Edit Me & Macro Friday - 9.16.11

Disclaimer: This is not my photo. I did not take it.
Copyright belongs to the original photographer:
Kathryn from Our tiny BIG Life

SOOC:

My ACR edit:

And my final edit:

To get the vintage feel in ACR: increase warmth/fill light/brightness/vibrancy, slide tint to the left, and decrease contrast/exposure.

After that, I opened in PSE8 to run a high pass filter. I also added an artistic watercolor filter and a texture from My 4 Hens (one layer on overlay @ 30% and one layer on soft light @ 90%). Lastly, I used the CoffeeShop Web Color Block It action to add the color block.


And here is my photo for Macro Friday:

And an update on my life... ?

Sure, why not?!

Umm, let's see: I started traveling for work 2 days ago, although my body refuses to accept it. The long days, the hours spent in the car, the insane amount of coffee I am drinking, the increased pressure on my feet/hips/back from standing... I guess my 5th year of this lifestyle will be the hardest one to acclimate to. Don't get me wrong; it's still oodles of fun and I love it. It's just that transition period that's kicking me in the booty. I spent the past 10 months sitting in my comfy chair, in my little office, getting lazy. Now I have to get back in gear for 2 months of a completely different life. For those of you who don't get it, I mean life as a college admissions counselor. I plan on capturing 'A Day in My Life' at some point this fall, which will give you a much better understanding of it.

Speaking of fall, it's definitely starting here in southeastern New York. The leaves have already started changing color. I splurged at Old Navy the other day and bought myself a new fall jacket, just in time, too! The days are less humid; the nights are cooler. I'm ready to turn the AC off and throw open the windows, although Jon is not too keen on the idea. It seems that nerdy gamers don't enjoy fresh air like crazy hippies do.

Speaking of Jon, I love referring to him as "my husband" or "hubby." Looking at his ring makes my heart giggle. We are truly enjoying married life together! It took awhile to get to used to being married; however, now, we are embracing it. We're cooking-dinner-together, clothes-strewn-on-the-floor, lazy-Saturday-TV-on-dvd-marathons married. And we are planning to enjoy this period of lives as much as we can. For a certain period of time. Before changing it up with babies or houses or the like.

I know you all want to know, because that's what happens when people get married. Generally, they have babies and/or buy a house. And yes, we want babies and a house. Just not yet.

Well, that was kind of a lie. We love babies (and houses) and want them now. Except that we don't want them yet. So we're waiting. And while we kinda sorta have a plan for the future, we're more inclined to go with the flow for now. We want to see life has in store for us.


Oh wow, I just previewed this post and realized it's kinda long. I'll end it with just one more thing: I updated my 30 by 30 list! Go check it out.

New Header!

I like to change things up here on my blog every so often. I used to change my whole blog layout once a month. I even kept a record of it HERE.

That habit, however, made my blog seem very disorganized and chaotic. So, I switched to my simple purple layout that I have now. I satisfy my creative urge for change by putting new photos in my headers.

2 days ago, I posted a photo of a book heart. I had another photo like it that I edited differently, and I really wanted to show it off. HENCE, I put it in my header.

So, if you are reading this in a reader, please click over and look at my pretty new header! Also, I added a graphic right underneath it. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Who am I?

The girl who puts a flower in her car.
Something bright and happy to cheer her up after a long day at the office.

Texture Tuesday - Peaceful Sky

For Texture Tuesday this week, KK said we could use any photo, any texture, as long as it's one of her textures.

I used a sky shot that I took in Boston a few weeks ago. I used the peace texture on soft light blending mode at 100%, increased saturation, decreased brightness, and increased contrast. I also burned the word Peace in the texture to make it stand out.





I know I haven't been posting often lately. I have been trying to spend more time with Jon and my family and friends. I try to leave my laptop at work at night, rather than bring it home. I've also been much busier at work lately, for a variety of reasons. Basically, I'm in the slow process of shifting blogging and facebook lower on my list of priorities.

In addition, I've been battling the worst case of allergies I've ever dealt with. I never had any issues with pollen allergies when I was a kid, so spring was always my favorite season. This is the first year that I've felt like this... This being itchy, watery eyes; 10-12 sneezes a day; runny nose; itchy nasal passages; scratchy, dry throat; itchy ears; foggy brain... It's like the pollen has taken up residence in the various canals of my head. I can feel it inside me.

You might hear from me again soon.... Who knows!

