pics of my latest paintings...

So, here are my paintings as promised…

This is the first one I did a while back… It was supposed to be a birthday gift for Vallery, but another friend wanted to buy it… So, maybe it was wrong, but I sold it to her. Note to self: get Vallery another present.


We went to another painting class for mom’s birthday and this is what we did. I loved it! You should check out www.easelyamused.blogspot.com... Super cute stuff and fun too!



I really LOVE the Brushfire Crosses and have been working on that technique… Here are my first feeble attempts at that look. The first one is really messy, but I like the second one. It turned out much better.

I'm in the land of no internet... Sorry...

Whoah! I have a LOT of catching up to do… Let me see if I can condense this. (Sorry in advance if it doesn’t make sense.) I’ll back up a few weeks. I quit my job at McComb and had no leads on any other jobs. I moved back in with my parents and began working at the bank… I’m the old faithful fill in there. Since I had no clues about a “real” job, I picked up another part time job at Ballyhoo—a very cute gift shop in between Magee and Mendenhall. Mom and Dad recently bought a house up to road and the original plan was for me to fix it up and buy it. Having no job, however, put a kink in those plans… After much calculating, I figured out that if I got a room mate, I could move out of my parents house and still support myself working a lower paying job.

When school got out I frantically began filling out job applications for anything and everything. I have never taken such a leap of faith… But, I’ve never felt more at peace about a decision than I did when I left McComb. It was looking pretty dismal and I was beginning to think I was going to be really broke for the next year. I proceeded with life as usual. I began working in the house in the evenings and working my other jobs during the day. Let me tell you, IT IS HOT ALREADY! The air wasn’t working in the house. Of course, the side with the most windows is the west side of the house, so when I was there working in the evenings, the setting sun was beaming through. I really think it was 110 degrees in there on several occasions.

One night I was up there working and a friend from McComb called and told me of an opening for Fashion and Interior Design in Lamar County. I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I wanted to go down to the Superintendent’s office and wait for him to get there so that I could beg for the job immediately. Knowing that option probably wouldn’t aid my credibility, I waited patiently to call the principal the next day. I called and he seemed interested. We swapped a few emails and he called me to set up an interview. I went down there for the interview and I thought I would be really nervous, but I wasn’t. I have a whole blog for that story though. Anyway… the interview went well and he told me he would let me know something in a few weeks. I was so surprised when he called me three days later and offered me the job! What a blessing! So now I have a job! YAY!

I’m still working at the bank and Ballyhoo. I work at the bank to get free checks and at Ballyhoo to get the employee discount! You always have to look for those “unseen benefits” when selecting your jobs. The extra money doesn’t hurt either though… Mom and Dad are relieved that I found a job. I think they thought I was going into reverse mode and would move back in and make them support me forever. For now, I’m still planning on living in the house and driving to Hattiesburg each day. I know it a long drive, but I really don’t feel like looking for an apartment or anything else right now. We’ll see how this goes for a while and reassess the situation later if necessary.

Oh… Most exciting thing of the summer… besides the new job. I have been doing some painting. I have pics of my stuff. Unfortunately right now I am using dial up internet and I will be forever uploading pics if I try to do it from here. I shall post some of those later as well as my blog about this new job…

Later! Come see me at Ballyhoo! I work Tuesdays and Saturdays

HOW ON EARTH COULD I FORGET THIS? The benefit for Travis was AWESOME! We sold 1400 steak plates and collected numerous donations. Thanks to everyone who contributed. That should really help them out!

Be still and know that I am God
Psalm 46:10
(in other words, sit down, shut up, and listen!)

What is wrong with this world?

So, this morning I was watching the Today Show and the biggest headlines were these: Susan Boyle is having a breakdown, Jon and Kate (as of plus 8)are having another crisis, and the woman who faked a kidnapping and is accused of embezzling money has posted a $100,000 bond. NEWSFLASH! Anyone thrown into the spotlight being discussed in the way Susan Boyle was is very likely to have anxiety about it all. Airing your marital problems for all of America to see and discuss isn't going to help anything. AND HELLO! If I had embezzled lots of money, I could probably post $100,000 for bail too! What on earth is going on in this world? If that's the earth shattering news that makes national headlines, I or someone I know should make the news pretty soon. Which of the following stories might be most newsworthy?

Last Friday I resigned from my job. I know, I know... People resign every day. However, most people have a replacement job or some other plan in place. I don't have a job or a great plan. I do have a plan, but like I said, it's not great. If all else fails, I'll move back in with mom and dad and work somewhere where I can make enough to get by.

