My Minutia

1,176 Miles

That's how far he has run since the first of this year.  Cross country runners are some kind of machine, aren't they? Day after day they run ... mile after mile.

 

He started training for this season at the beginning of Summer, 2 or 3 weeks after track season. So basically, he's been running six days a week for the past 10 months with only those couple of weeks off.

This is the pay off. Right here:

Running at the State Meet. There he is approaching the finish line! I was way far away and way up high with my momma honkin lens getting that shot of him and the state banner. On a small cliff with a few other big timey photographers.

 

Here is a shot of him after the Districts Meet a couple weeks ago. Look at those legs. Incredible. Takes after his Momma. Oh ha ha ha, okay let's all stop laughing now!

 

 

He said his legs even more defined after track season, but I can't even imagine now much more defined they can get, can you?

Anyway, we are sooooo proud of him!! He's gone to state all 3 years he has run XC. Quite a dedicated kid he is.

Can't believe he just finished the season, senior year is going by quickly. That puts a big huge lump in my throat. Slow down. Just slow down.

 

From Here to There.

Another girlie has gone from the blank page to life. From nothing to something. That makes it sound easy, but there's a lot of in between stages of course. I'm getting a lil system going though...yay me.

 

She doesn't have a name yet...but she's diggin' her dress. Hee hee. And her booties. So hip. It's boot weather you know...so she needed a pair to keep her toes warm.

 

Hope you are having a great day!

His Scary Pumpkin

Proud Mom moment...our 13 yr. old cut out this mighty fine pumpkin in his stagecraft class. I think he did a great job.

 

He painted it, too, but ran out of time in class (doesn't that always happen) so he asked me to finish it. All I did was recolor what he did and make his eyes yellow inside.  I think he started out orange, then went to green somewhere along the line. So he's more of a dracula pumpkin! I can appreciate his orange undertones...can't you? Gives him character.

He also has a sad face on the backside...

 

I'm glad he wrote his name on it, that's my favorite part. Check out the bat he also cut out. Looks like he started to paint that, too. Wonder how it'll be finished?!

Boo to you!

Color and Light

Hello to a new week! Thought I'd show a peek at this sketch featured in my Color As A Verb E-Workshop today. Just cuz I'm loving the colors...

 

 

There is always something to learn, isn't there? Even when I am up to my eyeballs in workshop lesson making and prep work, I almost always learn something myself. I certainly get inspired. This color class has taken me in many new directions, which is sooo great.

One blast of inspiration has been color. Well, that should be obvious because it's a class about colors and Copics...but I didn't anticipate this much inspiration when I started formulating the Workshop!

As in...new colorways and how they start a riot together...within themselves. One example of this is purple/lavender. I've never really been drawn to purples. When mixed with the sky blues, mustards, grays though...ack...love it.

 

And I think my little girly girl is looking pretty cute as a red head. So, yeah, totally lovin' the colors and lovin' the light! Hope you are having a great day!

 

Say Hello to My Sketches

Lately, I've been enjoying sketching comic looking people. This little interest came about when developing artwork for my current E-Workshop, which covers Copic Markers. I wanted the sweet folks in the Workshop to have some fun stuff to color. Well, I've been enjoying the coloring, too. Funny how things work!

This is a messy version of one of the girl's I've created. I love to give them personality with a few strokes here and there.

 

Sassy thinks that girl should be named after her! Sounds perfect, right?

I could just color and color and shade...and sketch and doodly-do. And I do, every day.

 

This fine fellow is a mix of our two boys. I suppose he is a combination of both of them. I like his chin. :) Just looking at them here on the screen makes me want to make more. More sketches, not children!

I used to sketch stuff a lot. The past few years, not so much. It's fun to do new things, or revisit old ones. Love that.

My Favorite Salad

So yesterday we decided to get BBQ from a restaurant my hubby tried long ago. Whenever the boys hear the word "ribs", they drop dead with anticipation, slide into their seats at the table and proceed to drool.

So he brought in these enormous BBQ ribs. The biggest I've ever seen! A good blogger would have taken a photo to show you, oops. They were eating their ribs all barbarian style...seriously they were. There was sauce from ear to ear. I, however, munched on cornbread muffins I'd made and my most favorite salad. Okay, I had one rib. But it was this salad that I longed for...

 

Apple-Pear Salad with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing

 

It's been my go-to salad for a few months now. Isn't it pretty? Apparently it's been around a while, the recipe is dated 2007. I'm just so glad I found it. Here are the ingredients I use:

 

Click here for the recipe. I hope you try it...you will love it!

I had to force the boys to eat salad, they were so engrossed with the ribs. I think I had most of it, which I'm totally fine with!

Steve Jobs said it Best

His innovation and forward thinking will certainly be missed. Such an icon in the 21st Century! This is one of my favorite philosophies, from Apple:

 

(An art journal page I did this Summer)

Thank you Mr. Jobs. Thank you.

 

Impossible is Nothing

The whole notion of this quote intrigues and delights me. How about you?

 

That is only part of the quote actually. The entire quote reads:

 

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men

who find it easier

to live in the world they've been given

than to explore the power they have to change it.

Impossible is not a fact.

It's an opinion.

Impossible is not a declaration

It's a dare.

Impossible is potential.

Impossible is temporary.

Impossible is nothing.

 

I think it's a from by Adidas, not positive. You'd think I'd know given how much time my kids drag me to the sporting goods stores. Maybe it's not by a sports company at all. I've seen Impossible is Nothing on lots of sports tshirts though. More inspiration here. Love the Gilbert Arenas story. Love all of the "real" artwork the athlete's added, too.

Anyway, so yes, I love the notion of this quote and where my mind takes me while I read it. This method of thinking isn't just for athletes...of course not. It's for everyone. I wish more people thought like this.

 

By the way, that's an art journal page featuring Copic marker exercises in my current online workshop. And no, it's not too late to register.  Because I loved the quote so much, it had to be in my art journal!

Finding Fall

We road tripped this weekend, to our daughter's cross country meet. It was her school's home meet. The landscapes are beginning to dance with color here. Fall is my most favorite time of the year. I always enjoy Fall road trips...love the view.

 

Beautiful weather for the race.

 

Their team sported pink for Breast Cancer Awareness. Aren't they cute in their pink knee highs?!

 

Poor thing...she was sickly all last week, nasty cold. She ran anyway...so determined.

A few sun streaked photos...it was so pretty watching the sun set across this pretty park...

 

 

 

The Color As A Verb Launches Today!

Hooray! I just launched the new E-Workshop! By the way, there's still time to join in. Nope, it's not too late! Just click here to subscribe.

I have to show you a little somethin'...

 

 

This little bit o friendship was added to one of the videos in the E-Workshop, totally unrelated to the topic of the Workshop...but I had to add it to the end of a video! They love being outside, so I have been trying to slow life down a bit and spend more time out there with them. Soon it'll be too cold, ack!!

Anyhoo...enjoy your day! Maybe I'll do some journaling and coloring outside today...