i'm not quite dead yet

The past couple posts have certainly had more photos than narrative, and I think that's partially due to how my painting class puts such an emphasis on the visual. It's also the reason that I've been less than dedicated to the blog. But look what I just finished!

We are (obviously) working on bricks and stones, but we're focusing on shadows and light sources. I was super happy with how my bricks turned out because I thought the details were unique. I really struggled with the bottom half, specifically the shadows around the stones. It was really hard for me to make sure I was paying attention to shapes and small details but also to how the shadows were falling given the shapes of the rocks and the light source. I probably spent between 12 and 15 hours this week painting, which also meant that I spent 12 - 15 hours jamming to the B.o.B album and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Enough artsy stuff.

Last week I was actually doing a bit of jet-setting for a (gasp!) job interview. Yes there is a company in Madison, Wisconsin currently entertaining the idea of hiring me for a full-time, paid position. What up.

Since I was in Madison for most of the day before my interview, I had a good amount of time to do some
'xploring. Since they put me up in a hotel right smack dab in the middle of the city, I set off on foot with no agenda, just channelling my study abroad self and taking in my surroundings. Here are some of the great things I found.

An Irish pub right next door to a chocolatier. I think I may like this place...

While it's certainly smaller, it is reminiscent of my homeland.

As I wandered past the capitol building, I happened upon the Wisconsin Historical Museum. I took a spin around the gift shop, and had to stop myself from buying the Wisconsin shaped wood cheese platter. I then mosied down State Street and saw some really cute boutiques and coffee shops, including the mecca of all kitchenware shops...

Cow spotted aprons and oven mitts in Wisconsin.  Not surprising, but incredibly adorable.

This hole-in-the wall had almost any kind of kitchen toy you could fathom. The only reason I didn't get a mini food mill (for super fluffy mashed potatoes. Duh.) was that it wouldn't fit in my carry-on, but I did invest in a $0.99 doughnut cutter because this recipe was still fresh in my mind after reading Food&Wine on the plane. Baked sweet potato doughnuts? Sounds weird, but oh so good.

On my way home I finally caved and stopped into Candinas, the chocolatier in the photo. I got a box with two chocolates, one dark chocolate truffle and one chai tea infused chocolate. They were totally delicious. And pretty to boot.

Now that I've returned from my travels, finished my painting, and almost gotten all of the paint off of my body, I'm basking in the glow of my impending spring break cruise! I'm also getting into the heat of half marathon training since it's a little less than a month away. While my motivation has been a little low since I feel like my body is holding out for spring, I've found that my yoga kick is still going strong and really supplementing my running. My flexibility and strength have really improved, and like running, I like competing against myself in class, pushing myself to go outside of my comfort zone. I've also found that my breathing is much more regulated while I'm running, so unless I push myself during a sprint or tempo run, my running is more peaceful. Which is a nice bonus when the rest of my life is a little less than peaceful. 

And what do you do when you haven't been grocery shopping in ten days but are leaving for vacation in 36 hours? Eat oatmeal mixed with crunchy peanut butter for breakfast,  dig that can of soup out from the back of the pantry for dinner, and Nutella for dessert.