Party like you're German and it is 2011.

I want this to live on my sidebar. Happy New Year.

{But if you live in Germany, it is already New Year's.}

P.S: These German people are German and partying.
P.P.S: I am probably related to some of them. Particularly the weird guy in the back.

-Lexi

Graphic Nov: Summer Romance. PART 1

As I was showering this morning, I couldn't help but be reminded of my spicy summer romance. I've been wanting to do a graphic novel of this for months, but I didn't get the ambition until now. So here goes..... my summer love. (in?) Hyperbole and a half style. word.ed.out.

CHANGE OF TEXT COLOR TO DIFFERENTIATE INTRO AND ACTUAL STORY!!!

So I work at a Farmer's Market from June until October every year, right? I know each vendor like the back of my hand. {What they like, what ticks them off, what hand they write with, what they order from Vito, what bread they buy from bread boy, etc.} But never before had I seen one particular vendor until a hot day in August............

The Far-mar was over for the day, and Corn and I were walking back to her car to go home. And that's when I saw him, sitting on a tweedy blanket on a separated piece of grass from the rest of the vendors. I stopped.

He had a sketchbook in his lap, and was surrounded by these wonderful abstract paintings. I couldn't help but gawk from a distance, until I realized that I actually WAS gawking and he actually WAS looking up at me totally being a creep. So, in all actuality, his face looked like this the first time I saw him.

I vowed to Corrin I would go talk to him, and decided to make sure I looked super good before I went and talked to my future man-candy. Unfortunately, I had just spent 7 hours in the hot sun, and have one of the most unobservant sisters in the entire world.

After I got the OK from the sis, I approached the boy.

Me: You do these?

Boy: ......yeah... {HE'S SO SHY AND CUTE AND SHY AND CUUUUUTE!}

Me: They're awesome. You're really good! What did you use?

~~Me (in mind): You're doing great!!! Just keep it cool. Keep it cool. Don't say anything stupid. You like art? Yeah you do. He likes art? Well, obvs! Talk about art and act totally cool even though in the inside you are totally OMIGOSH HIS EEEEEEEEEEYYYYEEEEESSS!! THEY'RE SOOOOOOO PREEEEEEEEETTTTTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY !!

Boy: Acrylics, mostly.

Me: Really? You do a lot of abstract stuff?

Boy: .... {chuckles awkwardly}.....yeah....

{and this is where I totally lose it.}

Me: Wow. Can I marry you?

Boy: What?.....

~~Me (in mind) : LIBERTY BELL!! CAN YOU READ ME?? ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!

Me: {gesturing to sketchbook} So, what are you working on?

Boy: I'm drawing my dog for school.....

Me: What school do you go to? I mean.... you don't have to tell me.. unless you.. I'm not trying to pry...

I end the conversation as soon as I began it, and we give each other one last awkward chuckle before we depart.

I bowed my head in shame and walked away. I ruined the one chance I had been given with the lurpiest, most beautiful boy I had ever seen. Visions of his jaw structure haunted my dreams for nights to come. How could I have been so stupid? It baffled me. For weeks he didn't show up at the market, and I felt myself slowly eating my way into a mental depression, and only Vito's meatball sub could ease the pain of my own doing. I had failed.

Months passed. The summer wore on, and the boy still never showed. That is, until the last week of Farmer's Market, when I decided to make my move...... again.

{end of part 1. Stay tuned!!}

-Lexi

Rantypants.

I'm feeling in the mood to complain about the world right now. Do you know what I dislike more than a thousand burning suns? Senior pictures. Nothing makes me want to vomit more than girls with long curly hair standing in front of an old looking wall flashing their "serious" face.

But you know what's the worst? The "I'm cool and musical and artsy so I'm going to pose with my guitar!" pose. Those drive me up the wall. More than anything.

Do you like my crappily drawn guitar? I sure do.

-Lexi

Dear Sylvain Chomet,

You are utterly fantastic. I wish I could be French and 20 years older and marry you and we would have beautiful artistic children with messy hair and Woody Allen wayfarers.

Now, you know I love you. You know that 'Belleville Rendez-vous' {aka: The Triplets of Belleville} is my favorite movie in the entire world, and that I have watched it way too many times to even say on the world wide interweb. You know this, Sylvain. So, when I heard you were creating another beautifully animated masterpiece I NATURALLY had a brain aneurysm and called it good.



After watching this trailer, I was utterly determined to find where this film was playing and when I could see it. Luckily for me, there was a showing in three days time at the Broadway in Downtown SLC. {I love you, Salt Lake City.} So, I asked mum if she'd accompany me in my foreign films escapade, and she agreed that we would go see it today.

This morning I got online to find out movie show times, and it said that they changed the release date to FEBRUARY FOURTH. I can't wait for two months to see the movie that was OBVIOUSLY made for me!!! If you, Sylvain, have any control whatsoever over movie release dates, you should seriously hook a sister up and bump it back a few months to...um...now. As in today. Make it so it is released today. Please.

Meanwhile, I guess I'll have to get by with watching this animated short you made back in the 90's.






I love you with all of my teenage fan girl heart,

Lexi Vivienne

Christmas was a punch in the face.

Christmas....was..... a whole different blog post. Soon to come. Meanwhile, enjoy this picture I drew of a guy getting punched in the face.

GAH! Photoshop isn't working, and I spent the last TWO HOURS making a lovely picture to post on here, but it all went down the toilet, because for some reason the layers function is being stupid.
I'm in a bad mood.

Seeking blog love/advice.

toodles.
-Lexi

Merry Christmas! {Eve}

{possibly better than last year's Christmas eve post?}

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

All my love,

-Lexi Vivienne

Face down and the guarantees.

I made this yesterday. Starting off with a layer of watercolor, followed by pen, followed by pencil.

{Clockwise starting with: Beck, Urban outfitters model, character of my own creation loosely based off of the "Loser" music video, picture of Corn as a child in complimentary colors and wearing antlers, and creepy plaid man of my own creation.}

I was going for a sort of haunting effect with the dull, barely-there amounts of color in his face, and really let the shading stand out. Frankly, I enjoy it much more than the last Beck watercolor I did many moons ago.

And speaking of Beck..... My dearest cousin surprised me with a 5-panel Warhol-esque picture of Beck for Christmas! isn't she just a gem and creative genius?

Ah. My family is the coolest.

**DISCLAIMER: I really hope that these posts don't make me sound like I'm bragging or anything like that. I'm honestly not. Art is just what makes me happy and I believe it should be shared with others. I'M NOT A JERK, I promise!!!**

I am making this dress. I am making this dress. I don't care what you say. I am making this dress.

I vowed the last time that I watched this movie {with Teresius, of course} that I would find a way to replicate this dress. I have found a similar pattern to base it off of, I will add a casing and drawstring on the side {as pictured}. I will tighten the sleeves a bit. I will lengthen. All I need is money and to find the perfect striped fabric.... I will CONQUER!

Goodbye, Christmas break boredom. Pray I do not get pneumonia for the fourth year in a row.
That's all for now.
-Lexi

Thursday inspiro

Usually these posts are on Sunday, but I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF. Queue the bulleted list? I do say!

• Today I was listening to Pandora and I came across a little glimpse of my odd little sixth grade past. That is, I listened to "Young folks" by Peter, Bjorn and John again for the first time in four years. I was immediately flooded with the first time I saw this music video, Corn and I sitting watching cable T.V. talking about Bat for Lashes and my upcoming sixth grade play. I miss it so! Thanks, Pandora. Yer priddycool. And you made it onto my Thursday inspiro list.
  
