asking for trouble

October Round-up

pumpkin

A return to end of the month updates! I got burned out on these from having to do an outfit drawing to go with them, but I’m bringing them back as the reviews, links etc. are much better suited to a monthly post. I will probably just be drawing a new avatar instead, which I can use on social media too. Anyway, onwards!

Fave 5 from the blog

Free ghost garland printable
Kaiwa Japan interview with Rachael of Hannah Zakari
How my on-demand products are holding up to regular use
My 2015 calendar designs revealed
A look back at my favourite ghostly makes

Links I Loved

– Miniature sewing-themed gashapon charms! Stop it Japan!
– I think I really really need to make a flying squirrel needle minder.
– Really interesting article on how matcha is made.
Depictions of comets through the ages (via Laura)
Amazing photo of Earth from behind the Moon that is my new desktop wallpaper.
– Will never tire of reading the Bad Astronomer go off on how dumb astrology is.
My favourite Halloween comic this year
– What it’s really like designing a fabric collection for a big manufacturer.
– Great tips from Tilly on turning your hobby into a business.

Added to my Wishlist

wishlist-1014

MountRoyalMint Ursa Major | Skiing Ghost Sticker Pack | Habitat Planet Bauble
Heebie Jeebie Momiji | MiruBrugmann Orange Wolf Planter

Snacking on

Choco Mint Mentos
Basically minty chocolately toffees! My sister found these and I had to go to Dumbarton to get some myself from Asda. Luckily, my local Co-op is selling them now too. They are what I call thinking sweets, in that they’re the perfect thing to chew on while trying to figure out some design issue or coding weirdness.

Cooking

Lots of soup with my new cast iron casserole, which is so great I really wonder how I got on without it. It’s amazing how long it keeps stuff hot – you can totally go back for piping hot seconds. So far I have made tomato & lentil, pea & ham and my soup of awesome. Might try something with sweet potato next.

Reading

The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
I’m about half way through this and it is very cleverly written so that I still only have a rough idea of what’s going on. It’s like hearing a terrible story from someone who’s in shock and assumes you know more than you do and then goes back and explains things better. I can’t even imagine how you would construct a story like this. I haven’t read it for a few days and I hope I haven’t forgotten everything.

Watching

Brooklyn Nine-Nine
I’d been meaning to check this out, since it’s by people behind Parks & Recreation and The Office (both of which I love to death), and luckily E4 are repeating it. It is basically another version of those shows set in a New York police station and with no mockumentary style. I love it a lot – it’s incredibly fun and very silly.

Doctor Who
I gave up last season and stopped watching, so it’s amazing that they came up with exactly the thing that would bring me back. I love Capaldi in everything, and he’s totally killing it as the Doctor. I was a bit worried they might not write anything good enough for him, but I’ve only had minor problems with a couple of episodes all season and a couple I have loved enough to watch again the next night. I hope he sticks around for a while.

Human Universe
Brian Cox is becoming a bit of a parody of himself, but there’s always something really interesting in every episode and you can’t deny his enthusiasm is sincere. I may also have shouted YAY when one episode had an interview with the founder of SETI who had Arecibo message art on his wall. Me and the SETI guy, still caring about that message. Brian Cox clearly prefers the Voyager message, but that’s just shiny.

The 100
Basically LOST for teens, except in the future and with a space station! There are a load of hot teenagers with stupid names down on Earth arguing about stuff and discovering things and running off in the jungle and killing each other, and then all the adults (including sort-of evil non-Scottish Desmond from LOST) are in the space station running out of oxygen and arguing about stuff and having meetings and killing each other. I usually end up playing my DS at the same time as it can get mega-stupid but it does have some interesting things going on so I will probably watch it next season too.

Lovefilm are stubbornly avoiding sending me the next season of Parks & Recreation, so this month I received Saving Mr Banks, which was way more enjoyable than I expected, though also very sentimentally Disneyfied (ironically) and Despicable Me 2, which was nowhere as good as the first one.

Playing

Animal Crossing, duh. Still not bored, still playing every day.

Picross E4
I finally figured out how to play the Mega Picross puzzles! I seriously have played through the tutorial about 5 times and remained completely perplexed. The day it all clicked into place I felt like a genius, even though it is just more that I am mathematically-challenged (and yet I love doing accounts!). Basically some of the numbers span two rows/columns so there is more thinking required. Eventually I got good enough to not even need to turn on the hints and now I can go back and play all the Mega Picross puzzles from the previous game, hurray!

Picross 3D
Except actually I just started replaying the 3D version instead, which involves knocking away blocks in 3D rather than a flat grid. The objects you reveal are still ludicrous and the graphics are straight out of the 80s, but the music is amazing and it’s all quite relaxing for my brain. I still stand by everything in my previous review, especially that hideous mascot.

Listening

I am having a second wind of love for The Julie Ruin. Also working my way though all the Capsule albums, loving Perfume‘s recent EP and picked up a couple of songs by Sawa.

How was your month?

marceline

Hello! I’m Marceline Smith, the designer and owner of Asking For Trouble. I create illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts using my cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii. This is my business and personal blog where I write about my creative doings, inspirations, travels, Japan trips and daily life. Read more »


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