I can't believe it's been so long since my last journal entry. Almost two months!? I've been very distracted by a wide variety of aspects in my life right now which I won't get into. I'll spare you the boredom.

I managed to get out for some pictures the other day. I had to take advantage of the sunny autumn weather. It's been incredibly cold here for the past month, and cloudy. So I haven't been so inclined to venture out as much. I added a couple here, if you'd like to check them out:



Highlights of the last month and a half: Saw Where the Wild Things Are. I loved the movie, and I'm even making a Max costume to wear to a Halloween party I was invited to. I hope it turns out okay, this'll be the first time I've sewed a one piece costume (which you'd think would be easier than separate pieces, right?). I've been doing a lot more sketching and I'm slowly discovering more things about Photoshop that I've been missing for forever. One of these days I'll have to summon up the courage to post the sketches. Thanks *Freakshow6 for helping me figure out how to add textures!

Well, that's all for now. Hope everyone is doing well! And hey, if you dress up for Halloween take pictures, I'd love to see what everyone comes up with!

~ Dani

I was just about ready to start a journal entry with abundant explications as to why I havent's had any new deviations, when I realized I did have some new things I could throw into my gallery. I've just been too lazy to do it until now, and it took me proofreading a journal entry full of excuses to finally do something about it. I'm glad I did because I feel a little better afterwards.

There is the most beautiful place ever near where I'm living, it's a place called Colasanti's. It's not too odd I'd be attracted to a place with "cola" in it's name, ha ha, but that's besides the point. Colasanti's is an all natural grocery store and a floral market rolled in one, and they have this huge pond and fenced in area where they have all sorts of birds roaming around. They have different breeds of ducks, geese (including annoying visiting Canadian geese that storm in unannounced), and they also have peacocks and swans. But what's really amazing are their black swans and albino peacock, of which I couldn't resist taking pictures of! I didn't have the best lighting for the majority of my visit, but I tried to do my best with the photos I did take.



Anyway. Smack in the middle of August I went from elated to miserable in a matter of 24 hours. I've been having some long, drawn-out issues with someone who I care about, but hate at the same time because they know no bounds to screwing my life up. I tried moving away, but even that wasn't enough to outrun the reach of their maliciousness. Sorry, I know I'm being overdramatic. So, needless to say, I've been at an all-time low ever since and I'm desperately trying to bounce back. I have to bounce back. Soon I'm going to be moving again, getting set up for college and getting back into a full-time, and hopefully permanent, career. If I don't bounce back I'm not going to have time for anything creative for the rest of my young adult life, I'm sure. It's all so frustrating and discouraging.

Sorry, I just needed to vent.

So. Let's try good news! I bought a tripod last week to help me take better pictures and get over this stupid block I'm having. It seems to be working; I am taking more pictures, even though using the tripod is an exceedingly clumsy experience. I just have to remember to throw it over my shoulder when I'm going from spot to spot so I look more professional and less like a bumbling idiot. Ha ha!

I hope everyone has a good Labor Day! Don't be too sad summer's almost over, fall is just as beautiful and fun! I can't wait to take pictures of the leaves turning! ^_^

~Dani

So, I found out from *Freakshow6's journal that his friend Reed (*reed682) was in need of a DA subscription. I remembered what it was like when mine ran out: I faceplanted the keyboard and sobbed and wished that there was someone out there nice enough to help me out. SO I decided to be that nice enough person for Reed! I had some money I was saving up for something I ended up not caring about anymore, so I decided to put it to good use.

But that's not the cool part. The cool part is this; look what I got in return:



Isn't Coke Kitty so adorable!!?? Thank you so much, !!! And thank you, for your superhuman ability to seek out and collect pure awesomeness, and for being such a cool friend; one that takes no shame in pimping their other friends out! XD

I wasn't just randomly looking for someone to give a DA subscription to just in case you were wondering why I'm so crazy. Well, actually ...I can't answer the crazy part ...but the subscription part happened like this; upon checking out Reed's gallery from Andrew's journal, I fell in love with his art and thought he deserved to be a "premium member" too. And, of course, I was also being selfish and wanted a piece of his art for myself! Ha ha! XD

As of late, I've been getting kind of tired of watching people that don't take the time to chat with their fans. Sure these uncommunicative artists are awesome and have god-like talent, but when I sit there waiting to hopefully get a response to a note one of these days, and it never happens, I kind of get discouraged and disenchanted. I know it's not their fault they're so popular, just like it's not my fault I'm so unpopular, and I realize they probably get 5,000 messages daily, so I do understand that and still like them. But lately I've just been gravitating more towards talented artists of whom I can actually talk to. So, I'm starting a new list of people that are worthy of praise more so those super-popular stuck up ones are. See:

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So, I have a little story to tell about something interesting that happened the other day...

While I was out doing errands yesterday morning I saw a yellow monarch butterfly in the parking lot of one of the places I went to. It was laying on the ground looking like it was trying to right itself against the blowing wind. I wasn't completely sure it was still alive, but I went over to investigate after I made sure no one was looking. I carefully picked it up and brought it to my car and noticed it still had a little life in it, so I decided to take a picture of it in my car while it was still alive:



I drove home and set up a little place for it on the windowsill in my bedroom and made sure to lock the cats out of the room.



I went online and found a website all about monarchs and discovered a recipie for honey and sugar water to feed these butterflies with. I made it up and even though the butterfly didn't quite get the concept at first, I helped it over to the solution and it's little proboscis feeding-tube thingee uncurled and according to the website I was looking at that meant it was feeding. I was so excited!



It started looking better shortly after feeding. In fact, it was fluttering it's wings a little and acting generally more energetic. I figured since it was looking so much healthier I could let it go today before I went to work. So I made a little barricade consisting of a cut up cardboard box, and put it around the windowsill so I wouldn't accidentally step on it if I got up in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, though, when I woke up the next morning it wasn't moving and looked more limp than it ever was. I made a fresh batch of the sugar water for it, tried to set it up next to it, but when I got home nine hours later it hadn't moved at all. I gently picked it up and took one last picture of my short-lived little friend:



All of this over a bug for heaven's sake. I'm way too sentimental. XP

I hope you enjoyed my little story. ^_^

~Dani