Can I get a "what what"?: Part II.

Like I said in an earlier post, lately I've been having happy bonuses and surprise gifts being given to me. Here's the documentation of a few more (I'll blog about even more fun things another day):

The day after I got back from my visit to California, I went to work an 8 hour shift at my job. I saw my boss and was pleased to learn that at the staff meeting I was voted as the "sales leader." This made me really happy, but what made me happier was that he presented me with an Easter basket full of chocolates!

This is a chocolate bunny that was included in the basket. The bunny's name is Sunshine, which makes me kind of sad...I don't want to eat a rabbit that has a name. It still has not been eaten.

Okay...This is one chocolate that made me laugh so much that I had to take a picture. This sheep be pretty gangsta, with his golden 5 cent chain and his finger counting/gang sign throwing.

But definitely the best part of the Easter Basket was the Spud Bunny Mr. Potato head that they gave me! He currently resides on my dresser.

Another day, Annie and I went to Wink cupcakes during their cupcake happy hour (which is 3-5, every Wednesday). I have never been there before, and knew that some sort of discount applied during happy hour, but didn't realize that the discount meant buy one get one free! Hurray!

Vanilla, Red Velvet, Hazelnut, and Peanut Butter Chocolate.

The Rebellion: finga' tats.

So, I've found a few more finger tattoos that are nice. This is good, because for a while I kept seeing really ugly finger tattoos (on places like MTV's True Life: I Hate My Face. Think Rihanna's "love" tattoo but smeary looking). I was doubting whether I wanted one or not, but these ones redeemed the idea.

I like the font of this one. Not too complex, simple, linear. I think in this photo it looks a tad bit smeary just because it was recently inked.

I love this one. Tiana, this is for you! (Get this tattoo!) The thing is, I saw a "smile" tattoo on the website a few weeks ago that looked better than this one was. The font was simpler and more crisp. But, this tattoo is still very charming.

Oh, a band-aid. Gross. But looking past that, this tattoo is kind of getting closer to my "ideal." I want something semi-significant, (at least) semi-religious, but simple and sweet. Being reminded of one's blessings in life is always a good thing! Finally, in completely un-related finger tattoo news:

OH MY GOSH HE HAS UV INK TATTOOS!

Can I get a "what what"?: Part 1

Lately I have been the happy recipient of some great "bonuses." For some reason, whenever this happens, this rap song lyric pops into my head..."Can I get a 'what what'?" Not sure why...I don't even know what song that is.

Mystery solved, it's from the Jay-Z song "Can I Get A..." Not sure how I am familiar with this song, but it seems fitting.

Anyway, a representative from Winsor & Newton came to my school to demo some new acrylic paints for my illustration class. My art teacher knew that we'd be interested in the demo and info session, simply because we'd be given free paints at the end. (She was right. Paint is expensive and we are all poor, private school students). We each got 3 full size tubes of artist's quality acrylic paint, one small tube of artist's acrylic, and acrylic matt medium. (P.S. I'm not sure why they spell matte as "matt." I've never heard of that before). The representative asked us a lot of questions about the paint, and since I answered a lot of questions (not because I am a goody-two-shoes, but because I have heard lectures on paint binders and pigments before and therefore knew what she was talking about), I got an additional full sized tube of acrylic paint! Here are the colors I got, plus the medium:

      

Napthol Red Medium, Permanent Rose, Azo Yellow Medium, and Phthalo Blue Red Shade. Cha ching!

The potential of these paints is really exciting to me. The woman demonstrated how easily mixable the three main sample paints would be. (Permanent Rose, Azo Yellow and Phthalo Blue Red Shade). Usually when mixing so called "primary" colors in order to get "secondary" colors, one becomes frustrated when their green looks dull, and their purple looks muddy. These specific shades don't really have that problem, so we, as sampler students, can experiment with mixing colors easily! That was thoughtful of them. Also, these paints are artist's quality, (as opposed to student grade) and loaded with pigments. I hope I can find some time to play around with them, and hopefully create something semi-decent, that doesn't need to be graded.

Stay tuned for part two of "CIGAWW", or, "happy bonuses."

I feel it.

Tonight, someone reminded me that...

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

-Alfred Lord Tennyson

I'm thankful that I have known love.

+/-

These are the bane of (today's) existence:

Soggy moccasins and wet feet (due to rain).

Book stores not carrying what you need.

Not getting paid on time.

Cold, uncomfortable libraries.

The prospect of missing cupcake happy hour at Wink.

Needing to read and report on two books that you do not own and have not read.

Positive things that balance out the day to make it tolerable:

Coffee at The Grinder with Elyse, Danny, and Josh.

Delving into the Old Testament with Professor Spina.

