Arrrrrrrt

So sometimes, I find myself to be artsy. Earlier this week, I bought a couple canvases and some new paints so that I'd have something to do while Sean worked late a lot of this week. I decided I was going to paint one of Sean's pictures (Check out his facebook page here).

It's not far along, but I feel like it's pretty good. It's of a green apple on a green background. I only have the apple and stem done and part of a leaf but now I have a project for the next couple days. I love having projects. It makes me less crazy. I've done a few paintings in the past, but I've never really done any realistic ones. I really hope it turns out. It'd be really cool... plus I think it would go well in our future kitchen.

Speaking of art, my father-in-law is an incredible painter. We have one of his earlier ones in our living room of a fox and it's exceptional. He just put up his official website and you should check it out (here).

We finally have a star and some ornaments on our Christmas tree so there's that... We only had to brave the crazy winter-drivers and Target Christmas-crowd to get them, but at least they're there, right? And Christmas can begin! I already have a gift for Sean on its way.

That's all. I'll keep you updated on the painting and have a picture of it when it's done.
love, Ellen

Something September

Hi, guys.
It's kind of weird not writing under the guise of a blog-a-day... and Ellie showed me this link to a "Blogtember" deal and I might do it. I did this blog's Blog-A-Day May and it was pretty fun and I found a couple new blog friends doing it, but at the same time, I don't know if I want to just be known for doing challenges.

I think I might check the challenge and do a little of it every day but idk if I'll do every day. There's my disclaimer.

Today's prompt is: "Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are."

I was born in the nice part of a city known for being kind of ghetto. From there we moved back and forth from there to another small town on it's way to big city. I think all this moving around is what made me such a grown-up so early on, because I had to learn that figuring out my identity was fairly important in introducing myself to the new classes and situations. 


When I was 9, we finally bought a house in the same school boundaries as our last duplex and that was nice, not having to make new friends from who I went to school with. My parents are still living in that house with my sister who is on her way to college in only one year (wowza) and it's a pretty nice house where I got my own room and shared a bathroom with my dad. 

These people I lived with for 18 years are a looney bunch, but I love them. When Sean and I were visiting yesterday for Labor Day, we hung out in a very green-painted room and watched TV and then had delicious dinner, all the while cracking jokes and cheering on the American Ninja Warriors competing for 1/2 a million dollars. My dad loves cooking and so does my husband, luckily. 

Since February 2012, I has turned to We. Sean has joined the bunch of crazies and I couldn't be more grateful. Ever since we were put in with a big group of 18 mo. to 3 year olds at our church, we've been talking about parenting styles and how we want to raise our kids. I'm never afraid to say my ideas to him because he always agrees and then adds to it in some way. I feel like we're going to be great parents in a few years. 

And that's all, I think.

There was another thing aside from the blogtember thing... 
OH. I'm thinking about selling my artistic abilities for money. I'm not totally sure yet though because it's hard to come up with money for supplies and stuff. I'm thinking of having people send me black and white photos of them (the higher the contrast, the better) and I'll send them that picture in a 11x14" drawing, like the one from my last post unless they want it bigger and then charging some money for labor, shipping, and supplies. So maybe like $4 for supplies, however much shipping is, and then $10 an hour for however long it takes me (promise, I'm honest). 
Let me know what you think and I'll see how well it would do then decide. 
Thanks!

love, Ellen.

Day 31: Proud

I think my proudest accomplishment this month is probably that I got myself a job and only missed a couple days of this blog. Woo! Oh, also, remember that drawing I said I was doing? It's really good. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty proud of it.

Here's a picture of it:

It isn't the best picture, but it looks good in person. Promise.

It's supposed to look like this:

I'm thinking about going over it with charcoal to make the black parts black and not pencil-y. Idk, yet.

Anyway. Happy End of the Month!

love, Ellen

Day 29: Hobbies

I don't have very many hobbies that I do regularly but there are tons of things that I like doing.

If I had the time and supplies, I would love to take up embroidery. I've done it a few times but I think I would be pretty good at it and would like doing it. It's something I can put down and pick back up instantaneously, which I like, and it can travel with me fairly easily, I think.

