really good day! Rainy days can be fun too! Who cares what you look like, oh well rainy hair. Gonna go laugh and play and learn. Going to clean up my apartment, pack my things and have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! Gonna buy a big bag of clay! I'm going to create! Make things! And have fun doing it too!

Wouldn't it be nice if:
All my stars align. If I can buy a discount bag of clay. If I can buy a discount bag of PORCELAIN! Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are all the best meals I've ever tasted! There's no need for a nap, I'm well rested and fully energized (beep beep, full battery!) My drive is super smooth.

Today I will focus on:
Being positive! Smile, and be in the moment when possible.

Advice from my higher self
I'm getting a better Idea of who you are. Your entire head is pink and blue, and smells of cotton candy. You're telling me to especially focus on being mindful, as this is the only moment that counts. Also, be aware of those negative, self-defeating thoughts, right them down and transform them into positive thoughts. There's only enough room in this head for love and acception and possibility!

My goals in life:

2011-11-23T03:11:00.004-05:00
I will work for myself, and be my own boss.
I will earn enough to be able to enjoy life comfortably and ethically.
I will sell my work on Etsy, and be featured in on the front page and gift guides.
I will sell in galleries with artists whom share similar aesthetics, and have my own solo shows.
I will be asked to host advertising on my blog with thousands of viewers.
I will be selling in the Renegade Handmade shop.
I will sell at all the local Indie Craft Fairs and conventions.
I will have time for my friends and family.
I will meet lots of interesting people, and get to travel.
I will teach others what I've learned.

This Black Friday... Let's #OccupyHandmade

2011-11-21T15:55:00.008-05:00
Most of us are recognizing, or at least becoming aware, to the problems in our country and the major corporations who runs it (yes corporations, not government). Over 30,000 people came out for Occupy Wall Street's Day of Action on November 17th. I think that sends a huge message to the rest of the nation (and world), that something is wrong and we don't want to take it anymore.

That said, let's talk about what we can do. Black Friday is coming up, which is the biggest shopping day ever in our nation. People DIE on this day over the "hype" and "deals" of consumerism, which is pretty freakin' unbelievable. It's tainted a season of winter holidays into a shallow skeleton about shopping. We feel pressured to give gifts, despite the hard economic times. What happened to charity, and spending time together?

If that gets you mad, consider this upcoming event, promoted by the Occupy movement (click on the image for more details).

If you still want to shop on big Black Friday, I ask this of you, Shop Small Business, Shop Local, Shop Independent, Shop HANDMADE.

Let's stop dumping all of our hard-earned money into huge corporations who sell us cheaply made, generic products that usually come off the backs of underpaid third world workers and continue to damage the environment with it's mass-scale production (buy organic and fair trade!). How much of that cheap junk is going to be thrown out in a year? Spend your money on gifts that will have meaning, craftsmanship, and helps boost our local economies.

Where to shop?

Etsy is a HUGE marketplace for all things handmade and vintage. Sign up for their e-mail gift guides and be sent tons of fascinating, origional gifts you won't find anywhere else!

Let's help change the world this holiday season. If you're not happy with how things are, you have a choice in participating or not. Thank you to @Annais69 for coining the hash tag #OccupyHandmade! Please use it!

Happy Bunday, stay clean folks!

2011-11-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

Why is SWA censored?

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-05:00
If you actually visit the Saltwater Acorns page, as opposed to through a viewer, you may notice an alarming change. I'VE BEEN CENSORED.

Okay, no, not really

However, there is a disturbing law with the potential to pass in congress that could effect the internet as we know it.

For more info, visit AmericanCensorship.org

a little wisdom for college applicants

2011-11-14T02:08:00.004-05:00
A little truth... I'm not entirely happy at my school.

Yeah, it kinda sucks to admit that. I'm just not enamored, and I kinda feel like I should be. If you're paying over $20,000 a year to be somewhere, shouldn't you be in absolute love with it?

The lesson of the day kids? Don't go to the first school that accepts you and disregard all your other half filled out applications. Send them ALL in. Take the chance, and DO NOT settle on the next 2-4 years of your life.

No worries for me guys, I plan to figure things out. Going to keep my head up, bare a smile and do my best to make every moment worth it. Essentially, I have all I need right here. Just needs a lil magic to make it extra special ;)

Me & Finn

2011-11-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

Sweetly Yam Potatoes

2011-11-08T19:05:00.005-05:00

nommin' food tip #2: Don't have a plan.

Among errands I had to run today, picking up Bean's salad mix was one of them. I stopped at the local produce store. It's called a "Farmers Market" but it's not the raod-side sort. Not all the produce they sell is local either. Yet! There is tons of variety and the prices CANNOT be beat.

Ventured into the land of sweet potatoes today (i LOVVVE sweet potatoes). I think. Might have been yams though. Or Japanese sweet potato, I'm thinking the latter due to the red skin, and dry white inside. Anywho, boiled and mashed that bad boy up, added a teeny ammount of margerine and some cinnomon, and.... it was a little dry. So I sliced up my last banana ontop, microved it for 30-45 secs, and mashed the banana into the sweet potato, which really helped cream it up. Not bad!

A beautiful article on procrastination (from creativespiritualwomen.com)

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-05:00
Sometimes, I find articles that I need to save and share with others. This is one of them, a beautiful article on how procrastination in itself is a cop-out, and to be real with yourself and your choices. We are in control.

"3 Steps to Cure Procrastination
By Bell of Creative Spiritual Women

I don’t believe in procrastination.

If there’s something you’re not doing, we have a million different excuses why not. Procrastination is a nice “catch-all” word that we use to define all those excuses at once.

I no longer need those excuses.

What are you procrastinating? Before I understood what procrastination really is, I believed I was procrastinating: cleaning out the basement, writing a book, creating a budget, reading that book that someone lent me six months ago, answering an email, etc.

Procrastination, in truth, is always making the choice not to do it now.

This isn’t very popular in our society. It’s seen as, well, procrastination (which has a negative ring to it), or avoidance, or indecision, or laziness.

These are all just stories people tell. They’re not true. The bottom line, no matter what story you or anyone else tells, is that you’re choosing to do something else right now.

All you have is this moment. If you’re cleaning the basement right now, or writing that book right now, great. That’s where your attention and focus should be. If you’re spending time with your family, if you’re meeting friends for coffee, if you’re researching a topic that interests you- be there fully. Don’t drag this basement/writing a book/reading that email/etc. stuff into the present moment.

When you notice something in the present moment, like the pile of boxes next to the shelf in the basement, ask yourself, “Can I do something about that right now?” If you can, grab the boxes and put them where they should go. If not, leave those boxes there- both physically and mentally.

When you see them there, again, it may be a better time. But if you constantly think about the list of things you “should” do and “should” have done and projects you “should” have completed, you’re dragging all those projects with you into the present moment.

There is only now. If you’re not doing those projects now, don’t worry about them.
If you want to remember to do those projects, if they’re very important to you, make time to do them now. If you don’t, then they’re not that important to you! What a relief.

Be honest with yourself about how you really feel about the project and move on.
Once you start doing this in your life, the results are so much fun. The other day my husband said to me, “When are you going to bring those things up from the basement?”

The old me would have done one of three things. 1) Been annoyed that he brought it up. Can’t he see how busy I am? 2) Made an excuse for not doing it and maybe set a date for when I would do it, 3) Carried that “task” around for several days thinking that I should get it done but also being a little bit bitter that I even had to do it.

Now, I don’t have to go through any of that. I looked at him and said, “I’ll do it now. Would you like to help?” Together, we brought the items up from the basement.
How to Stop Procrastinating

1. Honor the tasks you’re doing right now.
All you have is right now. If you’re thinking about ALL the things you should be doing other than the thing you’re doing now, you’re robbing yourself of this moment. You’ve chosen to do this thing (whether it’s work, errands, anything) right now. That choice is beautiful. Don’t let any “should” rob you of it.

2. Honor the tasks you’re choosing not to do right now.
There are so many things we don’t do right away, and that’s a beautiful thing. Too often, we wrap ourselves in guilt about what we’re not doing instead of realizing the beauty in those choices.

When you change the energy around those choices, you move from “avoidance” to gratitude, and that’s a big move. “I’m not writing a book right now, and that’s okay. I’m not cleaning the bathroom right now, and that’s okay. I am grateful that I have the desire to write a book. I am grateful that I have a bathroom to clean, and a desire for cleanliness.”

