A Real Painter

My secret wish is to be a painter.  Just FYI.
 
Me and two of my friends from church just completed a two-part oil painting class.  We had been talking off and on about doing something creative together so when Sarah found this class, I was super excited.  She found the class through Leisure Learning and it was taught by Lynn Chatman.  Lynn was a great teacher . . . . super nice, patient and willing to help each person individually.

The first day of class, we worked on setting up our painting.  We determined the spacing of what we were going to paint.  We painted the background of the sky, the grass, and the shading of the tree.  I made a joke with the teacher, I'm a chronic blender.  I couldn't seem to make any detail on the painting without feeling the need to blend it in.  Hi, my name is Stefanie and I'm a chronic blender. . .

I was pretty happy with the end result of my first day but I was a little nervous about the tree and the hill at the bottom was too orange for me.

The second day of class, we focused on adding the details.  I struggled with the texturing of the grass (again, I'm a blender) but I think I finally figured it out with help from Lynn.  The tree was also a challenge.  At first, I wanted to blend the leaves (I know!), but then I just decided to follow the teachers advice and just put dabs of paint on the tree.  The detail of the branches was also a little difficult but I think I got it down.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my painting.  There are a few things I'd change, but I like it.  If I had kept going until I thought it was perfect I would still be there right now.  I can go overboard when I am trying to make an art project turn out the way I want it. . . ask my mom. 

I absolutely would love to take another painting class.  I had so much fun and I really enjoyed learning some of the techniques to adding shading and texture to a painting.  I practice painting some on my own but I never knew how to approach something like a landscape.

Who knows, maybe I will become a real painter one day.  :)

Suburban Speedracer

Yeah so, the other day, Curtis and I were coming home really late from  his families house and right when we pulled into our neighborhood we saw two guys riding coolers across the street!  It's true!!  I was shocked.  I think I've heard of these but maybe I just thought it was a joke.  I'm not sure.

They rode to the end of our cul-de-sac and turned around and went back down the street.  I think they were racing.  I've done a little research and apparently, you can buy one or make your own with a kit.  Check out their site: http://www.cruzincooler.com/.  I love how their motto is "Cool, very cool"  HAHA!

I think if Tim the Toolman Taylor was still on the air, we would definitely have an episode about this.

What do you think?  Is this cool, very cool?  Do you have one of these?  Can you actually put stuff in them or does the motor render them totally useless as coolers and only functional as a scooter?  Hmmmmm.  Food for thought.

Oh Happy Day

Maybe you haven't given it any thought; but if you have, you might think I named my blog after the 'Happy Day' hymn, which was sung on Sister Act 2.  While that song supports why I named my blog 'Oh Happy Day', it is not the song I think of when I think of those words.  I actually named my blog after one of my favorite worship songs.  "Oh Happy Day" By Tim Hughes.



The words mean so much to me:  "Oh Happy Day, Happy Day, you washed my sin away, Oh Happy Day, Happy Day, I'll never be the same! Forever I am changed".  It's such a powerful song. 

I want to be a happy person, and generally I'm 'cheerful', but I am not always happy or even thankful on a daily basis.  It's especially difficult when I'm going through a tough time, I tend to focus on that thing in my life that is troubling me.  Then I think of this song and the powerful words and I am reminded that no matter what is going on, I have salvation - and that is my source of true happiness!  :)

- Just had to share!

Ten on Tuesday

Todays questions are from Roots and Rings.

1.  What is your current favorite television show?
Hmm, if you remember from my previous post, I have several.  I'd have to say my favorite show is How I Met Your Mother.  Curtis and I have been watching it since day 1 and so we get every little side joke and reference they make, so it's super funny!

2.  Apple juice or orange juice?
I'd have to say orange juice.  Apple juice gets to be way to sweet about half way through the glass.

3.  It's Shark Week on Discovery Channel.  Do you watch? Why or why not?
I do not watch Shark Week and I don't know why. 
Maybe I'll try it.

4.  What are the non-blog websites you visit regularly?
ETSY and ETSY!  and Facebook, Failblog, Postsecret.

5.  What is your favorite way to prepare green beans? Asparagus? Potatoes? Carrots?
- I don't like green beans, even though I try to make myself like them.
- We try to like asparagus, I tried grilling them and steaming them, but neither of us like them.  I can eat the tops but not the stocks.  They always look so yummy, but they're not.
- I like a good baked potatoe
- I try to steam carrots and it never works.  Any suggestions?

6.  What is your favorite flower?
I love Ranunculus.  Aren't they gorgous?  I love the layers and layers and layers of petals.  So beautiful!

Guess what.  If you want them for your wedding bouquet in November, they're freakin expensive and you'll have to settle for something else.  :(

7.  How do you feel about handkerchiefs?

Umm.. gross.

8.  If you could only shop at 3 stores for the rest of your life, what would they be?  (You probably should include a grocery store)

Kroger, Target, and Banana Republic (assuming I had millions to spend there for the rest of my life)

9.  If you could only use wine for one purpose for the rest of your live, which would you choose?  To cook with or to drink?

I would choose to use wine for cooking.  I've started adding it to a few different meals and it's pretty good.  I'd have to take a cooking class about using wine, but I think it adds alot of flavor.

10.  What's your bedtime?

Arggg, bedtime is so annoying.  I'm a night owl by nature, I can't help it.  If I go to bed too early, I just lay there all night because my mind is not relaxed.  So if I went to sleep when I felt like it, it'd probably be after midnight.  However, I carpool with my husband to downtown and he has to be at work by 7am.  Really he should be there earlier, but I don't know how I could get up any earlier than 5:30, 5:45, 5:55. . .  whatever time it is I roll out of bed.  All that to say, we currently go to bed around 11 or 11:30ish but it really should be much earlier because by Friday, we're exhausted.

When I'm Wrong, I Say I'm Wrong

Ok, yeah I was wrong.  Remember that cool day in June when I thought it was hot?  Yeah, well I was wrong.  NOW it's hot.  Check out this lovely weather report. Heat index of 107?!  Are you kidding me?!  Today is the day I'm glad I sit behind a desk all day.  Who cares that my bum is getting bigger, I'm not about to pass out from heat stroke and that's something to be thankful for.  I'm sorry to everyone who works outside in this Texas heat, we feel for you, we really do! 

Again, I say, please don't let us have a hurricane right now.  It's way to hot to not have electricity.

Good luck and Godspeed.
-Stefanie