About Me

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Writer. Aspiring Pinup. Journalist. Liberal. Hippopotamus. Dancer. Fashionista. Makeup Junkie. Risk taker. Seamstress. Photographer. Hoarder. Music Addict. Incurable Optimist. Shoe Collector. Tree-hugger. Feminist. Listener. accident prone. Mad Men watcher. Sailor without the mouth.
Showing posts with label wizard of oz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wizard of oz. Show all posts

Saturday, May 14, 2011

10 is the Lamest Number

Anybody remember this post? Where I was sooo motivated and absulutely positive thinking that I'd have soooo much stuff sewed and finished over spring break and everyone would oooo and aaah over my accomplishments!?!?
Yea well turns out I did actually go places and have responsibilities over spring break and this is all that I got finished:
1. Took in XL sweater/blouse. (I love the color and sleeve length, will probably save until it gets warmer)
2. Took in Tshirt. (I HATE oversized T's, I prefer fitted.)
3. Made a random headband out of extra material from this skirt. (When I'm bored I always make headbands, and yet I never wear them. Seriously, never.)
4. Had an old Dr. Seuss TShirt I loved but it always fit weird, so now it's a beach tote.
5. Hem came loose from my favorite Marilyn TShirt, fixed it.
6. Took in my Penguin TShirt
7. Took in My Wizard of Oz TShirt
8. Had to fix the sweetheart neckline on this dress
9. Took in this striped blouse
10. Took in this XL Beatles TShirt:
I was really surprised to see how little I had done in a full week's time, I mean, I sewed other things, almost finished another dress, but because I didn't finish it it doesn't really count... This was mostly my, "get the easy stuff out of the way so you can focus on awesome stuff" sewing week.
Maybe I'm being hard on myself. I've been really hard on myself all week to be honest with you. I have lots of feelings of guilt lately. At first I was guilty because Buddy had died and I couldn't help him. Then I was miserable, and felt guilty because I wanted the grieving proces to end, I didn't want to feel so awful. Then I felt guilty for being able to go to school and do my finals, basically felt guilty for being able to focus on anything besides him. It's been almost a week now and I feel guilty for those moments where I forget that he's gone. I feel guilty for being able to enjoy things.

I feel guilty that it took his death for me to appreciate what I have, and even more guilty that Penny only has me to sleep next to now.
I know I should stop feeling this way. Feeling guilty won't bring him back, or make missing him any easier.
I should just be happy that I got to be the proud owner of such a wonderful dog for so many years.

I watched "My Dog Skip" last night.
I always loved it as a kid because it's set in the 40's and all the outfits are so cute.
(screencaps by me)

But that's not why I watched it last night.


When Buddy was dying and I was sitting with him, all I could say to him was "Please don't die." In that moment I remembered the movie that I hadn't seen in years. The part where Skip is sick and Willie pleads with him not to die, and he lives. I wanted Buddy to live. I wanted him to pick his head up and keep on going.

When my dad and I were burying him out by the tree in our backyard, a different part of the movie popped in my head. *SPOILER ALERT*

The part that ends the movie, when Willie goes off to college and finds out that Skip died. The quote so beautiful I couldn't help but find comfort in it, astounded that I had remembered it after so many years.

"I recieved a trans-atlantic call one day.
"Skip died", Daddy said.

He and my mama wrapped him in my baseball jacket.
They buried him out under the elm tree, they said.
That wasn't totally true.
For he really lay buried in my heart."


Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Pay No Attention to the Hippo Behind the Curtain

:D I've been awarded for my ultimate brilliance in the blogging world!
Heehee.. I'm kidding, Kerry over at My Orange Stilettos (who is a fellow journalist and AMAZING dresser) gave me the award, which entails me to reveal 7 things people may not know about me!
I've actually been wanting to do a post about my Bucketlist, so I'm going to go ahead and shake things up a bit by sharing with you seven of the about 45 things on the list I want to do before I die.

(In no particular order of course:)

* Get On Pointe *

I've been doing ballet for less than a year, so I've got QUITE a ways to go, but I've always been really good at learning things with enough practice. Starting ballet was such a wake up call to how I treat my body. I was stretching muscles I didn't know I had, eating differently because I needed the energy and lightness, and changing my attitude about how athletic I really needed to be. I'm definitely not saying I was overweight or anything like that, I just didn't have the flexibility and strength I do now. The only strength I did have was in my feet and toes, which I attribute to wearing heels all the time. I remember the first time my teacher referred to me as a dancer, and told me with enough hard work, she could see me getting on pointe, it was such a rush! There's this drive I have now that I didn't have before and I want to use that to get on pointe someday, someday soon.