3. Honor the choices you’re waiting to make.
Make a list if you’d like- even write, “I don’t know what to do about these things, but I trust I will know at the perfect time.” When you acknowledge the choices you’re making (especially the choice to wait) you take your power back, and you’re no longer avoiding something. You’re actively dealing with it- even if dealing with it means simply saying “thank you” for the ability to choose."

Thank you mother nature!

2011-11-07T16:13:00.008-05:00

nommin' food tip #1: Eat ridiculous food with chop sticks!

Okay okay. I can't help myself. I'm just so excited about how great I feel since starting this diet! I'm loving food again! Whee! It's exciting to find deliciousness in nature! To feel full and happy and nourished and satisfied by what our Earth provides. Hardly processed, refined or preserved. Exploring new flavors! Oh what have I been missing!!!

Happy Bunday! Yay Fruits & Veggies!

2011-11-07T14:45:00.011-05:00

Oatmeal with pomegranate arils and goji pomegranate green tea

I'M LEARNING TO COOK.

oh gawd run.

This past week I did my own version of a "fruit and veggie detox diet." Whenever one asks about a detox diet, the usual response is "eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and drink lots of water." All that good-for-you fiber and water helps your body flush all the bad out. Not to mention, when you eat light, you feel light. I felt heavy and over-sugared after Halloween weekend, so I decided the next day to try something new for a week.

Here we are at day seven of my "detox." My rules were simple, I allowed myself fruits, vegetables, beans, egg, rice, oatmeal and seafood. It's not exactly vegan, but it did help me make it through the week not feeling deprived. It's important, for it's success, to not feel deprived when trying a new meal plan. And... I feel good. In fact, I lost 4.6lbs this week! BUT! I must disclaim that I also tracked and controlled my calorie intake this week, which I'm sure also attributed to the weight-loss.

Since things are going so well, I'm eating healthier and feeling better because of it, I'm gonna stick with it for a while. Not sure what changes are in the future. I'm learning to cook, and feeling more brave to trying cooking more things for myself. I've always wanted to learn how to cook, so I'm super stoked for this, I've been bookmarking tons of new and healthy recipes. I plan to share with you guys my cooking journey.

Yay! Happy Bunday!

today's hopeful wishes

2011-11-01T12:50:00.002-04:00
Today I intend to:
Eat lightly. Focus. Participate. Smile at everyone.

Wouldn't it be nice if:
One of my classes was cancelled? Not because I wish bad things upon my instructors, but just because. My mom's surgery goes smoothly and she heals incredibly quickly?

Today I will focus on:
Taking care of myself, and starting my new mission to eat lighter, move more, and rest often. I will practice throwing in porcelain today, which I have never tried.

I have to pee.

Halloween Spirit - Gathering Momentum

2011-10-31T20:39:00.006-04:00
Worksheet designed by Jessica Mullen
List 10 things you’re grateful for. Feeling gratitude brings more things to feel grateful about.
1) The security I feel at home with my family.
2) I am greatful for my health, the healthy of my family and friends, and the surgeries that will free my mother of pain and give her mobility again.
3) Knowing that right now, I have somewhere to go, where I will be surrounded by friends who make me feel loved, and let me love myself.
4) Even though things are rough, knowing that for right now, my family is okay.
5) I am smart, knowledgeable, and a never ending sponge for knowledge.
6) My room-mates are respectful of eat other.
7) I have a warm place to sleep. Three warm places actually.
8) The opportunity for an education that will help me pursue my passions.
9) My creativity.
10) Having a moment to sit and relax.

Complete the sentence “wouldn’t it be nice if” with something that would be really cool if would happen! It doesn’t have to be realistic, just fun to ponder.
It would be to go to where my friends are. Right now they are dressed up, gorging on candy and booze, and celebrating the best holiday of the year, Halloween. I know that when I go there, I will be surrounded with love and friendship.

Complete the sentence “today I intend to”. Find the most important things you really want to accomplish today.
Today, I intend to find some time for my friends, and then head home to give myself rest. School is important and I need to respect my body.

List 5 things you love. When you think about what you love, you attract more things to love into your life.
1) Denny
2) My friends
3) My family
4) My pets
5) Me

List 3 things you’re excited about. Looking for things to be excited about brings more excitement!
1) My mom to be able to walk again
2) Eating more pumpkin food
3) Another chance to be creative

Quiet your mind and ask your higher self for advice. What would the negative-thought-free version of you say?
Go. Have fun. You will be okay.

Picture yourself being interviewed for a major success. What question would you want to be asked about it? This will help you create a pathway towards your goal.
What was it like to create a popukar blog that intrigues and inspires?

List thoughts you would like to make truth today. Practice thinking and believing them throughout your day.
That I am loved. That I am smart. That I am beautiful. That I am exactly where I need to be, and everything will be okay.

List 4 things that inspire you today. Looking for inspiration will bring more inspiration!
1) Playful wake-up
2) Getting to spend unexpected time with your aunt and uncle
3) Conversations with mentors
4) Halloween

Happy Bunday & Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:57:00.004-04:00

My bunny friend Roman wishes everyone a Happy Halloween! (photo shamelessly stolen from my friend Michelle ;3)

Braaaiiins! Trestagon and the NJ Zombie Walk Undead Festival

2011-10-27T20:52:00.007-04:00

creator of the NJ Zombie Walk with approximately 12,500 undead followers

Last weekend was a blast! Hoards of zombies showed up to the NJ Zombie Walk & Undead Festival. Trestagon had a great time premiering our zombie heads. They're super neat, bouncy and super creepy. I'm gonna leave you guys with a photo dump from the weekend (my apologies if you've already seen these on Trestagon's FB page). Happy Halloween!

a butterfly that rardy saved from the ocean who dried off hanging out on my head

johnny bentonamo being quizzed during the zombie beauty pageant

undead festival friday night

awesome faceless

zombie bunny fetus in a jar

our display booth. i really love what work the boys did on the table cloth and sign.

hung the zombie head stock from the booth like cotton candy in bags

thriller dance

someone took a photo of me while i was trying to download a paypal app for processing credit card sales (didn't find any i could use :/)

rardy acted as our field agent, engaging a lot of zombies during the walk to kick and play with our head

kids love killing zombies

promo photos for the etsy page

rardy made a collection of watercolor zombie valentines

i like the artwork found around asbury park

the boys with my car just before we went home

last minute Trestagon family photo

the brother luis head really got the tar kicked out of him

If you wish to purchase one of our zombie heads, check out Trestagon's Etsy Page! I hope to have a "Making of the Zombie Heads" post soon.

fires, zombie heads, walks in the woods, jack-o-lanterns

2011-10-18T11:52:00.004-04:00

watched some students start a pit firing... i love the smell of burning pine

late night at trestagon making zombie heads

BLEH!

some of the heads in the painting stage

and they're squishy!

pile-o-heads

went for a hike with denny to take in the autumn changes

saving seeds from pumpkin carving to roast, mmm

here's my pumpkin

denny's pumpkin. his original idea didn't pan out, but i think he made a good save

day 1 of a 2-day pose in figure drawing.

Happy Bunday!

2011-10-17T10:42:00.000-04:00

source: cuteoverload.com

Happy Bunday.... South Jersey Bunny Spay/Nueter Clinic this Saturday!

2011-10-10T09:06:00.000-04:00
To quote Little Miracles Rabbit Rescue's recent FaceBook post:

"Last Minute Space Opens Up: We're already booked to spay and neuter over 30 bunnies this Saturday, and dozens of people will be bringing their bunnies to the shelter for their fall photos and FREE spa services! Please come out and support the shelter - our fully stocked bunny supply store will be open - food, hay and litter all available at AWESOME prices.... for a last minute spot in our spay/neuter clinic, please email us ASAP at LittleMiraclesRR@aol.com

Visit their FaceBook event page or official webpage for more info! $65 spay/neuters are a steal! If your rabbit isn't fixed, you may want to consider this. Besides helping reduce unwanted pregnancies (which contributes to rabbit overpopulation); fixing your bun helps reduce bad behaviors related to hormones, as well as decreases or eliminates the risk of reproductive cancers. I think it cost me over $250 to get Bean fixed, and that's only if I'm not low-balling the price in my head (I forget, Bean's had 2 surgeries).

Can't make it this weekend? No worries! Check out the New Jersey House Rabbit Society's Spay/Neuter Program for more options. They sell low-cost spay/neuter certificates which various (but not all) vets across NJ will accept. The rabbit rescue I volunteered with used this option to be able to afford fixing our rabbits.

Want to know more before getting your rabbit fixed? Visit the House Rabbit Society's page on Spaying and Neutering and How To Find A Good Rabbit Vet.

