Engelina's Realm

Resistance is futile.

2009-11-14T20:03:29Z

Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
• I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity.
• Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
• Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.

Questions from autumndandelion

1) Why are y'all looking to change the logo to AFFA when it's already so awesome?

first i want to note that this answer is my pov, not that of the affa staff as a whole.

While the current logo indeed is awesome, we wanted a logo that was made and picked by the community, since without the community, and all the people who nominate and vote each year, the AFFA would not exist either. i hope to get a logo that all feel comfortable with, no matter what adult fic they write. I myself like all the new logos people made, and had a very hard time picking a nr 1 and 2.

2) What's the best part about having a teenage daughter?

While she can give me quite a headache sometimes, she can be very sweet, like today. She got an offer to work in a flower shop for today, and got payed for it. And she also got me some red roses. I also like things like going to a movie with her. Its also someone to have friendly good-meant discussions with. I don know anyone else who can stick to a point of view like she can.

3) If you could spend the day with any of the Ninja Turtles, which one would it be and what would you do?

Probably Donatello, to talk about technical/computer stuff. If it can be a non turtle, then Splinter. I think it would be really interesting to hear stories about things the turtles did from him. Every parent has some of those stories they can ( and on occasion, will ) embarrass their kids with.

4) Why do you like Avatar?

At first, I was not a big fan of the series, but the more my kids watched it, the more I started liking it too. I really like to see uncle Iroh, and the interaction between him and Suko.

5) Which of your fanfics are you the most proud of?

Mmm, lemme think. That would be the little turtle series. I first was hesitant to write that story, but I am glad I did, even if it took me doing a re-write before I was really happy with the first story.

AFFA forum Update..

2009-11-13T19:43:26Z

yep, update time! with luck, all will go smooth, as it has been during previos updates. no worries, thoug, i backup evberything before i update, so nothing will be lost.

will edit this post when done, or when i encounter trouble.

edit 1: update done, all looks good, checking if all works...

edit 2: and the forum is back open for all again! report any trouble you encounter to me, while i go and chase out the yellow smilies that sneak in every single update.

Speedy and Raphael

2009-11-07T20:04:49Z

Speedy And Raphael by *engelina-cartoonfan on deviantART

Here is a photo of the two turtles that joined my household. it took a bit of time to get a clear picture of them. My kids named them, my teen named one speedy, my son named the other.. easy to guess where he got the idea.

they are about 4 centimeters now, not sure what the species is in English. they look like red eared sliders, but with yellow on their cheeks instead of red. i know what they are called in dutch, but cant seem to find a translation.

Speedy is on the top/rigth, Raphael is the one looking at us.

engelina_c @ 2009-11-02T18:03:00

2009-11-02T17:05:58Z

THe certificates for 2008 are done, and ready to be admired and picked up by the winners! Go here!

I will add them to the AFFA Site gallery soon, in fact i am working on doing that already.

edit: gallery added!

engelina_c @ 2009-10-29T18:14:00

2009-10-29T17:16:00Z

The dates for the next AFFA Competition are:

Nominations Window - Monday 18th Jan 2010 to Sunday 31st Jan
Preparation Window - Monday 1st Feb to Sunday 7th Feb
Reading Window - Monday 8th Feb to Sunday 21st Feb
Voting Window - Monday 22nd Feb to Sunday 7th March

If you have a question, or a problem with the dates, or think there may be a problem, please just say so, either by reacting here, on the affa forum, or in the schoutbox on the affa site. if you rather not say it out in the open, then you can use the mail form on the affa site.

New pets!

2009-10-22T15:51:42Z

since today, i got two new house mates.. they are cute, small (( for now... they will grow )) have shells, and a still a bit empty new home. its that last part that i can use tips for. what are good things to use to make a nice home for two small waterturtles?

for now, i got the basics.. but only the basics (( new home, food, island for them to sit on, a special lamp, and dried food an d vitamin stuff from the pet shop.)) internet is confusing, one site says this, another contradicts it. so yeah, any good and care for turtles tips, and sites i can trust are welcome.

p.s.,: will post piccies later.

