Bookworm Pencil Bags

As many of you know, in addition to writing, I also sew. This past year I've had to step back from costume commissions because my health problems have not allowed me to do big projects. However I have been doing small pieces for my little Etsy store, Whimsical Kitchen.

Up until now, this has mainly been flour sack towels. But last week I was in Hobby Lobby and found the new line of "Fairy Tale" jewelry supplies...

...they had book charms! Jane Austen and Shakespeare! OH MAN. Immediately my creative juices started flowing and I decided I had to develop a line of pencil/project bags to sell in my store!

I wanted them to have a clear window, because I love transparencies on bags! Makes it so much easier to find whatever I'm looking for. However, I also wanted to incorporate embroidery, because I have so much fun doing embroidered designs, and it is sort of a trademark of my little shop. "Pride and Prejudice" was my first one, but it ended up a little too square for a pencil bag, so I made the next ones a bit narrower.

I also decided to do a few zipper pulls with some pretty crystal charms and little inspirational words, to serve the crafty crowd. 

 I mean, look at that awesome design from Urban Threads!

The little leather detail sprung out of an accident - I accidentally melted some plastic on an early prototype bag, and put the leather over it to cover it. It looked so cool, that my husband encouraged me to include it as an official detail in the design!

I couldn't really make the leather strip work for "Emma" though, it just didn't fit with those delicate parasols! So I put some pretty braid in there.

See the awesome vintage metal zipper in there?

Only one Shakespeare bag ready now - I need to buy new embroidery designs to work with the other two plays ("Hamlet" and "Much Ado About Nothing") and I want to make sure I can sell project bags before I invest more money in them.

The design is embroidered on faux leather! I thought it worked well for this theme!

I had a hard time figuring out a good design to pair with "Sense and Sensibility." In the end, I used two!

The interiors of all the bags are finished off with serged seams, so there will be no fraying!

Two other bits of exciting shop news -

#1 - final sale of 2016! Use code 'PROCRASTINATE16' to save 10% off your order through Tuesday. Orders placed before 10:00am on Tuesday should reach continental US locations by Christmas, orders placed by Midnight on Tuesday may reach continental US locations by Christmas.

#2 - Up until now, I've only shipped to the US. Now I am opening up international orders to Canada and Europe to test out how much of a hassle it is to ship internationally via ETSY. If that works well, I'll expand.

Anyhow, that's it! I'm super excited about these bags and can't wait for them to find good homes with fellow bookworms and crafters! $12.00 at Whimsical Kitchen.

"The Professor and the Siren" Update

I love my alpha readers. They are great. So generous with their time and their story appreciation talents.

But, man. They just shook up my plans for 2017. 

"The Professor and the Siren" was 40k words when it was sent off to Alpha readers, and I knew I needed to add about two more chapters. This would be a very long novella, but still, just a novella. Hitting the February 14, 2017 deadline was always a push, but we were still on track for it.

The good news is that the Alpha readers loooooved the draft. 

The bad news is, there were a couple specific critiques that made me realize the only way to truly do the story justice was to push past the 50k mark and send the story into novel-length territory. 

The good news is that y'all are going to get a much deeper, more fleshed out story, and I think it is going to be well worth waiting for. 

The bad news is, it's not coming in February. (I don't have a release date yet, I need to get the second draft done first.)

This also means that "The Professor and the Siren" will officially become book #2 in "The Song of the Fay" even though the story takes place chronologically prior to the events of "The Mermaid and the Unicorn." In the end, I think this will be a good thing because it will ensure that most readers don't even think of picking up this one first (it would spoil "The Mermaid and the Unicorn" almost completely if they did). It'll be a little unorthodox, but I think it should work out from a narrative standpoint.

It's been a difficult decision to make, in large part because I am so excited about the Scotland book ("The Selkie and the Queen") and I'm dying to work on that, but there is some really important stuff I am writing about in "The Professor and the Siren" and it is worth taking the time to do it right. 

"The Professor and the Siren" will probably still be much shorter than "The Mermaid and the Unicorn", which I hope means that you won't be waiting too long for it.

(Hoping to give "The Mermaid and the Unicorn" as a Christmas gift? The Amazon page features a helpful notice on their product pages, indicating if it will arrive before Christmas. "Mermaid" is printed on demand, which means that it should be safe to order up until Wednesday, depending on how weather affects mail routes.)

Christmas Gifts for Fairy Tale Lovers

Christmas is coming, and the hunt is on to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. I thought that this year I would put together a list of gifts for the fairy tale fan in your life (and maybe inspire your list too!)

(None of these are affiliate links. A few products listed below are sold by my friends or myself, which I clearly state in the product review. Although I of course earn money by selling my own products, I gain nothing from promoting anyone else's, and only do so because I believe they are worth purchasing.)

Books

The Goose Girl by Marguerite de Angeli 
This beautifully illustrated book is a treasure for any fairy tale lover, young or old. The gorgeous illustrations captivated both my sister and I from a young age, inspiring us to a life long devotion for this story. (My sister has our copy. I need to ask for it myself one of these days...)
$3.49 and up, Amazon, used, 








Cinder by Marissa Meyer
If your fairy tale fan has not yet discovered the Lunar chronicles, it is high time to add this series to their Christmas list! A futuristic retelling of Cinderella, followed up with Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White. I have yet to meet a friend who read this series and didn't like it! (my review here)
$8.94, Amazon 

Enchanted, Inc by Shanna Swendson
For the fairy tale fan who enjoys their magic with some sweet romantic comedy (and adventure!) This is an adult series, but appropriate for most older teens. (See more details at my review here!)
$10.27, Amazon 

$9.38 - Amazon

$8.99 Amazon

If you are looking for a more straightforwards retelling of a traditional fairy tale, I recommend either "Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow" by Jessica Day George (my review), or "ICE" by Sarah Beth Durst (my review). Both books are unique, YA takes on the tale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon", which I greatly enjoyed and would recommend for any fan of the fairy tales. Check out my reviews for age appropriateness.

$16.00 - Chesterton Press

$18.00 - Chesterton Press

My very favorite Fairy Tale retellings are the Fairy Tale Novels by Regina Doman. Featuring modern day, Catholic heroes and heroines, her tales play out without magic, relying instead on creative contemporary substitutions. The charm of Doman's books lies in her endearing characters, who shine on in your heart long after the books are done. Intelligent, funny, romantic, and sometimes dark, I cannot recommend the books highly enough (indeed, "Waking Rose" remains one of my very favorite novels, and my copy is falling to pieces!) Chesterton Press's website includes a "Picky Parent's Guide" for each of the books, which I recommend reading before purchasing for younger readers.

 Due to being a small press, their prices are higher than you may be used to seeing, but I promise the books are well worth the extra cost! If in doubt, you can always start off with the Kindle versions. OR you can take advantage of Chesterton Press's Christmas sale today, which offers the complete set of all five books for $79.00.

$13.99 - Amazon

 I would be a poor self-promoter indeed if I didn't mention my own fairy-tale inspired novel, "The Mermaid and the Unicorn." It may not be a direct retelling, but it imagines a world in which the fairy tale creatures we know and love truly exist. Don't take my word for it, though - check out what my reviewers have to say over at Amazon! (The book should be appropriate for ages 13 and up, but younger readers might not connect as much with the college aspects of the story - or they might find it really cool!)

$9.19 - Amazon

$9.57 - Amazon

And for the fairy tale lover who also loves to color, you can't beat the adult coloring books by Joanna Basford! And don't forget the author recommend markers (which I've personally tested and love!)







Stuff to Wear

Etsy is full of gorgeous fairy tale jewelry. Here are a few of my favorites to inspire your searches!

Cinderella Necklace $18

Beauty and the Beast Key Necklace $12.60

Alice in Wonderland Necklace $12.00

Little Mermaid Necklace $21.00

If you are looking for something more general fantasy and less specific fairy tale, my friend Shealynn has a wide range of beautiful, high quality jewelry pieces.

$125

$35

$24

$10

If your recipient is less of a jewelry person, and more of a t-shirt fan, they might find the delightful Doctor Who/Disney collection by Karen Hallion to be just the present for them! (TeeFury offers 15% off your first order from them)

Kitchen and Table

But of course, many die-hard fairy tale fans already have books and jewelry coming out of their ears. So what else can you give them? 

Mug - $18.50

Beauty and the Beast Wine Glasses - $20

Snow White Mug - $12.74

Wine Charms - $18.00

Coasters - $35

And of course, I also carry a line of Fairy Tale flour sack dishtowels in my Etsy Store ($4.65 - $6.75 each)

...or Make it Yourself!

Are you more of a crafter than a buyer? Here are some fairy tale craft ideas that you can put to good use!

Mermaid blankets are all the rage right now, and I know one of my friends was really excited to receive one from another friend last year! There are tons of patterns out there, for any range of experience. Check out this round up post for free instructions to suit your style!

Or you could make a miniature fairy garden! Using a real flower (Trader Joes has inexpensive miniature rosebushes) or fake, fill up a globe or flowerpot with miniature baskets, stones, moss, fairies, keys, bridges, benches, wishing wells, and whatever else you can find at your local craft store! Pinterest is full of inspirational photos - here are some of my favorites!

$15.99 - JoAnn's

$10.77 - JoAnn's

Or, if you're more of a seamstress, you could whip up a cute apron in a fairy-tale themed fabric! (This idea also works for tote bags and purses!)

And of course, if you're into jewelry making, most craft stores carry a wide range of charms that you can use to add a bit of the fantastical and magical to any bracelet, necklace, or pair of earrings. OR you could glue these same charms to a picture frame or wooden treasure box to create another unique type of gift for the fairy tale fan in your life!

OUAT 6.10 "Wish you were here"

Mid-season finale time! hold on tight folks, cuz we're in for a very spoilerific ride in this review!



---spoilers---spoilers---spoilers---



First up, let's talk alternative universes. I LOVE alternative universe episodes! It's so fun to see a different twist on characters (and costumes). We've been waiting six seasons to really see what Emma's life would have been like if they'd stayed in the Enchanted Forest and it was SO FUN to see it at long last!

Snow and Charming as old folks was hilarious. Oh man. I feel like I could sense the fun the actors were having the whole time.

Henry as a dashing knight in golden armor was crazy. He's really a young man now! Love that moment when Regina glimpsed him at the knighting ceremony. Adorable. Just too bad the real Henry didn't get to experience it!

Emma "la la la-ing" in the forest and generally being a sheltered flower-princess because she hadn't had to face any hardship ever. I don't know if that's really how she would have turned out, but for the purposes of this being a wish-created bubble universe, it worked (just like we're not going to look too hard at the fact that Neal was still Henry's father, because how did he get there and...yeah. Bubble Universe.)

Rumple's complete self-awareness was great "on behalf of all Rumplestiltskins everywhere..." "I'm off to raze non-existent villages!" Perfection.

To wrap things up on the AU end - ROBIN. Wow. We knew he would be back somehow this season, but I was expecting a flashback. To have him here in the AU, keeping Regina from jumping in the portal... wowza.

The hijinks of the AU contrasted sharply with the realities of the real world. Here, Gold is deathly serious, working to gain Belle's trust to save their son.

And here's where it gets really delicious, folks! Dark Fairy is back and relevant (although we didn't see her, I assume she'll be around for the next half of the season). I definitely thought that it was her behind the dark cloak as soon as we learned she'd kidnapped baby Gideon.

BUT THEN IT GOT BETTER. And I got my other wish! Grown-up Gideon is back! And... good or evil? Not sure. He certainly appears menacing, and is definitely set up to be the person who kills Emma...but... all we have actually seen him do is turn Evil Queen into a snake and cage her up, which is pretty helpful.

Which begs another question - is Gideon here because of the Dark Fairy, OR was the Dark Fairy able to kidnap him in the first place because of David's wish that the Evil Queen get what she deserved (i.e. becoming caged snake).

I don't know, folks. This season may have had the lamest opening, but the mid-season finale was amazing and I can't wait to see what happens next!

P.s. I loved Aladdin's new costume and hope he and Jasmine will be back soon!

Pre-Dawn Writing

If my Facebook Memories feed is anything to go by, November has historically been a crazy writing month for me. Obviously NaNoWriMo plays a part in that, but I also just plain tend to do a lot of writing in the fall.

This month I've been battling both health and editing blues to get progress done on "The Professor and the Siren." I'm not very keen on the editing part of the novel process. My mentor, Regina, claims that it is her favorite part. Me, I don't like nitpicking over what I've already written, so it takes a lot more strength of will to sit down and edit than it does to sit down and write new scenes (well...most of the time.)

This morning I woke up at 5:30 and had trouble sleeping. Part of it was a stuffy nose, and part of it was an idea for the book. Since I'd already planned to rise early to watch "Supergirl" with Nathan before he left for work (it's Superhero CrossoverWeek, doncha know), I decided to get up and pull out the computer.

I actually got through 20 pages of manuscript in about an hour, which wasn't bad at all. (Okay, a bunch of those were title pages. But still!). It was weird being up while it was still pitch black outside, but I turned on the tree lights in the living room and it was quite nice.

Then I started to put breakfast together, and quite confused poor Mateo, who walked out to find - not the black kitchen he was used to - but Mommy! Already awake! Our dog is a creature of extreme habit and anything out of our ordinary routine confuses the heck out of him. He spent several minutes just pacing back and forth around me as he recalibrated his morning brain.

I stayed awake through the "Supergirl" episode (which was really only a crossover in the last three minutes), then gladly fell back asleep for another three hours. I didn't wake again until noon, but I already had the biggest item on my daily agenda crossed off.

I don't know that I would do this regularly, but it is interesting to note that this is, in fact, how our ancesters functioned.

OUAT 6.9 "Changlings"

After a week off, OUAT is back with some big developments.

Spoilers ahoy!

First of all, I want to state that after rewatching the first three seasons of OUAT with my husband, I am finally coming around to enjoying Killian as a character. My first watch-through was so overshadowed by my frustration of them taking an iconic villian and turning him into a handsome Jack-Sparrow-Wannabe. Having now come to terms with that, I can appreciate the character he actually is, which makes for much less stressful viewing.

Snow and Charming had a tiny subplot this week, but it is one with big implications - possibly. Aladdin redeemed his earlier failure by putting on the cuffs and becoming a genie so that Jasmine can find Agrabah. Which really shouldn't be that dramatic of a thing - isn't it obvious that Jasmine's final wish will be to wish Aladdin free? But, oh well, it's still romantic and heroic and lovely.

I also think it is quite lovely and bittersweet that they have chosen not to portray Aladdin's genie on the show. This seems to me an obvious tribute to Robin William's passing, and I think it is a good choice. To have any other genie interacting with Aladdin on a Disney-connected show would feel weird at this point in time, even if not actually disrespectful.

Perhaps the biggest shock in this episode was finding out that Rumple's mother was the long-referenced Dark Fairy, played by Jaime Murray (Warehouse 13) in a far too short scene. Indeed, for such a big revelation, there was almost no build-up, which was pretty disappointing. This could have been a half-season arc in and of itself. Not that we need it, but it would have been nice to spend a few more episodes leading up to the revelation, accompanied by a few more scenes. Dare we hope that we'll get another flashback with her this season?

Now, yes, Belle's decision to send Gideon away was also a big deal, but I didn't find it so shocking. Indeed, I sincerely thought that the answer to the dilemma was going to be to kill Rumple (although of course that is far easier said than done). But of course Belle would never ever do that. For her, sending her son away is a thousand times better than killing anyone.

It remains to see how this will actually play out on scene. Will there be a time skip of some sort, with grown-up Gideon coming back with the Blue Fairy (but better done than with Connar on Angel). Grown-Gideon has been so delightful in Belle's dreams, I would really love to see him as a series regular or at least continue to be a re-occuring guest star.

The downside is that it sets up another 'full circle' plot on the show. Really, can we come up with some new motivation for Rumple?

Ah, I'm forgetting. This is OUAT. The moment they have you believing they've become mundane and predictable, they twist everything up unbelievably. So... I'll wait...and see...

Speaking of twists.

CRAZY THEORY - Does Emma somehow split herself? Is she fighting herself in the end? Trying to kill herself? This would really tie the two series-long threads together AND provide a big twist at the same time. Especially if somehow Emma defeats the Evil Queen without killing Regina, but in payment, has to split herself, and her evil side turns out to be naaaasty.

"Heartless" will rip your heart out...

When Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles - my review) told her agent that she wished Gregory Meyer ("Wicked") would write the backstory of the Queen of Hearts, her agent challenged her to write the story herself. And so "Heartless" was born. 

I've never managed to read my way through either of Carroll's works, and detest the Disney animated "Alice in Wonderland." Although I've appreciated some recent takes on the iconic world, it generally is not my cup of tea at all. This fact, in addition to my less than enthusiastic reaction to Meyer's previous villain backstory ("Fairest") made me ambivalent about the recent "Heartless" release. However, a coupon for Half Price Books and the absence of the book I really wanted shifted the scales, and I ended up picking up a copy. 

(The photo does not do it justice!)

(Which, I'll admit, was in part because the cover is so dang gorgeous. Every time I picked up the book I drooled over the beautiful design and lamented the fact that such a cool production is out of my reach as long as I am in the self-publishing arena).

But unlike Meyer's "Fairest", "Heartless" stars a sympathetic and lovable heroine. In fact, Cath is so sweet and endearing, that it seems impossible that she is really the Queen of Hearts. She is a young lady of noble birth, who desires nothing more than to start a bakery, when all of her plans are upset by two suitors...

My non-spoiler wrap up? "Heartless" is a book as rich as the treats Cath bakes, going from whimsy, to spectacular, to a bone-chilling finish. 

At first, my foray into the world of Wonderland was slow, because, well, as I've already mentioned, I'm not a Wonderland fan. And the human/animal romance side plot was a little weird. BUT Meyer did a great job of making it all work. The curiosities and craziness of the land of Hearts is believable and a good mix of annoying and endearing. 

...but then she adds a layer of cool and chilling -- from the creepiness of a familiar childhood nursery rhyme, to the awesome imagining of characters from the land of Chess (Rooks are the beeest), to her take on the Mad Hatter -- Meyer's Wonderland is entrancing and awesome.

So awesome, that I would give this book five stars and recommend it to any fan of fairy-tale retellings...but I would include a strong warning. This is a beautiful book with a heartbreaking ending. When I finished, I felt as though my own heart had been ripped out (a la OUAT). 

Back to the first paragraph -- although the theme is similar to those explored by Maguire, I found "Heartless" to be more my cup of tea, and also more suited to a YA audience. "Wicked" fans will doubtless enjoy this, but even if you didn't like "Wicked" you may still wish to check out "Heartless" as it is tonally rather different. 

Fairy Tales, Writing Updates, Museums, and Mateo

Today's post is going to be a smorgasbord of updates, recaps and news. (FYI - OUAT spoilers are at the bottom of this post)

First off - the big news online today is the release of the "Beauty and the Beast" trailer. Although I was uncertain about some of the costumes in the photos released the other week, I am pretty optimistic about the new trailer. I'm pretty bummed that I won't be able to see it in theaters, due to the way the over simulation gives me migraines, but right now I'd say there's a good chance I'll be buying it the day it releases on DVD! (Husband, thou hast been warned!)

Speaking of headaches, we are trying a new (for me), very specialized type of chiropractic care to try and get to the root cause. Although I have done regular chiro before, I've never gotten long lasting results. This new care is a type that has worked amazing well for a friend of mine who also has fibro, and so far my body is responding in a very promising manner. We are trying not to get our hopes up too high, but it is difficult! We'd love prayers - both that it would work well, and that if it doesn't, that we would be at peace and continue to trust in God's plans. (I will discuss this treatment in further detail if it works out, but I don't want to say too much until we get something more concrete.)

On the book front, I am about to plunge into edits on "The Professor and the Siren" as soon as I get notes back from my Alpha readers. One of those readers is my husband, Nathan, who figured out how to use a text-to-speech app to listen to the book (so cool listening to my book with a British narrator!) We continue to plan on a February 14th, 2017 release for this novella, which currently looks to be hitting about 160 pages (the book itself will be a slightly smaller trim size than "The Mermaid and the Unicorn" to help distinguish it's status as a companion novella and not a direct sequel). 

The actual sequel, "The Selkie and the Queen" is about 10k in length right now. It's a bit weird going from the tight pacing of the short novella format to the richer description and fuller details of a fantasy length novel again. However, I really love the setting and cast for the book, and I'm having fun immersing myself in their world. 

Meanwhile, "The Mermaid and the Unicorn" is now stocked at Chesterton Press! After many years of being an avid fan of CP owner, Regina Doman, and promoting and selling CP books at conferences and online, it is really cool to see them stocking my own novel (which of course, they played a vital role in starting). Very 'full circle' so to speak. 

Last week my mother-in-law came up to help us catch up on our long list of to-do items before the snow hits. In addition to getting a lot of important stuff accomplished, we also had fun times, including some Steampunk Pirates on Halloween, with new additions to our costumes!

The pulpit where Luther preached his final sermon.

MIL also treated us to the Martin Luther/Reformation exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Given that actually traveling to Germany is FAR out of our reach right now, this would have been a really cool opportunity even if it wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see some of the objects on display in the US. This is because the MIA is restoring some items (like Luther's pulpit) and thus it is coming out of his church for the first time in 500 years (and possibly for the next 500 years as well). While this exhibit probably has the most interest for those of Protestant origin, it is an extremely well-done and diverse exhibit that I think would prove fascinating for anyone with an interest in European history. If you're in the Twin Cities between now and mid-January, I recommend checking it out!

Nathan and his mum, silhouetted against the beautiful Minneapolis skyline

This is Minnesota? In NOVEMBER??? 

He likes yarn almost as much as his mom. 

Mateo is also enjoying the gorgeous weather! At just short of 15lbs he is bigger than either of his parents, and we continue to enjoy watching him grow and learn more every day! He brings constant smiles to our faces...not a surprise in my case, but it has been a bit astonishing to see how much Nathan (not a dog fan) enjoys having Mateo in our little family. 

We also managed to find a 'Mateo' ornament for our Christmas tree! I didn't think it was possible, but almost as soon as we walked into "World Market" last night, I found myself facing a miniature version of my pup. Could not stop grinning about it!

World Market has this ornament in several Shih Tzu color combos!

The other Hajek pursuit this month is indoctrinating Nathan in the ways of "Once Upon a Time." I am thrilled at how much he is enjoying the show, although I rather dread the fact that next Spring I'll have to wait an additional nine or so hours to watch each new episode! Horrors! ;) 

Speaking of OUAT (mildly spoilerific?)... no full recap this week because I need to have some diversity on the blog, but I do wish to say that the opening montage was just pitch perfect and nearly made me cry. Waaaaaa.... 

OUAT 6.6 and 7 - "Dark Waters" and "Heartless"

As I mentioned two weeks ago , Nathan is finally joining into the OUAT fun. We are halfway through season 2, and stayed up far too late last night in order to get through "Manhatten" (which is just one of my favorite episodes. LOVE that reveal!)

spoilers forthcoming...

Last week we got our "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" episode, which was great (finally more Hook!). Although I have to be nitpicky - back in Season 2, Cora told Hook that he wouldn't notice that 28 years passed, while "Dark Waters" clearly states that the flashback action is taking place during the time of the Dark Curse. So... little slip up there. However, getting to see Liam II come back was worth it (and a great Captain Nemo). Also, Henry/Hook bonding was great, particularly Hook wondering how he was going to manage the video game console. And this gem:

Henry: My Pop Tarts!
Hook; I'll make us a real pirate's breakfast of grapefruit and boiled mackeral! There'll be no scurvy here today!

Now this week's episode, "Heartless" brought us another Snow/Charming retcon, but it was just plausible enough to work, so I'll give them that. Nice to see a little more about what spurred Snow to become an outlaw. Although I must say, I was very distracted by Snow and David throwing "Longbourn" around. I kept expecting Elizabeth Bennet to pop up!!!

I'm glad that they are continuing to give Belle strong lines and cute clothes (even though I'm totally distracted by Gold's haircut all the time.) Hook remains way underused, although they are giving him more of his trademark snark again, so that's lovely.

"Never trusted the stuff. Rum would never do that!"

But of course the main point to take away from this episode was the ending, which is the best twist this season has given us so far. The moment Charming's eyes closed I yelled "SHE PULLED A LADYHAWKE!" (basically)

(Ladyhawke - a little known but sweet 80's fantasy film about a pair of lovers cursed so that the lovers alternate human and animal form, so that although they are always physically together, they can never both be human and communicate at the same time)

Anyhow, this is a fresh story twist for the show to take and I'm pretty psyched to see how it plays out.

Timeless - 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5

Are you watching "Timeless" yet? If not, it's a good time to check it out! We have a week's break before the next episode airs, giving you plenty of time to catch up on the five episodes released thus far!

After the stellar opening (see my review for episodes 1&2), we got a 'meh' week for episode 3 ("Atomic City"). However, episode 4 ("Party at Castle Varlar") was fantastic, and episode 5 ("The Alamo") was just as good. So, brace for SPOILERS and keep reading only if you've caught up!

"Atomic City" was a mostly throw-away episode. There were a few good moments (like Lucy insisting on a more dignified disguise), but ultimately the most important take-away from the episode was a) Flynn has a bomb, and b) Flynn has a lifetime (and then some!) power source for his time machine.

Episode 4, "Party at Castle Varlar" also started off with a bomb, this one in Nazi Germany, however it more than exceeded the promise of the first two episodes. This time around we got good character development, and a literal James Bond adventure with creator (and real life spy!) Ian Fleming himself showing up (many of you will recognize actor Sean Maguire as Robin Hood from "Once Upon a Time"). Literally my only gripe with the episode was that amid all of the James Bond references, they never dropped an allusion to the fact that Fleming also wrote "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." However, they only had 45 minutes and filled those to the max, so I can live with it.

Episode 5 took us back to 1800's Texas, just in time for our heroes to get caught in the Alamo. This was a big character episode for Wyatt, and honestly there was a space of time when I truly thought they were going to kill Wyatt off. It's early enough in the show that we are not so attached to him as for that to be a turn off, but it would have been a huge twist for Lucy and Rufus to deal with. But...no, of course they didn't. Ah well. The episode was still full of great things, with awesome appearances from historical characters like Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. It was great getting to see Rufus use his brains to save the day, even if I found it a little unbelievable that Lucy's letter differed so drastically from the original.

THEORY TIME! I have two pet theories right now that have yet to be disproved.

#1 - we are not sure that Flynn is actually 'bad.' After all, the mysterious Rittenhouse seems pretty sinister... my theory is that our history is not really the 'original' timeline, and Rittenhouse changed to the form we know for their own purposes. I suggest that Flynn is actually trying to change history back to what it really originally was.

#2 - it seems obvious to my husband and myself that Flynn has some direct connection to Lucy. We've been wondering if he was her father, lover or son since early on, and last night tilted the scales heavily in the "father" direction...but still left us hanging!

What are your theories?

We watch all our shows online, so we rarely get 'next week previews.' However, from Wikipedia I see that we have a week's break before the next episode of Timeless (boo!), and then we'll be dealing with Watergate.

Episode 7 has a title, but no synopsis. It's a bit of a spoiler (although a pretty predictable situation), so I'm not going to list it here, but rather leave a link  to the TV guide if you want to check it out.

Check back for more "Timeless" reviews, and other Geekery over at The Geek Portal.

OUAT 6.5 "Street Rats"

Today's OUAT recap will be brief - I'm under the weather, but the episode was so good, I can't let it go by without a mention. Definitely worth sticking with the show, because I feel like it is getting back to earlier levels of good!

*spoiler alert*

So, first off, let's acknowledge that it was worth waiting six seasons to finally get Aladdin and Jasmine done well. I thought this week's episode was a great twist on the story, with lovely homages to the Disney version without being a beat for beat remake. They worked Jasmine into a more central role effortlessly and cast the two actors perfectly.

I will admit, I was about 75% convinced that Aladdin was actually dead. But not so convinced that I was surprised when he showed up. It would have been weird to cut off his story so abruptly.

Loved loved loved getting to see more range from Raphael Sbarge as Archie. And the babysitting humor - priceless.

Unfortunately the evil queen is feeling weak this season - too cartoonish? She lacks the depth that Lana Parilla has brought to the character for the past five seasons, even when real/whole/unsplit Regina was 'fully evil'. I have to believe this one-dimensional portrayal is intentional to show that it is 'only' the evil side of Regina, but this explanation doesn't make complete sense. Why go through the trouble to bring back the 'Evil Regina' that fans loved if only to do a lame shadow of what we loved?

There's a lot of promise to the season at this point, but I am a little sad to see pivotal main cast characters like the Charmings, Hook and Henry get written off to little more than observational 'rush around in the background' roles. Earlier seasons did a better job of balancing character beats, and that is an aspect that continues to slip more and more as the show progresses.

However, OUAT has proven that, while at times cliche, it is a show full of surprises. So I'm curiously anticipating whatever comes next...

A Hajek Autumn

 I've been writing a LOT of TV reviews lately. I mean, it is premiere season, so that's to be expected, but I figured I ought to insert a bit of a personal update too.

The new house continues to be amazing for me. When I am home, I have a lot of days where I have good energy and function. Being able to go outside in my own yard and garden has just been so wonderful.

That said, fibromyalgia and endometriosis are long-term illnesses, and just managing them (never mind curing them) is difficult and intense. We continue to seek out help and try new things, and every couple of months we figure out a new piece. However both illnesses bring debilitating days into my life, and I still periodically find myself in the ER with crippling migraines that take days to recover from.

A big piece of management has been staying close to home. Riding in the car or being away from the house for too long seems to raise the risk of a migraine or other disabling factors. We therefore have had to strictly limit travel to about 20 miles from our home, at most. This has made attending family gatherings difficult, if not impossible, and I've had to miss out on weddings and showers. This has been hard, but I am very grateful for how understanding everyone has been.

 Of course this also makes book promotion difficult, as I can't easily travel around to conferences, bookstores and libraries, doing the self-promotion appearances necessary to author success. We know God has brought this book to this point, and he will take it where it needs to go, but it is difficult to not be able to increase my contribution to our finances. Trusting God's plan is a daily endeavor! (I've been blessed with many friends posting about the book on Facebook, Instagram, Amazon and Goodreads. These posts DO help boost my sales and for that I am so grateful!)

On the book front I will add that I sent a not-quite-finished draft of my follow-up novella, "The Professor and the Siren" to my Beta readers two weeks ago. I still need to write the third act, which I'm struggling with because it is a bit unconventional in how the pacing will play out. I would appreciate prayers for God's guidance as I complete this!

The good news is that I've established several contacts to help me with the Scottish culture portion of the next novel, "The Selkie and the Queen." The bad news is that I've been sicker the past two weeks so I haven't been able to follow up with that as quickly as I needed to. :/

 Mateo continues to be a bundle of joy. He is growing like a WEED, hitting 13 and 1/2 lbs this week, just as he hit his six month mark. He is well on track to be bigger than either of his parents, and twice as big as at least three of his siblings. Puppy cuddles make my days so much better, even though he doesn't understand why some days Mommy isn't able to play with him. He is loving fall, as leaves make great toys, and he has great fun chasing the squirrels in our yard (I think my tomatoes will be a little safer next year...)

Speaking of yards, MN has been blessed with a very warm growing season. It is October 21st and my morning glories, roses and sweet alyssum are still blooming! In addition, we built a cold frame against the south side of our house, and I've got a crop of beets, spinach, lettuce and cilantro growing. Right now I'm experimenting with ways to keep the frame warm enough for another month or two to mature the crops. It's a fun challenge! It was especially cool to be able to construct the cold frame entirely from materials we either had on hand or found for free on Craigslist (including a wonderful double paned glass door!). The only money I spent on the project was purchasing my beet seeds!

Another recent passion has been getting into making kombucha. After my success with Gluten Free Sourdough Starter and Yogurt, I decided to finally accept my mom's offer of a SCOBY and start fermenting my own kombucha tea. Let me tell you, making a week's supply of tasty, healthy, drinks for about $2 is thrilling! (I use the recipe from Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions" and my favorite flavor combo is raspberry/ginger/lemon, like "Synergy's: Trilogy" mix).

At this point I don't know if I will ever be able to take on sewing commissions again. The big deadlines have just been such a source of stress for me over the years and I think contributed to getting so sick in the first place. I still have commissions from last year that I have not been able to finish yet (although I have finished a couple!). Running my Etsy store has been less lucrative financially, but it has also been way less stressful because I am only selling what I have actually made. I'm still hoping to release a book and perhaps some patterns at some point, but I need to get a much better camera for that to happen, and we're still trying to figure out how to make that work financially right now.

It's difficult to face the oncoming winter, as the days get so dark and cold up here in MN, and my health means that any trips south are out of the question for the foreseeable future. Puppy and bringing some garden stuff indoors are meant to help with this, and I'm keeping my eye out for an affordable electric fireplace to cozy up next to while I type away...