Down the Rabbit Hole

Occupational Hazards: Why I don't Paint my Nails Anymore

2013-06-15T11:37:00.000-07:00

As a jewelry maker, I work with lots of wire and chain and jump rings, and all of these things are like the evil villains that hate nail polish. When I first started working there in September, I still painted my nails sometimes. And you guys, I can chip my nail polish ridiculously easily anyway. If I click my mouse wrong, my nail polish will chip. It's pretty crazy. Jewelry making is not the friend of pretty colored nails. My nail polish would chip the instant I started to make a necklace and only get worse and worse throughout the day. And I like having pretty nails, but I hate painting them, because drying times force me to just sit and watch a movie or something, and as you may recall, I'm a multitasker. I was organizing my room yesterday and came across my nail polish. I have a lot of it, not as much as some people, but for never painting my nails, it's a lot.

But nail polish actually works as a way to personalize jewelry stuff and make it even cuter. I got a whole bag of broken/mismatched jewelry the other day and I intend to use all sorts of nail polish on it (in a way that looks good, obviously). And remember that cute jewelry box I thrifted that looks like it's missing something on the door? Well I think I can do something cool with white nail polish. So today I'm feeling pretty crafty. I might even do battle with my sewing machine! We'll see.

What creative uses do you have for nail polish?

Food Friday: Bucket Listing

2013-06-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

I checked an item off of my bucket list! I ate at a food truck! Well, technically it was a food cart, but that's as close as I can get to a gluten free food truck (at least in Seattle).

Since I first discovered them, they have gotten a second food cart. They are called I Love My GFF (GFF stands for gluten free food), and their food is all gluten-free and mostly organic. It's also super healthy and it tastes amazing! And it's really affordable. Each of these bowls cost $9.50 for the 16 oz. size, but they last for two meals because they are so filling. And if you eat gluten-free food, you know that you really can't beat that price for a delicious and filling meal. There are two kinds of quinoa bowls on their menu, and chocolate chip cookies. I bought two of each kind of quinoa bowl after tasting the free samples, because I wanted to have some again later in the week too. They also gave me a free cookie! Everything was really yummy. I preferred the Sunshine Bowl over the Fiesta Bowl, but enjoyed them both enough that I would order them again. If you're a vegetarian, you can order either of these bowls without chicken. They both have sprouted quinoa, pumpkin seeds, chicken, red peppers, and green onions. The Fiesta Bowl is sort of a Mexican style, with black beans, avocado, green onions and their special Fiesta Sauce, as well as the previously mentioned ingredients. The Sunshine Bowl has more of what I would call a summery flavor, with cannellini beans, carrots, broccoli, and their special Sunshine Sauce, as well as the previously mentioned ingredients. They both have a great balance of flavors, textures, and colors. And the cookies are really good too. They taste just like a great chocolate chip cookie, without any weird texture at all. I highly recommend this food cart to everyone in Seattle. G tried it too and also loved it, so much that I gave him one of the Fiesta Bowls, which was his preferred flavor.

All Work and All Play

2013-06-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Makes me a well-balanced person, I guess. I've been doing a lot of work lately, staying extra at work and then working on my own shop stuff when I get home. But it's fun work. I'm making flower crowns for my shop! So before they're crowns, they're a pretty bouquet in my room.

fake flowers in a vase that I thrifted today for $1!, plus a sneak peek of my art wall

And I got my new game the other day, so that's awesome. (It's one of the ones that needed funding help, Pandora: Purge of Pride) The weather was finally nice enough to go hacky sack in the park yesterday, so I did that for almost an hour. Then I accidentally made new friends who live in my house and one of them made a big dinner for all of us, that I could actually eat :) (Let's call him The Chef) It was really tasty. There was chicken, broccoli with cheese sauce, and potatoes. And The Chef also commisioned a necklace for me, which is super cool. Then I hacky sacked with the other friend, who did alright despite not hacky sacking since 8th grade. (We'll call him The Rollerblader, because he roller blades.) And then I went to bed, because that was a whole lot of human interaction and it made me sleepy.

And in other notable events, I discovered the wonder that is Desura, and specifically Desura's free games, and downloaded a bunch of them. So far I have only played (and completed) The Kite. That game will make you feel feelings. It is intense. Seriously.

