Huh. Who Knew?

Apparently I can sculpt things. In one of my graphic design classes we have to design a symbol for a species of fish. I picked clown fish because ever since seeing Finding Nemo I've been intrigued by the species. Before he's letting us anywhere near a pen and paper (let alone adobe illustrator) we have to do a lot of research on our subjects. One of the assignments was to make a clay sculpture of the fish. I pulled out some clay and just sort of went at it, keeping reference photos close by. As I continued working, I became increasingly excited by how well it was going. This wasn't at all like drawing which I have a hard tome making look right. Anyway, heres the result:

I suppose I should try new things more often. Who knows what other talents I have laying around!

My Frame

Pretty much since I moved in to my apartment in Sacramento I've been looking for something to hang on the wall. I have a big empty wall in my room so I figured it would have to be something big.  Problem is that big things cost lots of money. Even though I could find posters that I would like to hang, the cheap poster frames are just too cheap looking and a poster frame that looks like an actual frame costs over $30. So basically my desire was put on hold for months. Then as I was recovering from my sinus surgery I got an idea somehow. I could just build my own frame! So I went to lowes and got some wood for only $4. I came home and cut it on mom and dad's saw. Dad actually had these little clamps specifically for making frames so that was convenient. Then I painted it and just now I received the $7 poster to put in it and finally get it put on my wall.

I'm quite proud of myself

Post-Christmas

I just found some pictures on my camera from after Christmas. Butters was still pooped but wanted to hang out on the couch late at night while we were up playing rock band.

Shawn, Christy, Cory, and Kim playing rockband

This was minutes after midnight on New Years Eve. Fireworks were going off outside and butters started to get nervous. I managed to get her out from under the table and she felt better snuggled up with mom like a baby. She often thinks she's people.

My Music Cure-All

Christy has hers. But I have my own music that I listen to when I'm having a bad day. Listen to it!

*~Christmas~*

So Christmas came and went so fast. Shawn and Kim came to visit (Wesley too!) and it seemed like we had so much to do all the way up to Christmas Eve with Cory and Kristal coming over and everything. Christy covered a lot of this, plus lets face it most the people who read this were there. haha. But here's some highlights anyway. Hopefully it isn't too repetitive.

First we got to spend some time with Wesley while Shawn and Kim enjoyed Disneyland. He was a fun little guy. Never made too much of a fuss, even being away from his mom. I was impressed!

Butters was a little miffed with Wesley showing up and everyone paying so much attention to him. We soon found out that it wasn't personal. While Wesley was watching upside down tv, Butters came along and cuddled up with him. It was so cute!

Later that week we went to the Jelly Belly Factory! Its always fun to go to a candy factory, but the jelly belly factory is particularly great because you feel compelled to buy the deformed jelly bellys. It took me about 2 weeks to get to the bottom of my bag : )

Later in the week we made sugar cookie gingerbread men instead of gingerbread houses. I was sad about not doing the houses this year, but these turned out just as fun, plus I actually ended up eating the thing!

Finally it was Christmas Eve! The dinner was so yummy! We've been having trouble over the years getting the rolls just right, and this year mom knocked it out of the park with a betty crocker recipe!

They were so delicious and fluffy!

Butters was so tired from all the commotion of the past week she plopped down on the couch with all of us. Before we watched Christmas Vacation Shawn, Kim, Christy and I all had a hankering for pizza. Turns out the one place open on Christmas Eve was Mountain Mikes run by Muslims. Pizza on Christmas Eve is a very good argument for having religious diversity. haha. 

Finally it was Christmas Day! records of this day are sketchy. Mom dropped the ball on taking photos but dad does have it all on video. I wrapped up a couple squeaker toys for Butters and it was pretty funny to watch her get it open. Although 10 minutes later she had tore them both to shreds. Thanks a lot walmart : (

It seemed to go by so fast, but it was super fun to have Shawn and Kim over with us and Cory and Kristal. I told mom I kept thinking that Stacy was going to show up at some point. It would be loads of fun if we all got together again like we did in San Diego. 

Home Free!

Well my first semester at Sacramento State is over. The final 2 weeks were very intense. It seems like everything always piles up right after thanksgiving every year, but this year had to be the worst by far. I had 3 projects to do in one class, I had a final in my astronomy class, I had a final in one of my deign classes plus a really long paper due the day of the final and to top it all off was a brochure due in another class. 2 weeks for all that and though it doesn't seem like a lot, I really couldn't afford to phone it in. I have to worry about not just grades but the actual quality of work I had to create because a good sum of it ends up in my portfolio which will end up being reviewed by the design department faculty and they will decide if I deserve one of 40 spots in the program and if I don't get in then I am so screwed. I have a contingency  plan, but its terrible and expensive. Anyway, that's just to illustrate a bit of the stress I was feeling.

It was very difficult because at some point I felt like even though I was working hard, I wasn't getting anywhere. And of course so much had to go wrong. My printer ran out of ink, a tiny smudge of glue ruins something and forces me to redo it, and my personal favorite was when the bus driver decided to go off schedule and take his lunch break at the precise time I I had to go take my astronomy final and I had to run to campus in 20 minutes. 50 degrees out and I was the only one in class sweating buckets. You'd think I would expect these things since it seems to be how my life works, but somehow they always surprise me. But finally, just this last Wednesday the end finally came. I perhaps could have done better on some of the things if I had more time, but I'm very pleased with what I made and I'm really happy that I had the discipline to get everything done.

By Wednesdays night I was so exhausted. I got on the train Thursday morning to come home and now I have until mid january to be care-free. I can't wait to hang out with family, play video games and play with Butters. Its good to be home for Christmas!

*sigh* I hate titles.

Ever since the Ohlone College Student Art & Design show a few years ago I've been able to call myself an award winning designer. Now I can officially call myself an award winning professional graphic designer. Several months ago Richard King offered me the opportunity to design a concept for a brochure for his law firm. He said he would pay me for it even if he didn't end up liking it but if he did like it then more money would be in it for me. So I did. This all happened last July or August...its been so long now. I came back to him after 2 weeks and he loved it!*

* well he sort of loved it. he wanted some changes. This is what dragged the whole job on for about 4 months. I learned a lot about how I should do things in the future with clients, so it was a good experience. Last week I was finally able to deliver 1000 brochures. I am in Sacramento so I haven't been able to get my hands on a real one, but I can only assume that a box full of my cloned design is nothing short of adorable. Its an odd feeling to imagine that something that came out of your head is now duplicated and will be handed out and viewed by hundreds and hundreds of people. Anyway, here's a simulation of what the final thing looks like. Its pretty awesome!: