A lot of Blythe people are doing their dolls' favorite fifteen items on Flickr. I decided to do a photo for Plum! She has so many favorite things... It was difficult to fit even just fifteen of them into one shot. o_O
And actually, all the items in this photo are Plum's favorite clothes and accessories, not just the fifteen that are tagged on my Flickr. I cheated a little! But I only tagged fifteen of the items, haha. ^__^
I can't wait to take more photos of Plum in the outfit she's wearing right now. She's totally dressed for autumn and winter. I dressed her and Jinkies the other day and they look so cute next to each other. It's been super cloudy and rainy every day this week so there haven't really been any opportunities for me to go outside and get good lighting for photos. I was lucky I got a chance to jump outside for this quick photo today. In fact, I almost didn't get any shots in because the tiny dresses started getting blown away. x_____x Shawn stood outside with me and made sure it all stayed in order, tee hee.
So much has happened since I left for BlytheCon. I'm not sure I can go through every single thing I've experienced, but I'm definitely going to try. To sum it up in a sentence: BlytheCon was amazing. I can't believe how busy I was over the past few days!
When I arrived at Rebecca's house in Indiana, everything seemed to fall into place. All my insecurities disappeared... She made me feel so welcome and I'm really thankful for that. As soon as Shawn and Ryan left, Rebecca and I got down to some serious dolly business. We talked for a long time as we got ready for our trip to Atlanta the next day. I helped her make a sign for her booth while she cut up some business cards, and I showed her all the dollies and toys I brought with me. I really felt like we had known each other for years.
Sherri arrived early the next morning. Like I told both her and Rebecca, I was so nervous about meeting Sherri. O__O She's been one of my idols ever since I started collecting Blythes; her saran and mohair reroots are incredible-- one of the absolute best rerooters in the world! I felt intimidated before Sherri arrived, but as soon as she arrived, my nerves settled down. She was so down-to-earth and so much like me... I immediately felt like I could relate to her, and that doesn't happen very often when I meet new people.
Our ride to Georgia was extremely long: about nine hours. Surprisingly, I didn't fall asleep once. Haha, Sherri, Rebecca and I talked the entire time-- about dollies, Pet Society, our lives, and so much more. In fact, we talked about so much, I'm almost afraid I'm going to forget some of the details. A long car ride was the perfect way to get to know Rebecca and Sherri even more.
We were able to settle into Rebecca's mom's house really quickly. I think it's because we were all so tired and hyped up for the next few days. For a while, we sat around exchanging dolly clothes and stories about our girls. I've never had the chance to talk for hours on end about dollies in my pajamas before... I wish I could do it more often. I felt almost spoiled for having such a great vacation so far. My sleep was wonderfully deep and comfortable.
Friday was the day dedicated to the Georgia Aquarium. Sherri, Rebecca, Rebecca's mom and I all went. We were all a little disappointed at how little there was to do at the aquarium, but everything that was there was really beautiful. My favorite part of our visit was definitely the tunnel that's underneath water. To be surrounded completely by water, fish and sharks was incredible. We all loved that part so much that we decided to walk through the tunnel a second time before we left.
One of my other favorite things about going to the aquarium was how interested people were in the Blythes we brought with us. Sherri brought Penny (her @Nai custom); Rebecca brought Tallulah (Betsy's crazy cross-eyed custom); and I brought Nami. We not only had visitors coming up to us to ask us about our dollies, but the aquarium's staff expressed even more interest. A security guard wanted to hold one of our dolls. A few of the staff members in charge of taking photos asked me a bunch of questions about where Blythes could be found. And the absolute best Blythe experience was at the end of our aquarium trip. As we were paying for our items in the gift shop, cashiers started piling up behind the registers to ask us all questions about Blythes. They couldn't get enough of our girls and left customers waiting in line and at registers so they could see the dolls! Rebecca, Sherri and I all took turns showing them our dollies. They loved changing the doll eyes. Rebecca and Sherri got a few photos of all the staff people (like seven or eight, I think) asking us questions.
Dinner that night was fun. The four of us went to a restaurant where we had some delicious meals. I had a shrimp and alfredo meal. *drool* It was so delicious and it was a relaxing experience to have before the busy day ahead of us.
Finally. Saturday was BlytheCon. All of us were so antsy before we left! We had packed most of our stuff up the night before so we got to the con on time. Because Rebecca was a vendor so we could get into the building before any of the other attendees (which I was happy about because I didn't want to be stuck outside in the cold). The girl she was supposed to share a table with was sick so Rebecca had the entire table for herself. I helped her set everything up and went back-and-forth between the convention room and outside, where more and more people were starting to arrive. I switched between taking my three girls out; a lot of people seemed to already know who they were, especially Pigeon! I had fun posing for photos with my dolls and everyone was incredibly nice. <3
The convention was so much fun, but it all seems like a blur now. Everything was so fast paced. I somehow lucked out and was one of the first people to register. Because of that, I got into the con fast enough to check out all the vendors and their items. I snatched up everything I was instantly attracted to-- oh gosh, my loot is all so cute! I keep looking at all the clothes and accessories I bought.
I was constantly meeting new people. A lot of the people are friends I've had online for a few years. I felt like crying a few times because I was so excited to actually meet some of them in person. After all these years... finally! Pigeon's customizer, Megan, was there. She was one of the main reasons I knew I had to attend BlytheCon. She was such a sweet person and I feel like I know Pigeon more because of meeting Megan. I feel bad about not remembering every person's face; so much was happening at the time so I knew it would be impossible to remember everything.
One of the most exciting parts of the day was the raffle. I only bought five tickets but THREE of my numbers happened to get picked. O____O Because one of the items I won was a double, I only got two of the prizes-- I didn't mind though. The big prize I won was a free mohair reroot for a Blythe. The second prize I won was a free Blythe application for an iPhone. Because I don't have an iPhone, I gave my prize to Rebecca. I was so excited (and surprised) that I was shaking the entire time after my numbers were called.
Needless to say, the entire event was more fun than I could have ever imagined. Like I told Rebecca and Sherri later on, the BlytheCon trip was the best vacation I've ever had. Getting to know both of them is probably what I love most from the experience. Unlike the friends I had in high school and college, I connected with Rebecca and Sherri. They didn't make me feel socially awkward and we shared so many interests. I think it would have been impossible to not love those two girls.
All of my photos can be viewed on my Facebook BlytheCon 2009 album and in my BlytheCon 2009 Vox Collection.
Many thanks to Shawn and Ryan who drove me all the way to Indiana. Many more thanks to both Sherri and Rebecca for being the sweetest friends ever. And a lot of other "thank yous" go to those of you who followed my adventure on Twitter!
Last Sunday (Father's Day) was one of the scariest days of my life. Ed, my kitty of two years, went missing for a day. I hope I never have to go through that type of experience-- with a kitty or a child-- ever again. That type of fear is something no one should have to go through. It's deep, and it hurts. It sits in the pit of your stomach and refuses to go away until something good and/or miraculous happens. Ed, I learned that day, was a big walking furball of miracles.
The day started off well. Shawn and I had moved in to our new apartment the day beforehand and we were pumped up with excited energy about finally getting out of Milwaukee. Since we didn't have our internet set up at the new place yet, Shawn had to stay the night at our old apartment because he was on call for work and needed instant access to the internet. Kathleen, who helped us with the move the previous day, stayed the night with me instead. We had brought over the kitties and Fru during the move and I didn't want to leave them alone in a new environment on their first night.
After unpacking more things that Sunday, Shawn showed up to make sure everything went well with the cable/internet guy. He brought along more of our stuff from the old place, and he and Kathleen started moving it in. What I didn't really take note of at the time was how they had left all the doors to the apartment (leading outside) wide open so it would be easier for them to move heavy objects into the building. After they finished, and Kathleen left, Shawn and I noticed that Ed was MIA. At first, I figured that she had just found a new hiding place between all the boxes, or in the cabinets. (I discovered Ed could open all the cabinets herself that morning.) After searching every corner of the apartment for a few minutes with absolutely no luck, I started to get that panicky feeling inside.
Ed. Was missing.
