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Status and New Video Up
General | Posted 2 years agoWell, after working on getting the livestream function of my app working, I managed to get it up, but the connection was unstable. It kept disconnecting and reconnecting. I'm not sure if that's an internet issue or not, but I checked out a few videos and others have had this issue. It's the best app for streaming on YouTube, though, so I'll have to keep tinkering with it and hopefully get the bugs sorted.
In the meantime, I did figure out how to record my screen in order to make a video of what was going to be a livestream. It's only the first part of what will be a few videos to come. But, you can check it out here:
https://youtu.be/7-WVTIRnzS0
Sorry about all of this. I hope you'll give the video a look. I actually talk in this one and give a little information about the characters. It's not a time lapse video, but a video of me working on the sketch in real-time. If you're interested, I hope you'll check it out. Thanks a bunch you guys! ^_^
In the meantime, I did figure out how to record my screen in order to make a video of what was going to be a livestream. It's only the first part of what will be a few videos to come. But, you can check it out here:
https://youtu.be/7-WVTIRnzS0
Sorry about all of this. I hope you'll give the video a look. I actually talk in this one and give a little information about the characters. It's not a time lapse video, but a video of me working on the sketch in real-time. If you're interested, I hope you'll check it out. Thanks a bunch you guys! ^_^
Sorry About That!!
General | Posted 2 years agoUGH! I'm so sorry about that, folks. To anyone that tried to join the stream tonight, I'm sorry that nothing seemed to work. I had everything setup, but when I started to connect, I just kept running into issues. The app kept telling me that I wasn't connected to the stream, when I could see that I was connected to the stream and even getting chat comments pop up on my iPad screen, so I know I was connected. I just couldn't get it to work, properly. I am going to try a bunch of test runs tomorrow and then give it another shot. I spent the last hour and a half trying to get this sorted. I did manage to get it to connect in the end, but then it randomly disconnected. I'm so sorry about all of this! I had planned on chatting with you guys for at least an hour, but instead I got stuck for an hour and a half doing troubleshooting. I'll post a journal about the status of the livestream tomorrow. Again, I'm SO SORRY about all of this. This did not go as I planned, but I don't want to give up. For those of you that did come by tonight, I hope you'll come again tomorrow. I'll keep you all posted.
Livestream at 8pm EST!
General | Posted 2 years agoAlright! I'm giving this a shot. This will be my first time streaming on YouTube, but I think I have the technical aspect of it all sorted out. If you'd like to come and watch, you can click the link down below and join in. You can feel free to ask question, to chat about various things, etc. Just keep it cool, have fun, NO POLITICS, and try to keep it PG. Here's the link if you're interested:
https://youtube.com/live/uPsjbXlAJao?feature=share
https://youtube.com/live/uPsjbXlAJao?feature=share
Livestream?
General | Posted 2 years agoSo, I finally figured out how to livestream on YouTube. I will give it a shot either later today or tomorrow. But, I wanted to ask: what would you like to see? I just want to do something relaxing. One of my characters, fan art of Disney or other movie/television/comic characters, just something random, etc. Since this is YouTube, I can't do anything scandalous, but we'll see. I will have comments enabled so you can talk to me while I draw. I think that's about it. I'm going to go get something to eat. See ya!
The TALK!
General | Posted 2 years agoWell, as I am going over the second issue of the Sweet Shoppe chapter books, I realized that there was a passage that I was going to have to omit, because the age range for this series is aimed at a younger, teenage audience. I don't think it's anything outrageous, but it does talk about what happens during the night that a couple gets married, so I thought it might be safer to remove it. But also, if I have it on Amazon, that one section might make me have to give it a +18 rating, which would be INCREDIBLY frustrating. So, unfortunately, I decided to remove it, just to be safe. Folks that read my short story journals before might remember this scene between a young Prince Artemis and his father, Emperor Kosuda. But, just in case, I'm going to attach the scene here so you can review it for yourselves.
Kosuda walked with his son through a garden of roses.
"Son," he began, "I know you and I talked about this once before when you were younger, but you have grown a bit since then."
"Talked about what, Father?" Artemis asked.
"About what might happen tonight, or perhaps not."
If it wasn't Ajua saying baffling things, it was their father, Artemis thought to himself. Questioning him about his puzzling talk would get him nowhere, so instead, he waited patiently for the man to continue.
Kosuda sighed, heavily. "Where to begin?" he murmured. "It was somehow easier to discuss this when you were a curious kitten asking what a pair of ostriches were doing. You wondered why one was trying to climb on the back of the other." He chuckled at the memory. "You said, 'Father, why is he trying to climb on her back? He's already really tall, why is he trying to be taller? And why does it look like he's hurting her? Is it because he's so heavy?' On and on, your questions came as quickly as they were innocent. As soon as you thought of one, your curious mind thought of another. But, I imagine you may have questions still." he said, looking over at his now adult son.
Artemis listened to his father's anecdote with fond amusement. He remembered that day and all of the questions he had wanted his father to answer. Things were simpler back then, but then, so were his questions, and a simple question required only a simple answer. But now, he was grown. A man, a newly married man, and his thoughts were not so basic and they certainly were not innocent...at all.
"Well," Artemis began, "I know how it's done...I think..."
"You think, or you know?"
"I...think..." Artemis answered, shyly.
Kosuda couldn't suppress the tired groan that crawled out of the weary depths of his soul. Answering the questions of a small child would not be the same as tackling with the conundrums of a man. It was a good thing the rose garden was so expansive, because this was going to take a while.
"Right..." Kosuda said, bravely. "Well, what do you want to know?"
"Well, will we both be sleeping in my room, in my bed? Is that where she is going to be, more or less, living from now on? Or, will she have her own room?"
"Well, that depends--" Kosuda started.
"I can't believe I didn't ask that before." Artemis said, in disbelief. "Also, when will we be expected to have to have kittens? Do we even need to? Ajua is Crowned Princess, so her kittens will inherit the throne, not mine."
"Well--"
"And speaking of making kittens, I know how it's done, I think, but I don't know HOW it's done. Also, should we only do that when we need to have children, or can we do it for pleasure? Will she want to do it for pleasure? Does Mother? And do I undress myself and she undress herself, or should we undress each other, or should only one of us undress and the other gets undressed by the one that is nude?"
"Artemis?"
"Is it even okay to undress, completely? Should she keep some sort of gown on? Will it offend her that I to want to see her with nothing on? Will it offend her to see me with nothing on? Should I wear a robe?"
"Artemis?"
"I really want to see all of her, but will she want to see me? And if I can only share a bed with her to make children, does that mean we can only do it when she is in estrus? Can't we--" he babbled, but fell silent when his father placed his hand on his dark head.
"Son," he said, calmly, "you are panicking. Calm down, take a deep breath, and let's start again."
Obediently, Artemis complied with his much wiser father and took a deep breath...then another, and another. When he had sufficiently restored his composure, he looked at the emperor with anticipation.
More than anything else...it's just kind of silly. But, Amazon can be kind of ridiculous with its ratings and the worst thing that could happen is if I left the scene in and a parent left a negative rating because they thought it was too risqué...like this scene that also had to go ^_^;
...and then, one day, Avalon came into estrus...
Avalon was anxious. She paced the length of her room more times than she could count. Her body was hot and her thoughts were unfocused. If she stayed locked away in her bedroom a moment more, she was going to lose it. She had to get out. Her resolve set, she hurried to the door and swung it open to reveal a startling sight.
"Artemis?" she gasped.
The prince was standing before her looking sheepishly dumbfounded. He had come to her with the intention of making sure she was alright, but the closer he got to her bed chamber, the stronger her perfumed scent became. When he finally reached her door, he was paralyzed by the fragrance of her intoxicating aroma. He stood there, trying to work up the courage to knock, but found that it was difficult to even think straight.
This wasn't the first time she had come into heat, but it was the first since their relationship took a 180° turn. The situation now was very different than circumstances before. This time...this time...
When the door suddenly opened revealing the princess before him, the very sight of her stole his breath away. Being bombarded with her pronounced scent was bad enough, but seeing her hypnotically captivating beauty was too irresistible. He had to get away. He should never have come to her, but here he was and there she stood.
"Av...Avalon?" he breathed, staring wide-eyed at the queen filling his eyes.
Why was he here? What was his reason for coming to his wife's bed chamber? He had one, didn't he?
"I umm...I was just...are you...how do you feel? Are you...well?" he shyly admitted.
She stared at him and felt as though she had forgotten how to breathe, or that time was standing still. She was shivering, though she was not the least bit cold. On the contrary, she felt feverish. She was burning up and that she was going to faint.
"Avalon!" Artemis gasped, lunging forward to catch his wife that was slowly falling to the ground.
He lifted her into his arms and climbed to his feet. She was still staring enchantingly at him, the depths of her deep green eyes pulling him in. She reached up and gently caressed his cheek, lightly brushing the back of her fingertips across his fur. She pressed her finger to his lips and traced its smoothness.
"Artemis," she whispered, "please," she sighed, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck and reaching up to his ear to whisper...
"...take me to bed."
I mean, that one was a little more obvious, but the other one was more playful. ^_^; At least I'll leave these moments on this site. Although, in the book I did leave things like Ginger kissing Tange on the lips in. They are sisters and it's something I've seen in various cultures around the world where close relatives give little innocent kisses on the lips in a non-romantic/sexual way. I used to babysit a little girl who would kiss her mother like this and I always thought that it was very sweet, so I wanted to incorporate custom in my stories.
Sweet Shoppe is supposed to be something that everyone can read, regardless of age, so I have to be a little more careful with it than I am with Lion Paws or Hybrid: Gods and Demons. Even Bella Mariposa is not really intended for children. But, Lion Paws is the only one exclusively reserved for adults. The other two are more of a PG-13 to a soft R rating. This makes it a little more challenging to write for Sweet Shoppe, because I can't speak as broadly or explicitly as I can with the other series. I don't dumb things down, but I do have to tone things down a tiny bit with certain themes, mostly revolving around romance. There really isn't any violence in Sweet Shoppe, so that's not a worry, but there are plenty of romantic engagements in the story that includes ALL of the characters.
...but, all of this did get me thinking about something: how are children in royal families given THE TALK? For that matter, how do other families have this talk. I think I'll explore that in a future journal series. ^_^
PS: Sorry for the length of this post.
Kosuda walked with his son through a garden of roses.
"Son," he began, "I know you and I talked about this once before when you were younger, but you have grown a bit since then."
"Talked about what, Father?" Artemis asked.
"About what might happen tonight, or perhaps not."
If it wasn't Ajua saying baffling things, it was their father, Artemis thought to himself. Questioning him about his puzzling talk would get him nowhere, so instead, he waited patiently for the man to continue.
Kosuda sighed, heavily. "Where to begin?" he murmured. "It was somehow easier to discuss this when you were a curious kitten asking what a pair of ostriches were doing. You wondered why one was trying to climb on the back of the other." He chuckled at the memory. "You said, 'Father, why is he trying to climb on her back? He's already really tall, why is he trying to be taller? And why does it look like he's hurting her? Is it because he's so heavy?' On and on, your questions came as quickly as they were innocent. As soon as you thought of one, your curious mind thought of another. But, I imagine you may have questions still." he said, looking over at his now adult son.
Artemis listened to his father's anecdote with fond amusement. He remembered that day and all of the questions he had wanted his father to answer. Things were simpler back then, but then, so were his questions, and a simple question required only a simple answer. But now, he was grown. A man, a newly married man, and his thoughts were not so basic and they certainly were not innocent...at all.
"Well," Artemis began, "I know how it's done...I think..."
"You think, or you know?"
"I...think..." Artemis answered, shyly.
Kosuda couldn't suppress the tired groan that crawled out of the weary depths of his soul. Answering the questions of a small child would not be the same as tackling with the conundrums of a man. It was a good thing the rose garden was so expansive, because this was going to take a while.
"Right..." Kosuda said, bravely. "Well, what do you want to know?"
"Well, will we both be sleeping in my room, in my bed? Is that where she is going to be, more or less, living from now on? Or, will she have her own room?"
"Well, that depends--" Kosuda started.
"I can't believe I didn't ask that before." Artemis said, in disbelief. "Also, when will we be expected to have to have kittens? Do we even need to? Ajua is Crowned Princess, so her kittens will inherit the throne, not mine."
"Well--"
"And speaking of making kittens, I know how it's done, I think, but I don't know HOW it's done. Also, should we only do that when we need to have children, or can we do it for pleasure? Will she want to do it for pleasure? Does Mother? And do I undress myself and she undress herself, or should we undress each other, or should only one of us undress and the other gets undressed by the one that is nude?"
"Artemis?"
"Is it even okay to undress, completely? Should she keep some sort of gown on? Will it offend her that I to want to see her with nothing on? Will it offend her to see me with nothing on? Should I wear a robe?"
"Artemis?"
"I really want to see all of her, but will she want to see me? And if I can only share a bed with her to make children, does that mean we can only do it when she is in estrus? Can't we--" he babbled, but fell silent when his father placed his hand on his dark head.
"Son," he said, calmly, "you are panicking. Calm down, take a deep breath, and let's start again."
Obediently, Artemis complied with his much wiser father and took a deep breath...then another, and another. When he had sufficiently restored his composure, he looked at the emperor with anticipation.
More than anything else...it's just kind of silly. But, Amazon can be kind of ridiculous with its ratings and the worst thing that could happen is if I left the scene in and a parent left a negative rating because they thought it was too risqué...like this scene that also had to go ^_^;
...and then, one day, Avalon came into estrus...
Avalon was anxious. She paced the length of her room more times than she could count. Her body was hot and her thoughts were unfocused. If she stayed locked away in her bedroom a moment more, she was going to lose it. She had to get out. Her resolve set, she hurried to the door and swung it open to reveal a startling sight.
"Artemis?" she gasped.
The prince was standing before her looking sheepishly dumbfounded. He had come to her with the intention of making sure she was alright, but the closer he got to her bed chamber, the stronger her perfumed scent became. When he finally reached her door, he was paralyzed by the fragrance of her intoxicating aroma. He stood there, trying to work up the courage to knock, but found that it was difficult to even think straight.
This wasn't the first time she had come into heat, but it was the first since their relationship took a 180° turn. The situation now was very different than circumstances before. This time...this time...
When the door suddenly opened revealing the princess before him, the very sight of her stole his breath away. Being bombarded with her pronounced scent was bad enough, but seeing her hypnotically captivating beauty was too irresistible. He had to get away. He should never have come to her, but here he was and there she stood.
"Av...Avalon?" he breathed, staring wide-eyed at the queen filling his eyes.
Why was he here? What was his reason for coming to his wife's bed chamber? He had one, didn't he?
"I umm...I was just...are you...how do you feel? Are you...well?" he shyly admitted.
She stared at him and felt as though she had forgotten how to breathe, or that time was standing still. She was shivering, though she was not the least bit cold. On the contrary, she felt feverish. She was burning up and that she was going to faint.
"Avalon!" Artemis gasped, lunging forward to catch his wife that was slowly falling to the ground.
He lifted her into his arms and climbed to his feet. She was still staring enchantingly at him, the depths of her deep green eyes pulling him in. She reached up and gently caressed his cheek, lightly brushing the back of her fingertips across his fur. She pressed her finger to his lips and traced its smoothness.
"Artemis," she whispered, "please," she sighed, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck and reaching up to his ear to whisper...
"...take me to bed."
I mean, that one was a little more obvious, but the other one was more playful. ^_^; At least I'll leave these moments on this site. Although, in the book I did leave things like Ginger kissing Tange on the lips in. They are sisters and it's something I've seen in various cultures around the world where close relatives give little innocent kisses on the lips in a non-romantic/sexual way. I used to babysit a little girl who would kiss her mother like this and I always thought that it was very sweet, so I wanted to incorporate custom in my stories.
Sweet Shoppe is supposed to be something that everyone can read, regardless of age, so I have to be a little more careful with it than I am with Lion Paws or Hybrid: Gods and Demons. Even Bella Mariposa is not really intended for children. But, Lion Paws is the only one exclusively reserved for adults. The other two are more of a PG-13 to a soft R rating. This makes it a little more challenging to write for Sweet Shoppe, because I can't speak as broadly or explicitly as I can with the other series. I don't dumb things down, but I do have to tone things down a tiny bit with certain themes, mostly revolving around romance. There really isn't any violence in Sweet Shoppe, so that's not a worry, but there are plenty of romantic engagements in the story that includes ALL of the characters.
...but, all of this did get me thinking about something: how are children in royal families given THE TALK? For that matter, how do other families have this talk. I think I'll explore that in a future journal series. ^_^
PS: Sorry for the length of this post.
Kitt Mouri on YouTube
General | Posted 2 years agoYou know, I don't think I ever posted my YouTube address.
https://www.youtube.com/@KittMouri
Tomorrow, I'll be posting a video of Miele that I did earlier this year. It's a time-lapse video of me drawing her cosplaying one of
EbonyLeopard characters, Passion. It was a Twitter challenge a while back and I liked the way she turned out. I realized I had the time-lapse video and since I'm working on reviving my page, I thought I should upload it. I will be uploading others over time. I'm trying to do one a week. Although, I did upload a SHORT today where I drew Asami in her swimsuit.
I know I can livestream on YouTube, so I might try to start doing that, if anyone is interested. I used to do that back in the day, but not on YouTube. If I can figure out how to do it, I'll probably go back to doing that. When I used to do it, I would often take requests or suggestions. Nothing crazy, more like, "Hey, is there a Disney character that we should draw?" or something like that. If not on YouTube, then I'll try to see if I can livestream elsewhere. I know I have accounts on a few platforms that I haven't used in ages, so maybe one of those will work. I don't really know. Either way, I'll let you know.
Okay! I gotta walk my dog and make dinner. See ya! *waves*
https://www.youtube.com/@KittMouri
Tomorrow, I'll be posting a video of Miele that I did earlier this year. It's a time-lapse video of me drawing her cosplaying one of
EbonyLeopard characters, Passion. It was a Twitter challenge a while back and I liked the way she turned out. I realized I had the time-lapse video and since I'm working on reviving my page, I thought I should upload it. I will be uploading others over time. I'm trying to do one a week. Although, I did upload a SHORT today where I drew Asami in her swimsuit.I know I can livestream on YouTube, so I might try to start doing that, if anyone is interested. I used to do that back in the day, but not on YouTube. If I can figure out how to do it, I'll probably go back to doing that. When I used to do it, I would often take requests or suggestions. Nothing crazy, more like, "Hey, is there a Disney character that we should draw?" or something like that. If not on YouTube, then I'll try to see if I can livestream elsewhere. I know I have accounts on a few platforms that I haven't used in ages, so maybe one of those will work. I don't really know. Either way, I'll let you know.
Okay! I gotta walk my dog and make dinner. See ya! *waves*
Frisbee and a $1200 Dental Bill!
General | Posted 2 years ago...don't worry, this isn't a post asking for money to cover expenses. It's actually a post that I hope will help you guys out a little bit. Here we go!
So, I took Frisbee to the vet the other day for a check-up and to see why he was a little itchy. The vet was super cool and she, the vet tech, and Frisbee got along great! I told her that I found exactly 2 fleas on him when I got back from England in September. I gave him a flea treatment and a bath immediately, but it was October and he was still itchy. She recommended a different flea treatment that was edible and that, in conjunction with the monthly topical treatment he's on now seems to have worked. He is scratching much less and is generally more comfortable than he was after my "London in August" trip. ...I still want to go back. *crying*
Anyway! After assessing his skin, she gave him a general check-up and when she got to his teeth she said, "Woah! That one's gotta come out!" I was understandably distressed and asked which tooth she was referring to. She showed me one of his back teeth and...it was pretty rotten. I felt horribly for not having noticed, but she said that she sees this all the time and that it wasn't my fault. Most people don't notice because of an odd thing about dogs in which even if their teeth are bad, they will keep eating normally. So, there weren't any outward signs like him eating less or being lethargic from lack of food intake. Nothing was out of the ordinary. She also explained that breeding dogs have caused their teeth to be out of proportion with their skulls which also adds to this issue.
She told me that I was going to have to get the tooth removed and then told me the amount. Even she seemed to frustrated and sighed when she told me that the bill for simply removing the tooth was going to be around $1200. I audibly cried, "Jesus!" and felt my chest tightened. I had just come back from an expensive trip and didn't have the money to spare on such a tremendous expense. At the same time, though, I love my dog and knew that I had to do whatever it took to keep him healthy. He is about 14 years old, so I know that I won't be able to have him for much longer, so I want his final years to be happy and comfortable. So, I started shopping around to find an affordable pet dentist.
On Friday, my 5 year old nephew called me and said that they were going to Chuck E. Cheese and that he wanted me to come. I wasn't really feeling up to it, because the night before, I had an unexpected health issue where my heartrate suddenly plummeted and I collapsed onto the bathroom floor. I don't know if I passed out, or just fell asleep, but when I was able to function again, I was lying on the floor. I managed to get to my feet, crawl into bed, and went to sleep. This has happened to me before, so I wasn't terribly concerned, but it is the first time I potentially passed out. The plan was to spend the day in bed and just rest. But, I wanted to spend time with my nephew and my niece since I don't get to see them that often. ...and I am VERY glad that I did.
We went to a Chuck E. Cheese in a nearby shopping center that looked surprisingly brand new. I just walked around with the kids and helped them play a few games. I didn't have to do anything strenuous and everyone had a really good time. When we were getting ready to leave, I had noticed that there was a PetSmart in the shopping complex and wanted to check it out. I saw that they had a vet clinic inside and wanted to inquire about it, but I also wanted to get Frisbee a treat, because I was still feeling a little guilty about having not noticed his dental issues. The vet was closed so I wasn't able to get any information. I saw a little crinkle, squeaky toy that I knew Frisbee would like and that wouldn't drive me up a wall, so I picked it up. Then I thought, maybe I should get him something to chew on that would help to clean his teeth. I've tried brushing and using a dental spray, but he will not allow me to do it. It actually causes him to anxiety urinate. I don't know what people did to him before I adopted him, but when this happens, I know that I have to stop and give him space so that he understands that I am not hurting or in any way punishing him. Still, it is the reason why I never paid much attention to his teeth and, again, he has never exhibited any signs of mouth pain.
At any rate, I went to the area where dog chew things were and there was a sales clerk there. I explained to her my situation and she was quick to say, "Oh! You should just get him a bully stick. That'll get the tooth right out for sure!" The amazingly confident way she recommended the bully stick gave me real hope that it could help. So, I walked with her over to where they were, she pulled one off the shelf and my niece and I went to pay for it. (Off topic, but my niece wanted to say goodnight to the birds, but when she realized the toy I had for Frisbee squeaked, she changed her mind from saying goodnight to the birds to running up to the glass and incessantly squeaking the toy to wake them all up. Luckily...they were already awake. ...it was the rats that were napping and that I accidentally woke up. On another unrelated note...the rats were super cute.)
When I got home, I gave the toy to Frisbee and he immediately started playing with it. Then, I showed him the bully. Now, my little mutt is very particular. There are edible treats that he just doesn't like. I gave him the bully stick and he quickly took it and went into the living room. He dropped it on the floor, sniffed it, then looked at me, then sat down to sniff it a bit more. I called to him, as it was time for his evening walk. He galloped over to me, stopped, then hurried back to the living room to grab the bully stick, then hurried back to me. This was a huge relief! For context, Frisbee has NEVER done this! He's never had a treat that he was so fond of that he wanted it more than he wanted a walk. So, I wrestled it from him, tossed it to the side, and we went for a walk. When we got back, he quickly found the stick, ran into the living room, and started chewing.
The next morning, I looked in the living room and saw that the bully stick was now a bully nub. He had gone through more than half of it. We went for our morning walk, then came back. We had breakfast, then I went in the room to try to do a little writing. I was talking on the phone to a friend for nearly 2 and a half hours while I was in the room. When I hung up with her, I went into the kitchen to make a cup of instant vanilla latte that I bought while I was in England...it's almost gone. (ಥ﹏ಥ) ...but, my dismay at my dwindling coffee was quickly replaced by curiosity when I noticed something on my tile floor. I knelt down to investigate and couldn't believe it. I got a paper towel to examine it more closely to make sure I wasn't just wishful thinking I saw was what I saw...but it wasn't my eyes playing tricks on me, it was my precious little old man's rotten tooth, root and all!! I went over to check him out. He barely let me look into his mouth, but I had a treat in my hand so he knew that I wasn't doing anything bad and...he looked good. There was no swelling or bleeding, or anything! It was a clean removal and I couldn't have been happier!
I still need to take him to a pet dentist, but at least I won't have to pay for an extraction! They will have to check to make sure everything was removed cleanly and to see his other teeth as well. But, he's good. They told me that it's not an emergency and I'm waiting for them to get back to me with an estimate and an appointment date. So, my pup's medical fees went from $1200 down to a whopping $9.95...and whatever else his dental checkup is going to be. But, yeah, I consider this a huge blessing and thought it might help someone else who finds the precious pet in a situation similar to mine. I hope this (admittedly) long story was able to help someone, even a little bit. I did call the PetSmart and told the manager how thankful I was to that sales clerk and to please tell her how grateful I am to her. Vet expenses can be a little ridiculous, so any way that can help bring those costs down, I'm a fan.
Oh! Speaking of vet expenses, if you need to get your pet vaccinated, I HIGHLY recommend Petco. They have a vet clinic also, and their vaccination prices are half of what my vet's are. Don't get me wrong, I really like my vet, but I don't like their prices and my vet tends to agree with me. She doesn't set the prices, after all, and she doesn't blame me for wanting to shop around. Petco gives the exact same vaccines for a fraction of the price. If you have a Petco nearby, I recommend giving them a call. Even if there isn't one nearby, it might actually be more affordable to drive to one rather than paying a higher fee at a private veterinarian.
