Because that's how I roll!

Original late period Spanish scroll.

The scroll for tattycat made by nq3x : http://pics.livejournal.com/dona_violante/pic/0001y9c8/

The example for the pouch I made tattycat which held her Pearl medallion: http://app.cul.columbia.edu:8080/exist/scriptorium/individual/CU-BANC-104.xml?showLightbox=yes Of course, I don't have any pictures of the pouch, but hopefully someone will upload one. The one I made her was of red silk satin, with an embroidered pomegranate, slipped and stemmed, in a gold outline stitch.

What me? Orchestrating for WEEKS to make sure her entry to the Order was as appropriate to her persona as possible? Nah..... ;-)

Thanks of course go to reabhecc , nq3x , and thatpotteryguy for their help in pulling off this conspiracy, despite the fact that spanish_peacock and I were unable to attend!

Current Mood: happy

DUDE. *Almost* as good as being there. Thanks to reabhecc for taking pictures like this!

Current Mood: content

Somehow, despite consistently lousy turn-out for my classes, I still feel the compulsive need to teach. I'm eyeing Mineral, VA - location for the next session of Atlantia's University - and wondering if I can pull off that AND Ymir the next weekend. Hmm. And Birka the weekend before. Crap. OK, probably not. *sigh*

Next class: "Intro to Arabic for the SCA Artist". The class will cover the letters & their various forms; numerals; common words to recognize; sources of period Arabic writing for adapting to SCA art purposes; and the various calligraphic styles. This is a companion class to my (also amazingly under-attended) "Islamic Design: Primer and Practicum".

Hope springs eternal!

Current Mood: hopeful

Not strep. Go, go, gadget immune system!

Current Mood: happy

For those who haven't heard otherwise: Mike is well, though all his heart tests were "inconclusive" and he needs another stress test. At any rate the doctor didn't think he was in immediate danger of death.

We are mentally and physically exhausted.

And my throat is starting to hurt when I swallow. Strep is SO not my friend.

95% sure we will not be a Holiday Faire tomorrow, which is a bummer - this would have been The Spanish Peacock's 8th anniversary, and is always a wonderful sales event. Hugs to everyone I haven't seen in months! I probably won't make it to another event again until *maybe* Ymir. *pout*

Current Mood: sulking

Thank you to everyone who took the time last night to let me know they were OK. My own mom, when I called her to check in, suggested perhaps I was just suffering from increased anxiety due to lack of sunlight / Vitamin D supplements. Thanks, mom. :-\ Nice to know my friends at least take me seriously!

I posted after the children went to bed. Come to find out this morning that MT#2 - who shall henceforth be known in my journal as Destructor * - is sick. spanish_peacock is taking her to the doctor this a.m. to see what's going on.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us that it's something mild and not contagious! We were planning to take the girls to Holiday Faire tomorrow. I have been to an event since KWCS and I really need to get my geek on! And Mike of course doesn't have the option of staying home since Holiday Faire is one of his biggest sales events of the year.


* - so called because she will. not. stop. f'ing. with. things. Until they are completely ruined. *sigh*

Current Mood: worried

Vague feeling of unease. Don't know why. It was sharper about 30 minutes ago, and has let up a little. But I'm still on the edge of panicky. Nothing is going on here, so I must be picking something up from somewhere else. Everybody OK out there?

Current Mood: worried

That's "hero-ine", btw. Unfortunate feminine form of hero.

Anyway, microterrorist #1 - who shall henceforth in my posts be referred to as Verbal* - has decided she wants to learn to play the guitar. Seems like a great gift to come from Santa! Luckily Ol' St. Nick shops at Target too, and has seem the same starter kid's guitar that I have.

Anyone have thoughts on picking out a kid's guitar? Recomendations on learning DVDs? If she's serious and sticks with it for a few months I will probably sign her up for "real" classes.




* - Because she will. not. shut. up.

Current Mood: amused

Today, I successfully put my hair up in a bun for work. This is a Real Big Deal, since normally my fu is weak and I'm lucky to make a passable braid. Leave in conditioner, God's own supply of bobby pins, and hairspray. Voilá. Iz so proud.

Nearly 1 o'clock, and the bun is still going strong!

Unfortunately, so is the headache that started several hours ago. Ow, ow, ow. Like some blond soccer player is yanking on my hair. Maybe it is time to get some of it cut off... *sigh*

Current Mood: pain...lots of pain...

My new default SCA event shoes.



Amazing what they can do with Crocs these days. They are fuzzy velvet and look exactly like the black slippers worn in the Book of Games!

Current Mood: delighted

Well, I am admittedly no expert in copyrights... But if this is true, those of us with character-based userpics could be in a lot of trouble at some point down the road...

Current Mood: worried

Happy birthday, Ryan/Rurik! From the Peacock, Peahen, and Peachicks.

Current Mood: happy

You're driving down the road, and you set your hand down on your lap. And you feel something hard on your knee, and you're thinking aw, great I got glue or something on my jeans. And then you realize it's a sewing needle, from the last time you were handsewing and didn't have anywhere to stick your needle when you stopped!

Current Mood: amused

 So, I'm frustrated with my job.  I don't know if this is "again" or "still", but I'm filling up my free time reading books about entrepreneurship and having the job you want and all that.

Long story short:  I want what spanish_peacock , kass_rants , and thatpotteryguy have.  No boss but myself.  Thing is, I don't make stuff that I can sell - to SCAdians or otherwise.  (Those of you who are longtime friends have heard me rant about this before - I don't "do" things.)

My current book (well, audiobook actually) is Work Less, Make More.  It has a different approach: instead of trying to find work you love, figure out what you are absolutely brilliant at, and find a job that lets you do that all the time.  You will just naturally be successful because you can't help yourself.  Sounds good... but I don't know what my "brilliance" is.  There's a ton of things I'm good at - research, analysis, systems thinking, teaching, blah blah blah - but what do I do that's better than everything else?

Thus, I turn to you, the people who know me better than anyone else, including coworkers and even my mom.  I am more "me" in the SCA than anywhere else (well, except home, but my husband's in the SCA so that's almost the same thing):

What am I most brilliant at?  If you needed help, and I was the first person who popped into your head, what type of problem or help would it be?  No cheesy answers here (you know who you are!) - if you don't have time or aren't interested in providing a thoughtful response, then please don't leave a comment at all.

...OTOH, I will probably cry if *nobody* leaves a response...   ;-)

Current Mood: curious

I’ve finally recovered enough from KWCS to resume talking about my KWCS preparations. Which will seem very silly to anyone who hasn’t read my three previous posts on the subject.

( Step 3: Estimate Time and Costs )

Current Mood: relaxed

...there were such things as finger loop braiding emergencies?

Current Mood: amused

...too fun to pass up this one.

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Current Mood: amused

I finally took my old Designer SE sewing/embroidery machine in for maintenance.  It was well past time.  The poor thing is supposed to get a tune up every twelve months or some number of stitches; despite the abuse I've put it through it's only been in the shop once before.

As she was filling out my contact information, the nice sales lady at the Viking shop in the Frederick Jo-Ann's told us all about the newest model.  The Designer Diamond.  It's largest available hoop is 14 ¼" x 13 ¾".  HOLY CRAP.  She showed us a demo. She offered me a trade in deal for my old machine... and a discount on the latest version of the embroidery software...  and 2 years same as cash...  and I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it!

spanish_peacock  and I both filled out a card to enter the drawing for one.  But the drawing won't happen until after October ends, and all the lovely pricing discounts she offered me are only good until October 31.  Of course I know this is sales person speak, and there are always deals and specials and discounts and bargains and they just say those things to pressure to buy NOW. 

And I am weak.  I must find my strength to resist...

Current Mood: melancholy

Seriously.

I am home safe and sound from KWAR/KWCS.  I had a LOT of fun, and this little event has done a lot to remind me why I play in the SCA.  

Despite the crazy people who love oversharing the details of their medical misfortunes.  

Despite the half-assed attempts at authenticity.

Despite the politics which are so disproportionate to the actual real-world reward to be gained from all the machiavellian maneuvering. 

I still play in the SCA because I have a bunch of awesome friends who also play in the SCA, and we have fun hanging out together at events while we're dressed up in funny clothes.  I love making memories, I love all the new friends, I love everything I learned at this event and even the things I didn't learn - the things I didn't realize I knew until I took a class and then said "Ah."  I love seeing birds of a feather from other kingdoms who I otherwise would never get a chance to see.

Thanks to everyone who made this weekend AWESOME.   spanish_peacock  and I had a blast.   When are we having one of these in Atlantia?  I volunteer him to be merchant coordinator...

Current Mood: bouncy

We are SO going to stay here next time we go to Spain! 

...oh, wait, I'm supposed to be working on my class handout.  Back to work with me...

Current Mood: excited