thinking about blog camp...

blog campers...please bring a journal with you when you come to blog camp 3.0! we'll get out my stash and we can do a bit of art journaling, since the weather is likely to be rubbish and no fun for playing outside.

mini blog camp

miss buckle, who came to blog camp 2.0 back in september, was in town for the COP15 climate meeting and she had some extra time on friday and saturday, so she came out to blog camp HQ to hang out and have a mini blog camp. the weather was cold, but clear and sunny (for a change), so we took advantage of that and went out to a christmas market at a little bitty castle nearby - selsø slot. the early afternoon light was beautiful there, as you can see in this shot of miss buckle. i was standing down in the dungeon, shooting up at her in the light above. other than that, we went to the christmas festivities at sabin's riding school, but i'll have to share more of that when blogger's photo uploader is working again.

mostly, we just hung out, looking at cookbooks, drinking wine and talking about food. anne is going to be competing in the norwegian version of master chef and so she's doing a lot of thinking about what she will make for the competition. we paged through cookbooks and talked food until our mouths watered. happily, my local fish guy is open again after some repairs to his building and we were able to get some beautiful mussels, salmon and halibut for an absolutely gorgeous fish soup that is one of anne's specialities. i made a thyme focaccia to go with it and we are really happy to have some leftovers for today. blogger won't let me upload the photos right now, but we'll ask anne to be a guest blogger on domestic sensualist and hopefully she'll share the recipe there. it was definitely a dish that i'll be adding to my repertoire!

but the main message in this is that if there's anyone out there who is passing through copenhagen, don't hesitate to get in touch for a mini blog camp.

News just in about the Blog Camp logo

Look left...look at the Blog Camp logo....Bertie (4) has just announced that the lady in it is funny because she has a 'squashed pancake on her head'.

You heard it here first.

x

planning the fun for blog camp 3.0

even tho' christmas comes first, i'm already getting really excited, making plans for blog camp 3.0 in january, right here at blog camp HQ. i've got one activity planned that i'm really excited about. and people are buying their tickets and it's all falling into place and that's exciting too!

i'm looking forward to seeing kristina, b, polly, jelica, bee and spud again and to meet elizabeth in person (tho' i feel like i've known her for ages).  and i will figure out where they're all gonna sleep before they get here....i promise.

blog camp 3.0 - denmark

several people have asked whether there wouldn't be one last blog camp while we've still got the blue room. and since houses in our area are taking an average of 7 months to sell, we think it's safe to schedule a blog camp in mid-january - right when everyone has recovered from christmas and is wondering how they're going to make it through the darkest, coldest days of winter.  a little blog camp to make it easier to cope.  laughter, hanging out in the blue room, taking pictures, blogging, drinking warm drinks, sitting around the fireplace. you know, all the usual blog camp stuff.

so start checking tickets. january 15-17, 2010. denmark. be there or miss out on your chance to partake of the blue room.

email me if you're interested. email address is in my profile (julochka). :-)

A Preposterous Hypothethis

"My rhymes are so potent that in this small segment, I made all of the ladies in the area pregnant."

Stacey here.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of The Flight of the Conchords, here's the video that this excerpt relates to. Good kiwi boys.

Anywho, on a semi-related note. Who would put their hands up for Blogcamp NZ (or New Zealand for those of you who aren't as educated as the rest)?

Just putting it out there... seeing what kind of reaction I get.

This is as far as my plan goes:

* bloggers come from four corners of the globe, for as long as they like, but crossing over for about five days of blog camp somewhere like this or this or this.

* Around Feb/March next year?

* I'd help you guys with everything from what to do and where to go before and after the blog camp, and I'd even greet you with a complimentary beverage once you make it to Auckland city.

* ........?

So. Hands up. Who's interested? Do we look into this further?

Or is it a preposterous hypothethis?

EDIT: So looking at the notes below, would later in next year suit better? How about November/December 2010? Extrajera, I am very pleased with your plan making. 10 points :)

polly is an angel

somehow i missed this photo when i downloaded, or else this aura has recently formed around polly and has only become visible in my iPhoto just today. doesn't she look amazing? it makes me feel as if something really special is about to happen to her.

ooh, i just gave myself goosebumps.

what we learned at blog camp 2.0

of course you learn a lot at every blog camp. and since we love to make lists, we thought we'd assemble a list of some of the things we learned:

~ julochka has trouble turning off her inner mother and likes to make sure that everyone has visited the loo before they leave the house.

