Downtown Laramie

Had some time before a meeting with one of my professors at her house. So, we took a brain-break walk to downtown Laramie and just walked around the shops and the railroad tracks. Marc took his camera to take some random photos to play around later with on his photo-editing software on the computer while I was in my meeting. Below is one of the silly moments captured and touched up by him while I was chatting away with Professor Kate Welsh!

Look at my lion's mane hair!?
Do you think I need a haircut?!

TheChristyBel

Photo Credit to Marc Sweet

My Altered Forms Have Been Bisque Fired

Just an update: my altered forms with intricate attachments survived the bisque fire! 

Here they are, ready to be glazed! 

However, I'm having an artist's block: I need some ideas on how to glaze them!

Taking suggestions! Comment away!

If I choose your idea: you may be getting a piece of art from theChristyBel! Just so you know! 

*Hint-Hint, Wink-Wink!*

TheChristyBel

Making Meatballs

Cooking Time!

Prepping Meatballs

Making Ketchup

Homemade Ketchup!

Done! Ready to Eat!

A Beautiful Day Before the Snow

Overlooking the Beautiful Views of Vedauwoo Over a Ledge

The forecast was calling for snow for Sunday evening into Monday. You know what that means: get your fill of the outdoors before winter recreation is upon us. So, Marc and I decided to have a little brain break on Sunday afternoon for about an hour. We travelled up to Vedauwoo for some scrambling and a mini hike. Let me tell you, I am in LOVE in with Vedauwoo, more than Happy Jack. So many rocks to scramble on, climb, some great hikes all-around, and just a fantastic, beautiful place on a beautiful day before the snow.

-TheChristyBel

Happy Halloween 2014!

Ceira & I at the Safe Treat

Friday evening I went and helped man a booth for the Safe Treat event held at the UW's Student Union. The Safe Treat event is where a whole bunch of clubs, organizations, and groups get together and hold a huge party event and Trick-Or-Treating opportunity for all the children of Laramie. I guess its a way, to 'safely' go around and collect candy instead of walking the dark streets for the Halloween candy-collecting traditions.

So I represented NSTA (National Science Teacher Association) with my science methods classmates. At our booth, we had a variety of science questions that children would pick a question, answer it, and be able to grab a piece of candy, or a few handfuls...

It was super fun. There were so many children and families. Literally, when I walked into the Union for my shift, I could not really walk through the place - so many kids, families, adults, and really crazy outfits.

A Kid Dressed as a Tornado! Genius!

This year the main popular costumes were: the two princesses from Frozen, Elsa & Ana (let me tell you, if I could take a shot of alcohol for every Frozen character I saw at Safe Treat, I would be drunk within the first 5-minutes), Minions from Despicable Me, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a variety of other costumes that I cannot remember. One was really cool: a kid dressed up in lots of tulle and stuffing, as a tornado!!! How cool is that!?!?

But yea, Safe Treat was pretty fun. Hanging with the Science Methods classmates has been really awesome and just a great community to be in and out of class with. After the Safe Treat event, we all went our separate ways for dinner and reconvened at one of our houses for our own Halloween celebrations. Below are photos from the night: starting out at Jake's house to adventuring down town at Born in a Barn & 3rd Street Bar. 

Oh, so this year, again, I made my costume. No it was not Zombie Lady Gaga, a Native American, a Buccaneer, a Peacock, or a Zombie Ballerina - but a Deer...a Doe-A-Deer! It was super easy! Just got a brown long-sleeve, brown spandex, an antler head-band, and lots of brown, white, and black makeup and well, 45-minutes later of putting the make-up on...and you have a deer! Super easy and low-budget!

Halloween Selfie While Playing Mexican Twister

Object of the Game: Start in a Toe-to-Toe Circle
Go Around the Circle Matching The Foot That Was Previously Touched to the Inside of the Person Next to You.
It's a Fun, Hilarious Game.

Ceira & Susan

Steph & Ceira
(My Phone Was Hijacked for Selfies)

Science Methods Fun & Love

My Costume: A Deer & My Lumberjack! haha.
Photo was Taken When Marc was Attempting to Save my Drink From Falling

Science Methods Love All Around

Group Selfie During a Hug

Ran Into My Neighbor Holli at 3rd Street Bar!
Best Almost Roomie Ever!

Adorbs.

Science Methods Kids Group Picture!

Happy Halloween! Totally Beats Last Year's Haunted Halloween Trail. At least we weren't in the snow and cold all night!

TheChristyBel

Lunar & Meteorite Workshop

For my Science Methods I (Advanced Topics in Pedagogy) class, we were invited to go to the NASA Lunar & Meteorite Sample Disk Certification workshop tonight. This was such a cool event for us. Not only were we getting inspired about Earth Science classroom lessons and activities, but we were also getting certified to sign out actual meteorite and lunar samples from NASA! So cool, so when I become a school teacher, I can borrow and sign these out from NASA and use them in my classroom! So pumped!

Kali Placing Fish Aquarium Rocks into a Water Balloon
Prepping us for Meteorite Impact Patterns & Which Surface is Better to Find Meteorite Impact Evidence
When We Go Outside and Collect Data!

Kali's Meteorite Impact on Asphalt Surfaces

And Then the Moment Came!
Examining the Samples!
Susan Nerding out!

