Commission Roundup

Hey there! Now that things are settling down posts should be more frequent again. : )

Happy News: Adam and I found a new apartment! Hooray! This one has a roof that does NOT leak and is in a safe and quiet neighborhood surrounded by really old trees. 

Sad News: My camera is a goner. It won't even turn on, which is very sad because I had lots of fun things to blog about and pretty pictures to show you! 

But my scanner still works, so if nothing else it will force me to show you all even more art! : )

Anywas, here are some recent commissions I did for some pretty awesome people!

These were done for my sweet friend Jillian's son's birthday. The theme of his party was centered around the children's book Caps for Sale - hence the different hats he is wearing. : )

This was done for a lovely lady and my new friend Lindsey! She is a math teacher and has an obsession with the number pi. 

This one was really special to do. It was for my friend Rebecca whose Aunt meant the world to her. It was an honor to create something that meant so much to her!

This one was a lot of fun! Done for a lovely woman of God and my former pastor, Pastor Margie! I'm sure you can guess what the occasion was. : )

This one was so fun! But challenging as well. I have never drawn a cemetery before, and it was an interesting challenge to try and make one look cute. It was also fun to use paper again! 

If you would like to hire me for a commission, I am currently accepting new projects! Just shoot me an email at amy_hates_greenbeans at yahoo dot com or fill out this handy form!

Life is Good.

Before I do or say anything else, I want to take a minute to thank this man.

My sweet Uncle Kevin. He was a quadriplegic for 10 years and he went to meet Jesus this past Wednesday.

I didn't get to see him as much as I would have liked, but the moments I did share with him he was such an incredible witness for Christ and a true warrior. He didn't give up after losing so much. Every day was such a battle for him, but he didn't quit. He kept going. And he was always interested in what was going on in my life. He was there for my wedding. He genuinely cared about me and loved me. He was an incredibly uncle.

Love you Kevin.

I have been such a complainer lately..and his death kind of shut me up. I can walk. I am alive. Not everyone can say that. Sure, my financial aid got screwed up and I can't go to school for another year - so what? There are larger problems out there. And life goes on, with or without school. 

I am praying about possibly going to Japan again with a dear friend from high school.

I am going to do as many art shows as I can this coming year.

I am going to teach art another day of the week.

I am going to step out of my comfort zone.

I want God to use my talents for His kingdom.

I'm excited.

Life is good.

Harry Potter!

Yes. I am a Harry Potter lover.
 And even though I'm not quite as obsessed as I used to be, when movie time rolls around I get so pumped!

Obviously, this time.. it is bittersweet!

Those books gave me a place of escape during those rough middle school/jr. high years.  I didn't have friends, so I read. And doodled! And made some pretty sweet Harry Potter paper dolls (I had every character up until the 4th book, with little brooms, chocolate frogs, owls, etc).

(Me in my "glasses" for the midnight premiere)

I really can't believe it's over..but it's been an amazing ride!

(And The Deathly Hallows part 2 is INCREDIBLE, in case you were wondering.)

So here's some Harry, Ron and Hermione for you all!

I haven't drawn them or any Harry Potter fan art in years - and it was so fun to come back to it!

Speaking of fan art - this blog has some of the best I have ever seen! If you're in California and love HP, you should be running to go see the Harry Potter exhibition at Gallery Nucleus!

Here are some of my favorites!

The Youngest Seeker in a Century by Katie McDee

HP Downtime by Anna Bron

EXPECTO PATRONUM by John Hendrix

Hogwarts at Night by Caroline Hadilakso

Magical!

Be Healthy Thursday! Week 2

Hello everyone!

I am happy to announce that one week later from my previous "be healthy" post, I am still going strong!

This week I've been feeling great! Lighter and refreshed. Less bloated. And I've dropped a few pounds!

Here's the breakdown on my fitness and nutrition:

Week 2

 Ran 2.16 miles (30 minutes), did two 60 minute Zumba classes, and one 60 minute step aerobics / weight lifting class. That's 3 hours and 30 minutes of getting my fitness on! (although it felt like a lot..it really isn't!)

Goal for next week: complete 5 hours of exercise.

