angie may handmade

these are a few...

2011-04-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

... of my favorite things. <3

currently im obsessed with:

spring florals.

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hair bows.

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fake glasses.

painting.

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watercolors.

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abstract organic-geometric forms.

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what makes your heart pitter-patter?

my collection and my heroes

2011-04-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

through the years ive filled out several of those online survey for myspace and facebook and whatnot. you know, the ones where they ask you your eye color and hair color and ask if you prefer chocolate or vanila, or daytime or night time, and all kind of other useless garbage. one question that always kind of bothered me was "do you collect anything?" i would stop and think and feel unsettled. that feeling you get when you know you've forgotten something but you dont know what. i love "stuff" and i have a lot of it, but i could never think of just what it was that i actually collect.

going through an old trunk in the basement, i realized something. i collect vintage children's books. i had at least 10 of them, mostly cherished from my childhood. and im fortunate enough to have older siblings born in the late 1970s, so i got '70s kids' books handed down to me. some were even from the late 1950s and belonged to my parents. my favorite, by far, is "Dean's Mother Goose's Book of Rhymes."

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the illustration in this book really captivated me since my whole life. i've always been in awe of the fancy costumes, beautiful hair, and detailed animals.

NOTE* all other photos pulled from google images and not individually credited

janet and anne graham-johnstone were a pair of british twins born in 1928. they were illustrators who worked on every book together as a team. they are true heroes of mine. i look up to them and i am inspired by them. i hope to be an illustrator someday, and looking back it it, im sure growing up with their work in Dean's Mother Goose sparked that in me.

here are just a few examples of their illustrations.

gorgeous, yes? be still, my heart. <3

is this a craft?

2011-04-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

well its certainly handmade. it requires a lot of skill, and by God, its practical. watch the video to see a short clip of someone demonstrating the HANDMADE MARIO BROTHERS VIDEO GAME! kind of awesome, i must say.

The Simplest Version of Mario Bros - Watch more Game Trailers

sloths

2011-04-02T18:28:00.001-07:00

meet my new favorite animal, the SLOTH. <3 how could you not love that funny little face? :)

gratitude

2011-03-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

just a simple post: let me know what it is you're thankful for right now. come on, don't be shy! no one will judge you. tell me. what are you thankful for?

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right now im thankful for being a woman, even though it has its ups and downs. im thankful for good friends and good food, and getting to know some friends better. im thankful for the artistic talents God gave me and the drive to pursue art as my career. im thankful for my mom, who may be a just a litttle (a lot) spacey sometimes, but she raised me in a good home, with my dad who sacrifices everything for his family. im thankful for my cat whos snuggly and soft and cuter than all the other cats on the internet by far. ;) im thankful for food to eat and a home to live in and all the luxuries that i indulge in every day, because i know some people dont have one bathroom in their house, let alone three. im thankful for my job and a boss whos understanding when i need to make changes in the schedule. im thankful that God gave me a work ethic where i actually want to do my best. im thankful for having the insight to see situations in a different way and learn from my mistakes. i know God has big plans for me and my life and i cant wait to see what He has in store for me. <3

also im thankful for nutella on a warm piece of white toast.

march- aquamarine

2011-03-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

i hope you all had a good month of march! its about over now. i though id make a little collection on polyvore.com celebrating the month of march and the birthstone aquamarine.

did you do anything fun this month? i really wanted to fly a kite but its been too cold lately. :( maybe in april! :)

Japan Relief on Etsy

2011-03-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

my heart goes out to those in japan and the loved one coping with tragedy and loss. before i begin this post, i want to tell you a little something i overheard at work. a coworker told me at her church they all put a red dot (symbolising the "rising sun" flag of japan) on their hands, and every time they see it, they say a silent prayer for japan. i thought it was a good idea and thought id share. :)

if you'd like to donate to japan tsunami relief, please do so at the red cross website, or text REDCROSS to 90999 and the donation will be on your next cell phone bill. or, if you love to help as much as you love to shop and support art, you can donate by purchasing certain items in etsy! many etsy sellers are banding together to raise money for japanese tsunami relief and i encourage you to be a part of it.

dream BIG for Japan -flower seeds watercolor cards by treespacestudio

kokeshi doll stackables by stackblocks

29 paper cranes by MadeByJo

screenprint for japan by Pinipiru

lucky bamboo in aquamarine pot watercolor by TheJoyOfColor

matsushima tshirt by uzura

a bear hug for japan by sleepyking

(i <3 sleepyking, by the way)

earlier in the week i donated $10 to the red cross. i wanted to give more but im totally broke.. but while making this post i saw these stickers and said oh, what the hey. :) i went ahead and bought them.

japanese animal stickers by Squidbombed

pray for japan <3

april showers raindrop curtain

2011-03-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

last spring i saw the lovely handmade paper garlands and curtains by the etsy seller kategreiner. i was inspired to make my own april shower paper curtain back then, but never got around to it. reading a post on elsie's blog, a beautiful mess, about her shop decor, i was really inspired to get off my butt and make something.

sorry- these pictures arent the best. :-/ but i wanted to show you the process so you can make your own if you wish. this looks much better in real life. :-P

first i found some scrap papers. in this case i used a small pacsun bag and a few pages from a free people catalog. i chose a color palette of white, aqua, and seafoam green, and randomly brushed it on the papers. i wanted to make sure all my raondrops had the same colors to make them look cohesive.

while the papers were drying, i hung up the strings, spacing them about 4 inches apart. i used cotton yarn, but any yarn or thick sting works. i taped them upside down first, then went over them again with one long piece of tape. this gave it strength and made it look a little more clean. (uum.. i dont have trim around my windows yet.. we got a good deal on this house because it needed a lot of work.. the to-do-list is very slowly getting checked off..)

once the papers dry, fold and cut out little teardrops the way you cut out hearts for velentines- this ensures your ends all match up and stay clean-looking.

then all you have to do is glue them to the strings. i tried to spread them out pretty good at first, just in case i ran out of rain drops. but i ended up having a few extra and a full curtain of drops. :)

hehe i think its pretty cute :) a fun little springs craft that took less than an hour to make. awesome. :D

instax skin

2011-03-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

a few months ago, i bought a fuji instax from amazon.com. it came with a gift card for a free skin. i picked out a skin from the website and pretty soon it arrived at my door. the skin sat on my desk until just a few days ago, though. the problem was i wasnt sure if i wanted to put a skin on it. i liked it plain white. but the skin i picked out was cute. its a chicken in a peacock costume. (skinit.com - they have skins for everything too, even graphing calculators, for those of you in school) but the skin said it could be removed cleanly without residue, so i thought, eh, if i dont like it, ill just take it off.

i peeled the skin off the paper and stuck it to my camera. it fit like a glove! better than i expected. i had to cut a few places with scissors to get it to lay flat (around the lens and on one of the corners where it bulges out) but the places i cut slits arent noticeable and overall im happy with how it turned out. i think ill keep it. :)

this is how she looked all clean and white; not really sure which one i like more. theyre both cute in their own ways i guess.

what do you think?

new ventures in the distance?

2011-03-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

a few years ago, i started making jewelry and selling it with my friends. the only problem was, it took me something like a year to get the hang of it and make professional quality pieces, and then there was just too much competition on etsy for jewelry. i had good prices and (i think) a good product, but it was just too darn hard to make any money at it.

for a while now, ive been wanting to get into a business thats a little more unique; where my product can get noticed because theres less of us selling it, and hopefully my style can stand out. i want to draw and paint custom portraits for sale on etsy. i havent really started working on this yet, its just an idea so far. im a fine art major, and i would love to make a little money off my talents on the side before i graduate and look for a full time job.

here are some of my human and animal portraits. some ive done recently, some a few years ago. any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated. <3

the flamingo i painted just a couple days ago as a thank you gift for a friend. the blue tropical bird i drew yesterday because i had the day off. :] tell me what you think! do you think i can make any money off commissioned pieces on etsy?

i made a gif!

2011-03-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

lookie! i made a gif! :D i think its petty cute. out of some old photos of my dear friend, bryan. i made this in like 10 seconds on the site gifninja.com.

gifninja.com Create custom animated gifs at gifninja.com!

mural

2011-03-07T17:33:00.001-08:00

i love this i love this i love this i love this
<3

what a fun blog: Creative Kismet

2011-02-27T16:50:00.000-08:00

i found the blog "Creative Kismet" today. very inspiring craftyness, clever and low cost ideas, and great tutorials!

these are all crafts that have diy totorials. check them out! :)

drawing portfolio

2011-02-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

we had a portfolio review in my drawing class the other day. just wanted to share some of my drawings with you. :D

i was up all night finishing this drawing before portfolio review. national air force museum, dayton ohio.

and the rest are all self portraits.

ink on watercolor paper

paint markers on wood

graphite, paint marker, ink, oil pastel. collage on paper

graphite pencil

sharpie marker

i did this outside of class, just for fun. its my bathroom counter. chalk pastel on cardstalk.

this was for color class. we had to put together a mixed media collage with found objects. the red word on korean is "haengbok" and it means happy. i was having a bad day that day and wanted to cheer myself up. :)

and here are some new art supplies i bought myself as a little treat. :-P i couldnt get the ugly label off the pencil box so i covered it with woodgrain contact paper, cupcake stickers, and a sticker that says "i'm happy" in korean. and ive been wanting a brush holder so i can keep the bristles from fraying in my art supply bag. the ones in the art section were boring though, so i got this knitting needle case and i think it works pretty well! :D

well i hope you enjoyed looking at the drawings ive done in class. the only ones i left out were the nude studies from life and the gesture sketches. i dont think my gesture ones are very good, and the nudes are, you know, nude. so i thought id just skip that. :-P you're welcome.

