#i had this sketched out way back in *checks watch* 2015....finally got around to making use of it

[siro-cyll]

"HAHAHAHA FORDSY SURE IS DURABLE"

[theuniversitychallengereview]

UC 50.33 - Durham vs Imperial

I’m going to start this post of with a shout-out. Usually I save the advertisement and self-promotion for the end, and the start is like hotel bedisde tables used to be before the ubiquity of the one-charge-a-day smartphone - completely free of plugs (I’m workshopping a stand-up routine about this. *Michael McIntyre voice* “D’you remember when hotel rooms had no sockets for charging your phone. You’d be checking Twitter while falling asleep but you’d be dangling face-first out the bed like a deranged sloth. Very difficult to get to sleep at a 45 degree angle in the wrong direction”).

But this plug is something a little bit different, and as such it gets top billing. I have mentioned the game #UniversityChallenge Klaxon on here before, along with the sister podcast ‘Enjoyably Futile’. Well, reader, you’ve got yourselves a crossover episode.

Andy Keegan, host of both the game and podcast, was nice enough to have me on last week and we discussed the past few episodes of The Challenge, along with my historic forays into the world of TV quizzing. If you have a strange sense of what I sound like and don’t want that spoiled then probably avoid, but otherwise, give it a listen! I had a blast recording it and hopefully at least some of that transfers itself into the audio experience. 

Here’s a link to the episode and you can follow Andy @andykeegan or @enjoyablyfutile over on Twitter. 

Anyway, thus ends the plug, and we can move onto tonight’s episode. Here’s your first starter for ten...

Both of these teams have won and lost a quarter-final match already, so the victors of this contest will make it through to the semis to join Warwick and Balliol. Durham are looking to make it to that stage for the third time in a row while Imperial are hoping that they can do what no one has done since 2013 and retain the title that their erstwhile colleagues won so impressively last year. 

The Imperial captain has arguably been the best player of the restarted series, coming back after lockdown had delayed the second round of recordings with greatly improved knowledge and buzzer speed. Four impressive performances culminated in him running riot against King’s last time out.

Cryptically, he posted a tweet before the match saying that ‘people who think that I'm carrying the Imperial team are either going to look very smart or very dumb next week...’. This echoes a tweet made by Brandon last year before the final, in which his teammates had crushed it on their way to victory. One thinks it would be a dick-move to copy this tweet if he means the opposite to his fellow Imperialites.

Durham, meanwhile, have blown a bit hot and cold in the quarter finals, with a solid win over Strathclyde followed by a limp loss to Balliol. However, last week I said I thought Strathclyde had no chance against Birkbeck and look how that turned out, so I don’t think I’m going to try and call this one either way. There have been plenty of tight matches this series, that could have gone either way, and I think this might be one of them

Off we go, and both sides miss Iris Murdoch’s definition of Love. Kohn, wearing an excellent wasitcoat, gets us back on track with the second starter, and Imperial grab a couple of bonuses to open up a twenty point lead. This is quickly halved as Wilkening gets Durham into the game. A fun bonus set on the monarchs who were reigning in the years of various ratios from the field of sub-atomic physics. 

A neg from Kohn then allowed Wilkening in to pick up his second, and now Durham had the lead. A guess of Kant from Regan extended this next time around, but they could only manage a single bonus again.

Wong stopped the mini-rot for Imperial with the first picture starter, and Rahman grins as he pronounces Uranus on the next ten-pointer, having beaten Kohn to the buzzer. They struggle on the bonuses, and at this point have answered the same number of starters as they have bonus questions correctly. This changes quickly, as they grabbed a full set off the back of another Wong buzz. They have the lead now.

Marrow takes her first of the evening, meaning that all of Imperial’s four players have answered at least one starter question correctly. Kohn’s prophecy is coming true. Marrow beams her face off (like Rey when she realises she’s on the Millennium Falcon with Han Solo in The Force Awakens. A very specific reference I know, but there are definite Daisy Ridley vibes) when she gives her answer, starch, which is delightful to watch. I dont know if she’s so happy simply because she got the answer right, or if she’s laughing at the irony of her, Marrow, a non-starchy vegetable, giving starch as an answer. Based on the smile she has when giving Buttercup correctly later on, I think its the former.

The music round goes the way Imperial as well, and they appear to be taking control of the game. Kohn gives Faure for one of the bonuses so quickly that Paxman just stops and admires his gumption for a few seconds, grinning. He jumps the gun on the second picture starter though, buzzing in before, it seems, he’s decided on an answer. The one he gives is wrong, and Durham pick it up. They manage to close the gap to 40 points.

A physics starter is then left dangling for quite a while. Marrow, Rahman and Parkinson all study the subject, and it is Rahman who manages to dredge the required knowledge up the quickest. Had Parkinson managed to get this, Durham may have had a chance, but Imperial run away with it once again.

Kohn starts firing out the answers to the bonus questions so rapidly that the show almost becomes the opposite of that Two Ronnies Mastermind sketch where they answer the previous question, and when the gong comes they have managed to double their opponents’ score.

Final Score: Durham 100 - 200 Imperial

A close match at the start, which threatened to be so again towards the end, but a blitz from Imperial resulted in their second dominant win in a row.

Commiserations to Durham, who certainly played their part today. And Kohn was right, his teammates did help him out, but my jove he didn’t half help them too.

Now for the end-of-blog plugs. If you liked reading this then I have a Patreon where you can get Retro Reviews of the 2015/16 series. I’ve actually got the next post locked and loaded for release this week, along with a review of a book written by our very own Jeremy Paxman. You can sign up for as little as £1/month.

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16447756&fan_landing=true

And while we’re at it, I may as well plug my appearance on the Enjoyably Futile Podcast a second time. You can listen to that here. 

Phew, its like an extension cable with too small an amperage in here - overloaded with plugs...

Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next time.

[joyofcrime-elinorhigh]

Top 10 Obscure Christmas Specials II:

 Guys! Guys! I'll get to the review proper in a second, but remember last year when I talked about A Cranberry Christmas? I said that it was lost media. WELL IT'S BEEN FOUND! HALLELUJAH! [link]

 Hell-ho ho ho everybody! My name is JoyofCrimeArt, and it's that time of year again! Christmas time is upon us, and there is no escaping it! The radio is playing the same ten Christmas songs on loop (nine if they've already banned Baby, It's Cold Outside.) The feeling of kindness and generosity shared between you and your fellow man. And best of all, their finally airing all those weird ass Christmas and holiday specials.  I love Christmas specials! Even the not very good one's usually have SOMETHING good about them! Whether it be some kind of festive ambiance, a good message, or just being very easy to make fun of. Sure, everybody knows about the classics Christmas specials. Frosty the Snowman, The Grinch, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, ect. But that's only the tip of the iceberg. But with Christmas being such a massive holiday, There are THOUSANDS of other Christmas and holiday specials out there that mostly go unnoticed every year! And while most of these specials go unnoticed for a reason, some are actually worth a watch, and act as hidden gems. And that'd why I'm here. To count down five more of these weird, bizarre, and unknown Christmas specials, that way you can check them out before the holidays are over. This is 5 Obscure Christmas Specials You Should Watch Part II.  Now, I've done this before last year. (Link here if you haven't seen it. Top 5 Obscure Christmas Specials You Should Watch:) As such I'm going to be following the same rules as I did last time. I'll be ranking these specials not by quality, but by how much you should watch them! Because sometimes a bad or cheesy Christmas special can provide more entertainment value than a really good one. But don't take the number ranking to seriously. This is mostly just a showcase of bizarre specials that you might not have heard of, and the actually number rankings aren't really the focus here. But with all that said, let's get this started with... Number 5: Neo Yokio: Pink Christmas (2018) (Oh, the Cringe!)  Just like to remind all of you that this is still running while Daredevil is canceled. Anyway, Jaden Smith is back! Just in case six episodes just wasn't synergy for you, now there is a Christmas special. Neo Yokio's Pink Christmas. This sixty-six minute long movie continues the story of Kaz Kaan, Neo Yokio's second most eligible bachelor and top demon hunter. The special opens with him having a cold around the holidays as his robot butler, Charles, tells him an original Christmas tale to make him feel better.  Said tale follows Kaz as he has to prepare for the Neo Yokio top bachelor secret Santa contest. He finds out that he has to find a gift for his arch rival, Arcangelo. Being uninteresting in giving his rival a present, he hires a shopkeeper named Herbert Sims to handle the secret Santa contest for him. And while this is all going on he also has to deal with his Aunt Angelique visiting Neo Yokio for the holidays. But when both demonic forces and Arcangelo have plans to ruin Christmas, it's up to Kaz to set things right.  If you've seen season one of this show, this special is more of the same. However, It is a bit more refined in it's doing so for the most part. I feel like there is more INTENTIONAL comedy overall compared to the first season. And I do like how this special manages to balance both the demon hunter and the bachelor aspect of Kaz's character. As oppose to the first season, where it felt like the show forgot half way through that it was suppose to be about demon hunting. We even get some more backstory and world building on the history of Neo Yokio and the Great Demon War, which is definitely a welcome addition. And Arcangelo, much like in season one, continues to be one of the highlights. He's like a cross between Phantom Blood's Dio Brando and Jake Paul. I love him. So I like how this special has him in a more major role.  I also like some of the themes presented in the "message" of the special. How corporations around the holidays essentially try to monetize anti-materialism for there own benefit. "Sure, we'll air specials like the Grinch and Charlie Brown. Specials that are meant teach you that Christmas isn't about consumerism. Just as long as you sit through all the ads we place in the middle. It's a legit and kinda smart message that I haven't really seen tackled before. But like Neo Yokio season one I don't really know where the show stands on this topic. Is it pro or against capitalism? Maybe it's trying to show that there's no right or wrong answer, but it ends up feeling more confused than anything else.  However, what does annoy me about this special is *Spoiler Warning?* the whole thing is, presumably, not cannon. I know that from the beginning we know that it's all a story told by the butler. But I was expecting some kind of twist where everything we heard would have actually happened somehow. Like Kaz would say "Wait, didn't that all happen last week Charles?" or something. Like a joke. Cause you know, this show is supposedly a comedy. But no, it's all just a story. So all the lore and world building that was actually somewhat interesting serves absolutely no point! *Spoiler Warning Over* I can't believe I let Jaden Smith trick me yet again.  In conclusion, what you see is what you get here. If you want to see a Jaden Smith anime Christmas special, than Neo Yokio Pink Christmas is the special for you. Check it out for the clout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLVazo8J9uE

You know what, I change my mind. Screw "There About to Warp!" this is my new favorite Toonami promo. Number 4: Crunchyroll's Christmas Special (2015) and Crunchyroll's Holiday Special (2017) (Oh, the Cringe!)  Now this is as bizarre and obscure as it comes. Just in case Neo Yokio wasn't enough for you to get your fill of vaguely anime themed Christmas nonsense, we have not one but TWO different Holiday specials brought to you from the lovely people of Crunchyroll. For a company as big and professional as Crunchyroll, you would think that any kind of special that they would make would have to be at least somewhat well produced, safe, and marketable, right? But that's not what this is at all.  What we basically got here is two half hour long "variety show" style specials that were released on both Crunchyroll and Youtube. Both specials are pretty much the same in terms of content. There both just a smorgasbord of random sketches, out of context anime clips, straight up ads for their own service and merch. All themed around the holidays and anime. This special has a real [adult swim] vibe to it, relying on a lot of surreal humor and anti-comedy. In fact, it might of even out [adult swim]'d [adult swim] in it's sheer bizarreness. It's honestly pretty hard to describe without just telling you to see the special for yourself.  Both specials are hosted by some guy named Mike Toole. I don't know who this guy is, but he's one of the best things about these special. He's just portrayed as this bumbling goof who's just unfazed by everything but really loves Christmas and anime. He has some really good comedic timing and his dry but cheerful delivery is a consistently funny thought both specials.  The specials aren't perfect however. Not all of the skits land and some of them go on for WAY to long. But that's kinda what happens with any sketch show. You gotta take the good with the bad. But do you know what you should do if you want REAL otherworldly experience? Watch the Neo Yokio Christmas special, but pause it at random intervals and watch this special. Treating the sketches like the bumpers you would get in between the ads of a TV show. It's a horrible idea that I'm not willing to try, but I feel doing so could lead somebody to either madness or true enlightenment. And I want someone else to be the guinea pig for that.  If you're a fan of both anime and weird surrealist humor then I would actually recommend checking these specials out. There both up online for free, so what do you have to lose?

