Crafts Checklist

A little while ago I was cleaning out my room and it came to my attention I still had a huge pile of creative projects to do. Some are big, others small but they were all sitting there waiting for me to complete. Thus, I sorted through them (put them neatly into one box :) and came up with a handy list so I can systematically tackle them one-by-one. Some of the items are actual projects (#9 and #52) while others are more just a note of the supplies I have (#12 and #48) but whatever the case, this is my master copy of them all! I'm hoping to do one or two a week to relax and also stretch my creativity muscles. Plus, I'm not letting myself buy new artsy fun hobby stuff until I finish up with these ones sooo let's hope I get these done soon!
I'll link a project back here when I do it or cross it off if I end up not doing it.
But that's about all there is to it. Are there any projects you want to see me do first or any ideas you have for future ones? Let me know in the comments below!

Crafty Projects Checklist:

1.  Leftover Lanyards
2. 3 Bracelets to fix
3. Rose Candle
4. Teddy Bear Remains
5. White Box
6. Beads Box (8+ projects within)
7. Finger-paint palette
8. Transparent Telephone
9. Black Light Studio
10. More Beads (~4 projects)
11. Stencils
12. Paint
13. Wooden Maze
14. Fake arsenal holder
15. Goggles
16. Earrings Maker pack
17. Shell Bracelet
18. Domino pieces
19. Circle pendants
20. Little bottles
21. Keychains rings (~14)
22. 3 pinmakers
23. Chandelier repair
24. Buttons (~21)
25. White Bow
26. Misc. Silver Chains
27. Backpack buttons
28. Chokers (4)
29. Rusty Gold Star Jewelry
30. Chinese Coins Jewelry (14)
31. Gold necklace
32. Pearl Earrings
33. Silver Flower earrings
34. Moon earrings
35. Wood earrings
36. Earring parts (~6 pairs)
37. 3 hair barret clips
38. 3 keychain pendants
39. Pirate-like Beads/Pins
40. Military pins
41. Rusty Brown Steampunk chain
42. Broken compass
43. Collected gears
44. Broken earrings to repair
45. Silver pendants
46. Tiny Birdhouse
47. 1 bag of beads (~4)
48. Film Pile
1. Video cassettes
2. Old film sheets  
3. CDs 
4. Floppy disks  
5. Kodacrome images
49. Headband
50. Keys & Locks
51. Big Brown necklace
52. Plumeria necklace
53. Pearl necklace
54. Purple earrings
55. Triangles necklace

News

Hello there, dear readers! How's life? I hope everyone's doing well.

I'm doing better myself. I've been keeping my foot tightly wrapped which has been helping a lot; it’s helped me regain some of my walking so I can even do a few household tasks (major yay!). But my knee on the opposite uninjured side has started acting up though (I think it's Runner's Knee). I figure it's just a by-product of the foot so I'm trying to take it easy. I got (aka: was forced to buy) some athletic sneakers, too --which cost far too much considering how ugly they look-- but hey, health is important. My recovery is going too slow and it's really hard being patient with it at this point but I'm trying hard. For now, my main goal is to just be better by the start of school. I’m really hoping & praying for that but we’ll have to see.

Thanks to my increased mobility, I've also gotten around to doing some of my chores and work which has made me much happier. It's like I'm finally snapping out of the sluggish rut I was stuck in (another yay!). I finally got around to major cleaning my room (& the bathroom) which was a big personal victory. My room was a complete disaster and its tumultuous state was probably a big reason I was down in the dumps. Forcing myself to tackle it piece by piece was incredibly satisfying. I re-organized the layout, made a new shelf (with ikea instructions), threw out lots of old junk, made a pillow cover, and even changed up my desk. And let me tell you, it felt sooo good. I'm so glad I did it. I might not be able to go out much but cleaning up has been nice. Doing all this has really made me start feeling like myself again; I'm really hoping this is the start of me getting back to normal!

But I must confess, I've been watching a ton of TV though. I'm not really proud of that but hey, I figure what's a summer break without a little (aka way too much) mindless channel flipping. Sometimes it's nice to tune out of your own life and get lost in someone else’s. Funny story, we actually didn't have cable growing up so I never really sat around watching TV but our provider bundles it into the package so I'm finally getting to watch all the Disney channel and Nickolodeon I missed out on! Their new shows are interesting; I'm not a fan of all of them but some of them are good (Liv & Maddie, Henry Danger, Jessie, etc.). Tangent: Has anyone else ever noticed how perfect everyone on Disney's hair is, though? It's TOO perfect!!! Oh, I also watched a nice indie film recently called Flawless. I've written a review about it here if you want to hear more on my thoughts about that.

