My Lover's Past

The show had a great turnout even with the pouring rain... Just wanted to let you guys in on my lover's past pieces... Enjoy.

Rain or Shine

As I get ready for tomorrow's opening, I feel tired... excited... sleepy... content... but, all the while, sad...

I haven't been able to brush off a certain sad feeling I've had all day... It has been lurking around and as I get into bed and get ready to sleep, I realize that I have felt a bit of sadness throughout the whole day, today. I don't know if it's a personal reason or just a bad patch but I know it's there. Maybe, it's a sensitive, womanly feeling that comes and goes sometimes? I'm not sure where and how it came along, but it has been here the whole day and, right now, I'm ready for it to go away...

I have previously described tomorrow's show and now that the work is finally up and ready, and, unfortunately, with scheduled rain, I'm happy about the outcome. I have watched these two artists put all their efforts into this collaboration and, tonight, I have witnessed the the extraordinary power of their work as it was being displayed. I'd like to wish them both luck in their futures and let them know that whatever it was that made them push through this project is exactly what they need to hold onto for success. I hope they both know the abundance of their talents and I hope they continue to show the world what they're made of...

So... sad or happy... rain or shine... tomorrow, we wine...

Tip of the Post: When it comes to special events, concentrate on the "special" part, no matter what...

"Bridezilla's" To Do List

So, I've been listening... and, these days, all I can hear are my "Things to Do" list. I had my first, official, "Bridezilla" moment yesterday... (at least that's what my 16 year-old future bridesmaid had to say about my outburst) The funny thing was that I wasn't freaking out about anything that had to the wedding... It was just that I had so much to do that wasn't about the wedding...

My brain, being in so many different places at once resulted in me listing, out loud, my whole "To Do" list in public, on the street, with my sister and cousin as my onlookers. I have said, before, that we should take it "one day at a time" so, after being called a "Bridezilla" I took a deep breath and started laughing at her comment. It was a memorable and scary moment, but I laughed...

There is nothing I can do about my "To Do" list, except, get it done... Now, after sleeping on the idea that I might actually have had a "Bridezilla" outburst, I have decided to be as calm as possible and be glad that I even have a "To Do" list.

Tip of the Post: Be happy that you have a "To Do" list. What would you be doing if you didn't have one?

Here is what another "Bridezilla" had to say about being a "Bridezilla": "I really am starting to understand the making of a bridezilla. I don't get how we support and love so many people in our lives through good and not so good and when it is our turn to celebrate and be excited it is like people find pleasure in bringing us down.

Now don't jump all over me here and tell me that I am overreacting, being crazy, taking things out of context...what the bottom line is that some people really don't want others to be happy! That is what I am realizing...and it is a sad realization that hurts...I really think bridezillas are created out of normal girls who just get fed up with being hurt, pushed around and made to think they are self-centered brats...

Now I am going back to work and tonight I will be mailing out invitations to people who are bitter, upset and all around hating us for having a wedding 400 miles away...the happiest day of our lives!" - www.poshplay.bogspot.com

Listen...

So, I haven't written in a while... Not having the pressure of writing everyday has given me too much freedom from my thoughts... I have given myself a break from listening to myself... And, now... I feel the need to start listening again...

I feel content these days... Life is moving at a reasonable pace... My everyday is going by at a reasonable pace, while, everyday, I grow... Except, I have been without writing my thoughts down and sharing them...

But, right now, I just feel the need to listen to myself...

Tip of the Post: Listen to Yourself...

Lover's Past

Another newsletter by Smilebox

Valentine's Day

So... Valentine's Day... it was nice... didn't have much planned but it was nice...

Normally, I don't expect a bouquet of flowers, candy, Valentine's Card, or anything... Usually, I don't get the flowers, candy, or cards but it's not what it sounds like...

Last night, Armen walked in the door... and, like I hadn't expected, he didn't have anything in his hands... I said, "Hi, how was your day?" He answered, "Good... what you doin?" I replied, "Nothing... just making some dinner... How come you didn't get any flowers? Why do you think it's okay to come home, on Valentine's Day, without any flowers?..." He played around with Sable (the dog) as he said, "Well, I was going to stop by the store and get some flowers on the way home but... then, I didn't want to... why should I buy you flowers because it's Valentine's Day?... that's retarded... why can't it just be any day? Not Valentine's day..." As I listened to him trying to explain his "type of love" that only I tend to understand, I turned around and continued washing the dishes with a grin on my face. At that moment, listening to him was more memorable than a dozen roses would be, so, I grinned...

