...I'm enjoying it, though!  Not the no play bit, but the working.  Lots of challenges and learning.  I've fallen in love with Wordpress.

I realize it's been forever since I've updated.  Hopefully there will be new work soon!  Of the historical, romance kind!

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Journal design: [link]

Merry Christmas, everyone.  Have an amazing holiday.  

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Journal design: [link]

So I know I've been away for a long while, but I've been so busy!

I got back from visiting friends in DC.  What a fabulous city.  I'm in love, and am very soon going to be there as a resident!

And I am just finally unpacking from a major move in the meantime.  From one edge of the US to another.

I will be updating soon, though!!  Love to all.

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Journal design: [link]

Hey all!
The long long project is complete!  I'd love it if you'd check it out!



A professional dress up doll, for something more than fun.  It's always nice to be able to make a cake and eat it, too.

And the Victorian era I can now cross of the list.  Believe me I have plans... oh, do I....

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Journal design: [link]

Been a while, I know.  But I've been visiting my best friend, and having a long needed break from home (but not work.  That was interesting.)  And waiting to write a journal entry so I didn't lose my skin.

But I'm back -- and big things on the way, with something to show for it.

So yeah, really only trying to update the journal.

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Journal design: [link]

I was doing research for a super important super secret project today, looking at pictures of antique tea set patterns, and all of a sudden my sense memory overloaded.

I was shoved back maybe 18 years to a children's book I read where these little girls (maybe rabbits) were drinking out of a blue china tea set.  It was one of my favorite books as a kid, but all I remember now is that blue china!

And now I am DYING to read that book again, and see those illustrations!  I want to say it's a Rosemary Wells book, but I'm not so sure it is.

Does anyone have an idea of what the book is?

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Journal design: [link]

I have a short story published in Astonishing Adventures Magazine.  Bloodlust and Darkness is about a young woman trapped in an elevator with a hot vampire.  Illustrations, too!  Yum!

I'd love it if you guys read it.  Also check out the fabulous illustrations by our own *suburbanbeatnik

If you're interested in reading it, here are the links!

Read it here: [link]
Buy it here:[link]

Art from the story:



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Journal design: [link]

Do you remember all those boys that you drooled over, you could die they were so beautiful, then years later see photos of them, and you find THEY ARE EVEN MORE GORGEOUS THAN BEFORE?!

WHY????  Dear God, whyyyyy?

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Journal design: [link]

Do you remember in highschool all these guys you thought were just gorgeous, drool worthy, you could just die they were so beautiful-- and then look at old pictures, and say, "...Oh." ?

Yeees.  

I regret some of the boys I've fawned over over the years.  Well, really I regret letting them know I fawned over them.  He's Just Not That Into You does not even begin to cover all the boy awkwardness I've had to deal with.

- - - -

In more art related news, I'm doing art!  I promise.  I'm hoping to eventually get a huge epic poster like illustration for a novel I'm writing.  Let's hope for the best!

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Journal design: [link]

Okay, so I have just discovered fmylife.com, and am stunned by the stupidity, cruelty, and wildness of the human race.

I mean, some of these are just hysterical, and some are downright shocking.  The number of mistakes and breakups and idiocy due to text messaging astounds me, and the creepy things boyfriends do when you aren't looking.

Whether or not they're real, they're certainly addictive.

Some of the most note worthy:

Today, I woke up a little after seven. I felt sick to my stomach because last night was my bachelor party and I drank more than I ever have before. I checked my phone, and I had received 42 missed calls. It was seven o'clock pm. Today was my wedding day. FML

Today, I decided to take a nap. My boyfriend gave me some sleeping pills but I decided last minute not to take them. I woke up to my boyfriend kissing my neck and unbuttoning my shirt. Without opening my eyes, I whispered "ooh this is so romantic." He blurted out shocked, "Oh...you're awake?!" FML

Today, I received my passport in the mail. They got my birthdate wrong. Then I picked up my birth certificate that I had sent in with the application. Turns out my parents have been celebrating my birthday on the wrong day for 16 years. FML

Today, I was having sex with my boyfriend. When he was about to orgasm, he screamed "Yes Brittany!" at the top of his lungs. My name's not Brittany. That's his sister. FML

Today, my rescue squad unit responded to a 911 call from a woman who felt she was going to pass out. We knocked on her locked door a couple times with no answer. Fearing she might be unconscious, I kicked in the door. She was about to open it and only passed out from the concussion I gave her. FML

Today, I found out that I am being sued for losing a set of wedding photos that I took. I lost them by being mugged on the way home after the shoot and £10,000 worth of equipment was stolen from me. FML

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Journal design: [link]

So now that everything's settled down, I thought I'd write another journal entry just to move the other one off.

I'm close to finishing Rythelle's art piece.

And getting seriously back into Bollywood.  I just watched Om Shanti Om, Main Hoon Na, and am getting ready to see Race.  Veer-Zara was cracked when it came in the mail

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Journal design: [link]

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The person who is the 50,000th hit gets an art prize!  Just show me a screenshot of my main page, and tell me what you'd like.

UPDATE:  Congrats to ~Liltz!
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Are you kidding me?!  I wake up this morning, and check my mail box, and suddenly I have 500 messages.

And apparently a Daily Deviation.

WHAAAAAT?!

It's one of those things you hope will happen, but never expect.

I'm stunned.  Completely stunned.

So, whoa -- Thanks !WineWriter -- Seriously.  THANK YOU.  And thanks to ^Thiefoworld



WHAT?!!

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Journal design: [link]

God and time willing, I'll be able to start my historical wardrobe soon.

I'm going to begin with Regency, simply because there were fewer underthings, and then move on to Victorian 1870s.  Because I want a bustle BAD.  And then maybe move back to Georgian.

I have the patterns in mind that I want to use.  I have the sewing machine, and enough knowledge to sew in a straight line and stitch terribly by hand.  And I have family who is willing to help.  So, some day, I may be able to put pictures up.  Even if they're only underthings.

The only difficulty is that I would be making these for myself.  Possibly using them for reference if I take pictures of myself for poses -- but there's really no where for me to go to dress up and be around people who dress up, too.

Sigh!

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Journal design: [link]

Dreams are strange, strange creatures.  I know some of it has to do with your subconscious trying to figure things out -- but I desperately hope it's a way for your psyche to communicate with other levels of existence.

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On another note, Facebook:

Why in the world do people friend you, if they really want nothing to do with you?  The very least you can do is reply to a note.

Honestly, I would understand if I had been the one adding, but YOU came to ME!

I don't get this, people!

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Journal design: [link]

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So it took me about ten minutes to figure out how to make a new journal entry.

Maybe I'm an old curmugeony woman, but I hate having all these new changes.  If they gave me options,  like being able to keep the old layout, or choose the new one, I'd be more open, but I hate hate hate being forced to do anything.

... I may need to dive more deeply into this issue.

Otherwise, things are pretty good.  I've been sketching again, for the first time in ages.  Just sketching.  And I've made a lot of improvement.  Lots of dynamic, dancing, naked girls... I may have to upload those.  Along with some dynamic, dancing, naked boys.

If I can't draw cool robots consistently, I'm screwed.  Does anybody have a good robot tutorial out there?

Or know how to build one in Google sketchup, using sketchyphysics?  Cause that would be AWESOME.... and I can't for the life of me figure out how to do it.

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Journal design: [link]

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Happy New Year, everyone.  I have a feeling that it's going to be a good one!

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Journal design: [link]

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I love reading the missed connections on Craigslist.  Yeah, there are some freaky stalker ones on there, but every now and then you get a seriously sweet story.

I sometimes go to the Manhattan, NYC ads, because that's where a lot of subway encounters are, and those are my favorites.  I can just imagine sitting in the subway, you look up, and BAM -- there he is, shyly smiling, and averting his gaze as soon as your eyes lock.

I also find some of the m4w ads adorable -- except for the booty call ones.  I don't know, I've just had a lot of bad experiences with "Just not that into you" boys, so it's nice to see sentimental guys out there, who are just as romantic.

I'm not sure why I'm in such a romantic, melancholy mood.  But I just hope there are more people who find happiness through the missed connections than get murdered.

This is my favorite of the moment:

----I looked into your eyes... m4w - 30

...as we were on the Uptown platform for the yellow line; northern entrance. I was hurried, returning home with yesterdays umbrella. With the face of an angel your eyes locked onto mine. Your gaze caught me off-guard. I was stunned. Coherent enough to check my watch to see if I was late (7:05PM), but too dumb founded to turn around and confirm your glorious existence.
"Beautiful," I thought. An express train arrives.
"Truly."----

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Do not be bamboozled -- if you think a Taiwanese or Japanese drama is going to be a slapstick comedy, BEWARE -- there is a very good chance it will become a tragedy in the last third of the show -- even on the last episode!

I thought I'd watch me some Mike He, and ended up sobbing like a baby.

So then, to cheer me up, I thought I'd watch another show and ended up a blubbering fool.



I don't want to give any shows away, since some people don't like to be spoiled.  But I'm now collecting a danger list.

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7 Things That Drive Me Nuts
(collected through study, observation, and mostly, sad enough, experience)

1) When people explain how good they are.  Honestly!  Tell me what you did if you want, but I pretty much get how saving a kitten from an oncoming car makes you a wonderful person.  You don't need to philosophize.  Better yet to not say it at all, and then I'll think you're super sexy when I find out later on from someone else.

2) Drumming the steering wheel while listening to music and driving.

3) Clipping fingernails while NOT in the bathroom.

4) The games boys play.  You guys have more rules than girls!  I'm not kidding!  And you think we're strange.

5) Not saying goodbye on IM!  You don't just hang up on the phone!

6) NEW -- Guys wanting to teach me.  I want a boyfriend and a buddy, not a professor.  And I'm definitely not going to become your Murasaki or your Virginia.  This seems to be an ingrained thing, though -- all the 18th century novels I'm reading have male love interests wanting to "instruct" and "educate."  Oh, heeeelll no!

7) NEW -- Somewhat older people thinking I'm stupid just because I'm younger.  You're only a few years older than me!  You were still wearing diapers when I was born!

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NOTE TO THE LADIES
Grocery stores are filled with couples and moms until about 6:00 pm.  Then all the hotties show up.  In my area, they happen to be members of the Coast Guard, in full uniform.  Yum.

So, if you slip and fall on aisle 10, make sure it's at 2:30.
(Yes, this really happened.  I still have the bruise.)

And NOTE -- Apparently, this is not the case everywhere, which is sad.  If it makes you feel better, before 6:00 pm, all I see are jail bait, old men, married men, and drug addicts.

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I am near desperate for a copy of Hannah Glasse's "Servant's Directoy" which is a how-to manual for domestic servants written in the 1750s, literally the perfect time.  I can't find it ANYWHERE except at the Libary of Congress, and there's no way I can pay a visit anytime soon.

Sigh!  Google Books fails me for the first time.    At least I found another directory, but it's 1820s... hopefully, it will be close enough.

And now I know how to smoke fish and pickle almost anything.

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I wish we could change the "Friends" section title to "People I watch and love but who don't necessarily reciprocate".  I always feel like a fraud if I put somebody's icon on there.... but I'm also a little too lazy to make the section in my journal.  Maybe I should.

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Journal design: [link]

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No matter what version, whether it's the book, the movies, the tv series, the musical -- whenever The Scarlet Pimpernel comes back into my life, I get giggly like a school girl.

Oh Percy Blakeney!  You delicious man.

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Journal design: [link]