tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46948048421428002662024-03-05T10:33:25.421-08:00mollyculesChildren's Illustrator and Writer Mollycules' Blog featuring sketches, finds, musings, and tips.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05720297495859147169noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694804842142800266.post-30640274206373680072012-01-07T23:03:00.000-08:002012-01-07T23:07:39.195-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyYLEWUAVvVVVI4Lmgt6yABhADj-e2QP26dirApnkrVXarqVzPB1dDfOqIAPFZO_4OEmC1Csdf8ClYHH0nZF3wEkOwf32MleBT3HhuivYV-ZK2GkIn_hfud20eY6J1x0t3zyaKQhjxUGx/s1600/Photo+on+2012-01-07+at+23.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyYLEWUAVvVVVI4Lmgt6yABhADj-e2QP26dirApnkrVXarqVzPB1dDfOqIAPFZO_4OEmC1Csdf8ClYHH0nZF3wEkOwf32MleBT3HhuivYV-ZK2GkIn_hfud20eY6J1x0t3zyaKQhjxUGx/s320/Photo+on+2012-01-07+at+23.06.jpg" width="320" /></a>so i just debuted my first EVER original ukulele song at a local arts forum and WOW. so elated, great feedback!!! everyone loved it!!! i'm already getting ideas for a set list now and made a couple great music contacts. here's me listening to "save me" by aimee mann (i just discovered her via the show Porlandia...yes I am behind the times...but I freakin' love her!!!)<br />
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the song i wrote is called "Simple Things" and i hope to make a music video for it.<br />
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xoxox<br />
mAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05720297495859147169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694804842142800266.post-92077866292641487302012-01-05T10:49:00.000-08:002012-01-05T10:51:24.286-08:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">Babble Blogger </span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1499760158" href="https://www.facebook.com/monica.bielanko" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Monica Bielanko</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"> and her family lost their home yesterday in a fire and aren't adequately covered by renter's insurance. To mail a donation information, check out the following link (Even $5 helps): </span><a href="http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2012/01/05/babble-blogger-saves-her-children-but-loses-home-to-fire/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://blogs.babble.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>strollerderby/2012/01/05/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>babble-blogger-saves-her-childr<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>en-but-loses-home-to-fire/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to make a direct donation via paypal, here is the official website: <a href="http://mamapundit.com/bielankofirefundraiser/">http://mamapundit.com/bielankofirefundraiser/.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Off to go make my donation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05720297495859147169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694804842142800266.post-78009635855972182422012-01-03T18:02:00.000-08:002012-01-03T18:55:05.331-08:00Home.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo0k-mwsb_-D9-6hoNYMn3L4hBkz9zYD2IVHmPSY1qOlK2J6PNOjv6t9-l-oVzMCBhOIQeyHMK9CI0lql38UuxucHolTUSdrnXD0QEdH6m8dgL47J9xtzradEhZVwlB0Kkot7otKE5yxi/s1600/NECTAR-HOME-%2528final%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo0k-mwsb_-D9-6hoNYMn3L4hBkz9zYD2IVHmPSY1qOlK2J6PNOjv6t9-l-oVzMCBhOIQeyHMK9CI0lql38UuxucHolTUSdrnXD0QEdH6m8dgL47J9xtzradEhZVwlB0Kkot7otKE5yxi/s400/NECTAR-HOME-%2528final%2529.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Saturday, January 7th, I will be performing a song on my ukulele at Nectar, a non-profit arts forum in Santa Barbara. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each showcase raises money for a specific charitable cause. This time the proceeds will go towards the Transition House, a family homeless shelter in Santa Barbara. There are over 25 participating artists; Live dance, theatre, music, performance art and more. Taking place at 8pm at the marvelous Yoga Soup (<a href="http://www.yogasoup.com/">www.yogasoup.com</a>). $12 at the door....spread the word!!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the lyrics that I am working with so far. Since the theme of this event is "HOME", I drew inspiration from the day to day tribulations of being human and the splendor of simplicity. I really really love singing this song and am looking forward to sharing this live on Saturday as well as in a music video that I plan to create.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Verse One:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some days don't go your way</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trying to play catch up with what</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who knows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feels like everyone's passing you by</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New things are easy to find</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking with you in the evening light</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's so much to see</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chorus:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You have all you need right here right now</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't need any glitter or gold</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the simple things that make you feel at home</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the simple things that set you free</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Verse 2:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone morning I wake up</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try to let go of this story and breathe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who am I, who am I really?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friendly smiles come my way</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking up this hill of life</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't know where I'm going to</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(but that's okay cuz)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chorus:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got all I need right here right now</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't need any glitter or gold</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the simple things in life that make me feel at home</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the simple things in life that set me free</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Verse Three:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can try to write this tune</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gotta let go of what we can't change</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But we still need to keep the faith</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dow may fall</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But our love will only rise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On this beautiful day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chorus:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have all we need right here right now</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't need any glitter or gold</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the simple things in life that make us feel at home</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the simple things in life that set us free</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05720297495859147169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694804842142800266.post-83709162762131974692012-01-02T22:48:00.000-08:002012-01-02T22:48:16.763-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I cannot resist sharing this sketch that I just made! It feels like the right way to start off 2012.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwLIlXS6xljVrc85hapxDXgPFDtR32OcOTqMlnsyhpkdPj37iSkhvQm5NFl1tuRZUdnuLqNx49G1pqaVoWn1irdu-SDqjS36cSxmTvoDiRiKq5kBgfEMThcidlAjOs1y071fpdLBdX1DO/s1600/FUN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwLIlXS6xljVrc85hapxDXgPFDtR32OcOTqMlnsyhpkdPj37iSkhvQm5NFl1tuRZUdnuLqNx49G1pqaVoWn1irdu-SDqjS36cSxmTvoDiRiKq5kBgfEMThcidlAjOs1y071fpdLBdX1DO/s640/FUN.jpg" width="497" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05720297495859147169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4694804842142800266.post-62685512336602959012012-01-02T14:20:00.000-08:002012-01-02T16:46:11.850-08:00Happy New Year!Happy New Year!