Tieing up Loose Ends

The purpose of this post is basically just to update everyone on some little things in my life. If you are reading this in a reader, I'd highly recommend that you click over and see my new header. I'm celebrating spring!

Wedding update: My invitations arrived a couple weeks ago, and they are perfect! They are simple yet stunning, no extra ribbons or cards, no outrageous designs. Just one folded sheet, one insert, and one envelope. (Well, technically, 2... outer and inner. But I'm told that's necessary.) And I'm so happy that the red ink is perfect, not too bright or too dark.

HOWEVER. I am not looking forward to addressing all these bad boys by hand.



Onward. A few weeks ago, I posted photos of the 2nd bathroom in our condo. I finally finished decorating it as I planned, with 3 small square frames and scrapbook paper.

My plan:


How it turned out:


Thank you, iPhone, for some crappy photos. You can't really tell, but the left-side frame has blue & green striped paper, the middle frame has green polka-dotted paper, and the right-side frame has blue tile paper. It looks much cuter in real life.

I also decided to use the small white shelf that I had originally bought for the bathroom, in the dining room. I am almost done with my black and white gallery wall; I am waiting for one thing to come in the mail (something I ordered from etsy), and then I just need to fill up one spot that is approximately 12" x 6".

I completed the April 2011 photo hunt!
CLICK HERE to see my photos.

And last but not least, Menu Plan Monday!



Not much of an exciting menu this week. Jon is away at his new job's corporate office for training, so I'll be eating dinner alone for 2 weeks. I made a big 7-layer salad this morning, and we have some leftover pizza. Later, I'll split the salad up into smaller portions and put it in plastic containers. Honestly, that's about all I have planned for this week.


If you want to join in with the weekly menu planning, head over to Org Junkie every Monday!

Texture Tuesday - Coffee Mug

This week's Texture Tuesday challenge, Kim Klassen asked us to use a photo of a coffee mug or teacup for our textured photo. I had big plans for this, but of course, big plans don't usually work out the way I expect them to. (That's why 92% of my life is unplanned.)

Anyway, here's my hurried shot with KK's texture mustard seed.



Here's my texture layer (color burn, 100%):



And here are some other adjustments I made (almost fully desaturated at 40% opacity, add brightness, decrease contrast):





Next week's challenge is...

NO CHALLENGE... just share your fav textured photo of the moment....

So you should join in, too!

Then and Now

Christy over at The colour 4 posted a "Looking Back" thing on her blog today, and I wanted to give it a try! She posted some specific points from the past, like 10 years ago and 5 years ago. We're supposed to think about what we were doing back then, and reflect on how much things have changed.

Sounds fun! And I even found some photos to supplement.


10 years ago: March 24, 2001
I was finishing up my sophomore year in high school. I was still discovering myself and who I was inside, and was quite uncomfortable in my own skin. I didn't have a boyfriend, although I had quite a few male friends, one of whom was Jon. I danced at the same studio where I had been attending classes since I was 3, and I was cheering on my high school's JV team, as well as an all-star team in the area.

Would you believe, my skin really WAS this clear!
I didn't do any retouching.

5 years ago: March 24, 2006
I was finishing up my 3rd year of college. I was dating a guy who I loved, but we didn't work well together. We knew it almost from the very start, yet we continued to date for almost 3 years, fighting each other and the truth until the bitter end. (This took an emotional toll on me and always left me feeling very empty and alone. Separating from him was like a breath of fresh air.) After living on campus for 2 years, I had moved back home and was cheering for a college-level team.




1 year ago: March 24, 2010
I was finishing up my Master's degree. I was dating Jon and we were so happy, even though I was anxiously awaiting his proposal. I knew it was coming, I just didn't know when. I was living on campus again, but I was miserable, and couldn't wait to move home. I was working part-time in the same job where I am now working full-time.




Yesterday: March 23, 2011
I worked most of the day, and was supposed to have class, but it was canceled because of snow. I was able to go home and have dinner with Jon, sloppy joe's over rice instead of buns and snap peas for a veggie.

Today: March 24, 2011
I am working all day. When I leave here, Jon and I have an appointment, and we'll be having dinner together again (which is a rarity). We're having mushroom barley stew in the crockpot. We are less than 5 months away from our wedding!

Tomorrow: March 25, 2011
I'll be working all day, as usual. When I come home, Jon will be out with his friends, so I plan to spend the night at home, writing a paper. Dinner will be pizza, because there is a place right by us that has great prices, tastes delicious, and delivers for free!

