Coat of Arms (Please Vote)

My favorite author is hosting another contest that of course I had to participate in, especially since it was a call for creativity. She asked her fans to design a coat of arms for a prickly middle aged character that is known for putting everyone, including Napoleon Bonaparte, in place with her sharp-edged umbrella.

The only requirement was to have two crossed umbrellas, the rest was up to us.

You can see the other entries, and mine, here: http://www.laurenwillig.com/news/2012/10/02/pick-miss-gwens-coat-of-arms/

And if you decide to comment, I would appreciate if you mention that you like #4 the very best.

I won third place last year for a similar contest, but I'm just as eager to win another ARC copy of Lauren's newest book The Ashford Affair.

March Header

I like March because it is a whole month dedicated to Green. I love the color green.

Next week begins a month of crazy, busy. I start two classes: cake decorating and a writing class (in Heber) and I will be continuing my workouts at the gym with Alaina. (See her Facebook page here.)

For those of you wondering, I haven't noticed a huge physical change since I started working out with Alaina in January, but I feel stronger. And I bet I would have more energy if I weren't up at this hour touching up my blog. I love the program that Alaina has me on because the workouts are challenging and, dare I say? Fun. I was afraid that when I started, I would dread going and hate it the whole time I am working out, but really, I've started to enjoy it.

If only I could hire a personal chef, I think I would really be on track.

Self Portrait

Interior Decorating

The office I work in gets a lot of compliments. We work in a historical neighborhood and Kevin has done a really great job preserving the integrity of our old building. While nothing but the exterior brickwork, the stained glass window and the staircase is original, a lot of it looks like it is just as it should be.

This is my third Christmas season at KMA. In previous years I've had a few red and green candles, some fake poinsettias and a Santa candy bowl to work with as decorations, but this year, I wanted to add a little more. So I asked our controller/Kevin's wife if she had any extra Christmas decorations laying around. Instead, she gave me permission to take some money to Thai Pan Trading Company (!), and pick up some things. She turned it all over to me.

So last Friday, I went to Thai Pan with my friend Ryley, and we had fun making out a floral arrangement and picking out different odds and ends that I really am pleased with the end result. I only wish I had had more money to buy a tree...

I am rather pleased with how it all turned out. What you don't get to experience, is the fact that our office also smells ridiculously good because of the scented wax plug-ins that we have running throughout the day.

Now if only I could have the money to decorate my own home!

Creepy October Header

I haven't been using Picnik.com for much lately, but that will all change. They've put up pretty much the coolest features ever, and I will begin using my free time to turn people in to zombies.

I never knew I liked zombies, until now.

Have you voted???

Do you see this design? The one I worked on for a few hours and was terribly proud? Well, this image is for a contest and it's not doing so well. And it's up against poor resolution, botched photoshop jobs that just happen to be on cooler objects than a button. (And then there are some good designs, that are actual competition.)

Yeah, I put this on a button, and people aren't voting for it. Dang it!

*I'm trying not to be petty and let it bother me too much that while the others' text is written out on some of the others, my "Emma Delagardie Grand Inquisitor for Poetic Excellence" was not mentioned. Nor was the fact that the loose file could be used on ANY image. It doesn't have to be just a button. Since this was mentioned for a few of the other files, I feel a little gypped and sabotaged. But that's why I have such wonderful friends who will get on here and vote ---- riiiiiight??!

So, if you haven't logged on to Lauren Willig's website, and voted for #17 as your favorite, DO IT! Please. And thank you. And then tell all your friends. Use all your email accounts. Etc. Etc.Voting ends on Monday, so don't put it off.

Click here: http://www.laurenwillig.com/news/2011/09/22/2911/#comments
and leave a comment with #17 as your #1.

Thank you for those that have already voted -- some of you are fast. Thank you!!!

Drawing for The Garden Intrigue

Emma, Grand Inquisitor for Poetic Excellence from The Garden Intrigue

One of my favorite authors (Lauren Willig) is having a contest in order to pass out ARC (advanced reader's copy) for her newest book The Garden Intrigue, that isn't actually due out until February. Naturally, I want my grubby little hands on a copy because I've been dying to read it since the second I finished reading The Orchid Affair.


The contest was to create something that could be sold in the Pink Store. Initially, I wanted to recruit a guy in our ward who is an illustrator. I had this idea in mind, that would have gone perfect with the types of illustrations he draws, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to try my hand.

I've always been jealous of my cousin Camille's creative ability. She paints. She photographs. She's just always been better at crafts and artistic expression. I remember being a little girl and her telling me it was just because she had more experience. The truth is, she has more experience, more training and more talent. But every once and a while, I am a little bit pleased with what gets churned out when I try to be creative.

I'm not saying that the above sketch is a work of art, because it isn't. And if I had photoshop, I know it would look BETTER, but I have to work with what I have, and that leaves a lot of things to be desired sometimes. So aside from the fact that you can't really read the writing, and there are a lot of scan marks that I couldn't get out, I am pretty pleased with Emma from The Garden Intrigue, the Grand Inquisitor for Poetic Excellence. I can't wait to read what she does with Augustus.

