June & I had some good times!

I know I didn't post much in June, but I wanted to briefly go over a few things in a recap post!

Ah, yes... Hellboy 2!

Among recent events, taking time to enjoy entertainment while I do my crafts has become an evening staple. Cameron had the wise idea to suggest watching Hellboy, also certain that due to my taste in movies it would be prime for my enjoyment. Big surprise - I ended up loving it. So, Cameron borrowed Hellboy 2 from his friend because you know, that's the path of obsession. The second movie was even better than the first in my opinion, and I loved almost everything about it. I have always been fascinated by creatures that haven't been entirely generated using computer graphics. Puppetry and animatronics just look so much more alive! It's a lot of work and they did an amazing job with it!

Of the creatures in the movie, I think some of my favorites were the Forest God and the Angel of Death. I especially love the use of eyes in the Angel of Death's wings. It's phenomenal and gave me goosebumps!

I also ended up getting a tiny little crush on Prince Nuada, but I am sure that is no surprise. Even Cameron predicted it. Why is it always the brooding bad guy? I may have to write a post about this at some point in the future.

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Got drunk on Once Upon A Time!

After what seemed like an eternity but was really twenty minutes of looking for something to watch on Netflix, I decided to give Once Upon A Time a try. Initially I was uncertain if I wanted to continue watching it or not after the first few episodes, mostly due to the perceived cheese factor of the events and situations (and you know, the whole fairy tale thing). But I ended up not being able to stop, and eventually I started to care about the characters and I ended up watching two seasons of it.

I thought it was interesting how Rumpelstiltskin's character was worked into a lot of the fairy tales, and I think Robert Carlyle was a great choice for the character as well. I want to dislike him because of all the horrible things he does, but then you can't help but feel for him because of what made him into Rumpelstiltskin.

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I also enjoyed seeing Sebastian Stan play the Mad Hatter. I was disappointed that he didn't get more time in the show (from what I saw), but his story felt complete.

Sometime in the near future I will have to watch the third season, and I enjoy that there are so many episodes.

I'm getting inspired to do some cosplay!

I've always loved the idea of dressing up as characters for special occasions. When I was a youngin' I remember that Halloween was always a favorite holiday. It wasn't just the free candy aspect; I enjoyed putting together costumes. It's one of those "you can be as weird as you want to" things that really appeals to me.

Over the years I've dressed up as Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Catwoman, The Joker, Lisbeth from Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and I am pretty sure there are more in there (these ones stood out).

Halloween 2012! BFF Sofia as Princess Mononoke, and me as the Joker!
My tie had melting clocks on it, and Sofia made her own mask & necklace!

There is an event called Senshicon that happens every year here in Anchorage, and I haven't been able to go the past two years. This year, however, that will change! I will be attending for the very first time, and with it I've been mulling over what to dress up as. I think my biggest problem is deciding if I want to go as a known character or as something I made up myself. Also, do I want to do a family cosplay (with Lilah & Cameron), or should we do individual costumes? I'm still grinding my brain over this!

I really love my new job!

Though I started my new job over a month ago, I have yet to mention how amazing it is on my blog. You would think that doing office work would be boring (and sometimes it is), but working at the admin desk is way more fitting for my personality. Working at the McDonald's drive-thru always left me so drained. I'm a mostly introverted person, so having to make so many small and impersonal interactions would leave me feeling like a smiley-faced robot.

My new job, on the other hand, is mostly made up of work that I get to do on my own and at my own pace. I deal mostly with paperwork - filing it, scanning it, getting signatures for it, and sending it away to another department via mail or just walking. Sometimes I have to answer the phone, but I don't get too many phone calls.

My dinosaur work buddy answers all the calls, anyway!

Everyone that I work with is super nice and supportive. I don't feel stupid asking anyone questions, and believe me, I ask them in abundance. (There is still so much to learn and memorize!) A big thing (and this wouldn't seem like it) is that I don't have to ask to use the bathroom. I can also eat lunch whenever I want to! It's a great change from the McDonald's I worked at, where sometimes we would be so busy and short staffed that I couldn't take a break.

I'm so happy that I get to have this job until I graduate college!

Jewelry making has become my newest addiction!

I had a lot of fun making jewelry in the spring semester, but when I started wire weaving about a month ago, that's when a passion began to develop. After the insane intricacies and overwhelming nature of doing those watercolor projects, I took a break from the paint brush without my consent. I think that it's been good for me, because it's a wise idea to step away sometimes to recharge.

Which brings me to my Etsy shop. Now that I finally have a small stock of stuff I want to sell, I've been slowly putting things in place. After agonizing over picking out a name, I decided to call the shop the same thing as this blog, Condensed Star Stuff. When I feel like I am ready, I will link to the shop via this blog!

Fellow classmate Ron (a.k.a. The Frog), let me have some of his old jewelry magazines that have tons of good information. I look forward to cutting out the articles and pictures and making a jewelry scrapbook! (When I actually get around to this, I will definitely share!)

I've also starting collecting stones and cabochons like a maniac!
Also, really kind and crafty people have donated some to me as well!

I finally got a car!

It's been almost two years since the car accident that cost me my first vehicle and imbibed me with a fear of driving for a long time. My dad is a guy that really loves to drive (he is very keen on his older Mercedes), and he wanted to see me behind the wheel again. Long story short, he had been holding onto a car for me that we bought from a family that was leaving the state. This past Friday we finally put my name on the title and I bought car insurance. Nervous but also excited, I drove and realized how much I enjoyed having the independence and freedom of having a vehicle.

The car looks rough on the outside, but it runs great!

It's nice being able to go to the store when I want to, drop off and pick up Lilah from daycare, and also take her to the doctor or hospital if I really need to. (She has already had to go to the doctor since I got the car! She's okay, though.)

I really like how this summer is turning out so far. I look forward to what kind of experiences that July and August will bring!