book time!

(bookshelves above my bed, way less than half of the books i own)

with all the books i’ve been reading lately a post like this was inevitable, really. (since i got myself that new stack of books the sunday before last i’ve read seven; halfway through the eight, the virgin suicides ♥, right now) besides, i’ve been neglecting my blog way too much & needed to post something new & different.

if you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might remember that one of my goals for this year was to read at least 78 books. so far i’ve read 33.

1. twee vrouwen – harry mulisch (for school, when i was still in it)
2. een leeg huis – marga minco (school)
3. artemis fowl: de russische connectie – eoin colfer
love this series. fantastic characters, plot, general writing style. wish i could get them in english!
4. coraline – neil gaiman ♥
i should not have watched the movie first. i kept automatically comparing them, which greatly detracted from my enjoyment of it. still awesome though.
5. bezonken rood – jeroen brouwers (school)
6. sleuteloog – hella s. haasse (school)
surprisingly awesome.
7. terug tot ina damman – s. vestdijk (school)
8. artemis fowl: de verloren kolonie – eoin colfer
9. bloodsong – melvin burgess ♥
10. the girl who loved tom gordon – stephen king ♥
11. cirque du freak: sons of destiny – darren shan (re-read)
best ending to a series ever.
12. vittorio the vampire – anne rice
13. dead until dark – charlaine harris
one of the few modern vampire books/series i really love. i love sookie (finally, a good, strong female main character who isn’t annoying), i love the vampires in it (who are actually vampires), i love the tone & setting. it’s the perfect antidote for that twilight shit.
14. gossip girl: er is geen betere – cecily von ziegesar
love this series too. it’s pretty much the only ‘chick lit’ i can stand to read.
15. stargirl – jerry spinelli ♥
i can barely express how much i love this book. read it if you haven’t already.
16. series of unfortunate events: the reptile room – lemony snicket
so tragic, yet so very funny & clever. this year i will really finish this amazing series.
17. the fountainhead – ayn rand ♥
same as #15.
18. de gevleugelde kat – isabel hoving
recommended to me by a friend. it’s so original, i love it. it’s translated to english too.
19. dead as a doornail – charlaine harris
20. definitely dead – charlaine harris
21. dreamcatcher – stephen king ♥
22. de grote freakshow – darren shan (re-read)
23. all together dead – charlaine harris
24. monstrous regiment – terry pratchett ♥
loved, loved, loved this. just all those girls dressing up as boys would make this one of my new favourite books. but it’s also just hilarious. i really should read terry pratchett books more often. if only the english ones weren’t ALWAYS loaned out at the library…
25. m is for magic – neil gaiman ♥
26. haunted – chuck palahniuk ♥?
the most disgusting, disturbing, brilliant book i’ve ever read. it’s really funny too, at times.
27. series of unfortunate events: the wide window – lemony snicket
28. doing it – melvin burgess ♥
i’ve come across this book so often & was always hesitant to read it because the plot didn’t speak to me at all. but, melvin burgess is one of my favourite writers & no matter what the story is about, i tend to love it. so i did finally read it & predictably loved it. besides, how could i resist a book that was an ‘assault on teenage morals’?
29. anansi boys – neil gaiman ♥
30. het transgalactisch liftershandboek – douglas adams
aka the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy. this was such a pain to read. not because of the story, no, no, no, i loved that, but because of the language i’d read it in. it was the perfect reminder to not read books translated from english anymore if i could help it. they changed all the names (& i think places? the story started somewhere near amsterdam) & butchered a lot of the jokes & science things & generally dutchified it SO MUCH. my god. i’m totally re-reading this in english. & staying away from translated books. (in the spirit of ranting at dutch: i actually started reading the translated neverwhere from neil gaiman today, i had already loaned it from the library before the aforementioned translation-trauma & after two pages i already couldn’t stand it anymore (‘alles kits‘? said by a grown woman? what the hell?) & went right back to the library to get it out of my sight. & then i went to the bookstore to buy it in english)
31. series of unfortunate events: the miserable mill – lemony snicket
32. series of unfortunate events: the austere academy – lemony snicket
33. living dead in dallas – charlaine harris

what books have you read lately? any recommendations? want me to review the books i read as i go along?

finally back (:

after an extended hiatus. since my last post many things have gone wrong, pretty much everything that could possibly go wrong, which was why i was gone for so long. mostly school & money things. & my sewing machine broke ): among other things. but, i should be able to replace it next week.

anyway, since i couldn’t sew, i decided the time was ripe to start drawing again. i made this yesterday:

(the pinafore she’s wearing is actually the next piece of clothing i intend to sew)

it’s just a silly thing, very flawed & very messy, but i wanted to share it anyway. you can really see that i haven’t drawn for a while, can’t you? :p my scanner also completely butchered the colours & the striped background was coloured so messily i painted over it in photoshop.

for the curious: i used a mechanical pencil, faber castell coloured pencils (this drawing really doesn’t do the awesomeness of them justice), stabilo fineliners & it’s drawn on bristol paper.

& i also (accidentally) made a cutout of it in photoshop & thought it looked pretty cool:

i don’t say this enough, but thank you so much for visiting my blog! especially those of you that do so regularly! ^-^ i love you!

i know you must be DYING of curiosity,

about my shaved head. or you’ve probably wondered about it for 2 seconds & then moved on to the next blog.

but, finally a picture!

i just shaved it again more neatly today. i still have some pink & bleach in it *shakes fist*
but whatever. it’s just a few millimeters. i’ll just let it grow out again to a lovely death metal length from now on. & stay away from bleach! & hair dye in general. for now.

updates

yes, i am still alive. & no, i haven’t forgotten you. from now on i will post regularly again (: somewhere last week i found such an amazing way around being too busy for everything i want to do. & that is this: decide to stop being busy. it really is that simple.

& some other news: i am finally getting my little business registered this week! i was looking into it last week & was already going to do it then, but apparently you have to go by their office personally for one-(wo)man businesses. i have SO many ideas & money for supplies too, i can’t wait to rejuvenate my shop again! & keep updating. & i suppose i’ll have to get into that annoying promotion thing again.

for those of you who want to help spread the word about my clothing:

oh, & to everyone interested in buying my stuff: when i am registered the prices will go up, since i’ll have to pay taxes & everything. i also read this interesting article on pricing handmade goods & was horrified at how much i’ve been underpaying myself. you know i’d love to keep the prices low for you, but going bankrupt is not something i’m aiming for. so, if you want something already listed, i recommend that you buy it now.
EDIT: it is done (: i feel so awesome & professional.
& another new tidbit of news: i got accepted for the study fashion design at artemis styling academie! even though i signed up for allround styling! now i’m another step closer to world domination.

& while i’m way behind my writing goals, i have FINISHED a short story last night. i haven’t finished a story in so looooong. this one is also the longest i’ve ever finished. i must say, i’m pretty proud of myself (: i’m not done editing it yet, but i hope to post it this week. any volunteers for proof-reading & thorough criticizing? i would really like someone else’s opinion before i send it out into the world. if you’re interested, just e-mail me at maraleopard [at] gmail [dot] com & i’ll send it to you. oh, & it’s not something for the easily offended.

& i changed my hair again. i shaved it all off. i kid you not. i look like a boy! but its nowhere near as hideous as i had expected it to be. i keep amazing myself with all the things i can pull off. i’ll post pictures later this week!

oh, new years.

♥

so, all over the web i’ve seen people reflecting on the previous year & expressing their hopes for the next. i thought it was actually a very good idea.

2009 wasn’t a fantastic year for me. there were some very good things, but the bad things far outweighed it. i had the grandest of ideas & plans, but ended up spending most of the year running in the same place, not really achieving anything. & of course i wasn’t in school or anything before september, which was a whole world of bad. i did learn a lot in the last year though, mostly things i shouldn’t do. that’s how i know 2010 will be amazing.

♥ get back in shape &, more importantly, stay that way
♥ get my own domain & website (as much as i love wordpress, it is pretty limited)
♥ make 70+ new things to sell
♥ have at least one (semi-)professional photoshoot for my clothing
♥ invest more in my little clothing business & turn it into a real, registered one
♥ write 364000+ words of fiction
♥ write 52+ blog posts, excluding things i’ve made, tilt & ff
♥ read 78+ books
♥ get back into art & make 20+ drawings/paintings/mixed media things
♥ learn a new craft
♥ completely master photoshop
♥ get a driver’s license
♥ learn to save & put 600 euros i earned myself in my savings account
♥ find another way to earn money
♥ learn to speed-read

those aren’t all of my goals for next year, just all i feel comfortable posting on the internet. & i will probably add more/tweak some throughout the rest of the year. have you noticed how very measurable all of them are? yes, even the first; when my old pants comfortably fit me again & i can run up our stairs without gasping for air & nearly dropping dead on a neighbor’s doorstep (i live on the third floor), i’ve reached that goal. goals are a lot more real & reachable if they’re measurable.

aside from those goals i would also like to get rid of old, bad habits, like procrastinating & avoiding things, & develop new habits, like generally being organized & doing promotion work daily.

ooooooooh, i’m so excited for the new year! & for this one to end. now the only way to go is up.
a very happy new year to all of you! thank you so much for still reading my blog! i love you! good luck with your own goals! & if/when you get thwarted in the reaching of those goals, stick to them anyway. i’ll do the same.