Random Musings from a Random Girl

P.F. Chang's Half Marathon Recap

2012-02-04T08:11:00.002-07:00

So I ran my first official half marathon on January 15th. The race was awesome and I wanted to write about that day. So let's start at packet pick-up the previous day on January 14th.

Connie and I drove to Phoenix to the convention center (the very same convention center that Phoenix Comic-Con is at!) At the start I got my race number off a board and went inside to turn in everything to pick up my actual bib and shoe chip. We then meandered in further where I got to get a technical shirt (actually very nice to run in and have run in it several times) and a swag bag (lots of neat free stuff, plus the bag is awesome for carting around my laptop). We walked around and got lots of free samples (Larabars = AWESOME AND DELICIOUS) and bought some things as well. I got this water backpack for my marathon and I've been using it while training and it really holds a ton of snacks and water. The expo was really fun and it was really interesting to see all the different runners and what they were buying. I also registered for real time facebook updates as I was completing the race (which didn't work!) and had fun in general. Our friend Rochel met up with us and we met up with another friend, Rebekah, and her friend who was running the full marathon (jealousy!). After we all had walked around a bit we left for lunch and then headed home.

I filled out my emergency card on the back of my bib and chipped my shoes and generally got ready for everything that evening so I wouldn't be panicking in the morning as I am wont to do when I am doing new things. Then I headed to bed for what I thought would be a full nights rest...my husband picked a WONDERFUL night to begin sleeping on his back and snoring, but I digress. The next morning I got up, ate a bit of toast and peanut butter, grabbed the drop off directions and the Hub and I took off to Tempe.

Using the directions we headed toward downtown where it started to rain, that's when I began to have a slight panic attack...I dislike running in the rain, especially with my glasses, I can't see a thing. It cleared up when we hit a detour (the directions on the website said one thing, in reality another thing) so we go to Mill Avenue and I hopped out of the car (after a good luck kiss from the Mister) and walked the rest of the way to my race corral. My corral was 17, which was actually quite a ways down, it was early but the crown was brimming with energy, it was super exciting. But I had to wait quite a while for my energy to actually be expended. It took forever to get through the corrals. They were letting a few minutes pass between each corral so the runners would be staggered and we could all fall into out natural pace. As we got up to the starting line I discarded the sweater I brought with me (that was neat to do, I felt like a real runner!) and headed through the start.

I have to say that running through the center of Mill Avenue is really exciting. There are always cars and it was just neat to have the road to run on. And run I did.I hadn't really looked too much at the map of the course because I wanted to be surprised about where I was. I know 13 miles is not as long as 26 but we really covered a large area.

This photo is from the Relay switch area, which was about halfway through the course. I had been making really decent time and very excited. Also: I will forever wear this Batman shirt to my races, because as I was running people (absolute strangers!) would shout "Go, Batgirl, go!" or "Woooo Batgirl!" and I knew they were cheering directly for me. Which as someone who has never played sports I will say that people cheering for you is AWESOME. It's make me correct my posture and quicken up my pace. The crowd really does give one energy.

The race really consisted of me weaving through people. My race pace is apparently a lot quicker than I thought and on pure adrenaline I am able to NOT EVER WALK. This happened with the 12K I ran in December. I just fell into a comfortable pace and just kept going. I was able to not walk during the 12K so during the half marathon I told myself, "Okay Sara, you can run 7.5 miles without stopping to walk so we are going to do that for the first 7.5 miles and then reevaluate how you are feeling." SO I kept running, got to the 7.5 mark, "Okay," I thought, "Now run without stopping to the 10 mark, you feel fine." SO I hekpt going and when I got to the 10 mile mark my thought process turned to, "Screw it, it's only 3 more miles, pick up the pace and finish this thing." And I did.

I finished the race with the biggest smile ever. I got to run into the stadium on ASU campus, people cheering like crazy My hubby was waiting for me as I walked through the Finishers area to get my medal, water, bananas, and gatorade. I don't really like gatorade but when you run a race it turns into a most delicious liquid. A few of my friends tried to make it but apparently I ran too fast for one of them (:D) and parking and traffic were atrocious for the other. It means the world to me Evan made it and that my friends did try, thanks ladies!

After I gathered all the last of my things, I got a solar blanket from the marathon people and walked with The Hub to the car which was about another mile away. As I was walking I heard my last name being screamed and looked and 2 of my students were in a van with their parents. And there I am in my shorts, awesome, but the girls were waiting for their sister who had done the half as well. They were surprised I was there (what, a teacher can't have an active life?) but they like me at school so they were happy to see me as well.

The solar blanket is now hanging up in my classroom now. It's a giant banner essentially and is fantastic on my walls. So here are the final stats of my race. The mileage on my phone might differ slightly from the official race results but it gave me an idea of how I did! I was able to keep an average pace of 10:32 mine/mile. Which is a minute less than my normal running. I'm really proud of myself and I can't wait for my marathon. I really liked doing the half-marathon and I will definitely be doing more of them in the future.

Phone Times:

Mile1: 11:01

Mile2: 10:27

Mile3: 10:52

Mile4: 10:52

Mile5: 10:56

Mile6: 10:39

Mile7: 10:18

Mile8: 10:26

Mile9: 10:39

Mile10: 10:15

Mile11: 9:46

Mile12: 10:13

Mile13: 9:37

Official Results:

5K: 34:14

10K: 1:08:06

10Mile: 1:47:30

Finish Time: 2:18:24

Biggest Loser

2012-01-11T21:45:00.001-07:00

TEACHER EDITION

So every year at my work after the first semester they do a biggest loser contest. Every school in the district (including the district office) gets a team together with 8-12 people. There are weekly weigh-ins done by each school's nurse and it lasts for quite awhile. I have tried to be apart of it the last two years but was sick on the day the invite went out the first time and then next time the team filled up instantaneously and I didn't want to be on the "miscellaneous" team with three other school's teachers.

I got in this year with the school I am at. I'm actually quite excited. While I don't have that much to lose left (like..10 lbs? I'm really close to my goal) the fact that I could enable a bunch of us to win some money? Hey, I'll play those odds. I'm already in the midst of weight-loss why not try for the prize?

I am somewhat worried though. I had an exchange today which was, albeit funny, I'm concerned that this will be a continuing trend.

Secretary talking to Head Biggest Loser Person: I want to join!
Me: Yay! I've joined too!
Secretary: What do you have to lose, a leg?

See? Yes it's funny but it is the kind of comments that I get that start to eat at me after awhile. I get the same thing when I turn down a treat at work because it contains dairy (of which I can consume NONE of) lots of side commentary of "THAT must be why you are so skinny." Um, no. I'm more fit because I eat right, treat myself only occasionally and kick my bum exercising and running. Please don't diminish my successes because you feel bad about yourself.

Speaking of running I am progressing quite well for my marathon. I was sick yesterday but did my 5 miles of hill and speedwork in good time today. Tomorrow I'll be heading over to Tempe to run 9 miles on the trail around the lake. Really hilly, no cars. I'm really pushing the hillwork these last few weeks before I taper. I'm up to an 18 mile Sunday this weekend, but 13.1 of those miles will be the half-marathon I'm running. It's the PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Series in AZ. So I'll be running those 13, coming home, running five. I might be slightly insane. Ah, well.

Marathon Countdown: 38 Days until the marathon.

Super Smash Sisters

2012-01-08T18:16:00.001-07:00

A few years ago *cough* 2003 *cough* I drew a picture I titled "Super Smash Sistah's" It contained all the female characters in Super Smash Brothers for the GameCube, a game that totally owned me and my brother when we both lived in MI under my parent's roof still. We loved this game. Here is the picture I drew back then:

So I finally got off my duff this year after a 6 month hiatus of focusing on on nothing but work and the comic art-wise and I drew another Creative Grab Bag card and I drew "Design a Poster" well since I am going to be at two comic conventions this year with a table it would be nice to actually have something to SELL theoretically. So remembering this picture I decided to revisit this idea and make a "Super Smash Sisters" poster using the female characters in Brawl, which includes now zero-suit Samus. Here is my final result:

Super Smash Sisters by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviantART

So, I'm thinking I've improved a bit, yes?

If you would like to purchase a poster from me please contact me through comments or e-mail.

No More Netflix

2012-01-06T19:40:00.002-07:00

The Hub (husband) and I decided to, a couple months ago, cancel our subscription to Netflix. Now, this was not because of the absolute stupidity of the people in charge, it wasn't because of the price hike, it wasn't because there was nothing good on it, no it was because watching television was sucking the life out of us.

I would come home from work, wait around for the Hub to be done working, maybe exercise, kind of throw dinner together, and while we ate we would sit on the couch and begin the netflix. We had all sorts of stuff on our instant play and we watched our way through seasons of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and so much more. We would finish eating, throw the dishes in the washer and then sit down again and continue watching. Until we had to go to bed. Wash, wince, repeat. This was my life. Downtime on weekends would be spent watching movies.

We would discuss and dream about a time without Netflix but we were reluctant to give up this luxury. We don't have cable, we don't buy DVD's (not anymore, I will do a post on my mini-quest with minimalism eventually) and we only have rabbit ears for the TV that don't work well. To get rid of Netflix was to forgo television itself. Could we do it? Did we want it bad enough?

Looking around the house and at ourselves we found things being neglected, our dog for one, laundry, fixing things, putting things together, dishes, our hobbies, and ourselves. We sent back our last disk and hit the cancel button.

We haven't looked back.

Let's start with some unimportant things... my dishes are getting done (they are still the biggest pain ever and I wish my morals would allow me to buy paper cups and plates to throw out but I just can't do it!) laundry is actually being put away when clean, my garage has been organized and cleaned, and the bar my parents bought for us, I put together myself (Hub helped at the end holding the doors for me to screw on, thanks Hub!). I feel as if I have time to actually get things done, Hubby actually cleaned out a lot of the detritus from past projects that was in the yard, even going so far as chopping wood. There is still more out there but every week it gets more and more cleaned out.

As for our hobbies and ourselves, things are going so much better. I have been working on the webcomic more, I've even started drawing my own things again slightly, and I've been a lot more active physically, with training for a marathon. I'm running three days a week and I'm trying to do something else at least two of the days I don't run. I also became a meet-up planner for the Geek Girls here in AZ and now plan something fun at least once a month. So I am also more social because of this! I'm also reading, I have two books I'm currently reading and just finished a graphic novel series. Das Hub is also improving himself trying to get a business started on the sidelines and is working out with me and rollerblading with me when I run. He's also playing Skyrim (and loving it). We also go on walks with the dog. We cook more too.

So as you can see we filled our time with LIVING, not just numbly sitting on the couch as the box spewed entertainment at us.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not condemning Netflix at all. I have bought my parents a year subscription for the past three years, they love it (my dad especially, he was telling me all about the near Oscar winning film: "Hobo with a Shotgun"). My friends all have Netflix or cable and if there is truly something I want to see, like "True Blood" then I ask a friend if I can come over and we make it a social experience too. So Netflix works for a lot of people, television works for a lot of people, it just doesn't work for us. Not having it also forces us to think of additional things to do, like today I was bored and didn't feel like drawing, didn't want to go to the gym, and didn't want to read...so I went on a two hour bike ride. I could have zoned out in front of Netflix if I had had it (and most likely would have) but I chose to take a relaxing bike ride instead.

To each their own I guess, but I make it no secret that I'm glad we made the choice we did. I haven't regretted it for a second. I'm accomplishing so much more now than I thought was possible and I'm so happy and proud of myself because of that. Netflix was inhibiting me from achieving my goals and making that decision to get rid of Netflix allowed me to see how important the goals are to me. So I'm just going to keep on going until I have accomplished all that I have set out to do and then do more.

Back to the Blogging Grind

2012-01-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hello Non-existent reader world!

I miss blogging terribly and have decided that I am going to start again with renewed vigor! I have so much to say and so much going on that it's hard to focus on WHAT exactly to blog about. To get readers it seems I should just choose a singular topic essentially and blog about that. That seems boring to me a bit. I have a life of varied interests, hobbies, and plans that just to pick ONE topic would be leaving out 98% of the rest of my life. I want to blog about what is important to me, why it's important to me, and how I incorporate it into my life.

There is just so many things that I love to talk about and want to share...

such as (and in no particular order):

Exercise and Fitness
Healthy Eating
Working as an Art Teacher
My own Arting
MirrorWorld
Married Domestic Life
Geek Girls
Travel
Living in Phoenix
Scarves
My new Origami of the Day Calendar!

and much much more!

So I'm going to be blogging again and if I ever actually get readers we can have discussions in the comments about what you want me to blog about more of or discuss why these things I talk about in my blog are important (or unimportant) to you.

Here's to a new year of following my many passions!

Comicing

2011-06-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

So I've talked about Mirror World many a time on the blog but I thought I would perhaps explain what am doing now as opposed to the first three pages that I've done. In the next batch of pages I'll post some pictures of the process.

So the first three pages I worked on individually from start to finish. Get scripts for page 1, thumbnail page 1, get approval of thumbnail for page 1, scan page 1, ink page 1, color page 1, shade page 1, word balloon page 1 up, and send page 1 to Connie.

As you can imagine I was freaking sick of page 1 by the time I was through. It is so boring to look at the same page day in an and day out for several hours at a time (especially since I am still figuring my process out, it takes way longer than you would think)

So then Connie got me the scripts for pages 4-7. I tried doing page 4 completely differently but I ended up having to start over to not do it SO differently. But while avoiding the redo of 4 I began 5, 6, and 7. Once 7 was drawn out I went and did page 4 again.

So then I currently had 4 pages that had gotten approved and were drawn out and ready to be inked. Do I just work on page 4 or do cycle through the whole batch?

I chose to cycle. I inked all the pages first, then I colored the backgrounds, then I colored the characters (I broke these into pieces as well: clothes, skin color, eyes, eyebrows, hair, etc...cycling through the pages on each part), then I colored the misc items that got missed. Then I straighten up my layers (I need to start doing that as I go) now I'm working on straightening up my edges of the panels, then shading, then word ballooning, then I'm done. So I'm like 85% f the way done with 4 pages! My goal is to finish the batch by Wednesday. Cycling seems to be the way to go, I feel like it moves faster that way.

The even better part is that Connie already got me the scripts for pages 8, 9, and 10 and I already worked with her on the thumbnail and got those approved. So as soon as I am done with these 4 pages I can work on the next three...and I'll post progress updates with pictures!

Con Report, Phoenix Comic-Con 2011

2011-06-04T13:44:00.001-07:00

So we had a glorious 4 day convention that was super fun and super helpful with learning on what to do an what not to do.

