A New Home

I held the pen in my hand, looking at the points as the lady goes over the rules.  They're basic, and this isn't my first rodeo.  She explains about the Walmart Market going up on the other side of the fence behind our unit, and the noise shouldn't go on for too much longer, which is good.  All I can think about is the pets in the car, waiting eagerly for us to return.  Not long after, I shake her hand and get my keys, and just like that, I have a new home.

It's now five days later, and we're about 3/4 unpacked, and we're settling in nicely.  I'm dragging a bit, because I really hurt myself--I tumbled and almost fell about 4-5 times, so I'm trying to recover and stay off my feet, so that my hips and tailbone have some time to recover.  We got our kids put out, and we're just waiting for the chance to fetch our last ones (they're waiting at a friends' place).  Athena is enjoying her airbrush, and I'm chilling in my chair in the living room, though I find myself going head to head with Zeus...

Oh, Zeus.  The first day, Sweeney (my dog) and Zeus (Athena's cat) went over to Athena's parents' place while we moved most of Athena's things from her apartment to the new townhome.  That night, I was going to stay here and then head over to my apartment to arrange things for the movers to take over my furniture (I should have just had them take the rest of my stuff, because MAN, I hurt and I still have stuff to get).  Athena was hurting as much as me, so she crashed here too, and we each took a twin-size air mattress and the manual pump.  I had Sweeney brought back, because she was not going to handle being away that long.  Well, apparently, Zeus took it as being rejected, and moped.  Poor kitty...

I've had three instances of almost tripping over Zeus.  I'm not used to having a cat around again, Sweeney always moves out of the way.  Today alone, I had three attempts by him to get into my bedroom (which is a cat-free zone because I SAID SO, ZEUS).  Usually, he just sits outside the door and waits for me to come out before trying to sneak in.

I have a Jacuzzi tub!  EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!  I know that Athena probably makes fun of me for it, but I really really really REALLY love my tub and getting to take baths.  In my old place, the back edge of my tub is practically vertical with a severe edge.  It's not rounded, it's not subtle, and it's not comfortable to lean back against. so I didn't get to take baths much at all.  And I'm kind of tall, so most tubs, I can't lean back and keep my legs underwater very well.  So this tub is just... faaaaaantastic!  (And a separate shower, so I can wash up and then soak myself in the tub at my leisure.  (I'm not sure how loud the jets are in the townhome, so I try not to use them much or very long.

I think the hardest part is the stairs.  There are a loooot of them.  Okay, not really, but more than at my apartment, and going up and down the stairs just exhaaaausted me...  But I'm enjoying myself so much being here...  I don't know if Athena knows, but...  Being here and out of that place is already so much better, less stress, less sudden need for human interaction, and a lot less questioning myself, a lot more comfort without being overcrowded.  We have a tooooooooon of space, and plenty of room to expand and go off and do our own thing without being on top of each other...

I feel so very at home here...  This was the best decision I've made in a long while....

I don't have a quote of the day, I'm afraid... sorry!

Countdown: Officially 32 Days Left!

So, a lot of people already know, but I'm moving!  This move has been 18 months in the planning (yes, seriously, I've been planning to move that long, though the specific planning for THIS move was started about 15 months ago), and I'm very excited.  We're off the waiting list and we're official now.  The official move starts on September 13th.  I'm quite excited, I've gone through all of my books and given two boxes worth to Half Price Books, I'm having two end tables and a coffee table taken away (mom needs them), grandma's going to hold onto this desktop PC (which is technically hers, though she doesn't have a use for it now that she has a newer, faster one), and tomorrow, hopefully, I'll have help to get rid of the last two bookcases that I've needed to throw away probably since before I moved into this apartment...  I already got one out to the dumpster on my own, and my old chipped TV.

Tomorrow, I'll also be getting a new(er) mattress.  This one had two springs go out, and I suspect it's older than I am.  So yaaaaaay!

I've still got a lot of packing to do, but it's going to be a lot easier once things have been properly moved out/around/away.  The hardest part will be the fish tank, because once the end table in my living room gets taken out, I won't have any furniture strong enough to hold it up.  (Well, I do, but it's currently holding my printer, unless I pack the printer... which I just might do, because it's not currently being used...)

I'm putting together a bin of my doll stuff that's been floating around everywhere.  For everyone that thinks "Oh, it's just a wig here or a shirt there", no, it's like, I skinned multiple cats, there are so many wigs (mostly mohair, for those that know what it is), I have so many outfits wandering around, I'm surprised anyone has any clothes on, and I've found almost all of my spare hands that were floating around.  I'm tempted to put Mercutio in there, because the poor Floy is still on the Marketplace, and still hasn't sold and his original box got something sticky on it...

Sigh.  I can't wait until we move...  Just over four weeks left...  NNNGHCANITBESEPTEMBERNOW?!

In other news, I've been writing.  A lot.  And by a lot, I mean my novel currently contains about 75 pages of actual writing.  Most of it is sequential, but I still have gaps in it (I skipped about 10 chapters to write the fun bits).  I've taken to writing while walking at work (something I might've mentioned around February or so).  I have been enjoying the exercise, and definitely loving the boost in creativity.  I've determined that I write best that way, especially emotional scenes--it helps keep me focused so I don't start crying.  (For those wondering, yes, I do cry when I write stressful scenes.  Someone's thinking their last thoughts on the page?  I start bawling at my desk.  Writing a child's funeral, I just take off my glasses and type until I get through it, and then wipe my eyes and dry my tears before checking it over.)  For me, the worst parts are when a man is crying.  Now, this is true when it's a boy, a full grown man, a teenager, whatever.  If a man is crying, then it spurs tears and hysterical sobs, when I'm alone.  When someone is around, I try to hold it in, which results in headaches, migraines, and general unpleasantness.  *sigh*

Candle Jokes, Ear Pains, and Prints

How has everyone been doing?  I hope well, that would make me feel better. 

