Archive for December, 2009

See you in 2010!

Published
by
robayre
on December 26, 2009
in General Update, life and lists
. 2 Comments

The end of the year is less than a week away. I still have a few things on my 2009 list that I would like to accomplish, but one that I MUST. That item is to shut off my computer for one week. The timing is perfect as I’m on vacation from work next week and won’t have the temptation while I’m there. I have so many things that I’d like to do while I’m on vacation and although it will be hard to avoid my addiction (email, twitter, flickr, facebook, etc.) it will give me much added time to do these things. At midnight tonight I will shut off my computers (desktop and laptop) and they will remain off for one week.

um, as for the picture above. I got my haircut and when trying to think of how to design my away message, well, let’s just say you never know where inspiration will strike.

Have a wonderful last week of 2009! and I’ll be back soon :D


I’ve been busy

Published
by
robayre
on December 26, 2009
in Projects
. 1 Comment

Wow, it has been so long since I’ve posted. I’ve returned over and over to update, but just couldn’t get myself to do it. It’s not for a lack of things to write about, but more an overwhelming amount of things to do and things to cover in one post. Let me try and do this without getting too wordy.

I joined the PenPalParty organized by Susie at BoyGirlParty and have two new penpals that are the best.

Next, my friend Nikki is like me in that we always want to have adventures. She organized a trip into the city (chicago) and we went ice skating at Millennium Park. I’ve wanted to go skating in Chicago since I was in high school, so this was a huge thing. It wasn’t on my 2009 list of things to do, but it should have been so I’m going to add it as an honorary item. We were all nervous going in, but once we got out onto the ice, the day turned magical, going from nasty rain to perfect snow. I had so much fun. It was one of those days where my cheeks hurt from smiling sooo much for sooo long.

Santa catching a ride on the “zamboni” with the city in the background

Matt and I with the city lights behind us

On the 18th I held my fourth annual gingerbread house making party.  There were 12 people in attendance, 10 houses created while we munched on snacks, sipped hot chocolate, listened to Christmas music and conversed. As usual there were such creative entries, including a saucer UFO, an operation massacre, and a sleigh ride! Click the picture above to see each gingerbread house on it’s own.

I used this recipe to cook pfeffernusse cookies for the first time. They came out delicious, but I’m not sure if they were really like the pfeffernusse cookies that I’m used to. Fortunately, Archway pfeffernusse cookies are back on the shelf this year (after the company closed last year), and if you want to sample some deliciousness, snatch them up from the grocery store shelves quickly before they are gone until next year.

I’ve been working on so many other little projects, things here and there, that I also wanted to share, but for time’s sake I will postpone.

The Happy Post

Published
by
robayre
on December 14, 2009
in Fun, General Update, etsy, life and shop update
. 11 Comments

Cross off one more item from my 2009 To-Do List. #28, I’ve decorated for Christmas. It might be pretty lacking in it’s lame, limp garland wrapped around the front porch, and the plastic tree my cat won’t stop eating, but everything is made better when you view the snowflake curtain I have been working on. I was inspired by this flickr picture and just wanted to make so many snowflakes that were all staggered and overlapping that it was more of a snow storm than anything :D It’s hanging between the kitchen and breakfast nook and makes me so happy that I just want to hang out in there all the time now.

Here’s another holiday picture, but not of my tree, but my friends’ Tom and Nikki. We went sledding last Friday. What a great evening. It was one of those nights, and I’ll quote Nikki “I was laughing so hard I thought my chest was going to explode”. Best.Feeling.In.The.World.

I still haven’t found my wallet BUT I sold another one of my handspun yarns this weekend. That makes me unbelievably happy.  I also got a great message from the person who purchased this painting. “it’s absolutely beautiful. Even more stunning than in the photos!” Wow, made me feel like a million bucks.

And last but not least, I’m thrilled to present the following paintings I finished this weekend.

 

These paintings make me ridiculously happy.

They are all available in my Etsy shop right now.  Clicking on the images will take you to their respective pages.

Current Crush

Published
by
robayre
on December 13, 2009
in Cool Links and General Update
. 1 Comment

In the sidebar you will see several categories of links. The tested, tried and true links that I love and visit regularly are under “My Inspirational Links”, my “links” category are links where you can find me elsewhere, and “Project Inspiration” are Robayre approved project sites. Recently I started a new category of links called “Current Crush” where I list new to me websites and blogs that I am swooning over. I’ve been changing it out occasionally. In an attempt to chronicle those crushes, I’m creating this post, that I will update whenever new crushes have been added.

laughthinksleep (April 11th, 2010)
I go by Katie (April 11th, 2010)
Littletjane (march 3rd, 2010)
GiddyGiddy (February 4th, 2010)
Color Me Katie (February 1st 2010)
Skunkboy Creatures (December 2009)
Meandering
Goodnight Little Spoon (second set, also unknown date)
Hollister Hovey
Anna Allen (unknown date)
Christenb




What we do for our Art

Published
by
robayre
on December 11, 2009
in General Update
. 3 Comments

So here is a sneak peak to three new grass paintings I’ve been working on over the past few days. I just finished the grass part and have the text picked out, but painting them on will have to wait a day or so.

These paintings are pretty small. They are bigger than the very first one (seen here) but not by much, maybe 5″x5″. But in comparison to this one, it’s a baby version. My hands are feeling quite crippled from painting with such a tiny brush. Somewhere I have a brush I adapted to have a more comfortable grip, but instead of searching for it, I went the self flagellation route. Honestly it only started feeling like torture for the last hour but I was so close that i pushed through. When I was done I couldn’t open my ring or pinky fingers on my right hand. Ouch. But you know what they say “no pain, no gain.”


brrrrrrr!

