Full Moon

The moon is exceptionally luminous tonight after a day of rain. I really want to do yoga to the full moon but it is advised that yoga not be practiced on a full and new moon. In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, these days are observed as yoga holidays because we are made of water and will be affected like the oceans tides by the moons gravitational pull. This pull can leave us more vulnerable to injury. On full moon days our life force or, prana moves upward and this increase in energy can cause us to over exert ourselves. On new moon days the pull of the moon is diminished leaving us lacking in energy and a decrease of life force, causing our practice to be less than dynamic. So I will try to be a good student of yoga and admire the moon instead of doing any half moon poses or moon salutations...but that doesn't stop me from doing some Kempo Karate!

Here is a beautiful Ashtanga yoga demonstration of Steven Green shot on location in India.

I want to be able to do that someday...

I did it! My first screen print shirt!

So after messing up my emulsion previously, I made sure to really wet down the yudu screen (but not dripping) with water, then applied the emulsion paper and squeegee'd it smooth. I dried the screen this time for over an hour in the built in yudu dryer AND I let it sit in there for a few hours before attempting the screenprint. I was going to do a test shirt, but screw it! I went ahead a put down a toddler shirt and first flooded the screen with ink (not applying pressure to the shirt yet, only on the screen) then I put the screen down on the shirt and went over it twice with my squeegee. It came out PERFECT. I was surprised that I didn't mess it up! However my second shirt DID . I ended up spraying the screen with water as I was afraid it was going to dry to fast and the water ran into my 2nd shirt. Ah live and learn...

My First Screen

I totally messed up the Emulsion

But my image actually looked pretty good.

So my first YUDU experience turned out ok. I mean, it wasn't an epic fail. I followed all the instructions but I don't think I got the screen wet enough to apply the emulsion, and then I think I didn't let it dry enough before I burned the image. Burning the image is fun! ...but then I washed it too vigorously and messed it up. I will try again soon.

Happy Valentines Day!

May all your dreams come true!

I Got Me a Yudu!

Just a quick post to say that I got myself the YUDU screenprinting machine and I can't wait to try it out! Since things are soooo sloooow at Dollface LaLa, I thought what a good time to try out some new techniques, make a few shirts and see how they do on Etsy. Yes that means I may open another store. I am an Etsy addict...but thats for another post! Meanwhile I will keep checking the door for my delivery.

If you are reading this on Wednesday the 10th, I will be at Disneyland!!

Things are slow so lets get physical

Things in Etsyland are at a snails crawl, so lately as you may have noticed I've been putting my focus toward health and fitness instead of painting and crafting. I am quite passionate about leading a healthy lifestyle which is a good balance to my artistic and creative side. Without good health, I would not have the energy for all the aspects of life– especially motherhood, which requires so much.... So since January 25th of this 2010 year I began my journey to be in phenomenal shape physically and mentally. Why start now?

I fit the typical story of someone who has always been fit and then had a couple babies and cannot loose the belly. I also have Diastasis Recti, a separation of the abdominal wall due to my large babies that has left me with a weak and protruding belly which makes me very depressed as I used to have a flat stomach. Having my children at 35, then 37 made it so much harder to get back in shape. Even though my energy level is quite high compared to friends my age, being an older mom meant battling the mommy weight and the "getting older weight" that just suddenly appeared. Having a desk job as a graphic artist wasn't helping my battle of the bulge either. Add in the lack of time, motivation and a mean sweet tooth and it is a loosing battle. I also need to lower my cholesterol which is quite high (256) and probably a genetic issue as well.

I started working out an hour a day at home back in July of 09 and had terrific results after only 30 days using this program called p90x...then I got laid off in August and fell off the wagon. Trying to start a Etsy business and doing more sitting left me with no time to work out. My body just sort of got stuck in a sitting position. Fast forward 5 months later (Jan 2010) and I am starting back up again! This time I mean it! Due to those few months of not exercising I feel rickety & old and have some new aches and pains...and that belly is only getting bigger. I have less energy to play with the kids and too lazy to walk the dogs...I do not want to be this person as I head into my 40s. I am going to be 39 in April 2010 and I want to spend my last of my 30's with a killer body! That is my birthday present to myself!!

I hope that my posts about health and fitness are just as interesting and inspiring as my posts about Etsy and Artmaking. I plan to start another blog that goes more into detail about my daily workouts/nutrition and when I get that going I will link it!

After the debauchery back to the health foods

So this week is all about going back to my healthy foods. From strawberry cakes to a low carb tofu and egg whites scramble with spinach and goat cheese. Green tea instead of cream tea. It is not as bad as it looks really!

Trying to be good with 2 strawberry cakes

I had to make not one but 2 strawberry cakes...

It was a little hard to resist so I gave in.

So I've been pretty good with my diet that goes along with my workout program. I've been working out daily now for 2 weeks with a diet that is high protein & vegetables but low in carbs and almost no sugar. It was working out for me until my 2 little ladies joint birthday party where part of my invitation said, "endless desserts" so I had to deliver. I made 2 strawberry cakes, cupcakes and offered cookies and other scrumptiousness. Yes I did have not one but two slices of that cake AND the cupcake. So I threw in a yoga workout in addition to my regular p90x workouts. I still lost 2 inches off my waist! whoo hooo!