Frugal Friday: AAAAH! Real(ly Artistic) Monsters!

No codes today!! What is wrong with the world?! Down is up and round is square!! Oh, the humanity!!! As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!!!

*ahem*

I'm sorry. Please excuse my little outburst. It's been a very long morning.

Anyhoo, if any of you lovely readers out there are the artistic sort, I may have a fun project for you, courtesy of the folks over at Twisted Sifter. I was surfing around the interwebs today, and ran across this:

Photo Credit: Twisted Sifter, by artist Thyrza Segal

...and laughed my head off.

Thomas and I are frequent thrift store shoppers, and have spent more than our fair share of time digging through seemingly endless piles of bad "hotel room" still-life and "little old lady living room" landscapes. Most of the time, we're looking for frames or props, and the paintings are most likely discarded. These artists have taken those paintings and added new life to them by, well, adding monsters.

According to Twisted Sifter, the trick to making the work believable is matching the paint and texture of the original. The monster should look as if it has always been a part of the painting. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it's a really cool effect.

Photo Credit: Twisted Sifter, artist Chris McMahon

You know what, the next time I run across a deserted landscape in the bargain bin, I just might have to give this a shot. I'm nowhere near the artist these guys are, but if it turned out, think of the conversations a piece like this could start!

Chalk One Up For DIY Hair Color

This is brilliant.

My friend, Genna, sent this to me, and I am dying to try it out. Have you ever had something really cool to go to, like a concert or party, and wanted to try some funky colors in your hair? Well, you could try to track down some faux pieces, or (gawdluvya) ACTUALLY dye your own hair...or you could try chalking.


Photo Credit: kandeej.com

Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. You use chalk to color your hair. Basically, you spray your hair with water, then rub non-oil-based chalk onto the strands. Set the color with a curling iron or flat iron. The color will wash out the next time you shampoo. Again, I haven't tried this, but if anyone has and wants to share pictures or experiences, let me know in the comments.

Also....

WHILE I WAS OUT

Okay, so I haven't really gone anywhere. Still...I'm never really all here...

My latest blog post is up at Paranormal Pop Culture. If you've ever been curious about the Jersey Devil or indie filmmaking, check it out. It's fun. :)

I've been a big fan of Neutrogena makeup remover wipes for some time now. However, I've recently switched to Olay Total Effects wipes. Look for a review sometime in the near future. Also, I'm still on the hunt for one more Real Techniques brush, then I can review the set. Unfortunately, we only have one Ulta in town, and I don't feel like paying shipping for one. flipping. brush.

Lastly, I received some promo codes from the Mints (JewelMint, ShoeMint, etc). If you are looking to join any of those groups--note: this is for first-time purchases only--leave me a message in the comments. I may be able to hook you up with a discount. Of course, this is while supplies last, only.

Cinematic Romance (and All That Mushy Stuff)

Thomas and I are celebrating our fourth (really?) wedding anniversary today. Last night, while we watched a Rocky retrospective (we're nothing if not exciting), we both noticed that, without meaning to, Thomas proposed to me with almost the same wording as when Rocky told Adrian he was "wondering if [she] wouldn't mind marrying" him. And we both cracked up. That may very well be the greatest marriage proposal ever put on film, by the way. It's certainly my favorite, and not just because it mirrors my own.

Anyway, mine was a surprise proposal. Well, it was a surprise to me. I think everyone else on the planet knew, including my mother, who normally couldn't keep a secret THAT BIG from me if her life depended on it. We're too close, and way too darn much alike. Thomas took me out to dinner at a really nice, local Italian place. Of course, we were early for our reservation, so we needed to kill some time. We hung out in the nearby Dollar Tree for a few minutes, and I think bought some candy. We're classy like that.

When our reservation time rolled around, we headed into the restaurant, and were guided toward the back. I'm a chatterbox, and don't think I've stopped talking, except maybe to sleep, since 2007, so I was totally oblivious to the fact the hostess was leading us through the kitchen, out the back of the restaurant, across a courtyard, and into a cottage. Never once even floated past my consciousness that this was unusual. As we crossed the threshold into the cottage, Thomas put his hand on my arm, and simply said, "Wait." He walked slightly ahead of me as we left the foyer and entered the candlelit room, strewn with rose petals, and furnished only with a single table and two chairs, then got down on one knee.

I stopped talking.

That was a fantastic proposal. I can't imagine one better suited for the two of us, and I always tear up a bit thinking about it. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change a single moment.

I adore a good wedding proposal. I'm a total sucker for all things romantic, anyway, but this one appealed to the filmmaker's wife in me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I grinned like an idiot through most of the video. The highlights for me were the girl's reactions and the slo-mo section set to "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana. Have a great day, guys!

It's Time To Meet the Muppets

Photo Credit: All Lacquered Up

I am in so much trouble.

I thought it was bad when I realized I could use Sephora.com on my phone. Then, I thought it couldn't get any worse when the J.C. Penney across from my apartment added a mini-Sephora. I was wrong.

A great, big, shiny, gorgeous, brand-spanking-new Ulta opened up at the mall. It's walking distance from my door. No good can come of this.

Case in point: guess what's brand new, and only mere feet away--Muppet nailpolish from OPI! That's right; MUPPETS!!!!!!!!!! And it's all glittery!!!!! I am going to be so unbelievably broke...

The shades (everything from neutral bronze and safe berries on to blue, green, and rainbow confetti) carry names like "Warm and Fozzie", "Meep-Meep-Meep", "Excuse Moi", and "Rainbow Connection". Check out OPI's website to virtually try-on the colors and find retailers near you.