Oooh, Pretty!

Here are a few pics of a couple of gowns I have made. I took the photos of the gown worn by the blonde model.

Baby Shower!!!

One of my BFF's finally got a baby. I have been friends with this girl for 18 years, and realized early on in the friendship, that, among other delightful things we shared, our taste in decor was one of them. We met in college, in the Costume Design program. We still share a lot of the same friends, most of them theatre people.
Now, here is the thing. I have given A LOT of baby showers in my life, but this one was special for a couple of reasons. One-friend waited a very long time for this baby. Two-this friend and our shared circle of friends are some of the few people I know that would actually get a shower like this. I mean, it was not simple and neither was the food. I don't know how things are where you live, but here, baby showers usually happen in someone's front room with cute baby themed decor and dessert.
That is not what was wanted here. I have wanted to do a baby shower like this for a very long time, and finally, I had the opportunity. I teamed up with another friend and away we went! Good thing we share similar tastes!

Wassup?!?!

Dude, lame. I get spam comments. I mean really? I don't need Gucci handbag spam. Srsly.
Anyway, look, I am back! Well, for a minute, anyway. Here's hoping that I actually manage to stick to it for a while.
The problem here is twofold. One, it takes a bit of time to write posts. I mean, yes, I am naturally amusing and stuff, but I do do some editing. Second part of the problem? Stress, of which there has been a great deal, puts me in a bad mood and I don't want to post when I am in a bad mood.
Now, the fact that I am posting does not mean that the stress has left the building (it has not), it just means that I am temporarily not in a bad mood, so I thought I would take advantage of the opportunity and post a few things.
They may or may not make sense.

So, here is the thing. The older brother of mine is an artist. A rather successful one, as a matter of fact. An artist who makes a living doing arty type stuff, which, apparently, if you are an artist, is a really amazing thing to do.
Being that older brother and I went to the same high school and are very close in age, we know many of the same people. Also, being that we both live in the same general area, we again know many of the same people.
It often occurs that I run into some of these people out and about. Here is how the conversation goes.
Me-Oh, hey there, so-and-so, haven't seen you for ages, how are things?
So-and-so-Oh, things are great, thanks! How is your super mega awesome artist type brother?
Me-Uh, yeah, he is doing great, thanks for asking.
So-and-so-Is he still working for super famous animation studio doing super awesome things of which we are totally jealous?
Me-Yep. Still works there. Still does art type stuff.
So-and-so-Man, he is, like, so super mega talented! I always wished I could be like him. In high school we were cool and stuff, but now, man, he is so super mega awesome that I don't even dare to speak in his most august presence.
Me-Yeah, I hear that a lot.
So-and-so-Oh, I bet you do! He is what all of us artist types aspire to be. Super mega awesome, super mega talented, all that stuff. I mean, if I could even claim the kind of talent he has in his pinky finger, I would think I had made it in the world.
Me-Yeah, ok, well, I gotta go.
So-and-so-Why? Are you going to go worship at the feet of your super mega awesome artist brother?
Me-Uh, no. I don't really do that. I just need to get some bread and milk, then get back to work.
So-and-so-Oh, what do you do? Did your super mega awesome artist brother teach you how to do whatever it is you do?
Me-No. I make wedding gowns.
So-and-so-Oh. Cool. I bet you wish you were as super mega awesome as your brother.
Me-Ok. Well gotta go, see you.
So-and-so-Right, yeah, well, tell your super mega awesome brother that we said hi and that we think he is super mega awesome and we wish we could be like him.
Me-Right. bye.

Now, I admit that this sounds absurdly effusive, but I assure you, it is not far from the truth. Dude has a fan club. There are two guys in particular that I think would die to be President and VP of his fan club. For awhile, I thought about carrying a couple of t-shirts around with me saying "E for President!" In fact, I went so far as to make a shirt for his daughter that said that. But, I kept running into so many people who were over the top in their admiration for him that I changed the shirt and made his daughter a new one that said "E for intergalactic emperor" or something like that.

