Ordered

Today is the day that I was finally able to pay for my Kimono. It is a very satisfying feeling, though I still fear that I could have made the wrong choice, but I do not regret it. I am hoping that I will receive it next week before I have to go to Florida, and hopefully during the day. I can't wait to finally own a kimono...I just hope I can make myself a nice obi.
The rest of the day wasn't too eventful. I saw my teacher and am going to start re-writing/illustrating my children's book tomorrow. I have a lot of planning and drawing to do and I can't wait to use full color potential in creating this book. It is going to be a lot of work but hopefully the time wont deter from it. I plan on sending it to a company when I am finished...maybe....it is only a school project so I am not going to think of it much!......
pps....Abigail has decided I am "Nyaaant"......lol....

My new, old love...

My sister had been playing Puzzle Pirates for a while now and it is a game that we had been playing a couple of years ago, but kept stopping on and off. It was a game that I had always enjoyed, but it takes up a lot of your time when you have something to do. Like all games some people take it a bit too serious and, as I remember, have no sympathy when your mom calls.
Still, it is a wonderful game that I have always enjoyed. It is like a constant puzzle game that just keeps getting better and better, the better the people on your ship are the easier your game will be, but as people leave different tasks can get more difficult.

In other news, I had my picnic with Carol on Monday and it went well. We both made meals and put them in our bento boxes (but for me it was just square Tupperware). We also had cought some hermit crabs in the disgusting (like it is literally "closed" because of the bacteria....it made our legs itch!) waters of the City Park Beach. Here is a link to the bacteria levels! We also had done some hand games and decided not to paint because of the setting up hassle. My new easel is a PAIN to set up....though I do need to start painting soon!

Tuesday's class went well, my teacher and I seem to have a better relationship ever since she found out I can write well. I don't even know if it is related, but that class was the turning point! I have also realized that I have ONE more week left!!! I didn't even notice it until last class. The only problem is I still have to do my illustrator study AND write (and illustrate) my children's book. I need to come up with an idea before my meeting tomorrow, with my teacher, or I will ask to use the story I wrote in class.
I wasn't going to do this but another student is using the guideline she made for her story.

This also means that I am going to Florida In a little over a week, I have a flight at 7am (I need to get there at 5) on the 8th. This may also suck because it is RIGHT after my last class....this means I MUST pack ahead of time...I am not going to like this whole, going to bed thing either. I really do hate going to bed.
The bad news is, because my mother is leaving on like the 6th, I have to go on the plane alone O_O.......ahhhh.....I am always worried when a plane goes off, but now I have to do it next to some one I have never met before..........Q_Q....luckily my mom is coming home the same time as me on the 11th.
The good news is it may get me back into a schedule for school.

I really miss school, and I am hopping, it is another chance at a new start (God knows I have had plenty of those.) I hope, as always, to finally get the things done that had never quite been scratched off of my "To Do" list. I really need to get some thing better out of this year and learn to focus on things that I want. For some reason I cannot translate my motivational thoughts into action. I get really distracted with everything around me and forget what my plans were...

Now is the time I mention my kimono, I was suppose to have paid for it by now but paypal WILL NOT let me use my money until I have a bank account hooked up. So, I am waiting for the confirmation to go through (still) so I can send the payment to the seller. I have contacted him/her and told of my delema and they have no problem with waiting a couple extra days. I mean....I have the money it is just I can't use it till the thing goes through.....this should be between now and Friday/Saturday.

List of things I really need to Do

1. Lose this extra weight and get in shape!!! Really, I need to take better care of myself as well as take some pressure off my back before I need a breast reduction because of my stomach size!
2. Get A boyfriend. Even though my mom is incorrect in assuming that if I do not get a boyfriend this year I will never get a boyfriend, doesn't mean that it isn't plausible. I will not go looking ecstatically, but my eyes will be open just in case
3. GET MY BRA BACK FROM SAM.....Seriously now I might "atleast not only have one" but it is my ONE black bra....my clothes (black) don't look right with the tan one and one of my tan ones is in really bad shape. My bras cost A LOT of money and it isn't because I have a choice. I don't know what I am going to do about this situation but I AM getting it back the first week of school!
4. Getting a job. This one I am not to sure about for during the school year. I will be working for Ryan (the glass guy in New Bedford) but I feel like I should be doing more, I have applied to Fridays and am going to apply to other places around the Dartmouth and (preferably) New Bedford area. p.s. With the loop I can literally walk a shorter distance than places in Dartmouth

Other things include keeping my dorm room clean and getting organized. Doing well.....these things shouldn't have to be written, they are almost expected....
Also I forgot to put that I will also be applying to drive the DartVan. This way I will have lots of driving experience (especially with people) while I am getting paid for it. This way mom CAN'T say I haven't had enough experience.

WON

So I won the kimono auction, but........paypal won't let me send the money I have on it until I add a bank account, so.........I NEED TO FIND OUT HOW TO SEND IT BEFORE THE 3 DAY TIME IS UP!

Buisness and Work

I have decided to post because I had some time between now and when I am going to bid on the Kimono that I have had my eye on (ebay)....
I feel like I am not doing well when it comes to business. My etsy has not really had any sales and I really expected to do better. I am hoping, as I make new products, I will be able to find out what it is that will make me some money. I feel stressed about it, and I wonder if I am meant to make money. It has never really been a concern for me because I never wanted anything that badly. I still don't really care that much but, I would like some spending money next school year. There were so many things I was suppose to get this summer. I had plans to fix my moms car, get a new warentee on my Macbook, and (the first $500) Photoshop.
So far this summer, I have a plus 5$ towards my Photoshop fund :(. I am really scared that something is going to happen to my computer and I wont be able to fix it too.....just .....arrrgggg!
Also I keep giving myself these HUGE projects for Lit. They are things I enjoy doing but sometimes I wonder what I was thinking. The movie I am making for my presentation is JUST NOW starting to come together. I am barley done and I can't really focus on it. I WILL have it done but it seems like a million years away!
If I get nothing more out of this summer I wish to do well in this class and make some money for college (and some side money Mom doesn't know about would be great too!) I have been thinking up some ideas on what I can sell and I will post them as I get supplies....
bidding time now...I will post again soon!

Patterns

I have noticed something about all the blogs that I do. A pattern starts to form and it can either lead to endless cycles or the end of my regular blogging.
At first things become very new and exciting. All expieriences must be explained and are interesting. These are the first times that the situations are written so it can be interesting, but over time the same things happen over and over. Writing about some thing 80 different times just doesn't sound like fun!

There are really days like today that nothing goes on, or I don't feel like blogging about something......they are days when I choose not to and lose my mojo for when something cool happens.....

Tomorrow may be fun, Carol and I may do a bento lunch followed by some painting...I already have something in mind!

Boys and Girls

I really wonder if there is still a difference between the way boys and girls are brought up.
Today I went out with my friend Ashly, who is moving to Arizona in a little over a day, and her friends to see the movie The Dark Knight. At the show we had a good time. We meant to go to the 715 showing but everyone was running late so it was decided that we would go to the 10 oclock show. The only problem was that we had to wait an extra 3 hours before the movie would start but that wasn't much of a problem.
Jessica, Ashly's friend, had brought coupons for EVERYONE and we were all able to see the movie for 7 dollars in stead of 10 so I was able to take part in some of the activities. First we all tried to get a Hulk toy with one of those claw machines and then we decided to take a trip to McDonalds (where I had also applied!).
Wile we were there Jessica pulls out an Entertainment book where we all have many options for coupons. There was one for a McFlurry so I asked anyone if they would split the buy one get one free with me and we would both get it half off. Ashly agreed and I had thought, when speaking to her about it, I had made clear that we were splitting it and this included the price. I found out my assumption was wrong when I was paying and asked her for the last dollar I needed (really 80cents) and she told me she only had fives....and Jessica was nice and pulled out her large change purse and gave the cashier the money (this girl is THRIFTY!!!) Any way, this annoyed me but was not the highlight of the evening that brings the boy, girl topic up...
We watched the movie and I called my mom the second we were leaving my seats so, assuming everyone waited with me, it would not be too long, and we all went outside. There everyone talked for a minute and then, after saying goodbye to Ashly, went their separate ways.
This is where I got annoyed, but I wasn't going to say anything. The girls up and LEFT. I mean, is it wrong that I assume they wait with me instead of leaving me ALONE in an empty parking lot at 1230 in the MORNING? I know it isn't my place to say what they should do but....really....it is dangerous for girls to be out alone....
What I did notice though is the boys stuck around in the parking lot for a very long time. Even though they had a reason that they gave me (will be told in a few seconds) they were there an awful long time, and that made me think that they were waiting to make sure I was getting home.
Another thing that almost confirmed this is, after about 10-15 minutes, the boys had driven up in their car and asked me if I had a ride. After I said my mom was coming they paused and after an awkward silence told me a story of how they walked up to the car and wondered what was on their windshield to find a magazine....later finding out it was porn! Even after that we stared awkwardly until they decided to leave.
This is the difference that I have noticed. Boys that I had seen as rude (on Ashly's birthday one of them had ordered the most expensive things on the menu.....Ashly's parents were paying) had, from what I can see, waited to make sure the girl was okay. Even though they still left early they took the time to make sure I was going to be alright and tried to stay as long as they thought was possible without admitting what they were doing.
I do not know if I am reading the situation different than it was, but I like it better this way. It shows that boys still know that they need to watch out for a girls protection. I am all for being independent, but it doesn't mean we are safe from the danger of rapists and killers. We still have a disadvantage over men.
Though I do find it strange that, as girls, they didn't stay with me knowing that.....

Japanese Envelopes

I have officially come up with a new craft that I am selling. Japanese style envelopes are really cool and different and I really enjoyed decorating/making these! I am really proud of these so I am posting them....oh and ps ....
I am changing from lov.li to etsy because lov.li has NO traffic and HORRIBLE service...I can go days without being able to access my account! etsy has a better rep so I am there! I will be deleting my lov.li account as soon as it will let me (I can't sign in again!!!)
Any way my new site link is here and also on my left panel!

Tanabata

I was on wikipedia and I found some AWESOME news...now I need to adjust because of how cool this is. The date of August seventh that I had picked (because July seventh had passed and it is sometimes celebrated on that day) is actually the correct date for this year! The date on the Gregorian calender will not be the same until 2019! I copied this from the artical
"

Date

The original Tanabata date was based on the Japanese lunisolar calendar, which is about a month behind the Gregorian calendar. As a result, some festivals are held on July 7, some are held on a few days around August 7, while the others are still held on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar, which is usually in August in the Gregorian Calendar.

The Gregorian dates of "the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the Japanese lunisolar calendar" for the coming years are:

• 2008-08-07
• 2009-08-26
• 2010-08-16
• 2011-08-06
• 2012-08-24 (The Chinese date is 2012-08-23 because of the time difference.)
• 2013-08-13
• 2014-08-02
• 2015-08-20
• 2016-08-09
• 2017-08-28
• 2018-08-17
• 2019-08-07
• 2020-08-25"

Neglecting...

It feels as though I have been neglecting a lot of things lately, one of which being my blog. It feels like nothing has really happened, but in this time so much has gone on. I had not worked on my Japanese until yesterday, and I feel like maybe it is time to start up my routines again.
So far I have a long to do list:

1. Clean my room
2. Work on my book
3. Get up to date in Japanese
4. Get a penpal from Japan
5. Keep up my blog
6. Make some money for school

So far, I have done almost nothing. My room has gone down the drain and is steadily getting bad again.
I have not worked on my book AT ALL since the last chapter and am now very behind.
Though I have gotten closer, I am still a week behind on my Japanese...There is good news to this and it is that I can form sentences! I can also understand many things. I have contacted a girl looking for a penpal (snail mail) and I am looking forward to it.
I have also gotten a mini job, I am made a tshirt for this girl on craigslist and am getting 50 dollars for it (though my parents think it is like 30 in case there is something I need that mom wont buy) I did a very good job considering how hard it was, though I keep going back and forth on weather or not I should give the character a face. I will post a picture of it on a later date.
I have also decided, once I receive the money for it, I will be switching from lov.li to etsy. As much as I like lov.li I am getting NO traffic and I need to sell this stuff so I can pay for school!
Any way, I am hoping things will look better, and they have stated already! Although Ashly is moving next week I will be seeing her soon and I finally got a message from Teri! Also Carol and POSSIBLY Teri will be celebrating the Japanese star festival (tanabata-たなばた) with me on August 7th (but might not on that date because it is my last day of class and Carol works till 2) Any way, It should be really fun! I plan to write my wish in Japanese on a piece of paper similar to what is used in Japan, but don't ask me what it is because I am not telling!

Politically Correct

If there is one thing that I have always hated it is political correctness. It just does not make any sense. Most people either have it taught to them or they are very bitter about something in their lives. I believe that in most cases, people find politically correct phrases, books, and words to help them avoid a confrontation that is bound to happen any way. For some reason people have trouble accepting differences, but at the same time try to be "more open" about making everyone equal.
The reason why this post, or rant, is being written is because of the aggravation that I had to suffer through in my English classroom. I did not notice how bad my proffessor was until recently. The "PC" is getting so out of hand it is making them see problems in illistrations that are artistically correct. They are over examining things until I finally chime in and they all end up being speechless.
I am going to start this story off by saying that I have no problem with ANY one's race, color, or belief. To be honest we are all different hues of the same color and people really need to get over this.
Any way, my class was reading a book about "the great migration" and we were speaking about how the illustrations were made. My professor was saying that the black people were being shown as oppressed because of the time period and she found that strange because the illustrator was a black man. She also went on talking about how they really don't make sense and how the man only put the details in the white man's face. ...
First of all, artistically she is very wrong. I don't know if I am "qualified" to say this but there are three things that happened in that artist's mind.

1. This is my primary statement...the one I gave to my professor...by having the black people in the groups with out faces they were turned in to a group as a whole. Being a mass movement these things were happening to all of the people and the book never talks about an individual...when the white men are in the scenes they need their expressions to give a highlight to how they are feeling and they were the main focus of the statement......
2. The artist was not an anal retentive person who wanted to draw ALL of the faces
3. The illustrations would look HORRIBLE if all the faces were in focus

I have noticed so many things and it is soo hard to bite my tung during her long discussions where the class, with her guidance, decides that they are oppressing someone in the book. She also hates books about

• girlie girls
• manly or bratty boys
• white middle class stories
• anything that has "stario types"

Seriously, IT DOESN'T MATTER. These stores are girlie or whatever so they can be sold to a particular audience. They are the author's story and they don't have a right to say the author was a "hater" ...this whole thing just pisses me off! I think the worst thing was saying that the over proportioned Disney characters were "disgusting" Yes they are kind of out there but they aren't telling girls to look like that, they are made that way so they are more appealing...normal proportions in a Disney movie just wouldn't be as affective and if you don't want your kids to think that TEACH THEM!
Last class she was telling us to filter out books because of what the "underlying message" is and this class she was talking about how bad Hannah Montana (given she is partially right with the new episodes) and cheetah girls didn't dress their age or worry about school it is all singing and glam. In the Hannah Montana episodes from last year (I liked it better when it wasn't cool) she HAD to do her home work and keep up grades and HAD to stay in school and obey her dad. ..all of her statements didn't actually have research to them so I am deducting....based on observation...that she is bitter. I am not sure why yet, but she is bitter about something.
(more ranting that takes away from the strength of this blog but has to be said)
Maybe she wasn't popular in school? I don't know, but she needs to stop looking for things wrong with stories, girls don't have to read "girl books" if they don't want and boys don't have to read "boy books." She was saying how the boys in some URI program would some times come in with faerie outfits and no one said anything because it wasn't allowed. Alone this sentence is fine but when you are talking about a book that is sent to girls making the boys feel left out....wtf....any way things we get out of today

• Do what you want and mind your own business.
• Leave artists and writers alone and stop looking for problems with how they are oppressing someone.
• Everyone may be equal but we are all DIFFERENT and people are going to be offended. Learn to let the little things go and worry about, I don't know, the consideration of others!
  

Selling Jewelry

I have OFFICIALLY found a Jewelry selling site I like...in lov.li I can sell jewelry without paying until I actually sell something...this is very good because my no one can find the "internet credit card" any way, check it out! I have about 20 pieces up

So much and so little

I have been really bad about updating lately and I have been doing so well on this blog. The issue is balancing children's lit with all of my daily activities is making my days pretty busy, but uneventful.
So far I have done NO Japanese, NO jewelry, and I still have to take the pictures and eventually clean my room. There is just so much yet so little. I really don't think I am going to be able to go to the Rascal Flatts concert thing on Friday because I don't think I will be anywhere near ready (I am going to have to call Kristen About that later), though I do think I will draw them any way...I have wanted to do a celebrity but I couldn't think of any that I wanted.
One thing I did do is design a quick t-shirt. I found this website off of craigslist and thought "hey, why not do something quick just for fun." and I did, soon voting should be available, if I don't suck, and then my shirt can be produced!....though I am weary because it was a quicky!

Projects and Turmoils

I was really impressed with myself yesterday for not over eating, especially since it was the forth of July! Normally on holidays I snack myself into a binge because everything looks so good, but, for the first time in my life, I have binged on the day after the holiday.
It isn't much of binging, more of I didn't start eating till about 2:30 (didn't feel like it) then ended up doing most of my eating over Kristen's house. We ended up going out to eat at Rigatoni's with my Brother-in-law's (Eric) cousin (Shena [?]) then we ended up going to, our love shop, Rita's. I ended up feeling very full and both Kristen and I gave our leftovers to Eric, making him a regular sized....kind of...
I was going to call Carol up when we went out but we were not out long enough to have her waste her time. I have not seen her since the last time we went to city park and it is going to be very hard to fit her in with her work schedule. I feel like I haven't had time for any one lately, I haven't seen Ashly (and she is moving to Arizona) and I also haven't really seen anyone from school. The worst of them all is Teri whom I haven't seen since graduation.
What I really need for these connections are what have been giving me troubles all along. I need not only a car, but also a job. This would make it easier to have my friends and I hang out so that way I don't need to tell them my house if off bounds....I also really need a good hang out spot....loitering at the Rhode Island Mall and City Park are about the only things I can afford right now. N o one will hire me, and so far I haven't been able to sell my stuff because my ebay account is on hold, as well as my paypal
the only thing I have really gotten done is a photoshop thing I did on my eye for my book. I am still behind on my book and my Japanese....but those are all on hold till I finish my homework...
p.s also retaking all pictures of my jewelry that are dark....the dark background does them no justice! The funny thing is all of this is to get CS3 so I don't need to use elements....

Gone Fishing

I was starting off the day grumbling to myself about how I had to go to the lake this year, and every year. Kristen reminded me that, sometimes, it was awkward because people walk up to you and ask how you are and all you can think is "Who are you..." everyone is very grown up and I saw some people I use to know in high school (in passing) who I had apparently known since I was little.
It is very strange how people change over time, I could barley recognize anyone when I got there, but as I read the name tags, faces started to become femilure. The biggest problem was my mom feeling the need to tell everyone how and why I didn't want to go earlier. Seriously what the hell, even after I told her why I was angry with her and that she shouldn't have said that to them...she even goes off telling "Uncle" Mickey all of how I shouldn't have told her....I don't think she understands, or cares ?, how much that hurt him hearing that.
Any way, there are things this year that I never really noticed that much. All of the little things over time really made a huge difference. The tree that an old swing was on got cut down, the swing was then moved to a place where a climbing rope use to go....the whole inside was renovated, causing one year of us not going, and so many other things like a new boat. I was looking around at how everyone changed. I suddenly remembered why I loved the place and looked forward to it. One thing didn't change, "Winkey" still ran around helping everyone out. I realize that she really does A LOT and runs just about EVERYTHING.
THE BEST NEWS....the water isn't disgusting like last year...it is back to normal
Things I did today:

• Went to the lake hoping Kate would call and we could go out afterwards...I was in the area
• Mingled....
• Made Jewelry (really need to update my site now!)
• Planned a panorama picture of the lake(...need to figure out how to )
  
• FISHING...didn't plan on it but Dad was out and I went with
• Ate....mmmmm
• Played pool...AND beat dad 2 out of 3! mwhahahahhaha
• Left and called Kate realizing we couldn't go out ....sadness....and went home
• Drove to Fred's to pick up Dad's perscription and Dan's to pick up Mom's paper

Not much but it was entertaining! I am also learning Sweet Home Alabama on my guitar and my fingers kill....so I am going to stop!

10 Things we learn from movies:Ten Things I Hate About You

1. If a teacher will confiscate pot, he WILL go for your Cheetoes!
2. Diversions are made for women
3. Social outcasts make good couples
4. People are not always as they appear
5. You never want to have a father who is an OB
6. Green eyes CAN induce vomiting
7. If you kick a guy hard enough....well.....watch the movie
8. Background scenes (like green screen) were only so realistic recently.....*boat scene*
9. Everyone needs someone
10. Your guidance councilor is probably writing a dirty old lady book and wants YOU to give her some kinky adjectives!
    

IDK

I really do not know what to put into todays post...I have decided that I need to retake all of the pictures of the darker glass necklaces because you can barley see the glass in the pictures.......also I am having HUGE writers block on my homework assignment and need to talk to my teacher on weather or not it is too close to the original book....gaaaa

Pricing and School

Surprisingly these things are not quite related. The pricing has to do with my dealing with how much I would like to charge on my jewelry. I think, for these ones (because they are my firsts) I am going to sell them for like 15 dollars. Eventually when I start using real meterials (like silver) I can charge more and they will look better.
I came to this conclusion because of how I work with the materials, they seem to come fast and easy and I am making like 4 a day and I still could make more... Updates to where they are going...the blue one is to Carol and the Brown one is still planned for ebay.
School is the dificult part in all of this. Children's lit has a lot more work than I had thought. The only good news is I get to write a couple of kids books in the process. I am going to write my first one on coral castle and how it is to walk around. It is suppose to be in the style of Dilly's Summer Camp Diary by Cynthia Copeland Lewis which could end up being really cool...I just don't know where to start. I am debating on just going page by page. Most, if not all, of this will be done on the computer...I just wish I had CS3 to do it on, then my life would be easy!