Creative Mood: Here and Gone

Occasionally I get in crafty moods and just feel like CREATING something. Last weekend was one of those times. After a delicious (NOT healthy) breakfast at Waffle House, Lindsay and I were off to A.C Moore and Michael's to buy paint and scrapbooking supplies. While my little foray into scrapbooking (continuing one A started for us) basically stunk, I am semi-pleased with my painting excursion.

I wanted something that would bring more colors than just red and black into my apartment, so I wanted to incorporate some oranges and golds into some wall art for my dining room. Behold: My 3-panel painting. It's not great, but my creative juices stopped flowing. I was ready to be done and have it hung!

Pretty paint colors :)

The tools of a true artist such as myself....Ha, yeah right.

A blank canvas....Such a fresh, hopeful feeling

I just like the way the paint blobs looked together before I mixed the colors...

The "finished product."
I say "finished" because it might not be...I could get to feeling creative again in a couple of weeks and continue working on it, but for now, I'm fed up with it and done!

Making Money, Making Dresses

I'm in the mood to make stuff: Namely, money and clothing.

With rising gas prices and a suspiciously low bank account, I am looking for ways to increase my income "easily."
1) Something I had looked into in the past has come back around - being a secret shopper for various businesses. This involves me either eating out and getting paid for it, shopping and getting paid for it, and giving opinions and getting paid for it. Sounds right up my alley, doesn't it? The trick is timing and scheduling. How many of these assignment can I do in a week to make some money and not severely screw up my schedule. With plans to start classes in the fall, working on my Master's in Intercultural Studies, in addition to my full-time job, I need to be flexible so my 2 main priorities here don't get short-changed.
2) Also, I am going to start spreading the word about dog-sitting. I used to do this in high school and made decent money, and I think I am pretty good at it! I'm reliable and trustworthy, love animals and have experience with a lot of different kinds (horses, dogs, cats, turtles, and guinea pigs, to name a few). So, those are 2 options I'm looking into.

Also, I am currently wearing a very cute yellow sundress from Old Navy, which I have no idea how to pull off. Let's be honest here, I tend to appreciate things that fit, not so much feeling like I am wearing a sack or a lampshade. Unfortunately, the style of this dress is just that. It's a trapeze dress.

Mine is yellow, with a little white and green design on it. Unfortunately, I can't seem to pull it off like this model does! So, I have it cinched at the waist with a belt today. I started looking for directions on how to take it in, so I can still use it, but will feel less awkward about wearing it. That led me to patterns for various dresses to make....I used to sew (I use that term loosely. Purses and pajama pants were top notch, anything beyond that was a little trickier) so I feel like I could maybe a) take my dress in to my satisfaction and b) make some cute dresses for summer. With Raleigh weather approaching 100 this weekend, cool comfy clothes are a must!

If that doesn't work out, maybe I'll just go on a shopping spree at Forever 21 next week while in Indianapolis.....Wait, that messes up my goals all-together. I'd be spending money on clothes I could make. *sigh* That's not good.

Fabulous Fotos (with an F, because I like words to match)

Just wanted to put up a few photos of the trip to Union. See my last post for other thoughts and details on it.

The Miller Bell Tower on campus. The right side was left damaged, showing the time the tornado swept through and hit campus.

The crew from SEBTS. Sorry it's so bright!

See where the sidewalk ends and that plastic fence begins?
That's where I lived this time last year.


New dorm going up super-quick


Me and some of my lovely sorority sisters, rooting for Zeta at V-Show


My little duck family! Alison (grand-little) and Jessica (great-grand-little)

Me and Rose --> love her.

Love this one too: Stefie, after dancing (and winning!) with a broken toe

It was so good to see Merry! We missed our other two roomies though!

This is how I learned to break into a car with a wire coat hanger. Thanks for the lesson, Mer!

Yay! She did it! Now she can get into her car.

Ummm.....I guess I was frustrated I couldn't get the coat hanger OUT of the door. Not sure why else my face would look like this.

One year Benniversary!

As of Saturday, I have had Ben for a whole year! I told my parents, surely the first year is the hardest and it will be smooth sailing from here on out! He's a bit of a terrorist at times :) Look how sweet he was as a pup, though!

This was the first day I got him Our "one year Ben-niversary" picture. Trying to simulate the pose, but he's much bigger and rowdier now!

In honor of a year with him (complete with a few months of trying to find him a new home, then deciding to keep him), this weekend/post was all about Benny!

Friday he and I went to the river, our first time to go here in NC. We used to hang out at the river in TN as I worked there and we kayaked a lot, but hadn't made it out to the Neuse since I moved here. It was a gorgeous day and a gorgeous area. We hung out down around the boat launch, which totally made me wish I had the $$ for my kayak right now. Half of summer will be gone before I get to enjoy it! :(

But, I DID enjoy watching my crazy pup. You'd think he hates water the way he panics when his stick goes in too far for him to reach easily. He's only just begun swimming for it, at over a year old. He's a cautious one, that Benny o'mine. Here's a funny little video of how he tries to entice the stick to come back to him: Paw water first, then bark, then hop a little and hope he can swish it over his direction!

I wanted to post some pictures too of his new bed I made Saturday...

I thought it turned out cute!
Two layers of fleece, "tied" together with quilt batting the middle

Checking out his new digs...aka, a new toy.

Let's see how long it takes him to try and rip it up. Hopefully he won't succeed!

Weekend fun projects

Here is what I plan to do this weekend:

1) Sleep and rest. Always a top priority.
2) Clean the apartment in anticipation of having someone else stay there next week.
3) Go garage sale-ing Saturday morning. This may or may not happen, depending on the demands of #1
4) Go buy my bridesmaids dress for my BFF's wedding....Can't believe she's getting married!
5) Be crafty - specifically, I am going to try my hand at making Ben a new bed. I'll post some pics and stuff of the process and when it's done, if it gets done :)

Also, we may head out for the lake this afternoon. They're calling for 85 and sunny, and nothing says "Start the weekend!" like dedicating a gorgeous afternoon to the pooch.