Weekend Tidbits {#12}: Art Haul

I’m not going to bother with a long introduction because I meant to post this awhile ago (around Easter actually). This is just the kind of post that I kept adding to the longer it sat in the draft folder. Now that I've come back to it again and added a few more things to it, I figured that it was time to just post it so I can finally move on...

For Easter, I did some baking. The cookie recipe is Hershey's Doubly Chocolate Cookies just sans the chocolate chips, because they weren't necessary for what I was doing. I used the dough two ways: heart shaped cookies (pictured below) with the Wilton silicone heart mold, and the rest went to just ordinary cookies. The regular old cookies were used to make those sandwiches (pictured below). I also used up the left over candy melts from a different baking project, as you can see on the cookie sandwiches. The heart shaped ones also got a similar treatment, but I never got around to getting a picture of them before they got eaten. By the way, they were delicious.

In 2016, I focused more on developing my skills at digital painting, but this year I'm doing more than that. I've gotten back into painting by hand, and it's so much fun. It has been a long time since I’ve used watercolors, and I don't mean a couple of months. I'm talking about years. Yes, it has been that long, and during that time I lost my old watercolor pans as well as most of my supplies. So, I actually have a small art haul.

I picked up some Reeves Watercolour paints, new brushes, a watercolor pad, and a basic palette. I’ll probably talk about the paints later since I’ve only used them a few times. I also picked up some Papermate felt tip pens because they were on sale, and I wanted to try them. I’ve only used them a handful of times, but I love them so much. The colors are really nice and I’ve had a lot of fun just using them to doodle or quickly go over sketches. Like the paint, I'll probably have more to say about the felt tip pens once I've used them more than I already have. The last thing I picked up were two Gelly Role gel pens in white. My sister let me borrow hers, and I really loved how well the gel pens work for smaller details on top of the reeves paint. So, I felt that it was necessary to get my own since I plan on painting more.

Since I wrote this post a while ago, I've picked up more than just the above shown items. I've gotten some acrylic brushes, Reeves Gouache, and a new sharpener.

I forgot to mention this on twitter, but I picked up a few comics on free comic book day. I went to two different stores, but by far my experience at Ryan's Comics was the best. The staff was friendly, and they had a cosplayer by the door telling you about the event on the way in. So, there was no confusion about the event and how many comics you could pick. I've made purchases from Ryan's Comics before, and suffice it to say I will be going back again. 

 

Weekend Tidbits {#11}: Some Exciting Things...

Hi Adri here, today I’m discussing some interesting things I’ve done and bought between February and March. On a side note, when I say we, I mean co blogger Andrea and another relative. So here are some exciting things that went down.

Funko!

Between these two months, not only did I add seven Funkos to my collection, but I also out Funko’d Breana! By at least two now… I’m not going to get into details as this post will become overly long. Although I’ve been lacking in watching much TV, these are still some of my favorite characters. Anyway, I really wish there were Mirror’s Edge Catalyst and Miraculous Ladybug Funkos –though it is just a dream *Sigh*.

  

Marlon...

On February 24th we had the opportunity to attend the live taping of the season finale of Marlon, a new show premiering this summer on August 16th on NBC. In addition to that I actually got to see the taping of two other episodes –Including the pilot episode last summer when I got to meet Marlon Wayans. During the second taping, while we were in deep conversation, Notlim Taylor caught us off guard when she asked if it was okay to jump in line in front of us. She is really nice, and she does a great job in her role as Marley. I truly enjoyed every episode I went to see so much that I was laughing and crying all at the same time. So although I haven’t been watching much TV, I’ll definitely tune into Marlon.

Kong: Skull Island...

Next on March 6th we were able to attend a screening of Kong: Skull Island. What more can I say, I loved it; if I had to rate it now I’d say 4 bird cages. There were some parts that I was like: ew, gross! But it didn’t affect my thoughts on the plot. Also the theater sold chicken tenders and curly fires... Um, Yum!

Left Valentines day left overs…

I’m always looking for more accessories to accent my clothing, so on the way to see Kong, we stopped at a Toys R Us, which had a Claire’s section in it. I looked at the $2 rack, and near the bottom sat the last Valentine’s Day scarf. I was like “It’s pretty, it’s the last one, and I’m not leaving it!” And thus I brought it and sported it after the screening.



Beauty and the Beast...

Next I had the opportunity to see an advance screening of Beauty and the Beast at the TCL Chinese Theater. This was my first time going to that theater. It’s so nice in there. The elaborate architectural work gave me inspiration to create stuff. They gave posters out too. As for the movie, let me not lie, I assumed I wasn’t going to like it at all. However, as I watched the movie I fell in love with this magical rendition of Beauty and the Beast. Plus I also thought that the CGI blended well. As of right now Beauty and the Beast is my favorite movie of 2017. If I had to rate it I’d say 4.5 bird cages.





Horizon: Zero Dawn...

Last but not least, after ordering two movies from the Red Box there was an option to get a free game. So I decided to try out Horizon: Zero dawn, knowing I hate stealth games. But, like Beauty and the Beast, I fell in love with it! I didn’t get far so I have no comment on the plot, but I enjoyed playing. I’m positive I’ll be glued to my controller when I get my own copy. One thing I must mention is the in game capture mode, which allows you to zoom and angle the camera around the character. I totally love it! There is the option of no filter (top left) and custom filter (bottom).

And that almost sums up February and March! What exciting things have you bought or done recently?

Weekend Tidbits {#10} So Much Stuff

Today, I have so much stuff to go over, hence the title of the post. It seemed only fitting since most of what I’m going to mention today is not specifically book related, and wouldn’t be a fit for Musing Monday.

Recently there has been a handful of trailer releases that have gotten me really excited for the sequels I’ve been waiting years for, which got me thinking about some of the other movies I’m waiting for.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Let me just start this off by saying: Baby Groot!!! Obviously, I’m really looking forward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It’s been a couple of years since Guardians of the Galaxy came out, and it’s still my favorite Marvel movie. After the end of the first movie, I really want to see where the story goes.

Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tale: It has been six years—SIX YEARS—since the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie. That’s a long time to wait, but from the look of the trailer, all that time seems to be worth it. This also appears to be the return of Will Turner and the Flying Dutchman, which is a decision I can totally get behind. I’m beyond excited for Dead Men Tell No Tales. I'm not going to lie, when I saw the “final adventure” part from the trailer, I was worried that this was going to be the last movie in the franchise. Thankfully, it isn’t. P.S. I still miss Tia Dalma. She will forever be my favorite character from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Wonder Woman & Justice League: I’m kind of curious to see how these movies turn out. Marvel is great, but I also like some of the stuff from DC too. My hopes are really high for Wonder Woman. Just from the trailers, it looks like it’s going to put some context to the picture of Wonder Woman from Batman V Superman. Then there’s Justice League, which is going to have The Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman! I’m really looking forward to seeing those three characters as more than just cameo appearances.

Recently, I picked up two of the new Beauty and the Beast Funko Pops. I got Cogsworth and Mrs. Pots with Chip. I have to admit that these are probably three of my favorite funkos mainly because of the design of the characters. The colors are incredibly nice, and Cogswoth’s whole design is just awesome.

And last, but certainly not least, I have a recipe I want to share. This is one of my favorites. I’ve made it multiple ways, and can confirm that it turns out great each and every time. Do you need a recipe for flaky biscuits, you know, the ones with all those layers? I have found my go-to recipe:

Dessert Now Dinner Later Foolproof Flaky Biscuits 

I use this one whenever I make biscuits, and I’ve made it a number of ways. I’ve used regular milk, almond milk, wheat flour, or a combination of wheat & unbleached, or wheat & all-purpose. It just works great. The ones pictured below were made with half whole wheat & half all-purpose flour, and buttermilk.

Weekend Tidbits {#9} Whats New In TVland

Today, I’m going to talk about something a little different. For Weekend Tidbits, I normally talk about a movie trailer I recently saw, or something that I’ve cooked or baked recently, even books I’m really looking forward to. But I never actually talk about what I watch during the week. So, for today, I’m going to talk about a couple of recent TV related things that I’m really excited about.

Do you like Mythbusters? Are you as sad as I am that the show and the old cast signed off for the last time earlier this year? Well, you’re in luck. The science channel is having a Mythbusters mega marathon starting on December 23rd. I have seen the majority of the Mythbusters episodes, but I’m still excited for this marathon. Also in Mythbusters news, apparently, the show is coming back…eventually. If you watch the Science Channel you’ve probably already seen it and know what I’m about to talk about. Oh yes, apparently Mythbusters: The Search is going to be a thing. While I am—and already do—miss the old cast, I can’t help but be a little excited that the show is coming back. I will, however, remain cautiously optimist about this. You can find out more about the show and watch a first look HERE. Mythbusters: The Search premieres on January 7th.

Another show I’m looking forward to is NBCs Emerald City. I’ve been waiting for a premiere date to be announced since I first heard about the show and saw the initial images. I mean, it’s basically a retelling of The Wizard of Oz. I’m really excited to see how it turns out. I hope its good **my fingers are crossed**. Emerald City premieres on January 6th and you can check out the preview, watch a sneak peek, and learn more about the show HERE.

I could go with the easier way and pick mint tea as my choice of preferred drink. However, I'm not going to do that. Instead, today's choice of tea is simple green tea with a peppermint candy cane dissolved into it (basically, my new favorite way to have green tea). 

Weekend Tidbits {#8} Its October

It has been so long since I did a Weekend Tidbits post. Its seems like forever. However, since I have some stuff to talk about today, well, here it is...

It's October, and while the year is almost over, I can't help but get into the season. I love all the seasonal apparel, items, and food. And while I do love the change of the season, I can't make an entire post dedicated to it. No, I've got some other stuff to talk about today. Namely, Inktober.

October doesn't just mean Halloween to me, it also means Inktober, a month long challenge to draw something in ink every day for 31 days. This is the first year I've kind or sort of participated in Inktober. I haven't posted my art online, but, I have been keeping up, spending a few hours a day working on quick pieces of art, sometimes even less time than that. The prompts have been super helpful. And so far, I haven't found the challenge difficult, but then, it's only like 16 days in. So, I'll have to see how the rest of the month goes.

Usually, I stay out of challenges in general. However, I decided to do Inktober this year because it seemed like a great way to motivate myself to work on improving my drawing habits. I've stuck to more traditional mediums this time around, but if I decide to do Inktober next year, then I might also incorporate pieces done entirely digitally. 

Other stuff...

And since it's so late in the year, I've started looking ahead to 2017 already. There are books that I want to read, from debuts to long awaited sequels. I'm sure that list is going to keep growing. So, it would serve no purpose to share it here today. I'll probably save that until at least the beginning of next year. All I can say, so far, is that 2017 is looking very promising. As for 2016, I still have other books I'm looking forward to: Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin; Iceling by Sasha Stephenson (I actually have an eARC of this one, and I'm really excited to finally get a chance to read it); The Blazing Star by Imani Josey. 

My pick for today is one of my favorites: Goji Raspberry green tea.