Moving on, finished the dress and got for a bellydance meetup that never happened. Kind of pissed about that, I missed two panels I would have liked to have gone to waiting around for nothing. It seems that Meetup person was only interested in 18th Century costuming and anything else, whatever. The Lord of the Rings costuming meetup did not happen either, bummed about that too. So a wasted afternoon.
On to the SF/F Masq...started getting dressed realized corset did not fit with gown, put on a much too tight waist cincher a strapless bra that my front is too large to get proper support in and proceeded to determine if I could live without breathing for 5 hours. Pain and misery, I could do this.... Final touches ready, went to put on the wig that I had worked on for a week, oh it was purty. Had nice banana curls, little ringlets, a braid wrapped around a bun, nice head piece, really nice. Pulled the wig pins out, got to the final one on the foam head, it got stuck, I pulled and VOILA, my hair went flying into the toilet. Plop, swish, swirl! SHIT! So I did the obvious thing, and brushed my hair and said FUCK IT!
I suffered for several hours, not being able to breathe and in pain, but it was all worth it. I received a workmanship award for the dress, go figure.
Now that is a pained expression I tell you. Afterward I changed clothes, drank, life was good.- Location:Newly remodeled office at home
- Mood:
awake - Music:dripping water, gotta do something about that
Originally this was titled How I started my summer vacation, but since I had this long thing typed, the damn vista keyboard command keys or WHATEVER completely erased what I typed....BLEH
Ok...Went to the RenFaire Saturday with friends. Pretty day, but hot and a little muggy, it's St.Louis, no big surprise there. Tried to reign in my spending, bought a Japanese parasol, a snood, an Indian shisha mirrored elephant belt in red and purple and a leather flash holder to go with my belt and pirate costume. Had fish and chips which were yummy. Enjoyable day, was glad to get out of the hot costume. I really need to make things in cotton! Polyester is wayyyyyyy tooooo warm.
Spent the rest of Saturday shopping and getting things to finish home projects. Bought a new black leather recliner for the office, bought a new black wood desk and bookcase. Really looking sharp in the office with the other leather recliner, got new drapes and an area rug. Just have to do some spackling since I am changing all of the pics/art in there as well.
Sunday was more of the same, running around, cleaning the house, shopping. Bought a new summer purse from Relic, nice stripey thing, small...love it. Had a coupon for 40% off at Borders AND a $25 gift card, YEA ME! Bought a mythology book and a book called What they wore When, I think. Nice thing to add to the library, can use it for reference too.
Played quite a bit of EQII this weekend, sick insane 50% XP bonus, plus I have a tradeskill crafter maxed so that was another 10% for bonus and I finally leveled Mae to max at 80, so another 10% adventure bonus. Maybe I should think about sleeping at some point, I still have one more day off...
Tomorrow or actually now today I am not going to do much, I work the next 3 days for 12's so need to rest up. My asthma is still kicking my ass. Someone order me an iron lung please? Massive dose of steroids for 5 weeks is taking its toll. Bruising, malaise, rapid heart rate...I had to stop taking my blood pressure meds so the coughing would stop, well guess what? My BP is through the roof and I feel like shit.
Gonna do some little projects in the next week or two, then my house will be finished, for awhile. Sewing room is next. Need to do more laundry.
I guess I should still finish my posts on CC27, that will come later. At least I am posting....so THERE!!!
- Location:bed
- Mood:
uncomfortable - Music:none
There were several history of costuming, history of patterns, etc. I was so excited because the woman who designs costume patterns for Simplicity was there, Andrea Schewe. Man, what a great honor to meet her. She was absolutely the nicest, most gracious person. She even complimented me on one of my costumes that she designed because I had done my own thing with it, she said that was the greatest compliment to her. She was there the entire weekend to judge costumes for a Simplicity challenge, sadly I had nothing to enter as a competition piece from Simplicity, my piece was a combo McCall's and Butterick.
