College Mode

My new years resolution for 2009 was to treat my body better. I wanted to eat healthier food (at regular hours), drink more water (and less sunkist), and to try to get enough sleep (at least 7 hours a night). I was doing pretty well for a while... until I took on an artsy project that was bigger than I anticipated.

I've slipped back into college mode. (Those of you who knew me in college can guess what that means. ) I'm having a great time doing this project and it's for someone I've wanted to work with for a while... but I got a little too excited and bit off more than I could chew. To start with, it turns out that I SUCK at color theory, especially compared to this woman. (not to mention her whole family) So it takes me a while to put everything together. (and I don't like taking a 'while' for anything.) Also, I'm working extra hours at my regular job during this time frame and I'm taking an advanced quilting class. (Oh Kim, you quilt?- No. No I don't. Again, too excited. Where is Cathy Kreis when you need her!? (C or K? )) Anyways, in order to make all my deadlines and fulfill all my allotted time commitments in my two week time frame, I should be able to get my 7 hours of sleep every night. I just have to forfeit commute, eating, bathing, and cleaning. 4 hours it is!

So, this is my excuse and quite whiny complaint that I don't have enough time to call, write, or text back. I'm sorry, but I will be rejoining the normal world soon I think.

Thank you to my husband who is taking very good care of me in my quite crazy state.

CAUTION!!!

This post is PAINFULLY CLICHE!!!

Last Sunday, this is what I learned from our little group.

4 Effective steps to finding God's will, whether it's how to spend your bonus or what direction you move your family.

1. Make a list. ( I like to make mine pretty so I don't mind looking at them)

2. Weigh your options. (I like to use food for this, gummy bears, popcorn, milk duds... they aid in your decision making AND you get to reward yourself for making your decision in the end!)

3. Pray about it. This is KEY. If you leave this out, there's no one to steer which could = disaster!!!

4. If you still don't have a crystal clear answer (which is most likely the conclusion to bigger decisions) Do what you want & Relax. God is ultimately in control. Your decision will be blessed, shut down or redirected. Put yourself in neutral and let the tires roll, you're not steering anyways, so enjoy the scenery.

Simple right?

Tsai-Bergman Vacation 2009!!!

This summer we went to The Bergman Cabin in Motley, MN as our summer vacation with the Tsai's. It was great. There was sun, rain, grilled beer can chicken, fun games, pig races (really. real pigs that drank orange Gatorade), ice cream and lots-o-baby tornado's! Thanks guys for a great vacation and a peek into parenthood! You are rock star parents, Chase is a lucky little boy!

Here are some pics from the weekend

Attack of the hugging baby!!!!!!!!!!

This is my favorite pic of the weekend! I have no idea what they're smiling at.

On the boat.

Oooooo!!!! Shadows!!!

Chase dressed as Super Baby Speedo Burrito!!!

Mel, Jeff & Chase Tsai

Places I like to go in my living room.

www.xkcd.com
www.designspongeonline.com
www.pandora.com
www.designsbyhumans.com
www.lowescreativeideas.com
www.blurb.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUSBAND!!!

Happy birthday to the most amazing friend and lover of my life. I love you, I respect you, I'm challenged by you and I wish I had the servant heart that you have. I am so proud to be your wife. I can't wait to see where this year takes you. Our God did such a great job making you. I am one lucky girl!

Lessons in Communication

Ryan: "Kim, you're thinking really quiet..."

Thank you Captain Obvious. But really- this phrase has merit worth discussing.

Ryan is a verbal processor. I am not. Ryan is a big picture kind of guy, I am not. Ryan has it all figured out. I do not. ( Just kidding about that last one.)

Due to our unique personality traits, Ryan and I have an interesting way of communicating. I mentioned a long time ago that we stand firmly on the same ground where it counts, but the paths we take to arrive there run no where near parallel. It's been fun trying to figure this out... so far. The wisdom I have to pass on (after my 1 year and almost 10 months of marriage) is to be slow to react and direct with your words. For instance, I know that we miscommunicate often because we are so different, so if I just wait a second until he's done processing, he might use the words and tones that will ACCURATELY portray what his point is. He knows that if I'm silent during a fight, it might not be that I'm festering on the inside with contempt... I just don't have a very large vocabulary so I need to make sure the words I use are correct and efficient to make my point. (I'm sure he struggles to wait for me to say something in those silences. He usually asks where I'm at if it's been a really long pause. Which is helpful if I've forgotten what I'm supposed to be thinking about.) We've learned to be direct with each other. I love him and he loves me and God put us together to duke it out. (enter smiley face) I wouldn't want it any other way. It's refining and dignifying to have someone you respect so much- love you enough to make you a better version of yourself.

Here are some bullet point lessons I've learned about communication:

• Defensiveness kills communication.
• React with humor and patience
• LISTEN first
• Never use sarcasm (It's hard to stop- I know.)
• Be direct. Passive aggressiveness is lame. Knock it off.
• Be Respectful

I'm sure I left a lot out, I just have one more point to make. If the issue is between you and a loved one, please remember that you are on the same team. It's you against the problem. If there is no problem and you're just picking on each other- what's the point?

I guess one of my upcoming posts should be about Strengths Finder 2.0 and why my first reaction is to challenge.

da Vinci vs. Duchamp

Disclaimer: I don’t want to fight. I just want to say my piece. And, I am in fact very fond of Duchamp’s “Nude descending staircase.” Also, I am not saying, brother, that Marcel Duchamp was not a pioneer; he deserves recognition for the questions he provoked as a part of the Dada movement. I am saying that some current artists take his ‘style’ and try to turn them into meaningful art. My argument is that Dada was a cultural anti-art movement. The art produced was supposed to break all the formal rules of art, defying all reason and logic. Today, we are no longer fighting the proponents of WWI or an intolerant culture; you are now just making crap out of crap for no purpose at all because you saw someone else do it. (If you are the exception, I would love to see it.)

I’ve always believed art to be a great form of expression, a way to relate to the world with an entire language of symbols. How fun! Circles, diagonal lines, evergreen… they all represent something. We see things and automatically understand them; we link them together in our critiques with the formal rules of art to make sense the piece at hand. So my question is why is the line between traditional and contemporary drawn and recognized beyond the distinction between skillful and amateur? It’s almost as if to say quality doesn’t matter as long as it fits into one of these two categories. Which do you associate with skillful mastery and which with amateur attempts? Hmmm…

I mean really. Picasso is a great example of how to blur the lines and break the rules. You may only remember disfigured silhouettes and the contrasted scene of Guernica, but Picasso demonstrated the mastery of his craft… he knew the rules, followed them, then blew them out of the water. He earned his stripes. (Not that I’m his biggest fan) He was a skilled painter but ended up with work that could seem amateurish.

Now, in the contemporary art scene there is an abundance of content, but a lull in craftsmanship and technique. The visual arts seem to have suffered the loss of impact in using carefully crafted images alone, resulting in crude attempts at ‘shock art’ and lengthy commentaries. We are slapped in the face with more literature in artist statements and titles on each piece that focus less on visual formality and more on rationalizing the meaning and purpose of the artists intent.
Lame. (If I wanted to read about your ideas, I’d buy your book.)

My whole point is, if you’re going to break the rules and be boisterous about it, learn them first so that you don’t look like a fool. I’ve run into many artists who have work that is less than ideal when it comes to pleasing aesthetics but would be offended if anyone offered an honest critique of his/her craft. Can you tell that I’m kind of sick of the whole “Art is subjective” crap? People have taken this way too far. While it is true that parts of art are subjective, there are some basics that are objective. (Enter the 7 pearls of painting by Larry, anyone?) These guidelines are a great start to making something you can be proud of. If you aren’t great at painting but want to say something, try writing. Our culture implies that anyone can be an artist as long as you have something to say… well I have good news for you, art is not limited to painting, so if you suck, move on to something more productive instead of paddling a sinking boat.

Thank you.