. : . r u r u r u ~ . : .

Last weekend's Sci-Fi Con

2012-03-08T20:35:00.000+01:00

We went to a science fiction convention last weekend. It mainly focused on classics like Star Wars, Alien, Predator, Terminator, Star Trek and a few super heroes here and there along with some fantasy.
I considered cosplaying as Link, but didn't. Since it was my first time there, I wanted to get a feel of the con to see if it felt like a good place to be cosplaying at (they did encourage cosplayers on the homepage).
A few celebrities were there, signing autographs and having asking sessions. The whole convention mostly consisted of merchants selling collectibles and toys. Also, a group of people dressed as characters from Star Wars marched through the place a few times, and you could get photographed together with the characters against a background from the series.
Here're some photos I took~ (it was also a good opportunity to try out my new camera in a different location!)

Predator and Alien statues. I can't be the only one who thinks Predator looks much cooler when wearing a helmet... but most figures of them are helmetless like this one.

Boba Fett and Jango Fett being part of the Star Wars march. Awesome costumes, though I doubt they are handmade by the people wearing them, rather bought online...
While store-bought costumes do not impress me, it doesn't matter on this occasion as there was no costume competition and it's just for fun.

Lots of Nintendo and gaming merchandise were sold as well! This booth was a store from Germany, and they had the Dark Link figure I've blogged about before, along with lots of other things as seen above.

In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't cosplay... The main visitors were older people with kids, asking the ones in costume to stand next to their kid and be photographed... Probably if anyone would recognize my character they'd call me "Zelda". (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ Not my prefered audience.
Speaking of cosplay, I'm currently working on a new one... hmmhmm~~~

My art blog has been updated with a new layout and new content, and posted a sculpture I made not too long ago. Take a look if you have the time.

30 Days of Zelda, Day 23

2012-03-07T11:04:00.001+01:00

Day 23 - A character you would want to have as a best friend

Groose
Once you prove yourself worthy, Groose will be your bff 'til the end.
No one would screw with you if this big beef of a Gaston look-alike was walking right behind you. And he wouldn't let anyone screw with you either, this guy's a total bro and would stand up for you no matter what.
While Skyward Sword itself wasn't too impressive, Groose was the one character who lit up any situation, and felt the most relateable and real (while Link and Zelda were characterless Mary-Sue's. Sadly.)

Another best friend I'd love to have in my crew is:
Agitha
Because she's just too adorable and weird... XD

The three of us would make an awesome awkward team.

First forest walk of the year

2012-03-06T01:49:00.000+01:00

Spring is definately here~

Thinking about bringing my Flickr account back to life and uploading my photos there.
Or perhaps get a Tumblr dedicated to my photos?
Why do we even wish to share our photos so badly? I should have them developed and keep them to myself in a photo album forever~~~

A different take on Mori fashion

2012-03-05T11:32:00.003+01:00

I recently got a comment on the Inspiration - Mori Boy post.
It mentioned a different view on the "forest lifestyle" and what it meant.

Anonymous said:

"While I do like the earth-tones, and can appreciate the archetype of 'someone who lives in the forest,' I'm guessing very few (if any) of the people who adopt this fashion/lifestyle have any concept whatsoever of wilderness or 'forest.' I'm thinking 'forest' in Japan probably means 'backyard' where I live. Real nature is unpredictable, dangerous, beautiful and at times very frightening...hardly a fashion thing. That being said, I know many people who live in secluded areas, from whom such images seem to be drawn. I do wonder about the images of mori boys -it seems something based on Japanese ideals. In my culture all such images would be viewed as extremely effeminate. We have an image of a 'wild man' and this is about as far from it as one can get! These boys would last perhaps 5 minutes in the woods...

I am somewhat perplexed by the 'books and tea' thing. Is that really a fashion? When did reading books and drinking tea go out of fashion? It makes me wonder about those who think reading books is unfashionable... are they intelligent enough to read what is posted here? ;-)"

I might not be the right person to answer, since I didn't invent the mori style, nor do I wear it myself. I just shared an inspiration post of japanese (and korean) guys wearing mori boy fashion. To learn more about the fashion, lifestyle and it's origins, I suggest sites like morigirl.blogspot.com, Trends in Japan, Mori Girl Community etc.

That being said, the point of mori boy - and mori girl too for that matter - is not about being able to survive in a wild forest. They aren't wood elves or barbarians armed with daggers and bows, wearing leather armor and wrestling bears. They're everyday people, who've chosen a fashion style which represents a down-to-earth and calm lifestyle.
"Real nature is unpredictable, dangerous, beautiful and at times very frightening...hardly a fashion thing."
You said it yourself and it's true: The fashion is not meant to enable survival of a real wild forest day-to-day life.

image source
"I do wonder about the images of mori boys -it seems something based on Japanese ideals. In my culture all such images would be viewed as extremely effeminate."
Yes, since it is a japanese fashion genre it's based on their ideals. Overall, japanese fashion aimed towards young men could be seen as effeminate for us in the west. Their beauty-ideals are more effeminate, or androgynous, overall.
A model in the west could look like this, while in Japan or Korea he could look like this.
Same with girls; a female western model could look like this, in Japan or Korea she could look like this. (now I'm making extreme preconceived apprehensions, forgive me, it's just an example.)

Because we look different.
Because we have different cultures.

Hence, the japanese sence of "forest" fashion differs from where you come from, Anon. And that is perfectly fine, no-one is better than the other! Do let us know more about the "wild man" image you mentioned from your culture, it's always interesting learning something new.
As for the people who might not be "intelligent enough to read what is posted here? ;-)", I have no idea what that has to do with anything.

I do have readers who live the mori girl lifestyle, or at least wear the fashion, perhaps they can share their views on the matter in the comments.

The crew - new photos

2012-03-03T13:22:00.000+01:00

I've never taken a photo with all guys of my crew in it! But here they are~
Nino, Sinclair, Atari (notice her new hair? ^-^) and Konami. Also took more photos of them one-on-one, which resulted in the new profile pics you can see in the sidebar and on their profiles.
The members of my crew all have personalities, but they're neither family nor romantically involved with one another. I'm amazed by those who have huge backstories for their BJD's and an entire universe in which they live. In my case, you could simply say I'm their landlord... XD
Doll-owners reading this, how's your relation with your crew?

Also, Sinclair's no longer naked.
I made him shorts. And changed the laces of his boots to these flaily cable-looking bands instead for a more sci-fi feel. I wish to give him a look inspired by the works of Range Murata... and make his robot-ness more obvious. He's the only one in my crew who's allowed to have visible joints, I always hide them on the others.

30 Days of Zelda, Day 22

2012-03-01T11:04:00.001+01:00

Day 22 - Something you want to change in any of the game

Turning into a wolf (Twilight Princess)
It doesn't fit into the story, nor does it make sence that Link turns into a wolf. I can't see the wolf as Link, it's just a random dog which you're forced to play as in certain sections of the game.
Remove the entire wolf parts of Twilight Princess. Or at least make it that it's Midna's wolf or something instead of Link himself turning into one.

Treasure Hunting - Kodak Instamatic and a school chair

2012-02-28T21:59:00.001+01:00

Found this camera for the price of barely anything. After some research, I found out that the Instamatic's used a different kind of film which stopped being produced in '99.
So... this one will probably just be for decorational purposes...

I've actually been looking for an old school chair. This one even had an interesting pair of legs in an X-shape! It might look uncomfortable, but it's not too bad actually.

Project Sinclair - It's alive! It's aliiiive!

2012-02-25T19:37:00.000+01:00

Gave my robo-boy a face-up and blushed his chest and hands.
I'm mighty happy to finally have him finished... he turned out better than I had hoped. I'll take some better close-ups later~
Now he's ready to go on adventures! No wait, he still needs clothes, or at least some shorts to cover up his privates...

Atari's got a new hairdo as well, so I will take new profile-pics for the crew and update their profiles soon.
And also, yay for 90 followers! Perhaps I should host a give-away when I reach 100?... X3

figma - Do Wants

2012-02-23T19:53:00.001+01:00

I used to collect quite a lot of figures before... The possibility of modding them later evolved into my current interest in BJD's, but now I'm again tempted to let some new guys move into my glass cabinet of figures.

I've seen figma's on conventions and online, always eyeing them for their poseability and their exchangable faces and hands etc... Now they've decided to drag me in and start spending my money on this hobby. By releasing Nintendo characters as figma's.
Above we see the ever so awesome Samus, as she appears in Metroid: Other M. She's got lots of joints and as such great poseability. A must-have, getting released in June.
But another one, still a prototype, caught my attention the most...

Holy fuck. He looks awesome... and pissed as always.
Looking forward to seeing him fully painted and ready for pre-order~ (and of course I'll mod him to be left-handed. Link should be left-handed. I don't care that this is the right-handed Skyward incarnation, my Link will be left-handed.)

Speaking of figures, D-Arts Full-armor X would be nice to have...

I should order him before he's sold out, I think he'd be good friends with the upcoming Samus~

Café

2012-02-22T12:50:00.000+01:00

A café sign near art school. Never been inside... but I love the look of the rusty letters against the brick wall, with shades from the previous sign underneath...

It almost feels like spring is here. =w=

Finally a new camera~

2012-02-18T18:23:00.000+01:00

I think I've mentioned my wishes to get a new camera. Been looking at reviews and photos on Flickr, gone to stores to try them out myself... My old one, a Samsung S1050, has been good to me and took quite good photos, but wasn't the same since it hit the rocky ground by accident... ^^;; Besides, I wanted something better. Mainly being able to take better photos of my BJD crew, and portraits of people (aka cosplayers X3).

I ran into a Samsung NX100 by chance, the store sold the demo (which was displayed without the lens and without any batteries, so basicly people could just look and touch it) for a very nice price~
Looking up reviews, it seemes like just the thing I've been looking for: not a full DSLR, not a tiny compact camera, but a mirrorless compact system camera! Meaning I can buy and switch lenses if I ever wanted to, but it's still compact enough to be easy to bring along.
The next day, I went back to buy it. Even though it has been used as a demo, it works perfectly and is as good as new.

Had it for a week now, trying it out and getting to know all it's settings etc, and I love it! It feels much like an SLR, I'm able to manually adjust focus on the lens just like on a "real" camera, but there are many modes to choose from for quick shots. Can't wait for spring, gonna bring this one with me and explore~
What kind of camera do you have?

30 Days of Zelda, Day 21

2012-02-17T17:11:00.000+01:00

Day 21 - If you could create your own Zelda game, what would be the plot, who would be the characters, the villain, and for which Nintendo system?

