A Gallivanting Girl Giveaway!!

I recently added calendars to the stock in my shop and I'd like to give one away to a deserving customer.  To get one of these 14-month, 5x7 pretties just follow the instructions below.

Do any or all of the following:

• Like The Gallivanting Girl on Facebook (then write on my wall about the giveaway).
• If you're already a fan, leave a comment about the giveaway.
• Comment on this post.
• Re-blog or tell some friends (then comment with details, ie blog post link, etc.)
• Create a treasury on Etsy with any item from my shop and mention this giveaway in the details.

You'll be entered for each thing you do, so the more things you do, then the better your chances.  Good luck!  Entry deadline is December 11 and I'll draw a winner December 12.

Craigslist Cravings: Fantastic Sofa.

Via Craigslist.

This beauty is almost seven feet long, and in new condition because it's just a year old.  It's located in Germantown, Kentucky, and very reasonably priced at $500, but I'm not to the furniture buying point...we are getting ready to have to put all of our downstairs furniture upstairs in order for the drywallers to come in, so adding a huge sofa to the mix would just be a pain.  I sure hope I can find something similar when I do start buying.

An Artist to Swoon Over: Nancy Ramirez.

I don't know if it's just because I'm an artist, or a visual person, or what, but I can tell immediately if I like a piece of art or not.  It's a split second judgement, and one I've found to be completely out of my control.  I'll either be attracted to it, or it won't catch my eye at all.  Nancy's work is definitely in the first category.  She has a shop, {COZAMIA}, and if you don't already know about it, then your welcome in advance.

Blossom Trellis

Such vibrant colors and eye catching patterns make me go weak in the knees.  That is probably a surprise to some because I usually work in muted tones or even black and white.  I admire what I'm not, I guess is the best way to look at it.  My favorites (they all are fantastic), seem to have strong turquoise and pink tendencies.

Electric Garden (Turquoise)

 I came across her work a few months ago, my first contact being with the "Wild Herringbone in Pink," and audibly said "Oooh."  Then I went to her shop and that was followed by much more "oohs and ahhs."  

Brittle Stars Raspberry

 I am impressed with the variation in her work.  I always seem to get stuck in "rural-themed" or "historical-themed" collections.  Her work does have a somewhat collective color scheme, which is great because you can buy up all her work and have a cohesive grouping even if they don't have the same subject matter.

Color Migration Blue

 Over at {COZAMIA} she's holding a giveaway until December 4, which I'm very un-secretly hoping to win.  I want a huge print (I'm leaning toward the "Night Peonies" in  blue below or the Blossom Trellis which is the first image), in order to hang it up on our soon to be walls after the drywaller comes through in a couple months.

Night Peonies (Blue)

Now I'm telling you about the giveaway because I'm truly a good person (and I do hope all of you enter), but I may be a bit saddened if you are the person that happens to be the winner instead of me.  I'm only human.  If you feel so inclined you can always enter and then send the print my way.  I would do quite the little happy dance for that.

Wild Herringbone in Pink

So, this big long ramble is just to give you a little heads up about a great artist that you should know about.  She has a facebook page, and a blog too if you feel so inclined as to check her out further (and I hope you do).  Good luck if you enter the giveaway, and I hope you enjoy her work as much as I do.

Chow Down: Ugly Cookies

Carrot Chocolate Chip Cookies (AKA Ugly Cookies) via Me.

So, I was wanting some chocolate, but didn't feel like absolutely sabotaging my progress with a batch of chocolate chip cookies or a pan of brownies.  Instead I was wanting something between a carrot cake and oatmeal cookie.  I found this recipe via Allrecipes.com, but of course I tweaked it like I always do.  These cookies are very filling, aren't overly sweet, and they satisfied my chocolate needs perfectly, but they aren't very pretty.  They are lumpy and chocked full of random ingredients, so I've renamed them accordingly.

Ugly Cookies (1/2 batch) makes 16 cookies.

