Just Checking In!

Hello, readers! (All 1 or 2 of you!)


It's been over a week, I think, since I've updated - and since my camera is working after all (it was the batteries, never cheap out on camera batteries), I should really be keeping on top of this!


I'll make my excuses, though, and plan to aim for a post at least once a week in the next few weeks (May is looking to be a bit of a busy-ish month for me.)


First of all, I can announce this now that the word is officially out, my husband and I are expecting a baby in October (the 27th is the due date, which happens to be our 2 year wedding anniversary!). This is an excuse as to my sporatic blogging, because man, is the first trimester an energy-drainer, or what?


Now that I'm making my way into the 2nd trimester, and not feeling so tired or heartburn-y, I've caught a cold. Not a bad one, but I've been working a bit more than usual (I picked up an extra shift at work almost every week so far this month), so today on my day off, I'd kind of rather stay on the couch and nap or read than upload and edit photos...also, my house is a mess, and if I can muster the energy, I'd like to start some spring cleaning, or at least regular tidying!


I won't say May will be a write-off, but I do have quite a bit happening. It'll start off with my husband and I hearing our baby's heartbeat (which we both got the day off for, so have decided to go out and celebrate after), another week at work where I have more hours than usual. My nephew's birthday is on the 8th, and I still have to find the perfect gift! My birthday happens to be on Mother's Day this year, so obviously, I'll be celebrating with my mom - also, that's the time of year when my dad goes on his week long fishing trip, so mom and I get together for dinner and eat sushi and other things that dad doesn't particularily care for! Ending the month is a party for my grandparents' 60th anniversary/ Gramma's 80th birthday, and my aunt, mom and I are working on a photo album for that, so there's still a lot of scanning, printing, and scrapbooking ahead! (I haven't even printed and scrapbooked my own wedding photos from 2012 yet!)


The good news, craft-wise, is that when spring hits (like for real, as in warmth and more than 1 or 2 sunny days a week), I get very inspired in the craft room. I think it has to do with all of the colour that finally starts to bloom around me, and the natural light that shines in the windows.


I am working on a pair of earrings, which I've photographed in the process from the original design sketch, to each stage until completion. It changes drastically from concept to finished product! Stay tuned!


I'm ending this novel now, then I'll finish my coffee and try to force myself to at least vacuum before claiming the couch and watching some Doctor Who on Netflix!


Anyone else trying to get motivated to spring clean? Anyone finished?

Drawing Inspiration From The Past

  I'm inspired by so many things.  In fact, I could probably take inspiration from almost ANYTHING, especially if my mind is open enough to being inspired at that moment.
  In the last several years, though, my main inspirations have been colour (the brighter the better!), the Japanese pop, lolita, and visual kei movements & cute "kawaii" toys and things, and the 80's & 90's (my childhood).
  I'd like to talk about going back to the past, and drawing inspiration from that.
  I have a youtube playlist full of 80's commercials that, when I close my eyes, I can imagine I'm back there, my hometown looking the way it did then, myself having no cares but which neighbourhood park I wanted to play in, the (amazing) music that played on the radio, and the smells of the perfumes, shampoos, candy, and scratch 'n' sniff stickers we had back then.
  I was actually thinking in the shower last night, how I missed the smell of Revlon's Flex shampoo, and LA Looks shampoo.  That got me to thinking of Malibu perfume, and Exclamnation, and, my personal favourite that I'd give anything to smell again (and hey, Amazon has it!!!), Cover Girl's Navy perfume!  Ooh, and Maybelline's Kissin' Coolers  - particularily watermelon flavour!  I can almost smell it now!
  I thought I'd share my two "blast from the past" pinboards (and my truly outrageous Jem pinboard!), so you can see what I loved so much about the 80's and (early) 90's!
 
 
 

Is the Universe Pranking Me?

...It is, after all, April Fool's day.

  I wanted to snap some photos of my art room, in all it's "a-tornado-must-have-gone-through-here" glory.  It would have been a post showing just how many projects I have on the go at once, and how many different KINDS of projects I have on the go at once.  Not to mention, my inspiration board, and all of the cool stuff I clutter my space with that also inspires me!
  The idea for ME was to put that out there, and be shamed into properly organizing it again, as I had done not too long ago, (believe it or not.)

  Well, I managed to get a couple of photos.  Then, the batteries in my camera died.  After replacing them three times, and it still not working, I've decided that my camera has died.  Until I find my old camera (it's sooooo horribly bad, too), I thought I'd try using the webcam on my mini laptop...but I'm in the process of Googling that right now, as my laptop never came with any software for the freakin' camera!

  Oh, and my phone?  I use it for emergencies only, and have no idea how to use the camera on it.  (I hate the phone, you guys, so really, you'll probably never see me carry around a cell phone that isn't just tucked in my purse for emergencies.  I really don't WANT anyone to be able to contact me.  I'm living life!  Leave me a message at home, right?  Sorry - this is a craft-type blog, not the rant-type blog I've always dreamed of having, but I don't want to offend anyone...)

  I can't even find the DS to use as a camera!  HAHA!  It's actually funny how I'm striking out, here!

  To be honest, I feel like unplugging today anyway.  I can't believe a single post I read on facebook (as I've said, it's April Fool's Day), and I really should get a head start on my Spring house cleaning now that the snow looks to (maybe) finally be melting!

  I know it's difficult to tell the tone of "voice" in written form, so let me just assure you, I'm not really ranting in a miserable, grumpy way.  I am actually amused at my little predicament!  I just really wanted to get a blog post up today, since I'd neglected the last few days.

  I'll end this by showing a couple of the photos I managed to take before my camera died.  Think of it as a preview of a future post!

 

You can see that all manner of bright toys and knick-knacks inspire me.  We've got Smurfs, Betty Boop, Belle, cupcakes, Return to Oz, and a beautiful card my friend brought me back from Ireland.  Oh, and there are some necklaces hanging there, too - I did make something, it's not just a kitschy museum!

My cork board with a Jem puzzle, Disney cards I'd received, a Pokemon origami, an art project my nephew made for me, and many cut-outs of things that inspire me, mostly jewelry, and some musicians with quirky styles I like.

This last photo is one I've shown before, on my very first post, I believe.  You can see all of the projects on the go - ribbon, puzzle-pieces, beads, quilled paper pieces, etc.

  If you couldn't tell, my art space is in our (as yet, unfinished) basement.  I love basements, unfinished or finished.  I don't know why.

  Anyway!  My non-post has become my most long-winded!

  I hope no one's getting pranked TOO badly this April Fool's Day!