Friday, October 30, 2009

Barbie Pictures

I found my camera! Please excuse the poor photography, I was taking these of myself.
Here's a shot of me with some of my coworkers, Pirate Tami and Lil' Red.

Hair shots:
Notice the bow? I really think I had this 20 years ago.

My awesome extensions. Second favorite thing (lashes being the first) about my costume.

The Bling:
The huge stone from Ken

The roughly made Barbie type ring I made

Necklace and earrings I made

Accesories:

Horribly painful plastic shoes

Wrist tag - to help those who don't realize instantly I'm Barbie. I painstakingly made this detail last night.

And, finally, the lashes. So pretty. So over the top.

I told Tim that I was planning to start wearing fake lashes. They just make you feel so fancy!
Happy Halloween everyone!

Being Barbie

I couldn't find my digital camera and left my cell phone at home, so one of my coworkers took this for me. There will (hopefully) be more pictures this afternoon.

This is the completed Barbie costume...a long time in the making. It consists of:

The clothes:
Pink plastic shoes
Pink and salmon prom dress
Cardigan with garish flower pinned to it

The makeup:
Blue and purple eyeshadow (blue on the inside, purple on the outside just like Barbie)
Hot pink lipstick
Fake lashes (hopefully I'll have a closeup for you later, these are awesome)
Lots of blush
Hot pink nail polish

The accessories:
Hot pink beaded choker
Hot pink beaded bracelet
Hot pink beaded ring
Hot pink beaded earrings
Huge plastic diamond ring
Wrist tag with Barbie trademark
Blonde wig
Purple and pink hair extension
Hot pink polyester hair bow

Put it all together and voila! Barbie

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I'm doing my Christmas dreaming a little early this year

and every year for that matter. Here's some items I found on Etsy that I would love to decorate with this season.

Let's start with this super cool vintage dish towel in the style of Eames.

Vintage Eames Era Christmas Towel Santa Reindeer 1955 MINT Pink Black Gilt from callmejasper. I love all the detail.
This little guy reminds me of one of my favorite scenes from Elf. I would like him to be mine.
Nels the Narwhal by skunkboycreatures
Up next is this dainty lady, who would perfectly match my Mr. Reindeer from last year.
vintage reindeer ornament from rwalsh111

I love decorating with the less popular items (ie - Reindeer, Gingerbread and Penguins as opposed to snowmen and Santa - though they do have their place.) So, I think these cute vintage gingerbread men would fit right in.
Vintage Ayers Ceramic Painted Gingerbread Man and Woman from MyGrandmasAttic

These two are a match made in holiday heaven.
Mr. and Mrs. Eulie Penguin by skunkboycreatures


And, when you come to my house you'll need a place to rest your steaming cup of spiced cider. There is a great selection at robotcandy, and naturally I want them all, but this one is far and wide my favorite.
Reindeer Sleigh Christmas Coaster by robotcandy
That's a little of what I love. As always, click the picture to be taken to the item (to buy it for me for Christmas, of course.)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Giveaway!

Looking for some serious crafting goods? Enter this giveaway to win a bunch of loot.

Hilarious

Because I'm a dork I was looking through the New Moon stills and thought this picture was awesome.

I love that you can tell exactly what's going on. It's pretty much just what I pictured when I read that scene. Except that no one looks like I think they should, but whatever...

Monday, October 26, 2009

Christmas Movies

I've decided I'm going to start watching a Christmas movie (or what I consider to be a Christmas movie) once a week until the season is over (and has started...heh...I'm an early bird). I inadvertently started on Saturday while Tim was playing disc golf with the boys.


So, without further ado...


Why it's a Christmas movie -

Yes, most of the movie takes place in January on a boat. Then again in July. And some of the time in between. But it ends on Christmas. How we know this: There is a decorated tree. The words "Merry Christmas" are exchanged. There is a Christmas banquet.

Reasons I love it -

Cary Grant

Music

I go through an entire range of emotions watching this: Happiness, bitterness, sadness, frustration, more sadness, discontent, happiness.

Few cringeworthy moments (lets be honest, the songs she makes those kids sing are terrible.)

To me, this is the perfect movie to watch with the lady relatives on Thanksgiving while the guys are playing cards. A great way to usher in the season. Tune in next week for another great movie!

Wishing...

It's another wet dreary day. I wish that I could be wearing pajamas, wrapped in a blanket, sitting by a roaring fire, drinking hot cocoa reading a book. A really good book. Like Pride and Prejudice or something equally wonderful (Harry Potter is another contender ;) ). Then I would be warm and snuggly all the way through, and the reading would turn into a nap and I would wake up warm and rested and comfy. That's what I would like to be doing right now. Yep.

Friday, October 23, 2009

The Girl I Mean to be...

...on halloween.


While contemplating my costume I took a walk down memory lane...meet the Barbie's I played with growing up. These were the favorites of my (vast) collection:
My first Barbie was given to me by my Grandma in Maryland. It was Dream Date PJ, in 1983.
She was lovely. Her skirt twisted into all sorts of different styles.
Then came Astronaut Barbie, complete with helmet!
No Barbie collection is complete without Barbie and the Rockers. I loved the huge plastic earrings.My first Skipper - before she "matured". I remember that roll up towel really well, I didn't realize it came with her.
Sorry this is sideways, I can't make it turn. The is the Heart family. You can't really tell from the picture in the corner, but Midge had the option of being pregnant. She had a hard plastic removable belly that a baby fit in. Just click it on to her otherwise unrealistically thin waste and she's ready to pop!Here's the same concept sold alone. I think I may have had her too.
Anway, these are the dolls I remember best. Did you have any of them?

Cupcakes and Cocoa

Last night I made some box cupcakes when I got home, but with a twist. I put half the batter in the cups, then added a caramel and poured the rest of the batter on. In retrospect, I should have baked the batter a little and then put the caramel in because it sunk straight to the bottom and created gooey deliciousness under the cupcake. But it was delicious, and a fun tweak on a classic. We washed it down this some hot chocolate and peppermint shnapps, oh man. So good.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

What I wore...

...for my interview.

I like this outfit a lot. As for the interview itself, it went well, but it was just for a placement agency, so I won't know if anything will come of it. I'm sure hoping it will though!

I need to know...


Do you like these boots? I have a $20 off coupon to DSW, and these are tempting me, but I'm hoping for confirmation that they're not silly looking.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Thoughts on Grief

A dear friend of mine just lost her brother unexpectedly. I remember a time when I wouldn't have been able to relate to this, but in the past (almost) three years I've come to know the weight of grief, how it gnaws at your thoughts and your stomach simeltaneously, how it strikes when you're least expecting, and how you never truly get over it. The world wants us to cope. Just pretend nothing is wrong for as long as you can, and then do whatever you need to to "deal" with the pain.

As believers we have an option so much better than coping. We can hope. We understand a little bit about the grace of God. We know that His hand is in this. He's orchestrated the whole event, for reasons we can't understand, to ends we can't understand. We find hope in the assurance of salvation, the promise of Heaven - a land infinitely better than anything we can imagine, and in knowing that death is not the end.

It seems like almost instantly after my mom went Home I panicked over what our relationship would be in Heaven. I was terrified (this sounds horrible, but understand the state I was in) that when we arrive in Heaven we're so captivated by Jesus that we don't care about who's around us. I followed this line of reasoning to the determination that if this is true, then essentially I would never see my mom again. That, although we would be sharing the same Home, we wouldn't be interested in each other. This was a thought I couldn't bear. So, I began my research. I pulled out my heavy concordance and searched the Scriptures for references to Heaven. I read parts of Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven. One of my mom's friends had sent it to her a few weeks before she passed. And I found comfort. Scripture does point to relationships in Heaven. Yes, we will be captivated by Jesus, naturally, but it is a citizenship. A world that will work similar to ours, but perfected. Looking at the garden of Eden, the world the way God intended, a world without sin, there was communion between God and man and communion between man and man. My biggest fear has been alleviated by studying God's Word, and the works of men who follow Him.

Another thing I came to realize was that my mom's death was not about me. I wandered for a time thinking, "Why did I have to lose my mom?" It took me a longer amount of time that I would like to admit to recognize that this wasn't done to punish me or something of that sort. Yes, as a bi-product I was affected completely. And I don't mean to say that God didn't/doesn't intend to teach me through it, but ultimately God took my mom because it was time for her to join Him. She'd suffered so much for so long. I've only really learned how extreme her suffering was in the past few years. God was ready to take her pain away. To give her a new body, whole and beautiful, not crippled and broken. She'd spent her life trying to help people know and love God, and it was time for her to have her reward.

I don't know if this makes sense, or if anyone will read it, but this is what I've been thinking about the past few days. Pray for my friend and her family, that they will have comfort and know the Lord in a new way through this. I'll leave you with this:

1 Corinthians 15-
50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”55 “O death, where is your victory?O death, where is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Fun with Papa and Mitsuki!

Last weekend I got to play with dad and Mitsuki. I headed over to "Papa's" house and the festivities began.

We started the evening with a photo shoot. You may notice Mitsuki didn't really feel like cooperating. Closed eyes, fingers on camera...whatever worked.









I thought this one was cute.

Then we played Hide and Seek, which was a lot of fun. Mitsuki would wander past my hiding spot and I'd make some sort of noise to help him on the way. He'd stop in his tracks and say "Huh?" He's so cute.
Then we headed to Bellevue to visit Tim at work. Mitsuki hadn't seen Tim in awhile, so he really clung to him.

Then it was home to go to bed. He slept the whole way back in the car, but when I laid him down he complained that he needed to brush his teeth, but we didn't have a toothbrush for him. So, we did the next logical thing - let him stay up. We watched cartoons while he drank milk - then upon tasting it (it was soy milk) he asked for water instead. He told me, "Well, it's not very good milk." Then he asked for toast with butter and sugar, which Papa fixed him. Tim and Chie came in just as he was licking the last of the sugar from his fingers. Hopefully that didn't keep him from sleeping when he got home.

He's the cutest. I like that kid.

Driving under the rainbow

We have had some wild weather here in the last week or so, and as it happened, I drove home from work the other day under a double rainbow. Here's some pictures I snapped while stopped at lights.