Summer Vacation Diary: Crappy Art Edition

One thing that my daughters both really enjoy doing is creating a huge mess.  Luckily there is this thing called "Arts and Crafts" that allow you to make said mess but add glue!  When my 2 year old found a big box full of those shiny metallic plastic die cut thingamajiggies I figured "Hey, I'm a grown up now, I took art classes in college, maybe I can actually do something interesting with those!"
This is the result:

It is what one of my worst critics in college would call "Hippie Crap".  That sentiment echoes in my head every time I try do to anything artsy.  That a-hole really ruined my artistic self esteem.

Did putting the fake museum frame around it in Picasa make it look any better?  Didn't think so LOL  And I know you are dying to know what I made those fantastic clouds out of!  The answer is:  those round stickers you write prices on for your yard sale items!  Genius!  And yes its both day and night in my picture.  Hey its art, and you can't be wrong in art.

My other interest is painting.  I used to be pretty good at it.  Again, my best paintings were done in college around midnight when I was...inspired.  Watercolor is one of those things that can look amazing when done properly, and also the most washable paint ever.  This means I have tons of it.  I unfortunately have paper that calls itself "Watercolor Paper" but LIES!!!  Yesterday I tried to make a good painting, but was rushed.

Could be much much better.  I blame it on the bad paper.

Today I am considering breaking out the acrylics.  That is, if they aren't all dried up from sitting in storage for upwards of 3 years.  I found some canvases in the basement.  It looks like a good day to make some more Hippie Crap.

  

Summer Vacation Diary Day 11

Today:

• I got my lazy butt up at 5:15 again and took a walk.  So nice out.
• All three kids were home and within moments of them being downstairs the bickering started.  I decided to just ignore it.
• My ex called at 11:00 and said he had the week off so he was going to take them this afternoon for overnight at least one night.  This is bittersweet.  I am glad they get to go somewhere and do stuff, like go swimming and bike riding, but I do miss them when they are gone and I feel like I've barely seen Alicia for a week.  Yes I complain about the bickering but it is better than them not being here.  And Autumn is starting to break down when they are not here because she misses them!  Its heart breaking.
• I did 6 loads of laundry.
• No shower.
• Trying to keep images from the movie I saw Saturday night out of my head.  Can't get the song "Pony" by Ginuwine to stop playing over and over in my mind.  Or "Blow My Whistle" by Flo Rida.  This is not the type of music I normally ever hear!!!  Yikes!
• I tried to take the kids to the free lunch program that the state is doing this summer for kids under 18.  We were so out of food it was scary.  Everytime I have gone somewhere that there is food I have been overeating because I'm used to there being next to nothing.  Then I feel sick that night and the next day.  How did this happen???  Oh yeah!  There are THREE kids eating me out of house and home all day long!  
• Foodstamps have been renewed for the month.  Yes I am on foodstamps.  And very grateful for them. Its virtually impossible to support a family of five on what my husband is currently making.  I finally got brave and grocery shopped this afternoon when Kris got home.  I hate going on the first because, well, I'm sure you can figure it out.  They have usually restocked by Monday so there was lots of food.  I haven't shopped like that in months.  I can't believe how much more food costs.  What I bought used to come to about $159 but this time it was $198!  I always buy the same stuff!  Crap.
• I ended the day by taking another walk.  I need new sneakers so badly.  My feet were so sore after just a forty minute walk.  Not in the budget right now, need to find some good sales. 

Summer Vacation Weekend Edition Vol 2

Saturday was birthday party day.  I brought Alex to one at 1:00 and sadly he was the only kid that showed up.  I think summer birthday can really stink if you are relying on inviting kids from your class that you aren't friends with outside of school.  Alex RSVP'd himself, went to the Dollar General, set himself a limit on how much he was going to spend, and actually stuck with it!  So hard for me to let him make his own decisions but I am keeping my mouth shut.  I want him to be the opposite of me!!  I get anxiety calling people I don't know, and I always spend too much on gifts because I don't want to let someone down if they expected something great, etc.  

After the party the older kids went with their Aunt to go roller skating.  Both kids have them now and I was a total carpet wall clinger when I used to try to skate at Skateland back in the 80's and early 90's so thank GOD there are other adults around to get them into this fun sport.  I have a wonky foot so it makes it near impossible to do anything that involves balancing with my feet.  

Saturday night I went to a movie.  This is not a movie I normally would have chosen to see but I was going with a group of girls and really wasn't sure what I was in for.  We saw Magic Mike.  Holy crap.  That is all.

Sunday we went to my parents' house and my mom had the most genius Idea.  Her Idea was to make a list of crap you can find outside around their house and give a copy to each kid and tell them its a photo scavenger hunt.  That means they each have to take their cameras and get a semi-clear photo of each item.  It kept them busy for a solid 40 minutes!  

This coming week is the 4th of July week.  At least there is plenty to do for several of the days.