From this to that...

If I'm totally honest I would tell you that I was already overweight when I got pregnant for the second time. So when I gained sixty pounds (60 pounds!) while I was pregnant, the end result was not one I was comfortable with. I tried going to the gym, but never stuck with it enough. My schedule with late night feedings and working full time made it hard to prioritize the gym. This is an issue I am still working on to this day. My diet, however, was something I could change right away. So I did. Almost cold turkey, too. I decided one day to start juicing and to try to eat as much raw, vegan food as possible. No bread, no sugar and no dairy was my new mantra. I started following people like FullyRawKristina and TheRawBoy on Instagram and finally watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Netflix. I was hooked, this was the life for me. I juiced and juiced and chopped and ate and lost 30 pounds in 4 months. That's without working out on any sort of regular schedule at all. So imagine IF I actually worked out! I still have weight to lose and I'm still working on it. Every day. Its a battle. Sometimes I LOVE looking in the mirror at what I now look like. Sometimes I hate that I still have so far to go and verbally berate the image I see before me, in my mind. We all do that, I think. I don't like it, though, and I want to stop. So I have decided today I am just going to be kind to myself. To be positive and supportive and constantly working towards and looking forward to the future by remaining grounded in the awesomeness of the present. After all, I have at least gone from this....to that...

And I'm pretty happy about that. :) This isn't even a really recent transformation pic, its just the most recent I have. Onward and upward...

The Power of ONE...

I got married young. Even by Utah standards, two twenty-year-olds getting hitched is something you politely smile at, but secretly condemn in your mind. Not because you aren’t happy for said Bride and Groom, but because in “the Real World” we all know that most marriages these days seem to end poorly, and young people aren’t exactly the best decision makers. Even still, we were certain that we were destined to be together and thus, our union began waaaay back in June of 1997.

Three years later I found myself unexpectedly pregnant. The timing couldn’t have been worse. We had recently moved from Salt Lake City, Utah to St. George, Utah (a small town in the South West corner of Utah, about 2 hours North of Vegas) in an attempt to get halfway to Los Angeles. Remember what I said about young people not being great decision makers? Yeah, this move was one of a slew of bad choices. Why on Earth we didn’t just move all the way to LA at this time is beyond me, but we didn’t. We were living with my parents, looking for jobs and trying to find a decent apartment we could afford. The job market in this town was not great and since neither of us had finished college, it seemed like our options were numbered. I dreamt I was pregnant. Then, I realized that I was “late”. Like, three weeks late. Scary late. There is no way this doesn’t mean something, late. Too scared to say anything to anyone without confirmation, I secretly purchased an EPT Pregnancy test and waited for the results. The second line appeared the MOMENT I peed on that dang stick. No waiting two minutes, no, I was seriously knocked up. I went upstairs to tell my husband, fighting back the tears. I sat on the bed and blurted out “I’m pregnant!” and started sobbing. My husband, startled, said “You are?” and I looked up to see a huge grin sprawling across his freckled face. I never cried about being pregnant again.

My memories of my pregnancy, labor and delivery of my first daughter are a little spotty at best. It’s been almost 12 years now. Being pregnant at 23 is very interesting. You’re pretty much in the prime of your fertility, young, vivacious and full of energy. Despite constant nausea the first 3 months, the pregnancy went very smoothly. I liked my OB and was planning for a standard vaginal delivery in the local hospital. We took the only birthing class offered, read some books and got as prepared as we could. Somewhere along the way I decided to have a “natural, un-medicated delivery”. Partially because I thought of myself as a badass who could “handle anything” and partially because my Mother had delivered both of HER children with no drugs and if she could do it, well, so could I.

I went into labor on a Sunday. I was only 37 weeks, but a sudden small trickle of water presented itself as I dried my hair that morning. Not sure what was up, we went and walked laps at the mall. The trickle continued and my OB said to check into the hospital. At this point I had not felt one, single contraction. We got to the hospital and were told that I was dilated to 3 centimeters and my water had broken, but my daughter’s head was so far down that she was blocking the release of waters. Thus, they wanted to break my water for me. Sure, I thought, might as well get this show on the road…So the nurse put this plastic tube inside of me, and then this thing that can only be described as a very menacing looking knitting needle, and pierced my bag of waters for me. The warm water came gushing out and with it a sense of excitement took over. This was really happening!

We were checked in and sent to our room. I was excited and comfortable and ready to meet my daughter. The contractions started coming, finally, and at first they didn’t hurt really. Just sort of felt like a wave of cramping in my abdomen, like when you have your period (or, for men, like when you have diarrhea – sorry, but it’s true!). Nurses I had never met kept coming in to CHECK me (and by CHECK I mean stick their hands right on up inside my holiest of holies to see if I had dilated further) and I was hit with the feeling that, for some reason, we needed to hurry up and have this baby. At least, they made it seem that way. There was this tremendous emphasis on timing, and if I was fitting into their little timing bubble. Apparently, I was not, because I was told that because I wasn’t “progressing fast enough” they were going to put me on the drug Pitocin to “help move things along”. I didn’t object, I mean, these are professionals, right? So the synthetic hormone Pitocin (medicalized form of Oxytocin, the “Love Hormone” that we all have that triggers childbirth and abounds when we are happy or loving) was hooked into my IV and pushed into my veins.

