July 27th, 2009 | 3 Comments »

I’m a fan of bangs… again. Seems that bangs come in and out of my life like the ebb and flow of the tide, like the waxing and waning of the moon, like something else poetic and pithy.

Sometimes bangs work, sometimes they don’t and I am the victim of a ‘bang intervention.’ Sometimes they were permed and pressed and teased, sometimes they are awkwardly short (or dreadfully long and dusting one’s eyelashes) and sometimes, friends, sometimes they were shorn by someone of ill experience. Yes, I’ve botched my own bang trim in the attempt to achieve something ‘pixie’ and ended up with a mess, but I was in college at the time and both confident as well as poor… but now I am referring to the “MOM CUT.”

Going through photos at my grandmother’s recently I stumbled across this one. I noticed the bangs straight away.

“Uh, Mom, did you happen to cut my hair as a child?”

to which she responded: “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Er, no reason in particular.”

Exhibit A:

bangs1

Like one inch of hair across my forhead, lopsided and what is that little dangling ‘chad’ thing on the left? Me thinks she missed a spot.

She didn’t get much better with time either.

Exhibit B:

bangs21

I think she had a problem with the left side, what is that?

In her defense, I think she studied bang trimming in the school of her mother.

Exhibit C:

bangs3

The prosecution rests. It would seem my mother executed the bang trim MUCH much better hers did so all is forgiven. But it would also appear that the left side was problematic to all.

Now what did we learn today? Unless professionally trained to do so, do not, I repeat DO NOT trim one’s own hair or that of a small, vulnerable child.

Fortunately, my hairdresser gives out free bang trims between visits to avoid just such a catastrophe.

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June 16th, 2009 | 4 Comments »

Le geek, C’est chic.

Take me to your leader.

Take me to your leader.

It was my birthday yesterday. We had a cookout on Sunday with an alien theme, I went as a vulcan (sort of) and Jeff was Men in Black.  He grilled in a full suit for effect, THAT is dedication.

My galaxy defender.

My galaxy defender.

There were a lot of these:

And these:

And this:

And green cupcakes:

By the time it was all said and done I was covered in water, bbq sauce, green icing, bubble goo and unidentifiable schmootz. In short it was a perfect day. Thanks for everyone who came bearing offspring to make 32 extra special!

(See all the photos HERE.)

June 7th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

I have neglected the old blog, and I’m sorry. Mostly I’m sorry, but I’m also pretty happy and busy in a good way. I’m still doing my thing, but between the new job and the new lease on life (focusing on taking care  of myself, working out a lot, reading, etc.) I”m tapped out. I’m currently reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (an early b-day gift from Jeff) it is a hysterical melding of two of my favorite things- Jane Austen books and zombie lore. I’m a freak, I know it.

So, here are some highlights from the past month.

Early in May I took a mental health day and visited Babs, we rode our bikes at the Chattahoochee River Park, turtles were basking in the sun on river rocks and the honeysuckle was blooming and it smelled awesome. We ate Mexican food and had pedicures. In short, it was a perfect day.

I started another lace shawl (because I’m a masochist) and at this rate it will literally  take me a hundred years to finish it, but I like the challenge. I knit without life lines and with a ‘close enough’ approach to lace that would probably have most knitters cursing and ripping, ripping, ripping. I’d rather the product be flawed and my sanity intact rather than focus too much on perfection. Is that crazy? The pattern is Muir, and FREE on knitty. The yarn is pretty and I’m so scattered I can’t find the label, so I just call it “Wool Awesomeness Gifted to me by the Lovely Claudia“. (the colors are much deeper than in this crappy photo.)

I saw the new Star Trek Movie with these crazy people:

Even if you weren’t a huge fan, it was still an awesome movie. I’m not sure there is anything else coming out this summer that I am really stoked about…

I hung out a lot with this guy:

And last week I did a “favor” for Miss Foxy by posing for a wicked cool picture for her. Sure I had to bounce on a trampoline in my underwear  at night while Jeff blew bubbles at me, but what are friends for? It is such a CHORE having a mega-talented artist take your photo… (that was sarcasm, did you catch it?)

fox-gradin-in-flight-iii

My summer is off with a bang. Hopefully there are more fun things that I’ll be able to write and I’ll have the time to post more frequently.

May 6th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

To continue with the Mother-themed posts for Mother’s Day week, here is a fantastic photo of my mother from the recent photo shoot with my mother and grandmother courtesy of Fox at Celestial Photography (her photos of us are so awesome, more to follow on that later.)

momma

One look at this face and suddenly, I get the feeling that I’ve missed curfew. Or I forgot to unload the dishwasher or mow the lawn (tee hee.)

