Love Is In The Air!

Okay, Love is on my door.


Got this at Hobby Lobby for $4.99. It was unfinished wood, so I painted it white. It's just so cute for Valentine's Day!

Plus a bonus picture: GNOMES!

Today

Today I:

• Ate a chicken sandwich from Burger King.
• Spent $5 at Goodwill.
• Spent $16 at Hobby Lobby.
• Studied Caravaggio in my Baroque Art History class.
• Had Ruby Tuesday's salad bar and a grape Jones Soda for dinner.
• Signed a witness statement for the Statesboro Police Department.

I know what you're thinking..... "How did you get out of Hobby Lobby for only $16?"

Okay, seriously. I was in my apartment tonight minding my own business when I heard a loud pop. I froze. I waited about a minute, heard a siren, then called Lydia. We were both freaking out a little, so I went over to her place. Soon there were 6 police cars in our parking lot (the lot only has space for about 5 cars total.) We watched from her window as two guys that we didn't recognize were arrested. After lots of being nosy and wondering what was going on, an officer came and knocked on the door. Apparently he was sitting on the side of the road in his car when he heard the shot... it was definitely a gun shot. He told us that he was pretty sure the shot was aimed at him. They actually found the gun outside the apartment next to mine, though the shot came from downstairs near the grassy area. By now, Lydia and I were totally freaked out. They asked us if we recognized either of the men or the car. We didn't. Then they asked us if we'd write witness statements. So we did. We finished the statements in Lydia's apartment then went outside to give them to the officer... and they were gone. All of them. It was the weirdest thing. The whole thing was kind of weird and scary. Nothing ever happens over on this side of town. And our neighbors are mostly really nice (there is the guy that lives below me who slams doors constantly and breaks beer bottles at 4am sometimes, though). Oh well, at least the guys are in jail and nobody was hurt.

Now, about the other parts of my day...

I went to Goodwill, but didn't find much. At least, I didn't strike gold like I did with the orange salt and pepper shakers.

I did find a glass Pyrex pie dish for $3.

I also found these strange little handmade pots for $0.79 each. I don't know if I like them or not, but I wanted to take them home.



At Hobby Lobby, I spent most of my time on the scrapbooking paper aisle, thanks to this article from the most recent issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. Damn that Martha for having so many amazing ideas! These pictures from the article were particularly inspiring:



So I spent $5 and got 20 sheets of 12x12 scrapbook paper. A worthy investment, I do believe.
Looooook at all the pretty colors!


And if it turns out that I can't use them for a wedding-y purpose, I'll just use them in some other craft.

I'm going to bed now. I've had a headache all day and my nose is runny. I should get some rest before it turns into anything worse.

More Bad Drawing. Lucky You.

Funny story. After my professor looked at my drawing (as it was in the previous post) and gave me some ideas as to how to fix it, I worked on it today in class for around half an hour. It helped. Alot. See? The spoon is more.... round-ish.


Here's the funny part: The object of this project is to take a direct-from-observation drawing and abstract it slowly over 4 drawings. To help us abstract the original, she photocopied some of our drawings, mine included. When she came back from the copier, she said "Okay, guys... now I know this is weird, but some of the photocopies look better than your actual drawing." Oh yeah, she was definitely talking about mine. Here's the photocopy:



I'm baffled. I suppose it has alot to do with contrast, and the way everything is either black or white, not gray like the graphite in my pencils. In any case, I thought it was quite strange.

And here's a sneak peak at the first abstraction drawing, it's just zoomed in on part of the image. And this is in no way finished! I've got whole areas that aren't shaded at all. It needs about another hour and a half or so of work.


Sorry I don't have anything more interesting than drawings to share. Although I did get a nice surprise today when I found out that my financial aid check hit my account this morning... which is a very good thing since I've been rationing shampoo and toothpaste for a few days now. And I haven't seen my refrigerator this empty since I moved in. I think there's one wedge of Wee Brie and a single serving of applesauce. Pretty pathetic. Tomorrow I will go to Wal-Mart and buy lots and lots of groceries.
Happy happy!

Glittercorn!

That's what I've named it.

I just really wanted to take a picture of something that looked sort-of artsy with my new camera. I thought this old snow/glitter globe was fun. I've had it since I was little. I kinda remember that I had a sliiiiight obsession with unicorns as a 6 year old.

Here's the same picture, Poladroid-ed. I can't decide which I like better.

See, I'm a much better photographer than I am a drawer.

My Spoon Isn't Concave

So, here's my really terrible drawing. There are several things wrong with it. First of all, I'm not really good at drawing... so there's that. Second, I never know when to stop; I can't really tell when it's finished. Third, reflections and shiny metallic things are hard. Also, the shadows are wonky and the spoon doesn't really look concave.

