The end is neigh.

The end to my first book, that is! I'm slowly approaching the end of the first book of my three-part tale. After this, it's tons of editing and then trading it to publishing companies and agents for a few pounds of rejection letters.

Also, I made these:

Other pictures here. They're orange slice earmuffs to go with the citrus scarf. Once again I'm tempted to keep them for myself, but then again I'm broke and trying my damnedest to sell stuff. Still nothing sold. If I can't sell anything on my Etsy shop, I'm going to try selling stuff at a small event we have at the university every March called The Women of Art Expo. Last year a famous tattoo artist of this region was selling her tattooed rubber duckies and made bank (I bought one, too).

I also may start doing Warhammer tabletop. Sean and I were desperately trying to find a hobby to do together, as I'm getting burnt out on video games, so we decided Warhammer was sufficiently nerdy enough.

New stuff + update.

Sorry I haven't posted very much recently. After the holidays, there's so much to do: cleaning, playing with new toys like the PS3 that Sean's parents generously bought for us, and crocheting. I've been crocheting like crazy lately, even though I just started not too long ago. There's something extremely satisfying about it... I guess because I'm making stuff you can actually use instead of just making stuff to look at.

Anyway, I spent about 3 days making this scarf, and I think it turned out pretty well:

I wish I had a better camera, because I'm so proud of this thing and the pictures make it look like crap.

Another thing I've been doing recently is working on my Etsy shop. I've been making a variety of items for it as well as adding things I've had sitting around for a while... jewelry, hemp, a painting, and crochet. Still have not sold a single thing. I'd like the get more traffic to it, but I can't afford the advertising program right now.

Speaking of not being able to afford anything, the holidays have made me broke. I didn't buy anyone presents this year, just made some, but somehow I still ended up with no money. I've paid all the bills besides rent, and I have a grand total of $9 in my checking account besides the rent money. Sean and I gathered our change yesterday to buy a loaf of bread at the gas station so we could eat something. Ah, the joys of being a college student.

And then, jumping to being a college student, I have one more semester and I'm done. I need just one class, so I'm taking some useless classes to fill my financial aid requirements. One class I'm taking, however, is equally useless and cool. It's called Folk Art, and in this class they teach you weaving (knitting, crocheting, etc), quilting, tinsmithing and metalworking, bookbinding, dollmaking, and other cool stuff. I'm really looking forward to it, and hopefully it'll add some unique stuff to my Etsy inventory that no one will buy.

On a final note, they are adding a Gloria Jeans to the complex they're building in my town. In fact, they're adding several awesome things that we don't have: a Dairy Queen, the Gloria Jeans, an Orange Julius, and a Little Caesar's (already have that, but it's on the other side of town). I had Gloria Jeans coffee twice: once in a coffee variety pack last Christmas, and once a few days ago when Sean and I went to Morgantown and they had one there. I had a Butter Nut Rum mocha... it was awesome.

I'm thinking about applying to the Gloria Jeans, as it's five minutes away from my apartment instead of twenty-five, and I could work there in the mornings before my evening classes. Plus, free coffee. Who doesn't want that?

Etsy shop is now open!

So I finally set up my Etsy shop. I've only got a few items right now, but I'm working on quite a few more things to add. It's at this address. I wish my camera wasn't a piece of crap so the items wouldn't look fuzzy, but I guess I have to work with what I've got.

My fingers are bleeding.

Since it's Christmastime and I'm horrendously poor, I decided to make stuff. My last name is Webb, which is Old English for weaver, so what's better than weaving things? I picked up crochet again, and here are a few of the things I've made.

Scarf for my mom.

Scarf for my other mom (Sean's mumsy).

A headband (adding to shop inventory).


The beginnings of a bag, which I'll also attempt to sell when it's done.

I'm not great at it yet, but I guess it'll do.

On another note, yesterday I very briefly attended my work's Christmas party, only to drop off my present to my Secret Santa receivee. Besides a couple of coworkers that don't hate me, I just felt so unwelcome. I feel like that everywhere. At school, at work, in public. I feel like I don't belong anywhere anymore.

