video: calligraphy

i've been obsessed for as long as i can remember with handwriting..
and calligraphy has always been at the heart of that obsession.
i've been watching dozens of videos, and can't get enough.
it truly is an art form.



TYPS3 from Luca Barcellona on Vimeo.

happy monday! xo-k

current obsession: dana tanamachi

i know chalkboard art is all the rage these days..
but really, the obsession here is hand lettering.
i'm absolutely ONE THOUSAND percent obsessed.
and right now, the obsession centers on dana tanamachi.


Ace Hotel Room 1021 from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.


ya. so good.
k

privacy.

i knew it was coming. as soon as i started school i know this was the path i would head down. it's not that i post things i'm embarrassed about, or that i'm embarrassed about what i've posted. but lets face it, i use all lowercase letters & i share stories about things that i wouldn't share in a professional work place.

so, i'm going private on the blog. it was one of the options i considered when i thought about just deleting the whole thing and refraining from blogging, and now i'm being asked again to review my online presence, and until i define more clear perimeters for myself, i'm going to restrict my viewers to those who have already been following me.

i have a plan in mind for the the end game, and that includes a public blog, but for now, i need to protect my stories & this place i've created, as well as myself.

so please, if you want to hang around, shoot me an email so i can add you to the list :)

redmetaljunk@comcast.net

xo-k

music: a little bit country

when summer time rolls around every year, i find my on again off again love affair with country music renewed. something about the sun, the water, and a laid back time of year makes me wanna crank up the volume on some of my old favorites. we have this running joke, the hubs & i, that he's a little bit country & i'm a little bit rock & roll.

the truth is more like he's a LOT country, and a little bit rock & roll, and i'm a LOT rock & roll, and a little bit country.

the point is, he is always excited each year when this 'mood' strikes me. if he's not listening to country on the radio, it's classic rock. i however, shuffle between just about everything under the sun while he's in the car with me.. and let's just say he's not a big fan of bands like muse, or bruno mars, or pink (but he knows what's good for him, and leaves the dial alone! :)

i've had the music cranked up during homework, cleaning house, and just in general these days, and i thought i'd share some songs i'm digging right now, the country ones.



crank up the volume & have an impromptu dance party.
it'll make ya feel better.
just sayin'.

xo-k

currently: 4.9.13

 

excited:

 

 

let's be honest.

if you are a die hard truebie, like me...

(read the sookie books & have watched since season 1)

last season was crazy bad.

and i mean crazy bad like, awful & horrible.

(kinda like the newest season of glee. disappointing)

steve newlin a gay vampire.. saw that coming.

sookie all up in fairy town.. inevitable if you've read the books

vampire headquarters nut jobs... what the what?!

vampires doped up on blood of the first vampire... huh?

vampire bible... seriously?!

crazy blood bathed bill?

i seriously hope it gets more good crazy.

(although i may be totally alone in how i feel on last season)

 

finished:

 

i had behavioral science last month.

i was sort of scared about diving into it...

because.. uhm.. i've actually attempted psychology twice before.

it's totally boring, and i find it difficult to stay on task.

so i was totally delighted to find this class was less intense.

and ya. i aced it. :)

 

out with the old, in with the new:

 

 

we started looking on craigslist for a new to us couch about two months ago...

we weren't particularly motivated, or on a timeline...

mostly browsing.

and then two weeks ago the hubs got totally serious.

ya see the old couch (above) is a piece o' crap.

and that's putting it nicely.

it's microfiber, and a light tan color, and i don't know what i was thinking when i thought that was a good choice for a house full of boys.

it's been dirty since the beginning.

it's endured spilled bottles, baby spit up, and leaky diapers between two kiddos.

it's been a launching pad for the dude to hurl himself across from one side to the other.

it's been thrown up on. more than once.

and lord help me, the 75lb dog has pooped on it, through the doubled up sheets that were on it.

about a year ago when the dude puked all over one of the cushions i cleaned it the best i could, but it was still grossing me out..

and i thought, this thing is so sad looking, what could it hurt to wash the cushion covers.

so i tossed two in the wash.

and when they were dry, i washed the other two.

you sink way down on the cushions, and the top of the back cushion forces your head forward.

it's far beyond being comfortable, and the back cushions are starting to tear free of the seam.

it (as evidenced by the sagging end pillows) seen better days.

 and i'm embarassed for people to come to my house and see it.

so like i said, we were browsing craigslist..

and when we settled on getting some type of leather, blended leather, wipeable type of surface..

my husband started noticing it wasn't THAT much more to get a new couch..

and if we got a NEW couch.. we could get NEW recliners.