But we have learned and we will grow and I suspect any con that we do now will go oh so much better from now on!

Alright, so the Wednesday before we went and picked up our badges, which was helpful because we were able to figure out parking and where our booth was located.

Thursday I was super late with the prints because I blew out a tire. So I got there and the preview night was in full swing. We were next to this guy : Inch by Finch aka Patrick and this guy: Vince Deporter . Both were super cool and I think Vince and my hubby are new best friends. I had Vince draw me a picture with Sponge Bob in my art room, which I'll post on another day when I discuss the art I've bought or brought into the house.

Friday and Saturday went by like a blur, I figured out to have free sketches t talk to people (and by drawing on the back of our flyer!) and then Saturday I put a "Tips accepted sign" which actually worked quite a bit. I have no complaints. I ended up selling one print, and a few drawings of super heroes that I whipped out and laid on the table.

I talked to Randy of Something Positive a few times. He is a scary hairy man, but he is so sweet and nice and gave us some suggestions and a fee sketch, I bought an issue of Super Stupor from him and he gave me another issue for free! You're awesome, man!

I eventually got to meet Danielle Corsetto of Girls with Slingshots and bought a little print off of her, she is way nice as well!

I also mingled my way up to Joel Watson's booth Hiijinks Ensue and bought a print off of him.

I didn't stand in line to meet any celebrities but I did get to speak with Will Wheaton (which I may do a video of me talking to fully express what the heck happened and how awesome it was).

Then a surprise happened for me...J. Scott Campbell was there. HOLY CRAP. J SCOTT CAMPBELL! Creator of Danger Girl, artist of many issues of Gen 13 and basically hot woman drawer extraordinaire! I bought a print off of him and got myself a pic with him...hooray!

I met lots of nice people and got many compliments on my stuff, people were really interesting and it was super busy. I was very tired after 4 days but I was able to get through it and look back fondly on it! I drew lots of different things (including an Angry Bird giving a wedgie to a Gnome) but I just thought of it as practice! I really can't wait to do it again. We have already purchased our booth for next year's con and I know we have a table for Emerald Comic Con but I have no idea if I'll be able to go. So hopefully!

Con Report

2011-05-31T07:48:00.001-07:00

Is on it's way for the end of the week. I just wanted to say that I had a ton of fun and w already have our booth for next year!

Phoenix Comic Con

2011-05-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

Apparently Connie got us a booth and they have room so we really have one!

OMG.

So I'm at Booth 747 during the Phoenix Comic Con. We'll have a mini-comic of highlights of Mirror World and some handouts and postcards. I'm making a poster for behind us and I'll have some prints for sale. I'll also be doing some sketching and ATC's so if anyone actually reads this and is in the area during the 26th-29th come on down!

Sweet Tomatoes

2011-04-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

I don't know if many people have Sweet Tomatoes near them.

If you do not I am sorry and you should move near one.

It's one of my favorite restaurants and it's basically an all you can eat salad bar. I adore this place. Plus it is great for people watching because it has other things than salad and it is amazing what people eat at this place and call it "healthy."

As in an entire plate of croutons is "healthy" cause it's from a salad bar.

o_o

Anyway, I went there with my brother the other day and I was asked a amazing question (an amazing question to me at least) and that was if I wanted to purchase a bigger cup for 50 cents more.

Now mind you, this is a place that you can just GET UP AND GET MORE when your cup is empty. It's not one cup full and you have to pay for refills or wait for someone to come and refill you. You just get off your bum and get some more to drink.

I asked the girl why I would want to pay 50 cents extra and her reply was for the convenience factor. I wouldn't have to get up as much.

...

To me this does not perpetuate a healthy lifestyle. I dunno, what do you think?

Would you pay more to not get up as much?

Back to Normalcy

2011-04-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Brewster Bunch by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

A wedding picture for my friend at work. Her and her newly blended family! This looks amazing printed and framed and she loved it!

Lots of moving around and drama at work. I'm not going to complain, so all I will say is that I get to continue teaching art to children full time, which is what truly matters. It's still my dream job. I love teaching kids how to draw, it's official.

So with rumblings of the job I've had to start really thinking about how to file things for next year, how I'm going to deal with the influx of projects, making actual units for students and having the folders of the units as portfolios. It's massive amounts of craziness.

I've been nicking away little by little with the comic, once summer hits I'll throw myself into it, especially since I won't have the sub day to work on things during class :D

People should head to down town Chandler soon too. There has been a public art initiative and there are five local artists that have made ceramic tiles and decorated bus benches all over on Arizona Ave. They are really neat and you should check it out!

We Inturrupt the Proceedings

2011-03-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

Wow.

Hecticness. I can't believe how much has been going on.

Let me talk about last week a little. The reason there was no blog post last week was because we were at the hospital. How did we get to the said hospital? In an ambulance.

So...excitement abounds.

Let me break it down. Evan and I were eating dinner. We were in the living room eating dinner and Evan was watching Carpal Tunnel Surgery (he was researching it for himself) and he finished watching the video and told me he wasn't feeling well from the video. I turned to look at him and all of a sudden he slumps over and begins to moan, gurgle, and twitch like he is having a seizure.

I leap up shouting his name and yell that I'm calling 911. As I am dialing I run back to him, he was leaning back in the chair reclining it more as he is twitching. I am reaching to take his pulse and calling his name. I'm talking to the 911 operator as he comes to. This only lasted about 35 seconds but I'll be damned if it wasn't the longest 35 seconds of my life.

He came to and told me no ambulance that we'll just go to the ER ourselves. So I packed a bunch of stuff in a bag and got him into my car. We were driving there (it's like 3 miles away) and he did it again. This time with the words "I'm going away again" and so without crashing my car I pulled over 3 lanes to the gas station and called 911 again and had them send the ambulance.

Evan came to again and was sweating profusely. The very nice firemen paramedics came and got Evan out of my car and got info from me and then the ambulance came. and they loaded him up. I called my brother to get my car from the gas station and called Evan's mom to tell her too.

We got to the ER and then proceeded to be in the ER for 7 hours. We didn't get home to 12:30 AM.

Evan is fine though. What happened was the his body shut down after the surgery video to protect itself. The twitching was caused by his blood leaving his head and extremities.

It is a type of seizure but it didn't affect his brain or heart.

It was really the worst day of my life and I am so glad that he is okay. Our One year anniversary is on the 20th of this month and I'm happy we are going to be able to celebrate together.

I love him very much.

Neighbors

2011-02-27T18:42:00.001-07:00

Folks I gotta say this quite frankly...

People can be DICKS. Holy Goodness. So I got two stories about my neighbors one ends happily, the other not so much.

The hub and I take our Pup, Gala, for walks most evenings. We like to traipse around the neighborhood and take many different routes and see different things around us.

Well Evan and I both have separately taken the same route and had the same thing happen. There is this guard dog (I'm thinking it was Cerebus...you know the guard dog of HELL) and it likes to throw it's entire 80 lb body weight against the bottom of this gate/door thing. And it was only clasped in the middle...so this quite frankly, RABID looking dog was almost getting out and would try to kill us through the door every time we went past.

Well Evan decided he was going to talk to the guy about it. He apparently had a very frustrating 20 minute talk with the guy about how dangerous it was and if the dog got out how deadly it would be. The guy brushed him off and told him nothing would happen. Evan's parting words? "Yeah we'll find out won't we?"

Well we went on a walk a week after that and went past the house and what did we find besides the hell beast? I length of chain holding the bottom of the door together held by a padlock. A 5 dollar fix that probably prevented some mauling in the future.

Yay, win for us!

Now the losing story.

We have this 20 ft Mexican palm tree in the back corner of out house. I never liked the thing because it's ruining the back wall, the roots are pushing it up. Well a while back our neighbors behind us saw Evan on the roof and talked to him about the leaves from the palm falling into their pool. They said they would go in for halfsies for trimming or whatever and Evan said to come over and we would talk more about it. They never did so we forgot about it.

Well, Friday I got home from work and went to look outside and I was greeted by a 5 ft tall x 5 ft wide pile of palm tree leaves that were thrown over our wall. Umm...I don't think they are allowed to do that in the first place and what dicks they are for being so passive aggressive about it. They never talked to us and it looks like they saved a bunch of them just to make a point. We got the HINT. I called a guy to give us an estimate and he came out and we said we would talk to the neighbors about getting half. The tree guy called me on Saturday and said he's knock a hundred bucks off if we did it Monday morning. So we are just doing it.

Thanks dickwads.

ERG.

Borders

2011-02-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

Hey look a bum! :D Just practicing my life drawing. This woman appears a lot in my book and I love her curves.

Well, I am super sad that Borders Books has declared bankruptcy and is closing 200 stores across the states by April. There are two on the chopping block that are near and dear to my heart so I am a bit crushed at the prospect of losing them.

The first is right near where I currently live. UGH. I liked having a bookstore so close but my area is just dying economy-wise. There's like 4 areas on this stretch of road near here that just have abandoned buildings and this Borders is going to make another one.

The second is back home in MI. My Ann Arbor Borders is closing. That is the one I grew up in essentially and it makes me sad. It's also on the corner of this strip mall thing and I have no idea what they would put in such a huge location.

So nerdy book reader platypus is sad.

In other news...we went and saw Bodyworlds at the Science Center. I had seen it before in Chicago on a vacation and gotten ill. It's PEOPLE, folks. PEOPLE NOT FAKE PLASTIC, PEOPLE.

Anyway I took Evan on Friday and he really enjoyed it and I didn't get sick. We examined the body and all these things and it was really educational and enjoyable. Evan really liked it and that was the important thing, I knew he wanted to see it so I made it happen. Cause I LOVE him. <3

Mirror World Preview Page 2!

2011-02-12T22:03:00.001-07:00

Mirror World Saga Preview Pg.2 by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Mirror World Saga Page 2 Preview!

Since I am almost done with page 3 I thought I would get page Preview up.

I'm trying to drum up interest once Miss Connie starts posting again!
MirrorWorld!

Read and catch up with the story so far!

Disasters and Other Good Things

2011-02-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Random sketch from breaking in them markers!

Alright so a few things. If you live anywhere near Scottsdale please go to SMOCA (Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art) and go to the "Wishes" exhibit. It is amazing. The walls have all these holes poked into them and in the holes are ribbons. On the ribbons are someone's wish printed on it. You take a ribbon and you can leave your own wish on a rolled piece of paper there. The ribbon has to be tied around your wrist and knotted three times and you wear it until it falls apart and it should come true for you (if it's your wish or if you're wearing it for someone else). I am currently wearing two ribbons.

"I wish to be recognized as a great artist" and "I wish to be skinny" both are knotted three times and on my left wrist together. Hopefully this will help!

Next I went to Ignite Phoenix last night. It was AMAZING. I loved it. My friend Shauna Stacy did a fantastic job with her speech about Shaun of the Dead. There should be videos posted soon, you should go check them out...especially the 10 year old who did the speech on 3D printers, this kid was epically AWESOME.

This did make me get inspired and I'm thinking of trying out for the next Ignite Phoenix in May. I have a topic in my head and just need to outline it. Maybe...maybe not. We'll see.

Page 3 of Mirror World is almost finished. The inks are done and I am in the middle of coloring. All that is left after that is shading and I'll be adding just a few textures to the mix on this page. It's especially exciting because on this page is our first look into the Villains! OOoooOOoooh. The next 2 pages are in Alice's apartment and I am really super excited about that and can't wait to use some airier colors!

My disaster of an extra bedroom and the closet has been completely tackled. It's done and I'm done and I am so happy. The office furniture has been moved around in the other room and I am actually working in it again and getting things done. It is much more conducive to creativity now.

I lost my phone the other night at the park. It was night and I lost it sometime on a walk I was doing with my Geek Girls. So it was gone gone gone. And I was sad. I started looking at new phones and changed passwords to a bunch of things cause I was logged in to a bunch of stuff and that was all I needed was for someone to start mucking about with things.

BUT

a very nice gentleman named Brandon and his dog found my phone and called my mom. He called Evan and he went and picked up my phone. Brandon didn't even take any money as a thank you. I called him and told him I appreciated his honesty in giving it back. He has restored my faith in humanity a little bit. I'm glad my phone is safe and back with me!

Self-Portrait and Avatar and User Pic

2011-02-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

Synthetic Platypus by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Not on the art list but I needed to create a user ID for several functions so I knocked one out finally.

So here is me, Synthetic Platypus in all my glory.

I wanted something simple but fun and poppy. This is the current style that I am using for the comic I am working on [link] (my stuff is not showing yet, but read it anyway!)

I am a big fan of wearing scarves so I thought I would incorporate the platypus into it for my pop of color. The platypi are nicked from my business cards sans the polka dots, I wanted it a bit more simple.

Now here is the issue. I desperately want this scarf to exist in real life!

Belongings

2011-02-06T11:46:00.001-07:00

I wanted to title this blog post "Stuff" but opted for a better vocab word.

Why do we all own so many things?

Seriously, what is our need for all the many different things we have?

Hobbies? Interests? Results of boredom? Things we need to live such as cooking supplies and somewhere to sit in our living room?

Why do we need all of this?

I've been on a journey to get rid of many of my belongings. I read minimalism blogs and drool over bedrooms that have a simple mattress on the floor and one armoir for clothing. I long for clean lines and simplicity.

and yet...

there are things that I really just can't bring myself to get rid of. Things that have absolutely no purpose in my life but are there for the "just-in-case" and the "guilty" and these things are currently driving me up the WALL. I can't stand that I can't get rid of them and I just keep hanging on.

I have a bin. It is full of toys, dress-up clothes (that my grandmother made me), yearbooks, and misc. that I cannot bear to part with. My excuse is it is for my future children. But what if I have a boy? There is nothing in there but my Mr. Potato Head that would be of any interest to a boy.

What about my smaller bin of baby clothing that was mine? This was recently bestowed upon me by my mother. A box full of frou frou dresses with lace and long sleeves and velour onesies. I will never ever dress my child in these but I'm keeping them. Why? I don't know. The fabric is pretty...maybe I'll get a quilt made from them all. When? 20 years from now? Next week? I don't know and yet I'm keeping them all.

I have a bin of my sewing stuff (corralled from 2 bins and the floor) but I like to sew so I'll keep that, it's useful.

What of the giant mirror box in the back of the closet filled with old giant art? That I never look at? There's pictures that are framed that I'm not hanging up in the house and there is big watercolor paper that I will eventually paint on. So just a bit of paper could be saved and the whole box could be gone, but I can't.

This is currently frustrating me beyond belief. I've been cleaning and organizing the extra bedroom and walk-in closet and keep getting stuck. I'd like this space to be completely empty...we don't use it so why store things in it? We should live comfortably in the spaces we do use and not just put random things in this room. It's been a catchall since we moved in and a blight in my wanna-be-clutter-free soul.

This is also not being helped by my parents. My dad gave me part of a coin collection and my set of the license plates he has collected. I love the plates but what do I do with them? They are in the garage right now...I had an idea to hang them in there but I was looking at my garage and enjoy the bare walls we do have. The coins are already packed up to be sold somehow and eventually (they are worth the change that is encased in the plastic. I've checked.)

Then my mom just sent me a box of random stuff. Colored dividers, articles, a file bin and a noise machine. 20 dollars this cost her to send. I perused the articles and am going to truly read two of them (out of 20) I have no need for a file bin (we have file cabinets) and have no use for the dividers. The noise machine is a particular annoyance because she knew that I couldn't sleep with these...in fact I just got off the phone with her (literally) and asked if the noise machine was for Derek and his family and she said no it was for me and Evan and I reminded her that I can't sleep with those. She told me to save it! But then dad said to send it back in a box I need to send them. BINGO. Precisely what I'm going to do.

I feel thwarted right now though. Maybe I'm burned out on cleaning but I just feel like there is no winning against our consumerism and need for stuff. Le sigh.

Now off topic:

Random sketch from sketchbook. A party girl this is from a bit ago but I had gotten new markers and wanted to have some fun.

SaraEvanWedding

2011-01-29T22:50:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

HoneyMoon

2011-01-29T22:45:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Work Work Work

2011-01-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to bust my butt to get my goals done for the month!

I finished my class, so I just need to get my paperwork done and turned in and I will be truly a Arizona certified teacher! Huzzah.

Lot's of good that it will do me if things go awry for next year. oy vey.

Anyhoo running has been going better. My goal for this month was 3 times a week but I did it twice a week so that's good.

Blogging has been pretty regular. Which is something I've wanted to work on!

I just finished my page 2 for Miss Connie's comic so I need to make a preview for that and post it.

I have the idea for my animation and Evan downloaded the software that I need so I just need to bust that out.

Money I wanted to save is saved.

Garage is cleaned.

I had an epic month apparently.

If I can just catch up grading artwork at work next week I'll have set myself up for a brand new February.

I'll post about my animation in the near future documenting the how to of everything :D

This is a mini-watercolor painting I did last year of Evan's parents for their card for their wedding anniversary. I want to start posting misc. art inside this blog that I don't put anywhere else but here.

Mirror World Preview

2011-01-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

So I finished working on the first page and now am in the throws of inking the second page. I'm taking my computer to work today so we'll see how it goes (gotta love subbing wednesdays)

Mirror World Saga Preview Pg.1 by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

So here it is! I asked Connie if the preview was okay and she said that it was cool with her...I didn't want to give anything away if she didn't want.That's why there is no text showing. I didn't want to give away the actual story.

Page 2 is done in the same place with the same people. Page 3 takes us into the MirrorWorld and the bad guy's lair. My thumbnail for page 3 has been approved so as soon as I'm done with page 2 page 3 will be on it's way.

Still thinking about the movie thing. I do an "animation" project with my students, I may adapt that into something.

Trying to be active lately as well (can't be a lazy artist and sit on my bum all day) I've been running a lot again lately. Got up to five miles yesterday...I will be running on Thursday with my geek girls too.

oh I'm also going on a girls trip (not of the geek variety) to Disneyland. I've never been so this should be fun. Don't feel too bad about the lack of Disneyland for me...I've been to Disneyworld in Florida too many times!

I'm on my last assignment for my college class for my certification here. Which is good the last day is the 31st. I'm going to work on that during my prep tomorrow and Friday. If I can just get the outline of it finished on paper I can just type it up and submit it when I get home on Sunday...and hopefully run 6 miles that day too.

I'm a busy lady, but I'm feeling better now. So that's good.

Setbacks

2011-01-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

Man...this week SUCKED BALLS.

I really can't think of another way more eloquent way of describing this week other than "sucking" and "balls".

But on the positive notes:

My computer was fixed for free. Apparently last generation MAC Book Pros have a faulty graphics card. I found that out the hard way this past week. But the new card cost nothing.

Except for missing one day of running and one day of gym I stuck to my good eating and am seeing results.

I don't want to keep revisiting it, but I am going to post happy things on my next post!

There is arting going on as well, I am working on my friend's comic which a preview of that will come in the next post and I did a fun trip around the area and that needs to be talked about as well.

I'm having trouble with my creative grab bag series right now. I picked another difficult card (make an animated movie!) and I don't know what to do. I wanted it done by the end of the month, but I'm not sure if I can do it. We'll see

X-mas in AZ

2010-12-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

Things are freezing right now!

I know that New York is under like, 8 ft of snow right now, but I'm still cold.

So there.

Anyhoo, the New year is almost upon us and I'm almost done with my two weeks off (sniffle) so I thought I would random post about a few things going on and then actually get some stuff done around my house (homework, laundry, sewing, scanning).

So, since I was actually home this year and my parents did not rent a house, I decided to decorate a bit for x-mas. Not much mind you, but when I moved down here my mother sent me with a crap ton (an actual measurement I swear!) of boxes filled with holiday cheer. Which I went through and got rid of via a garage sale then a trip to ye ole Goodwill.

So here is my "tree"

It was a tight X-mas money-wise this year so as I was undoing all the decorations I didn't know what I was going to do with all of my ornaments. Then I found this pretty star garland in a bag and knew it would be perfect around my bookshelf. I really liked how it turned out but I probably need to do something different next year. Three of my ornaments bit the dust. One while pulling out a book, another when I was taking them down, and another had death by helicopter (EVAN).

Then we had the decorations on the fireplace.

Before I talk about the nutcrackers I'll talk about the stuff on the bottom mantle below. I have a hand crocheted (not by me) set of carolers next to a light pole. One of my mom's friends made those YEARS ago (I seriously can't remember NOT having them) and I kept them cause they are some of my favorite decorations. Next to them is a sleigh with four reindeer that my dad made ages ago. Love them.

Then we have the Nutcrackers. Only one shelf on top of the mantle. That is it...compared to THIS:

Nutcracker Suite by ~Sarapuu on deviant ART

so the insanity has subsided a bit. :)

My parents came and in my parent fashion they spoiled the hell out of the family. Just a short list of things I knew I had gotten even before Christmas morning: Lazy Boy Recliner, Ottoman, a promise to pay for fans to be installed, 15 month gym membership for the two of us,a kinect, Zumba for kinect, and a gift of money which payed for Evan's new laptop. Then all the stuff on X-mas morning.

I really hope the don't do this again next year, it was getting to be obscene. Evan and I felt bad.

I renewed the Netflix subscription for my dad (I got them a player and subscription last year) my dad LOVES the Netflix. It's like the gift that keeps on giving. Then I had gotten my mom an Arizona thing from the Day of the Dead festival. It was cut and artsy. She liked it. Then my brother and I went in together and did family photos. My parents didn't want to be in them but bull on that. We love them and made them.

Here is just the D family of 4. My brother, me, Dad, then Mom.

Then the WHOLE gang. My brother's wife, his step-son, my hub, brother, me. Then in front is my niece, dad, nephew, and mom.

My goodness we are a good looking crew of people!

Tarot

2010-12-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago I went to a White Elephant party with my Geek Girls. Near the end of the night my friend Shauna got her tarot cards out and was giving little readings. We were to think of a question, shuffle the cards, then cut the cards into three piles, the past, present, and future.

My question was about my job. Major budget cuts to the education system are happening and I don't think I have ever really been so unsure of my employment for the next year.

Ah, the life of an art teacher.

Anyway as I was shuffling a card popped out, as I was about to put it back in Shauna grabbed it and told me, "It wants to be seen."

I continued to shuffle and cut the cards into the piles.

The first card (past) was the Two of Pentacles. The card for change. It makes sense, moving across the country, starting my career, meeting Evan, marriage, a house. My recent past has been all about change.

The second card is my present and it was the Ten of Wands, Oppression. Which with my job, this makes sense. I'm unsure of my employment so I don't want to get too attached, I am subbing a day a week which disrupts my life and teaching, but I do it for the love of the rest of my job. I am tired but I know I need to still work hard.

The third card is my future. While the card did not give me a definitive answer about my employment it did tell me that I would be okay. The card was the Six of Wands. Victory.

The fourth card, the card that popped out when I was shuffling, was the Three of Pentacles, titled "Works." The card featured an artist. :D

So, as long as I work hard and keep doing what I'm doing, I think I am going to be okay.

Massive Art Update

2010-12-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

So there has been art going on.

Truly. So I posted a bunch of stuff over at the deviant art site and wanted to share it here!

Synthetic Business Cards by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Emerson by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Kiriban Kabuki by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Mirror World by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

ENJOY!

Garage after

2010-10-18T12:04:00.001-07:00

Garage before

2010-10-18T08:18:00.001-07:00

Epic Fail

2010-10-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

on the art front.

*bashes head against desk*

I have this creative grab bag thing right now and it is PISSING ME OFF. I just can't seem to get it. I finally have another idea which I will be doing this week and hopefully life will be good again.

I did finish the prize pic for Miss Kabukikatze for dA all I need to do is scan and post. Which I did hers by restarting the 90% picture I had finished before.

I also sketched a bunch for the webcomic I'll be working on and bought some new paper things for it. So, as soon as Miss Connie gets back from INDIA(!) I'll be able to start a bit more.

Had an epic garage sale over the weekend. I made posts everywhere and multiple times on craigslist. As the sale was going on I kept rearranging things and pushing everything forward toward the door. I think we sold about 75% of the stuff we had. Sold all the furniture but the bigger metal cabinet, sold one rug out of the two, sold all the electronics I had, and alot of the queen bed linens I put out there. Over half the shoes, a little bit of clothes, and honestly a bunch of misc. I didn't think was going to go.

We had the sale on Friday and Saturday and decided that what we had left was not worth trying to do another day. So I made a big bin of clothing for the geek girl clothing swap, and a giant pile of date and two bins for bookmans and said that whatever they didn't take at bookmans we would add to the donate.

Well, they took a bunch more books at bookmans! I have lots of credit again and am very excited. Carted everything to goodwill and my garage is EMPTY. We just need to organize this alcove we have and it's all good. My brother is very jealous.

I'll post pics from my phone of the garage sale. I have a new app and want to utilize it when I find fun Phoenix Art things. I'll do before and after pics.

I've also been running and I found part of the AZ canal system a mile and a half away, which is super exciting to me. I ran there the other day and Evan met me there (he can barely run) and we ran-walked an additional two together. But I was frustrated...how am I supposed to run with him all these miles I want to do? He's wheezing through one.

So we came up with a solution...he rollerblades. He'll rollerblade next to me on the long distances. Which we did (he can rollerblade forever) and we went and did 6.2 miles....which for those of you who don't know is a 10K.

So, a few (hopeful) goals this week.

1) Post the prize pic
2) finish this creative grab bag finally! (and post it to prove it!)
3) Get the clay stuff at school out and organized along with the powerpoints to go along with them.
4)Run the 6.2 miles Mon, Weds, Fri, and 8 miles on Saturday. (My eventual goal for this is a half marathon, 13.1 miles, which I would like to do twice a month and maybe eventually go for a marathon. But I still thing 26.2 miles is crazy)
5) Join the gym by the house to crosstrain on Tues and Sun.
6) Get most of the schoolwork done during conferences this week!

Test test test

2010-10-10T14:17:00.003-07:00

This is a test from blogaway on the phone

Test test test

2010-10-10T14:17:00.001-07:00

This is a test from blogaway on the phone

The Art is Coming.

2010-10-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

It is.

I promise it is.

I stretched myself a bit thin for awhile and it left me with no time for personal endeavors such as art. The only thing I could really get in was a bit of reading which I do in bed before I am actually going to bed.

So wth that being said I have my fall break coming up next weekend. Now I have a big giant personal thing to take care of from Thursday evening to Sunday evening, but after that I have an entirely delicious week to do stuff.

So what exactly am I going to do?

Well here is a list of goals art and otherwise:
1. Run every other day and do my EA workouts for the rest.
2. Get FOUR Creative Grab bag projects FINISHED. I have the plans ready for one, so that shouldn't be terrible to do.
3. Finish Miss Kabukikatze's Prize Picture for dA. I started it...I'm not sure if I love it though. I may redraw it and color it differently. But the plan is there.
4. Character designs for a webcomic I am working on with one of my Geek Girl friends. She is going to be on a flight to India for 14 hours and will be e-mailing me massive amounts of stuff.
5. Get at least 4 pages (if she sends me that) drawn and finished for said comic.
6. Work on the Character Portraits for Evan's Game. He's making a video game. We have an idea so I'm gonna help with a portion of that.
7. SLEEP
8. Finish my library books. I'm in the middle of two of them now and am going to spend another day reading a different one.
9. Go to work on one day and get everything prepped for the week we get back. This will probably be done later on in the week.
10. Enjoy my house, husband, and puppy...cause I've been missing out since going back to work.

So ten goals. One Week. Will I do it, ladies and gentlemen? Or will I fail epically. You will find out with me!

Also: Last practice for cheer today...for this season. I'm still on the fence about doing it again but if it's just Mondays and Tuesdays then I probably will. The amount of money for this work is stupid. :D

Irritation

2010-09-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

I'm getting irritated.

It's as if either everyone is way too polite or no one knows what "healthy" is anymore.

I've been on a diet...excuse me "life style change"

at one point a couple years ago (when I first moved to Phoenix) I was depressed, had a horrible living situation, and eating crap. I gained a ton of weight. I got a wii fit and lost ten pounds of that. Kept it off for awhile and then had to move all of my belongings up to a third floor of an apartment building when I moved out of horrible living situation. Lost another ten, kept it off for the most part. I was curvey but no one ever called me fat (technically obese/overweight according to BMI at the time).

Met Evan, current husband extraordinaire. Kept the weight off but became really sensitive of my size...especially since the man could wear MY PANTS.

We celebrated our one month together in style and I ended up gaining 8 lbs. Oy.

Adopted Evan's lifestyle of eating for allergies and working out with him. Lost 20 lbs.

Took a break, gained about 6 back. Still in overweight/obese land.

Got married lost those 6 and then some for my wedding. Yay. Gained the some back over the course of honeymoon. Boo.

