The Art of Being Campus Ready

Now that I'm no longer a struggling college student, I can really focus on making money. It's been tough for me to rationalize a full-time job while going to school, since I've been fortunate to have parents who could afford to send me to school without any loans. But now, now the real fun starts. In college, I wanted to spend all my time focusing on learning and evolving my artistic abilities so I'd have a solid foundation after school, I think I've done the best I could.

The only time I really went on a shopping spree for school items, was the first quarter at SCAD. After that, there was no mad dash to Target or Wal-Mart to get last minute items, since I was able to reuse everything from the earlier year. However, if I had an apartment, and not a dorm, to live in, I think it would have been very useful to have some sort of easy card my parents could load money onto that I could spend on apartment items. Not necessarily a credit card, and not putting money into my checking account, but a specific card to be used only for living items. Sears has a neat little gift card system they offer for their Sears CampusReady programme, where the parent and student both have a copy of the card and the parent can add on money whenever they want, in store or online. The card can also be used at Kmart, so that makes it easier when a student needs groceries, or other things Sears just doesn't carry.

It's a good system, I think. Sears has a whole tool to help get the necessities for incoming freshmen with their Campus Ready programme. There's even CampusReady on Facebook, so students can easily access it while doing the usual Facebook daily check.

It's actually pretty cool, for those who are so into designing their own dorm room or want to coordinate with their roommate(s). To me...it's a little overboard, but I'm a simple person who plans on using what she bought for her dorm room for a loooonnnngg time after. Except for those stupid sheets, that only fit on the college issued extra-long-twin and no other bed. But, those shall be saved for the next generation of college bound. And hopefully Sears will still have a good programme like this to help us out and budget.

More Brickfish Competitions!

Yep, another Brickfish entry. This time, with a brand spanking new, drawn solely for this competition piece! Please help me out by voting, it's free and simple and you can do it multiple times a day. Thanks everyone!

4 Elements Brickfish

Story of My Life Brickfish

Vote for me, please!

Story of My Life Brickfish

Bring on the Green!

Well, with St. Patrick's Day just a few days away, Savannah has been in full force with Irish themes, green everything, and tons of college kids and tourists lining the streets. I'm not a big fan of getting drunk and wandering the very crowded streets with other obnoxious drunkards, so I stay away from downtown that day. Call me antitsocial if you must, but that's really not my scene.

What is kind of cool is how the city dyes all of the water in public fountains green. Like this:


This occurs mostly in the squares and Forsythe park, but I thought they dyed the river green too. It is pretty neat, but I can't imagine how well, gross it might look for green water to come out of wall fountains shaped like fish or children or something. I also don't know what they use other then food dye, but it's completely out of the system a day or two after the celebration. It also doesn't stain the statues or fountains, which is quite nice.

Yeah, I like to avoid the drunks, but there is a certain charm in green fountains.

A Little TV Twisty

Oh, I love my little t.v. I do indeed. It's a Samsung LCD, 23" widescreen. Perfect for a dorm room, since the place isn't very big. My roommate and I get along quite well, and I don't see how we could function properly without a t.v. here. My only complaint, is that I have to turn the t.v. constantly if she wants to watch it, since I have to have it on a table closer to me.

It comes with holes on the back of the case, ready for a LCD mount, but there's no way to mount it on the wall of the room without massively damaging it. Or, worse yet, having to incur repair fees. I kind of wonder anyway how useful mounting the t.v. is. I'm sure if you're in a small room and need to conserve space, putting it on the wall makes sense. Also, if you need to have it at a certain height. But most of us would probably rather have the freedom to move the t.v. easily, and access all of the connections on the back without any trouble.

I'll probably never mount a t.v. on the wall, it seems so impractical. Turning it works just as well.

Watch the Watch

A few years ago, for an anniversary gift, I recall spending a bit of time looking at Nixon watches online with J, working to pick out the right one for him. He's not a big watch fan, and will often forget to wear one, but I wanted to get him something special. Something that he'd like wearing and hopefully would remember to do so often.