And I've also discovered that I don't hate documentaries; I just hate boring documentaries. Now I am that person who says, "Oh, I actually just watched a really interesting documentary about that" during conversations. Here are some documentaries that I have watched and enjoyed on Netflix recently (with handy dandy links and my ratings, out of 5 stars):

Happy 3 stars
Nerdcore Rising (I'm actually watching it right now, so no rating yet, but I love it so far)
Indie Game: The Movie 5 stars
Afterlife 4 stars
The Human Experience 5 stars
Bomb It 5 stars
Dive! 4 stars
Buskers 3 stars
The Antics Roadshow 3 stars

I also watched two documentaries that are no longer on Netflix, but I still highly recommend them: What the #$*! Do We Know!? and What are Dreams?: Nova. I give them both 5 stars.

How to Exercise the Easy Way

2013-06-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Dance like no one is watching (and then photograph it?)

Are you one of those super busy people who never has time to exercise? Let me share my tips for exercising the (sometimes fun) easy way. First of all, you might not believe me but you do have time to exercise! Do you drink milk or orange juice? Lift it up a couple of times with each arm before you put it back in the fridge. Do you cook? Dance around the kitchen while you're waiting for your water to boil, or whatever you're cooking. (even if you're just waiting for the microwave to heat up your food) Do you do laundry? Lift up your laundry basket like you're curling a weight, as you're carrying it wherever you have to take it to. Walking up some stairs? Walk on your tiptoes, as if you're wearing heels. (It probably doesn't work if you're actually wearing heels though) Do your brush your teeth? (I really hope so!) Repeatedly stand on your tiptoes then back down the whole time you're brushing.

The next part is only for people who are comfortable doing crazy things in public without caring what people think about them. If you do a lot of walking to and from places, don't just walk, skip, gallop, prance (haha), dance, whatever. Basically try to remember how you walked with your parents (and probably drove them crazy doing it) as a toddler and do that. Another great way to exercise is for people who babysit toddlers. When the toddlers are playing outside or inside or wherever, run around with them and do everything they do (exercise-wise; don't pick your nose or eat worms or anything like that). Believe me, after about four hours of this, you'll be feeling it.

And when all else fails, dance around the house like a maniac. Plus it's super fun!

Blog and Shop of the Month: Silly and Adorable

2013-06-07T17:49:00.001-07:00

My Blog of the Month for this month is someone who I've been following for probably over a year. She's a super cool girl, who has lots of mental and physical strength. She blogs about her life, which includes web design and circus performing. I love her fashion sense. One of the things I love about her is that although she has a fairly large blog following she still takes the time to get to know her readers and answer their questions. If you haven't guessed by now, I'm talking about Sarah from SillyGrrl. She's one of my favorite bloggers. She also just released an e-book filled with coding and design tips for bloggers. She's an all-around super awesome person who you should get to know, if you haven't yet.

I discovered this month's Shop of the Month through Pinterest. (Have I mentioned how much I love Pinterest?!) She makes super awesome nerdy products that I love. The Pac Man purse drew me in and the Zelda purses, Chain Chomp purse, and zombie purse (with blood spatter bow!) kept me there. And she has 74 sales, which is higher than 50, but I make the rules here and I can break them if I want to! Jen is the cool lady behind Disturbingly Adorable. She makes and sells nerdy (and other awesome) purses, pouches, scarves, shirts, jewelry, and underwear. And fellow Whovians, there's a purse featuring the cutest Dr. Who alien ever! And besides being amazing, all of the Disturbingly Adorable products are very reasonably priced. Plus, how great is that name?! I love it. Seriously.

So go check out these ladies are their great work, because they're really cool and they do great work.

Where to Eat in Seattle: Vegan Pizza Pi

2013-06-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

I've eaten at Vegan Pizza Pi twice now, and both times it's been delicious. Vegan Pizza Pi is located in the University District of Seattle. It's conveniently within walking distance of my apartment : ) It is the first American vegan pizzeria, and they've been around for over 9 years, so they know what they're doing. They have a huge variety of gluten-free options, including some tasty gluten-free appetizers.

The first time I ate there was a few weeks ago, during the University District Street Fair. My friend and I ordered the Rainy Day pizza on gluten-free crust (gluten-free crust is only available in the small (9 inch) size, but it is more than enough food). The Rainy Day pizza is pictured above. It has white garlic sauce, spinach, sundried tomatoes, pineapple, grilled onions, and soy cheese. The second time I ate there was last Friday, before my movie night. We got the Garden Fresh pizza on gluten-free crust. It has marinara sauce, mushrooms, spinach, green peppers, raw onion, and fresh tomatoes. Both of these pizzas were very tasty (and very healthy!).