I wish I had photos on hand from Bean's spay day. She had the cutest little incision on her shaved fire belly. Perhaps I'm the only one who finds it cute since I worked in a vet clinic? Maybe. Although I must mention Bean did not get her surgery at the clinic I worked at, so I did not get to watch (which... not everyone wants to, heh). Haha, actually, I found this, an old forum post from the day Bean got spayed (LOL, even there I mention the cute spay incision).

Happy Bunday folks! Spay and Neuter!

DO YOU LIKE ZOMBIES!?

2011-10-06T10:01:00.003-04:00

NJ Zombie Walk and Undead Festival
October 21-23 2011
Asbury Park Convention Hall
1300 Ocean Ave
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
www.njzombiewalk.com

'The “World’s Largest Gathering of Zombies” is now also a 3-DAY EVENT called THE UNDEAD FESTIVAL! We’re pulling out all the stops developing a full-scale horrorfest for you featuring vendors, special guests, musical acts, performances, special presentations, film screenings AND MUCH MUCH MORE! You’re not going to want to miss a single moment of it!'

I'll be vending there with my art group, Trestagon! We've been working hard these last few weeks making zombie heads and other art to sell at this event. It should be a really good time, loaded with zombies and other great Halloween fun.

It's super affordable too, which is AWESOME. The Undead Festival runs all weekend in the convention hall at ~~$10~~$15* a day or ~~$20~~$30* for the whole weekend, and the Zombie Walk happens on Saturday, Oct 22, and it's free to participate! For more info on the event, zombie walk start times and special guests, you can check out the FaceBook event page and their website www.njzombiewalk.com.

Hope to see ya there!

*correction, sorry for the mistake, the at-door prices are different then the pre-reg.

#occupywallstreet

2011-10-05T12:12:00.006-04:00
I think we can all acknowledge there are some things that are not right with the United States. Issues that get swept under the rug time and time again. I'm hoping most of you have heard of #occupywallstreet by now, a fascinating flash mob protest that has been growing in size the last 2 weeks down in Wall Street. In fact, it's spread across the country to many other cities holding their own protests. What's even more fascinating was the lack of press coverage the first week or so (and even now, give or take), and the alarmingly biased media coverage that depicts these Americans as lazy, bored college students, when in reality, people of all different backgrounds have been showing up to stand up against cooperate greed. These protest started September 17th.

I think the most important thing to do is read the Declaration of the Occupation of New York City, it's the official manifesto for the group's cause. If you weren't quite sure what the heck all of this was really about, clarify with that.

General information from the source:
AdBuster's Site on #OccupyWallStreet
OccupyWallStreet.org, official hub of major info
OccupyTogether, the unofficial hub for the nation-wide protests

This is the coverage I have acquired from friends on FaceBook and by following the #occupywallstreet hash tag and @OccupyWallSt account on Twitter. It's surreal to watch something like this unfold. I really think the reason this protest has been able to stay afloat is due to social media, especially during the media's attempt to smother the protest with silence.

We are the 99% Tumblr page, representing the hundreds of Americans suffering from the economy

I didn't mean to over saturate this post with these images, but there's just a lot of valid posts in the mix. Take a look through, you might find yourself in one of these stories....

"Something Has Started": Michael Moore on the Occupy Wall St. Protests That Could Spark a Movement video coverage from Democracy Now interviewing Michael Moore on his thoughts on the protests.

On Saturday, October 1st, about 700 protestors were arrested for what the media says was trying to block traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. In the comments of that article and on Twitter, the story is police lead and trapped the protestors on the bridge before arresting everyone.

I particularly enjoy this video of unaired footage of a OWS protestor schooling a FOX New reporter.

The reason I posted all of this today is to help spread some awareness. Now, I realize that it's super hard to figure out what is true and false, but make sure your information isn't coming all from one source. I believe that these people are well intentioned, and if it was in my means to get out there and protest too, I might do it. However, I am one of the super lucky who is in school right now, and I think I owe it to make family, friends and fellow Americans to do my best every single day, in my schooling, in my art, so that I can come out hopefully standing on my feet. This is how I will help America, by continuing to help spread awareness about these protests, and do my best with the resources I do have.

We can do this if we try out best!

Bringing Back Bundays!

2011-10-03T09:00:00.003-04:00
There was a Bunday feature on this blog!? *looks at tag* OH YEAH!

I'm feeling nostalgic for my bunny, Miss Bean. I got to spend some time with her when I went home last weekend, I cleaned out her cage and the budgies cage and tidied up my room and her play space a bit. It was a nice moment to take in because I take Bean's company for granted, and want to do better by her. Ironically enough, I'm suffering from an upper respiratory infection of sorts ever since cleaning day.... damn you bunny allergies!!!

If you want, you can add Bean on BunSpace if you have an account! (yes there's social networking for rabbits too!)

And to finish off Bunday, I leave with you with a video of rabbits in action. If you thought rabbits were boring pets, you're doing it wrong!

First time around with synthetic dreads

2011-10-01T01:43:00.004-04:00
WELL! To share a little secret first, I've always admired dreadlocks from afar and secretly wished I could at least have one or two even if I was too scared to have a whole head of them.

An unexpected secret hair mission went underway today...

First I read a lovely post over at Little Chief Honeybee on one of her sponsors, Saturated Canary. And oh what beautiful hair Miss Krista of Saturated Canary has had!

I fell in love immediately, which lead to researching how to make and install synthetic dreas on the Tube of You.

She's a super cutie too!

After the inspiration and research, I found myself motivated enough to set a mission to make my own synthetic dreads! I found a Sally's Beauty Supply, which redirected me to Sunshine Beauty Supply, a store loaded with hair extensions and wigs off all sorts! I picked up a bag of royal blue (they had no pink or light blue :(), and brought it back to the apartment. There's definitely a small learning curve with synthetic dreads, I feel, in order to get them super tight and beautiful looking. But that's okay, after a few rounds it'll get easier at all the steps, including braiding.

Behold, my three blue dreads!

I plan to install and make more (technically I made 5), but they're gonna have to wait for another night. I'm hoping to add and change these over time, an a continuous evolving art project on my head :D

You guys are SO overdue for one of these... Favorite Fridays!

2011-09-30T09:30:00.000-04:00
Yay! favorite fridays!

I so need better name for this. ANYWHOODLES!

The Sketchbook Project World Tour is a really cool idea! For $25 you get sent a moleskin sketchbook, which you have to fill by a deadline, sent it back, and then it takes a tour across the nation (or in this case, across the world), where hundreds of people can view your sketches and ideas! At the end of the tour, all the books reside permanently in the Brooklyn Art Museum, where people can visit and continue to take out your sketchbooks for viewing! I get notifications via text when someone views my book, and I received on today, how exciting! I would love to participate this year, but I don't have to expendable income, but I encourage anyone who can afford to, sign up! It's a great way to share your art with the rest of the world. And people have come up with some super clever ideas.

Light Up Moon Clock on ThinkGeek.com

I love this clock, and my room mate agreed, this is a really cool addition to any bedroom. You could have a killer starry night sky scene when you pair this clock up with those clow in the dark star stickers, hehe!

Rainbow Cake in a Jar!? How amazing is this idea! I love this! I'm all for giving baked goods as gifts for birthdays, and this really brings cake giving to a personal level. This is a great way to guarantee that your cake will be gift-able and in decent condition by the time you deliver it to the receiver. This may just trump my love for cupcakes.... *GASP*

Kate MacDowell: bloodless bodies, is an interview with one of my favorite ceramic artists. Her technical skills are amazing... I remember discussing one of her pieces with a ceramics professor at my old school and he bet me that it was an auto-CAD created piece, but NOPE! All hand built, and visually and contextually stunning. Porcelain is hard clay to deal with.

I’m a designer. Use me better. An incredibly clever story of how designers are suppose to deal with the responsibility of creating products that work without the environmental impacts. End on a positive note that creative, design minds should be utilized more to help fix some of today's major issues.
"I want design to be a management tool. I want designers to get paid (more) for brilliant thinking."

Fellow Trestagonite, Johnny Bentonamo's Stalker Song. Is it bad that I like to sing along?

That's all for today folks! have a fantastic weekend!!!

KMART rips off AppleNoggin's Candy Rib Cage Tee

2011-09-30T02:25:00.009-04:00
It happened again.... another one of my favorite independent artists had a design ripped off by a big corporation....

