Wagons, what are they good for?

I've fallen off the wagon. And when I say "fell" I mean I fell off the wagon, dragged behind the wagon for a while and landed in the mud in which I am now wallowing. In the past two days I have had four hazelnut lattes and man. This stuff is good. I think my attempt to quit has intensified the addiction.

I have to say, I don't even feel guilty. I'm not guilty because I know I can quit for at least a week if I had to. Baby steps. But since it appears this once a week thing makes me savor the latte even more, I think I'm going make this a thing.

Well, I'm going to go savor. It's my last one until next week(ish).

Cut From the Same Cloth

Recently, neighbour posted on her blog why I'm her best friend. This is why she is mine:

An email I received after being incommunicado all day (more about why later)...

Dear Ashely,

I need you to ease me through the day. i have had no coffee OR chai and only two cups of passion (noncaffeinated) tea. for lunch i had fries and a burger at McDonald's :( :( :( because it is cheap and fast, and i just consumed 2 Reese's cups and a bag of m&ms. i am debating getting coffee or razzles or SOMETHING but only because I CANNOT BELIEVE IT IS ONLY 2:47.

HELP.

Your friend,

Anneliese

Sob. She's just as crazy as me.

The reason I was moderately unreachable today was because I was on a photoshoot! Camera in hand! I'm fairly sure the first half of the shots were blurry and a third were under exposed but it was fun anyway. Between Caryn and I we took about 1,000 photos. We were very conspicuous in town with our massive cameras and little high school caddy who came along to learn about photography. I felt very official. I liked it. I might do it again.

BIG. DEAL.

There has been all kinds of shenanigans going on since last we spoke. Actually, just one kind of shenanigan: I haven't bought coffee since Thursday. Can you believe it?! I can't. This is big. Chances are this streak is going to end today and if not today then certainly tomorrow but still. Big news. But with this big news comes some awkwardness because I have to bring my coffee to school which means I wave and say good morning to my favorite barrista but inconspicuously, obviously don't go get coffee.

It's my favorite time of year on campus. The trees are in full bloom. Last year, they looked like this.
I'll see about taking some pictures again this year. I have about a two day window before they all shrivel up and die and leave our campus once again a poor, barren wasteland.

Success!

Yesterday I got a phone call from my adviser at Laguna College of Art and Design saying I had been admitted and to expect an acceptance package in the mail. Along with a pretty decent Merit Award. Woohoo!

So now, the praying begins. I mean, I've been praying all along, but the intensity has been ramped up. I allowed myself a few days of just basking in the thought that all my day dreams might actually happen one day but the time has come for thoughts of other things. Like shoes and ships and sealing wax. Wait. No.

Financial Aid.

P.S. When my adviser called she asked for Ashely and I said, "This is she."

This phrase has always baffled me and have never actually used it in real life. I felt like an actress from the 40s with the rolling of the "r"s and the fluttering of the eyelashes and the big long cigarettes.

[Witty Title]

Tuesdays and Thursdays are becoming a little less painful.



Ever since that Ringling thing happened yesterday I've been thinking/dreaming/doing art just about 100% of the time. I. Love. It.

Life in Pictures

Dudes.

I checked the mail today.

I have been accepted to the highly competitive (haughty, pretentious laugh) computer animation program at Ringling School of Art and Design. Holy Cannoli.

P.S. I have new hair

P.P.S. Right after I got my acceptance package (and I do mean package) I got commissioned to do a rendering of a coffee kiosk in a business park. If the proposal is accepted I get free coffee every day for a year. I think I can handle that.

Tuesdays are for Painting

I will beat painting down with a blunt stick. A BLUNT STICK.

HONK!

Remember back at the beginning of the year? One of my New Year's resolutions was to learn an obscure instrument? Well, we've had this cheapo Irish tin whistle laying around the house for months and today I decided to pick it up. I have images of Riverdance and blonde, frizzy women jumping up and down on a smokey stage. Eh, anyway, the point is: I'm going to learn it and get good. I might even play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for you if you leave nice and encouraging comments and say good things about my hair (thanks Carissa).


