A Little R&R

Evan and I had an amazing weekend in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. I can't begin to tell you how much I needed it. Before we left, I found myself so stressed out that I couldn't think straight- literally. Evan drove and gave me some time to unwind on the way up, which was so nice. I have never been to New Jersey before and the northern most beach I've been to is Ocean City Maryland which was not so impressive. Stone Harbor was absolutely beautiful, an adorably quaint town out of a movie. We spent the weekend laying out in the sun, swimming in the ocean, jet skiing, taking afternoon naps, hanging out in good company, watching movies, etc. It couldn't have been better! Sunday night, we headed out to our friend Liz's 7th (I think) annual White Party. Costumes are encouraged so Evan went as Dr. White (he had to, considering his last name is White and he will be a doctor come May) and I went as his nurse. I searched high and low for a non-skanky nurses costume and still bought an XL to gain an inch in length. Needless to say, we had a great time and won Best Duo! After 8.5 hours in the car on Monday, we finally pulled into Richmond a few minutes before midnight. Upon returning, I hit the ground running but it was so worth it. Yay for great weekends!

Happy Labor Day and a Hiatus

I obviously haven't been around much for the past couple of days- its hard to believe that its only the second full week of school and I can't remember being this overwhelmed and overworked in quite some time... I hope this isn't representative of the way the whole semester will be. If so, it'll by a DOOZIE. Regardless, I'm heading to the Jersey shore tomorrow with my honey to visit some friends for some much needed R&R. But- I am leaving knowing that when I return I will hit the ground running, probably feeling even more exhausted at the end of next week. Such is life. I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day, and I promise to be back to blogging full time (which I'm missing like woah) at the end of next week. Adios for now! xoxo

The Farm Chicks

I came across The Farm Chicks a few weeks ago. Its a super cute blog full of fun ideas and beautiful photos. Every time I look at this blog, I can't help but smile. Please enjoy!

Crazy Life

It is clear that I am back into the full swing of things... life is crazy! so much fun, but so crazy! I am excited for my senior seminar class tomorrow to get some more serious work done on my project that is due next Wednesday, yes, one week from tomorrow. So here's my plan for the fabrics I posted about yesterday- it may be hard to visualize but just bear with me. Thoughts?

Back in the Studio

I spent most of my Saturday and several hours of my Sunday in the studio and it felt great! I didn't realize how much I missed my studio time. It was wonderful to listen to my ipod, get in the zone and print some fabric! I printed three yards of fabric for a piece for my senior critique class. Its hard to believe that our first piece is due a week from Wednesday- there's nothing like hitting the ground running! For our first senior crit class, we were asked to bring in our favorite piece- we critiqued everyone's favorite pieces and then we were asked to remake the piece, taking our individual critique into consideration. I brought in this piece"


For my piece due next week, I plan to vary the size of the circles that make up the large form and to have three layers of the large forms made out of circles. I am making many other changes that are hard to describe, so you'll have to be patient and wait for next week's post on the final piece! Here are some photos of the fabric I printed:

Happy Friday!

Photo is courtesy of pretty good.

Happy Birthay, Emma!

Today is my lovely step-sister's 24th birthday! I want to send many happy birthday wishes her way!

Dave Newman

Last Summer ('08), I interned at HA Gallery in Nashville, Tennesse and helped with the show the put on in conjunction with the NAMM conventions (National Association of Music Merchants). The show showcased artists whose work was about music, whether it be made of guitar parts, photographs of influential musicians, paintings of musicians, etc. One artist that we showcased was Dave Newman. Dave Newman lives in Prescott, Arizona and his work is captivating. My favorites of his work are his mixed media pieces which are collages of things he finds from junkyards. He states on his webpage:

"My motivation comes from a concern for preserving the past by searching through discarded treasures and documenting old buildings, motel signs, and structures through my photography. I create spontaneously planned combinations of balanced images, colors, and objects.

'These art works become virtual time capsules of American Pop Culture.'

I use acrylic paint, collaged original photos and vintage periodicals, 3-D wood and metal objects attached with staples, rivets and screws on hand built wood 'canvases'."

Newman also has been commissioned by Fender to cover guitars in his artwork. His guitars are completely playable and are incredible!



Newman also collaborated with 70 other artists to create two 10 foot tall Fender guitars that he donated to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Arizona, (an organization near and dear to my heart), raising $18,000!


And if all of this other stuff isn't enough to keep him busy, Newman is currently working on an '77 Chevy pickup art car to drive around and promote his work. I can't wait to see the final prouct!

Fun Fabrics

Last night, I was complaining to my friend Grace about how the zipper broke on the beautiful dress I bought for my step-brother, Timothy and his fiance Katharine's September wedding, and that I've had the worst time finding one since... Grace so graciously volunteered to make me a dress! This couldn't be more perfect! I have one of her originals that I absolutely love and am completely obsessed with. So, we started shopping for fabrics last night and she introduced me to fabric.com, a website that has a w-i-d-e variety of styles and materials for reasonable prices! There are so many great fabrics that I can't seem to make a decision. What are your thoughts?

My very own Grace DuVal original

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

P.S. I've blogged about Grace in the past but be sure to check out her website! And don't forget- which fabric do you like?

Congratulations Martha and Jesse!

Two of my closest friends Martha and Jesse are ENGAGED! I couldn't be happier for them! They are both wonderful people and are great together. Freshman year of High School, I told Martha she'd marry Jesse and I have stayed true to my word ever since. Looks like I was right! It has been so much fun growing up with them and watching them grow as a couple. I have many wonderful memories with them... from proms, to movie dates, to concerts, to night swimming, lacrosse games, dance recitals, trips to Busch Gardens, etc., the memories are immense. They are in a great place and I know that they will live a very happy life together! I can't wait to see what the future holds for them! Congratulations Martha and Jess, December 30th will be here before you know it!

After a friend's wedding

Brad Paisley Concert

Martha and I's senior homecoming

Dining Out?

While I love to spend time in the kitchen cooking and baking, I also really enjoy going out for a yummy dinner. Its nice to be in fun, different environments and have someone else do the cooking. Today I came across restaurant.com, a great website where you can buy $25 gift certificates for $10, there is usually a minimum of $35 dollars to be spent at a restaurant but, you're still saving $15, or even more, considering different restaurants have different deals. And, the best part about this website is that you type in your zip code and it gives out tons of local listings (not just your chain restaurants); many of my favorite Richmond restaurants were included! You definitely don't wanna miss out on this!!

Magnetic Knife Rack

I saw this on The Farm Chicks' blog and thought it was such a fun way to liven up your knives while adding color to your kitchen. Its a really simple process, click here for the "how to".