turkey sundries

Life on Mars! via filkerdave.

Wannabe reality stars crash the state dinner. Seriously? Seriously??!?!!? As if balloon boy wasn't enough.

The practical fallout of the UHO situation.

The tiny mew mew has returned! I got out of the shower this morning, and Patty says "the tiny mew mew is back!" She went to show me, but he'd already been retrieved by his people. Glad he's doing okay.

Last night we attempted to go see the balloons being blown up for the parade. Wow, this is not how it was in my childhood, when it was just New Yorkers who randomly knew a cool secret wandering around. But now there are cops and barricades and crowds and lines. So we bagged it and went to Fairway instead. IT WAS MADE OF AWESOME. And in the cab home we got a good view of the balloons anyway.

My arm/shoulder/back thing continues to improve. Twelve hours of sleep helps.

500,000 messages from 9/11 released. Triggery and hard to read? You bet. Compulsively interesting? To some of us, yeah. Writers take heed: a useful look at how people communicate in crisis.

There are still a few hours left to add yourself to my LJ'er Black Friday shopping post. Also note that shadesong does something similar called Mall of Shadesong.

Last night Patty and I decided we totally want to go see Lady Gaga in concert in January. Alas, all the tickets are already sold out though.

Also, it seems even on a slow day like today fandom can find new and exciting (or rather old and tired, but it's been long enough I'm surprised) ways to be face-palmy. I've had this reaction not once, but twice already today, and I've only been up for about an hour and change. *sigh*

Today's goals? Turkey, back to writing, maybe handle the cruise excursions thing today, etc.

LJ Black Friday

Welcome! Below is a list of stuff supplied by various LJ'ers promoting their stuff or the stuff of friends, family, and various small businesses they enjoy. I don't have personal experience with most of them, and this is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If you're doing holiday shopping, please consider patronizing small businesses, writers and/or artists! The list below is just one place you can start from.


WEARABLES

arianhwyvar makes wire wrapped pendants out of antique keys decorated with watch gears, brass stampings, pen nibs, and beads and crystals. Also colorful wire swirl earrings.

MaureenK does Bead work, with specialization in custom re-makes (re-stringing, making long necklaces out of a choker, repurposing pendants, etc.).

featherynscale sells jewelry and other small shiny things.

beetiger sells original t-shirts designs for kids at her shop, Little Pagans.

wynkat1313 runs Mirth & Reverence where Jamie makes jewelry from seed beads and semi-precious stones, while Kate creates altered/altar art and dolls. There is a Thanksgiving Sale with 20% off everything in the shop!

Phoenix Tales sells crafts (crocheted kitty hats) and commissioned artwork.

robling_t runs a shop for the knitters and yarnies amongst us.

nancylebov sells calligraphic buttons/badges and bumper stickers. The slogans are mostly funny (cats, puns, geekishness, plus a little idealism and politics).

nan_sea sells trinkets of polymer clay - mostly whimsical ornaments and fairy houses, but other things show up from time to time. Colorful, handmade, and each completely unique. Commissions for custom pieces accepted.

Here and Now jewelry is also looking to brighten your season.

Your Favorite Things makes hand made jewelry with a gothy twist as well as traditional stuff.

loves3tulsaboyz sells Twilight-inspired jewelry & fanfare. Friday through Monday, every purchase from the shop shop will receive 2 FREE 4x6 photos from La Push or Forks, Washington.

editrx sells jewelry-quality bracelets for knitters/crochets/etc. to use for counting stitches or rows. They are made to order--different beads, charms, gold/silver are all listed on the site. Also available: matching stitch markers.

random_girl sells hand-made glass jewelry, as well as jewelry in various stones, shapes, and types. Moonblush Designs is geek, fandom, and trans friendly.

Awkward sells hand-knit and crochet scarves, gloves, and accessories in natural fibers.

rihani sells self-striping sock and worsted weight yarns in hockey team colourways, and other "inspired" colourways that strike her fancy. Custom orders welcome. Free shipping Fri-Sun on all orders.

laughingirl sells t-shirts with different slogans (many related to cancer), but also all sorts of items made from her photographs -- including holiday cards! The store raises money for The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

poisoninjest sells jewelry and some Christmas ornaments as well. Lots of pieces have fannish inspiration -- Shakespeare, True Blood, poetry, etc.

00goddess sells hand-made reusable cloth menstrual pads. She also does other custom sewing, mostly home-related. She doesn't have a website up right now, but visit her journal for information.

ekatarina makes small Christmas stockings, hair bows, purses and satin handbags. Please enquire about special orders and colours.

viggorlijah runs The Riverkids Shop that brings together handmade pieces from fair-trade and ethical shops in Cambodia, and raises funds to fight child trafficking in Cambodia

. There's a 15% discount code for LJ: EarlyChristmas-LJ

ellen_kushner alerts us to the Interfictions Auction of Portable & Wearable Art which is running through Dec. 5 (or so) with amazing stuff, some of it by generous LJ folks (including kate_schaefer's crazy wordy snappy little cocktail hat carries with it her promise to match the winning bid, up to $100! Bidding & buying supports the Interstitial Arts Foundation.

tartanshell sells handmade purses and accessories made from vintage character fabric and upcycled comics. If you're looking for geek chic, we're the shop for you. Starting on Black Friday, she's going to be having Superhero Week, running specials and listing different superhero stuff every day. We're also taking custom orders for the holidays. Additionally, she sells handmade handbags made from vintage floral fabric, mostly from the 1930s-1950s.

sanginmychains sells handspun yarn and hand dyed fiber for spinning and felting in her Etsy shop. She runs this business both out of enthusiasm and also so that she can stay home with her girls while they're young. Torchwood fans will be amused by yarn in the colourway "Bordering on the Avant Garde."

sihaya09 sells jewelry made of everything from botanically and fantasy-inspired brass to sterling silver and AA gems. She also takes commissions.

kythrynne does wire-wrapped and metal jewelry that's been popular with the LJ crowd for some time now.



THINGS TO USE AND CONSUME

strange_selkie does specialty baking. She can bake for vegans, for GF/CF/EF/NF eaters, and I bake all those things your bubbe baked. I’m handy if you have an allergy or want something particularly special, such as Tudor, Apician, or Depression-era treats. She notes she and her partner are hoping to help finance our second-parent adoption through this business.

beetiger sells incense making kits and supplies, and herbs for various and sundry purposes.

Heart and Dart makes teacrafted soaps including a custom sandalwood that has received rave reviews.

lostin_thestars sells Mary Kay. She offers free shipping to anywhere in the US, gift packages, and online payment options. Every LJ person who orders will get a free lipstick or lip gloss in their choice of color! She is also having some Thanksgiving sales, check her journal for details.

chite also sells Mary Kay, including skin care, cosmetics, fragrances, body care, and sun care for both men and women. LJ'ers receive a free lipstick, eye shadow, hand cream, or shaving cream with any order (just write your choice in the comments). Free delivery anywhere in the continental US.



THINGS TO LOOK AT (AND SOMETIMES USE)

dr_fardook does fine art photography of the specks of fabulous that make up NYC. There's a special getting to know you price of $20 for all 8x10's.

Mr Ben Wu sells whimsical art and Christmas cards.

sunhawk makes custom sculpted book covers, as well as plushy creatures and fantasy-inspired jewelry.

4hour_ramona sells a small selection of black and white, high contrast photos (and a bit of naughty cross-stitch) on her etsy shop. Backstories of some of the photos and news about gallery shows can be found at http://houseofcarpets.blogspot.com/

bluecalico sells articulated paper doll kits, painting prints and small original pieces.

telophase sells prints of her photography. You can also commission artwork from her.

juniperus is a potter. Her style is organic and function-focused — and my goal is to compliment the medium, not hide it.

thanfiction is an artist who does commissions, any fandom or any thing or person you want. His work can be seen at thanart.

catatonic_cats sells handmade books and original artwork and offers art commissions.

faedaughter sells functional yet fanciful pottery.

It was hard to know where to put norda's business, Mike's Comics, since it falls into the looking at and reading categories, but it's a great resource for geek gifts, especially for Doctor Who and other Brit-TV fans in the US.

aaronace sells prints of his art and also has an art book out.


THINGS TO READ

logospilgrim writes mystical books about Severus Snape that, among other things, serve to counter the rather ill-informed perspective that the world of Harry Potter is incompatible with Christian faith.

rachelmanija has a memoir out, All the Fishes Come Home to Roost.

nobodyreally has written a cookbook is designed to involve kids in every aspect of food creation: from gardening to shopping to cooking. Recipes are from scratch and include step-by-step photos and nutritional information.

megburden's YA debut novel Northlander takes place in a cold kingdom in the winter, so, it would be perfect for holiday gift-giving. The sequel, The King Commands, will be released in April.

valarltd writes GLBT romance and erotica. Most of it is Ebook, but some of the books are available in print. She also notes that The Literary Underworld is a consortium of writers. You can order books direct from their private stock, which saves you money and gives writers a bigger cut.

bodlon is a fledgling pro writer, and has collected a list of everything he's in that's available in time for the winter holidays, as well as things his friends are in.

Finally, I'm the author of The Book of Harry Potter Trifles, Trivias and Particularities, which offers three levels of Harry Potter trivia challenges in nine different categories.