(because I haven't heard the end of how I got rid of the one we had 8 years ago)

so we went out shopping a few nights & settled on this one from rooms to go.

and i am SO excited, even though they are backordered  until MAY.

it's a sectional, so we were able to customize our set up.

we ditched the chaise (though it would have been nice)

and the armless chair next to it,

kept the console piece & added a left arm recliner.

so we have a total of three recliners.

did i mention how excited i am?!?!

 

disappointed:

 

 

we officially quit soccer this week.

it was a long time coming.

last season was great.. this season not so much.

as anyone with a child with special needs can tell you, everything is a learning process.

last season we were in a younger age group, and the coaches were very responsive to our input on how to coach mason.

this year, not so much.

sadly, our coach is ALL about winning, and several kids, not just ours, suffer because of it.

unfortunately the kids who are not 'star athletes' don't get coached.

they get 'dealt with'.

the dude was eager, and improved drastically in his skills from the beginning of his last season, to the end.

this year, if it's possible, he's back to were he was in the beginning.

the bad coaching along with his ADHD made for a vicious cycle.

the coach wouldn't put him in during a game, so he'd start goofing off..

and then he didn't get put in, because he was goofing off...

and when he did get in, he was only in for 10 minutes (if that) before he was taken off the field for no reason.

when he put forth his best efforts, they were never recognized..

which for a kid like him, praise is SO important.

on a team of 13 kids, with 9 on the field, only 2 positions were being rotated.

it was disheartening for him and us.

when i spoke to the coaches about the game rotation i got

'well we get so wrapped up in the game, we forget to sub people'.

what?

and then the kids on the team started bullying him.

and that was the final straw.

because the dude already struggles with low self esteem,

& soccer was making it worse by the minute.

so, when for the third time in a row, he came across the field crying about something someone said to him, when it was clear he was doing his best to actively participate & control his impulses,

we called it quits.

 

it's not the end of the world, just the end of our 'soccer era'

next up to try is karate.

he's obsessed with the ninja turtles & eager to try.

and we have always preached 'ya don't know until ya try' to him when he says he 'can't do something'

so, looks like i'll be bleaching karate uniforms sometime soon..

 

so that's what's filling up my head these days..

along with a little something else, but that's for another day :)

blogging because hopefully one day i will get back to project life..

as i am seriously, SERIOUSLY behind.

 

xo-k



recipe:raw peanut butter oatmeal bites

so let's be honest.
the holidays were rough on my will power.
i know i'm not alone on this one.
with outings, and family gatherings, and vacation..
it get's rough to stay sugar & gluten free.
i feel for those who are truly allergic or diabetic.
it's slim pickings.
so, i faltered a little. it took me until mid-february to get back on track.
i'm not guilting myself, i'm just going to pick up where i left off.
it takes a loonnng time to break 32 years of bad habits.

but let's be honest.
i like sweets.
and even cutting my addiction to sugar, doesn't kill that.
it's in my dna. it's a genetic thing.
my oma had a sign in her house forever that said 'a chocoholic lives here'.
i never knew what it meant until i was a teenager.
my dad? total chocoholic too.
and lucky me got the sweet gene.
my brother would pass over a candy bar for a big juicy rib any day.
so would my mom. i wonder sometimes if i'm not adopted...
then i remember that my mom always has a bag of dark chocolate peanut m&ms in the drawer for dad to snack on.
and that dad was the only other person in the house who would reach in & grab a piece of frozen cookie dough out of the freezer & eat it.

yep. that's me. my father's daughter 100%.
cookie dough is far better than the actual cookie in my opinion.
and it doesn't even matter what flavor the dough is.
peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip, chocolate mint, you name it..
i eat my share before they get baked.
(same goes for cake & brownie batter, they are much more alluring to me raw than cooked)

so anyways,
as a self confessed sweet tooth, it was absolutely necessary to find alternatives to refined sugar.
because if i'm going to be successful, i have to find a way to eat what i'm craving.
in walks these babies:

 

 

raw peanut butter oatmeal bites via triumph wellness
(i slightly altered this to my own tastes & what i had on hand)

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats (be sure to check labels for gluten free if you are allergic)
• dash sea salt
• 1/2 cup raisins
• *3/4 cup pitted Medjool dates
• *2 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter (OK to leave out to make nut-free)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Put oats and salt in food processor.
2. Process until finely ground.
3. Add remaining ingredients and process until fully combined.
4. Add a few drops of water if needed to form balls.
5. Form into balls or press into a square pan and cut into squares.

i LOVED them. LOVED.

the hubs said they tasted like raw oatmeal cookie dough, and didn't like them.

uhm, hello? that's the best part!

anytime i make a new recipe i use this nutrition calculator @ spark recipes to figure out the calories

never in a million years did i think i'd be a calorie counter, but it's what is working for me.

that + cutting gluten & sugar, and minimizing the processed foods.

i use the 'lose it' app on my iphone to keep me in check.

i can pretty much guesstimate how many calories are in my meals now, but i still use it to keep me on track.

 

anyways, i thought i'd share this recipe.

i keep them in the fridge and pop one anytime i'm craving a little something sweet after dinner.

give 'em a try, even if you aren't dieting or cutting carbs & sugar, i promise, they are good!

 

have a great week!

xo-k

 

ps. i have never been diagnosed as having a gluten allergy. last april i did a 7 day fast, and after doing lots of research, i decided to try cutting gluten from my diet, as just counting calories wasn't working for me. i found that as soon as i worked back up to solid foods, and ate something with gluten in it, i felt awful after eating it. bloated, sluggish, and miserable. since then, i've opted for gluten free foods whenever possible. i've always tried to be carb-free cause it worked for me in the past, but now gluten free is working fabulous. i skip most carbs anyways, but when i want pasta, or a tortilla chip with dinner, i can have it using gluten free products. it's a win win, cause most of the time the gluten free stuff has less processed ingredients in it. and i don't have to miss out on french fries or sweet potato pancakes. i just eat them in moderation & with a protein.

 

pss. i don't think sugar is the devil. i was diagnosed long ago as having Hyperinsulinemia, which is often a precursor to type 2 diabetes, something that runs rampant in my family. i never really took the time to educate myself on it, but just tried to avoid the carbs & sugar, again thinking that was the problem. i took time last year to learn about alternatives to sugar, because cutting it out altogether was making me yoyo diet unsuccessfully. i love sweets, and i would fail miserably at trying to go without them. i mean, who wants savory oatmeal? i've learned how to mimic sweetness without the sugar, and couldn't be happier. i use coconut sugar, & honey mostly, but still in moderation. it's what works for me.

 

 

 



currently: 3.21.13

drinking: lots and lots and lots of water. using a new app called idrated to keep me in check. it keeps track of how much i drink and reminds me to drink when it's time.

watching: well WHEN i'm watching it's 'the first 48', 'city confidential', 'bizarre foods', 'mysteries at the museum', & 'notorious' i'm current on 'new girl' and waaaay behind on 'vampire diaries' and 'american horror story'. i usually watch while i'm folding laundry & when i go to bed, and somehow i never have enough time, or little eyes around when i'm ready to catch up on those two. it's clear that had i the stomach for it, i should have been a detective, i can't get enough of csi stuff.

listening: currently obsessed with these three songs:
 

 

 

enjoying: more random lunch dates with friends i don't see enough. it's nice when we can carve out a small amount of time during our busy schedules to catch up. so far i've lunched with a different friend each month. it's pretty awesome, and one of the small goals i set for 2013. i'm looking forward to many more :)

wanting: to go some place new. even if it's only for a weekend. i think it's because i spend so much time in front of the computer, but i can't wait to get out of my house at the first chance!

anticipating:  busy weekends. this is the time of year were we literally bounce from birthday to graduation party to company party to easter, and everything in between. busy weekends are a fun break from my homebody routine!

loving: the dblcam app. i haven't mastered it yet, but i'm loving the possibilities.

 

 

reading: school stuff. i have read one book since december, and it was kind of lame. i just don't have the time, and right now, i'm okay with that. so much for my goal of 60 books in 2013, just not realistic now that i'm in school.

blogger seems to be spazing out this morning, so i'm going to stop there.
see ya soon... i hope!
xo-k

video: be more awesome

i have good intentions of blogging, really i do.
but it is sort of at the bottom of my priority list if i'm honest.
i'm not BUSY, but i'm occupied.

