Personal Photography

Thought maybe it was time to do  light post without many words. So for this weekend I'm sharing some photographs I've taken of animals, insects, and flowers. Some animals and insects were in the wild, while a few were at the zoo or the animal rescue preserve. Hopefully you'll enjoy them. It's so nice to see that summer is coming and things are starting to be outside again. Anyways, enjoy some photography, and I'll be back in order next week. Have a magical weekend!

Plan ahead for Holidays & Special Events

It's been an interesting year so far, with a wonderful selection of guests that have left a mark of inspiration here at the Almost A Fairy Godmother blog. I wanted to take a moment to remind you all about them, as well as give you a heads up concerning the holidays.

Butterfly Print from Tina T. Ames

Personalized handmade gifts can be seen as welcome surprises at the holidays. They're often tailored to the tastes of someone you care about, and help to add a more thoughtful perspective to the task of gift giving. Yes I just called gift giving a task. It can be hard work to find the perfect gift. But personalized art can make a unique impression on someone.

So that's why I'm reminding you about our wonderful spotlight artists. I'm sure any of them would be delighted to be chosen as the person to help you create a piece that will bring a smile to the face of your loved one. But you have to remember that making something by hand can take time, and shipping around the holidays can be a bit hectic which is not the artists fault. So please make sure to get your requests in early so there's no disappointment.

Animals in Clothes by Koalarazorclock

If you're thinking about a toon like piece you can check out art by Seph Jocuno or Silly Panda's Art Blog. Either artist has a great handle on anime type art styles, and can provide you with a unique artwork that can bring a smile to your face. They've both got instagrams that are active if you're uncertain about what to expect. You can find more direction from the artist spotlights. Seph Jocuno Artist Spotlight or Silly Panda's Artblog Artist Spotlight.

Maybe you'd like to have a picture turned into a watercolor? Koalarazorclock offers this service, and her work is lovely. She also does adorable art portraits of animals in clothes. Check out the artist spotlight on Koalarazorclock to see more as well as get some ideas. Or perhaps you'd like to add some unique photography to someone's collection? Check out pieces available by Mahikol Torres.

Jewelry is always popular, and there's no reason not to check out the pieces created by Hada Pixie Designs again. These unique pieces of jewelry can add a unique edge to an outfit, without necessarily going over the top.  The Artist Spotlight on Hada Pixie Designs can offer more direction. There are also the unique hair pieces created by Wanou Et Moi. These pieces can add a unique flare or twist to someone's daily hair routine. Check out the the artist spotlight on Wanou Et Moi for more information. Pieces by these artists are great for the individual as they're each a handmade piece of art.

Vampyre Rosary by Hada Pixie Designs

Or maybe you want something a little different. An oracle deck can be inspiring as well as beautiful to look through. Or perhaps you'd like an inspirational artwork to add to someone's graduation gift. Tina T. Ames has some amazing pieces that can be used for just that. Check out the artist spotlight for more information on her artwork. Artist Spotlight Tina T. Ames.

Perhaps you're interested in something more practical? You can look into some handmade soaps. They come in  a variety of scents from Cark Farm NH. You can check out their available products and read more about them in their spotlight.

Please remember to give them enough time to create the pieces that you're interested in, because artists do have daily lives, and some work a full time job on top of trying to keep up with their artistic talents. But by sending in your requests early, you can ensure that there's enough time to have your unique creation completed before the holidays. Yes I know that I sound like I'm repetitive, but time is very important for creation and shipping.

Plan accordingly, and here's hoping your holiday planning is magical. (Personally I'm about halfway done with my shopping XD)

Music Monday : Be Fierce

Mondays seem to roll around so quickly these days. May is only a week away, so summer vacation is creeping up. There'll be more kids out and about. There'll be more sunshine, more suntans and sunburns. Cute outfits, and beach hair.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Before we can enjoy summer vacation we still have a few more weeks left of school (if you're still in that is) or other tedious tasks. So let's be fierce and kick butt this week!

Jeffree Star : Beauty Killer

Julie Brown : Earth Girls Are Easy

Bobby Fisher : Pop Life

My Chemical Romance : It's Not A Fashion Statement

The Pretty Reckless : Hit Me Like A Man

What's on Screen? : The Lego Batman Movie

It's been awhile since we went to the movies, partly because there wasn't anything being shown that we wanted to see. But we were driving past the reduced movie marquee the other day and saw that The Lego Batman Movie was being shown. We've been hesitant to go see it, because movies have gotten rather expensive of late, and the budget doesn't really permit them frequently. But at our theatre the tickets ended up costing about $3 per person. So it was definitely reasonable.

I was a bit uncertain about what to expect when it came to this movie, as I've never watched any of the other Lego movies. But I have to admit that while it definitely doesn't compare to any of the DC live films, or even the animated pieces... as an individual experience...it was pretty good. They don't try to be a DC movie, though they play with the classic ideas that people are used to seeing in the comics.

Batman does Batman. He doesn't need anyone else.

But the film as a whole explores the ideas of community, belonging, and what it means to be part of something bigger. It also seemed to reflect on the ideas different people have about their personal part in anyone else's lives.

And Joker cries! Or at least... almost cries. My favorite part.

My favorite thing about the music though was the soundtrack. The soundtrack was creative as well as great for moving along some of the plot points. It also made some of the ridiculous things funnier. They used clips of classic songs, and made unique musical pieces that played with the concepts being explored in the movie.

I love the song that they play during the end credits and I'm definitely putting the soundtrack on my to acquire list ^_^

Personal Update

Think Positive!

No really. Think positive. We've been having a rather unique time and haven't necessarily been unbusy. I've been working on creating new items for the craft swaps that I'm participating in. This includes craft concept sketches, shopping for extras and pattern drafting. This might not sound like much to some people, but drafting a pattern can be a bit complicated since not every pattern is as easy as I first imagine it to be while creating the piece in my head.

This was the outgoing package for the #disneySKswap

Each craft swap package is unique, and it's a lot of fun trying to tailor the contents to my swap partner's tastes. This one was a fan based swap working around Disney themed characters. I made a pillow, a toy lizard, and some blank notecards. Most of my extras ended up being Frozen themed though because it's easy to find things from Frozen currently.

I've also been working on planning future projects for here. This includes various article drafting, as well as networking. We even have another writer joining us. But I won't go to far into that because I don't want you to be disappointed if anything falls through.

Beyond that work is about the same as always. Easter wasn't horrible, in fact it was kind of fun. We made chocolate, and the kids ate chocolate. I got to play FFXIV online, and worked on leveling my white mage character, although I'm still more fond of my summoner. Last weekend I worked on leveling my fisher class. I guess I just like low key classes.

Hrm, not much else to talk about right now. But things are going well. I can explain more in depth over time I suppose, but it's not like any of you want to hear about the nonsense of daily life.

Special events are coming up, and there'll be posts about them so keep tuned. Also there's a few artist's spotlights in the works, but I won't spoil the surprise of who they're about.

In any case, hope the rest of your week goes well. Stay magical, you've got this!