The Golden Chocobo

Whenever Pax talks about old games that he loved, the Golden Chocobo comes up from Final Fantasy.
So I drew one especially for him a while back. I think it turned out pretty cute.

Also, can I just say that I want to play this game so bad?

I've watched the trailer about 5 times and I can really see this being the game to end all games for me. Haha. This is also the game that got me interested in creating game art and design as a career.
I mean, look at this.

If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is.

Anyway, just desperately hoping I get invited to participate in the Beta. 

I downloaded the fankit that's available and I'm in heaven. Concept art is like pron for me. (Yes, pron.)

So I decided that I'd start a new little thing on this blog to keep me posting occasionally.
I like to read a lot. And this is by no means going to be the main focus of my blog, I don't think so, anyway, but for now, it should just be a little feature every couple of weeks or so.

The other day, I was searching through the thousands of books that are available for free on the kindle.
It occurred to me that I was judging these books on their "freeness".

You see, there are generally two categories that I put these free books into, mentally.

First, classics. Most of the great, old classics can be downloaded for free on the kindle. Simple enough.
Second, free books.
Okay, this is terrible, because I know how Amazon's direct publishing works. When you publish a new book, they generally give you the option of making it free for a week in order to promote your book. Cool, right?
For some reason, though, I see free an think "garbage".

BUT. You should never judge a book by its cover and you should definitely never judge a book by its price. I mean, how stupid can I be?

So I downloaded several. Like, twenty of these free books determined to find the real gems in the mix.

I've decided that I'd write about them on my blog and then if they're still free, YOU can go get it, too!

The first book has been a success. I'm still not done with it yet, but I'll post about it when I am.

Laters!

I love marriage.

This morning when the alarm clock went off, Pax rolled over and put his hand over my face.

Apparently I am alarm clock?

Two posts in one week. We're making progress, here.
I put my humble Halloween decorations up yesterday. I have salt and pepper shakers that are little witch's hats. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!?

I'm excited for this season. It's my absolute FAVORITE. I love the smells, crispness... everything about it is just so divine.

There's also no denying that the prospect of dressing my little Thrall up for Halloween this year is just too exciting not to think about ALL the time. I don't think there's any other time of year that inspires me to create like fall.

And one last note about fall, BOOT SEASON.
Amen.

The Leaves Are Changing!

This is going to sound crazy and a little dramatic, but life truly has been better without facebook.

There, I said it.

I will never try to talk anyone into doing something like that, because let's be honest. Some people can handle it and some people can't. I was one of the people who couldn't. 

I think I have mentioned this somewhere before, but I have recently taken it upon myself to be less of a gossip. And I didn't feel like have a facebook account was helping me in this quest. 

I haven't posted since July. Do you know why?

I have been busy. 

Busy being a mommy. Busy being an artist. Busy being a wife. Busy being a friend. Busy being a best friend. Busy making plans. Busy dreaming. 

It's absolutely amazing what you can accomplish when all you're truly worried about is what it will take to accomplish your dreams. 

I don't know what it is for you. We're all different, but cut the negative out of your life. Figure out what it is. And cut it right out. Don't trample it or dog it, just walk away from it. 

Everything you've ever wanted to accomplish is in the direction that you are now headed. 

I promise.

And now, since I have had my dramatic dose, here is some art. (Because like I said, I've been busy.)

This was my sad attempt at creating an environment. Still have a lot to learn. (Obviously.)

I have been dying to draw one of these raw quartz crystals, and my friend's RP forum presented the perfect opportunity.

Any of you who might have followed my old blogs may know what a sucker for Halloween art I am. Here's to Halloween 2012!

And look, Missy! I drew a cat that looks like a CAT!!! ^^^^

Pax and I have started our own humble video game company. Our first game is an arena game so I was working on character design sheets. SO MUCH FUN.

Every time I create a new page for my webcomic I have a panel or two that I'm proud of. Or that I just LIKE. This was one of those.