Anyway, the point of telling you all of this was for one reason. I have acquired a fanclub myself. Yes, folks, it is true. There are people in this world who think I am super mega awesomely talented. Not only do they think it, they post about it on facebook! True story.

I texted the super mega awesome brother last night to tell him he was not the only one with an effusive fan club. He texted back that it was nice to have someone who could take some of the focus of his awesomeness. He counseled me to be aware that it could be a heavy burden to bear to be so awesome, but that he had learned to deal with it and was sure I would as well.

Wasn't that nice of him?

Spring, spring, spring!

I have spring fever, in a big way. To make things worse, two of my friends are in LA right now, enjoying the warmth. I oughtn't to complain, though, it was a beautiful day today. It is funny how we acclimate to our weather. Right now it is somewhere around 40 degrees outside, which, if it were fall would be FREEZING, but since it is winter, is positively balmy. We have been enduring temperatures in the teens and twenties lately (or lower if you get up at an unholy hour, which I do not), so when the thermometer gets above 30, we think it is lovely and warm. And I am not kidding. I went to the mall the other day with my mom and The Small One, I think it was around 32 degrees outside and The Small One refused to wear her coat. It was too warm. I couldn't argue with her, because I had already removed mine.
Tonight, we decided to go spend TMOTH's gift card at the local ice cream shop. Yeah, easy to see that things had warmed up here in Utah. The place was PACKED. That is what Mormons do when it is warm(ish) you know. We eat ice cream. Since we can't have alcohol, we must have other vices! Ice cream and Diet Coke, baby. Not that I drink Diet Coke, I think it is foul. I am a Dr. Pepper girl.
That is another funny thing about Utah. We like our fountain drinks. Convenience stores abound here, and I think they make their money off of fountain drinks, not gasoline. When I travel, I am always surprised at the scarcity of convenience stores. And when I do find one, there are only 5-6 options for soda! You go into the local convenience store/gas station here and, I kid you not, they have 4 banks of fountain drinks, with 8-10 drinks per bank. Not to mention the non-carbonated banks on the other side. Also, convenience stores are WAY bigger here. Lots more candy, nachos, hot dogs, etc. It is a wonder all Utahns aren't fat.
Which brings me to another peculiarity. When road tripping through the states, as I have done, it is easy to notice when you have crossed the state border into or out of our lovely state. You know how? The restrooms. Public and business. In Utah, for the most part, they are clean. Very clean. Once you cross the state line, well, ew. You are probably better off on the side of the road. This is not to say that there are not nasty restrooms in this state, just that in general, they are clean. And I know my restrooms, folks.
I know, fascinating, isn't it?

I'm me again

About six weeks or so ago, I decided I wanted something a bit different for my hair. My hair, in case you don't know, is pretty long. I am generally in the habit of cutting it off every two years or so and then growing it back out. There are a couple of reasons for this. One, I get bored easily. Two, it grows crazy fast and I am too lazy and too cheap for the upkeep required for short hair. I love short hair, well, when it is the right haircut. It is sassy and suits my personality quite well. Long hair suits my temperament as well, though, because, as mentioned, I am lazy. Sweep it up into a french twist and Bob's your uncle!
So, as I was saying before I got a bit distracted, a while ago I wanted something different. The Man of the House asked me not to cut my hair off yet, to leave it long. Not because he doesn't like the way I look with short hair (he does) but because he says I complain too much while it is growing out! How rude. Since I am kind, I obliged him and didn't cut it. Which left only colour to change. Well, see, that is where I don't get very adventurous most of the time. It is silly, really, because hair colour is very easy to change, unlike whacking off your hair. But, I tend to keep my hair the same colour all of the time. Because it is me. It identifies me (at least to me), it makes me feel more like me.
Sometimes, though, me is BORING and I want something different. So, I went for it. I told my SIL (cosmetologist) that I wanted to go dark and weave it in with my natural hair colour, which is a dull strawberry blonde. So, we did it. And it was dark. And not very red.
I really wasn't sure what to think. It was a colour combination I had wanted to try for some time, but it wasn't red.
And I am a redhead (with all that entails, apparently)
The reactions I got were interesting. Polarized, really. TMOTH's family liked it. It was cool, different. My family? Not so much. It was different. They don't like different. Tara has red hair, therefore Tara should have red hair. They were mostly kind and simply refrained from commenting on it, but I know.
So, I kept it. Why not? Something new! Change is good!
Well, last night, I noticed I had about 1" of growth and when your hair colour changes significantly, 1" is rather noticeable and with my hair colour, not attractive.
So, I grabbed my boxes of dye from the grocery store and went to it. Colour, rinse, blow dry. Then back upstairs to join my family.
The Small One took one look at me and said "Oh, mom, I like you with red hair again."
Me too, Small One, me too.

Bleh and stuff

This is my motto right now.

Or possibly this-



Do you know what it is from? Well, the first one, anyway, which has spawned many like the second. It is a morale booster poster from Great Britain during WWII, I believe. Might have been WWI, but I think it was II.

Anyway, story of my life.

I have had a wretched cold for over a week now, which culminated in one of the beastliest migraines to attack me in recent history. And, I assure you, migraines do attack. If you are prone to them, you know whereof I speak. If you are not prone to them, well, count your blessings that you know not whereof I speak. They are beastly. There are not words to describe just how beastly. There are some lovely migraine meds out there, sadly, the one that works for me does not work for my insurance. And they cost $25/pill, at at least two pills per migraine, well, sometimes I just stick it out and hope for the best.

Also bleh, I have watched all there is to watch of my fave TV programmes. Kingdom ended after 3 seasons, all of which I have watched. Doc Martin's next season hasn't even shown in the UK yet, so goodness knows when we will get it here. I don't even know if they have started filming it yet, quite frankly. And, I am all caught up on Lark Rise to Candleford, which is fortunately available on youtube, because it won't show in the US anywhere else for some time. And this is the final season. Grrr. Downton Abbey is filming their next season, but again...who knows when we will get it.

I am addicted, ya'all. Completely addicted to British TV. Of course, I find myself longing to be back there again. Sigh.

I have found that in times of high stress, that is where I want to be. In the UK. Why? Well, I think because the time I spent there was one of the lowest stress, most enjoyable times of my entire life. I was quite young, 21 in fact. I was living with good friends. Not to say that there wasn't conflict, of course there was. You put 5 strong-willed and opinionated costumer designers in one very small flat, conflict is bound to happen, but nothing major. I had enough money to do more or less what I wanted and I was in a beautiful, accessible, history filled city. Paradise, my friends, that is what that was. London is my dream. My stress reliever.
Paris was a sad disappointment. Perhaps my expectations were too high?

Currently, though, where I long to be is North Cornwall. Too much Doc Martin, King Arthur and Over Sea, Under Stone, you might say. And you might be right, but it seems so idyllic. Warmer (currently) than it is here. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Small, peaceful, old. I could happily sit on a green cliff and knit and dream and sleep. For hours. Compared to the stress I am currently experiencing here, yep, idyllic would be the word.

I have insomnia right now. Which is absurd, considering that I got about 2 hours of sleep last night thanks to the stupid migraine. I should be exhausted. Well, I am exhausted. What I should be, and am not, is sleepy. I am very tired, though, as is probably evidenced by this rambling, idiotic post full of run on sentences. I may delete it tomorrow, depending on how idiotic it seems when I wake up.

Onward and upward. Keeping calm and carrying on.

I shall be more entertaining anon, I assure you.

Ooh, look at the pretties!

I knitted some mitts for my Rav group's February Mitt-along. They didn't take very long, so I think I might make another pair. Kelly says she wants some like these. Kell, if they fit you, they are yours! They are too close in color to my other pair for me to want to wear them very often.
You can tell when I am feeling stressed, because I knit. A LOT.
Stupid pic is too big, but I am too lazy to fix it right now.