Shadow Players Stage Combat Group & Blackbeard’s Crew before the event at  NC Museum of History.

Tonight our troupe was invited to attend the booksigning for “The Last Days of Blackbeard” by Kevin Duffus. Above is a group photo from that event. I am rather excited about reading this book, and shall be back later to report how I hope it’s contents change the face of pirate history and tourism in North Carolina, until then here is a link an article from Raleigh’s  The News & Observer.

I waited far too long to rent Across the Universe, had i known i was missing out on one of the best musicals EVER, i would have run to the nearest theater months ago. Instead i waited far too long and was forced to view via 32 inches instead; crappy for me yes; and to think i could have seen & heard this as it was intended really bums me out. Now that i have slapped myself silly a half million times, I’ll get too why i adore this musical…

I love The Beatles.

It’s a wonderful love story.

My daughter & i have enjoyed playing this online game so much longer than i care to admit. Now TSO (The Sims Online) has re-vamped the game, changed it’s name to EA-land, added free subscriptions along with some new content.

Here were are mother & daughter in game having some fun with a custom car chair designed by Thrill, and a crafted exercise ball.

Spent a good 6 hours designing the logo above for our combat troupe, hopefully the group will all like it & agree that we use it.

Sometimes I have days (weeks) when writing a post seems redundant, even i can become quickly bored and needed a good long break from posting, but now I have some of the best news ever; and yes it’s pirate related.

It appears that our performance troupe has been hired for a most wonderful event involving the National Geographic & the pirate ship The Whyduh, in Philly during the last week of May and early June. We are all extremely excited about this gig and have been busy planning, practicing & have even added a new musical manager to help us coordinate & learn sea shanties for the in-between times when we are doing meet & greets and walking around.

ahhh, tis fun to be a pirate!!

Avast! Wanna learn how to talk like a pirate, then do check out Capt. Slappy & ‘Ole Chumbuckets video on the five a’s-sssss

Thursday Photo: Eerie, Yet Beautiful 

This is one of those rare photos when something out of nowhere appears. In this case it was a Luna Moth (i think?), which appears in the top left corner.

Love Is…
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. - Corinthians 13:4-7

Wednesday Generator: Still Life Composer

I went searching for a generator, and came across this very entertaining & time consuming generator, the Still Life Composer. To make your own visit this [Link].

Warning: This site is a whole lotta fun  

Practice today was cut short due to blustery conditions at the lake.

Samantha & Jim duel in the wind.

Jim & Alex

Samantha & Taz

“There’s a lot of shame and a lot of guilt attached to the issue of money mismanagement…Everybody feels like the other couple has a perfect marriage and a perfect everything…Turns out, I’ve met Ken and Barbie and they’re broke.”-Dave Ramsey

 ”MAXED OUT (U.S.): This absorbing, scary documentary explores the extent and consequences of America’s “charge-it” attitude and spiraling credit-card debt. It makes a persuasive case that the financial industry during the past several decades has acted not just irresponsibly and immorally but like ’80s drug lords, luring the young and unknowing into massive debt with easy credit, making unconscionable profits off late fees and interest payments, and corrupting the governmental process to make sure nothing is done about the racket. Among those interviewed are economists, real-estate brokers, people with loved ones driven to suicide by their debt burden, a merry gang of strong-arm bill collectors and one bewildered Seattle pawn-shop owner.”-The Seattle Times

This is one of those docu’s that, if, posssible i would chain my daughter to the chair to view. Instead we had a brief discussion concerning the impact of credit card debt & the importance of saving money, i think she understands. If not, I will try again tomorrow; and if that doesn’t work I WILL chain her to the chair & make her watch it.

Hell, this even applies to that horrid monster called COLLEGE STUDENT LOANS….yikes!

Playing With Photoshop:Antiquing

For this effect, i used a photo taken by my friend Elizabeth of an old dilapidated plantation home in Sanford, North Carolina, and antiqued it using the following tutorial [link]

before & after

I require the solace of the shadows and the vision of a new day. ~Michele

My favorite time of the day is…

just before that first glimmer of light. When the day awakens and is re-born. There’s something so very magical about that first transition from dark to light; this is the moment when i’m stirred to write or create art. This morning it was art, inspired by a dream. I woke grabbed my canvas, some silk ribbon; and before my eyes had time to adjust began a new project.

During my younger years, it was twilight. Spending countless hours with friends; dancing, chatting, and drinking in some joyous celebration.  Now that I am older, twilight is that time, when i require solace and settle inward; read & reflect on what i accomplished that day.

On becoming a martial arts instructor, I would have written this earlier, but as you know, I was rather busy taking you to and fro this week.  I am so very proud of you!

~da Mommy

 ”I need my conscience to keep watch over me

To protect me from myself …”

Oh the joys of YouTube

Insightful, no. Exciting, yes!

There are a few things that keep me up past my bedtime; one is reading, the other is this little gem that I have dreamed of owning since the beginning of last year. It will be mine, oh yes, it shall be mine. Soon.

It’s a half-real coin, recovered from the historic El Cazador shipwreck. Should look smashing with my pirate garb this season….no?

Museum of El Cazador [link]

Michele’s Vanilla Mocha 

Sure, it’s not a pricey coffee house mocha, but when your on a tight budget like me, or, don’t have a fancy expresso machine, it’s uber fabulous.

First off you’ll need some ground expresso (the local mart should carry some). Using a regular coffee machine brew some expresso, i prefer a strong brew; but anyway you choose to brew it should be just fine.

Fill a coffee cup with 2-3 TBS hershey’s chocolate syrup, and about 1-1 1/2 TBS of vanilla syrup (i prefer the brand Torani). Then add about 2/3 c. of brewed expresso to coffee cup and stir. Finish off by stirring in half & half or lowfat milk; sometimes I’ll warm & wisk the milk prior to adding, to give it a frothy appeal. Lastly add whip cream if you so desire.

mmmm-uber-ness goodness!

*One could also use a strong brewed regular coffee vs. expresso, if your local mart doesn’t have ground expresso.

This week’s Thursday Photo Challenge is to take a picture of your mantle or framed family photo/favorite piece of artwork. If ya can’t take a picture, then post one your favorites from an archive.

And for heavens sake don’t forget to leave a link of some kind so i can visit ye.

Extra Credit: Describe what’s in the picture. 

My mantle:

On my mantle are some of my favorite photos.

1. a picture of my daughter & i from 1994
2. a pencil drawing of my daughter in ‘01, done by an artist by the last name of Yow
3. a statue of the pirate Ann Bonny
4. a picture of daughter at age 6