Why I love my Phone

Because it lets me take pictures of pretty flowers any where I go!

Like these:

Arg!!!!

Arg!!!

Finals week....

Arg!!!! Be back after the semster's over...

Sorry

P.S. I'm working on a new painting (yeah, I know I haven't finished my last one... meh?) And I could use some input, I'm desperate for ideas on this one... If you can't tell what is it, ask.

No Country for Old Men

• Wow, it's been an entire month since I last posted. Sorry about that folks. I've been on a bit of a hiatus from the Internet, real life getting in the way and such. I'm taking Chemistry this semester, and the two of us were simply not meant for each other... Meh. What can you do?
• Anyway, I recently finished reading Cormac McCarthy's novel: No Country for Old Men I'd seen the film a while back, and when I found out that it was based on a book I wanted to read it and see what the similarities were. Now that I've finally read the book, it's been a while since I saw the movie! So if I want to look at the differences and similarities I'd have to go back and watch the movie again!
• It's a great book, but it tends to be a bit gory, like the movie. I recommend it to anyone who's interested, and if you've seen the movie, definitely check out the book!
• And if you haven't seen the m0vie you can check out the trailer here:
• Plus, for you lucky people, I dug up a review I wrote after seeing it for the first time... Aren't you lucky lucky readers?
• And, since I can't seem to get all the text to fit and look pretty here, you're just going to get a link... http://mymoviereviews.yolasite.com/thrillers.php
• Well, that's it for now. I'm tired so I think I'm going to go squeeze in a nap before I've got to go do more homework.... yay?

- C

Old Sketchys...

Wow, haven't seen some of these in a while. I dug up a sketch book I kept back in highschool and I thought I'd post some of the ones I liked. I tried to scan them, but my stupid scanner's busted. So I took pictures of them with my lame old digital camera. Enjoy!

I'm working on a painted version of the first one, but I'd really like to work with some of the others too. I'm open to ideas! - C

Finally, an Update!

• Okay, I'm sorry I haven't updated lately, I've been super-busy. I had a dumb 'ole chem test and 2 labs this week...
• But anyways, a post:
• Okay, so I've been doing some reading! I know. Me, reading a book, what? I told you guys I was reading:
• Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC
• Well, now I've finished it. I didn't like it so much at first, it seemed choppy and hard to follow. But once I looked at it as a narritive rather than a novel (which is something I'm more used to reading) it was easier to follow. I liked it. I would recomend it to anyone interested in learin about virology, the history of viruses or treating diseases in rural Africa.
• I've also just finished reading:
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
• 
• I loved this book! It was recomended to me by one of my readers, and I have to say thank you very much! I really really enjoyed this one. I saw Blade Runner a few years ago, and it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me then, but the book was fantastic. I think it really had something to say about the fine line between actual human life and biotechnology.
• There was one scene in the book where the android Pris kills a spider by cutting its legs off with a pair of scissors. It really got to me. I just sat there staring at the page for a while, wondering why it bothered me so much. I've killed hundreds of spiders in my life, but I've never been that cruel.
• Anyway, I recomend this one to everyone, and thank you again to the reader who recomended it for me!

- C

Orchids Orchids Everywhere!

Okay! I said I would post about my new orchid, and I am!

The newest orchid in my collection is a new hybrid. It's white with dark purple splotches, and I love it!

Here are some pictures of it:

I've got 3 other orchids, but only one other that's currently blooming. I took a few pictures, but they all came out blurry, so please enjoy this banner I painted of it (instead of a photo):

On a unrelated note, I'm stoked to read Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? which I'm told was the basis for the movie Blade Runner. I saw the movie, but all I can remember from it is Daryl Hannah, and that ridiculous outfit she wore:

- C

Really Quick Post...

• Okay! Real quick post here!
• Just wanted to say a few things:
• 1. I got a new orchid! I can't wait to post some picture of it...
• 2. School started, as you might have guessed from the lack of updates. I've been busy, but I'll put a real post up soon.
• 3. I've got a reading list:
• - Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC by Joseph McCormick & Susan Fisher-Hoch (almost done with this one)
• - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (by request)
• - The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga by Swami Vishnudevananda (might just flip through this one)
• - Tar Baby by Toni Morrison &
• - Cell by Stephen King (meh, this one's been on my list for a looong time)
• 4. There was something else, I know there was... oh well...
• Be back later with a real post!
• - C
• Oooh!
• P.S. One more thing! I love to get book recommendations! I might not read it, I can get kinda lazy, but I love to get suggestions! Feel free to suggest books here, or you can always e-mail me at AnnRKey@rock.com

Pennsic Pics... Finally

Okay, I've been saying for awhile that I'm going to post a few pictures (postcards) of some Pennsic battles, so here they are:

• 
• 

• Plus, a picture of my elephants:

• I don't know why, but I love to collect elephants!

