my tattoo

the tattoo convention was this weekend, but it was expensive so we didn't attend. we walked by this shop, and i had to go inside.

i unknowingly chose a shop owned by a vegetarian.

the girl's name is jamie. she's a real artist. i saw photos of tattoos she has copied of masterpieces onto other's bodies like salvador dali and vincent van gogh's starry night. she's shown her art work at a gallery in deep ellum. she's been tatooing for 3 years. on her purse is a picture of the beatles. her fiance' plays in a punk band called specter 45 that was voted one of the best bands by dallas observer. she gets into shows for free at the house of blues cause his dad created the paintings on the walls there.

i knew exactly what i wanted because i've been planning it for years. i wanted a tattoo since the age of 17, but my aunt told me to wait a year to be certain. it's based on the picasso dove, but i wanted jamie to make it her own.

it's on my upper right shoulder. this time i chose the scar that would be on the right side of my body. the love is on the wing. it means peace within.

autumn day

we finally went to the dallas arboretum. it cost too much money. we saw 5 brides getting pictures taken, a limo, wedding parties, families, and couples. earlier we had seen people riding horses along the lake. it was a nice autumn day.

dia de los muertos

i exclaim at a painting i admire, then look at the name , and see it was created by one of my friends, sylvia! i left a message at the community altar for all those who have passed on.

last night i was putting away the bracelets i was wearing in my small jewelry box. one of the bracelets is an old necklace my great grandmother wore. i wear it wrapped around my wrist. as i look into the box, i see the other half to the pair of my grandma's old earring. it belonged to the daughter of the necklace. she was the lover of big dangly earrings. it is the earring i thought i had misplaced. this is the second time i thought i have lost one, to find it in an unexpected place, months later. they are my favorite pair of hers, and i will continue to wear them.

the used

walking into the building i hear a girl call out and point to my t-shirt saying how she wants a used t like that, (spring of 2008).

it's crowded. i think earshot is a better band with better music. is the used just trendy? we can't get close to the front on the side, i'm on my tiptoes again. it's barely 9PM we only get to hear the last song of the almost's set. there is no rhyme or reason to when a band will start. every show is different.

i talk to big texan guy asking why it's so crowded, the used is a utah band. he says "texans loved the used. they are one of his favorite bands" (not mine). he's seen them twice. so have we. one of the times we shared was edgefest. we talk about smaller venues vs larger stadiums.

there's a 6 yr old with her parents rocking in the front room with her arm raised to the beat of the music.

lead singer's best line of the night was "we just released a new album about a month ago. if you don't have it already, head down to walmart and steal that sh***!" he always makes me laugh.

after the show people are so inebriated they can barely function. mostly swaying barely standing there's a girl walking on sides of her high heel boots. i often wonder why the music isn't enough for people to have a good time.

we step outside, and for a minute i think i see white snow, like it's in the air barely fallen. i realize i'm thinking of the wrong place. sure enough the only thing in the sky is the full, bright, yellow, orange moon.

i ask him so which show did you like better? the used here, or in utah? he says "utah, but maybe it's cause i liked the music they played there better."

i say no, in utah it was a better show, cause utah used to be their home state.

earshot 2

our 2nd time seeing earshot. I can't figure out why it was so dead both times. they are an established band, their music is good, their performance is good, but hardly anyone was there!!! they didn't even do an encore, and there were three songs left on the set list. some guys and i we were dogging on the opening bands as we were leaving. they said the first band was better than the 2nd, (which fortunately j and i avoided). 2nd band j said had multiple personalities I said no schizophrenic. they couldn't decide if they were incubus, sublime, rage against the machine, or 311.

foreigner was playing downstairs and they started at 8PM which I think is insane. Everyone was joking that it's cause they're sooo old they have to go to bed early. (ha-ha)

in any case i met a girl who i'll just call C. i changed her initial to protect the not so innocent, and the things she told me about her adventures with a certain band member from my favorite concert of the summer. she just started bartending at a bar on monday, and her boss was pimping her to promote it.

I said, Go approach those two guys! She said, What am I supposed to say?I can't just walk over there. I'll look stupid. I tell her here's what you say, "Hey you guys like t0 party? I know this really cool place." She says "Come with me, I can't do it by myself!" Yes, you can, now go over there. It'll be great! She did, and it totally was. While I stayed on the couch waiting for my band to start, thank you very much.

I also met a woman who was 20 yrs older than her guy. she wanted to have fun. he wanted to sit against the wall, textin all night, until the band played. she was talking about jordache jeans and roller skates. this was also the same woman raving about how great the opening band was. j just smiled. i kept my mouth, shut for once, and whispered in his ear "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

honestly i am grateful for the variety in this colorful interesting world, and there's something out there for everyone.

november

special

In the grocery store, i ask,"baby what's up with the pears? it looks like they are wearing hats. why are they only on some of them?"

he says "because those ones are SPECIAL."

i bust out laughing cause it resembles my q-tip head bandage after the tbi. special indeed.

art books

i bought new art books. i discovered this artist named terence la noue. i also got klimt. you probably know his work already, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded. gorgeous!

halloween night

for halloween we went to a new place called lee harvey's in dallas. we didn't have to pay a cover. it was outside with a fire. there were tables for sitting and bands were playing. the costumes were creative. it was packed. the food was good. i tried to get as many costume pix as i could. i missed garth from wayne's world and rocky dennis with cher from the mask, miss piggy and kermit the frog.

also the guy with the hand painted jacket and spray painted mural is j hardy, who is ed hardy's brother (he's the guy that designs all the cool t shirts, etc.) last night reminded me why halloween is my favorite holiday. cause it's fun to dress up and party, duh!

sid and nancy

people were asking us all night if we were sid and nancy. we didn't plan it, but i guess we were, the epitome punk rock couple

while i'm speaking of the sex pistols did y'all know they were mostly put together by their slave driver manager,(like the monkees and spice girls)?

the manager was trying to make money off the punk sub culture. it's scary isn't it?

seriously though apparently sid vicious didn't even know how to play the bass.

sid bought into that lifestyle and we all know what became of him.

i still think that "never mind the bullocks" is an amazing album. do you realize how many musicians have remade "anarchy in the uk"?

it's classic punk.

candy

In honor of this blessed day of candy celebration, I'm sharing my favorite. I have only been able to find it in one store which shall remain nameless. I can't stand shopping at the place of corporate greed that treats their employees like total dirt!

But I had to have my candy, among other things.

How pathetic is that?

grades

I hate grades!

I got my art assignment back with this award cause I got an A- average for the grading period. (well La de dah).

100% on the mulitple choice test, and another lovely B+ on the assignment because the instructor disagreed with my triadic color scheme! (whatever)

Someone wise keeps asking me what's the difference between an A artist and a B artist? I don't know, but still...

In fifth grade I received straight A's in all my classes except math (big surprise). In college I often got a 4.0 and I graduated with a 3.71 GPA.

How am I supposed to be satisfied with this?

I don't know why I even care except I almost always do. Except for when I didn't, and that was simply called high school.

dresses

shopping without my girlfriends around is kind of a joke. so i took pix of the three dresses and sent them to friend to ask which one she liked best. i ended up getting both black and white ones cause they were such a good deal. :)

the bravery

I like a handful of their songs, but I've never been able to listen to a whole album all the way through. It was so hot and stuffy. The ice cubes were not helping. I was suffocating. We listened to 5-6 or so before I had to get out. I thought I was gonna pass out. I needed to sit. Backache, stomach cranked, fevers in and out for days. Too weak to climb to the balcony. So we sit on the cold cement stairs and he waits. Are you disappointed? He tells me No he realizes their music all has the same tempo. He likes it scattered in a playlist among other songs. He's seen enough. I explain I tried to warn you. We wait 4 songs or so. I say if I don't like the next song is it ok if we go? Then I hear the singer start the intro talking about the Outsiders and I know he's gonna play my song, "Time Won't Let Me Go". When the singer said the profound effect that book had on him when he read it in 4th grade, and I think 4th grade? I was in 7th.