AppleNoggin was an Etsy business that I adored, the cutest hand-printed tee-shirts and other delicious crafted goodies. I can count at least two AP shirts I have in my wardrobe (not counting the jewelry and accessories), with one tee that gets LOTS of attention every time I wear it....

cute, right? This was me wearing it at AnimeNEXT 2010

Well, now you can buy a RIP-OFF version of this tee-shirt at K-MART.

it's rather ugly, isn't it?

I am bewildered why time after time, stores like this ripping off hard working, talented artists. Just goes to prove how important it is to copyright your work.... but it's so expensive. Just like Hot Topic, K-mart is officially losing all of my business.

AppleNoggin closed so she could spend more time with her first born child. Have no fear, the original Candy Rib Cage tee still exist over at Shanalogic.com.

throwing cylinders and centering

2011-09-27T23:24:00.004-04:00
I glanced up at the over-bed rack I have in my school apartment. The back cover of some issue of Ceramics Monthly stared back at me. I'm sure if you subscribe to it you've seen it, it's the SKUTT ad with the little old lady on it. The quote catches my eye first, then my eyes drift to the background image, a blown up image of a large bowl. Then I notice the old lady herself, and her concentrated yet gently focus on the delicate thin porcelain bowl that slid between her fingers. I thought to myself, "If I work hard enough, I can throw like this too."

I still can't help but carry a defeatist attitude about throwing, although I am trying to commit to practicing and getting to a point where I can really honestly call myself a potter and believe it. The first two assignments in Ceramics II (did I mention I got switched out of Ceramics I and into Ceramics II!? Yay upgrade!) is 1.5lb and 3lb cylinders. The small size was a breeze, I thought, wow I am really good at throwing! Then I tried 3lbs today and oof.... couldn't event center the damn things. My hands got really sore so by the end of class I threw in the towel.

One of the older gentlemen named John had been watching me, and offered to help me. It was really nice to get some advice from an experienced pottter, especially since I'm too weird about asking for help right now. Tomorrow I plan to go back and try again, this time with softer balls of clay and smaller clay balls. Perhaps I'm just not ready for 3lbs yet.

Mindfulness

2011-09-26T00:06:00.008-04:00
thanks: Warron Bebster

I think I finally understand the importance of mindfulness in a way I hadn't realized before. Living in the moment, living in the now, really means NOW. It means not worrying about yesterday, or giving into procrastinating the future. It's making every now count at that moment, every single time. When you don't hang onto the past or give yourself false promises to the future, you can truely live now.

The Virtual Indie Craft Fair - win a spot!

2011-09-23T13:34:00.005-04:00
What an interesting concept... an online, virtual craft fair? NEAT!

"And this isn’t going to be some boring old craft fair… It’s gonna be a rockin’ month long VIRTUAL Indie Craft Fair, with daily giveaways and lots of fun stuff. AND when you sign up as a vendor, you’ll receive over $400 worth of advertising, but you’ll only pay $99 for it!"

They are holding a contest for an artist to win a free vending spot in this fair (sweet balls)! I'll admit this post is my attempt to win this spot, but it can be yours too! Enter here!

Cute Nerdy Bunny Girl Original Pen Drawing on Index Card

2011-09-21T23:25:00.002-04:00

Cute Nerdy Bunny Girl Original Pen Drawing on Index Card - By SaltWaterAcorns

Spin Your Story: What are your sacred gifts?

2011-09-21T00:01:00.003-04:00
Now that I've moved for the first time it's a little easier to sort out this question. Any gifts that have traveled with me must have some form of significance, so let's see as I take a glance around the room.

I think at this time, my most sacred gifts are three cards I have on my desk. They all coincidentally have stars as the visual theme of the card, and each have blessing of good fortune and future in them. One is from my love, one is from my parents, and one is from a valued colleague.

.... need coffee.... useless title....

2011-09-15T10:59:00.004-04:00
This week certainly has gone by quick, I can't believe it's Thursday already. Today is my last day of classes for the week, and tomorrow I leave for a weekend at home. I'm really looking forward to it, I've been gone for almost 2 weeks, and even though it doesn't feel very long, I think it's perfect timing for a refreshment period at home.

The real reason I'm going home is for a workshop at my old school being taught by John Dix, who is "an American trained ceramic artist living in Kobe, Japan." He does primarily wood-fired work out of his two-chamber anagama-hybrid kiln.

Anywho, we worked on portraits today in figure drawing, and I wanted to share them with you. We had the same model as last class.

The first position I had to draw was a profile, and the light was very harsh, making for good shadows to help define the face.

AHH! UHG!! EHH!? I really hate this one, and don't think it captures the likeness of the model in any way. The lighting was hard to pick up on, and I couldn't capture any of the model's elegant lines at all. Yuck!

I'm most satisfied with this profile. Profiles are much easier in some ways, a lot of obvious characteristics of one's face can be seen in their profile. I spent most of my time trying to capture the proper silhouette of her face, and gently adding in the soft shadows because a) the lighting was soft, b) it helps show the model's beautiful features.

I really like this model, and didn't expect to enjoy drawing a thin model. She was really angular, and had really amazing poses, so it was fun and interesting to draw her. Next week we have a new model, I can't wait!

vision boards, skateboarding and figure drawing

2011-09-13T12:15:00.002-04:00

Worked on a vision board over the weekend. I wanted to make something I could look at to help me stay focused while I'm at school. Maybe the next time I'm getting frustrated with homework, a glance at work of my artistic role models will help move me forward.

Trying something new, again. I tried taking up skateboarding a few years ago when I first started dating Denny as a way to fill in my love for snowboarding during the warmer months. However, it wasn't as easy as I'd hoped and I eventually stuck my skateboard in a dark corner somewhere. BUT! It's a skateboarder's heaven around here, I've seen so many longboards and skateboards so I asked Denny to bring mine down. Although I stumble a lot, it's a fun and quick way to get around campus. Plus, I gotta look silly and practice if I want to be halfway decent.

Thirty minute figuring drawing from this morning's class.

Adventures in Glassboro

2011-09-12T09:54:00.005-04:00
Denny came to visit me on Saturday, which was really nice. At first I was sad, and just wanted to lay with him and do nothing, but after we finally motivated, it turned out to be a really good day!

There's a ton of places to eat around here, especially Asian food, so Denny and I stopped at a Japanese/Chinese Restaurant with sushi bar. It was a cute little place with pink table clothes and a beautifully decorated sushi bar. The menu was silly though, it felt over saturated with too many choices.... we went for Chinese/Japanese, and there were also Thai and Vietnamese! Either way I ordered my favorite sushi roll, the (green) dragon roll. And what a beauty they presented me with!

It was delicious too!

After lunch we checked out a thrift store. This place was HUGE! Granted, the clothing department was super small, there was loads of other things from swords (no swords for you Denny!), to furniture and electronics to a great kitsch knickknacks section. That's where I found these adorable cuties.

A cute little owl figurine (go Rowan!), a jumping rabbit salt shaker, and 2 elegant and adorable plastic deer with the most endearing faces.

The deer really make me smile, I told Denny one is him an the other is me <3 We returned to my apartment, I got changed into street clothes, we grabbed our skateboards and hit the sidewalks on campus. I gave Denny a tour, we stopped at the food court and grabbed a snack, and went all the way across campus to the book store. There we explored more, and I decided in buying a better pair of ear buds. The pair I'm using now are very low quality = low volume, which makes politely listening to things while you share a room with someone difficult, especially when your headphones are competing with the constant roar of cooling towers outside your window *le sigh*.

On our way back Denny tried to show me how to skate off curbs, which I gave up on because I was afraid I'd crack my head open. We hung out in the apartment for a little while longer, and then he had to leave to pet sit for our friends' rabbit. I promptly fell asleep after he left and didn't wake up again for 15 hours. Phew! It was a super good day, I wish it didn't have to end.

Thoughts on the first few days far far away....

2011-09-09T23:57:00.004-04:00

Enjoying a cup of coffee and writing in my journal in the quiet moments of early morning.

Early morning has very quickly become a sacred time for me. Early morning! What!? Monster is up before noon!? Yes yes, I'm actually appreciating my early hours now. I think that is all I ever sought, which was some time to myself. As much as I love my friends, I do really enjoy my alone time.

I've been in my new apartment style dorms for 5 days now. Unpacking and settling in was pretty easy, I like my space and feel like I've utilized it well, with lot's of room left to spare. I decided not to bring any wall decorations from home and let them manifest themselves here. My room-mates have been easy-going so far. Aside from the kitchen, bathroom and living/dining room, there are two bedrooms to accommodate two students each. My actual roomie and I have been getting to know each other and making trips to the cafeteria together.

it's tough not knowing anyone, I feel a pike of jealously when I overhear people greeting and meeting up with friends they've known for years or just made. I know not to rush things, and despite some internal strife over my self-worth, I'm trying to persevere with a head held high. The friends I want will come in time, and the most important thing to do is be myself. Everything will fall into place.