In unrelated news, we unexpectedly got a pretty pair of parakeets! While they're both awfully quiet for birds, I find them very cute and adorable. They make me so happy. We have dog and cat allergies in our family so growing up we always had birds which is why I have a very special place in my heart for them (esp. budgies) so it's very exciting to have a pair again after many years of none. They're still shy and guarded but I'm hoping that giving them a little time will help them warm up to us. 

Alright, that’s all I’ve got for now. I know it’s not much or super exciting but sometimes it’s nice to be grateful for what you’ve got (cough cough thank God for your health cough cough) and appreciate what’s going right (instead of focusing on what’s wrong). Or at least that’s what I’m trying to do through this very prolonged injury. Hopefully next time I’ll have ever better news but until then, ta-ta!

Overdue Update

Howdy Folks!
I know I've been MIA for quite a while now (a little over 2 weeks) and I'm real sorry bout that. First it was that trip to TX then my summer classes plus their finals and, of course, this darn foot which unfortunately is still not fully healed (I know, I know, you're all probably very tired of hearing about it but just imagine trying to live with it!).

So yeah, in short it's been a long and stressful couple of weeks and while some of it was good (the wedding was awesome sauce and I did great on my final :), most of it wasn't as pretty (painful walking, visiting a podiatrist, finding out I have flat feet, crutches, etc.). In fact, I feel like I was actually happier when I had the class or the wedding. It must've taken my mind off my foot because now in the 2 weeks I have off as "break" before Fall Session starts things have been pretty darn crummy. I mean, I'm not  really doing much and I've still been really miserable. Guess being cooped up at home with just your family really isn't the best thing for your health.

Plus I'm pretty sure I've got a serious case of ennui going. Motivating myself to do anything has been a uphill battle; the sloth in me just wants to sit around, eat, and surf the TV channels or internet. But (of course) that just always leaves my conscience extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with how I spent my time. Plus it also makes me somewhat depressed since I start comparing my life with that on TV (and how everyone looks so darn well put-together. Why can't I be like that?!) But let's be real here, the sloth has been getting best of me lately. I keep finding some hapless excuse to not own up to my mistakes and make the most of my day. Honestly I've been giving myself too many passes for 'bad days' and not enough 'productive' ones (or at the very least happy ones).

Ugh, it's just been one of those weeks. You know what I mean, right? Those weeks where absolutely nothing seems to be going right, where everything feels like it's falling apart and your life is just a complete mess. Those weeks you just want to crawl under the covers and forget the world exists until you have the courage to wake up one day and face it. Yeahhh. Those ones. That's what I've been going through. I really hope it gets better but for the meanwhile I'm just going to buckle down and try my best to make the most of what time I've got left (before the impending start of classes. nooo). No point crying over the past. But yeah. That's my life. I hope all of you have better stories and life events going on. I'm wishing you all nothing but the best. Please let me know how you're feeling in the comments below and if you've got any remedies to deal with the blues.
Lots of Love!
P.S. I made this a while ago when I was inspired by Andy Warhol's work. I call it Guilty Hearts.

August's Homework Assignment

Why hello there, everyone!

With August practically extinguished, I thought I'd make one last post before September starts. And what better way to do that then with another fun little linkup for Professor Z's August Homework Assignment! So here's the prompt: 

For August's Homework Assignment, you are tasked to show us how songs or music inspire your dress, mood, art, writing, etc. Make that correlation between the song and the product of your inspiration; or, tell us what kind of music you listen to before you go out for the evening, or before work or school, or while you are relaxing at home. Remember, your post doesn't need to be fashion related. Get inspired! Think outside the box! HAVE FUN!!!

First off, I just gotta say how much I just really love the prompt. I'm very musically inclined (meaning I'd be listening to something 24/7 if I could) so I can't wait to share what's been on my playlist lately. 

1. To start, a lot of this month for me has been sitting around and waiting for my ankle to heal. As such, a song that's been constantly playing in my head as a nice summary of my situation is Regina Spektor's "Somedays". It's a cute little melody about how we all have days that just sortof slip through our fingers and how at times, they don't even feel days from our lives, like our days, at all. Anyways, it's a pleasant gem esp. when you feel like brooding.

