Fun Weekend

I had a fun filled weekend.

Friday night I went to see a long awaited movie with my bff Ann. We saw "Eat, Pray, Love" and then enjoyed some girlie conversation over drinks and shared a huge piece of chocolate cake al a mode.

the only picture i took was of my hair. whoops.

Saturday I joined my sister and nephews for a trip to the Wichita Art Museum. yay for free admission! We had a fun time in the children's area.

dressin' up

fun mural. the room was POP themed

and drawing
(museum pics taken by my sister Michelle)

Saturday night, I met up with some friends at a local bar to see one of our favorite bands the Calamity Cubes who opened for a new-to-us band called the Goddamn Gallows. We had a blast! Both bands were very interactive and came out into the crowd. There was head bangin', hips swayin', fire spitting (actually the GD G's liked to spit alot! crude, but as long as I was out of the range of fire, it was ok). Since it is Monday and Monday is usually Media Monday around here, check out the links to these 2 bands. Good stuff!

Sunday, I attended my first polo match... but there was no polo because it rained. We still had fun under the pavilion waiting out the rain. It really helped cool things off. Its been in the triple digits here in Kansas and we were so happy to actually be a little chilly in the wind and rain.

my friend Gretchen and her daughter Aubria (who's trying to stay dry under a sheet)

I spent the rest of the day hanging out with them. Gretchen let me borrow her cute bike and I enjoyed a fun bike ride in the 80's weather.

I thought it was so cute to have Aubria's elementary school in the background. She started 6th grade today at a new school. I'm so excited for her.

Regina Spektor tonight

We're going to another concert tonight. Regina Spektor! yay! It's probably the last one we'll get to here in Asheville, but its the biggest one of all and in a venue we haven't been to yet.

I spent the day painting.

there was a little fire.
on the canvas.
in paint. :)
a real fire almost happened but i blew it out as the match landed on floor. no evidence. ha ha.

the Devil Makes Three

we just got back from another concert. the Devil Makes Three. I know a slew of people that would have loved to have gone to this concert. they remind me of Split Lip in some aspects. definitely the same sort of crowd and fun sing-a-long songs and dancing. If you haven't heard of them, check them out!

Concert - Ingrid Michaelson

So did everyone see the gorgeous moon last night?

Funny how the moon always looks so much smaller in photos. (top left)

We were on our way to see Ingrid Michaelson in concert at the Grey Eagle. She was recently mentioned in two of my favorite blogs I stock. Both of these blogs are great if you are looking for inspiration, etc. This one particular post asked readers who they were listening to (hmmm, good idea for a post, huh) and someone mentioned Ingrid. If you haven't heard of Grooveshark before, it's basically an online database of music you can listen to for free. So I listened to some of her music (along with lots of other great suggestions from that posting). I sort of forgot about her til the other blogger mentioned her. Then only a day or two later I saw her featured on Grey Eagle's website and I jumped on the chance to see her.

We arrived a little early and ate Cajun food from their kitchen and played Gin (yes, the card game) at the bar. I also had fried green tomatoes for the first time. eeh

There were also 2 opening acts. All 3 of them were talented singers, but they were really funny too. We were kept entertained with comedy and lots of sing alongs. And the venue is a nice size allowing us an intimate experience with the artists.

Greg Holden

Ingrid Michaelson w/Greg Laswell

Unfortunately some tall dude planted himself right smack in front of the main mic. So most of my pics contain the back of his head.

Meditation, new Work Space, and a Concert

This journey, at least in my mind, is multi-fauceted. One being the exploration of art, but also the exploration of new ideas and ways to live. We all desire to be healthy. Healthy of mind and body. A lot of us desire for improvement. Self improvement, more specifically. But improvement in the quality of life, too. I desire to improve myself in ways that might bring me and those around me, more peace, happiness, and enrichment. Wow. That seems like a much taller order now that it's in front of me in black and white (or black and green, same diff).

In my journey, I see meditation as part of the equation. Nick and I are also looking for ways to become a part of the community here and meet new people. So... Monday we joined a meditation class. It was held in a ladies home. There were 9 of us there. (Nick being the only male and the only one who admittedly had never "meditated" before.) I enjoyed it. I felt like I was visiting friends because I was welcomed into her home and we all sat around expressing what we think and feel/experience. It was a very comfortable setting. I would love to continue with it.

We also had the idea of joining a square dance class at a fun venue. Just so happens, it's on Monday nights, too. We have also heard of a class on Thursday's somewhere else. So maybe we can do both.

Alright....................... ON TO YESTERDAY. (what a neat phrase)
Yesterday was great! We did a little thrift shopping and I found these beautiful glasses I some how managed to resist buying.

We actually need glasses, but they are shorties. (If they are there when I go back, though...) Picked up some fall colored fabric.

AND I finally got a table to paint on. (while I waited for it to be loaded on the car roof, I took some fun pics of a vintage sofa that someone made a little more appealing by coloring in the flowers.)
Brought it home and set it up right away. There is already an explosion of inspiration all over it.

this is my work space.

Then last night, we went to a concert at a venue (that use to be a skating rink) called the Orange Peel. If you come to Asheville, check it out. The name of the group is called Ten Out of Tenn. They are 10 separate singer/song writers that have their own CDs/music as well are in other bands. One guy tours with Keith Urban (I believe it was) and another girl tours with Jewel. They were awesome!! Worth every penny. They each took turns singing while the rest played guitars, keys, harmonicas, tambarine, etc. After the show, they came down onto the floor (all 10 of them) and we gathered in a circle around them, and we all sang together. So much fun. They offered a bundle deal where you get all 10 of their individual CDs plus the groups' CD. So we got them. YAY!!

11 CDs and the event poster (snatched off the wall as we were leaving, of course :)

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I also want to share some pictures of some artwork that Nick recently purchased from some local artists. The first two are artists' work we saw in an large exhibition a few weeks ago and these two artists' were my favorites. This one is an original and in our bathroom right now. Deona Fish


This one has a really neat message. It's titled "Never give up" (a print) by Sarah Faulkner and pictures a country fence. The fence posts are wood strung together with wire, and one of the fence posts has sprouted a branch and is growing into a tree again. We hung it on one of the wood beams.


This last painting is one he was intrigued by. Its an original and titled "the birds and the bees". The artist incorporated the wood knots into her painting, leaving bare wood showing. And the curly lines you see on it are actually words strung together.