A Current Pet Peeve (In 8)

In a hurry, I followed behind (multiple) you(s) in the giant parking lot with little to no traffic.

You drove a bit past the parking space and then stopped.

Your car shimmied some as it reversed into the parking space.

A little too far to the left, so you pulled forward and backed in again, this time a little too far to the right.

During the third back in, I slipped behind you shaking my head and pulled (front first) into the parking spot a few spaces down.

After collecting my things, I locked the door and walked towards the entrance, passing you on the way.

You were still backing in your car, and I wondered why the f@$% you didn’t just park forward like a regular person.

Most of the time, it’s just easier to pull in and back out…it just is!

This post is in response to Mama Kat’s prompt, “Do a post in 8 lines.”

Ten Months Down, Two To Go (or There’s Only Four Pages Left in My Art Journal!)

The problem with doing the Calendar Challenge over at The Kathryn Wheel is that I’ve counted down the months left in the year more than I think I would have done otherwise.  I can’t believe we are two months away from 2012! 

I’m not really happy with October’s calendar at all.  I did not execute my initial vision for it very well, and then mucked it up by trying to doodle spider webs all over it.  I didn’t spend the time on the doodles like I should have so they just look sloppy to me.  AND, I completely forgot to leave room for the 30th and 31st…duh!  Oh well, it is what it is.
I did work on a few other pages which I was more pleased with.
  
I cropped this some and then blurred out the text as it is a bit more personal than I’m willing to share in a post.
 
Since I’ve done some small traveling this past month, I also spent some time working in my Sketchbook Project sketchbook – Travel With Me.  After my visit to the Brooklyn Art Library and seeing all the amazing books,  I’m not doing justice to this project at all.  But I’m still having fun with it.
 
This month I realized that, even though there are two months left, I am running out of room in my 2011 journal.  My left brain tells me to just limit myself so when December 31 arrives, I can put that journal away and start fresh in a new one for January.  At the same time, my right brain is stressing out because I have two vacations coming up before 2012 and will want to work in it during all that free time.  That in turn is stressing my left brain out.  Up until this year, I worked randomly in 2-3 journals, but I’ve really enjoyed working in one this year – having everything in one place.  I will most likely sneak behind my left brain’s back and a start the 2012 journal early.

Happy November!

Photo App Recipes

I’ve written before about my obsession with the photo apps on my iphone.  And now Dave, over at Clearer Reflections, is hosting an online project for those who have this addiction.  It is called Dave's Apps Recipe Book.  It’s a chance for phone photo editors to share their work and the “recipe” they used to get there.  Here are mine…

Having just returned from NYC, I’ve been playing around with those photos anyways. 

I enjoyed shooting the carousel in Central Park.  This is the original.
 
This is the edited version.
Horsey Recipe
Using the app 100 cameras in 1
- Photo was enlarged and cropped
- In the “madness” effects, “the light fell between the trees” was chosen – saved
- In the “zen” effects, “when I was dirty and you laughed” was chosen - saved
Using the app Pic Grunger
- Aged Effects was chosen (style – gig, strength - 60 percent, border – on)
- Saved

In Brooklyn, we passed by this amazing wall on the way to the Brooklyn Art Library.

This is the edited version.
The Graffiti Recipe
Using the app PS Express
- Image was cropped to remove shadows
- In effects, “vibrant” was chosen
Using the app Pixloromatic
- In effects (light bulb) “bocea” was chosen – saved
- In the effects (light bulb) “worn” was chosen
- In border “dirt” was chosen
- saved

Wow!  Now a good excuse to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday morning screwing around with photo apps.  Woot!  Woot!

Another Day (Or Two) Running Through NYC

After sleeping in, we got a little bit later start on the second day in New York.  We weren’t quite as manic as the first day, but we did venture into every corner of the city…
A quick ride into Manhattan

and then a walk to Central Park 
It was a beautiful day!

I especially enjoyed the carousel.

  I love beautiful skies… and to laugh!

Bethesda Terrace (1863 – that’s old for us!)
   
Fun!

After a quick bite of lunch, we took the subway into Brooklyn to visit the Brooklyn Art Library.  I’ve been wanting to visit this storefront for the last couple of years, since signing up to participate in the Sketchbook Project. 

Rows and rows of filled sketch books…I was in heaven.  We signed up for a library card and spent about 2 hours at the reading table checking out more and more books.
  They are all amazing!

 

We finally had to pull ourselves away and head towards Union Square for dinner at Max Brenner, …a chocolate restaurant!
My college roommate Rachel lives in New Jersey now.  She met us at the restaurant for a quick visit.

After dinner, Rach and I shared an ice cream sundae with chocolate and peanut butter sauce.
 

And Jill and Tracey ordered this chocolate fondue party!  Being a chocolate lover, Jill was in heaven!

We rolled out of Max Brenner and made our way to the PIT (Peoples Improv Theater) for a show.  Tracey has some friends who perform there regularly.
 

After the show we were off to more shopping in Time Square and then to bed.  It was another productive day!

On Sunday, both Jill and I had a later flight home, so had a few hours which we made the most of…
The Museum of the Moving Image currently has a Jim Henson exhibit.    

 

 

 

 

 

Sesame Street and the Muppets were such a big part of my childhood, seeing all of Henson’s hand drawn designs and reading stories about his creative process was so interesting.  The exhibit was very well done.

After playing around in the other exhibits, it was time for a late lunch and some last minute visiting before heading to the airport.

It was a whirlwind trip, but well worth it.