  
  I would do ANYTHING to live in this creepy animated world full of simplistic color palettes and 70's tree curtains. {Pretty much, all of my problems would be solved if I could could look that great in pink pastels.} This makes me want to watch the Brady Bunch. Ya dig?
  

• I want to spend the rest of my life doing gesture drawings of Beck moonwalking.


• Photography blogs that freak out my brain with their TOTAL BRILLLL. {y'all know who you are.}


• My new sketchbook which I made in art cloughb. I did an acetone transfer of one of my favorite drawings that I have ever created {record player head man} and then mod-podged holocaust photographs, a guy wearing a gas mask, the gestapo and also British officials and a random cowboy guy to the front. If you can find little Elie Weisel, I will give you a gold star.

I'm a firm believer in the philosophy that states that your sketchbook should be just as inspirational on the outside as what you put into it. I'm pretty darn pleased with the outcome, and I can't wait to fill it. Muaha! Also, do you enjoy my crappy photography skills? Oh yeah. I'm a fan of that too.

• T.S. Elliot poetry. I've always been fond of him, but Matthew Gray Gubler on Criminal Minds keeps quoting him and reminding me of the splendor!!


• Oh. Matthew Gray Gubler. {Laugh it up, Corn. Laugh it up.} His cheekbones were carved by angels. Angels wearing Marc Jacobs.


• Surrealistic French films. Just kidding. Because I almost fell asleep while watching this one with my mum last Saturday. But the cover art is stellar. I couldn't resist it while browsing the public library shelves for some good feelms to watch.

Now I'm just rambling.

Hopefully I'll get the new header up during Christmas break. No complaints though, right?

xo-Lexi Vivienne

Simon and Grafunkel, Karen and Richard, Corn and Lexi.

This is a watercolor of my dearest sister and myself. {She's the pretty one with the long hair.}

Honest to blogliness, I was DREADING doing this one. And when I say dreading, I mean DREADING. It's for my Dad for Christmas, and I really don't like drawing pictures of my sister. For some reason, she's really difficult to draw, and I can never get her face shape right. {Which, she constantly reminds me of whenever I draw her.}

But, I'm relatively pleased with how this one turned out. I would like it more if were more REALISTIC {shoot. shoot. shoot.} , but my Dad will get the general idea.

{P.S: I think I have the greatest friends in the world. My pal Mary made this shirt for me as a Christmas gift. She knows me all too well to embroider my favorite word on a shirt in an equally awesome color. If I could, I would wear this shirt every day of my entire existence on this earth. SO CLASSY, I KNOW.}

Hasta Manana, {Corn had to help me spell it, because I am an illiterate non-Spanish speaking fool.}

-Lexi

I'm tired.

Today was a weird and somewhat crappy day.

All I wanted to do was go home and eat Reddi-whip.

My family never buys Reddi-whip.

Life is stupid.

Watercolors are stupid, when you don't want to do them.

And when you have to be realistic.

It doesn't make sense.

Nothing does.

{Especially math.}

-lexi

I'm like your best friend that tells you where to get free and awesome music.

Hey, blog readers!!!

Remember how back in April I went and saw Emily Hope-Price and I told you about the gorgeous-haired angel named Luke Williams? Oh yeah, I remember that.

Remember how I'm being the coolest blogger ever by letting you in on the SECRET TO GETTING HIS AMAZING EP FOR FREEEEE!!?!?!

Click on this. Follow the downloading instructions at the top of the screen, and viola! You have wiggled your way into the localite-goodness of the lo-fi genius, Luke Williams.

Ancient Eyes is beautiful. I got the EP for eight bucks at the concert, but you get it for nil. Totally worth your time. I can expect big things from him in the future. And I can expect even more beautiful hair in the future, too.

You can thank me later.
-Lexi

Yukon Cornelius

is a total hipster. All he needs is a fixed-gear and he'd be set.

Deliciousness. And Canadian Afro-mullets.

-Lexi

Sneak-eth peek-eth.

