Thursday, December 26, 2013

This Week In Pics - Post Christmas Check-In

As the Bloggess likes to say, this is not a real post. But here's a little of what John and I have been up to this week.

On Christmas Eve we discovered colonial Williamsburg celebrates the season of Silent Night by blasting the crap out of everyone's eardrums with nonstop cannon fire - and it. is. awesome.

Awwww yeeeah.




Later there were lines of mini-bonfires and a fife & drum corp:
Cool stuff.

On a random note, I downloaded a free photo app called Snapseed this week - on the recommendation of Tom Bricker, the famous Disney photographer - and I'm really liking it so far. Amazing tools, filters, and frames, and it's ridiculously easy to use. If you take a lot of phone pics (and these days, who doesn't?), you should give a try.

A quick before & after, after playing with a few of Snapseed's filters.

I love antiquing up here, and while in a fabulous old clock shop today I spotted a familiar face:

 A relative of Madame Leota, perhaps? :D
 
An old shot for comparison:

We also spotted some seasonal nightmare fuel:

HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU'RE SLEEPING. 
MUAH. AH. AHHHH.

Now that Christmas is over I can show you the Borderlands cross-stitch I made for my friend Missy:


And for my friend & CW co-writer Sharyn, a Spock cat pin cushion:
 I can't take credit for him, though; he's custom made by Kathleen of Fat Cat Crafts
(The bad pun is all me, though. Of course. ;))

My mom is making me post this next one:

Just for you, Mom. 

(We got a little silly towards the end there. I think there was more frosting on us than the house.)


John and I got each other a few geeky toys and goodies, but I think our friend Renee wins the gift-off this year. See, a few weeks ago John forgot Renee's name during a random conversation, so I jokingly suggested to her later that she should emblazon her name on the tackiest Christmas sweater she could find, and make THAT his present. So she did.

Yes, it lights up. Yes, her name is in a giant heart. But it's the enormous velvet bow with the jingle bell underneath that REALLY makes it work. 

For his part, John couldn't stop laughing for ages. I think his new sweater *almost* topped the glorious new Hobbes plush Renee also made for him. (And how cool is that??)

We know Renee because of this site, btw; like many of our closest friends these days she's a reader-turned-fan-turned-friend, and yet another reason why I freaking love the internet and this community. We may be scattered across the country and the globe, my friends, but gosh dang it, we can still be besties.

And on that sappy note, I'm off to watch my hubby teach my father and brother how to play Skyrim. And maybe eat more cookies. Because during the week after Christmas, you can never eat too many cookies. [serious nod]

*****

[Update: Since so many of you have asked, here's the pattern Renee used for Hobbes. And it's even free! Woot woot!]

39 comments:

  1. That sweater is the best freaking sweater that ever existed in the history of sweaters.

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  2. that sweater would win every sweater contest ever. It really would. The Hobbes is amazing.

    I have to share what we did for our oldest as a "coming home from college for Christmas" surprise. Can you tell we're big Doctor Who fans? The video is my favorite thing from this Christmas. :)

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  3. If you're still in the Williamsburg area, would you be interested in meeting up with local fans? I seldom comment here, but I read all your posts. My husband and I went to your book signing in Richmond. I was wearing a necklace shaped like a serotonin molecule. You and John noticed and commented on it, as I'd expected/hoped from fellow geeks. Anyway, I live around here and would be up for whatever if you wanted to meet. (I got a couple of highly portable micro-games for Christmas, so that's an option.) In the unlikely event you're interested, you could e-mail me at physicschick 78 at gmail (without spaces, obviously).

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    1. Hiya Leah! Aw, if John & I were just here on our own, I'd totally be up for meeting - but we've been in full "family time" mode this week. Plus we leave tomorrow, I think. Maybe next time we're up this way?

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    2. Sure, whenever would be convenient for you. I've been envious of all the folks meeting up at Disney and cons. Have a safe trip back!

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  4. loved the sweater but loved Hobbes more! :)

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  5. Now that is a sweater! Also does your friend make Hobbs for sale? I would love a plush Hobbs.

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    1. Not yet, but I'm working on getting Renee to sell her art & crafts on Etsy. Srsly, wait'll you see the art she made us. AMAZEBALLS.

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    2. I would buy a Hobbes.

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  6. The only thing that would make that sweater more awesome would be a cake wrecks misspelling of her name. Just saying.

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  7. I love my cross stitch! It truly is going to be a Crumpocolypse.

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  8. Hey! You were up in my neck of the woods! Well, technically I live in Richmond but Williamsburg is still much closer than normal. I love going there but somehow I have never gone during Christmas time. We always end up being too busy to go, but I've heard it's really fun.

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  9. Oh the tacky Christmas sweaters!!! I love it!! I think i should like cannon fire at Christmas...why dont they do it everywhere?!?!? I love Christmas so much, this post just makes you all warm and fuzzy like.

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  10. I'm always looking for new ways to frame/display crosstitch, what does the back of that Borderlands pattern look like?

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    1. The fabric is stretched over that sticky foam board they make for mounting XS, and then I covered the back with a square of black felt. If you'd care to remind me over on FB, I'll upload the pic for ya. :)

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  11. I'm with Leah! Your Williamsburg fans would love a Jen meet up. Have you been to Christmastown yet? I know it's not Disney but the Jen +themepark meme is too much to ignore. We promise we're not scary!

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    1. We've been a couple times over the past few years, but we wimped out this year and decided to stay in where it's warm. ;) It's pretty awesome, though, and I love taking photos there! If we go next year, how 'bout we do a meetup then?

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    2. I am up for a meetup in Williamsburg, if you have one. That would be awesome.

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  12. pretty sure renee won christmas right there!

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  13. Sure looks like you had a fun Christmas! Williamsburg sure looks fun! Oh my gosh, that Hobbes plush is ADORABLES!!!!!!!!!! I so want one. Renee should sell them on etsy or something, because that is the coolest thing ever!

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    1. She'd be violating the wishes of the designer if she did. I'm sure you don't know this, but it's generally considered bad form in the crafting community to take someone's pattern (which they've donated to the community for free) and make a profit from it.

      It's perfectly acceptable to sell your own designs, but selling items made from someone else's designs against their wishes is much the same as copying someone else's fiction and selling it. Not illegal, per se, but not polite, either.

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  14. I absolutely adore plush Hobbes. WANT.

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  15. What better way to celebrate Christmas than with a little ear-bursting cannon fire? Sure beats listening to my cousins sing "Jingle Bells" for the 800th time.

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  16. Eeeee, so much awesome!
    I made this cross stitch for my friend b/c he says it whenever something kinda crappy happens.

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  17. So sorry it is so cold here! It's not like this normally. Of course, the 81 degrees last Sunday was lovely though. *waves from Norfolk* Although they aren't tigers, I could guarantee that you'd be covered in pugs on your next visit, should you care to be.

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  18. Do you have a pattern for the cross stitch? My BF loved Borderlands and just from watching him, I find Tiny Tina hilarious.

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  19. I made that exact same Hobbes doll for my nephew last year! He was only about 8 months old when I gave it to him at Christmas, but he loves that sucker now!

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    1. I've made it, too! I love all the free patterns people so graciously post at Ravelry and elsewhere. I knit and crochet, but I can't design, so I'm awed by all the really creative people who give their talents so freely.

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  20. Those Santa's are screaming to be made into a Christmas knife wind chime.

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  21. Who's the cute little monster in the picture frame, in the picture where you were demonstrating Snapseed? I remember you talking about him in a previous post, but I don't remember which! Can you please point me to where you got him, a want one!

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    Replies
    1. Minch is by Lyla Warren - check out her Etsy shop, she's got lots of adorable sculpts there!

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  22. You were right up the road! I always giggle with glee when I hear you in the area! (Ahhh! My favorite blogger is/was sooo close!)

    Hope you enjoyed the weather! Maybe that is why it was almost 80 degrees here last Sunday, you dragged the weather up here with you. So thanks for that!

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  23. That sweater...I laughed for a good five minutes! The bow with the jingle bell definitely makes it! I'm glad you all had a great Christmas and I wish for you all the most joyous of new years! Also, thanks for the new photo app!! :)

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  24. Williamsburg, huh? You weren't too terribly far away from where I live in Norfolk, VA. :)

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  25. Has anyone done a stitched Hobbes (I sew, not crochet or knit. Much to my grandmother's embarrassment)? An acquaintance made a Hobbes, but I think she made it up as she went. Of course, I COULD search, but seems like one of y'all might have already done it. (BTW, I'm not purposely anonymous, it just gets all wacky when I try to log in under my actual name. Which is Krista.)

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  26. Oh, you came to Virginia! I wish I'd known! You could have come to visit us in Newport News!

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