Mmm tea. You always make me feel happy in the morning. Today its raspberry.
Oh and I don't care how old and cliche this is, this always makes me feel good when I read it. And honestly? I've been needing mental pick me ups lately. Still a bit in the dark place. But coming out of there more and more everyday!
I haven't been about lately. Thats because life has been crazy busy. Went to war. Came back with a gross mung that is still sticking to me. Then my mom and sister came into town shortly after, which was fabulous. I got killer shoes that weekend! I tend to only go clothes shopping when I see my mom and sister so I took advantage of the time at the mall.

See? Killer SHOES!
I also spent the weekend teaching my mom how to use her Kindle. She seemed to take to it really fast (faster than her email for sure) and now she's DLing books like a fiend. *LOL* My poor dad and his credit card. But she now isn't afraid of her Kindle so I have done well.
All last week was spent just cleaning the house frantically. But the house is extremely clean now so thats a plus! Alas that was as productive as I got.
So this month, arts and crafts month, I'm forcing myself to work on projects for AX and my etsy store. Alas, due to being sick and the family visit, I am now 2 weeks behind on finishing my stuff for AX. ARG! So the plan is to lock myself in the studio after work for a few days and pound out some things. I'm inspired and really rarin' to go on this stuff! I also want to get my etsy store up asap. I need need NEEEEEED to get it up and running before AX. So I'm hoping this week I can work on some stock, next week I can take photos for the store and get things uploaded and ready to go. This is my plan. I hope I can stick to it.
I've been finding it hard to keep myself focused lately. I have a ton of ideas of things I want to build, then once I get into my studio I sort of blank out and stare at my stuff in a stupor. My brain is too crowded lately. So I've been making myself lists to keep focused. Today I'll work on A. Tomorrow I will work on B, at work I will rough out sketches C and D. Its been helping. I just have to stay focused. It hasn't been easy since lately I've been ADD girl on a crafting rampage.AND I ordered offical looking business cards! I am REALLY over printing and cutting my own. TOTALLY over it. So I designed myself some new ones and ordered them from a printer. I'm very excited to see them!
Tonight I am hoping to update my art blog with a sketch I did for my sister as well as pics of some of the crafts I am working on. Still debating if I want to keep my blog strictly to art and costume or if I want to add addtional things to it, like photos of SCA tournies I go to, photo safari's I take, my work on my dollhouse, etc... Usually I reserve that stuff for here. I suppose I can find a way to double post, right? I definitely have no intentions of leaving LJ. I enjoy it FAR more than Facebook which honestly, gets really irritating to be on after a little while. So I'm trying to combind my LJ and my art blog together...but keep my personal thoughts here. Here I have people who I've known for years. I rather my LJ friends read my personal thoughts than my Facebook friends(though there IS cross over). There are a lot of people on FB I just rather not have delving into my personal life or locked entries.
I have a few photos of our backyard I need to post. We have it looking pretty good so far! We still have a long way to go but everyday it looks a little nicer and a little nicer. When I have the cash, I need to pick up another one of those half wine barrels to transplant my strawberries into. The slugs keep getting to them, damnit. But surpisingly enough, the Columbines I planted when we first moved in..the ones I was convinced died a horrible death, have returned! They are gorgous and have a bunch of blooms on them. I'll have to take photos soon.
Its been a mild summer here in SD so far. This bodes well for my plants.
Oh, and of course, I'm obessively watching Game of Thrones on HBO. yeah, I read the books and I know whats coming but damnit, I am still loving it. The adaptation from book to show is incredible! And the costumes are delicious. I really want to try my hand at one someday. Caitlyn's possibly since she is one of my favorite females in the story. So yeah...in my COPIUS spare time...oye. Well its a project in the back of my head. it might become so in a year or two...or three.
And to end this post, 7 things that make me smile:
1-Tea. LOVE tea.
2-Eating lunch outside at the Cafe on a gorgous sunny day (which I just did).
3-New killer shoes!
4-The idea of getting to go home and work in the studio.
5-Mr Max and how well he took care of me and my family this weekend.
6-My photo Safari Month and baking month I have sitting on the horizon.
7-Going to the County Fair in a couple weeks!