Chicken Strips and Vogue

I'm not much of a magazine reader, but mom and I had to kill an hour or so at Fred's.

She didn't want to wait a day for her pictures to develop, so we exercised the one-hour-photo guarantee, and got some chicken strips.

Mom did the food shopping while I snagged some mags and headed for the furniture display.

(That sounds so cheap doesn't it? I'm enjoying couches I don't own and reading magazines in the store..)

Anyways, one of them was the latest Vogue issue, featuring Rachel McAdams, one of my faves.

Her interview with Sally Singer was really great. I got a glimpse into Rachel's mind and how real and normal she is. She hasn't bought into the Hollywood fame and fortune gimmick. Acting is her job, (and she's good at it) but she has a life and interests outside of all of it.

It was just refreshing to read about someone 'famous' who isn't overdosing, having an affair, or adopting foreign babies. Go here to read it. Here are the beautiful photos done by Mario Testino.

By the way, if you haven't seen The Time Traveler's Wife yet, do it.

Painting Prelude

I really want to take some painting classes. It's actually pretty fun, but I'd like to know what I'm doing...

This was my first attempt ever at painting

(excluding preschool of course)

It does have a little LOST quality to it a bit...even the purple sky...

So then I asked my instructor at the time to give me an assignment (I wasn't actually enrolled in his class) so I could learn to paint. He suggested I start by re-creating a work of art so I could look at color mixing, brush strokes, etc. So here's what that produced...(sorry it's a bad photo)

So now I was really liking it, and since I didn't have a job that winter, I decided to try out my newly acquired skills (as simple as they may be) on some homemade Christmas gifts.

I am, as you should know, a devoted STAR WARS lover and so is my brother.

Naturally, his painting would be incorporating our favorite aspects of the movies....

I chose our favorite Ewok: Wicket and Yoda.

I suggest to all you beginners out there to start by having something to look off of.

Sketch it out, the same size at your finished product will be

bust it out

and to save time and money, use the other side of the board (because you're too poor for canvas)

I liked the sketch better on this one...

He looks ok, but too cartoony, not quite ALIVE

Adding some darker greens and lighter greens, creating depth really made him seem 3D

You could say he liked it...

Now I was on a roll. Painting was easy, cheap (well, if you buy acrylics), and was way more personal than a Starbucks card.

I know I haven't perfected it at all (not even close!) But I've been sketching long enough to fake my way through. My next project was a wedding gift for a close friend.

I chose to re-create one of my favorite photos by Sina Demiral.

I want to do more, just don't have the time...If anyone of you have paintings (or any art ) I'd love to see them!

A less than Bona Fide Blog

So my posts have been pretty scattered lately.

Other bloggers always stick to a certain theme, while mine are all over the place ranging from weird illnesses, to tips, to dreaming, to random thoughts.

Due to this unpredictability, I'm going to try and re-align my focus
to my initial purpose of this blog,
which is my love for ART.

One of my many favorite books has long been my inspiration for beautiful design.

Five Fairy Tales: Rapunzel, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast,
Toads and Diamonds, Snow White and Rose Red

Gordon Laite is the artist for each story, and he is AMAZING.

It used to be my mother's when she was younger, but I've (forcefully) claimed it as my own.

So, to learn shading techniques and try abstract sketching, I chose to re-create one of the pages from Rapunzel.



It's a horrible photo, but my scanner is packed away.
I'll post the original later, voila! ART!

Random Rant

Rants are kind of annoying, but know what's even worse??


Over 20 comments on a post that all say the SAME THING.

I mean c'mon, you can't read the line above you?

And in cases where comments need approval before anyone can see them, think first:

• Is my comment so original that in the last 8 hours, someone hasn't already said this?
• Will the writer of this blog even care about what you're saying?

Sorry, I just had to say it. Because it bugs me.

go here for an example.

My First Show

Behold! I am moving forward!! Progressing!! Advancing!! Lunging into my Future Career!!

ok, so it's not THAT exciting.

But, my photo class is showcasing our final at a local bookshop

I just finished hanging them, and thanks to HGTV, they look totally great.

Well, it was a commercial on HGTV which had photos hung on a wall with ribbon behind them, and it was so cute!

