nikitaontheloose

Spider, spider on the floor

2009-05-12T20:45:00.005+02:00

I don't know if it is the same for you, but the title brings a tune to my head immediately =) This particular spider isn't on the wall as the rhyme goes, but two days ago I was happily taking out flower bulbs from some flower pots when this white, tiny thingy caught my eye. It looked like a small golf ball with texture and suddenly I saw it was attached to a spider ... must be an egg apparently. I don't like spiders all that much but high time to start photographing again and since I like to try closer shots or try macro photography; here goes:

It's been an awful amount of time since I last blogged. As you probably noticed I just ignored that fact and started again. Will try to change my ways =)

Lost & Found

2007-12-02T20:01:00.000+01:00

I've blogged about these things before, possibly even in the same post but I just love it so much that I'll report it AGAIN!

I'm a regular reader of the secrets people publish on the blog postsecret.com and the Dutch site briefgeheimen.nl and just followed a link on postsecret to this site: FoundMagazine.

It's about things (notes, pictures, items) people randomly find in the street, their homes, a park, ... and they put it on the web. You'd think "what are the chances of people finding interesting stuff and putting them online", but I think once you know the site, you'll make more of an effort to find things. "Find" as in ... look more detailled when you go in public places and pick up papers of the ground or in class.

This is a nice "found" item on the site (and like they say in the comments section ... movie-material!).

More about finding / serendipity / sneaking

PostSecret started as an art or school project (the stuff is on wikipedia for those interested ... google it yourself hehe!) where the blogpost is published every Sunday with postcards people send in from all over the world. Homemade postcards with people's secrets on them... I find it really interesting reading them ... sometimes your imagination wanders off and you imagine a whole story behind it. I think it's good for inspiration if I want to write a story in the future.

But about finding things and PostSecret. The blog-owner published several books with a collection of postcards he got over the years and readers make it a habit to go to the bookstores selling these books and putting their own postcards in it! Isn't it cool?! Makes you want to go to the bookstore doesn't it?

Bookcrossing and related sites also encourage readers to "release" their unwanted or read books in public spaces and post them on their website so people can look for the book. There is also a sticker you can put on the book so people who don't know the phenomenon/trend and go the site and register their "find". In the past there was only one book released in Leuven, Belgium. I could ask "anybody care to change that number?" but as I just checked the site:

List of Crossing Zones in Leuven with books in the wild...:

Bibliotheek Tweebronnen - Rijschoolstraat 4 1 book, released about 1 wk ago
in de kruidtuin op een bankje 1 book, released about 1 wk ago
Novotel Leuven Centrum 15 books, most recent released about 1 wk ago

That last one was really motivated! A Belgian site for this is: Wilde Boeken but as you can see in the hunting segment for Leuven there aren't any recent wild books in Leuven.

Raymond

2007-11-24T22:02:00.001+01:00

Raymond
Originally uploaded by nikitacortez

Raymond van het Groenewoud op 11 november 2007 in de Bozar voor Dorp op stap (cultuurparticipatie voor dorpbewoners - alsof we allemaal boerenkinkels zijn.) We waren niet echt verbonden met Dorp op stap maar we waren stoelenvullers voor één van de sponsors). Hij zong enkele mooie liedjes (waarvan een paar die ik niet kende) en werd begeleid door de 5 KBC-muziekprijs laureaten.

Enkele liedjes die hij zong: "In m'n hoofd", "Zoals gewoonlijk", "Twee meisjes op het strand", ...

Het nummer "Zoals gewoonlijk" is een nederlands lied op de muziek van "I did it my way", maar niets met die tekst te maken. Echt een sterk nummer. Gaat over de sleur die je kan bekruipen, het doen alsof, ... "zoals gewoonlijk" dus. De eerste keer dat ik Raymond live zag en hij geeft echt wel solo's aan de muzikanten en gaat er rustig bij zitten of gaat even verderop staan kijken naar die muzikanten die met veel enthousiasme zijn liedjes brengen.

Zeer kort optreden van Raymond maar goed! Ik besef nu dat ik in het Nederlands blog voor een keer, maar dat mag ook eens hé! 't Zal van de vermoeidheid zijn, dan kan ik niet meer goed nadenken! Hop mijn beddeken in ja.

A print on the wall

2007-09-19T21:18:00.000+02:00

Wouldn't it be great if your favorite cd cover, illustration or a photograph of your best friends was ... your wall. Or if we turn it around ... wouldn't it be great if your wall ... was your favorite cd cover, illustration or a phtoograph of your best friends? IT CAN! People, get a bit more imaginative, come on! I'll probably be like the 111st blogger to blog about this ... but it's amazing! What opportunities in front us, open doors ... open! If they're not shut by a cool image such as a forest in your living room! My friend Sven put this in his living room and I was awed! If that's what you call the feeling of going "Oeeeeh".

He got this at a Dutch site and I harassed him for the link! As I made my way to blogger to post this, I stumbled upon a featured blog at the blogger home page and what do you know ... the chances of this ... come on people (I'm starting to talk like Ross the Intern whose blog I by the way watch).

The blog is called "print & pattern" and is about ... print & pattern! What are the odds! The blog features a photograph of a wall, designed by crystal barlow. A coincidence but if it wasn't for the wall presented here, I'd still love it. All sorts of crafty creations are listed on the blog. I'm adding it!

Check the sites out will you! Interior designs are my thing! Once I move! Someday!

Lovely mural

2007-08-16T19:43:00.001+02:00

terminei
Originally uploaded by vermelho devagarinho

I always dreamt about painting the walls of my future house with my own designs. So anybody who had the same idea and already has a nudge of that magic feeling ... check out this amazing artist on flickr or her blog vermelhodevagarinho.blogspot.com.

Her kid's room is even more amazing with a flying boat. My god. Why couldn't I have that as a kid?! Love it!!

Graduation, vacation, occupation

2007-08-15T18:03:00.000+02:00

It's been a long time, right?! But I'm still here! On the loose but posting on the blog. Ofcourse, what else?!

I'm graduated since June and I'm officially a webdesigner now. A Master even ;) Everybody keeps asking me "do you have a job already?" but noo-oo. I took the opportunity to enjoy perhaps my last vacation ever! My plan was: to graduate, to enjoy the vacation, to make money with a vacation job, then do an internship as a teacher in October-November and hopefully graduate as a teacher by December and find a REAL job in January! And it depends on my internship if the job search is about webdesigning or copywriting OR teaching. Although a combination of all would be grand. Wouldn't it ?! ;-)

So ... Graduation: check! Vacation: mhmhmhm .... theoretical check. Occupation: vacation job IS check, but the occupation and internship is pending. More information to come in September-October on that part.

Yep ... my vacation job (I'm hoping this is the correct word) starts tomorrow! At nine. In a small firm in the neighbouring town. Small as in three to four people work there, but they take on a lot of projects! I did the same job last year and I'm happy they asked me back :). I'm hoping to do a good job and hopefully I'll learn a lot.

In my spare time I'm also hoping to do a lot ... I have to clean up ... big time AND I'll have to make a website for my youth club (something like scout clubs) and a friend of mine.

Toodles!

When the summer's coming...

2007-05-26T23:41:00.001+02:00

snowman Lars
Originally uploaded by nikitacortez

remember the winter time!

In the middle of the winter I made this clay figure Lars from a sketch I made earlier. Although I can't stand cold weather and my joints suffer from the cold, I still like the winter. Snow, the times you can see your breath, the sound when you step on snow and the opportunity to go ice-skating on a lake (not possible in my area but I can dream about it, right?!). And don't forget the sleighs, the snowmen, the snowball fights, the cosiness when you're fully dressed for the challenge of a walk in the cold.

Unfortunately, the most of those nice moments didn't happen this year. We didn't have enough snow to go with sleighs or even throw a few snowballs! And I am 21! What a misery would it be for children of 6 or 8?!

Anyway: Lars ladies and gentlemen. A man full of winter visions and memories.

2007-05-15T15:57:00.000+02:00

I made an effort at designing last weekend because we have to make an e-portfolio in our master year. The designs can change in the near future, but I wanted you to know first hand! Although you won't see a guitar on most portfolios, I absolutely wanted it in mine. It has helped me relax and let out in these stressy months of working on my thesis ... so my friend, a Ibanez V300, can come along :)

A break would come in handy now

2007-05-01T21:07:00.000+02:00

A good night sleep and a summer vacation without having to deal with re-examinations would come in handy now. So, if there's a power, be with me in this one!

Photographer ... me like.

2007-03-22T11:23:00.000+01:00

Now I know this blog isn't exactly a regularly updated one nor a straight-up linkdump, but I'd like to give you another nice link: it's a photographer who I found at deviantart, and his photographs are very moody. Some dark, some happy, ... some for you to see!

shagagraf.deviantart.com

Postpone, delay, put off, ...

2007-03-21T13:15:00.000+01:00

I changed this picture thanks to the Photoshop miracles :) It isn't a photograph I took myself so I give credits to Joke B. from my youth club.

jump over rope
Originally uploaded by nikitacortez.

It's kinda my mood: dark (my fears and things I ain't succeeding in) and colourful (my hopes and dreams).

I looked up all the words for "uitstellen", this is what lookwayup.com gave me:

1. uitstellen [vc] (postpone, hold_over, put_over, table, shelve, set_back, defer, remit, put_off, prorogue) hold back to a later time. More...
2. uitstellen [vc] (delay) act later than planned, scheduled, or required. More...
3. uitstellen [vc] (adjourn, withdraw, retire) break from a meeting or gathering.More...

And right now I'm soooo putting things on the hold and it's really not a good thing! In my darker moods I keep thinking about a quote from Grey's Anatomy: "I'm damaged goods" although the protagonist Meredith keeps denying it. I, on the other hand, won't even try to deny it =). Selfknowledge is a good thing, right? Haha I keep telling myself that! Anyway, because it's an important year for me now (thesis!), I went to a timemanagement course with a classmate. It was actually more like a supportgroup for people who keep putting things on hold. My classmate and I were really pleased we weren't alone with our issues and he even made a joke that in a year I would be addicted to going to supportgroups. I see some sense in that!

Anyway, you find solace in other people's problems. It is comforting to see you are not alone :)

Things I love:
I have this original site in my RSS-reader: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ Be sure to check it out. It's also a really good inspiration for writing stories. One sentence and your mind is gone with imagination and situations to what the pictures can refer!

See you soon (if my bad habits allow it)

Rob Roy to the rescue!

2007-03-07T18:46:00.000+01:00

A title that takes you away to a movie or a heroic picture doesn't it? Well this isn't a post about famous movies or stunning actors. Curious? You better!

I impulsively went shopping for groceries today, as I didn't have any water left. During my small shopping quest I saw the flower stand and wanted to buy some, but in my practical mind grew another idea! Why should I buy flowers that are dead in a week? So I went to the floral shop in the shopping center and bought myself 3 cute little floras! 2 Small Kalanchoë pieces and 1 variety of a Daisy. The daisy's complete name is Bellis perennis "Rob Roy" (Madeliefje in Nederlands hehe). I googled the cuties cause I don't have a camera at my dorm. But look at how cute the Rob Roy is!

Kalanchoë (2 varieties)

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Originally uploaded by Amethist.

Kalanchoe
Originally uploaded by Mareen Fischinger.

→ picture found at wikimedia.

Paper toys!

2007-02-05T15:21:00.000+01:00

A friend just showed me these amazing toys that you can build yourself. Free downloadable patterns (PDF) so you can make box toys. No softies for a change, but still cute lookers!

"Readymechs are free, flatpack toys for you to print and build. They are designed to fit on an 8.5"x11" page and printed with any printer. You’ll need double-sided tape, thick matte paper, and 10-15 minutes for build time."

Check out the site of ReadyMechs and try some!

Also: to see how you can make your own flatpack toy, download a tutorial (PDF) here at computerarts.co.uk!

Always look on the bright side of life

2007-02-03T15:17:00.001+01:00

alwayslookonthebrightsideof
Originally uploaded by nikitacortez.

To keep in mind!

The Boy, the Cloud, the Umbrella and the Stars

2007-02-03T14:41:00.001+01:00

The Boy, the Cloud, the Umbrella and the Stars
Originally uploaded by Alberto+Cerriteño.

This is the type of thing I would lo-o-ove to make. Full of fantasy, imagination, interpretation is possible, and you get a happy feeling watching this little wonder!

The positive thing about my own illustrating style is: there's plenty of room to improve :)

Be sure to check out the artist at Flickr!

First snow

2007-02-03T12:40:00.000+01:00

The first snow fell a little while ago (a week or two ...? I can't quite remember. I wanted to wait for thicker snow to make a post of it) and it's still in my mind.

Little shimmerings en twirlers of frosted raindrops came dancing down in Limburg (Belgium) where I was at the time. The birds had gone, found a shelter, and hid silently from these softly bearers of wintertime. The world was silent for a moment or two and it was like Winter softly touched the landscape as it was whispering "I'm coming very soon ... a bit more patience".

Winter Wonder Land
Originally uploaded by Nele en Jan.

A spider web, taken by a Flickr member. I searched for Belgian snow pictures from this last few weeks.

Busy Buzz

2007-01-09T23:19:00.000+01:00

Since the IllustrationFriday buzz is all about "buzz" and I'm seeing all these buzzing bees and busy insects, I thought about writing a post in this busy period of my school project.

I've been thinking about my thesis subject for a long time now, and I can't seem to get my head around it in a structured manner. I keep thinking about the end product and not the research that gives a motivation for an end product. But the thing is: you have to define your research through a research question. Which immediately makes you think of solutions. I, for one, am one of those persons who immediately think of a practical solution. Asked for one or not ;). I'll even interrupt people in the middle of their complaining or speech if I come up with a logic solution.

But in this case ... the beginning of my research had nothing to do with my idea for a research question and an end product. I admit it. The end product came to me in sheer excitement and I keep thinking about how it is such a good idea.

Once you have an idea it keeps nagging you know. I can't seem to get rid of it. I keep going to that one idea. My coach suggests I start all over again. In like 1 day because my presentation of my pre-research is thursday. Start over with your thinking in one day AND make a good presentation and paper WITH layout in that SAME day.

Can you believe it?
Aï ... should I go to sleep or not? Because it would save like 8 hours of working, thinking, brainstorming, ... and utter sleep deprivement might (I said MIGHT) just make the difference.
I need a small miracle. Hopefully the new morning brings me better days, too.

What's smelling in here?

2007-01-05T15:22:00.000+01:00

You know when you smell something and then suddenly you're projected back into time, to a situation where that smell was on the background? A memory by smells and sounds ... there's a special name for it I guess. I once learned about it in Psychology, but I can't quite remember the article.

The thing is: I have a bad memory. A really bad memory. I only remember ups and downs, and mostly I remember the downs: the fights, the discussions, ... with friends, in school, at home, ... I never seem to remember the really good times. I should have the ability to mentally photograph reeaaally good moments in the past. God I could use them. Because I feel like I'm an old twat with no condition, no memory and I'm developping an annoying stutter. I think I need to see a psych =) perhaps it's an attention disorder haha!

Anyway what I was trying to say about the smells and the sounds ... I really have that: when I put on an old CD I really feel the feelings again when I was playing that CD. Like there's this CD when I was playing an RPG game, there's this CD with some reaallly good music that made me cry ... all good times!

And recently ... the Christmas smells! The way our living room smelled the first day the Christmas tree was installed! Or that time we made fondue, the whole week smelled of it ... And I liked it! Now it's gone :( Poef! Gone are the hollidays too! I'll sure miss you Christmas time!

I hope this time next year I'm successful and happy in whatever I do. If it's a job, a travel or even some creative-I-don't-get-paid-for-this-experiment, If I'm happy then I am happy for it now.

Cheers to a better future for all!

Just in between

2006-12-28T11:47:00.000+01:00

Hi!
I'm just in between blogthemes and my hopes on creating something myself are high! I'm really looking forward to doing something more like me. A very big example on fooling the bloggersystem to make it your own is veerle/duoh. Man if I just have an inch of that blogfeeling I'm in ;)

A Merry Christmas to all ( a bit late I know ) and (early!) a Happy 2007.

Greetz
Nikita

Another post gone!

2006-12-17T12:19:00.000+01:00

Blogger is jinxing me :(
I already have made 2 attempts at posting and when I push the publish button something goes wrong!
I'm a reeeeaaaaally slow blogger. I type very slow these days due to slow and painful joints and slow thinking, and it's even more annoying that I'm jinxed. Because I am.

On my blog for my thesis (nikitaontheproject) I made a post on Thursday and when I pushed "publish" there was a warning "Your HTML cannot be accepted: Closing tag has no matching opening tag: < / em >" so I decided to just delete the closing tag. Pressing on delete (or backspace I don't recall it) just made my WHOLE POST disappear. My whole post! And "Recover post" didn't work.

And ten minutes ago I tried to publish a post here (finally, since a month!) and the jinxed nikita got the screen "log in before you publish". So I LOGGED IN and POEFF: GONE WAS MY POST!

Something like that totally ruins my blognerves and my motivation. This post was motivated by something between "unbelievable!" and sheer rage.

Perhaps I'll save my post after every sentence or just make it in Word. If anybody has a better idea, or a potion to get this jinx off of me :( please say so!

A nikita on the edge of who knows what!

Crafty after a long, long time.

2006-11-13T16:09:00.000+01:00

I made this clay sculpture, named "Seamus", quite a while ago. I think it's been 3 months but I didn't photograph him yet and since I have now, I'm showing you this winged creature!
I named him "Seamus" and his buddy on the right "Angus" because I just like those "ancient" names, or at least they're ancient to me ;).

This one, Seamus, is really cute because of his eyes. It doesn't show much from the picture, but he's square at his feet and round at the top and he has wings. Check out my Flickr account to see more pictures!

I went to a ceramic artist / friend and when I got there, I didn't know what to make, so I went through my sketches and I decided to make the winged sculpture Seamus. And when I felt I didn't have enough, I made Angus, who is more like a chubby figure =).

Hope you like them and hopefully I'll post something interesting for ya'll soon.

Step up

2006-10-23T23:26:00.000+02:00

I just went to see "Step up", a new movie in the lines of "Save the last dance", "Havana Nights" and "Honey".

It's a really good movie. A very nice cast (I didn't dislike anybody =)) and good music! But above all ... GOOD DANCEMOVES and choreography! Anne Fletcher is the director and made sure the mov

I don't have very much to say about it without being corny but Step up is the bomb! It's a feel good movie and really good!

I went there with Wabbeke because she gave me the chance to use one of her free tickets to the AVANT-PREMIERE of the movie in Genk (Belgium). Luckily for us (not for Euroscoop though) we were like ... 2 of 18 in the WHOLE ROOM. Crazy for a first viewing of a movie!

The IMDB website didn't give good critics said Wabbeke but we liked it all the same. It really made us happy and anxious for a party with good music and moves hehe. Afterwards we went to the sitting area and made all sorts of crazy photographs in front of those posters and such.

So far so ... good ?

2006-10-12T12:03:00.000+02:00

I haven't posted in (again) a week. But I have excuses! I cleaned/cleared up my room and finished my project in there! It's no longer a clutter, it's an organized clutter! =)

I haven't had my best week in school because the project I wanted to make for my thesis - an online publication platform for young, Flemish, amateur authors - already exists. Writehistory.be is the project I found out about ONE DAY after I had to put my proposal online. writehistory has many features I planned on integrating in my own prototype. Luckily it's the start of October and I have to make it in April or something. I have still time until this Friday to come up with a new proposition or define another course for my current proposition.

My plan is to redefine my proposition and focus on the online cooperation between illustrators and authors. Like you have Writely (or GoogleDocs & Spreadsheets now) I want to have an online platform and community where authors/poets and illustrators can work on a project an publish the results in e-books or real printed books.

Anyone any suggestions? Let me know and let me know fast ;)

I said soon! Bean bags and "My date with Drew"

2006-09-28T18:13:00.000+02:00

A little post ... Cause I don't want to make too long posts. Here goes ..

I went home two days this week and the first day I really, really made an effort of cleaning up my room. I went at it from 10 - 15u30 straight. I did feel squeaky at the
throat from the lack of food but I didn't have a (working ehem) watch or clock near so I figured my mom would call me around one in the afternoon to give me food =).
Which she didn't. Because she was also busy cleaning up. I had to remind her that we didn't eat at noon. Big shock. Thanks mom :).

The second day I really wanted to make a penguin mascotte from a drawing from my youth club in soft pelt. I didn't succeed. It reeeeeeeaaally didn't went well. I had a front view and back
view from the penguin but I really wanted to make him 3D. Not just 2 pieces of felt sewed together ... with which my mascotte-efforts ended.

I then went to a cool starters book "Bean Bag Buddies" from which I made a green crocodile. Didn't work out well at the first time, at the second time, it was ...
enhancing but it was a good start. A good end to the penguin fiasco. I spend an entire morning and afternoon on the sewing thing. I was kinda disappointed after the penguin chaos because I didn't have as much as difficulty with my previous "softies". See proof at my flickr spot

The evening ended explicitly with a very good movie: "My date with Drew" I bought for like 7 euros. I recommend the DVD to everyone who likes feel-good-movies and Drew!

Last post today or I'm pushing it.

Hey does anyone where to get a Rocco print machine for crafters? I'm from Belgium so does anybody has a clue or do I have to ship it in. Or is it a goner cause I viewed the "save rocco" site for a few minutes. Perhaps it's not available anymore ... Let me know!

The holiday's over, time to blog again

2006-09-28T17:35:00.000+02:00

A long time since you heard from me ... I know. I admit I'm not even very ashamed because I have none to very few readers of this blog and the number of readers doesn't motivate me much to write.

But inspired I am! I'm still not grown into a regular blogger but I do read blogs a lot, especially those from crafters, softie-makers and such ... I follow the Month Of Softies-pool at Flickr a lot. And I've been drawing A LOT in the previous week and I'm thinking I should put them online. So when I get home, I'll scan my dearest and loveliest and put them online to give you (until now few) readers a bit of mixture of texts, songs that I love, craft pictures and drawings. What d'ya think?

I've been viewing the first season of One Tree Hill because I didn't have TV access or Internet access in the first week that I lived "at dorms". And the "Peyton" character really makes nice and original drawings (ofcourse originally made by one of those charming scenario illustrators hehe). That and the lack of TV and Internet made me draw a lot in the previous week.

Perhaps it's a good thing I had to miss TV and Internet for a change. We're so spoiled with everything at our fingertips that we don't use them for simpler things like drawing or making sculptures.

Anyway ... I hope to (re)start a good tradition of regularly posting on this blog. Even if I have little to say! For those who thought I'd given up and were glad they were rid of my scrambled thoughts ... aha! in your face! think again!

Naaah, I truly would adore to have a reader on this blog hehe. But no linkspammers pleaassse.

Greetz Nikita. See you soon!

Songs that touch the heart

2006-06-22T18:49:00.000+02:00

A recent song I very much like is "One" by U2 and Mary J. Blige. A nice "re-broadcast" of the song.

Now a different genre, beginning with ...

Seeing the first episodes of One Tree Hill (only saw 3 episodes yet ... I'm sooo going to beg Janneman for **legal episodes!) made me get to know Gavin DeGraw with the theme song: "I don't want to be" which struck me as terrific!

After exploring his songs I went to the online AOL sessions and there I finally saw the Dixie Chicks. I admit I couldn't put a face or a song on the Dixie Chicks but I already heard about them and the nasty boycot against them. The song on AOL was "Not Ready To Make Nice". Man. Whoa. Sorry Gavin, but you're history :) Seeing these "chicks" sing the song live ... with own acoustic guitar and a violin ... man, I had the shivers.

For now the Dixie Chicks are my favourite. Another great singer/songwriter from their genre is Alison Krauss. Some great songs from Alison & Union Station are: "Last Love Letter", "New Favourite", "It don't matter now" and "Take me for longing".

And now that we're going ... my father is a recent fan of Krista Detor and specifically of her song "Steal me a car". A song and a singer that's worth mentioning here too! And a friend with a gigantic music knowledge gave me CD of Christy Moore for the song "Viva La Quinta Brigada" and a CD with the song "A Couple More Years" by Ronnie Drew & Eleanor Shanley. That song is worth mentioning, too.

I'll leave it at that. Hope some of you find some nice new favourites amongst mine, especially if you're into country, folk, ...

Closure and a new beginning awaiting

2006-06-22T18:33:00.000+02:00

My internship ended two weeks ago and I've been so busy with writing an extensive report about it, learning my exams, ... that I've just come to realise that my third year is about to end, that my intership and my exams are past tense and past sense =)

So strange time goes so fast.

I must admit most of my time I'm just "flying on autopilot". I must live my life more vivid. More conscious of the time. I should begin right now!

But hey my vacation is booked full with holidays, youth camp and a job. Hopefully I'll pass through my exams and internship (I'll know it on Monday!) and then I still have 1 week to explore my surroundings. I wish time wouldn't go so fast ... I wish I had time and inspiration to make softies ... I wish I had time and commissioners to develop design and ITskills in my spare time. But for now it's just plain ol' me.

I'm ready for a new chapter in my life. For sure! Hopefully I won't waste time with complex thoughts or paranoia like "it's going too well" or "they don't like me".

Ready SET Go!

Just checking in

2006-03-31T10:05:00.000+02:00

Hi-hi

I haven't got much to tell, except that I'm now on my internship, that I don't have the hollidays and that the weather isn't well :(

I wanted to take a part in the MOS-march but I didn't have any time :(

Hey, but if anyone is interested: I'm planning on doing my thesis on 'a community and publication platform for young Flemish writers'.
If you have a suggestion for me (sites, writers' sites, e-readers, new revelations on flexible screens, ...) just go for it and leave me a comment!

Greetz! Nikita

PS: And from this time on, I will put my fonts in normal size, because the littlest size was perhaps too little (but that was because I mostly make huge posts - in my opinion overloading my blog). I know: I'm not a regular blogger, but a big one if I do!

Amala Planet

2006-02-26T11:30:00.000+01:00

I was sifting through blogs by 'next blog' item in the navigation and I came across some nice images on 'Amala Planet'. I can't understand a word of the comments, but I'll stick to the phrase 'A picture says more than a thousand words'.

Simple designs with one colour and a black'nwhite drawing. Go check them out!

Link: Amala Planet'

Korneel the penguin

2006-02-26T11:03:00.000+01:00

Korneel the penguin
Originally uploaded by
nikitacortez.

So here's [finally] the penguin I made a while ago. I promised to make it for a friend some time in December 2005. A month later I finally got round to making it and Korneel is the result! I didn't know if penguins have tails, so I didn't make one and due to time I didn't stuff the beak, wings and feet. But he can mostly stand by himself and with stuffed feet that could be tricky!

The new owner named him 'Korneel' and send me some pictures of him!
He now lives amongst Spongebob and some other 'Sea townies'.

See you later Korneel! Have a nice life! ;)

Zombies can be softies too you know!

2006-01-27T17:31:00.000+01:00

My next project will be around the series "Zombie Hotel" which I just happened to see a small segment of today on BBC1. They're adorable zombies "between Fawlty Tower and Adams Family"!!!

View the link to get a closer look of the zombies who I want to remake into softies! linkie linkie here! and click on a few stills to get a closer look of these amazing drawings!

By the way: I'm only interested in the main characters Fungus and Maggot.

Another "by the way": I made a softie for a friend in class and it was a penguin ... sadly I didn't take a picture before I took it to school :( I hope he'll make a decent photograph for my "history of fluffy softies"!. The new owner named the penguin "Korneel" which I find very cute hehe and by the way my English is decreasing in quality. Man oh man I really have to get my English act together!

Softies here I come!

2006-01-19T16:35:00.000+01:00

SHAME ON ME! :( :( Indeed, it's been three months and I'm terrible sorry! But in the back of my mind it's weird to post things here, while only a few of my friends read it. Why would anybody read a blog that isn't updated after all? It's that damn vicious circle I can't get out of =( I haven't updated the site of my youth organisation either ... there's still a santa on the main page *blush blush* (I seem like Janneman here hehe).

Anyway ... I didn't sit still under the holidays. I admit I didn't learn much or anything at all but that's because my exams begin in February (which is getting closer but not in my dimension!).

So here are some "softies" I made during Christmas holidays.

Let me know what you think!

Rafting in crafting

2005-11-15T12:07:00.000+01:00

I've always been interested in crafts and arts, and lately, by surfing through the blogs of crafters, I've been motived and inspired to do some crafting on my own.

I've been sculpting for a few years now, but only during holidays from school and the last 2 years, I must admit I haven't sculped much ... But here's something I sculped in one of my first sculpting days: it's a clay church, baked in raku (gives little cracks and sometimes smoke spots) and its purpose is to put a little light in it.

Here it is:

And the craft bloggers that I've been reading, weren't about clay, but were about stitching, sewing, ... and so on ...
Here are some great links to some great artists:
- Tania Ho at blogger & at flickr
- making a beautiful felt box
- making beautiful elephants
- loobylu
- and so many more! Just search them yourself and you'll find your destiny! =)

I myself came from the clay crafts to the sewing crafts because I'm particarly a fan of felt crafts. I haven't done the actual felting by using a needle, because unfortunately I haven't had much time to go down to the craft shop and get the materials. But someday I will!

In the mean time, I'll just go on fiddling with thick fabrics (left-overs from my mom's sewing projects). Here's what I've come up with this week ...

And ofcourse: every beginning is difficult and I noticed this indeed because the first elephant's slurf was too short so I sewed an extra piece to it, and the second elephant's slurf was too short too, but it was such a huge job giving him four legs that I just said goodbye to a long slurf!
The cow had one leg that was far too short, so I stitched her a longer leg, but it turned out a bit odd, you can see how the first leg is too much backwards. And the cow initially had another head, but it seemed more like a bear's head, so I'm keeping that for another time =)

So for my little projects, now hopefully I'm up to that felt box! But first: schoolwork :( :( :( :(

A heart incompetent and a donation too rare

2005-11-09T11:08:00.000+01:00

I've read a small article about a girl my age who had a rare disease that made her heart incompetent to give her much hope on a future. The only thing that she could do, was to say goodbye to her own heart and receive a new one. But it became clear that was a difficult task to fulfill.

Why?
Because the donation of organs can't support the need for them. You have to sign up to a waiting list ... which can take long, longer than your have. People die everyday ... that's a loss that everyone among us will have to carry someday. But people dying can be helped by giving them something they need most in the world: an organ.

Everyone among us can make the easy decision by helping a person in need: sign a form that gives doctors the chance to help others with your organs, in case you die. In Belgium it's very easy: you go to www.beldonor.be or you go to your town hall and fill out a form. In other countries you have: http://www.organdonor.gov (US) and http://www.uktransplant.org.uk (UK). If you're from another country you can look it up very easily on the internet.

Why?
It's easy for you to make this choice while you're still alive ... but it isn't easy for parents who just lost their children to decide to immediately to give up hope for their children and contribute the organs to others. Make this decision instead of giving them the hard time.
It's your life, it's your organ ... but it can mean someone else's life, too.

Good song

2005-09-15T13:37:00.000+02:00

This is another song that I think is great, because of the moral lyrics and because of the song itself.

Bruce Cockburn - If I had a rocket launcher
Here comes the helicopter -- second time today
Everybody scatters and hopes it goes away
How many kids they've murdered only God can say
If I had a rocket launcher...I'd make somebody pay

I don't believe in guarded borders and I don't believe in hate
I don't believe in generals or their stinking torture states
And when I talk with the survivors of things too sickening to relate
If I had a rocket launcher...I would retaliate

On the Rio Lacantun, one hundred thousand wait
To fall down from starvation -- or some less humane fate
Cry for guatemala, with a corpse in every gate
If I had a rocket launcher...I would not hesitate

I want to raise every voice -- at least I've got to try
Every time I think about it water rises to my eyes.
Situation desperate, echoes of the victims cry
If I had a rocket launcher...Some son of a bitch would die

Starry, starry night

2005-09-11T23:46:00.000+02:00

Starry, Starry Night

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colours on the snowy linen land

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds and violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colours changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artists' loving hand

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you

Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They're not listening still
Perhaps they never will...

- Josh Groban

I think this song is really good and touching. It's related to the madness (and genius) from which Van Gogh suffered.
I'll give a picture tomorrow or something in case you haven't seen some of Van Gogh's work.

Comin' down the world turned over

2005-08-13T00:31:00.000+02:00

Comin' down the world turned over
And angels fall without you there
And I go on as you get colder
Always someone there

(Black Balloons - Goo Goo Dolls)

So I forgot to tell one important thing: I never saw a falling star before, until the last day at our camp, at the camp fire ... My best friend Mien said that she saw one and I said "Hey, that's a shame, I never saw one before". So she explained how it looked like and how you should just focus on one piece of the sky and then perhaps you could see one ...

I was just saying "The odds of that are very smmm-all" when POEF! I saw one and I yelped together with Mien "Hey I saw one!"

So the camp was good and the end was good too, with a pretty sky and A FALLING STAR.

Thank you Sky, for showing me this.

Songs to cry for ... get yourself goosebumps

2005-08-12T18:47:00.000+02:00

K's Choice ~ Shadowman

Any time tomorrow I will lie and say I'm fine
I'll say yes when I mean no
And any time tomorrow
The sun will cease to shine
There's a shadowman who told me so
Any time tomorrow the rain will play a part
Of a play I used to know
Like no other
Used to know it all by heart
But a shadowman inside has let it go
Oh no, let go of my hand
Oh no, not now I'm down, my friend
You came to me anew
Or was it me who came to you
Shadowman
Any time tomorrow a part of me will die
And a new one will be born
Any time tomorrow
I'll get sick of asking why
Sick of all the darkness I have worn
Any time tomorrow
I will try to do what's right
Making sense of all I can
Any time tomorrow
I'll pretend to see the light
I just might
Shadowman
Oh here's the sun again
Isn't it appealing to recline
Get blinded and to go into the light again
Doesn't it make you sad
To see so much love denied
See nothing but a shadowman inside

[Chorus]

Oh, if you're coming down to rescue me
Now would be perfect
Please, if you're coming down to rescue me
Now would be perfect

Hanson ~ Yearbook

Dear Amy, see you in September
Hope that you remember me next year
Hey Jamie, you've been a great friend to me
I hope that I'll still see you around here
'Cause I'm looking through the yearbook then I find that empty space
There's a name without a picture, but I can't forget his face

Chorus:
Tell me where did he go, I want to know
Where did Johnny go?
It says, Picture unavailable right here
More than sad, it makes me mad to know somebody knows
There's a lying in your silence. Tell me where did Johnny go?

Poor Katie, she won't even speak his name
None of us will ever be the same
It's quiet in the halls, but I hear echoing off the walls.
The rumors of Johnny's mystery
'Cause I'm looking through the yearbook then I find that empty space
No he never wrote me nothing, but I can't forget his face

Chorus

Ohhh. There's a lying in your silence. Tell me where did Johnny go?
Ohhh. There's a lying in your silence. Tell me where did Johnny go?
Sometimes I think I hear him calling out my name
Sometimes I wonder if maybe we're to blame
It's been a year now and a lot of things have changed
But I keep thinking about Johnny. I keep turning to that page.
Where did he go I want to know, Where did he go I want to know?
Ohhh. There's a lying in your silence. Tell me where did Johnny go?
Ohhh. There's a lying in your silence. Tell me where did Johnny go?

Which songs give you the goosebumps? (I'll put a list of your fav goosebumps songs on this post)

Long time coming ~ songlist

2005-08-11T21:11:00.000+02:00

Just a "little" list of my favourite songs (If I had more time I probably would double the favs, but if I buy myself an MP3player, I certainly would want these to be on it:

bad day - daniel powter
incomplete - backstreet boys
let's make a night - bryan adams
lovin' whiskey - anouk
calling elvis - dire straits
broken heart - mavericks
only god knows why - kid rock
hero & against all odds & when you believe - mariah carey
bye bye love & I'm busted & Drown in my own tears - ray charles
What You're Made Of - Lucie Silvas

what a girl wants soundtrack

out of place - gavin thorpe
good life - leslie mills
greatest story ever told & half life & long time coming - oliver james
ride of your life - john gregory

shrek

It is you I have loved - Dana Glover
do you like pina coladas - sweetest thing
you belong to me - jason wade

oh brother where are thou?

I am weary
Go to sleep little baby
down to the river to pray

moulin rouge

I hope you don't mind
one day I'll fly away
your song (Elton John)

shake music

candy shop - fifty cents
milkshake - kelis
one thing - amerie
one, two step - ciara
rich girl - gwen stefani

If you want to let other know what YOUR fav top music is, comment on this blog =)

Brainlevel at 50%

2005-08-10T20:43:00.000+02:00

Today I came back from my camp and man am I tired! Tired is not exactly the state I am in, it's just ... brainlevel at a very low percentage. I don't feel any emotions except that the camp could have lasted a little bit longer.

So I'll post about the camp later, becaus right now ... it wouldn't be worth a lot. So it lasted ten days, we had 18 children and it's really weird going on a camp because you get to know the children in a different way: nasty kids can become your best friends and all their "bad days" are gone, and some appear to be HUGE whiners and of course ... some couldn't hold their ... stinking body fluids inside =)

The things I know I'll have to remember:

Between the leaders: stealing each other's food from the plates and making little plots to be able to do this. Making fun of each other, puffing in the air to say "the other one is babbling and babbling" ... speaking in English in the hope that the children wouldn't understand us. A perfect way to communicate!
Between the children and us: a comment from a kid "may I sleep naked", or some kid who very friendly and seriously said "X is a bit dumb" or "X, you are weird, hehe". (I can't tell the names, because perhaps they would be offended). Another funny thing is when they stuff themselves and indeed, they do it all the time! we constantly heard "leaders, can I have some more bread", while they already had 3 sandwiches. They eat more than me! And another funny event was when a whiner next to us (who doesn't much) made a ball from his bread and we said "hey, X, you can't play with your food, eat it" and he put all of it in his mouth in one bite haha, and he couldn't put his lips together so you saw a little piece of bread hahaha and his chewing was really funny.

Talk to you later. Here are some photographs: (none of the photographs were taken by me)

Happy Birthday Wout

2005-07-31T12:07:00.000+02:00

Helaba Wuteken!
Omdat het je verjaardag is, en ik dan op kamp ben en misschien niet van me kan laten horen hier een kaartje, te bezichtigen door iedereen op het internet! (niet dat er velen daarvan mijn blog gaan lezen).

Dus gelukkige verjaardag en ik wens je heel veel plezier (versuz) en succes (goede punten) natuurlijk! En wie weet zegt iemand nog eens ja als je ze ten huwelijk vraagt =) (ps: als je wilt dat ik deze post wegdoe zal ik het na 't kamp doen hehe)

Camp in Egypt theme

2005-07-30T12:27:00.000+02:00

So ... tomorrow I'm leaving for Egypt =)
Our camptheme is Egypt and the name is "The grave of Aboe Simpel" and we made the decor and there'll be a pyramid, a sfinx, e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Except the desert. We only have a small sandbox at the camp place.

So you won't be seeing much of me at this blog for about 10 days. I'll miss the most of Suikerrock (festival in our region) but for who went yesterday: Satellite City is the bomb =)

So ten days without me on this blog ... some will be relieved ... others ... well ... it's hard to divide my readers into sections because I only have like 4 reades ha =). But for those who're going to miss me there's always "bezoekdag" (visiting day) on Sunday the 7th of August in Balen (from 14U00 to 17U00). And for those who want to send me a postcard here's the address:

Nikita Cortez
Bivakplaats Malou
Zwaluwstraat 2
2490 Balen

For those who want to receive a postcard from myself, send me a mail or sms =). If you're nice enough, I'll make an effort. No, I was just kidding! You're worth a postcard of course!

I'm off now, filling the trucks till eight this evening. Wish my back and me goodluck!
Nikita on the road.

Hiccup hiccup hiccup

2005-07-28T00:18:00.000+02:00

Hiccup hiccup hiccup ... it's been bugging me all day.
It's only when you stop thinking about it or take very drastic measures that it stops.

How about a little questionnaire:

With what would you compare hiccups ...and ...
Which cures do you know for it (superstition or not)

Goodnight everybody and hope the hiccups don't get you!

First Gear

2005-07-25T21:41:00.000+02:00

How my first family lesson of driving was ...
I live beside a football field, so I went there for my test lesson with my sister (codename lizette) and her boyfriend "den berre" :)

My dream with car lessons always was that if I had to drive my first few meters I wouldn't just start-and-stop with not even moving an inch. But hey! I got my dream! I didn't stop for about 10 meters or even more, because I put my foot too hard on the gas pedal so we drove rEALLy quick! (my sister says it was just 20 km/h haha but it seemed a hell of a speed to me!)

After a few start-and-stops my sister stepped outside of the car because she's got the habit of getting sick real quick. Her boyfriend kept the lesson going (very bravely of him hehe) and I tried first gear and second gear for a bit. My next lesson will be about stopping at a stop sign and then driving further, because at the further part I always stop completely ("stilvallen dus").

So hereby I thank Lizette and den Berre for my first lesson!

PS: I know I'm about to turn twenty but I just like to experiment with all kinds of colours so even if this colour is getting the worst of you ... hang in there buddy buddy =) and try to get accustomized to it!

How I love those MINI (accomplishments in life)

2005-07-25T21:22:00.000+02:00

So ...
my goal this week was to get my temporary driving licence and guess what ... I managed to get it! Wohoow! It just can't go bad it seems!
I learned one morning and one afternoon this week, went for it a day later and BAM! That document is MINE!

Speaking of driving and cars ... I'm letting you in on my favorite car of all time: the Mini (old version).

I just adore this cute car!

Not to put my dream in one little box, I extended my passion to the plain species of "old timers".
This means that not only the Mini gives me a high, also the R4, the old Beetle, old Goat and any old model keeps my drams going!

I searched a site with good pictures, didn't find any ... but I did come across of some weird and funny names of cars and car series:

1960 McDonough Buckboard
1949 King Midget Series I
1959 Frisky Family Three
1945 Rolux Baby
1958 Goggomobil T-250 Sedan
2001 Corbin Sparrow
1963 Trojan 200 (these are those cars that you have to get out of by opening the front window/door --> the car that Steve Urkel in "Family Matters" drives I think.

All this funny pictures and adorable cars at this place

That's right! It's pooh-time!

2005-07-20T21:43:00.000+02:00

School's out, free time is O-N!

I spent my second week of this holiday on a little job: I was a monitor for a holiday Kindergarden, which wasn't a difficult job because I monitor kids every Sunday throughout the year, so I'm accustomed to kids ... to the kids' environment and way of thinking. Actually, I came to terms this week that the Chiro group that I'm leading this year is perfectly fit for me: little children from 6 to 8-9 years who can still imagine that they're princesses or strong wizards. Kids who can be afraid with a daring game, or kids who can be unbound motivated to give a game a go (nice alliteration hu =)). Of course some kids whine with every little fall or absolutely have to show their loose teeth ... or (a less cool aspect of the job) can't hold it in at night, don't wake you and in the morning when you wake up ... you notice something strange by an odd smell ... mhm what could that be ?!

That's right! It's pooh!
The title with the pooh was to distract you hehe. Perhaps you were thinking about a nice little fluffly animal that likes honey hu? Well these children like honey too, but they don't mind to puke it out or shit in their beds ... and 5 hours later ... you may clean up the soaked, smelly mess. (I'm just remembering our little sleepover weekend in April, when this happened. And for the people who didn't notice it: I'm talking ironically about these kids and their excrements!)

While receiving an Emmy for what I have to put up with: "Oh well thank you very much ... I love to be a Chiro leader =) I just a-dore little children! (Not to mention their pee habits)"

Well, see you later people and don't let the bed bugs bite! (man, alliterations are C-O-O-L! Let's start a contest!)

Checking in on the school part

2005-07-20T19:56:00.000+02:00

Helloowww frigoooww
So ... I passed my second year of college (Communication and MultimediaDesign in Genk, Belgium) and I'm off to the third year, but as I'm starting to think about next year, I'm remembering why I chose C-MD in the first place, and I can remember nothing coming out of it. Doubts (or shall I say: a few concerns) are beginning to rise to the surface ...
To my opinion C-MD hasn't fulfilled my dreams. Becoming an expert of a few programs, becoming a good programmer and designer ... It's all selfstudy, which of course ... isn't put away for me. It's not one of my main ... qualities (hoping that I have at least one =) ).

So ... what's my goal for this summer: to develop my programming and designing further and getting my theoretical driver's licence.

And one of my other reasons for choosing C-MD was that it merged multiple art areas into one. But somewhere along the line the blending part was put to a halt I guess, because we haven't had printed media assignments. All on the net about websites, but nothing to illustrate a book's cover or make a little magazine in real life that you can actually hold in your hands.

A bit too bad. And talking about bits, this bit of text is slightly negative, but I'll make sure the next one is more positive and speaks of a true "joie de vivre" (for now you'll have to live with this kind of text colour hu =) )

See you soon
Nikita

Gilmore Girls quote

2005-06-22T23:20:00.000+02:00

This is my absolute, indisputable, final, ... favourite quote / scene of the fabulous show Gilmore Girls:

First, for some background and more (other) favourite quotes or scenes from Wabbeke: http://stuckintheweb.blogspot.com/2005/06/ask-me-question-part-1.html

Now ... for my ultimate favourite quote:
MAN ON CASSETTE: You're a road in need of some repair. If your score is between 30 and 40 points, then you're a road laden with potholes and you need a double striping. And if your score is 40 or above, it's jackhammer time because your road is impassable. LUKE: Yikes.

MAN ON CASSETTE: Chapter 7. Men, a question -- what is fantasy? The answer -- fantasy is the imaginative fulfillment of your heart's desire. And one of the most common fantasies for single men is the fantasy of your ultimate companion. LUKE: Yada yada yada.

MAN ON CASSETTE: Story time. I had a friend -- let's call him Phillip -- who couldn't make up his mind amongst three different women that he liked. I developed a test for him...and for you. LUKE: Oh, goody.

MAN ON CASSETTE: Whose phone calls or visits are never unwanted or too long? Do you see her face? Who would you most like to have in your life to ward off moments of loneliness? Do you see her face? When you travel, who would make your travels more enjoyable? Do you see her face? When you're in pain, who would you most like to comfort you? Do you see her face? When something wonderful happens in your life -- a promotion at work, a successful refinancing -- who do you want to share the news with? Do you see her face? Whose face appears to you, my friend? Whose face?
LUKE: Whoa.

Source: script of season 4, episode 20: * Luke Can See Her Face *

Expect the unexpected

2005-06-22T22:37:00.000+02:00

I had an idea for my blog since a week or so: I can write about all these little things that I come across on my way to school and of course in my life. But pay good attention and expect the unexpected, because my thoughts go from one thing to another end without a logical association between them, I guess I'll make my blog in the same way. In Dutch we call this method: "van de hak op de tak springen": jump from one branch to the next, but others might see you jump. So beware: nikita is on the loose!

Here's my first idea: some nice pictures I took (I find them nice, so bare with me!).

Here is a nice picture about a flower: like my thoughts collide and melt, this flower represents the threads in my brain very well =)

My new two sheeps (cheap shop "Zeeman" rules because the sheeps "Sören and Sille" were like 13% of their original price!! And it's not fake! hehe)

A little adjustment of the photograph. Some might hate it, others might ... not ignore it completely.

Why "nikitaontheloose"?

2005-06-22T22:16:00.000+02:00

Well, in my previous blog (for a school assignment) I told my fellow students that I would make a new blog and for real this time! I gave them the assignment to develop a good title for it and here are the best (and only ideas) they came up with:

Wout said...
What about "Nikki's hysterical life"? ;-) or "Panic all around"? :-pNo, seriously, you say and do a lot of funny things. Maybe you can write about the embarassing stuff I always laugh about :-p There are enough quotes to keep this blog going forever! :-D
Wabbeke said...
I know some titles:"Fries, give me FRIES!!""No fries without Nikki!""Nikki... unplugged"of "Nikki on the loose"Haha, I'm just typing whatever comes into my head.I'll try to think about some other titles ;)

PS: these are fellow bloggers, so you'll find my 2 best readers in my links section!

A new blog is born

2005-06-22T22:06:00.000+02:00

Wednesday, the 22th of June and my new blog is a fact. This'll be my first online diary and humor box for anyone to read. I waited especially to make "nikitaontheloose" after my exams and today I had my last one, so here's my new blogbaby!

I already made one blog for a school assignment and that's how I came across this great blogconcept of www.blogger.com: the first site I came on in search for my blog, and it's been a perfect marriage ever since! It hasn't let me down so far, and I would encourage anyone of you to make one yourself! It's very easy to stay in touch with your friends during holidays or when they're off to another school / country / ... You name it and blogspot is the answer! =)

I'll post some of my last posts for you to get an idea on how this new blog will turn out. I hope I won't write too much, because I know myself and I tend to go over the top sometimes ... I apologize in advance hehe.