Cute and Harmless

I salute you..

This weekend I went to the San Jose Pride festival; I had some friends who had a booth there and I wanted to show my support for them, and the cause. (=) I met a lot of great people and talked to many vendors; it reminded me of when I was a kid growing up in the craft fair circuit. I’d stay with my dad at the fairs, and get to know the other vendors who made the same tour we did. My perspective is a little different now that I’m older, but that instant connection, camaraderie, is there. Except – I’m not a vendor. I am incredibly proud of all those people out there who took their hobby and stuck out their necks (and wallets) to show up.

I don’t know where people get their courage, or how they develop such strong tenacity, but I need to figure that out, and fast. I have a suspicion that if I can champion myself, others will get behind me. But first things first; I need to do things that command my respect, and earn my own sense of worth. Maybe the rest will follow.

So, young musician from orange county, purple-haired mom with a hobby making cute hats, light bulb painter with the dog who stole your papasan, candle maker who made lemon sugar scents just for me, and my dad, who did everything it took to support his kids, I salute you.

Chincheezit & Other Sketches

I’ve uploaded some new sketches for you while I work on churning out the paintings. I don’t think anything can replace the inspiration that comes from a pencil on paper. 

Today’s painting: Milo and Oil  

Star Trek Online

STO is a lot of fun – I’ve tried new mmo’s but this one really grabs you, even if you don’t have your large, preexisting social network like on your older mmo’s - grouping up is easy. (and the character creator is much fun.)

I’m doing a painting a day – and this one is based off what i was hearing while my husband battled some aliens with his Away Team. 

New paintings!

I’ve been making a painting a day, for the last four days – my aim is a week – here is the one from last night:

A Short Excursion

Today: The look on a man’s face, being turned away. “No Jobs,” the other man had said.   He wrung his ballcap in his hands and walked out, staring at the ground.

A woman standing under the lip of a building, hides from the flying branches and heavy rain.  She’s wearing several nice outfits, layered over one another for warmth. Her eyes meet mine and shine with tears. She quickly pockets the bills and rubs her nose. I’m already to my car.

Someone slams a door. A child cries out and a man shouts “Maybe! I said Maybe.” He makes a brisk pace and mutters darkly; “I just don’t know.” 

She chats idly to me while I wait in line. “Well, I’m from Texas. Tornadoes are no big deal. Now, Earthquakes…”  I recall hearing the inverse earlier and think to myself – Of all things, we should at least expect our ground to me immovable. Weather, politics, emotions and economics throw us around – but damnit if the earth should do it too.

- Candice

Substitutions

I’ve been working on my cooking skill – it’s cheaper to make things at home when you have the time, and when allergies come into play, it just makes sense. I’ve been try to replace the garlic in all my favorite meals to something Brent can eat; there are few options online, so I’ve experimented.  I’ve so far discovered that for tang – ginger can work in a pinch, and combinations of the following can fill the seasoning void: Tarragon, Basil, Citrus juices, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cayenne, and Turmeric.   Don’t be afraid to add cinnamon to your dishes – if you use it in proportion to your other spices, you’ll never notice it.  Turmeric, Cayenne and Nutmeg work great in Indian dishes, with white meats and in baked goods. I use Tarragon instead of garlic when the recipe calls for basil.  Peanut butter can give a recipe a rich, subtle and complex flavor, something that garlic normally does with brute force.  Good luck with your allergies people – if you’ve got a substitution that works well for you, post it here!

new year!

Thanks for the awesome party Eduardo, Nicole. Nothing like Rockband, Red Dragon Inn and Champagne (and mustaches, a blue moon and naughty girl scouts) to bring in the new year. still want my flying car..

Recently

Costumes were a success! Put up my first Xmas tree – but still doesn’t have a treetopper. I should finish painting the Noobz from Blizzcon and put it up there. I’m thinking a EV suit from Star Trek; I got some good pics from the Tech Museum yesterday to help me out with it.

Star Trek Online Beta

Hehehe; Brent’s right about the STO music- it’s extreme!! all the time!!! It’s a crazy rampage through an orchestra; the guy with the cello is climbing up the walls -the guy on chime is like “no you di-en’t” then the tyco drummer rolls through and crushes them both. … i kinda like it.