Wednesday Words

An auspicious event passed by recently, and I didn't even think to mention it.

I pondered the meaning of it, and I considered posting about it.

Yet, not a word. Not a hint. Not even a peep.

Well, the time has come.

My one year blogoversary has come passed!

It was on January 25, 2010, that I published my first blog post here, on purple-hippie.blogspot.com. It was a short post, nothing special.

I posted a photo the next day, along with a little explanation of my blog, its purpose, and the logic behind its name.

I've tried hard to live up to my blog's purpose, but I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I intended to write about and display my creative hobbies.

However, unintentionally, my focus has become photography. I believe that this diversion might be due, in part, to the fact that my first reason for wanting to start a blog was to post a photo to enter into an i♥faces challenge.

It was only once I started creating my blog that I realized I needed some sort of theme. Something to pull it all together. Something to strive for.

Had I known that photography would become that something, I probably would have named my blog peace-love-photog, or something to that extent.

As for my other hobbies, I still enjoy them from time to time. While I have taken an indefinite hiatus from both dolling and painting, I still love my scrapbooking and digiscrapping. I haven't done much recreational writing in the past few months, but it's a hobby that I yearn to pick up again.

In the meantime, I've found myself with some new hobbies, albeit not very artistic ones.

First, I've developed a love for hiking. When visiting the CT state parks, and after climbing a local mountain, my love for nature and a desperate need to get back in shape combined to create a fondness for trekking through forests. I am anxious for winter to move on and for spring to renew the Northeast region so I can nurture this new hobby.

Second, I ventured into indoor rock climbing. An activity that I never expected to have fun with. However, I have to admit, it's quite breathtaking. During our adventure, we spent 3 hours wrapped in harnesses and ropes, and it truly only felt like a half hour. It's an activity that I now appreciate and hope to start doing more regularly (if only the closest place to do it was less than 40 minutes away).

In the midst of all these discoveries and new trends, I wanted to stop to address all of my loyal followers. My little group has grown larger recently, and I wanted to thank each and every one of you for sticking around. And to my new followers - please stick around! Sometimes, my posts are just photos.... Okay, a lot of times. But every now and then, I get to urge to post words.

Like today.

And I also write about my family, my fiance, and wedding planning. I like to think that there is a little bit of something for everyone.

Before I hit "Publish Post," I wanted to remind everyone that my Etsy shop (Artistically Amy, same name as my blog) is open for business! I added 2 photos just the other day, and I have more to list soon. CLICK HERE to take a look.

Thank you all for reading, and here's to another creative year!

Learning to be A Housewife...

Er, a CONDOwife...

I mean, fiancé. Since we’re not married yet...

Maybe I should have just titled it, Learning to Clean Up After Myself and Another Person.

That’s been my project for the past few months.

Jon and I moved in to his family-owned condo in November, around the middle of the month. We took it nice and slow, moving boxes and furniture on weekends and days off. After a hectic few weeks of unpacking and decorating and putting things away, we made it through Christmas and emerged victorious into the New Year. And by “made it through,” I mean that I half-heartedly decorated a 2 foot tree and threw some lights up in the living room. The only thing I really put any effort into was the Nativity scene on the mantel.

But we haven’t actually finished making this little condo into our home. We haven’t finished unpacking, we haven’t put everything away yet, and my decorating attempts were actually pretty lame. Luckily, I have voraciously thrown myself into the “dressing up” of our bedroom. I have been researching affordable ways to turn my ideas into reality. I can’t wait to put it all together!

In the meantime, I have been focusing on teaching myself how to be a good little Susie Homemaker.

Things I’ve done that made me feel like an utter failure:
burn milk on the stove, spill chicken grease all over the counter, shrink some of my clothing, serve canned soup for dinner...

Those embarrassing moments are swept away by everything I’ve learned:
How to organize kitchen cabinets and make the most use of limited counter space, where to keep the garbage pail while cooking, how to effectively sort our laundry in less loads...

I think, though, that the most important thing I learned is that I’m not perfect. I don’t have to try to achieve what other women have done with their houses and households. I only have to be good enough for myself, and everyone else can just GO AWAY. As long as Jon is happy, I’m happy.

Also, I have a newfound appreciation for everything my mom did when I was a kid. I mean, my brothers and I weren’t really messy children. We put our toys away, we didn’t leave food all over the house, and we pitched in with chores occasionally. But there is so much more than that! I can handle cleaning the bathrooms, not a big deal. But there’s also a kitchen to clean, carpets to vacuum, trinkets to dust off, a desk to keep organized, clothing to put away.

