Beauty's Mirror

 This is an assignment I did for my English class. It's based in the style of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven", which if you've ever read will explain a lot of the style and rhyming meter. Enjoy!

Seeing him across the room the fact was immediately known
Corny and dorky as it sounds, he was mine forevermore
He’s so different from the rest, kind of clown
But tender and sweet, and there for my honor
and always with gentle and happy vigor
Confessing he’d stay forevermore

I delicately lean against him framed by setting sun, home
Gently playing with my hair, combing it through his fingers more
Then ever so slightly he moves to the ground
And pulls out a ring- a diamond and a little ore
Gazing up, slightly a tremble, his questioning look implores
Do you love me I whisper- “forevermore”

As weeks go faster, everything suddenly changed with a phone
My happiness being drained by a malignant beast, no doctor-
No man could cure, so my lover laid himself down
To battle against the dragon I could not slay, terror
To find himself attacked from the inside, oh horror
Every day he held my hand always reminding me “forevermore”

I found myself sitting near, listening to his gentle tone
And together we lay out our trust, ignoring our tormentor
Three weeks, they told me, I didn’t tell him now
Twelve days? Never. Four? Heaven help me what I bore
Heaven help all the lies, heaven mend my heart’s sore
But I will go on loving him forevermore.

Softly I pressed his embodiment into my trembling arms
Watching red flow like a stream from his quivering core
Looking up with watery eyes his voice shook with fear
Delicately I stroked his short brown hair more and more
Leaning in he said, “Princess, will you love me evermore?”
And to his dying breath, I whispered, “forevermore”

So long ago, as I sit on the bench, alone
Staring into vast eternity, his diamond and my ore
But fairytales don’t last, my lashes looking down
And even Cinderella paid the price to create her lore
And this princess no longer has a suitor
For he can love me now never more

From the stars he gazes at his permanent loan
Glimmering in the moon, his diamond and my ore
Sitting on a bench, my eyes about to drown
Certainly Juliet knew Romeo had a hole in his armor
Certainly she knew their captor finding him on the floor
And even she knew he loved her nevermore

Pulling the picture from my pocket, the edges windblown
His blue eyes, deep and mysterious like a foreign shore
His gentle waved hair, so soft and brown
He holds me in his arms, to him no chore
Together we laugh and in splendor ignore
The rest of the world as he will now forevermore

Thinking all my heart had shown to him, I groan,
Holding him in my hands, my black and white captor
Standing from the bench and wearing a frown
Feeling anger rising and smashing the glass against the board
I screamed, never wishing the frame restored,
”You are dead to me forevermore!”

Like transparent oozing blood, I turn away with a moan
I think Beauty’s true beast was in the mirror’s shore
Aurora, was under no curse, but scared of night’s town
Oh, what could the night do, but amplify my horror
Its conniving hands twisting turning stories for me to abhor
Falling with heaps of sobs, his diamond and my ore.

Opening my eyes he wasn’t there, my heart to sew
His voice wouldn’t be there my beauties to ensure
My heart would die with secrets of, loaded down
Where was my Aladdin to teach me to soar?
Where was my prince to give me legs to explore?
The dying wind shuttered my answer, “nevermore”

Crouching prostrate my hand felt barren even so,
Clasping it to the other, to heaven bearing my sore
But feeling nothing but cold, nothing my sorrows to drown
Turning my back from above, pain I tried to ignore
And wandering back figured my heart could never pour
But would pay the price of love forevermore

Entering the cold dark room, I came after my roam
And pouring a glass let it fall to the kitchen floor
Angered for thinking to let the pain be hosed down
So in my nightgown I wandered the halls, a procrastinator
Wishing never to face the pain or the horror
That would surely haunt me forevermore.

Till a length I fell in exhaustion, completely alone
I clutched the knife, surprised at the presence of the razor
Stroking the steel I was surprised to feel cold now,
How could it be colder than my soul. More?
How could it be sharper than my pain? More?
It whispered to me, over and over, “Evermore.”

