Red is known the world over as a color of death, danger, and sexuality. Its primordial association with blood is deep and irrevocable, and it leaves its mark on our collective psyche today, causing us to stop and look twice when a flash of vivid crimson catches our eye. Whether it's highlighting a mundane stop sign, an elegant evening dress, or a raver girl's flashy hairdo, red never fails to grab our attention!
Check out "Seeing Red!" here!"
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Been a while, hasn't it?
Well, rest assured that I am very much alive, if very much broke (like about 75% of the nation!)
What have I been up to this past year? Not a whole lot, surprisingly. I recently got back into using markers for coloring, and have apparently been making a bit of a name for myself as a fan-artist for a truly engaging video game trilogy. I also picked bead weaving back up, and have dusted off an old Etsy shop, rebranded it, and intend to sell fandom- and space-inspired jewelry there. Expect an official announcement on that front when it really gets going!
In the meantime, you can find my artworks here and here! The first link is my more "serious" artwork account, while the second is my "fun, fanart, and general goofing-off" account.
What have I been up to this past year? Not a whole lot, surprisingly. I recently got back into using markers for coloring, and have apparently been making a bit of a name for myself as a fan-artist for a truly engaging video game trilogy. I also picked bead weaving back up, and have dusted off an old Etsy shop, rebranded it, and intend to sell fandom- and space-inspired jewelry there. Expect an official announcement on that front when it really gets going!
In the meantime, you can find my artworks here and here! The first link is my more "serious" artwork account, while the second is my "fun, fanart, and general goofing-off" account.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sandburg Mall: Step Up, Or Step Out (Part 1)
Hi there! It's been a while since I updated last, hasn't it? Well, hopefully with the situation at home finally settling down, I'll have more time and energy to devote to silly things like blogging. Hah!
And what spawned this sudden update, after such a long silence? Well... let's just say it's frustration.
You see, our local shopping center, the Sandburg Mall, is losing yet another store. With so many of its formerly-occupied storefronts now empty, the loss of long-term merchant Fashion Bug (which has been a fixture at the mall since I was a little girl,) is a staggering blow for this establishment.
But, really - I can't blame Fashion Bug for leaving. Their departure isn't what is frustrating to me. What's frustrating is the lack of constructive action on the mall owners' behalf. To be perfectly blunt, I wouldn't want to rent retail space from a provider that effectively took my money, and did absolutely nothing to attract potential customers - and, in fact, seemed more interested in driving the public away.
Take, for example, the appearance of Sandburg Mall itself. The first thing any potential customer sees is a poorly-maintained, crumbling parking lot adorned with faded paint and sorely-neglected landscaping. To be perfectly blunt, if it weren't for the scattered cars there, the place would look abandoned. Does that sound at all appealing?
The second thing a potential customer sees is the drab appearance of Sandburg Mall's exterior itself. It's dull and brown, with nothing particularly attention-grabbing about it. The signs that are supposed to direct people to the mall are likewise drab, outdated, and extremely easy to miss. This setup worked just fine in the Eighties and Nineties, but nowadays, with big businesses like Wal-Mart relocating to the edge of town - and moving into bigger, cleaner, more attractive buildings, to boot, with prominent signage announcing their locations... Well, it just can't compete.
Should anyone manage to look past the exterior flaws of the property, and make it inside, the very next thing they will be confronted with are numerous empty storefronts, tacky paper "signs" taped to windows, and an archaic layout that's barely changed at all since Sandburg Mall first opened in 1974. It's old, stale, and unattractive, end of story. The interior signage? Is just as dull and uninspiring as the external signage, especially that which is advertising things that no longer even exist - like the cinema, which shut down in 2007.
Most of the storefronts that are occupied are unattractive at best, and embarrassingly amateurish at worst.
The halls are cluttered with nearly-empty kiosks, installments advertising shower stalls, and archaic kiddie "attractions" that were cutting edge thirty years ago, but which can't hope to appeal to today's under-twelve crowd.
Also, there's very little by way of food at the so-called food court - there's an Orange Julius and a KarmelKorn, as well as some obscure little eatery that doesn't even seem to have set hours of operation, and that's it. All of the other restaurants that once called Sandburg Mall home are long-closed, leaving nothing behind but empty spaces, and fixtures that do nothing but gather dust.
