Summer Sunlight, ca. 1936
Beatrice Whitney Van Ness (American, 1888 - 1981)
Oil on canvas
National Museum of Women in the Arts
sent to Melody Mint in Thailand, who asks what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Thailand? May answer: it is a place I would like to visit one day.
Ranchos Church
Circa 1930, by Georgia O'Keeffe (American, 1887 - 1986). Oil on canvas, 24x36 inches. at The Phillips Collection in Washington DC
sent to Anthony in Canada! He asked for music recommendations, so of course I wrote him Big Mama Thornton, my favorite blues artist. I've also been listening to a lot of latin pop lately, like Pierdo la Cabeza and Sigueme te Sigo.
My Shanty, Lake George, 1922
by Georgia O'Keeffe (American, 1887 - 1986). Oil on canvas, 20x27 inches. at the Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
Sent to Yan in Hong Kong. I absolutely love her writing prompt: "For me, image is powerful. So I wish you can send me a postcard with your drawing instead of only words. It would be fun. I will do the same thing when I send post card. You can draw everything, such as your hobbies, your pet, your mood, first thing in your mind.....There are no right or wrong, good or bad. Just a drawing."
I drew a little map on the back showing where I grew up... in a barn (hence the postcard)
My Fair Lady (1956) - In this musical version of G. B. Shwa's Pygmalion (1913), phonetics expert Professor Henry Higgins transforms a Cockney slower vendor into a well-spoken woman of the world. Highlights include "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "Get Me to the Church On Time."
Taken from a book of postcards of Broadway Posters
I love book recommendations, and they are probably my favorite thing to read on a postcard or in a letter. I even have a "books" tag for those posts that have them -->
So when I saw this swap for book recommendations, I couldn't help myself! Here you go, swap partners!
click image for swap page
Prompt: So for this swap you will recommend a book to your partners! You should include:
Whether you like fiction or non-fiction, it does matter (narrative non-fiction is a godsend you guys).
So Henriette Lacks had cancer, her cells were taken for research, and ended up helping us create the Polio vaccine and all these wonderful things have happened because of her cells. Only, she and her family had no idea. Billions of dollars, and her family is destitute (some are even homeless). This book is about her and her family, but it's also about the medical field and what rights we have to our own medical waste. It's a phenomenal book!
I liked this book for a few reasons. The writing is great, I love reading books set in other times, and I love human rights / human interest stories.
Prompt: "Take the book you are current reading (English only please),turn to the page a quarter of the way through the book and send a copy of it to your partners (photocopy or handwritten is fine, but if handwriting, make sure it is legible!). If the page a quarter of the way through is only half a page or blank, send the preceding page."
I sent out a copy of a page from One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson
click on image to read
I received a page from Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking along with a surprise bookmark!
1) Put your iTunes/media player on shuffle. Give me the first 6 songs that pop up.
I have no idea where my ipod is, and my new computer has zero music. <-- this sounds weird because I am always listening to music, it might be my favorite thing in the entire world, but I'm addicted to sirius xm now!
2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?
Hillary Clinton (before or after elected president, I'm not picky :D)
3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.
night.
4) What do you think about most?
What I'm doing with my life
5) What does your latest text message from someone else say?
"Hey Charlie I mailing out gifts right now did you happen to listen to the empowered to soar call?" - this from my Mary Kay director Melissa (I'm a beauty consultant, and I'm working to move into leadership right now, lot's of goals flying around!)
6) Do you sleep with or without clothes on?
with
7) What’s your strangest talent?
I can touch my nose with my tongue?
8) What is the most romantic thing you have ever done?
When I was in college I went on a date with a very nice boy, we saw an independent foreign language film at a tiny little theater, and afterwards walked to a coffee shop. The owners were an old married couple, and since we were the only ones in the cafe, they turned on old music and we danced around the tables. It sounds like a bad movie, but it was such an awesome night.
9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?
Not that I know of.
10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?
college, I think we had a competition during greek week (yikes!)
11) Do you have any strange phobias?
no
12) Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?
no
13) What’s your religion?
I've identified as a non-denominational christian for a long time now, but recently found buddhism to be wonderful and calming. So now I guess I'm a chrisbu(pronounced chris-bah)? That's what they tell me anyway. A Christian Buddhist
14) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?
Walking or hiking
15) Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?
