A Trip to the Library and Unexpected Awesomeness

Lacking inspiration on current projects (and the funds), I wanted to keep my creative juices flowing by visiting a place that I haven't been to in a long time - The Library. Why buy a craft book that looks fun at the bookstore, only to get home and realize that it's totally lame? So after work one day I piled the family in the car, and before I knew it I was in inspiration heaven. There's literally half an aisle dedicated to crafting in one form or another. I'm drawn to paper-craft and mixed media altered art. I found a few that are interesting:

1. Crafternoon: A Guide to Getting Artsy and Crafty with Your Friends All Year Long 
    By:  Maura Madden

So far I really like the concept of this book. It gives you an excuse once a month to get together with your girlfriends and hangout with a purpose. It has easy stuff to do, and the projects don't look expensive either.


2. The Big-Ass Book of Crafts 
     By: Mark Montano

This book is neat because it has a lot of home decor projects that kind of feel like that punk Black Chandelier vibe. I dig it. 

I probably would have delved further into dreamland, but I could hear my redhead screaming from the opposite side of the room. But hey, at least it's something new to read. 

A couple days later, I talk to some of my co-workers about my trip and one of them gives me a book called The Artistic Mother, by Shona Cole. 

 

This book looks really neat, mostly because I'm a mom and any excuse to use my child in my inspiration excites me. In it, there is a 12 week course of activities and projects designed to incorporate art and creativity into your life. EXACTLY what I'm looking for. To continue my goal of being artsy this year, this is the perfect thing to get me focused. In addition to crafting, there are goals of photography and poetry (something I've never really done). 

Should be fun. Let's give it a whirl, and see where it takes us. 

This coming week I am supposed to complete original backgrounds for art projects that come in the future, take action photos of my baby, and read a poem a day. 

I'll leave you with a sort of poem that is turning into my paradigm:

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.  ~ e.e. cummings, 1955


Jen

Blending of the Two

Ok, so after messing with typepad.com, I've come to the conclusion that unless you pay (which I'm not ready to yet), you don't get any kind of modification. BORING. This blog is supposed to be about creativity and expression. How can I do that if I cant even change the font? 

So moving forward, I'm back to good old blogger. And I am still trying to keep true to my New Year's resolution of finding more time for me to create. Now that I have a place all my own for the purpose, I keep itching to shut the door and get away. 

Don't get me wrong, I love being a wife and a momma. But having a hobby again is calling my name. I'll post updates of my recent project soon. I've been so busy tearing down wallpaper in my kitchen and living room, my weekends haven't been allowing for much personal time. 

Until next time -

Jen

i LOVE my family.

So it's totally cool. My in-laws went on vacation to GA to visit my brother in law Mike before he's voluntary shipped to Iraq (idk when, but this year). My mom and sister in law Amy were so awesome to take care of baby for that time. My other in-laws Nate and Shaunasee gave us their old big screen.I dont even care that it takes up even more space in our cramped quarters. My grandma cooks the most awesome dinners, and I have never felt closer (in a non-sibling way) to my sisters. It's cool to be surrounded by people you love when life stresses you out.

Movin' on up

With the passing of my grandpa Ray, Tom and I decided to move in with my grandma to keep her company while paying off our debt. Not many people get this opportunity - to both spend a lot of time with those you love, and devote a large chunk of your income toward debt resolution. It has been pretty emotional on my part. I didn't know if we were making the right choice (the space is limited), and I didn't know if we could co-habitate with her successfully. We are in week 2, and all seems to be going well. Dilly is happy and healthy and full of energy. We finally got him sleeping through the night, thank God. We are so exhausted lately. I am so happy to be a momma, and happy to be learning my g-mas cooking secrets ;).

New year, new outlook?

With such a busy and stressful 2009, I have been: both the most happy and the most sad, in the most pain, the most scared, the most depressed, the most excited, the most loved, and the most blessed I have ever been in my entire life.

