Welcome lost traveller to my Livejournal!
This journal is not friends-only but if you would like to add me to your friend's list please comment here and maybe tell me a little about yourself to be added back.
I look forward to meeting you!

( A girl can dream )

Just updated my sketchblog, bean_factory here.

Tinkered with my LJ layout a little since I've been randomly changing my banner a lot the last few weeks because it was bothering me. I'm happy with this one, I saw this image of the classic women of DC and had to do a Sex and City themed banner. Here's a link to it if anyone would like a copy and a friends only banner.

Nothing makes you feel the Christmas spirit more then finding some amusing Christmas_themed macro and laughing so hard you spray what-ever you're drinking at the time all over your work area.

And for New Years I must prepare my digestive tract for an influx of comics it seems. Speaking of digesting comics, am slowly getting through my Witchblade and Darkness compendiums. I'm half-way through the second Witchblade and the first Darkness. It's confused as hell though because Top Cow love series cross-overs and I find myself switching to the next comic just so I can read the end of a story arc.
I have to say, out of the two characters Sara Pezzini and Jackie Estacado; I relate to Jackie a lot more than Sara. Sure Jackie is a hit man mobster who is at times atrociously selfish and treats one of his loyal follows like trash but I can understand a lot of why he does what he does. He cares for very few people but at least he's very passionate about those he does have feelings for. I'm up at issue 62 of the Witchblade and Sara still seems to be totally unsure of what she wants, I doubt she even understands what she's doing or what her motivations are. Sure she's a cop but she doesn't seem to have a real moral code to speak of and if she does she doesn't seem to really stick to it and the one person she does have any sort of real emotional connection with is the girl she's supposedly looking after who she never sees because Sara is always 'too busy.' I swear Lisa is thrown in every 10 issues or so just so show that Sara isn't a dried-up husk of a woman who no longer feels the need for any form of real human interaction or closeness. Even when they do include Lisa, Sara is always saying something like 'I feel bad that I haven't see her for awhile.' Well who is to blame for that? Even worse is that Sara is currently aware that Lisa is living with a drug-using low life who is affiliated with the mob. First Born was the best idea ever, finally Sara has been given something to live and fight for because she really didn't seem to have it before. (I also love it because I'm a fan girl of the Jackie x Sara pairing. Sorry Gleeson.) Wow that turned into a rant quick.

TLDR; Jackie Estacado is hawt and interesting and Sara is as boring as cold toast.

Heads-up to all my female Australian comic-artist type friends. Alisha from OzTAKU is looking for submissions for an anthology to be titled 'Chic' and showcase Australia's all-female talent. Yours truly will be submitting although I have a lot of short stories in-mind and I'm not sure which one to choose.
If you're interested in submitting I recommend emailing Alisha soon because she's trying to gauge how much interest there is in the project and have a tentative list of submissions.

I had the most legendary dream last night. First Two Face and Joker had teamed up to do torture me or something, I think get Batman's identity. How should I know who he really is?! Oh wait, I do know. Damn Batman comics. Any way I'm all messed up and Batman saves me and takes me back to his Bat Cave where Alfred gave me lots of warm tea.
Then later in my dream I'm all recovered and I'm running away from this guy with a whip (I have no idea what that's about. :x) and a velociraptor shows up. The random guy then proceeds to hit the raptor with it. I tell him not to but it's freaking out at the fact there's a velociraptor there and isn't really thinking straight. I stand back and then the raptor proceeds to jump on him and eat his brains. Dude obviously wasn't prepared for a velociraptor attack which is why I may add that velociraptor awareness day exists in the first place.

Finally my dream becomes this weird Twilight mess and I proceed to tell Jacob Black how much I hate him while I jump out of very high windows and tell Edward to kick his ass.

Lolita meet this Saturday! Seems we're still ironing out the details but we're all taking an extra outfit so we can all dress each other in random shiz. I really want to see snoos_the_moose in my Meta gingham cherry dress. I'll be wearing my old Innocent World cookie skirt and new cream bonnet paired with a black blouse and a few other things.

I am so Dungeons and Dragons deprived. Our group hasn't had a session for a couple of weeks due to people moving and having relatives over. Hopefully the week after next we all have a Saturday evening free. Speaking of Dungeons and Dragons, I've been talking weddings a lot with my future sister-in-law because I'm one of her bridesmaids and she's happy to talk to someone that has a genuine interest because I'm slowly planning my own.
Although ours won't be for a couple of years (we'll have a tentative date when I get my braces on this year. Basically I want my wedding set for after they come off.) we still like gathering ideas and discussing things as a couple. We both know we want a very small morning wedding followed my a brief breakfast reception which will lead onto an afternoon / evening gaming session. We'd love to book a gaming venue like Nexus to have a huge LAN and console day. So where does Dungeons and Dragons come in? Well neither of us want to married in a church and we'd rather not have random strangers at our wedding so we really want to have one of our friends officiated so he can perform the ceremony.
We're going to ask our Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master if he wants to do it. He's such a friendly guy and an amazing public speaker, I mean his DnD sessions and fantastic because he's so wonderful with words. We also chuckled about the fact that we'd really like to have the traditional wedding ceremony vows but edited with as many Dungeons and Dragons / gaming references as we can. I'd also love to make little mana and health potions as wedding favours for the guests.
I've also mentioned for a long time about how I don't want a traditional wedding gown so I've been on the hunt for a dress and I'm 99% sure I've found it:

I think black and gold would be fantastic colours to use for the wedding. I'd love to have my bridesmaids wearing gold. Another thing Rowan and I have discussed is how we don't want members of our wedding party to pay for their clothes for the wedding. We feel that if we invite them to be a part of our special day then we're going to make the preparations to make that happen. Having said that we're not planning to spend that much on our wedding so a few dresses and tuxedos won't be all that much.


Remember to be aware of velociraptors my friends. They could be anywhere and strike at any time, even if your subconscious.

I had a very productive weekend. Rowan and I have an extra separate room behind our house that until yesterday was full of a queen size bed that was due to go to my brother's house well over a year ago. Rowan and I had always planned to turn it into my work from home art studio and now we can! I need to do some tidying and remove some cob webs, I also hope to repaint a little but it's perfect. It gets midday sun and have cupboards for my various art supplies and Rowan is going to put some speakers out there for my iPod.
Also went to visit my parents today. Dad is looking so much better since his time in the hospital the week before last. He finally has his appetite back and is regaining more energy every day.

When we got home Rowan and I flopped on the couch together and watched the first season of Big Bang Theory. Sheldon is so damn adorable. I have also just purchased myself a subscription to Kera magazine, I've wanted to for a long time but since I've cancelled my online game subscriptions I figure I deserve it.

I have a sketch blog that I'm going to keep updated! (Hopefully!) After coming to terms with the fact that I'm an LJ user and have been for nearly 10 years it made sense for me to finally make one on Live Journal. So without further ado, bean_factory.

Besides posting my drawings there I also want to use it as a place to vent my comic geekery. However I will geek out here quickly and share a link to a post by one of CBR's newest writers: Psylocke: This Is Not the Ninja You're Looking For. An article that hits home for me and I hope execs at Marvel and DC take the time to read.
In the comments to this article one person called Dave suggests that problems are not the comics themselves but people who seem to get their knickers in a knot about how characters are objectified and that men and women are treated the same in comics. Another commenter by the name of Chris Jones really takes the words right out of my mouth in a simple, yet brilliantly worded explaination:
'Why is it nearly always girls who have a problem with the way women are portrayed in comics?"
Well, Dave, let's take a second to think about this: Let's say I called you mentally retarded. Let's say I said, "Dave is a dipshit with a brain the size of a peanut." You get offended. I respond with, "Yeah, of course DAVE is going to get offended at being called a dipshit. Why is Dave the only person who has a problem with being called a peanut brain?"
Does it make a little more sense now?'

Either way despite what this Dave character thinks, I know it's not just women that have a problem with the way some comics are written and how female characters are objectified and I don't think that anyone's opinions should carry any less weight depending on what gender they are.

I am so tired right now, all these late nights are really wiping me out. I had to stay up last night though, Bridezillas was on and wow last night's episode had the biggest bi-atch I've ever seen on the show. It was ridiculous, she was cussing all her guests out at her wedding reception and even during her thank you speech. Yesterday for my birthday I had a very small gathering of friends over since I didn't want a large party or celebration. Sadly Dave couldn't make it because he was sick but Luke, Phil, Chibi and Richard came over for cake that Rowan had gotten me earlier in the day.
Rowan had work yesterday but during his lunch break he took me over to the Cheesecake Shop to pick out a birthday cake. I chose their double chocolate and strawberry cake:

And wow it tasted as good as it looks! And yes only three candles because I didn't have 24 and there was no way I was attempting to blow out that many.