If you are gluten-free, don't order any of the fake meats, because they are gluten-based. You can also build your own pizza from a huge list of ingredients, so you're sure to find something you like. So if you're vegan or gluten-free or you just want to try something different, I highly recommend Vegan Pizza Pi.

Introducing the New Ocean Avenue Collection from Warby Parker

2013-06-04T08:13:00.001-07:00

Warby Parker contacted me and asked if I would like to help them introduce their newest collection of eyewear, just in time for Summer, and I said that I would love to help. For those of you who aren't familiar with Warby Parker, let me tell you a little bit about them. They sell stylish sunglasses and eyeglasses online starting at $95 a pair, with free shipping and free returns. But the thing that really sets them apart from other online glasses sites is that for every pair of glasses you buy, they'll give a pair of glasses to someone who needs them. It's a really great program that makes a big difference. And if you have ever gone without your glasses, you know how much better you feel when you wear them.

I have never personally ordered glasses from Warby Parker, because they don't sell bifocals, but I have heard good things about them from my friends. Another cool thing about Warby Parker is that they have a Home Try-On program, so you can pick 5 pairs for them to send you and then try them on and figure out what you like best for five days. It's a lot better than the Virtual Try-On features that many glasses websites have, because you'll never know exactly what your glasses will look like on your face until you actually put them on your face.

Now that you know a little bit about Warby Parker, allow me to introduce their new collection, Ocean Avenue. This collection is inspired by New York City in the 1970s and 1980s, and they're perfect for long days spent on the boardwalk in the summer sun (if you're lucky enough to live near a boardwalk).

If I didn't need to wear bifocals, I would order one of these frames.

So if you're looking for some new glasses or shades, check out Warby Parker's new Ocean Avenue collection. If you buy a pair, you'll not only get a stylish new addition to your look, but you'll give a pair to someone in need. Plus you can try them on before you buy them, which is pretty cool.

Happening Lately

2013-06-03T17:21:00.003-07:00

I had a movie night on Friday with my friend who I hadn't been able to hang out with for over a year. It was tons of fun. We stopped and got gluten-free pizza and gluten-free pita bread with spinach artichoke dip. The pita bread tasted better without the dip. I would eat it all by itself. The dip was waaaaay too garlicy. We watched a super old movie called Clan of the Cave Bear and also Whip It. Then I stayed the night at her house and we went to Goodwill in the morning. I found a great floral print fedora and the orange Converse (although not actually Converse brand but they look like them) that I have been searching thrift stores for for three years! Score :) Also on Friday my hula hoop arrived in the mail. I bought weighted hula hoop on eBay and it came in segments that I had to connect to put it together. Putting it together was a workout all in itself! I hula hooped outside while reading my book on Saturday.

my newest hat

Then on Sunday I went to see The Hangover 3, complete with snuck in snacks. The snacks cost $5 at Safeway and would have cost $20 or more at the theater. The Hangover 3 was hilarious. I loved it and laughed almost the whole time. If you liked the first two, you will like it. Ignore the negative reviews. And if you see it, make sure that you stay for the extra part after the end credits start to roll. It's hilarious and you do not want to miss it. Trust me. After the movie I went to Joann Fabrics and finally completed my Buttonquest. I don't think I shared, but I got a custom Etsy order for three button necklaces with different colored buttons. (my first custom Etsy order!!!) I could only find a black button online, but had no luck finding a green one or a purple one. I tried three or four stores unsuccessfully, then finally found them at Joann Fabrics, which was a huge relief. I have almost completed all three necklaces now. I just have to wait for the charms I ordered to arrive in the mail. Then I went and bought a plastic laundry hamper because I have a fabric one from when I first started college and it's beginning to fall apart.

the two completed custom necklaces

So I've been pretty busy enjoying life and the lovely summery weather. I hope your weekends were wonderful too.

Friday Fashion: Star Wars Cosplay for Lazy People

2013-05-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

I love Star Wars. I'm pretty sure you realize that by now. Do you love Star Wars? Do you want to dress like your favorite characters but lack the time, energy, or money to do so? I have a solution. All of these items can work separately or together for a lazy yet awesome cosplay.

