The Secret to Thrift Stores

I do have a slight shopping addiction. But in my defense, I am still a bargain shopper and most of my shopping is at thrift shops or at least in the clearance section of stores like TJ MAXX. I just cant help myself. I mean, I could if I just stayed home, but where’s the fun in that??? I made a quick video that I am uploading now. So, check it out below!

I stopped by the Antique center, and I saw a lot of great pieces that served as motivation for what I want in my future home.

I am really into Big Armoires lately. I would love to get a big one like this above, and turn it into something like this:

I saw this old Coca Cola cooler fridgerator and I just thought it would be cool if that was my fridge instead of a normal one. Because to me, certain forms of normal is boring.

Look at this cute kitchen!!!

One day…I will have my crazy house with all my crazy stuff. But until then..I will keep dreaming.

I have been talking about extensions on and off here for the past few weeks. I visited Lah yesterday and she did my fusion extensions! I ordered hair online, and I am testing out different types of hair so that I can start offering my clients this service.

This was before I got them in, I just held it up to see how they would look.

Here is me and Lah hanging out! We look like we just woke up! hahaha

I got a chance to really style it today and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my hair! What do you guys think?

I just wanted to share my new locks with my lovely readers! I made a video on extensions that I still need to edit, so be on the lookout! And if you haven’t subscribed to my youtube channel, make sure you do! (Link is on the side)

Have a great day and see you in the next post!

Body Painting and Artwork

November is here! And just like that, Christmas is already in the air! Its amazing to me how we can go from Halloween to Christmas literally overnight. It gets me excited none the less because I love Christmas. I cant wait to decorate when I move and get settled! I have to move at the end of the month and I’m looking to get into a new place soon! Were applying this week for a place and I hope we get it!

I finished up a new custom design for a client, so I wanted to share that with you guys! I really enjoyed this piece. It is a tattoo for my clients son, and it is to complete his sleeve that he already has.

I love the way it came out! I have a few more tattoo designs that I have to draw up this week! I will post as I go!

Oh, and how could I forget to post some of the body and face painting from Halloween! Check these awesome designs!

I just finished editing this video! I bought some things yesterday while running around on errands. I got a few art supplies, and you can see my new tattoo and my new puppy!

This week besides drawing and creating, I am going to get extensions in on Tuesday! As you may know, I want to start offering microlink and fusion extensions to my clients, so I want to get them done myself of course so that people can see how they are put in and worn! I am super excited! I took a quick photo (they are not put in yet) but you get the general idea. It will be nice to have long hair again!

With Christmas around the corner, I am already eyeballing things to put on my list and if I don’t get them for Christmas, then I will treat myself for the new year! hahaha

 

Of course, I love those pants above, and the bag and what else? Art supplies! hahaha

Well, I am off to eat dinner with my Mom, brother and Bella boo! Were having pepper steak! yum!

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!

Kickstarter, Baby!

 

Lately, I have been addicted to Kickstarter. What is Kickstarter? It is a place online where people can post an idea or project that they would like to launch and its basically a business plan they pitch to you. They are asking for people to donate or become “backers” in exchange for certain perks. These projects range anywhere from helping a band record their next album, books, artwork, music, dance-almost any and everything creative.

To become a backer, you can pledge how much you want to donate and there are also different pledge packages, where if you donate a certain amount, you can get some pretty cool amazing perks. If you have the money to really invest and back a project, you can get anything from original artwork, the product you are backing up, sometimes even a hotel and a trip, all depends on the project. One of the things I like about Kickstarter is if the project does not make its goal, then you are not charged and do not have to pay your pledge.

I plan on launching a project in the future on Kickstarter, but I am not quite ready for that yet, but I have been backing a few projects and I have my eyes on a few other ones as well. I wanted to share a few projects with you and if you like it too, then you should help back a project!

First, I’m going to start off with a new project created by Brian Reams with The Creative Rebellion. Creative Rebellion is a wall graphics project. Specializing in large format printing on low- tack removable vinyl. I became a backer for this project because I am a huge fan of art obviously, but I especially love street art or pop art. This piece below caught my eye and the more I read up on this project, I wanted to get more involved. I love this because a high resolution piece of art can be printed in a durable material that you can slap on your wall and it wont damage your walls or the artwork. Check it out! You can find his project here on Kickstarter!

I can totally picture some of these images posted inside of a salon, a boutique, an art studio, a tattoo studio, I mean anywhere really. It’s like having a mural on your wall that you can have anywhere! Creative Rebellion is trying to fund the production of this project, as you can see the equipment is HUGE! SO every little bit helps!

I love this! There’s only 20 something days left, so just go look it up! Support our small business owners and help make a dream come true!

The next two projects are ones I have backed as well. The Sugar Skull Spoon is so awesome because not only do I love sugar skulls, but I love coffee and tea, and this is perfect for the avid coffee/tea drinker and just want to add some sass to your everyday routine! When this project is over, I pledged enough to get my own spoon! I wanted to get the mug but I didn’t want to go overboard! hahaha

I also backed this computer game project (and it was my first Kickstarter I backed) called “Obduction”. If you ever played mystery computer games as a kid like I did, and especially if you played MYST, then you are gonna LOVE this game! Because the same makers of Myst is now developing Obduction.

“Obduction's experience supplies what every good storyteller does: a very personal window into a much larger world. Obduction begins with... well… an abduction - your abduction. On a crystal clear, moon-lit night, a curious, organic artifact drops from the sky and inexplicably whisks you away across the universes to who-knows-where (or when, or why).

And, as anyone who ever played Myst or Riven knows, exploring everything around you allows you to read between the lines and to begin to answer your questions. Why is there an old, abandoned farmhouse - complete with white picket fence - in the middle of an alien landscape? You'll find out. From this point on the story becomes your story.”

I pledged enough to get a digital copy of the game and some artwork from the game as well! This project still has some time as well! So, if you are into it, hurry up and get in on this!

These are all the projects I have become involved with and there are a few more I have favorited, but check some of these out, or go explore Kickstarter for yourself! Maybe you can launch a project too and make your dreams a reality!

The Think Light 

 

The John Picacio Calendar

 

Masters of Anatomy

There are endless possibilities to this Kickstarter and it’s becoming more popular with time!

I hope I brought enough inspiration and motivation for you to either get up off your butt and create something or if you are not the creative type, then help us who are creative and reap some of the benefits!

Thanks for stopping by today!

See ya soon! Xoxo Cecilia

Non Stop Work Week

I finally got a chance to take a break. Sort of. I have been painting for what seems like forever, but I am not complaining! I have been working on some carnival games designs for a Halloween Bootacular Fair that is taking place this weekend! I have done a total of 3 projects and I have had so much fun painting these because they were specifically for Blacklight!

First, I had the Clown Face Mini Golf Design, then the Dead Man’s Skee Ball Design and then, at last minute I was asked to add a few more spooky details to a Haunted House Seeking Game.

When I delivered the House prop, I was able to see the Skee ball game put together in one piece and it came out amazing! I cant wait to see it at night!

When I haven’t been painting, I have been trying to squeeze in some sleep, its been hard to get solid sleep thanks to my puppy, who is just like having a newborn sometimes, waking up in the middle of the night to go outside. I have had a few other freelance jobs here and there. I finally received all my tools I ordered to do microlink extensions and I did my first client with them yesterday!

It took me a few minutes to get into the groove of applying the hair extensions, but once I got the hang of it, I was on a roll! I will be ordering more hair and will start to offer custom hair extensions. This is probably going to happen after the new year. I have ordered some fusion hair extensions so I can play around with those too. I cant wait to become so good with them, that it is second nature. If any of my clients are interested in this hair service, I will be offering this for 50% off until the new year. For inquiries, please email me at: cecilia@sweetsurrenderart.com

I made a few shopping trips to the craft and fabric stores and I had some really good deals! I know, I am such a geek, but I get excited about stuff like this. I have been keeping an eye out for a good desk lamp, a sturdy one that wont fall apart or something that isn’t cheaply made. I came across this lamp at Jo-Ann Fabrics, and I knew I had to jump on the sale. This lamp, by Ottlite was originally $69, and went on sale for $20! I checked Jo-Ann Fabrics website, and it is no longer even on there, but I did see one on sale on ebay. The main thing I wanted this for was also for filming my youtube videos, because I am always complaining about my lighting! hahaha

At Michaels, I scored this plaster skull that was on sale for $8. I have been wanting to get one of these so I can paint it sugar skull style! I LOVE CANDLES!!! I go through candles all the time because I always have one lit when I am awake and at home. I usually go for Hazelnut smells, but I wanted to try some new ones! These were on sale 3 for $10!

Before I make this blog post longer than it should be, I am going to go, because I have a new project I need to work on.

As always, thanks for stopping by and see you in the next post!