Time Marches On

Summer is almost half way over, and I still have so much to do. My vacation looms closer and closer, and I haven't started to pack or plan or get excited yet. But it will be nice to get away and go on a new adventure with my fav lady, my mom.

I've received some information on teaching art classes to underprivileged kids, being an assistant at a home school style art class environment, illustrating a children's book, etc. So I have options but I have plenty of projects I'm already trying my hand at. Not sure which of these I'll take or even if I will take any. But I guess it's always nice to be asked.

I'm just going to let go and see where it takes me. I have one concern right now. 'm growing in my spirituality, and I don't want to lose momentum. I re-established my connection with God in September of 2010. With the holidays in retail, the 30 minute drive to my church, and the increase in gas prices, I wasn't as vigilant at going to church and taking the next steps so to speak.

So here I am 10 months later, yikes, and just finished part one of my Love. Grow. Reach classes at Family Life Church. Next is part two and signing up for water baptism. Life is exciting again. My heart is finally at peace.

I'm on the right track, but to where I'm not really sure. He has a bigger plan for me than even I can fathom. I for one can't wait to see where it goes.

My current lessons of the day: Enjoy your life each and every day. Don't put off what can be done today. Work less and play more. Remember everything is done on God's time not your time.

A Constant Pondering:

What the heck am I supposed to do with the rest of my life?!?

I just returned from a 2 week trip to Europe - my first. It was wonderful. Paris was cold and dreary but beautiful and inspiring. The food - not so great. The start of the trip was filled with jet lag and sleep/body changes associated with waking up in one time zone and flying around the world to another.

We finally got everything in sync...and it was time to travel to Spain. The train ride - long train ride - from Paris, France to Barcelona, Spain was interesting. The countryside took my breath away, inspiration flying out of my pores. I couldn't seem to absorb it fast enough. We rode first class all the way to the border - quite an experience. Then the second part of the trip, we rode in, what must have been, the first train ever made. It was long and slow and bumpy. I watched a couple next to me make a love connection. People-watching at its best!

We flew from Barcelona to Malaga, Spain, to what will be one of my new favorite cities to visit. I climbed a freakin' mountain, thought I would die from doing it, but hey, I made it - however slowly! We walked all around the beautiful city from beach to border. Enjoyed every minute of it. I loved the cafes, wines, pastries, tapas, shopping, sites.

And still it's so good to be back home...in this freakin' cold weather! It was wonderful weather in Spain and freezing temps back home...so weird. I have so much hope for 2010. But I'm right back to the question that has been on my mind constantly for the past few days, weeks, months, years...what the heck am I going to do with my life???

I'm 30, single, nothing to hold me back..so what is?!

I have no idea...but I do have a new "5 year plan"! So exciting and the details are all my own - a secret! I'm looking forward to normal temps in my old house so that I can start cleaning and reorganizing my life. Once my studio is back on track (I was so productive the last few months of 2009 - my studio is a nightmare!!!), I'm planning on taking an online art class.

I've never taken an online art workshop. I did purchase the DVDs from two workshops of a favorite artist of mine, Tamara Laporte. She taught me so much in her dvds, but I want to branch out, learn from others. I fought with my decision, who to go with: Tam, Julie Pritchard, SuziBlu, etc...nothing quite matching what I envisioned.

So I struggled with determining which online art class / workshop I would join. After 2 days of research I was right where I started...dreading the "only other option." But I refused to give up and dug deeper. And sure enough...I found a winner: Monica Zuniga from www.handsandheart.ning.com . Her work is fantastic and makes me want to fight the freezing temps in my old, uninsulated house to get that studio in order...stat!! I look forward to the learning ahead of me.

Now that I am not formally going to university, I can get back to other things...writing, exercise, cooking, art...okay okay so I never really "got" into cooking in the first place...or exercise for that matter...but there is no time like now to start. I'm searching for better job offers and hoping for the best to come in 2010. I look forward to the changes that this year will bring, especially since I'll be stuck at home since I spent so much money on my vacation!