~ spudballoo has a bit of this as well and encouraged us to see if we didn't have a "secret wee" that even we didn't really know was there.

~ lesson in this: moms are really concerned with potty-related issues.

~ anne won hands down the best blog camp clay creature with her precious and elaborate caterpillar. spud with her winged penguin w/a perm and jelica with her mouse that started out as a rabbit tied for second.

~ an open heart won best blog camp prezzie at our blog camp as well as her own in reno (and there were good prezzies here). thank you so much for your thoughtful gift!!

~ sabin is really good at the wildkatten game. (only 272 pieces to go...)

~ that burning smell was NOT the bits on the bottom of the oven.

~ anne brought the BEST scone mix with her. they were delicious!

~ fear of tunnels can be overcome with the the help of incessant chatting.

~ in Denmark, they still have parking lots for viking ships

~ Jelica understands all kinds of clever things including fractions. We're not worthy, we're not worthy!

~ Julochka's husband is, helpfully, called 'the husband'. That's his actual name, as bestowed upon him by his parents. They must have known he was destined to be 'the husband'...inventor of the Blog Camp concept, buyer of pastries, cooker of dinner, taxi driver, wannabe chain-saw owner and all round wonderful bloke. We all hearted him.

~ jelica hates tunnels. and she had to go through several of them. during which she may or may not have held her breath and gripped her seat until her knuckles turned white.

~ anne likes to sit in the front seat and pretend to drive the train.

~ julochka has a most amazing library.

~ spud is so not huggy. She's so British like that.

~ secret ingredient vital for the success of a jump shot: rain

~ jelica will gladly translate from any language, even languages she doesn't speak (though it's hard to find a language she doesn't know!)

~ julochka is the proud owner of the pornpod, which may or may not have actual porn on it, but she's not telling.

~ anne has a 'liver lover' at home. the word for 'partner' in Norwegian can be translated as 'Together Liver'. we were very taken with this although it was quickly shortened to just 'liver'. we added the 'lover' just for fun, because we're CRAZY like that.

~ some danish coins have holes in the middle, and some have hearts on them. those Danes are so groozy, even their money is funky.

~ julochka cannot physically be present in Copenhagen airport without having a Starbucks fixed. just can't be done!

~ 'fika' is a truly filthy word in Italian and yet such a thing of beauty in Swedish. who knew?!

~ the Danes think eating chocolate for breakfast is so acceptable that they market special packets of thin slices of chocolate to eat on bread. man, we LOVE the Danes.

~ jelica is surprisingly tenacious. there was no way she was letting Spud out of her clutches until she'd had a 1:1 photography lesson on aperture, ISO and exposure compensation.

~ kristina clams up and becomes shy at blog camp, which makes her husband wonder what miracle cure blog campers used on her, and could he please have some to use at home?

~ at Blog Camp you can't eat anything, drink anything, go anywhere or nowhere without it having to be endlessly photographed. Spud was especially stern about the scones that Anne made, 'Get you hand away!' she admonished her kindly hostess at one point.

~ Spud takes pictures ALL THE TIME and shows real withdrawal symptoms when she's been sans camera for a few minutes

~ you don't actually drink that much coffee at blog camp. Tea is the most served beverage.

Just keep blogging...

I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to Blogger. I tried very hard for, oooooh, about 5 minutes to copy my Blog Camp 2.0 posts from my blog to here. Couldn't seem to make it work though. So I'm cheating and linking to them below...they are mostly photos (no surprise there then) which speak better as a diary of Blog Camp at this point than words. As with Blog Camp 1.5 I find myself needing some time to chew over our wonderful time together before writing about it with any meaning.

How do you like our fabulous necklaces? A generous and thoughtful gift from Reno Blog Camper AnOpenHeart. We wore them round Copenhagen today but they made a better photo as a still life. Thank you to you xx

If you'd like to see rather a lot of photos take a look at 'Blog Camp 2.0...live blogging!' , 'Blog Camp 2.0...the gin cocktail version' and 'Blog Camp 2.0...I'm never going to leave the Blue Room'.

More to come!

Love from your Blogger Challenged Wordpress Loving Friend, Spud x

in the meantime...

While blog campers 2.0 drank their wines, ate their danish pastries and dreamt about their danish sailors, B and Polly, two blog camp 1.0 and blog camp 1.5 veterans converged in the old city of Oxford:

In true blog camp tradition, photos were taken

and coffee was drank

(blogger's edition of cream tea: coffee with scone, cream and strawberry jam...)

*

Possibility of blog camp 3.0 was discussed. We reckon somewhere warm would be nice. Maybe Nice. Or Rome. Or Salamanca...

*

Dear blog camp 2.0 bloggers: we missed you!

***

Blog Camp 2.0...10 things you need to know

So we were challenged by Mari at Marinik's Blog to reveal 10 things you need need to know and so we shall. The wine is flowing, the chocolate was flowing until we truffled it all, we're in the Blue Room. Life..is...good.

So here they are, our 10 things you need to know...

1. Jamie Oliver is a pillock. After extensive debate this is now an accepted truism, although equally there is general agreement that his books rock.

2. You'd better go to the loo before leaving the house in case there is a 'secret wee' lurking up there.

3. Jelica can't handle tunnels or salad related food items. Fact.

4. A gaggle of Nikons and the occasional lonely Canon will surprisingly attract the attention of locals and cause them to SPEAK to you.

5. Spud is incapable of turning up on time for Blog Camp.

6. Axes are surprisingly absent from Blog Camp although 'the husband' extensively searched the neighbourhood for a chain saw today. Fortunately without success.

7. Anne is pronouned Anna. She does not expect to be addressed as Miss Buckle.

8. Horizontal rain focuses the mind and legs for jump shots.

9. Dull but true...blog campers are JUST like their blogs. This is good!

10. You're either a Top Dog or a Mad Cow.

That's all folks....xxx

our jump shot!

check it out! we're all in the air at once!!!

an eMOTIONal arrival

blog campers are really hard to catch on camera because they're always in motion.

ready?

I'm beginning to realize that tomorrow, the blog campers are coming here. To my home! This is suddenly making me very nervous; will they like my apartment? Will I be able to cook them an edible lunch? Will they find something to take photos of in my hometown? (No, wait - not so nervous about the photo taking. Has certainly not been a problem before.)



And then, there's the dog. Will she behave, and hopefully, charm the blog campers?



Blog camp 2.0 - now coming to Sweden!

Almost There

Pressies lined up. Suitcase packed. Blog Camp here I come. Don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.

you will be missed!

blog camp will undoubtedly be amazing, but i'm really going to miss you two!!

have a coffee for us in oxford.

and do post a picture (or twelve)!!

edited: this was not to say that i won't miss everyone else who was at blog camps 1.0 and 1.5, but B and Polly were at BOTH!! :-)

while we're waiting...

these little guys have readied their cameras and they're waiting for blog camp to begin.

and these little fellas are waiting to have a bit of fun too.

are you ready for blog camp?

and don't forget the jump shot

this is really a reminder to blog campers in reno, in addition to the appointed picture times and events below, you must do a jump shot!! bear in mind, you may not succeed at getting everyone in the air at once, but we can guarantee that you will laugh while you're trying.

one time at blog camp

blog camp 1.0 - denmark

as we learned at the first blog camps, there's not much actual blogging done. because it's just so much fun to be together and talk in person. so, we know better than to commit to a whole lot of online stuff (i never did get stickam working properly) at times we likely can't adhere to (because that's the other lesson...when 5-6 people are walking along, taking pictures of stuff, it takes way longer than you think).

instead, we are coordinating with blog camp 2.1 in reno and have agreed that we will take photos at certain times of the day and post them as soon as we are able. due to the 9-hour time difference, we will not try to post simultaneously. instead, we will each take pictures at the same time of day, when it's that time where we are and we'll post them. that way, in the week afterwards, we'll be able to compare photographic evidence of what each group was doing. (i hope this makes sense, i'll admit it's getting late here as i write this).

so, we will photograph the following events:

• arrival
• departure

additionally, we will take pictures at the following appointed times and if we are at even remotely in front of the internet at these times, they will be posted as close to the appointed time as possible.

saturday at:

• 9 a.m.
• noon
• 3 p.m.
• 6 p.m.
• 9 p.m.
  

sunday at (being realistic here):

• 10 a.m.
• 2 p.m.

a typical scene from blog camp 1.5 - england

see, talking and cameras

so, we do hope you'll check in with us and see what we've been up to. and we'll do our very best to get these pictures up as close to the appointed times as possible, for the benefit of all of you vicarious blog campers. and of course, like other blog camps, we'll definitely be gathering all of the best quotes and funny memories to share here in the week or so afterwards.

