Christmas was wonderful.
Firstly and clearly most importantly, the food was delish. Special shoutouts to the Brother in Law's Barbeque lamb and chicken. The chicken was stuffed with cheese and spinach and it was so moist...awesome.Dinner's highlight was, as it is every year, the crayfish. It's just such tasty meat. I also enjoyed the orange flavoured carrot salad and the ham from Brother in Law's mother's farm, so smokey, so tender and juicy....man, I love food.
I love to see the gifts I've chosen be appreciated. Highlight has to be Swearing neice seeing the quilt I made her. I was feeling a bit anxious since she'd already been given the coolest toy oven in the world, (the elements light up, it makes a fan bake noise and the timer goes 'ding'), and a pink fluffy radio that was good for dancing to. The quilt seemed a bit boring in comparison but the first thing she said on opening it was "THOMAS!!!" (For the Thomas the Tank Engine patch is a success) and then she decided she must immediately play beds.
She made up a bed in the corner of the room and hopped in under the quilt. She stayed there for a solid half hour and the reports today are that she slept under it all last night and dragged it up the stairs with her this morning.
I suspect people prefer really practical presents more than you think they will. Especially if the practical thing is also really pretty.
I got some wonderful presents as well, not the least is my adorable Creative Zen V plus MP3 player. It's tiny and pink and I love it. I also got lots of books and a framed art print, a hair clip from Rarotonga with a big frangipani and a gorgeous mutlicoloured beaded charm bracelet.
It was a wonderful day of togetherness, seeing all the close family on both sides and sharing jokes and stories. It was also a Wii Christmas. I played doubles tennis, cow racing, bowling and fishing and Lee recieved his own Wii that he is fiddling with now. I am keen to try out the baseball and make my own Mii character.
Today we hit the Boxing Day sales on Lambton Quay and I got somenewbras,(%30 off at Farmers) two new summer tops (for when summer comes. *ahem*) and some DVDs, including a delicious Sin City boxed set that comes with a graphic novel and a ton of extras. They have all DVDs for %20 off at Whitcoulls, including boxed sets so if I still have money when I get back from holiday (and that deal is still on) I may buy the complete Buffy.
Love and goodwill to everyone!
PoF: tracksuit
CO: cleaning before the holiday
PS. Hi Mum! *waves*
Well, if you've been reading this blog for any length of time at all you'll know that I am involved in amateur movie making. As of half an hour ago, a large portion of the Jenni's Angels body of work is available on youtube.
Check it out here, that's my username and if you look to the right you'll see the videos listed.
Monster Hunter 4, With Mighty Power, It's A Wonderful Library and of course, Ephemeral are all on there.
A huge thank you to Matt and Debbie for compressing files and uploading them. Thank You!
Now, you all go and check out our stuff. It's cool!
PoF: altered tee
CO: Christmas!
The core texts for my picture book literature theory course:
Baillie, A. Drac and the Gremlin. A story about a girl and a boy playing make-believe. The text is entirely high fantasy, the pictures are a mundane little boy and girl playing in their backyard.
Baillie, A. Dragonquest. I don't really get this book. It's about a typical fantasy journey to slay a dragon. Full of monsters and so on, the experienced knight and 'you' get to the top of the mountain and see no dragons. Then the pictures reveal that the landscape is a dragon, and the knight doesn't realise, but 'you' do.
Banyai, I. Zoom I love this book so much. No words, just pictures. Each page is a zoomed out version of the picture before. Has to be seen to really appreciated I think.
Browne, Anthony. Voices in the Park. A remake of an earlier picture book by the same author, this is a tale told from four different perspectives. Layers of meaning.
Browne, Anthony. The Tunnel. In depth look at a brother and sister who are very different. Lots of references to fairytales in the pictures, just lovely.
Clement, R. Just Another Ordinary Day. Another text/image argument book, the text describes a typical school day and the images show different outrageous interpretations of the text.
Crew, Gary. Tagged This book grew on me. It's a reflection on war, war veterans, idealised versions of war and a boy who's lost his dog. The images are a mixture of cartoon, realistic and collage.
Crew, Gary. The Lost Diamonds of Killiecrankie. I don't get this book yet, but I intend to actually read it and then maybe I will. It's an incredibly text heavy fake record of an expedition. It's got letters and telegrams and yeah, field reports.
Crew, Gary. The Watertower Love this one. It's a scary story about a small town in the Australian desert and something very very odd going on in the watertower.