Darth Vader is probably the easiest guy to dress like. Here are a few of my favorite Darth Vader items. (and yes, I am a Jedi, but that doesn't mean you are, and I am totally cool with it if you want to dress like Darth Vader or any other Sith)

This is a hoodie that you can zip all the way up past your face. Click the picture to see what I mean.

This apron is perfect for those people who enjoy their barbecues with a side order of cosplay.

You probably shouldn't wear this shirt if you're a female, or you can't tell guys "My eyes are up here!"

There are some pretty cool options for R2-D2. These are my favorites.

This one zips up past your face too, but it looks kind of weird if you do that.

This is a really fun option for ladies. And it's handmade!

And then there's Chewbacca.

This would be a super cool winter coat.

And if you want to dress like a stormtrooper but don't want to wear the traditional stormtrooper suit, try this hoodie on for size.

I'm not affiliated with any of these sites and will not earn any money if you purchase the products I shared. I just think these items are pretty cool and I wanted to share them.

Strength

2013-05-29T18:22:00.001-07:00

via Flickr

"Little girls are not weak; they are very strong." - All the Days Before Tomorrow

I am watching this movie on Netflix right now, so I'm not sure yet if it's good, bad, or in-between, but this quote resounded with me. This guy says, "Do you think I'm weak? I'm a girl, right? A little girl... ", and the other guy wisely replies that little girls are strong. I think that it is very important to let girls know that it's okay to be strong. So many girls are taught that they can only be princesses, and not that they can be superheroes.

Around the Neighborhood: Wallingford Street Art

2013-05-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

Here's some pretty cool street art that I walk past after work if I walk to Wish. I think it's pretty cool, so I wanted to share it. I love how happy the house is to play with his airplane. Adorable.

Friday Fashion: An Outfit for Adventures

2013-05-24T20:38:00.001-07:00

Ella from Moth de Lune sent me some cool stuff, including the feathers I made the earrings in the photo up there with. (She's super cool and she has a great giveaway going on right now. Go follow her blog already!) Sadly I had a earring casualty and I lost one of the owl charms off the bottom of one of the earrings I was wearing. I have other owl charms but I don't think feathers are very charm-friendly. Charms are too heavy for feathers. Lesson learned.

I wore this outfit for my park, pizza, Street Fair adventure last Saturday, and it was a fun adventure.

This outfit is completely free/thrifted aside from the belt (Forever 21), and the necklaces, which I made. Boots from Goodwill, jeans from Crossroads Trading Company, shirt and blazer from Assistance League Thrift Store, and hat from Amazon.

Patience is a Virtue

2013-05-23T14:52:00.003-07:00

And it's a virtue that I don't have. I thought that by now I must be all better. I must be over all of the damage and fatigue from my celiac disease. After all, I've gained back all of the weight I lost and I have gotten my strength back. So when my boss asked me if I could work a full day yesterday, I said sure. And then I did. And then I came home, took a shower, ate dinner, and went to bed. I was exhausted. I'm still so tired today that after lunch I'm going to take a nap. And I want to have all of my energy back. I don't want to wait to be able to work full days, because, big news, I might be going back to college in the Fall. And if I do, I am going to need extra money because I will only be able to work part-time, and my rent is increasing. (It turns out that I still get to keep my scholarship and I have enough money left of it for 9 more quarters.) So I am scrambling to try to figure out college stuff, my Etsy shop has really been taking off, and work has gotten swamped with orders. I want to be able to do it all, but I know from experience that when I spread myself too thin, I get sick because my body makes me take it easy if my brain doesn't allow me to. So I am trying to learn to say no. No I can't work full days yet. No I can't work this weekend when I've already worked 5 days this week. I need my weekend to try to get the energy I'll need to do a good job at work the next week. No I don't need to constantly work on my Etsy stuff. I'm making enough money now that it can go on the back burner without worrying about how I'll pay my rent each month.

And at the risk of sounding cheesy, I need to start saying yes to myself. I feel a need to constantly be doing something productive, which leads to eating while blogging, while making jewelry, and wearing myself out. Sometimes it's okay to just watch a movie, without having to do something else at the same time.

So if I don't blog quite as often, I'm probably not dead. I'm probably just trying to give myself a bit of a break.

Let's all Go to the Street Fair!

