Society6 Prints for Sale!

I'm super excited to announce that I have artwork for sale on Society6! Right now it's just a few photographs and one of my illustrations, but I'll be adding more stuff soon. Take a look!

http://society6.com/SaralynG

xoxo, Saralyn

It's Been a While

Gash. I've been so horrible at blogging lately. I thought that when I came home it would be easier, since I wouldn't really be doing anything. Unfortunately, that is not the case. 

So, updates. Um...there aren't many. Home is good. I don't do much. I work out every day, trying desperately to get into shape before my job training. Seven days of hiking and camping in the Uinta mountains. I'm excited, but as it gets closer I'm getting a little nervous. I've never done anything like this before, and I just hope that my little body can handle it!

I started a new painting yesterday. It's been a while since I painted, and I can't quite get myself in the groove.  Some days I can't stop; today I can't start. I've set up my art stuff in the office upstairs, but it's not really ventilated, so I end up inhaling some stank fumes quite a bit. I'm trying not to let them seep into the rest of the house. Family: sorry for poisoning you. 

That's pretty much all that's new. I'm learning to drive a stick shift, finally. It only took me until I was 22 to learn. I'm....still not that great at it, but it's a process. Just don't drive behind me. Ever. 

Erm...that's all I have. Hopefully I can get some cartoons and stories going soon. I've just been in a weird state of lethargy for the past few days. I blame it on finally having a comfy mattress that doesn't tunnel holes into my back while I sleep. It's so comfy, I just want to be in bed all the time. 

Anyway. Enjoy the day!

xoxo, Saralyn

Fact:

Just This

Last night I put on some face cream. This morning my eyes are red and puffy, and I can't open them all the way. I put some lotion on, and now my face is red with white sticky blotches. I'm lookin' good tuhday! 

That's pretty much all I have for you today. It's been sort of a lazy week for me. I did manage to get off my buns and do some sort of artwork:

Have a glorious Saturday, friends.

xoxo, Saralyn

Blessings

So many blessings today, and it's only 2:30. 

A few days ago I fell off a scooter and hurt my leg. It felt exactly like I had torn a ligament, and I was so worried because now would NOT be a good time to be in a boot again. I have been praying and praying that my leg would heal so that I can accomplish the things I need to. This morning when I woke up, my leg felt fine. It's a little sore still, but the pain that was bothering me so bad yesterday is practically gone. MIRACLE! 

I had a phone interview this morning with a job I desperately want, and it went really well. I have been praying for a few months now that I will be able to get this job if it's what God wants for me. I was so worried that I'd be stuck in a position I was in a few summers back, searching and searching for a job and finding nothing. But after a month of hearing nothing from the company, I finally got a phone interview. And I got invited to training!! Training is an extension of the interview, and those who attend are not necessarily guaranteed a job. But the recruiter told me that 9 times out of 10, those who attend training will be offered a job. I'm one step closer to securing this position! Training is a 7 day adventure in the Uinta mountains, where I'll be hiking and camping and learning how to deal with troubled teens. It's going to be so crazy, but I'm incredibly excited.

I got to talk to my sister and her darling sons today via Skype! Technology is awesome. I love seeing their cute, chubby little faces. They are moving up to Utah in June! I also got to talk to my other two sisters today, which always boosts my spirits. My family. I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

I got my ukulele out today and found that I could still play it. 

I found a website that will produce and ship my artwork for me, and I can make a profit off the sale of my work. 

When I take the time to really examine the events of a day, I can see God's hand, and the miracles He blesses me with--whether they are large or small. Sometimes I forget to look for the little miracles in my life, but they are there all the time. Miracles abound!

Have a lovely Friday!

xoxo, Saralyn

New Experiences

I'm encountering new experiences, moving back home after being on my own for a few years. It's hard to adjust to change. It would be easy for me to look back at all the people and things I miss, and be sad and wish I could go back. But that would be a completely stupid waste of time. My life is here now, and it's good. There are many wonderful things about moving home, and I'm looking forward to having new experiences. I'm not sure what will happen, but I'm counting on the Lord to lead me where He wants me to go. Life is good, and it will continue to be so.

xoxo, Saralyn

How Waking Up Makes Me Feel.

Logan

I've lived in Logan for the past four and a half years. It's been a pretty crazy ride. I'm moving tomorrow, and while I'm excited for a change, I'm going to miss some things about this Logan town.

While in Logan, I attended Utah State University. I was an art major, and planned on graduating with my BFA. That....didn't exactly pan out, but I had some amazing experiences while going to school. I learned how to paint from an amazing professor, Carolyn Cardenas. I think we had the most difficult beginning painting class in the history of the school, but it was definitely worth it. I learned how to build my own canvas stretcher bars and paint like the masters of old. In that class, I found that painting was a way for me to fully express myself. It became my escape from other stresses and worries in my life. Since that class, I have devoted part of my life to art and painting. Being able to paint and using art as a tool to express myself has actually helped me through a lot of tough situations. I may not ever graduate from USU with a BFA, but I do not consider all my hard work and late nights in the art building a waste. I learned so much from my art classes, and am so grateful that I had the opportunity to pursue art for as long as I did.

