Hmm...well, I was thinking of doing a weekly feature write up on an industrial design & its designer, just a small bit on some smexy design. However, there can be nasty legal complications involving copyright, so I would probably have to contact the designers first. And really, is there any point to doing something like that before there's anyone reading? Or is that what you do to gain readership in the first place? I would think that there's got to be a better way... More later when I figure something out.
In the meantime, back to work on bell posters and art history studying.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Lovely
Well, today started horrendously, but makeup, a Guinness and a near two hours of The Tossers live has fixed that. Surprisingly (and somewhat embarrassingly), I do believe that was my first guinness...huh. Anyway, no need to comment on what mucked up the earlier part of the day, but let's say that it was sufficiently heinous. And non-scholastic, so no school worries there. Which reminds me: have I mentioned I'm dropping my minor and its requisite course(s)? That puts me at a whopping 12 hours for the semester. I now have time to get everything done, and possibly extra things (like sleep) too!
In other news, I made some of the most killer brownies ever.
Heavy Brownies
1 19 oz (the boxed kind) brownie mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2? cup water (oil & water on the box)
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 tbs cinnamon sugar (or 1 to 2 tsp plain ol' cinnamon)
1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips
caramel sauce
hot fudge sauce (yes, these'd be the bottled syrupy kinds...)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 9x13 pan.
1. Stir together the mix, eggs, oil, water, extract and cinnamon until most of the lumps are broken up. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Cover the bottom of 9x13 pan with <1/2 batter. Bake ~10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven. Squirt/pour/spoon caramel & fudge sauces over the set mixture. Cover with rest of batter. (Recommendation: add the batter on top from the sides & work to the center. There will be some mixing, but this method keeps most of the sauces from sticking & burning on the sides later.)
4. Bake for...30 minutes (I forgot to actually watch the time, so I don't actually know how long I baked 'em.)
5. Eat them (but not by yourself). You'll want some milk...and possibly some water also. (My opinion: homemade vanilla ice cream with these brownies would potentially kill someone. Maybe not the best plan...)
My batch came out with that dense slightly overdone consistency I love, with the bonus of a creamy, fudgy center. Ridiculously delish. Score.
Is there other news? Nothing of note really. Got to design posters/flyers/table tents tomorrow and also finish up a hard drive reskin. Plus some uber heavy studying for art history and a small type up for advprod. The usual, sorta boring stuff really.
And thanks to sleep deprivation combined with guinness, it is time for bed.
Night, all.
-Renni
In other news, I made some of the most killer brownies ever.
Heavy Brownies
1 19 oz (the boxed kind) brownie mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2? cup water (oil & water on the box)
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 tbs cinnamon sugar (or 1 to 2 tsp plain ol' cinnamon)
1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips
caramel sauce
hot fudge sauce (yes, these'd be the bottled syrupy kinds...)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 9x13 pan.
1. Stir together the mix, eggs, oil, water, extract and cinnamon until most of the lumps are broken up. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Cover the bottom of 9x13 pan with <1/2 batter. Bake ~10 minutes.
3. Remove from oven. Squirt/pour/spoon caramel & fudge sauces over the set mixture. Cover with rest of batter. (Recommendation: add the batter on top from the sides & work to the center. There will be some mixing, but this method keeps most of the sauces from sticking & burning on the sides later.)
4. Bake for...30 minutes (I forgot to actually watch the time, so I don't actually know how long I baked 'em.)
5. Eat them (but not by yourself). You'll want some milk...and possibly some water also. (My opinion: homemade vanilla ice cream with these brownies would potentially kill someone. Maybe not the best plan...)
My batch came out with that dense slightly overdone consistency I love, with the bonus of a creamy, fudgy center. Ridiculously delish. Score.
Is there other news? Nothing of note really. Got to design posters/flyers/table tents tomorrow and also finish up a hard drive reskin. Plus some uber heavy studying for art history and a small type up for advprod. The usual, sorta boring stuff really.
And thanks to sleep deprivation combined with guinness, it is time for bed.
Night, all.
-Renni
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Sea Monsters Need Nibbles Too
So I finally did a quickie photoshop painting/rendering of this sketch I've had for a while. And it's a sea monster. Or an alien. Or something. I'm not really sure what it is quite yet.
Hopefully it's something that will sell at least moderately well.
Over the next several months I intend to expand my ventures quite widely and rapidly. I'd really like to up my income from this to like 1000% of its current profits. We'll see how that goes.
So, here's the link. I'm not putting the straight image, because I don't appreciate thieves. (And I know you're out there somewhere.)
Blargh!
Out for a Midnight Snack Posters from Zazzle.com
In more general specs, this whole parents visiting weekend = acute loneliness...more acute than usual, so I guess that makes it ridiculously sharp or something. Anyway, getting things done helps. I unfortunately did not make it to the store, which is not so good because I still need some supplies for a studio class, and the kitchen is out of dish soap. But, I'm about to crack down like mad on some art history. And it's American art, which is a whole lot cooler than all you naysayers think. :P
Peace out, peeps.
-Renni
Hopefully it's something that will sell at least moderately well.
Over the next several months I intend to expand my ventures quite widely and rapidly. I'd really like to up my income from this to like 1000% of its current profits. We'll see how that goes.
So, here's the link. I'm not putting the straight image, because I don't appreciate thieves. (And I know you're out there somewhere.)
Blargh!
Out for a Midnight Snack Posters from Zazzle.com
In more general specs, this whole parents visiting weekend = acute loneliness...more acute than usual, so I guess that makes it ridiculously sharp or something. Anyway, getting things done helps. I unfortunately did not make it to the store, which is not so good because I still need some supplies for a studio class, and the kitchen is out of dish soap. But, I'm about to crack down like mad on some art history. And it's American art, which is a whole lot cooler than all you naysayers think. :P
Peace out, peeps.
-Renni
Wishing I lived in Britain
Because then I'd be able to watch the BBC broadcast Doctor Who this year starring the eleventh Doctor, played by the incredibly fine Matt Smith. True, I will miss Ten's antics and the remarkable acting of David Tennant (The End of Time = teary eyes...so sad to see him go), but I am extremely excited by Eleven's prospects...and that's just after a whopping whole minute and four seconds onscreen (yes...so sad to see 10 go immediately replaced by an eek yay!!! "Fingers...lots of fingers." "I'm a girl! No! No...I'm not a girl, no. And, and still not ginger!"). And honestly, since the start of the revival with Nine, the show has been getting better and better. Different than the old version's long story arcs and a bit higher F/X budget these days, but completely incredible. Messr Russel T Davies (and to some extent Messr Steven Moffat) is either some sort of god, or on some very potent drug (if the latter, may I have some, please?). In other words, he is a bloody brilliant (and completely wacky) Genius.
But yes, I am particularly jealous of everyone who will get to watch this coming season before me. Which will be everyone in Britain with access to a tv. Or the internet (legally that is).
Rawr.
*contemplates moving for the sake of a television show...checks plane ticket prices...rental rates for flats...checks bank balance...*
Well, I decidedly CANNOT move to Britain, so hopefully Scifi (oh, excuse me; that would be the girlified or whathaveyou "Syfy" channel now), will carry it. It's certainly better than anything they've put out. Ever.
Oh well, time to stop pipedreaming and return to illustrating sea monsters and photo stalking...I mean researching.
Laters, gators.
-Renni
But yes, I am particularly jealous of everyone who will get to watch this coming season before me. Which will be everyone in Britain with access to a tv. Or the internet (legally that is).
Rawr.
*contemplates moving for the sake of a television show...checks plane ticket prices...rental rates for flats...checks bank balance...*
Well, I decidedly CANNOT move to Britain, so hopefully Scifi (oh, excuse me; that would be the girlified or whathaveyou "Syfy" channel now), will carry it. It's certainly better than anything they've put out. Ever.
Oh well, time to stop pipedreaming and return to illustrating sea monsters and photo stalking...I mean researching.
Laters, gators.
-Renni
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
reuhr?
Well, went on choir tour this past weekend. That was pretty good. I did manage to knock a bell off the tree during the opening piece of our final concert, but nobody cared, since it didn't break. We went to city museum in St. Louis - very fun. I had to waltz in a speedway dining stop with three other people. I then failed at rickrolling this unamusing event. Oh well. By the time I got back, I was sore, bruised, dead tired and sad.
Hmm...other news: I'm dropping my minor. Tomorrow. (Today...) I haven't the time to devote to it anymore, and I just can't keep up the pace of the current class. So that's that. :/
Oh yes, Olympics. I'm sort of watching reruns on the internet. But not really. And I think it's sad that the year I don't really care about them at all is a year when I am very close to them - I could have actually gone! But obviously, I didn't.
I very much miss driving. Having the ability to take yourself places to get things done whenever the need arises is very liberating. Being unable to get things when you need them is extremely frustrating and I do not approve. But I don't have a working car right now, much less one that would stand up to all this snow.
Speaking of which - always winter never Christmas...or at least, all this snow and never playtime. I am surrounded by a childhood fantasy and in three years have never been able to act on my inclinations. :(
(Hmm...I seem to be rather emoticonic today.)
Taught a chocolate class last night. Was supposed to do it a week ago so it was before that stupid commercial holiday whose date was Sunday, but I forgot about it so we rescheduled. It went pretty well, though my ratios were a little off. Not that they knew/cared. That lesson reminded me of why I liked theater, and why I should not be a teacher.
Anyway, still supertired. I've decided that's my new mode of living, but hopefully my schedule will kick in tomorrow night (okay, tonight) and things will go back to being totally kickass. Unlike last week where I missed probably half my classes because I couldn't stay awake. Otherwise...I have no idea what will happen. It seems like every time I get things going completely properly, I inadvertently blow them into smithereens, as if I possess some paralyzing subconscious fear of success. Which is a ridiculous idea. (Also, I do not have mono, so that's not what's making me so tired. I'm not really sure what is. Could be any one of a dozen things I suppose. Bets on stupid bioclock and perpetual sleep deprivation of the university atmosphere.)
Anything else important or cool? No not really.
Have a good Ash Wednesday, everyone. (I almost said Happy Lent, but that somehow doesn't sound right...)
-Ren
Hmm...other news: I'm dropping my minor. Tomorrow. (Today...) I haven't the time to devote to it anymore, and I just can't keep up the pace of the current class. So that's that. :/
Oh yes, Olympics. I'm sort of watching reruns on the internet. But not really. And I think it's sad that the year I don't really care about them at all is a year when I am very close to them - I could have actually gone! But obviously, I didn't.
I very much miss driving. Having the ability to take yourself places to get things done whenever the need arises is very liberating. Being unable to get things when you need them is extremely frustrating and I do not approve. But I don't have a working car right now, much less one that would stand up to all this snow.
Speaking of which - always winter never Christmas...or at least, all this snow and never playtime. I am surrounded by a childhood fantasy and in three years have never been able to act on my inclinations. :(
(Hmm...I seem to be rather emoticonic today.)
Taught a chocolate class last night. Was supposed to do it a week ago so it was before that stupid commercial holiday whose date was Sunday, but I forgot about it so we rescheduled. It went pretty well, though my ratios were a little off. Not that they knew/cared. That lesson reminded me of why I liked theater, and why I should not be a teacher.
Anyway, still supertired. I've decided that's my new mode of living, but hopefully my schedule will kick in tomorrow night (okay, tonight) and things will go back to being totally kickass. Unlike last week where I missed probably half my classes because I couldn't stay awake. Otherwise...I have no idea what will happen. It seems like every time I get things going completely properly, I inadvertently blow them into smithereens, as if I possess some paralyzing subconscious fear of success. Which is a ridiculous idea. (Also, I do not have mono, so that's not what's making me so tired. I'm not really sure what is. Could be any one of a dozen things I suppose. Bets on stupid bioclock and perpetual sleep deprivation of the university atmosphere.)
Anything else important or cool? No not really.
Have a good Ash Wednesday, everyone. (I almost said Happy Lent, but that somehow doesn't sound right...)
-Ren
Friday, February 12, 2010
So obviously I don't ever go back and update with recipes. Or anything remotely interesting for that matter. And strangely enough, that doesn't really bother me.
Life is interesting. Pretty sure there's an air-borne mold living in my dorm room. That's tasty. Found a white mold with a red stain in my humidifier filter. Let's just say that the air will be a bit drier for awhile. But, that would explain the insane reaction my bod's been having (ie this whole not getting over bronchitis, continual post-nasal drip, croakiness, fatigue from fighting off infectious bugger, et cetera). Yeah, this whole sick thing is definitely not working. Last week was alright, but it got worse this week again, starting with last Saturday...probably partially thanks to my bus commuting computing errors that put outside in blustery heavy snowfall for at least an hour. Yeah, that shopping trip did not go as planned.
My logistics were solid...but one of my route maps wasn't. Basically, I missed three buses and ended up in a nearby restaurant eating a chicken sandwich and sipping a pomegranate martini. Major props to my friend who came and rescued me. (So wish I had my car! But then, if I'd had my own car, I would not have had the excellent, albeit somewhat oversized & overpriced, martini.)
Right now I have gorgeous pink stains all over my left hand from the juice of fresh cranberries. I wonder if it will come off?
(I made a very high fiber high protein cookie with cranberries, a hint of orange and some miniature chocolate chips. They're not bad, especially considering that one of the main ingredients is Kashi GoLean...a cereal that when I first bought the box, I though might like. I was sadly mistaken.
But less about food, more about...oh I suppose I shall have to do.
Anyhow, choir leaves on tour today. In a mere 6.5 hours I will have to be packed and reported to the headquarters of campus ministry to help load our bells and accoutrements on the bus. Yep, it's a handbell choir. I play the top octave (Dflat7 to C8) and our lowest C & D (which are bigger than my head); however, I don't get to play both ends of the spectrum in the same pieces, so it's not too hectic. What is hectic is figuring out how to fix my life. The academic bit, anyway. The rest of it seems to come with a personalized, to-the-minute, freely updated guidebook these days (available via ... something about a cobweb covering the planet. Sorry, didn't really catch that part...) No, but I have royally screwed up my French class (again - what is it with me and la langue francaise?!) - my 9th year of French and I can no longer manage to right a two page essay?I'm thinking it may be time to drop the class and the major. Because I am just not up to snuff for that class. But registration wouldn't let me go any lower, despite my attempts at reasoning with them. So. Yeah, anyway, I basically just had this paper due Wednesday, and I've never turned it in. I shouldn't be so terrified of a professor, but I am. I'm scared of all of them actually. Which is silly, but the truth.
Another truth? I should have done at least one additional model out of polyurethane foam in the industrial design workshop before Wednesday, certainly before today, and I just didn't. I could easily have made the time (if I had slept at night instead of through classes or done work instead of casting myself into the horrible netting of internet flash gaming...it's so terrible! why do I do it!? because I don't have real friends to play with and I'm avoiding my academia. but that's a topic for another time), but I never did. So I should be showing up to that class in like 45 minutes, but I'm thinking I may just not go at all this week...I'm really tired. And if I'm gonna have to ring tomorrow, er today, then I should at least have some sleep, or I won't be able to focus on the notes.
Wowzers. I'm totally going all first-half-of-the-twentieth-century-author-who-gets-longwinded-and-convoluted on you...sorry. In any event, that end of life is kind of "waugh-waugh"... Well, then again, if I think about it, I guess my other spectra are going that way too. Totally bombed an important event appointment I promised a friend I'd do - that wasn't good. Have been increasingly homesick and nostalgic lately. Eugh. But in the cheery news section, I do believe that I found my stolen bike, complete with a new university registration and attached to a bike rack on the southern quad. They replaced the handlebars and the wheels. I'd love to get a good look at the registration numbering - see if it's been switched out/around etc. But then agin, the person currently in possession probably wouldn't know due to lack of involvement in the crime's perpetration. Most likely they bought it from a local bikestore who bought it off some lowlife scumbag fencer of cheapass goods. (Really, when you could take any of the many awesome and worthy bikes on this campus, you choose the huffy ventura in need of chains, handlebar grips, poslishing, seat cover and wheels? And then you don't even frankenstein it? Just replace half the broken parts? That's so stupid!) Anyway, need to file a report and then can find out if that really is my bike or some bizarre coinkydink. (I am somewhat annoyed that this blog's spellcheck does not recognize the veritable word "coinkydink"...that is rather sad.)
I don't really think there's anything else to say right now.
Here's hoping the squirrel's tail grows back!
Ciao,
Ren
Life is interesting. Pretty sure there's an air-borne mold living in my dorm room. That's tasty. Found a white mold with a red stain in my humidifier filter. Let's just say that the air will be a bit drier for awhile. But, that would explain the insane reaction my bod's been having (ie this whole not getting over bronchitis, continual post-nasal drip, croakiness, fatigue from fighting off infectious bugger, et cetera). Yeah, this whole sick thing is definitely not working. Last week was alright, but it got worse this week again, starting with last Saturday...probably partially thanks to my bus commuting computing errors that put outside in blustery heavy snowfall for at least an hour. Yeah, that shopping trip did not go as planned.
My logistics were solid...but one of my route maps wasn't. Basically, I missed three buses and ended up in a nearby restaurant eating a chicken sandwich and sipping a pomegranate martini. Major props to my friend who came and rescued me. (So wish I had my car! But then, if I'd had my own car, I would not have had the excellent, albeit somewhat oversized & overpriced, martini.)
Right now I have gorgeous pink stains all over my left hand from the juice of fresh cranberries. I wonder if it will come off?
(I made a very high fiber high protein cookie with cranberries, a hint of orange and some miniature chocolate chips. They're not bad, especially considering that one of the main ingredients is Kashi GoLean...a cereal that when I first bought the box, I though might like. I was sadly mistaken.
But less about food, more about...oh I suppose I shall have to do.
Anyhow, choir leaves on tour today. In a mere 6.5 hours I will have to be packed and reported to the headquarters of campus ministry to help load our bells and accoutrements on the bus. Yep, it's a handbell choir. I play the top octave (Dflat7 to C8) and our lowest C & D (which are bigger than my head); however, I don't get to play both ends of the spectrum in the same pieces, so it's not too hectic. What is hectic is figuring out how to fix my life. The academic bit, anyway. The rest of it seems to come with a personalized, to-the-minute, freely updated guidebook these days (available via ... something about a cobweb covering the planet. Sorry, didn't really catch that part...) No, but I have royally screwed up my French class (again - what is it with me and la langue francaise?!) - my 9th year of French and I can no longer manage to right a two page essay?I'm thinking it may be time to drop the class and the major. Because I am just not up to snuff for that class. But registration wouldn't let me go any lower, despite my attempts at reasoning with them. So. Yeah, anyway, I basically just had this paper due Wednesday, and I've never turned it in. I shouldn't be so terrified of a professor, but I am. I'm scared of all of them actually. Which is silly, but the truth.
Another truth? I should have done at least one additional model out of polyurethane foam in the industrial design workshop before Wednesday, certainly before today, and I just didn't. I could easily have made the time (if I had slept at night instead of through classes or done work instead of casting myself into the horrible netting of internet flash gaming...it's so terrible! why do I do it!? because I don't have real friends to play with and I'm avoiding my academia. but that's a topic for another time), but I never did. So I should be showing up to that class in like 45 minutes, but I'm thinking I may just not go at all this week...I'm really tired. And if I'm gonna have to ring tomorrow, er today, then I should at least have some sleep, or I won't be able to focus on the notes.
Wowzers. I'm totally going all first-half-of-the-twentieth-century-author-who-gets-longwinded-and-convoluted on you...sorry. In any event, that end of life is kind of "waugh-waugh"... Well, then again, if I think about it, I guess my other spectra are going that way too. Totally bombed an important event appointment I promised a friend I'd do - that wasn't good. Have been increasingly homesick and nostalgic lately. Eugh. But in the cheery news section, I do believe that I found my stolen bike, complete with a new university registration and attached to a bike rack on the southern quad. They replaced the handlebars and the wheels. I'd love to get a good look at the registration numbering - see if it's been switched out/around etc. But then agin, the person currently in possession probably wouldn't know due to lack of involvement in the crime's perpetration. Most likely they bought it from a local bikestore who bought it off some lowlife scumbag fencer of cheapass goods. (Really, when you could take any of the many awesome and worthy bikes on this campus, you choose the huffy ventura in need of chains, handlebar grips, poslishing, seat cover and wheels? And then you don't even frankenstein it? Just replace half the broken parts? That's so stupid!) Anyway, need to file a report and then can find out if that really is my bike or some bizarre coinkydink. (I am somewhat annoyed that this blog's spellcheck does not recognize the veritable word "coinkydink"...that is rather sad.)
I don't really think there's anything else to say right now.
Here's hoping the squirrel's tail grows back!
Ciao,
Ren
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