15 minute posts

Blogging Everyday is for the Birds

blogging-everyday-is-for-the-birds

I was about to give up on this idea of blogging everyday and call it all rubbish until I read Cathy’s comment. It’s amazing how an audience of one can totally change your opinion of yourself. It’s still probably rubbish and you are just being kind, Cathy, but thank you!

Yesterday was an exercise in failure. Like many behind the scenes crafting days. Painting an organic object like a pumpkin is challenging. It’s totally doable but you can’t be a perfectionist about it.  The surface of the pumpkins is porous and has some moisture to it so the paint doesn’t want to adhere as easily as you would think. It does actually stick and it works but you have to be patient with it. The other hurdle is the bumpy surface of the pumpkin. First go around I used painters tape to create the top layer. That peeled the paint off and there was no way I could paint the other half without peeling even more off (because I never wait for paint to completely dry—who’s got time for that?!!)  so I gave up on that idea. Then I tried a piece of cardboard cut into a reverse circle to act as a shield when spraying. That sort of worked. But the surface is bumpy so a slight haze of paint snuck through the divots between the cardboard and the veins of the pumpkin. This is probably impossible to visualize. Just add it all up to why I am procrastinating on this craft.

Today I carve the painted pumpkins. I’m nervous I’m going to screw up my paint jobs. I probably am.

In other news we found a yellow pumpkin at Pavilions this weekend. I’ve never seen a yellow pumpkin before. They are called “Mellow Yellow.” You can google them. All sorts of places sell them. They were the coolest thing I’d seen since that year we found a bunch of green pumpkins. That post is gone now for some reason. Looks like anything older than 2004 is gone from this blog. Ugh. I am so over trying to fix it.

Speaking of fixing websites. I am almost done with brendaponnay.com. Well I’ve got the bones of it done. I’m not a web designer. I’m just mucking around with a WordPress template and I am forever frustrated because it works nothing like the layout programs I work with as a graphic designer. I’m currently stuck on trying to get my social media icons into my menu bar. Nothing is working. And I need to write an actual bio with a photo that someone can’t crop to make me look like I’m wearing nothing instead of a strapless sundress. Sigh. AND I need to link all my books to amazon. So much to do.

What else is new? I’m currently dropping my exercise ball. I was juggling that one in the air for so long and doing so well. Something always has to drop.  I used to take the dogs on epic long walks and get 20,000 steps in a day. Now I’m lucky if I get 2000. I quit the boxing program, though I do intend to start up again in November. I am feeling like a fat slob. AND it’s baking season. Not a good combo.

Okay! Off to go clean some pumpkins and then maybe illustrate a new banner and pay some bills. It’s the first of the month! Happy October!

 

 

4 Comments

  • Kathy

    Hmm. Good to know about painting pumpkins. Our library is having a pumpkin decorating contest; I’ll have to come up with something else!

  • Melinda

    I love that you are daily blogging! I have been trying to do daily journaling on paper every morning before I leave my house for work and I am surprised that any little variation in my routine and I completely forget. It’s so funny how easy it is to fall out of the habit. Those yellow pumpkins are so interesting!

  • gingermog

    Quelle wonderful surprise that you are blogging every day! No pressure!

    Your new “brendaponnay” website is looking really clean and professional. I can echo your wail of so much to do, my list of things to do is also endless.

    Tips I have come across to make ourselves feel better instead of beating ourselves up … write the list after we have done a task … chose three things a day that we really need to get done.

    Baby steps. Same could go for exercise, I drop the ball often too.

    I was thinking of making myself a chart listing all the various things I want to get done each day eating healthy, exercising, facial yoga, writing, yadda yadda yadda… if gold stars motivated me as a five year old why not now? ;)

  • Cathy

    *turns and looks over shoulder* who, me, Cathy? :) Seriously adore that you are blogging daily! In fact, truth be told, I feel like stopping at SAJ’s place on the world wide web is somewhat comforting. (Is that weird?) A nice, normal, creative, fun, real spot on the ‘net – not a buffed and polished fashion blog or a cooking blog that rivals fine dining. A real mom, a real person, living a real life that I can connect with. And even with the daily stresses of getting things done (sadly, part of the reason I don’t craft much any more, well that and IG haha) – I think you’re doing such a fabulous job! So, go, Brenda, go! Blog on!

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