Austen and Austin

Happy Monday My Friends,

Well I'm happy to say this cold seems to be loosing it's grips from me even further. I unfortunantly till have some conjestion, I think I'll use a term a girl I knew said once, lung butter, but on the positive end I can pop my ears again! I never thought I'd be so happy to be able to pop my ears. Ok enough of this episode of my strange body let's get to more literary topics.

Musings of a Budding Janeite
If had told me in High School or college I would enjoy Jane Austen I'd proabably would have fallen off my unicorn. But I think it was only a matter of time. I enjoyed movies like Clueless, which is based off Emma, and The Jane Austen Book Club, I really enjoyed the mini series Lost in Austen. The closest I came to reading Jane's words was what was used in Sense and Sensibility, and Sea Monsters. I had a failed start one night, but I did attempt later with flying success, and thouroughly enjoyed it, I was kinda suprised to be honest... Should I ever marry I fear I'll hear my husband speak of my nerves as Mr. Bennet does his wife's. Last year at Books Unlimited I found a used copy of Emma with notes made by a student. Some probably don't like having books written in, but I love it, even if I don't understand sometimes what they've written.

The whole reson I bring up Austen is because of a web series inspired by her work Pride and Prejudice called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I discovered this while watching old episdes of Felicia Day's Flog. Actually it was more than a web series, websites, twitter accounts, and such were set up as though the characters had made them and they would post stuff to go along with the episodes. How often can one get a chance to tweet with Mr. Darcy. This year mark's the 5 year anniversary of the show so they are releasing the episodes, tweets, and all as they were released 5 years ago posting them through their Facebook Page. I was a little late when they started showing them again, but a quick binge and now I'm enjoying as it appears on my FB, I find it better this way as opposed to the huge binges sessions I did when I first watched it through. I really recommend you check it out, and when you're through with this series and are itching for more from Pemberly Digital's Austen interpretations check out Emma Approved and Welcome to Sandition, I think it's easy to guess what Austen work each is based from. The writers actually ended up combine all these Austen works into one universe, and they use the same multi media story telling format, Welcome to Sandition, if I understand correctly went as far as having their fans get involved in a roleplaying sort of thing, that was awesome. I'm kinda hoping these other two shows get the 5 year anniversary treatment next year.

When I started rewatching LBD I found this video in my Youtube recommendations. For the 5 year anniversary the cast came together to play a game called Marrying Mr. Darcy. Basically you assume the role of one of the single ladies of the book and try to end up with a suitor, or be an old maid. You know part of me wishes I had more Janeites around who would have fun with this, but at the same time makes me wander what my regular peeps would do with this.

If you've yet to tire of Jane Austen the Marrying Mr. Darcy blog shared a link to a Hellogiggles.com Article on How to Host a Jane Austen Girls' Night In. It's not an extensive list of ideas, but it does offer up some things I didn't know about.

The Austin in Austin
　A few months ago I was diving in a Goodwill Outlet bin trying to find the rest of these Fairy and Mermaid Oracle Cards for Fangirl when I found Austin Kleon's Steal Like An Artist Journal. I was excited to find this. I've been following Austin Kleon for a bit, I don't know how I originally found him, maybe through the writer Keri Smith, though I'm pretty sure it was through his black out poetry. He's a writer and artist living in Austin Texas who sends out great e newsletters each week, and keeps cool notebooks. That's actual one of the purposes of the book I found is to be a notebook to collect your inspirations.

The book also has activities for you to do to get those creative juices flowing. My favorite thus far is where we were asked to climb up our creative family tree. You pick who your most influenced by then find 3 of that person's influences, and then those three's three. It's interesting an interesting tree I must say.

Of course I'm not the first to write in it, as I said it's used, but it's fun seeing what this person, a lover of Van's Chocolates apparently, came up with for some of these prompts. That's what I love about getting second hand books, you never know what treasures you'll find within, and I love connecting with a past reader of a used book I own.

With that I hope your week is good to you friends, may good books come your way, and God bless you!




Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer

Crazy Idea Time: The Laundromat Musings - A Book

Hello my friends,
I hope this week has treated you well. I am recovering from battling a cold that hit me out of no where, I'm not completely 100 percent, but I think I'm pretty close minus the hacking coughs. But enough about my health let's turn our attention to a place that probably is crawling with as much germs as I am, the Laundromat.
Actually this post was first started in February or March of last year or the year before. Actually was suppose to be for the old blog, yup it's been sitting here waiting on ye olde computer a bit. It started when I was updating my journal, my actual handwritten one, and I was writing about the trip we'd made to the Laundromat to do the massive load of laundry that'd piled up the last time I got massively sick, we'd all been sick that time. Mainly it was just observations of things that night and the people we ran into, but it got me to thinking that would make an interesting book. A book centered around the Laundromat. I'm sure some it's been done, but each person and Laundromat has a tale. I mean seriously interesting thoughts photos, and stories can come from these places.

I have a many memories from my ventures to these places, some that are sick enough to gross out your therapist and those good enough that me feel warm when I think about them. There's the night a couple had this large dog running around the place and it goes sniffing at our Burger King we'd bought to munch on while the clothes were washing. Then after they had finished their clothes you saw them throwing layers of their dryer warmed clothes on them before assumingly walking home into winter's darkness.

Actually at that same Laundromat many, many winters before and my Dad needed to use the restroom, so he parks at the Laundromat, it's a 24 hour place, and he opens the door to their tiny men's restroom only to bean the head of a poor homeless man who'd made it's floor his bed for the night.




These yellow ones had been there since I was little, they were in the process of replacing them.



Dog or Human?

It's a place where the writings of bygone visitors can leave us with so many questions like: "What's the deal with Princess Sparkles?"



Are these crazy kids are still together after almost 4 years?

Who's Jessie and why is he always here?

Besides a place that keeps clean clothes upon your person, it's a place were you profess your love.

So what are some of your crazy Laundromat stories? Or any clothes washing related tale? Well friends behave yourselves, may your clothes always come clean, and may God Bless You!
Ninja <[0000]---------------[0000]> Writer

 

The Halloween Season Chronicles

Hello friends! Seems our calendar has come around to the final couple months of another year. Soon we'll be running around throwing up the Christmas lights, we have to start putting them up before Thanksgiving to get done. Mom's already begun the great light check to make sure they are in good shape. But before we begin the journey to the Holiday Season, let's take a look at the recent Halloween season.

Where the Sky is Filled With Balloons

Almost every October Fangirl and I have made a trek to Franklin for their Pumpkinfest. It's the main time of the year, excluding conventions, we can rock the costumes. Fangirl went with her tried and true Fortuneteller get up, this makes the third or forth time since we've been friends that she's dressed as one.

Forgive the scowl, the sun was in her face.



I went as a Fall Fairy this year. My decision for this was based on that leaf crown. It was suppose to be used for my costume last year, but in the rush to leave I forgot it, so I decided to come up with a costume I where I could utilize it.

I've come to sprinkle Fall magic about, or at least some orange glitter.

We got to enter main street the same way we did I think the year before last and found a new tagging, the rat. Some of his toxic waste seems to have spewed on the street. The Crying Guy tag on the doorway in the background was there last time. I wonder what was their mindset. Was it just bored taggings or messages behind these pieces.

Now when we pass through the archway you see in the background some part of me always feels like your stepping into a new magical world. Which when you think about it it kinda is. It's a world of mermaids and pirates, princesses and book characters, superheroes and characters of the screen. It's where you'll see a flame shooting mini bike and a bookstore with cats. So yeah there's a bit of magic it if you look at it with the right set of eyes.
Thankfully it was a beautiful day, though more like a cool Summer day than Fall, which mean still pretty warm.

Lovely sky to receive the 22 balloon we saw lost into it's vastness

When I come into town I have two shops I love to visit. The first is one of my favorite book stores Books Unlimited. I mean it has books first off, but it has so many things I love about it. There's the wood floor, this grandfather clock you pass going into the used section of the store, they have a ship hanging from the ceiling, and of course the cats that are usually found around the shop. I didn't really pay attention this year to see if I saw the cats, I was in a fog of lack of sleep.

The second shop I visit is the Art Room. I love their selection of charms. Last year I think I purchased a charm for my charm bracelet that said beads of life which really I think reflects what a charm bracelet is. This year I decided to start a Halloween charm bracelet. I got a tea cup and saucer charm to represent my Hatter costume and a golden leaf for my fall fairy costume. I want to find charms that represent costumes of the past at some point and just other things that represent my Halloween memories.

You never know the friends you'll meet on a bench

The Thimblerig Circus was back and the lady of the trio was in her gorgeous costume again from last year, we later watched as she allowed her fellow performer to slice the banana in half she was holding in her teeth with his whip.

I LOVE THIS DRESS!

One thing Fangirl and I always do at this festival is the costume contest. This year was brutal and not the contest. It was hot and we're in layers standing in a looong line. We're in the last age group and my mouth was powder by the time we got to be judged. Neither one of us places 3rd when to a Green Arrow, 2nd to the Beast and his little Belle, and 1st was a homemade Edward Scissorhands costume, but they all deserved their wins.

Our day ended with we dining on pizza and visiting my sister awhile, where we were treated to bearded dragon antics.

Evie Pumpkin the Vampire Librarian

Our pumpkin carving was stalled when a call came in from my Granny saying my Grandpa was being sent into emergency surgery to have his appendix removed, it was 82. *Never fear he's alright he got to come home after five days in the hospital* But after the surgery we came home and got the pumpkins done. Thanks to the Daedalus Books catalogue I had books on the brain so I decided to put spooky and books together. With those themes in mind I created: Evie the Vampire Librarian!

Shush or she'll suck your blood.

I doubt you can see them in this picture, but she comes complete a scar and warts, warts were already a part of her lovely aesthetic

Halloween Night Antics

Halloween Night was kind laid back, we made our scarey themed supper, watched our usual movie and I finally caught Hocus Pocus on the tube.
　

Our Ham monster got black olive ears this year.

Well my friends I guess it's time to bid adieu to the Halloween Season. Although Fangirl and I are hoping to do one last bit of Halloween fun by going to see Maedea's second Halloween movie. I hope your week is good friends and may God bless you all.
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