Oh man!! I'm doing another ceiling tile for Annex Skate, a local splendor full of the coolest and some of most LDS-ish skaters on this side.....of.... the Himalayas. So, before it gets done {because it won't be anytime soon... I ran out of my favorite pens and spent all of my money on Christmas presents. Aw.} Ya'll gats a sneak peek on the outcome.

AAAAHHH! Line drawing???!?

Do you like my makeshift art studio that I made-shift in my kitchen between the oven and the fridge with a swivel chair and a wobbly easel that is older than your mother? Yep. I sure do. Also notice my fabulous hat that gives me special powers.

Also, this is a picture of me working on my first tile that is now completed in Annex Skate. I'm probably using the same pen that I {in}conveiniently ran out of while working on the most current tile last week! Rats to humanity!! I wish I could still faux-hawk my hair like days of yore....er....June....AT LEAST I WON THE CONTEST WHICH WAS NOT BASED ON ACCURACY OF TIME OR GRAMMAR.

Also, also, thanks to Chilly {pictured above} for hanging out with me for four hours while I finished that tile. Love ya, toots.

-Lexi

Skip the rope, chop the tree!

My sister and I love Thanksgiving. {as shown beneath}

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to eat delicious stuffing and the stereotypical Utah food, Green Jell-o. This ratio is illustrated below, in a plate graph.

I also love when those certain relatives that always seems to be drunk give you money. {Or in this case, my sister money. But it is kind of a yearly tradition.}

You want to know what else I love? Watching Pride and Prejudice with Teresius and Chilly and drooling over the other-worldly perfection of Mr. Darcy. Gah. So great. Honestly, I could probably watch that movie 80 times in a row and NEVER GET SICK OF IT. Really. And Matthew MacFadyen. Yum. I even went to the library yesterday and got the book. I'm going to read it, yeah! And Y'all better be supportive, yeah?

Oh man. I have a whole bunch more to say and I PROMISE I'M WORKING ON A NEW HEADER, OKAY?

I shall end the post with a lovely food-themed french song. Hoorah for yarn s'ghetti!

Over and out, more to come, yeah, potatoes.

-lexi

Too little, too late.

Guess what? I've started actually giving titles to my pieces. Aren't you just proud little webernet friends.

Communications through guilt, pen

the majority of this one was drawn without lifting up my hand during a long and boring car ride. The minority {the hatching on the hand}was created while my hand was lifted.

study on the female, pen

If any of you know my style of drawing, drawing chicks is not.my.forte. I hate drawing us. This was very fun though and got out a lot of pent up crap {I love having a creative outlet. If you don't have one, get one.}. FEMINISM RULEZ!

Optimism rocks.

-lexi

i-t-i-i-l-b-i-m-m-k-o-n-t-s-s

I don't expect you to know that acronym, but if you can figure it out, I will draw you a picture and bake you cookies.

Anyways, I have been SWAMPED lately in schoolwork and artwork and and craft work and being a stereotypical angsty teenager. {my poor family, having to put up with my grumpiness...} But lots of good things have come out of my stress .{I think.}

Remember how I was complaining about how I can't draw realistically and it peeves me to death? Remember how immediately after that post I decided to draw a bunch of pen stuff and it made me realize that I perhaps don't need to draw perfectly to get far in that field? Oh yeah, I remember that. Whenever I get in a stupor please remind me that cross-hatching in pen always makes me feel better, okay? Okay.

Yum. Pen makes me so happy.

Also, I applied to this yesterday and I am hopin' and prayin' that they choose some of my drawings, because that would be INCREDIBLY RIDICULOUSLY EPIC???

Remember how I don't really like Harry Potter all that much?

Remember how that guy from The Decemberists is pretty not attractive at all?

Remember how I'm doing another ceiling tile for Annex and it will be stellar dope?

Remember how I totally want to have a giant crazy paint party in a sterile white house as in the {wait for it....here comes the plug.} SONG OF THE DAY?!?!?!?! {Thanks to my dearest Teresius for introducing me to the lovely bed-headed jamminess of Locksley.}

Remember how I am very excited for Christmas? I love getting crafty and making presents and finding just the right thing for someone and they start flailing. Flaaaaaaiiiiiil!!!!

Remember how I have two other blog posts planned for today? I do. Priddycool.

Love, Peace, hydrogenated grease.
-Lexi.

Ye Olde Graphic Novel : Stiff upper lip, chin up.

So, kiddies. I give you a prehistoric graphic novel based completely on true events {Yes, my teacher is a jerkwad and really did say that.} Crappily colored using 6 great-smelling shades!! Written about a month ago using some obscure tablet program before I learned how to properly use photoshop!! I drew myself wearing a normal outfit just for funsies!! The title of it is a plug for a musical number that my enemy-school is putting on right now that was DANGEROUSLY APPLICABLE TO THE SITUATION!!!!! Click to enlarge!!!

-Lexi

My eyes are burning lazers reflecting off of the screen and etching themselves deep into my skull.

I'm in a rut. This happens often, as you may have guessed, and I don't enjoy it one bit. I sit here, all sulky and gloomy and I don't know what to do with myself. I'm getting this vibe from the universe that in order to become something in the artistic world, I need to be able to draw things exactly as they look. So, this week I ventured into pictures cut out of magazines and secluded myself for a matter of hours to try and achieve this.

For some reason I have this odd genetic makeup that makes me tell myself that I can achieve absolutely anything I desire as long as I put my mind to it and spend time on it. I do not think of how long it might actually take me to get there and I expect myself to be perfect the first time around. This belief is a root of many Disney movies and episodes if Arthur {so I am not entirely to blame.} and is completely and utterly farse.

Now, because of this, I give up easily and immediately head to bummertown as a result. AND LET ME TELL YOU, I HATE BUMMERTOWN. I get this ego built up and my head can barely fit through my favorite Jared Gold tank top and I automatically think I can do anything and am so great and blah blah blah and then BAM. I'm in bummertown. And there I am. Sitting in my room, listening to Manchester Orchestra and wondering what the heck happened and why the collar of my favorite Jared Gold tank top is so stretched out.

Okay, I may not seem like an egotistical jerkwad, but I can get that way deep down and am very good at hiding it. It is like long toenails, easily hidden by close-toed shoes but when seen in a sandal, remains grotesque and lint-y.

{Possibly the worst comparison written by man?!}

ANYways, ruts are stupid. Stooooooopid, if you will. And as much as I dislike them, I need to have them. They help keep us grounded so we can sort out our priorities and such.

And now a meaningful life lesson.

This rant session is making its way back to the station, but before I leave you, I must tell you to never do things in order to impress others. Take your time, and enjoy the process. When you stop enjoying that thing that you are truly passionate about, it isn't worth anything anymore. Sometimes, people can take that passion out of you. Ruts can help us find it again in a whole new life, and help us see the worth that was lost. Be passionate about things to please yourself, not just to get the recognition of others.

How was that for life lessons? Eh? Eh?

Take it away, song of the day!

Graphic novel: One foot in the grave

Me and my mum. TRUE EVENTZ.

Lately to rid myself of stress and put my life into a different perspective, I've turned to making graphic novels of events that occur in my life. My absolutely fantastic art teacher told me how she makes them about her life and suggested I do the same. It helps me make light of hard situations and lets my feelings out in a creative way. This particular one I made in about a half an hour while under the influence of this song, and isn't supposed to look amazing. That's what makes it fun; there are no expectations! Enjoy.

-Lexi

Hallows

This morning, I woke up and took my dog outside. It was nearly seven-thirty and I had been the only one awake in my house for quite some time. It was dark, yet day lit, and the sun struggled to be in view past the ombre clouds overhead. I wore no shoes, and the cold grass wrapped itself in between my toes.