mod wedding ideas

2011-02-23T17:49:00.000-08:00

im so happy to see so many unique weddings these days, where things are a little more laid back and it becomes a real party to celebrate the bride and groom. my best friend amber recently got engaged, and lately i've been thinking of all the things we can do together to get ready for the big day. i stumbled upon paul and cassie's wedding photos here and fell in love. the blog is the portfolio of jonas peterson and he takes some really beautiful pictures. check out his blog here.

super sprayer- cosmic artist

2011-02-21T18:02:00.000-08:00

i just discovered this artist on youtube. he makes super quick celestial artwork with spraypaint! i thought it was really neat and i wanted to share it with you. :) he has a lot of videos of different artworks he's done. check them out here! seriously. it'll blow your mind.

feelin that artsy feelin

2011-02-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

ive been wracking my brain the past few days trying to figure out what i wanted to make for my dear friend for her birthday. i wanted to continue the tradition of handmaking gifts for my friends when i can. i think it means more because it comes from the heart, and you know, i'm broke. :-P after looking around for a while i thought of something great. something fun for her, fun for me to make, and useful! :D

here's a hint. ;)

the lovely elsie flannigan made one..

also, i drew this today. its me! :D

paint markers on wood panel

porcelain beauties

2011-02-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

i stumbled across these gorgeous porcelain dolls made by artist Marina Bychkova. totally beautiful. check out more of them here on the Beautiful Life website.

super pretty, right?

something i miss

2011-02-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

if you've been reading my blog a while, you may remember that over the summer i was a bit obsessed with listening to KPOP, watching Kdramas, and learning the Korean language of Hangul. well since school started last fall, Hangul has been put on the backburner. but i miss it. i miss it like crazy. i just dont feel like i have time. im an art student, and every minute of the day that i dont spent either making art or looking at art, i feel like im doing something wrong. like i need to spend 25 hours a day submersed in creative thinking.

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but the other day we had to do a collage in color theory class with found objects and i used bits of a korean newspaper that i had been hanging on to. i could pick out a few words here and there but i want to be able to really read it. like, fluently.

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i was so obsessed with korean culture, that i effectively swore off spending for an entire month, just so i could save up to go to korea someday. (hasnt happened yet..) i tried to save up money this month, just for the sake of having money, and um.. its harder this time..

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so i'm setting a goal. ill start off easy on myself and see what happens.
my goal is to spend one hour each week studying korean.

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yeah, that's a light goal, but trust me- its a lot better than the 0 hours a week im spending now.. and im trying to be realistic. if i can do more, GREAT! but i need to start small. so please please, keep me on track. ;)

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blogs that make me hate my life :)

2011-02-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

im just kidding, just kidding, just kidding!.. kind of. ok, so i discovered these blogs and they're so beautiful it hurts. not gunna lie, i'm a little jealous of these artists. but instead of just sitting around and moping about how i'm not as awesome as they are, i should strive to be better. and that's what imma gunna do! :-P

first off, GENINNE'S ART BLOG

she does a lot of watercolors and illustrations, especially of birds. her work is so beautiful and her studio is soo awesome.. holy cow. seriously, i want to be her.

second, A BEAUTIFUL MESS

it's no secret that i love elsie. to pieces. i've loved elsie since i saw her scrapbooking line, "LOVE, Elsie," like 4 years ago. srsly. she's so crafty and trendy and adorable i could just die. love her love her love her.

next off, MADE BY JOEL

dear joel, WHY YOU GODDA BE SO FREAKIN CREATIVE AND TALENTED AND AWESOME, HUH?? HUH???? you make my heart hurt with your awesomeness. such beautiful contemporary kid's toys and art. and a lot of them i can make at home. you disgust me with your genious-ness-es-esss. *deep breath* .. .. can i give you a hug? *note - he has a book coming out this fall- Made to Play- by Joel Hendriques. you should all buy it. i'm going to.*

Last but not least, SEBASTIAAN VAN DONIN CK

i came across sebastiaan's blog the other day and couldn't help but be blown away by his talent. his illustrations are so whimsical and fun- even the one's with a darker feel are just so darn cute. i want to be an illustrator some day, so stuff like this really makes me drool and wish i was in his shoes already.

well i hope you liked my post! :D now excuse me while i go make some art that's inadequate in comparison! hahaaa!-aa-aaa-aaaa... *trails off* :]

to my lovely ladies

2011-02-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

i've said it before, but i'll say it again: i don't have many girls in my life. i feel like ladies are much harder to get along with and form bonds with than guys. i can never tell what a girl is thinking, and i never know if she's being genuine or if she's just being polite. (guys are tricky too, but easier to figure out than girls)

with that said, i want to say that i really appreciate the few girls that i DO have in my life. you know who you are. <3 well yesterday i told you i baked cookies to deliver to my boys, but i wanted to so something for the girls too. so i sat in the library today and made these watercolor valentine cards! :D i think they turned out pretty cute. i havent got to give them to my girls yet though.. i got a little side-tracked and stayed too long delivering cookies to my BFF while he was at work at the hardware store. we were laughing at the names of paint colors and fighting over whether or not flat paint worked as a chalkboard paint. (that is an experiment you can look forward to me getting into later) but tomorrow, girls, you shall have your lovely valentines! :D

oh, and i would like to say that i LOVE this new spot i discovered in the library, by the way. on the 3rd floor, very quiet, soft chair and big table, right next to a heater vent! warmth at last!

awesomest valentines eve

2011-02-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

all via weheartit.com

very important

2011-02-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

just wanted to remind you,

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just in case you had forgotten.

happy valentine's day.

cookie time!

2011-02-13T19:55:00.000-08:00

kitchy photo booth pic from the theater

i spent the day with a very special little lady. i picked her up after church and we got mcdonald's, then went to see justin bieber's movie, never say never, in 3D. [oh boy.] after that we went back to my house and made valentine's cookies. we split the batch and she's going to give her's to her teachers. i'm bringing mine to my guy friends between classes tomorrow.

be my valentine?

2011-02-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

one of my very good guy friends was feeling down the other night. i made him this scratchboard drawing of a storm trooper that i was going to give him as a valentine's day gift, but since he wasn't having the best day, i decided to visit him at work and surprise him with it a little early. i think it cheered him up. :)

tomorrow im making valentine's cookies with a very special girl and ill be passing them out the the other boys in my life who i appreciate. i don't have "A Valentine" this year per say, but i want to let my guys know that i appreciate them in my life. even on days when they're kind of stinky or when they leave the toilet seat up.

i don't have many female friends i feel like i can be my real self more around the guys. i'll need to think of something extra special to do for the few lovely ladies in my life.

if i had a date for valentine's day

2011-02-10T21:42:00.000-08:00

still crossing my fingers that one of my dear close male friends asks me to be his date this valentine's day. only three days away, soo not likely.. but wishful thinking, if i DID have a date, i would wear this lovely outfit. <3

*drools* i just discovered the addictive virtual shopping outfit making goodness that is Polyvore.com. this is going to be another painful obsession. look out.

so january went like this:

2011-02-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

for christmas last year i got myself a present; this little diary from atSeoul.com. it's layed out by week so you can write a paragraph or so every day, and it has places to keep track of your spending, journal how the hours of your day are broken down, keep lists of anything you want, sections of graph paper for free drawing, and some extra lined pages just in case you're feeling like getting some things off your chest.

one of my favorite features is the blank calendar pages before each month. if i do something cool in particular, i may write about it as well as do a little doodle on the calendar.

so january went like this:

started out crappy; my BF dumped me at my party because we were too different
i was depressed about it for a few days
started spending time with another cute boy and cheered up
busy spending lots of time with friends
working on abstracts in drawing class
boy drama (baaaagh)
spent time with my ex's little sister - she missed me :]
longing for spring

i love my diary. <3

if you can't decide, get one of everything!

2011-02-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

as you may know, i LOVE to do online shopping at atSeoul.com. they have cute clothes, stationary, housewares, and toys. i was recently on the site looking to purchase washi tape, but i couldn't decide which ones to get! they're kind of expensive, at roughly $3-$10 a roll, so i needed to choose wisely. or so i thought. until i saw theeeese sampler packs!

i bought the pack of solids

and the pack of fabric paterns.

arent they fun??

they come in 27 sticker sheets of pre-cut tape pieces and circles. and they're $8 for all the sheets plus a convenient (and cute) tin to store them in. they're coming from korea so it may be like 2 weeks until i get these bad boys in my mailbox, but when i do, oh boy! :D i'm so excited, seriously.

diana archer necklace

2011-02-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

this is totally gorgeous and PERFECT for valentine's day. <3 i want it so bad..

Diana necklace from Lara Lewis on Etsy. Beautiful.

she has quite a lot of pretty little things for sale in her etsy shop, actually.

the moonlight on dark water labradorite ring makes me drool.

and the classic princess cut crystal post earrings are too pretty for words.
*swoon*

having a ball - of yarn

2011-02-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

my best friend amber got engaged this past weekend! im super excited for her. she came over yesterday to tell me all about the proposal and later i taught her to knit.

and while at work at the craft store, i saw an idea sheet for these yarn wreaths. i think im going to make the yarn ball one in pink, red, and white for V-Day. <3

you can download the instructions here, or just pick up an inspiration sheet in the yarn section next time you go to your local hobby lobby. :] maybe you'll even see me there. ;)

A playlist for the angry and alone

2011-02-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

a made a playlist for those of you who turn your nose up at the though the lovey dovey commercialized holiday that is V-Day. personally, valentine's is my FAAVORITE!! even though ive spent the last two alone.. eh. i just go buy myself sexy lingerie and chocolate and hang out in my room watching the colbert report. i think that's the plan for this year. <3

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a playlist for the happy couples out there

2011-02-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

i stumbled upon the site called 8tracks.com, where people make playlists of 8+ songs that go together in one way or another. i really like "geek mix" and "songs to lay in bed and stare at the ceiling to."

i've made a little playlist of my own. this is a valentine's day playlist for all the people who are looking forward to the holiday. if you want to celebrate love this february 14th, whether you're half of a happy couple, or happily independent, check out my mix!