TMNT AFFA Forum update news

2009-10-14T19:51:38Z

As i say above, somewhere during the coming week, there will be a mayor AFFA forum update, code-wise, that is. If all goes smooth, all you as members migth notice is that the forum is down for a bit while i update.

I will backup all before updating, so nothing posted here will get lost.

questions can be asked here, or on the news post on the forum. i will post a message her and on twitter when i update.

Not fair....

2009-10-10T20:01:35Z

I really hate it when this happens.. and since i live in the netherlands, i do get to see it more then i like. sometimes it happens while following a link on a site, or a link posted by someone somewhere.. in this case, i followed a link on a website.

update on painting my son's room.

2009-10-10T19:35:26Z

Day 1: no photo's. I did two walls, the one next to the door, and the one behind the bed. I also managed to get paint in my hair, in my clothes, and on one of my feet.

Day 2: See below: did a second lair on the wall behind the bed, and the wall with the window in it. that left me with one wall, the one between door and window. also added more paint to my clothes. i was smart enough to put on the same ones as the day before.

Day 3: see below: I did the last wall, checked the others for spots that i might have missed. luckily, i had not. i also put my son's toys back, and put up the decoration's he likes tmnt and spider-man, but since there is no shop that sells tmnt stuff here, i went with spider-man.

i myself am quite happy with the result. not bad for the first time painting walls.

engelina_c @ 2009-10-09T16:19:00

2009-10-09T14:20:13Z

My LiveJournal Trick-or-Treat Haul
engelina-c goes trick-or-treating, dressed up as ninja turtle.
askre gives you 17 brown raspberry-flavoured gumdrops.
autumndandelion gives you 12 dark green cherry-flavoured wafers.
cynlee gives you 3 dark green evil-flavoured jawbreakers.
greenwillow27 gives you 16 brown root beer-flavoured pieces of chewing gum.
katt30 gives you 13 tan banana-flavoured jawbreakers.
mandy_nyar gives you 18 pink raspberry-flavoured gumdrops.
ramica tricks you! You get a wad of paper.
reijiro75 gives you 7 brown strawberry-flavoured gumdrops.
robina1984 gives you 7 yellow watermelon-flavoured gumdrops.
sonicsora tricks you! You get a clothespin.
engelina-c ends up with 93 pieces of candy, a wad of paper, and a clothespin.
Go trick-or-treating! Username:
Another fun meme brought to you by rfreebern.

engelina_c @ 2009-10-05T20:48:00

2009-10-05T18:55:59Z

My son's room has been needing its walls painted for a long time.. and i finally decided to give it a try, since i never have done that before myself. seen others do it, but have not done it myself.

bought the paint and other necessary things last week, and started today. managed to do two walls, and will hopefully finish the painting in one or two days, depending on how it goes. while painting the wall, i managed to get some paint on me, too. not much, but still.. and i have no idea how i got paint in my hair.

more news as i continue this little project of mine. o, and anyone here interested in photo's of said project?

September 25, 1993, 16 years ago.

2009-09-25T18:15:03Z

My daughter is 16 years old now. hard to believe that 16 years ago, she was this small baby with a thin lair of red hair on her head.

16 years. they flew past, from my point of view. not all those years where easy. We had good and bad times, and good and bad moments. From they day she was born, i have seen her grow, and learn how to do things herself little by little. Little by little i have let her go, each year a bit more, because each year she was a little more grown. Each year, she became more and more an individual, with ups and downs. I am sure there will be many more ups and downs in her live. I will be there for her, maybe not always able to help, but i will be there.

16 years.. for better and for worse. i hope my daughter will have many good years to come.

Youtube: Old commercial i like.

2009-09-17T20:24:17Z

i remember seeing this commercial air on the dutch tv.. and a lot of people i know, and knew back then, liked it. found it again today, and did not want to keep it from you all.

new pet game!

2009-08-31T14:55:13Z

i know, i already am playing two pet games... but this one looked like fun. ((thanks for the link, ramica!! ))

nice looking eggs, yes? .. also.. please click?

Four turtles in a row!

2009-08-29T20:01:54Z

took me a while to make them, and the first Raphael i made was claimed by my son, so the Raphael in this picture is the second one i made.

engelina_c @ 2009-08-17T21:18:00

2009-08-17T19:23:11Z

Title: Survival guide for babysitting a 5-year old mutant turtle
Fandom: TMNT
Characters: Casey Jones, Donatello
Rating: Nothing extreme in this fic.
Summary: A list written by Casey Jones, after having to watch a 5 year old mutant turtle.
Disclaimer: I do not own the turtles, just the idea for the Little turtle AU
Notes: Part of my Little Turtle universe.

Posted on Pizzas and scrolls, here: Link

1: Do not leave the kid alone in the living room while your toolbox is still in the same room. The result is that you have to go and buy at least 1 new appliance.

2: Do not feed the kid too much candy. You will regret it, because the kid will either get sick or hyper. Make that do not feed him too many snack foods at all.

3: Do not leave the kid alone in the shower either. The result is you will need to go and close off the water until you can fix the accidental damage, or at least have a lot of water to be mopped up.

4: If you ever get the bright idea to do something creative with a small turtle, make sure it’s not with paint.

5: Also make sure it’s not with glue. Especially not super-glue.

6: When you decide to watch movies with a 5-year old, rent some kid safe ones. Do not grab the first one from your stack, and surely not Underworld.

7: Or any other horror movie. End result might be that you get a visit from his not so happy brothers later on.

8: If you decide to play a computer game with the kid, make sure it’s a kid-safe one.

9: Also do make sure you are ready to lose to a smart-ass 5-year old. Even if it only happens once.

10: If the kid tells you he wants to show you something that he has learned, make sure to ask who taught him that lesson. If the answer is Leonardo or Sensei, make sure to move the demonstration to the roof or another place with room, or to have spare lamps.

11: Reading a book to the kid is a good idea, but make sure to have suitable books. If you do not have any suitable books, motorcycle magazines with lots of pictures work too.

12: Make sure there are no adult magazines in the same stack, or you might have to answer some questions about anatomy.

13: Watch your language, unless you like the taste of soap. Said soap will be fed to you if the kid repeats some choice words near his Dad, and then tells where he learned them.

14: If you have Internet, do not leave the kid in front of the computer alone. The kid can and will find sites you do not want him to see.

15: Decorating the bedroom wall with stencils is more fun when done with a 5-year old. Do make sure to tell him it’s not allowed back home, though.

website news! ( for all three sites, too!))

2009-08-11T19:08:55Z

lets start with my main site, which i am turning into a website focused on my photo-making and non-fan-art. its already changed, all it needs now is visitors, and maybe even a comment or two. * looks hopeful at people reading this* i will be updating that site a few times a week, and will try to post a new picture daily. LINK

all my fan-art and fanfic will be moved, the art probably here, the fics on pizzas and scrolls, and here or linked to from here.

now for the affa- site: the re-done site is almost done, just need to check for errors, and add one or two things, then it is ready for people to visit! from all the new/changed things, i think people migth like the new master links lis the most: a list with all stories nominated for the affa since 2006! it was quite some work to write and code it (( thanks go to reijiro for all the writing!)). Link, still to old site

last, but not least, i got some news from pizzas and scrolls too. i finally managed to re-find the liquidsteel skin a lot of people liked, and asked me about adding again. will go and add it asap, and may make it the default again! LINK

new affa-site - in the works!

2009-08-02T21:33:33Z

i have been working on re-doing the affa-website for some time now, and here is some info on what i am working on, and what you can expect:

- no more frames! (( while still keeping things easy to update for me. ))
- new look menu.
- New look for the gallery
- re-vised links page, now with a list that has all fics nominated so far, alphabetically, and a list sorted by author.
- the shout box makes its return on the main page.
- contact form re-done, now has captcha.
- competitions in one section, which each years info posted by year.

wich reminds me.. i still need to add a list of people who made the certificate art..

movie day!

