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Sunday, July 13th
Wedding Daze
By this time next week I'll be an old married woman!
A friend dropped off a bag full of purple tulle to decorate the shelter with and I woke up to find Osiris had made a little nest in it. He looked so adorable.
Elise on 07.13.08 @ 02:16 PM AK [link] [24 Comments]
Sunday, June 29th
A Word from the Undead
I've been sick for a week and a half now and I'm STILL sick. What gives? My sweetie rented a bunch of zombie movies for me during my convalescence but I was so nauseated that I couldn't even watch most of them.
Plus, I had a ton of things I'd wanted to get done as there are only 2 weekends left before the wedding, but alas, I haven't been able to do anything.
Aaron has taken very good care of me though. I used to be very happy as a Singleton, it's true, except for when I'd get sick. There is nothing so horrid (imho) as being alone when you're really sick and helpless.
Anyway, to respond to a couple questions I received in comments in my last post...here is a link to my wedding dress (no peaking Aaron!). This store was great, I didn't take measurements and I had to send two dresses back and they were super helpful and freindly about the whole thing.
I was going to keep the way too small dress and try to lose weight to squeeze into it in time, but I realized that would stress me out too much. So instead I ordered a size way too big because it was the only size close to mine they had in stock. So, Aaron's mom is going to take it in for me. Right now it hangs almost to my ankles and is massive BUT it is also totally adorable and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it (Plus I can eat whatever I want!).
Another question we've been getting *a lot* is if we're registered anywhere. We debated that quite a bit. I have this weird anti-registering thing. It seems so strange to me to tell people what presents to buy you. I know that if you don't, you can end up with 10 toasters, and I've never minded when friends have been registered places, it's just a personal weirdness of mine. Not that I don't LOVE getting presents, because I do. I mean, it's one of my favorite things ever!
The thing is, we pretty much have everything we really need already. I mean, we have some big ticket items (like, we're absolutely dying to buy a wood stove since electricity here can be iffy at times and oil has gone up a bagillion dollars per gallon) but that's not really the kind of present you can register for!
So, we are refusing gifts from people flying in from out of town because getting here is crazy expensive and their coming to the wedding is present enough. For people in town, they can bring a pot-luck item to the wedding as their gift or just come and not worry about it. We also gave people the option of making a *small* contribution to our honeymoon and we've started a savings account for it. We've never really been on a vacation together except to Anchorage and Gustavus. So, going to Hawaii for a week is going to be a huge deal for us!
Since we're using frequent flyer miles for the tickets there, and we have a free place to stay, if we have anything left over afterwards we're going to buy this wood stove! A girl can dream!
:blush
Elise on 06.29.08 @ 02:56 PM AK [link] [7 Comments]
Tuesday, June 17th
The kindness of others
So, the wedding is just about 4 weeks away and things are starting to fall into place. A friend and very talented photographer Patrick McGonegal is going to photograph our wedding as a present. If you like the snap shots I post on this site, be sure to check his work out, it's soooooo much better than mine. He also has a site more about Juneau called DidJuneau.com
Another friend who is a wonderful baker is going to do our cake in exchange for a painting he's wanted for a long time.
The wedding dress has arrived and it's too big... so Aaron's mom is going to take it in for me, free of charge.
Then there is the friend who is doing the music (thanks Kate!) the friend doing the flowers (thanks Maren!) the friend helping with the food (thanks Jen!) etc. etc. etc.
Then, unbelievably, we met a woman at Aaron's aunt and uncle's dinner party who is letting us use her gorgeous ocean side condo in Honolulu for our honeymoon!!!! (thanks Karen!) Can you believe that? She only met us the one time, how sweet and generous is that?
Anyway, we have already received more presents and offers of help etc. than I ever would have expected...it has made the stress of the upcoming wedding much more tolerable.
Speaking of which, yesterday I spent the entire day sewing table cloths for the picnic tables at the shelters where we're getting married. It's a ton of work, close to 20 tables and each one has a base table cloth and a runner on top. It has been (so far) the biggest expense for this wedding, and more work than I'd ever imagined.
So, was it a good idea to cancel the July exhibit? If I hadn't, I can honestly say I would have lost my mind. I promise that once the festivities are behind me, the painting will resume!
Elise on 06.17.08 @ 05:09 PM AK [link] [12 Comments]
Thursday, June 5th
Celebration
This morning on my way to the bus stop I was almost able to catch the Grand Entrance for Celebration 2008! Darn!
Check out this gorgeous slide show posted on our local Juneau Empire website.
