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November 24th, 2009

08:52 am Phew! VERY good con this year. I have enough in take home commissions to keep me busy for the next month, and I was very happy with how I did, financially. I need to speed myself up a bit. I did some beautiful art, a lot of sketchbooks, and brought home a ton of color commissions. I had a cluster of people around my table watching me paint, and some even asked if I'd be willing to do a panel on watercolor/gouache next year. Hm. Maybe I can get haikujaguar to run that with me... Anyway, I managed to get some sort of stomach flu that has made the last 24 hours rather uncomfortable. Praying it passes in time for Thursday, as we have an Epic Feast to attend at a friend's. Going to go work on some of my takehome stuff now, I'll update more later. feren,nemetfox, and youngvanwinkle were terribly missed, but all three had very good reasons for not attending, even if we want to have Words with feren's $employer. Hope everyone that attended had a good time, and if anyone wants to leave feedback regarding Artist's Alley (or has suggestions or whatever), please feel free to message me through LJ, or at artistalley.2009@furfest.org. Tags: mff

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November 18th, 2009

06:33 am Apologies for lack of updates lately. I am lost in a flurry of con preparation and swiftly approaching finals. I will hopefully have lots of goodies to share after the convention! I just wanted to comment.. it's 6:30 in the morning (I sleep poorly when roho is on business trips), and I keep hearing this loud sneezing noise. I look at the dog, the dog looks at me, neither of us is sneezing. It's the garbage truck down the road. The hydraulics, I suppose. This just seemed weird enough that I wanted to share. Have a great day! I'll, er... be in the basement doing war with cat hair.

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November 3rd, 2009

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October 26th, 2009

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October 21st, 2009

08:41 am - Daily Update - Wednesday Quote of the Day "There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." --- Aldous Huxley (1894-1963); writer News Urgh. Apologies for sporadic updating, I've been ill (no fever, so it's not flu), and I'm still not feeling 100%. I've been truddling along, and haven't really felt up to doing anything productive the last week or so. Today is catching up on laundry, doing a bit of homework, and rest, I think. It's the end of week 2 on my diet, and I'm pleased with my results. I'll write more about that on the dieting filter. :) Links Alan Murphy's guide to bird photography -- I know I have some birders on my friends list, and I have no idea how you guys feel about photographing the little buggers. My brother, Matthew, is a budding photographer and avid birder; according to him, this book is a Must Buy. He's really talented (my brother, not the author) and I'm trying to encourage him to create an online portfolio. Anyway, if any of you birding afficiandos are into photography, this might be of interest! Post Secret -- I saw this on an episode of CSI, and didn't realize it was an actual website. From the actual site itself, "PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. While some of the things confessed are pretty horrible, I admit, I can understand the fascination. I'm running low on things to share, so I need to do some surfing. -.- Have a great day guys. Me and my DayQuil will see you tomorrow. ::edit:: Corrected Mr. Huxley's vital information. Good eye, roho! Tags: daily

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October 19th, 2009

08:55 am - Daily Post - Monday Edition Happy Birthday, steelhelix! Quote of the Day "Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self confident and more and more successful. --- Mark Victor Hansen; author, speaker News Wow, today's quote seems tailor made for me. :P The challenges and obstacles have become my consolation to myself. It's okay that you didn't do blah. You had all these problems. I need to stop deluding myself and just -do- it. Life is going pretty well, I think. I'm doing better than I thought I would with my dieting regimen (13 days, down 8lbs as of this morning), and until I got sick and injured my foot, I was rocking along with the exercise- 2 mile walks twice a day. Going to call the doctor to have a look at the tootsie to speed its healing so I can get back to that. I found that walking in the evenings with roho was amazingly nice, and I kind of miss it. It was really nice couple-reconnect-time. We had a pretty low-key weekend, we had originally planned on going to a party on Saturday, but both of us were feeling ill (congestion, fatigue, sinus issues) and when we went to the grocery store to replenish the fresh produce supply in the house, we were both a little weak and wobbly after a short walk around the store. Soo... reluctantly, we decided we weren't up for the drive, and while neither of us thought there was any danger of contagion, we didn't want to spread anything... so we stayed home. I'm rather glad we did, much as I hated missing the party. I really hope unclevlad had a wonderful birthday, we were thinking of you! I got the notice over the weekend about my induction ceremony into PTK. I'm excited and psyched about being involved in such an illustrious honor society! I'm really behind on some of my projects for my ENG260 class- I have to record myself and transcribe a tutoring session, and I need to interview a writing teacher. I'm not big on interviews, and I'm even less big on listening to myself talk to a student for an hour. I haven't figured out yet what I want to ask the professors, I should do that soon. I think it's due in a couple of weeks. >.> I will have art to share soon. I really need to get on the ball, with MFF looming and no originals to put into the artshow. gen hooked me up with a source for pre-cut mats, so I can at least tailor my paintings to fit a given size (Thank you soooo much, Gen!) to make things easier for myself. I have an oil painting I'd like to have hanging, but... it's not quite finished. I can definitely finish it up in a couple of hours, but I have no easels at home, and I'm not sure I can use the studio at school, given as I'm not an art student this semester (Besides which, I'd have to cart wet painting home with all my supplies, and.. ew.) I'll have to ponder this. Links Cylithria Dubois, Marine Corps Novelist -- With November looming, NaNoWriMo is getting mentioned a lot more, and haikujaguar gave me this link to Ms. Dubois' story. I haven't read her submission yet, but I found the story of her writing and submission experiences very moving. What makes this special? Ms Dubois wrote her submission while serving active duty in Iraq. While that is not (I'm sure) uncommon, she wrote much of it by hand with night vision goggles because she was deployed away from the base camp, had no power source for a laptop, and lights at night were dangerous. Go give it a read. Bring a tissue. Extreme LED Art -- A group of Welsh shepherds got together, strapped LEDS on their sheep and border collies, and did some amazing things in the countryside of Wales. Further investigation revealed that this is an ad campaign from Samsung (I had to remove the link because LJ was bjorking on it- Google Baa Studs Fake), but according to the director, there are no sheep in the clip that were not filmed on camera. It’s still amazing to watch, even if it had a little editing help. Enjoy! (Link courtesy of gen )

