Muse Academy Holiday Party — Planning Thread

The weather is bleak this time of year off the coast of Iceland, but as end of term approaches, Muse Academy students and faculty alike have one thing to look forward to: the annual Holiday Party and accompanying Gift Tree. Although less spectacular than the balls the Academy holds on May Day and Halloween, it’s delightful in its own spicy, coniferous way.

(For reference, here’s how the party and the tree unfolded last year.)

Date: December 6, 2010

Author: Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Categories: Muse Academy

Comments RSS TrackBack 66 comments

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agrrrfishi

in December 6th, 2010 @ 10:03

Yay! I think we should continues the ‘anonymous gifts’ tradition like before.

Maybe we could have a winter wonderland theme?

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Mikazuki

in December 6th, 2010 @ 13:44

I just looked at the previous threads for this and I think I have a pretty good idea what we do. Wait, so when the tree thread opens we post anonymously on it describing our gift and then later if we gave one we choose one?

Winter Wonderland would be an amazing theme. Although, do you mean, an actual winter wonderland inside with snow bunnies and snowflakes and lovely snow covered trees and stuff? Or just a room decorated to be all snowyish and have everything be blueish and awesome and sparkly? Or a room decorated to look like a wonderland, but not really? Could we have live songbirds, perhaps?

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 6th, 2010 @ 14:26

Could we have several trees throughout the room, some leafless deciduous, some pine, to create the feeling of being in a winter forest? And could we have little prisms hanging off the branches to send rainbows everywhere?

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Enceladus

in December 6th, 2010 @ 15:51

Cinnamon. We have to have cinnamon.

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Mikazuki

in December 6th, 2010 @ 16:33

Brainstorming.
Icicle ornaments hanging off the trees? Along with the prisms, they would sparkle and spread light everywhere. Everlasting snow? On trees and…floor? Woodland animals? Fake woodland animals? Real songbirds. Snow falling? Where do we sit, etc? Perhaps a cabin? Woodsmoke smell. Winter wonderland outside, perhaps a warm fire and a tree and food inside rustic cabin? Maybe. Sparky things…scents of cinnamon and nutmeg and cider and spices. One horse sleighs. Jingle bells hung on trees? Wreath on cabin door???
??? I’m sorry if that makes little sense.

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Piggy

in December 6th, 2010 @ 17:02

Ooh, I like the forest idea. A foresty winter wonderland. But what would be the point of having it indoors, then? There are plenty of forests in Iceland, and I know of several wizards who would keep the weather and bears in check for us.

4- Cinnamon? Just cinnamon? Tables, chairs, wallpaper made of cinnamon?

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Enceladus

in December 6th, 2010 @ 18:36

It should smell like cinnamon.

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Cat's Meow

in December 6th, 2010 @ 17:30

Let’s just do it all the way and make it a real, outside forest in the midst of an Icelandic winter. Recommended attire can be fluffy coats, colorful scarves, mittens, and boots.

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Robert Coontz (Administrator

in December 6th, 2010 @ 17:46

Really? A party in a forest? In winter? Icelandic winter? The best part of that party would be getting back to someplace warm to recover from it. (Besides, there are no forests on Hyperborea. You’d have to go to the mainland — not a pleasant trip this time of year.)

I was about to suggest a Narnia theme.

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Piggy

in December 6th, 2010 @ 17:56

Just because there aren’t currently any forests on Hyperborea doesn’t mean there won’t be by the sixteenth. And as I mentioned, I have contacts there that would be more than willing to tame the elements for a night.

Besides, you can’t have a snowball fight indoors.

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Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in December 6th, 2010 @ 18:08

Magic, always magic. I suppose we GAPAs have to face it: Muse Academy is a safety school for kids who really wanted to go to Hogwarts.

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Enceladus

in December 6th, 2010 @ 18:37

I was ~~thinking~~ hoping it would be nanotech, Diamondage style…

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SudoRandom

in December 6th, 2010 @ 18:50

Personally, I’d much rather attend Muse Academy than Hogwarts.
Although… If I attended Hogwarts, I could wreak havoc with my vast knowledge of AVPM quotes… And I could hang up a Zefron poster in the Headmistress’s office…

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Beedle the Bard

in December 6th, 2010 @ 20:13

You’re Harry freaking Potter…

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Tesseract

in December 6th, 2010 @ 20:21

You don’t understand, you’re a legend man, to us all…

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speller73

in December 7th, 2010 @ 00:11

Every son and daughter… safe!

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agrrrfishi

in December 7th, 2010 @ 07:32

From You know Who, all because of you! You were small, but I wonder if you can recall…

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Thanks For All The Fish42

in December 7th, 2010 @ 20:22

Long story short, this guy *whispers* “Voldemort,” was super cruel….

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Tesseract

in December 8th, 2010 @ 21:50

Voldemort? -gasp- SHH!

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speller73

in December 8th, 2010 @ 22:09

He tried to kill you and and parents, and this is where it gets intensely cool…

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Beedle the Bard

in December 14th, 2010 @ 13:57

Even though you were a tiny little boy…

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 6th, 2010 @ 20:28

Oh no, MA is very different and has a far better safety record. Also, it’s classload is WAY more diversified.

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Mikazuki

in December 6th, 2010 @ 18:14

Well, perhaps we could have it outdoors but have a cabin for those who wish to warm themselves briefly by a fire. Sleigh bells and sparkling icicles and cardinals and yule logs…
Forests make everything better.

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Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

in December 6th, 2010 @ 21:09

Curiously, tonight’s forecast low here in central NC is actually colder than the forecast for Reykjavik.

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Errata

in December 6th, 2010 @ 23:36

I was thinking something cozy, with a large fire, and somewhat resembling the H&H.
Or the Narnia theme. Ooh, I like that idea. With an antechamber full of cozy armchairs and a warm fire in case you get cold, and then a bunch of fur coats hanging which lead into the main room, full of the glistening perfection of a forest covered in snow and ice, and a giant christmas tree in the center, with all the gifts below.

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LittleBasementKitten (50058 words and counting)

in December 7th, 2010 @ 05:36

And woodland animals? Or at least animal sounds? You know, like an owl hooting or a few late birds chirping…

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KaiYves

in December 7th, 2010 @ 11:36

I like the Antechamber idea.

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Mikazuki

in December 7th, 2010 @ 16:35

Oooh, sounds yummy! I like this! Maybe you could travel through a vortex or a portal to get into a real forest, complete with animals and birds and everything you usually find in a forest, but we could also bring a decorated tree and presents and stuff through.

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Cat's Meow

in December 7th, 2010 @ 16:52

We could have an outdoor portion as well as a cozy indoor portion. That might be the best compromise.

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 7th, 2010 @ 19:48

I agree.

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LittleBasementKitten (50058 words and counting)

in December 8th, 2010 @ 05:31

Me too.

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Mikazuki

in December 8th, 2010 @ 13:31

Me three.

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Castle

in December 8th, 2010 @ 19:24

I suggest placing the outdoor section outside of open wooden doors, on ground level so that we may come in and warm our hands after snowball fights.

I’d like to second (….or fourth) Errata’s idea of the Narnia theme. There was always something for me about the idea of an older time, with castles and traders and furry handmade coats.

Perhaps why I’m so obsessed with RPGs.

Now, looking down to KaiYves, I like the snowflake ornament idea!

I looked at the picture and thought it looked like silver. Maybe we could produce them in, say, sapphire or something more Christmas-sparkly kind of looking.

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Errata

in December 8th, 2010 @ 20:08

Robert’s idea, not mine.
Hm… Outdoor section? Isn’t this what the rooftop garden is?

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Beedle the Bard

in December 8th, 2010 @ 20:13

The rooftop garden should be inside.

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Piggy

in December 8th, 2010 @ 21:12

That doesn’t begin to make sense.

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Bibliophile

in December 9th, 2010 @ 12:26

There could be walls around the garden, and maybe a roof on top of the roof, but doesn’t that completely defeat the purpose of the garden beng on a rooftop?

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Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

in December 9th, 2010 @ 12:55

Some restaurants have canopy heaters in their outdoor dining areas. You could do something like that with the gazebo.

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 9th, 2010 @ 19:27

I like that idea!

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Beedle the Bard

in December 9th, 2010 @ 15:08

Nothing I say ever makes sense. It could be like… a floating room.
Yeah, never mind. I don’t know what I’m saying.

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Castle

in December 10th, 2010 @ 08:53

Why NOT a floating room? We could put it above the main floor and have a warm, heated staircase leading up to it. It could wrap around the edges, like the thing floats directly above, right? So the staircase wraps down and around, because they’re the same size (both rooms) and then hits ground parallel to the floor and takes a turn right and so lands on the dance floor.

I’ll send a hand-drawn image of my idea. GAPAs, what’s the email for images, again?

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Castle

in December 10th, 2010 @ 09:48

I sent an email containing a floor plan for the ball. Always nice to have a collective reference point so we’re all on the same page. I did send it to @musefanpage.com, not @gmail.com. I hope I got the right one :\ The second email actually contains the document. The first one I accidentally sent without the image. It’ll be coming from an @comcast.net, with the subject saying something about Castle and museblog.

I also have a new email, which is why my email will show up differently in my Name* Email* thingies.

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 8th, 2010 @ 15:31

Can we decorate the gift tree with these “snowflake” ornaments from the Metropolitan Museum of Art? (Only one is actually based on a real snowflake pattern, the others are patterns from objects in their collection that happen to look like snowflakes.) Only painted, not plain wood.

http:// store. metmuseum. org/christmas-ornaments /2010-mini-snowflake-christmas-ornaments-set/ invt/80007094/?temp= enlarged&layout= empty

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I-Man ((William II, OSW's Secretary))

in December 9th, 2010 @ 17:09

I don’t know whether or not I’ll be attending, but we should do some sort of Nightmare Before Christmas theme

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Castle

in December 10th, 2010 @ 09:49

A big, overstuffed Grinch plush?

