Bookstore Buys; Part One?

The Wrath & The Dawn - by Renee Ahdieh 

"Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all."

Where to buy: http://a.co/aRCAnMI

The Merciless  - by Danielle Vega

"Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.

 
Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.
 
Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls...unless she wants to be next."

Where to buy: http://a.co/chKQxjB

The Shadow Queen - by Sandra Gulland

"The daughter of actors, Claudette has been playing different roles since she was a child. After settling in Paris, where her mother becomes a star, Claudette finds a position as personal assistant to Athénaïs de Montespan, the highly influential mistress of Louis XIV, and France’s “Shadow Queen.” But amid the gilded opulence of the newly-constructed Versailles, she is shocked to discover that the Court’s veneer of respectability and glamour conceals just as many plots and deceptions as the stage. 

As she is caught up in Athénaïs’s paranoia and desperation to keep the King’s attention, Claudette is forced to consider a move that will risk her own life—and that of the family she loves so dearly."

Where to buy: http://a.co/fQBALfP

Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories from History Without the Fairy-Tale Endings - by Linda McRobbie

"You think you know her story. You’ve read the Brothers Grimm, you’ve watched the Disney cartoons, and you cheered as these virtuous women lived happily ever after. But real princesses didn't always get happy endings. Sure, plenty were graceful and benevolent leaders, but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power—and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets. Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe was a Nazi spy. Empress Elisabeth of the Austro-Hungarian empire slept wearing a mask of raw veal. Princess Olga of Kiev slaughtered her way to sainthood while Princess Lakshmibai waged war on the battlefield, charging into combat with her toddler son strapped to her back. Princesses Behaving Badly offers true tales of all these princesses and dozens more in a fascinating read that's perfect for history buffs, feminists, and anyone seeking a different kind of bedtime story."

Where to buy: http://a.co/igPQfcU

*I will be adding my first thoughts and opinions later on.

My Love For Gelatoni

Gelatoni is A Disney Friend of Duffy the Disney Bear. He was introduced as the newest friend of Duffy in July of 2014, following the introduction of ShellieMay in 2014. Gelatoni is exclusive to Tokyo DisneySea and Hong Kong Disneyland and has not yet made his debut in the American parks.

Gelatoni is an adorable italian painter that lives in the Mediterranean Harbor in Tokyo DisneySea. His hobbies include painting pictures with his tail and making new friends. He has greenish-gray fur and bright blue eyes with a white face, ears, and paws. Just like Duffy and ShellieMay, Gelatoni also has "hidden Mickey's" on his front and back paws, however he is missing the shape on his bottom.

*A post I will probably never finish but that I have had sitting in my drafts for months. Maybe one day I will add more..

The last few days I have started to play with my dolls more than I have in the last few months. Before I moved in with my boyfriend and had to completely change my daily routines I was constantly writing, drawing, and working on my doll's personalities and stories. I let the stress of being an "adult" distract me from a very important creative outlet and hobby in my life.

I have several dolls that belong to a specific story that I have created. These dolls are the most important to me and are the ones I usually focus on the most, although I do have dolls that have their own stories and worlds.

One of the very first dolls I purchased for myself is named Clover, whom I bought in 2014. I never intended on creating a story and intricate personality for her, however the more I thought about her the more I fell in love with her. She will always be important to me and she has helped create and mold the artist I am today.

The current manifestation of Clover; my favorite so far.

The next doll I purchased was Clover's sister Bumble. At the time she was my most expensive doll purchase so far. In my mind I had the perfect doll picked out to represent this character but she unfortunately sold out the day I was ready to purchase her. I had to settle for a similar face just a slightly different expression. However I am very happy and excited to announce that I have finally ordered the doll that was originally meant to be Bumble. The change is not even that different or remarkable but it means a lot to me. She has already shipped out through EMS so I am expecting her very soon.

The current face of Bumble, still as sweet as ever.

The many adorable faces of Bumble. The one on the right is on her way to me.

The next doll to arrive at my house was a Pinkie Cooper doll that would become my character Beatrix, a super cute little bunny girl. She became one of my largest and most difficult craft projects involving my dolls. I completely changed the entire look of the doll. I bought her a new body, sculpted her some ears, and even repainted her. Even though she is now just a display doll she will always be important to me.

The most recent appearance of Beatrix on my YouTube channel.

Next I purchased the character that would be the driving force behind my doll's main story. I fixed her hair and painted a cute, tiny star on her forehead. Although she isn't nearly as developed as Clover or Bumble I still really enjoying playing around with her. I need to work more on fleshing out more of her backstory and overall personality. I know little details but I have yet to figure out a larger picture of who she is.

My beautiful Betelgeuse.

I received a few other dolls after the arrival of Betelgeuse, but they don't relate to their story so I will talk about them at another time. 

My next purchase was just meant to be for fun but this doll wormed her way into my heart and this story. She is Clover's innocent and shy little girlfriend. I am actually pondering the idea of having her replace Beatrix;s role in the story. I would like to have her character play a more important role than just being a love interest for my main character.

The beautiful, mysterious Margot.

It feels good to be playing with my dolls again and I am hoping that they can spark some new creativity in me. I have already got a few sketch ideas in mind and I need to get to work on those before I lose them.

Thank you for reading.

First Printmaking Project

A couple weeks ago I started working on the design for the first assignment in my printmaking class. I had a couple ideas floating around in my head already and there is one character in particular that I haven't stopped drawing for a few weeks now.

So I decided to draw a more realistic version of this girl that I have fallen in love with. I used some pictures of my own face to design the picture and I am so happy with how it came out. I couldn't stop looking at it for a few days. Even working on it in class I was already receiving compliments and good feedback. I even got a compliment from the head of the art department at my college.

I decided to trace the image normally onto the linoleum block so that whenever I printed it the image would be flipped. Carving the image out was more difficult than I expected but thankfully I only made a few mistakes and none that were too horrible.

The printing process was an absolute nightmare though and I had a breakdown in the middle of the night because I was so angry about it. I wasted so much newsprint trying to make a decent proof that I eventually gave up and emailed my professor a super long paragraph explaining my situation and thankfully she gave me an extension. I was so annoyed the night that I was trying to make my final prints that I deeply considered dropping the class.

Apart from my anger at trying to print I have also been contemplating different things I can do with this design. I am planning on scanning in the original copy to edit on the computer and eventually slap onto a t-shirt. I think it would look really cool on a t-shirt or hoodie. I even made a silly edit to see how it might look.

Hopefully I will get time to work on this soon. I've got more designs in my mind that I would like to put on to t-shirts eventually. It is exciting actually having new ideas on what I can do with my art.

Thank you for reading.

A Magical Day

Last Tuesday Kyle and I went out shopping and had an incredible day together. We went to some of our favorite shops and I was finally able to take him to one of the best local bookstores.

Since I am taking Photo One this semester we have been spending a lot of time at Calagaz, the best camera shop in my time. We have been there three times in the last two weeks and are quickly becoming regulars. On Tuesday we picked up a nice yellow filter for my Nikon as well as an adorable vintage Yashica camera; brand new for a perfect price.  We also got enough film to last us for a while for both cameras. I was reluctant to look at the camera straps since I never find one that I like but this trip they had an incredible vintage Mickey Mouse strap. It doesn't fit my camera but I think I can figure out a way to get it to work.

In our excitement of buying a new point and shoot camera I quickly began searching for a good camera bag to carry it in. We found a great deal on a vintage Yashica bag that is the perfect size for our camera. Whom I have decided to name Yoshi. However the bag isn't even the best part! It also comes with another cute Yashica camera. I really hope it works because I would love to have it for myself since Kyle has claimed Yoshi. I didn't tell him that I actually ordered it so I am hoping to surprise him with it whenever it arrives. I can't wait for it to get here and I can't wait to use it if the camera really does work.

After we left Calagaz we went to Hobby Lobby (I hate giving them my money) because they are the only craft store in town that actually had the size of Newsprint I needed. I also picked up a new sketchbook and a brayer for printmaking. Thankfully there was a sale going on so I was able to get a somewhat reduced price.

I already have several drawings I want to put into my new sketchbook and I would also like to decorate the cover, although I am not entirely sure how I will..

Our next stop was Hawsey's Book Index which is a very magical and cozy used bookstore. I have been shopping here with my family for years, but Kyle had never even heard of it before. We have been trying for months to visit and we finally took the time to look up the directions!

We were able to talk to the owner while we were there and she gave us some of the history of the store. She talked a lot about the impact that e-books have had on her business. I own a Nook myself but I mainly use it for the books that I can't find at either Barnes & Nobles or Hawsey's. I like to know that I am helping, even if it is only a little bit. I usually buy between five and six books when I go; the most I have bought was at least seven.

I usually search for the oldest copy on the shelf, since they normally have several versions of the same books; some older and some newer. I always grab the dirtiest and dingiest book. I love how worn they are and I enjoy being able to see and imagine how many people have thumbed through the pages and stayed up late reading the story. I like for my books to have a visible history and I want to be able to contribute to that history.

I picked up four books on this trip to the bookstore and I am excited to read them. I am starting with The Shining and it is so hard to put down. I am very eager to read The Search for Wondla, as well.

Kyle picked up some other interesting books that I think I might have to borrow one day.

• Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, and Hard Times by Charles Dickens
• Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk
• The Nursery Rhyme Murders by Agatha Christie

We both had a wonderful time together and we are already excited for our next trip. We are hoping that these new books will encourage us to take more time out of our day to sit and read together. We have done so a few times; sitting out on the back porch with our plants. I would like to try to read for at least ten to fifteen minutes before bed. However we have been watching a lot of tv before passing out in bed around midnight...

Thank you for reading.

I will be using this space to record my life and record my thoughts and ideas. My name is Opal and I am just your regular art student; struggling with my art, interests, and health. I live with my boyfriend in a cute little house that we are making our own. This is our first year together and our anniversary is September 5th. I have two cats, Ollivander and Charlie, and countless stuffed animals that I take pictures of as if they were my pets.

This year I am working on becoming a better human being in every way possible. I am trying to eat better and push myself harder in ballet, be a nicer person, be more outgoing and expressive, explore my city and travel more... I just want to learn more and experience new things..

I enjoy reading, taking simple photographs of everyday occurrences in my life, and spending quiet time with the love of my life. Lately I have been drawing more and documenting more of my life with simple videos and my 35mm Nikon film camera.

I am also obsessed with history, mostly the renaissance period and the middle ages. I love old fairy tales and grand adventure stories. I love the long beautiful dresses and fancy hairstyles. I mostly love period films in general, Jane Eyre, The Secret Garden... I enjoy drawing characters from other time periods and worlds. My love for history greatly inspires my drawing and writing and many other interests.

My hobbies also include collecting dolls and miniature items for them. They have unique stories and adventures. For a while they were my main source of inspiration for almost everything. I have not been playing with them as much lately but I am hoping to come back to them soon.

I absolutely adore anything Disney related; my favorite characters to collect being Duffy the Disney bear, Goofy, and Stitch. I have a small collection of vintage Disney accessories that I am quite proud of. I am hoping to have a career at Disney one day in the distant future.

These are a few of the relevant facts about me and who I am currently. I am planning on using this journal as a way to remember myself years from now.. Thank you for reading.