Hello, bloggers & readers! Today I’m just gonna ramble a bit about some of my favorite works of art. These vary from classic paintings to paintings done by lesser known artists whose work (in my opinion) is just as beautiful. I’m no art expert, sure, but if I see a painting and think “ooooh, I want that on my wall.” I think it’s pretty darn good. And I don’t think you come to this blog for impeccable art advice or critiques (if so, I am both perplexed and amazed).
So let’s get started!
Paintings by Regina Argentin
This girl. Her stuff is incredible. Her works are both ethereal and haunting. Some of my favorite pieces are down below.
This piece is called “Demeter”. It’s probably my favorite of hers. The vintage gown and look to the body contrasts so beautifully with the untamed vines sprouting from her neck. Chef’s kiss. Truly amazing. I also just now noticed there is a bat in this piece so double points.This one is titled “Alfalfa”. I adore everything about it from the flowers to the intelligent and uncomfortably sentient look of the coyote (or whatever creature it appears to be. I think its a coyote? Anyone is free to correct me in the comment below, I’m about as much of an art expert as I am at identifying dog-like animals).This one is titled “Alfalfa II” and it is equally as breath-taking. The green , earthy feel of the painting mixed with the calming blues is a wonderful combination. The painting feels so mysterious and feels like s belongs in a green-house somewhere to keep evil spirits at bay. 10/10.
Link to her profile where you can view more of her immaculate work: click here
Paintings by Van Gogh
Van Gogh’s pieces are probably some of my favorite out there in the art world. So if I ever scrape up a gazillion dollars, I totally plan on buying one. But my interest in the artist doesn’t just stop at the popularized “Starry Night” piece. No, I also can’t help but adore his “Iris” painting, “Wheat Field” painting, “Almond blossoms” painting, “Sunflower” Painting, and “Starry Night over Rhone” Painting.
Starry night is gorgeous, but, if you haven’t, I implore you to browse his other works.
“Starry Night over Rhone”Somehow even with the bright yellows of the blooms, this painting feels melancholy. I love it.
A positively haunting piece.
Another favorite of mine. The blue and white blooms just seem so serene and striking to me. I would love a dress in this pattern.And of course, the classic Starry Night. There’s a reason this piece is so popular. Positively striking.
I want to conclude this section with a recommendation of the wonderful and touching movie, “Loving Vincent”. It is a gorgeous piece of cinema that I discovered this year where the whole movie is animated to look like a moving Van Gogh painting. If you’re interested, the trailer is below. I rented it on Youtube for about three or four dollars and cried like crazy while watching it the first time through. Can’t recommend it enough.
The Paintings by Monet
Another popular artist whose work I love. I primarily enjoy his nature paintings, especially the ones with water and water lilies.
These pieces absolutely slay me.
Paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
My obsession with this man’s work probably is rooted in the same part of my brain that is obsessed with fairytales. His work has a very fantastical feel to it and has many portraits of beautiful, princess like women that I find entrancing and ethereal.
I love this painting but this could also very easily be a dude with luxurious hair. That is the only problem I have with this guy’s paintings. I can sometimes not tell but they’re beautiful pieces so I don’t care much either way.This painting invokes the exact feeling that I feel during the school year. I don’t know how, but it does.
In Conclusion
I’m not an art expert. I cannot positively identify a coyote. I really can’t tell a lady from a knight with luxurious hair. But I can point to a painting and say, “Now there’s a looker!”
Hello, everyone! Hope you are doing well this fine morning (or whatever time you happen to be reading this)! I have joyous news! I have been tagged for my first award! It is known as the Aesthete Blogging Award which is described best by the creator, Asmita.
“This award is to honor every creative person, irrespective of their number of followers and views. Because, as long as you create, that is all that matters. This award is for those bloggers who put an insane amount of thought in each of their posts and for those who spread creativity like wildfire! Just wow!”
Many thanks to Devangi over at Just Penning Down My Thoughts for tagging me! Go check out her blog and send her some love and support as she has some real interesting stuff over there that may interest you readers!