2013-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went to the University District Street Fair with my friend Kelsey. It was super duper fun. This is either the third or fourth year I've gone to it. I've gone every year since I first got to Seattle. This was the first year that I had money to spend on things. Kelsey and went to the park to swing on the swings and to a pizza place before the street fair. I'll tell you about the pizza place in a different post. After we got pizza we went to the street fair and one of the first booths we saw was the henna tattoo booth. I have wanted to get a henna tattoo at the street fair every single year, but didn't have money for it until this year, so I finally got one! And I love it!

This photo is from the day I got it, when the paste was dried on.

This was from the next day when the paste was removed.

The lady took only a minute to do my henna tattoo. I asked her how long she's been doing them and she said 13 years. She does them free-hand, without using a stencil. It was only $12 and I had expected it to be around $20, so I was pleased.

Next to the henna tattoo booth was a booth selling monsters and I instantly fell in love with one of them. I have some seriously awesome stuffed animals, including a Sonic the Hedgehog and a Yoshi, but they are all really small and not great for cuddling. This monster was big and soft and adorable and only $10, so I bought it immediately. Also, it was the only one made out of this super soft material, so it was basically fate.

There's a monster in my closet and I couldn't be happier :)

As you may have noticed, my bed is in my closet. That's just what happens when I have very little space and a closet big enough to fit a bed in. It's called maximizing space.

My third and final purchase of the day was at a booth with an overwhelming amount of bead strands and cool rocks. I nearly bought a strand of quartz points but then I saw a box of big colorful smooth stones for $2 each, so I bought five of them.

Future awesome pendants (I'll edit this picture later so you can see the great colors but right now I'm just trying to post this stuff before I go to bed.)

Aside from that, there were a whole lot of amazing creative people including sculptors, jewelers, and artists. And there was this. I had to have my picture taken and Kelsey was less than into it but she was the Han Solo to my Chewbacca because that's what friends do.

I couldn't fit my face in properly because of my big hat.

And I also got business cards from all of the coolest booths, because their stuff was unique and wonderful and I have to share it on my blog sometime. You guys, people are really cool.

And next week I'm going to Northwest Folklife Festival for the first time ever! I'm excited because people hacky sack there and also because I'm hoping I'll be able to buy a hula hoop there. Also, there was this guy performing at the street fair who is the best hack sacker I have seen in my entire life. He can juggle two hacky sacks with one foot. I put some money in his tip jar and then talked to him for a little bit. Unfortunately he doesn't live around here or I would hacky sack with him sometime, in the hopes that some of his skills would rub off on me :) I asked him how long he's been hacky sacking and he said 13 years. I have been hacky sacking for 10 years, but there was that whole 9 months where I couldn't walk and then I had to relearn everything. But once the weather gets nice, I'll go hacky sack in the park when I get off work again. I'm out of practice.

Friday Fashion: Put a Blazer on It

2013-05-17T18:48:00.002-07:00

Sometimes you get an awesome blazer at the Assistance League Thrift Store. Sometimes you get blue jeans at the same place, because you have tons of awesome jeans but no actual blue jeans. Sometimes you wear these clothing items with a T-shirt that your parents bought you when they were in San Diego for your brother's graduation from Marine's boot camp. Sometimes you wear it with your favoritest hat ever, which you bought at Wish. Sometimes you photograph yourself in said outfit and then try to eat a flower and then you write a blog post. Sometimes you go back to the Assistance League Thrift Store and find another awesome blazer, this time in green, and also a $2 t-shirt and then you make new jewelry and photograph it and post it on Google+, and then Tom Riddle likes it and you're not sure how to feel about that. Sometimes you just feel like wearing a tee shirt and jeans and then you throw a blazer on over it and feel like it makes you look put-together/like a rockstar. Sometimes you only have to try on one pair of jeans and they fit perfectly (sometimes this only happens once in your entire life but when it does you feel like you won the lottery!). And sometimes those same jeans are like new and only cost $5. And sometimes I tell you to have a great weekend and then I go to the annual street fair and also to gluten-free pizza with my friend.

Nifty Thrifty Thursday

2013-05-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, this probably isn't going to become a weekly post series, because I don't thrift weekly. This is on top of my dresser right now (in real life right now there are more shells and feathers and rocks that I added yesterday).