It was grossly overwhelming at first, but I climbed that mountain. I made a weekly cleaning schedule that I follow about 92% of the time. I also keep an ongoing list of grocery items as I think of them, and I plan meals one week in advance.

It’s truly been fun, this journey towards becoming a housewife.

Award Appreciation

I don't have hundreds of followers or thousands of hits. I have something better. I have a small group of faithful followers who comment regularly and extend their friendship from all over the world. I very much prefer this small group of friends over anything else.

Another nice thing about my group of blogger friends: They are very generous with sharing awards!

Mama Hen over at Mama's Little Chick gave me the Beautiful Blogger Award. This is the 2nd time I've received this award, but it's just as special. I'm passing this on to B* (Beka) over at Confessions of a New Mom.




Neel over at Being Zara & Zidan gave me the Sunshine Award. Again, my 2nd time receiving this particular one, but I am still so grateful. (Especially because it looks different than the one I already have!) I am passing this award on to Christina over at Pooh's Corner.



I was so thoughtfully given the Outstanding Blogger award by 2 bloggers! Marlis over at Mars Pics and Sam over at Raising Rida. I am going to pass this one over to Melissa over at The Zookeeper's Diary and Keely at MannLand5.
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RAW(e) is starting up again! Sami has been too busy to run challenges, what with a baby in her belly, 5 kids to take care of, and family issues. But she finally gave us a new theme! It's animals. I took this picture of a friend's dog a few weeks ago. He has such beautiful brown eyes.




RAW(e) is run by Sami.
The only photos allowed are those that are
COMPLETELY UNEDITED. ___________________________________________________
The Movie Dirty Dozen Blogfest

My first blogfest! It's run by Alex J. Cavanaugh and I am supposed to make up a list of my 12 favorite movies. This could be either really hard, or really easy.

Here they are, in no particular order:

-The Little Mermaid - Yes, the Disney version. It was, and always will be, my favorite princess movie. I understand all the things WRONG with the movie, since I wrote a paper about it for my Fairy Tales course in junior year of college. But I just don't care.

-The Princess Bride - I had a delayed love for this movie. All my friends knew about it and liked it, but I didn't see it until later in my life (teen years). It's such a great story! INCONCEIVABLE.

-Memoirs of a Geisha - The makeup and the costumes are just gorgeous. It's actually a twisted love story, if you've read the book, but I like the way they turned it into a movie.

-Dirty Dancing - I danced for 16 years, so I have a special place in my heart for all dancing movies, regardless of how cheesy or girly they are. This one is the best, by and far; I also love Step Up and Center Stage.

-The Terminal - I love Tom Hanks. More than anyone. I would leave Jon if Tom Hanks came up to me and said he wanted to marry me. This movie is my favorite out of all of his movies because it makes me cry, laugh, and cheer.

-Happy Feet - The cutest little love story I have ever seen. With an important global conservation message thrown in.

-Wall-E - Ditto above. And yes, I love children's movies.

-Harry Potter - All 6 movies so far. Despite the gross inaccuracies, seeing the magic and the friendship really brings the books to life.

-It's A Wonderful Life - My dad raised me to watch this movie at every Christmas. I know all the lines and I anxiously await that moment when I finally get to watch it again. We always watch it while we put the tree up on the day after Thanksgiving. It's a tradition.

-Avatar - This movie has stunning special effects and computer animation. It's just an amazing movie. A love story that isn't too icky sweet, action and fighting without being too bloody or disorienting, and a beautiful setting.

-Karate Kid - I saw the remake with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, and WOW! I loved it! I knew Jaden had talent when I saw Pursuit of Happyness, but this really blew me away.

-The 40 Year Old Virgin - I know this movie is ripe with crude language and innuendos, but it's hilarious. It really is. And I love Steve Carell. Ever since Bruce Almighty, I've thought Steve Carell is one of the funniest men alive. (Jim Carrey is THE funniest man alive, IMO.)

Color Splash Sunday - Toys of Yesterday

<center><a href="http://purple-hippie.blogspot.com/p/color-splash-sunday.html"><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/prin367cess/colorsplashsunday.jpg"></a></center>

This week's theme is Toys of Yesterday: anything you still own from when you were a child. Whether it's a toy, a trinket, a tiny little game piece, something from more than 10 years ago.

