Hello Campers!

Unfortunately for me, I missed the latest Freecycle because I was in the midst of moving (and going crazy about it).  

One would think, having moved twice in a little over a year, that I'd have purged my home of all unwanted or unneeded items.  But, as I was sorting my yarn stash, I realized I have a lot of yarn I know I won't use.  It's all clean, some of it's brand new and unused, and my home is smoke-free (although I do have cats).

It's mostly baby yarn, but there are some other types as well.  If anyone is interested, I'll ship the whole lot to you free of charge if you're the first one to claim it! (Sorry, I'm in the states and I can't afford to ship this large of a lot overseas right now and I don't want to split the lot into smaller bundles).  

To make this interactive for everyone else, I know we have some crafters here ... are any of you giving homemade gifts this year?  If so, share your talent and show us some pics!

And in the event a rec is needed ... and even if it's not ... if you aren't reading DEPARTURES by TheFicChick, you should be!!

I admit, I am not the most organised person, and I tend to forget things and mix things up and procrastinate, too. Like this Christmas exchange: I started very energetically: got lots and lots of goodies from the store, made lots and lots of piles of them and put them in biiig brown envelopes and added notes and wrote the addresses on top - only to find out that the shipping of those envelopes would cost twice as much as if I divided the contents into two separate mailings of particular size. Even if the weight would be the same. Weird.

So I got boxes of that certain size that would make shipping cheaper. And opened the envelopes and re-packaged the sweets, and added notes and bought some more sweets as some packages seemed half-empty and then I got some left over and I ate them. And then I had to buy some more because I had forgotten something and then I wrote the addresses again and got some customs stickers and put a lot of tape around the packages that they would hold the rough handling.

So anyway, I finally got the boxes - and some cards - mailed today. They won't make it to you for Christmas but they will taste just as sweet after Christmas, I promise.

Anyway, after all this I have got one extra package, I mean, an actual box full of chocolate candy, just waiting for an address. Be the first to claim it, will send it anywhere.

The interactive part: there are a lot of Christmas food traditions all over the world, what are your favourites - and what do you dislike the most?

For me, Christmas won't be Christmas without some gravlax with boiled potatoes, and wild mushroom salad and Christmas ham on a sandwich is soooo nice. And rice porridge is also a must. But I could do well without the wide variety of oven baked mashed vegetable dishes that are traditional here.

Who's seen it?

I have!!

Come and share what you thought of it.

FYI there may be spoilers.

Hopefully making a beauty post won't seem insensitive on such a day as this. Please know that I mean no offense. I just figured a break might do us good?

So anyway. WTVOC alerted me to a nifty Sephora product today. This, if you're wondering:

http://www.sephora.com/femme-fatale-collection-lip-elixirs-P311139?skuId=1430784

According to her it tastes like clove cigarettes which means I must own it. Which means I must order it and I don't want to pay shipping for just one item. 

So the interactive part is, what are your favorite Sephora products? Come educate me and your fellow campers. I suck at beauty. I need all the help I can get. Seriously. My mother gave me bowl cuts when I was a kid and I wasn't allowed to wear skirts or makeup. Explains a lot probably, lol.

*I tagged this with Effie because I think she'd love Sephora.

My husband and I found out that we have bed bugs today. He just left to the main office to let the property manager know. 

Have any of you been through this? How did you handle it? How long did it take to eradicate the little jerks?

Hello all!

I didn't have a chance to think of a challenge, so let's just chat :) If you're not on board, feel free to come and join us!

Please pray for those in CT involved with the elementary school shooting.  Truth, I've been crying all morning. I cannot fathom someone doing something like this.

The numbers keep rising. I feel so helpless, and went in to wake up The Offspring just so I could hug her.  My first response was to go pick up The Midget from school.

Interactive part:

How do you respond to a tragedy like this?

(EDIT: CF Title changed for propriety)

I want to see your Christmas tree! Please post a pic!

My ff friend from the UK sent a pic of hers and it was fun to see the differences. (Hers bein' all fancy-like and mine looking a bit more...eclectic? Kid-decorated?)

Anyway, show me yours! And from what country, if you don't mind saying.

hi! do feed a tree as long as you're here, won't you?

so it's the freeforall. this means you can start campfires about anything, no recs or permission required. no nakedity or cussin' on the front page is all i ask. oh, and next week? starting thursday, the freeforall will last until past the new year. that's right, kiddos! plan on posting away. i'm gonna do a holiday photo scavenger hunt next week, too- no prizes or anything because mama wtvoc is broke, but it'll be for fun and to satisfy your voyeuristic needs. make sure your instagram accounts are updated.

now, let's talk gifting. 

tell us who you still need to buy for and we'll offer suggestions.

tell us what you bought for people to give us ideas.

tell us you are a grinch and are resorting to thievery this year, with or without the roast beast.

tell us we should check our western christian privilege and that not everyone celebrates christmas.

idk man, let's talk about the spirit of the holidays and someone for the love of pete tell me what to get for my mother-in-law this year.

lego darth claus in his sleigh with four tiny tauntauns fyt:

Hey everyone, usually in fanfictions Mike is either protrayed as the lovesick student that lusts after Bella and/or an abusive asshole. I was wondering if there's any fanfictions where he's just a normal nice, cute guy (in the book, he was described as "cute" and even popular) and Bella is the one to have a thing for him. Kind of like a role reversal. It doesn't have to be Mike/Bella pairing in the end (like Edward would have to fight to win Bella's affection or something). They can just be close friends or whatever. Either way, I'm kinda interested in this since the usual Mike-lusting-after-Bella/being-a-creep thing is getting too cliche now. 

