I have decided……

…. That I am going to figure out how to paint from a kayak this season.

it is going to happen.

I cannot use oils, I don;’t think the setup would work at all, and pastels should not go anywhere near water.

But watercolor could work!

I got a small Winsor Newton set…. And I’m going to figure out a kayak setup.

50 Blocks

I desperately need one of these in my life so I decided to take a nice long walk up to The Museum of the City of New York and hit the gift shop:

The museum is on 5th ave and 103rd street.
I started my walk at 53rd and 5th.

It took 52 minutes, straight up 5th ave.

The Frick said hello.

The Met said hello.

The Guggenheim said hello.

This is a building on 103rd street across from the museum of NYC.... they got an F energy rating!

The Museum of the City of NY says hi.

Unfortunately, they were out of Pizza Rats!! But they are getting more in and they said I should order online and come pick him up, so that's what I did. 

There was another girl there who went exactly for the same reason as me, and it was pretty funny to hear the shop lady ask over the phone "Do we have any more Pizza Rats?"

Anyhow, HE WILL BE MINE.

**********

I had planned on walking 50 more blocks downtown (it's only 2.5 miles) but it was HOT today, like 61 degrees and I was wearing my winter coat like a weather-dumbass.
I was too hot to do it so I took the bus.

Which means I couldn't title this post 100 Blocks.... oh well.

*********
On he bus, Janet called.

She was in Herald Square.

Oh, and today is SantaCon.

I sad "I don't want to be stuck in SantaCon!"

Janet said "It's not that bad yet."

I asked if they were drunk yet.

She said no.

So I said fine ok, and I went to Herald Square and got stuck in a bunch of very drunk Santas.

A few Macys windows...

Janet standing in the middle of traffic in the ONE safe stripe.

I have been on the fence about this until I saw it in person at Sephora and it was a yes! :)

After all that walking, I went home and then walked to the pool, swam for a half mile, then walked home.  The physical exercise feels good.

Budget Cuts

I am freaking out about money.
Rent went up $80 and dance tuition went up $50.
A month.  I am feeling it.
Braces.
Dance.
Everything.

Basic life expenses outpace salary increases, and I really desperately am hoping to stay employed in my current situation.

So, budget cuts.
No one is immune.

Me:
*Art supplies- OUT OF BUDGET not unless I run out of something vital, like white oil paint.

It is a good thing I am ridiculously stocked in everything.

*Sephora- OUT OF BUDGET-  A while ago I already limited myself to only Urban Decay unless it was seriously- very seriously- WOW. And I have been very good about sticking to it. I have passed on many items due to this rule.  It is a good thing I'm not interested in anything new from Urban Decay, including their two recent palette releases.  I will replace things I run out of, that I always use, but I am also well-stocked in this area.  I admit I did get the new Kat von D Alchemist palette, which I love tremendously and I'm glad I got it.

Duane Reade- MOSTLY OUT OF BUDGET- I love Duane Reade (Walgreens).  They are my go-to place for anything non-Sephora and I can also spend too much there.  Essentials only!!!!!!!! And if I can get it cheaper elsewhere, I will!

Rats:

Munchie and Q-Tip really don't cost much at all so they won't notice anything.
They are both old and I'm not getting more when they pass.

Cats:

The cats are used to getting 2 cans of wet food split three ways every morning. Effective immediately, they will get 1 can split three ways each morning. Their dry food  (Blue Buffalo, it is good stuff) will remain unchanged. my cats are grain-free and will continue to be.

Daya:

We won't be going out to eat nearly as much as we used to. She'll have to deal with less sushi, or better yet I'll teach her how to make it herself.  I have the tools and it is easy.

I'm going to say no to a lot of little stuff.  She gets an allowance so she's used to me saying "Buy it yourself," 

Mostly Daya will notice we don't go out as much.

She already knows resources are limited and her budget goes to dance.

She may complain if I say no to something but it's minor.  She already understands.

****

I don't know if it is all my own economic anxiety, or if I am also picking up on the extreme angst and anxiety surrounding the inauguration, but I'm feeling pretty intense anxiety.. It is maintaining in the long-term that has got me stressed.  Things are getting harder and harder every year- and the things that used to be pathways to security just aren't anymore.  Society is changing, and not for the better.

This week Rob has been working long hours and I haven't seen him all week.

I'm going over to his place for a little while tonight.

He always makes me feel better.

In so many ways, he is a very healthy presence and I am very thankful we met.

I can haz blog post?

Wow, I haven't posted since Saturday.
I am LATE on our mutual madness because I suck.

Sometimes after I finish what I consider to be a major painting I back off from the easel for a while,and sometimes I immediately move on to the next painting.

I have also been spending a lot of time gaming, trying to get through the Tomb Raider game that came out this year.  (I'm late on that, too.)

Oh yeah, haha maybe that's why my easel and blog are so neglected!

I'm coming on to the home stretch in Tomb Raider though, one more map to clear out and the final region so hopefully I will be done next week.

Rob just found out last night that I game sometimes, he said he never met a girl who is into gaming. I told him there are lots of us.  He said he feels a bit bugged out, which I think is pretty funny.

*****
In other news, I picked up the Urban Decay Vice lippie palette at Sephora.  There are 2- this one is only at Sephora and i like it better than the one on the UD site.

Am completely totally LOVING it.

*******

There is a middle school here in NYC run by Hunter College, and they invited Daya to apply based on her 5th grade test scores, which ranked in the top 3,660 students in all of NYC. She doens't wantto do it, which is fine but it is still pretty awesome that she scored in that very top percentage of students city-wide.

Mad: LATE!

I have been wanting to paint this portrait for the last year. So it's late!

Original reference photo copyright Melissa Van Roosbroeck.  Used with permission.
The name Melissa means "bee" so I did a bee theme.

My most absolute favorite thing about this portrait is that I put Urban Decay Lounge eyeshadow on Melissa's eyelid!

I have a bunch of progress pics but I'll post them later.

Melissa
9x12 pastel (and Urban Decay eyeshadow!)
on Sennelier pastel carte

Carey has something late too.

MAC Cosmetics Resumed Animal Testing

Ok, so I just found out that MAC cosmetics has resumed testing on animals.

Because of China.
I am so angry.
Principles melt away in the face of $$$$$$$$.
Greed.

In order for these atrocities to change, they must not be supported.

I'm sorry MAC, I liked you (Though I love Urban Decay more) but I am done with you.
Animals are more important than my makeup.

Urban Decay made the decision to not sell in China because of animal testing.  They stood by their beliefs when the time came to prove it.

ALL animal testing MUST stop.

You can check your products here (2016).

A comparison graphic here (2016).

I found some surprises and I'm pretty mad about it.
Boscia, Origins, Fresh.......excellent products I really love. CRAP.

I am going to use what I have because it is here already but I will NOT repurchase until these companies change.

Many brands that did NOT test on animals 

quietly started again.

And it is all because of Chinese laws and $$$$$$$$$$.

Much Matcha

Matcha is a kind of Japanese green tea powder, traditionally used in tea ceremony.  It is also used to flavor sweet things and it is WONDERFUL. I wish I could find matcha kit-kats here.  Even the Japanese groceries don't have them.

Matcha has become trendy here, but I have been seriously into it for over 10 years. It is very healthy for you, too. Fine grade matcha is very expensive. It is prized for its gorgeous emerald color, its health benefits, and its taste.

When I get it in the local Japanese grocery, I pay about $7 an ounce which is pretty good.  As a tea, there are certain ways to prepare it- it is not like regular tea steeped in boiling water.  Anyhow.

Matcha.
Makeup.
They go together.

Melissa from Kiss & Make-Up and I were talking about matcha, and our love of things green, and her trip to Japan (I am insanely jealous). So we decided to do a matcha beauty inspired blog post together.

So here are my matcha-inspired favorites and a matcha-inspired makeup look.

**********
Elizabeth Arden Green Tea and Green Tea Lavender fragrances
Green Tea has been my favorite Spring/Summer fragrance for several years.  It is lovely.  I think it is also discontinued...but the lavender green tea (I just got this last week) is pretty close.

Most people who know me are aware that I have a really stupid amount of Urban Decay.

It is ridiculous.

I LOVE Urban Decay.

My UD matcha colors:

Kush                    Lounge

I would be terribly remiss if I did not put OIL PAINT in my products list.  Gamblin's pthalo emerald (PG 36) is a great warm-leaning green, for those times when you are not mixing your own. PG 36 is non-toxic and is likely in your green eyeshadow formula.

********
I chose Kush for my matcha makeup look. Kush is part of their permanent collection and it is a great color.

I used Kush with these colors from UD Naked Smoky.
1. crease
2. top highlight
3. outer corner
4. inner corner

ALSO USED:
UD 24/7 pencil in Lucky (lower lash line) - discontinued unfortunately
Kat von D tattoo liner (the black one) upper lash line
UD Perversion mascara
Lippie is UD 1993


I don't know how Melissa does this selfie thing all the time.  It's hard.

******
My pet rat Q-Tip wanted to be in the matcha blog post because he can rock green like nobody's business.

....and then.....
My cat Isis came over, kissed the rat, and gave me the stink-eye until I told her she could be in the blog post too.  Because she is a cat and that's what they do.

kitty-rattie kiss

matcha stink-eye

Did & Did Not

*Today = yesterday=Thursday. Blog is a day behind.

*********

Today I Did Not:

*Meet anyone new
*Get sick
*Paint
*Go to the art store
*Blast the neighbors
*Get to take a nap

Today I Did:

*Drink a lot of tea
*Work late
*Wear green eyeshadow
*Go to Sephora twice*
*Copy Dru and Branwen because they went out for Mexican.  Daya was at dance til late, and between working pretty late and my Sephora trip, going home wasn't really worth it.  Well, it wasn't until Dru sent me a text of her margarita with Branwen. So I took myself out for Mexican.  Me and my kindle. I am reading a very strange book.

Mexican was such an excellent idea

*I just bought a new UD spot concealer to replace the ones I used up. Apparently I got the wrong shade, which Daya pointed out to me at the bus stop. Crap.  Sephora stop #1 was an exchange before work.

Sephora #2 was after work to use my VIB Rouge 15% off coupon.

So, today was like a Sephora Sandwich.

Reloaded XX

My first thought this morning when I woke up was- "I forgot to publish my blog post!"
oops.

*****

Urban Decay made the palette I have been wanting for YEARS!
The palette with original retro UD shades!
They did it!
Yay!

One might ask.... "How many of these things do you need?"

Well, ALL of them.
Obviously.
Duh.

The 2016 Pantone Palette

Every year I wait with anticipation to see what the new Pantone color of the year is.
Mostly because I am interested in what Sephora has done with it.

I only have one of the Sephora Pantone palettes (the Marsala one), because I am really selective about non-Urban Decay makeup purchases. (Speaking of UD I haven't been into their latest offerings, either.  All these neutrals bore me.)

This year the color is two colors...a light pink and a periwinkle blue.
The palette is a watercolor-inspired color collection.  It is really beautiful.
Better for spring, I think.

I got it when it went on sale online, and it magically appeared under the Christmas tree. :)
If you like the palette enough to get it, get it sooner rather than later.   They do tend to go fast.

Green+Green+Green

My motto is that if it's green it is either really good or really moldy.

This is not a moldy post, thankfully.
I have a shortage of mold around here, but that is definitely ok with me.

I do not have a shortage of green things.

One of my favorite eyeshadows ever is Urban Decay Money.  It was never released as a single but it really should be. I have yet to find a duplicate anywhere. Also Green Goddess, which was discontinued a while ago...but what a GREAT color!!

There is a color really close to it in the Vice 4 palette, which I was very glad to see.

Green Goddess                 Money                     C-Note

Color Junkie

I have had these for almost a week now, and they haven't gotten a blog post!

Urban Decay released TWO new color palettes!! Urban Spectrum and Vice 4.
Oh man are they awesome.  Love.

Seriously, LOVE.

Urban Spectrum

Vice 4

Great Minds.....

..... buy the same stuff!

When visiting Dru, I have noticed that we have a lot of the same stuff. And I'm not just talking about art supplies, though we both have our fair share of brushes...

part of Dru's brush farm

Most of my Brush Farm

cats are stunningly absent

papers...

Dru also lives in Paper Heaven.

I *love* Dru's papers.

This is not even all my different papers.  

I know I missed some, like my 4x6 watercolor block.

And my tracing papers.

I also have several pads of wonderful 18x24 papers

that I didn't feel like pulling out.

NOTE: Not included- a lot 

of assorted panels and canvas

(I always thought Dru should get into oils. She disagrees.)

gouache....

Dru has me beat in the gouache collecting.

My Gouache

I think I have a few more tubes

in a drawer somewhere

In the art store, Dru showed me her favorite fur-painting brush so I have one too.....

But aside from art supplies, which really is to be expected, there are other, less-expected samenesses.

1. We have the same camera. We both got the same bundle of accessories with it.

Rebels in the graveyard

2. Matching Dustbusters!!!! Really, how cool is that?

Dru's

Mine

3. Urban Decay Naked 3

4. Essie "For the Twill of It"

5. Tea.  We both have a whole lot of tea.

Dru protects her stash with knives

6. Fridge child-proofers, which she saw at my apartment and got for her fridge.

Keeps the cats out.

Does not keep the child out.

7. Holey noses.  Yep, both of us.

8. Matching West Side Highway rats!

Q-Tip and Munchie!