Life of an Artist... and Kick-Ass Stylist Chick!

Fly fly away

2012-01-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Some days you just want to fly, fly away...

Lou Reed!!!

I'm not saying that I live on the Dirty Boulevard by any means, but I can understand the desire to get away. Not a vacation, but a whole departure from all that is the same old thing and comfortable and familiar. Fly fly away from the world I know and do something completely different.
There are times that I wonder if there is something missing in my heart that might be somewhere else. Its a search for completion that drives me to keep going, keep striving, keep looking for different things and different experiences. Striving for that one illusive something that is just over the horizon, and just out of reach.
Not sure if I'll ever find it, or if this stupid insatiable aspect of my soul will ever be sated or if it will kill me... either that or the grammar police will get me with that last run-on sentence.
Like many other artists, I often find myself in these kinds of situations. The search for that illusive spark or passion. The one that will finally satisfy that itch that makes me so uncomfortable in my own skin. Maybe if I find it, I can start to like myself. Who knows?

To blog or not to blog...

2012-01-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

That is the question, isn't it?

Lately it seems that there are more and more things to complain about and less and less things to celebrate. Could be the gloomy weather, and it could be just me. In either case, here's whats up with me:

Working as much and as hard as I can. There is always room for improvement, and being that business isn't as booming as we'd like, I'm not working as much as I'd want.

Health problems with family are always interesting. Dad is the most recent recipient of heart attacks in the family. A stent and a partial blockage later, he's back at home. Needless to say, he's not a fan of his new "heart friendly" diet. No more butter and whole milk... But he can still have garlic, which is good.

Wedding planning is going well, and we have a caterer now! Johnny Carinos is officially doing our catering as of today. I still have to put down a deposit and sign the paperwork, but it looks good. Simple fare for simple people. They were unable to provide a bartender, but I'm optimistic about finding a good one.

Dress construction plans are going well too. I'm going to the gym again, albeit not in any discernible pattern.

So, all things considered, its going pretty well. Now I just need to figure out some sort of routine that I can do around my flexible schedule and try and make some sense out of the chaos. Maybe the key is to keep breathing and just keep chipping away at the things that need to get done.

Slow and steady...

That, and to keep writing. I think that helps too.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year internet!

Every year that goes by is bittersweet, to me at least. There are new faces coming into our lives, and beloved faces leaving them. To look back in regret is something that no one should do, unless you're on a killing spree, then yes... regret the killing part and go turn yourself in. Right now.

Most of us do not look back at the previous year and think "Damn, I really shouldn't have done that" or "Man, I know that was a dumb thing to try". Actually, most of the people I talk to around New years are saying: "This next year I'm going to..." Fill in the blank.

New Year's Resolutions!

They range from anything as trite (and redundant) as losing 5, 10, 50 lbs to endeavoring to buy a small island. But its a goal. A dream, if you will... and I won't begrudge anyone their dreams. I've had the weight loss one so many years in a row that I don't count it as a resolution anymore. I did make one, though.

Don't worry, its not "blog every day" cause we know thats not going to happen.

Actually, I'm going to finish one of my stories and try and get it published. Hell, in this age of digital publishing, I might just do that part myself.

Whether or not anything gets done is not really the relevant part of the resolution. Its more that things are being done in the spirit of self-improvement. Its sort of like what my brother, Thomas always used to say when I was a kid "Shoot for the stars, and even if you never quite make it that far, you'll still be further than if you had never tried at all."

I like that.

Wine of the day!

2011-11-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

Alright! New wine today... :D

Todays wine is Old Vine Red. Lot Number 55, California Red Wine, Bottled by Marietta Cellars.

Smell: Oaky with a light fruit note. Very light and fragrant. Beautiful and simple. Fruity and jammy.

Taste: Wow jamborie goodness! Lovely balance of jammy goodness and light oak finish. I dare say that I could drink the entire bottle in one sitting if I wasn't careful.

Think I've found my new favorite wine, actually... This one is probably better than the Gnarly Head Red Blends or Klinker Brick Old Vine Zins...

Very tasty goodness!

The label on the back says:
"Old Vine REd is a proprietary red wine made to replicate the field blends of many of the old vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Predominantly comprised of Zinfandel, Old Vine Red is characterized by intense spicy aromas, bright fruit, and a solid structure. Since 1978, this wine has been the 'red house pour' in many fine restaurants across the nation."

Woo! That is some good stuff! Okay... I'm doing feeling pretty good now, so I think I'll have some more wine and eat some dinner. Yep yep!

Wine of the day!

2011-11-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

In wedding planning, I've decided that to make it special, I'm going to add a few little special touches instead of going over the top and making it some sort of fete or gala or something else equally ridiculous.

So, I'm going to get some really good wines. Today I went to the local liquor store (Liquor Mart) and picked the brains of the assistant wine manager. I picked up four bottles to start. Tonight, I'm trying the first one.

Oraison, a Cotes-du-Rhone wine from Vin De La Vallee Du Rhone. Made in 2009.

Smells very soft and clean, especially for a red. There is an underlying jam scent with a lilt of spiciness. Its very inviting in its soft scent, which makes the taste an even bigger surprise.

The first sip is very peppery mid-tongue. The scent carries up through the taste a hint of fruit. There is a lingering body throughout my whole mouth. A nice meaty red that has enough complexity to give up a little more flavor with every sip. This is the kind of wine that could hold its own against a serious steak or a heavy Italian dish.

The label says:
"This rich and round Cotes-du-Rhone wine is made from Grenach (80%), Shiraz (10%), and Mourvedre (10%). It is produced on one of the best pebble terroirs of the Rhone valley, where poor soils and strong Mistral wind naturally concentrate the grapes. With flavors of black cherry, thyme and cinnamon, this wine pairs perfectly with cheeses and red and white grilled meat. *In French, Oration means prayer"

I feel like the pepper outweighs the fruit, but after 1/2 of the glass, its a lot easier to taste the black cherry and cinnamon. The thyme is harder to pick up, but it could be what I'm tasting as the pepper note.

Good all around. Would be better with a steak or heavier meal, I think...
Still like Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin better. :D

Busybusybusy!

2011-08-28T16:04:00.000-06:00

Ah... life is back in full swing once again.

I had a short hiatus during my recent, and unplanned, unemployment, which left me in a bit of a funk.

But no more! Along with starting therapy, I've also started at Great Clips in Longmont. We've been busy with the back to school season and it is the second busiest salon in Colorado, so I'm optimistic about it staying pretty steady.

This is my last full weekend for a while, so I'm making the most of it by updating my website and cleaning/organizing the house. As a nice break, I was perusing a website from Key West Florida, and found a nice little extra that I'd like to try:
Sub Tours!

They're basically in one of those yellow bubble mini subs, like the one that Andy Samburg from SNL was driving around during Shark Week on the Discover Channel.

Well, I better get back to it! Have a great week everyone!

Writing!

2011-08-11T11:37:00.000-06:00

What better way to get things out of my head? I started writing a new story a couple of days ago. This one features a character named Rebecca. She's a little crazy...

That, along with reading my books seems to be helping get things right. I'm also applying like a fiend. There has to be something to be said for persistence, right? Now, where did I put that paperwork? Hmm...

Jobs and the future...

2011-08-07T00:04:00.000-06:00

I guess the long and short of it are that I should get a part-time job... at the least. Maybe two. One way or another, I've figured out that I need to start making about $1300-$1400 per month. Thats $350 a week. If I'm figuring hourly, that could be anything from $10 an hour (take home) for 35 hours, or $14 an hour for 25 hours.

Obviously, if I could do the the second of those, would be the best. That way, any other freelance that I might do, as with my company, Goddess To Go, would be extra. Also, I would be able to pay an equal share of utilities and mortgage and be an equal partner with Sean.

I'm not really sure, beyond knowing what I need, of what to do... What do I do now, seems to be the big question.

Be Nice! ...wait, what?

2011-08-04T11:10:00.001-06:00

Everyone has their own little idiosyncrasies that make them who they are. Mine are different from yours, and yours are different than mine. A lot of people have ones that line up and thats where you get your lifetime friends or most celebrated rivals.

I've noticed recently that a fair amount of my characteristics and idiosyncrasies are based on my need for honesty. On a base level, I don't trust people when I first meet them, or I trust them too much and get burned. Any time someone has to "put on a face" or "act as someone" in an environment that isn't related to theater, my guard goes up. That contrived and forced niceness feels fake and somewhat malicious.

I know that its a defense mechanism because I do it too. Trying to cater to everyone and be the best, most glowing example of whatever it is that I'm attempting has been a crutch of mine since before I can remember. Because the best get noticed. The best get praised. The best get attention, and therefore, are loved.

Its a silly notion, that attention = love, but how can there be love without that, right?

The idea reminds me of those if-then questions on standardized tests from when I was a kid. If Blue is always Green and Green is always Yellow, then can Yellow be Red? Or some such question.

Love is always attention, but attention is not always love.

I'm reading an amazing book from a woman named Sonia Choquette, about balancing your chakras and renewing your spirit called: "True Balance" Its an interesting approach to not only rediscovering balance, but also in finding out who you are and ways to balance that in order to find peace with yourself. This passage about an overactive third chakra, or power/intelligence center, caught my eye this morning:

"Another indication of an overinflated power center is an overbearing personality. An expanded energy field does have a strong influence on others, but often in undesirable ways. Sometimes, this imbalance reveals itself in subtle and manipulative behaviors, such as using flattery and gift giving and always being the nice guy (unless crossed), in order to gain quiet control over others and consequently feel safe."

Did you just hear that exploding sound?? That was my mind. My mind is blown. Not only have I done exactly that, for YEARS, but it was all, in fact, a way to exhibit a kind of quiet control. I didn't want to muscle my way into a place of power, but I did want a sort of subversive control of the situation... so I'd needle, and I'd prod, and then when people would call me on my crap (which always happened eventually), I'd get extremely upset.

Why so sad? Fear of losing control, fear of losing attention, and fear of not being the best. Because if I'm the best, most attentive, most needed, most in control, then I'll be beloved above all others, right? Not so much...

...and thats kind of the point. Love is not contingent upon being the best, it just is what it is, and it doesn't care if you win the competition or are the prettiest or are the best singer or whatever. Thats what I'm learning. Its a pretty nifty thing.

A tree falls...

2011-07-11T14:22:00.000-06:00

On Friday, one of our large trees in the courtyard in front of our building fell. At 2am. After the rain had stopped and so had the wind, actually.

What we didn't see was that the other tree had tried to fall as well, is still teetering and is very close to falling too. What's keeping it up? The dumpster shelter next to it. Our grounds people have blocked off part of our parking lot for our safety until the tree can be removed. That was supposed to happen this last weekend. Tree is still there. LOL

May 1st!

2011-05-01T18:16:00.000-06:00

"Hurray, hurray... the first of May! Outdoor "smootching" starts today!" LOL

Adventures in Sculpting, Part 8

2011-04-26T09:11:00.001-06:00

Okay! Two things to remember when sculpting women: First, their shoulders and hips should work out to be fairly close in circumference, and second, they have muscles too, they're just much more smooth.

You might have noticed that the neck is a lot shorter now and the shoulders are not nearly as wide. I'm going to trim up the head shape a bit too, but I'm also going to add hair. One thing I'm noticing as I look back at the pictures is that I really need to change the hands... but that can wait, I think... For now, I need to work on those hips, and maybe add some hair. Yeah. Really long hair is what I'm thinking...

"Easy A"

2011-04-25T21:08:00.000-06:00

If you haven't heard about it yet, there is a fairly new-ish movie out from Director Will Gluck by the name of "Easy A". Normally, I avoid modern teen movies much like I avoid people I suspect might have the plague.

Yes, I rented "Twilight", but only to see what the hype was all about. Actually, when I was watching it drag on and on, I was tempted several times to throw my shoe at the television. As a hairstylist, I was coerced into watching it by several of its fans, a few of which were my age, and a few that are much older than me. No, I didn't like it. Insipid is a word I really like for the plot and vapid is a word I really love for the female lead... but this isn't about that.

If you have any love of John Hughes movies (Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or Some Kind of Wonderful to name a few), GO WATCH Easy A. It had the quick wit, smart plot and breezy humor of a tribute to John Hughes. Of course, no one could match his stark honesty and brilliant storytelling, but this really came through for me.

Starring Emma Stone, who was also in Superbad, its a rollicking take on High School Drama. This is what Netflix says: "High school is the setting for this freewheeling comedic twist on Nathaniel Hawthorne's 19th-century novel The Scarlet Letter. Ambitious student Olive decides to boost her popularity by pretending to be the school slut."

Check out the trailer here:CLICK HERE!

Adventures in Sculpting, Part 7

2011-04-22T06:42:00.000-06:00

Get some meat on those bones!

I'm still thinking that I want a different pose for the arms, but at least with the telescoping arms and head, I have options.

The next step in sculpting a figure is to add musculature. Every figure has some sort of muscle structure, even if its underneath a layer of bulk and a larger set character. We're doing a female nude, so we have to rough in the muscles first, and soften them later.

Something to keep in mind when you're doing this: Don't worry if the neck is too long or the shoulders too wide or whatever. Just get the clay on there and rough it in. Its just like sketching, but with forms instead of charcoal. Detail comes later...

Adventures in Sculpting, Part 6

2011-04-21T06:15:00.001-06:00

Clay!! Whew! Finally time to put a little clay on this thing.

Oil-based clay needs to be warmed up in order to make it more pliable and easier to work with. This generally involves a small oven. Lucky for us, they're very easy to build. Get a file or paper box, line it and the inside of the lid with aluminum foil. Using a standard clip-on lamp that you can buy at any hardware store, measure and cut a hole that is about 1" smaller than the diameter of the metal bell on the light. Don't forget to line the hole with foil as well. A 60 watt light is perfect for this.

Cut smaller sections of the clay and place in the oven. After about 15 minutes, you should be ready to get started. Start with a basic skeletal structure to begin. Pelvis, skull, arms, legs, feet, ribcage, etc.

This would be a good time to check out a book about anatomy. That way, you can use the pictures as a reference for where structures reside.

Adventures in Sculpting, Part 5

2011-04-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

Base! How low can you go? Death row? What a brotha know? ...Wait, I think they meant Bass, hunh? Oh well...

Lets build a base! This is where you need the wood and the pipes.

First, you have to figure out what kind of post you want. Since we've built her up at a neutral trial run, I'm going for a pretty neutral position. Less exciting, but more practical for learning purposes. Mark where the feet will anchor. If you think about it ahead of time, its also a good idea to mark where the flange with attach too.

Make some holes with a 1/4" drill bit where you've marked the feet. On the opposite side of the board, use a spade bit to make a recess so that when you attach the feet you won't have a wobbling base. Attach the feet from the bottom so that the nut attaches through the feet. If you plan ahead and have enough of a variety of pipe segments, you'll have just the right height for the back support of your armature. Obviously, I didn't do that. :D So, thats why I had to shim the front of the flange before I screwed it down. But it works... Chalk another one up to "learning".

Adventures in Sculpting, Part 4

2011-04-19T17:58:00.000-06:00

So, now we have the basic body of the armature done: Legs, torso, shoulders and neck. Yes, in the picture, its standing propped up on my laptop. :D Classy!

Ok! Lets get to work on some arms! From the center pivot to the end of the fingers is the length we're going for. Go back and forth, folding but not cutting, until you have what will end up being 5 ends after two of the folds are cut. Measure the finger length using the armature map. Hold the wires where the wrist pivot lines up. Twist together on the arm part. Cut apart the fingers and wrap them with a thinner wire. Make sure that you DON'T CUT THE FINGERS down to real hand size. LOL I jumped ahead... then I watched that part of the video. You'll see later... Ha ha ha Anyway, here's the pic of the twisted arms:

Remember when I told you that this is a "telescoping armature"? Oh yeah... the arms and head COME OFF! So, of course, we have to make some sort of apparatus to facilitate that. In the video, he uses lengths of square copper tubing with epoxy putty. I think I'll explain this better on the next round. But, next round I'll also be using the correct materials too!

In the above picture is Sean's example figure for how people are structured in 7.5 heads. Epoxy, armature with the shoulder sockets attached, my armature map, some brass tubing and wire cutting pliers. With the help of a smaller tube that has some already hardened epoxy, pack the epoxy into the larger brass tubing on the insertion side. Make sure that the brass tubes are the correct length of the neck and collar bone sections. Trim and score the wire where the epoxy needs to attach. Maybe halfway through the tubes. Clean out the excess epoxy with rubbing alcohol on a q-tip. Be careful not to use too much rubbing alcohol, as it makes the epoxy very gooey and takes a lot longer to harden.

Measure and cut the insertion tube. Be careful not to get any epoxy on the outside of the tube and that the arms are trimmed down far enough that the points all line up on the map. I also marked which arm goes where.

Next, we'll make the base and attach the pipes.

Adventures in Sculpting, Part 3

2011-04-09T09:00:00.002-06:00

Now we have a plan!

In yesterdays picture, you could see the beginnings of an armature for the upper body. Today comes the fun part: cutting lengths of aluminum armature wire for the actual armature. Well, it would be if I had watched the video instead of plowing on... again. :P

But, moving on... The armature will be supporting approximately 2-3 pounds of pastalina (oil-based modeling clay, which I'm really hoping is mildly recyclable after molding. Cause its a little expensive. Not bad as far as clay goes, but I'm cheap.).

The base will be a 12"x12"x1" wood board. The supports for the armature consist of galvanized steal pipe attached to the board with a flange and wood screws. The supports on the feet are bolted to the board from the bottom and ancored with some of the 2part epoxy putty.

Here is the picture from part 1. You can see the pipe sitting on the table. The t-section will actually reside in the navel of the armature.

Now, obviously, I'll have to use slightly smaller pipes to support my smaller armature. But you get the idea.

Alright! Next, we draw from the top of the sternum on the front view of the armature map down through the center to about 1/2 way between the navel line and the crotch. Then, from that point, draw to where the insertion of the leg would be and then straight down to the bottom of the foot. Repeat this idea for the arm: Sternum to shoulder, elbow, wrist and a little ways beyond the hand for the fingers (like 1/4"). Be sure and make pivot points for where the hip is, knee, elbow, wrist, ankles, etc.

So, since we're going to make the arms and head removable, we're going to measure the wire about 1/4" beyond the shoulder pivot and down along the spine line and through to 1/4" beyond the foot. Loop and go back up past the navel and cut. Repeat on the other side. Straighten out the wire, except where the foot loop is. Twist the overlap together and epoxy into the t-pipe section where it would sit comfortably inside the sculpture. This is where it would be easier to show you, but since I did it a little different, I think I'll cover this on the next sculpture attempt.

Mine looked like this when I was done putting the armature beginnings along with the wired on head piece.

Now would be a good time to mark with small pieces of duct tape where the knees are for later reference.

Adventures in Sculpting, Part 2

2011-04-08T08:00:00.003-06:00

Okay! Things are coming along now... Its kind of like baking a cake or sewing a dress. There are certain things that really need to be established BEFORE you start cooking or piecing together... or building armatures.

So, first things first. What are you making?

I'm gonna start very simply and do just a simple female nude. Women are just more fun to sculpt. Men are all bulges and hard lines while women are curves and softness. Plus, with less extreme angles, I think it will be easier to mold down the road. Or, at least, thats kind of what I hope. :D Once you figured out what, you need to sketch out what it will look like. This is more of a stylized character picture. Since I'm doing just a nude, I skipped this step.

Next is the plan.

For constructing a figure, you need an armature that will support what you're trying to build. To make the armature, you need whats called an armature map. This is sort of a sketched out character that fits into the scale of what you're making. Humans are classically 7.5-8 heads tall. If you're doing a 10 inch figure at 8 heads, there are 8 lengths dividing the character/armature map.

From the top line down: Head/crown, chin, nipples(or just below if male), navel, crotch, just above the knee, mid-calf, ankle and bottom of foot.

Adventures in Sculpting, Part 1

2011-04-07T12:48:00.000-06:00

As some of you know, I get wild hairs from time to time and start projects.

As more of you may know, I love to sculpt. There is something about the three dimensional aspect of the medium that draws me. Probably a little of that is why I love doing hair as much as I do.

In any case, I've started a new little side project involving sculpting a telescoping figure for molding purposes. The reason behind this is simple: if the arms and head are removable, then it will be easier to mold later. At least, thats the hope.

I've never attempted anything like this before, and with the help of some extremely good videos and my better half and professional illustrator, Sean; things are going very well so far. :D

These pictures were from my first attempt. As you can see, I was drinking a little wine with my sculpting... which I think was part of why attempt #1 was less successful than I had originally hoped.

In these pictures are some of what I've been using:
Tres Picos Borsao Garnacha 2008 (wine, and not one I'd recommend), oil-based modeling clay called Pastilina, pipe armature support, EP-400 Epoxy Putty, 300ft of 18 gauge wire and a sketchpad with a pencil.

One day at a time

2011-02-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

"Change yourself and your work will be different." Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

If A + B + C = D, then A + B + C = D every time. If you keep adding the same things together, you'll keep getting the same results. A + B + C does not equal P.

What if the only variable that you have control over is yourself? Well, if the desired result is different than the result that you've been getting, then the only choice is to change yourself.

I've been working at trying to change my attitudes and how I look at the world around me. Trying to temper my proclivities to better fit my place in this life, but I kept getting the same results.

Thats when I realized that it wasn't the change in myself that was needed. It was the change in where I was that needed to happen. A flower can't grow in a dark closet. Just like a jungle cat doesn't do well in the arctic circle. I'm not meant for big corporate structure.

So tomorrow I say goodbye to the last three and a half years in an environment that I just didn't belong in and move on to something new. Something fresh... something different... something new...

I'm excited to see the new outcomes. Aren't you?

Hello Again...

2011-02-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

"Faith plus dynamic dreams plus real working at it is a go-ahead formula that gets you where you want to go." Positive Thinking Every day by Norman Vincent Peale

How I interpret this is that you need a combination of belief in yourself, the forethought and creative inspiration of what you'd most love to do, and good ole-fashioned hard work to get where you want to go.

Now, how does one go about doing that?

I think that first off, you should know where you're aiming for.

Realistically, what is the end result that you want to accomplish? What is your goal?

Okay! Now, what are the obstacles in your way and are they overcomable?
If no, then you need to adjust the goal. If yes, what are the steps that are needed to overcome obstacle 1, 2, 3, etc?

Now that the obstacles in my own life [Going to school in the first place, getting my license, getting out of my current job (my last job is Friday)] are out of the way. I have the biggest obstacle yet to come: Finding a new job.

But I have found a little bit of a bright spot in this crazy quest of mine; A booth rent in a small shop in Boulder. When I went in there yesterday evening to look inside and get an idea of whether or not it was even a possibility of a place to work, I was very pleasantly surprised. Not only was it pretty nice inside, the man and lady that owned and operated the shop were very nice and quite helpful. Easy to talk to and comfortable.

Something else that really resonated with me was actually something that Sean's Mom says quite a bit: "You have to do what feeds your soul."

Which is exactly what the lady said during the 45 minutes we all were talking. I'm thinking that there is something to that, actually. Maybe I'll end up there... who knows?

Serenity NOW! :D

2011-01-29T13:30:00.001-07:00

"Practice word therapy - Serenity, urbanity, imperturbability, equanimity. Say those powerful, mind-healing words over to yourself every day. Let them recondition your stressful attitudes." Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

This one reminds me irresistibly of an episode of Seinfeld. In this episode, George Castanza is told that if he says, "Serenity now..." that he can manifest serenity for himself. What George forgets, however, is to breath and believe that it can calm him.

By the end of the episode, not just the word, but the feeling loses its meaning for him altogether. Granted, if he had actually found the serene feeling that he had been searching for, the episode and the character would cease to be funny.

But it makes me wonder... how much of my world is colored by perception and how much of it is my own creation?

Perhaps its time to manifest my own destiny. Time to "shit or get off of the pot" as a few of my family members say. If I can't change my own situation, then I'll be doomed to live in this same reality for how ever long. No one is going to come and save me. Its time to be my own white knight.

Time to take action... SERENITY NOW! Or, in my case: Positive change NOW!

Pearls

2011-01-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

"One of the few greatest satisfactions of this life is to handle problems efficiently and well." Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

Community Spirit

2011-01-23T10:28:00.001-07:00

"Miracles are in all sizes. And if you start believing in little miracles you can work up to the bigger ones." Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

Ah... Music!

There is an interesting thing that happens when a group of people plays for another group of people. The people playing are pouring their hearts out(figuratively) through the creation of music on instruments and with voices...

The people in the audience (when in a receptive mood, cause this isn't always the case) then feel a swelling of joy in the music and reciprocate that feeling of love of music and for the ones performing it...

This is why performers have such trouble off-stage. Could you imagine if your own self-worth was tied to this intense level of performance induced communal love? Naturally, after the show was over, you'd have some trouble sleeping. Then, when the show closes, you have to find another show or possibly find yourself in depression.

Been there... done that... drinking or going out after the show with the cast does help the not being able to sleep part. But the depression is something else entirely. If you've never felt that incredible rush of hundreds of people cheering for you or even singing along with something you're on stage singing... then I'm not sure I'm the one to explain it. Its a deeply spiritual Communion.

That being said, Go Out and SEE The Airborne Toxic Event!

My significant other and I went to see them last night with the Colorado Symphony in Boetcher Hall. It was incredible. There is something to be said for the communion of spirit that happens at a great show. They did it very well and we were all very happy to see them. :D

Ah... Hair!

The women of the village are gathering today, my friends. The lovely and talented Cora Kemp is finally getting her hair cut off so that she can donate to Locks of Love. When she heard about this, Melinda decided to join us to get a trim as well... or it might have been Jenn LeBlanc... I'm not sure, actually.

But nonetheless... We're gonna have fun, I think... :D

Smarter, not harder...

2011-01-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

"People who are really efficient seem to do things easily, with a minimum of effort. In so doing they release maximum power." -Positive thinking every day by Norman Vincent Peale

I am good at what I do. Generally, its because I try and find the most efficient way of doing things and use that route until its well worn.

I have deep tire treads of efficiency at work, actually. Maybe that's why I'm suddenly scared of what tomorrow might hold. Let me clarify: tomorrow, I take the second of two tests to get my Cosmetology license.

If I pass this 'written' exam, I will be handing in my notice to my current employers and getting another job in this new field. Its the culmination of two years of school and marks the start of something that I always end of worrying about.

Beginning something new.

Once I'm in a position, I'm great. Once I know the lay of the land, I can build on the efficiency and efficacy that is my nature and I'll be successful in whatever I put my mind to... but its the starting of these endeavors that I always have trouble with.

Its great to envision what you might do... what could happen... but its a whole other thing to actually go and do that thing.

What if I really go after something I want, for once, and then fail utterly?

What if I'm not good at business after all? Will my dreams of opening a salon and spa of my own never come to pass?

Or will I end up unsuccessful, fat and alone at the end of my struggles with a large debt and bankruptcy looming in the wings?

Or... will I be wildly successful?

I just don't know. I don't have a map for this... and I seem to have lost my compass. All I can do is study for the test and pass it. From there? I just don't know...

Conditions

2011-01-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

"If you think lack you tend to create a condition of lack. Shift your thought pattern to one of abundance and believe that God is now in the process of giving you the abundance you need." -Positive Thinking for Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

Quitting

2011-01-16T12:38:00.001-07:00

"Its always too soon to quit." -Positive Thinking for Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

A Life Celebrated

2011-01-15T12:25:00.001-07:00

"Cushion the painful effects of hard blows by keeping enthusiasm going strong, even if doing so requires struggle." -Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

This quote fits today a bit better than the actual quote in the book. Granted, it fit yesterday's struggles at work to a T, which is more than a little disconcerting in a fascinating and sort of prophetic way.

That being said, today is a low-key memorial for a dear friend of mine. As a former Renaissance festival performer, I have a colorful collection of wonderful friends. Each more interesting and big-hearted than the last.

Last week, our tightly knit community of rag-tag individuals received some very sad news. A great friend and very good man had passed away. In this amazing and warm community of people, Norman David Morris was by far one of the best.

I've long been of the opinion that funerals are not only depressing, they're a little on the insulting side. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the religious aspect of remembering their lives and giving them to whatever deity is the most fitting for their memory, but to be honest, I find it all unnecessarily sad.

Celebrating a life lived seems much more fitting to those who really touched the world with their warmth. We lost Norm too early for my taste, but if given the option, he probably would have been someone I'd have kept around for a good many years.

In the spirit of our renaissance family, we're raising a glass to the man tonight. The most fitting libation that I could think of is Scotch. As a reenactor, Norm was most commonly outfitted as one of three things: A Danish prince, a Viking, or a Scotsman. As a good Scotsman, he was known to often carry good Scotch.

My first season at the CORF, it rained a few weekends very hard and became very cold very fast. I learned quite quickly who had flasks of very potent and very warming liquors. Its a very useful thing to keep on yourself, actually. A flask can calm nerves, create friends and keep one warm on a cold day.

The first person to ever hand me Scotch was our dear friend Norm. I was dressed that season as a Nun with comically enhanced features (including giant, out of proportion fake breasts). It was a hot costume in the sun and a freezing cold costume in the rain.

As a potent liquor with its quickly warming effects, it was my favorite libation for bad weather. In fact, because of that effect, now every time it rains I crave Scotch. I blame Norm for that. *grins* So what better way to celebrate the passing of this great man than to get together with good friends and raise a glass of Scotch to him?

Sounds like a plan to me!

Willpower and Guilt

2011-01-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

"Cultivate will power, that massive creative force that God the creator built into you. Do not let it remain flabby but strengthen it by use and exercise."

"Have absolutely no sense of guilt about being happy and successful if you operate honestly and with a sense of social responsibility."
-Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

Yes, I want a cookie. I also want a big house, a dog and a sexy body. I want beauty, success and peace of mind. But I really want a cookie.

Needs are a different animal, though, aren't they? I need to eat healthy and exercise. I need a roof over my head and a place to sleep. I need to be hygienic and to cover my bills. I need to think positive so that my worries don't corrode my well being and to avoid developing ulcers.

How does one achieve these basics when it seems like everything is in your way? How do you reconcile your needs with your desires? No, I don't need a new car or liposuction or excessive makeup or a personal assistant or fame or fortune or any of that self-serving drivel.

I want it, though.

I want the whole stupid storybook. A house with a yard and a dog. A husband, a child or two and love. Wondrous success and extra money. Travel and fame and free time and doting and unconditional forgiveness... I want it all.

The biggest problem that I seem to run into with all of this, is that I feel supremely guilty about the whole thing.

Yes, I want a cookie, but I have to justify that I did good enough to deserve a cookie. Sometimes this feeling multiplies and roils in my stomach until I start to wonder if I deserve food at all. Then I get overly hungry or irritable or my hypoglycemia kicks in and then I overeat. Which makes the whole process that much more raw and emotional.

Do I deserve to be happy? What makes me happy in the first place? Why?

Until I can let go of the guilt, I don't know if I can be truly happy. I'm working on it, but its difficult when a lack of will power is paired with deep guilt. I want to be better, but I don't know what to do except for practicing everyday with little things.

Only one cookie. Let the past go. Prepare for the future, but don't mourn for futures that have not come to pass. Take joy in simplicity and do not harbor guilt over things that cannot be changed or on successes that others have not shared.

Act your age?

2011-01-07T11:39:00.001-07:00

"Live your life and forget your age." -Positive thinking every day by Norman Vincent Peale

How old am I again?

Sometimes I feel ancient. Older, somehow than the dirt under my feet or the breezes around my body. Older than the rain or the streams that flow. Fire seems to be my only compatriot, though sometimes I feel that I'm older than that as well.

But sometimes I feel so young and fresh and naive that nothing seems to make sense.

I know that there is a season to every life and to every incarnation of life. Kermit the frog actually put it very well when he said that "life is full of meetings and partings... that is the way of it."

But to say that one should forget the years in favor of living to the fullest is a grand idea. Its a truly ancient concept with parallels in every major religion. Its the idea of putting aside distractions to live and love and go on.

This, I believe is why the Muslims do not have pictures depicting their religious icons and beliefs. Its also found in Christianity with Jesus encouraging his followers to give away all of their possessions and to follow him. Its in the Zen Buddhist path to enlightenment in the form of bringing forth all the discomforts and hells that we've created for ourselves, acknowledging them and then letting them go.

Get out of your own way, and there is happiness around the corner.

Life is full of trials and tribulations that can make us feel like fumbling newborns in a world wrought with pointed edges. It can weigh on us until we feel like our hearts will implode from loss.

But it is also brimming with simple joys. The beauty of new fallen snow, the laughter of children, the babbling brook, a warm fire, a soft breeze... and the comfort of loved ones. It doesn't matter how old we are, we are still here; and we're here for each other.

Welcome to the New Year!!

2011-01-01T01:19:00.001-07:00

"When you wholeheartedly adopt a 'with all your heart' attitude and go all out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things."
-Positive Thinking Every Day" by Norman Vincent Peale

Hi there 2011!

Welcome to the new year everyone! So far so good out here in Boulder.

We had a nice day full of behind the scenes hockey from HBO, a wonderful hockey game set outdoors and a fantastic meal of pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes and green beans. I even got in a little sauerkraut for good luck.

The biggest thing is to keep on going and to keep positive. Look to the good in life and let it into your heart. Think positive, surround yourself with goodness and you'll start to find yourself doing better and feeling better... and doing incredible things in the end.

Here's to make 2011 the best year ever!

End of the year lookback

2010-12-31T01:12:00.000-07:00

"Know that there is no death, that all life is indivisible, that the here and the hereafter are one, that time and eternity are inseparable, that this is one unobstructed universe. We are citizens of eternity."

For anyone who knows me, it can be safely said that I have a tendency to get wrapped up in details and have trouble seeing the big picture many times.

Who knows why this last year was so hard? Who knows why our heat keeps breaking or why its so cold in Boulder this week? Who knows why I failed my test or why I just don't seem to be able to get away from my current job situation?

I find that I take solice in the idea that I'm part of a bigger picture. A beautiful addition to the painting... or a crucial, if in my own way, part of the puzzle.

Simple pleasures, such as watching a Hockey game with friends. An occasional beer with dinner. The hug of a loved one. Or even toasting the new year with mini champagne bottles. We actually had fun tonight with our champagne bottles in "mini buckets" (they were actually glasses with ice that we set them in).

Goodbye 2010! You were a good year, in your own way... full of trials and tribulations, but also full of triumphs and successes... questions and answers... and more babies than you can shake a rattle at. I know of about five babies born this last month and two more people that are freshly pregnant.

I guess my point is that there are always ups and downs in this crazy old world. But its okay, really. Things even out in the long run and many times things work out for the best in the end.

Snow, LLCs and the Psychology of Positive

2010-12-30T00:58:00.000-07:00

"Take the best into your mind and only that. Nurture it, concentrate on it, visualize it, prayerize it, surround it with faith. Make it your obsession. Spiritually creative mind power aided by god power will produce the best."
-Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

Its finally snowing in Boulder. But not just snowing, its been snowing quite heavily for most of the day. Tonight its forecasted to be around 3 degrees below zero. It is really beautiful outside, actually. Its kind of like a frosted paradise.

I'm always struck by the simple beauty of the falling flakes. Downy fluff falling from the heavens to blanket the world with a deep stillness. It feels like nature is breathing deep, on the verge of sleeping for a good long while. A soft, cold sleep til spring.

Unfortunately, until about 14 hours ago, that was not the case. Its been unseasonably warm lately. In fact, the day after Christmas, I actually saw someone swimming in an outdoor pool in town. But its snowing now, and mother nature seems to be trying to make up for time lost. It is gorgeous outside, despite the road conditions. :D

Ah... cue the music and enjoy the snow!
Florence and the Machine: Dog Days are Over!

During a slower time at work today, I was searching around on the internet for possible names for a mobile spa business. I finally stumbled on a good name for my business: Goddess to go, LLC or, on promotional material it will be: Goddess to go! A mobile spa

Needless to say, I'm pretty happy with myself today. Its pretty easy to register an LLC for Colorado online. Exciting stuff, actually. Naturally, I won't launch the actual business until I'm legally able to practice Cosmetology. But at least now I have the business registered and named. Good stuff.

Now, a word on todays positivity. Let in the good! Its working... amazing as it sounds, making sure that you think positive and look to the good in every day that good things start coming out. I actually surprised myself today by complementing something in my life that I generally put down and denigrate.

Actually... I did that twice in the same conversation and before that, I was doing that with a coworker as well. Amazing things are happening to my blood pressure and the knot in my stomach is slowly starting to unwind.

There is a definite change for the better. Its much like a winter in my heart at the moment. Deep, still, quiet and cool. There is potential for great beauty and vibrant, colorful beauty. Its there, under a thick blanket of freshly fallen snow.

But spring is coming... I can feel it in my roots

Uplifting exercise

2010-12-29T21:06:00.000-07:00

"Never think down - always think up!"
-Positive Thinking Every Day by Norman Vincent Peale

Last night, after dinner and blogging, I went for a jog. Bundled in two shirts, two light 'workout' jackets, a big scarf, hat and gloves, and with my new sketcher tone-ups; I braved the cold and half ran half jogged all the way to my work and back.

Apparently its a good idea to wear a scarf over your mouth to avoid what my friend Adam calls "bloody lungs". Now, I'm not a doctor, or an athlete really... by any stretch of the imagination. But I'm pretty sure that that is not really what its called. LOL

Today, along with a little bit of a cough from my evening jaunt, I woke with a lovely UP feeling. I credit a combination of positive thinking and working out last night with this uplift.

I think this whole "thinking up" idea is good, actually... because there is an amazing power in the human mind to trick itself into certain behaviors. So, here's to the power of the mind, right? Hurray!

Progress... exciting? Hmm...

2010-12-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

"Set aside a few minutes every day to say aloud such words as 'exciting,' 'dynamic,' 'marvelous,' 'fabulous,' 'terrific.'
-December 28th, "Positive Thinking Every Day" by Norman Vincent Peale

The biggest hurdle in changing your mindset has to be the repetition... just the blinding monotony of same thoughts until you really believe the stuff you're saying to yourself.

In case you're wondering, I'm trying to change my attitude toward my life. I'm excited about this, actually. Its a terrific idea and I'm feeling marvelous... LOL Well, I'm trying...

Today I rescheduled my test for January 11th in Aurora. So that should be interesting. Could be fabulous, right? It has the potential to be dynamically marvelous in a terrific way, actually. :D

The only hitch in this amazing and wonderful and (this time) life-changing experience is that I have to re-learn a lot of criteria and re-do my kit. *shrugs* such is life.

I think the biggest thing that I really need to keep in mind is that no matter what happens. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS...

my friends and family will still love me.

They don't care if I'm super successful or stuck in a dead-end job. Its all going to be alright. Maybe I won't do what I had set out to do in the first place... but you know what? I'm going to be alright. One way or the other.

Perspective on Failing (first attempt)

2010-12-27T23:24:00.000-07:00

"Never react emotionally to what happens but always look for and find in every circumstance the good that's surely present there."

Wow... wish I had known that earlier today. I feel that I handled myself very well, all things considered.

Granted, I was failed on my first attempt at taking my Colorado State Boards Practical examination.

Yes, I was failed on a technicality. Officially, the reason given was that my "sections were uneven".

Literally, any item on the test not fulfilled is grounds for automatic failure of the test.

Okay, I'll admit that I'm not happy in the least about the situation. Most likely I'll have to either

A: beg, borrow, steal and whatever else to get a test date before the end of the year(I'm not holding my breath on that one.*grins*)

or B: Relearn all of the criteria so that I can take the test using the all-new rules for 2011(which also means that I'll have to redo my kit before testing as well, and possibly go in for some training at school for it.)

Either way, I'm trying to look to the positive side. Ya know, it could be that this is all for the best. As someone quite wise told me today, "who knows, you might just look back when you're seventy and realize that it was all for a reason.". Jill, I sure hope you're right!

In the meantime,
...it was good that I tested in Greeley because I got to reminisce for a while before the test of when I went to school at UNCO.

...it was good that I had a chance to see how the test worked and what the facilities are like. (Including the heating and air conditioning. That room was quite warm... then again, I was really nervous too.)

...it was good that after the test, I got to hang out with Megan, who I rarely get to see. We had a lovely dinner and then proceeded to eat every sugary thing we could think of... it was wonderful.

...it was amazingly good to see how truely blessed with people who care about me that I am! So many people have called or emailed or texted or a combination therof about my attempt today that I was almost brought to tears of joy. How great is it to know that even in the darkest hour, you still have so many people who care?

Sunday Update...

2010-08-15T20:15:00.006-06:00

The fun part of working and going to school is that there is an amazing variety of experiences every week.

This week at work, we were informed that it was almost official that our store's manager's bosses boss was going to be visiting and inspecting the store. Needless to say, we were put to work in getting the store up to snuff.

Unfortunately, by the end of the day on Monday we hadn't quite finished up some key elements like cleaning the restrooms and stocking all of the paper that we'd just had delivered. I took it on myself to do those couple of things that I could after my shift was supposed to end and ended up staying about two and a half hours late.

We didn't end up getting our inspection, but for a few days the store looked quite nice, which was fun. The bad part was that I ended up starting the week on a bad foot: I was exhausted at the start... :P

Tuesday night at school was quiet and relaxed, but with all of the stress at work, I was having some trouble concentrating and ended up pacing between bouts of bookwork. We also received our progress reports for our hours and I'm happy to report that I'm officially at 1352 hours, which means that in two weeks I'll be able to start our baby boards program at Longs Peak Academy.

"Baby Boards" is a training that we have for our Colorado State Board Licensure practical testing. I already have quite a few of the elements, and my friend's have already given me some tips on how to put the kit together that make it easier and a little less expensive.

Wednesday was fun... busybusybusy fun... LOL I had three color services(one was my Mom, one was a regular who had never had color from me before, and one was a color correction), a Salt Glow body treatment, and a Microdermabrasion(3 areas: face, neck and decollete). Having those last three Microderms means that I've officially finished up my requirements for my Microdermabrasion certification, so upon graduation I can do them at any facility that offers them. Hurray!

Actually, here's a lovely before and after of my regular customer:
Before:

and After:

Thursday at work was exhausting, both mentally and physically. We had a "surprise" visit from our manager's boss that involved lots of walking around the store and "trying to give the customer the BEST experience possible" and many other similarly "enthusiastic" and "helpful" suggestions. By the end of the day, I was too tired to think, let alone be "enthusiastic" about work.

School went well, quiet but well... which was good, considering my state of mind and body. That night, after school, I was so wiped out that I decided to call out sick to recuperate. It turned into a lovely day: restful, nourishing to the soul and productive. A wonderful day off on all counts.

Saturday was the busiest that I've had in some time, but it turned out very well on all accounts. Four haircuts, a Salt Glow, two shampoo sets, and I tweezed the dark hairs from a lovely older lady's chin.

Here is another lovely color job from a few weeks ago:

Dance it off!

2010-07-11T12:24:00.006-06:00

When I get really busy, and the thought of going on my bike or jogging through the neighborhood seems out of the question, I workout at home.

A new workout that I really enjoy a great deal is to download my favorite dance hits and I dance it up in my bathroom while I'm doing my evening beauty regimen.

Takes me about 5-6 songs to get ready for bed, and I feel both sexy and invigorated by the time I'm done.

Some of my favorites:

Muse "Supermassive Black Hole"

La Roux "Bulletproof"

Rhianna "Disturbia"

Metric "Gold Guns Girls"

Enjoy!

Diversity in Arts...

2010-06-09T18:16:00.003-06:00

As a professional in any artistic industry, one of the most common concerns is finding a way to keep things fresh. Fresh for you, and fresh for your clientel.

If you're working at the same thing day in and day out, how do you prevent burnout?

The gurus will say "simplify", but as one of those busybusybusy types, I find that I can't relax each and every night. I have to be doing something, even if its as 'simple' as knitting or cleaning or whatever.

I propose a different tactic:

Break it up... Instead of working five days a week doing the same thing every day, work two days on project A, two days on project B, and one day on project C (or project A again).

This not only keeps things fresh, it allows for things to inspire you in other ways. For example: if project A is a venue such as hairdressing, make sure that project B is in a different arena. If you're a Cosmetologist, perhaps project B would be skin or nail services and project C would be a day of only waxing services.

If you're an illustrative artist who also does music; project A could be the paying job, project B could be music only, and project C could be exploring a new medium (like sculpture or photography and not meant to directly benefit either project A or B, it would have to be unrelated).

The tricky part in this is that the artists brain can become overloaded in any of these arenas. If that becomes the case, a break from one of the three projects could fix that problem. Take that time for relaxing activities like leisurly bike riding or shopping for a new book.

The same tactic could also work for job burn-out. (I do this myself, actually.):
Job A Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri; School Wednesday and Saturday(morning to early afternoon); then, when they need me, I work at Job B on Saturday night.

This helps keep things fresh for me, and helps me to keep inspiration flowing for the times when I need a little more help.

Hope this helps!

Oil Slicks and Extra Hair

2010-05-07T10:06:00.003-06:00

Get involved, ask your hairdresser how!

I subscribe to a daily email from www.behindthechair.com and was surprised today to get an email featuring such an incredible idea.

Here's what I received:

"

Help Wanted!

According to Matter of Trust, last year over 2,600 oil spills occurred around the world, and while they all aren’t high profile, each can have a devastating impact on the environment. All reports indicate that the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill will be the worst in history, far exceeding the damage sustained in the Exxon Valdez case nearly 20 years ago.
Spewing nearly 200,000 gallons of oil into the water each day, the spill is threatening hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast. The salon community is never one to sit back and watch devastation like this occur.
So what can you do to help? Donate your hair clippings to organizations like Matter of Trust! They collect clippings, sort them and ship the fibers off to needlepunch factories to make hairmats to use for oil spill relief. These mats help soak up oil from animal fur and coastlines.
Matter of Trust also creates booms from loose hair that is stuffed into nylon stockings which are tied together to surround and soak up oil (as seen above). There are over 300,000 hair salons in the United States, and each salon cuts an average of one pound of hair per day.
Please don’t throw the clippings away. Instead, set aside a designated box in the salon to gather (clean, debris-free) hair, then contact Matter of Trust right away to get involved. They’ll take all the help they can get! Click here to learn more and to see how you can help."

Who knows? Your hair could save any number of creatures!

Bright blessings!

Relaxation

2010-02-08T09:54:00.002-07:00

When I wrote that last post, it hadn't yet occurred to me how small a part relaxation has in my own life. Granted, through light meditation before bedtime, I'm able to sleep no matter my stress load or state of relaxation. But its not a natural relaxation, which is what I had in mind from that previous post.

Relaxation is generally considered as a state free of stress. Both the Eu-stress, which is considered positive stress, and the more common Stress, which is considered negative. Note that it does not say "free from stressors."

Stress is one of the epidemics of our age, and as such, is often blamed for any host of illnesses and ailments. Basically, everything from chronic knee pain to kidney stones to migraines.

In a society such as ours, the elimination of stress altogether is not an option. If you leave your cell phone off, an ailing loved one might not be able to get a hold of you. If you don't check your email, you won't have to sift through spam, but the big presentation from your boss will not be given to you.

How do you get around this? Lately, Sean and I have been reading a series of books from a man named Seth Godin. The latest book in his series is called "Lynchpin". It is basically a way of thinking and behaving so that instead of being a cog in the machine, you are in fact the lynchpin holding everything in place.

This is not to say that all the blame for the things that go wrong will be your fault. No no no... it means that though you might be replaceable, you are indispensable. And therefore, the powers from above will not want to replace you.

What does this have to do with Relaxation?

I'm getting there, don't worry! In the chapter I'm reading, he talks about finishing things. Its not that progress is bad, or long term projects either. But, think about it: if something is done, do you stress about it? No. Period.

Mistakes, failures, cutting loses... those are all finished. Done. Moving on from a project that has failed is not reprehensible, in fact, it could be considered admirable. If you realize that hitting a nail with your hand is futile and dangerous, do you keep doing it, or do you go out and get a hammer? You would go out and get a hammer. Or maybe, you have a friend who has a hammer and would be willing to help you!

Pride often doesn't let us let go of our woes. But it is that stubborn pride that sets us up for an even bigger fall, or quite possibly for a nail in your hand(I've done that, it really hurts).

One of the simplest things that I've realized is that if something is bothering me to the point where I can't sleep, I ask myself a few questions about it.

1. Can I really do anything about it right now?
2. Will getting up and fixing it make a difference tonight?
3. Does anyone other than me care about this issue?
4. Could it actually wait till the morning without causing more damage?

Generally, the first question and some light meditation are all I need to fall fast asleep.

The importance of Sleep

2010-01-22T09:38:00.002-07:00

I've talked a lot about supplements, natural aides and similar things that will help a person be healthy.

But the fact of the matter is, that unless someone is getting adequate amounts of sleep, all the supplements in the world won't do you any good.

Here are some ways to tell if you're sleeping enough:

When you wake up:

1. You can see clearly.
Generally within 5 minutes of getting up, the excess fluids from in and around your eyes should clear and your vision returns to normal. Ever wonder why your eyes water or you have to blow your nose right when you get up? This is from the fluid that collects around your eyeballs during sleep. It circulates during sleep cycles to clean the area of debris and detritus that you accumulate during waking hours(Sand). It also cleans off the excess protein that accumulates on your eyeballs. Your skin sloughs constantly throughout the day through normal skin regeneration, but so too do the cells on your eyes. Except that they have nowhere to go, so they get cleaned during sleep.
(There are also very small organisms that you're born with that live off of the dead cells on your eyes, everyone has them, but you don't want to hear about that.)

2. Higher brain function.
I'm not saying that if you get enough sleep that you'll be a candidate for MENSA, but studies have shown that if you get enough sleep(and eat right, workout, etc) that your brain functions better. The theory is that seratonin, which is secreated by the glands in your brain produce during active dreaming, effectively clears your mind to aid in high brain function.
Basically, its much like rebooting your computer. When you reboot, the RAM memory in your computer is cleared away and the computer runs faster because it has that active memory for use.

Through the day:

1. This should be a 'duh' sort of thing, but grogginess. Banishment of grogginess is a very telling factor of whether or not you're getting quality sleep. Quantity is all well and good, but if the quality of sleep is poor, then all the sleep in the world won't help you.

2. Lack-luster nutrition. Vitamins (such as A, B, C, etc) are absorbed and distributed throughout the body through water and can be taken any time through the day. Minerals, on the other hand, are digested through fat and are best taken before bed. The reason for bedtime? Simple. Fat reserves are slow moving and require extra energy to process. The simple act of digesting minerals takes longer because of the required fat in the small intestine and liver for distribution to the cells.
Ever wonder why skinny women have such poor bone density? Its a combination of lack of stress(weird, I know) on their muscles and bones, and a lack of calcium absorption. They can't process Calcium and other minerals as effectively because they don't have enough fat to process them. If a doctor tells you to drink whole milk, its not because he wants to make you overweight. The fats in the milk with help you absorb the Calcium.

3. Healthier skin.
Much of the cleansers and creams on the market right now won't do you any good if you're not getting enough sleep. Here's the deal: Cleansers clean your face. Moisturizers help to keep it hydrated.
The bad news? Moisturizers are formulated in such a way that they keep moisture IN. The title is a little misleading in that it sounds like its the thing hydrating your face in the first place. Its not. Your skin receives most of its hydration through your circulatory system(ie your blood). The waste products that each cell produces is then taken away mostly through a system called Lymph. If the toxic waste is not cleared by your Lymph, which occurs during sleep or restful periods when you are laying down, they your skin looks dull and dry. No amount of moisturizer in the world can counteract that.
Also, moist skin absorbs nutrients more readily, making it healthier inside and out.

Hope this helps you choose sleep...

Next time's topic: Relaxation techniques!

Water

2010-01-20T08:08:00.003-07:00

Every day, especially in Colorado, it is recommended that you drink around three tenths of your body weight in water everyday.

Meaning, if a person weights 140 then they should drink 32 ounces of water. This works out to about four small(8oz) glasses.

This means that everyday I have to drink around 50 ounces of water. That is a Nalgene (32 ounces) plus a little more than two small glasses (18 ounces).

Between working out and drinking all this water, you'd think I would feel more energized and all that fun, right? Well, sorta. Mostly I'm just hungry.

Speaking of which, time to start breakfast!

New Hair

2010-01-19T07:53:00.003-07:00

As with many things in life, the simplest things are often the sweetest and most overlooked.

The pleasure of newly colored hair is one of those simple things that I treasure in life. As a treat of sorts for bicycling to work yesturday, I decided to take the opportunity of having the house to myself to color my hair.

Granted, its basically a retouch of the exciting color scheme that I have had for about two-three months now, but I enjoy it quite a bit.

Here's are two rough pictures of the pattern I used:

The Pink is 5RV (Medium Brown-Red-Violet) and the Yellow is 9G (Light Golden Blond)

Monday Monday Monday

2010-01-18T09:54:00.002-07:00

I like to try and start Mondays with a bit of an affirmation.

This weeks affirmation is "I will make this week healthier than last week"

I am riding my bike to work, have already logged my food for the day and checked my emails. So things are going well so far.

I will be starting hair coloring in school tomorrow, and a website project tonight.

Ah, Monday... you're not Sunday, so I have to go back to work... but I'll make the best of you.

Happy Monday Everyone!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T17:19:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year all!

In celebration of the first day of the new year, or more probably just my having a day off, Sean and I went for a drive around town. During the drive we talked and enjoyed the scenery and each others company. The quiet time also gave me the opportunity to think about my New Year's resolutions.

Perhaps the New Year resolution is not something that we resolve but something that we strive for in ourselves. The idea of losing ten pounds... why? Because that ten pounds is a symbol for greater self-confidence and empowerment to do the things that we might have been afraid to do. It gives us the strength to do those things that we didn't do because we were hiding behind that ten pounds.

So this year? I'm resolving to be confident in myself and to not be afraid of challenges. The ten pounds I still want to lose, that hasn't changed. But my motivations have definitely received an upgrade.

Don't let you get in your own way! If you want something, get off your butt and do it!

Good Luck!

Sunday Soapbox: Soap...

2009-12-20T22:39:00.002-07:00

Okay, nothing to complain about today...

So what am I doing instead? I'm making soap and a couple of other special Christmas presents. Mostly because I don't have the money or patience to deal with the crazy people doing their last minute shopping.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Be safe, be smart and be loving!

Gods' speed,

Monika

All Natural Wednesday: Music

2009-12-16T23:33:00.003-07:00

This might sound trite coming from someone with a music degree, but there have been studies that link music and all sorts of things.

One of my favorite forms of this is singing for health! Betcha didn't know it was good for ya, eh?

Ever notice that after you've sang your heart out you feel better, healthier, stronger? There is a good reason for it, actually.

According to Dr. Ben Kim of www.drbenkim.com, singing from your abdomen (your lower belly) engages your diaphragm, which in turn helps to move your lymph fluid through its lymphatic system. This, in turn, makes way for general good health with a raised immune system and helps remove toxins from the body.

Singing also, to a lesser extent than real (sweat producing) exercise, releases endorphines, which raises that feeling of "good" that helps keep us healthy mentally as well.

How do I cash in? Thats easy!

Stuck in traffic? Sing along to the radio...
Have a free weekend before Christmas? Go caroling with friends... (Plus you'll have the added benefit of walking around your neighborhood or wherever you go.)
Have the house all to yourself? Dance and sing to your favorite music. Who cares if you look silly... after all, the only one looking is you!

Have some fun, and belt it out... trust me, you'll feel better. Who knows? The one stuck next to you in traffic might just be singing along to the same song!

Sunday Soapbox: Entitlement

2009-12-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Entitlement is the state of being entitled. Entitled means that you are owed certain things or certain behaviors just for being who or what you are.

The Queen of England is entitled to service and esteem from the English people.

Most people are not entitled to that level.

Police officers are entitled to respect, even if its a begrudging form of it, from the people they are sworn to protect. They have earned this entitlement because they have sworn to serve and protect the people.

A similar thing applies to Fire fighters. If a Firefighter tells you to get out of the building, you do it, because you know they are going to be running into it to put out the fire.

Entitlement is not for everyone.

We are not all the Queen, or in positions of authority or protection. Children are entitled to the right to dream and dream big. That doesn't mean that a thirteen year old girl deserves or will get a laptop for Christmas. She is entitled to ask, but thats kind of it. (The same thing goes for her brother, who wanted a $250 toy x3...)

Many of the simple problems that we face day to day could be simply resolved if people would let the idea that they are owed something fall by the wayside.

No, actually, I do not have to give you my parking space or the right of way because you have a more expensive car than I do.

Neither do you have the right to demand my time and attentions when you don't care about my life or my loved ones enough to ask or listen or care to ask about them. Don't bother me with trite worries about your world when you don't give a hoot about my life. I'm not a psychologist. They make a lot more than I do.

On the same token, people are all entitled basic respects.

Be courteous to people. Hold the door open for people behind you (especially if they're carrying a large box).

Be honest. If you're not happy in a relationship, don't cheat on them, separate and see if that clears up the problem. Tell them the truth in a gentle way and work on your problems together.

Take responsibility for the bad as well as the good. If you screw up, own up to it and work with whoever it effects to make you both satisfied with the outcome. It takes two to tango.

And finally, remember that we're all people with hopes and dreams and aspirations. No one is better than anyone else. Its all the amount of work that you put into your endevors that determines your amount of success. Be nice, work hard, and you'll earn the right to be entitled.

All Natural Wednesday: Grapefruit=Superfruit

2009-12-02T23:30:00.005-07:00

Alright, alright...

There are a lot of stigmas associated with Grapefruits. And truth be told, they've gotten a bad wrap for a long time.

No More!!

Give a grapefruit a chance this week. They are one of nature's superfruits and if eaten correctly, are actually really tasty and refreshing.

Here's how you do it:

Cut one grape fruit in half between the stem and end of the fruit.

Next, with a small pairing knife, cut between the fruit segments, but be careful not to cut through the skin.

Then, cut along the skin between the segments.

Top with a spoonful of sugar, or a packet of equal or similar substitute. Place in a small bowl and use a small spoon to pull out the segments and eat. When all the segments are out, squeeze whats left into the bowl and drink the remaining juice. It will be sweetened by the sugar or substitute and is really refreshing.

Still not convinced? Here are some tastey facts:

-Half of a grapefruit provides all the vitamin C the body needs for one day and is an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, potassium, folate, vitamin b-5 and Lycopene. (Folate for heart health, b-5 for Seratonin production, Lycopene is a potent antioxidant)
-Grapefruits come in many colors, such as yellow, pink, white or ruby.
-Grapefruits flavonoid content helps fight against free radical damage, which results in aging.
-Pomelos, or Chinese grapefruits are the largest citrus fruits.
-A Frenchman, Count Odette Phillipe, planted the first grapefruit trees in Florida in 1823. Today, Florida produces about one third of the world's grapefruit.
-Some mature grapefruit trees can yield up to 1,500 pounds of fruit in a season.
(Thanks Skin Inc. January 2009 issue, "The Main Squeeze"... and Thanks Sean for teaching me how to eat them!)

Hungry yet? You know what to do! Have a nice fruity snack, and a wonderful week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T10:50:00.002-07:00

A friend of mine from my Alma Mater, Metro State College of Denver, posted this on his Facebook page, and I really think it fits. What a fun way to celebrate a Holiday?!

So, in addition to Health, Family and all of the things I've learned over the course of this year... and its been a very enlightening year, let me tell you.

Here is a bit of levity... because try as I might, I keep coming back to music as my rock and my salvation of sorts...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Don't eat too much, and don't drink and drive... but do enjoy the holiday and treasure the knocks as much as the successes, cause they make us the people that we are! Best wishes to all!

All Natural Wednesday: Dry Shampoo

2009-11-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Here's an easy way to get clean minus the water that soap requires.

There are a ton of different materials that can be used for dry shampoos.

The most common are: Rice flour, corn meal, and baking soda.

Rice flour and corn meal are much more gentle on the scalp, though.

The application is simple. Part hair in 1" sections and apply a small amount to the scalp exposed as you go.

Once the whole scalp has 'shampoo', massage in gently (I'd do this somewhere that you can sweep, or over a sink if possible.). Let set on hair for ~15minutes. Don't take a shower in this time, it will create a paste on your head that is really not pleasant.

Brush out (again, somewhere you can sweep) with either a natural/boar bristle brush or a nylon brush.

Your hair will be cleaner and if you color your hair, it will not have faded.

To be fair, I haven't been able to use the dry shampoo effectively, though Corn Meal is definitely the best of the three. Generally I use "Dirty Secret" from Rockstar hair products. It smells nice, its pressurized and doesn't make a mess of my bathroom. Corn Meal, if you can manage it, is by far a less expensive option, however.

Enjoy!

Sunday Soapbox: Professionalism

2009-11-22T11:58:00.001-07:00

Professional:
1 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession b : engaged in one of the learned professions c (1) : characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2) : exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace
2 a : participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs (a professional golfer) b : having a particular profession as a permanent career (a professional soldier) c : engaged in by persons receiving financial return (professional football)
3 : following a line of conduct as though it were a profession (a professional patriot)

...Or, at least that's the Merriam Websters definition.

A professional is someone who actively engages and specializes in a form of work for profit. It is their profession. (Root: Profess. So, it is the occupation, you say with conviction, that you have.)

As such, its important to, well, take it seriously.

This is where professionalism comes into play.

What is professionalism and why should you care? Simple. If you don't take the job that you "profess" is your specialty seriously, then no one else will either.

Professionalism is the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person. (Thanks again Merriam Webster) It is the behavior and demeanor that you show the world in the process of doing your job.

Hold on, let me get on my soapbox.

-Do dress appropriately and be hygienic. Everywhere if possible, but at work is the important part.
-Do speak clearly and succinctly. But stop talking and listen as well.
-Do manage your time by priority and don't try and do too many things at once. This goes for helping people too. If you can't help more than two people well at a time, then don't do it.

-Don't make lewd comments or elude to incompetence of the people you work with or to your customers. It makes you look poorly as well. After all, you work with them, right? Who is the bigger 'whatever', the boss, or the person working for them?
-Don't assume anything. Your High School coach was right... when you assume you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me".
-Don't talk religion, politics or too much social information about yourself. All of these make people nervous and its best to leave it for late night television or Fox TV to hash it out. If you alienate your clients/customers, then you'll lose their business and they'll tell their friends. Never think they won't.

Hope this helps! But please, keep in mind that I don't write these things because I have an axe to grind or anything like that... the truth is that I struggle with these exact things.

Professionalism is part of being an adult. Whether you're cutting someone's hair or making copies of their favorite pets picture, everyone deserves the best service and respect that you can afford them.

Its what a professional does.

All Natural Wednesdays: Are you S.A.D.?

2009-11-18T22:37:00.005-07:00

I thought that this week, with the resurgence of our snowy weather, I might address something that happens pretty commonly throughout Winter and is often overlooked.

S.A.D. Funny acronyms aside, SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. While its cause is debatable, it is most often attributed to the lack of light that happens with the onslaught of winter.

Most commonly considered "seasonal depression," "Cabin Fever," or the winter blahs, there are many easy and all natural ways to combat it!

1. Citrus fruits: They're high in Vitamin C, a natural booster for the system, and are in season in the winter. If Grapefruit isn't your thing, eat an Orange or a couple of Clementines.

2. Exercise: Okay, so you should be exercising anyway, but here is a good reason to do so. Physical activity, specifically the kind that elevates your heart rate and causes a little perspiration, releases endorphins which in turn elevate your mood. Plus, they boost your metabolism and help move things through your system, like toxins that might make you more sluggish.

3. Tanning: Relish this suggestion, cause you won't get it often. Seriously, light therapy, in the form of UV tanning beds, can help your body produce vitamin K. Only 5 minutes at the most, once or twice a week. Really, do try and limit your exposure. Sunburns are especially painful and irritating when bundled under layers and layers of sweaters and coats. Not to mention the risks for skin cancers. Moderation is the best policy here.

So have a lovely winter, keep hydrated, eat plenty of citrus, exercise, and get a little bit of sun!

For more information on SAD, go to Google.com/health

Soapbox Sunday: Child and Pet Ettiquette

2009-11-15T18:22:00.003-07:00

Lumping your child in the same category as your pet is not fair, but in some ways the same rules apply.

Children and Pets (namely dogs) in the Salon or store or wherever...

Here's the thing:

If you're in a Salon or Spa, you're there to relax and feel better. Doesn't it make sense to make it a pleasant place for everyone? This is why the same rules apply to bringing your small dog into a public place as bringing in your four year old boy.

If... and this is a big one... if you can't keep them quiet, they'll disturb others.

On the same token, if they're running from one end of the store, restaurant, Salon, Spa or whatever to the other, that is not proper behavior. Its disturbing to everyone and doesn't belong in public areas. Disruption aside, there is also a matter of safety. If a child wanders into an area where things could fall on them, or people could trip on them, then they're not safe.

I only bring this up because I care. Its not to be bitchy or unprofessional or anything of that nature. But if there is a small child running break neck behind a stylist who doesn't know they're there and has very sharp shears in her hand... well, accidents are bound to happen.

That being said, if you have a well behaved child, dog... iguana, or whatever. Then by all means, bring them along! But use discretion. If you know they can't behave, get a sitter.

All Natural Wednesday! Fizzing Bath Bombs...

2009-11-11T12:00:00.003-07:00

Fizzy Bath Bombs

As the first installment of All Natural Wednesday, here is the recipe for a very easy bath additive. Its an effervescent version of bath salts. Same effects: smooth skin, soothing water... with the fun of bubbles!

2 tablespoons citric acid powder (Think Vitamin Cottage or natural supplement section)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup baking soda
3 tablespoons light oil such as canola, almond or sunflower
3-6 drops essential oil or fragrance oil (optional... and avoid cinnamon oil, it burns)
2-3 drops food coloring (optional)

Mix dry ingredents in a plastic or glass bowl first. Add oil to dry mixture and blend until it makes a soft dough. Add fragrance and color if you desire. Shape the dough into small balls and place on a sheet of wax paper. Let the bath bombs harden and dry. Approx. 24-48 hours.

To use: Drop one to three bombs into a warm bath and enjoy!

Yield: 4 ounces, enough for 6 bath bombs, depending on size.

Source: Natural Beauty at Home (second edition) by Janice Cox, page 135

You dirty RAT!

2009-11-09T09:37:00.007-07:00

Oh dear...

So, in the spirit of cleanliness, and in an attempt to dispose of the strange sounds coming out of under the sink, we bought some traps.

Normally, I'm all for the "I don't have to see them" variety of spin traps. The premise is simple. Mouse smells something good, they go inside to investigate, the lever snaps closed, neck broken and mouse inside trap. The plus side to this is that you never actually have to touch said (dead and flopping) mousie... Its a big bonus.

Well, that didn't seem to work, unfortunately. After a full day and night of continued sounds and prestine traps, we decided to up the stakes. Full on snap traps. You know the ones. They're spring loaded metal attached to a piece of wood thats baited. If the mouse steps (or breathes too hard, Sean has a sore thumb from showing me how they work) on the baited part, the metal snaps over them and breaks their neck or seriously wounds them.

At least, thats what its supposed to do... helps if you're dealing with a mouse.

A mouse, even a big one, is typically 2-3inches long. This was not a mouse. Which is why, of course, the traps didn't work. It took two days to get this guy, and even then when Sean went to dispose of him, HE DIDN'T FIT IN THE TRAP!

The green is where the "mouse" was laying while Sean watched its death throws... When I got home, Sean described the "mouse" and explained how he used an old towel rack and a paint stirrer to chopstick it into the trash. He kept insisting it was a mouse because it was cute and gray and surprisingly clean looking. We think he might have been someones pet rat that got into the wall or something. (Because of that, I've been calling him Pickles. Its a good rat name, Pickles... right?)

The problem was that he didn't know if it was dead or not. It wasn't in the trap, and it looked dead, being that it was flopping around when poked and didn't appear to be breathing. But who wants to be holding a wild animal of any variety when it 'comes to' from being knocked out? Originally he was going to either hit it with a hammer or stab it with one of my steak knives, but (thank goodness) decided instead to Macguiver it into the trash and run it out to the dumpster.

After eating dinner, we came home and I cleaned under the sink with copious amounts of lysol and found how he had been coming into our humble abode.

I also found some very telling paw prints on the side of our trash can...

The good news is that we got him, and that I've plugged the hole by covering it with a metal scouring pad that I nailed to the wall. Under the sink is clean and the hole is plugged, but just in case our little buddy was a momma, we set some more traps up just in case.

Rest in Peace, Pickles... can't say I'll miss ya.

Of Mice and Meetings...

2009-11-06T09:42:00.002-07:00

There is a sound in my kitchen.

It's the rustling of paper and wrappers and small edible things. It happens late at night when I'm getting ready for bed, and at quiet times during the day. It's a very small noise and it is coming from the meanderings of a very small mouse.

Cuteness aside, there is a rodent living with Sean and I. We were watching Spectacular Spiderman and I heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Being back from work and getting ready for school, I was eating some leftovers when we heard what sounded like tinfoil being crumpled.

Being naturally curious, I went to check it out. Sean, apparently, had been hearing the noise for several days now but had yet to investigate it. So, sneaking very quietly into the kitchen, leftovers in hand, I gently pulled open the cabinet door under the sink.

There, munching on some wilted celery that was sticking partway out of the trash was a terrified little mouse. The feeling was mutual as I jumped about two feet in the air, made an awfully girly sound (like eep) and lost the fork out of my plastic container. The mouse tore straight for its hole where the pipes come out of the wall for the sink while I jumped and Sean laughed about how the mouse was probably more scared of me than I of it.

He was probably right. We did get traps that day, and after I cleaned up the food stuffs scattered around under the sink (and the two tinfoil cupcake wrappers) Sean set them up. It was amazing. Little mouse had pulled wrappers and Pumpkin pieces and Spaghetti squash skins and all manner of things out of the trash.

I guess this means that if you have good stuff in the trash and its accesible, even on the third floor you can get vermin. Good to know... Guess I'll toss my old pumpkins directly in the dumpster.

Pause for Reflection...

2009-11-04T12:33:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I think that maybe reaction for the sake of reaction is counterproductive.

Proaction, if not thought through is just as bad.

Its true... to "assume" makes an ass out of u and me... your coach in High School was right!

So here is my plea: Think, then react... and one more thing: If you think something would be better, and its NOT FOR YOU... Check with the customer BEFORE you do it. Maybe they'll like it! Maybe not... but at least you've tried.

Sometimes, trying is better than reacting.

Unexpected treats...

2009-10-29T19:24:00.003-06:00

Two nights ago it started snowing... and it hasn't stopped. Two days worth of snow and slush and cold closed work at 7pm and school for two days.

Here is a picture of the pumpkin that I carved yesterday evening and the one I cleaned out for Sean. (He hasn't carved his yet.) I also made chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting.

The finishing touch on the cupcakes will be some red-cornsyrup for blood drizzled on top. (Because I'm a vampire for Halloween.)

So, needless to say, even though I didn't have school, I stayed nice and busy.

Snow

2009-10-27T23:41:00.003-06:00

A somber and silent blanket of thick snow has fallen over the world tonight.

Its fitting, actually, since Sean and I were informed today that our neighbor has passed away.

Good luck and best wishes, John. Hopefully you're in a better place and have found the happiness in the next world that you couldn't find in this one.

Rest in Peace

...I'll cut you!

2009-10-25T15:00:00.002-06:00

Welcome! These are a few pictures from my first week of being able to cut real-live people's hair!

This is Su. She was my first haircut of the evening of October 14th. I gave her a blunt cut (0 degrees elevation)with deep v point-cutting at a 45 degree angle in the back to create movement. She liked it so much that she wants to get it shorter.

Above is Kirstin's before photo. Below is after.

Kirstin had an all over 90 degree haircut. Its usually referred to as a "layered" cut. She has a lot of hair, but it was lots of fun to cut!

Sean's been a real big sport about this whole school business... he even volunteered to come in a second time for a shorter haircut to help me. I think it came out really well... and its the first time I've cut his hair and it was even! Hurray for clippers!

Here are a few pictures of a short hair-cut on one of my manikin heads.

Thanks everyone who's come out to be a model for all the various services! Please come in again soon!

Excuses... excuses...

2009-10-23T16:29:00.000-06:00

Just thought of this as I was biking home from work today...

Here's the thing: I'm late a lot... you could say that its one of my big faults. It is what it is...

Generally, its because I don't get up early or I dally around the house until I've fettered all of my free time away... and I realized that most of the time, its not that I don't have the time... or that I don't manage my time well. Though that can sometimes be true.

Its an excuse. I can't be on time because I wake up late... why? Cause I don't want to get up. So yep!

Excuses are just reasons we give ourselves not to try in the first place.

So, why not just try?

This is my new mantra... starting today. We'll see how long it lasts til the new one, but for now, I'm optimistic.

Cheers!

Scissorhands! No, not the movie...

2009-10-21T22:33:00.002-06:00

Scissors! Scissors! Scissors!

So, on Tuesday this week, we had a special guest come and visit our class in a sort of celebration of our finishing cutting class. It was great!

Heres the deal: There are two kinds of scissors; Beveled and Convex.
I drew them in photoshop for ya...

Guess which one is sharper... Yep! The one on the right.

There are also two kinds of metal that these scissors are made out of:
Forged and Tempered.

Forged is worked and compressed into its final form, much like a good sword..
Tempered is melted, put in a mold to cool and rough shod into form.

Another interesting thing that I learned was in addition to rinsing your shears after every client, shears need to be lubricated with shear oil(he said that it has a small amount of wax in it) and then re-tensioned.

The key to good tension, it turns out, is finding the optimal balance between too loose and too tight. Too loose will round the blades out, while too tight will wear them against each other and both will limit their life span.

The way to test tension is to hold the finger tang and open the shears so that they make a cross. Let go.

If they don't move, or only close about half way, they're too tight. If they just flop closed they're too loose. The goal is to close about 2/3rds of the way.

The gentlemen who did the presentation also showed us some stretches and taught us about how a lot of scissor sharpening people will ruin good shears trying to give them a bevel edge, instead of sharpening them correctly.

Of course, I want to buy one of their shears, are you kidding?!?!? Trouble is, I don't have the money... yet.

I know exactly which model I want, actually... I want to get the 6.5 inch swivel scissors. You can see all of their products on their website www.scissorpros.com and specifically the swivel shears that I like HERE. (Its the Samadhi "cyclone"... did you know you can personalize them with different color attachments? I'm going to get purple.*grins*)

Happy Perusing... and remember! Don't drop your shears!!!

Snack time!

2009-10-20T22:07:00.003-06:00

Recently I've been playing with different eating patterns and have noticed that if I eat more during the day, especially before or during work that I feel better, have more energy, don't want to kill my co-workers, etc, etc...

Well, snacking requires food, which means that I have to buy more... which requires money... or creativity. Yep! So, creativity won, since I'm not making more and still have all my bills.

The first thing that I made was apple chips. This meant cracking out my dehydrator from storage and firing it up. It was incredible! The whole house smelled like apples. Almost as if I had baked a cake or pie or something. The next thing I made was my variation of Zucchini Bread. Here's the recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray two loaf pans lightly with oil and flour.
Combine ingredients in order:
2 cups Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup White flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed milled
1/2 cup uncooked wheat bran
2 tsp ground cinnamon to taste
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup splenda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup egg beaters
1/2 cup finely shredded apple (one small, in substitution of oil)
2 cups shredded zucchini

Mix well, divide into loaf pans and bake 30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Makes approx 32 servings. (Weight watchers: 1 point!)

Enjoy!

..27 and a new gift of sorts

2009-10-07T15:27:00.003-06:00

Every year on my birthday, I take a moment in my day to review and plan for the future.

This year, as you might imagine, was no different. With one small exception. I was driving home from picking up a free gift with purchase of my favorite face cleanser and a new eyeshadow for my make up kit - when it hit me.

I don't care for the mall anymore.

It was a big realization for me, since most of my job history took place in, around or in a similar retail environment to a mall. Don't get me wrong, I still love going to visit once in a while, but the charm and magic is gone.

This led my year in review to a different avenue than I'm used to...

Some of the things that I've always treasured and built up in my mind as absolute truth are slipping or gone altogether.

Buying things -anything, everything...

if I could afford it, was a major source of entertainment and joy of a sort. Now its more of a chore, cause what happens if you buy the end-all 'item X' and then the next week you see a better made version for less expensive... but you're stuck with the first thing? And you didn't really need it in the first place???

What others think...

Okay, I'm not saying that peoples' opinions of me as a person don't matter. Its more a matter of not worrying about what a person is going to think about me because I wear my clothes a certain way or because I like tinted lip gloss and red-purple low-lights in my hair. I don't care what they think about my look. If they like it, I can help them achieve a similar look or not. But I don't beat myself up because they don't like it. I just don't have time to care. :)

Creating art -Everything can be art ...no, really!

Conversation, for example, is an art and not a science. One of my secret goals in most conversations with people (and I pride myself on being able to talk to ANYONE) is to make them smile or even laugh. Too much time in life is spent in mulling over how life sucks. Maybe life doesn't suck... maybe you just suck at life? Take a minute to laugh about your problems every day and you'll start seeing them in a different light!

Know what else is art? Balancing finances, organizing your house, writing in your blog (or updating your facebook or myspace status), doing your make-up, wrapping presents, taking pictures, and many many more things! ...not to mention making tasty eats on a tight budget! That takes some serious creative energy!

Life is short - But its also longer than most of us realize.

Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix and tons more all died at 27. Granted, many of them died from drugs, alcohol or suicide... but its still there. Know what else is intesting? How many people create late in life!

Ronald Reagan became the governor of California at 61, then went on to be President. All after an pretty decent acting career! Benjamin Franklin helped draft and signed the Declaration of Independence at age 70. At 81, Franklin signed the Constitution of the United States of America. But its not just politicians... Frank McCourt who wrote the bestseller "Angela's Ashes" didn't begin to write until he was in his sixties.

"Chaucer wrote his CANTERBURY TALES between the age of 54 and 61. Ogilby, the translator of Homer and Virgil, knew little of Latin or Greek till he was past 50. Socrates learned to play on musical instruments at age 80. Columbus was well over 50 when he discovered America. Grandma Moses achieved her fame and success after age 90."

Another thing that I've realized is that one thing I've always believed is not only still true, its gotten stronger...

Passion is the heart and soul of success. Without it, you might as well give up. Passion is the key to creation and creativity. It is the essential ingredient in all cooking and every business venture.

Passion and the stomach to follow through with your dreams are the greatest tools that you could ask for in climbing your own Mt. Everest.

Ps. A really great book that Sean's been reading lately has helped me in these deep thoughts. Here's a LINK TO HIS SITE...

Finished Kitchen... Ah... Pretty

2009-09-25T19:00:00.002-06:00

Hurray for posing and cameras with timers...

Okay, so strictly speaking, these are not the "finished" photos. LOL But still good stuff, huh? :D

Kitchen Prettiness...

2009-09-24T16:43:00.004-06:00

Gone are the horribly ugly handles of doom! It started as this ugly egg color with brown handles smack dab in the middle of the cabinets. Blech...

Above: stripping the doors. Below: Priming the cabinet frames.

Above: First coat of "brown eyes".

Tomorrow I'll post the finished product!

...Ah... Fall!

2009-09-22T23:39:00.005-06:00

So, Sean is back, the kitchen is re-painted and Sean's parents have come and gone.

I know, I know... I should be updating this blog more, but... okay this is not a place for excuses. I'm done with that. Moving on...

Two days ago I woke up and it was raining. Well, raining and someone was hammering. Except for the noise, it was beautiful outside. Wet and wonderful. This morning it became much colder, still cold now, though the rain is mostly past.

On Saturday, I found out some great news!

Longs Peak Academy has just submitted the last piece of information they needed to become Federally Accredited. What does this mean, you ask?

Well, an accredited school can provide a certain amount of Federal funding such as grants, scholarships, and oh yeah... LOANS.

How does this effect me? The three hundred dollars or so that I've been giving them every month will be mine to do with as I please. And how do I wish to use this? Two hundred straight to savings, and the rest on extravagant items like food and toothpaste. Its an exciting prospect, let me tell ya...

Another fun happening will be this weekend, when I'll be going to Peel's Creative Arts 2009 Conference. I'll write up a little of what I've seen there when I get back. I'll be staying with my mom in Denver for the weekend, so that will be fun. Plus, I'm meeting up with a couple of the girls from school.

Good stuff all around. Now, if I could just figure out how to afford going part time to Kinkos... hmmm... I'll let you know what I figure out.

...Leaving on a jet plane...

2009-08-20T11:41:00.002-06:00

Sean is currently winging his way to Maine.

Today we left the house at about seven in the morning and after picking up a sandwich at Einsteins and navigating the amazing amount of traffic on 270 to I-70, we made it to DIA.

All this week, in fact, all this month, I've been brave-stoic-confident and even optimistic about the fun he'll have in Maine and the fun I'll have with the house all to myself. The truth is that after I lost sight of him going through security and set foot on the moving walkway, I was crying. I missed him already.

Actually, the feeling was so strong that I cried my way past where I'd parked my car and watched planes for about forty-five minutes, determined as I was to see him go.

I must have watched about thirty planes landing and taking off... when it hit me.

Not only did I not know what Continental's planes looked like, but I was slightly jealous. All of these people coming and going, taking trips and seeing the sights... and I didn't know if I would have enough cash to get out of the parking lot.

So now I'm back home, even though without Sean here, its not very 'homey'. First things first, I suppose. Time to clean, then I'll see what I can do around the house.

Maybe I'll even do some sculpting...

Small Business Plans...

2009-08-12T00:00:00.003-06:00

Okay...

Ever since I was about 12, I've wanted to open a bed and breakfast. It started when my brother and his significant other were living with her children in Salida in a house that her mother owned.

It was beautiful. Salida is at one end of what's commonly called the "banana belt of the rockies". Its a lovely little town with a large concentration of cops, cows and white-water enthusiasts and sometime ski instructors. My favorite stories that I've written are based there, and I've always had a sort of nostalgic reverence for the idea that one day I'd have a bed and breakfast out there or somewhere like it.

Lately I've been thinking about what I'd like to eventually do with my skills in the Salon and Spa trade. So, I've decided to marry the two and start researching opening a Bed and Breakfast with a sort of everyman/woman day spa and salon. It would be akin to a destination spa, but with a more earthy and reasonable price range.

The next question is where?

Boulder is pretty well saturated, and Salida is really farther than I'd like to go. I'd like to put it somewhere near the mountains, perhaps Golden or something... I'll keep you posted on what I figure out.

Of Evil Rice and Off-Street Signs...

2009-08-09T20:54:00.004-06:00

The amazing thing about changing your lifestyle and re-educating your body to eat in a more healthy way is that your body will come to expect it.

For instance, I've been eating really healthy lately. You know, lean meats and salads, vegetables, and the like... its been a month, and though I haven't really seen the results on the scale, my body has apparently adjusted to the new habits.

Case in point:

On Friday we went to a friends' house(her house is beautiful, btw, and is my new motivation for being successful at my new salon endeavors), had dinner and watched the directors cut of "Caprica" (the made for TV movie from Syfy, which was excellent).

The dinner was lovely. She grilled chicken kabobs and served salad with light dressing for the main meal. The appetizer was a sort of ground turkey-spicy cheese dip. The dip was INCREDIBLE! Apparently it was made with lean ground turkey, queso cheese, spicy salsa and sour cream. Wow... I could not stop eating it. Even the chips tasted great.

...Thats what happens when you don't eat cheese for a month. Its sort of like if an alcoholic gets handed a handle of Jack Daniels. Less dramatic and messy, but its the same idea. I didn't eat as much dip as I wanted, but I still ate too much of it.

Day two:

Saturday is Sean and my "date night" of sorts. So we went out. For the last several weeks we've been going to Baker's Street Pub and we were both a little Baker's st-ed out. So instead of going there, we went to Tsing Tao, a Chinese restaurant across town that I had found online.

It was lovely. We were the only ones there, except of course, the staff. We ate well, Sean with sweet and sour chicken and I had sesame chicken with brown rice. Later, we went to ice cream as usual, and went home.

Sunday:

I woke up, spent some time with Sean, went to the restroom, started walking back, and suddenly I was on the floor in a cold sweat. My stomach was killing me (I was pretty willing to bet it was literally). I kept thinking that I would have to call 911 or something. Sean was good as gold and got me several rounds of water and a cool towel for my face.

After about mid-way through the second water I started feeling better. I've been drinking water ever since and I feel much better. Today I'll drink water until I go to bed and hope for the best tomorrow.

Street signs...

Today we went for a lovely drive in the mountains. Its an incredible thing to be so close to the mountains and to be able to drive through them any time. It does my soul good. Sean and I had a great time and returned home rejuvenated and invigorated.

Whenever I go places, if I find something that sparks my imagination, I either take a picture or write a note to myself. This is the sign that I found today:

No Parking (crossed out P)
Dusk til Dawn

How fun is that? Why no camping or no stopping? What happens at dusk? I love those signs... very cool. Its the closest thing I've ever seen to a vampire warning sign or a werewolf warning sign or something... :D

Plot, subplot, Monkeys and facials...

2009-07-31T21:57:00.003-06:00

I know what I said, believe me! I said "...every day, or couple of days." So, I got busy, meh... no one really reads this anyways, so what does it matter, right?

But on the same token, you're reading this, so not all hope is lost!

Okay, back on subject. Plot and subplot. I don't know why or how or whatever might have prompted this, but I've been thinking a lot about story structure lately. Could be the story percolating up through my subconscious of late... who knows?

The bare bones of a through story, or a series especially, is plot. There is a problem that needs to be solved and it needs to be something people care about. People will get sick or something, someone with lose their house or their livelihood, or maybe the world will be stuck by a meteor... whatever.

The plot comes from the progressive trials, discoveries and journey through to the resolution of this objective. This is also where sub-plot lives. Subplot is the side-bar objectives and trials-discoveries-journeys that eventually lend themselves to the main plot, but they are their own smaller, contained pieces of the larger story.

A really good example of this can be seen in the show "Burn Notice." The show is based on Michael, the protagonist, in his quest to get back to being a spy, after being "burned" and cut out of the profession that he loved. Every episode has its own sub-plot that contains the main elements of his spy skills that he uses to help whomever it is in trouble that week.

In addition to this, there is the underlying plot where the objective for Michael is becoming a spy again, and his girl-friend pushing for him to quit and rebuild with her.

Without both plot AND subplots, and a strong objective that the protagonist or whoever is striving for, the story is limp and sad.

Moving on...

Monkeys!!! ...and other figurines! I've finished Nicole, Sean's drummer, last night. Henry is still in the fridge, but I'm still working on him, don't worry. He has a lot of muscles, actually, and is taking massive amounts of clay. www.seantiffany.com

Here are some pics:

Nicole, no paint with Henry wire frame:

Nicole, with paint, and Henry with basic body:

Now a quick note about facials...

Have you ever had a facial? I mean in a Spa, performed by an Esthetician or a Cosmetologist and probably between $50 and $100. Well, then you know how great they are... and not to toot my own horn, but I'm really good at them.

If you know someone who needs a facial, we have facials, body treatments (whole body salt scrubs are out of this world great) and other things available at my school: www.longspeakacademy.com

If you call me and ask nice, and its a night that I'm allowed to have models, its FREE!! Let me know if you're interested, I have to do lots of these things before I can graduate, and I love helping people feel good!

Well, until next time... Best wishes and good health!

Rats...

2009-07-22T00:23:00.002-06:00

...even a rat knows when to desert the ship.

If you've watched enough pirate/sailing/sailor movies, you've no doubt encountered this adage. As I survey our general lack of staff at work (even though we're inundated with a large variety of customers) I'm irresistibly reminded of this line. Actually, its haunting me.

Why does a rat desert a ship?

My managers that I've mentioned this to, and even my friends - insist that I'm looking too hard at this and probably I am. But like it or not, the 'rats' are jumping ship. Planes with the most cancellations or no-shows tend to be the ones that crash. In the next month, we're losing 2 employees. The month after that? 2 more are slated to leave. The next month? Who knows?

On a lighter note, the movie rental for the week was "Roman Holiday" featuring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.

According to the Netflix wrapper: "Audrey Hepburn (in an Oscar-winning performance) stars as a cosseted European princess who goes AWOL in Rome and is soon taken under the wing of tabloid journalist Gregory Peck and his photographer sidekick Eddie Albert. She thinks the boys don't suspect who she really is... but they're clued in the sense a sensational story if they can just keep Audrey's handlers from retrieving her too soon. The essence of 1950s chic."

Super cute movie... they sure don't make em like they used to, ya know? I liked it a lot, actually. I've been curious about this movie ever since I was a kid watching "Only You". In that movie, they re-enact a scene from the movie "Roman Holiday" in which they go to the Mouth of Truth... very enjoyable! Good stuff...

Random thought for the day: Why do fat men ride cheap motorcycles? I can understand the tough factor and all, but the jig is up! I'm not scared of a three-hundred pound dude on a rice-cooker, especially when its all fat and no muscle. Craziness...

I now pronounce you...

2009-07-19T23:43:00.005-06:00

Wedding stylist!

Ok. So I've been busy. Big whoop... Sean is busy and he blogs almost daily. So no more excuses! I'll be blogging again much more often now. At least once a week, if not more.

Granted, no one actually will read this, but still... if nothing else it gives me an outlet and an excuse to write.

This week I finished a mauquette of one of Sean's figurines (I'll post pictures tomorrow). Also, today I helped my friend Audrey, who I met in Cosmetology school, to do the hair and make-up of the wedding of a friend of hers.

Here are some pictures:

Tomorrow I'll try and post the pictures from the mauquette... Oh! I have to go get her out of the oven...

...until next time...

Ps. This week, I'm weighing in (ala weight watchers, btw) at 167. Last week was 171

Sure, I don't NEED them... :D

2009-05-25T11:06:00.005-06:00

I know its been a while since my last update, but to be fair, I've been really busy. Its funny, I thought once I'd given up faire for these next two years that I'd have more time and more money to do things...

Not so much...

Actually, its the other way around. I have less money, because I'm paying as I go (and buying extra supplies along the way...) and I go to school three nights a week and Saturdays all day. The payoff is that I have Sundays off to spend with Sean or clean our place.

Also, one of the girls overheard the teachers talking about me the other day! Turns out, everyone is REALLY impressed at how well I'm doing (the term "natural talent" gets tossed around a lot around me) and their only regret is that I haven't finished much of the program yet, so I can't officially do much in the way of client services.

I'm not letting it get me down, though. I can perm now, and do up-dos and shampoo sets (gel curls that older ladies get once a week).

Not to mention the occasional make-up session. Sometimes we get little girls in for special occasions like their birthdays and they get "glamour girl" makeovers which includes nails, make-up and some sort of pretty hairdo. I did one this last week.

She was eight years old and I gave her a crown braid with half her hair and the bottom curled pretty. In the braid I put some gold glitter (she called them sparkleys). We also did her make-up with pink glitter, some pastel purple eyeshadow and light pink blush. She was pleased as punch! So very cute!

Here is my friend Audrey in pincurls (gel curls, except dried with pins holding them instead of curlers)

So, you're probably wondering what this has to do with "I don't need them"... well, as with most fun occupations/hobbies, there are cute t-shirts that people can buy. Since I can't really afford them, I thought to let people know about them on the off chance that someone is at a loss for what to buy me for my birthday or whatever... :D They're from "behindthecurtain.com" I wear a Woman's Medium.

...a little perspective?

2009-05-08T00:36:00.002-06:00

I guess with all the excitment between going to school now... and working, a little perspective is good.

Here's a quick link to my new school: Longs Peak Academy of Cosmetology

Music has been my "me" time lately... and I thought I'd just share some:

...and this song has been stuck in my head for about a week... I wish they played out here!

Much news...

2009-04-09T09:03:00.003-06:00

As anyone who has known me over a summer can attest, I love the Renaissance Festival in Larkspur, Colorado. Whats more, I love working there.

Yes its hot, and hiking in a dress (with a corset) can be exhausting... much less singing and hiking at the same time. But I loved working there... yes, I typed that right... past tense.

I'm taking a hiatus. I don't know if its a "much needed" hiatus or if this is even the right choice for me, but I really need to get out of Kinkos... which leads to major update #2.

I'm going to Beauty School, beginning next week (Tuesday, actually) I'll be starting at Longs Peak Academy of Cosmetology. Its a part-time, two year program in which I'll learn hair, nails and skin. It is my ticket out of Kinkos, and believe me, I'm excited about it!

Sean and my Mom are being ultra supportive during this major upheaval. When I told Mom my plans she actually hopped happily and told me how perfect she thought this would be for me. Sean offered to help pay some of the schooling if I couldn't get a loan. He said he was proud of me for going back to school "for us.."

This is my thought: I'm going to try and stay at Kinkos through school. When school is over, I'll get a job at a full-service salon and work up some clientele. If that goes well, I'll rent a booth and take my clients with me or possibly open a new salon with a collection of others of like mind. To augment my income, I have some ideas about in-home spa treatment parties. It would be great for wedding parties or a "girls night in" kind of thing with wine and a movie.

The big thing would be that I could make my own hours... which means that I would have more time and energy to do the Faire or anything else that I wanted to do! I could go for hikes on a Tuesday, or walk the dogs on a Thursday... or go to lunch with Sean on a Wednesday! Plus, I'd be able to use my creativity to help people.

I guess it doesn't hurt that I'm good at that, either...

Don't worry... I'm not giving up on music. Actually, I play Guitar almost every night and I'm singing with it when Sean goes on his evening bike-rides. Playing and singing are great relaxers for me, and the only way I'd give up music entirely would be if I were in a coma, and even then I'd probably dream music...

January the eighth... uh-huh-hunh!

2009-01-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

...holiday crumbs...

2009-01-03T15:09:00.002-07:00

There are holiday crumbs in the couch, on the floor, around the kitchen, even on the walls of the condo.

Not real "crumbs", more like the random detritus of the holidays. Christmas and holiday cards, ornaments, packing materials from boxes in the mail, empty holiday plates, and of course the twinkling lights along the indoor-plant 'christmas tree' and the mantle.

So today I'm cleaning. Time to take down the lights and pack up the holidays that seemed to sneak up on us, ambushed and then flitted away into the night. What day is it anyway? Oh, right... the third of January... 2009!

With cleaning always comes introspection on my part... which is probably why I'm waxing philosophical at the moment. That, and the holidays always tend to bring people out of the woodwork. Those that you've sort of let slip over time and have reunited with for whatever reason that the holidays always seem to spark.

Perhaps its the movie that I received through Netflix this week? I watched "Home for the Holidays" while eating a brunch of sorts. Buy this movie... seriously.

Its my favorite holiday movie. Its not one of those movies like "Miracle on 34th st" or "Its a wonderful Life"... its more of a real 'how life over the holidays' sort of thing. It always makes me want to hug my mom and thank her for raising me. It doesn't sugar coat the holidays, but it does make you feel good about the holidays that you do have.

The special things that make you and the ones you love different are the things that should be treasured.

Who cares if you got what you wanted or if crazy Aunt Jane asked you fifty times if you were done with school or if your Dad has never apologized for anything in his entire life or if you accidentally got your Mom drunk for Christmas. Its the memories that matter!

Life keeps on going and you just have to keep going... even if its not perfect like you think it should be, it is what it is, so make the best of it. Thats my big plan for this year... make the best of whatever happens and just to keep smiling as best I can. There are some things I can change, but there are some that I can't, so I'll do what I do and hope for the best!

I basically work, eat, sleep and play guitar. Not necessarily in that order, but hey... that's the fun part, right? Variety of the when versus the variety of the what.

I guess its one of those easy things to pare down on when you can't afford to drive half-way across the state to hang out nonchalantly with friends.

I'm not complaining... Life's been good for the most part. Sean, my boyfriend who I live with in Boulder, has been busybusybusy and we've just managed to squeeze in actual social activities on all the major holidays including New Year's Eve.

The plus side of his being busy is that he's one of the few people who are thriving monetarily in this whacked-out economy. I'm scraping by bill wise and am very happy that I still have my savings chugging along.

Currently I'm waiting to hear back from Betty on whether or not she wants me to come back to faire sans Madrigals... Dana and Leah quit, Michelle is having her baby in March, Emily wants to start a whole new group, but I'm really burned out on the group thing...

Last year, trying to get all of the girls together for rehearsals (nevermind the antics AT the faire... but we won't get into that... oi.) was much like trying to herd cats. If you can convince one, the others want to do something else, or vise-versa... and the prospect of starting over with people that I don't know? Gives me heartburn just thinking about it.

But I'm getting pretty damned decent on guitar. Sean's recently taught me bar and power-chords. I've been in touch with Gary and Steve Mariner about getting tab or chords for some of the faire songs... Steve promised that he'll get back to me on it.

So, yeah... All things concidered, I think 2009 will be much better than last year... There is a hope in the air that I didn't have last year. Makes me smile a bit... guess I'll just have to wait and see, right?

Happy New Year!

I hope that you and yours have lots of luck, lots of love... and a postive outlook for the future. It is what you make it, so make it a good one!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-25T13:42:00.001-07:00

Happy Holidays everyone!! Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Chewbacca

Holiday Greetings!

2008-12-17T00:45:00.002-07:00

Now, I know a few of you will be getting this in a card in a couple days so I'll be ruining the surprise... Sorry about that... LOL But hey, what good is working at a print shop if you can't send a few Holiday letters, right? Well, here is the end of the year letter! Wow... 2008 on its way out. Whew....

Happy Holidays everyone!

Whoosh!!
Did you just see that? A whole year just flew by... and what an eventful year it’s been!

In February I celebrated one year in Boulder with Sean. We also celebrated two birthdays! My mom's birthday was on February 25th, and Sean's was on February 28th. So Sean and I celebrated his big day with a bunch of our friends at an Old Chicago in town. Sean, Mom and I went to California Pizza Kitchen for my mom's birthday dinner. I like being able to finally afford things like two birthday dinners in a week. Good stuff, having a steady job and a steady income. Who knows what the future will hold?

March brought some interesting news when we found out that Anikka would not be leading our Merrye Madrygal Mavyns for the 2008 CoRF season. As you might expect, we had a flurry of communication as to who would lead our group. I ended up picking up the reigns for the group. We later held auditions for a new Alto/Bass and found the lovely and talented Michelle Boudreau.

In April and through May we were practicing and working and re-working and rehearsing and what-not the entire time. I was so tired by about mid-May that I almost skipped town for a few weeks. This is where having Sean is truly a blessing. He is my rock and my champion. The only real spat that we had from April through the summer was because I don't take good enough care of myself. Wacky, eh? To be fair, he has a point. I was burning the candle at both ends and partly in the middle: getting stuff ready for faire and working at the print shop or collecting music or doing website stuff, or whatever, and haven't been taking much care of myself.

April also featured a lovely visit from Sean’s Mom, Jill. She was here for only a week, but we had a lot of fun. We were the last stop on a meandering trip through the southwest. Being so busy during this time, I really wanted to go with her!

May brought the realization that music, just like anything else, can be a job. Michelle, our newest member, learned her music faster than I thought was possible, which was excellent. She plays piano and has quite a bit some music experience. Plus, she's a fun and energetic person. Leadership is something that I had always craved, especially in our group. Even with the sudden and mostly unexpected departure of Anikka, we really pulled together. At times it felt like I was driving a previously owned car that was very well taken care of: There are parts missing or broken, but for the most part it drove great.

In early June the Madrygals finally finished up our one and only CD. Sean had it mixed in record time and we began selling CDs at the faire. They’re still available online if anyone is interested www.cdbaby.com/cd/mmmavyns.

July brought a chipped tooth due to my own antics. Michelle and her fiance hosted a good many of our rehearsals both before and during the faire. Her apartment building has an entryway with a small closed circuit camera that they can watch who is buzzing to enter the building. The Mavyns and I would take joy in doing silly stuff to the camera because we knew they were watching. Well, one time I mimed that I was eating the camera(it peeks out of a hole for security) and misjudged the distance to the wall. Yep, chipped my tooth. LOL

In August we parted ways from the Renaissance Festival and the Merry Madrygal Mavyns splintered. We might get back together down the road, but for now we’ve disbanded. Dana wants to pursue other performance opportunities which will be excellent for her. I’m excited to see where she goes with it. Leah would like to take a season or two off to rest her voice and get settled in Boulder where she moved about mid-season. Emily and I are in talks at the moment to see if we’ll do a duet sort of thing featuring a guitar. Hmm...

September was filled with a lot of laundry at a Laundromat, financial recuperation and sleep. Believe me, I needed it. Actually... I’m still tired. We also lost one of our most celebrated performers this month. Joe Kudla, aka Thomas Snot, passed away. He was part of the most integral performance teams, the Puke and Snot show at the Colorado Renaissance Festival.

Also in September, we had a bit of a flood in our basement. A water main broke and flooded the parking/storage area in the basement of our condo building. We didn’t have water for three days and then didn’t have our laundry machines for over two weeks.

In October I turned twenty-six and my brother hosted a Luau in my honor. Sean, Anne Osborn and my best friend Megan came to party. We ended up with a fair turn out. The Luau fire-pit that my brother Thomas built in the backyard was a bit hit. He even called the fire department so that the pit would be up to code. It was great!

In November Sean played at our friend Lou’s happy birthday show as a special guest along with a couple others. I even sang happy birthday in Italian for him. Thanksgiving was lots of fun and Sean was even able to make it for dinner! It was great food and great fun all around. Thomas, the kids and Diane made it out also. Thanksgiving also gave us all a good chance to enjoy Mom’s new kitchen floor. Her and Thomas did an incredible job. Diane helped a lot on it and I helped with the grout. (Also, Congratulations Barack!)

December has been up and down, surprisingly warm and incredibly cold. Between work and housework, I’ve been a little out of touch. That, and I’ve been learning guitar since November 10th at Lou’s show.

Singing on stage woke something up in my head and I decided to seriously learn guitar. Actually, I’m doing well enough that I got to sing at Lou’s special guest show on December 12th. Sean did some songs from OilCan Drive. I played and sang Good King Wenceslas and I Just Can’t Get it Right Today by Joe Purdy. Then Sean and I played and I sang Santa Baby. It was a great time. Next time I’ll be sure and invite more people... the first time was more of a trial run to see if I could do it or not. Guess what? I can!

So, its been an eventful and sometimes incredibly stressful year... but a good and learning year! “And why do we fall? ...so we can learn to pick ourselves up!”

Have a Great Holiday Season and a Happy, Healthy and Successful New Year!!!

A couple other changes....
New email: monikacgraf@gmail.com
New blog: monikacgraf.blogspot.com

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-28T00:38:00.002-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Because I really don't have the energy to do much more than drool at the moment... I thought I'd share some of my favorite www.youtube.com videos... Enjoy!

And my all-time favorite:

Because Pachelbel follows me too... LOL

Journey of several blocks...

2008-11-22T18:37:00.004-07:00

One of my favorite weekend past times is to adventure by foot, bike or both... todays journey took about three and a half hours and spanned about 8miles (much of it uphill ;-D). I parked my bike at one point and walked the Pearl st mall for a while. It was a lot of fun... and I thought I'd share some pictures from it. Enjoy!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step...
This is a vacant lot between a posh upscale bistro and a swimsuit shop. Its a very charming little spot. In my head there is a little restaurant in here with a wondering guitarist singing to the people eating under the ivy.

This is one of those cute little nooks in downtown Boulder that sparks the imagination. It almost dares you to write a little story about the occupants of those little lofts above the shops... Who lives there? What do they do for a living?

Downtown at dusk!

In the newspaper picture there is a little italian restaurant that I think I'll have to drag Sean to... mmm. My mouth actually watered while reading the menu posted outside.

The picture above is fun because on the hot-dog wagon is a sign in yellow that says Veggie Dogs $3.00. I love Boulder... wacky fun. A little pretentious sometimes, but still fun.

Left: Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Geez, next week is Thanksgiving... I better get going and start practicing some Christmas guitar songs, huh?

See you later!

Ghosts of falls past?

2008-11-19T23:38:00.002-07:00

I know, I know... it really should be "ghost of Christmas past" but we're not quite to that season yet, no matter what the department stores would like you to think!

This week I was going through some old papers and knick-knacks that I picked up from my Mom's house, and I found myself thinking about where are they now? Friends that have moved, people I'm just not in touch with anymore... and those characters that you think you see when you're out doing errands.

Are they your long lost buddies or just doppelgangers? Pod people? Wait, nope... sorry, too much sci-fi lately.

In any case, I got a bit of a wild hair and started looking people up. Being in theater for so long, I did start a bit of a list of people that I could try and track down... but instead I opted for the "ex-boyfriend" quest.

A few months ago I actually had one guy that I had dated for a while years ago... We're talking High School, and we had met at a dance that our friends had dragged us to (Megan in my case) at a Mormon church (back when she was Laurel Class President). Aaron and I chat from time to time and I've added him to the list of people that I call friend.

Alrighty... getting to the chase: I found my last serious boyfriend. Brian. Yep...

So after befriending him on myspace on Monday, guess who I ran into today?

His cousin, who I also haven't seen since he moved out of my Mom's house where we were living. Crazy ol' world, ain't it? I think things like this sort of happen in waves. At least thats my theory.

It was a strange day all the way around, and then when Tracy showed up at my work it topped the sundae with an odd little cherry.

To top it ALL off... well, I have a song stuck in my head that I'm going to share with you all... why? Cause I can... thats why. LOL

A week of change!

2008-11-06T19:11:00.003-07:00

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who came out and voted this past Tuesday. Republican or Democrat or whatever, the amount of voter turnout topped out at approx. 121,562,000. Thats incredible! Whatever the turnout, people made their voices heard, and thats amazing.

As the first one in my family born in the United States, I'm pretty gung-ho about voting.

What I really don't understand is the amazing amount of people who care who wins, but DON'T VOTE?! What? In all seriousness, I understand being busy. I'm very busy too, but there are mail in ballots for that. If you're upset and didn't vote, thats your own too bad. I'm sorry, but its true!

As for me? I'm proud to be an American... and its been a while. As a dual citizen up til I turned 18, I gave some serious thought to the possibility of moving to Germany and becoming a citizen there. But I did stay and register to vote, which works very much like declaration of citizenship.

Congratulations Barack Obama! I'm confident that he will be a very competent and charismatic leader. In that order. Plus, my Mother will no longer be plagued by stupid questions from my Uncle in Germany about what our President is up to... LOL

Ah... another interesting adventure this last two-three weeks has been the addition of serious budgeting of both my time and money. I'm taking spending very seriously by limiting groceries and extraneous frivolities like candy or cookies.

Something I've noticed already: Energy! Its incredible... if you eat right and exercise a little every day (but I'm still doing the three nights a week at 24hour fitness) you feel great! We'll see if I lose any weight in my endeavors. I just want to fit in my skinny jeans, to be honest. :D

I'm also happy to report that Sean is one fantastic man. He bought me two pairs of my all-time favorite earrings. Beautiful, thank you Sean!

One last interesting tidbit: Did you know that you can record using your earphones? We found this out last night. It works better with the larger headphones that cup your ears. Sean found it on a website detailing ways to mic your drum-kit. Basically, the man put the headphones with one on the top of the snare drum and one on the bottom.

We were giggling about it a little and thought... hey, lets try it! So we did, but with a guitar. Sean strummed into his recording equipment and I held the headphones on the sweet spot of the acoustic guitar below bridge. Sure enough! It works. If you have some bigger headphones it works a little better, but smaller ones work to some extent. So yep! Fun fun!!

Brand new blog

2008-10-30T19:58:00.004-06:00

Today marks the first of my blogs on blogger. Momentous? Thats doubtful, actually.

Here's what I can tell you... its a change for the better. More toys, more options and more... well, more! So yep... good stuff.

This is, for the moment, an attempt to put a more professional foot forward. Perhaps this will translate into my regular life and I'll finally break out of the mold and make something of myself.

Well, here's to hoping... I'll keep in touch either way! ttyl

Oh, btw... come visit my website! If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Just click on the leaves for the link...