Holy Crap!

I just signed up for an art class that i have signed up for and chickened out of for about 5 years now. i don't know why i am so damn scared, just am...oh well! i am really going to do it this year. we'll see how it goes.  if any of you want to join me for a monday morning sesh at the petersen art center i would love to have a friend to ease the tension a little. wait, i just got more nervous at the thought of someone i know seeing my work, scratch that, you are uninvited. at least until i have some warm-up time. seriously though there are lots of great classes there. check them out here. after reliving my study abroads, i remembered why i love art and why i want to create my own. here are a few reasons.

Of course Degas. The problem with Degas is choosing your favorite.

Berthe Morisot, so feminine and beautiful

Klimt's landscapes are so incredible but not necessarily what he's known for

Egon Schiele, this man changed so much about my love for art. 

Alexandr Onishenko, an artist i happened upon in Prague and am so glad i did.

wish me luck folks. i am petrified. 

Some Shameless Self Promotion

So I typically watch the Today Show every morning while I prepare to get off my butt to get ready for work. I love having a little morning before work. So yesterday I was watching and they had a lady on who was talking about how this time of year people feel a need to buy something new for themselves or their home. She was showing people how to be smart about it and still get something new. Anyway she had a whole table full of really cool stuff for under $25. I was pleasantly surprised to see she had some of these bowls that we carry here at KUDU. So I was inspired to do something similar. I had a little photo shoot at the store. All of these items shown are less than $30.
Great for gifts or summer entertaining. 

These were the bowls on the today show.

Hand-carved wooden and bone bowls

Spoon and bowl set. Great for serving all kinds of things

Cute as a set. Put something different in all of them, nuts, olives, candies etc. 

Africans use these small spoons to salt and pepper their food. Or they would be good to put sugar in your coffee. 

Mix it up with three different kinds of bowls 

We have spoons in all sizes made out of bone, horn and wood. **

This beautiful basket would be great for Q-tips, elastics, or to put utensils in at a BBQ to name a few. 

These horn bowls create an entirely different look but could be used for the same function. 

The horn provides lots of different color variations. No two are alike. 

Beautiful salad servers. These have been so popular as wedding gifts

This is an awesome set to put a new creative spin on entertaining. 

**Just so you all know none of our products are a result of illegal poaching. These materials come from animals that are already wounded or dying. The products have been fumigated as well before they left Africa. The African's use every part of an animal. Nothing is wasted. These animals are the only way for many African people to get food on their tables for their families. 

When you support KUDU you are helping us support the Africans through
FREE TRADE. 

A.D.D. again!

I know I should probably just leave my background blank. I wouldn't get sick of it and it would just be simple, but no can do people. I LOVE color and refuse to have a white background. I love how they look and wish I could do that but I just can't. SORRY! I found the most darling backgrounds here. They are so different and fresh. I have given my whole computer a facelift. Stupid and pointless I know but now I have the most adorable little antique kitchen appliances as icons. So cute!

I also downloaded some very cute wallpapers for my iPhone here. These are some of my favs.

Now if only I could figure out how to get some good ringtones. How does that work? Any ideas?

Chicago/Where were the Utes?

Finally, Chicago! I have been waiting for years to go to Chicago. Obviously it is an awesome city but there is so much amazing art there. I have studied a ton of different art that resides in Chicago. We hit up the The Art Institute of Chicago. 

The Art Institute was so amazing, it reminded me of why I studied Art History. Seriously, it made me want to get my Masters. I honestly was in heaven. I wish I could have gone to all of the museums in Chicago. But if I had to go to one, it would have been the Art Institute. 

We hit up Millennium Park, with the amphitheater and the bean. It was cool to see it all. I've heard about these things for years so it was fun to finally see what everyone has been talking about. 

Here are a few of my most favorite of the paintings I saw.  Also other different, amazing architecture that is in Chicago.

We went for the Utah game in Notre Dame but I don't really have much to say about that...I think you all know why!

Backpacking in the Uintahs

Chris and I did lots of fun stuff this summer. We backpacked in the Uintahs with our friends Chris and Suda. We had such a good time. It was pretty funny. I've never backpacked before so it was definitely a learning experience. 

After 30 minutes of hiking we already needed a break. A little beef jerky and some mambas got us on the move again.

Poor little Ralphy got so many burrs and pine needles in his fur and he was so miserable. We would pick them out and 10 seconds later he had twice as many. Poor guy.

Suda and Chris

Hiking in.

Nothing like a hot can of soup by the fire.

Enjoying the campfire in Chris' sweet chairs.

Chris had to make sure his Norwegian nose didn't get fried...I think it still did. ;)
My collar bones were already hurting and we hadn't even started hiking yet.

             

                                 Chris and Suda before we started the hike. Suda's backpack was as big as her, it was pretty funny. 

Brushing our teeth. Even though Chris doesn't look like it, he had fun.