The NEXT 40 years

Today at work was the first day in our new office. It was tiring and hectic, but not nearly as bad as I had feared. That was mostly due to the hard work of Brandon, our sweet shipping clerk, who worked his ass off getting the stockroom organized. I really like Brandon, and tomorrow is his last day with us, as he is moving to Boone to go to college there. He’s been attending college in Greensboro but a school in Boone (Appalachia State maybe?) is better suited for what he’s majoring in, so he is moving. He will be sorely missed. We haven’t gotten his replacement hired yet, but we do have several resumes, and will begin interviewing ASAP. We received two resumes from retirees looking to work part time, and I hope one of them ends up getting the job. At lunch I visited the nearby Farmer’s Market that I had mentioned before and got tomatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupe and corn. I also discovered a fabric store that I didn’t know existed until today, so I will be checking that out soon…

Today the only artistic thing I've accomplished is painting the cover of a new journal. I am having a hard time taking the plunge into journaling so I think I'm just stalling by making more journals...LOL. But this one used to be Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:



This is what the front looks like now after several layers of gesso and paint:



I planned on getting so many other things done today, but laundry and laziness intervened. Yesterday I got my new office all set up and talked to two friends I hadn't talked with in a while, so it's been a great weekend.

And just for kicks, here's a pic of my worktable:



What a mess!

Well, while I'm at work, anyway. Business is really slow right now, so I don't have nearly enough to do during my 8 hours here (yes, I am actually posting at work, a first for me). While this may sound good at first thought, trust me, it isn't. The days drag on and on, and my frustration grows more and more intense because there are so many other things (outside of work) I want to be doing! The office is moving Saturday, so most everything is packed and/or in a total state of chaos. I am a Virgo and therefore can't take much more of it! Thank goodness I will be leaving at 3 today...although the reason I'm leaving isn't too pleasant...let's just say it's medical, and leave it at that, shall we? I hope I feel well enough after my appointment to stop by Hobby Lobby. They have a 40% off coupon this week, and I want to use one to get some matt medium to keep at work for my lunchtime art escapes. And speaking of art, I have collected a box full of &q…

It was a struggle to get through the day at work today. I am so unmotivated to do anything I'm supposed to do there, and just had to make myself do the bare minimum. It seems that there is always so much tension there, and I think it's beginning to take it's toll. Another thing that is bothering me is our office is moving--Friday is the final day at our current location. For the last year and a half I have been able to come home for lunch, so no matter how bad the days have been I have had a reprieve in the middle of it getting to come home to visit the kitties, and recently my husband as well, since he now works closer to home. But starting Monday I wont have that to look forward to, and to make matters worse the new office is in a rather secluded area of town, with no restaurants or stores to get anything for lunch. So I will begin brown bagging it on Monday too. The only saving grace is the farmers market is 4 miles from there, so I may go on Mondays and stock up…

I snapped this pic while Max was looking out the bathroom window yesterday:



Hubby didn't get it, but I thought it was adorable. Here is a pic of my favorite piece of spray art I've created thus far. It was done mostly by pressing wet stencils over the page...as I use them on one piece, just slap the wet stencil on something else for a cool monoprint:



And here's Mr Puss in his favorite spot...in our bed between my and hubby's pillows, where he knows he will get lots of lovin':



Hope you're having a fab weekend!

This month's crusade over at Michelle Wards's GPP Street Team blog is to send mailart, so I am! I apologize for the horrible pics, but hopefully you will be able to get the general idea of them. Two were spray painted and one was painted with acrylics. I used paint, stencils, stamps, homemade stickers, and holy paper.




Two of the peeps getting them are expecting something, and the other one doesn't have a clue. I sent these three out today and am going to finish up a fourth this weekend that isn't pictured yet, but I will post it when it's done. These three contain an assortment of goodies, and an ATC will be sent in the fourth. It was a blast doing them!! I even painted the address labels to coordinate with the envelopes, then wrote the addresses on with a Sharpie. I got postage stamps with different values so I could load up the envelope with an assortment of them as well. I wonder if postal employees hate mailart or if it brightens their day?

At long last here are a couple of pics of the necklace I made a few weeks ago. I tried to do a Nina knot to attach the key, and again on either side of the glass rondelles between the lengths of chain....doesn't look too bad, especially considering I haven't been able to learn from the master yet and just did my own interpretation. Click on the pics for a better look. Somehow I ended up with my maternal Grandmother's old foot-peddle sewing machine, the kind that has it's own base, and the top lifts up and you pull the machine out, etc. There are drawers in the base, and in one of those drawers I found two old keys, one of which ended up on this necklace. My Grandmother died before I was even born, so I never got to know her, and I don't have a clue what the key could have been to. But regardless of what the key opened up, it's fun having a piece of family history incorporated into something I can wear and tell people about if they happen to ask.

Man, where has the time gone!!!??? The good thing about it going so fast is getting past some of the hot weather we've been having. If I could jump straight to September I think I would. I've had so much going on, and the best news is my "dark" state of mind is behind me, and my back hasn't felt this good since I don't remember when. Don't know what to attribute that to, because the main thing that's changed is my attitude....yea, I definitely think there's a connection!! We bought a sleep number bed but it is only being delivered tomorrow, so I may feel even better in a couple of days. And speaking of tomorrow, it's my anniversary! Twelve years married to hubby Jeff, and we dated/lived together a year before that, so we've been together thirteen years. We're going out to our fav place to eat, and who knows what else we'll get into...we will have a new bed, ya know! Over the weekend we moved furniture around, turning the g…