Seems Fishy to Me...

Brandon and Kaylie are going to be in Uintah High School's production of The Little Mermaid.

They are in the ensemble, and they've been rehearsing almost every night since school started up after the holidays. (Which reminds me that I never posted any of our Christmas stuff. Maybe I'll still get around to that.)

Anyway, as one of the "Drama Mamas," I signed up to be on the costume crew. And now I am in charge of designing and making eight dance costumes—they are to be big, glamorous, and look like fish. (The director, Mr. Piner, doesn't want them to look like dance costumes; they are to look like fish.)  I imagine something Las Vegas-y. Fun! So I've spent a lot of time looking at pictures of tropical fish, and some Broadway costumes too.

They've already ordered unitards to build the costumes on, in blue, orange, yellow, and silver (shiny, metallic). Here are some of the fish I've been looking at:

I love this one, but it needs to be yellow and purple . . .

. . . like this. I think I know how to do it, but will it end up looking more like a weird rooster than a fish?

This fish is awesome! I haven't illustrated the costume yet (or any of them), but I think I know how to build it.

I also know how to do this one.

And there's got to be a way of creating that cool, ruffly fin.
(I may have an idea for that too.)

And I've got to incorporate these scales into one of them:

These scales!
If you want to see why I love them so much, watch the first part of this clip.

I'll have a small team—two other Mamas—working with me. They seem happy enough to let me design :-)  and they will help sew. One of them says she's more into industrial stuff than fabrics, so she may have ideas for headpieces and fins that will stand out (literally).

Sadly for you, I can't show you pictures of the costumes until after the play, which is running March 14th thru the 19th. Tickets are $8 each if you buy them in advance from Brandon or Kaylie. ($10 at the door.) Please buy them from Brandon or Kaylie! The show will be well worth it—and the costumes will be spectacular! ;-)

A Hairy Question

I shaved my legs yesterday.

The first time I ever shaved my legs I was about twelve years old—maybe thirteen. I was getting ready to go to a church activity and I noticed that the hair on my legs was longer and thicker than it ever had been. Eew!  I wondered if I could disguise it by wearing panty-hose (which, yes, I had already started wearing at the ripe, old age of thirteen or so), but my sheer stockings just made the hair look darker instead of hiding it. About the time I was making that discovery, Melanie came in to see what was taking me so long to get ready. So I let her look at my hairy legs, asked her about the panty-hose thing, and she just walked out of the room and brought me back her electric razor. I was a little afraid that maybe I'd be doing something naughty; maybe I should get my mom's permission first. But, dang! I had this embarrassing fur sprouting out of my legs, and I was about to don a cute, knee-length dress and go hang out with my peers. It was time to live dangerously!

Once I started, there was no turning back. It was only a week or two before I progressed to using one of my dad's razors and shaving cream. Then, within a month of that first shaving experience, I noticed another horror: I was in my ballet class, wearing a tank leotard, standing croisse derriere, upstage leg tendu back, arms fifth-high—which looks like this:

And as LeAnn came around to inspect our poses, was I thinking about whether my arms were placed just right, or whether my tummy was pulled up? No. I was noticing this faint new shadow under my arms where none had been before, and I was mortified, and I wondered if anyone else had noticed it. And I knew I'd have to dive into the next phase of this habit.

Of course, first I practiced shaving my legs left-handed so I knew I'd be able to safely shave under my right arm. And it all went so smoothly.  And that was it. I've been shaving once a week ever since then.

Except for lately. With the popularity of maxi skirts, I have gotten a little lazy. Then, last week, when I mentioned to Bruce that I needed to shave, he asked, "Why? Why do women shave, anyway?"

Hm. I don't know. I do have friends who exult in their maxi skirts which hide their legs and make them feel like they don't need to shave. My sister once told me that she never wanted to shave again—unless she was going swimming. And once I read a magazine article that basically said only single women shave regularly; if a married woman shaves you can be sure she's expecting—or has just had—a romp with her husband.

But if it comes right down to it, I actually like to shave; I like to be clean-shaven. I love the feel of my super-satiny-smooth legs. (I really like to rub my freshly-shaved legs against each other before I get out of the shower, too; it feels awesome. Weird?)  I like that my B.O. doesn't have those little fibers to trap it and hug it next to me. And shaved legs feel awesome in my new bamboo sheets, too! But mostly—now this is just me, so if some 1970's bra-burning feminist is out there reading this, don't get up in arms—mostly I like to shave because I feel good when I do; it makes me feel feminine. Yes, I feel girly, and ready to be dressed up, and prettier when I shave my legs.

Anyway, I shaved my legs yesterday, and I thought about all of this, and I wondered: Why do women shave? (Other women, who are not me.) And how frequently? Because I am nosy like that. So satisfy my curiosity; post a comment on this blog (you can even do it anonymously!). Or answer the poll in the side-bar.  Because I just wonder . . .

What to Write?

I want to write. I like to write. I like keeping my blog.
But I am as stuck for ideas now as I was when Bruce first suggested that I start a blog and I ended up writing about the laundry.

If you were me, what would you write about?
If you were you, what would you want to hear from me?

