Big News!

Okay, so I may have been a little hasty when I decided to split up my blog into two and then three separate blogs. I have mentioned before how blogs sort of take on a life of their own and apparently mine had split personalities, but now I'm working on making things a little more cohesive. One blog is much easier to keep track of than three...for you and me! So, it's been tons of fun, but starting now, I'm going to only be posting on my art blog. As I work to continue to sell my artwork and make a name for myself, it makes sense to be able to direct people to a place under my actual name. I'm going to be working on transferring some of the important things, and then this lovely blog will just sort of fade away. But don't you worry, we'll have TONS of fun over at:

http://melissamunding.blogspot.com/

Bookmark it, Follow it, do whatever you were doing here, only over there. Thanks for coming along! A little something to tempt you by: we just made a big announcement, so stop by and read!

HAPPY ETSYVERSARY TO ME!!!

I can't believe it's been a whole year since I opened the modest little Etsy shop that saved my sanity. To celebrate my first fantastic year with Etsy, I'm having a HUGE SALE in my jewelry shop! Absolutely everything is 20% off! It's time to make room for some new creations, so celebrate with me and take advantage of a great sale!

20% off entire shop from now until July 4th!

Poppy Raye Studio

Fullerton Arboretum

Branden and I took another photography trip to the Fullerton Arboretum today.  This really is one of my favorite places, I need to spend more time there.  We've been in the Fall, in the Winter, but this was our first time in the Spring/Summer time of year and it was the best so far.  Every time we visit we find something new and exciting.  If you haven't been, GO.  It's totally free, parking is free, it's great for kids or just for photography.  We had a fabulous picnic under the perfect shady tree next to a fragrant jasmine garden and orange grove.  You can even pick and eat the fruit!  Or feed the ducks.  Or search for the loud bullfrogs that I've never actually seen.  Or people watch...especially the little kids, it's always fun to watch them explore nature.  I think I may go and just take a book or a sketchbook one day soon and really spend the day relaxing there.  It's very peaceful somehow, even though it's right off the freeway!  Anyway, you get the point...and now, LOTS of pictures today.  The fruits of my labor:  

Colton Eating Cheetos

I swear, absolutely everything this kid does is the most adorable thing I've ever seen in my whole life.  While welcoming Summer with some great friends on Saturday, I had every intention of taking pictures of everyone and somehow the entire show was stolen by Colton.  He has a way of doing that.  He was just hanging out, munching on some Baked Cheetos and I couldn't take the camera off him.  To be fair, I tried to photograph Charlie, the other little boy at the party, but he was never still enough for a single shot.  After the Cheeto pics we wound up in some fun conversation and then off to play some seriously WILD board games (*wink) so the camera stayed put in its bag.  I couldn't resist the call of zombie card games and a pretty sweet round of Cranium.  I wish I had taken more pictures that night, but here's what I did end up with...Colton making some seriously FAN-TASTIC faces.  The camera loves him...almost as much as I do!  I even love the orange Cheeto dust all over the place.  

Carbon Canyon and the Biggest Kid I Know

In keeping with our recent goals of exploring the place in which we live, Branden and I ventured on down to Carbon Canyon for the first time.  It's another one of those places that I always wanted to check out but just never got around to it, until now.  Of course, we were there for photography purposes, but mainly we just played.  You'll see what I mean.  I really wanted to go hiking along the trails but we weren't quite prepared for that on such a hot day.  I don't think I'm quite ready for real hiking, we didn't bring water and  we really weren't dressed for a hike.  I was ready to push myself and do it anyway, but Branden chickened out so I didn't have to.  He was melting into a huge puddle of crankiness because it was so damn hot so we just checked out the park (with wonderfully shady trees) instead.  I think this place just became my favorite park.  I looooooved it!

Branden took this photo of the canyon and I quite like it so I thought I'd share.

My favorite!

Mamma duck!  I didn't manage to get a decent shot of her babies, but they were so much fun to watch.

And of course, once we got to the actual park area, this giant child I'm about to marry was instantly refreshed and happy as can be.  Branden is the biggest kid you will ever meet...and I mean that in the absolute BEST way possible.  It's one of the many things I love about him.  We always have so much fun just being completely silly together.  He keeps me from being too serious all the time.  I think he's good for me.