She obviously doesn’t approve of something… Foxy, what DID you say to her that made her shoot you “the look.”

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May 5th, 2009 | 3 Comments »

Fun Fact Number 1:

Mycurrent vehicle was purchased from an actual old lady and I like to drive it slowly anywhere I need to go. (I also will make 3 right turns to avoid turning left on a busy road or intersection, a point on which I was busted on just this very weekend by my man. He was very amused.)

Fun Fact Number 2:

THIS is one of my best friends:

Fun Fact Number 3:

I have cats. Errr, several, in fact.

Fun Fact Number 4:

I like to knit. If I were not employed, everything in the house would be donning some sort of ‘cozy’.

Fun Fact Number 5:

I listen to Neil Diamond (and I know all the words.) I sing Neil’s songs with wild abandon and without a care in the world nor any notice of the fact that I lack any discernible musical skill. (Love you, Neil.)

neil

Fun Fact Number 6:

I have a leopard print trench coat.

And I wear it.

Fun Fact Number 7:

I scare/surprise ridiculously easily. (Not sure that I should have shared that one.) I also side-seat drive like A LOT and make various noises of displeasure when Jeff makes vehicular maneuvers that aren’t the least bit old-ladyish.

Fun Fact Number 8:

I like to cook/bake and entertain with the primary purpose of feeding crowds of people, and when they are finished, I thrust more food upon them when they are already full. (Kind of exactly like this lady.)

Fun Fact Number 9:

I have *sob* gray hairs.

Fun Fact Number 10:

I like this song (and the new commercial that goes with it) quite a bit:

When I grow up, I want to be an Old Woman

In honor of Mother’s Day Week, go call or squeeze an old woman today. If you don’t have one, let me know, you can borrow one of mine- but I want her back in just as good or better condition I lent her.

UPDATE: I forgot my most interesting embarrassing LOL (little ol’ lady) factoid! I love infomercials and often buy things ‘as seen on tv.’ (Usually after a sleepless drunken night.) I’d love to have a Ronco Electric Food Dehydrator. I do so adore my Magic Bullet blender/drink maker. Admit it, you’d love to own a Sham Wow. You know you would. I’m pretty much Billy May’s bitch or, at least, I’d like to be.

My most recent items to come into my possession include: Not one but TWO Topsy Turvy Tomato Trees (Jeff got them for me for Easter. The plants are positively THRIVING, so more on the Topsy phenomenon to follow this summer!) A set of hair Bumpits (also working, so far, today) and the Smooth Away hair removal system -which Jeff says is just sandpaper that I could buy at Home Depot for a quarter and that I’m essentially sanding my arm hair and a layer of skin off in the delicate ‘removal’ process and that is why there is some slight “stinging” and mild skin irritation. I told him the infomercial says that it is ‘exfoliating’ for a nice smooth, hair free surface. The jury is still out.

April 15th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Ever irrecoverably lost luggage on an airline?  Well, apparently, there is this person that collects lost luggage, photographs its contents, places it on a website and tries to find its owner.

Down to each pair of panties and stray sock or flip flop.

Sort of a nasty little hobby, albeit one with seemingly altruistic intentions.

Check it out HERE.

April 7th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

My grandpa stumbled across this online:

krolldiner

Don’t get too excited, it is all the way in North Dakota. So it sparked this online discussion and reminiscence about his family, how good the women were at the cooking and all that great stuff they made in the kitchen and how he wouldn’t be surprised one bit if the origins of this diner weren’t from kinfolk of ours. So I looked them up. And found their menu (maybe this is where I get my deep love and admiration for rootbeer floats?) I also found this lady:

krolldiner01

Wait just a minute. You know, she does sort of look like my Dida:

Read the rest of this entry »

February 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »

I had some very lovely models for the sketch group on Friday.

She sat still for a whole 10 minute pose. Way to go baby girl with your first paying modeling gig!

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February 20th, 2009 | 2 Comments »

When you knit something for someone and they send you pictures of it in use and fully appreciated. Makes you all warm and tingly inside.

babs-feet-2

Pedicure socks for Barbara that I wanted to give her, oh, in December, but didn’t finish until Sunday. I dyed the yarn my own self using kool aid. I was sick at the time and the color combination that resulted was reminiscent of regurgitated sherbet. So I call the colorway Sherbet Spew- from me to you (Oh, and with love.)

Glad she liked them!

February 16th, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Went to Rockabilly night at the Masquerade on Saturday… the best part is we started at a diner (dinner for two $10) and then entry was $5 each- so it was really, really cheap… and special.  I got all dolled up:

We had fun. See?

Hope everyone had a Happy VD!