Pretty much the moment the Pitocin kicked in, my contractions heated up. The intensity level raised and they were just one on top of the other with no reprieve. The Anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural. I told him no thank you, I was going natural. He laughed and said he would rather not come back later, so why not just get the epidural now? Un-thwarted by his schemes, I sent him away and toughed it out. An hour went by, seemingly the longest and most painful hour of my life. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t do anything but focus on the pain. The nurses wouldn’t even let me get out of bed and walk around, so I was stuck there, writhing on my back. The blood pressure cuff was loud and painful, too, and constantly wrapped around my arm. The lights were bright and harsh and I was not having any sort of Zen birthing experience. The nurses kept pushing me to “just get the epidural”…and by the third time they brought it up I happily accepted their offer. The anesthesiologist was smug, to say the least, as he inserted his large needle into my spine. The relief it offered was instant, however, and from that point forward I handed my birth over to the medical people at the hospital. I was their puppet. I was no longer having this baby; it was as if they were having it for me. I could feel nothing from the waist down. They kept on checking me and I was finally told it was time to push. So, lying in the bed with a nurse holding each leg I did what I thought was pushing. It’s hard to say, I couldn’t feel anything! Somehow, however, they worked their magic and without me feeling a single thing, my baby was delivered.

My beautiful daughter Isabella entered this world right before midnight on November 5th, 2000, cone-headed and perfect, after a mere hour of pushing. My Husband cut the cord, my Mom cried and all was well in the world. I rejoiced in her awesome-ness and immediately fell in love with her. This experience for me was not bad, not really, but it wasn’t spectacular. It wasn’t what I had imagined and it certainly made me want to do things different “the next time around”. I had spoken with women who had felt all sorts of feelings of empowerment with their births; they used words like “awe-inspiring” and “incredible” to describe the process. Those words didn’t even come into my mind. No, this birth experience made me feel, in one word, inadequate. It was as if I had no part in the process, I wasn’t really even needed. Strange, really, to feel that way about your own labor and delivery, but there it was. Over the years I got over it. I mean who cares WHAT your labor and delivery is like as long as you have a healthy Mom and Baby, right? That’s what they tell you anyways. Not sure that’s always 100% true…

February 2012 Art Giveaway!

February 2012 Art Giveaway - 2 prints (2 winners) of my Turkish Paper Marbling piece "Bubble Tree"! Just comment the picture on my Facebook Art page (details below) for your chance at winning! No limit to the number of times you can try :)

Bubble Tree (Turkish Paper Marbling Series)
8.5" x 11" Archival Print on Paper

Two winners will be drawn to receive their own PRINTS! Just comment this photo on my Facebook Art Page (details below) to enter your name, no limit to the number of entries! Winner to pick up from me or pay for shipping :)

TO VOTE FOR THE GIVEAWAY ART:
My Facebook Art Page - you have to "like" it in order to vote

Then, once you have "liked" my Facebook Art Page, go to the PHOTO and comment it!

PRIMAL FORCES: A Journey Into Abstraction at FINSTER STUDIO GALLERY!

This Saturday evening from 7 to 10, February 11, 2012, I am showing a bunch of my artwork at Finster Studio Gallery, a funky little shop on Figueroa in the old neighborhood, right next to Footsies. The show is called "PRIMAL FORCES: A Journey Into Abstraction" and is a solo showing of artwork by yours truly!

When I say this awesome place is next to Footsies, I mean it is literally, NEXT DOOR to Footsies...and just a few doors down from Atacor (home of the BEST tacos de papa in the WORLD!!). Should be pretty killer. Admission is free and there will be free wines and cheeses...mmm, wines and cheeses :) I plan on heading over before the opening and checking out the digs - they have lots of cool vintage items for sale from mid-century furniture to designer second hand purses to...? Afterwards, tacos de papa, of course!

Finster Studio Gallery
2638 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA


Also, this show is part of the NELA Art Walk! So, you know, that makes it even COOLER!

Me and my husband meeting with the owners of Finster, showing them some of my work.

Week 2 Art Discount

Discounted art work for the week of January 16th - January 22nd 2012

Gallery priced at $350 - DISCOUNTED TO $100 for one week only! First come first serve. Buyer to pick up from me in person or pay shipping ($15)

Bone Tree

6" x 24" Acrylic on Wood Panel

All rights reserved. ©2011 Melissa May Curtis

January 2012 Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk!!!

I am showcasing 8 pieces of fine art as a part of this month's Downtown Los Angeles ART WALK!

My art will be on display at 2nd Street Cigars Lounge and Art Gallery located at 124 W. 2nd Street in downtown LA for the next month.

There are countless artists, galleries and shops participating in this monthly event, so please go check it out and see and buy some amazing fine art!

Downtown Art Walk

Peacock Rising painting time lapse

Peacock Rising

I painted this piece this afternoon, and sold it almost immediately. It was one of my quickest sales ever :)

Peacock Rising

4" x 12" Acrylic on Canvas

SOLD

Whats really cool is that my husband filmed a time-lapse video of me painting it (from above) from start to finish. I will be posting that next!

