journal entry: july 19

My handwriting is a little messy. So it says: "Went to church this morning. Now I'm at mom's house." And then...."the bird feeder. I mean, bird house. ha! ha!" Gosh, I'm such a dork. But that's basically how my Sunday went. How EXCITING!! (sarcasm) Not that I don't enjoy going to church. But all I got out of my mom's was cocker spaniel fur all over my black pants. Dangit! But it was another pleasant, summer day. Too bad it won't last for long.

Looking at this, it kind of reminds me of those Classic Winnie the Pooh books. I can see "Pooh" wandering over looking up at the bird house, thinking it was a bee hive. I'm not very good at watercoloring. So I figured I wouldn't overdo it and just add some color here and there. I think it came out pretty good! Let's just hope tomorrow has a bit more excitement in store for me. Good excitement.

journal entry : july 17

So if you read my blog post Everyday Matters which was based on a book I've been reading entitled Everyday Matters (uhduh..haha), I've been having a BLAST sketching in my journal. It's been a great way to open my eyes to my surroundings and how much I need some improvement in certain areas, like shading for example, or, drawing a circle (geeez Iris). I was pretty good back in the day, but somewhere over the last decade or so, I've somehow lost my way. So I'm trying to get back into the groove of things. This sketch above is one of a few I did today. Yes, being sick sure gives you some time on your hands! That's my lil bug plopped on the floor, leaning against the couch watching one of his favorite programs "Caillou." (Is it bad that I find the little 4 year old boy cartoon character in the show extremely annoying???) His feet looks kinda deformed because he kept flexing his feet up and down. He didn't know that mommy was watching him from afar. Cutie pie.

In Full Swing and Koa

I have a very eclectic sense of taste when it comes to interior design. I'm not one of those "everything gotta match" or "I need some jewel tone paisleys to go with the rest of this Ralph Lauren plaid prints and matching Scottie dogs." Yes, there is such a thing and it is horrifying....HORRIFYING I tell you! Not my cup of tea, but dammit, I could make your living area look like a Country Club in Connecticut! And you probably won't see any Herman Miller furniture in my home since I'm not one for those Star Trek Enterprise looks. Well NOT ALL of it is that bad, but it's pretty up there! I don't by any means have this lavish home and have the nicest of all things. I'm saving for all that when I move outta this apartment! ha!

But I digress. So what do you actually like Iris? Well, today we will focus on some Hawaiiana. I'm not a huge fan myself of the pineapples and the coconut trees, unless it's something really cute like this fabric I once had of monkeys playing ukuleles under coconut trees and some holding umbrellas. It really was cute I swear! But anyway! Full Swing Textiles has some great prints made of 100% cotton bark cloth. These are some of my favorite prints from the collection:

(top left: "Bacall", top right: "Casablanca", bottom: "Carmen Miranda")

Yes, I know not the most Hawaiian of names but aren't they pretty?? The flow of the palms and vibrant hues remind of the '40's and '50's prints that were used for most drapery, and for the cushion coverings of the hand-carved design Koa furniture. And speaking of Koa, these prints above, work splendid for the coverings of the Koa furniture. Koa wood, or Acacia Koa is to me, the most magnificent of all hardwoods. The curly Koa is my favorite grain (there are three types of grain), with it's three dimensional iridescence, it reminds me of the ripples of the ocean and opal. It can be difficult to find authentic antique Koa furniture with the hand-carved designs that run along the front panels of the arm rests. (Heck, I couldn't even find a decent picture online!) But when you do, they run along the thousands of dollars and are usually sold by private owners that have had them in their own livingrooms for the past decades. Most koa furniture you find nowadays won't have the hand-carved design, but are still beautiful either way.

Now all I have to do is find some Hawaiian family living in Tennessee, preferrably in Nashville, that has some antique Koa furniture for sale at a reasonable price at their home. Anybody? Anyone?

Everyday Matters

Since I've been a mother (three years now), I haven't been motivated to engage myself in art like I used to. Primarily, drawing. Back on Kaua'i, I'd just doodle on whatever paper would be within arms reach, or grab one of my sketchbooks and sketch anything from a monkey on a tree, to a mother holding her child. I've always seemed to have a difficult time drawing something I can see so clearly in my mind onto paper. So the mother's arm looked more like a rubber tube. I need visuals! And so nowadays, I guess because I feel so mentally drained from the constant care and attention for my son and the household in general, my mind and hand don't communicate quite well with one another. My mind is saying "Awww...the little guy is so adorable when he's asleep! Let's draw the lil bugger." My hand responds with "Eh. Some other time." So it's not that I haven't been inspired, it's just the motivation isn't always there.
Just the other day, I went to my sister's house and she showed me a book she has raved about and inspired her. The book is titled Everyday Matters by Danny Gregory. It is a graphic memoir, a journal with his drawings of his everyday life and surroundings. During the aftermath of his wife's accident, he taught himself how to draw once again and through it, it has helped him cope with life's obstacles and see the beauty in everything. The life he knew no longer existed, but is now replaced with even more love, hope, and an understanding that life can still go on when we can't control or predict the unknown that can unexpectedly come crashing down on us. This small book has been a big inspiration to me to see that I've been blessed and to remind myself that not every drawing has to be "perfect", but it's what I see that matters the most. His most random drawings of a can of Chef Boyardee or the contents of his medicine cabinet and the funny captions, put a smile on my face and cracks me up at times. I've decided to start my very own journal containing my little sketches and scribbles. I believe it will be my therapy as well and let me get back into the groove of drawing once again. So thank you Mr. Gregory for opening up and sharing your life's journey, to help people like me jump-start our lives by reopening a door that's been closed for a long time.

