Bad Day

Having a bad day today but I love music so here are some videos from YouTube

 Fuel - "Bad Day"

 3 Doors Down - "It's the Only One You've Got"

 I hope you had a better day than I did.

15 Minutes

I hope you did your homework today - I did!  I devoted some time to playing a game on the computer (I'm obsessed with the Sims) and also played an XBox game for a little while.  I also did four loads of laundry and asked Mike to help out by gathering the trash and doing some dishes.

The laundry is difficult for me to put away because the bedroom is a complete mess and I find myself wondering what difference it's going to make to put the clothes away.  I'm working on getting over that mindset and getting to a point where things will be cleaned and organized and Mike and I will work together.  Right?

Well, here are the photos of the artwork I did yesterday.  I hope you enjoy!

"Hearts"

"Purple flowers"
I need to figure out how to mount these like this...

Did you take your 15 minutes to do something for you?  Leave a comment or fill out the poll - let us know what you did!

Remember that it's good to share fun things with your friends and family.  I hope you take 30 seconds to share my blog with someone you care about so that we can spread the word to love every day.

Taking Time for Myself

You know, this blog is something I do because I want to (sometimes). I don't always want to write this - every single day. As you can see, my thoughts and emotions get so overwhelming that I have let this get away from me. I get too immersed in my every day responsibilities and don't allow myself the 15 minutes that it takes to write this for all of you. Don't get me wrong, I like writing. I love it. I feel as though I need to make sure that this is uplifting for all of you. It is about making a decision to love every day. I apologize that I haven't been able to keep up with it all the time for you. I realize that it can be very difficult to do every single day. It's a big commitment.  But don't be afraid.  I'm here for you.  The readers are here for you.  Share this with others so that they all can be here for you too.

So..  About my day...  About what I did to remind myself of the responsibility of loving every day...

I got to sleep in and spend some time alone today.  I went window shopping at WalMart and Target and also stopped at Blick to get a couple of new paint colors.  I painted a little too when I got home.  It was really great to get out and hang out by myself with nowhere specific to go or a specific time to be there.  Now, I'm looking at the clock and realizing that I didn't do anything productive around the apartment but reminding myself that it's okay - even good - to have a day of nothing every once in a while.

My responsibilities for the day were ignored and now have a day crammed with some responsibilites tomorrow. Laundry, getting dog food, getting easy dinners, cleaning dishes, cleaning out the bird cages and vacuuming. Hopefully, Mike will help me and I need to be comfortable with asking for help. That's my goal tomorrow along with spending 15 minutes doing something that I want to do for myself. I may stop at Payless and get a pair of shoes. Or I'll paint. Or if it's beautiful again, I'm going for a short walk with my camera.

What did you do today?  Did you get to spend a whole day doing nothing or was your day filled up with chores and other responsibilities?  If you did have to do responsible things today, did you spend at least 15 minutes of your day doing something just for you because you wanted to? 

One of the things that's getting easier for me to do is doing something that I want to do; something for me; something that I really want to do.  The most difficult parts are feeling okay with doing these things and reminding myself that I don't have to justify how I feel.  I have a right to feel like doing something - or nothing - and there isn't necessarily a reason. 

I have a homework assignment for those of you who have a similar problem as I do.  Take 15 minutes out of your day tomorrow and do something that you want to do.  Read, write, draw, paint, drive around town, stop at the mall, get a vanilla shake from Portillo's (which I almost did today), go for a walk, close your eyes, play with a child - with permission.  I don't care what you do - do something for you!  Then get back to your responsibilities but remember why you stopped in the first place.  Loving every day is what it's all about.  Without love, there is no life.

I Just Called to Say... Hello

Sometimes talking to someone you haven't spoken to in a while can be a very uplifting thing.  This morning, I had the opportunity to talk with my mother.  I realized that it had been quite some time since we had spoken and it was really nice to take a few minutes out of my day to hear her voice.

I was up pretty early again today and ended up napping for about an hour before work.  Work was pretty okay today.  I had a meeting with my supervisor which was pretty productive and since it was slow at work, I got to spend extra time on my projects and not feel rushed at all.

When I got home, Mike & I had dinner and I went out to the store for a couple of errands.  I'm pretty tired and trying to get over this flu/cold thing that's going on so I've been slacking on some other things.  Getting into good habits is difficult to do on a daily basis, let alone when you're not feeling the best.

I hope that you had someone to spend some time talking to today or if not, take a few minutes to call someone tomorrow.  Or meet over coffee or books.  Speaking of which, I think it's time to get some ladies together for coffee and books! 

Have a wonderful evening!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!!!

Today was Mike's birthday!  I wasn't feeling well so I went to the doctor, which was pretty much a waste of time so I'm waiting for a call back from my doctor.

Mike had a good day though and will be up probably most of the night playing his video games and relaxing.  I'm glad that he's been able to take a few days off of work to chill and do a bit of nothing.

That's all for today.  Hope you had a great birthday Mike!

New Desk!

I got my desk today!  The girl who sold it to me on Craigslist was so great - she dropped it off for us on her way to work. 

I hope to get two bookcases from IKEA to go on both sides of the desk but for now, the DVD bookshelf will have to be sufficient.

I varnished one of my paintings today so it is complete.

Then I tried shading and blending with the paint...

That's about it for today.  I have a massive migraine that hasn't given up and am feeling really sick and drained.  I also didn't sleep much last night so I'm off to bed early again.  Hopefully, my meds will kick in and I'll be able to sleep.

I hope you all had a good day & were had something to feel proud and excited about.  See you tomorrow.

I Think I'm Sick...

So I woke up this morning with a tight & sore throat, headache and congestion.  I didn't sleep well (felt like I woke up every 45 minutes or so) and have been exhausted today.  I tried to work on my craft room but wasn't able to do much so I played on the computer for a little while, lounged on the couch and am back in bed.

I guess I don't really have a lot to say but Mike was really nice to me today.  He was concerned about me getting sick and let me know that I don't have to do any work like for my craft room or making dinner.  I did run out to get some food - pizza, soup, Carnation breakfast... 

I hope that you're all feeling okay and if you're not, that you have someone to help you feel like you're not lazy even though you didn't do anything today.  He's even being great & taking the dogs out right now without even asking me to help.  He's great today <3

Have a good night.  I'll try to remember to post something tomorrow, even if I don't have much to say.

Help! I've Fallen Off the Face of the Earth!

Sorry it's been so long.  Things haven't been going very well over here and as I'm sure most of you know, it's very difficult to focus on anything positive when you're not feeling the best.  I think I'm getting sick on top of some of the emotional stuff which of course, is even more fun.

Anyway, my husband and I have been talking about a lot of different things.  We're going to stick it out here in our apartment for the next year and when the lease is up we're going to do one of the following things:  move to Chicago, move to San Francisco, rent a much cheaper apartment (so we can save more money) or try to buy a home.

Anyway, in the meantime to make sure that we're able to do what we want and need to do - alone and together - we've decided that I'm going to convert our den into my craft room - or as he phrases it, my "girl cave."  LOL

Sometimes people are smart and actually remember to take photographs of the "before" instead of in the middle as a "during" photo but I figured I'd stop in to say hello and show what I've been working on.

So here are the "during" photos.  Basically, you're missing out on a very big, dirty mess and this is just the clutter that comes up when you're trying to go through boxes you never moved out of and are trying to start from scratch when you don't have a scratch to start from.  Does that make sense?

The idea here is to put a desk alone the far wall (next to the rocking chair) and eventually put some IKEA bookshelves on both sides of the desk.  Then, there will be one of our tv's where the bicycle is, hopefully hang the bicycle outside and the baker's rack will store most of my craft supplies.  The desk I'm getting (it will arrive on Monday) is in the photo below.

It's about 4 feet wide and a perfect height.

It's so perfect for what I've been looking for.  It's a large workspace and it's sturdy enough to handle a sewing machine.

I need a chair though...  I like this one from IKEA but it's so expensive.  Let me know if any of you know of a similar chair for about $5-10.  No cushion necessary.  Anyone looking to get my anything for a belated birthday present or for Christmas, please feel free to get me an IKEA gift card.

Well, I guess that about sums up what I've been loving this week.  More work tomorrow and Monday but I'll try to get back on top of things & not disappear again.  I hope things are going well for you all.  Happy November!

Mom, This is for You!

You know...  Mom's are great.  They're made to give you love, guidance, support, discipline and even a kick in the ass sometimes.

I've gotten really behind on household cleaning and have gotten to the point where nobody is allowed inside because I am so embarrassed.

Today, my mom was wonderful!  She came over to my apartment with paper towels and trash bags in hand and spent 3 hours with me cleaning the main areas of my apartment.  All the dishes are clean, the floor is vacuumed, the bathroom completely scrubbed clean.  We even got the Spic & Span and washed the baseboards. 

Of course, there are still other things that need to be done but I will have to do most of that with my husband since it's mostly organizational.

So for today, a tribute to my mom.  The best mother anyone could ever ask for.

Next to a fancy car outside Houlihan's - for my birthday dinner 2010

At PF Chang's restaurant

October 2009?  At IHOP - Wow, we eat out a lot!

Looking so cute!

In Lake Geneva Wisconsin - she's on a boat!

Once again, I LOVE my mom!!!

Sunday

Just some photos today... 

I painted a little bit earlier.

"Spring Bloom"

I am feeling a little down right now so I went for a walk and found some cool things to photograph.

"Fall Colors"

"Preparation"

"Reflection"

"Ducks at Dusk"

Saturday

I worked a long shift today and found that it was even more boring than a holiday shift!  I realized that I should have brought my paints but I spent some time coloring and tried sketching some new flowers.

So my first attempt at daisies & I think they came out pretty good!  What do you think?

"Gerbera"

Then I saw a photo of one of those flowers in Hawaii - you know..  The one you traditionally see?  I guess they're in Florida too but they're so beautiful so I tried to draw that one too.

"Untitled"

The second is my favorite.  I actually am pretty proud of the drawing.


Did you do something creative today?  Leave a comment and tell me what you did!