January 2012 Art Giveaway and Week 1 Art Discount!

So to kick off 2012 I have decided to do things a little different with my art...to SPICE things up a bit, and make my Facebook Art page a little more fun and interactive and get more of my art out into the world and YOUR homes! :)

On the 1st Saturday of each month I will be posting a photo of a piece of my original art that I will be GIVING AWAY that month! That's correct, GIVING AWAY! In order to participate in each month's giveaway you just have to comment the photo of the painting that is up for grabs, its that EASY! Each comment enters your name one time. At the end of the month we will hold a drawing and the winner will be announced and notified. Each winner will have to either pick up the art from me in person, or pay for shipping, but either way, should be a fun way to get some FREE ART!!!

Also, each WEEK I will be showcasing one piece of art that will be HEAVILY DISCOUNTED just for that week. If you are interested in buying the art of the week, you simply need to comment the photo of the piece and send me a message. This will be done on a first come, first serve basis. If the piece is not sold, then it will return to regular price and simply go back in the mix for later selling or renting.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

TO VOTE FOR THE GIVEAWAY OR PURCHASE THE DISCOUNTED ART:
My Facebook Art Page - you have to "like" it in order to vote

GIVEAWAY ART JANUARY 2012

Purple Rain

4" x 4" Acrylic On Canvas

This mini abstract on canvas (4" x 4") is the first piece of art I will be giving away in 2012. It was painted with acrylic paints and has a coat of shiny resin over it.

In order to have your name entered in the drawing, simply comment this photo! Each comment enters your name one time, comment as many times as you like!

The winner will be announced at the end of the month, winner to pick up this painting personally, or pay for shipping ($10).
GOOD LUCK!

All rights reserved. ©2010 Melissa May Curtis


DISCOUNTED ART WEEK 1 JANUARY 7-14 2012

Colt. Killer. Baby
(Inspired by Colt .45)

12" x 10.5" Mixed Media on Masonite Panel - for this piece I used lots of spray paint and a hand-made stencil on masonite, covered with a high gloss varnish.

All rights reserved. ©2011 Melissa May Curtis

Discounted art of the week - Week of January 7 - January 14 2012 -

Gallery priced at $350 - DISCOUNTED TO $90 for one week only! First come first serve. Buyer to pick up from me in person or pay shipping ($15)

2011 Semi-Final Hollywod RAWAwards...and why they suuuuucked

My "Weapons of Mass Destruction" series

Ok, let me first start this post by saying that as an artist, I am generally thrilled to be able to showcase my work somewhere, anywhere, and NOT have to pay a fee to do so. I have paid fees before, for venues I thought were "worth it" and not made any sales at those venues, so generally I steer clear of that sort of thing. When you are an emerging artist, such as myself, sometimes you have no other choice but to pay...so you do...and that is EXACTLY what I did when I FIRST showcased with the Hollywood RAWArtists back in February of 2011. The rules were simple, as a showcasing artist I had to "promote the show and sell tickets". How, you may ask? Well, by essentially bugging my nearest and dearest friends and family to buy tickets to the venue at $10 a pop. In order to do so they had to go to the RAWartists website and order them there (being sure to select my name from the drop down menu so I would get credit) and pre-pay to get their names on a guest list. If, by the week of the show, this had not occurred 20 different times, I was then forced to "buy out" the remainder of the 20 tickets with my own money, or I couldn't showcase. This seemed a little unorthodox to me, but I wanted to showcase. What if I just buy all 20 spots from the get go? I asked...Well, then I get an OPEN GUEST LIST - as many of my friends, family, associates, etc... could then attend on my guest list without paying a dime. This is the option I went for at this initial February show, and I feel that my $200 was very well spent since I sold a $1,000 painting that night. The venue was certainly NOT an "art" venue, however. A dark night club with limited wall space and nowhere cohesive to really show things off, it was more suited for the music and fashion acts that were on the stage below. The drinks were outrageously expensive, but after all, it WAS a Hollywood club, so I suppose that is to be expected. Given the number of artists showcasing times a minimum of $200 each, plus whatever they negotiated with the house, I am assuming RAW made out pretty well in the end.

Eye of the Storm, Rise in Perfect Light, Starwars Trilogy, Midnight Voyage and Birth of Venus

Fast forward to the Fall of 2011 and the RAWAwards are announced. Everyone who showcased is automatically entered and two weeks of online voting decides who makes it to the semis. To my surprise, I made it to the semis and top 5 artists in Hollywood. Very cool! However, it saddened me because it was just a popular vote, whomever has the most friends wins...nothing to really do with talent or artistic merit. Even still, a great honor to make it that far and I was more than happy to participate. The good news about this show is that we showcasing artists were not "required" to sell 20 tickets. Score one for artists! The bad news is all our friends and people in attendance have no choice but to buy tickets at $10 each to get in. So, once again, RAW is making money off of ME promoting this show to my friends and family and followers. I get it, we all want to make money, but art shows, especially ones revolving around a contest of sorts, should have free entry if you are gonna charge for drinks. I'm just saying...The other catch? The WINNER in each category is decided by a popular vote taking place that night, at the semifinal show! So again, another popularity contest! Again, nothing to do with real talent or artistic merit, just whomever has the most people willing to pay $10 and show up WINS. Bummer.