2009-07-21T08:31:42Z

Today is movie day! my son is camping with the daycare he goes too (( for four days! he left yesterday, will come back on Thursday. I hope he has fun!)) and my teen and i decided to go and see the new harry potter movie today.

Already reserved the tickets, so its all set! Best not forget the paper with the reservation number on it! i will need it to get said tickets. My teen is exited, and looking forward to the movie. Until yesterday, i only said we where going to see a movie, not which one.

Have to go now, time to get my rear in gear. have some things to do before i can pick up those tickets. just wish that cinema was closer to my home. i got to go there by train, since its not in the center of the town i live in, but outside town.

..cant think off a title..

2009-07-17T07:52:11Z

*watches several on friendslist post to do lists, and generally be nervous about going to the comic con. * i am so going to but all off you for piccies!! have fun, everyone that is going. and keep posting about it, i like to read all the entries about it. dont think i willever be able to go, unless i win a lottery or something like that, but stories and piccies make up for a lot!

also good news on the saffa frond: i am re-programming the site, moving pages around, reformatting some, etc. its getting along nicely, and hopefully will be done soon. maybe i will give a sneak peek or two here soon... if anyone is interested,that is.

i had a nice vacation, even if the water decided to be rainy all week. there was enough to do there to be entertained even withthe rain. piccies can be found here: Link ((thart is my mom's photobucket. thje photos where taken by her, me and some others. mixed together in that album. ))

one of the things i did was take a tour in a local beer factory (not sure if i translated that correct)0 despite b me not being a beer drinker, it was fun to see how its made.my daugther almost lived in the indoor pool, and my son was on the playground a lot. we also went away a few times, driving around, shopping (( bougth a new ds game there)) and we most days would go out to eat. i did not cook that week, and neither did my mom.

the only shade was the thirt family. ((my step-brother and his wife and two kids..)) they had a figth half-way troug the vacation, and after that basically just did what they wanted.. and not asking me, my mom or my step-dad if we wanted to participate. after that day, did not ask them if they wanted to participate in what i did, either. what also bugged me is the way they raise their kids.. basically, if the youngesty son said he wated to do something, like bowling, they would do it.. seriusly, that 9-year-old basically decided what they where going to do daily, and if he punished him for something.. she would pull him towards her, and cuddle him, basically canceling any punishment. ((dad saiys: go and sit in your bedroom.. mumsays, you dont have too, poor kid.. arg.)) in short, it made me glad i am a single mom....at least i dont have figths with my partner.

i am worried about my step-dad, atm.. he came to the conclusion that he cant go on vacation with his sonś family.. and it hurts him a bit. he has 6 kids. only one visits him, this one. and to have to draw that conclusion cant be easy on him. he sleeps badly, and is so lost in thougth that he forgets things. me and my mom are keeping a eye on him, at the momend.

my son is still going to the daycare, even now inthe vacation, and will go camping withthem next week. i want to look for a sleeping bag today, so i don't have to loan one. he is going away for four days. in those four days, teen and i want to go and see a movie.. we are not sure wich one, thoug, althoug she keeps repeating harry potter... i can easy guess wich movie she wants to see.

back from a week vacation!!

2009-07-13T15:12:27Z

short post for now, will post pics and details later, but i am back home after a week of vacation... got some bags to unpack, laudry to do, house to air, and fridge to check (( i forgot to toss out some food that could spoil. best do that asap.))

but yeah, back home, all is well.

ALl sites on my host: upcoming downtime

2009-07-10T18:22:05Z

all sites: a downtime from a few minutes during the nigth my time(gmt+1). the host has to replace a broken hard disk. should only be a couple of minutes.

twitter for my websites!

2009-07-03T14:20:49Z

i started a twitter account where i will post updates about my websites, or the sites i host, like my own website, pizzas and scrolls and the TMNT AFFA website. so if you want to know what is going on, or if one of the sites is down and i am working on it, you can find the info there.

you can find it here: http://twitter.com/engelina_c

Crochet: Ninja turtle pattern

2009-07-02T19:26:38Z

i made a few crochet turtles, and managed to remember what i had done while making them. under the cut is the pattern.
two pictures to show you what you can make with the pattern under the cut:

Materials you will need:
Yarn, in light brown or beige, dark brown, and green.
Crochet hook that fits the yarn you use.
Felt, a brown strip for the belt, a small piece of white, and a strip in the color you want the bandana/mask to be.
Some needles to sow the felt on, and a yarn needle to attach arms, legs, and shell to the turtle.