Four Rocks in the Tide

Looking at a picture I just posted on my own blog I realised something.

Four stones. Adjacent. The water flowing over them, with one barely keeping its head out of the tide.

It's us. Bloggers in the world tide. The water rushing around us. Close, but easily washed away with a bigger wave.

Deep. I know. But it's late, and appropriate, and I hope you understand.

Fear (without loathing) on 2.0 trail

I am going to blog camp 2.0 and I'm beginning to get scared.

I signed up for it way back in May when it was just an abstract idea and September seemed so far away. Even when I got the tickets it all seemed a bit unreal, if exciting.

And now that the countdown is starting (one more week to go!) all these questions are suddenly nagging me: am I going to fit in? how do you choose gifts for people you don't actually know? are we going to run out of topics?

Plus, all those Nikons showing off on the pictures from 1.0 and 1.5 are totally intimidating--how can I put my tiny Olympus Stylus 1010 next to these giants?

I'm off now to buy myself a guidebook to Copenhagen and hope to stop fretting.

and then there were four

plans are shaping up for blog camp 2.0 in just a couple of weeks. there are now four fantastic bloggers with tickets in hand and i'm working together with sara to plot ways of getting together virtually with blog camp reno, which is going on at the same time. there will be more details about that in the coming days, as our plans come together.

in the meantime, check out spudballoo, miss buckle, one planet and jelica, because they are coming to blog camp here in denmark. and of course, we hope to coax kristina across the sound for the fun as well.

and just a reminder for anyone who is new here...blog camp isn't really camping. it's hanging out at my house, in my studio/blue room/atelier/writing house/garden house (we don't know what to call it), taking lots of pictures, drinking lots of wine, eating good food, taking some more photos and laughing and telling stories. and there's always a jump shot.

heard and seen at BC 1.5 (aka BBC - British Blog Camp)

seen: beautiful B with a big, big smile.

heard: "when the back tire's not moving, it makes biking so much harder." - bee

seen:  polly and spud try to understand aperture (aperture is hard).

heard: "he goes camping on those frozen mountains." - spudballoo (those would be glaciers, dear.)

seen: twittering on iPhones (this one is kristina)

heard: "there was this huge campsite with...campers." - bee

seen: lots of conferring as to timing and traffic (traffic sucks in england). 

(yup, that's stonehenge behind them.)

heard: "oh no, there's loads of grockles here." - spudballoo

seen: polly posing (what a surprise. not.)

heard:  "in america, we may not have health insurance, but we've got a gun and the will to succeed." - julochka

seen: spud deciding she needs a macro lens

heard: "don't rush to crush." - spudballoo

seen:  stonehenge

heard: "we're sociable loners." - bee (quoting another blog friend whose name i didn't write down)

seen: cool shoes

learned: berkshire is pronounced barkshire.

“Feeling fizzy”…that’s how us tired but happy Blog Camp 1.5 girls described ourselves this morning over breakfast; a kind of energetic bubbling up of excitement and giddyness at our blossoming friendships. We all went to bed very very late, but no one could sleep at first because of the ‘fizzy’ feeling. Our lovely hostess Beth, astonishingly eloquent for rather early in the morning, described it so elegantly as being that rare emotion that a few, select girlfriends can inspire, almost akin to ‘romantic love’ if you like. She explained it so perfectly, but ‘fizzy’ is a good summary of what it feels like. If we could bottle it and sell it we’d be millionaires!

I’m too zonked to write with any thought plus I’m still ‘processing’ the weekend through my mind and waiting for something insightful to drop out the other end. We talked about everything, we photographed everything, we ate, we drank, we went on a trip, some of us were 2 hours late arriving and got lost on the way despite being the only native Brit attending, there were laughs, and debate, there was teasing, some people put their foot in it but the others were too kind to make a big deal of it (phew), there were presents galore and a lot of this:


But mostly we just felt fizzy. And we liked it! And we want some more of it! And we wouldn’t mind another round of those fizzy Kir Royales (pictured above) knocked up by Beth’s super husband. Cheers!

Oh, and it turns out that the ‘Group Jump’ shot hasn’t improved since Blog Camp 1.0. Shabby…very, very…shabby.