Number SIX! A CAR.

This post isn't going to be really long because there's not much to it except that I've reached a mile stone in my life that everyone reaches eventually. I have purchased my first car. It's a Nissan and it's light blue. I bought it outright so I own it now. So far, so good.

She has some issues already because she's a bit of an older car, but it's nothing I didn't anticipate. Yes, it's a she. Her name is Trouble, which some don't think is wise to call her. But I figure if I get used to her being Trouble, then when something comes up that really is a lot of trouble, I'll already be used to it and it won't be that much of a shock.

This was the reliable form of transportation that got my baby to the hospital. It is also the source of my being broke. Lol. But I think it's worth it.

Read me in my next post!!!

NUMBER FIVE!!!!

CIRCLE LENSES!!!

Brought to you by PinkyParadise!!!

SO, I'm planning to cosplay at the upcoming RocCon in Rochester. And I wanted something that would give me a little something different from the usual cosplayers I've seen around here. Not that I haven't seen awesome ones, there were some amazing ones! That's the point though. I wanted something to make me stand out a little more as a hard-core cosplayer. Thus, circle lenses.

I did a LOT of research and decided that although I never was one who liked it when people would stick things in their eyes, I could get over it. So I watched lots of people sticking interesting contacts in their eyes and got over the initial squeamishness of it. And because many reviews and people swore to the website of PinkyParadise, I perused the options. And may I just say, it was worth it.

I purchased a pair of dark green circle lenses by Geo for around twenty bucks and PinkyParadise sent them with a cute contacts holder in the shape of green piggies. SO CUTE! I also purchased from them Rohto Z eyedrops and, from Walmart, contact solution. And then I tried them.

Ignore the way my neck looks. My mom saw this photo and she thought I looked like a starved child from Africa. Lol, really it was just the way I held the camera. REALLY. So nobody panic! I am not that skinny! Oh, I just realized this is that first time you readers will be seeing a picture of me... like, up close. Well, this is meeeee.... except the eyes. Those aren't mine.

Circle lenses are created to purposefully cause your eyes to appear larger and doll-like. They are all created to have a larger diameter than normal eyes, so the edges of the contacts actually go our farther than the borders of your irises. The middles have a clear hole in them so that you can see normally through them. I started out at 14.8 mm diameter, although they range from 14.5 mm to 15 mm (and rumors say larger). 

It took me a good 30 minutes to get one in the first time. Now I've got it so at most it take me 15. The second one seems to always go in easier for some reason. And taking them out is super easy. 

If anyone is thinking of getting some, I can say they are really cool. But ALWAYS make sure to do research and learn all about the eye care and contacts care involved. You don't want to risk losing your eyes, you only have one pair of those. Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling the contacts, soak them in the solution for at least six hours before the first use, make sure they're not inside out or have any foreign particles before insertion, DON'T apply make-up until AFTER they are in, on't wear them for more than 8 hours at a time, aaaannnnnd I can't think of anything else right now. But if you have any questions, do some research or ask me in the comments. I learned a lot just from tutorials on Youtube.

I can't wait to wear them with my cosplay! I'm going in a Japanese Lolita dress from another awesome website called Milano. Lots of bows and lots of cuteness. It's black and white and gray, but it's not gothic-lolita. It's actually sweet-lolita style and it's styled like a maid uniform. It has cute little teapots and spoons on it! I'm hoping the contacts will kick up the whole doll-like effect more. And stay tuned for the hair style I'm going to go with! I'll supply lots of pictures when the event is over.

And if any of you are coming to RocCon, maybe you'll see me!

Read me in my next post!

QUEENIE DOES IT AGAIN---SORT OF

Okay, so I think that my precious Queenie has made it her accidental mission in life to make me have a heart attack. You already have heard of her exploits of the "outside". Now, you shall hear of her exploits in the animal HOSPITAL.

So, I own this tiny t.v. that's about 30 to 40 pounds heavy and it sits about two feet from the ground on a shelf. And unfortunately, to Sapphire, all surfaces are her domain. She doesn't care how high or low it is, she will find a way to climb on top of it and settle her big butt on it. And this is what she did at exactly four a.m. in the morning last Tuesday. I was sleeping as soundly as I could when I was awoken by the sound of my t.v. tipping over and hitting the floor.

Suddenly shocked awake, my heart pounding, my eyes found the source of my interrupted sleep. Sapphire jumped up on my bedside table as I picked the t.v. up and promptly went back to sleep. Unbeknownst to me, Sapphire may not have cried out or yowled, but as she had done damage to the t.v. so had the t.v. done damage to her. And when I woke up later and went to greet her good morning with some petting, I was again sent into an adrenaline fueled shock as blood came away on my fingers.

On closer inspection, I found that poor Sapphy's tail had a two inch split in it and was bleeding profusely. I immediately forgot breakfast and packed her into her kitty taxi. Thankfully I has a reliable form a transportation, for which I shall blog about later because it's a big one and you all should hear about it. 

SO! I took her to her usual vet but at this time I am so broke it's not even funny and my vet tells me that my baby needs sutures and that to do the work, the cost would be around 250 dollars. At most, I had 90. So I needed to borrow 60 in order to pay a down of 150 that would allow my vet to do the work and I would pay her the rest at a later date. I wasn't sure at this time of where I could acquire the needed dough, so my vet suggested I take my baby to the humane society of lollipop farm.

So I take her there and discover that they would do the work on her for free... if I SURRENDER her over to them and forfeit my right to adopt her back after the work is done. YEAH. RIGHT. If I could do one thing to express the gut reaction to that suggestion that I experienced at that time, I think I would have punched that nurse in the diaphragm. I exited the building and determined that I would never go back there again. 