My own take on the "Starwars Trilogy"

They way they orchestrated this bit of genius was by giving each person coming in the door a strip of stickers - each sticker was of a different color and had a picture on it - a paint brush for the art category, lips for the makeup category, etc... Each of us showcasing artists were given a blank paper to fill with stickers - so each person in the door was supposed to go around, look at everything and then decide who to give their one sticker to, in each category. An okay idea at best, but only if a few things happen...1) Everyone showcasing is given the same amount of wall space 2) Everyone showcasing is set up in a ROW, side by side 3) Everyone showcasing is not allowed to HUSTLE for stickers....Not one of these three things was in effect. I was lucky, I scored a primo spot right in the entrance - so everyone coming in had no choice but to see my work. However, some artists had their art upstairs, or hanging in the bar area or surrounding the stage. One poor girl had all her art on the left hand side way at the back of the club...by the time the show had been going 30 minutes the place was so packed that no one could even GET to where her art was located, let alone vote for her. One fellow, who's art was hanging on both sides of the dimly lit dance floor, was standing at the entrance of the club asking each person who came in for their art sticker - before they had even had a chance to see anyone art at all! The sad part is, even with this unfair "hustle" he didn't even get close to winning. People were trading stickers - I'll give you my art sticker for your accessories one...etc... It was sad, unfair and unsportsmanlike. As the night wore on and I talked to the few serious art patrons that were there, I became disenchanted with the whole process. My own friends and husband, with the best of intentions, started "hustling" for stickers for me! It was a nice gesture on their part, to be sure, but not the way I wanted to do business or win. And I didn't win, which was fine. The girl that did win in my category was adorable, and she beat me by a good 30-40 stickers, so its not like it was even close. However, I'm not upset that I didn't win, I'm upset that it seemed really unfair. The girl across the entry from me had just moved to LA a few months back, and her art was AWESOME - yet she didn't know enough people in attendance to get more than about 20-30 stickers, and as a true artist, she didn't feel like hustling and cheating for extra votes. I don't blame her.

Very pregnant me and my guns

Looking back I felt cheated, in a way, by the whole process. Cheated that RAW made money off of my friends, cheated that the layout wasn't indicative of an equal or fair representation of each artist showcasing, cheated in the way the voting was handled and carried out. Most of all I felt cheated that it had absolutely nothing to do with the ART itself, and everything to do with popularity. While I do suppose that IS a part of self-promotion, in a contest setting how many friends you have shouldn't decide whether you win Artist of the Year or not, you know?

No matter what, I do so love being an artist!

Sound Affects Art Show at Think Tank Gallery in LA

We had a WONDERFUL time at the Sound Affects Art show at Think Tank Gallery in downtown Los Angeles! It was a really cool scene that had amazing art, killer music and an all around great energy. I was really thrilled to be a part of it and liked the whole concept of art and music together in a cohesive environment....

Here is a photo of 5 months pregnant me next to my painting "Of Chimneys and Crows"

And here is a photo of my buddy and my husband (hubby on the right) in front of my painting "Symphonie de la Lune"

Now, the one thing about this show that I maybe DIDN'T like was the fact that they didn't really think through the whole music and art thing. They had all of us artists submit MP3s of the specific songs we listened to WHILE we painted the actual paintings in the show. Upon arrival at the gallery guests checked out MP3 players and headphones and were able to listen to the songs while viewing the paintings - each painting had an assigned number that corresponded with the correct song number in the playlist. A cool idea...EXCEPT that they ALSO had a live band playing. This totally interfered with the music on the headphones! It was really kind of lame, to be honest. I couldn't concentrate on any of the music in the headphones, or the art. When the live band took a break I was super stoked, but then a live DJ started spinning! Again, it completely interfered and really made it hard to get into the art. For me anyways.

So, all in all, a cool night that I was glad to be a part of, but a slight disappointment in the execution.

MM

LIfe of Dad Pregnancy Guide - Stay Cool

Here is an awesomely funny video I was fortunate to be a part of....It was really fun to shoot and these Life of Dad guys are amazing!



For more funniness, visit www.lifeofdad.com

MM

I have THREE awesome art shows coming up!!!

Its becoming a busy time of year for me and my art, and believe me, I'm not complaining! I feel so blessed and lucky, its been an amazing ride :)

First, I was one of the 150 artists officially selected to showcase work in "Peace Rises" the 2011 Peace Project exhibit. This amazing exhibit showcases peace-themed art and photography from all over the world and travels to galleries in California, New York and Africa. Proceeds from the sales go towards the rehabilitation of people (mostly children) that have been ravaged by the strife in Sierra Leone. The Gala Opening of "Peace Rises" in Los Angeles has already passed, but it will go to Orange County on November 4th, 6-9:30pm, at Expo Arts Center, 4321 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, CA. For more information, visit The Whole 9. Admission is free.

The piece I have as a part of this exhibit is my photo, Treasure of Wishes.

