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lauragarabedian
07 April 2013 @ 09:43 am
So on Tuesday I leave for Greece. I will arrive on Wednesday... I will arrive on my birthday. I am so INCREDIBLY excited about this trip... Greece has been on my bucket list and the fact that I am able to go... just thrills me to no end.
I wanted to thank everyone who dropped by my drink and draw session, it was a LOT of fun, I may consider making it a monthly thing, because I just really enjoyed it. It brought me so much joy and was fun to talk to you all.
I won't return from my trip until the 24th, and will then leave on the 26th for a wedding, and return from that on the 30th, so expect me to be pretty much gone all of April.  I hope you are all well.
 
 
lauragarabedian
15 February 2013 @ 11:49 am
So I have family friends in Greece. I love love LOVE international travel and haven't gotten a chance to go in 3-4 years.  It has always been a dream of mine to go to Greece, and they are going to be leaving in May - I thought  it was next winter so wasn't stressing too much, but now MAY!  So if I want to see them I have to go ASAP.  I am considering using the $$ that I will hopefully be getting from insurance for 'pain and suffering' from my car accident, even though the plan was to put that away for a rainy day.  But it is really tempting to use that money to visit my friends

So... may do a doodle for donations day or something... livestream art (Rooth suggested that I should start drinking partway through to up the entertainment value). We'll see... still trying to figure out if this is a horrible idea or not...

{ETA} I know this is a first world problem kind of a thing - just struggling with it because I do adore travel. And I could use some of my airline points to make the flight affordable (it probably wouldn't be without them - which would have me making it to DC on southwest and catching a cheap flight from DC out) and in any case it is very VERY selfish - And would mean that I would need to CRAM all my art duties in for the next month to get everything ready for Spectrum... so I don't know... but... Greece... It's always been a place I have dreamed of visiting, and it will NEVER be cheaper. The only $$ I would need to get would be for the flight, they are gonna let me stay with me for free, and feed me. so... I don't know.. *torn*
 
 
lauragarabedian
23 January 2013 @ 11:17 pm
In the back of her yard.
Perhaps her parents were pretty dumb for buying this stupid house in the middle of nowhere. Where there was nothing to do, and left all her friends back with her old house and her favorite ice cream place. But this house did have that small tangled building. 
She stared out at it through the sweetly tapping rain on her window. It glistened in the drizzling rain, panes of glass catching errant beams of sunlight that filtered through the clouds.  Vines were climbing all around it and it was sunken into the forest like a gate into Narnia.  She wondered if that was the one good thing about this dreadful house.  Perhaps there was a portal, a bridge to another place, and that it was right here outside her new house.  With a quick glance around her new room with all its horrible paint and boxes she snatched her coat and wellies out of the closet, and her trusty companion, Mr. Squiggles the Brave and Dapper Hare and then rushed down the creaky stairs to the foyer.  Maybe there was adventure in that little house...

She heard her mother shout something as she rushed out the front door, and yelled "Gonna play outside" as she rushed outside, mud squelching under her pink wellies and Mr Squiggles legs swinging out in the rush of her passing.  The screen door creaked and slammed behind her, bouncing back from the force with which she had pushed it.  

It smelled like green outside, and long lush grass seemed to make a guiding glowing path to the small glass house by the woods.  It was a magic house! She knew it! She could go inside and it would take her somewhere wonderful, to a bright and glowing place, where she could be a brave knight, or a princess like in that Brave movie or, or maybe she could even be a mermaid. Wouldn't that be brilliant! Panting and hot cheeked, she had to slow down as she approached the building.  As she got closer she realized it was further back into the woods than she had thought, and the vines crawled out from it like dark thorned tentacles grasping for a hold on something from the back of the house.  She almost stopped then.  Slowing and staring, growing more hesitant as she saw the dark thorns on the red vines extending from the small glass building... Then she saw the dust motes dancing in a small gold stream of light and reminded herself that it was Magic! It shouldn't be easy to reach a magic house!  Slowly now, carefully, she lifted her boots out of the heavy sucking mud and carefully placed them between dark red vines covered with rich green leaves, trying to keep from snagging her precious rainbow striped tights (they were a present from grannie, and dad hated them, so of course they were her very favorite thing).  As she picked her way across the vines the rain began to fall in larger and larger drops, once more she looked back at the house, and then a bit of a rainbow off of a mirror of glass caught her eye, and she kept on going forward... 