I have a lot of things leftover from when I was a kid. It's hard to part with that stuff. You know, memories and all. Also, I want to pass on stuff to my unborn babies.

Considering that I recently introduced my blog readers to my Stuffed Babies, I wanted to keep up with that theme. I seriously love stuffed animals; it's almost unnatural.



This stuffed Piglet is one that I've had forever. He is my favorite character from the Pooh collection. He looks bright pink in this photo, but he's actually quite faded and bedraggled. His arms and legs are nappy, his ears are rubbed raw, and his nose is smushed. But I love him.


And yes, the sheets on my bed have snowmen. It's summer. But I love those sheets! I don't care what season it is. (Although, in my defense, I did take this photo back in April.)


Okay, link up! Please use the permalink to your post, NOT your main blog link. You have until 12noon EST on Wednesday.

More to say...

1. If a person has a booger in their nose, and you can see it, do you tell them?
2. What are you passionate about?
3. How long have you been blogging?
4. What is your favorite "summer" drink?
5. What is your favorite type of music?
6. Something I do before I go to bed is......?
7. My Summer vacation plans are...?
8. My favorite must have, can't live without, beauty product is?

My Answers:

1. If a person has a booger in their nose, and you can see it, do you tell them? Family and friends, yes. Acquaintances and strangers, no way!
2. What are you passionate about? Reading, education, respect.
3. How long have you been blogging? Since February of this year, so 4 short months.
4. What is your favorite "summer" drink? Margaritas, ice cold water, and DD iced coffee.
5. What is your favorite type of music? It used to be all kinds (except country and gospel). But my tastes have changed in the past few years. I can't really listen to pop or rap like I used to.
6. Something I do before I go to bed is......? Sometimes I read, sometimes I stare at my glitter lamp, as long as I take a few minutes to relax and do deep breathing. I hate going to sleep wound up or restless.
7. My Summer vacation plans are...? Nothing concrete, as of right now. I was hoping to go to TN with Jon to visit his fam and my friends, but we still have to work out details.
8. My favorite must have, can't live without, beauty product is? Cetaphil facial cleanser. Every night. It's gentle, unscented, and doesn't dry my face out.


If you want to snag the button and answer the questions for yourself, head over to MannLand5.

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I am taking part in a new photo challenge that I found through another blog. The challenge is called a Photo Hunt. You are given 20 specific themes/techniques/objects that you must photograph in the span of one month. If you want to check it out, head on over to http://photohuntchallenges.com/ and sign up! These are the themes for June:

1. Hilarious Out-Takes
2. Creative Crop
3. Sun Flare
4. Sweet Dreams
5. Work
6. Play
7. Cookout/Picnic
8. Transportation
9. Money/Currency
10. A Fountain
11. A Night Scene
12. B&W with Selective Coloring <-- this one will be easy!
13. Something Old
14. Something New
15. Something Borrowed
16. Something Blue
17. Something Musical
18. Something Purple
19. Something Yellow
20. Something Scenic

I have so much going on right now; I don't know HOW I am going to fit this in. I am writing for BuNoWriMo (update on that coming soon), I am still working full-time, I have to pack up my dorm room to move back home, I am in the middle of a house search, and I'd also like to spend some time with family and friends at SOME point. Such is the life of a twenty-something blogger.

I am FEELIN' the love!

How am I feelin' the love on this blog? Well, first, I had a new record in comments - 18 on one post. It was my yellow post a few days ago, and all the sweet comments have given me more confidence in my photography and editing skills. Second, I gained a new follower - I am now up to 12 (according to my Blogger dashboard). Third, I've had over 6350 page views since I added the counter (2/15/2010). My newest country is Mexico (muchos gracias). And fourth, I've been given 3 more blog awards! All of them totally unexpected, and very much appreciated.

First up is the "I Love Your Blog" award from Cherees over at Our New Life. Cherees is so loyal and so supportive. Many thanks for her because in addition to reading and leaving comments, she has also been taking part in my Color Splash Sunday meme.

The rules for this award involve listing 10 things I love, and then passing this on to 10 bloggers. There is no way I can pass it on to 10 bloggers, but I will pass it on to Gail over at Delightfully Diva-ish, because I really love her blog! And I am going to list 10 people I love, vs things I love, because I already listed 10 things that make me happy.

1. Matty - my younger brother.
2. Mom
3. Dad
4. Dave - my older brother.
5. Jon - my boyfriend.
6. C - my best friend. We went to high school together, and grad school.
7. T - my other best friend.
8. K - our moms grew up together, so we are basically sisters.
9. L - ditto above.
10.Angelique - my twin at heart.

