"This may sound like gibberish, but I think I'm in a tragedy."

This blog post of course goes under the heading of:

 Art

If you haven't seen these movies than you should. If you have than you have a window to my soul. Almost all the movies I love have two things in common. They are usually bittersweet movies about life and they hold some kind of biblical truth amongst the lostness of humanity. 

 Disclaimer for the movies below that are based off a book. 

I have not read the book. The book is always better and I do not apologize for loving the movie or watching the movie and disregarding the book. The movies that have been based on books that I've read are not listed below because as previously stated, the book is always better. Books and movies are two different mediums and as such I can love them differently. The end. 

1. Waitress: This little slice stars amazing actors and actresses and fulfills the film as art/food as art with creative narratives through pie. The music choices are fantastic and the insight to life makes you stop judging and start loving those in need of help. It like many of the films I love is bittersweet.

2. Lars and the Real Girl: This is an amazing movie that tells us how to treat mental illness in all of us. It has the sensitivity of a bloodhound and is just as Gosh Darn cute! It is funny in all the right places and teaches us to laugh rather than cry about the tough things in life. This one is a bit bizarre for the average love story but its one to watch. 

3. Dan in real life: This one I love more than most because it really does discribe how messy life is when you seek love. It also shows how striving for perfection alone isn't as good sometimes as the greatness in a chaotic loving mess that happens together. It has that amazing soundtrack. Also hilarious. 

4. Star Wars: I'm not just a fan, I'm a made your own costume to go get dressed up to see the movie on its anniversary in theaters - get published with star wars insider - cried when I heard Sir Alec Guinness died- wrote my own fanfiction kinda fan. Best movies ever. Word.

5. Stranger than Fiction: This movie is eye candy, every shot is beautiful and the story is bittersweet as well. Narratives of love and stories themselves as well as death call you to look with thanks on your life a and challenge you to make it the one you've always wanted. It has awesome set design, music and the script has some of my favorite lines to quote. 

6. Sabrina: Ok so I know this isn't the original, and the original is awesome, and Audrey Hepburn is where it is always at- love her. But this is one amazing movie. Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford are amazing. I honestly have lived this life. The life of Sabrina in so many ways reminds me of my own. Probably my favorite love story of all time in so many ways, the love of a father for his daughter, the unrequited love, and the unexpected love of your life right under your nose. This movie is the reason I play with rose petals. 

7. Fantastic Mr. Fox: The only claymation movie that doesn't absolutely terrify me. Little known fact about me is that if there is in fact a phobia for this I have it. Time stop animation + clay figures is horrifying, especially the christmas specials. Except Fantastic Mr. Fox. I don't know if it is because of its amazing realistic quality, folk-art style music or perhaps the combination of Matt Damon, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson doing voices for the characters that lulls me into a restful state. But the story is great and so is the film. Young or old can be thrilled by its playful yet relevant themes. 

8. About A Boy: I watch this movie every christmas because its brilliant to watch a meaningful movie that doesn't just have likable characters allllllll the time. Likeable characters are in chick flicks and they are boring and predictable. This is a great story and it has THE best soundtrack in its context.  Also the set design is another favorite of mine. If you are ever feeling alone in the world…. watch this movie and find time to not be an island. 

9. My Best Friends Wedding: Ok so after my rant about chick flicks I bring you this. This is possibly the cheesiest movie about unrequited love and best friends ever. I will not apologize for waving my pretend lobster hands and sing along in the burst out in song segment of this movie. Nor will I apologize for completely sympathizing with the characters, yes all of them, in every way in my young life. Hilarity and cheese… so much cheese. 

10. Gladiator: And to top off these ten movies I give you the crowning glory of it all. I do love a good epic and Gladiator is one of the best epics out there. It is poetic and beautiful as well as bloodthirsty history. I don't know why the roman times get to me in such a deep way but it must be the old soul in me that finds the roots. Many things could drive my love, yet it always come down to the story. This has one of those soundtrack that I've memorized and can summon in my head if I can't sleep at night. It is also scene for scene just breathtakingly beautiful.  

Foodie Moment

Talk to me about food. Food is an amazing type of art right? 

It can be just enough to maintain the body or it can change your life. 

I made it a while back and am just getting around to posting about it. 

This is one of my favorite sandwiches and it is made in this order.

Bread (toasted and cooled)

Meat of choice. (turkey or chicken)

greens

cheese of choice. 

tomatoes salted and peppered.

pesto

mayo 

bread

I am choosing not to eat dairy, soy, wheat, much red meat and alcohol of late for health reason but that's a different story for a different day. Today you should make this sandwich. 

Paperweights and Other Passions

Of late I've been ill, exhausted and funny thing this… between another two jobs. I started this blog with a concept of making my life as an artist/wife/ everything else fitting into a day job and achieving my art on the side. Its not the way I'd like it because I've never had day job that was any where fulfilling enough as pursuing art. 

Until now. I am no longer an Artist at a Bank job. I am still teaching at SiNaCa Studios and it has been amazing.  I have put in our two weeks notice at the awesome bank I'm at. I'll maintain my relationship with them financially but I'm continuing on in a place that fits me better. 

I'll continue teaching at SiNaCa. And soon I'll be teaching kids at a school too. Teaching at SiNaCa Studios has been an amazing experience. It has taught me more about myself than I thought I'd ever know. Now I knew I loved working with glass and sharing my passion of the material with others when I teach the basics of the material. But what I didn't know is that I love the teaching aspect almost as much as I like the working with the glass itself. 

Soon I'll be teaching full time: glass and reading skills to K, 1st and 2nd grade. 

Pretty excited. 

Thrift and SPACECOW

Welcome to another thrifting adventure! This is where I share with you all the things nifty I find at a thrift store and don't buy. Because as we all truly know…. its about the find. 

This awesome lamp could not be more hideous upon first glance but then I thought to my self with the preverbal double take…..

…those elephants…

"yesss?"

….that white….

*ummmhhuuumm…..*

….the gold details….

"Well who doesn't like those?"

SWITCH THE LAMPSHADE!
(its really the ugliest part)

Boom. 

That just happened, can you see it? 

I can. 

It would go in a room arranged slightly like this… or this….

Or you could adopt this lovely green set of glasses. As a glass artist and person who loves the both the utilitarian and beauty of the material in daily life I try when possible to leave behind first world joys of buying the funky cheap glass wears at the tar'geea that we all know and love. I choose of late to purchase second hand what I find if I have need of something glass. That way I'm not ruining my career as a glass artist or yours as one either. If you don't know what the heck I'm referring to…. you really should watch this vid

Actually you should watch this vid never mind any deep cause I have. 

These are amazing glass workers. 

Next we have a fancy little art deco hardware number that will hold your jewery or makeup with a good cleaning and a perfect way to listen to the chipmunks sing christmas songs on 3x the speed. Holla' at cha if you did that in your childhood every December and July. 

Also a fine example of craftsmanship is this 1950's chair and its partner. A true steal at $40 a piece but they stayed for another to take home. On the right here we have a beautiful example of what glass can do once manipulated by a novice glass artist. I wonder who made this flower and if they made it's cleaver stand as well….

And then there is 

SPACECOW. 

What did you do before her?

You'll never know.

You'll never know!