A Quirky Treat

Hello everyone! Hope this finds you well and happy! Today I have something for you that is really neat. I realize that it is Thursday, but today I don't really want to have this be a "Trinket for Thursday." So, here we go.
Back in November CJ and I went to the OKC Museum of Art for my birthday. It was a ton of fun, and my favorite exhibit while we were there was one by Franco Mondini Ruiz whose artwork is extremely lighthearted, colorful, and fun. His artwork is quickly finding a place in my heart and is starting to be very inspirational to me as I start figuring out what direction I will take my art next. Here is a video from the opening night of his show:

Hopefully you enjoyed the video and got to see how wonderful his art is. Many times artists have trouble figuring out how to sell their artwork, but Ruiz seems to have found a unique and clever way to do that. Here is his website if you would like to check out what he is up to now:

http://francomondiniruiz.com/index.php

As you go about your day, try to be lighthearted and fun while doing your job or chores. Think of a new way to do them and try it out--maybe it is a better way. Have a great weekend everybody! Oh and remember...its the random reasons.

Princess Jawok

Hello everyone! I know that it has been a bit since my last post, but I have some very exciting news! CJ and I adopted a puppy on Saturday! She is the most adorable and gorgeous--I'm not biased at all. (haha)  Anyhoo, here's the story....

Once upon a time there was a couple who had been wanting a puppy. At first the boyfriend thought that his girlfriend was just going through a phase and thought nothing of it. But then the boyfriend started to think about how joyful his life would be with a puppy in it. Saturday afternoons romping around in the sunshine, evening walks at the park, lounging around the house all cuddled up together... so he started to participate in the wanting of a puppy. The girlfriend was happy for the change, but then after some practical thinking they both realized that getting a puppy while living in their apartment would be expensive and slightly complicated. They started "awww"ing when they saw pictures of cute little puppies and they started to search for a house with a backyard. They decided to go play with some puppies at the shelter to make sure that they were not just going through a phase, so they planned a Saturday afternoon trip. On their way to the shelter the girlfriend warned the boyfriend to be strong for she feared that the boyfriend's heart would melt with every puppy they played with. As the couple walked into the noisy dog room of the shelter they heard deep loud barks from big dogs, shrill whining from the scared dogs, squeaky yapping from the ankle biters, and as they tired to focus, their eyes landed on a little dog bouncing up and down, wagging her tail, and pawing at the gate. They looked at her card:  1/2 basset hound and 1/2 heeler.....The couple wondered if she would be too big, so they headed to the other side of the kennel. There was a little black puppy laying in the corner all curled up and shivering. Her tag said she was part cocker spaniel and part beagle, but she looked like a min lab. They took turns going inside her cage and loving on her....nothing. She just kept whimpering and ignoring them. So the couple went back over to the other side. The bouncing puppy kept watching them, pawing at her gate. She was adorable, but the couple tried not to fall for it...but then the boyfriend suggested they take her for a walk outside. They ended up going to one of the play pens and playing fetch and the sweet tail wagging puppy tricked them into falling in love with her. The girlfriend had been hit the hardest and was convincing her boyfriend to adopt the puppy today. The boyfriend didn't take much convincing, but before they decided to adopt the puppy, they had to see how big she would get. The manager said that she shouldn't get bigger than 30 lbs. so the couple adopted the adorable bouncing puppy and took her right to Petco to buy the essentials and start spoiling their little princess.

So far Jawok hasn't had any problems! She is the absolute best dog in the entire world! She is potty training and crate training so quickly, she rarely barks, and she is very intelligent. Oh and there is that cuteness factor that she has....she is precious. She has turned me into a happy dog mommy in a matter of days. It is such a great thing knowing that we rescued her from sleeping in that loud, cold, dog shelter or from roaming the streets. Jawok is our little princess and we could not be more delighted.

Right after we brought her home!

Sleeping on the couch...with her new ID tag and collar.

Posing for a pretty picture.

Relaxing after a long walk at the Botanic Gardens.

How cute is that?

Such a gorgeous girl.

Princess Jawok is loving her forever home.

Sorry for the lengthy post, and for all the sappiness, but I just can't help it. As you go about your week, let something melt your heart....it doesn't have to be a puppy, but it could be. And if you are thinking about getting a puppy, think about adopting one! Oh and remember...it's the random reasons.

Sometimes Sappy

So....the clip I am about to post is a tad bit--no, it is completely sappy, but it is one of my favorite movie scenes from one of my top 5 favorite movies, No Strings Attached. So, if you don't like all the love and sappiness, I'm sorry, but just don't watch it. If you are up for an adorable "aww moment" then press the play button and enjoy!

Hope you enjoyed it! Have a great evening! Remember...it's the random reasons.

Oh the Possibilities

Hello everyone! I am once again, sorry for not posting for almost a month, but I decided to take a little break from the blog while I was out of school. I have also been a little busy with work and Christmas and everything. However, I have lots of great news.

1. 2011's holiday season will hopefully be the last holiday season that C.J. and I will have to work in retail. We both have new jobs, and they are wonderful 8-5 weekday jobs! Yay! I cannot explain my happiness. C.J. is already finished at Best Buy and starts his new full time job tomorrow. I have already started working part time in the BITE office at CareerTech, and will finish up my time at Best Buy on the 21st. Words can't explain how blessed I feel to know that very, very soon, we will have weeknights and weekends to ourselves!

2. Classes start tomorrow and while I am not overly excited about my classes, I think that this semester will be a good one. I am taking 5 classes, 1 online, and 4 in class. Those four are all in the Bartlett Center and 2 are in one room, and the other 2 are in a different room. Two studios, and two art histories. There should be an abundance of art this semester! Also, keep on the watch for show information!

3. As one of my Christmas presents, C.J. has agreed to build me a website for my art. I am still trying to decide on domain names and all of the little details, but that should be up and running within the next few months!

That's about all I have for you right now, but this year is definitely going to be a good one! I have a feeling that 2012 is going to bring a lot of joy and happiness my way.

Hope you all have had a great start to your year, and as you go about the coming week, remember that there is always something better around the corner, you just have to be brave enough to go looking for it. Have a wonderful week, and as always, it's the random reasons.

Trinket for Thursday

Hello everyone! Today's post is a Trinket for Thursday...that is actually on a Thursday! I am a little proud that I remembered to write today, but also quite disappointed that I have neglected my blogging duties. Please forgive me. Now...moving on. I thought long and hard about what to post for today's trinket...photo, art, video...etc. I couldn't come up with a single thing that seemed interesting enough to share. Finally I came up with an idea...a completely useless list of days that is in fact, quite humorous. As you probably already know, we are now in the month of November....where did time fly? I don't know where it zoomed off to, but that is for another day. Anyhoo, I absolutely LOVE the month of November! Below is a list of "National Days" and I have highlighted and commented on some of my favorite. Enjoy!

NOVEMBER

November 1 is … Plan Your Epitaph Day

November 2 is … National Deviled Egg Day
November 3 is … Sandwich Day and Housewife's Day (This is today!)
November 4 is … Waiting For The Barbarians Day (ummm....awkward?)
November 5 is … Gunpowder Day
November 6 is … Saxophone Day and Marooned Without A Compass Day
November 7 is … National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day (um.Yum.)November 8 is … Dunce Day
November 9 is … Chaos Never Dies Day
November 10 is … Forget-Me-Not Day
November 11 is … Air Day
November 12 is … National Pizza With The Works Except Anchovies Day
November 13 is … National Indian Pudding Day
November 14 is … Operation Room Nurse Day
November 15 is … National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
November 16 is … Button Day
November 17 is … Take A Hike Day
November 18 is … Occult Day
November 19 is … Have A Bad Day Day (Ironically...this is mine and C.J.'s anniversary. It won't be a bad day!)

November 20 is … Absurdity Day (This is my birthday!)
November 21 is … World Hello Day and False Confessions Day
November 22 is … Start Your Own Country Day
November 23 is … National Cashew Day
November 24 is … Use Even If Seal Is Broken Day (This would be Thanksgiving...)
November 25 is … National Parfait Day
November 26 is … Shopping Reminder Day
November 27 is … Pins And Needles Day
November 28 is … Make Your Own Head Day
November 29 is … Square Dance Day
November 30 is … Stay At Home Because You're Well Day (Might have to celebrate this one!)

Hopefully you all enjoyed this silly little list of days. Celebrate them or not, have a wonderful November! As you go about your day, don't be afraid to be a little crazy or to celebrate something completely random. Have fun with your life! And, as always...it's the random reasons.

Silicone and Fishes

Good Monday everyone! Hope you are doing well! It has been a crazy week. Quick recap:  My family came into town the weekend before last, it was a blast. This last week has been a series of running to classes, running to work, then running around trying to get homework finished and tests studied for. Thankfully this last weekend was great. I actually worked both Saturday and Sunday, but C.J. and I spent a lot of time just having fun. No homework this last weekend! That was super nice! Last night he popped Star Wars into the DVD player.....and so I can now say that I have seen Star Wars (even if it is only like an hours worth). Haha. Anyhoo, classes today were pretty good, and most of them let out early. So I have an art post for you and a surprise too!

