I wanted to share how I arrived at my recently completed image: "The NY Incident" It started with a rough sketch in my sketchbook: Taking it a step further, I began to fill in the big shapes with color and material breakup. Originally, this was going to be an ARMY or Marine themed robot that sported "cloth tech" (since its all the 'rage these days). I gave it a Ranger Green color scheme with cloth arms and legs. I spent hours trying to find unique shapes that were 'clean, easy to read, yet complex at the same time. (It's harder than u may think). Adding details helped (although doing so at this stage was probably a bit premature). I decided to use more organic shapes for the chest piece, arms and legs. The helmet changed too. So did the gun.. Ok, basically everything changed. (Hey, I never said I was efficient). It was starting to look like this: At some point, I opted not to take the easier "cloth tech" route and instead, decided to flex my artistic muscle by actually figuring out the joint designs.... AND THEN THIS HAPPENED: And suddenly, everything clicked. The skies parted and beams of sunlight flooded my room with a brilliance that was blinding. My image had purpose and the 'bar had been set. So, after cursing the glare caused by my neighbors window, and then getting up from my desk to close the blinds, I quickly sat down and got back to work. Changing the thinking of my image, I ditched the military theme and went with "Police" instead. That choice affected some of my shape designs and robots aesthetics. I kept the arms and legs a simple shape, but added extreme intricacy to all of the joints. I also decided to push past just doing a stand alone robot, and opted to place it into a scene. Why? Doing so not only makes the robot more relate-able to the audience,but helps to define it's universe and is a great way to tell a narrative. I started by adding a police officer (who happens to be a real police officer and friend of mine) into the image: Then I threw in a background and started adding by-standards and onlookers whose attention was focused off screen. (Because each person was collages from a different image, figuring out the perspective and lighting on this thing was a nightmare). Side note: After showing my rough block-in to my police buddy, he pointed out that they are not allowed to talk on the phone while one duty (learned something new there) so trying to keep this image as plausible as possible, I changed his stance. Adding more details while cleaning up the image, it started taking shape. Almost done. some final additions and the image concludes with this: I hope you guys enjoyed that brief rundown. Thanks for looking

Every New Year, I make a resolution to read more. Not that I don’t read, clearly. I read every single day, all the time, non-fucking-stop. Newspapers, magazines, books, The Internets. But I don’t always read the best writing. And I don’t always read as many really great books as I’d like to. So this New Year, once again, I’m making a pledge to be good to myself and my brain and pick up some excellent books. They say print is dead, but you’ll never look as sexy holding a Kindle as you do a book – trust me. Christina Ricci Audrey Hepburn Emily Haines Marilyn Monroe Evangeline Lilly Marion Cotillard Jessica Stam Kate Winslet Winona Ryder Alyson HanniganWillow is my favorite book nerd, period. So ladies, let me have it, what should I be reading this year?

This is a graphic organizer we are using with our 3rd graders. It is helping them take biographies and organize the important information to truly understand that person. Can be used for older and younger grades as well! We used the Where in the World section to list important places the person l...

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Learn how to build strong arms like Lost actress Evangeline Lilly with this workout, at womenshealthmag.com

Well, I've been plotting this costume for YEARS...I remember this movie from when I was little, and how beautiful it was. Unicorns, fairies, a princess, a forest-boy, a dark lord, gorgeous settings...what's not to love there? This dress, though, required some strategy, in more ways than one. I used no patterns....that's right, I had to start from scratch for this one. The 'base' is the bodysuit, which I made using a textured spandex (more April Johnston fabric---I love it!). It's basically a sleeveless pull-on bodysuit with elastic around the legs to prevent ride-up. I had to take it in across the shoulders, as it wanted to pucker and not rest across the back. This part has to be pretty stable, as everything attaches to it. Watching the movie, you never get a terribly fantastic view of the dress. I watched it on the dark dancer, and took many screengrabs. I did the same when Lilly wore it, and it seems the shoulders have a different silhouette. Maybe there were 2 dresses made, with little differences. Who knows? So I went with the silhouette on the dancer. The shoulderpads are made from 2 layers of thick fun foam sandwiching a stem of steel hoop boning that I cut off to about 14". It is bent so that it curves upward off the shoulder. To attach them to the bodysuit, I used wide industrial strength black velcro.Then, to keep them from working off the shoulders (they can be heavy), I strung thin black elastic between them in the back (the elastic criss-crosses across my back just below the neck, and isn't noticable once the collar is on). That did the trick. The collar is 2 layers of thick funfoam reinforced with wooden dowels. I covered it all in a shimmer black chiffon, then trimmed it out in sequin trim. A lond wooden dowel runs down the center and extends about 8 inches down the back, keeping it stable. The front of the collar is part of it, and attaches to the neckline of the bodysuit with the same elastic. This keeps the neckline very sturdy (I used garment tape anyway, of course, to prevent wardrobe malfunctions). The drapes and skirt are made from an assortment of black silk charmeuse (dyed), black lace, black chiffon, and black sequined chiffon. It is distressed at the edges, and I even burned holes in the chiffon to create a creepy vibe (I did this very carefully!). The skirt is gored and quite full, with a drape added which attaches to my arm with a clear elastic band that is sewn in. The wing-drapes, which fall off the shoulder structure is distressed in the same manner, and attaches to my fingers in the same way the skirt attaches to my arms. Movement in the dress, then, tends to look elegant and flowy, as it does in the film. The jeweled sash looks quite beautiful in the film, and is the only part of my version I would like to re-do. I made mine with silver spandex (dancewear) and covered it in acrylic gems of various shapes. The top is a ruffled rosette made of the same fabric, and I strung rhinestone strands from it. I actually used chicken wire to make the headpiece, shaping it the way I needed in order for it to wear well and look reasonably accurate. This gown was not terribly uncomfortable to wear, but did chafe my neck a little. I was very cautious of the neckline, but it all held together well. I actually edited it a bit, as it should plunge a bit lower. I also made the collar a little smaller so that I could get through doors and elevators with no problem. photos by David Skirmont Created: Summer of '12 Events: Dragon*Con '12 Awards: Runner-Up: Craftsmanship, Dragon After Dark Finalist for Best in Show, Dragon After Dark     

A shaggy pixie cut is a short hairstyle that combines two popular cuts: the pixie and the shag. What we love about this style is how laid-back it really is: casual, no-fuss, and natural. The

Hey friends! I am popping in real quick to remind everyone that TPT's Back to School Sale is coming up!! On August 4 & 5, everything in my store will be up to 28% off with promo code BTS14! Here are some products for Back to School that you may be interested in! Just click on each picture to check them out! And don't forget to check out my novel and book units, seasonal packs, and my different math games and puzzles! Now is the perfect time to stock up for the year :) Now I need to go get my cart ready for the big sale! Happy shopping!!

This week is busy and so I leave you with some STUNNING photography by one of my colleagues.. Dr. Arthur Anker! He studies mostly shrimps and other crustaceans but does incredible things with a camera! If you're looking to hire a biologist who knows his decapods he gets my vote! Artour's full photostream can be found here on Flickr! Enjoy! This looks like the top side of Ophiarachna Here's the mouth and underside.. Damn... just stunning. An electric blue Ophiothrix from Australia (Great Barrier Reef) Here's an Ophiothrix from Panama Ophionereis? I think.. from Panama I believe this is Ophioderma (giraffe patterned) from St. Martin Some baby brittle stars from Moorea! Some Non-echinoderms... A male sea spider... An amazing worm (Trypanosyllis sp. (Syllidae) from Moorea, French Polynesia. (ID by Leslie Harris) A polychaete worm (Nereis cf. riisei) rolled up into a spiral One of the most beautiful (and IMHO best named) crabs in the world-Lophozozymus incisus A sexy yellow and purple hermit crab Pylopaguropsis lemaitrei from Moorea

Recent research in mice turned to the blood-brain barrier for clues as to why Alzheimer's disease occurs and how to stop it.

Has anyone turned comedy into an art form of character, self-determination, and difference the way Lily Tomlin has? At 75, she's still bringing many worlds and wavelengths into her home-built performances. She talks about her coming to New York and her coming up the comedy ranks.