All I want for Christmas is a HIPPO

I was out doing a lil christmas shopping yesterday at a discount store, and came across a Shirley Temple movie. I used to love watching Shirley Temple as a kid. In Fact, I think thats why I started in tap and ballet classes when I was younger. There's so much that her movies did for americans back in the depression..when going to the movies cost 25 cents! Now it costs like, $10 to go see a movie. lol  I love putting on an old Shirley Temple movie and just getting some sewing done, or drawing up a design stuck in my head. Watching her movies brought back some nice memories. I wonder if my daughter would like her movies. Well, this is a short post, just wanted to write a quick blog about it. If you click the title of the blog, it will link you to a youtube video that is a tribute for Shirley Temple with her song " I want a hippopotamus for Christmas"

Enjoy and happy shopping!



Do what you love and the money will follow.

Personal Shopper is not CODEWORD for something else....

Sorry it has been a few days since I have posted, I have been so busy with finals at school, and with Thanksgiving and Black Friday...it was hectic. Then of course, shopping and getting a tree picked out and decorating for Christmas. I am getting wiped out. I hope everyone had a great and yummy Thanksgiving. I was grateful to be back in my hometown for the holiday and stuffed myself with turkey....my son I think ate his weight in turkey. I wish I had a pic of him just chowin down. lol

My last post, I showed a flyer I made to be a personal shopper so I can help to make a lil extra money for my school kit. I didnt have time to post it around town, so I had posted it on Craigslist, which I wasnt sure about but hey, it couldnt hurt. I got a call early in the morning from a guy who said he wanted me to shop for a tv since he would be working.  Let's just say when I met him ( and of course I brought a friend) to his job to go over a shopping contract, I think he had other intentions. So, needless to say..I left there in a hurry. lol What a creepo though. So, for those who are posting stuff...be careful! You never know who is a creep!

And speeking of a creep, the other morning, when it was pouring down rain, at 7am, this old dude came knockin on our door. My cousin and I freaked out, and I had my husband answer the door....the ol guy was trying to hand out pamplets about a church somewhere and asking if we go to church. OK, nothing against religion or churches....but first of all....its pouring out, like a hurricane out, and its 7am...when some people are still sleeping....I respect all religions, but do not like when religion is pushed onto me..or pounding on my door 7am in the morning. C'mon! Anyways, just wanted to vent and share with yall.

Its the holidays, everyone please be careful! Happy Holidays!

Do what you love and the money will follow.

My Name is Cecilia...and I am a shopaholic

I love when the holidays are here and not to sound creepy, but I love to go to the mall and sit down and watch people. I said this before in another blog, I feel everyone's energy and I love it! For me, shopping makes me feel good. I am also a huge bargain shopper and a penny pincher. I pride myself on finding good deals and finding things that are different. I see potential and beauty in everything! And I love shopping during Christmas. I could spend all day in a mall or shopping center, even if its not shopping for myself, I love it. I don't know if it's because I am a fashion major as well and I love the world of retail, or if I am just insane.

After playing around in Adobe Illustrator and I made my flyer for my gift wrap weekend, I had another idea to see if I can make some extra money being a personal shopper. I am going to post my two ads on craigslist and hope I get some business. If I get some decent clients, I may extend this shopping into the new year. So, I am excited and here is my flyer that I made:

Now that it is getting late, I am going to end for the night and see what tomorrow brings!

As ever, your shopaholic, Ce Cilia Marie

Do what you love and the money will follow.

Extra Cash is Nice Around the Holidays!

So, many of you know I am back in school for my 3rd time at college and I have been moving around the past 10 years. lol Everything is starting to fall into place...and now that it is the holiday's and I am actually home for the holidays, I wanna be able to have a good time with my children and loved ones.  Like so many other people, who are strapped for cash and are figuring out ways to make some money on the side, I have decided to hold a Gift Wrap Weekend.

So, what is that? Well, my parents live in a big neighborhood, where alot of people drive through and instead of having a yard sell, or sell cookies, I decided to try and do a wrapping service. When I was a teenager, I remember how my mom or my aunt would come into my room to hide presents from each other and have me wrap them. I didnt mind doing it, in fact I love it. My mom does too, she likes to get all the big, obnoxious bows and ribbons....put in all this work just so someone can rip to shreds. lol But that is the fun of presents!

So, since I am also a graphic design major and a big art nerd, I decided to try and make a flyer on the computer since I need alot of practice. I downloaded a trial version of ADOBE Creative Suite.. ..

http://www.adobe.com/

and I already have a Wacom Tablet..and have been eager to really use it on something. I found some free vectors online and after a few hours I was able to put this together:

I have to say it's not bad considering its my first ever! I thought it was a good idea to maybe sell some hot cocoa and a cookie for $1.00 while people wait and I will have christmas music playing. I am not sure how it will turn out, but I am testing the waters to see how my advertising will play out.

My next project, among many, I am working on a shopping ad. Stay tuned! Thanks for reading!

As ever, with hot cocoa and warm gooey chocolate chip cookies,

Ce Cilia Marie

Do what you love and the money will follow.

My Interesting Day!

I feel very productive today! I had class this morning and it's been a great week so far and its close to finals. Most people cringe when they hear finals. But I am looking forward to the semester being over and getting a break for the holidays before 2011 begins. :) I have already enrolled for my classes for next semester and getting all set to start Cosmetology at the Rudy and Kelly Paul Mitchell School. It's about to be real hectic! But I love to stay busy!

Apart from that, I turned in a few essays for some scholarships and finished up a painting I have been procrastinating on ( here is a quick shot of it...but its a horrible pic because the light is bouning off my mom's yellow walls)

This was my first attempt at painting an actual person. I know as an artist, I should be strong in all areas..but painting faces is just not my specialty. I am working on editing this video of this project. I want to start making videos on all the lil art projects I work on, so this is just the start of many to come!

After I finished this portrait, I started painting a friend of my brother's Guitar. I have been procrasting a bit on this one too. I Finally got my airbrush machine and have practiced using it, but I do not have the right paint to atcually use it. I found out that I either need to use airbrush paint or use paint thinner with acrylic paints. So, I will have to wait until I have enough to buy that specific paint. So, I taped off the guitar on the places I do not want to get paint on. 

The guitar was already stripped and sanded so I prepper the surface with GESSO (I got at an art supply store) and let dry after 20 minutes. For this guitar, I am painting a galaxy/star theme to it, so the first coat of paint is blue mixed with black. I have only applied the first coat.



sorry its sideways..couldnt turn it :(



The lighting is horrible.....Not that I am dissin on my mom's kitchen color...but yellow is just not my thing. When I was in my Color Theory class at the Art Institute, I learned that yellow walls make babies cry..its just not a soothing color to me and it doesnt go with my skin tone...at least I dont think so. HA HA HA!

Oh, and I almost forgot! The whole purpose of my blog for today is that I wanted to blog about a contest I found where you can submit any type of artwork for a chance for it to be on this clothing line. (click the link in the title for the page) Last day to enter is Nov. 30 and you must email a JPEG of art to submissions@allpublicclothing.com check it out for more details. On Dec 2nd, the community will vote on the best designs and will win $500!

So, to everyone who reads this, thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day!

Do what you love and the money will follow.

Is it too early to start thinking about Christmas Trees???

I know its just the middle of Novemeber, but its never too early to think about christmas trees. I have to say that Christmas is my favorite holiday and not just because of presents, but I love all the holiday cheer. I know, I know, its cheesy, but it's true. I love sitting back and watching people get all excited about decorating, and in the malls and shopping centers, everyone is buying other people gifts.  I grew up all over the place, but Christmas's were almost always the same, there was food, a decorated tree and great friends and family- just a different place. I have had some crazy holidays too where I didnt have anything, no tree, not great food, but at least I had my health. Even if I didnt have any presents or any money, I stayed positive, and was just thankful to be alive.

There are many people out in this world who are not able to have a holiday like many of us do, such as military, people who are incarcerated and homeless people and so much more. This christmas, I can finally spend it at home with my family and good friends. It's been years since I have had a christmas, the last christmas I spent was with my grandmother and family in florida, and she passed away a year ago. Over the years, I realize how important being with family and caring for each other is.

ok, ok, I am getting way off subject! Sorry about that, I just start rambling on and on. But the main reason I wanted to blog today was that I was searching for christmas tree decorations, and I searched to see if there were any tree decorating contests out there, and I found one!

http://treecontest.worldwidechristmas.com/

Check out some of these tree submitted by people all over the world, so far only 30 people have submitted their trees. in 2009, over 600 people submitted pictures of their decorated trees! Here is my favorite one!

I love how people are getting so creative! This one has peacock feathers in it and it just looks amazing. I found this other tree too, and since I love the ocean and live at a beach, I wanted to save this pic too.

This year, I will be buying a white prelit christmas tree from walmart. As much as I love real christmas tree's, There are just too much work, and I want a tree that will last and i can use over and over. I hope everyone has a fun time getting ready for christmas!

All Will Prevail

Dear Katy Perry, I love your style!

So, I am doing laundry and watching television, getting caught up on all my shows and browsing the internet...talk about multi tasking! I am such a geek, I have been searching online stores for what to get my family members for christmas, and also searching for stylist clothes that are black since I will be attending the Paul Mitchell Rudy and Kelly Cosmetology school in January and part of the dress code will that I have to wear black! And if anyone who really knows me, knows that I like to dress different and that I have a "different" style and that I love BRIGHT, LOUD and VIBRANT colors!!!!!

I was browsing and came across a preview for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show that will be airing on Nov 30, and this year, Katy Perry will be performing! I love katy perry, she has such a crazy and imaginative style that is out of this world!

She can pull off any look and I love that she doesnt care about what other's think. I love the picture below and how she is rockin the BLUE Hair!

I can only imagine who she has as a stylist, I am gonna do some research, I think it would be so much fun to be a stylist and thats one of my goals to be a fashion, hair and make up stylist! I am one step closer to doing what I want! I am super excited to be going to this school even though I have to wear black, but I can have any color accessories, so I am gonna wear the brightest colors ever! 

All Will Prevail