Why I Like It Wednesday - Princess Bride

This week I have been spending a lot of time thinking about marriage. (For a future series of paintings) On Why I like It Wednesday I am posting one of my husband and my favorite movies - Princess Bride. What does it have to do with marriage?

Well, the movie is such a favorite that I had one of the quotes made for the wall of our bedroom.   

True love, you think this happens everyday

Princess Bride, True Love, and My Marriage. That's why I like it.

Think about it Thursday - Your Nickname

I stayed up until 6 am last night/this morning, got 3 hours of sleep, then went to go pick up another daughter from the airport that is visiting this weekend. Then I slept an hour this afternoon. So it may be Thursday night for you but I think it's really only Thursday morning for me. 

Think about it Thursday is about your nickname. What sorts of nicknames do you have? And how did you get them? Or if you don't have one why is that? Do nicknames change us? 

I have a few nicknames. One my extended family and a few close friends call me - Shan, Shannie, or Shannie Wannie. Then there is one my Uncle Wayne gave me Tai Tai and pretty much he and my Aunt Les are the only ones who call me that. It came from some movie of a woman being very submissive and servant like. Hummm... so not like me, it was given more as a joke but it's one that has stayed. Another one. My middle name is 'Francine Kuu Iini'. When I was young I couldn't say KOO-OO I (the i like in ink) I-knee. So I would say 'Queenie' my shortened version. From that I've always had this underlying queen-thing going on. I had a couple of teen nicknames that weren't necessarily positive, though no one meant to be mean with them, and they never connected with me. 

Mashaide posted that she has several nicknames that she only likes her family to call her. I understand the feeling. I remember one time someone using one of my nicknames, who hadn't previously used it, and it startled me because it felt like an uninvited intrusion. But, then over a short time it became very natural. These nicknames make a special connection with me and the person using them. I think it's changed me in that I feel like I belong in a special place to someone else. That is a good feeling.

Mini-Monday Painting - Cupcake Jessie

oil 8"x8"

FINALLY! This is a first - Mini Monday on Tuesday. Truth be told I started exercising last week. And it's something that I'm not so fond of and takes me half the day to work myself up to do. So I have not been working my normal painting routine. I may have to change a few things here. But, for today here is the painting. It is inspired by my daughter Jessie. Her nickname, given to her by her great-grandmother is Cupcake. I don't even remember exactly why but that's it.

Most nicknames are given in affection, tenderness or some connection. It's a soft spot someone has for someone else. That's why the soft colored background of spots. The reflective foil surface is reflective because it mirrors the nicknamed's personality. The cupcake is served on a plate because we usually get 'served' nicknames from others. And the circle dragees because it is mostly an inner circle of people that use the nickname. (I actually meant to add a line on the inner edge of the plate to represent that too but forgot until this moment reading my notes - oh well) So, there you have it.

This week's painting inspired by Jessie & Gram

Why I like It Wednesday - LOVE the internet

Well... I LOVE the INTERNET! This might seem very strange for some of you but for us that remember life pre-internet (PI) this is an amazing tool. Things I can do...

- talk and see, for hours (without if costing a fortune) real-time, my husband when he is thousands of miles away. Everyday.

- have a 5 way (missouri, arizona, nevada, utah and nigeria) instant messaging laugh fest with family members. It's crazy how easy it is to keep connected now.

- desktop design anything and send it anywhere. When I got an electric typewriter (with changeable font dials) I thought I was really a design diva.

- research and answer any question, any time. Whatever random wonder comes up I don't have to stay ignorant about it.

- virtually meeting people I would NEVER have met before. Our social circles are as big as we let them become.

- be a stay at home mom and start a successful (not quite yet, but I'll get there) art career in the middle of nowhere.

- being in magazines, being on tv, ending up with opportunities that I never glimpsed before.

Is the internet great or what? These are just some of the things I couldn't do PI-Life that now I can. That's Why I Like It. 

Think about it Thursday - Blog Comments

Think about it Thursday. Hummm. I had a conversation with one of my sisters and we started talking about my blog. She said her daughter often goes to my blog but never leaves a comment, not even when I ask for one. Now that got me thinking. 

I understand not wanting to leave comments. Sometimes it's uncomfortable to put myself out there or to 'introduce' myself online. Other times it feels like I am interrupting a conversation already in progress.  Sometimes the conversation's just not worth it or I don't want to invest in long term talking. Some moments, I don't really have anything to say. (I know some of you find that hard to believe.)  I kept thinking about this.

Then I thought about the blogging from the other end. From the 'receiver of comments' side of things. I totally enjoy and am enlightened by my blog-family (even new 'family' members.) When I throw something out there I am excited to hear what other's have to say, what other's think. And since I have a blog and especially since I ask for thoughts I am expecting people (even strangers) to talk back at me. But, the funny thing is, is that they don't stay strangers for long. 

Now, back to my never-leaves-a-comment niece. Since I actually know her I was so disappointed that she didn't, doesn't, leave comments. She is bright, articulate, funny, sweet, thoughtful. She is someone I would especially love to hear what she thinks. So, Niece of mine that never-leaves-a-comment on my blog or anyone else's. For whatever reason you don't leave comments it's okay that you don't but I would love it if sometimes you did. 

Blogging - posts and comments - is a new way of life. For me, I am enriched from my little blog-family circles and I end up getting more than I give. Is it the same for you? Think about it.

Why I like It Wednesday - VW Bug Collection

 So today's Why I like it Wednesday is about collections. My VW Bug Collection. I don't really have too many collections but this is a fun one I do with one of my sisters and mom. It started with the Slug Bug game that my kids play. I don't know why or how the three of us got started but we would play it too. (Minus the hitting.) Still do when we are driving together. I think I may have been the first one to buy a toy VW and tell the other two that I had more than they did. (Hummm, a little subconscious competition need going on?) Then I felt guilty about having said competition issues so I bought them one. Then the next thing you know they are buying them, I am buying them, they are, I am, on and on. It's been a couple of years now that we've done this. I know very juvenile, BUT, guess who's winning? That's why I like it.

Family

I was looking at some old pictures. This was such a great day for me, our family, that I decided to put these up. This was April 2005. Allen was such a MAJOR support during those 4 1/2 years that it took to get through. He called himself my "PA = personal assistant". He would pick me up, drop me off all over campus and do all sorts of things. What a great partner. He is my perfect match. Leila is 19 here. I graduated late, she graduated early. I graduated in visual art, she in English. A great accomplishment for her. She went on to law school and should find out if she passed the bar in a couple of weeks. Thanks for reminiscing with me. 

Family

Kim wanted to see the family so here is everyone but Logan. Aug 2008  Leila, Bob and Alisha came to visit. It was totally fun to have them here.

happy birthday to me

Do we do everything in the studio? 

No, that is NOT a bonfire, it is my cake, thank you very much. It takes awhile to be able to put that many candles on your birthday cake. And there are my kiddos celebrating with me.