I'll try to keep this as short as possible, I could probably ramble enough about this to make a separate blog for it. XD
Anyway, I'd love to see a Zelda game with a map as big, or bigger, than in Adventure of Link. Many towns to visit, many sidequests and a long overall gameplay.
Ditch the sidekicks, if you need a hint on what to do next, check the journal which Link "writes" in. This way, he can get a little bit of character to know what he thinks, but not too much.
Nintendo should look up The Elder Scrolls series and grab inspiration from there. I'd love to see a Morrowind'esque take on The Legend of Zelda.
As for the plot, I prefer the classic approach. Ganon comes in, kidnaps Zelda (or put her under a spell or something) and you as Link have to save the world and the princess.
Explore dungeons, find items and weapons, open up roadblocks with bombs, ride your horse... That's what the series should be about.
Style: Twilight Princess meets Majora's Mask. Still beautiful colorful fantasy, but dark and dirty with everything being a bit creepy even when it's not supposed to be... Link being an adult of course (btw, Japan: please, stop making all your main characters 16 years old. The Zelda series turned 25 last year, so of course now Link is 26 years old. Deal with it.)

The above artwork is seen in old Nintendo guide books, and the style is a constant inspiration in how I wish the series would look like again.

Washi tape!

2012-02-12T22:16:00.002+01:00

Washi tape (washi = japanese paper) has been increasing in popularity all over the world, people use it in their scrapbooking, crafts and journaling. Washi tape comes in different colors and patterns, often being transculent when attached.
I've seen scrapbook companies releasing their own versions, but the magical world of scrapbooking likes to push prices through the roof, and being left with ordering online through import sites just for some tape doesn't feel right...
How surprised and glad I was to see washi tape in a swedish store (Panduro)! Not only that, but they were on sale, 5 tapes for 100kr (1 tape normally costs 29kr). Of course I had to pick some up~

They had many different patterns, each measuring 10m of tape per roll.
..Now what to do with it? I haven't tried any yet. Perhaps make a small journal/scrapbook with very few embellishments, using only washi tape, stickers and stamps along with some photos on each page. Nowadays when I'm so busy, it would be nice to have a small crafty thing to do without any high requirements...
Others use washi tape to put up photos or other things on the wall, or decorate their keyboards with tiny strips on each key.
I'm unsure where to begin... Anyone who has tried washi tape? What did you do with yours?

Project Sinclair - Pipos Body arrives!

2012-02-11T10:18:00.001+01:00

It arrived two days ago~
Crappy, blurry indoor photos ahead!

Le box!

It looked pretty bad on the outside... I was worried my things would be damaged!

But inside, everything was in perfect condition! Cute yellow box with ribbon...

Inside the box in the box! Two wigs, and the main part underneath!

Hello kitty! However, I only love you for your body.
I wanted a more mature body, and loved the look of Pipos' R.Pi line. Sadly the bodies aren't available seperately, so this cat had to come along. He's a Pipos Derek.
It's more of a bonus, but I doubt I will count him into the main family...

It's hard to tell on this pic, but Derek's head is huge! The quality of Pipos' goods are stunning~
It will be fun to face-up him just for practice, but moreso I'm thrilled to finally start working on Sinclair seriously! Soon, soon~

(and yes, Sinclair will have a grey body. He's a robot after all~ ;3)

Music Monday - All is Full of Love

2012-02-06T06:45:00.004+01:00

Sinclair's body is on shipping!
Once it's been delivered, I shall be able to continue working on my li'l robot boy~
This music video is very fitting, and the song is beautiful. I enjoy listening to Björk while painting and drawing. ^-^

Treasure Hunting - An old TV!

2012-02-04T17:27:00.000+01:00

An old TV!? That doesn't sound too impressive now does it?...

But look at this thing! It only cost 15kr (that's... less than 2,5$), and I hoped that it would work... but even if it didn't, the price was so low it would be worth it just to try it. XD

Connected the NES and yep, it works! How nostalgic, look at the bulging shape of that screen... XD
I am hoping to use this TV during our class' spring exhibition at art school to display the movie I made. But we'll see... ^-^

30 Days of Zelda, Day 20

2012-02-02T20:40:00.002+01:00

Day 20 - Your favorite battle

Stallord

What can I say, skeletons with red glowing eyes are cool.
First you fight this giant lord of death in a pool of quicksand, hitting his spine until he falls. But that's not enough to bring this big guy down, his head comes to life again and stalks you as you head upwards on a big column, shooting fireballs from his mouth.
He feels very classic, very fantasy, and very Legend of Zelda.

Another favorite of mine is Helmasaur King from A Link to the Past.
You hit his hard mask with the hammer, bits of it falling off until it's completely destroyed, revealing a big jewel on his forhead which you strike with your sword (or the hammer again XD). Watch out for that flaily tail of his!

Calm Saturday adventures

2012-01-28T22:06:00.001+01:00

Out of nowhere, it's gotten awfully cold. Art school takes up most of my days. Read my artsy adventures on my art blog to see what I'm currently painting.
But now it's weekend, time to relax!

Love the grungy old sign of this café. Never been inside though.

Poor cherry blossoms has gotten confused by the mild winter, thinking it's spring.
Now the temperatures are falling, they're suffering...

Mom made delicious lunch~
What have you been up to this weekend?

2011 - 39 questions

2012-01-24T07:16:00.001+01:00

I'm sure you've all had quite enough of last year's summaries being posted on every blog you follow, but this will at least be my last one. ^^;;
Long post is long!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
My artworks were selected for a proffesional exhibition (other exhibitions of mine have been related to comic school and other things), which was pretty rad!

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't really make resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, however my youngest older brother got married, and my oldest older brother (I have three older brothers if that was confusing... XD) announced that he and his beloved will be having a baby in April'ish this year. O.O

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully no.

5. What countries did you visit?
...Denmark? That barely counts, it's only a few hours away. XD

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A nice warm summer? X3
Or better yet, a job that I love!

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 7th. It's the day they called from the exhibition saying I was one of the six selected, the day I found my Soom Lami head (Sinclair) for sale, and my brother announced they were having a baby. All in one day...

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting into art school, and having my art chosen for the exhibiton.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Dunno.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Sinclair! *w*
But my Toshiba laptop isn't bad either~

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My art school's principal. Sadly he got a new job this year so he had to quit... ;__;

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Sometimes, the teachers and students at art school just don't get me nor my art. I shouldn't be so hard on them, or myself, but still it grinds me.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Eh hehehe... ^^;;

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
...Sinclair! X3 He's been such an inspiration. If you look at my art you can tell the open mouth expression has become quite frequent. XD

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
"Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday, fun fun fun fun, which seat can I taaaaake?!"

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier? Yes!
ii. thinner or fatter? I don't even own a scale so I have no idea... XD
iii. richer or poorer? Richer. Barely.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Being less lazy. Setting up that online shop I've been wanting for years but never do! ToT

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Being bothered by people's stupid comments.

20. How did you spend your christmas?
With my family~

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I stayed in love.
Or does doll love count? XD

22. How many one-night stands?
Lol, none. I'm in a relationship you know.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't watch that much TV, but honestly... we watched quite a lot of Top Model. Don't give me that look, argh! ^-^''

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
"Hate" is a strong word, but there's someone whos entire aura pisses me off.

25. What was the best book you read?
I don't read books.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The music group Air from France.

27. What did you want and got?
Sinclair!

28. What did you want and didn't get?
The removal of Link's ugly orange lipstick in Skyward Sword.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
As in released this year? Tintin! ^-^

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We celebrated at my place, and I got burned by coffee... XD
Age?... I don't remember~ =w=

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Perhaps getting a really awesome job?Perhaps getting into another art school with even better status?
There's too much shit one really wants, but one should be glad for the little things.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Korean male ulzzang, with Lee Do Hyeong and Yu Ha Min as main inspirations.

33. What kept you sane?
Coming home to my beloved after a long day.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
...Link?

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
I'm not much for politics.

36. Who did you miss?
Friends. I feel I've lost a lot of contact with my old friends, and now I have no one to talk to on a regular basis, other than my beloved who of course is my best friend.

37. Who was/were the best new person(s) you met?
Didn't really get to know any new people, but some in my class in art school seem allright. I just haven't talked to them that much (we only have one hour break for lunch and the rest of the day nine-to-five is pure work and lessons. Not much time for chatting there.)

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011?
Be yourself, tell it right into people's face the first time you meet them.
This is who I am, deal with it or fuck off.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"Take your passion, and make it happen.
Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life."

Now, enough about last year, time to make positive changes and not dwell on what has been!
Feel free to answer these questions too if you feel like it... ^-^
Happy Chinese New Year of the Dragon! Anyone else being a dragon like me? If you don't know your zodiac, look it up here~

Music Monday - lara6683

2012-01-23T06:35:00.001+01:00

Here's a bit of a special Music Monday, as I'm not just featuring a song but an artist.
I found lara6683 through tumblr where someone had made a music post with a song of "Nyan cat and Rebecca Black's friday played at the same time"... I seldom click those music players, but since the description was so interesting I clicked play.
"Holy shit, this is genious! O.O" I later found the artist on YouTube, allow me to share that same song:

So she's played both songs on piano and then merged them together... That's pretty epic.
She's also done duets with herself where she playes one part on piano and another on violin, such as this Skyward Sword theme:

Or, she teams up with a friend, as in this Morrowind/Skyrim theme video:

Seeing her videos inspired me to try playing instruments again. I'll never be this good, but it's fun to practice...
Go to lara6683's channel on YouTube to see more!

My 2011 Summary of Art

2012-01-17T18:40:00.000+01:00

Posted this on my art blog a while ago, but might as well share it here too! ^o^
When looking at my artworks last year, I feel happy with my development.
Every year, I come closer to defining and expressing myself through my artworks.

Click the months below to see the full pic!
January - Unlike 2010, I wanted to work with more traditional mediums. I started in January, with this dry pastel and graphite drawing.
February - Same medium as in Jan.
March - Used watercolors on this one.
April - Tried dry pastels on wood, and loved the result! Here I also started drawing more realistic features.
May - Waldeinsamkeit, still being one of my favorites of this year. Dry pastels on grey cardboard.
June - Back to watercolors and more 'toony and cute look. I think I worked on ConCom vol.4 during this time as well.
July - Colored pencils. Enjoying my more realistic approach.
August - Graphite and colored pencils, and study of headphones. Started art school.
September - My dear wooden boys, made in a similar fashion as the April artwork of Blue Bracken. These guys were featured at the UngKonst exhibitions.
October - Fabric print, a repeating pattern of a crying boy of the woods.
November - Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was released in November. Me wishing they had kept the Twilight Princess graphics...
December - Last but not least, the year was finished with an animation and a movie, digging into my soul trying to explain why I create the way I do... What a perfect way to start a new year, knowing what's inside oneself.
With this in mind, I'm sure 2012 will help me create even better artworks than before.

Nintendo candy!

2012-01-15T19:11:00.000+01:00

Hey guys, art school started again and will try to keep up with blogging!
Lots of things have happened within a week... I just beat Skyward Sword last weekend so a summary of my experience should be written. My camera is still dead and I'm using a temporary one I got from my brother, so I don't really have any new awesome photos to share either. T^T Still looking for a new one to buy. Reading reviews and all...

So instead, today I thought I'd feature some of my nerdy merchandise (with photos I took before my camera died XD).

Wii-mote candy! Of course I have to buy stuff like this when I see them in stores.
This is sort of like a wanna-be PEZ type of candy, in the shape of a Wii-mote.

Next to a real Wii-mote. All details are there, there's even a removable battery hatch at the back (which is empty and not even used for inserting the candy, which I originally thought it would)

Instead here's where you put the candy. It's that kind of hard sweet-salty candy which doesn't taste very good, yet you can't stop eating them. There must be some addictive shit in them. O__o''

Pressing the B button on the bottom of the Wii-mote makes the candy pop out. Pew pew!... Notice the brand who made this. "Au'some".

Some other Nintendo candy by Au'some as well. Mario ladder game candies, and Link, Mario and Donkey Kong PEZ look-alikes known as Klik.

Load 'em up like so. And enjoy.
Random merchandise like this isn't seen as often as back in the days. That's why I picked up the Wii-mote one when I saw it. XD The other candies are from 2001 or something, when Nintendo 64 was the greatest thing ever.
Of course, one can find things like this online, but I'm not too keen on paying for shipping and possible customs for random tiny merchandise.

Perhaps I should feature some more of my collections here on the blog?...

Music Monday - Aerodynamic

2012-01-09T07:01:00.001+01:00

*sigh* Back to school again. =__=
So let's get back to regular posting, and Music Monday's again.
Start of the year with Daft Punk - Aerodynamic. Gotta love their music video's for this album.

The year starts off nicely~

2012-01-01T20:22:00.002+01:00

Hi everyone, hope the first day of 2012 has treated you well.
It's started off nicely for me:

Cleaned the studio. Those piles of junk I mentioned in the last post are gone and stored in their rightful place.

Took down all the x-mas decorations. Really, after x-mas eve I see no point in keeping them on display. Season's over, bye-bye.

I found out I won the give-away at Vanillery Garden! TwT

Ordered a body and wig for li'l Sinclair! I've been looking forward to that for ages~
Also ordered a new wig for Atari. Hope the new look will suit her.

Going to IKEA tomorrow to get another display cabinet for beloved, and a bookcase(or what to call it) for myself.

Been eyeing a new camera and reading reviews of it. I just tried it out randomly at a store not so long ago, and I loved it. Perhaps I'll buy one~

Soon I'll get my new glasses!

One week left of my holidays from art school~

Before we get too far into the new year, I thought I'd share some of the nerdy gifts I recieved for x-mas.
First of all, to the left you see a Skyward Sword wallscroll! I also got two big posters and one small. Beloved bought 'em for me... ÓwÒ *happy*

Ice Invaders! Hah, so cute~ Tried 'em out last night during New Years eve, they worked nicely.

Ah, how nostalgic~ I have only faint memories of He-Man, but seeing the episodes now make me appreciate it a lot more. It's actually quite awesome so far, but I love 80's-90's 'toons overall.

Hope you guys are all feeling well! Any new year's resolutions?

Re: Comments

2011-12-30T16:09:00.000+01:00

I've answered blog comments in a similar fashion before, and I think this is quite a good way to answer them. Maybe someone else is curious about the answer other than the one asking? =3

Rhiannon said on "Prince Marth cosplay"
- "That is just amazing. Honestly, you are one of the best cosplayers I've seen. Did you make all the props yourself...? :O"
Aww, thank you so much~
I do a lot of the props myself, but sometimes remake things that are similar. Marth's sword is a repainted LARP-sword for example, and his ~~tiara~~ circlet is a modded plastic headband. I made and painted the armor myself though, as well as sewed the actual outfit.

jilliancat said on "My Toshiba NB550 laptop"
- "Might be out of topic but.. your table's pretty neat for a guy. :p"
I like it neat!
Or at least my workspace is always very organized. I envy people who can make a 'creative chaos' around themselves (such as both ladies next to me at art school) while I put my color tubes in chronological order before I get to work. XD
And of course I only show the pretty parts and share on my blog, the piles of junk next to the desk is irrelevant. ^^;;

Anonymous said on "Styling up the blog"
- "love you.. "
...I'll just pretend you're not a spambot and instead a fangirl of my Link cosplay;
Why thank you, princess! You fangirls are always so sweet~
*forever alone*

Kate said on "It will be mighty fine~"
- "yep we all want to know more about sweden!! maybe some language lessons too :) "
Language lessons? Hmm, that might be interesting... XD
I'll see what the blog will evolve into. But it will stay nerdy and random.

How do you reply to comments? Write in your own blog's comment section, go to their blog, use Disqus etc?...
I usually go to the person's blog and answer there. Most (if not all) bloggers want people to come and visit their blog and say "hi", so I figured why not. At least I rarely check back on people's blogs to see if they answered me...

30 Days of Zelda, Day 19

2011-12-28T18:43:00.000+01:00

Day 19 - Your least favorite “Legend of Zelda” game

Wind Waker

This game changed the Zelda series to become kawaii and derp rather than epic and serious.
Everything that happens in this game is a joke. This game's Link isn't even a real Link (with the Hero's Spirit) but some random kid in green clothes. The game doesn't take place in Hyrule. No, fuck Hyrule, it's been covered by water. Enjoy this endless boring world of water where the only thing you can do is travel by boat in the direction the wind blows (screenshot above is what 90% of the game looks like). Fittingly enough, your sidekick is a talking boat, who happens to be Zelda's dad and the king of the since long-gone kingdom of Hyrule. Zelda herself has been reborn as a tanned pirate named Tetra, who seems to be kick-ass at first, but once she finds out she's a princess she's back to her old self and gets kidnapped.
Ganondorf has eaten too many take-aways and is as big as a house, is not an evil wizard anymore and instead uses two katanas in the final battle.

Holy. Fuck.
Why do people love this game so much?

Most "fans" instantly bash Zelda II: The Adventure of Link when they're asked about their least favorite of the series. That pisses me off.
Zelda II has the darkest story of the games ("The key to Ganon's return was the blood of Link - the valiant lad who overthrew the King of Evil. Ganon would be revived by sacrificing Link and sprinkling his blood on the ashes of Ganon" says the manual. That's right, every enemy you meet in this game are out to KILL you.) It's also the game which brought us the Captain N version of Link, the most badass Link of all.

But sure, Wind Waker is still a great game! I just wish it wasn't part of the Zelda series. It's existence has tainted the series forevermore.

More glass eyes! ^o^

2011-12-26T13:22:00.000+01:00

Li'l Sinclair (still in need of a body and face-up) finally has a pair of eyes that suit him!
It was said that 14mm would suit the sculpt best, but I didn't like any of the ones I bought. So I tried 12mm instead, and now he's got more of an intense look! They're purple/pink with a darker pupil (not a black one). He's a robot after all~

Konami's also wearing a pair of down-sized eyes, from 16mm to 14mm.

These green 12mm eyes were meant for Sinclair, but didn't suit him. Giving them to Atari however finally gave her some of the attitude I wanted her to have! Looking forward to getting her a red wig now, which will work well with her freckles I hope... X3

Now Nino's the only one who still needs glass eyes (he's got 18mm), and the crew is completely armed with eyes of glass instead of acrylics~

Hope you guys had a nice holiday celebration. We're not done yet though, having another family dinner later tonight. Then all my brothers and their respective loves will be there, along with mom and dad!
We allready got some fun gifts, but since some of my family couldn't make it home in time for x-mas eve, we'll get their gifts today and give them ours! Yay~

Making an animation~

2011-12-23T16:40:00.000+01:00

Just posted some gifs of this guy above on my art blog. It's from my finished animation I made in art school. Well, more info on the blog what the movie really is about.

Also...
ru ru ru~ now has 80 Followers!
Yaaay! Thanks for all your support ÓwÒ

A bit of snow

2011-12-21T14:47:00.000+01:00

A bit of snow is fine. I usually hate snow, but today it looked quite nice~
It's not meters high like last year, just a bit of powder on the ground and trees.

It will probably melt away in time for x-mas eve but you never know.

Oh, the glasses? It went fine, I found a pair that was similar in shape with the last pair but two-toned grey to white (or "squid-colored" like my beloved said XD). It will be a couple of days until I get them though... probably next year.
Looking forward to getting them~

Vanillery Garden Diary give-away

2011-12-20T13:23:00.000+01:00

Natalie of the adorable blog Vanillery Garden is hosting a give-away of the 2012 diary planner above~

Inspiration - Glasses

2011-12-19T09:53:00.000+01:00

Today I'm off to get myself a new pair of glasses! ^o^ My old ones are many years old now, and I'd rather not wear them because they don't suit me anymore... but at least I can read far-away text with them...
But now it's time to get a pair I can wear with pride!
Some inspiration to keep in mind...

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Bigger and rounder glasses makes you look cute and kind.
Brown with amber'ish color changes is also more soft than jet black.

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Very square and big might work for some faces...

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Thin and black, for a more grown-up and cool look.

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Two-toned ones!

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I'm hoping to find something like this. Similar to the first pair, but not as oversized.

Does any of you have glasses? Perhaps contact lenses?
Or are you lucky enough to have such good eye-sight you don't need anything?...

My Toshiba NB550 laptop

2011-12-16T21:50:00.001+01:00

As my days are pretty much taken over by being in art school from nine-to-five, plus the trainride to and from school, there's little time left at home to sit in front of the computer.
At school there are only fancy Mac computers, with bouncy icons and all that flashy shit which makes them impossible for me to use. So I decided to get myself a laptop. However, most laptops are too big and bulky for my taste, it's ridiculous that they're even called "portable" at times. Then I thought, how about a mini-PC! I started looking at reviews and stores~
The Toshiba NB550 caught my eye, mainly for the epic design, but upon closer inspection, the specs where pretty nice as well!

This fella can handle newer games pretty nicely, as well as Photoshop. That's a must for someone like me, so after watching reviews of the Toshiba NB550, I decided to buy it.

I got it late October, so I've had time to get to know it quite well.
The sound quality is really nice, as well as the screen. Sure, the resolution is a bit low and when browsing certain sites online I have to zoom out to view the entire page. Not much of a bother though.
The keyboard is small, as expected from a mini-PC, so it took a while to get used to. If you have tiny hands I guess this won't be a problem.

I dug out my sewing machine and made a bag for it. It's got cardboard inside to strengthen the front and back, with a padded quilted inside for extra protection.
Now I can easily bring it along to art school. It fits in my backpack with ease.