It was then that I sat in the parking lot and called my grandpa. My grandpa is an amazing person and I knew he would help me if he could. Right then he was actually down the street at the CVS so I drove and met him there. And it was a good thing that this wasn't a real emergency because grandpa couldn't help me this time. He felt really bad but I understand that times are hard right now. So, I called my dad.

After explaining what happened up until then, he told me to come on over and he would give me the 60 dollars I needed to take her back to my usual vet. I drove to his house and sat down for a tired moment with him. My dad is pretty awesome to be there for me and Sapphy. I'm so grateful to him for helping me out because he loaned me the money and gave me food (berry poptarts yum) and called the local Phelps Vet, who turned out to do everything that needed to be done for just 150.

So Sapphy got her sutures and antibiotics and is now home with a cone around her head. I don't even want to get into the ordeal at the vet's. For one: I slept in the parking lot until the vet was supposed to call me and tell me she was done. However, when six p.m. rolled around and they started locking their doors, I began to wonder. So I go up to a nurse at her car and tell her how I was told that my cat wouldn't need to stay overnight and she brings me inside to pay and gather my baby. 

At this point, the only thing I've eaten is two poptarts, I haven't been to the bathroom, and I've been waiting for three hours in a parking lot. SO I pack my baby in and head home, finally. And now she is sleeping and being all cute again. 

She runs into things with the cone and makes a mess of her food. It's funny to watch. Lol. Hopefully, she won't be causing me to have any more heart attacks for a while. Until then, she gets the sutures removed on the 13th and then she can say good bye to the cone. For now...

NUMBER 4! *GULP* Make-up.....

Okay, so you know Scout Finch, from To Kill A Mockingbird? How she's like the poster child for tomboys? Well, when I was little, that was me. Without the whole investigation/ racism undertones. If I didn't have dirt under my nails and burrs in my hair, it wasn't a normal day. If I didn't have some sort of pet bug or rock collection, it wasn't a normal day. If I wasn't outside exploring the woods and crossing the creek to terrorize the neighbors, it was not a normal day. 

Now, at this same time that I was feral child, my sisters were discovering make-up. They were cheerleaders, skirt-wearers, boy dreamers. They relished every opportunity to capture and try cosmetics on me. And thus my history of torture began with mascara eye-pokes and pulled hair curls. And ever since I've ran from offers for make-overs, ignored "girly" stores, and even hated shopping. I even used their make-up in a prank against them once. It involved sparkly gel and a pillow and it went beautifully in my ten year old mind.

But recently, I've noticed this strange urge. It's there, underneath the girl who seemed okay with and was often happy with the image of herself without make-up. I am confident enough in myself to say that I like the way I look without make-up. I am confident enough to say that make-up is not a "NEED" for me. However, I must say: it's fun.

Make-up is fun. There's the truth of it. It alters your look, it adds to your look, it highlights and let's you explore your look. And because I have an artistic side to me, putting on make-up is like drawing or painting. Everyday I put on make-up is like wearing a masterpiece on my face (when I don't mess up). 

And it's fun watching all the amazing tutorials of how to do certain things with your eyes or face to find out what works for you. Because THAT is the key. In middle school, I knew a girl who wore a LOT of make-up. And it was all blue. And she looked like a sad blue clown with red, red cheeks. PLEASE GIRLS! FIND OUT WHAT WORKS FOR YOU! IT'S EASIER THAN YOU THINK! When I started wanting to get make-up, I went to Sephora and asked the very nice girl working there to pick out a few things that would match my skin-tone and look good on me. I also asked her to teach me how to apply the products. It was easy and fun and the girl was happy to help.

Now, you don't have to go Sephora. It's more expensive than most stores. I just happened to go there on a whim. But you can go pretty much anywhere that has a make-up counter with beauty consultants. They know what they are doing there. Like me, though, you may have to get over some inbred fears of products going near your eye.

In the future, I may post some tutorials for make-up that I found works for a lot of people. I'll post them with pictures of before, in-between, and after photos of the area being enhanced. Maybe you'll be inspired, like me, to try some of these things. So all you tomboys out there, don't forget you're allowed to be a girly-girl sometimes. Even if Scout was a cutie.

And remember: you don't NEED make-up to be beautiful. But it sure is fun to play with.

Read me in my next post!!!!

NUMBER THREE! Warning: this may seem trivial, but girls all over the world will understand.

SHORTS.

Shorts have been around for men since the late 14th century, originally created within the British military as a way to keep cool in hotter climates. Women cyclists had worn them since the 1890's, but shorts only crossed over to women as a fashion when, in a bold and jaw-dropping move, 1932 tennis star Alice Marble wore them during a match. Since then, famously known gals such as Betty Grable and Audrey Hepburn, shortened and brought respectable style to the name of shorts. And the rest is history.

Shorts only came to me in the month of August, 2013.

Okay, girls. Now is the time to come clean. I know for a fact I'm not the only one to stress about how my legs and especially thighs would look in shorts. And nowadays it is especially difficult because girls tend to think that as long as we don't see ALL of their hoo-haa, it's appropriate to wear. I'm sorry, but if I'm not employed as a gynecologist, I don't want to see your lady parts. And the certain girls that just SHOULD NOT WEAR ANYTHING THAT GOES UP THAT HIGH just don't help to convince me that shorts are something good to wear.

I mean, look at Audrey Hepburn. She wore those with class. She closed any argument that sexist men tried to even breathe about shorts at that time. Not to mention, she taught us all that you can still look good and feel good without having to bear all of your unmentionables to the whole world.

But I get it, we are not all Audrey Hepburn. We don't all have amazing legs and thighs like her. Which brings me back around to my issue; and probably a lot of women's issues. I think there are clothing that can highlight your good parts and bad parts, you just have to find the right ones for you. And in the past, when I would wear shorts, I would inevitably discover too late that the shorts just did not look good on me. So, my confidence in them shattered, I stopped wearing shorts all together for many years.

But, like my previous posts brought out, I have been trying new things lately. And I decided to finally face the music the other day. While shopping with my friends for school, I decided to try on a few pairs of shorts. And, delighted by the way they made me look and feel, I bought them.

Now, like I said above, certain girls feel they have to bare-all-to-get-all. Or maybe they just like the way they feel when they get attention for the lack of cloth they have around their bodies. I don't feel that way. Let's return to a time when women were approached by men. When women had the power, so to speak. When men weren't cowards who played games with the woman they were interested in. When they just came out and said if they liked you and asked you if you'd like to go to dinner. A time when things were done with class and respect. THAT was a time when women were confident and self-sufficient and didn't rely on a man to take care of everything. When you could walk around without being looked at like an object by men.

I'm not a feminist. I just believe that girls should wake up. That they should realize that, despite what men try to tell them, they have the power. They are beautiful. And they don't have to stoop to low levels to get a man or feel good about themselves. Like I said earlier, you just have to find what looks good on you.

And don't be afraid to uphold your values. I live by the fingertip rule. If when you put your arms to your sides, your fingertips touch skin, it's too short. If they touch cloth, you're good to go. And don't think that because of this rule you have to sacrifice cuteness or hotness factor because I promise you, I found some good looking pairs of shorts that are really stylish. 

So there it is. I've ranted long enough. And now I have some cute shorts to wear so I don't have to suffer out in the heat and so I can mix up my look. So have fun with it! I know I did. 

THE QUEEN GETS LOST!!!!!!

Yes, you read the title correctly. My poor Queenie escaped the other day and was missing for two whole days! So yeah I wasn't thrilled.

On top of that I had been having a really bad week. And then, one Sunday morning, I woke and got ready to go to the meeting, only realizing later that I hadn't seen her. Now, normally in the morning, I immediately go to find my baby and squeeze her. That morning I was running late because I had barely slept. So I left and when I got home I looked for her.

But no baby.

She was not in her usual spots. She was not in her unusual spots. She was not hiding in some seemingly impossible place. We TORE the house apart. And when we finally had searched the house through and through for the hundreth time, we gave in to the growing fear that she had somehow escaped the house completely.

Thus the problem grew from a contained house-size problem, to a huge open unknown problem. And as my cat is a BIG BIG BIG part of my life, you can imagine my reaction. I had had Sapphire longer than any other pet in my whole life. She had been through at least FIVE moves with me. We had made it through thick and thin and she was there for me no matter my mood. She was there to cuddle with and take funny pictures of and laugh at when she did something stupid like fall off the bed. I could not imagine my life without her.

And at that moment, all I was doing was imagining the worst. I don't know how long a stared at the busy road that spread right outside my window, where cars went 55 to 60 mph. I don't know how long I stared at the thick woods behind the house where she would be lost forever. And when one night had past, morning came after many tears and with a SIGHTING.

My aunt lives in a trailer park across and down the road and she knows a lot of people in there. And that morning she called me and related a sighting that made me want to cry some more. I think I did, actually. She said that one of her friends owns the only other calico cat in the trailer park and some of her neighbors had caught a kitty that they thought was hers. They brought the kitty to her, but upon being told that it wasn't hers, they let the poor thing go. They hadn't known yet that my baby was missing and that the very cat they had once had in their hands was MY baby.

But we then knew where my baby had gone. I set off to the trailer park to search for her at once. Unfortunately, as it was a hot day, my aunt informed me that all the cats in the trailer park normally hide under the trailers to escape the heat during the day. And so, the search was deemed impossible. Because something you must understand about this trailer park is that it's HUGE. And most of the trailers have openings underneath them, not to mention the porches that adorned EVERY SINGLE ONE. 

So we decided, much to my crazed mind's dismay, that we would wait until the sky began to darken to pick the search back up again. According to the people my aunt know, they all said that the cats would always come out when the sun went down. And so when it got dark, we set out again. With time running out the darker it got.

Shaking a bag of treats, spreading pictures, and talking to all we could, the night came and I turned on my flashlight. We couldn't stay out much longer. Two people sent us in the same direction as to the last time they saw a cat fitting my baby's description and we were about to head that way when a friend of mine called us on our cells. He was in the opposite direction and was claiming he saw a kitty like Sapphy.

We had to decide whether to follow the direction of two or one who wasn't sure. We went to my friend first. And it was a good thing we did.

A man who lived in a house right before the trailer park was outside with my friend and said he saw a cat that wasn't one of his own. He said it had been under one of his pine trees but it had run off. We began to search over his yard and then came the cry: "There it is!"

I ran over and shined my flashlight over a cat that crouched under a pine tree. Her eyes reflected the light back at me and I drew a shocked breath: "It's her! It's Sapphy!" 

And there she was. I told the others to stay back and I approached slowly with the treats. At first, she ran a little ways away, but then she registered the treats in my hand and drew close enough for me to scoop up. And then we were reunited!

I brought her home and shut her in my room, safe and sound. She ate like a fiend. And she purred. And I prayed in thanks that we found her. And now here she is, in my room, sleeping on my makeup stand.

And for all the ways I imagined that she could have escaped, I followed her the other morning and found a window with a broken screen where she jumped out of and tried to escape again. So now we keep that window shut. And because she is still VERY curious about the outside (she meows and sits at the door) I am going to purchase for my little dork a harness so we can go outside together, without the threat that I might lose her.

For now though, she will just have to deal with the fact that she is grounded until Armageddon. 

Even more so now that she has finally discovered our new family member, Zari, and now tries to hunt her in the middle of the night.

Read me in my next post!!!

CRAYFISH, CRAWFISH, CRAWDAD. THE SECOND... SORT OF.

ANIMALIA ANTHROPODA CRUSTACEA MALACOSTRACA DECOPODA PLEOCYEMATA ASTASIDIA ASTACOIDA/ PARASTACOIDA

Okay, so this one is a little complicated. (As you can tell from the title.) I guess I should just start at the beginning with this one too.

Yesterday, I awoke much like any other morning. Madison, our dog, was barking outside and Theresa, the mama of the house, was painting. I got up and simultaneously got lost in a book I've been hooked on for the last few days. I can't quite recall when it happened, but Theresa came to me with a cup covered with a paper plate and asked: "Do you know what this is? I don't think it's a bug." Maddy had been barking up until this point at something in the grass of the yard and Theresa finally went to investigate, discovering something... strange.

She lifted the plate and I peered inside, my eyes widening with recognition, "That's a crawfish!"

But how, do you say, did an animal that lives in rivers and ponds get into our yard, so far from home? We have our hunches. One involving a cat that recently had a paw injury. We figure the kitty found him by a pond and, being a natural hunter, decided it looked yummy. But then discovered that the pincers on a crawfish mean business.

So there we were, crawfish in a cup. Thankfully, my sister had owned a crawfish when we were little, so I remembered what to do with him. I filled a bucket with some water and moved it inside until I could decide what to do. It was kind of an unsaid truth that I would be the one to take care of it, whether I brought him to an animal shelter or what. But I also recalled that Theresa once owned fish and had an empty tank downstairs. I got her permission and proceeded to prepare it for it's new tenant.

It had everything a crawfish needed, according to my research. It had light rocks that it could move and rearrange. A cave and hollowed fake log for it to hide inside. And enough space recommended for the amount of water it should have (about ten gallons). I cleaned the stones and dusted off the top, washing out the tank and setting it all up. Once it was filled about halfway, I stood over the bucket with trepidation.

This was the part where I was supposed to approach from behind and grab it from the sides to pick it up. I lowered my hand underneath the water and spoke softly, probably more to myself than it, "Okay, time to move you. It'll be okay. Just gotta pick you up...." However, what I hadn't read on the internet yet was that crawfish have two speeds: really slow and really fast; a "turbo" that comes from the fins. And as soon as the tips of my fingers brushed its shell, this "turbo" was activated. He flew out from under my hand and hit the side of the bucket, causing me to recoil in surprise with a scream that probably scared it even more. Water got everywhere and I sat next to the bucket, breathing fast and chuckling a little from shock.

Okay, so new plan. I grabbed a fish scooper net and I lifted him from the back, quickly transferring it over to the tank. It hid under the cave while I finished filling it. And now here we are. Well, sort of. Here we are after I purchased an under water filter and some shrimp pellets.

I'm not sure what gender it is because I haven't gotten a chance to look underneath it. I researched how to tell, but I'm not about to try and lift it again. It's explored and moved the rocks and eaten the pellets and seems to have gotten used to the tank. Unfortunately, it doesn't like me very much. It doesn't like anyone very much really. Crawfish are very territorial and like to rear up and point it's pincers at you should you get too close. So my face at the glass, watching it, apparently intruded into its personal bubble. 

It's strange, having a pet that doesn't really like you. Although, I'm not always Sapphire's favorite person either. But it's kind of cool to have such a creepy looking pet. And it is very interesting to watch. 

ザリガニ

So here it is. A new pet I thought I'd never have. ZARIGANI THE CRAWFISH. (Zarigani is the Japanese word for crawfish, so I basically just typed 'crawfish the crawfish' lol.) The name makes me think of a cranky samurai. It seems to fit its personality and it's gender nuetral, so yay. I'd post a picture but Zari is hiding right now... maybe I'll catch a picture of it soon. Until then.

Read me in my next post!!!

NEW NUMBER ONE!

SWIMMING UNDER WATER!

When I was younger, just a wee little kid wearing a cute little one piece, I learned to swim the usual way. I would clutch for dear life to the side of the pool until finally one day someone taught me to doggy paddle and to trust my body not to sink. Then it was no holds barred! I jumped and dove and flipped. 

And one day, when I was much older and hadn't been swimming in a while, I dove into a pool down to the bottom of the ten foot deep end and sat there on the bottom. It was fun, opening my eyes and blowing bubbles out of my nose. But unbeknownst to me, water had entered into my ear canal and popped my eardrum, rushing deep inside where it could not be simply shaken out. That night I woke to throbbing pain inside my ear, so strong a pain that I could not stop crying and begging to be taken to the hospital.

At the time, I was in North Carolina with a friend and her grandparents staying in their trailer. And for whatever reason, her grandparents just DID NOT LIKE ME. When I complained of pain and asked for some medicine, they thought I was a druggie, but anyway. After an hour of trying to convince them that my ear needed immediate attention, they drove me and my friend to the nearest hospital and I was admitted into the emergency room.

A very pleasant doctor inspected my ear and diagnosed me with a serious ear infection that had swelled up my ear canal and was causing me to go deaf. He gave me ear drops and inserted a small tube to help open up the canal. Then he prescribed me drops and said that I would need to keep the tube in for a few weeks. Thankfully, I wouldn't be permanently deaf in that ear(which was the left one, btw) but I would be for quite some time until the swelling went down and the tube could be removed. Fun, right?

My ear is now in good shape, but the doctor said that I would have to wear an earplug in that ear if I were to go swimming again. Yeah, like that was going to happen anytime soon! And it didn't.

For a long time, I didn't swim. And when I did, I no longer dared to go under water for more than a few seconds. But I discovered when I did go under the water, that I had forgot how to swim under water without plugging my nose! And so it went like this for a long time and my love for water became an unrequited, untouchable love from a distance. And now I'm twenty years old.

Now the present time comes into this story. One day not to long ago, I got sick of it. I was determined to stop being a wimp and get over my fear. With the help of supportive friends, I finally went under water again without my nose being plugged! I swam a few feet and emerged victorious! I did forget to put in an earplug, so my ear was a little waterlogged for a couple days, but it was worth it! I can now show my love for the water! 

One of my dreams is to go see those professional diver/performers who pretend to be mermaids at amusement parks! They are amazing! They can hold their breath for so long! I envy them so much. 

Read me in my next post!

HELLO- LONG TIME NO SEE- UH, READ.

HELLO!!!! GOMEN GOMEN!!!

I know I haven't posted for a VERY long time. For this, I apologize. (Although, sometimes I wonder if anyone even looks at my blog anymore...) But I've been busy and have been doing a lot of research and I believe that I should attempt a REVAMP! My blog needs a direction.

SOoooo.... any ideas? Lol.

Lately in my life I've had my attention drawn to something I've been doing without realizing it. I think that this is a good direction to lead my blog into. So I reveal to you all now the thing that my blog shall focus on: ALL THE NEW THINGS I'VE BEEN TRYING!!!!

The other day my friend told me that lately I'd been working on something. Curious, I asked him what it was. He responded that I'd been trying a lot of new things lately and proceeded to name off a few of those things.

Now you have to understand: I am an inside, reading a book, lazy person by nature. So when he brought to my attention that my personality itself was experiencing a change, I was pleasantly shocked. They say a person can never change. I disagree. And many psychology experts agree as well. I will not make excuses, saying: "Well, that's just who I am!" because I would rather take pride in being able to adapt and mold myself into a good person.

Anyway, that was a bit of a rant. I'm just tired of people making excuses. But again, anyway! I had been trying new things that the "old" me would have never even been motivated to do. Things that now make me proud and confident in myself to say that I've accomplished. And who doesn't want to feel good about themselves?

So I'm going to write about these things. A lot of them I can attach pictures to, so I'm excited. And maybe, just maybe, these posts will inspire someone else to take the steps they've been wanting to take to change and do something outside their comfort zone! It's kind of like growing up, but in a fun way. Lol. You'll see why I said that in some of the next posts... 

Thank you if you have been patiently waiting for another post! Sorry it's taken me this long to give you another. Hopefully, if this works the way I want it to, I'll be posting more often!

Read me in my next post!

Meganekko: "Glasses-Wearing Girl"

Normally when people ask me if there is any new development in my life I can often say: "Nah. Nothing new since the last time I spoke to you." So, let me just pretend that you all just asked me "Anything new?" Because now I have something genuinely new happening in my life.

I AM GETTING GLASSES.

I didn't really think that I'd ever need glasses. My sister Sam had got glasses when she was young and has been rocking them ever since. My mom has reading glasses and I think my other sister has them too. I'd jokingly try on my friends' pairs and ask if they fit me, receiving mixed responses. So, I'm semi- familiar with glasses.

Not to mention the obvious glasses following in the otaku world. I'm definitely familiar with that... Anyway. The term for the boy is Megane and as you've probably realized, Meganekko is the term for a girl wearing glasses in manga/anime. 

So here I go. But I guess I'm only going to be a part-time Meganekko. My sight is fine when it comes to things close to me; like in the same room. It's when I'm driving that I'll need them the most. So, yeah, at least my fifty year old friend won't have better far distance sight than me now. (It's true. We compared.) 

SO! For all you readers out there rocking the Megane or Meganekko look: own it! I am joining your ranks. Make me proud, fellow glasses wearers! Leave a comment!

Hello! Been a while!

Hello again! I know it's been a while since I last posted. The reason for that is good and bad. The good is that the weather is changing and spring is gently coaxing winter into slumber. I love spring. It's my favorite season of all four. Spring is renewal, revival, and life as we can see, smell, touch, hear, and taste. The birds begin to sing again and the deadened brown limbs of the earth spread forth with vibrant green leaves. And those if you who know me know that green is my favorite color. What other color personifies Spring so well? And so, that is the good half of the reason that I have been absent for some time.

However, with the good comes the bad. And with the changing weather comes the roller coaster of temperatures that causes the human body to yo-yo between healthy and unhealthy in an attempt to compensate. And my particular human body decided to lean more towards the unhealthy for the majority of the time. I have been sick for the past week.

I HATE BEING SICK. And anyone who knows me realizes exactly why. You see, I LOVE SLEEP. Sleep and I? We are closer than fur on a cat. We are tighter than a rubber band ball. We are... well, I can't come up with any more. But sleep and I really are the best of buds. I put in the time and sleep puts in the amazing dreams that give me the inspiration for stories, drawings, etc. I purchase the pillows and sleep does the rest. And so, when something comes between sleep and I, it's like keeping a bear from hibernating and then hiding it's honey and THEN giving the bear a headache the size of Russia. I. Am. Not. A. Happy. Bear.

When I'm sick, it's like my body is determined to "go all or go home". To put it simply: I'm miserable. Can't breathe, can't think, and worst of all: CAN'T SLEEP. 

It's like this (below) is what that stupid cold did to my precious sleep.

I get so frustrated when I can't sleep that I want to cry. T.T  So now you know. And now we can move on. I'm all better! Sleep and I are together again and I was rewarded with a flying dream. My heart leaps with relief that we are yet again inseparable. 

Now we are all happy.

OKAY! Moving on! I hope you are all having a wonderful start to Spring! Fight off those colds! Cuddle your cats! And give sleep some love.

I just wanted to thank all the people who take more than a glance at my blog. I didn't think that I would have been able to keep it up for this long without knowing that some people appreciate it. So here is a picture for all of you! More shall be forthcoming! Thank you for your patronage!!!

Tora-Con! The Final Update

Hello! Tora-Con is now behind us and I've come to post the fun and merriments! The first day was sooo busy; lines to the artist alleys and vendors were, for lack of a better word, LOOOOOONG! But so worth it. So VERY worth it. 

I bought so many cool pictures! The artists are just so good! They give me something to aspire to. My favorite poster is one with Supergirl on it, flying in space, with the earth far below her in the backround. I love waking up to that poster. Most of the pictures I bought have a similar theme to them: strong women. When I look at them, I'm inspired to try to do better each day; to try and be a strong woman like Supergirl, or CatWoman, or Yoruichi from Bleach.

And now, for the pictures you all have been waiting for. The cosplay pictures! So many people had cool outfits. And thankyou, to my dear friend for sending me all the pictures she took! My silly phone won't let me take pictures!! 

All amazing! Can you guess which one I am? And if someone says Sailor Moon, I'm gonna cyber-smack them. 

My favorite part of the whole Convention was meeting Mike McFarland. He voices such well-known characters as Master Roshi and, my personal favorite, Lt. Jean Havoc. He's a hilarious guy and we all got to shake hands with him after a question and answer panel. When I asked him where the voice for Ritsu Sohma came from, he responded: "A soft-spoken, quiet place that screams!" 

My other favorite part was the 'Name That Anime Image' panel. It was so energetic and fun. I was so bad at it, though! I always prided myself on how much anime and manga I though I knew. But after that one panel, I must admit, I feel completely and utterly inadequate. Lesson taken away from the panel? I must watch more anime. I think that if I don't sleep for the next few months I can catch up.

Most awesome thing I bought? A Durarara! wall scroll and the complete collection of E'S Otherwise. Creepiest cosplay there? A weeping angel from Doctor Who that had it's sights set on me. Seriously scary. I tried my best not to look away or blink! I finally hid behind my friend and the angel stopped. EEK! Cutest thing I bought? A round, yellow kitty plushie that I named Shizuo. Lol.

Well, I shall close this post for now. IF ANY OF YOU WERE THERE, PLEASE TELL ME! Let me know what fun you had and if you cosplayed! Thanks!!! 

UPDATE TORACON!!!!

Before I begin, let me just say: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! 

The amazing CosplayHouse has been with me from the hard beginning! They have put up with my anxious calls and worrisome inquiries. Then, finally today, the costume arrived. Not only did it arrive, but it arrived EXPRESS mail directly from China. Which means that the company's costumer satisfaction comes before the usual protocols of just sending it through Priority Mail. 

This would have been enough to cause me to celebrate, but then I opened the beautifully packaged outfit and discovered that not only had the costume exceeded my previous expectations, but that it also looks super cute on me!!! I won't have any pictures of myself in it yet, but I'm going to post a pic below this of the character I'm going as.

Noel Vermillion. Blazblue for PSVita. Main character other than Ragna. Check out the game for yourselves; it's amazing. 

I literally called CosplayHouse in California again just to thank them profusely. The girl on the phone knows me by name at this point and has helped me through all my calls. I think I startled her by calling just to thank her...

Anywho. This post is at it's end for now, but I have one more thing to say: Choco-chan, YOU WERE SO RIGHT ABOUT AMNESIA. That anime is one for the books. Anybody who hasn't seen it, look it up on Animecrazy.net. They have eleven out of the twelve episodes posted so far.

SOOOO BUSY! >< SORRY!

Sorry I haven't posted in quite a while. I've been fluctuating between being busy and being sick. Let me just say this simple truism: making a resume is tedious. And I'm glad that I now have one that I can just copy and paste. BUT! There has been movement on the job front! I am excited to say that I may have a job really soon. I'll just be substitute starting out but the way I hear it, I may have a real position soon! AHHH!

On the ToraCon front: I ordered an outfit quite some time ago and just called today to verify the progress on it. IT'S A GOOD THING I DID. I would've been sooooo worried and sad! The date that I thought the outfit was being delivered by wasn't going to be when I received it! Thankfully, they say that I can call back tomorrow and find out if they can send it by the time I really need it. HOPEFULLY, everything will work out! This is the first time I'm cosplaying and I really want it to go well.

Other than that, I at least know that my entry into ToraCon is set. I got my confirmation email about a week ago saying that my badge is ready!!! I'm going with a few friends and I'm so excited!!! If things go well with my friends' cosplay order, I'll be accompanied by Cloud Strife and Monkey D. Luffy. The friend who is going as Monkey says he may go as The Doctor instead, so I can't say for sure on that one.

Okay, so that all accounts for the busy half. The other half is SICK. But I have to say, I earned it. I just recently started babysitting for some family and friends and two of those times included a three month old cutie. (Yes, changing diapers for the first time was... interesting.) He's such a cutie!! Seriously, this is the best baby in the world! He is so quiet! Anyway, bottom line? I f you're going to be around kids, expect to get sick. Oh, I should clarify that it wasn't the little three month old who got me sick. Although, he did sneeze into my hair once. It would've been cute if it weren't me. LOL.

ANYWHO! I shall post soon. I have lots of stuff to update you all on... after I find out myself the results.

Liebster Award Update! River nominated me!

SOOOO here we go! Thank you River for nominating me back!! I feel so loved. Anywho- I'm going to answer her eleven questions here.

1.) If you could have named yourself(not given name by parents), what name would you have chosen?

Hmmm... this is tough one. I used to hate my name, but now I've kinda grown into it. People kept telling me how pretty it was and I guess I finally started believing them. But if I had to choose a different name, I think I would choose... DeAnna. I think that name is pretty. And it's from Star Trek (even though it's from Generations).

2.) Your dream job/career?

A Mangaka. For sure. Not everyone knows what that is so I'll define it here: a creator of manga. I've always loved to draw and it's my dream to finally draw out a whole series and have it published. My dream is to have my ideas brought to life, you know? First as a manga and then in an anime.

3.) What types of books do you like reading? (Like, romance or adventure? List a few.)

OoOoOooo! I love reading manga! And when it comes to the type of books/manga, I like adventures and romance put together. I like drama and suspense. I like... Well, I guess it all depends on my mood. Lately, I've been into the abnormal. I like stories that seem normal, but then BAM! Sudden shock! I DON'T like stupid stories about vampires, ghosts, and all that. I prefer aliens and zombies.

4.) What do you think you were in a previous life?

Well, I don't believe in reincarnation, so this is a tough question to answer. But I think if I could be anything, I would like to be a cat.

5.) Did you start your blog to write stories or keep track of the events in your life? In other words, why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because I wanted to have a place to share my work. I love getting feedback on my art and I thought this would be an easy way to get many peoples' opinions. I had been disappointed with previous attempts to get my art out there and judged, so I finally designed a website. All this, and my cat Sapphire demanded that the world be known of her existence. 

6.) What is the question you find silliest that you have asked someone? Describe the reaction of the other party!

Hmmm. I've asked a lot of silly and stupid questions. More stupid than silly... let's see if I can remember one. Hmmm.... OH! Oh my gosh! This was the silliest question ever! It was stupid too. I was in elementary school and we took a field trip to a place in town that had helped hide slaves way back when. The tour guide asked us if we had any questions and I asked: "Did you help hide the slaves?" It was a totally serious question and I didn't realize at the time that I was a little off time wise. Everyone laughed. Even my teacher.

7.) What would you do if you only have 24 hours left to live?

I would pray and hope that God forgives me for my mistakes enough so that I wake up on the other side of Paradise. I would tell everyone I love them and I'll see them soon.

8.) You are to be sent off to another livable world with other creatures in it. If you could take only one thing along, just one, what would it be?

An awesome translator.

9.) Describe your imaginary friend/character. (I'm pretty sure everyone has one, right? If not, describe the personality of a person you would like to meet someday.)

Oddly enough, I never had an imaginary friend. Even when I was little. So, I guess I'd want to meet someone who has the same values as me and who can understand me. Someone who doesn't take stuff personally when I'm cranky. And who is there for me when I need them, even if I don't know when that is.

10.) Do you LOVE the moon? *Holds shotgun at your head* Choose your answer wisely...

Sure I do. I take a lot of pictures of the moon. It's so pretty when it's full or a crescent. I love looking at the sky. Oh, and holding a shotgun at my head didn't make me nervous at all! *Nervous laughter*

11.) (I'm gonna copy this question from Sabrina because I love it lots!) Will you be my friend? *Puppy eyes looks up pleadingly at you*

Why not? Who can resist those eyes?

And that is all, my friends! Until next time! Please continue reading my blog!!!!

LIEBSTER AWARD!!!! AAAHHHHH!

EEEEEEE! I've been nominated for something! This is the first time I've been nominated for anything! I feel so honored  *tear*. Okay, so this is for the Liebster Award. The rules are:

1. 11 facts about yourself 
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger who nominated you left.
3. Ask 11 new questions for those who you nominate.
4. Choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate.
5. Go to each blogger's page and let them know about the award.
6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

Thank you so much for nominating me Chibiko!!!!! You've always been there for me as a helping hand! And now I guess I'll tell you all a little about me. :)  hmmm....

1.)   As you all can probably tell from my blog, I LOVE cats! They are just so cute. I mean, come on, who doesn't love this face? 

They're independent and have such personalities! And nothing is better than when you wake up one cold morning and there is a ball of fur nestled into your side, purring.

2.)    I love to draw. This is also seen on my blog. I've been drawing for a long time; ever since I discovered the beauty of anime/manga. Odd fact about me: before I started drawing in manga style, the only thing I would draw was horses. So much so that my nickname in sign-language is the sign for horses with the letter "B". 

3.)     It's kind of weird, but I love to sing Disney movie songs. I love to sing in general, but  if you ever hear me singing in the shower (THE best place to sing, btw. Love those acoustics!) you'll hear me belting out The Little Mermaid. Or Pocahontas. Love the classics; even Snow White. 

4.)     My favorite music is alternative. I think I like it most because it has a wide range to choose from. I get bored easily and if you ever share earphones with me while listening to my IPod, you'll prolly get annoyed. I change songs randomly and at any time. My favorite station to listen to is 90.5 WBER. They are the bomb. My favorite band is Florence and The Machine and Radiohead.

5.)     It's a weird hobby, but I love watching cheesy B movies. These are the movies that the sci-fi channel are always playing during the day when I'm busy *sigh of frustration*. I like cheesy horror movies that are still a little scary but are so cheesy and fake looking that you just laugh throughout the whole thing. I WILL NOT watch any movies that are demonic in nature! EVER. I love zombie movies.

6.)     I love to read. I devour manga like it's going out of style (which would never happen). My favorite series in manga is currently Bakuman. In novels: The Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. 

7.)     I love anything by Hiyao Miyazaki. Also anything by Akira Kurosawa. He directed the original Seven Samurai which The Magnificent Seven was based on. It is SO worth it to watch, even though the movie is so long that they have a literal intermission in the middle.

8.)     My Little Pony is amazing. I am an avid lover of Fluttershy and DJ Pon3. I am also proud to say that I do an excellent Pinkie Pie impersonation. If anyone is going to Toracon this year, look for the girl in a Wonderbolts hoodie with pony ears on the top.

9.)      When I was little, after my sisters and I saw Legally Blonde, we all wanted to become lawyers.  HA.  On an unrelated note, my mom said that whenever she went shopping, people thought she was feeding a family of boys. I love having a good metabolism. :)

10.)      I have two sisters. They are both older than me; I'm the baby of the family. I am taller than them now. *Internal laughter*

11.)      Uuuuuummmm.... I once participated in a public library hosted Fear Factor for kids. It entailed three grueling rounds of eating bugs. LIVE ONES. I signed a waiver and got third place.  

OKAY!!!!! Now to answer the 11 questions that Chibiko left for me on her site.

1.) Why did you start blogging and how long?

Well, I originally started blogging because I wanted a place to get my art out there in the world. I've been blogging for maybe 2 months now? I also love to get people's opinions on things and this seemed the best way.

2.) Who is your dream man and describe in great detail!!

Tall, dark, and handsome. LOL. True, but I also want to find a man that is spiritually strong and active. That way I know he has the same standards as me and treats people the way God teaches us to treat each other. Someone who's going to put Jehovah ahead of me. I know that sounds weird, but if he puts God ahead of me, then he'll always treat me right and have the right priorities. We'll get to paradise together.

3.) Any pets?

Hee Hee. I have my darling baby Sapphire. She is the Queen of the house. She is a gorgeous american shorthair calico. She has 'tude. The family I live with also have cats. There's Sweetie, Big Boy, Mama, Tippy, and Baby Girl. There is also one random dog in the mix; a puppy named Madison. It's a crazy house.

4.) If you are a manga freak, what if your favorite manga/anime out there? If not, what is your favorite book and why?

OOPS. I accidentally answered this one already. But I guess I could elaborate. I love the manga Bakuman. It's about a duo of manga enthusiasts who are determined to make it in the mangaka world. I love it because it's true to the way things really are. It's written and drawn by two manga pros: Tsugumi Ohba(author) and Takeshi Obata(artist). You may recognize these two from the popular title of Death Note.

5.) Favorite food when you were a kid and why.

My favorite food when I was a kid is still my favorite food today. It's my mom's homemade macaroni and cheese. This is no ordinary mac 'n cheese. This has THREE different kinds of cheese in it. Not to mention the layer of shredded cheese melted over the top. Not to mention the layer of crumbled Ritz crackers on the top of that. When you break the surface of this baked mac 'n cheese, steam rolls out to meet you. The cheese inside stretches as you pull out a spoonful of deliciousness. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

6.) Be serious, if you could describe a perfect life, how would you?

Psalms 37: 10,11. Isaiah 65: 21-23. Revelation 21: 4 'And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain by anymore. The former things have passed away.' Acts 24: 15 'And I have hope toward God, which hope these men themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.' I fully believe this life is attainable in the near future. Who wouldn't want to see their dead loved ones or live in peace?

7.) Speak any second languages??? :D

Sure do! Hablo espanol un pocito. Sacas puntas! I can't find the little accents to put above the letters or the upsidedown exclamation point.... :'( 

8.) What would your definition of beautiful be?

Hmmmm. My cat. Lol. JK. Beauty isn't something you can buy or pretend to have. It isn't something that you can identify at first glance. Beauty is being happy with who you are and being able to see who others are. It isn't how much makeup you wear or don't wear. And it's not only noticing the beauty in others, but in the world around you.

9.) What would your ideal date be if you had a boyfriend?

Hmmm. Hanging out with friends, seeing a movie and having dinner. The restuarant doesn't have to be special or anything; it's the company that makes it special. But if it were in the more serious stages of the relationship, I'd want him to take me somewhere nice.

10.) Do you like DARK or MILK chocolate? 

OOOOO! DARK!!!! I love chocolate! I could not live without it! And after my first taste of dark chocolate all those years ago, I haven't been able to go back. I don't even like the taste of milk chocolate anymore.

11.) What's your most embarrassing moments?

Hm. How many moments do I have to name? *Nervous laughter*  Well, let's see. When I was in elementary school, I walked into the boys bathroom by accident once. And to make matters worse, the boy I had a crush on was in there. Don't worry, he wasn't doing anything. *More nervous laughter* 

 I once passed out in gym class after a rigorous Pilates training.... I can only laugh at this one. One minute I'm standing next to my friend, the next, she's standing over me asking if I'm okay. 

More recently, a ten year old made fun of me because I can't snowboard to save my life. We were on the bunny hill conveyor belt lift and there was snow under my friend's board. She started to slide backwards into me and I started sliding into the ten year old behind me. We were all knocked down like Dominoes and they had to stop the lift. "Jeez," the snarky ten year old said, "I've only been doing this for three days and I'm better than that." Well, well, Mr. Smarty-Pants, that was my and my friend's FIRST day snowboarding! SO THERE!

Well, that's it! I hope you learned a bit more about me! NOW to nominate 11 others! The question are:

1.) Who is your favorite superhero and why? (Don't forget the girl ones!)

2.) If you could go anywhere in the world, and money was no issue, where would you go and why? (Bonus: who would you take with you?)

3.) There's a huge hurricane coming and you only have room for one more in your car. There's your best friend, who also saved your life. An old woman who needs to get to the hospital. And the love of your life. What would you do?

4.) If you could fly, would you do it Superman style, or would you have wings?

5.) What is your guilty pleasure that no one would guess?

6.) Where would you rather live? In the city, the woods, the countryside, or suburbia?

7.) What was your favorite movie as a kid? 

8.) What is your favorite, tried and true, cold remedy for when you are sick? I.E.:What do you like to do to make yourself comfortable? Who do you want around?

9.) Have you ever been in love?

10.) If you had to choose, would you rather be on Wipeout!, Fear Factor, or Lights Out!?

11.) Would you rather be raised by lions or wolves? Why?

I know my questions are strange... please answer them with all honesty! I look forward to responses. I hope you all have fun! :) 

These are my nominees!!!

1. ~River~  (Because you're my third follower!!! Thank you!)

2. DaqwanKoenig

3.) ThiaHarrisHan!!!!!

4.) Azalea

5.) Choco-chan Chibiko

Annnnd, that's all I have right now. I don't know many people online. T.T  (I'm really kinda choosy about who I talk to online...) Hopefully with this I'll get to know more people, though! THANK YOU!!!!