HOLY CRAP! JAPAN!

So...

Holy crap! I'm going to Japan! Eeeeks!

It is a study abroad through KSU that goes from Dec 8th - 23rd. This Calendar will be updated as new info is received.

Wish me luck! I've never been out of the country before (Canada and the Bahamas don't count!) and certainly never this far from home, and I don't have any close friends going on the trip, so I'm kinda on my own-ish.

On the Subject of Brains...

So, thanks to John May, I now have a fantastic prop to go with my costume - Zombie Bait!

Yes, I know what you're thinking, "But zombies only want brains, right?" and you'd be right - a brain!

So, the plan is to get a sheep's brain, put it in some sort of jar, seal it with aquarium sealant so that it is as safe as possible, and have it on some sort of string. Might carry around a small box with a stick for photos. It's gonna be great... *evil grin*

So, meet my brain...

Dragon*Con 2010, Here I Come!

Well, with finances being what they have been, I was beginning to think that I would not have any chance of doing something new for Dragon*Con this year - the thought of which made me very sad because costume design on at least one new thing each year has always been a source of great joy and pleasure for me.

But, as I was thinking over all the possibilities, and reviewing old photos from previous years, I remembered one of the panels I went to on Steampunk - and more importantly how cheaply they were able to find everything they needed! And thus, my new project was born:

Steampunk Zombie Hunter!

I went to the thrift stores around and actually found the perfect base elements for my costume:

- Nice brown slacks

- Ivory satin shirt

- Funky vest

- Corset (I already owned)

- Pair of brown leather (Armani!) heels

Total cost: <$10

I also picked up some odds 'n ends to make my accessories from.

I will need:

- Steam-powered shotgun

- Steam "inspired" machete

- Blood splatter shield

But the best part of all of this was that I sent out an email to all of the clock/watch repair shops in the area, saying that I was doing an art project and needed any "junk" they wanted to get rid of.

D. Geller & Sons gave me a small bag of some nifty things, but all small parts.

But the amazing Old Clocks of Georgia was owned by a very nice gentleman who gave me 4-5 FULL clocks, sans faces, for FREE! And also said that, should I need more, to just come on back. So, if you ever need watch/clock repair, please hop over there and give him some love.

So, armed with lots of "junk" and a full imagination, I am ready to get started!

Any and all advice/tips/tricks/suggestions are TOTALLY welcomed and appreciated, since I am new to both Victorian styles and Steampunk as a whole.

Satyr Costume Stilts - The Beginning Thoughts

So, this year for Dragon*Con, my newest endeavor is going to be a satyr!

Firstly, as with all my costumes, I want it to be very exact, and well crafted. I want the legs to be smooth, graceful, and very natural looking. The biggest issue I have with all other satyr costumes I have seen is they either have that terrible fake fur on them, or are horribly bulky and just plain fake looking. That's not what I want for mine.

Well, this is just a compilation of reference points to use when I make them. I'm afraid that the best source for a lot of this stuff is going to be Furry Art and Costume design, as these people, well, "do" this kind of stuff... Oiy. So please pardon the anthro art.

Part of what spurred this was that when Ryan and I went to Vegas, we saw the Cirque show Zumanity, which by all means, was amazing!

But I saw that one of the characters was a satyr, and I really liked what they did to make the "fur" on his legs. I assume they used fake hair that you'd use for braiding and wove it into fishnet-esque stockings, which gave a very lifelike and smooth look. (See satyr on the right)

Any and all advice would be VERY helpful!

Reference pics of legs/hooves I like:

My main probably with most of the ones on Youtube is that either the legs are too bulky, or they make the wearer so tall, that it just doesn't look right anymore.

Well, more to come later as I figure this stuff out! :-)

Another New Addition to the House!

Everyone, please welcome the newest addition to my family- a 4-5yr old female albino Nelson's milksnake.

She was purchased today from a local schoolteacher who is on maternity leave and no longer able to care for her. When I came over to see her, she showed no signs of being cage-shy, and I picked her up and she was very alert and curious, crawling all over me, down my shirt, in my sleeves, etc. while the previous owner and I talked shop. 

She had been kept and maintained at the school where the lady taught, and was very used to being handled, as the kids in the classroom loved the snake. She was eating 2 small mice about every 2 weeks, and had a shed about 2 weeks ago. The previous owner thawed some mice, so that we could feed her then so I could watch her eat, and she just scarfed them right down.

So, $75 later, I have a beautiful new snake!











As you can see though, she becomes patternless about 2/3 down her body. For any of you very experienced snake folk, care to shed some light on this, as I have never seen it before? Is it some sort of abnormal morph?

And just for good measure, my other two babies...

Where'd she goooooo.......?

Hey Folks,

Just posting my class schedule for ya'll, so you know what I'm up to this semester and when you're wondering "Where the hell has Christine been??", you'll see it and say "Oh, yeah..." ;-)

5 Classes
- Application Development I
- Web Development I
- System Analysis
- Project Management
- Acct 2200 (WebCT class)


Schedule

Monday: App Dev I (2pm - 3:30pm), Data Mgt (8pm - 10:45pm)
Tuesday: Sys Analysis (3:30pm - 4:45pm), Prj Mgt (8pm - 10:45pm)
Wednesday: App Dev I (2pm - 3:30pm)
Thursday: Sys Analysis (3:30pm - 4:45pm), Web Dev I (8pm - 10:45pm)
Friday: No class