Packing Progress!
First, if you saw my earlier post, http://robertsloan2.livejournal.com/585925.html, and can't afford to pitch in a few bucks to help me move - you can still help big time. Just copy the link and repost it on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, any social media you have. Ask them to pass it on. If friends of friends of friends start pitching in it'll reach the goal without burdening anyone. I'll pay it forward passing on fund raising posts and links for others in need.
HUGE THANKS to everyone who donated, including my fellow Johannes Vloothuis students who thanked me for taking notes on "Essentials of Painting Buildings." I will be online July 30th to take notes on "Essentials of Painting Mountains" I'll even be within sight of the Rockies to get some cool reference photos on that day. Plans are shaping up!
I'm within spitting distance of my $2,000 goal - the savings I would have had for travel, shipping and contingencies if I'd been able to save up for a year or more before moving. With everything aggregated together, I'm only $357.14 short of goal. I'll post updates as donations come in. We are well past the point of Dire Necessity into comforts, setup for my street art business and savings to cover my "necessities after rent" shortfall till I'm self supporting again. That would be cat food/litter, smoking, a pay as you go phone plan for personal phone, cheapest possible dialup for personal Internet.
Business Internet, the vital one, is decided. I finished comparing Sprint, Verizon and AT&T to get the best plan from Verizon for $80 a month with mobile hot spot. Using my 2 year plan discount to get an iPhone 4G because its 5 megapixel HDR camera will pay for itself fast on prints sales and paintings from far better references. $200 phone instead of $500 camera, that's a pretty big deal. I lost some megapixels but I'm so thrilled with the quality of the images and the fact of not having to carry an extra device that this will be my serious camera for years.
It also functions like the Kindle, throwing in everything from a $5 new art medium (vs. $80 Wacom Bamboo or equally expensive iPad) to the iPod that I never budgeted into spending money - 16 gig is enough for me - and the netbook itself. I was satisfied with the way Kitten browsed on hers and used it, this is good for Mobile Internet and takes less pocket space than a netbook. That comes out of Business income anyway - a mid-month payment for some articles I sold, two art sales and an affiliate ad check cover the smartphone, two years service plan, $5 Brushes and a rubber protective case with a clear screen protector.
Resolution: It's like the Kindle. No paid apps other than Brushes till I'm either earning a living beyond necessities or I've moved to rent controlled housing and have spending money again. The freebies for it sure are sweet though! I could not have done this except with a two year plan, it was loony expensive without one. More than my laptop!
Panda Demo Project from Colin Bradley's video on ArtistsNetworkTV. Sascha chose the video, she loved the panda and drew her own version of it. I chose only the pastel pencils she had in her 12 color set to do the project. She used construction paper because she wanted purple paper.
Sascha's Panda Demo Project.
I did the quick pencil sketch for both of us since Colin Bradley started with the sketch done, it wasn't fair for her to have to struggle with copying it even on freeze frame since this was about using the pastel pencils.
Sascha also helped me pack for hours and hours on the 5th. We got five shelves and four small drawers emptied out and packed. The shelves are looking scraggly. I gave her a huge shopping bag full of student art supplies, so she's getting something for all her efforts besides time with Grandpa.
Yesterday, I was wiped out from that effort when she breezed in telling me "Today is my Special Day, right?" Kitten and Karl asked me if I would spend one whole day with her while they go out with her brother for something. I thought that was cool but forgot which Wednesday it was. Sascha only understood "Wednesday."
So we wound up spending most of the day drawing and watching videos. I got my street art application in, that went out with this morning's outgoing mail. Whoohoo! I'm on my way!
TO DO LIST:
Airline tickets
Screen doctors, make appt.
15th - make appt. for IHSS intake
15th Confirm Winton Hotel
Compare Fedex and UPS
Contact Walgreens for move
Get iPhone + plan.
Packing (ongoing)
Ari Vet/Shots (Kitten has to do this by the time I leave, it's her deal with the vet swapping services for services.)
Today, like all days, I'll try to get something important done for the move. Might want to get the airline tickets in advance, to get the best deal.
HUGE THANKS to everyone who donated, including my fellow Johannes Vloothuis students who thanked me for taking notes on "Essentials of Painting Buildings." I will be online July 30th to take notes on "Essentials of Painting Mountains" I'll even be within sight of the Rockies to get some cool reference photos on that day. Plans are shaping up!
I'm within spitting distance of my $2,000 goal - the savings I would have had for travel, shipping and contingencies if I'd been able to save up for a year or more before moving. With everything aggregated together, I'm only $357.14 short of goal. I'll post updates as donations come in. We are well past the point of Dire Necessity into comforts, setup for my street art business and savings to cover my "necessities after rent" shortfall till I'm self supporting again. That would be cat food/litter, smoking, a pay as you go phone plan for personal phone, cheapest possible dialup for personal Internet.
Business Internet, the vital one, is decided. I finished comparing Sprint, Verizon and AT&T to get the best plan from Verizon for $80 a month with mobile hot spot. Using my 2 year plan discount to get an iPhone 4G because its 5 megapixel HDR camera will pay for itself fast on prints sales and paintings from far better references. $200 phone instead of $500 camera, that's a pretty big deal. I lost some megapixels but I'm so thrilled with the quality of the images and the fact of not having to carry an extra device that this will be my serious camera for years.
It also functions like the Kindle, throwing in everything from a $5 new art medium (vs. $80 Wacom Bamboo or equally expensive iPad) to the iPod that I never budgeted into spending money - 16 gig is enough for me - and the netbook itself. I was satisfied with the way Kitten browsed on hers and used it, this is good for Mobile Internet and takes less pocket space than a netbook. That comes out of Business income anyway - a mid-month payment for some articles I sold, two art sales and an affiliate ad check cover the smartphone, two years service plan, $5 Brushes and a rubber protective case with a clear screen protector.
Resolution: It's like the Kindle. No paid apps other than Brushes till I'm either earning a living beyond necessities or I've moved to rent controlled housing and have spending money again. The freebies for it sure are sweet though! I could not have done this except with a two year plan, it was loony expensive without one. More than my laptop!
Panda Demo Project from Colin Bradley's video on ArtistsNetworkTV. Sascha chose the video, she loved the panda and drew her own version of it. I chose only the pastel pencils she had in her 12 color set to do the project. She used construction paper because she wanted purple paper.
Sascha's Panda Demo Project.
I did the quick pencil sketch for both of us since Colin Bradley started with the sketch done, it wasn't fair for her to have to struggle with copying it even on freeze frame since this was about using the pastel pencils.
Sascha also helped me pack for hours and hours on the 5th. We got five shelves and four small drawers emptied out and packed. The shelves are looking scraggly. I gave her a huge shopping bag full of student art supplies, so she's getting something for all her efforts besides time with Grandpa.
Yesterday, I was wiped out from that effort when she breezed in telling me "Today is my Special Day, right?" Kitten and Karl asked me if I would spend one whole day with her while they go out with her brother for something. I thought that was cool but forgot which Wednesday it was. Sascha only understood "Wednesday."
So we wound up spending most of the day drawing and watching videos. I got my street art application in, that went out with this morning's outgoing mail. Whoohoo! I'm on my way!
TO DO LIST:
Airline tickets
Screen doctors, make appt.
15th - make appt. for IHSS intake
15th Confirm Winton Hotel
Compare Fedex and UPS
Contact Walgreens for move
Get iPhone + plan.
Packing (ongoing)
Ari Vet/Shots (Kitten has to do this by the time I leave, it's her deal with the vet swapping services for services.)
Today, like all days, I'll try to get something important done for the move. Might want to get the airline tickets in advance, to get the best deal.