Okay, so I have to start this off with a: YOU MUST COME TO THE FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND! Cues & Tattoos is DA BOMB!

And for my friends out there who haven't yet done it: GET YER TICKETS FOR BELLYBOWLING! It is NOT a requirement that you bellydance to come and bowl with us, and I would love to see you. :) It's a screamin' deal for a night of all-you-can-bowl-pool-and-shuffleboard in our own private room!!


*****************************
It's finally here, the first ever event focusing on the use of improv
choreography within Tribal Belly Dance. Don't miss all of the fun this
weekend!:

Kick Off Party hosted by inFusion Tribal-Friday February 22

Kick off the weekend with an awesome opportunity to hang out with your
fellow dancers and workshop participants. You never know who might be
throwing a strike the next lane over! $15 gets you unlimited bowling, pool
and shuffleboard in The Spare Room, our own private party space. There will
be fun dancer- door-prizes drawn throughout the evening. And come hungry
and thirsty! The Garage has a delicious menu that includes vegetarian
options, serving food until 1am.

There are limited tickets available, so get yours now to get in on the fun!
You can buy your tickets online (see link below) at the pre-sale cost of $15
until Wednesday, February 20th. After the pre-sale cutoff, the cost will be
$20 at the door. Please note that bowling shoe rentals are $3 extra.

Any proceeds from the ticket sales will be lovingly donated to New
Beginnings, an organization devoted to ending domestic violence, in the name
of the tribal community at large.

http://www.infusiontribal.com

Garage Billiards
1130 Broadway Ave
Seattle, WA 98122

Workshops Saturday Feb 23 & Sunday Feb 24:

There are still opportunities to study with the pioneers of Tribal Improv:

FatChanceBellyDance of San Francisco, CA.
Gypsy Caravan of Portland, OR
Unmata of Sacramento, CA
Troupe Hipnotica of Seattle, WA
Read My Hips of Chicaog, IL.
inFusion Tribal of Seattle, WA.
Troupe Salamat of Bend, OR.

Visit http://www.troupehipnotica.com/cues/workshop_registration.html to
register on line.

Northgate Community Center
10510 5th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125


Saturday Night Showcase, Feb 23rd

Enjoy 4 hours of Tribal Improv performances featuring instructors along with
the dancers who came to study in a festival atmosphere with lots of
shopping. Be awed and inspired, mingle with dancers and enjoy a few global
treats. The $10 entrance can be pre-paid on line at
http://www.troupehipnotica.com/cues/workshop_registration.html or just pay
at the door.

Northgate Community Center
10510 5th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125


See you there!!

There are many fun things coming up for me, that I am staying focused on to combat stress and winter blah-dom!

Friday: Raqs Reunion at Mona's. Yep, the whole Raqs al-Hamra gang together, at my favorite restaurant in Seattle, schmoozin' and catchin' up. I am particularly excited to see Michelle Taul after a long time, and see what she has been up to!

Cues & Tattoos! A big festival right here in Seattle. I am all signed up for my workshops, am teaching two, am performing in the showcase, and my troupe is hosting the kick-off party on Friday night. Gonna be a blast! Nervous about teaching the bhangra, with my back and the fact we will be in a community center room without sprung floors. But Renee and I will tackle it together, and I will take breaks as I have to.

ATS Teacher Training at FC studios! I am thrilled they have opened this up to non-ATS specific instructors. I benefit so much from taking the GS training, and am excited to get to continue that. I will be arriving the Thursday prior, and staying nearly a week in SF to take classes and the intensive. And it is confirmed that Quinn will be taking it, too, so we're rooming together and she is going to show me around San Fran (she used to live there). I am excited for some time hanging with Quinn, and having my own tour guide. And we are going to hit Rakassah on Saturday afternoon to see FatChance perform. I may get to see my brother that weekend, too, while Quinn spends a day with a local friend of hers. Can't wait! So nervous, too! Finally got enough money scraped together for the airfare, and have to pay the $500 balance for the training in 4 days. *tummy turning*

Breitenbush is coming up fairly soon, too! An annual getaway for me and my sistahs. And even more students are coming this year, some for the first time, which will rule.


OH! GOGGLEMAS! I keep forgetting to post it!

So Befu and I concocted a Gogglemas plan! Gogglemas is the Steampunk Christmas, if you will. And it is the last two days of February. But those are a Thursday and Friday, and Befu works on Saturday. So Sunday, March 2nd we are planning a get-together to visit the Sci-Fi Museum at the EMP. You interested? A chance to dress in costume? WHY NOT! YEEHA! So get yer goggles in order, and let me know if you plan to attend, so we can finalize some deets.

Finally got my sewing machine back. It was in the shop since November. It wasn't until I made an angry phone call that is somehow magically appeared, repaired, within 48 hours. Growl. Okay, Amy, I am taking your advice and will try the Bernina shop next time I need repairs. It cost nearly $300, too. Thanks, Chris, for bailing my sewing machine out of "jail" while I am too poor to spring for the bond. You are my hero.

So we have our HDTV picked out. Heaven knows when we will be able to afford it, but it is a really good price in any case. Mainly because it's a Sony, and Sony is getting out of the rear projection market, so places have it on clearance. So we need to find a way to afford it fairly soon or there won't be any. It is PERFECT, though. I mean, my lingering concerns about the model Chris had picked out before were completely obliterated in this one, and it is cheaper. So a 50 inch 1080p DLP will be gracing our home in the next couple months. *fingers crossed* Rock band on that will be sweet indeed!

I put together some elements from my recent thrift store run and Chris approved heartily. Whee!

Now, I need to do some knitting and cleaning. Yay and boo, respectively.

And finally, from the Chris files. Must be seen to be believed. WTF indeed...
Acid Trip or Bollywood Genius?
http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=27395

My Instructables has made the rounds, and is now in the top 2-10 hits of various Google searches for "steampunk guns" "pirate guns", "steampunk pirate" and so on.
And two more crafty blogs picked it up, including Gizmo watch:
http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/gun-modding-steampunk-style/

Stay tuned for my next Instructable: turning a jacket into a cincher corset and crop jacket combo. Been working on it today.

In other news, we had our painting party yesterday, and we proved that the wood grain I did last week was not a fluke. And now Lauren and Befu have identical guns they completed for themselves. It was such fun, chatting and giggling and painting. YAY CRAFTY DAY! Chris finished his Maverick mod. And I am nearly done with my goggles, and made a spyglass for my Lady's Adventurer Kit

Original Maverick

Chris' handiwork


Cool accidental finish looks like rusted steel. It is great!!



Four different colors created this metallic finish on the barrel


My goggles, with the head-strap attached


The rivets are googly eyes!


The nose strap is held on by brads that are hammered to look like flathead screws


Original PotC spyglass from costume shop


With wood and brassy finish



In other news, I went to the Goodwill today, and got some cute, comfy boots for $8 and $4. I need to wear shoes more often, my doctor says. Might as well be cute ones, right?

So last night I decided to write up an Instructables for the gun mods I have done. Specifically, outlining how to do the worn metal and wood finishes. And today, not only was it published, but it was picked as a featured Instructable--on the front page today!!http://www.instructables.com/

And my Instructable is at http://www.instructables.com/id/Steampunk-Pirate-Gun-Mod/

How fun is that?!