The trees surrounding me were muted marvels of the brightest yellows and the deepest auburns, and cast the loveliest ochre hue over the entire yard. I just stood there, basking in the beauties of the earth that we live in. We are all very blessed.

Normally I find inspiration in materialistic things: A films, a song, a painting, a toaster, whatever. But have you ever noticed the mounds of insurmountable inspiration we find in the earth that surrounds us? Nothing generic. Just simple and raw. Nature is talented all on its own, it needs no help from the media or human society. No exploitation. It is just there. It thrives with no aids, and we take it for granted. Nature is the under appreciated step-sibling. The thing you always know is there, but you never truly miss it until it is gone.

This week my sister dared me to take part in a Facebook fast: no facebook for an entire week. I never thought I would become one of those people that thrives off of a comment, a like, or a message. But sadly, I have. I am a rather antisocial person and I enjoy being caught up in other people's interactions without having to actually interact with them. At first this fasting was difficult. I was many times tempted to get online and 'socialize' with others. I never realized how much I was actually addicted to social networking. Silly really, but it is almost as if I needed it to get through the day.

Now, it has only been a few days since I began fasting, but I have already noticed a difference in myself. I have found more productive things to do {i.e: drawing, reading, getting a head start on schoolwork.} and feel I am not as stressed when I am not facebooking. I rather enjoy living without it. And this morning is when it all came full-circle. I've been too consumed in my life and the virtual lives of others to even care about anything going on around me.

Sometimes we have to get away from all the drama in life to stay grounded. This morning I rediscovered that ground, whether it be metaphorically or literally. I rediscovered the beauty of the world around us, and I hope that we can all remember that from time to time.

Technology is constantly changing. There is always something bigger and better to come on the vast pixelated horizon. But the leaves always stay the same. They always grow green in the summer, and turns marvelous colors in the fall. We can't trust this vast cyber-sphere, but nature is always dependable. Sometimes, you just need to let go of the approval of others and become one with it.

-Lexi

This soap smells like old people.

Woah! Hey! How are you? Excited for Halloween? Yeah? No? You don't believe in Halloween? Oh. Okay.

I know my posts have been seriously slackin' in the awesome department, but I promise many good things to come. Yesterday I learned how to use photoshop, which will open many doors and wasted hours spent with my pressure-sensitive pen in hand. mmmmmmmm.

Also, check out the new header! I've been working on it for a while now and I finally got it to a point where I really like it. That creepy little antlered boy sure has grown on me.

I really need to finish posting the San Franciso chronicles up here. It was like...5 months ago? Yeah. Pathetic.

-Lexi

Woah.

I honestly can't believe it.


AAAAAAHHHH!!!!

Thread-head.

Because I love sewing...... AND taking crappy pictures of myself, you get both wrapped up in the convenient little posts. Aw.

Frilly tee inspired by Maryn.

Yo-yo scarf.

It's so good to get back on the machines again!! I've really missed not having the use of a serger. Or pinking shears. Those are the life.

-Lexi

The good ship lollipop

A boat this cool is SURE to be the winner of a raingutter-regatta {?} mutual activity! {Also, it is sideways. Ya'll get to deal with my laziness.}

Mount Pleasant. {A trip in pictures}

Teresius. Just swingin'. On some swings. In the swing month. Of the swing.er.ness. Okay. I'm done.

Waaaaaah!! The geniousity!!

I'm touching the geographical center of UTAH.

cute nerdy waiter spilled our drink. Aw. Xandi and Jamie's frightening lovechild.

Creepy child.

Teddy's gallery at the museum.

The creepy statues at the museum. And me.

Xandi didn't want her picture taken. Nor Teresius, but I managed to snap a completely awkward shot anyways. Located outside of The Corner Station, possibly the best store on the entire earth.

Teresius and her man.

THEY SURE ARE.