Made By Smree

I know, I know, the 'attitude of gratitude' phrase has been used repeatedly and is borderline cliché at this point.  However, indulge me for just a moment please.  We're going somewhere with this post, and the phrase fits in so well with what I want to say that I felt it was worth including. A while back (honestly, I don't really remember how when I "officially" started), I undertook the task of learning Korean.  A lot of people have asked me why I chose Korean, and I am afraid I don't really have any particular reason other than I randomly found a Twitter account for Talk to Me in Korean , thought it looked interesting, and decided to go for it.  I also am a huge fan of Korean beauty products, so being able to read the labels without translation seemed pretty nifty too.  In the first lesson from TTMIK (Talk to Me in Korean), two phrases are introduced, which are 'hello' and 'thank you'.   I'm sure you know by now which one...

02/05/2020 Edit:  So, the credit card I made my purchase on waaay back in September was compromised today, and while I cannot prove that it was linked to this company, I cannot say that it WASN'T.  In the interests of all parties involved, I'm removing all links/references to the company. Remember my recent post about my Lilo cosplay ? Of course you do! (and if not, click the link to go read it, haha!) I posted a quick blurb about it on my Instagram (which you can follow if you feel so inclined), I was contacted a company called (REDACTED) about becoming an ambassador.   Can I just pause and say holy cow at the number of links so far in this post..?  I promise there won't be too many more! Okay, moving on. After a lengthy debate regarding the offer, and perusing the various wares offered by (REDACTED), I decided to accept and order myself a new kigurumi.  I had ordered a Pikachu one from Wish many many months ago, but as a result of my weigh...

A few years ago while prepping for a local craft show, I developed this Pokeball pattern, thinking it would be popular with kids (and kids at heart).  I made a total of six for that particular show, and sold every single one of them.  They've become a stock staple now, and each time I have them at a show I sell at least a few (if not all) of them. Not only do they sell well, they're fantastic attention grabbers too!  I typically display them in a large platter at the front of my table, and they've attracted numerous folks to my table.  I now know the favorite Pokémon of many children, who are excited that someone 'older' gets it.   I have been meaning to write up this pattern into a more legible form for some time now, and finally have managed to do it.  To give you an idea as to what the original pattern looked like, which I wrote down as I was making my first ever pokeball... Make sense to anyone else?  Or just me??  Haha! ...

From the time I first learned of cosplay, I have been intrigued by it.  Cosplaying is something I have wanted to do for several years, but I never truly felt comfortable enough doing so, for three main reasons.  The first reason was that I was too concerned with what others might think (more on that later on!), and the second was I was self-conscious with how I looked overall, due to my weight, to consider it 'doable'. Before I proceed, let me pause a moment to say that I completely and fully understand that cosplay is something that ALL people, regardless of body size, age, gender, etc., etc., can participate in and enjoy if they should desire and choose to do so.  I am speaking of my own experiences and feelings. Just so we're clear! The third, and final reason, was that everything I read about cosplay was that it was fairly expensive.  I am making strides towards being more responsible financially (which ain't easy), so the idea of spending large sums of ...

William Wilde and the Necrosed by Davis Ashura Full disclosure: I was given a copy of the ebook in exchange for a review. Now for my thoughts. Mr. Ashura is the master of a slow burn. In the first book of his prior series (a wicked good read, by the way), and also in this one, there is what seems to be a long buildup before any true “action”. But don’t let that discourage you - think of it like the lit fuse of a stick of dynamite. Mr. Ashura uses the time to craft his worlds and to get you invested into his characters while the fire travels along the fuse, and then BOOM. The action explodes and off you go on a wild ride with the characters you’ve grown to love. And then it doesn’t let up. William Wilde is a spectacularly fun read, and I truly enjoyed diving into his world. Once I started the book, I had a pretty hard time putting it back down. (*shakes a proverbial fist at the author for causing my lack of sleep*). I just had to know what would happen next! It’s incredibly well balanc...

Back in March, I had to say goodbye to my sweet little dog, Pepper. She had been sick and hurting for a long time, and it was ultimately for the best, but that hardly made it easy.  We had spent nearly fourteen years together, after all. Years .

Hold on to your hats, folks, cause I'm about to blow your mind.  Did you know that there is a WEEKLY holiday that you're missing out on? That's right. I said a WEEKLY. HOLIDAY.  What holiday is this, you ask? (I'm so glad you asked.) Retro Blissed Day! And it happens every Tuesday! Isn't that amazing?!