The Great Experiment

[rusty_armour]

A couple of weeks ago, I did something truly radical: I got rid of the dead plants on my balcony and planted new ones -- impatiens, to be exact. I thought it would be a nice surprise if my mom found living plants when she comes to stay with me this month, especially as she loves spending time on the balcony.

Initially, I was afraid that I wouldn't be up for the challenge. I mean, I managed to kill my first set of plants despite the fact that my mom carefully grew and nurtured them and gave me explicit instructions on how to care for them. To be perfectly honest, I'd be thrilled if my latest batch of plants stays alive until after Mom's visit. In fact, I've begged and pleaded with them to do just that, telling them that they're free to die in messy horrible ways afterwards. However, so far I've been amazed and impressed by the stubbornness and sheer tenacity of these impatiens. They've survived and even flourished. Why, just a couple of days ago, a flower (an actual flower) bloomed on my Double White Impatiens. It's, like, this tiny perfect white rose, though obviously it's not a rose because it's an impatiens. Oh! And there are other itty bitty buds appearing on the Double White Impatiens and the other plants as well! It's a miracle! I haven't killed them yet! At this rate, I think they might actually live until September! Woo hoo! :-)

---

On a sadder note, despite my surprising success with impatiens (so far), I still have my share of problems. You see, I've developed an unhealthy and debilitating obsession…I can't stop making ANIMATED icons! It's gotten so bad that I was up till almost 4:00 in the morning designing this particular icon:



And I'm not even sure if I like it! I think it's the sombrero. I just can't seem to find one that suits (or even fits) McKay -- not even Barcelona McKay. What's truly pathetic is that I was struggling with this icon last year when I still had PSP 8 on a free trial basis. Back then, I found all the different layers didn't look good together, so this time I tried converting everything to sepia tones. Unfortunately, while the background and sombrero have some interesting coloured tints, McKay refused to be anything but black and white, no matter what I tried. Oh, well.

To date, I've made the following icons:



(I ended up giving this one to bakerybard because she actually likes it. I'm happy it went to a good home.)




(I kept these for myself. I'm absurdly pleased with them -- probably because they're four-frame animations. Unfortunately, I think I'm the only one who thinks they're even remotely funny, so it's probably better that I did keep them for myself. *g*)




(This was basically just an experiment, and I told dubghall she didn't have to use it, though it looks like she's planning to keep it. :-) )




(I forced these ones on poor mytristan. I think she's beginning to wish she had never joined LJ! *g*)


Aaaarrrrgggghhh! This has got to stop! Just yesterday, I found myself trying to talk my brother into joining LJ just so I would have yet another excuse to design ANIMATED icons! This-this is a foul and perverse disease, and I must crush and destroy it! Well, at least until tomorrow. I promised myself that I couldn't make any more icons until then. *Looks longingly at the clock* Is it tomorrow yet?

Comments

Re: Are they not awesome?

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I've reached the "love" stage. I think I'm afraid of growing too attached in case they die suddenly. However, there is something deeply satisfying about seeing plants that aren't dead and actually growing as opposed to rotting. *g*

I'm glad your sunflowers are blossoming. I always liked sunflowers, though I think they might be a bit ambitious for me -- not to mention the fact that I just don't have the space for them. However, I'm sure they must look awesome in your outdoor garden. Maybe I'll get a chance to see them next time I pay you a visit. :-)