SMS Cafeteria

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 9

2011-11-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, this marks my 99th post. I want to do something for the big 100th, but I'm out of ideas. I'm going to Chicago tonight, and I don't think I'll have access to internet for a couple of days, so that'll give me some time to think. Perhaps. If I can't come up with anything, 100th post will be day ten.

Favorite Minor Character

I love Janine Kishi. Claudia never gave her enough credit and always treated her horribly. Girl can't help it if she's got brains out the wazoo. Thanks to her we also learn seemingly random facts about...everything.

Everytime I say hopefully I can hear her going in my head "hopefully is one of the most commonly misused words in the English language..." or whatever. I still am not quite sure what is the correct usage of the word.

She also had Claudia's back, whether Claudia wanted to admit it or not... AND Claudia and Janine share a love of junk food.

BSC Challenge Day 8

2011-11-21T11:44:00.001-08:00

I missed a day. So sue me :P

Least Favorite Super Special:

I actually really do like all of the super specials, and I'll read them all over and over again. I guess the main reason I picked this one was because for awhile it was the ONLY super special I had available, and I read it to death, so now I'm kind of sick of it. Dawn and Claudia were both uber annoying as well, and because of those reasons it's not one I'm likely to reread that often anymore.

Runner up would probably be Aloha, Baby-Sitters.

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 7

2011-11-19T10:45:00.001-08:00

Favorite Super Special:

Okay, this one was easy. California Girls was the first BSC book I'd ever read... not counting Karen's Ducklings which was the first BSC-verse book I'd ever read.

I came into the series relatively "late" compared to most of the other people I came across. I stumbled across this book one day in third grade in the school library. Kindergarten-2nd had books in one portion of the school library, 3rd-5th graders had books in the other portion. BSC books were in the older portion. Don't blame me, blame the school. It's okay though, I was bitten by the BSC bug hard and fast that year. So much so that I dressed up as a Stacey/Claudia mix for Halloween in fourth grade.

I have no shame.

Karen's Ducklings got me into the whole BSC universe, but this book was what introduced me really to the older girls, and for that reason alone, there really can't be another favorite Super Special for me. Not to mention it has the BSC winning the lottery, California, beaches, surfing, boys, baby-sitting, tourist sites that I HAD to go see when i went to California twice in fourth grade (once in the fall once the summer after), Mallory getting a horrendous makeover, a BSC fight, movie stars (or TV stars, whatever) and a mini disaster in the form of a car accident. Although the girls freaking out over the Jet Stream at six flags magic mountain had me a bit panicked the first time I went on it because of the 57 foot drop. I got off it wondering what the hell all the fuss had been about.

What more can you wish for?

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 6

2011-11-18T08:11:00.001-08:00

Least Favorite Mystery:

As I have yet to read all the mysteries, this was a bit of a challenge. This one stands out because I've only read it a few times, not in any hurry to actually reread it again, and it's just...boring. I mean, it has New! York! City! and a BSC boyfriend that tips your chin to kiss you, so it should be fantabulous, right?

Not really.

Also, from what I can remember, the Jewel "Thieves" aren't even really thieves at all. Not even in the slightest. They're actors preparing for a play.

Lame.

Other least favorites that would make the list are Stacey and the Missing Ring, and Mary Anne and the Zoo Mystery, even though there was that great part where the baby-sitters go completely spaztastic on Stacey still sitting for Charlotte Johanssen even though she had quit the club. That is the only part of that book I really remember clearly, but whatever. (another book I've only read once), I give the edge to Jessi and the Jewel Thieves as my least favorite.

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 5

2011-11-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Favorite Mystery:

Okay, granted I've only read this book once. (Plan on rereading it very soon, though.) It stands out. I pretty much like the mysteries. My favorite genre is Mystery/Thriller/suspense, whatever, and out of all the mysteries this one stands out because ... it's FREAKY. The culprit is really batshit crazy in a psycho/better watch your back or they'll cut you kind of way. I remember being shocked the first time I read it because it was so unlike any of the other mysteries. I've heard that Kristy and the Cat Burglar is pretty disturbing as well, but have yet to read it.

30 Day Challenge List

2011-11-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

I should have posted this earlier. It was first posted on the BSC proboards, and Greer's doing it over on Stoneybrookite. Here is the 30 day breakdown:

1. Favorite sitter

2. Least favorite sitter

3. Favorite regular book

4. least favorite regular book

5. Favorite mystery

6. Least favorite mystery

7. favorite super special

8. least favorite super special

9 favorite minor character

10 least favorite minor character

11. favorite sitting charge

12 least favorite sitting charge

13 favorite parent

14. least favorite parent

15. favorite bsc fight

16. favorite bsc love interest

17. favorite bsc organized event

18 favorite vacation spot

19 favorite holiday book

20 favorite couple in the book

21 favorite couple not in the book

22. BSC Member or Minor Character you could see yourself being friends with

23. Favorite Friends Forever

24. Least favorite Friends Forever

25. Moments/scene from the books that sticks out to you the most

26. Favorite Claudia outfit

27. Favorite Stacey outfit

28 One thing youv'e learned from the BSC

29. Favorite BSC Villain

30. biggest 'that wouldn't really happen in real life' moment.

And i just realized there was a mistake in the numbering on the main post, and there's only 29. Will get on that

Edit: Fixed!

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 4

2011-11-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

Least Favorite Regular Series Book:

Okay, I really can't choose between these two. There are a few BSC books that I have only read once, some of them were so long ago that I can't really make a judgment call. I read these two for the first time in the past couple of years.

I actually can usually identify with Mallory (other than the whole oldest of eight kids, thing), but she was so obnoxious and annoying, and a BRAT that it drove me nuts.

Same pretty much goes for Abby in Abby the Bad Sport. I mean, she's mean to a girl who's mentally handicapped...

Or something like that. It's been awhile since I've read the book.

I normally LIKE Abby, but I couldnt' stand her in this one.

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 3

2011-11-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

Favorite Regular BSC Book:

I'm a sucker for all the medical stuff. Probably should have used a different picture of Stacey, though for day 1.

30 Day BSC Challenge- Day 2

2011-11-14T13:36:00.001-08:00

Least Favorite Sitter:

I can't pick between any of the main members, and Logan can be a possessive twerp. :P

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 1

2011-11-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

Favorite Sitter:

Stacey. I don't know why I liked her. She's the complete opposite of me. I was never popular, not really considered "pretty" (at least conventionally), and don't have much of a fashion sense.

That's probably why I liked her though. I DID have a friendship with a younger girl that was somewhat like Stacey/Charlotte's friendship. Sort of.

It didn't hurt that she had some interesting adventures, as well.

Note: I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with this every day, so will just do it when I am able

to.

Edited: To change Stacey Pic and to add more info.

Jackpot at goodwill

2011-11-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, no BSC books (though they did have Kristy's Great Idea, but I already have two copies, don't need another.)

However, I did score 3 books from The Gymnasts series by Elizabeth Levy, a Lurlene McDaniel book, 2 John Sandford books, Mary higgins Clark, Karin Slaughter, Erica Spindler, and a copy of the Da Vinci Code.

Since I was in the mood for a tearjerker, I'm reading Please Don't Die (mcdaniel) first. About a group of girls at summer camp like place, where they're all suffering from an illness of some sort. Katie is the main girl, she's recovering from a heart transplant. There's Amanda who has leukemia and Chelsea, who needs a heart transplant.

Then there's Lacey. A blonde haired diabetic who has bickering parents and an expensive wardrobe.

Can i just make an OT post to say

2011-10-28T22:01:00.001-07:00

CARDINALS WON THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And i had WAY too much amberbock, but idgaf. THE CARDINALS WON THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

11 in 11!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! proudly wearing my rally squirrel tshirt!!

if there are ANY rangers fans out there... it truly was a great series. You guys nearly gave me a heart attack game 6... and for the record, I lived in Texas for six years. if we didn't make it to the WS i would have rooted for you guys all the way. (Seriously, Nyger Morgan needs to just GO AWAY). But... I grew up in St. Louis. Any baseball fan who has strong roots for their home team has to understand the way I feel for the Cardinals. there was no way i could root against them, even against a team in a state i lived in for six years (though I was in houston.).

Another Popular Children's Book Series to have Prequel Written

2011-10-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

So, for my children's literature class I had to do an author study on Patricia Machlachlan (Sarah Plain and Tall fame.)

While scrounging on the internet for information on her, I stumbled upon this:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/46503-patricia-maclachlan-to-pen-boxcar-children-prequel.html

Thoughts? Personally, I'm looking forward to it. GCW has been dead for decades, and I think if there's an author that can pull it off, it's Maclachlan.

2011-10-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

I have a few of my favorite authors as friends on Facebook (AMM included). One of my favorite mystery/thriller authors, Wendy Corsi Staub (She's awesome. She'll reply to posts you have about her or to her.), just posted this on her wall.

Just had Eloise tea at the Palm Court at the plaza with four special Gugino women to celebrate a very special girl's 6th birthday!

(And now my font is screwed up. Oh, well)

Why am I suddenly a four year old Stacey McGill dressed up like Eloise and Luciano Pavoratti singing in the background?

OH, right. BSC book alert.

REAL 8th Graders of the 90's

2011-10-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not the only one who pictured the girls as being older than they actually are. Nowadays when I see an actual current eighth grader, part of me thinks "Damn, they look YOUNG." In particular the boys.

So, someone tagged me in this picture on facebook. I'm fairly easy to pick out... (First row, seated).

See the first male teacher from the left? ( Seated obviously. I'm sure you can pick him out. The eighth grade boys in the first row look rather prepubescent).

Had a major crush on him. Like, Stacey's Big Crush major crush

http://s1084.photobucket.com/albums/j409/djsharpe/?action=view&current=316125_2020050433520_1611712135_31686512_445846227_n2.jpg

Okay, was having issues with getting the picture sized well. Was coming up very small. If you're curious, just go ahead and click on that link

Update...kinda

2011-08-28T17:21:00.001-07:00

School starts tomorrow, not sure how busy I'll be, but I'm glad I managed to get a few posts done over the summer.

I have a children's literature class this semester, and i'm really looking forward to it. I think it's gonna be interesting, and... if we have a project part of my brain is wondering whether the baby-sitters club would work?

Ten Rules for Living With My Sister

2011-08-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

Ann M. Martin has a new book coming out in September called "Ten Rules for Living with My Sister." She posted a link to the first two chapters on her facebook page, and I immediately went and read them, glad that even though she had ended the Main Street Series (*Tear*), she was still writing.

From the first two chapters I can already draw parallels to the BSC. Some things never change, but that's okay. The book is told from the viewpoint of 9 year old Pearl, who lives in an apartment in New York City with her 13 (going on 14) sister Lexi, (short for Alexandria) her parents, and her cat Bitey. Right off the bat, she goes into a chart of differences of herself and her sister, which include boyfriends (she lists her cat as her boyfriend), friends (poor kid only has one friend who's in first grade), interests (what ELSE would a thirteen year old do other than baby-sit?), and a bunch of other lesser differences.

Lexi has a WIDE range of interests. Listed among them other than baby-sitting is....

knitting.

soccer.

violin.

ballet.

She wears lipstick, has a boyfriend and has fashionable clothes. (not to mention her own key to the apartment.)

So looks like Lexi is a combination of Abby/Anna/Mary Anne/Jessi/Stacey.

It actually looks really cute. I would have kept on reading, but there were only 2 chapters.
Another interesting parallel I drew was that Lexi is "practically brilliant".. and Pearl doesn't apply herself academically, but in fact is actually "practically brilliant" as well. Her parents put her in kindergarten early, and she's bitter about it. There's a trio of girls that Lexi makes it sound like they're kind of like Pamela/Jannie/Leslie from BSLS.

Anyway, if anyone is interested, here's the link to the first two chapters:

http://media.us.macmillan.com/excerpts/9780312367664EX.pdf

Oh. My. Lord

2011-08-15T20:46:00.001-07:00

So I was wandering around on youtube looking for a good new BSC fanvid video to post, and I stumbled upon this:

According to the youtube profile it's a thirteen year old. I can't really say much, because if I had a bunch of dolls (American Girl or otherwise, I only had the Claudia doll myself in the BSC set), I'd probably have done something similar.

If you can get past the "Spyer" and "David Mitchell"... it's rather amusing.

BSC TV Show Where Are They Now? UPDATES

2011-08-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

I did one of these a long time ago, not long after I started this blog. There were a couple of people missing, because I couldn't find ANYTHING on them. Well, I'm happy to say, I have now found them. (Well, it's been a couple of months since I discovered the last one on FB, I was just too lazy to do anything.)

Because I already feel so stalkerish, i won't post their links to their profiles, but I will say, the majority of these were NOT hard to find, because A), with the exception of one, they all look the same and B) the ones that were a bit harder, were friends with someone else. Also, I think I have a pretty good memory, and if they got married at some point when I was randomly looking people up, I have a tendency to remember their married name as well (if applicable).

Avriel Hillman: (Kristy)

As far as I can tell,, she's done a lot of plays and directing. The most recent thing on IMDB says she was the executive producer of a short called A Doctor's Image in 2010.

Jeni F Winslow (Claudia)

I wish I'd gotten a picture when i first found her profile page (thanks to someone who clued me in on one of the comments on this blog), because it actually showed her entire face, but alas, she's got the bod, so why not.

There's not a whole lot of info on her available. but she lives in New York and is married

Meghan Lahey: (Mary Anne)

Okay, I was gonna use her facebook picture (which would entail all kinds of cropping and it was small to begin with), but I found another one! According to the website I found this on, she's no longer working as a school counselor (at least where she WAS), but still involved in counseling. I'm not really sure. It's too early for me to delve too much into the company info and the company works with schools. Steinbrecher & Partners if you're interested.

Anyway, she's got three kids, and I'm assuming married (because our Mary Anne would never have kids without getting married, am I right?) Two of which are boys.

Jessica Prunell (Stacey)

She's still working as a lawyer at a lawfirm in New York (different one, though.) She's now married and has a son who inherited her dimples.

Meghan Andrews (Mallory)

Still acting, still singing. Nothing much to update on from the previous post, but still flawless looking.

http://www.myspace.com/meghanandrewsmusic

I couldn't find Nicole Leach (Jessi) on facebook. She might not have one, her name might be too common (nor could I find her under the name she goes by now, which is Nicole Rochelle), or I was just too tired and didn't feel like digging very far, and she's not friends with mallory (which she was on myspace)

HOWEVER, I did find this fabulous video of her on youtube. Girl's got talent coming out the wazoo. From what I can tell, she hasn't done much screen work, but she's very active in theatre.

So, who am I missing?

Oh, yes. The ever elusive Melissa Chasse (Dawn.)

Well, here you go.

NOT from her direct facebook page, (most of those pictures were pretty blurry) but found it FROM her page. She's a dancer, choreographer, (high school musicals) and manages a spa in Connecticut. She also has a daughter from what I can tell.

Dawn Schafer managing a health spa? NO WAY.

(Although there was something about chocolate fondue. YUM. Claudia obviously must've had a say in that.)

While I'm at it, a couple of those clients:

Danny Tamberelli (Little Pete/Jackie Rodowsky)

Lives in New York. Adds everyone to his facebook friends (I know. I'm on there, Thanks, Danny!) He studied writing and music, and is in a band. http://www.jounce.org/home/

Gina Gallagher (Charlotte Johanssen)

She had a stint on All My Children as one of the many Bianca Montgomery's in the nineties, then had a brief part in Analyze This.

She's now married and has been working as a teacher, and she lives on Long Island.

The page for the TV show on IMDB has failed me. There are very few other parts that are listed, and except for "Katherine" I've covered them all, so I had to go look for my epic post on the LJ community Howtheylooknow, because I had added an extra few...AND IT WONT LOAD.

Anyway, as a wrap up, here's Karen Brewer's IMDB page.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1860307/ (Those pictures are old).

OOPS it finally loaded.

Let's have a little Jamie Anderson (Dawn's "Dream boy" aka Shane McDermott)

was in the movie Airborne (which I think I must seriously be missing out on haven't seen) and is now a realtor in Galveston Texas.

Ah, hell, how could I forget Zach Braff in Dawn Saves the Trees who played David Cummings...

I could with the name but I won't.

Okay, I've decided if I find more info on anyone else that appeared, I'll just post and forget the whole Edited to Add crap:

Say hello to Dave Buzotta aka Pete Black:

His IMDB page is somewhat active, and has done a couple of stints the past couple of years appearing in tv shows. Nothing huge, but it looks like he's still acting.

Anyone remember the Goloff's from Dawn and the Haunted House? Brittany Slattery played Annie, the one with the mop of curly blonde hair.

Same as Dave, still doing some acting work here and there, and she went to NYU and majored in film.

BSC product placement Picture

2011-06-20T22:08:00.001-07:00

I was scanning a bunch of old pictures that my mother sent me, and while I was going through them, I stumbled upon this deliciously awkward picture of me in my early stages of pubery (4th grade)and if you look really closely at the bookshelf behind us kids, you'll see Baby-Sitters Club books.

And can I just say, I had a crush on the kid on the left. Mullet and all. Too bad he moved after fifth grade :P

Mallory Jacklyne ?

2011-06-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

So I was flittering around on the wikipedia page for the BSC, and I was startled to see a middle name listed for Mallory. Her middle name is listed on other websites as well, and I cannot for the life of me recall where it was mentioned in the books.

I haven't read all of the books, so can someone help me out here?

ANM? Really?

2011-05-16T23:24:00.001-07:00

Anyone who's floated around in the internet fandom of the Baby-Sitters Club has probably seen people call Ann M. Martin ANM. Whether it be from Tiff's blog (Claudia's Room), or on LiveJournal where there is a BSC community and various snark sites, people are calling the author ANM instead of calling her by her full name, or actually using her real initials... AMM.

Let me just say it plainly and simply.

IT DRIVES ME NUTS!

I can be a bit of a Karen when it comes to spelling. Mistakes happen, sure...and if there's a cute kitty involved, well, I admit I have a soft spot for Lolcats... (because... they're cats. Who knows what they really sound like other than meow? ;) ),but there is something about calling the author ANM that just bugs me. Mistakes happen, but this is obviously intentional.

I know there's some inside joke that I must have missed, but I truly don't get it. I don't see any point at all in changing the middle initial of her name. Is it easier to type? No...because you're adding a different letter, where as before there would only be two. Nor does it have any alliterative sense, as in Kristy's Krushers. To me, it makes the people who do this repeatedly look like they can't tell the difference between an N and an M (which is clearly shown on every single cover of every last one of her books.)

As with those people who always mess up your/you're and their/they're and there, it makes me cringe and I have to bite my tongue (or clench my fingers if you will).

Rant ended.

Yikes!

2011-05-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

I've just realized it's been 6 months since I've updated this. I'm not sure if anyone noticed that my little corner of the interwebz has been silent, but I'm alive. I've just been busy. I've had school all year...and changed my major from Music Education, which was eating me alive, to Elementary Ed with a specialization in Music.

However, it's summer! School got out a week and a half ago, and I have three and a half glorious months set in front of me. I can't afford summer school, so I get a nice long vacation. I also got news back on Friday that I passed the Illinois Basic Skills test which one needs to pass to get into the education program. It has an $86 fee for every attempt (whether you need to retake the whole thing or not), so I really could not afford to retake it. I didn't do as well as I would have liked (at all) on the reading and writing sections, which is kind of ironic considering how much I read and that I can be a bit of a grammar nazi (although, I do tend to write kind of lazily on here). I sailed through the math portion. I guess I can attribute that to the fact that I was in a math class this semester specifically designed to prepare students for the test, and I haven't had a writing intensive course in a few years...or a literature class for that matter. Also, it was really early, I hadn't had much sleep the night before, and some of those damn questions were really tricky, and you weren't sure what they looking for. It also didn't seem to help that with each practice test I took, my score kept getting lower.

Anyway, I won't dwell on it too much. I passed, and that's all that really matters. Now with summer ahead of me, I can focus on the more fun things. Try and find a job, and look forward to the production of Bye Bye Birdie I will be participating in. I also want to try and spend some time on this poor blog that I have completely abandoned. Spend more time devoted to my favorite childhood book series that doesn't entirely include shamelessly making Sims characters of them...

Anyone out there that sees this that has any ideas???? :)

So I have a friend that was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes over the summer.

2010-11-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

Holy heck it's been awhile! Sorry everyone, I got caught up with school. Now school will be over with for the semester in a month (Halelujia.) I hope everyone is okay and didn't miss me too much, (although, it's kinda nice to be missed ;) ).
I'm now a full year (number wise) older, and I hope a little wiser.

Anyway, before I get to the diabetic, let me just say that in Brass methods the first instrument we were on was the Tuba. I posted about the improbability of the book Karen's Tuba awhile back. Let me just reiterate it. I can NOT see a seven year old having much luck on that instrument being able to play HERE COMES THE BRIDE in just a matter of a few weeks.

Let's just say the Tuba and I did NOT get along.

Okay.

So there's a girl in Vocal jazz choir with me that's a freshman this year. We sit next to each other and share the same voice part (as in Soprano 2), so I've gotten to know her quite a bit. She was just diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes over the summer (or a little before? Whatever.) Having not really met anyone in person with Type 1 diabetes, I was loaded with all sorts of questions because of the Baby-Sitters club and the misinformation I KNOW I was given. (Well, the books DID come out in the 80's).

Like Stacey, she has an insulin kit that she carries around with her (not horribly big. Easily fits inside a moderate size purse). If i'm in the student lounge in the Hett around noon I can usually expect her to whip it out and test her blood sugar. Nah, it doesn't really faze me. I never got the BSC's "omg ew ew ew!" . Sometimes she does have to give herself an injection, but she's got a pen that doesn't look like an actual shot. With the pen she doesn't have to worry about getting rid of the bubbles and it's easier to do. She comes loaded with snacks. Last week she was having a "low" as she calls it (obviously, low blood sugar). It was around 54. Everyone pretty much knows of her situation, and since she was just diagnosed and is still getting used to the situation, everyone in the music department is pretty understanding. A friend of hers put food in the microwave and I called her piano teacher to let her know that she would be late because she had to eat. She said when she's having a low she's usually shaky. High blood sugar would resemble the symptons she had when she was diagnosed. Like Stacey, she'd be thirsty all the time, have to go to the bathroom a lot, etc.

She's on a fairly strict eating schedule. She has a watch that beeps when it's time for her to eat. During performance classes she can be seen eating a pudding cup or eating cheese of some sort. I asked her about eating M&Ms (If Stacey eats an M&M, she'll die!!). Although she has to be very careful about what she eats, one M&M is okay ;). Two won't kill her either, but it's pretty much dependent on the protein.

She'll be getting an insulin pump in December and is absolutely stoked to the point of giddy. She'll have more flexibility about when she eats (Like, she'll have to still eat breakfast, but on the weekends she doesn't have to get up just to eat breakfast. She can sleep in.). She's never read the Baby-Sitters club, and I plan on loaning her my copy of The Truth About Stacey. If I can only remember to bring it.

Did anyone have THESE come to their schools?

2010-08-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

We did, and they were seriously awesome. A library inside of a BUS. We drove to Chicago to pick up my dad's new car, and on the way back we stopped at McDonalds, and this pulled up alongside the curb. I had completely forgotten about them until that very moment.

I was able to go inside. Of course it was a bit more updated since the last time I had been in one. They had DVD's and audio books, and other such things, but they did have a nice array of Nancy Drew on the shelf, so Claudia would have been happy. (No BSC that I could tell, though.)

Yet another article

2010-07-09T20:35:00.001-07:00

Yay for me and a little publicity however small it might be. :)
http://www.bohemian.com/bohemian/06.16.10/arts-1024.html

Happy Canada Day, Fourth of July...whatever.

2010-07-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has a good fourth of July weekend to those that are in the states. I was also alerted (twice by the same person) that today is Canada day... so if any of you are in Canada...happy Canada Day.
Anyway, tomorrow evening I'll be headed up to Chicago with my sister, her friend, and her boyfriend who actually lives up there, and we will be taking the train back to St. Louis on Monday.
Now, even though I grew up roughly 4 hours (ish?) away from Chicago, I've only ever been there twice. Once when I was three, and I don't remember anything at all, and the other time when I was eighteen, and we were just driving through and I got stung by a yellow jacket in a park off the coast of Lake Michigan...
So needless to say, I'm looking forward to it, and one major thing I want to do? Go to the Art Institute of Chicago...
I think Claudia is rubbing off on me.

Speaking of Claudia. Someone posted in the comments from wayyyyyyyyyy back when, a link to Jeni Winslow's, The Claudia from the TV show's...facebook. I won't post the link to it,, but I might post the picture at some point. There were only two people from the tv show cast (main cast, primarily the BSC members themselves) that I couldn't find a recentish picture of, and she was one of them. I know there has been some talk about how she didn't look asian in the show (or 100% asian), but she definitely looks asian in the picture :)

Now if I could only find a picture of Melissa Chasse...
I wont rest, I tell ya!

AMM on facebook

2010-06-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you that haven't done so, I recommend adding AMM onto facebook. You'll get some insight on her life, and even some background on the BSC and other books.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/AnnMMartinAuthor

She's only one of some of the "celebrities" that I've added ranging from authors (Wendy Corsi Staub, Kevin O'Brien, Lisa Jackson), actors (Alison Arngrim aka Nellie Oleson from LHOTP), and reality personalities (Rupert Boneham, Christa Hastie Waydo and Stephenie LaGrossa from survivor).
Oh Facebook, I love thee.

Does this remind anyone of anything?

2010-06-01T20:16:00.001-07:00

I wonder if he knows how to recite "This is the House that Jack Built"

Commercial with "Stacey"

2010-04-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

I was perusing another blog about being a 90's kid, and there was an entry on the board game Mall Madness.

I couldn't help but notice the irony that "Stacey" from the TV show was in a commercial for a board game that's about shopping.

I never had this game...but I kind of want it now.

Ever wonder who posed for the BSC Covers?

2010-04-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Meet Suzanne, with AMM.

She was the original Mallory Pike.

She actually now works for Scholastic

AMM just posted this on her facebook page :D

And I learned this awhile back, but I can't remember what the source was.

Do you know who the little girl (Nina Marshall) whom Claudia is holding?

It's...

WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE UP!!!

2010-04-06T08:14:00.001-07:00

Hyper link isn't wanting to work, so just copy and paste.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040504450.html?sid=ST2010040504549

(You might have to sign up, but it's free.)

Happy Birthday Stace!

2010-04-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

My calculations show that Stacey would be 36 years old today, but we all know she'll forever be 13.

On a side note, if anyone is extremely worried how much they're going to update the rereleases, shouldn't be TOO worried. I read the KGI rerelease...and rest assured, sheep are still in.
I plan on doing a side by side analysis at some point.

On another side note, the website for Children's Book world in Haverford, PA is looking for people to turn in their memories of the BSC.

http://www.childrensbookworld.net/events.html

Edit...hyperlink doesn't like me...so just copy and paste link above.

