28 April 2010

28 april 2010

inspiration: alice...in her wonderland
location: imagination?
what i love: the intrigue, the dedication to imagination ruling our lives
this adorable print was created by etsy artist booksontape and can be found here

so alice in wonderland has always held a special place in my heart. i don't know why, but i've always been fascinated by the story, the book, the disney movie....all of it has really been a part of my life in a real way. (and i guess right now, the story is more popular than ever with the release of the tim burton version recently....)

to that degree, in my free time today, i started looking on etsy, one of my favorite sites for creatives selling their wares, for some "alice inspiration," and i found some cool stuff. so check it out! i'm sure you'll love it...

these were created by etsy artist inknpaint, and you can find one like it here

this cool bracelet was created by etsy artist justbedesigns and you can find it here

this cool ring was created by justbedesigns and can be found here

i'm sure i'll have more to list on alice this year...it's such an inspiring story to me, with so many fun and interesting characters. so stay tuned.

(and all the links were found after the post, but they are still awesome and inspiring)

27 April 2010

local natives?

via


 you should know about this band. they are awesome. their name is local natives.

look them up.

no, really. look them up.

25 April 2010

fun in the texas desert...

swinging in the yard was fun!!



 so, i went on a little field trip to zapata to visit my new nephew and help some overstressed fam pack up their house. they are moving so that jake can start working in a little less scary neighborhood...

here are some highlights from my trip...enjoy!!
somebody's nap time.
trying on aunt amy's shoes!!

a little bored on the drive down...and
showing off my "manicure"

trip to dairy queen??


so much thistle down there!!!
last chance to take pics in zapata.

20 April 2010

defender of our needs

20 april 2010

inspiration: psalm 10.17-18
location: the bible
what i love: the comfort and peace it brings

"you hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, listen to their cry - defending the fatherless and oppressed."

i love these two verses. the simplicity of the message. it is beautiful that the Lord not only hears our desires, but encourages them, listens to them, and defends our needs. did you get that? 

DEFENDS OUR NEEDS.

ok, so we pretty much know that God can hear us when we call. that he can answer our prayers before we even know the problem. we know that he provides us with encouragement, whether through a hug, a kind word from a stranger, a sweet gesture...

but how often do we ask for protection? we ask for protection when we're hurt. we ask for protection when we're scared. we ask for protection when we think we need it. but do you ask for protection when you aren't sure what you need? what about when you have no clue what you need? 

wouldn't it be amazing to give up all our "control" and rely on the Lord to know what we need, provide it, and protect us when we're at a disadvantage?! could we do that? could we abandon our limits and give up our fear of losing control in order to let the Lord take control and not only find us in our need, but defend us when we're without a protector and under attack?

i love that. the Lord wants to protect and provide. and i'm totally on board with that. and He fights to defend me. i'm on board with that. these are two verses i have really needed right now. it allows me to take a deep breath and say "ok. Lord take it, and defend me! thank you for your love and encouragement."

amen.
i'm obsessed with this new dress for spring from thurley!!! great for a work meeting or sunday afternoon brunch!!! love.


check it out at net-a-porter!

19 April 2010

so i did it. i finally broke down and joined the twitter phenomenon. can you believe it???






so if you feel so inclined, follow me at http://twitter.com/amylane7!!

have fun! i mean, #havefun

18 April 2010

hiking at the gym...

ok, i officially wish that i had seen this in person...however, i know i would have fallen off my own elliptical machine! haha...

hiking at the gym

so i got inspired by this since it was so funny...i decided to find some other pictures of hilarity from the gym...so enjoy.



and please laugh as hard as i did...at these gym things...just people workin' on their fitness.



barkley hendricks, you're my hero...

inspiration: barkley hendricks
location: camh-y camh
what i love: PORTRAITURE!!!!

so barkley hendricks is leaving....insert sad face here. i'm kinda sad this one is over. i loved the intimacy that existed in these paintings, and now that the show is coming down, i'm soaking up my last few days with them. we started de-installing after the museum closed last night, and it will take a couple of days to finish the de-install. we've got some help with registrar stuff from the nasher, and we are blowing through the conditions pretty quick. this one has actually been fun cause it's not so time constrained. well, it kind of is. but in the mean time, enjoy a few pics, and i'll see you soon!

a cool hipstamatic pic of Slick

who doesn't love an action shot?!

