So, who am I?

I've been so caught up in my alternate life and alternate blog that it feels like I've been completely abandoning this one.  I've finally leaked the web address out;  I figured the more viewers it attracts, the more viewers who don't know who I actually am will access it.  It turns out that my friends, people who know exactly who I am and what goes on in my life, are completely caught up in this different world that I pretend to live in.  My friend Lana confessed to me that she refreshes the webpage everyday, anxiously waiting for updates.  It's only been up, really, for a full week but it's gaining recognition.  My friends who aren't aware of its significance or purpose curiously navigate through it, and then approach me asking about it.  They tell me, too, that they're intrigued with its storyline.

So, I suppose I'll tell you what it is - so you can bookmark the website. I decided to include my actual friends in the storyline.  They make videos and blogs, as well, and have created their own alternate identities which tie into mine.  My pseudo-name is Bailey Mayfield.  Everything is linked on my website at: www.bailsmayfield.tk . There are four other key characters in my story which you will learn about.  I try to update it everyday, either with a blog or video.  My characters will blog or vlog which will drive me (Bailey) to respond in some way.

I was on the phone with my mother recently when I was telling her about the art project.  She was intrigued.  She laughed when I told her my pseudoname, as it was my alternate name I gave myself when I was twelve.    She scribbled down the webpage URL and told me she'd pass it on.  I warned her that there was much profanity and explicit material, so I'm warning you now.  I laughed and reminded her that I'm just acting.

Liam, my boyfriend, plays my ex-boyfriend in my narrative.  He blogs independently.  I don't tell any of my friends (characters) what to say or write.  They operate completely on their own.  We're all getting caught up in our own alternate egos.  It's funny because it has actually caused some tension between Liam and I, as we express anything but love for eachother through our blogs.  We were talking on the phone recently and he said, "I'm seeing a different side of you.  I don't like it."  I laughed and responded, "But it's not me... I'm only acting."  I flew off the rocker when I (or shall I say Bailey) read one of his recent blogs.  It's crazy how us, ourselves, are getting caught up in this alternate world... so I can only imagine how visitors are reacting (and visitors who think it's all factual and real!)

That's the website's purpose.  To interact with visitors and viewers as Bailey Mayfield, my alternate personality.  Like I mentioned previously, people get totally caught up in drama and conflict - especially other peoples' drama and conflict.  This is why we love reality TV so much.  But is it really reality?  How much of it is truly real? I've created my very own internet soap, except I'm going to push the boundaries - not at first, but eventually.  I'm going to explore the taboo.  So, bookmark the website and keep checking back.  Feel free to add Bailey as a friend and post comments.  Interact with her, and she'll interact with you.  Pass it on to your friends!  

Thanks

Fake 'N Bake

The one place I'll never step foot in is a tanning bed salon. I'm almost certain I'm the only one left in this world who hasn't conformed to the "necessity" to get an insta-tan.

Tanning bed salons usually are busiest right before high school proms, semi formals. and before spring break. People feel a need to turn their skin pigment a golden brown to achieve a heightened sense of beauty. I'm not denying the fact that tans are aesthetically pleasing; I am suggesting going about other ways than tanning beds (if you must satisfy your urge to tan!).

It has been PROVEN that tanning beds increase the risk of cancer, so why so eager to call up and make an appointment? I guess it's the same with cigarettes. The warning label is right on the package, yet people still buy them to satisfy the addiction. That's exactly what tanning is in today's society - an addiction.

The UVA rays that are emitted from the Ultraviolet A light sources in tanning salons are two to three times more powerful than the UVA rays which occur naturally from the sun.

We pretend to be oblivious to the consequences; We adapt to some sort of comfortable understanding that the consequences will never affect us. This deliberate oblivion drives us to pick up the phone and make an appointment at the nearest cancer tanning salon.

People our age who use the beds regularly have a melanoma risk eight-fold higher than people who never use tanning beds.

There are lotions that do the same trick as the sun and are cancer-free. Look into them.

















Here's one for example. Oil of Olay's Touch of Sun. My mother, sister and I have used this product for years and have never run into any difficult. The scent is not too strong and we've never had to deal with streaks. There are also self tanning towelettes you can purchase at drugstores. I've used these as well and have not had any problem with streaking. If "streaking" is your excuse for resorting to tanning beds, you're not using the product correctly!

Besides, I'd rather have streaky or pale skin than have to deal with the horrific consequences of tanning beds.

A Pseudoname.

For my Open Media class, we have to create what's called a "time based" art project.  This is art that's created over a period of time.  The mediums and options are endless so I'm going to explain to you my proposal and what I'm doing.

Two things I've been doing since I was young are:

1.  writing in my diary

2. creating websites

I've had many diaries and journals I've been keeping since I was seven years old.  Writing is always something I've been passionate about;  I find it very therapeutic.  It's a way of remembering my past and keeping memories alive/vivid.  It's such a treat being able to flip through the years and read about how I felt during different situations.  

When I was younger, I remember a few times that I would make up stories and then write about them in my diary.  I'd make up stories about my life to inevitably intertwine them into my memories.  I guess I thought that if I wrote them down, it would be believed to have happened and to be true.  Nothing big.  It was always small things - small things that I wanted - like having a boy ask me to dance.  It was a rare occurrence when I was 12 years old, but I remember specifically writing in my diary that many boys were fighting over the opportunity to dance with me.  True?  Not at all, but writing it made me feel good about myself; It gave me the opportunity to slip into another life/identity.

It's a known face that people assume the internet is legit and a reliable source; Really, people are oblivious to the fact that you can't always believe what you read.  This is a fact I'm going to be playing off with for my art project.

So, for my project, I've created a "fake" website reflecting a whole new identity.  It's beefed up with blogs and videos.  I want to convince my visitors into believing that my identity actually exists.  I'm striving to have people caught up into the drama and life I'm creating for myself.  I want them to feel my pain and to feel my happiness.  My visitors will follow along and dig through the life of my fake persona.  

I'll wait a bit before linking you the website, or perhaps if you do some digging you can stumble across it on your own!

"Fine Arts Students Aren't Smart!"

I was hanging with a group of my friends, discussing exams and the arrival of summer break. When asked what exams I have and when, I responded "I have one exam on the 18th." Eyes rolled and they muttered, "fine arts students" under their breath.

Allow me to rant:

1. Nothing drives me more insane than overhearing conversations that involve rants about how unfair it is that Fine Arts students don't have to deal with the same amount of stress that other students do.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

2. OK, maybe one thing drives me more insane - and that is overhearing Fine Arts students saying things like, "Oh, don't ask me to figure out math - I'm a Fine Arts student." "It's OK if I can't spell that word, I'm a Fine Arts student."

OK SERIOUSLY. If you've said one of the quotes above and you're a fine arts student, then please don't bother reading the rest of this entry. If you have said one of the quotes above, you make it OK for people to place such stereotypes on us "Fine Arts students".

1. Math was my best subject in school.
2. I'm a grammar fanatic.
3. I was on the honor roll for the six years that make up junior high and high school.

I'm good at painting and drawing like some people may be good at chemistry or physics. Just because I'm in the Fine Arts program does NOT mean the workload isn't as stressful. Art is also a chore when it comes to assignments; there are standards to be met and the stress level is high.

"Oh, Fine Arts students don't have it as rough because THEY don't write exams."

We've written exams before. We know what it's like to study and prepare for an exam. Have you made a portfolio before?

My point exactly. A lot of people have no idea what it's like to dedicate yourself and time completely into making a portfolio for three studio classes. I'm not saying it involves more work than studying for an exam - AT ALL - I'm saying the work is equivalent.

We're just as stressed as people studying for exams.

Back in the sack!

So, the Great Big Sea weekend was the most epic weekend I've experienced in a while. I had so much fun and I was surely disappointed when it came to an end.


Here's all of the girls before going out on Friday night.


Me and my favorites, before heading to the GBS concert.


If you ever get a chance to see these guys, you definitely should!

Now, I'm going to give you some of the best advice you'll ever hear. If you go out or away for a weekend, set yourself a limit of money to spend. Now, take that money out of your account and put it in your wallet. Next, lock up both of your debit card and any credit card you may have. If you bring your plastic money with you, I guarantee you'll spend a lot more than what you had initially intended. I spent a ridiculous amount of money more than I'd anticipated, but it was one of the best weekends I've had in a long time.

We went out to Maxwell's Plum for supper and drinks. The guys had been watching hockey and were going to meet us there. We were waiting a bit, so we decided to order some fancy drinks and appetizers. When the guys arrived, my boyfriend - as well as my friend, Meg's boyfriend - decided to be sweet gentlemen and told us not to worry about our bills; They said they would cover the cost of our dinners/drinks.


As you can tell from the expression on their faces, they quickly regretted offering to pay when the costs were ridiculously high. Their mouths dropped to the floor and we hauled out our cameras to take pictures.

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So, I've basically been living in the studio since I got back to Sackville. I'm trying to get as much work done as I can so I'm not stressing out a week before classes end, trying to catch up. As much as I've been working, I'm still a little lagged behind but I found comfort in knowing everyone else in my classes is in the exact same boat.


Here's one of my turtle paintings I did for my Open Media class.

For my independent project in my painting class I'm doing a series of turtle paintings. I think I'm going to paint four of them, each 1 x 2 feet. I finished one so far and I really like how it's turning out. I'll post pictures as soon as the set is complete. After that project, I have one more independent project to do. I enjoy indepedent projects because the boundaries are infinite. That's the same boat I'm going to be in next year, in fourth year, so it allows me to get in that mind frame. It really pushes me, as an artist, to think freely and paint freely. I'm not exactly sure if I want to keep going with the turtle theme - but we'll see how this next project goes.

Anyway, I better go get some work done.

Ciao!

When I'm up, I can't get down.

So, I'm in Halifax and words can't describe my excitement. I left Sackville this morning on the bus and arrived in Halifax three hours later. I'm sitting in my friends', Andrew and Meg's apartment surrounded by eight of my friends. The guys are clumped around the TV, sipping beer and playing NHL on the x-box; The girls are sprawled out on the couches, listening to Great Big Sea, and gossiping. We have about four hours before we head out to the concert. That means we have four hours to eat some pizza, get ready, and have some drinks.

It's only Thursday but I know the weekend is going to be great. Sackville is a great location because I'm able to get away to Halifax (where a lot of my friends happen to be) and it's only a three hour bus ride away.

We've been counting down to this concert for months now and I can't believe the day is actually here. Already, the sun is starting to shine a little brighter and I can feel its warmth increase each day we get closer to the summer. I've drawn the conclusion I'm ridiculously anxious to move out of my current house and move into my new one. We got another oil bill today - $92 each. We just paid another oil bill less than two weeks ago, on top of an electric bill, and the rent. Next year our apartment is only going to be $400 each per month - everything included and I CANNOT WAIT to not have to worry about bills every two weeks. It will be a major load off.

But the fact that I can feel Spring coming around the corner is getting me excited. I've already started packing to move. My friends think I'm crazy to start packing so early; However, it's not the same as the last two years. The last two years I was in residence and all of my stuff was confined to a small space which was my dorm room. This year, all of my stuff is sprawled out all over the house in every room. It's going to take me a while to gather it all up, sort it, and pack it. So, I've started now to avoid "stress overload" as the end of April gets closer.

Alright, I think it's time for me to join in on the singing of Great Big Sea songs to get me pumped for the concert.

I'll be sure to post lots of pictures.

Have a good weekend, folks!

Weight Loss Challenge

So, you've probably heard of the freshman 15 and perhaps you feel invincible. I was pretty oblivious to it and pretended to be. But let me tell you...

There's nobody stopping you from eating the unhealthy choices cooked in meal hall every time you have to have to eat. There's nobody stopping you from grabbing that delicious dessert topped with extra whipped cream. There's nobody stopping you from grabbing a second dessert, and you really have no idea how tempting it is until you're in this situation.

Other factors contribute to those unwanted pounds:

• Late night snack at meal hall
• Unhealthy munchies stored in your dorm room
• Lack of exercise (walking to your classes doesn't count as exercise)
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

When away at university, you have to take control and become more responsible about your health and eating habits.

There is a gym on campus, but some people (like myself) may find it intimidating to try to shed the pounds surrounded by people who I'd give anything to look like.

My roommates and I decided to do a 14-day weight loss challenge to see who can lose the most weight in two weeks. This is my fourth day into it and I've lost three pounds already! I've been doing the cabbage soup diet which claims to have you lose ten pounds in a week. I've tried this particular diet several times before but this is the first time I've actually been sticking with it. My roommate, Leah, and I also do a workout down in our basement every day. You can get some really great workout videos and, this way, you don't have to worry about having to go to the gym. Our workouts last about 90 minutes a day.


Eric, creating the chart where we monitor our weight each day.

The soup - the bane of my existence right now.

I've been feeling fantastic! It was extremely hard the first two days to avoid grabbing the leftover bag of chips in the cupboard but I'm doing great now. It's definitely more motivating having people do this with you. I probably would've given up if it wasn't for the challenge we created. I'm not sure I'll be able to look at cabbage again after this week...

The cabbage soup diet helps improve your urinary and digestive system which means you can lose weight faster. During the diet, you tend to urinate more because you're getting rid of toxins and other bacteria in the body. The soup is full of Vitamin C which boosts the immune system and energy levels. If you're interested you can check out the recipe and meal plan here It's probably one of the most reliable and affordable diets out there.

Anyway, I better go head down to the kitchen and warm up some soup!