Pencil #1:

When I first sat down to brainstorm about what I was going to do, art wise, in October, I already knew I wasn’t going to participate in Inktober. I wanted to work in pencil instead of ink, and I wanted to get them done before October. And that’s what I ultimately decided on. Note: I’m not posting these in order, so I know the dates on the pictures aren't in chronological order.

The first drawing I worked on is called Halloween in a Bottle for $5.99. The idea behind it is along the lines of being able to buy a little bit of Halloween that’s, of course, in a bottle. You can see some of the early sketches I did for it. There are some pretty big difference between where the idea began, and where it ended up. Originally, there was supposed to be a bow, but then I scrapped that idea in favor of the box. And the box went from being simple and clear to decorative.

What are you working on this October?

Music Monday (92): Tove Lo

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I’m currently listening to Tove Lo’s new album, Sunshine Kitty. It was one of my most anticipated albums of 2019, and it didn't disappoint. One of my favorite songs from it is Are U Gonna Tell Her? featuring MC Zaac.

Sunshine Kitty by Tove Lo

Sunshine Kitty, Tove Lo’s fourth studio album, was released on September 20th. Out of everything I was looking forward to this year, it was my most anticipated album release of 2019 and the one I had the highest expectations for. I mean, the lead singles, Glad He’s Gone and Bad As The Boys, were excellent hints at what to expect from the rest of the album. In that regard, Sunshine Kitty delivered. I loved it. I liked every track from the album, which is a thing I rarely get to say, but in this case it’s true. What I liked most about Sunshine Kitty was the difference in the tone and sound of the music from earlier releases, like Lady Wood (2016) and Blue Lips (2017). However the same quality as the previous albums was also present here. It was electropop through and through, and it was undoubtedly an album by Tove Lo. There were also a number of songs with features on this album with artist like ALMA, Jax Jones, MC Zaac, Kylie Minogue, and Doja Cat. They were all excellent choices, and their collaborations were some of my top favorite songs from Sunshine Kitty—such as Equally Lost featuring Doja Cat, Bad As The Boys featuring ALMA, and Are U Gonna Tell Her? featuring MC Zaac. From start to finish, Sunshine Kitty was great. It was a solid album. And I’m looking forward to Tove Lo’s next project.

Have you listened to music by Tove Lo? Are you planning to listen to Sunshine Kitty?

Quarterly Recap: July-September

Well, it's time for another Quarterly Recap. The year is definitely flying by, and it feels like it hasn’t been that long since I last sat down to compile a list of links for a Quarterly Recap. However, October is here, and I finally have a legitimate excuse to rewatch all of my favorite Halloween themed movies. It's also been hot lately, and I have my fingers crossed that cooler weather is on the way.

July Reviews:

• n/a

August Reviews:

• It Devours! by Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor
• Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor

September Reviews:

• Well Met by Jen DeLuca
• Word to the Wise by Jenn McKinlay
• The Unkindest Tide by Seanan McGuire

Other July Posts:

• Watercolor: Return of the Puffins
• Upcoming Music I'm Waiting For: Second Half of the Year
• Release Day Excerpt & Giveaway: Blastaway by Melissa Landers
• Quarterly Recap: April-June

Other August Posts:

• Let's Talk About Dark Crystal
• The Perks of Watching the Movie and Reading the Book

Other September Posts:

• Favorite Recipe: Waffle Cones/Bowls

Looking ahead, I have some Halloween themed art posts that’ll be up on the blog later in the month. I also have a post about Tove Lo’s new album, Sunshine Kitty. It’ll be on the blog this Friday. As far as books, I had a couple of reviews ready since August, which kept the blog active during September. So I had time to pick up a couple of spooky/horror novels in preparation for October—a book like Dead Voices by Katherine Arden (sequel to Small Spaces)  The review for it will be on the blog later in the month.

Music Monday (91): Charli XCX, Sky Ferreria

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I’m currently listening to Charli XCX’s new album, Charli. One of my favorite songs from it is Cross You Out featuring Sky Ferreria.