I also like doing art. If I had a place to do it and store it, and the money for all the supplies, I would love to learn how to paint, draw, and sculpt better.

I also like baking. I have a few signature recipes but at the same time, I hate heating up my tiny apartment and I never eat all of the things I make.

I've mentioned before that I love organizing. It's kind of a hobby, I suppose but at the same time, it's an obsession.

I love music. I can't wait til Sean and I have a house so I can have my piano and cellos and Sean's guitars and my ukulele and all of our vinyl and CD's around me. I'm not that great of singer but I can learn.

Something else I love doing and I'm actually pretty good at is wire-bending. Weird, right? Sometimes I think I should do it as a business. I've seen things like this sold on Etsy and stuff but I've never really done anything about it.

And that was even with crappy pliers!

Anyway, I think that's all.
love, Ellen

untitled.

It's been a lazy weekend at the Donner home. Lots of napping and watching movies and tv and recovering from illness... just how I like to spend my weekends.

Today, Abby came down to hang out with me. Good ole Carr girls bonding time: watching tv and pretending we're artists. I cleaned the house and she's reading my book. Like I said, a relaxing weekend.

Anyway, it's just a short update. because I can't think of much else to talk about.
So have a nice evening and enjoy this picture of my cat:

love, ellen

on beverages

People think it's weird when I call drinks beverages sometimes. It's just a thing I've always done.

Anyway, Sean and I are drinkers. Not the alcohol or coffee type, but anything else, you might just find in our house. We have a mini fridge mere inches away from our couch stocked full of cans of root beer, American Classic cola, Mountain Dew (or off-brand type), Dr. K (off-brand Dr. Pepper), glass bottles of Crush Grape, and then a couple 12 packs that didn't fit in the fridge.

Tonight at Walmart, we went to get gatorade, a thermometer and possibly more meds and brake fluid (turns out we already have those last two things) and came home with an 8 pack of gatorade, a gallon of milk, orange juice, 3 propels, 4 cans of chicken noodle soup, a can of chicken broth,  a box of salted caramel hot chocolate mix (that I can't wait to try!), cereal, a lemon, honey, and a thermometer. Not a single one of those things does not have to do with a drink (except the thermometer, unless you count saliva). I guess we're just overly thirsty.

How about we throw some literary spin on all of this and call it a metaphor. We're always thirsty. Thirsty for creative flow. We always want to pour creative juices onto canvases and pages via paint and words and other vehicles and we just need liquids to quench the thirst from constantly pouring. or not. it could be that we are just occasionally dehydrated and need to quench our actual thirst.

to sum all this up, here's a picture of some of our art:

love, ellen

simple observations.

i have to start out with a rendition of a song:


oh, the weather outside is frightful,
and all i ever wanna do is cuddle.
And cuz Sean's at work all day,
I will wait, i will wait, i will wait.

okay. back to business:

• i'm okay going 20 miles under the speed limit today because of my poor tires and it's slippery all around.
• i love almond hot chocolate. almond anything, really.
• You HAVE to let the dryer finish when you don't have a laundry thing at your house and have to transport it because if you don't and put it in the bottom of the hamper, it WILL wrinkle and you will have a bad time.
• my house is a mess and for the first time in months, kitty is being super sweet and cuddly. She's even letting me pet her without attacking my hands. jerk.
• Today is the perfect day to start re-watching Lord of the Rings in preparation for Friday. Also because of the weather. Good thing the 1st part of Fellowship is still in the bluray player from that time Sean and I fell asleep to it on saturday.
• i want to be an artist. 
• 2 finals down, 2 to go. and then BREAK. awww yeah.
• the creepy heaters in our apartment are actually awesome. 
• I need to go buy some of Sean's stocking gifts today. or tomorrow. probably tomorrow.

okay, that's all for today. now i'm going to take a nap and clean my house. 

love, ellen.

Catch up and mustard?

yes, please. just kidding. it's a word play.

but no srsly. this is kinda just gonna be a catching up post. duh.
This has been a manic insanic week full of oddities and whatever. classes happened and i made some friends in my French class and work is a good time. but this weekend is probably what i want to focus on..

okay. so Friday i went to institute and that was good and will hopefully help me with my resolution i forgot to post on my resolutions post about being more spiritual. then i changed and went to work for a long time. then i came home and then went to dinner with my ward friends Bethany, Marcus, and Marcus's roommate Jason to cafe paesan. it was yummy.. i had a thai salad and i ate most of it!

Then Saturday, me and Jayme went and bought a bunch of party stuff and that night i had a batman half birthday party! basically i just wanted cake and to watch batman. and that's what i got! it was actually a lot a lot of fun. i met a bunch of people. Like this new guy in my ward and one of Jamie's (not to be confused with Jayme) friends Ethan and Annie's friend (who might be in our ward?) named BJ.

then sunday was normal except i found out that Chelsea Hightower's little brother just moved into our ward and she was at church with us except i missed like 2/3 of church for a fellowship meeting... eeks. But yeah! and uhm oh yeah there was this cute guy at ward prayer who i'm hoping is actually in our ward and not just a visitor... that'd be super sad. for me.

yesterday was MLKJr. day. So no classes or work. So i woke up and got ready and then went to Zupa's and Target with the aforementioned Ethan guy. it was good.. i bought a sweet new slap bracelet watch and some veg and ranch.. then we came back to my apartment and chatted for a while and then he left and i went to Walmart with Erin and her roomies and bought some muffins and pepperoni and a glade plug-in and some batteries and some other stuff.

then we went to Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works. and i bought some stuff and then chilled at Erin's until i had to go to FHE. so i drove home and put my stuff away real fast and then went to FHE. Which was our bishop talking about his art career and how it is tied into the church and it was super impressive. sometimes i think i can art but then i see things like his and i'm like... not an art. but this is my latest attempt!:

It's not the most amazing but i think it's good. and yes.. it's the Doctor again. you know me... but i'm working on something that Emily Mensing photographed. and it's not the Doctor! i will hopefully be able to finish it soon.. but i can't promise anything.

anyway.. time to get ready for work!
Have a superfab day, all!
~Ellen

Flirt Boy

I drew this picture today at work because i was bored and wanted to show my co-worker, Jen, what the guy who flirted with me yesterday looked like (i know i already posted today, but i thought this needed some recognition.)

I had to edit it to make the pen show up more. and i can't remember what his face looked like... and i'm not good at my own face so i left them blank. but we both do have glasses.
"Us glasses kids need to stick together, hey?"
-ellen.

Flow - Csikszentmihalyi

• I really like art. I appreciate the artists and how they can just spend hours and hours in spurts of intense creativity and produce a masterpiece. I'm not really a flow kind of person. I have to have a set thing and a due date. It would probably also help if i had some art supplies. So once Robert's goes out of business (like i was hearing they are..) i'll buy tons of supplies for cheap and then go flow.


• p.s. csikszentmihalyi came up with the concept of flow which is a intense stream of creative conciousness when most of time-perception dissolves until that spurt of flow ends. I'm studying for the psychology ap test. I think i got this. I've been getting at least 7o's on all my practice tests, which is like a 4 in ap speak, and there is no way to study for english except practicing. so i'm just going to keep doing my best and getting sleep.


• meanwhile, i'm getting an attitude adjustment. and hopefully more sleep. it's only TEN and i'm going to bed soon! Also, i've given up most hope for prom. it's okay, i'll just use my free hairstyle for graduation. i'll be the hottest one there.

i feel like i gotta say more. or quote something. hmm...

• George: Ah, what's the matter with you then?


• Ringo: It's his grandfather. I can tell he doesn't like me. It's cuz i'm little.


• George: Ah, you've got an inferiority complex, you have.


• Ringo: Yeah, I know. That's why I play the drums - it's me active compensatory factor.

that's funny cuz it has inferiority complex. and that was thought up by Alfred Adler. (yay for applying beatles to psychology study! now i'll pass for sure!)

• goinga abed. going to bed. okay.


• -Ellen