So tomorrow night is Zoo Do at Mill Mountain Zoo. I'll be volunteering at the event. It should be a good time. There are bands for entertainment, food tastings, and we'll be walking around with live animals! More info here if you want to come!
 

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I totally need to go to the gym, but my apartment needs cleaned big time. Tough decision. Today I opted for cleaning instead of the gym. I was tired. Got back yesterday from a trip to WV to see my family. It was mostly a good trip. Got to see my family and my dogs, who are older and have been sickly. I'm glad I got to see everyone. I was definitely tired today at work, though.
 

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My group, the Snow Leopards of the Blue Ridge (a Chapter of the Snow Leopard Trust) is holding a fundraiser to benefit the Snow Leopard Trust and the Mill Mountain Zoo has generously offered the zoo as a place to hold our event. So the event name is Zoobilee! and it's a carnival for all ages. We're going to have games and prizes and other events. It's Sunday, August 29th (rain date Sunday, September 5th) from 1pm - 4pm. So lately my group and I have been working on making games and getting donations from businesses for prizes. Things are going well so far, and I think all the members in the group are getting really excited. Tonight I worked on painting a snow leopard for a pin-the-tail on the snow leopard game. Lots more to work on, but I'm glad we're making progress!
 

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Here are some pictures I took of my booth at the Art Show:
Art Show Pictures
 

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Oh man, it was an exhausting weekend, but I'm really glad
I did it. I learned a ton. The artists beside me were really awesome. It was so nice to talk to some other artists. The artist right beside me, Jason, had some really amazing artwork - and he had some animal drawings too!

I was just too tired to post yesterday though, even though the day wasn't as long as Saturday. Luckily, we didn't have a rain scare until near the end of the day anyways, so we had to cut it a little short, but not too bad. We got packed up and on our way just in time - a little after we left, it started pouring. So I think everything turned out well. Of course I wish I sold more, but it was a good start for my first big show.
 

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First day at the Sidewalk Art Show went well. I sold a piece and got lots of good feedback. It was INCREDIBLY hot though. One more day, I hope it goes well! I'll update again afterwards!
 

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So I'm pretty excited about the upcoming Sidewalk Art Show on June 5th and 6th. I'm nervous, but I figure since this is my first year participating in the show, it will just have to be a learning year. Hopefully I will be prepared for everything, but if I'm not, then maybe I will know for next year. I don't know exactly how many pieces I will have to show. I'm still finishing up a few things, but they are all animal pieces, and I hope to have around 20-25 originals. Wish me luck! I'll be busy busy busy finishing up things this weekend!
 

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So I need to start posting stuff on this more often. I do have a little news to share. The Roanoke Chapter of the Snow Leopard Trust finally got our fundraiser idea approved! YAY! It's to raise money for the Snow Leopard Trust and to also bring in folks to the zoo. So there's going to be a lot of work to do, but I really hope our group can pull it off and make it an awesome event.

In other news, I've submitted an entry into our Roanoke Sidewalk Art Show. Hopefully I will be accepted into the show. It's a 2 day event usually with around 200 artists. I've never been in it before, but I've attended it and it's amazing to see that many fine artists packing the streets of Roanoke. I really hope I can be a part of it this year.

Let's talk about weather, baby. Why is it that every weather man calls uber hot weather "nice"? I like snow. I like cold & cool weather, and I would much rather be cold than hot for a couple reasons. One reason is that I can usually add more clothing when it's cold out (plus it's always nice to snuggle up to my honey to get warm). However, when it's hot, you can only take off so much clothing and still be accepted into mainstream society. I also don't want to run my air conditioner often. Can't I have a few days where I'm not running my heater or AC? Reason number two is that I don't like sweating all day. I don't mind sweating when I'm going to the gym or hiking or something, but I don't want to sweat when I'm just sitting somewhere. On hot days, it's like you just can't escape the heat. You can't dry off when you get out of the shower, because you're already sweating again. Yet weathermen, seem to always call these 90+ degree temps "nice". Really? Is there no weatherman/woman out there who also enjoys cool weather? Am I the only one who thinks that it may be a little early for temps in the 90's on the 2nd (and 3rd and 4th and 5th...) day(s) of April in Virginia? Luckily, I think the next few days are going to be a little cooler. Let's hope I'm not sweating profusely tomorrow.
 