The little building was looking larger now... it had stands where pots had once lived, and broken pottery dancing across the floor like small ceramic feathers.  She peered back into the glass house, somehow it was darker inside than she would have thought, and went awfully far back.  "Sssshhh, don't be such a wuss" She admonished Mr Squiggles as he turned questioning button eyes to her.  It'll be fine! We'll have an adventure! Won't that be wonderful!





Just a snippet of a story that came into my mind when I saw this... 
 
 
Current Mood: accomplished
 
 
lauragarabedian

No really. This next month is silly.  Granted it started last month but still. Silly.

So I was gone for 10 days in Dec. To visit family. Gone last weekend for FC (report at the end of this). Back until Tues. Then to Seattle for 7 days. Back for 7 days, gone for 13 days.... Why all of these place you ask? Family was Dec. Then FC for Con and paying of bills. Then Seattle because my boyfriend is sweet and is flying us there to see MUSE since they aren't making it to CO or any adjacent state (gonna work while I'm up there, I can't be out a week of work) we are staying with a friend though so while I will have Short-ER days I will still probably work at least 6 hours each day I am up there, Minus concert day, which is a day for us.  Then back, massive con prep, and then to TFF, which is also a family/friends trip as I don't see them often, so mixing it w/business is good (I generally see them twice a year, last year was three times and that is only b/c Xmas flights were SO relativel cheap).

SO... FC!

FC was pretty awesome but it starteed reeeeaaaaally hairy.
The day before I was in last minute freak out con prep mode and had promised my roommate that I would get the cab arranged for us for the next day.  It was going to be four of us carpooling, Rooth, BB (forget con name, so yeah, doing initials), Tim and I.  So we were gonna split a cab.  Tim realized how frazzled I was so offered to book it. I said 'Sure' and he went about doing such.
Next morning... hits 10 (when its supposed to be there) he calls to check and turns out that a) he booked the airport shuttle b) they weren't giving us a separate vehicle like they said they would c) it was in the system wrong, so would be showing up at 10:30... so our 9:45/10 ride was now 10:30... kind of a big deal.
 And then we get there and I ask to have my luggage hand checked and get dressed down by the agent who was rude and horrible, and we are already getting to the front of the damn line only 45 min before our flight, haven't even made it to luggage, so that delays us even more.  So we ended up running to our gate after security, it was ridiculous.  Second to last people on the plane (apparently there were other people running too) luckily Rooth and BB got there before us and got us seats b/c they are AWESOME and didn't have a horrid lady holding them up.  So from then on everything was gravy.

Got in, got setup, had a lovely Indian dinner with idess and Charlie, and went to bed.  Next day started the CON!!! Which went fantastically.  Great first day, great sales, few creepers, only downside was the TERRIBLE A/C! It was so freaking sauna-like in there. So everything was humid and hot and smelled horribly, as everyone was hot and sweaty.  Dinner was, again, Indian (b/c curry! -in a hurry!!) Then off to Tims Harassment panel, which went really well, Then on to homework and visiting with artists that I don't see often, which is lovely. Late night was late, but terribly productive, so that was fantastic.  

Sat, repeat of Fri, good sales, good people, and sold some things in the art show, and thankfully they figured out the A/C so we were all comfortable :)

Dinner was an amazing Sushi restaurant that was not at all equipped for the crowd it got, so took quite a while, but was fantastic.  Hung out with ursulav, and kyellgold and Louve, and generally had a fantastic time.  Off to more homeowork and then to Sunday. Which was really (as always) a day that I am just thoroughly WIPED. If you saw me sunday and I seemed distant, it is because I was Ex-Haus-Ted! But had a lovely Thai dinner with vantid and idess nonetheless and then hung out with my friends that I rarely see Ursulav and Alchemist as well as Vantid, Tasha and Heather.  

I saw many more people (Utunu and Kikivuli, Fibre, Keirajo, and many more that I can't remember right now b/c I am still SO SLEEPY) but over all fantastic con.  Good monies, good time.

 
 
Current Mood: tiredtired
Current Music: Florence and the Machine
 
 
lauragarabedian
13 January 2013 @ 07:24 pm
AKA - I feel like I'm running in place.

