My Apologies

Sorry I have been kind of a downer lately. It’s been quite the emotional week for me.  I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching about what’s really important to me, the kind of person I want to be, and the types of goals I want to set and reach.  With that said, and in order to cheer up the general flavor of my blog lately, I have something fun! Eric and I have been putting together lighting kits for my father in law’s business. We can do this while watching t.v. so on Thursday night we actually caught a new show, new to us at least. I know it’s been around this season and I’ve seen advertisements for it but we actually watched for the first time on Thursday.  It’s called Up All Night, starring Will Arnett and Christina Applegate on NBC. OH MY GOSH. We laughed so hard that we basically cried while fumbling around with wires and various other lighting pieces.

The premise of this show, I believe, is experiencing life with a young couple is thrown into a world with a new baby. The wife works full-time while the dad stays home. They’re trying to figure it all out while being completely in love with their new family. The episode we watched showed them leaving their baby overnight for the first time because it had been over six weeks since they had sex, and they needed a night to reconnect.  Eric and I could totally relate to humor in this show, being new parents. And let me tell you, it was so refreshing to watch a t.v. couple who had kids and actually liked each other (and their kid). SO great. I will definitely be adding it to my weekly viewing.

Watch this

Street Art (Teaser for Tomorrow)

First, check out this cool website.

Second, street art has been pretty controversial in the art world lately.  At least from my recollection of college, people get all hot and steamy over determining if it’s art or propaganda and if they can even be both. What a concept to have art in public places in the truest sense of the word.

A couple of years ago we had a significant event that commercialized a pretty famous street artist which I think sent the controversy into high gear. Do you remember it? Think real hard…President Obama’s campaign’s signature image was created by Shepard Fairey. This image, in my opinion, catapulted his campaign to new levels with younger voters. The appeal was amazing; the graphic was memorable and striking; it spoke of modernity and progress (concepts that street artists work hard to defend).

I think some hard-core artists are claiming he’s a sell out (not just because of his work for Obama but for his clothing line as well).  I don’t know, an artist has gotta eat, right? We all don’t have the luxury of doing art for the sake of art.  But I guess that’s what makes most street art fascinating. These people really do care about the message they are trying to send.

By: Shepard Fairy, found here

Parade of Lights 2011 (Image Heavy)

Friday night was deemed “Family night” by our handmade Advent calendar. Boy did we need it. Eric and I had come off a pretty tough week and were needing some quality time as a family unit. We are finding it easier and easier to do things locally that are free or cheap now that we have Ember and we are having so much fun.  This past Friday we decided to head to down town Denver for the annual Parade of Lights.

Eric had never been before, and obviously neither had Ember. I remember going once or twice as a little kid but not since then. Needless to say we were really excited to watch the parade and be in the hustle and bustle of down town.

We headed down a bit early to park and eat dinner. After dinner we headed to Tremont Street to the start of the parade to claim our spot.  I was a little worried because the parade started at 8:00p which is also Ember’s bed time. I thought she might conk out or be super cranky; however, to my pleasant surprise, she neither slept or became a little monster. She LOVED it.  She loved the marching bands, the floats, and all the beautiful lights. Her eyes were so wide; I don’t think she blinked even once.

After the parade Eric and I took a little walk around town to see some of our favorite Denver placed before calling it a night. Ember fell asleep in the stroller as we passed Civic Center Park, the Capital building, and 16th Street Mall. Although it was freezing outside, we really enjoyed ourselves. I’m thinking that the Parade of Lights will become an annual tradition!

(Unfortunately I didn’t get good stills of the parade because I left my digital camera at my parent’s home. So, all I had was my cell phone)

As of Right Now

A little bored at work. So I did one of these little “life updates” that I saw on another blog.

Obsessing over: The Holidays. For those of you who really know me, know that this may sound really strange. Quite a few people have gotten the impression that my distaste for Christmas music and my preference for celebrating one holiday at a time means that I hate Christmas. False. I love Christmas. I love certain things about this season and I am particularly excited about this being Ember’s first Christmas. I’m excited to purchase Christmas gifts, get our tree up, hang the advent calendar, and add another string of lights to our house.

Working on: A couple of paintings for my living room. I have the canvases ready and the color scheme picked out. I am going to enlist Ember to help me with them. I don’t anticipate that they’ll be too complicated but hopefully they will be pretty, simple, and fit well above my large couch. Plus, it will be the first large-scale piece by our artist in training.

Thinking about: Work. I have some exciting opportunities coming up. I have been praying about some change, so we will see what comes of the next few weeks.  I’ll have updates later.

Anticipating: My vacation. I only have four more shifts until I’m taking almost two weeks off. It’s going to be so nice. The time is already going by so fast (which always makes me glad and sad). We will be spending a weekend in the mountains with Eric’s family. I’m really excited to see my brothers-in-law, and spend time with Ember’s grandparents.  it will be a nice beginning to my time off and to Christmas!

