Zenity's Livejournal

zenity @ 2015-01-23T07:52:00

2015-01-23T12:53:00Z

So I felt like writing a thing!

January has been moving by so slowly. 2014 was a breeze, went by so, so quickly! But the second that it struck midnight on Jan 1st I have felt at a stand still.

We're waiting to close on the house that Jade, her mom and mom's husband and I are going to move into. It's a really nice house and Jade and I will have our own rooms AS WELL as a third room!! We want to put all of our collections in there and make it the "art room" so lots of table space and just art supplies galore. a perfect room for focusing on artwork in!! I'm excited. The TV will be going out in the main living room as well, so unless Jade and I watch things on her laptop there won't be much visual distraction in the art room. And our bedrooms will be nice too!! I'm really excited to start moving stuff over there and unpacking. So ready.

But like I said, things are moving slowly. In early February I will be taking a trip to Santiago, Chile to see one of my best friends ever, Kuri!! She came to see me last year and now I'm going to see her! I have never been to the southern hemisphere before. We are gonna draw all the things and do so much. I'm trying to learn as much spanish as possible, but I'm told Chilean spanish is so hard for even native non- chilean spanish speakers to understand so... I'll probably need Kuri to translate for me 99% of what is being said haha. She said a lot of the people she knows know basic english though!! It will be very interesting for me! When I went to Japan with Jade we were in a group of other foreigners as well, so all of us spoke English by default in our group. But in Chile I imagine everyone will speak spanish among each other because??? That's probably what they always speak to each other lol!! I'M SURE people will interact with me of course and say things in english to me, so that will be nice. I really doubt I will be able to even say baby phrases in Spanish. Even though I feel like I've learned so many words I know so very little. I couldn't say much at all if you asked me. Plus, reading and speaking are totally different and I will sound very foolish ahahaha... a little nervous about that. Also in Chile they greet with a "kiss" on the cheek (touching cheeks!) This is something I, as an american, am not used to! But I welcome it, I'm excited to see how that goes hahah! I'm sure it will catch me off guard even though I'm aware of it.

I am also incredibly excited for Chile because it will be summer there!!!! How I miss summer... This winter hasn't actually been that bad, but I still felt the S.A.D. effects that I normally do. Just not as drastic as last year (hello polar vortex.) When Kuri picks me up from the airport we will be going straight to the beach!!! omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;___; sun and sand yay.........

In other news, while I got approved at work for my vacation time off for Chile, I wasn't approved to take time off in March to see Alex. Which completely devastated me at first. But Alex and I briefly talked about having him come to Kentucky to see us instead, even though we're working... it would be so nice to come home to Alex every night!!! It would be so nice to see him!!! so soon!!!! The tickets are pretty cheap right now too, so I think it would be worth it. Plus, I wouldn't be losing any pay for not working because.. I'd be working!! and seeing Alex after work! Sounds like the plane ticket could pay for itself lol. ... Sort of. Whatever! I'm about to call him on Skype and talk to him some more about it. :) I really hope this pans out!! I'm excited for his spring break all over again.

So yeah that's been my life as of recent!! We will probably start moving into the new house soon after this weekend. I hope so!

zenity @ 2015-01-05T05:38:00

2015-01-05T10:38:23Z

1. What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?
Worked at a movie theater
Got a really killer haircut

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't remember if I had any resolutions last year, and I barely have any this year. If anything I'd like to time-manage better and use my free time towards productive (artistic) things.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No

5. What countries did you visit?
I didn't leave the country in 2014 :'(

6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?
Good artistic output??

7. What dates from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Feb 19th, June 26th, 30th, July 1st, July 10th. lol it was a good summer

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting a Job, Getting an even better job, Getting a boyfriend???? Entering into a really healthy relationship

9. What was your biggest failure?
Didn't do as much art as I should have

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I was sick for a couple days in September I think? had to call off of work :( No injuries though! unlike 2013 lol

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Pokemon Little Tales stuff
This really cute sweater thing that is my favorite work outfit now
White ink pens

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
mine I GUESS???? I don't know I had my moments but I was in a much better place in 2014 than in 2013!

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
This guy Jade dated lol but not depressed, just like "wowwww what an asshole oh my god"

14. Where did most of your money go?
... Rent I think??? yeah rent

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
KURI CAME TO VISIT ME ;___; IT WAS SO GREAT
Also having a SUMMER FLING that turned into a very committed long-distance relationship LOL. It was very exciting!!

16. What song will always remind you of 2014?
Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work (RAC Remix)
A lot of Tom Milsom songs lol
Donai yanen Yadon!!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
Happier!

b) thinner or fatter?
I think I'm about the same maybe? Maybe slightly fatter at the thighs

c) richer or poorer?
richer, I have a nice paying job now and this time last year I was job-less

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
ARTWORK.....

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Wasting time I guess?? It's okay though

20. How did you spend Christmas?
I ate with Jade's family at a chinese restaurant lol

21. What was your favourite month of 2014?
Feb and Late June/Early July!!!

22. Did you fall in love in 2014?
YES......................

23. How many one-night stands?
None!

24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Gravity Falls, it had new episodes this year so I guess that counts!!

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Jade's ex that I mentioned above lol. Hate is a strong word but eh yeah I don't like him. Though to be fair I didn't even know him last year...

26. What was the best book you read?
I haven't finished the book I started oops... Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Made in Heights
I also re-discovered Lullatone and it has affected my life greatly, wow
Fun.'s album "Aim and Ignite"
Tom Milsom? No maybe I discovered him in 2013...

28. What did you want and get?
a boyfriend???? and a job where Jade works lol!

29. What did you want and not get?
Traveling I guess?

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
How to Train Your Dragon 2

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25. I think I worked that day, got a free venti Pumpkin Spice Frappe for my birthday, ran into an old theater co-worker who is cool and I probably talked with Alex after work!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I dunno!! It was a pretty good year. Maybe more time spent with far-away friends ;_; <3

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
My fashion is so ON POINT since I started working in an office hahah

34. What kept you sane?
my friends I suppose!!! Having an income after not having a job for a few months was really relieving. Also warm weather kept me happy!!

