what i’ve learned

Learning to draw

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Well Hello fellow wonders:

Thanks for perusing today. I bet you’ve been wondering how my art class is going. Well I’ll say great! I am loving the time I am in class. Whether I good or not is not the point, after all it’s only my first class and today was the last day. This is what I’ve learned so far:

– the different types of pencils and what they can do.

– the difference the kinds of paper you use matters.

– tissues are an asset in more ways than one.

– perspective and how to create a vanishing point.

– there are no mistakes. Use them to your advantage. The eraser is your best friend.

– pay more attention to the technical language so you can tell people what you learned. (This is key!)

I learned how to mat, frame and gallery wrap my finished project. Here is my first piece.

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Onward and Upward

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Hey wonderers;

In case you have been wondering how my art class is going, I’m moving onward and upward. I am taking a figurative drawing class and an acrylic painting class after my beginner class ends.

All of my classmates are very talented and encouraging. They are all fine artists. When we have our framed art show I’ll take pictures of theirs to show. Todate, all I can say about my art. I’m an impressionist wanting to be a fine artist but I’m having fun!

Take a look at my entry!

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Mundy Madness – Potty Training, Potty Mouth

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Good morning fellow wonderers. I hope you had a great weekend. First let me put out my disclaimer — some of the language in this story may be offensive but I have to tell it as it happened.

Potty training was easy for my girls. Of course it was, I’m a girl too. Potty training for my son was easier. I had him potty trained at 18 months, but being me, I tend to over think things and started wondering if I missed something or taught him something that would affect how other boys viewed him in the art of pottying. Things like do you wipe like girls. I didn’t know I’d never watched a guy potty before. What really started to concern me was he kept his hands in his pants all the time. He had fallen in awe with “the thing.” So I thought to keep his hands out, I’d put him in overalls. Something I could get him out of quickly but something that he couldn’t get into as quick. That was a temporary fix. So I went for the big guns. I asked my husband to go over potty training with him. You know, teach him how to use the fly and other manly things. With no direction, I sent the boy into the bathroom with his father.

My husband looked perplexed, the boy had been going to the bathroom for a couple of weeks. What else is there to learn? As I was walking away from the bathroom I heard my husband say, “Ok Son, grab your dick!” Like chalk scraping on a blackboard I cringed and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I couldn’t go back in the bathroom, after all I did ask him to help me. Later that evening I asked my husband if he could of used any other word something like “buddy”, something user friendly. He gave me the look, the why did you ask me if all you were going to do was critique me look. So I let it go.

A couple of weeks passed and the boy and I were at Belks Department Store. I was shopping and he was just stand there with his hands down his overalls when the salesgirl asked him, ” Hey little guy! What you got there?” When he proudly answered, “My Dick!” With red face in hand, she ran off.

The moral of the story might differ for you but for me, after that day, I always gave dialogue whenever I asked someone to teach my children anything. After all if I was going to be embarrassed it should be my own.

Have a nice day and thanks for perusing.

It is written, it is so

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The numerology chart at www.numerology.com has this to say for my address. I thought to check it out to see if my decorating is complimentary to the house’s personality. This is some serious stuff (lol) and it might also have the answers to some questions I have about the direction some of theses rooms are going. 🙂

This address inspires creativity, optimism, flexibility, and openness. An excellent address for artists and unconventional people. Equally well suited for singles or families. Older people tend to feel comfortable in this environment, while younger people are inspired to do something unique and creative. Probably the most up-beat of all addresses. A good location for an art studio but not so good for a home-office. Lacking focus and direction, this address is not ideal for ambitious workaholics. Also not a good address for serious or overly religious people.

Strengthen the positive influence of this address with: Bright colors, art work, perhaps even a mural or two. The interior design should be unconventional and loosely arranged furniture. Mix modern and antiques and don’t worry about other people’s opinions.

That explains my office. And why I should turn it into an art studio.

There’s hope for me still!

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Satin stitch

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Fellow wonderers:

I followed my comrade at prettylittlethingsinabox into a September challenge at needlethreadcloth.com to satin stitch a monogram.

Being this is my first attempt at embroidery I watched the instructional video and was convinced I could do it. I finished it and went to post my results. After seeing the other examples, I need to go back and reevaluate my entry. It is looking pretty pitiful. It’s a good thing it is only the middle of the month. I still have time to beef it up or start over. But this is what I got.

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Still learning new things and having fun. Until next time, keep wondering.

Progress Complete -chalkboard status

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Good Afternoon Fellow Wonderers:

For now, I have completed the mud room space. My magnetic chalkboard is working magic on my imagination and so far Lil J is loving the space. I look around this room and see so many more possibilities. By Christmas it will probably be a arts and craft station as well as educational. You see the rack in the middle of the shelving. I think if I get more racks, I could put all my rapping paper and ribbons on racks. Oh, the possibilities are endless. Poor hubby will have quite a few honey-do list coming soon.

My board, I am loving it. It’s so large and can be used in so many ways I feel it needs a name. I’m going to call it “Munificent Board!”

So with much appreciation for everyones help on my project:

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And I already have my first homework assignment ready to hang on it.

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Thanks for perusing and until next time, keep wondering.

Secrets

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Good afternoon fellow wonderers:

My mom used to say, “keep it to yourself”.

I often wonder why the things we tell others flow so freely and other information we lock away indefinitely. I’m not one to keep secrets but I hid one from y’all recently. As you know I have been trying to break into the art world. I wanted to start by taking classes but every time I register for a class for some unforeseen reason the class is cancelled. I would be so excited I’d tell anybody who would listen that I was starting an art class only to be disappointed and then have to explain why I didn’t go. I seriously had the thought my classes were being cancelled because I told the secret. I really seriously thought I had broken some code of silence in the art world and some secret society had black listed my admission. So this time I didn’t blab it all over town. And today, yes this morning, the art gods gave me admission to their world. Dr. Bradley Sabelli’s Learn to Draw in 5 Easy Steps class actually started.

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My instructor is not only an acclaimed artist in is own right, he is a member of the Catawba River Art Guild in which he invited me to join. Finally I am in the loop. But don’t tell anybody else my friend. I don’t want to jinx it.
I will definitely need more than 5 steps.

Feeling artsy!

Until next time, keep wondering.

Chalkboard progress report

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Okay wonderers, there’s no turning back now! First coat of chalk paint is on the wall. I have to wait 24 hours for the next coat.

Here’s what I learned today.

You really should wear plastic gloves when your painting. It makes cleaning your hands up so much easier.

Concentrated 2x Dawn dish liquid is the new all purpose cleaner. Adding vinegar only increases the power.

Dream big, live bigger! I decided to go full scale on my board. I kept thinking I wasn’t going to need all the space I had taped out but hey, what’s a few inches between need and want. 🙂

This is what I got.

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Life Lessons at a Yard Sale

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Hello fellow wonderers:

I did so much over the weekend and I have to tell you about our community yard sale. The subdivision has an annual yard sale. We missed it last year because we did not know about it. I had my eyes on alert for the notice this year and I was ready.

First let me state, I am not a yard sale person. I like to go junking as my pops would say but I don’t want to pay for it. But since, if you Remember, the caution tape is up and I have to get rid of some things. My daughter and her daughter’s other Grandmom (Big G) wanted to have the yard sale and I agreed if they sold my things also. My part was to straighten up the garage and I cleaned and oiled the bamboo papasan chairs for the sale.

Two days before the sale my daughter wanted to know why I did not want to do the sale. Here are my reasons(rules):
1. It is too hot to be in the garage and even hotter outside the garage.
2. Hagglers are not always sincere.
3. There is a reason people are selling that particular item.
4. If more than one person is in charge, conflict is pending.

The yard sale was to started at 8 a.m. I watched cars zooming up and down the street starting at 6 a.m., but Big G did not arrive until 8:30a.m. My child was getting mad because she wanted to open the garage early without her partner but there were no prices on anything and I knew that would be a problem so I made her wait. My chairs sold at 8:39 a.m. and I was gone ~ to the other yard sales.

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With $40 in my hand Alex and I went Around the neighborhood. His money was burning a hole in his hand and he kept walking off to the next house. Me I was talking to everybody and looking through their stuff looking for something unusual but did not buy a thing. I guess all the good stuff was being acquired at 6 a.m. By the time I caught up with Alex for $5 he had brought a digital portable color television to put in his clubhouse that hasn’t been built yet. He came to me complaining it didn’t work to good and he tried to take it back but my neighbor said, “no refund”. Rule 3 there is a reason That item was out there. I was proud of him for trying. My children would have just threw it away without even muttering a complaint. He at least wanted his money back.

