New journal

Here is the cover of my new journal. It's filled with yummy paper. Not Fabrianno, which is my favorite. I can't remember what I used. I will have to find out later! Last week I bought some oil pastels and acrylic paint by Acryla. I've been playing a little. Watched Vicky Christina Barcelona the other day and fell in love!!!! Penelope Cruz is gorgeous and so is her husband - just yummy. On top of it, I want to drop everything and go live in a small artsy town in Spain or Italy. Even my kids would love it. Maybe one day, when my husband and I are old and he wants to go back to pottery! Follow your passion. Passion is life!

Annual Book Quiz

THE ANNUAL BOOK QUIZ from Daisy Yellow Blog

Respond in the comments or on your blog, leave a link and I'll link to ya!

1. What is on your reading list for 2011? I can't list them all!,
2. What was the best fiction book you read in 2010? I loved a lot!!! These is My Words,19 Minutes, Wuthering Heights, The Last Time I Was Me, The Help, 1000 Journal Pages, Creative Wildfire, Brave on the Rocks.... and many more!
3. What b ook was the biggest let down in 2010? The Elegance of the Hedgehog
4. Do you remember the first short story you wrote as a kid? What was it about? In 3rd grade I wrote a story that I made into a book, binding an all! I should have known that my love in creating the book was a doorway to walk into! Anyway, the story was about a town of miniature people that were swallowed up by a giant and their escape plan. (kind of creepy now that I think of it!)
5. Do you keep track of the books you read? Just started to on Facebook
6. How many books are on your TO READ list? I don't know. Every time I go into B&N or browse Amazon I find more I want to read. As part of a book club, we have our 8 already picked out for the year, but I always read more than that b/c there are just so many out there!!!
7. Where is your favorite reading spot? in bed or at the pool on vacation
8. How many books (fiction + non-fiction) did you read in 2010? no clue. I wasn't keeping track!
9. Do you read more than one book at once? yes
10. Do you read more fiction or non-fiction? novels are more non-fiction

I'm back!

Finally, I am back!!! I didn't go anywhere really, I think I just vacated mentally. The last two months have been crazy busy and fun! I meant to blog and post, but life just took over. Tons of eating, partying, and seeing friends!! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and am wishing you a Happy New Year. We had a wonderful time with family and friends.

Here are some recent pages. I'm excited b/c I'm just about finished with this journal and need to stitch up my new one. I'm going to try a new watercolor paper even though I LOVE Fabriano Artistico. Take a peek here....

Monkey Bread

Got to have breakfast with some of my friends yesterday morning and I made Monkey Bread. Can you say YUMMY?????? I took the recipe from Pioneer Woman.

Halloween

After two steroidal epidural injections, I am finally out of pain. I'm not crying anymore and I can walk again!!! I'm hoping this will work and am saving the third injection in case I need it. Going to see a neurosurgeon at Northwestern in two weeks as the doctors here want to operate. In my mind, that is a last resort!

Did a few pages while I was stuck at home dealing with my injury and the construction in the basement. The carpet is being installed right now and I can't wait for it to be done! I can't take the mess and disorganization that my house has become. I need order! BUT, I now have a REAL art room for myself and I had it painted a light pink. I'm not sure I really like the color, but I can always change it. I think I'm going to make it my mom cave and really have fun decorating it so I love working in there. I still don't have any natural light as it is in the basement, but it is my own space and I can't wait to get in there again!!!
My kids collected a RIDICULOUS amount of candy on Halloween and of course I'm the one who can't stop eating it! This happens every year. They both went as Ninjas and had lots of fun

at our neighborhood party and then trick-or-treating with friends.
Here they are doing their best ninja poses before their school party.

doodles & charms

I was playing around with my paints and paper canvas a few weeks ago and this is what I ended up with. I limited my play time to 30 minutes and only 5 -6 colors. Was fun, but I need to do this more so I don't analyze, plan and over think. It's hard to be free and let go.

My back has been terrible for the last month and about a week and a half ago it completely went out. I experienced the most horrible pain that just wouldn't subside. This has happened many times before, but as I'm getting older these "episodes" have been happening more often, with more intensity and lasting longer. I couldn't move my right leg. There were a LOT of tears here! Not to bore you with the details, but it turns out I have a BIG herniated disc. Yesterday I got a steroidal epidural which was excruciating. I cried in the procedure room.

It seems like it is working b/c today is the first day in almost 2 weeks that I don't have any pain. My sister (who is a Dr.) reminded me that I'm still experiencing the side effects of the anesthetic and the initial load of steroids. I'm hoping this works, because if not I was told I need surgery!

So I have been depressed b/c I haven't been able to really do anything. LOTS of lying around, which I'm not good at. I have been doodling and drawing in my journal. It's been challenging b/c we are also building out the basement and I am getting my own art area that is going to be great!!! It's not going to be with the workout equipment anymore and I plan to make it all mine and pretty. I'm very excited! But, I've been dealing with banging, drilling, hammering, sawing, etc. while not feeling well. The steroids are making me feel awful, and every now and then I feel a twinge in my back.

I'm hoping this is it for the medical issues. They say things come in 3's right? It started this summer with that awful bug bite on my foot that I reacted to, then my tooth surgery and now my back. I should be done now, right??????

I found these cool charms at Michaels. You can use them with other components to make charm necklaces and bracelets. I think I am going to use these on upcoming journals. I need to get going because I want to try to sell some journals on Etsy! They need to finish the basement ASAP and my back needs to recover on its own so I can do my thing!