A Peeping Ray of Hope

2011-09-03T03:16:00.006-04:00

I have a peeping ray of hope, that if we eliminate all the friction in our lives, that everything else in life will be much smoother. We tend to create our own troubles, dramas and grief. We hold it in and let it fester, it's various levels of hate. It could be anger, jealousy, or fear. When we hold onto those things, we deny our true selves, where we can be great and in our full potential. Any negative thing we have control of, we can eliminate, we have the power. In a world that feels out of our control, we can only control ourselves, and we must. It could be a bitter thought, hurt, pain, we have the choice to let it all go. We have the choice to live every day happy, passionate, and without regrets. Regrets don't exist in a world without friction.

Baby Squirrels Orphaned by Irene

2011-08-31T12:00:00.003-04:00
After one of my trips to check on the flooding after Hurricane Irene, I came home to find a gathering of my parents and neighbors in my neighbor's front yard. There were three baby squirrels, in the grass below the tall oak tree; damp, shivering and calling out for their mother. My neighbor's daughter told us how they heard the squirrels crying in the night but they weren't sure what it was.

Undecided of how to handle the situation, I went from squirrel to squirrel, seeing if they had any obvious injuries without touching them. That's when one baby crawled towards my foot, and decided to perch himself on top to rest!

After that moment, I knew they were too cold to leave outside in the current weather. I fixed up a box with some bedding, and carefully placed the three squirrels in the box to dry off and get warm.

There are a few things I know about finding "orphaned" wildlife. The first thing is, that baby animals found on their own may not really be by themselves; mom may be close but out of sight. If uninjured, the best thing is to let mom do her job. However, since these squirrels had been in the yard since last night I decided it was important to let them get warm and dry. The second thing I know about baby wildlife is to keep them in a dark, quiet place, and to not feed them until you call your local wildlife rehabilitation for proper instructions on what to do next. I called Woodland Wildlife Refuge, a fantastic wildlife rehabilitation facility in Hunterton County, NJ.

The babies, happily napping.

A few hours later my call was returned, and I was instructed to put the box in the yard, elevated on a chair, to see if momma squirrel would come and retrieve her babies. Believe it or not, but the belief that a mother will reject her babies if they smell of human is a myth. Squirrels are more likely to be unable to identify their babies if they're too cold. There was only an hour of sunlight left on Sunday to leave the babies out in, so I brought them in for the night. The next day I kept them outside from morning til early evening, as per instructions from the rehabber I spoke with. It was a beautiful sunny day, so I was less worried about the squirrels catching a chill. I checked on them throughout the day, and got hopeful when I heard an adult squirrel calling from the trees. Unfortunately, time ran out and no momma came. It was time to drop these guys off in the safe and knowledgeable hands of the staff at Woodland Wildlife Refuge to be taken care of until they are old enough to be re-released into the wild.

Good luck little guys!

photos of post-Irene part 2

2011-08-31T02:13:00.009-04:00
Well, Hurricane Irene has come and gone, as well as most of the flooding here in New Jersey. Here are the rest of my photos taken during the rise and retreat of flood waters on the border of Bound Brook and Middlesex.

This set of photos were taken Sunday, August 28, 2011, at the intersection of Hazelwood Ave., Raritan Ave., and Route 28. This was the body of water down the road from the first set of photos.

The psychic's house underwater.

The intersection.

The top of a bus stop peaking out of the water.

The Getty Gas station, which had remarkable prices listed considering I paid $3.49 a few blocks away the afternoon before Irene hit.

I came back one last time at sunset and snapped these:

Looking down Route 28 into Bound Brook, past the firehouse and the vet clinic.

The next morning, the water had receded considerably.

Oh look at that, the vet clinic has a driveway!

Several huge trees had fallen down.

The water line shows how high the water came on the door.

The water still went over the road.

Welcome back, orange cones.

Looking down the road towards Bound Brook, the water still covers the bridge. A few hours later, the road was clear.

Until then, this section of road looks worse off.

Well, this concludes my documentation of flooding in this particular area after Hurricane Irene. The water is gone, the roads are clear, and everyone is working hard to bring things back to normal. It's fascinating and horrifying how landscape can change and nature can destroy so quickly. And then, as if in a blink of an eye, it's all gone, like it never really happened.

crush

2011-08-29T01:34:00.002-04:00

About Me: in photos... really really fast

2011-08-29T00:25:00.003-04:00
this is fun... all of my tagged FaceBook photos in a music video.... it's like a quick recap of the last 3 years or so of my life. how fun <3 you guys,

photos of post-Irene

2011-08-28T15:49:00.015-04:00
My town borders Bound Brook, which is notorious for bad flooding due to lying right along the Raritan River. The veterinary clinic I work for is on the border of Bound Brook, with a large creek next to it. The place rarely floods unless it's a huge storm, such as Floyd or the Nor'easter we had a few years ago. Unfortunately everything went under this time around too. No worries though, no animals were in the building!

As I walked to the corner of the intersection where my job lies, I realized a downed tree was blocking my view of the clinic. We'll call this vantage Point A.

Ah there it is... with water all the way up to the door. Click here to see what the place normally looks like when not underwater. The water stopped at the intersection so I walked across the street to get a better view. This is Point B.

A close-up shot shows more clearly how high the water is and the tree that fell down next to it.

Point A, is that grassy spot beyond the large orange cones. Pay attention to how high the water is on those cones.

Point C is allllll the way on the other side of the water. You can kinda see people and cars on the other side. The telephone poles kinda help you see where the road goes.

The view from Point C. This photo was taken by my friend on the other side of the flooded creek, in Bound Brook. You can't see the clinic from her view, but you can see the other side of the road where I was standing. Point B is the tiny gray house I stood in front of to take photos.

About an hour or so I came back to check on things and the water had been going up. See how far the water went up on those orange cones?

Here's some video I took (with narration by me :D) of the whole area, to give you an idea of how severe and widespread the flooding in this area is (as it's growing)!

To see continued photo documentation of this area as the water rises and falls, check out photos of post-Irene part 2.

my life is about to be flipped up-side-down! (update)

2011-08-26T16:10:00.002-04:00
i'm moving!

yep, as of this monday, i'm packing up all of my belongings and moving away from home for the first time. it's been weird waiting for and preparing for this change, and even now as it's days away, it quite hasn't sunk in. but i'm okay with that, i'd rather keep on moving forward as i am now than being depressed about all the changes. i know homesickness will kick in soon enough. i can't wait though, it's going to be such a fascinating time.

*ahem* so i lied.
well, not exactly, haha. i found out not long after making this post that my move-in date has been postponed to labor day weekend. it looks like i'll be around for one more week, thanks Irene!

visiting the Peter's Valley anagama wood kiln

2011-08-16T15:49:00.006-04:00

in front of the mouth of the anagama weeks before the firing

yesterday, my friends and i took a field trip up to Peter's Valley Craft Center to catch some of the anagama kiln in action.

it is a huge kiln built into the side of a hill, only fueled by manpower and wood.

what a beautiful sight.

a quickie before work...

2011-08-05T13:19:00.004-04:00
Today I intend to:
Work my butt off for the next 4 hours to catch up on my hours this week. It was really nice of my co-worker to switch with me, I got to spend a fantastic night with my boyfriends on Tuesday, and she was able to skip out of work early today to take care of something. Since my day started late, all I really can do today is have a good day at work, and then head over to Anime Night with my friends to hang out and watch some good Japanese animation. Boy I'm hoping for more Samurai Champloo!

Wouldn't it be nice if:
It would be great if things went smoothly at work, that I get to be helpful to the doctors, make some client smile, and help a patient or two handle the stressful moments of being at a veterinary clinic. It would be great to come home, feeling good, and then spending the night with great people. That would be fantastic.

Today I will focus on:
Being helpful. No complaining.

For fun:
Think you know New Jersey? I made my first treasury! An adventure across New Jersey through the eyes of NJ etsy artists!

Favorite Fridays: Last Minute Mash Up

2011-07-22T10:30:00.007-04:00

Cute Japanese Pop music video? Sure why not!

More Than Bread I can't embedded this one, but is definitely worth checking out. It's a clever break dance video that takes place in the classroom, where to boys start battling it out over a sandwich. Very entertaining, and some of the shots are reminiscent of a good anime fight scene (or Scott Pilgrim)..... Okay, check out Big Trouble in Little Bistro too, it's also really good.