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October 14th, 2009

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October 12th, 2009

08:25 am - Daily Post - Monday Edition Quote of the Day "The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light." --- Felix Adler (1851-1933); intellectual, founder of the Society for Ethical Culture I particularly like today's quote. By this definition, I know a couple of saints. I married one of them. I feel incredibly lucky to have them in my life; they keep me going! News Homework, homework, yep, more homework. I have a bunch of projects coming up in English that I need to get done (I have to tape myself during a tutoring session, and I have to observe another peer tutor as well as interview a member of the faculty that teaches writing. I'm feeling rather bluh about these assignments, and the writing center work is... kind of ramming home that while I enjoy helping out other people, maybe teaching them just isn't for me. I'm glad to have the job, but I can't figure out the trick of igniting scholastic fires in people, and... well. Without that knack, I can see being a teacher getting Really Old really fast. I have another anthropology assignment, this one's a bit easier than the last. Again, I have to find three informants, or interviewees. I appreciate everyone that's helped out, and at the end of the semester, I'll work on a little token of gratitude. :) It's been a busybusy weekend, but I think roho had a good birthday. I made chicken tikka masala with homemade naan for his birthday dinner, and had procured 'birthday cake' (3 little slices of different cakes) from a local bakery. We got some major projects around the house done (Bren's Dad is visiting, and he likes to help out while he's here) which was most excellent. We now have lighting in the basement- all of the overhead lights had gone out, and I had tried to fix them myself, but Dad knows more what he's doing than I do. Turned out to be burnt out bulbs. Ahem. >.> And before you say, 'Wow Lyds, how'd you miss that?' These are shop light flourescents, and... it's not as easy as it sounds to troubleshoot them. :) But anyway, we fixed that. We fixed the drain hose on one of our gutter drains? The little metal drain pipes that go down the side of the house? It was gushing out onto the foundation, rather than running through the hose to be drained into the water table further into the yard, so we fixed that... then we replaced our sump pump. Now when it rains, we can rest easy! Our old one wouldn't run properly, so when it rained, you had to run downstairs and plug it in, then unplug it later; it would run all the time, and didn't do much pumping. The new one is much quieter, works automatically, and we're very happy. Thanks Dad! I picked up equipment for the MFF Artist's Alley this week; we have a new laptop for Alley use (so we're not using mine anymore) and a printer so we can streamline the process, make everything run more smoothly for artist and staff. I'm psyched about the stuff we're implementing from the staff side. From the aritst side, I'm running around looking at the calendar and whimpering; I have no idea how I'm going to get things done in time. I guess I have a lot of drawing and painting in my future. >.> On today's agenda... laundry, cleaning up after the weekend (we have tools scattered everywhere), take Dad to the train station.... get back on my diet (birthday weekends are hard for eating properly). I probably will plink at my Anthropology assignment, and I have some blogging to do about the diet progress. (If you'd like to be added to that filter, please let me know!) Elsewhere... Links MCA Hogarth, our very own haikujaguar, has a new book out! I'm about halfway through it, and yes. You want to read this. It's science fiction written like poetry. It's full of beautiful imagry and lovely writing. You can also get it via amazon, and if you have a kindle or ebook reader, you can purchase the ebook version directly from the author. Createspace gives her more of the sale than Amazon, and is a reputable vendor- so if you purchase the hard copy, support the artist! Best of Wet Canvas Art Competition -- Send your best landscape, stil llife or portrait, deadline is October 31. I don't know if many of the artists that read this blog do these types of art, but the grand prize is $1,000 (with $100 for each category 1st place) and who couldn't use that kind of money? Creepy Halloween Food Recipes -- Everything from mummy rolls to melting head cakes! My particular favorite is the headcrabs. I TOTALLY want to make those for Halloween, just so I can traumatize feren. (Link courtesy of rissani)

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October 11th, 2009

12:24 pm - Dejunking! Is anyone in the market for an older (but still perfectly functional) 19" CRT monitor? I have a couple of friends that have rights of first refusal (they read this journal), but if they don't want it... it's available to whomever wants to come get it. If I don't have any takers by mid-late week, I'll toss it up on Freecycle. (For our friends in the southern suburbs, I would be willing to deliver) It was a birthday gift from roho about... 4? Maybe 5 years ago. I've babied it, it's black and silver and really pretty, but since I'm pretty much always using a laptop now, it just doesn't suit our lifestyle or needs. Current Location: Antioch Tags: freecycling

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06:26 am - Birthday Sunday! Happy Birthday, yotogi, gatcat and roho!! May your day be relaxing, joyful and full of wonderful things. :) Tags: birthdays

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October 9th, 2009

10:13 am - Daily Post - Fabulous Friday Quote of the Day "Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." --- Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965); Recipient of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize News Oof! Week's almost over! YAY! I've got a bit of a full plate today- getting ready for roho's dad's arrival this evening, I need to finish cleaning the house, there's a trip to Whole Foods in my future to pick up his birthday cake, I need to stop by the cashier's office at school to drop off my application for Phi Theta Kappa and... at some point this weekend, I need to do homework, and give the dog a thorough grooming and ... post a few things to plan next weekend's festivities. :) Art No art of my own to share (alas)! It might be a little bit before I have anything new, school is just.. kicking my rump right now. The art of David Kawena An Israeli conceptual artist that apparently is quite a fan of Disney. It appears he is just as obsessed with The Princess and the Frog as I am. He does some beautiful photo-realistic work in addition to the cartoony style. I found his work via the Disney Princes thread here on LJ (NSFW, don't look if you have objections to icons of your childhood in their skivvies). I am not a big fan of the bulging undershorts (haha), although I can certainly appreciate the skill that went into creating the art. I fell compelled to point out that I don't read the community; roho pointed me towards wyldekyttin's tweet. Amazing how links pass around like that. :) The art of Kate Craig I found Kate's work through her deviantart page, as she was doing a lot of World of Warcraft fanart that I found really appealing. I don't know if it's a similar artistic education, but I've noticed that a certain group of artists (perhaps through animation training?) draw in a similar style when doing humans, and Kate falls into that group. I really like it, and they each have their own individual twist on things (and as far as I know, they don't know each other), I just find it interesting, and wondered if it's something in their training, or a weird coincidence. Links US Mint calls for artists! -- As part of the 'Artistic Infusion Program', the US Mint is looking to add designers for coins and medals. They're looking for artists from diverse backgrounds, and you can read about the eligibility requirements and fees offered on the website. If you're a professional artist and would like to see your work in everyone's pockets, go check it out! The Piano Stairs - Part of a project that ... Volkswagon..? is involved with? A group in Stockholm wanted to see if they could make more people take the stairs by making it fun. The video made me a little sniffy, and it's completely awesome. I'd love to see installation projects like this in a city near me. I'll try to do posts over the weekend, but with family visiting, it's always a little hit or miss. I hope everyone has a good one! (edited to fix formatting. Grr.) Tags: daily