Sorry About Being Away the Past 2 Days

Sorry about that friends.  I've been busy with work and other things and haven't had the energy at the end of the day to tell you how it's been.

I've actually had a pretty good week.  I've been painting (photos to come since I'm actually at work now & don't have access to my photos) and writing in my journal and thinking a lot  about where I've been, where I want to go and who I want to be.

To sum up for the week, we're going to do a multiple-day Love Every Day!

Wednesday, October 19th
Normally I post these the mornings after but here I go!

A friend surprised me with some yummy things at work on Wednesday - I think...  There were different flavors of popcorn, chocolates, cookies and candies (hmmm...  I actually dreampt about the cookies last night!!) in a very cute, awesome Halloween tin.  It was pretty tasty - especially the pixies.  Yum.

A  really good quality tin

Filled to the brim!

We also went for a walk and found some pretty flowers blooming outside.  They're like tiny pink roses and are near the front entrance at work.  Sooo pretty..

Thursday, October 20th
I had a doctor appointment and my mom came to pick me up from work.  We had to stop at home for my insurance card and while we were there I decided to check the mail.  MY PHOTOS HAD ARRIVED!  I had some photos printed out so I could put some in my locket and others to scrapbook with and even more to keep with me and share with others.

Friday, October 21st
My day was pretty decent.  I'll be honest...  I had time to post then but I just didn't want to, knowing that I would be at work today (Saturday) for a long haul.  I painted a picture for a friend and another friend stopped by to say hi & gave me her awesome flower painting!  I have paintings and photographs starting to fill my desk and it's so great.

I made this for Angie

My first attempt at a tree with flowers - I'm going to try it again.

So I hope that you all had a great week as well.  As always, feel free to share my blog with anyone and everyone!

Locket & Grilled Cheese

No photos yet but I have to talk to you all about the greatness about getting something great in the mail and eating grilled cheese for dinner.  That brings F-U-N & Y-U-M together!

I guess I should warn you that I have taken my prescription drugs as directed and thus, am experiencing a sort of 'out of body' situation and this is a lot more entertaining to me than perhaps to you, my readers.  For that, I apologize. 

I WILL get those photos up here.  They will be soon.

I hope that there were two completely random things that you experienced today that brought a smile to your face because they just seemed so perfect together.

Have a good day!!!

Painting Experiment

I tried painting today.  It was REALLY fun!  Amy let me use her paints & some brushes & we painted together for hours.  I literally could paint all day.

Here are the two completed items.  There will be more but not for a couple of weeks.  Enjoy!

The first of a three-part series

The cover of my sketchbook

A New Camera!

So I met up with my father & step-mother today to catch up & spend time.  When we were leaving, he presented me with a gift - something I remember admiring from childhood and basically being secretly obsessed with.  I remember telling him a while ago that if he ever thought about getting rid of it that I would take it off his hands. 

A Canon EOS Rebel S camera.  Yes, it's 35mm and takes REAL film but it's such an AWESOME CAMERA!!  I'm so excited about it.  It's a SLR camera (I really wanted one last spring during tax time & had to settle with something a little less) and he even still had the instruction manual!

 As another great thing that happened today, I went with a friend & her two children to Goebberts Farm to look at over-priced pumpkins, see a bunch of animals, drink hot cider, get cider doughnuts, eat grilled corn on the cob & basically walk around and enjoy time together.  It was pretty fun.

I find myself conflicted with the animal part of the farm.  They're in small cages and don't seem very happy or interested in doing anything (though some of them enjoy the constant treats from all the children & adults passing by).

There were some yellow flowers! :)

Now, I'm not too sure what these animals have to do with fall & halloween but it was fun anyway!  Especially if you love animals - like me!

Giraffe

Giraffe

Bobcat

White tiger cub

Tiger cubs

Piglets!

My favorite piglet

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and were slso able to do something fun!

Better Late Than Never

Sorry this post is a bit late for today.  I didn't get a chance to take my photos until it was time for bed & I really needed to get some sleep.

There's a new friend that will be joining me at work.  Marcus, the Betta fish.  I got him & his tank all set up at home, trying to see how he'll adjust and then when I go into work on Tuesday, I'll get him set up and in a permanent position.

Marcus' 5 gallon aquarium home

Marcus
A Latin name that means "war like"
(according to BabyNames.com)

His tail

When I attended Millikin University, I got two goldfish and kept them on my desk.  They helped keep me calm and to focus so I think he'll be really good for me at work.  That's the plan anyway.  Marcus, the Reservations Fish!

When You Think There's Nothing to Say...

So you know that I'm all about the small things and I was thinking a lot about what I wanted to write for today's post.  Well, all I could think about was what a rough day I had and how sick I feel.  Then, I went to give the dogs some water and something out the window caught my eye.  There was a bright green color on the tree just outside our living room window!  Thinking it was a trick, I got a closer look and took a couple of photos.

Some cool moss growing on a tree outside our window.

I know that moss is "yucky" but it just looked so cool tonight and I haven't noticed it at all.

I hope you all have a good day and remember to share this with someone you love.  Everybody needs something to smile about.