*Yes, I used initials for their names because I don't know how they feel about being on here.*

Next is the "Versatile Blogger" award from Bec over at iheartblog. Bec seems to be like me - full of hobbies and a crazy creative personality.

The rules for the award are:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic! (in no particular order...)

4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

Thanks, Bec, for the award! And I love the new graphic you made - so pretty! I don't have 15 other bloggers to pass this on to, but I do have one very versatile blogger I recently found when she commented on my blog. It's Didee from Art Cupboard, and she is fantastic! She does photo editing and digiscrapping, and she has so many resources for textures and actions and kits.

Here are 7 random things about me:

I texted/tweeted during my graduation ceremony last weekend.
I never had perfect attendance in elementary or high school.
I am utterly addicted to computer games.
I can knot a cherry stem in my mouth.
I enjoy reading Shakespeare.
I can't eat crunchy cereal.
I hate to exercise.

And then there is the "Super Comments" award from Neel over at Being Zara & Zidan. I've already developed a super relationship with Neel, because she is the epitome of a supermom and superblogger. She has super cute kids, takes super photos, does super creative edits, and leaves super comments.

The rules for this award are to answer the ten questions, pass the award on to your favorite bloggers, and tell them to answer ten questions. Okay, I have to pass this award on to Cherees over at Our New Life. She leaves super comments; she is so nice.

1) Why do you blog? I needed another hobby, and a way to record my thoughts as I overcome my quarter-life crisis and move on to the next stage of my life.

2) What are the 3 best memories? My first kiss with Jon, walking across the stage to get my Master's degree, and laughing with friends.

3) If you had to change your real name, what would you change it to? When I was a kid, I wanted to change my name to Tiffany Dawn Crystal. Now, I like Amy. :)

4) What are the 5 things you can't live without? I'm not too materialistic, but there are a few. My cell phone, my laptop, my stuffed turtle, sneakers, and chocolate.

5) What are the 4 best books you have ever read? Ooh, tough one. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, the HP series, Memoirs of a Geisha, and the Giver.

6) Tell me something unique & interesting about yourself? I am a very unique person. One interesting thing? I collected teaspoons when I was a kid. My family used to drive to South Carolina every year, and I got one everywhere we stopped.

7) What do you love about yourself? Basically everything!

8) What is the best movie ever made? Avatar.

9) If you had a freaky friday experience, who would you want to trade places with and why? An actress or celebrity, just for one day.

10) what's the best part about being a woman? It never fails to amaze me - women have this innate sense of creativity that is hidden deep within each of us. whether it is writing, blogging, photography, editing, drawing, baking, designing, painting, singing, dancing, or any other talent, we are each a creative genius in our own way. the moment a woman's creativity is recognized and allowed to grow, she shines. -me

YouCapture - Spring, part 2

This will be quite a comprehensive post. I have several topics to cover!


I'll start with YouCapture, which is run by Beth over at I Should Be Folding Laundry. Our challenge this week was to capture Spring, differently than we did last week.

The thing that really means SPRING to me, around my town, is the first trip to the local dairy bar. It has new owners that keep the place open practically year-round, but when I was a kid, it was only open from April to September. The windows would be boarded up, the giant ice cream cone would be taken down, and the garbage cans would be stacked up in a corner of the lot. We all waited anxiously for it to open, and the day that we would drive past to see the windows thrown open and the umbrellas shading the tables, it was a celebration. The big opening was lost with the new owners, but we still have the celebration when we get the first milkshakes of the season. And who can resist the classic dairy bar meal - burger, fries, and chili?! (Although I stuck with a chocolate milkshake.)

I have several photos (count 119)
from this memorable occasion,
but I couldn't just pick one...
or several, for that matter.
So I made this cool little collage.

On to the next topic: Color Splash Sunday. This weekend's theme is colorful food, which should be fairly interesting. You may also post the recipe, if you'd like.




And the next topic: I've been following another mommy-blogger, Neel over at Being Zara & Zidan, who sweetly decided to pass on an award to me. It's the Happy 101 Award!

Rules:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

2. List who gave the award to you and use a link to her blog.

3. List 10 things that make you happy.

4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know!


So, here is my list of 10 things that make me happy, 5 concrete and 5 abstract:

1. Free actions and textures for photo editing.
2. Sundresses and pretty skirts.
3. Cupcakes with whipped cream frosting.
4. DD iced coffee.
5. Messages from my best friends.
6. I officially had my last grad class yesterday!
7. Hugs from kids/babies/friends/anyone.
8. Helping high seniors decide where to go to college.
9. Rainbows in the sky.
10. Being surrounded by family.

I have 3 bloggers I'd like to pass this award on to:

1. Donna over at Double Happiness. She always posts such cute photos and stories of her near-twin daughters, and I LOVE her photo collages!

2. Jen over at Life... And All That Comes With It. She always has an inspirational message or a fun photo or a creative paper collage.

3. Natasha at 5 Minutes Just For Me. She does share a blog with her sisters, but this one is her own, and she always has some kind words and sweet photos.



Next topic: A Carbon Neutral update. I have now planted 4 trees, for myself and for 3 lovely ladies who have signed up to make their blogs carbon neutral. If you want more information, please click here. I'll be posting a tree planting tutorial one of these days.



And now for the last topic, the most important: Matty. My younger brother. His neurologist appointment yesterday. No news. More questions.

He has to get several more tests and see more doctors. That's it. That's all we know, for now. She was able to tell us that his reaction time and reflexes are getting better, and we also know that his vision hasn't worsened in years, which is a VERY good thing. We just have to get all the pieces of the puzzle.

Color Splash Sunday - Pink

Pink was my favorite color when I was a kid. I mean, pink walls, pink sheets, pink clothes... Yea, I was the definition of a girly-girl. But when I turned 12, I finally decided to repaint my walls. I randomly chose purple, and ever since then, that's been my favorite color, although my walls are yellow now.

When I shed the pink-ness of childhood by choosing purple walls, I unknowingly paved the way for other changes. I gradually gave up the pink clothes and the various pink trinkets, and starting really developing myself as a person, rather than a child. It's been fun getting to know myself.

I experimented making pink color splash photos with several different items. In the end, I chose my calendar blocks that you saw in my orange color splash photo.



This is our last week for color themes! We are going to branch out now by focusing on specific objects. Next week, we'll be doing flowers. I've done some flower photos already, so my advice is to pick one specific flower (whether it's in a garden or in a bouquet or even stuck in a vase all alone). Don't try to take a picture of a group of flowers and splash them all; it will be too busy.

Also, from now on, I'll try to keep the themes updated for the next 3 weeks. This way, you have time to think and prepare. You can always find these upcoming themes by clicking on my CSS page. I don't mind if you use older photos, as long as you don't reuse any photos. Any questions, just comment me!

Photo Story Friday - A Giggling Sneakergirl

Hosted by Cecilyand Pam



"These are my sneakers. There are many like them, but this pair is mine. My sneakers are my best friends. They are my life. My sneakers, without me, are useless. Without my sneakers, I am useless." This Sneakergirl Creed is a play on the Rifleman's Creed. It makes me giggle. Joe Swanson makes me giggle when he barks the Wheelchair Creed. Truly, I don't mean to offend. I want to make you snicker or giggle or even just smirk. What good is a giggling Sneakergirl if no one will giggle with her? What good is any giggle without giggling friends?

Color Splash Sunday - Purple

Today's theme is PURPLE, which happens to be my absolute favorite color, which you might be able to tell by my CSS logo (that I made myself). So, I have countless purple items. I had a ton of fun taking photos of all my purple items and then deciding which one to splash. I chose this little wooden doll that I made when I was ~10 years old. She's cool, right?!



Next week, we'll tackle PINK!

Inner Monologue

This concept of a 'stream of consciousness' post seems to be a new trend in blogging.

According to Wikipedia (my source for all non-academic research), “[i]n literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode that seeks to portray an individual's point of view by giving the written equivalent of the character's thought processes, either in a loose interior monologue, or in connection to his or her actions.” (Since I’m not an English major anymore, this is not academia-related. It’s blog-related.)

The article gives examples of such, one of which is Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. I read that novel in my senior capstone course, Literary Criticism. (How ironic, although we never actually covered stream of consciousness in LitCrit.) We only read 3 novels, but we tore them apart by criticizing them from every angle and every theory. WSS was my favorite of the 3. Antoinette’s (Bertha) stream of consciousness occurs in Part 3 of the novel, as she is describing her destiny (her suicide and the ensuing fire).