Started a lifestyle of working out twice a day and only eating 1100 calories. No results...misery.

Decided to do something safe and drastic and now the weight is pouring off and someone hit my eating reset button.

I eat really healthy right now and everyone comments on it.

"Are you on a diet?"

Yeah

"Well, you don't need to be"

and I want to scream because yes I do. I'm still away from a normal BMI for my height. I am closer everyday, but everyone this whole time (besides Evan who knew what everything was and knew it was unhealthy) has told me I don't need to do anything. Now especially since I am super close to my goal. But I was not healthy before and everyone wanted me to eat like them and look like them and I refuse to do it. I know people think I am weird now.

I don't care. America has a warped perspective about the whole healthy eating and weight thing and I was a perfect example of this.

I'm almost there, I'm the skinniest I've been in I don't even know how long. I'm inching into middle school territory if I really think about it..I think.

But I am finally getting happy with how I look and feeling way healthy. I may even post the pics of my journey with my face blurred (even though there are already pics of my face) but they were me and I am proud of how it's looking now.

If not I'll just dig up photos from the past few years and scan them in to show that kind of difference.

I am happier now with myself but this crazy diet is almost over and then comes the maintenance for 3 weeks and then living the rest of my life. I'm kind of terrified about this.

But I believe in me!

Life Styles A-changin'

2010-09-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

When my job started up again, I got into a huge funk.

I couldn't get anything done. My weight was going back up. I was super stressed. There was too much to do and no time to do it.

Last week I went to my Geek Girl Goal Setting (nearly late and rushed) and said I wanted a schedule, to catch up on things, and to calm down.

I am starting this goal this week. There has been lots of things going on around here and I wanted to address some of them.

Goal #1
Catching up on the house.
It's almost there. Evan and made more work for ourselves and bought a bunch of things from IKEA and we've been putting them together throughout the weekend. I now own a king sized bed, two nightstands, and two tall dressers from the MALIM collection of IKEA.
The Kitchen is clean. The living room is clean. The bathroom (thank god) is clean. We moved out office into the bigger extra bedroom, which still needs to be cleaned and the former office needs to be cleaned out along with the closet. Our bedroom is a work in progress from all of the new IKEA stuff and moving out my old set. Which now needs to be craigslisted.
The house is almost there, and that actually takes a lot of stress out. I can come home and relax a bit now.
Still need to clean that car though.

Goal #2 MI reception stuff
Invites are mailed. My ring issue is being resolved (via a new ring, that is almost like my other one just more expensive) as is Evan's ring issue. Surgical grade steel ring = no allergic reaction. I also have a nice shiny plain band too. I bought plane tickets as well. The only few things left are to do the photo books and print photos from the wedding and honey moon. I will also have to get my dress altered since I have lost enough weight where it is sagging a bit. I'm going to call an alteration place this week.

Goal #3 Art
oooh boy. I've been THINKING about art. Not much doing. I owe a friend a prize picture, still need to do my next creative grab bag, Evan wants some help with a game, and my friend Connie wants to talk to me about a webcomic. I am hoping to sketch out the prize pic this week along with the sketch for my grab bag. Evan will be next week and Connie whenever I talk to her.

Goal #4 A schedule.
It will be done this week. I am a cheer coach now and have to use time wisely after school and during. I want to schedule in art time, cleaning time, relaxing time, and evan time.

Goal #5 Dietary Changes
I'm on a pretty restrictive diet right now, but it's working. I'm being creative with cooking and spices and am not bored at all. I'm over the halfway mark (if I do it for the 30 days, I may go the full 45...currently on day 20) and have been working out how I'm going to do this when I'm allowed other foods. I have good ideas and need to start writing them down somewhere so I don't forget how to do this. Also: tea and stevia are my new best friends. I have finally fallen in love with tea and drink it ALL the time.

Lots of things to do, not enough time to do it...but I'm getting there and enjoying it finally. I've reached some sort of inner peace I guess.

I'll just keep going.

This is a Test

2010-08-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is only a test...

I'm alive, I promise. Everything kind of just hit at once and I've been slowly swimming my way back to shore.

Everything is great and awesome though. Some quick highlights.

My job has started back up again. It's going great. The only thing about this is that I'm spending tons of time on new power points and project examples since I'm starting at the beginning with the little ones and have nothing.

I'm also becoming a middle school cheerleading coach. *shrugs* I have no idea, don't ask.

The house is being cleaned out. Like a major overhaul. I feel like I'm drowning in stuff and that Evan and I are falling into that owning a house trap of filling it up. Just in the living room we are down a bookshelf and entry way table. Just started going through clothes last night again. I'm so sick of stuff.

Clothes are easy to go through right now. I'm back on the horse of losing weight. I have 20 more days of my restrictive diet plan and then can slowly add back some normal things. But I'm feeling so healthy and great some things may be having a permanent grave for me. I will also tell you about the horror show that happened to me because of that on another day.

Also had to clean out the fridge because apparently "natural flavors" n thing sis code for milk and soy. Which my husband is allergic to. He kept getting ill and we had to figure it out. I gave half my fridge away. That sucked.

The art portion of my life besides making examples for school has been nill. Monday I have a Geek Girl Goal Setting meeting and it's the perfect time to restart my goal of an artwork a month. The first being a prize for a dear friend who got my 1,000th page view on the deviantart site. Then I'll be back to my creative grab bagging.

Umm Some drama with mine and Evan's wedding rings too. We are both getting new ones, which is depressing but better than having to deal with the drama of them both. He's allergic to his and mine just keeps breaking. The jewelery place is working with us though. Which is nice.

I will be blogging more and more, I promise! It's part of the goals!

Comic Sans

2010-07-21T08:42:00.001-07:00

Stolen from here: Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency

I'm Comic Sans, Asshole.
BY MIKE LACHER

- - - -

Listen up. I know the shit you've been saying behind my back. You think I'm stupid. You think I'm immature. You think I'm a malformed, pathetic excuse for a font. Well think again, nerdhole, because I'm Comic Sans, and I'm the best thing to happen to typography since Johannes fucking Gutenberg.

You don't like that your coworker used me on that note about stealing her yogurt from the break room fridge? You don't like that I'm all over your sister-in-law's blog? You don't like that I'm on the sign for that new Thai place? You think I'm pedestrian and tacky? Guess the fuck what, Picasso. We don't all have seventy-three weights of stick-up-my-ass Helvetica sitting on our seventeen-inch MacBook Pros. Sorry the entire world can't all be done in stark Eurotrash Swiss type. Sorry some people like to have fun. Sorry I'm standing in the way of your minimalist Bauhaus-esque fascist snoozefest. Maybe sometime you should take off your black turtleneck, stop compulsively adjusting your Tumblr theme, and lighten the fuck up for once.

People love me. Why? Because I'm fun. I'm the life of the party. I bring levity to any situation. Need to soften the blow of a harsh message about restroom etiquette? SLAM. There I am. Need to spice up the directions to your graduation party? WHAM. There again. Need to convey your fun-loving, approachable nature on your business' website? SMACK. Like daffodils in motherfucking spring.

When people need to kick back, have fun, and party, I will be there, unlike your pathetic fonts. While Gotham is at the science fair, I'm banging the prom queen behind the woodshop. While Avenir is practicing the clarinet, I'm shredding "Reign In Blood" on my double-necked Stratocaster. While Univers is refilling his allergy prescriptions, I'm racing my tricked-out, nitrous-laden Honda Civic against Tokyo gangsters who'll kill me if I don't cross the finish line first. I am a sans serif Superman and my only kryptonite is pretentious buzzkills like you.

It doesn't even matter what you think. You know why, jagoff? Cause I'm famous. I am on every major operating system since Microsoft fucking Bob. I'm in your signs. I'm in your browsers. I'm in your instant messengers. I'm not just a font. I am a force of motherfucking nature and I will not rest until every uptight armchair typographer cock-hat like you is surrounded by my lovable, comic-book inspired, sans-serif badassery.

Enough of this bullshit. I'm gonna go get hammered with Papyrus.

Chuck Jones: An Animated Life

2010-07-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks back my brother and I went to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to sadly take my Mom there so she could go home to Michigan after her ten day visit. After we said our tearful farewells I asked my brother if we could find the little mini art gallery they have in that terminal (Terminal Four!) he said sure since we were going to have to pay for the full hour of parking anyhow.

So we found the gallery and what do you know...a Chuck Jones exhibit! Now for those of you who don't know who Chuck Jones is, he is one of the lead animators/creator of characters from Looney Tunes. It was quite the retrospective of his work. I didn't get pictures of everything but I got the best things in my opinion.

Again these are taken on my camera phone as it was the only thing I had. Yay Droid!

Biography

Sketches

Looney Tunes Paintings

How the Grinch Stole X-mas Painting

Phoenix Art!

Bigger Than You

2010-07-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

So in Tempe Towne Marketplace there is a store front called "The Night Gallery" It is a facility that is used to showcase student works from ASU. A lot of the time they will have "established" Phoenix artists share the gallery space with the student work in order to get more people to come in and see the shows and to hopefully get more revenue. The shows are free but there is a donation jar in the front.

The following is from a show that is still up (it's been up for awhile now in the back) and it is by Nathanial Lewis and called "Bigger Than You" According to his blog this was his Thesis show for ASU.

here a couple links to him and his work: Blogspot Blog and Art Site

A side note: My photos don't really do his work justice. I only usually have my phone on me, so all of these pics are taken on my Droid.

Now on to the show!

"Blossom"

"Icarus"

"Scribble"

"Feast"

"Maya"

"Melt"

"Real Gone 1"

"Ghost"

"Anticipation"

"Hunger"

"Loom"

"Me & You"

"Extrude"

"Romper"

"Satisfaction"

"Make Believe"

Phoenix Art by a Phoenix Artist

Platypus!

2010-07-12T13:19:00.001-07:00

CD Cover Design

2010-07-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Fantabulastic's Victoria by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

The next Card in The Creative Grab Bag Series! Design a CD cover for a fake band. Luckily, I already have one of those.

Fanatbulastic starring the lovely Kabukikatze on Guitar and SyntheticPlatypus on Vocals.

Awhile back Miss Kabuki and I did an art trade where we had created a band and did posters advertising for them : Fantabulastic Poster
Miss Kabuki removed hers cleaning house :) But I assure you it it was an epic poster advertising the Russian leg of our tour.

So a little about the design of this cover. I had the band already so the hard part of figuring out a name was already taken care of. I knew I wanted to revisit fantabulastic, but how?

When I was in Victoria, Canada I fell in absolute love with the Native Art there. Evan bought a painting and I bought some magnets for the fridge. If I could have bought more I would have.

So I decided to use that as my inspiration! The CD is called Victoria for Canada and I used the design elements in their native art that makes it so unique and fantastic. The colors are simplistic and everything is made of shapes and alot of those shapes have animals in them.

I'm on the left I have glasses! Miss Kabuki is on the right. See the red hair? :)

In this picture somewhere: A beaver, a rhino, a frog, an eagle, a cardinal, and a parrot.

I had a ton of fun doing this, once I figured out how to draw with the shapes it actually came out rather quickly. Colored it in photoshop and sized it correctly.

Phoenix art by a Phoenix Artist!

Mint Condoms and Weed

2010-07-06T21:41:00.002-07:00

Now you are looking at the title for this blog entry and thinking: "...what?"

Now that would be what I was thinking when I encountered these very items.

Let me explain.

The other week I had my follow up Doctors Appointment (everything is fine, I worried for nothing). As Evan and I were leaving the office I pulled out the wrong way into a gas station that is in front of the building center. So as I pulled around to go out the other way I saw something on the ground and I came up to next to it and opened my door.

A wallet and a phone! Holy Crap!

I picked up both and pulled into a parking spot at the gas station. Now as luck would have it I was just reading about what to do when you find a wallet or phone from The Simple Dollar.

So I went inside to the gas station and told the clerk I found a wallet and phone and I wanted to leave my contact information. She told me that the guy has just come in 15 minutes ago in a panic. I gave her my name and number and told her that I hoped he came back.

I went back to the car and started going through the contacts of the phone, hoping to find a "mom" or "dad" number to call. Evan started going through the wallet. There were no credit cards and no money (hopefully no one had taken it) but there was a mint condom that Evan pulled out (which we had a good laugh at)and then a small bag of what I could only assume was a bud of weed. (o_o)

Well, I wanted to get everything back to that guy ASAP because I was not keeping this around. Especially when one of the numbers was "House of Toke" so I punched in the guy's address from his license and found it was only 5 minutes from the station and since Evan was with me, I figured we could drop it off at his house.

Well as we were pulling out a car pulled in and rolled down his window and started to ask something of the maintenance men that were working around the gas station.

I told Evan that this had to be the guy. So I pulled up next to him and asked if he was looking for something. He said a wallet and phone and I handed it over to him. He looked like he was gonna cry from happiness. He asked where we found it (on the ground) and then I told him I was going to drop it off at his address. He threw a couple "God Bless You's" at me and we drove off on our merry way.

Make Art Like A Child

2010-07-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

miscellaneous by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Another somewhat easy card drawn, once I figured out what I was actually going to do.

Card Drawn: Make Art Like a Child

So the first thing I did was dig out a bunch of old old artwork and look through it. I was looking for inspiration, at one point I was going to update a picture I had done in 1998 but then I found some stuff I did while I was in school and realized the answer was this:

DOODLE

I teach kids now and this is all they actually ever want to do. So I took a sketchbook page and I doodled the crap out of it. No pencil, no erasing. Just pen to paper and have at it.

I enjoyed filling up this space quite a bit and enjoyed trying to come up with all sorts of different things.

It did take me a few hours to do it (I watched some moves while doodling) but on the whole I'm pleased how it came out!

Photograph Strangers: Tempe Fireworks

2010-07-05T14:49:00.002-07:00

Tempe Fireworks by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Cause I'm a Platypus

2010-06-28T11:16:00.002-07:00

I found this today on the interwebs. On I Am Bored

I love it!

Grapheme Magazine

2010-06-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Grapheme Magazine by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Design a Magazine.

Though this one did not take as long as the others, the majority of this one was spent cussing and fitting about because I knew what I wanted to do, but goodness was my computer and programs against me.

I would say that about 80% of the time was spent on things that did not work. Grah. But now I know how to make pictures from text, so I learned! Which I guess is the point of all this.

So, Welcome to the first issue of Grapheme Magazine a magazine dedicated to all things typologically related.