Number 3: The OTHER Charlie Brown Christmas Specials (1992, 2002, and 2003)  So everybody knows about a Charlie Brown Christmas. It's like, one of the most famous Christmas special of all time. Charlie Browns sad. They hold a play. Snoopy kisses Lucy on the mouth without her consent #MeToo. Linus gives a speech about Jesus to an empty auditorium cause adults don't exist in this world. Everybody sings. THE END. Timeless classic, we all know it. But many are not aware of the OTHER Peanuts holiday specials.  There are three. 1992's It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown. 2002's Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales. And 2003's I Want a Dog For Christmas Charlie Brown. Like all the Peanuts specials made after Charles Schulz's death, these are all just a collection of random Peanuts comics that were animated. As oppose to the original Charlie Brown Christmas special that had an original story written by Schulz's himself. All three of these specials are just little vignettes based around the Peanuts gang celebrating Christmas.  While none of these specials are as ambitious or as heartfelt as the original special we all know and love, I don't think that their trying to be. While the first Charlie Brown Christmas special tries to tell an important message about the true meaning of Christmas, these other specials are pretty much just jokes without much plot or sentiment. But, given that they are just adaptation of Charles Schulz's writing, you know that there going to be funny. I always forget how much of a little shit Sally is, and these specials remind me. However,  sometimes the transitioning between scenes can be a bit wonky. They clearly just copied the strips, without putting much thought in how it would work when put together in a sequence.  While It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown and Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales are pretty similar. But I Want a Dog For Christmas Charlie Brown takes a bit more of a different approach. It focuses mostly on Linus's little brother Rerun, and has much more of an overall plot. (Though a lot of it is still just mini vignettes.) However, while I do admire the risk, I'd say it's the weakest of the three. Rerun just isn't that interesting of a character compared to the rest of the Peanuts gang. And that one has an hour long run time, which causing the special to drag a bit. But there still are some fun highlights.  If you are a fan of the Peanuts comic strips or specials, I would highly recommend these specials. They're light fluff, but They're good light fluff. They might not give you that warm Christmas feeling, but they will make you laugh. And sometimes that's all you need. 

Number 2: Olive the Other Reindeer (1999)  1999's Olive the Other Reindeer use to be a holiday tradition for Cartoon Network every year right long side such other TIMELESS and BELOVED holiday classics as Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer and Legend of Frosty the Snowman. But now, it's seem like it's kinda fallen into obscurity. Which sucks, cause this special is actually really good. The special follows Olive, voiced by Drew Barrymore before her magnum opus Freddy Got Fingered. Olive is a dog who isn't very good at doing traditional "dog" stuff. She's so un-dog like that she actually begins to believe that she might in fact not be a dog at all, but a reindeer. And when one of Santa's reindeer's get's injured right before Christmas, Olive believes it's up to her to trek to the North Pole and save Christmas by flying Santa's sleigh. Despite the fact that she isn't a reindeer and can't actually fly.  This is just a nice special, and a lot of that comes from Olive herself. Olive is a precious cinnamon bun who I WILL PROTECC! She's just such a kind and lovable lead, and Drew Barrymore's voice talent really helps extenuate this. But it's not just Olive, there are several other fun supporting characters too. Like Martini, a con artist penguin who accompanies Olive on her journey. There's also a evil postman (played by Dan Castellaneta) who acts as the specials main antagonist. His goal is to ruin Christmas because he hates all the extra work he has to do around the holidays. It's an interesting motivation for a villain, but they kind of ruin it in the last act by adding in a cliche "was always on the naughty list" element to his backstory. But regardless he's a fun villain. Between this and Robot Devil from Futurama Dan Castellaneta really knows how to ham it up as a villain who sings. What, you thought he wouldn't have a villain song? How naive of you.    While the special is based on a children's book the adaptation was headed by Matt Groening, which I never realized as a kid. Though that does explain why Dan Castellaneta is here. The special is a departure from his usual style, with art based more on the book instead of his usual Simpson style. The special is done in CGI surprisingly, despite the characters looking entirely flat. I don't really get the point of this. Why go through the effort of trying to use CG to make something look 2D, when you could just animate it in 2D to begin with. But whatever the reason, I do appreciate the pop up book look this special provides.  The special also carries a bit of that more adult humor, without going to far. Kind of like Murray Saves Christmas, a special that I talked about last year and also featured a lot of recurring staff members from Futurama. However, the world of this is special is weird. Santa is a known person who does radio interviews, but I guess that makes sense if we are assuming a world where Santa really exist. But then there are other oddities, like how Martini mentions how he use to work at the zoo until he got fired. But we also see Monkey's trying to escape the zoo. If being in the zoo is there job, why are they escaping? Aren't they there willingly? And why does Olive have an owner, but also a pet flea? Is this show set in the same universe as The Moxy Show? These are all questions that need to be answered.  The special is cheesey and some parts are just there to fill up time. But overall it's still a really nice special featuring some likable characters and some really funny jokes. While no means perfect, I still recommend you give it a watch if you can. 

Ahhh, nothing says Christmas like Santa, Pope John Paul II, Ultraman, and Quasimodo. Number 1: Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (1999) And to end this countdown, let's end on a Christmas special that just screams wholesome. Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas. Probably the best direct to video product Disney has ever made. (Not that doing so is very hard.) This special is pretty simple. It's three different Christmas specials stitched together to equal an hour long movie, each staring a different Disney character. We got Huey, Dewey and Louie wishing on a shooting star hoping for it to be Christmas everyday. We have Goofy trying to prove to Max that Santa is real in what I guess is a prequel toGoof Troop? And then we have Mickey and Minnie reenacting the Gift of the Magi. All these segments are linked together by a narrator voiced by Kelsey Grammer. His voice is so warm and cozy in this special, and really helps add to the mood. Sure, none of these stories are that original, but that's fine because there well executed. There's just such an earnest sensitivity to this special that it's hard not to not feel all Christmas-y while watching it. The animation, while nothing that fantastic, is good for direct to video. And it manages to do both cartoon-y slapstick and warmer more emotion moments pretty well.  The special isn't perfect. Some of the segments can feel a bit longer than they need to be despite the fact that the films so short. They're written like TV episodes but most run close to thirty minutes instead of twenty two. Also the last segment, with Mickey and Minnie, while not bad, is probably my least favorite. So it kinda ends on it's weakest note, though I get why they ended with it. Mickey just isn't my favorite of the Disney cast. I personally prefer the cartoon-y antics of Donald or the kindhearted nature of Goofy more in this special.  Goofy is also a precious cinnamon bun who I will protecc. And I ship him with Olive.  There was a sequel, Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, released in 2004. I haven't seen it in a while, but I remember it not being very good. It's goes for five shorter stories instead of three more focused ones, and I remember there being less of a warm Christmas-y essence to it. It was more jokes and less sentiment. Also, they replace the beautiful 2D animation for CGI. In 2004. With a direct to video budget. I can commend the ambition, but that probably wasn't the best movie. But if you want a nice wholesome Christmas special that the whole family can enjoy, than Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas an underrated pick I highly recommend you check out this holiday season.

 And so there we have it. five (or technically eight now that I think about it) obscure Christmas specials that I highly suggest that you look into this holiday season. But again, there are WAY more underrated specials that just these out there. So I may have to revisit this idea again at some point in the future and do a part three. What would you all think of that? And what weird, obscure, underrated Christmas specials do you guys watch every year? I'd love to hear all about em in the comments down bellow! I'm always looking for new specials to watch! Please fav, follow, and comment if you liked the review. And I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah (Even though that ended a week ago) Happy Ramadan (Even though that ended in June) Or whatever holiday you celebrate. Life Day? Regardless, Happy Holidays to you all! May your days be merry and bright!  Now if you excuse me, I have to go work on 2018 year in review. Have a great day, and see you then! (I do not own any of the images or videos in this review. All credit goes to there original owners.)

https://www.deviantart.com/joyofcrimeart/journal/Top-5-Obscure-Christmas-Specials-II-776656208 DA Link

[houseofvans]

SKETCHY BEHAVIORS | Interview w/ STACEY ROZICH (LA) 

From animal mask wearing people sifting through antiques to creepy mascots being arrested by equally creepy looking officers, Los Angeles based artist Stacey Rozich’s watercolor works are all things awesome. Strange, familiar, dark, humorous, and pleasantly eerie at times, Rozich’s paintings, while done in the style of folk traditional painting, are filtered through her own lens of modern pop culture. With some upcoming shows in the New Year–a group show at New Image in LA in February and a two-person show at Portland’s Talon Gallery in September–we couldn’t wait to chat with Stacey Rozich about her early experiences with drawing, her collaboration with Subpop Records, and her sketchiest story involving loud raucous metal heads and a little out-of-the-way saloon in Malibu in this latest Sketchy Behaviors. 

Photographs courtesy of the artist | Portrait by Kyle Johnson

Tell us a little about yourself.  My name is Stacey Rozich, or Stace, Stace Ghost, etc. I’m from Seattle, but I now live in Los Angeles. I’ve been painting in watercolor for the past twelves years, and drawing before that since forever. I sometimes do large scale versions of my work as acrylic murals, which is something I stumbled into. I dig painting in the folk tradition, but through my own lens of modern pop culture, and way too much tv watching as a kid. Seriously, I was an insomniac in middle school and for some reason my parents gave me a tv in my room, so I stayed up all night watching VH1 Pop-Up Video and Adult Swim (circa late 90’s). I have an almost encyclopedic knowledge of The Simpsons seasons 3 - 8 — I used to recite monologues from the show to my family when I was a kid. And I still do!

What was your first experience with art / drawing? And who were some of your early artistic influences? In Kindergarten I drew a many-legged leopard in the forest with crayons and I got a lot of praise for it from the other kids and the teacher. I felt a combination of pride and complete embarrassment for the attention I got for something I created without thinking. My earliest artistic influence was probably Sailor Moon. I wish I could say I was one of those really smart arty kids that loved Picasso, but honestly I wasn’t that aware of what “real art” was until later in pre teenhood. The flashy colors and character designs of Sailor Moon were so exciting for me! Even the lush watercolor backgrounds captivated me. I liked drawing people then so the outrageous proportions of the girls was something I could mimic in my own drawings.

Some of our favorite aspects of your work is your use of gouache and watercolors. Can you share with folks what it is about this particular medium you enjoy so much?  I absolutely love watercolor, and truthfully I don’t use gouache that much to consider myself proficient in it since it’s a slightly more opaque medium and I use it for accents. Especially the fluorescent gouaches I picked up in Tokyo, those against my watercolors pop nicely. But watercolor, yeah, I think I have that one in the bag. I remember using it in high school and absolutely loathing it — where was the control? One wrong move and it all just blended together into one big wet puddle. When I was a freshman at CCA (California College of the Arts in San Francisco) I took an intro Illustration class and the first thing our professor did was give us a watercolor demo; I was not looking forward to it. He was such a wizard with it! He gave us really smart instructions to not use very much water, and really “charge up the brush” with the pigments and paint it in and let it dry fully. That way edges of the paint have dried and created a barrier for the next application of color next to it. That’s why the barrier for entry with watercolor can seem too high, when it gets too slippery to work with there’s an overuse of water. I got that suddenly and it all clicked. Since i grew up drawing habitually I liked that I could use a very small brush and almost draw with watercolor, and large brushes to fill in certain planes with tonal washes. I like that I can wipe and dab away little pools of color and it creates a nice stained glass effect — that looks really lovely against a matte layer of watercolor that I’ve used extremely little water with. 

Are there other mediums you’d like to try in the future? In the future I would really like to start painting portraits of people in my life. Like, Alice Neel style portraits in oil. Oil intimidates me greatly so I think I’d start in acrylic.

What’s a day in the studio for you like?   I get to my studio around 10am since I’m not a very early riser, unfortunately. I so envy early morning people! One of my girlfriends who’s an incredible textile artist is up and at ‘em and hiking in Griffith Park by 6am. And there I am under the covers with a cat on stomach looking at her Instagramed hike thinking “Some day that will be me” — I like to lie to myself. Anyway! Once I roll into my studio I settle in to write some e-mails, putz around the Interwebs, and then get down to the task at hand. It’s usually 11 around this time so I’m usually really chugging along by 3, and then I’ll keep going for a few more hours. If it’s a painting for a commission or gallery show I tend to spread my timeline out so I don’t get burned out. If it’s a commercial gig there’s a lot more scanning, Photoshop clipping out and editing which can take me later into the evening.

What’s that process like? My process always starts with loose sketches on paper, which can mean in a sketchbook or whatever blank piece is lying closest to me. I work out compositions with really doodly lines — they’re virtually unintelligible but I know what they mean. When I move to the final I mostly wing it when it comes to the color palette. If anyone has ever seen my watercolor palette they know it’s a goddang mess  which works for me. I usually work with whatever shades I’ve pre mixed and let dry in the pan.

You’ve worked with various clients and companies over the years. Do you enjoy collaborating and what do you find the most challenging about it? I do like working commercially, the collaboration with art directors can be incredibly rewarding. Though there are times it becomes a slog when you’ve created about four or five killer rough ideas and they go with the weakest one. Why does that always happen? You have to do what they say essentially, but still keep your voice even when it feels a little pinched.

In 2015, you collaborated with Subpop Records on some amazing record art and design? Can you tell us a little about that collaboration and process? Subpop is one of my favorite labels to work with hands down. Their art director Sasha Barr is such a boss. I was really lucky when I was working on the Father John Misty album that I got to create the art and not worry about the editing process. I sent it up to them since they had access to a gigantic scanner to get a full high-resolution image. It meant a lot that I was able to do the art as an actual full scale piece, as opposed to broken up to little scraps and then scanned on my wee little ancient scanner. Sasha did all the leg work to clip out the whole thing and to figure out how to stage the multi-layered pop-up interior gatefold. Usually when I work with smaller clients they ask me to do all this which is…not a good idea. Ultimately that album packaging was nominated for a Grammy in Packaging Design in 2016, but we lost out to Jack White because of course. Damn you, Jack White!

What WOULD BE your ideal collaboration? I would like to work with a great publishing house to do my own young adult series. Basically all the characters and worlds I’ve been painting distilled down into a serialized art book/graphic novel type thing. That’s a big dream of mine that swings from feeling so possible and exhilarating and then feeling completely futile because everyone has the worst things to say about the state of publishing right now. I still have hope that someday I’ll get it together to at least put forward a proposal. 

On a different level I’ve love to design some patterns for Gucci. I’m not really up on the latest collections of luxury brands but Gucci is one I’ve noticed has been doing a fantastic job incorporating illustrations into their garments either as accents or printed motifs. The uniqueness of the artwork coupled with excellent hand done detailing makes my brain feel fuzzy in a really good way.

What type of music do you listen to when creating? Can you give us the top 5 bands you’ve been checking out? I waffle back and forth between music and a lot of podcasts. For the times when I can’t listen to anyone talk anymore, I listen to Jim James, Solange, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shabazz Palaces. I just started listening to Andy Shauf’s new album which is lovely, it reminds me a bit of Harry Nillson. Also there’s a great massive playlist on Spotify called Twin Peaks Vibes that is excellent.

What’s your strangest or sketchiest art story that you want to share? I was eating lunch with some friends at this little out-of-the-way saloon in a canyon east of Malibu after a hike a few months ago. It’s pretty isolated down there — they’ve been using this place for filming Westerns since the 30’s so it’s a very specific strange and cool gem. I was sitting at the bar and these bros come in, being loud and raucous. I kind of internally rolled my eyes at them and ignored them. I hear one of them say “Excuse me — are you Stacey Rozich?” I got scared for a moment because anytime someone recognizes me by name I feel like I’m going to get into some trouble. I told him I was, and then he and his friends got very excited since they all were huge Southern Lord fans, and loved the album artwork I did years ago for the band Earth. I was really surprised (and relieved) and we had a good chat! It was a very unexpected encounter down at this little far away rustic saloon.

What’s a common misconception about artists?  Perhaps that we’re all lazy. That we don’t have a good work ethic since what we do is hard for most people to wrap their brain around. It’s a completely unconventional path to go down, and you have to be extremely dedicated to it. Yet somehow this doesn’t quite translate to most folks since it seems like basing your life and career on an unknown pursuit like art seems insane. And there’s an idea that artists have a lot of free time to spend laying around waiting for inspiration to strike. 

What’s been the biggest challenge for you as an artist? The largest challenge for me, honestly is: myself. I’ve been working solely on my artwork for the past six years and it’s been full of a lot of ups and downs: emotionally and financially for sure. There’s always a feeling of not being good enough, why aren’t I as good as this or that artist, why aren’t I doing X, Y or Z. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of myself for what I have accomplished but I need to remind myself of that before I go down a spiral of anxiety. It comes from a fear of rejection which can prevent me from pursuing things, submitting a proposal for the aforementioned young adult series for example. Sometimes I need to remind myself to get out of my head and to get out of my own way.

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an artist? I’d probably be in finance, on Wall Street most likely. Kidding! I think about this sometimes. Being someone who creates has always been so tightly wrapped up in who I am as a person that it’s hard to extract myself from what I would be without. I would hope I would do something in Slavic studies. My dad’s side is Croatian (by way of Detroit) and while that’s been a huge inspiration for my artwork I’ve always been really fascinated with that region’s history of conflict and resilience. When I spent six weeks there back in 2012 it only deepened my love for that place and also my curiosity for what makes it tick.

What are your favorite Vans? A pair of beat up, worn in, maybe a couple of holes at the toe blue or red Authentics. A true classic.

What’s a question you never get asked in an interview and would like to ask and answer yourself? It would be, ‘If there was one person living or dead who you wished owned or could have owned your art — who would it be?’ To which I would say that’s such a hard question there’s so many people I admire! But as of this moment I think it would be rad if David Lynch had some of my art. I love his unstructured style of storytelling, all the loops and the sometimes frustrating dead ends his narrative world has. The effect of creating an unusual if not downright confusing vignette just for the sake of it reminds me of how I approach the storylines in my work.

What cool and interesting projects or shows that you’re working on - should folks keep an eye out for next year? Since it’s the end of the year things are usually pretty quiet in terms of projects, but I’m in a group show in conjunction with Luke Pelletier’s solo show at New Image here in LA in February. I’m scheduled for a two-person show at Portland’s Talon Gallery in September and! Hopefully, if it all aligns, I’ll be headed Internationally to do some muraling. I’m stoked for it!

FOLLOW STACEY | Instagram | Website 

[euphoricdr3ams]

Forward- Hoseok

Genre: Fluff, Angst, Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse  Pairing: Jung Hoseok x Female Reader Word Count: 2.6k

Today was your first anniversary with your loving boyfriend. A surprise date planned by him. You couldn’t help but smile when you thought about it. It had been a stressful week. The new job was stressful but exciting. Your navy blue dress fell perfectly on your body. Your hair falls comfortably on your shoulders. The makeup you had even done yourself wasn’t even too shabby. You checked to see your phone. Of course, he was already waiting for you in the car. You quickly grabbed your silver crossbody bag and headed out the door.

“Ahh, You look amazing.” Hoseok gawked at how beautiful you looked. After leaving his trance-like state he quickly grabbed your bag and opened the door for you.

“You look good yourself babe” You leaned in and gave him a sweet kiss. “Where are we headed?”

“It’s gonna be a fun night just trust me.” Hoseok drove off into the sunset. You caught up with each other day in the car ride. A few jokes were exchanged between you too. He had always known how to make you smile. The comeback was right around the corner. He explained how excited he was and how he feels like this might be the best one yet. You told him about your new job. He was excited you had finally quit retail. You explained your plans for possibly getting a Maltese. You had always wanted a pet since you were young. However, your mom was always against the idea. Between the good conversation and funny jokes, you both hadn't even realized how quickly you had gotten there.

“This place is so fancy.” You glanced around the restaurant. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The carpet was red. The hostess escorted you to your table. There was a place card with your names on it. Like the gentleman that he is, Hoseok pulled the chair out for you.

“You really outdid yourself.” You glanced down. Everything was laid out so beautifully.

“It’s our one year. Of course, I had to go all out. Order whatever you want.” Hoseok put his phone on silent. The world could be ending but at this moment he couldn’t care. You were his first real love. Nothing was more important to him that your happiness at that moment. After placing your orders, thoughts became fluid as you both reminisced on how you had both gotten to this point.

“I might say this over, about seven times tonight but, I'm still shocked we are together.” Hoseok took a sip of his wine.

“Honestly, same. I'm glad you finally had the courage to tell me how you felt after being close friends for so long. You were my first friend when I moved back after school.”

“I’m still a little salty you left in the first place, but I’m over it now.” Hoseok teased.

“well, you had a chance to chase your dreams besides, The US is overhyped. Why you think I came back?” You teased.

“You’re right” He chuckled. “Who knew fate would bring us back together.”

“You think it’s fate?”

“Of course, how else could I explain it. Most people wait a lifetime or unfortunately never find someone who truly cares for them. I’m blessed to have you in my life. You knew me from before BTS. I pray that we can stay like this forever.”

“I’m going to drown under all of this cheesiness” You faked a gag. “Seriously, I feel the same way you do. I’m glad you came back into my life. Four years can change someone. I’m glad our personalities still blend so effortless despite the time difference. You’re still that sweet kid who took Saturday dance classes too seriously.”

“You’re still that adorable little girl who always made me laugh and lived her life in a sketchbook.” Hoseok effortless responded. His hand gently holding onto yours. You lived for moments like these. Throughout the dinner, your mind thought about what Hooke spoke about. You weren’t a huge believer in “fate” or “destiny”. From the outside looking in, there was no better way to describe our love. You're rarely ever fought. When you did, Hoseok would not go to sleep unless the issue was resolved. You both had established an open line of communication with him. Though your university had been over 13 hours away, you still communicated regularly during the beginning days of his career. He told you everything. The ups and downs. You celebrated the heights and mourned with him during the lows.

You even made it your priority to see them on the first US tour. The four-hour bus ride was grueling but, you did it for Hoseok. The show was amazing. You cried out of happiness for what he achieved. That was the night. In The madness of what happened at that NYC show. He confessed. He put his heart on the line. You did the same too. You revealed how you felt. The following weeks were rough. The distance put a strain on whatever your guys were. The mutual agreement to take a break crushed you. However, he knew it was for the best. If fate was true, You believed he would come back to you.

Dinner came and went so quickly, the next stop on his one-year surprise celebration was dancing by the river. The music was very romantic. Hoseok being the gentleman w his was patient with you. You actually caught onto a few of the partner dances quickly. He smiled. The way your dress twirled in the wind as you spun on your heels made him smile. The band was perfect. The drinks were mixed to a perfection. He couldn’t have asked for a better night. Hoseok had known he was madly in love with you ever since July 16, 2015. The day he confessed. His members would argue it was before he even confessed his feels. He was in love you. In that moment, He had almost wished he wasn’t Jhope. Jhope didn’t have the freedom that Hoseok had. He was beyond grateful to have the opportunity to pursue his dreams. However, He would give it all up just to have you be his wife. He repressed these feelings for now. You loved him. He loved you. All of the other places will fall in the right places at the appropriate time.

Two hours had passed and the clock struck one am. Your feet were beginning to ache. Hoseok caught on your actions. He was always good at reading people. It had been the 5th time in the span of 20 minutes that you had sat down.

“Let’s head back now, It’s getting late.” he reached for your hand. He supported your body weight on his shoulder. You insisted your feet didn’t hurt too terribly. Yet, yous till limped. He rolled his eyes as he helped you into the car. The ride home was peaceful. You listened to some classic love song and sang along with the ones you were familiar with. Luckily your place wasn’t far off from the bar. Before you could even blink, you were home.

