Nep's Blog

Love Pills

2012-02-14T03:47:00.002-06:00

Valentine's Day collaboration with my husband.
It is becoming a mini tradition for us to do this.
Photography by me, poem by Mike.

Thank you booboo for being my soul mate. You are my everything.
Happy Valentine's Day. I love you.

Making of.

❤

You are an addict, to a drug you have never taken.
You are in withdrawal, and you've never known the difference.
You have heard of it, yet you do not believe it exists.
You have seen it in movies, and swear it is only a work of fiction.
You yearn for it, feeling foolish for wanting that fantasy.
You have tried imitations, but you have been disappointed every time.
You live among users, but you bitterly ignore their ecstasy.
You cannot stand those smiles, so you convince yourself they are forced.
Your heart is withering, as you feel the crushing weight of its absence.
You are afraid to find it, as it will be worse if you ever lose it.
You are desperate, and you would do anything for it.
It is out there, in bottles of every colour and size.
It's a high you will never come down from.
The most mind-altering, life-rearranging substance imaginable.
You will never be the same, now that your soul is full of Love.

in the gallery

The work contained in my gallery is copyrighted©2012 Michelle Rivail.
All rights reserved.
My work may not be reproduced, copied, edited,
published, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my written permission.

The work contained in the text is copyrighted©2012 Michael Thomas Doucet.
All rights reserved.

Listening to: Nightwish - Ever Dream
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries +
Game of Thrones + Buffy + Angel + Firefly
Eating: Chinese
Drinking: Lemonade
Quote: "But the winter shall fade away.
The nightingale will fly north again.
And summer shall reign in my heart forever.
Her kingfisher is waiting for her return."
(Michael Thomas Doucet)

Tomato Bruschetta

2012-01-13T13:05:00.000-06:00

Infused oil for thebread

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of blackpepper

1/2 teaspoon ofrosemary

1/2 teaspoon ofsalvia/sage

1/2 teaspoon ofthyme

1/2 teaspoon ofbasil

1/2 teaspoon ofsweet bay laurel

1/2 teaspoon ofmarjoram or oregano

You will need 1teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch (extrafrom the above) of the herbs to prepare the tomatoes.

Bread

Tomatoes

Sesame seeds

To make the infusedoil:

Mix the oil, thesalt and the herbs into a bowl about 40 minutes before you will use them.

The longer it sitsthere the longer it will be infused with the taste, but 40 minutes is enough.

To prepare thebread:

The bread in thepicture is homemade. It is my soda bread.

But you can use anybread that isn't sandwich bread.

The best breads tomake the bruschetta are the soda bread, ciabatta and French bread.

Ciabatta is the bestone by far. Sourdough bread also makes good bruschettas.

Slice the bread in amore of less thick slice and separate.

To prepare thetomatoes:

Cut the tomatoes inhalf and remove the center (I use the centers of it in my pomodoro sauce so Idon’t waste them).

With just the outlayer of the half tomatoes, cube them in small cubes. Make sure your knife issharp or they will become puree.

Separate. If youwill take a while to make the bruschetta, put the chopped tomatoes sin thefridge because they need to be firm and not mushy.

Right before youwill make the bruschetta, add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the tomatoes anda pinch of the herbs.

With a siliconbrush, brush the infused oil on both sides of the bread .

Set them on a bakingsheet and bake it in the oven until both sides are golden.

I bake them at 325F(170C or number 3), and turn them so they are golden on both sides.

Add the tomatoes tothe bread, sprinkle some sesame seed and voila!

Enjoy!

Listening to: Natalie Merchant - Thank You
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Steak and salad
Drinking: Coke
Quote:"You've been so kind and generous
I don't know why you keep on giving
For your kindness I'm in debt to you
For your selflessness--my admiration
And I never could have gone this far without you
For everything you've done You know I'm bound
I'm bound to thank you for it."
(Natalie Merchant)

Christmas Sugar Cookies

2012-01-04T21:38:00.000-06:00

I know it is January, but here goes the recipe I mod to fit my needs.

225 grams ofunsalted butter (or the whole tablet) at room temperature

1 1/2 cups ofconfectioner’s (powdered or icing) sugar

1 egg at roomtemperature

2 tablespoons ofvanilla extract

1 teaspoon of Koshersalt

2 teaspoons ofbaking powder

3 cups (you may haveto add 3 tablespoons to that) of all-purpose flour

Cream togetherbutter and sugar.

Add eggs and extract and mix well.

Sift together flour,baking powder, and salt, add to wet mixture little by little until wellincorporated.

Rolland cut cookies into desired shapes, dusting with flour as necessary.

Bake cookies at 400degrees for 7-8 minutes until tops are appear dry rather than shiny.

Do not brown.

For the icing I useready to mix icing. But you can make your own too.

Enjoy!

Listening to: Loreena McKennitt - The Mummers Dance
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Italian
Drinking: Coke
Quote:"In the depth of winter, I finally learned

that within me there lay an invincible summer."
(Albert Camus)

Chocolate Mousse

2012-01-04T03:16:00.003-06:00

First of all, in order to make it a pie like the picture above, you need pie crust.

I call it chocolate mouse cup pie.

I created a variant of the usual pie crust. The Pie Crust Crumb Cookie.

Now for the mousse...

The picture above is made with semi sweet chocolate chips.

The step by step here is made with Lindt.

It doesn't matter which chocolate you use.

Use what you like the most.

1 cup of semisweetchocolate chips (or chopped)

You can also usemilk chocolate or your favorite pure chocolate bar (like I used Lindt MilkSwiss)

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons ofvanilla or almond extract (if you wantto make it chocolate mint add only 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract)

4 eggs at roomtemperature

Pinch of Kosher salt

If you ware notusing chocolate chips, break the chocolate in small pieces.

Separate the eggyolks from the whites.

Mix the chocolateand water in a bain-marie bowl.

When the chocolateis melted remove from heat and stir until the mixture is smooth.

Let cool to nearroom temperature.

In a separate bowlmix the egg whites and the salt.

Beat in until theegg whites are thick, fluffy and smooth.

Mix the egg yolksinto the cooled chocolate mixture, but mix it well.

Fold gently tolighten up the mixture.

Don't freak out ifit looks like it isn't well mixed.

When it is cold and ready to eat it willlook much different.

Chill for 3 hoursbefore serving.

This last picture is the mousse made with Lindt from the step by step.

Listening to: Norah Jones - Turn Me On
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Steak and salad
Drinking: Coke
Quote:"My poor heart It's been so dark Since you've been gone."
(Norah Jones)

Pie Crust Crumb Cookie

2012-01-04T02:49:00.000-06:00

I love to make thisbecause I use it under mousse, or on top of ice cream or cut out fruit.

2/3 cup of brownsugar (white sugar works too but it wont burn and taste as good)

3 cups of crushedgraham crackers (about 25 of the round ones)

8 tablespoon ofbutter (you might need a couple more if you live in a dry place)

Putthe crackers in a zip lock bag and brush them with the roller.

Mix all theingredients until the mix looks oily and sticks together.

On a cookie trayspread some butter with your fingers so it wont stick and burn on the tray.

Drop the mix andflatten it out by squeezing it down with the tips f your fingers.

Make sure you pressit down.

Bake it for 3minutes or until it looks a little brown on top. Not too much or you will havea surprise at the bottom because it burns very early.

Brake it into pieceswhile hot and store.

It will dry more asit cools down.

You can use onanything you like.

Listening to: Norah Jones - Don't Know Why
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Orange Chicken and rice soup
Drinking: Coke
Quote:"When I saw the break of day, I wished that I could fly away."
(Norah Jones)

Strawberry Sorbet

2012-01-03T20:26:00.000-06:00

1 pack of firm coldtofu (soft works too, but firm works better)

1 tablespoon ofvanilla extract

3 tablespoons ofagave syrup (could also be real maple syrup too)

10 largestrawberries or 15 to 20 small ones.

2 tablespoons ofbrown sugar

2 tablespoons oficing sugar

In a food processorbreak the strawberries in small bits. Watch so you don’t make juice out of it.

Mix the tofu, thevanilla and the agave syrup in a food processor until it is smooth like cream.

In a bowl mix thestrawberries and the tofu, and add the brown and icing sugars.

Mix well and freezeit.

Done!

If you want it morecreamy than icy, you can beat 3 egg whites until it looks like a fluffy creamand fold that into the sorbet mix before freezing it.

Listening to: The Eagles - Hotel California
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Steak and salad
Drinking: Coke
Quote:"A polite enemy is just as difficult to
discredit, as a rude friend is to protect."
(Bryant H. McGill)

Christmas was great!

2012-01-02T23:28:00.000-06:00

I only had time to sit and write this post now.
Mike and I had an awesome Christmas holiday by ourselves.
I made us great food, all from scratch and we watched movies.
We watched Love Actually and Madagascar.
It was just perfect.

I made us snowflakes sugar cookies ...

and double chocolate muffins ...

and strawberry marshmallow cream Santas ...

and some chocolate mousse pie for dessert...

Our Christmas feast was great.
We ate so much we couldn't even move after.

Mike ate farofa with garlic and onions for the first time.
He loved it!
He even made a farofa layer on top of his rice.

I also made chocolate mint tofu ice cream.

Nose detail =P

The cooling rack for the cookies was filled with edible glitter.
Good thing I put a plastic bag under it!

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner.

The next day, we spent Christmas day
being lazy and watching movies in bed.

I had the best Christmas ever.

I love you Mikey!

Listening to: Love Actually - All I Want for Christmas is You
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Italian
Drinking: Coke
Quote:"mayyyonaiiiise"

French Bread

2012-01-02T13:22:00.003-06:00

3 cups of flour

1 packet of instantdry yeast (7 to 11 grams)

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 teaspoons of salt

1 cup of warm water

2 tablespoons ofolive oil

Heat the water andlet it cool to warm. Warm water is hotter than lukewarm but not hot to thetouch.

Mix the sugar in thewater and then the yeast.

Let it sit for 5 to10 minutes, until you see that it formed a good layer of bubbles.

In a separate bowldrop in the flour, but grab a fist full and thrown on your working service, soyou don't use more flour than the whole 3 cups.

Mix the salt intothe flower.

When the yeast isready, mix in the flour and salt mixture and add the oil.

With a spatula orspoon mix it all until it looks sticky and drop it on the working service.

Knead the bread for10 minutes.

The flour on theworking service will disappear and the dough should be smooth.

Oil a bowl (glass isbetter) with olive oil.

Make the bread intoa ball by folding the bottom of it on itself and put it in the middle of thebowl.

Cover it with acotton cloth and let it rise for 1 hour.

After the firstrise, punch the ball that should have risen twice it's size.

Drop it on the workservice and shape the bread.

You can usecornmeal, olive oil or butter, or even use a wax paper sheet on a baking tray.

Set the bread on topof it and cover it with the cloth and let it do it's second rise for 1 hour.

When the second riseis done the shaped bread will be twice it's size again.

Score the bread witha sharp knife or a bread carver.

Make an egg wash (1egg white with 1 tablespoon of water) and brush the bread with it.

Youcan add to the top whatever you want, like crushed nuts, sesame seeds, almondsor nothing.

Bake it on 375F forabout 30 minutes.

Let it cook on awire rack for about 1 hours before cutting it.

Enjoy!

Listening to: Eminem - Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: nothing yet
Drinking: water

Quote:"Bread for myself is a material question.
Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual one."
(Nikolai Berdyaev)

Double Chocolate Muffin

2012-01-02T12:47:00.001-06:00

1 3/4 cupsall-purpose flour

2 teaspoons bakingpowder

1/2 teaspoon bakingsoda

2 tablespoons bestquality cocoa powder

3/4 cup superfinesugar

3/4 cup semisweetchocolate chips, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling

1 cup milk

1/3 cup plus 2teaspoons vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon purevanilla extract

Mix the flour,baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips .

Mix all the wetingredients into another bowl.

Mix the dry and wetingredients together until it looks lumpy not smooth.

Pour the mix intothe prepared muffin paper cups on a muffin baking sheet.

Sprinkle theremaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 20 minuteson 400F or until the muffins are dark and tall.

Quote:"May the muffins be with you."

Tofu Chocolate Mint Mousse

2011-12-13T01:40:00.000-06:00

1 pack of firm coldtofu (soft works too, but firm works better)

1 tablespoon ofvanilla extract

3 tablespoons ofagave syrup (could also be real maple syrup too)

2 cups of milkchocolate chips (or 1 full pack of Hershey's)

1/3 of teaspoon ofmint extract (or one pack of hot chocolate mint mix from Nestle)

3 egg whites

Have the tofu in thefridge overnight before using.

So in order to savetime, when you go grocery shopping and you get the tofu, just pop it in thefridge, and when you need it, it will be ready to use.

On a food processor,mix the tofu, vanilla and syrup.

Don't bother with ablender or a mixer because the tofu never mixes well enough in those.

The tofu needs to bea completely smooth cream.

Separate. I alwaysput it back in the fridge while melting the chocolate.

In a bain-marie,melt the chocolate chips until they are creamy.

Bain-marie is whenyou have a large pot with boiling water half way and another smaller pot insidewhere you melt the chocolate.

Drop the meltedchocolate in the food processor cup with the tofu and mix until creamy.

You may have to helpthe chocolate down a few times with a spoon if it sticks to the walls of thefood processor cup.

When the chocolateand the tofu are completely mixed into a thick and heavy cream, add the mintextract and let the food processor mix it well for about 3 minutes then put itin the fridge for 2 hours to chill.

When the cream ischilled, beat the 3 egg whites in a mixer until you get a very thick chantillycream.

In the egg whitecream you just made add the chocolate mint tofu cream, slowly mixing until youget a fluffy cream.

Chill that for about2 more hours before serving.

It is best to let itchill overnight when ready. So I always make it the day before I need it.

I actually have itin the fridge overnight and about 1 hour before serving I leave it in thefreezer for 45 minutes and out the remaining 15.

That makes the creamvery cold and a little bit "creamier".

Listening to: Tangled - Healing Song
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: chicken and bacon pasta
Drinking: coke zero

Yeast Free Soda Bread

2011-12-11T12:51:00.001-06:00

3 cups of flour

4 teaspoons bakingpowder

1 teaspoon salt or sugar (depends on what you want)

1 1/2 cups water(you can also use milk)

1/4 cup vegetableoil

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl without stirringthe flour .

Mix the liquids inanother bowl and add to the dry bowl.

Stir until there isno more dry flour, but do not overwork the dough.

The dough should bemoist but not sticky, you may need a little bit more or less water depending onwhere you live.

Make an X or a linecut on the top to prevent the crust from breaking during baking.

With oiled handsshape the dough into a ball, and place it on wax paper on a baking sheet.

Bake for 40 minutesat 200C.

You can also:

Rub the dough ballwith virgin olive oil and sprinkle sea salt and oregano for a foccacia flavor.

Add 1 tbs of brownsugar for a sweet bread taste

Add herbs

Add nuts, bacon,fruit, chocolate chips...

Easy and awesome to make when you don't

have yeast in the house and you don;t feel like going out to get it.

Listening to: Tori Amos - Siren
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: don't know yet
Drinking: water

Pumpkin Marshmallow Muffins

2011-12-11T12:15:00.001-06:00

Here it goes

2 cups all-purposeflour

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp groundginger

1/4 tsp groundcloves

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup vegetableoil

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups of homemadepumpkin puree or 1 large can of pure pumpkin

Preheat oven to300C.

Set the muffin papercups on the 12 muffin tin.

Whisk togetherflour, sugar, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt in one bowl.

In a separate bowl,beat together eggs, oil and vanilla.

Add the pumpkinpuree to the wet mix.

Add to dryingredients, mixing slowly.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Listening to: Florence and The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: don't know yet
Drinking: water
Quote: "The muffin man!?!?"

Banana Nutella Choco Chip Muffins

2011-12-11T11:39:00.001-06:00

I hope you like these because they are pretty awesome.

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanillaextract

1/2 cup soy milk (itcan be cow milk but the soy milk enhances the taste of chocolate)

3 mashed bananas

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons bakingpowder

1/2 teaspoon ofKosher salt

1 326g bag ofchocolate chips (or 1 cup)

2 tablespoonsNutella (at room temperature)

Preheat oven to200C.

Add the muffin papercups to a 12 serving muffin tin.

Melt the butter andlet it cool a bit.

Beat together thesugar and 2 eggs then beat in butter, vanilla and the milk.

In a separate bowlmix the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk the banana intothe wet mixture and then add in the dry ingredient, slowly.

When it is wellmixed (without beating it), add it the chocolate chips and fold the Nutella.

The Nutella has tobe mixed slowly so it doesn't disappear into the mixture.

Cook for about 25 inthe preheated oven.

Works better if itis completely cool before eating.

Enjoy!

Listening to: 30 Seconds to Mars - Hurricane
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: don't know yet
Drinking: water
Quote: "Do you know the muffin man!"

Chinese awesomeness

2011-11-28T02:20:00.001-06:00

Today I got all inspired and made Chinese food.

I wont give the actual recipe because it is pretty simple,
but here you can see what I did.

You can adapt to your own cooking,
I just give ideas.

...

Started with the wock.

and the ingredients:

good quality meat,

wonton skins,

Teriyaki sauce, fermented soy sauce, sweet kecap manis sauce (basically sweet soy syrup),
black pepper, black sesame seeds, salt, garlic, the veggies...

Some chipotle dressing, which is Mexican but I love that with my wontons.

I prepared the veggies sauce with fermented soy sauce + half a lemon + water.
The amount of water depends on how salty and
how thick is the soy sauce, and also how thin you want it.

Then I got frozen broccoli and steamed it, but not too much, just as long as it gets warm,
but it should still be crunchy.

Then I got some onion and some baby carrots and cut them, set them on a plate.

I put the hot broccoli on top of the carrots and onions.
That way the hot brocoli pre-cooks them and I don't have to risk overcooking them
when in the wok, because they need to be crunchy or you wasted it.

The meat seasoning is simple. Salt, black pepper and garlic.
I used peanut oil, but walnut, sesame or olive oil also works.

When the meat was well cooked I added a mix of fermented soy sauce + sweet kecap sauce
diluted in water (also depends on how you like it).

Built the wontons with the meat...

Steamed them (until they look transparent-ish).
Bamboo steamers are better.
Add some water to the bowl in the steamer so they don't glue down.

They should look like this:

I put the veggies in the wok after removing the beef and
so they catch on some of the taste.

When they were hot but still crunchy I added the fermented soy + lemon + water sauce.

Made some rice soup.
Just cook the rice with more water than usual, add salt and garlic,
when it is cooked (taste it) but you still have a bunch of water, it's done.
Please wash it well first and add bottled water (tap sucks).
I like my rice soup with black sesame seeds.

Then it was all ready and voila!
Awesomeness!

I drank some Perrier with ice and strawberries with it.

Yumz!

Listening to: Within Temptation - All I Need
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Chinese, duh
Drinking: Perrier
Quote: "Are you eating it? Or is it eating you? "(Larry Cohen)

YU55 and how to see it

2011-11-07T19:34:00.000-06:00

After reading the Sky and Telescope
post about the asteroid YU55, I realized how
they don't think about the people who don't know
the constellations by place and name.

If you don't know where to look up to find it,
I made a small sky chart based on the Sky and Telescope's one.

Click the image to see it full view.

I hope that helps.

Oh and if you didn't know about the asteroid,
read the FAQ here.
Or read it's Wiki.

You can also play with Stelarium.
It is free and easy to use.
Download it here.

Listening to: Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones
+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Japanese noms oh yeah
Drinking: water
Quote: "If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."

(Carl Sagan)

Tofu Peach Sorbet

2011-11-04T01:32:00.001-05:00

Just like the Chocolate mint tofu sorbet I made the other day,
this one is awesome too.

For non dairy eaters out there, making sorbets with tofu
is a nice alternative to ice cream.

So here we go.

All you need is:

- 1 box of Silken soft tofu

- 1 cup (250ml) Peach juice (the box one is fine)

- 3 Splenda packets

- 1 can of canned yellow peach halves in syrup

On your mixer, beat the tofu until it looks as creamy as it will get and separate.

On another bowl separate 2 or 3 peaches from the can and cube them.

Add the rest of the peaches with the syrup to the tofu cream and beat it up until it is all mixed.

Mix the cubed peaches to all that and done!

If you want it "creamier" you can add another can of peaches and only use 1/2 cup of juice.

Listening to: Nightwish - Phantom of the Opera
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones + Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Rice soup and chicken
Drinking: water
Quote: "We are indeed much more than what we eat,

but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are."

(Adelle Davis)

Chocolate mint tofu sorbet

2011-10-31T02:52:00.000-05:00

Just a quick recipe for a chocolate mint tofu sorbet.

Just cause you can't eat dairy doesn't mean you can't eat good stuff.

All you need is:

- Silken soft tofu

- Soy chocolate milk (Silk or Ades)

- Powder for hot chocolate mint from Nestle (you can also use just Nesquik with 8 table spoons, or hot chocolate mix)

When using hot chocolate mix (mint or not) make sure you use 2 to 3 little packets only.

In a mixer, beat the Silken soft tofu until it is a cream.

Add the mint hot chocolate mix powder and mix it.

Then, add 1 cup (250ml) of the soy chocolate milk and mix it.

Finally add 5 table spoons of Nesquik or chocolate powder (cocoa powder works too).

Put it in the freezer for 2 hours.

Done!

Listening to: Metallica - Enter Sandman
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones + Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Rice soup with green beans
Drinking: soy mango juice
Quote: "Life is like an ice cream enjoy it before it melts."

Tofu Bolognese Lasagna

2011-10-31T02:27:00.000-05:00

Like I have said before, I can't eat dairy (gallbladder).
So, I have been adapting my diet to eat everything but without dairy in it.

For a while now I have been wanting to make a
Tofu bolognese lasagna to see if it turned out good.

It was awesome!

And no, it doesn't taste like ricotta cheese lasagna.
Which by the way, is gross. (Not a ricotta cheese fan).

So if you want to try it, here is the recipe.
Click on the images for full view.

Main Ingredients: (quantities all depend on how much you want to make)

- Silken soft tofu

- Ground beef

- Tomatoes

- Lasagna pasta

- Tomato paste

- Salt, black pepper, olive oil, onion, cumin, garlic and garlic powder, dill seed, thyme, basil and paprika

- Optional: black olives and french onions/crushed potato chips

How to make it:

Making lasagna isn't a mystery.

Here the only major difference is that instead of cheese, you will use tofu.

The main secret of tofu is how you season it.

Tofu is a soy paste that will take on the taste of what you put in it, salt or sugar, so you can make it taste like cheese if you want.

First you need to boil the tomatoes to peel them. Just until the peel cracks and before they cool off.

Use a spoon and a knife to move them around so you don't burn your fingers.

Once you have them all peeled, put it on a food processor or blender and make it a sauce.

Before you cook that sauce, on a casserole, put about 2 table spoons of olive oil, a minced clove of garlic, chopped onion (how much you want) salt and pepper.

When the garlic and the onion are golden, throw in the tomato you just blended. Cook it until the water evaporates and you have a thicker paste.

You will still end up with a runny paste.

If you like it that way use it like that.

If you don't like runny sauces, add a can of tomato paste.

You can add up to 2 cans and make it even more paste like.

Some people hate runny tomato sauce, so that depends on your taste.

Separate that sauce.

To prepare the tofu, the first thing you should do is steam it.

You can use whatever you want.

I use a pan with boiling water and set it on top of that for 5 minutes.

Then, thrown in a bowl and with a mixer, beat it up until it looks like curd cheese, so it isn't way to creamy.

Add the following ingredients:

- 1 table spoon of garlic powder
- 1 pinch of dill seed
- 1/2 tea spoon of black pepper
- 1 pinch of thyme
- 1 pinch of basil
- 1 pinch of cumin
- 2 pinches of paprika

- salt (I use one table spoon)

Mix it all with a spoon so the mixer doesn't make it look like cream cheese and separate.

Now that you have the tomato sauce and the tofu ready, you need to cook the ground beef.

The quantity depends of how big the lasagna is and also how meaty you want it.

I hate those lasagnas that have a lot of pasta and almost no meat, which is why I do the opposite.

That way you end up with a meaty lasagna that has more proteins than carbs.

To cook it (the way I like it), more fried than boiled looking, all you need to do is add olive oil to a pan, salt and pepper, onions and minced garlic.

The quantities depend on how seasoned you want it.

Throw in the meat in once the garlic and the onion are gold, then fry it until it is very well cooked and the meat looks goldish.

I like adding black olives to the meat.

Mince them and throw it in when the meat is ready.

Then, cook it for another minute.

When the meat is done, mix it with the tomato sauce you made.

Now you need to build the layers.

You can use whatever lasagna pasta you like.

Like I said before, I like meaty lasagna, so my layers of meat are thick.

On a Pyrex plate, put 2 table spoons of olive oil and make sure the whole bottom of the plate has it.

Then add the first layer with pasta, then meat, than tofu, until you get to the top of the plate and end up with meat.

Because this lasagna doesn't have cheese, the last and top layer is only meat.

Now you only need to put it in a pre heated oven for about 30 minutes and voila!

To serve it you can add some french fried onions to the top, or crushed potato chips.

The thing you see on the side there is palmito (heart of palm).

That's it!
Enjoy!

Listening to: Tori Amos - Crucify
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones

+ Buffy + Angel + Friends + Ringer
Eating: Lasagna
Drinking: soy mango juice
Quote: "A gourmet is a being pleasing to the heavens."
(Charles Pierre Monselet)

New artwork

2011-10-26T02:21:00.001-05:00

A while ago I went to the Guadalajara Zoo in Mexico,
and took some pictures of wild life animals to submit them
to the National Geographic Photo Contest.

Since then, I have been trying to find some time to sit down
and add them to my personal gallery.

Here they are.

in the gallery

in the gallery

in the gallery

in the gallery

in the gallery

in the gallery

I loved that little guy.
I just wish they weren't in cages.

Listening to: Eagles- Hotel California
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones + Buffy + Angel + Friends
Eating: Potatoes and chicken
Drinking: soy grape juice
Quote: "We think caged birds sing, when indeed they cry"
(John Webster)

Steak Rub Recipe

2011-09-13T19:58:00.002-05:00

Pasting what I wrote on my 365.25° One photo a day blog.

I love to use steak rub and I make it myself (well duh)...
I make very little every time so it is fresher, although you should make a lot

so you rub the right ridiculous huge amount of it on

each side of a steak or chicken. I make very little at

a time because I can't go nuts on condiments

or my gallbladder and my stomach go nuts with me.

Here you will find both recipes.

(table spoon = tbsp. and tea spoon = tsp.)

You can see the names of the herbs and spices first

in Portuguese, then in Spanish and then in French.

Big Recipe

1/2 cup salt (sal - sal - sel)
1/2 cup freshly-ground black pepper (pimenta preta - pimienta negra - poivrier noir)

1/4 cup paprika (páprica - pimentón o ají de color - poivre rouge)

2 tbsp. garlic powder (alho em po - ajo en polvo - ail en poudre)

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (pimenta-vermelha/caiena - pimienta roja/cayena - poivre de Cayenne)

1 tbsp. ground cumin (cominho - comino - cumin)

1 tbsp. dried basil (manjericão de folha-larga - albahaca/alhábega - basilic)

1 tbsp. dried thyme (tomilho - tomillo - thym ou serpolet)

1 tbsp. dill seed (endro - eneldo - aneth)

Small Recipe (like in the picture)

1 and 1/2 tbsp. salt (sal - sal - sel)
1 tbsp. freshly-ground black pepper (pimenta preta - pimienta negra - poivrier noir)

1/2 tbsp. paprika (páprica - pimentón o ají de color - poivre rouge)

1 tbsp. garlic powder (alho em po - ajo en polvo - ail en poudre)

1 pinch cayenne pepper (pimenta-vermelha/caiena - pimienta roja/cayena - poivre de Cayenne)

2 pinches ground cumin (cominho - comino - cumin)

1 tsp. dried basil (manjericão de folha-larga - albahaca/alhábega - basilic)

1 tsp. dried thyme (tomilho - tomillo - thym ou serpolet)

1 tsp. dill seed (endro - eneldo - aneth)

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.

The order that you add the ingredients does not matter.

To keep it fresh use a good container, plastic or glass.

Glass is better, and well sealed.

Rub it on the steak or chicken, let it marinate for 10 minutes, grill it or fry it.

For tofu lovers, steam silken tofu, dip both sides on the rub

and let it marinate for 5 minutes then deep fry it.

It also works if you put a pinch or 2 of the rub on silken soft

tofu and create a cream cheese like cream to spread on toast or sandwich.

Listening to: Francis Cabrel - Octobre
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: True Blood + Vampire Diaries + Game of Thrones + Buffy + Angel
Eating: Salisbury streak and potatoes
Drinking: Mango juice
Quote: "I don't like gourmet cooking or "this"
cooking or "that" cooking. I like good cooking."
(James Beard)

How to load any preset in Photoshop

2011-07-09T13:59:00.003-05:00

So...

After a lot of questions about how to load up
brushes and swatches from the people who download them in my gallery,
I've decided to make a tutorial.
I hope it helps those who are starting.

=D

Listening to: Immediate Music - Serenata
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Buffy
Eating: don't know yet
Drinking: cran-grape juice
Quote:
"Sharing knowledge is better than sharing food."
(Michael Thomas Doucet)

Skin Color Swatches Japan

2011-04-11T13:49:00.009-05:00

I have posted here and on my Art Class blog (that I need to pick up)
the versions of my Skin Color Swatches...
How it grew over time and how it became one of the many important tools for
Photoshop painters to use for painting skin.

It all began in 2005 when I decided to get all the accumulated swatches
I made for myself for painting training,
and put them in a file and share it with others.

Most people find it hard to swatch a skin so they can paint it
and since it is something that for me is so easy to do,
because I see swatches in everything...
I share it, so I can help other artists skip the hard part
so they don't waste their time with it and go straight to the painting.

In 2009, deviantART made it a Daily Deviation and more people saw it.
The Daily Deviations show up at the bottom in almost every page in deviantART so everyone sees it.
So the people who hadn't discovered yet, did.
That inspired me to make it better.

You can see the blog post about it here.
I didn't have that many new colors accumulated to add to it yet, but I was starting to.
I make a new swatch every time I paint, so after a while I get lots of new color sets.

So... I only changed the preview picture so it would be easier for non Photoshop
users to color pick the colors in the swatch since they can't use the
Photoshop file... (for GIMP and others).

After that, many fellow deviantArtists began to adapt it for their programs
and I started to link the swatch files they make of my Skin Color Swatches so people
who don't use Photoshop can use it too.
Color picking is fine, but having a file in a swatch window in the program you use
is much better.
They are linked under the preview picture in my gallery.

Since the first Skin Color Swatches was published in my deviantART
gallery in 2005 and after it received a new preview file when it made it as Daily Deviation,
I have accumulated more skin colors, so I added them to the
existent swatch and I also added some highlights...
I put my Faradriel as the face of it and created the
Skin Color Swatches Epic Edition.

Before anyone asks me, Faradriel is my World of Warcraft
character that I am painting. She is in an artwork I am working on
called Quel'Delar. You can see the progress HERE.

Along the way, many things happened to my swatches.
I sometimes find it in Photoshop related websites and blogs,
in other people's tutorials on how to paint skin...
in wikis...

It is featured in many forums...
and deviantART groups...
and on the first page of most popular of all time tutorials in deviantART
Some still have the old version.

I receive lots of messages everyday thanking me for sharing it.
I feel so grateful that I can help other artists
and I love when they send me links to the artworks they have created
using my swatches.

In January a fellow deviantArtist made a stamp about being a DeviantNep Swatch user

(you can see it here from her gallery)

I use it too =P
(scroll down)
I love it.
I am still so thankful for that.

You can see the blog post about it here.

But the latest thing that happened to my Skin Color Swatches,
happened today.

A few weeks ago I got a message from the editor of a Japanese Photoshop Tools
magazine, asking me to let them add it to their tool resources.
I said yes but heard nothing after that.

So, today...
I was answering comments and questions about Photoshop in deviantART,
and answering thank you notes from artists about the swatch...
and I received a private message.

It was the magazine again saying it is out and done!
I received a free copy of the magazine in pdf and the link of where you can buy it on Amazon Japan.
(took a screenshot)

I am not allowed to link the .pdf file to others
but I took a screenshot of the page it is in...

You can see the link to buy it here.

This is so great!
It made my day.

I am still amazed that something so simple to me
made this far because it helps others.

Listening to: Metallica S&M - No Leaf Clover
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Friends + V + Scrubs
Eating: don't know yet
Drinking: cranberry juice
Quote:
"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation
with the bricks others have thrown at him"
(David Brinkley)

Valentine's Day WoW style

2011-02-15T13:52:00.011-06:00

Like I always post pics of WoW...
Here are the ones for Valentine's day.
(2010, 2009)

this year's album for more HERE
(password: wowshots)

Mike got me 2 pets.
Little Ragnaros and the Pandaren Monk.
Cutest things ever.

I got him a pet I made as an Engineer.
The little bunny with a light bulb stuck "there"...
(it's not, =P it's just his cute tail)
and I also made him something outside WoW.

I made him a dragon bookmark.
Pasting the text from my 365.25° One photo a day post
about it... (cause I'm lazy)
"I am making him a dragon bookmark for him to use with
the book The Hobbit I gave him for Christmas a while ago.
It is for when we re-read it together since that version of the
book has more than the known one. Tolkien had to shrink it
because he didn’t have the money to publish it full.
So I got him the version that has passages he never had.
A dragon bookmark just seems fitting."

I had such a good time.
=D

Listening to: Janice singing Funny Valentine in FRIENDS - Chandler's mix tape
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + Friends + V
Eating: steak + salad
Drinking: cranberry juice
Quote:
"The wonderful thing about falling in love
is you learn everything about that person and so quickly.
And if it's true love, then you start to see yourself through their eyes.
And it brings out the best in you. It's almost as if you're falling in love with yourself. "
(Playing by Heart)

du Chanel partout

2011-02-03T02:48:00.009-06:00

Alors...
If you like Chanel
(and you should because it is awesome)
maybe you will like to watch how
an haute couture collection is made.

I am sharing here online links of cool
documentaries I watched lately.
For the ones who like fashion, and mainly Chanel,
it is interesting to see how things are made,
what goes on, etc...

Here is a very good documentary about how Lagerfeld creates
an haute couture collection.
It is based on youtube so it might disappear.
made a playlist for it here.
Or you can watch from the playlist below.

Here you will find an awesome documentary
about haute couture.
The only problem is that part 2 of the best quality one was missing
so I added part 2 and part of part 3 of the one that had bad quality in,
so you don't miss it.
Or you can watch from the playlist below.

Also, if you like to watch the shows,
well, HERE they are. The website is Chanel's
and you can find there all the newest shows.

And one of my favorite blogs about it,
La Chanelphile. Awesome blog!
They also post a bunch of videos...

La voilà!

Listening to: Carla Bruni - L´amour
Reading: George R. R. Martin - Game of Thrones
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + Friends + V
Eating: coffee
Drinking: coffee
Quote:
"Fashion fades, only style remains the same."
(Coco)

Swatches fun

2011-01-25T11:46:00.008-06:00

Today I was feeling all sleepy like,
kinda depressed about the fact that I wish I was feeling good
so I could do stuff the right way...
Wishing I wasn't sick anymore...
Then something happened that made my day.

I was answering comments (all 175 ones)
from deviantART, while I drank my coffee,
and one of them was from Bampire.
I had never heard form that fellow devArtist before,
but she made my day.

She is a digital painter, like me,
and she is one of the thousands of people who use my Skin Color Swatches.

What she did was, she created a stamp.
For others to use wherever they want.

(you can see it here from her gallery)

Stamps were made for people in deviantART (mostly)
to use as "moods", or to show if they belong to a group,
their likes and dislikes...

I use them here on my blog, about the stuff I like.
Just scroll down to see it.

Well, I have said it to her a bunch of times...
but, Thank you.

It is an honor when someone likes what you created.
I am glad that I can help others paint easier by sharing something
I did for my own use.
I created that because I swatch everything I see,
and I had so many accumulated from painting training
that I decided to share,
but I never thought people whould actually use it.
So, thank you.

I also thank my Mikey, because to him,
this isn't surprising.
Thanks Mikey, for believing in me.
I love you.

I posted the Skin Color Swatches here at the blog too.
Click here to see the post.

Listening to: Rihanna - Only Girl (In The World)
(takes my Mikey to get it and show this to me, you're perfect and I love you)
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + Friends + V
Eating: cookies
Drinking: coffee
Quote:
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the
highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
(John F. Kennedy)

365.25° one photo a day.

2011-01-19T15:01:00.006-06:00

Well..

I have decided last year to do a Tumblr blog to post one not-so-random picture a day.

I got sick around Christmas and it went on until about a week and a half ago, so I didn't do it.

Even though now it is less 'omgs fun!' because 'day 1' doesn't start on the first of January, I decided to do it anyway.

So, every day I will post a photo about something cool that day, maybe even random sometimes...

I called it 365.25° since that is the actual number for the Julian year as a unit of measurement of time used in astronomy.

You can check it HERE

We'll see how it turns out.

Listening to: Metallica - Devil's Dance
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + V
Eating: chicken and salad
Drinking: coke zero
Quote:
"Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards
and leads us from this world to another"
(Plato)

All things WoW

2011-01-04T12:24:00.018-06:00

It's been a while since I have made a WoW post,
well, any posts really...

but I share here some of the things I have been doing...

Since Cataclysm came out,
many things have happened.

Mike and I started doing some of the new quests
in the new areas and leveling up to 85.

Malhado and Cecilia, our friends,
joined us in the game.
We are having tons of fun together.
Mike and I love to play WoW with them
because they pretty much play the game like us.
We aren't raiders. I'm not saying that raiding isn't fun, but
we rather roleplay and do lore stuff,
do instances just for fun...
collect things in the game...
things like that.
So we are having so much fun with them.

Besides the new area quests,
Mike and I have started "re-doing" the newbie quests
from start and we've started with the Forsaken.
The Forsaken have the best quests I have even done in this
game when it comes to lore.

Other than that, we had fun on Winter Veil, the Christmas in WoW
and in New Years with our friends...
We did one of the things I love doing the most in this game...
screenshots.
Like you have noticed, I screenshot everything...
To me is like making a scrapbook of the game.

Anyway, to see any album just use the
password: wowshots

But I will paste a few samples...
Most of those albums will keep growing
as we do more quests.

The Forsaken album (HERE)

We had to help the undead shovel humans on the head on a human farm.

We watched Sylvanas die and be brought back to "life"

I was a quest giver for a little while...

We spied on worgens

Sylvanas has a statue now..

So much fun! We saw the war in Gilneas,
the way the Forsaken want to unleash a new plague...
Fun!

The Deepholm album (HERE)

the Vash'ir album (HERE)

and M of Mikey and Mi!

Christmas and New Years (HERE)!

The pictures are also in Ald and Fara's Facebook fan page.

Listening to: 30 Seconds To Mars - Hurricane
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + Friends +V + Arrested Development
Eating: water
Drinking: water
Quote: "No matter how many deaths that I die, I will never forget.
No matter how many lives I live, I will never regret.
There's a fire inside this heart and
a riot about to explode into flames. "
(30 Seconds To Mars - Hurricane)

Pre Cataclysm Events

2010-11-17T13:55:00.006-06:00

So...
so many screenshots omg!

Mikey and I have been doing the
Pre Cataclysm Events

So far...awesome!
The lore too....

Here they are

you can see more here (password:wowshots)

Elementals are attacking Azeroth...
Cultists are allover Orgrimmar,
Huge mess all over.
Deathwing will eat us all!

Listening to: Metallica S&M - No Leaf Clover
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + Friends + Lost + Scrubs
Eating: Japanese noms
Drinking: Coke Zerow
Quote: "Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.
Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes.
Being vexed, a sea nourished with lovers' tears.
What is it else?
A madness most discreet,
a choking gall and a preserving sweet."
(Will Shakespeare)

Day of the Dead in WoW

2010-11-02T11:36:00.005-05:00

Pictures of Mike and I in World of Warcraft
at the Day of the Dead stuff...
Dressed up like mariachi and surrounded by skulls.

I think tomorrow my friend Marcie will take me around here
to photograph the actual Dia de Muertos decoration
since I am here in Guadalajara , Mexico
right now.

so here it is

Some people don't know why she is called Catrina. =)

sugar skulls!

Listening to: Metallica S&M live-Master Of Puppets
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + Friends
Eating: Japanese noms
Drinking: Sprite
Quote: "A conclusion is the place where you get tired of thinking. "
(Arthur Bloch)

Hallow's End 2010

2010-10-31T23:35:00.007-05:00

Hallow's End is Halloween in World of Warcraft.

And as usual Mike and I did some photos.

This year we have decided to dress Ald and
Fara up like fel demon cultists,

pimps (the hand Ald!),

cat and wolf
(since we joke I am the kitteh and he is the goggie, our fav animals),

and he dressed up as the Headless Horseman

and me as a fancy hawt Nerubian (with my cute minions).

We also got a bug in Scholomance that made some creep NPCs look weird.
But very Halloweeny!

While we were doing photos in Scholomance, we were sitting down
on a skull circle

and this little white rat (that reminded me of Ladis, my cute baby)
was walking around, so while we were sitting,
we decided to wait so we could do a picture like the meme
of the photobomb squirrel.

It turned out awesome.
In Photoshop,I bokeh-ed Ald and Fara to make it more like
the meme (I will so troll this in our other pics...)

Well...
As always, Mikey and I had fun.
We are silly and we love doing that stuff.
Thanks baby!

Happy Halloween!
and
Happy Samhain!

more picture here (password: wowshots)

Listening to: Nightwish - Phantom of the Opera
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + Friends
Eating: pizza
Drinking: coke zero (rest from teeth whitening woo!)
Quote: "On Hallowe'en the thing you must do
Is pretend that nothing can frighten you
An' if somethin' scares you and you want to run
Jus' let on like it's Hallowe'en fun."

Retaking Gnomeregan

2010-10-18T16:20:00.008-05:00

Just like the Retaking the Echo Isles
Mike and I did the alliance version...
Retaking Gnomeregan.

Telurien (Mike) and Nethelin (meez)

so here we are...

and all I wanted to do was to go paint some walls
with those gnomes...

more pictures here (password: wowshots)

Listening to: Muse - Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville
Eating: saladz
Drinking: not coke zero, cause I can't =(
Quote: "October is crisp days and cool nights,
a time to curl up around the dancing
flames and sink into a good book.”

Retaking the Echo Isles

2010-10-10T13:33:00.005-05:00

Cataclysm comes out on December 7
and the pre-expansion events have started...

In the Horde, Aldauron and Faradriel
(Mikey and I)
helped Vol'jin and the Darkspear tribe
to retake the Echo Isles from the clutches of the evil Zalazane.

It was fun, and lore, which we like.
Took a few pictures as usual.

you can see the rest here (password:wowshots)

Listening to: Eminem - Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville
Eating: chicken salad
Drinking: coke zero
Quote: "Everyone makes a greater effort to
hurt other people than to help himself. "
(Alexis Carrel)

Mazamitla

2010-10-04T18:02:00.002-05:00

Last weekend Marcela, Diana and I went to Mazamitla, Jalisco, Mexico.

My body still hurts from all the horseback riding and the mini hiking in the woods

to go see the waterfall...

My tongue was dragging on the floor when we went back up the rocks...
=P

Lots of people live in those woods in big fancy cabanas, but one was so small,
I took a black and white photo of it cause it looked creepy...

In the woods over the waterfall, before you go down the rocks there is a little wooden
bridge, so cute I wished I could take it home with me =P

Downtown we got there in time to see the Danza de los Viejitos, in front of the church...

they posed for me after they finished.

Also, in front of the church,

there was what I think is an Aztec calendar on the ground.

I wish I could understand what it all means, so I could tell my Mikey,
cause he was wondering too.

We saw the cute artisan stuff and the sweets on the little shops downtown,

and even though I don't eat it,
I took a picture of how corn tortilla is made...

The food we had at lunch was awesome.

I bought straight up natural honey and guava paste (not quite like in Brazil though),
ate something I haven't eaten in a long time...Chongos zamoranos.

I didn't have any of the chile though... I want to keep my taste buds hehehe.

Was so much fun... Marcela knows how to entertain me with all the mystical talk

and meaning of songs during the drive there and back...

Her theory about 2012 is awesome =D

Anyway...

Took a few pictures...

it was such a good day...

hot but good.

After we were all sweaty and dusty from the horseback riding in the woods...

we went home back to Guadalajara,

and ate my Brazilian hot dogs...

Trying to move the next day was awesome!

ehehehe

I am still walking like an old lady

I think the next place will be Chapala...

Can't wait!

You can see all the pictures from Mazamitla
HERE

Listening to: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Watching: World of Warcraft
Watching: X-Files + Smallville + The Tudors + Friends +
Lost + Dark Angel + John Doe + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek
Eating: chinese
Drinking: coke zero
Quote:
"The World is a book, and those
who do not travel read only one page."
(St. Augustine)

Nail it! - Matte Fun

2010-09-22T16:44:00.007-05:00

I got a matte blue nail polish today
so I started playing with it...

here it is
=D

I learned to use chapstick around the nail so it is easy
to wipe off the smudged nail polish on the finger...

it's silly
but it's cute

=D

Listening to: Heart - Barracuda
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + Friends + Lost + V + Dr Quinn
Eating: no clue yet
Drinking: coke zero
Quote: "In order to be irreplaceable
one must always be different."
(Coco Chanel)

Nail it! - Just do it!

2010-09-19T23:28:00.013-05:00

Well I will start posting this stuff too.
You know... stuff I find or do
that are related to either beauty things or fashion.

Since I did my nails today,
here it is...

Nike nails

What you need...

The silver nail polish shimmers a lot
but the very faded pink glitter one will make it more dull.

and I put the sticker on before the pink glitter nail polish,
so it would hold it better, because I have no top coat.

I didn't use a base or a top coat, which means
it won't last that long (but I have to buy some).

When you don't use it,
it lasts only about 4 days
if you don't expose your nails to too much
chemicals like cleaning and hygiene products.

I need to go get more stuff.
I stopped doing this for a while
so now I have no cool little
things to do nail art with.

Nail art is fun!
=D

Listening to: Metallica - Master of Puppets
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: Smallville + Friends + Lost + V + Dr Quinn
Eating: pasta
Drinking: coke zero
Quote: "If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun."
(Katharine Hepburn)

2010 Fashion: Trends

2010-09-18T15:52:00.016-05:00

Fashionising.com has an awesome collection of all the trends
for Fall/Winter 2010. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, these are for next year.

Fall 2010 fashion trends: Autumn / Winter 2010

I personally love the boots (of course), the caramel coats,
the army/aviation trendy look and the capes...

But!! they also have the trends for Spring/Summer 2010, that already ended
up north but will start for the south.

Spring 2010 Fashion Trends: Women's S/S 2010

You can also check your favorite designer catwalks

For Spring/Summer and for Fall/Winter 2010,

They also have a street style gallery
which is awesome for real fit looks.

Listening to: Madonna - Vogue
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: X-Files + Smallville + The Tudors + Friends
+ Lost + Dark Angel + V + Dr Quinn
+ Dawson's Creek + The Nanny
Eating: no clue yet
Drinking: coke zero (oh yeah)
Quote: "Fashion fades, only style remains the same."
(Coco Chanel)

Ballet Project

2010-08-21T17:45:00.006-05:00

I have been wanting for a while now,
to take some pictures with a Ballet subject.
Chris talked to her prof and they let me go do it.
=)
(thanks Chris!!)

so here they are,
I took so many, but only a few the
way I wanted for art.
(took the rest for them)

The art ones...

Le sujet

in the gallery

La pointe des chaussons

in the gallery

Balletto

in the gallery

Souplesse

in the gallery

Sur les pointes

in the gallery

Ballet pile

in the gallery

Pendant la classe

in the gallery

Premiere

in the gallery

Centre de gravite

in the gallery

The ones from the class
I took for them.
You can check the rest HERE

there are no mirrors...
they are hidden since they had the
Royal Academy exams...
(been there, done that =P)

it was so much fun!
=D

The work contained in my gallery iscopyrighted©2009
Michelle Rivail. All rights reserved.
My work may not be reproduced, copied, edited,published,
transmitted or uploaded inany way without my written permission.

Listening to: Lykke Li - Possibility
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Watching: X-Files + Smallvill e + The Tudors + Friends + Lost
+ Dark Angel + John Doe + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek
Playing: World of Warcraft
Eating: chicken and potato salad
Drinking: coke zero
Quote:
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body."
(Martha Graham)

Skin Color Swatches - Epic Edition

2010-08-07T15:07:00.016-05:00

I can't believe it has been 5 years since I made this swatch.
This time I decided to update it and call it Epic Edition
because I saved up all other swatches I make when

I paint skin and added them here, with the highlights I also accumulated.

~Cormrael, my soulmate
(calling him just a boyfriend or a future husband seems stupid)
always says that he is amazed by
how others can create art using something I made.
So because he always tells me that
I've decided that it was time to make this even better.

Making swatches for me is so much fun that
I even did one for the preview picture
and sharing them is fun because
you get to see what others create with it.

In 2008 I got a Daily Deviation for it, made my day,
I was so happy! Featured it in my BLOG and in
my Art Class Blog. This also made me want to improve it even more.

So I hope you guys enjoy the new edition of the swatch.

You can still see the Hair Color + Swatches

What you need to know:

each vertical row is a full color bar for skin tone,
or a full set of skin tones

each horizontal row is a skin highlight set of tones
(meant to brighten and darken light touching
skin in different compositions)

the light colors first and the shadow ones
at the end of each row (from light to dark composition)

you can mix the color rows and have a more complete skin shade

the swatch file has the color bars separated by yellow,
and when they finish and the highlights start, it is green

the zip file has the a folder for the old Skin Color Swatches
If you use Gimp, ~neonyow made a Gimp
version of my swatch, click here to go se it.

the new swatches are made in Photoshop CS5,
so I don't think it will work on older versions,
but that is why you have the -swatch template-
to color pick as you paint

for those who do not have Photoshop,
or have a older version of it, use the Swatch Template.
Open your program of choice (Corel, Gimp, etc)
and open the Swatch Template image,
and color pick the template as you paint...

CREDIT ME PLEASE (thank you), and please show
me what you create with my swatches
(I love when people show me what they made using my swatch!!!)

PS: if any of you make this swatch for an older
version of Photoshop (by color picking it)
or another program, like Gimp, Paint Shop Pro, Corel, etc...
Please send an email to -nep4ever@gmail.com-
(my email) and send me the file and name
of the program it is for (with version)
so I can add it to this zip and credit you in it,
as well add an update on my artist comments.

in the gallery

in the deviantArt News

Listening to: Beck and Bat For Lashes - Let's Get Lost
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: X-Files + Smallville + The Tudors + Friends + Lost + Dark Angel +
V + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek + The Nanny
Eating: don't know yet
Drinking: coke zero
Quote: "The moment you think you understand
a great work of art, it's dead for you."
(Oscar Wilde)

Arts

2010-06-12T01:55:00.008-05:00

It's been a while since I posted anything...
and I have to start doing vids of the week again...

For now, I have some new artwork...
I did them for my Tumblr and decided to add them
to my deviantart, my portfolio,
my flickr, carbonmade and shownd.

So, here they are...

Feadóg

Picture of my Feadóg and the Lord of the Rings
musical notation book.
I am adapting from the orchestral flute to the
Irish whistle (or tin whistle, Celtic flute etc..).

I have been making some photos for my Tumblr,
so I have decided to upload them here too

Took the photo with my Nikon, developed in Lightroom
since I take it in camera raw file and then make it black & white.

in the gallery

Guess

One of my Guess bags, my keys and my Palm.
I was about to leave to go to an art gallery
here in Guadalajara,Mexico,
where I am spending some time this year...

I have been making some photos for my Tumblr,
so I have decided to upload them here too

Took the photo with my Nikon, developed in
Lightroom since I take it in camera raw file
and then make it black & white. Plus a +4 macro filter lens...

in the gallery

Summer Bokeh

Flower outside in the garden.

Took the close up with a 10x macro filter and
without tripod so I could get a better
bokeh since I shake like crazy...

in the gallery

The work contained in my gallery iscopyrighted©2009
Michelle Rivail. All rights reserved.
My work may not be reproduced, copied, edited,published,
transmitted or uploaded inany way without my written permission.

Listening to: Nickelback - Feelin' Way Too Damn Good
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Playing: World of Warcraft
Watching: X-Files + Smallville + The Tudors + Friends + Lost + Dark Angel + V + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek + The Nanny
Eating: gourmet stuff I made for dinner
Drinking: coke zero
Quote: "We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone.
Only through our love and friendship can we create
the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone." (Orson Welles)

WoW Weapon Collection

2010-04-01T16:08:00.005-05:00

For a while now
I've been keeping the weapons I like in World of Warcraft
I have enough now that I decided to post it...

I have been wanting to do this for a while,
only had time now...

To see all images full sized, click here (password:wowshots)

The Bows

The Guns

The Crossbows

Fishing Pole

Stars

Fist Weapons

Fire

Swords

Daggers

Staves

Axes

Polearms

Wands

Gardening Weapons! =P

Well, my collection grows...
I am sure when Cataclysm comes out,
I will have more...

Thanks Mikey and Eric for helping me
get most of them.

=D

Listening to: Laura Pausini - La Solitudine
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Watching: X-Files + Smallvill e + The Tudors + Friends + Lost
+ Dark Angel + John Doe + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek
Playing: World of Warcraft
Eating: no clue yet
Drinking: water
Quote:
"La solitudine fra noi
Questo silenzio dentro me
è l'inquietudine di vivere
La vita senza te
Ti prego aspettami perché
Non posso stare senza te
Non è possibile dividere
La storia di noi due "
(Laura Pausini )

WoW Battlecry Mosaic Finished!

2010-03-31T02:04:00.006-05:00

It's done! since a little while ago...
but I only had time to blog it now...

World of Wacraft's mosaic image with picture
of players with Horde and Alliance battlecry symbols

You can see the gimongus version of the mosaic here.

I sent mine. Posted on twitter when I did and blogged it.

But they have changed the place where my picture was...
the algorithm must have changed it...

So, Mikey found it again and I am updating it...
Thanks Mikey!

Horde FTW!

Woo!

Listening to: Sarah McLachlan - Do What You Have To Do
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Watching: X-Files + Smallvill e + The Tudors + Friends + Lost
+ Dark Angel + John Doe + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek
Playing: World of Warcraft
Eating: Brazilian hot dogs
Drinking: Coke Zero
Quote:
"Be bathed in my power! Drink in my might!
Battle for the glory of the Horde!"
(Thrall)

Stigma and Stamens

2010-03-26T03:03:00.005-05:00

My first actual macro with my Nikon.
I am actually proud of myself...
also... natural light

in the gallery

The work contained in my gallery iscopyrighted©2009
Michelle Rivail. All rights reserved.
My work may not be reproduced, copied, edited,published,
transmitted or uploaded inany way without my written permission.

Listening to: Nickelback - Feelin' Way Too Damn Good
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Watching: X-Files + Smallvill e + The Tudors + Friends + Lost
+ Dark Angel + John Doe + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek
Playing: World of Warcraft
Eating: Kinder Bueno
Drinking: Coke Zero
Quote:
"Well something's gotta go wrong
Cause I'm feeling' way to damn good"
(Nickelback)

WoWlentine's Day

2010-02-21T03:35:00.006-06:00

Well...
We were lucky.
Mike and I did the pictures today, on the last day
of the Valentine's Festivities in World of Warcraft,
and seconds after our last screenshot, the decoration faded away.

But we had fun, especially when we tried to time us screaming and looking up
with the petals falling, or when we tried a bazillion times to time the rocket hearts
with out faces looking forward.

Also, playing with the character emotes from far away is really cool,
since it gives an illusion of things that the actual emotes can't do.

Valentine's day in WoW has a funny fake commercial I like

so, here they are...

More pictures here (password:wowshots)

... and the candids

More candid pictures here (password:wowshots)

Thanks Mikey for the patience.

I gave Mikey a Code Monkey.
Long story behind this one =)

(omg cute)

and he gave me a baby wolf,
since he is a goggie
=)

and I put a key on it, like Mike has one,
though, the one I gave him is different =P

Listening to: Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Watching: X-Files + Smallvill e + The Tudors + Friends + Lost
+ Dark Angel + John Doe + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek
Playing: World of Warcraft
Eating: dominos
Drinking: coke zero
Quote:
"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."
(Albert Einstein )

Snow Art

2010-02-12T16:16:00.005-06:00

The art snow pics from the
snow photo bunch I took since
yesterday.
Here and Here

Serendipity

My favorite photo from all the snow ones....
I just love it!

in the gallery

**

Praise

It's fun to get really close and open your eyes wide
open and look at it until your eyes water.

You feel like you are being surrounded slowly.

in the gallery

**

Tree Circle

I can almost see their hands...

in the gallery

**

Sometimes Life

I don't really like this one...
but it is how I feel sometimes...

in the gallery

**

Rivulet

in the gallery

**

Pinaceae

I love the feeling of being under it.

in the gallery

**

Under the trees

in the gallery

**

Lonely Bench

in the gallery

**

Fyrre

I ended up with snow in my eye for that one

in the gallery

**

Frozen Meadow

The meadow behind the college campus...

in the gallery

**

Cold Sticks

I'll miss the snow....

in the gallery

**

Blurry Snow

I wrote it this morning

in the gallery

The work contained in my gallery is copyrighted©2009
Michelle Rivail. All rights reserved.
My work may not be reproduced, copied, edited,published,
transmitted or uploaded inany way without my written permission.

Listening to: Jewel - Foolish Games
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Watching: X-Files + Smallvill e + The Tudors + Friends + Lost
+ Dark Angel + John Doe + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek
Playing: World of Warcraft
Eating: strawberries+nutella
Drinking: water
Quote:
"Soon go kindle fire with snow,
as seek to quench the fire of love with words."
(Master Will)

Snowza! part deux

2010-02-12T14:56:00.003-06:00

More of the snow...
these aren't the art ones, those come later
=)

now, outside,
it's pretty much all melted...
I will miss the snow again for a while.

The work contained in my gallery is copyrighted©2009
Michelle Rivail. All rights reserved.
My work may not be reproduced, copied, edited,published,
transmitted or uploaded inany way without my written permission.

Listening to: Nickelback - Feelin' Way Too Damn Good
Reading: Tolkien - The Silmarillion
Watching: X-Files + Smallvill e + The Tudors + Friends + Lost
+ Dark Angel + John Doe + Dr Quinn + Dawson's Creek
Playing: World of Warcraft
Eating: chinese
Drinking: coke
Quote:
"Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius."
(Pietro Aretino)