on censorship in the doll community

i just said this to some friends regarding censorship in the doll community and think that it's pretty good words to describe the general censorship in the doll community:

you do realize that we are talking about the same place where people were allowed to go on a witch hunt over the film noir lawrence doll? the same group that, if you go against the flow, nine times out of ten you will be held down to drown? remember: 13+ forum (of repression), unless it is yaoi or some glorified "sexy" fantasy that the dowdy housewives will bite a finger and grip their pearls over in blind belief that it is romantic.

thoughts

this year has been so busy that i've been missing many things. i've found that i've been less motivated to actually start on projects and actually finish things. so far this year i've spent the first three months stuck in project hell, then on post-project hell, followed by two trips, a number of work changes, catching up on work things, a really not fun work thing (that was thanks to a 3rd party software i work on), and then finally by a situation that has now been nixed but leaves an aftermath. top all of that off with various responsibilities, some tragedies, and my overall lack of energy and i've not really spent time doing anything. i sit and stare at facebook and maybe one or two other sites. i watch the tv. i try not to fall asleep at random, then i do just that. i dream things - both waking and asleep.

so far this year a small number of dolls have come in, a number of event heads have joined the pile, and only two dolls have been painted by me. i've not really sewn for them. i've bought some random things here and there for them. uncanny didn't happen as i have no time to plan it anymore so handed it off to someone else at the very start of the year. one of my dolls got painted by meiselmaus. (i probably totally spelled that wrong...most people would know them as something else anyway.) i miss the dolls despite them being all over the place in my tiny apartment.

i haven't edited photos for months. don't even have some of them moved to my computer from the cameras yet. i'm holding out hope that i will get to them in the ever-present "soon".

i've come to the conclusion that i need to figure out a strategy to get some things done that i want to do. there are plans afoot for next year and i want to be able to have some projects done in time for them. i need to reengage and reconnect with things in my life outside of work and simply slogging along in the ruts.

you don't need to care, but thanks for reading if you did. i just needed to get this out there for me. <3 p="">

on opinions in the hobby...

there are some people in this hobby i wish i could slap with a salmon...and then a frying pan...seriously, you are not an expert nor is your opinion the be all, end all. i respect your opinion, but stop preaching it like it is the only opinion people can have. if someone asks a question and people give answers, don't outright discount them because they aren't what you agree with. or don't jump in and tell someone how wrong they are because you think something is some way. most of all, don't speak as if you are an authority on what a company should do because they owe it to their customers.

disagree with me all you like, but check your facts, admit when you are wrong, and don't act like a jerk to someone because they are not 100% in line with what you have to say. because of people like that, there are more and more lurkers, there are confessions that can be pretty nasty or express being afraid to get into the hobby. there are people who are scared to step into discussions or go to meets, people who have had a bad experience and see this behavior and then assume that the rest of the people in the hobby are the same.

yes, i have my own opinions on things, but i try to be open to other opinions. i have had my mind changed about things i felt strongly on because i didn't immediately attack someone for having a difference of opinion. i let them speak and heard their argument; i learned and reformed my own opinion with that new knowledge. yes, i have participated in discussions and had my facts slightly off, but i have admitted i was wrong or apologized as needed and corrected my knowledge. i have watched as so much opined misinformation gets spouted as fact and my cautions and corrections are attacked that i mostly bite my tongue and don't comment anymore because saying things has done no good. i only offer my opinion publicly on most things anymore when asked and do not volunteer it freely.

all of this being said, think before you speak. if you are posting something about a company as a fact, check your facts first instead of posting conjecture as truth. don't brush someone's opinion off as wrong just because it is different, maybe they have greater experience or more facts about something than you.

if any of my followers or anyone reading this would like to engage in a discussion or has questions about anything, please feel free to contact me. if i don't know about something and can't answer a question, i'll try to point you in the right direction. if you simply wish to discuss something, i'm open to it. i like to share what small knowledge i have, meet people in the hobby, and learn from others' knowledge about things.

i am now older

tick tock goes the clock and i get older until it stops.

.:more after the jump:.

the ever pressing wig question...

so the question that always seems to be asked every page or so in the minifee discussion on doa is "what size wig should i use?" or, well, some variation thereon. i've answered several times recently and, just now, answered yet again with the following:

.:more after the jump:.

need for a new abjd category

so i was just looking over the new tin man po-11 from pipos and realized that it's part of a still emerging trend in bjds: automatons.

