Wow, it's apparently been a loooong while since I've posted here v(=∩_∩=)ﾌ
The last time was around Halloween - my second-favorite season, trumped by Christmas! And speaking of Christmas, that's what I'm here to write about today - some of the amazing stocking stuffers from my awesome hubby-bubby Rob ♥‿♥
So I'll start with photos and follow with the story:
In order from top:
When I was a little girl (about grade 6), I had one of the uber-popular Tamagotchi toys. I took care of that thing like there was no tomorrow, right down to waking up late-night or early morning when the thing beeped. I snuck it to school but when a teacher took it - later giving it back with a promise from me not to bring it to school - the poor thing died. And those late 90s/early 00s models didn't have the reset capability that today's models have. I was devastated at the time, and though still intrigued with the idea of "raising" another one, I didn't bother for a long time.
Anyway, during a 2018 trip to Sunrise Records here in Bower Mall, I saw some on display and turned into a total fangirl! So Rob surprised me by putting a pink one in my stocking. I've since played with it and it died - the one above is a duplicate because I lent the original gift to a good friend, who in turn misplaced it and so I went to replace it recently at the Toys R Us in Bower (these buggers are still insanely popular and sell out quick)! Below is a video of me grieving for the original one [Rob got me for Christmas] during a family trip to Cancun:
And the following photos [above] are of some of those awesome cookies from Second Cup - a confectionary brand called A Couple of Squares - these particular sugar cookies in Christmas themes, such as a candy cane & hot chocolate, as well as a toque and mitt (so Canadian)! I adore these cookies mainly for their kawaii aesthetic and long shelf life. It's incredible that they're all hand-made!
With Halloween around the corner, I have become more aware of the sheer terror of Japanese horror movies. Not sure if you've watched any yourself, but if you haven't yet, see this blog post for some recommendations.
I apologize if this in any way sounds like cultural appropriation, when I gush about how over-the-top frightening the movies are, from this particular culture! To be honest, I truly don't know why or how they sort of 'kick the stuffing' out of Western horror flicks, but they sure do!
My guess is, it could be the more 'spiritual' aspect of the films, where more is left to the imagination, as less stuff is as linear as we see in Western films (which over time, can become predictable).
Another guess I have, is that these kinds of movies focus less on the traditional jump-scares and blood baths, and have more eerie and 'odd' scenes, such as the crawling girl in The Ring, or the hair scene in Apartment 1303. I suppose it could be the intensity of the novelty of these scenes.
😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱
Now this is where I believe that Japanese culture is a true enigma. The largest cultural enigma that I know of, in fact. For the deep, dark intensity of their scary stuff, they are on the extreme opposite end of the light, fun, colorful, cute and cartoonish stuff!
How can the same country, with the same humans and institutions, export such extremely opposite entertainment?
Well, though I live in Canada, from what I've studied about Japan and the culture, the people are very hard-working and that leads to very high levels of stress. On the one hand, some people handle stress by giving into darker interests... and others handle stress by turning to the opposite and lighten themselves up with gentle stuff. Personally, I've done both.
This seems like a sort of Yin and Yang culture, and I really appreciate the balance!
💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓
JUMP-SCARE ALERT!!
This is a Japanese tire commercial, which drives home my point about their talent for inducing sheer terror. It features the dashcam of some men, driving presumably home from work during a snowstorm. Suddenly, they stop when they see a ghostly woman in the middle of the road. Before they have time to study her, she flies forth at supernatural speed, and lands on their windshield, showing she is a ghost or demon of some sort. To showcase the quality of the company's tires, these men reverse immediately and are able to escape at high speed on the snowy road!
Anyhow, as you may know, since our recent trip to Las Vegas (and having taken a really cool, interactive ghost tour) Rob & I started a paranormal blog, called Ghosts Live in Our World.
Thank you for tuning in here today and sharing my joy about these new kawaii cuties, from Rob and from my mum for my recent birthday. I took pictures awhile ago while opening them, but it's been awhile since I'd be able to find time to film with them, too.
Please enjoy this brief and slightly awkward video above, lol. They're all too adorable not to share with someone, eh?
I recently read an article in a local [Canadian] newspaper, and it was about some people using emoji in a way that got them in some legal trouble. A recent example was between two men texting, and one sent 2 knife emoji with an eggplant. It was presumed the sender was threatening to injure or remove the genitals of the recipient, and he got charged for threats and harassment.
I had a very strong urge to share this with you guys, the readers, because I understand that the use of these kawaii little images has become a fundamental part of our digital communication. And sometimes, we send something meant sarcastically or ironically, and without tone of voice or facial expression to back up the meaning, it can be taken way out of context. And - that may get you charged ☹
Please note - I'm not telling you how to live! Just want you to be careful. Something else that really caught my eye in this article, is how emoji are used around the world. According to SwiftKey research, various regions favor some of these tiny cartoons over others...
Canadians (like me!) tend to over-use the poop emoji in communications, hahaha!
In Australia, they favor emoji related to booze & drugs, wow!
In France (and probably throughout romantic Europe), heart emoji are commonly used.
Russians (surprisingly, maybe?) use very romantic emoji quite often.
Middle-Eastern/Arabic cultures seem to favor the floral/plant ones in communications.
Malaysian people seem to like cute farm animals and lots of hand gestures.
🐮🐴🐷🐶🐑
And, in other news, I found some pretty cool Sailor Moon-themed games online recently. For Christmas, my husband got me some Sailor Moon DVDs because it's one of my favorite childhood shows - after all, it was my first exposure to anime!
Self-portrait of me at age 10, in my Sailor Moon costume!
Anyhow, we play video games around here, because we're cool 😎 And while playing retro games on our Sega Genesis, I got to thinking about how fun it would be to play a Sailor-Moon themed game so I looked online and found 2. One is an adorable dress-up themed game, so I 'made' all 5 sailor senshi scouts:
Which one is your favorite? (I've always been partial to Sailor Mars. It's probably those red shoes).
And for when you're in a more aggressive mood, there is a Mortal Kombat sort of style game as well, called Sailor Moon Fights. It is complete with the theme music and even audio in Japanese! It's got a lot of show (flashing stars) and it's controlled just using keyboard buttons.
Today I learned about something new. Well, it's not new in the world - just new in my world. It's a Japanese philosophy called Kaizen, which means "change for better". It can be translated closely to the English "improvement", but goes a bit deeper than that.
The notion here is to become the best version of ourselves possible. The. BEST. Version. Possible.
This philosophy means first and foremost, to give up bad habits, the ones that cause our bodies harm, such as junk food, smoking, and others like alcohol, etc. Or at least enjoy them in moderation.
Then, give up negative thinking; give up paranoia, past hurts, and assumptions that harm our minds and our souls. Meditate. Pray. Do yoga. Find whatever gets you to your deeper self. It's totally okay to talk with a therapist, they can be super helpful.
Then develop self-discipline. Learn to say no to what you don't need (or to whom you don't need to serve), and strive to stay true to your own convictions. Become a self-advocate for what you need, while balancing it with the needs of others. Don't be lazy in anything that you do, even if you're alone. Don't give in to temptations to take shortcuts.
Let go of people who suck you of your resources, and let go of things you cannot change. Keep a journal to make this process easier. Find what does & doesn't work for you. Establish healthy boundaries and spend time with other mentally healthy people, who are positive.
Learn to accept your shortcomings. Allof them - these beautiful flaws are charming and what make you an awesome, perfectly imperfect human being. It's when we stop letting our self-doubts and fears of what others think, that we truly grow and flourish.
Read up on mindfulness meditation and growth mindsets - you'll be glad you did.
Now look to healthy habits for your body again - are you getting enough sleep? Make that a priority. Take 10 sips of water every 20 minutes to half an hour at work. Yes you will have to pee a lot for the first while, but then your body gets used to it.
Pre-make healthy meals at home on a Sunday evening, portion them into freezable containers and store them in your freezer for quick but healthy meals for every night of the week!
This Kaizen is a life-long process, with no set end date, and unsurprisingly, is adopted by high-end and incredibly successful businessmen in Japan. And very likely also adopted by athletes and priests and all of the revered people there.
♈♉♊♋♌♍♎♏♐♑♒♓
Now here is the funny thing: I just recently read about this mindset and lifestyle, of developing into one's best self over time, and yet I feel it's already been happening in my life.
I was picked on as a child and, without going into a lot of detail about my personal life growing up, I had extremely low self esteem and a low sense of self-worth. I felt I had no real place in this world, and this feeling got carried well into my 20s (I'm now almost 30 years old). As a teen, I was already watching shows like Dr. Phil and occasionally seeing counsellors through school. This was soothing as well as fascinating, and I began researching cognitive behavioral therapy as a tool to help people with various mental illnesses, which led to research on neuroplasticity and well, I've been keeping personal journals for years, and this is leading to a LOT of self-improvement (Kaizen) without even knowing a name for it.