I wanted this cover to be a bit tongue in cheek about typography. So for those of you who do not know the vocab:

Grapheme:is a fundamental unit in a written language.
Ligature: where two or more graphemes are joined as a single glyph
Kerning: refers to adjusting the space between two letters
Bleed:a printing term that refers to printing that goes beyond the edge of the sheet after trimming.
Serif:semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols.
Sans-Serif: the opposite of above!
Helvetica: A font. The best font ever, really.

I wanted this to read like a Vogue or Seventeen magazine, where there is bits of innuendo and relationship advice. It was fun coming up with the headlines.

Besides the bits I had trouble with (namely the person) this was fun to stretch a bit back into the graphic design territory and using the computer again. I'm glad I could, the undo button came in handy for this one.

Also normally, I wouldn't have left such a big space to the left of the word Helvetica, but I left that there for shipping stickers if someone was to get a subscription for this magazine.

Black Condor Vs. Black Condor Inking Commission

2010-06-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

Inking Commission by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Pencils: Larry Guidry

Inks: Me!

So I won't lie, it was a bit intimidating inking a piece of art drawn by an already established artist. What happens if I messed it up? Luckily, the whole process went as smooth as butter.

I worked in small increments daily, because inking while fun can be a tedious and tiring procedure. Coupled with my fear of screwing up, little bits seemed the way to go.

I worked where I was comfortable first, namely the people. I used several sizes of Sakura Micron Pens in order to keep the detail and vary the thickness of the lines. I used a large black marker for the big areas of black.

The transparency in the human looking Black Condor was difficult, I didn't want everything to look the same in DC, it had to look like something was in front of it, even though the cape was see-through. Uber thin lines and cross hatching the ink pen for shading became my new friend.

The Helmeted Black Condor was a different kind of challenge. In the practice sketch of the cover that Larry Guidry he very much drew the feathered cape that this Black Condor has. I think he forgot to finish it in the final draft cause I had to. Another terror of messing up, drawing and inking my own stuff on someone else's work. Eeek.

I saved Washington DC for last. Which also took the longest. I don't really ever draw landscapes and what a landscape this was! I filled in the darkest areas at first and then worked with my thin pens to fill in the rest of the detail.

Walah!

My Dog, Gala

2010-06-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

I love her to death (even when she is being annoying as ALL WHAT). She's the first pet I've had except for a pet hamster (wiskers, when I was 10) and a failed attempt with a dog when I was in the 2nd grade. Evan and I got her in late September of '09, she was born in April according to her vet, which is when Evan and I started dating!

She is an awesomely sweet puppy. She loves to cuddle, rarely barks, does this fun thing where she sits on her hind legs and pulls your hand to her tummy to scratch it, and sleeps in the weirdest positions. She also follows me everywhere around the house, like when I was cleaning yesterday. I was in the kitchen, there she was. I was cleaning the bedroom, and she was lying on my comforter, the bathroom she was sitting looking at me, and in the office she was chasing the rolly chair as I moved it.

She can be a bit needy, but I think that's cause she loves us so much.

She is great and it's been a good experience so far. I miss my 12 pound puppy though, she is nearly 50 lbs now!

A Forest- Make a Painting

2010-06-23T18:20:00.002-07:00

A Forest by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

"Make a Painting" was the next card that I drew.

I love this painting. It took absolutely forever though. When I draw a card I have to figure out what I'm going to do. I knew I wanted watercolor, but I didn't know of what.

After a few days I was doing laundry and hanging up my clothes. I love dresses and as I was hanging them up I noticed I had quite the collection and array of colors and patterns.

"How pretty this would be" I thought to myself. But how to approach it? I ordered the dresses in rainbow fashion (ROY G BIV) with brown, white, and black at the end. I then took several photos of close-ups.

After deciding which photo I would use, I printed it big and gridded it, I added a grid to my paper and then drew everything square by square by square. I erased my grid as I went so I wouldn't have to backtrack.

Then I very patiently started in on my white saver (a lovely liquid rubber that you paint on your paper that saves you from accidentally painting something you wanted to keep light or white) and then started in with the colors, layer by layer by layer. I really wanted to take my time and not rush myself.

I just did a little a day work-wise constantly moving around the paper to make sure I didn't bleed into already wet areas. When I felt like I would mess up if I went further I quit.

I borrowed some glitter from a friend who does crafting because the orange dress I own is glitter-riffic and I have noooo idea how I would have pulled that one off.

I'm very pleased with this piece and I think it's the one I've had the most enjoyable time making.

On to the next!

Hey!

2010-06-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

So, I'm irritated and worried.

Probably for absolutely nothing which is what I am hoping for.

I'm not looking for sympathy, empathy, or pity (at least not yet, :p).

But things suck when it does not go according to plan.

I made a doctors appointment the other day for a physical. I am going to be 25 this year and never have had a physical so I thought it would be wise to have one.

Things went great, she looked at my skin, talked about diet and exercise, told me I probably need a new prescription for my glasses soon but that I was still well within the limits of seeing good. Then they drew some blood and said they'd call me.

They called yesterday and told me to come back in for ANOTHER blood test. I'm all, "what?" Reason being is that my white blood cells are low (wtf?) and my kidney function was not as good as it should have been (huh??). This was not the plan. The plan was for me to get a phone call with the words: "thumbs up Sara, everything is uber fine!" not "another blood test and doctors appointment to discuss everything with the doctor" >_<

Not cool.

And of course, the internet is really not the best thing to look at when you potentially have something wrong with you. There are several different types of white blood cells and whatever one you are low on is what is wrong with you. For me it could absolutely nothing or I could be anemic (which admittedly, would make sense) or it could be very very bad.

Please nothing. Please?

So I'm going today to get my blood drawn again for the white blood cell test. Then making an appointment probably for Friday to get with the doctor and chat.

I'm really not thrilled by any of this.

Salad!

2010-06-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

So not lately but for the month of May basically (monday-friday) Evan and I decided to eat salad every night. We wanted something healthy and easy because quite frankly by the end of school we were both just absolutely sick of cooking. So we decided on uber salads, because we started going to Sweet Tomotoes and we were basically paying 20 bucks for salad.

So, our salads are so delicious I thought I would share the how-to process of making them. Mind you there is no dairy, soy, or tree nuts because of Evan's allergies.

First we have the basic salad mix. Get actual lettuce and spinach. They have actual vitamins. No iceberg lettuce allowed.

Then I add sliced baby sweet peppers, found at Walmart.

Then open up a can of beets and chop 'em up.

Then a little bit of broccoli. I try to chop near the head because the stalk is just gross.

Then we have super yummy hard-boiled eggs.

Then let us not forget the fungus among us with some mushrooms.

CUCUMBER.

Then I dice up some pickles too. I think dill relish would work fine too, or the pickle chips.

Then some kidney beans or chick peas, either one is suitable.

Then some canned chicken.

Toppings! Salt, Pepper, and some olive oil and vinegar (balsamic, raspberry, red wine, whatever) No ranch dressing here!

Then we have our finished delicious product.

Now, you probably have some toppings that you are wondering where they are at. It's fine to add or substitute ingredients. I personally hate tomatoes, so poor Evan never gets them on his stuff cause I just don't buy them.

If you hate chopping things, a lot of stuff you can buy pre-chopped or take a day like Sunday and chop everything and put it in some tupperware, then you can just quite literally throw it all into a bowl!

Enjoy!

The School Updatage

2010-06-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

Alright, I am back from my honey moon, have a new layout, and ready to blog!

Today I would like to talk about my job as an elementary art teacher.

I finished all the grading and cleaning out of my classroom with plenty of time to spare. I worked on everything on and off all the last week of school and by Friday (the day after the kid's last day) I was able to come in the morning and completely check out for the school year. I had a meeting at 9 am with my arts boss and the rest of the arts peoples so after I was done at school I hopped off to my meeting.

Not a good meeting.

I'll spare you the details but essentially here is what is happening to me next year, because they screwed up. (I'm being nice when I say it that way, btw.) I will be working four days a week teaching elementary art for 50 minute class periods (oy, kindergarten...I'm still trying to figure that one out) and then on the fifth day I will be subbing.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHING.

I think I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions on how I feel about this, because I do like my job and would like to keep teaching.

I dragged most of my own belongings out of the classroom and brought them home so I could sort and organize throughout the summer. It's a bunch of stuff and I really just threw it in boxes, I need to go through it more. I did try to sort as I packed but by the end I was just throwing things into boxes.

I will say on the bright side I do get to stay at the school I've been at, so yay for that. My principal is still my principal and my good friend Amanda is still there as well. (she teaches choir, goooo arts!)

So the only things left is too sort some stuff, call about adding the hubby to my insurance to see how much that costs (he is currently freelancing, employed freelancing tho...it's not code for unemployed), and then change my name over once I put all the official paperwork in.

So hooray for a new post, yes?

The Alchemist; an Illustration

2010-05-26T06:48:00.002-07:00

The Alchemist by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Next in my grab bag series. This was "Create an Illustration" which led me to discover the difference between illustrations and regular old drawings. Yes, I never knew this even with going to art college. It was never a vocab term!

Illustrations tell a story for those of you who don't know.

So, I just read The Alchemist last month and was very inspired by the story. So I was thinking of how I could illustrate it to show different bits of the story line ad kept thinking how epic it got near the end and decided it felt like Indiana Jones.

So basically I took the poster from "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and tweaked it to fit my illustration.

Now my usual kinds of drawing (before synthetic platypus) was to draw one person (usually a girl) and that was it. Drawing an almost movie poster with multiple people, animals and a background? Nearly impossible. It took just about the whole month this time working on it.

You might say though, wait this is not taking you out of your comfort zone at all except for layout. t is actually. I tweaked with my brush settings a bunch and I inked it differently. The next time I work on something on the computer I am going to be doing a different kind of shading. It's a one step at time kind of thing.

I am very pleased with how this turned out on the whole and am glad I got it done within the month. On to the next!

Lack of Postage

2010-05-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Not the Mail Kind Either.

Sorry for the lull in posting. I have a few posts planned out (salads, grossness at school, some new art is almost finished as well, plus the update for my employment next year) but the end of the school year is catching up with me and there is packing up the classroom and grading 850 children.

11 classes down. Too many still to go.

Had and have some dental appointments, one normal cleaning and the start of getting this stuff put on my back teeth (sealant, I believe) in order to prevent cavities. Which is good because my work is cutting my dental insurance.

Plus the in-law family came over as well.

Then I got sick, which I am still suffering some after affects of that. Blech.

Real post soon, I promise. Posts everywhere really, I'm falling behind on my dA account and facebook stuff, plus I've been canceling my Geek Girl Stuff (oh and a post of my hike with them!) so busy. I can't wait for vacation to come. 2 months of nothing!

Dad Ramblings

2010-05-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

I know it was Mother's Day yesterday but I texted my dad and it was too hilarious to not share.

So yesterday, I made a clothes line hanging under my back porch roof. Now you ask, "Why on earth would you do that?" Well, because I live in Arizona and it's 97 outside and I am inside using a clothes dryer that doesn't work very well. I was sick of it.

So I made the clothes lines, and took a picture and sent it to my dad. I do these things because I like them to know what is up in my life.

Now mind you my dad is originally from Kentucky, and here is his reply:

"Congrats you are an honorary hillbilly"

to which I say:

"Oh hush. I'm 'green' for the environment."

Dad says:

"Yeah, hillbillies were ahead of their time."

...

LOVE IT.

Weight Loss and Exercise

2010-05-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

So I don't believe I've made it a secret that I've been on the quest to build myself a better body. I'm still doing that, it's been about a year since I started and I spent most of this school year maintaining what I lost over the summer.

Maintaining is just as hard as losing if not harder. I'm not even down all the way yet! I can't imagine what it will be like when I do lose everything.

So I've decided to step it up a notch this month, the last month of school, and try to kick-start the weight loss again. I lost about 2 lbs last month and I figured if I can lose even just 3 more I'll be rocking it out.

It's not even the weight I'm concerned about with anymore, but when lbs melt they show off the smexy muscles I've been building.

And they are there, oh yes, they are. I was putting on the pjs last night when I caught a glance at my stomach. My eyes bulged out of my head. I HAVE HIPBONES. There is not any padding whatsoever between my hip bones and skin except the normal things. From what I've read this is a precurser to ABS. I never even dreamed.

It's with good cause I never dreamed. I was on my way to sever obesity. Especially when I moved down to AZ. I was in a not good living situation having a very rough first teaching year. My solace was coldstone creamery and cheese. Plus whatever else I could scrounge up at school and there was always something.

I ballooned. I got a wii fit for christmas (not a hint, I wanted one) and I nearly choked when I got on it the first time. I worked with it and lost 10 lbs but I was still way over weight. Then I moved which actually caused me to lose more weight accidentally because I was carrying heavy boxes up 4 flights of stairs for a week making six or seven trips up and down them each day.

Then I met Evan and I make his allergies no secret that my new diet sped up my weight loss. That and he was a gym rat and part of our courtship involved going to the gym after work.

So fast forward to now. I did some math the other day because I have weight and measurments I have kept track of for years. From my heaviest I'm 28.6 lbs lighter. Then from when I lost my 10 lbs (I wouldn't even measure myself at my heaviest waaaay too depressing) If you take all my measurements (bust, waist, hips, glutes, thighs, arms) I have lost 21 inches off of my body. I am quite literally a smaller person. I take up 21 inches less of space!

But my quest is far from over. Slowly my weight is changing and my measurements are slightly moving around. In good ways. Things are reapportioning themselves around my body and I got about 10 more lbs to go until I hit my goal or 15 if I want to hit my uber goal. But I'm not too concerned with the uber goal because if I feel as happy as now in 10 lbs I think I'll just stay there.

Weight wise now though I am back to being a junior in high school. In 10 more lbs I'll be a freshman again. Which that's fun to think about in that way too.

I feel like I'm rambling now. I'm just way excited and I am going to lose my weight and I will be the best that I can be.

Are you proud of your cart?

2010-05-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

I must admit something.

I am a bit of a voyeur. Not the pervy kind but the kind that likes to people watch in public. The kind that likes to look at what you eat and what you buy and how your clothing looks.

It's how I learn. How I have always learned really. Do what the seemingly successful people are doing and don't do what the rest are doing.

Well, I am sad to admit that I have become a bit of a Walmart shopper on a regular basis. It's out of budgeting and necessity! I swear. I didn't use to shop there because they didn't have anything Evan could eat but as the world becomes more health conscious the more food Evan can actually eat.

So we shop very carefully and buy things we actually have on the list. Lots of fresh fruits and veggies (I'm amazed at Walmart's veggies, honestly, super cheap super fresh and it's not all pre-packaged you can buy it by the pound) and non-processed foods. We like to cook and shopping helps that...we don't shop to not cook.

By the end of our shopping experience we have a cart full of veggies, fruits, 100% juices, water, and a bevy of other ingredients that are healthful. I love our cart. Evan and I always look at are cart and say what a good job we did and how awesome our cart is (we truly do this and congratulate each other on such a nice cart...I never said I wasn't an absolute dork). Then if we found something we wanted that we couldn't get at Walmart we head to Whole Foods.

So now we get to the other carts in the store. Now I know Walmart on the whole is not the best example of where you can buy the best food. But I swear to you looking at the other carts out there. These people have NO CLUE. Frozen pizzas, two liters of pop, gallons of ice cream, and boxes upon boxes of macaroni and cheese.

It's enough to make one a bit sick, really.

So it makes me ask these couple questions.

Are you proud of your cart?

and...

Would you show your mother your cart?

The Girls with Glasses

2010-05-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Never have I felt a silly song speak to me so much. I will so watch this when they start doing this show.

All the girls say it with me now..."I AM a GIRL and I WILL CAPTURE the WORLD!"

I Am A Girl - The Girls With Glasses Theme Song from The Girls With Glasses on Vimeo.

Design a Building

2010-04-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

House by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Design a Building.

Dear god do I hate 2-pt perspective. I never really realized it until I had to do this card for my "Creative Grab Bag" series. But oh. my. goodness. I will never be an architect.

It all started innocent enough. I had a hard time coming up with an idea at first. But then I came up with this:

What happens if I took a traditional (and old) Arizonan house updated it to modern times and stuck it in the mid-west using materials commonly found there instead of AZ?

So yay, I had my idea. Then I say, "now why don't I do this traditionally? No computer for me! I don't want to do everything computer or traditional, I want to experiment with both!"

I am not a smart person sometimes.

So, I get the big bristol board paper out, the 11" x 17" and my ruler. I pencil it all in and ink it. Took days. Then I decide to watercolor it. That is when I messed up.

That's right folks, messed it up BEYOND REPAIR. Traditional work. No ctrl-z or apple-z to undo.

In my white hot rage I recall ripping it in half. After the dearest hubby calms me down a bit I settle and begin again. Same way, changing up the design a bit, and correcting mistakes I noticed on the first one.

Penciled it. Inked it. Decided to do graphic markers in all grey-scale.

This has turned out much better.

Evan had suggested I just call this one a failed creative experience and get a new card. But I said no, because I am determined to have a whole series of artworks from this. I got back on my horse after my hissy fit and began again.

I have a feeling this may happen again.

Variety

2010-04-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well I have several things to blog about so I thought I would just hit them all at once.

Went outside today to the backyard and went to check on my plants. My peppers are doing awesome, I have about 4 growing and on of them turned red! My tomato plant is iffy. Some of its leaves were crisp (I watered it) but there was a good size tomato (still green) growing. We'll see. The lemon tree is good. I believe the little nubbins I am seeing are actually tiny itty bitty lemons. Yay! The kumquat tree is all green with nothing else but it seems okay. The orange tree...WAS doing good. My dearest puppy Gala thought that the lower four branches were apparently a SNACK. Hopefully it will recover.

Speaking of the pup, she has had some MAJOR shedding issues. So the brushing and the washing have not been working. She isn't allowed on the couch anymore it's so bad. So, I've been keeping an eye on Girlpirate's LiveJournal because her kitty has had some bad shedding too. People suggested to her the FURminator and she went and used it and posted pics of the outcome. That was good enough for me. I went out and bought one and gave her a bath and began brushing her. 0_o I had enough extra fur for a whole other Gala. I've been brushing her off and on throughout the evening as well and got another baseball sized tuft off her. This thing is my new best friend.

So, I ended up canceling all of my plans today. I woke up with a massive headache and sneezing fits so I wanted to relax today.

Yeah right.

So Evan said that this would probably be the last halfway decent weekend to do anything in our attic for the insulation. Let me tell you all, we got SCREWED on the inspection of our home. 100% so if any of you are buying a home get a friend who knows what they are doing for another inspection. The guy said we had 8 inches of insulation in our attic and we had about 3 inches in some places and none in others. Oy. So we went to Home Depot and got 20 bags of insulation (recycled! it's actually awesome) and rented the blower machine. Once we figured out how to work the damn thing we went through the bags quite quickly and Evan was up in the attic and put it all over the place. We are going to get about 17 more bags tomorrow morning and finish up before 1:30 to return the machine. We figure we'll do this once a year until we gt the recommended R-60 with all of this we are probably going to be at about R-19. Which is way better than the NOTHING we had.

All this week as preparation for our talent show at school. Last week we had the auditions and then this past Thursday was the dress rehearsal and Friday was the show. We were running around all ragged trying to get everything done last minute (next time, 2 weeks in between tryouts and show!) The show went great. We had one kid choke on his song (but we had sheet music so he had words to look at, at least!) and all the kids showed up. At the end of the show a parent came up to me and said that this was the most talented show she had seen and the most organized. I laughed when she said that and replied "I'm glad it SEEMED organized." Because wowza, we were literally getting stuff ready at the last minute. It went great though and I'm proud of the kids.

Started the picture for my next Creative Grab Bag project, it's almost done with the drawing bit, but then I'm going to ink it. I showed it to Evan and he said I should paint it to color it in. Uuuugh. I hate to admit it, but a water color wash would look fantastic. I'll probably finish all the drawing bits tomorrow. I need to check out to make sure I have water proof pens, I may need to hit the store.

I think this is it for tonight. Just lots of little things today!

Nerd Out

2010-04-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

So I had a bit of fun today.

I out nerded a dude that works in a comic book store.

:D BWAAAAA

Yeah so I was perusing in the store and I found two new Neil Gaiman books (children's ones, not even a comic) and one was on a really tall shelf so I had this guy get it down for me. He ended up checking me out at the counter. (not checking me out per se...even though he could have been)

So he told me he was always meaning to read the Sandman series the Gaiman wrote years back and he asked where would be a good place to start with the Gaiman world. I told him that you can't go wrong with Sandman as these themes throughout a lot of his books.

He then asked me if I knew that he had just written a Batman book and I said yes, I know "Whatever happened to the Caped Crusader?" which I own and was fantastic. H told me cool and he asked if I knew about the artist who did the covers to the Sandman series, and I said sure, Dave McKean. Did I know about Arkham Asylum that he did? Oh yes, I say, and I own that as well.

I then told him I owned all of the Sandman, several novels, a few movies based on those, his children's books, an autobiography, and the biography about Douglas Adams he wrote.

The guy behind the counter seemed pretty put out that he couldn't turn me on into any new Gaiman material.

I thought it was hilarious.

Create an Infographic

2010-04-17T10:26:00.001-07:00

Sailor Moon Infographic by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

"Create an Infographic"

I did and holy cow was it difficult. I had been putting it off because I didn't know what to do it on. Then when I decided on doing it for Sailor Moon I had to figure out how I was going to present the information.

This took me forever because of the text placement. I have deep respect for the people who make uber infographics because seriously. I never want to do one again.

I'm proud of it because it took me so far out of my graphic design comfort zone bubble but I know what I would do different if I had to do one again.

Growing Up

2010-04-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

So, I'm going to be 25 in a few months.

TWENTY-FIVE.

That is a QUARTER OF A CENTURY.

Holy Crap.

The thought of this is slightly ridiculous. I mean, in my head I am always the same Sara I have always been. A busy geeky girl who likes to art and smile or try to smile even when she starts to panic about everything in life. But this seems different now, or at least slightly different.

Gone is the college Sara who would basically have a nervous breakdown a month.

Gone is the Sara who would buy loads of collectibles, comics, and CRAP.

Gone is the Sara who would make monthly outings to watch anime.

Gone is the Sara who would sit on the couch every night with her laptop while her parents watched TV.

Gone is the Sara that would seek out everything and anything Hello Kitty.

Gone is the Sara that would eat real ice cream every night with peanut butter and chocolate syrup.

Gone is the Sara that used butter. All the time. On everything.

Gone is the Sara that would do NOTHING all of the time.

Gone is the Sara that would always do what her parents wanted.

...

Life is different and so am I. So here is what Sara is now:

Here is the Sara that while she still gets overwhelmed is a helluva lot calmer about things, even when they go to pot.

Here is the Sara that has pared down everything she owns (books, dvds, manga, etc) so she can live a more relaxing and less cluttered life.

Here is the Sara that goes to friends houses and watches movies and have fun in a different geeky way.

Here is the Sara that sits on the couch with her laptop just a couple nights a week and relaxes as she pursues her interests while listening to shows that are interesting.

Here is the Sara that now owns maybe..10 things that have Hello Kitty on them? Everything is is GONE and replaced with things that don't make me feel 7.

Here is the Sara that maybe has coconut milk ice cream once a month and does not snack on 400+ calorie snacks every single night.

Here is the Sara that cooks healthy subbing in rice milk for milk, apple sauce for butter, and balsamic vinegar instead of Ranch on Salad.

Here is the Sara that goes running for 5 miles a few times a week, goes hiking, and has a gym membership that she uses on a nearly daily basis.

Here is the Sara that moved out of her brother's house, that moved into an apartment with a guy 2 months after meeting said guy, didn't get cable t.v., got a dog, joined accounts a third month later with said guy, made several financial and personal decisions, bought a house, got engaged, and got married 3 months later...without being pregnant, pretty much without her parents dictating what she was to do. She did what she thought was right and took a stand and the parents supported that.

I like this Sara, I hope she keeps getting better!

Britanick

2010-04-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

So a couple of weeks ago I saw this HILARIOUS Youtube Video about "Academy Award Winning Movie" and it cracked me up. Then Evan and I were talking and he thought I hadn't seen it so he brought it up and I told him I had seen it but we watched it anyway.

Is it Terrible I actually want this move to exist? Because I do ever so much.

So, I ended up at their website Britanick Comedy and much to my pleasant surprise they have more videos. I haven't watched them all quite yet but "Pillow Talk" had me rolling on the floor. I don't know how funny other people would think this is but it's right up my comedy alley.

An excerpt from their About Us:

"BriTANicK screamed into existence in early 2008 when Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher decided that they didn’t want to use the knowledge and experience they garnered in college for anything but creating short stupid videos that would make them laugh."

Sheer brilliance. I'm glad they did. You should go check them out, it's a good way to kill some time and unwind and really there are much worse things in life besides laughing a bit.

Create a Character.

2010-04-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

Stormy Weather by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

So this is the next in my series of exercises. The card that I picked for this one was to "Design a Character" don't worry about back story or anything of the like. Just create a character.

So, I did.

When I was younger I would always create anthropomorphic characters of elements (water, fire, wind, nature..."Gooo Planet") and so I thought I would revisit this mindset and create a storm.

I've been focusing in drawing more real lately (don't ask why...I've had the itch) so I created a character in motion, dancing and swirling around creating stormy chaos. She enjoys her work, thus the smile.

I decided to "kick it, old school" and did this as a watercolor. I wanted a more non-linear look (for the clouds) and knew I could achieve the look I wanted with the paints. I only used black for this just using various shades.

I enjoyed making her and using the watercolors so expect more of things like this eventually.

Goal Setting

2010-03-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

So I belong to a group of Geek Girls here in AZ. They are a wonderful bunch of intelligent (and hot!) women who like to get together, have fun, and not bitch and back stab at each other. Which really, has been my whole problem with finding long lasting girlfriends with the exception of a few.

So last night I went to a Goal Setting Meeting about Time Management. This meet-up is run by Shauna who is trying to create a whole program about setting goals and getting people to pay for it. Lucky for me, it's free to the Geek Girls.

So, last month we talked about goal setting and this month it was keeping our goals during such hectic times. Shauna gave us a lot of good ideas on how to stop making excuses and asking why we procrastinate or are so busy.

So, I'm gonna use a few of her ideas and apply them to my "rocks" which was from "7 habits of Highly Effective People" and you have to take the big ricks (the stuff that s uber important to you) and put them in your bucket and then fill in the gravel (the day to day drudgery that fills our lives).

My rocks (in no order in particular):

Sleep
Eat
Evan/Family
Friends
Exercise
Art
Work

So I want to focus on these in my life and tie my goals in with them.

A few things I'm going to read: iwantmorebalance.com and "The 4 Hour Workweek" Also as homework for the group was reading "The Alchemist" which everyone assures me is life changing.

Now my goals for the month!

Finishing 2 art pieces for the month plus an art sketch from life once a week
Socializing with the Geek Girls 5-8 times.
Blogging twice a week!
Weighing four pounds less!
Exercise 3 days of cardio a week and 3 days of weight lifting a week. No time constraints. Plus Wii fit Plus in the mornings.
House stuff: paint our bedroom and office. Evan won't let me clean out the gutters.
Eating habits are being vegetarian every other week.

So here's to the next month!

Little by Little

2010-03-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

So, I'm an elementary art teacher for those of you who don't know. I switched from middle school to elementary mid-year. It was not a good half of the year.

So now I am smack dab in the middle of teaching the little ones and I must say for the most part I love it. Sure, it can get challenging and aggravating but I do enjoy it.

Today stuck out to me though. On some days I have two classes of the same grade level. Today was my double third grade.

The first class came in (honestly not my favorite, good kids...they just don't get along with one another) and we had to move seats around then I wanted to show some slides of abstract art and talk about how you illustrate feelings with abstract art. I had already had them try to draw some feelings in a previous class and now I wanted to show them some real things and they could change their ideas.

They kept interrupting one another and me. They wouldn't stay on topic and I even had someone ask if they could start the art stuff because this was boring. (insert rage here) I spent the last five minutes of the class half-berating them and half-pleading for them to start acting like actual third graders and not kindergartners (although out of my 5 classes of kinders only one acts like that). So after a harried class my next third grade came in.

Talk about a bipolar age.

They were WONDERFUL. No seats had to be moved, we got right into our discussion, we actually discussed what they saw in abstract art, then what they felt from the colors and shapes. We talked about Picasso's Guernica and they were oh so close to figuring out it was about a bombing. We discussed Frank Stella's shapes and how one of his pieces was a beach. The discussion was going so well with people raising their hands and listening to one another that I even had to put time limits and calling on less kids. Then I passed their papers back and they re-did some of their sketches and colored in things. When I told them we were making watercolor paintings out of their sketches on real watercolor paper you could feel their excitement in the air. "Real paper, like a real artist"

I totally heart this class. They seriously have given me one of the most fulfilling teaching days I think I have ever experienced.

