Lazy Sunday

Verse of the week: "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Philippians 1:20-21, NIV

And now for something completely different, like Youtube Candy:

This was done at Freakin Liverpool Station in public. Try and tell me that's not awesome.

Do not adjust your set. This is not a Monty Python sketch. I know; I was in awe too.

Oddford pg. 2: Coffee & Crystals

It was a great way to spend her first day in Oddford, but now Calria and her new friend Sarah have an uninvited visitor. Will our young heroine pay for snapping off her big mouth? Find out next week...

Welcome to Oddford, where Strange is Never a Big Deal

There are many towns like Oddford across the globe. Initially hard to find, but surprisingly pleasant once you've arrived. There is a school, a park, a quaint town square, and even a marina.

But Oddford is no ordinary small town. It's a border town. Surrounding Oddford is a connection to the world of Faerie, and all the wondrous curiosities that come with it. People of both the Human Realm and the Fae Dominion have come here for a quiet and relaxed existence where hiding your true form is only for politeness' sake.

From Mrs. Turner, President of Empress Shipping, to Westley, Partner in the Roberts, Roberts, and Dredd Law Firm; colorful characters abound. But now, Oddford is about to welcome its most prestigious resident. Calria, daughter of the Faerie's High King and heir to the Marline throne, has come to Oddford for a customary exile to be free of the politics and troubles of her homeland.

Follow each week as the princess incognito makes friends, gets into trouble, and learns growing older doesn't always mean growing up.

Back & in Business

I'm back in school & hopefully there's a more timely posting schedule on the way. Drawing class looks like it's going to be intense this year. The fruits of which will possibly come this way some time. In the meantime, one must make do with the current content of my files.
I am something of an amateur make-up artist. During a given evening, I will decide to turn my face into something completely random and photograph it with my, sadly now broken, digital camera. Here is a sampling of some of the results:

Going Tribal.

The silent movie effect. Why so serious Puddin?

I have no idea.

Mrs. Lovette if you please Dearie

And Sweeney Todd to go with her.

Her royal Highness the Queen of Hearts

And continuing on the Wonderland theme we have the Cheshire Cat.

My version of the Little Tramp

Explanations and Side Notes

I suppose it would be normal for a person with a blog to update it more than once a month. I apologize for not being as exciting as I should be, but I have my excuses.
-I happen to be at home for the summer on my family's dial-up internet. Seeing anything is tedious and I like to surf.
-My mother limits my time on the computer. Cause apparently I'm supposed to get stuff done.
-All the fun, cool comics and drabbles I want to put up here are on my laptop, & it's a hassle to transfer.

So, the real fun starts when school does, I promise.

In another note, I was discussing with a friend on Deviantart about the upcoming Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton. She had a very pessimistic view, I ver optimistic. The talk got me thinking. What makes a bad movie? Is it the cast or the director? Who's fault is it?

The truth is, no one faction can ruin a movie. From my experience with production companies, it takes a village to raise a film, and everyone is usually working their tails off. There's the story department, the producers and director, pre-procuction, the cast, the art department, the effects department, post-production, and even the music. Hundreds if not thousands of people pull together to make a film, and usually, it shows. If one or two of the departments check out, the other departments have the potential to make up for it. So if a movie is bad, it means around half of the different areas are slacking off. It's not always the wardrobe department's fault the actor is horrible, but that's how it works. So, a bad movie is like bad art. Not genuine enough, not passionate enough, just not enough.

My Apologies to Mr. Wednesday

Anyone who has spend an extended period of time talking books with me knows my favorite author is Neil Gaiman. I first encountered him while watching the extras for Mirrormask sophmore year, followed quickly by the movie Stardust later that summer. I remember thinking, who's this dry, self-depricating Brit here who knows the rules to Faerie. He is bloody awesome!

I was slowly sucked in. I remember in the seventh grade when I was introduced to J.R.R. Tolkein. I didn't even like fantasy before then. Now it's my preferred genre for writing. Freshman year I reread the Narnia Chronicles. The simplicity and honesty of Lewis' work astounded me. How someone could put that much faith and imagination into the same story was incredible. It inspired me and greatly effected my writing.

Neil's work hit me the same way. He has a very frank style of writing, like magical beings were as much a part of the mundane as doorknobs and dental floss. (For him, they probably are.) So I started reading. I started reading his blog http://journal.neilgaiman.com/ which he is a regular updater and alot cooler than me. So, pull that up in a new tab and go. I read most of his books. (we'll get to that.) And when I couldn't read, I watched.

Mirrormask was an excellent introduction. The humor, the simplicity, Dave McKean's to-die-for designs, I was totally hooked. Stardust was quite a departure from Mirrormask. It was a classic fairytale, but it had a certain frankness to it that I enjoy seeing as well as writing. I read the Graveyard book next. The premise was great and Neil has really hit his stride with that baby. Then I plowed through Coraline two days before seeing the movie. It was also excellent and quirky. (I just wish I could have read it in elementary school. I could've turned out so much cooler.) This summer, I found Anansi Boys, Neverwhere, and American Gods at my local library. I was ecstatic. Neverwhere was awesome. I fell in love with London even more -if that's possible- and you know my opinions on the Marquis. Anansi boys was also wonderful. I grew up with my share of Anansi stories, as well as identifying with the perpetually embarrassed Charlie. It was exciting, yet simultaneously comfortable.

Then I started on American Gods. And here's were the apology comes in. I'm sorry, so sorry Neil, but I couldn't finish it. I feel horrible, like I let you down. But, this one didn't grab me like the others. One reason is probably the language. I didn't grow up in a swearing household, so it's always been like static in anything I watch or read. Another thing is that I serve a God who doesn't need me worship Him. He deserves it, and I'm sure He certainly appreciates it, but Adonai just wouldn't be God if he needed us for survival. It's something He's really been teaching me as I read American Gods so the story became increasingly irrelevant to me. I will be taking it back to the library and will never know how it ends.

So, pleas Mr. Gaiman, accept my apology for jumping out of Shadow's truck prematurely. It just wasn't my roadtrip. But know worries, my thanks for Mr. Gaiman far outweigh my apologies. I will be writing him a properly lengthy thank-you note complete with gift shortly. Then hopefully he can write something else and I will be happily sucked into his Faerie again.

This is My Daily Breath

"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."
-Psalms 34:5

"For with you is the fountain of lif; in your light we see light."
-Psalm 36:9


I cannot tell you how liberating it feels to look in the mirror and see a child of God once more.

And I defy you not to watch this and bawl.