Second, I am excited to be showing two paintings in "Sound Affects Art" 2-night event. This event will host the works of over 40 artists, 7 bands, live painters, video visual artists, and more. Art patrons in attendance will be given mp3 players and quality headphones, enabling them to take the "Sound Affects Art Journey". This journey takes you through the gallery and through your mind as you view art from over 40 artists who have completed work to music of their choice. Listen to the music the artists listened to and connect with their inspiration. The show is on November 4th and 5th, 6pm-2am, Think Tank Gallery, 939 Maple Ave. #200 Los Angeles, CA. For more information visit Sound Affects Art. Cost is $10 at the door.

The pieces I have as a part of this exhibit are my paintings, Of Chimneys and Crows and Symphonie de la Lune

Last, but certainly not least, I have been nominated for Artist of the Year representing Hollywood in the 2011 RAWards! I beat out a multitude of talented artists in the first round of online voting to become one of only 5 semi-finalists in the Art category. We will all be showcasing and competing together along with the semi-finalists in the other categories (photography, performing art, music, etc..) and a LIVE VOTE at the end of the night will determine who makes it to the Finals! I need all the support and votes I can get, so please come out and see this amazing, eclectic show! The show is on November 17th, 6:30pm-Midnight, The Playhouse, 6506 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA. For more information and to buy tickets early at a discount, visit RAWArtists Hollywood Showcase. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 the week of and $20 at the door. 21+ only, cocktail attire.

I'm not sure exactly which pieces I will be showing at this event, yet, but I am leaning towards my paintings Woman Emerging, Sweets to the Sweet and Bonjour Petit Ami, for starters.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read all this, and I HOPE to see you at a show!!!

MM

You do not know HELL until you have attended a Middle School Talent Show

Sure, some of the kids are talented enough, but you can be certain that their mics won't be set at the appropriate volume. Volume. Now there's a word. There's a word that means nothing to girls aged 11-14. Their tones know no boundaries and my eardrums are writhing. There is no A/C in the auditorium. At least, not one that is turned on. I'm sorry to say but the majority of the contestants would leave American Idol in tears after Simon berated them for even thinking they could sing...but with kids, you know, you've gotta be supportive. Even if that means telling bald face lies. This show should just be renamed "The Singing, Dancing or Playing an Instrument Show", because that's all there is. Not one acrobat, magician or stand up comedian in the whole bunch. I went to be supportive of my own kiddo, and of course I am proud. That is what you do when you're a parent, you go and sit through this crap for the 3 minutes of glory that is your own offspring. Then, you do the "Ducking out at Intermission" move if you were lucky enough to have your kid perform in the first act...as was the case with me. Thank the Lord.

I will admit that I did take about a million pictures of the event. Here is my shot of the day, I think its a stunner.

MM

Ready to Sing - © 2011 Melissa May Curtis

10 Things I have learned with this Pregnancy

The moment I found out I was pregnant, I started doing my research. We hadn’t been trying to get pregnant, so I hadn’t done any of those typical female things like start watching “A Baby Story” or begin scouring every parenting website available. Once I got that extra line, however, everything changed. Within less than a week I had pretty much made up my mind about what kind of birth I wanted. By that time I had researched, read, compared, discussed, chatted and googled every possible question, concern and detail that I could come up with. And to be honest, I have never stopped. A great portion of my day is still spent reading about being pregnant, and thinking about my own pregnancy. After these past four months, I have learned some things and a few of them stand out.

1. Everyone having a baby should find the time to watch the movies “The Business of Being Born” and “Babies”.

The Business of Being Born

Babies

2. Lucky for us, there are many different birthing options available nowadays! These include:
• Home Birth in the privacy of your own home with a Midwife/Doula. This is for low risk pregnancies only (but VBAC is possible!), where the Mom and Baby are healthy and strong. No pain medication will be administered (natural childbirth) and Mom will have to use a relaxation technique such as Hypnobirthing to work through the surges of labor and delivery. Statistically this is the most popular choice in most of the Nations of the World and is gaining popularity in America.
• Birthing Center Birth at the Birthing Center of your choosing with a Midwife/Doula. This is mainly for low risk pregnancies (but VBAC is possible!), but it is in a more hospital like environment . This is also a natural childbirth. Statistically this option is gaining popularity in America.
• Hospital Birth at the hospital of your choosing with a Midwife and/or an OB/Gyn. This is for both low and high risk pregnancies. Mom can choose whether to go natural or to have an epidural. Statistically this is the most popular choice in America.
• Induction/C-Section Birth at the hospital of your choosing with an OB/Gyn. This is typically to be considered when there is a medical necessity. Statistically it is recommended that the C-Section rate of any industrialized nation be less than 15%. It is currently over 30% in America. This is argueably believed to be because of the medicalization of the birth process and the need to make it profitable, controllable and easy for Medical Professionals, Hospitals and Insurance Companies.
• Unassisted birth at your home with no help other than your spouse/partner. This is for low risk pregnancies only where Mom has given birth before and it is recommended that she be medically trained. Statistically this is very rare in most industrialized nations and could potentially pose the most risks out of all the options listed. Not recommended.

3. Only you can decide what you are comfortable with, so do your research, get educated and then do what you think is best for you and your baby. Don’t let anyone else tell you what to do in this detail. Write out your birth plan and stick to it.

