Title: In Violation of Regulation 12-14572
Fandom: Halo
Characters & Pairings: John-117, Cortana
Rating & Warnings: K, Spoilers abound.
Word Count: 700+
Genre: Aaaaaaangst, friendship
Summary: “No one is going to deactivate you.” John's voice is absolute.
Author's Notes: Takes place before the first cutscene in "Shutdown".

( Read more... )

Title: Unexpected
Fandom: Halo
Characters & Pairings: Thomas Lasky, Sarah Palmer
Rating & Warnings: K, take place after the events of Halo 4. Spoilers abound.
Word Count: 500+
Genre: Is gossiping a genre? About gen with talk of angsty things?
Summary: The Chief is not what any of them expected.
Author's Notes:
( Read more... )

Thar be spoilers...


( Seriously, major spoilers... )

It's time to raid that family cookbook and bring your favorite recipe to the virtual potluck! :D I know that a lot of you have some killer recipes and I thought it would be a fun idea to have a "potluck" to share them with everyone.

The rules are simple. Sign up to bring an appetizer, side dish, main dish, and/or dessert and then post your recipe (and pictures, if you have any) on September 5th. I'll have a post set up and you can post a comment there.

A couple of notes:

• If the recipe is not yours (i.e. it's something you found on the internet), please link it back to the original source.
• This post will be public which means that if you don't want your Aunt Mae's secret BBQ rub known to the masses, don't post it here.
• If you're used to using metric or U.S. measurements, feel free to post it like that here. I'll have converter calculators set up so that everyone can enjoy each other's goodies.
• You can sign up to bring more than one item, just not more than one from each theme.
• You do not have to post what recipe you're going to bring. (Although, if you want to, go ahead.)
• You do not have to have an LJ/DW account to sign up. You can use your Twitter/Google/etc. account.

Please, please, please go around and promote this to your f-list. I'd love to see a variety of dishes from around the world. (So does my stomach, LOL)


( The chefs )

Title: Fac Fortia et Patere
Fandom: Halo
Characters & Pairings: John-117, Cortana, Thomas Lasky, The Librarian, The Didact, Original Characters
Rating & Warnings: T, Spoilers/Spec for Halo 4 (See author's notes.), character death
Word Count: 51,000+
Genre: Gen, Action/Adventure, Angst, AU
Summary: Cortana's fighting rampancy, the Master Chief is fighting a new enemy, and, of course, it's up to them to save the universe. Again.
Author's Notes: I started writing this fic back in February, before E3.  Although the E3 trailer is referenced, I didn't alter my story's plotlines to make it fit within what we saw (much). So, this is an AU based on the random spoilers, articles, trailers, books, that came out before E3. 

There are references from just about everything: The Fall of Reach, First Strike, Glasslands, the Forerunner Saga, Human Weakness, Connectivity, the terminals from Halo: CE Anniversary and Halo 3, the Forward Unto Dawn trailer and every game from CE to Reach. I did, however, make it "user friendly". If you haven't read the books, there should be enough background information to get you through. (Although, you probably should read Connectivity to make the most sense of this fic.)

Thank you goes to my beta for finding typos, not letting me slack off when I rushed through the ending of a chapter, applauded me when I nailed it out of the park and made sure that John and Cortana didn't go out of character.  Another huge thanks to danceswithgary for creating some epic artwork. My f-list deserves a ton of virtual goodies for having to read my non-stop posts about this fic ("Dudes, this story will never end!!!") and patriot_jackie deserves a special shout out for helping me out with last minute questions.

Fac Fortia et Patere Master Post

Just watched the teaser trailer for next season of Fringe. 

Welcome to my nightmare. No one is gonna take them away from Momma Bear because I hold my girls' hands everywhere we go. They'll be pretty embarassed at 18 when I'm still doing it.

On a plus side, Icon for Hire just favorited one of my Tweets. Epic win, my friends! \o/

• Formatting and last minute edits are FUN! (OK, not really.)
• My cross-stitch is looking at me, pleading for me to finish it.
• I'm really looking forward to when it starts cooling down. It's been a triple digit August.
• My girls start school on Monday. I'm sad. :(
• I WANT TO GO TO DISNEYLAND.

First of all, the latest BTS video from Halo. There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it glimpse of Jen Taylor and some new little (literally a couple of frames per scene) footage at the very end. I am so excited! Eep!



And, Babe showed me this one yesterday.  I'm not a huge Star Wars fan.  I mean, I like the movies just fine, but I never got into the extended universe. Still, this game looks awesome. I will never get it if it only comes out on PC, but it's still pretty to look at.

So, yeah, it's not finished yet. (I forgot how much I absolutely despise backstitching.) But, here's a pic in it's completely cross-stitched, but not-yet-backstitched state.



Next week, it should be done because I'm suddenly going to find myself with a ton of free time since the little ones will be back in school. (sob sob)

All cross stitches are done. Only backstitching is left and then TCSTWNBF, er, TCSTIAF will become The Cross Stitch That Is Finished and I will do a happy dance of joy.

Pictures will come on Friday. If we don't get together with the in-laws, I might even have it done by then.

I'm so happy! :D :D :D

Babe is over halfway through editing my fic and I just got a looksie at what my artist has been up to (it's epic!).  I can't wait until it's next Monday and I can finally post this sucker. 

Plus, I've been sailing along on my cross-stitch.  I might even get it done by the end of the month.

So, I'm feeling rather Hannibal (not Lecter) like...

It's fun to be a leftie! Whee!

To all of you out there who are left-handed like me, Happy Left Handers Day! To all you people who write with their right hands, I feel bad for you. ;)

I've come to realize that as much as I love my Kindle, I really do enjoy reading traditional books.  And, while I love the e-ink display (And I really do), reading words on a page is much more easier on my eyes.

I read Riordan's The Lost Hero last week in an afternoon.  It was good, though I've never read a Percy Jackson book.  (Something hannanora thinks I should recitify.) I am a little worried about

the love triangle that seems to have been foreshadowed. Because, dude, there is nothing that turns me away from a book/tv show/movie/etc. than that plot device.


But, overall, a fun read! :D :D

Yup, I'm cheating by using my Kindle tag, LOL

It's still strange seeing that acronym, I'll tell you.



Less than a month until my deadline. I can do it! *crosses fingers*

Actually, I went into Jo-Ann yesterday and bought the stuff I need for my next project which is just tempting me to bail on this. Must. Finish. This. Project.

Just preordered over $200 in video games at Target. Curse their 5% off purchases AND five dollar gift card per game (which then, technically, brings the total to under 200 bucks).

It's tough being a gaming family. ;)

It looks so pretty! And awesome!



The crossbow, dudes, the crossbow!  And I so can't wait for the soundtrack. Glee!

I can't wait for Feb! :D :D

I told myself when I was able to fit all of the areas needed to be stitched into my hoop, a name change was in order.  And last night, finally, I was able to do it.  So, no longer will my x-stitch be referred to as The Cross-Stitch That Will Never Be Finished, but it will now be called The Cross-Stitch That Is Almost Finished.

I still have the goal of being done by my birthday which gives me just over a month.

Come on, little squares of awesomeness! :D

"For a dude with a face tattoo he actually turned out to be dangerous." LOL

I know, I know, I'm a kid at heart. But, seriously, Phineas and Ferb has like the best songs. Ever.