The Adventures of KJ & The Dreamy Giraffe

Adventure #135: Why KJ Will Never Be A Paparazzo

Pre-Adventure Note: This Adventure was actually written Saturday.  Posting problems!

Dear You,

Of course, my canines have to be all photogenic at 11: 29 on a Saturday morning, when the post office, which is a good twelve minutes away (when one is speeding a little, not that I do such things) is closing in thirty-one minutes and I've got a package that HAS to be shipped today.  Oh, yes, and I'm not yet completely dressed (I've managed to get into a decent shirt, but haven't quite gotten out of my pajama bottoms and into jeans), don't know where my car keys are, don't know where my cell phone is and don't remember whether or not I put on deodorant. 

OH, yeah, and the memory card on the camera is full and it's been so dang blasted long since I deleted images off the memory card (which might be why it's full) that I can't remember how to do it on the camera, so I hunt down my old memory card, which is also full, so I take them to the computer to delete images from one, and the computer locks up.  And stays locked up.  So I shake my fist at go back to the camera and finally figure out how to delete some old pictures so I can capture this too cute moment of my dogs who choose to pose so sweetly at the most inopportune times. 

But, wait, now that I've been fiddling with the camera so long, the blooming batteries are dead.  Dead!  So, I dash (shrieking "I'm late! I'm late!" much like the White Rabbit from Alice In Wonderland) around the house on a scavenger hunt for some Double A batteries, which I indeed find and get into the camera, in time to get my shot.  I'm very grateful to Austin, Buddy and Ghost for not moving even an eyelash, while I was running around like a madwoman, because it truly would've sucked to see, upon dashing back to the door, camera with good batteries and free space on the memory card in hand, that they were, you know, no longer like this:

Buddy is so soft and cushy and pillow-like, Austin's decided to take a nap on him.  All together now:  Awwwww.

Ghost is technically not my dog.  But he will probably wind up being my dog.   But that's a long story, and my pierogies are probably burning in the stove as I type!

P.S. I did make it to the post office on time and my package is on its way!

Adventure #134: KJ & The Creative Challenge (Day 16)

Dear You,

Something I've wanted for a very long time is to paint more darker-skinned big-eyed sweeties.  The shading on these girls is so much more difficult for me...because I'm used to just putting a bit of white here or there to help blend in highlights where they're needed and when adding white to brown, it doesn't lighten it for me, it just makes it look gray-tinged.  And that's no good.

But I'm of the "try, try again" camp, so for Day 16:

 

I'm really happy with how the shading and highlights worked out this time.  It's not as perfectly blended as I like...but we're getting there!

My original idea for this painting was the beautiful brown girl, holding a big heart, in a forest of white trees, with smaller hearts hung from the limbs, and a gorgeous green sky in the background.  (I'm a bit obsessed with green skies since I first saw the stunning "Friday Night Lights" commercials running on DirecTV.)

As you can see, the only things that stuck were the beautiful brown girl and the green sky:

It says:

The grass is green right where you are...

My mom says this painting reminds of her "The Sound Of Music".  (The hilllllllllllllllllllllllllllls are aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive....)

But it reminds me of the old (and very underrated) Nick cartoon, "As Told By Ginger", which had a theme song with the most lovely lyrics:

"Someone once told me
The grass is much greener
On the other side
And I paid a visit
(Well, it's possible I missed it)
It seemed different,
Yet exactly the same
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
'Til further notice,
I'm in-between
From where I'm standing,
My grass is green
Someone once told me
The grass is much greener
On the other side."

My favorite part of the painting is her hair.   I love the braids (which were not at all planned or in my original vision) and wish I had some of my very own, though I know braids rarely behave so whimsically in real life.

See you tomorrow!

P.S. Oh, and the girl-in-painting is named Kayla.  And here's how that came about: "What are you doing, Kathy?" Kaylee asked me, over the phone.  "I'm painting," I replied. "What are you painting?" Kaylee questioned.  "A girl," I said.  "What is her name?" Kaylee wanted to know.  "She doesn't have a name yet.  Do you want to name her?'  I offered.  "Yes.  Her name is Kay-la," Kaylee said, kind of as if she was going to name her Kaylee, but then at the last second changed her mind.  So Kayla it is. 

