Sunday, October 30, 2011

swan lake


For Halloween this year Brie & I decided to go as the Black Swan and the White Swan from Swan Lake! This was made even easier when Brie decided to dye her hair to look like mine making us look more alike than we already do (we were originally going to be Alice and the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland). I think the outfits were a hit, but my favorite part was designing our costumes. I've made my Halloween costume every year for quite a few years now - click here for a look back. It gives me an excuse to unleash my inner fashionista and also an excuse to blame any fashion flops on the phrase, "So what? It was just a Halloween costume." I love Halloween just because you get to dress up and be someone/something else for one night out of the year. To me, that is magical!

And now for a behind the scenes look at our Black Swan/White Swan costumes...

Our tops were made from oversized black and white t-shirts that I cut to be off the shoulder. Then I added feathers, rhinestones, sequins and so much glitter that it looks like a fairy got murdered in our house. The tutus were made by taking a small feather boa and attaching strips of toile - easy peasy!
My crown was made from an old one (previously silver and pink!) I took a sharpie and colored over as much silver as I could, glued on extra black feathers, and dripped black candle wax over the front. Brie's feather hair pieces were made from 6 feathers, 3 on each side, and attached with rhinestone bobby pins!
Our makeup was a combination of glittery black and white makeup, bright lipsticks, a black and white costume makeup palette, and fake eyelashes of course!
We finished off our outfits with black and white tights and ballet flats! One of my favorite costumes by far.

*All makeup credit goes to Brie*

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

lessons learned

I think I finally figured out those "lessons" my parents were trying to teach me when I broke my foot...

1. Invest in a good pedicure at all times.
2. Drink more milk.
3. Aflac Accident Insurance.

"Even children become tired and need to rest, and young people trip and fall." - Isaiah 40:30

Sunday, October 16, 2011

healing is hard work

This has been quite the week of accomplishments - first time wearing matching shoes in 6 weeks, first time walking without the assistance of crutches/surgical shoes/rolly desk chairs/the closest stationary object in 6 weeks, and the first week back at work in 6 weeks! The people I work with are so sweet to me. I always start work with just a little catch in my step and end work in a full limp, but they are so quick to help me out. It's good to be back.

I still have to wear the surgical shoe when I'm not at work for another week. My bone isn't completely healed so I have to be careful, but I can't even explain how good it feels to be mobile. I just want to run a million miles (not all at once). I don't think I have ever sat so still so long in my entire life and that's the truth, just ask any of my former teachers. In about a month or so I'll be able to start running and dancing again and THAT day can't come soon enough!

Slow and steady. I'm on the mend!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

bookworm

Let me preface this post by saying that I am not a nerd. Really. But I do like to read sometimes. Not in a socially outcast way or even a studious way, but I do occasionally read for reasons more than to pass time on the elliptical. I am often too quick to say, "why read the book when you can watch the movie?" but I will admit that some of the best books I've ever read were ones that I read long before they were ever in the talks of becoming films. I think my English teachers would be very shocked/proud to know how much more I enjoy reading than I ever let them know. And even though I don't think I could ever confess it to them, I really did love reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in 8th grade Advanced English even if our book was two times thicker than the other classes. Same with Macbeth in 12th grade. Some of my good friends know about my not-so-publicized recreational reading and I love when I can recommend good books to them. That got me thinking about some of my favorite books so I decided to list some here:

Some of my all-time favorites:
The Divine Dance by Shannon Primicerio (now Shannon Kubiak)
Stuart Little by E.B. White
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Follow the Stars Home by Luanne Rice
One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb
& pretty much any book by Max Lucado

Some pretty great books I've read this past year:
The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Plan B by Pete Wilson
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (weird, but in a good way)

Books I want to read:
Winged Creatures by Roy Freirich
Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

What books would you recommend?

Sunday, October 2, 2011

fandemonium

I've always considered myself a fairly avid movie watcher/book reader...you know, somewhere safely between watching movies on hulu to dressing up like characters from a movie at every Thursday's midnight showing...between reading restaurant menus and having my own book club. In my lifetime I have survived two major opportunities for what I like to think of as "fandemonium" where books and movies collide and create this unique breed of people who love what they have read and seen so much that it has a pretty profound effect on their lives. First being, Harry Potter. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan, just a more balanced one. I own neither a cape, wand, or an HP lego set. Nor do I practice spells in my free time or decorate my room with cardboard cutouts of the characters. I am, however, excited for Pottermore (not registered early, that is for the crazies) and getting to pick out my pet, finding out which wand I get, and being sorted into a house - my BFF Loisann and I are aware that although we favor Gryffindor our non-confrontational and easy going personalities will most likely land us in Hufflepuff. I also wouldn't mind enjoying a butter beer in Orlando.

The next phase of "fandemonium" was easier for me to resist. I still to this day have never read a Stephanie Meyer book and I don't think I will ever fully comprehend the desire to live as a vampire forever. I did not see Twilight until after it had come out on DVD and my roommate Amanda had convinced me to give it a chance. I figured since almost every girl I knew was practically obsessed and one of my best friends, Jen, had seen it in the movie theater several times alone AND skipped class to read the books that it was worth a shot. When I first watched it I wasn't sure that I really liked it, but there was no doubt I found it intriguing. I don't think I blinked much. Oh, and I had a nightmare about vampires that night. When the second movie came out I saw it at midnight with my friends. Not because I had turned into a crazy fan overnight, but because if I didn't go with them at midnight (with literally everyone else) then I wouldn't have anyone to see it with later. Plus, I had never read the books and I really wanted to know what happened next. All that to say, I kind of did like the movies. I will probably see the next one at midnight sans the fangs and white powder makeup (I'm pale enough to go without) because I like hype. And I know you are wondering, I'm Team Jacob.

Now, if I had to take a guess at the next wave of "fandemonium" to hit I'd say it will come around March when the Hunger Games Series FINALLY hits theaters. I read the books last year and I love them in that obsessive way that people loved Harry Potter and the Twilight Series, which I sometimes find odd because the books are very violent and uncharacteristic of me. I don't think I could pinpoint what it is exactly about the books that captivated me so but they did. And in 172 days, 6 hours, and 41 minutes I will probably be dressed up with my mockingjay pin and in line with a bunch of other crazies that I laughed at in years past. [This is a warning in advance.] In fact, I have already registered and been assigned my district at the Capital - DISTRICT 8! I am actually quite satisfied with that district too - it is where all of the clothes are made. They must have known I love fashion. Plus, I was having somewhat of an identity crisis when I saw that on all of the fan-made maps of Panem the part of the US that I really live in was always underwater, making it difficult to to find favor with a particular district...though technically I'm probably closest to 12. In the books I related most to 4 because I live near the ocean and 11 because Rue was my favorite character. Ok, enough talk about HG b/c I'm certain this won't be the last you hear! Are you a fan?