17 April 2010

17 april 2010

inspiration: art history lectures
location: camh-y camh
what i love: the knowledge...the information you get to glean from someone else

Outside view of the CAMH - so pretty!!!

so i went to see one of my favorite profs from TCU speak today at the CAMH>> Dr. Colpitt. She is one of the art history professors at TCU, and one of the most amazing teachers i ever had during my undergrad. she came to speak on the Odita show in the downstairs gallery at the camh, and i hadn't heard her talk in a long time. i was blown away....i forgot how good she was.

i'm going to piece some thoughts together about the show from her lecture...well really just some points she made, cause i don't want to give any info that might not be right (that would be embarrassing...)


  • LACMA show in 1959 titled "California Hard-Edge"*
    • *named was given to this show when it traveled abroad
    • featured artists Karl Benjamin, John McLaughlin, Frederick Hammersley, and Lorser Feitelson
    • term 'hard-edge abstraction - coined by Jules Landsner, art critic, and was to be the title of the show
    • later used to describe artists like Frank Stella
    • relates directly to Odita's work...the solid, plane-like sharp lines of his paintings
  • color form - shape and forms made of color 
  • Mondrian was a different kind of painter, drawing then filling in
  • the illusion of movement, distinction of life al exist in Odita's work
  • Brave Men Run - quite illusionistic; looks a bit like a Cezanne landscape
    • with three distinct panels of ground - foreground, middle ground, background
    • similar title as Rucha's title "Brave Men Run in My Family"
  • the Television series is like the flash and scramble of turning on a tube television
  • as viewers, we often confuse intent with content 
sadly, these were the only notes that i took today...i wish i had more paper. but it was so good to hear her lecture again, and so fun to chat with her about working at the camh and about art history...i just love it so much!

15 April 2010

shelfari - do you know about it??




inspiration: shelfari.com
location: le internet
what i love: so easy to keep up with

so have you heard of shelfari?? it's this great website/program where you can keep up with books you've read and books you want to read. books you want to own, and even your favorites!!! you should check it out! it's the coolest. and while you're there, add me as a friend! i'd love to see what you're reading too!

campies!

14 april 2010

inspiration: matthew 11.28-30
location: lauren's house
what i love: comfort.

so tonight at young life, we had campies. for those that aren't memorial juniors, that's campaigners. we talked about resting. gene and i showed up in jammies and talked to the girls/boys about resting, too much rest, and resting in the Lord.

we asked them questions about rest, what it means to rest, why we should rest, what happens when we rest too much, what happens when laziness takes over, etc. we read a lot of verses about rest, when God gives us rest, and when He encourages us to rest.

one of the verses that i had them read was matthew 11.28-30.

"come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. for My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

those verses have a special place in my heart, as they have gotten me through some tough times. since i got so pumped about sharing them with the kids, i'm going to tell you about what i told them.

when i was little, i spent a lot of time with my grandpa...papaw is what i called him. he was my favorite thing in the world. i loved spending time with him and sharing interests...we had a big one in common--horses. he took up horses and trail riding when he retired from welding, and i always had such a soft spot for them. i thought they were so beautiful. when i was extremely young, i started my journey into riding horses, which took me into barrel racing (for a little while), and into teaching horseback riding to little kids.



when i got a little older, my grandpa started with mules and pulling things...he had a sled, a covered wagon, and all sorts of stuff for the mules to pull. it was awesome! (i even got to ride in the rodeo parade for a couple of years in his wagon! so cool!!!) but when you pull mules or oxen or whatever, you need to use a yoke, because the animals need to be pushed in order to be directed. the yoke helps to share the load of weight and pressure between the animals, and help direct them in order to work together. so the yoke that Jesus talks about in those verses, he talks about the shared weight and about showing us how to take on those burdens and work through them. he will take on that load and shoulder the work in order to help ease our burdens and lighten our burdens.

i think the most important part of those verses is "take my yoke upon you and learn from me..." i think it's so important because not only are we to share the burden with Jesus and give him our problems, sure, but we are also to learn from him. we are to learn how to be more humble and gentle from him, as well as to learn how to deal with those burdens, and with his help, maybe we can learn to deal for the future.

and i think that's a beautiful thing.

13 April 2010

new baby love!

13 april 2010

inspiration: birth!
location: katy, texas
what i love: my new nephew is finally here!

today i got to meet my new nephew! what could be more inspiring than that! he's perfect and beautiful and such a blessing! 


kristen is doing great and is perfectly healthy...getting to meet him was so exciting! that's all for today...i'm so sleepy after the day!

11 April 2010

can you help me find this song??


inspiration: this song
location: ellen show
what i love: it was really great

i really loved this song, but i can't find it anywhere...can you help me out???

you are the light 
it's the greatest find in a world full of wrong
you're the thing that's right
finally made it through the lonely to the other side

my hearts in motion
every word feels like a shooting star
i'm at the edge of my emotions 
watching the shadows burning in the dark
i'm in love, i'm terrified
for the first time and the last time in my only life

i only said it cause i mean it
i only mean it cause it's true
so dont you doubt what i've been dreaming cause it keeps me up, 
holds me close, whenever i'm without you

you said it again, my heart's in motion 
every word feels like a shooting star...


10 April 2010

Up. (Baltimore Version)


Up. (Baltimore Version)
Originally uploaded by BrianEden
i love this photo!!! so fun!


...and i love those mysterious deltas in the background!! :)

09 April 2010

turn to the left. turn to the right. oooh bop. fashion.

9 april 2010

inspiration: fashion
location: camh, houston
what i love:

oooooh, bop. fashion. so last night i worked the fashion show for the camh teen council, and i have to say that i was really inspired. not because of usual reasons, but because these kids have worked really hard to produce really fun things. i didn't get to take many pictures, as i had to keep the kids in line and such, but the ones i got were fun.

now granted, some of the fashions were a little out there...and some were WAY out there, but then some of them were just beautiful and some were really really cool. and there were all sorts of fabrics and textures and materials to work with. it gave all of us old people (aka museum staff) the chance to play project runway staff...i got to be michael kors. so you know i waved my sharpie around in the air, saying things like "that was chic," and "how is that modern?"...none of this to the kids, just playing like kids ourselves...haha. shelby was heidi and connie took on nina...so funny!

but the kids did a ood job of finishing all their designs, and minus a few names out of order, the show went off without a real hitch. so turn to the left, and turn to the right....and girl you better work!

08 April 2010

day without shoes.

8 april 2010

inspiration: a day without shoes
location: all over the country! wow!
thing I love: blake's ability to think big, and the kids that actually did it!



i have been a toms follower for a long time. i started wearing blake's shoes years ago, because i believed in what he was doing, and i believed in his cause (if you don't know about toms, click the toms). i also have a friend who worked for him, distributing shoes in austin, and in order to help him keep a job, i started buying them.

last year, toms sponsored a day when people would voluntarily go without shoes for the day, in order to give a voice to children who live without shoes. it was a huge hit, so this year, they went BIG! they went national with the "day without shoes," inspiring all sorts of kids all over the country to go without shoes. even in this city, where the concrete gets uber hot when the sun shines on it...

so today's inspiration, while short, is all about my love of toms!! support them by going without shoes for the day...then get on their website, and buy a pair!!! for every pair you buy, a child in need gets a pair for free!!!

06 April 2010

"scout"

5 april 2010

inspiration: richard phillips' painting "scout"
location: gossip girl
what i love: the painterly-ness

irony of all ironies. i watch gossip girl. yes. feel free to judge, i don't care. i think the story is silly too and i think the actors could use some help delivering some of their lines, but it's no pun-ridden CSI, or cheesy sitcom with little to no comedy involved. so i enjoy it. and my favorite part of it has to be the set design.

i don't know what my problem is, but my favorite thing about watching television shows is looking at the set design and artistic choices art direction and set design have taken to create the character environments. maybe it comes from my art history background, or my job and looking for so much detail, but it's really my favorite thing...i only wish that could be my job. combining my two loves, shopping and detail orientation...heaven.

so this week on gossip girl, well, the story isn't all that important to what i'm talking about, but there is a painting being taken off the wall, and i just was finally struck enough by it to try to look it up. here's the picture i took...



