A Faire Sunday in the Kingdom

Mark dragged my less than thrilled butt to a Renaissance Faire in Kingston, NH on Sunday. (He softened me up by taking us to Lamie's Tavern up in Hampton first for their incredible Sunday brunch. THAT's a do-over. The selection was giganimuss and everything was yummy.)

But yes, the Faire. About a dozen vendors selling ersatsz medieval garb, weapons, instruments, jewelry, incense. And of course, the smoked turkey legs, chili in a bread bowl, and cheese fries that had their roots in medieval cookery.

But it was a beautiful day, despite the maids and merry men making much of their most merry merriment. Pumpkin throwing contests. Belly dancers (had to wipe the drool off Mark's chin).

A few high points - I did find a weaver and a spinner! The spinner has a business - she turns dog hair into yarn. I think someone in the ManchVegas group was looking for someone who did that, so SCORE. And the loom lady was very nice.

Also had yummy chocolate ice cream in a handmade sugar cone. It was still warm off the griddle.

But don't make me go back again - please? It was a little too much like a Star Trek convention for me. Not that I am knocking Star Trek. But there is very little I would immerse myself in as deep as these folks do.

Did You See It???

Copied it from Ericka's blog, cuz she told me to, so blame her!

SUPPOSEDLY if you’ve seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste this as a note. Then, put x’s next to the films you’ve seen, add them up.

Have fun! (yeah, sounds like a HOOT.)

(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
( )Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
( ) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
( X) Blazing Saddles
( X) Airplane

Total= 6

(X) The Princess Bride
(x) AnchorMan
( )Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( ) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
( ) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total so far: 9

(x) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(X) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp

Total so far: 14

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
(X ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
( ) Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 20

(X) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
(X) White Chicks
(X) Butterfly Effect
(X) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
( ) Robots

Total so far: 26

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
(X ) Deep Impact
(X) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
(X) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
(X) KING KONG

Total so far: 34

( ) A Cinderella Story
(X) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( )Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
( ) Flubber

Total so far: 35

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
(X) Hellboy
(X)Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 38

(X) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chuck
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
(X) Just Married
( ) Gothika
(X) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask

Total so far: 44

( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Sleven
(X) Ocean’s Eleven
(X ) Ocean’s Twelve
(X) Bourne Identity
( ) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled
(X ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
() The Fog
(X) Ice Age
(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George

Total so far: 51

(X) Independence Day
(X) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
(X) Christine
() ET
(X) Children of the Corn
() My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 56

( ) Best Bet
( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She’s All That
(X) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
(X) The Terminator 2
(X) The Terminator 3

Total so far: 63

(X) X-Men
(X ) X-2
(X) X-3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
(X) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
( ) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
() The Skulls
(X) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
() The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2

Total so far: 74

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
(X) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(X) The 40-year-old Virgin

Total so far: 76

( ) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
( ) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
( ) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 79

( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
(X) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X

Total so Far: 81

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
( ) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard

Total so far: 83

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(X ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(X) Waterworld

Total so far: 87

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
(X) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness

Total so far: 90

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor

Total so far: 96

(x) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix Reloaded
( ) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
(x) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
(X) Hannibal

Total: 100

Step Four: A Fearless Inventory

This step requires that I make a searching and fearless inventory. Too bad I don't keep my receipts. But, my Ravelry stash is a decent compromise.

Step Three: OK, let's skip it...

Step three of the typical 12 step program doesn't really apply. So we'll move on....

(I am using this link, by the way, for the steps. Plus some artistic license and interpretation.)

Nope, not a Step - just CroptoberFest 2007

Every year, I devote at least one whole day to scrapbooking. It doesn't sound like much, and it isn't. But you've seen my craproom - who can scrap in there? And my husband, rightfully, has a problem with me using the entire dining room table to scrapbook when I have a craproom. Sort of a Catch-22.

Anyway, my Creative Memories consultant Melissa holds CroptoberFest in a big church function hall in Kingston, from 10:00 am to 8:00, more or less. We bring pot luck nummies, she provides dinner and more nummies, and we get big tables to work at. Plus, we can shop. What's not to love?

As usual, my buddy ole' pal Lisa joined me there - she has the same problem finding the time to scrapbook, so this event is SET IN STONE every year!

Step Two: Concede to a Higher Power

Step Two: I believe that a Power greater than me can help me return to sanity.

What power?





Organization, in the guise of Ravelry.





I have begun to post my stash, while inventorying and finishing the stash-to-tubs-effort.





Check it out, my Ravelry name is lmardennh.

Update: And I am in the service of another deity of organization - EBay. I am auctioning items on EBay, starting with my cookbooks. EBay ID is lkin, if you are curious.

Denial - It's not just a river in Egypt

I have to get this off my chest.

Hello - my name is Laurin - and I am a crapoholic.

I don't know how it got this bad, but the first step to recovery is to admit there is a problem.

Step One: I admit I am powerless over crafting and all the accoutrements that go with it - that my creative life has become unmanageable.

Need to see the scope of my depravity? The shame? Read on, and judge not, lest ye be judged.

Before you even walk into my crap-room, and I will be calling it that until I can actually use it, you can tell there is a problem. And your worst fears are confirmed...

My sewing machine is somewhere under the desk. The desk is my sewing station. Yeah, I know.

I have attempted some organization - the tubs on the shelves are some of my stash, organized by fiber. I gave up before it was all done.

The cardboard box? That's my Kromski rigid heddle 32" loom. Isn't it purty?

It didn't happen overnight. But ten years of scrapbooking and now knitting, and soon to be weaving - I have accumulated a lot of stuff. I would blame the enablers who have detected my weaknesses, but that would be cowardly - so Gina, you are off the hook.

Next posting, Step Two.

The Happy Couple

Are they twitterpated, or what?

Go - in' to the Chap - el......

Early Saturday, Mark and I headed up to Harpswell, ME for Ericka and Chris' wedding. The weather was cold and rainy - didn't bode well for the ceremony, but by the time we got there, the sun was coming out, and it had warmed up a bit.

The church was small, simple, no pretense - perfect. Chris and Ericka were so twitterpatedly cute I couldn't catch my breath - she looked stunning in her red and white gown. And Chris cleaned up right nice! Donna was BEE-yootiful in her beige beaded gown. Hell, everyone was gorgeous.

The reception was at a community center in Cundy's Harbor. Yummy food, good tunes, great WHOOPIE PIE CAKE!!! Cute favors - the rubber duckies were adorable, and offered much amusement during the reception. I think Lora drowned hers. Others were caught on film performing lascivious acts.

We took Monday off, so we could take our time getting home after staying overnight at the Fairfield (Marriott) in Brunswick. Sunday night, we had dinner at the Sea Dog Brewery. Nice place, excellent crabcakes.

Before heading south, I made Mark take me to Halcyon Yarn in Bath. SO GLAD we went. We finally got there after depending far too much on the GPS - we call her Sally, and she is demented. But we got there just as they opened Monday morning. They still have lots of stash bags left from their Open House sale, so I picked up two, plus a cone of cotton for the warp for my loom. No, it's not out of the box yet, but the time is coming. SOON.

Gotta go back there when there is more time. Bath seems like a cool place to wander.

Playing Catch Up, as Usual.

Going to a wedding tomorrow, two knitting buddies are getting hitched in Maine. Looking forward to an overnight - staying at a Marriott in Brunswick / Freeport.

Found an awesome gift to add to the gift I already had for them. Can't wait to see them all purtied up!