It's painful to behold, especially when compared to the memory of an establishment that was flourishing a mere ten years ago.
On the cyberspace front, Sandburg Mall fares no better - their website is positively ancient, unintuitive and, again, amateurish. It's UGLY. It honestly looks like something I would have put together in my Comp Skills 1 class - and that is most assuredly not a compliment. Could I do any better now? Not likely, but there are thousands of people out there who could, for a reasonable price.
I also see very little advertising going on for the Sandburg Mall. Once in a while, a local animal shelter will advertise an event being held there, but that is, by and large, the extent of it. The anchor stores advertise (largely because they're national chains,) but do the mall owners put forth any effort in advertising anything, themselves? To put it simply, no. I suppose they think that they don't have to advertise, because "everyone already knows" that they're there, but that's a ridiculous notion. Of course "everyone knows" about the mall - the problem is, nobody cares, and the mall owners don't seem very intent on making anyone care.
And that, my friends, is utterly tragic.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
And what spawned this sudden update, after such a long silence? Well... let's just say it's frustration.
You see, our local shopping center, the Sandburg Mall, is losing yet another store. With so many of its formerly-occupied storefronts now empty, the loss of long-term merchant Fashion Bug (which has been a fixture at the mall since I was a little girl,) is a staggering blow for this establishment.
But, really - I can't blame Fashion Bug for leaving. Their departure isn't what is frustrating to me. What's frustrating is the lack of constructive action on the mall owners' behalf. To be perfectly blunt, I wouldn't want to rent retail space from a provider that effectively took my money, and did absolutely nothing to attract potential customers - and, in fact, seemed more interested in driving the public away.
Take, for example, the appearance of Sandburg Mall itself. The first thing any potential customer sees is a poorly-maintained, crumbling parking lot adorned with faded paint and sorely-neglected landscaping. To be perfectly blunt, if it weren't for the scattered cars there, the place would look abandoned. Does that sound at all appealing?
The second thing a potential customer sees is the drab appearance of Sandburg Mall's exterior itself. It's dull and brown, with nothing particularly attention-grabbing about it. The signs that are supposed to direct people to the mall are likewise drab, outdated, and extremely easy to miss. This setup worked just fine in the Eighties and Nineties, but nowadays, with big businesses like Wal-Mart relocating to the edge of town - and moving into bigger, cleaner, more attractive buildings, to boot, with prominent signage announcing their locations... Well, it just can't compete.
Should anyone manage to look past the exterior flaws of the property, and make it inside, the very next thing they will be confronted with are numerous empty storefronts, tacky paper "signs" taped to windows, and an archaic layout that's barely changed at all since Sandburg Mall first opened in 1974. It's old, stale, and unattractive, end of story. The interior signage? Is just as dull and uninspiring as the external signage, especially that which is advertising things that no longer even exist - like the cinema, which shut down in 2007.
Most of the storefronts that are occupied are unattractive at best, and embarrassingly amateurish at worst.
The halls are cluttered with nearly-empty kiosks, installments advertising shower stalls, and archaic kiddie "attractions" that were cutting edge thirty years ago, but which can't hope to appeal to today's under-twelve crowd.
Also, there's very little by way of food at the so-called food court - there's an Orange Julius and a KarmelKorn, as well as some obscure little eatery that doesn't even seem to have set hours of operation, and that's it. All of the other restaurants that once called Sandburg Mall home are long-closed, leaving nothing behind but empty spaces, and fixtures that do nothing but gather dust.
It's painful to behold, especially when compared to the memory of an establishment that was flourishing a mere ten years ago.
On the cyberspace front, Sandburg Mall fares no better - their website is positively ancient, unintuitive and, again, amateurish. It's UGLY. It honestly looks like something I would have put together in my Comp Skills 1 class - and that is most assuredly not a compliment. Could I do any better now? Not likely, but there are thousands of people out there who could, for a reasonable price.
I also see very little advertising going on for the Sandburg Mall. Once in a while, a local animal shelter will advertise an event being held there, but that is, by and large, the extent of it. The anchor stores advertise (largely because they're national chains,) but do the mall owners put forth any effort in advertising anything, themselves? To put it simply, no. I suppose they think that they don't have to advertise, because "everyone already knows" that they're there, but that's a ridiculous notion. Of course "everyone knows" about the mall - the problem is, nobody cares, and the mall owners don't seem very intent on making anyone care.
And that, my friends, is utterly tragic.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
SIGH. Oh, Etsy...
You've made some awkward, questionable, and, at times, even downright BAD (i.e. malicious) decisions in the past.
But today's happy little accident just leaves me scratching my head and, well... wondering about you.
To-wit, for those of you who don't fancy clicking the link: Today, Etsy added a new "feature." What is this feature, and why is it so bad, you might ask?
It's an active cursor. In the Search bar.
On every. Single. Page. Even in shops AND on the Search results pages themselves.
This "improvement" has made it impossible to navigate the site naturally - if you want to use your keyboard to navigate, you constantly have to click on the side of the page to remove the active cursor, before you can do anything. It also ensures that, whenever you go to a previous page, you get relocated to the TOP of the page, instead of wherever you'd been before. Naturally, this "intuitive and helpful" change gets awfully annoying after the first three or so pages.
Oh, and did I mention that the active cursor appears on every page? Even in your shop? Yeah. Is Etsy trying to direct people OUT of our shops now?
Sigh.
This can only end in tears. And lost revenue.
Crap move, Etsy. Crap move...
But today's happy little accident just leaves me scratching my head and, well... wondering about you.
To-wit, for those of you who don't fancy clicking the link: Today, Etsy added a new "feature." What is this feature, and why is it so bad, you might ask?
It's an active cursor. In the Search bar.
On every. Single. Page. Even in shops AND on the Search results pages themselves.
This "improvement" has made it impossible to navigate the site naturally - if you want to use your keyboard to navigate, you constantly have to click on the side of the page to remove the active cursor, before you can do anything. It also ensures that, whenever you go to a previous page, you get relocated to the TOP of the page, instead of wherever you'd been before. Naturally, this "intuitive and helpful" change gets awfully annoying after the first three or so pages.
Oh, and did I mention that the active cursor appears on every page? Even in your shop? Yeah. Is Etsy trying to direct people OUT of our shops now?
Sigh.
This can only end in tears. And lost revenue.
Crap move, Etsy. Crap move...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
These Dreams #1
Usually, I don't remember much about my dreams. When I do, there's usually some lesson or message in there for me. Time was, I didn't pay much attention, even when I probably should have - nowadays, I try to pay more heed to them.
Like this morning.
See, I dreamed that sis and I had moved in with mom. But we weren't living in the house she currently lives in - rather, we were living in the house we'd lived in before that one. And the two of us were staying in my old bedroom.
Unlike past dreams involving that house, though, this time the room was crumbling and falling apart. Only instead of the deteriorating walls and ceiling exposing wiring, the outer walls, or the environment outside... they exposed a much bigger, more beautiful house.
I still have to ponder over this dream a bit to figure out the message within, but it did leave me feeling peaceful and hopeful.
Like this morning.
See, I dreamed that sis and I had moved in with mom. But we weren't living in the house she currently lives in - rather, we were living in the house we'd lived in before that one. And the two of us were staying in my old bedroom.
Unlike past dreams involving that house, though, this time the room was crumbling and falling apart. Only instead of the deteriorating walls and ceiling exposing wiring, the outer walls, or the environment outside... they exposed a much bigger, more beautiful house.
I still have to ponder over this dream a bit to figure out the message within, but it did leave me feeling peaceful and hopeful.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Because It Needs To Be Said
I believe that love can change the world. If more people loved their fellow man... if it replaced the destructive mindsets of hatred, anger, selfishness, and greed... maybe, just maybe, the world would be a better place.
There will, of course, always be people who cannot seem to function if they're not making others miserable. There will always be users, abusers, haters, manipulators, warmongers and naysayers... that is an inescapable fact of human existence. But just imagine what life would be like if we stopped empowering them with more and more negativity, and started empowering each other with something much more uplifting and powerful - love.
Why love?
Because where hatred oppresses, love uplifts.
Where anger and greed destroy, love creates.
What selfishness abandons, love defends.