Listening to: Believe it or not, Sufjan Steven’s Holiday album. Snow is in the air and the weather was getting chilly so while I was making dinner on Wednesday and Ember was playing content by herself I put it on in the background. It is the only holiday music I will listen to, though. It’s less likely to get stuck in your head.

Drinking: Water right now. I try to chug water on days I have to work overnight. It helps me stay awake at night. But lately I’ve been drinking Chai tea. I love its warming qualities and its spiciness. I think it’s a perfect holiday drink.

Wishing: That I wouldn’t have to work. But, I think we’re moving in the right direction (:

Fried Egg and Proscuitto and the Lyric

Sadly, these are the only pics I took that night

Last Friday was Eric’s birthday. He turned 25. Young, I know. But also a little old (for us 😉 I love birthdays. I love giving others birthday surprises, especially Eric. He gets so giddy and excited that it makes it that much more enjoyable for me. I have the hardest time keeping all my surprises secret until the time comes and it seem inevitable that I give at least one away before it’s time. But, Eric thrives on my surprise slips–it encourages him to get more excited and interested in what’s possible in store…

I wanted to do something very special for him for his 25th, but since we are always tight on cash a few things were out of the picture already.  So, I had a very challenging task ahead of me but I think I was successful considering my resources available.  And would you know, Twilight’s Breaking Dawn had monopolized about every theater in a 50 mile radius so dinner and a movie would have to be more creative than that.

The morning of his birthday he and I woke at 6:30 to the alarm and as he was doing his routine Twitter and Facebook check on his phone, I pulled out his first surprise from under our bed. A pair of TOMs he’d been eyeing. I think he was a little surprise. He had to wait until after work to get the rest of his surprises.

My parents volunteered to take Ember for the night. So we packed her up and headed up north after Eric got home. After dropping off our little darling I took Eric to his favorite restaurant, Henry’s. It’s a wonderful Pub in downtown Loveland.  We had our favorite meal, Fried Egg and prosciutto sandwich, with sweet potato fries and a fabulous glass of wine. There I surprised him with Coldplay’s new CD which sent him into a giggling frenzy: out of excitement and surprise that I whipped another surprise out of my purse.

After stuffing our bellies with delicious Pub fare we drove up to Fort Collins. We headed straight for Old Town (my favorite place).  Eric still had no idea where we were going.  Finally, we ended up at this funny little cinema called the Lyric Cinema and Cafe. It’s a quirky little place ran by college Hipsters that had two small screens with old ratty chairs and a few couches. The sound was ok and the chairs were uncomfortable and the service was expectantly horrible. But, the awesome things about the Lyric? It plays independent films and foreign films that will most likely never make it to the big screen but will be blow your pants off fantastic AND it serves adult beverages and snacks like humus that you can take in the theater with you while you watch the flick. Cool, right? Best part is ticket prices are only 8 bucks, or  6.50 for students (we still have our CU ID’s).

We got a couple of drinks and a HUGE brownie and settled in the dusty seats and eavesdropped on people’s conversations while we waited for “The Way” to start. (Post about this movie coming up soon).

After the film, we picked up our baby B and headed home to sleep cozy in our beds.  I think Eric had a good night.

Art Review Friday V:4

Fransisco Goya, The Shootings of May Third, 1808-1814 (110 kB); Oil on canvas, 104 3/4 x 136 in; Museo del Prado, Madrid

“…For the bold technique of his paintings, the haunting satire of his etchings, and his belief that the artist’s vision is more important than tradition, Goya is often called “the first of the moderns.” His uncompromising portrayal of his times marks the beginning of 19th-century realism.” Taken from WebMuseum

The piece is full of difficult imagery.  It’s full of voice. And like the quote says above, it really starts to depart from tradition and starts to shed light on the “artist’s vision.”

It depicts seemingly helpless, unarmed Spanish civilians being gunned down at just two arm’s length distance by Napoleon’s soldiers. The Spaniards are obviously scared as seen by them shielding their eyes and hunching down and the French soldiers are depicted as being rigid, unmerciful.

However, there’s something interesting going on. The main figure is looking straight at the soldiers, the light is on him and his arms are outstretched mirroring the crucifix with the light beaming on hom. As almost to say, where is the humanity in these acts? Where is God in this? He seems like he’s willing to sacrifice himself for the others. Pretty powerful.