I like it, it makes my less than perfect photos look much better.

So, if you're downtown, go check em out :)

Inside an Ipod

So I had to get an MRI today.

I thought, "no biggie, just a quick body x ray..."

But everyone else seemed to think it was a big deal.

First, they asked me if I wanted an anesthetic. Really? I need to be put out to be scanned??

Ofcourse I said no, it sounded ridiculous

Then the worst part, as I sit in the waiting room, some elderly women were just leaving, and just before they do, one of them leans in and says,

"Good Luck Dear"

Luck? I need luck? From an old person?!

So yeah, I got a little nervous. Especially when I saw this season's MRI-wear:

why is she smiling.

But maybe it'll be worth it if my doctor is my own McDreamy...



So, I'm ready to get scannin, and I see it....

I feel like I'm getting eaten by a rubix cube made by Apple.

So this experience was awkward to say the least.

Do you know how hard it is to stay completely still for 30 minutes??

I mean, we had to re-do a session because I swallowed. He got on me about moving my tongue!!

Staying still and calm when you feel like you're in a morgue drawer is challenging.

But I go through it, want to know how? Well, I'm a nerd, who likes making up theme songs to things....and the machine made really loud beeps that had different notes....so.....

Presenting....

The MRI Theme Song

Don't move your eyes
Don't move your thighs

Don't you deviate...
or I'll be forced to radiate....
your feet, your face and every place!

So stay still, don't fiddle
Don't you swallow spit or wiggle
just stay still and dream while we screen...

Sure, it's dumb. But it worked :)

I'm just helping is all...

I always feel like people "steal your thunder" when they write a blog post about another guy's blog post.

SO, I don't want to do that, I'm more of directing all of you TO the thunder....see I'm helping, not hurting...

You should go read this

It's a funny article about Michael Emerson's past in Iowa. GO.

Really? #2

Saw this at the store this weekend.

unbelievable.

Yeah...

ok this show is officially awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqEl_3o094c

Living under a Rock?

Ok, so I HATE forwards. a lot.

and my mom knows this.

But she is persistent! Luckily, she has discovered what ones I'll delete and the ones I'll like.

And today is a winner.

This. is. awesome.

This is a Troglodyte Village in Iran that is 700 years old!

In the Northeast of Iran, at the foot of Mount Sahand in Kandovan,

the villagers live in cave homes carved out of volcanic rock.

How awesome is this???

Talk about the literal Bedrock from The Flintstones....

There's a whole neighborhood!

Thought it was cool :)

Sharks, Pencils, and Ben Affleck

Ok, so this show (NBC's Community)looked like it had some potential, and I gave it a chance.



The Pilot was an overall dud.

There were, however, a few redeeming lines such as:

"We're the only species on Earth that observes Shark Week. Sharks don't even observe Shark Week...but we do. For the same reason I can pick up this pencil and tell you its name is Steve and go like this - (breaks pencil, Abed lets out a little gasp) - and part of you dies, just a little bit on the outside. Because people can connect with anything. We can sympathize with a pencil, we can forgive a shark, and we can give Ben Affleck an Academy Award for screenwriting. People can find the good in just about anything but themselves..........
- I want you to look to the person sitting next to you. I want you to extend to that person the same compassion you extend to sharks, pencils and Ben Affleck."

You see? There are moments, short, witty moments of fresh new writing.

And I'm compelled to give this a second chance.


So, then came episode two.

It was even worse.

The whole relationship thing between Jeff and Brita was so lame.

And just not worth the time.



And it doesn't help that Jeff ( Joel McHale ) is an unknown to anyone who didn't watch The Soup regularly or spot him in a random Fugitive episode. So there's no pull to stick with it.


Even Chevy Chase let me down.



I don't know if it's the writing, his disturbing character, or just that he's finally getting old.

Not that old is bad, I'm just not used to "Boyishly Light" Chase yet.


The only ounce of entertainment I could gather from the second episode was this:

watch this

*side note* Maybe another reason I'm not diggin' this show, is because it's hitting a little too close to my current situation. Yes. I go to a dangerously small town Community College. And to make it even worse. I'm taking the same Spanish class as the characters, yep. Same book.

EPISODE 3

All this did for me was make me fall in love with Abed's character, played by Danny Pudi.

He's awesome. I can't really put to words what he is, other than I just like it.



So. I tried. one last time.

Episode 4

And you know what? 4th time was the charm for me.

It was funny, I could relate to lots of things, and I laughed a bunch of times.

especially at this.

So. I guess I'm recommending it. But. only if you watch episode 4 first. It won't really mess with the plot, because, seriously. It's about life at a Community college. What's there to miss?

No Parking....maybe?

I may be imagining things, but to me, No Parking signs need to be more clear.

Take this one:

Yes, it's clear i can't park, but it doesn't specify time...or the specific area....

Much is left up to personal interpretation....

However, this one is infinitely more informative:

It's even smart alec, whatever works. It's helping you, no matter how mean it is. They don't want to give you tickets as much as you don't want to pay them.

So I ask you, If I am parked perfectly parallel to a "staff" parking section, but not behind the sign....where is the line drawn???

That white pole infront of my car is the sign....sorry it's so bright.

I'm not behind it, I'm parallel!

-turns out I didn't have to risk it. I crept slowly behind this girl till she got to her car and waited for her to leave.

I wouldn't call it desperate, I'd say it's persistent.

Sometimes following parking regulations takes some aggressive driving.

Really?!

There are no words to describe the amount of discomfort I am feeling right now.

Bon Appetit!

Need a little cheering up?

Need something so refreshing and lovely and soothing to immerse yourself in?

Look no further.
I've found a cure to your ailments, and it is called,



I myself had never heard of Julia Child prior to viewing the trailer for this film, which is sad, because she is known as an amazing woman by many.

This has newly become one of my favorite roles of Meryl Streep.
She truly has a gift and is quite proficient at it.



She is undeniably genuine. One cannot help but believe her characters she plays, and think "How can this be an act?"



She instills awe in her audience with flawless, effortless precision.
Had I ever pursued a career in the performing arts, she would have been my inspiration.

Anyways, back to the movie....

It is the story of two women, exploring the art of cooking and the healing it brings to all aspects of life.

Julie (Amy Adams) is a young, working, aspiring writer and wife living in Queens, NY who is for lack of a better word, dissatisfied with life at the moment.



However, she discovers that no matter how horrible her days become, cooking always made everything better.

She then devises a plan to cook her way through Julia Child's 700 page cookbook, blogging all the while, sharing trials and triumphs she may face. And trials, she most definitely endures.



There are many moments of laughter and silliness that seep into this captivating story, and others that depict such delectable delicacies, your taste buds will quiver with desire.

That was one of the reasons I wanted to see this film. I love cooking food and watching movies about cooking food (such as...No Reservations), and because of this film, I will probably be on a recipe frenzy for days!



Regardless if you like cooking or not, this is a charming film that not only entertains to the end, but has great ideas to discuss afterward. There are many life lessons to be learned from it, but don't let that scare you away. Just watch it, you won't be disappointed!

Dear Sophie

Poor, dearest Sophie,

I am in distress over your many wounds. How could this horrible tragedy come upon you?
(and me)



It is too much to bear. Your rear end, I must say, has been inverted, your swerving days are over.



Your muffler has been eaten by a toyota. Your trunk won't even close!
I'm sorry to say, that we must part, and go our separate ways.



No more lovely loungeful drives up the winding roads to Sisters,
I'm afraid your future is getting grimmer and grimmer.

Don't fret, I won't forget you. You were an amazing first car. I'll keep your tires and your gas....you know, in memory of your dedication. I may be taking back my stickers and emptying the loose change drawer, but I'll never stop loving you Sophie, my precious Honda star.

(by the way. my neck is killing me!)

Never Knew this

Fact:

Cats pant.

Did you know this? I didn't, but Cookie gave me an excellent example of it this summer.

It's not just to be cool, they usually do it when they're stressed and freaking out.

In Cookie's case, she was stressed for many reasons that day:

• she's on a leash. seriously, that's just mean.


• We brought her to the park, so she's in a new environment


• Lots of people around she didn't know


• and these crazy looking dogs were staring at her.....