Failing at the Resolutions... oops.

Hello followers and the great unknown, obviously I am not doing so hot at keeping my blog up to date. Things that I have done in respect to by resolutions:
Yoga: haven't done it once, but bought a new Yoga DVD... I think I will start tomorrow.
Draw/Paint: not so much... but I need to. But today I did make a festive calendar that I splashed watercolor on. Does that count?
Blog: Well, you know how that is going. Ha.
Tattoos: I did get my lemon touched up and I got a new one! I got an anchor on the right side of my chest near my collar bone. Tis sweet.
Guitar: hasn't been out of it's case at all in 2011 which makes me cry on the inside. That will change as soon as I am home from my summer job.

As you can see the only real progress I have achieved is the tattoos. But I suppose every little bit counts.

I am really writing tonight to talk about my love for pirates and film. I just watched Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and I just fell in love with Jack Sparrow all over again. I loved it. All of it. The costumes and hats and pirates and mermaids... spectacular. It made me want to run to the film industry and start working on films right away. Another film that gets me excited about my line of work is Peter Jackson's the Hobbit. I have attached the link to go to the website where you can find all sorts of information and facts about the upcoming movie. My favorite part of the site is Peter Jackson's video blog of the process of making the movie and behind the scene sneak peeks. In the first little video you can see the costume shop and crafts and a fitting of one of the dwarfs. Uh-mazing. It is movies like this that get me excited about my job, about my line of work, about life. I look at fun works like these and know I am doing what I love and have an exciting life ahead of me.

Right now I am working in a Shakespeare Fest costume craft shop. I am making cool things like masks and leather belts and learning to ventilate wigs. It is a great job and a learning experience. The only bummer to summer stock work is that I am away from Mikey for 9 weeks. I am hoping he can come visit me whilst I am here, otherwise I will have to be content with Skype dates for awhile.

Well my dears, I am off to bed or something. I will try and be more on top of this whole blogging thing.

The Dog Days are Over

Lately I have been rather obsessed with a little song called the Dog Days are Over by Florence + the Machine. I think it may be my theme song for 2011. No matter what happens, I will remember that the dog days are done. I will live. I will pack light and travel my life with a bit of joy in my pocket. At least that is how I have felt this week. I recommend listening to all of Florence + the Machine. Love her stuff. She is touring with U2 this summer and I am endeavoring to drop hints to Mikey that he should take me to one of those concerts.

I want to go dancing. I love going out to a club or bar and dancing. I haven't done it in forever... it needs to be remedied. It is such a release to go out with friends and just dance around. I mean, it feels good bouncing around my house too, but sometimes there is just a need to get out your little black dress, your killer heels that make you 7 feet tall and make your legs look freaking amazing and go out and shake your groove thang.

Speaking of dancing. I am officially registered for a ballet class. It starts in 2 weeks. I am pretty sure that I am not quite the graceful swan I should be to have registered for this little class, but I am excited.

I doodled another fun little doodle in class. It is a little caricature of my directing professor.  It was during a class that we discussed what a theatrical director does before casting a show. It was interesting. This class is mostly comprised of production design and tech students, so it is a pretty goofy class. After going through the first week of classes, I think I like this class... I think. The official verdict is still out.

A break through for me this week is that I packed my lunch every day. I made it to Friday and realized this and have decided to see how long I can keep it going.

Mike and I watched the Fantastic Mr. Fox this evening. I had seen it when it was in theaters, but Mike had not. I love how wonderfully... well, fantastic! it is. Wes Anderson just has a way of captivating my attention and making me laugh.

