Duuude, don't drink and drive!!

A quick video assignment from my cinematography class. :) Good fun!

Happy Valentine's Day

I know people say that Valentine's Day is completely commercialized and lame and I agree to some level, but I've been longing for a good Valentine's Day for a long time. Today is a good day :D I got an ADORABLE little stuffed critter from Mike (We can't decide if it's a giraffe or a cow xD)

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and we are going to go eat ice cream and watch "The Vow" later. :) I know it's cheesy, but I seriously can't wait. It's nice to have a special day! I am a happy camper. <3 Happy Valentine's Day!

- Elle-Belle

Animal Photo Shoot

Killer Jane <3

How can you not LOVE that face?

When I saw this, I almost wet my pants. xD What a ham 

This is Yoda. He is a handsome Mr. Critter. :)

Peanut. This is the look I attempt to resist EVERY DAY and fail every time.

January Favorites!

I know I am about a week late with this. I wanted to start making a list of my favorite things I come across at the end of each month; anything from food to art supplies! A lot of people vlog about it instead of blog their monthly favorite things, but I'm a wee bit camera shy, so I'd prefer to do it this way instead. :)

 DRINKS 

Grove Square Hot Cocoa for Keurig

A cup of this hot cocoa and a banana has been my breakfast for the past while! The KEURIG machine is great...it requires only water and one of these little cups and the best part is: NO MESS! The water heats up quickly with the press of a button. When it's heated up, a little light will blink next to a button with a cup on it. Press this, and your cup will be ready as soon as it's finished pouring! I add a little milk and voila. Love it! Not sure how many calories are in a little pack, but since all I generally drink is water, I am not too terribly worried about it.

Mega Monster Energy

Now I really don't drink energy drinks as often because they tend to make me shaky, but as a college student, there are some nights that you get little to no sleep and you need a little kick! Mike and I went to the Tool concert in about 3 hours from where we live in January and I decided to grab two of these at the gas station for the whole event, since we'd have to drive back home that night and go to class the next morning. o.O I made sure to eat enough food along with the drink, otherwise it would have made me very shaky. It got me through the whole drive to keep Mike awake and the second one kept me through the next day in school. 

I've had Red Bull before, but it doesn't make me feel good for some reason. ESPECIALLY when I haven't had enough to eat! Monster is the perfect dose of kick and I prefer the taste over Red Bull!

 BOOKS 

House of Night Series

The House of Night series is a vampire series targeted at a teen a female teen/young adult audience. When I say vampire, I am not talking Twilight sparkly vampire. The vampires in these books are really like no other vampires you've ever read about. They are much different and in my opinion more vampire-like than the Twilight vampires. 

They focus on a teenage girl who has been "marked" (chosen to be a vampire) and is sent to go to a vampYre finishing school (they spell "vampire" with a "y" instead). Here the girl encounters many struggles with this new lifestyle, but also the struggles of a teenager, relationships and feelings. I will not say any more, because I am the type of person who prefers to grab a book at random and begin to read without reading the description, because I don't want to read anything that may ruin the story.

The thing I really like about these books, is that they portray teenagers the way they actually are. The teenagers sound like typical everyday teenagers...they curse and discuss intimacy. (I would not recommend this to anyone who is offended by foul language or sexual references!)

Wreck This Journal with a few things I've done so far.

I ordered this book in a set along with two others off of Amazon as a late Christmas gift to myself (yeah I know xD) and I couldn't be more pleased! I haven't even done a whole lot yet, because I don't want to fill up the book so fast! I had posted an earlier entry about "Wreck This Box" which contains "Wreck This Journal", "Mess" and "This Is Not A Book", where you can read more about this "journal". It is perfect for any perfectionist who always feels the need to make everything perfect. (ME!) This book's instructions are to DESTROY. Well, if it's telling me to...I guess it's okay.... ;D

 ORGANIZING 

 

1" Staples Better Mini View Binder with Purple pencil storage. (Staples brand)  (To get better view of binder:  http://www.staples.com/1-Staples-Better-5-1-2-x-8-1-2-Mini-View/product_924440  )

 

Avery Slash Pocket® Insertable Tab Dividers from Staples 

I am an organizing FREAK and really want to get good quality and durable products that I am going to be using on a daily basis and need to keep my documents etc. nice. That particular binder is the best one I've EVER had. Because of the material, It won't get bent or beat up when bouncing around in my backpack and it will keep my documents nice but not be too heavy at the same time. The variety of colors makes it easy to color-coordinate.

The Slash Pockets are great for handouts that I receive in class, when I don't have a hole punch handy. It's also nice to be able to stash my artwork and other various things that I don't want to punch holes in! Each folder has pockets on both sides, so each subject can have two pockets to store in. They also come with plenty of labels to insert into the tabs, as opposed to writing on the tabs, so that you can re-use the Dividers for something else later.

The pouch is great for pens and other random little items that you'd like to keep in one place. There are several slots on the back side to store index cards...basically anything flat. The front has a netted pocket (I am using it for paper clips) and then an inner, bigger pocket with lining in the middle, which separates the bigger pocket into two parts, if that makes sense. (Very hard to describe without being able to show it! Sorry!)

 BEAUTY AND HYGIENE 

Japanese Cherry Blossom collection from Bath and Body Works

I got these for Christmas and MAN! It smells SO GOOD! I have been using them on a daily basis and I would highly recommend them! The mini spray and the mini body wash were part of a set with another mini lotion, which I keep in my backpack as a hand lotion. :)

Clearasil Rapid Action Pads

I got these at Target for about 8 bucks...sounds a little pricey, but I use these at least every other day and I bought this in AUGUST. The pads are sliver-thin and extremely effective! I am not very prone to acne, but every time I experience it a bit or feel that my skin is getting oily and bumpy, these pads get rid of it. I tried the Rapid Action Face Wash, but I really like the pads the best. However, it is important to use a face cream after using these, since they contain alcohol and really dry out your skin! (Warning: They're strong! Definitely avoid contact in eye area.) Also, these pads are perfect for taking hair dye off of skin. I have tried so many different methods, but these work the absolute best; I promise you!!

Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 4000 Electric Toothbrush

 I used an electric toothbrush when I was younger, but as I got older, I really hated using them. This one has four different brushing modes (Daily Clean, Sensitive, Whitening and DeepClean) that are specific to what you want to get out of brushing. The brush, as all others, will do the work for you and more. You can tell it what to do by pressing the arrow button. It came with two different brush heads: the FlossAction brush (right) and the ProWhite brush (left). The FlossAction brush gives me the feel that I've flossed when I'm done and the ProWhite brush really helps the whitening. Since I can no longer afford expensive WhiteStrips, I take a Q-Tip (I have recently found this out) and dunk it in Hydrogen Peroxide. I rub it over my teeth and leave it there for 30 seconds before I begin brushing. I do this once a day, so I tend to use the ProWhite brush in the morning and the FlossAction in the evening. It works really well and I am already seeing fabulous results! I am hoping to keep my goal of never getting a cavity!

 GADGETS 

Snark Instrument Tuner

  This little guy is great! It can be used for any instrument (here I am tuning a violin) and will clip onto it without slipping off. Very easy to use, GREAT design and very accurate! Highly recommended for any musician.

Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse

I actually got this for Mike for Christmas. I can see why he loves it so much. You keep in it's flat state when not in use to save the battery (turned off) and to switch it on you just curve it! There is a strong magnetic piece in the bottom of the mouse in one area to hold the Nano Transceiver piece that you plug into the computer, so it won't get lost. (And trust me, if it were to somehow come off in the bag, it would re-attach itself quickly...that's how strong the magnet is.) The technology allows it to work on any surface, be it carpet or a marble counter. You only need to flick your finger on the middle piece to scroll up and down. I am half tempted to buy one for myself! Comfortable and amazing technology!

 ART SUPPLIES 

Faber Castell Perfection Eraser 7056, Master's Touch Blending Stub (3/8)
and the KUM Elipse Pencil Sharpener

I bought all three of these at Hobby Lobby, mainly for my Art class. I enjoy sketching and these will be extremely handy! I am so glad I found the eraser...I had one in Germany. It allows very detailed work. 

The blending stubs keep you from having to smear around with your finger! 

A girl in my class had this sharpener, which worked wonders in comparison to my old one or the one on the wall of the art room. It is very sharp and handy to carry around! Just be sure to empty it on a regular basis or it will begin to get clogged.

Zig Millenium Pens (Sorry about the blur!!)

I've had these for a while, but decided I'd post it here anyway, since I haven't before and I have found them so useful! I bought them together in a pack at Hobby Lobby around Christmas 2010 when making Christmas Cards with comics on the front. I always hated only having one pen thickness and never being able to draw a smaller, more detailed and precise line. These pens make that possible! And they've lasted me quite a while...I use them all the time! And they don't bleed. :D

Digital Painting

It started off with this sketch of one of my shoes.

I then scanned the sketch into the computer and painted over the shoe with purple, green and beige. I used layer blending modes in order to get the best effect. 

I used a darker shade of purple to create some shadows on the canvas of the shoe. 

For the shadowing of the rest, I used the burn tool (on the rubber parts of the shoe and around the converse patch) and black, which I reduced the opacity on, on the shoelaces. 

The eyelets were just painted a light gray and I used some effects to create an inner bevel and glow.

I made the stitching with a custom brush I made out of a simple rectangle and took time to turn each stroke individually to make it look more realistic. For the double stitch, I simply duplicated the layer and moved it.

Lastly, scanned in canvas and my shoelace. I threw the canvas over all of the purple and beige for the right texture and warped eleven different pieces of shoelace onto the laces. 

It took quite some time, but I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out!!

Here is the final result 

Things I Miss About Living in Germany

• Festivals: Every time I see a post about which bands are playing at Summer Breeze, it makes me want to cry. The music festivals in Germany are about 3 days long. (Some across Europe are even longer, like Metal Camp, which is 7 days long) You bring your camping gear, a lot of beer, canned food and a good mood. Out of all of my "vacations" (the vacations I have taken in my life have pretty much always included visiting family), Summer Breeze Festival has belonged to my favorites. I miss the way everyone was there for the same reason: the music and good times. It didn't matter if you knew anyone or not. You rarely ever saw fighting and if there was any at all, it would be forgotten a few hours later at the latest. xD Here in the States I don't know of any festivals that last longer than a day or that don't require getting a plane ticket. = /

• The S-Bahn: I have no idea why I miss those trains. The tickets are overpriced, if you are riding in town you are lucky to find a seat on the train and Oktoberfest or any other "Fest" is (or at least used to be) a nightmare on those trains. But they were so practical when you wanted to go out for a drink or when you were tired. You didn't have to worry about parking, car trouble, getting gas (even though that is replaced with the need to buy tickets) and it didn't require much effort on your part. I miss the sound of the trains starting (as odd as that sounds!!) and the driver's announcements over the intercom. And I also miss that stupid dark and light blue boxy pattern on the seats, which weren't too terribly comfortable. 

• Small Shops and Strip Malls: There is just something much more welcoming about a small shop with brick walls in a strip mall as opposed to a huge building like Walmart or the mall. I liked being able to walk around Marienplatz on the cobblestone with the fountains and the chimes and the people sitting out drinking coffee. Then going into little shops along the "street" that was off limits to vehicles. 

• My SCOOTER!: I live in a smaller town, so you have more cars than pedestrians. And you most certainly don't have scooters around. I haven't seen a single one. My scooter was my transportation. He was my buddy. My friend. I even named him Gismo. =( (I can't find a picture at the moment, but I will update as soon as I find one!)

• Safety: I don't know what it is, but ever since I moved back to the States, I've felt the need to keep my mouth shut, my doors locked and to stay inside late in the evening. In Germany, I would bike around at midnight or even walk and not have to worry about any creepers jumping out of the bushes. Plus, if someone was pushing my buttons, I could give them a piece of my mind without having the fear of possibly getting stabbed in the chest or shot.

• Heathcare. Honestly, I think just that word says it all, if you are at all familiar with European Heathcare. 

• Skiing!: It was SO much cheaper to go skiing in Germany than it is here! It was 28 Euros for a day pass at Ski-Paradies Sudelfeld, which is about 36 bucks. Not bad! (This includes the lift btw...not sure how it works here in the states, but your day pass is basically a lift ticket in Germany)

• The Clothing: I can't find anything similar to  http://www.emp.de/ or  http://www.queen-of-darkness.com/ except hot topic...but it's really not the same. If anyone knows of anything at ALL, PLEASE let me know!! I looked a bit on Amazon but I didn't find much.

• The Food!: Man I would give anything for a bowl of Knödelsuppe and then a big plate of Kasspatzen with a side of Gurkensalat, Kartoffelsalat and Wurstsalat. That is way too much food but I'd eat it all!!

