New Postcards coming in a few days!

Contact me with your mailing address if you'd like a postcard sent to you!

Naomi

Just finished another shrine!

I really didn't think when making this, I let my subconscious grab whatever materials I had. So I think it's interesting that I have a play of gambling, luck and religious symbolism...hmmm...I'll leave that to interpretation. What do you think?

Finished My Blue Shrine!

I think I'm going to call it Seahorse Theater. I was stuck on what to do with it for a while, but Carlos helped me out of that rut. I am really happy with it! All I have left to do is to add the hanger on the back and it will be on its way to Studio 6 on Main St. in Ventura, CA. I also have another shrine drying outside and will post pics later.

Started painting some more on this piece...

More progress to come in the next few days...

Back to School Supply Shopping!

I meant to write a post about this Monday, but forgot about it until now! So, guess how much I spent on school supplies for the kids this week? I spent $55 total. Not per kid, total. And this is for an 8th grader and a 1st grader. I know, amazing, right? How did I do it? I'll tell you.

1. Got my Sunday paper and compared their school supply list with what was on sale at each place. I chose to go to Staples because they had more of their necessities for cheaper.

2. I went through their individual lists with each of them to see what they already had. They had a few things left from last year that were still perfectly fine. Crossed out things to buy right then and there without having to leave the house (or even change out of my PJ's!).

3. Got post-its and Kleenex at the 99 cents store. Those are usually more at any store even during Back to School Sales. Most other things are cheaper at the sales.

4. Went to Staples and stuck to my list for each of them. No extras, nothing fancy or special. They know we're on a budget, and kids generally do not value their school supplies once they're actually in the thick of school. Things get thrashed. I got good quality supplies without buying anything where the extra flash means extra bucks.

5. I did NOT buy vinyl book covers! Those are expensive, ugly, and actually ruin textbooks! I help them make their own with paper bags we get from Ralph's or Trader Joe's. It's better for the environment AND they can draw and design on them and make them their own. Those look much better than camouflage or pink polka dots on their books.

And that's it! I did good this year! I hope you all are surviving Back to School! I can't wait. More art to be made while the kids are getting educated next week!

Lost Chankla!

So yesterday my poor son went to the beach with his uncle and grandma, and when they got back, I noticed his face looked like he'd been crying. so out of instinct, I look him up and down to see what's the matter and when I look down, I notice one of his flip flops is missing. They were his favorite ones. He literally cried all evening until he fell asleep. This from a kid who's fallen directly on his head on tile floor at 2 yrs old and barely cried.

Poor thing kept coming up with things to get his missing slipper back, like getting a submarine and looking for it. or he asked my why couldn't God suck up the water so we can go find it. Then said he hoped that a shark didn't eat it or bite it. He said tearfully, "I should've listened to you." I said, "What do you mean?" He replied, "You always told me not to go in the water with my chanclas."

Above are the style of chanclas that he lost. Yep, they're Havaianas, bought from Ross Dress for Less months ago. They are the Brasil style, but the size is a US 1-2. If any of you know where I can get that specific size, please let me know. I've seen it for sale in women and men's sizes but not in kids' sizes. He's feeling a little better today, but he still woke up after crying himself to sleep, asking if the ocean had spit up his missing chancla. :(

Working on a Children's Book today...

So I can't show it, but I'm working on laying out a children's book that I illustrated years ago. Usually I don't like looking at old work, it makes me feel weird, I guess it's similar to the way some singers can't listen to their own music. But, now laying out my old illustrations, they still hold up and are actually quite adorable! I am happy to see that. It was a great start to my day.

I've changed the header to our blog. What do you think of it? I'm also going to stop starting the names of my posts with "A Piece of My Mind..." because I have been very good about blogging every day since I've been laid off. Also, it will make it easy for any of you to search through archive blogs. Just letting you know...

Working on another shrine. Will post pics later.

Carlos has a new blog!

It's called a Face Per Day inspired by Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Go to the blog here at: http://faceperday.blogspot.com/

Here's the opening to Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! If you've never seen it...

