Elimination

After having a migraine for almost 3.5 weeks my doctor and I decided that resuming an elimination diet would be a wise choice. That means...lots, and lots, and lots of rice.
Good news, it seems to be working. When I stick to my diet (yeah I cheated two nights in a row, don't judge me) my headaches have disappeared. I need to do better about exercise and stress reduction and I may actually get back to my happy healthy self one of these days.

Signs of Spring

Spring is almost here.

Snow is melting.

Sun is shinning...and yesterday was an amazing day for skiing.

Great things...

Great things are coming soon. Probably right after my freakish obsession with the Olympics comes to an end. Frankly, its for the best the Olympics occur every 2ish years. It tends to consume me.

Incredible.

So here it is. The costume that consumed my life when I got back from my vacation...Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35666133@N05/4070615132/

Are you adding a note or a person?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35666133@N05/4070618892/in/photostream/

Operation Neckwarmer...complete

Okay, you have to understand that yesterday was a HUGE day for me. I finished a knitting project. I am not even kidding....it may have taken me two months but its done.

TA-DAAAAAAA!!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35666133@N05/3985822918/#/edit

Sorry for the horrific camera angle, I was doing my own glamor shots.

Stove and mountain tops

Today has been a great day...got myself some downhill skis, some boots and a couple more All-Clad pans to add to my collection. So when my mom called and asked if my goodness was that I won a million dollars, I responded, 'um actually I went the other way...'

I realize I haven't posted lately. I really wanted to be posting some photography. This fall moved fast and now we are in that leaf-less tree phase with no snow and everything is kinda ugly and brown....not exactly inspiring.

However, I drew this the other night. I am going to use it as a composition for a mixed media peice for my Mommas Christmas present.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35666133@N05/3973750128/

So feel free to comment and let me know if you know of a different iris shape or photo that you would recommend. I have until the end of the month! Clock is tickin....

Time got away

Time got away from me recently...however my game face is back on.

I know that change is a good way to reset life, break old habits and start new healthier ones. I am using this whole Dan being gone for a couple months as time to change and get a handle on some of the important things. Here is what I have been working on for myself and the progress that I have made.

1. Live wiser financially speaking at least.
Dan and I have drawn up a budget that hopefully will save us a whole lot of money when he gets back. However now that I am here and convience is a very tempting motive things are a bit more challenging. I bit the big bullet and spent every extra penny that I had to pay off some debt from my undergrad degree. I should *fingers crossed* be free of all that burden by the end of the month. It was scary...but the right thing to do. I cancelled all the extra cable channels and now just pay for internet and phone. I also bought myself some tea to drink at work so I wasn't driving through my favorite little coffee hut on the way to work/school in the morning. All little things but I am promising myself to be good about this.

2. Live a healthier life style.

Remember way back when I said convience is very tempting? That means eating out...eating weird and unhealthy food because I don't want to sit down and cook for myself. However due to the budget restrictions also mentioned in the previous paragraph this is forcing me to buckle down and make sure that what I buy is not just crap like candy but good food. If I am going to spend money on something it sure as heck better be good for me ;). I also have taken up the Wii EA Active game...holy cow that thing kicks my sorry butt. It was questionable this morning how exactly I was going to put my pants on without requiring medical attention. I want to be able to have a little bit more leg strength for ski season this year. Maybe, just maybe I will finally figure out how to skate ski. Maybe.

3. Work on building the relationship that Dan and I have
Well they say absence makes the heart grow fonder but whatever. I want him home...I feel that my heart is fond enough dang it. Its been over three weeks and we aren't quite sure wither it will be 3 or 6 more. We are at an exciting place where finally our lives aren't just two separate entities but more so a vendiagram with a good healthy overlap. We hopefully will be taking a trip in October to go visit Washington D.C.. This will be our first vacation together and I am so excited I can't even really deal with it! However, I want to make sure that we do this the correct way...smart and relaxing...I don't know if you have ever planned to relax before but that in its own right is stressful. Its a very exciting transition point in our lives...I just need him to come home so we aren't put on pause anymore.

4. Finish my stinkin' degree

I NEED TO FINISH BEFORE I LOSE MY MIND. So I am writing this from the lab...waiting for a hot oil bath to get to the right temperature. It needs to get done. I have gotten two molar absorbitivies calculated in the last two days so that is exciting. I love the feeling of making progress and this deep need to be finished is also good motivation.

My picture of the day comes from my trip to the remote parcel that Dan is part owner in. It has been in a forrest fire about 5 years ago. We only went to the top of the property but at the bottom there are a lot of big birch trees and even a little stream. Next summer they will start to build a cabin at the flatter part of the property and part of the Alaskan wilderness will be another home away from home.

Dead trees

Finished Painting

I did it. I finished! My friend wanted a reproduction of a small painting I had made years ago....and I finished it last night. Check this out and let me know what you think!

Birch Tree Painting II

Bazzillion Degrees

Oh my gosh. my apartment is ridiculously hot. Maybe there is some sort of vortex of heat directly from the core of the Earth to my living room...whatever it is. I am totally not a fan.

My boyfriend is at a wedding rehursal for tomorrow and so I stayed home and wrapped a full size mixer. I normally wouldn't mind but with his trip to Selawik in three days then the living room is filled with, Xtratufs, sleeping bags, three rain coats, who knows how many socks and odd gear straps. So I got it wrapped with my limited space. The real issue behind all this is somewhere under the pink ribbon, the Ibuprofen, ski goggles, and backpacks is the remote for the cable sooooooo tv is a little slim pickin at the moment. Dont worry, the bully is indeed getting a beat down.

