jorts

I have to confess, I love jean shorts. Right now I'm into shorter distressed shorts worn with either a dark denim button down or a loose flowy top. It's summer.  I'm trying to channel like an authentic hippie chic or the genius that is Kate Moss. I'm wearing friendship bracelets and flip-flops. Ain't no shame in my game.

summer!

summer is here by francescalyn featuring

Ask for what you want.

I'm feeling scarily optimistic. Is it the end of summer calling? Summers always leave me feeling dried out and ill. Florida is so pleasant most of the time. I think it's a magical place if you know where to look. But even I cannot bear the swamp heat. This heat is oppressive. I hate being this far away from the ocean. I feel like their is seawater in my blood.
Or is this just the signal that something utterly awesome is going to happen. I know I'm already blessed but I cant help thinking maybe magical stuff is just around the corner. I could use good news. I want all the best for me and my friends and family.
Or just having my hair cut? Sometimes having the outsides changed can cause a shift on the inside. I remember certain decisions about how I look starting to shape my identity. It's funny how much clothing and appearance can factor in. It's also funny how little I sometimes pay to my appearance. I sometimes wear makeup and I've never owned foundation.
But, it's tricky. I also adore clothing. I look at high fashion as another form of high art. I also love creative people making their own stuff. And I don't wear much jewelery but I love the stuff I have. I see nothing wrong with beauty just for beauty's sake. That's probably a flaw on my part but I can't help falling in love with something exquisite. It's like when you see certain paintings and can't even articulate why you like them. As an artist I feel like I should question this beauty and the pleasure from viewing but as a pleasure-seeker I just sort of want to let it exist. It's like a fabulous meal at a restaurant --- maybe you don't want to know how it came to be. Maybe you just want it to appear, gorgeous and complete on your plate.

Dry & Tame: Orlando weekend

I went to Wet & Wild with my best girls. This was my first time at a water park and I think I like them. It was really fun but it might have also been the company.
FINALLY got to see Amy. A reunion of sorts. You know, sometimes you don't realize how much you miss someone until you see them again. It was cool to have Fish, Jen, Katy, Amy, and myself all in one place.
Amy is so awesome. She arranged for us to all stay in a hotel that was more like a townhouse. It was really nice. And it was nice to get to know her boyfriend better because he's great too. Lucky duck! Amy's sister Lisa also came and brought her betrothed Adam.
We all had a ridiculous amount of fun. Conversational highlights include Katy and I trying to decide which one of us would be the butch one if we were really in a relationship* and what delicious enormous chain restaurant we were going to eat at. I finally tried Bahama Breeze. I was not disappointed though I do wish I would have ordered one of those cute margaritas. Cheesecake Factory has got to open a restaurant in Gainesville!
Orlando is funny place. It's mostly made of plastic. But the memories are decidedly not plastic. Not even close.

*Interestingly enough, both of us were arguing for the butch role. In the end we decided to not let male/female dynamics define our same-sex relationship.

the luckiest idiot ever

its for the elite, because letterpress room is very small and so they only let people in that are going to work very hard and make good work- beau on letterpress
I'm in love with my two summer classes. I am taking a class on Chaucer and on that I THOUGHT was going to be Painting: Narrative Strategies.

Notice the bold, capital letters.

Their are two are studio classes offered this summer. Both of them are designated ART4930.

I signed up for the wrong one!

The class I signed up for was a mystery to me. It was just called image/text process. WTF mate? I didnt even know what the heck that class was/is. Who does that?

But I walked into it today and it turned out to be (drum roll please) LETTERPRESS !

I ADORE letterpress. It's using movable lead type to create printed words. You can also incorprate images by using linoleum blocks. The finished results look really gorgeous and rich. It's really really tedious but also so cool.

So, I'm the luckiest jerk ever.

You can hate me if you want.

Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival & Adventures in unemployment (part deux)

The Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival is proof that I will go to anything with the promise of a funnel cake. This festival is in it’s 34th year. Entertainment included Chris Cagle, SheDaisy, and Bucky Covington. The town of Zellwood is about two hours away from Gainesville. The Festival had activities such as a corn shucking contest and an antique tractor show. This attracted lots of white people. Many of these white people had on at least one tattoo. Some had camo clothing on. “Big Bertha” cooks corn in 350 gallons of boiling water. She can cook 1650 ears of corn every 9 minutes. It’s really freaking big.
The crafts area was small. I could have gotten a really big belt buckle with a bull on it. I was seriously tempted by the confederate flag belt. In the end I bought a trucker hat with “Zellwood” written on it. It also has an ear of corn on it. The corn itself is awesome. Worth the drive.
I thought I could do it. I thought I could lounge around Gainesville with no job for at least a week. Maybe indefinitely. But, I cant get fully into a sloth-like phase. I like doing. I have been working on new artworks and writing poetry. These things do not pay money. So, last week Liz and I went to the mall. We checked out what was hiring. They are opening a new bebe and a forever21 accessories store. Express is also hiring. Liz also dropped off an application at O2B kids and I picked one up. I’ll let everyone know how this turns out.

adventures in unemployment

I really do not want to be a cow comforter.

I hate looking for a job. Several weeks ago I wrote a desparate plea on facebook for someone, anyone to let me know of any potential job opportunities. I mentioned my ever-increasing temptation to sell my own plasma for art supplies and to support my Ben and Jerry's habit. I got three responses, one of solidarity from Jen, one from Lourdes being helpful, and an invitation from Gaby to sell juice. Juice? Picturing my tiny apartment filled with crates of unsold juice, I decided to begin my job search in earnest. My first action was to check and see what on-campus jobs are offered. Sometimes you get lucky and the jobs pay better than say, fast food. Plus, not as difficult as other jobs as most are behind a desk, inside. However, most of the jobs I could find that don't require federal work study were science or agricultural jobs that I am not qualified for. I refuse to help rear mosquitoes even if they are doing research for the greater good about them!

So, I am still looking for what my parents call a "real job". The cool local magazine is like, volunteer only, so that's no source of income. Amazingly enough, no one is looking for an ice cream taste-tester or someone to wear fabulous clothing and go listen to new bands. Darn.

relax with some pictures

Been hanging out at home, just relaxing with my family. I will be up in Gainesville in a week. Enjoy the pictures!