Fluff and Stuff

So I am a bad really bad at keeping up here! I am torn between what to post and what to keep to myself most of the time. What is interesting will vary on who it happens to I suppose. Work is always interesting to me, but I work with 3 year olds who always keep me on my toes!
Its almost move up time at the school, and is bitter sweet for me. I have spent a year or longer with these kids and I know they are ready and need to move on, but I will still miss their smiles every morning, how they all light up and call my name when I come in the room.  How far they have come, and I feel that one in particular may still need me. He is way past ready and into need to move up to pre school, but he need someone who can be super patient and let him be a little rough with. I guess he reminds me of how my brother use to be.
I love it when the kids need me. Seems silly written out, but when they call out for me and not somebody else in the room, or do something just for me I get this giddy flip inside and know I am were I belong. Its not just at work, but at home too. I know it drives my mother a little crazy when my nephew will want me not her.
Yesterday we were playing in his room and he picked up the baby gate and turned it on its side. I grabbed for it, and it slid down and scraped up the side of his hand. He was very upset and my mother grabbed him and yelled at me "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" Oh ya, I did it knowing that would happen. But then she kept saying to him "What did Auntie do to you?" But then her got up from her, still crying and ran to me. I thought he would be so upset with me, but over he came and held out his hand and said "Boo-boo." He wanted me to make it better, and then we snuggled together for an hour till he fell asleep, it was his nap time.
I guess he knows I would do anything for him.
I don't have any prospects of marriage or having children at this point, and I am starting to feel rather old at times. After all only 2 years till 30 I am told. So the kids I work with are the closest I will probably have- and I am okay with that.

 Class blanket made at school.

So I traded in my civic and got a Chevy Sonic! Its super cute and has amazing gas mileage! I love it, and think it may take me to Baltimore in Aug. I will get it registered next week and if its still available the plate will be PBCUP.

Anime Boston was at the end of May. It was fun, not without its drama, but over all I had fun. Highlights are working for Aniplex USA to promote Sword Art Online, and having a private autograph session with the guests- they signed our wall scrolls, swords, and our trophy from the masquerade!

We won second place Masters Performance- which is nice but a slide back for us. The pic above is our trophy and my dragon, Pina, I made. Looking forward to our next event!

Its time for a CUPCAKE PHOTO SHOOT!!!

Cupcake models are Chocolate Chip Cookie, Maple Bacon, and Root-beer Float. All from Queen City Cupcakes in Manchester, NH.

A Year in Review

A new January and a new blog post! I am really bad at this updating stuff!!!
2012 is over- thank goodness! It was an eventful year, but not the best year. I set a new record for myself and when to 8 conventions. I don't think that will happen again for a while. Its time to get serious about getting my own space- and way past time. I am drowning in boxes of craft and sewing supplies in my tiny room. So I will have to go threw a major purge of stuff before a moving day comes.

My nephew has grown so much in this year, turned 1 in the spring and started walking just a week after, then running the day after! Now he is talking more and goes to Daycare. He has become a bigger part in my life then I ever imagined anyone would, and my heart melts when her runs up to me with his big toothy grin. I have never spent so much on Christmas presents before!!!

 My sister and nephew November 2012

I had a one year anniversary with my "boyfriend" then we broke up a few weeks later. I feel like the biggest jerk because I can't maintain a long distance relationship- and the reason he moved was to better himself and go to school. But in the one year we were together I was lucky if I saw or really spoke to him more than once a month. He lived 2 hours away and worked different hours. I was not feeling like I was really in a relationship for a long time, but he was fun when he was around so it was hard to tell him. I hope he finds someone who can appreciate who he is, and share more of his beliefs.

I won a Best in Show for my category individually at a convention in November!  I was so excited for a bit, but then it sets in that it is a very small convention and I was the only one in my category that competed in both craftsmanship and performance- so, ya. It was still a fun weekend with friends, and we got to go to the Ben and Jerry's Factory!!!!

Ben and Jerry's Factory VT  November 2012

   I picked up a new hobby-kinda. Some co-workers and I took a hula hoop class together and I loved it! I want to do more! I want to look for more classes in the spring, and start walking and hooping in the park with co-workers if they are up for it. I even worked a little hula hoop into a skit in June and won a performance award. Also the next 2 conventions after that I used some color guard stuff and loved it! Makes me want to do more with that again!

Myself at the Summer Matsuri September 2012

 

Over all this year was a big 2 steps forward 3 steps back. It had high points, but then some very low points too. Now that its over and the world did not end Its time to look to the future and hope for the best!!!

Cardboard Bandits Cosplay Group Best Overall Craftsmanship AB 2012

Rant, Rant, Cosplay Rant...

I was doing good, then not so much. With the posting that is.
Well I found something to rant about for a bit. And it has been driving me crazy these past few weeks.
Portcon Maine's Masquerade. Specifically the craftsmanship portion. It has been run by the same group since before I have been going- back in 2006, and I just don't understand them.
In 2009 I entered my Maka Albarn from Soul Eater costume. I spent days on the skirt. I wanted it to be the very specific black plaid so I made it. Cut black strips and sewed each stripe on. It took FOREVER! Then I made my first button down shirt with modified sleeves, made the vest, and fully lined jacket- oh the skirt was lined too- and made the boots as well. The only thing I did not have a hand in was the wig (commissioned from Elise) and the tie-store bought. I was only a novice then so I was pretty impressed with myself. It was the first thing I had tried really hard to impress with. Well I got nothing in craftsmanship that year. Lost to a guy who sewed 2 store bought suits together to make a 2 Face from Batman costume. I did get Best Skit with my group, so it was all good. My friend Rivith entered her Death the Kid from Soul Eater in to craftsmanship that year as well, and she made a suit and hand weft-ed the stripes into her wig and she got nothing either. The next 2 years I entered with large groups and we got Best in Show Craftsmanship in 2010, and then they bumped us up and gave us 2nd place Masters Craft. So then we competed as Masters at Anime Boston in 2012 and got Best Overall Craftsmanship.
So that brings us back to this past Portcon Maine. I was alone again this year. So I decided to do Q from [C]. It is a fairly new series, but I haven't seen a lot/any cosplayers for it. So it would be fresh for them. Heck they take original designs into the competition so what the heck. I made it in 2 days. Finished every seem and hem, dyed a wig, wired feathers together and made horns from scratch, as well as my first time using body paint. So I thought I had a shot at some craftsmanship award. Well I did till judging.
Walked in the room, they said- "Oh you must be some kind on Pokemon!" After I told them no, they had no interest and rushed me around then out. Hardly glanced at my reference images, and then- this is the part that gets me- one judges flipped down my top hem and said "Edges are finished, but not French seemed." WHAT?! I said "Um, actually they are." And flipped up the bottom so they could see the triple hem and French seems on the sides. Seems are when 2 edges of fabric come together, not on the top or bottom- that is a hem. I thought these judges knew what they were looking for. They always stress finishing every other year! I know it was a simple design so I took care to make sure everything was perfect.
Well in the Masters category someone got bumped up (thought she was already in masters...) to take 2nd place- and her bead work that they were gushing about was falling off as she walked up the stage. It was a lovely costume- but the rows of pearls were just hot glued on. And the girl who won first was someone I have seen around and does fantastic work, She had an original design. Best in Show went to a guy who did some amazing armor. The said that there weren't a lot of Masters entered so they bumped some one up. I hate to sound like an elitist but, please. I did a hula hoop and chain flag routine and my costume never busted a seem, and my paint didn't smudge.
The biggest issue was that original designs and recreations are together. How do you judge accuracy on an original design? You can't. I think they are great costumes, and do deserve a good look at, but need a separate judging section. So I expressed this on the forums and the head of judging says it will all be together since this is a geek culture convention not just Anime. Okay, not my point.

They say they follow the Northern Lights Costuming Guild guidelines. I will have to take a look at these- but will have to look it up on my own time since they don't have them posted, or have a link to them.

Well in the end I guess its all okay since I have walked away with an award of some kind every year I have entered.
Not to sound stuck up-- most of the awards are shared with a group, I only have 2 individual awards.

Q from [c] The Soul and Possibility of Money- Control

Made for Portcon Maine 2012

Ice Cream Cake!!! -as seen on Omnomicon.com-

A family friend runs this amazing cooking blog, omnomicon.com, and posted a recipe that she found in a vintage community cook book. Its a fabulous semi home made take on cake mix cake. She recommended it to me when I was making cupcakes for my sister's baby shower and they are so delicious I have not made a cake different since.

Cupcakes made and arranged by me in April 2011 for my Sister's Baby Shower.

Best thing about this recipe is- no measuring required because you use a box cake mix!!!!!

The recipe given is for chocolate cake and you use chocolate ice cream, but I have also done this with gold cake mix and vanilla ice cream and chocolate cake mix and mint chip ice cream.You will need:
1 box chocolate cake mix (or any other flavor)
1 pint chocolate ice cream, softened (again, any other flavor)
3 eggs
1 c water

 First scoop the ice cream into a bowl and set aside to soften. If you need to pop it into the microwave for a few seconds that's fine too. Just don't go over 10seconds- You don't want it to be soup, just soft.

Preheat oven to 350^o. Grease pan, then dust with flour ( Or for a extra chocolate kick use cocoa powder) or I use baking Pam.

Beat all ingredients together for 4 minutes. And after the 4 minutes it will look like, well melted ice cream.

 Pour into pan and bake 45 minutes. 

Serve with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, a thin icing, whipped cream or the frosting of your choice.

This cake was made for a cake walk at my works Fall Festival, so it ended up looking like this:

The Cut

This past July I had my first significant hair cut in about 4 years. My sister (who is a cosmologist) took about 13/14 inches off in a ponytail- and then another few for styling.
I recently realized I didn't have pictures from 4th of July weekend on my external hard drive and then realized I had never put them on my computer from my old memory card. Well this was the weekend I cut my hair so I had some pictures- and whenever I stumble on pictures of my long hair I miss it. I'm glad I cut my hair, it was cooler- temp wise- and easier to take care of, but sometimes I miss all the fun things I use to do with it.
I donated my hair to Locks Of Love. I did the same thing in 8th grade.

 Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. For more information on this organization and to learn how you can help go to http://www.locksoflove.org/

Fun Find- Nutcracker!

I love to go to GoodWill and wonder around the home and kitchen stuff. There is so much interesting stuff!! I like wondering around consignment shops too- and I have found some great stuff there too, like this great find:

 Found in a shop less than 2 miles away from my house! It was $25- and its more than I would pay in GoodWill, but it was so unique, vintage and I just had to have it! I was in the shop looking for items for my sister's baby shower, we did a Victorian Safari Tea so this piece was perfect.
A few months later I was in the local GoodWill killing some time while my pictures were being processed and I stumbeled on this bad boy:

Oh what strange torture device is this? Well its actually a nut cracker platter!!! I know right?!  I love having a bowl/platter of in shell nuts out at the holidays-- or anytime its just a little harder to find in shell nuts after January for some reason.

You can use it as I have pictured, or the better way is not to put the nuts on the platter- but use it to catch all the shell. Or both as I did for Thanksgiving this past year.  I love this piece not only because its unique and fun, or because it was only $1, but also because my mother has terrible hand pain and weakness at times and its very hard for her to use the standard nut crackers that you squeeze in your hand. I get my love of nuts from her, so now she can enjoy cracking her own nuts! (you can take that as you will)