So, without further ado, onto the tag!
The Rules:
Use the official logo/graphic of the award and display it on your blog.
Tell me a something about this world that you admire.
What is your favourite form of creativity?
Nominate 7 lovely people and notify them by commenting on their posts; spread some love!
Ask your nominees 4 questions.
Share something you created. (can be anything!)
And lastly, just so you know: I LOVE YOUR CREATIONS!
What I Admire about this World
As a sort of cynic, I think I sometimes spend too much time looking at the flaws of the world so I think this is a lovely question to ponder. I really do love the kindness and gentleness you can find in the little corners of this planet where you least expect it. Despite this world feeling difficult and torn apart in so many ways, don’t let that make you believe that there isn’t some good to be find. There are still good people. There are still honest people. There are still kind people.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil.”
Oh, did I sneak another Tolkien quote into one of my posts? Hmm, well, anyways-
What my favorite form of Creativity is
100% writing. Although I love to draw, paint, and play guitar every now and then, I think writing reigns supreme in my mental list of favorite creative forms. I love the images we can paint with words and the various themes and ideas we can convey through little symbols strung together in a specific order. It is a very fascinating concept.
Devangi’s Questions
What incredibly strong opinion do you have that is completely unimportant in the grand scheme of things?
That sweet tea isn’t that great and that you can be pretty southern and still hate the stuff. I’ve lived in the Southern part of the US my entire life and I have never understood what people like about it?? It’s just sort of gross and has a very tangy taste.
What’s on your bucket list this year?
Quite a few things are on the bucket list for this year, but I one of them is to see the Ocean for the first time in my life. I’ve somehow made it to my twenties and have never walked on a beach before. This fact has made me quite sad but this year I have had an opportunity that will result in me finally laying eyes on the Ocean.
What’s the last book/activity you gave up on and stopped reading/doing? Why?
I could not finish the Star Wars Solo movie. I am a big Star Wars fan having grown up in a house hold where we watched the originals on a pretty regular basis. I have a fond memory of The Prequels even though they’re pretty corny. I am, however, not that big of a fan of the Disney releases with the exception of Rogue One and the shows that are coming out on Disney+.
I wanted to like Solo, but no one beats Harrison Ford’s portrayal, not to mention after Han and Chewbacca meet, there felt to be very little reason to keep watching. I got less than half way through before realizing I really didn’t care or could predict what would happen next. I hypothesized that the girl would die because she wasn’t in the following movies and we all know that Han ends up with his ship and he and Chewie go on to be smugglers. There aren’t really many stakes because you kind of know what’s already going to happen if you’ve seen all the other releases up to this point in the franchise.
Wow. That was a long, drawn out mini movie review. Kind of had a geek moment there for a second, sorry.
What was the best compliment you’ve ever received?
Any compliments concerning my writing or skill that I’ve worked to hone. Those tend to stick with me because it feels to gratifying to be recognized for something you love but also work hard at.
Creations I’d Like to Share
A Digital Art Piece I did a few weeks ago on my ipad.
An Earring Set I made this week!
My Questions
What’s your favorite work of art you’ve ever made?
So one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to complete my “Writer Games Challenge” which you can find linked here if you’re interest in completing it too! The first category of challenges is to write a little bit about yourself and the things you like and are passionate about. So I’m starting with the list of 5 things that make me happy!
Ready? Well regardless, here we go!
1. Cats
Wow. Nobody saw that coming. Gosh, me??? A cat lover?? Its not like I have a cat in my blog footer and as a huge part of my blog identity! Bonkers, I know. I really pulled a fast one over you, didn’t I?
Okay, seriously, I have never met an animal that purrs and is as comforting as a cat. Sure, they can be a little evil but so can we! Its only fair.
2. Iced Coffee
I’m sorry for these basic answers but Iced Coffee is a gift from the heavens and you’re lying if you say otherwise. I don’t care what season it is or how cold I am, I love my coffee iced and with copious amounts of sugar in it, thank you very much.
3. Fire places
I figured it was befitting to put this below the Iced Coffee seeing as how my enjoyment of cold brew & circulation issues result in me feeling rather…chilly to say the least. Whatta mystery. So how does one remedy this? By roast in front of a fireplace.
Fireplaces are the peak of humanity. Its like we knew our ancestors were onto something with that whole gathering around the fire thing. And they were so right. Nothing beats and iced coffee and a book in front of an open fire. Preferably when it’s raining out. Which reminds me!
4. Rain
The coziness level of a day suddenly increases immensely when water begins falling from the sky. God really did something with this whole rain thing. He knew exactly what he was doing.
5. Animated Movies
In college I have very little brain power to last through most live action and plot-complex new movies. I just can’t get into them very much these days and I’m not exactly sure why. Instead, recently, I’ve been enjoying settling down in front of the TV after school to watch the newest animated movie that’s out. Animated movies are my new comfort watch these days.
And woah! Are we already at 5?? I didn’t even get to Tacos, warm fries on a cold, dreary day, and quill pens! Oh well, maybe next time! I’ll see you readers ’round, okay?
Studying doesn’t have to be a “cute” experience all the time, but sometimes it just feel nice to pretend you’re in a dark academia film or something. And for those of us who sometimes struggle to come up with the motivation to study, makin the process a little fun when we can is a nice thing to do our ourselves.
★Make a playlist
With whatever music you love. Though I do personally recommend something that fits the “vibe” of your study session. This could be orchestral or lo-fi or whatever feels “right”.
★Find Inspo
Make yourself a cute little moodboard on pinterest to find inspiration on how to arrange your study space to look pretty and pleasing to the eyes.
★rewrite your notes to be pretty
Not only does this help you study, but it also means your notes look cleaner and more organized, therefore being easier on the eyes.
★A clean desk. and a clean room for that matter
Your brain might feel cluttered if your space is cluttered. Do a quick little room and desk clean and actually try to make your bed. It does wonders.
★Drink/Eat warm things
Tea, coffee, croissants, bread, soup, whatever. Warm things definitely help the vibe. Though remember to not skimp out on your water.
★Make yourself feel cute
Maybe tie your hair up with a ribbon or change into a warm sweater. Anything that makes you feel more put-together.
★Consider fairylights or some sort of cool lighting decor
Totally optional (well, technically this entire list is) but I personally am a huge fan of lamps and fairylights. You can find them pretty cheap on amazon and they really add a cozy touch to your space.
★Light a candle
Candles are pretty plus they make your room smell great. Double points!
And that’s all for now! Good luck, my fellow students! Study hard!
Aaaaand we made it! As I am writing this, 2022 is merely hours away and soon, people will be cheering as they usher in a new year. 2021 has been rough for everyone I think but I wanted to take a moment and reflect on last years resolutions and my former self’s goal’s that she wished to achieve over the course of her freshman and sophomore year of college.
Last year I divided my goals into categories, much like this year’s. These categories were writing, photography, blogging, art, personal, and school.
So let’s see how I did, shall we?
Starting off with the writing category….
Finish 5 short stories – check! I finished this one quite early actually. I now see the goal as rather small but at the time of setting it I was doing significantly less writing by large.
Finish the rough draft of “SNOW” – Snow is the title of my full length, fairytale themed mystery novel based on the events of Snow White. I finished the first rough draft of Snow in the summer and was quite proud of myself. This year I hope to finish the second and get the third underway.
Create a new plot book – This one requires some explaining. Every year, I write down many plots that I cannot write so I print the ideas out and collect them in various “plot books” to keep track of them as well as flip through for inspiration. I finished two the year prior and wished to make a third this year. I completed this task as well.
All of these goals were met much to my satisfaction. This next year I hope to set a few more as well as more challenging ones as I feel I’ve gotten an idea of how much writing I tend to do throughout a year.
Next up is the photography category…
Have a photoshoot with my bestfriend – Did this in the summer along with most of these other shoots with the exception of the Medieval shoot which was done in the snow.
Have a Medieval themed photshoot – Check! Did this in February I believe.
Have a photoshoot in a ballgown – Double check! Did this one twice.
Have a superhero themed photoshoot – Check as well! Me and my friend wanted to have a photoshoot in our marvel costumes for comic con which made for some fun pictures!
Next, let’s review my blogging goals…
Achieve 200 posts – I am surprised at how quickly I was able to complete this one! I got into blogging quite a bit more than I expected to this year which is awesome!
Try and post at least once a week – Mostly completed this one. There were a couple gaps during the year but overall I would say this goal was mostly met.
Feature/interact with other bloggers more – Mostly completed this one as well! I’m slowing trying to get involved in the wordpress sphere of blogging and am slowly making some blogging friends as well!
Make some new graphics – Did this twice actually. Once mid-year and again just today. I wanted a new, clean look for my blog to usher in the new year with!
Next up are my art goals…
Paint at least 5 paintings – Finished this during the spring semester of college. I was enormously stressed out and painting helped me relieve such stress.
Finish a sketchbook – Check! I have moved onto a new one and its also already half finished!
Try and draw a realistic person – I usually draw cartoon-y styled people so this one was challenging but I completed it a few times for good measure over the course of the year. Drawing realistic people is unbelievably hard.
Illustrate a story – I illustrated a fairytale I wrote.
Make concept art for my novel – Done! I also made a map for the world of my novel as well.
Create 100 digital art pieces – Completed this one as well.
Make a self portrait – Check! Did this twice over the summer and once during the fall semester.
Next we’ll be moving onto the personal goals category…
Read at least 5 books – This might seem like a tiny goal to most people but at this time in my life, I had a huge reader’s block that persisted until the summer of this last year. Thankfully I was not only able to read 5 but 10 books this year.
Do a devotional daily – Didn’t quite make this one. Slacked off during my fall semester where I would do my devotional on and off. Habits are hard man.
Drink more water – Mostly completed this one? I should have made this goal more specific but overall I drank more water this year than the year before (where I was regularly dehydrated) so let’s hear it for progress. I did way better at this after my freshman spring semester for sure.
Complain less – I’m still making progress on this one. I don’t know if I exactly failed this one, but progress is much slower than I’d like with this one. Complaining is a bad habit that has plagued me since high school (heck, my blog is even called LOW EXPECTATIONS). I’d love to stop whining so much but I just love letting the world know when I’m unhappy.
Eat 3 meals a day – This was a goal I added later on the year mid spring. I was in horrible health both mentally and physically during this time which was made worse by my response to stress which was not eating. I started not feeling hungry without even thinking about it. In fact, I only noticed this was becoming an issue when I started shedding weight like crazy which is pretty bad when you’re an already scrawny 5’1 college girl. So I made this goal.
And I’m happy to report that I’m in a much better place. While I didn’t achieve this goal perfectly, by large, I’ve been good at eating 3 meals every day. The habit was hard to form and I struggled through the summer but overall, the hard work has paid off.
And now, the school related goals I made…
Don’t fail a class – I was worried about this goal for awhile. In the spring, I all but flunked my midterms. I thought for sure I was going to fail Bio 1 (THE CLASS THAT IS MY MAJOR). But things really did end up working out and I ended up not only passing Biology but did so with a B. Hang in there, fellow students.
Make at least a B in Chem 1 – Again, I was worried about this one. Chemistry was incredibly hard for me and I’d spend literally 4+ hours on the subject daily, trying to teach myself the material as everything was online. It was horrible but I had an amazing course lay out which made it feel more manageable. I came out of the class with an A+.
Shoot for a B in Pre-cal – And a B is what I got. I test badly in math so I spent the entire semester cushioning my grade for when I took the final. I got a 54% or something like that on the final but came out with a B as I worked so hard on all other assignments because I knew I wasn’t the best at math tests, especially when they’re timed.
Test out of my Chem 1 final – In my Chem 1 class, if you were happy with your grade, you could choose to opt out of the final. And since you already know what grade I got in the class, you bet your buttons that I was NOT take that final. No, thank you.
Create a solid 4 year graduation plan – Completed this one during the summer. I sat down with my sister who had already graduated college and made an excel document with all my classes and when I need to take them. Incredibly helpful during registration week.
Take finals in a healthier mindset than in the spring – Another goal that I added mid year. So, taking my finals in the spring, I was kind of dead inside. I was shaken up after doing so poorly on my midterms a few months earlier that I almost expected to do badly. I ended up doing fine on almost all of them (except for the pre-cal but we’ve talked about this). Really, I was just in a pretty toxic head space at the time and a part of me knew it. I equated my grades and performance to my worth without even realizing it so when I flunked my first big tests of the year, I really struggled.
So I made a goal to take my next finals in a much better head space the following semester. And so I did.
Completing this goal was a product of an astounding amount of work I’d done on myself after the void of doom that was the spring semester. These last finals I got sick with the flu during the week but to my surprise, this didn’t exactly stress me out. Moving all my finals back and missing out on precious study time while I was sick was annoying but I wasn’t falling apart at the seams like I was during last finals season.
I took every test with a sense of finality and pride. I’d done it. I’d made it through the fall semester of my sophomore year and regardless of whatever grade came back, I knew I was going to be okay.
And that feeling was a victory I don’t think can compare to anything else I have achieved during this last year.
Next year mostly certainly come with some downs. That’s kind of life. But it will come with some ups too. And I’m so excited to see not only what the ups are exactly, but how I will grow this next year. I’m a little nervous, granted, but that’s alright. Because regardless, I’m going to be okay.
Ladies and Gents, I have a confession to make- I am not a morning person. This early bird finds no joy in catching the worm. I may be up, but I am very rarely at ’em. My carpe diem is a little rusty.
What I’m trying to say is mornings are sort of a hard time for me. My soul is really that of night owl if I’m being honest. Its quiet and dark out with the exception of crickets and maybe a few frogs chirping. I’m all cozy in bed reading or doing whatever else I want to before I drift off to sleep. The day is over and I am very okay with that.
And then there are mornings.
I got a weighted blanket for Christmas and let me tell you, I thought it was hard to get out of bed before. I feel like the blankets are all but pulling me back into my warm little burrow and that fact that it is now winter and its getting cold out makes it even worse.
All that being said, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that help improve my mornings even though they shall never truly replace my first love (being the evening). Because even though getting out of bed is something I rarely revel in, once I get going, things are significantly less hard and a few fun little morning habits will do nothing but make that part of the morning a little less hard.
★ Start your morning off with a little splash of water
In more way than one. I recommend washing your face and moisturizing before you start your day. It always helps to feel clean and refreshed. But I also mean this in the sense that you should definitely try and drink at least one glass of water before you start your day. For me personally, this tends to prevent me from sucking down a cup of coffee as soon as my eyes pop open. Coffee is terrible for me straightaway in the morning as it suppresses my appetite (so I’m tempted to have a small breakfast or skimp out on the meal entirely) as well as my desire to drink water for the next few hours which leaves me feeling shaky by 10 AM. This could just be a me thing but I figured I put the recommendation out there.
★Skip glancing at your phone first thing
This is a bad habit of mine that I want to improve as I find myself way more sluggish when getting out of bed. I also feel a little spacey or groggy for a bit longer than normal throughout the morning, as if I still haven’t fully woken up. Not to mention checking the news a bit too often can depress anyone. I just find my mind to be much more clearer when I wait about a half hour before checking my phone after waking up.
★Make a breakfast you like
It doesn’t have to be a feast but if you like boiled eggs, try and make one. If you like avocado toast, maybe have a slice with fruit. You don’t have to make a whole spread (as I’m sure few people have time for that), but something is always better than nothing and why not make it enjoyable as well?
★If you can, jot down what you need to do that day
This helps gets you brain into the zone to complete tasks and be productive. It also helps organize your thoughts and gives you a clear list of tasks to complete throughout the day.
★Fill Up a Water Bottle
I feel like this list is just me yelling at myself to remember these things, but really this is important (and something I sometimes neglect on hectic mornings). A water bottle that you can have on hand can really help keeping you drinking water through the day which, in turn, can help you concentrate better.
★If going somewhere, make sure you have everything you need
If you have devices, check and make sure they’re charged and that you have their charging chords on hand. Don’t forget deodorant or whatever else you’ll need throughout your day. This may seem like an obvious thing to do but its also good to have another reminder.
★Listen to Music that makes you happy to be alive
Music is the best medicine sometimes. And a playlist that helps me feel pumped for the day works wonders.
★Move around a little if you have the time
A quick 5 or 10 minutes exercise definitely helps me get going in the morning. Sometimes I have time for a quick walk , other times only a few stretches. But again, something is always better than nothing. Exercising a little also helps kickstart your brain and prepares you for the day to come.
Once upon a time, there lived a man who lost his heart. He lost it to a woman with eyes like honey and a voice like silk. He handed it over to her without hesitation not thinking he would see her run away with it in less than a month. But she did. And the man was left alone and with a hole in his chest. Determined to fill it with something, he set out to craft a new one. A new heart that could be even better than the one he had lost. So he gathered his crafting tools together and went out into the land in search of materials. He came upon a city that sat upon a high mountain. There in its streets, he found a girl with a cart who sold colored ribbon. It was so beautiful, the man decided to make a heart of silk. He bought red silk from the girl and returned where he when about sewing his silk heart. But when he had finished, he found the heart much too light in his hands and entirely too vulnerable. So he set out again this time into the woods. This time he came upon a woodcutter who told him of a kind of wood that could withstand anything. The man decided he would buy some of this wood and fashion his new heart from that. He carved this new heart carefully with his tools and when he had finished, he found himself quite proud of his handy work. But another problem arose when the heart had been set on a table in front of an open window and clouds overtook the sky as it began to rain. The man returned to find his wooden heart, rotted and black on the table. Frustrated and discouraged, the man traveled once again, determined to find the perfect material from which to craft his heart. It was on his travels once again that he met a witch upon the road who listened to his problem. She then offered the man a solution (for a price of course which he ignorantly paid). “Take this stone,” she said after she pocketed his gold, “and carve yourself a heart that shall never break. Nothing shall penetrate its shell.” And so the man agreed, returning to his home to carve the stone into a new heart. He found the stone quite heavy but surprisingly this did not deter him, determined not to possess a vulnerable heart ever again. The man fashioned the heart and hid it away in his house. The man began staying home more as well, for fear someone might break in and steal his heart of stone. Soon, his paranoia grew so much to where he never left his home. And so he lived. Just him and his heart of stone. Until one day a woman happened by his house. He was suspicious of her at first, afraid she had come to steal the stone heart. But he was slowly won over by her politeness and allowed her in. Once inside the home, the woman remarked that the house felt cold, opening a window to allow the sun in. The man couldn’t remember the last time he had allowed the sun inside. The woman also noticed quite a few cobwebs hanging around the place. So she began clearing those away. Grateful, the man offered her a meal for her troubles. She heartily agreed. Over warm food, the man asked the woman why she had come in the first place, thoroughly perplexed at her arrival. He was no longer in the habit of inviting anyone over. She set her leather satchel on the dinner table. “I found this discarded on the side of a road months ago. I have been searching far and wide for its owner. Finally, I was led to you.” The woman drew out the man’s old heart from the bag, offering it to him freely. It was that day that the man decided he had very little use for a heart of stone. He then found himself inviting the woman to a meal the next evening if she so wished. Delighted at the gesture, she accepted. It wasn’t before long that the two courted and were engaged, then married. And they lived happily ever after in a cottage where cobwebs never hung, and sunlight filled its rooms, for it was now a house of two hearts.
By the Brooke 