This is just plain silly, hahahaa.

Kind Over Matter - Spin Your Story: Truly Alive How liberating would it be if we could just let go of this trying to be good? If, despite the perceived obstacles in our way, we just did it anyway? If the only indication of whether or not something was good was how it makes us feel? Instead of asking, is it good? We could ask:

Is it kind? Does it make me feel Alive, excited, invigorated, nurtured, loved, inspired, FREE, like more of my beautiful Self?

Hermit Crab Delight!

2011-07-21T15:11:00.006-04:00
It's been a while since I have ordered any food for the hermit crabs. The great thing about hermit crabs is they are scavengers, willing to eat almost anything! They actually love variety, so much that they have an instinct to not repeat the same meal in 24 hours. It's a great survival method which insures they are getting a variety of nutrients, rather than the same thing every single day. This means they love table scraps, making them great natural composters.

I do like to keep a stock of "hermit crab foods." However, I never buy pet store hermit crab foods, these are generally no good, some containing harmful ingredients or lot's of filler. However, a trip to the pet store can provide a lot of good treats for your hermies, such as dried fishes, bugs, seaweed and crustacean. Frozen fish food is also great, and if you can stomach it, even frozen pinky mice can be a treat for hermies.

Table scraps are the next best thing; fruit, especially tropical fruit, is loved by most hermies, edible flowers, cuts of meat and veggies, most of this is safe and good for a hermit crab to eat! You can find a complete list of safe hermit crab foods here, thanks to Julia Crab of the Epicurean Hermit. She has contributed a lot of research to provide such an extensive list. And since it's better to be aware, here's the UnSafe/Inedible Food List for hermit crabs.

That said, I'm lazy, and like to keep dry foods on stock next to the tank for when I'm in a rush and want to quickly feed them before running out the door. The Hermit Crab Addiction Store has a FANTASTIC selection of dry foods for your hermit crab, including complete food mixes and variety sample packs (which I love).

"MINE! ALL MINE!" Crabzilla hogs the food dish as everyone gathers around to sample the Epicurean Hermit's Zeaxantastic Molting Food

$300,00 to help save bunnies!

2011-07-16T18:28:00.006-04:00
Rabbits are one of my favorite animals, I love to draw them, and they have a special place in my heart. The amazing organization, The House Rabbit Society, does excellent work in pushing the standards of domestic rabbit care, education, and rescuing and re-homing abandoned, neglected and unwanted rabbits. Rabbits are the third most common pet found in shelters, behind cats and dogs. Who'd have guessed, right? Bunnies are more complex than most people expect (psst-they're not hamsters!), so many of them get dumped, re-homed or surrendered to shelters and rescues without being given a chance to be understood.

Rabbits are quiet, curious, friendly, playful animals with certain instinctive needs, such as digging and chewing, that need to be met appropriately to avoid destruction to your home. They need to be spayed and neutered, just like cats and dogs, to help prevent unwanted pregnancies, prevent reproductive cancer, and deter unwanted hormonal behaviors related to maturity. That said, do your research before bringing home a rabbit, and if you already have a bunny (or two!), refresh you bunny know-how over at rabbit.org!

The HRS is currently in 6th place for winning $300,00 from The Animal Rescue Site. Want to help the HRS and it's nationwide chapters save more bunnies? Please vote for them!

Bean wants you to help the HRS!

How to Vote for the HRS:
1) Go to http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3
2) Type in Shelter Name: House Rabbit Society, CA for state, and Richmond for the city.
3) Search for it and vote!
4) Repeat daily! And tell everyone you know!

saw this quote on a box at work....

2011-07-16T15:38:00.001-04:00

"Integrity is what you do when no one is watching."

Favorite Fridays: Puppets and Pink!

2011-07-15T15:35:00.002-04:00
Doctor Cat MD A comic about a cat who is also a doctor! I love Doctor Cat, a cute and funny comic about the mishaps of a cat who is also a doctor!

Mastodon's "Deathbound" Music Video for Adult Swim. My good friend Johnny Bentomano is introducing me to metal, one of his favorites being Mastodon. The reason I post this video is because it's Mr. Rogers gone wrong, as the land of imagination meets it's fiery apocalypse. (Warning: monster, mayhem and puppet violence) Also funny, my favorite is the yellow monster.

Driftwood Mirror by UrbanOutfitters.com. I love beachy things, I would love to make this mirror myself however.

Muppet Dr Who by ~mimi-na on deviant ART

Pink Puff Cupcake Top
So cute. Enough said! <3 SickForCute.com

Spin Your Story eBook

2011-07-15T14:59:00.004-04:00
Spin Your Story: 200 Emotionally-Charged Writing Prompts to Stir Your Soul is an ebook for bloggers and writers with powerful and thought evoking questions to answer. At only $10 for 200 prompts, I figured it would be a fun, interesting experience to explore and share on my blog, especially on off days. I'm wondering if I should start from the beginning, or skip around, but as of right now, let's start with prompt #1. I love the folks over at Kind Over Matter, add them to your feeds for a daily dose of love and inspiration.

FUCK IT.

2011-07-10T17:30:00.003-04:00
Fuck feeling miserable, down and pouty. Fuck having the only things to talk about being negative or complaints. Fuck worrying about tomorrow, next week or next month. No more feeling sorry for myself, my friends, or the situation.

FUCK IT.

I have too many awesome things on the horizon, the very beginning of my etsy shop, the rebirth and re-branding of Saltwater Acorns, reinventing myself as a person and an artist, learning to have radical self love for myself every moment of the day, to learn to let go, move on, and have fun. To squash fear and go for it, to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. So.... FUCK IT!!!!

I'm on Etsy!!!!

2011-07-06T23:19:00.003-04:00
Finally, after 3-years of hoping, planning, whimping out and talking about it, Saltwater Acorns is on Etsy!

Woody the Monkey by SaltWaterAcorns

What is EvilCon?

2011-06-28T11:02:00.000-04:00
Wouldn't you like to know!? www.evil-con.com

- Evil Henchman #4

Mini Sketchbook January 2011

2011-06-27T01:31:00.003-04:00
Hey guys! I decided to start uploading my sketchbooks, so here's the first one. It's a small 6"x8" drawing pad that my ceramics instructor passed out but never looked at.

Mini SketchBook January 2011

affirmations to last a lifetime

2011-06-21T13:27:00.001-04:00
I love my boyfriend, I adore my friends, I appreciate my family, I enjoy my job, I'm going to school for a passion; I think it's fair to say I got it good right now :)

i am a dreamer....

2011-06-21T13:25:00.002-04:00
“Excellence can be obtained if you care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, expect more than others think is possible.” -Unknown

for all you RSSers and google readers...

2011-06-17T12:15:00.003-04:00
For anypone who uses another service to view this blog's content, check out the blog, it's got a new look :D

wise words from Gala Darling:

2011-06-15T14:53:00.003-04:00
"The truth is that you can’t achieve anything if you’re constantly looking at everyone else & keeping tabs on what they’re doing. This is as true for blog content as it is for what size clothing people wear. Comparing yourself to someone else is such a waste of time & energy. All the hoping & wishing in the world won’t change who you are. You will never look exactly like someone else, & THAT’S WONDERFUL!"
- read the rest of Gala's article here.

Steampunk World's Fair: Friday Frolic

2011-06-10T16:15:00.005-04:00
Here they are, the first of several posts about my wonderful and magical time at the Steampunk World's Fair!

Friday morning and early afternoon were spent packing for the weekend. A load of laundry, making sure I have all my accessories (probably more than I would need), cleaned the pets' cages, picked up some booze and food, and off to the fair I went!
Shortly after arriving at the hotel I ran into cohorts such as my boyfriend, DenDen Muushi, and my former college friends Skittles and Krista.

After settling in and getting dressed, we started to explore the Steampunk World's Fair!

There were vendors of all varieties, although unfortunately half left before the event got a chance to start! This wasn't their fault though. It's been common-place at Wicked-related events to have the vendors sell out of the hotel rooms on the first floor or so of the convention hotel, where the merchants transform their hotel rooms into beautiful storefronts for their wares, transmuting the floor into a merchants bazaar. According to rumor, somewhere along the line; either the convention, or the hotel, didn't apply for the proper permits, or didn't get the right paperwork, or were plain never supposed to have vending int those types of rooms. Either way, when the Fire Marshall came to visit, he shut down vending. It's been a big mess, but the vendors whom stayed adapted. Imagine the delight to find little shops of wonder tucked into every nook and cranny of the hotel, just more charm added to the spontaneity of the SPWF.

