What Happened and What's Going On

Hey-o! I have been gone a very long time, ahaha. School is happening people, it's happening for reals. I have had a TON of stuff going on, and I still really love writing on my blog, and wish I could keep at it, but the time simply doesn't allow it. During my breaks though, that's a different story! So around Christmas, I'll probably show up again, and maybe I'll be able to make time before then even.
Here's all the stuff that's happened since I dropped off...

-Took up the Alto Saxophone, and had to play lead alto sax for our Jazz Band's first concert because the normal first alto was going to have a doctor's appointment. That was scary, playing lead alto after having played for a grand total of six weeks. But I did it, and no disasters happened. I hit all the notes and managed to keep the section together. Huzzah!

-Won a cool scholarship at my school, and am currently taking flute lessons from the lead flutist of the local symphony orchestra. Great Scott!!

-Read The Little Prince for English 1B. Totally amazing and devastating book. Go read it now, it's just such beautiful a story.

-Found an amazing Piccolo concerto!! Augh, I love it! I think there will be a post on it very soon that is super rambly!

-I'm playing the 2nd movement of Mozart's concerto in D major for flute with a pianist friend of mine! It's so much fun to play music with another person one on one!

So that's about it. See you sometime in the future, stay frosty.

What am I doing here omigosh

I just realized my blog is super boring... Don't get me wrong, I'm laughing about all this, so no matter how dry this post seems, I'm not having an existential crisis, or upset because I get low views (I get views from my friends and that's pretty much what I wanted to achieve when I started!).
Blogging is fun, and I'm not upset that I seem to be the most boring person in the world.
Well, okay, I'm a little upset, but not too much!
er...

okay yeah, pretty bummed out.

It seems like everything is a lot different from when I came on, I had some buddies and we all talked about Les Mis together. Now all those buddies have moved on to Avengers, or stopped posting all together because life happens, and I'm all alone here waving my red flag...
But hey, looks like you're having fun over there fangirling over that guy who plays Loki! My only question is, why Loki? Help me understand, ladies!! I understand that he cheers up sick kids in hospitals, is that it? Because that's very sweet, haha!

Ahem. I got really into classical music sometime in late 2014.
It just happened suddenly. I quit orchestra because I was going to school out of town with one of my two best friends in ze universe. I was on a pretty different trajectory. I was starting to think that I would give up on flute, just leave it up there on the shelf where I hadn't played it all summer.
Then I was in the library listening to something we had played the year before I quit, and I got all wistful and BOOM! Rejoined (even though with the out of town school thing it was quite exhausting, LOL!), and now I'm a weirdo who does music almost in all my free time.
I still draw chibis with a passion, but most of my comics are about... orchestra. Cuz' you know, you write what you know.
I can't churn out book reviews like I used to because I feel like my insights are totally useless and lame, and aside from that, I'm reading doorstoppers now and those take a while.
And something else that takes up a lot of time that I've started doing?
I... COMPOSE!!
I'm not a great composer, but I've started and have even composed some little pieces for what I call a Hodgepodge Chamber Orchestra. A Hodgepodge Chamber Orchestra consists of
1 Harp
1 Piano
Sometimes Guitar
2 Violins
1 Cello
1 Flute (doubling Piccolo), Clarinet, Oboe
Small Percussion

I know that to get your music performed you need to (especially if you're an amateur who doesn't have any ground yet) write for traditional orchestra, or string quartet, or any other traditional group, but hey! I'm very happy that I'm able to write and I hope to be really good someday. For now I just write what comes to me (in this case, weird pieces for Hodgepodge).

So um... I guess I'm just wondering what I am even doing on my silly blog right now. I guess I'll keep on truckin' and just post what I like.
Hope you're all having a MAGNIFICENT week, all! :D

Blog Oscars!

Just kidding, not the Oscars, it's something vastly more fun and less snobby*. ;)
I was tagged for this nice lil' blogger award thingy by the ever-classy Miss Jane Bennet of Classic Ramblings. Merci, Mademoiselle Jane! This tag by the way originated at the blog Edge of Night, which has a cool aesthetic by the way. :)

RULES AND REGULATIONS:
+ Select 15 blogs to nominate
+ Thank the person who nominated you
+ Give a brief story of how your blog got started and a piece or two of advice for new bloggers. 
+ Attach the award
+ Comment on each nominee's blog and let them know that you've nominated them
+ Provide a link to the original post on Edge of Night (link above)