So we go back in to listen to that beautiful, wonderful song! Then we leave.

crash kings

They are called the Crash Kings and opened for the Bravery. They didn't have a guitar. He played this keyboard with this whammy bar looking thing on it. Their song is on the movie Zombieland's soundtrack. They were pretty good. I was dancing.

me and my monkey

Me and My Monkey is a Beatles cover band. They were fun. I was tired and they played late. I held out for my song which he assured me was coming.

Before he played it he said as requested.

Then they played "Revolution" which was the song that began my revolution and discovery of my favorite band of all time.

the felons

The first meeting was a month ago. We missed their set because we didn't know what time they went on.

He's kind, hopeful, and eager.Like the puppies on his phone. He tried to appease me with. Will this make you happy? He slides the cd across the table. Of course I smile. I love free music. Especially when it's good. I know this is. I wonder if he'll stay this way.

Or just get jaded.

Second meeting.

He approaches our table. Thanks us for coming. Apologizes for not getting back with the radio show email. I say it's fine since I had art class (which is true). He wants us at the next show.

He offers us a round of drinks if we attend. I shrug my shoulders. It'll depend on what other bands are playing that night.

(I am thinking that twice I told another band I would go to their event, but I am here. All I drink is water. If I want to see a show it'll be because I want to hear the music.)

I don't need another making empty promises. You can take your empty promises and burn them,blow them away. Light them on fire, As they turn into the smoke and mirrors you hide behind.

So I guess the person who's jaded is actually me.

yummy delight

I was at my treatment, stuck in a chair for hours while the IV pumped the chemical cocktail of whatever is supposed to make me feel better, through my veins.

The nurse offers an Ultimate Cupcake from the break room. It was white with milk chocolate topping and a mixture of vanilla and chocolate cake.

Which proves my point that even in the midst of pain, there are delights to be savored.

up n smoke

On Wednesdays we go to this place called Up N Smoke, but for some unknown reason we call it Smokin' Up Joes (i guess we like that name better).

Upon entering I am blasted with a voice and sound. Who is this? E describes Travis Richmond's voice as a cross between John Mellencamp and Jon Bon Jovi and it is. E is a tenor who has traveled over the world with church choirs and competitions. E stated Travis didn't miss a note.

Travis played my favorites "Wild Horses", "Running on Empty", and "Drops of Jupiter". J loved "Should I Stay or Should I Go". Many of his songs were from movies "Lunatic Fringe" from Visionquest, "In Your Eyes" from Say Anything, "Tiny Dancer" from Almost Famous, and "Somebody's Baby" from Fast Times At Ridgemont High (at my request). Travis ended the night with his favorite song "Desperado". That song is featured in the movie In America which is such an uplifting unique perspective of America as seen through the eyes of a family from another country. When the little girl sings "Desperado" acappella my heart melts. It's a good flick you should check out.

E wanted Travis to play Cher or "It's Rainin Men", but that just wasn't gonna happen. E did get a laugh when Travis broke his g string. I am talking about the guitar string, just so ya know.

boys & girls club

On Saturday we volunteered with J's work at the Boys and Girls Club. We painted doors. I believe in volunteering.

I was in the Key Club in high school, and all we did was service projects. I volunteered in college at Family Support Center, Treehouse Museum, and YCC. After college I volunteered at various schools, Nature Center, and as a rape advocate.

The next time I volunteer though I will be actually working with teens cause I am not really a behind the scenes kind of girl.

The next time I paint will be for fun on a canvas or a pumpkin. I had paint in my hair for days.

tatoos?