There was lot's of Doctor Who love at the SPWF. Parked right in one of the main rooms was a steampunked TARDIS!

Skittles trying on top hats.

Beautiful henna.

A TARDIS room! Denny doesn't quite appreciate the allure of Doctor Who... yet...

Inside we found a doctor!

I couldn't even list the countless ammount of friends and friends-to-be-made were at this convention. If you love meeting new people, SPWF is for you. Every turn and coner I saw someone wonderful who I recognize. We enjoyed the musical shennanigans of the rag-tag Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band. ENSMB is a musical group out of Boston with what seems like a conitunous and endless rotation of talented musicians playing every instrument from cowbell to trumbone. It is a delight and incredibly hard not to dance to.

The rest of Friday night went on with lots of fun, drinking, shopping, and dancing. I fell asleep some time around 1:30am in the pikachu suit, which hadn't even left the room. I was super dissapointed to have woken up, realizing I slepted the night away. Another lesson in rationing my alocohol intake carefully as to not ruin an evening!

Stay tuned for posts about Saturday and Sunday at the Steampunk World's Fair!

Trying new things.... Figs

2011-06-07T10:30:00.001-04:00
Life is too short to NOT explore the unknown, the uncertain, on a daily basis. As a new feature to my blog, I am going to start documenting all the new things I try, whether it's listening to a new song, trying a new food, or exploring a new location, you guys will be in for the ride!

Today I present!

Figs!
They kinda look like dried, packaged slugs.... my Dad's friend gave them to him and said they were good, even my Dad likes them. I always see them in the market, but have never had an interest in buying a package to try them.

Nom!
They taste sweet, almost akin to raisins. However, instead of coming in tiny bite-sized bits like rainsins, with dried figs you have to deal with the whole darn fruit, and for me, chewing through the texture is gross.

So, at this time, dried figs are not for me. Perhaps they're better fresh and I'll get to try them like that sometime. Atleast I'll always get to enjoy fig in a deliscious Fig Newton. Om nom nom!

My thoughts on living with less, being frugal, and freeganism...

2011-06-06T14:10:00.000-04:00
For the first time in my life, I will be moving out of my parents' house and living on my own. Well, technically on my own, because my living situation and most, if not all of my food will be provided by student loans, which I will be paying back later down the road. Gas, my pets' needs, and misc expenses will all be coming out of my pocket. However, I haven't decided how I plan to earn an income once I get to school.

I have many options, some of the most popular include; trying to work weekends at my current job when I can (and if they let me), finding a vet tech job down there, finding a career related job in the art field down there, or seriously and finally pursuing my etsy shop. The etsy shop is something I've wanted to do for 3 years now (see my forever empty pocket shop widget on the right?), but have never ever even listed an item for. I get close, constantly, but chicken out. For some reason, or many reasons, I'm terrified to take the step to make it real. But I want it. I want to sell my art, and etsy is a brilliant catalyst for what I want.

So, I need to figure out my income. Secondly, I need to learn to live with less. I obsess over perception rather than functionality on a constant basis, then again, in a world of advertising bombardment, I think we all begin to obsess with the feelings we get with perception of things; how we dress, where we go, what we own. I want to free myself of this trap somewhat; I know that there will always be things that I want, and must have, and won't stop myself from acting on it. However, as a lifestyle, I want to live a life with some simplicity and common sense, with less waste and consumption; that way I can enjoy the things I really like.

The concept of freeganism has recently perked my interest. Freegans, give or take, participate in various activities that allow them to fulfill their needs without paying into a corrupt economy. To quote freegan.info directly, "Freegans are people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed." Sounds kinda awesome, doesn't it? Freegan activities can include, but are not limited to; dumper-diving, squatting, recycling, veganism, going green, bartering, starting guerilla gardens and more. While not all activities may appeal to everyone, freeganism sounds like something we can all benefit from incorporating into our lives. Work less, buy less, be free more.

As of last week, I've been attempting to (but not necessarily succeeding at) spending my money less frivolously. The $5.00 left in my checking account for this week is a clear sign that I have some work to do, but since living with less is going to be important come September, I want to start practicing it now. This way, when it counts, I'll be able to spend my money on what I really want; such as a tank of gas to get me home, or a night out with friends, or investing in a new project.

I'm not sure how much of this ramble makes sense, but this is where I am at at this time in my head. Hoping to make some smarter decisions in my life that will be good for myself, in addition to others.

lessons to live by...

2011-06-06T10:30:00.000-04:00
"Five Regrets of the Dying"
By Bronnie Ware

"For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those
who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I
was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I
learned never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some
changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, such as
denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance.
Every single patient found their peace before they departed though...
every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1) I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their
life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how
many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured
even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to
choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2) I wish I didn’t work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not
been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so
much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3) I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with
others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never
became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses
relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people
may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking
honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and
healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4) I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends
until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them
down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let
golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets
about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved.
Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip.
But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical
details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs
in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true
importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the
benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary
to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships
in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and
relationships.

5) I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as
their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and
to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed
to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your death-bed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying. Life is a choice.

It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness."

"under constructions"...... tehe!

2011-06-06T09:50:00.001-04:00
I apologize if the blog layout and design look a little wonky over the next few days, I'm working on a new fun look for Saltwater Acorns! Yay presents!

Big updates coming soon!

2011-06-04T03:17:00.002-04:00
I have so much to share with you guys from the Steampunk World's Fair that I have felt overwhelmed and have avoided finishing the project. However, I get to relive the wonderful weekend every time I work on those posts, I should have them out to you guys in no time! It was such a wonderful, magical experience that I never want to forget.

In good news, I have been super super busy. Whether it's work, school or play, I always seem to have something going on. It's a delight for myself because I tend to get depressed with too much free time, as I don't know how to manage it effectively. You really learn how to trim that fat, although there are some personal areas of my life I've neglecting (my bedroom has been a messy disaster for about 6 months straight, YIKES!) Hopefully I'll be able to find control somewhere, but in the mean-time I've been enjoying the ride.

Things I'm Grateful For:
1) may not be forever, but current job security
2) sweet moments like Mr. Muushi falling asleep in my lap during Anime night
3) friends, oh glorious, insane, wonderful friends
4) knowing my department bands together to defend it's own
5) resilient spirits
6) authenticity

Tomorrow I hope:
1) bad news isn't the topic of the day
2) i'm productive with my free time

off to the Steampunk Worlds Fair!

2011-05-20T14:20:00.004-04:00
I'm about to strap on my time travel wrist cuff and be transported to a world that looks like the 19th century, but things are a bit off.... There are dirigibles and air pirates taking over the skies.... mad scientists creating all sorts of steam powered cog-technology that vaguely resembles our own.... with circus acts, live music, burlesque, absinthe and more! It's the Steampunk World's Fair!

If you are local and have nothing to do this weekend, stop by! You don't have to like steampunk to have a good time. If we survive the weekend, I will be sure to have lot's of posts and photos to share with you all.

Steampunk World's Fair
May 20th-22nd 2011
Crown Plaza Hotel
Somerset, NJ
$60 3-day pass
$30 Friday only
$35 Saturday only
$25 Sunday only
www.steampunksworldsfair.com

To Time travel!!!
Sarah Marie <3

Spontaneousness on a rainy day.

2011-05-15T18:50:00.005-04:00

getting ready for the next con

2011-05-08T00:01:00.006-04:00
My super busy 3 weeks are coming to a close. My co-worker is mostly recovered and returning to work, I'm done with my spring semester ceramics class, and pet-sitting is wrapping up for the time being (until the end of the month). I'm looking foreward to focusing on my art again (whatever that may be at this time) and getting ready for the Steampunk Worlds Fair. SPWF is a most excellent time, and I'm really looking foreward to it. Here are some clips of last year:

i was a pirate for the weekend

there were fancy top hats

magicians and whip artists

time machines

stationary marching bands....

(yes, i'm pikachu dancing in the background hahaha)

It's a damn good time, even if you're not really into steampunk. Think of it like a neo-Victorian's version of a Renn Faire.

