Le Cafe des Muses

Finalizing plans for NERE costuming

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:50:04 GMT

Okay, so they've FINALLY put out the info for the Con's games. This may be easier than I expected.

Changeling is going to be a Summer Tourney, an Autumn Research Symposium, a Winter Mystery, and a Spring Cook-Off. While Lilith will largely be attending for the research, she has a vain streak and they're handing out prizes for the best raiment. If I can make a top to go with my glittery red lace skirt (red, with black lace and red beads?) that would be relaxed enough to be comfy while working and pretty enough to be suitable. Or maybe, my lolita skirt and matching hair bow, with striped socks and my purple Nightmare before Christmas t-shirt. Not flashy, but cute and very, very Lilith.

Mage is some kind of meeting. So, I can't see Ursula dressing all out. Jeans, shirt, jacket, sneakers, done.

Vampire, it seems, WILL be the hard one. It's 80's themed. I can accessorize my tux and do the whole pop genderbending thing, but with what?

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Accessories for Lilith's ball gown

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:26:49 GMT

The shoes: http://www.discountdance.com/view_catalog.php?pid=19132&0 (the only ones i could find on the site that looked the right size)

The socks: Right now, these are the ones I'm considering...

--http://www.sockdreams.com/products/socks/thigh-highs/extraordinary-stripes-longer:9553 (in pomegranate and black)

--http://www.sockdreams.com/products/socks/thigh-highs/bloody-zombie-thigh-highs:10601 (only if I'm trying to be creepy)

Mask (if a masquerade):

--For a white witch, a frosted domino mask, a white cape and this lace witch hat in white (http://www.urbanthreads.com/products.aspx?productid=UTZ1221)

--For "Kuchisake-onna" (Japanese ghost woman with a Glasgow smile), a mask with a veil on the bottom, "Joker" mouth underneath, and a razor blade pendant. Possibly also a bag of red gems (one legend is that if you tell her she's still pretty, she'll give you a blood-covered ruby and leave you alone).

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I'M GOING TO NERE!

Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:37:43 GMT

Yup! I hardly ever go to LARP cons, but this year I can afford one. *dances*

So now, the question is, costuming: what to do? This is really difficult as this is a new chronicle and they haven't released any preview notices for the games yet, so I have no idea what to make or wear. We do at least have a basic schedule and there's a good amount of time in the day to prep for the daytime games. Looks like I'll be playing...

Thursday, 7:00PM-12:30AM-Requiem (Lady Alisa)
Friday, 11:00AM-5:30PM-Lost (Lilith)
Saturday, 12:30PM-5:30PM-Awakening (Ursula), 7:00PM-12:30AM-Requiem (Lady Alisa)

So, for Lady Alisa, the ice queen Nosferatu Elder, I know at least one of those outfits can be my tux and Tim's old tuxedo shirt. I'll need cufflinks and a weskit and a cravat, for shoes I can get away with my squishy mary janes, because the pants cuffs will cover them and make them look manly, and if not, I can make spats. For the other outfit, it depends on whether this is a casual gathering (unlikely, but possible) or a formal occasion. If it's formal, i can either borrow a wedding gown/white ball gown, from my mother, or see what I can find in white or blue at a thrift store. Lady A doesn't do casual anything, so I might just dig out my pinstripe pantsuit and get a blue or black blouse for it.

Depending on the situation, Ursula, the no-nonsense Thyrsus scholar, shouldn't be hard to dress. Awakened don't tend to do big, fancy balls, so it's either going to be a meeting of some kind or a battle, maybe both. With a different blouse, the pantsuit can do double-duty, or I can get hold of some scrubs, since Ursula is mostly a healer behind the lines.

Lilith, a Gravewight witch and performer, is going to be the hard one. Lost parties are all over the place and Lilith is one of the few characters I don't have much for. I can either make something or, again, borrow something from Mama. A frosty white ballgown for Lady A can easily be a ghostly debutante for a Southern corpse bride with my vampire bite choker and sugar skull earrings, and a few other accents. OR I have, somewhere, a ballgown in white with big red roses on the skirt. Red on white has a certain ghoulish elegance, I think. I have a big red dance veil that would make a great shawl and a fake red rose to tuck in my hair. I may want to make a corsage of roses, lilies and autumn leaves, perhaps with a sparkly white or silver skull tucked in. The only thing I don't have is red shoes and possibly witchy stripey socks or stockings. My old sparkly red platforms are in sore need of repair. What I'd LIKE to do is get hold of a pair of character shoes and paint them a snazzy shade of glittery red. I have a pair of character shoes, but I want them to stay tan if at all possible. Which means an order to Discount Dance Supply and a trip to AC Moore. Thank god Mom showed me how to paint shoes in high school. Of course, it might not be a ball. It'll be easier for, say, a rave (purple corset, stripy lolita skirt and petticoat, boots and LED jewelry), or a sporting event (Baltimore Ravens t-shirt and hair bow, denim skirt or jeans, stripy socks, sneakers), but harder for, say, a hunting party (I'll need to sew a hunting habit and get a proper hat) or masquerade ball (could be done with just a mask for the ball gown or something else).

I've got less than two months. Here's hoping they give us something soon!

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Ask me shite

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:33:12 GMT

Snagged from morgynleri :

I know very little about some of the people on my friends list. Some people I know relatively well. But here's a thought: why not take this opportunity to tell me a little something about yourself. Any old thing at all. Just so the next time I see your name I can say: "Ah, there's Parker... she likes money and cereal." I'd love it if everyone who's friended me did this. (Yes, even you people who I know really well.) Then post this in your own journal. In return, ask me anything you'd like to know about me and I'll give you an answer.

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And everything was looking up, it seemed...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:37:27 GMT

Things were starting to get better. Tim's been getting work, I've been feeling better despite a back spasm, a cold, and yet another cycle from Hell. The doctor put me on Trazedone to help me sleep and, despite the fact that it's an anti-psychotic, my creativity only seems to have improved.

And then I woke up this morning. I thought Tim had to be at work at a certain time and he's usually pretty good about waking up in time for work, so when he started stirring and snuggling the cats, I figured he was awake and so, I got snuggly, too. He grumped, saying he wanted to go back to sleep (and being really terse about it), so I brought up the fact that he was working and he said he was waiting for the phone call to summon him to work.

I felt really grumpy myself now, after having a wonderful few hours. So I eventually rolled over and went back to watching reviews. Then he got the call and went down to take his shower. The phone rang and I took it down to him and it seemed like the door got slammed in my face. So I got even grouchier and went to do dishes (which have been sadly neglected). Then, I took my breakfast upstairs, only to be met with a cheerful hubby.

Then I made the mistake of being honest about my feelings. And apologized for being bitchy.

So, now, we're both grumpy.

Fabulous.

Whoever said, "just be honest with your spouse" was smoking some amazing crack.

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State of the Brain Pan

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:32:05 GMT

It's been a while.

Project: Rapunzel Schwartz is still ongoing. At Christmas or there-abouts, I'll probably measure and report my findings.

I DO still want Arcadia to go on, but a lot of my creative spark is still MIA after the death of JD. If not for Ren, being Queen of all things Development and Coppelia Maven of Win, I'd be hosed.

I'm trying to start a review show in the vein of Warning: Reader Advisory (the guy who does these is a friend of a friend and is made of win). But, this is easier said than done with no money to speak of, a reliance on free software for Macs and the energy levels of a blackened banana in the freezer. Oddly, my creative brain is ALL THE FUCK OVER this project (except when it comes to figuring out what sort of powers and attacks a Sailor Senshi of Books/Stories, Repose/Dreams, and Darkness would have). Which is obnoxious as hell, because it means I'm braining things that have nothing to do with anything of use and I feel like a selfish bastard.

There's talk of putting me on new meds. I've been on Celexa since before JD passed and it's seriously not working, plus, the withdrawal symptoms (I had to go three days without it until I knew what was going on) and the side-effects (not serious, my ass) aren't worth the minute difference it makes to everything else in my life. The doctor is also not fucking listening. Yes, I would probably have more energy if I got regular exercise, but that implies that I have the giddyup to go work out in the first place. No, I'm sorry. I don't give a rat's ass about my BMI. The BMI is a crock of goat leavings that doesn't work on people like me and blowing off my concerns by saying I'm too young to require a stress test or any other test besides the BMI calculations does NOT inspire confidence.

So, yeah. That's what's going on.

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I've come to a decision...

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:15:36 GMT

I want my hair to be down to my knees by the time I'm 30. Starting now, I'm going to be tracking everything I do to my hair and how long it is, until I reach my goal.

Today, I should probably wash it, seeing as I used a crap ton of product yesterday. I'm using the CWC method recommended on LHC and sometime before I go to NOLA, I'll probably need to do a whole home spa day, with a mayonnaise pack on my hair. With any luck, I'll at least have very healthy, shiny hair by Christmas.

Hmm... Maybe I need a Rapunzel icon now. With dark auburn hair...

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I haven't posted for a while, I know...

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:15:20 GMT

I wanted to respond to <lj-username="impersona">'s question about iTunes U (sorry I took so long!). I really like "Art and Love in Renaissance Italy", and the Open University French Course. I have a bunch more downloaded, but I haven't had much chance to listen to them. The Egyptian art exhibit one is fairly dull for me, due to the fact that I can see any actual art. The Western Civ class from NVCC is mostly a nostalgia thing for me, as I used to work and study there.

I really want to have the patience to sit down and listen to the Math and Astronomy ones. I have a plan to do what I call "Project: College", or Get back into the swing of learning so I can get my goddamn degree, which involves reviewing everything I was supposed to have learned and being prepared to start taking classes again. So, eventually, I will be supplementing Open University with books and computer programs.

In fact, I think tomorrow, I'll start listening to the math course!

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Friday's to-do list

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 04:08:18 GMT

At some point before next Friday:

--Spend 15 minutes picking shite up in bedroom.
--Do a load of dishes.
--Scrub bathroom.
--Finish "Americana" quilt.
--Begin pinning "Delirium or Delight?" quilt.
--Cut out "Garden of Isis", "Garden of Athena", and "Rivendell" quilts.

Most Important Things:
~~--Take pill.~~
--Change sheets.
--Do something quilt-related.
--Listen to at least one other iTunes U class, besides the Romantic Lit lectures.
--Make an effort on a walk.
~~--Post "Fairest of Them All" meta-plotting post.~~
--Work on Lamya/Quartz for EIAE.
--Work on Roxana/Saturn for GesMa.
--Respond to Eclipsed Moon questions.
--Finish Sapphire's sheet.
--Write up Danica's sheet.
--Send in Fancy's sheet.
--Respond to "Touch of Purity"
--Take care of litter box.
--Get on AIM to chat with modly types.
--Do laundry.

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Stuff that needs doing

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:52:02 GMT

At some point before next Friday:

--Spend 15 minutes picking shite up in bedroom.
--Do a load of dishes.
--Scrub bathroom.
--Finish "Americana" quilt.
--Begin pinning "Delirium or Delight?" quilt.
--Cut out "Garden of Isis", "Garden of Athena", and "Rivendell" quilts.
--Do laundry.
--Go for long walk.
~~--Price stuff to do in Baltimore.~~
--Do a "metaphysics" journal.
--Take care of litter box.
--Go by the office and check on kittens.

RPG stuff to get done:

--Check tags on Orphans.
--Check tags on Kingdom.
--Post "Fairest of Them All" meta-plotting post.
--Work on Lamya/Quartz for EIAE.
--Work on Roxana/Saturn for GesMa.
--Respond to Eclipsed Moon questions.
--Finish Sapphire's sheet.
--Write up Danica's sheet.
--Send in Fancy's sheet.
--Check the fit of silver pencil skirt.
--Test rag curls method.
--Test Oxy-Clean on vintage petticoat.
--Clean "Burton-esque" and "Cherries Jubilee Bustle" skirts.
--Get pics for wiki.

To do TODAY-ish:

--Take pill.
--Change sheets.
--Do something quilt-related.
--Listen to at least one other iTunes U class, besides the Romantic Lit lectures.
--Make an effort on a walk.

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Shit...

Sat, 05 Feb 2011 12:26:01 GMT

Every time I think, case closed, mystery solved, I'm at peace and so is he, I'm proven wrong.

Last night, I found out that the Corps or, at least, NCIS, is still investigating JD's death. Another Marine on his base just died, under similar circumstances as JD. They can't tell us anything about what happened yet.

Fuck. And no matter how loud I say that word, it doesn't make it stop hurting.

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I dreamed about him, I think...

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 15:53:22 GMT

He was doing the DVD commentary on some film project i'd worked on. There was a girl masquerading as a boy, with her hair up under a hat (Chances are, it was supposed to be my expy, Pomona). Somebody takes her hat off and JD made the comment of "Now, most people would have perfect hair at this point, or short hair and it'd be the boobs strapped down, but here, her hair is not only long, but messy, which makes more sense."

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Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:06:02 GMT

How fucking DARE they?

JD's parents are trying to keep Chris and Kacy, who have been his god-damn family for years, from going to his funeral.

Monsters. God-damn monsters, the pack of them.

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Sun, 16 Jan 2011 16:28:52 GMT

It still hurts this morning, though not as much as it did. I'm dreading the funeral. If it's open casket, I'm not sure I'll be able to stand it.

I'm doing most of my grieving by sleeping. It feels like a fitting memorial. All that boy seemed to do was sleep and game. When I can write, I'm going to write a few things for him. I have to keep on with my projects, of which there are now three (Sorry, Chris, I'm not writing V:tM shite for you. Suck it up and find another writer for that flavor of heartache). "13th Floor" is going to have Blackrose expies (whether Chris LIKES how I do it or not). "Lunacy" will have his character, Connor, as planned and discussed with him, and Chris has convinced me to leave Sparks in and he'll recast him, though I don't think it will be the same, as well as Archer. Torchwood: Richmond and the Foxhole Alliance will always have Crosbie and DJ/Sinclair/Richard/all the rest.

And I'm saving up for his MiniMe. 900 bucks, but I can do it.

It's not going to be the same, but it's the best I'm going to get.

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Autopsy came back

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:46:43 GMT

It was suicide. Wednesday night. Shit.

I was looking at dolls. He was talking about retiring his vampire PC and so I wanted dolls that looked like our married vampire couple. I found one Wednesday night.

Shit.

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RIP JD

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 02:45:33 GMT

I'm using the last of my laptop's battery power to post this. I hope everybody sees it, because I don't know how long it will take me to bounce back from this.

My best friend, JD Ratliff, passed away either yesterday or the day before.

More later, if I can. I may be offline for a while.

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Tomorrow's To-Do List

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 03:47:24 GMT

--Finish prototype doll quilt
--Pin together at least two more quilts or use up all available pins on quilt
--Cut out more quilt squares, as many as is possible (save the 3/4 chunk in box for backings)
--Get in touch with Ashley, figure out Bawlmer trip and dinner with Mama Bambi
--Finish Laundry
--Round up dirty dishes
--Scrub bathroom
--Walk before Sundown

( WARNING: SPIRITUAL SHITE AHEAD! )

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Tomorrow's To-Do List

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 01:02:59 GMT

~~--TAKE MEDS~~
~~--FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO PHONE (seriously, so not cool)~~
~~--Cut out border and backing for prototype doll quilt~~
--Finish prototype doll quilt
--Pin together at least two more quilts or use up all available pins on quilting
--Cut out more quilt squares, as many as is possible (save the 3/4 chunk in box for backings)
--Get in touch with Ashley, figure out Bawlmer trip and dinner with Mama Bambi
--Clean cat box or get Tim to do it
~~--Walk before sundown~~
~~--Laundry~~ 50% done
--Trim ends (maybe, if I have the spoons to squint at my hair for that long)

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Things my future lady's artisan apron will need

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:19:34 GMT

--Cell phone pocket
--iPod pocket (big one in case I upgrade to an iPod touch)
--Loop for "chatelaine" (probably wind up being a carabiner, like Coyote's)
--Hammer loop

Chatelaine should hold scissors, key ring with copies of shed, car, house and other vital keys, pen, sharpie, and possibly a pin cushion

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But, who pwned who?

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:52:17 GMT

Go check out my profile. I won. Fair and square, with sunlight to spare.

(Okay, I feel a little dirty because there was a little copy pasta involved, but it was all my own words, so, there ya go.)

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Just got back from Darkover

Sat, 27 Nov 2010 05:41:51 GMT

My first ever panel did okay. I will try to pass on my notes to the Arcadian crowd. Wound up at the Steampunk Sock Hop and danced my ass off, while discussing the finer point of "The Man from UNCLE" with this year's GoH, Elizabeth Bear.

Yup, Elizabeth Bear. She can twist and bunny hop and hand-jive like a fiend, even though she insists that she's better at doing the pogo to Billy Idol (woman after my own heart). Oh, lord, I have no knees left. Kol, I think Pacificon needs to have as their Saturday night dance, a Steampunk Sock Hop theme (even if most of the music isn't very '50s).

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Random Crap from stories told at Midnight

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 04:50:58 GMT

"So, after the dog got drunk..."

"So, after we fed the bear many bottles of Igor's best vodka..."

"Deep fried bacon is SO GOOD!"

"Today's game: WILL IT DEEP-FRY?"

"I don't know if Mom had been drinking much at Pennsic, but after the fiasco with the crabs..."

"It's like watching Project Runway, without the 'sewing through fingers' bit."

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Stop me before I volunteer again...

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:46:49 GMT

I'm doing a panel at a con. I volunteered it. I came up with the concept.

Okay, what I did was say, "Oh, you're the Steampunk Track Coord? Awesome! You need people for next year? Y'know, it'd be truly awesome if there was a panel on not constantly doing Steampunk as 1870-1900, Western Europe and North America. I could do that."

Me and my big, fat, ambitious mouth. Plus, we grew up together, I'm honor bound to help her out.

Here's the link: DarkoverCon Steampunk Schedule

That's me at 16:00 (4:00 PM) on Friday. I have to figure out what to discuss for an hour that will cover this topic. I have no access to overhead projectors or any of that fancy stuff, nor the money to crank out example costumes. I have no idea how many people will be there or how big the room is, so handouts are right out. And it's been years since I took a Speech class.

So, yes, it's official. I'm an idiot.

It'd be cool if I could throw in references to my own work, but part of my talk mentions "show, don't tell" and there wouldn't be time. My friend, Amber (the one I'm doing this for) did send me this, which helps a little. But I need other cultures. I need to figure out how to express that, hey, guys, the Ancient Greeks had the knowledge for steam power, what if they never lost it? What if these cultures or societies over here figured it out? What if we all lost the ability to run current tech tomorrow, what would life be like for us?

Y'know, that's not a bad idea. Give them a few hypothetical scenarios, and expound upon that. That could work.

What if the Greeks and the Egyptians were still the dominant cultures of the Western world (implying that they also abolished slavery, which is apparently one reason steam power never took off)?

What if Japan, right after Perry came, were magically sealed off from the world?

What if the Tsars never fell, but digital technology did?

What if a small Caribbean island discovered steam and clock tech before the rest of the world?

So, yeah, I'm still nervous. Heinously nervous. But, maybe I actually have a plan now.

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BIG NO

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:59:52 GMT

The NaNo website is broken!

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A Fangirl looks back...

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:25:24 GMT

( Cut to save people's f-lists... )

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