Also a positive note: My first graders did pinch clay animals and except for a couple broken pieces here and there they came out okay. I fired two classes worth of glazeware and have at least two potential art show pieces from that (it's in a few weeks!) and loaded up a kiln before I left with the last two classes. I'll probably have one or two from those classes too.

I live sculpture making so much more than vessel making. The other teacher that taught elementary only ever had the kids make different kinds of cups (small pinch, big pinch, small coil, big coil mug) BORING in my opinion. So I had my first graders make pinch animals. Any kind they wanted. Next year I'll do more things with the clay, like relief sculptures, greek vessels, mini-busts, and boxes. The kids can do it. You just need to expect more from them.

That's what I'm doing. The kids always tell me how hard my projects are but they love my class even though it is so hard and they complain. But their projects turn out great. Expect more and get more.

So things are good on the teaching front. Getting more and more comfortable every day. I'm already planning on what to do for next year if I have a job. I already know what I'll do if I don't.

Want to know?

I'll drink and cry myself into oblivion for the first week. Then update all my resumes and whatnot and go get a retail job until I find teaching employment.

I hope to avoid that.

Lets end on a happy note...I got married! Once I get some more photos and possible long videos (I have some short ones) I will do giant uber post.

New Artage

2010-03-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have two new pieces! Two! In one month! Holy Goodness!

This doesn't usually happen folks, allow me to wallow in my excitement for a moment.

So we had two pieces to work on this month. I had my "Illustrate Your Sense" from my ongoing project from "The Creative Grab Bag" and I also had my yearly foray into the annual Gunmetalblack contest.

So without further ado: Common Sense Bingo

Common Sense Bingo by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

Another picture to add to my ongoing series from the book "The Creative Grab Bag"

This one asked me to illustrate my senses. The good thing about this book is that it has other artists using the same cards and I looked in the book to see what other people had done. Two people had done the same thing where they used food.

Well, I didn't want to do that so I went in a completely different way. Common Sense. Which is what I would like to think that I have a lot of.

Though my fiance' (soon to be hubby) has little to none. Several of these spaces are based on real-life things that he has done. Which to me are hilarious, so it's okay that they happen.

I based the bingo card on those really old kid bingo games from the fifties. So I used only a few colors for the whole thing and simple line drawings. Except for sketching out the initial idea this whole thing was done on the computer. Nothing was scanned for this.

The Sea Queen

The Sea Queen by ~SyntheticPlatypus on deviant ART

This is my 2010 entry for the Gunmetalblack Contest. As I stated in an earlier journal entry I have entered this contest since 2006 and have always enjoyed it immensely.

So now we have the Sea Queen. Which sadly is on the absolute last page of GMB's Art Gallery. He has a ton of these underwater characters and flipping through his gallery inspired me with them.

So here is the break down of how this went. I picked the Sea Queen for my entry, then I printed a full size picture of GMB's original work. I then sketched out Sea Queen in the sketchbook very lightly deciding which details to keep or tweak or discard entirely (like I say every year, the detail, dude.) once I had the initial design down in the sketchbook is where I decide how to pose her. Now luckily the way I sketched her originally was pretty damn close to what I wanted anyway so it was cake from there.

I then took the sketch to work and made a copy of my final lines onto three different pieces of colored construction paper and decided on the medium blue-green which I thought look the most like water.

I then took my colored pencils and colored her in oh so carefully. I outlined different parts of her with black and other various colors.

I really enjoy how she came out. I believe her to look very regal like she is welcoming you to her part of the sea and with the way the colored pencils worked with the colored paper was fantastic. It was also very fun to work with her tentacles (although not to the extent of the original picture, yowzah).

I hope you all like her as well!

...

Now I need a new card to start working on. Which will be (drumroll please....)

Design a Character or Set of Characters.

Now this plays to my strengths a bit!

Runaways

2010-03-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of Runaways. No surprise there, it's one of the more popular comic books that have come out within recent years transcending that gender barrier that comics are known to have.

You know that barrier...Boys like Super Heroes, girls like Indie.

And pretty much with the exception of Batman for me (though I do not avidly collect his books) that was me to a T.

Then Runaways happened.

I just reread the first nine trades of that and rekindled my passion for it. Gosh Darn that is a good series.

Runaways Marvel Site Go Here for a quick Synopsis. Though it does not explain the current arc.

I will say that this is a series that there is no character that I don't love. Every single one of these "children" have real personalities...well as real as one can get for having super villain parents and inheritable powers.

I will also say that the pairings of art and story have been topnotch and I was worried about the Terry Moore and Humberto Ramos pairing. I love Terry Moore..I love Humberto Ramos...but Terry Moore had so much on his plate and Humberto Ramos's style is just a little cartoony..I wasn't sure if I could love it. But thankfully I did and the did their story arcs.

According to wiki There are two volumes of books I am missing...so this so needs to be rectified. The book is also on hiatus while they were hammering out some new story lines and getting the writer and artist up.

It's an all female team. This should be interesting to say the least!

The Annual Gunmetalblack Contest

2010-03-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

So, for the past few years I have entered this : Linkage and have had a good run with it. I won a year, got fan prize another year. I got some really neat prizes for it too. Cause Sir Gunmetalblack is an epic artist.

Year I won Grand Prize

Year got Fan Prize

Now the reason I bring up this contest is because, honestly, you can see my work GROW as the years progress. The year that I won I did two entries, so it will be a bit lopsided. But take a gander at the years.

2009

2008 Fan Prize Winner

2007 Entry 1

2007 Entry 2 Grand Prize Winner

2006

Wow, 2006...really? So here come 2010. I am currently working on a sketch for this character, Sea Queen She is turning out exactly how I want her to right now and it's just in the pencils phase. I think I will turn back the clock on media though and try to do something a bit different than my usual computer work. I think I may do colored pencils with some mixed media.

We shall seeee.

Consume

2010-02-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

From Art

Finished it!

After working on and off for a month I finished it!

Yay!

I started off by listing everything I used that day. I wrote it all in a little notebook I carry around. Then I figured I would have it all start off in the one thing I consume first thing every morning.

My cup of coffee.

I then drew out the rest of everything. In whole form (thus the cow and chicken) instead of just drawing literally what I used. It was fun in that way.

I scanned it in to the computer. Inked it first. A bit different than normal. I used colored inks instead of all black like I normally do. Then did all the base colors and added the shadows and highlights.

add a signature and voila.

I am pleased.

The Creative Grab Bag

2010-01-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well,

with all the vacationing, engagement, moving, fixing up the house we have moved into, and wedding planning, plus work, and getting sick (still am), I come back to the blogging world for a real quick update.

The house is going swimmingly well. We've had a few sagas here and there (dare not mention the Kenmore dishwasher) and lots of paint everywhere, including our dog...things are getting done. Evan and I made a fan for the office. We were so happy when we turned it on and it worked. We hugged and watched it go around and even got Gala in there for a group happy hug.

I will put up some pictures soon, especially of my giant bookshelf. I researched how to decorate a bookshelf and it looks quite arty.

Work is well. I am teaching animation to the majority of my classes right now. It's awesome fun, but I will take a break from that after this and focus on some classic art the kids should learn about.

I am arting right now. I have this book called the creative grab bag and in the back of the book there are cards that you tear out to give you something to make art in. The book itself has what other artists have done using the topics in the cards that the book has. So after reading the book from cover to cover and getting inspired I decided to tear the cards out and finally do the creative grab bag. So I shoved all the cards into a vase we have and had Evan pick me a card after I shook it several times.

"Illustrate Your Consumption"

So I am. I have the pencils done from the other day and I am currently in the process of digitally inking the thing. I really am messing with how I've inked before and hopefully this will work. I m also toying with the idea of doing a photo collage of this as well because it would be utterly ridiculous and awesome.

I also have made a scarf which I think I may try to sell out of yarn using the hand knitting method I learned from my altering t-shirts.

I am also in the process of trying to consign my work at a store. It would be my prints that I did last summer, but if that works I could consign my t-shirt fashions and illustrations as well.

We'll see, I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch.

Happy News

2009-12-13T18:37:00.001-07:00

I'm engaged!

Engaged!

ME!

WOOOOO!

I had the most perfect weekend with the most perfect guy ever.

Serious.

We went to a work party (his) at the Mondrian...this place is a hotel with restaurants and clubs...very ritzy and very surreal. The party started in the white room and literally everything was white. There was an open bar where I enjoyed a couple Tom Collins which after sipping several other people's drinks I found that the Tom Collins was the way to go.

I was quite the social butterfly, talking to many of Evan's co-workers, joking with them, and whatnot. It was nuts, I'm never this talkative.

So after a few hours and me camping out for appetizers coming through the door we were moved to the Red room and true to it's name it was all red. The thumping techno music was the perfect background to the random girl painting in the room and then the dancer who pranced on a glowing table and was doing handstands and backbends and dancing on the ceiling.

Craziness.

We spent the night on the tab of the company (thanks!) and we woke up, ate some delicious breakfast and went to out next destination which was secret.

It turned out to be the Hyatt in Scottsdale. It was GORGEOUS. Sprawling lush grass, full grown palms, acres of pools and spas, and extravagant rooms.

We pranced around the Hyatt for awhile. Literally, they had an ipod tour that we listened and followed. We found a pond, and then the massive amounts of koi, we took a dip in the hot tub under cascading aqueducts, and went to see the new disney film The Princess and the Frog. A good film, but not the best in Disney history.

Then we came back and got dressed for dinner and went to this SWB, South West Bistro where we sat in front of a fire and enjoyed chicken and asparagus. After the Bistro I was led to something very cool that we saw on the tour...a gondola ride!

Real gondolas from Venice with Gondoliers that were hired for their wonderful voices and not for their driving gondola skills. They were trained on the job. So, it was dark and the lake was uber quiet and so peaceful. We hopped in a gondola that was covered in tea lights and given a blanket to cuddle under. So we were paddled to the middle of this lake and our gondolier started to sing an italian love song about this guy who loved his girls beautiful lips and just wanted to kiss them all the time. So in the middle of the song Evan gets up and gets on one knee and he proposes! Very short, very sweet, "Sara, will you marry me?" and I'm freaking out saying "Of course!"

It was very romantic.

We got back into the dock and we went inside and sat down got a drink and listened to some romantic flamenco and Spanish guitar and we retired back to the room and we relaxed.

Then we came home today.

I'm in ecstasy with the happiness factor right now.

and we are in the process of buying a house too.

Hello Future, here I come!

Part I-A Post of Love (a warning!)

2009-12-09T19:44:00.000-07:00

The other day Evan said something that made me bug him for a bit before he would let me know. He said that there were tons of tiny reasons why he loves me and why I am perfect for him. He didn't want to tell me any because he didn't want me to feel weird or change anything, but I promised I wouldn't so he told me one. How I say "Aloha" every once in awhile when I answer the phone or when he comes home. It kind of made go, awww.

So it got me thinking...what do I love about Evan? Many things...tiny things that he doesn't notice he does, but that I do.

So...I thought a list would do. Plus, the dear boy says he never reads this thing so I thought it would be good to get my thoughts out. So part one of a long extensive list.

1. Evan tries to load the dishwasher. He can't. At all. He is horrible at it, but the fact that he does and then runs it though...it is heartwarming.

2. Evan is always on the quest for knowledge...in EVERYTHING. I love how he throws himself into research. It just takes over his whole mind.

3. The big laugh he lets out every time we watch an episode of BullShit and Penn says "FUCK!?!!" during his narrative.

4. The way he curls up on the computer chair while he programs. It's cute and almost catlike.

5. Evan hates the lights in the apartment, they're too bright for his eyes and he does everything with the lights off. Showering...shaving...computering...all of it. Is cute.

So here are the first five. There will be more of this eventually!

I can't ride my bike with no handle bars, no handle bars, no handle bars

2009-11-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

I really can't.

I have the balance of a...something that has no balance. Really.

I have been struggling finding something to do that is active and fun in the evenings that 1) Does not tear the shit out of my knees like running and 2) does not want to literally kill me like rollerblading. I took a NASTY spill (3 times!) the last time I went rollerblading and I was pretty much done. I now have a nice gross patch of skin on my arm that may never be the same. It's all healed up but still, I would rather not. I also had the biggest bruise on my bum ever and it took two months to go away. I felt dead sexy with those two things, let me assure you.

So, after months of pining for a bike. Make that years (I haven't had a bike since I was 10, my mom didn't want me to ride on our dirt road where I lived in MI and riding back and forth on our driveway had little appeal), I was finally able to get one. A REALLY NICE one.

Thanks to my folks. Oh goodness, thank you to my folks. They came to visit (the leave on Monday, much sadness) and they really outdid themselves with the gift giving. I won't go over exactly what they gave but it did help out immensely and then my om took Evan and I shopping for some more things. Evan got clothes that he DESPERATELY needed. Seriously, the man hasn't gone shopping for at least two years. We got some major good deals at Macy's too. We went yesterday and avoided the Black Friday crowd. According to receipt Evan got 500 bucks of clothing for only $200. These were some nice things too, Calvin Klein and whatnot. One shirt was $55 and it rang up for $8.99 and then my mom had a coupon too! I need clothes but I am working on my body so I opted for asking my mom and dad for a bike.

We had looked online and found a really nice and cheap Schwinn cruiser at Sports Authority so we popped over and they don't carry Schwinns in the store, online special only. Screw them. So there was an actual bike store in the next mall strip so we popped over there and I saw it. This beautiful streamlined, pink and grey, complete with matching basket in the front cruiser. I was in love at first sight. My mom said okay and she bought it for me. I could have cried. So we loaded into Evan's car and drove back to my brother's to drop off my mom so my dad could take her. I made Evan get my bike out so my dad could really see it (so he knew exactly what he bought me). I rode around the block before we put it back in.

Apparently while I was riding with my goofy-ass grin of sheer delight my dad said to Evan that he doesn't know why he buys anyone any gift if they don't love it as much as I love that bike.

So we bid goodbye and many thank you's to my parents and came home. Where Evan strapped on his roller blades, I got my bike, we grabbed the dog and we went to the dog park. It was awesome fantastic fun and I would like to ride my bike everywhere now.

Thanks Mom and Dad.

I aen't ded

2009-11-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not I swear.

My job has had MASSIVE amounts of drama. I for one do not like the drama and like to keep drama away from my life, so it is upsetting to me that my life at my job has become somewhat drama-filled.