Fox, Mem. Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge. A sweet story about a little boy who is friends with all the people at the next door old folk's home.
Gleeson, L. The Princess and the Perfect Dish. I have never seen this book.
Gray, N. I'll take you to Mrs Cole. London story about a boy left alone by his working mother who overcomes his fear of neighbour Mrs Cole and becomes friends with her family.
Gray, N. Running Away from Home. A small boy runs away from home to the end of the drive way. Pretty sweet.
Hathorn, Libby. Way Home. A small boy finds a kitten and together they make their way home through the city at night.
Hutchins, Pat. Rosie's Walk. A chicken called Rosie goes for a walk. There's a fox pursuing but she doesn't realise.
Magorian, Michelle. Jump. A boy wants to do ballet because he loves jumping. I think he gets convinced to play basketball instead, which is why I think I don't like this book.
Mahy, Margaret. The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate. Eh. A weird small man takes his mother who is a pirate to sea in a wheelbarrow. I don't understand why some people find this book appealing.
Moyes, L. Alphabet Apartments. An alphabet book about different places to live.
Rosen, Michael. We're Going on a Bear Hunt, the old rhyme made into a charming picture book about a family walk. A huge favourite with kiddies at the library.
Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. Well, everyone knows this one.
Sheldon, Diane. The Whales' Song. A small girl living on a coast sort of communes with whales. Gorgeous pictures.
Thompson, Colin. The Paradise Garden. A boy runs away from his inner city apartment and moves into the public gardens, which are idyllic.
Vivas, J. Nativity. I haven't read this book.
Wagner, J. The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek. I like this one, it's about a bunyip coming into existence and then wondering what it is.
Wild, M. Let the Celebrations Begin Haven't read this one either.
Wild, M. There' s a Sea in my Bedroom Haven't read this one.
Williams, M. Mr William Shakespeare's Plays. The token graphic novel, and a poor choice in my opinion. Ugly figures portray some Shakespeare plays in comic format. I suspect would put children off Shakespeare, but that's just my opinion.
I have original art by two, no three of my friends now.
One: Gorgeous and lush ladies on a hillside from Phreq.
Two: custom painted elf sorceress mini from Rachel
Three: Bubble Bobble monsters from Seraph.
I love having original art, and I especially enjoy it when the artist is someone I know and love.
The Bubble Bobble piece, Little Monsters was delivered last night as I was baking and watching Circle of Friends again. Seraph said he had to give it to me or he'd keep it for himself. I can understand that.
It's just gorgeous, all glowey colours and sharp angles for the pixelly little dudes. I am super chuffed with it, and had to keep glancing at it and admiring. So, lots of thanks to Seraph for a fantabulous early Christmas present.
PoF: greys and boots
CO: art! stuff! christmas!
It's nearly Christmas and this makes me very happy.
This morning I went for a run, I also ran on Sunday so I am trying once again to restart this as a regular thing. It has nothing whatsoever to do with being in optimum eating condition for Christmas day. Nothing at all.
My Chirstmas shopping is all done (I hope!) and now all that's left is to bake. I made two batches of cookies on Sunday: they went to the Jenni's Angels who helped to finish filming on Sunday and to my workmates. I will bake some more tonight, make up another lebkuchen dough. I don't think I'll make evil Russian fudge this year. I just can't quite justify the health issues associated with feeding my nearest and dearest congealed butter flavoured with sugar.
Cookies are fine though. Cookies are healthy.
I am hand quilting the wedding quilt and after a few evenings in (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and last night.) I may be nearly half way there. I am going as fast as I can and it turns out that's pretty fast. I am pleased with myself.
I am onto The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder and enjoying it very much.
PoF: purple and black striped OTKs that Frank bought me in the UK
CO: Christmas
Fancy a goat for Christmas? Or ten buckets? How about an alpaca? Or mango saplings? They're not for you, though. It's a charity thing, you pay for things to go to the people who most need it.
http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com/
I think it's quite lovely.
PoF: Island Girl
CO: writing
pimpage from Steve:
Andrew Brettell creates critically acclaimed video projections (most recently for the plays Democracy, and Dr Buller’s Birds). He has ‘haunted’ the Futuna Chapel in Karori - with video projections of ghosts and stories from its past.
The chapel will only be haunted for 3 days – this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s free admission,
Futuna Chapel is at 62 Friend Street in Karori, and the display goes from 10am to 10pm.
***
And here’s the full press release
FUTUNA
Light uncovers the histories of Futuna Chapel.
Where: 15-17 December 10am-10pm
When: Futuna Chapel, 62 Friend Street, Karori
Designers Andrew Brettell, Sven Mehzoud, Amanda Jelicich-Kane and Andrew Simpson have created a site-specific video installation that presents the stories of Futuna Chapel. From 15-17 December 10am –10pm the public are invited to explore the Chapel, now haunted with video projection and a soundscape.
John Scott was asked to design a retreat chapel for the Karori retreat site in 1958. Being of Te Arewa, Irish, Scottish and English descent Scott produced the first building ever designed on bicultural
principles in Aotearoa.
The Marists sold the retreat that was developed into townhouses while the Chapel was used to store lumber. Recently the Friends Of Futuna Charitable Trust have been campaigning to raise money to purchase the
land Futuna Chapel rests on.
This installation is part of an effort to raise awareness of Futuna Chapel's importance
Along with the installation, at 8:30 each evening on 15-17 December Nick Blake will talk about the architecture of Futuna Chapel, including the story of Saint Peter Chanel: the first martyr of the
South Pacific.
This installation is an exciting, vital way of presenting Wellington's heritage. Projection is used around the Chapel to allow visitors to
make surprising discoveries.
During our design process we will film an eke, a traditional dance, that was originally performed in penitence by the people of Futuna after the death of Saint Peter Chanel.
I’ve been reading the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I am reading them in order, and so far have finished three. I really, really like them. They’re very moral, and I find myself being very mindful of being selfish after reading them. I find myself trying to be good, just as Laura does.
They are a charming picture of what life was like back then, and astounding to me is the amount of work they have to do. The Mother makes the butter and the cheese and the bread, the father spends the winters going out into the snow to trap animals to sell for their furs. They are so skilled compared to us!
The only bad thing I can see about the books is the attitude to the Native Americans (Red Indians). They are looked upon with fear, and sometimes hatred and loathing. Of course, this is just representative of the time it’s depicting, but when you realise that the eponymous Little House is actually built illegally on an Osage Reservation you kind of realise the “Indians” may have had reason to be less than friendly.
Apart from that little aspect, they really are quite charming books if you keep in mind that they are a product of their time. After all they are mostly written over fifty years ago and depicting fifty years before that.
The materialist in me does balk at the idea of nothing but one stick of candy for Christmas though….
PoF: grown up?
CO: superheroes.
....check it out...so cool. I want an electric car!
*bounce bounce bounce* electric cars!
ahem. Seriously though, it may just be a proposal but it is such a step in the right direction! The infrastructure of charging stations needs to implemented so that charging is easy, then people will start buying them.
And Mitsubishi is going to mass produce them! Glee!
For me, it's the addictions I don't know I have that I really should worry about. Twice lately I've not known I'm addicted to something and then had it revealed.
The first is relatively harmless, after watching seasons one and two of House I found myself craving more. I was like "what do you mean we've run out of House? There must be MORE!!!!!1!!11!!" It took a while to grow on me as a show, and although I knew I liked it, I thought I could live without it. Apparently not.
The second reveal is a little stranger and more expensive. I blame my twin-bearing friend Katy. When I was making baby quilts, the lady at the store told me that I must always use cotton batting in baby quilts. Usually I use polyester, because it is much cheaper.
Well, I went ahead and bought the baby-safe cotton and found it quite pleasant to work with. When I used polysester batting after that it was puffy and fluffy and slidey and horrible. So, I used cotton for the quilt for my swearing niece and thought that it was a bit expensive but probably worth it.
Today I went to get batting for Giffy's wedding quilt and since I've spent rather a lot on fabric already I thought I would get polyester batting and thereby not spend so much. However, when the lady at the shop asked what kind of batting I was after my mouth went (all by itself) "Cotton" as if there was no other option feasible. I didn't even realise I'd said it until later on, when we'd worked out the amount I'd need and she said that "it's 225cm wide, so you'll just need the length"
My brain caught up. Well, I guess cotton batting is nicer in a whole heap of ways and I certainly don't seem to want any polyester.
Surprising. Expensive. Also softer, warmer, more durable and hypo-allergenic. *shrug*
at least it's not cocaine.
PoF: Batman
CO: patchwork
I shop for patchwork supplies at Nancy's Embroidery on Tinakori Rd. You can view their very bright green website here.
...in New Zealand.
I found this helpful page on the New Zealand Book Council website.
I discovered that a lovely lady I have worked with for two years on the Children's Book Awards Events committee has a manuscript assessment service. I trust her to be honest and fair with my work, so I may well use her once I've *ahem* actually written some more.
I haven't written anymore of my book lately because I've been busy and I've been using what spare time I have to work on the wedding quilt. Hopefully I'll get it all put together on the weekend and then I can just work on the hand quilting.
On the other hand, I have organised with work to four hours less a week, starting next week for six months. I will dedicate this extra time to writing my manuscript. And maybe washing. I'll do washing too.
PoF: pink on top, going out pants.
CO: if my throat doesn't stop being clogged I'm going to scrape it out with some sort of stick.
Comics geek linkage....comics 4 libraries, a rather charmingly written blog about comics from a publisher...I found a link to a rather startling and wonderful blog entry about exploitation.
i.e. if comic cover artists exploited men in the same way they exploit women what would the covers of DC issues look like??? Warning. Uh, it's a bit racy. Oddity Collector.
Just...so great. I may have to add her as an lj buddy.
PoF: Rarotonga
CO: stupid clogged throat!
Edited to add Thanks to C-Star, librarian extraordinairre for the sweet linkage :)
How silly is it that I am looking forward to two seperate movies called "Alice" next year? I think it's very silly.
One is based on the American McGee computer game, which I had to stop playing because it was messing with my head. It stars Buffy!
Alice.
The other is a movie based on my darling Alice McKinley, as read about in many many books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Weirdly, it has Luke Perry playing her father which....actually makes sense when I look at the picture they have of him on his imdb profile. They've changed one of her best friends into a black girl, but I guess that's what Americans do. I hope they haven't changed too much else, because this movie could be awesome...
Alice.
I am also terribly excited about the upcoming Prestige movie about stage magicians. Saw the trailer for it before children of men and practically wet myself. We're not getting it til the new year. Poot.
Marie Antoinette is coming out just before Christmas on the 21st. I am desperate to see this one for several reasons: Kirsten Dunst, Sophia Coppola, Pretty pretty dresses and pastries.
Aaah good movies. Why can't I watch you now?
What a lovely weekend. Lee and I started out on Friday with Children of Men which I found to be very upsetting in ways I had not anticipated. It is a very well made movie, though and very good, just harrowing to watch.
Saturday morning dawned so bright and shiny and lovely that I made Lee take me to the zoo. It was a very very good day for the zoo because all the animals were enjoying the sunshine as well. We saw most of the animals, agreed that on the whole the birds are boring and were a bit disappointed that the current renovations take up such a large part of the zoo. I didn’t get to see the African wild dogs with their pleasing roundy ears. I did get some awesome photos of red pandas, lions and cotton top tamarins though, and that makes me happy.
It was so nice we were reluctant to go home so we sat on the grass near the car in the sun and read the paper for a while. Food shopping and then cleaning and then people came over. Played Apples to Apples, Shadows over Camelot and Chez Geek and I kinda won Chez Geek, despite having only one free time. Did very badly in Apples though, it’s been so long since I played!
Corona beer is on sale at New World and it is very nice.
Sunday I wanted to sleep in much more than I was able to. Thorndon Fair with friends is fun, but we didn’t manage to get as many Christmas presents sorted as I had hoped. I bought myself a delicious hat, a wide brimmed pale pink sunhat with a black and white polka dot band. I love it to bits.
I rather like block image’s stuff. I had to be restrained and not buy myself a whole lot of their stuff.
After the fair I had a wonderfully refreshing nap and then Svend and C turned up to encourage us to go to their place. I have to recommend lounging by the pool on a sunny Sunday afternoon with the host providing you with fancy drinks. It was very agreeable. Even if certain people are too mean for words and threaten to throw me into said pool. Mean people that they are.
Lee and I finally toddled home. I feel like I need another weekend just for sleeping though, today it is grey and dark and I want to nap. My stupid cold is still hanging around and my ears are fluctuating pressure at me.
Tonight: patchwork and Veronica Mars.
Public Service Announcement: Prime tv is going to start showing Dead Like Me this Wednesday night. You should watch it, it’s very good. But you need to watch like, the first three or four to really get into it.
PoF: boring but warm
CO: sleep