When you make jewelry faster than you sell it, you have to have a place to put it. And if you make minimum wage, you might have to get creative. Everything on top of my dresser (aside from the jewelry, which I either made or bought) is something I made, thrifted, was gifted, or purchased inexpensively (aside from the copper colored jewelry holder in the center on the right side, which I bought on eBay). I made the picture frame jewelry holder from a Dollar Tree picture frame. I made the wine bottle jewelry holder from a sparkling cider bottle my mom gave me and some wire that I bought on sale at the art supply store. I made the two small blue clay dishes in art school in high school. I also made the box on top of the wooden jewelry box on the right in high school art class. I just hot glued together some cool tiles. (I'll show you it and the clay dishes in greater detail in another post later on.) The biggest wooden jewelry box, wooden mushroom, and little blue owl were all gifts. The little jewelry box on top of the smaller wooden jewelry box is one I've had since I was a little kid. All of the other dishes were thrifted, all for less than $5 each. My latest finds are the oval sectioned dish with the gold handles and a white saucer with a black bird track pattern. I'll dedicate an entire post at a later date to the cool patterned dishes I've thrifted, but not today. I also have some other thrifted teacups that live on my shelf. Some people might think this looks tacky or cluttered, but I love it (even moreso now that I have my shells, stones, and feathers). My decorating sense is definitely eclectic. (and soon there will be more proof when I share my ever-growing wall of art)

Bloggers Aren't Perfect Either

2013-05-15T10:17:00.001-07:00

Some bloggers post about all of the beautiful, happy, wonderful things in their lives. Their readers might get the impression that these bloggers have ideal, perfect lives. But I'm here to tell you that it's not true. So here is my list of things that I am terrible at.

finding places I've never been before

This is the only reason I would want a smart phone, for the GPS.
To give you an example, when I went to my gastric consult downtown a few weeks ago, I looked up the directions in advance because I know how bad I am with directions. I figured out exactly how to get there from my bus stop and wrote down detailed instructions for myself. The next day I got off my bus, followed my directions exactly, and ended up nowhere near the hospital. I ended up walking at least 20 more blocks than I had to, and finally found out (after asking five people for directions and looking at two maps, none of which were helpful) that I just had to walk about ten blocks uphill from where I got off the bus and it was right there.

using eyeliner

I can count the number of times I've worn eyeliner on one hand.
Sometimes I see a makeup tutorial for eyeliner and feel ambitious and try to replicate it, then mess it up horribly and have to remove it all. My eyeshadow comes off in the process and then I have to redo everything and give up on the eyeliner.

writing academically

I always think I'm doing a good job and then I end up with a 2.2 or something low like that.
Whether I start writing one month in advance or the night before, I end up with the same low grade.
This is one of the reasons that I stopped going to the University of Washington.

talking on the phone

before, during, and after a phone call, I feel super stressed
I tend to be extra awkward on the phone, even when I plan out what to say in advance.
I stumble over my words and interrupt myself.

baseball/softball

You might not know this, but I'm super competitive and also pretty good at most sports, but baseball and softball just do not work for me.
When we played them in P.E. in elementary school, they always had a rule that everyone got to bat until they hit. No striking out. I usually swung about 30 times before barely making contact and then got tagged out before I made it to first.

riding buses

Every time I have to ride a different bus or get off at a different stop, I get really nervous. I write down my whole route and walking directions the night before, but I usually end up getting on a bus going the opposite direction of where I should be going, or get off at a stop that is way too early and end up having to walk about 20 blocks extra.

sewing

I swear that sewing machines plot against me. If the sewing machine doesn't come unthreaded a bajillion times, then it gets all knotted around the bobbin, or my fabric gets sucked into it and then I have to take the whole machine apart to cut it out.

So there's a bit of proof that I am not perfect. What are some things that you are terrible at?

Nerdish Delight: Amazing Indie Games that Need Your Help

2013-05-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

The other day I was looking at posts in the Indie Games community on Google+. It's a really great community for indie gamers and indie game creators. I came across two games that I really want to play. They both have funding campaigns going on, one on Kickstarter and the other on Indiegogo. I really want these games to get enough funding so I can play them at some point, but unfortunately I can't back them myself. My hours at work are incredibly erratic, I'm looking at schools with web design programs, and I'm going through some lady problems that I won't go into (I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow). All of these things are using up my money. Plus rent, obviously. So I am doing what I can with what I have. And what I have is a blog, so I am blogging about these games.

The first game is called Pandora: Purge of Pride. The campaign has 17 days left and is nearly halfway to their funding goal. I would want to play this game for the art alone (but the gameplay is also incredible). Seriously, look how good it is!

In Pandora: Purge of Pride, you'll play a Victorian woman named Pandora (in the picture above). (High five for female protagonist!) She accidentally unleashed the Seven Deadly Sins on her mansion and she must recapture them all to stop them from spreading. When you capture Sins, you gain new powers related to the Sins. For example, capturing Sloth allows you to slow an object down. You can read more about the game on their Kickstarter page.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this game is the fact that is was created entirely by just four Interactive Media and Game Development Students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, who make up High Class Kitsch.

The second game is called 42 Light Years. This game only has 7 days left, and is a little over a quarter of their funding goal. It's another game that I would play for the art alone, but it also has great gameplay. (If you know me at all, you know that art is a huge deciding factor in the games I play.)

This game involves the manipulation of time as the main mechanism for solving puzzles. And as someone who loves Legend of Zelda games, that's a mechanism that I can really get behind. Unlike in The Legend of Zelda games, the hero is not the one traveling through time. Instead he can send different objects forward or backward in time in order to solve puzzles. In 42 Light Years, you play a hero called Quarante who wakes up on an unknown planet and can't remember why he's there. He has to survive and does this with help from a lifeform who gives him the Timeball, which allows him to do the aforementioned time manipulation. You can read more about this game on the Indiegogo page.

And again impressively, this game was created by a team of just 4 members. They are from Guatemala.

And if that isn't enough to convince you, these games both have really great perks for contributing funding. Even if you can't contribute, if you like indie games, you should really check these two out. These games are both very unique, and sound like they'll be shining examples of what an indie game can be.

Update: Everything is good with me health-wise and I have gotten more hours at work, so I backed Pandora: Purge of Pride. You should back it too! Please? I want to play it

Update 2: Pandora: Purge of Pride reached its funding goal (and exceeded it by over $1,000!). You can pre-order it here for $9.99. There is also a demo you can try at the same link.

It's Sort of About Time

2013-05-11T15:19:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I just wish that I could freeze time for a little bit so I could do all of the things that I want to get done. Times when my brain is thinking so many things at once that I can't properly focus on any them and most get lost forever unless I can write them down somewhere. Times when I am about to drift off to sleep and all of a sudden these ideas just fill my head to the brim and they all seem so great. I write down the ones I remember and sometimes they don't seem like such great ideas anymore when I review them the next morning, once I'm properly awake. Sometimes I wish I could watch a movie of everything that's going on in my subconscious, just beyond my awareness but still influencing my every decision. Sometimes I think too much.

Seattle Etsy Love

2013-05-10T16:15:00.003-07:00

Seattle Etsy Love by jaythejedi

The fact that I picked these items because I loved them all and then realized that they all have light grey backgrounds can probably tell you a lot about Seattle. The Seattle sky is usually close to this shade of light grey, but lately it's been nice and blue and sunny. I find myself drawn to crystal jewelry, flower headbands, and bright bags. These are all items made by Seattle Etsy sellers that I really like and wanted to share. Click the picture to see where you can buy the items. Enjoy your weekend. I hope it's full of lovely weather.

A Simple Flower Photomanipulation

2013-05-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

I saw this photo of a magnolia blossom on Witty Title Here and couldn't resist playing with it.

the original photo

my edited version

First I adjusted the Exposure. Then I added a new layer, filled it with 50% gray, set the Blend mode to Overlay, then used the Dodge and Burn tools on it to bring out the highlights and shadows. Finaly, I adjusted the Color Balance to give the photo a warmer tone.

New Glasses from Zenni Optical!