Rule 2 hagglers are not always sincere. I asked my neighbor to let him trade it back for something else she had worth $5 or less. She rolled her eyes at me and repeated no refunds. I tried to console him by doing an auto tune which yielded 3 channels. He might can get more channels if he can get cable in his fantasy clubhouse. Lesson learned-plug in the electronics at the site before you buy.

Around 12 When I got back to my house, the look on Nena’s face told the whole story. She was fed up with all of it. Rule 1 she was hot and aggravated. Rule 2 No matter what price she quoted they wanted to negotiate. There was a brand new Calvin Klein denim jacket with the price tag still on it that Nena was asking $4 a women wanted to give her .50. Rule 4 Every time she had a sale Big G wanted half the proceeds. Lesson learned, you have to negotiate the terms of your partnership before an event. I stayed out of that one because after all, everyone made a little profit and had some fun at our first yard sale.

I wondered if Nena would do it next year and she replied, “Yes. Alone”. I’m glad she did not become totally turned off by the experience. I’m sure the caution tape will go up again and she can sell my junk. Until then, I hurried up and moved my car into the garage to hold my empty space.

30 days results are in

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Okay fellow wonders. The results are in. I wanted to give you the full Monty on my 30 day challenge with Betty Rocker so I went to see my doctor to check my glucose levels and everything else. I lost a total of 3 lbs by her scale but that was also with my shoes and clothes on. At home without everything on 7 lbs.

I started the challenge on July 1st. It was suggested to me by GirlontheContrary, a fellow blogger I follow. There was nothing special you had to buy to start, just download some exercise video once a week. The exercise progressed every week even though I didn’t, I stayed mostly at week 1. I didn’t want to aggravate my back in the process. Now I started with my family that wimped out on me at week 3. There were 7 exercises that you only had to do for a minute 3-5 sets, three times a week. Betty encourages you to work At your pace so the first week I could only do one set but not every exercise for the whole minute. Sad to say I only did one set the whole 4 weeks, but I did also walk around too. The 7 exercises were 1 body squats, 2 pushups, 3 lunges, 4 elbow plank, 5 static v sit, 6 knee kicks, 7 downward dog. I can’t download the exercise but you can access her on http://fuel.thebettyrocker.com. The hardest one was the downward dog. Every day I said when I get this one, I’m gonna be skinnnnnnnnny. I still can’t do it right. I think my legs are too long. It just doesn’t look quite right. Mines looks like the “Lean Dog Lean”. And you know I’m up to 15 pushups before I hit the floor. The others I can get through except my static v is very staticity if that’s a word.

The diet side is all about clean eating. I’ve got that down pretty good. I mostly cook clean already because of diabetes. What I started was the green shakes. I think I told y’all about them. I’ve been drinking one every morning and I think it has contributed greatly to my weight lost. It is just spinach or kale in the blender with 6 ounces of water. I use spinach because it blends easier and usually any combination of fruit and vegetables you can think of. My favorite combo was spinach, banana, kiwi with celery and cucumbers. That’s it. Betty also recommends a protein powder but I didn’t use any. When I read all the cautions I was too scared. The shakes don’t really have a good flavor but it wasn’t nasty either. It was mostly like drinking water. Not the drink you wanted but the one you need most.

Now I told you I went for my checkup yesterday and it turns out my protein levels were too low. With all the medicines I take, it affected my equilibrium. I almost had to make a trip to the looney bin. Yeah, I had been yelling and feeling anxious this last week but I just chalked it up to everybody having no place to go and me being trapped with them. But with a little biofeedback and some sleep I feel better. I quess I should have used the protein powder. Overall my checkup was great. Doctor gave me holy heck about starting an exercise program without consulting my
Physician first. I know better, I just didn’t think clean eating would hurt me. It sure would have helped the diet part if I had talked to her before I started the challenge. She likes the idea of the green shakes she just wants me to have some bacon with it.

Oh, what you say. She said Greek yogurt is a better protein.

Until next time, keep wondering