14. Living on the Edge

Oh, man. It's been ages since I even considered makeup. I've been makeup-free for months now. I used to think that I needed mascara. Or that I'd look better with lip stain. I'm glad those days are behind me.


But, really, how far behind? I read somewhere that "every wommon should carry red lipstick with her at all times". The argument was fairly convincing, but I didn't think much of it. Days went by and that little voice in the back of my head creeps in "She's right you know. A decent looking girl like you would look banging if you just started wearing red lipstick.It started innocently enough.... browsing for red, organic, vegan lipstick.


What's the harm? It's organic and it's vegan. It'll look nice, trust me. What?! Nineteen dollars for a lipstick?! Are you kidding me?! Oh, look lip tint. Maybe I'll get that instead. Save a few bucks, ease myself back into the whole makeup thing....


Uh, what am I doing?


First, it's lipstick. Then, it's mascara. Next, eyeliner. But before that, it's eyeshadow and concealer. And finally, I'm living in a mirror because that's how good I want to look for the "real world". I thought I was done with all that. Hence why I left the last of my eyeliner, the final makeup product I owned and used, at home while I attended college. Maybe I should have brought it... as a security blanket it or something.


It's this level of thinking, this "security", that I was trying to break away from. So I did what any self respecting wommon would do...I used Google. I browsed and browsed. Nothing. No empowerment from others who are in my same predicament. No webpage glorifying the beauty one truly possesses. Just crap about How to use makeup to look like you're not wearing makeup, a crappy video that claims guys won't hit on you unless you wear makeup, and countless pictures of how "ugly" celebrities look without makeup.


So here it is. This is my stand. Screw makeup industry. Screw commercials and ads that are designed to make me feel uncomfortable about how I look. This is my face, not a mask. Get used to it cause I'll have the same one for the rest of my life.

Welcome to my first experiment of this blog. I'm not going to lie; I pinched my cheeks and bit my lip a little before I snapped this, but, if I may, HOT DAMN!



This....is me. Messy hair, insecurities, and all. And it doesn't scare me.

13. CAMPING TRIPS

I finally moved into dream school. Hence, why the lack of update. I've settled into my little niche, which I learned in Ecology means "my role in the environment". Before I went, my parents thought we should go camping. Mediocre hilarity ensues.

The Place













People





Twin and her doggie




Twin and I



My parents said no pictures of them on the internet. Before winter 2004, my stepmom never even thought to utter this words. Then Twin snapped an unflattering picture of B eating eggs and making a face. It's now said every time a picture is taken, unflattering or not. The infamous egg picture has yet to leave my photobucket.



Activities




Relaxing







Bike riding





Camp Fires





Some of us were more happy to leave than others

12. Busy Bumbling

ARGH! Less than a week and I will be moving to Monterey Bay! I'm super excited, however packing and packing related activities have caused quite a rift in my life.


But that stuff is boring. Here are some pictures.

First up are the cacti blooming underneath my bedroom window!











There is this plot of land that has animals on it. Usually GB and I only see them at night. We try to sneak up on the zebra, but their instincts are well tuned and we never get to see them close up. There is also this elk thing we saw one night. He's kind of mythical creature seeing how we only saw him once...in the dark. One morning, GB and I were on a bike ride at 6am. Everytime we ride past this place, we spend at least 15 minutes there.




Zebra!






This guy was super friendly.












Look how close he came to us :D

















I see you, donkey.







Since I'm packing, I thought it might be able time to go through the garage. I made a post on FREEcycle and put together a "Really, Really, Free Market". No one showed up! I was pretty bummed because I really wanted all this stuff to go where it need to, but it didn't. It all was donated to the charity shop early today.









So organized!




I found these in a box. I put them in an opening on the path to leads to my door. No one suspects a thing...




Now onto the best part....the swapping! I was a little late on a few swaps, but hopefully my partners understand.


This is my self portrait. I started this in early July. It doesn't look a thing that how I started! I went through a moment of where I had no idea on what to do with it. GB helped me cut the frame down about 4-6 inches. I think it turned out pretty decent.








close ups





Oh, I hosted a swap awhile back (Alter a Thirft Store Painting). One girl flaked. I've been meaning to find time to finish this angel and I did this weekend.




Original




My Alteration. I think it came out really cool!




Oh, last Sunday I went to LadyFEST IE. SO MUCH FUN! The bands were incredible. I loved every second of it. No original pics, unfortunately. I had a blast, though.

So that is everything I've been up to lately. I also made a ATC of my partner, but out of respect of the internet code, I won't post it cause I didn't ask for permission to post her picture or anything. I'm supposed to go camping tomorrow and a show at a bar on Sunday. My days are pretty packed until moving day. I'm so nervous D:

I'm a Blogger, Floow me PART 2

Second part of this wonderful swap :D I've been so busy lately. GB turned 21. Can you say Montely Crue cover band? Oh yeah. I've been working on my "Waste Not, Want Not" 7 day experience, but I will get into that later. Also, more picture to update!

But for now, i leave you with blog reviews. These are the last five of this swap. Just to refresh, this swap involved following ten people and having ten people follow you. It's a great way to gain exposure to other blogs!


@AnaGoncalves

What a great eye with the camera! Her other blog also shows her wonderful talent. I love crafting, so it makes sense I would enjoy a crafting blog :D I love the information on the sustainable eco-systems!! I'm excited to be a follower!



@sparsilevacivity

I feel like this blog is going to keep me super informed about whats new and exciting :D I love that shes into t-shirt reconstruction! I'll be really looking forward to those posts. I like review-style blogs and (since me and this blogger are the same age practically!) there seems to be more to come from this blog that will be enjoyable to read.

@scrappinauntie

Oooo, orange! First off, how ADORABLE is her info? I like people who come off as really happy about their lives. It's inspiring, in a way. The signature after every entry is a really cool idea! I'm getting a lot of "feel good" vibes from this place and it's great :D


@3stairs


ATC GALORE! It makes me wish I took a picture of my first ATC :( I like how she incorporates a "Friday Fill-in" it's a neat little idea where the entries appear to be short, sweet, and to the point. The just allow the reader to gain a better sense of the person behind the blog.

@NikonGoddess

This blog had me when my eyes laid on that wonderful potato recipe which graced the first post! I love how optimistic she is when she talks about swapping. The "100 that make me happy" post was such a good idea! I'm looking forward to this blog. Plus, most of the recipes can be vegan-ized :D

10. I'm a blogger, Follow me part 1

This swap was to interact with more blogs. To follow 10 blogs and have 10 blogs follow you. That's a chance to gain insight to 20 new blogs! It was really cool that so many people joined this swap. It's unifying, in a way, because it shows that we all are looking for a way to connect with more people.


This is the first half of the blogs I plan on featuring. The next half will be up tomorrow :D. Enjoy & happy swapping.





@glendas

The layout is so playful! My favorite entry so far is the one where she takes in baby sheep! It's complete with pictures and it's super adorable. To be honest, all the pictures in this blog are pretty stunning. I'm really looking forward to reading more because I'm really into learning about small family farms because of their sustainability in the world. Super self-sufficient and I think that's awesome!


@sharylove

This blog is really informative and open. I'm not a mother, so I feel I can't relate as others may be able. However, this should be considerate an excellent resource! There are many articles on breastfeeding and parenting. The recipe for those cupcakes looks incredible!


@stampkrl

This layout was neat too! I thought the info for this blog was really funny and to the point. I like how open this blog is. It's super inviting into her live and I think that's interesting. And of course, I'm excited for more craft talk from this lady.


@QUEENQUISA

Ah, the mastermind behind this swap :D. I love that I got to see behind the scenes of this swap. Making it as one of the top swaps is really a big deal! The little pictures throughout the posts are fun and interesting. I like that she enjoys recipes cause I do too! This should be great!


@MforShort


Love, love, love the colors o this layout! And she's living in the town that my best friends live in! Double win! I really enjoy the thoroughness of her writing. All of the craft projects that I've seen on here seems super fun and seem family oriented. Even the blog's name has me intrigued and inspired.

9. Surprising Crafts

I know. I'm totally late in sending this swap out. But only cause I have a really hard time planning my day to reach the post office in time. Oh well, it went out today and is only two business days late :)


This was for "Surprise your partner with your craft swap". I obviously choose to make a duct tape wallet. I try some new things that I think came out perfect. I also made an ATC for my partner, but since it has her name on it, I'm a little weary of posting it on the ~interwebs. My partner sent my first dotee doll and two awesome ATCs.

This is the front. I tried to make them look like red sunflowers, but I'm horrible at creating flowers.



This is when it is opened. TONS of pocket space!



The inside. Two more pockets added for good measure.



The out side opened up.



A close up of the back.



And finally, the zipper! This was the first time I attempted a zipper. It was a little difficult, but I will definitely do it again.

A few people I work with want one now. This happened a few years ago when I worked at Curry. I don't mind making them, but I refuse to sell them. Once money becomes involved, it starts to resemble a job. I hate work, so every wallet I make it purely a gift. It was made because I WANTED to, not because I was paid to make it.



Also, everyone should be looking forward to a future blog I'll be working on that deals with the "I'm a Blogger, Follow me" swap :D

8. My day through photos

Along with the vegan french toast, there were some other things I did yesterday.

Took a picture for the Shutter Me up Swap. "Melancholy"




Missed the bus.




Saw Inception. (not my photo...obviously)





Look at the animals on our bike ride home.

It was a pretty decent day.