*Go to Every Beach in California*

I've lived in California my whole life. In fact, the farthest I've ever been away was the Hoover Dam, and even that doesn't really count because It was after a quick trip to Las Vegas. I hear people talk about moving to other states, or even just going to other states for college and I always think to myself, I could never do that. I complain about it alot, but I really do love the weather we get! I could never ever ever live somewhere else. Other countries and states seem lovely to visit but, for me at least, that's about it. I think my greatest reason is because of how in love I am with the Pacific Ocean. I swear to goodness, whenever the random question comes up of "If you could have any super power what would it be?" I always answer, "To be able to breathe underwater, so I could be like a mermaid but keep my legs." The first time my parents ever took me to the beach my mom said I was her little fish, because even after I was pruney and my lips had turned purple from being so cold, I still didn't want to get out of the water. Someday I want to be able to say I've visited that beautiful ocean from every point on the California coast, and I really think I will.

* Meet Jimmy Fallon *
Ok so this is a random one just for giggles, but seriously, I have a HUGE crush on Jimmy Fallon. (Yes I know he's married and too old for me but.. whatever!) He's sooooo funny. Ever since I was a little kid, if I had a crush on you it was because you were funny. He's just SO lovable, his personality is so fantastic. I love that he's able to laugh at himself, and never takes his humor too far. I read an article about him when he was on the front page of Rolling Stone and I just fell even more in love with his personality. Oh, and he's Irish. Always a plus in my book. I just wanna meet him!

* Chase a Tornado *


I've never really found the right explanation for this one. Maybe it was because the first time I saw the Wizard of Oz I watched Twister the same night.... I have no idea what it is but Tornados absolutely fascinate me. California has never been known for it's tornadoes, we've got earthquakes to deal with (even though in my 19 years of life I've never felt one. Lame!) so I don't even remotely know what makes them so amazing to me. I guess it could be the fact that I am a complete adrenaline junkie, or maybe because I am fascinated with how powerful the world is, and despite all of our advances we've made as a civilization, we are always at it's mercy. This post by one of my favorite bloggers ever is exactly how I think I would feel if I ever did get the chance to experience one. I assure you the read won't disappoint.

* Stay Somewhere Haunted *

For a while I truly believed my 84 year old house was haunted. My things would move around, I'd hear noises at night, I was convinced that something other worldly was happening. No, I wasn't a kid, this was a few months ago when I was watching Ghost Hunters nonstop and Paranormal Activity scenes kept flashing in my brain. Laugh if you want, but if YOUR house was built in 1927 you'd consider it too! (There are actually some reeeally old houses in my area, just down the street there's a house that, story goes, an old Japanese woman lived there, but in the1940s she was removed from her home to an internment camp, and died before she could move back. They say she haunts her old house but idk, it's just a story) I'm really proud of my crumbling old house, even if it does need a new coat of paint and more closet space. But I know my house isn't haunted, and that's fantastic, but I do someday want to stay in one of those crazy old haunted houses that gets turned into a hotel for tourists who want to feel freaked out on Halloween. I wanna be one of those lame tourists!

* Restore a Classic Car By Myself *

The earliest memories I have of my childhood are all set in the back of a 1966 Chevrolet Impala. The big heavy metal seat buckle and black leather seats used to burn like crazy in the Bakersfield summer, so much so that my mom used to put damp towels on the seats so we wouldn't be too uncomfortable. I remember all the streets we couldn't go down because the car rode too low to go over the speed bumps, and in a car that shook whenever you went over 50mph, the freeway was out of the question. But we put up with it, because that was part of it's charm.
We could have had a minivan or some other vehicle, but that wasn't really us. We've always been a car family, always got looked at when we drove down the street. My dad was always working on something, every weekend, oily hands and a sweaty brow. My mother was no stranger to the mechanics of it all either, always aware of everything happening under the hood of the car she'd trust would keep her and her children safe. As knowledgeable as they are, I'm always really bitter they let me stay inside playing with Polly pockets when all of this was happening. I'm not totally useless, I mean, if a classic car drives by I can usually tell the year and model and all that, it's just the mechanics of it all that I want to understand. I want to be one of those girls who looks good siting on the hood but knows exactly whats going on underneath it. I adore my parents, because they're the reason I get all excited when I hear the sound of an engine purr, but someday I do want to be able to own my 1950 Ford Shoebox and never have to take it in to a mechanic.

*Run away With the Circus/ Learn to Tightrope Walk*

Ok so this is my last one, and yes, it's really random. I LOVE THE CIRCUS. Not circuses of today, but old timey, 1930's type circuses, with their air of magic and mystery. (Think, "Water for Elephants", or 1939's "Freaks") I (of course) would do a burlesque bit in the freak show, next to the bearded lady and double-headed snake. And while the chances of me joining a traveling circus in the 1930s is pretty great, if that somehow does seem to fall through, I want to at least learn how to tightrope walk. With the balance of a ballerina and super strong feet, I feel like it could totally be possible.

Thank you so much again to Kerry, this post was really fun to write and I hope you all feel like you know just a little bit more about me! (Pictures with me in them are my own, the tornado pic is from Aura Joon, and everything else was googled)