I love this
I loved it while I was making it, I love it now. It's like looking at clouds, I see all sorts of things in the shapes that I didn't even know I was drawing.
More Staff Meeting Doodles
This is a scan of a full page: A whale, a quail, and a little deco sort of thing that was totally inspired by the bursts of life that surround Raina in the graphic novel, Blankets.
3/17/10
I drew some not-so-scary (mostly silly, in fact) monsters at our last Staff Meeting. Behold:
3/3/10
Today, I baked bread.
Just out of the oven.
Here is the recipe. I used dried cranberries instead of raisins, and I forgot to get lemons so I just used two teaspoons of orange juice in the glaze.
Just out of the oven.
Here is the recipe. I used dried cranberries instead of raisins, and I forgot to get lemons so I just used two teaspoons of orange juice in the glaze.
Vacation pictures, Part A
These are pictures I took my first day in the Bahamas:
My Matthew's profile before leaving Boston, on a rainy morning.
After settling in at our bed and breakfast, we went for a walk. These leaves were taking a swim together.
We took a bus to explore Nassau. These buses were rickety little things that barreled down the roads. It was quite an adventure! On the way back to the B&B, the bus was too full, so we sat on these little jump seats that folded down into the aisle. It was a little ridiculous, and pretty awesome. Look at Mr. Simoneau, all sitting pretty wedged in there.
My Matthew's profile before leaving Boston, on a rainy morning.
After settling in at our bed and breakfast, we went for a walk. These leaves were taking a swim together.
We took a bus to explore Nassau. These buses were rickety little things that barreled down the roads. It was quite an adventure! On the way back to the B&B, the bus was too full, so we sat on these little jump seats that folded down into the aisle. It was a little ridiculous, and pretty awesome. Look at Mr. Simoneau, all sitting pretty wedged in there.
Crankypants
You guys, I am so grumpy!
I just got back from a glorious vacation, and I was remarkably happy to be home despite the gloriousness (I missed my shower, and my bed, and my normal-sized toilettries). I was so pleased that the transition was going to go smoothly - even the weather in Boston is mild and bearable!
BUT nothing is working!
My washing machine is squeaking, and my internet is broken, and I had to go into work on my work-from-home day because I couldn't access any of my files, and my CAMERA...
Let me tell you about my camera:
I am editing the pictures from aforementioned glorious vacation, and I'm having some problems. Firstly, I have apparently forgotten the lionshare of my photography skills. What was I doing with high ISOs in the bright bright sun? Who knows. Not me. IN ADDITION, the digital sensor is so very splochy. Finally, I've had a hunch for awhile now (like, more than a year) that there's something wonky with my focus. When I manually focus it doesn't come out right, and when I auto-focus it doesn't come out the way I want it to (I think this has something to do with the view-finder).
Everything is grainy, and out of focus, and has splotches, and it was too sunny and the pictures of my handsome boyfriend are all squinty, and I only took pictures on the first and last day, and I didn't take any pictures of the inside of our hotel, and HELLO I AM POUTING!
Okay. Grumble. I'm going to try to post some pictures now.
I just got back from a glorious vacation, and I was remarkably happy to be home despite the gloriousness (I missed my shower, and my bed, and my normal-sized toilettries). I was so pleased that the transition was going to go smoothly - even the weather in Boston is mild and bearable!
BUT nothing is working!
My washing machine is squeaking, and my internet is broken, and I had to go into work on my work-from-home day because I couldn't access any of my files, and my CAMERA...
Let me tell you about my camera:
I am editing the pictures from aforementioned glorious vacation, and I'm having some problems. Firstly, I have apparently forgotten the lionshare of my photography skills. What was I doing with high ISOs in the bright bright sun? Who knows. Not me. IN ADDITION, the digital sensor is so very splochy. Finally, I've had a hunch for awhile now (like, more than a year) that there's something wonky with my focus. When I manually focus it doesn't come out right, and when I auto-focus it doesn't come out the way I want it to (I think this has something to do with the view-finder).
Everything is grainy, and out of focus, and has splotches, and it was too sunny and the pictures of my handsome boyfriend are all squinty, and I only took pictures on the first and last day, and I didn't take any pictures of the inside of our hotel, and HELLO I AM POUTING!
Okay. Grumble. I'm going to try to post some pictures now.
1/30/10
Family friends, Chris, Jenny, Jordan, and Andrew came to visit my mum for the night. My aunt Polly was there too, and some other family friends. It turned out to be a nice little party! Jordan had never met Polly before, and she became quite a fan when they started coloring together:
Polly and Jordan coloring.
I colored too! This is a page from Do You Doodle? which has some great prompts to get you going.
1/28/10
I got up bright and early this morning and set to work on my group curriculum. It starts next Thursday, and it's pretty much all planned, but I have to put it all together (which takes more work than I'd like to acknowledge).
One of the activities I devised on this day (as opposed to adapting from a book) is designed to help group members learn how anger feels in their own bodies. Each group member will be given a paper showing an outline of a person and art supplies to share. From the curriculum:
Ask them to remember what it [the anger] felt like in their body. Did they feel it in their chest, in their hands and feet, or somewhere else in their body? What did their face feel like? What colors was their anger? Invite them to use the art materials to illustrate the anger on the figure on the worksheet. Give them permission to write words to describe the texture, temperature, weight, etc of their anger.
I'm hoping that this activity will help the group members to recogize then sensations they have when they feel angry, so later in the group they can take the opportunity to use the coping skills we'll learn to intervene before their anger gets the better of them.
One of the activities I devised on this day (as opposed to adapting from a book) is designed to help group members learn how anger feels in their own bodies. Each group member will be given a paper showing an outline of a person and art supplies to share. From the curriculum:
Ask them to remember what it [the anger] felt like in their body. Did they feel it in their chest, in their hands and feet, or somewhere else in their body? What did their face feel like? What colors was their anger? Invite them to use the art materials to illustrate the anger on the figure on the worksheet. Give them permission to write words to describe the texture, temperature, weight, etc of their anger.
I'm hoping that this activity will help the group members to recogize then sensations they have when they feel angry, so later in the group they can take the opportunity to use the coping skills we'll learn to intervene before their anger gets the better of them.
1/22/10
This was an emotional day, kittens!
My supervisor and fearless leader for only seven and a half months has moved on, and Friday, January 22nd was her last day. We did a pretty good job pretending it wasn't going to happen - which isn't to say that it wasn't talked about. Actually, the picture above was taken on Tuesday when we all went out for lunch together (that's Elizabeth in pink at the end). There were plenty of other celebrations and things to talk about. But we didn't really acknowledge it until the very end.
Late Thursday night, I slipped out of bed after Matthew was asleep and sat in the living room and wrote her a letter. I revised it in the morning, and at work I went into the art room and put it on cheery yellow construction paper which I decorated with pink polka dots and blue flowers done in oil pastels. The letter basically said that she's amazing and that I appreciated the time we worked together, but really it's mostly between us.
[oh, and I should also mention that all the heartbreakiness of Elizabeth leaving was sandwiched between two wonderful things: breakfast with darling Geoff and his girlfriend Brittany... far too short of a visit! And then going out dancing with Matthew and his parents at their local community center... where we may have gotten a round of applause!]
1/17/10 REVISITED!
I went home to vote, and while I was there, I took this iPhone picture of the art Sydney and I did in my mum's coloring book:
I did the top row, and she did the bottom row. I'd like to live in a city like that!
I did the top row, and she did the bottom row. I'd like to live in a city like that!
1/24/10
In an effort to impress my boyfriends parents with how effortlessly I can make a delicious meal, I took over Matthew's mother's kitchen and made them a delicious meal!
Elaine (his mum) was at work while it all went down, and Matthew was out in the Airstream getting organized. But their family friend Annie kept me company while I poked about in cupboards and stirred away, and his dad, Peter, walked through the kitchen occasionally to take samples and show me where things where hidden.