2. Other music this month included a lot of the Sweeney Todd soundtrack. After watching the movie, I couldn't get any of these songs out of my head! I'd wake up humming "There's no place like London" and eventually I wound up finding the soundtrack online. This resulted in me playing the entire album on repeat continuously. I really couldn't get over how great some of the songs and just how well they went together. They're witty and lyrical with great attention to score details. I like how the tone can be cynical and dark but hopeful all in the same song. It's quite a feat. Most of the songs were modified to fit the film version but I feel like that didn't detract from their quality at all. In fact, they make quite a few songs more enjoyable & manageable. Plus, the choice of actors was superb; their singing fit their parts so perfectly. I was really impressed both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter carried themselves quite nicely and Ed Sander's (Toby) charming childish voice was a sweet surprise. Jayne Wisener (played Johanna)'s voice was just perfection. 

A couple of my favorites include: "Not While I'm Around", "Pretty Women", "Worst Pies in London", "Green Finch & Linnet Bird"*, "Johanna", "A little Priest", "By the Sea", "God That's Good". "Wait" and "Poor Thing" were pretty good, too. Basically, I loved the whole thing. 

Here's a great playlist if you'd like to listen to the playlist.

3. So those are the songs I've been obsessed with and have been gobbling up in my relax/free time. When it comes to school or work, I tend to gravitate towards instrumental pieces to get me into the mood. I stay away from songs with words because I get distracted by them waaaay too easily and end up spending more time pondering the lyrics than actually getting any work done.  So the artist I've been listening to lately for work is Bob Acri. He mostly does piano pieces and my favorite from him is "Sleep Away". The reprise for that one is fabulous as well. But yeah, you get the easy listening vibe I have for work-related music.

4. A random song I've been jamming to is the Mystery Jet's The Ballad of Emmerson Lonestar. I have a cousin's wedding to go to in Texas next month and this has been my way of getting ready: listening to British guys sing about the "Radlands". Yuuup. That's probably not the smartest way to prepare but oh wells. It's a good song.

5. OH I've also been getting back into Bastille. I fell in love with this band a little over a year ago but had let it sit on the back burner when our radio stations decided to overplay Pompeii but gosh darn, Dan's voice is like British red velvet and listening to their stuff reminds me how much I adore it. Also, those eyes and that hair, man. Gooood stuff. 

Alright, well that's about it.. Perhaps in the future I'll do another post on my favorite artists and my music tastes but that's it for now. Thanks for reading and linkup yourself so I can know what you're listening to! :)

Around the Web

So I usually like to post my own content but man, the internet has been bustling with fascinating things this month so without further ado, here's a quick "Around the Web" list of what I've been mesmerized with this hot, sticky August month.

1. Love
I just stumbled upon the greatest little collection of these beautiful photographs of LGBT couples. The photographer did a fabulous job encapsulating the beauty of gay couples and really bringing the nostalgic feeling of romance alive with these photos. I felt like I just had to share it because it's just so touching and breathtaking. You can hear more about the photographer's project here.

2. I want to live
In the wake of Robin William's death, there's been a multitude of emotions and opinions being passed around, but one of my favorite comic writers, Erika Moen, did a very fabulous job of providing her two cents on the topic. Two very intimate and personal cents but nonetheless, the emotion and intent of the piece cannot escape anyone who's been through depression or suicidal tendencies; it resonates with the darkness that many of us have seen. It's a very powerful message and I'm so glad she shared her struggle so beautifully and succinctly with the rest of the world.

3. Fatshion Peepshow
Dude, this blog is like the best thing to happen to the internet right now. And I'm not even exaggerating. I love the style, the body positive message, and the fun sass that Stina Scott brings into this website. It's got fabulous style combining the many elements I love about goth with my love for retro and vintage as well. One of my favorite posts is this one, it's got a nice compilation of many cool looks Stina has put together over the months. She really does a great job of running a cool show that really highlights how limitless beauty truly is. It's not about age, size, or clothing style; it's really all about you! Epic kudos to Stina. Keep rocking it!

4. An Honest Drug
I'm very obsessed with Fee's blog here. There is so much inspiration abounding everywhere on this site, I love it!!!! She's got great blogging ideas, styling posts, cool DIYs, opinions, and more. Yup, her blog is really my addiction right now. You really just have to check it out to understand the amount of awesome going on. So go ahead, click that link! You won't regret it! (Now please excuse me while I fangirl and peruse more of her website)

5. Sweeney Todd
So I'm going to do a longer post on my love for Tim Burton's work and why I'm just now getting around to consume more of it. But for now I'll just leave you with the knowledge that I finally watched Sweeney Todd and I'm madly in love with it. Everything about that movie was fantastical! I've even delved a little bit into the play itself and I can respect and appreciate the artistic liberties Tim Burton took with a few segments (like that one scene with the Judge... yeah, I never got the literary point of that) and overall, I think it definitely did the play justice. In fact, I'm now a converted fan of musicals. Thank you, Sweeney Todd! :)

6.  Offbeat Bride
I just started following this website on a spur of the moment feel and boy am I glad I did!! While I'm nowhere near marriage or wedding plans, just getting to see the fantastically amazing and beautiful weddings and celebrations of love people throw is so inspiring and joyful! It's like a fun celebration of alternative culture and people along with creativity and thriftiness all in one place! I'm so glad to be able to partake in this community! It's like a tiny internet party I get to attend all by myself with like-minded others! (While still in pajamas! How awesome is that!!) If you have a penchant for alternative, quirky ideas and love, definitely give this website a chance! It's full of fun surprises! :) (Personal recommendations: this one and this too!)

7. The Glamorous Housewife
Another somewhat random follow seeing as to how I'm neither a housewife nor a mother but don't be fooled into thinking that's a requirement to follow this site! It's for anyone with a taste in vintage and retro classics! It's exploding with fun and cool ideas infused with blast-from-the-past themes. I'm absolutely infatuated with everything on this blog plus the cute youtube videos that accompany it. As a proclaimed party planner, this site is a treasure chest for ideas and tips on how to throw the perfect dinner party and easy to follow recipes and looks for the night. Her blog has everything from cooking, parties, and fashion to DIY, it has something for everyone! Give it a taste! :)

Alright, well that's this month's roundup! I hope you enjoyed getting a look at where I spend my time online. Let me know what you think of these sites in the comments below! And send me any recommendations you have of websites of your own that you are in love with! :)

Urgh

Hello all!
Just a quick update I'm squeezing in here before I'm off to work. The posts might be a little slow for the next few weeks seeing as how I'm still injured (really bad ankle sprain) and drowning in work. I hope you don't mind the lag! Hopefully things will be smoother and better next month! Thank you for understanding! In the meanwhile, I shall leave you with this strange photo I found in my homework. Enjoy!

Cool/Crazy Find

This is very very random but as I was studying for my limnology practical, I ran across this really interesting/weird jewelry phenomenon on the internet. Apparently, someone decided to employ this charming little aquatic critter known as a caddisfly to make jewelry! It took me a while to get used to the idea but check out the full story!

See, caddisflies spend most of their life as worm-like larvae dwelling happily in wetland/freshwater systems. Once they reach maturity, they spin a nice cocoon and emerge as winged adults on the water surface. Then they're off to life in the terrestrial setting: copulating, laying eggs (in water so the cycle of life can repeat itself), and eventually dying. Most species in the underwater larvae part of their life, use silk to make cute little protective covers from the material in their surroundings (e.g. gravel, sand, twigs, pebbles, etc.). And that is where humans come in.

It seems, this guy thought it would be fun to see what caddisfly larvae would do if you gave them gold, pearls, and other jewelry pieces to make their case instead of sand or other natural boring bits. The end results are pretty rad and interesting. Here are some of the photos:

So, as you can see, they're pretty cool and awesome but also a bit freaky. I mean, the idea is wickedly clever and smart. Plus the end result looks nice but it looks a bit odd when the caddisfly larvae are still living in it. At that moment it's more like a "Huh? what's going on here" moment. Overall, I think it's pretty cool and fascinating. Definitely a neat find but at the same time, I feel slightly bad for those poor little bugs. They have no idea what's happening. I guess (and hope) it's a mutualistic exchange though: this guy gets cool jewelry (and fame) while these caddisflies get food and lodging until they can fly away. Either way it's quite a sight and something interesting to think about.

What do you all think? Should this artist be using caddisflies to make jewelry? Do you think it's ethical? Is it cool or creepy? Would you buy or wear any of it? Tell me what's your reaction in the comments below! :)

If you want to read more on this, here are a few links!
http://www.ecouterre.com/artists-enlist-caddisfly-larvae-to-build-jewelry-from-precious-metals/
http://all-that-is-interesting.com/hubert-duprat-caddis-fly
http://www.odditycentral.com/art/french-artist-gives-insect-larvae-the-chance-to-make-their-own-jewelry.html
http://seawayblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/amazing-caddisflies-and-curious-story.html