Chibi and Richard got me a box of chocolates for my birthday and Phil drew me a picture. As usual Rowan spoilt me rotten, besides the cake he was giving me presents all day when-ever I saw him. In the photo above are the first two volumes of the Witchblade compendiums and the first volume of The Darkness compendium. I knew he was getting me one for my birthday but when he presented me with all three I nearly died! That's 150 comics. D: *epic squeal*
He also got me a $50 voucher to my favourite local art shop and a new portable hard drive that's 1tb in size and of course his company. Words cannot describe how much I love that man.

So here I am post-birthday, sitting in-front of my PC sipping my favourite green tea and mint blend. Do I feel older and wiser? Hell no! Although I am looking forward to meeting Rowan for lunch today to eat some more cake, stopping by Artery on the way home to use my gift voucher and settling in for the day drawing comics. I am so happy right now - even the constant barking dog next door and shouting kids can't annoy me. (Much...)

Btw, thank you everyone for your well wishes yesterday! My inbox was flooded with heaps of 'happy birthdays,' it means so much! Love you all!

The past week has been tiring to say the least. My Dad was admitted to hospital on Friday as did my Grandmother. Took Dad home the day before yesterday which was a relief. After the week of drama it was a nice change for Rowan and I to have our night at the Old Woolstore Apartments that we'd planned months ago. I spent hours in the spa in our room, it was wonderful. We didn't get room service this time because we had our own snacks.
I'm sure people are sick of this by now but I also went to the premiere of New Moon. Less ear-bleeding fan girl squealing than I expected which was a pleasant surprise. We arrived at the cinema 10 minutes before the movie was due to the start and the ushers were getting people to fill up the cinema from the back first so people could sit together and not have too much hastle filling seats all over the place later. This irritated some people that had been waiting at the cinema for up to 5 hours before hand. (God knows why since tickets to the premiere were pre-sold out so they were guaranteed a seat either way.)
I enjoyed the movie, I thought it was better than Twilight and New Moon cemented my love for Ashley Greene. That woman is adorable!

Trying to curb my spending right now but I couldn't resist joining a Chocomint group order. This is what I'm getting:





And btw, it's my birthday tomorrow!

Rowan was up until 2am this morning tinkering with the server he's building Dave, consequently it means that I couldn't really get to sleep until then - not through lack of trying though! I did however spend the time constructively... kinda. (If thinking about comics counts as a constructive line of thinking.) Although my passion has always been to draw comics I'm not one of those creators that would be happy illustrating the stories of others forever, I have my own stories and characters I'd like to share with the World. I have however wondered if I could ever write a story for an existing comic series and if I could really make it my own in terms of storytelling and not be too bogged-down by continuity.
Any way I've been thinking about an idea that I would love to do some day even if it's just drawing the characters as I see them and they never get a sequential story; an X-Men high school drama. No matter how many new generations of X-Men there are I still feel that many of the stories are just going through the motions, 'yes we're an X-Men team, we fight bad people and we're at the Xavier Institute and stuff.' Okay - amazingly over simplified but I think that if you remove the 'X-Men' side of the X-kids you could have a fantastic drama. Sure they're mutants but they have to deal with normal high school things like relationships and homework just like everyone else. I think Spiderman Loves Maryjane was an excellent example of what a great Marvel drama series could be, sure Spidey webbed a few people here and there but that was not the point of the story. The story is about the personal journeys of each character and the problems they face along the way growing up into the characters we know and love today. Just because someone isn't saving the World doesn't mean they aren't batting their own form of emotional hardships.

One last hint of geekyness, when everyone was over Friday night we played some Halo 3 ODST fire fight and I got three achievements:
- Killtacular: Awarded for killing 5 opponents within 4 seconds of each other.
- Untouchable: Awarded for killing 25 opponents in a row without dying.
- Invincible: Awarded in Halo 3 Multiplayer for killing 30 opponents in a row without dying.
I ended up killing 50 opponents in a row w00t!

New Moon is coming out next week, found my tickets last night since I wasn't entirely sure where I had stashed them. They were hidden under a pile of comics on my desk. I'm avoiding all extra trailers, clips, interviews and what-not that seem to be posted everywhere to hype up the movie. I'm one of the people that would be prefer to see the movie when the movie comes out, not millions of mini-clips. I also don't want to hype myself up only to be terribly disappointed later. (Oh X-Men movie franchise, you've toyed with my heart strings for the last time.) Ph btw, for some extra Twilight lulz, read this breakdown of the comic based of S. Meyer's life.

Because I'm feeling sore and hormonal this morning I want to rant quickly about something that for some reason really, really gets under my skin - comment deletion. I'm a member of over 200 LJ communities and while I only frequently participate in a few of them I notice when my comments and the comments of others, disappear. I have a big problem with censorship and selective hearing (or in this case reading) and the thinking that if you delete something it's like it never existed. I am so fed up with people making posts on communities asking for ideas and opinions and deleting those which don't adhere to what the OP wanted. If you don't ever want honest advice, ideas or even people to care about your topic then don't make a post on a community. If you don't agree with someone you have many actions you can take before deleting their comment such as ignoring their comment, asking them why they think the way they do, reporting them to a mod if their comment in offensive.
I apologise for being rage-faced right now. There seem to be too many young people on forums these days that think a different opinion is the same as a personal attack and that a post asking a question will get them ego-boosting praise instead of honest enquiry from the community they've posted it in.

Also since I still have a little bitchiness left, I still hate Lady Gaga. I don't understand the appeal of someone who dresses like she's never actually been comfortable a single day in her life just to be 'edgy.' Sorry friends.

Good news on the fishie front, Shiroyuki is doing much better today. Rowan bounded into the bedroom this morning where I wad flopping around considering leaving the warm confines of the blankets to tell me that he's swimming much better and floating without flapping his fins. He still seems a little less shiny today (he's silver) with his skin being a little more milky-white but he's improved leaps and bounds over yesterday.

I met Rowan after he finished work yesterday after I did a little shopping. I did cave and get Dragon Age and I also wanted a new bra. Here are my goodies (no, not those goodies. There are some things I would never post photos of online. Who do I look like, Lindsay Lohan?):

I got the bra and panties at Target, I adore the rockabilly tattoo-style print. I have a matching camisole to the black panties as well. After Target I went to Pocket Space and got the ciao ciao sticker, I wish they had more tokidoki stuff there. I really want some of the cactus pals figurines.

After Dragon Age installed last night I must have played it for around 5 hours straight. I dragged myself away from my PC at around 1.30am this morning. My god it's an amazing game! For once a game has managed a decent party control system, I keep having flashbacks to the uselessness of my party playing Neverwinter Nights 2 and my Barbarian who gets stuck behind the nearest rock, unable to best it by walking over the damn thing. Meanwhile I'm playing a caster on the front-line getting slashed to pieces because my meat shield is off being baffled by a mere stone obstruction.

Dragon Age Origins had better be worth the wait, it's been installing for half an hour now and is still going. *slaps my PC with a big stick*

Firstly, I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Had to get that off my chest, yesterday was my last scheduled day at work. It's all comics all the time for me from here-on out. Until the end of the year any way, fingers crossed that it turns into a long-term endeavour with my own story. I was working Monday and then worked the midnight launch of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 until about 1am. I got home and had a few hours sleep and had to be back at work at 9am. I was so tired yesterday when I got home from work it hurt my head to try and read the Buffy trades Rowan had just bought me so I flopped on the couch and had a nap.
It's Rowan's birthday today! I gave him his present this morning in bed, I stuffed them all into a large box and individually wrapped them all so he had heaps of fun unwrapping them all. I got him a cthulhu shirt, lots of chocolate, a red Mario DS and New Super Mario Bros. game as well as an accessory pack for his DS and an iTunes gift card. He seemed really happy so I'm glad he liked them all.

We were sad when we got up to find that one of our goldfish Shiroyuki isn't doing well. I think he has swim bladder disease, he's just sitting at the bottom of his lank and acting very lethargic. When he's not flapping his fins he can't float and just sinks back down to the bottom of the tank. It's really sad; he'll swim around a lot when you're paying attention to him but the second you leave he becomes floppy again. Rowan changed some of their water and we're going to try feeding Shiroyuki some peas tonight and maybe look about taking him to the vet tomorrow if he doesn't improve. Poor little guy, he and Daigoro are only fish but their tank sits between the couch and Rowan's PC and they're adorable. Rowan spoils them rotten, he adores those little fish and it'd be sad to see any of them go.