Steampunk World's Fair
May 20th-22nd 2011
Crown Plaza Hotel
Somerset, NJ
Advanced tickets: $50 3-day pass (til May 11th)
At door tickets: $60 3-day pass
$30 Friday only
$35 Saturday only
$25 Sunday only
www.steampunksworldsfair.com

some white board fun

2011-05-02T15:39:00.003-04:00

sorry for the gap in posts boys and girls! last week way crazy busy for myself; working 40 hours, house-sitting 2 dogs & 3 cats, pet-sitting another kitty, finishing up ceramic projects for today's final critique, and everything that falls in between!

an artsy update

2011-04-22T22:47:00.005-04:00
I've been suuuuuuper busy this week! One of my co-workers had (planned) surgery and will be out for the next 2 weeks, so I've picked up her hours. I'm glad to say she is doing well and feeling better each day. It's also the end of the spring semester, and in ceramics, that means racing deadlines due to the limitations of the medium... this is the last week to work in wet clay.

so, crunch week in pictures....

manhole cover platter

my bug guy waits on my messy shelf to be glazed

i get the expression eggs to stand

expression eggs get details

my friend's bathroom sink the next morning after a night of mold making

2 days of rushed drying later i fill my first mold at the kitchen table

tada! cupcake! it takes about an hour to pour, let sit, and pop out each one

It's been crazy, but the week is almost over, and I will have all 4 projects completed. Next week, GLAZING!

I won't give up
Kicking and screaming, I will fight like hell!

good morning, cupcake!

2011-04-19T07:52:00.002-04:00
Today I intend to:
1) have a good day at work
2) have a successful bake sale for relay for life
3) work a lil more...
4) make some plaster molds!

Wouldn't it be nice if:
Today, things go smoothly. I find the perfect object to cast from plaster. I get to see Denny, even if just for a little while. My co-workers are in a good mood.

Today I will focus on:
Making everything work.

good morning world, #2

2011-04-18T12:47:00.003-04:00
well it's past noon once again, as you can see.... but hey, it's good morning to me!

Today I intend to:
1) eat healthy, even if i don't find time for exercise
2) bake purple cupcakes for tomorrow's fundraiser
3) finish 95% of wet clay related projects for class
4) spend some time at the bar with friends & watch crappy WWE (my new guilty pleasure aha!)

Wouldn't it be nice if:
Today was a fantastic day? If today, all of my friends and family have a great day, with lots of good stories to share? Denny gets a chance to move the rest of his furniture into his new home. I finish ALL of my wet clay projects with the lifting feeling of accomplishment, knowing I have 2 weeks left to glaze? If today, Hardy's surgery goes so great that he heals super fast and barely notices his injury ever again? Wouldn't it be nice to catch up with my favorite professors and students at my school? Wouldn't it be nice if today was the best day ever!?

Today I will focus on:
Eating healthy. Being a light yet productive spirit.

good night post #2

2011-04-18T00:43:00.002-04:00
Things I'm Grateful For:
1) meaningful friendships
2) understanding more about my friends' lives and who they are
3) finally finishing an anime series that is full of good attitude
4) that quiet time with the boyfriend

Tomorrow I hope:
1) i wake up early
2) i bake those purple cupcakes
3) finish the rest of my ceramic projects for class
4) see my friends at the bar
5) have good times and great ideas

Good Morning World :D

2011-04-17T12:42:00.004-04:00
Okay, it's past noon but.... it's morning to me haha!

Today I intend to:
- go up to the school studio and bang out some projects
- go back to denny's and help him unpack more

Wouldn't it be nice if:
- it stays nice and sunny all week
- i get 2 of my assignments completed today
- if denny gets the help he needs to finish the new place

good night post

2011-04-16T01:43:00.003-04:00
Things I'm Grateful For:
1) a belly full of delicious szechuan food
2) an evening well spent with good friends
3) finding out my boyfriend was NOT a corpse in a leaky basement
4) epic cliff-hangers during epic anime
5) conversations with my brother

Tomorrow I hope:
1) the house-call euth goes smoothly
2) work day blows by productively
3) i get some awesome progress on my ceramic work
4) denny moves into his apartment officially

additional inspiration on doing your best

2011-04-13T12:25:00.004-04:00

"Doing your best means never stop trying."

I think this is a very important addition to yesterday's mantra, "I am doing my best and my best is good enough."

meet Bamboo

2011-04-13T10:34:00.002-04:00

this is Bamboo, my newest addition. PetsMart only carries Carribean hermit crabs (Coenobita clypeatus), but this little Ecuadorian hermit crab (Coenobita compressus) got mixed into the bunch. I really can't resist an E when I see one!

LOVE

2011-04-13T01:02:00.004-04:00
I don't think I can go to sleep until I write this, even though my eyes are tired.

I have a really fantastic, wonderful boyfriend. And at this moment my heart bursts and overflows with this grateful feeling. I am ever so lucky to have Dennis in my life. In a recent conversation, Dennis had pretty much granted me eternal freedom. That is LOVE. The love to say, I will set you free, even if you never come back. My biggest irk about relationships is this cage that couples impose on each other. "You can't do this," and "you can't do that," either based on jealously or societal structures that create these bars. Don't get me wrong, there are boundaries in our relationship that have been clearly defined, ones we have communicated and both understand not to be crossed. However, to know someone loves and supports you always and constantly, no matter who you are or who you will become, is the greatest comfort in the world.

I'll sing it to the clouds, ties letters to pigeons and set them free, "Denny, I love you!"

affirmations

2011-04-12T22:59:00.004-04:00

“I am doing my best and my best is good enough.”

A quick thanks to Jessica Mullen for the mention of Saltwater Acorns on her website, which you can see right here. I constantly fight with being distracted and losing focus; tonight I was feeling particularly down and indecisive, so coming across this was a sweet treat indeed.

I feel one of my biggest purposes in life is to help other people find happiness. It's easier for myself to get through the day if I remember to be a positive existence. I used to be a negative force, getting wrapped up in gossip and judging others. It made me feel useful, apart of something, and quite frankly, made me feel better about myself. But being negative all of the time becomes exhausting, it wears away at who you are, and what your reality could be. I have found being someone whom beams back positivity even on gloomy days can help everyone feel a little sunnier. Unfortunately I still have a lot of work to do on myself; fear, anxiety, procrastination.... I want to promise to everyone I love; my family, friends, boyfriend, readers... I will do my best to be the best me I can be, but without punishing myself. As long as you do your best, it's good enough. And I promise to try my best!

star gazing

2011-04-10T19:10:00.003-04:00

"Gazing from the top of the mountain, on a pilgrimage to reach the stars, where do you go from here?"

Favorite Fridays

2011-04-08T10:08:00.009-04:00
I'm going to try saving my favorite finds of the week and neatly package them into a bundle of good times for your Friday unwind. Enjoy!

artists are leading the revolution: exclusive interview with alexis neely
affirmations
<3
50 Things Every Girl Needs This Summer: An Essential (& Glamorous) Prescription!
Gala has everything you need to be prepared for this summer. My favorites are #44 (everyone needs a good playlist to rock out to), #23 because I never thought of super cute ankle socks with mary janes (must get!!!), #17 because I love hats, #16 is just too romantic and I want to do this OFTEN this summer.... #12, #10.... man this list just get's better and better!
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Did I eve mention I'm a huge Doctor Who fan? I'm more than excited for the new season, which starts April 23rd. What's extra special about this year is that BBC America will be airing new episodes along side the premiers in England! Sweet stuff, no more wait or digging around for it on the internet!
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Dr. Sketchy's Tribute to Doctor Who
In honor of Doctor Who, Dr. Sketchy's having a figure drawing session where you can draw the Doctor and Amy Pond ~~look-alikes~~! I wonder how close they look to the real deal ;)
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whimsical photographs by rene Suchocki
Really adorable photos. I'm sure looking at my own blog heading you can imagine why I'd be drawn to photographs such as these.
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fantastic Robo-Rabbit tee
more-so funny because it fits a current running joke ammongst friends about rabbits, robots and mustaches.
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rubber ducky love
too cute, I love Katie Sokoler's blog.
<3

Trestagon and the Straube Center

2011-04-04T13:08:00.004-04:00
From now until April 29th, Trestagon is showing work in two gallery spaces at the Straube Center in Pennington, NJ. My work is amongst the Student Show in Building 108, and John, Rick, and my cousin Jack all have work hanging in Building 100.

Student Art Show (March 11 - April 29)
Straube Center
Buildings 108 & 100
One Straube Center Blvd
Pennington, NJ 0853

I would again like to thank Alisandra, who curated this show, for the opportunity to show our work at the Straube Center. She is doing a lot of good for artists, with her newest project on FaceBook called NJ Artists, "NJ Artists is a group site where Artists can share their work, spread news about shows, and learn about calls to artists." PA and NY artists are also welcome to join!