To be truthful, I don't really have any friends in real life. I mean, there's people I'll talk to, but no one I actually hang out with. People I think are friends end up being a completely different person than I thought, or they lose interest pretty quickly. Even though I was among the weird outcasts in high school, I still had an entire group of weird outcasts to hang out with, and we always had a ton of fun. They've all went their separate ways now... out of town, state, and even country.

I've been tempted to come back to WoW because I had friends there. When I had a seizure last year, I logged into WoW because I had no one else to talk to while Sean headed home to see if I was okay.

The only real friend I have in real life is Sean. Still, he can't keep me from being lonely all the time. I feel so alone. Is being an adult this lonesome?

Well, back to crocheting.

Oh, winter...

So last week, there was a huge blizzard heading across the states and Canada. It slammed Minnesota and Michigan, rained destruction upon Illinois and Indiana, bitch-slapped Ohio, and when it got to us, it just flat-out sodomized us.

Oh, wait. That's right. The 2 feet they were calling for never happened. We got a light dusting and that was that. A sprinkle of fairy dust.

Then today, this showed up.

You probably can't tell from the crap pictures, but it's at four inches and still snowing. I live in West Virginia, so of course my apartment is situated at the bottom of two hills. Driving home, I slid all the way down. I should be used to it by now, as this has been the only way to get down that hill these past several winters. Still, there's nothing quite like plummeting down a hill without a damn thing you can do as you come to a stop sideways in the road.

At school, the sidewalks were terrible. I was sliding all over the place, thinking about the disabled students who had to somehow wheel their way through this. As my mom would say, it was slicker than pig snot (shut up, we like our country sayings).

It is pretty, but not pretty enough to bust your ass or wreck your car for.

GO AWAY SNOW

Watercolor time!

I've really enjoyed doing abstract watercolors based on dreams and psychosis, so here's a new one (the green is still a little wet in the picture).

It's nice to get away from realism for a while after doing it for so long.

Finals = over!

So after lots of stress, getting things done last-minute, projects, papers, presentations, and wanting to jump off a bridge, I am done with finals! I've only taken 12 hours this semester, and it has been far more stressful than any other semester so far (even my 21 hour one). I think it was just the mere workload of the classes, since they were all senior level:

Art History (1450-1750): I love art history, but I found this class much harder than my Impressionist/Post-Impressionist and Modern Art class. I think it's because religious art bores me. Plus, the papers and exams were rough. I do have a newfound love for Baroque Dutch art, however.

Water Media: My watercolor class. Oh, I know, sounds like fun, painting with watercolors all day. It is fun, and I've discovered my niche, but this class was demanding. You have to paint several watercolors everyday, as well as finish an enormous final project at the end. Still fun, though.

Area Studies: This class is kind of like an independent work class that meets a few times during the semester for critiques. They absolutely hammer you and don't hold back. I came back after every critique in tears, never wanting to paint again. However, it really pushed my boundaries and I had a positive critique at the end, which was rather satisfying.

Graphics Practicum: My graphics internship. I interned under a wonderful lady that runs the student activities and organizations, where I did posters, pamphlets, t-shirt designs, website updates, cards, and more. There was always lots to do, but it helped me realize my strengths and weaknesses and improve upon them. In addition to the actual internship work, I had to write a brief essay and keep work logs every two weeks. At the end, I had to write a 5-page summary essay, do a presentation on the internship, and lots more to hand in.


Next semester will finally, definitely be my last. That makes for me being in college for five years, which kind of sucks but I guess isn't so bad when I changed my major 4 times (Political Science to Biology to Chemistry to finally Graphic Design/Fine Arts) and transferred from WVU to a smaller university in my hometown. Plus, I have a minor in Spanish, and foreign language minors tend to require several classes.

