Just another manic Sunday

I had a full day. I'm gonna let a friend help tell the tale (or rather, excerpts from emails), I'm going to let Facebook tell the tales with recycling posts, and I'll add comments in between because... eh, effort:

I drove around for 40 minutes trying to decide where to eat. I thought I wanted Moby Dick but then found myself at Tumbleweed in Bashford Manor and onto Skyline in Mid-City Mall and onward. I ended up at Twig & Leaf. I had never sat at the bar so I sat at the bar. 

I should never get into a car to go eat and not already know before I put the key in the ignition.

After a quick trip to Preston I've been up in the studio all day jamming to old Cypress Hill. I got this thing called a Catalyst wedge from Princeton and I fell in love with it last night. I picked up 2 more and a Catalyst brush along with a can of grass green and some plastic palette knives. I wanted two things: a large, bright piece at the foot of my stairs to brighten up a very neutral room *and* to try out the new Catalyst silicon wedges and brush. Boom. The end result is "Dandelion". Silly, simple, and whimsical.

And I *do* love that piece, "Dandelion". I fb'ed it. I'm a dork.

Creative juices were flowing yesterday *and* today. Among working on several other things all involving the color blue, I touched up and I am finally calling "O.D.B." done. I can't believe it's been ten years since he passed away. Miss ya, Ol' Dirty (aka Dirt McGirt aka Big Baby Jesus aka Osiris aka Ason aka Russell Jones aka Ol' Dirty Bastard)!

"O.D.B." is the second-longest piece I've worked on, clocking in at just over 9 years. All I ended up doing was applying black to an area where I had considered so many things. In the end, those 9 years waited on 3 minutes of painting. There's no father to his style, that's why he's the Ol' Dirty Bastard. ;)

I completely rearranged every bit of furniture in the studio. *This* is it though. The room looks twice as big than/then (I actually believe both are legal in this case) any previous iteration. I have wall space to hang art now. I actually have a small slot to *store* canvases now. I block the kinda ugly, omni-open closet with the easel, which now gets direct sunlight and gives me a great view as I work. All of the shelves fit so quaintly on one wall, Tetris-ing perfectly between the window and the swingway of the door to the balcony. This. Is. It. The room is tied together. :D

All of this is a true story. I need a better light option than my homemade tube light though.

And in doing so the studio no longer needs the two paper lanterns that so gave off such decorative yet low light. I put them in the alcove in my bedroom and flipped the switch. I love the effect! And the light compliments the little lamp I have in there. I may use that extension cord to put more stuff up there... I'll see what I can come up with. Best of all, now I don't have to solve the lamp problem in my bedroom (my latest option felt like a Tiffany floor lamp, which I was stoked about but had no idea how I was going to fit *that* into my weekly budget). Ex off the list! Win and win.

It really looks great. I feel like I'm in the alley off a market... a place where I might find a mogwai for sale. Muwahahaha!

So no filing/trashing tonight. But Lawd I need to. This place is even more trashed with all of the pretties I'm finding during further unpacking and rearranging. I love this bin idea though. I encourage everyone to do it. And I think it's a good exercise in both reminiscing and decluttering. :)

I have this system of bins where I am going to put pictures, memorabilia, knickknacks, and pretties from different periods in my life into them. I think it's a great idea! But right now my first floor is WRECKED!!!

Whew, it's late but I'm jazzed. And gawd I do not want to "go to" work tomorrow (I know, it's only "log in"). I have a flippin' meeting at 8am. :(

I have been on holiday for more than 2 weeks. I am not going in due to this Snowmegeddon that didn't happen. I've been so busy and enjoying just doing so many things other than working. I am actually dreading going back to giving up 8 hours to it. Grr.

For the first time ever in my life, during this extended leave from work, I am starting to see the value in the idea of the r-word... retirement.