the event: the firefighters' christmas dinner on December 1
the task: table setting for said dinner (approx. 130 people)
the idea: blue, white, and natural materials such as twigs, nuts, cookies, and apples

( making of and resultCollapse )

er...*dusts off poor neglected journal*...let's just pretend that my last post does not date more than 6 months back... *shameface*

*pokes flist* anyone still here?

much has happened, there's a lot to talk about (or not...), but that's for another day.

today, it's about color.

While inside my apartment, I have come to like mostly neutral colors for furnishings (whites, grays, natural browns/beige, silver etc.) and just a dash of one brighter color here and there), I absolutely LOVE bright and sunny colors outdoors. Nature's way of sometimes showing off the most astounding depth of color, a vibrance hard to achieve with a paintbrush never ceases to amaze me.

So, when it's a day like today (mostly gray and depressing, so typical for november...), it's time to remember the vibrant images of october... : )

( on to the colorCollapse )

*sneaky sneaky fly-by-greetings*

♥♥♥

It's been a year since I last posted ficcage... !

but hey, that's what Yuletide is for, because I just can't.stay.away. no matter how much I fail at writing anything else. ^^;

So now, since the new season's just started, I really really ought to post this as soon as possible before the general content of my story appears in canon...*cough*

Because, for Yuletide 2011 , I wrote:

Title: By your side I rest my soul
Fandom: Natsume Yuujinchou
Characters: Natsume/Tanuma
Rating: Gen
Disclaimer: The characters belong to their respective owners. The story is mine (and Becky's ^_~).
Summary: Natsume runs and talks a lot, Tanuma listens, and Nyanko-Sensei is late.
Notes: written for Becky in the Yuletide Challenge 2011.
The story is based on the anime and takes place after the end of Natsume Yuujinchou San. Character relationship: If you squint hard enough, there is Natsume/Tanuma, but it is very very mild and can be interpreted as just close friendship.
Also, many many thanks and much love to whimsy_chan for the (last minute) beta and to belina for much needed encouragement. ♥!

--> in my fic journal

--> at AO3

... and not only to wish all of you you a HAPPY NEW YEAR but also to shout out a big THANK YOU to all of those who have made 2011 a richer and more wonderful year for me! ♥♥♥

there have been both lows and highs, but overall it wasn't such a bad year, at all. :D and now? looking forward to the next one!

in that sense...

...and this year I'm rather late. ^^;

A whole month (to the day) later than last year, actually, here's finally my Christmas card post.

Though I have to say, there haven't really been many Christmas card posts in general this year on my flist *pokes flist*...

Well, I think you know the deal by now. Below are my lists.

(Note: If it says I have your address, but you have moved since last Christmas or the last time I sent you something, would you be so kind and comment with your new address? I might already have it, but I want to make sure I really do have the right one.)

☆ Anyone else who is not on a list but would like a card, please leave your address in a comment (screened, of course) or send it to my email (in my profile). ☆

( You, I have your address and you're getting something Christmassy anyway (behind a cut because it's long...):Collapse )

You, I want to send you something, but don't have your address (for whatever reason...^^;):

☆ hexadecimal00 - Hexie, you moved again and sent me no address! *pokes*
☆ thejennabides - Muskrit? meep?
☆ dysis *poke*
☆ yuukihikari Definitely a new address, ne? ^_~
☆ nekofreak katie-cat, not sure if I have your current address...^^;
☆ gwy Schnecke, I know it's likely that I'll be able to give you something in person (OMGYAY! ;D), but send me your addy anyway, just in case?



Oh, and obviously, if you're on one of the lists but don't want a card, let me know. ^_~ However, if it's already on its way... too bad :P

First of all, I'd already like to say 'thank you', because I'm certain that no matter which request you decide to fulfill, it will make me happy. All of them are fandoms that I hold dear and that I haven't really found much fic for (or none at all), so I'm really looking forward to read anything you'll write for me.

However, in order to give you a somewhat more detailed idea of what I normally like to read, I've compiled a few things that show what I'm looking for in fanfiction. I've tried to keep them as general as possible while still making them (hopefully) helpful.

( General Likes and DislikesCollapse )


Furthermore, I've also put down a bit more on the specific requests in addition to the details given in the sign-up:

( Request DetailsCollapse )

Should you have any questions, please contact me through the Yuletide admins. Otherwise, belina would also be a good source, I think. She knows what I like. ^_^

lots of love and thank you so much for taking this on,
~haraamis

Bleach, oh Bleach... after all these years, I still love you so dearly...♥

^_^ Back in 2004, I got to watch the first episode of Bleach as it aired, as I was in Japan then, staying with a host family whose daughter liked anime quite well...

after that, it's been on and off with Bleach for me... for a time I actually watched as it aired - while I was in Japan, of course, but also at home, downloading as soon as the episode came online and watching it as soon as possible.

but a lot of times, I would also accumulate a bunch of episodes (no time to watch right a way, and then I was suddenly so behind I wasn't able to really catch up...) and then watch them in marathon fashion.

so, sometime last year, (or the year before? ^^;) I left off at about episode 250...(after marathoning about 50 episodes if I remember right...).

last weekend? yeah, I suddenly felt the intense NEED to watch Bleach again. I downloaded all the episodes I was missing in one day (around 60 - there are 343 out - XD the mind somewhat boggles at this number...) and started watching again.

and as everytime before, I'm once again totally caught up in it, enthralled by it, in love with it. ^__^ I watched almost 50 episodes since last Saturday...XD

AND IT'S THE BIG BATTLE NOW (er...again after the Zanpakutou arc cut in between)... :D

and what made me write this entry? they just had an episode, where they summarized all of Ichigo's important battles... and that made me realize just how long I've been watching and loving this show. ♥♥♥

And that just makes me happy. ^_^

A/N: maybe I should have said this from the beginning... today was a particularly good day to watch Bleach, as it's easier to watch TV when holding an ice pack to your jaw than doing anything else that requires both hands (computer, turning pages on a book, cleaning etc.)...

I had some dental surgery this morning (they had to cut off the tip of the root of one of my teeth because it kept getting infected, even after I had a root canal done on that tooth, within my jaw bone. -.-" so, she actually had to drill a hole into the bone in order to remove the offending tip and the inflamed tissue around it (which apparently almost resembled a cyst...) and then fill it with something that can't get inflamed....

I really really hope this does the trick this time, as this is the tooth I had a root canal done 6 years ago, had said root canal revised (aka filling removed and redone!) last winter because it had gotten inflamed, and then had to go back to the dentist again a couple of weeks ago because there was yet another inflammation. -.-"

So, I'm on pain killers now and feeling as if someone has punched me in the face. *sigh*

anyway, enough of yucky teeth stories... there's still stuff I need to do and there is also a birthday party the boy and I need to show up tonight - at least for a little while. ^^;

Dancing the golden sunlight
across the tired floor."
- Matt Dimmic

Today was the kind of autum day I don't like. Gray, cold, wet, depressing.

But Monday? Monday was gorgeous (after the fog finally disappeared around noon, that is...^^;)




Im not sure if I mentioned this before, but I have an oak tree in my back yard, that proved to be the perfect subject for a series of fall picturers featuring the tree itself, the grass and dry leaves beneath, acorns (lots and lots of acorns :P), my beloved little wood and iron bench, a pretty wire basket, flowers, and that beautiful beautiful golden light that is so typical for this time of year. ♥

sounds boring? please move on then...:P

for anyone curious enough: ( on to a bunch of pictures ^_^Collapse )

...coming home and finding....



... a surprise present from ♥belina ^_~ ♥ your best friend. ♥♥

And not just any present, but a so called "Schultüte" (large cornet of cardboard filled with sweets and little presents given to children in Germany on their first day at school)! :D :D

She made one for me, because I started started school again a few weeks ago (I'm not sure I mentioned it here, but I believe many of you saw it on facebook...)! how sweet is that?!

Thank you again, sweetheart, thank you so much!

And it was so pretty, too.... wanna see?

( clicky click!Collapse )

I know I've been scarce again... but I dropped my computer broke a couple of weeks ago, and I had to send it in for repairs. I did get a replacement from the nice IT guy at work, but I didn't have my files or my programs, so I didn't spend a whole lot of time online...

I got it back now (and thank god my hard drive and data was all intact), but I've been busy with school, the big scout event that is coming up in November and other stuff, so...^^;;;

Talking of the big scout event... I'm actually off to camp for a week in a couple of hours where we're gonna create/paint the backdrop for the play, do rehearsals and other preparation for the event. It says there's WLAN at the place, but I'm not holding my breath. I do have to go into work on Thursday, but other than that I'll be at camp, fooling around with paint and brushes and plaster and other fun things... *grins* it'll be busy, but at least I get to spend the whole week in the same place as the boy ♥ ^_~

Anyway, gotta finish packing and cleaning and then off I am....

aw man... I just can't get over the cuteness coolness that is this

( volkswagen commercialCollapse )


windsorblue, if you haven't seen this yet (you'll know if you have), you are so not allowed to pass it by....and everyone else should watch it, too! :P

also...Optimus Prime? can read the phone book to me at any time.... *__*


( from 2:18 to the end is my favorite part...subject to being watched/listened to over and over and over again....*cough*Collapse )

( wood strawberriesCollapse )


after dicking around for the first half of august, summer decided on a last spurt of showing us real summer, so we got a good week of just that - sunshine and (for us) very high temperatures (30-35°C every day). even though I had to work most of the time, I very much enjoyed being able to sit outside until 10pm in just shorts and a tank top ♥ and I got to wear most of my lovely summer dresses at least once! :D

but, man, did my plants need a lot of water. >.<

then we had a temperature drop of over 15°C within about 2 hours last Friday, and now we're back to a very comfortable late summer weather (20-25°C) with cold nights (it drops down to about 10°C).

it's just too bad that the days are already noticeably shorter again...

anyway, have a wonderful day, everyone! ♥♥

( ...opening the door and...Collapse )

I think I like this "happiness is..." series... I shall continue and try to make a post for it every week. Please to be poking me if I start slacking off...^^;

( ...a bowl of fresh, sweet blackberries ♥Collapse )

so, yes, I'm back from my (amazing, but way too short) vacation at home in Wisconsin. I had the most WONDERFUL time, spent time with many people I love and always miss very much, swam in the pool and/or in a couple of lakes almost every day, sunbathed and relaxed, rummaged through garage sales, flea markets, and antique malls, did a lot of shopping in general (OMG, so much shopping.. XD duh! who am I kidding. it's always like that when I visit the States XD), even did some touristy things (Door County is SUCH a lovely place!), ate all the things I love so much but that we don't have here, and generally enjoyed the freedom and the warm (and sometimes very hot) weather, as it should be in summer XD!

I got back home Monday morning, unpacked a couple of things, went to a friend's place to celebrate August 1 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWITZERLAND! :D), went to work Tuesday morning, came home and pretty much crashed after unpacking a couple more things, unpacked more this morning before going to work... why yes, there's a pattern. XD I'm almost done now, though (except for laundry)...

I still need to sort through all the pics before I can show them off, which might take a little while (please poke me if I get lazy again and forget about it!). But I wanted to share something anyway, so I took some pics of tonight's dessert (part of it, anyway. XD)...I hope you enjoy these, too.

I really like pictures of pretty things that make me happy, so I might even start a series of "happiness is..." or something like that....*ponders*. maybe that's the motivation I need to get back on track on here again. ^^;;;

train leaves in 10 minutes, flight in less than 3 1/2 hours! OMG, so excited! :D

it's been so loooooooooooooong (way too long)!

watch out, Wisconsin, I'm almost there...XD

*fwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwing*

Good morning, lovelies! ♥

I feel like sharing ( the view from my office in BernCollapse )

Also, I went to see Tangled yesterday (unfortunately, it was only being shown in German -.-"). OMG, what fun! ^____^ I laughed so much and I'd like to see it again. I'm not sure if the 3D was really necessary, but I just LOVED some of the characters (pascal, maximus ♥! and of course the two lovebirds ♥).

Also, my sentence fic offer still stands for anyone who missed it. ^__~

I haven't been on a fandom spree for so long, I forgot how much fun it is. XD might as well make use of it as long as it lasts...

so, looking at some old entries, I also stumbled across a few posts in which I offered sentence fic, and it appears I was quite enjoying it. *grins*

therefore, I herewith offer to write sentence ficcage for you (1-5 sentences depending on what comes to mind....) if you give me a fandom, a pairing/characters, and a prompt (which can be a word or a line).

the only condition I'm setting is that I have to know the canon in full (if you're not sure, feel free to ask or give me an alternative in case I don't know the canon of your first choice). the exception to this rule are series that are still running. other than that... you know my boundaries, I think. ^_~

haha, yes. a fandom entry. :P THEY DO EXIST IN THIS JOURNAL! once in a while. *cough*

anyway.

I just finished watching Togainu no Chi (marathoned it in 2 days. XD)....

...

...

...

WTF? T___T

I suspected it, but I reallyreallyreally hoped to be wrong.... no. I wasn't.

moving on. byebye pretty pretty, oh so pretty Akira....

***

on a happier note, yuletide seems to have resurrected the fangirl in me! I've read more fanfic over the last few days than in the past two years I think! XD

I am also OBSESSED with two new fandoms/pairings, aka, raking the internets with DESPERATION for fanfic .... though only with rather mediocre success. *SIGH* why is it always obscure fandoms,why?

( obsessed much?Collapse )

more on yuletide and fanfic-squee tomorrow. must sleep now. e_e