(photo cred)

featuring the song stylings of artists such as City and Colour, Alkaline Trio, and The Format. <3

coming soon, a grouchy playlist for the bitter and sour hearts out there ;)

instax love

2011-02-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

i couldn't resist but to jump on the instax bandwagon.

here are a few of my favorite shots:

anyone out there have fun pics you'd like to share?

abstract

2011-02-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

i made this in color theory the other day. i thought it turned out kinda nice. i framed it.

pretty little thing

2011-02-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

isnt this just lovely?

dress from persephone vintage on etsy

no-cost handmade birthday card tutorial

2011-02-05T06:14:00.000-08:00

ok maybe this is cheating. i say no-cost but its really just no cost to me because i got lucky. i work at a craft store where they do custom picture framing. a customer had a work framed and they trimmed off the extra paper and gave it to me. so i got high quality water color paper for free. try this with other papers; it could work!

well the first step is to cut your hard to size. again, i eyeballed this project. then tape it down to your work surface. my dear friend kristin is turning 18, so i lightly drew a big 18 on the front. but you can do any picture or design or word or name of number you want. the idea here is just to diy rather than to buy from the store.

i made sure to get every part of the paper wet except for the 18.

i just plopped color blobs on like tie-dye. i wanted it to look springy.

then i went back with micron pens and added details.

and i have terrible handwriting, so i printed out a little saying for the inside in a cute font and traced it with tracing paper, then went over it with micron pen.

turned out pretty cute, right? :D

no-cost gift bow tutorial

2011-02-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

once i saw how easy these bows are, i thought, "i am NEVER paying for a gift ow again! tutorial on the lovely blog How About Orange.

start by taking a magazine picture and cutting it into 9 strips of 3/4 inch width paper.

leave 3 full size, cut one an inch off of three of them, and two inches off of 2 of them. then 1 of them should be 3 1/2 inches long.

the next step is to make loops with the strips and staple the ends in the center. the one short piece just makes a little circle.

very important: make sure your loops are at an angle where there's more space in the middle. where the tips get more pointy. i made the mistake of not putting enough space in mine and they wouldn't fit together. had to take them apart and redo them. :(

next, put them together with glue dots. start with the bigger ones and the little circle piece goes in the center. BEAUTIFUL!

you can use any kind of paper for this really. ive seen it done with old maps and i think that looks really cool. :D if anyone tries this project on their own, please show me! i would love to see. :]

no-cost handmade gift wrap tutorial

2011-02-04T22:14:00.000-08:00

hello again! as promised, here is the tutorial for making FREE gift wrap! :)

i started with a paper shopping bag. my project was small so i only needed one.

the first step is to cut your paper bag the size you need it for the object you're wrapping. dont worry f the name of the store is on the bag, you can use that as the inside.

tape it down to your work surface. this not only keeps it from wrinkling as it gets wet, but it also helps keep paint off your work space. :) i like to be tidy.

i was going for a springy pallet but i think it turned out a little 1992.. hmm.

paint away! you can use any pattern you like. i chose stripes, but polka dots, stamps, anything really would work.

yay! cute AND free! can't beat that.

gifts from the heart

2011-02-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

today my very good friend Kristin turn 18! :D note:
KRISTIN, IF YOU'RE READING THIS BEFORE YOUR PARTY SATURDAY NIGHT, STOP! DON'T SPOIL THE SURPRISE!!!!

ok well, you might remember in the months of september, i vowed to NOT SPEND ANY MONEY for a whole month. well, last month i went a little overboard and i think another swearing off spending is in order for the month of february. although its only 4 days into this month and i've already spent $30 in korean stickers- more on that later- and a bottle of nail polish and floral wire.. ok ill just stop there. EEPS! :-S well this project cost me NOTHING! :) but its from the heart and it turned out super cute so i know she'll love it. ;) the only thing i spent money on was that i got her a disposable camera to go with it. $3.50. i can live with that.

*clears throat* okie dokie then. well TRYING to be frugal, here's what i made, a photo album, posing with one of the cute handmade owls that the lovely Brina gave me in the Surprise Ball Gift Swap a while back. <3

cute, right? want to make one? well here's how! :D
Materials:

cardboard
fabric
fabric glue
ribbon
eyelets and eyelet tool
clear plastic page protectors
scrapbook paper
sewing machine / needle + thread + patience
scrapbook paper

optional for decoration:

fabric paint
felt
small beads
embroidery thread

ok so first thing, cut your cardboard. (i got my cardboard from the packaging insert from a calander - $0)

the back cover is 5 X 8 inches, and the front is two parts so it has a hinge. the larger part is 5 X 6 1/2 and the smaller part is 5 X 1 inch. i poked 3 holes in the small part, and 3 holes in the back cover. make sure they line up!

next, chose your fabric. i chose solid pink with a striped pattern on the inside. the fabric for the outer cover should be roughly 8 X 9 1/2. just as long as you have enough to fold over, really. i cut the fabric for my inner cover the same size as the cardboard, 5 X 8. for the inner fabric, cut out the corners, pin about a half inch inside, iron and sew. (fabric scraps i had laying around for over a year - $0)

yeah, i know it's crooked. i eyeballed this project. i wasnt exact on everything. :]

ok so now you have your covers (front and back, inside and outside) all cut out. time to make 'em pretty! :D

you can do whatever you want for this step, but i chose to use felt and spell out PICS with beaded and embroidered detail. these are all things i had on hand. $0. booyah.

cute cute cute.

i embellished the inner covers with a little fabric paint. i taped off sections and brushed over it with gold fabric paint. i tried one with stripes and one with zig zags. i liked the zig zags :]

next, spread fabric glue all along the cardboard out to the edges. place the cardboard on the fabric, centered. make sure when you glue on the front cardboard (the two pieces)that the gap between then is 1/2 inch, so together they are as long as the back cover, 8 inches. and keep in mind that you'll need to glue the 1 inch cardboard to your left side, since you're glueing it to the wrong side. so once you turn it over it'll be on the right.. i know that should go without saying, but hey, its something i would do. :-P

now cut the corners out of the outer cover fabric and glue the flaps in.

now cut the corners out of the outer cover fabric and glue the flaps in.

next, glue on the inner covers. i shifted mine over so it would be easier to poke holes through the pink fabric for the binding.

now you'll need to add the eyelets for the binding. this part was tricky. just make sure you make your holes big enough to put the eyelets through where they won't get tangled in the fibers of the fabric.

the way eyelets work is this: they come with a little shaped piece of metal, and another one that's a little longer. you put your eyelet between them and hit it with a hammer. the two pieces bend the back of the eyelet down and hold it into place. if that doesn't make sense, there are instructions on the package of eyelets. and they're cheap. like $2.50 for a 24 pack with the special metal pieces included.

well, your cover is DONE! :D mine got a little warped and wrinkly.. :( so sad.

now for the inside. cause it's what's inside that counts, right? riight?

for this part i took regular page protectors and cut them down to 5 X 8 inches.

now stitch up the bottom and right side. make sure you leave the top open so you can slide in paper and pictures. the left side won't matter because it will be bound with ribbon at the end.

i decorated the edges of some of the page protectors with sharpie and stamps. (if you use stamps, make sure you use the Stayzon brand. other brands won't dry on the plastic and will just smear. ew.)

i also added a few random pages of paper and magazine pictures so my friend can journal on them.

now the binding part is rather tedious, but don't give up now, you're so close! :D

the hole punch i had didn't punch a clean hole through the plastic. it more like, popped it? so i had to add each page one by one and kind of struggle with it. but it was worth it. :] tie ribbons in bows and finish ends with fray-stop or clear nail polish. cute, right?

what it looks like with photos. this is one of a good friend of mine with my kitty when she was a baby. *aaaw she was so cuuuuute!!!*

a journaling page

another journaling page

warning: this project is likely to make your room look like this!

gaaaah! D:

wasn't that fun? gift wrap and card tutorial coming tomorrow! ;) stick around.

A New Art Journal

2011-02-04T09:38:00.000-08:00

i have a tendency to abandon things when im not happy with them, and start fresh. i do it with knitting projects, diaries, sketchbooks, and *cough cough* blogs..

well here is a peek at my *newest* art journal. i wanted to capture the feeling of spring. (i say that while my city is trapped under a sheet of ice..) hey, i'm anxious for spring, ok? :-P

yaay spring!

new spring purse!

ok, not really springy, but eh. this is me! :D

this is a page i did in response to Brina's prompt on her blog, Rose Colored Glasses!

The prompt was to journal a page on one of your personal catchphrases. I picked "how lovely." Honestly, i don't say it out loud much, but I'm thinking, "Well that's lovely!" and it reminds me of the song from Bye Bye Birdie. <3 Check it out!

culture: animal sounds edition

2011-02-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

i thought this was cute. you know how in the US we refer to cats and saying "MEOW" and dogs as saying "WOOF WOOF?" Well in Korea, if you say meow or woof when referring to animals, they won't know what you're talking about. Its "Yooung Yooung" and "Mong Mong," DUH! :-P

if anyone knows how to re-size videos so im not chopping off the right side.. let me know :)

ice ice baby

2011-02-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

what's the weather like where you live? its gross here. icy and cold. but honestly, im not complaining. i got to stay home and work on craft projects for the last 2 days. heck yeah! :D

one final thing must be said: *clears throat*

"TREE BE LOOKIN LIKE A FOOL WITH YO' LIMBS ON THE GROUND!"

thank you, and good night.

i have some really awesome craft tutorials and free print outs to share with you here soon! :D stay tuned!

hi there. me again.