• - C

Another Book Read...

• Hey there! I just finished reading Julie Powell's fantastic book Julie & Julia.
• I loved every single page. I was inspired to read it after having seen the movie version a few weeks back. For those of you who don't know, it's the true story of New Yorker Julie Powell who decides to cook her way through Julia Child's book Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. I.
• It's a really fun story, and Julie's writing really draws you in. You feel (or at least I did) like you're right there in her crowded kitchen, watching her bone a duck or roll out really dry pastry dough. This book comes highly recommended by me!
• In the mean time, I've managed to lose my reading list, so I'm not sure what I'm 'supposed' to be reading next. But while I was taking a bubble bath today I started on a book called Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC (yes, I read in the bath tub, library books beware!), so I guess that one'll be next.
• Also, I've lost a good chunk of weight by dieting, and I've decided it's time to get rid of the rest of the flab through exercise. The only problem is that I can be really really lazy when it comes to that kind of thing. So if anyone knows a good exercise routine for lazy people, I'd love to try it! Thanks!
• - C

Cupcakes!

• Last night I was inspired to do some baking. The result: 32 red velvet cupcakes with vanilla cream-cheese frosting. May I just say, yum!

  The whole project took a few hours, but it was soooo worth it. They came out better than they ever have before. Granted this is only the second time I've made them, but still... Came out better this time than the last.

  Oh dear, someone seems to have taken a bite out of this one:

  Can you see how red they came out? That's the result of an entire 1 oz. bottle of red food coloring. And more sugar then you really want to know about.

  I love to bake and I'm always looking for new challenges. I'm thinking of trying out this lemon chiffon cake next time: What do you think?

  - C

  P.S. I'd love to get some new recipes for cakes and cupcakes! Leave comments here or e-mail me @ annrkey@rock.com

Another Great Movie...

• Okay, I know I promised to post some pictures of the battles at Pennsic (well, postcards really) and I will, but in the meantime...
• I just finished watching The World According to Garp.

• I'd never seen it before, but I loved loved loved the book, so I thought I'd give it a try.
• I'm not sure how faithful it was to the book, it's been a long time since I read it, but I still loved the movie. The actors were fantastic (especially John Lithgow as Roberta Muldoon) and the screenplay was very well done. The story jumps around and can be choppy at times, but I still recommend it.
• The only part I wasn't thrilled about was the ending, but I won't say anything else, I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't seen it. I can't tell you how much I hate it when people spoil the endings of books or movies for me.... Grrr!
• Anyway, I've got lots and lots of movies on my Netflix list, and lots of books in my 'To Be Read' pile, but I could always use more!
• If you have any suggestions for books or movies you think I'd like, please please please let me know! You can drop something in the comment box, or e-mail me @ annrkey@rock.com
• Thanks!
• - C

Where Have I Been?

Okay, I promised to tell you all where I was for my vacation? I was here:

In the Current Middle Ages!

I was at Pennsic XXXVIII!

I'm not going to try to explain Pennsic here, it would take too long and I'd just get myself all worked up. Let's just say it was the most awesome two weeks I have ever spent pretending to be 400 years ago... Confused yet? Try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsic see if it helps.

Basically, it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 people. They all dress up like people from the real middle ages, and some of them even fight! There's tons of stuff to do, and don't even get me started on the shopping! (More than one person advised me to set aside money for the trip home, otherwise I might be tempted to spend it!) There are 'mock' battles and we even got to go to the East Kingdom's Royal Court (I'm not joking, you have to bow to these people...) The entire thing was an amazing experience.

Anyway, I had an amazing time, met the coolest (read weirdest) people and went to some awesome classes! I think tomorrow I'm going to post a few pictures from the battles (I didn't take them, I bought post-cards) and talk a little bit about the classes I got to go to.

The entire thing is mind-blowing. If you're ever looking for a very very strange (but fun and exciting) vacation, try Pennsic!

Also, I'd like to thank my boyfriend for 'dragging' me there, kicking and screaming! Thank you Puppy, I had a wonderful time!

- C

A Movie and a Book

• Hey everyone! Just a quick post here!
• I'm currently working on my vacation post, but I thought I'd post real quick-like in the meantime.
• Two things:
• First, I just got back from seeing the movie Julie & Julia (check it out over @ imdb.com if you have no clue what I'm talking about: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/) and I loved it! It was supper cute and lots of fun. I love to watch people cook (not too big on cooking, but love the watching) and I love fun movies, so this was a perfect combo for me. It's a great movie with a great cast, and aren't you glad I don't write movie reviews for a living? But anyway, if you have a chance go see it, it's lots of fun!
• Second, over my crazy insane vacation, I got a chance to finish Descartes' Bones by Russell Shorto.
• 
• It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I loved it nonetheless. The book is about what happened to the bones of one of France's greatest philosophers. It's about more than bones though, really. If you don't believe me, you'll just have to see for yourself. As I said, I don't write reviews for a living, and so I'm going to cut this one short. Just go check it out!
• And I'll be back tomorrow (or Monday... that's just how I am) with part one of my vacation post!
• Look forward to it!
• - C

I'm Baaaaaaaack!

• Ah!
• Just a quick post here to let you all know that I'm back!
• I should have posted before I left, but I'll make up for it tomorrow, I promise!
• I've been on the weirdest possible vacation for the last two weeks, and I can't wait to tell you guys all about it and share some pictures!
• I'll be here tomorrow posting about my crazy vacation!

Almost Done!

Happily, I'm nearing the end of my painting.

Don't get me wrong, I love working on it, but I also can't wait to see what it's all going to look like when it's finished.

Here's what I've got so far:

I think it looks pretty cool.

I'm also in the market for some inspiration for my next piece. I don't know what I'm going to do yet.

I've been thinking about something with Strawberry IceCream, but you know, not sure yet.

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!

And here's a gratuitous picture of my bird. Her name is Diablo and she is very very loud.

(But cute):

Other Things...

• Okay, just to prove that I do things besides reading and painting (and watching TV, I do a lot of that...) Here are some pictures of what I've been doing the last few days:
• That's right!
• Shirts! Very, very big shirts... Don't ask why, it's a long story. I'll post about it some other time, I promise.
• But for now I just want to show off my wonderful shirts!
• Last week I didn't know how to sew at all. Now I can:

1. Thread the machine
2. Fill a bobbin
3. Edge anything you give me
4. And make seams that are almost straight!

• So... yay! I learned how to sew... good thing, because I'm going to be doing a lot more of it... yay?
• (FYI, the green shirt used to be a tablecloth... weird huh?)

Outlining?

• I'm working on outlining my painting. It's going to be a very simplified version of the original, so it'll be outlined.
• The problem is I can't paint in small lines, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this. I wanted to do it in a very very dark red, but I'm thinking I'm just going to have to go with black so that I can use a paint-pen.
• Anyway, here's what the painting looks like so far:
• Oh! Any I finished reading the first Thursday Next novel, The Eyre Affair. I absolutely loved it! One of the best books I've read in recent times! It's fun, playful and different. And I'm not the only one who thinks so:
• The Wall Street Journal thinks the book is
• "Filled with clever wordplay, literary allusion and bibliowit, The Eyre Affair combines elements of Monty Python, Harry Potter, Stephen Hawking and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But its quirky charm is all its own."
• I think I'm going to get started reading Descartes' Bones next.

So Far...

• Hey everyone! Another quick post here!
• As you can see, progress is being made on the painting! The only issue I’ve come across so far is that for some reason my laptop is not recognizing my memory card. I’m trying to take pictures at every stage of the painting, almost every time I put on a new coat or color of paint. Then I take the memory card out of the camera and put it in my laptop and…. Nothing. It just won’t work.
• So I have to take the laptop, plug it into the printer, and put the card in the printer’s card reader. It takes a little more time and is mostly just annoying. Meh, not the worst thing that could happen.
• Here’s a picture of how the painting looks now:
• 
• I’ve got some work left to do on it, but for the moment I’m stuck. Don’t know where to go from here. Trying to decide how to do all the outlining, can’t decide if I want to do it in the same dark red as the door, or if I want to be lazy and just do it in Sharpie. We’ll see.
• In the mean time, I’m still reading my Thursday Next novel, The Eyre Affair. It’s really great so far, truly entertaining and a lot of fun. If you love a novel with a lot (and I mean a lot) of literary allusions and references, check this one out!

Progress

• Hey All! Just a really quick post here!
• ~o~
• I refined the sketch from yesterday and started to paint!
• ~o~
• I just thought I'd put a few pictures up to show you guys how the paintings coming along!
• ~o~
• So here they are:
• So far it's gone from this:
• To this:

Tribute to Dali

• 
• Okay, I said I'd post again if I got started, and I did, so I am.
• I decided to try to paint my own version of one of Salvador Dali's watercolors. It's called Study For the Divine Comedy. It was a design for a series he did for the Italian government based on Dante's Divine Comedy. I've loved this piece for a long time, and I thought I'd try to do something with it.
• Here's the painting:

~o~

• I don't have a lot done, mostly just the basic sketch. Okay, only just the basic sketch. I haven't decided exactly where I want to go with this yet. Tomorrow I'll be off to the craft store to buy more paints and maybe some new brushes.
• 
• They have a really nice little table easel, but I'm watching my budget, so I think I'll do without this time.
• I'll be posting more pictures as it gets more pretty. I promised I woul
• dn't give up on this one, so pretty or not, it's going to get finished.
• Here's my sketch:

Painting...

• Okay, so this blog is supposed to be 'things i'm doing...' but so far it's been mostly 'things i'm reading...' So I thought I should post about something different for a change.
• Today I'm attempting to paint. I haven't painted anything in a long time, and I don't even know what I want to do this time.
• The painting is literally a challenge for me. I was actually challenged to do this painting.
• Here are the rules:
• It has to be started today (July 7th)
• It can be anything I want, using any materials I want
• I have to finish it
• The last one is important, I seem to start a lot of art projects that never get finished.
• Right now I'm browsing through all my pictures on my computer, looking for inspiration, so far nothing, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. I'll try to post again later if I get some nice work done on the painting.

Still Reading...

• Well, I'm on vacation! Nothing to do, no responsibilities, it's kinda nice! I just sit home all day and watch King of the Hill.
• In the mean time, I'm still reading. I'm still working my way through The Eyre Affair, it's getting really good. I'm mostly reading that one and night and in the bath tub though.
• For my during the day reading, I picked up a few new books at the library (I went to return Sula remember?)
• The first one is Descartes' Bones by Russell Shorto. I heard about this one a week ago, and was really excited to see that the library had it. More on this one in another post though, okay?
• The second book I got is called The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Mysteries and it's by Colin Wilson and Damon Wilson... brothers?
• Anyway, it's exactly the kind of trash I loved to read about between the ages of 7 and 12. I would always watch Unsolved Mysteries on TV and I could usually be found in the 'paranormal' section of my elementary school's library. I'm excited to read (by read I mean skim) through this one! I'll post about it if I finish it, or just come across anything interesting!
• Until next time!

The Eyre Affair

• Now that I've finished reading Toni Morrison's masterpiece Sula, I'm getting back to my borrowed (I'll return it I swear!) copy of Jasper Fforde's first Thursday Next novel:
• The Eyre Affair.
• So far it seems interesting. As far as I can tell it's about a girl named Thursday Next who works for a secret-type organization called SpecOp-27.
• It seems to be set in a society where literature is taken very very seriously. I like that!
• Anywho, I'll keep ya'll posted and let you know if I come across anything real fun in the book!
• Remind me, I need to return Sula to the library on Monday (the 6th) and I might pick up a copy of:
• Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict between Faith and Reason
• by Russell Shorto.

Sula

• Just finished reading Sula I loved it almost as much as Beloved, but truth be told A Mercy is my favorite so far. I think I'm partial to any book I've written an A paper on! (lol?)
• But seriously, the book was fantastic. Never slow, always interesting, and on the short side too, for people who can't get into long books.
• And I'm not the only one who loved it:
• "In characters like Sula, Toni Morrison's originality and power emerge." - The Nation
• "They are enormously, achingly alive..." - The New York Times
• And even Playboy loved it: "As mournful as a spiritual, and as angry as a clenched fist..."

Toni Morrison

I guess I'm getting kinda into Toni Morrison lately, I'm on my second novel of hers in 2.5 weeks!

~o~

I've put aside Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next in favor of a copy of Sula that I picked up at the library.

~o~

I'll let you know how it is (I'm almost finished) and I'll keep posting!

Twitter!

I've joined TWITTER!!!

Yay!

Check me out @: http://twitter.com/CarynSKA

Beloved

Hi!

I just finished reading Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Beloved.

~o~

It's an amazing novel about a black women named Sethe, and her family and friends. Set in rural Ohio just after the Civil War. It's a phenomenal book, and I'm recommending it to everyone!

~o~

The book is:

~o~

"Toni Morrison's finest work..." - Chicago Sun-Times

~o~

"Filled With Marvels..." - Detroit News

~o~

"A Triumph!" - Margaret Atwood

Thunder Storm

I got woken up this morning by an amazingly cool thunder storm. One minute I was asleep, and the next I was awake and listening to thunder, but there was no moment of rude awakening.

~o~

I was sleeping peacefully and having weird dreams as always (more on that in a later post) and then I was awake and listening to the storm. It was so much fun!

~o~

I feel asleep again after I checked to make sure no water was coming in through my open window, but the storm was fun while it lasted!

First Post!

Hey! I thought I'd make a blog that I actually post in! I've got another one, but it's on hiatus for now.

~o~

This isn't going to be a serious blog. This is going to be a 'I'll post when I feel like it!' blog. I think you can guess what that means: No regular updates. But don't worry I do plan on using this one.

~o~

This is going to be my place to share interesting things I find, random thoughts in my head, and my various rants and raves!

~o~

Look forward kiddies!