Nailed it!

I've been playing around with nail art for about two years now. I've found lots of tutorials on youtube, but I also like making up my own styles. As of late, I'm obsessed with Sally Hansen insta-dry nail polish. It comes in so many neat-o colors. My favs are mint sprint, quick sand, sonic boom, lightening and clearly quick among many others. I also like to play around with the Sally Hansen nail pens... my mom gave me a bunch for Christmas. They're basically like markers for your nails! Awesome!

Tonight I tried a new manicure inspired (well, ahem... copied actually) from Keiko Lynn's blog post.






And here's a peak at what I did for Halloween...

S-S-S-Saturday night. Saturday Night.

Just me and the cat tonight. TV, nail polish, and wordswithfriends.

Wish List

Tucker for Target Signature Dress in Floral Print

Jam Jamboree Dress from Mod Cloth

Steve Madden Intyce boots
(I already have these in another color!)

Marimekko Coin Purses

I'm also jonesin' for the Forever21 Slub Knit Striped dress. Sorry... cannot find a photo online. This may be the only realistic purchase since it's only $13 and quite versatile I think.

Since we really don't have money to spare at the moment (my health insurance costs are going to double in a month. GRRRR- I hate our healthcare system) I'll be back to thrifting soon. I'm actually really looking forward to it.

My man, my cat, my computer.

I've been online way too much in the evenings... mostly just wishing I could buy more stuff online. Seriously. I have an entire folder of bookmarks just for stuff that I want (that I can't really justify ever buying since there are other things in life we need).

Tiago has also been spending a lot of time online (see "Exhibit A). So has the cat (see Exhibit A and B). Note: I assure you these are all separate occasions.

Exhibit A:


Exhibit B:

Pinky Promise

So since I've been reading so many blogs lately, I've vowed to contribute more to my own blogs. Yes. That "blogs" was plural. You didn't know I had other blogs? Not surprising, because most people don't even know I have any blog!

(Well I do have a few more blogs. I have one blog that's all about my artwork and another that's fairly new about my house.)

Anyways, I promise promise promise (myself) that I will contribute to my blog more. Maybe even once a day??? How great would that be?

Wow...

It has been a while since I've posted.

Sonhos cor de rosa

So I cannot express how excited I am getting for our vacation to Portugal!!!! At first we wanted to take a couple of days to travel on down to the algarve (the southern part of the country with all of the cool beaches) but after looking at the prices of hotels down there I was like "Naw dude." It's over 300 euros a night for even the cheap hotels!! WTF? So instead we've decided to stay in the Lisboa area and stay in Cascais. I was reading some travel books and found the most awesome bed and breakfast eva! (And I mean Eva eva... eva eva? Eva, eva.) Yeah. it's hot. It's this little place called Casa da Pergola, that's still family owned after a hundred years, and has the funniest/ cool rooms and absolutely beautiful gardens! And the best part? It's a five minute walk to the beach and a five minute walk to the train station (which takes you 20 minutes to Lisboa, and stops at Estoril on the way!) Yay! So Tiago called today, and unbelievably, the room that I wanted is available! Here's a link to the hotel's website: http://www.wonderfulland.com/pergola

Things haven't been so great...

... That's why I'm listening to this right now:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHrwcQrY-JM

Hopefully it will help you feel better too.

I know what you're thinking..

.. from that last post- "YOU GOT MARRIED?!?!?!?!" well, yes, yes I did. It was dramatic to say the least... but you know what? I love Tiago. He is the best thing that happened to me. Not to mention the hottest! MEEEEEOW! Here's a pic of me before the wedding (more to come)

My husband got a Playstation3..

and two days in our marriage is practically destroyed.

My new Job

...is really great! It's a hard job, but I'm learning a lot and having a good time. On a typical day I wake up at 6 and leave the house at 7:30. I drive a hellish commute to Wilmington and arrive at work at 8:30. I go in through security check and say hello to Henry. He always has a nice joke for me or friendly words of advice. Next I walk through the museum to the education wing and walk into my office/ big cubical. I say hello to Jim and/ or Cynthis. Next I groan at the ammount of messages that came in overnight. Next I out my lunch in the friedge and sit down at my computer.. by the way.. they gave me my own laptop and a palm pilot! (did I mention I love this place?) Next I anwer a lot of emails about the studio programs, I register people in an excel roster for classes, and I update the online store and capture people's purchases. At this point usually the rest of people are getting to work and we chat a bit. Some times I also have meetings around this time. We discusss upcoming museum events, budgets, and "issues." The rest of my day basically consists of the same thing as above with some other administrative jobs in between and now and then the occasional call from an elderly person who loves to chat. Sometime my job consists of things that aren't so fun- like saying "no" to people and writing letters. OH !!!! I forgot- I wrote my first grant proposal and I got it!!! YAY!

