Pin-fluenced: Mod Podge collage

This was a project I embarked on sometime last year... usually I can remember the month or even the season of an event, but for this I just can't pin down a time more specific than 2012.  

The idea originated from Bits of Everything and it seemed so doable.  Aside from feasibility, this idea was also a cheap idea - always a bonus when trying to survive on a student stipend.  Seriously, for a multi-photo frame of this size, I'd have to cut groceries for a month!

Project supplies from Walmart

1. Two black 20x30in foam boards: $2.88/each
2. Two foam brushes: $1/each
3. Mod Podge Matte (recommended over the glossy one): $7
4. 48 photos I swiped from mom's photo albums
5. Command adhesive strips for mounting: $5 (?)

Mod-podging

I began the project by cutting the 4x6 photos into the 4x4 size.  Originally I planned to by a fancy paper cutter that makes neat cuts because my scissor skills are much a-lacking.  But then, being the cheapskate that I am, I took the photos to work and used the lab's industrial size cutter.  There were some weird stares and questions, but hey - you gotta do what you gotta do!

The next part was quite tricky, and if I had thought about it beforehand, I might have not done the project at all... it was good then that I don't think too far in advance.  For the collage to not look like it was done by my 5-year-old nephew, it was necessary to measure out, inch by inch, how far the pictures will be from each other and from the edges.  I worked out that from the edge to the picture is 0.5 inch, and from picture to picture is 1 inch, and proceeded to lightly score the foam boards in pencil.

Next was the actual mod-podging.  I began by applying a thin layer of mod-podge on the foam board itself, no pictures.  I reasoned with myself that this extra layer will help the board from warping.  As this layer dried, I placed weights, i.e. canned goods, on the edges of the board to help it dry flat.

Then it was on to the pictures.  I've never mod-podge before and had to go on a limb trusting the original blog that painting glue over my pictures wasn't going to ruin them.  For the first few pictures, I painted the glue on the scored square where the picture was going to go.  This worked out well to adhere the picture to the board... but then I got lazy.  Instead of painting an even layer for the entire surface of the photo, I only painted enough so the picture stuck to the board.  This shortcut would cost me later on...

After all the photos were secured on the board, I mod-podge all over it all the while hoping that I didn't just destroy my pictures.  Again, the canned goods served to help the board dry flat.  The cost of the shortcut I mentioned earlier?  Bubbles.  Bubbles that formed between the board and my picture because the pictures weren't 100% flattened to the board.  All because I was too lazy to paint the entire surface of a 4x4 square.  ARG!  It's not too terribly noticeable; most people can't even tell... but it could've been just *perfect* if I hadn't cut some corners.  That's the annoying lesson here.

Mounting by my very own handyman

In the end I still love the collage.  In our old apartment the collage was mounted above our couch.  Now the collage fills an otherwise empty wall in the hallway from the front door to the kitchen.  Every now and then I catch myself stopping to admire the smiling faces of my little ones and my family.  I can say that I remember all the moments from which every single photo was captured; I took the photo after all.  One of my favorites of all time is of my outing to the park with little M when he was about 3 years old.  I felt bad for him because his brother and sister got to go to school, but M was cooped at home.  So to the park we went.  At that time he was still just a baby and did everything I asked.  I asked him to pose on a rock in the park and M climbed up and sat there for me.  Asked for a smile and he forces an unnaturally straight, though still very adorable, grin on his face, just enough to show his dimple.  That is my very favorite picture of M.

Having these photos up is more than just home decor; it's a reminder of the good memories I've had with my family.  It's these good times that help liven me up when I'm homesick.  It's these memories that remind me of my awesome and beautiful family.

Forgotten memories: For sale in H-Mart

One of my tasks I'd like to tackle this year is the de-cluttering of my photo folders - in my current computer, in my old computer, in backup files, in backup of backup files, in backup of backups of backup files.... aye aye aye.  As an avid enthusiast of photography, I tend shoot a lot of pictures with the righteous intention of going through to select the best ones, but this has been rarely the case.  I am a hoarder of not only makeup, but also pictures.

To compound the problem, I've gone through 3 computer changes, each holding it's own set of pictures, plus the backup of the set of pictures from the previous computer.  Then H also backs up my stuff for me, which is awfully nice of him... but I got comfortable and didn't do any maintenance.  My filing "system" is inefficient as there are too many duplicates of photos and folders that I can't keep track of it anymore.  It will be a long overhaul, but What I would like is to end up with a single set of folders of good quality photos, that I can then use to back up consistently.

It's not a task that will get done overnight, so I'm going through bit by bit.  And along the way, I've already discovered some gems that I've stored with the intention of sharing but were forgotten in the shuffle.

Here is a set of photos taken from H-Mart, a very popular Korean grocery store and also the only decent Asian grocery store where I live.

Live crabs!
I wondered why this sign was necessary... Was it because some idiot was stupid enough
to pick this up with their hands and got pinched? 

A very phallic ginger root.

A bargain at $1.49/lb!  Should've picked some up to see how it tastes - haven't
spotted (spotted - get it?) them since!

Supposedly makes a drinker horny?  Would there be a synergistic effect if both
parties drank it simultaneously?

Moldy Tofu!

Pin-fluenced: Lasagna soup

Soups and bread are my Achille's heel.  If bread makes me weak in the knees, soup and bread makes me keel over in ecstasy.  So when I stumbled on to this recipe for lasagna soup on Pinterest, there was no question that it was going to get made in my kitchen.

Ingredients:
- Ground beef
- Canned tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Vegetables (onions, zuchini, bell peppers...)
- Broth
- Lasagna noodles
-Spices... pretty much whatever's in the pantry
-Parmesan cheese
-Basil

What to do:

1. Brown the meat & drain the fat.  Add in onions & vegetables.  Add spices (Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper... whatever else suits the mood)
2. Add in half a can of tomato paste and cook until everything melds together.
3. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes and the canned broth.  Add about 2 cans of hot water to make it very soupy.  Turn on the heat and let the pot come to a boil.
4. Break in lasagna noodles.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes until sauce is thickened and pasta is cooked through.
5. Stir in parmesan & basil.
6. Enjoy with a crusty slice of bread!

Art Nouveau or Art BS?

What's the definition of intelligence?  Altruism?  How about something we encounter almost everyday - art? I have a hard time putting together definitions/descriptions for these plus countless other things.  Supreme Court Justice Potter Steward said it best in his definition of pornography: "I know it when I see it."  Truly I may not have all the descriptors that would comprehensively define an intelligent perston, but I could surely point one out if I see one.

Does art, good art, also fall into this category of things we recognize when we see it?  Maybe, maybe not.  Bad art, though, I think we can all agree on, surely.

This gem was at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: a piece of stretched canvas that looked like someone sloppily went over it a few times with a black paint roller and then crudely framed it with unfinished wood.

I found a similar piece in the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, though this piece was much larger and evenly coated in black.  I observed a man stare intently at it for what looked like hours.  Is that how it works?  That's how you're supposed to do it?  Like a little monkey, I also stood there and stared (and had my friend snapped my intense gaze)... but alas, it was still just a large piece of canvas covered in black paint, and that was all.

The theme I seem to run across with these is size - the larger the more "art-y"? These were pieces of wood (?) cut in different rectangles and then painted.  How is it modern?  How is it art?  Perhaps the colors have some significance that I don't understand...

... But then, what is the meaning of this little number?  Even without paint it looks like something I could fashion out of construction paper, tape and ruler in a pinch.  Here my friend is straining hard to understand the meaning of the work.

This "installation" was also at the VFMA, simply entitled "Buddha."  The description reads:

Here a stone Buddha head from Indonesia, partially embedded in dirt and signed dramatically across the back by Paik in Chinese and english, appears to observe itself on television.  A live image of the unchanging head is continuously relayed to the monitor by the closed-circuit camera on the tripod.  The Buddha thus generates and receives its own image in an infinite temporal loop, updating the act of contemplation for the age of technology.

No words can adequately describe my confusion for this work. 

This is my favorite piece out of them all, also a hidden gem from the MOMA in SF.  Two blank canvases with a black border.

The importance of the viewer's perception to the asthetic value of a work of art is a signficiant feature of Jo Baer's minimalism and is subtly apparent in this painted diptych.  Narrow black bands of paint trace the edges of both canvases and contrast sharply with the monochromatic white fields, creating painted frames which are themselves shadowed by a thin band of blue.  Sandwiched between the black and white, the blue flouresces, making the black blacker and white whiter.  Through this gestait effect viewers are made aware of how their optical experiences contribute to the physical presence of the painting.

Whaaaa???  Two blank canvases bordered by black and blue.  Seriously, how is this considered art, and modern art at that?  Is it modern because it's blank, and no one expects modern art to be blank?  It seems almost like size is the only determining factor in what makes it "art" - would I also be able to "show" in an art museum if I had enough money to buy two enormous blank canvases?  What optical experiences am I supposed to have?  And what is the physical presence of the painting other than comedy for someone like me or resentment for some bloke who had to pay to see this?

With no art training, crude tastes and a inclination for pragmatism, I am the first to plead ignorance in art museums.  I know there people who "get" these paintings - like the man lost in thought at the black canvas.  Perhaps I should've asked him for his insight - maybe I would've learned something, or maybe I would've face-palmed in front of him.  Perhaps it was wise to not take that chance then and there.

Lessons from my diet

With regards to my makeup diet of 2012, overall I am very satisfied with my progress at working through my beauty stash.  Somehow it helps to collect the items and show it off - it's a way to make my goal tangible and so helps me stick to it.  A few things I've learned about my addiction through this self-inflicted challenge:

1. It takes me forever + an aeon to finish a product, even if that product is a teensy eensy sample. Unless I can eat it, it will take a long time to die.  
2. Quality over quantity, any day, any time.  Just because a product is cheap doesn't mean I need to snag it, and just because a product is expensive does not mean it will do miracles for me.  Using up an item for the sake of using it up wasn't very enjoyable.  Sure I got satisfaction from emptying a container and tossing it into my empties box, but the act of using up a dud is very tiresome!  In the end, I want to have fewer products that I love using rather than endless duds that I have to work to get through.
3. I don't need multiples of any product.  Not only does it take me a long time to work through an item, I find myself getting sick of using the same thing over and over again, especially when newer and better things are always looming in the market.  
4. "Limited Edition" is really a gimmick to make consumers feel the need to buy the item before it's gone.  Nothing is really "Limited Edition" because newer products are always on the horizon to dupe said limited edition product or even enhance it.  I mustn't get suckered into "Limited Edition" labels.
5. Holding on to products for the sake of having them is useless and a step towards Hoarders.  Why hold on to stuff I know I won't use?!  It's gotten easier to get throw away expired products, but I still need to work on paring down items that I don't enjoy using and those that are just poor quality.  
6. It feels good to let go of items that I can't throw away or use up by giving it to other people.  In addition to my diet, I've also gone through my stash and given away products that I had accumulated and never used.   All these items went into a bag which I left in my student lounge for my fellow classmates; the bag was empty within a day.  I also did this with a lot of clothing and house belongings that I no longer use/need.  This purge, if nothing else, has taught me to let go of things that I don't use so that those things might be used and enjoyed by somebody else.
7. Putting effort into how I present myself to the world is not vain.  I love makeup and all things beauty related, and it's okay to spend 5 minutes in the morning enhancing my features.  After all, why have so much makeup if I don't use it and don't enjoy using it?!

The purge of 2012 has allowed me to shed the bulk of the unnecessary baggage that I was holding on to.  For the future, I expect slower progress as I work through my products, i.e. slower accumulations of empties.  I do want to continue to record those because the strange high I get at seeing an emptied product helps me stay focused.   I don't want to put myself on a strict no-buy like I did for the first diet attempt because at this stage of the diet, the focus is on maintenance.  So as long as I don't gorge myself to the state of my collection at the beginning of 2012, I think it would be okay to treat myself to something I lusted over.

Pin-fluenced: Seasons of Love

During last spring when I was knee-deep in lectures and tests, Pinterest was my solace (and maybe also my demise).  Inspirations abounded - recipes for muffins, soups, all things homemade, dyi projects... it was an endless sea of distractions seemed like so much more fun than reading a Cell paper for class.

At that time, one of the most popular pins was the "365 Days of Happiness" painting by QiQi.  

The freshness and ease of the art appealed to me - the high price-tag of $365 did not.  Seriously Etsy sellers?!  I understand that artistic talents are rare and to be valued, that its hard to make a living as an artist, that every piece is born out of the labor of love... but $365?  

As a frugal (and resourceful) graduate student in need of some apartment decor and much inspired by the painting I stumbled on Pinterest, I decided it was going to be my project for 2012.  "If I couldn't accomplish anything else except this painting for the entire 2012 year, I would consider 2012 a success" - I announced this to anyone who would listen.  

Supplies were collected in various trips to Michael's Crafts Store and Wal-Mart during March 2012.  Then one day, out of the blue, when I least planned to paint, my project came to life.

Project supplies

1. Paint roller: $3
2. Four 12 x 24 stretched canvas: $30 total
3. Various acrylic paints: ~$15
4. Cheapo paint brushes: $4

I also bought plastic material to protect the carpet of my apartment - a wise $2 investment as my paint roller definitely skipped off the canvas several times.

Background done

The first order of business was to lay down the foundation on the canvas.  I liked the color scheme of the original painting and wanted to match it, but it came out a bit more vibrant than I would have preferred.  Getting the gradient going was tricky.  In my first attempt with the pink panel, I began with the most saturated end and lightened the hue with a combination of water and white paint.  Alas, the panel was too short and my paint roller had too much pigment left that the canvas looked all the same color.  With much effort in rinsing out the roller and mixing white painting with the pink, I managed to make it less stark as the bottom end.  For the other three panels I learned my lesson and started at the lighter end and worked my way to the darker end.  Ironically the part I had imagined to be the easiest/fastest turned out to require the most time and effort.  In the end, I think I gave up trying to make the colors blend better; I would have preferred a better gradient with the colors being more muted and subdued, but nevertheless, the project continued.

Using a disposable dish as a paint tray

After the background finished drying, I began my favorite part - painting in the trees and leaves.  I also thought this part was a cinch since I doodle flowers and leaves all the time, and truly this part was most enjoyable.  However, the black acrylic paint I had was part of a kit and the texture was very thick - it did not lend it self to creating fluid tree limbs that I had imagined.  Instead this thick paint skipped every few centimeters, causing me to re-paint the line, which made limbs that looked thick and unnatural.  Note to self: don't count on the black acrylic paint in cheap kits from Wal-Mart to create the centerpiece of your painting.  I ended up buying another black acrylic paint and going over the limbs again to make it look more fluid.

Limbs and birds done

On my kitchen table adding in leaves 

Leaves were painted by mixing colors of the same scheme together.  This part was very easy and intuitive to me, though I made a boo-boo with the random leaf at the neck of the main tree trunk.  I tried covering it up with other paints but the dark color wouldn't allow it.

More leaves

After painting in all the leaves, I still felt something was missing so I went back with white paint and created small flowers with petals the same pattern as the leaves.  This filled in some of the empty spaces and made the painting more lively to me.

The completed project 

I also painted a thin layer of clear varnish over the finished panels to protect the acrylic from deteriorating over time and to provide some gloss. 

H kindly mounted my proud achievement on the wall 

The completion of my project took the entire day - I started in the early afternoon and was still painting in leaves and flowers by midnight.  Though not perfect and impeccable as the one by QiQi, I'm quite happy every time at the finished results.  The quirks in it are less and less apparent as the sum of the whole is really a product of love.  And I suppose if success was measured by my grossly shortsighted list of accomplishments for 2012, then last year was a total success!

Post-holiday indulgences

Mega-massive, out-of-control, over-indulgence

When it comes to buying makeup I am like a squirrel - I buy one or two items here and there, all spread over a long period of time.  And usually it's with cheaper items that go on sale at the drugstore or on clearance at Target.  I've never gone full crazy like I did this past month, especially with this many higher-end products at one time.  Looking at the haul overall actually makes me a little woozy!

It's especially tempting during the holiday season when companies entice women with kits and special packaging.  And of course stores have signs everywhere advertising special promotions and "must-get" deals.  I was pretty self-restrained during the entire season, talking myself out of purchases.  However, ll my good behavior went out the window after Christmas.  It seemed as though the stores knew I was coming and was planting these irresistible items right in front of me, at prices I've never seen before... so I  splurged.

From Ulta

1. Urban Decay All Nighter spray: I've been dying to try this forever, especially with my oil-slick of a face.  This bottle was the XL size, and it was 50% off!
2. Laura Geller Femme Fatale kit:  I've tried Laura Geller powders before and was so pumped to get this kit at 50% off!  My obsessions with face powder and blush is happily satiated with this purchase.
3. Stila Blush: What can I say, I can't resist blushes, especially ones from Stila, and especially when they're on clearance.
4. Bare Minerals duo:  This was sitting on a stand in the middle of Ulta, all by its lonesome.  I was so surprised that no one had snagged this up before I got to it.  And I even expected that people had dipped their dirty fingers in the product and left it behind.  But to my surprise, it was brand-spanking new!  At $8, I could not pass this up.
5. Essence polish:  I didn't intend to buy this, but I had to get something small so that I could reach my dollar limit for the coupon to apply, so this was the winner.  It's actually impressive for $2.
6. Covergirl & Olay cream blushes x3:  I love blushes, and I love cheap deals, and this 2 things combined make me really, really giddy.  I first read reviews about this from nouveaucheap (one of my favorite blogs), and was intrigued especially since she also has oily skin and claimed that it was very long-wearing.  Intrigued as I was, I was not going to shell out $13 for this product.  So, to snag these up at $1.50 each was the greatest high.  Seriously.

From The Body Shop

I've never purchased anything from The Body Shop - I was intrigued by what they offered, but always thought they were too overpriced, snobbish even.  That's why they have to entice customers with constant deals and promotions, and these were always not good enough for me.  Until, of course, December 17, which I learned is the free shipping day for most online retailers.  That day they had their products at 3 for $30, which was more than 50% off regular price for most items, and shipping was free.  If there's one thing that I vehemently avoid, it's paying shipping - especially when the shipping is as much as what I want to buy!  So of course I couldn't pass it up.   What I ended up with is pretty neutrals, exactly what my tastes are.  To the untrained eye, the three products might look like they would be all the same colors, but to my obsessed eyes everything has subtle differences that warrant me keeping all three!  Hah!

From Sephora:

I love Sephora - I visit it every chance I get, and I browse their website daily.  But I don't buy a whole lot from there because it is expensive!  They have a reward program where every dollar I spend translates to one beauty point, which can then be redeemed for freebies... I've always had less than 100 points with them, though these purchases might have put me over.  

As a loyalty perk, Sephora gave me a $15 off $50 coupon, which I happily applied towards the Amazing Grace Layering set.  I've sprayed this perfume on my wrist every time I pass by it, and would end up sniffing my wrist for the entire day.  The set makes it a better buy, and the coupon made it irresistible.  I also got a cheap nail polish to make my purchase qualify to the dollar amount.

Then, just when I thought I was done with Sephora, they advertised an additional 20% off their sale items.  Before when I said I browse Sephora's website, I should specify that I browse their sale page... like a hawk.  But nothing was enticing enough to put me over the edge, until one day, while casually browsing their sale page again, I spotted the Bare Minerals The Star Treatment palette... *gasp*... for $20... *gulp*... it must be mine!  It's a beautiful mirrored palette with buttery, shimmery neutrals - what's not to love?  As it sits in front of me now, I almost don't want to touch it and ruin the perfection that is this palette.  The Star Treatment?  Go ahead!  Make me a star!

Because of my hate for shipping charges, I also got some things extra that I've been eyeing, but had not taken the plunge.  This included the Kat Von D Star Crossed palette, and a pink powder brush, both of which were 50% off!

From the Target, CVS, and Walgreens:

As if Ulta and Sephora weren't enough, I even got things from the drugstores.  Good ol' drugstores, where you really have to hunt for the diamond in the rough.  

While browsing for after-Christmas decoration deals in Target, I wandered to the beauty aisles.  Rule # 74: No trip to Target is every complete without a quick walk-through of the beauty section... because you never know what will be on clearance!  Case in point, I stumbled on the Revlon bronzer for $3.48, and it was immediately in my cart.  I don't really know how to use bronzers, and I don't know that I actually need it, already being Asian, but I've been intrigued by this product for some time now, and at 70% off I can afford to experiment with it.

At CVS, a lot of beauty items were on clearance for 75% off.  I've been through these sales in the past and have gone a little nutty then, but I've learned to be more restrained and picky.  This time around, I picked up four of the Milani Holographic polishes, plus the Wet n Wild mini polish set.  I've had my eyes on the holographic polishes for ages now, but refused to spend full price for them.  Patience is a virtue because each of the holographic polish, and the entire Wet n Wild set, were each $1.50.  Score!

The only place where I did not get any deals or discounts was at Walgreens, or as I fondly refer to it, Wags.  I went in because it was across from the CVS, but I left with a Maybelline Color Tattoo in Inked in Pink, a Jordana Fabuliner, and a Jordana Mascara.  The Color Tattoo was something I had been searching for as this color is a new release and not all stores have it.  I hope the pink will be fantastic with the Bare Minerals duo I got from Ulta.  Then the 2 Jordana eye products are cheap items that have rave reviews, and I've never tried them because Jordana is only sold at Wags... so naturally they had to go home with me!

***

Whew!  That was a lot.  The squirrel inside of me will have a lot of goodies to enjoy for a quite a long time.  Merry belated Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday to me!