Hey folks sorry for the lack of updates. Been taking some time to myself with school, true blood fandom and of course work.
Taking an image editing class and studing Photoshop cs4. Pretty nifty improvements here on adobes behalf. So far I give cs4 5 cupcakes for faster editing and easier masking options. The program is on my list of tools to buy and waiting a couple pay periods to scoop this baby up.
Props to UoP for having a digital remote desktop that emulates cs4 for me. No purchase necessary for my class. Downside is the desktop lags and is frustrating to work with especially with big images. Technology is wonderful though.
This weekend I took my first adventure in candle making and produced a crown shaped stacking candle. Awesome effect for layered non dull candle goodness!
You will need:
Candle wax
Melting bags
Wick thread
Metal wick end
Sewing needle
Scent
Cookie pan
Cookie cutter
Vegetable oil
Coat your cookie pan with vegetable oil and set aside. Using the bags melt your wax and add scent just before pouring. Pour the wax onto the cookie pan and wait a few minutes for the wax to become semi hard. Using the cookie cutter press the wax to form your shapes (just like your making cookies.) Begin removing the excess wax being careful not to damage the shapes. I peeled away starting at the edges moving the shapes only when they hardened by using a press and slide approach with my fingers. Thread the needle with the wicking thread and carefully thread through the shapes. Finish with a fastener and a bit of wax between each layer to hold the candle together and your done!
Finally rain has been visiting off and on this week! Nice to see the ditches overflow and the greenery get greener. Not digging the power flashing off and on but hey I’m mainly at work when it does. Here’s my baby boy infront of a ditch that flooded and some storm clouds that rolled in earlier in the week. More rain hopefully:)
I’ve given this a week, and marinaded on it, however in the end, I am quite saddened with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The ending especially. I was prepared to cry and wallow like I did during the book, and instead the funeral is “glossed” over. Although for a younger audience I can see this being necessary, it still did not have that “oomph” affect when I first read the book. And Snape, oh my Snape… his little speech to chastise Harry for using his own spells against him = WEAK. When reading the book I was stunned, almost shocked at how cruel Snape could be, but this lame, tired and bored tone used in the movie… I’m floored. My advice is to wait until DVD if you can. No rush to run to the theater. There is some cuteness though, and Ron wins in the cuteness factor. My Fave part is when Ron is “bewitched” by Harry’s intended love-laced chocolates. The special effects are amazing as ever, and Malfoy – boy is he a tall young man now!
Overall 3 cupcakes. 2 for ending on such a sour note.
A coworker of mine surprised me with a clipping that finally rooted! My task is now the transplant it into soil. I’m excited!
It’s been years since I’ve grown seeds. So during my last errand run I picked up a jiffy tray with the peat pellets. I’m attempting to grow echinacea and lavendar flowers. This is a pic tonight, and no growth yet. Added some more water, and happy to see condensation was present on the plastic cover. Wish me luck!
So I’ve been catching up on reading and some movies lately. Here’s a brief catch-up and my latest musings:
East Is East
- Found myself stuck on the IFC channel (I say stuck, because once I turn this channel on, I can’t seem to leave). Absolutely brilliant. Based on a Paki-British family and a mix of old world ways and the new world. Has by far the best scene of a woman defending her home and her family. I literally was cheering on my couch for her. I almost kicked my coffee table in the process. Has it’s funny moments, mostly dark humor, with a dash of some serious.
Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 9)
- I love the Southern Vampire series, and cannot wait for the new season of True Blood. Hmm time to stock up on red Jell-o… However in this installment of the series I was a bit bored. Here we are introduced to the world of the fae, or rather the fae come to us, warring over humans verses the pure blood fae. Sounds Harry Potterish because it is, except without the wizards and brooms. What frustrated me was the lack of adventure in this book. I wanted to see Sookie go to the Fairy lands, visit, interact or something. Instead she’s hiding out and having people watch over her. Perhaps we’ll see this in future volumes.
The Castle
– By far, this was the best find I watched on IFC. I didn’t intend to watch this mind you, but when the movie started I was instantly drawn in. The whole movie is based around the narration of the youngest son, who talks to us about his family, and the possibility that the Australian government will take their house, to expand the airport. The narration is so cute, yet sarcastic I couldn’t help but find it charming.
Every once in awhile I stumble across awesome websites, and this one is no exception. One of my pet peeves is how many examples I see everyday of improper grammar and spelling. Now by all means I am no master in this area myself, but there is always a chance to improve.
FreeRice is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program. Our partner is the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
FreeRice has two goals:
Provide education to everyone for free.
Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.
This is made possible by the generosity of the sponsors who advertise on this site.
Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your education can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.
Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide. Thank you.
Instead of searching for female clipart, I googled paper dolls, and came across some wonderful work. Used in my project tonight, is a fairy dress and doll from Liana’s Paper Dolls.
Another thing I did today, was finally break down and purchase a new printer. Turns out the $80.00 I was spending in replacement cartridges was a way of encouraging me to finally just buy a whole new printer. Wow, kinda a slick but nasty marketing move. So in celebration of my new printer, I searched through some old clip art disks I had and used some extra paper scraps and ta-da! Heritage:
