So... twice in three years, I've had major boo-boos from tripping on sidewalks and hitting knees/hands/etc. Almost three years ago, I got a hairline fracture of my left patella (kneecap). two weeks ago, I tripped and fell again. Finally visited the doctor yesterday. After two rounds of x-rays (he wanted a couple special x-rays of my wrist after the main ones), he determined that i sprained both my wrist and my left knee.

I'm left-dominant, so that's where I tend to lean when I fall face down.

I've joked since the last time that I don't need the mafia to break my kneecaps (Gonna breaka you kneecaps if youse don't sing like a bird, capiche?)... I can do it AAALLLLLL OONNN MYYY OWN!!

So, my knee hurts but i keep a brace on it most of the time. And they upgraded my wrist brace to a massive black wrist splint that also immobilizes the thumb.

Makes typing tough... I would've been done with this post ten effing minutes ago if it weren't for this damn thing...

~Klutzy the Kitty

After 1 1/2 years of being technically unemployed, I am starting one new job Wednesday. Part time, variable hours (10-25/hours/week), but decent pay... looks like I may be working at the higher end of that range for a while. It feels good. Really good.

I'm also expecting to hear, either way, on a second PT job on campus. They said I should hear from them by sometime today.

This has taken a lot of patience, frustration, and everything else under the sun. Both jobs have a lot of flexibility in terms of time and such. This is ultimately very important for me when it comes to school.

And neither one is retail. YESSSS!!!!!!

ETA: didn't get the Web Dev job, but being at the school radio station, they were totally interested in me doing a radio show... it's volunteer only, but hey... I'll be back on the air for the first time in 17 years... damn.

well, the *********** in charge of the MB now wants drawings (aka Ref Sheet) of Zumai, the Cowardly Lioness. By Thursday. He's lucky I'm done with the term for school or his head would end up on a stick by midnight Thursday night.

I don't like being questioned by some forgetful ******** who doesn't seem to remember that he GAVE me permission to do this, has seen images of someone elses' fursuit that is similar in bodysuit and head design (diff. eyes and such, though) to what I want to make, approves of said design... and he still wants a ref sheet. He has no imagination. He approved me doing a full suit with full head, close fitting bodysuit, hand and feet paws... and human-like hair from yarn and crin-tubes.

Trust me, you don't want to know what I've been fuming about on FB since I saw the email yesterday. He's being an ass... and to top it off, after my venting yesterday, I noticed another friend on there making fun (indirectly, mind you) of my venting. He's also now temp-blocked from seeing my posts, as are everyone else who can possibly know the whole deal and report back to the Bullies-In-Charge.

Gonna go draw now.

So, life is *maybe* coming together finally. I had an insane day today. I spent the past week making costume bits to add to my stage makeup final project. Since I'm a costumer, I have a wretched habit of going whole-hog. We had to choose a character from a book and if it's been made into a movie, we can't use the movie design to influence our design. I chose one from one of my own manuscripts: Faezra. She's a feisty elf who ran off in the middle of her studies in potions and such to purposely get caught between the Elven Realm and the human world, so she could make contact with her baby sister (the main character) who was abducted and taken to the human world to be raised as human (it's complicated).

So, I made my elf ears out of latex... they looked like crap up close, but were okay when my friends took pictures. I want to keep practicing and get better of making more solid ears.

Anyway, I've been working on the ears and the costume bits (I'll post pics of all those pieces later), finishing classes for the term, dealing with getting PT for my neck (fucked it up several weeks back and it's getting better, but causing excruciating headaches many days), looking for work, etc...

I had a job interview today. After my final, I got a ride home from one of my photog friends, and cleaned up. I headed out for the interview, and I hope I get it. It sounds like a really interesting job. I also really need something. If I'm going to make my suit in time for November, I need the funds.

Even with that job, if I get it, I'll still have time to do commissions. Now that school is over and I'm not taking any summer classes, I'll have time. I still need to get my next book finished and up before the end of the summer. I've put it off long enough. Last year, I said I'd get it out before Christmas... yeah, right. At least one more edit, and I have to design my cover. And format it... and ... and... *thud* self-publishing is NOT easy. Granted, getting a mainstream publisher is more difficult, but C'est la Vie, right?

So, now to really gear up and get the next commission going. Summer: you're up. I'll get that hat made...

So, I'm into the whole yiffing thing. I'm asexual. A while back I used the phrase: I'm a hugger, not a yiffer. In some random conversation. I decided I needed to make a shirt with that phrase. So, here's the cafepress shop. I'll do white on dark shirts as well... eventually.

http://www.cafepress.com/HugaFurry

I tend to prefer having a model of some sort in front of me... makes it easier to get the lines... but I do draw... I just suck fox balls at it 90% of the time.

I'm going to try to draw my cowardly lioness... see if I can -not- make her look like some critter that was born too close to a nuclear reactor.

[EDITED TO ADD] She doesn't look TOO bad... her snout may be a little too long... and her paws are difficult... I may upload to here... if you're on FB, she's on my wall.

Here are some ideas I found on a site... I may modify one... any thoughts?
Arelie
Basilie
Bernadette
Gasira
Kekoa
Arria
Atarata (means of Noble birth)
Ffraid
Lelah
Mairi (meaning: uncertain)
Njeri (meaning: a warrior's daughter)
Rasa
Reuma
Rori
Sahba
Sameah
Samiya
Sesi
Siana
Taja

So... costume commissions. After dealing with this Klingon costume near-fiasco (more on that in a sec), I'm scaling back. Small items... if there's to be a full costume... one part at a time (Summer, much like you were thinking of doing... and yours is safe, no worries). No full costumes all at once. Fuck that shit. I'm exhausted, frustrated...

So, the Klingon commission. Now, I'm the Queen of Procrastination. Most of my close friends know this about me. I could have -and should have- done a lot better on that ensemble. But I kept putting things off... today was the absolute deadline... and there are tribble hides coming off because I couldn't sew them down (my machine jammed... possible need a different needle)... if I'd gotten to that point EARLIER in the progress, I could have done some hand sewing to get them sewing down as well... but no. So, I'm gonna keep kicking myself because I fucked things up on it right and left. I feel like he may think he didn't get his money's worth. And i do hate that feeling. I did earn the money, what with drafting patterns, designing the damn thing, etc, etc... but knowing there are imperfections bugs the shit out of me.

So, costuming commissions... single items only... well, at least one item at a time.

I'm gonna take a short break before starting on the next item in the queue. I need to do a lot of cleaning around here, and I need to destress and look for work... badly.

With school stuff: I think I'm going to keep with some costume design classes, but lean more toward scene design... and whether I finish out the degree or not is something i can't fully decide right now. I have one BA. I want to switch over to a local MLIS (Library Sciences) program, but I want to 'milk the system' at my current school next year. We're getting new insurance, and I want to see if they'll cover a specific surgery. But I have to wait until Fall. No guarantee I'll get decent insurance through a job or any at all through the other school. So, I want to get what I want while I can.

More thoughts on all of this to come... as I mull it all over.

The problem: I can't afford to pay anyone for it.

I can maybe do a trade for something... a small leather item perhaps?

This is what I need: a ref sheet for the Cowardly Lioness.

Something similar to this wonderful fursuit, but maybe a little looser in the bodysuit. More human shaping to the body, not critter legs.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4397976/

The head is the big sticking point. She's going to have a "human head of hair" made of crin tubes/cyberlox and possibly some yarn... this, however will be detachable... I don't want that to be a permanent part of it. This is NOT a mane... girl lion, not boy.
http://www.cosplaysupplies.com/store.php?s=BS7Y

So, I'm thinking of using buckram for the eyes, so maybe more cartoony/follow me eyes, unless I can do buckram with a more realistic eye design... I need visibility to be as much as possible. If the look of the face is slightly more cartoonish, I'm fine with that. Regular lioness face won't give the impression of a "cowardly" lion... so eyebrows in a furrowed/scared look...

Can someone out there be of assistance... up for a trade of some sort?

I'm waiting on a 'definition' of what HRFH envisions as a fursuit.

What he thinks is one and what I think is one may be two entirely different things...

He is strictly a historical costumer after all... God knows what they think of... and no, that isn't directed at anyone *but* the local Regency/Victorian era types... I know SCAdians are nutters like me... and some of them are also Furries, so they would know what I'm envisioning... but I want to know what HRFH thinks... not like I'll fully abide by what he expects... I'll fight more if I have to, but I'm damn near to the point of telling the whole group to fuck off.

I'm tired of being the Progressive Costumer of the group. The one who actually fucking CREATES designs that aren't strictly historical to the point of having a history book shoved up my ass... permanently.

I get, and respect historical costuming... I do... but no one should be forced into it. Ever. I'm not going to put a lot of money out, that I technically don't have right now, to make a costume I'll wear once. ONCE. I can certainly wear the lioness suit repeatedly... willingly. I'm a Furry, dammit.

Pads off to play with shiny things for a while...

So, I'm now going with a close fitting fursuit. Head and all. Gonna use minky fabric, as that'll be nicer against my skin then the backing of normal faux fur. Looking around for inspiration... the head is gonna be my main issue. I can only hope I'll be able to afford contacts by then. I had BETTER have a freaking job by then.

So, I'll put this out there, just like in the FA forum and on the local FB group:

Eye material. I need to be able to see the contestants, as I'll be one of the judges. So my eye material for the head needs to be fairly see-though, but opaque enough so people can't really see my eyes. frustrating me a bit. Although I should get my balaclava and foam first... well... money and a job first... then foam and balaclava. and fabric... lots of fabric. looking at Sofia by belo4ka as my current inspiration I just favorited a couple images of her lioness suit. Man, I need to lose weight if I'm gonna hope to look half that good.

So, I'm a member of the local costumer's guild. Not a large group by any means (I will NOT go into why on here), so when the current person running the Masquerade contest for this year (from our group) reeled me in to play one of the court members/judges, I thought "sure! why not?"

So, I'm the Cowardly Lioness (yes, an Oz thing... just the court, not the people up for prizes). I didn't want to do the period they want... late 18th century dresses... pleats, ruffles and all... not really my thing. I'm the lioness, right? At the first meeting, a fursuit was brought up, since I'm a fur... it was unanimous to NOT do a fursuit. I won't go into the reasons why... but the bad rep furries have is alive and kicking around here.

So, my thought was to go with using a Tribal Bellydancer costume as my base and build from there... using faux fur accents and such. No coin belt (not a tribal thing, that's contemporary), or shiny bra... earth tones and such... more "liony" than a bustle and ruffles.

The ultimatum has come down: no belly dance costume. They "can't see it" as the lion... buuut they can see the lion in a freaking European dress? Heck no.

My choices? the dress (which I'd have to make) or a fur suit. Hmmmm.... I think the fursuit will be my obvious choice here... the rest of the group is so damn closed-minded about things to let me go with my gut on the other costume... God forbid someone got creative...

Needless to say, I'm pissed off. but hey, I get to make a fursuit, right? NEKKID KIIITTTYYYY!!!!!!

So, I don't do fursuits (yet, maybe someday), and I'm not an artist. I am, however, a costume designer. That said...

I'm looking for commissions for non-fur costume bits and articles of clothing. A list of things I can do:

Cloaks
Tunics
Vests
pants, skirts, dresses
masks (in leather)
gauntlets/wrist guards (also best in leather)
(jewelry stuff as well)

If you have a partial fursuit and want some fun clothes to wear with it, let me know. Or, if you want to venture into other costuming stuff as well.

I can do corsets, but I'll warn you now, me and flat steel boning don't really get along right now. There are other options out there, but anything closely fitted like that won't be 'cheap and quick'

Prices are not posted as they're dependent on fabric choices. PM me... we'll talk.

~Jaeli

While this last term at PSU hasn't been the most stressful, it's still nice to have it done. I feel like, while I still have a long way to go, and don't always feel like this is my spot, I feel better about it now.

So, I'm starting work on a Klingon costume for a friend (commission), but also working on some other things as well. Of course, in order to draft his pattern for his tunic, I need to find the pad where I put his measurements... I could likely just fake it, but I'd *really* rather not. of course, I'm seeing him Saturday for a costuming event (heh heh heh), so I could bring the tape measure and redo his measurements. Whatever happens, whether I find the pad I already wrote them on or do new ones, I'll also enter them into the computer... I just have to keep telling myself that spreadsheets are my friend. Ugh.

I also want to get some writing done... maybe another Kid-Jaeli tale... don't know.

I know some folks use Journals on here to advertise contests and stuff... but I have no need... unless I make some ears or tails and want to sell them... I don't really have anything to sell or trade with... I'm a writer. Although, I could easily do a trade for a short story... kinda like my old fanfic... throw your character into a situation... I'm good (and rather warped) at that sort of thing. Maybe after I'm done with this Klingon costume, I can do some of that sort of thing... if anyone is game...

Back to hunting for a pad of paper... GAH! I wish I could remember what it looked like.

Note: A lot of this is pulled from my story, Dahlia's War (unpublished novel).

Name: Jaeli Silverchanter of Norlyndale (from a distinguished line of Magehunters). Her world is called Ursica.
Age: old enough
Sex: Female
Species: Feline with Serval features.
Height: 5' 6" without the ears, to the tips, likely closer to 6'
Weight: Healthy, but too skinny, not too heavy... just right. Gots some curves, k?

Appearance:
- Hair and fur: white, human head hair in silver with 'other' colors streaked through.
- Markings: grey/silver markings, both spots and stripes
- Eye color: blue/gray
Behavior and Personality: She's snarky, full of attitude, passionate about the events that have happened in her life, stubborn. She's an exile when she appears in the story, and goes from moody and solitary to feisty and courageous during the course of the story.

Skills: wicked in potions, shapeshifter, telepathic, hunter.
Weaknesses: Shiny?

Likes: Shiny?
Dislikes: rude people who steal things and wreaks havoc on her kind.

History: Oppressed by an outsider mage named Guril, Jaeli's race has been under a numbing spell, keeping them from rising up against him. This started long before Jaeli was born. Being the eldest child of the eldest child of her grandmother (you get the idea), the mystics foretold that she would be the one to bring Guril down, but had to wait for the right time. When a human shows up (the other protagonist), she sees that this is when the prophecy finally coming to fruition. Her lineage keeps her immune from the numbing spell. Her family, also immune, stay within the walls of Norlyndale but pretend to go along. They are the rightful leaders of Norlyndale, of the land, but the bad guy keeps them from ruling. (There's more to this story... I still have to clean up the manuscript. only one round of edits so far.) She has been captured and tortured repeatedly by Guril's men, and escaped back to her cave. Her scars have yet to heal fully. There's a good reason she's moody, secretive and highly protective of her cave.

Clothing/Personal Style: rural Renaissance style. tunics, cloaks
Picture:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7254774/ (clothing optional in the cave...)
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7255656/ (if she decides to come hang out in our world)

Goal:
Profession: Clan Leader, sorceress,
Personal quote: Strength comes from within. (something her grandmother reminds her of)
Theme song: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Birthdate: October 2nd by our calendar.
Star sign: Libra

Favorite food: raw? whatever she can catch in The Barrens (where she lives in exile)
Favorite drink: warmed honeysuckle nectar wine (don't ask)
Favorite location: The coast, but she never gets to see it.
Favorite weather: socked-in fog. protects her while hunting
Favorite color: warm amber-gold. the color of rare gold dragon's tears. She has a small vial of it.

Least liked food:
Least liked drink: anything bitter
Least liked location: torture chambers of the enemy
Least liked weather: sunny

Favorite person: next to her grandmother, Atja, her life mate, Athko, whom she's met only once when they were cubs.
Least liked person: Guril, the Mage... her enemy
Friends: Dahlia (the human in the prophecy), Qurrs (family messenger, her only connection to Atja), Tena (four footer, leader of the Unclaimed, a race of felines with telepathic abilities like Jaeli, but little else, also smaller, about the size of a caracal.
Relations: Atja, her grandmother; Qurrs, a younger sibling; Nedia, Atja’s daughter and Jaeli’s aunt; Perr, Atja’s great-grandson; Macar, another brother; Felia, Jaeli’s sister, twin but born second.
Enemies: Guril and his henchmen.
Significant other: Athko, chosen before they were born.
Orientation: Straight.

So, I've written 7 short novels. Two are published. Neither of those have anthro in it, but they do have animals. Well, one of them does. One of the as-yet-unpublished ones IS anthro. It takes a chunk of Dahlia and Jaeli's life, specifically when they meet and bond. I'm thinking, once i get closer to having that one ready for publication, I may commission a furry artist to design the cover. You should be able to draw humans as well as felines... and the setting.

Until then, I got the idea last night to write up some shorts to put on here of Jaeli's life before she meets Dahlia. And maybe I should pull what I wrote up for my 'sona into a Journal entry like this so folks don't have to go hunting around the forums for it. That'll be next. Then stories... These shorts won't be a part of the novel, so I'm not worried about it.

Oh, I write under the name A.P. Adams, aka Amanda Parker Adams.

~Jaeli