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October 8th, 2009

09:40 am - Daily Post - Thursday Quote of the Day "There is no teaching to compare with example." --- Sir Robert Baden-Powell (1857-1941); founder of the Boy Scouts News Phew. News. Right. I think I'm getting sick. I have no sinus congestion (Thank you, NyQuil!) but I am developing a nasty cough, and when I'm exercising, my asthmatic wheeze is more pronounced. This has been building the past week, I haven't been feeling my best, and hopefully... it will pass quickly. I have noticed a trend that companies are watching twitter more closely, and had my own personal experience with that yesterday. About a month ago, roho bought a tee shirt from New Glarus Brewing Company. He wore it once. When I was folding laundry yesterday, I kept finding these long strands of blue thread tangled up and wrapped around everything... and when I got to his tee, I found out why. 3/4 of the hem had unraveled. We have never ever had this problem with a new tee shirt before (he's got several tees that are more hole than fabric, and for that matter, so do I). Unfortunately, I couldn't find an email address on the New Glarus website, so I tweeted about it, hoping to get a response. Within 20 minutes, I had a reply with an email address to write to. They haven't responded to my email yet, but they are now following me on twitter, so if I don't get a reply soon, I can nudge about it. I have to say... I really think twitter is going to change the way companies interact with their customers, and I think this is awesome. For the first time, companies are able to get a direct line of communication with RandomCustomer01, and have a central place to look for feedback. I love Google, but there's such a poor signal to noise ratio out on the 'net that finding anything is hard. Now, I can search twitter for comments about a company if I need to get additional information. This is awesome! No new art today, I'm afraid. I will work on getting some artists to showcase for tomorrow. :) Locals: NEXT Weekend! Watch this space for fennec birthday bonanza planning! Links Owl in a Box -- I had some other stuff lined up, but then dracosphynx gave me this link. I love the expressions on the owl's face- very much "I will END you." Very awesome. Also nice to see people being responsible with bird strikes, and seeing that the bird gets proper care. I noticed this person has some lovely zoo photos in her journal as well (and a genet! In the thread!), so I've watched her to see what else is there. Windows 7 Discounted for Higher Ed -- If you are a student, or you work in higher education, you may be able to get Windows 7 for only $30. Check it out! (link courtesy of roho) As always, if you have a link or something spiffy you'd like to share, send it over! Have a great day guys! Tags: daily

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October 7th, 2009

08:51 am - Daily Post - Wednesday Edition Quote of the Day "Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." --- Muhammad Ali [Cassius Clay] (b. 1942); athlete, boxer News... Not a whole lot that's newsworthy to report this morning. I have some homework to get done for class tomorrow (I stayed home yesterday, so I need to catch up), and I have a makeup exam to take for my Access class. Otherwise, I'm just doing the same ole same ole daily routine, with some extra cleaning thrown in to prepare for roho's father visiting us this weekend. I am incredibly ready for this week to be over. -.- Art... I have updated the profile of my journal (http://genet.livejournal.com/profile) with some art and pizazz to make it prettier! I hope everyone enjoys! The art is a little older, but it fit the space I needed to fill. I need to tweak it a little further, not everything lined up just right... but it was good enough to suit what I was hoping to accomplish. I've been thinking about the direction I want to go, artistically. I think I've come to grips with the fact that freelancing is probably going to give me ulcers, so I can do pretty much whatever I want. This freedom of choice is heady! I don't think I'm going to have time to sit down and paint before Father-in-law visit, but... I really need to get into a routine that allows for schoolwork and art time. There just aren't enough hours in the day. >.< Links... The art of R.C. Davis -- Today's link theme is celebrating my heritage and roots. R.C. Davis is from a small town in Louisiana and is an entirely self-taught artist. I think "Atchafalaya Spring" is my favorite. It's so hard to choose! As a child, my father would take us down into the marshes, and we'd watch the sun rise. I have seen some beautiful sights in my time, and one that will stick with me for the rest of my life is watching the fleets of shrimping boats leave to go fish in the dawn mist. Lovely. Natchitoches, LA -- Pronounced 'Knack-uh-dish', this community is where I spent my last two years of high school, and is the oldest settlement in Louisiana. You can read more about how the site was settled here. I spent two years living on the campus of Northwestern University and I loved the town. It was small, nearly everything was within 3 miles of campus, they had a -great- winter festival (the festival of lights), and the best meat pies I have EVER eaten (Even Emeril likes them!). Maybe next time I go home I can go back to Natchitoches. I've driven past it with Brendan a couple of times, but we've never stopped- a shame, considering we were there in the Christmas season, and everything would have been completely lit up. Ahh. Nostalgia! Anyway. I hope everyone has a really great day. I'd like to wish my buddy Charlie (who doesn't use LJ) a happy birthday!! (I trust gypsypet will pass it on. ;) ) Current Location: Antioch Tags: daily

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October 6th, 2009

09:23 am - Daily Post - Tuesday! Quote of the Day "The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs." -- Vance Havner (1901-1986); preacher, author News Started new diet today! I'll post more about what I'm doing to the appropriate filter. On today's agenda is laundry, some light cleaning... and I don't know what else. I'm working on updating my bios for the various websites I frequent.. I had hoped to have it finished for this morning, but no such luck. I'll work on that some more today. Art New art today! The image on the right is a nude, and as such is not suitable for viewing in the workplace. So... look with care! :) Links The Painting and Drawing channel -- Sponsored by Atelier Interactive Acrylics (which are -awesome!-). Tips on drawing, painting... fascinating stuff! :) I really like the Atelier paints, as an aside. I attended a demo from them, and they really do everything they advertised. I think overall I still prefer gouache, just because the brand I use (M. Graham) is very smooth and easy to use (and acrylics dry so -fast-!), but... it's nice to have options for when I need that extra opacity! Milieux Costume Images -- I don't recall how I found this, but... it looks incredibly comprehensive! Reference images of historical, science fiction and fantasy-related clothing. Valuable resource for the artist! Have a great day guys! Current Location: Antioch Tags: daily, life

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October 5th, 2009

10:16 am - Daily Update - Monday Edition Before I get started with today's daily post, I'd like to apologize for the unsecheduled hiatus. I got hit with a nasty case of Life, and just couldn't handle adding another 'responsibility' (heh.) to my day. I will, as always, endeavor to do better. :) I'd also like to welcome all the new faces! I'm happy to see fresh eyes, and hope you guys enjoy my entries! Quote of the Day "Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world." --- Joel A. Barker; scholar, speaker News After much deliberation... roho and I decided not to go to FurFright. It was disappointing, but we'd arrive mid-late afternoon on Friday, and we'd have to leave early on Sunday to get back to Boston to snag our flight, and... it just didn't seem worth paying the airfare and hustling ourselves down there for at most, a day and a half. I'd feel like I was obligated to slave away in the Alley to recoup some of our cost, and... it would just be more stress than it's worth. I'm really disappointed, because there are so many wonderful awesome people I was hoping to see... but I'm really a Thursday-Monday kinda congoer. The good news is, this gives me more time to prep for MFF! And you, dearest wonderful readers, get to help me direct my efforts, as I only have 46 days left to get ready. (Thank you, RB, for bringing it home how little time I have. Really.;) ) I have a lot to get ready for tomorrow's entry, but I'd like to give you guys some input on what sorts of things I bring to the convention. I have some special goodies in store, I'm really excited! I am also going to be setting up some filters.. One for health/dieting discussion, and one for the online equine sim, Howrse. If you'd like to be added/removed to or from either of those, please let me know. The Howrse one particularly is opt-in, as I don't want to spam anyone with my pony nerdiness. :D Art Enough talk, more art! I have yet to scan new stuff I've doodled over the last week. :( I know, I know... slacker. I have some art-time on my to-do list for today, including a color test of a centaur commission, penciling out the roughs for a new commission, and I have a couple of jumbo badges I need to work on (I had forgotten them. I REALLY need some sort of database to track this stuff. >.>) In the meantime, let's see who I have to share! The art of Aimee Major Aimee was one of my very first influences when I started doing 'furry' art, and watching her style evolve and change has been fascinating and inspiring. I stumbled on her DeviantArt account about a week ago, and wow. Alot of people will look at another more.. successful... artist and say, 'Wow. I want to be that good some day'... and yeah, I'm there. Gorgeous work! Art of Jessica Sanders Otherwise known as 'SightHoundLady', this is another artist I greatly admire. Her work reminds me of Jody Lee, for whom I have a great fondness. She also does a comic, which alas, I have not read. It's on my to-do list. :) Her website can be found at www.tapestryhounds.com. Check her out! Know an artist you think I'd like? Send me a link! Links Authorized sequel to Winnie-the-Pooh is published -- I loved Pooh as a kid, and I'd love to read stories about the 100 acre woods to any children I might have (or as part of my spoil rotten plan for neices and nephews). I think I'm in the same boat as Elizabeth Bluemle, who is quoted as saying spinoffs and sequels tend to be "thin soup". Especially when it's a new author taking over a well-established franchise. Reserving judgement, however! And there is a new character- an otter! Everybody loves otters! (link courtesy of loboguara) More supermarkets, please! -- I found this article astounding, as I have always lived in areas with an overabundance of grocery options available. I don't recall who I was discussing this with, but I had a conversation recently online about how expensive it is to eat well (was it you, haikujaguar?) compared to how cheap it is to eat junk food. I don't want to sound preachy, or like you should all go through your cupboards and toss your snacks, it just astounds me that in a country with so many food options available, we aren't doing more to ensure that those that want to eat healthy can access healthy food options easily. I like the idea of encouraging the creation and use of urban food gardens, and I hope that if there is a federal incentive to use of farmer's markets, that they give a boost to CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture). For our household, we're discussing going in on a half-share CSA with a couple of friends (since there's just two of us, and I fear we wouldn't be able to eat all the vegetables before they went bad). Interested in a CSA for your household? Local Harvest.com has information on farms across the country, as well as tips for selecting the CSA that works best for you and your family. (Original link courtesy of gypsypet) Got an interesting link? Let me know! Okay, that wraps up for today. I will have my own art to share tomorrow, along with some polling questions! Have a great day everyone! Current Location: Antioch Tags: daily, life

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October 1st, 2009

10:21 am Want to have a direct impact in the life of an author? Go tell haikujaguar that you'd like to see her new book published. (And buy it! Her writing is truly awesome!) Go! Go! Go! Tags: crowdfunding, writing

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September 26th, 2009

09:42 am - Daily Post - Saturday Quote of the Day: "I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us." --- Anne Lamott (b 1954); author, political activist News... This week has left me feeling fried and tapped out, and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because our weekends have been so jam packed with activity lately? I only know that I am exhausted, roho is exhausted, and both of us could benefit from a couple days spent doing nothing more stressful than deciding what movie to watch. I've been working on getting more exercise this week; yesterday was the first day I missed walking (because it started to rain rather hard right as we were getting ready to go). I've been walking approximately two miles in the mornings before class, then another two in the evenings after Roho gets home. It's left me feeling tired, but at at least it's the -good- kind of tired, right? I'm still stalled out on painting. I'm going to duncandahusky and takaza's place tomorrow to watch the Amazing Race premiere, I will probably bring paints and supplies with me, try and get something artistic done. I've also considered hooking up my tablet again and doing some digital sketches, see if I can shake things loose. I was making great progress over the summer, then once the school semester started... well. yeah. Art... I actually have some new artists to feature! The art of Heather Meuser - I just discovered this artist recently, when vantid mentioned her on FA. Her work is gorgeous! I always admire the hyperrealistic artists (and feel a little sad when I see that they're younger than me). I realize now I'll never be 'that good', and I'm slowly coming to grips with that. Instead, I can enjoy their lovely works. :) Etuix - I've watched her artwork for a few years now, and really like her whimsical style. Predominantly an anthro artist, as you can see with the Okami image, she does beautiful work with non-anthros as well. I have no links to elsewhere today, I haven't had a lot of time to do much web browsing. And I do apologize that the art links are anthro-centric. DA is the only 'fantasy/general art' site I go to terribly often, and many artists only update on THEIR websites, which makes it difficult to find new artists unless you are searching for key words. Who are some of your favorite artists? The people that inspire you, that you want on your walls? What do you like about them? Suggest things to me! --- I've picked up some new readers, and I'd like to welcome you all! I will be updating my profile page soon (haha, no really), but I'd like to encourage comments! Open up a dialog! If you'd like me to watch your journal, that's the fastest way to catch my attention. :) Have a great weekend, everyone! I am off to do homework, then maybe go do something outdoors. :) -Lydia (edit: apologies for weird spacing. LJ is being aggravating with the layout. :P) Current Location: United States, Illinois, Bloomingdale Tags: art, daily, life, school

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September 24th, 2009

09:44 am - Daily Post - Thursday! Daily Quote: "There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom and peace of mind, are always attained by giving them to someone else." --- Peyton C. March (1864 - 1955); General, US Army General News: Phew, where did this week go? I am knackered! Since we got back from Boston, I've been making a point of exercising more, to the tune of one hour of activity, twice a day. That plus schoolwork and reading has been taking up a lot of my time. I really need to get my business cards together; I may work on that tonight. I need new ones for FurFright. I need to do color tests for my large commissions, as well. Phew. I will paint this weekend! I am determined! I've cut back on my online time a bit; I have a lot going on, and I need to start scrubbing the house from top to bottom in preparation for roho's dad visiting next month. So much to do... swiftly diminishing time! I have another anthropology assignment that I'll post about tonight, as I need to interview three more volunteers as part of the assignment. Maybe I'll do some sort of incentive for assistants? A thank-you sketch? What do you guys think? I need to start getting ready for class. Time seems so fleeting! Have a great day everybody! Tags: daily, life, school

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September 23rd, 2009

09:26 am - Daily Post - Wednesday Edition Quote of the Day: "The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." --- Mitch Albom (b. 1958); author, screenwriter, musician Daily News: I want to apologize for my lack of updates lately. School and so forth has been really nuts, and when energy is at such a low ebb... the internet updates suffer. :) We spent last weekend in Boston visiting roho's sister and new baby niece. The baby is disgustingly adorable, she had both of us wrapped around her pudgy little fingers within moments of arriving. She's going to grow up to be a beauty- both of her parents are attractive people, and she has Roho's beautiful dimples. Before we left, I was crunching to get all my homework completed. Now that we're home, I'm re-entering the grind, but since we don't have a whole lot going on this weekend, I have more time for internet activities. I haven't worked on artwork lately, and I'm feeling that lack. I really need to finish my two large commissions, and to do that, I think I'm going to need to start adhering to a schedule. Otherwise, my time gets away from me, and I get nothing done. I think I have enough finished work to show as samples for FurFright, and I'm definitely thinking I'm only going to accept badges and other quickwork at the convention. So if you'd like to pre-order for delivery next month, please let me know! I had some other thoughts I wanted to share, and.. I seem to have forgotten them. Maybe they'll come back to me later. Nifty Things... Twisted Princess - Artist Jeffrey Thomas put a new twist on Disney Princesses, and while some of them are really creepy, the effect is really neat. The artist included some descriptions of what he wanted to do on his DA page. (Don't look if you find distortion of childhood icons disturbing) -- Link courtesy of nyuni Roza and the Horse Prince -- A web comic from Kelly Hamilton, I love her expressive faces and storytelling style. Enjoy, and hopefully soon, I will have my own work to share! If you're just joining me, welcome! Draw up a chair, have a cup of tea, and enjoy the morning! Tags: art, daily, life

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September 17th, 2009

06:56 am - Daily Post - Terrific Thursdays Daily Quote: "There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness and generosity." --- Nathanial Branden; doctor, author News: No new artwork today. I had hoped to get my business cards designed and uploaded this week; there's a couple of different designs I've been puttering with, and I'd appreciate another view/opinion on them. But I've just been feeling rather flattened, and we're leaving town early early tomorrow. So I will try to get those up next week. In scholastic news, I received an invitation to join Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society for students attending 2 year colleges. The registration fee is a bit hefty, but membership opens up eligibility for scholarships and grants that aren't available otherwise. Exciting stuff, considering I was a rather lackluster student in high school. Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot to post about today. My health is being a problem again; I won't post the gory details... suffice to say I'm really tired of a chronic problem that just will not go away, and doctors seem unwilling to do anything about. (This is not an invitation to talk about the state of healthcare in the US. Really.) Anyway, I have my favorite class today, tonight we'll have dinner with linnaeus and drop off el doggie with him (She goes to see Uncle Paul sometimes when we travel), and then far far too early tomorrow, we'll be off to MKE to fly to Boston. I'll probably post something from the trip, either here or on twitter. Have a great weekend folks. :) Tags: daily, health, travel

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September 16th, 2009

10:40 am I dearly love my friends. (10:37:22 AM) Lydia: ... I kinda wanna see Zombieland. >.> (10:37:53 AM) Regan: i've already been informed that we WILL go see it in the theatre ;) (10:38:09 AM) Regan: i can't resist anything with woody harrelson in it though, esp if he's got a cowboy hat on (10:38:56 AM) Lydia: I know, right? (10:39:15 AM) Lydia: I just saw a commercial for it and I was all.. 'ooh, is he wearing Wranglers? *head tilt to admire tight end*' (10:39:28 AM) Regan: HAHA i think i did the same thing So there we have it. I think Woody Harrelson (and cowboys!!) is/are hot. And he has a really nice backside. >.> And gypsypet continues to rock my world for being my secret soul-sister. <3! Tags: humor, movies

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08:59 am - Daily Post - Trip Report Quote of the Day: "The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth ... the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need -- if only we had the eyes to see." --- Edward Abbey; American writer and Naturalist --- I didn't get any drawing done over the weekend, but I do have a bit of a trip report! We were heading to New Glarus Woods State Park with linnaeus for a weekend camping trip. We didn't know much about the town of New Glarus, just that it's southwest of Madison (a town we're all fond of), and that it was home to New Glarus Brewing Company. We got a late start, and had to make a few stops to pick up last minute groceries and forgotten sleeping bags, so it was 10pm when we rolled into the camp ground. We had decided that we wanted to use one of the walk-in sites, to give us the illusion of backpacking, and to give our packing gear a bit of a trial run. ( Friday... ) ( Saturday... ) ( Sunday... ) It was an amazing trip, and I can't wait to go again. We're hoping to maybe before the weather gets too cold, and we definitely want to do New Glarus again. (Enclosed photo by Linnaeus via his iphone. More photos from the trip available on his and Roho's twitter feeds.) Tags: camping, daily, wisconsin

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September 15th, 2009

10:32 am I thought people might be curious to see what I looked like 16 years ago. Recently, my mother sent me a bunch of newspaper clippings she collected while I was in Jr High - High School. This is one of them. Ghastly hair aside... I was a cute kid. I wish I had known that back then. Tags: memory, photos

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09:41 am - Daily Post - Terrific Tuesday! Quote of the Day: "One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest." --- Maya Angelou (b. 1928); poet Daily Art: I'm changing the heading from Art News to Daily Art, since my whole intent is to provide people with something pretty to look at. My stuff is preferable, but when I don't have time to produce new things... well. A modern landscape artist, Ken Bushe's work is soft and almost pastel-y. It reminds me of 18th century landscapes, such as this piece by Gaspard. All I have to say is 'wow'. I would have said these were photographs instead of acrylic on canvas. She does a lot of spotty cats, which is a subject near and dear to my heart, and I'd love to have a print of the one featured above. (I'd love the original even more, but... art is expensive) In other news... Our camping trip was a roaring success. Sunday we were sitting around grumbling that the trip wasn't longer. I would have dearly liked to get more hiking in, but my footwear choices for both walking and camp shoes were poorly thought out, and caused blisters. Next time, the Bean's boots will go. I was writing up a rather long and involved trip report, but I apparently left it on roho's laptop. I'll try to get that posted in the next couple of days. I'm rolling an idea around in my head for the past couple of days... I'm trying to get more healthy, and as such, eat better. I've ordered a cookbook from Amazon that is supposed to help me prepare meals that aren't going to do weird things with my blood sugar, and will help me maintain an even mood throughout the day. I'm thinking I may pull a Julie & Julia and work my way through the book, blogging about the results. It's not an original idea; the real Julie started it in 2002, and there are clubs around the internet that go through different cookbooks each week.... but.. it's something. Maybe posting about my efforts will give me the oomph I need to keep it up. Maybe it'll inspire someone else to be a little more healthy. I promise I am not going to scold everyone about the evils of unhealthy (and ohhh sooo yummy) food. ;) I'm not here to proselytize or convert you. I'm here to invite you into my life. I like to think of this blog as a big window into my living room. I invite you in, we have a cup of the hot beverage of your choice, and chat for a while. I want my little corner of the internet to be warm, inviting and comfortable. I hope I'm managing that ok. :) Nifty things... Fishing for Rabbits -- I stumbled on this while surfing Ken Bushe's website, and... it was really cute. I'm guessing it's a tame bunny, but I giggled at the idea. :) The Secrets Inside Your Dog's Mind -- No, it's not a 'Bark - to - English' translator. It's a study from Brian Hare, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke. He's studying social behaviors of canines in an effort get a better understanding of their intelligence. (Link courtesy of gypsypet) That's it for today! Off to class soon. Have a great day, everyone! =) Tags: daily, life

