Life Update/Ramblings + Homework Sketch Dump 26

Hey guys! Sorry, had a busy week with real life stuff so I wasn't able to write at all. I'm also taking a break since I'm a little burnt out and stuck. I'm going to try to relax, sketch, and read. I want to brainstorm better ideas for Countdown #1 and start to edit it since I hit my Campnanowrimo word goal already. I've really got the itch to edit this story already but it's not finished yet so I'm going to try to focus on that. Hope you all are still chugging along for Campnano! I pretty much stopped around Easter and when I made my word count. lol Other real life things got in the way but I'm still going to try to work on my stories!

Been trying to exercise lately since I've been far out of shape lately, especially during Winter. I tried on my bridesmaid dress yesterday and was ecstatic to find that it fits! I was nervous since we ordered it custom made online but am relieved to find it fits in the right places. The only problem was that the snap enclosure at the top behind my neck wasn't there so we're going to have to find some snaps to make sure if fits. That's not a big deal but overall I'm just so happy it fits. Still need to lose some weight. lol Not as skinny as I used to be like in high school. Ick. lol

So I caved and funded for a Nomad Art Satchel which I ended up buying at the last minute. Seriously, like an hour or two before it ended. XD I just wasn't sure if I should get it. I can't exactly justify buying it right now since I don't sketch enough outside but I figure it would help encourage me to do so. I love that it is like a desk in itself so I don't have to hold up my sketchbook. I am worried it won't hold enough for me, I like to carry a water bottle and a few extra things as well. It does come with a pocket to hold your wallet and keys which is a plus since that's all I really carry anyways besides the water bottle. lol Just hope it's durable! They said the price is going to go up after the kickstarter so that's also part of why I decided to buy it now. :) Now I'm super excited to get it! I hope it's as awesome as I think it'll be!

I'm also a bit torn, I've been really wanting the latest Lamy Al-Star Bluegreen 2014 fountain pen. It's the perfect color for me and I've never used an Al-Star but I do have several Lamy Safaris that I like a lot. They are mostly the same but the color! It's gorgeous! lol There are several places that are having sales right now and I'm really tempted to buy one from them. I haven't decided which place yet but I'll have to decide soon since the sales are for a limited time. Eep.

Other than trying to exercise, work on my stories, relax, and splurge on things I want, I don't have too much going on. lol What have you guys been up to? Hope you all have been enjoying your days! It's been sunny and warm lately. I love it! *crosses fingers that it'll stay*

Sketches I had to do for my 3D modeling homework at school. These sketches were all copied from Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life. It's interesting to learn to draw from it. Hopefully it improves my anatomy. XD

Review: Shoplet Featuring Regency Guest Chair

I was granted the privilege of reviewing Shoplet's latest product, the Regency Guest Chair.

I received the product super quick and was pleased to receive it well packaged. I didn't have to worry at all about scratches or if anything would be torn so if you're having it delivered you have little worries here. All the frames and legs were carefully protected.

First thing I want to mention. Don't be deceived like I was, this chair is larger than it looks! I didn't really understand how big it was when I saw the dimensions of 22"W x 23"D x 34"H. I'm a below average size/height person so it's huge for me. I could sit cross legged in it comfortably. The arms do get in the way a little but I can sit at an angle and it's no problem then. So beware, if you're interested, make sure you know its dimensions!

A close up shot of the seat cushion and wood. I love the sleek look. It's what made me want to review this lovely chair. I wanted to replace my current office chair which is an old collapsible chair. It appears that the wood is made from cherry. I'm not familiar with the different types of wood or finishes but I liked it. It's also nice and smooth so there is almost a zero percent chance for you to get a splinter. The color of the wood is a closer to the picture on Shoplet's website but I'm also taking the pictures out in the bright sun so the colors of the wood may vary for you.

Here is an even closer shot of the design of the fabric. I like the dark tones and the subtle design makes it look classy. I prefer dark colors as it makes it so much easier to clean if it comes to that. It's comfortable to rub when I run my fingers along it. Not too smooth but not too coarse. There is definitely a little bit of friction so you won't be slipping and sliding if you sit on it. It's smooth enough so that it's also comfortable.

Here is the cushion of the seat. It's actually separate from the wood frame below it. You can choose where to align the cushion to where you'd like it.

The cushion is thick. Probably 3 inches so I don't think you will have to worry about it deflating on you. I believe the seat is made of foam. This is where I had a slight issue. The cushion and the back of the chair are made of this stiff foam that gives in little when you sit on it. I had expected it to be a little more soft and comfortable. Maybe I need to break it in more? That might be it, but it's not really a chair you'll sit in for long periods of time. Also there is a firm piece of wood under the seat so you don't need to worry so much about an uneven sitting experience.

Side shot.

Back shot.

I put the entire thing together myself. They give you these little covers to hide the bolts which connected the chair's arms to the back frame.

Now I'm going to complain a little, I'm not particularly handy so putting this chair together took me around 2 hours by myself when it should have taken less time.

The first problem is when I was building it. The set up was actually mostly straight forward but I did have problems when it came to the 3 short bolts. I figured they were all the same as the instructions didn't mention a difference and looked very similar. Anyways, long story short, one bolt for the arm wasn't working and it turned out the third bolt I used to hold the seat to the chair frame was slightly different from the other two. I had to take that out then switch them and then everything worked out. Still it would have been nice to know it prior to doing all the work.

The other problem was that the chair comes pre-drilled. You't think that it would make it faster, and it does because all you need to do is use a tool they give you and screw in the bolts. However, I had issues trying to get the bolt to align with the pre-drilled threads. A few of the bolts were fine but when I got to putting the arms to the chair frames I had problems. I was screwing it in but it wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't connecting to the pre-drilled threads which was incredibly frustrating. It might have been the angles that I was screwing it in but I had to force the arms closer to the frame so that they would start threading through. I eventually did it but not before I worked up a sweat. lol I was proud over all but exhausted.

In summary, I'd fix the 3 different short bolts when it's really 2 short bolts and a short bolt which they should identify separately. Then also maybe give us a hint or trick on how to align the threads of the bolt with the object so that it'll be easier for us to build.

A shot of under the chair. If you're going to build this, you're going to see a lot of this.

In the end, it's a really nice chair but not for my purpose. I needed a more compact and comfortable chair that I can sit for long periods of time. This chair is beautiful but not the most comfortable in my opinion. Again, you might have to break it in but the foam is so firm I'm not sure about that. This chair won't be staying with me, I'll be giving it to my brother who has the space for it.


**Disclaimer: These products were provided by Shoplet and in return for this review I was able to keep the product in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was paid. All Promotional Products, Promotional shirts, Office Supplies, and/or Office Stationary are courtesy of Shoplet.

April 2014 Campnano Wk 3 - WritingProject: Countdown Series #1 and #2 Update #3

Countdown Series #1 and #2

Want to follow my daily progress? Follow me at:
Twitter @ Aisazia

Campnanowrimo

Project Goal: To get a first draft of two novels at an estimated 20k each which makes it a total of 40k.

Stage of writing: First Draft

What inspired my current project: I read a story on tumblr and read comments that said someone should write a story based off that topic. The suggestions and my desire to expand on it inspired my own version. It's sci-fi but it takes place in the not too distant future. lol

Last Update Word Count: 16,325

Week's Total WC: 9852

Total Story WC: 42,406

Daily WC:

1. 2,221 
2. 2,159 
3. 2,156 
4. 1,225 
5. 2,353 
6. 1,363
7. 596

Last 200 words:

Victoria took on an icy look, "Well if you didn't want to come, you didn't have to force yourself."

I stopped myself from rubbing my hands on my thighs, "Grace didn't exactly give me a choice."

She softened a bit, "Yeah she can be like that sometimes." After a moment I wondered if she was still mad but instead she said, "Well if we're that bad of company for you we can all go our separate ways after this."

Turning around I gaped, that wasn't what I wanted. "Wait!" She turned around looking at me hauntingly. I was going to have to tell her the truth. Defeated I said, "Look, Dylan is interested in you guys. I was trying to find a way to get out of his way." I rubbed the back of my neck, "Apparently he thinks you both are more interested in me than him."

Victoria turned red, "That's absurd."

Relieved I laughed, "That's what I said." I stood a little straighter, "I just wanted him to have a little more one-on-one time with you guys so I was going to have a little get away afterwards."

Other Updates:

Update #7

Update #6

Update #5

Update #4
Update #3

Update #2

Update #1

April 2014 Campnano Wk 2 - WritingProject: Countdown Series #1 and #2 Update #2

Countdown Series #1 and #2

Want to follow my daily progress? Follow me at:
Twitter @ Aisazia

Campnanowrimo

Project Goal: To get a first draft of two novels at an estimated 20k each which makes it a total of 40k.

Stage of writing: First Draft

What inspired my current project: I read a story on tumblr and read comments that said someone should write a story based off that topic. The suggestions and my desire to expand on it inspired my own version. It's sci-fi but it takes place in the not too distant future. lol

Last Update WC: 14,008

Week's Total WC: 16,325

Total Story WC: 30,333

Daily WC:

1. 2,289 
2. 2,355 
3. 2,491 
4. 2,883 
5. 3,664
6. 2,643

Last 200 words:

A library meeting was a good idea, hopefully it would be secluded enough and no one would be nosy enough to eavesdrop on us.

Soon we were sitting in the library at one of the tables in a corner. I could hear the wind picking up but I felt safe enough for now. The rain was pattering so I knew the hurricane was just starting. I had been flipping through a magazine but wasn't really paying attention. I was too wound up. I glanced around and there didn't seem to be too many people in there at the moment with most of the people still trying to settle in for the long haul.

Eddy and Leah finally made their way to us. They looked like they would fall over at the slightest gust of wind.

Eddy straightened up and leaned towards us in a low voice, "So what did you need to talk to us about?"

I glanced at Dylan who stared back at me with a haunted expression. It appears that he heard or saw what happened too at John's final moments. "It's about the timer," I responded cryptically.

Other Updates:

Update #7

Update #6

Update #5

Update #4
Update #3

Update #2

Update #1

April 2014 Campnano Wk 1 - WritingProject: Countdown Series #1 and #2 Intro and Update #1

Countdown Series #1 and #2

Want to follow my daily progress? Follow me at:
Twitter @ Aisazia

Campnanowrimo

Project Goal: To get a first draft of two novels at an estimated 20k each which makes it a total of 40k.

Stage of writing: First Draft

What inspired my current project: I read a story on tumblr and read comments that said someone should write a story based off that topic. The suggestions and my desire to expand on it inspired my own version. It's sci-fi but it takes place in the not too distant future. lol

Last Update WC: 0

Week's Total WC: 14,008
Total Story WC: 14,008

Daily WC:

1. 2,117
2. 3,351
3. 3,664
4. 2,278
5. 2,598

Last 200 words:

He gave me an apologetic smile, "I'll be sure to return it to you as soon as we know what we're working with." I nodded. He got up and went inside the house.

Once the door closed Chase scoffed, "You know it'd be better if they told us where the heck they found out about these things."

Layla shook her head, "Sometime things are better not to be messed with because they aren't meant to be understood."

"Is that what you think?" I asked arms resting on the ledge.

She shrugged, "I don't know what to think but I think we should trust them."

"I agree. I think they would let us know when they're ready," Dylan said as traced the water absently.

"True, they are good at explaining when ready but they're not so good at things before then," I muttered. The others bowed their heads in silent agreement.

Dylan finally broke the silence, "That's it. I'm done with all this downer talk. I'm done spending all my time worrying during my vacation. Let's play." He splashed all of us and grabbed for a nearby basketball spinning it on his finger, "Ok, who want's to play HORSE?"

Other Updates:

Update #7

Update #6

Update #5

Update #4
Update #3

Update #2

Update #1