Okay, so I'm not technically on Pinterest, but I understand how it works. In theory. Basically, I write a blog post tutorial about something really awesome that I created and then it sets fire to the Internet via manic pinning. Well, friends, I finally have an awesome, Internet-set-firing tutorial. Have you been wondering how to make a birthday for a special someone extra special? The answer is this:
A paper crown! How is this new devilry accomplished? Here, let me show you.
The first (and most important) step is to not make the crown until the last minute, preferably the last thing you do before bed. This way you can say you live your life with spontaneity.
Secondly, don't buy anything special for the crown. Just grab some paper you've had sitting around for years months. Gather your supplies in another room and get ready to make a mess. It's best if the victim object of your crown is in the next room, totally aware that you're doing something crafty--heighten the suspense!
Third, fold your paper in half. Be sure to match up the corners and make a super neat fold, just like you learned in first grade. This project is all about perfection in the details!
Fourthly, cut out triangle shapes from the folded edge to create the crown effect. Be sure your shapes aren't TOO even--in fact, make them kind of jagged and weird. After all, you want your special someone to know that you made this yourself.
Fifth, since you haven't measured your special person's head, assume that the two slips of vaguely crown-shaped papers will be long enough. But just in case, tape the two pieces together with the barest bit of overlap, for maximum size. Commence crossing your fingers because you don't want it to look SILLY for heaven's sake.
Now for the fun part: decorating! Of course you'll want to use highlighter markers, for the maximum "What does it say?" effect. You can write and draw whatever comes to mind! Don't think about it too long though because it's late and you want to get to bed.
Et voila! Your crown is done and it's fit for a king with a gold shortage. The next day you can cram it onto your special someone's head and, naturally, they will be delighted and praise your craftiness.
Stay tuned for my Oreo cake tutorial!
Some of you faithful blog readers are aware of certain recent developments in the life and times of myself. Some of you have been there to see the process, some of you have even been experiencing the same thing. I feel like I need to recognize this event, officially, on my blog.
Yes, it's true. Battlestar Galactica is officially over, as of March 20th. I've loved it long and now it's left me and joined the illustrious ranks of Firefly and Veronica Mars as shows I love that are gone sooner than I would have liked. I'm not going to tell you all my thoughts on the show's end because there are several of you that haven't finished it (or haven't started it, yet) and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. So instead I'll just ramble off a few things I love about this show.
I started watching it for this fine fellow. (Hi, Jamie Bamber! I still love you best as Archie.) And oh, it was so worth it. I have decided I don't really get into sci-fi too much unless it's like SCI-FI with space ships and the future (or the ancient future ala Star Wars). <--random aside There are a lot of reasons to love BSG and I can't really go into them because of spoilers. I will just sum it up with: characters, one of my favorite relationships ever, space battles, exploding things, awesome things, intrigue, drama, pretty music, lots of !!!! moments and other stuff.
Here are some things I will miss about the Battlestar Galactica experience: eating drumsticks, flailing and hollering at the TV, discussing the latest developments with my kith and kin, trying to explain it to Ferskner and, mostly, having that hour to look forward to on Fridays. There are basically only two things I will not miss: having it turn scandalous while my Mom is in the room and having to wait 10 months between halves of the seasons.
Oh Battlestar, I miss you already.
I said I was going to do a follow-up art post and by golly, I meant it. Now that I have all of my images in front of me I don't know how I shall choose my favorites! Perhaps this will just have to become more of a regular feature. Anyhoodle, let's look at some art!
Don't you just love Roman sculpture? I can never get enough of this guy (Augustus). His breastplate! His left leg! That drapery! And don't you just love how his ears stick out a bit? A good bit of sculpture just blows my mind all to pieces. 
Desolation, by Thomas Cole as part of his "Course of the Empire" series (all of which are good). I have a lot of love for a good landscape and Thomas Cole is brilliant. I just love American art, don't you? It's probably my favorite American thing, besides hot dogs. Just kidding.
The Incredulity of St. Thomas. I'm partly including this because one can never look at too much Caravaggio and partly as a treat for you LOST fans. I really wish we had some Caravaggio in LDS churches.
Light of the World, by Holman Hunt. I don't care much for Hunt on the whole, but this may be my very favorite painting of Christ in the whole of this world. Isn't the lighting just so soft and lovely? (Side note: I spotted this in a parlor in Jeeves and Wooster episode)
St. Sebastian Attended by St. Irene, by de la Tour. For some reason I never got into de la Tour while in school. Maybe I just didn't see the right painting or maybe I was too distracted by Caravaggio's and Bernini's in-your-face drama. At any rate, I ran into this one in a journal* recently and it's just gorgeous, isn't it? It's so still and so well lit. It looks so real and yet not at the same time. Oh, and there's an arrow in St. Sebastian.
Ah, the Colosseum. Can I even say how much I love this building? Just look at it! This was in fact the picture I was referring to in my last post. I'm a sucker for a blue and yellow color scheme, but also it's just a fantastic picture. This is my favorite piece (piece?) of architecture for so many reasons, but suffice it to say if there were no Colosseum, I may not have a degree in art history now. Such is my love and such is its draw for me.
I decided in the course of picking pictures for this post that the next art post will be devoted to illustrators. It was just too impossible to pick one or two this time. There is so much beautiful art in the world! How can one blog ever contain it?!
* I wish I could say I subscribe to the leading art journals, but really I just get my hands on them occasionally at work. Then I flip around and write down all the names of paintings that catch my eye. Such is my continuing art education.
PS: Vote in the poll! Let your voice be heard! Anonymously!
I finally got the Internet at my new apartment and to shows its love and affection, the Internet gave me this:
Dr. Horrible My Little Ponies! Two things I love combined into one! It's amazing! And you can see more pictures here!
Awesome!
(No, I didn't make them, but you knew that already.)