I'm the complete opposite. I wear a watch (digital, always digital) almost 24/7. Have since elementary school. I feel horribly naked without one, and pretty anxious too. I suppose it's a bit of an obsessive thing for me, though I don't care about buying a nice expensive watch. I'm fine with a $12-24 one, generally styled for men and waterproof, then a $60 gold analogue piece that looks more like a bracelet.

I've worn a watch so long now, that I've got permanent watch-tan and a bit of a skin discolouration. I think it's also affected the way my bones developed on my left arm. It's weird, probably gross to other people, but man, I need my watch. I suppose one day I should look into getting something like Nixon though, something nice to last a long time.

Only if it's digital, no analogue here!

Still holding off on the good stuff

We actually didn't visit Circuit City this weekend. Shocking, right? Even though sales are supposed to finally end this month, J and I are still contemplating going and seeing how much better the discounts can be.

I'm guessing stuff like video games are going to be completely out by next weekend, and DVDs are probably dwindling, but we're still going to look at things like printers and perhaps computer speakers. I'm realising that we need a good working printer, since his decided to crap out and not work with Windows Vista and mine is 400 miles away and low on ink. A nice wireless printer, like what I've got at home, would be amazing if we could get it for 50% (or more) off.

I'm still wondering what Circuit City is going to do with the surplus that's left over after everything is closed. Especially the furniture. I see signs everywhere letting customers know all the displays and furniture are for sale, but what casual consumer will walk in and decide to buy a checkout table?

I realized that if Circuit City hadn't gone out of business, I probably would have saved a bit of money this quarter. Oh well, chances like this are fleeting, so have at it while you can I suppose.

38 and feeling great!

I've just finished page 38 of my 40 page artbook for senior project and I'm feeling pretty good about that. That means I'm a bit ahead of schedule, and plan on finishing with over 40 pages when all is said and done.

Good, now I can relax a bit and work on other homework.

2 more weeks before the quarter ends and I'm pretty much ready for Spring break. God, I need a good rest.

Warm, Goosey Glow

One thing I really hate about this dumb dorm rooms is the lighting. It's just awful. 4 long fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling, covered by plastic, that give the room a bright white sanatorium feeling when turned on. That's why I bought a gooseneck standing lamp, and it's been my faithful giver of light for 3 years now.

The only time the overhead lights are turned on in my room is when we're just stopping in for something quick, or the lamp is packed away. That's it. This year I don't think we've had the lights on for more then 10 minutes at a time. Even when I'm drawing, the gooseneck lamp is good enough.

Really, good lighting is needed to make a dorm room feel inviting and lived in, not stark and ugly. It also cuts down on my migraines, I've noticed. I'll have a rule against fluorescent tube lighting in my house. Henceforth, it shall be forbidden.

Certify This!

All my life I've known I wanted to be an artist. I've never had any doubt that it is my passion and dream to be able to illustrate for my career. Whether it's comic books, spot illustrations, or creative graphic design pieces, I'm there. That's my world. I've never been interested in math or science, as I find those to be dull subjects that I would just muck though in college. They're not creative or interesting to me in the least, but I understand that's a personal preference. I know how important math and science jobs are, and I respect those that choose to live their lives doing that. I also know that these people will make far more money then I can ever hope to doodling away, and for that, I am jealous.

Though I will say that I far more enjoy learning in the environment that I'm in, with small classes and getting to draw comics. It's a much better alternative to 300 students in a giant lecture hall, clacking away at their laptops while the professor drones on about calculus or whatnot. As well as the fact that you can continue to get degrees while working, which isn't something you can really do in a illustration field. I suppose you could also get a certificate online, in a programme like what Saint Joseph's University offers. They let you get your
CAPM certificate for project management.

I've got to admit, I was a little confused as to what project management actually means, since it sounds like such a generic umbrella term. It also seems like a certificate that only pads your resume more, though I suppose it could also help greatly with leading teams. As a complete outsider, I found SJU's website to be easy to navigate and understand what Project Management actually means. It's really a continuation certificate for those already in an office environment who want to learn leadership skills. Which is important for any job, not just math and science related ones.

Though this is a world I'll hopefully never know, I wonder how important a certificate in project management is to getting a promotion and larger paycheck. If any of you guys have one, please, let me know how it's helped you in your field. I'm genuinely curious.

It's a 24 week course, and while I have no problems with leading or time management, I know plenty of kids at college who could probably benefit from such a thing. Even though this is art school. The career choices page, which details types of occupations and median wages is pretty interesting to look over. If nothing else, to find out how much a laboratory manager or teaching assistant makes annually.

It's nice to have programmes like this one, designed for people who need a little extra push to excel at work. Though I would never, ever, go back and choose a different school or major, looking at what people could earn with CAPM certificates makes me a tad jealous.

Oh well, I'll just get back to my painting.

2 more weeks

Only 2 more weeks till the end of the quarter! I’m both excited and afraid of what this end of the quarter will bring. Hopefully, good things. All around. Right now I’m working on my last project for comics painting, a mixed media 4 page piece based on the Edgar Allen Poe poem, The Conqueror Worm. Should be quite fun.

I’ve also got about 32 pages done from my artbook. I’m pretty happy with it so far, it’s something I’ve wanted to do and I’m fairly content with the results. Hopefully, my professor will see that I’ve been working quite hard and grade me based on that. It’s all I can hope for at this point.

Never been to the OBX

I live in Maryland, but I've yet to really spend time on the Outer Banks (or OBX, as bumper stickers would indicate). I don't know why, I've just never really been out there for more then maybe a few hours. There's never been any family out there, I don't really go boating, and we don't do any Outer Banks rentals of property, so what's the point?

I've become less and less of a fan of beaches over the years. It's not so much that I don't like going in the ocean, I used to love swimming, is that I don't particularly care for the sun or tourists. Quiet beaches can be so serene and calming, but I don't think I'd really get that if I were to go to the Outer Banks for a summer holiday. I'm quite happy staying inside, by DC, and enjoying my quiet, homely, comfort.

CC deep discounts= good times

Ohhh the buying of things at Circuit City continues....

Their liquidation sale has finally granted our patience. J and I visited the local store every weekend since the announcement, biding out time till the discounts were great enough. I don't understand the stupid people who bought so much stuff the first weekend, it was only 10-20% off! Of original retail price! That's more expensive then you can find it on Amazon or Best Buy. Stupid people.

We waited until games and DVDs were 40-50% off, and it was worth it. I've gotten The Simpsons seasons 7 and 8 as well as the movie and Memento. I also got a pack of 50 Double Layer DVD+Rs for $30. Pretty nice.

One more visit, in the hopes of just one more big discount (if the sale is even on, I know they're supposed to end it all in March) and we'll be done.

We are soooooo geeky. But frugal, which is good.

Quiet Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was pretty quiet this year. We didn't do too much, other then go out to a nice restaurant and have delicious Thai food followed by wonderful ice cream. We didn't get each other gifts or anything, so no sexy chemises for me or anything baked for J.

I suppose it's a bit boring, but we're a boring couple. I prefer to have a boyfriend who doesn't like going out to parties, but prefers to stay in and watch a movie while eating take out. Ahhhh romance.

Try Again

Okay, I've been lazy enough these past several weeks. Along with schookwork, I'm going to try out Yourself Fitness, a game that's as close to Wii Fit that I can find for the Xbox. I'll never try diet pills, shakes, or powders, but I can try video games.

The worst that happens is that it won't do anything and I'll have a game collecting dust. The best is that it'll really work and I'll loose weight.

30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. That's my goal. Let's see how this goes.

Busy Busy Bee

I am such a busy bee right now. Senior project is a real bear of work for me. 40 pages in 10 weeks, whew! I must be crazy. Oh well, it should all be worth it in the end.