2011-02-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

remember me? i'm angie. we used to be good friends, you and i. then i got busy. and lazy. and uninspired. and i'm sorry for that. but i'm back now. i'm living the dream life again and i have a lot to share with you.

i haven't decided if i'll be making a new blog or not. this blog, "angie may handmade" was created mainly for the purpose to promote my etsy shop, not gunna lie. but i've since given up on becoming an etsy seller and now i just want to share with the world things i see and do that i feel are cool. i want to take it in a new direction, and i would love to get a fresh start with a new blog. i'll let you know if and when i have blog #2 up and running. <3

thank you for stopping by my little edge of the internet. i hope you stay a while.

busy busy busy

2010-12-10T22:42:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading my blog for a long time, you may remember me mentioning a house I was hoping and praying I would be able to move into. And you may remember the loan being rejected by the bank due to the house's rundown state.

Well, I have some news.

IT'S MINE!

I'm beyond excited. And also kind of stressed... Christmas is a stressful time anyway, but this Christmas is going to be crazy hectic. Moving day is in 9 days. NINE DAYS! I'm not ready. Not sure that I'll BE ready by then. But I'll try. It's not just the packing, but this new house needs a lot of work. We're actually going to be moving in with a lot of repairs still to be done. I'm working full time until school starts again, and every day after work I've been going to work on the house. My best friend and my boyfriend helped a lot the other day with ripping out the old filthy carpet and prying up the tack strips. Over the weekend we'll be laying new flooring. Right now I'm on the painting stage. I don't have time to paint the whole house right now, but I wanted to get a few things done. I'm painting my room my favorite color- light grey. (I prefer the British spelling 'grey' over the American 'gray' for some reason. I'm weird like that.)

My room is almost done now. Just needs one more go-around with the roller. I'll share more pictures after I move in and make it pretty. ;)

One of my many many tedious projects- taking the staples out of the stairs- taking it from carpet to bare wood. Extremely time consuming. But I do it happily. I feel like it's kind of like a craft project. Instead of saying, "Look I made this little thingamabob," I'm saying, "Look I made this house awesome!" Kind of the same idea, right?

I did a great deal of Christmas shopping today. I went to the mall. It was a tad bit insane. But I did get quite a lot of my shopping done. And one tiny thing for myself.. 0:)

PS Michelle, I think you'll like it. ;)

So yeah, that's my update, in case anyone wants to know. :) I haven't been home to even clean my room in like 3 weeks. I'm juggling work, fixing up my new house, moving out of my current house, Christmas, and making time to see my best friend and my boyfriend. Things are crazy right now, but hopefully everything settles down in the next few weeks and I can relax and enjoy how awesome life is. <3

christmas is coming

2010-12-02T05:19:00.000-08:00

Today was the first snow of the year, here in Dayton, Ohio. Now I'm really in the Christmas spirit. I officially started my Christmas shopping yesterday, and got a few things for myself too.. I like to have a few new festive articles of clothing at the start of each season. It gets me in the mood for celebrating the different times of year- the only good thing about living in Ohio is that you get to see all four seasons in their glory, and I like to celebrate that.

Are you getting snow where you live? How do you get into the Christmas spirit?

black friday, you don't scare me

2010-11-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

This Black Friday, like all others, I will be working, not shopping. I work a 9 1/2 hour shift, both today and tomorrow. But I've done this five times now. I can do it. *battle cry* RAAAAAAAWR!

If you are going out shopping today, you might want to print this out and take it along. It may help you stay sane.

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I was at the Mr's house until about 2am last night. On the way home we passed WalMart and the lot was FULL. AT 2AM! AAH! Anyone braving the sea of shoppers. Any good deals out there? Or any ridiculous stories? Anyone get in a fistfight over Zue Zue Pets?

giving thanks

2010-11-22T21:36:00.000-08:00

As Thanksgiving approaches, I'm taking some time to ponder the things in life that I'm really thankful for. And I've been trying to see the good in negative situations.

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I'm thankful that after six long months and a heck of a hard time getting a loan, the house of my dreams will finally be mine. I'm really looking forward to picking out paint colors and new flooring and making a trip to IKEA for curtains and furniture. Can't wait. <3

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I'm really thankful for this guy, who is just the cutest little thing I ever did see. I'm really glad he's in my life. Alex. <3

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Next, I'm thankful for God, and His epic sense of humor, which is both hilarious and frustrating. That's all I'm gunna say on that. <3 P.S. I love you, Big Guy. Let's be best friends forever.

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I'm also thankful for the way my parents raised me- and this idea instilled in me of making the world a better place. A guy I know has been treating me really crappy lately. Everyone says I should do things to get even, but after thinking about it, I'm planing on doing the opposite. Next time I get a chance, I'm gunna go up to him and say, "Hey I noticed you've been in kind of a bad mood lately. Is everything OK? Is there something bothering you?" Cause come to think of it, I see this guy like every other day, and I haven't really asked how he's doing lately. Maybe something's just going on in his life that's made him stressed. Maybe he just needs a friend in this cruel world. Don't we all? Anyway, yeah. I'm thankful for the fact that I can see through the petty bullshit and do what's right. Sometimes. <3

souce

I'm really thankful for my friends. Some people are in your life out of obligation, like certain family members of mine- these are not the people I'm referring to. I mean the people who are in your life by choice. When you get a text and see who it's from and smile. The people who post comments on your wall on facebook that just say things like, "Hey girlie! Just wanted to tell you I miss you!" The people who you worry about when they make poor choices. When someone tells you they saw something in a store the other day that reminded them of you. When you can tell someone they look like a turtle and no one's feelings get hurt. The people who you genuinely want to treat right because you don't want them to ever be unhappy- ever. To these people, I love you. I'm so glad you're on this earth with me. You are my friends and that means so much to me.

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Finally, I'm thankful for MacGruber. Celery will never be the same.<3

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What are you thankful for?

gloating time

2010-11-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

lookie what i got. <3

there's a new boy in my life. he's super adorable and super sweet. he came to visit me at work today and brought me roses. i dont wanna jump the gun here, but yeah, i like him. :]

i'm back!

2010-11-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Long time no see, blogosphere. I missed you.

I've been feeling really off lately- just not myself. I haven't felt like doing any of the things I normally like to do, like blogging, or crafting, or studying Korean. All I like to do lately is clean my room and watch tv. I've been feeling really bored with things lately. I want to get back into the swing of things. i feel like life has been kind of empty since I stopped doing the things I love. So here it goes! I'm back! This is what I've been up to lately!

WARNING: VERY PHOTO HEAVY POST! I had a big weekend. :)

My 22nd birthday was Thursday, Nov 11th. It had a slight damper since I got basically "dumped" by the boy I was seeing the night before. In his defence though, he was going to wait until after my birthday. I was the one who was like, "Ok, so what's the deal with you and me..?" But I think him and I are on good terms still, so I didn't let it get too me too much the next day.

I went to breakfast with my parents and sister in the morning, then my sister took me to the mall, where she got me a cute Abercrombie shirt with winter owls on it, and I got myself a pair of sequin shoes. Then we went to a Mexican restaurant where I got a margarita and didn't get carded, which I thought was weird, because I know I look like I'm 17.

My bestie picked a nice Thai place in Dayton to take me to dinner. He made reservations for our group of friends, which I thought was nice, since he knows I hate using the phone with strangers.

jake: "Dude, Angie, you just got photobombed by James Dean!"

The waiter stared at my ID for like a whole minute. I've been legal a whole year, people, come on.

I'm so lucky to work with such great girls. I love them to pieces. Michelle, Amber, Craig (Amber's BF)

On Saturday after work we all went bowling. I hate bowling, but I thought it would be something fun to do with the girls. I was right. We had a blast!

Kathleen and our pink ball.

The lady at the bowling alley also thought I was in high school.
"I'd like a medium coke, a Bud light, and a small pizza."
"A coke and what??"
"Bud light?"
"..That's what I thought you said.. Can I see your ID?"
"Here. I'm older than I look.."
[inspects ID] "Yes you are."

I'm a lightweight. I was pretty happy after just one. My [underage] friends went up to ask for another one for me, and the guy who rents the shoes out apperently just gave them one to give me, which I thought was nice, but I know he totally just did it because he was trying to get in my pants.. lol Sorry dude, no thanks. Although I did go give him a hug- I was drunk. :]

mustache party! Kristin looks distinguished.

I really hate Ohio.

Kathleen and me lookin sexy!

"Wait, who put their name in as 'Oatmeal'? Adam, did you do that?" "No, Oatmeal is Helen!" "Oh. Oatmeal, you're turn to bowl."

in my beloved korea, Nov 11th is Pocky / Pepero Day. Like another Valentines day.

Melissa of Oh My Darling sent me this. :) I thought it was suuuper sweet that the thought of me even though I haven't blogged in like a month. This was super funny too. Here's some of my fav pages below:

I may just have to try this. Sounds like a good time. :]

Well of course!

My ex sent me this card. He and I dated for years and we decided to stay friends. So I thought it was super sweet that he sent me a card. It actually made me burst into tears when I read it. lol Because he had a lot of problems when we were together but I stayed with him for a long time because I wanted to be someone he saw as being "on his side" while he thought the rest of the world was against him. I had always wanted to be his little "ray of light." So this really made me happy. :)

we have a very unique way of talking to each other.. lol

adorable owl stickers from April

April also got me this owl pillow from the etsy shop "Fong's Studio." Very cute!!

And a cell phone charm. i love it! it's a piece a' bread! :)

my crafty friend, Alyssa made me a cute cute card and these little ornaments. Aren't they fun?

this was a little present to myself! My new favorite shoes.

My bff Amber got me this pretty handpainted box.

She also got me this pretty asian hair pin and a Hello Kitty change purse, where I now keep my business cards.

And this is my cat wishing she could fit into a tiny box.

I hope you enjoyed peeking in at my birthday celebration! I enjoyed sharing with you! Hopefully I won't take any more long blogging hiatuses.

mustache party?

2010-10-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

my 22nd birthday's coming up on November 11th. Not sure what kind of festivities there will be, but I'm pretty sure mustaches will be involved. <3

"is there something on my face?"

chai time

2010-10-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

i'm so in love with chai tea right now. warm and spicy and sweet. <3 a fall favorite.

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tomorrow will be a busy day, but hopefully most of the things on my to-do list will be fun things and not obligations.

gooda wake up at 6 for school. goodnight. <3 luv you.

breather

2010-10-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

i finally got a little bit of a break today to take it easy. i spent my day jogging around the neighborhood, watching korean dramas (too addicting!), sleeping, eating leftover pizza (YUUM!), and doing my homework. this is a self portrait i did for my drawing class, its due tuesday, but i got it done early! go me! =D what do you think? can you see a resemblance?

pretty pink pom pom

2010-10-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

i made this! i used rachel's tutorial here. when i got my korean label maker in the mail, it was wrapped in cute pink tissue. i'v a very sentimental person, so i wanted to keep it, just because it was from my beloved korea. (which i've labeled "the K word" because i know i say it so much everyone's probably super-annoyed..) anyway, i folded it up and kept it with my craft stuff, along with some pink and gold tissue i got when i went to victoria's secret. the shades of pink don't quite match, but i decided to put them together anyway. it's hanging above my nightstand. <3

honestly, rachel's tutorial was so so so easy. you should totally try it. :)

and unrelated, but i thought it was cute: my cat, Orion, is NOT AT ALL affectionate- unless you're in the shower, or when he's on the kitchen table. then he won't leave you alone. not sure why this is. so today he sat and waited for me to get done showering, meowing his little stripey head off so i pet him with dripping-wet hands and he didn't mind. so i put a little water on him and he seemed to enjoy it. even later on, he jumped up on the sink to watch me wash my hands and i got him all wet again. i guess he likes it. weird.

aaaaaw little wet sewer rat <3

scrap journal

2010-10-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

here are a few more pages i've done in my art journal / scrap journal

Free Tibet

2010-10-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

Months ago, my friend Amber invited me to a cultural festival at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She said it involved Tibetan Buddhist monks chanting and dancing. I'm totally into that kind of thing, so I said SURE!

note: taking photos was off-limits. These photos came from this site - but this is exactly the same as what we saw tonight.

The monks shared little pieces of their Tibetan culture with us- a culture that is disappearing fast, due to communist China moving in and taking over. So when you see the phrase, "Free Tibet," it means free them from oppressive Chinese rule. They want to be their own country and govern themselves, but China has other plans. And just FYI, I totally adore China, too. But I think it's sad what's happening to the Tibetans.

again, photo cred

The Snow Lion dance was totally adorable. <3 I wanted to pet it. First it reminded me of The Neverending Story. Then it reminded me of Spudgy.

crisp

2010-10-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

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I've really been liking this weather lately. I prefer summertime because I hate having to wear layers upon layers. But right now just a warm hoodie keeps me comfy. I like that cozy feeling. I'm fortunate that I live in Ohio where we get a nice range in all four seasons. Although winter lasts entirely too long.

What are your thoughts about the fall season?

my new fun thing

2010-10-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

I got my new Korean Label Maker in the mail yesterday. It's kind of amazing. <3

This is my name in Korean. Angie May - 앤 지 매이. Although this label-maker's a little off because you can't put the letters on the bottom like they're supposed to be in the actual Hangul language.. Oh well. I still like it. It prints English too. Awesome. <3

I had been anxiously awaiting this for the last 10 days. Thought I was going to die. But it finally came. :) Got it from atseoul.com. There's so much more that I want from that site.. Not sure if I should buy it, or ask my parents for it for my birthday that's coming up in a few weeks.

I'm sorry I haven't posted much lately the past new days. I've been busy with school, work, and helping my parents fix up their rental properties. I've also been getting behind on studying Korean. So you KNOW that means I've been busy! <3 Actually I've also been reconnecting with old friends (and new ones) so I've spent a lot of time lately at my friend's apartment, watching Family Guy and eating German candy.

Fred Kerkel. Kind of weird at first, then kind of addicting. Like a cross between fruit snacks and those little bright colored marshmallow bunnies you get at Easter.

my motto

2010-10-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

i was inspired to start living my dream life when i heard the quote, "dress for the job you want, not the job you have." there was an aha moment. i thought, "hey! i don't have to envy the girls with the cute clothes and the successful lives, i can BE them!" my life changed after that.

i didn't sit on the sidelines of life anymore. if i saw something i wanted, i went for it.
"i wish i could tease my hair," became, "hey look! i just learned how to tease my hair!"
"i wish i had a blog," became, "hey look! i just made a blog!"
"i wish i were happy," became, "hey look how freaking happy i am!"

i had taken up the motto, "Live the live you want, not the life you have." But i recently revised this to a shorter version,

"LIVE THE DREAM LIFE."

so i saw the gorgeous diaries at atseol.com and thought they were painfully beautiful. i was inspired to change things up a little. so i started this art journal, but since the front and back are both plain black, i have a hard time telling the front from the back upside-down.. but i fixed that now. :] gold vinyl stickers with my personal motto.

unrelated, i have a lot of short term things i need to be patient about.

hearing from another bank about a loan
my birthday in less than a month
babysitting tomorrow
mailman delivering my korean label-maker
new episode of playful kiss *this one's gunna be good!!* ;)
asian student association meeting at school *not asian. going anyway.*
dinner with a friend
meeting with my academic adviser
waiting for an email from my korean teacher - login problems *blugh*

waiting is soo haaaard!! :-P

art journal pages 1-3

2010-10-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are the pages I have done so far in my art journal.

introductory page. i was feeling a little bit of an identity crisis - not really sure what "my style" is, since i like so many styles and they're all so different. hence the page on the left: "who am i? i'm angie may. at least that much is certain." trying to figure out who i really am. (making an art journal has really helped with that, by the way.)

uuugh my crazy weird obsession with that darn korean soap opera, Playful Kiss. *Watch it on Hulu here! The first episode is a little weird.. It gets good though. :)* Sends my little heart a-flutter. <3

Oh Ha Ni + Bek Seung Jo Forever! ^^

I went to visit a friend last night. I haven't seen him in months, and I hadn't been to his new apartment before. *just noticed i spelled apartment wrong there- oops* After missing like 3 turns in a row, I called him up and told him, "Just so you know, you don't mean this much to me. It wasn't worth this much trouble just to see you." My favorite friendships are the ones where you can be mean to each other on a regular basis and no one gets their feelings hurt. And that round black blob is gold in real life. Darn scanner.

I cleaned my room. Yeah. :)

fat cat in little box <3

keeping my hands and heart busy

2010-10-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

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Lately I've been kind of down. :( Just a little depressed. You may have even noticed I haven't been posting every day. The reason I've been sad is that the house that my family was planning on moving into for the last three months- well, the bank won't give us a loan to buy it, since the house is a "fixer-upper." Which breaks my heart. In my head, I've been feathering this new nest all summer, planning out paint colors, and furniture placement, and decor. And now the dream is crumbling before my eyes. We're gunna keep trying, seeing if there's any loopholes or anything, ANY way that we can get this house.

And off topic (but I'm getting somewhere with this) I blogged about my love of the diaries (and photo staging of the diaries) at atseoul.com. And you may have noticed that I was being a little cynical about it. As much as I love (love love love love) these diaries and the photos of them, I thought they were a little unrealistic, at least for my life.

Well they really inspired me to make some changes. One of the major beliefs that has driven my life the past year or so is the idea that if there's something in your life that you aren't happy about, change it! I know I can't change the fact that the bank won't give us a loan, but letting out some of my creativity has really helped me feel less depressed. I've started an art journal because I was inspired by the diaries at atseoul.

And today I spent the ENTIRE day cleaning my room, rearranging all my little knick-knacks, and even my posters. I had been itching to decorate my "new room" for months, so I took that energy out on my current room. And it feels great.

I'm still disappointed about not getting my dream house. (although still hopeful that we can work something out) But I've been finding ways to change my life to be something better.

this is the opening spread. kind of an "introductory" page. i made another page too, about my obsession with the korean soap opera Playful Kiss, but i'll post that one later.

I have so much jewelry.. SO much. I went through it today and sorted out the things I wear VS the things I don't. I'm planning on listing the 4 pound shoebox full of unwanted jewelry on etsy as supplies for reconstruction. anyone interested?

and yes, i finaly posted my latest creation. this is kevin. he needs a home. he's now listed in my etsy shop, for anyone who's ever wanted a cute little owl buddy. ;)

diaries to die for

2010-10-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

a few days ago i mentioned the website atseoul.com, the site where i bought a pink korean/english label maker. *can not wait for that to come in the mail!!!* what really made me fall for this website was the adorable collection of diaries. they're cute on the outside, but even cuter on the inside. they fill all the pages with cutesy little words and pictures, and set up the photos with unrealistic but painfully beautiful props. *yeah right, like i would ever have a full and exciting schedule. like i would ever randomly lay out a pencil, a sticker, and a leaf next to my diary at a coffee shop. i dont even GO to coffee shops, and if i did, i think i'd be way to self conscious to bring my dairy there.*

anyway, my point is, i look at these photos, and say, "It's so beautiful! I want that life!" and so i buy the diary. and life is the same. except now i have a diary.

advertising. don't you love it?

i don't mean to be a negative nancy. :-P i'm just kind of poking fun at reality. it's how i roll.
look how pretty these are, and tell me you're not inspired to change your lifestyle. ;)

all pics via atseoul.com

gorgeous right? *swoon* some of these diaries are so clever too. i saw one that had a little place on the corner of the pages where is has little pictures of a cloud, a sun, a snowflake, etc. and you circle the one for the weather that day. so cute. and it had a little pair of dots for eyes and a little nose, and you either drew in a smile or a frown, depending on how your day was going. or a frown and arched eyebrows, if your day was particularly bad. hehe. :-P is anyone else drooling over these diaries or an i the only one? :]

something that makes me happy

2010-10-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

Something that I'm loving at the moment: glitter.

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magical

this seems to be working..