When working at home, it looks like this.
Of course, most of the time when I'm home, I'm using my real stationary PC... allthough some games run smoother on this one. XD

I do like my tiny Toshiba a lot, and I do not regret buying it!
I use it in school to check blogs when I have some free time, and I use it when we're working digitally in Photoshop or doing animations. It's neat to bring it along and use it.
And the diesel punk'y design got me at first glance...

30 Days of Zelda, Day 18

2011-12-14T00:03:00.000+01:00

Day 18 - A dimension from any of the games (Hyrule, Termina, Twilight) you would like to live in and which area

Dimension: I'd live in Hyrule. No doubt about it.
As of which area, it's either:

Kakariko (A Link to the Past)
or...
Ordon (Twilight Princess)

They're both small villages. And I do live in a small village right now, so they fit my preferences just perfect.
Not only that, but Link has the most awesome home in Twilight Princess. Can I move in~? X3

Prince Marth cosplay

2011-12-12T07:41:00.001+01:00

Dear Jilliancat asked "when will you post more photos of yourself?"... Well, I'm not too keen on being in front of the camera, only when cosplaying... XD
Thus, enjoy a pic of me as Prince Marth. ^-^

Prince Marth with Falchion by ~Metal-Minish
No Music Monday today as I posted a video yesterday, so if you came here looking for some music, scroll down one post. ^-^

Wrapping gifts! w

2011-12-11T07:05:00.002+01:00

I love wrapping gifts... It doesn't matter if it's in time for the winter holidays or if it's someone's birthday or wedding, I think it's a lot more fun to wrap the gift than to buy the thing to wrap. XD
This year, our gifts are covered in kraft paper, with tiny paper doilies to write "God Jul"(swedish for "Merry x-mas", god meaning "good" so it's not referring to mr. Holy above XD) on, with paper ribbons in different colors on each gift (brown, beige, white and green)~
The trickiest gift to wrap so far was a cylinder-shaped thingie... because I thought "if I put this into a cookie yar, they'll never guess what it really is!"... Well, it turned out allright at least... ^^;;

I need to set up an Etsy or something, so whenever someone orders my shit I can wrap it up! *o* This would be a fitting tune to play in the background when wrapping.
(from that awful Turtles Special I've featured in this post)
Yo yo, the wrap rap. Wrap rap! (I'll call this a Music Monday, even though it's Sunday... ^-^)Do you guys like to wrap gifts?
Or do you have any special things in mind when getting all the holiday gifts?
I still have a few more gifts to get... Time is ticking away... @__@

Just Atari

2011-12-08T21:11:00.000+01:00

Inspiration - Mori Boy

2011-12-06T22:35:00.002+01:00

I believe I discovered mori fashion for the first time during summer last year. It's a japanese fashion genre, "mori" meaning "forest".
Combining soft natural colours, layering, lace, and hand-made items, the mori fashion has captured people who prefer a laid-back lifestyle with tea and books over bling-bling and drinking parties.
Most often one sees Mori Girls, but there are a few examples of Mori Boys as well! Here's a couple of my favorites, all with different takes on the fashion:

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I'd love to try a mori boy oriented wardrobe myself, wonder if I could pull off the style well or just look silly. Most of all, one should wear what one feels comfortable and confident wearing! ^-^

Gamers making marzipan figures

2011-12-04T15:39:00.000+01:00

Of course one has to do some holiday baking and stuff now that it's December and all!

Me and beloved bought raw marzipan, colored it and set to work!

Samus, Luigi and Mario!

And a grumpy Link... XD

A Snifit (from Super Mario Bros 2) and a Koopa joined the crew~

All of our creations! ^o^
The Pikachu to the left was cut out with a cookie-cutter shaped like a bunny... I bought it just to see if it would work as a Pikachu. It's good enough. ;3
I might feel bad when we're going to eat these though, poor fellas... but they're so tasty~ *¬*

I've added a pic in the sidebar which you can click to view all my jul related posts. I made some last year which you can read allready if you haven't~
And yes, I will refer to the holidays with the swedish word "jul" as it has less to do with religion and stuff. I'm not religious, I just celebrate with glitter, gifts, lots of food and being with my family~
I'll try to post once a week with some of our preparations and celebrations of the holiday!

Vanillery Garden give-away

2011-12-03T18:05:00.000+01:00

Natalie of the adorable blog Vanillery Garden is hosting a give-away of the cute stickers above~

New buttons and stuff~

2011-12-02T20:40:00.000+01:00

Made some new link-to buttons for you to use when linking to this blog!

Copy the html below the image and paste into your blog's sidebar (or wherever you like it to be), and you'll get the chosen image with a link back here!
Blogger users: Go to "Design", then "Add Gadget". From the list, pick "HTML/Javascript". Copy the code below the image you like the most and paste into the text box. Ta-daah!

Also added some festive gifs in the sidebar; a santa Pikachu in the "content" menu, and Adult and Kid Link holding a ribbon at the very bottom. So far no snow here (I'm glad~), but we still need some x-mas feeling! It's december allready!... @_@

Alpacas

2011-12-01T18:12:00.000+01:00

These alpacas wander around in a field near my parents' home.
Actually there's two more of them, but I couldn't fit them all in one shot. They look so cute and derp. XD

This guy's my favorite.
That expression looks like =ω= , don't you think?

Alpacas seem to have gained in popularity lately, mainly thanks to Mori Girl fashion(where it's sort of like the mascot of the entire style) and the Arpakasso plushies. I wouldn't say no to owning an Arpakasso keychain myself...

30 Days of Zelda, Day 17

2011-11-29T11:08:00.002+01:00

Day 17 - Something in “The Legend of Zelda” games that you want to exist in real life

(argh, there are so many great answers I could think of for this, but this will do...)

Teleportation Bird
Or rather, I'd like anything that can make traveling easier or faster.
With this bird, you blow your instrument and it comes to pick you up, and then you can choose where you'd like to go and it let's you off there in no time at all.
Would be mighty convenient IRL.

Music Monday - Vinyl Umbrella

2011-11-28T09:00:00.001+01:00

I saw these guys live at UppCon! How I regret not getting their CD... T^T
Nevertheless, here's MinxZone's music video for Vinyl Umbrella.
The blog's been updated. Well, it's a start. Not too sure about anything as of yet, but at least I think it's looks better than before. I'll work from here.
Apart from a lot of fiddling with the visual layout, the "about" page has been re-written among other things.
So, what do you think so far?

It will be mighty fine~

2011-11-25T21:34:00.000+01:00

Sorry about these text-intense posts as of late, I'll be back with more photos and fun once the blog is updated!
This weekend I hope to get most of the blog fixed. Keeping the layout, just reworking the things that are allready here and adding some new bits.

Currently making:
¤New header
¤Better avatar photo (same photo, just fancied up)
¤New "link to" buttons
¤Nicer background (instead of the dark wood)
¤Rewriting some pages

Here are some of your suggestions of what you'd like to see:
Collection of cosplays - Sure, that can be arranged. I love cosplay~ X3
Photography - Why of course, I'll continue to post my random photos here! ^-^
More nature photos were requested. Nature is always ready to model for shoots, and I live next to a forest so many beautiful scenes can be offered!
Photo journal - Hmm... I could try some sort of photo challenge? I'll see what can be done.
BJD stories - There might be more to come!
Scrapbooking - I haven't scrapped for ages. But if I would make something worth showing, I might post it.
About Sweden & culture - People seem to be curious about Sweden... XD Well um... I could try. I don't think I know much myself other than what it's like living here and showing some photos and stuff. I've done posts on midsommar and last year I made jul (x-mas) posts once a week though December. You like reading those kind of things? Then I'll keep it in mind.

More suggestions are always welcome~
Again, sorry for the wall-of-text posts lately. Photos and other shit will be back as usual, hopefully this weekend! ^o^

Skyward Sword - First thoughts

2011-11-24T11:50:00.002+01:00

Having played Skyward Sword for a week now, it's time for a small "first thoughts" review. ^-^
I play quite slow as I like to poke about places forever and explore. I also want the game to last longer... so I've just beaten the first temple...
No spoilers whatsoever, so read on without fear~

As you all know, I've been ranting about it ever since the first trailer came out. It's quite amusing reading them now. XD Allthough I've been more and more accepting of the anime'esque style compared to the semi-realism seen in Twilight Princess, I was sceptic until the very first day I tried Skyward Sword myself.

But now I can see that it combines all the good elements of the games in the series. The graphics are actually really beautiful. YouTube videos don't do it justice. And Link's lips aren't as awful as I thought. XD True, he's no longer as handsome as he was in Twilight Princess, but that adds some more retro feel to it. He's back to looking more adorkable, like his old "excuuuse me, princess"-self. Which is awesome.
Another cool feature is that sometimes when you're asked something, you get three options of what Link should answer. This is a good compromise of pleasing everyone instead of giving him one personality, which might not fit everyone's taste. Obviously I pick the sarcastic and taunting options. That's my Link! XD

The controlls work really well! I've only played the GameCube version of Twilight Princess, so I can't compare the precision of the two games, but all I know is that in Skyward Sword it feels great. You really can move the Wiimote in any direction and he'll follow. Finally a game where the motion controll makes sence and works excellently.
You can also run for a little while. A stamina meter has been added, and Link gets exhausted and has to catch his breath if you go too far.
An upgrade system for items has been added. And your shield can break if it takes too much damage. This is awesome, as the Zelda games do need a bit more of a challenge if you ask me...

Another beautiful feature is the music. It's that kind of game where you'd enter an area just to listen to the music there. Again, very nostaligic retro feelings bubble up to many of the tunes. It feels as if Skyward Sword would make an excellent game for Super Nintendo... It warms one's soul and heart. ^-^

The stripes are just my camera having troubles photographing the TV, it doesn't look like that IRL.
An awesome "It's dangerous to go alone" reference. Things like this pleases an old fan like myself a lot~
(oh, and that girl's name is Kukiel... it's only funny in swedish, and if you have a childish sence of humour. Poor girl. XD)

So what I can say for now is that it's an amazing game. If you own a Wii this is a title you must have in your collection. If you don't own a Wii, use your PS3/Xbox as a portable toilet from now on and buy a Wii with Skyward Sword instead.

Styling up the blog

2011-11-21T16:40:00.001+01:00

The blog needs a bit of a touch-up. Instead of giving up on this blog, I wish to renew it.
Style it up a notch.
A few updates have allready been made. You might have noticed the photos of the crew in the sidebar. Konami's got a new photo ('cause he got a new face-up this summer) and also added li'l Sinclair. You can read a bit about them all by clicking on any of their portraits.

