The Gypsy on Adventure

Joyful day and prep for adventure!

Humf...but its my FRIDAY! Yippee vacation for an Art Retreat! Yeah! Clickerman went home sick before noon!!!! What a pleasant day at work for me!!! It was a gift to lift my spirit, so that I could be in my happy place while I get ready to go to the ZNE ConvenZioNE in Pleasanton...SO close to home!

I am experiencing anxiety about going...WHY do I have anxiety?

When I posted this photo on Flickr, one of my flickrettes made this comment that just spun my head! "Oh my gosh. I am so jealous (the good kind) of how beautiful you look! I mean, of course you have always been beautiful, but your real face and body is emerging and you are just gorgeous!"  NOW THAT is motivation for me! I think that is one of the best compliments I have EVER received in my entire life! And it makes me see that people CAN see a difference and that I am going to keep myself motivated to shed this excess weight! I can get so discouraged because I have so FAR to go! But when people can see that I am making a change it gets me motivated!!!!  When I woke up this morning my feet were really swollen, I think I might have too much salt still in my diet...I don't add any to my food, but it seems there is still an issue with it. So I have to continue to watch this.

Here is the highlight of the day! Jack! Jack the rascal came in and ran around and loved all of us...and he is so damn cute I want to steal him!!! There is nothing better than Jack kisses!!!! Especially gives me such JOY!!!! LOVE the little fur ball!

And since the WGB does not want any more fur babies ever, he said it would be like him telling me he wants a baby! GACK...I so want a little dog! A puggly or some other small one! When I retire...and the other fur babies are gone...  Duncan said he will teach me how to whine, like he did to get his girlfriend to comply with getting Jack! LOL

At home I worked on the icon book and tried to relax...I am LOVING the way it is looking!

I know why the caged animal bites!

I was like a caged animal today! Don't let the smile fool you, I can be like a venus fly trap! LOL AND I am getting dangerous, when I feel cornered or no way out...I get edgy! AND that clicker man is on my last nerve, and thinking he is going to get the job...GRRRRR

I am seriously not happy with the energy in the room when he is there...I wish I was oblivious to the energy and then I wouldn't care...But I am constantly drained from putting up defenses NOT to hear or see the bad energy!

Be careful Gypsy MAY bite!

One of the girls at work were SO happy and noticed I was skinnier...and could fit in this again! : D  Made me hug her!  I am battling the lazy gene, I want this weight gone but I don't want to have to work at it like I didn't have to when I was young and a bone-rack!

But then I get so excited that people notice the change that it motivates me to keep it up...I have felt for the last month that it is coming back on from that horrible couple of weeks of PMSing...so I have to stay on top of it.

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." -Dr. Seuss
AND Feeling great after my walk today! Another 40 minutes! I just have to do MORE of it...and I am working on accepting who I am more...and embracing the silly side to me and trying to let go of all the bad things...

I have started to work on my Religious Icon Book, printing and cutting out images and the painting has begun, I love the way the pages look in a book when you start to alter it. I just wish I had the opportunity to get together with other artists to do work, and be more motivated...working alone some times is lonely for me, but I am finally starting to be more dedicated since I cleaned my work table! And can actually work AT the table! Snort!
There were just a few more minutes spent on knitting up some fun orange!

Surprise Mexican Fiesta Lunch

Today was the surprise gift and luncheon for Lucy! It was hard to get up this morning, I didn't sleep much last night with the tattoo, just amped up and a little burning when I moved my arm, but nothing major. I got up early like 6:30 and had some lemon tea, showered and got things together. No anxiety today!

It went off well, I got there by 9:30ish made coffee and enjoyed a cup before Lucy arrived.

It was a great day! And I could tell it meant a lot to Lucy. I think every thing went well. She was so surprised about the story of the wallet! When we bought it was LAST May in SLO and she had no idea!

We were going to do a fabric book but we started the Habu scarves with Lucy's roving and my Habu, and it took too much time. If we had all spent the weekend like we had planned it would have been all done...but things changed and we all left.

 

      

Satisfying Day!

Well I have been painting paper which they are coming out WONDERFUL, cutting out photos, I am going to get the book together for the retirement!It is a perfect 74 here but VERY windy! I have had to tape all my paper down! I have been on my mini patio outside and it has been a challenge!  But it drys much faster and with less mess in the house! I was doing laundry, went out to the yarn store, I want to try my hand at a purse, and hit a sale! And I did some sewing. Whew!

What would have cost me $70 cost me $40! AND I bought a set of size 17 LARGE needles! I am going to do a scarf with some really funky yarn I just bought on Friday!!! And the artist Holly, suggested I use big needles to show off the fun and funky yarn! It hasn't come yet! Today, I bought MORE pink and orange! I just LOVE those colors! AND it will match the handles that Mary got me! So in between working my boney fingers to my secret project for my boss who is retiring I will try to knit!

I even did some gardening! I planted some of my ferns that were waiting for my pot that broke to be fixed and dry! Michael fixed it for me and now my ferns are very happy!

I had crackers out with me as well, in her outside cage, and the bitchy cat Vanilla is in my boys cage on the deck as well watching the crazy woman paint! DON'T let that sweet face fool you! She tries to attack me! She scratches! She cannot be in the house because she goes after the two other cats AND the bird! Can't allow it.

Thats been my day! Yesterday I did food shopping so I am stocked with fresh fruit and veggies! Plus a little bit of goodies! My son left Reno yesterday...coming home to California. I haven't seen him yet but I am sure he will land on my door step soon. I have no idea where he is going to live. But he couldn't take being by himself there and I hope he continues collage!!!! It took me SO long to get him started there!

Anyway, that is my life today.

Saturday Mellow...

A little trip to Monterey and Carmel to do some shopping...had a lot of fun and then came home for lunch. Bev left early for some previous family stuff planned but Beth and I hung out with Lucy another night.

I had such a great time! We met an artist and I bought one of her sweat shirts and bracelet. We had a lot of fun, not a lot of art. We started a mini glue book in the evening and was just low key! The first layers are done.

Inspiration for Altered Book artists!

My friend the Happy Heathen sent this link to me! If you want to see some AMAZING book art here is the link! My friend Loretta and I were able to see these at an altered book show in Fremont last year! AMAZING!

Yuck...

Well today was interesting I woke up with the sore throat still AND headache. Not a good time for sure. But I got my shower, put on my make up and went to work. I lasted about half the day got everything done I had to for the end of the week, had lunch and went to bed! I watched (sort of) the movie, "On a Clear Day". '

All after I put on my lazy around the house dress!

I finally took some photos of the corn the Worlds Greatest Boyfriend planted. I watered my plants. And I painted some of my papers in the BB journal. I am getting there slow but sure.  I also got some great art mail too! Yeah! One canvas from Joanna at Moss Hill! Love it! AND some fairies...although I felt crappy...these packages made me happy along with a few packages of new clothes! I am addicted to Mission Canyon now! YUMMY art clothes!

At about 8:30 tonight I had to go out and get some meds for the sore throat...I hate to even swallow tonight! GAH... I hope this goes away! I got up to take some meds...back to bed now!  Good night Gracie!

 

More Art and lazy day...

Just working on art today...I am trying to finish up my Valentines Day Swap! It is coming along...although the critic is chomping on my ass! Painting, stamping, cutting, gluing! Grin

I got up first thing and rushed to Cost Plus to find my Gypsy Traveling Case! I found one! One out of two! One was broken, I took the good one! AND I started to put together things I think my gypsy needs to take with her! This is going to be real fun! That store has some GREAT things! Hard not to buy everything!

I painted my little plastic tambourine...it looks disgusting right now! NOT happy with it...but I will try to continue to improve it with layers and sand it off and layer more...Yikes it is a tough thing!!! I gessoed it with black...that may have been my problem!

Micheal took me to lunch...that was a nice break, but during our lunch I guess the house lost power and my computer turned off and my printer started to act up and would not print...Michael fixed it...I was in a "mood" by then! I was annoyed! But he got it on track!

Flickr is on the fritz...that pissed me off as well! Snort...I guess I was easily pissed today!

A slow, slow day...

After walking so much at the stamp convention my back was acting out, so I took a pain med last night which made me sleep REALLY late and be groggy all day long. I did not get up or take a shower until well after noon. I am determined to loose significant weight in order to help stop the pain...change in eating...I have changed what I drink. AND I am going to be REALLY positive about the process and embrace my body the way it is now.

Then I did some watercolor painting...worked on some altered books...read some of my zines...a few books...

I worked on my Inspiration Technique book, I ended up cutting a niche in the book and gluing the glass that I embossed on into the book! I put some hand made paper over the page and collaged and painted with Twinkling H20s some! I love how it turned out!

I am still working on my Valentines Day Swap for the Art & Soul Girls...they are coming along, but like Bev my inner critic is yapping at me the whole process long!

I did a lot of catching up with all the tapes I tape during the week...I was two weeks in...and now I am close to viewing all of them! Yeah! Art and good TV.

AND so excited! I caught up with my email and Susie mailed off the Skinny Fatbook Pages!!! YEAH!  I will get the book some time this week! My page is loose because she was afraid the mechanism would not work right bound. Some thing to look forward to this week!

Where I put the little angel

Where I put the little angel
Originally uploaded by Gypsy Froggie.

Here is how the Little Angel looks on the page...AND I changed the fairy bottle and put the mini Fairy Alien in it...

This little book is really coming along...I love working on it! It is so much fun! Giggle