Weekend Randomness and Awesomeness

I had to get up early to win some eyeshadow on Ebay..  Sounds terrible, and was.  No auction should end at 4:53am PST.  Jesse actually set an alarm, pulled up the auction, and woke me up 3 minutes prior to close, to see if I wanted to bid.  So, I won (because I have Jesse, and because nobody else in would consider stalking Ebay at 4am, according to Jesse) and there's going to be some very bright green (Lucky Green) Mac eye stuff coming to my house this week.

I have been fascinated by YouTube makeup tutorials, to the point where my right eyeball 'area' is nearly out of comission - I had put tape across the corner of my eye, but the tape YouTube chicks use must not be my CVS bulk special, cause the tape came off, the glue didn't, and a lot of rubbing later, I have a pretty raw eyeball 'area'.  Fail.  More makeup experiments are postponed till eyeball heals, which works out, since Ebay shadow due to arrive later in week.  I think I got close:

Purple eyeshadow on my eyebrow?  Yep, all planned.  It's part of the look.

Ok, so may be I failed a little.  At the end, when I saw it wasn't really matching the tutorial, I got a little desperate and just started using up all the bright colors and stuff that glittered that I had.  I have been washing my face with nothing but water for months, and finally, I had reason to use up a gallon of those 'free with purchase' Lancome makeup removers.  But, check out that line at the outer corner.  Tape, my friends.    

Anyway. Since I was already up hideously early, and giraffy and I had Farmers Market plans, Jess and I scrambled to the gym for a mini 1.5 mile run/crawl.  Not something I'll likely repeat.   I prefer to gym in the evening, and promptly pass out.  Walking around ALL day, with tired, wobbly legs is stupid.  Despite what Jesse says about being energized, or whatever.  He used to run before work.  If, for some reason, I found myself running before work (rabid squirrel attack in the parking lot, or something) I'd call in sick.  We've been training pretty regularly for an upcoming 5k, but this morning gym stuff is madness.  

1.55 miles = 160 calories.  Not even a Twix bar.  Sigh.  So much pain.  So little gain.  Double sigh.  

Farmers Market was as magical as giraffy had advertised it.  Few things are worth getting out of bed for before 10, but giant beets are.  Especially when coupled with mini rum cakes, Russian tea cookies,  and garlic and herb goat cheese that I can just eat with a spoon.  Their vegetables and fruits were amazing, with larger sample selection that Costco (win!) and super cheap prices.  I don't know what I pay at Vons for three sickly, scabby beets, but I got 3 awesome, giant ones, for $2.  Giraffy also picked up some golden beets, and I'm awaiting to see what she does with them and how it goes.   Her future cooking experiments aside, it's pretty awesome to go with a friend for all the 'one for $6, or 2 for $10' deals.  Hello, goat cheese, at a dollar discount.

I wanted to get a bunch of the sweet pea bunches, fill a bathtub with them, and lay in it all day.  I think it's the smell.  There were lots of flowers.  Pretty flowers, that smelled liked flowers, and so cheap.  Bunches, and arrangements.  I asked the guy's phone number, so I have it when time comes to decorate my after wedding party.   May be I can arrange for a bathtub of sweet peas.

After the market, we were supposed to plant a vegetable garden of some sort, but giraffy panicked last minute and realized she had no plan, and it's unwise to go throw cash about Lowe's with no plan, especially when you have a track record of ruthless planticide.   Instead, we lounged by the pool, got sunburned, and talked about diligently murdering plants and obsessive Ebay bidding behaviors, both of which we share.  And Crocs.  It appears we all.  Love.  Crocs.

To make the most of today, and since my legs gave out, and I was only into stationary activities, I was really hoping to finish sewing a Vogue 8552 dress I have going, all cut out and everything.    (I love the giant pockets!) 

But it turns out I lost all but the French version of the instructions.  My knowledge of French is very casual and has nothing to do with things like "seam" or "hem", and  I considered going forward, but I have seen me mess up enough plan English directions, so I headed to JoAnn's for a duplicate, which they didn't have.  But.  I found, going through a box that had not yet been unpacked, while Jesse muttered stuff about "rules" and "employees only", a Butterick's re-release that I'd been looking for, since summer, the 4790:  

It's called the "Walkaway Dress", and it was so popular when it came out first (as #6015), that production of all patterns was halted to fill backorders on this one.  Apparently, you can start this dress after breakfast, and walk away to lunch in it.  I will test this tomorrow and update.   Since I had to put away the pre-cut 8552, due to to foreign directions and all.  