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September 11th, 2009

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09:12 am - Daily Post - Friday! Quote of the Day: "Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." --- Helen Keller (1880 - 1968); author, lecturer, activist Art News: I'm working on designing my new business cards. I will post my final choices next week. Haven't had much time for drawing or painting, so unfortunately nothing new today. Maybe on Monday! Current Projects: Starting to ramp up for the fall convention circuit. I'm doing FurFright in October, and Midwest FurFest in November. I never sell prints, but I do have some nifty little impulse buy items I need to get ready, and I will have originals in the MFF Artshow... going to be a busy few weeks! Nifty things: The Art of Sara Forlenza - As usual, when I have no artwork to share of my own, I'd like to share someone else's creations! I don't quite remember how I found Sara, but I love her paintings. They remind me of my young adulthood, when I was devouring everything I could find about dragons and high fantasy, admiring the beautiful paintings of Michael Whelen on the covers. I WANTED to feature lisagems's etsy store. She designs and creates absolutely beautiful jewelry. But her store is empty! Lisa! Put things up for sale so I can encourage people to buy from you! ;) Instead, we'll do Fire-n-Ash on DevArt. She draws photorealistically, and her favorite subject is one near and dear to my own heart. She does occasionally do sales of originals, and they are criminally cheap. If you're looking for good equine art, look no further! I want to thank everyone that wished roho and I a Happy Anniversary on Wednesday. It's so hard to believe that we've been together for 8 years, married for 3! Time really does fly. I feel so fortunate to have him in my life; he's amazing. There will be no weekend posts this week, as we're going camping in New Glarus Woods. It'll be a blend of car-camping and hiking in, as the site we want is farther away from the parking lot (but not so far that we can't go back to the car if we need something). I'm excited, and we leave this afternoon. So I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I will be back on Monday! Tags: daily, life

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September 9th, 2009

08:20 am - Daily Post - Special Edition You are my husband My feet shall run because of you My feet shall dance because of you My heart shall beat because of you My eyes see because of you My mind thinks because of you And I shall love because of you. --- Eskimo Love Song Three years ago today I stood up with my best friend in front of our friends, families and God, and pledged to love, honor and cherish him for the rest of my life, and throughout eternity. I think that was the easiest promise I've ever made. Happy Anniversary, roho. I love you. Tags: daily, life

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September 8th, 2009

09:08 am Quote of the Day: "The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die." --- Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (1932 - 2009); United States Senator I received this quote 5 days before Mr. Kennedy passed away. Seems somehow appropriate. Art News: I.. have art to share! I've been working really hard on schoolwork, so work on commissions pretty much stopped. However, I did take a break on Sunday evening to work on a commission for a very dear friend. He wanted a painting he can use for a beer label, and he wanted a centaur. Soooo... There are a few adjustments left to be made, I put too much feathering around the hooves, but... that's easily fixed. Current Projects: Homework... homework... trying to get all my homework done for the week, because this weekend, we're going camping with linnaeus. I am so totally psyched! So, I should probably get cracking on that. Sooner done, sooner I can play. :) Nifty things: Treasure trove of previously undiscovered wildlife found in Papua New Guinea -- The photos attached to this article are amazing! I, like I'm sure many other people, always assume that humanity has wiggled its way into so many remote nooks and crannies of the earth that it's damned near impossible to find something new. I was wrong! (Link courtesy of yotogi) Have a great day! Tags: daily, life

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September 7th, 2009

09:49 am - Daily Post - Monday Quote of the Day: "I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening." --- Larry King (b. 1933); American television and radio host Art News: I have art, but I have to wait til the commissioner has seen and approved it to post. I've seen far too many friends see their commissions for the first time in a public forum and be disappointed that other people saw it before them. Soo.. hopefully in a day or two I can post it. Current Projects: Moar homework. I have plans this coming weekend that will make doing my homework difficult over the weekend, so I have to get it all done during the week. Fortunately, tomorrow is a school holiday, so I only have one day of class this week, which means I can concentrate on getting everything done before Friday. Nifty things: The Cat Piano -- When loboguara told me I had to see this video, I admit; I thought it was an America's Funniest Videos thing of a cat playing a piano. I went and looked.... and wow. Very much not! It's an animated short movie that was apparently submitted to the Adelaide Movie Festival in Australia. Very worth viewing, very very good! The Directions and The Elements, Sculptural Masks by Jodi Forster -- I was looking for something unusual and pretty to include in today's links and I stumbled on these. I particularly like her 'West' piece. The suggestion of water carved into the wood is appealing. If you have any links you'd like to share, please feel free to pass them on! Enjoy the last day of the holiday weekend (in the US)! Tags: daily, life

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September 6th, 2009

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September 5th, 2009

09:02 am - Daily Post - Saturday Quote of the Day: "Listening is an attitude of the heart, a genuine desire to be with another which both attracts and heals." --- J. Isham Art News: I have no art news, currently. I'm still flailing around with schoolwork (it's a heavy writing semester. Yech!). If people are interested, I can start posting samples of some of the things I'm writing? It's non-fiction, but some of it (I hope) is interesting! And since I have no art to feature, I'll feature some other artists! haikujaguar is having a Blue Bag Sale - Old prints chopped up into bookmarks and random small pieces of art. Limited amount available, grab one while you can! djinni has launched a new comic, Ekwara. He's also the super talented artist behind Dracula. Go check out his stuff! Support the arts, today! Tip an artist! Current Projects: Homework homework homwork! Ahem. I have several test problems to finish up for my algebra class, I am typing up my notes for my Anthropology interviews -- And I am still accepting information! Please, take 5 minutes and fill out the information! Culture does not mean visiting another country!! It can be moving to a different state, going to a new school, going away to college for the first time, even visiting a strange city! Help me get an A! :D Nifty things: Animal Diversity Web -- Maintained by the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology, this website is an excellent resource for animal skeletal structures. They have a 3-D model you can rotate around using Quicktime (for macs, not sure about pcs), which makes it invaluable for that pesky carnivore you're trying to draw. How to Draw People - By Joumana Medlej --- If anyone is looking for ideas for Christmas / birthday gifts for me, I would love a copy of this book. Ms. Medlej USED to have the contents up on a website, and they were wonderfully clear, illustrating different ethnicities with clarity and providing an excellent resource for the artist. She took the website down when she published the book. If you're a budding artist and struggling, or just want a good reference book, this one is -awesome-. Hope everyone has a wonderful (and safe) Labor Day weekend if you're in the US, if you're not, then... I hope you have a great weekend anyway. :D Tags: daily, life