I have been diligently searching for a new job to no avail. Unfortunately, many schools cannot hire new teachers because they don't have a finalized budget for next year thanks to the legislature. Here's a news story. Most people who are given a specific amount of time to complete a job MUST get the work done in the allotted time. If they fail to meet deadlines, they are penalized. I find it quite amusing that the government is now operating is a completely opposite way. They did not get all of their work done during regular sessions so they just get extensions of time with no penalty. Not only do the get no penalty, they get paid extra! I would love to not meet deadlines and get paid extra to go work additional hours. Maybe the next story will be "FRUSTRATED TEACHER GOES POSTAL AND STORMS EMERGENCY SESSION." I think I am ready for my fifteen minutes of fame... And hopefully I won't buckle like ole Susie girl... Or maybe I should. I think it would add some spice to the story.

Here's another story. This lady should be nominated for Employee of the Year. I called one school district to talk to the person in charge of recruiting teachers. I tried for a solid week to speak to this lady. I left messages which were not answered. I spoke with the secretary who was very friendly and helpful in telling me the openings. I began to think I could possibly get certified to teach one of the positions so I called back to see exactly what I needed to do. Well finally I was able to speak to the recruiter. She in no less words told me that it was a little late for me to be calling and anyone who had the least interest in the school district had already come to a job fair and applied. She told me I could still apply, but I would be put at the bottom of the list! Ok, it's not like I was talking to someone in an elite district. This place is average at best... No wonder... Teachers make the district and if she speaks to all the candidates the way she spoke to me, many probably run in the other direction. It's ridiculous and sad that she is the voice of the district. There's a news story--MYSTERY UNVEILED! School district can't find good teachers because the recruiter is not good at her job!

And finally... Here is the most touching story of all... Seriously. It's newsworthy to me, but unfortunately happens to many every day, so chances of getting publicity from this are nil. My cousin and friend, Travis Stringer is suffering from a rare form of cancer called Ewing Sarcoma. It is a cancer that is in the soft tissues of the body and can show up anywhere in the body. He is a husband and father of two small children. He is a hard worker. Everyday that he isn't in the hospital or really sick, he goes to work. He would do anything to help anyone and would never ask for anything in return. He travels frequently to MD Anderson in Houston for treatments. He is incurring many medical and travel expenses. Some friends wanted to do something to help so we are planning a plate sale. Saturday, June 20, from 11am to 2pm at the five way stop in Magee we will be selling thin sliced ribeye steak plates. It will include an 8 ounce ribeye, baked beans, potato salad, roll, and dessert for $10. All proceeds will go to Travis and his family to help with those travel and medical expenses. If you would like a ticket, please call me or leave a comment. I'll get it to you... Also, a donation account has been set up for them at People's Bank if you or anyone you know is interested in making a donation. I know everyone can't help monetarily, but your prayers would also be greatly appreciated. Please continue to remember Travis and his family, as well as the ones providing him with treatment and care.

Now I wish I was famous... If I were Kate or Susan Boyle, don't you think we would have a better turnout? But then again, it's times like these, when there are so many things you want that you don't know what to want first. Ultimately, I want Travis to be all better regardless of the finances and fame. But I can do nothing more than pray for that, so I guess helping in this way is the next best thing. And most likely, I'm never gonna make the national news for anything. I'm just a small town girl trying to get by and help people when I can. The fliers I put up, the emails I send, and the announcement on my blog will have to take the place of national publicity. I think it will suffice though because there is nothing like the support of a small town. It is the best and I know this will be a success because of that...

=P

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

feeling creative lately...

So, I started writing a blog about my trip to the beach with the family mother's day weekend, but I've been so busy I haven't had time to finish it. To sum it all up, I LOVE the beach and had a GREAT time. Whew, glad I can check that off my list of things to do.

Prior to going to the beach, mom, Madelyn, and I went to a painting class in Ridgeland. It was so much fun and inspired me to paint more. I am still waiting on mom to email me the pic of our art from that day, but here are some of the things I have done since then... They were baby shower gifts. I'm thinking about doing some to sell. If you or anyone you know are interested, send me a message or leave a comment.




And these are some wreaths I made for baby presents also... Over the top for some, but that's just my style! :)

Just a quick note...

Well, life has been relatively quiet this week... THANK GOODNESS. I have only had a couple of nervous breakdowns lately, so that's good. School is winding down and that has me singing the Hallelujah Chorus! I had a weekend of rest (and nasty weather) last weekend to prepare me for the next four weekends with all kinds of activities... This weekend mom, Madelyn, and I are going to a mother's day painting class at Easely Amused in Ridgeland. (Check out their website www.easelyamused.com and let me know when you want to go with me.) Then we are leaving from there to go to DESTIN (be very jealous!). I can't wait. I'm still a bit white and pastey though, so I'll either only be able to stay in the sun for short periods of time or will come back looking like a lobster. Either way it should be really fun!

I hope all is well for you guys! I LOVE MY READERS! Miss you!

=P

I have good news and bad news...

I have good news and bad news to report.

So, this weekend was going to be the weekend I began taking pictures again. For some reason, I haven’t taken any pictures all year long. That makes me really sad because I really love taking pictures and I really really love looking at them over and over again. This weekend I went to Nashville to see the Dave Mathews Band concert. I was dreading the ride because last week was the longest and most tiring week of my life. However, it turned out to be a great trip—that’s the good news. Unfortunately I didn’t get to take any pictures because the weekend was pretty blurry or hazy—that’s the bad news. Continue reading for more details (no, this isn’t a good article… it doesn’t answer the five w’s in the first paragraph, sorry).

We began the weekend one short. We bought four tickets to the concert. Vallery, Joseph, Shane and I had planned on going. Monday brought forth a slight change of plans for us all though as Shane nearly cut his toe off with a chainsaw. He was in the hospital for a large part of the week and had just been released Thursday. Needless to say, he wasn’t quite up to par for our weekend trip. We were down to three for the concert and two for the ride to Nashville.

I was so tired driving to Madison to meet Joseph. I wasn’t sure if I could stay awake to drive to TN, so I asked Joseph to drive. I thought that was a pretty good plan and thought maybe I could take some pictures along the way. Good plan, yes; pictures, no. Joseph is a great driver, but I think he was trying to act like we were driving at Talladega rather than rural Mississippi and Tennessee. I didn’t have to worry about falling asleep and missing any of the scenery. We got to Nashville (safely, thank goodness) before I could even think about going to sleep. Unfortunately every time I wanted to snap a picture, the scenery was gone by the time I got my camera ready. Then I thought back to an episode of Friends (which I reference almost daily). Pheobe said part of her oath as a masseuse was to always be prepared. Taking great wisdom from Phebes, I kept my camera out and ready so I wouldn’t miss another shot. That plan really didn’t work so well either though because we were going so fast everything was blurry. So, I put my camera away and vowed to take pics once I got there.

We arrived, ate, and then crashed—well, that’s what Joseph and I did. Vallery was spinning like the Tasmanian devil all weekend. She spent the entire weekend cooking and cleaning and then cooking some more. I really think she spent more time cooking than sleeping this weekend—exactly the kind of host I prefer! The food was great. She had already prepared lasagna for supper Friday night and breakfast casserole for brunch Saturday. She says she’s been taking cooking classes, but over the course of the weekend I began to question that. I don’t think she would ever just lie about it, but I wonder if she really meant that she’s been paying someone to come cook for her and the cook shows her how to do some stuff every once in a while. That could be a “cooking class” right?

I would have never doubted her, but a few pieces of the story just don’t add up. First, the two meals we had were flawless. But, they were prepared ahead of time—I think the person from the “cooking class” could have done those. I might possibly overlook that but this second thing sealed the deal. Vallery began to cook us lunch Saturday afternoon. I thought that would be a great time to take some pics of us chilling out and her perfecting her Cajun cuisine (that she learned about in this “cooking class”). Wouldn’t you know, just as I got my camera out, the smoke detectors started sounding. I didn’t know what to do. I was about to stop, drop, and roll. I looked in the kitchen and there she was trying to fan down the smoke that has filled the entire room. I had my camera out and ready, but couldn’t get any pics through that smoke filled room. I knew two things then: Vallery needed a personal tutor at all times in her “cooking class” and I had to take pictures at the concert.

After 30 minutes of airing out, we were finally able to go back in the apartment without Cajun pork flavored smoke filling our lungs. We ate (and it was actually good) and left for the concert, camera in my hand. We got to our seats and the concert began. We watched Jason Mraz and then waited for Dave Mathews. The stadium began filling up—there must have been 45,000 people there. The sun went down and the lights went off. YAY! Dave Mathews! Then I remembered my camera. They started doing some really cool lighting effects and I decided I wanted to take some pictures then. As I reached for my camera I smelled a strange smell… Not quite like a cigarette or cigar. I looked around and saw the people a couple rows down passing a joint around. Needless to say, those pictures were quite hazy with marijuana smoke floating all around… I put my camera up and enjoyed the amazing show. The musical talent was AWESOME!

