Fail

I obviously suck at filling out anything consistently for longer than eight days in a row. Oops.
I'll finish that list...because I want to. But not right now. At the moment, NaNoWriMo is owning my soul.

xoxo,
Cat

Day 08 - Short term goals for this month and why

For this month? It's already the 21st, though!

Ah well. I suppose that my short term goal for this month is to finish the coat that I've been working on. It's nearly completed, but I still have to stitch on the pockets and go through and reinforce a few seems.

As soon as that is done, I'll be starting on a commission for my friend Dawn. She's been so patient while waiting for this one to be completed!

Soon!

xoxo,

Cat

Day 07 - A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

 

Books are everything to me.

I love to read them, to write them, to get lost in them...everything.

Even when I was little, I'd drag my books into the bathtub with me to read them. My mother hated that, but she never stopped me. She always encouraged me to read as much as I wanted.

My books are an escape from reality, both when reading and writing. I ignore my surroundings and completely fall into another world. 

I adore every moment of it.

xoxo,

Cat

Day 06 - Favorite super hero and why

I never really had a favorite super hero when I was growing up.

I watched Power Rangers a lot, but I don't even know if I could classify them as that. 

As I got older, I read more comics and found a lot of things that my peers had already been into for years.
I guess...if I had to pick on, it would probably be Thor. I'm completely pulling the girl card on this one, too. I mean seriously?

Look...just look.

Seriously. Nom nom, right? 

Yes, that's what I thought. He can save me any day.

xoxo,

Cat

Day 05 - A picture of somewhere you've been to

Wow. I really got distracted with life things. I'm two and a half days behind on this. I'll do my best to make up for that tonight.

Let's see...a place I've been to? I've been to so many places.

I could place pictures of parties or events on here, but I think I'm leaning more toward an actual geographical location.

Some time ago, I traveled across England, Scotland and a bit of Ireland. It was all stunning. Sometimes I think I left part of my heart there. I roamed from Stonehenge to London and fell into Loch Ness. 

I shopped, danced to bagpipes, chased sheep, sang on the steps of Buckingham Palace during the Changing of the Guard, ate real haggis, partied in Victorian gothic clubs and had the time of my life. 

I fell in love with the culture and the scenery. London had its circuses, Scotland had it's ancient green landscapes and Ireland had it's pubs. 

The first time I went with my high school choir. The second time was on a whim and I crashed with a family of crazy druids who won me over and cursed at one another in Gaelic on a regular basis.

Someday I'll make it back there again.

xoxo,

Cat

Day 04 - A habit that you wish you didn't have

Due to a sudden case of sleep, I didn't get around to posting this before bed, last night. Oops.

Let's see. There really aren't many habits that I wish I didn't have. Sure, there are many that I would like to overcome, but I've been attempting to put myself in the position where I feel accepting of myself, faults included. 

That said, if I must pick one, it would probably be the fact that I'm infamous for starting projects, then never completing them fully. 

If you stepped into my sewing room, you'd find huge piles of sweaters, along with several sweatercoats that still need to be completed. It's saddening, really. I love making them, but sometimes I just need a swift kick in the ass to finish one. 

Underneath the sweaters you'd find belly dance hairpieces that have been half-completed, unfinished garb, and numerous other shiny things.

It doesn't just revolve around sewing, either. I begin episodes of remodeling, novels, art projects, fire spinning, all sorts of things...and then it takes me years to work on or finish them. If I finish them.

Maybe that should have been my New Year's Resolution... 

FINISH YOUR SHIT, CAT.

Oh well.

xoxo,

Cat

Day 03 - A picture of you and your friends

Just one?

But...but... No. I choose two.

My friends are amazing. They're more of a lifeline to me than they realize. 

I could go on for hours. I'll stop, though.

Okay, let's recap.

The first picture is Katy, JJ Kitty Kat, some guy who I don't remember the name of, and myself. This was at the Post Pennsic Pity Party many years ago. 

The second photo is from Resurrection, a local Long Island club night. That's April, Rich, myself, Mike and Jesse.

The last picture is...chaos. Beloved and beautiful house party chaos. Mike and I are infamous for throwing amazing house parties. Awesome pictures such as these are the result. I think another one is in the works for spring.

