The Selfportrait Party

February (in honor of Valentine's day,) was the self-portrait month at the Portrait Party. Today is February 29, so it was my last chance to draw a quick one and to post it. Here you go:

Need A New Car?

Like this one? You can get it here!

For me a car is an object of utility, unless it is this one:

Book Meme Again

I´ve been tagged again with the book meme. This time by Die Sprachspielerin, a German blogger. So I´m taking the chance to post another one:
I picked up the autobiographical graphic memoir Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, which I just bought a few days ago:

1.) Pick up the nearest book of (at least 123 pages).
2.) Open the book to page 123.
3.) Find the fifth sentence. (I took sentences 1 to 3, as there weren´t enough sentences on that page.)
4.) Post the next three sentences.
5.) Tag five people. (Fell free to tag yourself.)

A wonderful quote:

"Und in gewisser Hinsicht könnte man behaupten, dass das Ende meines Vaters mein Anfang war.
Genauer gesagt, das Ende seiner Lüge fiel mit dem Beginn meiner Wahrheit zusammen.
Denn auch ich hatte lange Zeit in der Lüge gelebt."

I´ll try to translate this (Does anybody have an English copy of the comic?):

"And in a way, one could state that the end of my father was my beginning.
More specifically, the end of his lie coincided with the beginning of my truth.
For I had also long lived in falsehood."

If you want to read more about Alison Bechdel check out her blog Dykes To Watch Out For.

Places I´ve Lived At (100 Ideas 37)

Finally I´m back to doing more ideas of the 100 things project by Keri Smith, which I´m doing with Mim and Casey.

37. List all of the places you've ever lived.

I have moved very often in my life. I think around 17 times. So I have lived in 10 different cities so far:

• Altenstadt, Germany
• Alwar, Rajasthan, India
• Birmingham, UK
• Kottayam, Kerala, India
• Los Angeles, USA
• Munich, Germany
• Peiting, Germany
• Schongau, Germany
• Stuttgart, Germany
• Vaterstetten, Germany

100 ideas
Link to Mim´s Post

Congrats, Farruska!

Farruska (Lígia Rodrigues) was the one who commented the right answer at the book quiz. Congrats! Just send me your address in an email. :)

The following quote was taken from the Lord of the Rings which stands in the lowest row of my bookshelf. (Boy, I still haven´t read the book.)

"There were no trees after all. He was on a dark heath, and there was a strange salt smell in the air. Looking up he saw before him a tall white tower, standing alone on a high ridge."

Book Quiz Including Prize!

Mim, who has the coolest glasses ever was tagged by her friend FY with a book thingy, where you have to get the nearest book and pick out certain sentences. It sounded like fun so I did that too.

1.) Pick up the nearest book of (at least 123 pages).
2.) Open the book to page 123.
3.) Find the fifth sentence.
4.) Post the next three sentences.
5.) Tag five people.

All books lying around me either didn´t have 123 pages or were in German, so I had to go to my book shelf and to the piles of books for which I haven´t yet got a shelf for and pick out another book.
Here is my quote of the book:

"There were no trees after all. He was on a dark heath, and there was a strange salt smell in the air. Looking up he saw before him a tall white tower, standing alone on a high ridge."

Does anybody know which book I took this quote from? I´ll give you a clue: you can see it in my book shelf. In case nobody finds out until today evening, I´ll post some close ups of the books.

The winner can choose between receiving the book "Dracula, Symphonie des Grauens" (which is somewhere between these piles) or 5 tattoo magazines.

Pile of Books:

Pile of Tattoo Magazines:


Pile of Comics:


A little bit of Everything:


More Comics:


More Stuff:

I guess I´ll need at least one more shelf. And there are lots more piles (mainly art books) in the office room which I haven´t shown here. Anyway, everyone can play the quiz and everyone can join the meme if you want to.

Garth Knight (2)

Some more pictures by Garth Knight:

Garth Knight

Garth Knight is another great photographer. I specially like the themes and the mood of his pictures.
(via otomano)

Pay It Forward - Packages Finally Arrived!

These are the sugar roasted almonds, which I filled into the boxes shown below. The boxes are all made with the paper which the participants chose here.



Packages arrived at:
Milla
Mim
Mithi
Ann
Switchsky

Pay It Forward - One Last Box Left!

I couldn´t send off this one little box filled with candied roasted almonds. The only guy who joined the PIF-game dropped out suddenly. The box is covered with black and silver circles. It was the only design I found which wasn´t too girlish.
Anybody wants to have it? There are no obligations. (You can join the game if you really want to, but there´s no need to do that.) I just need your address and off it will go.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

Nothing new today. Except that most of my PIF-packages have arrived by now. I´ll post about them, when all of them have reached their destination.
I´ve always disliked tests... specially those in womens´ magazines. But when I am bored I fill out short tests on the net. And I do enjoy them if the results are true or funny.

You Are a Strawberry

You are friendly, outgoing, and well liked by many people. You are popular, but there's nothing ordinary or average about you. You are a very interesting person, and you have many facets to your personality.

Sometimes you feel very conflicted. Your different sides of your personality pull at you. You are a very sensual and passionate person. You are fiery... you can't help it. In general, you keep your passionate side under wraps. You are only wild in private.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

My Favorite Fantasy 7

Finally I managed to draw the last requested sexual fantasy tonight. (Sorry, Dorin that you had to wait so long.) I didn´t even find the time to draw the 3 or 4 ideas I had for my own fantasies. I´m glad that I´ve got rid of most of my obligations. (Only one more thing is left: A portrait exchange with Rama, as I won the Portrait Party Contest.)
What did I learn? Yes, I´m good in some fields of art, but my artistic skills are pretty limited. I had such difficulties drawing pictures for people who knew exactly what they would like to have. I can´t even draw round circles. Look at the tires of the bicycle!!
But I had fun and enjoyed reading your fantasies (about elephant-trunk appendages and devils) and now I know that I´d better improve those fields in which my talents are more distinct.

100 Artists Project Charity Art Auction

This is another project which I would like to join. Have a look at the site and the auction. Maybe you will be interested in getting the binder.

"The 100 Artists Project is a charity endeavor created to help raise money for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Hero Intiative. You can see the full collection of artwork here.

What you are bidding on is 100 pieces of original artwork from such artists as Travel Foreman, Adam Koford, Nate Lovett, Len Peralta, and Jeremy Dale.
(...)100% of the proceeds go directly to the selected charities and in the process you receive 100 pieces of fantastic art.
If you are interested in the project, you can stop by the main site at 100artistsproject.com where you can find information, interviews and news."

1. LucyWong, 2. ClintSmith, 3. KRIS, 4. EugeneCommodore, 5. JeremyDale, 6. AndrewHuerta, 7. KristiLiudahl, 8. OlliHihnala, 9. KCurtisShontz, 10. RonaldSalas, 11. JakeAllen, 12. RodrigoLaiz, 13. TimChristopher, 14. RianMiller, 15. MathewRoberts, 16. BenjaminDodds

Crazy By Gnarls Barkley

I´m feeling wonderful (except for the little hangover from yesterday). I feel like dancing. Wanna join me?

(Here´s another video to this song.)

Gnarls Barkley
"Crazy"

I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place.
Even your emotions had an echo
In so much space

And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly [radio version]
probably [album version]

And I hope that you are having the time of your life
But think twice, that's my only advice

Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you, who do you think you are,
Ha ha ha bless your soul
You really think you're in control

Well, I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
Just like me

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on a limb
And all I remember is thinking, I want to be like them
Ever since I was little, ever since I was little it looked like fun
And it's no coincidence I've come
And I can die when I'm done

Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe you're crazy
Maybe we're crazy
Probably

Uh, uh

Wonderful day!

Somehow men just don´t seem to understand. Yes, I love sex and yes, I love eating too. But when I´m done with eating (food) I usually don´t want anything else.

Today was a wonderful day after all. First I received a coupon for a nice store where I got myself some chocolates. Then today evening I went to see a movie (Lars and the Real Girl) which I had won tickets for. And after all I didn´t go alone, but my "Ausgeh-Freund" (dating-friend) went along. It always nice to meet friends - specially when you haven´t seen them for some time. After two cocktails (Boy, I am drunk! I´m just not used to drinking any more) I went back home, walking on clouds and eating strawberries dipped in chocolate.

Happy Valentine´s Day!

So what do want to have this Valentine´s Day? The flowers or ... ?
I hope all of you will receive more love, find your love, enhance your love, whatever... A loveable year to all of you and a Happy Valentine´s Day! (I just love the ecards by someecards.)

© all images by someecards

Pay It Forward - Parcels Sent Out Today Morning!

So finally I made it! I managed to get everything ready for the pay-it-forward game for Milla, Mithi, Mim, Ann and Switchsky. I´m not sure, but I think Fabe (the only guy in the whole game) backed out when he noticed that everything should be handmade. :)
Anyway, I´m glad that I sent off the parcels today morning. Part of the content has been lying around here for some weeks. Everything is either handmade or at least designed by myself. Inside the handmade gift is a food gift. I´m not sure whether it will still taste good by the time it arrives, but it is in a Ziploc bag, so it won´t have an effect the other stuff. In case it isn´t edible anymore, just throw it out and enjoy the other stuff. Please let me know when the parcels arrive. The lady at the post office said it would take about 10 days. I hope the shipping won´t take longer with all the mail sent off for Valentine´s day.

The Apl Song By Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas
The Apl Song

[Chorus in Tagalog]
Lapit mga kaibigan at makinig kayo
Ako'y may dala-dalang, balita galing sa bayan ko
Nais kong ipamahagi ang mga kwento
Ang mga pangyayaring nagaganap
Sa lupang pinangako

[English Translation:]
(Come closer my friends and everyone listen
I brought news from my homeland
I'll tell you how we live and what goes on
From my beloved homeland.)

[Verse one, Apl.De.Ap]
Every place got a ghetto this is my version
Check it out...
Listen closely yo, I got a story to tell
A version of my ghetto where life felt for real
Some would call it hell but to me it was heaven
God gave me the grace, amazin' ways of living
How would you feel if you had to catch your meal?
Build a hut to live and to eat and chill in.
Having to pump the water outta the ground
The way we put it down utilizing what is around
Like land for farming, river for fishing
Everyone helpin' each other whenever they can
We makin' it happen, from nothin' to somethin'
That's how we be survivin' back in my homeland

[Chorus]

[Verse two, Apl.De.Ap]
Yo, its been a while but...
I been back home to my homeland, (check it out) to see what's going on
Man it feels good to be back at home
And it's been a decade, on the journey all alone
I was fourteen when I first left Philippines
I've been away half my life, but it felt like a day
To be next to my mom with her home cooked meal
Meant I felt complete, my emotions I feel!
Now life has changed for me in the U.S
But back at home man, life was a mess...
I guess sometimes life's stresses gets you down
On your knees, oh brother I wish I could have helped you out...

[Chorus]

Etsy Jewelry By Accessory à la Mode

A few days ago I finally received a small package from the States. I had seen a post at Design Crush about these wonderful rings. I liked them a lot. So I ordered two of them from Accessory à la Mode at her Etsy shop: one made of Sterling Silver and the other one of antiqued Brass.

It was fun to open the package and the rings which were wrapped as little gifts. The seller does have an eye for details and you can feel her affection for her craft when you see her items.
She had some personal problems, which led to a delayed shipping, so she added a coupon for the next purchase at her shop. By mistake she made two silver rings for me and when she realized that I had ordered a brass one, she made another one and sent me all three of them. I´m glad she did, because the silver rings are much prettier.

Post-It Project Part 3

The following post-its for the Post-It Project were stuck at a jewelery store and at the movie rental place.

Outside the designer jewelery store there is a tiny little window beneath the large display window. About once a month the designer changes the decoration in it and the kids (myself included) wait anxiously to see her new ideas.

(That´s my brother who is the proof that I really did stick the post-its everywhere.)

Post-It Project Part 2

Here some more pics of the project. The first one I stuck on a mailbox and the second one on a cash machine:

"Where have all the love letters gone? Only advertisements!"