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September 4th, 2009

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September 3rd, 2009

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September 2nd, 2009

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September 1st, 2009

08:54 am - Daily Post, Terrible Tuesdays Ooog. I did not want to get up this morning. Quote of the Day: "Set out each day believing in your dreams. Know without a doubt that you were made for amazing things." --- Josh Hinds; motivational speaker, author Art News: I've hit a bit of a dry spell. I started work on another outstanding commission, I still haven't redrawn Tigerwolf's commission. I did a couple of little sketches that I wanted to share, however. Current Projects: I'm currently flailing around with schoolwork, trying to find my semester routine. I have some housework I want to get done before my father-in-law visits in October, and I am really looking forward to the Labor Day break. -.- Today's my first day at my new job. I'm... apprehensive. I'm sure I'll do fine. Nifty things: Ukraine's Got Talent Winner - I'm sure this video has made the rounds already, but... it bears reposting for those that haven't seen it. I'm always fascinated with sand artists, but this one is almost like watching a movie. The story is about the artist's grandmother, whose first husband went off to fight in WWII. He died before seeing his unborn child come into the world. Grab some tissues before you watch. You'll want them. The Sinking of the Cumberland Part 1, and part 2 - James Gurney walks the viewer through the creation of his aforementioned painting. If you enjoy watching artists work in progress, or you just love Civil War naval art, this is definitely worth checking out! Have a great day! Tags: daily, life

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August 28th, 2009

08:01 am - TGIF! Quote of the Day: "To be rich in admiration and free from envy, to rejoice greatly in the good of others, to love with such generosity of heart that your love is still a dear possession in absence or unkindness - these are the gifts which money cannot buy." --- Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894 ); poet, essayist, author Art News: I have things to scan! I didn't get around to them last night, so I shall scan them today. I still haven't put Heron down on paper, but now I have some major incentive to, so I'l work on that soon. I'm going to redraw Tigerwolf's commission, because the painting... just didn't work out. I need to do a color test, and maybe find a better reference for the rock. I laid out the pencils for linnaeus's commission, but not quite happy with it... the anatomy is driving me crazy. So anyway, I have some sketches and works in progress to share for tomorrow. =) Current Projects: School, school, and.. uh.. school. I have several math problems I need to work on over the weekend, to make sure I understand how to solve them. It's been *mumble* years since I studied math, and even in the remedial course, I'm finding myself wondering what I was thinking. I have some really awesome resources, however, so I'll get through it. The weather outside is crisp and damp, and it feels so much like fall! It's incredible! I'm curled up at the kitchen table while I write this, a steaming cup of coffee at my elbow, the window open behind me. Ahhh, I adore this time of year! J'adore, j'aime, oui oui! Once I get settled in my new routine, and the initial ZOMG SCHOOL panic dies down, I'm interested in doing the 100 daily sketches. I was interested in doing 100 daily paintings, honestly, but I don't think I have the time nor the supplies. I also received a line on getting my art put into a catalog to provide samples of the art supplies in use; this excites me a great deal, and I think once I have some wildlife paintings completed, I'm going to talk to my local gallery about what I need to do. That's a big step for me; I've always done the convention-sell-direct route, but... hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Nifty things: It's a good morning for conversation --- I've had similar experiences with deer, never with a wild carnivore. More Close Encounters of the Wildlife Kind -- I admit, I love the idea of one day living somewhere rural enough that I'll see more wildlife of this sort. I grew up in an area that was predominantly woods and farmland, but was heavily hunted; so the largest wild critter I'd see is a squirrel, and occasionally (rarely!) a coyote. Now, we live in rural farmland, and do occasionally see deer, but I think the land around us is too heavily settled for more wild things to come in. Ahh, one day! Have a great Friday, everyone! Tags: daily, life

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August 27th, 2009

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August 26th, 2009

08:28 am - Daily Post - Catching Up Apologies for the lack of updates for the past couple of days. I had a lot going on that I needed to think about. Quote of the Day: "It often takes more courage to change ones opinion than to keep it." --- Willy Brandt Art News: Last night, I discovered clayboard. If the stuff is half as nice to paint on as it is to draw... I really really liked it. So yeah. I'll upload those drawings in a couple of days, I want to scan them before I attempt painting them. I started work on Tigerwolf's commission, and.... it's already at the stage where I hate how it looks. (Ask any artist, each painting has a stage where it's hideously ugly, and they hate it) So.. we'll see if I can bring it back out of that, or if I need to start over. I did upload some artwork yesterday, some if it, folks have already seen, some you may not. The one with the thicker border does contain tasteful nudity, so have care while browsing. If you have indicated interest in a commission and I haven't given you prices and information where to send the details, please nudge me. I still need a good system for keeping track of work. :( If you are interested in a commission and haven't talked to me, please do! There is currently a bit of a list, but I'm happy to discuss your desires and we can work something out. Current Projects: First day of classes was yesterday, so today is doing a bit of homework, and in general... getting things in order. I need to pick up a couple of things by way of supplies, but mostly I'm pretty set for the semester. I want to keep researching for a database to make my life easier, I'm thinking I'm going to end up having to create one. Excel just isn't cutting it. I'm kind of psyched about cooking dinner tonight, we're having one of my favorites. Korean burritos. :9 Nifty things: I'm running out of cool and nifty things to link to you guys! I'll come up with something for tomorrow. :) Have a great day! Tags: daily, life

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August 23rd, 2009

09:20 am - Happy Birthday And lets I forget, everyone wish tarinfirepelt a happy birthday! Tags: birthdays

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09:17 am - Daily Post - Sunday Breakfast Quote of the Day: "We never realize the power of a single human being until one comes along and conquers our heart." --- Unknown Art News: The past couple of days have been spent running around being social and helping friends with various home projects. So I haven't had a chance to scan recent doodles. I'm still working on a Secret Project, and cheekitty.com has been getting a complete overhaul behind the scenes. As soon as I can learn/figure out how to make the new site look pretty, it'll go live. roho has been invaluable in helping me get this together, I couldn't have done it without him. :) I shall hopefully have new art soon to share with people. Current Projects: I'm getting ready for school to start on Tuesday. My class schedule thusfar is just on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I don't know my new work schedule yet. We have several house projects in the queue, I'd like to dejunk from top to bottom, and find permanent storage solutions for the things we keep. That'll be interesting. Today, we're going to take the dog for a visit with friends, possibly get lunch out, then come back and recover a bit, I think. Nifty things: Irish Oatmeal in 10 minutes -- We love oatmeal in our house, and we have two recipes that we use. One is Alton Brown's overnight oatmeal and the other is a recipe from Cooking Light that takes about an hour. I think this recipe is good if you don't have a crock pot, but if you do.... just do Alton's version. >.> (recipe courtesy of haikujaguar) Move over, Swiss Miss! -- I wish I remembered who told me that this particular product was bliss in a mug, but I have it on good authority that this is the instant cocoa to purchase. And as we transition into autumn, the idea of a steaming cup of cocoa on a chilly morning sounds divine. :) Have a great day, guys! Current Location: United States, Illinois, Carol Stream Tags: daily, life