2013-05-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

I ordered these glasses from Zenni Optical and they arrived last Thursday, but I didn't get around to photographing them until today. My eyesight changed enough that I noticed that I wasn't seeing clearly three weeks ago, so I set up an eye doctor appointment. I thought it had been about a year since my last one, but it was almost two years! As I expected, my eyesight had changed quite a bit, so I got a new prescription and went online to browse for glasses. I wanted to try one of the sites with the free at-home try-on programs, but those glasses were still more expensive than what I wanted to pay, so I went to my usual website, Zenni Optical. I wrote about how great their site is before, in this post. Their glasses start from just $6.95 a pair (for both frames and lenses! without upgrades), so they fit any budget. I have ordered from them before. I got the green glasses in these photos there, as well as some brown ones that I don't think I ever posted pictures of. My new ones cost more than the previous pairs, but were still affordable at just under $95. I got these glasses. I got them as no-line bifocals, with oleophobic lens coating (meaning that they're oil-resistant and therefore I don't have to clean them a million times a day), and with the tint that makes them turn into sunglasses when I'm out in the sun, which is great because my eyes have been pretty light-sensitive. They get a light purple tint, which is pretty cool. I am still getting used to the no-line bifocals. It's pretty interesting. The bifocals I had before had a line, so if I looked through that spot in my glasses, I just saw the line. But these ones don't have a line, so if I look through the spot where the prescriptions change, it seems really blurry and feel a little bit nauseous. I'm starting to figure out where that spot is so I don't look through it though. Overall I really like these glasses. They got the prescriptions correct, just as I entered them in my order. They are quality glasses with durable plastic frames and pretty thick lenses.

Zenni Optical sent my new glasses in a hard case, along with the prettiest cleaning cloth ever!

Blog and Shop of the Month: Moth de Lune and Rescued Threads

2013-05-07T18:06:00.003-07:00

This month's choice was an easy one. This shop and this blog were my choices as soon as I discovered them. My shop of the month is Rescued Threads. They take old clothing and fabric and give it new life in the form of really great clothing, art, and jewelry. Their shop also supports some really great organizations, including Doctors without Borders and Habitat for Humanity. If I had to choose my favorite item from their shop, I wouldn't be able to choose between this headband and this artwork.

You can find all of these great items and much more in the Rescued Thread shop on Etsy.

I found Moth de Lune through Rachael's blog and I instantly loved it. Ella is so nice and down-to-earth and she always shares the coolest stuff, like this Break-Your-Own-Geode from Etsy, which I just had to purchase for myself. I bought one, but I haven't opened it yet. I'll share the results when I do. I'm hoping to get some nice chunks to wire wrap and make into cool jewelry for my shop. Ella likes to write about stuff like crystals, stuff she made, fashion, and her hobbies (which include going to old graveyards!).

Click Ella's shoes to go see the rest of her awesome blog.

Friday Fashion: My Summer Fashion Wishlist

2013-05-03T20:51:00.001-07:00

Summer Fashion Wishlist by jaythejedi

I have a long wishlist, but these are a few of the items that I wouldn't mind showing up in my closet. I want a flower crown so badly! It would be great to wear with a colorful lace dress. I like them paired with bright flats in contrasting colors. I like these flats because they're my favorite color and my current brightly colored flats are super close to dead (but I still wear them anyway). I'm always a fan of cute floral printed blouses, and this is one of my favorites. Foxes are one of my current obsessions and I don't have any fox stuff at all! This ring would be a great to remedy this problem. Hats have always been an obsession of mine and this hat would be perfect for exploring and going on adventures! I also really want a satchel. This one has lots of color and personality, and it's big enough to hold the essentials, including my wallet, book, and camera. I love the bright summery colors on this striped top and I love horizontal stripes, well any stripes actually. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal; I'm not picky. And this skirt! I would wear it with so many things! It's twirly and asymmetrical and amazing and I adore it.

So if I had everything I wanted in my wardrobe, it would definitely contain all of these things, plus a lot more.

Old Cemeteries

2013-05-01T13:47:00.001-07:00

I love old cemeteries. There's a pioneer cemetery near my hometown that my mom and I used to visit. It's kind of sad though, like everyone just forgot about all of the people who were buried there. Some of the headstones are so eroded by time that you can't even tell there were ever words on them. I just feel like it's important to remember the people who are gone, even if I never actually knew them, or even had a chance to know them, since they died long before my grandparents were even born.

The oldest graves are behind this rusty wrought iron fence.

Lots of the headstones have poems engraved in them.

This is the tallest monument in the cemetery.

another poem and some lichen

The children's headstones are especially sad. This little girl was only 3 months old when she died.

This little girl wasn't quite 2 years old when she died.

I think this is the most recent headstone in the cemetery. They don't bury anyone there anymore.

This was a really big and elaborately carved headstone. Apparently the family was wealthy.

Thankfully this cemetery doesn't have any weeping angels in it. Another reason I like old cemeteries is that there usually aren't any other people there. It's quiet and peaceful.