"We're going on an adventure!"

Happy 2010! And it's going to be a productive year. My head is adorned with new ideas and things I hope to accomplish, important things involving travel or trying something new.

And, as always, there is the ever-growing list of projects. A new camera now in my possession inspired a creative brainstorm as I am currently deciding on a pouch design to hold said camera for damage-free transportation.

Earlier, my brother gave me a fantastic suggestion to take a photo adventure every week. A purposeful use for my camera, to not only practice my rather lacking picture-taking skill, but to discover new places and with a more valid excuse.

Challenge accepted.

But first on the agenda is to find some home decor to defer one's focus away from the cracked, peeling paint of my apartment walls.

Let the adventure begin.

"If God isn't a Penn State fan, then why is the sky blue and white?"

I don't know if anyone listens to public radio, but one network aired an episode recently about this year's #1 party school in the country and over 40,000 of my next door neighbors. It's crazy, I don't even go to school anymore and I'm already partying more than ever. Good friends and natty lite are all you need, and you'll think you're in the middle of a Chevy commercial.
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I have been commissioned to recreate a charcoal drawing I did at least 5 years ago. But I look at my newly completed drawing in disgust. The original, which was stolen from me, was better. I remember hating the first one too, but this is just pathetic. Of course, I haven't touched charcoal in the last few years, and then I make my amazing comeback working on not only something I've already done, but something really really stupid.

Oh well. It's not for me which makes all Christmas preparations officially done. I came up with a clever way to wrap the ink cards I did too. I constructed an envelope out of festive tissue paper, and tied metallic ribbon to the inside to close it. The holidays are gonna rock this year. And soon I will see my siblings again, and at the same time too!

"I want change and excitement and to shoot off in all directions myself, like the colored arrows from a Fourth of July rocket."

Ink card project is complete as of today. I did a series of bamboo leaves from different perspectives, changing the picture plane each time. And I started doing another foliage mixing ink with water to highlight the detailed shadows of the leaves. I was planning to draw more, and have two separate sets, but I wouldn't want them too repetitious. Now I'll just need to create a fancy packaging system of which to "give" them for Christmas. I think back to my initial inspiration to this stationary idea... and I don't know whether to feel thankful for the creative motivation, or jaded by the stacks of drawing paper accumulated, decorated in desperate hope, and presently useless. Though I believe I will be using them very soon. There are changes on the horizon and I am convinced. Especially after the past weekend of long, crazy, birthday partying with my amazing co-workers. Nothing like jumping into a jacuzzi at 2 AM in your underwear when it's only 20 degrees.

"I consider the roads not taken and feel moved to quote Frost... but I won't." Perhaps this path is dangerous. And perhaps it is exactly what I need.

"Holy Sh!t it's Christmas"

I know I know... Thanksgiving is in two days, and no one should ever do anything Christmas-y until this righteous holiday is complete. But here I sit, under the illumination of twinkly lights with seasonal melodies caroling from my stereo.

Christmas came early this year, and after being struck ill this week [screw the onions by the way] I had to do something productive, thus the decorating frenzy began.
My Yuletide decor doesn't consist of much - I hung my small glittery stocking next to the crack in the wall. And I created my own window decoration tying a jingle bell to a white beaded necklace.

I am most excited about the lights for some reason... it's festive. After untangling the massive knot accumulated over several years of neglect, only two small strings worked. So I have white lights stretching from the top of my bookcase out into the hallway, then a string of colored lights continues across into my sun porch.

De- wait for it -lightful.

Am I crazy? or did an onion just cure me? With bouts of dizziness, nausea, uncontrollable shaking from serious chills, and sinus related issues, I woke up yesterday morning with a throat the size of a grapefruit.

I immediately made a list, carefully drove my ailing self out to build-up my purse into a mini-pharmacy; Nyquil, Halls, Zicam, even chicken noodle soup and herbal tea. But one item seemed out of place: Onions

I still went to work that day too, swallowing hard, enunciating my dying voice, and pretending to be perfectly fine. I seemed to pull it off disturbingly well, despite I grew worse, nearly crying from my throat hurting so bad.

As I was ready to collapse into bed for the night with what I am sure was a fever, I cut off the ends of an onion, stuck a fork in the end and put it into an empty "jar". I was desperate to try anything, and I've heard of this bizarre onion remedy to naturally cure the flu.

Today - throat still swollen, but did not hurt, nostrils still fairly clear of nasal congestion. My room smells like onions, but I feel better.

I don't know. I have become somewhat of a health nut... my body may be well prepared for any type of ailment. Or was it the mysterious power of the onion???

"you can’t always rate the value of a piece of art through the short turnaround ways that we tend to assess things.”

Impatiently awaiting for it to cool from its green oven baking experience, and lacking the proper serving tools, I slice into golden brown perfection. I slide a knife underneath to remove the large triangular portion carved out, and watch as the soggy innards ooze from the still doughy crust.

A much exaggerated description to be sure, but needless to say my first pie attempt wasn't quite done yet. Of course, I still ate it, I mean, you can't go wrong with those kick ass ingredients.

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Earlier today I opened my portfolio filled with old projects from my first studio classes. With an apartment of still empty walls, I wondered if I should put my own work up. Some do seem worthy enough to frame, but I realized I haven't done any major art work since those classes, already from a few years ago, other than small sketches and border patterns.

Within the next week I hope to set up my easel and old art supplies I haven't touched in a while. I have a few ideas I could work on anyway and possible Christmas presents...

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Fight Club celebrates 10 years with the release of a blu-ray anniversary edition on November 17th. A psychoanalytical zeitgeist of human society and material culture is still being reviewed and researched, serving as a contradiction to commercialism itself with its highly obsessive layers. And it is, by far, one of my all-time favorites.

"I am Jack's complete lack of surprise."

"Ernest Hemmingway once said, 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part."

I am finished.
A hellish weekend spent completely obliterated, this empty bottle of local wine marks the end of an era. By the beginning of November, it will all be over; no more mascara stains on pillows, no more haunting memories, no more fucked up "anniversary's". I am finished.

And I already have a head start. I dug out my mini composition book scrawled with pending recipes. Today's attempt: Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Heat milk, pumpkin, and spices on stove, add vanilla extract and more spices, throw it in the blender, dump in the coffee, and -POW!- you have a sink full of dirty dishes.

But it is chock full of deliciousness. And now that I have so much pumpkin and spices leftover, my next project to bring in this November right, and perhaps to kickoff a new era: Pumpkin Pie.

Whipped cream anyone?