Rachel Carlson

I picked up my paint brushes again.

 

 

i had a playdate on saturday with an industry creative. it's amazing how close i now live to industry creatives. i really am lucky. so i decided to paint AGAIN. i put my paint brushes down a long time ago. WELL, it feels like it at least. maybe it takes a very EPIC incident to occur for me to put down something i love. maybe it takes a series of events. it makes me sad when i do. maybe i shall share that with you one day. maybe i won't. make no mistake, i do love to paint. for long time readers of this blog, i know you know this. it was good to pick up those paint brushes on saturday. it really was.

 

this is a step-by-step view of the 8x8 canvas. it started with some vintage pattern paper with acrylic. and layer after layer it became something i really enjoyed doing. i makes me happy. i only allowed myself certain colors as if to pull myself out of the winter dread. or maybe that's all in my head too. whatever it is, i enjoyed the process. and right now that is the most important part for me.

 

thanks for letting me share.

in other news: on the mend finally. i had that 48hr bug that's going around. i really wish people would keep that to themselves, really i do. i don't have a doctor in a new city AND i don't have health insurance. so YES, i try to be very mindful of these variables.

stay tuned, i'm about to announce some really big news on march 1st. i know you've been waiting.

p.s. TOMORROW is LEAP DAY....what will you be doing with your EXTRA day in February??!!

cheers, rachel

happy birthday Kung Pao.

 

 

THIS boy is FOUR years old today. albeit, with a new adopted family, sincerely missing him so much. i know that his new family is taking really good care of him though.

so i leave you with a recycled blog post of when he took over my blog on one of his birthdays:

BLOGGED ON: February 22, 2010

happy birthday to me.

 

*here i am with snow on my chin - i love the snow*

hello attic readers.  shhhh, i took over my mommy's blog today.  because it's my birthday.  and of course it's all about me.  oh WAIT, it's about me all the time.

my name is kung pao but i've also been called:  coconut head, pao-pao, toe-head, malicious, the list is long.  it doesn't matter because i don't answer to any of those names anyway.  i think it makes mom mad.

i am TWO years old today.  mom is always talking about the 'terrible twos' but i think i've been living those since i was born.  i like to think i'm in charge because they say i'm an alpha, yet another name i don't answer to but i think i know the meaning.  just the other day i heard mom mumble something about freecycle.org and that if i don't behave, she's just sayin'.  i just laugh and continue to smile.  i know she doesn't mean it because she still gives me lots of lovin'.

 

my boy human takes me and my sis lomein to the dog park every day.  i love the dog park.  i like to think i'm in charge there too.  i have a lot of furry friends there.  some people think i'm a girl because my hair is long and it covers my parts.  it's my winter coat.  my dad quickly sticks up for me.  he's going to try to cut my hair today.  i think i'm going to try to hide, what do you think?

 

have a great week attic readers.  my mommy is very busy right now but will be back with some fun things later in the week, stay tuned.

lots of licks to you.

love, kung pao

 

the end of February is nearing and i must TAKE FLIGHT.

 

WOW.

the end of february is right around the corner.

my dear friend left yesterday and was caught in blizzard conditions in wyoming. so her trip home was delayed. i wish i could have held on to her visit a day longer. i miss her dearly. it was just the kind of visit i needed. a sense of 'home' maybe. grounded friendship. new insight. healing hearts.

and the beat goes on.

slowly but surely.

i must kick it into high gear as march it on it's way. MARCH, the month of when this house sit ends and i must find another house sit OR rental. i've added a few more resources to my searching and have been diligently looking for the next house sit since i returned from business travel. i cannot afford to rent quite yet so it will be very critical to work fast at finding a place to live, house sit or other. cross your fingers for me. i'm not quite ready to be homeless.

new and exciting updates in the pipeline yet i'm not allowed to announce just yet.

spring and summer are right around the corner here in portland, some of the best seasons i'm told.

the above photo was taken on a 2nd trip to cannon beach. my dear friend enjoyed this visit completely. i've lovingly dubbed it 'taking flight' - i think the bird knows that i must wear a cape. good thing too.

cheers to a great week ahead!

rachel

THIS girl.

is on her way to see me. my sweet friend from colorado is en route to visit me. i can't describe how excited i am to have a hint of 'home' visit me. she gave me a farewell ceremony when i left colorado and she means the world to me. i think that is why i'm doing so well with my 'heart' since i moved here. at least parts of my heart that is.

i can't wait to welcome her. take care of her. renew her. and help her write a new story.

she started her journey today and hopefully the weather will be kind to her on this journey.

i'll be busy for the next week so bare with me whilst i get back to the blog.

cheers to a great week ahead!