I then pointed out to Shawn, who was very calm, that all the doors in the apartment had been left open. I started to think. "What if she decided to explore and ran outside?" The idea seemed unlikely at the time since Ed is afraid of everything, but we were out of ideas. We started to search our apartment building and then the grounds around our building outside. After 25 minutes (during which the cable guy decided to show up), there was still no sign of Ed. I called Mom and asked her for ideas since she had been in this situation many times in the past. (She's taken in over 200 lost and stray cats during her life.) She helped me remain calm and made sure I followed her instructions to check all the bushes and small hiding spots, and then to talk to everyone I came across to ask them if they had seen a black and white kitty with a black dot on her nose. (-__-)
An hour passed. Still no Ed. By that time, Mom, Beth, Kathleen, AND Jeremy were on their way to help us out with the search. Shawn had to stay inside with the cable guy so I was mostly doing the searching at first. They arrived and we spread out, searching not only my whole apartment complex's neighborhood, but also the surrounding neighborhoods. We double and triple checked both the outside apartment grounds and my apartment, the whole time calling, "Eeeed! Come here, honey! Come on, come out, sweetie!" Something just wasn't sitting well with me; Ed is afraid of everything and doesn't even come out of hiding when there's a lot of commotion (like people moving stuff into the apartment) around her. There's no way she would go anywhere near our apartment door with Shawn and Kathleen moving stuff in. I kept checking my apartment periodically, because I kept thinking that she could still be inside, laughing it up while all of us looked for her. Everyone else did the same thing.
Four more hours went by. It was over 90 degrees outside with no trace of Ed, or even a cool breeze to keep us somewhat sane. By that time, Beth and I decided to take a break. We headed into my apartment and sat on the floor and talked about Ed. Something still didn't feel right about the whole situation. After about fifteen minutes, I heard a shuffle from the next room. I figured it might be Isis, or just my imagination. And then it happened.
Ed walked out of the kitchen, sat down right in front of Beth and me, and acknowledged us with a yawn.
I screamed, "ED!" and ran over to her, throwing my arms around her big (she's quite huge) neck. I picked her up and swung her around while Beth laughed and ran over to us. After everything all of us had been through-- the worry, the panic, the dehydration-- Ed had been inside, in a very secret hiding place, the entire time!
Beth and I followed her back to her hiding place a few minutes later. As it turns out, Ed had opened the cabinet door under the sink and crawled into a hole in the wall that was barely seeable to the human eye. How in the world did a cat of her size get into that hole in the wall? No idea. At that point, I didn't even care: Ed was back and she was safe. That "little" trickster got the best of ALL of us.
I first started playing Pet Society on Facebook about four or five months ago. I was bored one night, and I remembered how Celena had urged me to start playing even months before then. So I hopped on Facebook, thinking that I would just check out the new game. After five minutes of playing around with designing my own pet, I was hooked.
A little while after that, my pet Tea Leaf was born. (Actually, it may have been a long while since I couldn't decide what I wanted my pet to look like.) Tea Leaf's resemblance to Yukimo and Fru, my past and present hamsters, was no mere coincidence. I wanted to have a virtual, pixelated representation of my love for white hammies online. Pet Society provided me with the perfect opportunity! ^___^ Everything about Tea Leaf reminds me of my hammies-- ahh, such love! I will admit that I went through an "adjustment period" where I kept changing the way Tea Leaf looked, but I eventually settled on the way she appears above.
Once I was happy with my pet, I moved onto other important business: designing my pet's house. I wanted to kick myself for not starting to play Pet Society a few months earlier, because I missed out on some great items. Thanks to some really close friends, I was gifted a lot of the kawaii items I now own. <3 These past couple of months have given me the chance to accumulate a ton of house items, as seen in the screen shots below.
My house currently has seven rooms, but these three rooms are the most developed ones at the moment. The first image displays Tea Leaf's main playroom-- hence, all the plushies! The second image shows Tea Leaf's bedroom (pink, of course). And the third image shows the kitchen. I'd still like to do a little more remodeling with the kitchen in the future, but I'm satisfied with its current appearance for now.
As I've mentioned on other online communities, I am very particular about how I do things on Pet Society. For example, while Tea Leaf's appearance changes from time to time, I'm extremely critical of what she wears. I usually don't like throwing together set items (since everyone else always does that; I like to stand out), so I like to coordinate items in different ways-- like according to color and/or theme. Also, I don't get every single new item that comes out. I mostly just buy things that appeal to me at first glance. Once I'm happy with more rooms, I may start buying items that will increase in value so I can start trading for rarer kawaii items. ^___^
All in all, I highly recommend playing Pet Society. It's available on both MySpace and Facebook, although I, myself, prefer using it on Facebook. It's a great way to socialize online; there are amazingly cute pets to make and play with; and there are new things (items, stores, etc.) released all the time.
In other Facebook news, I would like to introduce my new URL. Recently, Facebook allowed its users to create usernames for their accounts. I was going to go with my actual name, but after thinking about it, I realized that my name would be changing once I'm married. (Facebook isn't allowing people to change their URLs after the confirmation step.) Anyway, I went with the following URL:
There was a specific reason I chose this name, and I'll talk about that some other time! ^__~
As I mentioned in my last post, the last major expense I made was a new sister for Elspeth, my Latidoll. After a long wait (a little over two months), Lati finally sent me the last item I needed to complete my new doll. Honey Tree is a Lati (Yellow line) White Skin Vampire Mystic Miel.
Honey Tree's doll model type is extremely rare and I am very, very lucky to have her. I originally saw the Vampire Mystic Miel in a few of my friends' photostreams on Flickr and I fell in love. Her pale skin and pink blushing on her cheeks, chin, and ears makes her my absolute dream doll. When I first saw her, the bright pink eyeliner made my jaw drop. Squee! ^o^
I was lucky enough to contact the right person when trying to find the doll and have her put me in touch with one of her friends who was interested in selling the doll head. After a lot messaging, we settled on a price. (Honey Tree, by far, is the most expensive doll I own. It looks like her price will only be increasing from here because of her rarity. Shawn paid for most of her as an engagement present back when he proposed to me. ^__^) It was then up to me to find a Lati renewal body (white skin) to complete Honey Tree. I tried to find someone willing to part with an extra renewal body she might have laying around, but I had no luck. As a last resort, I ordered directly from Lati-- I paid a lot of money, but knowing that my doll was going to be complete gave me that extra push to go through with it!
Then, just last week, the package arrived and I was able to complete Honey Tree. Previous to her completion, I had a few months to think up the perfect name for her. At first, I wanted to go with something dramatic to emphasize her vampire-ness. Then I realized that I wanted to make her my own. So many other people had named their Lati vampires after pop culture and historical icons-- I wanted to do something different. Instead, I chose to highlight my doll's sweet and innocent characteristics. After all, how many vampires are known for their deliciously sweet nature?
Honey Tree was named after a group called The Honey Trees; they create haunting and beautifully sweet music and lyrics. Honey Tree herself is sweet to the core and would never hurt a fly. Unlike popular belief in vampire mythology, she only eats and drinks candied foods, made of sweet nectars and sugars.
Note: No, I am not a Twilight fan.
Shawn and I have been trying to take it easy with our spending lately, especially with our plans to move into a new apartment next month. That said, the doll and toy collecting part of my life has slowed a little. Instead, I've been concentrating more on the things I already have.
Example A would be Elspeth. ^__^ She first joined my family around this time last year, and ever since then, she's been through a big transformation. A friend of mine offered to redo Elspeth's faceup with pink tones instead of her original peach colored tones. Because of her new colors, her wardrobe has taken on more pastels, like pinks and greens. I love her more now than ever.
I've been selling off a few of my other dolls so I don't have to feel too much pressure with money. So far, my one Pullip and a rare Blythe (Lamb) have been sold. I'm also in the process of selling my very first Lati, Laramie, to Mom. The money from those sales is being saved carefully, and a little of it is going towards smaller, less expensive, parts of my collecting. ^^
The last major expense I made on dolls was for a new sister for Elspeth. <3 With Shawn's help, I was able to buy a Lati dream doll a few months ago, one that is not yet complete. Once I complete her, I will be posting tons of photos!
I'm staying at the house for a few days because Shawn said he'd be busy working on some projects for work over the weekend. I thought it might be nice to spend some time with Mom. Whenever I wake up in the morning, there's this awesome nostalgic feeling of summer. It brings back good memories and makes everything seem simple and happy.
Even when I'm at my apartment, alone during the day, I've been experiencing sudden bursts of happiness. It's so weird! I've been trying to limit my time on the computer and watching TV, because I really want to start doing something more for myself lately. I've been feeling the need to enhance everything that I love doing, meaning that I'm focusing more on painting, photography, and spending time with my furries (kitties + hammy). Doing so has led me to some relaxing, more peaceful, days. I'm not really feeling that stress of needing to find work, which is such a relief now. I figured that I need to work on getting in the right mindset before I jump into the next phase of my life; after all, for the past 20+ years I've been in school working hard. It's time to let loose.
In photography aspects, I've been trying to work more on getting to know my camera better. I found that, after a while, I fell into such a routine with my camera that I didn't really explore all of the fun settings. I think my little experimentations have led to better, clearer photos, like the one above. (Yays!)
Also, on the photography home front, I've been trying to expand my photo subjects. I fell into a rut with that when I only took photos of Plum and a few other toys/dolls. I'm trying to appreciate everything else that I'm surrounded by, including other Blythes (like Utopia and Nami above!) and other little finds that I've been taking in.
This Alice necklace is one of my favorite recent finds to photograph. ^__^ Last weekend, I went on a little trip to Chicago with Shawn, Jeremy, and Kathleen. We went to one of my favorite urban toy stores, Rotofugi, and I picked up a lot of cute vinyls and a special art book signed by a favorite artist of mine. Then the three of us met up with another favorite artist of mine, Jeremiah Ketner, after Rotofugi-- we visited his studio (where I saw all of the amazing pieces he's currently working on) and went out to lunch with him.
Afterwards, Jeremiah suggested a bunch of cute stores that he knew I'd love to explore. In one of the little boutiques, I discovered the Alice pendant. I'm obsessed with everything and anything Alice in Wonderland, so I snatched it up. Later on, I went across the street where I had a chain made and fitted for me. I think the heart clasp (bottom right picture) is one of my favorite parts. Putting the necklace together was so much fun!
On an earlier trip to Chicago (April 10th), I was able to attend my very first Blythe meet. After six or so years of collecting them, I thought it was about time that I finally met more people who share the same hobby. ^^
We met up at a cute sushi bar (with really good fruit smoothies) and talked about Blythes the whole time. Because of other plans Shawn and I had in Chicago that day, I was only able to bring Plum (bottom row, fourth from the left). She was able to meet another Kozy Blythe, finally! Overall, the turnout was great and I was even able to meet Gina Garan, a very well known Blythe collector. In fact, it's because of Gina that Blythes exist today! It was such an honor to talk about Blythes, and tons of other stuff, with her.
So really, my "work" right now consists of working on myself and my life. I'm expanding every type of personal horizon possible, including my physical self. ^___^ I've been working hard at exercising daily so that I stay in shape. I'm feeling fit in every aspect possible!
After I wrap up this post, I'll continue to sit back in my parents' kitchen where the back door leading to the deck is open. The summer breeze is blowing in while I sip on my cinnamon white chocolate latte. Life is good.
I'm currently waiting for a nice day (meaning, good weather) to come along so I can have a nice photoshoot with Shawn outside. I'm looking forward to having more official engagement photos! ^__^ Until then, I thought I'd just stop in and say... "Herro!"
I've been trying to enjoy my time off from all work forms lately, and I've also been sending my resume out like crazy. Sadly, I haven't had any luck on the job front yet. Most of my time is "down time" and I've been trying to keep myself busy with little projects-- like painting, reading, taking photos, spending time with my favorite people, etc. I've also had the privilege of attending some really great events (an artist gallery and my first Blythe doll meet), more of which I hope to talk about in future posts.
I've been trying to enjoy my time off from all work forms lately, and I've also been sending my resume out like crazy. Sadly, I haven't had any luck on the job front yet. Most of my time is "down time" and I've been trying to keep myself busy with little projects-- like painting, reading, taking photos, spending time with my favorite people, etc. I've also had the privilege of attending some really great events (an artist gallery and my first Blythe doll meet), more of which I hope to talk about in future posts.
Like I mentioned on Flickr and Facebook, this necklace has special sister meaning to me. Beth and I often pick out the same, or similar, pieces of jewelry or clothing to buy. (After all, we are the same person.) Other than my engagement ring, it's the only piece of jewelry I wear every day.
Shawn proposed today: March 13, 2009.
More details to come in the next few days. ^__^
And yes, I have a Hello Kitty engagement ring!
I know, I know. Fru looks a lot like Yukimo. What's a girl to do when she falls in love with a new hammy, even though it looks like a previous hammy? Get the hammy anyway, that's what. ^__^ Needless to say, Fru was my fate... Here's her story.
After Yukimo passed away, I was devastated. It was difficult getting myself up in the morning because all I could think about was how Yuki was no longer at my side. She was always the first thing I saw when I woke up, and the first sweetie I would talk to during the day. While Shawn was at work one day, I started texting him to get out some of the emotions that were going through me. He felt so bad for me... He suggested that we consider getting a new hammy. When Shawn first said that, I didn't know what to think. A new hammy would feel like I would be replacing Yukimo, and I didn't want to have her replaced so easily. Even Mom suggested that I not get a new hamster after Yuki because it would be time to focus fully on Ed and Isis instead. After all, I had wanted kitties my entire life; I should be grateful for them. But something just didn't feel right in my life. I had become a true hammy lover.
Later that day, just two days after Yukimo passed away, Shawn and I went to the same pet store where we got Yuki. I wasn't really planning to get a hamster that day-- it still seemed way too soon. But fate stepped in and showed me that a new hammy was an absolute must in my life. It was time to move on.
Shawn and I walked into the room where the hamster cages were kept. Slowly, I walked across the wall that was full of furries. <3 Peaking inside the cages, I tried to locate at least one hammy, but they all seemed to be buried deep underneath the woodchips. Finally, when I came up to one cage, I saw her. As I walked closer and put my head near her cage, a little white, furry head poked up. She blinked. I got so happy to finally find a hammy in this horrible mess of a haystack, so I waved my finger at her and smiled. As soon as I waved my finger, she put her hand up to where I was-- just one hand at first, so little and so friendly, as if to say "Hi there!" I got even more excited so I continued to wave. And when I did that, she put her other hand up to the cage to try to get closer to me. I wanted to cry.
My heart was immediately stolen, and I was almost near tears. I looked at Shawn and said, "I think we have to hold her now." Shawn agreed and went to get an employee so we could have him take the hammy out of the cage. Holding the hammy for the first time was one of the best experiences of my life. Unlike other hamsters, this hammy was thoughtful; she moved slowly to inspect everything she touched. She was so curious about me, and I loved it. After holding her, I knew that fate had matched us up.
I named my new hammy Sukifru. I know that it's a lot like Yukimo, but that was completely accidental in the naming process. I wanted to use the same naming process, but I also wanted Fru to have her own identity. "Suki" means "love" in Japanese, and "fru" is short for "fructose." So when the name is broken down, her name is "love sugar." (After all, she does look like a big lump of sugar. ^___^) Shawn and I call her Fru for short to help us avoid calling her something too close to Yuki's name.
While Fru may be a white dwarf like Yuki was, she's a completely different being. In fact, it's amazing how different the two hammies are from each other. Not only are Fru's movements the opposite of how Yuki would move, but her mannerisms and habits are crazy-different. Some things that I've come to totally adore about Fru are:
- Fru likes to tunnel like crazy. Sometimes she forgets where certain tunnels are in her woodchips, so she accidentally falls into them and looks confused.
- Fru is super chubby. When she stands on her two legs and brings her two upper hands close to her, she looks like a big, round fluffball. O__O
- Fru squeaks when she sleeps. Sometimes it'll just be one random squeak, but other times involve a long string of squeaks. ^o^
- Fru loves running around in her ball. If she doesn't get enough ball time, she starts to get antsy and begs to come out of the cage. When she's in the ball, she has the habit of following Shawn around the apartment. Wherever he is, she finds him.
- Fru demands attention when I'm sleeping. She bites her cage bars and scratches the roof of her towers so she can come out and explore. Once I take her out, she calmly likes to explore her surroundings.
There's so much to learn about Fru. I've only had her for a few months now, but I'm so in love with her. And my fear of "replacing Yuki" isn't something I ever worry about now. Fru is just a new member of the family, someone to keep me company and love every day she's with me.
Note: Fru's fur is actually all white with a few touches of black around her ears and eyes. The reason her fur looks slightly brown in these photos is because she did a lot of tunneling in her cage before my photoshoot. She was completely covered in woodchip dust!
