Day 2 of Work and Day 12 of Creative October

So work is going pretty well. I have the bus stuff pretty figured out and tomorrow, I hope, I'll be getting my bus pass so that I don't have to keep coming up with change each morning and afternoon. Goodwill Working Solutions offered to pay the first 2-4 months of my bussing for me and I'm definitely taking them up on it. The passes from work are only $25 a month instead of the usual $45 from the bus station. It's a good deal for all of us! Anyway, while I'm learning lots and lots about customer service in the circulation department, the building is still quite a mystery to me. I tend to spend my lunches on the roof terrace surrounded by gargoyles. Please enjoy some pictures from my new "lunchroom." 

The Knitting Factory is a popular place for concerts in Downtown Spokane.
It's right behind my work. See the gargoyle feet on the ledge?!

Roof parking on the building next to us. Also a pretty cathedral.

A nice view of Sprague, which is the road behind my work.

Gargoyles! And in the distance are the smokestacks attached
to a very cool restaurant that I want go to someday.

Another shot of the smokestacks as well as a view of downtown
Spokane and the horizon of the South Hill area.

A long shot of Monroe Avenue, the road leading away from my work.

A side view of the beasts. The gargoyles are nicknamed "Printing Devils"
in honor of the novices in the printing business who tended to cause problems.

As for Creative October, I'm counting the photography of the gargoyles as one project. I need three total to be caught up so here's two more and I'm golden! Second project: I made my work journal nifty and pretty. I learned that writing bus times is obnoxious and I also learned having multiple different colored pens at your disposal is pretty much the best thing in the world. Also I learned that I miss my other journal. I still have some room left in it but now I worry that it won't get filled all the way before I really attack my work one. I already did a journal entry for today in it! In purple even.

This is the information for taking alternative transport to work and how
you can win prizes for choosing to reduce your carbon footprint.

I drew all the icons I'll be using as I navigate the software for the paper.
Also I added a few fun stickers, but mostly this is my crappy insta-art.

Calendar and pay periods. I added some Captain America and Monster High.
And some My Little Pony because I couldn't resist.

HR and other contact information. In style!

Third Project: Manifestation Board. What did I learn? I learned that I apparently really need some intimacy in my future life. Also I need to write. I've been writing in my journal and blogging but that isn't really getting the big things done. I knew that I needed a break from it after graduation but it really is time to get back into gear again. I need to work on short stories and novels and keep trying to get published. I feel that the more stable job, plus the option of having my own home, will help me get some writing out eventually. I finished this project and feel pretty good about it. Had to download Paint.net to get the job done, but it was worth it.

Day 8 and Day 9 - Cake and Nails!

For Day 8 of Creative October, I cooked a pink cake! Mom gave me a pink velvet cake mix to take to Chris's. And Chris bought whipped strawberry icing. I put two and two together today and covered half the top with strawberries. Yes this was technically a follow the directions project, but I'm going to count it as it is pink and unusual and delicious. To answer the questions: 1) pink cake with strawberries on top; 2) I learned that whipped icing is yummier than regular icing and that pink cake mix starts white and only turns pink once it becomes wet; and 3) Yes I completed the project. 

We learned also that whipped strawberry frosting tastes like marshmallows!

For Day 9 of Creative October I decorated my nails with Monster High nail wraps. I wore these to teh Maiden Mother Crone class put on by the IEPG. Yes, I completed the project. I learned that these nail wraps were too big for almost all of the nails so I had to do quite a bit of manual trimming. But other than that, this activity reaffirmed for me that I really enjoy nail wraps as they are quick and easy and you can find the most freaky fabulous designs!

They were cute. And matched my dress fairly well.

One day behind now. Until tomorrow, then I'll be two days behind! So let's hope I can finally get caught up before my long work week begins on Monday. Hooray for taking the bus! Maybe I'll make some fun map art or something to chronicle my adventures as a bus riding fool. 

Art Therapy Color Pages

Tonight, Chris and I colored pages from a Lisa Frank coloring book. We used it as art therapy and chit-chatted during the creative process. It was a nice way to wrap up the day, which by the, was my last day as an employee at L'eggs Hanes Bali. 

This was my coloring page. I wanted to make a goth kitty and failed miserably because cuteness happened.

This was Chris's coloring page. Her kitty is likes to paint abstract pieces. Chris said the project was refreshing after the twisted TV show we watched together.

In answer to the survey questions: I used crayons to color a page from a Lisa Frank coloring book that I found last week in the garage. What I learned from the project was that coloring is still fun. It brought back a memory from my first grade teacher who told me never to color in circular motions because it was 'wrong.' She suggested instead that I go back and forth with the crayon. I wish people wouldn't try to curb creative expressionism. Especially at such a young age. It really upset me when she said that. But happily, Tonight, I used circular motions to color my kitty and I think it turned out just fine. The picture quality isn't the best, but trust me, both our coloring pages turned out adorably! And, yes, we finished the projects.

Door Charms, Playing Catch-Up

Lots has happened recently. But I can talk about that another time. Suffice it to say that I'm about to embark on a crazy journey into a new job, and I'm doing it without Hannah by my side as she is currently helping out her family in Wichita. She's only supposed to be gone for about two or three weeks but it's going to be a long two or three weeks. 

In an attempt to catch up with Creative October, I've begun scripting out the blessings/devotionals/invocations that will accompany the door charms. I know this is technically one part of a bigger project, but writing these things takes time and energy and I think they count as their own project well before they become part of their corresponding charms. This covers Days 4, 5, and 6. I'm still behind but not so far at least!

First, I created a devotional to Hestia who is one of the sweetest and cool headed goddesses of the entire Greek pantheon. I've only recently begun to study her and she is absolutely wonderful. She is a goddess everyone should have in their home. In fact, Zeus thought her to be so badass that he made it a requirement to pay honor to her at every shrine regardless of whom the shrine was erected to. So if you wanted to go and pray to Hades, you had to also tip your hat to Hestia. There's so much more to her and I don't really have the time or the brain power to write it all out right now, but if you get the chance, look her up!

I found the picture of Hestia on the internet, but the text is mine.

Next I did a devotional to Hecate. She and Hestia are both virgin goddesses (meaning they never married) and I have a certain affinity for virgin goddesses (Artemis included) probably because I'm my Astrological sign is a Virgo. That or I just relate to a husband-less female. Anyway, for both of them being virginal goddesses, they definitely have a different feel. Hecate is edgy as hell.

This artist rendition was just too cool! The artist's name is Dasha Pliska. Usually Hecate is pictured with three heads/faces, but I gotta say, I'm totally digging the three sets of arms.

Lastly, I wanted to show off my inner nerd and do a devotional/summoning/invocation to Yog-Sothoth from Lovecraft. He's the Gatekeeper for the Ancient Ones and is probably the nicest of the Old Gods. He's the only one you can gaze upon without instantly going insane. Or so they say. Anyway, here's the charm invocation for an Elder God complete with text from one of Lovecraft's stories. Oh, and by the way: Yog-Sothoth is usually portrayed as a bunch of glowing orbs with teeth and tentacles. But sometimes he takes on a less amorphous shape.

Click here for a link to the original artwork.

Because this font is a little hard to read, I'm going to add the text here: 

“Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and the guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke though of old, and where They shall break through again. He know where They have trod earth’s fields, and where They still stread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread.” –The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft

Yog-Sothoth, The Oldest, the Keeper of the Gate,

Locked outside the universe, where You lie and wait,

I call You to my threshold, a wish upon my tongue,

Guard the creatures of this house, from dead to old to young.

God of Outermost Darkness, let no evil in,

Discern with your all-seeing eyes, the foe from friend or kin.

I ask for your protection, may it never be undone,

You are the gate, You are the key, You are the All-in-One!

 Yog-Sothoth Nafl’Fthagn! I summon thee, so mote it be! 

So to answer all the questions for the creative projects: 1) I did three devotionals to be attached to key charms which will them be placed over doorways. 2) I learned a great deal about goddesses and an Ancient One; things that I had not previously known. I also learned to get over my fear of mixing nerdiness with divine practice. It was fun and interesting to write to Yog-Sothoth. I believe that because Lovecraft conceived of him that he does exist as least in our imagination and that is probably purer existence than most things in the physical realm. Also I learned that rhyming really does make a charm read better. I feel bad for Hestia's not rhyming. But she is so level headed and just downright sweet, that I felt petitioning her ought to be more conversational in a way. 3) Yes I completed the projects but way late. I will get caught up and then keep on pushing. This month is going to be nuts but the busier I am the more productive I am, or so I'm going to keep telling myself. I'll be back tomorrow with more updates!

They say the third day of a routine is the hardest...

I had an awful time coming up with things to do today. There are many rather large projects that I want to do but they are too massive for Creative October, and the smaller projects I wanted to do today just didn't take any kind of form for me. In the end I sat down and played with beads and ended up creating a shiny garland necklace for Princess Luna. I've been wanting to decorate her (make her something special) for a while now and the garland looks so pretty on her dark blue coat. The pattern I followed was: one flower bead, two shiny non flowers, then one flower again. The beads came from my next door neighbor. She brought them over a while ago when she decided she'd had enough of her boys demolishing the house with them. 

The picture quality sucks but trust me, the beads are really cute.

Princess Luna in all her splendor.

Nacisa had to investigate. She wasn't too impressed, I suppose.

She does like Luna's horn though!

In answer to the survey questions: 1) my project was a fishing line and bead garland necklace for my Build-a-Bear Princess Luna Pony. 2) I learned that you should always use the stretchy stuff to string the beads instead of fishing line because it was harder than heck to squeeze and squish her head through the second wrap. Also I learned to not overthink the projects for this month too much. Simpler is fine. 3) I completed the project.