While checkin out my twitter....I came across this fine piece of video, and I would like to say, I am kinda thankful that there isn't an IKEA for three thousand miles because I dont think I want my parents to shop there. Enjoy.

Early Fall Stroll

Me and one of my most dearest friends went for a photo date/walk down to Creamers Field. I may not be crazy about the apartment that I am currently living in, however...I love being so close to one of my favorite spots in town.

Bird house

We are both learning how to use our DSLR's so it was nice. She is a Nikon girl and I have a Canon...but basic principles are still the same. Its very nice to share the learning curve with someone. I feel like with all the very young fabulous photographers online that I am behind the curve but spending time with a few of my friends is really helping me learn what the strange little buttons do and be a little less scared to try some things. I am hoping that by this winter I wont be such a camera idiot-face and be able to capture some real good shots. Feel free to comment on my flickr or here if you have any suggestions. I promise I wont take them personally and I really, really want to learn what I am doing.

Taking pictures

Here is one that I used Picnik to edit. I am working on a painting of birch tree trunks so I wanted to really bring out the contrast of the black and white to inspire my last few touches (a photo will be posted when thats done)

Birch Trees

Alright, thats all fine and dandy but not very exciting...I tried really hard to send the cranes or the geese a message so that they would get into a fight and I could get some sweet NatGeo shot...however, they were just standing there, eating or staring at eachother. Not exactly my G.I. Geese experience that I wanted.

Creamers field

Old Creamery

Revival.

So my Twitter friends have inspired me to do a real good job at this. I am going to go ahead and try round 2. (I am @ashleykaren)
I have done a much better job at getting projects started and heaven forbid, FINISHED. so I think I may actually have a product to show...which should make this round much better.

However, I am finishing teaching my last lab of the semester so I can't take a picture of any of my current works. I can however, share with you the most amusing website I have found in a long time, www.crappytaxidermy.com You have to understand, its really hard for me to pick a favorite....should I pick a "OH MY GOSH THAT IS TERRIFYING?" or a "OH MY GOSH THAT IS HILARIOUS" or a simple..."What the crud?!" So I went with this.

Have a lovely day!

Snow storm

 

This is outside my apartment in our current snow storm.

quote

I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.
Augusten Burroughs, Magical Thinking

http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/35380.html

mojo is a go go.

So I finally feel that inspiration and love of all the tings that make me, well...me.

tee shirts in the hallway

is the hallway a good place for tee shirts? No.
are the tee shirts going to stay in the hallway while i read about beautiful things online? yes.

Wedding Present

So granted, most of my close friends have already tied the knot...there is something about this piece that makes me think this would be a great wedding present!



Castle

tick tock

I am in love with a clock. *sigh*

lab work

I am in the lab this afternoon...again. Doing the same project that I have been for weeks now. I will be soooo happy when all of this water is removed from my sample. At least I get brownie points for being here and working AND I get to spend 95% of the time surfing the internet. I guess its alirght :)

All I have to say and thank goodness for Google Reader. All my beautiful design blogs are keeping me entertained while ice evaporates.

Yesterday was a super productive day. In the morning my boyfriend made me some delicous french toast, which always puts the day on the right foot..then my substitute landlord called about the door issue and he said he was coming over...so we did a super fast clean sweep of the place and because I have been working on "the cure" it was easy to do. Substitute landlord got the door knob working and so that was great. Boyfriend left to go do laundry...I did laundry at my apartment for the first time in forever. Normally I take it to my parents house, they feed me while I do laundry and I dont have to worry about getting in anyones way....but due to extreme temperatures lately the drain was frozen on their machine...so my dearest mother came and did laundry with me. It was nice. I got a BUNCH done and got all caught up on the dishes...made some alright coookies...and then my Mom left, shortly after my boyfriend came back with the tools he needed to fix the door jam and we watched House for the rest of the evening. It was a great day.

macho man

1. I went to the gym today and it was glorious.
2. Its still -40 outside.
3. I bought myself Little Big World, I missed it after it was returned to Blockbuster the other day.
4. My door knob froze/broke...and after hours of trying to get help from my landlord, and local locksmiths then my boyfriend finally took matters into his own hands, well feet...he kicked my door in! I have never seen such a thing before. It was pretty impressive. Talk about an act of manly behavior.
5. My landlord went out of town for months now and never told me.
6. Our dinner was nachos. It was delicious.
7. We are getting ready to head over to a friends house and they are going to watch "Slednecks 11". In case you haven't had the privilege of catching any of the 1st 10 I will catch you up...snowmachines, going fast and bad rock music. There, you are all caught up. Though if I go tonight my boyfriend said he would watch "Black Sheep" with me...and folks I am not talkin' the Chris Farley comedy..straight up zombie sheep. Sooooooooo in light of this offer I am going. I am also going to take my scarf that I have been working on knitting for a few weeks now. I figure good progress should be made.

I wonder...

On the list that I gave my dearest wonderful boyfriend AFTER Christmas...I wrote I wanted a locket. Now I need to say straight up that my super amazing Canon Rebel camera was waaaay more generous than I was expecting. I am much happier with my camera than I would be with a locket....but I still kinda want one.
So today I was doing my daily browsing of Etsy and I found this.



It even happens to match my current outfit. It may be a sign that I should buy it for myself.

Binageyer