Actually, I mean, I don't want to toot my own horn here (pun!!) but I can already play one line of a Lord of the Rings song. I know, I know. Bask in my awesomeness, all of you.

Post Numba Two!

Admit it, it's true.

Tick

My professor picks up the painting and pretends one side weighs a lot. She points to the offending element, "Ashely," she says, "It's really heavy."
"But Marisa," I say, "I'm breaking the rules of composition." Hhh, clearly.
She sort of rolls her eyes and gives me a look, "Well, yeah, but the point is to make it work."

Thank you for your honesty.

Composition aside, I'm getting better, no? I feel kind of like I'm ready to get serious about painting.



My mom and I are sitting silently in the living room, waiting for our totally awesome new pendulum clock to chime. The first minute of ticking was kind of peaceful. Like a heartbeat. The longer I sit here though...tick tick, tick tick, tick tick, TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK TICKTICKTIKCK!!!!!!!

I'm afraid when I inherit this clock, it will be going somewhere far away from my bedroom.

Smmmmmhaaa. I'm back.

The foul-nobody-wants-to-hang-out-with-you-Ashely has moved out and I have reclaimed my property. She was driven crazy by some good tea, some great reading and cozy pjs and made for the high hills.

I saw a friend today I haven't seen for months and we picked up right were we left off. We only had an hour or so to grab a coffee and speed talk our way through the latest news in our lives but I'm so happy I got to see her. Long distance friendships are just too sad. Wouldn't it be nice to have the benefit of diverse experiences in friends but still have them all close enough to go shopping or meet up for some coffee? Yes. Yes, I think that would do nicely.

Victory.

I. Did. It. For all of you doubters, I give you this proof:

Grump.

I've been in a horrible mood all day. I feel sort of like kicking a baby.* If I said something mean to you today I won't feel sorry about it until tomorrow. But don't worry, it'll happen. It always happens.

Today is Friday. I'm going to gorge myself on pizza, get high off of some instant coffee and read Persuasion which is shaping up to be one of the best books I have ever read REGARDLESS of the fact that I have seen the 1995 version of the movie more times than I can count and every day for the past week and a half.

I'm feeling the collage vibe lately. This one's in progress.


*clearly, I would never kick a baby. I do not kick babies. I do not kick babies, puppies, or bunnies. I might kick your cat though. Because he deserves it.

Six Degrees

I'm bouncing (read: stumbling, crawling) back from a fantastic, fabulous, friend-filled, four day weekend. (I hate myself for that sentence.) I spent my free days gorging myself on Jane Austen and Chinese food. Man. If only every weekend was so perfect.

Speaking of Jane Austen. I've been on a binge of chick flicks lately. It started with "Sleepless in Seattle" which of course reminded me of "An Affair to Remember." Then it was...well. Here. I'll draw you a diagram. Also, it will give me a chance to show off my tech-savvy skillz.

So clearly, I am either 1) becoming more obsessive compulsive in my advancing age, 2) Have absolutely no life and need to get a constructive hobby or 3) cooler than you.

I'm going to go with 3).

I want to see how far I can keep this going. I'm not going to limit myself to just chick flicks either. My own little six degrees project. I predict that I can get to "Jurassic Park III" through 6 movies. But I have to watch them all in order to get there. Hhhh...I change my vote: 2).

And in a desperate attempt to keep my Drawing a Day(ish) alive:

This is the finished version of the "Frustration" painting. It's keeping the name.


I made my poor friend Katelyn pose for me yesterday. I didn't want to stare at her too long at one time because it was awkward so I'm going to go stalk her on Facebook to finish it.

Be Mine

Happy Valentines Day my lovelies!!

Go do something romantic. If you don't have anyone romantical, go make yourself some coffee and curl up on the couch with a good movie. Maybe some knitting. Slippers. Tissues for wallowing in self pity.