Adventure #133: KJ & The Creative Challenge (Day 15)

Dear You,

Hmmm.

For Day 15, the Creative Challenge I chose to do was done last night in bed.

Now, before your minds can wander further down any stray paths there, let me explain! 

I'd had a Twitter account for a long, long time, but had never done anything with it, beyond creating a profile.  Yesterday, I decided to actually give it a try.  You only get 140 words per "Tweet", so that in itself is quite a challenge for me, as I tend to be a bit long-winded when expressing myself. 

When I was trying to be short, sweet and to the point, I remembered something I'd bookmarked a while back and wanted to try:  Short stories.  Very, very, very short stories.

The site I bookmarked was Wired.com and, specifically, this feature, where they had 33 different writers write short stories.  Very, very short stories.  Stories consisting of only six words.  My personal favorite is the one by Margaret Atwood, whose poetry I've always loved.  (Just be warned, if you check it out...one of her six words is a swear word.)

Since I had a difficult (but fun!) time limiting myself to 140 words... I decided I must see if I could drop that limit by 134...and try six!

Which led me to last night, in bed, unable to sleep, making up six word short stories.  (I just now realized the Wired short stories are all science fiction.  Mine aren't.)

"Boring fairy tale," Cinderella said, leaving.

(This one, pre-editing was: "Fairy tales are boring," sighed Cinderella.)

---------------------

She married him.  No prenup.  Idiot!

--------------------

"Remember me?"

"No."

"Well, you should."

--------------------

We can begin whenever you're ready.

--------------------

What if we left here forever?

--------------------

"Follow me?"

"Yes."

"Anywhere?"

"Almost anywhere."

--------------------

Dear You,

Miss you.

Love, Me

--------------------

"Give us a chance."

"You first."

--------------------

She decided: No more bad days.

--------------------

"Dude!  A tiger!  Watch out!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

--------------------

I seriously could just keep going and going and going.  Like the Tweeting at Twitter...it's kind of addictive!  Give it (Twitter or making up very, very short six word stories) a try!

Anyway, since this Creative Challenge wasn't arty or crafty, here's my most recent painting, which tells a story in five words:

Succinctly yours,

P.S.  Anyone looking for one of these?

 

Adventure #132: KJ & The Creative Challenge (Day 14)

Dear You,

Yes, I know.  I'm taking a "21 Day Challenge" and make it last about 189790879 days.

I honestly likely would throw my hands in the air and say, "Okay, I give up!" except I really don't want to be known worldwide as "The Girl Who Never Finished Anything".  Because I do finish things!  I do!  I just finished a Klondike bar (the "Slim-A-Bear" lower calorie version)!   Within the next hour, I'll have finished the Diet Coke I'm drinking.  I finished last night's episode of "Private Practice" (which I found to be terribly depressing).

Anyway, I digress.

For Day Fourteen, as I mentioned in my last post, I made cards.

I had the best time.  Oh, my goodness...listen up, my fellow supply hoarders out there...let me tell you:  Actually punching into that scrumptious paper and making something out of it?  Is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much more satisfying than merely standing in front of it, staring and drooling.  So, so, so much more satisfying.

This was my first attempt.  The scan just doesn't do it justice.  Some of the dots are glittery, some are metallic, some are shimmery.  I did a set of four cards, all with the same dots, just in different formations.  The insides are blank and they can be used horizontally (my preference) or vertically.  The open corners of the card are rounded.

And look, look...they have plain white envelopes...but I jazzed'em up by lining them with some shimmery green paper (to match the next to last dot on the bottom row of the card pictured).  I may also do a little dot seal to stick on the closed envelope.

I contemplated doing lined paper on the inside, but decided that'd be distracting and wouldn't "go".

It's funny, because though I get nervous when my original paintings are in transit from me to their new homes, I rarely (if ever) feel separation anxiety about letting them go.  But when I look at those cards I really, really want to keep them for my very own.  So I may just do that.