~The Summer Before~ Review

2010-04-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

~~~~MEGA SPOILERS BEWARE!~~~~~~

DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE DETAILS OF THE BOOK (I got a bit carried away)

I just finished the book a couple of minutes ago. The biggest issue I had with it (which isn't necessarily a BAD thing) is that I wished it were longer. Page wise it was about the length of a super special with 17 chapters. I wasn't ready for it to end! Come on, I've been waiting TEN YEARS.

Every chapter alternated narrators, with Kristy having the first and the last chapters.

The book moves quickly (it would have to with each girl really only having four chapters except for Kristy). It begins on the last day of sixth grade and runs through when Kristy gets the idea for the BSC in the very last chapter. Going from the very beginning of the book where Kristy is talking it's obvious that this took place quite a bit in the past, though how long ago isn't exactly clear. I get the impression that Kristy is now an adult since she says: "And the summer brought the four of us, Claudia, Stacey, Mary Anne, and me, together to form the Baby-Sitters Club - something we would belong to, in one sense or another, for the rest of our lives."
There's no mention of cell phones, computers being the norm,(other than Janine having one in her room.) or anything of the high tech world we live in today. This will keep the readers who were worried about the books being updated too much happy.

Plot Lines:

Kristy's mother has just started dating Watson in May of sixth grade. They're starting to get more serious, and Kristy is missing her father more than ever. She writes him a letter, but it comes back with "addressee unknown" written across it. Hes' moved, and she doesn't know how to get in contact with him. She desperately to hear from him for her birthday, and she hopes against hope that he will somehow show up for her birthday in August, and when he doesn't, she's devastated, even though she knew in her heart that it wasn't likely. There's a mention of Sam going to baby-sit for Karen and Andrew when Kristy downright refused.
I felt bad for Kristy in some points because she doesn't want her family to change. Her, her mother and her brothers were going to have Hamburgers and watch for meteors (the meteors are mentioned a lot), and Watson gets invited, and Kristy is sorely disappointed. You can see Watson already starting to step into the father role, when he gives Kristy a nice bracelet for her birthday and calls her, which her father neglects to do. (Kristy was adamant about him not being there for the birthday dinner.)

Claudia- Feels herself pulling away from Kristy and Mary Anne. She's more interested in boys, and other things that Mary Anne and Kristy are definitely not into yet. For her twelfth birthday, she wants her first girl boy party isntead of the sleepover she has every year with K and MA and a few other girls. The Goldman's next door (Claudia wonders why they don't call them the Goldmen instead of the Goldman's hehehe) allow her to use their pool for their party. Janine invites two of her friends including a VERY CUTE boy named Frankie. Janine likes him, however he shows interest in Claudia, and Janine starts giving her the cold shoulder. After the party they start hanging out more and more and Claudia keeps blowing off K and MA (and isn't able to make Kristy's bday dinner.) In the end, the two of them end up going to the pool, and Frankie basically blows her off when his friends are there. They were away during the summer and now they're back he has no use for Claudia. They basically treat her like a 5 year old, Frankie dumps her, and eventually everything goes back to normal, though Claudia still feels like she's years older than K and MA, but they decide to try and work on their friendship.

Mary Anne- Desperately longing for independence. When Mrs. PIke calls Kristy asking if she can come sit for all 8 Pike kids and if she knew someone else who could sit with her. Kristy calls Mary Anne, but of course she has to ask her father. She has a very rational conversation (much more rational than when she tried to get a later curfew in Mary Anne Saves the Day), and he finally gives in and says she can go with Kristy .... on several conditions which include that She has to call every 30 minutes and be home by 9 on the dot. Mary Anne is relieved but incredibly nervous about something going wrong on her job. However, the sitting job goes smoothly. Kristy goes out and plays softball with the boys, and Mary Anne stays inside and plays beauty parlor with the girls (Mallory is acting as a deputy baby-sitter.) They play a Snail game (or something , I have to go back and look) Where they come up with a category, and someone names something in that category, and the next person has to come up with something in that category that starts with the last letter of the previous word.
Mary Anne does some more baby-sitting with Kristy, and then she has a job with Claudia at the Newton's in which she does most of the work (Claudia is really only there because Mary Anne HAD to have someone sit with her) and is awkward because Claudia is on the phone with Frankie
The last big thing that happens is that Mary Anne throws a "Kristy Day" because she knows how badly Kristy is feeling about her father. It takes place the day after Kristy's birthday (Claudia is off with Frankie) and she gets the Pikes, Jamie, Jenny Prezzioso, and a few other kids. They make presents and a banner (which says "We love you KISTY") and parade down to the Thomas' house to surprise "Kisty". After this, Mr. Spier sees how responsible Mary Anne is becoming and finally allows her to baby-sit on her own.

Stacey~ This was my favorite storyline... which isn't terribly surprising considering she was always my favorite sitter. We see more of her life in NYC before moving to Stoneybrook. She's anxious to get out of the city and away from her ex friends. She now doesn't really have ANY Friends and her free time is spent helping clean her apartment preparing for the move and baby-sitting. (She basically says that the doorman to her apartment building is about the closest thing she had to a best friend.)She calls Laine "Her Royal Meanness" (Hehe). Laine is a complete BITCH in the book. She reminded me of why I hated middle school so much. Stacey's nickname for her is pretty much spot on (only I would have substituted meanness for something else). I'm still not exactly sure WHY Stacey's parents decided to keep the whole diabetes thing a secret. (Stacey stated that a fifth grader had had leukemia and everyone knew about it so there were no surprises). Stacey's baby-sitting clients and neighbors throw her a going away party in which the Cummingses show up, and a bunch of girls from school whom Stacey suspects Laine threatened to get them to go. THe girls are complete bitches at the party (Seriously, I would have thrown them out on their asses), making fun of the little kids who care more about Stacey than these girls do.
The McGill's move to Stoneybrook, and Stacey falls in love with the town, glad that it isn't anything at all like New York, but relieved there is a department store, and restaurants. She's surprised that it isn't completely quiet at night. She can hear crickets and an owl hooting in the distance.

The book finishes up with the beginning of seventh grade , ending on the night that Kristy gets her idea for the Baby-Sitters Club. It provides a great segue to the first book in the series even if parts of it do overlap.

Things of note:
~Jenny Prezzioso LOVES Kristy. She's not a brat in this one, but just seems like a sweet kid even if she is dressed to the nines.
~Mary Anne wears braids, but she's not in dresses and skirts all the time. Instead she wears capris pants and Pedal Pushers, with flowery blouses.
~Mary Anne actually meets Stacey first. She helps her get to a class on her first day of school
~Stacey and Claudia DO NOT crash into each other. They meet each other at lunch. Emily Bernstein (who showed Stacey around school that morning) introduces her to the kids at their table.
~Last day of Summer Vacation K MA and C meet on the Elementary School playground with their sitting charges (David Michael, Jamie, and Jenny). David Michael is acting as a junior baby-sitter. He gets told to keep Jenny, who is wearing a pink dress and pink shoes, clean. Miraculously, he does.
~First Janine quote (although it's not a direct quote, it's something Claudia says Janine would say...or has said) "I suppose that sometimes it's acceptable for one to use aint as the colloquial contraction for is not..."
~Some of Stacey's NYC baby-sitting charges include:
8 year old Jeremy and 5 year old TWila. Brother and sister who play "sticky" and can't leave each other's side at all. The game ends when Stacey tells them she's moving and Jeremy is PISSED and jumps up.
3 year old twins Sean and Sarah Beckett. They're not as upset as Twila and Jeremy. They ask a bunch of questions and seem interested that all their furniture will fit into a van.
The Goldsmith Kids, three of them. They all burst into tears.
~Mary Anne sees a girl about their age who she has never seen before with blonde hair and blue eyes watching the Kristy Day Parade.
And last but not least......

~First Claudia outfit description!!
"Claudia was wearing willowy black pants, cinched at the waist with a drawstring, and a boldy patterned summer shirt with ties that she was adjusting around her midriff. Her midriff would have been bare, but Claud had slithered into a lacy black tank top before she'd put on the shirt. On her feet were delicate silvery sandals, and her hair, which was looooooooong and thick, was held away from her face with two silver combs."

Classic BSC... even if it's BEFORE the BSC

AMM reads from The Summer Before

2010-03-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

The very first part of the book.

I GOT IT!

2010-03-31T19:01:00.001-07:00

Or should I say them. My copy of the Summer Before came today... my sister put my dad's name on the order from amazon because it went to his house... so he thought it was his. He was GOING to bring it to me tomorrow, but of course I'm impatient and i needed it tonight. He was like "You can't wait until tomorrow?" I was like .. "uh... NO."
He only lives four blocks away.

Anyway, so I pawed through the box and found not one copy of The Summer Before, but two. I was going to give the second copy away on here, but I have a friend who loves the BSC as well and she's also a teacher, so I asked her first. (she practically screamed YES) Kristy's Great Idea is also in the box, but don't worry. If there are any other duplicates, I'll see about giving them away on here. :)

My ten year old self is jumping up and down. She's been waiting ten years for this. (I was sixteen when Graduation Day came out, but I still sporadically kept up with the BSC, buying a new copy every now and then. I actually did get Graduation Day when it came out.)

Now the question is... do I read it now and satisfy my thirst? Or take my time and savor it?

Yeah I should read it now.

New Blog

2010-03-30T08:45:00.001-07:00

A little shameless self-promotion here, but I started up a new blog. I play games on Pogo.com, which is a gaming site with hundreds of games. There's free games, but there are also games for exclusive members that pay a membership fee with extras (which at 11 cents a day isn't bad... it gives me something to do.)
If any of you play there, the blog is The Life of a Club Pogo Addict, and a link to it is on the left.

Scholastic Website has a new BSC portion

2010-03-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know how long this has been up, but someone on the message boards posted the link to it.
http://www.scholastic.com/thebabysittersclub/ Has pictures of the girls which are extremely cartoonish, but they're cute.

For those that I gave the Wash Post Journalist's contact info to, have you talked to her yet? If so, how'd it go?

CALLING ALL BSC BLOGGERS!!

2010-03-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

I got contacted this morning by a reporter for the Washington Post. She's doing a story on the release of the Prequel and would like to hear from other bloggers that are still following the BSC after all these years.

If you're interested contact me here or djsharpe@mckendree.edu (I'll be less likely to accidentally delete it from my school account.)

New Poll, what's up?

2010-03-08T23:26:00.000-08:00

New poll on the prequel. Just thought it up, which is basically how those things come about.
Seriously though, was surprised at the results of the poll of the least favorite members. Mal's one of my favorites now that I'm older probably because I can relate to her... (except for the whole being the oldest of 8 kids thing...)... and mildy surprised at how few votes Claudia got.

Anyway, right now I'm reading the Little Sister series from beginning to end. I'm on 52 right now (Karen's Mermaid.) There were a few that I JUST READ when I first haphazardly started to read them before I decided to go in order... so I skipped those.

The most unlikely plot so far? Karen's Tuba. As a MUED major I found myself LAUGHING. I haven't gotten to brass methods, but I seriously doubt anyone in their right mind would have a tuba even available for a 2nd grader to play.,, And what the hell was up with the viola on the instrument cart when the teacher first comes into the classroom? You don't start out on the viola! Especially if you're a little kid!
(Mainly the size of the instrument, I doubt I could even really play a viola, I'm not tall, and I don't have really long arms.. not to mention they read a completely different clef...)

The kids were allowed to take the instruments home before they had even touched them or learned how to properly put them together. (apparently the first lesson was going over notes and stuff) I'm in woodwind methods (and string methods actually) right now. We started the clarinet a few weeks ago. Nancy took the instrument home, figured out how to properly put the thing together, and played on it? For real?

I also find it incredibly hard to believe that they were all able to play Here Comes the Bride.That song has a range of more than just a few notes. Yeah they practiced a lot, and that's all fine and dandy... I still find it hard to believe that after a practice session with Sam they were able to get it almost perfect... with all those instruments. A kid or two? Maybe. The entire class? NOT

Mind you I'd never played a clarinet (or flute for that matter) in my life, and we have to play A Little Nightmusic for our clarinet test... but we're older, music majors (obviously have a substantial background in music) and tend to latch on to things a lot faster than second graders. (I'm still not the best, but I do seem to be having a bit more luck at the clarinet than the flute...at least I could produce sound right away.)

Just my rant for the evening :)

PS.
What the heck is up with my sudden surge of spammers?

Temple Grandin

2010-02-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else see the tv movie on HBO tonight about the life of Temple Grandin? She's an autistic woman that helped design ramps and things for cattle to keep them calm while they were being led ...well... to die.

Anyway, she also designed the hug machine that is featured in The Baby-Sitters' European Vacation. Susan went into it and was immediately at peace. It was quite interesting, and when she first went into it after seeing how it affected cattle by calming them down, I immediately thought of Susan.

On another note, I made the Dean's List, and my sister wants to get me something.
I told her she could get me BSC prequel and the three rereleases.

Chicken Pox

2010-02-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

This girl in choir who sits two rows behind me has the chicken pox. There were only 3 second sopranos in class today (out of I don't remember), and we weren't anywhere near each other because there is a system to where we sit in choir (part and height). The poor girl who was sitting at the top by herself came down and sat by me. Basically this is how the conversation went:
her: "Jenny sits right by me. I'm glad I've already had the chicken pox."
Me: "You can get them twice."
her. "Really?"
Me: "Yup, it's rare though.

Thank you Mallory Pike for teaching the world that it's possible to get the chicken pox twice.

Apparently it can happen in adults with bad immune systems... in other words...if i was anywhere near her when she was contagious. I'm screwed.

I think i'm psyching myself out... I'm itching.

At least I know it's all in my head :)

I hope

Fanvid of the week...

2010-01-24T23:09:00.001-08:00

I find it incredibly amusing (well kind of ) that my shortest post ever garnered the most comments. (the last one)
Less is more? :)
Pictures are worth a thousand words? Apparently

Anyway. I have nothing else to say at the moment and I have to go to bed... so here's another fanvid to keep you morbidly entertained.

Enjoy!
(This is actually my favorite one)

Oh hell no

2010-01-13T19:56:00.001-08:00

NYT article

2009-12-31T11:05:00.001-08:00

First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa. I'm going out tonight to a party at my best guy friend's apartment... just looking forward to actually getting out and putting some of my new clothes to use.

This morning my father sent me an article from the New York Times (which he reads online) on the release of the first two books and hte prequel to the BSC. I'll just copy and paste here. There's also the book cover of the prequel which is kind of disappointing (I think) but I'm not all that surprised.

Taking a page from Broadway and George Lucas, Scholastic Inc., the children’s book publisher, is trying for a revival — with a prequel attached.

In April the company plans to reissue repackaged and slightly revised versions of the first two volumes in one of its most successful series, “The Baby-Sitters Club,” in the hopes of igniting enthusiasm in a new generation of readers. And just as Mr. Lucas brought “Star Wars” back with a whole new arc of stories that began before the original series, Scholastic is publishing a newly written prequel, “The Summer Before,” by Ann M. Martin, the original author of “The Baby-Sitters Club” books.

The move follows Scholastic’s 2008 resuscitation of “Goosebumps,” another of its most popular series. For now Scholastic and Ms. Martin only have plans for the one prequel, although the publisher will release three more reissues of the original series later next year.

“The Baby-Sitters Club,” which ran from 1986 through 2000, garnered an ardent following among preteenage girls throughout its run of 213 titles, with the publisher ultimately printing 176 million copies. The series, which followed the baby-sitting adventures and friendships of four 12-to-13-year-old girls — Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia and Stacey (the cast expanded to eight main characters later in the series) — spawned several spinoffs, including a mystery series and a collection of books about Kristy’s little sister. All of the books are now out of print.

David Levithan, the editorial director at Scholastic and an editor of “The Baby-Sitters Club,” said the publisher decided to bring back the old series because of requests from fans who wanted a comeback.

“This whole generation of girls who had grown up reading ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ were now teachers, librarians or mothers,” Mr. Levithan said. “And at any opportunity they had, they let us know they wanted them back. We couldn’t go to a convention without having women come up to us and say, ‘You’ve got to bring these books back.’ ”

The publisher had also seen how well the formula had worked with a new “Goosebumps” series, “HorrorLand”: there are now 3.5 million copies in print of the 12 books it has published since April 2008.

Ms. Martin, who wrote more than 60 of the books in the original “Baby-Sitters Club” series, has written several stand-alone novels and started another series for young girls called “Main Street” (also published by Scholastic) since “The Baby-Sitters Club” ended.

Recently, though, she started to miss the books that propelled her writing career for so many years. “When I started to think about the books with a certain amount of nostalgia, I was happy to revisit them,” Ms. Martin said.

She proposed the idea of a prequel to Scholastic, tracing the original characters through the summer that precedes the school year covered by the earlier series. “I have had many suggestions from fans over the years for reunion books that take place far in the future,” Ms. Martin said. “I was more interested in exploring the characters and what led them up to the beginning of the series.”

Mr. Levithan said the publisher was aiming the series at a slightly younger age group than it was originally pitched — at girls ages 7 to 10 rather than 8 to 12. But some likely readers are older fans, many of them now in their 20s and 30s, who recall the series fondly if not with rabid passion.

Amy Riley, an adult literacy coach in Corona, Calif. who blogs at myfriendamysblog.com, recalled reading the books when she was in fourth and fifth grade. “I was completely obsessed when I was young,” said Ms. Riley, now 29. In November she proposed to fellow book bloggers that they celebrate “The Baby-Sitters Club” series for a week, each writing about their favorite volume and characters.

Despite the current craze for novels about vampires and other characters in the fantasy realm, Ms. Riley said she figured new young readers would be attracted to “The Baby-Sitters Club.”

“The characters are so different that every girl can find somebody she can relate to,” Ms. Riley said. “I think that same basic appeal will still be there.”

Editors at Scholastic updated some of the references to technology and outdated fashions in the reissued books. So a “cassette player” has become “headphones” and a “perm” has become “an expensive hairstyle.”

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Heather Hebert, a bookseller at Children’s Book World in Haverford, Pa., said she planned to order the prequel and reissued books in large quantities.

Back in the 1990s, she said, “we sold them like crazy.” She said that the books helped turn reading into “a group sport” by getting readers to talk about them among their friends.

She added that she suspected the series would sell “really well to the girls who aren’t quite ready for vampires and particularly to the parents of the girls who aren’t quite ready.”

Jamie Tan, a children’s bookseller at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Ariz., said that when Scholastic published graphic-novel editions of the first four “Baby-Sitters Club” books in 2006, they had been very popular with new readers. “A lot of ‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ fans are getting older and passing it on to their children,” Ms. Tan said. “It’s becoming a classic.”

Julie Peterson, a mother of two in Mechanicsburg, Pa., who blogs at bookingmama.blogspot.com, said that her 10-year-old daughter, Hayley, had discovered the books through her fourth-grade teacher, who kept many of the original volumes in her classroom.

Ms. Peterson, 40, missed the series the first go-around because she was too old. But when she saw Ms. Riley’s invitation to blog about the series, Ms. Peterson asked her daughter to recommend one.

After reading “Baby-Sitters on Board!” Ms. Peterson posted a review. “I enjoyed that the girls and their actions seemed realistic; and I even liked that the girls had issues that they had to work out — like disagreeing with each other,” she wrote. “As a mom, I am thrilled that my daughter wants to read all of The Babysitter Club books because I don’t have to worry about anything inappropriate happening in the stories.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/books/31babysitters.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

New Poll, new fanvid

2009-12-13T21:46:00.000-08:00

Self Explanatory. I hadn't posted a new poll in awhile... and the last one had been up so long it was only showing two votes

To keep you entertained, fanvid of the week.

Discussing the BSC...

2009-12-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

IS anyone else like me and are excited when someone you know in real life who isn't a part of the BSC online community (that you know of at least) just randomly starts talking about the BSC or you find out that they were big fans of the books? I know a lot of people read them, but then there are those who were more than just the average reader who read one every once in awhile.

A friend of mine from Texas, whom I don't know from any BSC communities, randomly posted on facebook that she was discussing the Baby-Sitters club with another friend of hers, and I of course absolutely pounced on it.

I dropped a not so subtle hint that she and the others that posted to that comment about the BSC (One still has over 100 bsc books) should join the BSC proboards community that I've been a part of for 2 1/2 years. (That was how i got reintroduced to the fandom.)

Any similar experiences?

The BSC, Thanksgiving and Adoption

2009-11-26T02:22:00.001-08:00

First off, I hope everyone in the US has a wonderful Thanksgiving. We're actually not having Thanksgiving dinner until Sunday because my stepmother works tomorrow (well, today actually I'm still up and haven't gone to bed even though it's almost 4:30 in the morning.) Why we're waiting an extra three days I'll get back to in a bit.

The BSC Thanksgiving books have to be some of my favorite "holiday" books in the series, mainly for the mention of the food. I know I'm not the only one in the BSC fandom that loves the description of the food and whose mouth waters at the very mention of some of them. (I can't as well be the only one who wonders how two pizzas can be split up between 7 or 8 11 and 13 year old girls). Since I'm not actually going to be eating Thanksgiving dinner tonight (unless my dad does something), I think I might have to read some of my favorite BSC Thanksgiving books... Get Well Soon, Mallory (I also like the illness books!), Claudia and the First Thanksgiving and Karen's Turkey Day. (I'm sure there are more but at 4:30 those are the only ones that come to mind at the moment.) Thanksgiving is just about the only day out of the year that I eat turkey. I know i'm going to be longing for my mother's homemade pumpkin cheesecake tomorrow, but oh well. (I had a ton of it last year, though!)

What are (or were depending on when you read this) everyone's Thanksgiving plans? My sister Jessica is flying in tomorrow evening from Austin. My other sister Tonja is coming back from Chicago Saturday night with her boyfriend, and we're having a special guest come flying in on Saturday as well... my 18 year old niece that Jessica gave up for adoption when she was born. (It was an open adoption and I was there when she was handed over to her adoptive parents. We'd gotten a few pictures as time went on, but it had been several years since we last received any.)

It's going to be an emotional reunion for sure. My niece Naomi is bringing her boyfriend with her for emotional support. I'm nervous but excited.

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving again to all in the US. I hope it's wonderful! :)

Stoneybrook... small town?

2009-11-16T21:08:00.001-08:00

In the BSC we're always reminded (particularly by city girl Stacey) how small Stoneybrook is. But really, just how small is it?
It has two middle schools...both of which seem to be of adequate size, private schools, at least one public elementary school,(It seems that Kelsey Middle School is a public school in the area where Kristy lives...but everyone on her street goes to private schools. Where do the kids going into Kelsey come from? Karen goes to a private school.) and Stoneybrook High School, which is stated in the final book of the series, Graduation Day, as having over 1000 students. (I believe it also states that kids from other towns go there.)

It also seems that it has a nice sized downtown. Bellair's sounds awfully big. Come on... it has different departments and has an ESCALATOR, not to mention numerous restaurants, a movie theater, parks, etc.

I would also mention that they have a university, but then again i live in and go to school in a very small town with a private university (less than 2000 undergrads but still), so I know it's possible.

When I think of a small town, I basically think of the town where I'm living at. It has 4000 people (It seems so much fewer though.) Charles Dickens himself visted here twice in the 1800's and mentioned it in one of his books, American Notes.http://charlesdickenspage.com/minor_works.html#american_notes (chapter 8). The town doesn't even have a regular stop light... it has a blinking stoplight. There are a couple of main roads that come through, but that's about it. The mainstreet is two blocks long (or so), and is lined with antique shops, a small coffee house, a couple of small restaurants (including a place that serves up the best ice cream i've ever had), a tiny community theatre, (named after the Looking Glass Prairie, which Dickens mentions), an even tinier library, and ... well you get the picture.
Tehre are a couple of fast food places and a dollar general and a hardware store on the main road coming in, but that's about it.
I live a block north of the high school. The elementary/middle/high school is basically all in one building, with the high school wing on the very end. (I think the high school has a 100 students...tops) It has everything I think a small town should have... a fireman's picnic and parade in the summer, a fall festival with crafts where they shut down the entire two blocks of the "main street" (actually called st. Louis street). Everyone lines up for hte homecoming parade on the sidewalk to get candy. (I'm assuming they do for the high school, they did for McKendree's.) Plus various other activites, including a haunted tour of the town, and a Witches Night Out in October.

Does anyone else think Stoneybrook isn't as small as they think it is?

1461 views???????

2009-11-15T21:23:00.001-08:00

I was looking at the little thing on the left hand side where it says all the visitors to this age come from. Now, I realize some of those numbers are not all different people...
But a few countries jumped out at me.
Bahrain? Iran? Lebanon? Saudi Arabia? Iran? Hong Kong ?(I didn't know Hong Kong qualified as a separate country. Shows how much world geography I know.) Plus other countries that I didn't catch.

How the heck are these people coming across my little corner of the internets?

I hope to post something more substantial within the next week. What, I haven't figured out yet. To keep you occupied, here's my BSC fanvid for the week

Yet another youtube vid...

2009-11-09T20:28:00.001-08:00

You guys know I love Stacey...
but this one made me laugh :)

Ah, Fall (Good old random Off topicness)

2009-10-29T23:16:00.001-07:00

I seriously love this time of year. Living in Texas for six years, I really missed the simple things like trees changing color and them falling to the ground. A friend of mine that lives in Texas went to Pennsylvania this pass week to check out a school (I think, Lol) and it was the first time she had seen fall.

Anyway, with fall means Halloween, my birthday (this Tuesday...gifts are accepted, as well as cash), Thanksgiving, my sister's birthday, and then of course Christmas.

I don't really have any big plans for Halloween. My college is 7-1 and if we win Saturday's game we're absolutely going to Playoffs (although we're pretty much a shoo in anyway). I think I'm going to go to the first half of the game (good thing about going to a really small school is students get in for free unlike at the bigger universities...well... at least Texas A&M I know they have to pay), and then leaving to go to my dad's house. This will be the first time in 7 years that I will have a chance to pass out candy. I live in a very small apartment that's in a basement with a door code. No trick or treaters are coming HERE, so I'm going to dad's house which is four blocks away. That's it... but we did get a LOT of candy, so there should be plenty left over!

Anyway, tonight I went up to the school and they were having a haunted tour of the campus. I go to McKendree University, which is the oldest school in the state of Illinois having been founded in 1828. There are a ton of ghost stories that float around, some I don't know if they're legit or not, but with a school that's over 180 years old some are bound to pop up. (It was named the most haunted place in the Metro East)

For instance: Bothwell Chapel was built in 1858. I was looking around on the internet to see if there's any ghost stories, and I stumbled upon an article that said that the bell in the bell tower is from 8th century Spain. (FOR REAL?) There's a story that's actually in the McKendree Archives, that when black students first attended here, one went up to the Bell Tower (I'm not sure why) and he was struck by lightning and died. There's also the crazy stories from Eisenmayer which used to be the old theatre and music building. It still has practice rooms, and music majors like myself go there late at night to practice, and there have been crazy stories about music coming from practice rooms where there's noone in there, ghostly apparitions and footsteps in the hallway. I haven't been there late at night yet, but you can bet I'm going to do so soon!

I guess I have a bit of Dawn Schafer in me.

Has anyone had any ghostly encounters? Any big plans for Halloween?

It's Shannon!! (The puppy not the human)

2009-10-13T13:43:00.001-07:00

Someone posted this picture of a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy on baaaaabyanimals on livejournal.

I just went d'awwwwww. :)

Did you know...

2009-09-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

That AMM is on the list of best selling authors of all time with between 172-180 million books sold? Right behind Charles Dickens.

Who does she outsell?
Beatrix Potter, Michael Crichton, James Patterson, Anne Rice, and Robin Cook just to name a few.

AND...
The Baby-sitters club is #10 on the Best Selling Book Series of all time.

Was watching Twilight Sucks videos on youtube out of boredom and was amused when it was stated that the BSC outsold Twilight. (of course it's been around longer but you get the idea. ;) )

It's Official!

2009-09-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

Wanderingfrog wrote an email to scholastic inquiring about "The Summer Before" and they replied back, saying that it was a hardcover set to be released March 12, 2010...earlier than what Amazon said!

Fantastic BSC Sims Fanvid

2009-09-05T23:00:00.001-07:00

I stumbled upon this on youtube, and thought I'd share it.

AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

I thought the BSC like exclamation would be appropriate from what I just found out on the BSC LJ community thanks to wanderingfrog. For those of you that aren't on LJ, here's the big news:

AMM is in the process of writing a Prequel to the Baby-Sitters Club entitled The Summer Before.
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Before-Babysitters-Club/dp/0545160936/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251990038&sr=1-2

Before there was the Baby-Sitters Club, there were four girls named Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, and Stacey McGill. As they start the summer before seventh grade (also before they start the BSC), each of them is on the cusp of a big change. Kristy is still hung up on hoping that her father will return to her family. Mary Anne has to prove to her father that she's no longer a little girl who needs hundreds of rules. Claudia is navigating her first major crush on a boy. And Stacey is leaving her entire New York City life behind...
...in order to find new friends in Stoneybrook, Connecticut.

The Summer Before . . . is a sweet, moving novel about four girls on the edge of something big - not just the Club that will change their lives, but also all the joys and tribulations of being twelve and thirteen.

*Way too excited*

ETA: I really hope it's not some mean prank... the April 1st date did stop me for a moment...but the BSC seems like an odd choice for a prank...and if it were, I'd think it would be a sequel not a prequel... and then there's the fact that it's available for pre-order..
Let's just hope someone's not pulling a fast one over our eyes. I THIRST FOR THIS BOOK.

OT: Another Fandom of mine

2009-08-06T14:49:00.001-07:00

I, like many others, am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. I've read all the books, seen all the movies, etc etc etc. I got introduced by my mother's friend Stuart who loved Harry Potter back in 2003 after the 5th book came out. I borrowed his books and devoured them, and watched the first two movies.

Unfortunately, Stuart died of lung cancer in August of 2004, and he never got to read the 6th and 7th books, and he was too sick to see the PoA movie, so I've carried on the tradition, by buying the last two books, and even going to a Deathly Hallows release party two years ago, and of course seeing the movies. I have to wonder what he would have thought of how the series turned out.

Anyway, I'm sure some of you have to be HP fans as well, and I felt I HAD to share this absolutely brilliant thing on youtube. A group of Harry Potter fans went and wrote a Musical based on the Harry Potter books. It's complete parody, and absolutely hilarious. (I think the only way it could have worked was if it was parody.)

And best part? IT's completely legal... since they didn't make a profit off of it. I think it was posted by the people who made it, (they're in charge of the facebook group that has linked the videos as well) so i HOPE it won't be taken down.

Here's the first video along with a link to the playlist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmwM_AKeMCk&feature=PlayList&p=C76BE906C9D83A3A&index=0&playnext=1

Yay!

2009-07-31T23:34:00.001-07:00

I'm happy because I just got two BSC books that I've never read in the mail today. I got Abby's Twin and Mallory's Christmas Wish, which haven't been made into e-books, so I'm ecstatic. (It was the main reason I had chosen those two.)

Woohoo. Off to read them now.

Bridesmaid dresses

2009-07-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

So I was looking at my friends wedding pictures and was absolutely astounded at how ugly their bridesmaid dresses were. (I'm not even kidding. The brides looked beautiful at least, but when hell freezes over and I get married, I kinda want my bridesmaids to you know... like me.). I know marriages aren't for everyone, but I want my fairytale gosh darn it!

Anyway, I was looking up ugly bridesmaid dresses out of sheer boredom and came across this one.

The picture on the left is the front, the one on the right is the back of the dress.

Look familiar?

What was Dawn thinking???

ETA:
For mine I was thinking somewhere more along the lines of this:
http://www.lightinthebox.com/A-line-Spaghetti-Straps-Tea-length-Satin-Chiffon-Bridesmaid-Dress--HSX863-_p29812.html (For some reason it wouldn't let me save the whole picture)

Another Update + Kristy's Great Idea New WTF???

2009-07-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

In the past almost two months I've moved from Texas to the little town east of St. Louis...moved into my apartment...got settled in...registered for classes... and had my computer die.
Classes start the 24th of next month, anxious and nervous to get started... all music plus one math class... (math for liberal arts, thank god not college algebra)... including theory/lab III, some music culture thing, advanced keyboarding, choir, applied voice, and some other stuff I really can't remember at the moment because i need to get a new schedule... since I got mine a month and a half ago and of course I lost it.

Anyway, because i"ve had a dead computer, I've been doing a lot of reading of my baby-sitters club/little sister books (even though I should really be reading the million library books I checked out.), and today I started reading the first one... Kristy's Great Idea... and it struck me.

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION OF THEM HAVING MORE THAN ONE TEACHER IN THE SEVENTH GRADE.

I don't think I've ever seen this mentioned before in various posts on the book, or discussions. (I might be wrong.) Claudia states Stacey being in her class... not one of her classes. (and they're all in the seventh grade, so that doesn't make any sense.) Kristy turns in her paper to Mr. Redmond at the beginning of school... and then goes to take her seat... when she was in his room at the end of the day the day before with the whole decorum thing.

Kristy also mentions that Claudia's TeacheR (no s) wouldn't let her wear her hat inside.

Now, I thought it was a little odd that they called it recess after lunch, but when I was in middle school, we were able to go outside after lunch, and I just assumed they had a wider area to hang out in.

Seriously, wtf Ann? What middle school (at least in the United STates, I can't speak for other countries) that's ONLY grades 6-8 (or 7-9 for that matter... and not K-8) do the kids only have one teacher throughout the day and don't change classes?

Has anyone else noticed this? Is it apparent in any other books when they're in seventh grade? i know when they're in eighth grade they definitely change rooms... yet another inconsistency. The only other seventh grade book I have in book form is Mary Anne Saves the Day, I'll have to go through that next to see if there are any clues to this bewildering mystery. (For me anyway.)

I must admit.. I laughed.

2009-05-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thedudette/nostalgia-chick/6791-bclub

"Dawn" appearance on LJ.

2009-04-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

A post came up on the Stupid_Free community on livejournal today that just SCREAMED "Dawn" to me. (at least later, Vegetarian psycho crazy Dawn.)

The girl goes to a Mexican place, orders a Vegetarian Burrito, gets one with meat in it instead, (she finds out after she got home) the place gives her another one, and she wants to know if there's something she can do to BRING JUSTICE TO THIS INCIDENT.

On one of the comments she states: "I am moving on with my life, but now my life has this memory of chewing dead cow against my will."

http://community.livejournal.com/vegetarian/4357267.html

I'll give you one guess as to where she's from.
Starts with a C and ends with a nia

Just an update.

2009-04-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

I know my postings are sporadic at best though I try and get at least 2 or 3 posts a month.

I've been really busy this semester. I went to St. Louis/Illinois (St. Louis area, but was on both sides of the river)at the beginning of Februray for an audition at McKendree University, a tiny private liberal arts uni that's the oldest school in the state of Illinois. It went well and I got an $8000 a year scholarship for four years. The following week I had all state choir in san antonio, and then last month over spring break I went BACK to st. louis and visited friends and fam.

I also had to get the rest of the financial aid going, and just got it in last week, the entire year is covered except for room and board, and that's just a huge relief off my shoulders, because it basically means I'm really going, I just have to figure out the living situation... either come up with the rest of the money to live on campus or find an apartment off campus but in the town (which is really tiny. Stoneybrook sounds like Manhattan in comparison. Small town my foot.)

I have finals coming up in a few weeks, but before that I have a recital I have to give for piano, plus two juries for piano and voice, and a paper due for Music Lit, a choir concert, a huge thing the club I'm in is hosting for Hispanic high school students, and then (maybe) performing at graduation with the choir... and then get to pack up and get back up to STL asap...cause the all star game is there this summer! Yay!! :D

Next month is going to be hectic. But I just wanted to pop in. :)

Happy Birthday, Stacey!

2009-04-03T01:08:00.001-07:00

Today would be the most popular Baby-sitter's (or so it seems) birthday.

According to my calculations (ooh, a Stacey word), if she was 12 in Fall of 86...

Today she would be 35.

Ouch.

Any ideas of where she'd be at? :)

BTW, when I was ten, I was in Atlanta on Easter, and I TOTALLY remember how cool it was that Stacey's birthday was on EASTER. (April 3, 1994, Easter Sunday.)

Mmmm... Hummus.

2009-03-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

Okay so I went 25+ years without having tasted hummus... The most I knew about it was that it was made from chickpeas (garbonzo beans) and Dawn Schafer Loved it... which since i"m not a health food nut, didn't exactly appeal to me.

When I was in St. Louis I went to my good friend Paul's surprise birthday party. His partner Audis (I really have no idea how to spell his name...sounds like Ottis) works in a health food store, and of course was stocked up on all the healthy crap I usually stay away from. They lay out all the food on the coffee table, and I take a bite of hummus and...

heaven.

Dawn was really onto something there.

Fabulous (or maybe not so Fab) Picture I found

2009-03-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

So right now I'm visiting my hometown of st. louis over spring break, and am currently at my father's house (tomorrow I"m going back to my sister's to spend time with her). Anyway, I was down in the basement doing laundry, and i was wondering if there were any old pictures down there that I could possibly scan.

I got to rummaging around, and I find a few that are scan worthy (I really was a damn cute kid. I have no idea what happened.) including this one, which was closely enough related to the BSC that I felt like posting

That is My mother, me (in the middle), and my cousin related by marriage Sera on the Jet Stream at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.

In case that doesn't quite ring a bell, that was the ride that the baby-sitters club went on that Mary Anne and Mr. Schafer chicked out of in SS #5 California Girls.

After riding it, I had no idea what all the fuss was about.

By the way, that picture was taken in the summer of 94. I was ten. It's aged a bit.

Yay for ebay

2009-03-01T19:51:00.001-08:00

Okay so I got my pell grant check and paycheck last week totally up to around $1060, and since the only thing substantial that currently comes out of my bank account stash is my phone bill every month, I decided to spoil myself a little bit and headed over to ebay, and got a few fantabulous BSC items if I do say so myself.

First off, I got six of the mysteries... I can't remember which ones, other than I didn't have them, and some of them I haven't read. I had lost a bid on a lot of 9, but the six will do.

Secondly, got 16 Little Sister books, ranging from #2- #96.

Thirdly, the one I'm MOST pleased with because I could still get those books on ebook form, I got BOTH BSC board games for 99 cents, plus S&H coming to a total of about $6. I only had the mystery game years ago, and the seller has excellent references, and the games look in great condition, I can't wait!

I also got a Wendy Corsi Staub book. I love her mysteries/thrillers, but I can't remember which one I got... I THINK it's The Last to Know, but I'm not sure... I just know it's one I haven't read yet.

Lastly, I got a book that I had loved when I was younger. It's called "What's the Opposite of a Best Friend?" A few months ago I couldn't remember for the life of me what the name of the book was... all I knew was that it had a character named Stacy (without an E) in it, and she wasn't even the main character... I couldn't remember the name of the narrator... all I could remember was the plot line, and the cover. I started searching through a thread on the BSC proboard site about our favorite books when we were younger, wondering if there was a chance that someone would mention it and it would ring a bell... and voila, someone did, I did a quick search on amazon to see if it was the book, and there it was.

On another note, I've become obsessed with watching Survivor on youtube, and as I was watching Survivor 7: Pearl Islands (Where Rupert made his debut! He's awesome), I couldn't help but think Christa reminded me of Dawn... in looks... and both from California.

Yay? Nay? She and a bunch of other "survivors" are kind enough to add fans to their facebook friend pages... so far I have her Rupert and Stephenie from Palau and Guatemala on there.

Lisa Libraries Charity

2009-02-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, one of our dear friends from the Baby-Sitters Club boards passed away last month. Greer from Stoneybrookite has been in contact with the Lisa Libraries which is AMM's charity and is trying to get books to donate in Afton's (Aln) name. Since I suck at html, if you are interested in doing helping out please visit Greer's blog (www.stoneybrookite.org). She has posted all the information needed.

If anyone is able to help out, it would be great. Once I get some extra cash myself I plan on donating some books through the amazon wishlist

I had way too much time on my hands today

2009-01-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

On the BSC community on Livejournal there was a post about what happened to the cast members of the movie, and of the TV show which was similar to this one I did.
( http://stoneybrookmscafe.blogspot.com/2008/06/bsc-tv-show-where-are-they-now.html) With a couple of main differences, a few pictures were different, Zach Braff was added and there was an update on Gina Gallagher who played Charlotte...she's now a Special Ed Teacher on Long Island and is a mother.

I have a hard time thinking of Charlotte as being married and having kids. I took this information and did a facebook search, and found a picture of someone I'm about 95% sure she's her. But like many facebook profiles, hers is private, and the picture is small.

I seriously need a life. I messaged her and asked her if it was her... saying I knew it sounded incredibly crazy... haven't heard back from her. I just hope she doesn't think I"m some weird stalker person. I'm not... I just had way too much time on my hands, and that's a dangerous thing. (and what's sad is that this was taking place during Music Lit class, and I was killing time by pretending to take notes on the subect that we went over last semester...which I did do... but that's another story.)

AFter that I decided to facebook search some others. Jessica Prunell (TV Stacey) turned up one match. Looks like she's married... and ...
her curly hair is back.

Why didn't she just keep it straight?

Avriel Hillman (TV Kristy) Is having some kind of acting workshop in Seattle
(http://www.facebook.com/event.php?sid=2898600999f3e2d73c325fa8dbd5c7e4&eid=43966746817)

Now APPARENTLY there's a rumor going around that movie Mallory is now a porn star... I really don't think so. She's now in Houston (thanks to her myspace page saying that).. and a couple of sources on the web indicate she's into health and fitness, especially yoga.
She's assistant manager at Lulumon athletica in Houston.
(http://www.lululemon.com/texas/houstonstores.php)

I have no idea whether that picture is of her or not, I saw her myspace page before she made it private, and she had short blonde hair... her facebook pic shows her with short dark hair... and that picture is no good.

Seriously one of these days? I need to find Shane McDermott (Jamie Anderson from Dawn and the Dream Boy) and go to this athletica store... just to check things out.

I"m not a stalker I swear... like I said, I have way too much time and boredom on my hands.

Afton Lisette Newton (Aln1982)

2009-01-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

To anyone who posts on the Baby-Sitters Club Boards (www.babysittersclub.proboards36.com) or has posted in the past, I have some sad news.

Aln1982 passed away last night night in her sleep. She suffered from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (schleroderma) had been sick for quite some time. She was the most prolific poster on the boards with a grand total of 7736 total, but she always added something to the conversation. She was kind to everyone, and never judged someone if they thought or believed something different than her.

She was 26 years old and loved horses, history, American Girl books,Historical fiction American Indian culture, writing among other things that include the baby-sitters club. She was a published author of children's books.

Her illness left her room to write more, and the baby-sitters club board members became like a second family to her. She had given her mom her myspace password a few days ago just so that we could be made aware if something happened to her, which is how we got the news today. She loved the BSC right to her last day, her mom read to her from Winter Vacation yesterday.

We are thinking of doing something in her honor, and greer from stoneybrookite will be contacting the Lisa Libraries to find out if there's anything we can do and to get information. I will pass it along as I get it.

her first horse

Joining Jessi and Mal on her first day of sixth grade

High School grad

on Fausteana

With a National POA award

For more information her website is: http://www.actnewbooks.com/

ETA: Her obituary (listed under her name)http://www.filbrandtffh.com/

Just call me Mary Anne

2009-01-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

So I'm watching the History Channel, and it's apocalypse week...

And...

I START FEELING BAD FOR THE DINOSAURS

I almost want to CRY.

I don't think anything else needs to be said.

Happy New year!

2008-12-31T20:30:00.000-08:00

Just want to wish all my readers and anyone who should happen to stop by a Happy New Year. Tonight just at home with my mom, going to open the champagne at midnight (central time) and watch some movies.

I've got a copule of blog posts in mind which I hope to do sometime soon. Right now just enjoying my vacation, but I go back to work at the college next week. (Only Monday-Thursday.. can' only work so many hours anyway, and I still want my three day weekend! :) )

This year I hope to lose weight, get my own place, figure out school for next year whether I go up to McKendree like I'd like to, or wait another year and find more ways to get money for the school, and hope to find love.

Oh, and have more BSC centered posts!

Anyway, happy new years everyone! Make 2009 great! :)

OT Happiness that I just feel like sharing

2008-12-18T16:59:00.001-08:00

SEMESTER IS OVER!!!!!!!

I swore I was going to get a C in Music Lit because for some reason I did a Claudia and just DID NOT test well. Well I got an A on my research paper (because unlike Claudia writing has always been one of my strong suits even though I sometimes go too fast and don't proofread, for example...I look back on some of the blogs I've posted and wince because of the grammar and spelling mistakes.)
i got an A on my piano performance final of Chopin's Prelude in E minor. Last time I tried to play it I'm sure Chopin rolled over in his grade when he heard it.
A in Music Theory and Sight Singing and Ear Training.
I probably overall got a B in piano... because most of the performance grades were B's, but that's okay. I got an A on the performance final and for me that's enough. I'm 100% the rest of the grades were A because it was Voice Lessons and choir, and those are very hard to get less than an A in if you do every concert/performance imaginable.

I just feel like sharing this to the world, because I'm just relieved I can breathe for a few weeks!

April Fools joke on Scholastic?

2008-12-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

Some of the members on the BSC Proboards (link on the left) have been talking about filling out those forms that are in the back of the books for all those contests that the people from Scholastic had and sending them to the publishers as a big April Fool's Joke. We've pretty much agreed that we want it to be as widespread as possible.

Will send more information along as it becomes more developed :)

Sighing happily

2008-12-10T20:39:00.000-08:00

Snowbound always made me go "wtf" because the BSC weren't that excited about the prospect of snow, when it obviously meant NO SCHOOL if there was enough.

Right now I'm sitting on my bed in South Texas (on the gulf of Mexico, near in the Galveston area) loking out into a night that's covered in whiteness. Living down here I definitely appreciate snow more, because we NEVER GET IT.

Okay, that's an exaggeration. The last time it snowed was on Christmas Day 2004. The time it snowed before that? At least ten years.

I smelled it in the air this afternoon while waiting to go home from school. There was precipitation that definitely wasn't rain. It was sleet, and my hopes for snow were rising.

Growing up in St. Louis, the kids in my neighborhood and I organized snowball fights when it snowed, running around the neighborhood hiding on the little "islands" and attacking each other with balls of the white stuff. I loved snow then, and loved a day off from school. One year we got so much snow that the school district used up all their snow days that they had set aside and had to add on extra days at the end of the year. We didn't get out until Mid June. (That was also the year that they decided to start school in August, so we got a VERY short summer vacation that year)

It baffled me that at the ripe old age of thirteen that the bsc wasn't interested in snow... they seemed more like adults and the snow was more like a nuisance than something to enjoy. You would think especially Claudia who hated school would be thrilled at the idea of a snow day.

of course this was all before the blizzard actually hit..

Snow is such a rarity down here, that people definitely get excited about it. My boss told me that she regretted not letting her kids play in the snow Christmas morning. Now she'll have the chance to let them play in it a little bit before they go to school the next morning. It's not a blizzard by any means, but there are big white flakes, and the deck is covered with snow. If i can manage to scrounge up my mini crappy camera I'll try and get a picture of it tomorrow morning. It should still be cold enough.

I'm on a roll with blog posts this week. Next one though I'm going to try and stick more to the bsc than not helplessly trying to tie my own life to the books :D

I felt like Kristy today

2008-12-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

Seriously. Here I am at school, I'm wearing a nice black top and a white and black skirt, pantyhose, and black dress flats.

It's my only skirt... and I bought the pantyhose two days ago. (along with the top)

I like dressing up every now and then, (and looking cute) but I would rather have had to do the recital (music majors have an opportunity to participate in a recital in December) in a pair of jeans and a nice top. (I do have some cute tops)..but I felt I'd better look presentable and not make a fool out of myself by dressing too shabby.

So now I get to wear this... all day long... and tonight? I get to change into a black dress because we have a choir concert.

At least these shoes are comfortable. There was no way I was going to wear my black heels, no matter how cute they are, all day long.

Oh Kristy how I sympathise with you with not wanting to wear dresses and skirts and all that frou frou stuff. Every now and then is fine, but I'd still rather have worn jeans to school, change into this outfit, and then change back into the jeans... but that's just too much stuff to pack.

Something that I always found odd.

2008-12-07T17:35:00.001-08:00

Especially now that I Actually WEAR glasses.

Ms. Colman always put her glasses wearers up from so that they could see the board better. With their glasses shouldn't they have been able to see as well as a person who has 20/20 vision? Or even better in some cases, because I knew my eyesight was dwindling for a long time before I actually knew i needed glasses, and was having to sit up front just so I could see better. I'm thrilled now that I DON'T have to sit up front, because the glasses make everything so clearer, and I can see the board from wayyyyyyy in the back row now.

Seriously... I never really got why she made it a that rule the glasses wearers had to sit up front.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it.

anyway, OT, but here's a picture of me with my glasses... the quality sucks, I know...but oh well. I feel about 20 IQ points smarter in them.

How the Heck did the BSC do it?

2008-12-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

I was having one of my random thought wanderings... and my mind drifted back to when I was seventeen.

I had to drop out of the musical that year because I was a Claudia and my grades stank, and I couldn't be in the musical... or have anything to do with it. (It was South Pacific). I found a way around that. They had cast 9 elementary school kids in the show (two as the main kids, and 7 other little girls that were done one little in one scene.) They needed some people to keep an eye on all of them during the show.

Well, I talked to the director, and she said she wanted me at the rehearsals. Okay all fine and dandy.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

I had some help... mainly another girl that was in the cast...the problem with that? SHE WAS IN THE CAST. She oculd help out when she wasn't onstage, but when she was onstage, it was me and mainly seven kids ranging from the age of a very very hyper 7 year old second grader (she was extremely cute though), to 10 and 11 year old fifth graders. (This is scary thinking that Mallory and Jessi were that age.)

One of the fifth graders, named Mandy, absolutely HATED me. I was usually good with kids... I'd helped out at my niece's 6th birthday party and had a ball with all of them. I kind of liked to think of myself as just a big kid... but at times some of them made me want to rip my hair out. Especially Mandy, and the girl that was the main little girl... they just didn't want to listen to what I said.

Then there was another girl, who seemed just seemed to be off in her own little world and took playing cards up onstage with her during their scene. (I totally missed that). She wasn't snooty as some of the other ones...just... weird.
She was one of the fifth graders.

There were some perks, though. Most of the kids were good. The little boy was shy, but well behaved. Megan (the seven year old) was just absolutely adorable, though at times you wanted to smack her so she would calm down... but she was just hyper, not a bad kid, and two fourth grade girls, and one of the fifth graders actually managed to keep me from going completely insane, and I think even sympathized with me on the way some of the others were acting.

Looking back on it now, I really wish I'd had some mega BSC help. When the other cast members stepped in to help, they listened to them and calmed down leaving me thinking "well geez." It shouldn't have been too bad... keeping an eye on them, making sure they were in their places, helping get them ready to get onstage... but Mary Anne had way more control over the kids in Peter Pan (and there were MORE of them!) than I had over the 9 kids in South Pacific.

In the end it was worth it, but they wore me out... but Jasmine (one of the fourth graders) told me she loved me...which really sweet.

I can't believe it's been almost eight years. They're all teenagers now. Yikes. Some of them have graduated from high school.

I'm getting way too old.

Somewhat OT, but I'm going to tie it into the BSC anyway

2008-11-28T19:45:00.000-08:00

Today I went to the mall, I wanted to witness "Black Friday" In action, and while I was there I got my eyes checked for the first time in YEARS. I couldn't remember when the last time I had seen an eye doctor, but I guessed at about ten years.

I've known I needed glasses for awhile...but I wasn't blind, so I never got around to actually going to get my eyes checked, but today I finally went to the walk-in dr.

Turns out I have near sightedness (duh, I knew that when I had to walk up to read the preview channel on the tv) with an astigmatism. Same thing my mother has. My mom was 26 when she got her first pair of glasses... I'm 25... it all ties in. I also have floaters.... (I learned that term from DHC)... but they don't really bother me, and most of the time I don't even really notice them.

I don't have my first pair of glasses yet, going to try and find someplace cheap to get them... and after reading the Baby-Sitters club for years... when I was younger I always wanted a pair of glasses, but my eyesight was too good! I was like Mary Anne in a sense, but I never failed an eye exam on purpose. I'd always wondered what I would like in glasses... and the only pairs I've ever really tried on were way too blurry for me to actually see anything. Soon I'll find out.

And with my reddish dyed hair, I'll look more like Mallory than ever. But hey, I like Mal! I'm most like her and Mary Anne anyway. :)

Yay! Gadgets!!

2008-11-26T07:11:00.000-08:00

I just discovered some of the "newer" gadgets... after wondering how people got the blog updates on the side of their page (I told you I've been very busy lately).
So on the left you can see some of the blogs I try and read on a semi regular basis... and if you comment I usually check to see if you have a blog yourself.

Also added the followers... because I like to know who reads this. I've been pleasantly surprised. I know I haven't been able to be on much, but I LOVE seeing names come up under the comments and thinking "Oh, this person is new!" :) If I know people are checking back regularly or whatever, I'll try and post more often when I have time (and try and think of something to say. :) )

Thanks to all my readers! Whether you comment or not, you guys are awesome.

Rereading Stacey's Mistake...

2008-11-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

And just have one thing to say.

Dawn went "wow" at a 40 MINUTE WAIT ON THE WEEKEND FOR HARD ROCK CAFE.

A. Stace? Seriously? This is New York City. And Hard Rock Cafe. I'm sure the wait is much longer than 40 minutes on a weekend.
The wait can be forty minutes at the Olive Garden and Gringo's at the mall on the weekend. Texas City has around 20,000 people.
You do the math.

B. Dawn? You're from the LA area dear. I might be living in the Houston area, but where I'm at is fairly rural. (this is texas).
I've been to Disneyland and all that so I know what the area is like. (Never mind the fact that I was TEN, but come on...Disneyland)
I'm sure a 40 minute wait is nothing on a weekend in your area. Maybe Palo City, but I know you've eaten outside of "that little community"
Heck I'm sure some of the restaurants in Stoneybrook have 40 minute waits on weekends. What else is there to do? :)

By the way. Got my new laptop. I hope to be updating more frequently... if I have ideas of what to post... or just want to say something.
Like I did tonight.

That's all for now.

Edited to fix grammar mistakes because I was going way too fast. Will change if catch anything else.

Update (OT)

2008-10-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Life has been turned upside down for awhile so I haven't been able to get on here nearly as much as I would like. With the hurricane, getting kicked out of where I was living, having to move in temporarily with my mother until I can find a roommate or a very cheap apartment, having my computer crash on me, and having school on top of that... just been crazy.

Hoping for a new laptop... there's one I like that's really cheap... and I have the money for it...but ... mother still thinks I can get my laptop fixed for less... but this one is better than the laptop I have now, and ... the guy that fixes laptops computers at a reasonable price (and is good at it)... is not back in business yet as his business got flooded by Hurricane Ike.
I like need a computer ASAP. I have a research paper coming up for Music Literature (yay for music major classes... boo for research papers).. and I just don't have enough time to do it at school... with having to take public transportation...which is unreliable at best... the thing i've been taking is called Connect transit, and you have to schedule a week ahead, and they just screw up. I've been riding them a WEEK, and they've fudged up my schedule THREE TIMES. (and they only run MOnday-Friday from 8-4:30)
They're starting a bus route in Texas City...but I'm not IN texas city right now. In San Leon which is out in the boonies... and way too far for a cab. (26 miles round trip.. ugh).

One thing I can say about connect transit is that they're cheap. That's about it. $1 each way....anywhere in Galveston County. $2.50 for Harris County which is where Houston is.

Ugh.

Anyway, hope to have a computer back soon.

My birthday is on Monday, so gifts are welcome. :)... and hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

Karen's Hurricane wtf's?

2008-09-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a LOT of LIttle Sister books lately. They're fast and easy to get through, and just pretty enjoyable. .. and they're getting spit out on the BSC Ebook community fairly regularly.

Since I've just myself been through Hurricane Ike, I was looking forward to reading this one. I liked it, trust me, I did. But there were just some major wtf moments going on in my brain while reading it.

#1. Hurricane Karen is a Category Three that keeps shifting north. Surely Stoneybrook would've been in the warning zone... It's a good sized storm ..keeps going North... they said between Jersey Coast and Long Island. I don't have a map out in front of me, but this was said a couple of days ahead of landfall. Connecticut's a small state, small coastline, so I'm sure it was well within that "cone of uncertainty" in the longrun. (Don't I just sound up on my hurricane knowledge).

What I don't get is that they called a hurricane warning JUST HOURS BEFORE THE HURRICANE HIT. Everyone was already stocking up on supplies "just in case". Karen's school WAS STILL OPEN THE DAY IT HIT. They call a warning. Everyone goes home, except for Pamela whose parents had the sense to get out if the hurricane should hit. (of course they left after school let out, which really doesn't make any sense. If this were IRL, the roads would be packed, and they'd be stranded in the middle of the road when the hurricane made landfall.)

They started ordering mandatory evacuations on a day and a half before Ike hit... voluntary were going up two and a half days beforehand... What morons let school out when the leading edge of the hurricane is already upon them?? Seriously?
They state that this is a CATEGORY THREE. Sustained winds of at least 111 mph It hadn't hit land yet to slow it down. Stoneybrook officials are morons. Or the ghostwriter.

Another wtf moment for me.

Okay. Storm is in full swing by that evening. Power goes out around 10pm.
Why in tarnation does it take until 3 THE NEXT AFTERNOON FOR THE EYE TO HIT?
Perspective... Ike was 600 miles across. We were getting slammed (45 minutesish from the Gulf...but by GAlveston Bay) by nightfall. Our power went out around 11. When did the eye hit? We got it around 3 in the morning. What hurricane (one that's moving at 17 mph mind you... Ike was moving about 12.) takes over 24 hours from the leading bands for the eye to make landfall? Especially when they were getting whalloped the night before.

Oh yeah... it's not until the next morning that everything is okay and calm again. (Streets flooded).

Okay I haven't been through many hurricanes... Ike was my first major one (we're all okay. My mother lives in a heavily devastated area, but her house was one of the lucky ones). But considering the size and enormity of Ike which might as well have been a Cat 3 (110 mph with huge wind gusts... I'd call that a Cat 3 even though it's not "technically")...the storm surge was so big because the size of the hurricane was huge.

If Hurricane Karen was as big as how long it took for the eye to make landfall suggests... they'd have been long gone ... or should've been long gone.... but I doubt it was.

I'm just making random ramblings becasue right now I'm wating for class to begin... I'm bored... we just got power back last wednesday (12 days after the storm hit)+
but are still without internet at the house. I hope half of what I said made some kind of sense.

On a side note. We have magic fish! Seriously!
Who knew that fishies could go 12 days without a filter running to give them oxygen? and Over a week without food?
Our 25 cent goldfish apparently can.

Bored... Karen's Grandad subplot

2008-09-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm sitting in a hotel room in Austin Texas having evacuated from Hurricane Ike. (We're fine. the community where my mom and stepfather live,(san leon) that i lived in for three years is a warzone...but their properties are still fine.... one of the few lucky ones)

Anyway. For some reason I was thinking about Karen's Grandad. I have no idea why I started thinking about this... but ... the subplot timeline in the book about Hootie (Ms. Colman's class's pet guinea pig) is just so ridiculous I have to say it.

note: semi spoilers ahead to explain and verify timeline.

Friday: Grandad's funeral
Monday: Class gets another Guinea Pig for Hootie because he's lonely. They think he's a "boy". Hootie's Happy! Very Happy!

wait for it.....

Ut oh.
New friend's starting to get fat.
Wednesday: Oh noes! They discover "he" is a "she" and "she's" Pregnant!! (Sorry been awhile since I've read the book. I can't remember the name. I told you I started thinking about this for no reason...)
Friday: BABIES!!

How am I sure?
Karen mentions that day it's been A WEEK since Grandad's funeral.

Ms Colman's class had a crash course in where babies came from

I had to look up a post I put on a message board to get the timeline straight. I couldn't even remember the name of the book. I know that before I posted it on the message board I looked up the gestation period of the guinea pig. I don't remember how long it was, but I do know that it was long enough that the guinea pig wouldn't have changed that drastically in four days before they're about to give birth. It's heavily implied that Hootie and friend got it on.

I needed something to post.

Yay!

2008-09-06T18:33:00.001-07:00

School started on the 25th, so I've been really busy, and with internet not always up at the house, I haven't been able to get online much...even at school where I'm there five days a week... and when not in class, working fourteen hours. (not much, but max you can work in workstudy is 15). I haven't even finished my dang short_takes story on LJ, and it's a week late. I feel horrible, but the one thing that's making me feel a TAD bit better is that the person I'm writing for didn't get her one in either. I'm not signing up for the next round. I'm determined to get this one in.

But anyway, last night like the moron I was, I stepped on my phone charger...and totally broke it. I decided to try and get one at dollar general which was where I got the one I broke anyway...walked up there, but decided to go to the library first which was right next to it. I was in there an hour and read about half of AMM's The Doll People. (It's really cute. I recommend it, and there's one other book in the series, and one that's supposed to come out in October)

anyway, getting off track. I had looked on the shelves for any BSC book that I didn't have on my computer and didn't find any. As I was coming out, I noticed two boxes with a ton of YA books... including the BSC books and LS and SVT and SVK that i had seen the one and only time I had been in there. Each book for 10 cents.

Unfortunately, I don't carry ANY cash on me at all... hardly ever. But I dug up a dime and went and paid for Claudia Gets Her Guy. I asked how long hte books were going to be there, and the woman behind the desk asked when i could come back... and I said Wednesday (they're not open on Mondays, and I don't get out until 9:30 on Tuesdays). I picked out 17 books... all BSC and SVK... I think. I don't remember putting any SVT or BSLS up there... and I'll get them all for $1.70

I feel like I won the lottery.

Now I just have to figure out a way to carry them home and figure out where in tarnation I'm going to put them all.

I Think I now know Where the "Logan is Gay" Theories came from

2008-08-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Yikes

I found a great site today, when I was bored and looking around. It has a bunch of covers...including UK ones that I haven't seen on another site that I'm just now realizing isn't linked on the left side of the page.

Some of the covers with Mary Anne and her short hair are just frightening... Actually the earlier was are just as bad...but it's the ones with her post makeover haircut that got me going "yikes."

Now, for your viewing pleasure...

Mary anne and Camp BSC. Sorry for the blurryness, the UK covers were either hit or miss. Can Mary Anne look any more like a guy? And some creepy kid is hanging off of her.

Mary Anne and Miss Priss.

Mary Anne and the Memory Garden
On What PLANET would a 13 year old boy WANT To go out with a girl who looked like THAT? That's not a bob... That's a boy haircut on a BOY'S face. The face isn't even cute. Maybe he/she would look better with longer hair, but then maybe she'd just look like a drag queen.
No wonder people think Logan's gay

In case your eyes are burning, here's one that's much better.

Covers found at: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/ann-m-martin/

Note: Does anyone know how to hyperlink? one word with link behind it?

BSC Friends Forever Special: Graduation Day

2008-07-21T00:04:00.000-07:00

Oh dear.

I just finished reading this book for the first time in YEARS. I bought it when I first came out, and now I'm having a Mary Anne moment. Where's that box of tissues when I need it.

Even the dedication at the beginning had me a bit weepy: For all the readers—past, present, and future—of the baby-sitters Club...with thanks.

Seriously.

It's nice to know that after being on hiatus for well over 100 books that AMM finally came back and wrote the grand finale.

The book definitely has a "final" feel to it... and yet, as a reader, I myself am dying to know what became of the Baby-Sitters. I know many people are against a reunion book, but if there ever were to be one, I'd probably be one of the first in line to read it, just because I WANT to know... I NEED to know what happened. It's a hunger that doesn't seem to want to go away... but for now I will have to make do with fanfiction.

Couple of things I noticed in the book:
There doesn't seem to be a "definitive" timeline when things happened earlier in the series... other than the BSC was formed "almost two years ago". It doesn't say when Mary Anne's house burned down,, when Claudia was sent back to the seventh grade, etc. Only thing it makes mention of is that Abby said she moved to Stoneybrook "less than a year ago."
I guess this was the way of dodging the whole issue of them repeating the same year over...and over... and over again.

Another thing I noticed, and since I don't have an actual COPY of the book, this one was just an ebook, so it could be an error on the typer, but Charlotte goes from 8 to 9 in the same book. Her birthday is supposed to be in JUne which is when this book takes place... and I follow my own timeline in my head during the FF series, so that by this book, Stacey and Dawn are 14... and Mallory would be 12... even if they don't actually say so in the book. They have to age at some point. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The eighth grade graduation thing I think... is a bit unrealistic...especially since they went to a 6-8 school. I had friends that went to a k-8 school, and I can see hwo that might be a big deal, but seriously? Middle school graduation? On the last day of my eighth grade we had a breakfast brunch thing, and everyone on our "side" was given some sort of "award." (our middle school was divided into three "sides" per grade, where the core classes would be held). I was given the "Over the Rainbow" award, because I was obsessed with Judy Garland. And still am. In FIFTH Grade we had a "graduation" type thing...which was really an over exaggerated recital where they handed out certificates one by one at the end... and we still had another few weeks of school left.

I also found it a little bit unrealistic about Claudia not being able to go to high school because of one test. I was a Claudia in school, bone lazy, and didn't do the work, however I was smart. I was definitely worried about not going onto high school, but we didn't have "finals" persay in middle school... and even if our grades were horrible (ahem) we were still able to go to the high school ... I tested well and I understood the concepts, so that wasn't really an issue... although i wonder what would have happened HAD I been held back. I defintely don't think I would be where I am today... maybe I would have actually graduated and not gotten my GED? Oh well, things are the way they are and I musn't dwell on them... and I'm getting off track.

This book is screaming for fanfictions to be made as a follow up to it. There are three plot devices that are in this book that are practically begging for it.. and yet, there hasn't been one single fanfiction that has actually been completed or even STARTED that I have read that cover these bases.
1.
The time capsule. The BSC members, old and current, and several of the kids put things in a time capsule to be unearthed in seven years when the oldest kids (the Pike Triplets) are about to graduate from high school. Some of the items include: An old BSC flier (Kristy), a softball (Jackie), a page full of ads (Dawn), Info on Stoneybrook's 250th Birthday (Claudia), piece of burnt wood, (Mary Anne), SES newspaper with an article on STacey (Charlotte), etc.

2.
The letters the eighth graders wrote to their future 12th grade selves. Mind you, when I was seventeen and I saw this, I thought it was a FANTASTIC idea. I wrote myself my own letter and tucked it away in a drawer. Two and a half years later I found it.
I have no idea what happened to it.

I think it would make an interesting to have a 12th grade graduation fic that centered around the letters... I just don't think I'm talented enough to come up with it.

3.
The pact.
The girls all sign a pact that in 12 years they would all come back together for a reunion, no matter where they are in the country. I think this has been attempted but I'm not sure if it's actually been completed.

Okay I'm tired, but I'll close with this last line in the book... from Kristy...

Am fairly certain that even though our friendships may change as we get older, we will always remain friends, the eight of us.
Friends forever.

The End

Now i can go back to reading the series from beginning to end as much as I can.

Kristy's Great Idea - French Canadian Version

2008-07-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Also known as Christine A Une Idée Géniale

Just started reading this book last night... I'm not fluent in French by any means, but I know enough to get by, and since I've read the first books so many times, it's really not THAT difficult.

Some interesting Changes in the book that I've noticed:

Kristy- is Christine, her last name is still Thomas, though I'm thinking it might be pronounced Tohmah

David Michael is just David (dahveed)

Charlie is Charles (well he doesnt have a nickname)

Sam has turned into Sebastian

Mary Anne Spier is Anne-Marie Lapierre

Claudia is still Claudia. I can't find a last name, but she's still Japanese so I'm assuming it's still Kishi.

Stacey has turned into Sophie Menard

Janine is Josée

Jamie Newton has turned into Jonathon Mainville. Also gone is his "hi hi!". I'm thinking "Bonjour Bonjour" was a bit much. Probably Salut Salut was a bit much also for a three year old.

The Pike's are the Picard's... and Margo is spelled with a t on the end. I also noted that 'Anne-Marie' and Margot and Claire don't go to the Newton's house when "Christine" is baby-sitting "Jonathon" and "David". They just agree to meet up at Claudia's later.

Sophie is also from Toronto, and they're all in Canada (obviously since it's French Canadian translation)

Now I KNOW the city where this takes place is mentioned somewhere in what i've read so far, but I can't find it. I should've taken notes while I was reading this last night.

More later.

Edit:

Forgot to mention that WAtson is Guilliaume (Have to double check that spelling!) and Karen and Andrew are Karen and Andre

Name Meanings.

2008-06-24T18:17:00.001-07:00

Ever wonder what the girl's names actually mean?

Well I decided to look them up for the heck of it, and see if any of them match their poersonality

Kristin (Kristy) means Consecrated to God. Greek (in other words to make sacred to God, at least according to Dictinoary.com)... most of the meanings anyway. (Yeah I had to look it up so I didn't do a Claudia

Claudia: Lame in Latin

Mary Anne = Mary is Hebrew for Bitter Anne is Gracious in Hebrew. (that's a bit contradictory)

Anastasia (Stacey) means Resurrection in Greek

Dawn (or Diana) means Sunrise (obviously) Greek

Mallory is Ill-Omened. French. (For some reason I find this one hilarious)

Jessica is wealthy in Hebrew

Abigail is God is Joy in Hebrew

Logan is small cove in celtic/gaelic. Also unisex

Shannon is Little Wise Owl also in Celtic/Gaelic and also unisex

found at http://www.name-meanings.com/search.php if you have any beefs with the meanings, take it up with that site...

Also, my name wasn't on there. I've only ever found it on one site anyway... and in one baby book.
Figures.

Need Members for a new Baby-Sitters Club RPG

2008-06-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

There is a new RPG going on at LiveJournal. The site is Http://community.livejournal.com/stoneybrook_rpg
Only members taken are:
Kristy
Mary Anne
Stacey
Dawn (me)
Mallory
Shannon
Cokie Mason
Claudia
Cary Retlin
Jessi
Byron Pike
Abby
Anna Stevenson
Logan
Alan Gray
Erica Blumberg
Grace Blume
Pete Black
Shawna Riverson

We still need any other character that someone wants to create from the series. The older members are 17 and Seniors and the Younger are 15 and Sophomores.

Create a free account at livejournal relating to your character. and sign up. Also, it's a good idea to have a celebrity or an actual person to have as your picture. (Ex: The girl who I am using to portray as Dawn is Blake Lively from Gossip Girl and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.)bscgirl10 is in charge of it, and just let her know. She's also looking for someone who has some experience in RPG to be a mod.

Edited to change names taken.
Also might add some of the charges to the RPG too if we get enough.

Karen Brewer committed a misdemeanor in Chicago!!

2008-06-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

a little OT... but my friend and i were discussing dumb laws, and she stated that in Chicago it's against the law to fly a kite.
Someone didn't do their research when they had Karen Lisa and Andrew go kite flying in Karen's Big Move.

Here are some from the great state of Connecticut..did the BSC break any laws?

Pedestrians crossing the highway at night are prohibited from wearing tail lights. (cause you know you want them to be hit by a car and everything)

You can be stopped by the police for biking over 65 miles per hour.
In order for a pickle to officially be considered a pickle, it must bounce

.It is illegal to dispose of used razor blades. (did Kristy use a disposable razor in SS# 7? )

You cannot buy any alcohol after 9pm or on Sundays after noon on Sunday.
It is illegal to discharge a firearm from a public highway.

Silly string is banned (southington)

No one may use a white cane, unless they are blind.

Edited to add:
Also somewhere in CT (I forget where and too tired right now to look it up) it's illegal to have any kind of advertising on balloons.
For the BSC's sake, we'll just pretend that it's also illegal in Stoneybrook and have the Baby-Sitters Agency arrested.
All in favor?

BSC TV Show.. Where Are They Now?

2008-06-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've always loved the Little "Where Are they Now" clip thingies... and while I'm not sure where some of them are... here are some updates on the ones I've been able to find :)

Avriel Hillman as Kristy Thomas

http://avrielhillman.exploretalent.com/model_page.php?talentnum=462684

the pictures are secure, so can't save them. She's done a tone of theater and directing... not so much on screen though. BA in Theater Speech and Dance from Brown University.

Meghan Lahey as Mary Anne Spier

now...(actuallpy I think this picture is a few years old, it's been up there awhile, but you get the general idea)

She's now a counselor at Mamaronck high school. (how... Mary Anne)

Jessica Prunell as Stacey McGill

She's now a laywer at Emmet, Marvin and Martin in New York City. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania 1999, and then went on to the Benjamin Cardoza School of Law in 2002. Practices Commercial and General Litigation
(how come I can see Stacey really doing something like that?)

Meghan Andrews as Mallory Pike

She is now a singer/musician and has been in a couple of things on tv, with stints on Law and Order and Guiding Light. She will be in Sweet Flame this year as Anne.

picture taken from her myspace music page www.myspace.com/meghanandrewsmusic

...and guess who is on her myspace friends??

Nicole Leach as Jessi Ramsey

She's done a ton of stuff onstage. She was in Fame on 42nd street off Broadway in 2003, and lots of other plays/musicals.

Picture is a little old, but she basically looks the same.

Jeni Winslow (Claudia) and Melissa Chasse (Dawn) seem to have dropped off the face of the planet. There's a couple of sites about a Melissa Chasse, but I really don't think it's the same person... and no pictures, so can't tell if it is or not. She'd be about 31 or so now, as would Jeni. (in 1990 all the girls were relatively close to the ages they portrayed, at least the ones I've seen.)
Jeni and Melissa, if you're out there somewhere, please come out! Fans are wondering!!

and a couple of extra bonuses

Danny Tamberelli as Jackie Rodowsky

As most people know he did a ton of stuff on Nickelodeon in the 1990's.
Adventure of Pete and Pete, All that, This picture was taken from his facebook page, added by a fan.

Graduated from Hampshire (?) in 2004, and is now living in New York.

Gina Gallagher as Charlotte Johanssen

She's another one that seems to have disappeared. She was in All My Children from 1993-1997, and then quit acting to continue schooling. She appeared as Theresa Vitti in Analyze This (which I've never seen and can't find any pictures of either) in 1999...but since then, I haven't found anything. I found a picture on facebook that MIGHT be her, but I can't tell, so not going to say anything. (Only reason might is because kind of looks similar and girl is from East Coast...though not sure where Gina is actually from on the east coast).

Picture of her and Susan Lucci from 1997... she was about 15.

Also posted at http://community.livejournal.com/howtheylooknow/446100.html?#cutid1
added a picture of Karen Brewer and zOMG he's Really Gorgeous isn't he??? Jamie Anderson ...which I'm too lazy to post right now

French BSC books

2008-05-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

So I was bored and looking around on Greer's old Stoneybrookite site, and found a link to another site that was about the French books, complete with some book covers. The covers are drastically diferent from the US and UK covers, and some of the translations are interesting.

L'idée géniale de Kristy or L' idea brilliant the Kristy

Stacey (Lucy in the French Books) is saying Super, idea of Kristy. Quickly come to join us
I think Mary Anne is in braids and jeans... and Kristy is in a skirt and headband...while that correlates with her on the first BSC cover for the US... Mary Anne in jeans? Only reason i'm 100% sure it's her is because of her on the cover of the 4th book...

#4 Pas de Panique Mary-Anne! = Don't Panic, Mary-Anne!

Mary Anne is saying: One will remain always friendly. same s' it us arrie to annoy us!

#7 Claudia a des ennuis = Claudia Has Troubles

Claudia : I m' in want really d' to have been so malicious…
(sorry about some of the translations, i'm not able to do all the accents on my keyboard, and not able to copy and paste the writing on the cover).

#8 Lucy est amoureuse = Lucy is in love

Actually the literal translation of Stacey/Lucy didn't come out so good, something about she would never have hopes of encountering another boy as cute... I think

That's all the patience i have for right now. Will do more later maybe :)

Pets

2008-05-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of The L Word on showtime, and I managed to find the Season 1 DVD set for $16 a few months ago. Last night I was watching the last couple of episodes that have the death of Dana's cat Mr. Piddles.

I love my cats, but Dana took her love of Mr. Piddles to the extreme...but I can't reallly fault her. When I had pets that died I was absolutely devastated.

I got to thinking of Mary Anne and Tigger, and I can just see her having an actual funeral when he dies, complete with a coffin to put him in.

I think the BSC books were very realistic on how they portrayed the loss of the dear pets. (those that we actually experienced that is.) Kristy and the Snobs is particularly heartwrenching and brings me back to when our dog Belle was poisoned with antifreeze a few years ago. I can never get through that book without crying. In Karen's goldfish I can also understand how Karen is so upset when Crystal Light dies... It's easy to get attached to a pet, even one as small as a goldfish.

Quick Comment before I sign out

2008-05-29T19:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to find a place where I can link other sites on blogspot yet. If anyone is interested, I've been thinking that every once in awhile I could do a "spotlight" on a different blog site or fan site. Mainly Baby-Sitters Club centered, (or other YA books) but I know that a bunch of fans are setting up blogs.

If you have a site or blog, just comment this or email me at Blossom114@aol.com. Just an idea, because I know some of the other sites I read have my link on theirs already (thanks!) and would like to somehow return the favor. I won't do it unless I hear from the blogger or whomever themself.

Note: this doesn't include community sites like the BSC Live Journal and BSC Probards where anyone can sign up and post messages. Just for those that are exclusively run by one person. :)

Also, I'm open for suggestions on changing the site name. Do you think the name should stay? To be honest, it was the only thing I could think of, and I'm terribly uncreative at things like this. Also didn't want to have a similar name. SMS cafeteria will stay for now, but if anyone has an idea of a better name BSC centered, I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!

Edit:
Okay thanks to Cheryl (Karen Brewer) I got links up on the side... however I'll still do the spotlight or whatever if anyone wants. :)

It all began with....

2008-05-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

I dont really feel like summarizing the book, because... I just dont have the patience to pull up the ebook and go through it. (not to mention I don't think I could do as good of a job as others...either in being snarky, or being nice)

However, for this first "book" blog, let's take a look at the two different covers.

Let's take a look at the original cover.

Kristy's Great Idea.

Clockwise from top left we have Stacey, looking ever so chic in a sweater and black and white plaid leggings. I swear I had a pair of stirrup pants that looked exactly like that. Her hair is about the closest we'll ever see of her sporting a perm on a cover (that and the original cover of the third book). She also looks freakishly like I did at age 10. (which i think in part was me totally channeling her)

Next we have Mary Anne. I actually think she looks rather cute... if not about age 7. However, since she's supposed to be short and dressing like a little kid, that's acceptable. I think that attire is cute...not something I would wear, or ever would have worn, but cute nonetheless.

Next, looking right at Stacey, we have Kristy, who is *gasp* wearing a jumper. (that's a dress for you UK folks). And a headband. Is it just me or does it seem odd that Kristy wears a DRESS on the cover of her first two books? (original cover mind you) Her uniform became part of her character later on. Theese are supposed to be her school clothes, however, 8th grade Kristy wouldn't have been caught dead in that ensemble.

On the floor we've got Claudia Her suspender pants match the floor. Is it the artist in her arranging herself so that she blends in with the carpet? Along with those shoes? and Socks? I dont really see Claudia matching like that. She likes lots of colora and flare. The only Asian thing about her that i can see is also the color of her hair.

The room itself also looks really plain. Where are all the paintings? mess? junk? There is just a notebook pen and phone on the floor. (That is the phone that I always envisioned whne I thought of Claudia's private phone... there will never be another phone in my mind).

Despite all the nitpickiness... I love this cover. It's plain and simple, but in a good way. It brings back the nostalgia factor of the books... the 80's... my childhood... and brings a little tear to my eye. Seriously. I'm way too emotional.

The updated cover lost any nostalgia that the original cover had.

The only thing similar to the original cover is that Claudia's outfit matches the floor...again. And Stacey and Kristy are looking at each other...again.
The girls look about as old as I am, (24) where the girls on the original cover actually look closer to 12.

Somehow I dont see Claudia being pink frilly type. I see that more as Stacey's style. Claudia seems more of a red yellow black blue...well... a rainbow of colors.
Mary Anne's skirt is freakishly short making you wonder what her father was thinking when he let her out of the house. I wouldn't wear a skirt that short even if I had the body.

Kristy is back in her uniform...which in the book there is absolutely no mention of. In the book we're given the idea that Kristy is a tomboy... who wears jumpers to school.

I'm loving Stacey's outfit... that would totally be something I would like to wear... if I had the imagination to pick it out, which sadly I dont.. but I still love it. (I'm probably in the minority that i like most of Claudia's and Stacey's outfits... even though the jumpsuit was a bit much to handle in book #24 after I saw what one actually looked like)

Claudia's room is more artistically decorated. A bit more messy, a bit more clutter... but you can still see the floor. Is that a bowl of popcorn on the floor? it's making me hungry even though it's fake.

I much prefer the orignal cover. I guess mainly because it's the cover I grew up with... and when the new covers came out I wasn't crazy about them. The only one i preferred to the original was The Truth about Stacey. (of the first few books anyway). The girls look their age... and again, it's mainly the nostalgia factor.

Stoneybrook... where kids of every age play together.

2008-05-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Hello to first "official" post.
Anyway, late at night my mind kind of wanders, and I'll ponder about things that some people might find odd. Hey, I'm an odd kind of gal. Anyway, there has been some discussion here and there on the BSC proboards and elsewhere that it's odd that all the kids of Stoneybrook seemed to play together nicely regardless of age. For me, that never came across as strange... and last night, in my mind, I kind of compared the neighborhood where I grew up as kind of a Mini Stoneybrook.
We had the kids that went to public elementary school about mile up the road(myself included), the kids that went to the private school across the street from the subdivision (k-8 catholic school, though the kindergarden was added when I was about in sixth grade), In my little part of the street, where there were about 12 kids, most of the kids went to the catholic school.
For the most part we all got along and played together with everyone in the subdivision. I often played with kids taht were as much as four years younger than me, however they were mostly the younger siblings of some of those that were closer in age. We'd play hide and seek on the "islands" that were at various points in the subdivision (which consisted of 2 main streets and one small court), play capture the flag, have snowball fights, and play in the woods that were on the outer edges.
Our subdivision was even equipped with two very doting baby-sitters that had DAY CAMPS for the kids that baby-sat for. Looking back now I wonder if they had read the BSC, this was in the early 90's. What two teenagers were really that doting on their charges unless they read the BSC or are Ann M. Martin? They were awesome though.

For me, it was never an issue with all the kids playing together. That's how it was in my neighborhood. Reading the BSC nowadawys kind of brings back that nostalgia factor of when I was growing up. Can anyone else identify with this?

Welcome!

2008-05-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, a brief introduction. My name is Donica, and I'm a 24 year old living in Texas at the moment. I am a music major (emphasis vocal performance) at College of the Mainland in Texas City. Whether or not I have my Associate of Arts Degree at the end of Spring Semester 09' or not, I plan on transferring the following fall to larger college/university. I haven't decided where yet, but i would like it to be kind of close to St. Louis, Missouri, where I was born and raised.

The purpose of this blog? To follow in the footsteps of those in the Baby-Sitters club fandom before me. I haven't decided what this blog will be about yet. I might do summaries of books like some of my fellow members on the BSC probards, or talk about how the books have influenced me, or connections I see in pop culture. This will be nothing noone hasn't already seen before, but I can't get enough of reading BSC blogs, no matter what the content, I enjoy them all, so I hope to add my own flavor. What that will be, I don't know yet.

I hope that once this gets underway, people will enjoy reading this. The only blogging I've ever done is on my myspace, so this should be interesting.

Enjoy! :-)

SMS Cafeteria

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 9

BSC Challenge Day 8

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 7

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 6

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 5

30 Day Challenge List

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 4

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 3

30 Day BSC Challenge- Day 2

30 Day BSC Challenge: Day 1

Jackpot at goodwill

Can i just make an OT post to say

Another Popular Children's Book Series to have Prequel Written

REAL 8th Graders of the 90's

Update...kinda

Ten Rules for Living With My Sister

Oh. My. Lord

BSC TV Show Where Are They Now? UPDATES

BSC product placement Picture

Mallory Jacklyne ?

ANM? Really?

Yikes!

So I have a friend that was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes over the summer.

Did anyone have THESE come to their schools?

Yet another article

Happy Canada Day, Fourth of July...whatever.

AMM on facebook

Does this remind anyone of anything?

Commercial with "Stacey"

Ever wonder who posed for the BSC Covers?

WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE UP!!!

Happy Birthday Stace!

~The Summer Before~ Review

AMM reads from The Summer Before

I GOT IT!

New Blog

Scholastic Website has a new BSC portion

CALLING ALL BSC BLOGGERS!!

New Poll, what's up?

Temple Grandin

Chicken Pox

Fanvid of the week...

Oh hell no

NYT article

New Poll, new fanvid

Discussing the BSC...

The BSC, Thanksgiving and Adoption

Stoneybrook... small town?

1461 views???????

Yet another youtube vid...

Ah, Fall (Good old random Off topicness)

It's Shannon!! (The puppy not the human)

Did you know...

It's Official!

Fantastic BSC Sims Fanvid

AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OT: Another Fandom of mine

Yay!

Bridesmaid dresses

Another Update + Kristy's Great Idea New WTF???

I must admit.. I laughed.

"Dawn" appearance on LJ.

Just an update.

Happy Birthday, Stacey!

Mmmm... Hummus.

Fabulous (or maybe not so Fab) Picture I found

Yay for ebay

Lisa Libraries Charity

I had way too much time on my hands today

Afton Lisette Newton (Aln1982)

Just call me Mary Anne

Happy New year!

OT Happiness that I just feel like sharing

April Fools joke on Scholastic?

*Sighing happily*

I felt like Kristy today

Something that I always found odd.

How the Heck did the BSC do it?

Somewhat OT, but I'm going to tie it into the BSC anyway

Sighing happily