nekojindesigns

I'm sure many of you have seen this already, but I find it relevant to our liberal stance on love at Neko-jin Designs. This video does the best job of anything I've seen attempting to relate what it's like to grow up as something the general public has been brainwashed to believe is 'wrong'.

Usually when I try to explain how I was bullied and made to believe I was a crime against nature, how it took me over a decade to stop being angry and learn to love myself, I get a shoulder shrug and an 'oh, yeah, I was picked on, too', which as a response, aside from lacking basic human compassion, goes a long way in showing that they don't get it.

It was more than just name calling, being spit on, and finding homophobic slurs written in the dust on my car's rear window. I had people who loved me telling me that I wouldn't be bullied if I stopped 'flaunting it' like it was my fault that I had fallen in love with a girl.

This video touches on all of the things I remember most about high school in a way that I hope opens up more than a few judgmental eyes and maybe, just maybe, stops people from shrugging it off when someone is open enough with them to relate their story.

It's not easy to watch; it shouldn't be. For many of us, it wasn't (and still isn't) easy to live through.

At NJD, we firmly believe in the freedom to love. It's my hope that perhaps this has opened a few closed minds and closed a few grossly opinionated mouths that continue to vociferously preach against being queer, not realizing (or not caring) how that negativity affects us as a community of human beings attempting to coexist.

I have so much respect for the people who made this happen. It shouldn't have been necessary to take it to such an extreme to prove a point, but some people will only understand when a topic is shown from their point of view.

Take care of each other, kits and kats,
-Kit

I've had a lot on my mind lately. And by lately, I mean the last couple years. I've made lists of things to talk about, journals I meant to write, points I wanted to bring up, facts and figures and a laundry list of business related stuff that's been taking up space in my brain.

I wrote some of them, scrapped most of them. And you know why? The majority of them were unerringly negative.

I'm not a negative person. Like anyone, I have my moments, but I don't camp out under a black cloud. Generally speaking, I'm an optimist. Spiritually, I'm a Buddhist, holding the firm belief that like begets like (karma's not a bitch if you aren't). So I like to smile and take life as it comes--dealing with the bad as it happens, learning from it, and being grateful for the good.

I have a very simple philosophy: Be good and do good.

But there have been aspects of business over the past couple of years that haven't been good. In fact, they've been pretty bad. It's not the 'state of the economy' as so many would say, it's really the state of people that's giving me a hard time. When given the choice, so many of them choose not to do good and their actions have consequences that tumble dominoes and eventually have an impact on me as a person, and me as a business.

I'll be the first to admit it put me in a cynical state of mind for a while. Simply put, we kept getting screwed. Apologies weren't forthcoming. No one took responsibility, increasing our frustration. Continuing to smile in the face of it became difficult. It was hard not to become jaded and bitter.

After all, many of our issues weren't simple oversights on the parts of certain convention coordinators and customers, but blatant disrespect. I'm not going to point fingers, cite events, or name names. It doesn't solve anything. But I can tell you it's been the major reason, aside from the unwanted perception of sounding overly negative, that things have been so quiet around here for so long.

I'd like to get back to talking about the fun side of business again, to finding the singular highlight at a convention, to finding the good in others. I'd like to be able to trust certain individuals again.

The high points of last year were fantastic and the low points almost made me lose faith in the anime community altogether. So far, 2013 has been good for us. I sincerely hope that the issues that plagued us in 2012 have been resolved, or the people in question have decided to be good and do good.

Here's hoping.

With affection,
-Kit

We like to give things away. Those of you who have been with us awhile know it's true--it's such a fantastic feeling to be able to make someone happy and we like to do it as often as we can!

What better time than now? With the holidays hot on our heels, we want to reward you for shopping with us by giving you a little something in return.

As a gesture of gratitude for buying with our humble little family-based business and supporting us through the long, cold winter ahead, when you buy three pieces from the Jewelry section of NekojinDesigns.com for the next five days you get one free!

And you know what's better? You can do it more than once. Buy six pieces, get two free! Nine pieces? Three free! How nifty is that? Think of how many gifts you can tick off your list--or heck, buy gifts for your friends and keep the free ones for yourself! We even offer gift wrapping service to make the whole thing effortless!

It's not random--you get to choose! The only stipulation is that the free pieces you pick have to be of equal or lesser value of the lowest priced item in your order. (So if you buy three items at $10, $15, and $12, your free item has to be $10 or less, capiche?)

Our new and improved jewelry section contains not just a fantastic selection of earrings and necklaces, but also hair sticks and clips, tarot card accessories, gaming gear, neo-victorian steampunk inspired goodness, and bracelets!

Know what else is cool? With the revival of our new website, all earrings now have the option of custom earwires, so virtually anyone can wear them!

• Surgical steel is safe for most people

• Plastic earwires are available for those who are intolerant or allergic to all metals

• And the clip-on option means you don't even need pierced ears to enjoy our awesome selection! Clip-ons are $2 more as they're more for us to make, but think of the freedom they offer you! Never look longingly at our earrings again--now you, too, can indulge!

It's Wednesday--hump day--and we know it can be a tough time of the week. So why not let this be the highlight of an otherwise blah day? It's the best excuse you'll find to treat yourself and others. All from the comfort of your home. Or office. Or wherever you happen to be--but no lines, right? That's gotta count for something. -_^

Remember--all of our jewelry is handmade and many of them are one of a kind! Buying early means less regret!

Sale ends Monday, December 10th.

Let the shopping extravaganza begin!

Warm holiday hugs,
-Kit & neko

Since neko introduced me to the wonders of western comics a year and a half ago, we've been systematically watching the cinematic representations regardless of whether or not we're familiar with the printed work.

Last night, we watched Elektra. I'll admit to being a little gun shy--I really disliked Daredevil [with which it's supposedly intertwined] and was afraid that this one would follow suit.

It didn't. I know it got really poor ratings and reviews, but I'm honestly stumped as to why. We both thought it was fantastic. The lead was a strong female who had more honest chemistry with what I'm going to call her female 'successor' than she did with the obligatory male love interest [that I'd lay money on was thrown in simply to keep people from being uncomfortable with her unapologetic independence]. It's one of the first movies I've walked away from thinking 'I could slash those women without even blinking', as generally female relationships in popular media are portrayed as too overly dependent, platonic, or competitive for me to view it as such.

The plot was subtle, the directing beautiful, the acting pretty swell. I have no idea if it's faithful to the comics as I've never read them, but as one uninitiated in the world of Elektra, I was very pleased.

They were artistic with the death scenes; there was no gratuitous gore, blood, or severed human parts, which I really appreciated. I thought the villains maintained that slightly over-the-top air necessarily to translate the comics element without being unnecessarily overdone.

And most of all? The director trusted me enough to allow me to suss out the details on my own. Not everything was in my face. It was subtle, beautiful, and something I would recommend to anyone. Especially if you're tired of the typical portrayal of women in popular media.

Seriously, though. I thought she was going to kiss the girl at the end. And the best part was, the movie had been set up in such a way that she could have actually done it and I wouldn't have been surprised.

Well, I would have, but for very different reasons. ^_^

-Kit

We're in desperate need of your help! In order to have our grant application reviewed [just reviewed--there's no guarantee we'll get it!] we need a total of 250 votes for our business at Mission Small Business. We're currently at 213 and only need 37 more to qualify--but we only have until June 30th!

Maybe you're wondering what we'd do with this kind of money. We've been thinking pretty hard about it, too, and here's what we've come up with:

1. We'd buy in bulk! This kind of financial assistance would allow us to buy in such a quantity as to lower our cost on most things, meaning less we'd have to charge our customers. Everything from bags to jewelry supplies--as well as some items we haven't been able to purchase due to the quantities that are required for a single order.

2. Open a studio space! Heck, maybe even a store front! How exciting would that be? Having a separate space [that's not just our apartment!] would mean being able to make enough of things to always have on hand, which would be a big help to our poor, neglected webstore.

3. Speaking of webstore...we'd hire a happy and capable individual to keep up with our website! It's one of the few areas that gets neglected due to low resources and manpower. We'd both love the chance to keep it fully stocked and active for all the wonderful people out there who can't make it to our conventions.

4. And speaking of assistants, we'd love to hire a second team to travel to conventions sporting NJD's awesome stuff! Every year we're forced to pick and choose which cons we can attend, limited by the number of people [there are only two of us!] we have on staff, and the unfortunate fact that some cons fall on the same weekend. It's our goal to reach a broader audience in 2013. This would make that possible.

And this is just the beginning! If you've got a Facebook, we need your help to make these dreams and more come true. It's simple and quick and instant good karma! Here's what you do:

1 - go to missionsmallbusiness.com

2 - click SUPPORT [to login with your Facebook info!]

3 - type in Neko-jin Designs

4 - click search

5 - click VOTE

- optional, but highly appreciated -

6 - click SHARE VOTE

7 - click SHOW PLEDGE

Anyone with a Facebook can vote! It would mean the world to us if you could rally your friends and family to help us achieve our goal. We're so close. We just need one more push!

Thank you!
-Kit & neko

We'd love to travel to more conventions and spread our happy word across more parts of the country. Unfortunately, that involves a lot of money--something we don't have in excess!

However! We're applying for a really sizable grant that could help us achieve that dream and so much more. It would give us the opportunity to reach a bigger audience not just with our adorable merchandise and contagious happiness, but it allow us to bring our gay-positive message to parts of the country where people really need it.

In order for our application to be considered, we need a total of 250 votes by June 30th. If you have a second, it would mean the world to us if you voted for Neko-jin Designs.

Here's how:

1 - Go to www.missionsmallbusiness.com.

2 - Log in with Facebook [it’s the only way to vote].

3 - Scroll down and under ‘business name’ input ‘Neko-jin Designs’.

4 - Click search.

5 - Click vote.

If you can’t vote, please help spread the word! We need 250 votes by June 30th to be considered for a grant to help our company flourish!

We’re a small business with a big heart and would love the chance to share our gay positive message with more people than we could have ever imagined~! If you have a moment, please help us take a step closer to that never before conceived of dream!

A Bit About the Program:

Demonstrating their ongoing commitment to small businesses, Chase and LivingSocial launched “Mission: Small Business,” a new grant program offering up to $3 million to small business owners nationwide. Chase and LivingSocial also obtained the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to help announce the program and drive small business engagement and participation.

“Small businesses embody the spirit of innovation and they are the lifeblood of our economy.” The program, which will award up to 12 individual grants of $250,000, was developed to provide small businesses with capital and innovative marketing resources needed to make a positive impact on their business.

To vote for your business, consumers must first visit the Mission: Small Business site and log in with Facebook. There is no other log in option besides Facebook. Once logged in, they can search for your business to vote. So keep spreading the word and telling people about www.missionsmallbusiness.com!

Every year, we like to celebrate another successful anniversary with a thank you to the people in our lives who have made it possible for us to continue to do what we do. Our customers are so much more than just that—they’re our friends. It makes me incredibly happy that we can continue to give back some of the joy that we feel every day we’re able to do what we love.

Since five years is a pretty big deal [at least we think so!], we’re commemorating it with a very special limited edition piece. We’ve taken our iconic turtle-snuggling neko and made it into a silver-plated enamel lapel pin.



More adorable than ever before, our sleeping neko has been immortalized at approximately 1.25” x .75” and comes on a custom card from us to you, thanking you for the years of smiles and support. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been with us for the last five years, five months, or stumbled upon us in the last five minutes, we appreciate it every time you choose to buy with our happy little business.

These pins are an online exclusive and will not be available at conventions. They are a limited edition of only 100 and will each come signed and numbered.

There is no limit to how many you may purchase. Each pin is $15 USD and includes free shipping anywhere in the world. We will be taking orders for them through June and July; the pins will ship to their new homes in August.

♥ ♥ ♥ I'd like to order this little cutie! ♥ ♥ ♥

A heartfelt thank you from us to you. Here’s to another five years of making cute things for happy people.

<3
- Kit & neko

At the end of last year, neko and I sat down to pull together our list of prospective shows for 2012. When we started our business almost five years ago, we were hot to trot for any show that would have us; there was just no way of knowing how well [or poorly] we'd be received at any given convention so we did them all--the large shows that every vendor swore by, the smaller venues that looked promising, college shows, and one day events.

Some conventions were, unfortunately, a bust, and we never returned after the initial attempt. While we lost quite a bit of money doing this trial and error, it was the only way to truly know where we were most appreciated and a vital element that helped us grow and tailor our little business. We went as far west as California, as far south as Georgia, and many places in between. Often times, it was frustrating, but it was always exciting. It was always an adventure and for that, I don't regret it. ^_^

However, as time has gone by, there have been a few shows that just haven't done well for us. We've maintained them because of their proximity, or because many of the friends we only get to see a handful of times a year also attend them. It's sad to let them go, but we can't ignore the fact that we're losing too much money to continue doing them.

As of 2012, Neko-jin Designs will no longer be vending the following shows:

NonCon, Poughkeepsie, NY

Connecticon, Hartford, CT

NekoCon, Hampton Roads, VA

YaoiCon, San Francisco, CA

At each of these shows, the phrase we have come to hear most is "You'll be here next year, right? I'll buy it from you then."

When that's said too often, next year never comes. At the end of the day, while we truly enjoy bringing cute and happy things to people all over the country [and maybe eventually the world!], this is a business. Going to shows costs money and when that's not balanced by the amount me make, we have to cut it out of our con trail.

While we're sad to see them go and will miss the wonderful people we did meet, it opens us up to new and greater adventures--adventures that will allow us to continue to do what we love for another five years.

With affection,
-Kit

It's been a mild winter so far in our part of the world, but that doesn't mean we don't have our fair share of brisk mornings and chilly evenings! It was on just such a seasonable day that I whipped up a batch of fluffy, and fashionable scarves with our some of our trademark sleeping cuties. It seemed fitting to decorate our snuggly new items with hibernating critters. I'm not sure about you, but when it's cold outside, I have the hardest time getting out of bed in the morning. ^_^

There's a fantastic array of colours and cuddling creatures from our classic cats and foxes to the new kid on the block--our hording little dragon.









Each scarf is entirely handmade from the softest, warmest, and coziest fleece we can get our paws on. They measure about five feet long and nine inches wide, a perfect size for wrapping you up on a cold winter morning!

Because we want to share the warmth, we're currently pricing them at $24 with free shipping anywhere in the world. Just remember! I made a very limited amount of these and no more than three of each [some of which sold at our last show in Ohio] so if you see something you fancy, be sure to speak up!

Can we help keep you warm while the season continues with its identity crisis, waffling back and forth about what it wants to be? It may not be cold enough for winter, but it's definitely chilly enough for a scarf.

Not to mention they're cute. Who doesn't need a little bit more of that? -_^

With a handful of shows coming up quick, these won't be put on the website until possibly the end of April--if there are any left! If you'd like to purchase one [or even more!], please get in touch with us. ^_^

neko[at]nj-designs[dot]com

In the meantime, be sure to keep warm, kits & kats!
-Kit

It's almost neko's birthday, and we've decided to share in the celebration! January 4-6 buy $30 or more from NekojinDesigns.com and get $20 in random goodies FREE! We're sharing the cute. We're sharing the love. ♥

Here's to a bright and happy new year filled with your favourite things. ^_^

-Kit