ATTENTION FRIENDS IN NORTH GA:

Hi guys! Thanks for your overwhelming support with the paintings! I just want to let everyone know that if you are NOT an etsy member or an e-bay buyer, but still want to buy a painting (even if you're not in north GA) please just shoot me an e-mail or leave me a comment about which painting you're interested in, and I'll get back to you later that day.

If you ARE in north GA please please please send me an e-mail about which painting you are interested in, instead of buying through etsy, so I can deliver and accept payment in person. This will save YOU the shipping cost, and me the seller's fee.

Well, I'm off to make a sandwich, then to make some more art! Check the shop for another update tonight! loveaboveall.etsy.com

thisisonlytemporarythisisonlytemporarythisisonlytemporary

I hope all of you remembered mother's day yesterday! My mom got some flowers from my sister, and a plant from me (which I watered today, and am planning on planting tomorrow), and a cute new french tuille apron I lovingly made with my own hands from my own design. I am thinking of making some more to put in my etsy shop (loveaboveall.etsy.com). At the very least I'm definitely going to be making one for myself to protect my clothes from the constant paint stains that besmirch half my wardrobe. I always say I'm going to be super neat and not get a drop anywhere but the canvas, then next thing I know I darting for the pre-treater in the laundry room and trying to pick dried paint out of my hair. It's a testament to the high quality of the paint I use how difficult it is to get out of my hair! It won't wash out with just shampoo and conditioner. I have to single out the stricken hairs and basically peel the paint off.

I finished my first painting since arriving in the states. Just when I was starting to think the creative spark had left me for good, my brush started whipping around and voila, a cute new critter to add to the Blossom Creek Zoo (what I call my collection of animal paintings). I'll be putting him in my etsy shop loveaboveall.etsy.com later in the day.

I'm taking a couple Maymester (3 week long) classes. They start Wednesday, and I really couldn't be more excited about it! I've waited much too long to go back to school. Jamie's break ended today. I regret not getting to spend more time with her. The day in Athens was probably the best day I've spent in the US since we came back. I don't many people who live here anymore, but even if I had my pick of folks to hang out with I'd pick Jamie- she's the best! There are a few people who I fully intend to catch up with this Summer. I guess I'm kind of the event planner in my marriage, but I've been in such a funk I haven't wanted to go anywhere or see anyone.

Things have kind of plateaued around here. I've got a routine. I keep to myself. I keep my head down and try not to be too disrespectful. My mantra is "this is only temporary".

The City Music Led Me To

Since I'm only here less than a season I'm not trying too terribly hard to get a "real" job because as soon as I finished training it would be time for me to move on, but I need some income so I decided to sell off some of my stuff. I put some things on e-bay, but not all of it sold. I just started an Etsy store, but I haven't put much in it yet. I'm planning on having all my paintings listed by the end of the week. Please PLEASE stop by and have a look:

loveaboveall.etsy.com

I am really hopeful about this venture. If this works out I'll be using Etsy as my outlet from now on. Pray pray pray my art sells. I love making it, but I can't justify the time and money I put into it if there's no turnaround.

Jamie and I spent a great day in Athens a couple days ago (dampened only by the fact that there was a pube in my lunch at Doc Chey's House of Noodles). I couldn't believe she's lived there for so long and had never been to the wonderful shops downtown. Many Christmas presents I've bought either came from Helix or Junkman's Daughter's Brother. It was so much fun to wander around the town I discovered one day by accident one day when I'd just gotten my liscence: One day after work (it was a really short shift so it was only 10:30am or so) I was driving home listening to the radio, but a song came on that I really liked so I drove past my street planning to loop back once the song ended, but then a song I'd never heard came on, but the new song was so beautiful I decided I'd keep driving until it ended, I was driving straight, but in a direction I'd never taken before, on a road I'd never driven down, and I came to this little town that looked like it was frozen in time- a town so small the main road swerves in order to prevent a tree from being cut down. I drove slowly looking around at this tiny little enchanting town until I came to the end of it, and I had to decide whether to turn back or keep going. Being a good teenage daughter I called my mom and asked if it was okay to go for a drive- keep in mind gas was waaaaay cheaper then- and mom didn't mind, so I decided to press onward, further south into Georgia, wondering what delightful place I'd find next. The radio played good song after good song, and even though the only cool thing I passed for a long time was a giant flea market I kept driving. Suddenly the road got skinnier and the open roadside began filling with buildings. Next thing I know I'm driving through a town- a very busy town. Signs for UGA started showing up and I realized I must be in Athens! I pulled into a parking deck, and pulled on a tee from my back seat so I didn't look like I'd just got off work at the retirement home. I spent all day wandering around downtown Athens, making sure not to miss a single art gallery or music shop, and picking up every free zine that lined the doorways until I'd spent all the money I had in my pockets and could hold no more papers in my purse. Once it started to get a little dark I started the drive home exhausted from so much walking. One by one I read all the articles and felt so grown-up having acquired many new words and terms to add to my vocabulary. I cut out all the calendar of events, and made plans to return, but once my parents found out that my little drive had taken me to a college town I wasn't allowed to go back without a friend... and I didn't really have any... so I didn't go back... for a long time.