2015 Christmas List

Every year, as the end of November approaches and I sit down to make up my wish list, I'll  try to remember the things I saw throughout the year that I "really, really wanted." Well, I guess I must not want them quite as much as I thought, because I always have a hard time remembering them when it's time to post the list. So this year I started in June. I decided that every time I thought of something I'd like to have, I would come to my blog and write it down.

I know, Kim—my Christmas timing has just dropped to a whole new level of impropriety in your book.  If it makes you feel better, know that my misdeeds stem from boredom—or from avoiding work. (Which might just put me on the "naughty" list.)

And since I am indulging in shameless behavior anyway, and since I happen to know that Bruce is trying to decide what to get for me, I'm going to post the list before Thanksgiving.  ;-)  Santa can do what he will with that declaration.

Well, first of all, there's still the Zenker Handle-It Springform With Glass Bottom. I've been wanting this pan for a while. (I think the first time it showed up on my list was in 2008––except I'd been asking for the Frieling pan. But on further examination I see the Frieling is only two inches deep, while the Zenker is 2.9-inches. Available at Amazon.)

A non-breakable, digital candy thermometer. (This seems like a good one.) I am just brutal on candy thermometers (which is surprising, because I don't make candy all that often). This would actually be nice to have before Christmas. Maybe just a few days after Thanksgiving.

Choosing Civility. (Amazon) An excellent book. I'd also like everyone to read it and take it to heart. ;-)



Other books. Just for fun reading.

Good, new, current Family Pictures. 

And clothes (for the whole family) to wear for the photo session.

In fact, just pretty clothes. Or, rather, clothes that make me feel pretty. :-)

I could use a decent serger.

I recently discovered that there all kinds of attachments for my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I'm particularly interested in the fruit and vegetable strainer, the juicer, the meat/nut grinder, and the pasta roller, but there are lots of really cool ones. (And you can get pretty good deals on them on ebay.) Or another flat mixer paddle, a dough hook, and a whisk for my mixer. Those would be cool too.  :-)

The Reader's Digest Family Songbook (1969).

I grew up playing the piano and singing out of this
book with my family; it's a little cheesy, maybe, but you know...
(Available used and new ( ! ) on Amazon.)

There are probably some movies I'd like. In fact, here's one: Around the World in 80 Days on dvd. Not the old David Niven one, and certainly not the one with Jackie Chan. I want the one that was made as a TV miniseries in the 80s. (You may now pass judgment on my taste, if you'd like. Available at Walmart.)



I'd also like Great Expectations (2012)

(the one with Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham and Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch).








I want some Tangerine Orange Saran Doll Hair (four short hanks of it). This is George, my all-time, very most favoritest doll who I played with almost daily from the time I was about six until I was ten or eleven or so:

As you can see, he was very well-loved and often played with. I've kept him all this time—I even remade his outfit when I was about thirteen or so (you can tell I didn't really know what I was doing if you look, but I can remake that now, too). And all this time I have wanted to give him a makeover—at least fix his hair and eyelashes. I thought I'd have to buy him a wig, but you can't find doll wigs in that bright, carrot orange, or in a simple little boy style for that matter. But recently I discovered DollyHair, where I can get the stuff I need to entirely re-root his hair (and instructions to do it). It would be so fun to make George look all better!

A roll of white bulletin-board paper (to use for pattern-making, and which teachers can get at a discount!).

Well, despite starting a list in June, I don't think it's a much longer list than I've made in other years. Mostly I just want to have fun with my family for Christmas. That is the best!

Opinions, Please. ASAP

I am determined to get a family photo before Brandon goes on a mission. I know, I know . . . I still have a few months.  But we didn't get one done before Jason left and I was sure that we'd never have our whole family together again for years, so I'm taking advantage of everyone being here now. Which makes Thanksgiving weekend the time to do the photos. Yay!

But it's coming up quick, and I'll need to come up with clothes for all of us. I was already planning to make this dress for Kaylie:

from "The Dagged Edge" collection, by Loralee

And since I'm making one of my own designs for Kaylie, I thought I'd also make this outfit for Lindsey:

The Dagged Edge collection

And I'm going to use these fabrics for Kaylie's and Lindsey's outfits (the top two swatches):

top left— embossed denim; top right—burnt orange ITY,
bottom left—tan oxford (cotton);
bottom right—navy stretch lace over cream

I was also already planning to make a dress for Rachel with the lace—fitted bodice, fullish skirt, elbow-length sleeves (the swatch on the bottom right).

Michael thinks I should make these shirts for all the guys:

Aww. Aren't Michael and Jason cute?

If I did make the shirts I'd make the collars contrasting, but not the tops of the pockets. And I would make them of the light-colored fabric on the bottom left of the swatches, with the contrasting collars matching the girls' colors.

SO, Here are the big questions:
* What do you think of the colors together? (In particular, do you think the denim and the navy lace will look OK in a grouping together?)
* Do you think that if all the guys' shirts are the same color, the photos will be overwhelmed by that color? 
* Or do you think it will be OK since it will be mixed in with the colors the girls are wearing? 
* Do you even like that shirt design?
* And how on earth should I dress Jessica and myself? (I'm thinking that if there's any of the lace left after I finish Rachel's dress, then maybe I should pull it in again with Jessica's outfit. ?)

Let me know what you think. Really! :-)  And soon, because if I do the men's shirts I'll need to order the fabric NOW. So give me your opinion ASAP.  :-)