So I’m finally moved, and all settled in. It was a long process, but my new place finally has all its amenities, and my room is all set up and ready for ART! To see a new piece I cranked out as a “warm up” go check out my Tumblr. As I’ve been settling in (and racing up to the last minute to get ready for a Bridal Shower for my bestie), I’ve been able to explore around a little in my new hometown of Burbank. I have hardly scratched the surface of what Burbank contains, but these were my first favorite things I found in my adventures so far!

1. The Sun* – San Francisco is known for its lack of sun most of the year. I got used to overcast skies, fog, and chilly breezes more often than not. My first day in Burbank brought me a brilliant, shining gold disk in the sky that I no longer recognized! What is this bright, warm… THING that bears down upon me? This strange, golden creature creates the need for “Sunglasses” and “Warm weather apparel.” I’m at a loss, but I certainly have been enjoying it!

2. Gas Station Topiarys (Topiaries?) – During my many visits to LA, I have realized that “gas station topiarys” are a thing. A THING, I tell you! Quite a few gas stations have sported these cheerfully kept, animal-shaped bushes on their corners! In my time I’ve seen dolphins, donkeys, and now my favorite– pegasi! This gas station is now officially 20% cooler.

3. It’s so pretty! – The San Fernando Valley (while I’m told is scorching and miserable during the summer months) is absolutely gorgeous! Here is a view of some mountains during sunset. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor! … okay, it’s prettier in person. Photos never do landscapes justice.

4. PORTO’S** – This cuban cafe and bakery is absolutely, supremely, you-won’t-believe-me-til-you-try-it mind-blowing. The long line and intense crowd is worth every single moment because once you taste their food, it’ll be like you’ve directly sampled the ambrosia of the gods, and can never again enjoy any other food. Especially the potato balls. ESPECIALLY the potato balls.

5. This car – This fabulous car that I snapped one night reminds me of my bestie (the non-bridal shower one), Prentice.

*Photo from Wikipedia.org
**Photo from LA Travel Bug: Check out their review of Porto’s

So over the last week, I’ve been packing up my apartment in preparation for moving to Los Angeles this Sunday. Moving is always frustrating at worst and comical at best, so during these cardboard-heavy days, I began chronicling the things I hated about moving on my Facebook. After I reached #10, I thought I would collect these items in an amusing digest for the world to see. Each one is something that I HATE about moving, separated by several hours or days.

7) This Photo:

10) My unhelpful labeling helper, Boyfriend. TAPE GUNNNNNN!

*Turns out I eventually found the tape gun several hours later. In an attempt to show my displeasure at the complete mess that my room had become, I decided to “put away” the tape gun by putting it inside of an empty drawer that no one thought to look in. *grumble*

I freshened up my website’s look a bit! Now featuring Cute Cartoon Paint Corgi, instead of Kid’s Book Style Watercolor Corgi! Check it out!

I had a real whirlwind end to 2012. Finals, planning a bridal shower for my bestie, traveling, X-mas, and getting horrifically sick were all part of the fun! It was a huge explosion of stress and shenanigans. Now that I’m back in SF and the holidays (and illness, and finals) are all done, I’m left with needing to dejunk/sell/donate a bunch of stuff and pack up everything I own for my great Trek to LA in 17 days! That’s right, on January 20th, I’m moving to Los Angeles to chase jobs/dreams/Sawtelle Blvd because I love that place/sunshine/happiness. I’m sad because I love SF and all my wonderful friends up here. At least it’s easy/cheapish to get back and forth (Megabus for $3, anyone?) so hopefully I’ll be up here visiting quite a lot. It’s sad to look around my apartment (and city!) that’s been my home for 2.5 years and know that soon I won’t live here anymore!

But instead of getting choked up about what I’m leaving behind, I need to focus on the excitement of what I’m moving to! I’m really excited about it because I love LA (gasp! I know! I also love San Francisco– I love them both equally for very different reasons), and have a bunch of friends down there that I can’t wait to join. Plus, there are more jobs in my industry, so I’m taking a big risk and moving there during my last semester of grad school to start job hunting early. I like to get the jump on things. So in addition to packing, my major goal for the next 17 days is to do more thesis work and update my portfolio again. I feel like I’m doing that constantly, but in the end it’s a good thing.

2012 was a year of growth, learning, making friends, working hard, and broadening my horizons (just check out my Summer Recap post for a large chunk of what I did!). I started working on a real animation production (storyboards and backgrounds for Double Rainboom!), started learning how to animate, and really leveled up in the painting and storytelling department. I finished a huge chunk of my thesis, and completely revamped my portfolio. Whew!

Hopefully 2013 will bring plenty more of the same! Well, and a job. That’s what I’ve really got my fingers crossed for! Happy New Years, everyone! Wish me luck.

Oh, and here’s my 2012 “Blogging in Review” stat information, if Blog Stats are your thing and/or you’re painfully curious about things that don’t apply to you: Click me!

So the Alternative Press Expo or APE, is a fun little comics, art, and book convention held right here in downtown San Francisco. This year, I’m helping run the Academy of Art University’s Children’s Book Club’s table in the Exhibitor Hall, so I’ll get to sell some of my own stuff. I’ve recently invested in a button maker, and have been cranking out several designs to sell alongside my prints at the con! The AAU CBC will be table #134, so if you’re going to APE, please feel free to stop by! Here are a few of my designs so far that will be featured at the convention:

>>This is a OOAK pin done to test out my button maker. It’s a mini-corg.

>>That one pin then immediately turned into a bunch of pins!

>>And don’t forget Ponythulu! She wants in on the action, too!

>>I’ll also have several other fanart-based pins, such as this silly pony– Applejack!