4. Its your birth, you will remember it forever, but your OB or Midwife, the Nurses, etc…won’t. People will tell you that the only thing that matters is having a healthy baby at the end. This is not necessarily true – the healthy Baby (and Mom) is the MOST important thing, but it is not the only thing that matters. Its our body and our birth, we should be informed about what is happening to us and we should be able to make the final decisions. We should feel connected to ourselves and our bodies and our babies throughout the entire process and it should be joyous, not scary. The pain doesn’t have to be scary, it can be an exhilarating part of the process if we just relax and trust ourselves.

5. Don’t agree to unnecessary interventions. Birth is a natural process that knows how much time it needs. Birthing a baby is one of the essential reasons you are a woman. Your body and your baby know when its time to go into labor, trust them. Trust yourself. This is an amazing miracle of an experience, don’t fear it, embrace it.

6. Your body and your baby know what to do, relax.

7. Be honest about what you want and how you feel, about everything.

8. Practice and don’t give up. Whether its self-hypnosis for Hypnobirthing or breastfeeding once the baby arrives, relax and keep trying.

9. Your Spouse/Partner has thoughts, fears and opinions that are sometimes overlooked. Its their baby, too, make sure they are heard. Talk often and be honest.

10. Relax. This is the most important thing I think I have learned. Just to relax and know that its all going to be ok in the end and you should enjoy every bit of this amazing process.

I am looking forward to giving birth a second time. I am counting down the days with anticipation, hopefulness and a little fear, to be honest. I guess that’s normal.

MM

I’m not part of the 1%, but I’m not so sure about the 99%

I only know my own experiences and opinions. There are people occupying Wall Street and I don’t entirely understand why. Protesting Capitalism in the USA? Protesting the greed of Bankers, Congress and the whole financial system? Wall Street is greedy? Is this new news? What does that say about me? Where does my little Los Angeles family fit into the equation? We have a bit of debt, I won’t lie, and we aren’t homeowners. We live in a Townhouse that we rent. I am a painter and I work part time at an art gallery so our daughter doesn’t have to go to daycare. We have a baby on the way. My husband is self-employed and travels for work almost all of the time, but he makes a good living. We pay for private medical insurance but opted out of dental because it was too pricey. We have a wonderful life, I admit. I love it. That being said, I still want to be rich, sorry, but I do.

I want a house on the beach with whitewater views that has plenty of room for me, my husband, my kids, my pets, some guests, and ALL our hobbies and passions. I want a home in Utah to stay at when I go visit. I want to spend winters in Salt Lake City, every year. I want spring in St. George. I want the school year in LA. I want to travel the world and see new places and meet new people. I want to learn and learn and learn, just take classes all the time, but not for a degree and a career, just because I want the damn information. I want to play with my kids all the time in our yard. I want to paint all day, and be in theatre shows, and audition and take my kids to their classes and school functions and volunteer for the PTA. I want to write with my husband, all day sometimes, and have tons of great sex with him whenever I want. In order to obtain all of these things, I would have to be rich. Sigh. So, there is my confession. I want to be rich because the life I covet requires such. Yet I do not trust the system I have to rely upon in order to obtain wealth. I am taught that to covet material things is bad, it means you are a shallow person, it is wrong. Quite the conundrum.

Perhaps it is my ignorance, but I don’t know what it even means to BE the damn 99%. All I know is everyone took part in getting us to this point. Well, just about everyone. I don’t know that much about a lot of the facets of this situation, but I know that the people are angry, the people are fired up and the people are demanding change. I think THAT, in and of itself, is pretty cool. I love a good revolution, but I don’t know what to think about this one.

I worked in the Mortgage industry as first a Loan Processor, then a Loan Officer, then a self-employed Processor/Loan Officer for a total of 10 years. There wasn't a loan that I personally sold to a client that I don't stand behind. I explained everything to my clients, in layman’s terms, and they all asked about a million questions. They all signed several pages of loan documents and were given full copies to take home. They knew what they were getting into, and it wasn't that hard to understand. The caveat here is that I worked in La Canada and 90% of my clients were very wealthy. Not a true portrayal of average Americans. Most of these clients made over $250,000 a year and were refinancing their mortgages to take cash out to do things like remodel their homes, buy second homes, pay off other debts, etc…. This is not true for all people, however, and I know that there was a lot of shady business going on by a lot of shady Mortgage professionals.

Over the years I personally witnessed changes in the guidelines for what was needed to qualify for a home loan. It used to be that the borrowers had to prove their income by providing original copies of taxes, bank statements, paychecks, etc… then you had to add up all of the person’s debts (including their housing expenses), and divide them by the total gross income for the month. If more than 30% of their income was being used, they did NOT qualify for the loan. End of discussion. The amount of money in their checking and savings accounts was tallied and you had to have a certain amount of savings in “reserve” (this was a safety feature to make sure people could continue to pay their mortgage and bills, even if they lost their job). They had to be at their current job for a minimum two years, no exceptions. They had to have a good credit score. They had to put at least 20% down when they bought the home. All of these guidelines changed with the increasing usage of the internet. Suddenly you could collect personal data in a matter of minutes; you didn’t have to wait for hard copies from borrowers. Everything was available at your fingertips. The whole system started to rely on credit scores over actual money, thinking that if someone had a good credit score then it was just logical that they had enough money to pay their bills. You didn’t even have to send a hard file to the Bank anymore to get a loan approval, you simply had to enter the parameters of the loan into an automated, online system, that would run it through a program and tell you the statistical odds of this person defaulting on the loan – if they weren’t likely to default, then they had a loan. No questions asked. No real documentation had been validated by a human being at this point, and the banks were issuing APPROVALS!

