it's alive

True story.  A little over a year ago, for my birthday, a friend of mine gave me one of her beloved plants.  A jade plant.  As she handed it to me, she said, "Please don't kill it."

>>> pressure <<<

I am not a plant person.  I would like to be but I just don't seem to be able to keep them alive and thriving like some people can.  So, as much as I love how green plants add life to your space, I don't bring them home because I don't like feeling inept.

Soooo... I have been seriously loving up this jade plant and treating it with such care and fussing over it and moving it around the house to make sure it gets adequate amounts of sunlight and talking to it and all that crazy plant stuff you have to do to make sure it knows you care about it.

And you know what?

It's still alive.

See Karen?  I didn't kill it.

lip balm, art and veggie burgers

It's after 6 p.m. and the sun is still shining.  Thank you DST.

I'm currently working on about 4 different art pieces at once.  Not something I usually do.  I'm a work-on-one-piece-at-a-time girl.  So I have nothing finished or interesting enough to post today.

But I will share with you some random stuff.  With links!

A little fact about me...I love lip balm.  Specifically Bonne Bell Lip Smackers in Strawberry.  I've been using it for years.  I know, how very grown up and sophisticated of me.  However, I have recently come to the conclusion that other than it tasting and smelling good, it doesn't hydrate my lips very well.  So I've been searching for new, more grown up lip balm.  My ideal balm is very hydrating with a touch of sheer color and shine.  I really love Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in the Rose color.  It feels really nice on your lips and the hint of color is perfect.  The only problem I have with it is that you have to reapply it constantly.  And it's a little pricey for balm.

After being bombarded with advertisements for L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm I decided to give it a try.  I got the Rose Elixar color and I have to say I really love it.  Its hydrating and has decent staying power.  The rose color is the perfect rose/pink/neutral color for me and I think it would be flattering on all skin tones.  And it has just the right amount of shine.  Plus it's only about $6.  It has a nice scent as well.  Bonus.

I have been admiring a painting on Etsy by Nancy Desmond for quite a long time and finally decided to buy it.  It's one of a series she did of abstract landscapes.  I love original art so much and to have a new piece hanging in my home brings me endless joy.  I can't wait for it to arrive.

'Curve' by Nancy Desmond

And speaking of landscapes, I bought the best calendar for 2013.  I really planned on buying a calendar from Etsy this year.  There are so many beautiful calendars to choose from and every year there are at least 5 or 6 of them that I'd love to have (like this one or this one or this one or this one or this one).  But I really like a proper wall calendar with lots of space to write on so I always end up at Barnes and Noble at their after Christmas 50% off sale trying to find a Van Gogh or Kandinsky or Miro calendar.  This year, I went really late and there was only one art related calendar left but it was so perfect and I have been loving every month.

En Plein Air by Marsha Connell

Gardenburgers.  Have you tried them?  They are my favorite of all veggie burgers and my grocery store just started carrying them.  I'm kind of obsessed with them right now.  I made them this weekend using the pan fry method, with a toasted Ezekial sprouted whole grain english muffin, a giant pile of alfalfa sprouts and a tomato slice with salt & pepper.  SO GOOD.  I'm so obviously not a food stylist but you get the idea...

Finally, I leave you with this photo of Lucy, who is apparently suffering from the hour of sleep she lost last night.  Poor fur baby.

four things friday

Have you heard about "Five Things Friday"?  Well this is only four...

1.  As you know, I'm learning to play guitar.  It's been 6 months now and sometimes I feel like I'm not progressing enough.  Learning to read music has been difficult for me and practicing the fundamentals is not always the most fun part of this process.  Sometimes I head over to my weekly lesson with dread, worried that I will disappoint with my lack of progress.  This week I tried to convey to my teacher that I hoped my slow progress was not perceived as ingratitude, and that I very much appreciate the time being taken out of this person's life to give me this gift of music.  And my teacher - who happens to be my uncle and is giving me free lessons - basically said to me that everyone progresses at their own rate.  That at some point things will begin to click for me, things will fall into place, a light bulb will go off, the planets will align or something, and I will move up to another level.  He's confident this will happen for me and in the meantime, he just wants me to be happy and have fun.  This sort of blew me away because I generally tend to have a pessimistic attitude about myself.  I've been feeling like I owe my teacher/uncle more progress than I've made and I'm the only one who is putting these expectations on myself.  He made me realize that he is taking time to do this because he loves music and he's happy to teach me as long as I'm having fun.  All I can say is that it was an incredible weight off me.  And my uncle, well, he rocks - in more ways than one.  

2.  On a lighter note, I have seriously been enjoying iced coffees from Whole Foods.  Cold brewed coffee has become a revelation.  Cold brew has less acid and less caffeine, which for me, means no more heartburn and less problems getting good rest when my head hits the pillow.

3.  Here are a couple of blog posts about art that resonated with me recently...

Art Is Not A Choice

jealous and alone... or maybe not

4.  Today I created an Etsy treasury full of weeds.  I promise there won't be any sneezing or itchy eyes.  Check it out... Weeds

Gotta run now.  Whale Wars is on tonight and they really left me hanging last week!

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Love, me

a few facts and some randomness

It's cold and snowing (fact).  Yuck (opinion).

I have been having the weirdest dreams for the last several nights and I'm not sleeping well.

I'm working on a project I promised a charity and it's down to the wire (I'm a serious procrastinator).

Walden Media and 20th Century Fox completely ruined The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (I know you're thinking this is an opinion, but no, it is a fact).

Radiohead has a new album out (I'm listening to it as I type).  

Fleet Foxes has a new album coming out on May 3rd!

CAT POWER!!!! has a new album coming out sometime this year!

Despite the good news about Cat Power, I am feeling kind of down again.  And the being a morning person thing seems to be o.v.e.r.  

My PC died and I am working on this little tiny Eee PC (which is super annoying) and so I probably won't blog again until the new computer arrives.

I'm going to go do some laundry now.  It is midnight after all.