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I-Man ((William II, OSW's Secretary))

in December 10th, 2010 @ 17:03

…no, I said a The Nightmare Before Christmas theme, not a The Grinch Stole Christmas theme.

Please tell me I’m not the only person here who’s seen that

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 10th, 2010 @ 20:40

/Nitpick/

It’s “HOW The Grinch Stole Christmas”.

/Nitpick/

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 10th, 2010 @ 14:43

As for refreshments, borrowing from last year…

ENTREES and DINNER:

Roast turkey, lamb, and chicken
Christmas pudding
Smoked salmon
Ham with maple syrup
Salads
Artisan cheeses with crusty bread and honey
Various soups
Freshly-baked bread
Creamed potatoes

DESERT:

Muffins
Gingerbread cookies
An international assortment of various other types of cookies
Gourmet popcorn
Mince pies
Pumpkin, apple, and cherry pies
Greek yogurt, with jam and honey
Doughnuts
Peppermint candies
Toffee
Fudge brownies

DRINKS:
Hot chocolate
Hot apple cider
Eggnog

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Errata

in December 13th, 2010 @ 23:22

Chai tea?

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 14th, 2010 @ 14:44

Sure!

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pie girl

in December 10th, 2010 @ 21:29

How about, for the tree, an ice theme. Scratch that. How about and ice theme!

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Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in December 12th, 2010 @ 00:37

I would like the rooftop garden to come back. I’ve missed it at the past two balls. I love mini-RPGs!

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 12th, 2010 @ 19:55

Same. I’ve missed it, too.

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Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

in December 13th, 2010 @ 23:20

Castle’s conception of Beedle’s idea of the MA ballroom:
Â Â

>

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Beedle the Bard

in December 14th, 2010 @ 14:00

Squee! Muchas gracias, Castle! It’s super!

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Castle

in December 15th, 2010 @ 09:37

Oh, look! It made it! Thank you, GAPAs!

And thank you, Beedle! It took me about three tries to get just right, and all it is is pen on paper scanned in. As you can see in the upper right, nothing is really to scale, it’s just a sketch of the general location. I like the idea of a big hearth, and maybe a tree up on the stage so there’s room to party. The stage is big, so there’s plenty of room for everything.

….I don’t think I’ve ever been complimented like that, Beedle. Or at all, for that matter. Thankses

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Beedle the Bard

in December 15th, 2010 @ 15:03

You’re welcomses! People should appreciate you more.

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Castle

in December 16th, 2010 @ 10:23

Awww….

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Cat's Eye

in December 14th, 2010 @ 00:50

How have I not been participating here? I love balls! Especially winter balls! Might I suggest a Hogwartsian enchanted ceiling, so that snow appears to fall from the ceiling and dissipates just above our heads?

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Thief of Light

in December 14th, 2010 @ 12:19

That sounds great! But should the ceiling be enchanted to show the sky?

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 14th, 2010 @ 19:38

Okay, so we have the inside as a cozy cabin/antechamber with a fireplace and large armchairs, and the rooftop garden/floating room as a winter wonderland?

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Beedle the Bard

in December 14th, 2010 @ 19:57

Ice sculptures… Ice skating under the stars… Wintery little birds chirping all over…
(The roof can be glass.)

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Errata

in December 15th, 2010 @ 17:41

When is the ball starting?

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Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in December 15th, 2010 @ 17:45

The party (not a ball) starts tomorrow, December 16, and continues until the end of the year.

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KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

in December 15th, 2010 @ 19:31

So we’re all clear on the decor?

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agrrrfishi

in December 16th, 2010 @ 11:32

Yep! Let the festivities begin

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Muse Academy Holiday Party — Planning Thread

Comments RSS TrackBack 66 comments

agrrrfishi

Mikazuki

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

Enceladus

Mikazuki

Piggy

Enceladus

Cat's Meow

Robert Coontz (Administrator

Piggy

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Enceladus

SudoRandom

Beedle the Bard

Tesseract

speller73

agrrrfishi

Thanks For All The Fish42

Tesseract

speller73

Beedle the Bard

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

Mikazuki

Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

Errata

LittleBasementKitten (50058 words and counting)

KaiYves

Mikazuki

Cat's Meow

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

LittleBasementKitten (50058 words and counting)

Mikazuki

Castle

Errata

Beedle the Bard

Piggy

Bibliophile

Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

Beedle the Bard

Castle

Castle

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

I-Man ((William II, OSW's Secretary))

Castle

I-Man ((William II, OSW's Secretary))

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

Errata

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

pie girl

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

Rebecca Lasley (Administrator)

Beedle the Bard

Castle

Beedle the Bard

Castle

Cat's Eye

Thief of Light

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

Beedle the Bard

Errata

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

KaiYves- Go, STS-133!

agrrrfishi

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