This is a reproduction painting I did in my beginning painting class. The original painting is by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.

While I loved my art classes, there were other courses I took at USU that were less than fun. Here's a warning to everyone considering a degree in sociology: DON'T DO IT. I took two sociology classes, one of which I barely passed (part of that was because my teacher spoke an alien language that absolutely no one understood). I accidentally ended up in a three-thousand level sociology class my last semester of school. It was excruciatingly hard. Now, I love learning, and I love reading and doing analytic studies. For a time I actually considered being an English major. But the things I read in that sociology class were so confusing. It would take me 4 hours to read a small article and answer a few questions about it. One night I literally banged my head against the wall for quite some time, in an effort to get my brain to understand what I was reading. It didn't help. I ended up with an incomplete in that class, because halfway through the semester I experienced major depression, and basically checked out of life for a couple of months. 

I had some hard times while in school, but I also had some really great times. I met amazing people that became my close friends, I went on some dates (I know, right?!?), and I danced like Michael Jackson in front of my entire class. (True story.) I really love USU. The campus is beautiful, the people are crazy cool (mostly), and the whole college atmosphere is just fun. All in all, I'd say my college experience was a great one.

This is from a date I went on. We finger painted, and then put the paintings up in Old Main so people could vote on who had the best painting. I totally won. Guess which one is mine?

School does things to you. Bad things.

A Mexican Christmas party? Yes please!

I went to quite a few demolition derbies in Logan, because my brother-in-law participates in them. I love derbs.

Sometimes when you are in college, things happen. Things like this.

I got into a really nasty car accident my first year of college. But it turned out fine!

uh....

I've done some pretty crazy things here in Logan. Miranda and I went on treasure hunts in the dark all over Logan, especially by our house where there are factories and fields. We pulled a pallet out of the frozen river and dragged it home, we explored Smithfield Canyon and found a creepy altar made out of sticks and a blanket, we had many close calls as we crossed the river using fallen trees, and we almost got her car destroyed many, many times. It's been so awesome living with my sister. She's my best friend, and without her I would probably be dead. Miranda has saved my life on many occasions, mostly when I was so depressed and suicidal. She's an amazing person, and I've had so much fun with her up here. I'm also very grateful that my sister Maryann has been up here in Logan with me. She's super fun, and also an amazing person. She probably gets sick of me visiting her all the time....but ooohhh welll!

Miranda and I on one of our many mountain hikes. Don't mind our awkward poses...

I just really love us.

One thing I love about Logan is that you can drive for 10 minutes and be in the mountains. I have grown to love, love, LOVE the mountains and forests up here. I went on so many hikes by myself, going off trails and exploring random caves and cliffs. I've had lots of crazy adventures in the wild. One time my friend and I went on a hike to look for the perfect tree so that we could wrap cool Tron lights around it. We got lost, and wandered around without a trail, in dense wilderness, getting scratched and beat up, without water, for who knows how long. Upon stumbling onto a trail, we found some leaves with dew on them and promptly sucked the water up off of the leaves. Hahah, that was definitely a new experience for me, but it was so fun. We finally found the perfect Tron tree a few weeks later, and spent all night in the chill mountain air wrapping lights around this tree. It turned out amaaaazing. We got home late (early?), grabbed some Micky D's, and sat in the car listening to Weird Al until 3 am. Weird Al is even more hilarious at that hour. I went extreme snowshoeing in negative temperatures, found a super creepy hobo dwelling in the mountains, and climbed insanely tall trees and attached solar charged lights to the top of them. (Did you ever drive past Second Dam in the dark and see small lights up on the hill? Yeah. Super, super, SUPER cool.) I love the mountains, but the ones in Logan are especially gorgeous. I'm going to miss them for sure.

I took this picture while on a hike up Right Fork. After this hike, the only pictures on my phone were pictures of trees and leaves. Hahaha!

The thing I'm going to miss very most about Logan is being so close to my sister and her family. Lia and Enna are my cutest best friends. They make everything happier and better (unless they are grouchy and crying. But  if that happens, I just hand them off to their Mom. The joys of being an aunt!!). I love those girlies so stinking much. I realize that Logan isn't that far away from Kaysville, but knowing that I won't be able to just go see them whenever I want to makes things hard. I'm going to miss those girls a TON. However, my other sister is moving up to Kaysville area from Vegas in a couple of months, which means I'll be able to see her and her cute boys more often. So that should soften the blow of moving away from these cuties. BUT STILL. 