So here's the awkward truth, much like in real life, I'm so nervous about talking to peeps online. So if I make more friends out here, terrificoso! But until then, here are my two nominees. :)
Ice Cream of The Blog of Ice Cream (I know you're pretty busy right now, but I'll nominate you for the next time you need inspiration for a post :)
Hannah of Miss Daydreamer's Place

So let's see, how did I get started... Um, me and my mom were in line at Walmart talking about my Chibi comics, and I was all "Do you think I could get a spot in the newspaper?" Mom said that lots of cartoonists actually have a better time on their own blogs/websites. So I asked if I could have a blog for mine and she said yes. The end of my epic tale! :D

Okay, advice. Um... I'm trying to think of something good, and I'm drawing a loooooong blank. Well, don't be afraid to say hi to people you meet, don't worry about it when people who were followers suddenly drop you, and if you ever feel discouraged just change your blog look. Seriously, do it. I was overdramatically discouraged about a month ago and was almost ready to quit, but when I played around with the blog look, I found that I wanted to use it more because it was pwetty. XD

There you have it! Stay Frosty, my friends. :)
*Well I liked The Lego Movie!

A New Blog Look!

Hee hee, I copied you Ice Cream, and changed my blog look. You guys should go check out what her blog looks like now, it's really pretty!
Ahem. Diversion!!
Hi guys! Finals are over, it's almost Christmas, and I've finally gotten the hang of my orchestra music. I'd feel just perfect if my French teacher would only get our grades up on the college student accounts!
Anyway, re-doing the blog look really made me feel ridonkulously happy, but I want to make sure that it's easy to read. The font for the blog title is called Calligraffiti, and the body of the posts and such is called Indie Flower. I really like the look, but I can make the font bigger if it's hard to read. :)
So if you feel like it, tell me what you think!

Storage Room: Hypochondria! (and blog anniversary!)

Anybody else a hypochondriac?
One of the best things about having a comic is that I can write a cartoon about my various anxieties and it slightly lessens the load and I feel like I can go think about something else.

 

Today is my blog's first anniversary, too! Time to celebrate!



That's how most parties I go to end.

Let's blow this job!

So long!

Hi guys! I'm pretty busy with my classes and projects and stuff, so I'm officially halting all blogger activities for an undetermined amount of time. I can't wait until I'm at a four year, because if I feel busy now... XD
I'm going to write up the rest of those Musical Song posts, and stock up on Chibi comics, and I'll hopefully be back in business around the middle of November!
That being said, if I have a bit 'o free time, I might nip on here, but I just want to take off as much additional stuff as possible so I can focus on my grades.

Cuz' It's a Mu-si-caaaal!

Sorry for the random reference in the title, I grew up watching Veggie Tales.
Well, Veggie Tales and Mystery Science Theater 3000, which explains a lot about me. XD
I've been on kind of a Musical buzz lately (aka, most of this year. Help.), and I suppose that I just like musicals. Don't get me wrong, there are things that I hate about the genre. Like song and dance numbers that just keep going. And going. And going and going and going. And really, some (read: a lot) of musicals are just cheesy in a not so good way. They also have a tendency to be about rather unsavory subjects and get really steamy.
But I also find it very appealing, because of the way stories can be told. I like a good story that's told through music, and it's easier to explore the inner thoughts of the characters than if there was regular dialogue. So while I wouldn't call myself a die-hard theatre fan, there are a lot of musicals that I really like.
It's a very versatile genre, and you have plays ranging from light-hearted and comedic (Aladdin) to dark and dramatic (A Tale of Two Cities). And of course, there's also room for irritating nonsense, like Cats. Or Chicago. Sorry, I've got... issues with Chicago. [eye twitch]
Anyway, I thought that it would be fun* to do kind of a blog series on various songs from musicals that I like. I've got 55 of my favorite songs summed up, and I think that I'll post them on Mondays and maybe on Wednesday too. :) That'll take a little while to get through, and should be a lot of fun! It'll give me a vent for my random thoughts that I have to put somewhere, anyways. XD
Stay Frosty, my friends.

* "I thought it would be fun to..." It just occurred to me that that is a sentence that begins a lot of cautionary tales. XD

Bucket List Tag!

