Weekend Re-Cap!

So this weekend I was planning to go to Eeyores Birthday Party with this lovely lady, but we thought it was going to be rained out. 

Rather than risk the sprinkle, she headed north to play with me in the DFW. On Saturday we visited what is probably the best mall in Texas, Northpark and did a little shopping. I picked up this fantastic run skirt for kickball! 

Then we headed down to the Etsy Spring Bash 

were I picked up this AMAZING onesie for one of my favorite new littles. 

It's hard to tell in the photo, but the bow tied snaps on and off, so you can remove it for washing or to change out the look. I actually bought one with funny little bugs all over it in honor of momma Lauren. Speaking of, here's little baby J: 

Notice I'm repping the Fort Worth Opera even on a Saturday :0) 

Finally on Sunday we made Chelsea's favorite treat, banana pancakes, and watched Djano. I know, I know, I have the best Sunday movie choosing skills right?! Actually it was Jason's choice because we made him sit through Pitch Perfect for probably the 75th time. 

Sunday afternoon we stopped by Lowes to pick up a few supplies for a fun little project. More about that later though!

What'd you do this weekend? 

-DBC

Because it's Tuesday......

And the fence guy is here! So I'm dancing around my house all day. 

Go dance. 

-DBC 

Fresh Art Friday: Liu Di and Contemporary Chinese Art

Today I wanted to explore a little bit of the growing Asian art market and highlight young artist Liu Di.

 

Lui Di was born in 1985 in An Kang City, Shanxi. Asian artists, including those from mainland China, are are receiving a lot of international attention right now. The youngest generation of artists, such as Di, grew up in a post-Mao era with increasing Western influences and the ability to travel for school (1). Many of these artists are surprisingly contemporary and don't have obvious references to China in their work, but close inspection often reveals undercurrents of Chinese culture and contemporary social concerns (2). Like many of his contemporaries, Liu is currently exploring an explosion of urbanism in China.

This is a model of one transit-oriented developments in the northern Chongquing area. It is set to break ground Summer of 2013 and expects to accommodate 250,000 residences in 2,500 acres.

Artist Lui Di recently graduated from art school at the China Central Academy of Fin Arts but is already making waves with his first series Animal Regulation.  Lui Di got the idea for his series during a bus ride through the crowded suburbs of Beijing, which is filled with decrepit housing blocks. He 'felt the urge to add something that would make people take a fresh, long look at familiar scenes' (3). 

Animal Regulation No. 4, 2010

Using editing software, Lui re proportioned animals and inserted them into familiar urban settings. By wedging the animals awkwardly he highlights the relationships "between nature and human society, between the material world and the intellect, between obedience to and violation of the laws of nature" (4). 

Animal Regulation no. 8, 2010 

Animal Regulation no. 2, 2010

Lui Di won the prestigious Lacoste Elysee prize in 2010 and is represented by Pekin Fine Arts. 

Looking for a great article talking about Contemporary Chinese art? Check this out. 

Weekend plans: April 26- 28th

It's Thursday! Which means it's time to get a move on those weekend plans! Here are my picks: 

All Weekend

Denton Arts and Jazz Fest

When: Friday starting at 5, Saturday starting at 10 AM, and Sunday starting at 11 AM 

Where: Quakertown Park, 321 E. McKinney Street, Denton Texas

Cost: Free! 

The scoop: Denton is an amazing arts community, and the Jazz fest is a celebration of all things music, dance and art. Your best bet for transportation is a Family Fun Pass taking the DCTA's A Train!

Saturday 

Prairie Fest 

When: Saturday from 11 AM to Sunset 

Where: Tandy Hills Nature Area, 3400 View Street, Fort Worth 76103

Cost: Free! 

The scoop: This is the 8th annual Prairie Fest! Wildflower hikes, science activities, solar powered music and family friendly fun!

The Big Read Dallas

When: Saturday 4-6 Pm 

Where: Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall Rogers Freeway, Dallas Texas

Cost: Free! 

The scoop: Celebrate literacy! Bring a book and enjoy the gorgeous Klyde Warren Park with fellow book lovers. The group will be reading Farenheit 451 aloud, but you're welcome to bring whatever you happen to be devouring right now. 

Sunday 

Texans for West Benefit Concert 

When: Sunday, 4-10 PM 

Where: AT&T Performing Arts Center, 1800 Leonard Street, Dallas Texas

Cost: $20

The scoop: Local vendors and musicians are teaming up in the beautiful AT&T Performing Arts center to raise funds for residents in West, Texas. All proceeds will go to the Communities Foundation of Texas, which will distribute the funds amount non-profits focusing on food, clothing, shelter and counseling services. 

I'll be heading to Austin at some point for the 50th celebration of Eeyores Birthday with one of my besties! I promise to report back :0) 

Have a fun fun fun fun fun weekend!

-DBC 

Fitbit review week 1.5

Hellooooo out there! My wonderful HR department started a 'fitbit challenge' for all of our offices a week and a half ago, so I thought I'd update on my progress so far. I decided to do the challenge for a few reasons, but mainly to see how much active time I actually have every day and how much sleep I'm averaging per night.

 

The Firm purchased a slew of Fitbit Ultra's a while back, so I'm lucky enough to borrow one for this 6 week adventure. The Ultra is an older model and very similar to the Fitbit One (which as far as I can tell just syncs via blue tooth instead of the included docking station). 

This fun little device tracks all of my steps, estimates my calories, tracks my sleep patterns and syncs anytime it's within 15 feet of a docking station. I've never run out of battery, but I do recharge it every time I stand at our kitchen island to get work done on my laptop. 

All of that information is tracked on the Fitbit website and app. As you increase your steps, active time, or stairs climbed you can earn fun little badges too!

I joined my firm's  5,000 steps per day challenge group because I genuinely had no idea how active I am during the day. 

So how'd I do last week???

I did 75,342 steps (averaging 10,763 per day)

I traveled 32.44 miles (averaging 4.6 miles per day)

I slept a little over 6 hours each night on average

To be fair, I worked Main Street Arts Fest last weekend so trust me when I say I EARNED those high numbers! It'll be interesting to see what a relatively normal weekend day looks like for me. 

Do you have a fitbit or other health tracker? Do you notice that it helps you stay accountable to being active? 

-DBC 

Because it's Tuesday....

And I have mediation today. And I dance to this song every.single.time I hear it. And I have mad respect for Macklemore.

 

 

Enjoy!

-DBC

 

Fresh Art Friday: Main Street Arts Fest Edition!

You guys, I tried to narrow down this pool. But I Just.Couldn't.Do.It. The Main Street artists are just so very, very talented this year. Here are my favorite selections:

Terry Haberger, ceramics (wowza's these are amazing in real life)

Booth 514 

Julie Havel, Painting
Booth 629

Sally Bright, Fiber (Good God almighty this is stunning)

Booth 615

Lisa Telling Kattenbraker, Fiber

Booth 402

Anne Cubbage, Mixed Media (book carving)

Boot 630

Randall Reimer, Metalwork

Booth 508

CJ Bradford, Pastels

Booth 519


Chris McCarthy, Glass
Booth 428


Richard Hall, Painting
Booth 518


Michael Paul Cole, Photography
Booth 305


Kreg Yingst, Graphics and Printmaking
Booth 520


Ginny Herzog, Painting
Booth 322


Jay Mcdougall, wood (can you believe that's wood. It's like butter)
Booth 325

And finally my perennial favorite:


John Carbonneau, Digital
Booth 605

A few Main Street Tips:
The Festival Map can be found here or is readily available online.
Parking is super easy in any of the free parking garages.
The Tarrant County Water District is all set up, so be sure to bring your refillable water bottles.
Saturday evenings are packed, so if you're hoping to visit with artists I'd recommend Saturday morning or Sunday.

I'll be out volunteering Saturday or Sunday, so if you happen to stop by feel free to look for me. Have a fun fun main street!

-DBC

PS. this is my 100th post :0)

Fresh Art Friday posts are intended for the sole purpose of promoting excellence in the arts community. The author of these posts is honored to share interesting, innovative and high quality art with Almond Milk & Honey readers. The author in no way intends to deprive the originating artist of his or her copyright status and readers are encouraged to respect the copyright status of all works posted. 

Weekend Plans: April 19-21st

Oh my is it ever a fun weekend to live in the great state of Texas. This weeks selections are sure to be awesome, so don't be shy and pick a few! 

All weekend 

Texas Wesleyan presents Into the Woods 

When: Friday and Saturday at 7:30, Sunday at 2:00 

Where: Law Sone Fine Arts Building, Bikley Street and Ave E, Fort Worth 76105

Cost: $6-15

The scoop: Into the Woods is HANDS DOWN one of my favorite musicals. Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, it takes a distinctly different turn. Get an idea of what you're in for by viewing this preview from the Public Theater. 

Arab Film Festival 

When: Friday at 6:30, Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 

Where: The Angelika, 5321 E Mockingbird Lane 

Cost: up to $8

The scoop: Sponsored by the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural STudies institute of UNT, this is the first and only Arab film festival in Texas. I love that the organizers displayed a healthy sense of humor with this great promo. 

Main Street Arts Festival 

When: April 18-21

Where:  Downtown Fort Worth. No really, all of downtown Fort Worth

Cost: Free

The scoop: Main Street is my FAVORITE art festivals. It's a juried show so there is high quality art, free music, great food selection and a wonderful crowd. I'll be volunteering as an artist host again this year, so if you stop by let me know!

Friday 

Late Nights at the DMA 

When: Friday, 6-midnight 

Where: The Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 North Harwood, Dallas 

Cost: Free!

The scoop: Fun fun fun for the whole family. Seriously. 

Saturday

The Dallas Art Dealers Association is hosting it's Spring Gallery Walk. There are events all over the city, but my 2 favorite are: 

The Senior Juried Show of Booker T. Students

When: Saturday 

Where: Norwood Flynn Gallery, 3318 Shorecrest Drive 

Cost: Free!

The scoop: This is a big big deal to these kids. Go out and support our young artists!

and

Bike Swarm

When: Saturday at 1:30 

Where: Oak Cliff Cultural Center, 223 W. Jefferson Blvd

Cost: Free!

The scoop: Cyclists of all ages and abilities will be riding the design district DADA route starting at 1:30. Bring your streamers and bike bell!

Sunday

Texas Boys Choir Concert

When: Sunday at 7:00 

Where: Broadway Baptist Church, 305 W. Broadway, Fort Worth 

Cost: Free!

The scoop: One of our friend's sons is in the Texas Boys Choir so we've seen them perform several times over the years. These young men are so talented and it's truly fun to see their shows. 

Have a fun weekend!

-DBC 

Because it's Tuesday....

and I love a runner. 

Graphic via Etsy seller. 

In honor of the Boston runners, today I'll share with you my favorite running song. 

Stay safe out there friends, 

-DBC 

Weekend re-cap while it's still Monday!

Happy tax day ya'll! This weekend was thrown for a little bit of a loop because my flight from Missouri to Texas was delayed by almost 5 hours Friday. Not getting in until 1:30 AM made for a tired bee. We still did our best to make the most of it though! Here's our weekend re-cap: 

Friday: 

Um, <insert airport photo here>. 

But at least I cam home to some pretty flowers! 

Saturday: 

We did our last load of bricks! Hooray!!! We're now ready to hire out the patio contract and enjoy our new outdoor living space. In case you're wondering, this is what 2,000+ bricks looks like: 

On Saturday evening we attended the Dallas Opera Simulcast of Turnadot! It was a fantastic community experience and the singers were great, but I have to say I wasn't super crazy about the plot line on this one. 

This is the view on the BIG screen: 

One of my oldest and dearest friends- my former college roomate Juan. I'm so so proud of him and the strides he's making in his career both in opera and as subscription manager for the amazing Winspear Opera House. And hey there terrible angle. Must work on that.

My love of course.

Sunday:

 On Sunday I helped my friend/co-worker Lauren paint her book shelves. She's 8.5 months preggo and couldn't quite reach down to use the paint brush roller :0) I was happy to oblige but didn't take any photos out of respect for our bed head. 

I did come home to a very happy garden that's been enjoying the mild Texas weather and unusual rains. 

These are our honeysuckle: 

 AND my lilly decided to make her debut! She sure is a pretty one!!

So what did you do this weekend? 

-DBC

Weekend plans: Last minute additions that are just too good to miss

Goodness, I don't know how I missed these! 

Turnadot Simulcast at the Cowboy Stadium 

When: Saturday, doors open at 6 show at 7:30 

Where: Cowboy Stadium, One Legend Way Arlington TX

Cost: Free! 

The scoop: A truly unique opera experience great for the whole family. Not familiar with the opera? Learn more about Turnadot here. 

The Dallas Flea 

When: Saturday 9-4

Where: 1409 South Lamar, Dallas 

Cost: $5!

The scoop: I love love love the Dallas flea. 70+ Texas artist, designers and craftspersons under one roof and at reasonable prices to boot! Free swag bags for the first 100 shoppers and kids 12 or under are free. 

Have a fun fun fun weekend!

-DBC