Waking up and having naturally messy hair.

A clean bill of health at my doctor's appointment!

Yummy breakfast: toasted everything bagel and pomegranate green tea.

Beautiful mist, drizzle, and fog.

We have the technology.

I need to re-establish healthy sleep habits.

I don't recognize when I am tired anymore. Honestly. I stay up until 2 feeling fairly awake, then sleep until 10 and wonder why I wasted my morning. I used to have great sleep habits: in bed by 10 and awake at 6, it was glorious. I hate wasting perfectly good daylight, so good sleep habits are important to me.

I am literally here talking myself into sleep. Yes, Heaven, you are tired. Your eyes have a heavy feeling: this is tired. Your mind is quieting down, and moving slowly. This is also tired.

It is 11:41. Goal: be in bed at/before midnight. GO!

Tee time

Lately I've become a fan of Threadless.

I don't own any of their shirts, but have heard about them for a long time, and I like their way of going about things.

First of all, Threadless primarily makes Tee Shirts, with the designs on the shirts being made by independent artists. They are not promoting a "brand" through their design, just the design itself! This leads to a lot of creativity in each shirt. For example, some shirts have UV activated ink, meaning that when one steps out into the sun while wearing the shirt, colors and designs will appear on the shirt that were hidden in the shade. Cool!

Here are some of my favorites:

Lions Are Smarter Than I Am, Infinity MPG, Friendly Beasts, The Cheshire (with and without UV activated ink), and Egyptronic!

Second, their shirts usually are printed on quality American Apparel tees, which I love. (Yeah, sorry if you hate American Apparel because of their business practices, but the fact of the matter is, their shirts are great quality.)

Also, some of their designs come printed as posters (such as Infinity MPG), and you can usually get the design printed on a onesie for any junior Threadless fans.

Also, you get free stickers with every order, and if you send in a photo of you wearing one of their shirts, you get something like $1 off your next purchase.

les lists

I've noticed that several of the blogs that I follow have been posting about lists. I love lists. I often make them, so I stay on track of tasks throughout the day. (I either make lists on notebook paper, in my planner, or on Google Tasks). It is very rare that I follow the list exactly however, but I at least try to start off with one, and see where my day goes.

I even wanted to get a list based planner for 2010, called Listography. (You might have seen their other books at Urban Outfitters. They are fantastic.) It describes "Your Life in Lists" and has great illustrations to go along with the personalized lists. 

Sample page from their website. This one asks you to list places that you've lived! :) I want to get one of their journals, it would be fun to fill out!

Anyway, at Meticulous Markings, Alexandra lists things that are the "bane of her existence." I can definitely relate to numbers 1, 2, 9, and 12. I kind of want to make my own "bane of my existence" list, maybe I will in a future post.

At Shellyisms, Shelly references a list of the best things in life, all of which I can agree on! (Especially the point about long hot showers, which are few and far between with my water heater).


Color Me Katie talks about 12 things that make her smile, and couples them with charming pictures! That girl is so creative.


Vanessa links to her YouTube vlog, where she lists all of the things that made her Monday a good day!

And finally, Madame Lamb sort of references a list, (this is kind of a stretch because actually it is more like a chart) of the evolution of modern art! It turns out to be very interesting and helpful.

Happy listing!

Duwamps

During the past hour and fifteen minutes, I have felt the most Seattle-ish than I have ever felt. Plus, I accomplished many things. Let me walk you through it.

First, I headed to Fremont for a meeting with my Craigslist job. I was supposed to meet them at 1, at by 12:57 I still had not left my apartment. (Fremont is about a 15 minute walk from where I live). I decided, on a whim, to ride my bike instead. I don't have a bike lock, so I never ride my bike alone, since I don't want it to get stolen. But I decided to do it anyway.

This is when I started to feel like a true Seattleite. It is an unseasonably warm, sunny day. I pedaled out into the sunshine and wham, it was magic. I realized that I love to bike.

Pause along the canal. I only had my phone camera so these pictures aren't the best.

(side note: I wore my hair in a large knot on the top of my head. This style is typical of the male Seattle hippie with long hair and/or beard, and even though I am not a man, I had fun "not caring" about what people thought of my hair.)

I got there, and told them that I couldn't handle the work load, and that I had to quit. They were really understanding about it, so I left the office feeling good.

Next, I decided to purchase a bike lock. If there are more sunny days like this ahead, I'm definitely going to need one. After checking at a local bike shop, (Wright Brothers Cycling, they were so helpful and nice. Photo here.), I saw that their locks were a little out of my price range. I decided to bike to Fred Meyer in Ballard.

 Piggy watering cans, found at Fred Meyer.