So enjoyed the panels on Friday, and the partying again on Friday night after the single pattern competition. The Con was set up very nicely. The hotel had a large atrium which had tons of tables with tablecloths and chairs great to use as a group headquarters kind of thing. Big comfy leather chairs and sofas, a con suite right there in the atrium, the stage was at the other end and plenty of photo op areas complete with backgrounds.
Part 3 coming soon.
Mae
- Location:study
- Mood: tired
- Music:EQ2
or Adventures in costuming...Part 1
I have just returned from Costume Con 27 in Baltimore MD, what a wonderful time I had. We left on Wednesday 4/29 and drove straight through 865 miles. Although the weather was crappy, it rained nearly the entire time we were there, the Con was great.
So many things to report about, hmmmm let's see, first things first. WTF is the deal with the Maryland wildlife signs...it pictures a dear and a BEAR! Listen when it is pitch black night, raining like hell, fog creepier than any B movie with visibility at less than 10 feet, the last thing I want to worry about is hitting a friggin bear.
Well on Thursday did some sightseeing in and around DC, the National Cathedral, Chevy Chase MD, one of the Smithsonians, did drivebys of the White House and the Capitol, went to the Pentagon and the memorial garden, Old Town Alexandria. Pretty much for one day. Went back to the Crowne Plaza to meet up with the crew from St. Louis and drank. And drank, good thing I brought plenty of alcohol.
The costumes were tremendous. My mom went with me and she was so impressed at the skill and beautiful original creations.
The annual International Costumers Guild meeting was held and I was elected to be the Corresponding Secretary (remind me never to go to the bathroom when people are being nominated for things!). I will also head up or chair (I think) the PR committee and help with fundraising. Lots of work ahead of me, but I look forward to the challenge.
There were plenty of masquerades, the first one being the Single Pattern competition. I will explain the con decides ahead of time on two patterns from Simplicity for example and your challenge is to produce one of the two garments or both using your imagination. One was a duster coat and the other a puff and slash Medieval style dress. My guildmates from St. Louis fared well. They won most humorous for their cat herders, look it up on youtube, it is hysterical. Another guildmate won best drover's coat, it was done with militant military styling, AWESOME!
So ends part 1, part 2 to follow.
Mae
- Location:Study
- Mood:
accomplished - Music:Japanese Pop
It has been such a hectic time, no time to update my journal this season...so here goes nothing.
Got to see Twilight...LOVED IT!!!! Reading Eclipse now...bought the soundtrack...FANTABULOUS!!! It ROCKS!!!
Braved the mall today to exchange a jacket my mom bought me, they were selling very quickly before Christmas, so I needed to get the right size. She never pays attention to what I say, I tell her the size, the color, what I like what I don't like...inadvertently she will get me something wrong. I had to return everything she bought me, a watch with a bracelet in an ugly copper color, (I don't wear copper jewelry). She tells me I was admiring it in the store, no I said it was butt ugly in the store, I like the silver and the gold. The jacket a Ralph Lauren gold was too small, again, anything that goes across my chest has to be a large, she bought a medium. I got god-awful purple stone earrings, geez they are ugly. I bought her a laptop, a Studio 15 from Dell in tangerine orange, with bluetooth, wifi, webcam, wireless mouse, 4g RAM, 320gb, dual core processor....yep she got a good present.
My Dad gave me a $200 gift card, not complaining about that at all. My best friend's husband bought me Lord of the Rings Online game....YEA!!! She and I have not exchanged yet, but he wanted me to have it so I could download it and play with them!!
Took my parents to the casino for the buffet yesterday and some gambling. Good food, nice day.
I have to start getting busy with costumes. I have two to get done by 2/13. One is a kimono....aaaaahhhhhhhh
So until later...Happy Holidays to all...
Love,
Mae
- Mood:
chipper
Went shopping Friday. Left the house at 8am, no lines at Target, found a good parking spot, went in, got Christmas presents for everyone at work (15 people), was in and out in under 40 minutes. Next was Michael's, had 2 people in line in front of me, 10 minutes there (got my stuff for the Christmas presents I am making to finish up). Then off to Factory Card Outlet for red forks for the 30 people that will be at my house next Saturday.
