30 Days of Me: Day 7 & 8

Day 01 – Introduce Yourself
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend

I totally flaked on this yesterday! I started writing about it in the morning and when I found out school was closed for snow, I just completely flaked! XD

Anyway, my best friend is my love, Jacqueline. She knows me inside and out, frontwards and backwards. She supports me in all decisions, every undertaking, and any way she can. I am so blessed to have her by my side and am grateful for her every day.

Day 08 – A precious item

Of course my love and the kids are the *most* precious things to me, but a precious *item* ... well, I guess it'd have to be this:


Besides being the most valuable thing we own (including the car), it provides me with a creative outlet, as well as allows me to take great photos of my jewelry and art for selling on Etsy.

The computer is a very close second, but I could go to the library or a relatives if I didn't have this one...

Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – Your childhood
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favorite memory
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – Your morning routine
Day 21 – Your job and/or schooling
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – Your sleeping habits
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your favorite foods/drinks
Day 30 – Your aspirations

30 Days of Me: Day 6

Day 01 – Introduce Yourself
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day

The phone rang way early. It was for a sub position today, but I already have a half day elsewhere. So I tried to get back to sleep. I slept fitfully and woke up several hours later from disturbing dreams to the sounds of Jacqueline shoveling the driveway. (She spoils me so.) I tried to go back to sleep because I had another hour before I had to, but truthfully I had slept enough.

So I got up. My weight is the lowest it's been since starting this diet in March: 183.6. I was hovering around here back in mid-October, but I gained about 5 pounds when I went to ARGH - and I always gain a little before my period - and it's taken til now to get back down.

Then I showered and started putting on layers. Sadly my work clothes don't leave much room for things like long underwear or extra shirts underneath, so I may get frostbite on the way to work. XD But I love how I look in these clothes. Black pin-stripe dress pants, black loafers with a buckle, and my colorful red sweater with the big cowl neck. Two pairs of socks allow me to just barely fit into the shoes, but my feet shall be warm, and I have on my leg warmers which will keep me warm to the knee - in theory. I'll wear my big shaggy black sweater over the red one for warmth, but probably take it off when I take off my coat; it's pretty bulky and awkward.

Then I had some breakfast: a 2-egg mushroom & cheese fritatta and a cup of coffee.

~ w. o. r. k. ~ b. r. e. a. k. ~

The drive to school wasn't too bad. I am glad I left early though, as it was slow-going. It did take my toes quite a while to warm up once I got there though. I signed in and was directed to the right room where I conferred with the regular Art teacher about the day's schedule. She finished up with that period's class which was in the computer lab, as was the next period, which was also run by the computer lab teacher, while I just wandered about helping kids who needed help. (Not many.)

The next two periods were the art teacher's planning period and lunch; so after checking in the office if there was something else they needed me to do (there wasn't), I hung out in the faculty room, ate my snackish-sorta lunch (a bottle of diet cherry pepsi, a little cheese, some cocoa almonds, and oh yum! A chocolate-covered peppermint Oreo!) and read a book (Wonderland - good BTW!).

Then I headed to the next class, which was a study hall period. Since there wasn't much for me to do there other than babysit, I spent the time sketching. I drew a bunny reading a book on a bookmark-sized piece of watercolor paper, and a monkey for one of the students who had been hanging out at the table with me.

The last period was an actual art class! The students were creating a "musical landscape" (a landscape scene meeting certain requirements inspired by one of 3 pieces of music) with glue as the medium today. After it dries they'll be coloring it with oil pastels. They were all pretty creative despite not liking any of the pieces the teacher let them choose from. (One was the X-Files Theme which none of them knew! I felt so OLD!)

When the final bell rang, I cleaned up the room a bit then bundled up for the cold ride home. It was STILL snowing out there! Walking through the parking lot was mushy slushy crap, and the roads were just as snowy as before. But it was definitely warmer because even though I could see my breath, I could also still feel my toes when I got home. XD

I love coming home to my family. The driveway seemed hardly snowy at all. Jacqueline met me at the door, and I asked if anyone had gotten the mail yet. Silly me, I didn't notice the flag was still up and the mail hadn't come yet! LOL! But it's such a pretty walk in the snow... ^-^

Jacqueline and I chatted for a while with Lia too off & on, then I had a cup of coffee and checked my email. A little while later Jacqueline brought me a little snack (iced herbal tea and some very interesting meat & cheese roll-ups) while checked my deviantART and a few other websites...

Then I popped in New Moon. Yesterday, I watched Twilight, and tomorrow, I'll be watching Eclipse. That'll be the movie where she decides she's poly and can date both Jacob and Edward, right? XD Yes, I've read the books. I know they're bad, and the movie is full of bad acting, but I like it. So :P* ...

~ m. o. v. i. e. ~ b. r. e. a. k. ~

I had some dinner while watching New Moon (frozen stuffed chicken breast, some brussels sprouts, and another glass of tea) and got a call for 2 half days and a full day for the rest of the work. (Cross your fingers for work on Friday too!) Then Lia & I watched 102 Dalmatians (We watched 101 Dalmatians yesterday.), and I did some studying for my Foundations of Research course. Yay! Oh and I got some dessert! Some delicious old-fashioned Watergate Salad! Ours has maraschino cherries instead of pecans... Yum!

Then I did more studying for this test until I was very nearly falling asleep and the words were blurring on the screen. Then I knew it was time for bed. So I shut everything off and crawled into bed with my love for a long winter's nap (or will in one moment)... Zzzzzz...

Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A precious item
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – Your childhood
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favorite memory
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – Your morning routine
Day 21 – Your job and/or schooling
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – Your sleeping habits
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your favorite foods/drinks
Day 30 – Your aspirations

30 Days of Me:: Day 5

Day 01 – Introduce Yourself
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love

I've been thinking a lot about what to say here about this. In the past I might not have said anything controversial at all. But in light of all the recent issues in the media, I feel the need to speak up.

How do *I* define love?

Love is fluid and limitless, and it cannot be defined in concrete terms. It cannot be labeled or put in boxes.

You cannot tell me what my love should look like, and I cannot tell you what yours should look like. You may choose to love someone who is a different race, religion, or sex than yourself, or you may find your love is more similar to you than you thought possible. You may come to realize you love more than one, or you could choose to love none. You might think my love is just a *kink* - a sexual deviance - but maybe, your love is the deviation...

There is an old Hindu proverb, that describes the path to God like the paths of a mountain: The paths are many, but the peak is one. It is my belief that love can be described the same.

*That* is how I define love.


"Love is like pi... It's irrational, it goes on forever, and people study it for patterns"
Originally uploaded by Lin Pernille ♥ Photography
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A precious item
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – Your childhood
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favorite memory
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – Your morning routine
Day 21 – Your job and/or schooling
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – Your sleeping habits
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your favorite foods/drinks
Day 30 – Your aspirations

30 Days of Me: Day 4

Day 01 – Introduce Yourself
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today

• 10:30am - 1/2 glass diet cherry pepsi to take pills (2 aleve for arthritis, 3 ibuprofin for cramps, 1 vitamin E for heart disease prevention, and some days there are more, but we're out of them)
• 11:30am - 2 eggs with smoked swiss, 2 slices of bacon, 1 mug of gingerbread coffee with 1 T cream and 1 packet of equal
• 2pm - 1 mug of gingerbread coffee with 1 T cream and 1 packet of equal
• 3:30pm - glass of diet cherry pepsi
• 4pm - big salad topped with a small tomato, about 1/4 c broccoli slaw, 1/3 c cottage cheese, Vidalia onion dressing, and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds
• 8pm - glass of vanilla seltzer with 1 maraschino cherry & 3 t 'juice'
• 9:30pm - glass of vanilla seltzer with 1 T sugar-free hazelnut syrup, 1 cheese & pepperoni egg roll (omg delish! I could have eaten a million I think!), 3 oz of root vegetable latkes with 2 T sour cream and 1/3 c apple sauce
• 10:30 - glass of iced Nutcracker Sweet tea
• 12:30am - another glass of tea and some aleve
  

I may possibly have a small piece of chocolate before bed, but I am not sure. And this is not a typical day... :P Day 05 – Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A precious item
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – Your childhood
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favorite memory
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – Your morning routine
Day 21 – Your job and/or schooling
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – Your sleeping habits
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your favorite foods/drinks
Day 30 – Your aspirations

New Holiday Fancies from Faerie Gardens

Click through to see more!

30 Days of Me: Day 3

Day 01 – Introduce Yourself
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents

My parents are a mixed blessing.  There is much love, but also there is much unintentional hurt and worry.  My parents divorced when I was 10 and both remarried shortly thereafter.  I lived with my mom and step-dad, they both were very present throughout my life.  Sadly my step-father died unexpectedly a little over a year ago, and it's been difficult to connect with my mom ever since.  My father & I have never really seemed to connect, and as much love as there is, it is very difficult to communicate clearly with either of them at the moment, and I often feel like I'm being misunderstood or misunderstanding them.  I try my best though, and I know they are too. ♥

Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A precious item
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – Your childhood
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favorite memory
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – Your morning routine
Day 21 – Your job and/or schooling
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – Your sleeping habits
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your favorite foods/drinks
Day 30 – Your aspirations

30 Days of Me: Day 2

Day 01 – Introduce Yourself
Day 02 – Your first love

Crayola Crayons. The bright yellow box with the green stripe, all those shiny pointed crayons, the waxy smell... I loved getting a new box, especially the kind with the sharpener on the back, and I would cry if any of them ever got broken. I could spend hours and hours drawing and coloring, lost in my own little world of horses and princesses...

Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A precious item
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – Your childhood
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favorite memory
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – Your morning routine
Day 21 – Your job and/or schooling
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – Your sleeping habits
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your favorite foods/drinks
Day 30 – Your aspirations

30 Days of Me: Day 1

Day 01 – Introduce Yourself

*smiles & shakes your hand*  Hello!  My name is Diana, but you can call me Bunny.  *stares at you, smiling & waiting*

Oh, alright, I'll say more... :P

I am older than I think I am.  I am an artist and a teacher with a passion for photography, painting, polymer clay, and purple shiny sparkly things.  In the summer you can find me, swimming in Lake Ontario, and when that's not possible, you can find me walking its shores or cuddling up at home with my love, Jacqueline, our kids, and our cat (who also is called Bunny, although she never comes when you call).  I also enjoy road trips, pop music, and reading; bird watching, plant identifying, and rock collecting; and watching old TV shows, catching up on the movies I missed, and making lots of good memories.  I endeavor to live in each moment being fully present, and to be a Shining example of the Me that is Me, while helping those around me do the same.


Playground Fun on Thanksgiving Day, 11/25/10
Day 02 – Your first love
Day 03 – Your parents
Day 04 – What you ate today
Day 05 – Your definition of love
Day 06 – Your day
Day 07 – Your best friend
Day 08 – A precious item
Day 09 – Your beliefs
Day 10 – What you wore today
Day 11 – Your siblings
Day 12 – What’s in your bag
Day 13 – This week
Day 14 – Your childhood
Day 15 – Your dreams
Day 16 – Your first kiss
Day 17 – Your favorite memory
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday
Day 19 – Something you regret
Day 20 – Your morning routine
Day 21 – Your job and/or schooling
Day 22 – Something that upsets you
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry
Day 25 – Your sleeping habits
Day 26 – Your fears
Day 27 – Your favorite place
Day 28 – Something that you miss
Day 29 – Your favorite foods/drinks
Day 30 – Your aspirations

Giveaway at Purple Pumpkin

And it's a cute one!


All this can be yours! Just click the pic to be taken to the place you too can enter! ^-^

Etsy Blogger of the Month: Devine Designs Jewelry

Say hello to November's Blogger of the Month...


Her shop is full of handmade artisan jewelry of wire, metal, glass, and gems.  Here are some of my favorites...


You Rock-artisan made polymer clay beads, handmade bead caps and chain necklace set with earrings


Sugilite drop earrings-sterling silver scroll pattern-OOAK


Simple sterling silver hoops-everyday wear
Check out her shop and blog, and see what's there that might be calling to you...  You can even add her on Facebook!

• Devine Designs Jewelry on Etsy
• Devine Designs Jewelry on BlogSpot
• Devine Designs Jewelry on Facebook

BlogCarnival: Inspiration

PatchFirstShop asks us: What item are you working on?? What is your inspiration for this piece??

Ever since our trip to Tennessee (and our stay at the Holiday Inn Express) I've become obsessed with cinnamon buns... also with gingerbread and all other manners of tasty "seasonal" food, and it's been influencing and inspiring my polymer clay creations lately:


Click to see full size!
In fact, I just had to run out and buy more clay because I have an idea for more tasty treats I want to make!  ^-^  I can't wait to show them to you!

Mosaic Monday Bunday

It's time for another round of Mosaic Monday Bunday!  Last time we played our theme was RAINBOW and our winner was Emma!  Yay!  This fabu bookmark is now yours!


Click for full size!
Today's theme is super easy (so no prize); it's all about writing in honor of all the people doing NaNoWriMo!  You go, guys!


Click for full size!
Clockwise from upper left: Richard Scarry "Write it Down' 1 Inch Button Set, Lovable Beasts Rabbit Limited Edition Book Print, bunny at writing desk print, white recycled paper figurine 'the writer'
For other Mosaic Monday posts, click here!

TiLT: Things I Love Thursday

I've not done one of these in a while, but I thought today I would...


♥ Purple skies filled with crows


♥ My new Happy Book!


♥ Frosty Fall Fruit (and alliterations)


♥ This cabin...


♥ This view...


♥ Climbing this mountain (minus the drive up to the parking lot)


♥ Finishing art


♥ Honorable Mentions: Girls with long curly hair; Graham cracker toffee crack; Seashells and rabbits; Starbucks coffee (even black!); Drama-free boyfriends; Holiday Inn Express hot tubs, swimming pools, and Cinnamon Buns; Fall leaves...


Things I Love Thursday is brought to you by Gala Darling...

Thirteen Days of Halloween: WINNER!

Oh yes I am late... But that's just me... ^-^ It's time to choose the winner!


Thank you Random.org! And congratulations to Amy! ^o^

Test

Testing the new twitterfeed doo-hickey...

EDIT: Apparently I picked a bad time to do this. It's not working due to a backup of some sort on twitterfeed. Meh.

FINISHED! Creativity Boot Camp: Day 3, Multilayered

I finally got this painting done. Here is the progression:

Painting of a favorite photo of my dad & me...


Collaged some of the things I associate with my dad...


Painted over the collaged items to blend them in better...


Added details to the portrait part...


More details, some color correction, a few chunky items, and a little glitter for that magical effect! ^-^
(Click for full size on black!)

13/13 Extension

No comments yet on THIS POST; so I'll extend the time to Saturday afternoon at 3pm Eastern for your chance to win this whimsical watercolor postcard! Click here to leave a comment for your chance to win!

13/13

Whoo hoo!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
In honor of the big day, I'm giving out more treats! And since I'll be away from my computer until Thursday, you have until I come back to enter!

Just leave a comment (with a way to reach you) to win one of my fabulous watercolor postcards! And if you want extra chances to win, leave additional comments with links to where you've shared this post: twitter, facebook, your blog...

Remember you have until the end of the day on Thursday, November 4th!

13/12

'Tis the night before Halloween and we are on our way to Tennessee! When I was a little girl and went on trips with my grandparents, my grandmother would always buy me a new box of crayons and some coloring books. Nowadays, you can find lots of pretty coloring pages on the internet to print out, and I've done that for the girls - and myself - many times!

Today, I give you one of my own that you can print and color! I'd love to see your colored versions!


Click for Full Size!

13/11

Earlier this month, we had Halloween cupcakes with pretty little cupcake toppers, and I got the idea that they would look great on all different kinds of things, besides cupcakes! And I thought I'd like to make some of my own...

So today I have treat toppers! Cut these circles out, glue together with a toothpick or craft stick in between, and stick on top of cupcakes, brownies, cheese balls, or any other Halloween treats you might have this weekend...



Click for full size!