A new header and some better-looking buttons are needed. Any suggestions what kind of photos to use? Cosplay, BJD's, nature, random?...
It's a personal blog, but the main themes should perhaps come across more, so that people with similar interests find it~

Other than that, anything else you'd like to see? A photo gallery or something (I've tried Flickr, but the community's so stiff and boring! Urgh)? A larger "About me" section? A collection of my cosplays?... Any suggestions of new/updated sections or anything else that you'd like to see are welcome.
I hope to work on this during the winter break in a couple of weeks, or whenever I have some spare time.

On another note, Skyward Sword is awesome. I'm glad I was wrong the whole time. XD
Playing it the entire weekend has made my overall mood much better. The colorful summery feel of the game is the perfect cure against winter downs.
I shall make an elaborate post on my first thoughts of the game.

Skyward Sword - Limited Edition pack

2011-11-17T17:14:00.000+01:00

It has arrived, and one day earlier than the actual release! ^o^
(the EU release that is, everyone else has to wait even longer, hahaha~)
The limited edition bundle box includes the game Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, a 25th Anniversary orchestrated CD and a golden Wiimote with built-in Wii Motion Plus.

I've been very sceptical of this game ever since I saw the first trailer. More and more it has grown on me though... Looking forward to playing it, hoping it will prove me wrong of my doubts.
Also curious what the music CD holds. And how Wii Motion Plus is different from the regular Wiimote...

Now if you'll excuuuse me, I'm off to save the world.

Treasure Hunting - Autumn

2011-11-15T18:21:00.000+01:00

Not so very recent finds, but finds nonetheless! Allow me to share them with thee~

An old bandage box! Heh, it was too fun to pass up...
Now we keep our plasters and other stuff in this.

The lid reads "Swedish Rescue Service - Bandage box no.1"

A fancy diesel punk'ish lamp in a metallic bronze tone.

And here's a really fun thing. X3
This odd bag with two compartments seemed like just the right size for tiny dolls. I bought it, and put the two pillows that came with Atari inside. Now it's the perfect travel bag for Atari, and Sinclair will join her soon! ^o^
My big guys Nino and Konami are hard to bring along, so I'm glad at least I'll be able to bring the tiny ones along with ease now~

Music Monday - Aquatic Ambiance

2011-11-14T09:37:00.001+01:00

One of my favorite videogame themes ever. Donkey Kong Country was amazing not only with the 3D'esque graphics on the Super Nintendo, but also for the music.
This soothing tune is played during underwater stages...

I'm glad for the feedback I've recieved recently about this blog, thanks a lot!
Now I have some ideas for future topics, and I will try my best to keep the blog somewhat active, even though there's "winter downs" and stress from art school pushing me back at times... @_@

The sky isn't always blue

2011-11-12T08:38:00.000+01:00

I look back through my photos, and remember that the sky was beautiful in August.
But this time of the year is really awful. It's not beautiful vivid autumn, nor cozy winter with lights and decorations brightening everything up. It's just grey and cold. It really wears one out.

I'm still not sure what to do with the blog. Dear Rhiannon gave me the sweet advice of "just concentrate on writing for yourself", but that makes one sort of vulnerable when posting more personal stuff like my last post and no-one gives a shit.

I also noticed people removing the banner linking to my blog, which doesn't help the situation.
Has the blog changed since I started? Definately. I think for the better. Now, time is the only thing stopping the blog from evolving further.
What should the blog look like? What topics are interesting? What do I as the author want to post, and discuss with the readers?
Because the point of a blog must be the interaction between the author and the readers, otherwise we might as well just stick to personal diaries with pen and paper and let no one ever read it. Perhaps that's what I should do?... A "blog" in paper form, with text and photos and thoughts... just for me.

Skyward Sword will be released next week. I'm actually starting to get excited about it. Something fun to look forward to in this season of grey.
That is also why I'm sharing some sky photos in this post. Looking at the sky gives one time to think, or to let one's mind become completely blank for a moment.
I hope Skyward Sword gives me the same feeling, some escapism is needed right now.

30 Days of Zelda, Day 16

2011-11-10T12:47:00.001+01:00

(well, I was asked to update more often... ^^;;
This post actually tells you more about myself than The Legend of Zelda, so I think even non-fans can enjoy reading this)

Day 16 - A character you could relate to the most

Link "The Hero of Time", from Ocarina of Time

In Ocarina of Time (OoT), young Link was bullied by the other kids for being different. Mido was the main and meanest bully of the crew. As the game progresses, you jump seven years in time, and Link becomes a man, while the mean forest kids are still kids. Is this some way of saying that for them being assholes, their minds are still as uneducated as children, unable to learn from their mistakes and grow up?...

I too was bullied as a kid. I too had that awful blond center-parted 90's boy band hairdo. As such, playing Ocarina of Time during my teen years, and seeing Link go from being the lonely, bullied outcast into the handsome Hero praised by everyone, gave me confidence to face reality everyday.
I'm like "Fuck you guys, I'm Link."
Even though I'm connected to the game OoT with these memories and values in mind, I don't adore it as much as most of the Zelda fandom does... and OoT Link is one of my least favorite Links...
still I think I'm most alike him. Which is rather sad. At least I got rid of that hairdo.
But the mindset of "Fuck you guys, I'm Link" remains.

Inspiration - Interiors

2011-11-05T21:11:00.000+01:00

During autumn and winter, I find myself looking for interior inspiration. Now when it's cold and dark, one wants to make their home as comfy as possible.
So here are some off my all-time favorite photos of awesome rooms indoors!

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I like wood with structure, combined with whites and a few fun pops of color.
It's hard to call it a specific style, it's not really shabby chic or anything, so it's hard trying to find photos of interiors that fits my taste...

Also, a small bonus just for fun~

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So let's get this straight...

2011-11-02T11:37:00.001+01:00

...the hair that is!
When I bought the wig for Atari, I had in mind to cut it and straighten it. But of course, I chickened out to make any modifications once it arrived.
Atari however, refused to feel at home with her cute curls. She had more attitude and was more grown-up than that, she demanded a new hairdo!
Either she needed a new style completely (that is, a new wig) or I could try straightening her current wig. I went with the latter for now. ^-^

Looks pretty cool~
To straighten synthetic wigs, you boil water and pour it over the wig, which hangs freely. I placed Atari's wig on top of a glass bottle, and put it in the bathtub before pouring the boiled water.

She'll keep this look for a while, but I might buy her a better wig in the future...

Halloween "pumpkin" and cosplay

2011-10-31T20:01:00.000+01:00

Last Halloween we made a pumpkin lantern based on Haunter (the Pokémon).
That was not an easy task though, the pumpkin was hard like it was made of wood and we only have kitchen knives and spoons to work with... So this year we decided to use a melon instead! ^o^

"What the heck is that?..." you ask. Well, maybe a shot of how it looks when lit might help!

Remind you of something?... Yes, it's based on this smiley --->
OK, so it's far from perfect, but it was lots of fun carving it, and we got tasty watermelon to eat with ice cream too!

Do you guys dress up as something creepy?...
I don't, it's not as big of a celebration over here (only for the youngest) and I didn't go to any party, allthough my most recent cosplay would be quite fitting: Dark Link~

Dark Link cosplay, by Metal MinishHope you're all having a great day and evening!
(and scroll down one post for my Halloween'y Music Monday! X3)

Music Monday - Thriller

2011-10-31T07:11:00.000+01:00

More of a small movie than a music video, Michael Jackson's Thriller is a masterpiece of the music industry. This was made before everything started being computer-animated, thus looking more realistic than what we can achive with computers today (which might sound backwards, but you know it's true!). And of course, no MJ video is complete without an epicly choreographed dance scene.
This is a must-see!
Happy Halloween!

Konami - Ladybug

2011-10-30T10:08:00.001+01:00

Attention from ladies doesn't bug Konami one bit.
Wait what...

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I'm stressed and very busy lately... I come home late from art school and I have just enough energy to make some dinner before having to do some other stuff that has to be done, and then it's time for bed.
My art blog's got undoubtedly higher priority than this one, and I rarely have time to browse on other blogs let alone comment... I'll try to catch-up during weekends and nights when I have the time. At the same time, I'm doing my best to keep this blog quite updated as well. Music Monday and 30 Days of Zelda are recurring themes which helps quite a lot. Sadly they're the least popular posts here (based on comments recieved). I have no idea what to do about that.
Thanks to all my followers who're still sticking around...

30 Days of Zelda, Day 15

2011-10-25T11:59:00.000+02:00

Day 15 - A scene in one of the “Legend of Zelda” games you cried over

Darmani's Death
The Goron hero Darmani, now a ghost who cannot leave this world without having his soul healed. He begs of Link to heal him, who then plays the Song of Healing. A short cutscene starts, where Darmani sees his people cheering for him, in some blurry, dreamy slowmotion. Darmani then starts shedding golden tears... all while the Song of Healing is played on piano (click above to hear it).

I'm not sure why this scene brought tears to my eyes, there are many scenes throughout the Zelda series that are sad. Maybe it was because I was 12 years old, still quite young but old enough to sort of understood what was going on... When I was even younger, the Flute Boy from A Link to the Past didn't make that much sense, and now that I'm older and play new games, I guess many sad moments just pass me as cliché. I dunno...

Pixel Lego

2011-10-24T18:22:00.000+02:00

Best window display in Malmö. ^-^
This shop mods gaming consoles and sells old games, and other stuff for upgrading one's gaming experience. I've yet to actually step into the store, I'm stuck at the window every time. XD

Project Sinclair - Main part arrives!

2011-10-21T20:55:00.001+02:00

Some of you might remember a post back in April, where I mentioned how one "falls for a doll"... At the end of that post, my most recent doll-love showed his open-mouthed complexion for the world... Yet, he was limited edition, sold only for a short time, for one juicy amount of cash which is common in this type of hobby. I kicked myself, because I just couldn't adopt him... at least not yet.

Like a daily morning ritual, I visited the DoA marketplace, seeing if perhaps someone would be willing to part with their little one and give him a better home (with me of course). Sometimes they popped up, and I pm'd the seller. Nope, someone was faster, someone bid higher, someone traded it for something else. No luck for months and months... until one day. I could hardly believe it. *w*
It was meant to be. During this whole time I had been waiting, a character for this face had developed... I only needed his head, for his body would be different than the original... This seller sold only the head, as the original doll came with two heads so no worries. She was so kind and sweet too... TwT
A week later, a box arrived!

Doll owners can relate... "OMG BOX!" You see your own silly grin reflecting in the camera screen and try to compose yourself...

Contents of box~ Cute letter from the seller, some extra items (like I said; such a sweet seller... X3) and the main part: the head!

After unwrapping the bubblewrap, this greets me. Teef and wittle toungue!

Ah, the adorableness~ So happy to finally have him here!

So everyone, welcome Sinclair to the crew! He's a robot, a reploid to be exact, so as such he's not yet activated... He needs a body and other components. You might see some scratches on his face, I will try to get rid of those as well as doing some other small modifications.
I will post the process as he develops~

Art exhibition

2011-10-19T13:07:00.001+02:00

Posted some photos on my art blog regarding an art vernissage held last weekend. ^-^
Me and five other artists were chosen by a jury for this exhibition. The three dudes above are my self portrait wooden boys~
Go here for more info!

(comments are welcome at my art blog, but turned off here)

Music Monday - Super Lover

2011-10-17T07:26:00.003+02:00

Misster is a group from Taiwan. I haven't heard many of their songs, but the ones I have heard I do like a lot~ Here's Super Lover!
Oh, and they're all girls. Hell yeah, yay for genderbending!

30 Days of Zelda, Day 14

2011-10-15T21:19:00.002+02:00

Day 14 - Your favorite part in the game

Exploring!
The freedom featured in (most) Zelda titles is captivating. You get the feeling that you are the one exploring the dungeouns, walking across the plains and talking to the people of town.
One can easily stray away from the main quest by going back somewhere you've been before, doing sidequests or just... explore. You really do become one with Link in that way.

Tiny mushrooms, tiny girl

2011-10-12T22:36:00.001+02:00

See those small white things? They're mushrooms! *w*

It's been a while since I could enjoy a nice walk in the forest... This was very soothing, to have a small unplanned photoshoot of Atari, exploring the area, walking away from the path and into the forest...
I hope there will be more sunny autumn weekends ahead!

Convention loot

2011-10-08T18:15:00.000+02:00

As I mentioned earlier, I went to a con last weekend! I sold my own comics and artwork prints etc, as well as cosplayed Dark Link. I made a full post of the con on my art blog with many photos, so take a look if you like. ÓwÒ
Though something you won't see there is what I bought with me home from the con!
Let me show you~

What have we here? Well, first is a chocolate medal which I got as a price in the cosplay competition (I won "Best In-character"~ X3), then I bought myself a li'l Nendoroid(?) Kaito from Vocaloid (bootleg though, but I don't really mind) since he looks very much like Marth... XD On the paper doily there are four pieces of decoden, which I bought as accessories my BJD's might be able to use in a photoshoot or something. Last but not least, a fancy Pikachu wallet. Well excuuuse me for liking certain cute things... ^^;;

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Epicly awesome fuck yeah!

2011-10-05T19:14:00.000+02:00

Some of you might remember the Dark Link figure I featured back in March.
I sighed dreamily, saying "this is great, but I'd love to see a Twilight Princess Link"... And it seems my wish will come true!

Now that's delicious; a good-looking Link to rest one's eyes on after all the dissapointing Skyward Sword footage. ^o^
The figure is based on this image, which also happens to be one of my favorite Zelda artworks to date. He's a big boy too, about 43cm! *o* But of course, a pricy one as well... $425.
Ouch, and I'm trying to get myself another dear BJD (second-hand as he's limited and sold-out), and now Link makes an entrance. My wallet is sad, so sad...

Music Monday - Only for the Weak

2011-10-03T06:54:00.001+02:00

During the cold autumn, I find myself listening to more metal than usual.
In Flames is a swedish melodic death metal band, who I personally think were awesome during the Lunair Strain to Clayman era. A very nostalgic group to listen to for me.
This song and video is from the Clayman album.

Skyward Sword - Romance and flail

2011-10-02T17:35:00.000+02:00

I found out the director of Skyward Sword is the same as the one of Minish Cap.
That explains why we have a feminine emo'ish main villan, and the Disney'esque mood of everything.
Here's a new trailer with a very romantic theme.

Now isn't that just aaw-able?... Well, sort of.
I was bothered at 0:25 though. Suddenly Link is a flaily tard afraid of everything?...
Well, I guess it's to make him so loveably kawaii so all the 14-year-old fangirls cream their pants in excitement, but seriously. He supposed to be the kick-ass legendary hero of COURAGE. Flailing about like that is quite a turn-off if you ask me. I hope he'll man-up to his old self through the game. Allthough, every Zelda-title features a new incarnation of Link, so I guess this one could be a pussy. We'll see.
Also, his lips are still horrible.

Candy Cain~

2011-10-01T21:44:00.001+02:00

My latest comic, all in it's printed and sparkly glory~~~
I was at a convention today, selling this and my other works. I'll probably make a post about it here soon. ^-^
The cover is printed on this awesome paper, which shines blue in certain light!
I love seeing the different feels of my works... this one has a lace doily theme going on, which I wanted to embrace with the li'l doily underneath the glass holding one candy cane.
If you wish to get another preview, and perhaps buy yourself a copy and support me, do check out my art blog for more information~ ^-^

Back but busy

2011-09-29T18:57:00.001+02:00

Hi guys~ Sorry about not updating for a while, art school does take up a lot of my days (as said previously, it's nine-to-five daily, not counting the time it takes to take the train to and from school... and the train only goes once per hour, so if I miss one I'll have to wait an hour for the next.)
I even forgot this week's Music Monday! Not too much of a problem, I'll just post one next week instead. Perhaps I should invest in a laptop with internet connection, so I can keep up with blogging and the rest of the 'net while waiting for the train and stuff?... We'll see~

Speaking of investments in tech, my camera's been acting up more than usual lately... which I find horrid, I had no idea how addicted I am to my camera until now when it sort-of-works every third time... And there's a con coming up this weekend! Going to a con without a cam!? @_@
This photo of the black butterfly was taken this summer...

Anyway!
Thanks for 70 followers!
I hope you'll all continue to enjoy following my posts...

I'll be back with something more interesting than this in the next posts... ^^;;

Re: Comments

2011-09-22T21:06:00.000+02:00

Allow me to reply to some comments!
I usually visit the commenter and reply on their blog, but sometimes "oh btw, regarding what you said on my blog" doesn't fit in too well. So here's a bunch of answers, for both the commenters and others who might be interested!

(and here's a pic of Atari so this post won't be just a wall of text)
Maria said on "Sailor Boy"
"Oh that is so beautiful, your a wonderful artist metal...... I want to see more...."
Thank you very much!
More art of mine is always found on my specific art blog~ I'm always glad for more visitors, and familiar faces are especially nice to see!

jilliancat said on "Music Monday - Kolima Forest"
"Golden Sun is SOOO not easy to play. I've to refer to guide so many times especially the maze!! "
Oh, it's been so long since I played it, I can't even remember any specific maze... XD
But I remember having fun playing it back when I first got my Game Boy Advance~

Mutsumi said on "New Skyward Sword art and box cover"
"Right-handed after 25 years?! WTF! xX
And you're right..the graphic looks just...plane and OOOOLD. "
Yesyes... ;__; I think it's such an odd thing to change, he's always been left-handed so it's sad to see them change such a fun li'l characteristic.
I do hope the graphics will be animated well or something to make up for the lack of wow-factor... =/

Johnny said on "The Basics"
"Fellow old-school nintendo gamer FTW! Super Mario Bros and Megaman are definitely my favorites xD

btw, kickass blog. Is it custom made?"
Awesome, another retro gamer fan, hello there! ^o^
Thank you, I've based the layout on another template and changed the graphics and stuff... So it's sort-of custom made, though not entirely.

Kate said on "Mushroom Hunt!"
"are they all edible? they are gorgeous! well done with art school, sounds like it will definitely pay off!!"
Art school is tough, but I'm sure it will be worth it! It's what I love doing, my passion in life, and I'm so glad I was accepted... =,3
Regarding the 'shrooms, I didn't bring my mushroom book with me so I'm not sure if they're edible or not. Except for the delicious chanterelles, which we cooked and ate on bread~ X3

jilliancat said on "30 Days of Zelda, Day 13"
YOU are a eally a perfect Link ;) HAhaha. YES you should make another new link costume or maybe even continue the previous ones but in different settings. ;)
*happy cry* Thank you dear... Being called a perfect Link is pretty much the best compliment anyone can give me... XD
I hope I'll have the time to have more photoshoots and make more Link versions!

Kojika said on "Just need to rant..."
"There was a Street Fighter event near me organised by Capcom themselves yesterday, but I also didn't find out about it until too late :( I could really have kicked booty there cosplaying as Sakura (my cosplay wishlist is getting too long, and I'm getting far too lazy...) :<"
Argh, that's even worse than what I'm whining about! Hosted by Capcom themselves... that is one major bummer! T^T
I do hope you'll get the chance to kick ass cosplaying Sakura at another awesome event... Autumn seems to be con season, at least here in Sweden!

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Well, that's a couple of comments answered! Hope you enjoyed reading this way of replies...

New Skyward Sword art and box cover

2011-09-20T17:30:00.000+02:00

Yeah... I'm still dissapointed in the graphics. Yes, it still bothers me that Link suddenly becomes right-handed after being left-handed for 25 years. Yes, it sucks that he rides a duck and lives in the sky and isn't the epic adventurer on foot and horse he used to be. And yes, why the poofy Aladdin pants... ;___;
But fine. I'm sure the game will be awesome either way.

A limited edition of Skyward Sword is released, together with a gold-colored Wii controller and an orchestrated CD. And the box cover art is also revealed.
I personally think the image above would make a cooler cover. Ah well.

While the artwork is awesome, mixing the coolness of the Twilight Princess style with some brighter watercolor-looking colors and textures, in-game it still looks like this...

...It looks old, blocky, empty and deserted even before it's released.
I'm sorry, it's just that we get that when we could have had THIS.

Anyway, seeing that the graphics are set and there's nothing to do about his silly running animation holding his sword straight out in front of him, the recent previews show some promising features. Among them, an upgrade system, in which you collect items from fallen enemies which can later be used to make your weapons stronger. Which is pretty cool. I guess the main focus is on the story, and Link and Zelda seem to be quite cute with each other... something we haven't seen in a long time.
Either way, I've gone from "I refuse to buy it!" to "I'll only buy it second hand..." to the current "I might get it on the release day. Maybe...".
If expectations are low, the game can only get better right?

EU release date is 18th November (two days before USA, lol owned)!

In the year 21XX...

2011-09-18T09:08:00.001+02:00

WARNING:

"X" IS THE FIRST OF A NEW GENERATION OF ROBOTS WHICH CONTAIN AN INNOVATIVE NEW FEATURE - THE ABILITY TO THINK, FEEL AND MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS. HOWEVER THIS ABILITY COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. IF "X" WERE TO BREAK THE FIRST RULE OF ROBOTICS, "A ROBOT MUST NEVER HARM A HUMAN BEING", THE RESULTS WOULD BE DISASTROUS AND I FEAR THAT NO FORCE ON EARTH COULD STOP HIM.