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August 22nd, 2009

08:30 am - Daily Post - Saturday! Quote of the Day: "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." --- Frank Outlaw Art News: I did some sketching yesterday, will try to get it uploaded tonight or tomorrow. I haven't begun on the next painting, but it's been a busy few days. Tomorrow, I shall paint. I need to start finalizing the sketch for linnaeus, so I can start painting that as well. Anyway.. look for new art tomorrow! Current Projects: Helping friends move today! It should be a busy day. -.- Nifty things: chipotle has an excellent post on beautiful aliens. I found his observations interesting and fairly accurate. Watercolor Stretcher -- I know I have some watercolorists that read here... I personally never bother with stretching my paper, but if you do, and you want it to be easier / don't want to use tape or staples... this device looks interesting. I'm guessing it could easily be built at home-I'm just not sure how they do it. Have a great day! Current Location: United States, Illinois, Carol Stream Tags: daily, life

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August 21st, 2009

07:58 am - Daily Post - Food Friday Quote of the Day: "Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back -- in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you." --- Frederick Buechner I have to say, I found today's quote incredibly appropriate. How many times in my life have I cuddled hurts to me like beloved pets, obsessing over them, allowing my anger to build and fester...? Too many. Far far too many. Art News: I have new art to share! I saw a preview for James Cameron's new movie, Avatar, and... there will be fanart. Ohhh yes. Soooooon. Current Projects: My school semester begins on Monday, so I will be doing the final flailing around getting ready over the course of the weekend. I'm taking Algebra, Cultural Anthropology, Intro to Relational Databases, and an English course required by my job on campus. I don't begin the peer tutoring gig until week after next, and I admit- I am very much looking forward having a regular income again. For those that aren't aware, I was hired to be an English tutor for remedial composition and English as a Second Language. I'm really excited about it! Over the weekend... well... it's going to be busy. We'll be heading out in a little bit to go help some friends with their house projects, then tomorrow helping more friends move. Should be fun. ;) Nifty things: Fans of The Venture Brothers might enjoy this Comicon Panel with creators Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick. jacksonpublick posted a sneak peak preview of Season 4. It looks... interesting. I'm withholding judgement. Now for the real links. :D How to Make Homemade Butter - When I was a kid, we had cows, and fresh unpasteurized milk, and fresh cream every morning. In order for my younger brother and I to 'slack off' and watch television, we had to have a pint jar full of cream in our hands, shaking it to make butter. Mom would strain the fresh buttermilk off (my dad liked to drink it) and put the butter in the freezer. It was good stuff, and while I think I'd prefer the mixer method detailed here.. it will be a taste of my childhood when I make this. :) Make Homemade Vanilla Extract -- This recipe calls for rum or vodka, but I'm told you can use Bourbon as well. I honestly look forward to trying this, as I love love looooove the taste of vanilla, and why pay the big bucks for imitation vanilla in the store? Yummm! Have a great weekend folks! Current Location: United States, Illinois, Carol Stream Tags: artwork, daily, life

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August 20th, 2009

09:13 am - Daily Post - Thursday Edition Quote of the Day: "'Will' is what creates the energy and courage to create. 'Want,' by itself, just isn't enough." -- Nisandeh Neta Art News: I have new art to upload, just haven't had a chance to upload it. Will try to get that done today. :) Current Projects: I have some cleaning to do... tomorrow I go to a friend's place to help out with some of their house projects, and Saturday is the big moving day for other friends... our next few weeks are jam-packed! Nifty things: Privacy on Facebook -- Since a couple of friends just signed up for facebook for the first time, I thought this might be useful. (Link courtesy of haikujaguar) Add a vintage look to your kindle -- I love my kindle. Love love love love love. roho has been known to mutter 'addict' at me when I pull it out, but for those that want something a little more subtle, these cases are available for $25 from Etsy. :) Have a great day! Current Location: United States, Illinois, Carol Stream Tags: daily, life

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August 19th, 2009

07:56 am - Daily Post -- Wednesday Edition Quote of the Day: "Far better is it to dare mighty things and win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank among those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat." --- Theodore Roosevelt I chose this quote this morning because it's something that... well.. I need to hear every now and then. Art News: Yesterday... was productive. I inked Tigerwolf's commission, banged out linework (and inked it) for a return address label for duncandahusky and takaza, and spent a couple hours working on the filing system in my computer (over halfway done!) . I'll upload everything in a day or two, there are a couple of color pieces I somehow never managed to upload, so I have some old (but new!) stuff for folks. Current Projects: I will probably do more housework today, I want to finish up my filing, make a list of the books I need for class next week. I need to look up some reference images so I can get an idea of how I'm going to paint Tigerwolf's commission (it's another stretch out of my comfort zone for me), and I need to assemble a few things so I can offer them for sale at FurFright. Busy day! Nifty things: Do You Want to Date my Avatar? -- (video) I know I posted a video yesterday, but takaza pointed me to The Guild, apparently a project Felicia Day was working on before she did Dr. Horrible. More specifically, he pointed me to the music video of this song. I'm not... really sure what I think of The Guild yet (it's a group of people that play an MMO waaaaay too much), but I really liked the song. It's not a Klee Kai! -- Yesterday, while rummaging up reference for takaza's commission, I ran across miniature Siberian Huskies. According to the breeder, the dogs are bred for a naturally occurring genetic mutation that produces a Siberian that is between 10 and 14 inches in height, and weighs less than 25lbs. They're very cute, and I can see how this could work out great for apartment dwellers. (You know you want one, duncandahusky!) Have a great day! Current Location: United States, Illinois, Carol Stream Tags: daily, life

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August 18th, 2009

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August 17th, 2009

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August 16th, 2009

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August 15th, 2009

10:48 am - Daily Post -- Saturday Edition I majorly overslept this morning, so our morning update is... a little late. :) Quote of the Day: "Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk." -- Doug Larson; cartoonist Art News: Crimson's badge is complete! I want to make sure he's seen it and approves before I post it. However, I do have some new doodles to share! Current Projects: Today, I'm going over to duncandahusky and takaza's new place to help get a few things ready for moving in. I love their new house, it's well constructed, and the floor plan is really nice. I admit, I'm a little envious, and wish we could move to something as nice. But since we can't, I can enjoy their experience vicariously. :D Nifty things: Make the Most of Your Naps -- I can think of a couple of people offhand that could probably use more powernaps. :) Squirrel Ruins Couple's Candid -- This was entirely unscripted (I mean, I don't think they could have gotten this photo if they'd tried) and I thought it was adorable. Enjoy! Have a great weekend! -Lydia Current Location: United States, Illinois, Carol Stream Tags: artwork, daily, life

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