the lonesome lows don't quite go away overnight

About a week ago I had to make the decision to skip WisCon this year -- my job won't let me ask off two holiday weekends in a row and I had to go with the vacation that was better for me overall. So... CONvergence is on and costumes are slowly being worked. Mini-vacations with WisCon people are potentially being wrangled through the wonders of MegaBus. Seriously. I can get to Dallas/Fort Worth for UNDER $20 (and since I actually find car rides relaxing, this is perfect.).

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Final day of snowflake_challenge : In your own space, share a favorite memory about fandom: the first time you got into fandom, the last time a fanwork touched your heart, crazy times with fellow fans (whether on-line or off-line), a lovely comment you’ve received or have left for someone.

... remember when you would pass hand-written fics around your friends for them to beta?
... remember when you had binders full of printed fics and read them in class on bad days?
... remember the countless times when fandom friend turned into real life friend turned into best friend turned into girlfriend turned into family?
... remember how writing about these characters you knew better than yourself felt like coming home?

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It is nearly rarewomen time again, and I AM EXCITE.

However, tonight I am going to watch some TV and knit, and then attempt to take-two today with tomorrow.

Day 5: Try something new. I asked for atypical requests on Tumblr, and have a pin in the request to draw the Baudelaires. I just can't find my sketch pad. AND ONE CANNOT DRAW WITHOUT ONE'S SKETCH PAD. I've also been reading like MAD in a new fandom (Community) and am delighted to find porn and quite a bit of fic that is feminist and wonderful and BRITTA.

Day 6: In your own space, pimp promote three comms or challenges and explain why you love them.
~ rarewomen (on LJ) is gearing up again! There will be some administrative changes this year, but the heart of the challenge remains the same. An annual exchange for rare women in large and small fandoms. 
~ fandomcalendar  is extremely helpful.
~ musemostwanted (on LJ -- no idea if there's a DW equivalent) is a life-saver if you've ever dabbled in text RP. It's wonderful to stumble across someone who just happens to be searching for interaction in the same rare fandom you are. Even wonderfuller when ships align and sparks fly.

Day 7: In your own space, share something non-fannish about yourself. A passion or a hobby or a talent, something that people might not know about you. We are more than just our fandoms. I have a similar problem to summerstorm , here, in that I talk quite frequently about my personal life, as it were. I also think that most of you have seen at least one picture of me. So I'm going to go ahead and copy Lix on this one and do a little video. If there's anything you want me to talk about or do, leave it in a comment. I'll try to have it posted by the end of the week.

Day 8: In your own space, talk about setting yourself a fannish goal. Big or small, it doesn't matter. Some examples: complete a bingo, sign up for a Big Bang, write that fic you've been thinking about for years, podfic that story that you love, make a fanmix for your fandom, post that bit of meta or reclist you keep putting off. Maybe resolve to be better at leaving feedback or answering comments. I'm working on setting more doable goals this year, and not letting myself get overwhelmed by something that's supposed to be an asset to my life. Fandom, I remind myself, is something that's supposed to be fun. A celebration. A gathering. So I'll organize when I can, write when I can, promote when I can, donate when I can, and not get so worried about the rest. The beginning of the year will consist of rarewomen organization and writing, galentinesday writing, and hands-on crafts.

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For this year's fandom_stocking, I wrote one thing (I'd meant to write a lot more but WINTER BLUES YOU ARE THE WORST): you take a bite out of all the candies (Bunheads, Michelle/Truly) for credoimprobus and received many lovely things including icons and recs and tropey Annie/Britta fic by scintilla10 !!

Today's snowflake_challenge : In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you did not create. Drop a link to your post in the comments. See if you can rec fanworks that are less likely to be praised: tiny fandoms, rare pairings, fanworks other than stories, lesser known kinks or tropes. Find fanworks that have few to no comments, or creators new to a particular fandom and maybe aren't well known or appreciated. Appreciate them.

I decided to rec the oeuvre of three people rather than just three works. Enjoy!

FANFICTION
I'm sure you all are getting tired of hearing me brag on gloss , but seriously. Here are a few of her lesser-appreciated works (that I love most!)
Women Who Run with Whywolves (Adventure Time, Fionna & Cake &/ Marceline)
The Sparkle that Stings (Happy Endings, Penny/Alex)
Halfway to human (Homestuck, Jane gen)
Heartbreak Jamboree (Parks & Recreation, Ann, Ethel/Muriel)
Built to Last (Our Idiot Brother, Ned/Liz)
she is the list of my voyage (She's the Man, Olivia/Viola, ROLLER DERBY)


META
prozacpark  is the best in the business.
tv rec: "Pretty Little Liars" + why you should be watching it
more on fandom and slash, this time with stats and numbers (yes, this is the one you keep seeing on your tumblr feed, and for good reason!)
the rape of Inara: on heroines, consent, and women's sexuality
her pieces for BitchFlicks: a feminist reading of "The Ring" and madwoman's journey from the attic to the television - feminism in horror films
most developed character on "Buffy": on Joss Whedon's wisdom
gender, fantasy, and the women of Dragon Age
women, race, and agency in narratives: or why I stopped reading vertigo's Fables
tv rec: "The Inside" - seven reasons you should watch it now (I believe she has another Inside meta, but LJ is so iffy right now it's hard to track down)

FANVIDS
This is starting to sound like rec-your-friends-hour, but chaila  is a legitimate talent. I love that she vids in small fandoms, and that her thought processes are so carefully played through. 
Parable (Octavia Butler's Parables series)
Keepsake (Never Let Me Go)
Rabbit Heart (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)