I got an A in my first drawing class, but that was mostly for effort. I'm not very good at it, but I work pretty hard.... mostly because it frustrates me that I can sew/crochet/embroider my butt off, but I have trouble doodling stick people. Hope you enjoy viewing the fruit of my labor.

Speaking of crafty things, I've been working on something for the LDQ, but it isn't finished yet. So don't think I've abandoned my crafty pursuits. This is a big one that's taking a while, but I promise to share when I'm finished.

In other news, I have a new digital camera! I just got the huge box 'o' camera goodies my Dad sent me today. I can't wait to read the manual and figure out what aaaaaaaall the buttons do! You can count on pictures-a-plenty in the near future.

One last thing. I saw Seven Pounds today, and it was amazing. I cried.... alot. But since I'll cry over diaper commercials, that may not mean much. In any case it was very good and everybody should see it.

10 Things You (Probably) Never Knew About Me

Here are some things that you may (or may not) know about me. Don't judge me by the weird ones.

1. I love Star Trek: The Next Generation. Geordi La Forge taught me how to read.


2. I only buy Hello Kitty Band-Aids. Yes, I am 8 years old! Thanks for asking.


3. I love to wear red lipsick, but I rarely have the courage.

4. I have no problem cutting my own bangs. And I usually do a better job than the girl that cuts my hair.

5. I don't eat blue things. Blue lollipops, blue Gatorage, blue snow cones... the list goes on. Nothing edible is naturally blue, except blueberries. And I can eat the heck out of some blueberries.

6. I love, I mean really love making mixed CD's for people. I think about the order of the songs, even. It's a very involved process.

7. I keep a list in the back of my mini inspiration journal of all the TV shows I've watched all the way through. The list is longer than I care to admit.

8. I have a favorite Catholic saint. Okay, I have two:
St. Sebastian, because he's always so pretty... even with all the arrows in him.

And St. Lawrence, because he was grilled alive and that always makes for interesting works of art. Also, he's the patron saint of cooks.... for obvious (and gross) reasons.

9. My guilty pleasure TV show is The Girls Next Door. I know, I know. That's why it's called a guilty pleasure... but seriously, I love that show.


10. Sometimes I think about how I would answer James Lipton's 10 questions.
1. What is your favorite word? (squeege)
2. What is your least favorite word? (panties... guh. I always say underwear.)
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? (People who are passionate about something.)
4. What turns you off? (ignorance)
5. What is your favorite curse word? (horseshit... the same answer as Tom Hanks, thankyouverymuch)
6. What sound or noise do you love? (Loud, raucous laughter.)
7. What sound or noise do you hate? (my alarm clock)
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? (If I count art as my current profession, then I'd like to be the person that chooses music for soundtracks for movies and TV shows. )
9. What profession would you not like to do? (Teacher. Little kids scare the crap out of me.)
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? ("Welcome home.")

Seriously this time, goodnight all.

New President, New Memories, New Drawing, New Dilemma, New Music.

New President:
I watched history happen today. How cool is that?


New Memories:
Kristen came to visit me this weekend. We made a platter of tuna salad on
Triscuits and rice krispie treats with homemade (pink!) marshmallows, watched the new episode of The L Word, watched like 6 episodes of Veronica Mars, giggled alot, and had a generally awesome time.


New Drawing:
This is the beginning sketch for my first project for my Drawing II class. I'm not a very good drawer, so I basically just try very hard to get the shapes and proportions right. Then I worry about the rest. This 9x12 sketch took me a few hours. The shape of a spoon is very difficult, apparently...

Sorry it's so light. The scanner had trouble getting it dark enough to see. It's done in a 2H pencil, so it's not very dark in real life, either. I'll post more pictures as it goes along. Hopefully I'll get most of the shading done in class tomorrow.

New Dilemma:
The lady from Epworth (where we're getting married) called Friday and very politely and apologetically told me that the room we wanted for the reception is booked and that we can't have it. Since it was the only room at Epworth that could accommodate our numbers, we have begun the search for other options. That means that we have also begun the search for catering options and a rental company for tables, chairs, and linens......
I am trying very hard not to turn into anything resembling the picture below.


New Music:
Little Joy.
I found these guys through Rachel at Bling on My Sewing Machine a while ago and am really digging them. Especially this song.

Goodnight, all.

Shake It Like A Polaroid Picture!

Okay, I have to share this. This is one of the most fun things I've found in a looooong time. Have you ever wished you could make your digital pictures into Polaroids? Well, now you can! Go to this website and download the program. It's so much fun and a monkey could do it, it's so easy! It even makes the Polaroid sound when you convert a picture! I was most definitely born a couple of decades too late.

Here are a few that I did tonight. I hope they're not too hard to see since they're on a white background.





See, doesn't that look like fun?!

I also wanted to share two more pieces I made for the LDQ.

A tasty-looking cupcake, using Elsie's pattern. Yum.


