Trick or Treat!

Hey you.

Yeah you.

What’re you doing on the internet? Don’t you have to get ready for trick or treating, or that sweet party with your friends?

You should go do that as soon as you finish reading this run-on sentence which is going to run on so you should probably stop reading but then you’ll break the rules and now you’re wasting time that you could use to get ready and put on your costume or makeup or maybe you’re one of those people that just throws a sports jersey over your regular clothes like why dude is a little creativity too much to ask of teenagers nowadays last year this group of middle school kids showed up and that’s all they did so I just gave them all McDonalds toys we had lying around I mean if you’re not going to put effort into your costume I’m not gonna put effort into reaching for the candy humph how do you like dem apples oh wow I used that idiom correctly I deserve another Crunch bar om nom nom nom nom nom swallow well guess I should end this sentence it’s getting really difficult to read but first lemme take a selfie hahaha jokes I’m not that type but since you read all this way guess I should take a selfie with the Jigglypuff hat which by the way now you mention it is now complete look at it isn’t it the cutest most jiggliest thing ever by the way my costume is a Jigglypuff with jiggly puffs get it hahahahahahaha I’m so funny by the way the sentence is going to end soon you should probably stop reading now but you can’t because there are no punctuation marks to help you catch a breath trolololol okay I’ve had my fun time to end this sentence by placing a period at the end of this sentence after I write a few more words okay the period is going to come right about now.

Trick or treat? There, I gave you a trick. Now go get ready. Happy Hallowe’en~ ^_^

Oh yeah, I finished this at long last. Time to go find sleeping people, and draw on their faces.

 

Jiggly, Jigglypuff~

Red Fairy Survival Guide (With pictures!)

Gentlemen, don’t click away! It’s extremely attractive when a guy knows how to help a girl on her period. 😛

This is also my excuse this week for not having a craft-related post. It seems whenever I try to make something, it just fails and I get upset. D: Also I have a habit of slouching while working, which we’ll get into.

I love my gaim doev boys. But let’s face it, there are some inescapable differences they simply would not understand. *cough cough* If you’re in a similar situation, do not fear! I have some tips to share with you. They’ve worked in the past, so if you haven’t already, try them out. This will also be an opportunity for me to use my poor, neglected drawing tablet.

*DISCLAIMER: These are only what have worked for me personally, and are not guaranteed to work for everyone. If none of these work for you, try alternate methods, or see a doctor for professional advice.

Spider cramps, spider cramps…

1. Take a nap

Stress and lack of sleep make your cramps a lot worse. When sleeping, stretch out on your stomach. Place a heating pad or your hand directly under your tummy, where you’re feeling the cramps. You can also raise one leg. Think of Spiderman climbing a wall. Untz untz.

Wrapping up nice and warm works, too. Keeping with today’s spirit of Wear it Pink, I am wearing a breast cancer-themed pink snuggie. 😛

2. Proper posture

Slouching looks just as bad inside as it does on the outside. When you slouch, you’re putting pressure on your insides, and pressure is the last thing your poor 2nd tummy needs. If you’re sitting against a wall (like I currently am) try leaning back, and place a cushion against your lower back. I find this also helps take pressure off my lower back, which the sharks are apparently trying to eat.

3. Do not stay hungry

You may feel so bloated, just the thought of food will be enough to make you nauseous. Ironically, hunger is one of many things that contributes to cramps. The trick is to find a food that fills you up, but you can save the leftovers for later so that you have something to eat once the nausea goes down. Consider finger foods like chicken nuggets, raw veggies, or cheese and crackers. Also let me stress: no, candy and sugary snackies do not count. Those are dessert foods; dessert foods are meant to end off your meal, not fill you up. Eating sugary snacks on an empty stomach will only result in a nasty stomach ache. And believe me girl, one tummy ache is more than enough.

4. Peppermint Tea for hormonal acne

In my family, the best solution for sickness and pain is a cup of hot tea. Not only is this one of my favourite flavours, but peppermint tea also helps regulate your hormone levels, which go out of whack when you’re on your period. If you tend to break out shortly before your period starts, that’s called hormonal acne. There’s not much you can do to prevent it, since it’s caused by the hormonal changes in your body. What you can do is reduce it: drink a cup of this peppermint tea every day. Gradually, you’ll find your acne clearing up, and your cramps will ease up.

If you’re having trouble keeping food down, slowly sip on a cup of this tea, mixed with a spoonful of honey.

4. Get a massage

Peter being awesome

You don’t have to go to the spa for this. (Though that’s not a bad idea if you have the time and money! I don’t, so anyway… ;w; ) Ask a friend, family member, or your sweetheart. Have them rub gently in circular motions wherever you’re feeling the cramps. If a tummy rub isn’t helping, ask them rub your lower back in the same way. Peter used to rub my lower back whenever it hurt. He was also the only straight guy I trusted to do this without being a creeper. I miss him right now. 😦

5. Ibuprofen

Tylenol is the choice on this end, but Advil’s worked in a pinch. Take one tablet and take a nap as described above. If the cramps are still there when you wake up, take another. Unless prescribed by a doctor, follow the directions on the bottle, and never take more than the recommended dosage. Especially when you’re on your period, and are experiencing enough hormone imbalances as it is. (Hello, BO. -_-; ) If you feel your cramps aren’t responding to regular drug store products, talk to your doctor about alternate methods.

6. Ask your friends if they think you’re pretty

I know this sounds kinda silly, since no one else should be responsible for your confidence besides yourself. But it really does work, especially on those days when you’re feeling fat, sweaty, and just overall gross. Ask your friends or sweetheart if they think you’re pretty. If they say yes, don’t shoot them down with, “no I’m not.” YOU ARE! They wouldn’t be your friends if they didn’t think you were pretty on the inside. And when you’re pretty on the inside, it shows on the outside, whether you believe it or not.

7. MAKE yourself pretty

Tying into the above, you probably feel bloated, sweaty, smelly, and all sorts of other unpleasant-sounding adjectives. Remember how I said no one else should be responsible for your confidence besides yourself? Do it: take a warm bath or shower with those special scrubs you save for special occasions. Put on makeup, even if you don’t plan on going out. Wear that outfit that makes your butt look cute. Now look in the mirror: do you like what you see? You do? Well then, you’ve successfully completed this step!

8. Kill stuff (in video games)

You may feel frustrated or angry. Sadly, there are many laws against violence that can’t be excused by your period. Take out your anger in a violent video game. Name the enemies after people who upset you that day. It’s great stress relief. The bloodier, the better!

And those are my tips. Hope you’ve enjoyed the derpy drawings. It seems I’ve gotten so used to drawing derpy sketches of prospective projects, drawing seriously no longer comes naturally. Oh sigh…

Were these tips useful? What are some of your shark week survival tips? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Pokemon Hats – Knitting #1

October is a busy month. If you’re a student, it’s a time of submitting assignments and cramming for midterms. If you’re Canadian, you’ve just celebrated Thanksgiving and are now preparing for the cold weather. And of course, Hallowe’en is upon us. October also happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness month.

This is totally what I look like in real life.

Let’s make a post that ties in to all of the above. If you’re a student who wants to dress up, but doesn’t have the time to make or buy a fancy costume, simply throw on a fun accessory. With the cold weather approaching, consider a nice, warm hat. For example, my Pikachu costume last year (and the year before): I made a hat with the Pikachu ears. After that, I just popped on a yellow dress with a cutout tail sewn to the back, paint rosy cheeks, and voila~

Remember folks: silly headware + wise wardrobe choices = quick and easy costume.

Here’s the prototype Pikachu hat, beside the mystery newcomer hat. Can you guess what it will be? Hint: It’s not Ditto.

Right: Pikachu prototype. Left: Who’s that Pokemon?

Now it’s time to make your own hat! Don’t worry, hats knit up quick and easy. Try using larger needles or thicker yarn if you’re really in a bind.

How to Make your own Character Hat

Step 1: Make a basic hat. (I used this pattern from Tin Can Knits)

Step 2: Make necessary details, such as ears, horns, hair puffs, etc.

Step 3: ???

Step 4: Profit!

I improvised the ears on the Pikachu hat, and will improvise the details on the mystery hat, as well. If you’re new to circular knitting, the Tin Can Knits blog offers a step by step tutorial with pictures. You can also try making your hat from a basic crochet hat, or cutting the detail shapes from felt.

Finally, let’s move to the more serious part of October. I bought the pretty pink yarn (same shade as the breast cancer ribbon) from Zellers a year ago. The sign above the shelf said that all profits earned from said yarn sales, would benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. I don’t think it was wise to trust that sign…. this happened in December, and Zellers is no longer a thing. Now that I have earned back the value of the yarn on Etsy, I plan to donate that amount ($5.99) directly to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. It’s not much, but at least this way I know the donation is going straight to the cause. I hope the donation will make a breast cancer patient’s world a little more plush.

October 24 is Wear it Pink day. I’m not 100% sure if this is also a Canadian event or not; our school had it last year, but we’re pretty bad when it comes to publicizing events. ( ; w ; ) Wear it Pink seems to be based in the UK. Even if you’re not confident in your ability to make fancy details, you can make a plain pink hat. You could also make a pink scarf. Scarves knit up quickly, just in time to wear it pink this coming Friday.

For more information, or if you’d like to donate to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, visit their website here.

Coming soon…

What other character hats would you like to see? Will you be wearing it pink? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~

Etsy Shop Updates

I think I learned what checking “this post is super-awesome” does. It prevents WordPress from posting to Facebook. Pointless box is pointless. -_-

 

There aren’t any finished projects this week. Instead, let’s see what’s going on with Etsy.

After 8 weeks of uncertainty, Mr. Drippy finally arrived at his new home in Germany! I’m glad I got a chance to ship all the way to Germany; I never thought my first exposure could come from a whole ocean away! Sadly, it’s because of this long journey that I will not be shipping outside North America for a while. I will start selling internationally again once I’ve fully figured out this craziness with express shipping and tracking.

The important part right now is that the first sale is complete, and I now have confidence to add new items to the Etsy shop! Profits from Mr. Drippy will go towards paying the listing fees for new items.

You can also check out the shop page for updates. As always, if you see something you like that isn’t listed in the shop, comment below or contact me on Etsy, and we can work something out. ^_^

Big thanks to my first customer Malle, for being so patient. 🙂

And to everyone, whether you celebrate it this weekend or next month: from all 1 of us…er, me… at Pika Plushies, I wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Eat lots of delicious food and enjoy time with your family. What are you thankful for this year?

Pika, so happy~

WIP it up, WIP it out, WIP it hard

It was a bad idea to have three projects going at once. At least, in terms of getting them finished. Here are the 3 projects I have going so far:

 

#1. Batman Hand Warmers

This is my first attempt at intarsia knitting. So far, it’s not very fun. Well, at least the hand warmer part was easy.

Samples of the final image. I’m going to make the first image, on the left.

 

#2. Mega Snorlax plush

How appropriate, since the new Smash Bros was released today! Now you can relive how it feels to have the Snorlax assist trophy  jump out at you. Here is the body compared to the mini prototype from last week:

Body of the big Snorlax, vs. the prototype

 

#3. Charmander

This body is going to be the end of me. I’ve ranted on this in the Torchic blog; I’m torn between making the tail attached to the body, or just making the two separate and sewing on the underbelly. Until then, I have no idea what I’m doing.

Pictured: Head and (tail?)

 

 

Oh yeah, Hyrule Warriors is out…

…

…

I HAVE SCHOOL TO ATTEND AND A BUSINESS TO RUN, NINTENDO!!! Y U DO DIS?! Well, guess I’m writing my Christmas list early.

 

And so ends another short blog post. I’m beginning to think I should make the new posts on Saturday, but no promises yet. Which project are you most looking forward to see completed? Comment below!

Pika, so happy~