For the past 5-6 days I've had, as ursulav puts it, "Can't sleep Con Will Eat me!" panic going on.
All I"ve done for the past howeverlong (feels like forever) is business stuff. 
Call old accountant... EVERY... OTHER... DAY... Because he won't give me my old federal tax forms and I need them for the NEW accountant so I can get taxes filed
Run finances
Cry over finances
Rage over finances
Decide I can't do anything about the past and just need to focus on a better THIS year
Run off prints
Mat prints
Back prints
Bag prints
Work on con setup
Despair at con setup
Buy more things for con setup
Regain hope
Despair.
(repeat)
E-mail clients/potential clients about things (and stuff)

And now I finally get to get back to ART
But I feel like I was just running on a treadmill for aaaages... all that mileage and no good memories/nothing physical to show for it.  This is one of the reasons I prefer traditional art to digital. I like that visceral level of accomplishment. Blagh.
Anyhow, I will see you who are making the trip at FC.  I encourage you to go to my boyfriends panel on harassment in the geek fandom, which is at 10pm on friday (because the con staff deemed it an 'adult' panel even though it is geared at teenagers to any age really) and he is super nervous about no one showing...

So anyhow, TO the ART!

(and if you were curious, this is my potential NEW con setup)

Jan 2013 Con Setup

(These will ALL have price signs - just not made yet)
A) matted 5x7 prints (12)
b) backed and bagged giclee print signed  5x7's ($7)
c) Landscape giclee print backed and bagged 8.5x11 signed  ($15)
d) Portrait giclee prints backed and bagged 8.5x11 signed ($15)
e) Matted portrait 8.5x11 giclee prints ($25)
f) ACEO's and magnet desings ($3 for ACEOs $4 for magnets)
g) Business cards
H) matted landscape 8.5x11 giclee prints ($25)
I) Backed and bagged limited edition 13x19 landscape giclee prints ($55)
J) Backed and Bagged limited edition 13x19 portrait giclee prints ($55)
k) original 5x7's matted (priced as marked)
L) Stickers! ($2/each or 6/$10) and magnets $4/each - this is one thing that needs changed - Going to extend the black foamcore all the way down and put my commission list down there. Get rid of the black cage thing
So what do you guys think
 
 
lauragarabedian
10 January 2013 @ 10:35 am
Damn.
Sat down to do taxes and run finances. 
And realizing I can't do... anything... for a little while... I knew it was bad, but that... is a bit excessive.

On the plus side, I do have a couple large pieces coming in and two big cons... but still... Hermit and overworking mode ENGAGE!
 
 
lauragarabedian
02 January 2013 @ 09:02 am
So I was able to setup this vacation so that I would have a few days completely work free and the work that I did need to do was primarily e-mail correspondence based. Have a lots of pieces I needed to start, but had a lot of e-mailing to do first, AND had to buy supplies once all the deets were worked out.  So while I am/have been doing lots of sketching, the actual work of MAKING was being saved, and my creative buildup has been really kicking in. Have some pretty solid sketches, and am ready to go.

Except that someone apparently decided I should ring in the new year with the plague.  Well, probably the flu. But man do I hurt.  I still have another day and a half here in Texas and it is going to be spent curled up on the couch with tissues and around hot tea.  I have cold chills, hot flashes, my whole body ACHES, I have a fever and I am coughing up a storm.  Got next to no sleep last night because of it.  So yeah... gonna be a bit slow ramping up to productivity when I get back because, well, OUCH.  I still have a lot to do to prep for FC and am excited about it, but right now it is hard to get too excited for much besides tea and sleeping without coughing my lungs out and my head off.  Blagh. Happy 2013, it can only get better from here!
Tags: , , ,
 
 
Current Mood: sicksick
 
 
lauragarabedian
15 December 2012 @ 02:14 pm
Found the recipe for this drink, it was my favorite christmas drink a few years ago so figured I'd share!

1.5oz vodka
1 t peppermint schnapps

shake with ice
strain into glass

garnish with crushed candy canes rimming the glass and/or small candy cane over the rim.

OPTIONAL - add simple syrup to the drink to make it sweeter. 

ENJOY!

Cheers, to all. And I will try and do a proper update here in a bit.
 
 
lauragarabedian
17 November 2012 @ 11:45 am
So for those of you that don't know, I have been wheat free for about a year now, for health reasons.  Wheat in more than 1/2 cup doses makes my back all tweaky and twisted.  So I have been systematically figuring out the various new ways to go about getting some favorite recipes translated to things I can eat.  So here is my way to get my lasagna kick in.

Eggplant Lasagna! (still tweaking exact amounts)

4c mozzerrella
60 oz ricotta
2 eggs
1t salt
1t fresh or dried basil
1 t fresh or dried oregano
Dave's Delicious (normally bison) sauce (as needed... recipe follows - and will make far more than you need)
2 large eggplants peeled and sliced into 1/2" slices (suggestion from initial recipe was rounds but I am gonna try lengthwise next time)
2 T olive oil
1 c gluten free breadcrumbs mixed with salt/black pepper/italian seasoning to taste
2 eggs
2 t water
1 c grated parm

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Oil 2 baking sheets with olive oil
Whisk Eggs and water in shallow dish
Combine parm and breadcrumbs in separate shallow dish
Dip eggplant slices in egg mix
press Eggplant slices into crumbs and tap off excess - arrange on prepared sheets
Bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown, 20-25 min - flip eggplant and bake additional 20-25 min
Remove eggplant from oven and set to side.

In large bowl combine ricotta, 1 c mozzerella salt, 2 eggs, basil, and oregano
In large baking dish create a layer of eggplant
Cover with a layer of ricotta mix
Then a layer of Daves sauce
Repeat until pan is almost full (generally takes to full layers for my pan, eggplant is thick!!!)
Leave 1" or so (if you can)to top with mozerella
Bake @ 350F for 45-60 min.  For 1st 30 min cover w/foil, then uncover for rest.  Lasagna should be bubbling.
Let cool a bit on the counter before devouring.
Or you will burn the roof of your mouth.
Seriously.
Let it sit for a bit.


Daves Delicious Bison Sauce

Simmer
1 can 28 oz petite diced tomatoes
1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 can 28 oz tomato sauce
1 T oregano
1 T basil
1/2 t onion salt
1/4 t cloves (ground)
1 head roasted garlic
1/2lb bison - browned
1/2 c onions browned in with bison
Add 2 bay leaves last
simmer for at least 1 hour, best if simmered for 2 or 3
remove bay leaves before consuming.

So there you go! Hope you enjoy it!
 
 
Current Mood: chipperchipper
 
 
lauragarabedian
15 November 2012 @ 12:13 pm
So my printer began, what I believed was it's last print run the other day.  After speaking to Epson and fixing a few things it is now back to printing out happily.  But I think it is a sign that I should be looking for a new one (I use the ever-loving crap out of these guys), and right now Epson has some great deals on the newer models of what I have.  

So Epson R1900, I bought it for $800 new, three years ago.  Makes stunning archival giclee prints. Prints up to 13" wide and indefinitely long (can handle roll printing).  Great workhorse of a printer.

Gonna try and sell for $200 plus shipping to whomever is interested.  It would include about $200 worth of ink with it so really worth it for the ink alone, but I am just trying to recoup a bit of cost for buying a new one.

In interest of full disclosure what I was having problems with, CERTAIN files (no rhyme or reason to which ones, had three total that it happened to) would end up with a fine 'barcode' of 1/2"wide and anywhere from 1" to 4" of width of scratching.  This only happened with a few files and Only on 13x19 sheets.  

Once I spoke to epson I reset the print settings to enable handling thick paper and now it is printing perfectly.  Even the ones it had the most problems with perfectly.  It was also occasionally getting grumpy about feeding paper, but with babying would do it. The setting change fixed that as well.

This is a no returns kind of a deal. Selling as is, but it is in damn fine condition if I do say so myself. I have LOVED having this printer and just gonna buy an upgrade because would rather try and sell this one now while it still has some life in it (my guess a year or so if you print off around 300-500 prints a year like I do - more if you do less). And hopefully recoup some cost so that I can afford to buy the new guy.  Right now money is pretty stupid tight because medical bills from the car accident won't be reimbursed until treatment is done... so blagh.
Any interested takers?  Any questions? E-mail me, art@LauraGarabedian.com