Also. I lied. One more. Because Malicious and Commander Jen rule my world.

xoxo,
Cat

Day 02 - The meaning behind your blog name

Dancing Vulpine.

I have several reasons that this name is very special to me. 

For anyone who may not be aware, a fox is a "vulpine." I love foxes. My belly dance stage name is "Raqisa Ta'lab," which translates to "the dancing fox."

My love for foxes is an odd one. Most people see them as sly creatures of deception, ominous, though cute. While I cannot object to that, I also look at them as symbols of femininity. "What? Femininity?" I'm sure there are people making puzzled expressions right now, but I'll explain...

There are many similarities between woman and foxes. Both are born physically weaker than some of their race or species. They make up for it in cunning and style, turning their weaknesses into elegant strengths. On top of that, both can be nearly impossible to tame.

As a symbol of just how much the title means to me, I had one placed on me forever. 

Artwork by Anya, inkwork by Brian of Inner Vision.

And that is the dancing fox.

xoxo,
Cat

Day 01 - A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

It was surprisingly difficult to find a recent photo of only myself that wasn't overly photoshopped or given cell phone built in effects. I managed this one, though. It was taken this past autumn at McConnell's Mills, a nature/historical reservation in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

Interesting Facts

1. I'm borderline nocturnal. Even right now, it's 1:31AM and I find it to be incredibly too early to sleep. The only time I'll actually fall asleep before the sunrises is if I intentionally wear myself out in some way, be it mentally or physically. I do a lot of my exercise, cleaning and writing during the nighttime.

2. I'm obsessed with John Stamos. Anyone who knows me well know that this isn't a secret, though. When he starred in that Propel commercial I drank that disgusting flavored water for weeks, hoping that he'd appear in the sidewalk I was jogging along in the same way as the girl in the commercial. To this day, I still call it "John Stamos water." 

3. I sleep with a stuffed cat named Figaro. This is something else that's no secret to anyone close to me. It's the cat from the Disney movie, Pinocchio. My best friend, Anya, bought it for me many, many years go. At this point, the poor thing looks like a ragged rat, but I can't sleep without it. I've tried. It doesn't work.

4. I love to dance. I do this in as many ways as possible- belly dancing, club dancing, while spinning fire, ballroom, with my dog every night before bed...all of it speaks to me.

5. I dislike coffee, but I can't live without my tea. Seriously, I don't think my body knows how to function if I don't have some first thing after waking up.

6. I shower in the evening. I hate taking showers in the morning. I already despise mornings enough...the last thing I want is to suddenly be sopping wet and miserable. 

7. I have no real religious path. Usually I refer to myself as "some odd shaman, druid blend of pagan." I know what I believe, but it doesn't seem to follow under any specific category. Part of me likes that. Either way, my "church" is patch of grass and an open sky.

8. I despise the feeling of denim on my skin. (The only reason I'm wearing them in the above picture is due to the fact that we were going rock climbing that day.) I live in pajama pants. I have about a dozen pairs that I rotate through- skulls, candy canes, Ninja Turtles, pink plaid, Spongebob, pirate flags, etc. Sometimes I get odd looks when I wear them out in public, but I couldn't care less. Go on and call me a slob. I'm comfortable.

9. I suffer from severe anxiety. I've been on a heaping dosage of Prozac, every day for the past seven years. If I don't take it, I turn into a spazzy, overly-emotion and depressed mess. I'm not ashamed of it. I don't hide it. It's one of my faults that can be easily remedied by a daily pill. So be it.

10. I love to read. I rarely watch movies, but I'll happily live inside books. I savor young-adult novels the revolve around fae and fantasy. I'm pretty sure that's where I'm supposed to be. 

11. I love my dog. My dog, Murphy, is my world and owns my soul. He was a gift to myself in a very rough point of my life. He's a purebred, but he was the runt of his litter. In a way, we saved one another.

12. I refer to myself as and "overweight health nut." I know the routines, the calorie calculations, scales and activity points and all the fancy technicalities on what fuels your body best and when you should eat it. I preach it, but I don't practice it all the time. I should. I try. I'm working on it. I workout every day. I've lost thirty pounds in 2011. I'm hoping for another thirty in 2012.

13. My phobias include: Clowns, driving in unknown areas, hypodermic needles, dentists, small spaces, deep water and squirrels.

14. My very best friends are all the character and muses from my novels that live inside my head. Psychological disaster? Probably.

15. I believe that soul mates aren't restricted to people that you're meant to be with, romantically. They're the ones who come into your life and leave an enormous impact that helps you grow stronger. They're the people who you learn from and will never forget, no matter what.  

xoxo,

Cat

30 Days of Me Challenge

A good friend of mine started doing this several days ago and the idea appealed to me. I'm snagging it and doing the same. If nothing else, it will give me a reason to do some daily reflecting on my life.

Day 01 - A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
Day 02 - The meaning behind your Blog name
Day 03 - A picture of you and your friends
Day 04 - A habit that you wish you didn't have
Day 05 - A picture of somewhere you've been to
Day 06 - Favorite super hero and why
Day 07 - A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08 - Short term goals for this month and why
Day 09 - Something you're proud of in the past few days
Day 10 - Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
Day 11 - Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12 - How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
Day 13 - A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14 - A picture of you and your family
Day 15 - Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16 - Another picture of yourself
Day 17 - Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18 - Plan/dreams/goals you have
Day 19 - Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Day 20 - Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 21 - A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22 - What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23 - Something you crave for a lot
Day 24 - A letter to your parents
Day 25 - What I would find in your bag
Day 26 - What you think about your friends
Day 27 - Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28 - A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29 - In this past month, what have you learned
Day 30 - Your favorite song.

If you happen upon any of these updates, please feel free to comment and encourage me to continue with them. I thrive more off of support than I usually care to admit.

xoxo,
Cat

Playing with fire.

For anyone who doesn't know, I love to write. I constantly indulge myself with fantastical world that I create in my mind, covered with elves, sylphs, fairies and all those other things that help me to escape reality.
Every once in a while I end up with a character who puzzles me. I recently began a new process of "interviewing" these individuals. It ends up similar to a short story, but an informative one. Most of the time I have no idea how these characters will respond to the questions until I'm typing out the answers. Another benefit is that it gives me something to hand out to my friends so they can get to know my frustrating musings, as well!
This particular interview is with Saber, one of the current stars of my story Assassin's Dance. Enjoy him! I know I certainly do...

An Interview with Saber


The assassin tower of the Silver Ravens was certainly more intimidating than I had imagined it to be. The stone structure was obviously very old and had seen better days, but it remained sturdy and dependable. Invading vines had snaked their way around it in captive hugs. I stepped inside and went to find my pretty assassin.

Sure enough, he was right where I expected him to be- sprawled out in one of the overstuffed chairs by the hearth, a leg slung over one of the arms, casually. His skin was tanned, but naturally so. It complimented him well. Long red hair draped over the side of the chair that he rested against, streaked with crimson and hints of burgundy. He was the epitome of elven beauty. The most unusual trait about him, however, were the tattoos.

Tribal-like designs decorated his brow in an elegant pattern. Similar markings also decorated his chin, those ones snaking down his neck and onto his exposed chest, revealed through his unbuttoned vest.

He looked up as I walked over and a lick of a grin danced over his lips. “I was beginning to wonder if you would show,” he confessed.

“I actually had a rough time getting here,” I admitted as I pulled one of the other chairs closer, sitting across from him. “This tower is well hidden, you know.”

He chuckled. “You created all of this. I am surprised you would have a problem navigating through it.”

I shook my head in protest. “I never created you. I like to think that my musings simply discovered you and asked me to put it all into written word.”

His lips pursed a little bit as he thought about that statement. His head bobbed once in a nod. “Fair enough.” He leaned back further, propping his arms behind him as he relaxed. “So, you wanted to ask me some questions?”

“I do.” Pulling out my notebook and a pen, I situated myself more comfortably. “You are one of my musings trapped in my mind. I figure its best to get to know you better. Plus, this way I can allow others to see who you are, easier.”

He snorted quietly and grinned. “Because that’s my main goal in life- helping people to understand me…”

I sighed and waved my hand dismissively at the comment, taking the cap off my pen. “So, tell me about yourself?”

His left brow rose, ever so slightly. “What would you like to know?” After he spoke, he reached over and picked up his silver goblet from the stand beside the chair, taking a sip of its contents. Whatever it was had a dark red color to it.

“Well, a name is a good place to start.”

His foot tapped idly at the air. “Saber. Saber Madriel Celirion, to be exact.”

I jotted this down, pleased to finally know his full name. “And where are you from?”

“This tower, as far as I’m concerned,” he said, simply. “Originally, somewhere in the Eastern forests over the mountains, here in Tir’Nall. That part of me has long since vanished, though. The tower is my home. For now.”

I nodded, not really surprised by this answer. “Do you know anything of your parents, though?”

His right shoulder shrugged. “Not really. My mother was a water-wench for the woodsmen. My father was some traveling merchant who probably found her too beautiful to pass up. At least, that’s what I’ve been lead to believe.”

While not knowing who one’s father was would disturb most people, he did not appear overly affected by this. I wrote this information down, then looked for the paper that I’d scribbled some ideas for interesting questions onto. His emerald green eyes watched me with mild amusement.

Aha! There it was. I unfolded the page and read. “Alright. If you could describe yourself in only three words, what would they be?”

His smile grew. “Oh, I like that one. Let’s see… First, definitely alluring…” His smile became a smirk. “And…tempting.”

It wasn’t hard to see how he could come up with that. “So, alluring and tempting? Aren’t those two of the same?”

Saber chuckled. “Yet, they are accurate.”

“You’re very confident in yourself,” I noted, then waited for the third word.

He looked away, thinking. “Lastly… Clever.”

“Always handy,” I nodded and wrote down these answers. “So, what do you do, exactly?”

His demeanor changed to one of defensive secrecy, though his facial expression remained unchanged. “I cannot tell you that.”

“Why not?”

“My line of profession is a very secret organization,” he explained. “I would not want the details of our operation to be exposed.”

“Oh, come on,” I insisted. "Its me. Besides, even if I would show this to others, who in my boring little world is going to use the information against you? So, humor me?”

He reached up and played with a loose strand of his hair, twirling the lock around the tip of his index finger as he watched me. “Well, I suppose. This is an unusual situation. Very well. I am one of the most talented assassins of a group called the Silver Ravens.”

Interesting! “Oh, I see.” A thought struck me. “Why do most assassin guilds include birds in their titles? Especially ones such as ravens and crows?”

Saber laughed, quietly. “I cannot answer that one for you. Though, if I had to guess, it may have something to do with the “assassin’s call” that we sound off to each other in various situations. Ours mimics the cry of a raven.”

“That makes sense.”

“Besides,” he grinned. “Silver Ravens sounds much more phonetically appealing than the Silver Rabbits, wouldn’t you agree?”

Well, when you put it that way… I nodded in complete agreement and scribbled down my information before moving on to the next question.

“What is something that angers you?”

His brow furrowed as he contemplated my question, obviously thinking deeply about this one. It was an unusual question, but one that could reveal much about someone. He took another sip from his goblet, then spoke. “I am not easily angered, regardless of what some around here might say. I may have a short temper and forget to hold my tongue, but few things thoroughly get under my skin.”

“And what sort of things would those be?”

He looked into his cup, slowly swirling the liquid around in it as he rolled his wrist in a circular motion. “Hmm. Ignorant people; those who know not of what they speak. Also, those who disrespect the ones I care for.”

That sounded like a rather honorable response in my opinion. I nodded, pleased. The next question always produced some amusing answers. “And what of sex?”

His attention perked and he smiled. “What of it? Other than the fact that it happens to be one of my favorite activities to partake in...”

“Well, what is it that you fancy, exactly?”

He laughed then, eyes full of mirth. “I fancy many things. Are you asking for your own preferences?”

I chuckled, a bit nervously. He was such a flirt. “No, no. Merely for records…”

“Mhm,” his eyes clearly showed that he doubted my answer, but he let it slide. “Someone I know made a fantastic reference to this topic once- sex should only have one rule, that being that it done well and enjoyably so.”

“Oh?” I grinned. “That sounds like a reasonable rule to me. This person… Was it a friend of yours?”

Saber sat his goblet down and ran his fingertip in circles along the rim of it, smiling. “A friend. A warm body in my bed. Call him what you will.”

“I see.” I wrote this down, amused. “I’ll assume you have had more than your fair share of lovers?”

His voice literally purred, sending a chill down my spine. “Oh, darling. You have no idea…”

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Actually, I think I have an idea.” I shifted in my seat, then cleared my throat and moved on. “Is there anything specifically that attracts you to someone?”

He stood up and leaned over, his face very close to mine as he reached for a bottle of what appeared to be brandy which sat in the table next to my seat. He looked at me out of the corner of his eyes and I could see silver streaks darting through that deep green. He smirked and lingered there for an extra moment before picking up the bottle and sitting back down.

I looked away as my pulse raced. It was clear that he understood just how powerful his attractiveness and charisma could be. I wondered how many times he had used that to his advantage in his life.

“Many things,” he finally answered. “It really depends on the individual. With some, it is simply an appreciation of their form. Then there are others who capture me with a charming smile or a beautiful set of eyes.”

With a nod, I jotted this down as he refilled his goblet. A sweet and floral smell drifted in my direction as he did so. It was definitely some sort of brandy that he was drinking, and likely well aged.

“What next?” He sat back and took a long drink, sighing in content afterward.

I smiled and motioned to the bottle he’d poured from. “What are you drinking there?”

“Heaven in a bottle,” he said with praise. “The rarest brandy around, brought from the vineyards of Southern Danavere. Would you like to try some?”

“Thank you, very much. I’ll have to pass, though. I don’t need any more reasons to get lost in the forests around here when I leave.”

He nodded and sipped with a smile. “Fine. More for me.”

I looked through my papers, curiously. I didn’t have a lot of time left for this little meeting of ours, so I had to choose my next few questions carefully. I could tell which ones he enjoyed answering the most, but there were some others of a more serious variety that I was very curious about. “Okay.” I got my pad ready. “Tell me, Saber. What is your biggest regret?”

His brows rose after I asked. “Well, that is quite a deep question.”

“It is,” I said with a nod. “It’s for that reason that I’d like to know the answer. I hope you don’t mind?”

He looked pensively into his cup, as if debating on whether or not he wanted he wanted to answer this one. Finally, he took a long gulp of his drink, then spoke, looking away, somewhat distantly. “It is a bit of a story, actually.” He sighed, softly. “I took on a mission, many years back. It was a rather dangerous job- slaying a noble Lord with a very protective force of guards. I took along with me this young woman that I was seeing at the time, Dalayna.” A nostalgic smile played at his lips. “She was…so amazing; raven-haired, bold and strong. Her personality and confidence were as intense as fire. Our worlds practically revolved around one another.” His smile slowly slid into a small frown. “That was the problem, though. We were too reckless. We completed the mission with ease, but then we were chased. Too focused on revelries, we didn’t even notice. “

I could see the pained expression growing on his face and almost regretted asking this question. Almost.

He continued. “They came upon us while we were in a very…vulnerable state. They’d never even seen her before, never knew she was even part of this job. They knew I was, though.” He hesitated for a moment, his voice lowering. “They killed her, simply because she was with me. They forced me to watch as they did so.”

My heart felt like it caught in my throat as he spoke this. “Oh. I’m so sorry…”

He shook his head and waved a hand, briefly. “No. Its fine. It was my foolishness that allowed it to happen. I should have been more aware of my surroundings. I just…” He stopped himself and eyed his goblet. “The blasted brandy is loosening my lips, it seems.”

“It does that,” I said with a soft smile. I wanted to hug him. He looked like he needed it. Unfortunately, he also seemed like the sort of person that might stab someone just for leading them into showing an immense sign of weakness.

“Indeed.” He sat back in the chair and looked at me, expectantly. “That was your answer, though. Do you have another question?”

It was obvious he was anxious to move away from this topic. I couldn’t say as I blamed him. I nodded and let my eyes skim over the paper, trying to find something less as intense to ask about. I spotted one question that a friend had actually requested. Perfect. “Alright. Boxers or briefs.”

It worked. His lips twitched to a smirk. “Now there’s a fun one. Would you like to see?”

Was that a trick question? “I…well… It’s actually from one of your fans who wants to know.”

He smiled wide, showing of a set of perfect white teeth- except for one gold tooth on his right side that stood out. I would have to ask him about that one of these days. “A fan, hmm?” He chuckled. “Is she beautiful? Maybe I should suggest that if she wants to know the answer, she should come and see for herself.”

While I was sure my friend would love the idea of that, I wasn’t going to tell him this. His self-confidence was already swelling the room enough as it was. “I’ll make sure she hears that offer.”

I made sure I had all the answers that I needed, then reached over to shake his hand. “I think that’s everything. Thank you for letting me meet with you, Saber. This will help out a lot.”

He took my hand, then brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of my fingertips. The action made my cheeks blush a little. “The pleasure is mine, m’Lady. Please, feel free to come and visit again, whenever you like…”

I cleared my throat and stood. “Um. Yes. Of course.” I smiled. “Take care.” Slightly flustered, I headed out of the tower, pleased at what I’d discovered.

The creativity is flowing!

Every fall I find myself sucked into an inspiring while of creativity. I bake like a mad woman, sew until my hands and back hurt, write until my brain aches, often do something unusual and different to my hair, and take on whatever else succumbs me.

As some of my friends already may know, a couple months ago I discovered the fantastic world of upcycled clothing. I've started a small online business of creating sweatercoats in a custom variety of colors. I'm in love with these silly articles of clothing!
How this happened is an interesting story. I found a little shop on a crafty website called Etsy. The shop's name is Katwise...and it is full of magical and glamorous upcycled sweatercoats! For those who don't understand, a sweatercoat is a long coat made completely out of unique and specific sweaters (I find all of mine in the local thrift stores). These coats have long "elf-point" hoods and are layer and layers of colorful awesome. Kat's coats are so popular that it is nearly impossible to purchase one. She places about a dozen or so up for sale, every two weeks on Etsy. Within five minutes they're sold out. If you don't have the site open when you know she's listing them, you've missed out. On top of that, they sell for a good $200-600!
Unable to gather up hundreds of dollars and battle it out on an online store, I decided it was time to attempt to make one of these, myself. And now here I am with my first sweatercoat being worn by myself on a regular basis, the original instructionals on how to create one and Kat's blessings as she answers all my questions, mentors me, and guides me into how to sell these beauties.
I've gathered about 50% of the sweaters for my next two coats- one is a custom commission for a friend of mine in the Netherlands and the other is a themed design called "Leaves of Autumn." I'm so excited to get started on these!

As for my other creative ventures, I'm trying not to think too hard about the fact that NaNoWriMo starts in one month. NaNoWriMo stands for "National Novel Writing Month." This is literally 30 days of literary abandonment. I pin myself to my computer for the whole of November and somehow always seem to end it with an entire novel. This is how the first book of my series that I plan to publish, The Chronicles of Shadovan, actually took form. I told myself I would finish editing this one and have my first query letters sent out to literary agents before I began writing book number two. So, I MUST finish it. I'm 90% of the way through it and SO close! My amazing copy-editor, Maggie, has helped me work a miracle. I have an agent in mind, as well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll take me on.

On the kitchen-witch side of the world, my spare time has been filled with the act of deconstructing recipes, oven timers and the smell of baking pumpkin...well...everything. Cookies. Cupcakes. Muffins. Breads. Pumpkins, cinnamon and nutmeg, oh my! I love it! This week several of my ladies and myself will be gathering together in our little cottage and having a baking fest. I'm refining a recipe to create a birthday cake for a friend. I swear, if she doesn't love it, I'm eating the blasted thing, myself!

At this moment, I'm preparing to hide myself in a cup of honeybush red tea and a brand new copy of the game, Dragon Age: Origins. I've been watching Michael play it on his console for the past few weeks and finally gave in. So far 5.6GB of 12.4GB have successfully been downloaded onto my computer. ... This may take a while. I may be too tea drunk by the time its done. Ah, well. We shall see. Until later, my loves!