Grocery store, got food for my Irish Christmas, making Irish Stew, Irish Soda Bread, Wassail, Glogg, Yule Log, cookies, got 3 bottles of wine and spent....wait for it....$64. Irish cooking is very cost effective!!!! Spent the other $35 on cookie supplies and plastic glassware. Got home at 2:30p.m. then laid down for a nap before I went to work at 5pm. I was just doing them a favor so I picked up 4 hours....
HOLY GALLBLADDER BATMAN!!! UGH we were horrifically busy. From 5-9 I did all or part of 5 cases. I finished a laparoscopic gallbladder, a heart bypass, started a detached retina, did a bleeding heart then finished a very bad gangrenous gallbladder on a 96 yr old woman. Then there were rumors of an aortic bleed, GEESH...that's what I get for doing favors. No more Mr. Nice Guy!
The tree is up at my house, but the rest of the decorations have yet to follow. Made 7 dozen cookies today, but I had a wedding this evening, so I could not get as much done as I wanted. More marathon cookie baking tomorrow. Off to play my video game now, Everquest 2. the new expansion, The Shadow Odyssey came out and it is so cool.
bye for now, more later
Mae
- Location:Computer
- Mood: pleased
- Music:EQ2 theme
http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/downloads/a
Today I offer a salute to all of the men and women who are currently serving in the USMC and who have served over these past 233 years, you have all served your country well.
I would also like to thank my cousins, my uncles all of whom served their country and are one of the Few, the Proud.
Most of all Happy Birthday to my Dad, he served his country well for many years and fought in Korea and the beginnings of Vietnam. He is a strong and brave man, he is my hero.
So to all of you out there whether you are on home or foreign soil, I raise my glass to you and give a hearty OOOH RAHH!!!!!
From the halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.
Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From the dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And have never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.
OOOH RAH!!!!!!!
- Mood: grateful
- Music:Marine's Hymn
Mae
- Location:same as 5 minutes ago
- Mood: amused
- Music:House rerun
2. Post a reasonably-sized picture in your LJ, NOT under a cut tag, of something pleasant, such as an adorable kitten, or a fluffy white cloud, or a bottle of booze. Something that has NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS.
3. Include these instructions, and share the love.
My Yorkie Beauregard or just Beau. His favorite place to sleep is his puppy....
You may now return to your regularly scheduled rhetoric.
Mae
- Location:Computer
- Mood: sleepy
- Music:House
Anywho, doing this case with a surgeon that I really like, he is very nice, have known and worked with him for over 10 years, voted one of the best surgeons in St. Louis, so at 4:15 the charge nurse comes in and says "I thought you were done", uh nope, still working here. "I need you to go relieve a 4:30 person." Um not going to happen, I will be here awhile. At 4:45 when I finished my case, I took my patient to the recovery room and immediately I see what I call "pushups" someone was doing CPR on a patient. I go into emergency mode and start helping, calling the Heart surgeon, blah blah blah...all taken care of. I go on about my business, turn in paperwork and start to head to the bathroom.
Now I have been on my feet (with stress fractures in my left heel) since 9:00 a.m. no break, no lunch...I am tired, I am thirsty, I am hungry AND I HAVE TO PEE!!! Do NOT screw with me under those circumstances, I get very pissy (forgive the pun). So the next thing I know charge nurse says, "I need you to scrub an emergency heart RIGHT NOW!!!"" Everyone starts running to the other heart room, I do too, whining and moaning about the fact that I have to PEE...after getting fed up with me everyone yelled at once "GO PEE!"" I did. Came back to the room, what a cluster..needless to say, they rolled the patient into the room and of course they were doing CPR, yeesh. Well, 3 hours later, success...actually success for the OR is getting a live patient to the ICU, after that we don't know what happens.
So...I am exhausted today... keeping my feet up..looking forward to Halloween tomorrow...
