Candid-Ishida

I finally posted something new!  I hope desperately that I still have some watchers who will give me feedback, or maybe I'll gain some new ones.... Too bad Digimon isn't very popular anymore, and I was strangely inspired to draw Digimon fanart.

In other news, I got my Liberal Arts & Sciences Test results and I passed!  I actually did incredibly well.  I'm also getting my Graduate diploma in May, at last.... I'm one step closer to becoming a certified teacher in spite of my laziness.  I have two more exams I have to take, and another one is coming up soon that my friend/co-worker wants me to take with her.  We took the LAST on the same day too so I think it's a good idea, I just don't want to overwhelm myself.

There are a lot of work related events coming up next month and in May, so I'm going to be super busy!  I still want to start drawing as much as I can again, though.

The only other interesting things happening, besides hanging out with my weird friends, are that I've been working on my garden a bit and Chris is going to a job fair next and he's been applying for jobs.  I really hope he can find something good...  As for the gardening part, it's been unusually warm in NY for the past week, and everyone has been enjoying all the sun.  It's getting colder again, though, so I hope the potatoes I planted don't die o_o;;

OH YEAH! And I started a new fanfic.  We'll see if I actually finish XD

So, as a result of Genericon and searching for cosplay photos of myself and Chris as Team Rocket, I decided to come back to deviantART again.  I've been replying to all my old comments, looking at everyone's deviations, and thinking of a bunch of new drawings I want to do.  This time, I want to stick with it.  I used to draw all the time, every day, really, and then I totally gave up on it.  I've been trying to draw on and off again, but it's like I lost my touch or something.  I really have to work at it.

Speaking of Team Rocket, though, I will do a photo shoot as soon as the weather gets nice here so everyone can see our costumes, especially my wig!  I posted a shot from Genericon in my webcam section of us with a Misty we met, but it's quite blurry.  I'll post some proper photos eventually!  I spent so long on that wig and I got so many compliments it deserves to be shared.

In other news, I'm still living with Chris and we're very happy, I'm a supervisor at my workplace now and working more hours a week (not full time yet...), I finally finished my graduate program and I'm getting my degree, and I took the NYS Liberal Arts and Sciences test last month.  It's one of the exams required to become a certified teacher.  I haven't gotten my results yet, but I'm fairly confident I passed.

I'm finally satisfied with there things are going in my life... I feel like I don't have to hate myself anymore.  Working more hours has definitely helped with the financial situation too, and I have a TINY bit of extra money to enjoy myself once in a while.  Basically, things are okay.

But I really do want to draw more~!!  I've been working on a novel, and drawing my characters, so I'll probably be posting some images of them soon.  I'm also going to be doing fanart again, though, because I know that's something I enjoy and something my watchers have always looked forward to most.  Please support me and let me know that this is worth it!!  All the comments, favorites, and watches on devART really do matter to me even though I keep running away for so long.  Plus, if any of you ever have something you want looked at or critiqued, point it out to be and I'll be happy to return the favor (especially if it's fanart >w<)

****Before you do anything, please check out the new items for sale on Kittin Mittins!!****

This weekend was Genericon and I was able to pass out a bunch of business cards to cute fangirls~  Hopefully, at least one of those people will be interested in buying an item on Kittin Mittins.  All I can hope is that someone will see the things I've made and be so blown away by their cuteness, they can't help but buy them.

I realized in my last journal, I didn't really mention anything about my life in the past year.  I live with my boyfriend now, in my own house, because my parents moved into my grandparents' old house.  We're now working on building a life together, but it's hard being two twenty-somethings with only part time jobs.  Not to mention, I had to go back to school for a semester before I can finally get my diploma and get a REAL job.  Getting a full time job will definitely make life easier... but it will also make life harder in a way.  Though, since I'm going to be a teacher, it won't be that much different from being back in high school again, except my homework will be making and grading projects instead of doing them.  In all, I think the teachers and the students end up putting an equal amount of time into school.  BTW, if you're still in high school, you probably don't realize your teacher is working just as hard as you and not just dishing out homework for fun!!  It takes just as long to create all your assignments as it does to do them!!

Now that my rant about teaching is done... I can talk about the class I'm taking, which is... everyfangirlandanimefandreamcometruesuperdorky class......................... JAPANESE~!!  I finally get to gain the knowledge all the anime kids WISH they had.  So instead of going around like a dork calling everything "KAWAII" I can actually know something applicable to real life.  The beginning of the class is hard, because we have to learn the whole hiragana and katakana alphabets.  That's right, I can now read some Japanese!  The problem is, we haven't gotten to much vocab and grammar yet, so I don't know what much of it actually means... I get pretty excited when I read a simple work like "cat" or something and actually know what it says.  Learning my favorite language has been very inspiring so far

Moving on~ Living with Chris is interesting.  Last time I wrote a journal about him on here, it was all YAY I HAVE A CRUSH!! and nothing serious.  Well, we have been together for over a year.  In fact, we just celebrated being together for 15 months.  Even better, on White Day (March 14th) it will be 3 years since we met each other!  I'm hoping  I can save enough money this month to do something very special on White Day (even though he's supposed to be treating me on that day....)  Living with someone you're in a relationship with is definitely different than just dating him, though.  Luckily, we already spent a lot of time together before he moved in, so I already knew a lot of his little habits and such.  Whatever happens, I'm still in love with him, he makes me feel super important (when he's not playing video games....)