You flung your foot as your heels went flying across the room. Hoseok couldn't help but laugh. He knew girly things weren’t your style. However, he appreciated the fact that you went out of your way for him.

“Before I forget, I got you something.” Hoseok closed his eyes in anticipation. You stood up and grabbed a wrapped box with a red bow across it. “It's not much but, I thought you would like it.”

Hoseok opened his eyes. He opened the box. He smiled. Inside was a matte black watch. He had joked about how he was going to steal the one they let him borrow for a radio appearance.

“You know you didn’t have to get me anything but thank you.” he hugged you and then tried on the watch. It was a perfect fit. He wanted to scold you for a second. This was expensive and he knew it. He held his tongue. It wasn’t an everyday occasion that you buy him things.

“I thought we agreed on no expensive gifts.” You complained as he took out the Tiffany box.

“You already broke that rule with this watch. Come on open it.” You let the issue go. He was right anyway. That watch cost you a fortune. You prayed he wouldn’t do something stupid like wear it to practice. When you finished unwrapping the box your smile noticing the small music note necklace. It was the sound of music that connected you too. The countless nights you spent bonding over music. From badly written radio jams to classics by musical geniuses. In your spare time, you even sketched album artwork for up and coming artists. Hoseok was always so thoughtful. The whole experience of the night proved it.

You forced him to stay over tonight. It was close to 3AM. He didn’t have a schedule until 3PM tomorrow. He might as well get a good night sleep with you. There was spare sweats and Tshirt for him that you left neatly in the corner of the bathroom. You showered first and then he did. You slipped into bed and began to watch Netflix.  Your finger clung to your phone. Your mind so occupied by an iPhone game. You hadn’t even notice, your boyfriend’s figure slips into bed until he grabbed your phone and place it on the nightstand next to him.

“What the point of having the show playing, If you aren’t watching?” He pulled you close into his arms. The drama continued on. Not long after, His lips began attached yours. It had dawned on you in that moment you hadn't shared a real kiss with him all night. You kissed back. His lips were deadly.Your mind blanked as his tongue slipped into your mouth deepening the kiss. You thanked the heavens that all of this was yours. Hoseok lips traveled from your lips and down to your neck. He readjusted his body so that he was on top of you. Truth be told Hoseok mind didn't immediately jump to sex. However, if you were up for it. He would not turn you down. Like most men, He had needs. Though, he had never gone far with anyone. He would do that with you. He trusted you. He knew you would take care of him.

This moment was supposed to be magical. You had a chance to share the most intimate part of yourself. Be connected as one. Your mind, however, couldn’t get into it. Hoseok touch that was always comforting felt like knives. The kiss felt sour. You couldn't explain it but, you just wanted everything to stop. You couldn’t explain why. You loved him and he loved you. People who are in love have sex. It another expression of love and appreciation. You head drifted to the side as he continued to kiss down your neck. His hands slid up your shirt. You immediately became stiff. You tried to give yourself pep talks. ‘What's so wrong with this?’ ‘he loves you.’ ‘you don’t want him to leave you, so you could do this for him’  You closed your eyes as you tried your hardest to force your body into a relaxation state.

However, your mind just flashed back to college. A Blur of night riddled with empty red solo cups and strangers pretending as though they cared. Your mind traveled back remembering a time trying to impress people who never really care about you. Your mind flashed back to a boy who decided to take the last of your innocence. Your eyes opened. The image in front of you was of that monster. The one who locked the door behind him so that you couldn't escape. In a crowded house full of strangers who couldn’t hear your whimpers over the top 40 it of the summer. It was a reflex as you shoved Hoseok off of you. His body flung across the room. Your hand gripped onto the pillow as you began to break down into tears.

Hoseok got up from the floor confused. His mind panicked. He had assumed that he hurt you somehow. The last thing he wanted was to make you feel pressured.He sat down next you. His hand gently rubbing your back.

“(Y/N), I’m sorry. We don’t-” You cut him off by shoving him down into the mattress as you sat on hp of him straddling him. “No. I’m going to force myself to do this” You said in between your tears.

“Force? No. I’m not going to do that to you. We aren’t doing this.”

“Shut up” You yelled at him. ”Just let me please, The only way, I’m gonna get over him. If I do this.” You pushed his head down further and began to undo the tie on his sweatpants.

He shoved your hand away. He was so confused. He was scared. He was hurt. What could have happened that had you so emotional like this? You shared everything with each other. Or at least he thought. He had never seen you so shaken up. He turned off the TV. His body sat in an upright position. In the dim lighting, he managed to make eye contact with you.

“What did he do you?” he asked softly. The last thing he wanted was to push your way. However, he needs to know this information. You sobbed. How could admit that to him? What if he thought less of you? What if he thought you were promiscuous in college? How could begin to explain emotions that you couldn't even understand?

“I shouldn't have drank that night. I should have left with my friends. I shouldn’t have tried to talk to him. I shouldn’t have shown so much skin. It was my fault. I was an idiot. Why am I even surprised he” you paused. “I was practically asking for it.”

Hoseok gently pulled you in closer. Many things can happen in four years. Away from home. He connected the pieces and realized that the monster had sexually assaulted you. His arms wrapped around your body into a hug. How could anyone do that to his precious butterfly? You were so delicate and such a sweet fragrance to the world. How could anyone take a moment so special and taint it? He didn’t want to cry but he couldn’t help himself. He had known you since that first dance lesson over 10 years ago. You were his first friends his first real girlfriend. He was hurt, angry and sad all at the same time. He was nowhere near an expert at things like this. How could he begin to comfort you? How could he begin to help heal your wounds? Can he?

One thing he knew for sure. Despite, the brewing anger he had for that creature. You were the first priority and always will be. You stayed up all night. Hoseok comforted the best way he knew how. He made you a hot cup of tea and listened. Never prying for information. No judgments. No criticism. Just concern. It was a huge relief for you. You imagined him running for the hills. You pictured him rejecting you. You pictured him leaving. That's the reason why you kept it hidden for over a year. Hooke did nothing but, offer his support and tissues. He reassured you that it wasn’t your fault. That he was a monster. You’re still beautiful.

That moment. That snapshot of time was most precious to you. You both feel deeper in love with each other. It was a newfound sense of trust, respect, and love. Something that some couples don't ever get to experience. You loved him. He loved you. You trusted him. He trusted you. That was all you needed to be able to heal and keep moving forward.

I don’t know how this happened. I kinda just had a mind vomit at 1AM this morning. If you or anyone you know has been through this or going through a similar situation. Please speak to someone. It helps. My ask box is always open to talk. Wishing you peace and love xoxo-Admin YOLO

[hotcookinmama]

HVFF Nashville -- My Story

Oh my gosh! That really happened!

This is the story of how I died.

No, wait. That’s the line from the beginning Tangled.

I guess I really didn’t die. Instead, I thrived!  Heroes & Villains Nashville (2017) was an amazing experience, and I’m so excited to share it with you.

Buckle up. This may be my longest post ever. I wrote this for my own keeping-track-of-my-memories benefit as well as a post to help other first timers who attend Heroes & Villains and to help re-experience the joy for those who attended.

It might help to understand that I’ve been wanting to do to a fan convention since I was 15 years old, and I’m 45 now. I remember watching Saturday Night Live (live, of course) when William Shatner was the guest host. He did that famous sketch set at a sci-fi convention. After getting some rather silly questions asking about the smallest minutia of Star Trek, he finally broke. He yelled at the convention attendees to “get a life”. He asked one guy “have you ever kissed a girl?” He told them they needed to move out of their parents’ basements.

As a die-hard Star Trek fan, I thought the sketch was hilariously funny but a tad bit close to home. Going to a sci-fi convention sounded wonderfully fun, but I was NEVER going to be THAT crazy! Nope. Like a normal kid, I moved out of my parents’ house when I went to college and married a guy three years later. The guy in question, however, was also a Trekkie and fellow geek. For years, we had talked about going to a con, but life was always in the way. School, work, kids, money. It was never the right time.

Everything finally aligned. When Heroes & Villains announced “Buy 1, Get 3 Free” general admission tickets for Nashville, I realized I could take my whole geek-loving family to a convention 35 minutes away for only $75.

Score!

I was really, truly going to be in the same room as Stephen Amell and David Ramsey. This was going to happen! Plus, my adorable 8-year-old daughter, Tea loved the idea of dressing as Felicity Smoak. This was going to be awesome. (My daughter’s name is longer than “Tea”, but since we all call her this nickname anyway, I might as well protect her identity a little.)

Then the awesomeness got even better. When HVFF announced that Melissa Benoist had joined the line up, @jbuffyangel started making plans to attend as well. Her daughter Lauren is a big Supergirl fan, and Jen decided to make this a special mother / daughter trip. (Jen has posted Lauren’s name multiple times on her blog, so I figure it’s safe for me to as well.)

Ya know… it’s all Jen’s fault. I’m in this fandom today because of her and now I’m in deeper than ever because of her.

Back in October 2014, in trying to make sense of “Unthinkable” (Arrow 2x23), I found Jen’s “How Oliver Queen Fell in Love with Felicity Smoak”, and I fell down the rabbit hole of fandom. Jen’s “The Ring” was the first fanfic I ever read. Now, I was able to attend my first convention having Jen, a convention veteran, by my side. We became internet friends in October 2015 due to me begging — ummmm — volunteering to beta / edit her fan fics. Thank you again @louiseblue1 for connecting us. I’m so grateful! Jen & I lamented several times that we wished that you, Lou, could be with us for this weekend.

This past weekend, however, Jen & I were able to become not just internet friends, but IRL friends as well. What a treasure!

The week started off with a major disappointment though. Melissa Benoist cancelled. No Supergirl for Lauren or Tea. And a rather pissed Jen. For good reason. When fans spend hundreds of dollars on airline tickets to attend a con, it really sucks when celebrities cancel, even if it’s for “work”. 

To ease Jen’s frustration and disappointment, I offered to pick them up from the airport when they arrived. Jen also mentioned that she had always wanted to visit Nashville and thought she and Lauren might do some fun stuff around town. I offered to be their tour guide. I LOVE being a tour guide for friends. It’s a blast to show people the best and most interesting things about places I love.

Friday afternoon, Tea & I picked up Jen & Lauren from the airport and got them checked in at their hotel. None of us had gotten lunch and, fortunately one of the best barbecue places around is right across the street from the hotel. It didn’t take long at all for 8.5-year-old Tea and just-turned 10-year-old Lauren to become fast friends. Hanging with Jen was awesome for me as well.

Folks… I gotta tell you. That wonderful brain of hers... the one that delivers such incredible insight into our favorite characters… it is always on!

Whether we were enjoying BBQ for lunch, touring around Nashville, having dinner with my husband later, standing in line to see David Ramsey the next day, or fighting traffic getting to dinner the next night, her brain was always making connections.

We got insights into the good & bad of season 2 (yep, plenty of bad stuff that people forget about!), her conversations with Marc Guggenheim, especially about 5x20, Stephen Amell’s height, speculation on behind-the-scenes issues and contracts, similarities between Olicity and CaptainSwan on Once Upon a Time, insights on negativity in the Arrow fandom, why How I Met Your Mother’s ending was so screwed up, how The Vampire Diaries should have ended, how various Arrow season 6 spoilers are all connected and so much more. In many ways, keeping up with her brain was the most challenging and enjoyable part of the weekend.

Saturday morning arrived and my crew was ready to go. Fortunately, all three of my kids were excited and in great moods. My teenage twin boys never want to pose for pictures, but they cooperated and we got this great family picture. If I do Christmas cards this year, this will be on it!

My whole family loves Arrow and we watch all four CW Arrowverse shows, but none of them are as passionate about it as I am. (duh) (At age 8, my daughter has only limited exposure to some of the shows.)

Fortunately, there were things at HVFF that interested each of them.

My husband got to see the car from Supernatural. (Cost $10 if you wanted a picture of you next to it.)

My boys found a trailer full of wide screens, comfortable seating and video games. We could even rent it for a future party (graduation, maybe?). Anytime they were bored at the con, they asked if they could go hangout in the video game trailer. So glad it was free!

My daughter couldn’t wait to try the space walk (also free).

First up for Arrow stuff… the John Barrowman panel.

We’re all big Doctor Who fans in this family too. In fact, I think I would be the only one who likes Arrow more than Doctor Who. So the boys wanted to see Barrowman, but I was a little concerned. I’ve seen videos from his panels before, and I knew they were NOT G-rated. Sure enough. Barrowman came out wearing a Doctor Who romper which he ripped open to reveal a Doctor Who dress.

(We were in the back, and this was the best picture I got. I won’t bore you with my other bad panel photos.)

He started out by telling a story about one of his early jobs doing song and dance here in Nashville long before he was ever on television. (Lots of stars have gotten their starts in Nashville, and not just country music ones either. Oprah, for instance.) Barrowman’s Nashville story, however, involved a drink spiked with laxatives, high kicking on stage, and people in the front row getting quite messy. If you want the gory details, here is the link to the video of the whole panel.

Even though my daughter was engrossed in a game on her tablet, and thankfully, not really paying attention to Barrowman, I decided it was best to not run the risk of her hearing anything even more inappropriate for her young ears. Us two girls left the panel to stand in line to see Stephen Amell. I wanted to get ahead of all of the people who would be getting into the line after Barrowman was done. Even so, the line was LONG! In fact, we had to stand in line to purchase our tickets to stand in line again.

As we were going from one line to the next, I spotted a bag that I had been looking for. It was @scu11y22’s Frak Cancer bag, so… that must be Tracy! It sure was!

Tracy was another one of the people I connected with early in my fandom experience. I remember checking her and Jen’s blogs daily on my browser long before I joined Tumblr or Twitter. We’ve connected in numerous ways online over the years, but the most special for me was recently when she agreed to co-host my Arrow Fandom Pampered Chef fundraiser to raise money for the fight against breast cancer. I knew I had to meet up with her at HVFF. After all, I had a set of cake pans to deliver to her! LOL!

I have always appreciated Tracy being such a positive force within the fandom. She doesn’t write fic but she’s the biggest fic cheerleader there is. Plus, no matter what’s happening on the show — even if she doesn’t like it — she tries to find a way to keep things positive in the fandom. Tracy was at the top of my list of fandom friends I wanted to find. I also was able to meet her posse.

@quant-um-fizzx, @redpensandgreenarrows, @ireland1733, @laurabelle2930

Meeting fandom friends at a con is a hoot. Out of habit, most people start with their real name.

“Hi, I’m Angela.”

That’s returned with a nice, “Oh, nice to meet you” and a hand shake.

Then someone else says, “Guys, that’s Hotcookinmama!” Then everyone says, “Hey!!! GREAT to meet you” and you get hugs. That process was repeated multiple times over the weekend.

Next time, I guess I’ll just lead with my screen name... or wear a button that says it. Tracy’s crew had the great idea of putting their screen names on their convention badges.

Back to Stephen’s line...

According to Jen and several others, Stephen almost never does selfies at his booth, but he was doing them this time. Most con veterans had told me that you get to spend more time doing an autograph than getting the professional photo-ops. I had wanted a picture, but I also wanted to chat a little. Since he was doing the selfies at his autograph booth, I figured we had the best of both worlds.

The lines were so long, that we stood in line for almost an hour before we even got a glimpse of him. From that glimpse, however, I could tell that the Code 8 beard was gone. Hallelujah!

During the time we stood in line, Barrowman’s panel ended, my husband took my daughter to get something to eat, my boys played video games in game trailer, and eventually we all gathered back together in time to meet Stephen. Unfortunately, we noticed the clock moving closer and closer to Stephen’s 1:30 panel slot. So did Stephen’s handlers, I’m sure. When we finally got up to meet him, he was very nice, but a bit rushed. He commented on my daughter being mini Felicity. He signed the photo collage I had brought, and we got our picture together. It all went by so fast.

As we were finishing up, I asked what kind of wedding will we see this year. He responded, “Ah, I can’t tell you that.” He thanked us for coming. And that was it. It still doesn’t even seem real that I actually met Stephen Amell!

We grabbed a quick bite to eat and my mini-Felicity found a seat next to a guy with an fantastic Green Arrow costume. I commented to the others at the table that I never thought I’d be eating lunch with Oliver and Felicity!

Next up… Stephen’s panel.

To get seats at the big panels, you have to line up beforehand. Then they carefully control how people are let into the seating area. They try to fill in all the gaps as they let people in. Since we had stopped to get a bite to eat, we were afraid we might not get any seats for Stephen’s panel. The cutoff for seats was right in front of us. Fortunately, a few seats were found after he had started and they ushered us in. We even had pretty good seats right behind the VIP section. This gave us a great view of the people asking questions.

Much to my surprise, I noticed Jen & Lauren in line to ask a question. Jen wasn’t even watching Stephen while she was in line. She was just typing on her phone. Was she texting during the panel?

No! She was live tweeting! She had her eyes on her phone and kept typing. All those informative tweets you all got during the panel… most of them was while she was standing in line! I know from my attempt at the experience the next day at the Arrow cast panel, it’s not easy. I’d much rather sit back and just watch the panel. So every time you enjoy a stream of great live tweets during a convention panel, know that the “reporter” is busy typing away instead of watching the panel.

Lauren did a fantastic job asking Stephen what he likes most about Felicity.

“I love how smart and how capable she is, that she can stand on her own and do her own thing. And I think that one of the biggest lessons that Oliver has had to learn is that he doesn’t always need to help her. He just needs to let her be her own person.”

Captain, my captain! I love how much Stephen loves and respects the character of Felicity Smoak!

Others have done a better job — and quicker job — recapping everything that was said at the panels. Here are some of my favorite parts:

He loved Nashville. Loved the atmosphere. He said it was as if Austin and New Orleans had a love child.

A fan asked if he had ever heard any good Arrow-themed pick-up lines. He responded “Hey girl, I’m all a quiver”. He said it was more of a “dad joke”.

He thought the beard was gross.Yay!

The flashbacks in season 6 will be move limited. There will be episodes without any flashbacks. The ones we get will also feature other character’s story lines. Oliver’s big 5-year flashback arc is complete. 

After the panel, my husband and kids did a little shopping. My teenage boys LOVED all the geek merchandise at the booths.  After a while, however, hubby and the twins decided they were tired and were ready to go home. So glad I had decided we were taking separate cars. Tea & I weren’t ready to go at all.

Jen wanted to get David Ramsey’s autograph and we noticed the VIP line wasn’t that long. She said it was fine if I tag along. She said David is usually really good at spending time with everyone, giving spoilers and fantastic hugs. She was 100% right! I stood there a couple feet away from Jen while they were chatting it up.

I took a picture of the very nice collection of David Ramsey photos. When you purchase an autograph, you can get it on your own merchandise or choose one of these photos.

David told Jen that Diggle and Oliver were going to clash early this season. He compared it to Civil War. (Pretty sure he meant Marvel’s Civil War and not the actual War Between the States.) When they were done, Jen and Lauren got their hugs. David saw me standing off a bit. He said “Come here” and wrapped me up in a huge hug. I thanked him and we walked off.

Jen was stoked about the spoiler and instantly started theorizing, but I was too moved by what had happened to say anything. She looked back at me and I realized I was crying a little. After having such a brief, rushed encounter with Stephen earlier in the day, I was so touched by how much time David took with us and how genuine he seemed to be.

As Jen later said in her HVFF post: “I was just so happy to be part of that purely joyful moment with her. It’s so rare when we are gloriously happy as human beings and she absolutely was.”

I will ALWAYS get in line to meet David again in the future.

Later in the day, the lines are much shorter. We spent time with Echo Kellum and Ming-Na Wen (Agent Melinda May on Agents of SHIELD and the voice of Mulan).

Echo was sweet and super tall.

Ming-Na Wen was even more sweet and so beautiful. She had bead bracelets and candy to give away to the kids who visited with her. And… damn, while looking her up to make sure I spelled her name correctly, I discovered she’s 53! Wow. She must have some of that non-aging cream that Stephen has.

The girls decided they wanted to enter the cosplay contest held at the end of the day. Each contestant walked across the stage and introduced themselves at the microphone. After Lauren walked by, one of the moderators said “who was that?” and the other shrugged his shoulders. These comic fan boys had no idea who Felicity Smoak was. Grrrrrrrr….

Tea went next and when she went up to the mic, she said her name and that she was dressed as Felicity Smoak. So proud of my girl walking up there all by herself! She didn’t seem scared at all. Our girls didn’t make the finals, but they did great and had fun.

There were some pretty fun and amazing costumes.

By the time the cosplay contest was over, we were wiped out, but we still had people we wanted to see. Jen & I both wanted to track down @dollyrose09 and we found her just before we left. She was also dressed as Felicity. “Felicity in the field” for her. Standing with our season 1 Felicity & season 2 Felicity, they made quite a trio.

While we chatted, our two Felicity girls had fun dancing.

Dolly headed to her photo-op, and we were ready to head to dinner. As we picked up Tracy and her friend Qwen @quant-um-fizzx from the front of their hotel, this giant sea of people was coming straight towards us from over the river.

In downtown Nashville, the Shelby Street Bridge is a old bridge that is now a pedestrian bridge. (For all you “Nashville” fans, it’s where Deacon proposed to Rayna.) It crosses the Cumberland River and connects the football stadium to the rest of downtown. The out-of-town visitors in my van were a bit taken a back. I don’t remember if it was Jen or Tracy, but one of them said that they had only seen a swarm of people crossing a river like that in movies, and it usually meant it was the apocalypse. We all laughed that these folks didn’t look like zombies or people fleeing zombies. They were, in fact, all leaving a US Soccer match that had been held at Nissan Stadium. Good thing we had decided to get out of downtown for dinner!

On the way to dinner, we had another stop on our Nashville tour. We drove pass one of the houses that they use for the show Nashville. Yep, here’s Deacon’s house.

Dinner was a Five Points Pizza (named for the Five Points area of East Nashville — not the shape of the pizza) and was delicious!

Several times I just had to pinch myself. Here I was sitting next to Jen and across from Tracy, two of my favorite people in the fandom, chatting it up about all things television and especially Arrow. If you ask my family, they would say that I’m a talker, but I was one of the quiet ones (along with my new friend Qwen) at the table. That was fine by me!

By the time we dropped off everyone at their hotels, it was too late for the girls to go swimming like we had planned. Not wanting to deny our daughters their swim trip, we made plans to meet in the morning. Jen’s hotel had a roof-top pool, and it opened at 8 am.

Unfortunately, hubby wasn’t with us on Sunday. He woke up with a bad headache and decided to stay home.

Day 2 of the convention was a lot less crowded! Jen said it’s usually like that at most cons. The lines were much shorter and it was easier to get seats at the panels.

The Arrow cast panel was first thing in the morning. Stephen wasn’t on this panel since he had his panel the day before. This one had David Ramsey, Rick Gonzalez, Echo Kellum, Katrina Law, Caity Lotz, and Madison McLaughlin. This time I was going to try my hand at live tweeting. Then Tea said she wanted to ask a question. Sure, let’s go get in line! Live tweeting while standing is too hard for me. I did, however, get a great video of David Ramsey dancing!

https://twitter.com/hotcookinmama2/status/884080356751749124

Since I was standing in line with Tea, I decided to come up with my own question. At dinner the night before, our group had lamented that we’ve never learned anything about Diggle’s parents. We know he’s from the Glades and we know his brother’s story, but we’ve never heard anything about his parents.

So, that turned into my question. “We know about Oliver’s family and Felicity’s family, will we ever learn about Diggle’s mom and dad?”

David joked “Diggle was hatched! He came out just like this.” He said it was an excellent question (cool!) and that they’ve been talking about it for season 6. Then he said that he thinks we’ll see a Diggle relative this season, “at least one”. He said “that will be important to the script.” Wooo-hooo!

Then Tea asked her question. She asked the new people how they have enjoyed becoming part of the show. Rick Gonzalez (Rene Ramirez) said he was very excited. He didn’t know that he would be playing Wild Dog when he auditioned. When he found out, he said “the 10 year old inside of me was jumping for joy!” Madison McLaughlin (Evelyn Sharp) also didn’t know that she was going to be playing Artemis. She remembers the first day meeting Rick and Joe (Ragman). It was the day they shot the “On the line!” scene. They all went out for dinner afterwards. “I realized that I didn’t just join a show. I joined a family. I love these people. They’re awesome.”

Going back and listening to our voices on the official videos of the panels, I realized that my voice sounds a whole lot more nervous than my daughter’s. She’s a champ!

I’m very glad they’ve posted all three panels (Stephen Amell’s, John Barroman’s and the Cast Panel). When watching the video, it doesn’t seem fast paced, but it’s hard to digest it all when you’re sitting there. While sitting in the seats, I was easily distracted by my kids and other people moving around. I tried live tweeting during the cast panel, but I only got a handful of tweets out. By the time I finished with one, I was engrossed in the next question. It’s a lot to take in.

After a little archery practice...

... shopping ...

(I LOVED finding geek-themed kitchen items!)

... and lunch, I went to get my David Ramsey autograph.

Even though the line wasn’t long, it was very slow moving. As frustrating as that is while standing in line, it’s SOOOO worth it because David spends time with each and every fan, including several I knew!

I wish my husband had been there that day, but we got some FANTASTIC family pictures with David. His arms are so long, he didn’t have any trouble holding the phone and doing the selfies himself! What a pro!

After getting our pictures and autograph, I reminded him that I was the one who asked about Diggle’s parents. He thanked me for that. He’s looking forward to that story line. I then asked him a question that was inspired by a conversation I had with Tracy @scu11y22 at lunchtime.

I said, “I’m working on a story that involves Oliver having to ‘out’ himself as the Green Arrow. What do you think Diggle’s reaction would be if Oliver ever had to do that?”

Quick as an arrow, he said, “He’d become the Green Arrow.” Then he shook his head like he had been caught. “Oh man, now I gotta tell you this. You managed to guess the plot for the first 6 episodes of season 6.”

“Wow,” I responded. “I guess I better finish my story before then, huh?” I thanked him a whole lot and walked away shaking like a leaf in a storm.

Jen was standing nearby but hadn’t joined me in line so she didn’t hear the conversation. As I walked away, she saw me and thought that I was just emotional about meeting David again. I shook my head. I couldn’t even talk. After a minute, I explained that I just got the BIGGEST spoiler. I told her what David had just told me and she said “You need to tweet the hell out of that, girl! Your twitter is going to explode!” She was 100% right.

As our girls were standing in line to do a “space walk” bungee-jumping thing, Jen helped me get out my tweets. My heart was racing and my thumbs were all over the place. She took my phone and edited my tweets for me to get them to fit. I laughed… All those times I’ve edited her words, and now she’s editing mine! She joked “the student becomes the teacher.” LOL!

For the next several hours, my phone was almost useless. I was getting Twitter notifications every second or two. I’ve never experienced that! 

We finished our shopping — telling Jen that my daughter wanted to get a “Pop” caused confusion. She thought I meant a soda drink and I was talking about a Funko Pop figure. LOL! — and headed out the door, exhilarated and exhausted.

I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced that much adrenaline and exhaustion at the same time. I was wired. I have a new appreciation for what it must feel like to be on Team Arrow. So pumped up and yet having your body be so spent at the same time.

Dropping off Jen and Lauren at the airport was sad, as much for Tea as it was for me. We had both had a wonderful time creating and developing friendships. We were sad to see the weekend come to an end. At least I knew that I would still be contact with Jen on a regular basis. We both assured our girls that we would help them stay in contact electronically.

Thank you so much for sitting through this whole post. Being my first con, I really wanted to document it as completely as possible, for my own sake more than anyone else’s. I hope that it will be a help to those who have not yet been to a con as well.

To finish my post, I want to thank Jen and all the amazing, awesome fandom friends that I met in person at HVFF and apologize for the ones I missed. I felt especially bad about missing @mel-loves-all . I really, really hope we have another chance to meet up sometime.

It was fantastic to be able to put faces to names!

Dolly  @dollyrose09 (@Duckyrose09 on Twitter)

@vaelisamaza Vanessa (@varellanoemo on Twitter) & Jason @jpg_pr (@JPG_PR on Twitter)

Forgive me if I missed anyone!

This fandom is wonderful, y’all. Thanks for making my first con such a delightful experience.

Y’all come back now, ya hear!

[carnationbooks]

Double Interview! annundriel and pawspaintsnthings!

Guys! GUYS! We are so excited to be bringing you this interview! It’s the last day of March, and therefore the end of our month featuring Check, Please! This has been a fun month full of hockey, pie, fic, art, and getting to know some of the creators in this delightful fandom. To close it out, we talked with @annundriel​and @pawspaintsnthings​. We think this interview is the perfect end to this month’s series of chats. We hope you enjoy it!

Annundriel’s fic is here on AO3! 

Pawspaintsnthings’ art is here!

They are currently collaborating on an absolutely gorgeous Check, Please! Fairytale AU fancomic which can be read here: The Wolf At The Door (@fairytalecomic)

How did you first get into fandom? What was your first fandom?

Pawspaintsnthings: I honestly can't remember.  I do remember getting "obsessed" with things from a pretty young age, and coming up with alternative ways the show/book/what have you could have gone in my head.  But it was never shared with anyone. My first fandom-like experience was probably, on a small scale, "The Legend of Zelda".  My best friend and I would have sleepovers, and stay up all night drawing Zelda fanart for our own little personal Zine.  I'm talking crayola colored pencils on computer paper.  I think we also wrote a couple of fic together and posted it on fanfiction.net. We filled sketch book after sketch book that our parents bought giant tubs to keep them in, of what was basically fanart.  Though we didn't know that's what it was at the time.

Annundriel: I stumbled across something on the internet while looking for something else, probably. The first thing I remember actively reading fic for was Jane Austen. I got into her works in middle school and then discovered people wrote continuations? And posted them online? And sometimes they were from other points of view or were in different settings and times? It was eye opening, and I loved it.

What inspired you to start writing fic/making art?

Pawspaintsnthings: I've drawn the vast majority of days  since I was tiny.  So it was a pretty smooth transition to have whatever I was really into at the time, be it an anime or video game or book, and just incorporate that into my daily drawing.  When I was really young I wasn't interested in drawing anything but animals.  When I got older, met my best friend, and started watching anime/playing Zelda with her I started drawing people.  I credit fanart with being able to jump right into figure studies in college.  I had at least some comfort with it that I might not have had otherwise. I'm not able to exactly pin point what makes me want to draw fanart.  I've had fandoms that were a huge part of my life for years, that I didn't draw a single piece of fanart for.  And others that sparked my interest for only a couple of weeks that I churned out a few pieces for.  Then there are those, like Check Please, where I almost compulsively make fanart for.  And even within those fandoms that I like to make fanart for, there's usually only very specific elements of the story that scream "draw me!".

Annundriel: Oh gosh, I'm not sure I remember any real sort of catalyst? I liked telling stories and making things up when I was much younger. We had a computer program where half the screen could be used to make an illustration and the other half to type the story and I played with that all the time. I was also always a big reader, and I enjoy thinking about and talking about the media I consume, so I think writing fic became a natural extension of that for me.

How did you get into Check Please? What are your favorite tropes and pairings in this fandom?

Pawspaintsnthings: I was between fandoms and one of my mutuals was posting about it back in September of 2015.   I checked it out, and instantly devoured it. I enjoyed it immensely, but I'm not sure if I knew at the time I was going to be as into it as I became.  I experienced a traumatic injury shorty after reading it, and during the physical part of that recovery I had my first burst of fanart.  I've absolutely used it as a coping mechanism.  There's a lot of hurt/comfort being produced on my end! Ha. I discovered it at a very opportune time for me. 

Definitely Zimbits.  That's the one that poked that muse button for me, and poked it hard. I enjoy a lot of the other pairings on a casual level.  Though I tend to not ship anything that rocks the boat of my preferred ships.  Which goes for all my fandoms. Tropes? I'm a hurt/comfort kinda girl. Just give everyone a hug for me.

Annundriel: I started seeing it a bit on my dash around the time of The Kiss, and I got curious so I sought it out. (And then I dragged marswithghosts down with me.) Trope-wise...I really enjoy stories where the characters accidentally fall in love or they realize, like a bolt out of the blue, that they've fallen. I also really like fake dating and Canadian shack fic and bed sharing and, oh! Historic AUs. Give me a Regency or Victorian AU and I'm happy. Give me something with tall ships and I'm thrilled.

What is your favorite thing you have written/drawn so far?

Pawspaintsnthings: Oh, man.  I lack an emotional attachment to most things I make. Mostly by design.  I get intensely anxious about finished pieces so it's best if I just immediately move on.  Once I finish it I rarely  look at it again. As it is, the act of making it is mostly where the emotion is for me.  If I had to pick a piece I'm most proud of, probably the set of realistic portraits I did of Jack and Bitty.

Annundriel: Hmm...well, I really love The Wolf at the Door. It's been an absolute pleasure to brainstorm and create it with Haylee. Of solo work that I've posted, I have a deep love for Perpetual Motion (http://archiveofourown.org/works/7755439), an AU where Kent doesn't show up at the epikegster. But my real favorites are probably two WIPs: a baseball AU and an AU based loosely on a book called The Scorpio Races.

What is your favorite fic/piece of art by someone else?

Pawspaintsnthings: I'm terrible at this question. I have an intense appreciation for fanart/fanfic and I'm loathe to pick just one favorite.  The most recent works that really made an impact on me though where the fic and gorgeous accompanying art of "Everybody Begs to be Redeemed" by cynical_optimist, QueenOfTheCute, and strangetowns on AO3.

Annundriel: I could name so many! The first that comes to mind, though, is A Little Bit Closer (http://archiveofourown.org/works/7289398) by marswithghosts. It was a gift for finishing my MLIS, and so it holds a very special place in my heart.

What pairings do you like to read in this fandom? What pairings do you like to write or draw? 

Pawspaintsnthings: Mostly Zimbits, but I enjoy reading Ransom/Holster and Shitty/Lardo.   I really only have the muse for Zimbits.  My muse is fickle.

Annundriel: I love to read Jack/Bitty, Dex/Nursey, Shitty/Lardo, Ransom/Holster, Kent/Tater...(I also love Kent/Javier Martinez from the sequel to A Little Bit Closer.) I love to write Jack/Bitty and Dex/Nursey. I'd like to expand that, but I'm a bit nervous!

How does collaborating on a project differ from working on your own? What is your process like when working together?

Pawspaintsnthings: I love collaborations.  It's like taking the spirit/the best parts of fandom and compounding it into one project.  I tend to feel very isolated when I work on my own.  Even with fandom friends that I chat with I don't share a lot of process, and I often to have to fight the urge to withdraw from the going's on of fandom. Which is complicated, but in part because I go to a vulnerable place when I'm making something. Which harkens back to the whole not looking at my art once I finish it business.   So when collaborating I have to push myself to talk a bit more about what I think is cute or why I like an idea.   When making art you can just take an emotion, no matter how intense, and put it out there.  But it's harder with words, and to explain how you want to get to the final peice, and not feel like you just exposed yourself in some way.  Mary and I do all of our collaborating over Twitter  DM's.  We generally have a pretty solid, mostly panel by panel idea of how each update is going to go.  I do some roughs and we make changes to those together.  Then I draw it and Mary works on the script which we finalize together.  It can be hard to find times when our schedules match, as things tend to flow more smoothly when we're actively chatting rather than catching messages at later times. But it works out!  We're both flexible with one another which is important.  

Annundriel: I've done several collaborations throughout my years in fandom, and I think one of the big differences for me between working with a partner/partners versus on your own is the need to remain flexible. You might think something is a really great idea or a great moment or image, and the person you're working with may disagree and vice versa. You have to be able to communicate and compromise.

Can you tell us how the idea for The Wolf At The Door came about?

Pawspaintsnthings: I wanted to try my hand at a longer comic project than I'd ever taken on. I'm in love with all things fairy tale, and had the very basic foundation idea in place when I asked Mary if she'd like to be my partner in the project. From there we worked together to fully flesh it out and bring it to life.  I knew I needed someone with more experience/talent in story telling than I possess, and Mary both fit that bill, and is someone I consider a friend and knew I could work with.

Annundriel: Honestly, I am just so happy Haylee came to me with the idea. We'd talked before about our mutual love of fairy tales and Diana Wynne Jones, and to have the opportunity to put all that love into something creative? So exciting.

Do you have a favorite moment or image from the comic so far? 

Pawspaintsnthings: Well. My favorite moments are definitely to come!  But, so far I'd say that the first comic was really fun for me to draw.  Just an exciting moment for me overall.

Annundriel: I agree with Haylee; some of my favorite moments are coming up! But I absolutely adore the cover Haylee made for the comic. I remember the first time I saw it and how perfectly it fit the feel and the characters. I also really enjoy writing the banter between Bitty and Bun. I love it when Bitty calls Bun "clever clogs" in the first chapter.

Do you have any advice for our readers who might be considering taking on a similar project? 

Pawspaintsnthings: I'm still figuring out a lot of this stuff, and learning as I go.  So I'm certainly no expert.   But I've been so grateful that Mary and I work at similar speeds and have similar communication styles.  It smooths things out, especially when you need to do a lot of communicating via social media.  I'd also say to be sure to go into it expecting to take your time.  I'm a staunch believer in fandom never turning into or feeling like a second job. So if you need to take a break, take a break. If you want to go full throttle, then do that.  

Annundriel: I'd like to second everything Haylee says. Especially the last part. Be kind to yourself, and if you need a break from a project, take it. If you're working with a partner, be honest with them. (I'm a firm believer in communication, period.)

Any more recs for our readers?

Annundriel: I haven't read a lot of fic lately off of tumblr, but recently I really enjoyed @iboatedhere​‘s Graduation Day (http://archiveofourown.org/works/9850652). Also @porcupine-girl​'s Jack Zimmermann is a Masochistic Fuckwit (http://archiveofourown.org/works/8910685). I love all of @marswithghosts​' work. I also really enjoyed @rhysiana​'s Dex/Nursey AU, The Punk and the Florist (http://archiveofourown.org/works/7652692). In the Dex/Nursey vein, I also love akadiene's row upon row (http://archiveofourown.org/works/7559800). I could go on, haha. There are just so many good works out there!

A heartfelt thanks goes out to @annundriel and @pawspaintsnthings for taking the time to answer our questions and give us some insight into their fandom experiences and how they work on creating amazing content for us to enjoy. 

[cksiren]

Caroline’s Roses - Chapter one: Orchard Lane

Hey guys! This is a story I started writing in 2015. It’s completely inspired by All Time Low, so I’m going to call it an Alex fic. 

Caroline's life by the woods with her grandmother was going to change when the moving trucks rolled in, and a new boy arrived at school. She didn't really like how obnoxious he was, but she did like that familiar laugh and the way he said her name. Alex is happy to be home, but he has no idea what he missed while he was gone, and Caroline isn't sure she wants to dig up the past with him.

A U-Haul roared up the road, leaving dust in it's wake. The street hadn't been paved in a few decades; they were actually lucky if a pothole got filled in. It was as good as dirt nowadays. There were a few old-style, ranch houses dotting the dead-end road half a mile after you turned on to Orchard lane, really giving it that "out there in the woods" feel that the spaced-out inhabitants enjoyed. 

Caroline heard the roar of the large truck's engine from the back porch, watering can in hand as she was about to step off and water the first sprouts of flowers in the gardens - It had been a rather dry spring, and she didn't want the seedlings to suffer. Distracted by the noise, she tried to see over the bushes but could only make out the orange and white top of the truck backing into the driveway of the house that sat diagonally across the street from her own. 

The house had sat vacant for some time now. Caroline hadn't even noticed when the "For Sale - Berkshire Realty" sign had disappeared, even though she'd grown used to seeing it since she was in the fourth or fifth grade. She gripped the edge of the watering can tighter and pursed her lips, thinking back on the last family that had lived there and how God awful they had been, and how happy she and her grandmother had been when they left. She hoped these people would be as quiet and peaceful as the rest of the old couples living on Orchard Lane. 

Afternoon sun hit her skin as she walked to the soon-to-be flower beds that needed watering. The late March temperatures still made her shiver a little in the mornings, but the sun brought promise of Spring. 

---

For a week, the Halls of Hopewell High school were haunted by the presence of Alex Gaskarth, who had just moved from Manhattan, New York. Most people who heard this raised their eyebrows, wondering why in the world any family would move from metropolis to suburbia featuring a few rural routes. In a matter of days he became fast friends with almost everyone and fast enemies with anyone that sat up front in Mr. McKinnon's English class with the intent of paying attention.  Caroline's eye twitched with annoyance as something else was thrown to the front of the room while the teacher's back was turned to the board, this time an eraser. The game seemed to be to throw as many things from the back without Mr. McKinnon noticing until there was a small pile of crap accumulated just before his desk. 

"Watch out for the pretty girl," she heard a voice say behind her. Alex's, she was almost sure.  "She didn't notice last time..." a different voice - Jack Barakat, seated right beside the other boy. Instantly Caroline's hand flew to the back of her head, sifting through her dark, shoulder length hair for any unwanted accessories. 

Mr. McKinnon went on with his lecture, explaining something about Lenny's character sketch that the class was supposed to pick from Of Mice and Men. The girl sitting beside Caroline breathed a sigh of impatience that mirrored Caroline's own feelings. 

"...As we've all been saying, Lenny's a gentle giant. Very misunderstood... Very dependent ..."

Another eraser flew to the front of the class, this time landing an inch away from her desk. Mr. McKinnon turned around to address the class on a point and for a moment, the objects stopped flying. "Now let's take a moment to focus on George. You all know he's Lenny's caretaker, making sure that every time they get into a mess, he gets them out of there and moves them onto the next place. So aside from the fact that he's very patient and very caring, what else makes him tick?" 

He turned back to the board and as if on cue, this time a cheap blue pen landed with a clack at the side of the teacher's desk. Caroline rested her chin on her palm, tapping her foot with impatience. 

"Hardworking, good," Mr. McKinnon was writing George's character trains with little arrows pointing to his name. "Sociable, that's a good one, he's a good talker..." 

Another pen flew on the other side of Caroline's desk. 

"Can you please just cut that out?!" Caroline whipped around to face the smirking Jack and Alex, making Mr. Mckinnon turn as well and the other students stare at her with wide eyes. "Some of us are actually trying to focus here," she spat, turning back and crossing her arms.  

"Everything alright?" said the English teacher with a frown. 

"Dandy!" Alex piped up from his seat. "We're just loud learners is all," he said playfully. Mr. McKinnon frowned again and shook his head, shrugging it off and turning back to his lecture. 

When the class ended, Caroline rushed to pack up her notebook and pens. Color had crept into her cheeks since her outburst and she didn't want to be around long enough to give anyone the chance to say anything to her. "Loud learners," she muttered to herself as she zipped up the maroon backpack she used for school. "My ass." 

"Hey!" Alex took a large step, trying to catch her attention just as she was about to turn towards the door to leave. "I'm sorry," he stated, before she could say anything, or pretend to ignore him. 

Caroline shrugged, unsure if he was being sarcastic, finding a way to make fun of her or give her a hard time. "Whatever," she said lowly. 

"No, seriously. I'm sorry, I'm just new here and it's rough. I'm trying to have a good time, you know? And come on. Of Mice and Men? Seriously most over-analyzed piece of literature out there next to To Kill a Mockingbird. Right?" He gave her a half smile, leaning one arm onto her desk. He was a good few inches taller than her, and he smelled like some kind of American Eagle cologne. 

She paused for a minute, sizing him up. His eyes were a dark brown, and his smile was extremely friendly. His hair was sandy colored and messy. He had on a black tee-shirt with an unbuttoned shirt over it, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Right, well, that doesn't really make it ok for you to make it rough for everyone else," she said finally. 

The smile disappeared from the boy's face as he straightened up. "I'm sorry," he said again, this time with a little pout. "Won't happen again, your highness. I'm Alex by the way," he stuck out his hand, as if trying to start anew. 

"Cool," Caroline answered, turning away from the boy's peace offering to hear out the door. It had been a week since Alex had started haunting these halls, and Caroline already knew she didn't like him. 

---

"How was school, dear?" 

A question Caroline was accustomed to hearing upon walking through the front door to the house she and her grandmother shared. It was old, built in the 1800's, and much too big for a young girl and her grandmother. She was sat at the kitchen table, sifting through a crossword puzzle from the morning paper. 

"It was fine," Caroline answered as she slipped off her backpack, placing it by the door. She walked around the stairwell towards the back of the house, where the kitchen was located. "I'm probably going to finish the book we're reading for English tonight. Got a 93 on that geometry test I was telling you about." 

"That's great dear. Six letter word for a mystery that's already been solved?" Her grandmother asked. 

"Riddle," Caroline replied as she reached into one of the cabinets for a glass. She filled it with tap water from the sink as her grandmother penciled in the answer that she gave. The older woman looked up for her paper, a smile playing across her wrinkled, tissue paper face. 

"You're much better than me at these things," she said as she folded up the paper. "Going out to check on the garden soon?" 

The teenager nodded, drinking down the last of the water in the glass and setting it on the counter. "In a moment. Did you see any of the new neighbors today?" 

"No," her grandmother answered, shaking her head. "All quiet. Seems to be just a middle-aged couple looking for a quaint place to live. There was a Jeep that left early this morning though, they might have a son.”

Caroline frowned and reached into the pocket of her sweatshirt in search of a hair tie to pull her hair back. The last time they had assumed there was a middle-aged couple searching for a "quaint place to live" it had ended terribly. She knew that the same people couldn't have moved back, and it was foolish to think that tragedy could strike twice like that. It was years ago. But still, it made her nervous; she tried her best to shake the feelings of unease off her shoulders as she made her way to the back door.

The metal watering can sat where she always put it on the stone porch that led to the garden. She took a deep breath and winced at how cold the metal was in her hand, but decided instead to focus on the refreshing breeze and the clear blue sky. It had rained last night, leaving the watering can almost full, so she didn't waste any time refilling it with water from the hose. Besides, not every flower bed would need to be watered - just the roses that were closer to the back, under cover from a particularly voluptuous willow tree. 

Caroline's backyard was the most peaceful place in the world to her. It was where she went to clear her head or to be alone, or to search for inspiration and motivation. In the Summer she could sit under the willow tree and read, or on the stone bench by the goldfish pond to listen to her grandmother tell her stories about her parents. In the fall, Caroline could walk past the garden to the Apple orchard and fill a basketful to bring back to the kitchen for fresh apple pies, cider, and whatever else she and her grandmother could come up with. It truly was a quaint life on Orchard Lane, and Caroline was very protective of it. 

As soon as the rose bushes were within sight, Caroline could tell that something was not right. She stopped, gripping the watering can tighter, wondering if she should turn back to the house. It was probably just an animal that she heard rustling in the bushes, but it could be rabid, and that might be dangerous. "Hey," she said hoarsely, hoping the noise would scare whatever it was off. "Hey, Get out of there!" 

"Ow!" at the sound of a person, Caroline's pulse started to race. 

"Who's there?!" she demanded, setting the watering can down, ready to stand her ground. "Come out!" 

The body of a teenaged boy erupted from the lilacs and the roses that sat right next to each other. Caroline groaned, stressing herself out as she wondered of the damage to the plants. "What on Earth are you doing?!" she asked as the stranger brushed off the leaves and twigs from his hair. It was only as he turned to face her with a wide-eyed, deer-in-headlights look that she recognized him. 

"Hey! Girl from English,” said Alex, a lop sided grin playing on his face. “What are you doing around here?”

Caroline's eyes went wide with fury as the anxiety slacked off. "Excuse me?!" she started. "I LIVE here. YOU are intruding!" 

"Wait a minute - you live here?" Alex’s voice dropped in volume; he looked taken aback. He stepped towards her, head cocked to one side, a hand reaching up to stroke the stubble on his chin. “For how long?”  

Caroline was breathing heavily, desperately trying to calm her racing heart from the scare. “My whole life! And not once have any of these bushes grown a BOY!” she exclaimed, still waiting for an explanation for his sudden appearance.

Alex stared at her, his hand still covering his mouth in thought. His eyes looked her up and down.

"I'm going to call the police," Caroline stated, taking a step back, away from him. Color crept up her neck, nerves and anger swelled inside her chest. 

"No, no," Alex raised his hands as if in surrender, "Don't do that. I'm sorry, I just moved across the street and... Jesus, your name is…" he swallowed. "Caroline, isn't it... Carrie?"  

[thomasreedtn]

Loose Ends, New Year: Mercury Retrograde in January 2017

Happy 2017! I hope you’re all enjoying the shift from a “9” year of completions into a “1” year of new beginnings. It’s a little more fluid than that due to Mercury Retrograde still in effect until January 8th, and then with its decreasing shadow period for awhile afterwards. As with any external energy influence, you can align your attitude and tasks with the energies in order to create more ease and flow in your own experience. Traditional advice says, “Don’t make contracts or start anything new in a Mercury Retrograde period,” but it all depends on how you embrace or resist those influences. In my own life, I’ve continued tying up loose ends since December 19th, including “tying the Celtic Knot on Yule,” which David and I consciously chose for both the return to light aspect and for the sense of completion at this level of our spiral journey together.

Permaculture Design Certification

Some readers might also recall that I began my Permaculture Design Certification way back in 2015, shortly before the opportunity to rent the house next door appeared. That creative expansion added many exciting and busy months to my completion of Permaculture Education’s excellent online course, including another yard to begin designing and sheet mulching, but I fully planned to finish my coursework and final project by February 2016. I did finish all the coursework, but a commissioned portal painting, house guests, and the sudden and unexpected eight week whirlwind in Pennsylvania caring for my father in his last weeks and then moving my mom into her new life in a new home and getting their old house ready for sale meant another huge delay.

Those two months in Pennsylvania borrowed energy from the next five months, which also coincided with garden season and some much needed getaways with David. We had a lovely summer and fall! I wouldn’t change a thing, but I primarily needed to rest, recharge and renew. Tackling a major left and right brain final project while also gardening, processing bumper crops, and doing intense phone sessions just seemed like it would push me over the edge. I might have been able to complete the project then, but not to my own standards, and it would have felt like a burden rather than an accomplishment. As my June 2016 deadline neared, I requested more time.

Dr. Alan Enzo at http://permacultureeducation.com was kind enough to extend the usual year’s time for course completion due to the exceptional circumstances of my 2016, and I’m so glad I waited until I could again enjoy preparing the final project, as it was a lot of work. I used our yard and both houses as the permaculture project, and I took the opportunity to “stack functions” by beginning to learn the software program Scrivener while writing the text portion of my project. (I’ll do a separate post on Scrivener once I have a better handle on the software, but I found it invaluable for creating and organizing a complex and many-layered recap of all the moving parts and functions of our growing permaculture haven.) I promised myself I would complete this PDC final project in 2016, and I managed to submit both final text and design drawing on New Year’s Eve day:

The actual file is quite large and involved, with over twenty pages of text exploring and explaining the coded drawing, but this 11 x 14″ sketch gives you some idea of the project’s scope. I won’t receive my grade and actual certification for about two more weeks, as a group of people analyze the drawing and text, but along with helping my father peacefully pass into the next world and leveraging my mother into her thriving new life, I consider finishing this PDC course one of my biggest accomplishments of 2016. Right under the wire!

Kalamazoo New Year’s Eve Festival

Later that afternoon, David and I drove up to Kalamazoo, Michigan to for another mini-honeymoon at the downtown Radisson. We love Kalamazoo with its hugely creative populace, ample vegan and vegetarian food options, and the sense of community; however, we had no idea how amazing we’d find their 30th annual New Year’s Eve Festival. The Radisson included buttons to access all the downtown events: concerts across all sorts of venues, food, fun for kids of all ages, fireworks and a ball drop at midnight. Unsure of the weather, we had bought backup tickets to some concerts at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe (a concert venue for the famous Bell’s Brewery), but we were so blown away by the talent and whimsy of the downtown concerts that we only spent about a half hour at Bell’s.

We explored the historic Ladies Library Association, where all the volunteers dressed in Victorian garb amidst stained glass windows and old books. David snapped this shot of me reading a Maurice Sendak book I found on the shelf while awaiting Kalamazoo’s Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra. He’s been playing with filters, so my hair looks much redder than usual — even more than it does in bright sunshine — and my black onyx necklace looks white; however, this photo gives you a sense of the magical storybook feel of the place. My faery combat boots worked well with the Victorian theme!

We learned during the concert that the Kalamazoo Ladies Library Association is the oldest building in the United States continually owned and operated by women — a landmark since 1871. Also, the original Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra had played on that very same stage a hundred years ago, and the library maintains a photo of that event, which made Saturday night’s concert extra special and time warp-y.

Next, we made our way to the Baptist Church, which we had noticed over Thanksgiving weekend on a Kalamazoo trip with my mom. From the outside, the all white and blue building looks more like it belongs in Greece, so David and I were keen to get a look inside. What better opportunity than hearing traditional Irish music on New Year’s Eve? Below, you can see some of the Gothic sanctuary and organ, along with the band, “Whiskey Before Breakfast.” The music was fun, but we both agreed that the best part of the show was a three-year-old audience member jigging and rockin’ out on the balcony. That little guy loved the music even more than I did, and his pure exuberance delighted many:

Another unexpected highlight for us came right after the Irish music that also featured some lovely poetry by (Scottish) Robert Burns. We decided to stay for the next act, a NYC band called “The Founders,” which featured a Kalamazoo native on trumpet and piano, along with a violinist and bassist. They described themselves as eclectic and classically trained, so we had no idea what to expect. Oh. My. Goodness. Were we in for a treat!

We sat spellbound as this talented trio played Bach’s Agnes Dei “as though Bach grew up in New Orleans.” In other songs, the songwriter violinist sang while playing violin, and he also recited Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Bells” poem very fast, very dramatically to original background music — a Kalamazoo nod and wink to that famous Bell’s we would head to next. They created their own unique fusion covers of the Beatles, Radiohead and more. David and left the concert in silence, literally stunned by such unusual and delightful talent that brought old to new and back again.

We did head to Bell’s for awhile but towards midnight decided to make our way back to Bronson Park to check out the ball drop and fireworks. I have not been to a ball drop on New Year’s Eve since I went to NYC in 1994, so that was another cycle bringing old into new. Normally, fireworks bother me, but between earplugs, a cozy hat with ear flaps and pure joy, I did fine this time. They put on quite a show: we kept saying, “OK, this must be the finale.” But wait … there’s more! In total, the fireworks lasted a little over fifteen minutes, and they were truly spectacular. It was so great to watch such a diverse group of people of all ages having fun and celebrating together.

All those walks through the cold worked up an appetite, since we had finished our veggie sushi dinner over six hours ago. Where, oh where, would we find food we could eat at this hour?! Well, it turned out we found food about 10 feet away at the Gorilla Gourmet food truck, which offered curried carrot soup after midnight. Seriously? Back in my pre-brain-injury sales job days, I used to plan business trips around a chef friend’s curried carrot soup offering on Tuesdays. I’ve not had one that good since. Until this one. Holy yum! David also got a veggie quesadilla (not vegan, but with homemade slaw and total yum), so we settled into 2017 with big smiles, new takes on blasts from the past, and very happy bellies.

New Year’s Day on the Kal-Haven Trail

The next morning, we slept in, checked out, and headed over to The Crow’s Nest, one of our favorite vegan friendly restaurants in Kalamazoo, which just happened to be open on New Year’s Day. (OK, I did a literal happy dance when I found out they were open.) It turned out I was not the only happy dancing would-be eater. The line stretched all the way down the stairs, out the door, and halfway down the block. And that was just to turn in your name to get on the list. After awhile, we noticed people in line drinking coffee and eating bagels and pastries while they waited. As we traced the trail, we discovered a nearby bagel shop, where we got tea and bagels instead. Yum! Plus, we finished within fifteen minutes instead of the estimated hour and a half to two hours for The Crow’s Nest.

We had chosen Kalamazoo for New Year’s as part of our intending for 2017, and we wanted more nature than waiting. After bagels, we drove to the Kal-Haven Trail, covered in deep snow at this time of year, but an actual connection bike route between Kalamazoon and South Haven, right on Lake Michigan. We enjoyed the fresh air, crisp whiteness, as well as all the friendly dog walkers and doggies. David snapped some photos along the way:

Still Revising and Reclaiming in the Tail End of Mercury Retrograde

Yesterday brought several more very long cycles to completion, with the arrival of author Mike Clelland‘s completed draft of the chapter on me to be included in his follow-up book to “The Messengers,” which I reviewed here. This marked the end of a year and a half of story sharing, questions, answers, writing and revisions, and it involves owl synchronicities that go back to 2010, 2006, 2002, and 1998. More than that, Mike’s chapter explores events I have never publicly shared — events dating back to 1987, which completed in this past 29-year Saturn Return Cycle of the 2016 time I spent in Pennsylvania. Tremendous healing occurred through emailing and telling the stories to Mike, as well as in his reworking them into something suitable for a single chapter in a book that explores many other owl synchronicities, UFO’s and paranomal experiences.

Mike Clelland is a rare bird. Probably an owl, LOL, but seriously, if he’s put anywhere near the time, attention and compassionate truth seeking efforts into the other dozen chapters of this new book, it promises to be a quiet and potent tribute to the Mystery with a capital M, as well as a huge catharsis for many healers and experiencers. The back and forth correspondence included so many synchronicities that Mike needed to stop collecting new information and only work with a sliver of the old, but highlights occurred when each draft section arrived as I was either sitting with or on the phone with someone else involved in that part of the story.

Many behind the scenes conversations discussed details of my 2010 divorce, during which owl synchronicities ramped up very high … so I processed the surreal nature of my previous marriage and that magical and Divine intervention divorce time in a deeper, final closure kind of way, just as I was synchronously planning my Winter Solstice marriage to David. Some very cool sync winks that did not make it into the final draft included my friend Karen walking in nature as David and I were getting married and finishing right at my birthday time stamp, and Karen suddenly feeling a powerful sense of love and blessing flow from her and her animal friends to us. Then, she heard a great horned owl hoot at 5:55, which according to Doreen Virtue’s Angel Numbers 101, means “Huge changes are rumbling throughout your entire life!” Hundreds of miles away, David and I also noted the clock at 5:55, as we drove to dinner, expressing our sense of huge change and blessings.

Karen’s text about the owl came through the next morning, right after I sent her the marriage photo of us with my birthday time stamp. Later that afternoon, I got excited texts from my mom about finding beautiful, unusual feathers on her driveway on her way out for a walk. My mom felt certain these were owl feathers and took them as a huge sign of blessing on our marriage. Mike asked for a photo of the feathers so he could definitively identify those, but by the time my mom got back home, the feathers had blown away. She started to doubt herself, but we have both had so many owl synchronicities related to my birthday or to big changes in my life that we figured they “probably” were owl feathers.

The next morning I received a very excited text from my mom that she had been awakened by “unmistakable” and “oh, so comforting” owl hoots that morning. I researched the exact calls she described and found the cry followed by three hoots to be the sounds exchanged between mated male and female great horned owls. This mysterious synchronicity provided such a beautiful and happy ending to a long and winding 29-year journey. As we move through this final week of Mercury Retrograde and into the freshness of a universal “1” year, I feel so grateful, blessed and awed by all that has transpired. I feel my own Neverending Story pulsing through life, and I look forward to the next sequence, tale and characters.

Wishing all of you a magical and mysterious 2017!

      from Thomas Reed https://laurabruno.wordpress.com/2017/01/04/loose-ends-new-year-mercury-retrograde-in-january-2017/