Keenan's is racist

Yeah.. that's right. Not a surprise in Wildwood. Me and Tiago went to the beach this weekend to my parent's house and to see my sister for memorial day. We had a nice time despite the racist and ignorant bouncers at Keenan's in North Wildwood. On saturday we got up early and had breakfast with my mom and then walked the boardwalk, played some games and I even talked Tiago into going on a rollercoaster! yeah! Then we went out for dinner with my uncle john, my dad, and cousin sally and darrel. It was really nice. Later on saturday we decided to meet alice and friends for some drinks at flip flops. Well I must say that I like the new place they have there, and the service was surprisingly great for a busy memorial day weekend. After flip flops we made our way to Keenan's- something we've been doing for about 7 years now- not to mention all of the times that my parents and their friends have gone there. Well- after saturday night, I will NEVER go to Keenan's again. Not only did it SUCK inside ( you know the routine- stupid music you could hear on the radio, smelly, long waits for drinks, disgusting bathrooms, and lots of underage drinking)- they also harassed Tiago at the door and would not let him inside. Tiago was very nice and gracious, but I was pissed! They said that they couldn't take his driver's liscense because it wasn't from the United States. That's the biggest load. meanwhile they take 16 year old's IDs... if they are girls wearing miniskirts and halters... ew. Boo Keenan's- you have continually gotten worse each summer.

And some people don't understand why I don't want to live in wildwood- ignorance, racial discrimination, and just idiocracy. that's why.

backyard bliss...

I finally got the back yard finished. It's beautiful. I love it.

Little 'ole Tiago..

.. aint as shy as everyone thinks. here's a video to prove it!!

getting my master's degree..

Well.. it's over. I have my masters! woooooohooooo! you know the expression, "bitter-sweet"???? Well- this graduation is NOT that expression! ha. It's just sweeeeeet.

A little birdie told me...

... That one of my murals has been painted over. YES. it is unfortunately so. This birdie aint lyin. I made a trip passed my former place of employment, Beginnings Learning Center, to verify the news... and it is correct. A lovely (and by lovely I mean disgusting) coat of gray/lilac now blankets what used to be the mural I completed about four years ago. The mural was a project I started as a gift to the Beginnings class of 2004, and for all of the future students to enjoy. It was based from a book that the kids loved and which mirrored their "beginnings" at the school and metamorphosis from babies to, as I called them, "kiddos." The mural was about five huge panels that chronicled the life of a butterfly from eggs to caterpillars, crysalids, and then of course to butterflies. The images symbolized the way in which Beginnings students/ graduates move on from pre-school into new territory in their education. I really loved the mural.. but I guess Beginnings is also moving into new territory and making their own changes- unfortunately, one that meant leaving the mural in the past.

Here are a few pictures of me when I was working on the mural.

more food

well I'm still cooking.. getting even better, and loving it.

New blog

Hey everyone...

I have created an additional blog just for my artwork and exhibition news.

View it here

or you can link it from my blogroll on the right.

I'm in the City Paper!

Hey! Check me out! I'm on page 36 of the city paper this week... well my painting of Natashia is. WHOOOOHOOOOO!!! I'm famous! oh wait.. forgot to mention that they did NOT credit me. :(

CITY PAPER listing

Defeated

I can't even begin to express how I feel these days. I'm loooking forward to the summer and spending time with those that really love me. Thank you to all of my friends, family, and more for supporting me this year. I could not have done it without everyone's help and words of wisdom... and now I think some other words of wisdom are necessary- The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
Socrates.

Topstitch this month

If you have not already, please please please go see the current show at topstitch in Old city. It's called valley of the dolls and it is fabulous. Of course- I AM a little biased- because I am a doll lover and my work is in the show.

Here is a write up about the show from the best blog out there: artblog.

touch me for artblog

Who should you vote for?

This site is pretty cool. It atleast reassured me that who I thought I would vote for is DEF the person I WILL vote for. Check it out:

who should you vote for?

