Feb 24 2012
Eventually.
I don’t update it enough, and since I’ve delved into writing, and have a separate site for my book (www.ofsummerandwinter.com <— Shameless plug) I need to figure out how to condense these all together…somehow.
I’m probably going to kill the Kaousuu.net name entirely, and have it link to something different, and have a portal that goes to my various sites. That will require me to code, and I don’t want to. Lol. I’ll figure something out.
Oct 03 2011
All of my work as Anna now has a separate blog at Tumblr, in which I’m attempting to keep an in-persona blog and display of research as a project to better myself as a medievalist. That link is http://annadasiracusa.tumblr.com/.
I will still post SCA related stuff here, but the Tumblr is simply taking a different approach, as this page is open to everything. 
Aug 14 2011
I know I haven’t posted in a while, but rest assured that once it get’s cold again outside and I don’t feel like doing as much, I’ll be making more frequent updates.
I returned from Pennsic War yesterday, and as requested, have posted my class handouts on my Academia page. You can also download them directly here:
A Quick and Dirty Guide to Rapier Garb
Thank you all who attended my classes. I got some really awesome feedback and I’m looking forward to the next time I get to teach, either at Pennsic or another local event. Maybe I’ll try East Kingdom University next!
Don’t forget that if you have any questions to drop me a line at kaousuu@gmail.com. You can also add me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaousuu.
May 04 2011
“At first I thought it was, well yeah, classic Ang.”
I can’t speak to the rumors. I’ve heard the talk, that she isn’t dead at all. That what happened was ascension, more like. Becoming something greater and everlasting, maybe even divinity. Ask the followers and I’m sure they’ll be glad to tell you. Thing is, this one took off. It grew like no tall tale has ever done, and faster. What I can speak to is what actually happened, what led to the picture that set eyes unfocused and the jaws of hardened men dangling in disbelief.
It started with a trip to Jo Ann’s. Row after row of fabric, all so common, so everyday. She was about to give up hope for a fruitful trip when underneath some mundane roll of cotton a spark caught her eye. In respect of her memory I’ll forego describing it, failing to do it justice. It spoke to her, Ang later said. Divine, perhaps. Demonic, possibly. To hear her tell it, that is. To the rest of us, it looked like a run of the mill psychological snap. That day, she bought a few yards. Nothing extravagant.
It disappeared. Like that drink after the day from hell, like your favorite book, Ang devoured the cloth. But there was no discernible product from her labor. Someone asked her where it all went and she just glared and said she needed to get more. She did get more. And then more after that. Yards and yards, days and weeks of work until finally she’d bought the place out. We all hoped it would end after that last trip, but seeing her clutch those precious remaining yards we all should have known better.
The last time we all saw her it was the evening of some PD outing or another. The way Dee and Rich talked, they had to drag her out of her place. The whole night, I remember, she was just not there. She was distracted and mumbling crazed talk about period garb, colors, stitches, authenticity. We were being treated like distractions to her or, more appropriately, obstacles. Somewhere in the revelry we lost her. She must have gone home, we figured.
Her neighbors called the authorities after a few days of discomforting silence, both from her sewing machine and the music generally aimed in wrath at their apartment. They had the landlord unlock the place, to a scene of beauty and horror both indescribable. Everything was garbed. Her pots and pans, the futon, a toothbrush. The floor, a dresser. Her spatula wore a gown that would bring envy from the haughtiest of queens. Each piece, from the most ornate to the most elegantly simple, perfect but for one small spot on each.
What remained of Ang was a husk hunched before her beloved table. Where her skin had been borrowed for her masterpiece, the fabled cloth replaced it.
Apr 26 2011
This weekend I learned that other stuff happens at Anime Boston than just the Artist Alley, and that headaches and stress are minimized by not sitting in a florescent-lit ballroom for 12 hours a day, 3 days straight.
During one of my total of 2 full passes through the Alley, all I saw was digitally created artwork on shiny paper on PVC piping over almost every table, row after row. Do people even draw with pencil anymore? Am I really that much of a goddamn anomaly now in a Photoshopped environment?
I saw this years ago too, and I called people out on it then, that being that the art was dying…that what was once a labor of love, of me spending hours slaving over my drafting table with pencil and ink has become nothing more than tracing on a Wacom Tablet and a little burn and dodge. It’s disgusting…I’m not even talking about Ramy and Silvia (though they are the forerunners of the shiny desu bullshit,) it’s everywhere. No one is original anymore. No one TRIES. If it’s not digitally created artwork, it’s plushies, jewelry, and annoying fleece hats that Genki Hats started doing TEN FREAKING YEARS AGO. Everyone does the exact same thing, and because of this is why no one wants to buy originality. No one understands the price of a true pencil original that I spend hours on, or why I charge nothing cheaper than $20 for a 9×12″ colored sketch.
Artist alley isn’t what it used to be…It isn’t the fraternity of nerds down the hall by the dealer’s room it started as when AB was moved to the Hynes six years ago, it isn’t me losing my voice as I snag everyone coming out of the side door or Nikki running around like crazy 8 months pregnant trying to make sure that everyone who had a table was well-taken care of. No, not anymore. Now it’s a subsidiary dealer’s room of fanartists and people who can put beads on friggin’ wire. There is no more originality or camaraderie, it’s just a competitive consumerist nightmare where money is taken from the hands of people who truly deserve it. It disgusts me, very much so.
I’m not saying I didn’t miss it this year, because I really did. I missed my friends and broke a tradition of 7 straight artist alley appearances; but on the other hand, I feel like I didn’t miss much. I didn’t miss sitting there, hungry and tired, getting annoyed by immature little brats who have no respect for anything as they would knock something off of my table or the value of a dollar when they sneered at the idea of paying $45 for one of my originals. That amount of stress is no longer worth the price paid for the space. (Which 8 years ago was $40…it’s $120 now.)
Seeing friends I would have otherwise had to blow off was a huge plus mark. I was able to assist the 501st with recruiting for the blood drive instead of sitting, hungover and probably already nursing a rum and coke at 10am for sanity at my table.
I was able to focus on my panels, and learned that it’s pointless to rush when you don’t have to go back to potentially no waiting customers. I walked around dressed in Roman garb on Good Friday asking random congoers where Jesus was so we could put him up for the night. (He of course, made his appearance after I was changed, bastard.)
I was able to be social, and make new amazing friends and just…relax. My back doesn’t hurt, I don’t want to curl into a ball and cry after reviewing my sales ledger…I’m tired, sure, but I’m feeling happy and chill. Good company kept helped this for sure, because I probably would have gone insane otherwise.
I don’t know how much longer I’ll be going to Anime Boston, being that I told myself that I would stop doing anime cons when I officially hit 30 (this gives me 2 more years.) Shit, I don’t watch anime anymore, and the stuff that I was looking for in the dealer’s room didn’t even seem to exist.
I’m going to continue drawing in graphic novel form and getting back to the comic con circuit with them after printing, but as far as anime con alleys go…consider myself retired.
Maybe I’ll make my [threatened] grand comeback to the masquerade scene after all.
Mar 25 2011
No really, this is the greatest thing to come about on the internet since PERSEUS.
http://fyeahhistorymajorheraldicbeast.tumblr.com/
You can find the original and make your own in the FAIL section of Memegenerator.net, hopefully if we keep doing it, it won’t be fail anymore.
Here’s a couple that I’ve made:
Mar 25 2011
Back from an all-too short trip to Florida to an inbox of assignments from mein Deutscheprofessor (GRR) and a pile of fabric that needs to turn into my next Byzantine creation by next weekend. I did get a good amount of hand work done on the superhumeral, so that will be worked on today with the machine so that I can begin couching pearls onto it. It’s pretty extravagant. I really like how it’s coming out. Pics will be posted later.
For those that actually read this (wha?) and are curious as to what I did in Ponce de Leon Land, Sunday my family and I went to the Bay Area Renaissance Festival, where I had to drink to keep my mouth shut when I saw horrid things walk by me. I know it’s a fair, and you’re welcome to be a wench all you want, in fact, even I was rather wenchy/piratey, but Steampunks irk me, and I love steampunk. I have steampunk costumes and the genre is amazing, but it doesn’t belong at Renaissance festivals and, ugh, SCA events for that matter…BUT ANIME COSTUMES?! REALLY?! ARRRRGHHHH!!!!!
Monday I went to the beach for a short time with my sister, her best friend of nearly 2 decades, and her baby daughter, who, by laws of friend adoption, I have the right to call my niece. She’s only 5 months old, so the trip was only 45 minutes, but she was super cute! I was already a little burned from the Ren Fest, so I didn’t want to push it anyway.
