Sailor Moon Live, Part II

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So we checked in to our actually reasonably priced, fairly fancy, right next door to the venue hotel, where I was greeted by my TV.

 
 

We rested up and then off to the venue! This is where my only complaint lays. Venue doors were supposed to open an hour before the show, the amount of people already there and in line was absolutely ridiculous. There is no way that this placed open only an hour before. We immediately got in line and waited to get to the merch table. I wanted a poster and a button. As we inched forward I grew increasingly worried.

In line, not quite so nervous yet about missing the start.

Start time was closer and closer and we were still in line. My nerves were very apparent and my partner was like, “Do you want to go to the seats? I’ll buy the stuff.” A truer hero has never existed. I eagerly climbed the stairs to our seats in the balcony level, but not before snapping a pic:

 
 

Look at him. Surrounded by Moonies in an Umino shirt. He got the most compliments actually. Everyone loved it.

I got to my seat and took in the sights. The Schuster Center is beautiful. Okay, Dayton.

Luckily, they didn’t start the show without him. The production cut the line right behind him and he was able to secure the goods and get to our seats with time to spare. We settled in and the show started.

Folks, I don’t think I stopped crying tears of absolute joy the entire time I was watching this show. Not only my love of this from childhood but my partner and I we had just finished watching the entire 200 episode series and 3 original movies. We had inside jokes about this, he has favorite characters, we shared this huge long experience together it it really culminated in this live show and I just felt so happy.

The show was a basic retelling of the first season with some changes of course, the show was in Japanese with the subtitles on the screen behind them. The songs were great, the scouts and Beryl were well cast, the effects of their powers were super cool, and after the major plot was done they just did a bunch of songs and costume changes that were absolutely adorable. They even had a section where they were like, “Hey, you can take pics and record!”

Basically it was a magical time. I was able to take some fun pics and videos, I got to be 10 years old again, and I got to share this with my partner. All in all a beautiful night. It ended much too soon, the merch line was nuts after the show so I was happy we had managed to get our bounty before the show and we retired to our hotel for the night to make the trek back home the next morning.

Once I got home I happily unrolled my poster and a happy surprise occurred! I have a gallery wall in my office and I’ve been looking for a replacement art piece for a larger frame. Scott Kurtz of PvP Online betrayed his fans via a kickstarter and I’ve had a PvP poster on my wall for years looking for something in the same size. My Sailor Moon Live Poster FIT PERFECT.

A perfect end to a perfect time.

 

VIctory!

 

Sailor Moon Live! Part I aka: DAYTON, OHIO?!?!?

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It was announced in early 2025 that the Sailor Moon, Super Live! Show was going to be touring around North America. I knew that this had to happen in my life, I must go! As a Sailor Moon fan from the original airing of the Dic Dub that aired at 6:30 in the morning before school and that I got up for….I had to go. Sailor Moon also has a long and storied history of live shows in Japan but this would be the first tour that ever left the country. There was a show in DC, I believe (it had gotten moved around because of COVID) to gauge interest and interest there was. So much so that they had to eventually add more tour dates.

I got in to an early pre-sale and was like, I would love to go to Chicago but I feel like that one might sell out and you know which one I felt wouldn’t sell out? DAYTON, OHIO. That’s right, there ended up being two entirely different shows in OHIO but not a single one in the great mitten state. It just isn’t fair. The pre-sale came and I was 100% correct in my assumption, I didn’t even have a chance in Chicago. But Dayton? Front row Balcony tickets, baby!

The Dog’s Grandmother was approached for dog sitting and she agreed and hotel reservations were made. Which, accidentally, ended up being right next to the venue, so go me.

Now we had to drive there. This was not a thrilling drive. The mid-west is notoriously flat and the straightest way there was a very old highway that went through tiny little towns. But adventure was had! Some sights (literally everything) below.

We stopped for lunch (Wendy’s, surprisingly easy to make dairy-free) and at the stop we saw a strange looking building which ended up being The Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum.

Imagine seeing this sphere in the middle of nowhere Ohio

Never one to turn down a science museum we stopped off to finish our lunch and stretch our legs in the museum. Many jokes were made about how many astronauts come from Ohio and how they needed to leave Ohio so much that they had to escape to space. The museum wasn’t the biggest but it was bigger than I had expected and it was super cute. I wonder how many field trips this thing sees a year.

One object of note just because I think it is neat that it’s all the way in Ohio:

 
 

The reason that this is neat is because…I’ve been to Meteor Crater! That was part of a big birthday road trip I took several years ago before leaving Arizona and it’s one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. Also one of the windiest.

My hair was everywhere. I miss that jacket. It was my favorite jacket. Vegan leather apparently starts disintegrating in 5 years. Also this was in 2017, that is nine years ago. Time isn’t real.

After the museum we made it into the hotel and got settled. It was time to get ready to head next door. Part Two next week!

 
 

Aqua, December 2023

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In the year of 1997 and music single was released: Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” was released and it changed my brain chemistry. I purchased the single on cassette. As soon as the eponymous CD came out it was in my hands. The VHS “Aqua Diary: Official Aquarium Home Video” was played so many times on my CRT TV/VCR combo. Which is how I got to see so many of the music videos as I grew up without cable and didn’t have internet access quite yet.

 

Click the Tape, someone uploaded it to Youtube!

 

In December of 2023 a miracle occurred for my 12 year old inner self: Aqua was having it first US tour. And as a full-ass adult you better believed I immediately purchased a ticket to go. They were coming to Detroit, I did not care if it was in the middle of a mid-western winter. Come hell or high snow, I would be there.

And there I was! After some difficulty with parking and finding the venue (The Fillmore, Detroit) , I had balcony seats to bask in my childhood favorite band. It was honestly one of the best concerts I’ve been to. The theater was beautiful, we had a great view, and Aqua was perfect.

 

I am the happiest, childhood dreams are coming true! And while freezing, it was fairly mild weather for Michigan in December!

 
 

Lene, the lead singer, her voice has gotten even more beautiful as time has passed. Rene has such a fantastic stage presence, and Soren is great musician. The way they edited the music videos to play in the back as they performed was so cool. They have great showmanship that they have just perfected in their other tours. The two videos below are clips of “Cartoon Heroes” and “Barbie Girl” They played so much of their catalogue of hits (which in my opinion, is basically ALL of their songs) and it was amazing.

I didn’t take too many videos or photos as I wanted to really lose myself in the experience. It was so much fun and I’m very happy that Aqua is now on the short list of live concerts I’ve been to in my life. I also purchased my first Liquid Death drink, which is just fancy water, which I didn’t know until I went to this concert and that was my only water option!

All in all it was a successful concert experience. We left during the encore to beat the traffic because this area, is like, concert Venue city and we had quite the drive back to our house afterwards. I didn’t end up purchasing any merchandise because it didn’t actually feel…special enough? It was very basic stuff and I would’ve hope for some more fashionable t-shirts or fun designed posters.

Favorite Movies of January, 2026

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The movies will never stop. In 2024, I watched 327 films and in 2025, I watched 274. There was a significant drop but that is because we have added “Anime Wednesdays” and TV show Sundays and the current watch is X-Files. We’ve also fallen very hard into Task Master and when we end up eating late or are frazzled from the day we have had we do a Task Master Night. The movies though, they are always there.

5 Stars

They Live, 1988. We watched this on the first of the year with a friend who had never seen it. Seems appropriate for the times.

Together, 2025. Literally had me screaming, will not watch again. Excellent film.

Patlabor: The Movie, 1989. Robots and Biblical allegories.

4.5 Stars

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, 2026. Very much falling in love with this series. Which is surprising. The road to Horror film love has been long and arduous.

Outland, 1981. Space Crime Thriller. Do you actually need more?

Marty Supreme, 2025. I don’t know how I feel about Timothee Chalamet but the boy can act.

The Virgin Suicides, 1999. Pretty faithful adaptation of the book, a little uneven in places but wow, that soundtrack.

Books I read in January, 2026

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I’m really trying to cut back on screen time. Numerous timers on various social media apps (Instagram, Substack, etc.) and a Focus Mode in the Morning so I can‘t bedrot in the morning. I know it‘s a popular topic and somewhat trendy on how to cut back on the phone but it really does start to encompass your time and encroach on the things you WANT to spend time on.

I took a look at the time spent on my phone and decided that it’s enough and I have set myself up to better use my time for reading instead. I have an old Google play account where I purchased books quite a while ago so those are my “phone’ books, I have 2 kobo readers. One is set up with a stand in my bedroom for evening reading in bed before going to sleep and one is called my “Baby” book that rides with me in my purse. I have also thrifted a ton of physical books over the past few years so I have usually have two of those books next to the couch: a novel and some sort of graphic novel or trade paperback and I alternate reading those.

It has definitely helped. I read 7 books last month and I don’t think I’m going to get more than that this month (also with it being such a short month, I can already feel it ebbing away so quickly) but I am reading a long Stephen King novel and sometimes he is a monster with that page length.

I haven’t been rating my books on StoryGraph but I do track them there. It’s a great app and wonderful alternative to GoodReads.

“Soul Music” by Terry Pratchett : a reread from the past. I stumbled on to an excellent humble bundle of his books and I’ll be picking my way through his collection as the year progresses. Soul Music is an old favorite.

“Forrest Gump” by Winston Groom : I hated this. Words cannot convey the hate read this turned into. Watch the movie instead. As soon as I finished this it went into my get rid of bag.

“The Virgin Suicides” by Jeffrey Eugenides : mostly read because it gave me a good excuse to watch the film.

“Gunsmith Cats” omnibus Volume 3 By Kenichi Sonada: just rebuying my childhood but maybe this one should’ve been a bit later in life. IYKYK.

“Hogfather” by Terry Pratchett: I really wanted to finish this in December for Christmas but it just didn’t happen. We will be watching the 2 part TV movie by the end of February!

“The Prairie Wife” by Arthur Stringer: a book I thrifted and got a very good deal on which is good because it’s not making the cut on the bookshelf. It was fine but I’d rather read Laura Ingalls Wilder.

“Cat’s Eye” Omnibus Volume 1 by Tsukasa Hojo: I recently bought and watched the anime of this and fell in love with it and was very excited by the announcement that there was going to be a new release of the manga here in the states. I will be purchasing the rest as they come out and I highly recommend the anime. It has one of the best endings in my opinion.

My 2025 Website Absence

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It was a rough year.

I won’t go on and on but we lost a major patriarch of my partner’s family and then I also spent half the year caring for Gala, my beloved dog daughter. Then I spent the rest of the year recovering from having to make the hardest choice I’ve ever had to make in my entire life and I mean that. Every decision PALES in comparison to me having to let my girl go.

I’m proud of how I handled everything. I kept up most of my good habits, took time to read and create, went out and actually made friends. Honestly amazing.

I thought of the website often but I just couldn’t bring myself to actually update it for some reason. Which is funny because I don’t even need to make the blog posts, I should just keep up on posting my art projects but I don’t. Ah, well. At least I do it on instagram and then I can easily look back at stuff.

Some changes to the website: New art has been posted in several categories. New projects are slow going but I’m making time for them. An entire new section is for all of my cooking. I just love to cook and try new stuff in fun cookbooks, it is such a large part of my hobbies and life it needed its own section. I’m also going to breaking in to a new cookbook soon, so keep an eye out for new stuff there too.

A big goal of mine is to actually keep up with the website this year, so fingers crossed. I tend to peter out around May when I do try to keep up everything, haha.

Mavin the Martian, December of 2024

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A Christmas Gift, Per my Father’s Request!

He wanted something Marvin the Martian and he got it.

The pattern is on Etsy from StarShopPatterns. It also had several other Looney Tunes Characters available to make as well.

 

The original pattern had you use the same colors on each and every side the same way so while I used the same colors, I switched them up to add some variation to the box when viewed in the round.

I really think it helped with the visual interest of the object.

The Various Sides and Top

Diagonal Views

 

This Pattern was a little difficult to complete. One reason was I have never really done an uneven edge on a Bargello project before, so that was a learning curve. I also haven’t layered pieces to create depth either which I did with the front of his helmet, that was a whole separate piece that was stitched.

I’ve also done a digital piece of Marvin for my Dad too. He likes what he likes!

A Christmas Hibiscus, December of 2024

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I have a business partner who I adore. She has a Hibiscus flower bush outside of her house and it’s her favorite flower. I always knew I would eventually stitch her a hibiscus but I didn’t know when or how.

The main hibiscus is from Etsy seller LaSelvaDesign and I found the smaller flower design from Pinterest (no artist credited). The Mesh sieve is thrifted from an Antique Store. I did change the colors because she likes the darker red flowers in the hibiscus family. The smaller flower design was not a Hibiscus in design so I altered those.

I did go back and forth with myself about perhaps painting the handle but decided to embrace the antique nature of the the object.

I had a very fun time with this and have purchased a few more sieves to use in the future for a project but haven’t touched them yet.

Close up of the aforementioned stitched flower.

A Minion's Gift

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How time changes so quickly.

I made this set of 3 Minions in September of 2024 for a family patriarch. He was in his mid 90’s, lived independently, and his mind was quick and all there. I say was because this was all true until this past Summer.

He had recently expressed a fondness for the minions and looking for a way to repay him for his hospitality for years when my partner and I would go stay with him and visit Pennsylvania. I jumped at the chance to make him a gift.

I purchased this pattern on etsy from the seller: CrossStitchANASTASIA. There were five different minion patterns in it and I chose my favorite 3. I also happen to have 3 kits that contained matching frames so I thought this would be a perfect little set for him. I cannibalized the sets and got to making the Minions.

They were gifted and he had them perched on his window sill in the kitchen until they couldn’t stay there anymore.

Two of these Minions are back in my possession. One gifted to his daughter in remembrance of PopPop. The two are now hanging in my gallery wall that I get to see everyday.

Miss you Pop!

12 Months of the Year

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Better Late Than Never?

In September of 2024, I completed a 12 Tissue Box endeavor of Bargello. I made a fun short for my Instagram and I’ve finally uploaded it to my YouTube to post here on the website!

I’m very happy with the completion of this and I’ve been working diligently on other projects as well since then. Everything just takes so long!

I made these tissue boxes from the PDF pattern from Etsy Seller RaindropsAndMemories and the PDF is called "Birthstone Boutiques in Plastic Canvas"

Click here to go see the Video!

A Fiber Art Update

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A Mantle Clock Made out of Yarn

 

My Dad turned 75 recently and I’m not going to lie. I was going to do something else, but unfortunately this was supposed to be a Christmas present and I really did not give myself enough time to complete this. So it turned into a birthday present instead. I do think this is a better birthday present now, but I digress.

I found the pattern on Etsy (seller: crossstitchbeautyart) and it is from the pattern called Plastic Canvas Pattern Clocks.

My Dad collects clocks and him and my Mom always want me to make something for them so I thought this was a perfect fit! I did change the colors of the pattern because this thing was supposed to be different shades of brown and how boring is that?

 
 

April Tissue Box Topper is inspired by the Diamond! I only have 3 more to make of these and I’ll have made all 12 and that is very exciting.

Pattern is purchased from Etsy seller RaindropsandMemories. The pattern itself is from Leisure Arts and it is the Birthstone Boutiques in Plastic Canvas. They changed their listing now and unfortuanetly if you want to purchase these patterns they are all individual now.

 
 

A simple basket for my reusable napkins. I had my napkins in a stand that held them vertically but they kept sticking to each other so I made a basket sized for them and it’s perfect. I designed the chevron pattern myself.

All of these have now been added to the Fiber Art section of the site!

Gotham Knight Snickerdoodle Cookies

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I was playing the Gotham Knights video game and was checking Jason Todd’s email and Dick Grayson sent him a recipe for Snickerdoodle Cookies. It looked like a legit recipe so I decided to try it out!

These were the softest and fluffiest snickerdoodles I’ve ever put in my face and they are going to become a regular staple in this house.

Mix together shortening, sugar, and eggs.

Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and stir in.

Roll into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll into mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cooking heet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup soft shortening (or unsalted butter)

1.5 cups of sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

The Finished Products

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp Salt

2 TBS Sugar

2 TBS cinnamon


I used unsalted (and dairy free!) butter as the base and ended up getting 30 servings from the batch and they were 122 calories per cookie.