Visually the piece feels very successful. There’s nice movement and the eye feels like it lingers in the intended spots. However, one doesn’t want to stay in one place so long because there is so much else going on in the piece. Compositionally, though, I feel that there is too much dark space at the top of the canvas for all the light that is at the bottom.  However, I feel it can be overlooked because of all the other elements and because I believe the piece was trying to tell more of a story than being visually successful. I can say, though, that this piece is beyond successful at portraying its message. It’s not overtly obvious so the viewer can draw his/her own conclusions, but it isn’t cryptic or subliminal either. It gets the message off effectively. And how can I argue with a Classic?

This is one of the most emotionally charged pieces that I studied (for me). It’s one that stands out in my mind always, and I’ll always remember it. Do you have any pieces that are burned into your brain for the impact they made on you?

For more info on this piece and on Goya, here’s some sites to browse. (I’m not sure about their credibility, but just for information’s sake…one and two

 

 

The Denver Zoo! (Image Heavy)

Last weekend we bought a Zoo pass.  Since then we have already  been twice!  Once as a family and once with Megan and Noah. We had so much fun–the weather was perfect for active animals and one of the days we practically had the zoo to ourselves.  Ember loved the kangaroos, the bears, the sea lions, and the fish.  Noah made us go back and see the giraffes three times!

I have this fantasy of going often; and when Ember gets older I’d love to pick a few animals, learn about them through books, then go visit them at the Zoo. I’ve been thinking about activities to keep us busy and learning as Ember grows and I think the Zoo will top our list of places to go and things to see. Eric and I are already trying to practice positive family activities with Ember. She might be a bit young to really grasp some of the activities that we’ve started doing, but it’s more of trying to get our family into a habit.  As a result so far, Eric and I have been enjoying our time together as a family so much and have found that it makes our weekends feel longer. Who doesn’t want that? Do you have any ideas for our family to do or try?

Here are some pictures from our first two of many trips.

Art Review Friday! V:1 (A New Thing)

Ok. I want to start a new series, we’ll see how this goes.  Art Review Friday.

Some of you know that I have a deep love of art (some of you don’t). And, currently, I’m lacking that piece of myself and would like to resurrect it in some small way. I’ll pick an artist and subsequent piece and talk about it some; I also want to see what you all think.

First, I would like to set some ground rules. Even if no one chooses to participate on this forum, remember these guidelines for the future.

1. A discussion about art should never be disrespectful. Sometimes, it can get as heated as a chat about religion or politics (as it often depicts said topics) and because of this it’s important to remember that I’m advocating discussing, not blaming, arguing, trying to prove overall superiority.  We are here to talk about each of our experiences we gain from art.

2. Second, please don’t say “it reminds me of (fill in the blank),” or “it looks like (blank).” Because then all people will be able to see what was contrived out of your memory and will have difficulty describing their own, unique experience. It was always look like (blank) if you say it out loud.

3. Also, NEVER EVER tell me “I don’t like it.” I don’t care that you don’t like it. What “qualities” does it have that makes it so undesirable–keep in mind the artist might not want it to be aesthetically pleasing, but instead to evoke an emotion from its veiwer. If you must tell me you dislike it, tell me (very descriptive) why.  And almost worse than “I don’t like it,” is “I like it.” So? Tell me about your experience. You can’t discuss “I like it.” Ugh….Art Critique 101.

4. And most importantly, please remember that once an artist has completed and displayed a work they become two separate entities. Do not talk about the work in referencing the artist (the work is not the artist). Instead talk about the piece, ie. “I wish it had more variance in brush strokes,” NOT “I wish the artist varied brush strokes more.” or “I would have liked the piece to have repeated this element again as it feels out-of-place.” NOT “I wish the artist wouldn’t have made this mark only once because it’s not making sense.”  Get it? Great!

So, recap: Be respectful; Don’t tell us what it specifically resembles/reminds you of; Always tell me WHY; Critique the art, not the artist.
Let’s Begin!
Robert Adams, The Place We Live, Our Parents Our Children, Photograph
Denver CO circa 1981

(Robert Adams Currently Has an Exhibition at the Denver Art Museum called “The Places We Live.” You should check it out.)

I love this Photograph, and here is why. It shares the same characteristics the photos I would have stored up on my point and shoot. It’s every day, it’s routine, it’s relatable to so many people. Even though this was taken in the early eighties it’s a scene I could have seen just yesterday (minus the dated fashion).

The series this photo is taken from is called “Our Parents, Our Children.” It shows a mother and her two children, the youngest being assisted by their Grandmother. Now that I have kids, it seems necessary for more than one set of arms, especially when traveling anywhere! I think it also shows an innate obligation/responsibility/desire to help our children, even if it means helping our children with their children. It’s tender in a way despite the mundane activity of packing up kids into the car. I appreciate that it seems as though the little girl is reluctant to pack up and leave in that small car, and that it appears her mother is trying to negotiate with her.  Although, if I wasn’t intentional about looking at this piece, or if I hadn’t browsed the series as a whole before I posted this, I might pass on by it for something that appears to be more striking right off the bat. But, I’m glad I did take some time on this photo.