I haven't finished any yet, but I've picked out the papers and punched the dots for a pink set.  On these, I decided to round all the corners.  I'd planned to dot them in nice, organized rows, like the light green ones, but...looking at the scan, I kind of like them in a haphazard cluster:

(The top right corner is wonky there due to my graphics program cropping skills...not my rounded corner punch skills. ;))

And, then, I completed this stand alone notecard, which is a two-sided flat, which I'm not really crazy about, but I do like elements of it (like the backing):

I did really, really enjoy my day as a cardmaker.  It was a fun little vacation, and I'd love to have a line of Dreamy Greetings (or something) one day...but for now, I'm not quitting my day job. 

My spellchecker is telling me that cardmaker is not a word and is suggesting that I instead was a carjacker or a caretaker or a yardmaster. My spellchecker is also telling me that spellchecker isn't a word.  But...Cardmaker should totally be a word!   What else would you call one who makes cards?  A cardist?  A carder? A cardashian?  (Ha!)

See you tomorrow!

P.S. I just remembered...I finished something else today.  A painting!  But I will save that for tomorrow, because when I just looked at my scanner, even thinking of asking it to complete another task this afternoon, I think it actually grunted at me. 

Adventure #131: Tag, KJ's It!

Dear You,

I was tagged by Jill to tell six random things about myself.

1. 1. My mom and I have a secret handshake.  It includes several knuckle knocks in the middle and ends with a flourish of finger wiggles...but that is ALL I can tell you.  Shhhh.  Forget I mentioned it! 
2. I really don't like talking on the phone at all and get stomach butterflies when I have to make a call (to anyone outside of my immediate family and besties).
3. If I really, really need comfort food, I go for plain macaroni noodles with cheese grated on top.
4. The last song I purchased from iTunes was (and I'm serious) the iCarly theme song, "Leave It All To Me".  And I'm not ashamed, people.  Happy pop music makes the world go 'round.  Just give it a listen and see how many second pass before you're bobbin' your head and shakin' your booty.  I mean, with lyrics like "golden sunshine, I know somehow it's gonna be mine...and feel so wonderful"...can you blame me? 
5. I'm about two seconds from ripping my contact out of my left eye and flinging it across the room whilst shouting "worthless! worthless!  I paid big money for you...can't you be better!  I'm an artist! I must SEE!!!!!"  In fact, I would've done that already, but the aforementioned "Leave It All To Me" is playing and it's very dangerous to rip your contacts out of your eyes while your head-bobbin' and booty-shakin'.
6. Nothing drives me crazier than when my bangs get too long.  If they're falling past my eyebrows, they better WATCH OUT, because the scissors are coming and they'll probably wind up lop-sided.

I've done this (or a meme similar to this) before, here and here and here, if anyone wants to know even more random facts about me.

According to the Rules, I'm supposed to tag six people, but being a rebel, I prefer to say "bah fooey" to the rules and say:  I tag anyone who is reading this and wants to play.  You're it!

And here are the official rules, for anyone who does want to play, and do it properly:

• Link to the person who tagged you. - DONE
• Post the rules on your blog.  - DONE
• Write six random things about yourself. - DONE
• Tag six people at the end of your post - Said "Bah Fooey"
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. - Said "Bah Fooey"
• Let the tagger know your entry is up.  - DONE

-----------------------------

So...what's up with the what's up?

Well...

It's a note card I made probably about six months ago and never showed off...and I thought it would be appropriate to show it off today, since I'm starting back with the 21 Day Creative Challenge...and spending the entire day making cards! 

The "What's Up?" note card is actually one of a set of five.  Each one has a different color background.  The other greetings are: Hey, Hello, Hi!, and Yo! 

The letters are actually sparkly and the backgrounds are shimmery:

The back of the cards all look like this, lined, with pink shimmery edges on the top and the bottom, to match the stars on the fronts, and the envelopes, which are also a shimmery pink.  The corners of the cards are rounded, as pictured:

I eventually want to list them in the shop, as a set.  Maybe even this week, depending on how many cards I get done today!  I love painting, but I really love branching out, too!