Mae
- Mood: tired
- Music:EQ2
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie....Saturday I took my mom to what is affectionately called Dego Hill, or now The Hill. It is where the Italian immigrants first settled in St. Louis and is still primarily Italian, with tons of Italian bakeries, shops and restaurants. We ate lunch and listened to a Jazz band (progressive/fusion Dave Brubeck-ish). All of the guys (6) were over 60 and Italian. They were phenominal.
Mom then decided that we should go into St. Ambrose's and say a prayer and light a candle, because you get graces if you pray in a new church. (Trust me when I say I need all the help I can get!) St. Ambrose was the first church and only church on the hill. There is a bronze statue out front of an immigrant family, mother, father, child all with suitcases. It is a beautiful place. Well there was an Italian wedding going on, I did not want to go in, but mom insisted. So we crashed the wedding! Actually we were very quiet and sat in the back. I asked if it counted for Sunday, mom said NO! Damn, I would have made it count. They never knew we were there. (do you see where I get the stuff I do?)
All in all hectic nice weekend. DALLAS WON!!!!! WOO HOOO!!!!! The Boys played football this weekend.
Mae
- Location:office
- Mood: cheerful
- Music:Rock of Love Charm School
Took my mom out today.. we went to breakfast, went shopping, then to the casino. Nice day, enjoyable, but one thing I have to say is....WTF!!!
I' m too sexy for my shirt....The clothes this year are BUTT-UGLY!!!! We wen to Macy's, I had a $100 gift card from my birthday and I could not find shit! Some I settled on buying some perfume that I wanted. Bought the new Alien perfume by Thierry Mugler who makes Angel and I love Angel. Alien is wonderful, it is oriental spices with Jasmine as the highnote. Angel on the other hand has patchouli and chocolate (no kidding) as the highnote. Both fragrances are yummy and very sensual, or so I have been told.
Back to the shopping, none of the store, and I repeat none of the stores had anything even remotely cute. The styles are just awful.
Viva Las Vegas...Lost $25 at the casino...
- Location:My bed
- Mood: tired
- Music:InuYasha
It came upon a midnight clear....I am hosting the Costumers Guild Christmas party and we always have a theme and everyone comes in costume. I am doing an olde-fashioned Yule type thing complete with some traditional Celtic food, Glogg and Wassail. I make really good Wassail. My decorating theme with be winter wonderland, Father Christmas, Celtic christmas.
The reason I am doing this is because I want to make this gorgeous red velvet gown that is floating around in my head. I will do a princess-seamed Elven type gown in red velvet with the front panel in a beautiful Christmas brocade I saw at Joann's. Then I will also line the inner lower sleeves with the same brocade. I have some trim that I found a couple of years ago that will be perfect! I am so excited I can't wait to get started making the gown, and researching recipes.
Red skies at night....I am going to Costume Con 27 in Baltimore next April/May. The theme is Vampires, Villians and Vixens. I need probably 4 good costumes. I am working on my Anna Valerious from Van Helsing. I also have an idea for my character, Sereg Von Rukcic, she is a Romanian noble lady betrothed to a Transylvanian Lord...hmmmm guess who. I will be doing a wedding gown, nothing really goth, but horrifically elegant. Now I just need a cross-stitch pattern of a bat, not a cartoon bat, but a real bat. My journal pages are smoking from all of the writing and sketches!
Fukai mori (deep forest from Inuyasha) Then there is Anime St. Louis, well actually Kawa Kon (river con). I am hoping to do a panel called "Aren't you too old to be watching cartoons?" (Anime Costuming for the over 40 crowd). The choices are usually kind of limited for older adults, but there are good characters that are recognizable and are not in school girl uniforms. Once you hit a certain age or weight, you cannot pull those costumes off. Two of my costumes are from InuYasha, which happens to be the Anime I watch. I will do Kagome's mom (she has no character name, but is frequently shown) and Kagara, the wind sorceress. Kagara's costume is a stylized Kimono, fans, very Feudal Japanese style. I am researching other older female characters in other Animes, so if anyone has any ideas, let me know.
Inane babble, yeesh that was a long post....thanks for reading.