Another 'Portland Photo of the Week' - yay!

The Portland Photo of the Week

The Portland Photo of the Week is by Rachel Carlson who shares what is probably the coolest photo of the St Johns we've ever seen. Amazing shot, Rachel!

Come and upload your Portland photos to the Photo Gallery for your chance to win each week.  Rachel wins a gift certificate to McMenamins, a local Portland institution. Learn all about the wild and wacky McMenamins. We select one winner every week so make sure to check back to see if your photo was selected for the spotlight in the weekly Portland blog!

 

 SO, if you were watching GRIMM last night, I hope you didn't go blind straining your eyes. I didn't make the cut. I was ROBBED, snubbed, call it what you will. HOWEVER, I did see the work that I did the 15 hour 'stand-in' work for. When the maid knocks on the door, walks into the hotel room and SCREAMS. I got to do that while the main actress went off set. When you do stand-in work you simply do the scene over and over again until the lightingting, setting, everything is just right. I also did the stand in work for Charlotte, the woman that was in the nursing home. Got to sit in that chair near the fireplace for.a.very.long.time. That was really cool seeing it on TV and having everything all come together. Those scenes were all filmed in a 100+ year old church in downtown Portland. It's amazing what they can do to make a set look real. I'm calling episode 13, my episode, another episode I did more work in....YET I will not get my hopes up. HA. So my being bummed maybe lasted all of 2-3 minutes last night.....lol.

But what I woke up to this morning was SO MUCH BETTER, see above. Another one of my photos made 'Portland Photo of the Week' - yay!  AND a gift certificate to what's becoming one of my favorite places to visit since I'm walking distance from one of them: McMenamin's. Thank YOU PortlandNeighborhood.com for making it all better today. I guess I should probably stick to photography.

What's not to make a girl grin from ear to ear when she reads this: "probably the coolest photo of the St Johns we've ever seen. Amazing shot, Rachel!"

Here's the full view of that photo. Albeit not my best one from that day, still worth the mention.

I'll save the story of WHY I ended up UNDER that bridge for another day AND ran into my sweet peep Sharon Rowland of Alice's Secret Door on the same day. It truly is a small world!

Cheers to a great weekend!

Rachel

P.S. I'm in the process of sewing my 1st ever quilt with the help of Kate at SewPo, more on that and other things later.

 

 

Tonight's the night - NBC's Grimm, Episode 11 debut.

the episode a lot of us 'extras' have been waiting to see airs TONIGHT on NBC 9pmPST/8pmCST. it's called: Tarentella. very lucky that i'll be going to an 'episode watching party' to see it LIVE so i don't have to wait to catch it on HULU.com this weekend.

cross your fingers i don't get cut from the scene and end up on the cutting room floor. it would be super cool to see myself on TV. the experience alone though was so worth it. if i'm not mistaken, this is also the episode i did the 15 hour 'stand-in' work on. it will be cool to see it all come together.

SO if you're watching and looking for me i'll be the detective walking through the room after one of the main actors exits the room with a cop. the main actor is:

russell hornsby.

we shot a few takes and i also might be talking on my phone while walking through the room. that is all i can tell you for now.

thanks for letting me share with you!

happy weekend,

rachel

 

no, really.....

still here. hit the ground running post CHA, lots of exciting things going on AND trying to fight off getting sick too. rested for 1+ days after travel and still not in tip top.

be back to the blog soon enough.

thanks for your patience!

YES, I'm still alive...

and i've been in THIS buidling for the past four days.

tomorrow is the last day and then i get on a plane same day and head back to Portland.

it's been a whirlwind, GREAT show for Ruby Rock-It (check out the blog as I have been blogging there).

i'll do a recap when i'm fully rested post travel.

cheers to a great remaining week!