2010-10-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

I've figured out how to get finally tackle my ever-growing, never-shrinking To-Do List. The key: Baby steps. Each day I've decided to tackle one thing. That way it doesn't get so overwhelming. Even if I don't feel like doing anything off the list, I tell myself, "Just DO it. It won't even take that long!" I tried this approach every day last week and it really seemed to work for me. Among the things I FINALLY got accomplished were listing some things in my etsy shop, writing back my Dear Darlings Pen Pals, making some new clay owls and painting them, sewing a button back on a cardigan, and studying.

can you even see him through all that clutter??

there he is!! :) isn't he cute?

I'm hoping to list this little guy on Etsy soon. I actually made 5 owls, but they all dried a little lopsided. Not sure why.. This is the sole survivor of the batch.

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I'm planning of seeing Legend of the Guardians in 3D tomorrow with a friend. I'll let you know how it is. I've heard it contains "epic owl battles." Sounds *awesome!* lol

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Also, I have to admit something super dorky.. I'm totally addicted to the show Playful Kiss. It's a Korean TV series about this girl who lived with her dad, and their house collapses in an earthquake. They go to stay with an old friend of her dad's, and it turns her dad's friend is the father is her crush! Her crush who had publicly rejected her *in a really mean way* at school that day!! XD So now she's living with her crush and he's so mean to her but you know she still likes him and it's all like "omg does he like her back? Is he gunna kiss her?? Is he gunna kiss her?? Omg they came so close to kising but they didn't! AAAAH!"

.. .. *deep breath*.. OK, I have to regroup here.. I told you it was dorky!.. *I'm too old for this sort of thing..*

Seriously though, I LOVE it.. It's funny, sweet, romantic, and you know.. the star of the show, Seung Jo, is toooootally hot.. *sigh*And I so have a girl crush on the guy's mom, too. She's super cute. :]

If you're *ahem* into this sorta thing, like I am.. *embarrassed a little* you can watch it here.

September Spending

2010-10-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so a month ago I posted about how I was going to stop unnessesary spending through the month of September. I had wanted to save my money, and stop cluttering up my room. Well.. .. September's over and I bought myself a present! ^^

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It's a label maker that prints both English and Korean words! AMAZING! And it's pink! I had to have it! :]

It's from my new favorite shopping site, AtSeoul.com. They sell all kinds of cute stationary and accessories. Such a cute place. Check it out!

Honesly though, I think I did a pretty good job on my September spending. The only unnessesary things I bought this months were: autumn spice votice candles, black and clear nail polish, 3 camis tops. I'm not counting art supplies or the optical mouse I bought, because I feel that that's an investment. I'm studying to be a fine artist with a concentration in illustration, so art supplies are kind of important.

And I bought thing for other people; For my dad's birthday, I bought him an apple tree to plant at our new house, and my friend moved away to go to Ohio State University, so I got her a OSU hoodie and had all our friends sign it with farewell wishes. And I bought food.. A crap ton of food.

All in all though, I think I did a pretty good job with saving. I can't wait to get my new label maker!!! I'm gunna label e v e r y t h i n g . <3

This time last year

2010-09-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

October is only 6 hours away. Part of me (most of me) is sad to see the warm weather go. (It's easy to look cute in tank tops, shorts, and sandals, but it's hard to be pretty when you're wearing several hoodies at the same time.. I get cold easy.) There's a part of me that's kind of excited about October coming. Fall really is a kind of magical time. The trees are so pretty, and there's pumpkins everywhere and cinnamon, and caramel apples. And October 11th is always a really exciting day for me, because it means ONLY ONE MORE MONTH UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY! YAAAAY! November babies out there give a *woot woot*! hehehe :) This is what I was doing last October. Let's see if this year lives up to the last.

school was even more hectic last year

breakin out the cold weather gear

going costume shopping with some friends

going pumpkin shopping with a good friend

selling jewelry at the Mum Festival

my cats are very predictable.

dino-lantern! didn't look very good when lit though..

pretty leaves

hayride/ pumpkin patch with my girl

hot air balloon over my house

sitting in the grass between classes

spooky cookies

gemmi didn't like her dino costume

ori didn't either but i put it on him anyway

i went as a cowgirl to work. hooray for $5 costumes!

carving time!

I wonder what October 2010 will be like?

Chopstick Practice

2010-09-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Today was the first time I used chopsticks in public.

A few days ago, I mentioned that I had learned how to use chopsticks. Since that day, I've been using them to eat scrambled eggs every morning, and at night I practice by repeatedly picking up and dropping a piece of gum. (Hey, it works!) But today was the first time I really put it to the test. I went out to a Viet Namese restaurant with a friend of mine, and I ate the ENTIRE MEAL without a fork! Chopsticks only! GO ME! :D hehehe

Broccoli, peas, carrots, onions, tofu, calliflower, with spices and lemongrass. Mmmm.. <3

I'm so proud of myself.. ^ ^ And it's totally cool how I would several mention people I know, and it turns out my friend knew them too! Small world, for real. And I'm totally excited to find out that my friend listens to Korean pop music too. We were talking about different groups and music videos and all that- finally, I have someone to share my dorky obsession with! XD

My Weekend in Pictures

2010-09-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

these are my babies.

on my nightstand: hello kitty lamp, yellow clock from Hob Lob, perfume from American Eagle, a handmade leaf coaster from a store in Tipp City Ohio, my phone, Burt's Bees chapstick, my favorite green mug full of orange juice, a pen, an owl coaster that a friend got me from etsy for Christmas last year, a clothespin, chopsticks, a piece of gum.

This is my cactus. He was blind before, but now he can see.

Finally got the cabinet fronts put back on. Poor color choice.. Blends in with the walls too much but it's a little off. :-/ Oh well.. I'm moving anyway.. .. .. Peanut butter!

Working on drawing homework. <3

Something else interesting that happened this weekend: Sunday about noon, I went out for a jog around the neighborhood. I went over twice as far as I normally do, so when I got back I was super sweaty and stinky. When I got home I found that the power was out.. so I had to take a shower by candle light.. It was an experience.

Pondering a Haircut

2010-09-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

I got a drastically different haircut 2 1/2 years ago. I loved it at the time, but I decided to let it grow out like a hippie. I've grown it out pretty long now, and I'm considering cutting it short again. I plan on donating it to Locks of Love. If you're not familiar with the organization, they make wigs for cancer patients out of hair that girls like me chop off.

I don't think I'm quite ready to cut it off yet. I figure that then I get to the point where I'm ready, I'll "just know."

Right now I can't decide what I like better: long hippie hair, or short spunky hair.

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thoughts or comments on this?

oh. here's a little somethin somethin for ya ;) have a good laugh.

this is me in 6th grade

embarrassing. :]

Television

2010-09-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

I love to watch TV. I don't get much time to watch it though. Life is so busy busy. I use the DVR a lot so that when I DO have a little free time, I can watch some really good shows, rather than whatever junk is on. This is what I've been all about lately:

The Office <3

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Quite possibly the best show on TV.

I <3 Jim and Pam 4ever.

Today I watched the episode where Micheal makes his own paper company. They had to buy a van and do their own deliveries because they couldn't afford to hire a delivery driver. In one scene, Pam is in front of the van and she says, "We think it says 'Allelujah Church of Scranton' in Korean.. It was either this or an old school bus with an owl living in it."

She's right. Well, it says, "Scranton Allelujah Church," but yeah, same thing. ;) *I'm getting a little behind on by Korean classes since school started, but this weekend I'm planning on doing a little catch-up* I'd also like to say that an owl bus would not have been a bad choice either. Owls are great.

Destination Truth <3

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I LOVE Destination Truth on the ScyFi Channel. The host, Josh Gates, is adorable and hilarious. A good combo. And they go all over the world looking for mythical creatures and ghosts. They rarely find anything of any signifigance, but it's still a fun show. :] The yeti footprint was pretty cool.

Ghost Hunters <3

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Yes, this show is silly. Yes, it may all be fake. But yes, I like it anyway. It's kind of a ritual of mine. Every Wednesday after work, I get Taco Bell and watch Ghost Hunters. It's great. <3 I will admit that The live Halloween Show a couple years ago was probably rigged. *so sad* And that kind of made me not like it so much.. But none the less, this show is entertaining and it makes my Wednesdays complete. <3 Cheap tricks and all.

Drawing class is my favorite

2010-09-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

And that's how it should be, really. I'm an artist. I'm working towards my fine art degree. Drawing class really should be my favorite. My past drawing classes were loathsome, but this one is nice. I really enjoy it. Once we finished with the still life that I mentioned a few days ago, we started drawing figures. Plaster casts of famous sculptures. It's been pretty fun so far. Here is a little peek at the homework I've been doing for that class lately.

We had to make a little movable figure so we could see how the hips and shoulders align in the contraposto pose. (putting your weight on one leg- kind of casually slouching) I actually made this before he really talked about the assignment, and I ended up making it too small.. So much for being pro-active. :-P I'll have to do it over. But eh, oh well.

Some 30-second gesture drawings of people in the library. This was super awkward for me.. I was so afraid people would notice me drawing them, and be creeped out.

This is the full spread of the page I posted the other day. I added some song lyrics and a crow to the skulls to give it sort of a theme, just because it's my sketchbook and I wanted it to reflect how I myself feel about the skulls. They remind me of Halloween and Taeyang's music video for the song I'll Be There. So I wanted to incorporate my thoughts. <--- if you haven't seen this music vid yet, you NEED to see it ;) one of my favs.

one day at a time

2010-09-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

im really overwhelmed with school right now. i only have free time on tuesdays, thursdays, and sundays now. the other days i get to come home after school for a snack, then i go straight to work. it's pretty exhausting. so forgive my lack of posting lately. :( i'm sad because i see all these interesting posts on blogger in the blog updates of the people i follow, but i never get time to explore them anymore. boo.

today i left my house at 7 to go to a recital at school. it was mandatory for my music appreciation class. it was piano and an opera singer. they were really talented, but i couldn't help but think of all the other things i would rather be doing. i didnt get home from the recital until 10. i hate the fact that i had to waste three whole hours of my day. those are precious hours. *sigh* oooh well.

i'll find a way to make this work. <3

oh hey! off topic, but uh, look what i got!! a present from my mommy. as in, "mom, can i have this??" "no!" "please please please please please!" "ooh alright.."
spoiled much? maybe.

Peace Day

2010-09-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest. My Peace Day wasn't very peaceful. It was busy busy busy.

In drawing class, my instructor noticed the extra effort that I put into my drawing. He was walking by and did a double-take. It was awesome. ;) lol

Then when I got home from school, I went jogging, picked up some pine cones for my room and took a shower. Then I had a late lunch and took a quick nap.

Then it was off to Kohl's. My dad gave me a giftcard and I wanted to use it. I ended up cheating a little on my "no spending money" vow. I had tried to not buy any clothes or frivolous things for a whole month, but I saw these Elle Must Have Camis, and went nuts. See, a year or so ago, I found one of these camis randomly on a rack. I looked to see where it came from but I could only find the one. It was so perfect and so comfy. Great for wearing under everything. I even looked online a few months later to see if I could find more, but I couldn't find them. I told myself that if I ever found these for sale anywhere, I would get one in every color. Well.. I found them. And I wasn't about to pass them up.
I got a grey one, black one, and teal. My giftcard only covered one, so I broke my vow to myself by buying the other two. But honestly, these camis are like heaven. Worth it.

I made some pumpkin muffins for my mom, since Cupcake Wars is her favorite show. She always likes to have cupcakes or muffins on Tuesdays. Apperently, the show wasn't on this week though. Hmm.

My day was pretty non-stop. I had been planning on meditating, taking a hot bath, and writing in my diary. Since it was Peace Day, I wanted to do peaceful things. And I went to the grocery store to buy Annie's Peace Pasta. But they don't sell it anymore!!!! *bursts into tears* T_T

Ooooh well. I got chopsticks and noodles instead. ;) One thing I did manage to do for Peace Day was to clean and vacuum my room. I wanted to make a peaceful space, since my room was a disaster before. I wish I could have done more, but a clean room is good. Can't complain. <3

A Goal Reached

2010-09-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

My whole life, I've wanted to learn how to use chopsticks. This wonder has only grown in the recent months since I've discovered my inner love for all things Korean.

I went to the store yesterday and bought some chopsticks.
I also bought Ramen noodles.
And today I Googled, "How to use chopsticks."

In less than five minutes, I was "choppin' it up" like a pro.
Ok, no, not really like a pro.. *whines* It's haaaard!

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But mark my words, I will master these little utensils. *motivated* BAM! hahaha. ;)

It also makes me wonder; how many things are like this in life? How many things do we want to do, but just don't? Even thought a lot of times, it's not even hard to do? How many experiences do we miss out on, just because we never "get around to it?" Let's make a real effort to do these things. It feels so good to finally just do it and get that curiosity off my mind. Kind of peaceful sense of accomplishment. <3

Peace Day 2010

2010-09-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

According to my calendar, Tuesday September 21st, 2010 is Peace Day.

"Peace" can mean a lot of things.
World Peace. Inner Peace. Tranquility.

Maybe you have a coworker who pisses you off. Take tomorrow to try and not let them get to you. Maybe your To-Do list is getting out of hand. Take tomorrow to get some of the smaller things checked off so you can relax a little. Maybe you want to bring peace to someone who is struggling. Give them a hand tomorrow. Or maybe tomorrow you'll find that you just really need a nap. Take one.

What does Peace mean to you, and how are you going to bring a little peace to your life for Peace Day?

If it works for me..

2010-09-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

I know I've said it more than once, but I can't stress it enough. A change in attitude works wonders. Whatever it is that's driving you nuts in your life, just try (yeah, it may not work, but TRY) to look on the bright side of things.

I HATED drawing classes. HATED. Until I started looking at it from the point of, "Yes, I'd drawing a stupid, ugly pile of random crap. But I'm gunna draw the best pile of crap ever. I'll impress my teacher. I'll leave a mark in this Art Department and open up new opportunities for me in the art field. YES!"

:] Wooo peptalk.

On Thursday by the end of class, I still had a long way to go on my little collage, here. My instructor suggested we all come in over the weekend and finish, so we can start something new on Tuesday. In the past, I would have said, "Psh! Heck no. Good enough," but this time I put in that extra effort. I came in an hour on Friday and an hour today. And it's done. It's still an ugly stool with random plaster molds and a maniquin head from behind, but still. My major is fine art. I'm not half-assing it anymore.

Change your attitude. It makes life so much easier. In so many ways.

goodbye orange cabinets

2010-09-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

Since I'm going to be moving soon and putting this house up for rent, my parents asked that I paint the kitchen cabinets a more neutral color. You see, when we first moved in, there were a lot of repairs to be made to the cabinets. (holes in doors, missing drawers - my parents like to buy fixer-uppers to save money) So keeping the natural wood wasn't an option; they would have to be painted. Originally, I had a warm, soft, orangey/brown/tan color. Light, but rich. Not too orange. Not too harsh. I went to Lowe's to get the paint, and at the last minute, I chickened out and went for a lighter color. It was a mistake.

orange cabinets- before after photos coming soon

I spent my whole Sunday painting the cabinets a neutral tan. The fronts of the cabinets aren't back on yet, so I can't show you. :-/ But it's a whole new look. My dad begged me to paint them white, but I kept telling him it would be too harsh. What do you think?

Off topic, I really like that my drawing instructor has given us a little freedom in our homework. In my past classes, the teachers have been very "by the book" and I hated it. But this time, he has the mentality of "Draw something based on 'this'. I don't care what you do, just make it look cool." And I love that. This week's assignment has been faces, skulls, and facial features. I'm drawing a spread in my sketchbook about skulls, but I'm giving it a little spooky theme. Here's one page:

And the other page still has some things not done yet, so I'll show you that later.

In other news, I started the clearance sale in my etsy shop this weekend. More coming soon! This weekend has been craazy busy! *phew!*

making music

2010-09-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

i just stumbled on this little music game and thought it was insanely entertaining. i thought you might like it too. :)

Click here to experience the awesomeness. <3 Trust me. It's pretty cool. Really.

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it's starting to make sense

2010-09-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

I'm in my third drawing class at the University. I hope I don't jinx myself, but I have to say that this is the best one so far. The first two I HAAATED. Seriously, torture. Three and a half hours long. Cold. iPod-less. Silent. Tedious. Hell.

This one's long and cold and i-Podless and silent, too, but I don't hate it so much. <3 I feel like I'm learning and working towards a goal, so the tediousness goes away.

I won't get into a rant about the details, but let's just say now I know why we spent so freaking long drawing boxes on tables in Drawing 1 and 2. The box and line weight concept are actually really helpful.

Little side note: Thursday we were sitting in the hall waiting for the door to be unlocked. A girl got up and accidentally knocked the fire exstinguisher off the wall. It hit the ground with a big bang. My teacher rushes out of the art office and says, "Vut vus dat?" .. Oooh Russian accents. I wish I had one. Or should I say, "I vish I hod vun." :]

old stock

2010-09-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'm planning on putting a lot of my older jewelry stock up for a clearance sale soon in my etsy shop. I feel like I have a ton of stuff just sitting around, not selling. I want to clear it out and hopefully, HOPEFULLY, get some new stuff up in my shop here shortly. So look forward to reduced prices on some cool and pretty things. :) And look forward to fresh and exciting changes.

: just to name a few ;) Sometime this weekend will be the big markdown day.

gettin crafty again

2010-09-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

As promised, today I made some time to make some crafts. I was getting a little jealous of all the cool fall ideas I'd seen on people's blogs, so I just had to join the bandwagon.

I'm planning on using this in a scrapbook once the month is up.

I collected these leaves four years ago, from the house I grew up in. I'm glad I finally found a use for them, rather than just keeping them pressed in a book in a drawer.

The pennants are cut out from paper bags I got when I ordered clothes from ShopRuche.com.

These are just little things. I did them in about an hour. I don't want to get too into decorating my room because I'm probably going to be moving in a month, but I wanted to get into the fall spirit. And like I said before, I was jealous of all the other cool stuff people were making. :-P hehe

September Ramblings

2010-09-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have an hour and a half long break between my classes. I've been spending that time sitting alone in the grass, either knitting, studying Korean, or doodling in my sketchbook. Probably my favorite time of the day. I'm a total introvert, like that.

I have to admit, I cheated today. I bought something I didn't need. Candles. Up until just a few days ago, I was still clinging to summertime. But now I've accepted that it's fall and my beloved 90some degree heat is gone. It's cold. I love the beauties of fall, but I hate the cold. So I bought some candles to help get me into the autumn spirit. But in my defence, I really wanted to $14 pumpkin clove candle from Target. But I got the $2.47 votive 6-pack from Hob Lob. Godda save up my money for Korea! <3

Just randomly, I wanted to share my favorite snack. Annie's Bunnie Graham Friends. They're cute, delicious, and they make a positive statement about racial equality. Kind of like Kashi's Good Friends Cereal.. *ahem* .. :]

A little thanks again to Jaymie, one of my Dear Darlings Penpals, for this awesome little owl necklace. Seriously. Love it. Mmm! Check out her blog! She has some really beautiful illustrations. (I'll be writing back to all of you soon.)

And just in case you need a reminder:

via We Heart It

I was planning on making a really awesome little fall decoration for my room today, but I ran out of time.. :-/ Maybe tomorrow?! Look forward to that. ;)

Video: 100 Cats Inside IKEA Megastore

2010-09-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

i had to share this. combines two things i love: cats and IKEA. so adorable.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCB7RqGS684&feature=player_embedded)

the start of something

2010-09-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today I drew this.