I was tagged by Miss Jane Bennet of Classic Ramblings , so thank you very much!
So, in no particular order, you just list 10 or more of your goals from your 'bucket list' (I don't know why they're called that either, I literally just learned that phrase when I was tagged), and tag some friends. :)

~Play Vivaldi's Winter (All three movements) at full speed (Yes, on a flute :P)~

~Sing well~

~Finish writing a book~

~Start a prolife group on campus~

~Learn the opening of Hotel California on my guitar~

~Write 50 good poems~

~Record an iRiff with a friend~

~Visit Mexico, Japan, and France~

~Sing Stars in the backyard on a clear night~

~Make a book-purist edit of The Hobbit movies~

~Learn to shoot a gun (don't look at me like that, a girl has got to have her protection! ;)~

~Film and edit a short movie~

~Write a Haiku in Japanese~

~Visit the Vatican~

~See the real Van Gogh Starry Night~

~Compile 1,000 good Chibi comics~

~Go to an SJ Sharks game where they don't lose~

~Shake off my nail-biting habit~

~Go see a play/musical on stage~

 

I would like to Tag... Um, well, I was going to tag mi compadre Ice Cream for the other tag I received this week, but if you want to do this one, go for it! When you're not busy that is, I know you're pretty busy in the summer. :)

Liebster Thingamabobamajigg

Because it's fun to make up silly words every now and then. ;)
Um, anyway, I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Miss Jane Bennet who hails from Classical Ramblings, so thank you very much Jane (if I am permitted to call you that), I owe you one!

~Thank and link back the person who nominated you
~List eleven facts about yourself
~Answer the eleven questions asked by the blogger who nominated you
~Nominate 9 bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers (you can't nominate the blogger who nominated you)
~Ask them eleven questions
~Let them know of their nomination!

Oh no. Um...
1. I love Axolotls. If you haven't heard of these fascinating animals, you should totally research them when you've got the time!



2. I once got into the backyard of an old, abandoned house and tried to find a way inside while my sister stood guard outside the fence. I'm not sure that's legal. Oh well. If it is, it's a victimless crime.
3. It's number three and I'm already drawing a blank for ideas.
4. Oh look, this time last year I was reading Les Miserables! Right now I'm reading Emma. I wonder what I'll be reading this time next year!
5. My sister has two rabbits named Chester and Rocket. (That's not really relevant to anything in the world, but I thought you should know. Well, she thought you should know.)
6. Hockey is my favorite sport. That's... pretty obvious though.
7. Absolutely terrified of getting my ears pierced. I could go zip-lining, eat sashimi, watch Cats, defend Caninophobic siblings from attacking neighboring dogs. But a simple, safe procedure that is relatively painless? [shudders]
8. I'm an aspiring author, and yet I have exactly no finished manuscripts to my name. :P
9. Really, 11 of these?
10. Um... Hey, speaking of 11, my favorite Doctor is the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith).
11. I love scarfs. And jackets. And hats.

~What movie genre is your favorite?

Well, I like Dark Fantasy movies like Pan's Labyrinth or Coraline. I also like movies that are just kind of fun, like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol or Aladdin. Just so that you don't think I'm a hipster. Because I'm not.

~Do you like musicals? If so, list a few favorites.

I've always liked Les Miserables and The Nightmare Before Christmas (does that count if it's not a stage play?). Phantom of the Opera and The Music Man are good too. :D

~Favorite modern author?

Probably Dean Koontz. He writes horror/suspense novels, and he's Catholic-y. So there isn't anything too horrid. ;)

~Do you prefer reading a paperback or hardback book?

Ooof... Hard one (eurrrgh pun)! I think paperbacks, since they're easier to read and tote around.

~Favorite time period in history?

The American Revolution. It's so interesting!

~Least favorite food?

Bacon. Not because I think it tastes bad (It's okay when it's not cold and rubbery) but it always makes me sick, and like most people, I hate things that make me sick.

~Do you have any historical role models? If so, who and why?

I really admire George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. But (I know this is going to sound bad) there's also some things I like about Robert E. Lee. When he had to surrender, I read that he accepted it with great dignity and gallantry, and that is something truly admirable.

~Fictional character who's most like you?

My sister says I remind her of Elsa from Frozen because I'm prone to anxiety and I'm her big sister. I personally think I'm like Donald Duck. ;) Loud, almost impossible to understand, and always in a flaming rage about something or another.

~Do you ever take personality quizzes? If so, list a few of your favorites.

Yeah, I take them every now and then. I took a Lost one, Once Upon a Time, Frozen, Kingdom Hearts, and Les Miserables. I had a good laugh when I came out as Rumplestiltskin in the Once Upon a Time one. XD

~Favorite book when you were little?

I really liked these Magic Tree House books. Has anyone else read those? Because I used to LOVE them. I still like to grab one for a quick read every now and then. :)

~Thoughts on Kindles?

They're pretty cool, and really save on space if you're traveling, and I love the dictionary feature. So that's neat. What I don't like about them is that they don't have the same 'feel' as reading normal books, and I like having physical copies of the books, because... well, I don't know why, I just do. You don't have to charge real books, either ;)

My questions...

1. If you could be any animal for a day, which one would you choose?
2. Yoda vs. Gandalf, who would win?
3. What are a few of your favorite songs?
4. Favorite Holiday?
5. Sorry for all the 'favorite' questions, they must be *so* boring. XD Anyhoo, what are a few books that you really love?
6. If a total stranger told you to follow them, would you?
7. At bedtime, do you go straight to sleep, or do you read a book or something first?
8. Favorite composer?
9. What time of day do you feel like you work best in? If that makes any sense. :P
10. Text speech- saving time or just plain laziness?
11. What's the farthest you've ever been from home? Geographically speaking.
Of thee I zing...
Hannah from Indigo Montoya
I don't really know anyone else who I'd nominate, so howabout this. If your blog has less than 200 followers, feel free. :P
Yes, I did just throw the rules to the wind. This is why I can't play sports.

The Sunshine Award

The happy picture makes me want to dance
like Julie Andrews!

Miss Jane Bennet of Classical Ramblings nominated me for this Sunshine Award, which is totally awesome, thank you!
Anyway, there's a tag thingy, and I'm no good at introductions, so I'll cut to the chase.

~Do you play an instrument, and if so, what? (And what's your favorite song to play?)
I mostly play Flute, though I also play some Guitar and a microscopic smidgen of Piano. On Flute I suppose my favorite song to play is  Sally's Song from The Nightmare Before Christmas. It isn't technically impressive, but it's a very moving song. As for Guitar, I like playing the chords for It Never Rains in Southern California. XD

~Dream vacation?
Well for starters, I'd love to go to the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris (for obvious reasons, heh heh), but even more than that I'd like to go to Nikko, Japan. I hear it's gorgeous there!

~What's the time period you most like to read about?
I read a lot of stuff set in the 1800's, so I suppose then. But I'd like to read something set in the early 1900's. Maybe it's time for some John Steinbeck...

~If you could steal one character's wardrobe for a day, whose would you pick and why? (Bonus question: where would you go in your new clothes?)
Oh boy... I um... am not sure! I think I'd borrow Maleficent's dramatic black cape and headdress getup and wear that to In-N-Out Burger, then I'd act as casual as I would if I were wearing normal clothes. And enjoy the bewhildered stares. ^.^

~Do you sew, and if so (sink me!), what?
I don't sew that often, but I've made a vest and a lot of Les Miserables rosettes.

~Do you write or read poetry much?
I like to write poetry, but I don't read a whole lot of it. I probably should, literacy and all...
~What Jane Austen character do you think would be the easiest/most fun to swap places with?
Probably Emma, we've got somewhat similar personalities, and it's the only Jane Austen book I've read. Well, I did read Pride and Prejudice for school, but I didn't enjoy it that much [dies of shame]

~Thoughts on tea?
It's good! I mean, I'm not all into Tea-Time and Crumpets with Her Highness, but I find it's really theraputic if you're feeling anxious.

~Favorite funny quote?
...Oh man, my head is exploding from the endless possibilities here! Unfortunately, all of them fled my head right at this moment and I can't think of anything except Olaf in Frozen when Anna introduces him to Kristoff and his Reindeer.
Olaf: What's the hairy mammal thing?
Anna: That is Sven.
Olaf: Right, and who's the reindeer?
Anna: Um- that is Sven.
That- and practically ALL of MST3k. That's pretty obscure though ;)

~Has any book completely surprised you with its quality (i.e. have you ever read a book that you thought would be bad and turned out to be good, or vice versa?)
Well, for Vice-Versa, I thought Emily of New Moon would be totally awesome, like Anne of Green Gables. And... it wasn't. I didn't even finish it because Emily was so insufferable a character. Gr! On the more positive side, I wasn't sure that I would like To Kill a Mockingbird (you know... an 'Important' book that you have to read for school), but it was actually a really excellent book!

~What's your favorite imaginary creature (if you have one)?
Phoenix(es?) and Japanese Dragons are pretty cool!

My questions...

~Have you ever faked an accent for an entire day, just to see what people would do? If so, which one?
~Pixar or Disney?
~If you could hang out with Anne Shirley or Gandalf, which one would you pick, and why?
~What is the most awesome-bone-shatteringly-cool song you've ever heard?
~On the other hand, what's the most skin-peelingly bad song you've ever had the misfortune to hear?
~Are you good with dates, or do you usually need to keep a schedule?

I doth nominate...

