text stringlengths 1 330k |
|---|
Monday, 20 April 2015 |
Disney Overalls: Aurora |
This was actually the first design I doodled for changing the princess gowns into overalls. I just didn't tutorialize it first because (A) it's probably the most complicated, (B) it's not my favourite dress, and (C) Cinderella had just been reinterpreted in live-action. |
I did see the live-action Sleeping Beauty reinterpretation, 'Maleficent'. It was okay, but not great. Certain parts were very well done - but there were a lot of scenes that were just characters frozen in place, posing for the inevitable poster, or just close up shots of faces. I was disappointed that the queen didn't get to have a larger role - in fact, I think she had fewer lines in the remake than in the original - but I liked the depth given to the raven Diablo, and I was glad he didn't get turned into a statue. The scene with the dragon was very well done. I was disappointed they dropped the cover name of Briar Rose, mostly because there didn't seem to be any narrative reason for that change. I did not approve of Maleficent's skintight leather pants in the battle sequence, since the materials available at the time and the fact she arrived on horseback would have made loose canvas pants more believable, but the wing-return was impressive. Also, a lot of things were left open-ended when the movie cut to the credits, making the ending a little dissatisfying. The biggest disappointment was the lack of singing. |
So, yeah. I mostly enjoyed it for the special effects. I would watch it again if I saw that it was on TV and nothing I liked better was on in the same timeslot, but I'm not going to purchase a copy. |
Another blogger, 'Beaded Fae', did an excellent costume based more literally on the blue-and-pink 'paint-splattered' dress. Just type "Disney Sleeping Beauty costume paint-splattered gown" in a search engine and it should pop right up. |
Thursday, 16 April 2015 |
Disney Overalls: Rapunzel |
Pink and purple and gold and white - sure, most of them are accents, but this is one of the most colourful dresses in the whole lineup. |
Monday, 13 April 2015 |
If I were a model ... |
As a model, I don't look all that different from an anime character. Go figure. |
Also, my art style is such that, even as a model, I would still be 'plus sized'. Plus-size fashion models are just noticably under the standard weight for women of their age group and culture, as opposed to extremely far below the standard weight. |
I approve, at least in concept, of new laws in France stating that you must have a certain minimum amount of biomass to works as a fashion model. In practice, I suspect it will lead to a lot of under-the-table arrangements and falsified documents. |
(Still working on catching up on the tutorials I couldn't work on while my computer was going belly-up. If all goes well, you'll get a proper tutorial to read on Thursday.) |
Thursday, 9 April 2015 |
Escher Exhibit Reminder |
This is to jog your memories before time runs out entirely to visit the exhibit. I had it scheduled to be posted later in the month, but in light of my lack of scanner-access ... The computer I use is actually working again, slowly, but I'm posting this now anyway to give myself a bit more time to generate new content. |
Also, I realized after posting my previous M. C. Escher tribute that I had forgotten his lithograph of the crazy staircases, to the climbers of which gravity and perspective do not consistently apply. (Not that I plan to do a visual tribute to all of his work, just that I wanted to include his most famous pieces in the 'ad'.) In his pictures of buildings, you can really see the effects of his architecture training. |
Monday, 6 April 2015 |
Computer Error |
If you are seeing this message, I wasn't able to get my usual computer working in time for Monday's post. That's where I have all my image files related to this blog, and it's the one connected to my scanner, so if that computer fails, I have to wait to update until I can get hold of a scanner connected to a different computer. |
If I haven't worked something out by Thursday, I guess we'll have April NaNoWriMo. I pre-created and set up a few story prompts with the intent of publishing them in November, but in the interest of continuing to add content to my site, I can post them early to buy some time while sorting out the hardware situation. |
It's an older computer. It started being really slow near the end of March, then started abruptly powering down while in use, then somehow stopped being able to respond to the keyboard. My parents are thinking about replacing it. |
I don't really want to leave you guys without a tutorial ... |
Want to read about the prank I pulled on April Fools' Day? |
I live with my parents still, but I pay monthly room and board. It's a lot less expensive than being out on my own. Mom and Dad put the money in a savings account for me to use for university or home-setup once I move out, or technically whatever I want, but I don't get the money back until after I move out. (I'm not the only one of my siblings to get this deal.) |
Anyway, I pay with a cheque given to my parents on the first of the month. This month, I put the cheque in an envelope, along with a bunch of newspaper strips. I wrote on the front of the envelope that I had decided to pay room and board in cash this month. On the inner flap of the envelope (the thing you open to insert or remove the contents), I wrote 'April Fools!' I left it on the table so they'd see it first thing when they woke up. |
Mom says she fell for it! |
Thursday, 2 April 2015 |
Disney Overalls: Kida |
You know what's interesting about Atlantis: The Lost Empire? It has probably the greatest number of named female characters in the cast of any Disney animated movie (Helga Sinclair, Wilhelmina Packard, Audrey Ramirez, Kidagakash), and yet none of these women actually talk to one another. |
Well, except for this one exchange right before the Leviathan attacks. |
Helga Sinclair: It [the sound of the approaching Leviathan] could be our engines echoing off the rocks. |
Wilhelmina Packard: [annoyed] You want to do my job? |
I don't require a movie to pass the Bechdel test before I'll admit to enjoying it, but it is an interesting thing to observe. Audrey was an engineer, for example. It would not have been implausible for Kida to approach her before Milo (a linguist) for help in activating the ancient hover-vehicles ... unless, of course, Milo hadn't managed to explain what an engineer was in his and Kida's earlier conversation where she was trying to figure out who was who. |
Relief Society Lesson 9: Forgiving Others with All Our Hearts |
This lesson is brought to you by Eve of Z’s Daughters. |
I haven’t taught adults for several years, but I tend to teach mostly by asking questions and then trying to make connections among whatever answers people offer. So here are some of my questions and thoughts about forgiveness. I have tentative answers of my own to some of these questions, and no answers at all to others. |
On a more practical note, there’s no way anyone could discuss all of these questions in a single lesson, but hopefully some of them will be useful to some of you. |
Section I: We must forgive to be forgiven. |
• Why do we have to forgive to be forgiven? (see Matt. 7:1-2, John 7:24, Luke 6:37, 3 Nephi 14:1-2) |
• What’s the relationship between forgiving others of their sins and being forgiven of our own sins? (see Alma 34:29) |
• Or, in other words, what’s the relationship between forgiveness and repentance? |
• In what ways might it be possible to understand forgiveness as a repentance of our anger and bitterness toward someone else? |
• In what ways might it be possible to understand forgiveness as an exercise of faith in the atonement of Christ and in the superior judgment of God? |
• Do you feel forgiveness of others has been an important part of your own repentance? If so, how and why? |
Section II: Our forgiveness of others must be heartfelt and complete. |
President Kimball emphasizes the importance of sincere, heartfelt forgiveness, not simply going through the motions. How can we make sure our forgiveness is heartfelt and sincere and not simply an empty ritual? |
• What is the appropriate relationship between forgiveness and forgetting? |
• How can we forgive without trusting—that is, forgive someone but also end our relationship with them, as in the case of an adulterous or abuse spouse, for example? |
• In such difficult situations, how can we both protect ourselves and our families and yet completely forgive the perpetrator? |
One of President Kimball’s final points in this section is that unless we forgive with all of our hearts, we are unworthy to take the sacrament. |
• How can we make forgiveness part of our weekly preparation to take the sacrament? |
• What if we find ourselves in sacrament meeting and not feeling very forgiving, as I certainly have on occasion? What should we do then? |
Section III: We should leave judgment to God. |
Quoting D&C 64:8-11, President Kimball emphasizes that we are required to forgive everyone, leaving judgment to God. |
• Why does this scripture suggest that we humans are held to a higher standard than God? |
• Or, in other words, why does God get to choose who to forgive, but we don’t? |
• Why is it wrong to make our forgiveness of others conditional on others’ repentance? |
• Why is it wrong to set limits on our forgiveness? |
• In cases of serious harm, how is it possible to turn someone over to legal or church authorities and yet forgive them? How do we find an appropriate relationship between justice and mercy in our own hearts? |
Section IV: Though it may seem difficult, we can forgive. |
Sometimes, with the best of intentions we urge forgiveness on each other as a simple matter, saying “Just forgive,” as if forgiveness were a quick and easy thing to do. In cases of serious wrongs—abuse, infidelity, other serious betrayals—forgiveness generally takes time, sometimes years. |
• How can we avoid the temptation to urge “cheap” forgiveness on someone who has been seriously hurt? |
• How can we avoid pushing forgiveness on someone as a way to avoid hearing and feeling their pain? |
• How can we encourage forgiveness in an empathetic, compassionate way instead of a rigid, judgmental one? |
• When we feel a great deal of anger toward someone for a serious wrong, how can we begin to forgive? When forgiveness seems like an overwhelming or impossible task, where do we start? |
• What do we do when we think we’ve forgiven someone and put the matter to rest but find feelings of anger and bitterness returning? |
• When forgiveness takes a long time, how can we patiently and diligently persist in seeking it? |
Section V: When we forgive others, we free ourselves from hatred and bitterness. |
• The scriptures teach that if we are offended, we need to take the initiative to speak to the one who has offended us privately (Matt. 18:15, D&C 42:88). |
• Why is it our responsibility to heal the relationship if we are offended? |
• Why is it often so difficult to speak directly to the person who has offended us (instead of complaining about her behind her back to others)? |
• How can we approach the offenses that inevitably occur among family members, friends, and colleagues with a forgiving heart? |
• How can we forgive even those who refuse reconciliation and continue to hurt us |
Section VI: As we forgive others, we are blessed with joy and peace. |
• How does the commandment to forgive relate to the promise of peace in this life (D&C 59:23) and the peace which passeth understanding (Philippians 4:7)? |
• How have you found forgiving others to be healing? |
• How have you found being forgiven by others to be healing? |
Finally, if you’re looking for more quotations and stories about forgiveness, President Faust’s talk in April conference is an excellent source. |
You may also like... |
No Responses |
1. Anonymous says: |
These are wonderful questions for me to ponder. I will be in Primary for the next few Sundays, but I am going to get out the lesson and read it tonight. |
I am just now starting a journey of forgiveness. A few weeks ago my husband moved out, ending nearly a year of my attempts to save our marriage after he left the church and started slowly withdrawing from me and the family. Last Friday I had a session with a counselor, and instead of focusing on how I could get through to my husband and really make him care about me (what I wanted to have happen), my counselor told me that I need to walk away, forgive, and move on with my life. That is hard counsel to follow, but in my heart I feel that it is right. |
When thinking about forgiveness, I feel that we often focus so much on the other person that we lose track of the benefits to ourselves. We worry that if we forgive, that we are somehow “losing” and the other person is “winning”. It takes faith in Heavenly Father and in his plan to forgive and let him deal with the other person instead of us. Forgiveness is a gift for us, so that we can spiritually grow. |
I know a woman whose husband left her about 25 years ago. She still defines herself as a victim and she still has difficulty with relationships with others. Her bitterness has estranged her from some members of her family. In the meantime, her ex-husband has moved on with his life. When I look at her, I know I must forgive. I don’t want to be held back by my bitterness and anger. |
At the same time, I know forgiveness is hard and it is long. My ex is pressuring me to get over it quickly and to “be friends” again. It’s not going to happen that fast. I really think that forgiveness is a change of heart and a spiritual gift that can only come through bringing ourselves closer to Heavenly Father and asking for it. I don’t know any other way to change our hearts. Like I said, I’m only beginning and I have more questions than answers. But from where I’m at, I feel like I understand why the Lord has commanded us to forgive and why it is so important for us to do it. |
2. Caroline says: |
Thanks so much for sharing your story. I can’t imagine how painful it must be to end a marriage, but it sounds like it was the right thing for you to do. And I admire you for working so hard to consciously forgive him. |
3. EmilyCC says: |
Eve, I love your questions about “cheap forgiveness.” I think it can be difficult to hear a wronged person’s anger, and preaching forgiveness can feel easier than listening. As anon so eloquently express, forgiveness is often a long, hard process. Just because someone isn’t there yet doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not trying. |
4. Jennifer Vranes says: |
I’m teaching this lesson on Sunday, and came across your blog. Thank you so much for the very helpful outline and questions. It will make my preparation much easier!!!! I really appreciate it. |
5. Anonymous says: |
I have had an on-going battle with forgiveness. My wife was unfaithful several years ago. We got through it, although she never really expressed any remorse or asked for forgiveness. We love each other and have raised a family and have had a good life. My problem is that I want to truly forgive her, but it is very difficult. Through the years, I have brought the subject up from time to time about what she did in hopes of having an honest apology. I feel that if I could get this, then my heart would genuinely forgive her. It still hurts me very deeply and it’s hard to hold back about what happened even though I know it’s going to make her angry. Through the years, she has changed the truth about what she did; almost as if nothing happened at all. She has changed the story to be a just innocent encounter and nothing more than that. I don’t know if she honestly believes this, or if she is in denial, or she is just trying to lie her way out this by downplaying the whole incident. This gets me angry. I want to say, that she did admit it to me at the time and I also confirmed it with the man. I guess what I would like to know is “how do I forgive her, if she isn’t willing to ask for forgiveness?” Are their any scriptures that discuss this area. I know that we need to forgive others as God forgives us, so I’m trying very hard to cleanse my heart of all the bad feelings and anger that I hold inside. Bob |
Leave a Reply |
By Simon Traum |
At some point, when a quiet place has been reached, there occurs some final instruction. An understanding is implanted deeply, on a level that cannot be reached via conscious thought. It's in the body, and the body still knows best. This understanding is difficult to describe accurately with any existing language system, although it is possible that ancient Sanskrit might come the closest. Some might call this understanding Pantheism or Animism, but it's more inclusive than that. Think of reality as being made up of links in chains that connect many levels of existence. We stand on one link at a time, but all the links are connected, and we travel constantly. No, see, that's not it at all. Maybe there's a reason it's so difficult to talk about, to communicate; like it's a way of protecting itself. You can't give away a secret you can't verbalize in the first place. |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.