I have NEVER been to Fred Meyer. For those of you who don't know, Fred Meyer is the Wal Mart of Washington, but a little nicer. They have everything. It was amazing. I knew I couldn't spend a lot of time there, so I went straight to the sports section.

Bike locks are confusing. I ended up getting one with a "teflon" core, so bad-guys won't be able to cut through the rope. And unfortunately, they didn't carry the bike lock of my dreams: The snake lock.

Oh well :(

 

After that, I biked back along the canal trail, hit up Yak's in Fremont for a chicken and veggie humbow, and made my way back home. All in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

therapy

For me, crying is therapy. I cry over everything. I have determined that whenever I experience an intense emotion, whether it be happy or sad, I feel the need to cry. I just experience emotions really intensely.

Today I was in the bank, and "Linger" by The Cranberries came on. I haven't listened to that song lately, because, I mean, even when I wasn't in my current state, that song made me cry. But I decided to listen to it now, and share it with you. Another song to add to the list of redefined relevance.



But I'm in so deep. You know I'm such a fool for you.
You got me wrapped around your finger,
Do you have to let it linger?


Oh, I thought the world of you.
I thought nothing could go wrong,
But I was wrong. I was wrong.
If you, if you could get by, trying not to lie,
Things wouldn't be so confused and I wouldn't feel so used,
But you always really knew, I just wanna be with you.

On a slightly happier note, another song that keeps coming to mind is the Ditty Bops "All Over You." This song is precious in general (the Ditty Bops are precious in general) but it is also re-defined.




Every time I see your smile
It gives me a chill
I'm waiting for that cold embrace
To warm me still
To me you're everything except for mine

Sorry to get all sappy up in here.

por favor...

There is too much going on, and not enough time to do it all. The thing is, every task that I have to complete is important! I can't just "get rid" of the stress in my life, it is necessary that I do it all! Here is what I have been trying to accomplish:

Work at Cost Plus World Market: When I came back from California, my work scheduled me for a 24 hour week (which is great in terms of money) but not great in terms of adjusting to a new quarter. I had to work all of those shifts, take on 4 new classes, and adjust to being away from my family (which was very difficult). For this week, I worked 8 hour shifts on Monday, Friday and Saturday, and a 5 hour shift on Sunday, and am gearing up for another 5 hour shift today.

Craigslist online job: I have barely been able to do postings for the past 5 days, and have been fitting in small sessions of posting whenever I can. I do about 2 1/2 hours worth of postings every 48 hours. So, add about 10 hours of internet work on top of my work at Cost Plus, and you have about 34 hours worth of work, give or take 4 hours.

SPU: I have class on Monday/Wednesday/Friday from 11:00-12:20. On Tuesday/Thursday I have classes from 10:30-11:50, 2-4:20, and 5-7:20.

Homework: Project due Thursday, logic activities due tomorrow, 35 Biblical observations due Wednesday, illustration process due tomorrow.

Life: My room is a mess, I've needed to do laundry for about a week now, and I need to file my taxes.

I barely have time to eat, or see friends (which I'm finding is a daily necessity for personal sanity).

It's just too much.

edit: today I managed to complete 1 load of laundry, do the illustration process homework, go to class and work. Now, sleep.

studs.

I don't know why, but this evening my mind was wandering, and thought about Ferris Bueller's Day Off (one of my favorites), and then I remembered how incredibly handsome Charlie Sheen is in his bit part as the "boy in the police station." Then I was thinking about how my taste in "celebrity crushes" is quite unusual...Let's review.

Charlie Sheen: "Ferris Bueller," The Boy in the Police Station.

"You wear too much eye makeup. My sister wears too much eye makeup. People say she looks like a whore."

Prince: "Purple Rain," The Kid.

I have been very obsessed with seeing this movie (still haven't seen it), and it was on VH1 the other night, but I tuned in too late and didn't want to spoil the movie by only watching half of it. I am
looking forward to having a "Purple Rain Party" but I don't know when this will happen.
Also, I have a great desire to start modeling my life after his song "U Got the Look":

I never seen a pretty girl
look so tough

U got the look (U got the look)
U must'a took (U must'a took)
A whole hour just 2 make up your face, baby
Closin' time, ugly lights, everybody's inspected (Everybody's inspected)
But U are a natural beauty unaffected (Unaffected)
Did I say an hour?
My face is red, I stand corrected (I stand corrected)

Another thing, I have found new meaning and significance in the song "Purple Rain." Which is a little sad.

David Bowie:

He is always attractive to me. And I love his music. And him. And everything.

I guess I tend to form celebrity crushes on people with really distinct personas.

Speaking of Rothko...

"Red"

A play starring Alfred Molina as Mark Rothko.