I'm pumping gas, and random guy calls to me Are those tatoos? (he's talking about my tights). With a look and tone I say No! Which shuts him down completely and immediately. I think I've been asked that question before, but I was wearing a different pair, and they looked nothing like this.

Why can't a girl express herself creatively in the way she dresses without being hassled?

Sometimes I wish people would just leave me alone, particularly men.

long ago

A long time ago I dated two different guys with the same name. (yeah I didn't have caller Id, and it was totally confusing). I wasn't really into either one. I took off for Cali, and that ended.

Months later, I got a call from one of them asking for my photograph and suggesting we were still friends, (as if). I want to thank him though, because I thought if he has enough guts to call me, I could certainly call this J guy. Months had passed since we'd met, running into each other on campus, and everyone whispering how he liked me, but that's all it was. I wasn't sure about any of it. We never actually had a conversation!

So I made the best decision of my life, which was to dial that number, and we talked for hours. We had our first date the next day, and thus it began.

Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't taken a chance cause he was too shy, shy.

aunt N

She went through it first.

She endures.

She survives.

She is the first hero.

She cares deeply.

She keeps her word.

She's my mom's best friend.

She is guided by her faith.

She reminds me of my grandma.

She doesn't agree with everything I say or do.

She loves me anyway.

These photos are old and nonspecific cause I believe her to be a private person and I'm trying to respect that.

She knows who she is.

humbling

first i do the assignment wrong, which was frustrating. so i bust my behind redoing the whole thing.

i always want an A, but what i got was a stupid B+ (Grrrr!!!)

on the ground

yesterday while riding my bike i found this pretty bracelet. which is so much better than the trojan wrapper i saw earlier last week. of course they were in different parking lots.

jonathan tyler and the northern lights

jonathan tyler and the northern lights are a dallas band who have been on tour. they are very blues based and remind me of the black crowes, but cuter. they even played muddy waters. taddy porter was one of the opening bands. lead singer of jonathan tyler sang his little heart out, especially on his acoustic song dedicated to an old friend who died from meth. let that be a lesson boys and girls. what was best about what he said though was, when he talked about how much he loved writing and expressing himself through music. he said the pure joy they received from playing that they would play for free. which leads us to our second lesson of the day, and that's called following your passion.

CANstruction 2009

at the mall were canned food sculptures that will eventually be donated to the food bank. what an awesome concept! for $1.00 you can vote on your fav, and that money also goes to the food bank. i voted for the wall of hunger: our vision to end hunger. since i was at the a mall anyway, i got some new stuff. details to those that ask ;) we also saw this poignant above the influence poster i love, and the funny halloween costume guys.

latino multicultural center

right near casa mexicana is the latino multicultural center. they had an exhibit by tina fuentes. her work was beautiful. j got busted for taking pix. apparently the work isn't owned by them. (oops, we just want to share it with people so they can delight in her art as well.)

anyway we had permission to take pix of the art shovels on wall. j's fav happened to be created by my sculpture teacher tomas bustos. :)

4 ra

she's gonna be mad at me, but it's my blog, so there. ra and i always used to celebrate our october birthdays together. since the days of us as teens many moons ago. this year she got me this peace necklace and dove bag that goes to support breast cancer along with a donation to children's literacy. of course it wouldn't be her not to make something for me, since she is an artist.

thank you dear friend of my heart from the first birthday gift to the last! peace and love xoxo

casa mexicana

casa mexicana is a shop in dallas that sells mexican folk art. through the month of october they are having presentations on the weekend about the days of the dead, a mexican holiday celebrated on nov. 1 and nov. 2. they had handouts etc. which i will steal from, to describe the event.

....on these 2 days... the dead spirts return to their homes to eat and drink with loved ones. the dead are not to be forgotten at this time.... on the altar... are gifts for the departed...

