September 16, 2010
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September 13, 2010
I’m a crafter. I’m all for craftiness and making my own stuff. I often refuse to buy things because I could make them myself. However, this time, I give up! Let me explain. I’ve been ogling the Beauxbâtons costume for a little while now. I just love the way they look, and being French Canadian, let’s just say I would have no problem pulling off “Ze Frrrench accent”! Then last Monday, I went to see the Harry Potter Exhibition in Toronto (which has now moved to Seattle, WA), and...
September 07, 2010
So, I don't know about everyone else, but I don't do your typical "Spring Cleaning" and very often I find myself under a mountain of STUFF. You know the show "Hoarders?" How about "Clean Sweep?" Any of those shows where you see a mad collection of stuff that gets cleaned out and organized...that's me. I would be a great participant, except unlike those people who claim to be embarassed and ashamed, I really am. I refuse to air my unfortunate housekeeping skills on...
September 01, 2010
I started my Christmas crafting last month ... and it's not going well. I did a few bits, and then a friend asked me to make a blanket for her friend who is expecting. So I started that, and then my husband found me a cross-stitch pattern that he wants me to do for him for Christmas. Well, actually, it's 2 large patterns combined into one huge pattern, so I have that to do for him. Then my friend comes to me and asks if I have finished the blanket for her friend. Not yet. Oh, well when you've...
August 18, 2010
With the release of Deathly Hallows looming ever closer I've found myself quite torn. I'm so very excited to see the movie; yet, at the same time, I'm horrified by the thought that this is all ending. It's made for a lot of mixed emotions, and even more reflection.I find myself, this morning, thinking back to what first peaked my interest in crafting items from J.K. Rowling's incredible world. It was the weekend of the release of Chamber of Secrets on DVD. My oldest son - who I just dropped off...
August 17, 2010
By the time you read this, a couple of weeks will have passed since I wrote it but it seems that the birthday of JKR and Harry Potter is an appropriate time to put some thoughts that have been bouncing around in my mind together. About a week ago, I took a few days vacation and went to visit my dearest friend in a town not far from Orlando. I was arriving the day after this year's Harry Potter conference ended so I also missed getting to see some of my other dearest friends that have...
August 04, 2010
As I type these lines, I am two hours away from being on holiday for a full week, and I really can’t wait to be off! What’s even more fun is that since my boyfriend (otherwise known as The Muggle) is going to be working, it will just be me, myself and I (and my crafts) for a week. Can you say EXCITING and BEST WEEK E-VAR?!? Of course I’ll have no trouble keeping myself occupied for that week… I have so many projects that I’ll be a busy busy bee!! BUT, I’ve decided to make a commitment...
August 01, 2010
Yes, well, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it? I’m not really going to get into the reasons why, except to say that I guess I wasn’t really prepared for some of the demands of being a transgendered person in a big city like this. I began my transition in a small, cozy little gay town, and though that time was definitely not without incident, there was always somewhere I could go, some queers I could see, to make me feel normal again, and I don’t really have that here yet,...
July 29, 2010
This summer, I returned to beading. All things bead-a-licious. With the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I felt a certain amount of bittersweet regret. Why? Because, I was supposed to go. I felt a certain teariness as I bid my fellow Feltbeats-ers farewell, and bon voyage, and all that good stuff. And, in true crafters' style, I sent along a pair of earrings for each of my five friends who would be attending. I called them Slytherin's Tears....
July 21, 2010
Yes, it's a real thing. For a crafter on a budget, at least. July rolls around, and with it an internal clock with an alarm set to what I refer to as "panic mode".Every crafter knows this alarm. It always hits early in July. You'll wake up one morning, roll over, and then the bells and whistles sound. You sit up in bed, eyes wide, pulse racing, and think to yourself "Oh crap, Oh Crap, OH CRAP! I only have 5 months to get stuff made for EVERYONE!! What am I going to make for the kids' teacher?...
July 15, 2010
My boyfriend, more commonly known as “The Muggle” among my Potter friends, recently told me that he couldn’t take his two-week holidays at the beginning of August as planned. He chose to work through those weeks instead.Upon hearing this, I was faced with the choice of cancelling my own summer holidays and work like him, or figure out something else. Well, I chose to have holidays alright… Crafty holidays! That’s it folks! For one week, in the beginning of August, I’ll...
July 07, 2010
It's been built up to a frenzy and yet, I'm not excited about it. Well, not like many others. What you ask? The new Harry Potter theme park. Oh don't get me wrong. Some day it would be nice to walk the streets of Hogsmeade and ride the Express but right now, I just can't get excited about something I can't afford to do. Even though I'm going to be in the Orlando area two weeks from now. Yes, I'm actually going to be one hour or so from the theme park and...
June 30, 2010
Are you a runner? I don't consider myself a runner. I have bad ankles; bad knees. I loathe physical activity in all forms. I'm happy sitting at my computer, at my piano, at a crafting table. However, when you are my age, you start to think about ways to stay younger; healthier. Learning to eat right is one way. Getting regular exercise is another.On June 22, I started a program to train for a 5k. I'm sure many of you have heard of it, because it's...
June 25, 2010
For over a year now the Crafty Witches and I have been trying to find ways to draw all you rabid Harry Potter Crafters in. We started Craft-Alongs and Contests. We launched the Featured Crafter of the Month, to spotlight talented crafters from all over the world. All in the hopes of getting to know all of you a little better.While all of these things have been popular, and people have been joining in, we all still feel like we're just not quite connecting with all of you. You see, we want...
June 17, 2010
I'm sort of between projects right now, having just finished three somewhat large ones as gifts. My son and his best friend graduated college at the beginning of last month and my boss had a special event in her life last week and for each of them, I chose to crochet something as gifts. Those projects have been finished and given and currently, I'm trying to decide what particular item I want to start now. Don't get me wrong, I still have several things in progress -- a...
