the digital lives of storm & nis

Last week I took a day trip with my family to visit the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. Nis came too.





( +19 )

I took Nis along because he's travel sized - but he absolutely wouldn't behave! There were Wig Issues and the magnets that keep skull cap on have come loose. (BTW - is it okay to hot glue this? What should I do? At least I didn't lose any of them). Considering those hardships (and toward the end I said, "That's it, I knew I should've taken Storm!" and he seemed to shape up a little bit), I'm really proud of how many of these shots came out.

Next time I probably will bring Storm, if only because he really would have loved the antiques in the mansion / visitor's center, and all of the books.

I know, half of you are like wait you went to that? I took off work and everything (earlier in the month I covered a shift on the first Saturday off I'd been given in months, so I felt pretty justified in doing it) planning to go, and got the time totally wrong - I guess I got it mixed up with the other meet people are planning for July, which I can't make (because I'm taking a Friday off to go see Tori Amos). I thought it was later, so I was profoundly late and many of the people I'd been hoping to see had moved on.

On the other hand, when everyone else was at the meet, I was at the farmer's market with my Oma and parents, so honestly, I'm not too totally pissed about it. Just disappointed.






( +16 )

As a Father's Day gift to myself, I put down a deposit for a Crobidoll Lance head + SDF body.

Nicky's coming home!

The more I take pictures of Storm and Nis, the more I feel like Nis almost feels more mature than Storm.

Mostly, I do photoshoots like this (with whatever's on hand, or in this case - stripping them totally naked) just to blow off some steam, creatively, mentally and emotionally.

That being said, since I feel like it would probably taken the wrong way, not posting this one to DOA as if anyone cares there anyway.

( Warning: Tasteful doll nudity. Pics +10 )

Just experimenting with the black and white feature on my camera. I've been down lately... again.






( +2 )

Nis was a little intimidated by staying on the 21st floor for the con, but with Storm's help, he began to admire it and relax.






( +7 )

Extra - Storm looks out the window of the Washington State Convention Center




( +1 )

It seemed to me that we easily had twice, maybe even three times as many people at the panel this time around. It was really great, too bad we didn't have much time to hang around and take pictures! It was like the freaking doll paparazzi in there! X3






( +9 )

Innocente Seraphim Booth

These ladies are running an EGL / BJD con in the summer. I wish them the best, though I don't think I'll be able to make it out personally.





( +1 )

Noon Meet

Nis got stolen for some random boylove with a random, older doll. This was my first experience with someone just asking to check out a doll and posing it however they liked while I wasn't looking. It made for some unique poses, though ah... I guess Nis likes them older? >>; I wasn't totally mad, I was happy Nis was getting so much attention but... it was a little bit odd.






( +25 )

Evening Meet

Nis ended up in a whole bunch of laps in the evening, but I didn't get many pictures because the battery to my camera died. D:






( +2 )

Whoa, what a turn out we had for the Sakuracon meets this year! The amount of doll love was staggering! @.@ I went to five meet ups if you count the panel on Sunday. I'll post Saturday and Sunday ASAP.

Friday - Noon Meetup





( +12 )

Friday - Evening Meet Up





( +12 )

Did a little bit of formatting and now both Nis and Storm are neatly on the journal profile.

(The story of Nis's bizarre marriage proposal to Storm will eventually be chronicled.)

I'm looking forward to Sakuracon! Who's going? Discussion here. I think there was talk of someone making fliers too. Times of the meet ups are as follows:

Friday, Noon until 3:00 pm
6:30 pm until 9:00 pm

Saturday, Noon until 3:00 pm
6:30 pm until 9:00 pm

It will be in the same place as last time, the lobby area behind the escalators on the 2nd floor in the con center. Since it's not a con function, you really probably don't need a con badge to get into the area. I'm looking forward to it and will make as many don't conflict with my plans to cosplay.

We had a short spurt of unseasonably warm weather in the Seattle area, and Nis and I took advantage of this (and my new camera) with an impromptu trip to the beach.






( +5 )

I hadn't visited DOA in two weeks when I posted this in the gallery. Hm.

Storm recently received some new clothes as a birthday gift - he's been with me one year! Hard to think this is my 2nd Christmas with my lovely, quiet one.


( +3 )

It's been snowing in Western Washington!

I finally had some free time and a fresh blanket of snow, so I bundled up Nis and myself with the full intent of doing a snow-themed shoot! Little did I know it was snowing again. I braved some snow but it then started snowing even harder... T.T I'm not totally satisfied with the results, but I'm happy that I at least got out and did a little bit with my little guy.



( +1 )

I've been tired from work a lot lately... I really want to show off the cute new shoes that were given as a gift for Nis, but I want to do a fun photoshoot and keep putting it off.


Storm's 1-year birthday/anniversary is the 10th. I'd like to order him something nice to wear as a birthday present, but as things are going, I'm not sure how I'll manage Christmas for my living family.

I'm liking SDF Howl for Nicky. I bet he'd look great with dark hair.

I've been sick sick sick, so I decided to do a little photostory to cheer myself up.



Storm: Uggggh...



( A small figure lands on Storm's back! )

I really want to go to the Seattle meetup. Hopefully I can switch shifts with someone and make it out.

BTW Brightfires, I agree with you about having the meet up at Oasis. No matter what, I always feel like I'm intruding and causing trouble. I wish we could pick some other location where we wouldn't get in the way... I don't particularly like feeling like a public spectacle, either.

I'm thinking about dragging my two over to the waterfall park nearby afterward, weather permitting. I think that might be a nice place to have a meet, since it does have tables and chairs, and hey, a waterfall.

I took Storm to the library as a special treat shortly before Nis arrived home - knowing that I might not be paying as much attention to him as usual after that. Then I ended up taking him to PAX rather than Nis anyway. >>; Anyway, I never got around to editing and posting the pictures, so here they are now.




Excuse me. I'm trying to read Tsubasa here.

( +2 )

Last week, I took Nis to visit his doll-auntie, kwissipie. We spent some time chatting a bit and Nis was introduced to something very dangerous: coffee. Not good for little monsters, I'm afraid.





( +2" )

I've found that doing these little shoots helps a lot with my moods. So even though everything about this shoot was less than ideal - I'm waiting for new eyes for Nis, and picking out a new wig when I get paid again, and perhaps more flattering clothes - I decided to post it. Besides, it was a major learning experience. MSDs have a tendency to look necky and awkward in a lot of pictures, so compensating for that was interesting. Also, the Real Skin body is just sort of... weird. And he doesn't stand nearly as solidly as Storm, which is a bit expected.

However, the more I play and photograph him, the more I'm so glad I brought Nis home.







Posing with flowers is really boring.

( +4 )

I didn't expect these two to get along well. Come to find out that Nis clings to Storm like a limpet, and Storm feels very protective of the little one.

They're not brothers - but they might as well be.



I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood...

( +6 )

Notes: I've been very, very ill and depressed lately, and I took these pictures to express myself a little bit, I guess.

I was a little bit worried about posting it on DOA (but I did anyway 'cause I'm a ho) because it's a young boy and a teenage boy cuddling even though they're not related. Erm.

I haven't been feeling up to posting photoshoots or much else, but that doesn't mean I don't get out now and again. I went to Penny Arcade Expo 2008, which is basically a glorified gamer convention, and Storm tagged along.



( Storm + Aquamarine )

It's too bad it seems no one else showed up to meet-up, I was looking forward to seeing some since I typically don't get weekends off aside from conventions, so I never make it to meet-ups.

On a related note, I'm working on 'building' Nis and I have a Serious Question.

What size eye do y'all typically use for your MSDs? Nis's, I believe, are the default Luts blue glass, 16mm I think. I like this sizing. Luts has since switched to arcrylics, and the website says their defaults are 16mm.

Also, do you have a good resource for fur wigs in unusual colors?

So, a little while ago a bid on, and eventually won (yay for flaky DOA users...?) a KD Hodoo. I was very happy, because he was a doll I'd admired. But my process in buying him was very different, emotionally, than buying Storm. Since I paid him off in installments every weeks, it never had that 'real' feeling to me where it was like BAM my bank account suddenly drained. Even as he sits there in Storm's lap, I can't quite believe that Nis is a reality now. Even though I tracked the package, it took Storm a lot longer to make it through customs and home. That's to say, I was completely surprised to find his box on my bed today.

...I hadn't even told my parents I was buying him. Oops.

His body is absolutely beautiful and I love his chubby cheeks. His eyes are a bit small. He definitely needs wardrobe adjustments, and probably an new faceup though the one his previous owner gave him is absolutely lovely. He'll need new eyes too. I'm still in shock that he's actually here. I can't believe I own two dolls now.

Nis has been in my heart since I conceived of the latest incarnation of Storm and Nicky's story. I wanted a smaller, more playful character to offset Storm's quiet and Nicky's tempest.

( These arrival pictures are terrible, because I took them at 10PM )

Hopefully I will have the time / energy to introduce Nis properly soon.
And the money to get him to where I truly want him to be, hahahaha.