When real things happen to imaginary people

Find a good icon to use when you are having your regularly scheduled freak-out about writing.

For that matter, scheduling these freak-outs would be a good idea. Then you could expect them and work around them.

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C'mon, self. Get working on the fiction project. Do not go "Look, pretty clothes!" or "Oooh, fic!" WRITE, dammit.

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I think I'm defective at giving myself pep-talks. Oh dear.

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Honestly? A combination of writer/fashion designer/wealthy eccentric. I like to think that I'm actually working toward living that dream.

... which reminds me, tonight I need to do some writing. In addition to packing stuff to mail off to people.

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In other news, I am fascinated with the offerings from Etsy seller BloodMilk. (clicky-link!) I especially covet the lydia sparrow claw ring (clicky-link!) (not that I have a finger that doesn't already have a ring on it, but still), and the nevermore claw ritual necklace (clicky-link!). I really, REALLY covet the nevermore claw. Hoo-boy.

Last night I went to bed early and took sleeping medication. I fell asleep quickly. I STILL couldn't wake up this morning. So, working from home it is! Which means I'll be just as productive and get laundry done, so bonus?

I also managed to get writing done last night, ohthankgoodness. My goal is to get the next GCS column off to my awesome beta readers tonight, and then post it on Friday. And if I'm really good, I'll get started on the next GCS column and get started on the next story installment for Steampunk Tales. We'll see.

Remember yesterday, when I was talking about looking at my two Deborah Lewis handbags and seeing if I wanted to affix a skeletal hand to either of them? It turns out I don't, because that idea would look clunky and pasted-on with those two purses. So oh woe, I guess I'll have to make do with those handbags being decorated with pink skull cameos. Woe, woe is me. ::winks::

Speaking of Deborah Lewis: as far as I can tell, she's not making handbags or parasols anymore. But if you're curious about the folding parasols, there IS one on eBay right this instant (clicky-link!). They really are nice parasols (even if I ended up making a new canopy for mine out of black taffeta with tiny silver stars).

Okay, back to never-ending copy edits, and waiting for the Amazon shipping elves to deliver my copy of Vampire Kisses 7. Have a good day, peeps!

I was about to whine a bit about my energy suddenly leaving me, but then I realized that so far I have:

- Made that poll post asking about the black-on-black striped skirt.

- Written a bunch of notes and story snippets for the fiction project I'm working on.

- Transcribed all of my hand-written notes for the fiction project into a Word doc.

- Done 4 loads of laundry.

- Made a batch of sausage rolls.

- Chatted with queeniex and her boy while he sculpted the prototype head for her new doll.

Huh. I guess I Did Stuff today. That might be where my energy went.

In other news, why do I suddenly want a cage petticoat type thing to layer over other skirts? Either an actual boned one (like this one from Azdaja (clicky-link!)), or one that is a "cage" over skirt that is made from strips of ribbon or twill tape. However, I am too lazy (and possibly too math-challenged) to make one of the "cage" over skirts on my own. (Even tho' there's kind of a tutorial over here on EGL.) Can I find a pre-made one anywhere on Teh Interwebs? No, I cannot, and am somewhat vexed about it.

I *should* try to motivate myself to either do more writing, or to work on the final bits I need to do to the "cranky" bloomers I'm going to be selling at Mourning Market next Sunday, but I suspect my motivation is napping. Maybe I'll just spend the rest of the evening flopped on the couch with the cats.

Dear Whatever Powers and Muses I Need to Beseech,

I would like to have Words Back, please. I reeeeeaaally need to write, and I want to. So, can I have my words back?

Thank you!

- Cupcake Goth

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Sleep. So, I've mentioned that I'm nocturnal AND an insomniac, right? (I have vivid memories of being 4 or 5 and being wide awake into the small hours of the night, quietly playing with my toys because I couldn't fall asleep.) The Stroppy One, not pleased with this gradual slide into waking up at 11:30 or noon, has convinced me to try going to bed at 1:30-ish on most nights, and getting up around 10:30 in the morning. Okay, I can see the good points in this, especially since job-hunting probably works best during daylight. Except that I go to bed at that time, then lie awake until around 3:30, listening to the Stroppy One sleep. Let's hope the re-setting of my sleep schedule takes effect soon.

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I left the b&w stripy fabric in the hibiscus tea bath overnight. I am going to rinse and see how it turned out very soon. If it didn't darken the fabric enough for me, my back-up plan is to run it through the washer with about a tablespoon of Rose Pink RIT. Just enough to add a faint blush to the white, not enough to make it really pink.

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Okay, time to see if Words are NOT Gone. Wish me luck!

Thank you very much to everyone who said nice things about the photo of me in my around-the-house clothing! Why yes, every time the dratted Body Image Monsters start muttering at me, I'm going to go back and read what all of you said. Thank you very, very much.

Yesterday turned out to be amazingly productive for me. I did laundry, made chili in the crockpot, got some GCS writing done, and embroidered a pair of bloomers that I'm going to be selling at next month's Mourning Market:

Cranky!Bloomers I embroidered

In addition, something in my head went ::DING!:: at around 1AM, and I wrote down a HUGE amount of notes and ideas for the fiction project I'm working on. Mind you, I haven't looked at those notes yet today, but I'm pretty sure the ideas I came up with were good ones, and not strange scribbling. I hope.

Dear Cupcake Goth,

Writing. You are supposed to be writing. Not browsing Etsy for bustle-y overskirts. Yes, seeing Sherlock Holmes last weekend made you aware of the tragic lack of bustles in your wardrobe. But you must get back to writing, RIGHT NOW.

Fondly,

Your Motivation, which just closed the tab the Etsy page was on.

This past weekend was good, filled with seeing people and Getting Stuff Done. If only the Getting Stuff Done part had included more writing accomplished, but oh well. I managed to finish one of the things that needed writing, and am now just waiting for some final feedback. ::nudges jaborwhalky gently::

(Oh dear, the deadline for the next Steampunk Tales is Sunday. Whoops! Guess I know what just got put in the top slot of the writing priority queue!)

Part of the problem is that I have this huge and enticing stack of new-to-me books to read:

(Yes, most of them are vampire-type books. Don't try to act shocked, you're fooling no one.)

So of course I am distracted from writing! But I think I'm going to have to re-institute the rule of only reading during bath-time, otherwise I will never get all the writing done that I need to.

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trystbat mentioned wearing one of the MAC black lipsticks over a deep fuchsia pink color, thus achieving a nice black cherry effect. "Ooooh!" said I, and promptly started rummaging in my makeup stash to see if I had a deep fuchsia lipliner. I don't have quite the color I want, but did achieve a similar effect with a pinky-red lipliner under Midnight Media. I'm very tempted to see if there are any MAC counters near me that still have Black Night in stock, so I can swap 6 empty containers for a new lipstick. And then find a good fuchsia lipliner from Wn'W or NYX Cosmetics.

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Skirts! So, remember me burbling about the Raven skirt by Morrigan? (clicky-link!) I was lucky enough to get one in black and silver! It is stunning; the detail of the screen-printing is astonishingly delicate, and the skirt construction is very well done. I can't wait for her to announce her winter line.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Today I had an informational interview. (In some ways, informationals are a lot like a coffee date; short, and may or may not lead to anything more interesting.) After chatting for a while, the hiring manager said that I didn't have enough management experience to be considered for that particular position (which is absolutely true), but that I'm a really strong candidate for some writer/editor positions that are opening up on the team, and would it be okay if he gave my resume to those managers? Why yes, nice man! Please wave my resume at people who might hire me! So it was a useful trip even if it didn't directly lead to me applying for that job.

Today also involved boooooks! Mind you, I still have a big stack of To Be Read books waiting for me (including The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan and the first three Graywalker books by Kat Richardson). But the nice man at "our" comic store waved the big deluxe slipcase edition of Umbrella Academy: Dallas at me, and well. You know. I had to have it. Then there was Half-Price Books, where Happy Hour At Casa Dracula sounded like the sort of frivolous nonsense I look for in a popcorn book. And when we got home, not only had the mailman brought my new issue of Rue Morgue Magazine, but my copy of Soulless by Gail Carriger AND my copy of Volume 3 of the Vampire Kisses manga Blood Relatives! So, erm, I'm set for reading material for a bit. And oh oh oh, Cherie Priest's Boneshaker just came out, and I really want to pick that up, too!

And what I REALLY should be doing is finishing up the latest Gothic Charm School column, and working on a jacket alteration that I've been fiddling with. But there are these books and magazines and comics calling to me ...

Oh, the weather is GLORIOUS. Cool and cloudy, with occasional patters of rain. If I was well, I would go out for a long walk. Alas, that is SO not going to happen. Cue the sulking!

Actually, don't cue the sulking, as I'm trying not to give into ennui. My hope is that today I feel clear-headed enough to, oh, get some writing done! I have a couple of GCS columns I want to write, and oh yeah, the polishing of the sample chapter and outline writing for the fiction book to send to my agent.

My other hope is that I am able to post the Closet Culling Sale later this week. I think it's pretty likely, and yes, I will give folks a day's warning before the giant post goes live.