Meanwhile, and to crown the awesomeness of today, Jesse has been looking for a steamer, the type that smoothes out wool suits, not the vegetable type.  His new job is all about suits, and he's picked up some beautiful suits and sport coats, that he likes..  steamed?  When stuff we need comes up, as a hobby and habit we rarely run out and get it, we add it to a mental list of things to look out for while thrifting.  If that fails, we try Ebay, or Craigslist, and if that fails, we discuss our retail options.  We had just talked about how we hadn't seen one out and about, when the Salvation Army by JoAnns had this parked in the corner:

It was brand new, dusty, but still with plastic stickers covering surfaces, and it was the Storewide 30% off Saturday, so it came out to $8.  Which is a good thing, because I read some reviews online, and the consensus seems to be, its awesome, until it dies after a couple years.  But, if Jesse gets to get steamy with his jackets for a couple years and not dry clean stuff as often, it's worth $8.  The 2 year countdown begins, I guess.  Ha.

Backtracking.. Life's Repair

The weekend is coming up, and my weekends have been full of awesomeness, that I'm completely behind on capturing.  My best friend came out to visit (for the second time ever) from Chicago, on March 17th.  (THAT is how far behind I am on awesomeness).

I think this about captures it all:

Laguna Beach.  Sun.  Taking a Friday off.  My best friend of, like, 15 years, ever since I asked her if I could copy her math homework in high school.  

She has an awesome camera, that I now want.  DS..something.  Nikon.  Last week I wanted Droid, but I'm over it.  I totally want a cool camera again.  (You know, the one that has potential for really awesome pictures, if you know how to use it, which I won't, but I want it anyway).  So we took pictures.  Frolicked in the water.  Did it again Saturday.  

 I forgot to take a picture of our totally awesome matching tatoos.  H + J, forever, with a Cricky and Igget.  She's Cricky.  I'm Igget.  One is an iguana (an obsession of mine) and the other is a cricket (an obsession of her, if you will..)

I wanted an iguana, so bad, my whole life.  And, once, in Petsmart, they had them, just beautiful, with these little tiny green claws, and perfect little pointy nails, and beady little eyes and snouts.  I was in love. 

My mom wasn't having any of it, none at all, so I was on the phone, just crying my eyes out about unfairness of life, when Heidi promised that she would get me an iguana, for my 20th birthday.  (Which seemed like AGES away).  20 years came along, and we were rooming together at college, and didn't really have enough money to feed ourselves, let alone lizards, so, the pact was amended - I was really looking fwd to this, after all - 25th birthday.  This is like, 11-12 years of patient waiting. 

On my 25th birthday, I get a call..  Did I know iguana's grow to be, like a junior dinosaur size?  No, sure didn't.. 
Did I know they tend to me mean for life?  Kinda.  I heard this, but figured mine would be different, even though a friend had one that bit him all the time. 
Not so much said the shop guy.  I guess, they get so many iguanas back, that he was reluctant to sell them, to anyone but the most avid lizard afficionados.  Which, I am.  But, I consider my specialty the little 10cm lizards.  Anything over this size, I start to doubt my abilities.  And the idea of watching TV next to a 100 lb lizard cooled me off significantly.  So, may be when I'm 35.  I'm hoping a friendly iguana strain is bred in time for my birthday.

She took my car and went to San Diego, and took pictures of things I haven't even seen, having lived in SoCal for 5 years now.  Oops.  Like the lizard sculpture above. 

I wish my camera took pictures like this.  Sigh. 

But, mostly, we did a lot of beach strolling, in Laguna.  Jesse and I 'found' this little beach when we were reception beach house hunting.  We almost decided on this cliff house:

It was pretty cool.  And, cheaper than a state beach affair.  It's perched on this cool rock, and below it is the 'secret' little beach. Well, we thought it was secret, cause it looked that way in February.  But, come March adn the sun, turns out a lot of people found their way to it, as well. 

The water at this beach was super rough. 

And, despite my best college efforts, Heidi, apparently STILL can't swim.  I really, can't imagine.  I tried so hard.  I mean.  She grew up in Philippines.  It's, like, all island-y.   Way to not plan for apocalypse.  So, she's not actually happy in any of the photos I took, but I'm not picky about the subject's moods.  Color photoshop work is all her. 