Garo arad vaer.
Mae
- Location:My computer
- Mood: creative
- Music:The Fixx, Reach the Beach
UGH what an awful game! And to think that I almost spent $200 each for tickets to the game...
Had my friend and her husband over to watch the game. Drank some beer and had BBQ, that I made to celebrate my birthday. Also had cake and ice cream...
Got some very cool gifts, got these
I also got another Elfen Figure called Bilara. They are really cool, lots of detail, love them. the EQ2 is the Collector's Edition in a really cool decorated tin with maps and books, posters, gold coin and an ingame gift of a baby dragon....WOOT!!!I am off tomorrow, yea! I love a 5 day weekend! Been a nice birthday so far, the actual day is tomorrow, so gotta do the Mom and Dad thing, dinner, more cake...UGH not a sweet eater. Maybe I can freeze it....
Mae
- Location:Office
- Mood: full
- Music:SVU on USA and EQ2
Case Study #1...So, here is the story. A male friend of mine, repeat friend, F-R-I-E-N-D, that I have known for some 10+ years recently bemoaned that we had not gotten together in quite awhile. Both of us have busy lives, I work three 12 hour shifts plus call at the hospital and he is a Dixieland/Jazz musician that travels the country and Europe. (There are many reasons for me to have musician stories, one of which is my own dubious past and my friend Chelle (I blame her for many things) and the fact that my parents owned a Jazz nightclub for many years.) Moving right along....inane babble....
Said friend asks me to come over for dinner, he was going to BBQ...no big deal, done the dinner thing before. He says we'll talk, catch up, bring pics of costumes and stuff, he had pics from his travels. Nothing, not ever between us but friendship, nada. Get to his house, we have dinner, enjoy some wine...the next thing I know he is SUCKING on my toes! Hellllllllllooooooo, that is a little intimate, right away I get up, he says come upstairs and take a nap with me. UM let me think about that...NO! I was nice and polite about it though. You know we're friends, don't think that's a good idea.
Well, where once we called and talked to each other, he is not speaking to me. Furthermore, how uncomfortable it is when I go to hear some jazz and he is there and makes it a point to be ugly. PPPFFFFTTTTT...
MEN = DICKS
Case Study #2...Another guy that I have been interested in for some time has always flirted and skirted around the issues. We have gotten together, nothing serious, but I thought we would at the very least, be friendly companions. His ex-girlfriend married some sugar daddy and now has lots of money. A couple of months ago I went to the club where he was playing (GOD, yes another musician...we have common interests what can I say...I like music, I am diversified) which happens to be a club that his ex-girlfriend's hubby owns, well guess what? Where as he always sits with me, dances with me, I am now the plague, he was nowhere near me and acted like he did not even know me. Oh, part of the problem, his ex is actually a friend of mine too.... So I said screw it, I have other things to do and I don't play that game. Haven't seen him in a couple of months.
So now this afternoon went to hear some music, he was playing, oh "love of my life, where have you been, I missed you so much"...BULL SHIT!!!! All sugar and honey and baby this, all over me at the table (oh btw I took my mom with me). Mom said, "What the hell is he trying to do?" Um, let's see...get in my pants? Again, let me think about that....NO!
MEN = DICKS
Enough ranting, I am hormonal. I am not saying I hate men, because I don't...really I don't. Let's just have another martini and call it a day.
Mae
- Mood:
pissed off
More like broken paw...I have several, read that, several stress fractures in my left heel. That would be a direct result of getting lost in the woods at ALEP. Now it hurts like an M-Fer but I would not trade the experience for anything, not even the really cool boot I get to wear that constantly pumps icy air around my heel and foot. (So I get frost bite and my toes fall off, at least there is some pain relief).
The wise doctor, who I really like, says "Rest it, stay off of your feet, wear the boot if you have to walk or stand and use crutches when you ambulate." Uh doc, I am an operating room nurse how do you suggest I scrub an aneurysm on crutches, not exactly sterile, hmmm?
Well, at the very least the drugs are good!