Art Project Numero Uno:  Clay tile, with flexible mold, and mother mold.
Class:  3D

This project has been extremely stretched out as far as the time frame goes. But anyways, we were told to make a 4 inch by 4 inch tile out of clay. The design was completely up to each individual, but it had to work when 9 of the same tile were laid together. I chose to take my inspiration from the Aegeans and the Italians, and then add some of my own flavor to it. It was both an additive and subtractive process. Here it is:

The finished tile:

So there is that project....well, part of it. Because of the weather we were not able to cast our flexible molds out of the silicone sealant as soon as we would have liked. Then, we had to let those dry before we could cast the mother mold out of plaster....which we did today. So...hopefully soon I will have my nine tiles cast out of plaster. Want to know the best part about this project? We get to paint the tiles in as many colors as we would like! I am so excited!

Project Numero Dos:  Zoology Study

Class:  Drawing 2

Oh my goodness. If you have ever been down to the basement of Life Sciences West on campus you will know why I could not look at a glass jar for a few weeks without getting queasy. If you haven't been down there...let me fill you in. You see, below the classrooms of Life Sciences West lies the most perfect venue for a haunted house. No, there are no ghosts, but there are a lot of dead things. The basement is home to the Zoology collections museum which has animals dating back to before statehood. Impressive! So to help you get the visual, think of those shelves you can buy at Walmart and Lowes for your garage or shop....now think of those completely full of various sizes of mason glass jars...you have your pints, quarts, gallons, 2 gallons...etc. Now fill all of those jars with a liquid that looks like Miso soup....minus the tofu. (yum...right?) No. Now...stuff various types of animals into those soup filled jars. Gross...I know. They have all kinds--fish, snakes, frogs, bugs, polar bears, sharks, pigs....you name it, they probably have canned it. Now...that's not all. They also have several sets of drawers that when pulled out reveal dead birds...they are not stuffed either. They just lay side by side in the drawer blanketed with the smell of moth balls. As you walk out of the museum you can see the many deep freezes that line the basement hallway....creeeepy. Animals in jars not your thing? That's ok, they have deep freezes on the first floor with dead mammals and bones....also blanketed in moth balls. So...you might be wondering what I decided to draw....dead snake....dolphin skull.....Elvis the iguana? Nope...none of those. I chose to draw the live fish in the aquarium in the break room. And I loved it! Here are the fish from the break room. (Disclaimer: these fish were alive, not floating in some nasty Miso soup look a like jelly)

Fish One:  Graphite Pencil

Fish Two:  Ink

Fish Three: Charcoal

Now, the project included six drawings, 3 different mediums, and two types of reference materials. The fish above were all live subjects, and the fish below were all drawn from photographs.

Fish Four:  Graphite Pencil

Fish Five:  Charcoal

Fish Six:  Ink

It was a fun project to do, mainly because it was different than what I would normally draw. The live, fast moving fish were a challenge, but I really enjoyed studying the fish and finding out the functions of their designs in order to accurately draw them.

Here is the aquarium where the first three fish live, and then all of the fishies together. :)

Now...for your promised surprise. Well, my current Drawing 2 project involves using one of my fish drawings in an installation at the Postal Plaza in downtown Stillwater. The Postal Plaza will be the new OSU art gallery, and will be hosting a building reception on the 19th of this month. The awesome news? My installation will be seen at the reception! Hooray! I am getting very excited! Here is a link to the art department's blog talking about the reception:

http://osuma.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/transforming-the-postal-plaza-genus-genius/

I will post pictures after the reception. Sorry for the extremely long post today, but I needed to get some art on here. Hope you all have a fabulous week, and remember to just keep swimming. And, as always...it's the random reasons.

A Trinket for Thursday

Hello everyone, hope you are doing well! Today's trinket comes from my Italian Renassance Art History class. Today we studied portraiture and looked at paintings of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino. This peice features the duke and his very idealized wife on the front and then pictures of them in their separate carriages and chariots on the back. Here is the front:

His face is "messed up" because apparently he is missing part of his face, including his upper nose and eyeball. The artist spared the duchess of looking like her actual self by painting her in the ideal female model of the Italian Renassance:  pale skin and blonde hair for purity, expensive fabric and jewelry for social stautus and wealth, and modern hairstyle. Lucky her.

Anyways, that was not the trinket for today, but just consider that an extra tidbit. Here is the back panels and the trinket for Thursday:

This picture is showing the paintings without their frame, but they are placed right behind the portraits in the same over-the-top frame.

The duke and his chariot pulled by white horses are on the left, while the duchess and her carriage pulled by unicorns are on the right. Now...for today's trinket:

FACT:  Unicorns can only be tamed by virgins.

I bet you were not expecting that one! As it turns out, you can learn something everyday.

As you go about your weekend, try to learn some random useless fact. It will do you good. Laugh a little! Oh and remember...it's the random reasons.

P.S.:  Expect an art post tomorrow!

Domus Mea:The finished product!

Hello everyone! As most of you know I have been working all summer to turn our apartment into a home...and I am proud to say that it is finally finished! Well, for the most part anyways. I love how it has turned out...it is cute, cozy, comfortable, classy, and creative....the 5 things that I strive for when decorating for myself. It was definitely an adventure...and it took some compromising between C.J. and I, but now that it is finished I wouldn't change a single thing.

There are too many pictures for me to post on here, so check out the link below which will take you to the Facebook album. You don't have to have Facebook to see it, so no worries!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1815190145213.2102196.1403871869&l=6970b16787&type=1

 

Hope you like it, I know I do! As you all go about your day, take pride in the little things. Look at your home, is there anything that you could stare at all day long because you just love what you did with it? Don't think this is weird....it is good! You created it--enjoy it! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and remember....it's the random reasons...

Awww...

"A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each other... maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever." -Dave Matthews

Tied up.

Hello everyone! Hope your week has been going well! It has been a busy, but oddly fast week here, with work and getting ready for school to start. As for the apartment perfection percentage? I would give it a solid 95.6%. Almost completely ready. As for my post today, it is about a piece that boosted the percentage about 10%.

There was a big empty space on the wall in the dining room...completely unacceptable. So, a few weeks ago I started brainstorming as to what to place on the wall. My idea, to be completely honest, made me a little nervous as to how the finished product would look. I am happy to say that I am extremely thrilled with how well the final piece looks!

I started out looking for a huge frame. I checked the local antique mall first, but they were both rude and unhelpful. So....to Hobby Lobby I went! I found this wonderful (and very large!) frame in their clearance section for about $3.50. What a steal!

The frame did need some work, so I painted over the "rough" spots with some white and blue paints. I wanted the white paint to have a sort of spilled look, and then I painted blue designs on the white. These are the same blue and white paints that can be found throughout the apartment. The frame was so large that is would barely fit on the table, so some of my work had to be completed on the kitchen floor.



A look at my supplies of the day:  twine, brass studs, pretty odds and ends. 

I cut the twine to fit across the frame both in length and width.



I connected the twine to the frame with the brass studs and buttons. Then whenever there was a "major" intersection I connected it with jewelry wire and attached a pretty little trinket. This white flower is actually from a bracelet of mine that C.J. broke.



I tried to make sure that the twine went in several different directions.



The finished product....almost....Oh, and on a side note, one of my favorite things about this piece is that is seems to frame the flowers on the kitchen table.



Wondering what the project was? No worries, I am not completely crazy! I wanted something that could hold pictures and cards in an artistic and completely unique way. I like this idea for several key reasons: 1. It isn't a huge ostentatious piece. Since it is not solid and the colors are toned down, the piece doesn't take over the small space.  2. The frame keeps everything organized and in one space. It gives the space boundaries. 3. Well....I am just happy that it turned out well. I can't wait to fill the piece with more pictures!



So, as you go about your day don't let an out-of-the-box idea intimidate you. Have some faith in yourself and take a risk--chances are, it will turn out great! Oh, and remember...it's the random reasons.

For the First Time.

Hello everyone! Hope you all had marvelous weekends! I had a pretty great one, and it ended on an extremely good note:  I did something for the very first time! As for what....you will have to wait until the end of the post.

Sunday Night. Tonight I decided to make a berry/peach crisp, I started out with peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Then added sugar, a pinch of flour, and mixed together.

When that was complete, I popped the fruit mixture into the oven until the fruit started to bubble.

While the fruit was cooking, I mixed up the topping:  brown sugar, ginger, cinnamin, flour, and unsalted butter.

Next, I peeled potatoes for the loaded mashed potatoes I planned on making with dinner. I absolutely LOVE mashed potatoes of any sort, and was delighted to have finally made them since I moved to Stillwater. A first, but not the first you are waiting for. I made extra mashed potatoes....for taste testing, dinner, and, of course, left overs. I also used half and half to make them creamy.