When I emailed it to Lauren, she sent me a quick reply back.

I love it!  That's gorgeous-- and so very, very Emma!

All best,Lauren

So there you go! Some validation from the author, herself!

Patriotic Blog

I just updated the ole blog to celebrate the Fourth of July. I feel like I'm not a true patriot, and that's something I really want to work on, because I really love our country. Even if I do disagree with most of the politics that are around...

Where liberty dwells, there is my country.  ~Benjamin Franklin

My God!  How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!  ~Thomas Jefferson

Drawing Challenge Day #26 to the End

Can you believe how cold it STILL is in Utah? I beginning to believe that summer will never actually arrive. All this flooding that people are worried about - why? It's not like the snow is actually ever going to melt if it doesn't warm up. Slay.

Yes, I got lazy. But seriously.

I had fun drawing the little mouse on my Cinderella sketch that I drew another little mouse.

Seriously.

Drawing Challenge Day #21-25

I really want a farmhouse or a little cottage. Sans ticks.

I used to roll my eyes at people telling me that I would miss class. And then they would tell me not to, because they said I would feel the same way once I graduated. I was certain they were wrong. But every once in a while, I get sick of sitting at my desk at work, and I wish that I were instead walking around campus headed to a geography class - even if I did spend a lot of time sleeping.

Can you tell I was starting to get bored of this? But I really do need LOTS of money to pay off debt, to travel, to get out of BYU housing, etc. etc.

Drawing Challenge Day #15, 17, 18-20

Drawing Challenge Day #14

Choosing my favorite fairy tale was actually really hard to do. Ultimately, it was decided because this picture was easier to draw than Sleeping Beauty.

I love fairy tales. Especially the Disney versions. But I also really love Cinderella. The whole, rags-to-riches, dreams come true bit really appeals to me. I've typically enjoyed any spin on the Cinderella tale. Even the corny versions (like, with Hillary Duff).

Drawing Challenge Day #12 and 13

Everyone already knows about me being published in Woman's World magazine, but it is my definite most recent accomplishment. It can be picked up in the grocery stores in a few days. (Week of June 2)

Self explanatory, I think.

Drawing Challenge Day #11

I don't know how they expect you to draw a "turning point", but as I really sat and thought about this, I realized that I haven't come to any type of turning point at all.

Everything has flowed pretty naturally, and there haven't been any abrupt changes or anything like that. I thought about drawing my drive to Utah, or something related to BYU or...

But none of it, though it has affected the way my life has turned out, has been an actual "turning point."

So, I guess I am still waiting for that thing in my life that stops me in my tracks and makes me go a complete different direction.

Drawing Challenge Day #9 and 10

Drawing Challenge Day #7

I don't really think I need to explain this one.

Drawing Challenge Day #6

I don't think I've ever really been able to choose my favorite book. And now they want me to choose my favorite character from my favorite book!?

I have a sneaky suspicion that whoever wrote up this list assumes that everyone's favorite book is Twilight and everyone will be drawing Edward - or Jacob.

But I got over my Twilight obsession years ago.

Anyway, I was going to draw Peeta from The Hunger Games. But I'm still mad about the casting decision and I didn't want to try and draw somebody that looked better than who they cast, because as we can already see, my drawings really don't amount to much.

My newest favorite series is by Lauren Willig and my favorite hero is Turnip from The Mischief of Mistletoe. I started rereading it the other day, and I just love him. He's so great! So I tried to draw him and his ridiculous waistcoat, and got the above picture.

(If you haven't read the Pink Series yet, I suggest you do...just saying.)

Drawing Challenge Day #5

Drawing your best friend is hard, because it is hard to determine who you want to draw. And who will or won't be offended at how you depict them. My mom is my best friend, because she won't mind that this looks nothing like her at all. And she'd still let me post it on the fridge if I wanted to. She'd never do that herself, but she wouldn't take it down if I did.

Drawing Challenge Day #3 and 4

Day #3: My favorite food. I chose a bowl of rice and a bowl of unknown something (but is supposed to be yellow curry) because I could eat Thai everyday, probably, and not tire of it, but I also didn't want to draw anything too complicated.

My other thoughts were fish tacos. I was just going to draw a fish and write taco beside it. See, I'm lazy when I draw.

The laziness comes in to play for Day #4: My favorite place, too, because I would have drawn something related to home, or the cabin my grandparents lived in in Naches, Wa.

But I don't really have a favorite place. Sometimes it is in my car. Other times it is in a park somewhere, reading.

But I think I made a good choice. My bed is easy to draw, and I wouldn't get out of it on most days if I didn't have to.

Drawing Challenge Day #2

Day #2: Draw My Favorite Animal

I really don't have a favorite animal, but everyone knows that I love teacup piglets and want two of them. So I drew them... in a teacup.

Adorable, no?