Published
by
robayre
on December 10, 2009
in General Update
. 1 Comment


12.10.09 me, originally uploaded by robayre.

It is cold out today. It was below zero for a good portion of the day. Winter has hit hard and fast.

While getting dressed I had one mission in mind - warmth. My eyes caught a new favorite green sweater that was folded up. That’s not enough though so I looked through my closet thinking warm, warm, warm when I saw the long sleeved turtleneck. I put on the turtleneck and then proceeded to pull the sweater over my head when I realized “oh, the sweater is a turtleneck too”. Two turtlenecks is one too many.
I only hesitated for a moment before deciding that today can be an exception. Yes, it’s that cold out.

Imaginary To Do List

Published
by
robayre
on December 9, 2009
in General Update
. 4 Comments


12.9.09 snow day, originally uploaded by robayre.

We’ve recently had a bunch of snow. 6-9 inches or so. The radio was listing snow days and cancellations. Snow days were the BEST! But when you grow up there is no such thing as a snow day, especially if you just work and live in the same city.

Thinking of things that make me happy…snow days and “to do lists” I decided to come up with a list of things I’d do today if I had a snow day.

Time to get back to work (I’m on my short and quick lunch break).

Something’s lost and can’t be found

Published
by
robayre
on December 9, 2009
in General Update and life
. 2 Comments

I’ve been under a cloud for about a week. Last Thursday I noticed my wallet was missing from my purse. My wallet contained my driver’s license, my check card, my check book, credit card. I noticed it was gone from my purse on my way to work and I was sure it would just be at home sitting on my computer desk or night side table. When I got home Matt and I searched and searched and almost a week later it still hasn’t turned up. Being victim of identity theft in the past, this is a very scary and traumatizing experience. For a few days I monitored my cards and there was no activity, but since I still haven’t found the wallet everything has been put on hold.

I’ve been letting this wallet issue affect me way too much. Up until I lost my wallet I had been on quite a roll of keeping the house organized and staying on top of chores. Now, the house is a huge mess and I feel emotionally and physically drained from the hunt, resulting with a lack of any motivation. Imagine if I had been able to pick up my house, turn it upside down and shake it until my wallet dropped out. That is how the house looks and feels right now. I kind of feel like life is on hold till I find it. But now a week later I am facing that I might never find it. As they say “admitting you have a problem is the first step”, and I feel a bit lighter that I even recognized that it was the lost wallet that was really bringing me down. That sounds funny that I wouldn’t know that myself. Of course I knew I was bummed about losing the wallet and I knew the house was a mess because I couldn’t find my wallet, but I wasn’t able to step back from my emotions and see things clearly, dust myself off and get back on with life.

Yesterday my tiny moleskine cahier caught my eye. I carry that with me everywhere and fill it with personal notes and to do lists, etc. I often tuck the cahier into my wallet and right then as I saw it, it occurred to me that it could have easily been lost as well. I was so relieved. It has dawned on me things could be so much worse. I could have lost my entire purse, which carries my ipod, camera, my sketchbook, and a few other tchotchkes that carry a lot of personal sentiment. I know that “things” are not what is important in life, but it is really hard not to get attached to certain items that you have kept, carry, invest in and help to record your daily life. In reality I know I have so much to be thankful for. I still have my health and all my loved ones around me. I still have art, and I still have my mind (although that is questionable at times).

So this post is not all waaah, waaaah, waaaah, I’ll leave you with a link for a great blog post I came upon via karahaupt. Let’s not focus on the negative and dwell. What makes us happy? 

And the Giveaway winner is….

Published
by
robayre
on December 6, 2009
in General Update
. 1 Comment

Sara Suzanne who said “I love to write letters and I love your stationery!  I also love your snow trees print.”
I’ve sent a message to her already, so please Sara Suzanne please send me your address. If don’t hear back within 48 hours I will draw a new name.

My boyfriend Matt used a random number generator with the parameters of 1 through 134 and got 120. Yes, I received One Hundred and Thirty Four!!! comments (deleting any duplicates) AND I replied back to each and every one of them, whoooh!

Now, I’m off to cook dinner (tacos) and then curl up with a book. I will hopefully be back within the next few days with some handbound book inspiration.

Recycled Kusadama Paper Ornament

Published
by
robayre
on December 2, 2009
in General Update and Projects
. 7 Comments

Recycled Kusadama Ornament, originally uploaded by robayre.

Tonight Matt and I sat down to make our annual Christmas ornament. And eeep, if last year’s ornament was too big to hang on a tree well, check out this year’s (the larger of the two). My original vision last year was to make a whole bunch of these and cover a tree with them and white Christmas lights.

I followed this 2 stage pattern. Make sure you have lots of time, it takes about 3 hours with two people working at it. AND we use translucent double faced tape. I can’t imagine how long it would take if you used glue like the instruction say. This year I followed the directions for size and the instructions call for 60 7 inch square pieces of paper. It wasn’t until afterward I reread my post from last year and saw that I stated I used 4 inch square papers. Basically this year’s ornament is equal to a good sized globe in diameter.

Once again I cut apart an old art magazine with a good weight, luster and variety of colors. Next year I hope I return to this post and read it before creating the third ornament. Robyn, cut the paper down to 3 inch squares please. Not that it will make the process any faster, but perhaps one year we might actually make an ornament that can fit on the tree.

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