• Beer: If anyone in Germany would be willing to send me a few bottles of Augustiner Hell and a few bottles of Tegernseer Hell, I would love you forever. 
• Nougat Bits: How can they NOT have this in the States?!

• Pfanner Green Tea: I haven't been able to find anything like this. I LOVE IT.

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Peanut!

This is Peanut, one of our beloved critters. She actually belongs to Mike's stepfather, but she and I love the crap out of each other. :) She likes to give hugs, eat birdseed (you will constantly see it on her nose), eat cucumber shavings and try desperately to get your attention by either making howling noises or shaking like a leaf in front of you.

Notice the AWESOME Super Mario Bros. Hoodie ;D

"Art"

I don't like my art class. At all. It is a required class for Digital Media Arts and Design and I can tell you right now that I am not learning anything relevant to my major.


Our professor studied architecture quite while back and never learned to use AutoCAD (the program now used for architecture) and has refused to. So basically, he isn't a computer person at all. Except the few people taking the class for fun, the entire class is made up of only Digital Media Arts and Design students; in other words: graphic designers, who use the computer.
Our class is two hours long twice a week and he reads us the whole book that we got for the class. He talks a lot, but nearly everything is coming straight from the book. Because of this it's really difficult to even pay attention. 
There is no room for creativity in that class at all. At the beginning of the semester, he told us he wants us all to buy a sketch book for the class and use it to write down assignments, take notes, draw sketches etc. I am a terrible perfectionist and when it comes to writing, the paper must be lined. Why can't I use lined paper to write down my assignments and put it in the binder I use for my classes and then draw my sketches in the sketch book?! Also, he asked us this before anyone got their grants. So he is expecting us to spend 10 bucks + on a sketchbook we will waste for a single class. We are college students. I don't believe we should be told EXACTLY how to do everything, what pencils to use, what brand of paint. My goodness.
When he has us write down our assignments, he goes completely overboard. One assignment takes up a full page in my notebook. It's explained in so much detail, to narrow the whole thing down so that I'd do it right, I might take up just the first few lines in my notebook. Basically:


"You can use pencil, crayon, pen, colored pencil (but don't use this and that brand because I find that the lead breaks off when you sharpen the pencils. They also aren't a very high quality and don't quite do what they are supposed to. As far as crayons go, I would prefer you to use Crayola over Rose Art because Crayola has less wax then Rose Art and they tend to melt............)"
Congratulations. You have turned what should have been a short sentence into an essay. Make sure to pick up your gold star before you leave. >.< 


The projects also really limit our creativity, at least the ones so far. He assigned us recently to make a sculpture along the lines of Louise Nevelson, who my professor loves, which makes sense, since her art is basically architecture. I personally am not the biggest fan of her work, so I wasn't looking forward to the project much anyway. But we weren't allowed to create anything on the computer. We had to take a bunch of junk we found laying around, attach it together and spray paint it black, gray or white. The art class is also mainly 2D design based and he was assigning a 3D design project. o.O 


Our next assignment is to take a bunch of white paper and a pencil, put the white paper on a textured surface and rub with the pencil in order to create a design on the paper. Then we are supposed to look for things in the pencil rubbings, cut them out and create a collage. >.< How is this helping me AT ALL towards my graphic design degree? I might have enjoyed this in Kindergarten, but certainly not in college. It's so frustrating and I am tempted to skip out on this project completely. He will tell us to have fun and be creative, but just don't do this, that, the other thing and whatever else you'd like to do to make the project more to your liking. But have fun!! 


I don't understand why one must be so single-minded, ESPECIALLY when it comes to art. I had an art teacher last semester who said on the first day:
"I want you to take what I teach you in this class and apply it to YOUR need for it. I don't care if you paint, draw or use the computer as long as I see elements of what I've taught you and I can see you understand it." 
Awesome! So I did nearly all my projects in Photoshop, learned a TON about the program and learned the principles of what was being taught as well! And she even asked questions about the program, because she was eager to learn, even though she was a painter. I thought it was awesome. I really learned a lot. But the art class I am taking now doesn't allow me to do anything I am at the college for. Anything foreign to my professor is discouraged. Wouldn't it be more interesting to see so many different aspects of one type of design? It would make the class so much more fun, even for our professor to see people come up with things that he might not have even encountered or considered before.