I have a confession. I am a nerd. And not just cuz I like ancient Roman social history, historical fiction, science, architecture, geometry, and social etiquette. While these alone are enough to classify me as a nerd....there's more. I'm even married to a nerd. And we do nerdy stuff.
Yesterday Colin dragged me to a game convention. He is a self-proclaimed 'board game geek'. He hangs out at...yes it exists....boardgamegeek.com. We have over 120 board games....which reminds that I need to take a picture of this mini-phenomena. So, anyway, we like games. We like to play them, critique them, have fun and one day Colin will have a game of his own published. I can't wait. Seriously. He'll develop the concept and I'll design it. Wouldn't that be awesome? :D
Even though I am supportive of his hobby and passion for it...let's just say I'm not overly enthusiastic when it comes to dropping gobs of cash on it and hanging out with people in faerie costumes, swords, devil horns, and renaissance costumes for an entire day. Don't get me wrong...I'm a nerd. I just don't live in Nerd-dom like some of these other hardcore gamers. ;)
So, yesterdaywe all went to Essen Spiel, the largest gaming convention in the world. Publishers show off their new products, prototypes are there to play with and critique, and you can choose from a varied selection of goth-nerd apparel to play role-playing games in. ;)
I was a bit skeptical, and sometimes the overwhelming power of unwashed bodies was enough to make me abandon the game I was enjoying, but overall it was pleasant. We had fun, met game creators, artists, and played a ton of kid games. The girls had a blast and I even had fun, too. Colin, needless to say, was in hog heaven. Here's a re-cap of our time in Essen. 
Loved the oversized games and this 3D chess was just insane...wow.
Loved the green chairs in this booth. And I loved how interactive everything was..really nothing was off-limits, so there were a million diversions for the kids. Lots of fun!
Colin and Lara enjoyed a little game together while Mia and Norah napped. They were really cute in their eye patches. :)
This was a prototype game called Candies!. It was designed by 2 Swedish game developers (who were adorable and oh-so-sweet themselves, too!) and it is LOVELY! Not only is it precious and sweet to look at, but it really is a good game...something adults can enjoy playing with kids as well. When this hits the stores (hopefully in the next year) GET IT!! I promise you won't be disappointed. Colin and I were actually upset that we couldn't buy it...but if the publishers out there know anything about gaming...this will be hitting the store shelves, no doubt about it! Go to www.ozma.se to see more about them. (The designer pictured on the left is the one who played the game with Lara. She really was a treat to meet and talk to.)
Lara and I played Jenga together and her face was priceless when the tower fell. She was having a really great time playing games, running around, and snagging freebies.
So, that was about it. We got home really late and slept in this morning. Fun times had by all.
And in design news...the amount of work that is piling up in PS is just mind-boggling for me lately. This is what I have inthe works:
1) Collaboration kit with one of my designs idols
2) Collaboration kit with one of my oldest and closest scrap girlfriends
3) Hanukkah kit that is almost finished
4) 7 kit collection for all things naughty
5) 6 part collection for all things outdoorsy
See....I really AM working on stuff....it's just a little slow-going considering the amount I have on my plate right now. Hopefully I'll have soem time to finish up at least some of them.
And, last but certainly not least, I finished up De-zine a couple of days ago. This issue is really awesome and jam-packed with information, interviews, a free kit, and more! You will NOT be disappointed! And it's over 10 pages more than the previous issues! This month we were also honored with a FAB interview with Jessica Sprague of Creating Keepsakes. She is amazing! You have to check it out! 
I really had a wonderful time compiling this issue and I am excited about the next one. I'm lucky that Laura trusts me enough to let me run with it and make it the best publication I can. Thank, girl. You're the best.
Alright, I need to get out of here...we've got some new games we're itching to play! Ciao, all!! :D