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None I don't think...

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Police brutality, feminist issues

37. Who did you miss?
Kuri and Alex!! And my friends I met in Japan, ALL OF YOU!!!! ;_;

38. Who was the best new person you met?
ALEX............................

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
I learned that even though I am not conventionally attractive that I am still attractive in my own way?????? Somehow I had not realized that before until I met Alex.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Let's get this started, girl

life update!

2014-09-17T10:00:13Z

SO It's been a very long time!!! like almost half a year since my last journal update. daaamn. A lot has happened!

For about 3 weeks in June/early July Jade's friend Alex came to visit. They met online years ago through some friends and were friends ever since, and having him come visit (their first time meeting!) was super fun. He's a really great person and so fun to hang out with! I liked him right from the start, and I started liking him enough to have a crush on him... So I took the first step and just straight up told him that I liked him, not knowing if he was interested what-so-ever. It was a bold move, but it ended up working out splendidly! Because Alex is now my boyfriend!!!!!

I have a boyfriend now! Before he flew back to Utah we were really torn on whether or not we should try the whole long-distance relationship thing. Both of us had previously had negative experiences with LDRs before, but we hit it off so well that we decided to give it a go! And let me tell you, it's been wonderful. Of course we miss each other like crazy, but I love this guy more and more every day. It's been a little over 2 months now, but it feels like it's been forever. Maybe 2 months isn't enough time to fall in love, but uh, I guess I'd have to disagree with that haha. We were both very deliberate with our feelings and made absolutely sure of what we felt before voicing our feelings for one another. It feels like we've really been taking things slow!

I just feel really, really happy and we're so good with one another! I'm really happy!!!!! Alex and I won't get to see each other until March, at the earliest. I'm not sure how that will work out, because I have to ask for the time off at my new job!

I don't work at the movie theater anymore because I got a position at DHL, where Jade works!! And GET THIS: I even work in Jade's department, at the same time and NEXT TO HER DESK! Jade and I carpool together everyday! It works out really well :) This job pays way, way more than my theater job ever did and it's ten times easier. It can be a little complicated trying to get used to all the rules and stuff, but once you know all the rules it's just looking at a computer screen and clicking things while listening to music and sitting in front of a toasty space heater. Super easy, and it pays well!!! I'm really glad to have money again and I'm saving up!

I've just generally been much, much happier lately. I guess having an awesome boyfriend and an awesome job can really do wonders for your disposition! I think the only thing that I've been disappointed about is my own artistic growth. It's my own fault for not trying hard enough. Sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes to even be a part of the industry. It's my dream, but dreaming isn't enough. I'm never gonna get there if I don't work at it.

Anyway that's all I can think about to write! Seriously I post all my life happenings on twitter, much better place for daily updates. I have moved on from LJ so much lol, even though I don't really want to...? No one posts anymore including myself, twitter is where everyone is at! But I like twitter a lot more than LJ so YEAHHH.

Kuri's Visit!!

2014-02-28T05:21:14Z

One of my best friends ever, Kurisquare, came to the States on Feb 19th and stayed until today, the 27th!

I thought for sure when we picked her up at the airport that I would be crying like a baby, but I didn't!! I was shaking from excitement though, haha! Kuri says where we live (Florence KY) is very wide open, which makes sense because she lives in Chile's capitol city, Santiago! We went to the store the first day she was here and she got all kinds of strange american foods, even stuff I had never heard of before. Hanky Panky??? It's apparently this popcorn covered in caramel, peanuts and chocolate? what. And also everything is filled with cheese, I guess Americans do love their cheese and bacon... :'D

on Thursday we went to the mall and Kuri got to see Hot Topic... we went into the store in jest but Kuri ended up buying some things, OOPS XD We also saw this:

It's some kind of wallet/phone case and it was just "lol so random" humor at first... until I realized the connection

french bulldog and french fries.

This "Dog & Fries" thing became a huge joke over the rest of Kuri's visit, gosh not to mention countless other jokes that we kept referencing!

Friday Kuri and I went to see the Lego Movie! It was pretty good, very cute and a great message :) The animation was wonderful! We spent the rest of that day drawing and stuff, I think? We watched the They Might Be Giants documentary and it sparked an idea for a blog we could start together. I'm really excited about it!! We also sang lots of TMBG together which is like a dream come true because honestly Kuri is as big a fan of TMBG as I am, if not more!!! maybe more!!! which is saying a lot.

Saturday was great! Kuri, Jade and I went to Ikea and played around in the room setups :) Those are fun! There were SO MANY PEOPLE..... and I also bought some new shelves!!!!! WOW AWESOME I've really needed shelving on some of my walls, so bare! I haven't put them up yet though since we were too busy having fun!!!! After Ikea we went to Boston Market, which is pretty good!! Jade loves it and it was a good way to introduce Mac & Cheese to Kuri, lol.

Sunday was AQUARIUM DAY!!! I had never been to the Newport Aquarium. It was really neat!! Very crowded though. Kuri and I brought sketchbooks and drew lots of aquatic life!! The Jellyfish were so fun to draw. I drew this one fish I was pretty proud of, I didn't write down the species' name though :( Also while we were drawing, lots of kids were super impressed with us haha! We even had one guy come up to us and ask for a business card, saying he needed sketches done of livestock animals. (??? I didn't have a card or anything so I declined, but it was funny!) At the Newport Aquarium they have a SHARK PETTING TANK which is so fucking cool, we all got to pet sharks!! They were so cute and soft, gosh I loved doing that. I would love to go back sometime soon!! The shark petting was my favorite part. Jade ended up buying Kuri a giant shark plush, which she named Arby!

Monday was the day I think we looked for a specific comic art supply store, which turned out to be someone's garage behind their house!! Lol! It seemed shady at first but honestly once we went in it was just a humble little store and the guy was really nice! Lots of awesome comic paper, Kuri loved that! I ended up getting some red pencil lead and a white ink pen, which unfortunately is kind of useless. Kuri got a huge stack of pre-cut ATC cards and Jade got some soft lead! Monday was also the day that we stayed up incredibly late talking about our characters. I learned so much about Kuri's characters and I love them all, gosh I am just so happy that I got to hear so much about their stories and stuff!!!!! I told her a bunch about my characters too but honestly mine need more development! We stayed up so late because we had to pick up Christian at the airport. Ahhh, seriously, hearing all the things about Kuri's comic ideas got me so happy and excited and I just can't!! handle it!!!!!

Tuesday we had plans to hang out with Christian so he and Kuri could properly meet, but he had car trouble and couldn't come. SOOO Kuri and I ended up drawing more and recorded ourselves on her camera!! We sang a song together which I don't think we'll show to anyone... ever......... and we also said some poetry on camera!! Which sounds very odd right now but once our blog is up and running it will make more sense. :) Kuri also drew the two of us as John Flansburgh and John Linnell, copying poses from official tmbg pictures but putting us in their place... I just love when Kuri draws these!!! so much!!! they are literally my favorite thing ever. That night we also went to IHop, which Kuri really wanted to do!! She loves pancakes and apparently they don't make american pancakes in Chile!

Wednesday was basically more of Tuesday, except we went out to the post office so Kuri could mail things cheaply to her friends while she was here :) Then we went to the store so Kuri could buy food to bring home to her friends and family!! It was mostly pop-tarts, haha. We spent the rest of the day doing an art trade on ATC cards! They both came out great :') Kuri packed up all of her stuff, which was sad... She sent some mail to us a while back and she opened it when she got here, and one of the things was a set of Welcome to Night Vale posters!! She said one was for me and the other was for her, but we couldn't decide who got what poster (they are both different designs!) so we flipped a coin last night, and I ended up with the main Night Vale poster and Kuri got the Desert Bluffs one. :) It was so awesome of her to get a poster for me, ahhh....!! I want to hang it up soon!

All in all, I had a terrific time. Kuri and I have been friends for so long and after meeting her it's become that much more clear to me that she really is one of my best friends ever. I mean, I knew that already, but after hanging out in person I just feel like there are people you are meant to be friends with, you know?? Kuri and I are alike in so many ways and we are passionate about lots of the same things. I'm just so glad we met, so glad we just happened to like tmbg and she learned english because honestly I would have never talked to her?? if she hadn't learned english??? Gosh I just have so many more feelings about this friendship than I thought!!! I really think we were meant to be friends somehow. It's so unfortunate that we happen to also be on opposite sides of the planet...

We dropped her off today and we hugged a lot and we were crying ahah oops.... and when we watched her get past security I was crying too and when we got home I was crying off and on all evening. Honestly the sadness was absolutely crushing me. I've dealt with depression and anxiety in recent months, but nothing like just pure sadness. I sought help by venting on twitter and lots of people gave me their support and suggestions, which really helped me. Typing this entry about Kuri's visit really helped me too! Remembering all the fun things we did has cheered me up. I knew I would be really sad to see her go but I guess I didn't anticipate how much it would hurt!! After this whole visit I just knew that Kuri was someone I would love to hang out with on a frequent basis but sadly that cannot be... which crushes me!!! augh.

I'm never on the computer as much anymore, and Kuri isn't as much either I don't think. We used to talk on AIM a couple years ago like everyday, but eventually we moved to emails and tweets because really we were never on at the same time anymore I think?? and ever since I moved here to KY I've barely been on my computer at all, let alone any messengers. Now that I've spent the past 8 days straight talking to Kuri I will probably want to email her and tweet her even more... oops. :')

Anyway I'm not sure how else to end this, so....

BYE????????????????

worst injury of my life!!

2013-09-02T00:43:47Z

This labor day weekend my friend Adam came to Florence to visit, and then the two of us drove to West Virginia where we were to met our friends. We met them at Chris' family's house, which is a property they own and just share between the family. It's a good hunting/shooting/4 wheeling area, so Chris's family go there whenever they want to hunt or something.

When we got there Chris wanted to show everyone the area on 4 wheelers. If only for quick transportation and not a sport, because he said we'd be staying on the pathways through the woods/forest. so 5 of us went 4 wheeling: Chris and his gf Christina on one, Andrea and I on another and Andrea's husband Mark on the last one.

we road all through the woods and it was really nice, bumpy at times but pretty fun! we saw a really neat waterfall with lots of eroded rock, it was awesome.

But when we turned back to go back to the house, there was a curve where andrea got too close to the edge and the dirt gave way... The 4 wheeler flipped over and we were flung off, down a slope. The 4 wheeler flipped on its side, into a tree. Thankfully it was caught, because it would have easily rolled right over us and who knows where I'd be. But in the process of being flung from the quad, my hand struck something. My right hand. I thought maybe the 4 wheeler may have landed on top of it? it happened so quickly im not sure what happened. but suddenly I'm sliding down in the dirt grabbing a tree to get my footing and i see andrea hit the ground and roll, and she stops and starts whaling in pain. i rush over to her (trying not to fall further down the slope) in a panic, asking where it hurts and she says her back. Mark was behind us and saw us fall, so at this point he's coming down the slope to see andrea and that was when i realised how much pain my hand was in.

instantly there was a huge, oval shaped lump on the back of my hand. instantly swollen, a lot of pain. Chris makes his way down too, and says we need to move andrea over in case the tree supporting the 4 wheeler gives way. Mark attempts to move Andrea, while chris takes my (left) hand and guided me up onto the road. chris and christina were asking me if i was hurt anywhere else, and i wasnt except for my hand, which was hideously swollen. like i had no idea it could even swell up so much. Chris told Christina to wait with Mark and Andrea while he took me back and got help from his uncle to pull them and the 4 wheeler out. their phones had no reception, so Chris had to drive me back.

Even just the short walk from the slope to Chris's 4 wheeler left me completely winded. i legit thought i was about to faint. i have never fainted before, so i really dont know what it's like, but i was out of air, nearly fainted and about to vomit all at the same time. luckily, once we were riding back the wind cooled me down and gave me some fresh air and a moment to compose myself.

Chris got me back and Adam got a towel full of ice for my hand while Chris got our friend John to help get his uncle and help andrea. Adam and i sat waiting for everyone in the house and all i could do was cry and think about how much my hand fucking hurt.

Back on the slope when i saw my hand i was already psyching myself out. This is my right hand. i am right handed. i was suddenly so scared that i'd broken my hand and that id never be able to draw again and my life would mean nothing anymore without my art and i could do nothing but assume the worst for my hand and cry. Why couldnt it have been my left hand?? or my foot?? why did it have to be my dominant hand?

They got back with andrea, she seemed able to walk, but very slowly. Adam and I decided that we would not stay for the weekend because i had a feeling this was bad enough to need a doctor for. so after only being in West Virginia for like 2 hours, we had to go. Chris felt really awful for wanting to take everyone 4 wheeling. so before i left i hugged him and i told him a thought i had minutes before andrea ans i wrecked. I thought to myself while riding along, "i wouldn't be 4 wheeling out here if Chris wasn't here. If there was one person i could count on to save my life it would be Chris." i think it helped him that i told him that, and i mean it. He's that kind of person, he would always put anyone in need before himself. He's a really great friend. It's weird that i actually thought about this minutes before we wrecked.

So adam drove me back to Florence, where we got home and had Jade and Velvet look at my hand. Velvet kept saying how bad it was and i was like "i know please stop saying how bad it is" and i was shaking head to foot with nerves because i just want my drawing hand to be okay. it's so important that i draw, i want to make a living with this hand and i was just terrified. So Adam, Jade and I went to the ER and they took xrays. the doctor said surprisingly, no bones in my hand were broken. he said the xray film isnt precise enough to see if there are fractures or not, but he figured it swelled up so fast because the impact had burst a vein in the back of my hand and it pooled and swelled. they wrapped my arm in a splint, so my forearm is wrapped like a cast.. but not actually a cast. just tight ace bandages.

Jade and Adam are helping me with day to day tasks. Today we wrapped my arm in a garbage bag so i could shower. Doing things with one hand is really hard, especially typing.

Tuesday i will be calling a specialist to see if my bones are fractured or not. until then, im wearing this splint for the weekend. im really worried about work on tuesday. i guess i forgot to mention this here (oops) but for the past week ive been temping at UPS doing data entry. it's just parttime, and it pays decent so i like it. I dont think my hand will be healed by then... and even if i do go in, i'll have to do all the entry left-handed. ehhh. and tuesday is our big day because the dayton branch of ups is merging with our branch and my co-workers said it would be chaotic. i would feel bad if i didnt at least try to help with the process. :(

Anyway both my arms/hands are killing me, one from injury and the other from typing so much. if anyone would like to see pictures of my gross hand, i would check my twitter or jade's twitter. there were a few pics tweeted there.

Tonight i will attempt to paint with my left hand. because i'll be damned if i wont be productive every day.

zenity @ 2013-08-13T20:22:00

2013-08-14T00:22:21Z

Thank you to those who commented on (or read) my journal last night. I was having a rough night.

Today I went in again and basically filed stuff for 30 minutes and then sat and watched Monty work again for a few hours. I actually got to try some of the stuff though, but mostly it was just Monty telling me "click this, open this, look for this" in like 5 different programs so it was pretty confusing. He made the phone calls though.

Bruce pulled me aside and told me the only Data Entry position he could find was a 5am position. I told him I would think about it, and he said he'd keep looking for me in the meantime. Eventually I approached him and respectfully declined the 5AM shift offer. I would not be able to do that.......... So then Bruce was like "Well, how about we just end your day now, then?" and I agreed and told him I'd rather not waste the company's time or money. So he walked me out and we both said we'd give a call to my temp agency. I left them a message stating very clearly that I did not take this job because it was customer contact (phones) and that I was not comfortable with it, that I initially took a test for Data Entry and I was under the impression that they'd find a Data Entry job for me. ...I don't think I sounded that snarky in my voicemail, lol. But they'll probably call me in the morning. Hopefully they can place me somewhere else. It would have been nice to work where Jade does, though. Oh well...

Anyway, I just made a new portfolio website for myself! It doesn't have anything on it yet so I won't link it, but if anyone out there is looking for a professional, easy portfolio host: Check out CarbonMade!! It's really easy and looks really nice! Even plush artists or sculptors, check it out!

I think "I really need to draw every day" but I actually need to just start... doing that.

zenity @ 2013-07-01T02:27:00

2013-07-01T06:27:22Z

Jade's birthday party/summerween party was awesome! If anyone here on my flist likes Gravity Falls, then you'll know what I'm talking about! Everyone who came dressed up, it was amazing! We had terrible candy and jack-o-melons, ahhh. :) We'll probably be uploading the pictures tomorrow somewhere, maybe on LJ even woahh! I still need Gravity Falls icons, what is wrong with me

Now marks the Japan trip count down! I kinda knew this would happen, I was totally not even letting it phase me, not even when it was 2 weeks away... but now that it's about to be just 9 days away???? uhm holy shit. It's sinking in now. I feel like I'm not prepared at all but honestly there's probably not much we need to prepare for??? It's 10 days lol. I am crazy excited, it's only just now sinking in but wow we will be going to Japan and we will see the Japanese stuff

Jade and I have been sick for the past week, and wow I'm tired of it. X( I was feeling so fine on Thursday I think? Like I was sick before but then totally better by thursday. But then I resumed my shitty sick feeling or something. eughh. Our new local friend Christian should be coming over to visit tomorrow too, so idk how that's gonna go down. I do want to hang out, but damn I feel like shit lately.

