So who is going to Kingdom A&S? Where are you staying? I decided to enter at the last minute, so I guess I'd better find a place to stay/make a reservation...

Hey everyone, are we gonna try this again? It is the middle of January, and it would be awesome if we all need skinny garb by May. Just sayin.' 

I have money from Driffa and myself for Katrine. Just a reminder, Katrine won the weight loss section last time, and Katrine and Nobu tied so the inches lost $ goes to Nobu. Driffa is the only person who came by to drop off $. I think we were all a bit distracted and busy over the weekend.

So, for the next iteration of the SCA weight-loss challenge I suggest a change. Firstly, I think dealing w/ measurements and weight was too much of a pain. I would like to encourage everyone to take measurements, but don't want to deal with them for the purposes of the challenge. Lets stick to the % of body weight thing. If you want in, post here with your starting weight sometime in the next week. I also think we should all be in charge of getting our own $$ to the winner (either at an event or via post if need be). This time I suggest we all put in $5 to the winner, since I am broke and $10 is seeming like a lot. And we should have the last weigh in be the Wednesday before May Crown so there is plenty of time to decide on a winner and post it before the event. Sound good?

Note: several people, including me, had issues come up with injuries last time. I hope this doesn't happen... but if it does, think of it as a good time to work on monitoring your calorie intake in a time of less exercise and still trying to stay healthy. Use this in whatever ways you can to help you with your life and goals - stay positive! It isn't just about winning, it is about being healthier and helping ourselves. I want all of my peeps to be healthy, strong, and happy.

Oh, and if you want in I'll put you into my health and fitness filter.

Edit: If you want in post here saying so and I'll create a new filter for this and a post that you can reply to w/ your starting weight. This way the only people who see are in it also.

I just wanted to say that I love all the project posts people are doing, and absolutely adore the pictures! Keep 'em coming!!! 

I just wanted to share what I consider to be the best website with tutorials and links on training various circus skills. There are manuals, photocopies of old books, links to foreign websites with images, and more. A lot of places won't post this kind of information, but the acrobatic, tight wire, and trapeze links here have been invaluable to me. Check out the tutorials section of Simply Circus. 

I've had several commissions lately, quite a few for needle felted items. Here are pics of some of the latest:

I now have a temp website up for my crafty goodness (aka needle felting). See it at vandycraft. Mostly it was so I had someplace to direct people to to see a gallery. If anyone is itching to do a website for me, let me know. ;-) Also, there is still a limited amount of time available if anyone wants to commission needle felted presents for the holidays. To get things shipped on time they need to be sent by December 21st according to USPS.

Here is an update:

My furnace needs a part, again, so once again glass is on hold. Should be fixed in a week or so.

I get to TA at the Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass next September! For the same class I took there this summer. Yay!!!

I'm on a hunt for a new cat/kitten. I've already looked at some seriously cute wee kittens - both Siberians and Abyssinians. Yes, I am looking at pure-breed cats. No, I am not set on one. But I grew up with them so I want to make sure that they are not what I really want before getting another pound kitty. Tomorrow I'm going down to meet some other Abbys and Somalis, and then some Egyptian Maus. These are a little older, so I might come back with a new family member... we'll see. I'm waiting for the right cat/kitten to decide it wants me.

I'm going to be selling stuff at many places in the next couple months:

Nov 21st: Holiday Bazaar in Dragons Mist - I'll have glass and historic workshop wares

Nov 27-29: Orycon Art Show - I'll have needle felted geekery here (as will young_raven )

Dec 5th: Dragon's Laire Yule - I'm planning on attending and bringing a basket of glass up w/ me (let me know if there is something specific I should bring up)

Dec 11-15: We are most likely having our group arts & crafts show this weekend. I'll have glass and needle felting, and it will be in Portland. More info to come.

Dec 19: Stromgard Yule - I'll be here w/ my basket o'glass. Once again, if you want me to bring anything in particular, let me know.

Jan 8-10: Twelfth Night - Historic Workshop is merchanting so I'll be there with just about everything.

Oh, and my toe still hurts, though it feels a little better. I've been avoiding fighter practice, yoga, the bits of trapeze that tweak my toe, and it is making me very irritable. Plus I'm holding steady on weight. Sigh. But I want it to get better so am being good. :-P

( Lots of Pics! )

Wow... Pennsic was amazing. Really want to go back next year. However getting home sort of sucked.

( Good, Bad, Pictures )

cuz all the cool kids are doing it, the Pennsic edition:

Where are you camping, and where else will you be findable?

I'll be camping with MorningWood. Next to Vlads and Casa Bardicci, down by the lake. I will also probably spend quite a bit of time hanging out with An Tir, and am fighting with An Tir.

When are you arriving?
I'll be flying in overnight on Wednesday the 29th, getting there in the morning on the 30th. Leaving on Sunday the 9th.

What fun things are you planning to do?

Fight!
Juggle! I'm camping with Paolo Garbanzo, and hope to get some juggling time in with him, and perhaps a few Tynkers too. :-)
Shop - I'm apparently being sent with shopping lists.
Meet lots of cool people - I'm asking people to write me letters of introduction to all of the people/households they keep telling me I should meet or say hi to.
Hook up with glass blowers, jugglers, and others.
Take some classes?

What is your name?

Dame Aelfgifu verch Morgan aka Elfa

Sunday morning Karin and I drove up to Seattle to drop off some artwork at Karin's brother's monster store in Seattle. If you like monsters or just the unusual and get a chance to stop by, you should! The business is called Snowmonkey's House of Monsters. The website isn't done yet, but I'll post a link when it is. The entrance is inside the Bluebird Ice Cream and Tea Shop at 1205 E Pike in Seattle. Currently there is a variety of commercially made monster merchandise and a wide array of monster art created by local artists from the Seattle and Portland area, including both Karin and I. Oh, and there are couches where you can sit and watch old cartoons too!

( mostly garden stuff )

What Greek Goddess are you?

You are Persephone! You are like Persephone, daughter of Demeter and wife of Hades. That's right...you are married to the god of the underworld...and that makes you QUEEN of the underworld. But you should tell your friends not to judge...sometimes good girls just fall for bad boys. Like Persephone, you are somewhat paradoxical, as you present a saintly aura part of the time and a wild child aura the other part. Whereas you can be a sophisticated lady, you definitely know how to bring out your politically INcorrect side. :)

How do you compare? Take this test! | Tests from Testriffic

I am sick sick sick. Sigh. I'm really hoping that I feel good soonest. Especially since I have concert tickets for Thursday night. Maybe Kaite and Jacob cursed me - the last time I was going to go to a concert with them I got sick too. :-( Went to the doctor, got meds, including some super cough syrup which made me feel less bad for a few hours, then it triggered a migraine. Ugh. Meep. Ick. On the plus side, husband couldn't decide what sort of chicken soup to buy me, so apparently got one of each. So I have enough chicken soup to withstand a siege.

( ENFP )</div>

( Silly water meme )</div>

Pics of some glass and my new torch!!!

( Pix! )

My beloved camera is having issues. It is having problems with the compact flash card, which is my preffered method of picture storage. I keep getting an error saying the card is not initialized. I bought a new card, and have tried formatting both the new and the old card with the camera and on my computer (a mac) and on our server (a PC). Nuthin' changing. My camera is a Fuji Finepix S7000. I have had it since the summer of 2004, when I got it so I could take pics for my portfolio after graduating from art school, and it has been awesome. Until now. I am thinking I might try picking up another kind of card for it, since it will accept a couple types, and perhaps there is an issue with that slot? I am hoping it isn't a software problem, but if it is, can I get it fixed? I really don't want to buy another camera...

Edited to Add Happy Ending:

I got an xD card and it works just fine. So apparently the CF slot is just messed up. Yay for my still having a working camera! And for only spending $20 for an xD card to find that out. ;-)

For those of you who are going or thinking of going, when will you be there? Going for the whole time or part?