See you tomorrow!

Adventure #130: KJ Buttons Up

Dear You,

Life is so weird!

This morning, my mom's best friend was in need of some buttons for a costume she was making her grandson.  I have quite the button stash -- which isn't really surprising, since basically, if something COULD be considered an art or craft supply, I probably have a stash of it.  Anyway, I keep the buttons, most of which were handed down to me from my mom, who probably got them from her mom, in old cupcake/muffin tins, with the overflow in a big cup.  I also have a bucketful that are all still on the little card thingys.  (I would take pictures but the batteries in my camera are D-E-A-D.)

So, anyway, I got my buttons and we sifted through them, trying to find good ones for my mom to take to her friend.

While doing so, I did what I always do when looking at my supplies -- sigh and get a little wistful that there's not 84 hours in the day.  Because, MAN, all these supplies!  All these wonderful, beautiful, downright YUMMY supplies.  And just not enough time to use them all!   That's one of the reasons I'm anxious to get back to the Creative Challenge...because that allows me to broaden my horizons, supplies-wise.

"I need to USE these buttons!" I said.  "I LOVE buttons!  I HAVE TO use these buttons!"

Because, come on...a painting of a girl with real vintage buttons on her coat?  I just have to! 

Anyway, after we finished up, I put the buttons away and came to the computer, to do some computer-y work.  And I found out that I'd sold an original painting.

In particular, I'd sold the painting I refer to as "the button girl" (though the painting's actual title is "Extraordinary").  SHE uses her buttons!:

Isn't that weird?  Kind of serendipitous, I think. 

And because it's my blog and I can (and do!) babble about things that don't have anything to do with anything and make it All About Me, here's something else I bet you didn't know about me:

It's been 8 years since I have been a student, having graduated from college in 2000...I've been out long enough to have gone back...twice.  A loooooong time...and I still have school anxiety dreams.  I've never had the standard one where you show up naked, because come on, I am not the type of girl who feels comfortable just showing off her parts to the world, even while dreaming.  But, rather, I always dream that I've either been absent too many days or either have bad grades and won't be able to graduate.  Last night, I had flunked a math test and was going to have to retake the course in summer school.  I begged and pleaded with the principal to not make me go to summer school, because I couldn't run my business and take classes at the same time.  In the end, I decided to not retake the class and instead just to dropout.  Needless to say, I woke up feeling very unsettled...and then I remembered that I indeed did graduate and summer's over, and never again will I have to take a math test.

Does anyone else have school anxiety dreams still?  Should I seek therapy?  If so, do any of you know therapists who will trade sessions for paintings of cute big-eyed girls?  Anyone?

See you tomorrow!

P.S. I'm also seriously considering using some of my supplies to make little "inspiration kits" to sell in the shop.  I may never be able to use all these wonderful, beautiful downright YUMMY supplies myself...but someone can!  I'd never get rid of them ALL, but it might be cool to spread a wee bit around, if I can come up with a unique and interesting way to make up the kits.   I have WAY too much for one person and, honestly, if I had the funds...I would just get more and more and more.  I lose all willpower when stepping foot inside a Hobby Lobby or Michael's or AC Moore.  Some girls are shoe fiends, some gotta have a bag to go with each outfit...me?  Give me a pack of glittery brads that I may not open until I'd forgotten I even had them...and I'm happy indeed.

Adventure #129: KJ's Hidden Talents

Dear You,

First:  Happy Birthday to my sister!  I know you're too busy to read this today, but perhaps one day, you'll stumble upon it and know that I was thinking of you.  You know that I wish with all my heart I could've been with you today!

My sister is celebrating her 40th birthday in Florida, with my brother-in-law and niece. 