Oh My Gosh, It Was Super Awesome to See These Samples Up Close!

Lunar Samples Too!

Total Earth Science Nerd Out!

Now, I am certified to borrow and sign out samples for teaching! It was the best night ever!

TheChristyBel

And the Ceramics Continues!

Just an artistic update, here are my final altered forms (Problem #2) with intricate (neat-ure-themed) attachments. They are drying and almost ready to be bisque-fired! Then onto glazing! ahhh!!!

Owl in a Tree, Balsamroot, Moose Antler Ceramic Altered Forms
All Wheel-Thrown, Hand Built Attachments, Stoneware

Elk Antler, Feathers, Basal Leaves
All Wheel-Thrown, Hand Built Attachments, Stoneware

All 10 Cylinders I Threw the First Few Weeks of Class (For Problem #1)
A Variety of Glazes, Techniques, and Applications

Glazed Cylinders #1-5

Glazed Cylinders #6-10

Loving this artistic journey, even though it is long, stressful, time-consuming, and incredibly overwhelming, I am having a great time working with my hands again, experimenting, and expanding and challenging my artistic talents!

TheChristyBel

My Adventures With Gus the Cat

For practically the whole month of October, I was asked to housesit for one of my faculty in the Science & Math Teaching Center. Funny how that was a main profession of mine back home in Delaware that it found me doing it out here in the west as well. But yes, housesitting again and this time it was not for a lab, or a westie, or a shepherd, but this adorable cat named Gus.

Marc Made a New Friend.

Let me tell you, Gus is by far the smartest cat I know....in Laramie. I mean, no one ca compare to Tweedy back home, but Gus is pretty much up there! He is so adorable. He is mostly an outdoor cat that roams all over the neighborhood during the day, but by night, he strolls back in for his evening meal and will cuddle up to you when it's time for bed. Did I mention he is really smart. He answers and comes home to you when you call his name! It's really weird, but very convenient when you want him to come home. He also does not really use the bathroom inside. He does have a litter box in the house, but its usually never used - he goes to do his business outside! How convenient is that!?!

Sunbathing Before He Goes On His Daily Adventure!

So Stoic!

Although, he does have some strange habits too. He will drink his water out of a glass! Ana, the owner, has a glass just for him on the counter! It's hilarious, but really cute. However, if you leave a glass out, unmanned, you have been previously warned that he might come up and drink out of your vessel too! Although, last night, he not only will drink out of your vessel, but will drink out of the sinks if there is dripping water and out of the toilet! He's hilarious. Ana said she thinks it is because Gus is under the impression that he is not given enough water, when clearly he has several glass vessels around the house for him!

I Caught Ya!

Canine Tendencies, Eh?

But besides that, he is the most adorable cat, ever. Playing laser tag to cuddling up in your lap or in the chair with you is really precious.

A Sleepy, Ty-Ty Gus!

Gus, Where Do You Go All Day To Tucker You Out at Night?

Best Cat Friend Ever!
Photo Credit to Marc Sweet

TheChristyBel

Graduating From Physical Therapy!

Ready To Hike Again!!!

So this morning, I was celebrated for enduring through seven-weeks of lots of stretching, strengthening, painful needle procedures, and core-work exercises. Homestead Physical Therapy has given me the clear on being discharged from the clinic. They say my knees are stronger and that they have done all they can do to help my knees. And I'm feeling great! My physical therapists have stated that as long as I keep up with the exercises I have been given, I do not need to go to physical therapy anymore. However, I am always welcome back if something happens!

This is incredibly exciting! I have been hiking a whole bunch at Vedauwoo and in Boulder (as you can see from previous posts), and I have not had little to no issues (knock on wood). Hopefully I can start training for some bigger and more strenuous hikes for the future! Backpacking and maybe some Thru-Hiking, Here I Come! Mandy Redpath: Get Ready!

TheChristyBel

Ceramics - From Home to Studio

This week has been pretty much...hell. I had a huge teaching project due this week for my science methods class, teaching at Spring Creek Elementary, lots of class work, lots of meetings, ample amounts of work for my GA, and lots of ceramics projects due. For Ceramics II, along with 10-cylinders that needed to be glazed, I needed to produce 6-altered forms with attachments ready to be fired. Luckily, most of the art is not due until tomorrow evening and Monday morning...so, I still have time to finish up these projects for Ceramics II. Here is my progress so far! During this time of stress, I bought clay home and was able to work on some attachments while in class, I threw my pots. I really like that process, that way I can relax and get creative with my attachments at home and then put them together in the studio. Enjoy! 

Glazing Process of the Cylinders -Waxing Designs Then a Glaze Dip!

The Beginning of the Nature-Themed Altered Forms
One: Feathers

Two: Basal Leaves and Florets

Owl on a Branch Attachment!

Home Clay Time
Tootsie Pop Owl By Marc Sweet
Yes, Totally Firing This for Him

Home Clay Time
Cubism
Yes, Totally Firing This for Him

Four of My Finished Six!
Almost There!
Four: Owl In Tree, One: Feathers, Two: Basal Leaves & Florets, Three: Elk Antler

Four: Owl in Tree
Bringing the Owls Back From High School to Grad School

Three of the Six - Ready to Be Fired!

More finished products photos to come! Stay Tuned!

TheChristyBel