I'm beginning to realize that I take a ridiculous amount of pictures of Branden and it leads me to think that I need to start hanging out with people other than just the fiance...or in addition to!  I've been really wanting to work on portraits and it seems that his is the only one I get!  Want to hang out and have your picture taken over and over again?  Yes?  Awesome, let's do it!

Japanese Garden

I recently had to head down to Cal State Long Beach to work on getting everything settled to finally go back to school.  Taking a medical leave ended up being a huge hassle that got me disqualified from financial aid, and with no real income, I obviously couldn't pay tuition out of pocket so I'm appealing the decision.  Since the circumstances were FAR beyond my control I'm pretty much guaranteed reinstatement, but I still have to jump through hoops to get there.  Ugh, I feel like the paperwork from this injury will never come to an end.  This summer Branden has been working hard at a special speech therapy program at the school (free for students!) so we decided to make a special trip out of our combined necessity.  If we both HAD to go to school on a day off, we might as well make the best of it, right?  Right.  

With cameras in tow (which is happening more and more often lately and I'm thrilled about that) we took care of business and headed down to the other end of campus to visit the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden.  Every day at school I would drive by signs for the garden and had been wanting to go since I first enrolled, but due to the pain, I never made my way down there...until this day.  I really love the amazing colors and textures of koi fish and with the beautifully clear water it made for some great photos.  Here are a few of my favorites from the day's shoot.

I've never seen a bright orange dragonfly before.

I'm in love with the reflection of the lotus in the water.

By the way, this place is totally free!  Visit the link above if you want to visit, it's small but it's worth a gander, or better yet, a picnic.  I would love to go back with a sketchbook and do a drawing or two, it's very peaceful.  

I'm hoping to have many many more posts full of fun photography this summer.  Surgery recovery is going extremely well and I'm getting out more and more all the time.  I'm seriously feeling more like myself and it's so exciting!  I missed my life!!!

One Man's Trash...

is another's treasure.  Today, they are my treasures!!!

Branden and I got up early this morning with plans to hit some garage sales.  We didn't have anything in particular in mind, but knowing that we are going to finally move out and have a place of our own next year has been giving both of us a major decorating bug.    We've been dreaming up the home we want to build together, something that's a true expression of who we are and nothing pretentious.  We both love modern (but homey) designs with some rustic splashes of vintage.  We agreed that since neither of us really has money to spend, we wouldn't buy anything unless it was just too good to pass up, and today we hit the jackpot!  

My new old Underwood Typewriter.  

From what I can tell, the $10 I paid for this baby was a steal since it is in full working condition and is from 1926.  She just needs a new ribbon and an extensive cleaning.  Any idea how to thoroughly clean an old typewriter?  I have no clue!

Antique Tool Box

Meet my new storage system for my studio.  I've been searching out a better way to store paints, something that will make them well organized and easy to find the tube of paint I need at any given moment.  This is going to be so much better than the rubbermaid tubs they are piled into now.  It could be some amazing jewelry storage too.  We'll see where it ends up.

Last, but certainly not least, our new trunk/storage box.  This thing is huge, all made of wood, complete with many "battle scars," which I love, and best of all, it was ONE DOLLAR!  The sweet sweet couple was so eager to get rid of it that they begged us to take it for a buck.  We decided that for a deal like that we could talk my mom into letting us make room for it until we move out next year.  Hey, it's great storage, right?  Now we'll have room for all our garage sale finds for the next year.

We can't wait to sand down the old peeling paint and either stain or paint it to hopefully become a coffee table.  Just think of how many board games that thing will hold!!!  I'm imagining painting it a fun, modern color and keeping the old hinges with all their patina and rust.  There are so many possibilities.  This was SO worth getting up early today.  It's filthy, but exciting!

After the garage sales, the Bran Man and I went to a matinee of The Hangover.  Oh man, it was pretty funny.  Although, after hearing how amazingly great it was from everyone else, I felt it didn't quite live up to all the hype.  It was funny though, we enjoyed it.

Branden is off to work now and I'm home relaxing.  

Today was a great day.