I am making a plush for Jade's birthday present. Hopefully it'll turn out good!!! I have high hopes for it.

blarrrrgh!

zenity @ 2013-06-01T05:18:00

2013-06-01T09:18:30Z

I think Zoe burned her feet today...

it happened while I was napping on Jade's bed, but I heard a noise and I looked up and Zoe was there with a huge poofy tail, like she was scared. there were cardboard pieces from our collection projects on the floor in a different way than before my nap, but I didn't realize it until I woke up.

When Jade came upstairs, she noticed there was a cup that spilled over. It wasn't full of a lot of water, just a little. But I figured "oh, that's what must have happened, she tipped it over on herself or something"

But then Zoe didn't want to enter Jade's room, and tip toed very timidly into the room if she did. She kept looking up on the desk, at the lizard tank. Then Jade noticed that the lizard lamp wasn't exactly where it was supposed to be. It was pushed over a little bit.

I think Zoe must have jumped up onto the tank and stood on the wire where the lamp was, but realized too late that heat lamps are really fucking hot and the wire covering was super hot. She must have jumped back into the cup and then knocked the cardboard away when jumping down.

She hasn't been limping or anything, but I checked her feet and her front paws have very pink areas. her pawpads are normal pink, but some of her toes look very bright pink. :( And now she keeps looking at the tank and skittering away. At least it'll keep her from going near the lizards again...

sigh, I just feel awful about it. She's my baby, and since she's been here she's been attacked by another cat and then burned. Hopefully no other mishaps will happen to her from now on...

Idk if I should get some aloe cream for her feet? Probably not, I'm sure she would just lick it and it could be unsafe. :( hm.

zenity @ 2013-03-17T16:02:00

2013-03-17T20:02:38Z

This is my most favorite youtube video ever and since it's St Patrick's Day I get to show everyone on all my websites without feeling bad

I can't wait to move btw, have I mentioned that?

zenity @ 2013-03-10T22:14:00

2013-03-11T02:14:55Z

Today my grandma had some of her friends over and she usually does most of the talking wow she talks a lot!!! But lol at one part she started talking about me and my art once I walked by and she started telling them how I'll be moving in May and she said

"She works so hard at her full time job, comes home and continues to work on her art until 1am sometimes, gets up and does it all over again! It's about time she did something fun in her life."

And wow like I... I think about this sometimes, sometimes I feel utterly useless because I get so little work done. Sometimes I don't even recognize this trait in myself. But she does and she said so, she actually sees how much I work. It was so validating to hear her say that to her friends that I almost started crying lol, wow........... I know some people who just see art or sewing as just a hobby or that I'm doing it just for fun, but... it's fun sometimes but it's so much more vexing than they can imagine. I get the impression from some people in my life that they assume I just sit on the computer after work. And trust me, I'd be the first person to tell you I didn't get much accomplished in an evening.

But I already work full-time and as motivation-draining as that can be, I work anywhere from 1 to 4 hours a night on personal projects or otherwise. I am always working, I always have a to-do list. When I went to jade's for a week with no projects planned I felt so weird, kind of bad even, because it's just not natural for me to literally have no WIPs to work on.

Maybe that's why I get so frustrated sometimes, because I feel like I work so much but I don't have much to show for it... I wish there was a way to survive on just my art.

Today was the first day of daylight savings and wow I fucking loved it, the sun stayed up past 6 and even into 7! wow. I can't wait for nicer, sunnier days. I think I will literally cry from happiness once it starts warming up, my stuff gets packed, things happen... I'm really excited to move.

zenity @ 2013-03-05T23:41:00

2013-03-06T04:40:55Z

Really fucking pumped for several reasons tonight, really bummed for a few others!

Today my favorite band, They Might Be Giants, released their new album "Nanobots". I have not listened to it yet, but I'm trying to decide whether or not to buy the physical disc or just the download. opting for the disc. (I need to get a copy of their last album as well...)

I also learned that another band I love is actually TOURING this year after being done for 10 years: The Postal Service. I'm in the process of preordering their 10th anniversary deluxe album!! bonus songs and stuff omg!!

(Edit: I also forgot to mention that Jade and I pitched in and won a Elgyem Jakks Prototype Plush today!!! I AM SO THRILLED, his name is Barth!!! Jade and I both collect the aliens, so when we move in together we will be combining our collections and he will be our centerpiece. AHHHH!!!! so exciting!!!)

I listened to a lot of songs I liked today on the way home. On the radio, surprisingly! But it was really, really nice to be able to just sing-shout lyrics at the top of my lungs for once. I haven't done that in a long time and I miss it. Some songs are just perfect for scream-singing to LOL.

Work has been pretty annoying and stressful lately, so when I get home from work I feel really burned out. I don't want to work on projects or even doodle, and it kind of breaks my heart because I want SO BADLY to just churn artwork out like crazy!!! But working full time in less than ideal conditions is setting me back. I hate not getting things done, especially when I'm in such a great mood to be doing them. damn it work for sucking any motivation I had left in me. I only have about 4 to 5 hours a night to unwind and check up on the internet, which took a long time in particular tonight. Such a mess.

I still haven't even checked ALL my daily sites yet and usually this only takes me like 30 minutes... yeah it's almost midnight. I have to be in bed by 1am, ideally. How does this happen... ugh!

zenity @ 2013-03-03T23:39:00

2013-03-04T04:39:29Z

Making another entry cause I wanted it to be separate from fun things!!!

IDK I'm back from Jade's. They're in the middle of packing up their house cause they're moving in less than a week!!!! I helped, mostly just by holding boxes closed while jade tapped them shut.. lol. But I also cleaned their whole computer, like... physically. You guys should have seen the dust bunnies. It's not their fault either cause I cleaned it fairly recently (like a year ago? or so??) and it was just terrible again. I think it has to do with their current apartment. Mega dust.

I drew a few pictures but nothing really substantial? One picture I did used tons of ink and I'm happy with it, I'll probably post it on dA and my art tumblr in a minute.