My confidence has increased, mainly because I understand myself and my neurology a lot better. I still enjoy watching Dr. Phil because he's tough but gentle, and explains people's brains on the show. Now I am better with personal boundaries and keeping a safe distance from those who overwhelm my emotions, so I don't end up drained. It feels good to blossom as a person, and find my place in this world, as:
An artist.A friend. A therapist (when needed).A writer, a thinker.A communicator.
It's a way of life that's highly recommended to you guys, the readers 😍
Hello friends!
I had a very cool conversation recently with a really nice young lady who works at Dairy Queen in Deer Park, just 20 minutes away from our home.
I don't want to have a 'swollen head'... in fact, the opposite is true - I'm beginning to get recognized more & more by strangers since getting this Kawaii365 project out there. And it makes me feel humble and full of gratitude 💓
Yesterday Rob & I stopped for lunch there, and when we had donated to the children's hospital via the Children's Miracle Network, I automatically wrote some kawaii stuff on the paper balloon.
When the super sweet girl came to our table moments later, she asked if I could speak Japanese, and that started a really nice discussion about going to Japan and seeing the Hello Kitty theme parks.
I've been pondering on her question about being able to speak Japanese - I know only a little, but alas there are others out there who would like to know even that. So here goes:
Konnichiwa - good day, hello.
Konbanwa - specifically, good evening. Hajimemashite, dozo yoroshiku - "I am meeting you for the first time, I shall look forward to your kindness"
Kawaii - cute, 'glowing face' (which explains the rosy cheeks).
Sayanora - goodbye; often informal. Sumimasen - a formal 'sorry'. Also used for 'excuse me' in public. Kudasai - common 'please'. Often used in context like 'please give me...'
Nyan - 'meow'
Neko - cat or kitty. 'Maneki Neko' is Lucky Cat.
Usagi - bunny - sooo cute! Banzai!- A Japanese cheer, often said before drinking Sake (sah-kay). Itadakimasho - "let's eat!" -San - Adding this after someone's name (often surname) shows respect, like saying 'Mr.' Chocolate (yes please!) - chokoreto. Coffee Shop - Kohii Shoppu. Dozo - "please, help yourself." Matsuri - festivals (very popular, esp. in Harujuku and Tokyo). Kigurumi - 'large wearable toy', often refers to adult onesies (like PJs). Love these! Yukata - a light-weight, cotton robe (similar to a kimino in style, but way less fancy). Hai - yes. The Japanese word for 'no' is iie, but they don't like to say it because it's considered rude. They are a very polite culture that would prefer not to rebut. Hashi - chopsticks. Great for sushi! Or anything cooked in tempura (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Umami - a sort of savory, meaty flavor. And Some vowel info for easier pronunciation when reading Romaji (Japanese in the Roman alphabet which is why it looks familiar): There are no diphthongs in this language (yay!). That means each vowel can be pronounced independently for the most part. This means that: A sounds like 'ah' E sounds like 'eh' I sounds like a long 'ee' O sounds like 'oh' and U sounds like 'oo' So for example, using one of the above words, the word 'please' sounds like Koo-dah-sah-ee.
And when you have a moment - thank you for checking out the new line of cute animal characters inspired by this year-long blog project - Zoo'd Blog Thank you for reading, have a great day!
I won this book from the downtown library here in Red Deer. Rob knew that I recently became a fan of adult coloring, and so there was an adult coloring event there, which we attended for date night. It was a very pleasant surprise to win anything, much-less this awesome creativity book.
Now, I had earned my Art Diploma from SCI in Quebec back in 2009, but aside from some odd jobs here & there, I never really 'became' an artist. Instead, I just settled for being a retail worker and became a housewife, often just doing chores and not following my real career passion.
So a huge thank you to my husband Rob for paying attention to what interests his wifey, and taking the initiative here. After reading this book for about a week (got it on July 3 from what I remember), I kept thinking about all the amazing authors, musicians and visual artists featured in the book, and all the neat projects. These were all people who swallowed their pride, faced their fears and dove in head first - so I did too.
The above is a picture of the very first, #1/365, project. I didn't know exactly what to make first, so I just started carrying a marker around with me and watched for 'blank canvases'. A coffee cup lid seemed perfect - this one was from Second Cup just off Gaetz Avenue.
I promise they got better after this, lol. Well, somewhat. There have definitely been some 'flops' like the 2 below, but it's all part of learning & growing, as both an artist and a person.
So if you live in Red Deer (or Calgary where Rob & I used to live), then you know I'm shy by nature. It could be a Pisces thing, or because according to Myers-Briggs, I'm an INFJ (so mostly introverted and more emotionally sensitive). And therefore, this project was one of the best decisions I've ever made!
It not only caused me to get out and meet more people in the city (and collaborate with other artists), it caused me to think with a more open mind. I developed more self-esteem, found myself forgiving others more easily, started seeing life with a more positive outlook and developed a greater interest in learning (which helps with Spanish and playing keyboard).
I also got honored to be part of some awesome events in the city, such as Alberta Culture Days and Art Battle International.
And when it started to dawn on me... I'm a real, legitimate professional graphic and visual artist (and cartoonist), I began offering commission work on Fiverr. I have designed illustrations & clipart, as well as made coloring sheets for businesses such as dental offices, and even got into paid freelance writing for others. This extra income has forced me to be better with balancing books and really paying attention to what comes in [and from where], and then what gets re-invested, and what is left over to save. And for someone like me, this is saying a lot.
Now feeling so professional, I also have my LinkedIn page a complete makeover. Like my passport photo, it was in desperate need of one!
This project has also helped me manage time better - as an adult with ADHD (yes it's a thing), I wasn't always focused on schedules and time. But now, after monitoring a year day-by-day, week-by-week and even month-by-month (with a binder and notebooks), I feel more organized than before. Here's to hoping this is a habit that sticks.
And, armed with the knowledge that I'm a legit professional artist with experience, references, a deviantArt page and a diploma in Arts, I decided to take my tee shirt designs professional and opened a RedBubble shop. That has proven successful with sales, and I also have a Zazzle shop with my original designs uploaded to it. And it feels amazing to have come this far in just a year!
So, you might be wondering then... today is project #365 - what is it?
You'll need to watch the YouTube video above for the reveal...
And, I've been asked by reputable questioners, what is going to become of this blog now that our daily art project is done. That's a great question!
Initially, I figured this blog would end up in a holding pattern [after 400+ posts], but then we began doing Review Wednesdays and Feature Fridays, which proved popular. And most recently, we do a thing on Mondays called 'Are They Kawaii?' so this blog is going to stay updated with those.
I can't just disappear from all the loyal readers and sharers. You guys have shown so much love and helped make this blog and art project a reality for this shy girl (pointing to myself).
Also, we are still doing 'challenges' where you try something new & Japanese (currently, we're doing the #OrigamiChallenge) and share it across social media to get yourself seen ≧◡≦
And before I go for the evening, you need to know something cool: Next Monday (July 17th) is World Emoji Day, so make sure to share some love with emoji! In fact, if you can, try commenting here with them 😄
Today was a blessed day - Rob's dad came over from Vancouver and visited with the family, and we enjoyed a hot day together [during this Red Deer and surrounding area heat wave!]
Then, despite the moist skin, Rob & I went to get our passport renewal stuff, which meant horrible pictures (I'm 29, apparently going on 45!)
And now we're home, with our giant Kyoto air conditioner running in the living room. Oh and...
It's laundry day! (*whines*)
I hate doing laundry - always have. I rarely if ever sort items first, and then of course there's the seemingly endless changing from washer to dryer, and folding/putting away (this is usually a days-long event for me).
Thankfully tonight is only 2 loads, and it's still pretty early in the evening. However, I can't help but feel like I'm being pursued by a strange beast... an animal I call...
The Laundry Monster!
It feels like a living, breathing (and growling!) entity is staring me in the face every time I enter the laundry room. Perhaps something out of a Kaiju 怪獣 ("strange beast") movie.
So that was the inspiration behind today's (July 8) #Kawaii365 project.
So you want to know how to show your gratitude in the Japanese language? There are a few ways. These ways depend on: 1) The situation (Work? Casual?) and the person you're thanking (a superior, like a boss? Or a small child?)
According to WikiHow, the most common and casual way is to say 'Domo Arigatou'. It cannot be used in formal situations though. To write it in Kanji: どうもありがとう
If it's really casual (like thanking a cashier) it can be shortened to just 'Arigatou' which is comparable to our 'thanks'. Phonetically it's pronounced like 'Ah-ree-gah-toh-oo' and to write it in Japanese looks like: ありがとう If you're visiting Japan, you may see it written like that along various public spaces, subways, malls, etc. It's a very polite society.