Tuesday I stuck around at home and worked on my hand-sewing with my mom’s guidance. I’m not the best with beads, and since she’s had experience, it was good to have her give me some pointers before I botched it, and Wednesday my sister, dad and I drove to Port Charlotte to see a Rays spring training game against the Phillies. My sister managed to score David Price and Joe Maddon’s autographs, and we had a nice chat with each of them. We got a wave out of Manny Ramirez, Ryan Howard, Matt Joyce, and Shawn Rodriguez as well…well my sister did. She’s the cute blonde, I’m just the whale sitting next to her.
All in all, good trip. Too short, but alas, homework calls. Boooo. Oh, and that whole flying from 80 to 30 and snow…No. Just…No. I hate you, Providence.
Mar 13 2011
Yesterday was the Thirty-somethingth Black Rose Ball here in the Barony of the Bridge, and the 9th consecutive one I’ve attended since I’ve been in Rhode Island. Damn. I’ll have lived in Rhode Island for 10 freaking years in 2012. Where the hell does the time go?
The ball this year was at the German American Cultural Society in Pawtucket, where it was held once before, and where we often booze extensively on Friday nights in their Ratskeller. :3
I wasn’t feeling it this year, which was probably pretty evident in the fact that I showed up there in Roman garb that I made originally as a Halloween costume 2 years ago. It’s pretty, it’s shiny, the trim and fabric isn’t anything close to being period, but I got a lot of compliments, surprisingly. I felt weird wearing something like that to Black Rose when I usually go in something more elaborate and my period, but whatever. Like I said, I wasn’t feeling the event this year and I think I went more out of the sake of tradition than to actually dance. As is written in my Letters of Marque, the ball is when I need to pay my tribute to the Barony, and I did so this year with authentic Mardi Gras beads and chocolate.
This past week I had a blast of midterms for the semester, as in a blast being 2 of them: Textiles and Classics. The former one went just fine, the latter is probably a good solid C. Argh.
Situation with ex is not better. In fact, situation with ex-husband is better than ex-boyfriend. Funny how the world works…Heh.
I leave for Florida on Saturday night. I should really start getting together my sewing kit to bring with me. God only knows I have enough hand work to do while I’m down there. I purchased spring training tickets for my sister and I, so we’ll be driving to Port Charlotte next Wednesday to catch a Rays game. They’ll be playing Philly, and we’re 3 rows up from the field next to the Rays dugout. Yeah. We’re just that awesome.
Mar 06 2011
I suppose it’s time to actually use this blog as intended, and that’s to chronicle my project-type thingies.
I’m a co-autocrat for Lucan VIII and Jana V’s Coronation on April 2nd, so I’ve had the liberty to take a sneak peak at our very awesome site and work with members of Haus Von Drackenklaue to pull off the event. My “assignment” is set-design, and I’m basically in charge of making the site look as pretty as possible, which, is going to be a challenge, considering it already looks like this:
The site is St. Ann’s Cultural Center in Woonsocket, RI, and as one can assume, it was once a Catholic Church. It boasts the supposed largest collection of frescoes in North America, and you really can’t pick a better location for a Byzantine-inspired coronation in the East Kingdom.
In addition to the site, I’ve also taught and advised on the basics of Byzantine clothing, in attempts to get as many people there in the period’s clothing as possible. Of course, it’s not required, but it gave me a new project to work on, and I can’t really complain. (You can download the handout to my class on my Academia page.)
I’ll be posting a whole new thing on JUST my garb project, but essentially I’m doing a “heraldic” Byzantine.
I know, I know, a Laurel just read that and pulled their hair out. There’s no such thing as heraldry in the Byzantine period. Well, there WAS as it overlapped from the West, but for the most part, Eastern Europe didn’t seem to be big into the Coat of Arms deal. Well, in the SCA, we play a game that allows for everyone to have heraldry, despite their persona and period, so…This is where the “creative anachronism” comes in, and I’m making the garb in my colors with a heraldic superhumeral showing off my arms. I figured it would be a fun project that would challenge me, especially in the hand-sewing department where I need the help, and look really cool for Coronation and other high-profile Byzantine events that are bound to come up from time to time.
I look at it like this: They wore heavily embroidered and pearl/jewel encrusted collars, mine just happens to be white with black dolphins and a red border. 
Feb 20 2011
1: Never fly on a weekend if you don’t have to.
2: Best fares are on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
3: Always book your ticket on a Thursday. Don’t ask me why, but you’ll notice a difference.
4: Keep watching the fares between your favorite airlines (For me that’s Southwest and JetBlue) for at least a week in advance of the date you wish to book. You’ll get a good idea of the pricing trends.