Where sadness exhausts, love empowers.
Where fear causes us to falter, love gives us the courage to press on.
It may sound corny and overdone, but it's true. Haven't you ever noticed that when you love something, when it makes you happy, you have more energy and get more accomplished? How things seem to come so easily? And how when you're sad, or angry... you feel drained and get very little done, and everything just seems impossibly difficult? Yes? No? Look back at your life, at the times when you were happiest, and the times when you were at your lowest. Remember how you felt during those times, compare them. Think about your mindset now, and how you feel.
Think about how you want to feel.
You want to be happy, right? You want to feel like you could move mountains. Like you could change the world and make it a better place. Right?
Then love. Love, and be loved. Give it freely, and see how it returns to you. See how it builds you up even as you use it to build up others.
Not sure where to start? Ask, and ye shall receive...
I love you. Even if I don't know you, I love you. Even if I know you, but don't like you, I love you. Even if you hate me, I love you. I love you with all of my heart and soul, with every fiber of my being.
I love you because you are worth it. No matter what anyone else might say, no matter what you might have been led to believe, you are worth it and you deserve it.
I love you, and I believe in you. I believe that you can change your life for the better. I believe that you can change the world for the better.
I love you.
Now go out, and pass it on, because the world needs it.
There will, of course, always be people who cannot seem to function if they're not making others miserable. There will always be users, abusers, haters, manipulators, warmongers and naysayers... that is an inescapable fact of human existence. But just imagine what life would be like if we stopped empowering them with more and more negativity, and started empowering each other with something much more uplifting and powerful - love.
Why love?
Because where hatred oppresses, love uplifts.
Where anger and greed destroy, love creates.
What selfishness abandons, love defends.
Where sadness exhausts, love empowers.
Where fear causes us to falter, love gives us the courage to press on.
It may sound corny and overdone, but it's true. Haven't you ever noticed that when you love something, when it makes you happy, you have more energy and get more accomplished? How things seem to come so easily? And how when you're sad, or angry... you feel drained and get very little done, and everything just seems impossibly difficult? Yes? No? Look back at your life, at the times when you were happiest, and the times when you were at your lowest. Remember how you felt during those times, compare them. Think about your mindset now, and how you feel.
Think about how you want to feel.
You want to be happy, right? You want to feel like you could move mountains. Like you could change the world and make it a better place. Right?
Then love. Love, and be loved. Give it freely, and see how it returns to you. See how it builds you up even as you use it to build up others.
Not sure where to start? Ask, and ye shall receive...
I love you. Even if I don't know you, I love you. Even if I know you, but don't like you, I love you. Even if you hate me, I love you. I love you with all of my heart and soul, with every fiber of my being.
I love you because you are worth it. No matter what anyone else might say, no matter what you might have been led to believe, you are worth it and you deserve it.
I love you, and I believe in you. I believe that you can change your life for the better. I believe that you can change the world for the better.
I love you.
Now go out, and pass it on, because the world needs it.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
You Know It's A Slow Week When...
...you're complaining about ice cream. But, hey, I think it's a valid complaint...
So. It's that time of the month, if you know what I mean. I'm craving chocolate something fierce, y'know? So I take some of my hard-earned commission money, and go to Hy-Vee to buy myself a chocolate bar and some ice cream.
I picked out a brand called Skondra's, the flavor being Super Fudge Brownie. The flavor text (lol lame pun) says "Rich chocolate ice cream swirled with fudge ribbons and chunky brownie bites." Sounds delicious, yeah? I sure thought so.
Until I got home and took a big, chocolatey-bite... only for my c: to turn into a :c I tried a few more bites, to see if it was just a bad first impression... but my :c just turned into an even bigger :C because... good grief... it's terrible. It's so bad that it's terribad.
This is not "rich" ice cream by any stretch of the imagination. It tastes like how I imagine ice cream would taste if the cream was changed to watered-down skim milk. And the brownie bites? Have the taste, texture, and chewiness of stale chocolate chips. Ugh. Even the fudge swirls taste... off.
I don't think I want this ice cream any more. I should have just gone ahead and bought Breyer's. Or Blue Bunny. Heck, even Edy's would be an improvement over Skondra's. I think the store brand might even be better...
I wonder if you can return ice cream *sniff*
The moral of the story? Never buy Skondra's ice cream. If it's a choice between Skondra's and store brand... go with the store brand, because Skondra's is crap.
So. It's that time of the month, if you know what I mean. I'm craving chocolate something fierce, y'know? So I take some of my hard-earned commission money, and go to Hy-Vee to buy myself a chocolate bar and some ice cream.
I picked out a brand called Skondra's, the flavor being Super Fudge Brownie. The flavor text (lol lame pun) says "Rich chocolate ice cream swirled with fudge ribbons and chunky brownie bites." Sounds delicious, yeah? I sure thought so.
Until I got home and took a big, chocolatey-bite... only for my c: to turn into a :c I tried a few more bites, to see if it was just a bad first impression... but my :c just turned into an even bigger :C because... good grief... it's terrible. It's so bad that it's terribad.
This is not "rich" ice cream by any stretch of the imagination. It tastes like how I imagine ice cream would taste if the cream was changed to watered-down skim milk. And the brownie bites? Have the taste, texture, and chewiness of stale chocolate chips. Ugh. Even the fudge swirls taste... off.
I don't think I want this ice cream any more. I should have just gone ahead and bought Breyer's. Or Blue Bunny. Heck, even Edy's would be an improvement over Skondra's. I think the store brand might even be better...
I wonder if you can return ice cream *sniff*
The moral of the story? Never buy Skondra's ice cream. If it's a choice between Skondra's and store brand... go with the store brand, because Skondra's is crap.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
A Most Unusual Occurrence
About half an hour ago, while sis and I were arting, we heard the sound of a stack of dishes toppling over. It was a very, very distinctive clattering sound, and we both hurried to investigate.
...only to find that none of the dishes were out of place, and nothing else had moved that would have made that kind of noise.
I am thoroughly unsettled now.
...only to find that none of the dishes were out of place, and nothing else had moved that would have made that kind of noise.
I am thoroughly unsettled now.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Random Bouts Of Eugh...
Ever have one of those days? The ones where you wake up feeling less-than-optimal, and just kind of slowly deteriorate throughout the day?
Yeah. It's been one of those here. Only replace "less-than-optimal" with "like you swallowed a whole package of golf balls."
And the best part? I've been working on my bedroom all day while feeling like this. And I'm still not done. I think I may just give up for the night, and finish up sometime tomorrow.
Yeah. It's been one of those here. Only replace "less-than-optimal" with "like you swallowed a whole package of golf balls."
And the best part? I've been working on my bedroom all day while feeling like this. And I'm still not done. I think I may just give up for the night, and finish up sometime tomorrow.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Weather.com Drops the Ball
I don't know why, but ever since Weather.com updated their site to its newest version, they've been really inaccurate when it comes to reporting our weather. Before, they used to be spot-on with the current weather, but now... not so much.
For example? Right now, it's darkly overcast, pouring rain, and thundering. Weather.com's report? Says it's "partly cloudy" and that "locations nearby are reporting thunderstorms."
Ahah... no.
I used to rely on you, Weather.com. And then you just had to go and drop the ball...
For example? Right now, it's darkly overcast, pouring rain, and thundering. Weather.com's report? Says it's "partly cloudy" and that "locations nearby are reporting thunderstorms."
Ahah... no.
I used to rely on you, Weather.com. And then you just had to go and drop the ball...
Wild Weather
I just stepped outside, and whoa, that is one wicked-looking storm front bearing down on us. Pitch-dark, scud clouds, a very visible shelf on the leading edge... it's all making me quite nervous. Here's hoping it will pass with no ill effects and be over soon...
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Mysterious Case Of the Baby Food Bomber
Well, okay, so no actual bombs have been involved (so far, anyway.) But someone has been leaving mysterious bundles of baby food at peoples' doorsteps around my apartment complex. Boxes of baby cereal, jars of baby food... they even left a baby stroller at one of the mailbox banks.
We don't know who it is, or why they're doing it. Due to the risk of... ulterior motives, the police have been telling people to throw the mystery food away - no one wants a rash of sick or dead kids on their hands, after all.
Which leads me to this... An open letter directed to the person responsible.
"Dear Sir or Madame;
People tend to be very suspicious nowadays, especially when it comes to things that would affect their children.
Therefore, if you are trying to be a Good Samaritan... You really would be better served by simply knocking on our doors to offer your assistance. By remaining anonymous, you are only inspiring people to throw away the food you're trying to give them, which is a waste of your money and your effort, don't you think?
So, really... please, just knock next time."
I really hope that they find out who's doing this, and that no ill comes from it. Sure, the person might be trying to help, but if they are, the way they're going about it is completely wrong....
We don't know who it is, or why they're doing it. Due to the risk of... ulterior motives, the police have been telling people to throw the mystery food away - no one wants a rash of sick or dead kids on their hands, after all.
Which leads me to this... An open letter directed to the person responsible.
"Dear Sir or Madame;
People tend to be very suspicious nowadays, especially when it comes to things that would affect their children.
Therefore, if you are trying to be a Good Samaritan... You really would be better served by simply knocking on our doors to offer your assistance. By remaining anonymous, you are only inspiring people to throw away the food you're trying to give them, which is a waste of your money and your effort, don't you think?
So, really... please, just knock next time."
I really hope that they find out who's doing this, and that no ill comes from it. Sure, the person might be trying to help, but if they are, the way they're going about it is completely wrong....
Friday, July 9, 2010
Future? What's That?
Le sigh. Sometimes, worrying about the future can be vexing.
For example, my sister and I are planning to move out of this apartment soon. Where are we moving to? We're not sure yet, but we're going to talk to mom about maybe staying at her house for a while, until we get together enough money to make our move. In the meantime, we could pitch in for food, keep the house clean, look after the animals, do laundry and yard work, etc... to make up for taking up space in her house.
Maybe I could also surprise her by getting fresh gravel for her driveway. Or sturdier fencing for her horse pastures. Or both.
Once we're out there, and things are stabilized, I'm also going to look into doing something I've wanted to do for a long time - starting a housekeeping business. Since most of the people in my old hometown are senior citizens, maybe I could get a few who would want me to come around once a week to do some cleaning and light yard work. I would start off light, naturally, with 5-10 customers, and work up to taking care of more once I had my own place. Sure, it would be the equivalent to a full-time job, but... it would be the equivalent to a full-time job, and I would be the boss. And who wouldn't want that, right?
But I'll think more seriously on those things once I go to cross that bridge. They're still nebulous and tentative now, and I'm a bit leery of making concrete plans just yet...
For example, my sister and I are planning to move out of this apartment soon. Where are we moving to? We're not sure yet, but we're going to talk to mom about maybe staying at her house for a while, until we get together enough money to make our move. In the meantime, we could pitch in for food, keep the house clean, look after the animals, do laundry and yard work, etc... to make up for taking up space in her house.
Maybe I could also surprise her by getting fresh gravel for her driveway. Or sturdier fencing for her horse pastures. Or both.
Once we're out there, and things are stabilized, I'm also going to look into doing something I've wanted to do for a long time - starting a housekeeping business. Since most of the people in my old hometown are senior citizens, maybe I could get a few who would want me to come around once a week to do some cleaning and light yard work. I would start off light, naturally, with 5-10 customers, and work up to taking care of more once I had my own place. Sure, it would be the equivalent to a full-time job, but... it would be the equivalent to a full-time job, and I would be the boss. And who wouldn't want that, right?
But I'll think more seriously on those things once I go to cross that bridge. They're still nebulous and tentative now, and I'm a bit leery of making concrete plans just yet...
Slow Day
It's been one of those days, you know? Where nothing really happens and I don't feel particularly inspired to write much, if anything. But I'm going to work a little something up, anyway.
The most eventful thing that's happened today was helping to give my nephew a bath. Yeah, he's a two-person job - the kid hates baths about as much as a cat, so someone has to hold him while the other person washes him. Fun way to spend half an hour on an otherwise-boring summer afternoon, eh?
The most eventful thing that's happened today was helping to give my nephew a bath. Yeah, he's a two-person job - the kid hates baths about as much as a cat, so someone has to hold him while the other person washes him. Fun way to spend half an hour on an otherwise-boring summer afternoon, eh?
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