I have so much to say! It's no good when you don't blog for a whole week, especially when it's the first week of a semester! Now I've got to relate all the interesting things that happened! But really, there's only one that I'm going to post about right now, and that is my present to Mariah!
It's been quite a while since I first posted that I was making it, but I couldn't post what the present was until I had given it to her, in order to not spoil the surprise. And then I had a busy week of school, so I'm just barely getting around to it.
I made a necklace for her, after reading another person's how to. Here's the site so you can make your own! Mandipidy - Book Page Necklace
All you need is a 30-inch long chain, some pages of a book (or printouts), pearl beads, jump rings, and a clasp. Also some Modge Podge for the finish of the paper cutouts, and a lighter if you want to burn the edges like I did. Make sure that when you get the jump rings, they aren't the coiled ones, because those do NOT work (I speak from experience).
This is a picture of my finished project:
I am so proud of myself for making this. And the reason both I and Mariah love it so much is because I made it special to her. For example, the pages that I chose are things that are a part of her life. There is: German, Italian, Music, The Hobbit, Marvel, the Book of Mormon, and a dictionary definition that pertains to her. It's awesome! So when she wears it, it isn't just a stylish accessory, but it symbolizes pieces of her heart.
If I were to do anything differently, I would put the same picture on both sides of the circle cut outs, so that when it flips around you can't tell. It's a hassle having to make sure they are always flipped the right way.
So if you need a gift idea, this is a great one! You can do a bracelet version too, or maybe even earrings.Just experiment with it and make it special to the giftee.
Today wasn't a crazy eventful day, just one of those good, relaxing ones! I was able to do some of a puzzle, play games with my little cousin Diana, watch a movie, and continue going through my music to see what I have and don't have.
Music is something that has been a big part of my life, but not in the way that most people who say that mean. I wasn't and am still not someone who listens to music all the time, and would die if I didn't have my headphones. When I was younger, my mom didn't allow me to listen to the radio at all, or even any music that wasn't religious. Anytime I tried to listen in my room, she (with ears like a dolphin) would call out, "Christina! Turn it off!"
So my childhood music was playing the piano, church music, flute in band, and some violin which didn't last very long. If you ask me about a popular song in the 90s, I probably won't know it.
However, the last couple years I've been able to actually pay attention to popular music, and over the past years I've finally found favorite artists and styles. I love being able to hear a song and know who it's by!
Currently, I'm trying to explore new artists and feel what kind of genre I like best. Whenever people ask me what my favorite genre is, I reply that I don't really have one. I always say that I just like songs I can sing to. One friend replied that you could sing to any song-- however, that's not true! What I mean by saying that statement is this: to me, the lyrics are the most important part of a song. I want to be able to hear them, understand them, and connect with them. And when I do, I will want to sing along! So it has to be something reasonable-sounding when it's sung. NOT screaming or husky voices.. None of that. And I'm not a huge fan of long instrumental solos either, at least in popular music.
My current job gives me a lot of time to get to know songs. I'm custodian working night shift, 10:30pm - 1:30am, and I clean the racquetball courts. Now these courts are awesome for singing in because they make everything about eight times louder. It's fantastic!So I get to belt my music nonstop for three hours without any distractions. That's one reason I'm still working there.
My favorite artists, the ones I can listen to everyday at work, are currently
Yes, they are all female artists.. I'm working on getting more male voices in my musical collection.
Because not many people are familiar with A Fine Frenzy, here's a sample of her work. This was the song that first struck me, resulting in my devotion:
One other type of music that I really enjoy listening to is soundtracks from movies. My cousin Mariah was the one that got me addicted on these the past year, as she is a music whiz and loves all that stuff. At first I was just infatuated with the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, but now I've been listening to any and all soundtracks! Some other good ones (though nothing can top LOTR) are Stardust, How to Train Your Dragon, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
I'm excited to be able to learn more great songs and artists, and appreciate this form of art even more than I have in the past. I'd love for you to tell me, what are you interested in and why?