A huge part of what made September being so slow saleswise so incredibly frustrating was that I was supposed to be going with them, for Kaylee's first trip to Disney World, to spend my big sister's big day with her.  She actually postponed the trip twice so I could find a way to go...and I did!  The super large knight-in-shining-armor painting I showed off a couple of posts ago was going to pay for me to go...I just needed an average month on Etsy.  I'm not going to have a pity party here, but obviously, that did not happen.  I had one of my worst months yet on Etsy, and the money I'd set aside for the vacation wound up paying bills.  Being self-employed is wonderful because it makes you able to be available for so many things (I was there when Kaylee was born, for her first steps, her first word, her first poop on the potty, even), but sometimes, it makes you unavailable for other things, because you don't have a steady paycheck, and the income isn't guaranteed, and sometimes, you have a bad month and can't afford something you really, really want, even if you've scrimped and saved for it.  I was really upset about it at first, but I'm okay with it now. 

But Magic Kingdom's not going anywhere, and Kaylee will enjoy her second trip there just as much as her first...and I WILL be there then!

Anyway, while they're away, I am pet-sitting their little dogs, Molly and Cassie (not pictured do to camera shy-ness this morning and batteries that died before I could coax her posing pretty):

And now I'm going to divulge something I bet you didn't know about me:

I make up songs.

I don't think I've always done this...I think it started when Kaylee was born.  So, heads up, those of you future aunties out there...nieces and nephews can have some strange side effects!

There's The Cutest Kaylee That Ever Was song, which goes "It's the cutest Kaylee that ever was, ever was, ever was, that's Kaylee Insertherlastnamehere, with the curliest curls that ever was, ever was, ever was, that's Kaylee Insertherlastname here...with the bluest eyes that ever was, ever was, ever was, that's Kaylee Insertherlastname here..." and continues on down to her monkeytoes (which she inherited from me, in case I've not mentioned it).  Yes, I know, not the most proper grammar there, but she likes it.  When we were visiting a couple of weeks ago, I said to her, "You're the cutest Kaylee that ever was" and she said, "Sing it!"  So I sang it.  And when I was done, she looked up at me and said, "Let's do MiMi (my mom)...what are MiMi's parts?"  Very adorably and unselfishly, she does like to sometimes sing it as The Cutest Someone Else That Ever Was, but whenever she does that, she inserts their name ("the cutest Kathy that ever was", etc.) but doesn't change the last name.  So everyone has her last name.

And then there's the song I made up for her pre-potty training, which goes, "Kaylee is a big girl, not in dipeys, like a baby, she goes pee pee on the potty...psssssssssssss".  The psssssssssssss is, of course, supposed to be a pee pee sound, but somehow, Kaylee decided the song ended with a "buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" not a "pssssssssssssssssssss", which doesn't exactly make sense in context, but maybe the bumblebees are happy that they're getting representation in song.

There are others, but this week, Molly and Cassie, have been quite the inspiration, and because of them, there are two brand new ditties.

For Cassie, who is also known as Cassiopeia, I came up with:

Cassiopeia, it's good to meet ya,

it's so nice to see ya,

but I cannot feed ya...

'Cause I've got no food!

These pups are quite fond of all things edible.  As I've written this entry which I didn't intend to be nearly this long, I've watched Cassie diligently labor to adequately bury a bone in a pair of jeans I'd left on the floor..and Molly then come along and discover it and make it her own. (I went and got another one and reburied it for Cassie).

And the song for Molly (also known as Molly Mo Peeny Mo):

Molly Mo Peeny Mo,

it's time to go to bed!

Molly Mo Peeny Mo,

it's time to rest your head...

now that you've been fed!

Molly Mo Peeny Mo,

you sleep nude, but my p.j.s are red!

So, yes, people..no worries here!  If this art thing doesn't work out, I can totally start over with a new career as a songwriter. (Um...yes, just kidding!)

Oh, and when you ask most little kids who are going to Disney World who they're going to meet there...I'd guess 9 out of 10 say, "Mickey Mouse!" , right? But you know what the cutest Kaylee that ever was said?  "Disney characters!" So grown up.

Dang, I'm wordy!

See you tomorrow (when you'll probably STILL be reading this),

P.S. Cassie came along to check and make sure her bone was still, indeed, buried in the jeans, and apparently could tell that it had been disturbed...so she got the new bone and went and buried it underneath a pillow on the bed.

P.S. to the P.S.  Just to prove it's not all fun and games and songwriting around here, a recent custom painting: