So, hi. Hello, and welcome back.

I pre-ordered a book a long time ago, and completely forgot that it was even being shipped. It’s called, “Da Vinci’s Ghost – Genius, obsession, and how Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image.”

Lo and behold, it was a pleasent surprise when I got the email saying it shipped 2 weeks ago. It finally appeared on my doorstop, and I’ve been obsessed with reading it ever since; you know a book is going to be good when it has you asking questions from page 1. It pretty much becomes a complete mind and brain suck by that point in time… in a good way.

The Vitruvian Man, for those who may not know it by its correct name, is Da Vinci’s famous drawing of the symetrical man with 4 legs and 4 arms…. oh yeah, and he’s naked too. There’s more of a back history to this piece but I’ll spare you the details. I wanted this to be a short post… (I’m silently telling myself ‘good luck with that’…)

It’s amazing how one person’s name can make a drawing or piece of artwork into something that’s viewed as magnificent and mysterious. ONE NAME.

Would Vitruvian Man really be that exquisite or mesmerizing of a drawing, as the book describes it, if it wasn’t attached to Da Vinci’s name? What if your friend drew it? Your (freakishly talented) kid?

How can ONE symmetrical drawing of a man completely embody “the beauty of the human body, the creative potential of the human mind, the universality of the human spirit, the power of geometry and mathematics, the grandeur of art and the ideals of the Renaissance”?

Artwork is so subjective; you view a piece, and it speaks to you. I’ve seen tons of fantastic artists create things that could silently slip into the portfolio of a famous artist within the blink of an eye. But because it came from “them” and not “THE famous artist” it struggles in being something that evokes grandeur and beauty in the hearts of the masses.

Just something to think about, is all. Now, by no means am I down-talking this work of art, but I can’t help but think… if I saw this piece at an amateur art show, would I think it was a diamond in the rough? Would I feel my soul being swept away and consumed by all of the elements this piece apparently embodies according to the book? Is a piece of art really JUST a name in tangible form?

So it’s getting close to the end of our fundraising charity project, and my sister designed and hand painted an AMAZING skateboard deck for me to raffle off. Tickets are 2 for $3.00 or 3 for $5.00.

please click here to see skateboard- skateboard deck

You will be contacted via email if you are selected as the winner. Please make sure your paypal address has your correct email information included so that we don’t have to hunt you down. Thank you! You can also use the button below to donate money in general towards our goal. We only have another month and it’s over!
All the proceeds, of course, go to New Hope for Kids. This is a one of a kind skateboard deck… there were no duplicates made and I can guarantee you will never see another deck like this again. It is such a fantastic piece of artwork… even if you don’t skate, you can have an original just to hang on your wall. If you DO skate.. well… you’re going to have one nasty board. That’s all I have to say. So anyways! You can buy tickets through me, via paypal, by clicking here- . Along with the deck, we are including

Gift Basket from Outback
Enzian Tickets
Target Gift Card $50.00
Starbucks Gift Basket
Carabbas Gift Card

While I am in no means a designer, when I have an assignment to get done, I evidently magically pick up the ‘I can kind of design, I hope people like what I made!’ gene. I designed this print below, and while it’s not picasso, it has a meaning behind it. Read the post below please. All money that is donated for these prints (which will be 8×11.. not sure what paper yet, I have to run over to the store first and get more information) will be going directly to new hope for kids, for Edwin’s wish. Come on! Do a good deed :) It won’t kill ya! Although.. I’ll know you’re the devil if you make a donation and spontaneously burst into flames. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to anyone, okay? We’ll make that something to NOT aim for.

ANYWAYS! Please take a look at my digital version, and if you feel so inclined to donate so I can send you a physical print (signed of course! Not that it matters, because all my signature is good for is free coffee at dunkin donuts/starbucks. You may have to give them a thumbprint scan. Not sure how their authorization tools are being implemented…. also, not sure who understood what I just said. You get a cookie if you do!)

Remember! I’m not pressuring you to sell organs on the blackmarket to donate hundreds to me, just donate even a dollar and I’ll send you one. Actually, the aforementioned joke was probably not a very kind thing to say, because evidently there is a blackmarket for organs… look it up.

TA DA!!!!! Email me (svn@knights.ucf.edu) if you want a physical print! I’m not sure why it looks squished on here, but I can assure you it’s perfectly in proportion. Thanks. Bye :)

I’ve come across an issue that nobody but myself can help me with. For anybody who knows me, I’m a better critic and motivator for people who AREN’T me. But I will get to that in a minute.

I just went for a run around the lake at 11 PM. I learned two things during this run.

1) Don’t tie your shoes too tight because your feet get awfully tingly and sleepy while you’re running.

2) Don’t gasp for breath if you’re out of it, using your mouth in the manner of a blowhole, and keeping it wide open as such. Florida has gnats. LOTS of them. I think I got one in my eye.

So now onto my bigger problem. This is something that my boyfriend, Jenna, and my parents have both known me to wrestle with. I’m STILL having a problem picking my major for when I go to UCF. What, ME? Not knowing my major? Shocker. And for those of you who think this is due to some incompetency or a slacking of some sort, it’s not. The problem isn’t that I don’t like anything in particular, the problem is that I like TOO many things, and greatly so.

I have three MAJOR interests. Science, art/design/marketing (I have full rights to clump those all together), and horses/animals. I already have a business degree and by July i will also have a marketing degree. Count that- it makes two degrees. So I’m heading into UCF for marketing to continue on for my bachelors. That makes three paths. I’m not even counting all the other things I wanted to do before.

I would die to be in the science field. I’m the most inquisitive person in the world, and honestly, who else do you know who reads/watches/stalks anything having to do with science on their own? Jenna doesn’t count. I would love to make a difference in the world and study everything.

I would also die to be in the marketing/design field. I love creativity and art, and am quite creative myself. Unfortunately my sister got EVERY ounce of art talent, and she’s more talented than 99/100 people. I am actively pursuing marketing because I know what I feel needs to be improved in marketing and advertisements, I know how to effectively reach an audience with an idea, and I’m also learning how to design (thanks to Shane’s endless amounts of books from his school). I know I would be good at marketing- it would be fun, and there are lots of different areas and opportunities to dabble in.

Horses and animals. This is my TRUE love. Horse trainer was HIGH on my lists of things I wanted to be when I was younger, and so was a veterinarian. People always told me being a horse trainer was not fun and alot of work. They also decided to tell me that I wouldn’t make alot of money. I’ve trained horses. I know. They are a handful but I enjoy every second of it. I would trade money to do something, ANYTHING in a field with horses. I was deterred from being a vet when I was younger because of the fact that I would most likely be euthanizing alot of sick animals, and it would probably break my heart. And it would. I would think about every animal that didn’t make it. While I would learn from my mistakes and move on, it would still eat away at me. I realize this now. I care too much to be a vet, if that makes any sense at all to anyone other than me. I am also in love with wild animals, and that varies from big cats (my major one), to wolves, to monkeys, to snakes. No spiders though.::edit- I realize that spiders are arachnids and snakes are reptiles…. not animals per-say. BUT you catch my drift:: I’m adamant about that. Being a wild life observer/saver/scientist would totally rock my socks. Really, anything in the animal field would make me happy… unless it involves cows and farms. Seriously people. I might be in love with horses but I don’t like any other farm animals. I don’t like pigs. I don’t like chickens. You won’t catch me dead on a legit farm. I don’t mind taking care of my own horse, and mucking out his stall etc and so on and so forth but I will NOT clean cow poop. No way in hell. 

So I am left with this decision. Do I finish in Biology, which will take a year longer? Or do I finish marketing which is only going to take me a year and a half more, and I can work on my masters, while having my business degree and marketing degree?

Ever heard of right brained and left brained? Yah, well conveniently I’m both and I’m really not kidding about that. And therein lies the problem. Anyway , as dire as it might sound, I don’t need to stress about it for another month and a half.

On another note: Have you ever seen two giraffes fighting?!?! I was watching this show on animal plant with uncut animal footage, and these two giraffes were smacking the heck out of eachother with their heads! I’m talking full on concussion style! They bent their neck wayyyyyyyy to the side and swung full force- it was like watching someone throw a medicine ball. Really hard. Apparently they are very docile creatures until it comes to mating season. Watch it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=C7HCIGFdBt8

ALSO!!! I managed to sell my iphone. I’ve had 4 people ask me already why on earth I’m selling it and the answer is simple. Apple just announced that they are releasing a 3g iphone. Yup, that’s right, all the gloriousness of my current iphone but it’s going to be FASTER. MUCH faster at that. So I’m reverting back to my old cell phone and pre-ordering it as soon as I can. It comes out next month and I’m EXCITED! Such a dork I am. The money I get from selling this iphone is paying for the new one. Conveniently.