Jennifer Awesome

I’m Back, Again

August 3, 2016 Jen Ný Cool Story Bro No comments

Again, I seem to have neglected this blog. I’ve been pretty busy lately. I’m still doing the whole college classes thing. I only have a few classes left, and am switching to half time for the remainder of my degree to give myself more time to work on my coursework as well as my own personal projects.

Aside from school, I’ve been busy making items for my etsy shop, which I hope to launch within the next month or so. I’m making a variety of items including tooth fairy pillows, hair bows, 3DS pouches, and jewelry. I want to have a decent inventory before launching.

The most exciting thing that has been going on in my life recently is that we’ve recently adopted a new cat. He is a black domestic short hair male named Salem. Freyja is super excited to have a playmate. I will post more about him in his own post.

(The features image of me as a Powerpuff Girl is unrelated. I just found it on my phone.)

Alivan’s Custom Wand Review

February 15, 2016 Jen Ný Cosplay One comment

After thinking about getting a wand from Alivan’s for a couple years, I finally decided to have a custom wand made. Alivan’s is an online shop that sells solid wood wands reminiscent of the ones in Harry Potter. Though they aren’t officially affiliated with Harry Potter, some of their designs are inspired by the wands wielded by the characters in the Harry Potter movies. These wands are much better than the cheesy officially-licensed resin or plastic ones.

After looking at the stock designs, I decided to get a custom wand instead, since in the Harry Potter universe, everyone has their own unique wand. I decided on willow, 12 inches because my favorite tree is the willow and my favorite number is 12 (and 12 inches seemed like a nice length for a wand. Not too short, not too long). Here is my finished wand with the included collector’s box and wand bag. I also ordered a pendant made from the same wood. I chose a pendant design that reminded me of a kitty cat claw.

And here is the my original design mock-up that I sent in.

I wanted something simple, yet elegant and somewhat feminine, and this is what I came up with. My wand feels lightweight, but sturdy. It is very comfortable to hold and is just the right length.When comparing my original mock-up to the final product, they did change it slightly. The handle of my finished wand is larger in proportion to the total length than in my mock-up, and the handle is slightly less curved. I’m actually glad that they made these changes because it feels perfect. It would have likely been uncomfortable if the handle had been shorter, due to my embellishments on the bottom (that is why they are the “Master Wandmakers!”). As they say, the wand chooses the wizard!

Here’s a picture of the handle:

I also used a coupon code that I found on Alivan’s Facebook page to get a free apprentice wand for my husband so that we can have wizard battles. The apprentice wand is made from Indian Rosewood and feels heavier. It also didn’t come with a collector’s box or bag (I know it was free, but they could have at least included a bag!).

These wands feel very high quality. If you are looking for a high quality wand made from actual wood, I highly recommend Alivan’s. This is especially true if you want your own unique wand rather than a replica of one of the characters’ wands, and want a specific type of wood. I have another wand (a replica of Fleur Delacour’s wand) that I bought from another vendor on a whim at an Oddmall event, and the difference in quality is night and day.

There is one thing I should mention for anyone thinking about ordering a wand from Alivan’s. It took FOREVER to receive my order. I placed my order on December 30th and was told that I should receive it within four weeks. After four weeks of hearing nothing, I emailed them on January 28th to find out if it would be shipped soon, only to be told that they thought it would be in that week’s shipments, but it wasn’t, but that it would definitely go out the following week. On February 4th, I ask again if it would ship that week, and was assured that it was shipping on February 5th and that they would provide a tracking number. I didn’t receive a tracking number and the package didn’t arrive by the middle of the week as promised. After going back and forth trying to get a tracking number, they apologized and said it didn’t actually ship yet, but would ship that week and that they would give me a tracking number. I never got an email with tracking information, but did finally get a text message from FedEx themselves saying that a package was on it’s way, and it showed up on Feb. 13th. When I opened the package, there was a card that said that my wand was made on January 7th. I’d probably still be waiting if I didn’t keep bothering them with emails.TL:DR: They made my wand about a week after ordering, but the shipping department sat on it for over a month and lied about when it would be shipped. The wandmakers themselves are excellent, but the company could use a better customer service and shipping department. Make sure to set up a FedEx account so you’ll actually know when it’s arriving.

Wands: 5/5 stars

Customer Service: 1/5 stars

I also ordered a school robe in Ravenclaw colors, which I will review another time after I see how it looks with the full uniform. I’m thinking about getting a broomstick from them too. Hopefully non-custom items will ship quicker.

Overall, I recommend them. Just give yourself a couple months if you want your wand in time for a convention or event.

*The featured image at the top is Freyja posing with my wand. Black cats are the most magical of all animals!

Merpug Plush Review

January 20, 2016 Jen Ný Figures and Toys 4 comments

I found this adorable Merpug plushie while browsing the web for cute plush toys. I got it from Shlii.com, a small independent shop that specializes in cute and unique plush toys. As someone who loves both pugs and mermaids, I had to have a Merpug plush of my very own. I am starting to run out of room for plushies, but I can always make room for ones as cute and unique as a Merpug!

It is made from a soft minky fabric and its tail is embroidered with a cute scale-like design. it is about 10 inches long from the top of its head to its tail. Its eyes are embroidered and it has a plastic nose.

If you like pugs, mermaids, or just unique plush dolls, I highly recommend this Merpug!

You can get your own at Shlii.com. It will set you back $25, which seems about average for quality plushies from small businesses like this. There are also products featuring other breeds of Merdogs available, though it looks like Merpug is the only one available as a plush toy.

What are your favorite websites for cute plushies? Let me know in the comments! (Feel free to self-promote if you are a plush doll artist!)

Paleozoic Pals Trilobite and Eurypterid Plush

January 19, 2016 Jen Ný Figures and Toys 3 comments

Awhile back, I backed a Kickstarter campaign for a trilobite plushie and they arrived last month. I ended up increasing my pledge to get a second trilobite and a eurypterid as well. These guys are part of the Paleontological Research Institution‘s Paleozoic Pals line of plushies based on small prehistoric creatures. Trilobites have always been one of my favorite prehistoric creatures, so of course I jumped at the chance to get a plush one.

The trilobite plushie is based on the Greenops boothi trilobite. He his made of a soft green material and is a pretty solid plush. He is about 8 inches in length.

The Eurypterid was offered as a stretch goal reward for everyone backing the project for $25 or more. He is quite a bit longer than the trilobite and he feels a bit floppier.

These are both high quality plushies. I’m not sure if they offer them for sale outside of the Kickstarter campaign.

The next Paleozoic Pal in production will be an Ammonite. I hope to be able to add it to my collection as well!

Tasty Peach Studios: Christmas Meowchi

January 18, 2016 Jen Ný Figures and Toys No comments

I just realized that I haven’t yet reviewed my newest Meowchis. My Peppermint Candy Cane and Cream Reindeer Meowchis arrived back in December, just in time for the holidays. This review will be short since I have already reviewed a number of other Meowchi plushies.

Cream Reindeer is a variant of the 2014 Reindeer Christmas special edition Meowchi. Tasty Peach Studios offered this recolored version for everyone who missed the original. He has adorable little antlers.

Peppermint Candy Cane is the 2015 Christmas special edition Meowchi. He has a two-toned red and white body.

As always, these two Meowchi plushies are made from a soft minky fabric.

The Reindeer design has been retired, but Candy Cane will be available again sometime this year for anyone who missed out. A second-chance pre-order for the Disapproval and Bumblebee Meowchi is currently available on Tasty Peach Studios‘ website. I have already pre-ordered my Bumblebee!

Meet Freyja the Cat

December 15, 2015 Jen Ný Animals, Photos No comments

Hans and I recently got a kitty cat. Her name is Freyja and she is a fluffy, tiny, and adorable 6 month old black domestic longhair. She was a rescued kitty that we found through one of our friends. She is super cuddly and lovable, especially since she was found abandoned outside.

I had been thinking about getting a cat for a while when I saw Freyja’s picture posted on Facebook. My husband’s friend is a vet tech and one of her coworkers found Freyja. She posted the kitty’s picture on Facebook saying that she needed a good home and I instantly fell in love.

Freyja is the first cat I’ve ever had, other than the stray cats that my mom used to let me feed as a small child. I had dogs all while growing up, plus some birds and other small animals such as hermit crabs, fish, and frogs, however. I haven’t had a pet since I moved out of my parents’ house. It was time for me to get a fluffy baby animal to love.

I named her Freyja after the Norse goddess, who is known for her chariot pulled by two cats. I’ve been into reading about ancient Norse/Germanic religions lately, and thought that Freyja was a good name for a kitty. It seems to fit her well. She is a beautiful kitty cat and from watching her play, would probably be a good hunter if she were allowed outside (which she’s not. She stays inside where it is safe).

Here are some pictures of her:

Moco Moco Friends to Benefit Make A Wish

November 23, 2015 Jen Ný Gaming One comment

In my last blog post, I reviewed a new RPG for Nintendo 3DS called Moco Moco Friends. If you on the fence about Moco Moco Friends and need another reason to play this adorable game, or if you are still deciding between this and Yo Kai Watch, Aksys has announced that they will donate a portion of the proceeds from Moco Moco Friends to The Make A Wish Foundation.

From Aksys Games’ website:

Help Moco and Aksys Games make a donation to the Make a Wish Foundation this Holiday season! For every Moco Moco Friends game sold, Aksys will donate a portion of the proceeds to help a child realize their dream! Help us make dreams come true! http://wish.org/

As stated on the Make a Wish Foundation Website:

‘’A wish come true helps children feel stronger, more energetic, more willing and able to battle their life-threatening medical conditions. For many, the wish marks a turning point in the fight against their illnesses. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals say, the wish experience works in concert with medicine to make their patients feel better emotionally and even physically. That is why wishes matter. That is why we grant wishes.’’

‘’Make-A-Wish® grants a wish, on average, every 38 minutes to a child with a life-threatening medical condition. Wishes come in all shapes and sizes. Some are heartfelt or jaw-dropping – others funny or tear-jerkers. Enjoy your journey.’’ http://wish.org/wishes

Moco Moco Friends is available now from Amazon.

Moco Moco Friends Review

November 21, 2015 Jen Ný Gaming No comments

Moco Moco Friends is a new RPG for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Racjin and published by Aksys Games. This game is set in the world of Dreamtopia, a magical place inhabited by adorable creatures called Plushkins, which resemble stuffed animals. You play as a witch named Moco who has just graduated from Plushkin Magic School. Your goal is to become the world’s greatest Plushkin Master.

Moco Moco Friends is similar to Pokemon, in that you collect and battle monsters. You can clearly see how the designs for some of the Plushkins were inspired by Pokemon (compare Scrunchie with Pikachu, for an obvious example). This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however.

Most of the game revolves around exploring dungeons and battling enemy Plushkins. You can take a team of up to three Plushkins with you, with one additional substitute Plushkin in reserve. The rest of your Plushkins are stored in the Plushkin House in town. To acquire more Plushkin friends, you can sometimes make contracts with them after defeating them in battle. You can also summon new Plushkins by giving yarn to your mentor, Michiru’s Plushkin Konpei. There are a total of 120 Plushkins to befriend.

During battle, you can attack, use an item, or rearrange your Plushkins’ formation (which allows you to switch an active Plushkin for your substitute Plushkin or reorder your active Plushkins). You may use one item per turn and each Plushkin can use one of their moves. The moves are a lot like the move in similar games, such as Pokemon. Each Plushkin can learn up to four moves, and you can switch older moves out as they level up and learn new moves (sound familiar?). There is also an “auto” option that allows you to have the game automatically choose moves for you, but I don’t recommend using it, as it would take the fun out of the battle. As the Plushkins take damage, bits of stuffing start to come out of their bodies.

At the end of the battle, sometimes one of the Plushkins you have defeated will want to make a contract with you and become your friend. If you are battling a Plushkin that you really want to be friends with, you can give it an item during battle that will increase the likelihood of it wanting to become your friend.

The dungeons are pretty simple (so far at least. I’m still early in the game). You battle your way through a couple floors until you get to the floor containing the boss battle. All of the dungeons I’ve been in so far have been pretty small, though I’m guessing they will get bigger and more complicated as the game progresses. You can revisit dungeons that you have completed as many times as you want to gather more items or to befriend Plushkins that you might have missed.

In town you will find businesses that let you do things such as training your Plushkins, sewing new items, and gardening to create materials. You will also get new quests to progress the story from Michiru and from townspeople called Gurumins.

The graphics are cute, but simple. You will notice lots of fabric- and knit-themed textures throughout the game. The graphical style reminds me a bit of Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Yoshi’s Woolly World.

Aside from Pokemon, comparisons have also been made between Moco Moco Friends and Yo Kai Watch. I haven’t played Yo Kai Watch, so I can’t comment on any similarities.

I haven’t seen much advertising or many reviews for Moco Moco Friends. The only reason I even knew about this game was because Amazon showed it to me as an item I may be interested in. (A game about a witch who trains adorable creatures that look like plushies? Sign me up!)

So far, I am really enjoying Moco Moco Friends. While it isn’t Pokemon, it is still a fun monster collecting RPG. Though the gameplay is simple, there is still plenty to do to keep you entertained. Overall, this game is worth playing if you are a fan of Japanese RPGs and enjoy super cute things. If you are looking for a cute RPG, give Moco Moco Friends a try.

Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival Review

November 20, 2015 Jen Ný Figures and Toys, Gaming No comments

Though a lot of Animal Crossing fans were disappointed that the two newest installments of the Animal Crossing series are spin-offs, I am enjoying Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival.

Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival is a lot like Mario Party. It is a virtual board game based on the Animal Crossing series. The biggest difference is that there aren’t mini-games throughout the main board game (though there are mini-games available to unlock in the main hub). Each board features a different month, with each turn representing a day. Throughout the month, various fun events will happen, just as they do in the main Animal Crossing games.

The developers admitted that this game was made just so they would have an excuse to make Animal Crossing Amiibo. I am okay with that!

This game centers around the use of Amiibo. Each player uses an Amiibo to represent their character. The game comes with an Isabelle and Digby Amiibo to get you started, as well as three Amiibo cards. Tom Nook, Mable, and a three pack containing KK Slider, Reese, and Cyrus are also available now (Lottie is scheduled to be released this Sunday 11/22, and more characters are coming within the next few months. The Villager Amiibo doesn’t work in this game.). If you play by yourself, you will have three CPU controlled Villagers to play against (or you can select 2-4 players and play using multiple Amiibo by yourself as though you actually have friends to play with. Not that I have tried that… #foreveralone).

The only controller required for the main board game is the Wii U GamePad. Each player takes turns using it. To roll the die during your turn, you have to place your Amiibo on the GamePad. This does get a little annoying after awhile.

After rolling the die, you land on a space where either something good or bad happens. You can earn or lose Bells and/or Happy Points. The player who ends up with the most Happy Points at the end is the winner. The Bells aren’t completely useless, however. At the end of the game, Bells are converted to Happy Points (1000 Bells = 1 Happy Point). On Sundays throughout the game, Joan arrives to sell turnips. You can sell these turnips during weekdays at the end of each turn to try to make a profit on your investment, just like in the main Animal Crossing games.

As you play more games with a specific character, you can unlock new outfits for them to wear. You will also earn tickets to unlock new mini-games and new features for the game board. You can also use the Animal Crossing Amiibo cards to play these mini-games and let the featured animal move into your town and appear on the game board.

This game is a bit slow-paced, just like the regular Animal Crossing games. The overall mood of the game is incredibly happy and upbeat. It is difficult to be sad while playing this game, even when you land on a “sad” space.

3D Printed Pokemon Planters

November 19, 2015 Jen Ný Figures and Toys No comments

I recently decided that I needed some house plants, so I got a few 3D printed Pokemon planters from Etsy. I got the obvious Bulbasaur and Oddish, plus Chikorita, which has always been one of my favorite Pokemon.

Since I’m not much of a green thumb, I decided to go with succulents, cacti, and an air plant. These types of plants are supposed to be easy to take care of and difficult to kill. The planters are a bit small, so these plants may need to be transplanted to bigger containers eventually, however.

The Bulbasaur planter is really awesome. I bought this little guy from Etsy seller 3DUniPrint. It’s a high quality print and has a drainage hole on the bottom so I won’t drown my plant if I over-water it. I originally kept the plant with its original plastic pot sitting inside Bulbasaur, but then decided to just re-pot it directly inside of Bulbasaur using better cacti potting mix.

I got my Oddish and Chikorita planters from Etsy seller MultiForm3D. They aren’t as nice looking as Bulbasaur. They are both kind of rough around the edges. Chikorita has a weird bump around the top, and Oddish has a weird discoloration on his face. The discoloration is present on both Oddishes, so I believe it is an artifact from the printing process.

My first Oddish had his foot broken off in transit, but the seller was nice enough to send a replacement. Oddish didn’t have drainage holes on the bottom, so I used the broken one to see if I could drill holes in it without cracking the plastic. Since the drilling was successful, I added drainage holes to the second one and super glued the foot back onto the broken Oddish. The foot came off again after the first super-gluing attempt, but the second attempt seems to be holding.

The opening on the Chikorita planter is too small for any regular potted plants I’ve seen, so I filled it with stones and got a small air plant to stick on top of its head. It looks cute, but the plant had a tendency to fall off sometimes. It would have been better if they had made this planter just a little bit bigger so that small plants that come in 2″ pots would fit.

I also got another cactus that wouldn’t fit in the Oddish planters, so I got a bigger ceramic planter and added a plastic Maractus and Cacnea figurine to keep with the Pokemon theme.

I’m thinking about getting a Venus fly trap later on and planting it in a similar way with a Carnivine figurine. I might wait and see how these plants do before getting types that need watered more often. If these plants do well for me throughout the winter, I will get some more types in the spring.

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