My rec is The Movement of the Earth: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6297728/1/The-Movement-of-the-Earth

Mike in here is hilarious, and he's protrayed as a typical cute guy, so maybe something like this?  

Thanks everyone! :) 

Hey all!

So today I started a blog dedicated to critiquing fanfiction, books, movies, art and the like. Specifically Twilight fanfiction but I'm open to anything you might suggest. This means:

I have a twitter now. I deleted my old one as I had nothing to talk about, I would love to be able to follow some of you and maybe bug you one day.

Also, if you have a story you would like me to talk about in said blog send me a tweet or a comment on the blog! I'm at http://nonsuckfics.blogspot.com/

Since I'm pretty new to playing critic I'd appreciate any advice you could give.

MY REC: (I've been informed that everyone in Potterland has read this but I thought wth?) It's called The Mirror of Maybe, maybe you've heard of it.

http://www.greyblue.net/MidnightBlue/story.php?storyid=2

Harry Potter - The Exhibit will be in NYC through April 2013.  

I received an online announcement about the exibit and a 20% off coupon for their online store.

To use the coupon, enter code HARRYPOTTER20 During Checkout 

I wish I could take the kids to go see this in person.  Alas, it' would be a ten hour drive.  To make it interactive, if you could go anywhere over the holidays where would you go?

My rec:

Her Strength to Survive - Intelligence Operative Bella Swan is thrown into the middle of hell as her mission through war torn London disintegrates around her. Follow her struggle to survive for the man she loves and the child she refuses to believe is gone. ONE SHOT set in London during 1944
Twilight - Rated: M - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 2 - Published: 12-3-11 - Bella & Edward - Complete

I missed the weekly Help Desk so I will do it this weekend.

My silly injury-prone son was in the ER. FUN! (/sarcasm)

This is the campfire of Self Promotion:

THE PIMP CAMPFIRE.

Tell us about what you or a friend write. If you beta something fantastic, let us know. If you are hosting a contest, tell us about it.

Don't be shy! Give us a link. Give us a sample. Show us your banner.

We want to read what you write!

i remember reading camp which is about the most research fanfic. can somebody help me to find it? coz i want to re-read it again to find recs for my friend who is still fanfic virgin :) she will travelling to usa next week n need something to read in a long flight. i want to give her the best fanfic so she didnt think i only reading MOTU kind of fic all the time. thx so much for ur help. im sorry for any grammar or whatever mistake in this camp. 

my rec is http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6205248/1/The-Second-Son-Of-A-Duke

So... I saw The Hobbit last night and was fangirling just about ALL night long! I WANNA TALK HOBBIT!

Have you read the book? Were you a big fan of LOTR? What were your expectations before going to see the movie, and what is your assessment after seeing it?? (More questions inside!)

Oh, and who knew that hot dwarves existed? Exhibit A:

(expect more spammage of this hottie inside)

It goes without saying that this CF WILL include "spoilers". If you have not yet seen the movie, feel free to join the conversation, but do so at your own risk!

Someone recommended this book in the last "what are you reading" CF, and I'm about half-way through it.

It is so surreal to read this book.  It's sort of like reading an abridged "history of us."  I am assuming that the author is completely outside of the fandom (although not sure of that ... anyone?).  Assuming he is, it's interesting to read "our" story as told from someone who doesn't have a foot on either side of the line that was drawn in the sand re: Icy, Fifty, MOTU, and p2p in general.

If you haven't read this but would like to, it currently downloads on Amazon for $2.99.  

Does it make you feel strange to have "our" fandom under the microscope in the media?  Has the success of Fifty Shades and the ensuing media hype caused you to out yourself as a fanfic reader, or has it pushed you farther into the fic closet?  Do you think we have seen the last of the changes this phenomenon has wrought on the fandom, or do you think there will still be fall-out we can't yet imagine?  Your thoughts, please. 

I'm posting this really early b/c I won't be around my computer when the show comes on. So anyway...

IT'S TIME TO GET READY FOR THE MIDSEASON FINALE!!

THAT MEANS NO MORE TVD UNTIL NEXT YEAR!

COME ON IN AND DISCUSS WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND WHAT YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN IN THE TONIGHT'S EPISODE!

WILL JEREMY TRY TO KILL HIS SISTER AGAIN?

WILL BONNIE STOP BEING SO JUDGY? (probably not)

WILL CAROLINE FINALLY DITCH TYLER AND GO FOR KLAUS?

WILL THERE BE MORE DELENA SMUT? (OMG LAST WEEK'S EPISODE)

WILL STEFAN JUST GO BROOD SOMEWHERE ELSE?

AND WHERE IN THE WORLD IS ELIJAH?
 

YOU KNOW THE DRILL CAMPERS.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN'T WATCH THE EPISODE AT 8PM EST.

LET'S GET READY FOR ANOTHER EPISODE THAT WILL BE SURE TO LEAVE US GOING "WTF. WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! WHAT?!"

For some reason I really feel the need to discuss this amazing woman. Maybe because I've been heavily immersed into Muse, and I can completely see why she credits them as her main source of inspiration. "Cause Matt's lyrics? Absolutely in line with the oh so appealing Edwardian angst.

I like the way she talks in interviews, no matter how adamant she seems. I feell like I owe her so much for helping me escape rl for a while. And I can't remember her saying bad things about others, even though many (even her favorite band)  have said all kinds of things about her. Yes, I was not happy with Jacob, and BD, and not getting enough Edward, but I still feel very grateful to this woman. Can't help but wonder how she must be feeling being the target of so much criticism/ridicule

Thoughs/feelings on SM?