4 posts tagged “pink”
As I mentioned in my last post, the last major expense I made was a new sister for Elspeth, my Latidoll. After a long wait (a little over two months), Lati finally sent me the last item I needed to complete my new doll. Honey Tree is a Lati (Yellow line) White Skin Vampire Mystic Miel.
Honey Tree's doll model type is extremely rare and I am very, very lucky to have her. I originally saw the Vampire Mystic Miel in a few of my friends' photostreams on Flickr and I fell in love. Her pale skin and pink blushing on her cheeks, chin, and ears makes her my absolute dream doll. When I first saw her, the bright pink eyeliner made my jaw drop. Squee! ^o^
I was lucky enough to contact the right person when trying to find the doll and have her put me in touch with one of her friends who was interested in selling the doll head. After a lot messaging, we settled on a price. (Honey Tree, by far, is the most expensive doll I own. It looks like her price will only be increasing from here because of her rarity. Shawn paid for most of her as an engagement present back when he proposed to me. ^__^) It was then up to me to find a Lati renewal body (white skin) to complete Honey Tree. I tried to find someone willing to part with an extra renewal body she might have laying around, but I had no luck. As a last resort, I ordered directly from Lati-- I paid a lot of money, but knowing that my doll was going to be complete gave me that extra push to go through with it!
Then, just last week, the package arrived and I was able to complete Honey Tree. Previous to her completion, I had a few months to think up the perfect name for her. At first, I wanted to go with something dramatic to emphasize her vampire-ness. Then I realized that I wanted to make her my own. So many other people had named their Lati vampires after pop culture and historical icons-- I wanted to do something different. Instead, I chose to highlight my doll's sweet and innocent characteristics. After all, how many vampires are known for their deliciously sweet nature?
Honey Tree was named after a group called The Honey Trees; they create haunting and beautifully sweet music and lyrics. Honey Tree herself is sweet to the core and would never hurt a fly. Unlike popular belief in vampire mythology, she only eats and drinks candied foods, made of sweet nectars and sugars.
Note: No, I am not a Twilight fan.
I've been spending a lot of my free time playing "virtual" games lately. The latest one I'm hooked on right now is a combination of plush and virtuality: Littlest Pet Shop (LPS) Virtual Interactive Pets.
Shawn and I have been up to our necks with stress over buying new furniture and necessities for our new apartment, and while on our search for that stuff, I came across some incredibly adorable plushies with big eyes and pretty fabrics. I think the reason I was attracted so much to them was because of their big eyes and sweet faces. (Shawn said I have a thing for toys that are top heavy, haha.)
I first came across the LPS bunny when Shawn and I were at Kohl's a few weeks ago. I saw that there were more animals available so I started searching for them at the stores we went to. I immediately fell in love with the panda, and after noticing how rare it was in my area (I had only seen one in all the stores we visited), I snatched her up when I realized I couldn't live without her. Normally, I go for the pink plushies, but there's something about her dark oriental print that really draws me to her. I've named my panda Moshi Moshi (which can mean "hello" in Japanese in certain contexts).
Plushies aside, I found that I could delve even more into Moshi Moshi's world by visiting littlestpetshop.com to interact with her virtual character. I just plugged her special access code in the LPS: VIP system and Moshi Moshi's life started coming together.
Even though the games and plushie sales in general are geared more towards younger, teenage girls, I'm actually not that great at all of the activities, haha! In fact, Shawn had to help me out for a while until I got the hang of it. As I play more games, I gain more points to spend in the stores for clothes, furniture and plants for my garden.
There are some features I haven't accessed all of the features yet. There's an option where I can "meet" other people on LPS, but I'm thinking that I'll rawk out Moshi Moshi and her friend, Chiisai (a pink mouse) and their houses first so I won't look too silly in the LPS virtual world. ^__~
Chiisai (which means "small" in Japanese) is the newest addition to my LPS family. I looked up all of the plushies online, and I thought the mouse was very similar to Yukimo's build (tee hee). Of course, I couldn't resist.
This last Sunday, Shawn and I made it our mission to hunt down and find the mouse. I really didn't feel like ordering her online when I knew that at least one could be found in stores just a few miles away from me. >__> I think I have a kawaii sickness or something.
Anyway, we ended up finding Chiisai at the very first store (a Toys 'R Us) we went to, and there happened to be only one mouse on display. Just like Moshi Moshi, Chiisai was one of a kind for me.
I'm still working on building her wardrobe and room in my house.
Besides playing my newfound LPS love, I've been working on a new Maple Story character. Kathleen decided that she wanted to try playing on a new server, so our friend and I decided to try it out with her.
Now, I'm not a huge Harry Potter book fan (the writing style seems too simplistic and I get bored easily), but I do enjoy watching the movies. So when Kathleen said that she wanted to create a guild dedicated to Harry Potter characters, I was in. I would take a bullet for Luna Lovegood and Kathleen was nice enough to let me take that character while she took Nymphadora Tonks, and our friend taking Professor Moody. We had to think up names that sounded similar to the book characters, yet were original enough to enter into the MS system. As it turned out, Luna Lovegood became LunieLove; Nymphadora Tonks became NymphyTonks; and Professor Moody became MadMoodDood.
I don't think I'm as attached to LunieLove as my other MS characters (Minkka and Roonies), but it's been fun starting working on a character of such a low level. ^__^
I've also gotten into the routine of playing Animal Crossing after I finish my work shift every day. There's something extremely relaxing about sitting down and playing in a world that contains absolutely no worries. I can get money for my house's furniture just by collecting fruit around the village, and I can pay my mortgage at any pace I want. In fact, I don't even need to pay off my house if I don't want to! Living a simple virtual life is so much more enjoyable sometimes.
This introduction is way overdue, but alas, it's here. ^__^ I would like to introduce the newest addition to my dolly family: Lullo.
On December 23rd, I went back to my parents' house after worrying about my last project of the semester. Mum asked me what I wanted for my birthday in a few days, and it was after she asked me for the third time that I realized that I truly didn't know what I wanted. It was the first time in years. I hate saying, "Oh, just money will be fine..." Birthdays are about surprises and real, tangible presents, and I like the thought that people put thought behind things like birthday presents. At least, that's what I think birthdays should be about!
That night, I started making my usual rounds online, and then decided to make my way over to some BJD sites to see if there were any good "prospects". Sure enough, Dollmore had some new dolls up, and one in particular caught my eye. She was so beautiful, so unique. From that minute on, I was a goner.
The next morning, I asked Mum if the doll I showed her the previous night could be my birthday present. She was happy that I finally decided on something and said that would be no problem. I ordered her right then and there, and I decided that I would put Mum's present money and the money I would get the next day from Grandma (for the holidays) towards my new doll and her extensive wardrobe (not to mention the huge shipping costs).
I knew that my new dolly wouldn't arrive for a few days or weeks since BJD companies have to do each, individual faceup for every doll order (if requested by the customer in the ordering process), not to mention having to get together all of the items before shipping. Surprisingly enough, I only had to wait fifteen days for my package to arrive-- I was shocked! Some people have to wait months to receive their orders.
During the waiting period, I had to somehow get my dolly fix. (Seriously, I get this craving for extra cuteness when I know I have a new doll on the way.) I spent almost every free hour during my day online, usually browsing the Den of Angels forum, or trying to find new outfits to buy so I could get new ideas about what kind of wardrobe my girl would have by the time she arrived.
Then, on January 6th, I had my real fix: she arrived! Beth and I made a special trip back to my parents' house so I could pick up the big package. Dollmore always keeps their word, because my doll not only came in a beautiful box with silk pillows as protective wrap, but I was given extra holiday surprises from the company. They also sent me a free Alice in Wonderland outfit (dress, stockings, bloomers, crown, apron), an extra set of eyes, and a Dollmore pen.
It took me a second to let my new doll's appearance sink in. Her look online had been so inspirational to me; it was more Asian-looking than any other doll of mine that I owned appeared. Where some BJD lovers found her eyes not as "appealing," I found it to be incredibly special and more authentic, as far as natural features go.
I had requested very specific faceup (makeup) tones, and with only artificial lighting to go by, it was difficult to tell if my requests were actually looked into. Once I put her new clothes on and fixed her wig, I was in love. Everything about her was just right, and I knew the name I had picked for her-- Lullo-- would be more than perfect for her.
One thing about the world of BJDs is that there's a very "Comic-Con" (for lack of better words) following. Dolls are not just dolls with personalities. There are stories and backgrounds and real-life scenarios that take place within the time spent with their owners. Every single detail about their personalities and lives is thought out, and everything has meaning. I always try to create this persona for my Blythes, but I'm rarely ever successful in doing so (with the exception of Plum, of course).
Lullo made things very easy. From the second I saw her online, I knew her story. I wrote it out for a contest that Dollmore hosts every month. The idea behind the contest is to write a small story for a photo that the owner of the doll takes. Because Dollmore is an Asian-based company, I had to make sure that I put things clearly and simply so it could be easily understood for anyone that doesn't read English very well. If anything, I think the way it's worded makes Lullo's story seem even more real. It's like a children's story. ^^
Lullo is a mischievous and happy girl who has just been given one of the greatest honors of her people. Like every person, Lullo has been given a special job that she must carry out in her world. Her title is "Keeper of Lullabies". This means that Lullo is responsible for helping those around her find their inner lullabies so that they can find peace and happiness within their lives.
Lullo is very young and is still only learning all of what she must do for other people, but she takes great pride in her work.
I'll be expanding on Lullo's background over time, but I think that will do for now. I think her story will grow as time goes on and as Lullo gains different looks and outfits. Her pink piggy outfit inspired the story as it stands right now.
I'm a very happy girl right now. Lullo, Lullo, Lullo...
With the raffle going on, my work responsibilities changing, and a lot of personal things going on in my life in the past few weeks, I've had very few chances to keep up with Vox-- ironically enough. There's so much I want to just spit out into one entry, but there's a lot that's been happening that I feel I need to figure out myself right now, so I'll let some of that be. In the meantime, I've been trying to keep busy (like I need more to focus on!) with little side projects. Sidetracking is what I do best; it's one of my many hidden talents, heh.
I've been getting stressed over classes starting up in about two weeks. At this point in my life, I feel and I know that school is obsolete for me at this point. I'm going into my fifth year as a college student, and it's difficult facing the reality of an entirely new year when I know that I've already absorbed four years of information-- some helpful, some pointless. I started to get antsy last year with taking classes I found out I never even needed to take, so I'm hoping that being enrolled in classes that are mandatory for my English major (meaning, they'll apply to what interests me) will somehow give me the drive to push through all the stress and overcome... college altogether.
Shawn and I are in the same boat when it comes to how we feel. At this time, we both have good jobs that we're pretty happy with, and we know what we want to do with our lives. We keep telling ourselves and each other than one more year is nothing-- we can get through another year of classes. (I suppose another hidden quality in me is being revealed: impatience. Actually, I'll put a positive spin on this one and say that I'm eager to get out and do my own thing.)
Speaking of Shawn, he was recently offered a full-time position as a Computer Programmer for Kohl's for after he graduates. Until then, upper management offered to let him keep working there under an internship-type deal. Adult life is looking up for the both of us more and more every day. I seriously can't believe that just one year ago, we were so far from where we stand now-- without steady jobs, without an income, without that needed confidence to just move on through all the crap.
That's why side projects make the stress easier. I get a chance to focus on things that are important to me, yet don't require immediate attention. At the moment, I'm working on something for my friends at Vox and for anyone else that decides to join in. It's nothing official for Six Apart; it's just a Lauren fun thing, but I think it'll prove to be very helpful for all Voxers. I'm excited to work on it more. I've already gotten started on it, but I still need to tweak out some ideas.
Another little project I've started on has to do with one of my hobbies: Tamagotchis. I've been a fan of virtual pets ever since I was in sixth grade, and I've slowly adopted more cute pets into my digital family. Just the other day, I ordered two new Tamagotchis, versions 4.0 and 4.5. Bandai is getting more creative with every release, because the ones I'll be getting in the mail any day now will be even more interactive. Knowing this pushed me to get more active in the Tamagotchi community online, which of course means I joined and re-joined a couple of forums. ^__^ The project I started is another blog that is dedicated to keeping track of my Tama's growth. I needed something to take my mind off of things this weekend, so I decided to mess around with designing a layout for my Tama blog. Here's how it looks so far:
I worked a good chunk of my afternoon getting the coding to work. I forgot how challenging learning a new blogsite can be. I don't plan on posting a lot about my life there, but it'll be nice giving small updates about my Tamagotchi.
Along with working on some blog projects, I've been sprucing up some of the Vox groups I host. I've been going through them and making sure that everything is working well. If anyone has any concerns, comments or suggestions for any of the groups they know I host, never hesitate to let me know.
The Kawaii Anniversary Raffle Event has almost reached its final stage. I still haven't mailed out the packages, but I plan on doing so tomorrow. Life kind of got in the way this past week with work scheduling between Shawn and me. Mainly, Shawn had to work around his own schedule so he could finish the <3 Vox bracelets according to the wrist sizes that all the winners provided me. He was finally able to finish all of them last night. (Whew!) I'll try to rush to the post tomorrow so everyone can receive their packages this week.
I've found that the best way to deal with stress is to reward myself every so often. A little present reminds me that, yes, there's still something to look forward to. I can work, but I can have fun at the same time. I bought Plum and Lamb a few new pieces of clothing, which has been tons of fun. I've been able to relax and know that my dolly family is comfy and fashionable all at the same time, tee hee.
My second treat to myself was a Nintendo DS Lite case. Shawn and I went to Toys 'R Us the other day, and I found the very last hot pink Princess Peach DS case there. The case is so, so cool-- seriously. There are so many little compartments that help me organize my DS life!
The case is wonderfully heavy, full of quality and fun places to put my games, stylus, DS Lite, and a card where I can put my Wi-Fi game codes. The best part is how perfectly all of my DS accessories and console match. I am the biggest fan of pink and Princess Peach, so having all these pink digital goodies makes me incredibly happy. I've been playing with the case alone for days. If a case can be this entertaining, why even bother having a DS Lite console? *grin*
And I think I'll save everything else I have on my mind for another future post. For now, it's time to sit back and relax. I hope everyone else can do the same. <3
