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Well, I was mostly meaning types of sculpt – sorry I was not clear! 🙂
All the quest prizes so far (with the exception of the very first quest where Melody painted prizes specifically for the quest) have been ‘failed’ test paints or grab bags. Usually the sculpt is slightly flawed, or the painting is slightly flawed (paint drips, painted too many times with a few details being obscured), or it’s a color they don’t think will do well on ebay. It’s nothing TOO bad, but it usually is something Melody doesn’t feel like she should sell to people who are paying a lot of money for a piece. 🙂
You can see all the past prizes here: http://windstoneeditions.com/category/image-galleries/windstone-products-gallery/quest-prizes
I see! Well frankly I don’t mind a slightly ‘flawed’ piece, whether it’s from painting or something with the sculpt if it’s free. All of the prizes for previous quests have been lovely. What about one or some of those orientals you posted the other day on FB. When I asked about them, it sounded like one of them had some kind of paint issue where it looked like salt kept showing up? That is rather specific, though–I think grab bags or failed test paints of unicorns and dragons as well as pebble animals would probably be very popular, just based on what I’ve seen sell lately. 🙂
I went with pebbles because so many people had been asking for them and I found a stash of fennecs on a cart Melody told me I could steal from. 🙂 (For the quest, not for me – sadly ;))
Please feel free to throw out ideas on what kinds of prizes you’d like to see! I can at least usually influence what gets picked. 🙂
I’d like to see dragon prizes. :bigsmile: Or maybe Windstone gift certificates. Is gift certificate thing possible or is there some kind of legal thing that might get in the way?
Gift certificate might be fun! Then someone can get what they really really want. But then again, maybe that defeats the purpose of having a prize that’s chosen for us?
Are test paints considered too valuable to be prizes? Like, I’m not sure if prizes are usually left over production or limited production pieces or not. Of course winning ANYTHING is special, but I’m sure people would really treasure something that’s been worked on personally by Melody or Brandi or the other production artists and has an initial.
If I say ‘kirins’ will people start throwing things at me? :bigsmile: But seriously, kirins and orientals and dragons all make me happy, though I also really really adore these pebble guys. I’m not difficult to please~
The one on all four legs that has pad issues.
Yes, okay. 🙂 I will start referring to these as the standing… colts? Babies? (I don’t think they’re actually full adult sized, based on how big they are in a person’s hand) so as to help reduce any confusion.
This was how I felt about the lap dragon when I missed the first set a week or two ago. Only I was sleeping at the time and the notif was several hours too late. XD Seriously though, it *is* frustrating and I commiserate! But like Kiya says, there will be more. 🙂 And who knows, maybe someone will decide their dragon is not for them and relist on the classifieds? Stranger things have happened I’m sure.
I want one, but accidentally won an ebay auction last night, so I have to wait! 🙂
Whups! Was it something you like, at least, I hope?
kiya, you’re always the best for crowd conrol ^_^ LOL!
I want grab bag kirins too! 🙂 But they shouldn’t stop anyone from buying colts – there will be plenty of rest time in between. I just don’t want anyone to skip colts for kirins and then be disappointed at how long they take!!! 🙂
This is a good point. I don’t think I’m in a running for the colts though. They look amazing, but I’m just not sure I like them as much as I like babies… well, baby anything, haha. |D Something about the babies, man. HOWEVER knowing that it will be at *least* 3-4 months before we can hope to see kirin does put some other things in perspective, so this is good to know. Thank you.
But, just for clarification, when you say the “standing” ones, you’re not referring to the PYO pose one? It’s the standing baby/colt on FB, yes? (For some reason, I talk about the sitting babies and the standing child as though they are interchangeable though they are clearly not.)
Ooooh, so many pretty ones, I love the lichen looking ones! But I’m going to hold out on this round since I want to wait and see if the Koi-rins batch will happen or if a batch of baby unis appear!
That makes two of us. I’ve got my fingers crossed for some natural unicorn babies and EXTRA crossed for kirin babies later this year. These are really stunning, though, and I do look forward to seeing more close-up shots of them after people have purchased.
Oh yes, I do hope for some natural baby unis as well! I’ve got fingers and toes crossed for those GB Kirins!
Cross all the body parts! Braid your hair! Leave no thing untwisted! (Ah, this forum is so much fun, I’m so glad I joined!)
Ooooh, so many pretty ones, I love the lichen looking ones! But I’m going to hold out on this round since I want to wait and see if the Koi-rins batch will happen or if a batch of baby unis appear!
That makes two of us. I’ve got my fingers crossed for some natural unicorn babies and EXTRA crossed for kirin babies later this year. These are really stunning, though, and I do look forward to seeing more close-up shots of them after people have purchased.
(I am so, so sorry in advance for this huge wall of text you’re about to read. I really hope though that this information will be helpful for you!!)
If/when I’m aware that I need something more in my diet, and sometimes just for fun because it makes me feel good about making healthy choices, I like to go to http://www.whfoods.com. They have a lot of recipes available online, as well as a section on food sensitivities that might be helpful for you, and you can search for any vegetable/fruit/grain/bean in their search menu and be informed about health benefits of consuming said food.
When you look to get meat, try to opt for chicken or fish more than beef or ham. For ham, little pieces of a rasher can actually go a long way toward adding flavor to vegetables like green beans. Chicken basically you just need to cut off the skin and any excess fat or tendon-y things usually; going for the “white cuts” like breasts are supposed to be better than, say , thighs (although god knows I think the dark meat is much much tastier). Also, turkey is a great lean meat as well, I’d nearly forgotten since I can’t get it here! With beef, avoid cuts of meat that are fatty, and always be sure to trim excess fat from the meat. Lean cuts of beef usually include the eye of round, top round, bottom round (in either steak or roast) and sirloin tip side and top sirloin (steaks). “Choice” and ‘select’ cuts usually have less than ‘Prime,’ and it helps that you can usually visually tell what’s less fatty by looking at the marbling. For ground beef, you can usually find on the label the percentage of fat; go for the lowest you can find. Avoid eating organs like liver more than 3oz per month—organ meat is high in cholesterol. When in doubt, as your grocer/butcher for help, or if you’re at a restaurant your server should be able to help you select leaner cuts.
Since it seems like you’re supposed to avoid soy, I don’t know if you can have tofu or not, but if you can it is a great thing that you can easily mix into stir fries; it picks up flavor very well and is a good source of protein. If you can’t eat tofu, though, there are plenty of other good sources of protein available from a variety of sources: green peas, nuts and nut butter, beans, chickpeas, leafy greens, hemp, chia, sesame, sunflower and poppy seeds, almond, hemp, or rice milk, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Quinoa (which is often thought to be a grain because of how it’s consumed but is actually a veggie) is also a good source of protein, but I’ve heard that there’s some troubling things going on with its supply in terms of environmental impact, so maybe consider other foods first.
A lot of places and people,WW included, will recommend that you drink skim or low fat milk. I actually kind of forgo this rule because I don’t like the taste of low fat or skim milk. Instead I will drink the super fatty stuff, because I find it tastes better to me, and it also helps me stay feeling full longer. Mix in some hot cocoa mix to that and it’s truly fantastic. It’s important to remember that you do need to have *some* fat in your diet, and at least these are the food fats, and calcium is actually only soluble and usable for your body with fat. (Whodathunk.) I’ve heard that almond milk with protein mixed in is a great alternative for people with sensitivities to milk. Cheese and unsweetened yoghurt are also your friends—mix some unflavored yoghurt or labneh cheese with some olive oil (you can get the stuff garlic flavored, super yummy!) and voila you have a snack that gets you dairy and the good fats at once.
No dietary change can be successful without recognizing that you’re going to have times when you’re craving or need something that is “bad” for you. If you get the impulse you can’t shake to eat something, it’s better to indulge it a little (ex: I will have some McDonalds fries, but ONLY a small or medium size for the taste, and I will eat some other vegetables afterward to make myself feel full) than to let it build until you feel like your diet change is unsustainable. I let myself have soda on the weekends, only the weekends, and only in miniature bottles. I also usually let myself have one or two oreos a day, or piece of chocolate. This has helped me cut down on my sugar consumption without ever feeling like I’m “depriving” myself. It’s also not good to try to completely cut out sugars and oils, I think you probably already know that, but in case not, you do at least need some oils every day. The serving size for oils though are usually pretty small, something like 1 tspn, so just be aware of the amount of that you’re consuming.
I’m afraid that I really can’t offer any advice on consuming non-gluten products or gluten-free recipes since that’s not a diet I do. Where I live currently, gluten free products are much more difficult and expensive to get than in America, generally speaking. However, simply by increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat, you should be filling up on those more and eating a lot less of the grains that have gluten and wheat. When you do eat grains, try to make sure they’re whole grains as they’re generally better for you. Also, I know you mentioned that you don’t have time to go look for a lot of information for stuff: if you also find yourself hard-pressed for time to make food (I mean, seriously, who ISN’T busy) investing in a crock pot (also known as a slow cooker) is a godsend that will save you tons of time and possibly money too. I can stick a bunch of vegetables and broth and chicken and herbs in before I leave for work in the morning, leave it on low while I’m away, and come back to dinner pretty much ready for me to eat. Stir fries are also food dishes that are easy and quick to make. They’re likely to have soy as a main ingredient, but iirc Chinese thick soy sauce’s main ingredient is actually molasses, not soy, and can be substituted for molasses or even honey in a pinch, and you might be able to get away with substituting soy sauce for chicken, lamb, or beef stock.
I find that the best way to not consume junk food is not to buy it. If it’s not there for me to consume when I’m home, then largely I can’t be bothered to go get it even if I want it (and if I want it enough to go out and get it, then yeah, I let myself have it, because that’s clearly more than impulse talking). I know you’re probably thinking “well gee, if it was just THAT SIMPLE I wouldn’t need help” but hear me out, I have some tips that will hopefully help you to avoid buying it.
1. Try to plan out your meals in advance so you know what you need for any given shopping trip. This is actually really difficult for me, so if you struggle with it or can’t do it, don’t feel bad, but I know that this works for some people, and it would be helpful for the next step.
2. Go to your grocery store armed with a list of needed items.
3. Leave your debit/credit cards at home and only go with a set amount of money in cash for your trip. I know that America’s really not much of a cash-carry society, and if you’re talking about buying a lot of things maybe that’s more money than you’re comfortable having on hand at a time, BUT you cannot spend money that you don’t have, and if you’ve budgeted for your list already this will prevent you from deviating. (This seriously works for me when nothing else will.)
4. Avoid the junk food isles. Don’t even walk past them if you can help it; it can just be too tempting otherwise.
5. Never, ever, ever go shopping on an empty stomach. Not only does this usually result in people buying too much food, but they’re often impulsive things that you don’t really need or shouldn’t have.
6. If you have to, take someone with you who knows your goals and is supportive of your efforts and can gently nudge you into making the right choices without making you feel bad. If you still need those one or two junk food items that you need from the isles of temptation, you can ask them to go grab what you need so that you don’t have to be bombarded with all those temptations. (Caveat, do not send a child to do this for you as they may bring back goodies that have tempted them.)Around Christmas time, my doctor told me I needed to lose some weight. I was almost at 170lbs, and for my height I’m supposed to be somewhere closer to 105-128lbs. I could really feel it affecting me too; I felt sluggish and tired and I would get weird head and body aches. I also wasn’t as flexible and I could tell my body just couldn’t move in the same natural range as it once had when I was younger (in a way that had nothing to do with needing to stretch). My blood pressure was apparently going up, and she was concerned.
So I went with my mother to a single weight watcher’s meeting and bought some of their supply booklets and startup materials, which do cost money, but help to teach the basics about healthy living (portion control tips, exercise tips, which foods I can eat in unlimited quaintites and how much others cost me) and they helped me figure out what my allotted point count per day should be in order to effectively lose weight. I know this method isn’t for everyone; some people would hate to be mindful of what they’re eating all the time, but I have lost 25lbs now and I can see and feel the results and it’s great. If you can find a good leader and group to attend weekly meetings with, I could easily see it being a great way to help encourage you to maintain the new healthy diet and lifestyle you’re trying to achieve, and really I think that is the hardest part about making a change like this. It is so easy to slip back into old habits because they’re comfortable and tasty and easier, particularly when you’re surrounded everyday by people who don’t have to make these kinds of choices and don’t understand where you’re coming from.
For portion control: try to invest in small, dark dishware. This might sound stupid, but you actually will trick your brain into believing that your portions are actually bigger than they are. Also, don’t let yourself get to the point where you are starving. If your stomach starts to get growly, drink some water and snack on some vegetables or fruit. This might seem counter-intuitive, but if you wait until you’re super hungry, then you’re likely to take too much or go back for second-helpings when you shouldn’t. When you’re eating, always eat a lot of vegetables (and/or fruit) first before you start in on carbs like pasta or rice and meat. The vegetables are lower calorie, will help your digestive movements, and will take more space as “filler” in your stomach so that you won’t need to eat as much as the other stuff. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water, just straight up water is the best (you can always flavor it with some of the crystal lite packs or something if the taste is too boring for you). If you’re dehydrated at all, that can often translate to your brain as a false sense of hunger. Plus it will help you to feel full faster.
According to weight watchers, with a few exceptions, I can eat as many fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned) a day as I want and they don’t count toward my point totals. This is because it costs your body roughly the same amount of energy to digest them as you gain from eating them; it works out to a net gain of zero. The main exceptions to the unlimited-veggies & fruits are: the food can’t have added sugar to them, can’t be cooked in butter or oil, must be unprocessed (so shakes and smoothies don’t count), and starches like corn and potatoes will count. You can eat them raw, or steam them or season them or cook them in chicken or vegetable stock and that is free. Most condiments (ketchup, mustard, barbeque sauce) and all herbs and spices are also considered free points, so you can use those with impunity for flavoring. Do watch out for your mayo and salad dressing though as these are surprisingly fatty. The program recommends you have 5 servings a day (9 if you’re 350 lbs or more) from fruits and veggies with a wide range of colors so as to get as many nutrients and vegetables from the mix as possible.
Ack. I’m running out of time atm even though I have more to say. I’ll have to come back and post some more advice later. 🙂 In the meantime I hope some of this helps.
I’ll have to try to keep that strategy in mind. I never considered myself a very competitive person before, but losing is the worst!
Well, I managed to win both of the Cavern Springs adults that were for ebay auction recently (and so used up the majority of my for-fun cash I’d had hoarded away :p). I’d never really done ebay auctions before, though, so I honestly hadn’t figured out that the best way to try it was like you say, wait till closer to the last minute and go for the kill. So I got in a bidding spat and spent more than I’d wanted to, though I don’t regret it. Unfortunately, I can’t post photos since they’re at my permanent resident halfway across the globe, and when I tried to ask my mother if she’d take some for me she got kind of panicky, said she was afraid she might break them. But two doesn’t really make a collection. I’m sure some other more established people have some incredible pieces.
Yeah. I was trying to win the (second) kingfisher, and I really thought I’d nabbed him, and at a decent price too. A little more than the first one, but still doable for my means. But then literally two seconds away from the end of the auction someone sniped him. xD; Good for them, and good for my wallet, but it was a little disappointing. I should have known he’d be popular enough I’d be competing with *somebody* for him, but I was kind of hopeful that the blue morphos would help keep things down.
Still, because it’s a small piece, I could get lucky…. maybe… Well, I’ll watch the price for next day or two and if it looks stable-ish and another blue morpho seems ready to hit, maybe I’ll put in a bid. I’d really love one, but I think right now even 150 would really be too much for me unless I’m willing to give up on the blue morpho lap dragon.
I was wanting a koi but I’m afraid it might have to wait. I’m never certain what prices on these things are going to do, and I just don’t have much spare money at this point. 🙁 If only it had come out a little closer to my birthday. Ah well. There will be more, eventually, I’m sure.
edit: it’s such a shame too because that color scheme is just wonderful!!! unnngh idk. what do what do. Watch and see what the price does, I suppose.