1 Egg
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Maple Syrup
1/6 C. Milk
1/6 C. Olive Oil
1 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Baking Soda
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 C. Chocolate Chips
1/2 C. Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 C. Finely Shredded Carrots
1/4 C. Finely Shredded Apple
1/8 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C. Almonds
1/2 C. Puffed Brown Rice

In a large bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg; add to egg mixture.  Stir in chips, oats, carrots, apple, almonds, and puffed rice.  Drop by the heaping tablespoon onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  Bake at 350-degrees for 10-13 minutes.

Enjoy.

How Does a Farmgirl Go Girly?

Is this what it would look like?

Tory Burch Trigg Lace-Up Leather Boots Via Polyvore.

I've always been a tomboy.  Not out of an outright hate of fashion, more like a fear.  No one has ever shown me how to put on make-up and if more is asked of my hair than a ponytail or bun I'm helpless.  I want to be girly sometimes though.  I want to buy clothes that make my husband stop and actually notice me.  At the moment my wardrobe consists of ill-fitting blue jeans, ratty t-shirts, men's snap up shirts, and workboots.  Sad but true. 

I bought a cute little dress a while back, but I have yet to wear it.  I promised myself a make-over when I shed these last ten pounds.  I want jeans that actually fit, and nice blouses to wear when I'm not at the barn or painting (which isn't very often).  But I would like to dress up for my husband before he gets home from work.  Call me June Cleaver I guess.  I just want to start trying.  I feel great about myself and my life, and I want my outward appearance to reflect that. 

I just need someone to take my hand and show me how to put together an outfit, and give me some style pointers.  Any takers?

Art, who's to say?

Image via The Daily Beast, Time Life Pictures/Getty Images.

Recently Bob Dylan has come under scrutiny for his art that was being featured in a show.  They said he painted from old photographs and that it made his art not worthy of a second look.  I personally don't agree with this statement at all.  Looking at his painting versus the photograph--yes, he used it obviously as a reference, but with his brush work and color I think it creates a beautiful, separate from the original, work of art.

I guess I take slight offense to this because when I work I have to have a reference myself.  I can't just say, "I'm going to paint a woman in a chair." and set out to paint it.  Nope, I've got to have a photograph or some kind of image to refer to.  I envy artists who can draw from memory (my father is one of those people), but taking inspiration from a photograph doesn't make the art unworthy.  I find his paintings beautiful.  And it's not as if he took the photograph itself and called it his own.  Now that would be overstepping a bit. 

I guess in the gallery statement it was said that he drew from his experiences, and it didn't source his references.  That is the only issue I have.  I try to give credit where credit is due.  Usually when I paint from a photograph I alter my image enough that the original bears likeness but it doesn't look like a copy.  Even still, if there is a person to credit, I will.  I've got some paintings that I'm working on at the present that are based on old photographs from magazines.  Reason being is I love the image, and I want to create a work of art that pays homage to it.  I want to make it my own.  Plus, most of the images I find are in dusty corners, and I'd love for more people to see them, so painting using them as a reference gets them noticed.  Does that make sense?

Another issue that I have with art is people that try to say what is or isn't.  To me, it's a completely subjective.  I personally don't understand most contemporary art.  I'm not going to state "That's not art." But I might say, "That's not art, to me."  That's my opinion.  I like art that shows work.  It can be abstract, but I want to see what the artist was doing.  Others may find my work dull, or imperfect, but I'm proud of what I create.  I'm sure Dylan feels the same way.  He obviously is doing what he loves, and I admire him for that.  For anybody to say his art isn't art, I'd like to ask them exactly what art is.

I've got an elliptical and I know how to use it.

Image Via surtrayvey on Flickr.

I'm fairly positive that Dara Torres is a super-human, but she is an inspiration to me just the same.  Sure I've set the bar pretty high, but if I go at this re-training of my body with muscles like hers in mind, then even falling short will potentially give me a great physique.

I bought an elliptical machine (off Craigslist of course), and that will be a huge help in getting this plan in action.  I don't have much time to write, but just look at Dara's abs and say "Holy Cow," a few times and go back to whatever you were doing before you read this.