Sarah Morean

mixing and re-mixing

2010-01-04T18:11:40Z

I totally love Brian Heater's interview with Heidi MacDonald in which they look back on comics trends in 2009. If we are lj friends because you like comics, you may find it interesting: LINK.

P.S. I got a new Wii game this weekend that may solve my vocab problem. My Word Coach for Wii. It was like $10 at Game Stop. Whee. I love that my Wii games will make me smarter and healthier (My Word Coach and Wii Fit Plus). Ha.

nuts

2009-12-30T16:10:35Z

I know this is crazy, but follow along with me, 'kay?

So the only RV books I can get at the library are from the 60s. Most modern books are geared towards oldsters, and typically they're travel guides not buying guides.

Since the only unit I could afford anyway would be super old, I'm getting the most I can from these dated books anyway, so that doesn't matter. It's all still good information. The books are really helpful and are illustrated with useful guides that indicate where stuff hooks up and what does what etc. Anyway, in one of the books they also list the price of a new camper van -- $1250!

My mind thinks, 'Gee, that sure is a great price. A buying price. I sure wish I could go back in time and buy this thing.'

And I realized -- THAT COULD NEVER HAPPEN but only for one very crazy reason. If a person ever could go back in time, they would have no way of buying things without outing themselves as a future-person. See, because our money designs have changed. It would look like funny money.

I used to hang on to my old bills, just so I didn't forget what money used to look like, but after awhile I just realized that was dumb, so I spent it. Now all my bills are new.

An enterprising nut out there is probably hoarding old bills for the day they can go back in time and spend them, don't you think? I sort of hope so.

Anyway, this is how my mind works. Usually this is how my stories or comics get written, but because I don't really write or cartoon anymore, I guess I'll just blog the idea.

oh.my.god.

2009-12-29T15:23:59Z

I want a Winnebago.

EDIT: If Will ever leaves me, I'm going to take off in an Airstream camper into the abyss of America and you will never ever find me. Sigh. I need a road trip!

new camera

2009-12-28T16:13:19Z

Will got a bonus for Christmas and used it to buy a Canon Rebel XT. I have no idea what lens it has...it's a used camera so it might not be the one it originally came with...but I am amazed by this thing!

He took some photos of the ginger snaps I baked last week. Behold the sugary detail. Wow!

It makes me feel like a sucker for always buying the cheap weird cameras. I just got a Super 8 camcorder -- still waiting to use it. I've got a Polaroid Land Camera -- that I don't know how to thread film into. I thought I found film for my Kodak Brownie, but the film got stuck after my first shot. Turns out I might not have found the right film after all. My Polaroid Instant Camera won't have film until 2011 (or is it 2010?) and my keychain digital cameras take the worst photos. I've got a Canon Rebel K2 (film) that we took most of our Christmas photos with, but I hate the way film is processed now and my pictures come out looking really digital anyway. Le sigh. Anyway, I'm just glad Will got something useful! I predict a lot more photo blogging in the future.

baby's first animation

2009-12-23T21:45:39Z

I tried messing around with Flash last year, thinking I would animate some of my comics or something, but I got mired in the learning process and kind of stopped drawing altogether. This week is the first time in a year that I've even attempted using Flash, and it finally started to make sense.* Enough at least to make a little animation. My first! Hooray!

Anyway, it's tough to know how to introduce something like this. Abby and Jacie and I have talked about starting a band and a TV show and a club and a website and like a million other things for about three years! Actually, Abby and I first became friends in high school because we were going to be in a band together -- and we kind of were -- but we only played a few very ridiculous shows and all of our songs were embarrassing.

So now that we're not really a band in the traditional sense, with songs and skills and all that, but we're still just messing around and having fun playing music together, there's like this "ahh" effect happening. Like "Right! This is what was supposed to happen. This is totally fun. This is zero percent serious and everyone gets to have a good time doing things they love. Whee!"

So a few months ago I bought a ukulele (tenor -- so larger and lower in tone than what you may expect from a typical soprano uke), and got a video camera, and tried learning how to use it all and gradually got a little better at everything over time. Then Abby and Jacie came over to record our "theme song" last summer and we filmed the opening sequence to this show we were thinking about creating for public access TV. We don't actually have a show yet, we need a few more episodes ready before we can commit, but it feels like we're getting close. And getting there has been a lot of fun and gotten me to experiment with a few new music/media things, which is super fun.

Anyway, when I think about it, I only laugh. Playing music is like the most fun thing in the world. I always forget that. And for me at least, I find it really centering. Which sounds cheesy, and I try not to sound cheesy, but it is! You know? Sometimes you just need to yell in a microphone or strum something hollow or beat pots and pans with sticks. It helps.