I've been watching movies and George Carlin comedy specials while recovering from a severe inner ear infection after I went to the doctor's on Sunday and he said it was just a slight infection in the one ear and a dysfunction of the Eustachian tubes.  Today, I went to the ear-nose-throat guy and said, "Still can't hear, still #(@* hurts, can't wear headphones, and can barely hear in my right ear, WHAT THE HELL".  He looked in my ear, poked a little inside, gaged how badly I was twitching to get AWAY from the slight touch, asked if it was sore in the space in front of my ear (which it is, and it's swollen too), made sure my ear drums were reverberating properly, and then concluded I needed oral antibiotics in addition to the ear drops that I was taking anyway.  He put a cotton wick in my ear.  I almost laughed and made an ear candle joke, but he took the bottle of ear drops and squeezed FREEZING DROPS into my ear, and startled me so much with it, that I forgot my joke.  u.u  

So guess who will be going back to work on Friday?

So, I've been watching movies.  I discovered (okay, you know what I mean) The Devil's Carnival.  If you watched Repo! The Genetic Opera, and you liked it (or at least thought that Graverobber was hot and the music was fun), watch The Devil's Carnival.  It tells the story of three souls that go to Hell and have to learn the lessons from their lives, as they apply to three of Aesop's Fables:  The Frog and the Scorpion, The Dog and Her Reflection, and The Devil and His Due.  My favorite songs are A Penny For a Tale (it goes with the Dog and Her Reflection), Grace for Sale (Terrance Zdunich has this wonderful, deep, velvety voice), and In All My Dreams I Drown (Again, Terrance Zdunich).  Anyways, I messaged Carro and asked if drawing Olin and Tybalt as the Scorpion and the Frog.  <3

Still working on that one, but yeah.

I've been revamping old drawings and working on more stuff, like Doctor Who drawings--like this one--and then Labyrinth things like this:

I love this one.  *nods*I'm working to color it soon.  ^^ I re-did this one:

I love how that one turns out.

So today, I went to the ENT specialist and unleashed hell--there were four small children who were behaving well but didn't have anything to really do in the waiting room.  I showed up with my bag of sketchbooks, pencils, markers, and pens, and proceeded to make all four children whine--"I WANNA COLOR!"  I tried not to grin when one of the children walked over and watched me for about three minutes until his mother stopped him and made him go back to where he'd been sitting. (I felt bad, almost tore out a sheet of paper for him... but then he got called, so I didn't)

Last one:

Oh, I have prints!  =D  Postcards, notecards, and I'm waiting on a mug that I designed--all on my own!  <3

That's all for today.

Oh, one last thing before my quote of the day.  I started a new DA account because I locked myself out of my old one.  *nods*

Quote of the Day:

"Don't forget, a sheltered rose needs a little room

to bloom outside her bedroom."

~Chase the Morning, from Repo! The Genetic Opera (As sung by Sarah Brightman)

Nebraskon Confirmations!

So, Starving Artists' Studios had a bit of a break over winter.  Right after Nebraskon last November, I ran over a deer, then I got very sick with the flu over Christmas.  I got better, then Mom got sick.  Mom got better, then I got sick again.  I got better, and then I got a call that mom was being admitted to the hospital.  Thank you, Life, for kicking me when I'm down.

Mom's doing a LOT better, as am I.  I'm looking forward to spring (to everyone wondering what I'm talking about, it's FREEZING in Nebraska), and I'm definitely looking forward to moving in September.  In the meantime, Starving Artists Studios has decided on our central theme for this year's presentation, and we've decided to concentrate on ball-jointed dolls, which has been very popular for some time.  Between Athena and I, we've pulled together and chosen a few US independent sculptors/companies, to decide who we're going to push and advertise.

I'm working right now on little booklets for those that are interested in getting into the hobby, but want kind of a manual of "how to get started" and "what the heck am I doing".  And by right now, I mean I have the idea to do it, but haven't started yet. XD

Right now, I'm putting together small raffle items.  I've got a little cat pet doll on order, and it's sitting at the apartment office right now for me to pick up tomorrow.  That will bring out the real potential of starving artists the world over!

At Starving Artists' Studios, we're out to show the world that just because we're "starving", doesn't mean we aren't as good as those high-end artists that overcharge for the same quality of product.  That, and I like shameless advertising, it's fun!

At-con, I intend to have 4-5 cat pet dolls for raffle with their own little accessories, "birth certificates", and special faceup and body blushing done by our resident artists. At-con, I will be doing commissions again--something I haven't done for two years, because I was getting very out of control with my time management. I will have Athena there with me this year, and the intention is to have a wonderful, open experience to bring people into this fantastic, awesome hobby, and to let them really see that artists don't have to starve, you can support the artists and you can enjoy and love what you get out of it!


Do you have something you think would make an awesome "starving artist" item?  Pop in and drop us a line, tell us and show us what you have that would be a wonderful example of your abilities as an artist.  BJD items are VERY desired right now, so furniture, clothing, wigs, eyes, faceups, sculpting, whatever you think you can come up with will be helpful!




Inspirational Quote of the Day:

"Let no voice falter, let die no flame,

Let all remember your every name!

Let faces turn to the starry sky.

Let songs be sung 'til our throats are dry!"

~Goodnight Sweet Ladies, by Emilie Autumn