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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Be a Hero

Tis the giving season of course. Every year from October to January, the airwaves are full of commercials reminding us to get the perfect gift for friends or family or face the consequences of sour faces and attitudes. Then on the other side, we know we should give because it's morally good. Not for selfish reasons, though if we dig deep down psychologically, we know it is narcissistic to give. You want to feel good about yourself, but anyway, whatever your reasons, it's good to help where you can. Whether it be as simple as hanging a few new hats and gloves from a donation tree, donating last years sweaters and pants to Good Will, or even participating in Sears Heroes at Home online programme. Where you can help out military husbands and wives to make the holiday season easier and happy.


Christmas may be over, but it's not too late to donate to the Heroes at Home Wish Registry. It's very easy too, visit the website and you'll see several families with personal stories and wishlists. You can donate money directly to the families, or do a general donation that will be spread equally among all the families. These donations may not be tax deductible, but does it matter if you're able to bring a smile to a spouse or child of a parent in the military?

It's never too late to give, especially in this bad economic state when many people need help.

Young Skin

My mother's been trying a bunch of different products to fight ageing on her face. Just like the rest of America, women are so obsessed with keeping their youth that they try to put off any wrinkles for as long as possible. While my mother will probably never get anything as extreme as plastic surgery, or even botox, she will try different creams and hope that they work.

My mom really doesn't her age though, naturally she looks younger than she is, but there are some wrinkles starting to crop up. She's been trying Dermalastyl for the past week or so, and I have noticed some results. It's slight, but it has only been a week. Dermalastyl replaces the skin's natural loss of elastin with the synthetic Elastatropin, and promises really noticeable results in 2 months. We'll have to see how my mother likes it down the line.

I think the big problem with creams vs. surgery/botox, is that people want instant results. You just can't expect a cream to give you instantly smooth, youthful, skin in a day, you need to give it time for the ingredients to really activate in your epidermis. But Botox gives you that insta-fix, but it's not permanent. Nor are the results from most cream applications, but since Dermalastyl works on actually rebuilding the skin cells, it's more permanent. Dermalastyl uses Infusion Therapy to promote faster penetration of the Elastatropin protein by eliminating inert skin cells and activating the remaining cells and loosening the bonds between them.



Like I said, it's only been a week and my mother doesn't have that many wrinkles, but hopefully Dermalastyl will work for her and make her happy. We'll have to see how my mom looks in a few months to make a real determination if this is the miracle cream she hopes it is.

Ooooo Canon!

I didn't realize this because I've been out of the state for so long, but apparently our old Epson printer was on its last legs. My father has been shopping around for multifunction printers and finally decided on the Canon MP260. We picked one up from Best Buy today, because it had the lowest price of $109.

I think the main selling point for my dad is that it's wireless. After some fiddling around today on both of our laptop, we were able to get it to work perfectly. This makes me quite excited, since now I can just print from anywhere! It's also got some pretty cool scanner/copier features. Pretty nice early family holiday present I'd say.

Traveling Uninsured?

So I can't help but wonder, what with how expensive it is to just travel these days, who gets travel medical insurance? I mean, I suppose it's very useful if you're planning on a month-long trip, but for the casual tourist, that seems like quite an unnecessary expense.

Maybe I'm being shortsighted with this, but I don't think I can imagine any trip I'll take where I need extra insurance. Well, let me rephrase that. I can only hope I'll get to take a trip where I should buy extra insurance, because then I know I'm in for a fabulous vacation.

Tomorrow, So Much Food

Oh man, Thanksgiving is tomorrow already?! I can't believe it. The years go by quickly and we'll have the house full of people again for our annual hosting duties.We feed everyone quite generously, with tomorrow featuring a 22lb turkey, ham and even venison sausage (that's new). We're not alone in our gluttonous givings, of that I'm sure. I'm also sure that after tomorrow's feast, people around the nation will be considering that new diet pill, hiding their scale, and locking their fridge for a day.

Oh yes, I'm looking forward to the two Thanksgivings I'll be attending. And hoping that all that food does slow me down for black friday. The first I've gone to in about 8 years.

A Nice Vacation is Appropriate Now

I do feel bad, I haven't been able to devote myself to VisArts as much as possible this quarter. It's just been too busy with art history and trying to finish work very nicely. A vacation is so needed right now. Not a vacation where I go to some hotels las vegas, or travel down to Florida or something, just a vacation where I can sit alone and play video games and colour comics.

Yeah, that'd be nice. Then I can finally devote enough time to finishing VisArts stuff, and making it work.

Going Home

So I know I've been very...distant...from this blog lately. That's primarily because this entire quarter has been chockfull of work. And I'm trying my hardest to do my best since this is my last year, last shot to learn all I can. In about 2 weeks, I'll be home again. Home to my cold state, cold room, and warm heater. I may not have a tankless water heater, but a ceramic works well enough in my little den.

This should be an excellent break, all things considered, because I'll have a Xbox and t.v. My room will be a lovely womb of games and comics.