...death was just another cycle of life and was considered a journey that everyone must travel. just as day followed night and spring followed winter, so the continuity of life followed death....

...the mexican learns about death at a very early age. death is portrayed... usually with humor... death may be a sugar skull with your name on it or a paper mache female skeleton laughing and dancing. because death is with them the moment they are born, it is the mexican's way of showing that they are not afraid of death and accept it as part of life. it is also the artist's way to remind people that we are all the same in death....to some these practices may, at first seem grotesque. but, on reflection, many find it a very healthy way of looking at something that touches everyone.

thus the skeleton is not a grim figure to be feared, but rather a humorous presence reminding us that along with life comes death and along with death comes life.

buddy guy

ok i'm now a total fan of buddy guy. it was all about the guitar. i couldn't get enough. which was a bummer that we were late. getting tickets to show the next night and we picking up j's id that he left at work. then when we got there the chick said we didn't need our ids cause she knew us! it was first time we actually saw the blues, at the house of blues. that's irony for ya on both accounts.

red bull sound clash

we got free tickets to see cannabinoids featuring erika badu vs. shiny toy guns. in the first ever red bull sound clash. charmel met us at the house and we met rodney, andre, yvette, aj, and jari there. while waiting there guys and children were dancing to old school 80's music. the set of show was weird because we had to go from one side to the other see as bands tried to outdo each other. erykah badu and the cannabinoids beat by one point, but honestly they played better. this is coming from me a rock chick. the cannabinoids only play on from their computers. erykah badu is great! i enjoyed shiny toy guns too cause i got to watch some guitar going on. after we headed to cafe brazil to eat a late dinner or an early breakfast.

jean-michel basquiat

i thought i'd share this inspiring artist jean-michel basquiat with you. his work is phenomenal! another life that ended too soon, but grateful for what he left behind. savor it.

encaustic painting class

saturday and sunday i took an encaustic wax painting class. our class was full on saturday, but of course i didn't take any pix that day. these are from our saturday class. we used bee's wax. it smelled so good. we also made sugar skulls for day of the dead. then we decorated them with icing. mine were cute, until i dropped them in the car and smeared the frosting all over. now there's sugar all over my car seat. whoo hoo! par-tay!

surprise moments

i had art class on saturday. next door was a wedding. check out the red carpet! the groom is in the tux. i love surprise moments of life.

the dead weather

the opening band was the guitarist from the yeah yeah yeahs, but we didn't catch the name. we were in the friendly party row. the dead weather was entertaining. they carried this stuffed giraffe thing on stage before they started, then carried it off when they finished, um, okay.

i like jack white's music in the white stripes and the raconteurs better than this band. i like the singer's music in the kills better, but she gave more in this performance. she did however wear her signature gold boots, and suck on her cancer stick, whatev.

cool art

finally went to see some new art yesterday. it's always so inspiring!

my birthday

on my birthday i wanted a cake fight. so that's exactly what we did, and was it ever fun! i also did some art, and we saw a real spider. it was outside of course.

bike ride

it's finally cool enough outside to ride our bikes. instead of riding around the neighborhood like we usually do, we drove to a "trail".

i was riding with the butterflies. a little yellow butterfly and a white butterfly were taking turns flying beside me.

airborne toxic event

what was great about this show (besides the actual show), was the collaboration of all the bands plplaying together on each other's sets. we were introduced to the henry clay people who i am now a fan of. airborne toxic event did not disappoint!

ingrid michaelson

i couldn't believe how crowded it was, full of hippie girls. ingrid was a true entertainer. she had the audience laughing throughout her whole show!

her voice like an angel

range varying high to low

full of giggles, jokes, comic relief

fun, sweet soft emotion

she plays all these instruments

on the stage

doing it every night with her band

behind and beside her

bringing everyone along

for the ride

she's having an absolute adventure

she's a whimsical fairy

scattering her joy pixie dust

sparkling glitter around her