Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week

'Cause I hadn't done it in a while :)

xxx
Lucy Jane

Forever Facts

It's almost end of summer, which you know what means? For you probably the beginning of new school year (or perhaps not..) but for me it means I have tons of work to do. Namely pass five more exams if I want to finish my year at college. Otherwise it was all for nothing.
Anyhow, as every good student I spent the entire summer saying I will start studying the next day and had instead chosen to do something more pleasurable (at least in my book): watching TV series and creating (I made tons of bobbin lace jewellery some other DIY projects and I also draw quite a lot.). Oh and I have also done tons of writing. I must say there's nothing that spikes my creativity as the need to study. But back to my favourite way to spend time - TV series. This past summer I grew particularly partial to (almost) any police-related series that ever existed (and I was able to put my hands on). And seeing I had already seen the popular ones (namely NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles, Bones, Castle... Not that this stopped me from re-watching the last two all over again) I had to do something drastic - I went to IMDB and watched the pilot episode of almost every TV show they have listed under action/drama/mystery/thriller (I think it was only one of those words, but I can't seem to find the page to verify which one...). Oh, what a great time this was. I must say I found most of them boring, some were OK, and there were also some I didn't want to end. But there was also one I was surprised to see...

This is horrible quality, but the only thing I could find!

Do you remember a while back when I was fussing all over this new TV show that's coming to ABC? It's called Forever and it follows a medical examiner working in New York. Nothing special you say? Not exactly, this ME we're talking about can't die (that poor bastard... But I guess they had to find a reason to name the series Forever?) Anyhow, as it turns out (and I didn't expect this at all!) there's another series that follows a immortal man living in New York. So the concept isn't completely new, but who cares?I've seen like three adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, but it still gets me every time! And fact remains, these two shows are only similar in the basic concept - they're both about a man who can't die. Gosh, I almost forgot to tell you what's the title of the other show (I just checked, it was on FOX and it was cancelled after one season. Damn, now I'll never know who was John's true love!). Well it's called New Amsterdam (that's right, I hadn't heard of it before this summer as well. Also here's a fun fact: The series is (my guess!) called New Amsterdam, because this is what the island of Manhattan was first called when the Dutch inhibited it. I'm so smart right?!?).

The basic difference is in Forever the star (from now on dr. Morgan) is a medical examiner, and the star of New Amsterdam (we'll call him Amsterdam. After all this is what he called himself) is a NYPD detective. At least this is what they are in this present life. However both of them have a confidant, a man they trusted their secret immortality. In both series you'll see flashbacks (at least I think so, I hadn't seen Forever yet, but from what I have read it looks like it), about the colourful life they both lived. So if you need a crash course of history of New York, please feel free and watch New Amsterdam. I don't guaranty you it's all accurate and realistic (after all, the man can't die!), but at least you get to see how the Flat Iron district and Times Square changed through time. It's a beautiful minute of every episode =)

I bet there's many more similarities and I promise to keep you posted. Though there's one more thing you should know not to expect in New Amsterdam... In forever dr. Morgan dies, he's reborn in water (I think it's the East or Hudson river. Not sure, but I'm not even an American, so you should be proud I even know which rivers are there. I knew watching TV series will pay me off one day!!!). This is probably the writers attempt to make his re-birth symbolic, but since he's re-born naked, it really comes out as a one big joke. And why on Earth doesn't he hides clothes near the place he comes out of the water. Public indecency is a b***h. No naked dude being re-born in a river in New Amsterdam. The one time it shows him die, the man dies and than wakes up again. You know, like when somebody is falsely pronounced dead and they stick a needle in him in the morgue and he jerks up as he wakes up?
So, if you're bored (like I am. Right now I'm watching CSI. But this is more for research for one of my stories. Wouldn't want to get the forensics wrong when I'm solving a crime on paper!), and can't wait for Forever to start on TV, you can try to get your hands on New Amsterdam. It's not the same, but it gives you a taste of what I think will be a great TV show (it better be. There's no way I'll have to watch Katherine Heigl save the White House or Josh Duhamel make fun of something with his partner on the streets of Battle Creek).
xxx
Lucy Jane

My Summer Project - LACE

I've learned how to make lace when I was about twelve years old. I took a class in school, and I liked it. When I went to high school and I stopped visiting the classes, I stopped making lace. But this summer I decided I want to make some lace jewelry, and because I forgot how to make some of lace making techniques, I googled if they were on the internet. They weren't, so I just had to make do with my old notes. Luckily for me, I have great motoric memory. I remembered how to make them, and now I want to share this knowledge with you. So I made videos of how to make lace. This is the first one. I know I have to make another one real quick with the basics of how to tie the knots between the bobbins in the pair. And how to prevent the thread from just falling off the bobbin. I promise I'll try my best and do that in the next 24h.

And now to lace making. I put the video on YouTube for everyone to see.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

-Pillow

-Pins

-Colored thread (I used the one that's usually use for gobelin-making instead of the thread for lace-making, because it's easier to see what I'm doing in the video this way), like pink and violet

-Two pairs of bobbins (that's four bobbins)

-Scissors

-Patience

LET'S START!

-First your bobbins must have thread on and be tied together in a pair (I did that before I start filming...)

-Put the pin into the middle of the pillow and put the bobbins, so you'll have each pair on one side (two bobbins with pink thread on the left and two bobbins with violet thread on the right)

-In each hand take the bobbin of the right and put it over the bobbin on the left. Than take the right bobbin (=the bobbin on the right side) in the left hand and put it over the left bobbin (the bobbin on the left) in the right hand.

-Repeat the movement. If you're doing it right you'll get the original setting of the bobbins on every fourth repetition. (if you started with pink on the left and violet on the right, after the first repetition you'll get (from left to right) pink, violet, pink, violet; the second time you'll get violet, violet, pink, pink; the third time: violet, pink, violet, pink; and the fourth time you'll get the original setting: pink, pink, violet, violet.)

-When the braid starts moving too much (it's too long to continue without moving too much) just put a pin in the middle (after you're finished with crossing the right bobbin in the left hand over the left bobbin in the right hand) between the bobbins, so you'll get two bobbins on each side of the pin.

-I went around the pillow three times, so I really learned how to make it. But you can just continue until you're sure you know how to do it with your eyes blindfolded.

-When you're finished you need to tie it. Take a pair of bobbins into your hands and put the right bobbin over the left one, so you have the right bobbin's thread under the left bobbin, and the left bobbin's thread over the right bobbin.

-You need to make two knots for each pair. Cut the rest of thread away right under the knots (be careful so you don't cut the knot.)

-Leave the lacy braid on the pillow for a few hours, than remove the pins and you have your first official lace.

I know that it doesn't look like much, but it's the basic. I already filmed the next technique, I just need to edit it. It's more practical than the four braid lace... BTW I used this lacy braid for a bracelet, but you can also use it as a decoration for your homemade bookmark...

Hope you like my summer project =)

xxx

Lucy Jane

Quote of the Week

This really should be my life motto. Sadly, I'm known on giving up on things if they don't go the way I want them to go... So this quote by William E. Hickson is really something I should do more often. I'll keep on trying to make this blog thingy really working - maybe this time it will be a success (I'm not planning on becoming famous, what I want is to establish a blog that will make people's life more interesting, make them happier...)
xxx
Lucy Jane