Being the "romantic" that he is, he did decide to go out and buy himself a motorcycle because, once, a long time ago, I had mentioned that we used to be a fun couple, riding on his motorcycle and being dangerous and that, now, we're just regular... So, he bought a motorcycle, brought it to me and said, "See... we can still be fun... you were the one saying we used to be fun... now, we can be fun again..." as he tried sitting on it. He was having trouble after 8 years of not riding one... he tried to get comfortable on it while trying to look cool and said, "But... before I take you for a ride, I have to practice a bit... I'm a bit rusty..."

And, that was my Valentine's Day...

Tip of the Post: Everyone's love is different... and everyone's love can be celebrated in different ways on Valentine's Day... There is nothing set in stone when it comes to LOVE...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Digital greeting card generated with Smilebox

My Life...

As we get closer to the wedding date, it doesn't feel any different... We had signed for the venue, the photographer, the flowers, the cake, the dress, and even paid deposits on most but, it didn't quite feel that real until yesterday... I printed out a sample of the invitation and as I read: "Mr and Mrs. Rafik and Shakeh Tsaturyan... their son and daughter 'Armen & Iren'... Saturday, July 2nd, 2011... Best Man... " Now... it feels real... Now, it feels as though there is a big event coming up and it's my life...

Tip of the Post: Your Life is a Big Event!

A "Lover's Past"

Why is it that some of us can get over things quickly and some of us seem to ponder?...

I've realized that taking things lightly is the best way to overcome life's obstacles but... how lightly is too light or not light enough?

There are so many questions that would be so much easier if we just had a "get it over it!" button in life but, unfortunately, it doesn't exist... So, if we're the ponderers, we ponder until we're done pondering... and, if we're apart of the lighter crowd, then, it's safe to say that we'll lighten every situation until, one day, it gets to light to handle...

It's also safe to say that "We are who we are and everything is what we make it to be..."

In relation to that, I'd like to introduce our upcoming show "Lover's Past" which will feature photography by Elena Zadouri and makeup by Amy Seyfi. These two very different artists have come together and created a unique collection of unforgettable moments in time. They have brought back the past in a modern spotlight and their collaboration has formed a beautiful mixture of a "Lover's Past."

The opening reception will be held on February 25th, 2011 from 7-10 PM and the show will be up until March 25th, 2011. For any further information, please go to the gallery website at www.modestflyartgallery.com

Tip of the Post: No matter a ponderer or a lightly one, you are who you are. Deal with situations the way you know how because it's unforgettable to experience a "Lover's Past."

The Lucky Ones...

As I've mentioned before, my car's coolant gives me problems from time to time... This weekend, Armen and I took a trip to Palm Springs for a friend's birthday. I hadn't mentioned that my car had given me problems the day before so we decided to take my car for the 2 hour ride. Well, let's just say that the 2 hour ride turned out to be a 5 hour ride...

The coolant light came on while we were halfway there... Armen had fallen asleep so I decided to ignore the warning. A few minutes later, the car began to overheat so, as you can imagine, I decided to wake him up and let him know. We exited the freeway, found a gas station nearby, and let it cool down for a while. Well, because I had ignored the previous warnings, the coolant tank had blown out and the coolant was, now, pouring out of the tank, instead of the minor leaks it used to have...

While waiting for the car to cool down in the gas station, I found a lucky penny in the puddle of coolant on the floor, picked it up, and cleaned it off...

Armen, knowing his way around mechanics, decided to find an Auto Zone and fix the leak, or shall I say "pour..." Ten minutes later, we were at an Auto Zone looking for some patching supplies. I waited as Armen patched the tank up with clay-like putty... Then, he asked, "Where is that lucky penny you found?" I handed him the penny, looking confused, and watched him unscrew the tank with the penny. We pulled out of the freeway 3 more times to patch and refill the coolant before we got to our destination... and throughout the stops and rides, the lucky penny was a huge asset.

Well, we finally got there, but we still had to get back, somehow...

Coming back, the job got harder as Armen tied some pipes together and got his clothes dirtier than the previous day. To our surprise, the car held up and we were home sooner than we thought... and, throughout the whole experience, we kept our patience and thought of ourselves as the lucky ones...

Wrapping it Up...

I have to wrap a few loose ends... Just some stuff I brought up during the year...

About the dress fitting... I am trying to keep a daily exercise schedule and eating better... but you will hear about the first dress fitting... I promise...

And, about the contest: commenting everyday for the last twenty and some days... Lucy kept up... until we lost touch with her the last few days... Sister kept up... somewhat... but, she'll kick my ass if I don't get her the handmade gift I promised... and, El kept up for a while but not as consistently... Now, I will be giving out a handmade gift to the ones who tried their best and are not going to kick my ass. So, thank you all for participating! Your gifts are on the way...

Tip of the Year: Tie up all loose ends.

Day Who Cares... Let's talk about Christina...

I have titled this post "Day Who Cares" because I am going to keep doing this until I figure out what I'm going to do next. I have more to say and have changed my mind about playing hide and seek for now, so I hope you guys are still here with me. All I know is that doing this makes me feel better about life and I am here now... so... let's talk about Christina...

Paper Idylls had a great opening reception and I'd like to thank everyone who showed up to take a look at Christina's work up close. She has a very special talent creating work primarily consisting of cut paper, mixed media, and three-dimensional elements, found paper, drawings, and paintings. She finds inspiration and beauty in nature's sceneries and executes her work in raw, visceral, and thoughtful manner. Honestly, those are her words, but no words can describe the naivety and detail that goes into her pieces. You'd have to see it up close to understand exactly what I mean by "no words." I admire her creativity because she is not afraid of being simple and yet so ecstatic. Please come by the gallery during business hours or make an appointment with me so you don't miss what Christina has to offer to the art world.

My heart wants to...

I feel like I have something to do and I've forgotten... It's a terrible feeling...

I feel like I have something to say but can't anymore... It's a terrible feeling...

I feel like I have something more to offer still... It's a better feeling...

But... this is weird... that I don't have to do this anymore and my heart wants to...

In the Foothill Paper!

Day 365: EVERYDAY!!!

So... we're finally here, day 365... I have made a toast today... at Burger King, with Coke and Iced Tea but it was special... "Special" is the only word I can use to describe this experience. The one important part about doing this everyday was listening to music while writing. I have moved from one song to another and, each night, the song I had chosen would be on repeat until I clicked on "publish post." Tonight, I'm listening to the song I began with, on Day 1, and, now, I remember exactly what it felt like when I began this project.

Now, I'm going to make my speech... the kind of speech I'd make if I imagine myself getting up on stage to receive an award... here it goes:

First of all, I'd like to thank "you" for reading and being here with me. I wouldn't have had the motivation to continue if the statistics page didn't have some kind of movement... "you" made all the difference. Then, I'd like to thank my family for giving me something to write about... All the good posts had something to do with you and your personal lives... so, thank you for supporting me, even though if it meant being in the public eye yourself at times. I'd also like to thank my friends, acquaintances, and anyone I've recently met for being apart of my daily experiences. Before I go on thanking the next person, I'd like to share something first:

Today, I said: "Hey, you know... it's day 365 today... I'm done!" with a smile on my face.

He said: "Yaaaa, I know..." smiling back at me.

I said: "How do you know? You don't read my blog... do you?"

He said: "Nope. I just look at the pictures and the number of day..." laughing.

I said: while laughing "Oh, really... so, you don't remember the last one you actually read?"

He said: "Nope. Not at all."

I said: "Don't you ever wonder what's in my head? Don't you ever want to read it?"

He said: "Nope. I already know what's in your head."

I said: "Oh, ok... well, today is the last day..."

He said: "I know... better make it good...I got you something... but it's on its way... not here yet... I'm not telling you what it is... but, it's for your 365th day..."

I said: "Really? What is it? Tell me... uhhh, no, don't tell me... I wanna be surprised... but, thank you... thank you for knowing it's day 365..."

And, as we toasted to our success, sitting in a Burger King booth, toasting with soda cups, I thought: Wow... today was a big day... I have not only accomplished finishing the whole year but, I have accomplished finding the one person I'd like to accomplish everything with...

Today, is an end to a goal I set for myself 365 days ago... but, that is the only thing ending today... Everything else is starting... If tomorrow is day 366, or day 1, or year 1 + day 1... no matter what the title, my everyday is a new beginning.

Last Tip of the Day: Everyday is an accomplishment... Everyday is special... Everyday is worth making a toast to... EVERYDAY!

As I type my last few words, Armen turns to his side, while sleeping, looks up at me and asks "Is it powerful?"