Looking at a van Gogh for the First Time!!!

I am amazingly drawn to van Gogh the man and the artist. His tortured life is a testament to tenacity in the face of odds not only stacked against him but smothering him to near death. I’m officially on a quest to see as many van Gogh works in my lifetime as possible. The quest began last week when I attended “The Art of the Flower” exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. I cried, I must admit, when I entered the room where the van Gogh works were on display. Of course, there was a line of people in which I waited patiently  to stand in awe of his work that was sneered at and overlooked during his lifetime. 

Now worth millions, the art of Vincent van Gogh will leave you speechless. I looked, watched, studied, inhaled, and truly experienced each of the four paintings. I wanted to continue my mental escape unencumbered, but the room was packed and people were yapping about things they didn’t understand. There was one young lady who roamed to and fro between the paintings stating that she loved one the most. She compared (aloud) the variations between the works based upon the aesthetics and dates. Her favorite was one he completed while in a better mental state than the other that she cringed at the sharp contrasting broad strokes including black outlines around wavy almost swirling attempts to express flowers.  I wish I had had an hour alone in the room to really enjoy the experience, but my short time becoming metaphysically one with van Gogh--his eyes saw and painted a painting that my eyes were able to see uninhibited by the page of a glossy book--was well worth it. I saw the painterly qualities, the impasto in person, and felt the wildness/calmness that was van Gogh! Next stop: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vase of Flowers (1890)

theCurvycon 2015

IT'S SOLD OUT!!!!

After a lifetime of ridicule and abasement because of my curves (well, I'm being a little dramatic for effect because I've also been quite adored for my curves, but allow me this latitude)..ahem, yes after all the ridicule, I am able to attend an event designed to celebrate and inspire the "curvylicious" ladies out there. I'm beyond excited about this whirlwind of a week that will culminate with a day-long conference theCurvycon in one of my favorite cities--cue music "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere"--New York City! Had it not been for a minor life detour on last Friday, I wouldn't have ever been so relentless is making strides in my professional life. I am thrilled that once I gas up my car I'll be all set for an adventure in motivation, encouragement, and of course, shopping.  Here is a little background about this groundbreaking event given by one of the organizers, Ce Ce "The Plus Size Princess).

In a matter of 2 days, I got my ticket, hotel room, and outfit together on a whim. This evening I must pack and rest for a day full of new experiences, fabulous people, and electric sparks for my creativity. I'm literally dancing in my seat as I type. I'm looking forward to fresh inspiration for my writing and PHOTOGRAPHY. Oh yes, I have a new camera and I know exactly what to do with it. Speaking of camera, I've re-joined Instagram. I'm starting off with simple phone pics of "bright" colors and furry creatures that I encounter during my morning walks. I'll ramp up the content when I decide the direction in which I want that account to go. So check me out... @therealamandagia on Instagram.

@therealamandagia

Last but not least, Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck is a GAME CHANGER. I will have a detailed book review in the coming weeks, but honestly, this book has changed my life already and I've got three more chapters to complete. If you start reading today, your life will change by this time next week! It is one of those self-help books that you'll want to keep in your purse or desk drawer to skim when your hope is waning. For me, with God's word the Bible and this books along with Steve Harvey's Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success, I have nowhere to go but up to my full potential!

Stay tuned to my Instagram and my blog for updates about theCurvycon 2015!

Book Review: The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle

The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle 
(Penguin Group)

Smack dab in the middle of the worst years of her life: Middle School, Allison a 7th grader has to deal with figuring it ALL out. Between friendships, crushes, and the all consuming pursuit to be popular, she is deeply entrenched in a preteen's complicated world! With that said, while I was reading, I thought back to my days of teaching 7th grade and even further back to my days of actually experiencing that horrid era of existence. It is an excruciating time of self discovery and unwarranted input from peers. This book captures this pain and confusion very well and is entertaining to boot.

NOW FOR THE BAD PART: The book is inappropriate for a girl of middle school age. Some of the language, sexual innuendo, and subject matter will add fuel to the already hormone-induced curiosity fire raging in tweens. Furthermore, some of the language, while common with that age set, shouldn't be promoted as acceptable. The delicate balance is what was so awesome about Clueless. The language could have been way more vulgar to portray popular nineties parlance, but Amy Heckerling avoided vulgarity while capturing the vernacular authentically. Any time a book aimed toward ages 10 and up (the suggested age on the book) uses the term "ménage à troi," you know you've got to shelve the book until the reader is 14, if then.  Well written? Yes! Entertaining? Yes!  Too mature for the suggested reader? Definitely!

If she had just framed The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life as being recalled by a high schooler, summed up with a successful update at the end (e.g., Allison and Meagan are going to the same college in the fall or Rachel wasn't prom queen, Mika was), teenagers 14 and up would more readily go for the middle school plot. It's a fun read, but just too mature for the intended audience.

Moral of the story: Parents, you may just have to read/skim books before you allow your kids to read them. Just because it's at a book fair or in the library doesn't mean that it is acceptable for all children.