New Site

All future posting can now be found HERE on my new site.

Hands On: A Long Time Coming

Well, it has been a while.

It's taken a name change, a reversion of rights and about six months of revisions (granted I could have been done with this a lot sooner, but I have been focusing on work life outside of writing because that is my reality right now.)

But the re-release of Hands On is coming.

In just a few short weeks!

The story has been revised with over four thousand words added.

Keep an eye out for this... and I will posting more about this on my new site soon!

Botanical Gardens & Blackberries

The other day I had a day off and wanted to do something instead if lounge around the house. I had an idea in mind but it went out the window when I saw the sign and wound up at the botanical gardens. 

And there just happened to be a farm 5 minutes down the road!

I love spontaneous adventures. 

Statue of Pan

Moss steps

MISTI-con: We Brought the Wands, They Brought the Magic

This post is long over due, but in toward the middle of last month I had the great pleasure of attending MISTI-con a Harry Potter fan convention.

I've attended conventions before but never a HP one. Looking at the website and all the things that were going to be happening it just seemed like such a great time and with it being held so close to home I couldn't resist. I had no idea what I was getting into but it was so much more than I could have ever expected; the experiance of a life time. I've always been a big fan of HP and have no idea why it took me so long to get involved in this community.

The four days of the Con were filled with fun excitement and just magic! I met some of the most accepting and friendly people ever. . The entire hotel was converted into a no muggle zone. Just looking around one could see all of the thought that went into every aspect of this con, you couldn't turn a corner without seeing the influence of the HP world

During the Masqurade the tent got a bit hot so I took a short walk to beach and as I lounged on a beach chair staring up at the clear night sky, music from the crowded tent on the hill above, I realized that I had to go home the next day and I've never had a greater feeling of not wanting to do something in my life. I never wanted to leave.


I can now proudly say that I'm part of the new generation of Hogwarts professors... oh if only.

It was surreal, it was amazing, it was an experience I would love to live over and over and I cannot wait for MISTI 2015.

Here's some of my favorite photos:

RomFest 2012

This past week I attended the first annual RomFest in Gatlinburg, TN!

I just have to say that I’ve been to other conferences during their first year and have to say that Trista did a wonderful job putting this event together; things just seemed to run smoothly the whole time.

The panels, while there were few, were very well done. Hopefully next year there will be more to choose from. My favorite by far was the presentation by Dr. Bass, the founder of the body farm, while gruesome it was interesting. He’s such a cute old man! 

The parties were fun, and I really have to give praise to Donna Wright, she sure did keep things interesting sure the SMRW pajama party, and during the raffle basket drawings.

Not only was this a first time for RomFest but it was also the first time Naughty Bingo was done by Rita Sawyer and myself. It was a blast! I had a lot of fun even though I was super nervous to be in front of so many people… maybe no one noticed? If there’s a next time I just need to learn to project my voice a bit, guess speech class didn’t pay off so much, at least my hands weren’t shaking the whole time.

Naughty Bingo seemed to go over very well with the attendants. We were getting thanks throughout the last days of the conference. And I’m so glad everyone enjoyed themselves!

I definitely have RomFest in my plans for next year.

And now I leave you with pictures from my time in Gatlinburg.

all of the attending authors with BAM staff

setting up and Books A Million

our Naughty Bingo attendees

Mr. Stark choosing the finalists in the penis game

penis tree centerpiece

our grand prize winner

most of our prize basket

some Masquerade contest hopefulls

and now just some from my travels around

Thursday 13

 I'm not sure where my love for the Ferris Wheel comes from. I love carnivals and fairs, so maybe that's it, but I can't pinpoint it exactly. Maybe part of it is the idea from which it was born, the fact that at first everyone doubted the engineering behind it. The Ferris Wheel was invented by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. in 1893 for the World's Columbian Exposition (the Chicago World's Fair). The Ferris wheel was brought to attention because the creators were looking for something to top the Eiffel Tower which was made for the previous World's Fair that was held in Paris. The Wheel was something absolutely brilliant and unthinkable for most at the time, because nothing like it had been created before.
I first learned of the history of the Ferris Wheel while reading Devil in the White City by Erik Larson... a book I suggest anyone interested in any kind of history read. 

and now onto the Wheels!

First ever. World’s Columbian Exposition: Ferris Wheel, Chicago, United States, 1893.

overgrown

Tokyo, Ferris Wheel

There will surely be a Ferris wheel in heaven.

county fair wheel

nightly Ferris

believe this is the Eye

overtaken

Berlin wheel

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Thursday 13

HA!

       In honor of the holiday (for some) coming up this weekend I'm giving you 13 extraordinary eggs.
When I was younger coloring eggs was always one of my favorite things to do around this time of the year, though my decorating skills were no where near what you're about to see, the farthest I ever went was coloring on the eggs with crayons before dipping them. Now that I'm older I don't really get into decorating eggs for Easter much but I can honestly say these 13 designs have inspired me... maybe they'll do the same for you :)

Fun Colors:

original post on these lovely eggs here

Marbelized Eggs tutorial here

Neon Dyed

silk dyed tut here.... soo cool

tut here :)

Landscape eggs. May take a while but worth it!

Link to post and tut

Natural Dye eggs:

These are amazing. Tutorial ahead!

Another great tutorial

Not Your Average Egg:

Paper punch eggs. Time consuming but lovely

colorful thread eggs

wooden eggs. simple. beautiful

paper mache eggs. Definitly check out this tutorial!!

Hope you all enjoyed and have a wonderful Easter... or just a great Sunday!

-Adele

find more Thursday 13's here