I can't wait to get back to my writing. As far as I can see, I'm thinking the beginning of the year will be for taxes, writing and art classes...and the second half - who knows. None of my plans ever happen so I won't bother past these hopes and dreams.

What are you waiting for? What do you plan for 2010?

Looking Back and Looking Forward

I received another rejection email, which is amusing only because I haven't sent anything out in a while, so how about that long reply time. I finished French this semester with a B. I'm usually an overachiever when it comes to my classes so normally anything less than an A would be heartbreaking, but I'm not feeling French and school much lately so I deserved the B and will be glad it isn't worse.

I am planning on taking a bit of time off from school. I'm hoping it will only be one semester and that I will be back to the grind come the Fall, but at this point I will just see how it goes. It's not in my nature to stop learning, so I'll take online art classes with some of my favorite artists for the next couple months. I'm looking forward to classes that are available when you have time rather than during specified times, and I really want to take some real art lessons.

I'm trying to get my house in order. It is a mess after this rough semester I've had. I'm packing and getting things ready for my upcoming trip - my first time to Europe. I will be spending 10 days with my friends in Paris and parts of Spain. I'm looking forward to getting away and seeing the sights and being inspired by everything that is waiting for me abroad.

Looking back, I realize that with all the ups and downs of 2009, it was a great great great year for travel. I've been to New Orleans, Shreveport, Pennsylvania, Washington, Virginia, Oklahoma, and now visiting Europe. That's not bad for a year-in-review.

2009 was a blessing. I have so much to be thankful for, yet I tend to dwell on the negatives. I finally made the decision to quit a job that had been holding me back. While I do not regret the decision, I think I could have been smarter, saved more money or changed jobs in 2008! But it is what it is, and I experienced a period of 28 days without employment barely scraping by. Yet the blessing in those days was a clean house, time to exercise, and wonderful time in my art studio.

I completed about 42 pieces of art, sold one, and received requests for two commissions. I started my first online art gallery at http://www.artwriter.artfire.com/ . I completed an artist portfolio, but have yet to show it to the two establishments that I made it for. That's on the list of things to tackle in early January 2010.

I'm working at a job that is more physical, which has its perks, like a killer employee discount on craft and art supplies, that I am using to my advantage, but I'm back in the grind, working a lot so I've stepped back on eating healthy and working out. Two other repeat resolutions for 2010.

A miracle came my way when I was at rock bottom about to make a decision to cash in my pension. This miracle brings with it heartache and pain, but will be what I need to get back on my feet. There is a price for everything it seems. Of all I've learned in my young life it has been that.

Anything I lack in life I make up for in quality of friends and family. I am blessed in so many ways. I get support from those I love, I have a house and studio that I enjoy immensely. I get to create stories and art which heals me bit by bit.

I am not the girl I once was, and I never will be. I am who I am. With the Good and Bad. With the Strong and Weak. The days of me trying to change to please others is so over. I'm stronger than ever and I know that I'm only given the trials that He knows I can overcome. So I will.

This is what I strive for in 2010 and will be my only resolutions. I feel the sentence covers just about everything: I want to be a healthy and happy Me, full of love and creativity, and hopefully finding more success in selling my stories and art!

Gearing up for what's ahead

Any desire to be a writer or artist is strife with research, learning, mess. Creating is the easy part. Its what comes after that is stress worthy and headache worthy.

This year I have transitioned drastically from the person I started out being as the new year was upon us. I changed jobs. I bought a new car. I had many eye-opening and life-evaluating experiences.

I reorganized my house and my life. I repainted my bedroom. I put paintings up in my house. I stepped back from my art journaling and became a true artist.

Now I'm working on the business of art, which is very similar to the business of writing. My creativity stems from so many areas. I find that this year was the year where I sought instant gratification that only art and short stories can give me. My novel has shifted to the wayside, but I remain working on the small stuff and cultivating the stories in my head.