So anyhoo lots of other things have been going on as well. Evan got rid of our beloved fish tank (after several years of fish, he was just sick of taking care of them) We sold half the fish to this one crazy couple and then this sweet guy came and bought our tank and the rest of our fish, including my beloved Krab. This guy was so sweet about everything and he even gave us his number and if we are ever in his neighborhood we can come and see the fishies. So, that is cool.

So after getting rid of the tank we redid the layout of the living room it is sooo much more spacious and relaxing to be in. There is even a spot for Gala's stuff without it seeming crowded. I really like it in here now. Evan and I didn't realize how squished in it was. The only thing we are missing are side tables for the couch and my parents are bringing us two that they refurbished (they painted them red!) which will soo go with the living room. So exciting stuff. Since the living room is so nice and sparse though it has started a getting rd of stuff movement in me. We've been letting stuff pile up for awhile so we took a bunch of stuff to goodwill and I have some things leftover from the Bookman's run that need to go to the library. I also have this giant book shelf thing in the office that has just become a depositary for everything so I am packing some stuff away, binning other things, and pitching the rest. Then off to Craigslist the shelf goes. Parts of the apartment just have gotten too cluttery.

Other news is that we are looking for a house, we actually looked at several in Tempe and they were all holes. Expensive holes. So, we opted to look in Mesa and dear god....I am in love with about a billion of these houses. Evan and I went through the same list on different computers and then we put our lists into a program that sorted everything and we got rid of anything that did not repeat. So I had selected about 50 houses and Evan had selected about 40 and we ended up with 27 houses that we agreed to look at. Some of those will probably be out of the market and we'll be left with even less. It will be interesting.

I am growing up in so many ways and I think I may actually may be getting happy. Once the drama is done and the paperwork is faxed in.

Parental Issues

2009-10-02T07:33:00.001-07:00

The one big thing about moving across the country that really really sucks is being this far from my parents. I am 3,000 miles away from them and probably will stay at least that for the rest of my life.

So when my parents are having health issues it kills me that I can't instantaneously teleport there and take care of them.

A few weeks ago my dad had to go to the doctor because he just couldn't walk, he was hobbling like an old man and had to hold on to things just to get around. Well, he had gout and plantar facitis so he had to start taking even more meds (he has had a kidney transplant years ago and eats a million pills a day it seems) and get this boot thing to wear to bed to keep his foot stationary.

My mom has had knee problems for forever now it seems. A while back she ended up tripping on a curb and into a store door (not as comical as one would think) and then she had tore a few things in one knee from that. Now her other knee was hurting so bad that she was just about in tears on a daily basis, so they finally did a stupid MRI and they found that my mom has no cushioning left in her knee. None. It is just bone on bone. She also has a heel spur and plantar facitis in her other leg because she has been walking weird since her knee hurts. She has another doctors appointment soon to discuss her "options" for her knee.

I have no idea what they will option her to do but I have come to this conclusion for my parents...

THEY ARE FALLING APART AT THE SEAMS.

My mom keeps lamenting about not enjoying her retirement now and keeps telling me that I better take care of myself. Which I am now. I could see myself going down that path and I am definitely not going to now.

I feel really bad for my parents. They also had to cancel their trip down here during my fall break. Not that my mom could have walked up the stairs to my apartment. There is no way.

So it will probably be December before they meet Evan and for that I am really sad. Who knows, they might not meet my "boyfriend" they could eventually meet my "fiance" I have no idea, but December is a really long ways away.

Le sigh.

T-Shirt Altering

2009-09-12T09:49:00.001-07:00

Over the summer I found a book that was all about altering t-shirts into even cooler shirts or other misc. things. Well, the book was kind of pricey so I didn't buy it at the time. A few weeks later I kept thinking about this book so I said screw it, and went to go buy it at Barnes and Noble, well they ended up having two different ones and I bought both of them. I have been having major fun since then. I've made a bag, a wrap shirt, a halter top, a tunic, a sweater, a vest, a toddler dress, a mohawk hat, a rag doll, changed two shirts around, and a still-in progress scarf. I've also taught a friend how to make the bag I made and I went and helped a freshman team of volley ball players mess with their team shirts. I have also been asked to do some classes with teachers after school and to have a t-shirt party at my apartment. Student Council at one of my schools asked if I could teach them to mess with their shirts and the librarian gave me two shirts of hers to change around. One I finished, and I am still working on the other.

These books have pretty much changed a lot in my life and is forcing me a bit to become more social which is a good thing. Many of the friends I made last year are no longer around and I miss hanging out with people. So these books are providing me with the opportunity.

I really am trying. So we'll see.

On other news, did everyone know about the American Kamen Rider that is apparently on Saturday mornings? It's called Kamen Rider Dragon Rider and I just saw a commercial for it. It's totally like Power Rangers but it seems more for the tween crowd. It's all serious and dark.

Also I am hungry. I need breakfast!

A Day in the Life

2009-09-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

Why is chartreuse not red?

It's a blasted pukey green color and yet the word is so pretty it needs to be red.

Any ways, I've been doing a lot of reading and exercising lately. I've got a few books going on the should help with the teaching woes (woes of which there are many, but I do not feel like bitching about, this blog is not about bitching) and a few about weight loss and dieting.

This weight loss and dieting thing is really interesting to me. I bought one book on raising a child to not have self-image woes. (Not preggers, no worries) but I wanted to see what they said, what I could learn from it, and how to avoid perhaps doing to my future child or children what was done to me. I feel as if I have a better grasp on that. I also bought a book about a diet blogger, Dietgirl, she is a sassy Australian lass who was at one point 350 lbs. The whittled herself down to 175 by the end of the book. The whole thing was all the ups and downs (literally) she had in her battle of the bulge and she won. It took her six years but she really did it.

This speaks to me because I am on that path as well. I was never so big or even classified as obese, but I had been in the overweight category for a bit and was right sick of it. So with Evan supporting me I have kicked a lot of flabbiness to the curb. By no means am I done, but I have tried on all of my clothes again and had to put a bunch of clothes into the too big pile. t was quite ridiculous. I few more pants got freed from the bin (my stash of smaller clothes from yesteryear that I was too ashamed to throw out) and I actually went to Goodwill today and bought a couple pairs of shorts and a new pair of khakis. The khakis I had made me look huge because they were all baggy. From this shopping trip I believe I'm officially down a size, but women's sizes are all messed up and I tried on 5 different things all in the same size and a few were baggy, some were too tight, and others just right. But technically, I'm down two sizes. I never bought anything of the highest size (never wanted to admit it) but I was definitely two sizes bigger.

As happy as I am that I am getting healthy and looking, quite frankly, fantabulous, I have these spurts of awkwardness. I don't know how to look in a lot of these clothes. I feel somewhat uncomfortable in my new skin because I am not used to being healthy and fit. Evan's sister apparently called me tiny over the phone the other day. TINY. Folks, I would have never ever used this word to describe myself. EVER. If I am "tiny" now just think in the next ten more pounds I want to lose, and then the last ten after that? I might be invisible!

Also, never ever get sized at Victoria's Secret. That blood store had me wearing the wrong undergarments for the past few years. I highly suggest Soma as they have the comfiest stuff in the universe.

Evan and I went on a lovely hike on Saturday at the Tonto National Forest and I will hopefully put up just a few of my favorite pictures from that hike. One of them being the one that is currently my new desktop backround on my computer. Yes, I am a nerd. I don't care.

Toodles for now, anyone who is reading!

Curriculum Night

2009-08-31T06:52:00.001-07:00

I have two curriculum nights this week. One at each of the schools I teach at. So I get to hang out untl about 7 pm both nights at school. Wonderful fun.

I also stupidly scheduled my first observation with Tara for TOMORROW. I kind of know what I am doing but still am unsure. I kind of switched things around...but I think I will still do the notes for optical illusions and try and color theory/ optical illusion mini group quiz. Ill review with them how to do it today after the notes. Then If there is time after that quiz thing, I'll demo how to do the optical illusion project then let them start. I think this will work!

I took another step toward adulthood this past Saturday. Evan and I opened a joint checking account. Now we are in a committed relationship! We had been talking about how to split the bills and groceries and it just hasn't seemed like it had been working well so we came to the conclusion of doing this. We are in this for the long haul and it just seemed like a logical progression anyways. He is switching all of his bank stuff to mine. I am happy about that because if I had to switch it would be a major pain. All he has to do is go tell someone at work. I would have to drive to the district office, wait for the right person to come out and see me, fill out the paperwork, have the paperwork approved, and then I would be okay.

Ya, I don't really think so.

So, Evan and I also made ice cream yesterday..and by ice cream I mean a milkless and soyless cream-like dessert. We bought an Ice cream maker and substituted a lot of ingredients. It made a ton so it will last us awhile. It's not half bad but it is sooo not ice cream.

Well, busy days ahead. I hope this week goes uber fast. I have next Monday off...yay veterans!

Google Reader

2009-08-27T07:10:00.001-07:00

Rss Feeds and Google Reader are the greatest inventions ever.
I check a lot of online stuff and everyday I was going to each site (sometimes more than once!) to check to see if it updated.

No more!

I subscribed to what I could and now I have a nice little Google Reader Gadget on my Igoogle account and it pops up little links whenever something is updated. It is FANTASTIC.

I am saving so much time by doing this. I need to figure out a few more things with it, but it's awesome and I highly suggest it!

Rollerblading

2009-08-24T21:38:00.001-07:00

So I started learning how to rollerblade lately. Evan had been wanting to go and awhile back I was at this used clothing store and I found a pink and black pair of really nice rollerblades in size 8's that came with wrist pads.

It was fate really.

So we practiced around the apartment a few times..the apartment is scary all the sidewalks are short and hilly. Not exactly the best for a noob.

So finlly I went and bought some knee and elbow pads because just the wrist pads were not going to cut it. Just practicing with only the wrist guards was like courting knee death.

So it is finally cooling down in this desert and we went to this long sidewalk area right by the expressway. It was perfect and I FINALLY started to get the hang of it.

We went again tonight but it was way more difficult because Evan made me skate all the way to the long sidewalk which included me crossing a street and several business driveways. The sidewalks in this state has these bumpy things where it meets the road so I basically had this obstacle course to go through to even get to my blessed skate area.

I made it there in one piece. Thank goodness.

Evan had me practice some more moves and I ended up crashing down. Thank goodness for those pads! I would have been torn to pieces.

Had to go back through the obstacle course again to even get back home and this was made more difficult because I kept getting toe cramps and had to sit and take my boot off for a bit. Evan ended up pushing me down the sidewalk for a bit so we could actually get home.

Then we capped the evening by playing some wii Resort Sports.

Good times.

Diet and Weight Loss

2009-08-23T08:40:00.001-07:00

In my last blog, I wrote a lot about diet and exercise regimen...which I won't all the time with this one but I do feel the need to talk about since it is such an important part of my life right now.
When I moved across the the country I gained weight...now I had already been gaining weight but moving and the stress of being a first year teacher became a catalyst for some major gaining. I was FIFTY pounds over weight.

Fifty.

ugh.

My parents brought me a Wii Fit for Christmas which I did after they left pretty religiously and I dropped 10 pounds. But due to a housing situation which I like to block from my memory completely I had to stop.

Moving eventually, I actually dropped another 5 lbs because I was hauling things every day for a couple weeks up 3 flights of stairs over and over. It jumped started my weight loss program again. I was excited to lose another 5 lbs...I thought I had gained everything back but I hadn't.

Then I met Evan, who has CHANGED my life forever. He has been such a positive influence on my life, I don't even know how it happened and it all happened soooo quickly. But I have never been happier.

Evan is a very conscientious eater, he has to be. He has a lot of allergies to food that cause him discomfort. So I started making meals that the both of us could eat. Which, he is pretty much allergic to unhealthy things that this made me eat a lot better. We went on a trip to celebrate our one month anniversary and I ended up gaining a bunch of weight during that ridiculously fun weekend. But it also woke me up. I couldn't keep doing this to my body. I was dating a very attractive, skinny, active, healthy eating boyfriend. I didn't want to be this round ball standing next to him.

So I became active with him. I do love being active on my own and I had been hiking and running and whatnot off and on. But I started going to the gym with him, we went on walks, did yoga, the wii fit more, my apartment gym, swimming, volleyball, badminton, etc. Just doing SOMETHING.

I also started paying attention to my diet. After a few issues I found out that I am lactose intolerant. Most of the dairy things that I like are bad for me anyway so I don't eat them anymore. I know I could if I got lactaid or something, but I just avoid it. Soy is another problem. It affects my moods, scarily so. I think actually it helped put me into a more severe depression back when I was in college. So I avoid foods with any soy in them now as well.

Evan and I moved in together too, at my apartments. We push each other now when we feel lazy. With school starting I've been doing my exercise in the morning, but a few times I've done some in the evening with him as well. We are really watching what we eat too and how much. We were both chowing down on things just because they were healthy and we were eating too much.

So with all of this in mind I now only have a mere 20 lbs left. I am halfway to my goal. Every day I weigh myself on my Wii Fit and everyday it's been going down ever so slightly. Sometimes it's up but then it goes back down. And I know I am doing things right.

I have this bin of clothing that I've kept over the past few years. Pants, shorts, t-shirts, and some bathing suits that I couldn't fit in because I had gained weight and I swore to myself that some day I would get back into them so I kept them in this small bin in the back of my closet. I had freed just a few things from the bin and I tried on the rest of my clothes and got rid of things that were too big and binned anything else that was too small.

Last night I decided to try things on from the bin, because it's been over a month since I tried things on. I freed up a bunch of stuff last night!

Two pairs of dress pants
Two pairs of shorts
Three t-shirts

I still have a bunch of stuff left, but some of the stuff I only need to lose 5 more pounds to fit into. Some things I was actually able to pry up my legs and buckle (even thought I looked stuffed into them like a sausage) but the fact remains, I used to not even be able to get them up my thighs. I now can pull them up and buckle them.

Next month I am going to try on the contents of my closet again...there should be a few things that I shouldn't even bother wearing anymore because they'll be way too big. There are also a few things that I love and would be willing to get tailored to let me keep wearing them.

I have about a month and a half before my parents come to visit me. They haven't seen me in person since March and that was before I met Evan. I want to be 10-12 lbs less by the time they get here. I want them to see how healthy and active I've become and I want them to be proud of me.

Because I am proud of me.

Ah, blogging...

2009-08-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

So after giving up hope for a while on creating my own website and blog I have broken down and decided to get a blogger account so I can at least post my thoughts and art and what not. This blog is personal and business all in one. I think of my life as one whole piece so this blog will be too.