A week HIATUS!!! A Piece of My Mind Today...08.23.10

Last week I felt like I had no energy. I think from being drained from the week before. Personal problems have been lifted! Our family is super strong and closer than ever and will stand against anything and anyone who tries to break us apart. That's all I'll have to say about what we've been dealing with, but I have to say it feels really great!

Okay, I've got some projects started. Working on more shrines for Studio 6 as I've had a few sales already! Here's one that is almost finished:


Here are some paintings I had started way back when, and I couldn't look at them for a while because I was completely uninspired. After uncovering them recently while unpacking more boxes, I took a good look at these and felt like they weren't bad, not bad at all! They both have some potential. So new projects for me to finish!


I also got around to putting up my Geisha Muerta pieces. Yep, these are the same ones that were in the Real World Hollywood House...and my son watching Invader Zim as he's waiting for breakfast. :)


Another thing I did last week was take my daughter clothes shopping for back to school. We went to Buffalo Exchange in Ventura and she got all the trendy things she wanted and I got to trade in some of the stuff I wasn't using. Ended up paying about $50 for $100+ worth of stuff! Great Job! (yes Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is now in my subconscious so I can't help but say Great Job! for everything these days lol) We even got done in record time, so we took a walk down to the Buenaventura Mission and took a tour.





What a gorgeous and peaceful place! My daughter and I both feel, see and hear things that we can't explain at times, and both of us felt very much at peace, but also felt extremely lightheaded and dizzy. The two places we felt the most dizzy was at the picture above, at the Virgin Mary shrine, and also toward the back where the tomb was. Quite an experience.

More to come including a new blog featuring Carlos and his many faces!

A Piece of My Mind 08.13.2010 Linocut Fail!

Yes, it's a linocut fail, but it feels so good! I actually really like something about it, even though it's not something I'd call a success. Some of it I think is that I used regular acrylic and not screenprinting ink. But I feel like I've learned something intuitive about this process. Now I am really inspired to start a new one, with what I've learned from this one. I think I'll still frame the muted pink background one. Usually I beat myself for Fails, but this is the first one I've felt great about!

Makes me think of this scene from "Meet The Robinsons" a highly underrated movie in my opinion!

A Piece of My Mind 08.11.2010: Craziness!

Crazy day tomorrow gotta get to sleep. Will draw at the Ventura County Courthouse tomorrow and hopefully get the scanner plugged in to scan my work when I get back. I'm sure there will be plenty of people sitting around just waiting to be sketched. :)

Pinkies Up!

I felt like being lavish this week. So I took the fam to an impromptu trip to the Greek at the Harbor on Monday, along with other lavish acts this week including going out for dessert last night! Tonight me and my daughter are going to the gym for some cardio and then going to take advantage of their infrared sauna to improve our skin. Super lavishness. :D

A Piece of My Mind 08.10.2010: Well...it's a...swan

I finally started a painting today. My sketch is up top. A preview of part of the painting is on the bottom. More progress to show later. Got a big day on Thursday, but my creativity is flowing like crazy!

A Piece of My Mind 08.09.2010: My work at Studio 6!

Here are some pics from today...

Me and CJ in the long hallway to Studio 6...
Then Alyssa and I...

And both the kids in front of the HUGE suit of arms!


My "Blue Lady" in Studio 6...

My Bio (like the glitter and skulls?) Card

"Tres Corazones" up at Studio 6.

Handmade magnets



And my shrines! The one at the end is already sold!
My big "Calavera Rosa Sirena" shrine next to my magnets...

If you are able to make it out, let me know what you think!

Studio 6 Open today!

My artwork will be up and for sale at Studio 6 on Main Street in Ventura, CA. If you are in the area, stop by and show your support! There are going to be other great artists and crafters shown at this gallery, all with very different styles than what is normall seen in the 805. I will be stopping by in the later afternoon!

Will post pics from the gallery later today.