Hannah of Indigo Montoya

It's been a time and a half, later!
-Monica

New Look

I changed the way my blog looks... as you probably noticed. XD
It all started when I wanted to put a banner on the top for the title, then when I did, it didn't look that great with the beige sort of one that I had. So I switched to something more white-ish. And that's where we are now. Haha!
Anyway, I'm quite proud of this (for reasons unknown). Some of the pictures are from comics that aren't up yet, either because they are too 'wrong', or just aren't funny enough to make the cut.

From left to right, top to bottom: Combeferre and Enjolras playing checkers,
Veronica, Samantha, and the Chips, Angry Little Sister, Frightened Cosette,
Yawning Attention-Span Faerie, Gunslinger Enjolras, Odd Thomas Valentine,
Elizabeth Bennet reading Mr. Darcy's letter, Surprised Courfeyrac, Javert,
Headache-y Liam, Dale Face!

Huzzah!

Merry Christmas!

Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noel! メリークリスマス

Whatever language you speak, I hope you have a truly joyous Christmas! God Bless!

 

Celebrate LOTR Tag

Over at her blog Classical Ramblings, Miss Jane Bennet is having a Celebrate LOTR blog party!
As a fan of LOTR, I thought it'd be fun to participate, and maybe get to know the series a little better in the process. Let's get started, shall we?

What was your first introduction to Lord of the Rings?

When I was little, my mom read me the books as bedtime stories. And then a short time after that, the movies started coming out, and I got to see those, too.

   

Have you ever read the book?

I've read the Hobbit all the way through(does that count?), and I've read all my favorite parts in the books, too. Sad to say, I've never been able to have a copy of the books handy for long enough to actually read them. They all get caught up in the quagmire of books that my bed consists of. I'd really like to read them all through someday though. :D

   

Which version of the movies do you prefer – the extended version or the theatrical release?

I don't know, the extended ones are a lot of fun to watch with the new scenes and such, and they kind of fill in stuff that they didn't have time for in the theatrical releases. I think that I like to actually watch the theatrical versions better though, since they're shorter, hence, we have time for them more often.

   

Who is your favorite character and why?

My favorite character, hmmm... For a while it was Legolas(For... obvious reasons), then it was Faramir(again... for obvious reasons), but right now I'd have to say that my favorite characters are Gandalf and Sam. Sam, because he's such a loyal friend, and pretty much everything you could want in a best friend. Gandalf, because he's a rockin' awesome wizard who gets some really good moments and lines. I can't forget Sméagol though, he's a sad character, and so important to the storyline. I like how things work out with him.

   

Which of the other books concerning Middle-Earth have you read?

I've flipped through the Silmarillion, and as I mentioned before, I've read the Hobbit. I also have an elvish dictionary, does that count?

   

If there was one thing about the movies you would change, what would it be?

I think I'd make more of an effort to show how Sauron had been breaking Denethor's mind with the Palantir. I also think that I would cut out all the Faramir being tempted by the ring stuff. But that's two and I have to pick one, so I think I'll go with the Faramir thing.

   

What is your favorite scene in either the books or the movies?

My favorite scene in the books, well, I've got a few. I like the scene where Faramir kisses Eowyn while they're recovering in Minas Tirith. That scene just struck me as being very sweet, and it shows how much of a romantic Mr. Tolkien was.
I also like the Barrow Downs from the Fellowship of the Ring. Really chilling, and so cool. I'm a little sad it didn't make it into the movie.

Speaking of the movie, my favorites scene in the whole series was the march of the Ents to Isengard. The music, the shot of all the Ents marching, everything was just awesome!

   

How would you rate your addiction to Lord of the Rings – Aragorn being the lowest and Gollum/Smeagol being the highest?

Erm... I'm going to say... Frodo. When he was at Mount Doom and said 'The Ring is mine!"

   

If you could be any Lord of the Rings character, who would it be?

Um... Gandalf? Or Legolas, and shoot a wicked awesome bow and arrow.

 

Well that was fun! :)

I'll see if I can think of anything to do for the LOTR week, but if not, I'll see you later!

Hiya!

Hello people of... Everywhere!
I'm real exited to be starting this blog, which exists mostly as a place for me to share my silly little Chibi Comics. I might throw out something besides that every now and then, but that's this blog's Raison D'Etre.
Oh, and Chibis... I suppose I should explain what those are.
Chibi is Japanese for 'Little Person', roughly. And they're highly stylized drawings of people, animals, and all that. Some Chibis are really impressively drawn, and others (like the ones you'll see here), are more simple.
So, in a few days time, I'll probably start putting up comics and such, so be on the look out for that!
Have a great day!