I’m surprised that Hamlet is not listed in their long list of ‘notable’ examples. I had to memorize the To Be or Not to Be monologue 3 times throughout the course of my education (enough that by the 3^rd time, I just needed a refresher). If that speech is not a stream of consciousness, I don’t know what is.

I repeat the monologue to myself often. It helps to calm me, and keep me focused. It also keeps my brain busy if I am waiting on line or in traffic and start getting fidgety.

*coughGEEKcough*

That’s enough of that.

If you are participating in my Color Splash Sunday,
or want to but haven’t yet,
check out the list of upcoming themes.
Now that the deluge of color themes is coming to an end,
I’m adding other themes.
Some of them are fairly easy,
while others will be more challenging.
If I can get more interest and more bloggers to link in,
I’ll start offering prizes.

I also added an About Me page up above.
Please go read and let me know what you think.
Too long? Too detailed? I like to write,
so I frequently need to be reined in.

On that note, I’ve been thinking about my NaNoWriMo novel a lot lately. The goal was to write 50,000 words (175 pages) in 30 days. I LOVE to write and I have the words in my head, but I was never motivated enough to sit down and write daily. If I recall, I ended with 25 pages, more or less. My goal is to finish it by the end of June so I can partake in the festivities of NaNoWriMo again in November. I’m really hoping that without school and without traveling for work, I’ll be able to devote more time to writing.

And now it's time for bed. NO, I don't go to bed at 8:30pm. But I had this post drafted last night, and realized that I never posted it. But I am going to bed now. At 11:08pm.

RAW(e) - Shoes

Ohmigosh, shoes!

Most women have a shoe fetish... For me, it's sneakers. I own SO MANY pairs of sneakers. Way more than is necessary for a girl who spends 6 out of 7 days a week wearing business casual. FYI, sneakers are NOT included in business casual.

But I just can't resist them.

So, when Sami over at Sailor & Company announced that this week's theme for RAW(e) is SHOES, I got excited. Because sneakers TOTALLY count as shoes.

That's the top pair of a STACK of sneakers in my closet.

This photo is completely unedited and untouched. It hasn't even been cropped. It's SO hard not to open up in pse and play with colors/textures, but that's why it's called a "challenge."

Ultimate Blog Party 2010!

(Thanks to Cherees for bringing this to my attention!)



Welcome to my blog - Artistically Amy! This is all about me as a twenty-something grad student who is discovering herself through various artistic means. I am graduating with my Master's in just a few short weeks, but I manage to squeeze some time here and there to explore and expand upon my creative streak.

Some random things that might help you to get to know me:

--I like to go with the flow. I try not to let life's little (or big) mishaps bring me down. I spent too much time in high school and college on an emotional roller coaster. Not anymore! I am working on controlling my emotions so I can live life, enjoy it, and find joy in simple pleasures.

--I often complain about schoolwork and writing papers, but I really love it! I like researching new theories and strategies. I love taking my research and turning it into a well-developed paper. I have vague plans to get a second Master's, later on.

--I am very picky about little details, and I tend to miss the big picture. I will notice an ant on the ground before I see a bear standing in front of me. (Not that I've ever come across a bear besides in a zoo, but the situation seems likely.)

--I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone, and all the kids played in the street without ever having to worry about cars. That town is now quickly becoming overpopulated, and the kids have been banished to backgrounds. But my love for my town, and for small towns everywhere, is deeply instilled.



The lists below are my choices of all the prizes that are being offered. There are so many great prizes! I didn't list any of the prizes that included children's toys or clothing, because as much as I would love to start collecting stuff for my unborn babies, there are plenty of blogging moms who need that stuff much more than I do.

My top 3 prizes are as follows:

GRAND PRIZE at the Ultimate Blog Party 2010 is a Toshiba Satellite L505D-ES5025.

#4 - This beautiful pink bracelet from Star Bright Jewels. (Offered by Christine Leiser Schroeder.)

#94 - A bracelet of choice from Sydney Andrews; I really really REALLY like the Oval the Top bracelet that is on page 23! (Offered by Sydney Andrews herself.)

I also really like the following prizes: 11, 32, 44, 95, 102, 107, USC 3, USC 15, and USC 25. (Can you tell - I'm utterly in love with gift cards!)



I'm skipping some of my favorites memes today to post this party. No PSF, no YouCapture, and no FIF (i♥faces actually skipped it today because they have lots of other challenges going on right now.) But I'm hoping that sacrificing some photo posts to partake in the partying of UBP'10 will help me find new friends and boost my network. I linked in as the 1,122nd family-friendly blog!