Day 4 of 2011

Ah, the school year has begun again... sigh. I am in the middle of my second year of grad school. I am 30 days away from being officially half way through my grad school ventures and that is pretty darn exciting. I am already learning loads in my 2 days of school this quarter. Monday I did a sewing sampler. We make all the incoming freshman do them, so I figured I should probably do one if I am to teach these kids. Tuesday, today (I keep thinking it is Wednesday), I had a film and design class. It was very interesting to hear 12 first year film students pitch their ideas on different interpretations of either the Tempest, Pygmalion, or Cinderella. To aid my cause of learning all 12 of my classmates names, when they pitched their ideas I drew little caricatures of them. It was fun. This quarter I am a first hand, which is someone who aides a draper in a costume shop (I usually cut fabric for costumes, sew/build items that the draper has draped and patterned). Today my first job as a first hand was to make a pant sloper (a base for a pant pattern). I have done one before but nothing like the one I am currently working on. It is kind of like an insane connect the dots... but you have to find and create the dots first. I like it.

Whilst in my film and design class this morning I was able to doodle/draw for fun (fulfilling a little bit of my resolution). You know, the ever-classic doodle all over your notes trick. I already have stated I caricatured the people I hadn't previously met, but I also did a little stick figure for the heading of my notes.

I used to draw little stick figure versions of myself a lot in undergrad (which was then usually followed by one of my friends killing my little stick figure... we called these gruesome interludes sketch-offs. The last stick figure standing won). So I suppose you could say this is a version of me. And no one killed me.

On Monday I bought a how-to-learn-French curriculum and perused the introduction. Mike and I talked a bit about how we wanted to go about learning the language... but nothing solid quite yet. Baby steps I suppose. But hey, there is a how-to book and CDs in my house. That is something.

I am signing up for a ballet class on Monday nights I think. It is through the school's recreation center. My friend Kim is taking it and I thought it might be good to do. I thought it could be a part of my yoga-twice-a-week resolution. It is a form of stretching... and maybe it will provide me with a touch more grace.

I think Mike and I will have a date night Friday. It is good to have that as a beacon in the blur of the school week. I like that boy and it is good to see him from time to time.

Fun fact: Leonard Nimoy will be attending Dragon Con in Atlanta, GA.
One of my close friends has talked a small group of us to attending this uh-mazing nerd fest this fall. I was perusing the line up of famous people that will be in attendance and became quite giddy when I fell upon Leonard's name. He is lovely and I really want to give this hero of mine a kiss on the cheek. haha. Needless to say, I am purchasing my ticket for this convention ASAP.

Well my kind readers, I am off to bed. I have class at the crack of mid-morning, so I must get my sleep. :)  Have a lovely Wednesday!

Confections: a new beginning.

2011. I feel that this is the year that I become more blog savvy. I do not know why it is something that is important to me, but I like the idea that you put your words out there and hopefully someone is reading what you have to say. It gives a sense of empowerment I suppose.

Confections. 
1. a sweet preparation of fruit or the like, as a preserve or candy.

2. the process of compounding, preparing, or making something.

3. a frivolous, amusing, or contrived play, book, or other artistic or literary work. 

I have taken this definition and applied it to my life. My life is a sweet preparation of fruits and nuts (me and the people I know. No offense meant, I mean it in a loving way) and the process of making something (my life is in the making). I thought it was clever. haha.

New Years Resolutions! If I post them and make them "public" perhaps I am more likely to keep them. Mike and I came up with some together and then I have my own.

Mike and I would like to...
... have a date night every week. Whilst in school and working and all the craziness of life, we tend to never see each other, so it always nice to hold one night sacred for just us.
... learn French. Mike and I really want to travel abroad, so we decided we could endeavor to learn French this year and perhaps go to France next year.
... attend church on a regular basis. We haven't gone to church in forever and it is just something we would like to get back into the habit of.
... each get a tattoo. I have my ink itch and Mike has yet to get one, it is time.  :)

I would like to...

... do yoga at least twice a week. It is a lovely form of relaxation and exercise.

... draw/paint something almost every day just for fun. I miss doodling and art for the sake of fun.

... blog. Just because.

... get my lemon tattoo touched up and finished. It bothers my mother. haha. 

... play guitar more often. Perhaps a goal of at least once a week. I miss playing regularly. Anyone want to start a band? 

I do not think I am shooting for the moon. I hope to achieve these goals with avid success!

Happy New Year my friend, family, and to whomever might be reading this silly confection. May 2011 be a truly remarkable and blessed one!