So more later going to play my video game now.
Take care all.
Garo arad vaer,
Mae
- Location:Middle-earth
- Mood: high
- Music:U2
He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood....HMMMMM...Just got back from the Orthopedic Surgeon's office. It would seem that when I got lost in the woods walking over 5 miles in little gold slippers damaged my left foot and heel. I am going for an MRI later today, but it appears that I have a fracture in my subtalor bone (which is where the foot bones and joints, tendons meet the heel bone, the underside arch of your foot area) AND a fracture in my heel itself. LUCKY ME!!
I''ll tumble for you, I'll tumble for you.... (Culture Club) Now this would not have happened had I not broken my heel about 15 years ago during a gymnastics accident. (long story short...my hands were sweaty, I was dismounting, started to slip, pushed off hard, left foot hit the hardwood floor and missed the mat, result= broken heel.) It still pains me from time to time.
Put a pig in the ground, put some beer on ice, cause all my rowdy friends are coming over tonight.....Now this is not the same heel I broke because I was being stupid. That was my right heel. I was at my boss' house for a pool party. Someone triple dog-dared me to go down the slide and NOT spill my drink. Well it was a triple dog-dare, what else could I do? So slammed my heel down to stop myself when I hit the pool, broke my heel. But I never noticed it because A) I had been drinking B) I was wearing stilletto heels, so there was no pressure on my heel. The next morning when the alcohol wore off, it hurt like hell.
I would walk 500 miles...It looks like a hard walking boot and some crutches are in my future. Enough depressing crap.
It's your birthday, we gonna party like it's your birthday....So I turn 45 officially on Monday. All I want to do this weekend is.....NOTHING! But I will have some friends over on Sunday to watch Dallas annilhilate the St. Louis Rams, then we will BBQ. It will be good to be home for the weekend and do nothing.
It's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown....Halloween is fast approaching. I have costumes so no need to rush to make anything. Will probably do the pirate thing, very comfortable, what better way to be a pirate than one with a limp?
Enough inane babble for now. More on costume ideas later, more on the misadventures later AND this weekend I will catch up and post photos from ALEP and Archon.
Garo arad vaer,
Mae
| Michele is in town! |
It has been wayyyyy too long since Michele and I have seen each other since is living in Cali. I have not been to Vegas in a couple of years, so we don't meet there anymore either. Real life sucks sometimes. BUT.....she is in town and staying with me for awhile. I am so excited. We have so much to catch up on that phone calls just don't do justice. After 3 weeks of getting ready for cons and going to cons, it will be nice to chill, drink a little wine and of course have major girl talk. today I am picking her up after her visit with her family for the last week, then we are going to a martini bar to listen to a friend of mine who is a jazz singer. Should be a nice start to a weekend of fun. Going to the hockey game tomorrow night. GO BLUES!! Then everything else is just play it by ear. Now if someone would like to help me clean my house after getting ready for the cons, come on over! Mae |
- Location:Messy house
- Mood: excited
- Music:Poison - Hollyweird
| Open arms |
Ok, so I just got home from Archon this weekend and I had a voicemail from a friend of mine. It seems that my former fiance' has been diagnosed with Stage IV Burkitt's Lymphoma. He has a mass on his spine, his spleen and there are cancer cells in his brain. He is only 42. Even though our relationship ended some 10 years ago, we still remained friendly. We did not see each other but every couple years, but there was no animosity. He truly was an old friend and a small group of us met from time to time to have dinner and drinks. I feel horrible for him. He just got married little more than a year ago and they had not started a family yet. That was something that was very important to him. The prognosis does not sound good. It just breaks my heart, he really is a good person, we just were not meant to be together. He is young only 42. He was starting a new life with a wife, future for children, his life should not be ending. So I was listening to sirius and the song "Open Arms" by Journey was playing, that was our song. I just had a little cry. Man, I feel awful and vulnerable. "I'll say a little prayer for you" I just hope that he does not suffer. Sorry to be so morose, but I just felt the need to babble. Mae |
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