.:more after the jump:.

year three anniversary

so today was the end of year three and the start of year four. i can't believe that i've had winter and azerian for this long already! i've spent today and yesterday working on my unnamed amber. did my first and second airbrushing attempts on her. definitely a better job the second time around. XD i am fudging my rules for the yearly photo a little and will be having some work finished after the anniversary in order to have at least one more doll that is currently in bits back together for the photo. also, edric is still away in canada getting all pretty, so he will likely not be in the photos (unless it takes me 6+ months again).

anyway, just wanted to put up a quick note to celebrate! ^_^

seems like forever

so, it seems like forever since i've written anything here - and, really, it has been. lately it just feels worthless to do much, if anything, here. i haven't been editing photos to put up (which i should) and i haven't been taking any new ones really (again, i should, but weekends are the only time i have when it is light out at this time of year and i am typically trying to get other things done). *sigh* whatever.

.:more after the jump:.

listing

so it's been a while since i've really blogged on here. i've been meaning to for quite a while, but life gets in the way. well...work does mostly...

so anyway. i'm still waiting on beefcake and replacement shoes. the shoes only just made it back to korea thanks to the weirdness of international shipping. i mean, wtf? two weeks??? -_- i checked in on beefcake with the company to find out when he should ship out as it has been 50 business days since order/payment and was told that they will be shipping him the third week of july with expected arrival to me the fourth week. great. i'm gone when they expect him to arrive to me! suck.

.:more after the jump:.

i've forgotten...

...what i was going to say. i've been so busy lately that every blog post i've meant to do has been forgotten before i could even start.

today i did a movie double header with a friend. we saw the a-team and then prince of persia. the a-team was so awesome! they did great with the casting - everyone was as close in looks and spot-on with the characters as possible. they had references and homages to the original series, the story was updated perfectly (unlike in some cases where it is just faaaar too out of place to do so), and i was pretty much wanting to cheer all the way through. :) as for prince of persia, it was wonderful. lots of beautiful shots, a good script, great adaptation from the game, and omg jake. hawt! both movies had scott pilgrim vs the world previews - each different. you know it's bad when you can quote along with a trailer that you've maybe seen once before and you've not read the comic in several years... -_- *is sooooooooooooooooooo excited for the movie!* also saw a trailer for tron! yay! so gonna see it! and there was an older airbender trailer...but i'm so going to that anyway! :)

on the doll front i'm still waiting on beefcake. *sigh* hopefully he arrives home soon...i'm sick of waiting! abadon has been and gone off for a full treatment. i'm a little over half done with my layaway on him (yay for buying dolls from friends). i've sent him off last weekend with kasa so she can work on him soon. i can't wait! he's so much more awesome in person. :) and the armor? omg! it's wonderfully detailed!!! kasa has her work cut out for her, but i think it is something that she will enjoy doing. i did get in my leeke order on monday and can't be happier with the wigs. they're both gorgeous! the colors are so awesome! the spring mint one even matches one of my wigs for lolita! :D also got an order from bambicrony. suuuuuper fast shipping there! paypal hadn't even confirmed the payment went through and it shipped out! sadly, the shoes i'd ordered came in the wrong size. i'd love to keep them, but really need the size i ordered them in. i will more than likely order the size i got in the future. (i sent them back today.)

hopefully i can do a nine9 style order soon. then i have group orders planned for dollmore and luts this summer. really hope those are successful...

oh! total awesomeness last weekend! i found the unoa freak 2 book at kinokuniya!!! :D sooooo happy! i so want more pattern books. especially ones for slim minis. what i really should do is just start making more of my own.

okay...sleep time now i think...up early and busy day, now sleepy. :)

c-line

so...too tired to think up some super intelligent post this late at night. went and saw iron man 2 after a full day at work. it rocked. omg sooooooo good!!! and they had trailers for the a-team and last airbender! the last airbender one looked even better on the big screen!!! i soooo can't wait! they also had prince of persia (mmmmmmmm *drools*), the next jj abrams movie, and some leonardo dicaprio movie that looks interesting but i can't tell if i wanna see it because i'm not that into him.

okay. on to my repost of what i wrote in a doll forum i'm a part of.

"okay...randomly gonna address things said already in this thread, so please bear with...

.:more after the jump:.

two years along...

so today is the two year anniversary of winter and azerian arriving. currently they are stuck away in my doll bag as i've been kept busy the past few days. that's okay though, i've decided to postpone the yearly pictures for this year as one of my dolls is out being done up.

yes, that's right, azerian is home! he arrived back on january 25th and has pretty much been hogging demaius's body ever since. i missed him so much and am so sad that he is currently still blank. i don't think i'm going to be sending him out for quite some time just because i have a ton of other dolls to work on, and i really want him home for a while.

as for the one that i'm delaying photos for...well...chade is currently away with candygears for a complete faceup and body blushing. she's working on him and, once he returns home, i will be taking the photos. the delay shouldn't really be more than a few weeks, so that is okay in my book. i've been in the process instead this weekend of working on the various pictures that i have pending. i've managed to pull all the photos off my camera from the past month or so and have been working at making sure that i have all the shoots set out that i need to get up from the past year. that should get me through until chade is back. :)

i will have to try and post again this week and recap what fun i had this past week, but for now, i need to get going! so much to do, so little time! <3 all my dolls and can't believe that i have 23 (including floating heads, not including various extra bits) home and am waiting on another! (oh yeah...waiting on bodies for the three floating minifee heads and a mnf rheia! more about that later!) taaa~

random realization

hello 2010, i swear i meant to blog sooner. haha this past week was way too draining for me to remember to do so though. -_-

okay...just a quickie. so far 2010 has been good to me. some ups, some downs, all in all mostly ups. i finished off a nice week+ at home with the parents, then got my fl package last monday afternoon so got to play some before going back to work tuesday. went back tuesday to interviews for a new position in a department that is being created at work. i've known i was getting the position since i was told to apply for it, so wasn't surprised to be offered it officially a few days later. i must say that it is strange when you're interviewing for a position that you pretty much have and when the people interviewing you don't have any questions for you. XD

anyway...so yeah, i now have most of my dolls i was waiting for home. only waiting on dade's head now. why's that? well...dde sent me a second scar breakaway head and scar hand instead of the scar shiwoo and scar arm set as well as a wrong pair of hands. so i emailed them and they sent out replacements immediately. got the arm and the correct hands just fine. the head? yeah...another breakaway. so fired off another email to them and they pulled a head and emailed me on friday saying which one they'd pulled and checking to make sure it was correct. yeah...not so much. -_- yet another breakaway head. so replied and told them no, it's the other head. they've now pulled and sent the right head and i'm just waiting on it. apparently they have a bunch of the heads mislabeled. D: in any case, dade should be here tomorrow or the next day. :) then i get to send everything back that was sent in error.

so yeah...woooo. anyways. once dade arrives i won't be waiting on any dolls or bits for the first time in over a year! soooo weird. though i will probably be buying a head...which reminds me, i need to go pm the seller...toodles!

glitter fits

yeah...title makes no sense on purpose. so what? today has been one of those days. i know i haven't blogged in a while, but it's not like it matters all that much as maybe - maybe - only one or two people ever look at this thing other than me.

.:more after the jump:.

slowly trucking along

so i've been remiss in catching up this past month or so...i've been very busy though. lessee...busy with work as usual (yay for soul eating drudgery!!...kinda...), been traveling about. uh...hmm...went and spent a weekend in bremerton with a friend doing dollie things. did faceups on all 3 flora plates as well as my juri and dreaming vamp moon. then spent a lot of time being just plain busy. then went to vancouver, bc, for the first time in something like 15 years the last weekend of may. yes! 15 years!!! it was even my first time out of state in nearly 6 years. T_T yes, i r lame. but then i got home, ended up with a very last minute cosplay for anime evolution!

i ended up as the 4th member of a group cosplay with my friends. :) it was my second anime convention and my first ever cosplay. i thought i'd end up being the lamest version of the character i did, but i actually ended up as the most complete (not entirely accurate...but hey, i managed to gather shit together in a week, make a jacket, and my friend found a chainsaw and wig!!) out of everyone doing the character. which character did i do? grell sutcliffe from kuroshitsuji! i'll have photos soon...as i said: still playing catch up. -_- also watched most of the anime, still need to take some time and finish that up. but i had tons of fun and hammed it up immensely with my friends. :)

ugh...anyway...i've had about 7 weeks straight of stuff every weekend - this past i had a doll meet - and am looking at the next 3 being full as well. i may just vegetate this weekend though...dunno...i really need to do a thorough cleaning as everyone will be coming down at the start of august and staying over during inno sera. *wonders how she will ever fit anyone else into the tiiiiiiny studio she calls home* okay...time to run off and work through pictures!!!

the void

so i read back over what i posted last night to try and see what was bugging me when i wrote about the void the dolls fill. now that i'm more awake, i think i can better describe this void.

i wasn't really into dolls as a child. my mom has mentioned this several times since i introduced her to the fact that i own dolls now as an adult and am a collector. i've never understood how people play with dolls. i mean, i guess i played with dolls as a child...but i don't really remember playing with them with other kids that much. i remember not being able to grasp how to interact via the dolls - mostly barbies of course - and create a story with other kids. things had to be more involved, i wanted the dolls to pose better and to be able to do more with them. frustration with non-bendable legs or barbie's famous won't-stay-bent-enough legs is something i remember a lot of. also the fact that most dolls were poorly made or you couldn't get clothing for. i still have all of my dolls. even the barbies with the early neck pieces that allowed them to look any direction but tended to break the necks. nearly all of them were gifts from family and have sentimental value to the point that i can't bring myself to part with them. store bought toys were always a result of holidays or birthdays. always something of great circumstance. these were moments you planned for weeks in advance - unlike most of my friends who's parents would simply buy them what they wanted most times.

.:more after the jump:.

year one

i really should have put this up a few months ago, but i've been busy and majorly slacking. i've got tons of photos to get processed and up. *sigh* hopefully soon!!!

anyway. february 21st was the one year anniversary of winter's arrival (along with azerian's head) here. i must say, looking back it still surprises me how into this hobby i am. :) one year in and i've already gotten one of each size and obtained two of my dream dolls. i've been having such a great time and have even gained new friends within the hobby. these dolls really do fill a void that i'd been searching to fill for years. repeated tries with barbies and their ilk did not yield the results i wanted and now...now i am so happy!

ugh...anyway...gonna ramble all night if i'm not careful. ;) on to the pictures from the anniversary!!!

.:more after the jump:.

it's been a while...

so it's been a while since i last put anything here. i've been kinda busy and then lazy when i'm not. hmm...let's see...i need to put up a year one photo as february 21 marked one year since winter and azerian arrived. at the moment, azerian is off to england for a faceup, i've finally got eyes for him, and his body shipped out just after midnight my time from fairyland. i'm very VERY excited to see him coming together. :) along with his body will be arriving a dreaming vamp moon head and a 2008 juri head. neither has a name and i'm pretty sure the juri will be the companion to my heliot. also, chester's body will be home soon as well as it shipped out to bunnie in the last week as well.

.:more after the jump:.

an observance or two...

people are retarded.

today has been a horrible day. the culmination of a stressed out weekend.

it's really wonderful when people don't know how to do things that they should have learned how to do in high school at the least. things that i learned in elementary school. things that aren't really all that hard to understand. things that i shouldn't get a response of "it's the same thing" when it really isn't.

.:more after the jump:.

reemergance of the gloomkitty

so, this past week hasn't been all that great. for anyone really what with the economy, congress still not agreeing on a stimulus package, and everything else happening in the world. in my small corner of it, things are looking pretty grim after this past week. my work has finally been hit directly by the economic downturn, so they let some people go. thankfully i'm not one of those people, but it's all the more disturbing when i had a dream two nights before where i was at work (some people and things the same, some different...you know how dreams are) and a person who was apparently a manager walked up and told two people to get out. they then proceeded to talk to my remaining department and told us about what had happened and that we hadn't heard any of it from them as it was on the downlow. *sigh* yeah...real wonderful dream followed by real life events. thankfully the company is self-sustaining at this point and, sadly since we're in the turn-around and growing stage, we can't grow thanks to things going that are impairing the company that currently owns us from providing the funding we need. bad enough that we work with banks in various ways...now we don't know what the future will hold. the comfort in this is that i'm fairly certain that i'm okay at this point *knock on wood* as i've got a large portfolio of skills from my years at the company and my department is somewhat specialized. really, there's only four of us and no one else really knows how to do what we do. anyone coming into the work we do would have a huuuuuge amount to learn and would take months to get up to speed (this is based off of what has happened each time we've had a new hire).

*sigh* okay...enough bellyaching about work.

.:more after the jump:.