well, turns out it is a painting by richard phillips, called "scout," and just ask me how much i want it. it's just breathtaking. i love this painting.

i used to hate portraiture. i really did. when i took art of mexico in college, i hated the portrait section. it just seemed so frivolous and pompous for people to commission portraits of themselves. but then i started studying renaissance and dutch paintings, and something shifted. i started really looking into the eyes of the subjects, looking for meaning and subject matter, and i started to like them more. i think its come full circle too with the show up at the CAMH right now. we have a retrospective up of Barkley L Hendricks, which is primarily portraits. i have really started looking at some of my favorite modern artists lately, and portraiture is actually in most of my favorites...yoshitomo nara, richard prince, elizabeth peyton, richard diebenkorn, hiroshi sugimoto, etc....so tricky. how i wish i hadn't been so quick to decide my feelings in the past...haha

but this painting, with its smooth strokes of hair and almost cartoon-like style, i just love it. the big sunglasses. the play on the boy scout uniform and the color contrast. i just love it. the whole painting is just beautiful. trust me.



my picture for this one isn't as awesome as the original, but there's some nudity in the original, and i didn't feel like i could post that on my blog since i'm not sure how many of the mommy friends read this while their kiddos play....so nixes on the nudes, but the whole painting is really beautiful, so check it out if you like.

04 April 2010

easter eggs and chocolate bunnies?....nope.

4 april 2010

inspiration: the love and grace of Christ
location: my heart
thing i love: that i can't earn it.

a few of my favorite things about easter:
1. it actually feels like things are in bloom on the day
2. one of the most celebratory church days ever
3. i always feel humbled...it's delightful to feel that way sometimes.
4. rejoicing for He is risen!

so not everyone looks forward to easter. i mean, it's no christmas. for kids, they've done all they can to foster a sense of silliness and fun, with easter egg hunts, chocolate bunnies, easter grass, and all sorts of colorful jellybeans and other candy, but it's just not the same as the surprise of christmas.

for me, it's different than that (i guess it should be since i'm not a child...). for me, christmas and easter alike are celebratory days, in which i take a look at the word, and relish in the gift that is the grace and love of Christ. what a beautiful thing. the birth of Christ is something we look at with such great expectancy. we can't wait until the story of the life of Christ unfurls and we get to meet this precious baby, who will give us new life...i mean, let's be honest, who doesn't LOVE meeting a new baby?!?!!! but the beauty of the revelation of a new life on earth that has been created by God for the sole purpose of saving us from hell...His coming, that we might have life...it just blows me away and makes me feel humble. undeserving. small.

but easter. easter is the day we all embrace that love. we say to the Lord, thank you for this gift. thank you for the love you unconditionally give. thank you for your Son. and we tell Him how much He means. to us. we celebrate.

this is one thing that i love about easter. another thing that i love about easter is my church. for those that don't know, i go to ecclesia, a small-ish community church here in houston. i love being a part of this heavenly family. these people are almost as much a part of my family as my family is. they love me in the best and the worst circumstances. they accept me just as i am. and they want what is best for my life, while encouraging me in the word. i love that. it makes going to church the most positive experience--to see the love of Christ in the faces of my church family....it's beautiful.

well, all that to say, the easter season is my favorite at ecclesia, as we spend days both mourning and celebrating the life of Christ. there is a stations of the cross art show installed for the duration of lent, there are services on ash wednesday, maunday thursday, good friday, and of course, easter sunday. and there is always beautiful music, beautiful words, and beautiful contemplation. this year, i went to the sunrise service, since i had made plans to help my mom work in the garage at her house in the afternoon, so i headed to church as the sun was coming up, and had the most wonderful time once i got there.

i wasn't feeling very well on my way to church, but as i received my candle and headed into the service, a calm and a joy washed over me and allowed me to sit and be comforted and humbled at the feet of the one who saved me. what a beautiful sunday. i didn't sit with anyone i knew, and i didn't see my friends when we greeted the others seated around us. it was all about newness for me on sunday. the newness of my heart, the newness of my fellow ecclesians, and the newness of the day.

like i said a wonderful easter.