Butterfly in half.

The backside was covered with footprints but its shape was still recognizable for being ripped in two.

While walking from work this afternoon, I found this paper butterfly in the middle of the sidewalk. Specifically, just one of its wings (I looked but didn't see the other half).

Love the black glitter lining the edge!

From the wrinkles, it appears to have been paper heavily glued to cardstock.

Though it was torn, trampled on, and discarded, it still managed to sparkle. A good philosophy for life.

I took the wing home as a tangible reminder that you can still shine even when incomplete.

A year already!

When I'm feeling shitty, worn out, and want to cry at the end of the night, I can look back and say at least I had a good day at work and that always helps.

Today marks one year of working at my university job!

Close-up of our shared workspace!

Everyone in my department has been great to me and my student workers continue to be a big help. They make the night shift fun!

I'm so grateful for all of it. If only the position could be full-time.

Even though it's not art-related, it's a good, dependable, and relatively relaxed job. And being around so many students, I can't help but feed off their hyper, almost limitless energy.

I'm the first person students see when they enter and the last when they exit so I make it a point to greet them and say goodbye as they come and go. That alone has helped me when trying to be more social. I interact with so many people there!

I feel like I've grown into the role, learned a thing or two about being a supervisor, and that I'm in an environment that suits me well.

So as I head off to work today, I'll remind myself that I'm blessed to have this job.

Happy (part-time university job) Anniversary to me!

For rent.

I couldn't figure out why I was getting so upset.

Maybe it's because I was out in the BRIGHT afternoon sun for two hours or hadn't eaten lunch and was tired.

Surely it shouldn't be that frustrating.

I went apartment hunting yesterday. Not at the actual insides but just the addresses of several buildings. To see if I even wanted to live there, what the locations where like, and what I could afford.

At times I felt very awkward and anxious--like I didn't fit in, even though the neighborhood seemed like a nice place to live. It was all so new to me.

And even though I want to be on my own, away from my family, that day I just wanted to go home and cry--where it was familiar.

Certainly if I contemplated leaving for another state, I should be able to handle moving to a different part of a city I lived in my whole life, right?

Searching out locations and gathering information is a solid start. At least I'm making the attempt.

If I'm not allowed to be free in Seattle then I will be free in Chicago...or die trying.

To be continued (hopefully sooner than later).....

Glitter Cross!

We found out recently that one of my coworkers at the arts-and-crafts store has cervical cancer.

The surgery to remove the cancerous areas was last week and depending on her doctors, the chemotherapy treatments will begin next month.

I wanted to make her something. Something special. A visual reminder to pray, keep the faith, and look for the color during the dark times.

So I took one of the unfinished wood crosses we sell at the crafts store and transformed it into this.....

Decorative papers were cut into varying strips, then carefully glued one at a time directly onto the wood. I used the most colorful and sparkly patterns I had. One even looks like faux snake skin. Cool!

:::Close-up detail:::

If anything, she'll have a F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S way to ward off vampires!

And I like to think if Jesus walked the earth today that He'd love glitter too and I'd find Him rummaging through the clearance section of the crafts store. Imagine the things He could create!

The backside which I lined with felt!

But in all seriousness, this particular coworker is tough and I know she'll put up a solid fight and bounce back from this.

It reminds me of what one of my uncle's doctors said to him when he was battling cancer: ."Faith and prayer are stronger than medicine. They'll keep you going."

I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers, Tiffany!

Carnations!

I went to the grocery store to buy a frozen dinner and walked out with two-dozen carnations instead.

Funny how that works.

But I couldn't pass these beauties up.

They're like little pillows of color. Reds, peaches, burgundies, lime greens, and whites. And the two-tone yellow-pink blooms are the star of the show!

Plus carnations last a long time as a cut flower so I'll easily enjoy these for a good week or two.

Just wanted to share these with my faithful readers!

I'll be working tomorrow but Happy Labor Day to all of you!