Just a PSA

     It's ok to not do something if you know it won't end well. It isn't quitting; it's knowing your limits and having a healthy respect for them.
     My case, for instance, and I'm sorry if I get a bit ranty here. I punched my limits in the fall of last year and the stress manifested itself as a baby eating disorder. There were days I needed to force myself to eat because, well, the human body really does need nutrients and calories to function. I lost almost ten pounds and generally felt like shit. Over the course of winter break I got over the anti-eating mechanism (just in time too if you think about it) and began to feel better. However, upon returning to my apartment in January The Beast reemerged from its little hole and while my diet was back to normal and I had the energy to feel emotions normally again, I could no longer sleep. The stress of Being In The City was back; the death echoes of sorts from the semester prior. I'm still figuring out how to deal with this one, but it is getting better (coffee helps, although I did have two panic attacks over the summer, oops).
     Anyways, my last first day of classes was today and I found out that the senior capstone class for my major- arguably one of the hardest classes offered at ESF for undergrads- had been upped to 5 credits. One credit is 45 hours of work over the semester here, or 4 a week. So that's more like 20 a week now and this is just a more accurate representation of the time put into it (example: the first assignment is a 10 page paper utilizing 40 references on a single organism such as white-tailed deer. Due the second week of September with proper Journal of Wildlife Management formatting).
     Needless to say I dropped an Environmental Journalism class because I know I won't be able to give my all (or even my leg...) and maintain my sanity. Not to mention it's my last chance to have some fun here before becoming An Adult in December with impending graduation.
     That was longer than I intended it to be. My apologies. If you read it all you deserve a cookie or something...
     Anyways, I've found my limit and do not intend on ever touching it again. I would really like to enjoy my last semester here without losing my mind and maintaining some semblance of mental stability.
     Allow me to reiterate: It is ok to not push yourself to your limits all of the time. A person isn't weak if they know when to stop and do so. Now go, and listen to some music I've come across recently that's pretty awesome. :)

Disappearance of the Girl- Phildel

Brighter than Gold- The Cat Empire

Fire Fire- Steam Powered Giraffe

     If anyone is starting school of any sorts around this time, I wish you the best of luck, *hugs and kisses and cookies for the road*

Friday flashback

Classes start Monday, my last first day of classes; possibly forever as grad school isn't exactly appealing at this point... What is appealing however is listening to Welcome to Night Vale (you can find it for free on iTunes) while painting. Or other menial tasks, like counting collembola and mites.

Friday flashback

Beginning to feel the moving-back-to-the-city stress again. But I'm doing it with new hiking boots. Anything is possible!
And thanks to the wonders of coffee and Welcome to Night Vale podcast, I have been both obnoxiously stimulated and driven to create new pieces; so far one painting is done, another mostly there, and several more in the sketchbook phase, aw yeah. Too bad I'm making myself finish my large salamander piece- it is due in about a week and a half... Going to try to finish it by next Tuesday, and by then will have some other new stuff as well to show here :)
Until then, toodles

Silly sketchbooks and Mountain adventures

 It's funny how at certain times of the year, the creative juices really get flowing. Like right now, I suspect it comes with the "I graduate in four months" panic territory. I've been filling sketchbook pages left and right with ideas, including some oil paintings and a larger piece if I can get my paws on a large enough piece of cardboard...

 I have less than three weeks of vacation left and it is going to be packed. In a good way mostly. Because yes, I need to make arrangements with my new landlord and move in and work on my honors' thesis, but I'm also hiking with my mom later in the week for a few days in the Adirondacks, my cousin is getting married in a week and I am getting really excited for some of my classes.

 There have been many sketches of animals in flower crowns, and patterns. I am considering making and selling printed handkerchiefs. Mostly because I never have enough on or near my person and am a strong believer in not using tissues. Ever. They dry out your nose and are just a general waste of trees. Like plastic utensils and paper plates.

 On a slightly-related note, SUNBEARS. they're awesome and adorable and if I go through with this endeavor will be the first on the kerchiefs. The page o the right has slowly been turning into something along the lines of a tattoo flash page as I add more designs.

 There have also been plant info pages for a little herbarium book I'm putting together for myself and a quilt design. My mom is an amazing quilter and I'm hoping she'll talk me through my first quilt. The design above will be my second I am hoping. Not sure yet the timeframe of it's making but likely won't be until I am (hopefully) working on a fellowship in Virginia in a year or so. There is nothing like a home-made quilt to make a place feel like home.

Friday flashback

Friday flashback

I have internet again! It hasn't been working all that well these last few days, but I'm glad it's back (there are still photos I need to find and emails left and right to reply to, eek).

I've been messing around with the settings on my new camera, trying to figure out how to take good quality pictures of my new sketchbook and pieces, since I don't have access to a scanner and won't until next week. Going to try to get the last few things up on Sunday or Monday. :)