I fell in love with boise again today. It happens every spring. When I can actually get outside and go for a run, then come home and find the Crocus have bloomed.

I found myself at Hastings tonight, looking for a movie to watch while I veg away the rest of this cold. I finally broke down and rented Idiocracy. It was pretty funny, and got me thinking… how many movies like that can we make before we start to realize our own fate? What happens if Utah really cuts the 12th grade?

“A Utah lawmaker says too many 12th graders spend the year ‘playing around.’ As part of a cost-cutting measure, Republican State Senator Chris Buttars has proposed eliminating a fourth year of high school statewide.”
Read more »

Sure, that will help cut costs now. But what happens 5 years from now, when they need to cut costs again? I’m sure by then 11th graders will be slacking right through their last year of school. We all remember, waiting for college acceptance letters and then just sliding through those last few months. So will they want to cut the 11th grade, and then the 10th, 9th, 8th, 7th – you know… school really doesn’t benefit 1st graders. They usually just play games all day – it’s a big waste of time. Let’s cut school all together! Then we can make movies about butts and read OK! magazine all day!

So random thoughts.
If you see a sign saying “Buy today, save $100′s”, but you had no intention on buying the item in the first place. Are you really saving $100′s? Or are you just spending money…..

OH, whoa what’s this?

It appears I’m also selling illustrations on istock. Check them out»

Rachel’s style is unique and fun – check out this interview I found this morning while waiting for my roommate to get out of the shower (hehe)
Click here

I started my etsy account about a month ago. After thinking about it for a good two years, haha. I am so amazed with this world of etsy. There are countless marketing tools for social media and blogging – even sites that keep tell you how many people “heart” you. I’m still trying to find my niche on etsy, but here are some pretty helpful links I’ve found that seem to help:
http://www.craftcult.com/
http://www.handmadeology.biz/home/
http://www.found-handmade.blogspot.com/
http://tweetmeme.com/about/retweet_button
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/guidelines-tips-tagging-on-etsy-281/
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6127828
http://twitterfeed.com/

I slammed the car door shut, and began to run towards the hills. I came to a halt when I realized I just made a horrible mistake. I closed my eyes for a moment” just long enough to visualize my car keys locked safely within my car. Crap! I looked around for some help. There was an older woman picking up leaves in front of her house. I walked over to her and asked if I could use her phone. She seemed excited to simply have someone to talk to. She told me her name was Lucy and invited me in. I called the only number I knew. No answer. Lucy and I talked for a while. She told me about the trash and condoms people throw into her gutters. She also told me to never live across the street from a park. I enjoyed our conversation, but feeling restless and worried about my situation lead me to escape Lucy’s home. She waved good bye to me as I tied my running shoes and began my trek home.

It sounded like such a good plan in my head. All I had to do was run the three miles to my apartment and ask the apartment manager for a spare key to my apartment, and viola, I would have the key to my car with no need to call a locksmith!

When I finally arrived at my apartment building, the manager was not there! So now I was without money or a phone, plus my car was on the other side of town. So I decided it was time to call a locksmith. I knocked on my neighbor’s door.

I never really took the time to pay much attention to my neighbors. I was pretty excited when they let me in and use their phone to call a locksmith. When the locksmith finally appeared, he couldn’t understand my situation.
“So your keys are locked in your car…” he said, with a puzzled look “… you know it will be easier for me to get into your car then your apartment.”
“Yes, but my car is across town..”
“So your keys are locked in your car, across town… and you’re here..?”
“Yep, can you let me in?”
“I’ll give it a try”
Then he turned and walked up the stairs to my apartment. He managed to open the lock, and I grabbed my checkbook to pay him. Then he gave me his card and said, “Look forward to helping you again, I’m sure you’ll need it”

Seaside Contemplation

I found this pelican deep in thought on a pier in California. He let me walk right up to him and take his photo. I recorded his indifference to the world around him with pastels on paper.

This is an unframed pastel drawing, 18″x24″ on paper.

Ignorance is Bliss

My dog is one of those dogs who is always getting into something. He spent a good month wearing E-collar. It didn’t seem to bother him much…he was as happy as can be. Little did he know, he was sporting the “cone of shame”

This is an unframed pastel drawing, 18″x24″ on paper.

Green Smile

caught myself singing that Beattle’s song, Blackbird, while I was sketching this picture. Kinda odd, the bird turned out green.

Closeup of a green bird with an odd smile. Created with chalk pastels on paper.

Unframed, 11.5″x18″ on paper.

Yes…?

With an inquisitive glance, he looks up from his branch. Awaiting your question. But don’t hold your breath, he wont tell you anything you don’t already know.

Created with chalk pastels on paper. Deep browns, oranges, greens and yellows blend to create this little owl.

Unframed pastel on paper, 11.5″x18″.

Hide Me

You may never know what this jack rabbit is hiding from, and he will never be found in this tall grass.

Original unframed pastel drawing on paper, 11.75″ x18′.

Caught off Guard

I was cleaning out my photos on my computer, when I stumbled upon this adorable picture of my cat, Oliver. He had this expression on his face that made me think I had caught him doing something he shouldn’t ” trying to be too cute. Perfect subject for a fun pastel drawing. So I pulled out the largest paper I had around and some bright, unexpected colors to create this portrait. I suppose this is my way of accepting my fate as a cat lady – don’t tell the dog.

This is an unframed pastel drawing, 18″x24″ on paper.

Hello loyal followers. It’s true… I have an Etsy store! Click here to check it out!