momtoast

Project Archive

It's a great place to organize my millions of projects. And hopefully it will continue to motivate me to actually work on them, since I now have a nifty place to update them. If you have tons of projects too, you should try using this site.

Having said that, I'm making myself head home tonight and work on some of those projects. So no coffee hangout business meeting for me. Sigh. Gotta do stuff sometime.

Just a little something I had fun with in college.

Nation States
Create your own nation, deal with issues, and find out what kind of leader you are.

So I started my own country up again. Not sure if you can click to it from here, but it's worth a try. I just like voting on the issues that come up and see where I get ranked as a nation. I don't get into the regions and such things. There are some loony people on this site.
The Queendom of Oro y Aire

Most people have heard by now that my purse was snatched from my hands on my way home Saturday night.

I'm really OK about this for the most part. I was not hurt at all. Just shaken up. It was just stuff, and as inconvenient as it was to cancel all my stuff and wait for new stuff (including my phone, which I had insurance for, thankfully), I'm just very glad I'm not hurt, that it happened close to my parent's house, and that I have a lot of support from friends and family to get me back to normal. It could have gone much worse.

I am miffed though that my little laptop was in my purse (probably why he stole it really). My novel was on there. Though I do have some of it saved on Google docs, I hadn't updated it in some time. Argh.

But then, this IS National Novel Writing Month. I could write it again, and this time it will be better.

So stay tuned for progress reports on this years NaNo novel, working title: Seven Circles

 K, so I've been reading about Lucrezia Borgia (well, just because) and I ran across an interesting idea for a story:

Apparently, Guiliano Lorenzo de Medici (evenually Pope Leo X) and Cesare Borgia (son of Pope Alexander VI) were both at the University of PIsa at (almost?) the same time. I haven't satisfied myself completely yet, as I can't find the exact dates that Cesare was there.

But you can't tell me that wouldn't be a great story? Hazing renaissance Italian style?

 It's that time of year again. And I'm debating entering the NaNoWriMo again. Just a fun way to get yourself to get a novel out of your head and on paper.

I've won two years, and flopped two years. I have a loverly little laptop now though, so I could write on the bus. But the question is, will I?

And should I try to do this while I'm stalled on a novel I'm already writing? Oy. 

I wonder if it would count if I did a complete rewrite of one I did a few years ago . . . now that I actually know a bit more about the historical period I was writing about. Or should I go with one of the half formed ideas I have bouncing around in my head at any given time of day? I dunno.

For some reason, I got home, and felt like cooking. So I did.

I made Pumpkin Sausage Pasta. Oh my word. My friend at work had been telling me about it, and I've had squash in ravioli before, so I was fairly sure I would like it, but this is great stuff. I now have lunches for the week. :0)

I also made some homemade salsa (from peppers and tomatoes I grew myself, bought the onion). Haven't tried it yet. Verdict to come.

Then I tried my first attempt at Spanish chocolate, based on this recipe. It's rich. For real rich. And I'm loving it. I'll probably drink all 8oz myself too. I didn't have vanila, so I used a little red cooking wine (good excuse, right?) and pear nectar rather than guava. But whatever. I'm loving it.

 I found myself thinking of a lot of past joys today . . .

The corner store at my old neighborhood, where we could get Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kids or Lemonheads for 10 cents.

Pickles in a barrel at the deli counter.

Getting Ginger Snaps in fall and Star Cookies at Christmas. Or sitting at my dad's feet getting passed sections of pomegranates.

The Disney Sunday Night Movie. :0)

My sister's peanut butter cookie experiment.

The Gallery's light show at Christmas. (and getting real candy sticks after)

Sigh.

How come no one told me that Hugh Jackman AND Daniel Craig are in a play on Broadway?

Starbucks is selling instant coffee?

Toy Story and Toy Story 2 come out this weekend in 3D!

Settmour Swamp has questionable T-shirts.

There are a lot more offices in the East Kingdom than I knew.

K. That's all for now. There is a plan forming in my head. Hopefully I can discuss it with some more peeps tonight, and actually work out the details. I'm excited. I'm a graphic designer, and I likes creating unified looks. It's how my brain works. So be watching for more info on that.

PS - OMG, is the Known World Costume Symposium really in TWO WEEKS? Oy. I gotta get sewing.

. . . and I miss Muin.

I'm a Marvel . . . and I'm a DC (Deadpool vs. Green Lantern)


My brother introduced me to these. I laughed lots.

Saturday I went to Peter Beagle's book signing at the University of Pennsylvania, and at Robbins bookstore that same night. (They didn't actually have his new short story collection, "We Never Talk About My Brother" at the U of Penn bookstore. ugh.)

It was wonderful. He's a dear man if ever I've met one. He read some stories and poetry (you have to read the Pirates of the River D, even if it is just a small excerpt on the web) and he and his friendly and charismatic agent introduced some of his upcoming work. It was wonderful.

Usually when I meet someone I admire, especially people of some note, I usually can't talk. At all. Not just my usual shyness, I mean total brain shut down. Nothing. But Beagle and Conner, his agent, were great to talk to. So now I know he's been to India, and likes Thai food, and likes hugs. :0)

I also bought his new collection, which includes a poetry cycle based on the Unicorn Tapestries.

I is very happy.

Or interesting upcoming events . . .

This Saturday, one of my favorite fantasy authors is going to be in Philly doing readings and book signings! Yipee! I'll probably go to the one at U of Penn, or maybe the evening thing at Robins Bookstore. Not sure yet. Either way, I'm getting my book signed.

Peter Beagle's (The Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place, and others) Visits
Philadelphia Science Fiction Society
University of Pennsylvania Bookstore
Robins Bookstore

Then, there's Beadfest. Not sure if I'm going, or for how long or whatever, but it looks like fun. Lots of pretty sparkly things.

Then, there's Cannstatter's Volksfest Oktoberfest on labor day weekend. We've gone before, and let me tell you it is yummy! Real German food, music, beer, crafts, the whole nine yards.

So check the links for info! Maybe I'll see some of you there!

Yes, I'm posting to brag about my vegetables. :0)

( Veggie Pictures )

Ok, so I've lived in Philly all my life, and never knew that they had stuff like this in the rare book collection at the Philadelphia Free Library. Yah, really. So I wanna go see. Especially the Books of Hours. I'll be going post Pennsic. Anyone interested in coming along? It would have to be during a weekday though, so I'm not sure how well it would work out. They arrange tours at other times, so maybe we could request a weekend/weeknight.

In other news, I think this play is going to kill me. The lack of sleep is not fun. I am, however, losing weight I think, or at least getting a better shape. Not complaining about that.

Tonight: Phillies Fireworks Game. Yipee!

Crazy in a good way. But still crazy.

Friday I took off from work and slept in.
Then I went to Jomar, and got fabric for a costume for The Music Man and three chemises for Pennsic. Total: $27.
Then I swung over to my parents house and my mom volunteered to help make my Music Man costume.
Then we all went out to see "Public Enemies" starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. Not over dramatized and well done. Yay!

Saturday I again slept in.
Then went to my parent's for the cookout, helped my dad stain my Pennsic chair, and made the skirt for my costume.
Then we partook of inch thick T-bone steaks that they got from a farmer's market in Bristol. Never frozen. Emeril Rub. Yah.
Then hung out with the niece and generally chilled.

Today, got the rest of my costume done and cooked food for the week.

So, I have to go to work tomorrow?

I has website!

See?

Yay! Due to uncontrollable circumstances, I now have a small speaking part in the Music Man! I'm now Mrs. Squires (I'm married to one of the barber shop quarter) so I have a few lines!

This morning was a little rough. I had too much caffeine yesterday (and add to that the endorphines from biking for 8 miles yesterday) so I was awake and very emotional at four this morning. Blah. So I was crying and worrying all morning.

Then we get to work, and a client of one of our salesmen, not our own really, called and was asking questions that we couldn't know the answer to because our salesman hadn't told us anything. Then he called the salesman and reamed him out. So he called our boss and reamed her out, so she called us and reamed us out. Ugh.

Then some guy on my way home got my number. Don't know why I gave it out. I was feeling really down until the play rehearsal. I'm not interested in random stuff like that. It takes me long enough to get to know just friends. Whatever. 

So that was my crazy day. Now for some sleep.

Ok, now I'm getting picture happy, right? At least I put them behind the cut.

( See the pics, hello, and Ole! )

I've always wanted to be in a musical. So when they converted a local movie theater into a playhouse, and opened auditions for a community production, I went and tried out.

I got call backs. :0) But I didn't get a speaking part. (Not insanely surprised. I can't act.) But I will be performing as a townsperson in The Music Man. So if anyone gets an inkling to see what passes for community theater in Mayfair, come and check us out. Performances are July 17-19, two at 7:00pm and a Sunday matinee.

The Devon Theater.

Yay! More cute niece pictures.

Sophia likes to eat. I think she's approaching a growth spurt. I do know they tend to get really chubby around 4 months, before they start crawling around. So perhaps we're really close to this.



And here you can see her playing with a new stuffed Mr. Froggie. But he's already been replaced by a great doll with a skirt that crinkles when she grabs it. She now likes to grab stuff.



And I'm getting back into wire jewelry. Here are some things I've made recently. The bracelet and earrings for my mom, and a necklace for me.

I only use my cell. Why pay for a home phone when I'm hardly there?