Monday, November 12, 2012

Teal and Activism

I'm not exactly thrilled by the results of the recent election, but I'm not devastated either. Part of that consists of my inability to align my core beliefs with 'either' side. I don't believe that there is one side or another to something as complicated as a person's belief, whether spiritual or economical. 

The trouble comes when I feel left out, as though I have no voice because it doesn't belong to 'either' side. I have beliefs. I have ideas. I have a desire to be active and to have influence on the policies that affect me. So what do I do about it? I vote. I encourage other people to vote. I listen to people who have strong views and try to explain my own. But look, I have a blog where I have the chance to express my opinion, so every once in awhile, like on Veterans Day, I'm going to. I don't know that it's activism, but it is something. 

I'm only giving one opinion today because I don't want to overwhelm anyone. 

Ready?

Okay. I believe that people have a right when receiving medical care to know up front the cost of such expenses. I understand that there are going to be unexpected circumstances that require unforeseen fees, but I would like a basic rate so you know what you're getting into. As part of my personal philosophy I'm going to pay for my own medical care if at all possible, so it's important to know whether or not you can pay before you're stuck with a huge bill for something of no use to you and no Christmas. 

Whew! Pretty heavy, I know. Now on to the fun stuff. This week I'm doing the Fall Fashion color challenge and the first color is.....TEAL!
Shade T, teal cords, and this fantastic double sided cloak/roanna, from the museum gift shop in St. Louis--best Monet ever! Oh, and Anthropologie thick belt. This is my hair pre sleek cut. I kind of like it all wild:)

If you want to do the color challenge, Tuesday: Wine, Wednesday: Pumpkin, Thursday: Mustard, Friday: Grey.

Any views that don't align with either political party? Any ideas on how to be an activist in a kind way? I'd love to hear them:)

Friday, November 9, 2012

LBD: Little Brown Dress Challenge

Little Black Dress Contest

I am excited to make the versatile, classic, ageless basic that never goes out of style. Luckily the rules clearly accept dk brown, navy and charcoal, so I'm in! (I do not need another black dress)

Maybe something like this?






Fuzzy pictures but you get the idea. The second one has pockets! I really like pockets. The top one reminds me of this fabulous goddess vintage gown I have in black silk velvet, truly the most luxurious piece of clothing I've ever worn.

Any opinions? Which one would be more suitable for the classic LBD?

I have a link to the fabulous Viviennefiles who styles a LBrownD for the whole year! Brown Dress check it out!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

House of Slide: Doll Edition

I've been working on and off (ok. Mostly off) on this soft sculpture of the uncle in the basement, Saturn, aka Satan, and it's taken me a while to get him mostly right.

Has anyone else been working on something interesting and random?

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Mystery of the Missing Pollbooth

I (ohio shape that is supposed to be a heart but looks nothing like a heart) voting!


So, I had myself a rollicking good voter time this morning. My first error came in wearing a cape. When you wear a cape, expect mysteries. The address of my voting district did not come up on Google Maps. Google Maps does not think it exists, but how many fire stations can there be? So. I searched, collecting clues along the way. 

My first direction was east along the main highway, narrowly dodging mowers and large trucks carrying large trucks carrying various decomposing debris that looked vaguely steampunk. After ten miles of highway, I turned, decidedly in the other direction. (It was still early enough to be decided) 

After traveling off the beaten track, long meandering trails, I found a fire station, but without any noticeable traffic. No go. This was about half an hour into my meandering. I stopped at the gas station where the nice lady at the counter had no idea what I was talking about. I sincerely doubt she's ever seen anyone wear a cape in real life. She looked a bit stunned, but it might have been the pants. I digress. 
The nice cowboys drinking their coffee gave me a lot of advice, very helpfully, and I was off again, noting that one of them had a particularly nice feather in the front of his hat. Might have to put a feather in something sometime soon. 

I found the voting station! At last! My heart pounded blissfully as I pulled into a high school parking lot, followed the multitude of neat signs and through the door, the slightly creepy basement cafeteria into the bright polling room. 

Unfortunately, It wasn't the right polling destination because I live on the wrong side of the highway. Everyone in the place gave me helpful advice, including people actually voting. I had so many options, I left the place reeling, overwhelmed, undernourished and with a distinct sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach, or it might have been starvation because I left before breakfast. Nancy Drew would have had an emergency snack. Sigh. 

Off again, tired, weary, beaten but not broken. I drove the same highway again, searching the hilltops for that elusive fire station. Nothing for miles and miles. I turned again, driving the same path, then happened to see a small, barely noticeable POLLING sign. I missed the turn, but with hope, I made my way back, followed the drive in spite of no other sign in sight, then into a parking lot and lo and behold! THE MISSING POLLBOOTH!!! 

I'm Nancy Drew after all! Now I'm going to bed. 




Saturday, November 3, 2012

November, outfit post and donate to Sandy

Hello. I feel silly blogging when there's stuff to do, real stuff like unbury people's houses and find missing cats, but since I'm in Ohio, I'll blog instead.

Red Cross to donate, or set up a blood drive.

Salvation Army to donate. They do a lot of good providing water, clothes, etc.

LDS Philanthropies to donate. I'm a bit embarrassed to know nothing about this because I'm affiliated. Oh well.

So, November, outfit post is below. Here's the tale to accompany such a sweet suit.

I decided that we're going to be hikers. I don't know why I picked the end of autumn to establish ourselves as outdoorsy types. Dow Map So, we picked a lake, and off we went, after four, and I wore that outfit, the one below because if I was going to hike, I was going to look like Nancy Drew. It had been raining all morning, but did that stop me? Oh no. I looked like Nancy Drew. Would rain stop Nancy Drew? (minus the motorcycle pants. My motorcycle pants were made and designed by me a mixture of baby cord and sweatshirt fabric, best of all worlds) I even made annoying comments several times about how we wouldn't melt.

So, we took a trail, lakeview, because if you go to a lake, you should check out the view. It was a lovely view. It stopped raining and most of the mud was covered with slick leaves so the only mud I got on my pants was from the baby who escaped and ran into the mud (of course). The trail was 3.3 miles, a bit of a hike for newcomers to the sport with a five year old atomizer in tow, but we could do it.  We were led by Nancy Drew! We trailed all those fingers, and we were nearly at the end, hurray because it was getting a little bit dusky, and we had to get home and hot chocolate. The kids were amazing hikers, most of the time.

Unfortunately.

I didn't actually look at a map (like Nancy Drew would have done) because I'm not actually Nancy Drew, even if I stole her outfit. It turns out that the trail around the lake only goes to the beach. Oh dear. With darkness coming on us, the cold wind picking up it was crisis time. My darling, excellent husband rescued us. He raced back along the trail, sliding down ravines, dashing up slopes, all to get to the van in the nick of near black. Whew! It was a carried by angels moment, although his ankles still hurt. Poor thing. My ankles feel great, of course. I wasn't running. I was crammed into the open sewage bathroom with my darlings.

My riding boots were beautiful and functional, as was my wool riding coat, and the fedora. Isn't it amazing how functional can be perfectly gorgeous?

November is for textures