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Well it's been an awesome snowy winter here. I know that most people hate it (and I understand it can cause hardships), but I LOVE it! It reminds me of winters back home in West Virginia where I grew up. I remember when I was still too young to go to school, my mom and I would spend time during the day just sitting at our kitchen table staring out our sliding glass door watching the deer eating in our backyard. They would paw through the snow to get to the grass. It was so nice and peaceful to watch them. That was one of my favorite things to do when I was little.

Now I live in town ::sigh:: (hopefully I can move to the country soon enough!) but I like to feed the birds outside. It's so nice to see them gathering around the food. They are super cute and I like how plump they look. I'm sure it's just their feathers puffed up to keep the cold out, but it makes them look even cuter. Squirrels visit too and I don't mind. It's just neat to watch them. Plus, another thing I like about the snow is playing in it! It's so fun - although I wish I had a sled. Hopefully I can score one before the winter is over.

Shoveling the snow is not one of my favorite things, but I figure at least it saves me a trip to the gym and I'd rather be outside than at the gym anyways (except possibly in hot weather - I don't care for the hot weather so much).

As I write this, I wonder if I use too many dashes --- and parenthesis ((())). Food for thought, but I like using them, and there is no one here to tell me that I can't - mwhahahahaaaa! Ok, I digress.

I'm hoping to compete in some more art shows this year and I've got several projects in the works. I'll keep you all posted!
 

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So I feel like I have a pretty busy life, but I also feel like I don't do enough. Does anyone else ever feel like that? For example, I work full time as an Art Director. However, although I arrive to work a little early (10 minutes or so) and leave a few minutes late I only occasionally have to stay very late, and I feel very lucky for that. I know lots of people who either don't have jobs, work really strange hours, or have to work really long hours. So, I also do volunteer work. I volunteer for my local zoo Mill Mountain Zoo, for the Snow Leopard Trust, and I've done a little tiny bit of volunteer work for the Conservators' Center. I also try and have time for my fine art, like what you see in the Gallery section of this website. Plus, I like to take time to pray, spend time with my boyfriend, go to the gym a few days a week, I cook supper most nights and try to keep my apartment clean, and I like to read. Oh yeah, I also like to sleep! It always seems like there is so much to do, but I still find myself doing things that are sort of mindless - like watching TV. I think TV is my guilty pleasure. I just like to veg out in front of it and let my mind rest a bit. Most of the day I feel like my mind races with constant thoughts, so in a way it's nice to let it almost become numb, but I feel guilty about it too. I feel like I could be doing so much more and that it's like a waste of time to watch TV. I feel like I could be doing more volunteer work if I wasn't watching TV. I think a little down time is a good thing or I will get burnt out, but I also think I could work on managing my time better. I'm going to try and work on that this year - time management - yeah, I'll add that to my list of things to do :)
 

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Hi all! This is my first REAL post of actual news and events going on in my life. WOOHOO! It’s a milestone! First, I want to thank my brother Dave for setting up my website for me. I think it’s coming along nicely and I am SO grateful to him. I would also like to thank all the people that made this dream possible...haha...just kidding, I digress. So this blog is going to be a place where I share my thoughts, opinions, and news of events and the like that are going on in and around my life. Two big subjects that are a main theme in my life are animals and art, so you will probably see lots of posts on those subjects. Although, you may have the occasional post where I just have to get something off my chest too, like a bad day at work or traffic issues. So don’t be surprised if you find me ranting some day. I’ll try not to do it often though. I want this to be a positive place. So feel free to roam around. Check out my artwork. Most of the art you see on this site will be available to purchase at some point, but although that process is still in the works, it is coming soon! There are lots of things to come so you may see some changes and some bugs being worked out, but we’ll eventually get everything completely straightened out. Thanks so much for your patience. Now, sadly, I must post my first bit of news, and alas it is tragic. Natasha, the female snow leopard at Mill Mt. Zoo (where I volunteer) has passed away. She died Wednesday 12/09/09. I loved Natasha. I had even started a Chapter of the Snow Leopard Trust here because I fell in love with our snow leopards. Boris, our male is still here, but he misses Tasha. So there it is, my first bit of news. Hopefully the news to come will be better news, but Natasha, you will be missed.


 

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Hi there! Welcome to HappyHopa.com! Soon this site will be a showcase for my artwork and various other projects that I'm involved with. But as you can see, the place isn't quite ready yet. I hope you can come back in the very near future when everything is up and running. I think you'll like it!

Thanks for stopping by,
Julie
 

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