Banks let self-employed people “state” their income – meaning they could SAY they made however much they wanted, and didn’t have to provide one shred of evidence to prove it. Then they started letting employed people on salary or hourly pay also “state” their income. Buuuuut, if you are on salary or hourly, you get a paycheck, and your pay is what it is. There is no need for you to have to “state” anything! Lenders and Banks just kept getting more lenient with the conditions required to get the loan closed. It just got easier and faster to close a loan. Everything was happening in days instead of weeks. So much money was being lent. I once closed a purchase transaction for an older couple who’s credit scores were so high (we’re talking 820+) that even though they hadn’t sold their current home (and both the payments on their old house that was for sale but not sold and the new home they were buying totaled up to almost double their monthly income) but the loan still approved on the system and they were able to close.

One day in about 2005 we closed a new kind of loan, our first negatively amortizing loan on a person's home. When the parameters of the loan were explained to me, I said out loud “That seems like a really stupid idea!” The whole idea was to give someone a loan that started out on an ultra low interest rate, thus making the payment super low. At first. After a set period of time, usually five years, the loan’s interest rate would change, perhaps going up or maybe going down, depending on what the market had done in that five years. Then, one was to assume that the payment could potentially go up a bit. Then every year after that, the loan would adjust again, the payment going up or down again, and so on. I said to my boss “But what if the payment goes up to a figure that you can no longer afford?” He said to me “The idea behind this loan is that in 5 years, you will be making MORE money than you are right now, with raises and whatnot, so she should be fine. Plus, her home will appraise for more in five years.” This woman was a recently divorced teacher who was about 5 years from retirement. Yeah, I don’t think her salary ever went up. Anyways, if you made just the minimum payment, over the life of the loan, you would eventually owe MORE than you started out owing. You could avoid this by making principal reduction payments or refinancing into a different loan once the initial five years were up. All of these guidelines made many assumptions including that people’s jobs would be solid and the economy would continue to thrive, that the housing market would continue to go up and up and up with no end in sight and that people with good credit will always be able to pay their mortgages. All of these assumptions were wrong. By the time this was figured out, it was too late.

Loans were being funded left and right, banks, escrow companies, title companies, mortgage companies, appraisers, EVERYONE was making millions off of the closing fees and points. People were refinancing their mortgages and adding equity lines of credit to take cash-out more than ever before. Everyone had cash to remodel, start a business, buy a car, or upgrade to an even larger house. Homes in LA County that had been purchased for $195,000 three years ago were appraising at over $500,000 – with buyers lined up! People were selling their condos in Culver City and buying mansions in Colorado. It was so easy for anyone to get a loan; people went nuts with the refinances. I saw people do it three times in a year! Plus, rates were the lowest EVER, so that just fueled the fire. It was INSANE! Everyone was greedy, everyone, including the consumers. They knew, they KNEW what they were getting into, but that money was soooo easy to get and it was right there for the taking. Everyone is to blame for this part of the problem.

Of course there were the people that just wanted to buy their first home and got swindled by that greedy Mortgage Broker. Of course there are innocents. They are the minority, I believe. A lot of people got out of hand here, and now EVERYONE is paying for it.

I left the mortgage business years ago after my own personal business venture, a Contract Loan Processing business, failed. Once the market turned and people stopped paying their mortgages, the banks hitched their britches back up and started to revert to the old standards of qualification. Only by that time, everyone was already over extended. So now people were STUCK in their inflated mortgages on homes that were no longer worth what they thought a year ago – now people were underwater and the mortgage companies wouldn’t touch their loans with 10-foot poles. The same borrowers that got solicitation calls from 20 mortgage brokers the second their credit was pulled couldn’t refinance into a better interest rate to save themselves $200 a month on their payment. Loans started taking weeks, months even, to close. No one was making money anymore. Appraisers were out of business, Mortgage Brokers, Processors, Loan Reps, Loan Officers, Real Estate Agents, Underwriters, and Escrow Officers, the WHOLE lot, laid off, out of work, victims of the industry that had been a cornucopia of wealth only a few short years ago. I don’t miss it. Not one bit. I hated working in an office, dressed in business casual every day. I hated the stress and the whole system.

After all the loans I have closed and the transactions I have seen, the one loan that is the most important has somehow eluded me – my own. After all the paychecks and commissions and bonuses, I never bought a house. My husband and I are good at saving, but bad at spending. With no family member or friend that can gift us a down payment, our quest for home ownership in LA has continually eluded us. I had pre-approved us for a loan at the height of the market, but my husband had been cautious of the high monthly payment we would have been committing to, and thank God for that! Had we bought a home then, assuming I would always be making the good mortgage bucks, and signed on to that $3,000 per month payment, I do believe my life would be a whole lot different right now. It would have been killer to have a nice house of my own for those few years, though. Damn it.

So I guess my whole point is it’s not just the big guys that fucked us here. I think consumers are responsible, too, and the people that facilitated the process, like me. We all had our part to play. So then what? How do we fix this? How do we fix us?

MM

Baby Baby Baby

© 2011 Melissa May Curtis

So we had our Ultrasound and this is the little being that is in my womb :)

MM

OMG, we're having a BABY!

After many years of secondary infertility, one surgery, hormone therapy and lots of gettin' it on, we are pregnant with our second child! This is the video of us letting B know she is going to be a big sister, now that she's in Middle School, LOL.

MM

Sound Affects Art 2 night event!

© Melissa May Curtis 2011

I am very pleased to announce that I have been invited to show some of my art at this show: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=227436990644375

This show is taking place at The Think Tank Gallery in LA. Attendees at the show will be given a pair of headphones and an MP3 playerl. They will view the art WHILE listening to the music that helped inspire the artists to paint it. I ALWAYS paint to music, so this was super easy for me! I have never been a part of anything like this and think its gonna be COOL! Hope the people of LA are down to join me and check out this show!

The Think Tank Gallery
939 Maple Ave. #200
Los Angeles, CA
11/4/11 and 11/5/11
7:00 pm to 2:00am

We will be going on Friday the 4th ONLY as Saturday the 5th is B's birthday :)

I will be showing two large paintings at this show. each 4 feet by 5 feet. The first is Of Chimneys and Crows, accompanied by the song Alberto Balsalm by Aphex Twin. The second is Symphonie de la Lune, accompanied by the song Alice by The Cocteau Twins. WTF is up with BOTH of my accompanying songs being from bands with the word "Twin" in their name? What are the odds? Either way, this show is gonna be awesome! Hope you can make it out. I hope to get some new fans on my pages and SELL SOME ART!!!

MM


© Melissa May Curtis 2011

Vote for ME to become Artist of The Year in the 2011 RAWards!!!

Hey Everyone!

I am thrilled to announce that I have been nominated for the 2011 RAWards "Artist of the Year" Award representing Hollywood!!!

I would really appreciate it if you would vote for ME!

To vote, first go here:

www.rawartists.org/register-vote

Then after you have quickly registered (they make you register, sorry, its not me!) go here:

http://www.rawartists.org/view-artists/userprofile/amcurtis77

That is my RAW profile. Click the "VOTE FOR THIS ARTIST" Box at the top middle of the page, above my name and you have voted! You can vote one time per day only.

I loved showcasing my work with RAW and had a wonderful showing. Voting is open to the public until October 15th. After that the top scorers in each city are narrowed down and then judged in a juried competition. I would really like the chance to have a professional jury look over and critique my work, but I need enough votes to get there, so please help me! Every vote counts - and like I said, you can vote once a day in each category, so I encourage you to vote for me and look at other profiles as well and return to vote again for your favorites...me!...Seriously. Also, invite your friends to check out my work and vote, I really appreciate it! :)

THANKS A MILLION!

Sincerely,
MM

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melissa-May-Curtis-Fine-Arts/180222519011

The Peace Project 2011 - Peace Rises

I am honored that one of my photographs was chosen to be a part of the The Peace Project 2011 - Peace Rises. The photo is called "Treasure of Wishes" and it is one that I took of my daughter and her best friend while hiking in the mountains of Southern Utah.

I hope you will join me as this exhibition tours California, New York and beyond..

This collective vision will be unveiled mid-October at The Whole 9 Gallery 9 in Los Angeles. The exhibit will subsequently make several other stops in Southern California before traveling to San Francisco, New York and London. An online exhibition will be held simultaneously. Confirmed appearances include:

* October 22 -- Gallery9, 6101 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA
* November 4 -- EXPO Arts Center, 4321 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, CA
* November 9 -- Swarm Gallery, 560 Second Street, Oakland, CA
* November TBD -- Gallery TBD, New York, NY
* January 7 -- Showcase Gallery, Santa Ana, CA


The traveling exhibit will include three elements:

Peace Project Mosaic

4’ x 4’ mosaic featuring ALL pieces submitted to this year’s Call for Artists. This mosaic will be similar to the one shown below which was created in 2010 and will illustrate the beauty and power and peace as seen collectively by thousands of artists around the world. Another mosaic will be used as part of an interactive art piece that will be taken to Sierra Leone and added to on World Peace Day.

Peace Project Grid

A grid will be created using 150 pieces selected by our jurors from all of the submissions. Each piece will be reproduced on 1 foot x 1 foot panels (30.5cm x 30.5cm) and arranged in a grid to underscore the multicultural implications of global peace, as well as reinforce the notion that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. American Easel is proud to support The Peace Project by donating it's handcrafted Painting Panels for this exhibit.

EMPOWERED PARTICIPATION

Both The Peace Project and The Whole 9 are conceived upon the philosophy of inclusion -- encouraging people from all cultures, religions, and creative walks of life, to participate, connect, share resources, and help find solutions for a better world.

Thanks,
MM