So many big things have happened: I had my first baby, I found out I actually like green peppers, I had heart surgery, I had my gall bladder out, I have seen the inside of my body in so many ways (MRI, ultrasound, TCD Doppler, Tiny bubbles shot in my veins to illuminate the blood vessels in my brain), my wonderful grandfather passing away, deciding to move to my grandmas, starting a new job in the area I actually went to school for (and regardless of what I say I like it), loving my husband in a way I didn't know was possible.

With all the good and bad, I am thankful we made it to 2010. Here's to a quieter year full of quality time spent to those we love, and the knowledge to know how good we truly have it.

his sweet self

My little one is so happy. I must be doing something right, cause his little face is always smiling :) I used to not want kids, but now that we've got him i couldnt imagine life any other way.

Whoa.

If you thought your house is messy, watch that Hoarders show on A&E. I looked around my apartment and instantly got to work. I couldn't get over the dead cat that had dried to the lady's living room floor. *shudder* Who says TV rots your brain haha.

Ack.

It's a bitter taste sometimes, life.

Reminds me a little of Ophelia floating down the river. Heartbroken and  slightly unbalanced, singing herself to that deep sleep. Maybe not to that extreme, but you know how when you lie in a bathtub and you put your head in far enough to cover your ears; The white noise you hear? I feel all muffled like that. My eyes closed and all closed off to the world, enveloped in a vessel of warmth and calm. One of these days I'll pull the plug and emerge from the bathroom with a towel around my head and a q-tip in my ear ready to take on the world again. But for now, I'll stare at the textured ceiling making shapes, and listen to the muffled sounds. 

My heart still aches.

Que Sera Sera... Whatever Will Be Will Be.

Ray Bowers Wright 1921 ~ 2009 Coalville ~ Taylorsville Our most beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Ray Bowers Wright, age 87, passed away peacefully at home on November 18, 2009. Born December 22, 1921, to Mary Ellen Staples Wright and Lawrence E. B. Wright in Coalville, Utah. Married Belva Johnston on May 7, 1942, in the Salt Lake Temple. Ray loved sports and played whenever or wherever he could. Attended North Summit High School and served as student body president. He also loved riding his horse in the countryside or mountains. He served his country in the army at the end of World War II and was stationed in the Philippines as sports director at a rest camp for GI's. He owned his own truck line for 14 years, and drove truck until his retirement in 1986. He was a member of the Teamsters and served as President of the Retiree's Organization for several years. Ray was a member of the LDS Church, and served in many callings. He loved people and was a friend to everyone. He will be sorely missed. He was preceded in death by: his parents; brothers, Emery and Keith; and one son, Robert J. Wright. Survivors: his wife of 67 years, Belva; children, Teresa (Marvin) Pace, Farrell (Lori) Wright and Stuart (Tracy) Wright; 16 grand-children, 13 great-grandchildren, and one brother, Joseph Lee. Services will be held November 23 at the Taylorsville 27th Ward Chapel, 2976 West 4270 South, at 11:30 a.m. A viewing will be held at Redwood Memorial Mortuary & Cemetery, 6500 South Redwood Road, Sunday evening, November 22, from 6-8 p.m. and Monday, at 10:00 a.m. prior to the service. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

My sweet grandpa, I love you.

You can't possibly know how much I'm going to miss you. Even though your still with us right now, you're not, really. I am so grateful for the influence you had on me. Taking me to church every Sunday of my childhood was some of the best memories my life. Coming home to the smell of cooking roast after walking home with you.Teaching me how to ride my bike, then later how to drive a car. You would always cut the meat at every meal, and sit at the same spot at the table. You always whistled and sang me little songs. You would always keep me stocked up in veggies during the summer from your huge garden. No matter how down I was, or how hard things got at home, your place was always a constant safe haven that I could feel normal at. Thank you.

Things are changing now, I know that. But I'll always love you.

