air to breathe

Do you ever feel like you are drowning at work and need some air?  

Well, you are not alone.

Here's to a long weekend!

pump or pay?

When I was in high school I went on a date with a boy, who, when pulling into a gas station, asked me if I wanted to 'pump' or 'pay'? It was one or other...he couldn't seem to manage both.

These days I feel like I've thrown a similar question of y'all...myself.... Do we want pictures OR words? I've only had the energy for one or the other. You get a picture, or you get a few words. Gone are the days of the deluxe value meal.

It's doubtful that it will be tomorrow or even next month, but one day soon I'm hoping to be capable of delivering on both: pictures AND words. And not just for you...but for me...the girl eagerly awaiting the opportunity to add a sketchbook to that diaper bag.

Until then, thanks for pumping :D

be fully present

A few years ago I thought I needed six hands...now it appears as though I need eight...or do I?

Shortly after writing yesterday's post, I stumbled upon this excerpt from Samantha Power's commencement speech at Occidental College. It really struck a chord--or perhaps more accurately, a nerve--with me, so I wanted to share it with you.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

IN WHATEVER YOU do, try to be present, fully present. As Satchel Paige put it, “Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Dance like nobody’s watching.” You gotta be all in. This means leaving your technology behind occasionally and listening to a friend without half of your brain preoccupied by its inner longing for the red light on the BlackBerry.

I have gotten some glimpses of modern learning: In many college classes, laptops depict split screens—notes from a class, and then a range of parallel stimulants: NBA playoff statistics on ESPN.com, a flight home on Expedia, and a new flirtation on Facebook....I know how good you are at multitasking. You have developed the modern muscle set. I know of what I speak because I, too, am a culprit.

You have never seen a U.S. government official and new mother so dexterous in her ability simultaneously to BlackBerry and breast-feed. But I promise you that over time this doesn’t cut it. Something or someone loses out. No more than a surgeon can operate while tweeting can you reach your potential with one ear in, one ear out. You actually have to reacquaint yourself with concentration. We all do. We should all become, as Henry James prescribed, a person “on whom nothing is lost.”

[via The Week]

the waiting game

it's pretty simple, really...

What's your goal?

wake up, wake up!

I learned something today.

I awoke this morning to the sound of my neighbor mowing his yard: quite possibly the sweetest alarm I've heard in months. Just one more sign that spring is around the corner... It's been a long winter and this girl has a serious case of cabin fever!

better than flowers

learning and taking note

what makes a celebrity cool?

I have never been too much into celebrities and their whereabouts, period.

I guess this is because I perceive many celebrities to lack the quality that I most appreciate and admire in a person: humbleness. There are, however, a few famous folks who have gained my respect and admiration...not simply for their skills and accomplishments, but for the amazing down-to-earth humility that characterizes their personalities.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, Miguel Bosé and Chris Martin are among my favorites. I wish I could meet them sometime over a couple of beers and confirm my suspicions.

How about you? Who would you like to share a drink with? Why?

all shook up

I'm not sure why, but whenever life throws a big expense my way, especially one I'm less-than-thrilled to have, I tend to break that amount down into pedicures. How many weeks of pretty toes could I have for this balance? While I'm not getting many pedicures these days, this is one luxury I long for.

So, take this morning for instance, which began with a visit to the dentist for two new fillings. Not only did I leave the office with no feeling in half my face and smiling like Elvis...

but out a fat wad of cash.

Enough to pay for...

Two fillings = 25 pedicures...where is the justice is that?!?

Please help me to feel better--what was your latest 'inconvenient expense' and if you could spend that money somewhere else, what would it equate?

quietening the perfectionist

A little something from an old sketchbook:

I was reminded of this over the weekend, while watching the documentary Beautiful Losers with friends. See the trailer of the film here.

ahem...

You might say this is proof I'm not running on all cylinders today...or perhaps I just like to think outside the box. Either way, there you have it.

in poor taste

Another drawing inspired by a prompt from 642 Things to Draw.

This sketch triggered a memory for me of being little and going on a picnic--only to have it spoiled by rain. Rather than returning home, we ate in the car--with the exception of my mom, who was exiled because of her smelly choice of lunch--sardines.

What makes this situation even sadder is that I'm sure the rest of us were eating something much more appetizing, like potted meat or Vienna sausage.

sunrise to sunset

C-E-M-E-T-E-R-Y.

Would you believe this was one of the first words I learned to spell as a child?

With parents who owned a monument business, I spent much of my childhood traveling the back roads, visiting cemeteries (which I quickly learned were often misspelled) and trying to piece together the stories of lives once lived. As odd as it sounds, I believe this has a lot to do with my interest in documenting life--the big moments and small--today.

What is a life well-lived? How can you preserve it in a way that generations from now it will not be forgotten? I don't have the answers, and suspect I never will, but that doesn't mean I'll stop asking.

just so you know...

a reminder...if only for myself

sweet simplicity

I don't know if this statement makes sense to anyone but me. However, it popped into my mind this weekend as I was thinking back to about 5 years ago when Edgar and I were both in school, living in an apartment on the 'wrong side of town', didn't have an extra dollar to spare, made a game out of eating everything in the kitchen cabinets before a return visit to the store and the weekend meant renting a video and splurging on some Ben & Jerry's.

Without a doubt, those days were some of our best.

In some ways life is very different now: we're in a house we love and we might have two dollars to spare :) However, making the decision to switch directions and follow my passion rather than the certainty of a regular paycheck has required us to cut back on some of the extras, or as I'm coming to realize, the distractions. Once again we're playing the food game (gumbo is a winner!) and oddly enough, once again, extra happiness is creeping in. It's strange and good, all rolled into one. I am home, present and thankful.

Have you had a similar experience? If so, I'd love to hear...

do we dare?

music video for Tanya Davis' song 'Art' by Andrea Dorfman

You may have seen this before, but even so, I think its worth watching again.

Thank you for sharing Audra!

unplugging and recharging

Hello! And suddenly, she appears!

As you're likely well aware, my creative energy is not at its highest these days. The past few months have left me drained, so I'm trying to learn new ways to conserve what pep I have and build back up my stamina. Part of this has been unplugging. And by unplugging, I mean stepping away from the computer. As much as I love sharing bits of life with you and growing this blog, I've realized:

This may not be the case for everyone. However, unlike my cell phone, lately I'm finding it best to unplug to recharge. So on the days that this blog is silent, never fear, because my sketchbook is growing louder as I'm taking in life and recording my observations. I look forward to sharing these entries with you when it's time to plug back in. Until then, hope you remain fully charged!

one sketch at a time

Wednesday evening I had the great fortune of having dinner with Diana, author of one of my very favorite blogs, Please Sir. In addition to speaking 'blog' for a good hour or so, we discussed our aspirations for the future and brainstormed ways to work toward these goals. Such an inspiring conversation! I look forward to sharing the fruits of these ideas with you soon!