A Piece of My Mind 08.08.2010: My perfect Sunday...yes I'm thinking of Hot Fuzz

Today was probably the best Sunday I've had in a long time. It felt like Carlos and I were on a vacation or something. Grandparents had the kids all day. We took as much time to do whatever we wanted today. We spent 3+ hours at Money Pancho's eating their bomb ass brunch and drinking champagne with cranberry juice, which they are very generous with. After that, hit the backyard with a blanket and pretended we were at the beach. We tanned for over an hour back there, while listening to the retro Disco station on DirecTV. The rest of the day just kept getting better. I even had a 3 hour nap. We've got a busy and important week coming up and I'm just so glad we got a day of true rest and alone time. Good night everyone.

A Piece of My Mind 08.0.2010 Part Deux: BBQ!

Loteria and Red Stripe!

Sylvia and Stefani...

Jazzmen and my coconut bank full of change for the Loteria pot...
And finally Carlos dancing while BBQing! and the skewers...

A Piece of My Mind 08.0.2010: BBQ!

We're having a BBQ today just like last weekend. Above are photos from last weekend. I'll post some from this weekend later...

A Piece of My Mind 08.06.2010: My mind had other plans apparently...

I had planned to get up this morning and have a sweat busting productive work day. My subconscious had other plans apparently. I had some crazy dreams, involving zombies wrapped in aluminum foil with skin that reminded me of baked white fish, and other dreams like going to Disneyland, being a tester on a new ride, for some reason they took down Star Tours (which I hope never happens btw), and it felt like I was flying like Tinkerbell over lands like Neverland, Alice in Wonderland and the Three Caballeros. It was weird, but it was fun, and the lands look like they were all touched with pixie dust. Then the second part of the ride was totally not finished, I flew through a construction site with lots of workers and one of them walked in front of the ride path, farted, and I had to ride through the fart. Lol!

Anyway, it was pretty awesome and weird and I woke up super late (my alarm was still playing "Take on Me" by Aha since 5AM and I had hardly noticed it). I did wake up just in time to get ready and bike ride over to the gym for a noon yoga class. I am so glad I did. Thanks Kimberly for inviting me! It was a great workout riding there, great workout and meditation during yoga, and a nice relaxing and day dreamy ride home. Plus, the perfect weather in beautiful Camarillo just added to it.

So, I'll look to have a super productive week next week, but I guess my mind wanted to rest this week, as well as open up my creativity again, as I hadn't really dreamed in a long time when I was still in my daily corporate setting.

A Piece of My Mind 08.05.2010: Soccer, headaches and happiness

As stated in my previous entry, the past couple of weeks have been stressful. Not worrisome, just annoying and having to deal with things that we really shouldn't be. But aside from that, we are definitely turning the negative into a positive and becoming a closer family because of it.

CJ had soccer today and he loved it! I sat back, watched the practice, and realized how much I truly love being a mom and being able to stay home at this time in my motherhood to fully experience it. It motivated me so much that I decided I really need to get my work day done early in the morning (and I mean when it's still dark out) so that I can spend more time like this with the kids, and connect with them.

So it's on. Tonight I go to the gym to get my work out in, and tomorrow morning, I will be up bright and early at 5AM to start writing articles and working on artwork. No more excuses. No more snacks (except healthy ones), and many naps when both myself and the kids are pooped out.

Going to go rest my head and get rid of the rest of this stupid and pointless stress headache, then will feel much happier. I want to use every minute of my time to build upon my life and what I want for it and for my family.

A Piece of My Mind 08.04.2010: Crazy = crazy, but inspiration is still on the forefront of my mind.

The past couple of weeks has been filled with personal drama. It's unfortunate that some people choose to remain in denial and completely live in their own delusions, but I can't change that, and I must remember what is important in my own life and push forward.



Pictured above are 50 little bags with images cut out personally by me, for the next Wine, Women and Wednesdays event. The last event was really eye opening, and further defined what Motivation and Inspiration means. It really helped me put things in perspective. Kimberly Reid is the lady who hosts these, and I'm so glad to be able to contribute to the next event. We will be making Vision Boards, something I'd been meaning to do for about 4 years now. If you are a woman in the Ventura County area, CLICK HERE for the link to the event.

It will be held in Newbury Park, CA on August 18.



Still working on cutting out more images and getting the little promo scrap image baggies ready!

Naomi