And the cutest little love bear you ever saw, using a freebie pattern from Badbird.


Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go dig around for some stamps and an envelope!

Granny Squares and Rainy Day Embroidery

After a loooong hiatus, I'm finally back crafting things that I can post! For the last month or so, it has been Christmas gift after Christmas gift and I couldn't very well post pictures of gifts, now could I?

First, a new scarf that took forever since the yarn was such a small gauge, but it turned out so pretty. The yarn was part of my Christmas present from Chris' parents and I still have more of it, so you'll probably see more in the future.

I made the next scarf over Thanksgiving break, but for some reason haven't posted it yet. I love granny squares (they're just so pretty!) and have always wanted to make a scarf of them, so I finally did.


I actually wore this scarf a few nights ago to go eat dinner at McAlister's and the girl behind the counter completely flipped over it. She asked where I got it and I (very proudly) stated that I made it. I'm not sure she believed me at first. Then she started asking all kinds of questions about it. Afterwards, I realized that I should have offered to sell it to her. This sort of thing has happened a few times now, with scarves or bags or other things I've made. The whole encounter sort of solidified my desire to make business cards to keep with me at all times, for just this sort of situation. Hey, if somebody's willing to buy it, shouldn't I be willing to sell it?

Next, I've finally started back to work on my LDQ (Long-Distance Quilt) and I can't wait to pop these in the mail to Mamaw tomorrow.

This one is clouds with raindrops. I love how the droplets turned out, but they were such a pain. There were so many of them, and I had to tie off my thread after each one. As for the clouds, I have learned my lesson about picking out thread colors in dim light. What I thought was a nice stony gray turned out to be a grayish olive green. Oh well, they're pretty anyway... even if they are green clouds.


Now, this was super easy, but is among my favorites for the quilt. I just hooped my fabric and did concentric rings of running stitch, working from the outside in, using the hoop as a guide. I like that some of the rings aren't perfectly circular. And after spending what seems like an eternity on grayish blue raindrops, using lots of color was a welcome relief. This one only took me around an hour (using a 7" hoop). I'd love to make an entire quilt using this idea someday. It would be so pretty and colorful. Hmmmm... something to add to the "future projects" list....

That's all for now. I hope to have more soon. There are so many ideas floating around in my head and I can't wait to sit down and get them out!

New Semester, Same Ol' Statesboro

So, today was the first day of the new semester. I really hate the first week of class. This always happens. I always forget how much I hate the first week. We don't do anything of substance, the buses are way too crowded, and I have to spend hundreds of dollars on books and supplies. This semester will end up costing somewhere around $500 for books and supplies... mostly books. In fact, almost half of that is from just one class. My packet for Spanish (including textbook, lab manual, workbook, pocket dictionary and codes for the online course content) was $200. I spent $441 today and have to go back tomorrow to get a few drawing supplies that I don't already have. The only thing that makes it a little bit easier is that the money comes directly out of my financial aid. I'm not actually spending the money, it just means that I won't get as much back when the checks are cut. Oh well, such is life.

As far as the classes themselves, I don't think it will be too terrible of a semester. Mondays and Wednesdays are definitely my heavy days; I'm on campus from 10:30 or so till 5:30. That makes for a long day and a very tired and cranky Katie.

I'm slightly worried about my Spanish class. I haven't had any Spanish since my very first semester of college... that's been a while. My only consolation is that there are others in the class that seem to have the same trouble. I really hope I catch up soon. It brings a whole new meaning to not understanding the professor.

I leave you with the song that got me through today. I must have played it 30 times. Jenny Lewis is my hero.

The Holidays

It's January! When did that happen?

Finally, here's my post-Holiday 2008 wrap-up. I'll make it very concise since it's been almost a month.

Christmas with the Wilsons:
Oh the food.....

Coconut Cake... a tradition with Chris' family.

Homemade marshmallows dipped in chocolate, via this Martha recipe.

Cheese straws! Go Emily, go!

Peppermint bark..... we really liked the peppermint bark.
I really liked licking the spoon covered in melted white chocolate.
Other than the food, there were plenty of presents, laughs, and little kids running around picking stuff up.

Christmas at Mamaw's:
There was more food, more presents, and more laughs.


Christmas at Granny's:
I don't have any pictures from this, but it was lots of fun. My favorite present came from Lydia, a set of 5 Doctor Horrible pins. So cute.

New Year's in Rayle:
Abbie's mom made my favorite: Chicken 'n' Dumplins. I got to meet Abbie's fiancee, Joey, and his two little girls. We put a ridiculously difficult puzzle together. That about sums it up....

Yeah, okay. I know this post isn't exactly full of details, but it is almost 1am and the new semester starts tomorrow.

Hopefully I can get back to blogging regularly now. Maybe so much you'll even get sick of me.

Goodnight for now.