New Page!

Hello there my old friends,
I have a new page now, I am writing in Spanish there, but if you join my I'll go bilingual.
Thanks!

Facebook.com/Amapanther

Hi, again.

Hi there, so yeah, life has been kind of a riot lately; I am not used to being normal, being normal is hard (HARD) work.

I am on meds fulltime now… I don’t know how to call it, it means I take pills that make me not insane and not filled with anxiety; and so, life on this brand new side, is kind of amazing, clean, “standard” you might call it (only it’s anything but). I am working my ash off at the office (La Trouppe), I take my personal photos (here you can have a look), and well I am trying to start a small business with a friend (taking photos for parties and wedding and all those happy events people like to remember).

I am not really sure how much you care to know all this, but, it’s therapeutic for me to write it… so you can skip this post or you can keep reading (your call).

I decided that I am not going to spend my life no doing what I love… and I love to take pictures, I love to write (blog) and I love to drink coffee; three simple things that I will never stop doing; three simple things that in many ways complement themselves.

I am giving this blog a new go. I know I said that before and I went all flaky, but I am ready now, I have new energy and I don’t want to waste it. I don’t care if this thing gives me no money, this blog was never (ever) about making money, I want to get back to searching for amazing things (this blog was always about that).

So, after a day learning a new play, a long shower, a cup of café con leche:I declare this blog back on (yeah, I sung that part).

And this time a really mean it.

So… here is the story:

I went crazy hahaha yeah that’s my way of slowly explaining things… but ok, here I go: I had my reasons for going bananas. I am now in the midst of being diagnosed as anxious depressive, bipolar type 2 or bipolar type 3 (don’t ask me the difference among those last two, I am practically sure not even my young psychiatrist, that one that suggested those possible diagnosis, is able to discern between them).

How I came about to being in front of a psychiatrist? (You ask yourself with honest concern).

Well I had a really awful year, since May I started having blue days followed by normal weeks, but as the world turned and turned the frequency of such bad days started to spike, by October I was mostly out of my game; and so, the sad and crazy parade started…

I did not go home for the holidays (big mistake) and I had little money to spend because I decided to move into my own apartment (really big mistake)… then one day, between Christmas and New year’s eve I had too much access to alcohol (last mistake). 

By 3 pm the next day an understanding and kind of funny doctor was telling me all about being bipolar and writing down my (first ever) prescription for coo-coo pills. Then I spent about 6 o 7 weeks trying to get the right mix of medication and therapy… It was neither effortless, nor much fun; but necessary.

Right now I am at two pinkish pills a day and a total of six happy-drops. I have 4 different doctors that are each taking a mental limb and trying to readjust it. I get assignments from all of them and I do all of them as best as I can.

(Sound simple. It was not. I edited out the worst parts and subtracted most of the pain).

I am back to writing, taking photographs and enjoying life in general. I can now see that I have one of the best working places there is. I read a lot and I am trying to attend more museums, plays and parties. I am not normal and I am content to inform, you all, that normal is not my goal. However I am happy as happy can be and that, for the time being, is something to be proud of. 

I am not sure I should be exposing this side of me; most books about depression and bipolarity advice you not to reveal your diagnosis and fears to possible future bosses or present coworkers… though nothing specific about blogging about it hahaha. I know it might be a mistake, but right now I don’t feel like hiding, I want to kiss and tell, I need to free this story. Maybe/possibly/peut-être in the future I will reconsider and UN-publish this post, but for now, it stays and it will act as an introduction to the second act of this blog. 

Second Act:

Hello, little world, I am doing well and I want back in.

It´s nice to have friends

Yesterday a friend sent me this song. It´s always a lovely gift, a song that one might love and that will forever stay on your mind. For me, right now it hit; I am completely in love with the lyrics and the soft calm pace of the music.

Hope you guys will love it to.

Oh... and yes, later I will post my little story about being gone almost a year.

Cheers! have a nice day!

New post

I´ve taken a long long time to write again. In fact, this blog was closed for a while. 

Today, January ...9th? 10?... I am back, well I think I am anyhow

I just needed to pop back to say hi, and thank you, my small group of followers, because you were really important for my soul and heart at some points of desperation and gloominess.

Now I have a new life. It´s safe to say that I am adjusting well to this big fat city (Mexico City).

A lot has happened in the last… 13… 14? Months… and I hope you give me the chance to slowly explain.

Somehow I closed my eyes for more than a year, but I am ready for the alarm clock to sound.

Bip, bip, bip!

Hello, there!

Cendrine Rovini's Girls

Well, in the blogger sense, this day has been rather prolific. Now I present you with the post about Cendrine Rovini's work.

Cendrine Rovini is an artist from France that does beautiful, graceful and soft illustrations of women and girls. Her drawings are filled with magical hints and calm gazes, her subjects always seem right out of a fairytale or a captivating poem.

Here are my five faves from her work, but I must admit that it took me quite a while to reduce the number of favorites to just five; I urge you to have a look at her pages (links below) because I am pretty sure you will like many of them.

Fileuse

Camille Chaudelarme

La poussée des fleurs de son ventre

L'esprit cerf

For more of her lovely work, you can visit her Flickr Photostream (here), her online portfolio (here), her blog (here) or her Etsy shop (here).

Echappée, Pan est mon père

The Fantastic Work of Natalia Milosz-Piekarska

Continuing on my free day I kept on searching around the web for interesting things I could blog about, and I think I just found something worth writing about. I am referring to the work of Natalia Milosz-Piekarska a jewelry designer from Australia. Now, I have to admit that I have no idea of how to describe her pieces; I just know that I love them, and that I need to have fewer days without work and more money to get myself some of her pieces.

 Have a look at some of my 5 picks, and yeah, I did kind of cheat, because I chose some pictures that contain many of her accessories.

Aren’t they the most amazing accessories ever?! You have to look around her blog (here) and Flickr Photostream (here), because I tell you, she has tons more of exciting and stunning necklaces and earrings, all of them with that playful and rough feel to them.

Les Monstris!!!!

Hello there!

Today I had the day off from work, and I am really enjoying it. Finally there are no mails to send, letters to reply, or important files to print, so, I get to stay home and spend my time as I wish. It’s bliss.

To tell the truth, it took me a while to understand that I needed to fill my morning with personal activities, yes, I must fess up; I did spend more time than what I would care to admit sitting in front of the computer doing nothing. Just waiting. Luckily my loyal camera, Lolita, was there to snap me out of my haze just in time to make good use of the sun.

After an hour or so of pictures, I decided that it was a perfect time to take a break and do some blogging. So, here I am.

And today, I have a really nice artist to feature! I just found her and I am so in love with her pieces. Her name is Ninon and she is from Berlin, Germany and she is the creator and crafter of Les Monstris. And just what are Les Monstris? Well!!!! Look!

Rutger Baauwulf and Edweeno Windowdeen!

Grenoble Bykovsky

Nestor Von Racletten

The Twin Sisters: Norma and Loretta Springbud

I think they are some of the most incredibly cute and amazing plush toys I have seen in a long time! Each little doll is unique and magnificent; I want so many of them!! I love that many of them seem sad or are actually crying. Ninon has great imagination and adds details to her dolls with a lot of care and humor. Love!

Take your time and browse her Flickr Photostream (Here) you will not regret it, or you can visit her blog (Here). And!! If you are as in love as I am and ready to get your own little monster then go to her Etsy shop (Here), right now she is having a sale!

Laughlin Antjesund

White Lies; Fever, and a Song.

So, I am sick and I probably shouldn’t be writing because I feel like only one quarter of my brain is awake, but I needed to do something. I have been in bed for most of the last 72 hours and, well, I am bored.

Since the fever is now gone and the medication finally seems to be doing its job, I decided to do mine and make a little post. I feel so weird; I think I hadn’t been this sick since I was twelve or something like that, not in my adult life had I ever being asleep for so many straight hours, on Saturday I think I was only awake for 5 or 6 hours.

Yeah, it was not fun. Plus, well, when you are out of your parents’ and single… being sick bring no type of luxury whatsoever. When you have someone who cares, you might get something special like a meal made just for you, juice in the morning, a massage, a movie and popcorn… whatever. When you are basically alone you get water so you won’t die and as many issues of The Walking Dead (by Robert Kirkman) as you can read.

I can’t complain much though, I mean, I am still alive and getting better, and The Walking Dead is a really interesting read, I am in issue 42, now. Besides, in a week I'll be at my parents' for the holidays and I'll make sure to get enough love and yummy food to last the whole year.

So! I found a song for today, but I cannot place it on the blog! But it’s just too perfect, it’s called Death and it’s by White Lies, and since I am writing about not dying and zombies, it’s has to be today’s song, so here is the link (HERE). Don’t worry, it goes to the official Youtube site of Polydor (the group’s record label).
 

Enjoy!

Yeah, I know, I weird post... I told you only 25% of my brain was awake... sorry.
Much love!

Life through the Lens

So, it’s been a long time since I last featured a photographer, but yesterday (lucky me) I happened to find the work of Kristi from Life through the Lens and I thought that her pieces were just perfect for a new post.

Then! After spying a little on her, I came upon her Etsy shop (Here) and!! She is having a sale that runs until the twelve of December! That just sealed the deal: A new post had to be done. Only one thing better than a good picture: Two for the same price.

   

Here are five of her pictures that I fell for, but do visit her Flickr Photostream (Here) or blog (Here) to have a look of more of her images

the desire to create...

Happiness is a butterfly...

journey

A quiet mind cureth all.

We cannot live only for ourselves...

The Temper Trap with Love Lost (and My Holliday Spirit Found)

Hello there! How are you!?

Today I am extremely happy. I don’t know, I had kind of a rough day, yesterday my night was full of the most awful nightmares and today’s work load was rather tedious, however after 6 pm things started to look up, I had the opportunity to assist to a radio show taping and I got some really nice news.

I am really a nerd, so going to a radio station and all those types of things always cheer me up; I studied communications because I am completely in love with all the “behind the scene” parts of making a play, a program or a movie; I love to see people of the Media hard at work, so yeah, that part was cool.

But!!! The coolest part was that I got told that I would, in fact, make it home for Christmas! Yay December!

I must admit I am not the most filled-with-Holliday-joy person in the world, I love the food, and I don’t hate presents, but the reality is that, normally, I don’t mind being far away from home on the celebrations. I don’t think that Family is a one or two day event, I love my relatives the same the whole year round, and sometimes, I do believe, that the craziness of the Holidays bring out a rather nasty side in people, especially when they are trapped on the same house for more than a week.

But, well, this year, it has been a really weird and hard one. I started off in Florida, happy and eating tons of seafood, then not so happy because my visa was about to expire, later came Baja (Mexico) and I was not so optimistic about the future, but 3 months of friends and über fun weekends shook off the “not so” out of “not so optimistic” and, I came content to Mexico City, to look for whatever I am supposed to find in life.

Yeah, after twelve months of that, I can say that going home for the Holidays sounds like a nice and calm way of ending 2010 and starting 2011; a year that I imagine will be just as hectic as this one. So, I am happy!

I do hope that in your life, your December plans are also starting to take a joyful form!

After all of that… I have a song with and amazing video! Hope you love it!

This is The Temper Trap with Love Lost (Directed by Dougal Wilson)

Mike Mitchell Brought Me Back.

Hi, I have been gone for a long time haven’t I? I am sorry, it’s just that I do have a lot of work lately  (which is good, only I don’t get paid that much, which it not so good, but just how things are), also I have been writing my novel for the National Novel Writing Month (I have 34,479, of the 50,000, words down).

So, yeah, sorry, being a professional blogger has turned into a being a casual and messy blogger.
Anyways, I am here and I brought an artist with me!! Isn’t that fun?!
 

I was clicking around in the web, resting my brain after editing some texts, and! There he was!!!
His name is Mike Mitchell, he lives in Los Angeles (USA) and has a weird sense of humor. I liked his illustrations because most of them have a hint (or a big splash) of pop culture references and right now I am kind of missing my geeky group of friends, from back home.

Ok, this guy is no new face; he has worked for various, big, companies, and I do understand why, his pieces are just fun and chaotic, I am sure, that many of you, like me, will love them.
I picked my fave 5 from his collections, but do drop bye his website (here) to have a look at more of his work.

Fantastic Journey 

Self Portrait 

Mr. Bunners the Rabbit Master 

Balloon Boy

Also! if you have some money to spend, you can visit his shop! (Here) And get yourself a lovely print, a t-shirt or, maybe, buy your tired-and-overworked favorite blogger something special for Christmas (It's never too early to start your holiday shopping!).

Death of Neon 

Alphabeat and The Downside of Work.

I am so sorry, I have being out of home working and then in home writing the novel that I am supposed to finish in November. So yeah, I have been a really awful blogger and I am sorry.
 

Here is a song so you might forgive me.

This is Alphabeat with What Is Happening.

I hope to be back soon with brand new posts!

Mumford and Sons and Death and a Novel.

Hi there!! This is just a fast post; I am busy with that novel thing I entered (this). 

Yesterday I killed the main character! So things are starting to get messy and fun!

...Not really, I am somewhat stuck, really (REALLY) stuck, that is why I am using my free time to a do post, otherwise I would be glued to my writing.

But, they say, nothing cures writer's block, like doing something nice for others; again, a lie...

Anyhootirú (yes, now I am making up words), a friend just sent me the link to this song and thought it nice to share. Here it is:

Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons

Roadside Projects and Some of My Own Projects

Hi, there!
No, I did not die! I was just busy.

I took some pictures and video for an aunt, and well, it was important to do the job right, not waste time writing and having fun; that is why, all the end of October, I was out and about, stressing over lighting issues and sound problems, not here blogging.

Plus, yesterday my BFF sent me a link to the National Novel Writing Month Organization, apparently November is the international month to write a novel and I got into the mood to do it… so, yesterday, all my writing was done in the form of a bad novel. And yes, probably this whole month I will be an extremely unprofessional blogger. I am so sorry.

The goal is to reach 50,000 words by the end of November, and I must try and finish the task. If I don’t, well, I will have to add it to my (everyday-longer) list of things unaccomplished, and I just don’t want to do that. 

OK, so. To the post! Let’s go! (Yes, that was done in a bad imitation of Batman).

Before I got lost in things that resembled a job, I had done a selection of some magnificent pieces done by Jayme McGowan (Roadside Projects) a 3D Illustrator from California (USA) that works, magnificently, with paper.  She has done various expositions and has been featured in many magazines (both web and print).

I am so jealous, of her. I wish I had the talent to do paper art as work. To sit all afternoon, tracing, cutting and gluing things, what an incredible happy existence! Not that I think she has an easy job, that’s the thing! You need serious talent to be able to do so many subjects and to take commissions, to express all you have to say with paper. You have to have patience (which I don’t), steady hands (which I don’t), an eye for color and dimensions, a sense of humor and talent (which I don’t, don’t, don’t and sure don’t). She is really good (I do envy her).

Have a look at her work:

Oscar's Accidental Adventure

The Trapeze Twins

Birthday (accordion)

The Yellow Chute

Lovely pieces, aren’t they?
For more form Jayme McGowan and her Roadside Projects you can visit the official web Site (here), the blog (here) or her Flickr Photostream (here). You might also like to check out her Etsy shop (here), maybe you’ll be lucky and find something nice for you home.

Illustration for New Scientist Magazine article

Alma and a Nice Friend.

Today, I am having, not a super productive, but a really nice day; I got this link from a friend… not only that, I got it with a little dedication: “(This is like you) super cute but with something (dark) as substructure that makes it interesting” … well he said it in Spanish, but that’s basically what he meant to say.

And it is a sinister and beautiful short film! (and yes, I do think it is a lovely honor to be compared to it!!). It’s called Alma and it is directed by Rodrigo Blaas, produced by Cecile Hokes and Nina Rowan, with music by Mastretta (more info in the end credits).

Irma Gruenholz and Some Wisdom.

I have something amazing to share with you! Here!

frogwoman

when nighttime came

window

cooking

birds on the head

Are they not incredible!  They are the clay illustrations of Irma Gruenholz; a talented artist from Spain.

For me it is astonishing how people take what they love to do (and are able to do rather well) and make it into their jobs. Yeah, I know it’s called a career and that it has been going on like that for ages, but when I look at work like this, I get it; we are not meant to fake life.

People are born with aptitudes and defects. Somehow, in the first two or three decades after birth, we are supposed to figure out which are which, in order to become useful members of society (Use your aptitudes for a job, turns some defects into productive hobbies, hide the fruitless flaws and go easy on the cholesterol). Irma Gruenholz understood this a long time ago; there is no doubt that she is doing what she was born to do and that shows on her end products.

For more of her incredible and sweet sculptures you can visit her official Web page (here), her blog (here) or her Flickr Photostream (here).

... And for more of my discoveries of simple and elemental truths of the universe, stay tuned to this blog.

God Help The Girl (and all of us).

Well, hi, there.
 

How are you? That’s nice (… or that’s too bad).
 

I am doing fine, thanks for asking. Yeah, I have little trips planned out; something like a job, taking photographs, and so… that’s good.
 

What? You did not ask? You don’t really care that much about my life?! Why are you here?!
 

Oh… yeah, the song thingy. OK. Here goes: This is God Help The Girl with Funny Little Frog

Elin Thomas and Her Lovely Accessories.

I have not expanded a lot in my life lately, well, I still have no regular form of income, so I can’t go around town buying all the things that I desire and if you have read this blog, you can get an idea that I tend to crave many things.

How do I manage? You ask. How can a girl be in a new town and not go crazy with the shopping? Well, because I allow myself a luxury every so often and that luxury is, usually, a pair of cheap earrings (I must make clear: cheap, not ugly). This is my, fantastic, way of staying clear of debt.

Since I have been admiring so many accessories around Mexico City, I wanted to do a post related to that, so I went in search of a cool crafter. I was lucky enough to find the work of Elin Thomas. Her pieces are incredible; soft and bright, with and organic feel and beautifully made. I want them (I fancy, at least, 6 of them in my wardrobe), and I will be sure to remember that as soon as I get a proper job.

Anyway, here are 5 things that you will probably want as well:

Crochet brooch

Fiber art brooch

Barbarella crochet ring

Crochet necklace

Elin Thomas is from the UK and you can find more of her work on her blog (here) her Flickr Photostream (here), and you already have a nice job and some savings, she has a shop en Etsy (here) and another one on Big Cartel (here).

Pixie cups pincushion!

Camera Obscura and Not a Rant, but Rather an Explanation.

It’s been quite some time since I have done a music post. I am sorry.

 

Today, since I have no concrete plans for the day (except for writing) I decided to take the time and look for a song. It’s not a quick task, I must admit; I have to go around skipping from video to video, listening and analyzing whether I like the song and video or not. Plus since it looks like I am only browsing the Web and hearing music (which, coincidentally, I am doingo nly with a professional and serious purpose) other people tend to ask me questions or, simply, start chatting with me (that makes it even a longer mission).

I know that around the world right now there are people hard at work, while I sit here in search of music and words to describe this (and other) moments and I just want to make clear that I am not complaining about my duty; I am simply stating the fact that it takes longer than what others might think.

Anyway I found this song; first lines and I was ready to post it. The lyrics go:

“A half full moon in Mexico City I think of you
And when I saw the Southern Cross I wished you had too
I wish my heart was as cold as the morning dew
But it's as warm as saxophones and honey in the sun for you…”

 

Then it goes and turns itself into a cute love song and I am pretty much OK with cute love songs right now. So here is that lovely number and I’ll be back soon with another post. Oh, yeah, and in case you forgot, I now live in Mexico City, that is why the song made me smile.

The song is called Honey In The Sun and it's by Camera Obscura. Here goes: