Day 5: Soundtrack Day!

Project for November 5, 2013

I have had the projects done for the past couple of days, but have not been in a position to post due to internet access.  So, here's the first one!

I decided that since I had a movie poster, I would see if I could concoct a soundtrack.  I realized that I didn't have any recording equipment.  I also didn't have any instruments.  Then I realized that I had a very limited amount of time.

Next step . . . YOUTUBE!

Of course, I know that it's easy to find soundtracks and add them, but I wanted to make sure that I had the right ones for my poster.  That's much harder to do than it looks, especially since there's no actual storyline as of yet.  So I changed the project.

I decided to make a soundtrack of my day using movie themes and famous pieces.

Below are my selections.  I thought about narrating them, but just listen to them in order for the full effect of the day and then you can imagine what went on.

Remember to Live (and listen) Orange :)

Waking Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pGaz_qN0cw

Off to Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJL39_YuUC0

At Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPWURszQlU0&list=PL49E968125244043A

Still At Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCjjAW2ppGM

Lunch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhpiQ4aZ75k

Back to Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzkoVx_SNa0

More Work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhpiQ4aZ75k

Going Home!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IBlQj2U5kU

Off To Bed!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxe0h5zxynA

Day 4: And Then There Was One . . .

Project for November 4, 2013

For those of you who are Agatha Christie fans, the title And Then There Were None should be well-loved and exciting!  If you haven't read it, go read it now.  Seriously.  Get up, go to the bookstore or download it or whatever and start reading - okay, after you read this post.  It really is a fascinating book.

By the time I had finished workshops and socials and all of the things that happen at a conference I almost forgot to do my project.  But of course, that's the beauty of it: doing something off the cuff or spur-of-the-moment.  That is Living Orange!  I looked around my hotel room for inspiration and found very little.  I've been trying to pack light recently so I didn't have a whole lot of help from my stuff.  But the more I thought about the furniture in the room, the more it began to look like a scene from a 1960s or 1970s film.  So why not see if I could come up with an ideas for a movie poster using only what I had here?

I instantly looked around the room for things to use.  I don't know why I picked the boot.  It was the only thing around that had some character I suppose, but I just set it up and started taking pictures.  I probably took a dozen from three or four angles and decided I would figure out a name once I chose the photo.

One thing I forgot was that my roommate for the conference was still there in the room.  I'm not sure what she thought when she got out of the shower to find the person she was sharing her room with taking a picture of a boot, but she was very gracious about waiting for me to explain myself before passing judgment.  I'm not sure what that judgment was or is in the end, but oh well.

I think one of my next projects will be to create a storyline for the film, but for now, here is my movie poster of And Then There Was One.

Live Orange!

Day:3 Alien Invasion & Crash Satellite Landing

Project for November 3, 2013

Last night after finishing my work project, I wanted to do something fun, but I also didn't want to do anymore cut and paste.  I already felt like Edward Scissorhands after all of the prep for that set of table decorations.  So, I found this amazing app that lets you film your own special effects. . . in your own yard!!!

A note when doing this project at night.  Make sure your neighbors are aware that there really isn't an alien attack or a satellite crash-landing in the back yard.  I didn't do that, so I'm sure my reputation as the weird neighbor is being upheld since I was out yelling "ahhh" at 10:00 at night. Probably not the best thing now that I think about in hindsight, but hey, I tried to speak softly.  I hope you enjoy my first foray into special effects.  It only took about 5 minutes, but I hope that I can get better and try again soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O94FOoEDFQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALgrtkWV4Rw

Day 2: Calling the Costumes Department

Project for November 2, 2013

I was pondering what to do for my next project and an upcoming business meeting helped me decide.  Over the course of the last 7 years I have moved 8 times.  I have lost some jewelry due to the fact that my box broke on one move and at several points some jewelry has broken while trying to put it on.  Several times I have lost earrings that have been caught on a sweater or other things.  Needless to say, losing an earring the other night in the same manner inspired my project: a new set of jewelry.

The problem is that I don't have a budget to just buy new pieces, so I came up with a plan.  Going to Hobby Lobby and Michaels, I perused the aisles for inspiration.  That's when I came across the pendant below.  It reminded me of two of my favorite movies: Pirates of the Caribbean and Horatio Hornblower.  I have always loved naval history and literature so this seemed the perfect start.  Thanks to constant perusing and some sales, I came up with the pieces in the picture below.  Suffice it to say that I appreciate movie budgets more now!

I already had the pearl necklace so I got the pendant for $3 and added a clasp and voila!  New necklace!  Fortunately for me, the charms for the earrings were matching and on sale so I now had a set.  I needed a watch and really have little appreciation for the "jelly bands" in Wal-Mart and I wanted something that would not only look nice, but would go with what I bought.  I couldn't afford to do what I wanted (leather is ridiculously expensive!) So I bought a little piece of threader leather and some ribbon and the matching ship piece strand.  It took me over an hour to put it together like I wanted, but it really worked out in the end.  At least I like it :)

Hopefully it will all stay together . . . I guess I'll find out this week!
I have attached two pictures based on lighting to get a better feel.  I hope you enjoy.

Day 1: The Treasure Map

Project for November 1, 2013

Okay, so I wanted my first activity to be fun and exciting, but it was pouring down rain outside and it was dark by the time I finished my shopping and preparation for a project at work that's due Monday.  I have been in the mood to do something fun and adventurous since
I started watching The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines during dinner.  The problem was that everything that came to mind involved needing dry weather or daylight.

Then I had it: I could create my own archaeological artifact, complete with a legend, based solely on things I could find in my house!

My quest began:
Old clothes . . . a whistle . . . an air freshener . . .
I wasn't coming up with much.
I found some jewelry and some blue duct tape, but nothing jumped out at me as being material for an Indiana Jones movie.

Finally, I found some faux parchment writing paper that was designed to look several hundred years old.  I remember buying it a couple of years ago at a museum gift shop for stationary.  I had a pack of small sheets.

Oooh! I can make a map to my artifact!

I still hadn't given up on making an artifact yet.  I dug through some old boxes and found my Jacksonville Jaguar headphones, but nothing else.  I finally struck out.

And then I did something dangerous: I started thinking . . .

So here is my first project:

I have created the treasure map in the picture below.  Since I don't have any treasure, I have to figure out where it leads and what the treasure is!  For those who are going to to ask the obvious question "If you wrote the bloody thing, don't you know where you're going to go and what you're going to find?".  The answer is a resounding no.

I had several ideas in mind for writing the map.  I had to make sure that there were features that were common to a lot places.  I did have several locations in mind while I was drawing, so there was some definite inspiration.  But here's the catch: I'm going to take this map with me to Raleigh on Monday and visit a park or location to which I have never been or to which I have not been in so long that I have forgotten the layout.  Then I'm simply going to follow the map and see where it goes.  When I get there, I will use whatever I can find/buy at the end of the map to create the one for Tuesday.

I hope this inspires you to draw your own treasure map and randomly follow it!

Can we start now? . . . How about now?

One of the most life-changing things I've ever done is to take the Real Colors personality assessment and discover that I was equally blue/orange.  What the heck does that mean?  Real Colors personality assessment is has four different personality types: Gold, Green, Blue and Orange, with the goal to help people understand themselves better while also understanding others better.

EXAMPLE:  I have always hated itineraries.  They are a necessary evil in some situations, but they have absolutely no use on a vacation.  Try telling that to my father.  Growing up he planned out everything where we went, what we did, when we ate, etc,.  The plus side was that we always made it to things on time.  The negative side was that there was no adventure.  Just travel, just take off and go.  Don't worry about when you'll get there, or what you'll do.  Hey, you don't even have to worry about how you'll get there.  Just start and when you come to something you like, you'll stop and do it.  (Did I mention that most of the time when I go on vacations with my dad now we usually separate and meet back up?)   My dad is a Gold - a very high Gold.  Itineraries are important to him and that's how he operates.  I have to understand that if I want to hang out with him.  Conversely, my very Orange vacation tendencies would have me going positively bonkers if I didn't take off and do some adventuring.  So we compromise on family vacations now.

If you've never taken this assessment, or don't care about assessments, or have taken other assessments, that's fine... but check it out anyway.  While I embrace being Blorange ([blue/orange] now isn't that more fun to say?), I have more often tapped into my blue side because of what I thought I should or shouldn't do.  Needless to say, when I found the book, 365: A Daily Creative Journal: Make Something Everyday and Change Your Life, by Noah Scalin, I though about really trying to live more orange.  After a very difficult six years, I was ready to embrace my more fun and creative side of life.

Living Orange is having fun, being outgoing, creative, and spontaneous.  So what does that mean for this blog?  Well... we're about to find out!

Even if you've never taken the assessment, the posts should give you the answers to what it means to be Orange for me.

SO in the pages of this blog, you will find the episodes of a 365-day journey that I intend to take starting Halloween.  I'm not sure where this journey will take me or where my theme will go, but I can't tell you how excited I am!  I'm bursting with ideas!  I want to start three weeks ago! (don't you just love exclamation points!)  I hope you will join me and post your ideas and make comments.  If you think it's crazy, well great!  It's always more fun in a group! :)