Stories, Apples, Buffy, & Mushi-shi

I love green apples. Don't get me wrong, I like red apples too - delicious Braeburn, crunchy Cortland, the best apple in the world, the Braeburn/Cortland hybrid, Fuji, Gala, Pink Ladies...but they don't smell as good as the plain old Granny Smith I have sitting on my desk.

I took it from the cafeteria for a snack (someone paid for my lunch, so no, I wasn't fruit-napping), but it's going to be enjoyed just for its smell for a while before I partake of it. (I could go into gory details and describe how yummy its white flesh is but that sounds weird and I'm not a zombie) The green apple smell is one of my favorite smells, one of the few that I actually stop to smell. I don't really care about roses or pumpkin pie or cologne, but I delight in letting my nose discover the fresh greenness of a Granny Smith.

That is just to say that you should try smelling a green apple once in a while. It is calming.

Stu and I are watching our way through the Buffy seasons - someone gave me all seven seasons and we are in season 3 right now - just 2 1/2 more discs and we'll be watching season 4! I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Willow Rosenberg is my favorite character, followed closely by Angel and Spike. While I regret most of my highschool and college years (90% was a waste of time, emotion, money, and mental capacity), I like seeing what it was like in the 90's - laughing at their shallowness, the slang, and being sad when they lose their virginity. It pains me. It really causes a little depression in me...because I don't regret being a virgin at all. I wanted to keep sex for marriage and I've seen what happens when you don't.

I also know that Joss's characters all end up unhappy, and I think, subconsciously, everyone knows that part of the problem you have with relationships later are the ones that you got too far into in the past. Those parts of the show cause me pain, while I thank God that He helped me keep myself pure for marriage. It just reminds me that I've got regrets and mistakes too, no one is perfect, and that I'll be in the real world at some point with people who were like this in highschool - except none of them were zombies or demons or vampires or slayers [or I haven't met those people yet].

A story idea approached me a few days ago. We've been discussing things back and forth, back and forth, as the picture becomes clearer in my head. The Gentleman & the Lady are an amalgamation of my favorite fairytales and superhero stories. This new story seems to be an amalgamation of Buffy and Battlestar Galactica. It has opportunities for romance, comedy, action/adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery...it's interesting. It's slowly becoming less cloudy and more like a story I want to write. We'll have to see where it goes.

I've just started watching a new anime - Mushi-shi. It's based on a manga and there are only 26 episodes. I've watched episodes 2-4. Strange, but interesting. The main character, Ginko, is quite different from any of the other characters. There's also a live-action version but I don't think it's been sub-titled yet. Anyway - if you like anime, try going to Hulu and watching an episode of Mushi-shi. Kind of like...the Japanese version of X-Files. Kind of.

When I grow up I want to be a fashion designer...

So I've had an inordinate amount of fun creating these two outfits for tomorrow night's Runaway Runway show...I think I would love to do this as a real job. I've designed a couple outfits for myself, including the top that I have the materials for, but the dress we designed and constructed for Kirsten...well, I want a real-life version of it!

I will try and post pictures tomorrow...I was going to do that today but I forgot my camera and the cord that connects it to the 'netz. I'm not exactly crazy about my outfit that I'm modeling because I'm wearing it. I'm trying to lose weight but sometimes certain types of clothing just don't look good on someone who is naturally stocky. [Not calling myself fat - but I am stocky] But I think I'm going to like it more once I finish the skirt and try it on w/ the top. We'll see. I'm still excited about the runway!! :) There is something in me that's just dying to show off and be a ham. Not sure where that came from, exactly...*mystified*

Anyway - I hope that because of this fashion show and creating things for myself, I can begin to fashion things for other people - I told my sister I would design her wedding dress (whenever she gets engaged, haha - she's graduating high school this year and so far, no interest in anybody - at least, she hasn't mentioned it).

I think my love of fashion stemmed from creating clothes for my paper doll that Grandma Mac (Mom's mom - Mcmahan is their last name) made for me - she was an artist. I still have the paperdoll and most of the original outfits Grandma made - which far surpassed my own poor attempts at creating beautiful gowns. I'd like to get Charlotte (the paper doll) back out and see if I can come up with something better now that I know what I like.

I like: ruching, tucks, sashes, bows, accents, elegance, sophistication, haute-couture, embellishments, and other such things that spark interest in an outfit. I'd love to make beautiful gowns and cute clothes for everyday wear. I just think it would be a lot of fun. :)

We'll see...I've got a summer ahead of me full of building dollhouses, designing and constructing clothes, playing harp, helping w/ a D&D campaign and writing stories...oh...and working. I s'pose. :P

Anyway...here's hoping I get to work at something cool this fall instead of working somewhere that my talents go unused. *shudder* Awful thought. :P

Wish me luck on the Runway!!!

Runaway Runway - FRIDAY!

Hey everybody!

Ruth and I are feverishly working on our two dresses which will be modeled by Kirsten and myself at the Runaway Runway Recycled Fashion Show on Friday! The show starts at 6 and it's $10 for standing room, $20 for a seat, and $5 at the door for students. There is a dance group, a percussionist group, and Alternacirque, who are all performing before the show. The MC is Lady Chablis from Savannah...I'm a little concerned (L.C. is a transvestite drag queen)...:/ BUT I am excited about showing off our dresses on the runway! We got to practice our "walk" down the runway yesterday and, I have to say, it's a lot of fun. I'm practicing down our hallway and laughing to myself...but really, I've secretly yearned to walk down a runway for a while now, although I don't know why. :P I'm certainly not the model type but there is something in it that comes close to acting and I miss acting.

Our gowns were created from trashbags, tissue paper, ribbon, and peacock feathers. I'll take pictures once we get into our dresses...or, you can come see me! The event is at 701 Whaley Street. Wish us luck! Hopefully one of us wins a prize...:)

Blah, Blah, Blah

Hey everybody -

Wow. I didn't realize how much I needed to spout until I started writing my dad, who never writes...I wrote quite a novella!!! I've been reading peoples' blogs for hours (mostly Xanga top blogs which I just read b/c I'm curious about the titles) and talking [or wanting to talk] Stu's ears off and then writing my dollhouse friends - words, words, words, just coming out! I think it's b/c I haven't been able to hang out w/ friends lately, it's been all school and work for a while so there hasn't been time to blab! But I am full of words, they're jumping out of my mouth left and right - books, movies, music, hobbies, etc., etc., just ready to be discussed.

I better stop now before I get carried away. BUT if you want to have a conversation about anything...let me know!

Another Blog?!?!

Yes, yes, yes...BUT I did delete 3 old ones...so I'm down from six blogs to 3. Besides, each one has a purpose. The Darkest Night is for our D&D group. So I am not even the real author of that one - I just post on it occasionally. This one is for my private life and this new one I started up is strictly for business purposes - as a harpist.

I never thought I'd be a professional musician and I sincerely hope that's NOT where I'm headed. I've never wanted the musician's life. Never. I rebelled against it every time it was pushed on me. I don't like competing, performing alone, or hanging out with musical snobs. The only part I like about being "professional" is that I like the recording process. And I've only done that once.

I just finished my business card design so I thought today I would work on my website. You can visit it at katemcone.wordpress.com and leave suggestions/comments/etc. :)

Have a lovely evening, dahlings.

Harpo Speaks! And Other Springtime Fun

I'm re-reading "Harpo Speaks!" about Adolph/Arthur "Harpo" Marx, written by him and another fellow (Harpo never finished 2nd grade). Whenever I think about fame and how it affects people, and wonder if we'll ever get out of debt and live to be able to touch people with our art, I think of Harpo.

"Harpo" Marx, born Adolph (changed to Arthur) Marx, was the 2nd of five boys, a short, Jewish 3rd generation immigrant from the Alsace-Lorraine province. He never finished 2nd grade but he loved to read, paint, act, and play any sort of game including croquet, bridge, poker, and billiards. He and his brothers were shoved into show business by their mother, but found to their astonishment that they liked it. They later appeared in several movies which were comprised of some of their old vaudeville acts. They traveled vaudeville and theatre circuits for over 15 years before making it big on Broadway. "Harpo" married late in life and stayed married to his dearest love Susan for the rest of his life. They adopted four children, one of whom went to Julliard. He was known by all as the sweetest, happiest person imaginable.

He went through the Roaring 20's, the Great Depression, and died in 1964. Everybody who met him loved him. I'm sad I never got to meet him.

I hope that whatever happens, whether fame finds us or not, that I'll still be who I am on the inside - a crazy hobbyist who just wants to stay home and play dollhouse. :)

In other news, I created my 2nd batch of business cards...I had business cards way back when but I ran out and hadn't made any since. Stu's mom had a stack of printable business cards so I've played around for a few hours with a design and finally have decided that I like what I've got. Plain and simple, black and white, but it'll look professional and still be me. I'm hoping to get some cards out to people this summer so I can play weddings and in restaurants and maybe, if I'm lucky, in a musical.

My very favorite gig I've ever had was one I wasn't paid for. During my senior year in high school, a church called to ask if I wanted to be a part of their production of The Fantastiks. I didn't know much about it but I love musicals so I said alright. It is one of my favorite musicals now and I even have a recording of the original cast (Jerry Orbach made his debut w/ The Fantastiks). We rehearsed for weeks and I just fell in love with the music. We had a great set of musicians and actors, and these Episcopalians were hilarious! I recall them quite fondly. One of the few bright spots in my horrid senior year. :P Performing in that musical with three other musicians, playing live music and accompanying the actors and actresses...was magical. It was absolutely fabulous and I wish there was another production close by so I could play it again.

Anyway...wow that was a lot of harp stuff. I've got a wedding June 6 and possibly one in November and one in December. We'll see. 2 paid weddings plus a friend's wedding in Massachusetts that I might be able to get to...if I take my little harp. :)

Alright...off to doing something else more productive, I hope...like writing and outlining for The Gentleman & The Lady. Somehow I don't feel like listening to Ethics lectures or studying for my math exam...

Receipts --> Recipes

Did you know that recipes used to be called receipts? I don't know why and I'm not sure why the change came about. Just some interesting trivia.

I was writing recipes down last night...Stu's mom kindly offered to let me have her cookbooks for a while to get some new ideas (I'm always wanting new ideas for meals) and I love just thumbing through old cookbooks. Stu's mom, like me, keeps almost everything, so she has this book of old newspapers, just the recipe sections. There's a recipe for "Soda Pop BBQ Chicken," which I'm guessing is like "Drunk Chicken," which is pouring a can of beer over the chicken while it grills. (It is so tasty). Anyway, just thought it would be fun to share some recipes for those of you who like to cook/bake/make yummy things.

Here are 2 that I am dying to try:

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 8oz. package cream cheese - room temperature
1 c. margarine - room temperature
1/2 c. butter - room temperature
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
3 c. cake flour
2 tsp. vanilla (or 1 tsp. vanilla & 1 tsp. lemon extract)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease/flour a 12 c. Bundt pan. Beat cream cheese, margarine, butter, and sugar until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time alternately w/ flour. Blend in vanilla. Pour into pan. Bake 30 minutes and then reduce oven temp. to 325 and bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean (about 45 min.). Let cool.

Doesn't that sound SCRUMPTIOUS???

Here's another:

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. 10X sugar (what is 10X sugar, does anyone know??)
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 c. cocoa

Directions:

Cream shortening and butter, then gradually beat in rest of ingredients. (Add a little more milk if the icing seems too thick.)

Yum. Yum. Yum. That's all I have to say.

I was copying down these recipes last night on little notecards and wondering if my daughters/granddaughters will use these someday? Will these be kept in the family, added to, changed over the years and will they trace them back to me? (Pretty vain, aren't I?) Will they like my handwriting? :P That's what I'm really worried about. JUST KIDDING.

Anyway...Have a lovely Easter, everyone!

Just a Little Randomness

Song of the Day:

Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park

"And the shadow of the day/will embrace the world in grey/and the sun will set for you..."

Beautiful song. Inspiration for part of Rapunzel's story in The Gentleman & the Lady.

I'm re-reading The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsly, which is absolutely marvelous. If you can get your hands on a copy (provided you like old legends, coming of age stories, mysteries, or romance), I'd highly suggest reading it.

Well, my dollhouse hasn't come yet (I ordered it on April Fool's!), shouldn't it be here by now??? It shipped from Atlanta so it shouldn't take two weeks...:) I'm so impatient.

I'm watching X-Files with Stu now, since Wal-Mart has the seasons for $20. We picked up the first one and we'll probably pick up seasons 2 & 3 when I get my next paycheck. I love watching TV shows. Not because I like to veg, but...I don't know, the area of television fascinates me, especially w/ TV shows. I think I'd like to act on a long-running TV show...the only downside would be that I couldn't BEAR to say goodbye after x number of years. :/ Too sad!

I keep adding stuff to design to the shirt I'm going to make for myself...I need to just figure out a pattern and start making it but we're hardly home w/ enough time to do that...we'll see if I get some time Friday to work on it.

I'll post pictures up of all the projects I'm doing at some point. :) Just for kicks.

Drunk Duck Designs and other Strange Things in My Head

While designing a top for myself last night, I came up with a design company: Drunk Duck Designs. I know, I know - nobody would ever really consider it, the name is ridiculous. But I had just drawn this wobbly duck and it was really funny to me for some reason. I suppose it was quite late. Anyway, that got me to thinking about designs and the recycled-materials fashion show my friends and I are entering and about how I would like to design my own clothes. I sketched out a few more outfits for myself and then proceeded to Wal-Mart where I spent a good $25 on materials. Sigh. Hobbies are too expensive.

I bought a beautiful black and grey (I CAN'T get away from black) swirl print, green bead fringe, a black see-through fabric for the off-the-shoulder sleeves, and a zipper. Since my sewing machine isn't working I'm going to attempt some of this by hand but hopefully I'll figure out how to wind a bobbin and sew what I need to sew quickly instead of spending 3 months on a shirt.

I can see the shirt in my head. It is elegant, graceful, with a bit of pizazz. I know what earrings, shoes and purse I'll wear with it. I might make it into a knee-length dress, or wear it with my black pants. Not quite sure yet.

I wanted a shirt that would go with my new 2-length skirt from Goodwill but I fell in love with this fabric which just won't match the skirt. Sigh. We'll have to try again and see if I can find a shirt at good will.

I still want outfits in orange, pink, green, brown, grey, cream, and purple. I just haven't found anything at the thrift stores I've been to recently. We'll have to see if Mom and I can find some bargains when she gets here.

This doesn't mean I've forgotten about my dollhouse. I'm just waiting to figure out what I need for the rest of the dollhouse - I need grout, paint, more craft sticks (blast those craft sticks), tile...and then I've got my new one coming in the mail. The Greenleaf Glencroft, if you care to search for it. It's a darling of a house, I'm quite excited. The only other kit I want is the Greenleaf Vineyard Cottage, which has gothic architecture...fabulous. I do want to do things for other people in between all these, including a dollhouse for my sister, who is in raptures over mine. :)

I keep thinking of things for The Gentleman & the Lady, so that's a good sign I'll be writing some this summer. Music from Linkin Park, Skillet, and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is helping me think and plan out the timeline for this/these story/stories. So far, my characters' names are: The Gentleman, The Lady/Delores, Jonah, Noah, Gabriel, Rapunzel/Alexandra, Wendy, The Mask/Peter, and Shadow. They all have outlined backgrounds and are interacting with each other now, except for Shadow, I don't know how she comes in yet. This world is a strange one. It's a mixture of Bible stories, fairy tales, sci-fi, futuristic settings and maybe some fantasy thrown in for good measure. Comprised from all the types of books I loved to read as a kid. :)

I'm going to try my hand at making chocolate Buttercream frosting this week. Stu's comment: "MAKE IT RIGHT NOW!" That boy loves chocolate more than I do. :p

Have a good week, everyone.

Part of Your World

Weddings always make me have weird thoughts. They're always nice. But because I get bored with the pomp and circumstance, I think about things and observe people and have an interesting time considering other things besides matrimony.

I was watching the rehearsal for the wedding this weekend and thought about the cookie cutter lives most of the people seemed to lead. They were all members of a prosperous Baptist church; They all had at least some money; and all the women had the Southern, tanned, almost-tailored outfit look.

The tweenies that were in the youth choir were separated into two cliques, one led by a slim blonde (comprised of 2 more slim girls) and the other made up of two heavier brunettes. There was a tall, thin blonde boy (the only one in the choir) and he decided to sit between the two cliques and attend to one of the heavier brunettes, who wasn't really heavy, she was just already curvy and stocky. Seeing the tweens up there made me so glad I was over that stage before I had time to do something stupid. I never really was a tween, being a loner until the age of 13.

I panic when I think of having to be someone who grew up in a school setting, dated, went to college, graduated, got married, settled down, had kids, and was like everyone else. I just...can't stand the thought of being normal. Ordinary. Boring.

I know it's ridiculous - no one of us is alike, we all have our own joys and sorrows and all are at least a bit different from the rest...but it seems like there are so many who just grow up and leave their dreams behind.

Although I never liked Disney's "The Little Mermaid" (the witch is MUCH too scary for me), I have always identified with Ariel when she sings the song "Part of Your World." Even at the age of six, I knew that longing. I longed for something different, something more real than the cookie cutters we're shoved into by society. I have always tried to be different.

I shudder to think that people in the cookie cutter lives don't realize what they're missing. Where is the beauty of magic, of nature, of the imagination? Where is art, truth, wonder? People just grow up and settle.

I am re-discovering my wonder and embracing it. I won't care if people think I'm weird for loving the oddities in life. I just...want a real experience out of life. I want to be on a deeper level. I want to go through the Shadow Lands, to know they are just shadows, and reach the other, real side.

Anyway...that's the kind of stuff I think about at wedding rehearsals. I guess they're pretty boring.

I did think of some stuff to put into my "Gentleman & the Lady" story and I am pleased with how it's progressing. Things are falling into place and I'm discovering loads about how the universe is and what the characters will do...and, I am sad to say, how some of them die. It's really tragic, but I hope it's beautiful too. I'm going to start work on the first part of the story this summer. Although I want it to be an animated film or live-action TV show, I'm going to write it as a series of novels first because it will be hard to market this kind of story, I think.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend and I am going to attempt to relax this week. Attempt. I've got some cool projects to start working on (including a shirt I designed for myself!) so...I'll have something to do.

Love to all.

Impatience

Here I sit...my mind whirling along, my body restless, having to wait...

It's a beautiful day outside. I wish I could sit outside and read a book, write a poem, or paint a picture. I love being outside when it's cool and breezy.

My house is cleaner than it has been in weeks - Stu and I had to clean up because of a bride that wanted to come visit and listen to some harp music. I love having a clean house. It's as though this house speaks about me and I don't want to be a mess. I want things to be open, clean, inviting. I want people to come over and talk with me.

I've enjoyed playing harp for the past few days. Caspian's vibrant tones and warm voice have urged me to write something of my own again. Perhaps next week, which will be slower than this one...

I cooked some rice, beef, and peas and mixed them with some seasoning salt for my lunch. Tasty.

Come on, Mr. UPS Man! I want my strings!!

We can't leave for the rehearsal dinner until the strings get here. They are in Columbia, somewhere, in the back of the truck, waiting to be released and strung on a harp so that I might pluck music out of them.

I have to wait until they get here...

Restless. Very Restless. I made the music list for my iPod already. I folded the clothes. I made a packing list. I made lunch. I went to class.

I need a shower. To change into something presentable for tonight. I need to actually pack. But I have to wait...

Waiting. Humans hate waiting. No one that I know of enjoys waiting for something. I don't MIND waiting on some things - wait to see what my Christmas presents are, wait in line to buy food, wait in the airport for friends arriving. We want things now.

I ordered another dollhouse kit 2 days ago. When will it get here? I calculate the number of days that it will take for the kit (be careful, UPS man) to get here from Georgia. 3 days? a week? Not longer, please. And where is the book I ordered a week and a half ago? Shouldn't it be here by now?

Trivial.

When there is so much beauty right outside the door...

So I sit. Wait. Enjoy the beauty.

The week is drawing to a close and next week promises to be restful. I plan to soak up all the beauty I can.