I made risotto with hot Italian sausage, sweet apples, onions, toasted pinenuts, peas, and parmesan. And a salad with baby greens, tomato, cucumber, and shallots. Please take this as proof that risotto is the perfect vehicle for everything good in this world.
A side note: those of you who have seen me cook know that I'm not exactly neat in the kitchen. I toss eggshells in the sink instead of the garbage, and I leave onion skins in a pile on the counter while I move onto the next thing. So I was particularly pleased that I even got a chance to clean up after myself before Elaine got home, adding to the apparently effortlessness... although it's quite possible that she found bits of chopped apple on the floor days after we left. If she did, sorry Elaine! Thanks for letting me make a mess of your kitchen!
Elaine (his mum) was at work while it all went down, and Matthew was out in the Airstream getting organized. But their family friend Annie kept me company while I poked about in cupboards and stirred away, and his dad, Peter, walked through the kitchen occasionally to take samples and show me where things where hidden.
I made risotto with hot Italian sausage, sweet apples, onions, toasted pinenuts, peas, and parmesan. And a salad with baby greens, tomato, cucumber, and shallots. Please take this as proof that risotto is the perfect vehicle for everything good in this world.
A side note: those of you who have seen me cook know that I'm not exactly neat in the kitchen. I toss eggshells in the sink instead of the garbage, and I leave onion skins in a pile on the counter while I move onto the next thing. So I was particularly pleased that I even got a chance to clean up after myself before Elaine got home, adding to the apparently effortlessness... although it's quite possible that she found bits of chopped apple on the floor days after we left. If she did, sorry Elaine! Thanks for letting me make a mess of your kitchen!
11 Days!
Oh noes, it's been 11 days since I posted anything!
THAT DOES NOT MEAN I HAVEN'T MADE ANY ART IN THE PAST 11 DAYS!
It does mean that I haven't made art EVERY day. Boo. And it also means that the art I have made is spread out everywhere and needs to be brought together.
I'm going to make an effort at that this weekend. In the meantime, watch this movie, because it's cute, and it made me smile a lot!
THAT DOES NOT MEAN I HAVEN'T MADE ANY ART IN THE PAST 11 DAYS!
It does mean that I haven't made art EVERY day. Boo. And it also means that the art I have made is spread out everywhere and needs to be brought together.
I'm going to make an effort at that this weekend. In the meantime, watch this movie, because it's cute, and it made me smile a lot!
1/18/10
Today's idea comes from something I found at a blog that I often find inspiring, Andrea Scher's Superhero Journal: ATM doesn't always have to stand for Automated Teller Machine, it can also stand for Always Trust Magic!
Yes, I did exactly replicate one of the ideas in the video, but there's nothing wrong with that, just ask Warhol. I liked the idea of leaving a dollar for someone, like a little extra bonus. Also, I thought the concept of us all being one was fitting for today, MLK day!
In other news: I am injured, and therefore I was thrilled, THRILLED to see that some wonderful person shoveled our driveway, because there was no way I was going to do it with my neck spasming.
Always Trust Magic, indeed!
Yes, I did exactly replicate one of the ideas in the video, but there's nothing wrong with that, just ask Warhol. I liked the idea of leaving a dollar for someone, like a little extra bonus. Also, I thought the concept of us all being one was fitting for today, MLK day!
In other news: I am injured, and therefore I was thrilled, THRILLED to see that some wonderful person shoveled our driveway, because there was no way I was going to do it with my neck spasming.
Always Trust Magic, indeed!
1/16/10 & 1/17/10
People in Massachusetts might have noticed that this weekend was a little more fun than usual! That's because my cousin and her daughters came to visit!
These are my loves! I used to live near them when I was in college, and I actually lived with them for a few months. As Lisa explained to Matthew: she's somewhere between a mother and a dear friend to me. She's taken care of me while I was sick, celebrated holidays with me while I was far from my parents, comforted my broken heart, laughed, confided, listened, gently told me that I'd made poor hair dye decisions, took me out for my 21st birthday, helped me buy my first car, and on and on. And her girls? They are in my heart every day.
