Help fix school lunches

I recently watched the first episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Some of the stuff that he showed was quite shocking. I knew school lunches were bad, but I didn't know how bad. Jamie Oliver has a petition on his Food Revolution website asking parents to request change in school lunches. If you'd like to view it or sign it, just click here.

Photo of the Week

Don't ya just love balloons?

Ren Faire Dress

So, I've been working on a new dress for the Ren Faire this past week. I'm getting through the sewing rather quickly, although I have taken frequent trips on the internet to make sure that I am making it as authentic as possible. It's interesting to see descriptions and recreations of what we think they wore during Tudor and Elizabethan times. My dress is Elizabethan. It is similar to the pattern for the Shakespeare in Love dress, but that was just a jumping off point. I have changed more of the pattern than I have kept, but it's really starting to look good. I have finished a full length chemise that I designed myself, an overskirt, an underskirt, and a forepart (the pretty part that shows under the front of the skirt.) I'm still working on the bodice and bumroll, which will help to hold up all of those skirts. I must say, this costume has gone the smoothest of any I've made, especially considering all of the alterations I have made. I still enjoy making costumes, even though I've made dozens and really enjoy getting into the history of each one. Anyway, I'll be posting pictures of the finished product soon, as well as pictures of the remaining 5 costumes that I have to complete before the 17th of April. I'm going to be very busy!

New Moon Bluray

Well, in the end, I didn't go to the midnight release party, although I heard it was a great, well organized affair. However, I did buy the Bluray Ultimate Fan edition at Wal-mart. Mind you, I had to go to two different stores to get it, but it was worth it. I just got a Bluray player this last Christmas, so I don't have very many Bluray movies yet. I was surprised at how much better Blurays can be. You can see all of these details that are blurry or obscured on regular DVD. While I wouldn't replace all of my DVDs with Bluray just yet, they are fantastic for movies with a lot of fast-paced action or period pieces where you actually want to see the details of the clothing. Anyway, the extras on the Ultimate Fan edition of New Moon are fantastic. There are tons of behind the scenes looks that are only available in this set. So, while I missed the party, I'm happy with the end result.

New Moon

I'm a total Twilight fan, so I just had to mention that the New Moon DVD is coming out tomorrow. I'm considering going to a Release Party tonight, but can't decide. I'm not exactly a teenager and so I'm not sure I want to be there with a million teenage girls. On the other hand, there will probably be a lot of Twi-Moms there, so that wouldn't be too bad. I'm thinking about trying a Wal-Mart party this year. Well, we'll see how it goes. Now I just have to decide between Bluray or regular DVD. Hmmm....

Ren Faire fun

Bean with Titania, Queen of the Fairies, and her Court

My family enjoys going to Renaissance Faires. We dress up in costume and spend a day among the Lords and Ladies of the Kings court. It's a lot of fun and a unique experience. As purchasing costumes can be very expensive, I make all of my own, my family's and most of our friends. It's a lot of work to make sure that they are authentic, but it's well worth the effort. We all look great and it's a much richer experience to go to the Faire planning to play along instead of looking in as an outsider. For the next several weeks leading up to the Georgia Renaissance Festival, I will be working on half a dozen new costumes, so I'm going to be rather busy. As I spend a lot of time researching each costume, I'll try to share any interesting information I find. Enjoy!!

Photo of the Week

Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show

It's a blast. Literally. This show is high action, high speed, and a lot of fun. While I wouldn't recommend it for small children due to the noise, both from the cars and explosions, it is still a family friendly show in the grand Disney style.

Enchanted Calls

I recently got a code for a free Disney Enchanted Call from Princess Tiana. I ordered and received the call today. It was actually kind of fun. The phone rings at a prearranged time and tells you to press 1 within 30 seconds. You press 1, and Tiana says hello and starts talking about making gumbo. A minute or two later, she tells you that she's got to go because her pots boiling over, and says goodbye. Bean really enjoyed it. She was excited that Tiana had called HER personally. I don't know how much these calls normally cost, but there is a deal for several calls available from Disney Movie Rewards. The calls are great for kids and are a wonderful surprise. Consider arranging a call as a special birthday surprise for that wonderful birthday kid.

Updates

Well, I just got back from a spur of the moment trip to "the World." There are a lot of changes going on and a lot of new things coming soon. I'll be updating several posts, especially the ones about what characters are available and where. New characters have been added and you won't want to miss them. Stay tuned for the latest information regarding my favorite place!