post grad

So, life as a college graduate is more lackluster than anticipated, but it has given me some time to be lazy, recover from undergrad, live life unemployed, and paint a little here and there. After my August graduation my life plans did somewhat of a 180...not as dramatic though so maybe like a 147 or so..? Seems about right.

....I still haven't the slightest clue what my future holds...but I like it.

One thing I do know for certain is that my desire to make a difference will always remain. I really hope you guys consider supporting my cause. I will have more paintings posted shortly. I've done a few different things with the wedding trees and have some exciting news about those to come as well.

Thanks for checking out my post grad update and for those of you still in school-- seriously, never leave. Growing up isn't that cool, promise.

Now I shall leave you with the latest piece. Mirrors are cool. ----->

Forgive my poor picture quality on just about all of my paintings, workin' on it!

ywca of greater memphis

For the past four years or so, I've been driving the same routes around the University of Memphis. Down Highland and back for classes, local bars, coffee shops, and the dreaded trips to the gas pump. What I always cruised right by and never thought twice about until recently was this little building between the. It is the YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association).

"The Young Women’s Christian Association is a women’s membership movement nourished by its roots in the Christian faith and sustained by the richness of many beliefs and values.

Strengthened by diversity, the association draws together members who strive to create opportunities for women’s growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision: peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people.

The association will thrust its collective power toward the elimination of racism wherever it exists and by any means necessary." 

                                                                            from www.memphisywca.com

I want to help. 

So, I wanted to post their wish list. Reading over this list, as simply an act as it is, can be incredibly humbling as a woman. Items I walk to my bathroom or make a short trip to the store for are things that many women in MY community don't have access to. 

Take a second to look at this list. If you're in Memphis, consider making a donation and let us know about it! If you're not local, I hope you'll do some research on shelters in your community and give them a call to see what items they need. Or, if you want to help me contribute to the women in Memphis, take a look at some of my paintings under the "art" tab above!

 

ABUSED WOMEN’S SERVICES

Emergency Shelter

Shelter Wish List

Thank you for your interest in donating items to the women and children residing in our shelter program.  Below is a list of items that the shelter and residents could benefit from.  When families enter the shelter, they generally come with very little.  We would like to ensure that every child receives a toy as they enter the shelter.  Additionally, our shelter is a violence-free environment; therefore, we request that no toy guns or toys of a violent nature are donated.  Currently, we so not have a need for clothing items other than those listed below as our clothes closet is full.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!

Please deliver donations to 766 S. Highland or call Kathy at 323-2211 for directions.

Items for shelter:

Umbrellas

Batteries (All sizes)

Flashlights

Pots and pans

Cooking/eating utensils

Tool set

Towels (bath and face)

Twin sheet sets

Pillows

Blankets

Twin mattress covers

Standard pillow covers

Dish towels

Dining room chairs

Microwave

Refrigerator

Chest freezer

Living room set (sofa,

love seat and chair)

Toilet tissue

Paper towels

Facial tissue

Dish washing liquid

Cleaning supplies

Bleach

Light bulbs

Laundry detergent

Irons

Items for women:

Handbags

Wallets

Jewelry

Watches

Perfume

Gowns/pajamas

Slippers

Robes

Hosiery

Socks

New panties (all sizes

especially plus sizes)

New bras (all sizes especially

plus sizes)

Perm kits (African-American

hair texture)

Hair coloring

Feminine hygiene products

Journals

Day planners

Disposable cameras

Phone cards

Movies (VHS) for adults

(Non-violent content)

Tooth paste

Bubble bath

*Subscription to Commercial

Appeal

Items for children:

Toys (for all ages)

Books (for all ages) (English &

Spanish Languages)

Dolls

Cars and trucks

“Dress up” jewelry/clothing

Video games

Children’s videos (English &

Spanish Languages)

Footballs/basketballs

Portable cassette/compact disc players

Child seats (for the car)

School uniforms

Backpacks

Diapers (all sizes)

Baby wipes

New sippy cups/pacifiers/bottles

New children’s underwear (all sizes)

New socks (all sizes)

Slippers

Robes

Pajamas

Strollers

Potty Seats

Food Items:

Canned meat (tuna, salmon, etc.)

Canned vegetables (corn, peas, etc.)

Dry goods (beans, etc.)

Sugar

Juice boxes

School Supplies

Notebooks

Pencils

Crayons

Folders

Pencil Sharpeners

Pencil Box

Backpacks

White Loose leaf paper

Rulers

Dictionaries

Calculators

Lunchboxes

Small assignment notebooks

logo

After quite some time of nit-picking every little aspect of my creation, I have finally created THE PERFECT logo for Arbour Beauty and I am so stinking excited! I am so thankful that I'm familiar with the ends and outs of Adobe InDesign and was able to create my very own logo exactly how I want it.

It  shows everything that Arbour Beauty stands for and I couldn't be more satisfied with the way it turned out!



What do y'all think?

time for twine

You know those shopping trips you embark upon with great caution? The "I'm only gonna get the stuff on my list, nothing else!" trips to the grocery. Well, for me, this happened in the craft store.
The Memphis heat coupled with the insane humidity would make even the devil break a sweat. It's miserable. So I planned to make a quick trip and be outside and in my poorly AC equipped vehicle for as little time as humanly possible. In and out. But alas, the my crafty instincts were against me.

There was a SALE.

So I flip-flopped down just about every aisle and picked up some things I certainly didn't need bu by gosh I wasn't gonna pass up 75% off.

Twine. On sale. It looked cool. I liked the color (earth tones are my friend), so I grabbed a big ole spool and before I could control my urges, I had a bout 50 bucks worth in my cart. Oops!

Needless to say, I created this fun little tree from my twine find and I must say I quite enjoy it.

The perks of impulsive shopping at its finest, y'all.

update

Just a little update here...

I'm working on the finishing touches of my logo!

I'm way excited :) Once I finish, I'll be able to have some cards and other things for when I sell paintings.

I guess that's not really much of an update, but I don't want to spoil the other things I've been working on until they're complete.

So for now, I'll leave you with that, and this painting I just posted. The background is a deep robin's egg color. LOVE! 

'tis the season...wedding season

So as I begin to post more often on here (finally, right?) I will be sharing a few different things such as updates on my donation drop offs and beauty tips/ DIY. I figure if I'm donating beauty products I might as well have some fun with them, too. I'm excited to get to try some things I've been curious about for some time now! So look back tomorrow for some beauty related advice and go ahead and prepare yourself for how goofy I'm about to look in the pictures... :)

What I'm really here to talk about today is a new little something that I accidentally started doing literally like...oh, I'd say three days ago. I was painting, listening to my dear friend Beethoven, when I decided to turn a swirly tree into this...

And  it seems to be perfect timing because it is that time of year! I've got a lot of friends getting engaged and married these days (When did I grow up? Weird.) and this is the perfect "happy" for the newlyweds!

On top of that, it only seems right to broaden Arbour Beauty's horizon and custom make these to sell to benefit our cause. So, for $15, you can purchase these for the new happy couples in your life. I will also be making them in black (background) and white (tree/writing) if those colors work better for the space.

This one above is my folks wedding date, long long ago...but still goin' strong!

So, what do y'all think?

trees overseas

                                          First of all let me just say that jet lag is a PUNK!

Beautiful view of  the ruins in Ancient Corinth. 

My body is so confused about what time of day it is which is making it hard for me to be productive. Not to mention the past couple of days have been rainy here in Memphis which, to me, is automatic permission for a "lay in my bed and watch Law & Order: SVU" day. But sometimes the down time is more productive than not. I'm working on editing the pictures I took during the month I was in Greece and have just added some new ones to Arbour Beauty!
Not only that, but a rainy day is a great excuse to hide out in my room, crank up the Adele and get to painting. I'm excited to upload and share some of the art I've been working on, so keep an eye out for those here in the next couple of days. I'll be updating later  with some more information about the shelters that Arbour Beauty will benefit. I'v also got some new ideas headed your way!

Check out the new photos and don't forget to view my paintings on etsy.com.

For now, back to painting.