Project Nightingale

Sunshine and Dragons

2009-07-22T01:24:18Z

Ian moved back in with his mom downtown, where he now lives in the sunroom. He hates it because it stays obnoxiously bright and hot, but I love it. My little apartment has too few windows and is always too dark for taking good photos. His place is perfect for them though! I didn't have to make any adjustments to these photos at all!

^ That would be one of Ian's Warhammer figures. He's an awesome painter, no? *evil grin* More on that in a little bit....

My toys playing with his toys:

About Ian's painting skills....he is constantly painting Warhammer figures, and the other day I took my two blank doll heads up there to work on while he was painting figures. Like I figured, Savannah humidity made the pastels look all blotchy, and I was having no luck with the eyebrows or anything. Ian does amaaaaazing detail on his tiny figures, and he offered to take a stab at painting the eyebrows on my doll. And it turned out freakin' AWESOME! He did such perfect, fine little eyebrows! So I am having him finish painting that head for me, and I'll post a picture when he's done. I'm really encouraging him to consider taking some face-up commissions and he's interested in trying it out, if I can convince him he really IS very skilled with it, and if he got some more practice I think he could be phenomenal at it.

A few other little things I must share:
1. I finally had to scream at the top of my lungs at Burger King tonight to get someone to come back to the drive thru window and fix my order, and when one lady finally stormed over she told me "I didn't MAKE your order! GRAHHHH!!!" Like I had personally attacked her by saying they got my order wrong o_O It was bizarre and scary.

2. I played Rock Band for the first time last night. I'm going to assume it's much more fun when one person in the group isn't an attention whore belting the songs at the top of his off-key lungs when other people are trying to do the microphone part. Also probably more fun when people in the group aren't chain smokers and rude and impatient to people like me who have never played before :/ I really almost started crying. I'm such a shy person and I really pushed myself to have a good time with Ian's friends, and kind of got treated like crap the whole night because I'm so clueless about gaming. I'm sorry?

Life Lately (Travel Photos + Kitten & Pup fluff

2009-06-30T18:23:01Z

AHHHHH! First of all, I feel like such a flake. There are tons of people/comments on LJ that I need to reply to, or should have, and now it's been so long I feel like it's pointless. So this is a big public "Sorry about that" from me :/ My life has been one topsy-turvy episode after another and I've been traveling hither and tither and yon with barely a break in between, have met a bunch of new friends that keep me going when I am home....it's been a bit much.

First things first, most of this entry will just be photos of my recent travels, life updates, etc. but I feel this has more widespread appeal(WARNING! Cuteness of nauseating proportions)

My mom surprised me by letting me know she'd picked up a new puppy for me. I'm not sure I'm really ready for another one, but the breeders are friends of ours and really strapped for cash....and she's freakin' adorable. My family just happened to find a kitten on the side of the road the same day they picked up the puppy, and the two are best buddies now. (that's one of our older dogs being attacked by the pup in this video). They're back in NC right now but will be bringing me the pup this weekend :D

I also just got back from an 8 day vacation to New England with my boyfriend. We went up for his sister's wedding. Kind of overwhelming for me since I hadn't met any of his family except his mom who lives here in Savannah @_@ We had a great time though! It was GREAT to get away from the sweltering Southern heat!

Yay weddingness:

That is a Valentino shirt I snagged for under $100 btw, hells yeah >_>....

....also got to meet some interesting cats o_O while house-sitting for his sister while she was on her honeymoon.

HUGE CAT IS HUUUUUGE!:

MUTANT THUMB CAT IS MUTANT!

....the huge cat would scare me to death while we were house-sitting. He has to weigh around 30 pounds and sounds as big as another human being when he's barreling down the stairs o_o

Got to see the Newport Mansions (massive WOW):

And some crazy tea house behind one of these mansions (can we say "eccentric"?):

Then there was Boston, where I'd be more than thrilled to live:

The very awesome Trinity Church, somewhat amusingly juxtaposed with the John Hancock tower (but cool reflection, huh?)

And my new favorite painting which I discovered at the Boston Museum of Fine Art:

Some camels made their way in there at some point:

Along with some big kittehs:

Some Utilikilts:

And some live-action Mario:

And I have no photos, but I also found the holy grail of uber-awesome clothing stores. Michal Negrin. Unbelievable. You can look it up online but the website does NO justice to how gorgeous their stuff is in person. I literally felt like crying! I ended up buying almost $700 worth of stuff there and I have NEVER been one to go into a store and drop money like that @_@ Craaaazy.

SO, there we have it. I have been without internet for most of my travels, and have a few more coming up, so I'm apologizing ahead of time that I'm hard to get in touch with, which isn't normally like me at all so it makes me feel bad :/ This has been a really great summer so far though!

BPAL for sale!

2009-05-29T20:33:27Z

Well, I typically don't use my doll journal for this, but seeing as I know a lot of people on this flist are into BPAL, I'm offering up my big de-stash sale here first. And I'm pretty desperate to sell it, so if you're interested, make me an offer. Even better, if you're not into BPAL and are curious, I'll give you free shipping. Because I'm an evil enabler like that.

(FYI, BPAL= Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, and these are all crazy-good, crazy-addictive perfume oils)

I've got a bunch of LE bottles and tons of imps under the cut ^^

5 mls- All used cleanly once or twice unless otherwise noted

All They Had Seen and All They Had Lost- $16
~~Blood Moon- $16~~
A Blade of Grass- $16
Butter Rum Cookie- $18
Arcangel Winter (full to top of label)- $13
Aeval (full to top of label)- $10

Imps, all $1.00 each
Al-Shairan
Belladonna
Black Dahlia
~~Blood Kiss (decanted, hand-written label)~~
~~Calliope~~
~~Death Cap~~
Defututa
Djinn
Incubus
Languor ~~(x2~~) one sold!
Mania
Masabakes
Melpomene
Ode on Melancholy
Peitho
Ra
~~Rapture~~
Red Devil
Salome
Satyr
~~Severin~~
Sophia
~~Zombi~~

Shipping= $3.00 in the US for up to 2 bottles + 5 imps. It'll go up after that depending on how much you purchase.
Just leave a comment here to claim stuff or you can e-mail me at nightingale303(at)yahoo(dot)com
Or PM "Tuvie" on DoA ^^

If by any chance someone wants to buy ALL of this, I'm asking $90 for the whole lot, but I'm very open to offers.

Yay for good weather! At long last...

2009-04-10T21:55:26Z

Well, first of all, my courtyard is a bit like some weird wonderland scene right now o_O The smell of wisteria wafting in the breeze is overpowering, the grass I planted is getting tall and BRIGHT green, the birds are chirping, the sun is shining strongly, and over it all rides the tinkling, crystalline sound of….a xylophone playing I think??? It’s freaking me out. It sounds like its coming from the unfinished back side of the main house, which is locked up and where no one lives….my neighbors in the front of the house are musicians, so it’s probably coming from their place, but it’s weird that it’s resounding so loudly all the way back in the courtyard.

But anyway, during all this, seeing as I had nothing to do for once this afternoon, I decided to drag Vinny out of his box to go play in the sun! Because he’s definitely the sunny sort, you know….

I can’t wait to give him a new face-up T_T Gotta wait till I’m back in NC though….it’s humid again in Savannah, and it ruins the pastels I use. I might try it anyway, but SCAD gives me no free time for such lengthy processes.
And I am going back to NC next week, but the new boyfriend-type-thing will be joining me, so probably no time for dolly face-ups! Even though he thinks they’re cool and tried to paint Aravin with me when I attempted it in Savannah :D
And these all ended up portrait shots because his legs have gotten SO kicky....and I need to find that extra part Leeke sent to put in his neck that, um, actually makes his head posable. Right now he can't look up or down at all really XP

Oh....and in more angry I-wanna-demolish-SCAD news.....the end of the quarter (finals week) just HAPPENs to coincide with Animazement >:O!!!!!! I'm SO frickin' disappointed to have to miss another convention. Grr. *cries*

Air Weebie!

2009-03-30T05:39:34Z

I was thinking, it has been way too long since I shared a bit of the daily hilarity Weebie provides me with! XD Yes, Weebie is living with me in Savannah now. We figured he wouldn't like being cooped up in the small space, so we just tried it for two weeks, and it turns out he really seems to love it here! All my neighbors moved out and I live all alone back here in the carriage house, so it's nice to have him around.

Last night my friend Ian tied his catnip toy to a riding crop I had lying around and after getting good and 'nipped up, Weebie decided to perform some acrobatics:

Weebie the Almighty gazes down upon thee and sees your misdeeds!

Oh, also, he is making evolutionary progress with those thumbs of his. A few days ago I looked over to find him sitting on my kitchen island with my keys clutched between his thumb and ....forefinger/claw? dangling them in front of his face o_O

And a cute one, for the heck of it, even though he's still pulling a lolcat face:

Impulse buying! :D

2009-03-27T00:41:10Z

...well, kind of, anyway. I saw that notice about Leeke World having a one day $50 head sale at about 2 AM this morning....and so I jumped on it! I ordered a Leeke L Hero head and a Dollga Noella head. Now I'm wondering if I might have been happier with a Dollga Arien.....I really have no clue what I'm going to do with the Noella! ;_; She's too young looking to be the SD female I had planned. But I've always thought Noella was super-super cute, so I guess I'll just figure it out.

If I have time, too, I'm going to try to make some needle-felted clothing for my dolls....they are being so neglected. And all three of my French Resin dolls are still back in NC because the weather down here was doing such a number on excellerating their yellowing. Anyway, little felted clothes! I think it will look good on the tinies. I also switched my major to Fiber Arts, and seeing as I NEVER have time to do personal projects anymore, maybe I can pass it off as a class project ^^

I feel like I've reached a new level of BJD hobby obsession-dom. I am now the proud owner of two floating heads! Or I will be whenever they get here XD

Whimsical Teacup, Savannah Meet-up~

2009-02-24T19:09:49Z

First of all, I want to say I'm sorry for not responding to comments left on my previous entries! ;_; And for being so absent in general from LJ....more on that in my next entry....

For now, a few pictures from this Saturday's meet-up at The Whimsical Teacup :D I'm glad I finally got to meet some of the Savannah BJD crowd. My photos turned out pretty crappy though, what few I took. I'm still struggling with finaggling the settings on my new camera to look good with indoor lighting and stuff >_< I had a great time though!

Peoples' reactions to the dolls were pretty entertaining.... a kid was having her birthday party there at the same time, so after we put the dolls out on the couch, all the little girls eventually gathered around in a cluster to stare. Among the statements (spoken amongst themselves, never to us): "Those dolls are creepy, even the really little ones!" "They're scary" "This one's a horse!!" (referring to Mr. Sard XD)

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but there was also a big group of middle aged women who positively openly GLARED at us and our dolls when we first set them out on the table o_O I even made eye contact with them and smiled and they kept frowning directly at me....I'm not sure what the issue was. If they thought we were freaks they might have considered the fact that one of the old women was wearing a big ole' pink feather boa and tiara....

Anyway, on with the show!

Mr. "Horse" = pure awesomeness!!!

Oh and Vinny finally got his blue Gumdrops eyes @_@ That I ordered in August! I'll have to take better pics of them later...

Tulip Magnolias

2009-01-29T02:42:07Z

These gorgeous flowers are growing all over town! It's so strange...January in Savannah, Spring has already come, and Winter never really even rolled in.

Anyway, I was totally enamored by these flowers the first time I saw them. And my upstairs neighbor is all flower-arrangement crazy and brings me new arrangements every week or so. He brought me these and two days later the bud opened up into a beautiful flower. I took these photos a few weeks ago though, now I have a boquet of daffodils sitting in the kitchen window!

Lichen likes to hang out in the window sill...it was the only cat-proof place in the apartment until my cat figured out how to get up there just this week *sigh*

Lichen also sort of has a new look going on....a veeeery different look o_O
Actually, this wig is so thick and heavy that he can't stand up with it on.

Tuvie: Mmm...I dunno if it's "you"
Lichen: But I feel so....luscious!!

.

