Ren Fest - photo heavy. really heavy

I love going to KC Ren Fest.  we go every year.  it's amazing.  we have such a good time.

here are a couple pictures from this year so far.

mad jack and pumpkin seeds

aunt jo

shy bam and mommy

mad jack getting ready to attack

mad jack and barbossa

the first mermaid

second mermaid

third mermaid in water

Knottical Vessels.  pirate central.  where we all hang out when we're there

camera shy Jenna is camera shy

Barbossa and 10

Barbossa and 10, again.

Bam took this picture.  

also took this picture of daddy

 

hanging out

jumping around

it was highland games weekend.  yummy.

Rumplestiltskin

more Knottical Vessles

the Horn Guy

awesome little scottsman

Bam and Lois

ice cream cookie

is a little messy

but delish.

Lizzard and Lois

Lois and Daddy

awwwww

best.  onesie.  ever

bam started joining random groups of people to chat

playing with new friends

more friends

so cute

"mommy, i'm happy"

he kept trying to "work" at Uncle Wildman's shop

these guys were so awesome with Bam.  

they were amazing

even sword fought

all his new friends

Capt'n Jack Marrow

Mad Jack and Capt'n Jack

filled with attitude ;)

Uncle Wildman

the Jester

the monster cannibal spider

the other monster spider.  i thought it was going to kill me

Uncle Jeremy and Mad Jack

shy Jenna is still shy

fire dancers

really awesome fire dancing

the amazing Goldtooth pottery, giving Bam a tattoo

Pirate Phil

Joe

"back stage" with some of the actors

my feet by the end of the day.  i think i need a pedicure.

Beer and Yoga

my yoga practice has been suffering.  like painful, teary suffering.  but i bought a headband today to keep my frizzy, humidity driven hair out of my face, and once i got my hair out of my eyes, i saw my yoga mat in the corner.  it looked so sad that i just had to do a sun salutation.

ouch.

but that sun salutation turned into another.  and tree pose.  then triangle.  another sun salutation with cat/cow thrown in.  and child pose.  table top.  lying twist.  and shavasana.  oh how i love shavasana.  it's kinda fun to feel every vertebrae click into place.  makes ya feel alive.  

and i now realize just how much i missed my yoga practice.  and how much i need it.  my (not inconsiderable) muscles just FEEL better when they are stretched.  i feel more centered.  more like myself.  my awesome, awesome self.

so i've made a deal with my awesome, awesome self.  

a little back story here.....  i love pumpkin beer.  ok, i'll be honest, i love pumpkin ANYTHING!  but i especially love pumpkin beer.  and now that it's available (damn seasonal beers, i curse you.  a pox on your family) i've started stocking up.  but i'm not going to let myself have one until i've done at least a sun salutation, a balance, an inversion, and a twist pose.  this way i can give myself a reward until the act of the yoga becomes a habit, rather than an inconvenience.  so send good yoga thoughts.

and send beer.  

lots and lots of beer.  

Refashioned

As long as I'm making an effort to dress nicer and show off my awesomeness, I've got a little confession. I do, sometimes, like ..... frill.  I don't have a problem with pink.  I like lace, especially vintage lace, I can spend SO MUCH MONEY on vintage lace. You have no idea. I have a nice stock pile of vintage lace, and have been looking for new ways to use it.  I'm planning a lovely pencil skirt with a lace ruffle godet. I'm excited.

And I decided to refashion a tank top with a little lace.  Think I'll wear it to work tomorrow.

Its about style, not swag

I doodle whilst at work, between phone calls.  Well, doodle and watch movies. Occasionally there is a NCIS marathon.  Or maybe the programming on the History Channel or Discovery doesn't actually suck for once. But a lot of it is doodles. And today I doodled a cute little late 40's pencil skirted suit. I think I'm going to make it. Not that I have anywhere to wear it.  Except possibly grocery shopping, but that's something else entirely. (Seriously, why don't people dress up anymore?? I mean, I love me some comfy clothes, but why does going to shopping in your pj's seem like a good idea??)

Well fitting clothing is something that's not NEW to me, just not something I really cared about. Any ole pair of jeans that can stay up without bursting off... done. T-shirts, always the acceptable option. Sneakers always fit. But if I'm really going to be true to my authentic self (sorry, finished reading Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling, and while I didn't really LOVE of, its stuck in my head), I should project myself more.  Fitted clothing makes a person more confident. Not that j have a problem with that of course, but even I have days when my coyly awesome self esteem cracks a bit and I'm feeling schluby. And besides, as much as it may be non-feminist of me to say, every once on a while, I could use a couple of wolf whistles.

I don't think I'm going to turn into Kym KarCrapian anytime soon, (like I said, too much self esteem) but don't see the harm in tarting myself up a bit. I'm not going to go overboard, I don't even have a closet so I'd have nowhere to put oodles of clothes.  But a couple of really nice pieces, exquisite construction, timeless fabrics.... I can't loose. So this weekend I will window shop for some awesome fabrics and begin patterning.

National Pagan Coming Out Day

Today is NPCOD. And i just didn't make a big deal about it this year. Not that I don't think its important to show support for those who are thinking of coming out of the broom closet, but because I don't think there is a single person that I know that doesn't understand that I am a Pagan.  I'm as out as you can be without just going up to strangers and asking if they've heard the word of Odin.  And i won't do that because its creepy.  My multiple Christian friends are as aware of my Heathen faith as I am of theirs.  And to their credit not even one of them has tried to 'convert' me. Most people I know are mostly kind and tolerant.  Those that are not are not among my friends. 

But more than that, I think the reason I'm not pushing the NPCOD banner is because what others think of my faith is ....  well, meaningless really.  It one of many aspects of my life, and to be honest, worrying about what others tho of me just isn't really on my radar. I have other things to occupy my mind.  Children, mortgage, police chases careening trough my house. (No I'm still not reach to let that go)  I love who and what I am.  And I'm sure my gods love me too.

And that's all that really matters.