While I was peeling potatoes, my crisp finished baking. It smelled delicious and the topping was a beautiful golden brown. It was all I could do not to grab a spoon!

 Then I started the potatoes....

While the potatoes were softening, I chopped up some onions to saute, and got out the butter and the minced garlic.

Then it was time to get the steaks out of the fridge. I had "fixed" them earlier before I went to work with a mixture of raw onion, minced garlic, pepper, seasoning salt, and olive oil. They smelled delicious!

I got everything all set up and ready to go and starting grilling on the new George Foreman. 

One steak down! One to go!

And finally....a colorful and delightfully smelling meal! Seasoned rib eye, garlic broccoli, loaded mashed potatoes, and cheesy bread. Yum!

And for dessert.....Berry and peach Crisp with vanilla ice cream! A wonderful compliment to the meal and the leftovers will make for several great breakfasts later in the week. 

It is safe to assume that I am very much enjoying having a kitchen and someone to cook for. As to my first? Well, this was my first time to cook a steak. I was actually a bit surprised with how well the steaks turned out, they weren't dry or chewy, and didn't require a ton of sauce to taste ok. C.J. didn't have to put on a fake smile and choke down his steak and then grudgingly ask for seconds--They were good! Next time I am going to try some steak seasoning, but knowing me I will probably add something extra.

Have a wonderful Monday and don't forget to enjoy things like kitchens, bubble baths, and candles...all things that I took for granted before moving into a dorm. Oh, and what kind of day would it be if I didn't remind you to remember, it's the random reasons...

Crafty Do, Crafty Does

Hello everybody! Hope you all had wonderful weekends! I have a sneak peek into the apartment for you all today! I have been limiting the amount of the apartment that I show people, just because I am waiting to show it to everyone when it is completely perfect, and it is nearly there. However, today, just my blog readers will get to see a few of the things going on in the apartment...sort of like a trailer for a movie. No worries, you still don't get to see everything!

I went home this last week, and made it back to Stillwater with some great finds that were in need of a makeover....

Salt and Pepper Shakers + Napkin Holder. These started out just black and chrome, but I transformed them to match the table and the centerpiece. Also, the salt reads: Na Cl and the pepper: Pe + (Pe) r. I just had to do something different! These were a score because I was able to get these for free from my grandma's storage unit.

Shelf with coat hooks. This was another awesome grab from my grandma's storage unit. It started out as a dark wood, and I painted it white, added some brass studs, and then glued on some pearls. It turned out to be one of my favorite pieces so far!

Coasters. These were made from some scrap canvas paper that I had in the cabinet at the apartment. I like them mainly because...1) They can be repainted. 2) They are reversible, one side girly, one side more modern art. 3) They were free and super easy!  

Glassware. I did not actually make these, but I found them in Hobby Lobby the other day for 1/2 price. What a great deal! I loved the colors and I plan on getting more. My favorite thing about them? When the morning light comes through the windows and hits them...it is beautiful. I debated on filling them or leaving them empty. When all was said and done, I ended up filling them with light colored or clear altered art supplies: silver beads in the blue bottle, clear "diamonds" in the pink, and white beads in the orange. This way they serve a purpose while still looking gorgeous! 

Pillow! I finished another pillow, in only about an hour and a half! I was excited. Only 4 more pillows to go! 

Well there you go! A sneak peek into the apartment. Get ready for the complete tour which will be coming very soon! As for today, remember that with some creativity and Modge Podge you can turn a snag from a garage sale into a one and only designer piece! Oh, and don't forget--it's the random reasons.

Guggen--huh?

Hello everyone! Hope you all are having a tip-top fabulous week! I have been in the creative mood lately, so that is an absolutely wonderful thing, and I am also very excited that I am going to the Panhandle next week. Sadly, I don't have any finished projects to show you all today, but while at the desk I have been browsing through some potential future opportunities. There are several through OSU that would be absolutely amazing, and I am fairly confident that I have a pretty good shot at getting them. The art department here has a ton of money to give to its students and not very many students who apply for it...so the odds are usually pretty great.

Today I looked at some internships at the Guggenheim. That would be absolutely AMAZING. So, I am getting pretty excited about the possibilities of the future. Can't wait to see what is in store!

Don't ever let yourself not plan and get excited for your future--it is yours for the taking! Two things to remember today: 1. Dreams do not come true, goals do. 2. Its the random reasons.