Idk felt kinda bad sometimes while visiting because I felt so... unproductive. Usually when I visit Jade we have plans and projects that we will work on. But this time we decided not to have anything planned to do? Project-wise. And since I didn't bring any of my WIPs with me I did a lot of lazing around, which in turn makes me feel bad for myself... ._. It should be a nice thing to step back for a week and not worry about being creative or productive, but it kinda made me uneasy!!! I guess that's a good thing, after all? I'm so used to having a to-do list that it was weird not having one.

Jade is awesome, her mom and wes are just awesome. After they move into the apartment they offered to come up here for a day and help me pack everything in my house and take it back with them... Jade was telling me the whole idea and I was like tearing up and dgjdjghdjsh. It's just like wow, they're so nice, I can't believe they're willing to come into this dank ass house and help me get things out of it.... They'll take my bookshelf, mattress, possibly my desk, everything up. Even though I don't leave here until the end of April. I'll have to live on the bare necessities until then. I'll sleep on a different mattress and just have a few things here like my computer and a few art supplies, but everything else will go with them for a month until I'm done with work. I'm really excited to just get the heck out of here. I do not belong here with this family and I really enjoy hanging out with Jade and her family... and one thing I'm really excited for is to just be in the same area as my cat, Zoe again. Zoe hardly ever gets to see me anymore because she's too afraid/uncomfortable with the rest of the house, so she doesn't come downstairs to hang out with me while I'm on the computer... X(

idk idk, moving and all this stuff makes me anxious but I really need to just take this step and get out of here. And I feel really, really lucky that I have Jade and her family to help me. ;_;

zenity @ 2013-03-03T23:15:00

2013-03-04T04:15:43Z

I just got back from my trip to Jade's, which I will probably talk about in a separate journal from this one because I want to show people some things I got in the mail while I was gone!!!!

First up is akeyma's package!!!

JUST LOOK!!! She sent me EVERYTHING HERE totally free and I just don't even!! ;__; Akeyma, you are TOO STINKIN NICE TO ME!!!!!!!!!! <3 GOSH The little quag figure she made is really hard to take pictures of, it's SO TINY. And those little paper stars!!! Teach me how to make them??? ;; yes!! I loved those little red dog charms she sent me, they are SUPER CUTE.... I wish I could put one on my phone!!! I will find a way... >:(!! The bigger one might go on my keys or flash drive or something :D

And THESE!! I've wanted a pair of Mythical Shoes since they came out and I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.... I'm so happy I ordered a pair, I kept thinking about getting them for a few years when finally I JUST DID!!!! I can't wait to wear them and look swag as hell. They look like red velvet, hahah :) They have a secret flap you can put designs in, and a guitar pick pocket!! UHM NEAT. I will probably keep a quarter in there though. you know, for those vending machine emergencies.

zenity @ 2013-02-16T20:05:00

2013-02-17T01:05:16Z

Feeling a little down right now, and I realized I haven't posted a journal in a long time!! I want to journal way more often, but I feel as if my evenings are short enough as it is and I just want to get straight to work once I get home.

I've been working on a few custom plush. One is a Shiny Sentret!! He's almost done. :) I'm also making a Sylveon, yeppp. It's coming along slowly, but I'm giving myself until this friday to finish it!! (because I'm supposed to be going to jade's the next day) I'll post pictures here when they're both done, but if you want to check out some WIP shots I post photos from time to time of them on my twitter page!

Thanks to karsenslater, I got myself an account on graze.com!

It's this super neat website that's not open to the public yet. Basically they send you a bi-weekly free box of healthy snacks! You get to rate which of their snack options you like/dislike and they send you an assortment of things based on your ratings. It's $5 per box, but the first box you get when you sign up is free! So this is my free box. :) I got some really good snacks, too! I love the apple cinnamon flapjack bars SO MUCH they're so good. This lil box will not last me all week...

I already gave my invitation code to Jade, but if anyone REALLY wants to get in on this I'd harass her for the code once she gets her box next week. :) Or maybe some other graze user will have a code for you!
You might be able to use my code more than once?? Here, try it anyway!

Q411ZZJD

If you want just the free box, make sure the box gets packed for you and shipped and then cancel your order. There's no strings to canceling it! just make sure you do it before they start packing your next box or they'll automatically charge your card for the next one in advance... (which is what happened to me.) I got $1 off my next box though for inviting Jade, so I think I'll just pay for a couple boxes until my next free box and then I'll cancel. XD; It's a really neat idea for just $5 a box though!!! I love it.

Also, I am SO... SO CLOSE to just ordering a pair of Rhett and Link mythical shoes. SO CLOSE... i've wanted a pair for YEARS and still have never gotten them. MAYBE THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT. I love love love the Vanilla colored one, reminds me of Red velvet cake. :D

the official denkihouse fanclub

2013-01-26T08:35:25Z

jade and I just love Gin's house so much that I drew this thing

hopefully some arrested development fans will see the reference too???? yes

denkihouse may have been the best term I ever coined

second only to shakey snakey

zenity @ 2013-01-21T16:56:00

2013-01-21T21:56:17Z

So on January 6th I ordered a 72pc set of Copic Sketch Markers.

I got set A, so these are the colors it comes with!

I an beyond excited. I've always, always wanted a set of copic markers and i've seen what can be done with them. I spent all of my winter break just working with Jade's prismacolors and loving it. I can't wait for them to get here!

Thing is, I ordered them Jan 6th. It was confirmed that they were shipped on Jan 8th, with priority mail. I even have a tracking number, but there are no new updates since it's original mailing.

Now, I'm trying to give a little slack, since I paid with paypal and, as it turns out, my paypal tends to attach my old address to my payment if I'm not careful, which I believe I wasn't. (I've since made my new address my primary, though.) But, any mail that is sent to our old house is being forwarded here. And I understand that process can take a little while.

But isn't priority mail usually pretty quick?

Part of me is scared because I got a really good deal on a 72pc set. Typically, a 72pc Sketch set will cost you $300+, usually in the $350 range. But I found an online store that buys art supplies at wholesale or from store liquidations, and they were selling this set for $200. Which is amazing. It said in the description that it was brand-new, so I'm trying not to panic about it.

My subconsious, however, is panicking. I had a dream last night that my markers finally arrived, but when I opened them they were mostly off-brand markers, some crayola markers, some highlighters and even a few crayons were in the box instead.

I REALLY WISH TODAY WAS NOT A HOLIDAY SO MY COPICS COULD GET HERE..........

zenity @ 2013-01-20T15:07:00

2013-01-20T20:07:54Z

I haven't posted a journal in a while! nothing new has really happened so I guess I don't have much to update about...

This weekend is a long one, though! I have monday off since it's MLK day, woo! And since it's so bone-chillingly cold outside I plan on just sitting here at my desk for the next two days straight and working on my valentimes project.

AUGHH I wish I could talk about it!!! But it would be ENTIRELY too easy for my secret person to find out about it? I'll just have to be patient. At first I assumed it wouldn't take very long to make, but feb 9th is getting closer and closer...! I'm sure I'll have it done before then. Hopefully I'll have it done this weekend?! that would be nice!!

I need a bunch of new icons and I also need to cycle some old ones out. I definitely want some Gravity Falls icons, as well as maybe a hey arnold one and possibly more pokemon ones!!

hmm the only way I'll go outside within the next two days is if I really, really want some taco bell... I'm craving it!

zenity @ 2013-01-10T02:49:00

2013-01-10T07:49:16Z

Sorry about yesterday's journal, it wouldn't format properly and I just don't think I'll post journals from my phone's LJ app ever again lol. It screws everything up.

This is my little area. The art table extends further to the left with a big open space for arting, while the right side is for my computer! And here is my lil shelfff!

I finally got my shelves the way I want them and now my little bookshelf is full of stuff and everything downstairs is looking so much better. Almost everything I'd need is right here near my computer. All of my art supplies, my sales items and mailers, scale, tape, sewing stuff and even a mini-collection area :)

I feel a lot better now that everything is organized and ready at my fingertips instead of a huge pile behind me. Tomorrow I will 100% dedicate my evening to working on my special secret valentimes project! :D

I'm up pretty late again tonight and I'll hate myself for it in the morning, but I did want to post a more light-hearted journal. My thoughts right now are trying to focus on what's ahead instead of always being stuck in the moment, where my emotions tend to keep me. Above all, I want 2013 to be my best year yet. I want to make more art, sew more plush, craft more cosplay, meet new people, see new places. I want to do more than I've ever done and I want something to show for it. I want to make some big life choices, like moving out or going to school. I want to work and work on my art and portfolio until someone out there likes what they see.

I'm excited. I don't want this to be some delusion I pull over my eyes, I don't want this to be one of those things where I think I'll do something and nothing ends up happening with it. Less thinking, more doing. I need to stop saying and thinking I'll do things and just do them!

zenity @ 2012-12-19T23:23:00

2012-12-20T04:23:10Z

Tomorrow I'm going into work at 8am for the last time this year, until the next semester. I go in at 8am, but we're only working until 12:30... :\ so then everyone can get ready for the christmas party they're throwing for us. It would be nice, but I'm feeling a lot of anxiety over it because we're supposed to bring a gift for the white elephant thing? You bring a gift and you pick out a gift. It can be a total joke gift too, it doesn't have to be nice at all or anything.

I'm contemplating just opting out of that? I mean, if I don't bring a gift I'll just not pick one. it should be that easy, right? What is people asked me why I didn't bring one... we're supposed to bring one if we go to the party. I dunno.

I'm pretty close to just telling everyone I'm an athiest and I just don't do christmas!!!! I mean I like christmas for what it is, christmas lights are pretty and I like holiday treats, but I could really do without the presents aspect x_x People always seem so happy about christmas and I just never am. I don't think it's something I'll really feel good about. Maybe if I was allowed to celebrate christmas the way I like then I would look forward to it.

I'm gonna see if there's anything around here someone doesn't want. Maybe I'll just put a single christmas cookie in a box and wrap it lol. also I fucking suck at wrapping too.

Anyway, here's the progress on shiny stunky:

He's got half of his tail spikes! I might do the other half tonight but I do have to be up early... we'll see.

Introduction/Summary Post!

2012-12-16T22:34:27Z

Hello new friends!! <3 I'm Zenity. You can just call me Zen, though! Or Danica too I guess, it is my real name after all... Jade's the only online friend I have who calls me Danica though :'D ~~but I guess she's transcended the online friend status hasn't she~~

What you can expect from my journal is a lot of personal crap: I talk about my friends a lot (Mostly about Jade who is one of my best friends that I met through pkmncollectors and my friend Adam.) and irl happenings. Ramblings/rantings about my family are abundant, but hopefully the happier posts make up for that? I'm currently working at Subway at a college campus. I'm good at my job and I ought to be, since I've been working at subways since 2008. :I I'm not currently in school or taking classes, but I'd like to go back one day! I would like to major in animation.

As corny as it sounds, nothing makes my heart sing more than animation does. Nothing else in the world gets me more excited than cartoons and animated films. It's one of the most magical things in the world, I believe this! Something that starts with a pencil and paper can make people feel and become emotionally invested in your creations and it's just... the most elaborate magic trick in the world! It's my passion and I won't give up on it.

Other things you may see on my journal are photos of my current projects, usually sewing projects or cosplay! I don't post a lot of my drawings/art on here but maybe I should? If you're interested in my artwork, check out my deviantART or my tumblr art blog! I also have a tumblr blog for my A:TLA cosplay called YipYip Flameo!

I love a lot of cartoons and shows! I'd love to talk about any of these: A:tla, korra, Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Hey Arnold! and Danny Phantom. I also like a couple live-action shows like Dexter and Lost. I also like Samurai Jack, Flapjack... I GUESS I like Invader ZIM... (Trust me, you don't want me to get into this. my entire preteen-teenaged life was devoted to this show...)

All in all, I love pokemon! Quagsire is my obvious favorite and I have a huge quagsire collection!! I collect Breloom, Zigzagoon, Heatmor, Kangaskhan, Elgyem/Beheeyem and a few others here and there! I also love: Vanillite, Vaporeon, Umbreon, cyndaquil line, Mareep line, Natu line, Simisear, squirtle line, Shedinja, skarmory, stunky, numel line, Aron line, etc... too many favorites!! I tend to just buy things that catch my eye. I'm torn between Johto and Hoenn! Johto has always been my favorite gen, but I love Hoenn more and more with each day and I yearn for a remake!! PLEASE.........

Anyway feel free to comment! If you find out you're not enjoying reading my journals, no hard feelings! Unfriending me will not cause any hard feelings at all :);

zenity @ 2012-12-16T03:05:00

2012-12-16T08:05:14Z

I think I should journal more often because when I don't I end up posting really long entries and I start to ramble.

Anyway I'm starting work on a new plush. WHO'S THAT POKEMON?!

Guess! I'll be posting more pictures on twitter as it progresses and hopefully it won't take me too long to finish. I do need to go to joann's to get some suedecloth for the eyes though...!

zenity @ 2012-12-09T03:38:00

2012-12-09T08:38:51Z

So I finally had my first pkmncollector's sales post in a long time! It needed to be done. a lot of this stuff needs to go if not all of it!! I want to move out someday and I'm still not 100% settled in where I am now. So the less stuff I have the better. And I actually decided to take offers on some of the rarer stuff I was hoarding. Whooo!

Didn't draw today at all like I had planned, but at least I made some money? yeahhhh! Tomorrow hopefully will have more draws.

Also!! Someone on the comm is auctioning off an absol mini-cot. It's one of the last three mini-cots that I need!! I'm trying to hard to win it, but suddenly the other person stopped bidding... I wonder if they reached their limit or they're going to try to snipe before the last 5 minutes or so? I'm going to set an alarm just in case :|; Ends in the morning around 9am I think? wish me luckkk!

idk what else to talk about here but yeah. the first weekend I haven't hung out with adam in a while = sales post weekend.

zenity @ 2012-12-03T00:28:00

2012-12-03T05:28:22Z

I have to get up really early tomorrow to take my mom to work, then from there I get to wait around until my dentist appointment at 10am... and then from there to work. Eughhh early morning.

These days are flying by, it's been a week already! A new week is starting! What the heck? There's only 2 more weeks of work left for me... wow. I can't really believe it, time is moving by so quickly. I should be thankful that it is, I guess!

I think part of me is just weirded out by how quickly weeks go by because I don't accomplish much artistically in all the time spent? In the past week I've drawn like.. maybe two things. They were both inked and colored with markers, but still... only two things. I think this is why I need school, I need better direction and focus. I have a ton of projects I could get started on at any time but I just don't know which one I want to do even??? I kind of want to continue sewing this one mini plush I started forever ago, but another part of me wants to draw comics, or maybe alter parts of my cosplay... There's just a lot to do and I'm not sure how to pick which one to start first! But then I end up not doing any of those things because I can't decide. I suppose any work I do is time well spent? ggg. We'll see what I come up with in the next week.

also I test drove a ford fiesta and I loved it, but not enough to buy it new omg. I'm gonna keep looking for a small, affordable car around 8k or something.

zenity @ 2012-11-11T15:47:00

2012-11-11T20:47:36Z

So I agreed to work yesterday for plating a big event at campus, and then I stayed and did dishes until like 12. There were lots of helpers with me though, otherwise I would have been stuck there all night!! But my whole weekend is basically gone now, since we're all going out to dinner tonight for my mom's birthday. If it weren't for that I would have gone over to Adam's for a bike ride with him. It's so, so super nice out today. :( Probably the last nice day of the year. sigh.

After youmacon I've been just thinking and thinking and wanting to re-do most of my cosplay. I started a tumblr blog just for it! It's called Yip Yip Flameo! Right now I just have pictures from cons queued, but later on I plan on posting sewing updates and such c: hopefully people will like it.

The good news is I have one last commission to do, and it's a quagsire! Yessss. The background is done and I have a feeling if I work really hard tonight and stay focused that I can finish it in one evening. It's simple enough, so I should be able to!! And then I can sew to my heart's content.

I have so, so many projects I want to take on. two cosplays (three??) a shit ton of plush, my own OC web comic, and I'm toying with the idea of an A:TLA Alternate Universe comic. I think about that a lot too for some reason and I already have a first arc planned, oops.

Which reminds me!! I emailed MinkyDelight and they are indeed shutting down. :( Does anyone have any idea where I could find a variety of minky fabric?? MinkyDelight had so many colors, it was amazing...

I also decided to buy a tin of eevee cookies on y!j, and I'm also aiming to find a set of the cups too. If I do end up getting a set I'll probably sell all that aren't vappy or umby. Although I really love Flareon and Jolteon's cups too... I told Jade she had dibs on jolty though, but she said she may not want it depending on the plastic! idk.

I plan on selling most of the eevee cookies from the tin. Does that make me a bad person? how much would an eevee collector pay for their cookie? lol.

My mom found out that she can still claim unemployment (or now underemployment?) we were under the impression that her benefits ran out, but I guess they hadn't after all? I'm not sure. Either way, my mom will at least be getting a little more every month from that for the next two months I think, so I can finally start saving up for a car and not having my money taken away from me all of the time.

Sorry for the incredibly disjointed journal. Time for family dinner! (Yay?) I'm super hungry. Let's go!

zenity @ 2012-09-23T23:01:00

2012-09-24T03:01:11Z

"You'll never get that taste, out of your mouth
You'll never get the paw prints, out of the hen house now
And you can't go back, same way you came
Round all the pieces up, but they just dont fit the same

White knuckles
Maybe it's not so bad
So let your hair down now

So just how far, is far enough?
Everybody needs to sleep at night, everybody needs a crutch.
But couldn't good, be good enough?
Cause nothin' ever doesn't change, but nothing changes much."

This song has been helping me lately.