Shining Light Book Review

It has been a full year of finding a shining light in every day.

Was it a valuable experience? 
I would say definitely. Even if you are having a bad day, it's a good reminder that it isn't all bad.

If you wanted to develop a more positive outlook overall, this may be a helpful tool.

The 2018 Card

This was the 2018 card, the model this year was Phil.

It was fun having a limited edition card for the year :D

Art Break! - Christmas Stockings for F, D, and L

I wanted to make some personalized stockings for some of my friends so I decided to do it through embroidery.

I bought some basic stocking online.

And embroidered each name into some embroidery cloth. I would have done it directly onto the stockings, but I don't think the fabric could take it. 

I cut them out with a sort of snowflake-esqe edge, washed off the pencil marks, and put clear nail polish on the edge to prevent further fraying.

I then sewed them to the stockings using red and green cotton thread.

All done!

They have the kitten seal of approval!

Verdict: They were impressed! :D 

Art Break! - Weighted Companion Cube Gift

I have a birthday gift for PB and it fits into this foam cube (not a perfect cube but close enough).

We like Portal so I thought I would make it a companion cube.

I started by painting it medium grey.

Modeled by Phil!

Once dry, I painted the edges and a circle in the middle of each face with light grey paint.

I'm not going for perfect lines here, this is just for fun and will be destroyed when the gift is opened.

When dry, draw on the little lines around the edge.

I glued on pink paper hearts into each circle.

Done!

Verdict: He loved it! 

ADBC - A Rock Opera

When I stumbled upon it a few years ago, I thought it was amazing!

It is a parody musical (I guess like Jesus Christ Superstar, but I haven't seen it) by Matt Berry about the Nativity (birth of Jesus) as told from the point of view of the innkeeper.

I loved seeing Julian Barratt, Richard Ayoade, Noel Fielding, Rich Fulcher in it as well.

If you like 'The Mighty Boosh', you should check it out!

And remember, running an inn is mumbo and jive.

Catagory: Comedy
Rating: 5/5

Art Break! - Advent Calendar

I wanted to make a advent calendar for PB and I, so I started by buying a cheap chipboard one off the internet.

When it arrived it was poorly painted, which was ok because we are going to repaint it.

I painted the doors red or green.

And painted the doorknobs gold.

I made a little wreath to attach to door 24.

And a little stained glass window.

I put '24' on in gold, like a house number.

I painted the holder light yellow and wrote numbers on the door with a white paint pen.

I then made a little tree and painted some cats to look like the twins.

I made a base of foam and cardboard, which I then painted green.

The base tree and Phil's butt.

With baubles.

Before paint

Done!

All together! The snow is ripped up cotton balls.

And when it's all put together:

Verdict: PB loves it!

Regulator-Köhler

This is a nutritional supplement containing the basic (as in alkaline) minerals of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

They are sodium free, which is good if you can't have too much sodium.

They are for 'A balanced acid-base balance and a functioning energy metabolism are important prerequisites for physical and mental well-being. ' according to the bottle.

The capsules are medium-sized with a matte finish (which I'm guessing is a coating to get it past the stomach acid).

It says take 2-3 a day, I took one a day because I do what I want.

Price: 2/5 ($31.34 for 100 capsules)

Altapharma - Brausetabletten (Effervescent Tablets) - Magnesium + Calcium + D3

These tablets are a rhubarb and lime flavour.
They contain magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D3.
They are also lactose and gluten free.

It had a rosé beige colour, smells mildly of lime, and tastes mildly like rhubarb and lime.
I would have liked more of a lime flavour, but you know how I feel about citrus.

This is a fun, cheap source of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D3. Price: 5/5 ($3.12 for 20 tablets)
Taste: 4.5/5

Teatox - Fresh Focus - Organic Green Tea with Ginseng

I got this for my birthday! (Thanks PB's parents!)

This is a green tea with orange peel, ginger root, applemint, rosemary, eucalyptus, guraná, and ginseng.

It is a medium, warm, yellow-brown colour when brewed.

The smell is a little spicy. It tastes like green tea, faintly of eucalyptus, and a little bitter.
But it is very nice!

Because of the guraná, best to keep this as a morning tea.

Price: 1/5 ($15.80 for 70g)
Rating: 5/5

Kleenex Balsam - Tissues - box of 60

When PB had a cold, I got these for him to help protect his nose.
He went through the box in a day, so it was good to know he wasn't hurting his poor skin.

They don't have a scent but do feel almost like they have a balm in them.
But they are not greasy at all!
They are so soft.

For a cold, these are really nice.

Price: 2/5 ($2.85 for 60 tissues)
Scent: 2.5/5 (none)
Effectiveness: 5/5

Art Break! - John Oliver Embroidered Cushion Cover

In the 18th of February, 2018 episode of 'Last Week Tonight', John Oliver said he wanted the line "He's still going to the same hole, where the same worms will eat him too." crocheted on a pillow case.

Well I don't know about crochet, but I can embroider it!

And don't @ me if you don't like this. I don't care about your political opinions and death is an undeniable truth of all life, irrespective of your thoughts.

I just like art projects.

I started with a floral pillow case.
I wanted a contrast between the dark nature of the quote and the beauty of the nature that corpses will contribute to.

Also the pretty florals reflect the hope the quote brings, in its own way.

When the pillowcase arrived, I'm not going to lie, I was disappointed.
It wasn't bright but muted, light brown rather than white.

But lets go with a more earthy theme then.

I was going to do the text in black, but in light of the pillow's actual colour range, I changed it to a dark green.

For the dots above the i's I was thinking of making them tine flowers.

I tried it and it looked really cute.

Calendula.

Violet.

Dasiy.

Broad-leaved statice.

I also considered adding a worm, but then decided this would be too 'cartoon'-y. Less is more.

So, all done!

Verdict:  I think it turned out really nice!