I'll stop there. I always have more to post. I've taken to drawing fanart lately because one of my besties is writing a really cool novel and has created such a compelling universe that I get lost in it! (And steampunk sucks you in so fast.)

And to my new friend who has inspired me, pushed me, and helped me cautiously creep out of my shell, thank you. (I'd be willing to bet you know exactly who you are.) I really look up to you.

I think I have always been a bit of an introvert. When I was younger, high school for example, I did spent numberless hours running around and playing with my closest friends. I was slightly more outgoing, almost desperate to have as many friends as possible. Perhaps that has a little to do with the fact that most teenagers are insecure and seek some degree of popularity.

I have never been much of an instigator when it came to hanging out, though. If it weren't for two of my three best friends, I would have never left my house. Now that I am a stay-at-home-mom, I realize I can always find justification for declining invitations and leaving my house as seldom as possible. While, I do know a few reasons why I tend to avoid particular people, habitual gossipers for example, there are others who, after I get myself to spend time with them, I wonder why I don't do it more often.

I think a big problem I have is my laziness when it comes to building new relationships. I was talking to my best friend a few days ago and it dawned on me that that is my real problem. For a friend like her, I will get dressed, pack the kid up, and venture outdoors. I will even let her come to my house. But I have already built a near decade long relationship with her and I have unwavering trust in her.

I've always liked to keep things to myself. My "introvertness" extends far beyond my hermitesque actions. I have, on several occasions, been told by someone or individuals very close to me who I feel know me better than anyone else that they "never know what's going on with me". I don't like to tell people what I'm doing in my life at the moment and I don't like to tell people how I feel. My husband has to drag these kinds of things out of me and I'm grateful that he can. I feel like few have tried. I don't want to be this way, though. My husband is like me in his homebodiness, but unlike me in how unguarded the rest of him is. He will, almost every day, tell me what's going on at work, what he's learning, what he wants to do with this or that, what he wants to do with our house, how he wants to improve the backyard, the list goes on. And I never tire of this.

How can I conquer this?
I do know that I need to start making time for people. A friend will invite me to do something and I always have something else "going on". This might be something as simple as the fact that I had planned to do all of the laundry that day. I don't ever lie my way out of hanging out, I'm just not really prioritizing. I know that I need time with other adults. Even if it were just talking to my husband.

I don't even know how to end this post.
I guess that will do.

Ahoy, thar!

I have been completely consumed by art over the past month and a half. 

And I'll tell you what, I couldn't be happier. 

I decided that I would just "go for it" in regards to Neau and learn what I could along the way.

I've been really hesitant to get this thing started for a couple of years because I was waiting for my "art to be ready". Buuut, I realized that one of the things I really admire about my favorite webcomics is not necessarily the art, but the story. I also love love love that you can see growth as you look back through old pages. SO. I'm doing it. 

www.neaucomic.com has been launched and there are currently 12 pages available to read. 

It's funny how little time I've had to play video games since I've been exercising and making art. Rezz and I were talking late last night and she asked me how WoW was. I was shockingly happy to report that I hadn't really had much time to play because I've been so enveloped in Neau. 

It is true that I am still very much an amateur, but I am extremely happy and confident that I have found my calling in life. I was working on updating my portfolio for www.andreahatch.com (which hasn't officially been updated, sorry) and I found myself feeling pride for how I've improved and grown over the past year. 

Find what you love and become great at it.

No matter what it is.

My favorite high school memory with Rezz.

Neau

Hello, Internet!

It's been a good week. I've had a little bit of my creative juices flowing and it makes me happy.

I'm working on two large projects right now. This first one has been in the works for years. I've changed so many things about it, that the simplicity that I started with seems like a completely different story. I'm sure that happens to a lot of people who have stories to write.

This is a page from my children's comic!

I love the colors and the characters. Can't wait to get this one published on the kindle.

The Setup

This is what I look at several hours out of the day. Whether I am gaming or drawing, these things are always here to keep me company. (And Small Thrall.)

- My husband gave me this rockin' monitor for my birthday and I'll be honest. I'm SPOILED. It's SO nice to have a ton of space especially for designing, but the bonus of beauty while playing WoW or HoN is nice, too.
- I never thought having a mic at my computer would be so important to me, and I actually used to make fun of my husband when he'd talk to other players online during games. (I still do a little.) My best friend moved to Illinois with her husband a few months ago and we've had a fairly easy time staying connected via Skype whilst traversing the expanse of Azeroth together. It's really cool to have a fellow girlfriend who I can completely geek out with. (And for the White Devilsaur Tragedy, I am truly sorry, Rezz.)
- Chapstick has become a necessity. But winter is relenting and I can feel my lips getting silky smooth. ;)
(Rezz and I have a theory that the whole chapstick thing is somewhat conspiratorial. The more you use it, the more you need it. Does else anyone feel like their lips actually seem dryer more often when you're regularly using chapstick?)
- Carol is actually Small Thrall's fish. She's a cute little computer companion, though and I really like her. (Her plants glow in the dark.)
- Nevada is a character from my children's comic book that is in the works and will be available as an e-book in the next couple of months. I made an articulated doll of her for fun, and now she hangs out on my monitor.
- Last, graham crackers + baby = harmony. Must have on hand at all times.

What does your setup look like??

Pandaria & Popcorn

Today's a pretty great day!
I'm actually getting my house tidied up so I can feel calm and refreshed when I take off for Queen Bee Market this afternoon. Last week's market at Bijou was awesome and a lot more successful than I had originally thought, so I'm really looking forward to this one.

I stopped by the post office this morning on my way to Target to pick up a package. I am really happy with the t-shirts I ordered from Zumiez.
I'm a pretty loyal Zine girl and have loved their t-shirts ever since I first tried one on, but now I'm completely and hopelessly lost in Zinelandia. (I'm also a huge fan of sites that accept Paypal.) Last weekend I ordered this popcorn yellow v-neck and this striped scoop neck tee. I received both yesterday. So fast shipping, awesome product = I love you, Zumiez. And just so you know, they're INCREDIBLY comfortable.

This is the adorable Popcorn Yellow!

 I received an invite last night to participate in the Mists of Pandaria Beta Testing. I'm pretty excited. It is currently downloading, which per tradition, is taking forever. :)

I just opened the launcher and am on the login page. Why is Deathwing still there? Hah. Is that something they change when the game is released? Yay!

Anyhoo, I better get back to my house cleaning so that my husband is a happy camper today. (He's always happy, I just know how nice a clean house feels.) Happy Friday, fellow bloggers and gamers!

Motive Monday

Small Thrall is sportin' a really grown up sweater today.

Hola! It's Monday!
Since becoming a stay at home mom, I've actually really enjoyed Mondays. I completely understand why some people dread them. You spend your weekend relaxing and feeling good and then BAM! Time to go back to work. I love Mondays because I get to start over. It's a day for me to make goals and plan the week out! I'm feeling especially ambitious today and really motivated. (Why, I don't know...)

I have a lot I'd like to accomplish this week. A few of them being:
Get my house spotlessly clean
Make healthy meals every day this week
Work out everyday

I'd love to hear how you stay at home mom's fit your workouts into your schedule. I'm planning on working out in my living room. There are a lot of amazing resources thanks to the magic I call the Internet. I'm really digging Blogilates and Amanda Russel's Youtube Channel. We have a PS3 and I'm pretty sure I can watch the youtube videos on it (right?) in my living room. I think after I get my house tidied up, I'm going to go try it out!

I have a lot to do in order to get my fitness and health to where I want it, but I'm willing to get on the right track. I am utilizing a few really handy free apps, too. Technology is an amazing thing.

Anyway, here's my first link-up ever. Motive Monday.
Every Monday I'm going to post a motivating picture, quote, etc. I hope you'll share yours with me, too, even if it's just in the comments!

This week's MM is this picture of Emma Watson. I love this girl, but she always reminds me that if you're healthy and fit you can wear whatever you want. I felt like that before I got pregnant and really miss being able to wear anything I liked. I know I still can, I'm just not comfortable anymore.

I can't remember where I got this, sorry! If you know the tumblr, let me know!

Saturday Night

Here's Small Thrall. He's adorable.
I love looking at his skinny little behind while he is perched at the computer.

I am more than excited to spend this evening doing absolutely nothing.
I am so happy about it that I felt the need to blog it.
I'm also happy that I finally crawled out from under my rock to realize that Instagram has in fact come to the android world so now I may partake in the cutesy goodness.

So today was the end of Bijou Market. It's the first time I've participated in something like this and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. I'm anxious to see how it went in dollar signs, but it was an incredible learning opportunity. I also scored some awesome jewelry. Observe.

Made By Jewls & Darling Ephemera

I met the mastermind behind "Made By Jewls" and have to say, she is one swell cat. Julianne was incredibly sweet to me and willing to trade product with me! And do even have to tell you have amazing these earrings are? 

Anyhoo, I'm off to play now and waste lots of time. 

Why, hello there

I am starting this blog in an act of defiance.

A month or so ago, I met a very cool girl. We were both in a less than enthused state about where we were, which happened to be a Mary Kay party (another topic for another day) and realized that we were both mostly disgusted by the fact that we had somehow gotten swindled into attending this "free make over" which was actually just a bunch of college+ aged gals gathered in a sketchy warehouse in Springville by some creepy faced railroad tracks rubbing mysterious concoctions on our own faces that would supposedly lessen the dark circles under our eyes.

I remember driving home smiling despite everything because "very cool girl" had made the trip worth it. I didn't know if I would ever actually hang out with her, but she reminded me that there are still friends to be made in the world. And it was also really nice to know that despite the 4 month old manchild waiting for me at home I still retained a little of my social personality and could still make people smile.

After innocently browsing her facebook page and blog, I began to worry, "What will this hip, ravishing and hilariously outgoing college girl think if she ever found out I play WoW?"

The truth is, I feel like this all the time. I like video games. I like comic books. I like to read. I like to read about the history of the world, and why all your base are belong to us. I shamelessly wonder how magical it would be to cosplay as Tetra from Windwaker at a convention or to even SEE someone dressed as Tetra at a convention. I have on multiple occasions asked my husband if I could color my hair pink, because I think Lightning is such a babe.

But I also like to bake. I like to craft. I like to talk to my son about how he's going to grow up to be the most handsome man the world has ever seen and how he's going to play football and be a star. I like to make dinner for my husband. I want my house to look like a tiny collection of the example rooms at IKEA. I want my Etsy shop to be a huge success. I want to paint masterpieces that are pretty enough to hang in my living room. I want to make the bunting, cupcake, succulent garden, blah blah blah. I want to be healthy and able to wear red skinny jeans. I want to Instagram.

I don't want to offend anyone by implying that a bunting crafter can't also be an accomplished minecrafter.
Because obviously, that's not true. I can prove it to you in so many ways.

I just think about these things a lot and I also want a place to write how I really feel.
I have always felt an incredible amount of pressure as a blogger to not offend. Not be too out there. There was once a time when I wanted my blog to be amazing and huge like the many that exist at this time with thousands of followers. The kind that hold giveaways that attract hundreds more.

But I felt like when I was striving for that, I lost my confidence in writing about things I cared about. (Which is probably backwards, huh.)
When I stopped caring, I stopped blogging. I stopped caring because I realized it was stupid. I stopped blogging because I suspected that most of the followers I had accumulated were probably not interested in hearing about how many snobby little kids I ganked while stomping around Newerth as Maliken. So I'm moving on.

Welcome to Dishes & Durotar.
I'm going to dive in, now.