Art Journal Scratches...

I started a new art journal in March. Something about just the idea of spring I suppose, or just any excuse for crayons and such...

Just now, at 40, coming to terms with the fact that I just don't journal well with words. I write the words, but they aren't enough. They have to be painted over or covered in gesso and sketched upon.

Here's to figuring something out.

Sometimes life conspires to make a girl love her cave...

Sunday Rah #1 One Bloody Thing After Another

One Bloody Thing After Another



What can I say about this book? It grabbed me, shook me, and left me haunted.

I went into it with no real expectations, just vaguely attracted by the gorgeous cover art and a short description that was sort of telling, but which in no way lead me to believe I would love this book as much as I do. Unfortunately, I haven't read any of Comeau's other work, but I do plan to remedy that as soon as possible.

This is not a long book, but it is dense with life. As I said, It grabbed me from the start and pulled me in. I identified with each of the main characters. The writing drops you right into something happening, and from that first incident it does not let up, but it is not your usual thrill ride. It's the thrill ride next door. Or maybe it feels a bit more familiar than that, absurd and poetic as it seems. To me, it feels real.

Here's my problem... I don't want to spoil it. The title link at the top will take you to the Goodreads page, and a description. Go there if you will, if one person standing here and shouting, "JUST READ IT!" isn't enough. I'll understand. I'm just the cheerleader.

Thanks go to NetGalley for providing a digital galley.

The Sunday What?

What is the Sunday Rah?

I mentioned in a previous post that I really can’t seem to make myself write reviews for books because I don’t want to be a critic and because, well, I’m always torn over one thing or another... I fear that with an actual attempt at a review I would probably just ramble on for far too long, most likely arguing with myself.

I also mentioned that while I don’t necessarily feel comfortable reviewing, I sometimes feel the need to pull out the stringy old black pompoms and cheer for books that have moved me. Books that haunt me, stir me up, touch my nostalgia button, or even piss me off in an effective way all fit into this category, motivating me to step forth and shake my dusty cobwebs.

The Sunday Rah is my way of sharing those books with you without having to go through telling you that this is just my opinion, and is probably highly personal. It is also my way to throw out a bit of a plug as a thank you to the authors who have stirred my emotions.

Beautiful...

Guilty Pleasures #1

I has them.

You know what I mean. It's those little obsessions, those things that make you catch yourself at enjoying them perhaps a hair too much. You do enjoy them, though... and maybe the guilty aspect makes them just a tad sweeter.

I have enjoyed True Blood from the get-go, but I didn't really sign up for a team until I saw this scene...



Yes, this one pushed me over the line to full on Team Eric captain status. Of course, there were other things that lead up to my downfall, but those were the stairs that lead to the tenth floor. This scene with the Queen and the Yahtzee... this scene is the ledge from which I jumped.

Eric is a baddie, no doubt, but sometimes he's just so subtly, so ridiculously funny that I can't resist him. He's haunted, interesting, a tad clumsy, and he highlights his hair... Mildly Spike-alicious and all kinds of yes!

I think it helps that I always watch True Blood alone. No one else around here cares for it, so I get to warp what I see to suit my own twisted sense of humor. Also adding to the guilty of it all is the fact that I'm talking strictly about the t.v. show here. Eric Northman as portrayed by Alexander Skarsgard. I enjoy Charlaine Harris' novels, but this little pleasure is all about what I can see moving on the screen, all by myself with my cackling little fumbling wannabe dark-side hanging out.



Yes, it's wrong... So?

Have you joined a team yet?

Team Eric... yup

Eric Northman

Just a little preview for my next post, which is all about guilty pleasures...

Monday Babblings...

Tempted (front)
Mixed media on scrap wood.

I love book blogs. I really do. I follow them and enjoy them even when I don't agree with everything I'm reading. I like reviews and contests and author interviews... all of it. I even enjoy lusting after the giant stacks of stuff that bloggers get "in their mailboxes."

I thought very seriously about buckling down and changing this blog into a straight up book blog. Very seriously. I even tried to come up with a cat themed rating system for my reviews. I hemmed and hawed. I worked long shifts and neglected to blog about much at all. I fiddled with the template. I told myself that I was going to sit down today, dammit, and start writing reviews.

See, though, this is my brick wall. My brain does not want to write reviews. My brain wants to read books, yes, but it also realizes that what bugs the hell out of me might make someone else slap five blinging stars on a book. My brain does not want to be a critic... though it doesn't seem to mind being a cheerleader now and then.

I've decided to let my brain off the hook. It gets to read what it wants, and maybe sometimes rave about books it likes. If it really needs to point out something critical, it is allowed to do so on Shelfari or Goodreads... If it feels like it.

I'll still read book blogs, and enjoy them and link to them here. I still want to save Amanda Feral. I still want to throw up an occasional contest post, be it my own or a little plug for someone else's. I also want to talk about books... I think I just needed to give myself permission to be more casual about it.

Of course, I'll still be putting up my silly little paintings and projects as they occur. I started this blog to make a place for them. This is where they live.

And I'll still share videos that I love. I tried to talk myself out of that one, but I feel that people just don't get enough exposure to brilliant red heads playing piano. (This does make up about eighty percent of my youtube favorites, I've recently realized. How odd is it, catching yourself in a pattern like that?)

So... I have rambled long enough for one post, I think. Thank you for being there while I justify myself to... myself. And to anyone else who happens to be around.


Tempted (back)

The song for today is Leonard Cohen's Famous Blue Raincoat. Performed by Tori Amos.

February Wasn't Kind...

...but March has been a real bitch already.

I do miss blogging, though, so here's an unfinished painting!


Charlene 1
Mixed media on canvas.

And just because I can't seem to get enough of him these days...

Oh lordy...

Well... that template I wasn't going to mess around with went a bit bonkers on me. Back to square one... or square ten thousand and one. Sigh. I need a simpler way of doing everything.

Well, simple with access to teh webz.

This layout is very simple, but I think I can work with it. I'll feel better when I get all of my goodies back on here. This one allows me to put an original painting in the header, which I like.

It's very white, though. Let me know if this is hard on the eyes.