The list

Packing for Burning Man has gotten much easier each time I've gone. Lists like this one and this one (.xls file) are really helpful, especially when going for the first time. Those lists are perfect if you're not too far, and packing up your car and driving to Black Rock City. But I live too far to drive, I'm flying into Reno and driving from there. There's no way I can fit all that stuff in my luggage; I have to buy some of it in Reno. What to pack and what to buy?

I pack all my costumes, some regular clothes, make up, shoes and boots, sleeping bag, tent, maybe a cooler, lights, gifts, goggles & dustmask, stove and that's probably it. I pack two duffel bags FULL, and stay one or two pounds under the airline's baggage weight limit with this stuff.

The rest is bought in Reno. We make a few stops around the city. First we usually go to a giant thrift store. We're looking for:

• full length mirror
• chair
• rugs
• pillow
• blankets
• cooking pot & utensils
• sharp knife

Next stop is Walmart (yeah maybe you hate Walmart, but whatever, we don't have many options). We're looking for anything we didn't find at the thrift store, plus:

• water
• sunscreen
• gold bond
• face wipes
• regular wipes
• soap/shampoo
• razors (shaving cream)
  
• tp
  
• batteries - D, AA, AAA, 9volt
• propane for stove
• large rubbermaid storage tote
• small ziplocks
• garbage bags
• recycling bags

Food either also from Walmart, of from a regular grocery store.

• beef jerky
• bagels
  
• muffins/breakfast bars
• clif bars
• cans of meaty soup
• tuna
• kd
• bacon salt
  
• chocolate &
  
• cheese
  
• apples
• limes
• carrots & celery
  
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• cranberry juice
• ground coffee
• rockstar coffee/double shots
  
• tonic
• vitamin water
• salt, pepper, spices

Plus anything else that looks yummy. Just a few things for the cooler, mostly non perishable stuff. Last stop is the hardware store, where we get lumber and hardware and tools to build our camp. Just one structure that's like our living room, with tents placed all around, so that when you leave your tent, you walk into the shady living room, not the blazing hot sun. This year we'll need a bit more lumber since we'll have a few cubes (from the last post) instead of tents.

This ain't halfway camp

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Originally uploaded by fairysari

The biggest project of the year is finally done - our living space. Instead of camping in a hot stuffy tent this year at Burning Man, I built a cube. It's a 10'wx10'dx7'h cubular tent made out of old tents. It's got lots of doors and windows, which all zip up to keep the dust out. I'm hoping It'll stay cooler with lots more room for air to circulate, and not holding our body heat in such a small space. The old tent was *just* big enough to fit our double air mattress, and sit up. Fancy mec winterized tent. Now we'll be able to stand up and keep our bags inside.

The Halfway Camp banner was the last of the necessary projects. Well, I actually made it back in May, I just added the patch at the top that says "THIS AIN'T". See, at CTMF (our early summer camping trip) we're Halfway Camp, because we always have cool art and fires and its the halfway warm-up pit stop for lots of people on their way back to their tents. At Burning Man, we don't do thing half-assed, so, This Ain't Halfway Camp.

30 days

My last blog post was pretty depressing. I've tried to write posts more recently but always get frustrated and give up. Today, that changes. Today, the real countdown begins. The man burns in 30 days. My goal is to blog about my preparations for my third trip to Burning Man this year.


Of course the prep has already begun. On the weekend I went to Mountain Equipment Co-op, and purchased two lovely giant red duffel bags. I broke the zipper on my old one, so it has to be replaced, and since they were only $36, I figured I could afford a matched set. And now I'll be able to spot my luggage coming out of the baggage conveyor thing at the airport from a mile away.

So I've already started packing. I have one duffel full already; full of costumes and boots mostly. And many of those outfits received upgrades of some sort, it works with the Evolution theme, I think. Even my old costumes are evolving. Some daytime outfits got embellished with sequins and fringe and little stars. My burn night dress got a lace up corset back, and it's way more comfy now. My playa coat finally got a hood (with ears! - this worked out prefectly as I had just enough matching fur leftover) and EL wire.

I've also created a few new outfits. Pictures to come, maybe... One of the new outfits is made from some old leather jackets I bought at the thrift store. It sort of has that tribal feel, scraps sewn together and leather feathers embellishing it. It might be my wednesday-trek-across-the-playa outfit. I also created a skirt and tank top out of a few yellow t-shirts. With sequins sewn on well, and freezer-paper stencils of wings on the back, and feathers all around. I guess feathers are a bt of a theme in my creations this year. Real feathers aren't allowed at Burning Man, because they create moop (matter-out-of-place - a big no-no at a leave no trace event), so I had to improvise.

There's lots more preparation going on, but I'll save some for another post.

Good bye piggies

Home sick from work today. Eye infection, a cold, and something thats making me puke. Lovely combination. Anyway, thought I'd take the opportunity to mention that I've lost two of my guinea pigs since the last time I posted. Tanuki passed in December, and Costanza just a week and a half ago. So I just have the two furry girls now, Maci and Chrysanthemum. The whole situation has made me not bvery eager to work on piggie beds for the Etsy shop. So whats there is there, and I have no idea if I'll be adding anything.

I have still been knitting of course. I've finished the back of an intarsia vest that I bought the yarn for probably three years ago. It was my first giant yarn purchase, when I went to Jo-Anns in Niagara Falls (the American side of course. We don't have Jo-anns here. I was extremely excited). Anyway, so I'd bought piles of Lion Brand Wool-Ease just like the pattern called for (also the same time I bought the wool-ease for Craig's poncho, which I actually knit right away when I got the yarn). Meh, not my favourite yarn, but its alright. At least its not totally acrylic. And it's on Ravelry if you'd like to have a look. The head throbbing eye blurring is getting a little worse now so I'm not going to try to link it. Just going to go lie down and drink some tea.

Etsy store is live!

Check it out!

There's six beds in the first update. Next update is coming next week. I just got a new shipment of fabric, so I just need a little time to turn it into beds! Here's a sneak peek of the fabric:

If you see fabric there that you absolutely love, head on over to etsy and convo me. I'll put up the listing as reserved for you!

Etsy does some cool stuff

I am still waiting on a shipment of fabric for my guinea pig beds, but I do have a few of them ready and waiting, and I may list a few of them later this week. I'm working out shipping, and may list a few as a test, and just need to get the pictures all pretty for your viewing pleasure!

In the meantime, I've created an Etsy treasury. It's a handpicked list of items available on Etsy, and the theme of mine is wind power. Have a look!

Change is on the way

I have a whole pile of guinea pigs, as you might already know. Well, four of them to be exact. And I like to make beds for them. Little soft and comfy ones, that look like miniaturized dog beds. I first learned how to make them when I used to frequent a guinea pig forum, and since then have experimented and tested out different techniques and fabrics. Now I'm an old pro at making these cute little beds. So why not share my creations with you?

Well, now I will! I used to take custom orders if you contacted me through those guinea pig sites, but that system never worked too well for me. While browsing Etsy for some holiday gifts for this year, it hit me! This would be the perfect place to offer my beds for sale. So I did a quick search, and to my surprise, no one at all had listed any beds like mine. The closest thing I could find were sets of toys for ferrets.

So I have been hard at work behind the scenes getting ready for shop opening! I still have a few things to work out, and want to make sure I have enough stock for a great grand opening. You can have a look at my shop now, although it is currently empty. Soon it will be filled with adorable beds! And soon this blog will have a makeover to match the shop, so be on the lookout!

I can't give you an exact opening date right now (still waiting on some supplies to arrive in the mail), but I'll give at least a week's notice before the opening, right here on my blog.

For now, here's a sneak peek for my blog readers of the beds! The first one will be available, the second one is Costanza modeling a bed of his own.