learning self control

I believe this is the most important attribute I have been lacking the majority of my life. I have recently decided to make it official and say that I am boycotting fast food all together. I prefer not to eat at "American" style restaurants that sell burgers, and mac and cheese, and deep fried everything. I buy organic when ever I can. When I do go out to eat, I use as much self control as physically possible. I need to use more self control in my reactions to people, namely my closest friends and boy friend. When someone does something to annoy me or royally piss me off, I think it would be best for me to take a step back, inhale a few times and defuse my anger before I react - self control. I am often times too heated about minor things. Self control, namely a more balance me, is noticeable when I am painting. Maybe not to the rest of the world, but in my mind, I certainly am. When I am at the gym, I should consider an import aspect of this self control I speak of - not giving up. I think, while I am a capricorn and more driven to lead, I am sometimes easily convinced; especially when I am the one doing the convincing, say, to give up running. When I am at the mall - having some self control with that 80 dollar pair of jeans, or that 70 dollar bra. I am telling you, if I take these words half as seriously as they sound, I would be a better person - inside and out - as a whole.

Amanda Wachob

I have always thought about getting a tattoo, never seriously though. I have a problem with the generic quality of them; even when people get something they drew, designed, or thought up - it still doesn't strike me as that original. Look at this girl's work. I have never seen tattoos like Amanda Wachob creates. I specifically want one of her abstract tattoos. She also seems to do some tattoos with distilled water instead of ink, which has somewhat of an impermanent quality - basically my perfect idea of a tattoo. I think that the one below that is in light red lettering is one of these distilled water tattoos. I love the paint tattoos, because having these marks on me are so normal and natural to begin with. And her background is in painting!!!

View more of her amazing work here: Amanda Wachob Tattoo

Amanda currently works at Dare Devil Tattoo in NYC, and is booked about 3 - 4 months in advance.

done and done

I filed my own taxes and my own FAFSA today - all by myself.

Talk about a freakin' pain in the ass.

I will now continue to enjoy my lazy day with piles of snow out side.

I Am Amazing

Saturday I received my acceptance package from The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. I also received a Merit Scholarship from The Academy. I am so happy :)

Monday I ran my first 5K. I unintentionally completed 2.1 miles, took a 4 minute break, and continued to finish an additional mile without a problem. Thus, my first 5K at the gym on Monday. I did it in 42 minutes... a little longer than most people, but I am excited... it will just get better from here. Oh, also, I started running for the first time in my life about 3 - 4 weeks ago. I didn't even complete the mile in high school gym.

I feel that my running process is similar to my art process. When I started running the other day, I got a cramp after not too long.... but my legs didn't hurt, they weren't tired, and I wasn't out of breath, so I told myself to keep going. And I did. Time didn't drag like it normally does. It was the most out-of-body experience I have encountered since I've been painting.

Let's just say I am amazing and leave it at that.

Etsy Treasures

Girls and ladies, boys and gentlemen: here are a few beautiful things that I love.

I love small and miniature things. I always have.

Miniature terrariums, miniature pots, miniature gardens miniature glass animals to live in these small places. I just love love love miniatures!

Number one favorite shop on all of Etsy - Tortoise Loves Donkey

Available at Yummy and Company on Etsy

How precious?!?

Wonderful little white rabbit sculpture by Green Swamp Gallery.

Lover's Heart Garden. Available at augury on Etsy. So cute, and such a better idea than flowers for V-day (yes, I know it's past)!!

Moving on to soft things for your head or your bed...

Such beautiful texture. Available at The Home Centric.

I love these. I want one so bad. I think it's the eye that makes these eccentric stuff animals so interesting. There are a lot of them, and they are not all rabbits. Check out Look What I Can Do. And if you ever want to get me something, get me one of these "Look" bunny.

Things to decorate your body :)

Isn't this amazing work?

Beautiful textile creations by Maria João Ribeiro. Shop at kjoo on Etsy.

I have something for single pearl rings. Available on Etsy at artisan impact - lots of beautiful unique jewelry!

Almost as amazing as miniature are castings. A silver walnut?! I love it. Available at Gur Kimel.

Lovely things for your house

Dahl Haus has amazing tea pots and tea cups, for an amazing tea party :)

Circa Ceramics has a more grim little tea cup, but I still love it.

Apparently I really like poppies :) I found this in Peggitha's Pieces on Etsy.

Adorn your walls!

And my second favorite shop on Etsy - Monkeys Always Look. I have purchased these for gifts in the past, and she is a great vendor!

From Gretchen Mist. Amazing artist.

Painter Leah Giberson. Girl, I love your work!!!!

Just look at it. Isn't it wonderful?!

I hope you love these creations as much as I do!

Thank God for Etsy!! Happy Friday!

News

I've been accepted to Moore College of Art and Design.

I applied for their graduate program in fine art. This is the same school I mentioned not having a single studio dedicated to grad students. So while I am happy I got into a grad school, I am not sure if this is the right one for me.

I can't wait to be a teacher. My former professor, Carole Loeffler, is always writing about how great it is to be a teacher. I think it's going to be so amazing to work with students, who are so full of potential, and so willing to be in your classroom. I think being able to help young artist with learning their creative processes is so exciting. I was quite a case as a student - stubborn, quick to judge, hateful of everything I made. I honestly think having the amazing teachers that I had, got me through art school, and influenced my consideration of teaching.

I found this artist over on Carole's blog.

I am going to go with what Carole was saying in her response to this idea. Saying something really important in ice letters that will all to quickly disappear is amazing. While most of these photos imply a more intimate relationship, I think one could say anything. The impermanent quality of ice is fascinating as it relates to the spoken word. Words are more fleeting than ice, yet the physical disappearance is beautiful and unpredictable.

When's it going to stop snowing?!?!?

There has been an awful lot of snow fall in the past few days. Saturday 18 inches fell in Philadelphia. Last night the second storm started around 6:30. This one is supposed to last until midnight tonight...leaving another 18 or so inches. I don't know why every one has "eighteen" on the brain. I guess it is just a nice in between number - more than one foot, less than two. The annoying part is it's coming on top of the barely melted last snow.

At least I don't have to work at all today. Tomorrow is a different story. I am going to be so annoyed if I have to go in in the morning. For now, I am going to continue sitting on my couch watching "Honey, I shrunk the Kids" ...For some reason I remember it being a lot better when I was little.

Running has been going really really well.

More updates tomorrow.

Happy Monday ;)

Posting for the sake of posting...

I have been so dreadful about this blog. I have to say this snow has got me down. I hate it. It gets everywhere. Its cold and wet, and I just hate it.

I have been working my ass off, and make shit. I'm so sick of it. I can't wait for summer exactly for this reason. The vacations I have planed are in the back of my mind too (duh.)

All the applications are in. The waiting has begun. I know I will hear back from Moore in a matter of days now. Their turn around is very quick. While I liked going there for an "interview" I do find a lot of faults with the program. First and foremost, graduate students are offered a private (with very spacious with an amazing view of the city) studio for 6 weeks. That's rights, 6 weeks in the span of 9 or 10 months. The rest of the time, we are expected to work in a private residence and transport work to campus for any and all feed back. Class is between one and two times a week - are you kidding me? I don't know. No, I have no experience in attending a graduate program, but this seem too independent for me. This being said, I need to go visit my other schools too.

Pretty much all I have to say for today. Also, I really don't like "Flo" from the Progressive commercials.