Ain't No Sunshine.

I had to google how to spell "ain't" -- apostrophe or not? Yes, apostrophe, it turns out. I'm actually kind of proud that I didn't instinctively know how to spell it, despite seeing it a million and eight times in myriad books and song lyrics. Not knowing how to spell a word that isn't really supposed to be a word is a good thing, right? Or is it a completely different kind of ignorance?

Hmm...

Anyway, as promised, I'm back to blogging. School is now finished, so I need something to do again.

I'm a little overwhelmed by some feelings at the moment, and I seem to be going back to a lot of the same old songs, movies, whatever... familiar things to soothe my soul and allay the feeling of distance that I'm experiencing. I don't imagine you'd find them particularly inspiring at the moment so I'll keep them to myself.

But I just read THIS ARTICLE about the cinematic archetype known as the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, which may be one of the best articles I've ever read about anything, ever. I don't want to spoil it... so please take a few minutes and read it for yourself. I suspect you won't regret it.

I still like stuff...

...I just have a LOT of homework to do. Next week = last week of school. Four major projects due, two of them are group projects, and one of them is sinking like the Titanic.

And it's hard to stay focused when you're feeling wistful... in advance. Pre-wist, is that a thing?

Back to work with me, then. Blogging to recommence August 19.

Hey, lookie what I made :)

Last month, my sister hosted a Stampin' Up party. I'm not usually into those kinds of "product parties"... you know, Tupperware, Mary Kay, Arbonne, yadayadayada. But this one was right up my alley!

The demonstrator supplied all the guests with the materials - card stock, rubber stamps, inks, glitter, etc. - to make custom greeting cards, and she took us through the process. I super-duper dig this sort of thing!

Even though it was tons of fun, I had no intention of buying any of the products - I'm a poor student, and I know for a fact I can make cards of equal quality with dollar store materials. But... my aunt who also attended the party decided to order some of the materials for me as a gift!

Since the stuff arrived, I've been making cards like nobody's business.

Seriously... Aunt V... best gift ever.

Here's what I've been up to:

I Hate That I Like This Song, v.2

More like love.

Actually, the only thing I hate about this song is that it's by Linkin Park. I want it to be by a different band that makes more songs like it that are just as fantastic.

This track has been around for a little while... It sort of dropped off my radar, but it came back with a vengeance today. It came on my iTunes while I was working on a school project... and it did something to me. And now I'm kind of really feeling this song, like it belongs to me, or something.

I guess that's the great thing about songs... they can be yours.

If you can see it, you can be it!

source

Every now and then I remember PostSecret and I get all jazzed.

source

Hahahahaha! I don't judge people by their noses, obviously. But once upon a time, when I worked at the public library, there was a man who used to come in to borrow books... he had an unfortunate deformity of the nose. It kind of... dangled. I'm sure people must have stared at him a lot. I felt bad for him, so I used to try to be friendly with him. But he wasn't very friendly in return. He was often very rude, actually. Eventually I gave up trying to be nice, and just checked his books in and out without much more than a simple greeting and farewell. So I guess I did begin to judge him, but it had nothing to do with his nose, and everything to do with his attitude.

Eyebrows, however, get my attention. I don't know why. They just do.

Anyway... PostSecret rocks my world.

In the mood for a Mash-up!

I know that mash-ups aren't really accepted as a true musical art form. I, for one, think they're great. I guess I'm able to see it from both sides... yes, mash-up artists use other people's intellectual property to make something new. But some of them do it so well, with such immeasurable skill, that to not regard what they've created as a work of art just seems wrong to me.

Yesterday's installment of the On-going History of New Music was all about the history of mash-ups. I found it very amusing to hear the DJ say "we're not allowed to play mash-ups on the radio" and then listen to the DJ play mash-ups on the radio.

I've already got a few favourite mash-ups on my iTunes, but yesterday I found out about this one, and my jaw nearly dropped off of my face because of the awesomeness.

Wow, right?

Here are a few of my all-time favourite mash-ups:

Let It Be Me - The Beatles vs. Shaggy

Come Closer Together - The Beatles vs. Nine Inch Nails

Smells Like Billie Jean - Michael Jackson vs. Nirvana

Ray of Gob - The Sex Pistols vs. Madonna