It looks really interesting. And at the end of the article, they mention how Alfred Molina previously played Diego Rivera in Frida. I still haven't seen that movie! It's officially on my list now.

truth.

I was tooling around the internet and I found this image.

I hate when people are like, "wow, my 5 year old could do that!" when observing modern art. Or, as the above states, "I could do that." Again, the thing is, you didn't.

People really do not realize the careful thought and creative process, and struggle that artists go through in order to create a piece, even a simple one.

For example, here is a painting by Mark Rothko. Once you've seen one Mark Rothko, you've seen them all. They consist of rectangular blocks of color, paired together on a canvas. At face value, this is the painting, but so much more has gone into this painting. The colors of each rectangle are chosen very carefully, with color theory working at it's best in order to achieve a certain effect. While it may not be your favorite style of painting, it can still be appreciated, and I think should be appreciated. This is the case with so many modern artists.

I don't know. So much can be said about this subject. It really can be endlessly discussed. (Remind me to write more about "struggle" because I can say so much about that). I guess my point is, just because art doesn't particularly appeal to you, doesn't mean it should be ridiculed.

However, I think that some art probably can qualify as being just plain "bad." I'm not that stuffy. Heh.

mind musings.

“I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it.” -Audrey Hepburn

That's me.

I realized that today. It's not even that I need to reply on (ahem) "people", it's that I really enjoy "people" relying on me! When those who are close to me give me their dependence, I in turn feel loved. I miss being a support.

But, I need to remember:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jer 29:11

Hope and a future. No harm. This is so simple and so good.

P.S. I know that this is an art blog...or supposed to be one...but my mind has many thoughts that need to be recorded. When all my thoughts are sorted and simpler, I'm more prone to be artistic anyway! 

P.P.S. The Audrey quote was stolen from the beautiful Hannah's facebook.

It's back.

 A photo of a previous lethargic experience: I was at a math workshop for my work. Borrriiiiing.

I am again feeling very lethargic lately. I think a string of bad habits has to do with it. Bad habits such as:

-Staying awake until 2 am watching VH1 and E!
-Sleeping in until 9:30, because I have class at 10:30 at the earliest.
-Not showering at night. (Showering makes me relaxed, not refreshed, so I enjoy night showers. Plus I like to go to sleep clean).
-Not grocery shopping, even though I got back to Seattle 5 days ago and have nothing in my pantry but Top Ramen.
-Eating nothing but Top Ramen and Tully's pastries. No nutritional value whatsoever.
-Refusing to unpack and put away the items I took back from California.

I hope today to break this cycle of laziness. I hope. I better. The quarter has started and it's going to be a busy one, so I need to stay on top of it. Things I will do today in order to be more proactive:

-Make sure I look cute when I go to work, so I feel more awake/confident/like a functioning human being.
-Purchase food for dinner, and perhaps a movie? What I mean to say is, I will make definite plans for the evening, instead of just bumming around doing nothing until 2 am. If I have plans (even if the plans are, "be in bed by 11"), I won't have room to just waste time.
-Unpack my duffel bag and backpack, and tidy up my bed.

I just wish my work would stop scheduling me to work closing shifts so much...I get off at 10 o'clock (again) tonight, and with the Saturday bus schedule, there's no way that I'll get home before 10:45...sigh.

I will have to just take my own advice, and do as I said to a homeless drunk man at the bus stop one evening, "You just gotta ramble on." (He really liked my advice by the way).

Dft Pnk.

To all who have not seen Daft Hands...Go. Now.


At first I thought, "how awkward, a pair of hands just boppin to the beat." But then I was blown away.

I have been listening to Daft Punk a lot since Tiffany the Great gave me a large amount of their music over Spring Break. I really do like them. I have their Live 2007 album (I know you're thinking "wow is a live daft punk album even necessary?" and yes, it is) and I think one of their concerts would count as one of the most amazing dance parties ever.

Lately all music that doesn't fall under the category jazz/Lady Gaga/Rihanna has the tendency to make me over-emotional, or melancholy. Tiffany (and I, previously) tended to like acoustic-type love songs of the indie variety, and now I honestly can't bear to listen to that style. I currently need music that is "neutral" or "power pop", without concentrated emotions, or heartbreaking lyrics, thanks.

Anyway, I've been finding that in addition to jazz/Lady Gaga/Rihanna, I am able to listen Daft Punk, Cut Copy, and Miike Snow.

And that is what I really wanted to say in the first place: I REALLY like Miike Snow. The entire album is great, with lyrics that are (in my eyes) still fairly "neutral," but not mindless! Thank you Miike Snow for giving me something new to listen to.

P.S. I REALLY want to go to Sasquatch! Look. At. The. Lineup.