Cheesesteaks!

Newsflash! This just in: The portuguese LOVE cheesesteaks!

como e grande o meu amor por voce

como e grande o meu amor por voce
Eu tenho tanto
Pra lhe falar
Mas com palavras
Nao sei dizer
Como é grande o meu amor por voce

E nao ha nada
Pra comparar
Para poder
Me explicar
Como é grande o meu amor por voce

Nem mesmo o céu
Nem as estrelas
Nem mesmo o mar
E o infinito
Nao é maior
Que o meu amor
Nem mais bonito

Me desespero
A procurar
Alguma forma
De lhe falar
Como é grande o meu amor por voce

Nunca se esqueca
Nem um segundo
Que eu tenho o amor
Maior do mundo
Como é grande o meu amor por voce

Nunca se esqueca
Nem um segundo
Que eu tenho o amor
Maior do mundo
Como é grande o meu amor por voce
Mas como é grande o meu amor por voce

herbs

Yeah dude! I got some seeds and soil for my b-day and now I'm growing herbs! I got some cilantro, basil, chives, rosemary, mint, and oregano. I can't wait until they get big enough to use for cooking!

happy belated valentines day.

check out my valentine card.

click me for kisses

sudoku: a new love

I decided to do the sudoku from the newspaper a couple of weeks ago because I had already finished the other puzzles. I never wanted to get into sudoku because everyone else raves about it-so you know- I have to be different. But I tried it anyways and now I'm slightly addicted! 

you can print them off the web at www.websudoko.com

Cooking

Well in case you didin't know, I've never really been able to cook. I mean- I could make macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, and the typical stuff, but that was about it. But lately I've been experimenting a little more, and getting a lot better. In fact, I'm pretty impressed with my new skills. I DO have to say that I owe some of the new-found-talent to my some of my talented friends who have helped me out.. (Natalie, Maria, Amber,Alyssa- props.).. but mostly I have my subscription to reall simple to thank. Oh- and of course my online pals martha stewert and rachael ray.
Anyways. I thought I would share with you some of the stuff I've been cooking in the recent months.
Here is a list of some of my favs:
Ginger chicken with brown rice
Steak and soy with wasabi mashed potatoes
Black bean soup with chicken (natalie's concoction)
Orzo with zuchinni, tomatoes, olives and basil
Tortellini soup with chicken tomato and thyme
Bifanas with fried onions (this is portuguese)
Brussel sprouts with warm lemon vinagrette
Shrimp scampi with tomato and spinach
Roast beef sanwiches with avacado and cilantro
Pork loin wrapped with bacon with mushroom sauce

deserts:
Home-made lemon sorbet
baked bananna with warm chocolate sauce (this one's low fat!)
Natas (another portuguese one.. but really Tiago made most of it)

life updates: video

Video is fun. Here are some.

life updates: painting exhibition

I have a painting exhibition going on now at The Chapterhouse Cafe and Gallery on 9th street between Bainbridge and South Streets. I did a lot of new work for the show, and I'm pretty happy with the results.

life updates: being a bridesmaid.

I was in a wedding this January. It was the marriage of my BFF Meghan Touey and my homeboy Luke Pattrick O'Connell. WOW! What a wedding. It was spectacular.
Above are the bridesmaids and bride at the shower... and me coming down the isle.

life updates: museums

So I think most people know.. but I'm in grad school now for museum studies. These are just a few photos from my months studying museums...
This is me at the Franklin institute doing some serious field work:

Here I am leading a tour group onto the USS Olympia at the Seaport museum where I interned.

This is a photograph of the mural I did at the Philadelphia Art museum as part of my internship there.

.. and action painting at the Moma when I went to see the Serra exhibit. loved it btw.

life updates: boyfriend.

ha. ok.. well I'm going to start a few blogs that arre pretty much just an update of my life. One is that I have the best BF in the US or Europe. He is awsome. He is Tiago. We met when I went to Portugal with my friend Marta in 2006. Now he is in Philly and life is grand. Here are a few pictures in case you see him around town and you want to say "Hi" or "Ola!"

.. back to blogging.

Ok. So I always say that I'm going to blog more and then I never do it... but... because I am in graduate school now and I have NO life, I decided that this is a way that my peeps can feel in the loop. (Who am I kidding? No one ever reads my blog.)
Anyways, here is a current photo of me- in case many of you have forgotten what I actually look like.