long hair

Item 14 from my 101in1001 project list was to "grow my hair out (until at least December 2009)." December has come and gone, and my hair is finally getting long enough to start to do the styles I like. Not that I'm actually wearing my hair out in the updos I come up with, but I at least have started experimenting.

I took this picture on my iPhone, then cropped it in PS Mobile. I then used the "Magazine" filter in CameraBag and emailed it to flickr. Technology is fun.

February in review.

I have so many things I want to write about that I get overwhelmed and only do summaries. I guess that's better than nothing. What did February bring...

Traumatic first solo
Oh jeeze. For the midterm for my college singing class I had to sing, in front of people, with just a piano accompanying me, for the very first time. It went about as well as my first public speaking: traumatic.

Victorian Corsetry Class
I took a three-Friday Victorian corsetry class taught by Carol Wood (who is a great instructor!) offered by Lacis Museum in Berkeley. We made the Laughing Moon Dore Corset. I still have to do my binding, and then I will post pictures. (Really! I will!)

New Machine
For valentines day, Rob bought me a gorgeous new Bernina Fashionista sewing machine! (link may expire)

Companions
Whisper [the horse] is awesome. He's always awesome. MorganCat the diabetic cat is FAT (she was emaciated a few months ago) and Toothless the Dragon from the "How to Train your Dragon" previews is totally a smart version of the PandiCat. *wink*

Sewing class
My new sewing machine came with a two-part "get to know your machine" class. I learned all kinds of nifty things it can do and was totally cackling with glee.

Waltz and Polka
After my Fridays were freed up we went to Friday Night Waltz for another round of rotary waltz. We're getting there!

Bike Academy
Way back in November we bought new road bikes. A couple of friends from REI had taken the Almaden Cycle Touring Club Academy Bike Driving course and highly recommended it. Rob and I excitedly signed up for it, only to learn it wouldn't be offered again until February. February came around and we attended our first class last week and had a great time. I'm really looking forward to riding around with Rob and feeling comfortable on my bike.

Not-so-Traumatic second "solo"
I participated a recital with my music instructor's students. Barbara, my instructor, quietly accompanied me during my song, so I would fee confident (and erase the memory of the previous experience). It went great! I was positively giddy at the end. Rob was feeling yucky after having his wisdom teeth out, so I he'll have to see me sing next time.

inspiration

What's inspiring me this month:

Blog: Gertie's Blog for Better Sewing
I think I have blog envy. She's stylish, a great writer, and sews fabulous clothes.

Blog: The Selfish Seamstress
I wish I had her
mad sewing and blogging skillz
but I can haiku

Blog: Lower Your Presser Foot
I can't believe how amazing everything she sews looks! Her self-sewn clothing is nicer than what most people around here buy for work.

Book: Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified
After reading the chapter on copying ready-to-wear I was inspired me to make my own gown for the Edwardian Ball by copying something I already had.

Blog: Weekend Designer
I'm not sure how I came across this blog, but I wish I'd found it when the writer was still updating it. I suppose I'll enjoy the new one, Bag n'Tell. Weekend Designer is about pattern drafting, which I find fascinating. My dad and grandfather used to draft diagrams of machines on huge tables (before autocad), so maybe that's part of it. I have quite a hoard of Simplicity patterns that I'm pretty sure I can use to "Frankenstein" together almost anything I'd like to make, but the power to make up your own designs, and copy ready-to-wear items you love, is pretty awesome.

Mp3: Just Like Heaven (2006 Remastered LP Version)
I made myself an itunes genius playlist based on this song, and I can't stop listening to it!

January, or "better late than never"

Wow, it's already the middle of February! Time does fly when you are having fun. My neck/shoulder pain has diminished, but my waistline is greatly enhanced. Jeeze, you'd think 10 lbs extra and lost muscle tone wouldn't be so obvious! Luckily I have some activities coming up that should help re-arrange my flab.

In January:

We refinanced our house!! Our house appraised at 96% of what we paid for it. Not too shabby in this market.

I got to take Whisper to the cross country course at Twin Rivers in Paso Robles. I grew up in Paso, so it was very cool to get to go back and ride my horse there. I have a longer write-up queued up, so I'll just say: Whisper was awesome, as usual.

Rob and I had a great time at Friday Night Waltz. We take the beginners waltz class, and it was awesome to find that the gentleman who frequently teaches the class is the same man who polka-ed up and down the streets of Dickens Fair with Rob. So. Freaking. Awesome.

We attended the Edwardian Ball in San Francisco on the 23rd. Rob wore his fabulous new Victorian costume (a frock coat was still in style at the beginning of the period) and I wore a 1920's gown inspired by "The Fatal Lozenge" by Edward Gorey (the ball also honors Edward Gorey). I have a post queued for this, also.

I finished another sewing project! The gown for the ball. Did I mention I finished something?

I finally received my Christmas present: a Uniquely You Dress Form. Well, I'd initially ordered a pair of boots, but they didn't fit, and it takes two weeks for the company to ship the forms, so I don't know why I said "finally..."

I'm taking a few classes at the the community college on singing and music. It's nice to get out and see people, and I've always loved learning.

Now I want to write the February update...

I sewed something (way back in October!)

Wow, here's an old entry I forgot to post!

I finally finished a sewing project. It wasn't either of the the projects I've been talking about forever. But it was my very own Halloween costume, and it turned out great!

I dressed up as my avatar for the RockBand music video game. I figured that had to scare the crap out of someone. I used Simplicity 2657 (View C) with some cotton polka-dot quilting fabric. I really love the pattern. I cut a size 16, but I had to do a pretty large dart in the bodice, and I didn't put a zipper in because it fit fine over my head without it, which makes me think I might want to try a 14 next time. The lining was just more than I could handle, slippery fabric is still too advanced for me. I also chopped 5 inches off the hem length (I could have gone even shorter, but I think I might be able to wear the dress again at this length).

It seems that either Minni Mouse or Betty Boop were the inspiration for my Rockband Avatar.

quick december update.

I still have a pinched nerve. And it still hurts to sit. I've just re-arranged my computer desk to see if I can make it more comfortable, and so that I can write here.

December

• I think it might have been in November that Rob got a new car. A VW Tiguan with all the bells and whistles (leather, navigation system, all-wheel drive). We'd been looking at the Audi A5 for months, but weren't super-crazy about the size or the ipod integration. The Tiguan really is very smart, proving again that I am Volkswagen's marketing demographic. This is the third VW I've bought from Sunnyvale Volkswagen. Love those guys.
• I quit my job at REI. I love the company and my fellow employees, but I was just so bored. Three years in one department is hard on a person, especially when it's as stimulating as footwear. I was a little worried that I would be bored or lonely, but January is working out to be very busy!
• My car wasn't as horrifically expensive to fix as they thought it would be. Just a cracked flex hose to my power steering (which, thankfully, didn't have to be replaced), and a loose plate underneath and $900.00 later...
• We had Christmas with my Dad at my sister Natalie and her boyfriend Floyd's place in Ventura. It was a very nice day, totally worth the ten hours of driving. I hope we get to see a lot more of them in the future. I still need to send Floyd my favorite cooking blog links.
• Whisper got a child for xmas! I'm leasing Whisper, my horse, out to a very nice young lady twice a week. My riding coach found her for us, and we were able to "give" her a "pony" for xmas. How awesome is that?
• Morgan the sixteen-year-old diabetic cat finally had a bunch of teeth removed.
• I registered for Costume College!
• We recieved a signed copy of Ad Hoc at Home in the SND pirate gift exchange! We cooked the roast chicken out of it for new year's eve. The Baker's edge brownie pan (which Kevin did manage to snag, as I'd hoped) and The French Chef we contributed to the exchange went over very well.
• We had a very mellow New Years with Kate and Nathan and Smead. We ate yummy food and played rockband. And I managed to mostly avoid a migraine.

January

• Going back to school! Yes, I'm taking two music classes at De Anza Junior College. I decided the last week of December, and classes started on January 4th, so I'm lucky I was able to add!
• Music and Singing classes, private Singing lessons, dressage and jumping lessons, and sewing classes, oh my!
• Tomorrow we are taking the horses to school over cross country in Paso Robles at the Twin Rivers horse park. I practically hang out the window and drool every time we drive past it, and I finally get to go!

Life is good.

hrmph.

Dear blog,

Happy New Year! I've missed you.

I have been neglecting you because my arm hurts whenever I sit at the computer. It's getting better, but I'm still avoiding using the computer for fear of making my arm hurt worse. I have all kinds of fun things to update about: how my 101in1001 list is coming along, cooking and sewing projects, singing, the cats, my riding, etc. But I can't seem to sit for the time I need to compose a halfway interesting post.

Perhaps I will be able to work on this in the next week or two.

See you soon!