Howl's moving castle built out of legos.
That is awesome in a bucket right there...

Mark took these photos, but I wanted to repost them for all my friends who don't read his journal.


Mason and his pumpkin


Linnet and her pumpkin


Mason is not in the Jack-o-Lantern patch because he was busy throwing a tantrum. The cute little girl with Linnet is weavedancer's daughter Faye.

Halloween is awesome

I'm making a great set of outfits for american_knight, duchess_asa, and the Holly girl.
Early viking was requested and I'm having a good time with it. I'm using the small scale stuff for Holly to test design techniques before I do them on the larger garments.

I think kids clothes are so much fun. It's like dressing dolls. Big... wiggly... dolls. Keep them durable, washable, and roomy and you can't go wrong.

Thank goodness I discovered the Cortona tunic. The gore pattern off it is a life saver. The tunic preserved in the Church of Saint Francis in Cortona in Italy was made between 1155 and 1225, coinciding with the lifetime of the "Poor Man of Assisi," as the saint was called, due to his voluntary casting away of all worldly possessions and his preaching of a simple life. The tunic is very well preserved as it is believed to be a relic of St Francis.
That amazing side gore from cuff to hem makes all the difference in the world to fitting a wiggly kid.

He's about to make a very bad choice.

Just being silly. Watercolor pencils again.
Thinking I might put it and the other one up for the Dragon's Horde Auction. (which would of course make them ACEO's)

Lunch? Friend? Your call...


20 minutes playing with water color pencils.

Dr Horrible as seen at the 2009 Emmy Awards




*fangirl squee*

And it did win the emmy for its category.

That one doesn't need a caption. The picture pretty much says it all.


Belly!!!

Change the fur to match the carpet and you would have my Aramis.

Hence the nickname "Suicide cat." She makes going down the basement stairs an act of suicide.

Saturday's event was fun, and robomarkov shot a video or two. I do believe this one is the first time I've ever gotten to see a video of myself dancing. It is pretty long, and a bit of a crowded floor, but fun none the less. I am the one in the red floral kaftan with the green and gold veil. Countess Mariana is in the white and blue floral kaftan with the red belt and white veil. Posadnitsa Ianuk is in the green kaftan with the blue veil, and Dutchess Asa is in the blue shirt and green mintan with the white veil. There are all sorts of other folks I do not know the names for dancing as well.

Some of us sort of got the giggles and had to leave the floor because we got it in our heads that the rhythm sounded a bit too much like a cha-cha. I'm a dork.

My Girl Genius book 8 arrived along with its snazzy book plate.

( you know you want to see it )

It is an interesting beast. I am working on collecting the bits for a costume accessory for the Discworld Convention. This involves having a clear mental image of what I want, and how much weight that entails, then going out and finding all the component bits that will work together to make the thing.
A couple days ago I managed to get most all the pieces for what will become a staff with a "sapient pearwood" cage hanging from a hook. The strait part of the staff was easy to find and consists of a piece of bamboo as tall as I am. The fact is that bamboo only grows strait at that size. This resulted with a problem that I have been mulling over for the last couple days. How to make a hook, a'la shepherd's crook, for the staff.

The answer revealed itself this morning while I was acquiring some more lining fabric for a different project. Wandering through the silk floral section of the store presented me with a piece of lucky bamboo. Not just any lucky bamboo, but its silk equivalent with a sturdy wire running up the center of the stalk and a marvelous leaf tipped end curled in a helpful spiral. Hey presto! I can take this stalk bend it to the precise shape I need and not have to fake the bamboo look to go with the staff!


Now to make a lovely birdcage for a camel and an imp out of the other bits.
You really ought to read the Discworld books if you don't understand some of the references.

( birth certificate fun )

*For the curious, Anput is the female incarnation of Anubis sometimes depicted as his sister-wife.

"I yam Battle Cube!"

...and other blackmail.


First, the large gray raven is finished. This means I only have 2 large unicorns to go. *happy dance*
Look at the awesome


Of course the strangeness of the day was accompanied by the boy pixie of grumpyness.

He came running downstairs to complain about his sister... wearing these. Was rather unhappy with my reaction to him being laughter and a photo.
This is the sort of photo you show to his girlfriend.

Mine is an evil laugh.

My kids are currently eating their Cheerios and singing "Dead Man's Party" at eachother.


I win.

Clouded leopard cubs of ultimate cuteness
a whole page of them, with video.



_{yes danabren I heisted the link from you, but DAYUM those are some cute cute kitties.}

The North American Discworld Convention will be in Phoenix over Labor day weekend. That is the 4-7th of September. Our favorite author Terry Pratchett will be there.

Attending membership is $90, good through July 31st. Cost could go up after.
there is also an LJ Community to keep up with latest info.

I plan on going and being a fangirl.

Hey raventhourne here are the 2 books I showed you at the house and 2 others you might find interesting.

Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches New Edition by Jan Eaton, Trafalgar Square Pub, 1998, ISBN 1-57076-118-3

The Needlepoint Workbook of Traditional Designs Cecelia Felcher, Hawthorne Books Inc, 1973, ISBN 0-8015-5342-3
(This is the one with all the awesome graphs that would work for weaving)

You might also like
Needlework Treasures from the Orient Marsha McKerr, Van Nostrand Reinhold press, 1984
(my cover page is missing for this one so this is all the info I have)

Stumpwork Embroidery Designs and Projects Jane Nicholas, Sally Milner Pub, 1998, ISBN 1-86351-208-4

#6 Dogs and Goddesses
Fun little contemporary romance. 3 author team of which Jennifer Crusie is a primary. I am really starting to love her books.

Ironic how appropriate this is these days. robomarkov and I were thinking that last night when it came on while we were watching the schoolhouse rock DVD with the kids.

( Lyrics - Tyrannosaurus Debt )

Animated version of the Bayeux Tapestry. Starts about halfway through the original work at the appearence of Halley's Comet and concludes at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Sheep: OMGWTFBBQ???
Sheep dogs: WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Those crazy shepherds

This one just makes me very giggly happy.

For all my friends in the cold north and other regions not Arizona.
But especially bertana who does not approve of her current weather
Happy December 31'st 2008 y'all!

I just took these photos on the back porch. Firstly we have the thermometer showing a glorious blue sky and 76 degree Fahrenheit.


Next we have a green back yard and a glorious day.


*giggle
Winter in Arizona is good

ysbet said I had to (**waves**):

THE MUSIC MEME!

RULES:
1. Put Your iTunes/Windows Media Player/ETC on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Put this on your journal.
6. Tag 5 friends

*Keep in mind I have a very eclectic mix of music on the Ipod.

1) If someone says, "Is this okay?" you say?
"The Flowers of Bermuda" Stan Rogers

2) How would you describe yourself?
"Ural" Apocalyptica

3) What do you like in a girl/guy?
"You're My Best Friend" Queen

4) How do you feel today?
"Put Your Lights On" Santana feat. Everlast

5) What is your life's purpose?
"1952 Vincent Black Lightening" Richard Thompson ("Ain't nothin in this world like a Vincent and a red headed girl.")

6) What is your motto?
"Fanfarenzug" Wolgemut

7) What do you friends think of you?
"Happy Phantom" Tori Amos

8) What do you think of your parents?
"Back to the House Love Built" Tito & Tarantula

9) What do you think about very often?
"Scalliwag" Gaelic Storm

10) What is 2+2?
"Dig, Dig, Dig For Your Dinner" Gene Kelly

11) What do you think of your best friend?
"Stay Beautiful" Taylor Swift

12) What do you think of the person you like?
"All at Once" Jack Johnson

13) What is your life story?
"Can't Stop a Train" Derailers

14) What do you want to be when you grow up?
"War Paint" Rush

15) What do you think of when you see the person you like?
"Blue Heaven" Pogues

16) What will you dance to at your wedding?
"Greensleeves" Loreena McKennitt

17) What will they play at your funeral?
"From Thence I went to the Landgrave of Hessen" Sting & Edin Karamazov (no. Seriously. that was next!)

18) What is your hobby/interest?
"Forest of Dreams" Chateau Teafort

19) What is your biggest fear?
"Illa Fuit Ambulans Digita" Master Effenwealt Whistle

20) What is your biggest secret?
"One More Night" Phil Collins

21) What do you think of your friends?
"She's a Beauty" the Tubes

22) What song would you play during your first time having sex?
"Manifold De Amour" Latin Playboys

23) What will you post this as?
"Africa" Toto

Let me tell you a story
( The night Mason wore his wolf suit... )

Laughing so hard I can barely breathe right now.

I've been a bad herald, I admit this upfront, and have been slacking off in my duties.
Fixing that today for the most part. Tho you would be surprised how complex a simple update can get when you involve out of kingdom offices or awards. Lots of extra data that has to be entered into the system before the requested update can be made.
This means I get distracted browsing other kingdom websites and learning histories that don't neccessarily apply to ours but are satisfying in an Anthropological sense.

Fun Fun

Indiana Jones and the Dance of the Giants by Rob Macgregor - Total pulp fiction paperback and I loved every inch of it. This story takes place very early in his carrear during his first year as a professor. Fun Fun Fun.

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer - More fun, and a delightful read. The Mob meets Savannah and the government and all hell breaks loose. With a little sex and family squabbles thrown in for fun. I loved it.

Yes I read these in 4 days. This is why I don't do the 50 books in a year list because I posatively devour books and that would just be cheating now wouldn't it?

Photo Credit to public_shaylan



Why can no one tell us apart?
On the left is Ari; Mistress of the Laurel, red hair, blue eyes, a bit taller, 4 and a bit months younger
On the right is Haley; Mistress of the Pelican, Countess, black hair, green eyes
Trading off on who is the evil twin is fun

We traded outfit styles for the event. Doesn't she look great in Persian*?

*(corrected because one cup o coffee does not make me all coherent.)

I love all my engineers and my dad the rocket scientist.
These guys have badges!
ORDER OF THE SCIENCE SCOUTS OF EXEMPLARY REPUTE AND ABOVE AVERAGE PHYSIQUE

I know that dad has earned their - “I AM actually a freaking rocket scientist” badge.
For members who can utter the phrase “It’s not rocket science” with authority.

Happy happy birthday to you
There is a cuddly fluffy oh so soft Vodka Bear sitting on my desk just for you.
( Behold! Vodka Bear )

So going to see this when it hits theaters on the 18th

Jet Li and Jackie Chan. I am all a-squee

Tomorrow
Yes Ianuk, tomorrow you can has laurel.

Showing off Ivan's Knighting scroll at scribble and watching Markov and Anya spend the next hour and a half translating Mistress Cecelia's Russian text and hearing them fuss over words.

"We can't stop here. This is bat country"
...Hunter S Thompson



this is a sure thing to perk up any of my days lately. Quite possibly my best sewing Mantra ever.

"Bats Lazlo! Bats!"

Because it was funny when it was suggested and I snorted my coffee.

If you read this you need to comment with a response that begins with "Ed is so scary he..."

I'll start us off.

Ed is so scary he made the Outlands War Commander drop his poodle and run.