They've recently discovered the joy of AIM and video chat, and I've been talking to them online pretty often. This reconnection spurred some discussion amongst them about coming to visit for a long weekend, which turned into a realization that: hello! THIS is a long weekend! And Thursday I got an email announcing they'd be coming Saturday!
They came to my house from the airport, and here comes the creativity: I somehow managed to clean my apartment from stem to stern, AND make a meal for nine people (the three of them, Lisa's mom/my aunt Polly, my mum, my step-dad, my brother, my youngest sister, and me!) AND somehow serve it in my big-but-not-that-big kitchen!
I made a recipe from the February 2010 issue of Real Simple. It was SO EASY and very tasty:
Creamy Ravioli and Pesto Gratin
1c heavy cream
1/4c pesto
1 16-18oz package of fresh or frozen cheese ravioli
1/4c grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 375.
Prepare the ravioli according to package directions. (I actually skipped this step by accident, and it was still totally fine)
In a large bowl, whisk together the cream and pesto.
Mix in the ravioli.
Transfer to a shallow 2-qt. baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake until golden and bubbling, 25-30 minutes.
I served it with a big salad that had mixed baby greens, grilled chicken, sliced shallots, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and grape tomatoes with a simple balsamic vinaigrette. It was a hit!
Then Lis and the girls gamely set forth to Boston, where we visited the Aquarium, and then, tired and hungry again, we went to Mum's house for tacos and Wii.
Sunday, we had plans to do all sorts of things, but we ended up taking it easy and coloring. Of course, I didn't scan or take any pictures of the art we made together (I'll try to remember next time I'm out there) but I promise you this: it was colorful and full of joy.
These are my loves! I used to live near them when I was in college, and I actually lived with them for a few months. As Lisa explained to Matthew: she's somewhere between a mother and a dear friend to me. She's taken care of me while I was sick, celebrated holidays with me while I was far from my parents, comforted my broken heart, laughed, confided, listened, gently told me that I'd made poor hair dye decisions, took me out for my 21st birthday, helped me buy my first car, and on and on. And her girls? They are in my heart every day.
They've recently discovered the joy of AIM and video chat, and I've been talking to them online pretty often. This reconnection spurred some discussion amongst them about coming to visit for a long weekend, which turned into a realization that: hello! THIS is a long weekend! And Thursday I got an email announcing they'd be coming Saturday!
They came to my house from the airport, and here comes the creativity: I somehow managed to clean my apartment from stem to stern, AND make a meal for nine people (the three of them, Lisa's mom/my aunt Polly, my mum, my step-dad, my brother, my youngest sister, and me!) AND somehow serve it in my big-but-not-that-big kitchen!
I made a recipe from the February 2010 issue of Real Simple. It was SO EASY and very tasty:
Creamy Ravioli and Pesto Gratin
1c heavy cream
1/4c pesto
1 16-18oz package of fresh or frozen cheese ravioli
1/4c grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 375.
Prepare the ravioli according to package directions. (I actually skipped this step by accident, and it was still totally fine)
In a large bowl, whisk together the cream and pesto.
Mix in the ravioli.
Transfer to a shallow 2-qt. baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake until golden and bubbling, 25-30 minutes.
I served it with a big salad that had mixed baby greens, grilled chicken, sliced shallots, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and grape tomatoes with a simple balsamic vinaigrette. It was a hit!
Then Lis and the girls gamely set forth to Boston, where we visited the Aquarium, and then, tired and hungry again, we went to Mum's house for tacos and Wii.
Sunday, we had plans to do all sorts of things, but we ended up taking it easy and coloring. Of course, I didn't scan or take any pictures of the art we made together (I'll try to remember next time I'm out there) but I promise you this: it was colorful and full of joy.
1/15/10
Uhm... today I made brownies with Andi and Jess?
I don't know.
I was telling them about this project, and we decided that's what we'd do. They were really good!
I don't know.
I was telling them about this project, and we decided that's what we'd do. They were really good!
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