5: If you find a good fare, double check with the carrier about their checked luggage policy. One of the main reasons I fly the above airlines is that they don’t charge you to check one bag. With Southwest you can check 2.
6: Look at surrounding airports. The reason why I’ve been flying out of Boston more lately than Providence is that it’s been cheaper to fly JetBlue than Southwest. Check into transportation to the alternative airport. We have buses and trains that run between T.F. Green and Logan for this reason. I believe Tampa and Orlando also have a bus shuttle system. However, also take into account the cost of your transportation needs. If I’m looking at flights out of each of my regional airports, I add in the costs to get there. For me, TF Green is the closest, and I can get there by bus for 2 bucks. Logan I need to budget at least $20 for each way. If the fare is low enough to accommodate that, like it was for Christmas, then I go for it. It’s not worth it if the flight out of Providence is only $5 more than the one out of Boston.
7: Layovers. Sometimes their a necessary evil, especially up and down the East Coast. It’s not uncommon for me to have a layover in either JFK, Baltimore-Washington, or Charlotte. If you have to take a layover, make sure that you have enough time to get to your connection and have a decent lunch in between. I’ve had to run between AIRSIDES at Charlotte before, and that is not a small airport. Neither is Baltimore for that matter and your connection will NEVER be the next gate over. EVER. The only time that ever happened to me was 3 years ago in Nashville, and I was FLOORED. Fortunately, Tampa and Providence are both hubs for Southwest, and Boston is a hub for JetBlue. This makes it easier to get non-stops. Non-stop flights are actually cheaper in the tax aspect, because you won’t have to pay additional port and security taxes for however many stops you make. You also have less of a chance to get your luggage lost. You need an hour. Period. 2 hours, on the other hand, can get annoying and boring.
8: If you don’t fly often, check what type of aircraft you’ll be on. I don’t care if it’s a puddle jumper or a massive Airbus, but some people do. If the airline has you choose your seat, make sure you are comfortable with sitting by a window or the aisle or ESPECIALLY in an evacuation row. I really hate sitting next to people, period. So I go all the way to the back. You’re last out of the plane, sure, but elbow room is nice.
9: Kids are going to scream. Deal with it. The air pressure hurts their ears and they often don’t understand what’s going on, it can also be an exciting experience for them. Don’t always blame this on the parent unless you see them not doing anything at all. Bring headphones like Skull Candy that help block out sound. The first time I flew I was 5, and I just stared out the window the whole time totally mesmerized and thought the take off was the coolest thing ever, however my brother was 2, and didn’t do so hot with my poor 8 month pregnant mother doing her best to keep him occupied. Just be patient with them.
10: Bubblegum, hand sanitizer and Airborne. I shouldn’t have to explain this. Not only do I start taking Airborne 3 days before I fly, but in the spring I have to start taking Claritin a WEEK before I fly to Florida because of my own allergies. Otherwise, my trip is usually not-so-fun. If you’re sick, do your best not to spread your germ warfare to the other passengers. You’ll get some nasty looks anyway.
Feb 20 2011
I severely lack in posting in it.
My most recent happenings post-relocation include:
Breaking up with my boyfriend. No, it’s okay, REALLY.
Getting my next financial aid disbursement, allowing me to begin purchasing furniture.
Completing my damn taxes. Which in, itself, was an adventure like no others, courtesy of 2 previous employers from last year that couldn’t/can’t/won’t get their act together. That’s what amendments are for, sure, but I have to get my financial aid for next year rollin’.
Tax refund is significant, planning for Pennsic War has commenced. This year I will be camping with my good friends (if not family) at Freehold of the River Keep. I am registered to attend war, and have submitted to teach my class on Rapier garb there. I’m in the process of formulating another one on JUST the Peplos garment, and I think it’s going to be quite awesome and informative.
Looking at visiting the folks in Tampatown for the Renaissance Festival which falls during my spring break. Right now Southwest from Providence is actually beating Jet Blue from Boston in fares. I hope it stays that way, because if I definitely decide to go I will be booking the tickets this week. (Thursdays are the best day to buy airline tickets, for those that want to know.)
Ice Weasel event was yesterday. Naturally, per the laws of the Ice Weasel, no matter how warm Providence got before the event, we had piercing winds and temperatures in the 20s. Brrr.
Spring Training has started.
SPRING TRAINING HAS STARTED.
SPRING TRAINING HAS STARTED.
Feb 10 2011
I can finally update this more regularly once again.
