brenwenthefaire

06:37 pm: on the subject of food.
I'm reading everyone's posts and the pasts few days it seems to be focusing a lot on food and cooking.

So adding to the topic, I'll post some.

I'm an ok cook. I like to bake. I haven't done very much in the past 8 years because I commuted 1.5 hours each way to work. And before that I lived alone (well, roomate) and before that I was in college. So no, I am not a big cooker. Having the time off this past year, and being tight on money, I have found myself cooking more. I cook what I learned from my mom and grandmother (who was german) and the cookbooks I use are the Mennonite cookbook and the betty crocker cookbook. The mennonite cookbook is the same cookbook my mother uses and my grandmother used. It was published in the 50's but is still available in reprint on line (christmas present many years ago from mom <hugs>). My grandmother gave me the betty crocker cookbook for my birthday one year, maybe I was 18 or 19.

A few weeks ago, I made scalloped potatoes and ham, and I'll probably do so again this week except I don't have ham so it'll be a substitute of maybe sausage (still thinking). Or just mabye the scalloped potatoes plain and the meat on the side. I don't put in cheese - it's a white sause and I love it.

Last night I made an apple pie. That is my signature dish (along with potato pancakes - hmmmm, potato pancakes...) Well it turned out, in Mr. Hair's words - awesome. The crust was perfect. I put in a few raisins with the apples, and I used extra cinnamon. Mmmmm, loves me some cinnamon.

Tonight I'm making beef stew with dumplings. Except I'm substituting the beef with lamb that Mr. Hair brought home from this weekends feast. It's almost done and we'll be eating shortly.   After reading Liams post, I'm thinking it would have tasted even better if I used some beer to substitute out some of the water.  Oh well, next time.

So Mr. Hair brought home a cooked chicken too. So I think maybe tomorrow or the day after it'll be chicken and buiscuits.

Have a good night everyone.

09:48 pm: what a great time I had this weekend.
So this weekend I visited our royal cousins of Aethelmearc, Henri and Elena. I had a fantastic time. Everyone was so welcoming and I was made to feel at home. The Barony of Endless hills opened their hall for myself and retainers, and much fun and enjoyment pursued. And wow, how coordinated and helpful everyone was, people were neat, cleaned up after themselves, and almost everyone stayed to help clean and pack everything in the end. I was very empressed!

There was one small, err, hickup. My herald, a certain fencer who is known to have a vanity for a certain sports car, thought it fit to introduce myself into the second court as (in not these exact words) "the Queen of the East, whose ancestors ruled these lands with an iron fist". Well, in addition to me being so surprised I almost tripped on my skirt and fell, obviously it didn't go over too well. I was able to alleviate the situation when I spoke in court, and afterwards durning the feast revenge was plotted and saw through.

You see, upon the hinting of a certain individual (wink), said herald ate his repast, only to discover halfway through that it had been poisoned (insert small piece of paper with the word poison written upon it). Well to make sure that the job was doubly done, in a later remove it was also discovered that his dish had been poisoned again.

At the close of the feast, said herald fell out of his chair, landed on the floor and proceeded into the most spectacular death throes one could imagine. All to the cheering of the crowd for the demise of one who would dare insult their kingdom.

As he finished dying and lay there, Raphaella cried out "ooh, I like his boots, let's take them" to the laughter and enjoyment of those assembled.

Alas, upon further inspection by My Royal Guards, they informed me that he was only "mostly dead".

12:45 pm: Coronation
I am still at a loss of words to properly thank everyone for such a wonderful day. It. was. simply. amazing!

can I has a picture of the peacock. Before Sir Wilhelm bit the head off at HRM direction.

I almost cried when I saw tears in Baron Anguses eyes when I gave him his Queens Honor of Courtesy. He actually did not think he was deserving of such an award.

links to pictures greatly appreciated.

12:13 am: Now this is how you write a letter of intent!
I just wanted to share this, it truly made me blush. Wouldn't it be nice if all the letters were as well written? There is a story behind the letter, but the details are irrelevant:

I do send most heartfelt greetings and wishes for good health unto Her most resplendent, cordial, and forgiving Majesty Brenwen the Faire, the Queen who causes the stars to twinkle, the birds to sing, and the sun to rise; and unto her King, Konrad von Ulm.

Your Majesty Brenwen, I realize your days are busy, with having to inspire the flowers to bloom, the wind to blow, and the rain to fall; but if You and Your King could take but a minute to consider my petition, I would be truly honored beyond reason. I wish to fight in Your Crown Tournament, in the hopes of placing my Lady Giselle on the Princess throne. When I am not busy crawling on my knees, I pledge to fight to the best of my ability, and in a fashion to bring honor unto my Lady, My Queen and King, and Your Kingdom. I sincerely believe Giselle would make an excellent Princess and Queen, and with growing humility, I promise to do my best also.

All the little girls in the Kingdom wish to grow up to be like Queen Brenwen the Faire, and all the little boys want to grow up to marry someone like Queen Brenwen the Faire. Puppies wish they could be as lovable, swans wish they could be as elegant, and sunsets strive to be as magnificent, as our beautiful Queen. I simply wish to allow my Lady to follow you as the next Princess.

Thank you for taking the time to read my missive, I remain your loyal subject, Oscad

01:04 am: Coronation - T minus 7 days and counting
The coronation gown - which started out as 51 pieces - is down to 16 pieces.

I would say I'm about 50% finished. Maybe 55%.

Yay!

02:11 am: coronation gown - what day is it?
Just want to say, counting the fashion fabric, the linings, and the interlinings, there are 51 pieces of fabric that have to be sewn together for the coronation gown.

and that is just for the overgown, that doesn't count the undergown nor the chemise beneath it.

don't panic, some of it is already sewn together, I just decided to count them tonight.

10:55 pm: nyc!
So today I went into the city for the first time since march? I think. Many of you may know, I have landed a part time consulting job doing architectural drawings and sketches for a residential designer that is a friend of my old boss. Boy is residential design COMPLETELY different than corporate! I don't have to pick out any colors or fabrics thank god (but sometimes he asks me my opinion, and that's easy). I get to do the real meat and potatoes - the architecture. And its fun too.

So anyways, were remodeling this kitchen and the measurements he took don't add up, so he asked me to come in and look at it.

Afterwards, I hopped the subway and met up with an old coworker from my last job and we had dinner and reminiced (I know I spelled that wrong) and gossiped. My old company is down to about half its emplyees- and I'm actually glad I'm not working there and dealing with the stress. I'm enjoying working part time doing fun and stressless work - and being open to traveling.

So anyways, in typical fashion, I missed the train by 10 minutes- and you guessed it- the next train wasn't for 50 min. So I'm still on the train, hoping to get home just before 11 tonight. I've worked two days this week and I actually have work to do tomorrow - so busy week for me. Lol

Have a great night all!

02:34 pm: looking for hood blog
I thought I remember comming across someone's blog where they were posting all the period images of hoods that thay came across?  Does this ring a bell with anyone?

thanks!

07:04 pm: all kinds of misc posts - Liam style
1.  I am looking for an interested person or persons to make tablet woven trim for our Viking clothing for Birka.  Please contact me if interested.  Must be finished by Nov 1 so that the people making the garb can stay on schedule.  I need trim for both Konrads over and under tunic, my dress, and my apron dress.  They are being made in the kingdom colors and I am willing to reimburse for the cost of the silk thread.  On that note, if there is any interested party that can make viking appropriate shoes, contact me too...  Again, willing to reimburse for costs.

2.  Coronation sewing is going ok.  Ran into a small snag with the dress and decided to put it down for a few days.  Instead, I've made two queen's guard coats in the herjolfsnes style out of black brocade.  I have an appt with another guard next week and possibly another one as well, so we'll have 3 or 4 of the guards in matching houppelands.  I know that this style is 50+ years earlier than what we are wearing, but it's smack dab in the middle of the time period of clothing we usually wear, comming right after cotehardies, and right before the late period stuff.  Plus they are easy to make and don't require a lot of fitting.  They only need to fit in the neck, shoulders, armholes, and be the right length.  Also look good on a lot of body types.  And they only take 5 hours from cut to completion of the machine sewing (guards have to find someone to do buttons, buttonholes, and finish the bottom and wrist edges.)

3.  I made apple pie last night, yummy.  I love apple pie!

4.  My house is a mess!!!  Pennsic stuff is still all over the place!!!  (some of it has been unpacked and put away, but less than half)

5.  went through and organized a good chunk of my patterns, which were all in a big messy pile.  I threw out things I didn't need anymore, and put the good patterns in envelopes and labeled them.  YAY I feel more organized already, and any chance to throw out crap is good by me!

6.  I am itching to make a houppeland for me, that is going to be the next project after Coronation garb!

7.  I have finally made a decision on my captain of the Queen's guard.  I really had a hard time picking this time.  Please welcome Baron Don John Xavier as my captian!  Up next - Chivalric advisor!

8.  Just out there on the horizon, we are going to need largess for when we travel to foreign lands, especially Estrella and Gulf Wars.  If anyone has any ideas or would like to volunteer, please contact me.  I will be setting up a largess coordinator soon... 

06:59 pm: coronation gown 2.0 - update
I would say that the undergown is about 75% completed.  About 80% of the machine sewing is done and about 60% of the handwork is done.  I still have to do the handwork for the lacing mostly, and for sewing, I have two back seams, attaching the sleeves, and hemming the bottom.

The overgown is the same pattern, but it is fully lined and the bodice is interlined.  This means more work, but on the upside I've already made one, so it should be easier...

A picture of the handwork on the inside of the bodice can be found here: http://brenwenthefaire.shutterfly.com/168

OK, if anyone knows off the top of their head a link to the picture of the Madonna and Child where she is wearing the cotehardie that is unlaced and her breast exposed can you please lsend me the link???  I want to look at that painting to get a better idea of how I want to do the lacing for the dress, as I want the lacing hidden.  Thank you!

Hope everyone is having a great day!

02:39 pm: pictures of recent projects
Pictures of some of my recent projects, including a close up of the finished undergown sleeves, are now on my shutterfly page for viewing:  http://brenwenthefaire.shutterfly.com/

Enjoy!

12:06 am: coronation gown 2.0
The patterns have been made - thank you Mistress Elizabeth and  Baroness Jaqueline.
The fabric has been bought and washed and ironed.
The undergown has been cut out.
About one third of the construction on the undergown has been accomplished.  I even hand-sewed silk tape to the insides of the wrist openings to make a smooth edge finish that covers all the raw edges. (The undergown is only lined through the bodice, trying to minimize layers so I don't pass out from overheating.

YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At this rate, the underdress should be finished by next week and we'll begin on the overgown.

I am looking for a volunteer that would like to make lucet cords for the gowns.  I need:
one 36" white cord
one 36" bright red cord
two 12" bright red cords for the wrist closures.

And Baroness Mika, I'm thinking of using the acorn findings on the ends of the lucet cords for the wrists!

If anyone is interested, please let me know.  Thanks!!

Hmmm, maybe I should consider posting some sneak peaks on my shutterfly page. lol I'll have to think about it!

Sew sew sew sew sew sew this is how we sew sew sew sew sew sew...

02:12 pm: I survived the pennsic war
we made it back just fine, got home on Saturday night.

Now comes the hard part - cleaning the disaster of a house.  On top of leaving it a mess, my brother in law (who rents a room from us) made it EVEN messier.  I mean - there wasn't one clean cup in the whole house, and crap everywhere.  It took me over 2 hours yesterday just to clean all the dishes, wash all the counters, appliances, and stove.

I am now wading through the neverending loads of laundry, I've done about 5 or 6 so far.

I haven't even thought about ironing and mending and putting away yet...

there wasn't one clean towel in the house - for some reason, towels go into brother in laws room and never come out again...

oh, and right now I'm working on the yearly "cleaning of the fridge".  I consider it an extreme sport, like bullfighting.  I mean I cleaned out most of the produce and short term foodstuffs out before Pennsic, but now I am working on the yearly complete cleaning out. 

It aint pretty.

I found a small container of chopped onions.  At least I think they were onions.  They were hairy and came out all in one lump into the garbage...

ok, must plow on, I have a long list of chores to do...

hope everyone had fun...

02:54 pm: I memorandum
Today mourns the passing of Dutchess Arielle the Golden of Atlantia.  I did not know her as well as I would have wished, but she was a wonderful, amazing, beautiful woman, loved by many.  She and Duke Valharic flew up to our wedding, and I drove down to their last coronation a few years ago.

She will be sorely missed.

I am very sad.

Please note that a fundraising auction is being held to raise money to help pay for the medical bills.  The informations is as follows:  There will be an Auction held during the Atlantian Social at Atlantian Royal on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 from 8 pm to 10 pm

They are auctioning off themed giftbaskets.  I would ask any that could to possibly attend and think about bidding.

thank you

10:18 am: what is the meaning of this dream
I dreamed of rain, water, lots of water, and water running over the ground in rivulets, all over, kind of like flooding, but only an inch or so deep.

I'm not sure, but I think I was camping.  More like standing in an open sided pavillion with a cement floor and saying that there will be no place to put the bedding.

It was NOT sca specific, nor even camping specific.  It was just about water, lots of water, but not the flooding-I'm-going-to-drown-end-of-the-world type.  Just lots of water and wet.  Water running everywhere on the ground, going somewhere.  Almost like it was washing away all the dirt on the floor.  In fact, it kind of seemed important that it was all going somewhere - and seemed to be washing away dirt and crud.

Any ideas to the meaning?

11:52 am: What to do with a box of old patterns
OK, since Mr. Hair isn't working (there is no work to be had at the union hall) he decied to clean out the garage.  I mean CLEAN it out.  Put it this way, 2 weeks ago, you couldn't get more than 3 feet into the garage, and we have a 1.5 car garage, extra deep too.  Well now it's cleaner than it's ever been, even from the day we moved in!!!! Yay!!!!  He can even park the car in there, which we have never been able to park a car in our garage!!!

So, he brings in this small plastic bin - full of patterns that I've not been able to find since moving into this house in 2002.  I already went through them, and I've discarded about half of them.

So, should I keep the other patterns?  I'm 20 pounds heavier, so none of the patterns will fit.  But I have patterns made by myself, Jaquelene, Mistress Susan, and Mistress Elizabeth.  I feel bad to throw them away, but they don't fit, I don't need them anymore, and I'm trying to clean out clutter at our house.

What do you think???

05:34 pm: Glen Linn Northern Region Warcamp and Equestrian Camps
Wow, I had a great time this weekend, thank you everyone!!!!!!

I got to spend time with the Equestrians - even riding twice - SCORE!

I spent time with the Rapier - and they fed me lunch - THANK YOU

I spent time with the Archers -  I had a great time shooting and so did everyone else.  I also had enough time to enter the archery shoot - SCORE!

What a great court - so many deserving individuals - and congratulations Lillie!

Dinner - what can I say!  I never felt so wanted - we had two or three dinner invites.  Thank you all even if I didn't eat with you for thinking of inviting us.  Jaji, your camp was awesome to feed us.  The food rocked (those are Mr. Hair's words, and I second them).

And drinking and camraderie - thank you everyone for inviting us into your camps and sharing a drink with us.  I enjoyed talking with everyone, hearing the stories and songs, and enjoying everyone's company.

If anyone would like to share the pictures from the event, I'd love links and/or emails

OH, and Osgoods is a very, very, very evil place.  But I did manage to get the white wool for my coronation garb.  Thank you Farmhouse_ghost for taking me!  And also for a yummy dinner.

And thank you powers that be for almost no rain and really great and comfortable weather this weekend!

thanks and I am glad that everyone had a great time at the event this weekend.

05:57 pm: contest for coronation garb
Well, not exactly a contest.

this is the inspiration for my coronation garb:  http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=NG707

Now the contest.  I am looking for recommendations for Konrad's garb.  Preferrably German, but I am open to anything as long as it is the same time period.  To be clear, I am not looking for volunteers to make the garb, only for inspirational images.

Post links to this or email me.  Open to everyone.  Comments welcome on the images too.

I will be wearing white, Konrad will be wearing black.

Thanks everyone!

10:17 am: okokokok here's the proof!


<laughing> there, here's the proof.  It's not that big, maybe 2" long.  It is in the perfect spot too, but that's still a secret till tonight. <grin>  This was taken the day it was done, so it's still red.  It looks better now.

I'm on my way home from NC so wish me a safe trip, it will be about 10 hours including some rest stops.

04:56 pm: OK, someone told, or he is a good guesser
So, last week a day or two after the deed, I am talking to Mr. Hair on the phone.  He asks me what I have been doing, and we talk for a bit.  Then he asks me if I did anything with my one brother, Tim.  I said yes, we did some things together.  "Well, what did you do?" he asks.  "I'll show you when I get home next week" I said. 

"Oh, you got a tatoo didn't you?"

silence on the phone

How the he ll did you know, who told you? I ask

"No one told me.  You said you did something with your brother, and you would show me when you got home, so I am assuming you got a tatoo" he said.  "So what did you get and where is it?"

"Well, I got an acorn, and you'll have to find it when I get home." I said

So the cat is out of the bag. <smile>