You can even watch it live on UATV!
For those of you unfamiliar with Celebration, here is a brief explaination from Sealaska Heritage Institute's press release:
"Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will kick off its biennial Celebration next week, marking the 26th year since the inception of the popular dance-and-culture festival.
The institute anticipates up to 5,000 people, including 52 dance groups and approximately 2,300 dancers from Alaska, Canada and the Lower 48, will attend Celebration 2008, held in Juneau at Centennial Hall, the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall, and the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. SHI will announce winners of its biennial Juried Art Show and Competition on June 4. Dance performances and other events are scheduled June 5-7. The theme is “Tlingit, Haida Tsimshian Dancing on the Land.”
I hope that I'll get to attend some of the events.
Elise on 06.05.08 @ 02:43 PM AK [link] [6 Comments]
Monday, June 2nd
Feeling my age...
After college I started taking ceramics classes and became seriously addicted to clay and if it weren’t for my arthritis (started in early 20s) I’d probably have a wheel and kiln set-up at home today.
For years I’ve had several kitchen cabinets full of funky hand-made mugs and bowls from those days, some my own and many from friends etc but each with a memory attached. The only problem with my collection is that they’d become decorative only. Neither my honey nor I ever used them and we have a wee little kitchen with no room to spare. So, this weekend I sold all my treasured hand-made ceramics for .10 cents each at our garage sale! The cool thing is that the majority were bought by a young woman who acted like she’d just won the lottery; that made me feel great.
But letting go was hard. It almost felt like letting go of that “image” of myself as a young, funky artist…for I am neither so young nor so funky anymore.
Later we took our garage sale earnings to celebrate at the Island Pub where a great band was playing. The crowd was *much* younger than usual, they were all texting and snapping cell-phone photos and videos of each other throughout the performance and again, I was feeling OLD.
But then towards the end of the night, a woman (in her 60s) went out with a younger woman and started dancing with such enthusiasm and joy, it was amazing. Soon tables were cleared and a whole assortment of people (young and old alike) began dancing…including my honey and I. We had so much fun, and I guess I realized that you’re only as old as you *allow yourself* to feel.
Which reminds me of a funny Woody Allen quote: "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying."
In totally unrelated news, in our local paper is a touching story about a tour boat skipper attempting to rescue an orphaned baby goat. Enjoy!
Elise on 06.02.08 @ 10:17 AM AK [link] [6 Comments]
Tuesday, May 27th
What a (3-day) Weekend!
This week in Juneau has been amazing! Sunny skies since Thursday I believe. I have been having a blast, going for walks, hikes, bike-rides, etc.
This past Memorial Day weekend Aaron and I hiked out to the back of Mayflower Island to photograph the start of the Juneau Cup sailing race. We were supposed to be on the boat with the purple and yellow sails but we decided to stay in town and get stuff done instead...which we did...but we also had a chance to play.
Sunday night we went to our special spot on Thane beach to camp and it was heavenly.
This is why I live here! I have to remember these days once the rains return...but for now, my batteries are fully charged.
Elise on 05.27.08 @ 09:06 AM AK [link] [9 Comments]
Tuesday, May 20th
A "Sun" Day, Three Little Bears, and a little Toot Toot
When you live in a rain forest and the sun comes out after weeks and weeks of rain, people will sometimes leave work early or take what's locally referred to as a "Sun Day". Aaron's boss canceled their evening work plans last night because of the glorious sunshine so we were able to go for a walk through Last Chance Basin.
On our way back we saw a mama bear and her adorable cubs right along the side of Basin Road near Gold Creek. They were *so* close, it was a little scary actually, but we stopped and watched them forage and play for quite awhile (there was a car pulled over near us that we could have jumped in if the mama had charged).
All the plants are really coming up now too. The leaves on the trees seemed to come out full-grown overnight. Fiddlehead ferns (one of my favorite things to paint) are in various stages of unfurling and the skunk cabbage blossoms (another fav) are in their peak state of pointed yellowness. If it's not raining after work tonight, I plan to go back up there and take photos of all the little living bits starting to poke out.
Our walk really inspired me artistically. I've been in kind of a dark and cold space for awhile (literally). Right before our walk Aaron told me we received an $900 oil bill! So, in addition to the 500% increase in our electric bill, our oil bills have doubled! I am feeling very poor, and yet, there is *nothing* like the sun on my face to rouse the muse. Plus, despite the high cost of living I feel like I really *am* living and there's no where else on the planet I'd rather be.
btw, I asked Redimat to send me a copy of the article they wrote about me in their newsletter (unbeknownst to me) and they did. It's the most glowing thing I've ever read about myself, made me sound like a rock star! I only wish it were true!
"A multimedia and figurative artist, Elise Tomlinson's blog combines the best-practice tools and methods that rise small talented sectors into social media giants. Her blog is more than a working artist's journal - it's a multi-faceted blend of slice-of-life personal diary, gallery and marketing artblog."
I'm listening...
"Reader comments provide evidence of Tomlinson's social power and the support from engaged audiences that are as reflectively diverse as the many facets expressed through her chronicles. "
Go on...
"Altogether, it's a blogging work of art and genius that makes a bold, impressive statement in the blogosphere."
I'm blushing...
:blush:
Elise on 05.20.08 @ 11:46 AM AK [link]
Monday, May 19th
Ups and Downs and loooooong flights of stairs
Well, this past weekend my intended and I went to an open house where we viewed our dream home. The current owner is a painter too, and has a lovely little studio by some big windows with a stunning view...and the basement had a shop where my honey could build his fantasy wooden ketch sailboat. Not to mention the wood stove where I could burn stuff, and the huge deck overlooking downtown Juneau and the Channel.
It's in the neighborhood where he grew up, Star Hill, and as it turns out, I've had a print of the house done by Rie Munoz (a gift from a close friend who visited me here in Juneau years ago) hanging up in our bedroom for years.
I thought it was a sign!
We did all the paperwork to get pre-approved for a mortgage (which we did) but in the end, cooler heads prevailed. That is, we have recently set up financial goals for ourselves and a plan to get out of debt and getting this house didn't fit into the plan.
So, we decided to let it go, for now.
Instead we're going to fix up the cute little place where we currently live (and can afford) and continue to try and get out of debt and save for a bigger place without risking financial ruin.
I'm sharing all this because last night I talked to my dad and he said "you know, you really should update your blog more often"...so, this one's for you dad!
Elise on 05.19.08 @ 04:50 PM AK [link]
Friday, May 9th
The cost of Avalanches...
Well, Aaron and I have made some changes at our house which is why I haven't been posting as much recently. For one thing, with a 500% increase in our electric bills (and the bills of all of the businesses in Juneau) and the state unwilling to help out, everyone here has had to make some serious lifestyle changes.
In order to pay our increased electric bills over the summer, we've had to give up cable TV and high-speed internet (we're keeping both the TV and computer mostly off during the evening) and since I don't blog from work, that has limited my options somewhat.
We are also trying to get rid of our storage unit (another bill we suddenly can't afford) so we've been making trips there and identifying a bunch of stuff we can sell at our upcoming garage sell. We're also having to sell the Opportunity, Aaron's 22" Catalina sailboat as we can't afford the slip fees.
:(
Anyway, some good that has come from all of this, we are actually *doing* a lot more stuff, as we used to spend too much time watching TV (me) and surfing the web (him). However, there are a lot of cold, dark homes here in Juneau, as everyone hunkers down and tries to get through the next 3+ months on back-up diesel generators.
We bought an indoor clothesline (you can't dry anything outside as it's always rainy) and we've switched to low-flow shower heads, bought an insulation blanket for the hot water heater, and all of our lights are compact florescent.
I *do* hope to spend more time painting, possibly out-doors as it's too dark at our place to paint inside.
Elise on 05.09.08 @ 02:18 PM AK [link]
Thursday, April 24th
Sunshine of the spotless living room
The beautiful weather continues. Everyday I'm out on the trails enjoying the sun. It's crazy here when the weather is nice, *everyone* is outside and a little manic. But after a week or so of of it, people start getting warn out. I'm not at that point yet...I'm still sucking it all in.
I'm taking tomorrow off, possibly to go for the first sail of the season (if all goes well). Tonight (after the sun goes down) I'm going to do some deep cleaning to get ready for the weekend. Isn't it wonderful going into the weekend with everything clean and sweet smelling?
All of my deep cleaning will be without the assistance of modern machinery though. The "energy crisis" continue in Juneau. People are taking some pretty extreme measures to save on electricity but when your energy bill goes up 500% overnight, that will happen!
In other news, I've been thinking of a lot of new images and getting exited to paint again; I have to remind myself that just because the July show is canceled, I still have the Dec. show to work for...and even if I didn't have any shows, I can and should still be painting...just as soon as the sun goes down...and after I clean my living room.
Elise on 04.24.08 @ 05:24 PM AK [link] [10 Comments]
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