It was hot this weekend… And I mean hot! Like the bowels of Hell hot! Satan himself would have said “fuck it” and turned on the AC, it was so hot! Saturday was so bad, the heat index was 115+, which is too much for me. I don’t mind heat so much, but the humidity really wipes me out. I actually get sick when it’s like that and feel as if I’ll pass out. During days like that, I tend to stay inside until it cools off a little.

But Saturday was the yearly craft fair in a neighboring town. I haven’t gone in a few years, and I was pretty perky, so I got my lazy ass up and went, despite the incredible heat. I got there a little after 9AM and it didn’t feel too bad. But 15-20 minutes later, it started to get hot, really fast. By the time I left around 11AM, I was drenched in sweat and sure I lost at least a few pounds…

It was well worth braving the heat!

I have rings on every finger (but not my thumbs) except the index finger on my right hand. I once had someone jokingly say I needed one more for that bare finger. But you know, they were right. It looked weird having a ring on every finger but one, and some have multiple on the same finger.

I was glad, the same vendor I bought a sterling silver anklet from a few years ago was there and I found this really cool “rolling ring”. It’s 3 rings, each with a different word, looped together in such a way that, when you put it on and take it off, it rolls up and down your finger. It’s pretty cool! I’m having fun playing with it and trying to figure out exactly how this thing works. I have yet to figure that out…

I also bought this adorable gem from a stand run by a church.

As soon as I saw it, I knew, it was Princess Leia! The tag confirmed that I was right. I asked the woman there exactly what she was supposed to be used for and she said it was like a security blanket for little ones. Now, I don’t need a security blanket (except the one I wrap myself up in like a tortilla when shit gets real) but… It’s Princess Leia! And I’m a huge Star Wars nerd… Like I could pass up buying something Star Wars! I also bought home made dog cookies for my dogs and was about to buy a Dooney & Burke bag (for status, of course), but I have so many purses and this one was so small… I fought temptation and won for once!

They also had their farmer’s market, as they do every Saturday, so I stopped to see what interesting things I could find…

I ended up buying 2 fresh zucchini to make zucchini bread. If there’s one awesome thing I got from my mom, it was her recipe for zucchini bread. I get asked for the recipe all the time because the recipes they have aren’t quite as good (so I’m told). I bought some carrot cake whoopee pies and I bought the most wonderful bar of patchouli scented soap! I love patchouli; it’s my favorite scent (though most people hate it). It’s a very soothing, relaxing scent and, oddly enough, is a member of the mint family!

Speaking of mint…

I also bought 2 bags of fresh mint (still on the stems). When I was little, we used to go walking in the creek in our backyard picking mint. Then my mother and grandmother would pour boiling water over the leaves, let them steep, then refrigerate it to make iced mint tea. It’s so refreshing on a hot day! As soon as I saw that, I got thirsty for it, so I made myself some tea. I had enough that I had enough to have a large thermos laced with sugar for myself and I took another thermos to my mother while it was still hot so she could get the Splenda she uses to dissolve before she put it in the refrigerator. I thought it tasted absolutely delicious! But I called my mother to confirm and she said the same!

Yes, I was motivated… I bought a lot of things for baking, most of which will keep except the zucchini. Now I just need the motivation to bake…

I actually love baking. Once I start, I find it very relaxing and it makes me happy! I actually come from a line of bakers. My grandfather and his brother both owned their own bake shops and made the best baked goods. My grandmother baked at home, as did my mother, and I also got the baking gene it seems.

But much as I love to bake and find it very relaxing, I just can’t seem to motivate right now…

It’s funny, I get all of one day of motivation, then the next day I end up laying around like a bum, sleeping almost all day. It could be because it was still hot as balls yesterday or because I was out in that heat Saturday. Who knows… But unless I’m in a manic mood, it’s extremely hard to get motivated to do anything. Sometimes if I start doing something, I can get into it and be motivated, but that doesn’t always work. Getting started is the hard part…

Actually, I was kind of in the mood to paint today…

I don’t have any idea in mind, in particular. That’s how it usually is. I just do; I don’t give it much thought before hand. I just start going and take it from there, at least with landscapes. Paintings of people I have to give some thought to before hand.

I also promised myself I would make new paintings for my mother… She has my very first painting on canvas (oh, it’s so bad) and some of my early works that I hate. Sometimes I stare at them when I’m at her house and think, “God, I need to make her better ones…”

Speaking of, I got quite a surprise this morning…

Someone had left comment on my old (as well as my new) self portrait before I dyed my hair purple that I use on my deviant art page. Most people just make a general comment, but this person was specific as to what they liked about this particular drawing. They liked the pose, the glasses (I personally don’t like how I make my glasses in this one) and, in particular, the tattoo. I drew this one soon after I got my tattoo and used a picture someone took for me as reference. It’s a watercolor tattoo of a lily and the kanji for “artist”. It’s nice when someone notices the little details you put in your work!