So long I sat there one the ground, alone
Staring into vast eternity, his diamond and my ore
But fairytales don’t last, my lashes looking down
Even Cinderella paid the price to create her lore
And this princess no longer has a suitor
For he could surely love me now, nevermore

And softly I pressed the embodiment into my trembling arm
Watching red flow like a stream from the quivering core
Looking up with watery eyes my voice shook with fear
Once again I stroked his short brown hair more and more
Leaning in he said again, “Princess, love me evermore?”
And to his dying breath, I whispered, “forevermore.”

I saw with a flash, he made me feel home
Seeing him play with my curls, turning to adore
Until with my startled gasp, he dropped to the floor
Grasping my hand, his gaze to mine implore
Gave me his diamond and a promise evermore
Do you love he asked, and I’d said, “Forevermore”

With a start I threw the knife across the room, like a stone
It clattered to the floor, hastily I ran to the door
The day had come snatching Aurora’s dark town-
Running into my room I snatched the mirror’s shore
Smashing it evermore- Beauty’s beast no more
My beast, nevermore, lying in pieces on the floor

Flutes and Piccolos Pep Band Part

Measure five is an optional part that is played over measure three. Also, the tempo will continually get faster. Clicking on the picture will make it larger for you. Hope this helps!

Pictures of Johann...

I'm sorry about the lighting! I was using a different camera and couldn't get it to work.

Johann the Turtle

I'll include a picture soon!!!

Materials List:

One yard of fabric (any style of your choice)

Thread to match:

-          Main fabric

-          Lighter or corresponding color for embroidery

Batting/ Stuffing for the body of the turtle

Eye and facial decorations

Appliqué fusing

-          The pattern pieces for this project’s head, tail and body are included in the sewing book “One Yard Wonder”. For this particular project though, the fins have been altered. Instead, they were made by cutting and sewing two pieces of fabric together  that were cut in the shape of half (lengthwise) a crescent moon. If you choose to make these legs, simply make them proportional to your turtle’s body.

1.       Step one- Pin the pattern pieces to the piece of fabric as directed by that pattern piece. Cut out the fabric around the pattern as instructed by the pattern piece. These should include:

a.       The Tail

b.      4 fins

c.       Top and bottom shell

d.      The head

2.       Place the cut pattern pieces aside

3.       With the remaining fabric cut out shapes of your choice. Examples are, but not limited to, circles, triangles and squares. These will eventually be appliqued to the top shell. Make sure that you have enough to cover the top of the shell, even with the pieces being overlapped.

4.       Take the shaped pieces and appliqué (Instructions of appliqué are found on the fusing that is used for this) them to the top of the shell, overlapping pieces and covering the top of the shell. Once, you have fused them to the top; sew around the edges of the appliqued pieces. Feel free to use whatever type of stitch design that you would like (I used a zig zag)

5.       Using an embroidery machine- embroider words along the top of the shell as desired. These words can be related, favorite things, etc. (This step is optional)

6.       With wrong sides together pin the top and the bottom sides of the fins, head and tail (separately) together.

7.       Using a ¼ of an inch seam allowance, sew along the edges of the top and the bottom shell. Turn inside out and place aside when finished.

8.       Fill each sewn part with stuffing. Make sure that they are fuller than you want, so that the when the fluff settles it will be the right size.

9.        With wrong sides together pin the top and the bottom sides of the shell together (they are not the same size, so make sure that the outsides of the shells are the part that are pinned together). Before sewing it together, pin the limbs and head of the turtle onto the wrong side of the top shell (on the fins, all face with the curvature on the bottom on a turtle). When sewing, simply sew over these as well, making sure that all of the fabric is included when stitching. Make sure to leave a space between two of the legs to be able to turn them inside out.

10.   Once the stitching has been done, turn the turtle inside out, through the left over hole. Make sure to check that all the limbs are on right and completely sewn to the main body of the turtle.

11.   Stuff the main body of the turtle, making sure to fill it a little fuller than desired.

12.   Whipstitch the open part of the turtle together

13.   Trim all threads.

14.   Decorated the face of the turtle as desired, such as a smile and eyes. Examples include buttons as eyes, embroidery thread as the mouth, or fabric paint.

Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz

I suggest putting it in a document and blowing it up a bit. Make sure you continue to read the notes from the composer on how to play through out the piece. Enjoy!