Adventures in Time and Fashion

I recently had a customer come in to work looking for glasses. Not just any glasses though - she was kind of unimpressed by our (quite large) selection, but was a bit shy about asking for what she wanted. Turns out she's a Whovian. Turns out what she was looking for were David Tennant glasses. These glasses:

Yeah, you know you're cool, Ten.

The best part (aside from running into another Whovian, of course)? We were actually able to find some glasses that were pretty darn close. So, for the benefit of other Whovians out there who may want to imitate the Doctor, here are some options for you. Even if your local optical doesn't stock these lines, they're more than likely available somewhere online. (Can't help you get the right measurements though. Good luck there.)

First, we have Playlist by Smith Optics:

Probably the closest match of any I've seen, and if you're not familiar with Smith, you should get to know them - they make excellent frames.

(Oh my gosh, it just occurred to me: SMITH. Like John Smith...oh never mind.)

Next up, from Kate Spade, we have Regine:

Overall, a very similar shape and size, it has softened lines and is not quite so deep in the outer corners for a more feminine look.

Lastly, Jonah from Lilly Pulitzer:

These are a little smaller than the other two frames and the lines are a little more rounded, but it does have the advantage of coming in TARDIS blue...or as close as you're likely to get.

So there you go, fellow Whovians. Go forth and imitate our dear Doctor. ;)

Recipe: Lemon "Brownies"

So a friend shared this on Facebook, and I wanted to pin it (because that seems to be the only way I can keep track of things lately) but couldn't trace it back to a blog. The original poster seems to be Cheryle Miosge Anderson (not a personal friend but I wanted to give credit), and now I'm passing it on here. If anyone knows different regarding attribution, please post in the comments. They look delicious - can't wait to try them! :)

LEMON BROWNIES -
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs, large
2 tbsps lemon zest
2 tbsps lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the tart lemon glaze:
4 tbsps lemon juice
8 tsps lemon zest
1 rounded cup powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.(180)
2. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
3. Zest and juice two lemons and set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.
6. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
7. Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, should turn golden around the edges.
8. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will dry.
9. Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.
10. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set.
11. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the bars, and let it set (not harden like most).
12. Cut into bars and serve.

I Like this Trend. Let's Keep Doing This.

So recently I keep dreaming about hot British men. No, that should probably be trademarked: Hot British Men TM. Definitely capitalized, at least. And no, not those kinds of dreams. Sheesh.

The first time, this guy showed up:

I saved him after a pirate captain made him walk the plank, by calling upon my selkie kinfolk. Yeah. I don't know either, but it was all kinds of entertaining. Pirates! Regency/Napoleonic war-era naval uniforms! Hiddleston in a wet shirt, fighting pirates!

The next time, it was this gentleman:

Which at least makes sense, since I've recently become converted/addicted to Doctor Who, and just finished watching all six seasons currently available on Netflix (thanks Netflix!). In this dream, Tennant (not the Doctor, it was David Tennant) was in the TARDIS, flying along traffic on either Rt. 7 in Virginia or Hwy 40 in Utah - probably both combined. He was very anxious to find something that had been lost, but I was unable to help. Abject failure on my part.

Then, a few nights later, this man made an appearance:

I met him at an estate-turned-bike shop located at the bottom of Provo Canyon, after I biked down the canyon to get there (so, obviously this is pure and total fiction). We had tea and a lovely chat. I woke to the thought that I really must start biking regularly so I can make it down the canyon to meet him for real (clearly, I was not remotely awake yet when thinking this).

All in all, I could get used to this trend. Carry on, Brain, carry on.

Corrupting Influences

There are two gorgeous things in this photo. Yes, two. Obviously, Tom Hiddleston is one of them, and most of the time I'd stop right there. But look closer. Go on, zoom in. See it?

Yes, the suit. Seriously, look at it! Ok, maybe I should explain. It's actually all my mom's fault.

My mother is a genius with fabric. She was a home economics major, back in the day when those existed, and it was a serious composite major too, not some floofy stupid thing. She can do anything with thread and needle, and really knows (and loves) fabrics. When I was growing up, she would frequently drag me along on her fabric store excursions. Naturally, as a kid, this bored me to death. TO. DEATH. I hated it with a stone-cold loathing. Rows and rows of fabric? Was she trying to kill me slowly?

One day when I was about thirteen or fourteen we ended up at the G Street Fabrics in Rockville MD, which in my personal experience is the end-all, be-all of fabric stores. At the time though, I was just a surly teenager with a chip on my shoulder, so while she went off to look for something, I slouched near the entrance, really working the world-class sulkathon. However, boredom and ADHD mix about as well as oil and water, and I soon noticed IT.

It was early fall, so the store had loads of displays of seasonal fabrics, but this one in particular stood out to me, I couldn't tell you why. IT was a huge display of wool fabrics, draped alluringly near the stairs. There were plaids, stripes and solids, wool crepes, suiting wool, heavy coat material, blends and pure wool, and something about it beckoned me. So, still working the sulk and far to cool to really care, I wandered over, intending to glance and sneer.

Maybe it was something about the light, or maybe it was the colors in that first bolt of fabric. Whatever it was, something connected with that first touch of wool, and my mother's genes - and obsession with fabrics - exploded right then and there, and there was no turning back. Mom came back not long after, having found what she needed, and had a good laugh at my expense. I'm pretty sure she never expected to see me poring over fabric of any kind, oohing and aahing about the hand and the drape and the color, hissing "My precious," like some kind of textile-obsessed Gollum.

I still don't sew well, certainly nothing like my mom, but my love of fabric remains strong. So when I see a gorgeous, gorgeous suit like this one, the tailoring gets an appreciative notice but my real reaction is "OMGTHEWOOLLOOKATITITSSOPRETTY." I want to hold that jacket in my hands and feel it, examine the color - that subtle charcoal is a thing of beauty but you know that upon closer inspection there has to be a tiny pinstripe of some other color in the plaid - blue or maybe red. I'm dying to touch it - is it pure wool or is it blended with cashmere or silk - or both?

So there are two beautiful things in that picture. Go on and enjoy looking at both.

The Cure for What Ails Ye

What with this being cold and flu season, and what with my office having been short-staffed due to illness for the last two weeks (thanks for getting that started, boss) I feel I should share a time-honored remedy guaranteed to make you feeling like yourself again in no time. Be sure to follow each step carefully - nothing should be omitted. Ready? Here it is:

The Cure for What Ails Ye:

1. Procure tea and chocolate

2. Wrap self in down comforter

3. Turn on Doctor Who marathon

Repeat all steps as necessary until feeling sufficiently ready to once more take on the world.

You're welcome.

James Burke - Connections

When I was 12 I was introduced to this amazing series, hosted by James Burke, called "The Day the Universe Changed." It could have been made for me, the way it took things we take for granted today showed how they literally changed the world. This series was followed by another, called "Connections," which took seemingly random things and showed how they were connected, and how they too changed the way we understand the world. It was music to my geeky little heart. Still is, in fact.

So when a friend posted a link to a James Burke YouTube channel with full episodes of both series, I just about jumped out of my seat with joy. Thank you, Minimum Wage Historian. I think I love you for this. For the rest of you, enjoy. :)

What Dreams May Come

So I took a nap after church today and had this dream where the combined crews of the Serenity and the USS Enterprise (Next Generation) had to battle the aliens from Alien. Tasha Yar got eaten - big surprise. Neither captain was in sight. Only by updating the records of the Hamilton VA and Daniel UT LDS wards could they defeat the aliens. Jayne saved the day with a cool combination of shooting and record-keeping skills. Never, apparently, underestimate the power of accurate data entry.

Well. Well well well.

It has been some time since my last post. All I can say - or that I'm willing to say here - is that things at home have undergone a radical change and I needed to give myself time to deal with the fallout. I gave myself permission to take a break from all my writing, fledgling blog included, but have recently started up again. I am pleased that it has once again become enjoyable, instead of yet another source of stress. Writing has always been something I love, so the fact that it has resumed that status again is a relief.

One of my goals for this year is to be creative again. It's amazing how that has fallen by the wayside in the past, but it's a part of myself I have dearly missed and want back. Writing is part of that, and I'm happy to say I've been making good (for me) progress so far on fixing (ie, tearing apart and completely overhauling) my current WIP. It's coming so much more easily than it has in the past, which is really exciting, and since I changed the voice from third to first person, it's almost writing itself. Odd, how it needed that means of expression.

There are other projects on my plate as well, which I am very excited about. Once upon a time, I used to paint pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) - mostly wooden eggs rather than real ones - and I've started working on those again, so expect future posts on them. Happily, I've finally got one design worked out that has been bugging me for some time. Can't wait to post pictures of it. : )

Singing is another project. I used to sing a lot, but have let it go in the last couple of years. It's something I need back - music is one of those things like breathing that I don't notice until it's not there anymore, and it kills me when it's gone.

Good things are coming. : )

I Gave at the Office

Is anyone else as heartily sick of the whole vampire craze as I am?

No, seriously. I get the classics - Bram Stoker (though I have no personal desire to read Dracula) earned a place in literary history. That's cool. But the recent trend towards glamorizing the evil undead has just gotten really, really boring, particularly as it's been paired with teen romance (a genre that makes me personally want to hurl rocks). Don't even get me started on Twilight, I'm warning you.

(IMHO, the only vampire novel worth reading is Robin McKinley's Sunshine. Just sayin'.)

(Also, the whole MHI series by Larry Correia, in which vampires are their traditional nasty selves and get slain. A lot.)

But the straw that just broke my camel's back? Vampire, the fragrance. No, really. Click the link. There you go. I'll wait while you clean up the mess. I mean for crying out loud, what's it supposed to smell like, O-positive? I sincerely hope this is a joke, but there is no holding of breath going on here.

Can we all please agree that this trend has run its course and call it a day? Er, night?

Musical Storytelling

I know, it's been months since my last post. Things have been a little crazy - my brother got married, I quit one job, got another, and got promoted, and have been doing lots of training in the new position. Writing (of any kind) kind of got shoved to the side for a while.

However, I'm back working on my novel (RH) again, and it's beginning to take actual shape now, which is encouraging! I was thinking about it on the way home from work the other day, and realized that one of the problems I've had in structuring this thing is that I'm trying to write it like music.

I know, that doesn't make a lot of sense.


Think of a musical score. Something choral (because I'm more used to that than anything but solo piano). Handel's Messiah or Brahm's Ein Deutches Requiem are good examples - Bach's Magnificat is also brilliant for this. You have multiple vocal lines (anywhere from 4 to 8), one line for each voice part - soprano, alto, tenor, bass, etc. Then you have the accompaniment below it. Each staff is expressed in multiple dimensions (I'm ADHD, try to keep up) - say vertical (where notes appear on the staff) and horizontal (timing - the value of each note) - a dual-axis system. But you have multiple dual-axis lines here, all layered on one another, with all of the notes fitting perfectly together and complimenting one another.


I see stories the same way. You have the main plot (call it the melody) layered with multiple subplots (the harmonies), which sounds a lot simpler than the above explanation. They are each moving along the horizontal (temporal) axis, but each has different timing, and they are all layered together vertically (the notes themselves, or developments in the story), but shift around on that axis so different plot points are emphasized at different times, like notes or chords in music.


My problem is arranging all the "notes" and "chords" in the story so they harmonize well and make sense, so that the music of the story is something that flows well.


I have no idea if understanding this is going to be helpful in writing. I'll keep you posted.

Internal vs External

When you're telling a story, there are two major struggles you take into account: the external struggle (all the exciting stuff that happens on the page - physical battles, etc) and the internal struggle (all the more or less invisible character-building that goes on as a result of all the physical, external stuff).

Today I am trying to get my writing groove back after weeks of an appallingly unfriendly work schedule, and it is not working. At all. Not the way I want it to, anyway. All I seem to be able to focus on is my main character's internal struggle, which is nice and all, and kind of important, but really, really boring to read about. And I don't seem to be able to connect anything internal to the external.

Bleah.

I'm going to blame my lack of thyroid meds for this, turn off the computer, and go think about something else. I need to get ready for work anyway - hooray for closing shift. Will work my way back into this.

Not Dead Yet; Writing Progress

I just feel like it. Have I mentioned how evil retail work is? It is. Very evil. Especially the crap hours. And the pay. And the customers. And the pay. And the hours. (Fingers crossed for tomorrow's interview.)

But I digress. Point being: not dead, just random. Thank you, jobs.

Despite the crappy work schedule, I have managed to get some writing done on work-in-progress #1, Rogues' Hollow (henceforth WIP:RH).* Which is awesome, because I have had the world's worst case of writer's block with this sucker for months. Like, 10 months. Maybe more. I lost count. However, last week (is it really only Tuesday??) I made a breakthrough and things have been flowing since, knock wood, turn around three times and spit.

I should explain: I've had the rough draft written for some time now, and make no mistake, it is rough. Frankly, it sucks. So I've been pulling the thing apart, tearing things down and rebuilding them for an age now trying to fix what's wrong and throw away the stuff that can't be fixed. It's been a great learning experience.

Because I'm ADHD, structuring anything, be it work, the novel I want to write, or whatever, is one of my biggest challenges. I've gotten really good at organizing at work, but it took years of practice. Writing? Ha. Even though I've known basically the story I want to tell, I have had an inordinate amount of trouble trying to put the thing together so that it works. (I'm sure this problem is not unique to ADHD, but trust me, that doesn't make it any easier.)

Then I got really, really lucky and found Holly Lisle's workshops for writers. I've been working with them for a couple of months now and absolutely love them. Maybe they're not for everybody, but they've really helped me break things down into manageable bits until finally, breakthrough. Here's hoping it keeps up. Shall I post progress reports?


*I actually have several WIPs all of a sudden. Here's the breakdown:
WIP:RH - Rogues' Hollow. Contemporary fantasy.
WIP:SC - Stupid Cupid. Murder mystery.
WIP:NB - The one with the French (Corsican) dwarf that doesn't have a title yet. Mangled history, but lots of fun.
WIP:HG - the Herb Garden. Not actually a WIP, but I do have a notebook devoted to it. Trying to design an herb garden to plant if spring ever comes to this forsaken wasteland of a state.

Of Knights and Dragons

I cannot fathom why a girl would want a "knight in shining armor." I mean, just examine that phrase a little. "Shining armor." Shining. Pristine. Untouched.

Undented. Unused. Untried.

Maybe I'm over-thinking the idea a bit, but I would personally prefer a knight in dented, scorched armor. Someone who has come up against the dragons in life, been knocked down, gotten back up, and kicked the dragons' collective butts. Someone who has earned every last dent and grown stronger from each one of them. Someone with whom I can compare dents and bruises, laugh about them together, then, when life decides to send another dragon our way, we can go out there together as partners and make dragon-kabobs.

Tonight on Mikki Rake: Beets and the Women Who Love Them

Has anyone else noticed that eating beets (especially the super-yummy ones from your own garden) can have...hmm...interesting and colorful after-effects?

No? Just me?

Never mind then.

White Wedding...or Not

I currently work at [Women's Clothing Retailer], and, this being spring, I'm starting to get lots of ladies coming in looking for dresses to wear at weddings; many of these women are mothers of the bride or groom. I am also noticing a disturbing trend: colorblind brides. At least I can only assume that is the cause behind such wedding color combinations as burnt orange and avocado green. (Really???)

Girls. Brides. Ladies. Let's talk. I don't care what current fashion trends are, what the bridal magazines say, or who is telling you that trendy color combo is a good idea. Red/black/white looks stunning, yes, but think about it for a minute. Forest green and sky blue? Nothing wrong with the colors individually, of course. Burnt orange and avocado green - for real? Are you wearing camo? Going hunting? More importantly, think about these color combinations and ask yourselves:

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DIFFICULT IT IS FOR YOUR POOR MOTHER/BRIDESMAIDS/ANYONE TO FIND A DRESS TO MATCH YOUR WEDDING COLORS???? Do you realize the kind of pain you're putting these women through? These are women who care about you! Putting them through this is simply no way to treat them!

And consider when you look back on your wedding photos in 10, 20 or 30 years - the sheer, dated trendiness of it all will not inspire a positive response. Really. It won't. I promise.

Do yourselves - and everyone else - a favor: use a little common sense. And, if necessary, have the photos done in black & white.

The Crimson Pact

I just came across this by way of Larry Correia (author of the amazing Monster Hunter International novels - GO READ THEM NOW) - the next flash fiction reading period is through June 6, 2011. Any authors wanting to bowl someone over and get an anthology invite, now's your chance. More info here.

Sounds like fun. >: )

This time was different.

This time, the lobster had a knife.

Just call me "Nona"

Apparently I am an old European woman. Very old.

Not only do I have a bunion (here I just thought my right foot was wider than the left - don't laugh, if you saw my fat little duck feet, you'd understand!) and an unsightly, particularly long hair that grows out of my cheek, I have also started growing 3 or 4 equally unsightly extra-long hairs out of my chin. Lovely. Seriously. Hello tweezers, you're my new best friends. And we're just going to ignore the little downy stuff on my lip.


35, I thought we were going to get along. How could you betray me like this??

Fortunately, when I take myself out from under the microscope, I'm not half as hideous as all that sounds (please see photo at right - thank you). And let's not forget I've lost 14 pounds since December. Gotta focus on the positive, after all.

Now get off my lawn.