my 29th Birthday, revisited for the 6th time

Here is a picture of my birthday cake courtesy of Lancer!

Fortitude.

The Film Festival

What an awesome experience I had last weekend at the 6th annual Oxford Film Festival! It was my first and it will not be my last. The weekend began on Thursday night with the Martinis on Ice Art opening. There were so many people there, including my mom, aunt, and cousin. I drank moonshine martinis all evening and then on to the after party for the film fest. Many apologies to Thad for missing his movie that opened the festival. Friday started with the film The Beekeepers and then a great film Rattle Basket! Wow, was I pleasantly surprised by the moving story of sisters and friends that are growing up and ignoring the process. Felt a bit like my life, but the movie has a much better soundtrack. After the movie, I stayed for the Q and A with the director/producer Thomas Phillips and he was great, too! I asked about the title Rattle Basket and he said that it was named after a trick the Egyptians used on slave children to work on the pyramids. They would fill the laden work baskets with rattles and the children would think of the work as play. I had never heard of this and immediately I got the connection, very nice. Then it was time to see Prom Night in Mississippi and then to the after party at the Powerhouse. Late nights persisted with time spent with T (Texas) W (Women) A (Art) T (Travelers) who steamed up some tamales and provided Texas Beer and Wine!!! On to Saturday where I saw another great film Luke and Brie on a First Date. Very funny and commendable on portraying an absolute bitch of a girl and a very nice guy. Next was a sneak peek at Craig Brewer's new Mtv project $5 Cover. Then off to Ajax with the ladies for some grub and drinks. The awards program began at 9 and the Lyric was packed with festival goers and townies. Dj Lober started the tunes and the dance party commenced! Beer Pong, free booze, and lovely goodbyes happened at the party house where the weekend ended for most of us at 5am. What a lovely time!

insanity

Is insanity being happy that graffiti is written with proper punctuation when you expect it to be incorrect?

There was some talk on Facebook that I look like Jane Russell. To be so lucky. I have often wondered how it would be to go on a cruise ship and have an entire Olympic team woo me like they did in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Been a busy bee-moved house and am preparing for a rush of events for the new year. One in particular will be fantastic! On February 5th there will be an art show and martini party in honor of my work and the work of my new friends and colleagues, Brooke White and Lou Haney! 4 floors of martinis and deliciously inspired prints, photos, and paintings! The same weekend we will get to spend time with directors and producers of films we chose for the Oxford Film Festival! Hoorah! February 23rd (a painful day in the calendar of my life-the day my father passed away) my first solo show at the University since graduate school will open at the University Gallery and I will give a lecture on the work on March 3rd. To follow that I will be in Chattanooga for Evonne's wedding and then I may (fingers crossed) be in Venice Italy for the opening of Brooke's photo exhibit during the Spring Holidays. In April I will be jurying a show for St. Louis Community College at Wildwood and curating a print show at the Good Citizen Gallery in St. Louis. I think there is a conference in Chicago mixed in there, too. I will have to look at the calendar. Whew. My stomach is churning from all of the excitement and anxiety. Maybe I should find some good meds to help me through this.

Sadness Creeps

My cat Tullah is gone. She succumbed to the disease. I am very lonely in the house and sometimes I think I hear her and then I realize she's not here anymore. Crap.