i'm doing dishes and washing clothes.
i'm sweeping floors, and cleaning bathrooms.
i'm cooking dinners, and trying to cut out sugar (again)
i'm working on my will power, and scaling back portion sizes.
i'm giving baths, and picking up toys.
i'm driving to soccer practice, and giving up team mom responsibilities.
i'm watching school related videos, and posting lengthy discussion board posts.
i'm reading e-school books, and stealing small moments to read fiction for pleasure at soccer (where there is no internet access, and therefore no homework can be done)
i'm learning my new Mac, and i'm trying to teach myself photoshop.
i'm trying to attend class broadcasts, and bribing the dude to occupy the babe for an hour while i do.
i'm getting stressed out, and discouraged.
i'm not calling friends, i'm not even calling my mom.
i barely talk to my husband after 8pm when i finally have quiet time to focus on homework.
i'm finished with my first class, and onto my second one.
i'm trying to steal moments at the end of the week, beginning of the new when assignments are finished to work on project life.
i'm grumpy, i'm tired, and i have a long way to go.
and to quote elise blaha cripe "i can't do this, but i'm doing it anyways"

yesterday i rearranged the babe's nap schedule so that he'd be down when i had my web class.
he was so irritable by the time he finally went down, i felt guilty for keeping him up.
and after running around all morning with laundry, the dishes, and general daily picking up, and sneaking in a few moments to finish up an assignment or two..
i was in a BAD mood.

and i was in a BAD mood when my web class started.
i'm taking behavioral science this month, and this weeks lessons are on motivation & optimism/pessimism.
the good thing about Full Sail is that they are very interactive in their approach to learning.
(sometimes to my dismay, as i have to scramble to learn a new program on top of completing the assignment)
so yesterday, as an intro to optimism, we were asked to watch this video.





can i say, this kid is just AWESOME.
after the class was over i clicked through and watch some more of his videos.
i couldn't stop smiling. it was the first time i had smiled all day.
and after watching those videos, my mood was totally transformed the remainder of the day.
i felt like a huge grumpy sack of feelings were lifted off my shoulder.
and so i wanted to share with you, in case you find yourself in the very same grumpy state today.
i know we all get into those moods, it's inevitable in life..
but kid president wants you to be more awesome, and so do i ;)



happy thursday!
xo-k

wordless wednesday: obsessed with chalkboard art.

my life: back to school

if you follow me on instagram, you may have already figured this one out..
but i'm going back to school.

actually, i started back to school on monday.
it seems a little like a whirlwind since the beginning of january.
honestly. it all happened so fast, it all just fell into place & before i knew it, there was this on my doorstep.

 

 

uhm, ya. that's a macbook pro.

part of my 'books' for school.

actually, it's ALL of my books for school.

that & the copy of windows for mac & adobe cs 6.

 

 

yes. adobe cs6.

i, who have never even played with photoshop.

only dreamed about it, now have the whole she-bang.

it's been my, pinch me i'm dreaming moment for about 2 weeks now. 

 

so, like i said, my first class started on monday.

it's all online, so i don't have to even leave the comfort of my own home for this.

which is great, cause, i have these two little people who need me too.

 

i am attending full sail online.

it's a private school here in central florida that my brother turned me on to.

they specialize in entertainment media & all that encompasses.

and before you think my sights are set on rubbing elbows with celebrities, i'm going for graphic design.

 

and had you asked me 2 years ago, or 5 years ago, or even 14 years ago what i would put my heart behind in school,

it wouldn't have been this.

but i am BEYOND excited.

seriously, giddy-school-girl EXCITED.

and feeling a little bit stupid for taking so long to come around to this conclusion!

 

i didn't take graphic arts/design in high school, but i have ALWAYS loved print advertising..

i've been obsessed with design period as it relates to print/graphics since i worked on yearbook in high school.

i wish someone would have hit me with the magic stick way back then to make me realize what i would love.

especially since when people asked me what i wanted to do, i could never really answer..

but i would always say, 'well if i could just do yearbook forever, i'd be happy'

 

DUH.

 

so ya, as someone obsessed with fonts & design.

someone who loves scrapbook design.

someone who just couldn't be happy with anything she thought about 'doing' because it didn't sound fulfilling or like a creative outlet.

this is huge.

 

i am 33 & i finally decided what i want to be when i grow up.

and honestly.... NOW it's a little scary! 

 

so school started on monday, and this week has been a little crazy.

the house has been a little bit messier, the dinner's a little later & haphazardly thrown together.

instagram has all but been abandoned.

i don't know how you ladies with jobs do it.

it's insane. and i have to tell myself constantly to put down the broom, i HAVE to do homework.

the dog hair can stay there another few hours.

cause when the babe is sleeping, it's all school, all the time.

 

and blogging will obviously be waay less..

(not that it could get much less than it was before, but at least now i have a REAL reason!)

 

so here's to going back to school, and following your heart.

x0-k