We've still been hanging out with all our old friends, even though Nick is kind of slutty these days.  We went to Genericon with Jason, and Greg and Taylor were going to come, but their mom dragged them to NJ for Chinese New Year even though Chinese New Year was LAST week.  Genericon was actually pretty good this year, better than last year, at least, as far as events and panels go.  It also fueled my desire to cosplay, and I wish I had saved the money for Chris's Karasu costume so I could have been Kurama.  Regardless, we now have a NEW plan, that is going to be the most amazing plan ever in the world.  This summer at Otakon, and next year at Genericon, we're going to be Jessie and James from Team Rocket!  I found perfect boots for Jessie, and Chris already has boots and pants for James.  Making the shirts should be mad easy, as well as the mini skirts.  The hardest part is going to be Jessie's hair.  That will probably be the most expensive part as well, costing about $70 for a high quality wig plus all the supplies to create that hair monstrosity.  I am DETERMINED to make that wig something to be proud of, though.  I was able to create what I think was excellent Kurama and Hiei hair, but making Jessie's hair is going to be a test.  Wish me luck!  I have until July to make both costumes and get in shape enough to wear that mini skirt and belly shirt.  I'm not fat or anything (anymore) but my stomach and thighs are pretty jiggly....  I have something to inspire me, at least!!

Anyway, things are going fairly well lately!  I hope that my watchers are still faithful to me after all this time.  I really want to start drawing again, especially my own characters.  I also can't forget about my fanart, since I know that's what made me popular.  I'm just so lazy!! Any tips on how now to be lazy?

Don't forget to "LIKE" Kittin Mittins on Facebook and tell people you think will be interested!

Sooo... It's been a year since I've been on DeviantART.  In that time, I lost my premium membership and now I'm broke and can't get a new one (for now)  I hate seeing the advertisements on my page, it makes me feel used... But, anyway I'm back, and I'm going to try my best to REALLY catch up on all my messages and resume posting new artwork and other projects.  I got my message count down to 876, and I apologize to all my fans who have been sending me comments that were never answered (if I have any fans left).

The project that I have been working hard on lately, which is in preparation for Genericon at RPI in Troy this weekend, is an online store!  I love making stuff out of Sculpey, and I love sewing, and I paid a billion dollars to go to art school for four years, so I seriously want to put all that education to good work and start selling some artwork.  On that note, I'd like to announce the creation of:

Kittin Mittins

The first project I have for sale is a Fire Cat plushie, made out of socks material and buttons.  The mittens and other knitted goods are made by my mom, so it's a team effort.  The next project I'm planning is going to be a smaller bunny plushie.  

If you're going to Genericon this year, watch for me, I'll be handing out business cards on Friday the 11th with my boyfriend!  Everything I've read about etsy indicates that advertising is the key to a good online store, so I'm going to advertise like crazy.  If you're one of my faithful watchers, please spread the word to your friends!

Make sure you "Like" Kittin Mittins on Facebook as well!  Tell everyone!  Even if you can afford to buy anything, I would greatly appreciate the word of mouth advertisement.  Keep watching for more plushies and other items!

Don't let it go away,
This feeling has got to stay.
Don't let it go away,
This feeling has got to stay.
And I can't believe I've had this chance now.
Don't let it go away...

New...
You're so new.
You...
you're new.
And I never had this taste in the past
New...
you're so new.

My normal hesitation is gone.
And I really gravitate to your will.
Are you here to fetch me out?
'Cause I've never had this taste in my mouth.

Oh you're not old,
And you're not familiar.
Recently discovered,
and I'm learning about you.

New...
you're so new.
You...
you're new.

And you're consuming me violently,
And your reverence shamelessly tempting me.
Who sent this maniac?
'Cause I never had this taste in the past.

Oh you're DIFFERENT,
you're different from the former.
Like a fresh battery, I'm energized by you.

Don't let it go away,
This feeling has got to stay.
Don't let it go away,
This feeling has got to stay.
And I can't believe I've had this chance now.
Don't let it go away.

Why am I so curious?
This territory's dangerous...
I'll probably end up at the start,
I'll be back in line with my...
broken heart.

New...
you're so new.
You...
you're new.
And I never had this taste in the past.

Don't let it go away,
This feeling has got to stay.
Don't let it go away,
This feeling has got to stay.
And I can't believe I've had this chance now.
Don't let it go away.

And I can't believe it...
Can't believe it.
Can't believe it...
Can't believe it.

Don't let it go away,
this feeling has got to stay.
Don't let it go away ...

<sup>Sometimes, someone has already chosen the perfect words for you.  I love you, No Doubt.