Task #17 Completed: Melted Crayon Art (Kim)

17.  An art project: melted crayon art

Art has never really been my thing, but I have always wanted to try melted crayon art.  I've seen it on websites like Pinterest.   So, I tried it out.  Even though it took a long time, I am absolutely in love with how it came out.

I hot glued crayons to a poster board.  I used RoseArt crayons mixed with a few neon Crayola crayons.  I believe the Crayola produced brighter colors when melted.  Other than that, the only necessary materials are a hairdryer and newspaper to cover your work spaces (include the walls behind the poster.  You may actually melt the top of the crayons without meaning to).

I also obtained a silhouette of a couple standing under an umbrella.  I covered it with tape while melting crayons around it.

The whole process took several hours to get the final product I wanted.  The best part was you couldn't really mess up - you could always simply move around whatever you had already melted by re-melting it with the hairdryer.  The crayon also had a tendency to splatter into the areas of other colors, but it turned out looking cooler that way.

Something like this is the whole reason I love Project 52.  I never would've made the time to do this, but it was great.  Plus, I have something to hang up in my room that I can actually say I made.  This will stand as a reminder of everything Project 52 stands for in my mind: to live without regrets and take advantage of opportunities like a couple taking advantage of a special moment despite the adverse weather conditions.

Task #15 Completed: Wear a Costume to School (Rachael and Kim)

15.  Wear a costume to school

Since this blog was created in November, we have to play catch-up with some of the tasks we completed prior to the creation of the blog.  One of them is "Wear a costume to school", which both of us did on Halloween.

Both of us used a play on our names for our costumes: Kim Possible and Rachael Baker was a baker. The Kim Possible costume did not look like much of a costume because it was partially normal clothes, so I borrowed a monster onesie to wear during school. Both of us definitely stuck out and got attention for our costumes, but it was a fun experience for the day.

  

Task #4 Completed: Attend another student's Project Explore! (Kim)

4.  Attend and participate in another student's Project Explore.

Today, I traveled to a nearby assisted living facility and attended Olivia DiMarco's dance therapy class.  I was not allowed to take pictures or videos of the residents, but I took pictures and videos of Olivia to show her accomplishments.  I ended up talking in front of the residents, too.  I told them about my Project Explore and why I was attending this session.  In addition to dancing the Macarena with the residents and watching one of my closest friends perform, I got to listen to a few fascinating stories.  

Olivia's class was not just about stretching and doing dance moves with the residents.  She also provided them with great entertainment.  Olivia brought Margo Libre as a guest dancer, and the two of them had the residents clapping and complimenting them endlessly for their grace and dedication.  They both performed dances from The Nutcracker.  Next month, Olivia will participate in The Nutcracker for the seventh time.  Before saying goodbye, Olivia shared the classic story of the ballet she knows so well.

Watch this video to see excerpts from Olivia's dance therapy session!  (Be sure to click the square button next to the word "YouTube" to make the video full screen)

The most fascinating story we heard from one resident was about Sally Hansen, who founded Sally Hansen Beauty Supplies.  The resident brought her up because Sally Hansen was a ballerina before she had anything to do with cosmetics.  She became involved with nail polish after she retired from ballet.  

Olivia's project was a great experience.  Having Olivia and Margo perform immediately lifted the mood in the room, and that was an amazing thing to witness.