Introducing Aravin + My first "real" face-up

2008-12-12T21:12:27Z

Wow, so it has been quite a while since I posted! SCAD just kind of devoured me @_@ Anyway, at long last, I have completed my Mihael!
Well, actually, he's not just how I want him by a long shot, but I was pretty happy with how he turned out so I couldn't resist finally "formally" introducing him!

I tried working on his face-up down here in Savannah, but the humidity just ruined everything I did. Which is why I was amazed the face-up went as well as it did while I was back home in North Carolina :D This isn't technically the first time I've done a face-up, but until now I'd only done one on a 1/6 plastic dollfie, and it was years ago, and I didn't really have the materials I needed. That said, his first face-up isn't really what I wanted, and I messed up a LOT, but I decided to just treat it as a learning experience and I'll re-do it whenever I get another chance. It's kind of funny how the left side of his face-up turned out IMMENSELY better than the right side...and that's why his hair is covering the right side of his face XD

So anyway, here he is! Aravin Cousteau, my villainous little boy with an angelic face and a heart black as tar <3 You may call him "Vinny," if you dare ;)

And a big one, for the sake of being able to see the face-up a little better:

He's supposed to be getting some blue gumdrops eyes, too...I was hoping they'd be here by now, but they won't be shipping until January *sigh* So, he's borrowing Aurora's "antiquity" colored gumdrops right now, which I decided to leave in because they match his kitty shirt so well! hehe
Critique on the face-up is welcome, too, of course. This one was pretty much just experimentation. I'd like to keep his eyebrows the same style and color, but that's pretty much it. He does have bottom lashes, they're just very short (and they look really crappy XP ). I have a few pairs of upper lashes I planned to use on him, too, but because of his tiny eye-shape....I think he looks weird with upper eyelashes o_O Plus I want to avoid making him look too feminine....

We has an arrival....

2008-09-19T19:28:09Z

FINALLY. I could say "finally" to a ton of things right now . . . but the most relevant would be FINALLY my internet is working here in Savannah, and FINALLY my big ole' box from Leeke World made it here . . .

:DDDDD

So getting him "together" is going to be a long process, and I think I'll reserve saying anything more about what/who he is until he's done, but I was so excited by how gorgeous this mold is in person . . .
(oh, and btw, please do excuse my craptastic photos, courtesy of the craptastic camera I have with me here! :D )

After going through 87 tons of bubble wrap, we finally made it to this box . . .

(Warning: box opening nudity under the cut)

And inside we found 87 more tons of bubble wrap, covering everything but his torso just about. Can't say Leeke World doesn't package them well at least . . .

His posing is just fantastic! Like, he can actually stand, for example!! XD

And under all that bubble-wrap, we have....

. . . a blank Leeke World Mihael:

And yay! The default eyes he came with are the color I wanted for him anyway ^^ So they'll do just fine until his Gumdrops get here.

And of course he'll be needing some more clothes, too, among many other things, but this is just a preview of him for now anyway.

I am just kind of upset that I didn't get a free random wig, because I did order him during the time frame that Leeke was still doing that *pouts* But oh well, the one I ordered for him is great. I just need to restyle it to hide that spot where you can see the hairnet thingy in the part.

Bon Voyage!

2008-08-31T07:41:14Z

I have been saying I needed to do a photoshoot of Rory and Lu in their Mio stuff before I leave!
Well, I found myself alone today with no one to bother me, so here we go . . .

This is probably the last time you'll be seeing my kiddos for a while, too. I guess they are all moving with me because I'm afraid of people messing with them if I leave them behind . . . but I'm sure I won't have time for photos for a while. So, I hope you enjoy this last bit of spam!

I feel like this is a big end to a chapter in my life, and the beginning of a new one. I came across an old song that was once very special to me the other day, and realized it is the song I connect with my best memories of living here. So, Aurora and Lucien get Lacuna Coil's "Stars" connected to this photoshoot <3

Is it asking too much to be given time
To know these songs and to sing them

Is it asking too much of my vacant smile

And my laugh and lies that bring them

But as the stars are going out

And this stage is full of nothing

And the friends have all but gone

For my life my god I'm singing

We'll take our hearts outside

Leave our lives behind

I'll watch the stars go out
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonus pics of Lu in his cute new stuff!:

Tush! These pants are incredible. Such a perfect fit, it's unbelievable.

Anyone else want Mio stuff?

2008-08-25T21:24:58Z

Ok, I'm going to go ahead and bite the bullet. Is anyone on my flist interested in a small Mio group order? If so we can discuss more details, but I just wanted to ask here before I go ahead by myself. Those kitty shirts are too darn irresistable.

And if you've never bought Mio stuff, I highly encourage you to try it :D It really is all its hyped up to be.

The handsome Man of my resin household

2008-08-19T17:19:56Z

I am still playing around with angles on Ajeet. He is just so hard to capture in photos for some reason. I love this boy and the UH-08 sculpt so much, and I always feel like my photos are never able to translate what is so captivating about it to me. I think I am getting closer though . . .

I've been thinking for a while that I might change his face-up, but I wanted to try new eyes with him first and see if it made any difference. He got his Ruddy Peach Violet with Purple Pupil eyes yesterday, and I think they look fabulous! Because his eyewells are so deep, it's kind of difficult to capture them, but to me they made a big difference- I feel like I've fallen in love with Ajeet all over again <3

I left him on my bed after putting his eyes in and my sister said he scared the crap out of her when she walked into my room XD hehehe! I hardly ever leave my dolls out so I think people forget about them. She must have thought a little gremlin was sitting on my bed.

I had to use flash for this one (obviously XP), but at least it shows how pretty the eyes are:

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And even though this one isn't really in focus, I think it's my favorite photo of him ever:

We are definitely enjoying his new Mio jeans, too! It's so hard to find things to fit his tiny butt DX (He has an SD-10ish size body)

Cone's Field

2008-08-12T03:24:33Z

No dolls again, but this is a place I'd really like to take a doll! Yesterday my family went up to the fields behind Cones Manor (where I did this photoshoot of Lucy last October). We took Biscuit, too, and it was quite an adventure for her. For me it was just great to be outside in a comfortable temperature, running around through this beautiful place . . .

Hopefully I will have a urethane doll (one able to better endure the sunlight) before I move, and I'll get to take him there. This is probably the place I'm going to miss the most when I leave.

Pretty trees at the top of the hill:

Catching the wind!

In desperate need of a bath DX :

Madame Biscuit also had a grand ole' time hunting cows:

Like a little arctic fox, she is

This cow was just as interested in her, and they touched noses through the fence here, but my camera wasn't quick enough to catch it. Instead we see her here right after she barked and the cow backed away -_-

. . . And on a totally unrelated note, I am absolutely twitching for a BPAL fix X_x
I am desperately holding out for the Halloween update though. I've been wearing Samhain 07 for the past few days and now I'm just longing for those rich, dark scents. I've been so disappointed with the BPAL stuff I've bought lately . . . nothing new I'm trying is really striking my fancy too well :/ Of course I have my old stand-bys that smell good any time of the year, but I want something new.

~Tiny Fluff~

2008-07-19T05:15:56Z

Lichen and Aestra send their love to my friends who aren't having such a great time right now <3
I was in need of some tiny-time myself.

(^ epic "I got them to stand O_O" moment)

WTF is happening to my mail???

2008-07-17T21:32:13Z

I'm asking here because maybe people on my flist know more about what might be happening than me . . .

All politeness aside, my mother has been a dumbass and got a PO Box because she's having "relationship problems" and "didn't know where we'd be living." It's a bunch of bull, really, and it was over-the-top absurd for her to do this. She told me she only had her mail forwarded to the PO Box, but mine hasn't been showing up here either. And it's not in the PO Box, I checked. Mom is only getting junk mail in it, too. Only mail for my recently-moved-back-in stepdad is showing up.

So, not only do I have a few packages with very expensive doll clothing missing, I also have a VERY important package from SCAD missing that I need ASAP. I haven't tried to do anything about it yet because I thought my mom was looking into it . . . but I seem to be the only truly concerned party. It's too late to go today, but what should I do? Are they holding my mail at the post office???

Meme-ness

2008-07-16T22:35:15Z

I slept until 3:30 PM today. ;_; I think that's a new record for me . . . I did get up at 6 AM though and stayed up feeling sick till about 7:30, but still. I feel awful. Ugh. So I just sat down and stole this meme people have been doing . . .

Obviously it's about all my dolls though ^^ Not especially interesting I guess, but you might get to know more about my dolls' personalities, which I don't really get into much.

[1] What is your name and birthdate?

Paisley, March 3

[2] How long have you been interested in dolls?
Since . . . 2003 I think? But at that point I couldn’t find any info not in Japanese and kind of gave up. They kind of stayed in the back of my mind until I saw a friend had bought one.

[3] How many SD dolls do you have?
6- 3 slim minis, 1 SD size, and two tinies.

[4] What is the name(s) of your doll(s)?
Ajeet, Aurora Moxley, Lucien Costeau, Cleaestra, Lichen, and Israel (who is technically owned by my boyfriend, but is all but mine now as the boyfriend is too “freaked out” by the dollie crowd o_O)

[5] What type of SD do you have?
A 43cm Narin and Narae, an Unidoll Limited UH-07, a Banji Eomji, a Tinybear Bracken, and an Orient Doll Tae

[6] Do you believe in Fate?
Eh . . . probably? But what’s it got to do with dolls?

[7] Who is the manufacturer of your doll(s)?
Narindoll, Unidoll, Orient Doll, umm . . . Dollmore? And Bobobie technically makes Tinybear’s dolls I guess?

[8] What was your first reaction when you saw your SD for the first time?
When I saw Lucien, I flipped out. Issy was the first I saw in person though, and I was pretty in awe by him, too.

[9] Have you shown your doll off at a Doll Show?
Doll meets and conventions I guess . . .

[10] Which do you prefer? Commercial SDs (such as Kyon customed dolls) or Customizing your own SD?
Customizing my own. Some of my dolls just have their default face-ups, but I definitely prefer to make them “my own” rather than sticking with the manufacturer’s idea.

[11] How do you feel about Commercial SDs?
Many of them are gorgeous, but not for me usually because they wouldn’t suit my vision for a doll without some modifications I’d feel guilty about. In most cases they wouldn’t anyway.

[12] Did you create a personality/background for your doll(s)?
More like I already had the personality and background and looked for the doll?

[13] What type of relationship do you have with your doll (eg. beloved daughter, friend)?
I am their GOD! Muah-hahaha!

[14] Does your SD have a nickname?
Ajeet- “Jeje”
Cleaestra- “Aestra”
Lucien- “Lu” or “Lucy”
Aurora- “Rory”
Lichen . . . Well, Lichen lucked out, didn’t he?
And poor Israel has several- “Issy,” “Taeter,” “Taeter Tot”

[15] What special meaning does your doll's name have?
Ajeet- comes from a Sikh word meaning “invincible warrior” or something like that. I can’t remember exactly right now. But Ajeet is something of a war hero, so that’s why.
Cleaestra- is totally made up. Just seemed to suit her precocious little self.
Lucien- is a nice French name, for a nice half-French boy :D And means something about “light,” which is a bit of a reference to Lucien’s obsession with his god-like status to someone.
Aurora- is a variation on the name of a girl who lived in Ireland in the 12^th century that I feel very connected to. She was sort of left in the care of another family, setting up tragic consequences, and her story mimics Aurora’s in some ways.
Israel- I’m not really sure, would have to ask my boyfriend.
Lichen- because he is a wily little wood elf?

+ Accessories +

[16] Does your SD have a special seat/place in your room? If so, where?
They all stay locked away in a big ole’ chest at the foot of my bed, except for the tinies, who have a couch on my dresser right now. They move around occasionally.

[17] Did you buy a chair specifically for your SD?
Yep, they have a bunch of chairs, but I hardly take them out nowadays. The new house doesn’t give me enough space to leave them out.

[18] Does your SD have accessories of his own? (eg. pets, toys, hairbrush)
Hmm . . . Ajeet has a special necklace I made for him. Lucien and Aurora also share a special necklace with a tiny bottle attached.

[19] What hard to find items do you wish you could get for your doll?
Nicely done period clothing? Of course, there are some to be found, I just don’t have the money to be found to buy them =_=

[20] What is the most expensive thing you've bought for your doll?
Hrm . . . Mio clothes, probably? That and Gumdrop eyes.

+ Traveling +

[21] When you go out, do you take your doll with you?
Only if I’m with other doll people. My friends just think the dolls are uber-weird.

[22] If so, where have you taken your doll?
I took Lucien to Cone’s Manor for his birthday, and that’s all I’ve done, really.

23] Is there a regular place you take your doll out to?
Nope.

[24] If you do take your doll out of the house, how do you carry her? (eg. SD violin case, backpack,etc)
If I take them out, they go in my doll-carrying bag, which is a big, pink ridiculous thing.

[25] When you do take your doll out, is it easy to do or do you find it's more trouble than it's worth?
It’s much too troublesome.

+ Etc +

[26] Does your doll have a friend? Do you think your doll wants a friend?
They are each other’s friends I guess o_O Issy is probably the most sociable of all of them.

[27] If you could build your dream FCS for free, what would it be?
Dunno . . . I would be really happy with a Kun girl though. I’ve really grown fond of that face for some reason.

[28] What is your favorite optional head?
F-16 probably

[29] What is your least favorite optional head?
I dislike quite a few of them, honestly. I think it’s Megu that bothers me most. That face looks so full of itself XP

[30] What type of fantasy head would you like to see produced?
Umm . . . I do not know? Elves are enough for me, really.

[31] What made you choose your SD out of all the various types?
My first one, Narin, I chose because he was just such a gorgeous, ethereal mold and could have so many different looks. Plus I liked that I could order a fully custom face-up on him without sending him out somewhere else. And he had that very hard to describe “pale brown” skin I had in mind for Lucien.

+ Clothing and Wigs +

[32] What is your favorite wig for your doll?
I love Lucien’s Leeke World wig to bits <3
And the red mohair one Aurora has, because the curls are so long and tiny and perfect.

[33] Do you change your SD's wig often and have you tried styling the wigs?
I don’t really. I spent a good bit getting them the wigs that suited their characters perfectly, and I’m just now branching out from that more.

[34] How many wigs do you have?
Probably around 20, I think.

[35] How many shoes do you have for your doll? Does your doll have socks too?
Probably only about 5 ;_; And I have 6 dolls, so do the math. The poor tinies are bare-footed things.

[36] What types of clothing does your doll wear? (name in order of favorite styles)
Lucien is a bit of a foppish little gentleman. Aurora is girly for the most part, as is Aestra. Lichen I try to dress in woodsy colors. Ajeet just kind of acquires what he can. And Issy probably dresses the most modern out of all of them- almost exclusively in red, black, and white.

[37] Where do you purchase your SD clothing?
Different places, mostly through the DoA marketplace. I really don’t have a lot from one particular place. Will soon have a good bit of Mio clothes though, if it ever arrives -_-

[38] Do you sew clothing for your doll?
I make desperate attempts.

[39] Do you plan on dressing your doll as an anime character? If so, who?
Mmm, nope.

[40] Do you make accessories for you doll? What kinds?
I make a lot of hats and jewelry, and some other knitted things like shirts and sweaters occasionally.

[41] Have you made doll items that you plan on selling?
Yep, I do sell the hats and some other stuff.

[42] Do you sew/knit/crochet and for how long?
I knit and crochet, and try to sew but I’m not too great at it. Have been knitting about 3 years I think, crocheting for 1.5

+ Misc Owner Qs +

[43] Is there a type of music that you listen to when you are with your doll?
Nope. I really don’t listen to music unless I’m in my car, or on my computer, occasionally. That’s because I always have too much going on in my head already and music makes me crazy @_@

[44] Have you ever thought about opening a doll shop?
Hmm, actually, it’s never crossed my mind.

[45] Do you have a specific area in your home where you keep your doll?
In my room.

[46] For how long did you know about SDs before you actually got your SD?
Three years I guess

[47] Do you carry your doll around in the house?
No, I’m too careful with them. Plus I have all kinds of animals constantly at my heels.

[48] Is there a special place in your house that you like to sit with your doll?
Ajeet occasionally gets to sit in the computer room with me, but that’s only is the puppy is sleeping and the Weebie is away.

[49] What are the comments you have heard in regards to your doll, after others have seen it in person?
Aurora and Lucien get the most positive responses. People thinks they’re purty. I think people have trouble coming up with something to say about Ajeet XD Because he’s a weirdy I suppose . . .

[50] Does your doll have their own website?
This LJ is the closest thing. Maybe if I ever manage to get really good at photographing them, maybe then they’ll have a website.

+ Eyes +

[51] What is the color of your doll(s) eyes now? Also give the size of eyes too
Ajeet- 14mm light purple glass eyes. Want to get him some Ginarolos or Gumdrops.
Aestra- default 6mm brown eyes from Dollmore, which I’d love to change, but am terrified to attempt on a head so tiny.
Lichen- 8mm light blue glass ones from Orient Doll
Issy- 8mm acrylics from Orient Doll
Lucien- 10mm Gumdrops in “Copper Sparkle”
Aurora- 12mm Gumdrops in “Antiquity,” though she usually wears green eyes

[52] What is your favorite eye color for your doll(s) and why?
Mostly the colors they have right now, though I’d like to try some different ones in Ajeet.

[53] How often do you change the eyes?
Not too often. Lucien & Aurora’s get changed the most because it’s super easy to change their eyes. The other guys give me too much of a headache.

[54] How many different pairs of eyes do you have for your doll?
Probably around 12

[55] Do you believe your doll has a "soul"?
I never know how to answer this question . . .

[56] Do you talk to your doll?
Not really. Unless I’m frustrated at their eyes not going in right. Then I give them a piece of my mind, you can be sure.

[57] When talking to your doll, how does he address you?
I’d prefer “Madame,” I believe.

[58] How do men react to your doll?
They just ignore them for the most part I think. Kind of that whole “Do not understand, therefore do not acknowledge” sort of thing.

[59] What was your favorite childhood doll growing up and why?
I had a bunch of porcelain dolls with soft mohair wigs when I was very young. Rapunzel was my favorite I think. She had an awesome green velvet dress. I wasn’t really supposed to play with them though >_>… My Gene doll I thought was gorgeous, too.

[60] Did you have to sell items from a personal collection to raise money to purchase your doll?
I tried to sell my guitars but it didn’t work. I just had to save me pennies.

[61] If so, what did you sell?
…..

[62] How much do you spend on your doll a month? What is the maximum you would spend?
Depends on my financial status and whether I’m wanting to piddle away my money on some other interest *cough* BPAL *cough* I don’t think I could ever spend over $200 on them at one time though.

[63] Have you purchased something you regretted later?
A few things, but I’ve sold them. Thankfully nothing too expensive.

[64] Do you like buying clothing sets for your doll?
Yes, I wish they had more nice things.

[65] How often do you change your dolls clothing?
Usually every time I want to do a photo shoot, or if they are going to a meet-up

[66] If you could take your doll anywhere with you in the world, where would that be?
I want to take the tinies to Ireland :D

[67] Have you ever done something to your SD and felt bad about it? (eg. leaving her naked all night, dropping her)
I feel bad about smooshing Aurora’s eyelashes while carrying her in her bag.

[68] What paint brand do you use on your doll?
I does not paint them.

[69] If you were stranded on a deserted island with your doll, what 3 things would you want for your doll to have?
UV protection?
Um . . . Clothes that covered their entire body to prevent yellowing
Shoes?

[70] Does your doll have a girlfriend/boyfriend?
Aurora and Lucien have each other, though I’m not sure Rory would say he’s her “boyfriend.” Ajeet has a wife but she has no dolly form currently.

[71] Does your doll have siblings (eg. brother/sister)?
They don’t, actually. Aravin has a sister, who is Ajeet’s wife, but neither Aravin nor his sister are dolls yet.

[72] Will you pierce your doll's ears?
Rory has pierced ears but the holes are too damned small to get anything through! >:O

[73] Have you given your doll a manicure? What color?
I painted Rory and Lucy’s nails, but they’re just flesh colored. I might try a French manicure on Rory eventually.

[74] Did you do the esthetic process on your doll?
I’ve sanded seamed and blushed a few of them

[75] If so, are you glad you did?
Yes, it was pretty fun and easy to do

[77] If you could change anything they did with the SD body, what would it be?
Well, so far as the SD10 girl body goes, I wish it had a joint in the abdomen. And I think the wrists are a little chunky (my biggest pet peeve when it comes to dolls)

[78] Have you sueded and wired your doll?
Issy is seuded and wired, and the tinies are wired

[79] If your SD could be friends with any other SD, which SD would it be?
They are pretty antisocial critters, I think. I think Issy would like a Dollshe friend though. He’s miffed that we decided to shell him in an OD Tae rather than a Hound, which was the original plan :P

[80] Do you plan to get more SDs in the future?
*evil-style slanted-finger twiddling* Oh yes, we have plans in motion . . .

[81] If so, which SDs?
That’s classified information

[82] Do you change the paint on your SDs often?
No, I like them the way they are. Although I’d like to get Lichen a custom face-up eventually.

[83] Does your SD have a favorite color?
Ajeet- Purple probably
Lucien- also purple . . . Hmm . . .
Aurora- Gold
Lichen- Green
Cleaestra- Yellow
Issy- Red

[84] In general, what is your SDs mood or look
Ajeet- quiet, remorseful, a bit morose, but intimidating
Lucien- wicked, manipulative, immature, but oh-so-charming
Aurora- a bit fearful, innocent, confused, lost
Issy- pissed off at you. Just because. (short person complex, perhaps?)
Cleaestra- playful, cheerful, but fragile
Lichen- mischievous and sneaky

[85] Describe your SD's favorite outfit.
Ajeet- really doesn’t have an outfit that suits him perfectly yet. I like the black and red shirt he has now though, with the SSW snakeskin pants
Lucien- has some brocade-style Marsh pants and a SSW turtleneck, along with his little brown loafers, which I adore
Aurora- her favorite is probably the little blue and white ruffly dress, or the pink nightgown
Lichen- would be happy naked, I think
Aestra- the little yellow dress I made

[86] Does your SD have a formal name? What is it?
Lucien and Aurora have full names. Already given near the beginning of this :P

[87] Do you have any colored wigs for you SDs? (green or pink) Which ones?
Rory has a crazy pink and white one, and Ajeet has a black one with purple streaks. Everyone else has pretty normal colors

[88] What SD would you like to see in the future?
I don’t know really . . . there’s already a pretty good variety out there I think.

[89] If you have more than one SD, do you favor one over the others?
Lucien is my darling and I am shameless.

[90] Is your SD for display only?
No, I don’t display them at all. They’d turn mustardy.

[91] Do you have any brand name clothing for your SDs?
Yeah, they have a good bit of well-known “brands”

[92] Is there any SDs you regret not buying?
Sometimes I regret getting 43cm Narin and Narae instead of 60cm

[93] Do any of your friends own SDs?
The few I’ve met through the hobby do, obviously, but my other friends . . . nope. They think I’m insane.

[94] Do you have SD get togethers?
I attend them occasionally, never held one myself though

[95] Have you lied about the true cost of your SD to your family or friends?
Yes. For amusement’s sake. I told my sister Lucien cost me $200 and she thought that was crazy. Hehehe

[96] Do you think of yourself as being obsessive about your SD? If so, explain?
I’m obsessed with Lucien but more than the doll form of him. *blush*

[97] If the house was on fire, what would you grab first? Your SD, wallet, clothes or no time and save yourself?
I have their carrying case right beside their sleeping chest just for that event :[ I would probably go for my pets before anything though.

[98] Did you buy a digital camera only because you wanted to take pictures of your SD to show off online?
That’s one of the main reasons I’d like my own DSLR

[99] If you passed on, who gets your SD? wife/husband/kids/best friend/no one...it goes with me! Explain why!
I’d request that Aurora and Lucien be kept as family heirlooms. All the others are up for grabs I guess ;_;

[100] Do you think you'll ever tire of your SD? Why/Why not?
I get bored with them sometimes, but that’s what new clothes, eyes, and wigs are for. The thing I love is that they are so versatile, and there’s always new dolls coming out that I fall in love with.

Just felt like sharing my breakfast with you . . .

2008-06-29T06:14:03Z

. . . isn't it ridiculously cute???

I spent the week in Savannah, GA, which is where I'll be living once this fall runs around.
So what does this have to do with BJDS?? (not much, really) I just happened to see this tea room from pictures of a Savannah BJD meet-up and HAD to go there. Oh man it was cute! All of these photos are just from my cell phone- I took some of the actual restaurant with my camera but am too wiped out to upload them right now. @.@

Lavender cupcake & Vanilla Buttercream cupcake . . . which went with my cream n' berries Bunnies Tea Party tea!

heaven??

When we go back in a month, we will bring my wee Madame Pachabel Biscuit, who has grown quite a bit! These are a few weeks old, when I got home tonight she was even bigger! T^T

Because my mom is nuts (or had too many glasses of wine . . . ), after one dinner she decided to sculpt the whipped cream of our dessert into a replica of Miss Bisc:

. . . I guess we were inspired by all the drawings we did on the paper table cloth (see all them doodles in the background? XD), which ended up being doodles of all our pets . . .

. . . I drew Yeti, our scraggle-tailed monster-cat who only visits at night:

And I can't resist a Weebie pic . . . recently taken by my sister:

Darth Weebie . . .

wants U 4 dark syde!

I also got some really cool photos of the cemetary I went to alone :D (maybe even a ghostie one!). And to think, when I was taking them, I really thought they weren't going too great, but now that I've looked at them on the computer they are pretty spooky o_o

a new look- it's not "her," but I like it

2008-06-20T04:33:49Z

Rory has been sporting a different look lately . . .

I popped these eyes in her today to try them out. I didn't really want them positioned dead-center like this, but because they are 8mm's, the gap at the edges shows too much if I position them any other way -_- Oh well, the manic "wtf'sgoin'onhere" look suits Rory's personality quite well (unfortunately). XP

For some reason these photos have made the Muse song "Hysteria" stick in my head something awful . . .

--------------
Playing around . . . .here is the non-desaturated version of the uber-crazy eye photo:

And the super head-spinny one (whee! @_@)

Not sure which one I like best . . .

A Grand Weeb-Day Celebration

2008-06-06T21:30:09Z

Yesterday marked the first birthday of His Highness Sir Robin of Loxley (aka "Weebie")

So, I made whole bunch of cupcakes. Don't worry though, Weebie himself didn't eat any- he chose to merely supervise his loyal subjects feasting in his honor.

So here is the one year old Weeb! He already weighs about 15 pounds, and supposedly won't reach full size until he's 3 years old.

^ My favorite snack >_>...

Random fact: cats cannot taste "sweet" things. They don't have the gland for it or whatnot :/

DO NOT WANT [cupcake]!!

I haz a better flavur (apparently)

Birthday nap!

Just to show much much he has grown, this is him at about 9 weeks old :D -

SALE! :D Hats, jewelry, plushies, and some more stuff!

2008-06-06T00:40:28Z

I finally got around to photographing my inventory of stuff. Everything here is already listed $2 off of the original price.
Extra dollar off if you are on my friends list! :3 Most of this is stuff I took to Animazement, so it still has the tags on it.

Most things I can also make in a different size/color for you, but I would have to charge regular price for that.

And to triplepunch, as a special thank you for the stuff you've sent my way, if you want anything here for your girls, you are very welcome to it for free ^_^

Shipping in the US is $2 for amigurumi and hats; $1 for jewelry; and $5.00 for the white bunny because he'll have to be sent in a box
Payment by Non-CC Paypal only, please!

Warning- Very photo heavy under the cut!

First up are the "Amigurumi"- Japanese style crocheted animals.

Brown Bunny, about 3" tall
$6

White Fluffy Bunny, about 8" tall (really more human scale than doll)
$14

White Fuzzy Thing . . . about 4.5" tall. Not sure what he is, but he has a long cat-like tail.
He has a lot of extra details ^^
$14

Yellow Kitty, about 3.5" tall
$6

Hats are sized according to your doll's wig size.

A- Seagreen w/ hearts, Size: 7/8 or 8/9, $5
B- Pink & Burgundy Stripes, Size: 6/7, $6
C- Blue Angora yarn, Size: 6/7 or 7/8, $12

D- Blue-Grey & Burgundy; Size: 7/8, $7
E- Blue-Grey & Green, Size: 6/7 or 7/8, $7

~~F- Grey Alpaca yarn Pixie Hat w/ green ribbon. Size 6/7, possibly 7/8. $10~~
G- Brown w/ blue & heart. Size 6/7. $6
H- Blue & Purple mix w/ribbon. Size 6/7 or 7/8. $7

Grey Alpaca yarn w/ needle-felted angry vein
Size: 8/9, possibly will fit 9/10
$12

Blue & Purple mix w/ needle-felted star
Size: 8/9, will probably fit 9/10 as well
$10

Black w/ red heart
Size: 6/7, possibly 7/8
$7

Brown & Green hat- Size 8/9 or 9/10, $8
Pink w/ hearts- Size 8/9 or 9/10, $8

Unless noted, all jewelry has sterling silver clasps and crimp beads.

Kitty Bell Collars. These are on elastic string, so they are easy to put on ^^
Silver plated clasps, sterling crimp beads.
A- SD size, $3
B- MSD or Narae size, $3
C- Tiny size (Yo SD or smaller), $2
D- SD size, $3
E- SD size, $3

F- SD size, $5
G- MSD size, $4

SD choker, double stranded, on elastic string so it is snug but easy to put on.
$5

SD or MSD size w/ red Swarovski Crystal
$8

Unoa/Narae size Swarovski crystal necklaces
(will fit MSD but is hard to put on)
$6 each
"I" is sold!

SD or smaller size. Silver plated clasp, sterling crimp beads.
$3

Tiny size (YoSD or smaller)
$3

SD size or smaller
$5

MSD size, silver plated clasp
Butterfly has jump rings attached to both wings, so it sits flat, doesn't dangle
$4

Bracelets, various sizes. If you want one just say so and I'll send it with whatever else you buy. ^_^
*Pink w/ green butterfly & red and black bracelets are sold.

~~MSD or Unoa/Narae size shrug. Fits dolls the same way~~ ~~this human sized one~~ I made does.
$10 Sold, but I am happy to make more.

Scarves for any size, $3 each
*Pastel colored scarf is sold

h.NAOTO goodies!

2008-05-28T21:22:40Z

Yayyyyyyy!!! It finally arrived! Well . . . it was actually stuck at the post office. And was en route to me again when I went to the post office to try and pick it up -_- But now I have it! And thank goodness it fits! It's actually a little loose, but that makes it cuter I think- kind of like a babydoll top but without so much looseness you look pregnant.
So now that I know what size fits me (the same size I usually wear, actually- the site's measurements were pretty accurate in this case), and that they use very good quality materials, I can't wait to buy some more things for myself.

Please excuse my bra straps . . . I was a little anxious to try it on! ;_;

It really sucks that I didn't have it to wear to Animazement . . . and I didn't think it would be something I'd be comfortable just wearing out and about, but I think I will this weekend.

Super-cute tape they wrapped the box and shirt packaging in:

They also included a catalog of their latest stuff and what looked like an English guide to their store locations in Japan, which is pretty cool and useful. And stickers! (one of which shall journey to the back of my car I believe). I'm in love.

Oh, and also, BPAL retailer in NC!?!?!?! How fricking AWESOME!!! So hopefully they will have a retail-only update soon X3 I forsee possible Sniffie-Roadtrip.

Animazement 08 photos

2008-05-27T21:58:11Z

The doll ones are already posted on DoA, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to share them here, too :3
For those who don't know, these are from the anime convention that was held in Durham, NC over the weekend. Tons of fun! Though I really didn't take many pictures ;_;

Cuuuuuteness!! I am loving this size doll for some reason. I thought she was a Yo SD, but turns out she is one of the Luts/Fairyland tinies? I can't remember what they're called now.

Warning! One gory/ maybe non-work safe doll photo under the cut.

Pukis!!! Such cute faces.

I was soooo glad to finally see a Dollshe boy in person, too! This just confirmed for me that I love Saint, but still his lack of posability sets me off. Can anyone tell me the name of the girl who owned him? I think I remember everyone's name except her's.

I know Pica is so creepy looking, but he is an incredibly cuddly little darling, I swear!

I really liked how this picture turned out, even though I have no clue what any of them are cosplaying. >_>...

Someone from Trinity Blood? (Lilith?)

This girl had on the CUTEST outfits every day of the con! Makes me wish so bad that style looked good on me :<

We made a good amount from our Artist's Alley table, but I still have a lot of things left over, so I will offer the left-overs here soon if anyone is interested :3
I'll have tons of hats, some scarves, jewelry, kitty collars, and a few BJD sized amigurumi (crocheted toy animals).

Name that Poof!

2008-05-16T03:34:50Z

Yesterday I graduated and got my 2-year degree (whoopee!) I'd started taking classes there to be close to home while my dad was dealing with colon cancer . . . and to save money before heading off to another school. It turned out to be a good idea- I'll hopefully only have 2 years of classes left at SCAD this fall, maybe less. Anyway, to celebrate, among other gifts, I received this . . .

. . . which is quite a sweet poof of a thing o_O (6 week old Pomeranian pup) As of now, she is "Biscuit," unless someone makes a good suggestion otherwise :D She is SO friggin' tiny though! You can't understand unless you see her in person.

Weebie meets The Poof:

My little sister also brought home another something super-tiny the same day:

She said her friend gave it to her at school o_O Mom was freaking out when she said she'd brought home a frog (mom is terrified of reptiles), but was ok with it once she saw it is barely the size of a thumbnail. X3

Rory photos, at long last

2008-05-09T18:00:19Z

I had meant to take photos on her birthday (that was March 17!). School just kept getting in the way I guess . . . but now final projects are done and I can have a life again! Yay!

I was very pleased with a few of these photographs . . . especially this one:

To me, this photo shows exactly who Aurora is. But I won't go into depth, hopefully it speaks for itself?

I'm also doing the "what song represents your doll/character" meme. I had a hard time thinking of one for Aurora, until it came on the radio the other night- New Order's "Blue Monday" (the updated version by Orgy is probably better known though- and the one I honestly prefer ;_;)

The Meme/Challenge is this:
1. Take at least one photo each week of one of your dolls/a pair of your dolls/a family/etc.
2. Post the image(s) in your LJ
3. Pick a song that you think of whenever you think of that doll/couple/family/etc.
4. Explain why you feel that song fits that character.
5. State particular lines that seem to fit the most.

I guess the lyrics don't really fit the photos, or maybe they do.

How does it feel

To treat me like you do

When you've laid your hands upon me

And told me who you are

And I still find it so hard

To say what I need to say

But Im quite sure that you'll tell me

Just how I should feel today

. . . but if it wasn't for your misfortunes
I'd be a heavenly person today

Aaaaand, moth.

So far as the song goes, I'd see it as a representation of how Aurora feels towards her relationship with Lucien. I don't really talk about their story very much, so where to start . . .
. . . but if it wasn't for your misfortunes
I'd be a heavenly person today

That's the main lyric that pertains to it. Lucien has absolute control over Aurora, who was once nothing but a formless soul. Lucien spent a great many years obessed with the goal of instilling physical life into the soul. What he can't see is that over time, this obsession drives him mad, and he cannot see beyond his own selfish desires. When Lucien stole the soul, he in turn removed all record of it- meaning Aurora's soul's ties to any God or hereafter were destroyed, making Lucien, her "creator," Aurora's quintessential divine being (Lucien had already broken his own soul away from such things in another series of events). That probably doesn't make much sense.

When Aurora finds out about who she is, what she is, and the dark past of murderous doings by Lucien, she is, understandably, upset, and becomes very bitter towards Lucien. She cannot, however, break the connection she has to him, and this torments her . . .