Author: Dina

Linkage:

• Screamin’ Beans. The kiddos & I did this three times and laughed riotously every time.
• Top 10 Geekiest Yarn Creations. Makes you wanna get out the ole crochet hook.
• Fingerjig typing game. Maddenly addictive.

Visual Journalage…pages below are some samples I made for my "Visual Journaling with the Self Portrait" class (click on the pictures to make ’em bigger):

I had a truly great time teaching the class…some of the students were new to mixed media, some were experienced and wanted to come to continue creating and exploring. I loved how much heart they put into their art piece!

I didn’t realize that conversations about Lost, the Office, and laundry-loathing counted as philosophy…cool.

I have some art to share, but I will upload later…I’m off to teach my visual journaling class at Stampotique! Eeeek!

You can order "the dark side of the garden" from Threadless (only $10 right now!). I also got "Nothing Rhymes with Orange" and "Cyclops." Not for me (duh), for the kidlets.

Speaking of the kidlets, they’ve bullyed my mojo and now it’s hiding in the closet and won’t come out. DOH.

So, school’s out and the kiddos are home and my free-wheeling-8:14 a.m.-to-3:49 p.m. life is over, at least until August, so today I cracked the old chore whip and started digging the crud out of the bedrooms, and let me just say there was so much junk that we ran out of black garbage bags, and what’s depressing is that we’re not even done but I forgot to buy more black bags at Costco today (doh) so resolution must be left for another day, and I cleaned my studio and found too many rabid dust-bunnies for my comfort, and I just do not know why on earth I am so darn unorganized, I just didn’t get that gene in the whole DNA lottery but if I had even a little OCD (just a touch) it would sure help me keep things in order here better, but as it stands even when I’ve cleaned things up, it’s still a mess.

I know I’ve scrapped some of these pics before. I’ve used them again b/c I am trying to get a decent page for a contest, and I simply didn’t want to take new pics of my ugly self. And I swear, after these 2 pages, no more pages about myself for a looong time.

L.B. pointed out that my bloggage has been, well, lacking. Let’s have a little "Yay/Boo" list today, shall we?

YAY: Got my haircut today. It’s a good cut, and it should be since it cost $69 plus tip. But the head massage alone was worth it (aaaaah). Now my bangs don’t look like a dead animal’s tail lobbing about on my forehead.

BOO: Had some people hate on my art recently…left me feeling sucky. Basically some don’t get why I do things the way I do. *shrug*   I’ve decided there’s not room in my life for the haters and I need to be where people get it, or where they’re at least tolerant.

YAY: Summer is almost here, we get to sleep in every day. (Zzzz, zzzzzz, zzzzzz.)

BOO: Summer is almost here, kids will be home all day. (Messes, boredom, fights…)

YAY: Summer is almost here, kids can do chores. (That should be a MEGA-YAY.)

BOO: Last night’s dinner dishes are still on my counter.

YAY: I’m going to scrap or paint all afternoon and ignore the dishes. Rock. On.

P.S. Yay/Boo lists should *always* end on a Yay.

Forced myself to scrap this week…I had the itch. But I didn’t have the time and had to squeeze it in between RS visits and helping kids with homework and dinner and laundry. I don’t normally scrap so many pics of myself, but I’m trying to crank something out for a contest that I have no chance of winning…at least I’m getting some scrappin’ done.

I won $50 today from Rare Bird Finds, one of my favorite "shopping discovery" blogs…here’s the permalink. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I wrote a witty and life-changing post, then hit a wrong button on my tool bar and google news popped up and poof, the post was gone. AARGH.

• Got to meet Becky Higgins this weekend. She was very fun, encouraging, and accessible…loved her! She taught a class for our church group…so great. She even posted a pic of me on her blogity blog.
• Got some See’s chocolates for mother’s day (soon to be appearing on my hips! buy tickets now!) and Reed did the dishes.
• I really need to do some laundry. After I eat this See’s Dark Chocolate Scotchmallow. And maybe one Bordeaux.
• My mojo has run away from home. If you see it, will you give it a spanking and send it back? I miss it. I’ve been so creatively paralyzed lately!

The uber-talented and inspiring Marilyn tagged me with the Thinking Blogger award…so fun! What you do is list 5 blogs you like to read, then you are tagged to do the same.

1. Quietish by Rosemary Waits. I stalk her for her artsiness and always enjoy her knittiness.

2. Make Art Every Day by Marci Lambert. Inspirational, real, accessible.

3. The Wish Jar by Keri Smith. Okay, she’s not likely to do this meme. But I love her blog, her guerilla approach to art, her environmental sensibilities, and her all-around encouragement that she exudes to perfect strangers.

4. Just Me Again by Maria. She’s one of the nicest, sincerest people on the web.

5. Misty Mawn by Misty Mawn. One of my art idols. Her blog is a visual feast.