Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

Apparently I’m naive. Today, a neighbor dropped by my studio and commented on my 2007 calendar. She said, “Do you know that’s a picture of marijuana on your calendar?” Well, no I didn’t. It was a calendar entitled “Beautiful Buds” and I bought it in the Mall thinking it was unusual botanical close-ups. Well, I was wrong. It’s a calendar of 12 months of photos of the marijuana plant. Having never done the drug, and not knowing what it really looked like except for the leaves, I had no idea what I’d bought.

Needless to say, everyone thinks this is hilarious. Myself included. Man, I’m a nerd.

Steve and I went to Jefferson City this past weekend so I could attend an artist conference. Needless to say, it was not as productive as I’d hoped and I skipped most of it. First of all, in fairness to the group, I worked in marketing for five years so none of the information presented was anything new to me. Second, I just don’t like meetings. I don’t have the patience to sit for an hour or two while someone lectures. The worst part was the Sunday presentation which was the one I’d been waiting for all weekend. Everyone was groggy after the Daylight Savings Time move ahead and we were all anxious to get home. I’d submitted five of my slides for critique and really wanted to get some critical feedback from the presenter. What I was hoping for was detailed information on what needs to be improved and what was good. Unfortunately, the speaker lost control of his audience, let them take over, wandered away from the slides, focused on too much minutia and took too much time on some and not enough on others. This whole thing would have been better presented on an individual basis with a group discussion on the basics. By the time I left, the program was running over by a half hour and was still not done. Arrrrgghhhh! On the bright side, I did get a “to do” list done, met some nice people, got some good information on slides (not mine but in general) and spent some quality time with my dad and step mom. Not bad, but not the greatest time either.

It’s time to play “Find The Kitty.” Can you find the kitty in this picture? I was packing this morning and Tidbit got into the suitcase. After I ignored him for a while, I guess he fell asleep. It’s just too funny!

I ran into a good friend this past weekend (no, I didn’t hurt her) and discovered she’s venturing into the cosmetic world. She’s currently making lipsticks and gave me one to try. It’s called “Doppleganger” and is a lovely peachy, pinky, red shade. A big plus is that it tastes and smells like caramel, a sensation that doesn’t wear off for a while. Because the color is vibrant, I’ve been staining my lips with it and then topping it with gloss. The result is a great, natural color that really lasts.

While I’m not a fan of home parties, I offered to host a girly lipstick party to introduce everyone to her wares. It will be a lot of fun with wine, food and lots of lipstick. What more could a girl ask for? Not only will she get some honest feedback (because all my friends are opinionated) but everyone will get to try her new wares. Stay tuned for updates.

Spring has arrived early here and it’s put me in a delightful frame of mind. I feel like frolicking! I feel light and airy! I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and, oh nevermind. Anyway, it’s been in the 60s for a couple of days and I actually broke out the ol’ crop pants today – despite the fact [Tim Gunn](http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway/bio/heidi_and_tim/Tim_Gunn) says women over 40 shouldn’t wear them. He and I will just have to disagree on this one.

I realize, here in the fickle state of Missouri, we could have a snowstorm tomorrow which is why I’m relishing the moment today. Welcome Spring! Welcome sunshine!

I spent almost the entire day in a workshop at MSU working with visiting artist [Elliott Pujol](http://www.metalmuseum.org/Exhibits/Pujol/Pujol.htm). His work is beautiful and interesting, and he proved to be an informational and entertaining presenter. I learned some new techniques in working with tubing and some new fold forming tricks for creating vessels. All of this info will be necessary for my next project, which is yet to be determined. Check back soon and I’ll post pics of what I did today. I’m not finished with the bowl I started but plan to work on it tomorrow.

So, how was your weekend?

It seems like fashion has come to a complete stop here. I indulged myself yesterday with a leisurely day of shopping as our local Dillard’s was having a huge sale. I don’t know what I expected and I’m not sure I had a solid idea of what I wanted, but I found very little. I’m so bored with all the styles. Either they seem old and conservative, or they’re so weirdly constructed I need a manual just to figure out how to wear them. And the cool, trendy stuff is really expensive and really small. I have a real body and clothing designed for walking sticks just doesn’t work on me. I’ve been looking through my fashion magazines and have come up with some spring styles I do like:

* Wide-leg trousers. I tried on a pair yesterday at Express and loved them. They actually make me look like I have a waist.

* Lucite heels. I know, I know, this look can be trashy, but [Nine West](http://www.ninewest.com/n/browse/product.s?productId=2848194&source=category&index=0&prodIndex=0&listSize=4&categoryId=15006) makes a really cute pair. No word yet on the comfort level.

* Mod styles. I adore 60s fashions! Geometric prints and cuts are really fresh this season and I’ll be looking for a signature piece to add to my wardrobe.

* Bright accessories. I love adding punch to an outfit with bright shoes, jewelry and handbags. Just don’t overdo it!

* Shirt dresses. While I’m not a huge fan of dresses in general (who wants to feel their thighs sticking together?), I do love a simple, casual shirt dress. Since my lifestyle doesn’t support anything fussy, I’ll be looking for a casual, cotton version in an interesting color. I’m thinking of trying yellow. We’ll see.

* Wedge heels. Get out the ones you bought last year or invest in a new pair, but look for something with a cut out in the wedge for the most current look. I like adding height without the pain.

Now that I have my list, all I have to do is find these items. Since it’s only the beginning of March, I’m sure things will be arriving soon in the stores. I’ll wait until the first round of sales!

You know how a painting by Monet looks wonderful from far away, but up close it’s a mess? Well, that’s what my piece is like. This looks really good from a distance, but it’s a mess up close. This bracelet was the most intense, hardest piece I’ve ever done so I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. The bracelet is about 1 1/3″ tall and fits my wrist like a bangle. It has one hinge and a clasp that looks like a hinge, but you pull out a pin to open it. Let me know what you think and I’ll let you know if I get an A on it. Please forgive the fuzzy pics, I’m still trying to learn the new camera.

Here’s the bracelet open. I do love the cutwork I did so the enamel would show through.

Steve has been talking about wanting a home theater system for, oh I don’t know how long. He’s always perusing the Circuit City and Best Buy ads, is willing to go out the day after Thanksgiving to shop, and brings up how he could have bought his dream system with all the money I spend on shoes (ok, that’s probably a legitimate argument). Anyway, I always get sick of him talking about it and tell him to just go out and buy the damned thing! Problem is, he wants a really good system we can’t afford. Until today.

As we were enjoying our morning coffee and Sunday paper, Steve spied a deal at Circuit City for a Denon home theater system. I have no idea what all comes with it, but there’s speakers, a DVD player and probably a dishwasher. Anyway, he notices the price is $299 with a $30 rebate. After doing some Internet research, he determines the ad must be a misprint as it normally sells for around $700. After thinking about it for a little while he decides he’s going to check it out even though it probably has been corrected by now even if it is a misprint. I was working on my enamel piece so I told him to go without me. Turns out it was a misprint and the system was supposed to be $600 but Circuit City honored it because they hadn’t caught it yet. Score one for us. He’s been in the den all afternoon hooking it up and marveling at his wonderful deal. We’ll be enjoying the Oscars tonight in surround sound.

I survived my day as a MAC girl and had a lot of fun. It wasn’t as busy as Melissa had hoped, but things got hopping around 4:30. Here are some pictures from the day. I want to state that I have never worn lipstick this color or quite that much eye makeup, but I had to look the part. The hot pink lipstick we’re all wearing was actually the top seller yesterday and the counter sold out of it. Ditto for the hot pink eye shadow.

This is Jennifer and I looking Barbielicious:

Jennifer and Amanda show us their best Barbie pose: