Dear Fellow Writers

Consider this your daily reminder to BACK UP YOUR WORK.

Jumpdrive. E-mail. External server/harddrive. DO IT.

Once a week is NOT enough. You need to back up your work EVERY TIME YOU WRITE.

There is no way to know for sure that your computer won't crash tomorrow. That your harddrive won't burn out. That a virus won't wipe everything clean.

I e-mail my files to myself after each writing session. I keep using the same message over and over again, so everything is neatly together and in proper chronological order. What is your favorite/suggested method?

Once Upon a Time: Red Handed

My oh my. After tonight's explosive episode, I'm not the only fan in shock! 

If you haven't seen the episode, don't read further, as serious spoilers follow the picture!

Speaking of the picture... can I take a moment to gush over Snow and Red's capes? I mean, honestly, they're so rich and the colors are so gorgeous... and I don't believe the juxposition of Snow White and Red as friends is unintentional. Seriously, how could the writers NOT want to evoke "Snow White and Rose Red" for the die hard fairy tale geeks?

Anyhow. On to the meaty stuff.

In Fairy Tale Land:
The first half of the episode was fairly predictable from what we'd seen in trailers. Red lives with Granny, wolf in the woods, everyone wants to kill it, forbidden love - oh, and Snow shows up. For those of you who saw last year's "Little Red Riding Hood" you may have felt (as I did) that the episode was a total rip off of that movie. The werewolf aspect was not a surprise at all.

Until.

Wow. I had suspected Granny, but not in a million years would I have suspected Red. In a movie they couldn't have pulled off something like that with a protagonist, but OuaT condenses things into such a short time frame that we never have a chance to notice that Red is never around when the wolf is. Because, well, WE are never around when the wolf is!

Although... poor Red. Perhaps the most shocking part was that she killed (and ate?) Peter. I mean... really? Isn't that going a bit far? Unless he turns into a wolf later...?

In retrospect, the title pretty much gives the twist away, although only an extremely astute watcher would figure that out!

In Storybrooke:

At long last we get some more time with Ruby! From day one I've been intrigued by this girl with the bold hair and dramatic clothes and have been very patiently awaiting her story. And she was a character worth waiting for! I'm sad we wont' get to see her continue working for Emma, but it was cool how her wolf abilities transfered over to Storybrooke to allow Ruby to track down David and...

The heart. Did anyone NOT guess that it was a heart in there? The only question remaining is - whose heart is it? Obviously no one thinks Mary Margaret did it - suspicion is squarely and determinely on Regina for us watchers. But some fans think that it might be Graham's heart. I disagree because we saw Regina hide away Graham's heart under the crypt, and the box is suspiciously near where Kathryn disappeared.

But is Kathryn really dead? The absence of a heart doesn't mean death in this world, and Kathryn could be a prisoner elsewhere, under Regina's control. Another thing to consider. If Kathryn is alive and without a heart, there is nothing to say that this loss of a heart happened recently. What if Regina took it long ago - perhaps even back in the fairy tale world!

Things are really heating up now, aren't they? What are you speculations for the rest of the season? We have just six episodes left, with appearances scheduled from a young Snow White, the evil Queen's mother, and a special trip to Wonderland with the Mad Hatter!

Housekeeping

As you've probably noticed, I've been doing a bit of sorting and rearranging here on the blog. I finally took down the costume page which redirected to my costume site. If you wish to visit Confessions of a Seamstress simply hit the link on the sidebar! 

Also on the sidebar is the e-mail address connected to my blog. If you have any questions or ideas that don't work as comments, feel free to send me a note at elenatintil [at] gmail [dot] com. 

And then there are the two new pages! Doctor Who was taking over my Geek Portal, so I gave it a page of its own. Jane Austen was spread out all over the blog and Downton Abbey was getting pretty big, so I created an addition for them.

Hopefully this will make navigation a bit easier and more friendly to new users, or old users who are searching for a particular article/subject. 

Did I miss anything? Let me know if something confuses you, or if there is another section you believe I should make, or any other changes I could implement that would improve your blogging experience!

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

Recently my library has updated their website, which includes a constantly updated scroll of the covers of their most popular books. I think this is a pretty smart move as a good cover is more powerful than a good title. For instance, the book in consideration.

As most of you know I am a dedicated seamstress. When I'm well, I'm never very far from my sewing area, and no matter what my health I'm always mentally sorting through designs for future projects. Fabric, needles, thread - they all catch my interest in a heartbeat. So of course when "The Dressmaker of Khair Khana" showed up on the library homepage, I instantly wanted to check it out.

The story I found does indeed strike home to a seamstress - but what makes it enduring is that it is relevant to all readers. To women, and to those who want to give the women in their lives the best future possible.

"The Dressmaker of Khair Khana" is the story of a young woman of Afghanistan, who along with her sisters was caught up in the Taliban rule. Under strict law, they were forbidden to work outside the home, leave the house without wearing a full burqa, could not go to school, and could not go out in public unless accompanied by a male family member. With the Taliban pressing all military age men into service (or executing them for treachery, perceived or otherwise), this left many of the women of capitol Kabul without breadwinners, or any way to earn money themselves. They were cooped up, left with minimal medical assistance, and in real danger of starving.

Kamila, the second eldest of five sisters, was only 19 when the Taliban marched in. For all of her life her father had encouraged her and her sisters to seek an education. Smart, talented and clever, she watched the future stolen away and her parents and elder brother forced to leave her and her sisters alone with only a 13-year-old brother to allow them any chance to leave the house. Money was quickly running out and the women of Kabul forced into a virtual dark age... until Kamila planned a way out.

"The Dressmaker of Khair Khana" is the extraordinary true story of a community surviving under terrible circumstances. It is the story of brave and courageous woman, and the remarkable men who supported and encouraged their dreams. It is a look into the very darkest and very brightest sides of Islam in a story that will endure for years to come.

Life in Victorian Times

Friends, may I present for your reading perusal a lovely and detailed blog on life in Victorian times? "The Victorianist" releases lengthy pieces every week detailing a different aspect of Victorian life, from maternity care to the Olympics. While you're waiting for me to get back on my feet and start writing my own articles again, this may be just the blog to keep you entertained!

Oh the Fever!

Still here folks, but sick. Hopefully it'll only be a 48 hour virus or something and I'll be up for writing some more marvelous posts for you all soon. Have a great Monday!

Fairyland continued

Winter Fairyland photoshoot proceeded swimmingly! Well, icily. I layered up under my hoopskirt, but there wasn't much I could do for my hands and head, not if I wanted the costume to show! So we darted indoors in when we got really cold and warmed up, then back into the cold.

Want to see our pictures? I've picked my favorites and posted them over on my sewing blog. You can find them here!

I'm not sharing my sister's pictures to protect her privacy, but she looked absolutely gorgeous as well, an elvish snow maiden! Do you ever do themed photoshoots?

In other news, fairyland has vanished in the mists of leap year, and we're back to soggy, drippy, bleak March. Thankfully that soggy drippyness means that it's at least warm, even if it's terribly gray. I hope the weather where you are is slightly happier - I hear it was 60 degrees in Chicago yesterday!