In the art aspect, I currently have 12 pieces that I have finished so far this year. I have acquired postcards, business cards, plastic sleeves, envelops, mailing labels, rubber stamps with mailing address, etc.

I have created both an etsy and artfire account to eventually put the artwork and prints up for sale. I have found that with my recent change in jobs, I don't have to "give up" anything like I did for 2008 and the beginning of 2009. I'm following in school, though slightly behind. I'm taking care of the house and regular "chores" like I never did before. I'm becoming more well-rounded as a domestic-inclined person, student, writer, artist, person, etc.

I'm currently working on my artist portfolio and hoping to get a few of my paintings on display at a local venue. There are resumes, bios, statements, etc to be completed. I have tackled the listing of paintings, determined pricing, setup spreadsheets for accounting purposes, etc. I'm working on certificates of authenticity right now.

I joined 3 art groups online who have been my constant supporters, fountains of knowledge, and helpers throughout this process and ordeal. I have learned so much and am ever so grateful for these changes in my life which have lead me to here.

I feel inspired so easily these days and I now have the means to take that inspiration and make something, rather than putting it aside for another time.

I have always had the tendency to focus on the bad. I am working on self esteem and forgiveness and I'm learning to think positive and focus on all of the good that surrounds me. While I do not have the family that I always dreamed of, I have a great group of family and friends that love and support me and enable me to be and do all that I dream of. The rest will come or won't. We all have a purpose in life, whether we know it or not and that too will be shown in time.

I hope to get back into the swing of things, attending writers group and critique group meetings, attending to my writerly duties and returning emails and doing all of the things I previously loved doing. But time will tell when that will be possible. My new work situation has me alternating weekends with both of my jobs, which means I'm working every weekend. I don't have the funds to do all that I previously did, attending conferences and planning vacations. So I'm learning to budget and plan for bigger things rather than many smaller venues.

New Years Eve will bring me to my first trip to Europe. I will be traveling with friends to Paris and beyond ... to Morocco. A chance of a lifetime. A new understanding of the language to see fruition. Life is just so so good. I had no idea it was possible to be this happy.

Mood: content
Drinking: way too much cola
Eating: 1st ever crab cakes I ever made and moma's gumbo
Wishing for: the strength to get through these hard times with a positive attitude and a happy demeanor....and to get some of my art out there for the world to see and purchase...Finally selling something I had created is definitely on the list of hopes!

what else is there???

Oh How Time Flies

My weekend trip to the beautiful city of Austin was amazing. I traveled with some great friends, had some laughs and listened to some rockin' music. We remembered the old days and I dreamed about the days to come. I do love the city of Austin, Texas and I'm always saddened to see it growing ever smaller in the rear view mirror.

On the drive back, I spoke to a manager that I had recently interviewed with and found that I had the job and when could I start? Well this girl needed a day to recoup from the wild weekend of mud and muck. So I started this past Wednesday at my new job as a cashier at my favorite store, Hobby Lobby.

Hmm a cashier...hmmm at Hobby Lobby? people ask. Where did you work before? people ask. Don't they pay you much better then this place? people ask.

Yes. I left a job that was no longer working for me, that was causing way too much stress but which paid really well. I chose Mindy and Mind over Money. And I must say that I'm loving this new life. I work a few less hours; I get a whole lot more done at home. My house and car are cleaner. I have time to study. I have time to create art and write. My brain is fresh and ready emotionally and mentally to take on the challenges of writing and art and school.

Now my feet and back are a different story. I went from a job that had me chained to a desk for 7 years where I gained 5 dress sizes, to a job where I'm on my feet all day and lifting heavy boxes and objects, and I'm loving every minute of it. My feet are comfortably sore at the end of the day and still all I can do is smile. I sleep so much better than I had been. The stress of not having a full time job had been getting to me. I've had two or more jobs since I was 19 years old. So it takes some getting used to.