Halloween

So Halloween was fun this year. We dressed Dillon as a pumpkin (totally fitting). We went to see my grandparents. I'm so grateful for them, they taught me so many life lessons. It is sad to see them grow so old and fade away slowly. They have had such a full life, and are such good people. I know that whatever is after, if such a thing exists, will welcome them with open arms. If anyone deserves it, it's them. 
After my grandparents we went to my in-laws to say hi. My mother-in-law Lyn babysits Dill during the week, and she's cute with him. I think she's more paranoid about his health and overall happiness than I am. But I am grateful for her help.
Then it was off to my families house. My mom made tarantula taco salad (very yummy homemade shells and pico de gaillo), this delicious lime drink mmmmm, and awesome apple cake. Good times with family. I hope yours went as good as mine did. woo!!

Sleepy, and just having a down right emotional day. (Not even PMS related :\ )

*Disclaimer - I have been dwelling a lot with the negative stuff that's been going on in my life, and I have to vent somewhere or my stomach is going to grow an ulcer that will burn my insides. So I apologize for being boring.I really want to write fun times and happiness, but alas when that's happening I'm living it - and I don't always remember to write it down.


 Home grumblings -leaving the baby has been hard, last week was a complete mess and honestly with all the crap that just happened to come up in the same week im surprised i still have hair. No matter how often I pick up my cramped apartment it never looks clean anymore, and I refuse to be a slob. We really need a bigger place, and even though between the two of us we make pretty dang good money, we have to many other commitments to buy that all elusive house. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. But I think we're doing it the right way. We're paying off our debt slowly but surely, and we made a goal to have it gone by age 30 so we can get into something that isn't a piece of crap we just settled for. That's 3 more years of renting, and three more years of hoping that it really happens.     

Mental Grumblings - I've also decided that I'm way too nice. People take advantage of nice people(or walk all over them). I don't want to be one of those people. I really wish I could project and have people look at me for who I feel I am - and attract people like me. It doesn't happen too often, and when it does, I feel alive.  

Random Grumblings - I'm tired of being accommodating and accepting people into my life that project negativity - People who lie and cover up their life to be something that it isnt just to make their life look better, when I can see right through the bull shit to what they really are (and no sunday school in Utah can cure fake).

I really REALLY dislike people that feed and breathe on uselessness  and negativity and decide it's their purpose in life to tell me all their worthless stories that do nothing but bring me down and get me worked up taking me to the edge of saying something I might regret. - cause I'm thinking it, and they are too, but hopefully they do something about it sooner rather than later. 






Beyond all my negative stress, I have a really great family on all levels - Primary and Secondary. I'm very very very grateful to have my mother-in-law back to bring more stability to my son's away time. My back-up sitters that bailed me out while she was gone - you guys are awesome. A heart-felt thank you. :) I don't know what we would have done without you guys. I've lost weight! 13 pounds to be exact. So now I've lost all the baby weight, and have started on the extra I went into it with. It's a long road, but I have a good feeling this time. Just gotta keep at it. 


Until next time. I hope i can get more in that's entertaining. 




Jen

Just thinking.

You ever wonder what your life would have been like if you would have made different choices? If you didn't happen to meet that person, go to that school, move into that neighborhood - would your life be the same visualization, or be the same person? Do you think you would be thankful for things the same way? I think of what my idea of what I want myself to be, and I honestly want it to be different. I want more appreciation for art and the things I'm good at. I want work to be fulfilling (I paid enough for the education to get there someday). I'd like a husband that bitched a little less, and thought more about the words that exited his mouth. I would like to wake up in the morning and walk into my own home decorated how I want it. And a little baby who knew his momma loved him and would be back soon when she has to be away. Patience is growing thin. Don't get me wrong people, or think I'm not grateful for what I have, cause I've got it pretty damn good. My life isn't depressing, usually. I just have my candle burning at both ends. And I'd like to remember that me is also we in more forms than one. I'm just so damn tired of being considerate.

cool stuff i've found online

I use a site called stumbleupon.com, and you hit this button on a task bar you download and it takes you to random sites. here's some fun that i've encountered there:

Resemblance

So, I've asked Lynette for some baby pics of Tom so I can see who Dillon looks like to no avail. But, flipping through the pages of my baby book, I'm pretty convinced he looks like me :)

This is me as a baby:








Dillon: