Valparaiso University Department of Art held their annual (and free!) Draw-a-thon yesterday which focuses on alternative drawing processes.
The first session was Flashlight Drawing, but I can't talk about that until I receive my disc of artwork the instructor is sending. (It was my favorite session!) But if you look here you might get a taste of what's to come.
We did a surrealist method called Exquisite Corpses in which a piece of paper is folded in thirds and artists draw either a head, a torso, or feet without having seen the rest of the drawing then pass the sketch to the next artist until it is a wild creature.
Here are a few examples: This is a head the instructor drew. Here's a horse head I drew.
I drew Ghost Lady and she happens to be my favorite, so I brought her home and I'm going to frame her and put her in my office.
I think she has a story to tell.But of course, I'll have to tell it for her since she has no mouth. (There is a layered meaning here.)
I learned that I want an art studio. And maybe, even if I'm reluctant to admit it because I don't really believe it, maybe I'm a little bit of an artist on the inside.
The elephants were my favorite. I took a LOT more photos but I'll try and limit myself here. It could get out of control. These people scared me--I can balance, but I don't know about that high up! I didn't expect the artistic aspect of the show!
Oh and the tigers. Full of awesomeness.
Zane loved it when the cat appeared to go after the trainer. He takes after his father. I love the elephants. Have I mentioned that? Zane stuffed his pocket full of the ticker tape!
Recap.
Our happy friends Sarah and Mark. And then there's Zane. Before:
Mark, Sarah, and Zane After:What? You can't see the excitement on my child's face? You are totally blind.
* * *
You can totally afford to take your family with the discount code offered by MomCentral.
4 tickets for $44
What a bargain! Click here to find your city and then at Ticketmaster enter the code MOM for your deal.
The You Capture theme for this week was Real Life.
I gotta be honest. Real life right now is a mess of blessings packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, poured into my lap.
If I had to tell of one complete good year in my life, one full year of contentment, one full year of no pain or no suffering, I'm afraid I couldn't.
Until now.
Something is different about 2009 for me, for us. I might not have dared whisper this idea, this hope, at the beginning.
It even feels different in my heart. My soul feels content.
I go to sleep every night wrapped in the arms of the most amazing man alive--and I get to wake up there, too. No more worrying about middle of the night fuel tanker explosions. Thank you God. And my toes warmed with unconditional love.
We dared to dream the impossible dream. We fought to find a way we could all three be home with each other 24/7, because that's when we're complete-when we're together. But in the back of my mind, I didn't really believe it would ever happen. God had other plans, though. So we're here, at Inspiration Wood. We're home.
Homeschooling.
A fire on a frosty morning in an amazing house.
A beautiful view.
A storehouse of hard work flowing from summer's bounty.
A restored relationship with Phil's daughter. No more tears of pain and sadness. Only joy. Complete and total joy. And our first grandson.
There was a hint of it early on, but like most times, I didn't believe it was possible to be blessed.
This week. I hung things up. Alright. Phil hung things up. But I stood nearby handing him screws, drills, levels, and pencils. So I helped. And I told him where to put things.
I don't have before pictures this week. Mostly because pictures of blank walls would be, well, stupid.
Stuff on the downstairs powder room walls. A hook with no lantern. A mirror and a sign in the hall. Phil promptly informed me that now he has to stare at his crotch every time he walks down the hall. I bought a frame that's too small for the photo I intended for it because I have no brain.
Bought the right sized frame for this one, but couldn't figure out a wall to put it on. Coffee for the kitchen. Sunflowers. Because I live in the Sunflower house. More downstairs powder room stuff. That wrapped canvas? Compliments of ZaZa Gallery. (Blog coming soon about the awesomeness of it!) I need 3 more for the powder room and more for other rooms.
Inspiration for the hallway. Other than Phil's crotch in the mirror.
Reminder for the dining room. Because I forget and argue.
Reminder in the living room. Because God is unbelievable and He makes me work really hard. And I still have a hard time believing Him.
I did not take down my cute little jack-o-lanterns. And I made Pineapple Pork.
Sarah, Mark, and Zane before the circus. Notice how excited my child is. Yeah. Nice.
The Ringmaster had these sweet kids in the center ring and when he asked their names and announced Maria--I knew it was my good friend, Toni's bff's daughter Maria!! I started snapping pictures of her like mad...until...
Until the Ringmaster moved Maria from center stage over to my right, then I realized Toni was out there too!!
So Maria levitated Toni. No big deal. I wanna know how it worked. Toni?? Do you know? Then they came back to their seats and they were in the same row as us! Doh!
The kids loved the dogs (and the dogs were so excited to perform!)
Can you imagine?!
You can totally afford to take your family with the discount code offered by MomCentral.
4 tickets for $44
What a bargain! Click here to find your city and then at Ticketmaster enter the code MOM for your deal.
This is the second book in the Defiance, Texas trilogy.
This suspenseful novel is about courageous love, the burden of regret, and bonds that never break. It is about the beauty and the pain of telling the truth. Most of all, it is about the power of forgiveness and what remains when shame no longer holds us captive.
If you would like to read the first chapter of A Slow Burn, go HERE
I'd been looking for a craft table, figuring I'd spend $20 or so. I stopped at my brother's house to visit one morning and when I left, I found this gem just a few houses down. (I called and made him come get it for me!)
The best part? It was only $4.00!! Then Phil took me to Menard's and I picked out the paint. And he transformed it into the most awesome craft table ever! And it even matches the room!
I haven't participated in Tackle It Tuesdays for quite some time now. Since May, to be exact. And now that I look back on that, I see I can update the remodeling tackles because we're done with a lot more!
We've moved into our new home and I've put most of our belongings in their places. But things still get cluttered. So here's the new dining room before:
After: And the new living room before:
And after: And my laundry room-slash-office before. After:
Uprinting.com is offering one of my readers this very thing. All you have to do is tell me what you'd use your cards for.
Do you have a business? Would you use them as a calling card to hand out at conferences or blogger events? Baby announcements? Thank you cards? The choices are limitless! Leave your answer in the comments for your entry.
Want more than one entry? (Don't forget to come back and leave a comment for each additional entry you make!)
1. Follow me on Twitter and tweet: Win 100 postcards (no strings attached) from @uprinting &@michpendergrass http://bit.ly/3JWyhV #giveaway
2. Follow this blog.
3. Write a postcard haiku in the comments.
Winner will be drawn October 28th around noonish central standard time using Random.org.
The legal stuff:
Giveaway Prize: 100 Postcards for One Lucky Winner Size:4x6; Paper:14pt Cardstock Gloss; Printing: Full color both sides Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the US (Canadian residents pay shipping and taxes. Offer not available to residents outside of the US and Canada) Prize will be awarded by coupon code on November 6, 2009. Keep an eye on your registered e-mail.
Blogger Appreciation Prize: Hosting Blogger is receiving 100 postcards.
Restrictions: Free UPS Ground Shipping in the USA. Canadian Residents must Pay Shipping and Taxes. Residents of other countries are not eligible.
Zane is not so much a city-boy. Chip off the old block. My fiercely independent ten year old boy, the one who chides me for saying "I have to go potty" because "potty" embarrasses him and can't I just say bathroom or restroom like everyone else? The one who is starting to not want me to kiss him and hug him and love him when people are around (oh my heart.)
This boy clung for dear life to my hand while crossing Michigan Avenue. He grabbed my hand himself. No prompting. Grabbed it and then held it with both of his and said, "This is a lot of traffic."
And now I want to take him back to Michigan Avenue to play in traffic. I'm only kidding a little. This boy who suckled my breast for his first three years of his life and wouldn't go to anyone except me now thinks I'm uncool and I might need one of the pretty white jackets and a few strong martinis (lemon drop, thank you) to get through what comes next. Who are you to judge if I take him to play in traffic so he'll hold on a tighter for awhile longer?
That's what I thought.
Alton Brown has been a staple in our home for quite some time now. We all love Good Eats and Iron Chef America. When I heard Alton was going to be in Chicago doing a discussion and signing for his newest book <---see the picture and click to see the information at Amazon.com, I knew we had to go. Even though the wait was long and the line was longer, I'm really glad we went.
Dear Alton,
We canceled our trip to Legoland to come see you and it was all Zane's decision. I think you should feel pretty good considering Zane has three billion Legos in his room and has been bugging me to go to Legoland. Borders bookstore is the suck though. They baited us with hope of hearing your discussion then told us if we weren't in the first 100 we couldn't listen. Some crazies waited in line from 1pm til 7pm to see you. Not that you're not worth it, but, uhm, that's a long time. So we got there at 6pm and we HAD to buy your current book, otherwise we couldn't see you either. So we bought it, we would've anyway, but they were mean about it. So really, we probably won't ever go back to Borders (those bullies.)
You, however, redeemed the evening, Mr. Brown.
We sat on the floor of Borders and waited in line, talking to the nicest couple. For hours. Now, Zane is 10 and he's pretty patient, but he was about ready to bail. Good thing the line moved. It was nearing 10pm and he was getting nervous as we neared the front of the line. The way you stopped and took time to look Zane in the eyes and ask him questions made my heart swell. You are such and admirable man. Thank you.
And then you did something I didn't expect. Zane was the first kid you signed a book for, I think. When you left your place behind your signing table and went out into the line to sign all the kid's books so they could go home and get to bed...That was integrity.
Thank you for that display of your character. I'm glad I got to witness it.
~michelle
I wanted to tell the whole world what a good guy you are Alton Brown!
Congrats Christine Aspros!!! You are the winner!! I'll be emailing you!
* * *
Confession: The only circuses I've been to are the smallish ones that come to town. I've never, ever seen a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. Now I get to go! Ahem. I mean, I get to take my son to see the circus!!
MomCentral and Feld Entertainment (y'know? The people who promote the PBR finals! The people I begged to send Phil and I to cover the PBR finals? Yes, them.) have teamed up and are pouring out their generosity on YOU!
4 tickets for $44
What a bargain! Click here to find your city and then at Ticketmaster enter the code MOM for your deal.
But wait! Win a family pack FREE here!
All you have to do is comment here and tell me a favorite circus memory! (or, if you're like me, tell me you were neglected as a child and never got to see the real circus.)
Want extra entries? (Don't forget to add an extra comment for each of the extras!)
Follow me on Twitter and Tweet: Win tickets to see Ringling Bros. in Chicago from @michpendergrass & @momcentral http://bit.ly/z4rzN #giveaway
You can tweet the above once a day for an entry a day.
Subscribe to this blog.
Write a circus haiku in the comments.
Oh and look: You can also visit my friend Toni's blog for more chances to win.
Notes: You will pick up your tickets at the Will Call window with a photo ID. Tickets are good for the November 5th, 7pm show or the November 18th 7pm show, you choose one. I will draw the winner on Wednesday October 28th around noonish using Random.org.
**note as of 11/26, I was informed seating is becoming limited so I must draw my winner October 27th at 9am.
Worried about the treatment of elephants and circus animals? Don't! Click here.And here.
David C. Cook has been rocking the Christian publishing world lately as far as I'm concerned. Of the last handful of Christian book reviews I've done, David C. Cook has dominated. The Blue Umbrella, Praying In Color, Wounded, Zora and Nicky, Making Crosses (reviews coming soon for these two.) I'm really enjoying what I've been reading.
Fresh life is a 20 minute a day study.
Awesome!
What I really loved was that the Scripture was right in the text of the study. No chance for distractions by going back and forth from workbook to Bible. (And I do get distracted like that.)
I loved the notes in the margins and sometimes wished the entire study could be just the margin notes. But y'know, I'm strange like that.
I read through Live Relationally: Lessons from the Women of Genesis. Sometimes it seemed a little simplistic. More "milk" less "meat" if y'know what I mean. Not that there aren't women who need milk mind you. That's probably why I enjoyed the margin notes so well. More to chew on.
