Carnage, Celts, and Taylor Swift

I’ve made a deal with myself. I will not longer be shocked when I decide to do another of Mara’s writing challenges. I blame the pictures. Those darned, story-sparking pictures.

I walked away from this, fully satisfied not to have an idea for a story in my head right away. Yes, it’s a marvelous picture, but without an immediate, “OH I know what’s going on and who he is and what’s up with his past and I gotta right it yaaay!” I figured I’d take a break from these.

The next day I was riding home in the car with Taylor Swift’s new album playing on loop. (Just so you know, my brother was in the front passenger seat and thus in control of the music.) The Story of Us was playing a line that goes, “I’ve never heard silence quite this loud.” And the story hit me like a ton of bricks wrapped up in paper and stuck with pens. Soooo… I had to.

The other song that I deliberately played which helped me write it was Heartland. In case that matters to you.

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Mandor in the Water ??

I am… normal, yes!?

I tried stepping out of my comfort zone and writing darker things about warring clans and plagues. I didn’t get very far before it turned into a semi-romance. There be carnage. I’m not denying the carnage factor. But it’s not quite as… gruesome as I’d imagined. Then again I only had a week, I was taken down with work, sickness, and other writings and what you see is something of a miracle in itself.

The rest is in the Author’s Note.

~B~

P.S. I want to write more of Olderic and Fianait. O.O

The Last Balloon

I can’t believe I did this again. I told myself that Red was a one time one-shot and I wasn’t going to get roped into these writing challenges again. But then Mara posts such lovely pictures that ideas pop into my head and fly out of my fingers almost before I realize I’m trapped.

So I wrote.

This one came easily. I don’t remember the last time something came to me so easily. Okay, it was Red. Why are these 1,000 minimum word count one-shots so easy!? Is it the pictures? Is it me? Am I actually learning how to let the words flow? That would be shocking.

Whatever it is, it produced this…

The Last Balloon

The title isn’t fancy, but once again, it stuck.

And here is the picture:

Do not leave me alone

And the contest page:

Be Mine

Spring Collection – Part 1

I was going to make one big post of my new wardrobe pieces after I wore them all but I’m too excited to wait!! Also, it appears I bought even more clothes and accessories than I thought and I don’t want to try cramming a bazillion pictures into one post. Oooh well. Try to be disappointed. ;P

You will learn very quickly that I name my clothes. It makes it easier for me to find things. “Mum, where’s my Dr. Seuss sweater?” “Heey! What is my Naboo skirt doing on the floor?” “Should I wear Sparkly Present Dress tonight?” Whether anyone else knows what I’m talking about is irrelevant.

But since you’re all reading my blog, I think it’s only fair to explain the names of these outfits. Since you’re here.

This first one was hard to decide on. Mum’s first impression of me was, “You look like a professional.” I snorted with, “Do I at least look like an expensive professional?” She said that’s not what she meant. But I felt like a princess. One of those sophisticated modern day princesses, like… I’m going to say it again… Kate Middleton. I know she’s not a princess yet… or is she? But that’s beside the point. The point is, the name is for that. And the fact I wore it for Sunday morning service.

The second one is because I felt like a country singer, and I’m fairly in love with The JaneDear Girls Wildflower song. (Not as much in love with the video, except for the guys washing the truck *coughs*) But mixed with that was a feeling of a 30′s woman, which made me think of WWII which made me think of writing letters which made me think of Dear John*, all in a very short flicker of a thought. So it just made sense.

Middleton Morning

It is not easy to get pictures of a fluttery white blouse in bright sunlight. Just so you know.

This was purely to make me more likable. The age old trick of posing with a child.

My ring. Given to me by my brother for my 18th.

Dear Jane Girl

I just liked this one.

And special for Mara, my glowing-eyed hypnotic spell-casting owl earrings which I loooove. <3

*Dear John was a useless movie with a horrible ending that I did not like. Apparently, I didn’t take the actual TITLE into account when I started watching it.

There’s a lot more, but you’ll have to wait until I wear them. (*coughs*I mean you, Mara. )

~B~

Wardrobe Wishes

This post was started before I went thrift store shopping and spent nearly $80 on myself in one place. That is the most money I have ever spent in one shopping trip. Ever.

But anyway, since I probably won’t get pictures of all my amazing new finds for a while as I would like to wear them first, I thought I might as well put this up now.

By the way, I’m not one to follow fashion trends because they’re “in” or what everyone else is wearing. If I see something I like, I’ll imitate the look. So if plaid prints aren’t necessarily fashion forward for the spring season, I’m not going to be held back from wearing them. Just a head’s up. Now you know.

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My threefold wish for my spring closet is to have more color, (yay floral!) more versatile accessories (mostly non-dangling earrings I can wear to work) and clothes that help me look my age. That means finding stuff that fits, yes.

Pleasing Patterns

I do love plaid and floral patterns, but both have to be done just so. For plaid, form fitting, feminine colors and a unique way of wearing it. The dark red with jeans… not my favorite. But these could be my favorite!

Ignoring the bow, because that would not help me look my age.

I love the shape of the sleeves!

Another trick I figured out is the sleeves can’t be too long or the plaid starts to look manleh.

The boots are hideous, but somehow I can see myself wearing that top.

And floral prints are tricky, too. If the pattern’s too big, it looks like wallpaper. If the pattern’s too small it becomes cheap redneck sleeze.

But these ones are quite lovey, I think…

 

I absolutely love this. And look! KITTTYYYYY!!!

And probably my favorite of all the floral prints, although it could just be the way it’s worn and the amazing photography.

Fashion Savvy Folk

I have a confession to make… I stalk Kate Middleton on Google images. She’s just so sophisticated and lovely! You must click on the image below (which I nabbed from brunch at saks) and read this other blogger’s thoughts on Kate’s fashion sense, as well as see all the images she’s collected of her outfits. Because I couldn’t have said better what she already said.

I know this is supposed to be for spring, and I picked the picture of the coats, but look at that gorgeous blue in the middle! That’s quite springy, I think!

Emmy Rossum is prettiness. If you know me at all, you know I think she’s the prettiest person alive. Look how she makes a pair of jeans and a top look like the most fabulous outfit ever. You can roll over the image… if you want.

Zooey, Zooey… I love your clothes and quirkiness. You are the second prettiest person alive.

If I thought I could get away with it, I’d so do those shorts.

I would find some excuse to wear that paper petal dress. I totally would.

Taylor Swift is the prettiest blonde.  Her hair is quite enviable and I find I very much like her classy country style.

I found a site that’s pretty wild. It’s called Dress Like Taylor, and it shows you how to recreate her outfits. Included are even hair and makeup tutorials. Woohoo!

I picked some of my favorite outfits of hers.

 

A Few Things…

Here’s some stuff I found on my own and just like to look at. Guaranteed, the majority of these finds are Anthropologie. If I was a millionaire, almost my whole closet would be from that store. The rest would be thrift store finds.

Sunshiny

I love yellow. So it’s a good thing my complexion allows me to wear it.

Accessories, Please

I need some good hats.

And other nice hair thingies.

When at last I’ve worn or captured all the things I bought, you will see how I fared with my eighty dollar budget.

~B~

Sweet Talkin Saturday: Babe

Whoa, one of these posts! Haven’t seen one in a while, have yuh? I just found this in the 20+ drafts I have saved and decided to finish it for posting. Huzzah!

Allow me to express me feelings on this epithet “babe” with a comment in like manner:

Me no likey.

Babe is a pig. One who I was never very fond of. I like pigs on my plate. That is where a pig shines. In fact, bacon-lips would be a better nickname than babe. Heheh.

I’m getting sidetracked. Happens to me often.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the origins of this word and its various uses. Behold my lazy copy and paste skills. Ripped out of the Online Etymology Dictionary, otherwise known as One of Beth’s Best Friends. Hey, I’m letting you be lazy, too! You don’t even have to click the link; just read the stuff here!

-babe

late 14c., short for baban (early 13c.), which probably is imitative of baby talk (cf. babble), however in many languages the cognate word means “old woman” (cf. Rus. babushka “grandmother,” from baba “peasant woman”).

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Hooow attractive. Can you blame me for not liking it? And yes, actually, I’d prefer babushka! In fact, I enjoy being called babushka as I have by friends!

-x-

Now mostly superseded by its dim. form baby. Used figuratively for “a childish person” from 1520s. Meaning “attractive young woman” is 1915, college slang; related babelicious first recorded 1991.

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Aha! See?? College slang! If “babe” still meant “child-person” it would be fine. I do have a fondness for archaic definitions. (Don’t get me started on the word “awesome”) But after the Victorian Era… I mean, the world went downhill from there! Including our word usage and meanings. Also, I don’t see that this word takes much creativity. It’s just… babe. It sounds silly. *says it* Babe.

*snork* I’d use it only if I didn’t want to be taken seriously. It kind of comes across as cocky. To me it says, “I see you as someone who I can be condescending to without really deserving the pride I place in myself.” Like those guys who over compensate because they have no virtues to speak for them.

Using it like “she’s a babe” also gets under my skin. Why can’t she be a “lovely girl” instead? “Just a lovely, average girl” like Jimmy Stewart says in Shop Around the Corner.

But that’s my opinion. I hear babe from a lot of couples and they’re obviously not offended by each other. …or aaare they? Babe.

*sigh* I’ve used that word too much in this post now. I need to go write something about little linnets and sweetlings. Those words make me happy.

~B~