We went home, crashed again and I was bound and determined to do two things—keep Vallery out of the kitchen Sunday morning and take some pictures before I left. I got up and went to get strawberries and juice for breakfast. I had planned to make everyone some pancakes. I warned them that my pancakes weren’t the prettiest, but they tasted alright. Vallery then came to try and show me how to make pretty pancakes. Of course, I knew she hadn’t been to a pancake “cooking class” so I told her not to worry about it; I would be ok. I made all the pancakes and had just a bit more batter left. I was so proud of myself because they weren’t even that ugly. I poured the last batter in the pan, smiling because I made pretty pancakes. Sadly, that didn’t last long. I looked around and noticed things looked hazy. I thought it might have been déjà vu or flashbacks. But then I smelled my pancakes burning. What a let down! Who smokes up the kitchen making pancakes? I quickly dumped those pancakes in the trash can. Thankfully, I didn’t set the smoke alarm off, but my last photo op was effectively ruined. Once again, the beautiful and fun weekend was filled with clouds. Maybe I need some "cooking classes" too.

Even though I didn’t get any great pictures, I had a great time. I’ll find some links to Nashville, Jason Mraz, and Dave Mathews band sites to keep my memories alive. If you would like to see them, I’ll send them to you too.

I hope you have a good week…



=P

:Humor is by far the most significant activity of the human brain."
Edward De Bono

*While some parts of the story may be exaggerated, it is all based on a true story and inspired by actual events. Contrary to what it may sound like, Vallery was an awesome hostess and she really can cook (some things).

25 Random Things... for my READERS!

Ok, so I just found out that I have a loyal band of readers... I must admit though you guys have given me some writers block. I had all kinds of ideas for a blog, but I can't remember them now... But, being the dependable person that I am, I have found something entertaining to post. This was a note from facebook that I think everyone on facebook did a couple months ago. It was fun to do and even more fun to read everyone elses random facts... So here ya go! Thanks for reading!



1. I recently left a place that I love and people that I love to take a job I thought I would love... Unfortunately, I do not love my job.

2. I was once questioned by the police because they thought I stole someone's identity.

3. My sister is one of my best friends but we only when we aren't living together.

4. When I saw the trailer for 27 Dresses I seriously thought someone had made a movie about my life.

5. I have a system of organization even though my stuff often looks messy.

6. I believe there is a direct relationship between a person's creativity and a her need for (or lack there of) tidyness.

7. I love to sew. My grandmother was a great seamstress as is my mom, but the skill wasn't passed on to me from them. I had to take a class in college to learn.

8. I am a procrastinator, but I see it as being able to work well under pressure.

9. My all time favorite job is being a teller.

10. Sometimes I completely and unintentionally block out memories of things in my life that didn't go well.

11. My favorite pen to write with is a Pilot P-700. Don't even think about borrowing it.

12. I still like to color. I think it is relaxing.

13. I love the smell of new books, crayons, and fresh cut grass... but not all at the same time.

14. Growing up, we went on a family vacation every year that I can remember but I travelled more in 2005 than I have all the other years of my life combined.

15. When I was in grad school I stressed more when I was taking two easy classes than I did when I took three more difficult classes.

16. I was in marching and concert band for nine years and loved it. I secretly miss it sometimes.

17. I made so many good friends in band.

18. I hate dating. The beginning days of uncertainty are the worst. I would much rather be single or in a relationship.

19. My first major in college was sports medicine.

20. I learned the hard way that in many parts of Asia they don't use toilet paper and the toilets don't flush.

21. I went on a cruise once and vowed to never go on one again. Nothing bad happened and I didn't get sick or anything, I just didn't like it.

22. I love getting flowers for no reason at all and would rather have a cheap, thoughtful and creative gift than some ellaborate or expensive gift that means nothing and shows no thought.

23. I spend at least fourty dollars every time i go into a book store but I have many books on my bookshelf that I have never read.

24. I can't stand to have the volume, temperature, or anything else with visible numbers set on any odd number except multiples of five. It has to be even numbers or something that ends with five.

25. I got a fortune cookie today that I really believe. It made me smile.