Nanowrimo approaches and I find that I'm ready to get back to Nalia's story and finish her once and for all. Will this be the November that I get to the end of her tale? I sure hope so. Her and I have been inside each others heads for too long now and its time for her story to be told. So I have high hopes for November.

My French class is driving me crazy, but I am happy to report that I will be heading to Paris at the end of the year. Yes I will be bringing in the New Year in Paris and then traveling to Spain for a wonderful 10 day trip in all with some good friends. I'm looking forward to that trip, which is the only thing that may help me get through this semester.

I have a story to tell, but I think I'll save that...perhaps for another day.

Reflection and Art Time

As the weekend of ACL (Austin City Limits) comes ever closer, my excitement and happiness in general rises. I look forward to a weekend in my favorite city of Austin listening to the musical stylings of talented professionals and enjoying time and laughs with my friends. But now I realize I have suitcases and small bags but no "weekender" bags big enough to carry enough stuff for a mini-weekend trip. There is always something...

I'm planning on hosting a bit of a wine and art party at my house this weekend, minus the wine for me. We will put on some music perhaps and see where the mood takes us as we stare at our separate canvases. Two of my good friends are coming over and I hope they are as excited as I am. I've already prepped 3 canvases and have another idea brewing. A good creative day to be had I'm sure!

I've been doing a lot of self reflection. There are areas of improvements needed in self esteem, word choice, and interruptions during conversations. I did very well today catching myself during these moments of lapse, and I really hope that I am finally on a road to better choices.

Today feels like a mystical time where anything is possible. I remembered my old stories and was saddened by the fact that they are still endless. Perhaps one day...perhaps one day they will be told. And I remembered my critique group and the writers group that I've been unable to attend lately. I hope that I will find my way back to my stories and my writing life, someday soon.

Journeys and Life

Bonjour, mon amis.

I was recently reprimanded for my lack of blogs. I don't know what the deal is. Since February I've been a bit disconnected from my own life. Learning French took up a lot of my time. I stopped writing for a bit to fully immerse myself in the language. The car accident, well what is there to say about that. Nothing has been the same since. I guess I jangled a couple of things in my brain or something.

Well here's a recap of the missing months. I enjoyed my French class immensely and cannot wait to learn more of the beautiful if not aggrevating language. I made friends with my classmates; a first for me. I have been in school for a very long time but I never mingle with my classmates. I hope these friendships stick.

I went on Spring Break to Philly, DC, and Arlington. We saw some things me and my traveling companions:


Aren't my girls just beauties??? We laughed, we wanted to cry (lol), and we walked for dayssss. It's a miracle we made it but we did make it. So I brought back some great memories of times and travels with my sister, Stacey, and my niece, Lauren. (I realize now that the comedic personality is strong in THIS family of mine!!)



But what I bring back with me of all the wonderful sights, sounds, etc of the trip is this one perfect moment as I sat quietly among the Japanese magnolias, remembering my childhood and dreaming of the future I so desperately yearn for. I could have spent days on this park bench writing and dreaming:


This picture will always take me back; and I look at it often!

I celebrated my big 30th birthday with family and friends. We ate sushi at my favorite Japanese restaurant, Shangri La with my favorite waitress. Here's my BFF Crissy and my handsome baby brother, Jason :


This is the first bday celebration Jason has joined us on. Us Blanchard women have a long history of Mindy's Bday celebrations: partying for the 21st, male strippers for the 24th, etc. And finally Jason joined us on this one!!!. I hope we have many more to share. We celebrated at the club where I spent a lot of crazy nights of my 20s, Graham Central Station, which was a fitting place to spend the LAST night of my 20s. We had fun. The drinks and laughter were flowing. It was a great way to start this new period of my life known as my 30s.

I haven't been writing. Even though the semester ended with my wonderful A- (yes the minus breaks my heart - apparently I am a horrible French speaker - well I can't be awesome at EVERYTHING!! LOL), the jobfront has me in such a state of disgust and disappointment (at myself) that I cannot find the words or inspiration to get back to my writing. My novel and my character sits constantly in the background. Nalia simply looks at me sighs, paints her nails, does a bit of primping and filing and waits patiently for me to get my act together so that I can get on...with her story!

When I can't find my words, I go to my art journals, and usually something comes up! Well I now have 4 journals prepped and ready for my personal decorated covers, 32 pages of scrapbooked and art journaled pages in about 5 art journals, 10 pages of backgrounds waiting to be scrapped and A LOT of personal reflection, inspection, whatever...still no words.

But I refuse to lose hope. If I am anything I am determined. That will usually get me through just about anything in my life. And I have started a new journal: one of reflection and forgiveness. A way for me to pour out my hurts on the page and cover it up with the wonderful memories and characteristics that will hopefully help me get over the wrongs of my life. I'm hopeful that this will help me heal, because I am tired of being bitter and jaded and all of those other negative characters that we all know me by. I'm ready to be free!!

Here's my latest creation. I recently started playing with watercolors and oil pastels. Here's my first whimsy girl in watercolor:


And on the last day of my 20s I did this page for my dad. Completing this piece was a breakthrough in the start of the healing process. It took me 10 years to talk about him after he died. Its taken this long to commit my feelings to paper. But I'm not afraid. I'm dealing. I miss you, Daddy, every day. Til we meet again:

(The treehouse is an original design by Gil Zaunbrecher. He and his beautiful wife, Tanya, are amazingly talented architects and good friends of mine!)

Music: Linger by the Cranberries (I love Pandora.com!!)

Dried paint (and blisters) lingers on the tips of all of my fingers.

I live in hope that today marks the beginning of many great days!!!

Mood: forever hopeful

La Nouvelle Orleans R Bust!!

After my 3rd French test and my first week working half days back on the phones at work, I needed a break, an escape, a time to laugh and enjoy being alive a bit.

My friend Rhegan and I traveled to Houma, Louisiana for the Jubilee Writer's Conference this weekend. We left a day early to do a bit of sightseeing and relaxing. We shopped and walked until we dropped. It was a beautiful day filled with writing, dreaming, inspiration, and possibilities. Two wayward travelers (how many times did we get lost along the way?):



Happy looks good on us, I think:


We found French everywhere. We tried to use French words whenever we could. It was a great opportunity to get some studying done while I was having such fun!!




There is so much world out there. Where will our lives take us? I wonder. As I reflect upon the past 10 years the saying "if I knew then what I know now" runs through my mind. I can only hope that I make better choices and that the future brings so much more. But regardless, for all of the ups and the downs, I'm here and I'm ready. I am open to the possibilities and the opportunities, I will not give up hope.




There were signs everywhere:

Stolen moments. Opportunities to write. Inspiration can be found on every street corner in beautiful la Novelle Orleans:

After such a hard day's work (lol) what could we do but finish the night with some Bourbon Street strolling:

The trip was great. As many know, I am not the best driver and I tend to be a bit directionally challenged. A few wrong and missed turns happened along the way. But we made it to our destination. The conference was fabulous, as always. It was a memorable weekend.



The job and school are driving me crazy. April is a big month for travels for me, with this New Orleans trip and my trip next week to Washington. But what happens in May I wonder? My travel plans end in April and then what will get me through the day?

Well, I won't depress myself about that now. The memories of this month will have to suffice. I look forward to my trip next week. I'm excited but I still haven't packed yet. Yikes. I don't have anything to wear. Hopefully, I don't aggravate my sis or Lauren too much. But whatever happens will happen. These memories I will need to get me through to the next vacation, the next stolen moment, the next great escape. With my so-called life, I'll definitely need it.

Drinking; Pinot Grigio

Watching: Stardust

Eating: Pralines from the Southern Candy Co

Dreaming: of possibilities