It was a homework assignment for my drawing class. The rule was that we had to draw something solid as if it were see-through. Meaning we had to be able to see the edges on the other side. (like when you draw a 3D box) I chose to draw my sewing machine because it was complicated enough to be interesting, but simple enough to be easy to draw and easy to see.

I know it doesn't look like much now, but I'm planning on doing something with it in Adobe Illustrator. Not sure what, yet, but something cool. :]

fall is in the air

2010-09-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

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What's your favorite part of the Fall season? Mine is the flavors of pumpkin spice and the coziness of a warm fire. Orange leaves and s'mores are pretty high up on that list too. <3

Although it's not official yet, I'm looking forward to moving into a bigger house. I can't wait to have a fireplace, walk-in closets, and a basement to store all my beloved but rarely used craft supplies. We're still waiting to hear about the closing date, but trust me, as soon as I find out, expect a huge post about it. :)

so here's what i got so far

2010-09-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

so you may have noticed my recent re-kindled interest in illustration lately. I haven't had much time lately to work on anything, since school started this week, but I did manage to do a little sketch of one of my favorite outfits. You may be familiar with the flickr group Wardrobe Remix. Well I've always liked the group What I Wore Today: Drawing's Only. I'm planning on submitting this. I know it's kind of simple, and not the best thing ever, but I'm still pretty proud of how it turned out.

Live the Dream Life.

sketchbook version

adobe illustrator version

what do you think? constructive criticism encouraged! :-P

just a little love note

2010-09-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

i just wanted to comment on how some people in my life point out the things about me that make me different, and make me feel like a freak. my pointy teeth, my crooked toes, my moles, my chubby hips. and some people point out those things and tell me they love that about me. and it makes me feel special.

thank you for loving me just the way i am. you have no idea what how much it means to me.

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illustration attitude check

2010-09-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

I've taken two drawing classes at my University, and hated them both. I felt like the still lives were either boring (random boxes) or ugly, and a waste of time (a tea cup, a shoe, a manequin head, more boxes). On Tuesday, I started my third drawing class, and I've decided to go into this with a different attitude. Yes, it's still an ugly set-up, and I still feel like it's a waste of time. Because when you finish, it's like, "Look! I did a great drawing of.. some random crap on a table.."

But gosh darn it, I'm determined to draw the best darn ugly assemblage of random-crap-on-a-table that you ever did see!

Today our still life was a manequin head (and I got stuck drawing it from the back), a stool, two plaster molds, some boxes, and some random metal wire things. Ugly. But I did my best. And it felt great.

Here's a little illustration inspiration for you. And for me. ;)
(none of these are mine- all from we heart it)

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just a few random pretty things that make my inner artist drool <3

first day of school - fall 2010

2010-09-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today I treated myself to a Frappe from McDonald's. I don't usually drink coffee because I'm afraid of getting hooked, but today I thought it was necessary. And delicious. I haven't gotten much sleep the past few days, and my only class today was an 8:30-12 drawing class. On the way to school I listened to some of the music that I loved in high school, and fell in love with these songs and groups all over again. Alkaline Trio, The Weakerthans, The Shins, The Decemberists. Love them. Takes me way back.

this picture is from last night. i spent my last day of summer working 9-5 (yes, on labor day) then i saw my oldest friend. (in years known, not age) we got subway and picniced in the park. he knows me better than anyone in the world. love this guy. and after the sun went down, i went to see my newest friend. we watched a movie called "the good, the bad, the weird" about korean cowboys. lol of course, i loved it. :-P

This is why today was great:

I found a great parking spot without having to hunt for it
got to school early enough to drink my Frappe and eat my egg n' cheese biscuit
drawing teacher seems like he's a pretty cool guy
he has a Russian accent. I think that's neat.
this class in on the 2nd floor, rather than the 4th like my past drawing classes. Less stairs!
got out of class at 10 instead of 12. Didn't have to draw on the first day.
great old-school tunes in the car
saw a butterfly
knees are healed and I can jog again (I hurt my knees a couple weeks ago from not prepping before jogging)
saw my new friend today and watched a funny movie
Got a letter in the mail from my Dear Darling Penpan, Jaymie. She gave me a CUTE little owl necklace! I can't wait to wear it tomorrow! :)

And now I need to get some rest. These allergies are driving me nuts! XD How was your day today?

September 5th

2010-09-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

So I guess fall is really here. I miss summer. But a part of me is looking forward to the new adventures that autumn holds.

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My sister and brother came over today with their kids for a little labor day BBQ. It was fun to spend a little time with my immediate family. Extended family get togethers usually aren't as much fun..

This is my oldest niece, Jocelyn. Everyone comments on how much she looks like her good ol Aunt Angie. ;) I had a ton of fun today teaching her some Korean words. She liked 'milk' (oo yoo), 'pretty' (yeppo), and 'poop' (Dong). Although I think that last one might be a profanity. . . Oh well. :]

I painted these corn hold boards for my brother-in-law, Matt, about 4 years ago. He's a big Jimmy Buffet fan. I never got around to taking pics of them when I first painted them, so I was glad he brought them over today so I could get a few shots.

I bought a nice mouse today for my laptop. Hopefully this will make it easier to work with programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. I really want to get back into my old graphic design and illustrating stuff. If anyone needs any design work done, let me know! I could use a little practice. :]

Here's a little sneak peak at what I got for my friend. Her birthday party/ going away party is next weekend. I'll share more about this later. ;)

And the running total of money spent for the months of September is $75. That is $25 gasoline, $25 gift for friend, and $25 mouse. I haven't bought anything frivolous in a whole week! Aren't you proud of me? ;) And I feel like I have the will power to keep this going.

I got an "intention bracelet" in the mail yesterday from Melissa of Oh My Darling (far right). Seeing it helps remind me to Spread the Love to others. And I love the fact that I've made real friends from having this blog. Something about knowing people in another part of the country feels really special to me. I've never had out of state friends before, unless it was someone who moved away, and I lost touch with them because of it.

The heart bracelet is from my good friend, Alyssa, as a Spread the Love week gift. And the Silly bands are from my nephew. They're shaped like a helicopter, a submarine, a dolphin, and a Jeep. And a beach umbrella from my niece.

I spent some time with a new friend today. This is one thing from my 4 Simple Goals list. Not this is something I can check off, but rather it's an ongoing activity. That is to spend less time alone in my room, and more time with my friends. My new friend gave me these books to help me learn Korean. I think they're for preschoolers. But that's perfect for me! :)

Happy weekend. Love.

illustration = love

2010-09-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

I have a little crush on Arian's illustrations over at her blog Arian Armstong. (and her etsy shop, arian) So cute and stylized. I love everything about these.

I love illustration. So much. I'm actually going to school for fine art because someday I want to be a professional illustrator- but you may not know that. I don't draw nearly as much as I used to. Hardly ever, actually. And I don't talk about my future aspirations very much, as far as my career goes. Honestly I go with the whole, "wherever life take me" motto. But I got to thinking. Maybe I should get on that. Maybe I need to start thinking about my future. As an illustrator. I only have two more years in school. I need to start working now to be the best darn illustrator I can be. My little head is full of ideas, and I know I can bring them to reality. All it takes is a little motivation. I'm planning on breaking my "no spending any money" vow tomorrow to buy myself a nice wireless mouse. I have a Macbook, but using Adobe Illustrator would be so much easier with a mouse. But I see it as an investment in my future, rather than just something I want for the heck of it. I want to be an Illustrator someday. I'm starting now. <3

Spread the Love Week - Day Seven

2010-09-03T20:47:00.001-07:00

A funny thing happened on the way to the Post Office.

(source)

The first thing I did when I woke up this morning was take a little trip to the Post Office to drop off the little owl that Melissa bought from my Etsy shop. Usually, I hate driving. But since I bought an FM transmitter from Amazon for my iPod, I kind of enjoy it. Now I just kinda bop around in my car to my favorite songs. Well today I was bopping around to G-Dragon's cover of Maroon 5's "This Love" with my windows down. I stopped at a red light and a man on a motorcycle pulled up next to me. I heard him say, "I might be the first person-" and I turned and looked, not quite sure if he was talking to me. He went on to say, "I might be the first person to blow a kiss to you today." And he blew me a kiss! I smiled and said thank you, waving goodbye as the light changed and I drove off. Oooh Mr. Motorcycle man, if only you were 20 years younger..

Although I admit that's sort of creepy *LOL* I still thought it was sweet. That guy is literally Spreadin the Love! <3

Today I did my part for Spread the Love week by picking up litter on the side of the road. I'm a total environmentalist, and I've always been a hippie girl at heart. I live within walking distance from a Hobby Lobby (where I work) and a Target, so a lot of times I'll walk and pick up trash either on the way there or the way home. Today though, I went out just for the trash, not to actually go to the stores. I ended up collecting one and a half bags full of litter, which isn't very much, considering I walked for quite a while. I feel bad that I couldn't gather up much, but then again it's a good thing because it means people haven't been littering much lately! *hooray!*

After I got home, *I washed my hands reeally well* and took my old rollerblades to the park and did a few laps around the track. It was fun, but I'm super uncoordinated, and I was scared I'd fall and hurt myself. >_< I didn't, this time..

And I wanted to share this little somethin special with you..

(source)

I saw this randomly on We Heart It. I recognized the words as being Korean, so I clicked on it to try and figure out if I could read anything.

I'm fairly certain the words in the bottom left hand corner say "banana milk." I laughed out loud. :) Especially considering I recently watched this video by Simon and Martina of Eat Your Kimchi, where they mention banana milk being a popular drink in Korea. Martina tries it for the first time and says, "Ooh! This is my nightmare!" Funny. :]

(source: we heart it)

I hope you all had a great week spreading the love. I know I did. A big thank you to Melissa of Oh My Darling for starting the Spread the Love movement. So inspiring that she was a victim of a heartless crime, and she turned it around to make the world a better place. <3 Let's make every week Spread the Love week!