everybody go read this tutorial by kawaii_chicken because it's amazing and inspiring and reminded me of why I love icons and art and all of that. SPECIFICALLY the video, watch that video because it's full of so many fun ideas (done very very slowly :P I also recommend skipping through the slow parts)

anyway, that inspired me to make my first icon in months for my icon battle with neversleeps



I want to do that thing where I evaluate the pros and the cons of the icon, but I literally finished making it 5 minutes ago so my thoughts are still all very fresh but whatever, I'm ( giving it a try )

( I made a bunch of tumblr-sized textures that could be used on icons and stuff also )

you should come and follow me on tumblr just by the way

hey guys, I've been a bad lj-er and I get the feeling I'm going to continue this not-posting for a while (inevitably I will feel the itch to share my graphics and thoughts again, but I'm just not seeing that happening soon)

I'm still very active on lj in the following comms:
theskilltester
fashin
iconsecrets

and I'm tumbling quite a lot, so come follow me in the fun there! I tend to hate the commenting system there and how difficult they make it so I thought I would leave this as an open post that I can always be contacted via. I've got notifications turned on and I check my emails approximately as often as I blink, so yeah :D

1. So Christmas happened! The actual Christmas bit of Christmas was a bit underwhelming, I must say. It was my first year since moving out of home and over the past few years the amount of presents exchanged has decreased exponentially. Not to mention with the grandparents reaching "that age" and a lot of the youthes coupling off and having to go to other family Christmases, it's just not the big event that it used to be.

HOWEVER, it was my first Christmas since leaving Adelaide and coming back gave me a world of perspective. I really don't feel like I've changed that much since moving to Sydney, but being back, everything seemed totally different and yet exactly the same, it's the weirdest feeling and it made me really appreciate the new life and independance I have set up for me here.

2. So I've just started watching a british comedy called Outnumbered and I have to tell everybody about it!! I'm so disappointed that nobody got me on to it sooner because it is HILARIOUS, one of the best comedies I've seen in ages.

It's just about a standard British family, but what makes it special is that the children are unscripted (they're just given prompts for each scene) and so it gives everything a really real and believable quality that is just unparalleled. The parents are realistic also but the kids take everything to a whole other level (and Jake IS my youth, it's like his character was written specifically for me)

3. ( gif meme )

4. ( resolutions )

5. ( icons! )

1. For one of the final segments of the noughties lists was a rundown of my favourite games but it got lost in a stack of folders!

( anyway, here are my favourite games in no particular order )

2. So... I bought a car! It's a 2000 Audi A4 and it's shiny and awesome. I think I did VERY well considering it is my first car. The interiors are very cool and excellent, the exteriors are steadily getting covered in bird poo (because remember, I live in a jungle).

Fun fact: it's actually cheaper for me to own the car and pay for petrol and the loan and stuff than what I was previously paying on bus tickets every week. Bus tickets in Sydney are INSANE!! Unless you're a student, child, pensioner, whatever. And taking buses is a hassle overall so it's a massive triple win for me (if we're including the bragging rights that naturally comes with owning an Audi)

A lot of people told me that driving in Sydney would be hard but I think they're just wusses because I'm not having any problems with it. Parking on the other hand... I've already been fined and I am eternally thanking the lord that I live at the end of the cul de sac that nobody ever parks down. There are tricks to each area and you just have to figure them out, basically.

3. ( pictures meme )

4. So I started watching Misfits and I kind of really love it. I legitimately haven't been this excited about a show in YEARS. It's such a fun combination of the cheeky Brit teens and their epic superpowers. And funny! So funny and in a totally different way than what I've seen before. And it's very well structured and self-aware which is really important in a show I think.

WATCH IT!! WATCH IT NOW!!! I honestly can't describe the show to serve it justice but it only has 13 episodes so far (new episode in two days!!) and there's no excuse not to be caught up. A fair bit of warning, the first couple of episodes it takes a while to find its footing but then it finds it and it finds it fast!

5. ( So... these are some random shots I haven't shared yet and stuff )

theskilltester is alive once more!!

pretty cool, eh? Tell your friends

Well for the first challenge back, we're posting our favourite 100 works of our own and when looking over my entire graphic history I've had a few revelations which I thought I'd share. Along with a whole bunch of icons and photos and textures that didn't make the 100 cut

( ironically, they're under this cut )