I only look good in selfies, so both lol
16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band/singer?
gasp! how dare you? My favorite band is Slipknot, but if I had to pick one genre for the rest of my life it would be classic rock (Led Zepplin, ACDC, the Animals, Scorpion, etc). My favorite singer has to be Big Mama Thorton, who sang the most amazing blues.
17) What was the last lie you told?
Last night I let people believe I had been to many paint classes. It was only my second class. I did not correct them.
18) Do you believe in karma?
Absolutely
19) What does your user name mean?
My name is Charlie Dukes, but I am a woman, so it's Miss Charlie D to you --> MissCharlieD
20) What is your greatest weakness, and your greatest strength?
weakness = food, strength = intelligence
21) Who is your celebrity crush?
right now? Tom Hardy, because Mad Max was awesome and intense and I want to see it eight hundred times in 3D. Otherwise, it's generally Chris Hemsworth or Taylor Kitsch or Chris Evans (sensing a theme?), although Shemar Moore is delicious and Charlie Hunnam, goodness I have a long list don't I?
22) Have you ever gone skinny dipping?
No
23) How do you vent your anger?
Yell a lot
24) Do you have a collection of anything?
postcards!
25) Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting on-line?
I hate talking on the phone. hate it hate it with a fiery passion. So I'll go with video chatting, although I only do that with my sister.
we're funny
26) Are you happy with the person you’ve become?
Yes. It took me until just a few years ago to realize how angry I was, my entire life. And now that I have removed myself from that environment, my life is so much better, and I am better for it. Some people say that you can't really change, but I think you can. Not completely, but you can change enough of the little things to make a big difference.
27) What’s a sound you hate and a sound you love?
Teeth grinding is hard. My favorite sound is wind through trees.
28) What’s your biggest “what if”?
what if I had taken the FE exam, become an engineer-in-training and got a job in the field I went to school for? Where would I be right now? Probably not working as an assistant at an investment firm, I bet. Although, you never know, do you?
29) Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?
100% believe in ghosts. It's a long story. Aliens, though, I have no personal experience and so am not convinced, but I believe it is possible.
30) Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.
Water bottle; files
31) Smell the air. What do you smell?
the lotion I just put on my hands - satinhands peach hand cream, yummm
32) What’s the worst place you have ever been to?
A funeral for a family of four that died in a house fire. There were two small children and open caskets. I will never, ever forget it.
33) Choose: East Coast or West Coast?
West Coast (I moved here for a reason)
34) Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?
This was a difficult question! I polled the ladies in the office, and the best answer I got was Enrique Iglesias
other answers: Adam Levine, Tim McGraw
I also think the lead singer of Trivium is damn hot
Matt
35) To you, what is the meaning of life?
Creating memories
36) Define: Art.
I saw this great quote: Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. - Edgar Degas
37) Do you believe in luck?
Yes
38) What’s the weather like right now?
Beautiful: it's like 80 degrees and sunny.
39) What time is it?
2:50, I am doing this at work. Shh
40) Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?
Yes, I learned to drive when I was 11 - I backed into a tiny car I couldn't see over the truck bed when I was 15, and when I was 16 someone ran a red light and slammed into my passenger side, flipping over my Bronco.
41) What was the last book you read?
Last book I completed was The Mirror of Her Dreams, and it was terrible. This is probably why I now have three books started that I can't get finished, although I normally read about a book a week I was jsut so traumatized by that god-awful tome.
42) Do you like the smell of gasoline?
yuck, no
43) Do you have any nicknames?
A friend at work calls me sassypants
44) What was the last movie you saw?
Mad Max: Fury Road. squeeeee
45) What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?
I cracked my foot in high school and had to wear a boot.
46) Have you ever caught a butterfly?
Sure, we did that stuff in elementary school all the time.
47) Do you have any obsessions right now?
My new lip gloss!
48) What’s your sexual orientation?
I think that society should get to a point where that isn't even a question people ask.
49) Ever had a rumor spread about you?
who hasn't?
50) Do you believe in magic?
I do not think that wand-waving magic is a real thing. Do I think magical things happen? All the time.
51) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?
I try not to.
52) What is your astrological sign?
Libra, and it fits my personality very much
53) Do you save money or spend it?
I spend all of my money on travel. I used to buy shoes, now I just go places.
54) What’s the last thing you purchased?
I bought sushi today.
55) Love or lust?
Love
56) In a relationship?
not right now
57) How many relationships have you had?
only a few serious ones (like, three)
58) Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
Ha! yes, I can.
59) Where were you yesterday?
At work, home, mimi's cafe, then brother's house (pretty much the conejo valley)
60) Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
There is a pink post-it right in front of my keyboard.
61) Are you wearing socks right now?
No
62) What’s your favorite animal?
Clownfish
63) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?
Treat everyone as if they have a sign around their neck that says "make me feel important!" - wise words from Mrs. Mary Kay Ash
64) Where is your best friend?
In Omaha Nebraska, 1500 miles from me
65) Do you have children? If yes, would you like any more? If no, do you eventually want any?
I do not have children right now, I want 4 of them
66) What is your heritage?
Lots of Irish, and a bit of Swedish, English, French and German. So, super white, basically
67) What were you doing last night at 12 AM?
sending an email
68) What is your favorite book?
The Hobbit
69) Be honest, what do you think of Justin Bieber?
It's a sad story.
70) Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?
I guess
71) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?
That is a ridiculous question. Get the dog.
72) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?
Tell everyone, have a blast, die smiling
73) You can only have one of these things: trust or love.
trust, because love without trust would be impossible
74) What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?
Fat-Bottomed Girls
75) What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?
8063
76) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?
being comfortable
77) How can I win your heart?
Judge someone's worth by how they treat their inferiors, not their equals. --> be super nice to puppies and babies
78) Can insanity bring on more creativity?
History shows us that it can. I think it also has something to do with insane people having no inhibitions or self-doubt? I mean, what would you do if you knew that it didn't matter? Whatever you wanted to, right?
79) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?
Breast reduction
80) What size shoes do you wear?
10
81) What would you want to be written on your tombstone?
Rage against the dying of the light
82) What is your favorite word?
Mimsy
83) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: heart.
attack
84) What is a saying you say a lot?
"I don't know what to tell ya"
85) What’s the last song you listened to?
Run the World by Beyonce
86) Basic question: what’s your favorite color/colors?
Turquoise
87) What is your current desktop picture?
a Mad Max Poster. this one:
88) If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?
The leader of ISIS?
89) What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?
I don't know
90) Where is the one place in the world you would love to visit?
Everywhere. If I had to pick only one... probably Egypt
91) You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?
I would want telekinetic powers - to move things with my mind. Like Pheonix from X-men (just not as crazy)
92) You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?
The bells in Seville
93) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?
I'd rather not ponder through all the crap to find the worst one, so... sorry, no answer :/
94) Do you enjoy watching television? If yes, what are your favorite shows to watch?
Yes! I love Walking Dead, Criminal Minds, Bones, and Supernatural
95) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you going to go?
Hawaii!
96) Do you have any relatives in jail?
Usually
97) Have you ever thrown up in the car?
Yes, I have a serious car sickness issue
98) Ever been on a plane?
I fly a lot
99) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?
Recycle your shit, please
100) Give me your top 5 favorite blogs that you visit often.
I'm trying electronic swaps on swap-bot! So angel1985, paraxparaxnoia annd AndyLea - enjoy!
Prompt:
Think back to your last vacation (vacation beeing at least 4 nights away in another town).
Share minimum 5 pictures and tell your partners p.ex.:
• where you have been
• the best thing that happend during your stay
• a thing you'd recommend
• one anecdote
• anything that made your last vacation special
In April, I went on a road trip with my dad and sister. We drove from Omaha Nebraska to Niagara Falls (US Side), then to NYC, then back home.
The Brooklyn Bridge!
The best part of the trip would have to be our day at the Niagara Falls park. All of the tours were closed for the weather, but we were able to walk around, and we took a trolley around the falls. It was wonderful.
It was so windy!
I would try to go when everything is open. Don't get me wrong, we had a blast, but I would like to see the observation deck and go on the boat.
View from the middle
We only spent half a day in NYC, but it was wonderful. We saw Yankee Stadium then drove to Manhattan Island. I drove the entire length of the island to see the Statue of Liberty, not knowing we were driving past it the ENTIRE TIME. I felt so silly. It was wonderful place and I want to go back.
Freedom Tower
Also, what they say is true: New York pizza is the best pizza.
my beautiful sister
What was most special about this trip was spending time with my sister and dad. We don't live in the same state and I don't get to see them very often, and they are my best friends.
I LOVE swap-bot. The post on this blog with the most views are from my swap-bot swaps. My first swap back was three random things in an envelope. I forgot to take a picture of mine, but I sent some embellishments, ribbon, and a page out of a really old book (she likes to make ATCs). Here's what I got from pobuffy in Maryland:
