snugglemint

:(

2016-11-09T18:21:54Z

Welcome to America; Land of the Free*

Freedom is valid only for white, straight, male, cisgendered, Christians.

Surely this is a nightmare we will all wake up from.

I. Do. Not. Understand.

Pippin

2016-07-22T20:27:33Z

Honestly, I never thought I'd find myself with four cats. Two has always seemed to be the magic number that I broke last year when I got my little tortie, Rowan.

Now I have four.

This baby is a unique situation. He wiggled his way in with his baby face, fluffy butt, and sweet disposition. He won me over when I'd hold him and he would just stare up at me, content to watch.

I named him Pippin because he loves adventure and firmly believes in second breakfast. He came to live with me at 3 weeks old. We've taught him how to eat, how to play, how to use the litter box. We've still got some things to learn, he's only 5 weeks old now.

Pippin is a rescue. I don't know how or why, but my sweet little Pip was abandoned in a dumpster. Alone. I don't know if his mother left him there, if a human threw him away, or if he had littermates and where they might be. From being abandoned in the trash, he developed two abcesses on his legs. One on the front and one on the back. Thankfully, his sores have healed, but his legs are still damaged. Where there was infection, there is still swelling. I'm unclear if his legs will ever be normal sized again. It's quite possible that he may have joint damage, but that's something we'll have to monitor as he grows.

As a result, my sweet boy has some issues, not that he'd know it. He still runs, he still hops, but he's very much like a turtle. It's not as simple to just flop on his side and push his way up if he ends up on his back. His arm doesn't have the strength it should. Watching him move, he still fumbles on his bad leg. He's still adapting.

We're starting a great adventure together, Pippin and I. I wouldn't wish his experience on anyone, but I never would have found joy in him without it.

3 weeks old

4 weeks old

5 weeks old

30 minutes ago

Sexual Harrassment

2016-07-05T02:15:53Z

I've, honestly, never been on the receiving end of sexual harassment that I can recall, until today.

I was hanging out at my brother's for the 4th today and on the way home, my husband and I stopped at a small store on the way home to grab ice. He went in and I stayed in the car. A man came out to the car beside me and put his purchases in his car before he turned to me and said through my window, "Your titties are falling out of your shirt."

Now, it should be said that I was at my brother's swimming. I wasn't wearing a shirt, I was wearing a bikini top that covers my stomach. So, yes, I was showing as much breast as I would in a bra. I knew that I wasn't showing any nipple, but when someone says something like that, you automatically adjust. So, I immediately pull my bikini top inward and the guy laughs.

I'm floored. Honestly. Who says things like that to anyone, let alone a complete stranger?

I wish I'd had the presence of mind to tell him how inappropriate his comment was, but by the time I thought to say something, he'd already gotten in his car and was gone.

Meme

2016-06-26T02:01:47Z

I wasn't tagged in it, but it looked like a cute/fun thing. :)

Begin the next answer with the last letter of the previous answer.

01) Name: Snugglemint
02) Animal: Turtle
03) Girl's name: Elora
04) Color: Azure
05) Movie: Edward Scissorhands
06) Something you wear: Shirt
07) Drink: Tea
08) Food: Apple
09) Item in the bathroom: Eyeshadow
10) Place: Wyoming
11) Reason to be late: ...Gastric distress?

Lots of E's and A's.

Shipping Meme

2016-05-19T00:50:20Z

This was pretty hard to do, actually. I decided to do only one unique pairing for all of them, so it took a lot of serious thought. I could have honestly put Drarry down for most of it. Lol. As you can see, I'm a pretty lenient shipper. I'm firm on Drarry OTP, but I don't mind them sharing from time to time.

Because it's adorable: Percy/Oliver

Because it's hot: Charlie/Draco

Because it's plausible: Seamus/Dean

Because it's implausible: Severus/Remus

Because they're alike: Fred/George ;)

Because they're opposites: Luna/Pansy

Because I like it in canon: ....Arthur/Molly

Because of subtext: Draco/Harry

Because of fanwork: Lily/James

Because it hurts so good: Remus/Sirius

BECAUSE I CAN!: Neville/Blaise

Shattered

2016-01-14T15:40:53Z

Before there was Harry Potter, there was Labyrinth. David Bowie was my first real brush with imagination and magic. When Harry Potter came along, it took that growing flower and turned it into a meadow.

Losing David Bowie earlier this week was heart wrenching.

Waking up today to the news that Alan Rickman has passed is like being gutted.

These two men were a huge part of what made me who I am. Both Labyrinth and Harry Potter were my childhood and I'm grateful every day. I wouldn't be half the person I am without them.

I think we all know that sometimes there's only just one word that covers it.

Always.

Too many interests, not enough time...

2015-12-09T18:05:45Z

I think my problem is having too many interests. And not just interests, but time consuming ones at that. I need more hours in a day, I think. There are too many shows, too many books, too many projects, too many plot ideas, too many games, too many fanfics.... Inevitably, something always gets left behind to be revisited at a later date.

It's made me feel flakey. I can't give my attention to everything and so the things that take up my most time seem to get shunted for things that are far easier. I'm sure you notice the stints where my Drarry rec journal is over-flowing with recs and then it hits a dry spell. Or where I'm talking about wanting to get into writing more and then I drop off livejournal for a few months.

Time management has never been my friend and even working from home hasn't helped. Perhaps it makes it worse.

Today, I aspire to write, but today I must also find time to craft my latest projects for my shop.

Today, I see some amazing summaries for fanfics that I'd like to read, but I also wonder what happens next in Fairytale and X-Files.

Today, I think it'd be nice to play a game, but my jigsaw puzzle has seen no love in the past week.

Today, I'd like to get ahead on chores and clean my house, but it's cold and I'd simply like to cocoon myself in blankets.

Today is filled with possibilities and I'm drowning in my options.

I'm sorry that you so often get pushed into the shadowy corner.

YA Characters

2015-11-14T04:57:11Z

I had noticed before that I would sigh and roll my eyes at female teenage heroines in stories, but now I've hit that age where I go beyond annoyed and go right into flabbergasted and maybe even a bit angry.

Either YA writers have gotten more infuriating in character and bad choice development, or I've just gotten older. It's likely a combination of both. I'm older, but, also, the writers that create these characters that make these choices are grown ass women.

I understand, teenagers tend to be stubborn, foolhardy, and sometimes downright dumb, but come the fuck on, man. Natural selection would have dropped some of these kids long, long ago.

I certainly wouldn't mind a character with some damned common sense and I don't know why writers seem to think teenagers don't have any.

HP_Creatures Fic

2015-11-03T00:08:33Z

SQUEEE! I DIDN'T KNOW I'D GET A BANNER! HOW FREAKING EXCITING?!

Look at the pretty.

The Majesty.

<3!

I wrote Keeping a Secret, which is a small little wisp of a Veela fic. :) I've now written a story for each of the major creature types! Vampire, Werewolf, and Veela! We'll have to see if I can snag a prompt that features something different next year.

Title: Keeping a Secret
Author/Artist: snugglemint
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco
Creature: Veela
Word Count/Art Medium: 5,332
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Summary: Funny how in the absence of his room mate, he begins finding mysterious feathers in unusual places. It might also be funny that he seems to be hoarding them.

Thanks to capitu for suggesting such a fun prompt. It was a delight to make this story for you!

Rec Journal Opinion?

2015-10-29T15:59:35Z

I got back into recommending stories over on my dailydrarry rec blog, but I'm not so sure about this fic that I want to reccommend.

It's a Snape/Draco/Harry and I would, of course, appropriately tag and warn for that, but I'm not sure if it belongs on something that I've marked as specifically Drarry.

Do you guys think it'd be okay to rec or should I skip it?

Recs

2015-10-14T00:37:01Z

I'm getting back into the swing of things, I made a rec on my rec journal today! It's been awhile since I've done so.

Unfortunately, I've spent all my day reading and nothing else. I never seem to balance priorities right.

Mergle.

Wheee

2015-10-12T21:34:49Z

I finished a thing! It's a bit late, but I finished a thing! Now, hopefully, I can get it beta'd before the deadline...

Thinking about looking at the Kink and Squick fest, pretty excited to see the prompts for that!

Prompt Me?

2015-10-04T23:21:24Z

My time has been a bit limited lately with my weekends completely taken over by helping my mom, but that's about to settle down. So, I'd like to try writing more. Writing is something that I enjoy, despite the fact that I can't seem to get up the motivation.

I don't know what it is about my own prompts, but I get excited about them and never finish them. Maybe it's because the only person I disappoint by not finishing it is myself and I'm pretty well used to that from myself.

How depressing. I've always told others to write for themselves and that was the most important thing, but I just seem to do better when I write for others.

Anyway, I do a lot better with taking prompts from other people and I was hoping that you guys could help me with that. I'm finishing up a submission for a fest right now, but after that, I have nothing to write on.

Is anyone interested in prompting me? Usually, I ask for words, but I think I actually do better with plot prompts.

I may not take every prompt, but I'd love to see what others are wanting to see written. (Feel free to prompt any unclaimed fest prompts you may have made.)

I have little squicks; just no unhappy ending and no character death, so any prompts straying from that would be appreciated. Predominately Drarry, but I don't mind writing in past or current relationships that end in Drarry. I'm a huge, huge trope fan, especially creature, so I welcome all of that.

Anyone willing to leave prompts, thank you in advance. <3

Halloween-y Cards

2015-10-02T04:25:28Z

Halloween is my absolute faaaavorite time of year! I'd love to be able to exchange/send some cards out to you guys, so if you'd like one, please leave your information below. (The comments will be screened!)

I've moved, so if you have anything written down for my address, it's wrong. If you'd like my new one to send me things, just ask and I'll send it along to you. :)

<3

I love you all!

2015-10-02T01:10:45Z

Sorry that I seem to tell you that I'm going to be making a better effort to be around more and then seem to fuck off for two months. It's unintentional, I promise. Working from home while being a home-maker has a way of making me a little scattered when I used to be a bit more focused.

Also, Netflix. I'm spending less time in front of the computer these days, so I tend to just do the bare necessities and I've yet to make LJ that prirority. I need to .I miss the talks and the closeness that I used to have with you guys.

I don't know when the last time I posted, but I've moved and I've got my mom moved. She's literally in the house next door. I'm glad, I'm close with both of my parents and my Dad moved to Illinois last year, so all I have in Georgia is my mommy.

Did I ever tell you guys that I got a new baby cat? I totally did. She's a baby Tortie that I named Rowan, but I swear she's going to think her name is "Baby Cat" or "Jerky Baby." She's got SO much personality. It's insane.

Insert the baby overload below, but before I do, I wanted to tell you guys that I'm working a fanfic right now! Exciting! :D It's for HP_Creatures... which was due today.... (Sorry, to the Mods. Don't kill me. :( I'm getting it done! Just a k or two more! :D )

enchanted_jae: Lookit, kitten cat! :D

Cultural Writing/Reading Differences?

2015-09-14T14:36:46Z

So, I had an interesting thing happen to me and it made me wonder about cultural reading. Now, this is probably better appropriated to earlier English writing rather than current as a lot of authors now don't have this style. I'm a huge fan of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I find Douglas Adams' style of writing to be exceptionally unique... except that it's not.

I picked up Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland and was immediately sucked in to this certain way of speaking and how very much it sounded like Hitchhiker's Guide. (Or vice versa.)

The best way that I can describe this writing is scattered, but with structure. It's like when you talk and you throw in a bunch of sidenotes. You have a very clear thing going on with interesting or funny little tidbits thrown in.

I'm utterly and thoroughly delighted by this style, so when I began to write my newest story, I had this at the fore of my mind and it was showing in my writing.

Here's the problem though. At this point in time, I've shown the start of my story to 4 people and I didn't realize a pattern until the third one.

My first two people I showed are Americans. The last two are from the UK.

The first person said that Harry sounded really dumb and the second said he came across as ignorant while later following with the same word, 'dumb.' Admittedly, I was disheartened at this point because I thought it was pretty interesting. However, the third person really enjoyed the style and story and the fourth seemed to follow that she enjoyed it as well.

So, I had to ask myself was I writing poorly or was I writing something that was unfamiliar to a certain group of people? My intent was to try my hand at an older English style and the two English friends that likely grew up with things like this liked it, wheras my American friends did not.

I think it's safe to say that Alice comes off as a bit simple and perhaps Arthur Dent does as well, but they're really not simple characters. It's more that they're not letting themselves get bogged down by the specifics, the hows, the whys. Alice follows a white rabbit and doesn't stop to question what she's doing or why the rabbit is wearing a waistcoat. The author touches on this in his own way by mentioning that she doesn't give mind to these things. And Arthur comes across simple as well in his own way when he wakes up in the morning to a bulldozer outside his house and takes several paragraphs to acknowledge it. However, the author clearly has him acknowledge it in some way by having him register the word "yellow."

It's just this certain style that I can understand how it'd come away as dim, but it's actually very brilliant if you don't let yourself get bogged down by clear cut lines.

So, to cease my rambling, I really wanted to bring this element into my story and it seems like if you're unfamiliar with the inspiration it comes off as simple. Have any of you ever noticed something like this or experienced something like this?

Drarry Rec

2015-07-23T00:23:04Z

Words. I have none to tell you how desperately you need to read this fic if you haven't already. My emotions have gone on a rollercoaster and it was amazing.

Features: Meddling friends, clubbing, Vixen!Draco, lapdancing, touching ending, and more squeals than is socially acceptable on my part.

Read it. Do it now.

I squealed, I hid behind my hands, I melted, and I absolutely fell in love with this story.

Title: Check This Hand 'Cause I'm Marvelous
Author: lq_traintracks
Words: Approx 8k
Summary: Harry's had a crush on Malfoy for months now. But it will take a bar full of his friends, some Firewhisky, wagers made on his behalf, and Malfoy himself to get him to act on it.

Hello, Lovelies...

2015-07-06T18:40:03Z

It's been awhile. Things are still crazy. We're still not moved, but we're close. I spent a whole two weeks helping with renovations of the little place. Painting and tearing up flooring is such a massive bitch.

I've got a craving to write. I just don't have a storyline and it seems that I no longer have active people on my messenger any longer. Anyone willing to be added to my gmail messenger to be a bounce for Drarry talk?

There's a song that I've just been acquainted to and it's just so fucking perfect for a Draco POV story. It's begging me to write it, but I really have no direction for it.

Writing is so nostalgic for me. I don't do it often, but when I do, it's fulfilling and connects me to a world that I'm usually only visiting through voyueristic application.

I miss you guys. Sometimes I feel like my life is trying to divert from this. I hate that time passes so quickly between my stories. There was a time when everyone knew who I was. Perhaps not by my writing, but because I was just always there.

Maybe I'm hoping someone can help bridge me back into the fold. It's been so long, where do I even start now?

Yeeeah!

2015-04-14T11:41:37Z

I found Excedrin (migraine medicine) next to the toilet this morning...

I guess someone had... a pain in the ass.

:D

2015-04-01T15:15:28Z

So... I have a bunch of toys on my desk (because I'm the coolest) and like always, things get knocked over creating general chaos everywhere... Chaos and opportunity.

You're welcome.

Bridal Shower; Almost, but not-quite Drama

2015-03-24T16:19:58Z

I've never had a bridal shower and I've never been invited to one. I don't know how they work or what they entail. So, when I think of someone throwing a Bridal Shower, I think singular. That's my bridal shower. You only get one.

I guess things are different if you have divorced parents? My parents divorced when I was 9. That was quite some time ago and I'm fortunate enough to have parents that are civil with each other. It's easier now that I'm older and they don't have to be on habitual speaking terms, but animosity and hurt feelings really are a thing of the past.

So, when my Aunt Cindy (my step-mom's sister) offered to throw me a bridal shower and asked me for an invite list, I put my Mom's name on the list. Of course, I asked my Mom first if she'd be comfortable since it was going to be a lot of people she didn't know from Debbie's (my step-mom) side of the family. She was cool, so then I was as well.

Well, I just got an e-mail from my Dad and he really did say it in the nicest way possible, but what I read from it was that they would have preferred my Mom been left off that list. He said he'd talked to Cindy about the party and that it sounded like it was going to be "interesting" and that they'd "figured my Mom was having a shower for me, so Debbie's side of the family wanted to have one for me too."

Granted. I can see the sense. If Mom threw me a shower, I wouldn't have invited my Aunt Cindy, just like I didn't invite my Mom's sister. I probably wouldn't have invited Debbie's Mom and I certainly wouldn't have invited Debbie's friends. BUT, I would have invited my step mom. It DOES change things a bit, but it doesn't change the people that matter the most.

So, I responded to my dad, basically saying I thought it was stupid to have two parties in a "kill'em with kindness" way.

"Mom would have held a shower for me, I'm sure, but it wouldn't have been much different than the list I gave Cindy, so I thought it was silly to have two of the same party. That was my call, I didn't think it'd be an issue. I don't really see how it'll be different than you all being at my wedding together.

I'm glad that they wanted to do something special for me and I appreciate it. I guess it just never occurred to me that it should have to be divided. It's a compliment that I think that, really. You may not be on each other's Christmas lists, but I'm proud of how you handle each other and I appreciate it so very much. It means the world to me that you can all come together and be supportive without me worrying about it being an issue."

Wedding Stuff? Maybe? And bachelorette party!

2015-03-23T19:00:17Z

I like to keep my hands busy and while I SHOOOULD be doing that with my little trees and my shop, sometimes you just have to step back from wire and do something else that doesn't have anything to do with work or money or anything remotely stress related.

Recently, I was re-introduced to lucky stars and I have a toooooon of paper that I don't have a use for. (I only picked ones that I don't want to use for my wedding scrapbook.) And I thought... I could use these for the wedding!

I'm not quite sure what I'll do with them yet. I've got several options.

1. Toss a couple in each favor box.

2. Scatter them on the tables. Only con is the venue is outside and I don't want them to scatter if the wind picks up.

2a. I could scatter them around the food table which is inside

3. I can get little glass holders and fill them up with these and put them on the table that way.

Who knows. I'm not putting any stress on it. If I happen to make enough to include them in my wedding, cool. If not... eh...

On a related note... I'm going to be throwing my own bachelorette party! No one had plans to throw me a party yet and I figured... fuck it, I'll throw my own!

I'm really not into barhopping or a night on the town. I'd much rather just let Jesse and his friends go out and do whatever they're going to do and take over the house while they're gone.

I'm throwing myself a Harry Potter Bachelorette Party.

Fuck. Yes.

It's going to be very relaxed. Everyone is coming over to my house, we'll get pizza, make harry potter cocktails (super excited about adult butterbeer) and play games, hang out. That's what I want.

I'm going to do some fun decorations and such, wear my robes and have my wand ready. Any chance to bust out my Slytherin robes. Yessss.

Rec

2015-03-20T18:02:15Z

I got a late birthday story! Eee! I'm so excited about it! And it's so lovely! And you should read it! Now. Right now.

daftfear wrote Falling Stars, Catching Lightning for my birthday! If you liked Inkwell, you're going to love this! It's like the reverse of it with Draco as the Tattoo Artist and Harry as the Tattoo-ee. I really enjoyed reading it, especially having written the reverse myself. It made me really appreciate the differences and how they'd go about things their own way.

It's a gorgeous story and you're definitely missing out if you don't give it a chance!

More Wedding!

2015-02-15T16:07:28Z

I got to go to Michael's yesterday for Valentine's. Jesse expected me to buy ALL THE BEADS for my shop, but I ended up buying some wedding stuff. We've budgeted everything, so it was a chance for me to snag stuff off the budget. >)

I got heart stickers on clearance as well as a couple of others that I liked, a beatles cup for one of his gifts to his best man, and biggest of all, I got a gigantic scrap book to put all my guestbook cards in. :) I hadn't anticipated getting one yet, but this one was on sale for 20% off and we had a 15% off everything coupon. Sooo...

More Wedding Stuff!

2015-02-13T18:57:31Z

So, I had mentioned that I had two Maids of Honor and that one of them couldn't make it. With them, one is out of state and the other I only see probably every 6 months. So, asking them online was about as good as it was going to get.

However, I've decided to ask my Sister-in-Law to be my Maid of Honor and since I see her once every week or more, it just doesn't seem right to send her a facebook message asking her to be my maid of honor.

I was a bit as a loss of how to do it though. Until I remembered that I had this little baby lying around still fully packaged...

So, I did a little messing around with google, print screen, and MS Paint to get this...

Voila! Will you be my maid of honor that's personal, but super fucking easy.

I put it all back in bubble wrap and I'm going to give it to her next time I see her. Of course, I'll be hoping that she'll take it out to look at it, otherwise I may have to be all:

"Er... hey... that glass... it's different from regular glass. All... delicate and shit. You should maybe... I don't know, examine it? Right now."