You may also see a more polite 'Domo' (though it often means something like 'very much', in this context it's meant as 'thanks very much'). Still not super appropriate for formal situations like meeting a new boss or getting a tour of a company. Looks like: どうも
Formal Thank Yous
This one is a little tougher - but thankfully only required for meeting elders, older strangers or persons in higher ranking, such as politicians, police officers, store managers, and the like. It expressed very heartfelt gratitude and humility.
In Romanji (Japanese written in Latin letters) it looks like: 'Arigatou Gozaimasu', is pronounced like: Ah-ree-gah-toh-oo Go-zah-ee-mas' (yes the u is silent). Written it looks like: ありがとうございますいます
And to be even more formal (for high-end circumstances, like a fancy dinner with Japanese business colleagues, or an interview with a panel of managers of a top company), you can add Domo (どうも) to the very beginning of the above phrase.
Wow! That is a lot to learn! Just make sure not to accidentally mix up casual with formal ones, because it can be just as embarrassing either way. If you're travelling to Japan for leisure purposes, then it only makes sense to study and remember 1 casual way and 1 formal way, for the people you will meet on your journey.
So, why am I sharing all this info about saying thank you? Because gratitude is the theme behind today's #Kawaii365 project! I got to thinking about all the kawaii greeting cards I make for my Etsy shop (DarylArt Digital) and so far, I've made: Christmas cards, Valentine's Day cards and a popular Birthday card - but today is the first time I've made a Thank You card!
And today's official project is another weird art one. I like doing these because the borderline abstract quality gets people thinking. When we expand the art, we expand our minds...
And when we expand our minds, then the art we create is more expanded. Oh my! *_*Stay tuned for next week's 'Are They Kawaii?' or 'Retro Kawaii' post! Have an awesome day xoxo Daryl J.
I recently learned that the super-adorable anime girls I watched in 'Is This Order A Rabbit?' would be considered 'Moe Kawaii' (that is, that they're feminine, soft, adorable and sexy). And Usagi is Romanji (Japanese written in Latin letters) for rabbit. Bunnies are unbearably adorable and sometimes it's hard to take 🐇
So with all this recent inspiration, I decided to draw what I might look like as a moe anime usagi girl :) That's the explanation behind today's #Kawaii365 project:
So you may be wondering how she was drawn? Here is the process:
With a pencil, I drew a light, head-shaped outline until I got the angle right. Then I made some faint, quick lines to form her 'skeleton' for the body pose.
Then with a slightly darker pencil stroke (I used 2 pencils), I made the circular shapes and drew the basic face, hair style and clothes. From here I inked it with a black gel pen and let it dry.
And then my very favorite part - using the high-grade pencil crayons my husband Rob got for my birthday in February! I learned how to do this from a book about kawaii and manga art. My work isn't perfect, but it sure was fun to do (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ I'm also inspired by some of my fellow Patreon artists, who work very hard to be awesome!
Now I'd really like to see your anime-style self portraits, so please share them on social media and tag #Kawaii365 so we can enjoy your talent and feature you on this blog! xoxoxo
Today is Wednesday again, which means it's time for March 29's #ReviewWednesday 😄
So today we're going to review some Korean cookies called Kancho Choco Biscuit (by Lotte). I bought this particular box at 7-11 in Red Deer for about $3. It looked soooo cute I couldn't resist!
Irresistible box called me with it's cuteness
The wrap inside was nice and glad they're kept fresh :)
They don't look exactly as expected (as on box) but that's okay.
Lots of chocolate inside each one; mildly sweet and crunchy. Great with coffee.
And speaking of coffee...
I recently began watching the anime show called Is The Order A Rabbit? which is about a girl named Cocoa who comes to stay in a new town and go to high school. She comes upon a mysterious café to ask directions and ends up working there - so funny and cute, especially Tippy, the talking fluffy bunny who embodies the spirit of Chino's beloved grandfather. They work as baristas in an amazing coffee shop/café called The Rabbit House. In just 12 episodes, I fell in love with the entire series (by Sentai Filmworks)!!
Makes me feel like such an excited and proud Weeaboo! In fact, there's a tee shirt on RedBubble for people like us who are not Japanese-born and who adore all things anime and manga!
(Photo of model is property of RedBubble) - KawaiiNMore
**Please do not mix 'Sentai' (squadron or task force, like The Power Rangers, etc.) with 'Hentai' which is very naughty adult stuff. I wondered at first because all the girls in Sentai Filmworks animations are drawn super sexy (definitely got my husband's attention, lol).
So why photos?
I try my best to make every Review Wednesday into a video for you guys, even if I'm not the subject of it (off-screen). However, today my 'Aunt Flo' cramps are full-blast. I am having one of the worst monthly cycles of my life today. I'm pale and weak, and the pain has required everything from Voltaren topical rub to an Aleve pill to the heating pad. So in this condition there was no way I'd be up to appearing on camera. Thank you for understanding (I know all you female readers feel me). With that being said, I have a 'period hack' for you:
Since panty liners tend to be less expensive than actual pads, to save money when it's time to "change", I find it helpful to lay a fresh, clean liner on top. It's convenient, a bit better for the environment, cost-effective and maybe best of all, it saves room in your purse or backpack!
And it's a new day! That means it's a new #Kawaii365 project - even though I spent a great deal of this morning in pain, I thoroughly enjoyed going to the Mad Scientist page of my inspiration book, "Unstuck" by artist and author Noah Scalin - get his book here.
I thoroughly enjoyed 'testing' different combinations, after I went to my cupboard in the den and got out all the art stuff I've collected for this year-long project. I was expecting this to actually turn out cute... thought it would just be a mess. Well it is a mess, but it's an attractive one!
So if you're a fan of this blog, please show some love!
It gets rewarded you know. So whether you're sharing Kawaii365 with your own social media friends, or you've been pondering on supporting my Patreon page, you make a difference in my world and for that:
ありがとうございます。 (arigatou gozaimasu which means thank you).
For instance, Rob was recently involved in a minor fender-bender, which meant having to go file a police report and obtain a rental car while his is in the shop. And today the parking lot of our condo is getting snow removed so he's going to call me when he's done work and we'll have a date until about 4pm (to give them time to get ready).
In other cases, it's been being bombarded with housework such as multiple loads of laundry, or getting an early start on Spring cleaning...
And other times it's a slew of medical appointments, or longer hours at work. I cannot complain about either one because medical=health and work=wealth.
What it boils down to is, yes this blog is important. I want to be here everyday for you guys, the readers. I really appreciate your support. And even though sometimes days will go by in between where you see no new posts for awhile, please know I am always thinking of you and new ways to make you smile Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ
Please enjoy this day-early Snack Review. I know typically it would be for Review Wednesday (which is tomorrow), but I'd like to get an early start because I cannot guarantee being able to do a review video tomorrow. You'll be happy to know that over the past few days I have been able to do a couple of videos though ;)
If you've been actively keeping up with the #KaraokeChallenge for this blog, then you know that out of the few respondents that we got, that the chosen song is 'Part of Your World' from The Little Mermaid. So that video is coming soon, and you know the rules - because those of you who did the survey and poll on facebook challenged me to sing it, now it's your turn to be challenged to a song - are you brave enough?
And because my last post here was a few days ago, you may be wondering about the latest #Kawaii365 projects too. The last one I posted was about my favorite romantic story and Disney adaptation, Beauty and the Beast.
Then March 12's was some playtime in the snow! I came across a huge snow 'mountain' in a parking lot, so I whipped out my Sharpie marker (I always carry it for impromptu art) and used the blunt end to carve out a smiling face, some words and a heart. I wanted people in the Lancaster neighbourhood (Red Deer, AB) to have something to smile about on their daily walk.
In fact, giving people a reason to smile in this hectic world was the whole reason I started this blog to begin with. I feel like there's no form of art more welcoming or soothing than the innocent & friendly little faces (and soft style) of Kawaii.
So you'll see I [faintly] wrote March 11 in the snow, when I actually meant to write the 12th. Sometimes I lose track of the day because we have a busy life. Some people assume that because I'm a professional artist who is mostly at home, that I probably don't have much of a life. Lol that's funny!
And then for March 13, a prelude of what's to come as per the #KaraokeChallenge singing video. You guys who chose the song did well picking a mermaid one, because I'm a Pisces! Thanks ^_^
So today (posting date) is March 14, which means that I am still going to come up with a project for later today as well. It might be *much later, because when my husband is done work around 1pm, we're going out for several hours since we can't park in the building's parking lot until all the snow's been cleared. Perhaps being out of the home for awhile will provide more inspiration today :)
And if you're in Red Deer, please come out to see me paint on Thursday night!