Last Friday was Coven's Halloween night and of naturally I took the chance to get all dressed up:

I took my camera so I got a bunch of photos. Here is Erika and I at the club being goofy.
( Bunch moar photos under here. 8D )

I must away now as I meeting hoowee at noon to get my tripod back since I left it in her car after the last Lolita meet and forgot about it and then I'm dashing into the city to finally grab myself a copy of Dragon Age and buy a small cake for Rowan since I'm making his carrot cake on Friday night since the festivities we planned for tonight have been postponed. Figure I might take Rowan out for a nice dinner tonight and then home for dessert and a movie.

Yesterday when Phil came over he brought a copy of The Princess Bride because I had never seen it before. I've heard people talking about it before and being the movie buff that I am I figured it was time to educate myself. Cary Elwes as Westley was gorgeous and very charming, I could have stared at those blue eyes the entire movie. Then there was Buttercup. From the very start of the movie she acts like a stuck-up bitch, how Westley ever developed feelings for her is beyond me. Oh actually I know, since it was just the two of them alone on a farm it was either her or one of the random farm animals.
I doubt I've ever seen such a useless Princess in a movie. During the entire thing she was given ample opportunities to aid others or even try and improve her situation but she just sat or stood there like a stunned mullet. Even at the very end of the movie she decides to kill herself instead of waiting to see if the story about Westley being dead is true, after the mishap the first time with her thinking he was dead for 5 years - could she not wait a little longer than 10 days this time? Westley was willing to throw his life away to save her but she was willing to throw hers away for nothing. Stupid wench. I loved everyone else though, everyone else was great. Afterwards when I was finished complaining about Buttercup I showed Phil my favourite movie of all time, Ever After. Now that's a Princess that gets stuff done. X3

Yesterday I uploaded a gorgeous Sailor Moon mood theme made by tuxedobunny. Go check out her journal, some great stuff there for Sailor Moon fans. I've been so tired the last 42 hours or so, I never sleep in until 10.30am.
Glad to be up though because I was pointed to this blog entry by Scott Kurtz. It's brilliant! I've personally had a problem with Wizard magazine for a long time and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Wizard needs to face facts that they need to reinvent themselves and actually become useful if they to be survive at all in the coming years and even then they've alienated so many people it's probably too late any way. There's a reason they've taken their forums down.


I need to have an uber-quick shower if I'm meeting Dave for lunch in an hour. :S

I was so tired when I got home from work on Saturday that I changed into my kigu and fell asleep on the couch. Rowan took a photo:

I'm really looking forward to the next couple of weeks. Next week I finish at work (after working a midnight launch and then at 9am the day after, curse you James!) and then it's Rowan's birthday. The week after that is the New Moon premiere and then mine and Rowan's night at the Old Woolstore Apartment hotel in the spa suite. The the week after that is my birthday! There's also my brother's birthday and our Lolita meet (hopefully) around the same time.

*edit* Wooo my Jinx order came!

I got the BuffyxEdward shirt to wear to the New Moon premiere plus I've wanted that shirt for ages and the cthulhu shirt is one of Rowan's presents for his birthday. *hides it* Thankfully he doesn't read my blog. I don't think. :o Rowan says he likes me to have my privacy, not that I mind since my posts are public any way.

So I'm off work at EB Games starting 11th of November, which is Rowan's birthday! He doesn't have the day off work but it means I'll be able to make his birthday cake during the day for that night and of course start drawing my heart out. I'm so excited. Also call it my subconscious ego going crazy but I had a dream that I got to pencil and issue of Exiles.

Also two things I sooo want right now:

How hot are these tights? Given I also need a smexy pair of boots to wear them with but gah, so hot. Want them in my life.

I've needed a new collar for awhile. I lost one, one is now too big for my neck and one of the clasps on my large-spiked collar is a little weird sometimes. Either way it's not like I need an excuse to buy more jewellery.

I promise to make a post about this past weekend's Con soon! Just been recuperating mostly, back at work today. Speaking of work, my Jinx order came today so I'm wearing my pac man shirt to work with my pac man earrings. I think I can easily say that this is the most awesome thing I've worn to work:

I've worn it with a collared shirt and my work jacket so I don't get blasted for dressing too casually. I'm lay-buying one of Rowan's birthday presents today since both of our birthdays are next month. (He's 12 days older than me the diaper sniper.) X3

And finally, arts and stuff:

Princess colouring book by =heartofglitter on deviantART