 I've been eating really well - keeping up with my fruit/vegetable/nut/gluten-free grain diet. I did however, have some grilled shrimp last week. I was getting horrendous headaches and think it was from lack of protein. Since then I've read up on making complete proteins without meat or soy (like quinoa and beans) and have been filling up on that. No more headaches! Also last night the hubs and I splurged on some sushi...

Um, how can you pass that up? I had been craving it this whole week and they were having happy hour - 30% off all sushi! I picked spicy tuna for the protein and sweet potato. yum yum.

Yesterday I ate:

Breakfast: Banana Peanut Butter Pistachio smoothie!

1 Tbsp natural unsweetened peanut butter

4 tbsp Trader Joe's vanilla Hemp protein

1 cup vanilla almond milk

1/4 cup pistachios

Lunch: Quinoa with veggies (broccoli, tomatoes)

Baby cucumber and strawberry salad

1 small peach

Snack: Frozen blueberries

Dinner: Sushi! Spicy tuna and sweet potato roll. 

Snack: more frozen blueberries

1 cup herbal tea with boba

1 tsp peanut butter

So far today I've had my smoothie again (without the pistachios) and am going to really try and eat mostly raw.

Tonight is Harry Potter with my dear friend Rebecca! Whoo hoo!! But first I have a day PACKED with hospital visits, getting my hair done, ice cream dates, thrift store rummaging, bible studies and dinner! 

I love my "days off." : )

Summertime Prints!

Here are two summertime drawings up for sale in the shop!

This one, last year's "Sandcastles"

and my newest piece: 

"Sea Foam"

Both are available as 5 x 7 giclee prints in my shop!

Now if only I could really go to a beach and draw there! le sigh.

Let's Be Healthy!

Hello everyone!

Hope you had a lovely 4th of July!
I would share some pictures but my camera is being quite silly.
Mine was swell - except for the days leading up to it. I was a bloated hot mess. Tummy aches, bad temper..horrible skin. It was kind of a turning point for me. I'm tired of doing things half-way, and even though I attempt to incorporate a lot of healthy eating and exercise into my lifestyle, it just hasn't been enough.

So to keep me accountable I'm starting a new blog feature:

I love eating right and exercising... and I want to share some of that with you all! I also want to be honest with myself and what better way than to let the world see what I've been up to?

Hopefully I can make this a weekly thing. We'll see how it goes! : )

My Goal: to loose a few pounds, clear up my skin, and clear my mind. Most importantly I just want to rid my body of all the stored up toxins and other icky things that have no business being in there!

Time Frame: There really isn't one..but I'd love to see how disciplined I can be by the end of the year!

This Week:

* I've eaten nothing but fruits, vegetables, nuts and the occasional cup of brown rice or quinoa. And drinking a TON of water! I think I'm *finally* hydrated! That's a huge deal for me because I have struggled with drinking enough water for a loooong time. I also bought this dandy little kit:

(source)

I have never done a body detox with pills before, and so far so good! I'm pretty tired though..yesterday instead of going to Zumba I ended up laying down for a quick nap and ended up sleeping for 3 hours!
Sometimes rest is just as important!

I also managed to squeeze in a 3 mile run and some light weight lifting (don't want to go to heavy this week), and one Zumba class.

Goals for this weekend:
1. To not cheat. Keep eating healthy, balanced meals with only fruits, veggies, nuts and grains (gluten-free!)
2. Exercise at least once (I tend to "take weekends off" because  I still work on Fridays and Saturdays.  Sunday is my sabbath, but I think I'll try to do some yoga.
3. Keep a positive attitude and not feel discouraged. No doubt Jesus and my husband will be helping me with this one. ; )

I'll be back next week to tell you how I did!
How do you stay healthy?

Happy Friday!

First Ever Giveaway Winner!!

Hello lovely friends!

I'm excited to announce that the winner of my first ever giveaway is:

 Jillian Pye!

Yay!! Since I know your sweet self in real life I'll give you your items in person! Let me know which item you want and what you'd like me to draw! : D

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Sorry for the lack of updates - we've been staying at our relative's house for the weekend while they're out of town, and I'm away from my scanner / camera cord. But I'm working on a new project that I think you guys might like, so check back Sunday (when I'm home again) for some new posts!

Happy Friday!