Meanwhile, I tried my best, Victoria Secret Beach Shoot pose ..

I don't look nearly as playboy bunny-ish as I'd hoped.  I also had to keep my bandaged, blender-accident-mutilated middle finger up and above the water, so that was part of the problem.   I really hope she has a better one in the batch that she's saving and framing for a surprise birthday gift.  Meanwhile, more lizards, or close up of the above lizards, in case you didn't consider them enough: 

I miss her..  Stupid Chicago.  Sigh.  She named the Spring Break photo album on Facebook "Life's Repair".  I hope she got well rested and recharged before going back to the cold, the ick, and the med school madness. 

Nora, the Duct Tape Scarecrow Replacement

Months of stalking have paid off, and I now have me a dress form.  I was just about to try and wrap myself in duct tape again (it took months to work up the nerve), and now I can delay that indefinately. 

Ta-Da!!

I mean, it doesn't have gargoyle feet.  This was a little disappointing.  But, it matches my measurements nicely (I'll have to pad the butt-ips area..) And, it was $30, which, to date, is the best deal.  I considered  driving 60 miles to get a questionable $40 off of Craigslist.  Debbie's Dumpster were finally going to sell me theirs for $90.  No, thanks..  This one is much better, even!

Jesse and I had frolicked a relaxed, unmapped trail of garage sales this weekend - i.e. - he drives towards the beach and I make him pull over at every green, pink, or yellow piece of paper tacked to a light post, and our favorite junk shops.  In San Clemente, there's the Pac Rat, a little thrift shop ran by a husband and wife.  They have really cool dresses and suits, the wife picks her stuff carefully, so no junk.  I've gotten some shelves from them, and she once called me about some teacups she found, because she remembered I'm into that sort of thing.   It's not the $3 price tags I am accustomed to, courtesy of G-Marts, but their stuff is nice, and the husband likes to make deals.

Once there was a pretty vintagy red motorcycle Jesse had to drag me off.  I didn't wanna hear that it was too big for me.  It was shiny, dammit.  Anyway.  Pac Rat, had not one, but 3 dress forms.  They were using them as displays, until I undressed and inspected each one.  There was a vintage Wolf one, cast iron base and everything, and a newer reproduction of same, without base though.  I coulda probably negotiated Wolf for $80-ish, (he said $100) but  I skipped home with the newer one, for $30.

Jesse spent larger part of the evening mutilating a lamp I was supposed to Craigslist (procrastination DOES pay off) and making a stand for Nora II.  A couple of ugly "mallot + drill + handful of screws + lamp on a sidewalk outside" episodes later, he did so well, it doesn't even wobble. 

One of these days I'll spray paint the cage and the stand black, and separate gargoyle feet may turn up at some point, you never know.   I think I will also take a paint brush to her, she is clearly in need of some body art.   I'm taking ideas. 

FINALLY, I won't have to try on my hideous creations, and try to swim my way into and out of a half stitched top with 80 pins threatening my various body bits.  I mean:

It's hard to look cool wearing raggedy bits of almost clothing. (I was cutting off and reattaching the sleeves and taking in sides of a sweater that I thought would be cute to buy in XL to wear "camping".)  There are PINS in that there sleeve, people.  And I always have to ask Jesse to leave what he's doing and capture the madness on film.  No more. 

Also, she models clothing, so I have FINALLY, put up some stuff on Ebay, from my "Not a Size 4 Anymore Collection".   I had taken some pictures on the original Nora, let's revisit:

This, by the way, is Nora's most flattering angle.  Ignore the crushed right boob.   Even without scary boobs (but featuring my hand, since, Nora #1 was not a free standing creature), and with my snazzy carpet, a 70's special clearance rack my landlord is very fond of.

Vs-

I mean, night and day, right?  I am glad I procrastinated (again, see, it really works) and didn't put up all the Ebay auctions.  I'm certain Nora II is going to fetch at least .50c extra, you watch.  The only trick is that, since Nora II is my size, my smaller clothing doesn't really fit (all skirts are unzipped), and Nora I was a collapsible deal (not on purpose, it just was messed up like that) so I could potentially stuff her into stuff a little easier.  But once so stuffed, it wasn't very flattering (reference the crushed boobs) anyway.

As a matter of fact, anything worth picture taking that can be draped or hung, will now be featured on Nora II.  Like, this serape blanket I got in NorCal few weeks back:

And this outfit I picked up last weekend, at the Boutique (Salvation Army - The Boutique).  That's actually what it's called, and not a fancy decoy name I made up, like G-Mart for Goodwill.  Hereafter, all Salvation Army stores = Boutique.  You've been warned. 

I continually see 27 year olds in SoCal that look much cooler than me, and I can't quite pin point why.  Then I see pictures of stuff I pick out, and it becomes pretty clear.  Jesse helped construct the first outfit, finding a long sleeved shirt while I fumbled with dress buckles in fitting room, because that's the kind of Boutique White Horse-d Knight he is.  But, notice how the grandma dress on Nora instantly looks heaps more cool than the grandma dress hanging on a hanger off my track lighting.  Right??

Sarah's Paintings

I met Sarah on a ThumperTalk.com Girls Weekend party 3 years ago.  She was my age, rode a bike by herself, just like me, [meaning, without a boyfriend/mechanic] and by the end of the weekend she invited me over to her house for next weekend, to ride. 

I remember thinking how cool her house was, she had all these paintings, tapestries, and handmade things.  It turned out we had everything in common.  She paints with acrylics - so do I!  She sews - so do I!  She makes her own jewelry - I always want to! She cooks - I cook!  She likes colored socks, sculpey clay, shiny things - the list never ends.  By themselves, lots of these things are common, but she also rode a dirt bike. 

Few years later, we both picked ourselves up a boyfriend/mechanic (ha!) off the internet, but we still ride together whenever possible.  We spent the weekend at her house up in Palmdale, CA, where she rents a giant house with tons of wall space (for same amount Jesse and I rent a 2 bedroom, but I'm not bitter or anything.)  I love that her walls are all hung with her paintings.  (Kinda like my house, except, I have, like, 3 walls, all full.. but, still, not bitter or anything).

I've told her about Etsy, but she says she doesn't ever want to sell her paintings.  She paints what makes her happy and gives a lot away as presents, or, in my case, when asked.  :D  So I ran around her house, taking pictures and putting in orders. 

I am all types of behind on my bloggy, I was actually gonna post these last week, but I stuck my camera card into my makeup case, and since there's no reason for SD cards to be anywhere near eyeshadow, I had a hard time finding it until an occasion for bright green eye shadow came up.

She (like me!) likes awesome colors and awesome sunsets.  We've sat at campfires, looking at sunsets, talking about how cool they'd look painted and hung on our walls. 

A lot of the stuff is inspired by trips and travels and cool places.  I like that it probably reminds her of trips she took, more than a photo album on a bookshelf.  And it reminds me that it'd be cool to make some photo albums.  If I am too keep all my trip pictures in Picasa, really, what's the point.. 

I liked the "little ball paintings" so much she gave me one. 

Here's the one I got:

I like it in my living room, it goes nicely with the bright yellow wall, bright pink chairs, and green curtains. 

There are also some abstract fun ones, on occasion featuring pieces of glass or other decorative stuff glued on. 

 

Of course, dirtbikes must be involved..  This one was a litle risque, so it is currently housed in a closet, but it makes me giggle every time I see it. 

And, one of my favorites, inspired by a trip to India and their art:

I think she should paint me one.  I'd have to get rid of some furniture to make walls space, but Jesse's pretty used to moving stuff around when a Feng Shui mood hits me.  (Read: when I unexpectedly drag home yet another 'piece')

I personally don't like Koi fish, they are like oversized gold fish, and not anywhere near as cool as sharks or squid, (or awesome Batwing Fish that grace a certain chick's forearm..) and nonethelss get a lot of exposure in art and, puzzling-ly, tattoos..  but the painted ones look cool.  

Few years ago, I picked this one out of her closet: 

When she gets tired of them, she stashes them away, (or if they feature naked body parts that we aren't sure are OK to display large scale over a dinner table).  Sometimes, she repaints over them, or adds stuff to the existing painting.   I acquired a giant elephant painting, from the pile of stuff to be painted over. 

Tragically, as an elephant sized picture, there's only space in garage, but I am working on it.  That and a giant old picture frame (which Jesse argued could NEVER fit in the truck, and had to be proven wrong) straight from Connecticut.  She doesn't like the look of framed canvas, and I do.  Especially with frames that spent some 50 years hanging out in an old Connecticut attick.  Win!