APPROXIMATELY 30 YEARS WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE WE CAN SAFELY CONFIRM HIS RELIABILITY. UNFORTUNATELY I WILL NOT LIVE TO SEE THAT DAY, NOR DO I HAVE ANYONE TO CARRY ON MY WORK. THEREFORE, I HAVE DECIDED TO SEAL HIM IN THIS CAPSULE, WHICH WILL TEST HIS INTERNAL SYSTEMS UNTIL HIS RELIABILITY HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB THE CAPSULE UNTIL THAT TIME.

"X" POSSESSES GREAT RISKS AS WELL AS GREAT POSSIBILITIES. I CAN ONLY HOPE FOR THE BEST.

SEPTEMBER 18, 20XX
T.LIGHT

It's September 18! ^o^
I oddly celebrate it as the "birthday" of X, thanks to Dr.Light's journal above.
Mega Man X was released in 1993 and was my first and was the first game which introduced me to the Mega Man series. What I love about the series is, not only the challenging stages and consistent fun platform gameplay, but the character development. Reploids are awesome in the way the evolve, just like humans... X starts of very weak and confused, much like any newborn would. In the manga, he's seen crying whenever someone is destroyed. Zero on the other hand, starts of all cool and show-off, but cracks in X4 when he has to fight Iris which leads to her death. Nowadays he's very silent and cold, and won't let anyone get close to him. In the meantime, X has become quite a strongwilled man, still emotional and caring, but not as naive as he once was.
Because of this, I think adding Axl to the series was good... it needed some young derp to join the crew of kick-ass Maverick Hunters.
Also, the series doesn't add any odd new elements all the time. Such as the Legend of Zelda, which is starting to piss me off. Why change a working concept?
The artwork featured in this post is official art from RockMan Online (RockMan being the japanese name for Mega Man), which is currently being made for a korean release... and I'm jealous. No word on a worldwide release as of yet... T^T Ah well...
Let's celebrate X today!

Music Monday - Kolima Forest

2011-09-12T08:10:00.000+02:00

Hope everyone has had a great weekend! ^o^
We even had some sun shining, which is nice considering it's been raining for almost the entire week... Meh, anyway, it's Music Monday again!

Golden Sun was one of the first games I bought for Game Boy Advance.
I really liked these classics RPG's back in the days, played a lot of Secret of Mana and Tales of Symphonia and such too...
One of my favorite songs from this game is this, from Kolima Forest.

Sailor Boy

2011-09-08T20:04:00.000+02:00

A little something from my art blog. A doodle of a sailor boy, which I was inspired to draw after sailing with my father and my beloved.

Dearest Nino-kun with the asters

2011-09-06T22:09:00.000+02:00

I bought these seeds in a small paper bag. I placed them in small pots in a miniature greenhouse. They grew... I planted them outside in the garden in May or so.
And look at them now~ There are lots of them blooming all over!
Asters are great since they bloom quite late compared to most flowers. That way we can enjoy the presence these flowers from late summer to early autumn~
And Nino-kun? One can always enjoy the presence of Nino-kun.

Mushroom Hunt!

2011-09-04T16:41:00.000+02:00

Wheew, art school is tough! @__@ It's literally nine-to-five, non-stop work. And then I'm not counting the time it takes to take the train or bus to and from school.
I do have a feeling that this will definately be worth it, that all the hard work will make me one hell of an awesome artist!

Went mushroom hunting with my family this weekend!
It wasn't exactly planned, otherwise I would've bought my mushroom book...

Mom found these chanterelles! Not too many have popped up yet, but soon~

Two vivid pink mushrooms~

There were lots of these purple mushrooms in the forest!

And here's a big and proud one, standing in the sun!

I'm making some posts scheduled up now, will try to keep the blog active while I'm too busy with art school...

Music Monday - What a Feeling

2011-08-29T06:47:00.000+02:00

Scheduled post as I'm off to Art school now~~~

Take your passion, and make it happen!

A new chapter begins...

2011-08-27T19:56:00.000+02:00

I've previously studied two years at Comic School. Creating is the thing I love the most, making the people in my mind and heart come to life through my pen and colors.
This year, I was happily surprised to get accepted to two art schools! That's pretty radical, seeing how hard it is to be accepted to any... (of course I can only attend one, but still!)
My first day is this Monday, so of course I'm excited and a bit nervous~

To celebrate, I've given my Art Blog a fancy new make-over!

Do come visit and follow my artistic adventures over there, as a new chapter of my life begins~ ^o^

30 Days of Zelda, Day 13

2011-08-26T21:35:00.000+02:00

Day 13 - A character you would want to cosplay

First of all, I have allready cosplayed Link a number of times... ^-^

Link Cosplay by ~Metal-Minish^ Here's the Twilight Princess version.

Link in the Lost Woods, by Metal-Minish^ And my retro Adventure of Link (and Captain N) cosplay.

Twilight Forest Kiss by ~Metal-Minish^ And my very first, which was some sort of general Link-mix... XD
(this is one hella old photo, look at that long blond hair of mine! O.O'')

But back to the question... Who would I want to cosplay next?
Perhaps Sheik, with his new Brawl design. Or how about Error? XD
But really... I love cosplaying Link. So I might just make another new Link costume from any of the games next... X3 It would be awesome to make a real retro Link cosplay, with his right sword and shield and epic long hair...

But hey, let me know if there's anyone you'd think would suit me for cosplay.

Just need to rant...

2011-08-21T20:14:00.001+02:00

So, there's this awesome event today!
Concerts of bands playing videogame music from all our favorite games such as Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, Castlevania, Metroid, Super Mario Bros and more! And also, there will be a cosplay event for all cosplayers dressed up as a videogame character! The winner, who's decided by the crowd, wins a free videogame~
Doesn't this sound like my kind of event? Do I not love cosplay and videogames and awesome Nintendo music more than most? *o*
Then how come no one told me?...
I could have been there, cosplaying as Link, Prince Marth, Seto or even Mega Man... I'm so dissapointed and sad that none of my friends mentioned this to me. I found out by randomly surfing, an hour or so ago... about the same time as the event started.

I'm sure you see why I'm upset. Events like this don't come along often.
Just needed to whine about it... T^T

The results are in!

2011-08-21T12:45:00.000+02:00

The results from the poll, asking what you'd like to see more of on the blog!

So, what do we have here?... Not much. I guess the blog's fine just the way it is. If you have any suggestions or anything, do let me know. For now, I'll just keep blogging about whatever I like. ^-^

In the forest meadow

2011-08-17T14:37:00.000+02:00

Me, beloved and Konami were glad to see some sun, and decided to take a walk in our nearby forest... This is the same place in which we spotted a fox last year! Haven't seen a fox since then, but we're always hoping...

There are only a few hours left on voting for the poll of what you'd like to see on the blog. But from the looks of it currently, I'm doing a pretty good job of giving you readers what you want. XD I'm glad.
There still aren't any gamers or Zelda fans visiting (or maybe there is, but in that case they're stalking and not commenting... *shifty eyes*), which is a bit sad. Even though Music Mondays and the 30 Days of Zelda posts almost never get any comments (the recent one got an odd spam comment though, which was sort of amusing so I didn't delete it... ) doesn't mean I'll stop posting them.
Anyways... The blog world seems to be very quiet overall lately. Are people still on vacation?! Let's hope things will change soon.

Music Monday - Hikari

2011-08-15T07:03:00.001+02:00

Since I missed last week's Music Monday, let's have one this week instead! ^-^

My very first Music Monday featured the intro song of Fragile Dreams(Wii), and this song and scene is seen in-game.
Absolutely beautiful, I have a thing for decay, overgrowth and rust... it inspires me on an intense level.
Speaking of Fragile Dreams, my cosplay of the main character Seto is THE most viewed post on this blog... That's quite cool... XD

Also, do leave your vote on what you'd like to see more of on this blog (poll to the left)!
You can always write a comment as well, if there's any suggestions you might have etc.

30 Days of Zelda, Day 12

2011-08-12T21:21:00.000+02:00

Day 12 - Your favorite sidequest

Bombers' Notebook
Majora's Mask takes the cake when it comes to sidequests. The Bombers' Notebook kept track of all the people you could help in the game, displaying a schedule of their daily doings and when something special happened. Once you've helped a character, a "Happy Seal" is added next to their entry.
I'd love to see something like this in future games as well!

What to blog about?...

2011-08-11T12:31:00.001+02:00

Hey everyone, sorry for not posting in a while. I even missed this week's Music Monday... Some unexpected news came up, changing my current life plans... @_@
The news were good though, so no worries! I just had to prepare everything and make some calls and stuff (and I hate making calls, but it was worth it!)...

Anyways, back n' blogging!... But about what?
I put up a poll to the left underneath the intro thingie, where you can cast your vote on what you'd love to see more of on this blog!
Of course I'll keep posting everything, but I thought it would be fun to see why most of you visit.
Feel free to leave a comment here if you wish to elaborate what you'd like to see on the blog.

Enjoy these two photos I've snapped while exploring about, and don't forget to vote!

Mori Girl in the city

2011-08-02T11:25:00.000+02:00

Atari ready to go out into the big city, music in her ears and a staw hat on her head.
The straw hat was found on a flea market, picked it up at the price of nearly nothing to see if it would fit Atari. And yep!
An old not-so-pretty ribbon was tied around it, which I removed and replaced with a bow at the back (can't be seen in these shots though...)

July has been extremely rainy, and so far August has been giving us lots of lovely sun! *w* Let's hope it'll last the entire month, I need some real summer!

Link and the Mushroom

2011-07-31T16:31:00.001+02:00

Link and the Mushroom, by Metal Minish
A little something I uploaded recently on my artblog and dA as thanks to everyone who submitted art for my comic 'zine ConCom vol.4! ^o^
One of the submitters uploaded her work to dA, with this description:
"and the awsome person in this picture is [links to me] he is one of the best artist/cosplayer i have evaa seen
go check his gallery out and be amazed !! :3
i called him the Prince of cosplay b'cause he is cosplaying prince marth and he is really good at cosplay ;)"
Haha, aww... X3

This photo was taken at the same time & location as "Link in the Lost Woods", in a glade filled with toadstools!
Perhaps this mushroom could be the one from A Link to the Past, or perhaps it's a home for some picori from The Minish Cap?...

Windswept

2011-07-27T17:48:00.001+02:00

Atari's so easy to bring along! When I my first roommate moved in, Nino-kun, I was surprised by how tall he was! And heavy! Before that, I had only handled Pullips (see comparison here), and only seen SD dolls once during a con. By just looking at one I didn't "get" their size, so Nino was a surprise.
It wasn't until I got to see and actually pose a Yo-SD-sized doll that I fell for them. I had only seen these childish molds and they didn't interest me at all...
Atari on the other hand, has quite a mature face (compared to many Yo's, and she's just as mature as Peakswoods' other molds, be it SD or MSD!) and that made me interested.
I don't see her as a child. More like a chibi adult, if you've seen Lucky Star you know what I mean...
There are many aspects of how one views the BJD hobby, it's fun to share them and see what others think as well. ^-^

Music Monday - Battletoads & Double Dragon

2011-07-25T12:54:00.000+02:00

Time for Music Monday again, featured here every second monday! ^o^

Stage 5 of Battletoads & Double Dragon for Super Nintendo...
I've never played the game, but the music sure kicks ass~

Last week we visited some of my beloved's relatives.
One kid at age 5, the other at age 8... And you know me, I can't stand kids. They were extremely hyper, like all kids are, and saw us as boring adults, but were impressed that we played Pokémon and that I wore a Zelda: Twilight Princess shirt. Their parents were all like "lol, people your age play Pokémon too?". The hell, we're not old! Ò_Ó
"Oh mom and dad, why can't you be more like them and know what Pokémon is and play Star Wars with us?!" Well, because we're not as old as your parents!!! We could impossibly be your parents, age-wise. They made me feel so old! ;___;
And yeah, playing Star Wars... I was Han Solo in carbonite. Yay.
Glad they're not my relatives, so I won't have to visit them again!
Let's hope this week will be better~

30 Days of Zelda, Day 11

2011-07-22T19:44:00.000+02:00

Day 11 - What did you register your name as?

Link
...A pretty odd question.
I've also named him ZELDA to unlock secrets such as the special menu tune in Link's Awakening for Game Boy and starting the second quest instantly in the original Legend of Zelda for NES. Other than that, he's always named Link.
I've never thought Link was named Zelda. I grew up with Link being Link, and people calling him Zelda is just pure ignorance.

Inspiration - Picnic

2011-07-18T19:20:00.000+02:00

Now while summer's at it's finest, maybe I should grab that newly found basket, bring my camera, something sweet to munch on and go for a picnic! *w*
Time for some inspiration~

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Eyes of Glass

2011-07-14T11:33:00.002+02:00

Literally!
My crew have all sported acrylic eyes, but when I found these glass eyes second hand I thought I'd buy them just to try...

So much depth!
The blue irises are a bit too fantasy'esque for Konami, so now I gotta buy glass eyes for him, Nino and Atari... my wallet cries. XD

Music Monday - Dr.Mario with Lyrics

2011-07-11T07:41:00.002+02:00

A fan's remake on the classic Dr.Mario theme, with some clever lyrics and great animation.
But be warned: This video contains Wario's butt...

Latest Treasures

2011-07-08T12:43:00.000+02:00

Too busy doing stuff as usual... as such, not many finds have been made.

Actually not my find, but my moms! She and dad went to a flea market and found two beautiful baskets for cheap! Mom kept one, and bought one for me as she remembered me saying a while back that I wanted a basket (I think I meant for my bike or something but anyways)...
So now I have this awesome huge picnic basket! Nino just wanted to jump in to show you how big it is... I don't know how one would be able to fill this for a picnic. @_@

And this. It's a thread spool holder. XD
I rarely have time to sew anything, but when I do it's fun to make cosplays for myself (and friends) and clothes for my BJD's.

If you've missed Konami's new face-up, do check it out!
I feel mighty proud, and I shall spam more photos of him once the weather gets nicer...

30 Days of Zelda, Day 9 & 10

2011-07-05T13:02:00.000+02:00

I had troubles with these questions...
I've fought so many bosses, it's hard to remember them all... ^^;; But here goes.

Day 9 - The easiest boss you’ve battled

Gohma (Wind Waker)
Perhaps not the easiest, but definately the most dissapointing.
Boss battles usually have me on edge, my blood pumping and senses focused on the game. But in Wind Waker, I never felt that way. This boss was the first one you met in the game, and it felt so obvious and silly fighting it. =/

---------------------------------------------------
Day 10 - The hardest boss you’ve battled

Moldorm (A Link to the Past)
Allthough I remember having trouble with Vaati in Minish Cap, Moldorm takes the cake!
Not that he kills you, but he knocks you off stage so you fall one or several floors down and have to get up again to his lair... and of course he has recovered his health so you have to start over.
They don't make frustrating games like this anymore! They really should, it makes you feel so much more accomplished once you beat the boss.

Celebrate Konami!

2011-07-03T15:43:00.001+02:00

The 1st July 2009 was an extremely hot day...
I checked my mailbox to find a notice from the post office. I happily headed to the post office, and was delivered a huuuge box which I carried back home through town and opened it... Inside was the charming guy you all know as Konami~ *-*

Unlike Nino and Atari, he has kept the same face-up(for my non-BJD-readers; face-up is what we doll-people call the dolls' "make-up") and look since then... Nino has gone through three different hairstyles and many more face-ups, Atari arrived last November and is allready on her second face-up and I'm planning on a new hairstyle for her.
So, in celebration of his second year living with me, it was about time Konami got a makeover!

Comparison to his old face-up:

Now he sort of resembles how I make the people in my artworks...
A more sombre look, with lots of blush around the eyes...

So now he's definately my darling!
Konami will still be Konami, but I love that BJD's can change looks quite limitlessly! And it's fun to see one's own improvement in doing face-ups... =3

Of course one must have cake when celebrating! *w*
I hope Konami likes his new look, and that we'll have many fun photoshoots in the future!

What have we Hare?

2011-06-29T19:16:00.002+02:00

Last week this "li'l" fella jumped past our garden...
Hares are such big and magnificent animals, and this guy was no exception.
Look at those big shiny eyes! Aaaw...

Music Monday - Nyan Cat

2011-06-27T07:19:00.001+02:00

Allright, I'm sure many have allready seen this but...
Just have to feature this since YouTube actually added a Nyan cat rainbow progress bar just for this video... Holy shit. But hey, with over 20,000,000 views (which seem to gain another million views every time I check the video) I guess one can afford something like that. O__o''

Midsommar

2011-06-26T16:45:00.001+02:00

Celebrated midsummer with my parents and my beloved! We had lots of good food, watched a public celebration with music and dancing around the pole, walked around and enjoyed nature and picked flowers for our own midsummer pole (not nearly as huge as the one pictured above!)

My dad bought a porcelain doll last year, dressed in a typical swedish folk dress, who's size I thought was similar to Atari... I asked if Atari could borrow the dress just to see if it would fit... and it did, quite well too!

An old swedish tradition is to collect seven different types of flowers and place them under your pillow before going to bed on midsummer's eve. It is said that you will then dream of who you're going to marry...
I wonder if Atari had any sweet dreams?...

Find last years Midsummer post here, in which Nino and Konami got some traditional flower wreaths and enjoyed mini Oreos... XD

Blogger Award 2011

2011-06-22T20:14:00.002+02:00

RULES:
Say thank you to someone who give you this award
Write about someone who give you this award
Write about yourself
Give this award to your 9 blogger-friends
Thank you so much Mutsumi for giving me this award!
I find blog awards lots of fun... XD

About Mutsumi: She's a fellow Japan-lover and cosplayer, living in Germany!
I found her blog when randomly browsing around, and her kick-ass cosplay of Charizard gijinka caught my eye! *__*
Her blog is filled with yummy topics for us Japan nerds, she shares magazine scans, photos of her trip to Japan, cosplays and more...
Go visit her!

About me: Well, I'm sure most of you know the basics allready. This blog isn't really about me per see, rather the things I enjoy and the photos I take...
But eh, here goes a bunch of blah.
I'm an artist/illustrator.
I cosplay.
I used to go with the title "Prince", starting from I cosplayed Marth... Though guess I'm not much of a prince otherwise. ^^;;
I swear a lot, and I speak my mind when I'm pissed, so don't be surprised when you see "fuck" and "shit" written here and there.
Mushrooms are awesome. Oh, and robots~
I can't stand kids.
I still want this li'l guy so bad, and I will try to find one second hand... ÓxÒ
Mori fashion inspires me, and I tried the mori boy look myself but I can't rock it... So no mori for me! (I guess I have to make some more mori clothes for my BJD's then, hoho~ X3)
My favorite Sanrio character is Cinnamoroll.
I became fascinated by foxes since I saw one in the wild.
The first game I bought myself was Snake Rattle & Roll for NES. The first console I bought was the Nintendo64 (the other consoles belonged to the entire family, or were bought by my brothers).
...

Awesome inspiring bloggers I give this award to:
Stylish Mutsumi, Princess Lisen, Solar Soldier Irene, Dreamy Prince Patrick,
Bunny Jess, Mori Girl Cath, Wonderful Esthy, Kitty Jillian, Diamond Nikky

. : . r u r u r u ~ . : .

Last weekend's Sci-Fi Con

30 Days of Zelda, Day 23

First forest walk of the year

A different take on Mori fashion

The crew - new photos

30 Days of Zelda, Day 22

Treasure Hunting - Kodak Instamatic and a school chair

Project Sinclair - It's alive! It's aliiiive!

figma - Do Wants

Café

Finally a new camera~

30 Days of Zelda, Day 21

Washi tape!

Project Sinclair - Pipos Body arrives!

Music Monday - All is Full of Love

Treasure Hunting - An old TV!

30 Days of Zelda, Day 20

Calm Saturday adventures

2011 - 39 questions

Music Monday - lara6683

My 2011 Summary of Art

Nintendo candy!

Music Monday - Aerodynamic

The year starts off nicely~

Re: Comments

30 Days of Zelda, Day 19

More glass eyes! ^o^

Making an animation~

A bit of snow

Vanillery Garden Diary give-away

Inspiration - Glasses

My Toshiba NB550 laptop

30 Days of Zelda, Day 18

Prince Marth cosplay

Wrapping gifts! *w*

Just Atari

Inspiration - Mori Boy

Gamers making marzipan figures

Vanillery Garden give-away

New buttons and stuff~

Alpacas

30 Days of Zelda, Day 17

Music Monday - Vinyl Umbrella

It will be mighty fine~

Skyward Sword - First thoughts

Styling up the blog

Skyward Sword - Limited Edition pack

Treasure Hunting - Autumn

Music Monday - Aquatic Ambiance

The sky isn't always blue

30 Days of Zelda, Day 16

Inspiration - Interiors

So let's get this straight...

Halloween "pumpkin" and cosplay

Music Monday - Thriller

Konami - Ladybug

30 Days of Zelda, Day 15

Pixel Lego

Project Sinclair - Main part arrives!

Art exhibition

Music Monday - Super Lover

30 Days of Zelda, Day 14

Tiny mushrooms, tiny girl

Convention loot

Epicly awesome fuck yeah!

Music Monday - Only for the Weak

Skyward Sword - Romance and flail

Candy Cain~

Back but busy

Re: Comments

New Skyward Sword art and box cover

In the year 21XX...

Music Monday - Kolima Forest

Sailor Boy

Dearest Nino-kun with the asters

Mushroom Hunt!

Music Monday - What a Feeling

A new chapter begins...

30 Days of Zelda, Day 13

Wrapping gifts! w