guilty pleasure- "Us" and I

I enjoy the occasional gossip magazine like everyone else. And don't say you don't! But I'm not talking about Star or National Enquirer and all that crap-olah, with headlines like, "800 LB. WOMAN GIVES BIRTH TO ALIEN LOVER'S BABY!" We always seem to find ourselves at the grocery checkout line taking glances at the newest and juiciest gossip on the cover of People, Us Weekly, In Touch, etc. etc. That damn Us Weekly gets me everytime! I curse you! Its untouched glossy front cover, that brand-spakin' new magazine smell, the most talked about celebs...helloooo lover. Mostly, I just enjoy indulging myself in the fashion, recent photos, and the "loose-talk". But there's some things in there that are just plain stupid. Us Weekly has a spot Stars- They're Just Like Us! "They carry bags! They eat ice-cream sandwiches! They try on shoes!" WOW! REALLY?! I thought they were a special species of homo sapien! Idiots. It's kind of comical really but can you imagine having your every move being splattered across newstands and stores for all the world to see? And we wonder why Britney shaved her head and Russell Crowe beats anyone with a camera. Such a shame (shaking head). I now have the sudden urge to dash to my "dealer" (the grocery store) for a fix! "Who wore that dress better? What's the must-have beauty product this summer? What lies ahead for Jon and Kate? What's the newest fad diet? Who's this nobody's celebrity sibling?" The answer my friends, lies within these 96+ pages.

Bizarre Foods Survival Special

No, he is not going to be doing a guest appearance on Survivor. But instead, taking a one-hour boat ride from Puerto Vallarta, to a remote island where he fends for himself. Basically Man vs. Wild minus that British nut job. A sample of the survival menu includes coconuts (nothing scary there), grasshoppers (okay...maybe a little scary), wild lime (hmmm), pig weed (not a clue), and opihi (YES)! Okay, I lived off opihi back in Hawai'i and I gotta say, one of the best creatures the ocean has to offer. If you love sea snails, this is a must. The best part is prying those little suckers (literally) off the salty rocks while clinging onto the rocky edge and being pounded by waves. Man, I miss Hawai'i! Okay, I'm going off track here. Here's a 2 minute sneak-peek of Andrew with a survival guide (an actual guide as in human, not a book) before he's left into the depths of the jungle to do who knows what.

Now, if you actually watched the clip, did he seriously just eat that LIVE baby lizard??? Now, here's the man that is freaked out by SPAM, but will eat a baboons butt. Okay, I don't know if he actually has eaten that but you never know with this guy! And that's why we love him.
So tune in folks, Tuesday night at 10 E/P, to see what craziness he gets into. Maybe when the boat goes back to pick him up, he'd have gone all Lord of the Flies with the camera crew. FUN!!!

june heat

This heat is getting to me. And it's not a gradual transition from spring to summer. It goes...Monday: 75 degrees. Lovely. Tuesday: 95 degrees. Humid and sweating in places I really wish it wouldn't. That's Tennessee for ya. But all hail to the creator of air conditioning! Without it, I'd probably just wander around my apartment in my underwear. But I would trade A/C any day for some cool tradewinds like back home in Kaua'i. Picture it. A cool breeze blended with the subtle fragrance of plumeria, salty ocean, and a hint of rain that makes its way across the sandy beach, swaying you ever so gently on a hammock mounted under two banyan trees. Ahhhhhhhhhh....the island life is calling to me around this time of year. Let's see. The closest beach to me is the Gulf Coast in Alabama. A 9 hour drive you say? No problem. Oh wait, a cranky 3 year old and J who needs to stop every hour for a smoke break? Scratch that. Or we just leave in the middle of the night while the little guy sleeps and I covertly slap on a nicotine patch for J. "Oh...a mosquito. Yeah, a mosquito was on your arm. Yeah that's right!"
This polar bear was so happy at the Memphis Zoo. Oh how I wish that was me! Minus the fur and extra 300 lbs. of fat anyway. I guess for now, I'll just wade around in the pool, make use of my A/C, and find other ways to cool down in this June heat.