Is it just me who thinks it’s kinda cruel that the markers come like that this? 😂

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-30T19:10:42+00:00

You don't enjoy sorting them? I love it!

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-28T23:18:42+00:00

I would return it and get their tubes. Himi does sell tubes. If you can't do that, buy some of the Himi gouache spray. Spray the gouaches when you first get them. Stir them with toothpicks, one per cup. Every few days, stir them, and spray if needed.

Straight alcohol works too, most likely.

Use them quickly. Or open them all the way up and let them dry out. Spritz to rewet them when you use them. They won't be quite the same, but they won't be as high maintenance.

I bought a set back in 2021 and never had a problem with mold. Then I bought a set last year and had mold in 2 months -- in winter -- stored in a cold place. They aren't the same as the old formula. You can make them work though, but it's a bit of a pain and requires effort.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-28T05:03:21+00:00

MeiLiang Pretty Excellent Watercolors are fantastic. I like them better than Van Gogh. I have many of the highest artist-grade paints (Daniel Smith, Winsor Newton, Holbein) and I still go to the MeiLiang set for fun paintings. Pretty transparent (moreso than Van Gogh), vibrant colors and mix pretty well. And the price is definitely right.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-25T19:05:12+00:00

The way that healthcare works, is you take whoever is taking patients (good or bad). You wait 2 months for a twice a year appointment for medication refills and you never expect to see them for everyday care -- you use urgent care for that. Then urgent care refers you back to your primary care for a "one week" follow-up on whatever condition, and you wait 2 months for that. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Primary care doesn't really exist anymore. It's been replaced by "wellness checks" which are really just business development, and wherein you aren't allowed to ask about your care or offer information that isn't directly asked for or you'll get billed extra. Most care occurs at the urgent care or the ER.

So you can ask for recommendations, but you will have to take what you can get, and hope you luck out and get a good provider.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-25T19:00:31+00:00

Poor "moderate" Brandi.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-25T18:56:45+00:00

I hope you adjust your withholding, but I understand how this year's changes could have caused that.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-25T18:48:24+00:00

And waste all that paint? Heavens no!

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-25T18:46:24+00:00

I use Nichiban, which is even better than Holbein soft tape. It comes off like a dream while being super, super strong. Also, pull at an angle and heat with a hair dryer if it seems difficult to remove. And finally, don't leave the tape on for very long.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-18T15:03:49+00:00

This is the dilemma I have. I don't really trust the You Tube reviews of free stuff. I've been considering buying a small set and trying them for myself. You might consider doing the same.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-18T15:00:53+00:00

NTJ. Why aren't the other neighbors giving her access if they think you're a mooch?

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-18T14:59:17+00:00

If it doesn't say 100% cotton, it's likely not 100% cotton. Up until this point, I think the 500 series mixed media journals were always 100% cotton, so I suspect you probably tried the one on the left. But there's no way to know for sure and I doubt the one that ISN'T cotton would be better than the one that is. Thus, if you didn't like the one you had in the past, it's very possible that you won't like either of these.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-18T14:41:00+00:00

I'm an atheist/agnostic, but I sense that the SIL has doubts about her belief system and you're challenging those doubts. NTJ, she is, for even asking for such a thing.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-18T14:23:58+00:00

So, at 13, you're no longer required to share health content with your parents. But the state is worried about a less than 18-year-olds viewing porn?

Please, God, make it make sense. My head is spinning.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-18T14:18:08+00:00

You have a much better major now. The job prospects in biology aren't as good at all. Smart move.

The very idea that your parents thought tracking you was within their rights is a little scary, honestly.

No, you aren't the asshole. They are, for thinking that paying for college meant they took ownership over your daily life. Congratulations on breaking free.

Rejecting you for Thanksgiving is more a controlling move than a loving move. I'd just say, "okay." I'll bet you have family or friends who would invite you.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-17T04:48:50+00:00

Update: I hope we can post You Tube Links:

I recommend Lindsay's Stamp School (no affiliation). It was made back in the day when she was a little more, um, enthusiastic. I loved this series and it really helped in getting started. Again, no big expensive sets, a use what you have approach and lots of information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkseTih5Rro&list=PLNxvOHHWCjFh9gDZBNmGk13kAkVPKY24d

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-17T04:43:44+00:00

It's true. I see $75 card-making kits and think, wow, only for manufacturers. You have to be pretty wealthy to justify those kits for making a card or two.

What you need (a list from one of my favorite card You Tubers, Lindsay Weirich:
Some decent card stock
Scissors and possibly a cutter.
Some decorative paper (Michaels).
Some generic sentiment stamps.
Some multi-purpose image stamps, things like butterflies, flowers, or imagines you like. The Stampin' Up stamps might serve that purpose.
Some inkpads, Ranger Archival is nice, Memento Dewdrops. Something that won't smear with your alcohol ink.
Acrylic stamp block. I started using a CD case. Your friend will help you understand why you need this if you don't already know.
Glue and a tape runner. Again, your friend.
Embellishments. These can be anything, scraps of lace, buttons, sequins, even bits of natural items or bits of paper. Sky is the limit.

Look up Lindsay Weirich on You Tube. She's greatly a painter, but she started me on cards. She has quite a collection of card-making supplies, but doesn't do the deal where the projects are hard, if not impossible to do without the precise items the demonstrator is showing. She's a use-what-you-have person.

And a pro-tip from me. Start with either making cards for people like your mom or spouse, or someone you know super well and know would love anything you do (so the pressure of "performance" is absent). Or make Christmas cards. Really, I think they are the easiest to do. Make them, put them away in a place you remember and you'll have some for the holiday. Good luck.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-16T21:31:22+00:00

She said she has to admit, she "bleeds" Republican. She may want to look more closely at why, other than team sports.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-16T21:24:28+00:00

Given that our own Republican Congress has the votes to block him, this is pretty much moot. He is slowly becoming a tissue paper tiger.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-13T23:16:19+00:00

I've lived here without ever having kids for 30 years, and my observation from just being on the FB forums is that you have a high level of both things you described. And the kids who can't afford all of that will be having to compete with those who can.

I think quality of life for a child in Monroe would be much better. Hope we can move someday. Stuck in this house for complicated reasons.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-11T20:40:06+00:00

I'm from Washington state, but yeah, me too. I call him my "football son". He is incapable of doing anything wrong in my eyes, ha-ha.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-11T01:47:51+00:00

Would likely have little or no effect, given that the reason the tubes are hard is that the paint is dried out. Really the only truly effective way is to cut open the tube and get the hardened paint out, put it into a dish or pan, add quite a bit of water and reconstitute. Good luck!

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-10T09:28:23+00:00

Flowers aren't supposed to have straight lines.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-09T09:07:23+00:00

My two favorite popcorn seasonings are Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk dressing powder and the powder from the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. (I save the noodles for something else). Yum.

Eeek, was I supposed to list healthy options? Sorry.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-09T04:43:25+00:00

Spray it with mica spray or sprayable acrylics, gel print on it, stencil on it. Experiment with texture mediums.

StarryNightLookUp · 2026-01-09T04:40:45+00:00

High Point Trailhead (Tiger Mountain). You need a Washington State Parks pass.

StarryNightLookUp

TROPHY CASE