I have two exams today, a two hour one in 40 minutes and a three hour one at 2. I'm starting to freak out... I do think that having one massive exam at the end of a unit is a terrible way of gauging aptitude. I didn't sleep well last night and I think all my study must have trickled out of my ear and onto my pillow during the night since today I'm just drawing massive blanks.

*twiddle thumbs*

guess I'd best be off.

For imuin :P
As I said in my last post, I have plans to scan some of my dresses, then scale the prints down to doll size for Cosette. First is BABY's Marie Antoinette print. I printed it on cotton broadcloth - the threadcount seems too low, I lost a bit of the detail because of this. These days it's hard enough finding white cotton, let alone good white cotton. I'll try at a quilting store or something. The colour is a bit off as well, I'll need to darken it a bit since when you rinse it out (to remove the loose dye so it doesn't run) it does lighten a little.

The mordant is formaldehyde based, it took a while to track down but it was worth it! I'm using a standard inkjet printer (Canon M620), and the results photo was taken after it was washed with detergent. Without the mordant it would just have been a pale blue mess. I also ironed the fabric onto plastic (freezer) paper to give it enough stiffness to get through the printer.

A photo of the outcome is under the cut - it's pretty big so that you can see the detail. On the top is the original dress, the little bit on the left is the design printed on paper, the bit on the right is the design on the cotton. You can still make out quite a bit detail, I hope that this improves on higher quality cotton.
( Largeish results photo below! )

It's been about a month since my last updates, but with so many assignments and various illnesses I didn't even get a chance to update in procrastination.
( Uni ) ( Photography ) ( RIP David Eddings ) ( Introducing Cosette )
( Poladroid (featuring photo of k_chan009) )

I just don't understand anything to do with Electrical Engineering. Nothing. At the moment I have tears running down my face because I feel so stupid that I don't understand the questions I have to get done, but I just don't. It's a second year unit, it should be simple but I'm just useless at it, I don't understand any of the maths, none of it.

I got my second letter of rejection from Centrelink today - It claims I'm not considered independant. "Impossible!" I said! I had checked and double checked the Centrelink site, and when I went in in person the nice lady there sat down and added up all my earnings and agreed that it was right. So I checked the Centrelink site again, and it seems it was modified on the 19th of March to reflect the new threshold. This was several weeks after I handed in my application, and when I applied the website still gave the rate as "1 October 2007-present". Hell, the lady even checked it and said it was ok! Now I have to go hand in one more payslip and wait 3 weeks to find out what new reason they have for denying me.

Not happy.

I got my hair cut today! It was starting to get pretty dead around the roots. lionheartlily gave me a $25 off voucher to a place in South Perth that I went to try out. It was very much on the fancy side of things, but I'm happy with the new cut. They have champagne and all sorts of exciting drinks. I will definitely consider going back there next time I need a cut (I should probably make it every 3 months rather than every 6 months like I've been doing for the last few years).

So this photo is of my new hair cut, and just reaffirms that I fail at photos in general. Hey, at least I don't think I'm actually grimacing in this one like Sebastian says I have a tendency to do. Also notice the excessive slouch. Whatever. Look at the cute poodles instead of my face ♥

Tonight (ok, technically yesterday) was sansele's 21st. I still can't believe that she's older than me! We went to Utopia for exciting food and karaoke. I had too much to eat and still fail at karaoke :D As I went in I think I saw my HS Japanese teacher, but after it had been bugging me for 10 minutes and I went outside again to check he had left. Oh well.

Pomegranate juice is delicious and I am very glad that IGA has brought in a new shipment, even if they bumped the price up again.

At lunchtime on Wednesday I received a bit of a distress call from k_chan009. She and cielrose had to have costumes finished for next week, but alas they only ordered 2 patches for their costumes and later noticed that they needed 4. At such short notice they couldn't place another order in time, so K asked me if I could make them. I used to make patches on commission for people all over the world when I was in upper high school to get a bit of pocket money. Unfortunately I was pretty niave back then and was swindled out of money on more than one occassion :( In the end I decided that it wasn't worth keeping up, people just aren't willing to pay alot for commissioned items because they are so used to cheap mass-produced items.

Prosh is next Wednesday. I've done it 3 times now and I'm pretty much over it, I'm not the kind of person that can go up to people and, in good conscience, sell them the paper.

Poll #1372330
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Am I a terrible person for not wanting to Prosh?

In other news Terracon is going to fall on the weekend that I had been planning my 21st on. Since I definitely want a number of Unisfans at my 21st (and I want to go to Terracon) I'll have to move the date. Fortunately I hadn't booked a venue yet, I guess I might move it to the start of second semester or something *grumble*

Yesterday I met up with jasmineflame and lionheartlily to take some Zidane/Garnet photos. Most of them turned out pretty well, but I especially like this one of lionheartlily. This is the completely unadulterated version. As much fun as playing around in Photoshop is, it is always nice when you can look at the RAW and say "yeah, I can't think of anything I could do to improve that".

Note to self : Spotlight's duchess satin fails in photos. Also now that I look at the embroidery around 2 years after I did it it looks so simple and almost plain. Still, looking at Lee wearing the dress makes me almost want to cosplay again. Almost.

I was reading through the information about the stimulus package, and I just realised that I probably don't qualify. I handed in my tax return last year, but it seems that "The bonus will be available to Australian resident taxpayers who paid net tax in the 2007‑08 financial year." I never realised that it said net tax, which a quick google told me was when you pay tax after all your refunds have been taken out. I got everything refunded, hence no stimulus for me... source

:(

Seb gave me a Chibithulhu! Isn't it just the most adorable unspeakable evil ever ♥

Subjects are from lionheartlily

( Japan )
( University Studies )
( Sebastian )
( Cosplay/Anime )
( Vegetarianism )

Uni is back underway for the new year. One of my units (Vibrations and Signal Processing) has two very enthousiastic lecturers, that should be a good thing. The rest of my units are lectured by somewhat uninterested people.

For the past 3 days I've had some sort of infection on the back of my neck, it's getting bigger and is constantly aching. I'm taking antibiotics, but all they seem to be doing so far is giving me a fever.

My parents are very unimpressed by my plans to throw a fairly extravagent 21st. According to mum at least I'm meant to be saving every penny in this time of economic hardship and I'm incredibly rude and ungratful to be asking for them to contribute to it (I asked if they would pay the bond on the hall). I appreciate the need to save money, but since I've never had a party I figure that I didn't have to skimp and save too much on just this one. eh.

I wish I had more time for sewing. I think I might devote a day next weekend and try to slightly diminish my ever-growing pile of fabric. I also wish that Spotlight had a slightly less-sucky selection. They are turning into a party supply/homewears store rather than a fabric store! Does anyone in Perth know of anyplace decent to buy fabric?

I really wanted an early night tonight, but some of our neighbours have decided to have a party. With loud terrible music. Uuurrrrrgh.

I really want to learn as much as I can about Photoshop, I'm a real beginner at the moment. Today I tackled a photo I took at my second-cousin-once-removed's wedding a few months ago. It was at sunset at the beach, unfortunately that meant that the light was coming from behind.


The original, unedited

( My edit under the cut )
As I said I'm really a beginner at this, and am looking for comments/critisisms/feedback/suggestions etc.

I weighed myself this morning and got pretty depressed by the stubborn needle consistently refusing to budge - but I figured that I may as well take my measurements as well.

I've lost 2cm in my waist and 4cm in my hips since I last measured myself (just before Wai-con) \(^_^)/ It's not much, but it's a start.

Last night after I got home from the gym I just wanted something simple, so I boiled up some lentils and spinach and had it with some rice and spices - it was so good, I don't know why I keep craving fatty/sugary foods when healthy food can taste so good.

I know that there are several Perth-based people on my f-list trying to lose weight. What do you guys think about having a "healthy" dinner party or something like that with the most delicious non-guilt inducing foods we can think of :D

So about a year after I culled my facebook I decided that I'm sick of not getting invited to things and then told afterwards "oh, I sent out invites on facebook". I took a stab at adding new people, but got bored after 20 or so. So please, go ahead and add me :D

I just finished watching Azumi again. I highly recommend it if you liked Kill Bill. I always find the first 20 or so minutes pretty gut wrenching. Basically it's lots of pretty scenery, pretty girls and pretty gore.

Also last weekend I went up to Greenhead with a group of friends. I didn't take photos because I was too busy enjoying myself, but it was heaps of fun. My favourite part was being alone (well, except for the bus load full of tourists) in Dynamite bay with Seb. The water was so clear and calm, the sand so white ♥

I have an EeeMac!

Isn't it adorable! All up it cost me-
Eee 901 XP version - $480 (+$15 postage)
Runcore 16 Gb SSD - $120
DVD to burn OSX onto - $5

Helpful article

I think I'll upgrade the RAM upto 2Gb at some point. I haven't got wireless working yet, will try that out when I get home. Webcam and audio works great. The quartz graphics are working too. Yay for Seb convincing me to try this out, I now have a mac that fits into my handbag!

ETA: Just got home, the wireless works great \(^_^)/. I am editing this entry from it. And in the great tradition of naming electronic devices, it is dubbed Mokona.