Sc= single crochet
2 sc tog = one single crochet in two single crochet of the previous row [link to how-to]
* 1sc, 2 sc tog* 5x = repeat instructions in between 8 5 times.

I always start with a magic loop, you can read how to do that here: [link] Also, I did not close the rows, but went in a spiral from begin until the end. Do not forget to stuff the body when you start the head, and head before row 23-24.

Body
Start with light brown or beige.

1: 5 sc in loop
2: *2 sc in next sc *, 5x
3: *1 sc, 2 sc in next sc * 5x
4: *2 sc, 2 sc in next sc * 5x
5: *3 sc, 2 sc in next sc * 5x
6,7,8,9, 10 sc the whole round.
11: *3 sc, 2 sc tog * 5x
12: *2 sc, 2 sc tog * 5x
13: *1 sc, 2 sc tog * 5 x
14: sc all around

You should have 10 stitches now.
This is also where we change colors, change to green here. Also, do not forget to fill the body and head before the last round!

15 *1 sc, 2 sc in next sc * 5x
16: *2 sc, 2 sc in next sc * 5x
17: *3 sc, 2 sc in next sc * 5x
18, 19, 20: sc all around
21: *3 sc, 2 sc tog * 5X
22: *2 sc, 2 sc tog * 5X
23: *1 sc, 2 sc tog * 5x
24:*2 sc tog * 5x

Cut the yarn and pull it through last loop, then use the tail to close the small hole that is left.

Legs: (( you need two, so you need to do this twice))
Use the same green as you used for the head

1: 5 sc in loop
2: *2 sc in next sc * 5x

Then 8 rows of sc, round.

11: *2 sc tog * 5x
Cut the yarn and pull it through last loop, leave a long tail to use to attach legs to body later.

Arms: ((again, you need 2))
Use the same green as you used for the head

1: 5 sc in loop
2: *2 sc in next sc * 5x

Then 6 rounds of sc.

10: *2 sc tog * 5x.
Cut the yarn and pull it through last loop, leave a long tail to use to attach arms to body later.

Shell/carapace:
Use dark brown

The shell is a basic oval shape, based on a chain of 4.

Start with a chain of 5. skip the first one, and then one sc in each chain stitch. Do two more sc in the last chain, and turn, so you will continue on the other side of the chain. 3 sc in the other three sc, and then increase two more in the last chain stitch. (in short, we are making an oval shape. Use your own intuition if needed to change things to fit what you have in mind)

Continue with sc, and Over the next 4 rounds, increase 3 times at both corners/sides. If you want the shell bigger, do one round more, if you prefer a smaller shell, do one less.

Then go round two times with sc, not increasing at all. This will make the shell take the right shape a bit.

Putting the turtle together:

Fill the legs a little, I use the backside of my crochet needle to do that. Attach arms and legs to the body.

Attach the shell to the body using the yarn end in the middle to attach the 4 chains you started with to the back of the turtle. I did not attach the edges, but if you want to attach them, feel free to do so.

Wrap belt ((brown felt strip)) around body, sow it together, and attach it to the body.

Cut two small eye-holes in the strip of felt you want to use for the mask, to make two eye-holes. Put a small strip of white felt behind the two holes, and attach the small piece of white onto the mask. Wrap mask around head, make a knot in the back. Attach mask to head, so it stays put.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

if you make a turtle, and want to, would you mind taking a photo and showing it to me? only if you want to, of course!

Pizzas and scrolls moved!

2009-06-26T21:04:12Z

Pizzas And scrolls, my fanfic archive for all tmnt and usagi fics, has moved to a new location. you can find it here: LINK

there still are some bugs, but i am doing everything withing my power to solve them. if you encounter a serious bug, please report it to me. if possible with a screencap.