I will probably read through Live Deeply: A Study in the Parables of Jesus as well. These are the two sent to me to review. There are two others in the series. Live Fearlessly: A Study in the Book of Joshua and Live Intimately: A Study from the Upper Room.
What's also nice about this series is you can definitely study alone but also with a group. I find it irritating when companies (Lifeway) have these great studies that an individual can't afford to do because they'd have to buy a video curriculum that's hundreds of dollars plus the participant's guide. Not very conducive to getting the Word of God out there, as far as I'm concerned. I realize the benefit of group study, but sometimes that's not possible. Like when you move and don't have a church. Or when you just want some quiet time with God. So kudos to David C. Cook for giving us a Bible study that works with the time constraints of so many women as well as a budget conscious series!
I'll be emailing you! *Sorry I was late drawing the winner. I had to go out of town unexpectedly yesterday.
So...what would you do with, say, 250 free business cards?
Uprinting.com is offering one of my readers this very thing. All you have to do is tell me what you'd use your cards for. Do you have a business? Would you use them as a calling card to hand out at conferences or blogger events? Leave your answer in the comments for your entry.
Want more than one entry? Twitter @uprinting and me @michpendergrass with the hashtag: #giveaway then come back here and tell me (if you don't come back here, you won't get your extra entry. Makes for easier counting when doing the random.org number picking!)
Winner will be drawn October 19th around noonish central standard time.
Giveaway Prize: 250 business cards for OneLucky Winner(Free UPS Ground Shipping in USA) Sizes: 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 3”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.5 x 3.5” (skinny card) Paper: 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; Offset Press; 3 Business Day Printing
Blogger Appreciation Prize: Hosting Blogger is receiving 250 Business Cards.
Restrictions: Free UPS Ground Shipping in the USA. Canadian Residents must Pay Shipping and Taxes. Residents of other countries are not eligible.
Remember 10? Mrs. Kaczmarek was my teacher. I was the only one who could spell her name right. It was a bonus word on our first spelling test. And I was also the only one who spelled the bonus word "rendezvous" correct on a different test. We had to write a dictionary that year of something we were interested in. Mine was on car parts. Mrs. Kaczmarek told me I needed to be more of a girl. I told her I was going to sign up for the Army and then I was going to be a truck driver and a writer.
I did sign up for the Army. I was a truck driver. I am a writer.
She didn't believe me. I don't know if anyone did.
Zane hasn't told me yet what he wants to be. Engineering will be a part of it, I imagine.
I want to pay attention to his desires, his goal, his dreams. I wonder what he will do? What he will be?
The Blue Umbrella by Mike Mason is a literary fantasy, the first in a series written for 9-12 year olds.
I agreed to review this because I thought it would be a great book for our homeschool reading--we're not finished with it yet and I promised I'd have something up by October 13.
The book is being talked about as a sci-fi story for everyone, not just children, in the vein of Madeleine L'Engle, Lewis, and Tolkein. How could I not agree to review it??
You'll be hearing from me soon on this one. And maybe I can teach that son of mine to write reviews?
I was late on The Time Traveler's Wife bandwagon. That shouldn't be a surprise though, as I only read To Kill a Mockingbird two years ago and I still haven't read anything Harry Potter related and I watched all of the Star Wars movies only because my son forced me (lest I be a bad mother.)
I read Time Traveler's Wife last year and I remember laying in bed, crying over the ending image. I had replaced Clare with myself and my undying love for my own husband and pictured myself as Clare--waiting.
It is one of the most beautiful stories I've ever experienced.
Her Fearful Symmetry is a different kind of story. It is also a beautiful story, but in it's own way. Please don't expect a retelling of The Time Traveler's Wife as you'll be sorely disappointed.
Her Fearful Symmetry is a dark story about identity and breaking points. What defines each relationship we enter into? At what point am I, me and you, you and where do we intersect and converge? Whether you are born into a relationship or enter it willingly, is there a line drawn in the sand for each? Twins, sisters, mothers and daughters, lovers, married couples. The dynamic between each is so different, yet in this story, you understand that there's an underlying familiarity.
Her Fearful Symmetry is about making concessions in relationships and ultimately, making decisions to not make those concessions any longer and the consequences of such. How can one remain entangled with another a yet be separate? It is impossible, though we fight it and the reality is much different than our imagined fantasy.
Her Fearful Symmetry is also about deception and love. In the beginning, we understand there's a secret. Where there is a secret, there is deception. And oh the webs we weave. The story starts like OCD, with everything packed away in its place, tight and secure, double and triple-checked but you pull one string and the whole knitted garment you worked untold hours to create unravels stitch by stitch until there is nothing left.
* * *
There were a few things I didn't respond well to in the beginning. I'm a bit of a point of view purist and it's a good thing I set out with a trust in the author, otherwise I might not have been able to overcome my own OCD tendencies for they would have screamed with every italicized thought and point of view switch. I hushed the voices by chanting, trust her--she wrote The Time Traveler's Wife. To my surprise, somewhere around part two, I considered there might have been a reason for the style and at the end, I admitted (albeit reluctantly) there was no other way to tell this story.
The big secret of the story was really no surprise at all to me. I might have been disappointed about that had the other big thing not have happened and that one--I didn't see coming. But why I didn't see it is beyond me. Maybe by that point I had become invested in the story and wanted it to work out my way.
The end though, surprised me in the darkest way possible and revealed my character, my dark side, and all the un-pleasantries that come along with such a discovery.
Her Fearful Symmetry, the perfect title for this book, is a complicated mess of a story that the reader is allowed to witness. It's like a peek into the keyhole of The Eccentrics only to realize it's a mirror you're gazing into.
If you're a Sheepshead hunter you probably already know this--many have been spotted in North West and North Central Indiana. They seem a bit early this year, most likely because of the cool nights.
After it rains (if it ever rains again!) I'd expect many more to be found.
You can read more about Sheepshead Mushrooms here.
Note: There's still time for you to take your family! Disney on Ice is in Chicago Sept 8-13! Go here and enter code "MOM" for 4 tickets for $44! (additional tickets after the first four are also $11 each! What a bargain!!) Not in Chicago? Check here for your city, the code will work for you, too!
Kudos and a great, big, huge shout-out to Feld Entertainment and MomCentral!! Disney on Ice "100 Years of Magic" was incredible! I may have to blog about this for a week. You should see all the pictures I took! Oh yeah. You will. Hundreds of them.
Phil (my husband) was not all that interested in Disney on Ice (so I took my nephews and my son.) Phil tolerates my ice skating fanaticism. Sometimes he pays attention. He even knows who Scotty Hamilton is!
But really, he'd much rather take me to see the PBR Finals. That's been a dream of his since I met him in that traffic jam 15 years ago, well, before that really, but I didn't know til then.
(Note to Feld Entertainment: Phil and I are more than happy to be your blogging slaves buddies for the PBR finals. We are a Ford family, too, just in case you're wondering.) Was that subtle enough?
Look how cute we were!
Oh yeah. Disney. Right.
When we arrived--well, I'll just cut to the chase. Jacob said it best, "SWAG!!"
I totally didn't expect the kids to get swag. It was an extremely kind gesture and I know the kids will treasure their gifts.
That is, if the adults give them back... Why yes, that is Mr. and Mrs. McFrugalpants. Thank you for asking! They had a swell time. (I'm sure Kurt would enjoy Monster Jam more than the PBR Finals. I'm just saying.)
The kids, obviously had a blast!
And then...and then Mickey and Minnie showed up!
My nephews, Clay and AJ. Hey AJ--what do mice eat? Cheese!! Of course!
And that was just the pre-party! The show was even better!
. . . . . . . . . .
I'm a Bible reading, horror writing, blue-blooded, Southern fiction reading, happily married, homeschooling Christian.
And if that doesn't make you go Poltergeist on me, stick around for the raw potato-eating, wine drinking, country music listening, Coach purse carrying, bass fishing other half of me.
But of course, I'll have to tell it for her since she has no mouth. (There is a layered meaning here.)
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