Project2227 {Finally A White Christmas}

It has been a long time since I've seen a lot of people in my family, and even longer since I've been back to Canada. But this year I had the amazing opportunity to travel with my family back to the motherland for Christmas. It was wonderful to see everyone and I truly think that I have never eaten that much in my whole life. I can't believe that we didn't experience any travel delays and everything worked out better than planned. It was a sight to behold as we flew into the Toronot airport as I had not seen snow in quite some time, especially on Christmas. It's exceptionally beautiful from the air as everything looks untouched, but one step out of the airport reminds me of the refreshingly cold weather that I once lived in.

Project2225 {Christmas Celebration}

I absolutely love the little tree in our little apartment! It's just enough to be delighted by the sparkling lights and a growing collection of ornaments. Decorating was also a great excuse to take a break from finals and writing papers to enjoy some Christmas music and peppermint hot chocolate. Next weekend there will be a group of great friends gathered in our apartment to celebrate the season and catch up. Over the past four months we've been getting our "real lives" started and it's taken some of my friends to new cities in Texas and others all over the world. I know we will have some great stories and adventures to share and laugh about. Can't wait to see each of you really soon!

Project2223 {Roadside Spirit}

I did not actually take this picture, but I was inspired by all of the traveling that I did over Thanksgiving. Every year many of the trees along the highway between Austin and San Antonio are decorated for Christmas. It seems that they grow and grow in number and that the decorations are becoming more extravagant. These small trees are just a gentle reminder of the pure joy of the season and the way we prepare for the coming of our Savior. Thanksgiving was a wonderful time to relax with family and enjoy some delicous food and conversation. It's always great to feel like we are a part of something special and I am so thankful for the great mix of people in my life.

Project2222 {Press Release}

Well, it's really the last big push in school for the semester and all of my projects will be due when I get back from Thanksgiving. I have the chance to take a printmaking class and have absolutely loved it. The whole concept of printmaking seems too archaic and even the materials have that same sense. It was like a completely different world as I learned and worked with handmade paper, copper etching plates, and a gigantic presses. It ended up being a class where you could work for hours and wonder where the time went, but in the end I absolutely loved the experience. I have some work that I am really proud of and hopefully some new projects that I can teach to my students someday. Don't be surprised if you get a print from me for Christmas!

Project2220 {Red Is Back}

First of all, I want to apologize for not having kept up with the posting of my pictures. For those of you have been avid followers there will be 10 new posts within the next couple of days. And I promise that I did keep up with the picture taking...I just fell behind on the blog.

I took a picture of my coffee cup while I was studying because the theme of Starbucks this winters is sharing. Their seasonal red cup encourages people to share smiles, laughs, and stories. While I was at the coffee shop today I offered up my table to two men who had computers. Although they didn't accept my offer at first, they quickly came back to see if we could switch. It was no problem for me because I was just reading, but they were both so touched by kindness that they couldn't believe someone would be willing to give up a table for them. On the way out one man tapped the bar where I was sitting and by the time he was gone I realized there was a very generous gift card that he had left for me. So pay it forward because you never know what a small gesture can mean to someone.

Project2219 {Happy Halloween Y'all}

I'm not much of a costume person, but I sure love a good pumpkin carving extravaganza! Halloween itself was pretty uneventful here at the apartment, but we put our best foot forward and watched a scary movie (I screamed like a little girl). I was hoping for some trick-or-treaters...but we didn't have any at all. Sad day. I found a great recipe for toasting pumpkin seeds and that was a success. As far as the pumpkins go, I will let you be the judge. Can you tell what they all are? I think only one is a real mystery, and I'm not sure I can even tell you now what it is. However, know that they started of with good and creative intentions.

Project2218 {The Hoedown}

Sweet friends. BBQ. Great music. And a little dancing too. My church puts on a good ol' fashioned Hoedown each fall, and it is all the rage here in Houston. Everyone talks about it! Of course, I had to see for myself what it was all about. So me and some friends piled in the car and headed to Sealy, Texas...home of the famous Liedertafel Hall. What a beautifully, classsic place. I didn't have my camera so I will give you a brief description. Imagine a white, wooden dance hall in the shape of an octagon and people filling the dance floor and the grass outside. All in the middle of smalltown USA. I also got to wear some real boots and I felt authentically Texan for the night. Great weather. Beautiful stars. Good night.

Project2217 {I Love Color}

I have a bizarre fascination with color. A lot of you already know that I like things that are bright or unique, but beyond that I love the idea of color. Colors always surprise me! Whether I am cutting up a grapefruit or mixing ink in my studio, I am amazed by the pure and vibrant colors that seem to find me. If you have ever tried to make the same color twice, you understand that it is extremely difficult. Color has become a way that I connect with my Creator. He not only mixes colors, he creates them! It sounds crazy that I interact with God through a delightful experience of eating fruit or painting a canvas, but I am so aware of His magnificene and wonder as I discover some of the most pure colors I have ever seen.

Project2216 {The Pink Chair}

As I walk down the stairs to my printmaking studio every Tuesday and Thursday, I see this pink, wooden chair. It sits among this scene that looks very industrial and I cannot seem to figure out what is has been used for. However, I am fascinated by it's simplicity and the vibrant color makes me smile everytime that I see it. The space that it sits in is a courtyard that is actually below the entire campus, but it still gets wonderful sunlight. It actually reminds me of the courtyard outside of our study center in Italy and brings back some great memories of living in Tuscany. This is a dynamic space because all of the art studios have garage doors or huge windows that open up. So at any time there could be a total of 5-10 classes using the space. I think it's every art students dream and people love to walk by and see what's happening below. The pink chair hasn't moved all semster and I have yet to see anyone sit on it. But I always wonder...

Project2215 {From Where I Sit}

Welcome to the Rice Gallery! This is one of the awesome places that I get to work. The gallery is an installation space and therefore it gets a new work every semester. I think this installation is beautiful in its simplicity, but it also has a bunch of small complexities that fascinate me. My goal for the semester is trying to master this piece of art from sketching. When there is no one in the gallery I try to sketch this intricate form, but it's deceivingly difficult. My favorite part about working here is talking to people about art, and particularly this piece. I love to ask people's first impressions and you get everything from 'blah' to 'what a complex interaction of planes and light.' I love the way that people light up when they finally understand the artist's intention for this space after we have had a conversation. I think art is an incredible way to not only connect to people but also reach out, and I think that I am so lucky to have this chance.

Project2214 {Outside the Hedges}

This week I got to go explore downtown Houston as part of a class assignment. The whole purpose of the assignment was to watch people and truly analyze how different people are using the spaces that they are in. I chose to go to the main library and I made it into an afternoon adventure as I went outside the hedges that surround Rice University. I took the metro from campus to Main Street Station, and it was absolutely packed. The diversity of people that use public transportation in Houston is astonishing and I think it's so interesting to watch and listen to people as they get on and off. When I exited the train I was greeted by a man playing saxophone and I picked out the tune as the theme song to Sesame Street and a little further down the street I could see balloons filling the park space. It was a company picnic that I got invited into and I enjoyed the best blueberry popsicle I have ever had. It was the most beautiful weather I have experience yet in this city, and everything made me reminisce of my childhood. Overall, a great day and an incredible adventure!

Project2213 {A Rainy Day Surprise}

It rains a lot in Houston and if it's not raining it might as well be because it is so humid. But you learn to adapt...wear dark colors to mask the sweat and appropriate shoes that you could take off running at any moment. I thought College Station had a drainage problem, but when you drive around in the rain here, you have to change your route because of the amount of water that accumulates on the road. But it's an adventure and I'm beginning to enjoy the rain. It makes you appreciate beautiful days even more and exploring in the rain allows you to look at things in a new and exciting way. As I was leaving work one day, in the rain, I came across this old VW van in the parking lot. I couldn't help but laugh, take a picture, and think about this little experience that changed my thoughts about the rain for the day. It was like a gentle smile sitting right in front of me. Peace.

Project2212 {Gotta Lovett}

This is one of the great parts about going to school in the morning! The walk towards campus is absolutely beautiful and so quiet in the morning. The gravel path that takes me to school is lined with some of the largest oak trees I have ever seen. The main building, Lovett Hall, is incredibly unique and provides just a glimpse of the what the whole campus is like. They are missing the Aggie Spirit here at Rice, but it's a pretty great place to be. I love walking through the archway after my last class of the week, especially when no one is around, because I sometimes do a little dance in celebration of the weekend. Maybe someday I will put up a video post for y'all, but for now you can just use your imagination.

Project2211 {Good Morning Sunshine}

Welcome to our apartment! Waking up in the morning has become one of my favorite things because of the way the morning sun rises and creeps into our living room. The warm light covers our wall and hits my face as I sit reading in my favorite chair. What an incredible way to start my day, focused on light and peace. It's hard for me to leave each day because I know it won't feel like this when I get back from class, but I am reminded that tomorrow is a new day and the sun rises just the same.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

-Lamentations 3:22-23

Project 2210 {The Well of Life}

God works in such mysterious ways, and sometimes He works in really obvious ways too. God has continuously used the story of the woman at the well from John 4 to pull me closer to Him and teach me something new. That is the first passage of scripture I can ever remember hearing as a child and I didn't understand the idea of Jesus as living water at all. But God is good, and he continued to reveal Himself to me. And I began to grasp that fact that He is more than enough for me, and that His abundant love and saving grace are made available to everyone through His death and resurrection. And this Sunday, my first time at church in Houston, God reached me again through this scripture and reminded me that He knows me and He loves me just the same.

Project229 {The Reunion}

Wow! I'm not sure if I have ever been this excited to be standing outside a Walgreen's! Actually, I'm not sure I've ever been excited to be at Walgreen's...but this is where the long awaited, end of summer reunion occurred. When we turned into that parking lot there was all sorts of hullabaloo coming from our cars and then great hugs with wonderful friends. This moment only captures a mere essence of what our entire weekend was. It started off with a sweet celebration of the Garcia's marriage and progressed into an Austin/Georgetown adventure. You know what they say...wherever friends gather there is bound to be fun and dancing. I'm so lucky to have such beautiful and sweet friends in my life!

Project228 {The First Supper}

I finally have dishes and food in my apartment! I think that is when you know you are almost settled in to a new place, and it truly is a great feeling. There is still tons to be done, but the rest can be completed at my own leisure. And what better way to relax for the evening than with a refreshing summer salad and a cool glass of white wine. We also got out our chess board and played a very refined game of chess. Haha! Just kidding. It ended up being a great night to just stay in an watch a movie, but I always fall asleep in the middle of every movie...so that was short lived. However, I feel like Houston is officially my home now and I am incredibly excited to be here.

Project227 {Trash City}

One person's trash is another person's masterpiece. At art camp this week we got to explore architecture and it was a blast teaching the kids about cities, buildings and space. We had a huge class project of creating an entire city out of trash, and the kids loved it! From churches to doctor's offices, and farms to restaurants...we had it all. It was so funny to see each child trying to create the tallest building without having it fall over. But in the end they were so proud of what they had created together. And it looked absolutely amazing when they were done with it!

Project226 {The Hats at Vaughn}

This might be one of Montgomery's best kept secrets! Alongside one of the main roads, there is a fence and all of the posts are topped with a hat. The hats get changed several times each year, but no one really knows who does it...including the farmer who lives there. I love to drive by and see the different colors that line the street and wonder about the people whom the hats belong to. I couldn't resist getting up close and personal to see a variety of places and ideas represented by each hat. Are people trying to make a statement? Do they do it just for fun? I don't know, but I really like how bizarre this idea is and the fact that people actually talk about "the hats at Vaughn."

Project225 {Day At the Museum}

This summer as I have worked at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts I had the chance to discovere one of my favorite artists. His name is Charlie Lucas and he is one of the most unique and inspiring people I have ever met. Charlie is a great man, an incredible artist, and a phenomenal sculptor. His nickname is "The Tinman" and I don't know if I could think of a better name that fits all of his work. He uses a variety of parts from cars and other machines to make his masterpieces. This sculpture is one of many in a field just outside the museum and I love when we get to take the class outside to discover these animals. The kids love to get up close to this art and make up crazy stories about dinosaurs and other creatures. It's so precious!

Project224 {Taste of Frazer}

This has quickly become one of my favorite events when I am at home in Montgomery. Every year our church holds a cooking contest that raises money to support the community outreach ministry that serves families across the city. It's a great cause, but I'm not going to lie...I love the food. There is everything from appetizers to dessert and you can go back as many times as you want! By the time you leave you will have tried a variety of new things, have new favorite dishes, and be painfully full. But it's totally worth it because how often do you get to eat all different kinds of meat, great salads, and wonderful desserts like chocolate pecan pie and butterscotch confetti (in the picture). Mmmm!

Project223 {Field Day}

I don't know what it is that fascinates be about hay bales, but I think they are absolutely beautiful. The beautiful circular pattern that exists, the unique rhythm created by the bales as they sit scattered across a field, and the mystery of how they got there in the first place. It seems like one day there is a dry field, and then magically the next day there are wonderful rows of hay. I'm sure it seems quite juvenile, but every time that I drive past a field with hay bales it makes me smile, and I want to get out and dance in the grass. Well, this week I did. I didn't actually dance because there was a lot of traffic driving by, but I meandered through the rows of bales as the sun set and reflected on the beauty of nature that is all around me. Hay. Simple. Beautiful.

Project222 {Blueberry Haven}

It has been years since I have picked a berry of any kind. As kids, my sister and I always use to go and pick raspberries and blueberries during our summers at the cottage. Once we moved to Texas, something about the southern heat spoiled the fun of filling up buckets with berries and it seemed more like a chore. But this day was a flashback to my childhood. My mom, brother and I made a trip down I-85 just past Tuskegee to find the most beautiful blueberries I have every seen. I always thought that blueberries grew on small bushesh, but just off the side of the road was what looked like a blueberry orchard. The plants lined the field; up and down the hills, beyond what we could even see. We picked a total of five gallons in about an hour, and I think we have good chances of a blueberry pie later!

Project221 {Vintage High Tea}

My mom and I ventured into the world of fashion over the last century as we went to the high tea and fashion show at our church. Surrounded by a number of southern ladies who came in their best hats, it was definitely an experience paired with some great laughter. There were beautiful tea sets filled with the aromas of delicious teas and delicately decorated sugar cubes, but my prized possession is the vintage candy jar that I got at the auction. I absolutely loved the vibrant orange color and the uniquely shaped lid, however I am most excited to put it in my new Houston home and keep it sufficiently stocked for visitors.