Living in Logan has had it's ups and downs, just like anywhere. I almost killed myself a few times because of how cold it gets. Haha, just kidding, that was my depression, not the cold. BUT REALLY, IT IS SO COLD. For like, ten months of the year. It's going to be weird, moving back home. I love Kaysville, but living on your own does have its benefits. Anyway, I guess this is my last hurrah for Logan. I'll be back and forth, but I don't think I'll ever live here again. It's been a pretty great place to live, but it's time to move forward.

Here's to new adventures.

xoxo, Saralyn

Eclecticism.

Thursday

Awkward For Everyone

It's good to know that I'm not the only individual who has awkward moments. Awkwardness runs rampant in the streets. 

For instance: engagement photos. 

Totes adorbs. Drinking out of the same fountain at the same time. It MUST be love!

Because nothing says love like being strangled by the same scarf.

A quiet observer....

Whatever it takes to get that perfect shot.

Supah thrilled.

Woop, looks like he "caught" her! hah hah hah. Everyone loves a good fishing joke.

Man, woman, and pole. A match made in heaven.

There are just no words.

Also: professional photography.

This kid loves his vacuum!

Erm.....uh....

YEAH! Winter wonderland.


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And who could resist the awkward beauty of braces?

Last week I shared some of my most awkward moments. Here are some very fantastic stories from the lives of other awkward individuals. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

(I decided to keep these stories anonymous, just in case.)

Once upon a time I was younger, probably around 6ish. We went to a play that was mainly made for parents to come cheer on their cute kids. I was not cute enough to be in the play, but luckily if you were little you could sit with all the other kids in the audience, right up close to the stage on the floor. It was a gross gym and pretty stifling, so they had a fan blowing right by us. I knew no one around me and was pretty uncomfortable. It didn't help my comfort that all of the sudden I desperately needed to sneeze. It also didn't help that this sneeze produced a wad of snot from who knows where and the perfectly placed fan blew it directly onto the kid right next to me. I was too nervous to say "Let me help you wipe my snot off you" so he stood up and walked away to the bathroom never to be seen again. We did not become friends.

So, big confession, I wet the bed until I was twelve. It was never a big problem, we left the plastic on my mattress, I wore bedtime pull-up diapers, you know all that great stuff. But one time in 5th grade my parents went out of town and I made arrangements to stay at my friend's house. I was too embarrassed to let her know I wet the bed, so I had planned to not drink a lot and hope for the best without my pull-ups or anything. Well, my plan failed and I did wet the bed. The problem was, I was sharing one bed with my friend as well as her sister. Thus, we all laid in my piddle, which is quite cold , so I got up and changed and slept on the couch. In the morning no one said anything. To this day I have no idea what they know or think. I think the smell and wetness would alert them, so either they were too nice to say anything or really didn't notice. My one hope and prayer is that they noticed enough to change the sheets before sleeping in it again. Once is plenty of times to rest in someone else's urine.

So! Last day of band camp, and we are learning the last few sets. It is about a hundred degrees and our Colorguard leader keeps tellin us to drink more water since she doesn't want us dehydrated. Well the problem with this is... I have to pee. Like super duper bad potty dance kind of bad. Well we run through the last few and are standing there holding our flags out, when I pee my pants. And I just have to stand there as still as a statue because if I move we all get in trouble and I will have to do pushups, Well I'm in the back corner of the field so I'm telling myself no one will notice, but then we reset the field show TO THE BEGINNING, and I'M RIGHT IN THE FRONT. AND OH MY GOSH THAT CUTE GUY WHO I HAVE A CRUSH ON AND WHO ISN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!! So I quickly move my set list, which is tied around my waist to the front and just pray that no one will look at me. After we ran the whole show my pants were dry, thank goodness, but I hurried to go change my pants. I also did not go talk to my crush. urgh.

One time I was getting ready to leave my boyfriends house. He leaned to kiss me goodbye, hit the edge of the coffee table, and fell over all the way to the ground. doo bee doop doo-wah, doo bee doop do wah, another awkward moment!

In my college dance class there was that super awkward guy with his hair parted and shirt tucked in and ginorm glasses. I could tell he was interested in me because he kept asking me to dance and striking up awkward conversations. Finally one day he mustered the courage to ask me out. Unfortunately for him, I had just started dating a different guy. So he asks me out, and I say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I am already in a relationship with someone." I was as nice about it as I could be. He just stared at me, then walked off without another word, and tried to avoid me for the rest of the semester. Which was hard to do since we were still in the same dance class, and still had to dance with each other now and then. Awkward!!

One time I worked in a restaurant as a dishwasher. We were all cleaning up after closing one night, and my boss asked me if I was going to the upcoming high school dance. I said I wasn't. He said, "Hey! Bob isn't going either!" Bob was the cook working that night, who happened to be in my grade, and happened to be a "popular kid." My boss called Bob into the back. "Hey Bob, you aren't going to the dance and neither is she! You two should go together!" I give Bob a weak smile. Bob stares at me, gives this awkward sort of laugh, shuffles his feet around, and then makes an excuse to go back into the kitchen. Needless to say, he did NOT ask me to the dance. I was mortified. Thanks a lot, Boss-man, for pointing out what a loser I am.

So one time, Dan (name has been changed) was jumping on his tramp with some friends (high school) and one of them was a girl he liked. Well he decided to show off a bit and do a round house/flip dismount off the tramp. So he jumped really high, got about halfway through and decided it was a bad idea and stopped turning. So he lands on his shoulder, just barely not bellyflopping, instead of landing all cool. He felt super awkward. :) but luckily not hurt in any way, except his pride.

Thanks tons to everyone who shared a story! You guys are greeeat. 

Have an awkward day!

xoxo, Saralyn  

Monday Update

Good night, I just got my internet back up and running. What a mess! Anyway. I hope everyone had a beautiful conference weekend. I sure did! I forget how much I truly love and appreciate this Gospel sometimes, and conference is a good reminder for me. 

So. Some new changes are coming up in my life. I've been planning on moving back to Kaysville for a while now, but didn't think it would happen until May. But things changed, and now I'm moving home on the 15th of this month. That's one week!! The move is bitter-sweet for me. I'm excited about the change, but it's sort of sad, leaving Logan. I'll miss the mountains being so close, I'll miss my playground of mud, weeds, and giant hills next to my apartment, and I'll miss the friends I've made here. Most of all, I'll miss my family up here, my nieces in particular. I've been able to spend so much time with them, and I love them more than I ever thought possible. I'm going to do a post later on this week about my life here in Logan. Most of it will probably be about my nieces, because let's face it: they are my very best friends. 

Now I face the daunting task of packing. I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF!! Most of the things in this apartment belong to me or Miranda. I have soooo many art supplies, decorations, clothes, etc. Heaven help me. 

I'll leave you with this AMAZING piece of art work by someone cool. (I forgot to look up the artist's name, sorry!) She (he?) makes portraits out of paper. So this amazing thing? PAPER. 

Have a beautiful Monday!

xoxo, Saralyn

Awkward

Let's talk awkward.

One time at work, a man commented on my shaved head by saying, "Oh hey, I like your shaved hair-do. It reminds me of when I shave my back." 

WHAT.

I was at a trampoline place a few years ago, and I accidentally knocked over a toddler just as her mother was taking a picture of her.

Sorry for ruining your life, mother and child.

There was the time I took a figure painting class, and spent almost 4 hours of one day sketching and painting a nude man, only to see him on the bus the next morning.

He sat down next to me and tried to strike up a conversation, not knowing that I was in the painting class he modeled for. I didn't say much, as the only thing I could really think of was, "I know what you look like when you are naked. And it's not pleasant." 

That was a little uncomfortable.

One Sunday while at church, my wrap-around skirt that was fastened with safety pins decided to fly open just as I was standing up--in front of everyone. 

Heads up, err'body, my tush would like to say hey!

The best awkward moment happened in my kindergarten days. I had been playing orphans with my sister one night, and we stuffed all our clothes into our backpacks because we were running away from the orphanage. The next day at school, I had show and tell. As I pulled my toy out of my backpack, my whole underwear collection came out with it, ready to play and have a good time. 

My poor classmates were exposed to the world of scandal, intrigue, and lingerie at a very young age.

Now, the underwear of a five year old is hardly worth talking about. But when you are five, showing your undies to everyone and having them land on the boy you like is akin to having your skirt tucked into your granny panties as you saunter through a paparazzi convention. It ain't pretty.

Last one. Junior high, gym class. It was the fitness section, and we were doing timed sit-ups. We were all paired up, and one person would hold your feet while you did sit ups. I got paired with one of the most popular boys in school. As the buzzer sounded and I started doing my sit-ups, I realized with horror that I had a nasty bubble forming in my stomach--the kind that makes you clench your buns and run to the nearest restroom. I thought I could hold it, but the movement of my body while doing sit ups was forcing it out like a baby on the way out.

One sit-up later, and I let out the biggest, most vile smelling gas cloud, right into the face of the most popular boy in school. He almost passed out. I almost passed out. HAZMAT was called in. The whole gym was covered in a foggy, green cloud.

Awkward.

Now it's your turn. I want to hear your most awkward encounters. What is the best awkward thing that has ever happened to you? Email me your story, either through Facebook or my personal email account (sara_speedgood@hotmail.com), and I'll share everyone's stories on Monday. Who has the most awkward story? Let's find out, shall we?

xoxo, Saralyn

Because I Just Like Quirky Prints.