As part of a new years resolution, I am restarting this blog and am looking forward to sharing musings, sketches, and tips!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVr-tXUYBSboOav3gmtb_XRBlsj3tQ-LX5-s38hWfwplzFwwEoQPK0YU5Prl7iOFLfIf9Ww1ZJQG-YCHwPaTWnPBWvvAIwiOVjvg9e900He4LMbQsqQma6ZokbaCc7I1OnNMkZsbe4QfAY/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVr-tXUYBSboOav3gmtb_XRBlsj3tQ-LX5-s38hWfwplzFwwEoQPK0YU5Prl7iOFLfIf9Ww1ZJQG-YCHwPaTWnPBWvvAIwiOVjvg9e900He4LMbQsqQma6ZokbaCc7I1OnNMkZsbe4QfAY/s320/26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
2011 was a year of tremendous growth and I foresee 2012 providing more opportunities for strengthening the foundation of my illustration and writing career.<br />
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In 2011, I published my first e-book, "Izzy's Ukulele Adventure", available on the iBookstore for the iPad. If you aren't into the e-book thing, you can also get "Izzy" in print on Amazon. So far the feedback from parents has been great! I feel really good about the story and especially my illustration technique. My style has loosened up a bit since working closely with illustrator Mike Gordon (I digitally paint his kid's books for major publishers).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Z8TS07AlW9Q1wfjHrQprFYMwJNucPAWnT5RLa9mSBDwjnuleGOWa4OfkIWPNHOrYUoy5OhFMHPe_CpMsWYJ1LpeRMZNkRKJZxMdgvNRztfipSW7MvHkiy8X-cIxeUN5n0U_UAgTNgDeJ/s1600/nickandmadis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Z8TS07AlW9Q1wfjHrQprFYMwJNucPAWnT5RLa9mSBDwjnuleGOWa4OfkIWPNHOrYUoy5OhFMHPe_CpMsWYJ1LpeRMZNkRKJZxMdgvNRztfipSW7MvHkiy8X-cIxeUN5n0U_UAgTNgDeJ/s320/nickandmadis.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">"Madis loved his new book....<br />Nick had to read it 5 times!"<br />Photo and quote by Dagnija<br />Meyer.</span></td></tr>
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2011 was also riddled with grief having lost two loved ones over the summer. Now that a few months have passed, I can look back and see how those experiences expedited my personal growth...seriously like driving on the emotional Autobahn. My heart cracked, but overtime this made room for a greater sense of compassion, patience, and fearlessness about things I would otherwise avoid (like performing a solo dance piece and playing my first solo music gig shortly after these deaths). These experiences also transformed certain friendships, either for the better or worse (it seems as if death can either repel or attract support).<br />
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I thank 2011 for the following: my solo show at local gallery space, for giving me the time to master the most delicious lentil soup, new friendships, my community, and the space to nurture all friendships, for teaching me that it's safe to speak up for myself and to let go of controlling things that I cannot, for all of the long bike rides, sunsets, and epic views of the ocean and islands from the mountains, and most importantly, thank you for teaching me true forgiveness. You were an intense year, one of simultaneous loss and prosperity. I see 2012 as a part of this continuum of time, refreshing and releasing.<br />
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I ended "last year" with a gorgeous hike in the Santa Barbara mountains with friends during the day. When night struck, I put on my dancing shoes and boogied the night away with my love. As self-employed folk, we tend to work long hours and weekends, so fun time can take the back-burner more than we would like. Being able to boogie into 2012 felt like the right way to start the new year!<br />
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As far as New Years resolutions go, I am going to follow the advice of a recent horoscope and adopt the following lightheartedly:<br />
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1) Prioritize: resting, relaxing, playing, and dancing.<br />
2) Practice ukulele 15-20 minutes a day and then once a week for an hour.<br />
3) Learn more about other religions and spiritual practices.<br />
4) Perform my music locally.<br />
5) Blog.<br />
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So, I already started #5 and #4 is already under way (I am performing one song this Friday on my ukulele at a local event on Friday, see my calendar of events). As far as #1 goes, I made sure to sleep a lot yesterday, so there ya go! I'm already starting this all out on the right foot.
There are several other things that I could add to that list, but they feel more like they belong on my to-do list...you know, career oriented and day-to-day things...going to more SCBWI conferences, expanding my elementary illustration/cartooning class regionally, get a guinea pig, paying the internet bill on time, etc, etc. I wouldn't want to bore you so soon since this <i>IS</i> my first blog entry since 2005 or something.
I am truly looking forward to building a little community over here, so say hello, follow me, and let me know what your thinkin'!<br />
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Here's to a bright 2012!
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Yours Truly,
MollyculesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05720297495859147169noreply@blogger.com0