Our Number 2’s

After about two years of Eric and I dating we had a conversation that I will never forget. Not because it was particularly deep or meaningful, but because it was fun, lighthearted, and offered some insight to what we thought of each other.

I had told Eric that even though he was my nubmer one, Brandon Boyd of Incubus was my number two (So dreamy). To which he responded, “Well, I had to break up with Kelly Clarkson when I started seeing you, but Kiera Knightly has always been my number two.”

Brandon Boyd, Incubus' Front Man

After sharing a laugh we started talking more.  I asked him, “If you could pick any celebrity for me who would you pick?” I was worried I opened up a can of worms.

“That’s easy, Zack Braff (Of Garden State).”
“Zach Braff?” I questioned.
“Yeah, he’s really funny, charming, a bit goofy, normal looking but still good looking, and has great taste in music.” This is true, he usually picks the soundtracks for the movies he’s in and they’re always fantastic.

At first I was a little miffed he didn’t pick a drop dead gorgeous, rippling hairless chested, with an addicting, sexy, voice guy(cue the Troy version of Brad Pitt with a slight wind behind him glistening in the sun). But then I thought about it. Eric was actually thinking about someone that would be good for me. Someone like him.

Eric is really funny. He has a sly kind of humor that sneaks up on you because he seems so shy and reserved.  He’s also very sweet and charming. While he’s not the roses and love notes kind of man, he’s the “you’re my best friend and I want to spend all my time with you” kind of man, and that works for me.  Eric is also a bit goofy. He’s nerdy for sports and geeky for music. And, he has the BEST taste in music.

And then, after I realized that, Zach Braff moved to my number three spot.

We still joke about this every once in a while. I origanlly picked Natalie Portman for him, but I still am thinking about why she attracted me for him. Maybe it’s because I wish I could be more like her, taller with skinny legs :P. But maybe because she doesn’t seem like the typical Hollywood type. I don’t know.Who is your celebrity crush (who would be your number two)?
What celeb do you think would suit your spouse?

Note: this is just for fun. I fully love Eric and never compare him to others. He’s my number one and always will be.  It’s just an “exercise” and not envoke anger or jealousy. If it does, do not participate (:

Crazy Dreamin’

I must share a dream I had a few nights ago. Many of you we’re attendees, but not necessarily main players. The spotlight fell on our good friends, Megan, Luke, and Noah.

You see, Megan and Luke were getting married–long awaited. The party was planned and huge! A big surprise was to be had, and no one knew except the bride and the groom. Hundreds of people were invited.  Although…..

The morning of the wedding Megan tasked me with completing the programs using her single “cricket” (scrap booking tool that cuts out paper designs).  Remember, there were hundreds of people in attendance (yes, you were probably there). And, the programs had frogs on them.  Did I mention we were on the beach? In some random house trying to pump these bad boys out? Any way, Megan was on cloud nine and didn’t seem to mind that her programs were ill-themed and incomplete. And who would care with Paula Deen there to make sure that the wedding party had thier fill of champagne and snacks. What?

Fast forward to that evening, the night of the ceremony.
In walks Luke, the groom, in a Dark grey tux with tails, complete with a Mr. Darcy type maroon scarf, Rob Bell glasses, and his relaxed blonde hair.  He stood puffed up with his hands behind his back. Following him were an ubsurd amount of groomsmen. Of which was Eric’s good friend, Brian, from High school.  I was livid that Eric wasn’t even asked to be an usher (which for some reason I was uninformed of until the moment of the ceremony). Any way, the men made thier way up to the front of this HUGE, packed, church.  All the guests finally stood in anticipation of the Bride’s entrance.

We all stood and took three steps to the right and turned 90 degrees. In comes Megan with a beautiful form fitting, pink, gown with black scrolling details on a corsetted bodice (Not Megan’s style, but beautiful none-the-less). She had her hair pulled back, held behind her signature tiara.  Her dress was not floor length, but tea length (unusual for her), and…wait for it….she was unaccompanied and wearing a superhero cape.

Here was the moment of the big suprise. Her parents following behind her, Megan puts her arms out in front of her in true Superman fashion and pretends to fly in a random pattern to her Groom.  Meanwhile, Melissa (Megan’s sister) shouts, “I knew she would enter this way. She told me!”

Luke rushes to her and as they meet, they bend down to meet thier son, Noah, who also was wearing a cape.

I turn to Eric and say, “I can’t believe Brian was in the wedding and you weren’t?” No mention of the cape.

I remember a swarm of people heading towards the couple followed by bumpin’ club music, then I woke up.

I often have some pretty memorable dreams, but this one is still making me laugh.

Megan and I in our superhero capes for one of Eric's birthdays that was superhero themed.