Wonderful Weekend

Hello hello!

Man, this past weekend was so good, I've been meaning to write about it but just couldn't find the time.
So here we are on Monday and I'm going to go back in time to recount how the past two days have been :)

Firstly, I want to name this past Saturday "Secondhand Saturday".
Why, you ask?
Because I scored big in both a garage sale and a local thrift shop.

I love me a good Gift Economy, where I can meet my needs by sparing someone the excess clutter in their lives, but sometimes spending a little money doesn't hurt.

Saturday morning started off with hitting up the Corvallis High School's annual "Spartan Garage Sale." So conveniently located in their cafeteria (just down the road from us!) and so many reasonably priced items and huge selection! :D
My intention when I went there was to score all the pieces I'd need for William's upcoming Link costume.
And I was not disappointed!!
For only $4 I got everything I'll need so I look to turn this:

$1 each!

...into this:

More or less...

Good thing he already has his sword and shield!
I'll probably be able to use that big brown sweater to create some Eevee ears and tail for Ella's cosplay too ;)

Later, while the kids were baking with Dada (peanut butter cookies for our neighbors!) I hit up the Heartland Humane Society's Thrift Shop in the hopes of finding a lamp shade for a standing lamp I scored for free...but instead I found this:

It weighed 30 lbs!!

That's right.
An old-school ream of computer paper! For only $5!!
I had to carry this beast home the entire walk home from downtown, but it will be so worth it as now Ella can draw to her heart's content without me worrying about having enough paper for important adult print-outs. Heh! I swear, this guy ought to last us at least a year.

Then, after all these great secondhand scores, Dash and I got to treat ourselves to a date!!
So "Secondhand Saturday" morphed into "Date Night Saturday".

A classic "dinner and a movie" affair.

I cannot recommend "Zootopia" enough!!
It was rendered beautifully, with endearing characters, and really timely messages about racism and stereotypes. We watched it in 3D but I must say it did nothing to enhance the film in my opinion. Never really does, to be honest.

Anyway, after that we hit up Koriander yet again and this time I got the cheese tonkatsu. So indulgent!!!

I was feeling amped and great (did I mention I had a ton of candy at the movie theater again? ;) ) and we ended up staying up until 1:30am, watching the US version of Top Gear (hilaaaaarious!!!!!) while I read more R&M fanfics and got lost on imgur. Totally and utterly a great way to end the day.

I'm going to name Sunday "Sleepy Baking Sunday" because DST went into effect and ugh, did I feel exhausted thanks to it. ;_;
Church was a'ight, and the rest of the day was baking primitive bread with Ella.
It honestly took sooooo loooooong.
Because we brought out the ol' grinder and had to grind all the flour down by hand.
But the results were worth it and Ella felt very accomplished.

Made a dozen of these rolls!

Look at that li'l beauty!
Sunday evening I got to go out on a date with a friend, so that's two dates for me in one weekend! Buya!! :D

And now here we are with yet another raaaaaaaainy day, and Dash is feverish and bedbound ;_;
Poor dear~
I foresee a li'l lesson in the evening with the lovely Maggie-san, and then hopefully altering a t-shirt I got from the last Clothing Swap thanks to this nifty book:

I bought this way back in '06, and honestly never did much with it so I gave it away, because the library carries it anyhow! I'll let you know what I end up fashioning from the shirt later ;)

Well!
That is all for now.
I hope you all had a good weekend and foresee a great week coming up.
Til next time, take care and Happy Wonderful Weekend!!

"Movie Night"

Hello again~!


So we were partaking in our (semi-)usual Friday night activity in the Dashiell household, and I thought I'd take a little shot for posterity.

Friday night is "Movie Night" but lately it's been more like "Episode Night" especially since we've gotten into The Great British Bake-Off.

Puts 'em riiiiiight to sleep

I must say, it's an entertaining, inspirational, and educational program!
And it really puts the little ones a the right energy to gently drift off~

Ella's already informed me that she wants to try her hand at making a primitive bread tomorrow, inspired by the history segment they did on bread from the caveman days :D

So yep!
That's "Movie Night" in our household.
Do you do a Movie Night too? If so, what are so family favorites?

Well, until next time, take care and Happy Movie Night!!

Town Hall Event Take II

Hi hi~!


So last night was the 2016 version of the Sustainability Coalition's Sustainability Fair.
You may recall that I got to speak at last year's event about the Gift Economy and Clothing Swaps and such.

This year, I went purely as an enthusiastic attendee, and was joined by Ella Rose :)
She was such a trooper, putting up with all the chatting up I wanted to do with all the folks I ran into, and staying up until 9pm so that we could see the Clothing Swap get some attention in the Community Scrapbook...

We were waaaaaay back, but there it is!

...as well as participate in the table discussion and listen to the main presentation of the evening.

The theme of the evening was systemic change to help create a sustainable community, and when it came time for our table to discussion what kinds of systemic change we'd like to see, I launched fully into the vision I have for curbing waste during the Student Exodus. My tablemates brought up the brilliant idea of approaching the folks on OSU campus that orient the students to let them know about the many second-hand options in town so that they don't all go to Fred Meyer to buy their clothing hangers, waste paper baskets, and other such items that are so absolutely redundant and will simply be thrown out at the end of the year anyway.

The presentation, held by a young couple that own a solar power company here in town, covered their trip to Germany last summer and all the amazing advancements going on in the field of reusable energy in Germany. It was very inspirational and rekindled my interest in getting solar panels on our house. Granted, in the past, we've had solar companies have to turn us down on account of the shady nature of our property. Oh, well!

Anyway, it was a great time and I love that it's a yearly staple in this wonderful community of ours.
If you've never been, I highly recommend it for next year.

So until then, take care and Happy Town Hall Event Take II!!

Dashiell-isms

Yo yo~

So I was thinking about how families can have their own little "language" sometimes.
Like, inspired by a certain event that they experienced together, or a mispronounced word their little ones said in their younger years, etc etc.

In our own family, we have a few of these kinds of Dashiell-isms which I thought I'd record here to look back on:

1) Dashiell Divinations
I've only mentioned this once on this blog three years ago, but it's something Dash and I will say when we want to make a prediction about something might happen.
Some famous ones from the past include the creation of the show "American's Next Top Pregnant Model" (it's gotta happen!) and my personal Divination that someday Hoover Flags will come back as a fashion statement ;)

2) "Ticky ticky tacky"
This is something the kids say when Dash and I are starting to bicker and fight. It's their way of saying "Stop fighting, or save it for later at least." That way it breaks the tension and we agree to either drop it or save it for when the kids are not around.

3) Farkles, Fiders, and Foons
When Ella was really little she couldn't pronounce her "sp" sound well and words like sparkles, spiders, and spoons would come out farkles, fiders, and foons. So sometimes when we're being goofy we'll use those words instead of the proper ones. Always gets a laugh.

4) Fick something up
Kathy-neechan actually coined this one, and it's a term we use when someone's intention is to help "fix" a situation but instead they just make it a worse for you and "f*ck" it up. Hence "fick". Like I once had a friend offer to help look at my bike tire to see if he could straighten it...only to end up warping it further. D'oh! He dun ficked it up now! So yeah, it happens~

5) Phantom Itch
It's that sensation you get when someone's scratching your back and although it's very pleasurable, there's also that niggling feeling that if they could juuuuust scratch a little more to the right or left then they'd really get an itch...only for that sensation to keep traveling out of reach of their hand. And so you're strangely never quite satisfied when they're scratching your back, because it feels like the itch is constantly evading you. It's that darn Phantom Itch.


All right, well that's all the ones I can think of at the moment.
I'll try to remember to blog when more come to mind.
Do you and your family have little linguistic quirks like these?
They are quite fun!

Anyway, until next time, take care and Happy Dashiell-isms!!

Sakura-con Coming Up!

Howdy howdy~!

So I just received some big news today.
It all started back in January, when I submitted three panel ideas to this anime convention up in Seattle, WA to see if they would be accepted and, therefore, grant us free membership for the duration of the con.

Well, just today I received word that they were all accepted, so at the end of this month the Dashiell family is going to Seattle for Sakura-con 2016!!! :D

I'm so stoked because I've never been to Washington, let alone Seattle, and it'll be William's first con ever!
I can't say the same for Ella, because back in September she attended Kumoricon with me and Kathy-neechan when we went to do a panel too.
It was about us being manga translators and the panel went smoothly enough. Ella was mesmerized by all the clever cosplay (especially of the Pokemon kind), going so far as to participate in their Cosplay Bingo challenge where she had to track down and take snapshots of certain characters in order to win nifty buttons. If memory serves me right, she got a total of six by the end. BUYA.

Anyway, this time, Dash and I will be discussing the following three related-but-still-unique topics:

1) Breaking into the Manga Industry: our backgrounds that got us to where we are today
2) Lost in Translation: how/when to preserve very Japanese elements in manga while localizing it
3) A Day in the Life of a Manga Artisan: what our careers consist of in a practical way

I'll be working on putting together the contents of our panels over the next few weeks.
Oh! While also putting together the kids' cosplay outfits!!

That's right, Ella wants to go as chuu-Totoro...

This outfit is still around from when we made it for her 2012 Halloween costume!

...and Eevee.

So a humanoid version of this.

There are lots of really cute interpretations of Eevee cosplay that you can find online, and I'll be sure to share what we come up with.

As for William, he wants to be Link for the entire duration of the con, which is fine with me. :D
 I just have to find the pieces to put together an outfit like this:

I think William will look good in white tights ;)

Easy-peasy.
I look forward to scoring more 下敷き, giving away comp copies of some manga we have worked on, and singing in karaoke :D
We'll be sleeping in the camper, and William is so young he gets in for free too, so all we have to pay for is Ella's 50%-off membership. Buya!!

Anyway, I'll let you know more the weekend-of, but I just had to share the good news of what's in store in the coming weeks.

So yeah, if you'll be attending Sakura-con, let me know and maybe I'll see you there ;)

Until next time, take care and Happy Sakura-con Coming Up!!

Big Sunday!

Howdy howdy~!

So after the hubbub that was yesterday's Clothing Swap, you'd think that today would be relaxed and devoid of as much activity as possible, right?
Wrong!
And it all started Saturday evening actually!

As is the family tradition when it comes to Clothing Swaps, we all headed out to El Sol de Mexico to celebrate and decompress. The kids had a lot of good things to say, I enjoyed some margaritas and then we made the last-minute decision to let a friend of Ella's sleep over.

They actually behaved themselves very well, going right to sleep -- of course reading the dictionary aloud, as I do when it's my turn to put the kids to bed, has that effect on kids ;)

When we all awoke this morning, Dash made biscuits while I battled a little hangover (guh) and then we had to rush off to church because I'd agreed to have our family "usher" for the service.

We'd never done this before and I'm going to be honest...not so sure we'll be doing it again.
I'm just not all that good at herding folks, which is what the gig mainly consisted of. Granted, that's not to say I can't improve... But having the two little ones made it less than ideal. Especially with  William being so perplexed as to why Dada was actually at church for once and yet we weren't even sitting together.

Oh, well! I'm glad we gave it a shot.

The rest of the day, Ella was whisked off to Clara's house for a playdate followed right on its heels by the local community production of Mary Poppins!!

I have been hearing only the best things about this musical and I'm glad Ella got to see it. While I was walking her back home, she was humming "Step in Time" and working some pretty great chimney sweep moves ;)

The rest of the evening was taken up with bathing Tak'e, tidying up, and playing a new card game with the kids!!
At yesterday's Clothing Swap, Ella came across a pack of playing cards that I haven't seen in years.
Five Crowns!!

Thank you to whomever brought this to the Swap :D

Anyone else familiar with this little gem?
Our Uncle James introduced it to us as adolescents and it became a quick family favorite. It was initially the art that captured me, but now that we're playing it again I remember how exhilarating the pace is and how much strategy goes into it.
I must say William has greatly impressed me with his ability to remember the rules, stay focused, and strategize in a way that resulted in him winning five rounds. Wow!

Maybe the kid's just generally good at games, not just video games! ;)

Dash rounded the evening off with a fantastic hearty brinner and we watched another episode of the Great British Bake-Off which the kids fell asleep to.

I'm feeling bushed, myself, and look forward to a deep and uninterrupted sleep tonight. (Dear God, please...please.)

So until next time, take care and Happy Big Sunday!!

Spring 2016 Clothing Swap!!

Hi everyone!!!

Sorry for disappearing off the face of the planet for a few days there.
I was battling a mere head cold that was threatening to go full-blown by hunkering down, lying in bed while listening to a sweet sweet podfic.
Really, not that much to report about this past week. A couple deadlines (wrapped up in mere hours, wow!), some nice tutoring sessions, and "whatever" weather.

Then came today.
The Spring 2016 iteration of the Corvallis Family Clothing Swap!!!!

This photo does not do justice to the busy-ness that the event entailed.

It was was such a great big fun time :D
Made especially all the more popular thanks to the article in the Corvallis Advocate.
As always, I failed to do a head-count, but I think it's safe to say a couple hundred people showed up. BUYA.

A new addition to this Swap was the presence of a "thank-you note writing station" to give attendees a chance to thank our generous co-sponsors that keep the event the money-free frugal-fest that it is.

Little package...BIG gratitude :D

I pretty much had an assortment of different colored pens and slips of paper (salvaged from the OSU Student Exodus!) available for people to write their many different expressions of gratitude to show our sponsors how big an impact their support of the event makes. I will make sure it gets to the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition's Waste Action Prevent Team since I consider them the main sponsor so that they can read all the messages of adoration and thanks that our community has for them. It's the least we can do for them making this large space available for us and our seasonal cause. :)
Last time, I tried to do a digital e-card of thanks but it was harder to get people signing it, the interface was a little wonky, and this way they have a constant physical reminder of the good deeds they are responsible for.

My volunteer staff was superb and I really cannot thank these people enough for their dauntless energy and enthusiasm during the somewhat short but still intense event that it was. ♡♡♡

Personally, I was so busy greeting folks and bringing them up to snuff on the ins and outs of the event, that I didn't have much time to seek items for myself. However, I did have a second or two to snag some key pieces that are already my new faves:

Elven hat-scarf, anyone??

And Kathy-neechan is all professional now and needing blouses, so I rallied some friends to keep an eye out and they came up with a good dozen or so specimens that are sure to please her :)  So thoughtful of them!!!

Also, William and Ella are rather self-sufficient at these events now and Ella, in particular, procures outfits not just for herself but for her li'l bro too. Such a good girl! Below is a new outfit concocted from items procured today:

Love that gradient skirt and corduroy purple button-down!

Nice.

Every Clothing Swap I meant to take photos to record how awesome the event is, but I feel like I failed miserably once again!
If anything, I got some shots with my main ladies who are constant presences and have helped out tons in the past.
Firstly, the wonderful Miss Angel!

We both like purple a lot

I swear this girl lives up to her name and a complete doll. I love her and her little girl!!
Next is Miss Merrell!

I must say if I had to say I'm good at something it's at taking photos at arm's length

This lady does it all...with three children under 5 y.o.!!!! How???
Anyway, she is great.
And what's so cool to know is that these two ladies met through what...? The Clothing Swap!!
Times like this I wish someone could make a documentary about our little shindig here. Just a lot of beautiful relationships forming and acts of charity going on. Very cool.
 
There were also a bunch more people that I didn't have time to shoot "selfies" with, but I hope they all know that I love them too!
So much dedication, and energy and selflessness with this event. This community is the best, honestly!!

Anyhoozers, I have a lot of thank-yous to write, and some kids to put to bed!
Ella's having an impromptu sleepover with dear Clara so I have to make sure they sleep noooow.

Til next time, take care and Happy Spring 2016 Clothing Swap!!