I want to just be done with academia, but now I am seriously considering undertaking grad school. Of all things, for a Master's in Art History. I know, sounds as useful as a doctorate in Underwater Basket Weaving, but I've always wanted to say I had a Master's degree. Also, the coolest professor I know is my art history teacher, who is the smartest woman in the world and knows everything ever about art. I want a Master's in Art History so I also have the ability to teach undergraduates on a university level, as well as have the opportunity to be a curator. I'm already picking up a second class (Gallery Management) so I can have a minor in art history.

Well, I'm going to go nurse this migraine.

More cranes.

Well, here's the last of my painted cranes. I know it doesn't look it, but it took me forever to paint these damn things, as well as fold them since they're kind of unwieldly. Now I just have to get fishing line and string them up. The first two pictures are my second "new Japan," while the last four are my two "old Japan" cranes.

(This one's my favorite!)

Insane cranes.

I've spent about 21 hours on this watercolor project, and I don't think I ever want to see another origami crane again. I've painted four large ones in total, and those are a huge pain to fold. In addition, I folded another twenty small cranes. Finally, today, I'm going to string them all up. I was on crane #10 when I started to lose my mind slightly.

There is a legend that if you fold 1,000 origami cranes, a real crane will visit you and grant you one wish. I think this is true. After you've folded that many cranes, your sanity starts to collapse and a hallucination of a crane will appear before you, magicking your giant cake or swimming pool full of raspberry jello, and you will believe it. Then, you are carted away by some nice men in white coats where they put you in a comfy room lined with pillows and give you a white jacket of your own.

Seeing as I don't want to even look at my cranes now, I'll post some pictures later.

In the other creative aspect of my life, my novel is going relatively well besides those dreaded speed bumps known as writer's block and "responsibility" (i.e. finals). I've decided instead of writing one massive, unwieldly book that it's turning out to be, Citadel will now be a trilogy. I'm pretty certain I have enough material for three books. Since Kishna is one who controls the elements, each individual book will have a title reflecting this. So far the working titles are Spirit Winds, Chaos Waters, and Forests of Blood and Fire.

I think three books is a good way to go, since it seems like my pace is a little too fast already and this will give some opportunity to even it out. Also, once I finish the first one I can try to seek a publisher and be working on the second one while that's happening. If I ever get good enough to be published, that is.

First painted crane.

As you may know, for my final project in my Water Media class, I'm working on origami cranes that represent old Japan (geisha, tea houses, daimyo, samurai, Shinto, etc) and new Japan (video games, anime, new media, weird fashions, etc). Here's my first crane, "new Japan."

Every visible part is painted, so you would have to look all over the crane to see all of the paintings, even inside some partially visible flaps. The whole crane is not painted, though; I've made a template planning out which parts will be seen and therefore painted and which parts are completely hidden.

One down, three to go.

Crochet piggies!

I recently took up crochet again and decided to try my hand at an easy amigurumi (a Japanese crocheted toy). So, I made a green pig.

He sucks but I think he's cute. I plan on giving it to my mom who collects pigs. Next time I'll try something more challenging, and with limbs.

100 Questions

I found this questionnaire and decided why not. If you're bored, fill it out for yourself too!


1. What is your name and age?
Brittany, 22

2. What's your favorite color?
Green!

3. What languages can you speak?
English obviously. Spanish with near fluency (7 years of it and a minor to boot), some Japanese (enough to get by), and a little bit of Irish Gaelic.

4. If you can live in any time period and place besides the present and where you live now, what would it be?
Paris during the Impressionist Art era. Everything about it is so bohemian.

5. What's your favorite book of all time?
I have lots, but I'm probably going to go with American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I love his work and mythology, and what better book than that.

6. What's your favorite movie of all time?
Once again I have lots, but I'll probably go with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

7. What's your sign?
Leo, rawr.

8. If you were to get three wishes, what would they be?
To get my book published and be crazily successful, to be happy, and to live a long life with Sean.

9. What's your biggest fault?
Probably my explosive anger.

10. What's the weirdest thing about you?
Well, lots of things. I'll go with two. I'm 22 years old and every night I sleep with a stuffed tiger (named Shawn) that Sean gave me when I was in the hospital at 19. The other thing, I hallucinate a lot. Not just visual hallucinations, but auditory and tactile.

11. What are some of your hobbies?
I have lots! I like working with my hands a lot. Drawing, writing, painting, watercolor, origami, crochet, video games, studying languages, reading, macrame, and 3D art.

12. What was the worst day of your life?
I guess I have two again. The first was the day I found out my dad was leaving us, and he told me he had never loved me. The second was around my third day in the hospital during a week-long stay with a kidney infection. By that point I was literally on my deathbed and seriously thought I was going to die.

13. Vampires or werewolves?
Mummies.

14. Coffee or tea?
I like both, but I'm usually in the mood for one or the other.

15. Chocolate or vanilla?
Pfft, chocolate.

16. Day or night?
Night, I'm a total night owl.

17. Gold or silver?
Silver, gold looks tacky on pasty people like me in my opinion.

18. Republican or Democrat?
I'm a registered Democrat, though both parties are pretty off their rockers right now.

19. Cake or pie?
Pie! Blackberry pie is the best.

20. Where do you live?
West (by god) Virginia, in a town about an hour away from Pittsburgh.

21. Do you like where you live?
I'm not crazy about the town itself, I prefer the town about 20 minutes away that I plan moving to. I love West Virginia, though, and would never leave it unless the United States really does go insane and I have to move to Norway.

22. What places would you like to visit?
Definitely Ireland, especially Dublin and the Gaeltacht. I'd also love to visit the UK, but especially Scotland. I'd also like to visit Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Norway, Denmark, Argentina, Mexico (the Yucatan Peninsula especially), Spain, Germany, and Papua New Guinea.

23. What's your education level?
After one more semester I'll have a Bachelor's of Science in Graphic Design and Fine Arts with a minor in Spanish.

24. Do you believe in God?
Not in the same sense most people believe in a god.

25. What's your first memory?
Looking out the window when we lived in South Carolina... I think I was 3. The curtains were white and blowing around me and I thought they were friendly ghosts.


26. What's your favorite memory?
Meeting Sean. I was in my second day of Political Science 101 at WVU in my freshman year and a cute guy rushed to sit beside me. I noticed his shirt (Johnny the Homicidal Maniac) and had an urge to strike up a conversation with him, which really never happens with me. He started first though. Turns out he lived right above me in the dorms... exact same room, just one floor up. We've been together 4 1/2 years now.


27. What's your scariest memory?
Almost being stabbed along with my mom in our own back yard by a loony. That and my first car wreck (T-boned a guy going 40, my fault, and luckily didn't hurt him), along with having a seizure about a year ago. The seizure was scary because I had no idea what happened to me.


28. What's your favorite drink?
If we're talking general, Diet Dr. Pepper (which sucks because I'm trying to give up pop). If we're talking alcoholic, Irish trash can or Dr. Pepper and rum.


29. What's your favorite food?
Well, I have lots. Food is pretty grand. I'll either go with the shrimp fajitas from Mi Pueblo or squid sushi.


30. If zombies were to attack and destroy the world, how long would you survive?
I'd like to think a good long while... I've seen a lot of horror movies and have read The Zombie Survival Guide.


31. What's your favorite animal?
I have so many... I love animals. Tigers, okapi, timber wolves, sea turtles, cuttlefish (more like cuddlefish), giraffes, ball pythons, monitors, pigs, blue whales.


32. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
Definitely dog person.


33. What's your favorite restaurant?
The Poky Dot... lots of good memories there, plus good food and the best cheesecake ever (homemade cheesecake in lots of flavors like Twix and Mudslide, plus holiday flavors like Gingerbread and Irish Creme).


34. Where were you born?
Atlantic City, New Jersey


35. Where will you die?
A mile above the earth at 102, skydiving with Sean. That or I'll spontaneously combust in two seconds.


36. Do you want kids?
I want one, a boy, when I'm in my late 20s or early 30s.


37. What is your favorite musician that you're ashamed to admit you like?
Lady Gaga.


38. What's your most embarrassing moment?
I was walking down the stairs during high school, reading my fourth rejection letter from the National Honor Society (I didn't get in because I didn't play a sport, my 4.0 GPA and AP classes didn't matter), when I missed a step and fell in front of 30 spectators.


39. What was your best subject in school?
English. I loved the writing, I loved the novels we read, and I'm a grammar Nazi.


40. What do you want to do with your life?
I really don't know. I'd love to be a writer, but those chances are low, so at this point I have no idea.


41. What's the grossest thing about you?
I have terrible dandruff.


42. Do you believe in aliens?
Of course. The universe is inifite, or at least near-infinite, plus there's the string theory and multiple universe theory. We can't be the only life in the universe.


43. Do you believe in ghosts?
Yep. I don't care what people say, my old house was haunted by an old lady and her fat black ghost kitty.


44. Do you believe in angels?
No.


45. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Mint chocolate chip.


46. What's your favorite scent?
Vanilla or Old Spice (reminds me of Sean).


47. What's your favorite holiday?
Halloween!


48. Do you ever want to get married?
Of course! I've already got ideas.


49. What's your favorite season?
Autumn.


50. Name three things that are closest to you right now.
My computer, a skein of yarn with a partial scarf, and a sketchbook.


51. What's the most painful moment of your life?
Waking up from gallbladder surgery with no painkillers. I woke myself up because I was screaming so loud.


52. What social class do you fall under?
Lower middle class, technically.


53. Can you ride a bike?
Yep, and without training wheels too!


54. Can you dance?
Hahahaha. No.


55. Can you sing?
No, but I do anyway.


56. Can you play an instrument?
Guitar.


57. What's your biggest dream?
To become a successful novelist. If not, to own a coffee/wine/sandwich and soup cafe.


58. Who's your favorite celebrity?
I'm not really a fan of celebrities. If I had to pick one I guess it'd be Johnny Depp or Cillian Murphy, and only because they're pretty.


59. What's your biggest fear?
Something bad happening to Sean. That, and slugs. Small spaces too.


60. Who's your favorite band?
I have so many. I cycle through phases of favorite bands, and right now it's between Otep and Jack Off Jill.


61. Would you rather be poor and happy or rich and unhappy?
Poor and happy. I've got the poor part down already.

62. Would you rather be deaf or blind?
Deaf. I love music but I can't live without art.

63. Would you rather be fat and have a pretty face or thin and ugly?
I guess the first.

64. Would you rather live a long, boring life or a short, exciting one?
Honestly, a long and boring life. I have stuff I want to get done.

65. Wine or beer?
Wine. West Virginia Mountain Spice Wine is the best.

66. Summer or winter?
Autumn?

67. What's your clothing style?
My own, I guess. I have a mixture of goth, punk, hippie, and weirdo clothes.

68. What's your hair style?
For now, a short red bob.

69. What's your shoe style?
Uh... comfortable?

70. If you had to choose killing one random person in the world to take a million dollars, or passing both up, what would you choose?
Honestly, I'd back away. I'd be afraid of killing a cute kid or a sweet grandma instead of a serial rapist/killer/cannibal.

71. Why is the sky blue?
Because you touch yourself at night.

72. What's the meaning of life?
To live, do stuff, and die.

73. Whales or dolphins?
Dolphins, they have a better texture and don't taste as bitter.

74. Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean?
Pacific, it's where R'lyeh is.

75. Simpsons or Family Guy?
I never liked the Simpsons and Family Guy isn't as funny anymore. So Futurama and American Dad.

76. True Blood or Twilight?
True Blood, the vampires are actual vampires that burst into flame in the sunlight and don't sparkle and eat people and have lots of crazy vampire sex. Plus, Eric.

77. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?
For books, I just enjoy Harry Potter more. For movies, Lord of the Rings by a long shot.

78. New York or Los Angeles?
The country, where I can play mah banjo and chew mah spittin tabacker.

79. Do you watch TV?
Not really. I have some series I watch on Netflix but I haven't watched actual television in four years now.

80. Do you go on the Internet a lot?
I'm an addict.

81. Movies or books?
I love both. I get in the mood for one or the other in cycles.

82. Do you drink (alcohol)?
Occasionally, but it's rare.

83. Do you speed?
I used to but I'm too poor to afford a speeding ticket.

84. Do you curse?
I fucking spout shit like a goddamn sailor.

85. Have you ever been arrested?
No.

86. Have you ever gotten a ticket?
Yep, three.

87. Have you ever been in a car wreck?
Yep, one so far and hopefully it stays that way.

88. Have you ever gotten into a fist fight?
No, but I've sparred in karate.

89. Have you ever broken something in anger?
A few things.

90. Have you ever hurt an animal?
Unless you count the frogs I accidentally drowned when I was 4, no.

91. Do you like football?
American, no. Soccer, yes.

92. The beach or the mountains?
I love the mountains but the ocean air is a nice change now and then.

93. What's the stupidest thing in the world?
Everything, including the things I like.

94. What's the best thing in the world?
At the risk of sounding corny, love.

95. Do you have lots of friends?
I don't really have any friends I hang out with, just those I see occasionally.

96. Are you a procrastinator or a hard worker?
I'm both. I procrastinate then bust my ass to get it done.

97. Are you a good student?
I think so. 3.6 GPA, but I'm starting not to care.

98. What are you proudest of?
How much of my novel I've managed to write despite its suck.

99. What are you the least proud of?
My explosive anger issues.

100. Last question! Describe yourself in one word.
Weird.

The hellish winter season begins...

I dislike snow quite a bit. This is bad, considering it tends to snow in the mountains and I happen to live in a state completely covered by mountains. Last night, it was raining and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank god it's only rain. A few degrees colder and it would've been snow."

We get home and I watch a movie and crochet. When I look out the window again, low and behold, the demonic flakes of hell start raining upon us.

"Well, the ground probably isn't cold enough. I doubt it'll stick."

A few hours later, it starts to snow harder. I should really learn to keep my mouth shut when it comes to weather, because of course it started to stick.

My backyard as of 8:30 AM, bringing terrible tiding from the evil skies, with only more to come.

After last year's winter, I have to say I'm pretty snowed out. When I was a kid, snow was awesome. Snow meant snow days filled with making snowmen and angels and igloos and snowball fights and sledding, to come in hours afterward to hot chocolate and video games. Now that I'm an adult in college, this means nothing. 2 feet of snow? Too bad! Get to class, chump. Freezing rain and sleet and the interstate is covered? Pity, you have to go to work so you can afford your heat.

Last winter, the snow began pretty early. It was smaller snows... 6 inches here, a light dusting there. Then, it keep snowing. And snowing. And snowing and snowing. Snowstorms turned to blizzards. Multiple blizzards raining down flakes so huge that you couldn't see a foot in front of you for all the white. Eventually, we were snowed in.

Being snowed in was pretty sweet at first. It was a state of emergency, so that meant no class. But then, after the 3 feet of snow refused to melt and a 4 inch sheet of ice covered it, we started to get worried. Because we had no food. We had a couple of packets of ramen and some canned vegetables. I hiked to my mom's house with the snow up to my thighs in order to get some deer meat so we could eat something besides chow mein.

This went on all winter. The snow never really stopped. It'd begin to melt, and we cheered. Then it snowed again and we locked ourselves back inside.

The biggest reason I hate the snow is because I hate driving in it. Have you ever driven on the interstate with a foot of snow in a blizzard going 35 so you wouldn't die only to have a tractor trailer speed by you at 80 MPH, barely missing you? It's pretty terrifying.

Last winter, Sean almost had a terrible wreck because of the weather, too. He lost control on the interstate and slammed into a snow bank. Thank god the bank was there and extremely fluffy, or he could've been seriously hurt.

The true face of evil.

So in conclusion, snow needs to go back up into the sky and stay there.