Now, back to drawing flying cats!

I'll post at the end of this week with a few of the pages.

Moving On

Okay, honestly, the prospect of moving out is kind of daunting. Not knowing what the future holds for me, it's hard to gauge what I'll need and when I should buy it. I know I won't have much money, so I'll have to get some discount furniture, from Craigslist or something. Or I'll get lucky and be able to buy the college-graduate staple, Ikea. Hopefully I won't have to worry too much though. If J happens to get a great job at a game company not too far from our parents' houses, we'll be able to easily move, without worry of shipping and packing.

Class Act, All the Way

J doesn't have a roommate this quarter. Quite nice, I'd say. I'm sure he'd agree too. He was assigned a roommate, but we gave the guy until Tuesday to show up, or contact him in some way, before we decided to rearrange the room. Guess who never showed. Yep!

So, we changed the room around a bit. Turned it into a very acceptable single dorm room. Brought in a nice lamp to give the place a warmer glow and not have to use those awful florescent lights the rooms all come equipped with. We should probably class the joint up a bit, add some chandeliers, some fancy furniture, play some Mozart in the background all the time, you know really make the place feel expensive. Yeah, that's what we should do. So we can end our time in college on a fancy note.

Simpsons Obsession

Since last summer, I've been on such a huge Simpsons kick. Watching the DVDs I've bought over and over, at least 5 times since November. Which is crazy. Those $15 DVD sets have paid for themselves quite well. I guess my renewed love with the series is because...well, I don't get to watch them everyday with dinner anymore. And I never realized how much I missed out on the fantastic extras and commentaries. Ohohoho, I'm quite obsessed.

I've always loved the show, and have seen every episode ever aired on Fox (didn't get HBO when they were the shorts on Tracey Ullman). I had two toys, a Marge and Homer rubber set where you could move their limbs, to a degree. I lost the toys when we moved, and I've never forgiven myself. Hopefully one day I can find, or replace, them. Making me feel whole again.

Senior Project

Okay, so what I'm doing for my senior sequential project is a 40pg artbook featuring concept illustrations and a 5pg comic all related to two of my favourite subjects, robots and animals. I'm planning on doing everything from character designs, environment speed paintings, even pinups with sexy lingerie and all.

I'm working on the idea right now for the comic, but I'm thinking about a touchingly violent story about a little robot boy and his pet bee. Beyond that, I couldn't tell you the plot as it would spoil the lovely result.

I'm really quite excited to start this book project. By the end of the course I want it to be ready for publishing, and get it published for my portfolio over spring break. If all goes well, I'll also offer it for sale. Yes, I've got big plans this quarter. BIG plans.

Traveling Along

Man, packing for this quarter was hard. Aside from the usual stuff I needed to bring, I ended up spending quite a bit of time looking for stuff to fill the boxes I had. Not that, in my infinite wisdom, I thought at all about taking the extra paint or illustration board that I actually need. That's a whole other gripe though.

I should be pretty happy though, that I'm able to take more than just what will fit in a single Delsey luggage wheel bag. I can take a lot of stuff home and back to school. I'm glad I didn't decide to go to school on the west coast for this reason, it would just be a big pain in the end.

Wintery Business

Man, I'm busy this term. I've got a 40page artbook to create, and hopefully publish by spring break. Several comics that will be fully painted (WHOOO!!!), a few graphic design thangys of much note, and probably more stuff then I'm remembering right now.

In the meantime, I have gotten my portfolio site up, I'm very excited about this. As you see, there is another blog there, of the same name as this one. That's because I plan on phasing out this old blogspot location for Glitch Gallery. It'll take several months, I'm guessing 6 is a good estimate, because I really need to get back into this blogging thing.

I think I'll try to keep up with the process of the artbook, since 40 pages is a lot of work, but should be good fun when I'm done. It'll be a good learning experience. I'll post links from here to the blog, so you all won't feel too left out.

Anyhoo, on with winter term, 2009!