Well, that's all, folks! Thanks for reading and sorry for the length. Still, I hope it was interesting and informative. *waves* \ (•◡•) /
(｡◕‿‿◕｡)
So, I took Frisbee to the vet the other day for a check-up and to see why he was a little itchy. The vet was super cool and she, the vet tech, and Frisbee got along great! I told her that I found exactly 2 fleas on him when I got back from England in September. I gave him a flea treatment and a bath immediately, but it was October and he was still itchy. She recommended a different flea treatment that was edible and that, in conjunction with the monthly topical treatment he's on now seems to have worked. He is scratching much less and is generally more comfortable than he was after my "London in August" trip. ...I still want to go back. *crying*
Anyway! After assessing his skin, she gave him a general check-up and when she got to his teeth she said, "Woah! That one's gotta come out!" I was understandably distressed and asked which tooth she was referring to. She showed me one of his back teeth and...it was pretty rotten. I felt horribly for not having noticed, but she said that she sees this all the time and that it wasn't my fault. Most people don't notice because of an odd thing about dogs in which even if their teeth are bad, they will keep eating normally. So, there weren't any outward signs like him eating less or being lethargic from lack of food intake. Nothing was out of the ordinary. She also explained that breeding dogs have caused their teeth to be out of proportion with their skulls which also adds to this issue.
She told me that I was going to have to get the tooth removed and then told me the amount. Even she seemed to frustrated and sighed when she told me that the bill for simply removing the tooth was going to be around $1200. I audibly cried, "Jesus!" and felt my chest tightened. I had just come back from an expensive trip and didn't have the money to spare on such a tremendous expense. At the same time, though, I love my dog and knew that I had to do whatever it took to keep him healthy. He is about 14 years old, so I know that I won't be able to have him for much longer, so I want his final years to be happy and comfortable. So, I started shopping around to find an affordable pet dentist.
On Friday, my 5 year old nephew called me and said that they were going to Chuck E. Cheese and that he wanted me to come. I wasn't really feeling up to it, because the night before, I had an unexpected health issue where my heartrate suddenly plummeted and I collapsed onto the bathroom floor. I don't know if I passed out, or just fell asleep, but when I was able to function again, I was lying on the floor. I managed to get to my feet, crawl into bed, and went to sleep. This has happened to me before, so I wasn't terribly concerned, but it is the first time I potentially passed out. The plan was to spend the day in bed and just rest. But, I wanted to spend time with my nephew and my niece since I don't get to see them that often. ...and I am VERY glad that I did.
We went to a Chuck E. Cheese in a nearby shopping center that looked surprisingly brand new. I just walked around with the kids and helped them play a few games. I didn't have to do anything strenuous and everyone had a really good time. When we were getting ready to leave, I had noticed that there was a PetSmart in the shopping complex and wanted to check it out. I saw that they had a vet clinic inside and wanted to inquire about it, but I also wanted to get Frisbee a treat, because I was still feeling a little guilty about having not noticed his dental issues. The vet was closed so I wasn't able to get any information. I saw a little crinkle, squeaky toy that I knew Frisbee would like and that wouldn't drive me up a wall, so I picked it up. Then I thought, maybe I should get him something to chew on that would help to clean his teeth. I've tried brushing and using a dental spray, but he will not allow me to do it. It actually causes him to anxiety urinate. I don't know what people did to him before I adopted him, but when this happens, I know that I have to stop and give him space so that he understands that I am not hurting or in any way punishing him. Still, it is the reason why I never paid much attention to his teeth and, again, he has never exhibited any signs of mouth pain.
At any rate, I went to the area where dog chew things were and there was a sales clerk there. I explained to her my situation and she was quick to say, "Oh! You should just get him a bully stick. That'll get the tooth right out for sure!" The amazingly confident way she recommended the bully stick gave me real hope that it could help. So, I walked with her over to where they were, she pulled one off the shelf and my niece and I went to pay for it. (Off topic, but my niece wanted to say goodnight to the birds, but when she realized the toy I had for Frisbee squeaked, she changed her mind from saying goodnight to the birds to running up to the glass and incessantly squeaking the toy to wake them all up. Luckily...they were already awake. ...it was the rats that were napping and that I accidentally woke up. On another unrelated note...the rats were super cute.)
When I got home, I gave the toy to Frisbee and he immediately started playing with it. Then, I showed him the bully. Now, my little mutt is very particular. There are edible treats that he just doesn't like. I gave him the bully stick and he quickly took it and went into the living room. He dropped it on the floor, sniffed it, then looked at me, then sat down to sniff it a bit more. I called to him, as it was time for his evening walk. He galloped over to me, stopped, then hurried back to the living room to grab the bully stick, then hurried back to me. This was a huge relief! For context, Frisbee has NEVER done this! He's never had a treat that he was so fond of that he wanted it more than he wanted a walk. So, I wrestled it from him, tossed it to the side, and we went for a walk. When we got back, he quickly found the stick, ran into the living room, and started chewing.
The next morning, I looked in the living room and saw that the bully stick was now a bully nub. He had gone through more than half of it. We went for our morning walk, then came back. We had breakfast, then I went in the room to try to do a little writing. I was talking on the phone to a friend for nearly 2 and a half hours while I was in the room. When I hung up with her, I went into the kitchen to make a cup of instant vanilla latte that I bought while I was in England...it's almost gone. (ಥ﹏ಥ) ...but, my dismay at my dwindling coffee was quickly replaced by curiosity when I noticed something on my tile floor. I knelt down to investigate and couldn't believe it. I got a paper towel to examine it more closely to make sure I wasn't just wishful thinking I saw was what I saw...but it wasn't my eyes playing tricks on me, it was my precious little old man's rotten tooth, root and all!! I went over to check him out. He barely let me look into his mouth, but I had a treat in my hand so he knew that I wasn't doing anything bad and...he looked good. There was no swelling or bleeding, or anything! It was a clean removal and I couldn't have been happier!
I still need to take him to a pet dentist, but at least I won't have to pay for an extraction! They will have to check to make sure everything was removed cleanly and to see his other teeth as well. But, he's good. They told me that it's not an emergency and I'm waiting for them to get back to me with an estimate and an appointment date. So, my pup's medical fees went from $1200 down to a whopping $9.95...and whatever else his dental checkup is going to be. But, yeah, I consider this a huge blessing and thought it might help someone else who finds the precious pet in a situation similar to mine. I hope this (admittedly) long story was able to help someone, even a little bit. I did call the PetSmart and told the manager how thankful I was to that sales clerk and to please tell her how grateful I am to her. Vet expenses can be a little ridiculous, so any way that can help bring those costs down, I'm a fan.
Oh! Speaking of vet expenses, if you need to get your pet vaccinated, I HIGHLY recommend Petco. They have a vet clinic also, and their vaccination prices are half of what my vet's are. Don't get me wrong, I really like my vet, but I don't like their prices and my vet tends to agree with me. She doesn't set the prices, after all, and she doesn't blame me for wanting to shop around. Petco gives the exact same vaccines for a fraction of the price. If you have a Petco nearby, I recommend giving them a call. Even if there isn't one nearby, it might actually be more affordable to drive to one rather than paying a higher fee at a private veterinarian.
Well, that's all, folks! Thanks for reading and sorry for the length. Still, I hope it was interesting and informative. *waves* \ (•◡•) /
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What's Your Pokémon Team
General | Posted 2 years agoI think I've asked this question before, but what are your pokémon dream teams? My perfect team would be:
Squirtle
Growlithe (Kanto)
Shinx
Noibat
Rowlet
Mewtwo
Apart from Mewtwo that cannot evolve, I would evolve my team to their final evolutions. But, that would be my team and my path to becoming a regional...perhaps even world champion. What about you guys?
...also, if I made a few pokémon charms for conventions, who would you like to see on the table?
Squirtle
Growlithe (Kanto)
Shinx
Noibat
Rowlet
Mewtwo
Apart from Mewtwo that cannot evolve, I would evolve my team to their final evolutions. But, that would be my team and my path to becoming a regional...perhaps even world champion. What about you guys?
...also, if I made a few pokémon charms for conventions, who would you like to see on the table?
It's Halloween! Who to Dress Up?
General | Posted 2 years agoWell, it's Halloween! I've been trying to drag myself out of this drawing slump, but I'm not really making much progress. I want to draw something for Halloween, but I don't know what. I has to be something simple. I'm thinking maybe one of my Sweet Shoppe girls wearing a costume, or Mari/Miele dressed like a little witch, or any one of the children in my stories dressed as...something. I really don't know. I just can't find my motivation to draw anything. Anyone have any ideas? Something very simple.
Children in Uniforms?
General | Posted 2 years agoJust a random question: are you for or against children wearing school uniforms?
My nephew started preschool and his school actually wear uniforms. I think they're cute and the uniformity helps curb things like judgment from other children based on the clothing attire of their peers. For example, children from families that don't have a significant income have to wear hand-me-downs, clothes from thrift stores, etc. They don't always get brand new clothes and sometimes, they get picked on because of the situation of their family's wealth...a thing that they have exactly ZERO control over. I used to think that forcing children to wear the same clothes prohibited them from being able to express themselves. But, as an adult, I realize that nothing could be further from the truth. Kids are gonna be kids! Putting a suit on a reckless child or a rambunctious children isn't suddenly going to take away the fire in their little souls. On the contrary, it displays more of the child's personality, because if everyone's appearance has some commonality, then what's left for uniqueness is the child themselves.
...at least, that's what I think, but there could be something that I'm missing. I'd love to hear what you guys think.
My nephew started preschool and his school actually wear uniforms. I think they're cute and the uniformity helps curb things like judgment from other children based on the clothing attire of their peers. For example, children from families that don't have a significant income have to wear hand-me-downs, clothes from thrift stores, etc. They don't always get brand new clothes and sometimes, they get picked on because of the situation of their family's wealth...a thing that they have exactly ZERO control over. I used to think that forcing children to wear the same clothes prohibited them from being able to express themselves. But, as an adult, I realize that nothing could be further from the truth. Kids are gonna be kids! Putting a suit on a reckless child or a rambunctious children isn't suddenly going to take away the fire in their little souls. On the contrary, it displays more of the child's personality, because if everyone's appearance has some commonality, then what's left for uniqueness is the child themselves.
...at least, that's what I think, but there could be something that I'm missing. I'd love to hear what you guys think.
YouTube Art Videos
General | Posted 2 years agoI'm trying to get into posting videos on YouTube. Basically, it's just time-lapse drawings for now, but I hope to get back into doing commentary. For now, these short videos are what I'll be working on posting. I hope you like it. I you do enjoy it, I hope you'll leave a like on the video. Either way, thanks for checking it out.
https://youtu.be/8jE3PTp08QM
https://youtu.be/8jE3PTp08QM
Sketching and Adoptables
General | Posted 2 years ago*stretches* Well, it hasn't even been a month and I already want to revisit England. There was a lot that I didn't get to see, but that will have to be an adventure for another time. Also, I really want to go to California next year to see the orcas that migrate through there as well as I have been meaning for a LONG TIME to visit the San Diego Zoo. I hear it's incredible. Since visiting England was one of my decades-long dreams fulfilled, I really need to plan on visiting the West Coast at least one more time in my lifetime.
Anyway, I've been a little sick. My nephew has started pre-school and...well...schools are just breeding grounds for sickness and the little ones tend to bring a bit of it home. So...they got me! ^_^ Beyond that, I've been a little melancholy thanks to a little family drama. I think it's all kind of messed with my concentration and creativity. So, I'm going to be doing a few sketches here and there until I get my mojo back. I'll also be continuing with the adoptables, since I have already drawn the bases. I think I have skunette, otter, and squirrel up next. I still have the bunny and the mouse base, so if anyone would like another round of those, just let me know.
Right now, though, I'm going to make some soup and have some orange juice. *waves*
Anyway, I've been a little sick. My nephew has started pre-school and...well...schools are just breeding grounds for sickness and the little ones tend to bring a bit of it home. So...they got me! ^_^ Beyond that, I've been a little melancholy thanks to a little family drama. I think it's all kind of messed with my concentration and creativity. So, I'm going to be doing a few sketches here and there until I get my mojo back. I'll also be continuing with the adoptables, since I have already drawn the bases. I think I have skunette, otter, and squirrel up next. I still have the bunny and the mouse base, so if anyone would like another round of those, just let me know.
Right now, though, I'm going to make some soup and have some orange juice. *waves*
Feet on the Ground, USA
General | Posted 2 years agoWell, I'm back! I had a lovely trip and would like to visit again, one day. I saw pretty much everything I wanted to see, except for a few things (the gardens, mostly). But, I did all of the big things that I wanted to do. I went on a boat ride on the River Thames, I saw (but did not ride, as per recommendation) the London Eye, BIG BEN (I don't know why I really wanted see that, but I was super excited to see it ^_^), and I got to see the changing of the guards! We were very close to them, too. I also learned a few new things, for example; I didn't realize that both Australia and Canada are monarchies under the rule of the King of England. I thought that was very interesting and also offered a little insight into how things will work in the Sweet Shoppe.
Oh! I did try the food that I was hoping to try, namely fish & chips and SHEPHERD'S PIE!!! Shepherd's pie is AMAZING! I wish they made it over here, it was so filling and just made you feel...I don't know...just all warm and fuzzy. I slept well that night. At any rate, the people were friendly, the architecture was gorgeous, the city was very clean, and I loved it. Thanks for the hospitality, from this girl on the East Coast.
Well, now that I'm back home...I'm actually really sleepy. >_<' I'm trying to get back on my regular sleep schedule, but for the past two nights, I've been waking up at 4am. I'm sure I'll get back on track, soon. But, I think I'm going to take the rest of the week off. Also, I need to take care of my dog. I won't go into details, but let's just say that the person who was supposed to take care of him did less than an adequate job of caring for him. So, I'm going to lavish him with attention for the next couple of days.
I'll be posting a few pictures to my
photokitt a bit later. I need to upload them to my computer first, though. I also haven't forgotten about Plum and Sugar. I need to draw their pictures. I already sketched a few poses, so I think I'll be ready to work on something once I've rested a bit. I also need to do a bit of writing, but for now, I'm just going to take it easy. ^_^
Oh! I did try the food that I was hoping to try, namely fish & chips and SHEPHERD'S PIE!!! Shepherd's pie is AMAZING! I wish they made it over here, it was so filling and just made you feel...I don't know...just all warm and fuzzy. I slept well that night. At any rate, the people were friendly, the architecture was gorgeous, the city was very clean, and I loved it. Thanks for the hospitality, from this girl on the East Coast.
Well, now that I'm back home...I'm actually really sleepy. >_<' I'm trying to get back on my regular sleep schedule, but for the past two nights, I've been waking up at 4am. I'm sure I'll get back on track, soon. But, I think I'm going to take the rest of the week off. Also, I need to take care of my dog. I won't go into details, but let's just say that the person who was supposed to take care of him did less than an adequate job of caring for him. So, I'm going to lavish him with attention for the next couple of days.
I'll be posting a few pictures to my
photokitt a bit later. I need to upload them to my computer first, though. I also haven't forgotten about Plum and Sugar. I need to draw their pictures. I already sketched a few poses, so I think I'll be ready to work on something once I've rested a bit. I also need to do a bit of writing, but for now, I'm just going to take it easy. ^_^Skipping Across the Pond
General | Posted 2 years ago…in about 10 hours. ^_^ I admit, I’ve been a little anxious, but I think I’ll be alright once I get on the plane…and promptly go to sleep. It’s an overnight flight, so when I wake up, I might already be in the UK since they’re 5 hours ahead. I made plenty of preparations, but the one thing I need to do is exchange a little bit of currency, because I do plan on going to Chinatown. If there anything like Chinatown in NY, then it will be primarily cash based. Other than that, I think I should be alright. I kept an eye on the weather and changed the clothes I packed more than once, but I think everything’s good now. If not, I’m sure I can grab something when I get there. ^_^ Anyway, that’s all from me. I’ma little agitated, so maybe I’ll have a hot chocolate and take a break. I’ll see you guys later.
Hybrid: Gods and Demons 20th Anniversary
General | Posted 2 years ago…yeah, as I am updating a new notebook, I just realized that it was 20 years ago that I started working on Hybrid: Gods and Demons. I started working on a furry series before knowing what a furry even was. I remember this started as a project for class.
At the end of the year, we had to display our work for the general audience and as a girl walked by my showcase, she said something like, “Nice work. Are they furries?” And I replied something along the lines of, “Yeah, they’re bears so they are furry.”
She seemed surprised, then clarified by telling me that she was not questioning the texture of their bodies, but rather, are they FURRIES? …to which a befuddled me asked, “…what’s a furry?”
She made an odd noise, like an inaudible “oops” then said, “Oh, never mind. Anyway, nice stuff.” and walked off. If only I had known at the time, but I wouldn’t find out for quite a while later. ^^’
Anyway, since I just noticed this a few minutes ago, I don’t have anything planned, but maybe I’ll do something if I can come up with an idea. Anyway, I just wanted to share. Thanks, y’all!
At the end of the year, we had to display our work for the general audience and as a girl walked by my showcase, she said something like, “Nice work. Are they furries?” And I replied something along the lines of, “Yeah, they’re bears so they are furry.”
She seemed surprised, then clarified by telling me that she was not questioning the texture of their bodies, but rather, are they FURRIES? …to which a befuddled me asked, “…what’s a furry?”
She made an odd noise, like an inaudible “oops” then said, “Oh, never mind. Anyway, nice stuff.” and walked off. If only I had known at the time, but I wouldn’t find out for quite a while later. ^^’
Anyway, since I just noticed this a few minutes ago, I don’t have anything planned, but maybe I’ll do something if I can come up with an idea. Anyway, I just wanted to share. Thanks, y’all!
I Got My Plane Tickets! Also Adoptables…
General | Posted 2 years ago…so, it’s really happening! I have my plane ticket to England and will be staying for just over a week. I figured out what I want to do and that I want to see, but now I need to figure out a timetable. I really hope the weather is nice, but a lot of the things that I want to do are indoors, so I have some wiggle room. My biggest concern is the jet lag. I might have to find a supplement to counter that, but we’ll see. So, the ball is rolling and I’m really going to make this happen…at last!
I might open up a few adoptables to help raise a little extra money for this trip. What animal adorable character would you like to see? Except cats! I think I’ve mentioned before why it’s a bad idea for me to make cats adoptable, but I’m open to other creatures that are generally well-liked.
I might open up a few adoptables to help raise a little extra money for this trip. What animal adorable character would you like to see? Except cats! I think I’ve mentioned before why it’s a bad idea for me to make cats adoptable, but I’m open to other creatures that are generally well-liked.
Commission Status, Books and the UK!
General | Posted 2 years agoHey, y'all! First of all, thanks so much for the well-wishes. I feel much better now. I'm a little congested and just a bit tired, but all in all, I'm doing well. ^_^
I wanted to let folks know about my commission status from Anthrocon. I've actually finished...everything. There is one person that hasn't contacted me about their commission. You were supposed to send me a character reference, but I never got it. I checked my spam messages, but I haven't heard from you. Your character's name is, "Mars". I have your mailing address, but not an email. So, if you're seeing this message, just shoot me a DM with your character reference and I'll get to it after I finish the commission I'm working on right now (unrelated to Anthrocon). I have to mail 3 things out, so I will get those in the mail as soon as I can. These commissions aren't usually laminated, but since it was my mistake for leaving the materials at home and I offered to mail them out, I'll laminate them complimentarily.
After I finish commissions, I'm going to be taking a little break. My sister is having a baby, so I'll be helping her and her husband with minding the house and their 3 year old son (my little monster ^_^). I'll be there for the entire month of September, so I won't be getting much work done, artistically. Also, I'll be working on the second novel in my Lion Paws series. I met with a publishing company at the convention and, hopefully, will be able to work with them to get my books out. So, the next book in the series needs to get higher off the ground than I have gotten thus far. Once I'm back home in October, I'll be focusing heavily on getting work on that book completed.
...of course, before all of this, I AM GOING TO ENGLAND!!!! I am NOT putting this off, because I know me! I'll say, "There's so much to get done, now isn't a good time. I'll go NEXT YEAR." ...next year was like 2 decades ago. >_<' I'm doing this! Just like I just went out and bought a violin to make sure I took violin lessons (something I've wanted to do since grade school), I know what it takes to get me to do things purely for pleasure. I will put off everything in order to work, and that's a really bad habit. I need to do things for fun, too. I haven't taken a vacation in a while. The last time was in 2021 to see the orcas in Seattle, but before that, I don't remember the last time I just went away for a relaxing getaway, or just to do something enjoyable without the strings of work attached. I've been wanting to go to England for a long time and this is the year that I do it! Thanks so much to
and 
for your help in giving me the inside scoop. I have a better understanding of what I want to do and how to make that happen. That's why I pushed the trip back to August, because I need to plan more than I realized. But, I know that if I push it back to next year, it may never happen. I have to do this this year! I'm going to hop across the pond next month FOR SURE!
I also want to take a short weekend trip to San Diego. I want to go to the zoo and a beach where you can see whales from the shore. If I can get aboard a whale watching boat, then that will be really nice. Other than that, I really want to see the zoo and also Sea World. I went there when I was little, but I want to check it out again and see if they have done a better job at their environmental conservation than they have done in recent years. I really hope so. But, going to San Diego takes FAR LESS planning than going to a foreign country. This is literally a weekend trip. I just need a plane ticket, a piece of carry-on luggage, a hotel, and a rental car. Other than that, I should be good to go. England, I need a plane ticket, a passport (which I already have, of course), carry-on & check-in luggage, train tickets, assorted maps/guides, multiple hotels, travel accommodations, alternate plans in the event of adverse weather, currency exchange, alert credit cards, figure out cell phone options, etc. So...yeah...San Diego: a piece of cake. UK: ...not so much so. ^_^; Still, I'm doing this! I've already started getting things together (outlet converter, big suitcase, cute pair of sandals, one dressy outfit, setting aside extra funds, etc), so I just need to do a little more logistical planning and I can be off.
...I think that's all. Sorry for the long post. ^_^; I hope you guys are having a super summer! See ya! ♡
I wanted to let folks know about my commission status from Anthrocon. I've actually finished...everything. There is one person that hasn't contacted me about their commission. You were supposed to send me a character reference, but I never got it. I checked my spam messages, but I haven't heard from you. Your character's name is, "Mars". I have your mailing address, but not an email. So, if you're seeing this message, just shoot me a DM with your character reference and I'll get to it after I finish the commission I'm working on right now (unrelated to Anthrocon). I have to mail 3 things out, so I will get those in the mail as soon as I can. These commissions aren't usually laminated, but since it was my mistake for leaving the materials at home and I offered to mail them out, I'll laminate them complimentarily.
After I finish commissions, I'm going to be taking a little break. My sister is having a baby, so I'll be helping her and her husband with minding the house and their 3 year old son (my little monster ^_^). I'll be there for the entire month of September, so I won't be getting much work done, artistically. Also, I'll be working on the second novel in my Lion Paws series. I met with a publishing company at the convention and, hopefully, will be able to work with them to get my books out. So, the next book in the series needs to get higher off the ground than I have gotten thus far. Once I'm back home in October, I'll be focusing heavily on getting work on that book completed.
...of course, before all of this, I AM GOING TO ENGLAND!!!! I am NOT putting this off, because I know me! I'll say, "There's so much to get done, now isn't a good time. I'll go NEXT YEAR." ...next year was like 2 decades ago. >_<' I'm doing this! Just like I just went out and bought a violin to make sure I took violin lessons (something I've wanted to do since grade school), I know what it takes to get me to do things purely for pleasure. I will put off everything in order to work, and that's a really bad habit. I need to do things for fun, too. I haven't taken a vacation in a while. The last time was in 2021 to see the orcas in Seattle, but before that, I don't remember the last time I just went away for a relaxing getaway, or just to do something enjoyable without the strings of work attached. I've been wanting to go to England for a long time and this is the year that I do it! Thanks so much to
and 
for your help in giving me the inside scoop. I have a better understanding of what I want to do and how to make that happen. That's why I pushed the trip back to August, because I need to plan more than I realized. But, I know that if I push it back to next year, it may never happen. I have to do this this year! I'm going to hop across the pond next month FOR SURE!I also want to take a short weekend trip to San Diego. I want to go to the zoo and a beach where you can see whales from the shore. If I can get aboard a whale watching boat, then that will be really nice. Other than that, I really want to see the zoo and also Sea World. I went there when I was little, but I want to check it out again and see if they have done a better job at their environmental conservation than they have done in recent years. I really hope so. But, going to San Diego takes FAR LESS planning than going to a foreign country. This is literally a weekend trip. I just need a plane ticket, a piece of carry-on luggage, a hotel, and a rental car. Other than that, I should be good to go. England, I need a plane ticket, a passport (which I already have, of course), carry-on & check-in luggage, train tickets, assorted maps/guides, multiple hotels, travel accommodations, alternate plans in the event of adverse weather, currency exchange, alert credit cards, figure out cell phone options, etc. So...yeah...San Diego: a piece of cake. UK: ...not so much so. ^_^; Still, I'm doing this! I've already started getting things together (outlet converter, big suitcase, cute pair of sandals, one dressy outfit, setting aside extra funds, etc), so I just need to do a little more logistical planning and I can be off.
...I think that's all. Sorry for the long post. ^_^; I hope you guys are having a super summer! See ya! ♡
Back and Sick
General | Posted 2 years ago*sneezes* Well, hello y'all! I've been home for a few days, but I've already been a bit sick. I got a cold; sneezing, coughing, sore throat, congestion, the whole nine yards. But, I'm feeling a bit better now, so I'll probably be able to get to work on commissions tomorrow or maybe Friday. We'll see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow.
Anyway, the convention (apart from me falling I'll) went well. I sold a bunch of books and bags and took a few commissions. Because I was focusing on the books, I took less commissions which meant for the VERY FIRST TIME, I was able to attend a few panels!!! ^_^ That was a lot of fun. I went to a sketchbook swap, an adult writing discussion, and a publication panel. I've never had the chance to do that before, so that was super cool.
Speaking of publication, I actually made a very good connection thanks to a recommendation at the adult writing panel. So, hopefully that will pan out in the future.
...speaking of the future, next year, if I can't get a DEALER'S TABLE, I don't know if I'll be attending, or at the very least, I'll be packing extremely light and attempting to get into the artist alley, again. I really wanted the dealers table for this year, because I knew I was going to need the table space. My setup was very limited this year, so I wasn't super happy about that, but I still did well.
Also speaking of the future, as much as I like riding the train, next year I will DEFINITELY be driving! I didn't realize how close I am to Pittsburgh! The train ride is roughly 9 hours, but driving is only 4!!!!! I had no idea, but now that I do, I will be driving. It also means I'll be staying at a hotel for only 2 nights (Friday & Saturday), because I can just drive up on Friday and leave on Sunday. So, that is an amendment of the travel plan that I'm looking for to. ^_^
Anyway, thanks to everyone that stopped by my table. Whether you made a purchase or not, I'm still super grateful. If you did get a book, I'd love to know what you thought, so please feel free to shoot me a message. If you ordered a commission from me, I'm sorry that I was/am sick and wasn't able to get started on them right away, but I hope to be back on my feet tomorrow or Friday. I'll get to them straight away, so please bear with me just a little while.
Alright! I'm going to walk my dog, take some medicine, and head to bed . I'll see you tomorrow! ^_^
Anyway, the convention (apart from me falling I'll) went well. I sold a bunch of books and bags and took a few commissions. Because I was focusing on the books, I took less commissions which meant for the VERY FIRST TIME, I was able to attend a few panels!!! ^_^ That was a lot of fun. I went to a sketchbook swap, an adult writing discussion, and a publication panel. I've never had the chance to do that before, so that was super cool.
Speaking of publication, I actually made a very good connection thanks to a recommendation at the adult writing panel. So, hopefully that will pan out in the future.
...speaking of the future, next year, if I can't get a DEALER'S TABLE, I don't know if I'll be attending, or at the very least, I'll be packing extremely light and attempting to get into the artist alley, again. I really wanted the dealers table for this year, because I knew I was going to need the table space. My setup was very limited this year, so I wasn't super happy about that, but I still did well.
Also speaking of the future, as much as I like riding the train, next year I will DEFINITELY be driving! I didn't realize how close I am to Pittsburgh! The train ride is roughly 9 hours, but driving is only 4!!!!! I had no idea, but now that I do, I will be driving. It also means I'll be staying at a hotel for only 2 nights (Friday & Saturday), because I can just drive up on Friday and leave on Sunday. So, that is an amendment of the travel plan that I'm looking for to. ^_^
Anyway, thanks to everyone that stopped by my table. Whether you made a purchase or not, I'm still super grateful. If you did get a book, I'd love to know what you thought, so please feel free to shoot me a message. If you ordered a commission from me, I'm sorry that I was/am sick and wasn't able to get started on them right away, but I hope to be back on my feet tomorrow or Friday. I'll get to them straight away, so please bear with me just a little while.
Alright! I'm going to walk my dog, take some medicine, and head to bed . I'll see you tomorrow! ^_^
Anyone from England?
General | Posted 2 years ago…because I am visiting in July and wanted to know if there is anything I should definitely see, do, bring, and where is the best place to stay. Expedia recommended Kensington and it looks nice. There is a lot to do there and there are a bunch of really nice hotels. I know you guys are 5 hours ahead of me, so I am going to need a little time to adjust, but the plan was to be there for about 5 days, so I think I will be fine. Oh! One more thing; are there any particular rules of etiquette that I should be aware of? For example, my friend visited Japan and they called her, loud. But, by American standards, she’s not. I don’t want to hop across the pond and be a total fish out of water, so if there are some things us Americans do that talk annoy you, please let me know so I don’t inadvertently offend anyone. >__<; Please & lots of thanks!
3 Weeks To Go!
General | Posted 2 years ago...and a lot has been done, but still a little more to go! The bags, the business cards, and a sweater I ordered all came in and are ready for the show! The books...oh, the books... Well, the Sweet Shoppe coloring book is ready to go as is The Carpenter And The Nightingale, but the Sweet Shoppe chapter book and Intimate Rendezvous are having formatting issues. I'm about to call the printer in a bit to see what's going on. But, after that, I should be able to submit an order and have it ready to go by the time I have to head out for the convention. I also need to do some more work on my website, but first things first...the books!
Also, I did receive a message that I will be in Artist's Alley, so if you show up, please come see me there. ♡
Also, I did receive a message that I will be in Artist's Alley, so if you show up, please come see me there. ♡
Are Night and Mhina Nudists??
General | Posted 2 years ago...you would think that, since I have never drawn them wearing clothes (well, Mhina wears a scarf, so I guess someone might count that...and I did have to give her clothes for the cover of the book, but other than that, I don't think I've ever drawn her wearing anything else and I've never drawn Night wearing anything at all.) But, no, they are not nudists. They just like getting rid of their clothes a lot. The boys (especially the wolves, since wolves have the deepest connection to nature of virtually all animalians) do tend to meander around the house and outside in the privacy of their own yard nude. But, they do not do so in public, so I don't think that qualifies...I think. At any rate, I really have to draw them wearing something other than furs to avoid any confusion about the series.
Anyway, Night and Mhina exist in the same universe as all of my main series (Sweet Shoppe, Bella Mariposa, Lion Paws, Hybrid: Gods and Demons). They are actually a part of the Lion Paws series, just on the Adohi side. The stories for the Ayele siblings (for the most part) take place on Panthros. Neha is the exception. She is a mountain lion, so although she belongs to the Ayele storyline, she is from Adohi. In the end, she ends up moving to Panthros with her husband who is a lion, though. Inversely, Mhina was born on Panthros and moved to Adohi when she was young. But, everyone else was born on the land they are currently living on and MOST everyone, in universe, wears clothes...with exceptions. For example, the characters in Hybrid: Gods and Demons are absolutely naturalists and didn't even know the concept of clothes until they encountered the humans of the Black Creek Tribe (although Bat still does not wear anything). The tribesmen made clothes for the hybrids to honor them as deities and also so that Lion and Lioness would be protected in the cold weather seasons. But, if not for the intervention of humans, no one in universe would be wearing clothes at all, so...I guess humans are to thank for that. Even on Catriona Isles, where Sweet Shoppe takes place and the only land where humans never set foot, would have been a series of islands full of natural-living cats had they not come into contact with animalians that felt the influential culture of man. And in the same way of cultural dispersion, all of the series are connected in a similar way.
Marian is actually the character that links the two halves of the Lion Paws series together. She has a connection to the Ayele family that is later revealed in the story. Night is the character that connects to the Sweet Shoppe. He is a child psychiatrist and goes to the island of Calico after the events of the Great Flood and interacts directly with some of the main characters in the Sweet Shoppe series. And Hybrid: Gods and Demons is the one series that has a connection to them all! The characters in Bella Mariposa are so small that they do not interact with the characters from the other series, but they exist on Adohi along with Night, Mhina, and the others. ...also, Bella Mariposa is a lot darker than I think I'm letting on...0__0; But, that's a journal for another day.
Anyway, Night and Mhina exist in the same universe as all of my main series (Sweet Shoppe, Bella Mariposa, Lion Paws, Hybrid: Gods and Demons). They are actually a part of the Lion Paws series, just on the Adohi side. The stories for the Ayele siblings (for the most part) take place on Panthros. Neha is the exception. She is a mountain lion, so although she belongs to the Ayele storyline, she is from Adohi. In the end, she ends up moving to Panthros with her husband who is a lion, though. Inversely, Mhina was born on Panthros and moved to Adohi when she was young. But, everyone else was born on the land they are currently living on and MOST everyone, in universe, wears clothes...with exceptions. For example, the characters in Hybrid: Gods and Demons are absolutely naturalists and didn't even know the concept of clothes until they encountered the humans of the Black Creek Tribe (although Bat still does not wear anything). The tribesmen made clothes for the hybrids to honor them as deities and also so that Lion and Lioness would be protected in the cold weather seasons. But, if not for the intervention of humans, no one in universe would be wearing clothes at all, so...I guess humans are to thank for that. Even on Catriona Isles, where Sweet Shoppe takes place and the only land where humans never set foot, would have been a series of islands full of natural-living cats had they not come into contact with animalians that felt the influential culture of man. And in the same way of cultural dispersion, all of the series are connected in a similar way.
Marian is actually the character that links the two halves of the Lion Paws series together. She has a connection to the Ayele family that is later revealed in the story. Night is the character that connects to the Sweet Shoppe. He is a child psychiatrist and goes to the island of Calico after the events of the Great Flood and interacts directly with some of the main characters in the Sweet Shoppe series. And Hybrid: Gods and Demons is the one series that has a connection to them all! The characters in Bella Mariposa are so small that they do not interact with the characters from the other series, but they exist on Adohi along with Night, Mhina, and the others. ...also, Bella Mariposa is a lot darker than I think I'm letting on...0__0; But, that's a journal for another day.
Plum and Sugar...
General | Posted 2 years ago...before that, I just wanted to thank everyone for all of their help with my endless questions and calls for advice. The last journal was the last thing I needed help with and because of you guys, the order was placed and I am pretty much done with my convention prep! I just need to get the proofs of two of the books back, order copies for the con, and I am DONE!! So, thanks again y'all! I really appreciated/appreciate the help you guys gave me. ^_^
...now, about Plum and Sugar.
I realized a while back that I never did a pencil drawing of Plum, like I did for the other girls, and the one I did of Sugar was incomplete, basically a sketch, and not really in the same series as the other four girls:
Tange
Sweetheart
Mint
Candy
So, after I finish the commission I am working on right now, I think I will give those girls some attention. I already started sketching out ideas for Plum's pose (I think I narrowed it down to 2), but I haven't figured out what I am going to do with Sugar, yet. She's such an innocent, sweet girl that I really want to capture that in her pose. It's been a while since I've used traditional mediums, so this will be a nice change of pace for me.
...actually now that I think about it, I don't think I ever did a proper one for Mari and Miele, either....hmm... I'm looking at all of the drawing pencils on my desk and they are all speaking to me at once. ^__^; So, I guess, look out for a bunch of pencil drawings (not sketches) from me, soon...and probably also some digital stuff, too. ^_^; ...anyhoo, I gotta go walk my dog! See ya!
...now, about Plum and Sugar.
I realized a while back that I never did a pencil drawing of Plum, like I did for the other girls, and the one I did of Sugar was incomplete, basically a sketch, and not really in the same series as the other four girls:
Tange
Sweetheart
Mint
Candy
So, after I finish the commission I am working on right now, I think I will give those girls some attention. I already started sketching out ideas for Plum's pose (I think I narrowed it down to 2), but I haven't figured out what I am going to do with Sugar, yet. She's such an innocent, sweet girl that I really want to capture that in her pose. It's been a while since I've used traditional mediums, so this will be a nice change of pace for me.
...actually now that I think about it, I don't think I ever did a proper one for Mari and Miele, either....hmm... I'm looking at all of the drawing pencils on my desk and they are all speaking to me at once. ^__^; So, I guess, look out for a bunch of pencil drawings (not sketches) from me, soon...and probably also some digital stuff, too. ^_^; ...anyhoo, I gotta go walk my dog! See ya!
Boys and Bags...
General | Posted 2 years agoAs I am making the final preparations for the convention, I was about to place an order for the bags that I need for the books, when I realized something that might be problematic with the bag design. Basically, I was going to use this image ---> Marian and Leilani for the design, but then I stopped and thought, "...would guys feel okay walking around with a tote bag with two little girls?" The thought didn't hit me until this exact moment. I've seen guys carry bags and wear things with designs featuring teen magical girls like Sailor Moon and the like, or badass girls like Nami from One Piece, or video game girls like Princess Peach from the Mario Bros. universe...but I can't recall seeing them with designs of younger girls, like Sakura from Cardcaptor Sakura or Chibi Moon from Sailor Moon. Marian and Leilani fall in the younger girls category. In fact, in this image, I believe Marian is 5 and Leilani is 4. So, when I stopped and thought about it, I thought it might not be appealing to guys and they wouldn't want to use them. So, once again, I'm checking with you guys for your opinion. Should I stick with this design or make a new one? And, if I go with a different design, what would you guys (and girls, of course) like to see? If you had to carry a bag around a convention, what image would you prefer to see...or rather, would you prefer other people seeing you sporting? If you want to link to an image in my gallery, that would be great. Even if it's an older image, I can probably update it to make it current. Or, if you just have an idea, anything at all would be helpful. Sorry for the trouble...again! But, I'm a little stuck here and since I'm not a boy, I really can't form an objective opinion here. >__<;
Pronunciation
General | Posted 2 years agoI actually meant to do this before, but people ask me how to pronounce the names of characters in some of my series. Mostly, my Lion Paws series. So, here's a few names that I often get questioned about and some that I just put in here to complete the set ^_^:
Aadi: AH-DEE
Adohi: UH-DOE-HEE
Adon: AY-DUN
Ajamu: UH-JA-MOO
Ajua: AH-JOO-UH
Amarah: UH-MAR-UH
Arjuna: AR-JOO-NUH
Ayele: AH-YAY-LEE
Catriona: CAT-REE-OH-NUH
Darmok: DAR-MOK
Davu: DAH-VOO
Delu: DAY-LOO
Dumi: DOO-MEE
Farah: FAIR-UH
Jabari: JUH-BAR-EE
Jabulani: JAH-BOO-LON-EE
Jamila: JUH-MILL-UH
Janae: JUH-NAY
Jasmine: JAZZ-MIN
Jayesh: JAH-YESH
Keemeome: KEE-MEE-OH-MAY
Kendi: KEN-DEE
Kichoro: KEE-CHAR-OH
Leilani: LAY-LON-EE
Malki: MAL-KEE
Mari: MAR-EE
Mhina: MEE-NUH
Miele: MY-LEE
Mikaili: MEE-KII-LEE
Neha: NEE-UH
Okanu: OH-CON-OO
Omari: OH-MAR-EE
Oslan: OH-SLON
Panthros: PAN-THROWS
Rina: REE-NA
Rohan: ROW-HON
Sasha: SAH-SHUH
Savannah: SUH-VAN-UH
Seiya: SAY-UH
Tahir: TAH-HEER
Tamzuuri: TOM-ZOO-REE
Tambo: TOM-BOW
Yaro: YAR-OH
Yashvi: YOSH-VEE
Zafia: ZAH-FEE-UH
Zafua: ZAH-FOO-UH
Aadi: AH-DEE
Adohi: UH-DOE-HEE
Adon: AY-DUN
Ajamu: UH-JA-MOO
Ajua: AH-JOO-UH
Amarah: UH-MAR-UH
Arjuna: AR-JOO-NUH
Ayele: AH-YAY-LEE
Catriona: CAT-REE-OH-NUH
Darmok: DAR-MOK
Davu: DAH-VOO
Delu: DAY-LOO
Dumi: DOO-MEE
Farah: FAIR-UH
Jabari: JUH-BAR-EE
Jabulani: JAH-BOO-LON-EE
Jamila: JUH-MILL-UH
Janae: JUH-NAY
Jasmine: JAZZ-MIN
Jayesh: JAH-YESH
Keemeome: KEE-MEE-OH-MAY
Kendi: KEN-DEE
Kichoro: KEE-CHAR-OH
Leilani: LAY-LON-EE
Malki: MAL-KEE
Mari: MAR-EE
Mhina: MEE-NUH
Miele: MY-LEE
Mikaili: MEE-KII-LEE
Neha: NEE-UH
Okanu: OH-CON-OO
Omari: OH-MAR-EE
Oslan: OH-SLON
Panthros: PAN-THROWS
Rina: REE-NA
Rohan: ROW-HON
Sasha: SAH-SHUH
Savannah: SUH-VAN-UH
Seiya: SAY-UH
Tahir: TAH-HEER
Tamzuuri: TOM-ZOO-REE
Tambo: TOM-BOW
Yaro: YAR-OH
Yashvi: YOSH-VEE
Zafia: ZAH-FEE-UH
Zafua: ZAH-FOO-UH
Please Help One More Time
General | Posted 2 years agoSo...this is the last time, folks (I hope) that I'll have to bug you guys for help, but I need an opinion on something. Before I say anything else, this is a mature subject so if you don't want to see those things, it's cool. But, if you could check this post:
Intimate Comparison
...it explains everything. Basically, I need to know if you prefer to write a romantic scene one way, or another way.
Thanks so much you guys!
Intimate Comparison
...it explains everything. Basically, I need to know if you prefer to write a romantic scene one way, or another way.
Thanks so much you guys!