So that's the skinny. I hope you like our first "single!" We're kind of like a story band, I think. If that's even a thing. Hopefully I will have more news about the band/show thing over time.

*It was a lot easier for me to animate to a pre-recorded tune. For sure.

varsity pep band

2009-12-23T17:09:18Z

I am in a band. Did you know? Probably not.

OUR WEBSITE!

We're only going to get better!

in like a lion out like a fad

2009-12-22T19:13:23Z

Every so often I'll hear a word I've never heard before, only to hear it repeatedly for the next several days from unrelated sources. Really!

This week I've heard "lionize" like you wouldn't believe! Is it the hot new word? Do you think you'll ever use it in a sentence?

desire

2009-12-21T16:00:37Z

I want to own this:

to be loved

2009-12-16T15:36:40Z

I learned this on the bus last night.

open letter to santa

2009-12-15T21:48:20Z

Santa, if you're reading this, all I want for Christmas is a bedazzler.

mail's here

2009-12-12T04:39:00Z

I have a huge pile of gocco-printed holiday cards to give away this year. Who wants one?

Just send your mailing address and receive a fun piece of mail! smorean @ gmail . com

Art Hounds

2009-11-30T22:42:57Z

I was an Art Hound last week for Minnesota Public Radio's "State of the Arts" program. I talked about King Mini's Canyon Land opening at Pink Hobo in Minneapolis.

It goes without saying I suppose, but I can't help but be amazed by the results of MPR's recording equipment. It is fancy and now I want it. I think it magically masked my weird lisp-thing.

For awhile, just the blog post of the segment was up, but it lacked the embedded audio file, which is why I didn't post this sooner.

EDIT: That was neurotic.

Goodbye, NaBloPoMo! I'm grateful that our time together has come to a close.

bookmarking

2009-11-30T16:30:13Z

I am having the worst time with bookmarks in Firefox. Grr! Every time I go to one lately, it takes me to a page I recently visited, instead of the page I bookmarked initially. What the heck?

weekend in review

2009-11-30T01:15:10Z

Nothing worth blogging about happened yesterday until I went to see King Mini's Canyon Land at Pink Hobo, but I got home so late from that it was today and I was exhausted. So far, that's twice this month I've faltered on my NaBloPoMo promises. Sorry!

Today was very lazy. We saw "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and it was AWESOME. I would watch it again and again. I love stop motion animation so much, first of all. Plus the scripting and voices and everything else...it was magical. We'll see it again in the dollar theater and buy it on DVD for sure.

To prepare for the holidays we've also put up our dinky Christmas tree (some gifts still need to be wrapped) and bought clementines. Goodbye, 4-day weekend!

tgiving 2009

2009-11-28T05:23:12Z

On Thanksgiving day, Will and I played a lot of Animal Crossing, cooked, and went over to JP & Jacie's place for dinner. They recently got a new puppy. It's so new, in fact, that it still needs a name. Any suggestions? It's a chihuahua.

We spent this evening with family. It was the first time I met Will's new nephew. I'm probably holding him wrong. This may be the second baby I have ever held.

And what do employed, dog-less, child-less, mortgage-less girls do on Black Friday? Shop for themselves, of course. I went to Southdale today and brought back some new stuff. The crowds were not awful, and I got free coffee.

tradition

2009-11-26T06:45:03Z

I believe it is a tradition now! For ~3 years I have directed y'all to Anders Carlson's Thanksgiving Song. I am nuts about it...it is so good. LINK. Enjoy!

Tonight (Wednesday into Thursday) I went to amateur comedy night at Grumpy's downtown. I drank too much. However, I am attempting to sound sober now. I think it is working!

christmas time's a-coming

2009-11-25T19:00:59Z

I cannot freaking wait for Friday. That's when I can put up the tree and wrap presents and make/hang stockings and play all of my mom's Christmas albums and watch Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas and White Christmas and stuff. Yahoo!

Tomorrow will be fun too. We're having Thanksgiving dinner with JP and Jacie and Ashley and BJ. There will be dogs and wine and board games and pie.

lmao

2009-11-24T22:18:10Z

vocabulary

2009-11-24T19:08:48Z

I would like to improve my handle on the English language. I think I would have a lot of fun working through a book or something. Like I did in grade school. Do they make those kind of books for adults? Where could I get one?

fucking busy

2009-11-24T02:52:07Z

EDIT: Deleted this. Just needed to vent! Did it. Posted it. Now it's deleted and forgotten.

What I did today: busy at work, then after work went to the MPR studios and recorded an Art Hounds segment for this week's Canyon Land opening at Pink Hobo gallery in NE Mpls. I am convinced I sounded stupid and ignorant and awful. Can't wait to hear how they edit that!

swap 'til you drop

2009-11-23T01:34:32Z

I went to my first clothing swap today. I brought in ~2 sacks full of stuff and left with four things. I feel pretty good about that!

FYI: I am a total hoarder. Because, dude, you never know when you will need that old stuff! Or when you can turn it into a quilt or something! Etc!

Happy to say though, most of my clothes today went to good homes. Some will go on to good thrift stores too.

I knew three of the girls in attendance, ate yummy treats and had a good time. The swap was hosted by a girl I didn't know, but happily she was a great hostess.

I learned something too about my spending habits. I LOVE THRIFT. I don't just love my old shit, I love yours too. It's a problem! Most of the stuff I brought to the event was old thrifted stuff I'd bought but never even worn! I think in the future, I will exercise restraint when buying used things -- or accepting free old things -- like I did today.

I also played Animal Crossing today (for Gamecube)! Only one month 'til Will lets me open Xmas gifts and we can start playing the Wii version. In the meantime, I'm racing him on GC to see who can pay off their house first. I will make an announcement once we know our Wii town name, or code, or whatever, so you can all visit and bring me fruit. ;)

last names

2009-11-21T16:27:11Z

I just read that Heidi Klum has finally taken her husband Seal's last name.

Think about it.

Wii time

2009-11-21T00:58:52Z

The decision has been made. We are getting Wii Fit Plus and Animal Crossing with our new Wii. Hooray! Unfortunately, Will is a purist, and we won't be able to open any of it until Christmas day. BOO.

We ate at Chicago Grill tonight. It was predictably greasy and kind of gross.

Going to R&J's tonight for BYOB party. They just announced on facebook today that they are engaged, but have been really engaged for several months. Tricksy!

lush

2009-11-19T16:27:44Z

I am absolutely devoted to Lush. They make the most amazing hair and skin products. I took pictures this morning of every Lush product currently in my apartment so you could look and learn!

My first can't-do-without Lush product was Big shampoo. After years of using whatever smelled good at the supermarket or whatever stylists pushed on me at the salon, I thought my hair just WAS limp and greasy and awful. No longer! Big does an awesome job of cleaning my hair, giving it body and shine, and the salt feels nice and scrubby on my scalp. I've been using it daily for 3 years at least.

Ocean Salt can be used as a facial cleanser, or wherever I suppose, but I use it on my feet. It looks kind of like Big shampoo, but it feels like whipped cream.

I've used a couple different facial cleansers from Lush and would recommend all of them -- Angels on Bare Skin and Herbalism -- but what I'm using right now is Dark Angels. It's scrubby and has coal as a main ingredient -- which is very absorbent. Good for my oily complexion. I use it in the a.m.

This is half of a bath melt. You crumble it under the water for a bubble bath. You don't need to use the whole thing for one bath, so I don't! Smells spicy. This is a seasonal bath bar and I don't know what it's called. I'd recommend it though.

Seanik -- a solid shampoo. Awesome for travel, particularly given the airlines' restrictions on liquid. They won't confiscate a solid shampoo like they might a liquid shampoo! I take it on the road with me instead of my tub-o-Big. I sometimes think I like Seanik better than Big, but haven't made the transition yet.

Coalface! This solid cleanser also has coal in it, like Dark Angels, and I totally love it. The effect it's had on my skin is really noticeable. I use the bar before bed.

Veganese is a conditioner. I like it alright. I haven't tried any other Lush conditioners. I find that if I use Big, the conditioner I use afterward should be used sparingly and doesn't really augment or negate the powers of Big -- so I use a cheaper conditioner from Burt's Bees. A lot of Lush's products are vegan, like this. They usually have expiration dates on them as well, because they are fresh and hand-made. Like food.

Lush makes shower jellies that you can use on a loofah or freeze and use like a bar -- which is how I do it. I've got the and some sea-themed one and a Sweetie Pie left. They are very moisturizing and smell nice.

Grease Lightning is my latest find. It's a toner -- intended for use between face washing and moisturizing -- and I think it's saving my skin. For real. I'm pretty reliant on it now. I tend to touch my face a lot, particularly when I'm concentrating or not paying attention, and I break out a lot because of it. This product is kind of a special toner for people like me with very reactive skin.

Most Lush products smell sort of weird and natural or sweet and strong. I like it though. Check 'em out! They're in most Macy's now.

photo post !

2009-11-19T01:26:38Z

How I Like My Man:

Will Meets Dad:

Will's Other Fake Smile: