tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86548205693742134732024-03-13T23:08:43.197-04:00The Night's Plutonian ShoreThe ramblings and musings of a lonely soul wandering in the dark.Persephonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12867804088268058999noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-27262763682669541482013-03-13T09:50:00.001-04:002013-03-13T09:50:48.029-04:00The Carmilla Voiez Starblood Trilogy Blog Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="107" psa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhbhWqTC2gbShQX4bsBhCWXyR1V9Y7CWdUaRBB_dIsIkl6KX-ZWPwThd7aVm5KFcEL1JmPBI8d_BHfXe1Mzk5Z3YOI3O66cZPhnEu_spz7XRdAecgAu-CCapiPoWm7Zm-g89GRHsCN5o/s320/STARBLOOD+BANNER.JPG" width="320" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carmilla-Voiez/e/B00AMZKZ5I/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" target="_blank">Carmilla Voiez</a> is a British horror writer who resides in Scotland. She is currently writing the final book in the Starblood Trilogy from her family home in Banff, where she lives with her husband, daughters and numerous cats, Carmilla sold her Gothic Clothing business last year and has been writing and releasing top selling books and short stories since then. <br />
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A Goth for over 20 years, her books are inspired by the Gothic subculture, magic and dark desires, exploring sexual obsession and violence in often hard-hitting ways. <br />
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The first book, Starblood, which has been nominated for the Commonwealth Book Prize, is set partly in the beautiful Cairngorm mountains and partly in the city where she grew up, in South West England, she finds inspiration in local beauty, stately homes, the Moray Firth and woodlands around the Scottish town where she has lived the past 10 years. <br />
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Carmilla Voiez has been nominated for Horror Author of the Year. Her literary interest also extends to the Aberdeen Write Club she co-founded in 2011 a forum where local writers gather to discuss ideas and writing techniques. <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Carmilla Voiez is more of a singer than a writer. She tells her compelling story in a hypnotic, distinctive voice that brings her eerie world vividly to life." Graham Masterton. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Psychonaut is a book of mad impulses, inner vision, sadism, escape and belief. You feel uncomfortable reading it, like Alex strapped to the chair in Clockwork Orange being taught to feel sick at atrocity. Rather than leave us crippled by response, though, Psychonaut bears you through the hurt towards the only paradise we can be assured of...a love past fault.” Jef Withonef, Houston Press.</blockquote>
Vamptasy publishing have published two of Carmilla’s novels “Starblood” and “Psychonaut” and one of her erotic short stories has been published by Hot Ink. This year she is editing a horror anthology, releasing an online horror magazine and another of her erotic short stories is set to be published in an anthology. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BqvRNIqQ4N_jickub9oz48rtjRJvPCp_RQcmnDSxlkQYiNjYCXtqlcCzy5S38oRYMiLIHDwAh4pfqUjYB8N6gGndbZeEbPVYmfz76DHhKbTDngiNerpDM-sd6AMeNm-7cMVPwr3kCDI/s1600/carmilla+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" psa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BqvRNIqQ4N_jickub9oz48rtjRJvPCp_RQcmnDSxlkQYiNjYCXtqlcCzy5S38oRYMiLIHDwAh4pfqUjYB8N6gGndbZeEbPVYmfz76DHhKbTDngiNerpDM-sd6AMeNm-7cMVPwr3kCDI/s320/carmilla+pic.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmilla Vioez, author of the Starblood Trilogy</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi471ejCSVikvOkG0QWFNdbB4TWiG_zZO5WJJpLP2KOm5P7JKw1LmJZJ5e32ap9OYNU3k6_FM1o09_HpRv5ksn7x6TxXmd8xA_jzmYyA3x07pF6xo8vVAsNXQwE4PP1goVnZCnHPPBwgQg/s1600/starblood+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" psa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi471ejCSVikvOkG0QWFNdbB4TWiG_zZO5WJJpLP2KOm5P7JKw1LmJZJ5e32ap9OYNU3k6_FM1o09_HpRv5ksn7x6TxXmd8xA_jzmYyA3x07pF6xo8vVAsNXQwE4PP1goVnZCnHPPBwgQg/s320/starblood+cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Starblood-The-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00AXFEPJO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361727859&sr=8-2&keywords=carmilla+voiez" target="_blank">Starblood</a></strong> <br />
In a seedy Goth club, a beautiful woman dances, waiting to be set free. Along an unlit street, another woman stumbles, fleeing her pursuer. In a darkened room, a man speaks to demons. Lust, obsession, terror and humiliation storm into the lives of Star and Satori, proving the age-old maxim – be careful what you wish for. Starblood, the debut novel by Carmilla Voiez, is a tale of magic and horror. Blinded by love, Satori, a young magician, attempts a spell that goes horribly wrong, resulting in the demon Lilith returning to Earth. Satori knows he must send Lilith back. The dark goddess brimming with power makes it her mission to wreak havoc on Satori's life by ensnaring Star, the woman he loves, and her friends in a web of chaos and deceit. ‘Carmilla Voiez makes Clive Barker look like Stephanie Meyer.’ <a href="http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2011/08/carmilla_voiezs_starblood_out.php" target="_blank">Jef Withonef, Houston Press</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9m0GhX9szHBXTj07MRKi_6OEORt6OcHr0PsyjwPGOyfaVVHTW3Ki_bMlB7AzjuwEdh_wLPLJNonTYAuGV67-Pw7H87HqZ2_jN8KAi13pJtuHMuAcNdGJnIvm-TQ0YZ1CTnNRFDo49PeY/s1600/Psychonaut+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" psa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9m0GhX9szHBXTj07MRKi_6OEORt6OcHr0PsyjwPGOyfaVVHTW3Ki_bMlB7AzjuwEdh_wLPLJNonTYAuGV67-Pw7H87HqZ2_jN8KAi13pJtuHMuAcNdGJnIvm-TQ0YZ1CTnNRFDo49PeY/s1600/Psychonaut+cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Psychonaut-The-Starblood-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00AZ8B1OQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361727859&sr=8-1&keywords=carmilla+voiez" target="_blank">Psychonaut</a></strong><br />
Satori is caught between two worlds. There is something he needs in one, but the other keeps drawing him back. However, he is in love and he isn’t going to let a little thing like death get in his way. To reach his goal, he must face unimaginable horrors, not least of which is his true self. Star’s tortured and broken body awaits Satori, but does she really need him to save her? His rival, a rage-filled young woman, grows more powerful and becomes as twisted as the ribbons in her hair while the demon, Lilith, draws each of them inexorably towards her. Who will survive the coming battle? Full of sex and magic, “Psychonaut” is an exploration into the human psyche and the second book in Voiez’s “Starblood” trilogy. "Carmilla Voiez is more of a singer than a writer. She tells her compelling story in a hypnotic, distinctive voice that brings her eerie world vividly to life." Graham Masterton “Psychonaut is a book of mad impulses, inner vision, sadism, escape and belief. You feel uncomfortable reading it, like Alex strapped to the chair in Clockwork Orange being taught to feel sick at atrocity. Rather than leave us crippled by response, though, Psychonaut bears you through the hurt towards the only paradise we can be assured of...a love past fault.” <a href="http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2012/12/psychonaut.php" target="_blank">Jef Withonef, Houston Press</a>. <br />
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<strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Christmas-Carole-ebook/dp/B00B155AD0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1361727859&sr=8-4&keywords=carmilla+voiez" target="_blank">A Christmas Carole</a></strong><br />
An F/F erotic holiday tale by Carmilla Voiez. When a woman visits Santa and his elves, she gets more than she bargained for when one of Santa's helpers requests a special kind of holiday cheer. <br />
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You can find more on Carmilla Voiez in her <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Blog%20–%20http://carmilla-voiez.tumblr.com" target="_blank">blog</a>, on her <a href="http://www.carmillavoiez.com/" target="_blank">webpage</a>, on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carmilla-Voiez/207860349245238" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4893389.Carmilla_Voiez" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/27c9f00/" id="rc-27c9f00" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Persephonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12867804088268058999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-91635858702012723722013-01-14T21:41:00.004-05:002013-01-14T21:41:53.179-05:00It all Started with a Big Bang!My husband and I are planning a date night later this month. Date night is a big deal for us as I work early government hours during the week, and he works restaurant hours - nights and weekends. We don't get a lot of quality time together. In an effort to make date night more fun and special, my wonderful husband arranged for the children to have a sleep over with friends, then booked us a room at one of his company's hotels downtown.<br />
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This morning, as he was getting the kids ready for school (I had already left for work), he told them of this plan. Then our nearly 8 year old daughter says: "Are you going to get naked and have sex?"<br />
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I wish I could have seen the look on his face.<br />
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He asked her where she had heard that and she apparently just giggled and said she didn't know.<br />
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Naturally, he texted me immediately after this happened, then we spoke about it after he dropped them off at school.<br />
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Later this evening, she brought it up again with me. "Daddy said you were going to stay at a hotel and get naked and have sex."<br />
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First I asked her where she heard about this.<br />
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"Howard Wolowitz." (For some reason, Howard is her favorite character on the Big Bang Theory... he skeeves me out.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QUQGhdIRYk6-VvSGIG8zknGXPgEm9QlT-ovlL286zas_L3DFPv4aJdLifjo76F_A9XUivLOX3BafbsFeqSRQxI-4A3GV-COFko0tBTpb7VNMSy7ff9C_tPv2dfGSgwTrioqnqXkFo9o/s1600/wolowitz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QUQGhdIRYk6-VvSGIG8zknGXPgEm9QlT-ovlL286zas_L3DFPv4aJdLifjo76F_A9XUivLOX3BafbsFeqSRQxI-4A3GV-COFko0tBTpb7VNMSy7ff9C_tPv2dfGSgwTrioqnqXkFo9o/s320/wolowitz.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Big Bang Theory's <i>Hot Troll Deviation</i> episode</td></tr>
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I asked her if she knew what sex was.<br />
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"You get naked in bed with someone and kiss a lot."<br />
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I explained that was basically what happens while she giggled a lot. Then she asked, "Did you and daddy ever do that?"<br />
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I said yes and that was how she and her brother got to be. Then explained that it was something you did as a grown up and only with someone you love and who loves you back.<br />
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She mulled this over for a while, then informed me that I should tell my siblings that if they wanted to have babies so that she could have a cousin, then they should "have complete and total sex."<br />
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It was very hard for me to not lose it laughing.<br />
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I won't stop her from watching this show. She has to learn about these things at some point. May as well do it with good humor involved.<br />
<br />Persephonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12867804088268058999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-38635447269796705352013-01-09T14:45:00.000-05:002013-01-09T14:46:21.127-05:00The Ear Piercing Saga, or: How Doing the Right Thing Reinforces That You're a "Freak"My daughter came home from school one day in December and announced that her best friend was getting her ears pierced for Christmas and mentioned that she thought that was something she would like to do as well. <br />
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My criteria for ear piercing is that she be responsible enough to take care of her piercings properly. After some discussion, I felt she was ready. (This was also discussed with my husband, who did have some reservations, but didn't stand in the way). I let her know that if she wanted her ears pierced, that could be her Christmas present from me, and that she had until the week before Christmas to decide (leaving me enough time to get her something else if she opted against it).<br />
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While she was thinking about whether or not she was too scared to go through with it, I began to research places in the area for ear piercing children (she is nearly 8). I already knew that I was not going to take her to a kiosk or shop in the mall where teens wield the equivalent of a staple gun to puncture the lobes of their willing victims. Having several friends who are tattoo artists and piercers, I've long been aware that <a href="http://tattoo.about.com/cs/psafety/a/piercing_guns.htm">the needle is a much better option than the gun for all piercing</a>. First of all, it is more sanitary, the piercer has been better educated, and the jewelry used is better.<br />
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First, I called the mother of the best friend. She wasn't sure where she was going to take her daughter, but she agreed with me that she was uncomfortable taking her to the mall for ear piercing. We agreed to both do some research and let the other know if we found an acceptable place for the girls to get their ears done.<br />
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I called close to 20 places in the area looking for someone who pierced children younger than 16. Most places told me to call our pediatrician and get it done in the doctor's office. Some doctors do piercing for infants and children, ours, however, does not. Besides, doctor's offices aren't really the optimal place to pick out jewelry. Finally, I found a tattoo parlor downtown that does pierce children's ears - provided I bring her birth certificate and my ID to prove that she is my child, and then sign some paper work stating my permission and understanding of the procedure. A bit of a pain, but I understand the need for it all - again, a protection that the mall doesn't provide...<br />
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I called the other mother and let her know what I found. She sounded pleased.<br />
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This past weekend, my friend and I took my daughter to the tattoo parlor get her ears pierced. (My friend came to keep an eye on my son in the waiting area and to provide moral support to my daughter.) She was so very excited! She got all dressed up in a "cool" outfit that she deemed appropriate for the place and the event - a black long sleeved tee-shirt with a metallic pink skull and cross bones, black lace skirt, black leggings and her purple metallic boots. She picked out pinkish opal chips for her first earrings. While we waited our turn, she flipped through the tattoo artists' portfolio books and admired their work.<br />
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Once it was her turn, we went back to the piercer's room where she explained step by step to my daughter what she was going to do. As she set up, my daughter and I amused ourselves by reading the Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse poster hanging on the wall. The piercer told us that more than a few moms were offended by the poster in the room. I was baffled - did they not realize that they were in a tattoo shop?<br />
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The actual piercing was quick and easy. My daughter didn't even whimper. And she was so very happy and proud of herself when it was done. She couldn't wait to go to school and show everyone her new earrings. She also called all of her relatives to tell them all about it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dmKWPa2FXo/UO3GlVuMO2I/AAAAAAAAAGA/WKWRxPkWrzQ/s1600/IMG950866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0dmKWPa2FXo/UO3GlVuMO2I/AAAAAAAAAGA/WKWRxPkWrzQ/s320/IMG950866.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Earrings</td></tr>
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Monday comes, and she goes to school. It turns out that the best friend also had her ears pierced over the weekend... At Claire's. A lot of the classmates thought it was really cool that my daughter got her ears pierced at a tattoo shop. <br />
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Tuesday comes. My daughter tells me that some of the kids told their moms, and that my actions with my daughter were frowned upon. Apparently it isn't appropriate to take children to a tattoo parlor for ear piercing - it's just not a good environment for them. Never mind that it is safer, more sanitary, and done by a professional... <br />
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Honestly, I don't care what they think. I'm already the Morticia Addams of the PTA. And regardless that my actions were the right ones, it just made my freak flag fly just a bit higher and more vigorously.<br />
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Persephonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12867804088268058999noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-57962938081690900462012-06-05T21:35:00.003-04:002012-06-05T21:49:19.464-04:00Flash Fiction<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8s81j744YxIcbFTvEiK5l4k6NatHADpxYqi15I2M0pPd9mL7xf5G8JsVqxqHvMVX-OiUwoW4f8nH4W-VwKxFdyEhBYA1BJsi9tuQEja4JJUzHzD5GGqhFXfIIByv8e5oAGucT-3QhUg/s1600/stock-photo-2292847-quill-pen-and-ink-calligraphy-set.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_8s81j744YxIcbFTvEiK5l4k6NatHADpxYqi15I2M0pPd9mL7xf5G8JsVqxqHvMVX-OiUwoW4f8nH4W-VwKxFdyEhBYA1BJsi9tuQEja4JJUzHzD5GGqhFXfIIByv8e5oAGucT-3QhUg/s320/stock-photo-2292847-quill-pen-and-ink-calligraphy-set.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5750734974028855170" /></a><br />I belong to a Write Club. I'm actually the only US member as the rest are primarily based in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. Thanks to Facebook, we are able to facilitate our little band of writers.<div><br /></div><div>Our last challenge was to write a piece of <a href="http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/flash.shtml">flash fiction</a> - a ghost story set in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blakeney_Chapel">Blakeney Chapel</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>I struggled with this challenge. Short pieces have always been my bane )hence my lack of updates to my blog lately). After several false starts, I finally finished what I think is a decent piece.</div><div><br /></div><div>Without further ado, I present <u>The Witch of Blakeney Chapel:</u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A chill wind blew in from the sea and whipped her hair into her face. She brushed the loose tendrils back then rubbed her arms to keep warm as she walked through the marshes toward Blakeney Eye, where lay the ruins of Blakeney Chapel. Though called a “chapel,” no one really knew what the building was, or how long it had been there. Artifacts dating back to the Romans had been found there, and there was archaeological evidence that “substantial time and money” had been spent on building the place. No one knew why it was left deserted, but there was evidence that the main building seems to have suffered a major fire at some stage. That in itself had fascinated Lila, but in truth, there was something about the desolate chapel in Norfolk that drew her in like an invisible string or the pull of a magnet. She had to answer this mysterious call.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Lila crested the sandy Eye and surveyed what little was left of the chapel. As she walked through what was once a small room, she was hit by what seemed like a wave of memory. Her spine tingled and gooseflesh erupted along her arms. She stumbled and stepped into the larger room and the wave hit again, this time stronger. It carried with it sounds of wood and metal and muffled voices. The voices were angry and she was scared. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Lila’s head ached and she felt as if she were being held under water. The world around her rippled she was overwhelmed suddenly by strong smells and loud noises. There were angry people pounding on the door. They were yelling about God punishing them with poor fishing yields, floods and a bad harvest. . She backed against the wall, shaking. They blamed her as these things started after she came to the village.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She was brought here by the old man to whom her father had sold her for a few pieces of gold. He was the wealthiest man in the village. He built this fancy home to house his beautiful new bride. But shortly after it was finished, he had died of the fever. Now, she was alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The pounding got louder and more violent. They were trying to break down the solid wood door. “The witch has cursed us!” a voice yelled. “The children started to die when she arrived,” wailed a woman. “We must purge the evil!” An acrid smell filled the air, and she knew they were going to kill her. “Burn the witch!” the villagers cried.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The wood of the door started to burn and smoke began filling the room. She knew there was no way to escape. Even if she were to somehow get out of the building, the men would catch her and burn her at the stake. She decided it was better to die in her own home with her walls protecting her from the accusing stares and shouts of the villagers. She slid down the wall, tears running down her cheeks. The air was getting hotter and she began to cough. Her vision began growing dim and her body felt heavy. Her head hit the floor and the last thing she saw were the flames licking up the walls toward the ceiling.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">She was dead.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">But then, she was cold. And wet. Lila’s eyes fluttered open. A fine mist was swirling through the air as she lay on the ground next to the ruined wall of the chapel. She stood shakily and brushed the dirt off her clothes as she surveyed her surroundings. There was no fire and no angry villagers. Just a chill wind and the lonely screech of sea gulls and the ruins of Blakeney Chapel.</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Persephonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12867804088268058999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-10804581449748410862012-02-10T15:13:00.000-05:002012-02-10T15:13:55.023-05:00Women vs. Religion Part 1<span id="internal-source-marker_0.9735346511374256" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Women of the world will never be free of male dominated oppression until the major world religions are either abolished or radically changed.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This begins a series of rants on religion - all major world religions, but specifically Christianity - and how it oppresses women. I've been contemplating writing this for a while but refrained while I got my thoughts in order. The thing that really pushed me to start writing this is the current battle raging over birth control.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The hot issue of birth control right now has me absolutely irate.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.robertreeveslaw.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/birth-control-pills-side-effects.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="http://www.robertreeveslaw.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/birth-control-pills-side-effects.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Obama announced a Health and Human Services mandate, as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), that Catholic Church run businesses (hospitals, universities, and other non-church related businesses) must provide insurance covered contraception to its female employees with no co-pay. This law applies to all businesses, not just those run by churches. However, churches themselves are exempt from providing this to their church employees.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This is not something new either.</span><a href="http://prochoiceamerica.org/what-is-choice/fast-facts/insurance_contraception.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Twenty eight states have had similar laws on the books for years</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. In fact, in 2007, when the Catholic Charities of New York bristled against the New York law requiring them to provide contraception to their employees, they petitioned the Supreme Court, and were</span><a href="http://www.aclu.org/reproductive-freedom/us-supreme-court-denies-review-new-york-law-requiring-insurers-cover-contracept"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">denied</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What has me really angry isn't the fact that the churches and the religious right are pushing back, that's to be expected, but that they are calling it an</span><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/08/us-usa-congress-contraceptives-boehner-idUSTRE8171N220120208"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">attack on religious freedom</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Excuse me? I must have not read the ACA properly. I missed the part that said Americans no longer are free to worship as they choose.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While this mandate does not impinge any one's religious freedom, the Catholic Church and the religious right are most certainly doing their best to impede the religious freedom of anyone who is not Christian by attempting to force their views upon our lives.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Churches are running businesses and employing people. Their employees have to pay taxes, and the Church has to follow the law as do all employers. I guarantee not all of their employees are Catholic, so why should they be forced to live according the the doctrines of a faith that is not theirs? As for the Catholic employees... well, most of them ignore the Church's archaic doctrine on contraception and use it anyway. In fact,</span><a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2012/02/contraception-catholic-bishops-obama-hhs/1"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">recent surveys show that they also want birth control coverage</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Furthermore, the</span><a href="http://news.health.ufl.edu/2012/18504/multimedia/health-in-a-heartbeat/women-taking-birth-control-pills-for-reasons-other-than-contraception/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">majority of birth control pill users take the pill for reasons other than contraception</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, such as endemetriosis, poly-cystic ovary syndrome, excessive bleeding, hormone induced migraines, loss of bone density, and acne prevention.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh, and the Catholic Church's employee health insurance covers Viagra...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This isn't about religion. It is the age old practice of the male-dominated religions putting women under their thumbs. It's the whole</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna%E2%80%93whore_complex"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Madonna/Whore dichotomy</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> being played on the national stage.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Women must be punished for wanting to have sex for pleasure.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For further reading on this topic:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/154052/knocked_up%3A_republican_presidential_candidates%27_plan_for_american_women/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/154052/knocked_up%3A_republican_presidential_candidates%27_plan_for_american_women/</span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-69504872484868974892012-02-09T14:39:00.000-05:002012-02-09T14:39:50.821-05:00Reached my LimitI've been rather quiet lately. The holidays and seasonal illnesses in the family monopolized my time for a bit. Then current events turned to politics, a topic about which I am passionalte. I have been trying to think of something to write that would not be a rant, but I've reached my limit of the right's bullshit and need to explode forth with the rants. They shall be forth coming...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-78634706392844026992011-12-05T22:07:00.000-05:002011-12-05T22:07:04.730-05:00Christmas de los Muertos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7VkBXP1Vrr4/Tt18eKWv27I/AAAAAAAAAk8/0djQJ_H6UGk/s1600/IMG_20111205_175108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7VkBXP1Vrr4/Tt18eKWv27I/AAAAAAAAAk8/0djQJ_H6UGk/s320/IMG_20111205_175108.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>I don't like to have the same Christmas decorations year in and year out. I like to change things up each year. I also like my holiday decor to have some sort of unifying theme, and I make my own decorations.<div><br />
</div><div>Years past, I've done </div><div><ul><li>Winter Forest, which was gold pine cones dusted with iridescent glitter snow and hand made glass beaded snowflakes</li>
<li>Purple and Pearls, which was purple balls with DIY glitter patterns, and clusters of pearls gathered with purple ribbons.</li>
<li>Christmas Story, which is all the keepsake ornaments that each family member has accumulated over the years (this is my least favorite because it is not hand crafted, and seems too... run of the mill. But my family likes it, and they get to pick the theme some times too)</li>
</ul><div>This year, the kids and I decided on a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead">Dia de los Muertos</a> theme. We happened upon this decision quite by accident. Earlier this year, I took the kids to the <a href="http://www.nmai.si.edu/">Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian</a>. They had a fantastic exhibit on Dia de los Muertos, which the kids really enjoyed. When we went through the museum store, we bought molds to make our own sugar skulls. I fully intended on making the skulls for the actual Day of the Dead, but as you can see by my prior posts, my schedule got away from me.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>The kids still wanted to do the skulls, and they decided why not make ornaments out of them. Naturally, I thought this was a fantastic idea and ran it past my wonderful husband who's response was: "Do I have to do anything? No? Then do whatever you want!"</div><div><br />
</div><div>We started making ornaments last month, and I posted some pictures on Facebook. I had several people ask me how we made them, so, here's the how to:</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0ETcP1L8wRY6-w87BF53lLly9IufAgVHH6EhVo3BIC6jWKXL2NqjCasbFEZKSACZoSs58vzCy5jWMIHfIDyZNrlady4c6ZNyqmmFUo4HHTwBjMtFkp6J5DNYiFtFuUGfJU1BDlBk8YpB/s1600/IMG_20111120_114003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0ETcP1L8wRY6-w87BF53lLly9IufAgVHH6EhVo3BIC6jWKXL2NqjCasbFEZKSACZoSs58vzCy5jWMIHfIDyZNrlady4c6ZNyqmmFUo4HHTwBjMtFkp6J5DNYiFtFuUGfJU1BDlBk8YpB/s320/IMG_20111120_114003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>What you'll need:</div><div><ul><li>Sugar skull molds (we used the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/81784601/posada-sugar-skull-moldscandy-molds-day?utm_source=googleproduct&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=GPS">Posada molds</a>)</li>
<li>Crayola <a href="http://www.crayolastore.com/product_list.asp?SKW=MODELMODEL&trk_src_ss=CRAFGS49WEBPAYPC&.">Model Magic</a> (white)</li>
<li>Poster paints and brushes</li>
<li>Craft foam sheets (black and white)</li>
<li>Craft glue</li>
<li>Glitter glue</li>
<li>Foam markers</li>
<li>Hole punch</li>
<li>Toothpick</li>
<li>Pipe cleaners</li>
</ul><div>We made the molded skulls with Crayola Model Magic. This stuff is fantastic! It is super light weight and when left to dry will harden nicely. Press the Model Magic into the molds using enough so it significantly overflows the mold then pull out. Cut the molded skull from the excess with either scissors or an exacto knife. Poke a hole in the top of the skull with a tooth pick, making sure it is wide enough to get a pipe cleaner or hook through so it can be hung. Set the newly molded and pierced skulls on a wire rack to dry for at least 36 hours (yes, the packaging says 24, but we found that wasn't quite enough)</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Once the skulls are dry, you can begin decorating with paint, glitter glue or any other accessories.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkQlBI7yS7C5hZhpi5LBBKbapVs9bsb68E_36iTx0R_ofMX3qwKH6mpKwYifRFIWlwNnYsDB5vcbkHkU1sjOQShy8eXjvZMZU44Lhj-8vYxgzx-n4GbaEa_c4TswfB9IsMVlfIUB7zFVN/s1600/IMG_20111123_204118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkQlBI7yS7C5hZhpi5LBBKbapVs9bsb68E_36iTx0R_ofMX3qwKH6mpKwYifRFIWlwNnYsDB5vcbkHkU1sjOQShy8eXjvZMZU44Lhj-8vYxgzx-n4GbaEa_c4TswfB9IsMVlfIUB7zFVN/s320/IMG_20111123_204118.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>We also made larger flat skulls. First, find a good skull that you like and make a stencil of it on heavy paper (you can do a Google image search and print your favorite skull). Trace the stencil on to the heavy paper again, and measure points around the skull about 1/4 inch around the image then cut it out. This larger skull stencil will be your background piece.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefju81aopFO9w0slIaw2dpRZyNxCZBSP4frKR3leS48Xfml9SKDV90R4Z15ddY26zvECtlZ0klCQtGBlTCHoS1Y4bUGzuI_Ou8Q-ULynsUDwhGRXomm4E87C44ntc-IBbl9qsy9FqW92T/s1600/IMG_20111123_163958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefju81aopFO9w0slIaw2dpRZyNxCZBSP4frKR3leS48Xfml9SKDV90R4Z15ddY26zvECtlZ0klCQtGBlTCHoS1Y4bUGzuI_Ou8Q-ULynsUDwhGRXomm4E87C44ntc-IBbl9qsy9FqW92T/s320/IMG_20111123_163958.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Trace the larger stencil on the black foam and count how many fit, then make the same amount of the detailed skull on the white foam. </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGvMtiFlbPOYqR29sP6leBUkyMEXQavsCg2vrHRnYl41_fZxmjAQUmVtCU_uZhVO9csc8BQe80hHOl1yDaGZhWIauxSEJrokQQeBn515ZSFKjTOnvXHFYD1ZaARXXYMuU6qYvicCsWzl4/s1600/IMG_20111123_163944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGvMtiFlbPOYqR29sP6leBUkyMEXQavsCg2vrHRnYl41_fZxmjAQUmVtCU_uZhVO9csc8BQe80hHOl1yDaGZhWIauxSEJrokQQeBn515ZSFKjTOnvXHFYD1ZaARXXYMuU6qYvicCsWzl4/s320/IMG_20111123_163944.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Use a black sharpie to trace the skulls on the white foam and fill in the facial details. Do not let your hand smudge the marker on the foam. You will need to let this dry for an hour or two as marker stays wet on foam for quite some time, even sharpie.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JBwP0oInJP5NqxQVX2lqhHLFIuc4FU3UvknNeWm4DSv51O-Sm0ke0HvjdZs3SgOV9JKoIoceal92zOfPYyvcdBHyFm_op5EzhlzHYHI3MLy2NmfsQ1ZCJ5Q51yPNCiQyEi_7cyLI-J8o/s1600/IMG_20111123_172208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JBwP0oInJP5NqxQVX2lqhHLFIuc4FU3UvknNeWm4DSv51O-Sm0ke0HvjdZs3SgOV9JKoIoceal92zOfPYyvcdBHyFm_op5EzhlzHYHI3MLy2NmfsQ1ZCJ5Q51yPNCiQyEi_7cyLI-J8o/s320/IMG_20111123_172208.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Rather than waste the extra foam, I traced circles on the additional foam for little accent ornaments.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Once all the skulls have been cut out of the foam, glue the white skulls to the black backing with craft glue and let dry over night.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJXdrLBePorfM_ggyWS3U02nImBWuyG4RdVrW95zDB1PUXlY5qzPR_tVQg_aL0torNwbKwkuPxNUBpOriRBfAPoDKCVZC_3SU8ZjHOJ-VTV-MLm8KaQZo5-F0aXg0vBoJ_DjRmjaTZwVR/s1600/IMG_20111123_181730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJXdrLBePorfM_ggyWS3U02nImBWuyG4RdVrW95zDB1PUXlY5qzPR_tVQg_aL0torNwbKwkuPxNUBpOriRBfAPoDKCVZC_3SU8ZjHOJ-VTV-MLm8KaQZo5-F0aXg0vBoJ_DjRmjaTZwVR/s320/IMG_20111123_181730.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>When the glue has dried, punch a hole in the top of the skull with a hole punch. Then have fun decorating with paint, marker, glitter glue, etc.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YsOiNRtZM4jwaMPyBT7XXFQSEvZY7Jzc-uCX7XVOT-5AoOMSJt2L1ioV2nb1XoMt2PwbbO5JwlvTQRYNxOesiWs4VtRtyzUJWD_Jew9mYDckWw5MSSNyTxTP1POpJeuKyoqWZMNMeNDJ/s1600/IMG_20111120_113930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YsOiNRtZM4jwaMPyBT7XXFQSEvZY7Jzc-uCX7XVOT-5AoOMSJt2L1ioV2nb1XoMt2PwbbO5JwlvTQRYNxOesiWs4VtRtyzUJWD_Jew9mYDckWw5MSSNyTxTP1POpJeuKyoqWZMNMeNDJ/s320/IMG_20111120_113930.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>When all of the skulls (both kind) have dried, clip some pipe cleaners and thread them through the holes to make loops for hanging the ornaments. Then hang on your tree (or anywhere).</div><div><br />
</div><div>We were included fake flowers on our tree (we will be making some tissue paper flowers soon to add to the tree) and a hand made Victorian bow on the top. The kids found a random fake dove in our ornament boxes and decided it should be on the top of the tree as well. I figured it was oddly fitting, so why not.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-757804444895073972011-12-05T21:18:00.000-05:002011-12-05T21:18:53.444-05:00Swallowed by November My Internet silence stretched through November. This time, however, it wasn't family obligations or holidays stealing my time. No, this month I was dedicated to <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo </a>(National Novel Writing Month). The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write (or at least begin) a novel. You "win" by writing 50,000 words in 30 days, which comes to about 1,667 words a day if you don't take any days off.<br />
<br />
I was persuaded, by my friend <a href="http://www.carmillavoiez.com/">Carmilla Voiez</a>, to give NaNo last year for the first time. I didn't win, but it did give me the belief in myself that I could do it. This year, I was fully prepared and when November 1 rolled around, I began writing almost every night after my kids went to bed. I started off strong this year and was ahead of the word count for the first ten days; then I hit a lull. By Thanksgiving, I was behind by about 8,000 words. But, I knew what I wanted to say, and I had gotten good at getting into my writing zone, so I wasn't worried. I knew I could win this year.<br />
<br />
By the end of the day on November 30, I hit 50,025 words for the monthly total! At this point, I'm up to 59,559 words, but I am no where near done with my story.<br />
<br />
Speaking of my story, it is a supernatural tale of a woman who is trapped in an abusive relationship, but manages to escape with the help of a ghost.<br />
<br />
I'm going to take a break from the story for the rest of December and come back to it with a fresh mind in the new year.<br />
<br />
The Houston Press ran an article, <a href="http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2011/11/national_novel_writing_month_g.php" style="font-style: italic;">National Novel Writing Month Goes Gothic</a><i>, </i>by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jef-With-One-F/e/B003AXH50W">Jef With One F</a>, about Carmilla and I participating in NaNo.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cCYJPkea14oB8ZecU6Bx08zx1oaFeMTjwg-I7lsXH2P47nK-gF_WBsKg6mWDnUM6SBYdWy8i9n4IEb0jySPnWvDwyTl8Mkt05cOEWTaTHXqfEXzucR5lTa2xLdmhVBYn6iMOeMU6odu6/s1600/Winner_180_180_white.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cCYJPkea14oB8ZecU6Bx08zx1oaFeMTjwg-I7lsXH2P47nK-gF_WBsKg6mWDnUM6SBYdWy8i9n4IEb0jySPnWvDwyTl8Mkt05cOEWTaTHXqfEXzucR5lTa2xLdmhVBYn6iMOeMU6odu6/s1600/Winner_180_180_white.png" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-47931826494256376202011-12-05T20:56:00.001-05:002011-12-05T20:56:28.232-05:00Eaten by OctoberOnce again, I disappeared into the vast wilderness that is life away from the internet.<br />
<br />
October was busy for me.<br />
<br />
Early in the month, my children and I went to visit my family in Pennsylvania. My mom is in the midst of chemo therapy (now finally past the half way point), so we try to visit often. Seeing the kids keeps her spirits up, and my children love running amok with their aunts and uncles and grandparents. Especially since it means going out for ice cream late in the evening with their grandpap.<br />
<br />
This particular trip was planned so the kids could have a Halloween party with their "Pretend Cousins." They have no first cousins on either side of the family, so they have decided that my sisters nieces and nephew and my cousin's daughter can be their honorary cousins.<br />
<br />
My sister planned a fantastic party for the kids at our parents' house. There were crafts, a scavenger hunt, games, glow sticks, a bon-fire and smores. The kids all had a fantastic time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqPaCNC9ftH1AQBiEj7FKcARDOpr9roX3YB_EzC4sVDItCmlmBFXVBW7jbRizQ7iyiA_c1LprcZFSxcuWKB_bsklDkpopxZucaopkkWaYU6kwpZbTs2WJGFbBHcPh-kLeb-QX2AN7yHwd/s1600/310823_2080871469379_1472845721_31791750_1474743895_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqPaCNC9ftH1AQBiEj7FKcARDOpr9roX3YB_EzC4sVDItCmlmBFXVBW7jbRizQ7iyiA_c1LprcZFSxcuWKB_bsklDkpopxZucaopkkWaYU6kwpZbTs2WJGFbBHcPh-kLeb-QX2AN7yHwd/s320/310823_2080871469379_1472845721_31791750_1474743895_n.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxop9mIP6iym7ASr-svxJ46o3j548BKPsNGev9xNQjH2Vh9r66uUoswGDrsLSAusTrYZB41uif1QAMS1cCFllnrITC1VuHuAWWYnQFy6LYXJ4su5h2cPsqh-Dm-TDy6QiChAw-xr9hIhJ/s1600/310730_2080880229598_1472845721_31791790_1201301587_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxop9mIP6iym7ASr-svxJ46o3j548BKPsNGev9xNQjH2Vh9r66uUoswGDrsLSAusTrYZB41uif1QAMS1cCFllnrITC1VuHuAWWYnQFy6LYXJ4su5h2cPsqh-Dm-TDy6QiChAw-xr9hIhJ/s320/310730_2080880229598_1472845721_31791790_1201301587_n.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The middle of my month was consumed by work and family drama. Not terribly exciting, but definitely stressful.<br />
<br />
Then came Halloween weekend. We had a freak snow storm the Saturday before Halloween. That was the day for Air and Scare at the <a href="http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy/">Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum</a>. This was fun, as usual, and the children were happy that we went.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrIMlD-pSovugYVP_Gvc6TfFU9SxVwGYWWxRfQiCKL9jLg2gHHEfSTIKEtAXFiJim3O0pQcOao4ZxecPUr0NfAvlZsLFvWCf59aJa5ZYDstPznQvchLxtb3AHi7WbbmTRrXNxoqpkJa7v/s1600/IMG_20111029_160439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrIMlD-pSovugYVP_Gvc6TfFU9SxVwGYWWxRfQiCKL9jLg2gHHEfSTIKEtAXFiJim3O0pQcOao4ZxecPUr0NfAvlZsLFvWCf59aJa5ZYDstPznQvchLxtb3AHi7WbbmTRrXNxoqpkJa7v/s320/IMG_20111029_160439.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Monday was Trick or Treating. my daughter had a whole strategy planned for maximizing her candy take this year. By the time they finished, neither child could easily carry their treat bag.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-28450856523364044222011-10-24T12:49:00.001-04:002011-10-24T12:50:12.829-04:00BOO!Halloween is a week away, why not spread the good spirit of the season?<br />
<br />
Things have been less than pleasant at home lately, and the tension has been high. The kids and I were trying to settle from the hard weekend while the husband was at the grocery store. Everyone was on edge and unhappy, then there was a knock at the door. I opened the door but no one was there - then I noticed a lovely black and white stripped gift bag sitting on the welcome mat. The bag was filled with yummy organic treats, pencils and cute eco-friendly water bottles for the kids. Attached to the bag was this:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/12627604.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307px" rda="true" src="http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/12627604.png" width="400px" /></a></div><br />
Suddenly the negative feelings in the house evaporated. The children were smiling and so thrilled with their little treats; and I was so pleased by the perfect timing of this random act of kindness that I had happy tears in my eyes.<br />
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The kids and I will be making special boo bags to pass on the cheer tonight. They are so excited about making others smile with random kindness. <br />
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Whoever came up with this wonderful plan should be showered with good karma.<br />
<br />
To participate and spread the spooky love around your neighborhood, go to <a href="http://beenbooed.com/">http://beenbooed.com/</a> to print out the poem.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-1514151170461349572011-10-12T20:01:00.000-04:002011-10-12T20:01:05.918-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 23 (part 2)<div style="text-align: center;">Day 23 – Your favourite artist or photographer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThile3A9yVDDEg1fkWhgvWqa4uqD2MJa4V1sm82kLwXZSgIMQwAz1vaoRGtcjJpYZn8LiqErEPNgKc5AXl5itSqgdBb4rs_y0R_7bGueBtWAg4cADr8O967_0cMvBdWMayTANL4SP_wMq/s1600/hughes_ophelia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThile3A9yVDDEg1fkWhgvWqa4uqD2MJa4V1sm82kLwXZSgIMQwAz1vaoRGtcjJpYZn8LiqErEPNgKc5AXl5itSqgdBb4rs_y0R_7bGueBtWAg4cADr8O967_0cMvBdWMayTANL4SP_wMq/s320/hughes_ophelia.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.suicideassessment.com/web/top-level/backroom1.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;">Ophelia by Hughes</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">I've decided to split this into two separate posts - favorite artist/photographer (more modern) and favorite artist/art movement (classical). I've already written about my favorite contemporary photographer/artist in <a href="http://persephone-plutonianshore.blogspot.com/2011/10/goth-challenge-day-23-part-1.html">Goth Challenge, Day 23 (part 1)</a>.<br />
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My favorite art movement is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Raphaelite_Brotherhood">Pre-Raphaelite</a> movement. This is considered by many art historians to be the first avant-garde movement. It began in either 1848 or 1849 when a group of English painters, poets and critics founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB). The founding members were <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Holman_Hunt" title="William Holman Hunt">William Holman Hunt</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Everett_Millais" title="John Everett Millais">John Everett Millais</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_Gabriel_Rossetti" title="Dante Gabriel Rossetti">Dante Gabriel Rossetti</a>. Later additions to the Brotherhood included <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Michael_Rossetti" title="William Michael Rossetti">William Michael Rossetti</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Collinson" title="James Collinson">James Collinson</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_George_Stephens" title="Frederic George Stephens">Frederic George Stephens</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Woolner" title="Thomas Woolner">Thomas Woolner</a>. Other artists, though not part of the PRB, were also associated with the movement, including: Ford Madox Brown and Charles Collins, the poet Christina Rossetti, the artist and social critic <a href="http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/ruskin/index.html">John Ruskin</a>, the painter-poet William Bell Scott, and the sculptor poet <a href="http://www.victorianweb.org/art/tupperbibl.html">John Lucas Tupper</a>. Later additions to the Pre-Raphaelite circle include J. W. Inchnold, Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris and even J. M. Whistler.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9ShDP8bLVCirtZaq4ttz3JCOZMlGlYLbdYJawmjmyfQMnbWbE5k82nA_bTFrb9bI0PNdU92qF_za6UdLchN3vFQg5hr3teoKpMpTAoTG2b_mUrf29-VL_ePGnAkKCztVrd8NLs8bADkB/s1600/millais_ophelia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9ShDP8bLVCirtZaq4ttz3JCOZMlGlYLbdYJawmjmyfQMnbWbE5k82nA_bTFrb9bI0PNdU92qF_za6UdLchN3vFQg5hr3teoKpMpTAoTG2b_mUrf29-VL_ePGnAkKCztVrd8NLs8bADkB/s320/millais_ophelia.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/ophelia/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;">Ophelia by Millais</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>They rebeled against the standards of art being taught at the time. They wanted to make their art more detailed, with intense colors and complex compositions with a more realistic represenatation of life and nature. They also believed all arts were closely related and encouraged artists and writers to practice both art forms - though the only one successful at both was Dante Gabriel Rosetti. And because of this interrelation of the arts, they drew much of their subject matter from literature, such as Shakespeare, Keats, Tennyson, and the Bible.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4S_hJlvpVOw2yLVg8Ue4MOw3E_FrMiuZBCgMEwyWrLQkCPbPxaK1jUhYCpXltW9Wt3_aDLOwT_7ACVNzs1vlfKvRl_KGkhRM1J0nZFoNNFRWMstxO9AfYEjai62bY6uFQ6-v8QRwBCFGN/s1600/waterhouse+the+lady+of+shallot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4S_hJlvpVOw2yLVg8Ue4MOw3E_FrMiuZBCgMEwyWrLQkCPbPxaK1jUhYCpXltW9Wt3_aDLOwT_7ACVNzs1vlfKvRl_KGkhRM1J0nZFoNNFRWMstxO9AfYEjai62bY6uFQ6-v8QRwBCFGN/s320/waterhouse+the+lady+of+shallot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.victorianweb.org/painting/prb/mariotti12.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;">The Lady of Shallot by Waterhouse</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I think it is this intermingling of literature and visual arts that is part of what drew me in at a young age. The first Pre-Rahpaelite images I saw were in my mother's college art books, and the subject matter came from Tennyson's <em>Idylls of the King </em>and <em>Hamlet</em>. These pictures were stunning illustrations of the Arthurian legends and Shakespear's and characters that I already knew well.<br />
<br />
The first to really catch my eye were various renditions of Ophelia, and The Lady of Shallot. But my favorite was <a href="http://www.artfund.org/artwork/2438/dantes-dream"><i>Dante's Dream</i>, by Dante Gabriel Rosetti</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFBT-uDe6emsmUuVyh3Rr2Qf4qoiHzdg25KPjt67do1SJyjOwUXOgI0dOQWF3HLOp1qHgP5xY-cyxdIuoCUAhBIUyfipJq82aWAso-VyYNYK-kMgKWfbPNGP4AEZ2YWzo3Bl4JWAGvUgY/s1600/dantes_dream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFBT-uDe6emsmUuVyh3Rr2Qf4qoiHzdg25KPjt67do1SJyjOwUXOgI0dOQWF3HLOp1qHgP5xY-cyxdIuoCUAhBIUyfipJq82aWAso-VyYNYK-kMgKWfbPNGP4AEZ2YWzo3Bl4JWAGvUgY/s320/dantes_dream.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dante's Dream by Rosetti</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I truly love almost every Pre-Raphaelite painting I see; but I seem to gravitate most to Waterhouse. I love his Shakespeare paintings, those based on Tennyson and mythological characters. It is as if he plucked images straight from my mind.<br />
<br />
There is, however, one particular Pre-Raphaelite painting that I hate - <a href="http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/online/pre-raphaelites/scapegoat/"><i>The Scapegoat</i> by William Holman Hunt</a>. I saw this one in my mom's art books as a child, and had an instant negative feeling toward it. Something about this image has always made me feel ill.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KhMJLwJMOHAOA2kQG83ERAlHZB7ktL9hwY-4iqxP4lrs-T_Rjqma0QTV9BFWw_zeAH9ydM6esousJjaNGrO-V8pxuoqbnI5OgrBPcDkZHvAsDUWVjN4aXIJitYS9AotpQNr_dBvgReE1/s1600/scapegoat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KhMJLwJMOHAOA2kQG83ERAlHZB7ktL9hwY-4iqxP4lrs-T_Rjqma0QTV9BFWw_zeAH9ydM6esousJjaNGrO-V8pxuoqbnI5OgrBPcDkZHvAsDUWVjN4aXIJitYS9AotpQNr_dBvgReE1/s320/scapegoat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scapegoat by Hunt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As I mentioned earlier, the Pre-Raphaelites also embraced the literary arts. My favorite poet is Christina Rosetti, and my favorite of her poems is <i><a href="http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/1753.html">The Goblin Market</a></i>. I also particularly love her <i><a href="http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/1754.html">Monna Innominata: a Sonnet of Sonnets</a></i> - in fact, I used parts of this poem in my wedding vows.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveAeL2BAhfWi_dE4EJKcDmtggZ40CcD5T_XNJLWFUMiLBsVBJugvfzy2OoXMR8xyucuiTFVi-_9zHL8oSLafWWpciWBy7IYOrBZIREBLIpaRcZF03F09prEBNygrFzPsu2GcpXOdRAxOe/s1600/rossetti.sisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveAeL2BAhfWi_dE4EJKcDmtggZ40CcD5T_XNJLWFUMiLBsVBJugvfzy2OoXMR8xyucuiTFVi-_9zHL8oSLafWWpciWBy7IYOrBZIREBLIpaRcZF03F09prEBNygrFzPsu2GcpXOdRAxOe/s1600/rossetti.sisters.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goblin Market - poem by Christina Rosetti, <br />
illustration by Dante Gabriel Rosetti</td></tr>
</tbody></table><blockquote></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-71939308672066641652011-10-11T14:57:00.004-04:002011-10-11T15:43:59.295-04:00Spooky Kids' Movies that Have Better Messages than Disney MoviesThese days, Disney has a choke-hold on children's movies. All little girls get sucked into the Plastic Pink Princess Phase. And the little boys are all Buzz, Woody or Lightening McQueen.<br />
<br />
I personally think the Princesses are evil. For the most part they are all beautiful teens who can't seem to cope with life unless the handsome prince comes to save them. Everything revolves around finding the right boy who will make your life happy - and to do so, you need to be beautiful. Not a message I want my daughter growing up believing.<br />
<br />
The boy characters aren't that much better.<br />
<br />
Disney movies are the gateway to a yuppie, Stepford existence. Everyone is mostly white, rich, and tends to get what they want. And the bad guys are the ones who dare not to conform to society.<br />
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I have always been a fan of horror/monster movies. My mother tells me that when I was two, I saw <em>The Wizard of Oz</em> for the first time and though the Wicked Witch of the West scared me, I would not let her turn it off. And so it began...<br />
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As a child my aunt used to take me to see Godzilla films, and watched many of the Harryhausen and other creature features with me. I also used to watch Hitchcock and the Twilight Zone with my grandmother. By the time I was in 4th grade, I was sneaking and watching slasher movies, like <em>A Nightmare on Elm Street</em>.<br />
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Naturally, growing up in a home filled with bats, skulls, spider webs and Living Dead Dolls - and a sizeable collection of horror movies - my children wish to watch scary things as well. Obviously, most horror films are not appropriate for the younger children, so here is a list of those I feel are appropriate for younger audiences and won't upset my children too badly.<br />
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Better still, these spooky movies have a much better message than the Disney movies. The characters come from the fringes, they are smart, resourceful and believe in themselves. And often, it is the girl saving the day.<br />
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<em>*Note: I am a bit lenient when it comes to ratings. I have no problem letting my little ones watch some PG-13 films.</em><br />
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When my children were approximately one, I began showing them <em>Nightmare Before Christmas</em>. Needless to say, it became an instant favorite. They have both grown up with a love for Jack Skellington. In fact, my son's first year of trick or treating, he dressed as Jack, and my daughter as Sally.<br />
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In this film, Jack nearly allows his arrogance to destroy life as we know it. It is Sally, one of the average village citizens, who saves the day. She summons up the courage to face Oogy Boogy and rescue Santa. Sally's resourcefulness and bravery save Jack from himself.<br />
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Keeping with the Tim Burton stop-motion animation theme, they soon discovered - and loved - <em>The Corpse Bride</em>. While not as amazing as <em>Nightmare</em>, this movie is a lot of fun and has many loveable dead characters, as well as some wonderful Danny Elfman music.<br />
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In this film, it is the seemingly rich aristocracy who causes the problems. Victoria's family is greedy and schemes to have her marry Victor for his family's money. Lord Barkis is also motivated by greed. Victor is rather spineless and does what he's told by mostly everyone; and when he decides not to listen, he's sneaky. It's Emily, the Corpse Bride, who overcomes all the awfulness that's happened to her - being killed, having Victor run out on her - to show true compassion and to save everyone with selfless sacrifice.<br />
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A bit scarier is Neil Gaiman's <em>Coraline</em>, another stop-motion animation film, done in a dark style like the two previous movies. <em>Coraline</em> is not for children who scare easily or are prone to nightmares from things they've watched. Children of some friends have had issues with this movie until they were closer to 8.<br />
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Coraline is a unique girl who moves to a new home and is left to her own resources while her parents are consumed by their work. She is lured into a trap by the Other Mother, but rather than succumb to her will, Coraline fights back. Her bravery in the face of mortal peril and her ability to outwit the Other Mother not only saves her life, but also sets free the spirits of the Other Mother's previous victims.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfS8Ga2UXs-7iOcn7ZfsIJ9aDYnlzXi17BiX4HcMqcnsn8uqyJTRkE4M_WDIcVd73VURZprALV7b6tWRPPCS-n8GLcyEu2WXFYuEs-v5upjRq68WR5i_MksJMqRSVllkdDXkTKB_tOOThT/s1600/coraline+6+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfS8Ga2UXs-7iOcn7ZfsIJ9aDYnlzXi17BiX4HcMqcnsn8uqyJTRkE4M_WDIcVd73VURZprALV7b6tWRPPCS-n8GLcyEu2WXFYuEs-v5upjRq68WR5i_MksJMqRSVllkdDXkTKB_tOOThT/s320/coraline+6+.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />
Another Neil Gaiman story made movie (by the Jim Henson Company) that we love is <i>Mirrormask</i>. Helena Campbell is sucked into a creepy world of light and shadows, where everyone wears masks, and fantastical creatures roam. She is mistaken for the Shadow Queen's daughter who has stolen the magical charm of the Queen of Light to take Helena's place in the real world. Helena must find the charm, escape the Queen of Shadows and restore life to the Queen of Light. Like the three previous heroines, Helena uses her brains and bravery to save the day. She doesn't need her male companion, Valentine, to save her; in fact, she saves him.<br />
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The Jim Henson Company also made two other magically creepy children's movies: <i>Labyrinth </i>and <i>The Dark Crystal</i>.<br />
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In <i>Labyrinth</i>, Sarah starts off as a self-important, angsty teen who throws a tantrum and wishes her baby brother into the hands of the Goblin King. She must go "through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered" and fight her way to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child. This adventure helps her find herself and grow up when she realizes that she controls her own destiny.<br />
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The females are not the protagonist(s) in <i>The Dark Crystal</i>, but without them, Jen would never compete his mission of healing the Dark Crystal and bringing peace to the land. Kira is a loving, kind and generous spirit; and Aughra is wise and brave. The combination of these two females and their strengths are what guide Jen through the perils thrown at him by the Skeksis and enable him to fulfill the prophecy.<br />
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These movies are very imaginative, artistic and somewhat scary. They all have strong female characters and a better message for children than those simpering twit Disney Princesses.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-68897720971380814832011-10-06T21:33:00.000-04:002011-10-06T21:33:01.432-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 23 (part 1)<div style="text-align: center;">Day 23 – Your favourite artist or photographer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've decided to split this into two separate posts - favorite artist/photographer (more modern) and favorite artist/art movement (classical).<br />
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My favorite contemporary photographer/artist is <a href="http://www.darlateagarden.com/">Darla Teagarden</a>. The lovely and talented Ms. Teagarden has lived an interesting and eccentric life, and her experiences combined with her natural talent have created an outstanding mixed media artist.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoJkdGw2X7bCA9bVmt1B-ndK-hnZJvjRSq3Kq-Wz4utfzzzzH9Bf9MP2uw8N9JxxX8tSGLs1ZelVoZaAOQw1NwjT08S34TWRCXiFlZiHR5uxI7eSbcS7cij2dk0iEv7kLXq30BO2c0Ysr/s1600/23451_1322362231296_1598063086_30783175_6579439_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoJkdGw2X7bCA9bVmt1B-ndK-hnZJvjRSq3Kq-Wz4utfzzzzH9Bf9MP2uw8N9JxxX8tSGLs1ZelVoZaAOQw1NwjT08S34TWRCXiFlZiHR5uxI7eSbcS7cij2dk0iEv7kLXq30BO2c0Ysr/s320/23451_1322362231296_1598063086_30783175_6579439_n.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darla Teagarden</td></tr>
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A bit about Darla Teagarden (from her official bio):<br />
<ul><li>Darla began as stylist in San Francisco in the 1990s and then for FAD Magazine in Île-de-France.</li>
<li>She became a historical cabaret dancer for the Goethe Institute of San Francisco portraying a Wiemar dancer named, Anita Berber. These series of productions, Staring German singer Nina Hagen, were choreographed by Martha Graham, Marni Wood, and directed by <i>Voluptuous Panic</i> author, Mel Gordan.</li>
<li>Darla was also a part-time production designer, vintage clothing buyer , published writer, a part-time model in both the United States and Germany.</li>
<li>In 2003 she delved into mixed media on canvas showing in New Orleans' French Quarter, New York's Woodstock Art Fest and Austin, Texas Continental Gallery, Gallery Lombardi and Guadalupe Gallery. </li>
<li>By March 2007, she was lead to photography and began mixing her trades and interests into one medium. </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8I_wVcdYPdCZeG1aK6vFWaNlE_dWAl8ZzOt9wUHDCIxsQoWF-IMDnLvsNrgo_gkAAbNgvVKLJpT0t-AJe9EFQfjjkv0hRnu7_TbOccDqaZjxmwtNhCCGiVmWH36Ij3MAhK1gMl2WJ0AU/s1600/162843_1619377496492_1598063086_31432395_649671_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8I_wVcdYPdCZeG1aK6vFWaNlE_dWAl8ZzOt9wUHDCIxsQoWF-IMDnLvsNrgo_gkAAbNgvVKLJpT0t-AJe9EFQfjjkv0hRnu7_TbOccDqaZjxmwtNhCCGiVmWH36Ij3MAhK1gMl2WJ0AU/s320/162843_1619377496492_1598063086_31432395_649671_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doll Maker, Christy Kane by Darla Teagarden</td></tr>
</tbody></table><ul></ul><ul><li>Each image tells a personal dream - story but also leaves the viewer room to impart their own experience and ideas...a cross between perceptual and conceptual.</li>
<li>Her images hark back to souvenir portraiture, theatrical vignettes and even the art of window display. </li>
<li>These scenes are accomplished largely by hand: drawn backgrounds, painted mythical body, and paper clothing or up-cycled materials </li>
<li>Her images are primarily inspired by children's literature, her work in theatre arts, pop surrealism, and in part, the Southern Gothic genre. </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFSbRrytJyKVksHvrUhsysL0ET4wObNlvz9XJOSMoHxQa93ryGU5LG4MCBxlZFiGfl60cvEkDzi5ezwb7P3aiCeF6G63V8EGOThZnaiyaZ6QYaPqwFsHFLiz5HKla5ReI4LyLpb6SFjh8/s1600/229578_1877835517781_1598063086_31855754_2262874_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFSbRrytJyKVksHvrUhsysL0ET4wObNlvz9XJOSMoHxQa93ryGU5LG4MCBxlZFiGfl60cvEkDzi5ezwb7P3aiCeF6G63V8EGOThZnaiyaZ6QYaPqwFsHFLiz5HKla5ReI4LyLpb6SFjh8/s320/229578_1877835517781_1598063086_31855754_2262874_n.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liz McGrath, Artist and <br />
Singer for Miss Derringer<br />
by Darla Teagarden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have had the pleasure of knowing Darla Teagarden for the better part of the past decade. She is one of the most amazing people I have ever known. She is also a caring and supportive friend.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLe16cryzgZ3c4PzV2sXUaa_0tqUoeRrz497UJz34k-SteiZ8ci1QXxu-hyE0kfL2DT6g6qoMdVbwcu1_UmorcN4LTueAQoqXcZoG985nIxCPXjMSqCA35KnolXrTvXdNUgVuQBbuAMifF/s1600/226299_1893270383643_1598063086_31876757_314827_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLe16cryzgZ3c4PzV2sXUaa_0tqUoeRrz497UJz34k-SteiZ8ci1QXxu-hyE0kfL2DT6g6qoMdVbwcu1_UmorcN4LTueAQoqXcZoG985nIxCPXjMSqCA35KnolXrTvXdNUgVuQBbuAMifF/s320/226299_1893270383643_1598063086_31876757_314827_n.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br />
It was an exciting time when she began mixing photography with her other artistic skills. Those of us who knew her got to see her talent blossoming and we all knew it wouldn't be long before she'd become a well-known name in the art world. Sure enough, she's been appearing in art galleries, magazines and Web sites with more frequency and each time with a higher profile.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxh9jsnBHyHAz6KwQuUtG12V9XVnE_nAtwHDkDWQ44t88hadEo84pjrkVNc2bnZMPm_QC9mlnEBatQjZn6BDaIGz6wo5CyBTaWlcmnYhgPRrtde35k-12XYnIFqq0RsrgONpyxGrkNEKjV/s1600/darla1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxh9jsnBHyHAz6KwQuUtG12V9XVnE_nAtwHDkDWQ44t88hadEo84pjrkVNc2bnZMPm_QC9mlnEBatQjZn6BDaIGz6wo5CyBTaWlcmnYhgPRrtde35k-12XYnIFqq0RsrgONpyxGrkNEKjV/s320/darla1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
In the fall of 2007, I visited Darla in Austin with some mutual friends and was fortunate enough to have some pictures done by her.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R6Ezi_G1Iyqi8rE604bYg6qQdgdqRF8o0Sk5DIdvFvNSGRuqJGaCaLJIzFn3Qo0ePHEBl1CWV-dNYEUOx8RYmDah_X4wvaw-z4s2ATgON0-vI5BNlJCeKuEuuHtO4AkgW5wFnyL4E4HC/s1600/n769403477_1040378_1983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5R6Ezi_G1Iyqi8rE604bYg6qQdgdqRF8o0Sk5DIdvFvNSGRuqJGaCaLJIzFn3Qo0ePHEBl1CWV-dNYEUOx8RYmDah_X4wvaw-z4s2ATgON0-vI5BNlJCeKuEuuHtO4AkgW5wFnyL4E4HC/s1600/n769403477_1040378_1983.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Take some time and peruse the beauty on her Web site: <a href="http://www.darlateagarden.com/">www.darlateagarden.com</a> - you won't regret it!<br />
<ul></ul></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-73930428299767677102011-10-05T09:11:00.001-04:002011-10-11T12:49:01.674-04:00Goth Children's BooksAs Halloween approaches, many bookstores stock up on the more spooky children's books. This is a great time to augment the bookshelves of your baby bats at home.<br />
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My children are 6 1/2 and 4 1/2, so we don't have many past the 4th grade level yet (aside from my large personal collection of books). This post contains books good for up to a first grade level (at least in our house) to read on their own.<br />
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I've ordered the books from easiest reading to more advanced.<br />
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My youngest loves reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Monster-Christy-Ottaviano-Books/dp/0805088733">Monster Town</a> by <a href="http://www.ryanheshka.com/">Ryan Heska</a>. This book follow a young vampire boy on a tour through his home, Monster Town. The colorful illustrations depict the inhabitants, like the Ghost Writers at the news paper, Dr. Mummy the vetrinarian, and the Giant Squid, proprietor of the local cafe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvY_LKllCLI66VGdF3eytblZjS9FKAhxjvEJUwNDRv-N5zuaVeCUV3XY6yS55ITXm0j-vpd8QJ2kcLlIl9aavlPXzHubX51MN4K3xmR5xRKOQiEeiHsjlanDD_f_syF9aWcDlgQS_AXzdr/s1600/monster+town.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvY_LKllCLI66VGdF3eytblZjS9FKAhxjvEJUwNDRv-N5zuaVeCUV3XY6yS55ITXm0j-vpd8QJ2kcLlIl9aavlPXzHubX51MN4K3xmR5xRKOQiEeiHsjlanDD_f_syF9aWcDlgQS_AXzdr/s320/monster+town.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>"In the cold gray tomb, there was a gravestone and a black lagoon, and a picture of ...." <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Goodnight-Goon-Petrifying-Michael-Rex/dp/0399245340">Goodnight Goon</a> by <a href="http://www.michaelrex.com/">Michael Rex</a> is a playful parody on the chidren's classic, <u>Goodnight Moon</u>, in which a young werewolf is getting ready for bed surrounded by classic horror icons. The illustrations are make what may initially seem scary to children something fun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmz8iGwEPZxWqI8R1b0VfKr00izeNUgzTSFB7TcNql8GshzQzXf32lfrjHWAiSNXJiYJgYbqRKlZGpMlNzacbODforH_RNfiNG85mU0jJPszmdcmEzgKilUL2pieLJqbOpS1MIYSsvoTqd/s1600/goodnight+goon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmz8iGwEPZxWqI8R1b0VfKr00izeNUgzTSFB7TcNql8GshzQzXf32lfrjHWAiSNXJiYJgYbqRKlZGpMlNzacbODforH_RNfiNG85mU0jJPszmdcmEzgKilUL2pieLJqbOpS1MIYSsvoTqd/s320/goodnight+goon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Another playfully dark Michael Rex book is his parody of <u>Runaway Bunny</u>, called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Runaway-Mummy-Petrifying-Michael-Rex/dp/0399252037">Runaway Mummy</a>. It shows that even scary monsters like mummies can be a loving and good family.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7vLXMUC_DjF6NonIAR1FyLmK_1qfuhCjdLjlZCGjr1-ST0ET3WPBda6mDMpbw0SmXBT6YTaYyn43Tzt5OiedFyWW2VosFDLhkTL-BzbWU-4nlKIfMgSdotQ-PEWPW7CJ_XZMdMo7bf6S/s1600/run+away+mummy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7vLXMUC_DjF6NonIAR1FyLmK_1qfuhCjdLjlZCGjr1-ST0ET3WPBda6mDMpbw0SmXBT6YTaYyn43Tzt5OiedFyWW2VosFDLhkTL-BzbWU-4nlKIfMgSdotQ-PEWPW7CJ_XZMdMo7bf6S/s320/run+away+mummy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Fly-Mary-Howitt/dp/0689852894">The Spider and the Fly</a></u> illustrated by <a href="http://diterlizzi.com/home/">Tony DiTerlizzi</a> (author of the <u>Spidewick Chronicles</u>). The book is made to look like silent black and white film set in a Victorian doll house. The tale by Mary Howitt is timeless and teaches a good lesson, but the illustrations are what really make it engaging. My children have spent hours just looking at the pictures in this book.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wkxW80ySYhvZdw3O4nwfxNoHjs4jAhkyUytVZ063RQtkWl7Qf-S1j6G3RtY4C7VeSZ492wb_b-s2eyI9Q5P9a2C2yY-5ubDRpbO8gXlUaij7sM6qzIHj4ZNP8vg9E737QE2KLsct8ikn/s1600/SpiderFly1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wkxW80ySYhvZdw3O4nwfxNoHjs4jAhkyUytVZ063RQtkWl7Qf-S1j6G3RtY4C7VeSZ492wb_b-s2eyI9Q5P9a2C2yY-5ubDRpbO8gXlUaij7sM6qzIHj4ZNP8vg9E737QE2KLsct8ikn/s320/SpiderFly1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Step right up and enter the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Creature-Carnival-Marilyn-Singer/dp/0786818778/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317489990&sr=1-1">Creature Carnival</a> by <a href="http://marilynsinger.net/">Marilyn Singer</a> and <a href="http://www.madcreator.com/">Gris Grimly</a>. This trip through the traveling side show introduces children to fantastic mythological and fabled creatures, such as the Lochness Monster, Sirens, the Minotaur and Anansi. The story and pictures have a playful yet macabre air about them. There are more Gris Grimly books in my children's future.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Y9rUbsS6GhyphenhyphenTi9mtPBk1rMcsYrZTfwjkiUFGnU1wsul9M6qXo8HqpulWDSoDT-7CorXgfgKMboaoAWa09EKWsu32G_z6Ezj_J2V-l9XgpwwxrG_Um7ToxfcLfQwPRBVoBrSmYosJRyi6/s1600/creature+carnival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Y9rUbsS6GhyphenhyphenTi9mtPBk1rMcsYrZTfwjkiUFGnU1wsul9M6qXo8HqpulWDSoDT-7CorXgfgKMboaoAWa09EKWsu32G_z6Ezj_J2V-l9XgpwwxrG_Um7ToxfcLfQwPRBVoBrSmYosJRyi6/s320/creature+carnival.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hipira-Katsuhiro-Otomo/dp/1595820027">Hipira the Little Vampire</a> by Katsuhiro Otomo is a lot of fun. This book is presented in comic book style and contains several stories in which Hipira, a little vampire boy and his best friend, a sprite named Soul get into all sorts of harmless mischief. While there is no real message in this book, it is pure fun, and a great way to introduce your little ones to vampires.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5h4D34n7QujHEFF1UkSSEjvT36D8sTifY_KF1sgcID5W7juS1aIgkxPVGiFcATNZFg8VIVJjSS6LJdG4EsA-azsS9FoW2o9o9qzzQnBmrShy-U3QxeQcDhGz2DyntqBj1VUriOqR0EbV/s1600/hipira400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5h4D34n7QujHEFF1UkSSEjvT36D8sTifY_KF1sgcID5W7juS1aIgkxPVGiFcATNZFg8VIVJjSS6LJdG4EsA-azsS9FoW2o9o9qzzQnBmrShy-U3QxeQcDhGz2DyntqBj1VUriOqR0EbV/s320/hipira400.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cinderella-Skeleton-Robert-San-Souci/dp/0152020039">Cinderella Skeleton</a> by<a href="http://www.rsansouci.com/pages/books/cskel.htm"> Robert D. San Souci</a> takes the classic tale of Cinderella casts it with the undead and transports it to a graveyard setting. The story is presented in a collection of sonnets and shows the skeletons can be as wonderful as you and me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRtFuhSlbwtREahsp0sD6pby467PuZkz-lYYxwhXCQGlr9Tz2InO0Uf6eg7vq5A6AR1cwSQWqoap4TO_GZSLpq4BLAeimuAZxGphqPx9Jb-GQjWLyOzpkle3q8jm4Yf7XvMoNR6LKJmEg/s1600/cinderella+skeleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRtFuhSlbwtREahsp0sD6pby467PuZkz-lYYxwhXCQGlr9Tz2InO0Uf6eg7vq5A6AR1cwSQWqoap4TO_GZSLpq4BLAeimuAZxGphqPx9Jb-GQjWLyOzpkle3q8jm4Yf7XvMoNR6LKJmEg/s320/cinderella+skeleton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frankenstein-Makes-Sandwich-Adam-Rex/dp/0547576838/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317489938&sr=1-1">Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich</a></u> and <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frankenstein-Takes-Cake-Adam-Rex/dp/0152062351/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317489938&sr=1-2">Frankenstein Takes the Cake</a></u>, both by <a href="http://www.adamrex.com/">Adam Rex</a>. These whimsical books are filled with short stories, poems and songs all with classic monster themes and accompanied by original artwork. When we first got this, we had to read it to Lily every night for months. Even now, three years later, she still frequently reads this book before bed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZmtAMqonGfzuEKjKio6qf6Qu6g408aEGeskd8jp6KC_FvkWhVNwryy5jm-gglD2tn4G1jN5MugvcgQOU-BBTG9edxSXqmZXUx0CSf4JN1DvU-3H5iSZZFrLSicPD_-8e3fMoxfWdjPNw/s1600/frankenstein_dracula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZmtAMqonGfzuEKjKio6qf6Qu6g408aEGeskd8jp6KC_FvkWhVNwryy5jm-gglD2tn4G1jN5MugvcgQOU-BBTG9edxSXqmZXUx0CSf4JN1DvU-3H5iSZZFrLSicPD_-8e3fMoxfWdjPNw/s400/frankenstein_dracula.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-11822314858971375742011-09-30T09:37:00.000-04:002011-09-30T09:37:31.752-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 22Day 22 – If you could attend any Goth event what would it be?<br />
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<a href="http://www.wave-gotik-treffen.de/english/">Wave Gotik Treffen</a><br />
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First and foremost, is the music. Over a hundred bands from the various Goth sub-genres and the opportunity to see more than a few. This in itself is exciting enough for me to want to go.<br />
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But there is so much more! There are the fashion events, the litterarty events, alternative markets, DJs... Leipzig turns into one giant Goth community for a few days. Just thinking about going to this makes drool... I was so excited for and envious of my friend <a href="http://www.carmillavoiez.com/">Carmilla Voiez</a> when she got to attend WGT this year.<br />
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One day, when I have money to get a new goth wardrobe, and can afford travel to and accomodations is Leipzig and tickets to WGT, I will go. Unless I miraculously come into some windfall of money, I don't see this happening any time soon. Until then, I will just have to dream of it and live vicarously through friends lucky enough to go.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/ndf_WFHz6Gg/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ndf_WFHz6Gg&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ndf_WFHz6Gg&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-71367141102446936012011-09-27T10:31:00.001-04:002011-09-27T10:40:45.613-04:00Our Brush with Unemployment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thousandaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/unemployment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256px" kca="true" src="http://www.thousandaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/unemployment.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Finally, I have the time and the ability to update my blog!<br />
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The past few weeks have been a challenge. My husband lost his job, and it took longer than anticipated for him to find a new job. And the asshats at his old company keep contesting the unemployment claim - not because he isn't entitled to the money, but because it's their general practice to always contest every single claim, as a way to save themselves a buck, regardless of how badly it hurts people and their families. But this is the general climate in America - let's make everything fit the financial needs of the almighty corporation, and fuck the people.<br />
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While he was out of work, we had to make some lifestyle changes. At first, the kids didn't understand why we couldn't go out for dinner as often, or why we kept saying no to little things like ice cream or something from the dollar area in Target. And it really took some getting used to when we had to shut off the cable and Internet (thank goodness for Internet on my mobile!). While none of us enjoy the changes we've had to make, I do think this was a good way for the kids to really understand why mommy and daddy have to work, and get a concept of the value of money.<br />
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Luckily for us, I make a fairly decent wage, and with some help from my very generous family, and some from his, we were able to make ends meet, and not have to lose our babysitter either. Sure, things have been a bit tough and stressful financially, but I am so grateful we weren't in a position to lose our home or car or file bankruptcy like so many other families are having to do these days.<br />
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Now he's found a job at a place that really fits him, and even though it's only been a couple weeks, he seems much happier there than at the old place. The future is starting to look brighter.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-92080550140330063812011-09-13T17:53:00.000-04:002011-09-13T17:53:16.277-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 21<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Day 21 – What body mod do you have or have you considered?</span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsoaaGxB1pdY1NwtvXPV5xAffFX1HOI9_NZaAOe5oOjZdIbhRM90hDv2zy8yKdEFvUogfWHxUWIZrOnNm_Qk22CD85PQAt21PN8DRG_SojnNTpNHK6-rZ3AYuUFlUQpsfFJ4ifRlYcMiV/s1600/bats.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsoaaGxB1pdY1NwtvXPV5xAffFX1HOI9_NZaAOe5oOjZdIbhRM90hDv2zy8yKdEFvUogfWHxUWIZrOnNm_Qk22CD85PQAt21PN8DRG_SojnNTpNHK6-rZ3AYuUFlUQpsfFJ4ifRlYcMiV/s400/bats.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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For some reason, people are often surprised to find out that other than normal pierced ears, I have no body modifications.<br />
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I have considered several, but for various reasons, never got them done.<br />
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I would like to get some tattoos. I just never seem to have the money for one. Yes, I probably should have gotten my ink before having kids, but I wasn't ready. As a teen, I worked in a nursing home. I saw many World War II veterans with their old India blue tattoos that have since turned into disfigured blue blobs on their flaccid skin. I just couldn't wrap my mind around getting a tattoo for fear of what it would look like when I'm old. Now, I'm not so concerned with that - especially since removal techniques keep improving. I'm sure that if I got a tattoo now, and in 30 years decide I don't like how it's aging, there will be improved technology to remove it.<br />
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My little girl wanted to get me a tattoo of bats and the moon for my birthday last year. She knew that's what I wanted. It was such a sweet gesture. Yes, I want a moon with bats tattooed on my back. And one day, I will have this done. Just not any time soon. Perhaps after we are done paying for child care.<br />
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I've also considered several piercings. I first thought of a small nose piercing. But I decided that would be too much with my glasses (I will not switch to contacts - I tried, and hated it). And I've considered nipple piercings. I think they are lovely, and they could be lots of fun. But I'm concerned about healing and whether they will be obvious under work clothes... I still may do this, but haven't fully decided.<br />
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Other than those, I am not really interested in other body modifications. Stretched ears look nice on some people, but it's not for me. Same with other piercings. I'm not into the more extreme modifications. I just don't find them appealing in any way.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-31822118207485905012011-09-12T19:11:00.000-04:002011-09-12T19:11:30.527-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 20<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKBJWePO4R33B52eSSrSU8wtliIUaXmNUmn05HQf2rhsLvXyY_h5-AKMuffPO8nVP01W86FxTjj_IDW-Chtf7lOIep1DdQJyBKxh61tJQlbB1hdjIhyII6IPuN5U5xqzlXR9zspmnSap2/s1600/blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKBJWePO4R33B52eSSrSU8wtliIUaXmNUmn05HQf2rhsLvXyY_h5-AKMuffPO8nVP01W86FxTjj_IDW-Chtf7lOIep1DdQJyBKxh61tJQlbB1hdjIhyII6IPuN5U5xqzlXR9zspmnSap2/s200/blue.jpg" width="141" /></a>Day 20 – If you could dye your hair any colour what would it be?<br />
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If I could? Huh? I do. All the time. I haven't seen my natural colour in oh... 18 years.<br />
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I've been various shades of blonde (I am blonde, but an ashy blonde).<br />
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I've been various shades of red.<br />
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I had platinum blonde with a red streak.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzFUnPF5hZ8JjNRR3Eq5PWo6O3UgRUV-ZnrSr4_xdeUCPHJrNg5V44YJ2b71Ls_4HybXuEleiurnOwOtkIFeS5SMTJaMO9Um5F_R9S0dUk8Z8KtLu7kA9Z8yQCOwLzXWdT78mfEaNEfc7/s1600/side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzFUnPF5hZ8JjNRR3Eq5PWo6O3UgRUV-ZnrSr4_xdeUCPHJrNg5V44YJ2b71Ls_4HybXuEleiurnOwOtkIFeS5SMTJaMO9Um5F_R9S0dUk8Z8KtLu7kA9Z8yQCOwLzXWdT78mfEaNEfc7/s200/side.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
I've had temporary blue streaks.<br />
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I've been red with orange, and red with blonde.<br />
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I'm currently black with white.<br />
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I sometimes wish I could have some bright blue in my hair, but that would be pushing it too far in the office.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GLQJSebdhx8/TkP5Rw6vExI/AAAAAAAAAOU/8dMOwM_c_Us/s1600/27309_356199377958_768172958_4826178_3167979_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GLQJSebdhx8/TkP5Rw6vExI/AAAAAAAAAOU/8dMOwM_c_Us/s200/27309_356199377958_768172958_4826178_3167979_n.jpg" width="185" /></a>I also have a collection of wigs in fun colors for club going - not that I get to the club much these days.<br />
<br />
I even let my kids (ages 4 1/2 and 6 1/2) have color streaks in their hair. My son has only had blue. My daughter has had pink, red, blue and purple.<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd06fDLg_7HvuFliNT0176tZ91jdDF3sUOipu0nwlGHv2LUeUnh-gBE0wG8hFKYW91_A58UVzeSWvn3sit_ub11i1yrTPtQl7UM_t5uAf-6brGjDxmYdCoKfBhaPpRbn04FfMao4u-oQUP/s1600/IMG00242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd06fDLg_7HvuFliNT0176tZ91jdDF3sUOipu0nwlGHv2LUeUnh-gBE0wG8hFKYW91_A58UVzeSWvn3sit_ub11i1yrTPtQl7UM_t5uAf-6brGjDxmYdCoKfBhaPpRbn04FfMao4u-oQUP/s320/IMG00242.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-32112688915817734252011-09-10T16:56:00.001-04:002011-09-10T16:56:44.082-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 19<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><em>Day 19 – Share beauty advise and take a photo of your make up.</em></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgumNSKEugaigmiWdXHZoF1mmFW8DaW31EA55lpZkcbb504q6qVO4lSixmU4GeVUID33l1TAZXi4j-UoF-TwM_O6WvRVR6LEu_S_dueuPf_kG8zf0F1a-oSY_Nx0MgMOh1xx-nff7fCEyW/s1600/IMG_20110910_140504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgumNSKEugaigmiWdXHZoF1mmFW8DaW31EA55lpZkcbb504q6qVO4lSixmU4GeVUID33l1TAZXi4j-UoF-TwM_O6WvRVR6LEu_S_dueuPf_kG8zf0F1a-oSY_Nx0MgMOh1xx-nff7fCEyW/s320/IMG_20110910_140504.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Beauty advice? I don't know that I should be advising anyone, but I will tell you what I do.<br />
<br />
<em>Quick note: I really try hard to use natural and cruelty free products.</em><br />
<br />
First and foremost: STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE SUN! I try to avoid the sun like the plague. I'm a blond with pale skin. I don't tan, I fry. When I do have to be outside, I use very high SPF sunscreen, and I carry it with me to reapply later (I really like the <a href="http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/body-sun-care/chemical-free-sunscreen-spf-30-3-5-fl-oz.html">Burt's Bees Sunscreen</a>). I also try to stay in the shade whenever possible - and sometimes carry an umbrella for shade. (One of these days I will find the parasol of my dreams and get it).<br />
<br />
The second most important thing for me is moisturizer. I have very dry skin, so moisturizing is essential. I used to use the Burt's Bees Marshmallow Vanishing Creme, but it was discontinued. I couldn't find any other moisturizer of theirs that worked as well and was gentle to my sensitive skin. Now, I use the <a href="http://www.yestocarrots.com/product/daily-repairing-moisturizer-with-spf--30?product_id=7311008">Yes to Blueberries Daily Repairing Moisturizer with SPF 30</a>.<br />
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Now that I've mentioned the two most important things, I'll walk through my daily routine.<br />
<br />
In the morning, I wash my face with either the <a href="http://www.burtsbees.com/product-line/radiance/radiance-facial-cleanser.html">Burt's Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser</a>, or the <a href="http://www.yestocarrots.com/product/brightening-facial-towelettes?product_id=1024">Yes to Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes</a>. Then I moisturize.<br />
<br />
I typically wait a while before putting on any makeup. There are two reasons for this: 1. I like to let the moisturizer and/or sunscreen have time to really sink in, and 2. the DC area is rather humid and nasty in the summer, and I prefer to wait until I'm at work before putting on makeup so it doesn't melt off of my face before I get there.<br />
<br />
I use different foundation for work and play. I have yet to find a decent, natural toned foundation that is natural and cruelty free that works with my skin and doesn't make me break out horribly. I tried the Bare Essential stuff, and it was terrible for me. So, in this area, I have sacrificed my principles and use <a href="http://www.lorealparisusa.com/_us/_en/default.aspx#/?page=top{userdata//d+d//|diagnostic|main:pdp//objectid+Cos41w_1//{pdp_tab:pdp_overview//objectid+Cos41w_1//}|media:_blank|nav|overlay:_blank}">L'Oreal Magic Smooth Souffle</a> in Light Ivory. When I'm going out and want to look extra pale, I use the <a href="http://www.medusasmakeup.com/body.htm">Medusa's Makeup Geisha foundation</a>.<br />
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Eye makeup is my favorite part. I absolutely <em>love</em> the <a href="http://www.medusasmakeup.com/eyes.htm">Medusa's Makeup eye makeup</a>. I use their eye dusts. My favorite colors are: Full Moon (an iridescent purplish whitish color), Blow (white), Helter Skelter (a metallic bluish black) and Black Sabbath. <br />
<br />
Once I have my eye shadow on, I apply the black liquid eyeliner. Oh how I love black eye liner! I have tried pencils, but they never go on as smoothly nor are as black as the liquid liner. I've been experimenting with various brands lately to find the right combination of applicator and eyeliner. Sadly, I have not found any black liquid eyeliner that is natural or cruelty free (if you know one, please post about it in the comments).<br />
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Next comes mascara. I'm fortunate that I have very long lashes, so all I really need is just some very black mascara.<br />
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Last is the lip colour. I really love the <a href="http://www.medusasmakeup.com/lip%20gloss.htm">Medusa's Makeup lip glosses</a>.<br />
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Now that it's all applied, I need a place to go...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfGLAlWi1beHg1n72euU1Mkw856t2TG7wDiB-8Tf17nTkzTASjLLnJzyn1sPxWt9DDXvAEV8iEEIlKc4dRU7CuLegF9tzpk6Fkbun9IGRntHCmNHsFYnfx2jlHILGo0qx34RMsiuSn5II/s1600/IMG_20110910_140647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfGLAlWi1beHg1n72euU1Mkw856t2TG7wDiB-8Tf17nTkzTASjLLnJzyn1sPxWt9DDXvAEV8iEEIlKc4dRU7CuLegF9tzpk6Fkbun9IGRntHCmNHsFYnfx2jlHILGo0qx34RMsiuSn5II/s320/IMG_20110910_140647.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-56181959028071309472011-09-07T19:34:00.000-04:002011-09-07T19:34:52.865-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 18Day 18 – Worst hair experience<br />
<br />
I've had quite a few hair mishaps.<br />
<br />
My hair is thick, course, somewhere between curly and wavy, and gets very frizzy when it's humid.<br />
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In the 80s, everyone had bad hair as there were no really good hair products out there to do the things we wanted with our hair. So we fried, burnt and tortured our tresses. Curly and big was in. And like I mentioned, mine is between curly and wavy. I wanted nice curls that would be easy to maintain. So, I got a perm...<br />
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Yeah, bad idea. My hair turned out looking like Rosanne Rosannadanna. (I don't have any pictures of this in my house. My parents probably do, but they live 250 miles away.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MUQGxmfQn_dtBz0qtfcQXUeJ-7S4MWT5zvv21vZZyoaiplktoDC7333T7vAo_K8oO9WIBMZRvYVaAFB3KY91w_smXcLYZK_2Y9VyQ9EprERr35HFm5Ahwu4Bl6_vcBJd7DjTpXyOCUWD/s1600/rosanne_rosannadanna.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MUQGxmfQn_dtBz0qtfcQXUeJ-7S4MWT5zvv21vZZyoaiplktoDC7333T7vAo_K8oO9WIBMZRvYVaAFB3KY91w_smXcLYZK_2Y9VyQ9EprERr35HFm5Ahwu4Bl6_vcBJd7DjTpXyOCUWD/s320/rosanne_rosannadanna.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gilda Radner as Rosanne Rosannadanna on SNL</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>My mom sent me straight to the pool with instructions to keep my hair in the chlorine all day in hopes of relaxing the perm. It didn't help much. So, she helped me iron my hair to straighten it. I remember we used to use waxed paper to help keep it straight and frizz free...<br />
<br />
Then in 1984, I decided I wanted an a-symmetrical bob. This would have been an adorable style - if my hair were straight and manageable. Sadly, it was not. And this was a disaster. I tried a few other short styles, but none worked. So, I grew it out. And by 1987, I had typical, bad 14 year old hair...<br />
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You'd think after those failed experiments, I'd have learned to never try a short cut - especially with bangs - again, but you'd be wrong. Yes, a mere three years ago, I decided that hair products have come a long way, and I also had a fancy new Chi flat iron, so I went for a China Doll cut... um, bad move.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsBxB637auqx1rNdHA-ZM1WwMrCoYG_fTriXE9asJYXrhPRAC9319N58p1P18JijbM3ESxdsYE3uvcVUMMgWs-05psh2DNUT4N5qPbWXYRnFMR2srkMgw6CIMIkWEP5BbVN7AIAOSzipG/s1600/china+doll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsBxB637auqx1rNdHA-ZM1WwMrCoYG_fTriXE9asJYXrhPRAC9319N58p1P18JijbM3ESxdsYE3uvcVUMMgWs-05psh2DNUT4N5qPbWXYRnFMR2srkMgw6CIMIkWEP5BbVN7AIAOSzipG/s320/china+doll.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
That was a huge pain in the ass to maintain and I hated how I looked. So I tried letting it dry naturally... again, ick!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hQjbMXwyRnuaXKkHCJ69NZB7Q2lDqL6wRSEH052Rigpsl0I-tYGunFuk5pJJyAFI04qEdr4lGTlsBtuWexsqD_ytZnGm0kmLhICQav4clkJTTpwv14m1h1EHOPM91vYqTFZtpfa43iFz/s1600/Picture+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hQjbMXwyRnuaXKkHCJ69NZB7Q2lDqL6wRSEH052Rigpsl0I-tYGunFuk5pJJyAFI04qEdr4lGTlsBtuWexsqD_ytZnGm0kmLhICQav4clkJTTpwv14m1h1EHOPM91vYqTFZtpfa43iFz/s320/Picture+055.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Once it reached chin length again, I was fine. And I solemnly swear to never cut it that short again!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMBpD5ocbObcL3ZhCt_sEHh37wnDCc_sJgheDi2k4gSSmKEDpt9LUPDLGNQK0x1HYA6f5JT7oOulsbV0k2RRfRAIihv9mg8gIxlaWxTxifZw8dWI1c4qKTWxFBNq_5xrq40xejQj5-j-e/s1600/avatar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMBpD5ocbObcL3ZhCt_sEHh37wnDCc_sJgheDi2k4gSSmKEDpt9LUPDLGNQK0x1HYA6f5JT7oOulsbV0k2RRfRAIihv9mg8gIxlaWxTxifZw8dWI1c4qKTWxFBNq_5xrq40xejQj5-j-e/s320/avatar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-66959429526853559222011-09-06T20:36:00.001-04:002011-09-06T20:36:29.985-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 17<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><em>Day 17 – Your favourite Goth brand</em></span></div><br />
I don't really have one. I'm not one of those people who is ruled by brand names - especially with clothes. If I see something that I like, and it fits, (and I have the money) I will get it, regardless of the brand or the store.<br />
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But Goth brands... in general this concept seems wrong. For many of us, starting out, there were no Goth brands. We put together out ensembles from pieces found in a variety of places, including thrift shops, costume shops, estate sales, etc. Or, we learned to make our own pieces of clothing, jewelry, etc. <br />
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Granted, I wouldn't know the first thing about making my own clothes (though I do hope to one day) - I am more of the type to make thrift shop, eBay, or estate sale items more gothy by altering them or accessorizing. I have, and sometimes still do, make my own jewelry.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I also purchase from friends who have small businesses of hand-crafting items of clothing or accessories. I think it is very important to support these small businesses. This is where the creative talent thrives - it is these designers who spawn new trends in subculture style. Buying custom pieces also ensures that when you go to the club, there is no one else there wearing the same outfit.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4q_EQj57q0ZRgX8xQ45pyCPImFgYPOtD9dVfc7tW4WfUKV5FDpa1ugTh-Lxp3V0Ukq0_RdLc120VSkctcethGpgaaQzSoyKFEbInWnP7n6aZyMPRtgrvMja3FJPK44JOG6nEmUdTAQxCJ/s1600/IMG_20110818_183651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4q_EQj57q0ZRgX8xQ45pyCPImFgYPOtD9dVfc7tW4WfUKV5FDpa1ugTh-Lxp3V0Ukq0_RdLc120VSkctcethGpgaaQzSoyKFEbInWnP7n6aZyMPRtgrvMja3FJPK44JOG6nEmUdTAQxCJ/s320/IMG_20110818_183651.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Necklace by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/glitterfist"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">Glitterfist</span></a></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Buying off-the-shelf, mass produced Goth is somewhat anathema to those of us who consider ourselves "elders." It smacks of laziness and is uninspired. It shows no real commitment to being Goth. Anyone can pop into a Hot Topic and be a Goth poseur. Dressing in this mass-produced garbage and calling yourself a Goth is like drinking only Budweiser and calling yourself a beer connoisseur.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnSay1I-4yZ_RkcwVnvtY10HGFtWZECmybN0BpTBcFDjKDIGLb0gI62deMEjkL8DZxzcUzZW76jkYdTj5iiZ_veoMGlaKQ4bcILrE0XulhjExCSPtJWrTfNEOB0sdC6E9pI7PqhzSsXVX/s1600/Picture1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnSay1I-4yZ_RkcwVnvtY10HGFtWZECmybN0BpTBcFDjKDIGLb0gI62deMEjkL8DZxzcUzZW76jkYdTj5iiZ_veoMGlaKQ4bcILrE0XulhjExCSPtJWrTfNEOB0sdC6E9pI7PqhzSsXVX/s200/Picture1.gif" width="186px" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-56123437643487526292011-09-05T18:42:00.000-04:002011-09-05T18:42:57.003-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 16<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Day 16 – What's the most casual you've ever dressed?</span></i></div><br />
In what sense? In college, I worked at a local bar until 3 am. I'd get home, sleep for a few hours then roll out of bed and head to my 8 am classes in my pjs.<br />
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When I was with my ex, I wasn't able to dress gothy, so I often just wore jeans and a tee shirt.<br />
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When I was pregnant with my children, there weren't good goth options in maternity clothes, and after a bit, all I cared for was comfort, so I lived in yoga pants, a tee shirt and a belted, long cardigan.<br />
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Since getting back to being myself, the most casual I dress is usually a black skirt and a black tee shirt. Though I have been known to walk my daughter to school in my pjs if it's a day I'm not going to the office.<br />
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I'm really more about being comfortable than really caring how fancy or gothy I look. As long as I feel like me, I'm all good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cfFM2iAlqtM/TmVPW_Q9QNI/AAAAAAAAAU4/dd7ynlLygLs/s1600/happy_sarah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cfFM2iAlqtM/TmVPW_Q9QNI/AAAAAAAAAU4/dd7ynlLygLs/s320/happy_sarah.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me in casual clothes at a party in Seattle in 2005</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2UlB9PDbqe4/TmVPVVzQ_mI/AAAAAAAAAU0/vW5SEAvqA4A/s1600/thIMG_0071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2UlB9PDbqe4/TmVPVVzQ_mI/AAAAAAAAAU0/vW5SEAvqA4A/s320/thIMG_0071.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me very hung over and casual in a rental car in Austin in 2007</i></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-57479325398140284112011-09-02T19:52:00.000-04:002011-09-02T19:52:35.081-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 15Day 15 – Your favourite or most expensive item in your wardrobe.<br />
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This is a sad topic for me... <br />
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I got rid of most of my favorite clothes after having children. Since then, my body shape keeps changing, and I haven't had the money to get the wardrobe I want as it all goes to child care. And when I do get to buy clothes, they need to be work appropriate.<br />
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When I no longer have to pay what would equal a second rent payment each month for child care, and have a little spending money, I am going to get some fun goth clothes from<a href="http://www.dracinabox.com/"> Drac-in-a-Box</a> and <a href="http://azacclothingcouture.com/">Azrael's Accomplice Designs</a>.<br />
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Until then... well, this is what I have...<br />
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I particularly like this dress, which was a gift from a friend. It's fun. I love the purple and black tulle underneath. and the clips are a nice touch. I have worn this not only to the Goth club, but also out for fancy restaurant dates.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-X6A1t4F9GPddFNcnE27vIowq5GImopSv453OVQKKe2AvoNpPMxujqYgA-WohJm-da3a7XrWjqNEqoeeuvCqg9WKtXux4n7nqYPAjF2qRjVmLMCR40_vi_B0ESGg73fkAN0xJ59W79YCa/s1600/IMG_20110902_182028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-X6A1t4F9GPddFNcnE27vIowq5GImopSv453OVQKKe2AvoNpPMxujqYgA-WohJm-da3a7XrWjqNEqoeeuvCqg9WKtXux4n7nqYPAjF2qRjVmLMCR40_vi_B0ESGg73fkAN0xJ59W79YCa/s320/IMG_20110902_182028.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhNOvg2nNuKQkPub_R0EgQr7h6lr4WEenoJoYkD2869TcgF6uFXDiz-l0opxlBmm6Wky87OSMeWlVyY44HYyTLBxw4LCEX-tKcfpNwlQ1D_TegIPHyogyT2N8VhIFL8ew7HQ2n8JufWiZ/s1600/26994_408678562958_768172958_5200657_6899079_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhNOvg2nNuKQkPub_R0EgQr7h6lr4WEenoJoYkD2869TcgF6uFXDiz-l0opxlBmm6Wky87OSMeWlVyY44HYyTLBxw4LCEX-tKcfpNwlQ1D_TegIPHyogyT2N8VhIFL8ew7HQ2n8JufWiZ/s320/26994_408678562958_768172958_5200657_6899079_n.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><br />
The most expensive dress is the one I wore to my brother's wedding last fall. I rather like how it's like a Gothified 50s housewife kind of look. I like wearing my black pearls with it.<br />
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But my most favorite thing in my closet is the pair of Victorian boots. I used to wear these almost daily. The heel on one broke, but I had it fixed and was happily wearing them again for a while. Then I broke my foot. Since then, wearing heels has been very difficult. I hope the pain eases soon as I really love these boots!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-49727067626703095592011-09-01T08:47:00.000-04:002011-09-01T08:47:00.959-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 14Day 14 – What was your worst DIY disaster and best DIY success?<br />
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I do love a good DIY project! And I do make many things. For example, I've made most of our Christmas ornaments, embroidered shirts for my kids, made them fun pillows, hand-made embossed birthday invites with caligraphy... I could go on for the rest of the day...<br />
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But the thing I like to do best is cake sculptures. I make fancy cakes for my children's birthdays, friend's children's birthdays, school events, etc. I made my first sculpture for my daughter's second birthday. She was very into <em>The Wizard of OZ</em> at the time, so I did the ruby slippers for her. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesKEdRpsYjQJCe4CGhR4yAeyhA_uFbPEPXqUtsshscndMb7ATZYt8UZgvIjO8BlzkrkaiKNcnJVmtnbq4kSxTTqqxmd8AdfvIS0ckXh7yQQ0Cx3xc30lsLec_DZ2_9fJeaJh8HwQ93hOj/s1600/IMG_2763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesKEdRpsYjQJCe4CGhR4yAeyhA_uFbPEPXqUtsshscndMb7ATZYt8UZgvIjO8BlzkrkaiKNcnJVmtnbq4kSxTTqqxmd8AdfvIS0ckXh7yQQ0Cx3xc30lsLec_DZ2_9fJeaJh8HwQ93hOj/s320/IMG_2763.JPG" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ruby Slippers for Lily's 2nd birthday</i></td></tr>
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I really wasn't sure what I was doing, but with the help of a friend (who was the former pastry chef at the restaurant where my husband worked, who also made our wedding cake and who now owns the best chocolate shop ever, <a href="http://artisanconfections.com/">Artisan Confections</a>) I was able to get a basic idea of what I needed, where to get it and the techniques to use. And I was fairly pleased with the results, as it was my first time.<br />
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Since then, I've done many fancy cakes.<br />
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The worst disaster was the Super Mario cake I did for a good friend before he left for Special Agent training. The cake looked great when I went to bed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3uiyeF-o_2jpkGTCq-vtDw_hY5qpL5QF8rOSCpivRFsyzrgbzoojCnAaWhjglxKTZgBaxtcWM2RijuUkNTO-mVh2Sqh_wDec_DAmlzDwCD4PhJs1Alld6DrkFPnqK5l72hRxlSbhlAvV/s1600/1280093307826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3uiyeF-o_2jpkGTCq-vtDw_hY5qpL5QF8rOSCpivRFsyzrgbzoojCnAaWhjglxKTZgBaxtcWM2RijuUkNTO-mVh2Sqh_wDec_DAmlzDwCD4PhJs1Alld6DrkFPnqK5l72hRxlSbhlAvV/s320/1280093307826.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Super Mario cake for Ryan's Bon Voyage</i></td></tr>
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Early the next morning, my son came into my room crying that the cake was broken and vowing that he didn't touch it. I flew down the stairs to find that the back of the middle layer had collapsed over night. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7PFTJB3fe8sclqd8C1pLm07BPyvIR5mNtPUbZEAd20xdJGGeZgHk5R0L0cuHTHqLW2nnA7-jJSFl8hkO2BYO6ugvZX5_C0OvHjRptZ8hKHgpY-xWcqREZ2ztMr1FEWiQjsLfYXWjpODr/s1600/1280093310899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7PFTJB3fe8sclqd8C1pLm07BPyvIR5mNtPUbZEAd20xdJGGeZgHk5R0L0cuHTHqLW2nnA7-jJSFl8hkO2BYO6ugvZX5_C0OvHjRptZ8hKHgpY-xWcqREZ2ztMr1FEWiQjsLfYXWjpODr/s320/1280093310899.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Disaster!</i></td></tr>
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I cried. I was so very upset.<br />
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Then I calmed down and assessed the damage. I decided I had enough skill and supplies that I could salvage the cake. An hour later it was repaired.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDi7NaSZJwx2rSZ349Myxw4IF0YXrzyylL9hRFv4L61NH_zVrnfy3yxDr57c0tyT148IPfqXrZzcECo98X9VB0fdZNe0_TOeG7uDjGD1yNw8_CuhW61Y2tnVhZB01TO9_pEiYMEOCZIiCC/s1600/1280093316006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDi7NaSZJwx2rSZ349Myxw4IF0YXrzyylL9hRFv4L61NH_zVrnfy3yxDr57c0tyT148IPfqXrZzcECo98X9VB0fdZNe0_TOeG7uDjGD1yNw8_CuhW61Y2tnVhZB01TO9_pEiYMEOCZIiCC/s320/1280093316006.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Repaired</i></td></tr>
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And it was a hit at the party too.<br />
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The best cake? Well, I've done some awesome ones, but my favorite was the one for my daughter's sixth birthday. She requested "Dracula coming out of a coffin with blood everywhere!" (I was so pleased that my little girl was becoming a baby bat!) This was the most fun I have ever had making a cake. I listened to Evil Dead 2 on the tv in the background, and used my Bela Lugosi doll as a model for the figure. And of course, I just happened to have mint flavored stage blood in my closet...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxi0LrHNcSZY8EPbCyaqDUZjx71DlReJyyP2E7VLEBq2r8tsOyLaqzpI3AWY-uMkvdncc2G3kaTOjbx1AwJ7dds9aciHSUXoFRZ5pBi-iFdLOV3PlTP5ljFM5WzYSDq_9TZzSeqX4aK46j/s1600/IMG_20110219_121019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxi0LrHNcSZY8EPbCyaqDUZjx71DlReJyyP2E7VLEBq2r8tsOyLaqzpI3AWY-uMkvdncc2G3kaTOjbx1AwJ7dds9aciHSUXoFRZ5pBi-iFdLOV3PlTP5ljFM5WzYSDq_9TZzSeqX4aK46j/s320/IMG_20110219_121019.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dracula for Lily's 6th</i></td></tr>
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I think some of the other kids were a little afraid of this cake, but, I didn't let that bother me. And I <i>know </i>my in laws thought it was "wildly inappropriate." <insert maniacal laughter here><br />
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I truly love making these cakes. Yes, it takes hours and hours, but it satisfies my creative needs. No, I will never do this professionally. It is a hobby and something I do because I <i>want to</i> not because I <i>have to</i>. If this were a job, I'd most likely end up hating it.<br />
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Just for fun, here are some of the other cakes I've made of which I am rather proud:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1a74ADnJ08p7f3waiKD4gkSWe_b6cM5RdeRz_FEa5dwygMcqg_11RIZFCZvvqDZ1Hj_vGGyfOXn22aCLPAUnTd29o-s4lVKBl6miPvKnxbIDAuc8tEVQ-TIBNDvD5McXgz45jmUYGYZ4/s1600/IMG_0245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1a74ADnJ08p7f3waiKD4gkSWe_b6cM5RdeRz_FEa5dwygMcqg_11RIZFCZvvqDZ1Hj_vGGyfOXn22aCLPAUnTd29o-s4lVKBl6miPvKnxbIDAuc8tEVQ-TIBNDvD5McXgz45jmUYGYZ4/s320/IMG_0245.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dragon for Gareth's 1st</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWXxZdKZxiS9aUC1_lDn7rmRwnfen1WgfRRC2QOgN29OvgToVpNOzicO2cPcF967UHuS94M0_hHpDyJocxxf3QlvvRzW2MDWMkN_JziAsqipp1iDkuTtagxuxgEp0oCsPkHLTjM6HlryF/s1600/IMG_1314-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWXxZdKZxiS9aUC1_lDn7rmRwnfen1WgfRRC2QOgN29OvgToVpNOzicO2cPcF967UHuS94M0_hHpDyJocxxf3QlvvRzW2MDWMkN_JziAsqipp1iDkuTtagxuxgEp0oCsPkHLTjM6HlryF/s320/IMG_1314-1.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fasery houses for Lily's 3rd</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf3zcT45Uwz5BlT_1FgHk-iZ8d9gJdwdFEbIHk0s_C7tJZGw0AeExBvaVPTtR8px5HD_O-1ltRIlrMXDFjpwtoI1fyNGznvWsXxGGzBY8o3HInCTOKWvpQQYQghg_VfD5vO3sWWbvL8PW/s1600/IMG_1396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxf3zcT45Uwz5BlT_1FgHk-iZ8d9gJdwdFEbIHk0s_C7tJZGw0AeExBvaVPTtR8px5HD_O-1ltRIlrMXDFjpwtoI1fyNGznvWsXxGGzBY8o3HInCTOKWvpQQYQghg_VfD5vO3sWWbvL8PW/s320/IMG_1396.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tea Mouse for Lena's 1st</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcJhdh0T07jUtTvpm0e9zuHTXYO80SfLWoLVdz1xPoTTxKbuKFzRt8g6r8hNYXXfOzctemgN6CG3lGq7ep5G33XpSnP_Qmw4dTDBEhMxsknMgA7NkvCxfBbPrST_O5RqL2wId-fI_3NOb/s1600/IMG_2225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcJhdh0T07jUtTvpm0e9zuHTXYO80SfLWoLVdz1xPoTTxKbuKFzRt8g6r8hNYXXfOzctemgN6CG3lGq7ep5G33XpSnP_Qmw4dTDBEhMxsknMgA7NkvCxfBbPrST_O5RqL2wId-fI_3NOb/s320/IMG_2225.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hello Kitty for Siri's 3rd (Kitty head made of rice crispies)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_I8pto2vL07TPe1lcaJ-XVRPeITxM0Mh_yddV0cWQhxJVdSrC1TFlE5ATY5I6_XLKbDZCV8dqcZqXRfiVLLYT7jCU0gwVmP-ZjmaA1jZooaX9fDT2SNDqrdNWAMgqrojp1Q07NVfPNeR9/s1600/lena%2527s+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_I8pto2vL07TPe1lcaJ-XVRPeITxM0Mh_yddV0cWQhxJVdSrC1TFlE5ATY5I6_XLKbDZCV8dqcZqXRfiVLLYT7jCU0gwVmP-ZjmaA1jZooaX9fDT2SNDqrdNWAMgqrojp1Q07NVfPNeR9/s320/lena%2527s+cake.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pink Grumpy Bear for Lena's 2nd</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVBLxFqKgWawcbsaqdhXK8u6NYp21XIFEG40sS9PnCOg3EJJPudLy5aYbe7NjhUz63GTuKKMQg_gSlpJhlltVZYM7ap_rLbbfpGjsedupSpmdx5Ch-GuHO6NbfZyvVjb0O6sCLBaTB1qV/s1600/IMG00681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVBLxFqKgWawcbsaqdhXK8u6NYp21XIFEG40sS9PnCOg3EJJPudLy5aYbe7NjhUz63GTuKKMQg_gSlpJhlltVZYM7ap_rLbbfpGjsedupSpmdx5Ch-GuHO6NbfZyvVjb0O6sCLBaTB1qV/s320/IMG00681.jpg" width="240px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tiana for Lily's 5th</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwLni-_1FwO8TveG295srxjll82W6i6PoPWf7p9JfxdHoDwh-7OWa_bMIqzKoPmNKLAXvMwtFoXGm2EyAmmNIYuAgN8iiPPmc4LzEPT-cfJt3VK81Bsy65SkMksrb-lXsW5jLKKzSdXFb/s1600/IMG00412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwLni-_1FwO8TveG295srxjll82W6i6PoPWf7p9JfxdHoDwh-7OWa_bMIqzKoPmNKLAXvMwtFoXGm2EyAmmNIYuAgN8iiPPmc4LzEPT-cfJt3VK81Bsy65SkMksrb-lXsW5jLKKzSdXFb/s320/IMG00412.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>R2D2 for Gareth's 3rd</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>School mascot for Teacher Appreciation Day</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3_FFDvK5xj0MNrKhEIjPGSha5_RgSIqlZwTB5lCa06X1XhfBH4I4JDzzszEsjRoIp2G2VaBaEQXK78OIDntjT1USM6bJOKIFEi_Sf1S513dtaw84xRKEFETgpnSBrCTadjYbolzo2U5U/s1600/IMG_20101204_014149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3_FFDvK5xj0MNrKhEIjPGSha5_RgSIqlZwTB5lCa06X1XhfBH4I4JDzzszEsjRoIp2G2VaBaEQXK78OIDntjT1USM6bJOKIFEi_Sf1S513dtaw84xRKEFETgpnSBrCTadjYbolzo2U5U/s320/IMG_20101204_014149.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Death Star for Gareth's 4th</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOwHwK5-4DOvY-6U7IUfWZvgln83F-usj9bwn8zm5HAO0f-EtL_C4_laeZ64LLkTFzLv9u0YXpUXIFoiA7Ez1X8WBSMwgPPKE6qWUOiYIbr9R7l3ZrZft9fsagqYzUF3PTeJUpuI8Y7DN/s1600/1308289275548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOwHwK5-4DOvY-6U7IUfWZvgln83F-usj9bwn8zm5HAO0f-EtL_C4_laeZ64LLkTFzLv9u0YXpUXIFoiA7Ez1X8WBSMwgPPKE6qWUOiYIbr9R7l3ZrZft9fsagqYzUF3PTeJUpuI8Y7DN/s320/1308289275548.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Despicable Me for Kindergarten Graduation</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1Yga-0fRnz-8Wi9iGejQ3sxJJvyM3J95f5828BQQ-EZjO73BfuH81t9dXNcWcuk4ozxxD2NJ6I2WmG1e2fjexg-1AF62nnW1cYr9MAlncN5GHgLpS3qpVcwVqmWFQtqTPrZHmuIQpdpD/s1600/1308271955613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1Yga-0fRnz-8Wi9iGejQ3sxJJvyM3J95f5828BQQ-EZjO73BfuH81t9dXNcWcuk4ozxxD2NJ6I2WmG1e2fjexg-1AF62nnW1cYr9MAlncN5GHgLpS3qpVcwVqmWFQtqTPrZHmuIQpdpD/s320/1308271955613.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Minons</i></td></tr>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8654820569374213473.post-59028115039246426532011-08-31T09:26:00.000-04:002011-08-31T09:26:32.376-04:00Goth Challenge, Day 13<div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #20124d;">Day 13 – What was your first band t-shirt?</span></em></div><br />
I got this Cure shirt in, I think, 1987. I was about 14.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EBigagCYr3lKWelk9V6Vxj2-J_gAqscJUFIWmP58Xe6NUcnqXy7OlzSe3FIP9wnZ2mXDoNbznG2H9U9SPUj1l3hF1-KZH2pW-4rNB4lmoItY9QXYyFFo-33DUik2Q6UrwHZsLvkHDYqn/s1600/IMG_20110830_153303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EBigagCYr3lKWelk9V6Vxj2-J_gAqscJUFIWmP58Xe6NUcnqXy7OlzSe3FIP9wnZ2mXDoNbznG2H9U9SPUj1l3hF1-KZH2pW-4rNB4lmoItY9QXYyFFo-33DUik2Q6UrwHZsLvkHDYqn/s320/IMG_20110830_153303.jpg" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
My mom took me out of school for a special day together. We went to downtown Pittsburgh, had lunch, and did some shopping. I remember asking her to take me to <a href="http://www.eides.com/">Eide's Entertainment</a> store. I remember being excited to find this shirt in a size small enough to fit me without looking like a tent as this was well before the advent of the Girly-Tee.<br />
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I also remember the first time I wore it because I was disappointed that no one else that I knew at the time was excited about the Cure. In fact, I had several people actually ask me who the Cure was. <br />
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Looking back, I'm not really surprised. After all, this was the Pittsburgh area in the mid-80s. Pittsburgh was, and still is, stuck on "classic rock." In fact their current "alternative" radio station seems stuck in thee early 90s - they have a heavy rotation of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots... But back then, if it wasn't 80s hair metal, Zeppelin or Floyd, or top 40 crap, 99% of people in my high school didn't know it. In the next couple years, they did know the Cure and Depeche Mode, as each band had radio hits then. The Cure had <em>Pictures of You</em> and Depeche Mode had <em>Personal Jesus </em>and <em>Enjoy the Silence</em>. <br />
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But this shirt became symbolic to me of realizing that I existed somewhere on the fringes - outside the norm. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1