tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936524505802159992024-03-15T21:09:23.101-04:00forty-two roadsAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05098748299031184803noreply@blogger.comBlogger875125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-23357000561997808102018-02-12T10:22:00.003-05:002018-02-12T10:23:28.471-05:00It's February, so, Happy - belated - New Year? This year for your holiday present,<br />
We didn't get you a stuffed pheasant,<br />
Nor something equally unpleasant.<br />
<br />
Indeed for your celebratory gift<br />
We didn't get a fiery serpent out of a rift,<br />
Or an old-timey ghost wearing a shift,<br />
Nor did we bury gold in sand for you to sift,<br />
Or anything else that would leave you miffed.<br />
<br />
For your Hanukkah boon<br />
We won't put you on a crazy giant hot air balloon<br />
Blasting skyward to the moon<br />
Steered only with a hand-carved wooden spoon,<br />
Or force you to listen to a screeching loon croon a never ending tune.<br />
<br />
For 2017's token of appreciation<br />
We won't ship you off on a dreary vacation<br />
With a third-class ticket from the bus station<br />
To an unknown foul-smelling location.<br />
Instead, we made you this stop-motion animation - <br />
Please enjoy our heartfelt creation!<br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1wwuY5REuRc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-14618450405706854492016-11-10T11:36:00.003-05:002016-11-10T11:36:49.956-05:00Halloween SpooktacularSo, time for a little recent bright spot to distract from the last few days...<br />
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On top of our usual <a href="http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2015/12/hello-from-halloween.html" target="_new">door monster</a>, this year's Hallow's Eve decorations included some skeletons in our window boxes demonstrating how to be helpful. <br />
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For instance, why not knit your buddy a scarf for the coming bone-chilling weather?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0W6btin_JTkRvmcP0xfuzBSZXp6dZXj5oh1Gi-UL4vZzfiJT0HKtYn9VLC-kL1wO2hEviRGC-T0V7gZcfIOQ95Eq-2obQAm4cxqpHHcAmCqypb-3OWniGULs4k4I8gDNrYmk_ODhSOk/s1600/Halloween+16+-+skel+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0W6btin_JTkRvmcP0xfuzBSZXp6dZXj5oh1Gi-UL4vZzfiJT0HKtYn9VLC-kL1wO2hEviRGC-T0V7gZcfIOQ95Eq-2obQAm4cxqpHHcAmCqypb-3OWniGULs4k4I8gDNrYmk_ODhSOk/s1600/Halloween+16+-+skel+3.jpg" /></a><br />
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Or take your pet out for a moonlit stroll after making sure that collar is very, very secure? Just don't yank that leash too tightly!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvLjzoQnHaJ1lYNvB98w4POMxJGRdu3xqyljxDwYh2yzlhRio9Nqvv7lqrtNW0P16YKKiyJ7mZOL0nwf2sm7UBOEk2nA5wggbzYDVbXlnDg8Dtc2c0GCaeBymj2_c7GKD7OANQryqtUc/s1600/Halloween+16+-+skel+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvLjzoQnHaJ1lYNvB98w4POMxJGRdu3xqyljxDwYh2yzlhRio9Nqvv7lqrtNW0P16YKKiyJ7mZOL0nwf2sm7UBOEk2nA5wggbzYDVbXlnDg8Dtc2c0GCaeBymj2_c7GKD7OANQryqtUc/s1600/Halloween+16+-+skel+2.jpg" /></a><br />
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And finally, if a neighbor is in over his head on a backyard project, why not really dig in to help? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDAcXj2QvtwEm6grLUPoF667Tfk1nsc3S2QEXvtp4L5lWIJ4XXdJURUfhpZ-43AaoC9biC95SMQLaGCbxDP5qPejL3hCrnJV7LEH7GPliO_hyphenhyphenb6b20UA-2o4W8RjOpvUwpDOYjhAtz9A/s1600/Halloween+16+-+skel+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDAcXj2QvtwEm6grLUPoF667Tfk1nsc3S2QEXvtp4L5lWIJ4XXdJURUfhpZ-43AaoC9biC95SMQLaGCbxDP5qPejL3hCrnJV7LEH7GPliO_hyphenhyphenb6b20UA-2o4W8RjOpvUwpDOYjhAtz9A/s1600/Halloween+16+-+skel+1.jpg" width="650" /></a><br />
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Of course, we were out in our regalia as always. Actually, before trick or treating, we hung out at the Renaissance Faire on its last day of the season, where many people skipped the pseudo-medieval in favor of their Halloween get ups. <br />
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Here is our version of <a href="http://6fja9beiwb2o4svf.zippykid.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/010-kubo.jpg" target="_new">Kubo</a> from the fantastic <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubo_and_the_Two_Strings" target="_new">Kubo and the Two Strings</a></i>. Have you seen it yet? It was pretty incredible origami-based stop motion animation. Her hair was perfect for his top knot + long bangs style.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSSdW9GDdKrvNmtQ64monWAyxJ7jj-BORWGRYZw7cpkc8atH5wbx9GlN7WtEfCDhG1Ygvq-qc8tLeAWoVK0xMeyMuRK1ahjJa6My7E7Mo7frxaKoab6VcQ0XU-OhHwrbvkCTwJRn9Qro/s1600/halloween+16+-+kubo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSSdW9GDdKrvNmtQ64monWAyxJ7jj-BORWGRYZw7cpkc8atH5wbx9GlN7WtEfCDhG1Ygvq-qc8tLeAWoVK0xMeyMuRK1ahjJa6My7E7Mo7frxaKoab6VcQ0XU-OhHwrbvkCTwJRn9Qro/s1600/halloween+16+-+kubo.jpg" height="550" /></a><br />
<br />
Another front view of Kubo with a shemisen and an eyepatch, and a nice shot of a skeleton friend along for the ride. And, by skeleton friend, I of course mean, an animated skeleton warrior raised from dead to avenge his enemies. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7AOPiAWvv0VZb5Np5eiDMKY3-Pi8avAe-JL9t21T-UVpru29DwbBTg8lOwbi3gRqYPRq4G_vKCki_VKkxFcNALPUumiiLxXnobkGhm4QfGXuGGJXvqtSvCdx6xMHmP7SwqZ2j-39ZVE/s1600/halloween+16+-+kubo+%2526+skeleton.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7AOPiAWvv0VZb5Np5eiDMKY3-Pi8avAe-JL9t21T-UVpru29DwbBTg8lOwbi3gRqYPRq4G_vKCki_VKkxFcNALPUumiiLxXnobkGhm4QfGXuGGJXvqtSvCdx6xMHmP7SwqZ2j-39ZVE/s1600/halloween+16+-+kubo+%2526+skeleton.jpg" height="550" /></a><br />
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So, what do you add to a Japanese-influenced fairy tale and a DnD monster to complete the thematic coherence? Steampunk Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson of course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGSlQLCklB-unPIYWPxWTFGkx_BPTI3gfWgn_gqtLPcq3y8z863Ks9RTWHypCrP0v_Irw79Rvh1xE_DCQnQVL66xCd1ojQtj2eAAijOsb-RiQrojtfvHP_seKv5UVpkzwPUbiUMUHhtI/s1600/halloween+16+-+family.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGSlQLCklB-unPIYWPxWTFGkx_BPTI3gfWgn_gqtLPcq3y8z863Ks9RTWHypCrP0v_Irw79Rvh1xE_DCQnQVL66xCd1ojQtj2eAAijOsb-RiQrojtfvHP_seKv5UVpkzwPUbiUMUHhtI/s1600/halloween+16+-+family.jpg" /></a><br />
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What's the last fun thing you can look back on to ignore recent news?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-56805209389263492602016-10-12T11:57:00.000-04:002016-10-12T11:57:59.583-04:00Fringe Arts: HabitusOn Monday, we managed to catch the last day of <a href="http://fringearts.com/event/habitus/" target="_new">Ann Hamilton's habitus</a>, a Fringe Arts installation. And it's not exaggerating to say that just like that, a somewhat dull and purposeless day was filled with strange and hilarious spectacle and delight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh9gx5iDITR7R8mkT_m4sfl3qdw8Iskl3fjgtMf5BhpZ6A6TiFxg8aC2Bz4SWAzIahSBpRPaDWaP3xdFYuwtPyz6YMRgbNOWksFOkjCCy08oAbDH8OFGcmy7ZilwlK7pk7smGECew09o/s1600/october+10+-+habitat+exhibit+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSh9gx5iDITR7R8mkT_m4sfl3qdw8Iskl3fjgtMf5BhpZ6A6TiFxg8aC2Bz4SWAzIahSBpRPaDWaP3xdFYuwtPyz6YMRgbNOWksFOkjCCy08oAbDH8OFGcmy7ZilwlK7pk7smGECew09o/s1600/october+10+-+habitat+exhibit+1.jpg" width="650"/></a><br />
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The installation consisted of many huge cylindrical curtain shapes hanging in a warehouse open to breezes from the Delaware River, suspended from pulley systems that you could either spin around yourself. Either the wind or your motion made these curtains billow out like sails or like giant skirts. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoc0CcY6zITvqhupIfGK02BvjiUsUbwKRHobIN1t2A_WbOxEffIiI5bbjV8M2uFIpmcJZn6JIxCsgtifPB-e-dX4yjLbsuv5Lu-QVuHQ1NUxqV2QI8fI5INLJkh6szctKiirAGYmLqN0/s1600/october+10+-+habitat+exhibit+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoc0CcY6zITvqhupIfGK02BvjiUsUbwKRHobIN1t2A_WbOxEffIiI5bbjV8M2uFIpmcJZn6JIxCsgtifPB-e-dX4yjLbsuv5Lu-QVuHQ1NUxqV2QI8fI5INLJkh6szctKiirAGYmLqN0/s1600/october+10+-+habitat+exhibit+2.jpg" width="400"/></a><br />
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There were a number of very serious art-appreciators there, but I have to say that for us the main reaction was delighted laughter and amusement. Imagine that light and happy feeling of twirling around in a flouncy skirt - but times a thousand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49HsHMXSlN3TGd8UEgmNnCUsjF8NojDSPp5x3vpgc97obxCkA4eTm6GQ9tmtC8tSkJ70wHEs-VOv7m__yhV4cOAuPqZlvMBKsvmYobGw8b9d_1aBOM4uHl_OZOHJjs0RigbHfjeSKi9Q/s1600/october+10+-+habitat+exhibit+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49HsHMXSlN3TGd8UEgmNnCUsjF8NojDSPp5x3vpgc97obxCkA4eTm6GQ9tmtC8tSkJ70wHEs-VOv7m__yhV4cOAuPqZlvMBKsvmYobGw8b9d_1aBOM4uHl_OZOHJjs0RigbHfjeSKi9Q/s1600/october+10+-+habitat+exhibit+3.jpg" width="400"/></a><br />
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Here is a shot of the rigging that each curtain was on, just to give you a better sense of how it worked. You can just about see the pulley that was connected to a dangling rope pull.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPHHS-SKcXOHcxQXdgeX0sf1NvYxwBzA8XXGHN9Z2bpqiz9SIx9k3OLZDOX5TKOsl3G0-cBN3UCRpVrKBGGbgU54Rjj6VN0JSAiN4JHbJyXdHbgnftxeCgDmhEokRHgxbjy72Ekk1QrQ/s1600/october+10+-+habitat+exhibit+4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPHHS-SKcXOHcxQXdgeX0sf1NvYxwBzA8XXGHN9Z2bpqiz9SIx9k3OLZDOX5TKOsl3G0-cBN3UCRpVrKBGGbgU54Rjj6VN0JSAiN4JHbJyXdHbgnftxeCgDmhEokRHgxbjy72Ekk1QrQ/s1600/october+10+-+habitat+exhibit+4.jpg" width="650"/></a><br />
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So fun. And plus, we got to see a helicarrier in the Delaware on our way to the exhibit.<br />
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What delight came out of nowhere for you recently?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-32944633496491819712016-10-11T16:38:00.001-04:002016-10-12T11:28:52.648-04:00A Perfect DayWe strolled around the city on Sunday, enjoying the weather and each other.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQCS-xmGc5OphKXXC07oLPHhIxuFyREe5hudV6bOofNZhb1bUHQYOqjuSRBSZlNk7SeN670giAaM9lwEYgbwmHezXMdxfguJRsrEyMIvnAq-1ocHxp5qYD6JlHCYp-cGkzhYj1gXadgk/s1600/october+9+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQCS-xmGc5OphKXXC07oLPHhIxuFyREe5hudV6bOofNZhb1bUHQYOqjuSRBSZlNk7SeN670giAaM9lwEYgbwmHezXMdxfguJRsrEyMIvnAq-1ocHxp5qYD6JlHCYp-cGkzhYj1gXadgk/s1600/october+9+-+1.jpg" width="650"/></a><br />
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Such a lovely day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM9qQRFcDf_Vg9FjKh-fMLQ9dRnqLnzl98KFsd27CG0xZAjDEWh2Jz2rFPqafjZzaguLzLrHRd5Yw1WWa_YeAcAG4ZRuH9PSPAu0Ixc4w8jYdmvIHcQDkQZSlt6xLWusy1tPCv16ksjs/s1600/october+9+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM9qQRFcDf_Vg9FjKh-fMLQ9dRnqLnzl98KFsd27CG0xZAjDEWh2Jz2rFPqafjZzaguLzLrHRd5Yw1WWa_YeAcAG4ZRuH9PSPAu0Ixc4w8jYdmvIHcQDkQZSlt6xLWusy1tPCv16ksjs/s1600/october+9+-+2.jpg" width="400"/></a><br />
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Still looking for that elusive picture of the four of us together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkzTHtegDBlEMf3tkheem1I7h6HP8Sx1cjVIZ32fW2hhLbvSIBpOj9vil2o0WCkppU56xAsd3w8eNEwvV247zFNF6tUXuLYRc9fR-Jj1q4B5kDsPc0V_URLdSTzRGaN_tRhevU84o85o/s1600/october+9+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkzTHtegDBlEMf3tkheem1I7h6HP8Sx1cjVIZ32fW2hhLbvSIBpOj9vil2o0WCkppU56xAsd3w8eNEwvV247zFNF6tUXuLYRc9fR-Jj1q4B5kDsPc0V_URLdSTzRGaN_tRhevU84o85o/s1600/october+9+-+3.jpg" width="400"/></a><br />
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But these are pretty magical anyway.<br />
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What surprisingly awesome thing happened on a regular and mundane day for you recently?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-82189648705682469082016-09-30T13:33:00.003-04:002016-09-30T13:33:42.998-04:00Steampunk, Family-Style<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OpSWK-PqhTy5nxlT5G2ReQwvQnjiMl1iGy2N_NRUSjDOvzwQ5LbQxN4Tn00XPHK8AqPjBNO6Vs_XNKk_ykewxwQNvj2eb17h4K-McOE7gG9Rmcqg8NpMcsKD8dnPmVUUSwSupM1MtUk/s1600/Steampunk16+-+Family+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OpSWK-PqhTy5nxlT5G2ReQwvQnjiMl1iGy2N_NRUSjDOvzwQ5LbQxN4Tn00XPHK8AqPjBNO6Vs_XNKk_ykewxwQNvj2eb17h4K-McOE7gG9Rmcqg8NpMcsKD8dnPmVUUSwSupM1MtUk/s1600/Steampunk16+-+Family+2.jpg" width="600" /></a><br />
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What is it that's so appealing to me about <a href="http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2016/09/i-made-corset-yo.html" target="_new">running around in costume</a>? I mean, I know that I really enjoy the immense amount of making that surrounds each of our outings to some dress-up thing. This makes sense to me - I'm a reasonably creative person who really loves doing stuff with my hands. But I'm hard-pressed to pinpoint why I, a pretty introverted person whose danger and excitement level is firmly set on "medium," want so much to put on crazy clothes and encounter a bunch of other people who share this particular drive. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxuFHxV4qRXCPAbs6wHcuv3CXCLcLFVeuHZL8kyBJBOLVvA73YU_2DJll3kepnHjRi_OJ39FBCQNLE-or0Xy7cGbgZ-MJVj3T7Q_xi-O25OM9itgIF-19zSyPIDdbGOPYdj3FwvJYdss/s1600/Steampunk16+-+A%2526M.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxuFHxV4qRXCPAbs6wHcuv3CXCLcLFVeuHZL8kyBJBOLVvA73YU_2DJll3kepnHjRi_OJ39FBCQNLE-or0Xy7cGbgZ-MJVj3T7Q_xi-O25OM9itgIF-19zSyPIDdbGOPYdj3FwvJYdss/s1600/Steampunk16+-+A%2526M.jpg" /></a><br />
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Part of it is probably the same thing that's so appealing about craft and art fairs. I love seeing other people's work. Seeing beautifully handmade, carefully crafted things makes me feel better about the world in a very visceral way. So, of course, being surrounded by reams of people who also thought that celebrating Victorian futurism would be not only a great way to <a href="http://steampunkworldsfair.com/" target="_new">spend a weekend</a>, but also a nice use of a few months' worth of free time, is life-affirming.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDw4Z4XgBOiYbxPJNvq1N8w0GBScQv5QLnrAeZAHM46ZkEVJxqqdysVZmR-kDsBzuBbSmlt57OYPhbfH9rZbolZafc7Bl4cgo2nsj5qSC1swoUzYZVUJwPZE71UxeV138sdf7DFoydko/s1600/Steampunk16+-+Jake.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDw4Z4XgBOiYbxPJNvq1N8w0GBScQv5QLnrAeZAHM46ZkEVJxqqdysVZmR-kDsBzuBbSmlt57OYPhbfH9rZbolZafc7Bl4cgo2nsj5qSC1swoUzYZVUJwPZE71UxeV138sdf7DFoydko/s1600/Steampunk16+-+Jake.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
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And the rest is probably the same reason why I keep this blog. It's fun to make things, but doing it in a vacuum isn't particularly rewarding. I want to have my work be seen by other people. Preferably people who get what I'm doing without me having to first give them a half-hour contextualized explanation from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._G._Wells" target="_new">H.G. Wells</a> to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Wild_West" target="_new"><i>Wild Wild West</i></a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hBDe-PajVOEiJJ0lKFNbi1mqjV0Fe5YGBsp86V-2ccD-DEbYIoG-gHIgYAqtQJEl2NY_Rzs8FPCd6DRrxzBQK-FCv5LbfVUNNvdFTTdNzhrsuVxRWgCZdRbhOeTRIIEL8pCyDMRwiew/s1600/Steampunk16+-+M%2526J.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hBDe-PajVOEiJJ0lKFNbi1mqjV0Fe5YGBsp86V-2ccD-DEbYIoG-gHIgYAqtQJEl2NY_Rzs8FPCd6DRrxzBQK-FCv5LbfVUNNvdFTTdNzhrsuVxRWgCZdRbhOeTRIIEL8pCyDMRwiew/s1600/Steampunk16+-+M%2526J.jpg" width="600" /></a><br />
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Or maybe it's just because the kids look so cute in those hats.<br />
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What odd thing do you inexplicably enjoy?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-49063408323551084322016-09-29T11:39:00.000-04:002016-09-29T11:39:02.510-04:00Steampunk American Girl DollOh, I'm sorry - did you think that our anachronistic costumed adventures only extended to the <a href="http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2016/09/i-made-corset-yo.html" target="_new">faux-medieval</a>? Not so. Our nerdery knows no bounds! Feast your eyes on this small incarnation of another subculture we recently got into: steampunk, doll edition. Every single thing entirely from scratch. I described sewing the skirt in <a href="http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2016/02/american-girl-doll-tiered-ruffle-skirt.html" target="_blank">this post</a>. The shirt I hand-sewed, making up the pattern as I went along and basing its dimensions on the shirt that the doll originally came with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHO6Xfp0vJXhsC1mtGmY3DB-Fr91N21bQmqg09nCYQH_sSsb4Aw4u8GRYJ00xe07L5zmNRmZU5A_UGoXG6U7zW9Snqy0N3hfHN__yfg41kc1TUKVV90Sq6T3udhBqoLAorhBhp8NWOzM/s1600/steampunk+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirHO6Xfp0vJXhsC1mtGmY3DB-Fr91N21bQmqg09nCYQH_sSsb4Aw4u8GRYJ00xe07L5zmNRmZU5A_UGoXG6U7zW9Snqy0N3hfHN__yfg41kc1TUKVV90Sq6T3udhBqoLAorhBhp8NWOzM/s1600/steampunk+1.jpg" /></a><br />
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Ok, so, accessories from the top down. Her top hat is made from a few pieces of leather from an odds-and-ends scrap bag (they sell these kinds of off-cuts in bulk at places like <a href="http://www.michaels.com/artminds-farmer%27s-leather-bundle/10249762.html#start=7" target="_new">Michaels</a>, if you're interested). I used copper wire to "sew" the side band together, and then glued the brim and crown on with E-6000. The band is a piece of raffia-like string, and the cockade is made of some feathers, craft gears, and wire.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dTU3ww5bhXPCoRR3_fyVmC4eMcSozdGCAHl9ctnna13I-gwwGhKTLlR5cOR_GKdYYYYI0SaYi8VmHeQIlv1RVC-rhPOMT782PSpdAJniOqcASSoIS7BwUCQrvPgqIve_bpAY82Rk1os/s1600/steampunk+2+-+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dTU3ww5bhXPCoRR3_fyVmC4eMcSozdGCAHl9ctnna13I-gwwGhKTLlR5cOR_GKdYYYYI0SaYi8VmHeQIlv1RVC-rhPOMT782PSpdAJniOqcASSoIS7BwUCQrvPgqIve_bpAY82Rk1os/s1600/steampunk+2+-+hat.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
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The goggles were a trip to make. I used one of the same kinds of gears that's on the hat, but bent its teeth inward, around a transparent piece of plastic (a circle cut out of a plastic binder divider). Then, with some very liberal use of E-6000, I attached side pieces that are shaped kind of like horse blinders, and a wire nose piece. The straps are a ribbon threaded through wire loops attached to the leather sides.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEWi3Crs3xB9dtjp8wIyUPnhYgCx2eKK3hCiL8tDeb4ShkwPk_82PGLOy4qXnGBtiOgevUDF3CqsHBiGSGeaL-JfxyiAQIvQR6KlPMIxsqFtHlJ6E3SNB2MJ6Hn4lUB8iA7A3C_L7o90/s1600/steampunk+3+-+goggles.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEWi3Crs3xB9dtjp8wIyUPnhYgCx2eKK3hCiL8tDeb4ShkwPk_82PGLOy4qXnGBtiOgevUDF3CqsHBiGSGeaL-JfxyiAQIvQR6KlPMIxsqFtHlJ6E3SNB2MJ6Hn4lUB8iA7A3C_L7o90/s1600/steampunk+3+-+goggles.jpg" width="750"/></a><br />
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Her boots were ridiculous fun to make. The soles are made from polymer clay. For the uppers, I again used leather from the scrap bag, which is why some of the larger pattern pieces had to be assembled from smaller leather scraps. You can just see the orange stitches from one example of me doing this on the right. I used orange waxed thread to emphasize the pieced-together-ness of the boots because it seemed like something a hardened steampunk adventurer would have to do mid-caper. We mostly followed these <a href="http://degaraydolls.blogspot.com/2013/03/doll-boot-making-tutorial.html?m=1" target="_blank">gloriously detailed doll boot instructions</a>, minus the saran wrap.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3_YWSIwwYzi2dhi0_fy6lSCAwDmrkiHmceS0Vcqh9msOw4RoYZM0o5bm_k300ycH9RbvfYvjFTfgxlZWuPgjzmuBdmhIgg-OrYwI02eTnZk6kXkrgxs6Erw-vcRU7D9khnwjA9DAy6M/s1600/steampunk+4+-+boots.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3_YWSIwwYzi2dhi0_fy6lSCAwDmrkiHmceS0Vcqh9msOw4RoYZM0o5bm_k300ycH9RbvfYvjFTfgxlZWuPgjzmuBdmhIgg-OrYwI02eTnZk6kXkrgxs6Erw-vcRU7D9khnwjA9DAy6M/s1600/steampunk+4+-+boots.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
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Finally, the double belt is made from shoe buckles, and some leather from a thrifted handbag.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWR_wWX_KqG9AZcIyj5Fril8p1HUmjab9COOJK2D6jbED1HzeYL1glv4rAc6OkE_SS8wzTbR9pBS8y6wpIpJb9bUk9EzUya85qCR7t6ulenAnfZkiDFhTaq3PkswPHmmraSSyQn3NRHY/s1600/steampunk+5+-+belt.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWR_wWX_KqG9AZcIyj5Fril8p1HUmjab9COOJK2D6jbED1HzeYL1glv4rAc6OkE_SS8wzTbR9pBS8y6wpIpJb9bUk9EzUya85qCR7t6ulenAnfZkiDFhTaq3PkswPHmmraSSyQn3NRHY/s1600/steampunk+5+-+belt.jpg" width="700" /></a><br />
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So, so fun to put together! I'll show you our own steampunk getups next. <br />
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What's the last doll outfit you assembled?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-30769821929233660292016-09-28T15:01:00.003-04:002016-09-29T09:04:30.148-04:00I Made a Corset, YoOur <a href="http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2016/01/live-from-renaissance-its-us.html" target="new">love of Ye Olde Ren Faire</a> continues unabated, and we once again sallied forth to pretend to be old-timey folk. My idea of adding an item or two to the costume stores every year is a pretty solid one, and the family reused much of what we had made last year. New for me? A cotton batik print corset, thank you very much, with zip-tie boning and satin lining. I mostly eyeballed the design after looking at a few patterns and slap-dashedly measuring myself. Honestly, because it's laced up, it's a pretty forgiving piece of clothing. Is it super duper medieval? Um, yeah, no. But it's colorful and fun! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtW4rvqoo-rA5ZaJz-DVto8th8KPYH0WOyHyDTA-fWNMOITB4vY-L3k1liodyRAyJ8APr1sdDVs4bmQ2L1AO-UCyJcDJUIST55rtsJAmg5hLNt6m9bxug-CVtdr49nt_3NauDYMETN6z0/s1600/RenFaire16+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtW4rvqoo-rA5ZaJz-DVto8th8KPYH0WOyHyDTA-fWNMOITB4vY-L3k1liodyRAyJ8APr1sdDVs4bmQ2L1AO-UCyJcDJUIST55rtsJAmg5hLNt6m9bxug-CVtdr49nt_3NauDYMETN6z0/s1600/RenFaire16+-+1.jpg" width="700"/></a><br />
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We need to get cracking on some stuff for Mr. 42-Roads, no? He very graciously helped make a bunch of stuff for the kids with nary a hint about the fact that he's costume-less. I mean, it's true that he is quite dashing in his shirt, but I'm thinking next year is the year we step up his game.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-stYny3woupmjjcXIVIkK5Z_GHHKRBld8kW4e2wgI1UeuzA9UtG-TqtanZkXuMWsecfTxWeSjIO2kg6FwDnYp_GNfW_eOoi4LDBu0tT1NWzoKQ-eb2slmQfA5j0FTGyLnn8PGaHYpn4/s1600/RenFaire16+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-stYny3woupmjjcXIVIkK5Z_GHHKRBld8kW4e2wgI1UeuzA9UtG-TqtanZkXuMWsecfTxWeSjIO2kg6FwDnYp_GNfW_eOoi4LDBu0tT1NWzoKQ-eb2slmQfA5j0FTGyLnn8PGaHYpn4/s1600/RenFaire16+-+2.jpg" width="700"/></a><br />
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The kids decided to be royalty, so I had the somewhat unpleasant experience of working with fake fur. It's kind of yucks, I have to say, and it sheds everywhere! But how else are you going to get <a href="http://mpspg.com/images/royal-ermine-robe-i5.jpg" target="_new">those kingly ermine robes</a> going? I found a very lightweight burgundy fabric with the perfect slight sheen, hot-glued the white fur onto it, and used a permanent marker to draw some black spots for verisimilitude. Their crowns are made from wire and beads.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Nn6MmQtdriadGdw8e5s-_COF7JTzDZDaQ3mAEc4-TmQakoTX-hTalRlSiUEfWa0xFNc1QQY5SwKON88Mj7iOrGaKLv6HomUTDwSqGF9WuzCMrWdH0xKAaD4-dfNq8oA7fqHjkgiKz_s/s1600/RenFaire16+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Nn6MmQtdriadGdw8e5s-_COF7JTzDZDaQ3mAEc4-TmQakoTX-hTalRlSiUEfWa0xFNc1QQY5SwKON88Mj7iOrGaKLv6HomUTDwSqGF9WuzCMrWdH0xKAaD4-dfNq8oA7fqHjkgiKz_s/s1600/RenFaire16+-+3.jpg" width="700"/></a><br />
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Did you go to the Renaissance Faire this year? Did you pepper your speech with a bunch of thee's and thou's? My anachronistic medieval self only ever sounds like a pirate, for whatever reason.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-39942750127471669692016-09-27T15:43:00.001-04:002016-09-29T09:04:44.140-04:00Polymer Clay NecklaceFor some reason, it's taken me up until two days ago to consider using the polymer clay the kids like to play with as a jewelry material. I'm not sure what I was thinking. That it was too kid-adjacent? Too clunky to work with without specialized tools? In any case, what an odd blind spot, I now realize, after scrolling through page after page of gorgeous polymer clay pieces on Pinterest. <br />
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So, here is my first attempt - a few textured circled joined with jump rings and hung from a silver chain.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr3pQt_tl4GWy5zk_-ApR2W69x5uHzFy7Cy7uZhjGesbJzh4ZrZZvyatqGqASnxvhxVy43rYFc5Vb1Pq40M2JBYqzmiv4oTxTLz94eph6dj3wj9Q7ng3FjbVwhXXoiRbonHuxoXsDjTs/s1600/necklace+-+polymer+clay+circles+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr3pQt_tl4GWy5zk_-ApR2W69x5uHzFy7Cy7uZhjGesbJzh4ZrZZvyatqGqASnxvhxVy43rYFc5Vb1Pq40M2JBYqzmiv4oTxTLz94eph6dj3wj9Q7ng3FjbVwhXXoiRbonHuxoXsDjTs/s1600/necklace+-+polymer+clay+circles+1.jpg" width="750"/></a><br />
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I stuck to subdued versions of primary colors to reference the playfulness of the material, and I didn't use anything to shape the circles besides fingers and a few random craft room objects (for example, the divots on the red circle were made with a fusible bead).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0oB8Ijn0Vu1WW6qAIiM6i90hhyg6kB6HNI22GAsUSZ0PxlOczkahG9uAwMilI_WRcErPAfpGLHOZo6L75hGngphNFuNeTqbkMNiJy2bt73Khl80vOTcMIbCnZz7kpRcKDkkhRj3Avl4/s1600/necklace+-+polymer+clay+circles+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0oB8Ijn0Vu1WW6qAIiM6i90hhyg6kB6HNI22GAsUSZ0PxlOczkahG9uAwMilI_WRcErPAfpGLHOZo6L75hGngphNFuNeTqbkMNiJy2bt73Khl80vOTcMIbCnZz7kpRcKDkkhRj3Avl4/s1600/necklace+-+polymer+clay+circles+2.jpg" width="750" /></a><br />
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I really like how it came out! It's got a fun, relaxed vibe, and as a bonus, it weighs practically nothing. <br />
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What new materials have you recently discovered? Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-77772075940207592022016-09-26T15:43:00.001-04:002016-09-29T09:05:39.698-04:00Picture-Perfect Weekend<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3IFfxas7-whMgzcb2A4uT_QiJe8RHvxC5et9_b9p7wHdErrVl312Wqxesd_NrUht0q1DxLnCiVSWyTZCTgr0vSySRWp8_Bax3g7KWrKlxmRRW9I3DAIaEcD21hY0IAc9uo8AMkdthgk/s1600/IMG_5316.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3IFfxas7-whMgzcb2A4uT_QiJe8RHvxC5et9_b9p7wHdErrVl312Wqxesd_NrUht0q1DxLnCiVSWyTZCTgr0vSySRWp8_Bax3g7KWrKlxmRRW9I3DAIaEcD21hY0IAc9uo8AMkdthgk/s1600/IMG_5316.JPG" width="750"/></a><br />
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So, we managed to snag the brass ring of parenting triumphs - a weekend away without the kids. And not just any weekend! We got to drive up to extraordinarily scenic Portsmouth, a lovely island town on the coast of New Hampshire, where we indulged in such completely adult activities as "not worrying about whether the fancy restaurant will have food for picky eaters" and "spending a long time browsing in the extremely fragile things store without constant panic about ill-swung arms." Reader, it was glorious. <br />
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Oh, and I'm not kidding about the picture-perfection of this place. <a href="http://nubblelight.org/" target="_new">That lighthouse</a>? Yeah, no biggie - just a quick snap with an iPhone. I feel like we should send that photo to Apple for one of their "taken with an iPhone" billboards. Oh, and I feel completely free to pile on the praise for that particular shot. It's not really bragging if it was Mr. 42-Roads wielding the camera, right?<br />
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The highlight of the weekend may have come when we decided to order room service Saturday night. It suddenly hit me that we were basically at peak decadence: lying in bed in pajamas as a man in a dashing tuxedo brought us food on a tray. I mean, where is there to go from there? We were basically at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeRm1T9V5wc" target="_new">"Beulah, peel me a grape"</a> territory. <br />
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What memorable hedonism have you indulged in, or maybe even <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmill" target="_new">adapted</a> to?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-158543336316661742016-04-07T09:05:00.002-04:002016-09-29T09:05:49.198-04:00New Faucet!The things-to-fix-around-the-house list keep getting smaller and smaller! Recently, we replaced our master bathroom toilet and faucet, both of which dated from 1953! And both of which were only just now starting to function imperfectly! So, in all seriousness - well done making durable things, 1950s America. Color us impressed. This is what this faucet to end all faucets looked like (basically, your standard two-handled dealie):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0P5dZG6Ped7wuApr0wtS2EGDyB0HIoaAoBSk06pamPlrquaX16_vhWjRY07FZ48fWW93YnmfMuaRj04bHi9EzxQP09U5S27Iec-C9fweiYK0WhKmXTpi_WyZTpaf75IaAF8-m2DLfYhs/s1600/Master+bath+faucet+-+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0P5dZG6Ped7wuApr0wtS2EGDyB0HIoaAoBSk06pamPlrquaX16_vhWjRY07FZ48fWW93YnmfMuaRj04bHi9EzxQP09U5S27Iec-C9fweiYK0WhKmXTpi_WyZTpaf75IaAF8-m2DLfYhs/s1600/Master+bath+faucet+-+before.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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We replaced it with <a href="http://amzn.to/1oF0oUJ" target="_new">this Delta faucet</a>. I decided to go with Delta because we replaced our kitchen faucet with a Delta a couple of years ago and haven't had any issues. <br />
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My only caveat about buying faucets is to watch out for the ones from Lowes or Home Depot - they carry same brand/same model name ones that have plastic instead of metal/ceramic parts, so while they are seductively cheaper, you're getting an inferior product. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMUPRn77qZqabJ5N_R_4GRli0z9nVgSX5NUvvtd3wA3uQYXQg5tDzIx6WgckF2OeiCJhtYyLqFTqbpstbGEeTyIBquKLMuVVo7EYQNeziTG8E72r2TU0DxSUUxzJlRoXT1i_R19QylBI/s1600/Master+bath+faucet+-+after+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMUPRn77qZqabJ5N_R_4GRli0z9nVgSX5NUvvtd3wA3uQYXQg5tDzIx6WgckF2OeiCJhtYyLqFTqbpstbGEeTyIBquKLMuVVo7EYQNeziTG8E72r2TU0DxSUUxzJlRoXT1i_R19QylBI/s1600/Master+bath+faucet+-+after+1.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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I love how it immediately modernizes our whole sink! Amazing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgey3-4cEp_gsynjnL05Gutq_oD0O4aadCoIB6W9JT3sit8Xyd1SPw0gjAFDb2O7Mfa-_zsTDULOctuOquDimIk8xRD9cW23IzwIZpYpSqmo4MA5Yo9sfmkVHVSq1-r1Sjl7gG1Z6xfHH8/s1600/Master+bath+faucet+-+after+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgey3-4cEp_gsynjnL05Gutq_oD0O4aadCoIB6W9JT3sit8Xyd1SPw0gjAFDb2O7Mfa-_zsTDULOctuOquDimIk8xRD9cW23IzwIZpYpSqmo4MA5Yo9sfmkVHVSq1-r1Sjl7gG1Z6xfHH8/s1600/Master+bath+faucet+-+after+2.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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This was a pretty fun weekend project. And by "pretty fun" I mean that we decided ahead of time that would be ok to throw in the towel if we needed to - which is probably why we didn't end up throwing any towels at all! We did however run into the same issue we faced when replacing the kitchen sink. Namely: that the nut holding the faucet in place was frozen and immovable. In both cases, we ended up using our Dremel (we have just <a href="http://amzn.to/1UYW8Ot" target="_new">this very basic one</a> and it is fine for most things) to saw it off:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcVXHHY0vux6ga55rEPJvOGSkt5LmK5XJTaFXOI36H7gqqczlmfpR8hhMGuy2pyhu7jB409u8AK51OW1H9j5JtCfNtmnYTXo3_OW02opYVPnw-HcfAvYqs7SkQiU5q-OyYaEG492Q9Uk/s1600/Master+bath+faucet+-+sink+nut.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcVXHHY0vux6ga55rEPJvOGSkt5LmK5XJTaFXOI36H7gqqczlmfpR8hhMGuy2pyhu7jB409u8AK51OW1H9j5JtCfNtmnYTXo3_OW02opYVPnw-HcfAvYqs7SkQiU5q-OyYaEG492Q9Uk/s1600/Master+bath+faucet+-+sink+nut.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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Except this time, we got to the "well, might as well saw it off" decision within 10 minutes of not being able to shift the nut, whereas our kitchen was a two-day sink nut battle royale. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LW__eE7-BA" target="_new">We're learnding!</a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-41211716678230302692016-03-18T19:15:00.000-04:002016-09-29T09:06:00.332-04:00Desk Air PlantsAfter visiting a friend's lovely house, Mr. Forty-two Roads came home raving about her use of glass terraria and suspended greenery. Ever since then, he's been really into the idea of replicating this somewhere in our house. But... our house has two rather rambunctious children, whose main response to dangling glass orbs would be to smash into them while running around. The out of the way solution? Our <a href="http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-office-is-gone-long-live-jakes.html">bedroom office nook</a>, which now features this lovely hanging tableau:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AyGY9kkI7CkhdDj4kH1XxwyYqqT-kWxSiDWtUGF_zjwn_GbFG3WIw4vbwSYHV4DKVYhvXmtpyWmRBVDpjZ-I9F70wd0gK_EytXPElY4RyU8x7vrmbiPBJKSyqagBPXv6zTbAIoS3-5w/s1600/Desk+Nook+-+air+plants+1.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AyGY9kkI7CkhdDj4kH1XxwyYqqT-kWxSiDWtUGF_zjwn_GbFG3WIw4vbwSYHV4DKVYhvXmtpyWmRBVDpjZ-I9F70wd0gK_EytXPElY4RyU8x7vrmbiPBJKSyqagBPXv6zTbAIoS3-5w/s1600/Desk+Nook+-+air+plants+1.JPG" width="500"/></a><br />
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These plants are two different kinds of Tillandsia, which just need a daily spritz of water to thrive. They are hanging from curtain rod hooks, which seem perfectly designed to hold a suspended weight. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgrvmf5y8MDO3pFtCBWOSmSJg0tkpImwtAv9gj9bCp9zAcGaHcZdR-WjjOaGDAg6SB5m63lIkhCcpVVuuoVjc0kIXXWp-PIVWTzP8ocPdo7mcom4xxopNliElwRGMNFZeaAzkALF_eM8/s1600/Desk+Nook+-+air+plants+2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgrvmf5y8MDO3pFtCBWOSmSJg0tkpImwtAv9gj9bCp9zAcGaHcZdR-WjjOaGDAg6SB5m63lIkhCcpVVuuoVjc0kIXXWp-PIVWTzP8ocPdo7mcom4xxopNliElwRGMNFZeaAzkALF_eM8/s1600/Desk+Nook+-+air+plants+2.JPG" width="500"/></a><br />
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I did research knots to find a particularly sturdy one, ending up tying twine into double figure 8 knots on both ends. This knot is strong and useful for not putting undue strain on a rope while anchoring it.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-32680944819687047672016-02-28T09:35:00.002-05:002016-09-29T09:06:12.977-04:00DIY Shade for a Wall Sconce<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmalLNevIW8t5duOYwGMG6Gyz39yZIyuXef-qU3cnzxml4y584ALW7Yn6jpNoaToUS526mFqH45YYt6t6XFcb_2uWeZA3Ex3iN5G-ESQ1MuZE1TkPr-9Blj21JV2VZRgBMrDhX9wddhOA/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+after+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmalLNevIW8t5duOYwGMG6Gyz39yZIyuXef-qU3cnzxml4y584ALW7Yn6jpNoaToUS526mFqH45YYt6t6XFcb_2uWeZA3Ex3iN5G-ESQ1MuZE1TkPr-9Blj21JV2VZRgBMrDhX9wddhOA/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+after+1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Recently, I decided to make a list of all the little annoying things in our house that have been bothering me. Instead of being irritated by them each time I saw them, why not simply tackle one every few days or so? It sounds so basic when I write it here, but for some reason the concept of a project-to-do-small-projects has eluded me until now. But suddenly, instead of internally grumbling to myself about entropy and everything falling apart, I can just add a line item to the list! And just like that - clarity. It's not that "everything is falling apart" - it's that this one panel in this one door has a crack that can easily be caulked. <br />
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Project #1 was to add a shade to the bare-bulb sconce that is on our first floor landing. The light is in a great place, and does some heavy duty illumination in our living room, so the shade had to be as translucent as possible. I also wanted to get as far away from the original shade as possible (the sconce started with a very dark orange glass shade that was hideous and that one day fell and broke into a million billion pieces). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyVhYjpx7IaSyWTfXx_S6cY7mRjF_LaUw7yW0yms0B_G9-4W7IsXuwrEOqiFCLJPUXXmRNHsli1la_6St2vsGpaLpwipdNg8jzAwCW6h4KGtrCH20CxJjUmMylwgzSz8oShSXrE3ai4g/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+before.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyVhYjpx7IaSyWTfXx_S6cY7mRjF_LaUw7yW0yms0B_G9-4W7IsXuwrEOqiFCLJPUXXmRNHsli1la_6St2vsGpaLpwipdNg8jzAwCW6h4KGtrCH20CxJjUmMylwgzSz8oShSXrE3ai4g/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+before.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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My first thought was Amazon - but no dice. The market for half-shades that are held on by the bulb is scant, apparently. It was time to improvise! I used some 13-gauge wire to create a basic frame and the circle that would fit onto the socket. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqGiq5lrPYUknWMPKVZzIofRNqkD0H5WGYqnqsJOuFIYAoSfbo6-rgEemQdIPVG-UsA0UnmcfRAYSTaNGHRwEdrY4YVm9V5iOKznouAU5GyNxQGhq4UkyC8nReUjcZmlcF8AcLMrv8Dg/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+detail+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqGiq5lrPYUknWMPKVZzIofRNqkD0H5WGYqnqsJOuFIYAoSfbo6-rgEemQdIPVG-UsA0UnmcfRAYSTaNGHRwEdrY4YVm9V5iOKznouAU5GyNxQGhq4UkyC8nReUjcZmlcF8AcLMrv8Dg/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+detail+2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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The shade itself? <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40110011/" target="_new">This IKEA placemat</a>, strategically wrapped around the frame and secured with a few wire twists.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1u06-i93ImsnDCstCPfP3JJspcOKHfTuZK5Mvs53-S2vaS5dKMvszFZTWYzdIjIYiNfcNFTOGjZngPK8jCkZ1WE3Kw3EozgR_dbQ2oe4999NBSWzJM2FhJEhAi4FtUrr8SRmJ6gH-rQ/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+detail+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1u06-i93ImsnDCstCPfP3JJspcOKHfTuZK5Mvs53-S2vaS5dKMvszFZTWYzdIjIYiNfcNFTOGjZngPK8jCkZ1WE3Kw3EozgR_dbQ2oe4999NBSWzJM2FhJEhAi4FtUrr8SRmJ6gH-rQ/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+detail+1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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So now we have a reasonably sculptural shade that hides the bulb without compromising light quality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xd9hwkUaSIp8YQ0P5Hmo0ilPT6tVg1UjxlA6g83x0yCMW5JssUIoUrP_t658OzkiANIEqTaRPDtRMoMQnieZPLV5HoYtxQdP4bv_1iQ0g3FCKvJfOVoWjWNBTWA04Tkqpt0UM3pOONY/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+after+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xd9hwkUaSIp8YQ0P5Hmo0ilPT6tVg1UjxlA6g83x0yCMW5JssUIoUrP_t658OzkiANIEqTaRPDtRMoMQnieZPLV5HoYtxQdP4bv_1iQ0g3FCKvJfOVoWjWNBTWA04Tkqpt0UM3pOONY/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+after+2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Here is a schematic for the wire frame. The light blue squiggles are the places where I used a very thin wire to secure the heavier wire either to itself, or to the middle socket-holder piece.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbZCzvWc94Qx0lRKAOdar1FSQGRvUwzW6-3NKeV2EAFw4XZH8aeI5cDobNK_KuzY2d5AYRbxRv_iv63hkIxzNdi7mI7Eer8yI7eexocf_Bj__z6d0saOq8q1t6E2FkvEMWf9Gi4kWyZQ/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+detail+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbZCzvWc94Qx0lRKAOdar1FSQGRvUwzW6-3NKeV2EAFw4XZH8aeI5cDobNK_KuzY2d5AYRbxRv_iv63hkIxzNdi7mI7Eer8yI7eexocf_Bj__z6d0saOq8q1t6E2FkvEMWf9Gi4kWyZQ/s1600/Hallway+-+sconce+detail+3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Of course, there's also the option to spray paint the whole thing a bright color. Maybe one day, when it ends back up on the "things bothering me" list!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-83017295010305288362016-02-26T17:01:00.002-05:002016-09-29T09:09:06.790-04:00Reverse Applique!I may be just very slightly extremely into the beautifully embroidered hand-sewn clothes made by the folks at <a href="http://alabamachanin.com/" target="_new">Alabama Chanin</a>. Their designs are detailed without being fussy, ornate but still casual. In an alternate life, I'm wearing that stuff head to toe every day.<br />
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In this life, though, I decided to try my own quick version of one of their oft-used techniques: reverse applique. So, two boring shirts (one gray and white stripes, one dark blue) become one:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6VKg9HzY88eYjuuC-EMI48NHwNQ4V0IDtM2Mg8meSUGEUdTXIuiwZDX-f91koKQIsjOga9HENOOKBa25G2Cc1p1fjUDlAyJZ0fArg_cs6ntXkX2HXrHwjIb0NE9vDXnSpdb8I1ZJoB4/s1600/shirt+-+reverse+applique+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6VKg9HzY88eYjuuC-EMI48NHwNQ4V0IDtM2Mg8meSUGEUdTXIuiwZDX-f91koKQIsjOga9HENOOKBa25G2Cc1p1fjUDlAyJZ0fArg_cs6ntXkX2HXrHwjIb0NE9vDXnSpdb8I1ZJoB4/s1600/shirt+-+reverse+applique+1.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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This effect relies on the non-raveling nature of knit fabric, and is achieved by first embroidering the outlines of a design into two layers of jersey, and then cutting the top layer away to reveal the one underneath.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekTz06WWypiNhjZ-Wp4gs3lgfgHGD6d0j7HrRx1vZCGFGFKs_owsPiKojsi0GSHcO_f5qrISp50tIx3EIFsj9L3eJtc3ejVMg15ID_locJDFB6wxKwZEMRdeuU_dsysolXVlUhBi6k5Y/s1600/shirt+-+reverse+applique+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekTz06WWypiNhjZ-Wp4gs3lgfgHGD6d0j7HrRx1vZCGFGFKs_owsPiKojsi0GSHcO_f5qrISp50tIx3EIFsj9L3eJtc3ejVMg15ID_locJDFB6wxKwZEMRdeuU_dsysolXVlUhBi6k5Y/s1600/shirt+-+reverse+applique+2.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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I used embroidery floss at half thickness (meaning, I separated the six strands into three and three) and sewed a backfilled running stitch around a design I drew freehand with a super thin marker. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOHAvN97upk-b6mWn1vGvwqsPnIKbSDSmHhrm0yMgPmXLPKvZzO6qNGAzgOELxBgqC_53nHNzJyMQWnldTi4VYqhf03ZoAypll3P-wPGj8VmDfJ9QmRvyU1F-UjbCDPXJnXIZ6IiDjHQ/s1600/shirt+-+reverse+applique+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOHAvN97upk-b6mWn1vGvwqsPnIKbSDSmHhrm0yMgPmXLPKvZzO6qNGAzgOELxBgqC_53nHNzJyMQWnldTi4VYqhf03ZoAypll3P-wPGj8VmDfJ9QmRvyU1F-UjbCDPXJnXIZ6IiDjHQ/s1600/shirt+-+reverse+applique+3.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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Were I following the Chanin technique to the letter, I would have painted my stencil with fabric paint first, which would have remained as an outline next to the embroidery. But I didn't have any fabric paint on hand and just wanted to play.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-83761009575070740172016-02-17T19:09:00.002-05:002016-09-29T09:09:18.212-04:00Happy, Happy Birthday!My favorite person ever turns a year older today! You deserve all the happy things because you make our lives better, funnier, and more loving every single day. I love you!<br />
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The kids and I planned and strategized for the last two weeks, present-wise, to stick to my "handmade is good only in so far as it is high quality" ideal. I think we succeeded!<br />
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Jake's natural drawing tendencies seemed to a perfect match for string art. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F7I2D345ZSVU1TyiL-3hyq19dxPmjycPeXZpiF9GoGGXdhq7y4zDhPjqXHmAmQcziTXVWiVi6JVMcb34jGGi5sdvkVhylu9DsXZtO-44VzwSsJvlJeXXmFYlvETOBRTo8H463SJXm7I/s1600/dragon+string+art+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2F7I2D345ZSVU1TyiL-3hyq19dxPmjycPeXZpiF9GoGGXdhq7y4zDhPjqXHmAmQcziTXVWiVi6JVMcb34jGGi5sdvkVhylu9DsXZtO-44VzwSsJvlJeXXmFYlvETOBRTo8H463SJXm7I/s1600/dragon+string+art+2.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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There were numerous sketches of dragons, castles, and flames before we ended up with the perfect composition. I stained the wood block, but Jake did most of the nails and string himself, with a super helpful assist from his sister...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PRZH4rLV7LHZVQOxru5utzXW8qJ_kXCzRFYA6AcLca94Pxp56QDdOuS9WETRQ7xG2tA3MF2D7O_tNk8iykoByHI0rQyP_x5qcx1NEmhKB5npDUxOLEqZu-HpzkMBidpGc2L-skaVHII/s1600/dragon+string+art+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PRZH4rLV7LHZVQOxru5utzXW8qJ_kXCzRFYA6AcLca94Pxp56QDdOuS9WETRQ7xG2tA3MF2D7O_tNk8iykoByHI0rQyP_x5qcx1NEmhKB5npDUxOLEqZu-HpzkMBidpGc2L-skaVHII/s1600/dragon+string+art+1.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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... who was no slouch herself in the art department, painting a super cute collage and mounting it onto a piece of birch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qtzFqCOed4gkr30ieDGbE3GlYmMxrv_94RwWc7pOtRHJ_VladIQ01KoG2Wb2_5RtwrbXRHYXSWT41ls5-8Q8k2u0g9PffhwiN4xvi_xxjqw4sXe38xceVTTLi42sO3aSFmIajy1z5Vg/s1600/owl+on+birch+collage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qtzFqCOed4gkr30ieDGbE3GlYmMxrv_94RwWc7pOtRHJ_VladIQ01KoG2Wb2_5RtwrbXRHYXSWT41ls5-8Q8k2u0g9PffhwiN4xvi_xxjqw4sXe38xceVTTLi42sO3aSFmIajy1z5Vg/s1600/owl+on+birch+collage+2.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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I feel like she could open up her own Etsy store tomorrow. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKVcz220eBiCpeFIkzAayldKdIqNCARbu2qkB1jiN32BinlsvJUDlQnw58qeq517l_O4ZkEQ4fOc5Dd68o6eWzuK_p2N0zPpu4CCmujDfT4vn6N4j0pCpfMcVjO53s1Q8xWWqSXheIY0/s1600/owl+on+birch+collage+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKVcz220eBiCpeFIkzAayldKdIqNCARbu2qkB1jiN32BinlsvJUDlQnw58qeq517l_O4ZkEQ4fOc5Dd68o6eWzuK_p2N0zPpu4CCmujDfT4vn6N4j0pCpfMcVjO53s1Q8xWWqSXheIY0/s1600/owl+on+birch+collage+1.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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Happy birthday!Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-23328416767451163112016-02-06T17:27:00.002-05:002016-09-29T09:09:29.706-04:00American Girl Doll: Tiered Ruffle SkirtWell, I am in full-on obsessive <a href="http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2016/01/steampunk-how-to-make-collapsible.html" target="_new">steampunk</a> mode now, folks. What does that mean? Apparently it means that Lara's AG doll is also getting an outfit, though I'm not sure she will actually come with us to the festivities. <br />
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At the same time, making things for a doll is a great way to work out full scale ideas in a model time frame. For instance, inspired by <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/517421444669149652/" target="_new">this kind of thing</a>, I'd like to make Lara a flouncy tiered skirt for her costume. I've definitely never made one before, so I thought an 18 inch experiment would be better than a full-scale disaster.<br />
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But no disaster occurred! Look:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY553idVWVK1B2TVrg_LcsEUxsMPr_fGvP-ej18eJi1yiygSaQQMXZOZw4dFWAXhixgn09dB6xrQtqd9YCBiUVWGNsDg26-yNBKnBujhrXnyY-OXAfefgzG9UwDSm96ENZH0M9O5nlnsg/s1600/tiered+skirt+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY553idVWVK1B2TVrg_LcsEUxsMPr_fGvP-ej18eJi1yiygSaQQMXZOZw4dFWAXhixgn09dB6xrQtqd9YCBiUVWGNsDg26-yNBKnBujhrXnyY-OXAfefgzG9UwDSm96ENZH0M9O5nlnsg/s1600/tiered+skirt+1.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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The fabric was a set of thrifted curtains. I'm not sure what the fabric is - some kind of rayon, I'm guessing. It's very soft and smooth, with a very slight sheen and some decorative swirly wrinkling. I basically walked around the home goods section of the fantabulous <a href="https://www.valuevillage.com/" target="_new">Value Village</a> feeling around until I discovered something that wouldn't be itchy and irritating to wear. I ended up with about 4 yards of this in a 54" width for $6, which I know beats fabric stores prices any day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXIcvq7Iv71tNApC4RdbqXhC6f3fJ40w7KJIhaLdpA_MbiGbgwcXW7PZfQtGQiZznIdBe-8qjg3fSgfgtkhkPyeujShMuV4OmNdgGRz6GKDFWXjeV7rtirIVr_6kmpLGaBdLXDeA49PY/s1600/tiered+skirt+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdXIcvq7Iv71tNApC4RdbqXhC6f3fJ40w7KJIhaLdpA_MbiGbgwcXW7PZfQtGQiZznIdBe-8qjg3fSgfgtkhkPyeujShMuV4OmNdgGRz6GKDFWXjeV7rtirIVr_6kmpLGaBdLXDeA49PY/s1600/tiered+skirt+2.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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Here is a schematic and the measurement math I used for the tiers and the ruffles. I may adjust the ratios slightly as I go to full size skirt, but this turned out great, if I do say so myself. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoz17eyHf8i4zEBcl-nrIh_irdrivtEunuFvKmbf-_gaoImDuPqwQuqBisy5SUis4DwLyXGmNfB2OUpedIsKW_swqMU4RH4LRQele4tlWR_-VQKq2gFI-v0mHT6Ak3cQf3M2ejYqFrQjg/s1600/tiered+skirt+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoz17eyHf8i4zEBcl-nrIh_irdrivtEunuFvKmbf-_gaoImDuPqwQuqBisy5SUis4DwLyXGmNfB2OUpedIsKW_swqMU4RH4LRQele4tlWR_-VQKq2gFI-v0mHT6Ak3cQf3M2ejYqFrQjg/s1600/tiered+skirt+3.jpg" width="500"/></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-32736548584730893802016-01-21T12:49:00.000-05:002016-01-21T12:49:04.273-05:00Steampunk: How to Make a Collapsible Victorian Skirt Bustle CageDon't freak out - just because it's called a cage doesn't mean it's some of kind of torture implement. Actually, a bustle cage is something that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JphDdGV2TU" target="_new">Sir Mix-a-Lot</a> would probably appreciate, since its purpose was to create a kind of giant artificial derriere to emphasize the tiny waists that were all the rage for women during the Victorian Era. <br />
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You know how very complicated flower arrangements require a hunk of floral foam to support and shape them? Well, the idea here is the same - a contraption that sits under a skirt or dress to shape it into an exaggerated round hump just below the waist. Here are some ladies illustrating what I'm talking about:<br />
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<a href="http://trulyvictorian.com/history/1874%20marchPrintemps.jpg" imageanchor="1" target="_new"><img border="0" src="http://trulyvictorian.com/history/1874%20marchPrintemps.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<i>(Image via <a href="http://trulyvictorian.com/history/1883.html" target="_new">Truly Victorian</a>)</i><br />
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All of which is to say that we have started working on our steampunk getups for <a href="http://2016.steampunkworldsfair.com/" target="_new">The Steampunk World's Fair</a>! <br />
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My first project was a bustle cage to eventually drape a giant skirt over. And you too can make one!<br />
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<b>Step 1:</b> Find a hula hoop that you don't mind destroying. Exhibit A: several hoops from the dollar store: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_qOt9TUiTkKrqak219QGb4LWufV3BWOe9JuHlOL2Cn0b75ldXm77GR2ZtNA8hx8rk_3eOKYRddPJFAPETk69esotEnxOa9tIn5b8v2If_9WfCQoIYShOHE6zIGcuHCbz_pUwAMM-j2I/s1600/Step+0.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_qOt9TUiTkKrqak219QGb4LWufV3BWOe9JuHlOL2Cn0b75ldXm77GR2ZtNA8hx8rk_3eOKYRddPJFAPETk69esotEnxOa9tIn5b8v2If_9WfCQoIYShOHE6zIGcuHCbz_pUwAMM-j2I/s1600/Step+0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Guess which one got the nod? That's right, the blue bent one that was irrecoverably non-circular. <br />
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<b>Step 2:</b> Cut the hula hoop into arcs of increasing size. If your hoop is like mine, hollow and made out of plastic, a hacksaw will easily do the trick. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhci4nugSBrpDQ3Vpi-jrMbNnegRPUd0l6SOMVod1Hg1i8ZphKmo2LnPhhX1_3rCLij8drydub2U7TmkT8mULs_nG4NGVd8el74a8GhEDK65dHuD6BBUq9QI6mw-A8Sq8xQT857bQKXSCo/s1600/Step+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhci4nugSBrpDQ3Vpi-jrMbNnegRPUd0l6SOMVod1Hg1i8ZphKmo2LnPhhX1_3rCLij8drydub2U7TmkT8mULs_nG4NGVd8el74a8GhEDK65dHuD6BBUq9QI6mw-A8Sq8xQT857bQKXSCo/s1600/Step+1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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The smallest piece I have is about 7 inches long, with each successive one being about 2 inches longer than the last. After cutting them, I bent each one every 2 inches or so (you can see the fold marks on the pieces), to help with the shaping process later.<br />
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<br />
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<b>Step 3:</b>Sew a strip of fabric to the middle of each hoop piece. I just cut two long strips (each about 1.5 feet long) off of an old tshirt and sewed them very tightly around the first hoop arc by sandwiching the plastic between two pieces of fabric and sewing them into a channel around the plastic piece:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jA6vIyUEZALFneQc4BPx8vfd10aKRcPPocpya-c4mPGEvN3gVEqKAKGhOqQLSMNKrn0iPkyVvdVB359_V2AcJJuEUXbDFIk12UhC4UuPlBEKVrlnj6bU-ylUSi_BAbFMYQSAORmeXOQ/s1600/Step+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jA6vIyUEZALFneQc4BPx8vfd10aKRcPPocpya-c4mPGEvN3gVEqKAKGhOqQLSMNKrn0iPkyVvdVB359_V2AcJJuEUXbDFIk12UhC4UuPlBEKVrlnj6bU-ylUSi_BAbFMYQSAORmeXOQ/s1600/Step+2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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You can see from the picture how stretched the jersey is around the plastic. As much as possible, sew so that there is no slack in your fabric. You don't want the plastic piece to be able to wiggle around.<br />
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<b>Step 4:</b> Continue sewing your fabric strips tightly around each plastic piece. Leave about 2 inches of space between each:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeE9bTCWgVYfWju8m76L_4n_EFmpz8ULS73KcIN81BkrbIIabZU-tjpDCYmNulSkJt4gmYNtVmfLt-LLKj5d1WZu3M-8zSQs12llvyVOsQe5ohmiFGyMahDjHVoMEExDcb8GfHkksqt4/s1600/Step+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeE9bTCWgVYfWju8m76L_4n_EFmpz8ULS73KcIN81BkrbIIabZU-tjpDCYmNulSkJt4gmYNtVmfLt-LLKj5d1WZu3M-8zSQs12llvyVOsQe5ohmiFGyMahDjHVoMEExDcb8GfHkksqt4/s1600/Step+3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Make sure to attach the pieces in increasing size order, and to face them in the same direction.<br />
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<b>Step 5:</b> Shape the plastic into semi-circles with wire. Run a length of wire through the smallest of the plastic tubes. Make sure the wire is strong enough to bend the plastic - anything below a 14-12 gauge should be fine:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdTRLo-hxdVg2DGUyr0du0-ovVI4em0LOLsHOGSCwnxUsrFUmJ_W0xzqxI2zcIALpW8ynk0_t69OS1pYCTp6WVGRWgDXs_lUMVGDShx2aNPRBdKX1Co4BfbjVjy4_pV1fHkt2NjtB_qps/s1600/Step+4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdTRLo-hxdVg2DGUyr0du0-ovVI4em0LOLsHOGSCwnxUsrFUmJ_W0xzqxI2zcIALpW8ynk0_t69OS1pYCTp6WVGRWgDXs_lUMVGDShx2aNPRBdKX1Co4BfbjVjy4_pV1fHkt2NjtB_qps/s1600/Step+4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Also, this is a good time to use this first wire to push a strip of fabric (long enough to tie around your waist) through this smallest tube. You can do this by bending the wire end into a small loop and then tying the fabric strip to a it before pushing it through. Eventually, you'll use this fabric piece to wear the bustle cage.<br />
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<b>Step 6:</b> Complete the semi-circle. Pull the wire through the hoop piece, bending the plastic into a U-shape. Use the wire to hold this shape by making a hook-and-loop closure:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiIQAGUXlgk-_2wBcsv9fiYUR3fs4zNsKC1TYaBxY4XEIF1bV8NY3puEIGR7D_cv-BWXcqoEjxfwVNFDI5jg7xrviN9RGPZNXDnXdMboqQOkrxyK8yosVzon5_8o9mqlkKvJ_dxQWN8g/s1600/Step+5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiIQAGUXlgk-_2wBcsv9fiYUR3fs4zNsKC1TYaBxY4XEIF1bV8NY3puEIGR7D_cv-BWXcqoEjxfwVNFDI5jg7xrviN9RGPZNXDnXdMboqQOkrxyK8yosVzon5_8o9mqlkKvJ_dxQWN8g/s1600/Step+5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Do this for each of the hoop pieces, and you'll end up with a contraption that looks like this when you dangle it in the air:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOg7FInk-SiHiH_AaWfwq6h-wIqeDxr4OtTxf8pUOwboVz66FqfSE2bQ8jSINQ7hiahDJT3cEjhyphenhyphen0-QAULJvBy8PbzLjJdvX_b5X_bWPmQqN1PljdeQERKj2t77EQn0V0j6SRcW395jiA/s1600/Step+6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOg7FInk-SiHiH_AaWfwq6h-wIqeDxr4OtTxf8pUOwboVz66FqfSE2bQ8jSINQ7hiahDJT3cEjhyphenhyphen0-QAULJvBy8PbzLjJdvX_b5X_bWPmQqN1PljdeQERKj2t77EQn0V0j6SRcW395jiA/s1600/Step+6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<b>Step 7:</b> Now, do the same sandwiched fabric thing running down the sides of the bent plastic pieces. This will both cover any jagged plastic edges, preventing them from rubbing your eventual skirt fabric, and will also give the right shape to the hoop cage:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTS0-ijhZI8n-IecIJgYin6S5_QJNBWWs67Im05ttmYVSUgCbtKN8GOksmKsU1sy7FLEG6WY7DL0ayjQZ2vlRY6Lq4ZsmqVPo1hZ4sYlPHfU7s7MXX50V-LyBmFFx4409fWB_jkXM0xHs/s1600/Step+7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTS0-ijhZI8n-IecIJgYin6S5_QJNBWWs67Im05ttmYVSUgCbtKN8GOksmKsU1sy7FLEG6WY7DL0ayjQZ2vlRY6Lq4ZsmqVPo1hZ4sYlPHfU7s7MXX50V-LyBmFFx4409fWB_jkXM0xHs/s1600/Step+7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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If you want to, you can tape the hook-and-loop wire closures you made so that all potentially scrap-y places are covered. And that's it! you're done!<br />
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Here is a shot of the finished cage from the inside<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhLtzS7tLV_knezZIlGDPvqy2u5IzyWiOOe4q_sUCVhNsN3nv_yyjkqH9hknrj0lzfteX0plJSzczBcbTJvF8_vk8Cd4Nwk7grVGD7B13kBwU-O0myvPuBNKo6GGU5eHMYPB-4TXSTh8/s1600/Step+8.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhLtzS7tLV_knezZIlGDPvqy2u5IzyWiOOe4q_sUCVhNsN3nv_yyjkqH9hknrj0lzfteX0plJSzczBcbTJvF8_vk8Cd4Nwk7grVGD7B13kBwU-O0myvPuBNKo6GGU5eHMYPB-4TXSTh8/s1600/Step+8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Here is what it will look like tied to your natural waist with the fabric strip you slipped through the top tube:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wD5O1rKTAWf7F1zp51MaBRCYKcKaKEr_rWrYzf5gg7Gtrt6YsCn8rBPYvx_Mtkdi_e1VdC3OK-cJLdzAvS7n3C2bfvw5C97LYx0uBSBAh9fQ849L00eGvS8wDcfN4rFOHLqwIQGCJTQ/s1600/Step+9.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wD5O1rKTAWf7F1zp51MaBRCYKcKaKEr_rWrYzf5gg7Gtrt6YsCn8rBPYvx_Mtkdi_e1VdC3OK-cJLdzAvS7n3C2bfvw5C97LYx0uBSBAh9fQ849L00eGvS8wDcfN4rFOHLqwIQGCJTQ/s1600/Step+9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Tie it on and then try to sit down - it's no problem because this contraption is collapsible!<br />
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And finally, here is what it will do to any skirt you put over it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXe-vtndgSGl59DQMY6TjiMSc-V092uQtVm4wLyTg3w76g0TJsJbbWQoAgGUuGqwWUtF_erj7x1kqWKO1zE7uO-rVYlxgS4l9it9YU0Q-25T4jZT4keQ4nvcR08OmFvkZdIg7ibZMElU/s1600/Step+10.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXe-vtndgSGl59DQMY6TjiMSc-V092uQtVm4wLyTg3w76g0TJsJbbWQoAgGUuGqwWUtF_erj7x1kqWKO1zE7uO-rVYlxgS4l9it9YU0Q-25T4jZT4keQ4nvcR08OmFvkZdIg7ibZMElU/s1600/Step+10.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
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Don't you feel like you could go discipline some new housemaids and then have tiny tea sandwiches in the parlour while pouring over visiting cards?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-42881073555696118272016-01-10T10:15:00.001-05:002016-09-27T15:45:52.408-04:00Collages<div><br />
</div>As Ms42roads is back at it, I figured I'd post briefly. We made some fun collages out of old beat up books with some cool old etchings and art in them. Here are a couple:<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hVXB1ypVYnJ_Dgtj36EoLf1tF7BMZV6gMmpJTJAamvUFJPJu-AacFNXyuX1O17Uub6t6hX36o5zwAQktlNBlV3p0TSntxHmDc2fNVqAtFO_gKlepjFPnDbIjcI3gbFVDAah-UEwacZM/s640/blogger-image-848883005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hVXB1ypVYnJ_Dgtj36EoLf1tF7BMZV6gMmpJTJAamvUFJPJu-AacFNXyuX1O17Uub6t6hX36o5zwAQktlNBlV3p0TSntxHmDc2fNVqAtFO_gKlepjFPnDbIjcI3gbFVDAah-UEwacZM/s640/blogger-image-848883005.jpg"></a></div><br />
</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDJ_uBXM9VVP46CiiD2hOma2NTOmzlSpSGxlYUWoAw_KyHvX2YJoO8V4uGVXNZ3ufbYGwjrzQKbdRQvmzq6ufX3gzT4BBKwShT1CDqAq_1URfrUlxyBZ2D_93jr2zqqW7aJPB6Oo3g-c/s640/blogger-image--1382821185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDJ_uBXM9VVP46CiiD2hOma2NTOmzlSpSGxlYUWoAw_KyHvX2YJoO8V4uGVXNZ3ufbYGwjrzQKbdRQvmzq6ufX3gzT4BBKwShT1CDqAq_1URfrUlxyBZ2D_93jr2zqqW7aJPB6Oo3g-c/s640/blogger-image--1382821185.jpg"></a></div><br />
</div>Mishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147631721928249018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-20183077876895357062016-01-08T09:47:00.001-05:002016-01-08T09:48:05.999-05:00Avoiding the Disposable Wedding DressYou guys, I loved - LOVED - my wedding dress. It was a true work of art. It was a handmade, unusual, extraordinarily beautiful, flattering, and made me feel like I was floating around the entire day that I wore it. It looked like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLRcm_hRyMjDM6ILnjcBePsEFFmilBG6rFLHvjXw5BnkomeqIF3Mef4a8nX35aaPDv05TH-L0X9bQGpUY-sqGuvtwYUoKR_yU6BIIhzrJO3zBQJgnnF-AO50aNKC9rw1Kq4dvErdhsBM/s1600/April+25+-+Barnes+Gala+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLRcm_hRyMjDM6ILnjcBePsEFFmilBG6rFLHvjXw5BnkomeqIF3Mef4a8nX35aaPDv05TH-L0X9bQGpUY-sqGuvtwYUoKR_yU6BIIhzrJO3zBQJgnnF-AO50aNKC9rw1Kq4dvErdhsBM/s1600/April+25+-+Barnes+Gala+-+3.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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(I'm the one in the middle, wearing white.) <br />
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But then, after one perfect, astonishing day, it was packed back up into its box - forever? When else would I be able to wear 20 pounds of beads and feathers? But, on the other hand, how could it just go unworn from that moment on, a one-use thing like a plastic fork? That seemed like a terrible choice, so I took my dress to a fantastic dressmaker and asked her to split into two parts: a top and a skirt. I don't have excessive call to go to fancy galas, but surely at least one or two would happen sometime.<br />
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And, lo, last April, we did get to go to an honest to goodness black tie event at the <a href="http://www.barnesfoundation.org/" target="_new">Barnes Foundation</a>. I did the Sharon Stone thing and paired the drop-dead skirt with a simple tee:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH51VDldUPsjcFFCEM2d5jXDxvYx9gk9KjbyJ5xPSILNKdk8kbS_pzbwWH1dtbg2gQec-nTQQtT33UtYObXCKImxNrPHgkwSIEO1st8y64UvAGV4bXrJgrzuv8xB7WAFFoQRn_wkTRRY/s1600/April+25+-+Barnes+Gala+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH51VDldUPsjcFFCEM2d5jXDxvYx9gk9KjbyJ5xPSILNKdk8kbS_pzbwWH1dtbg2gQec-nTQQtT33UtYObXCKImxNrPHgkwSIEO1st8y64UvAGV4bXrJgrzuv8xB7WAFFoQRn_wkTRRY/s1600/April+25+-+Barnes+Gala+-+1.jpg" width="450"/></a><br />
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Flattering, magical, floating perfection. Continued bell-of-the-ball effect. It was a wonderful night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-z5N9vOjodPaT7bOnd7BaYI-lb8JznolpQtlab5w2_Ltc5uTFnAFW5n8c9aUfDwtNQ06TU4X-uOyrOUoshQhl7Wq2lViQoT-2bbw8VMZPbCs7mvGHFZF7cNRtkPSkhgBpRS7B7blPzdQ/s1600/April+25+-+Barnes+Gala+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-z5N9vOjodPaT7bOnd7BaYI-lb8JznolpQtlab5w2_Ltc5uTFnAFW5n8c9aUfDwtNQ06TU4X-uOyrOUoshQhl7Wq2lViQoT-2bbw8VMZPbCs7mvGHFZF7cNRtkPSkhgBpRS7B7blPzdQ/s1600/April+25+-+Barnes+Gala+-+2.jpg" width="450"/></a><br />
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Now, if only I could ever fit back into that beautiful beaded top...Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-36226400417851153162016-01-06T13:19:00.001-05:002016-01-06T13:21:21.868-05:00What Will Dinosaurs Destroy Next?Are you into painstakingly and meticulously arranging tiny objects? Do you find yourself with a free day that you'd like to spend uncomfortably perched over a large flat surface? Do you want to herd small children into doing something that requires the kind of extreme patience and extreme dexterity that they most likely don't possess? Do you relish the feeling of being deeply frustrated for prolonged periods of time only to experience tiny "a-ha!' moments every now and again? Then you, my friend, are just the sort of person who should be putting together jigsaw puzzles. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJw6l0WfbWNcRUQg3e7jXJXlA6dQBViRlLzabYIIq9TPi8YDLi9MAknV_k8W7mYOZkTc1z_UE3e_I0C7hzhHdrznIa4QAL91Prd3FSryssOBiv8c8swz24q2lUTjxKQ9mPR0NLUK4bdw/s1600/puzz3d+-+neuschwanstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJw6l0WfbWNcRUQg3e7jXJXlA6dQBViRlLzabYIIq9TPi8YDLi9MAknV_k8W7mYOZkTc1z_UE3e_I0C7hzhHdrznIa4QAL91Prd3FSryssOBiv8c8swz24q2lUTjxKQ9mPR0NLUK4bdw/s1600/puzz3d+-+neuschwanstein.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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Luckily, we are a family of such people, and we spend our New Year's assembling this <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008M704LI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008M704LI&linkCode=as2&tag=fortworoa-20&linkId=WRRX6TJFLK56TDXS">amazing 3-D version of Neuschwanstein</a>, a replica of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle" target="_new">castle in Bavaria</a> built by King Ludwig II:<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fortworoa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008M704LI" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsH-_qC1Z9oipbLYWAuDXkAE559JznaSi9050uzhm5W3bdBFa-HCLcI7z1DurRHT0rBR0DwdyrPhwtRbw_KNY6y2ZmkZI2MtbPZifgbeKnsYmnC_JykDsvy-QPyiaV2Dq3Iru4C37_kw/s1600/newschwanstein3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsH-_qC1Z9oipbLYWAuDXkAE559JznaSi9050uzhm5W3bdBFa-HCLcI7z1DurRHT0rBR0DwdyrPhwtRbw_KNY6y2ZmkZI2MtbPZifgbeKnsYmnC_JykDsvy-QPyiaV2Dq3Iru4C37_kw/s1600/newschwanstein3.jpg" width="400"/></a><br />
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You know what's even more awesome? We've seen the real thing! It's built on top of a hill and thus has ridiculously beautiful views. We really caught it on the perfect day too - look at that sky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYe3FDejl_dNEOZVWx_etk2hU0rwzHdx7u84gigm6FP55paE0Rl7JsytH7d6uhL9MK_7Eow8ssmZxlbUu9uNqqgmVmDqim0qPsQnHLzOD6bcUP_wRkflP11Lua9HPIcHFkezoSbHn1hQ/s1600/newschwanstein1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYe3FDejl_dNEOZVWx_etk2hU0rwzHdx7u84gigm6FP55paE0Rl7JsytH7d6uhL9MK_7Eow8ssmZxlbUu9uNqqgmVmDqim0qPsQnHLzOD6bcUP_wRkflP11Lua9HPIcHFkezoSbHn1hQ/s1600/newschwanstein1.jpg" width="300"/></a><br />
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I will say that it is hilarious to see pictures of ourselves standing next to this thing we just spent hours putting together. It's got kind of a Charlie Kaufman feel to it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg51YGkCTXc9uCBCj1c550iVHqPqcF7xWWrSB36vieq21UexP2eYPr2EnQ1KLhnv5SlSRg48VnGlvUDjMOWibPgKJgHGjhyphenhyphenQiLkPAZXm5ugnF2k5UiSZfdS8NImYn-AWf1doP6sdLPAwA/s1600/newschwanstein2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg51YGkCTXc9uCBCj1c550iVHqPqcF7xWWrSB36vieq21UexP2eYPr2EnQ1KLhnv5SlSRg48VnGlvUDjMOWibPgKJgHGjhyphenhyphenQiLkPAZXm5ugnF2k5UiSZfdS8NImYn-AWf1doP6sdLPAwA/s1600/newschwanstein2.jpg" width="300"/></a><br />
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Anyway, our jigsaw castle is just like the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008V57TM8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008V57TM8&linkCode=as2&tag=fortworoa-20&linkId=2KDUJG6JMYV5QJZ2">3D puzzle of the U.S. Capitol</a> that was <a href="http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2015/12/our-gift-to-you.html" target="_new">attacked by dinosaurs</a>, which means this baby might just be the next setting for a rollicking stop-motion adventure!<img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fortworoa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008V57TM8" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />Until then - nice, right?Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-58723835114100767832016-01-04T16:28:00.001-05:002016-01-04T16:29:33.909-05:00Handmade HanukkahYou know what's hard to make by hand? Good presents. Oh, sure, you can whip up any one of the hundreds of crafty present ideas out there and pass those out to wild acclaim or muted gratitude. But what about the kinds of presents that someone will use and appreciate and delight in? What if you aren't a master carpenter or knitter or metalworker? This is what I ask myself any time I decide to give someone something that I made. Will this person actually want this thing? Will they enjoy it in some real way, and not just indirectly through the knowledge that I created it?<br />
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This Hanukkah I thought about these questions in an even more challenging context. What kinds of useful, gratifying things can kids make for presents - things that require effort and planning, initial failure and then success? This is the first year that the kids didn't simply dash off drawings for each other and call it a day. Instead, I helped them work and make for real.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0I6RVsBSM5IYXPLaenYPTFzawCrlv2m3bLrWhYa0GCN3nYF_IfTiwRwmgv3lSA015kzA_CNjiuxAL3ZAkRic4HuPC95OVZZiiOWZQNf-mJUJ1JQwrnqslpScUlQclH1THhJDBl0zSQE/s1600/tea+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0I6RVsBSM5IYXPLaenYPTFzawCrlv2m3bLrWhYa0GCN3nYF_IfTiwRwmgv3lSA015kzA_CNjiuxAL3ZAkRic4HuPC95OVZZiiOWZQNf-mJUJ1JQwrnqslpScUlQclH1THhJDBl0zSQE/s1600/tea+set.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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For her beloved American Girl dolls, her brother made her a beautiful, delicate oven-baked clay tea set. He worked from <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2014/11/marbled-clay-ring-dish.html" target="_new">these instructions</a>, picked out colors she would love, and handled all parts of shaping the clay himself. I helped with brainstorming and with the oven (I'm pretty skittish about burns). She does indeed love them and was recently bragging to a friend how her brother had made them for her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivx0rAr2qhL_JHQYBznjIMxAxPGONDYwC5wN-IhpeYTv1A1yTOI2LAh6MGYln9XFL1RfVzqHoeLtOHGRNU1kNrAZLsW1Swr5AUiAhqh57SVemWrHL2967DO52MjEUvEV6B7LKJY196abs/s1600/pompom.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivx0rAr2qhL_JHQYBznjIMxAxPGONDYwC5wN-IhpeYTv1A1yTOI2LAh6MGYln9XFL1RfVzqHoeLtOHGRNU1kNrAZLsW1Swr5AUiAhqh57SVemWrHL2967DO52MjEUvEV6B7LKJY196abs/s1600/pompom.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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To liven up for the rather drab hat he recently received after growing out of his fun rainbow one, his sister made a pompom - from the old hat. She diligently unpicked the wool, rolled it up, researched how to guides, and whipped up this awesome hat topper. He super loves it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQHQXhmPsMidofoaQINSAZCrLvJ9y6FDDQpIrdQeKhr25ZhUmJSUkCDJeXohWqTlTNuc8n81YSTozH35-PWwmcrFPU4mqaTi24fongHHWrhpF_jYtXrR0WTCExgv6oR4Hl_NxviE39Bs/s1600/Jake%2527s+room+-+hooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQHQXhmPsMidofoaQINSAZCrLvJ9y6FDDQpIrdQeKhr25ZhUmJSUkCDJeXohWqTlTNuc8n81YSTozH35-PWwmcrFPU4mqaTi24fongHHWrhpF_jYtXrR0WTCExgv6oR4Hl_NxviE39Bs/s1600/Jake%2527s+room+-+hooks.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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Oh, and I made him a set of animal hooks by cutting a bunch of plastic animals in half with an X-Acto knife (they're surprisingly easy to cut through!) and gluing them onto a board with E-6000 glue. After some stain and poly - voila! Pretty cute and reasonably useful. <br />
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What did you make for the holidays? Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-63743482970119203652016-01-02T23:43:00.002-05:002016-01-07T11:06:22.513-05:00Live from the Renaissance, It's UsOk, tell me honestly - have you been to your local Renaissance Faire yet? And if you have, did you go in costume?<br />
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We've gone <a href="http://www.parenfaire.com/" target="_new">to ours</a> the last two years. Last year? Weak, last-minute costumes that made us feel like straight-up jerks. I mean, there are people there who look like they hand-wove the linen for their traditionally made <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sark" target="_new">sarks</a>, and we bothered to show up with a couple of sideways bandannas and claimed to be pirates? Seriously uncool. So this year? No more uncoolness. We planned, we sewed, we painted, and we... looked amazing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1shFlcSszJ6uJYC29hNnNujzBDZ-QdA55v26GuCiDLLdtewaA_L6C-lTebHJFWr29JlM9422_A8lx1LCjoHiq7fJXezzqoiE4DQz30TmW7-v8cZMpI79ldgVQ-mY7GPv0jTyC2b4whc/s1600/RenFaire15+-+6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1shFlcSszJ6uJYC29hNnNujzBDZ-QdA55v26GuCiDLLdtewaA_L6C-lTebHJFWr29JlM9422_A8lx1LCjoHiq7fJXezzqoiE4DQz30TmW7-v8cZMpI79ldgVQ-mY7GPv0jTyC2b4whc/s1600/RenFaire15+-+6.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
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We crafted this dress together. The dark blue bottom layer was made from a very long, very billowy maxi skirt. The over-layer was first a dress that I cut very low on the chest, and then cut up the middle and laced up. To do nice lacing in the dress (and also in both knights' shirts), I used grommets. Her lovely diadem is some very basic wire work. She is no ordinary damsel, but a deadly and skilled huntress, with a bow crafted from the finest tree branch and quiver of arrows sewn from leather pieces and suspended by a belt. I actually strung this bow with enough tension that the arrows could fire a solid 25 feet or so!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnK3cvX2mFjJcUhB7Irzjy6pgrhqGVbAEVrLipziyhCh9WbRNwvacafrDaM3pirbVz_lktSU0nxvdv6sxz-XOVU4DfW1fG9vkYk0-IppjD96gdyNRX_NY1O9Oe9ILlQ9LWCg5GLGOMCY/s1600/RenFaire15+-+7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnK3cvX2mFjJcUhB7Irzjy6pgrhqGVbAEVrLipziyhCh9WbRNwvacafrDaM3pirbVz_lktSU0nxvdv6sxz-XOVU4DfW1fG9vkYk0-IppjD96gdyNRX_NY1O9Oe9ILlQ9LWCg5GLGOMCY/s1600/RenFaire15+-+7.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
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This fierce knight wears a billowy shirt and a tabard featuring his Blue Pegasus sigil (with a stamp pattern that he made himself). His arms and armor are the envy of the shire: a wooden shield with leather handle, and a sword and helmet made from the finest cardboard and leather and spray-painted to look metallic. Here's a closeup: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMAxTv7hyQR73wOaAB3Sa5-dLvdB3O_0bTttwP9Zhe7YT38BG7WmBftMX-kTgyzQCMqDZ53w8nCUBsAr3yBO7Mq7V_l0EhI4Bf76mCwFva0OmH0nBZsHZMCuZafVAWWxfyjz6E3IL0w0/s1600/RenFaire15+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMAxTv7hyQR73wOaAB3Sa5-dLvdB3O_0bTttwP9Zhe7YT38BG7WmBftMX-kTgyzQCMqDZ53w8nCUBsAr3yBO7Mq7V_l0EhI4Bf76mCwFva0OmH0nBZsHZMCuZafVAWWxfyjz6E3IL0w0/s1600/RenFaire15+-+1.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
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We used <a _new="" href="http://happilyevercrafter.org/diy-building-a-medieval-helmet-out-of-cardboard/%20target=">this amazing breakdown of the process</a> for both, and they came out truly excellent. Pro tip: to give the sword longevity, we put wooden dowels in the center, glued sword-shaped cardboard around them in a sandwich, and then used masking tape to bend the sandwiching cardboard together to create sword edges. It's been several months now, and the thing is still going strong despite having been in many a battle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVIOQQdaipXduystNYq-FYlxzCO2OU3R_7Cs8ekbU-_zoqgI0EXy_kEa83CqFv9_r8Fy6UKzjoieaQFRYNNSl2c8XDrf04HXbI6gl9TeTRWba3zZjHIeFHw_Bdr1CC23iKwicqlWYiH0/s1600/RenFaire15+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVIOQQdaipXduystNYq-FYlxzCO2OU3R_7Cs8ekbU-_zoqgI0EXy_kEa83CqFv9_r8Fy6UKzjoieaQFRYNNSl2c8XDrf04HXbI6gl9TeTRWba3zZjHIeFHw_Bdr1CC23iKwicqlWYiH0/s1600/RenFaire15+-+2.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
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I was a Lady of the Woods, which meant a dress with very long sleeves and a headdress made from willow branches and beads.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUfblTfsR0Ab42IdZAKe5mm1ERRtVIWc1BLG1a7Bz7BnZo3DN-F9LloCdVUesreOwcyad5MYZBwLE7FXnMzxdUiv7RXAsb4MnaqsvTkG_pTqeMtNoY7rvDy2sg0ZtRFNVXF7NoChUdzI/s1600/RenFaire15+-+5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUfblTfsR0Ab42IdZAKe5mm1ERRtVIWc1BLG1a7Bz7BnZo3DN-F9LloCdVUesreOwcyad5MYZBwLE7FXnMzxdUiv7RXAsb4MnaqsvTkG_pTqeMtNoY7rvDy2sg0ZtRFNVXF7NoChUdzI/s1600/RenFaire15+-+5.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
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The dress is actually extremely easy to make, and ridiculously comfortable to wear, since it's made out of jersey. I used <a href="http://imgur.com/udps3fZ" target="_new">this idea</a> as the basis of the design, but added a wide corset-like belt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-KNWixSukBmsn8_G9JSvdfHlXQ6JhY9r58PNHee23up-kuv6ZRBxqO54s4zESwgnLhBStIKMaSG_7eIo9QpC_xwz1JWseKanp2tiS8gzFxlcQ291qc-MQwBK0zIpderqR3HUUhOcv8o/s1600/RenFaire15+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic-KNWixSukBmsn8_G9JSvdfHlXQ6JhY9r58PNHee23up-kuv6ZRBxqO54s4zESwgnLhBStIKMaSG_7eIo9QpC_xwz1JWseKanp2tiS8gzFxlcQ291qc-MQwBK0zIpderqR3HUUhOcv8o/s1600/RenFaire15+-+4.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
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Mr. Forty-Two Roads had the least developed look this year, but he did look very dashing in this lovely be-ribboned shirt with a lace-up opening. We attempted a shoulder pauldron in the same style as the helmet, but it came out as a learning experience for next time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS8kHMy2PLEYUiPGnpsE6HJnkRLm7nSzrQYx6QoJ97gQvAHrwxtraGiH6JMWHW94hUefJwu7R__GgYpY_PEuQadcANlYuAUANvPxH_1DS8m19jy0tSMMkHQWV_Roab-Xr0NjYRdcDu8k/s1600/RenFaire15+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS8kHMy2PLEYUiPGnpsE6HJnkRLm7nSzrQYx6QoJ97gQvAHrwxtraGiH6JMWHW94hUefJwu7R__GgYpY_PEuQadcANlYuAUANvPxH_1DS8m19jy0tSMMkHQWV_Roab-Xr0NjYRdcDu8k/s1600/RenFaire15+-+3.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
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Now is a good time to start planning your Ren Faire look for next year, friends - lest ye be threwn in the hoosegow for your pribbling guise. But we? We are busy thinking up outfits for a Steampunk convention this spring.Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-11999879752694457142016-01-01T17:10:00.001-05:002016-01-02T23:01:18.730-05:00For DadWith love always<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YaTAx-k_YtCezbI0yfnsiU1_LPpuhCfiU8ZqYtxoKhE8dGkukvVZNdG2n3LVccY6FgCznABKPtZtzypccLw7WbKggq6kkD4UUVu0SM3s0F_MEggdBpkfRa7fxmgabDJDkTSZyfZIqck/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YaTAx-k_YtCezbI0yfnsiU1_LPpuhCfiU8ZqYtxoKhE8dGkukvVZNdG2n3LVccY6FgCznABKPtZtzypccLw7WbKggq6kkD4UUVu0SM3s0F_MEggdBpkfRa7fxmgabDJDkTSZyfZIqck/s1600/2.jpg" width="500"/></a><br />
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I miss you every day<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lSiLcYKncokk_NDV-vdGgaDwZGct4tGbMpE3ZdBH7rflg74Cf831R69rCkGQNYW_9aNFsCBUBp4nIQDLZV4i1CCK0LpAvKxesbDvDMCOw1wapc3vNg1MxjGtXwnm_lFBEwlr4tVgISM/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lSiLcYKncokk_NDV-vdGgaDwZGct4tGbMpE3ZdBH7rflg74Cf831R69rCkGQNYW_9aNFsCBUBp4nIQDLZV4i1CCK0LpAvKxesbDvDMCOw1wapc3vNg1MxjGtXwnm_lFBEwlr4tVgISM/s1600/3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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A new year without you in it weighs heavyAnnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-60400829911700435752015-12-29T13:44:00.001-05:002016-11-13T17:51:01.922-05:00Hello from Halloween!How did we four hardcore make-your-own-costume devotees celebrate Halloween this past year? Why by dressing up as this incredibly thematically connected foursome: Abe Lincoln, Leonardo Da Vinci, a ninja, and a mummy. What do you mean, you don't get how they all go together?! Ok, fine, yeah, me neither. One of these years, I will finally force my family to live out my fantasy of coordinating costumes - but this was not that year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zXJvW8OBm_5lbAm4w7cdJevbDKhB6-PVx-6SdfFoYWCHuhFpMFY4W8FUa0x57Ux6ERvrk7Zog1SppM3dbn54eLrDbFcN_eJbFcMeAvjojw5bGe53o7yqzWsS_gvgzvba75SkKMYUedg/s1600/Halloween+15+-+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zXJvW8OBm_5lbAm4w7cdJevbDKhB6-PVx-6SdfFoYWCHuhFpMFY4W8FUa0x57Ux6ERvrk7Zog1SppM3dbn54eLrDbFcN_eJbFcMeAvjojw5bGe53o7yqzWsS_gvgzvba75SkKMYUedg/s1600/Halloween+15+-+1.jpg" width="450"/></a><br />
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This take on Leo is basically <a href="http://fortytworoads.blogspot.com/2013/10/leo-and-mona.html" target="_new">this costume</a>, but recombobulated for size. Nothing says "we are actually a community theater prop department" like already having a 15th century cap and cape ready to go when your 6 year-old suddenly announces that this year it's a Renaissance master or bust. <br />
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The ninja is all new. The main piece of awesomeness in this costume are the nunchucks, which are made from a pretty sturdy dowel, some leather wraps for the grip, and a piece of chain. Those things are seriously for real, and could probably take out an enemy. Luckily, our ninja is mostly peace-loving and not particularly keen on doing much besides posing. I made the wrap-style top in the simplest way possible, by sewing together this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQE7YxHz5nT3fYpNOCA663MtzJiObuCSFdfnRBVoRaCRdbnrTfs8dgMVCM_HJfLMdEDyUj6okufnb752O2Cv526OxXcShVavNgdaFmJRwnvylsS5Dv43pWHTh6f4-KuZ1yFXArm0APghU/s1600/Halloween+15+-+6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQE7YxHz5nT3fYpNOCA663MtzJiObuCSFdfnRBVoRaCRdbnrTfs8dgMVCM_HJfLMdEDyUj6okufnb752O2Cv526OxXcShVavNgdaFmJRwnvylsS5Dv43pWHTh6f4-KuZ1yFXArm0APghU/s1600/Halloween+15+-+6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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President Lincoln is easy - it's just a beard made of a few cardboard cutouts on a stick, and a cardboard top hat. The mummy was made by a crazy person who sewed a bunch of bandage strips to a sweatshirt for hours on end, and helped by black paper bugs of all shapes and sizes. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblVo19sCTcBg5HH5FxBZ-BU3b1G5N2zxaCNzC5GzcBWo7P2wq4VwgIF4e5HYuIx9zypjFa-jC1ln1X6p4v4rTkgxVsEiPe_aI_CA5eYSUQFf3saAX_4HI7A8cITYcoP-oUELPr-gcn-Q/s1600/Halloween+15+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblVo19sCTcBg5HH5FxBZ-BU3b1G5N2zxaCNzC5GzcBWo7P2wq4VwgIF4e5HYuIx9zypjFa-jC1ln1X6p4v4rTkgxVsEiPe_aI_CA5eYSUQFf3saAX_4HI7A8cITYcoP-oUELPr-gcn-Q/s1600/Halloween+15+-+2.jpg" width="450"/></a><br />
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Why Abe Lincoln, you ask? Well, originally, Mr. and Mrs. Forty-Two Roads were going to go as Abraham and Babe-raham Lincoln, but someone chickened out of the whole thing and decided to go as the undead instead. I guess we could have piggybacked onto the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446563072/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0446563072&linkCode=as2&tag=fortworoa-20&linkId=5BSWBIBEHSJQE622" rel="nofollow" target="_new">genre-mashing books</a> and decided to be "Abraham Lincoln: Mummy Hunter."<img alt="" border="0" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fortworoa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446563072" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1"> <br />
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On our cruising for sweet treats, we learned that ninjas are agile enough not to need their hands:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPOWKNtsbPJWs0wuqYmFlWRB4tSg1oVDfKKk7Az3jJlwZvI3A-Eu444Htib1zuEy0I8L5GQfsajHYfNmkJAHGgYhPnpzvRwVimxpqJvTYNP0beLMfgR1eCJu16MxX0WQauvIvtXbjB_c/s1600/Halloween+15+-+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPOWKNtsbPJWs0wuqYmFlWRB4tSg1oVDfKKk7Az3jJlwZvI3A-Eu444Htib1zuEy0I8L5GQfsajHYfNmkJAHGgYhPnpzvRwVimxpqJvTYNP0beLMfgR1eCJu16MxX0WQauvIvtXbjB_c/s1600/Halloween+15+-+3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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and that Leonardo was best friends with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BU3ZLJQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00BU3ZLJQ&linkCode=as2&tag=fortworoa-20&linkId=AZV437YTXDTWRUFP" rel="nofollow" target="_new">Minecraft Creeper</a>:<img alt="" border="0" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fortworoa-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00BU3ZLJQ" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYkSzj_w0pZtHtoSwY2WEg4vIGNDCnsTEYrfPt3nA3QpJyHnYC8G3fH3omQ9KHxaAx09ENqbfq4x2-LgBtDsGnPOSQDVCtjZThpJb3qRM6EAeqrYkfYkNAsV_yhuH65KqzZl67gCQfnM/s1600/Halloween+15+-+4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYkSzj_w0pZtHtoSwY2WEg4vIGNDCnsTEYrfPt3nA3QpJyHnYC8G3fH3omQ9KHxaAx09ENqbfq4x2-LgBtDsGnPOSQDVCtjZThpJb3qRM6EAeqrYkfYkNAsV_yhuH65KqzZl67gCQfnM/s1600/Halloween+15+-+4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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By the way, have you ever wondered what Honest Abe would look like with a handlebar mustache? Wonder no more:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptWsUvknyrIoeIYXoo-muhHyCyTV9rtle6AsIHsbtCgbaVv0NfpYxe3NwYLOXAlugWxpCWY0xMu7q5Zs-8JsY2QwcpMgYBn-0h_eRQdKCTqf4f3CzZhrFANhJFvu-irx_6hcORCxY0zI/s1600/Halloween+15+-+5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptWsUvknyrIoeIYXoo-muhHyCyTV9rtle6AsIHsbtCgbaVv0NfpYxe3NwYLOXAlugWxpCWY0xMu7q5Zs-8JsY2QwcpMgYBn-0h_eRQdKCTqf4f3CzZhrFANhJFvu-irx_6hcORCxY0zI/s1600/Halloween+15+-+5.jpg" width="500" /></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-24957493683700409162015-12-28T12:59:00.001-05:002015-12-28T13:00:37.101-05:00Our Gift to YouWe had an amazing Christmas Day. <br />
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When I say that, I don't mean that we sat around a tree opening presents and high-fiving Santa - that stuff we do 8 days in a row every Hanukkah. No, our Christmas Day was spent in our basement, in a makeshift movie studio, knee-deep in Legos, cardboard, clay, markers and pencils. That's right, folks. The four of us spent twelve mostly uninterrupted hours on making the world's latest and greatest stop-motion animation Hanukkah movie. <br />
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This movie was our gift to our families, and now it is our gift to you, random internet strangers. Are we the next <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Harryhausen" target="_new">Ray Harryhausen</a>? Probably not. But the kids loved working on this so much, they have demanded that this become an annual tradition. That counts as an unqualified success in my book!<br />
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So without further ado, allow me to present "Shamash: The Hero of Hanukkah." Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe width="500" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JrMQbPjnTIk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193652450580215999.post-17051002125604531032015-12-27T16:13:00.001-05:002015-12-27T16:14:31.828-05:00Happy New Year!Wishing everyone out there in the series of tubes that are the internet a peaceful and healthy 2016!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgR5g3ZCA-uJ2nF29hksjsmUPZudDqXR0AEBPqSN50QxLvnBa7NAACBjkKfNu-PmbK24mEyepke6txAOh17LjvfN86YJGwUJLQ9ynhd70xyTPY_kDAEnshy4J4uTrSRRQ8qhLGBs6oJk/s1600/New+Year%2527s+2016+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgR5g3ZCA-uJ2nF29hksjsmUPZudDqXR0AEBPqSN50QxLvnBa7NAACBjkKfNu-PmbK24mEyepke6txAOh17LjvfN86YJGwUJLQ9ynhd70xyTPY_kDAEnshy4J4uTrSRRQ8qhLGBs6oJk/s1600/New+Year%2527s+2016+blog.jpg" width="500"/></a>Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01224171400259909981noreply@blogger.com0