Holiday Information and a Slew of Updates

So Halloween practically killed me and I didn't get to do a real costume this year due to technical difficulties.  *sigh!*  However, I always have a plan B, and this year it was makeup.  I did a totally awesome Sylvia Ji-inspired calavera look, but forgot to take a picture before I washed up.  Oh well!

In other news, happy Veterans' Day to all of the United States military personnel.... Whether past, present, or future, I appreciate the sacrifices you make for our country! Even if I don't like the things the government sends you to do some of the time.

In other other news, I had a meeting today with an admissions counselor from The Art Institute.  I feel really good about where this path might be taking me.  If I can get in, it will be a big step toward me actually getting the technical skills I need to create better art, as well as get more professional results.  At 28, I have to admit it's really scary starting out on a new career path... but at the same time I feel like I'm finally doing what I'm supposed to have been doing all my life!  So, it's fresh and exciting, and it's a creative path that will bring me far more contentment in my job than anything else.  Art isn't always the practical choice, I know that, but the videogame industry is a growing field, and I really feel for the first time that I'm following what I NEED to be doing instead of what everyone else thinks I SHOULD be doing.

Of course, my mom and dad are- as always!- supportive.  My husband is really supportive also, although I can tell he's feeling the same trepidation that I am...  Haven't told my best friend yet, but knowing her, she'll probably laugh at me, tell me she figured that out a long time ago, and bake me cookies so my butt stays fatter than hers, ha ha ha!  I'm lucky to have a family that cares enough about me to be there for me and trusts me, even if they aren't always really sure I'm going down the right path in life.  And if it doesn't work out, they've always been there for me to help me pick up the pieces and try again.
And in other other OTHER news.... Check out what I did fooling around! Many thanks to my friend Samuel Lock for allowing me to utilize one of his photos for a fun-time project.  And of course, lots of thanks go to the artists of The Stock Xchange for their excellent free stock images.  I can usually find anything I need there, and royalty-free makes the pot that much sweeter.  Last, but not least, I love my roses-- they're so photogenic!  (The rose image on the right hand side is an original digital image, altered along with the rest of the photo.