The New El Rancho/ Evanoff Studio

I am not sure how my life does this but I am so thankful that I love change! I have decided to resign as the Youth/Community Coordinator for OCFC. The State came in and is requiring all emplyees to become certified in prevention. My interests lie heavily on programming and planning to chose to pursue a path in prevention. I decided to resign and then it happened. Have you ever had doors close and then 5 FLING wide open? I know that is an old saying about God closing a door and opens another but this time it was WILD!

A friend of mine came to me and asked me to teach a children's art camp... that is how it all began. I am now in business for myself as a community event planner. My office is now in a studio inside the New El Rancho Banquet Center and I am able to rent for free in exchange for promoting events and programming for the building. Wow! Really? Could that be any cooler for someone who likes to plan events?? This building has so much to offer. Beyond the halls to rent there are studios that can be rented out. This is in transition right now. They used to be used for storage and now they are becoming studios for artists! I am planning a "Gallery Brinca" for October to show the work of the artists.

Sometimes we fear the unknown and the change that it brings. Sometimes these changes are huge gifts that we never saw coming.

You can have szah duck!

I am in process of planning a large community event called the Amazing Chase. I have one partner in crime and we are having the best time ever! We make a great team. Last year the teams that enrolled in the Chase came wearing team shirts and decorated cars. Although we encouraged the cars, we had not thought of team shirts. We have decided that while we are out promoting the Chase this year that we needed to wear our own team shirts. We work for an anti-drug coalition....these were the shirts we found and thus... the duck became our theme. Our shirts say "Quack Kills!

Enjoy the "duckmobile" as well!

The Rising

I know! I know! I made a pact with myself to at least blog once a week....then it happened....life struck! I have had the most fun in the past 3 weeks. I have had a lot on my platter (it is not just a plate, but a platter. Because it is a variety of items!) So, yes, my platter has been a very colorful and delightful array. I have the pure joy of planning events for my work. I wrapped up an Amazing Day of Play where 150 children came to play at our local YMCA with their families. It was a lot of work, and a ton of fun.

I directly rolled into the set design for Holy week. We are doing 3 set changes in one week. It has an urban look. Palm Sunday was the Roar, Good Friday was the Ruin and Easter Sunday is the Rising. Each message comes with a build to the set. The Roar was just a back lit city in which I carved out of Styrofoam.

On Tuesday my team met me at a home that was freshly gutted. We helped the family by clearing out all the ruin and we had a stage! Sunday we will add a railroad tie cross that will look to be rising out of the ruins. I gave my best shot at a sledgehammer for the first time. Check out my "safety swim goggles"

There is so much to share about what has happened that has such meaning to my life, but I am trying to blog and not bore. I will say in times like these we have times that we can celebrate and ROAR about. We also have those times when our lives are in RUINS and we just have to endure each day. In the midst of all of our celebration or our crap we can always have hope in the RISING and know that we are never alone.

Single, tall, white, thin......this is what I am looking for!

Those that are closest to me know that I love sculpting art out of Styrofoam. I am not sure if my passion is in the ease of the use of the Styrofoam, or the tool that I use to cut it. You can only say the words "hot knife" if you make a noise of a horn as royalty enters a room. Yes, I feel it is THAT amazing! You would be amazed at what you can make out of this tall, white, thin, single sheet of carvable goodness.

One of my favorite places to be artistic is creating a set design. I am quite sure I have burned quite a few extra brain cells burning the midnight oil carving Styrofoam in my garage. Letters can be carved like buttah! Here are some fun things that I have had a blast creating. A 7ft x 8ft LOST, 15 ft tall swirls and paisley pieces, endless words, names and what not. I am working on a set right now for our upcoming series at my church called the Rising. The whole backdrop will be a urban city setting made completely of Styrofoam! It will be painted all black and backlit to look like the sunset.

I feel like a piece of Styrofoam at times. Never tall and that thin, but can look pretty stereotypical. Here is the surprise....I can be molded. I do melt down once and a while and break. When I am smokin', I can be toxic! I like to blow in the wind and see where I end up! I am protective and try not to let the ones I am surrounding get broken.

On your next trip to the hardware store take a look around. You might just find art waiting in the aisle when you expected to find just a piece of Styrofoam.

Creative + Dry Erase Board = Love

I love brainstorming! It is what I thrive on! There is a part of me that would love to be a teacher. Summers off would be my main goal and that is what always stops me. Shouldn't the main focus be to see children grow and learn? Here is truly my biggest fear, that I would get so caught up in the dry erase board and all heck would break loose. The dry erase board is a beautiful thing. Large open space with the sole purpose to be created upon over and over again! When I get started on an idea I can not stop! If you are a reader it would be comparable to when you sit down with the perfect book and nothing will suffice until you read that last page. While Mrs. Umbaugh is in her own world of creation, the kids would be as my friend Dave says "OFF DA HOOK!" Once again, I would be fired.

Chalkboard, magnetic, and dry erase board paints have become really popular now to be used in the home setting. We painted our interior garage door about 4 years ago with chalkboard paint. It has been one of my favorite spots in our house. I constantly find notes and drawings from my children, I am leaving myself notes to not forget something as I fly out the door to work, and my husband REALLY enjoys the random honey do lists that appear every now and again. It is a great space for family planning and teaching moments when trying to work out that never ending division problem. I think my favorite part is when I am dusting and my dust is not black, it is usually orange! Now when was the last time you smiled while doing housework? Always looking for the joy!

While our focus is on the economy I would also like to point out that if you already own a paintbrush you can do this home remodel project for under $10 including the chalk! Smiles and organization....priceless!

The over used right side of my brain.

There are many times in my life at the ripe age of almost 37 that I questioned what I was meant to be, do. I have tried to "fit in" on the mainstream desk job and have always found myself searching for the next creative outlet. I was fired...okay...let go from one administrative position due to the fact that my boss did not like the little drawings at the top of his phone messeges. "Where is the joy?" I asked him and myself as I turned in my keys. Well, here it is. This is my path, my passion, and my creative outlet to life, and not decorating my house....again. It is a hard ecomnimic time for almost all of us so I thought I would start sharing some creative thoughts and tips on how to bring joy into your life by bringing those around you closer together in a fun and creative way. You can have a get together....or a planned get together, it is all in the details! Having no funds does not mean having no fun!

Hey! Let's "Survive" Tonight!
If you are a fan of the hit TV show Survivor, why watch it alone? Send out an E-Vite and you are on your way. With this theme who cares if your home is a mess... call it atmosphere! Set the scene... If you have clothes sprawled everywhere just call your Island .... Hamperless! As your guests arrive welcome them to "Hamperless Island!" Make them go barefoot! If you have left a chip on the floor it is fine...could have been a shell! (or a cockroach!) Lay out a few snacks with crazy names and you have found some joy.

Here are some snack options: goldfish crackers, bamboo stix (pretzel rods) Make it simple.
If you wanted to have some fun, put the snacks in out of the ordinary places to make them go find their food.

Just remember, life's what you make it, so let's make it rock!....I have daughters and Miley came to mind. I apologize, but really, make the most of the moments.