October 7, 2014 by Born To Organize

A Different Kind of Selfie

A selfie is a photo of oneself taken with a smart phone for posting to social media.

This is a different kind of selfie.

It’s soft and full-bodied like me and it closely approximates my size. This selfie, however, is headless.

[cue the horror movie soundtrack]

Introducing my body double:

Dress Form Selfie

While working on a degree in theatre arts, I learned a variety of pattern-making techniques. In the fashion industry, the person making patterns is a pattern maker, however in theatre we’re referred to as cutters. In addition to flat patterns, you can create costumes by draping fabric on a dress form. I fell in love with this technique working summer stock. I draped half a dozen, bias-cut, ball gowns for a scene in the Sound of Music. I’ve lusted after a dress-making form ever since.

The theatrical versions are heavy and I assumed quite pricey.They also come in pre-determined sizes so costume shops have several. Then I found this:

Singer Dress Form Selfie

I looked at several versions on different sites and finally decided upon the Singer. It was on sale for $107, no tax and free shipping. Score!!!

The form has several adjustable dials so you can get a more precise fit. You can adjust the height, the neck and the bust, waist and hips. Most importantly for me, the length. I have a long torso and find it challenging getting the right fit. I’m really having fun with her.

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat. Candy is not my friend. I’m trying to whittle my waistline and develop better eating habits. Please join me in the countdown.

Yesterday I tried downloading several calendars for my countdown. Everyone else makes it look so easy but in my ineptness, I finally gave up. I’ve just re-read yesterdays blog and saw the dangling sentence suggesting as much. Oops. Sorry about that.

I mentioned that I was looking for a candy alternative to give out Halloween night and Pauline had this to say:

Congrats for the ‘so-far-so-good’ score on no candy. And kudos for considering a swap for something else. Not having the foggiest notion of what else might work, I Googled and found this site: Family Education and thought maybe you could offer a bookmark with those pretzels?

Thanks, Pauline. I love that idea, and many of the others featured in the article. If you’re looking for a candy alternative for the door-to-door goblins, please give it a look.

Under-the-sea Costume Updates:

Now that I’ve assembled my form and it accurately reflects my size I’m ready to drape my costume. I’m starting with this peacock patterned dress from The Cancer Society store. I picked it up for $9.

Under the Sea Costume Components

I’ll be layering from here, using the chiffon from the bottom half of a second dress, and making trim from a third dress. I shopped at three different thrift stores and made purchases for a song: two yards of silky aqua fabric for $4, another panel of fabric for $3 and the dress. I spent much less than I would spend in a fabric store, and the money goes to a variety of non-profits.

Pumpkins on Parade:

Special thanks to LB of Life on the Bike for the third suggestion this month. LB says:

Well, you know I’m going to suggest a helmet … bicycle, motorcycle, whatever!
Looking forward to your Halloween blog take over!

Biker Pumpkin

You can read more about pumpkin-dress up month at, NEWS FLASH! Halloween Takes Over Gardening Blog.

If you have any suggestions for ‘pumpkin costume of the day’ please let me know. I’ll see what I can do.

October 6, 2014 by Born To Organize

Our ‘No Fall’ Fall

My Calendar says October but the thermometer says July. We’d normally be enjoying cooler temps by now and the house would be decorated for Halloween. It’s our no-fall, fall.

I thought about decorating every day last week. But when I stepped outside and felt a ‘wall’ of heat, I high-tailed it back inside. Is hot-and-dry the new norm?

Our seasonal average is 76 degrees F or 24C. Instead it’s been in the 90’s F or 34 C for days. What’s especially strange is that the angle of the sun and the behavior of the trees indicates early autumn. I find myself clinging to the ‘old’ normal: moderate temps and perhaps a bit of rain. What do you suppose the scientists will have to say about these changes one hundred years from now? Is the weather turned upside down where you live, too?

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat. I’m enjoying all the things I love about October while continuing to lose the extra pounds. It’s day six and all is well. I’m also reconsidering my Halloween night giveaway. Mini bags of pretzels are another option. I met someone who gives away books for Halloween, but with close to 200 children, ranging in age from 1 to 16, I don’t think I could pull that off. I love that she does, though. I’ll let you know what I come up with.

Under-the-sea Costume Updates:

Though it was blazing hot all weekend, we braved the heat in short spurts to paint. We huddled in the side year in the shade and added layers of blue to the rubberized chest for Mike’s Guardian of the Sea costume.

This is the package photo:

Starter Costume: Perseus

And our color additions:

Transitioning to Sea Guardian

I found a gorgeous button on clearance for $1.87 that I’ll incorporate into the costume:

Awesome button from a clearance rack

My sea gardener costume is still a pile of fabric. Hopefully I can get to it today.

Pumpkins on Parade

Special thanks to Boomdee for the second suggestion this month: a baker. Boomdee says:

I’d like to see a pumpkin dressed as a baker because when I see pumpkins, I see pie……mmmmmm pumpkin pie :D Yum

Catatouille

You can read more about pumpkin-dress up month at, NEWS FLASH! Halloween Takes Over Gardening Blog.

If you have any suggestions for ‘pumpkin costume of the day’ please let me know. I’ll see what I can do.

October 2, 2014 by Born To Organize

My Very Good, Candy-Free, Feeling-loved Day

The Case of the Shrinking Bloggers

What an amazing day. For starters, I woke up to this:

Wishing Dear Alys a Very Happy Birthday !

Here’s something you may not know if you’re new to blogging. You will get to know wonderful friends all over the world. If you’re really lucky, you’ll even meet up with a few of them. Then, if all the good karma you ever saved up is on your side, you’ll become the best of friends. True that, I’ve made a life long friend in Alys. She’s optimistic and generous in spirit, caring and adorable in every way and my biggest cheerleader.

Please help me to wish Alys a Very Happy Birthday and enjoy the high-lights of our get-together’s over the last two years.

You can view the rest of her post and watch the highlight reel at Boomdeeadda.

I wept tears of joy and gratitude as the lovely music and memories played on. Thank you, Boomdee from the bottom of my heart. What a treat!

Lovely birthday wishes in the form of blog comments, texts, greeting cards and Facebook posts have kept me beaming all day. Just five minutes ago the UPS driver arrived with a gorgeous arrangement of flowers from my dear friend Laura. They smell divine.

Stunning and fragrant roses and mums

In the spirit of Halloween, I received a mystery gift with an unsigned card: a lovely pot of lavender hand cream. I’m pretty sure I know the giver, but I’ll confirm with the sender: Lavender Abbey of Carterton, New Zealand. Thank you!

I used to keep quiet about my birthday, but once social media came along, the jig was up. Now I embrace it.

No-Candy Countdown:

Throughout October, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat. I’m going to enjoy all the things I love about October while continuing to lose the extra pounds. It’s day two and I’m in the all clear. We’re celebrating my birthday this evening with a small ice cream cake from Baskin-Robbins. It’s a family tradition. The calendar says fall, but the thermometer says 94 degrees (35C) . Friday’s forecast: 100 degrees.

Under-the-sea Costume Updates:

In addition to carving pumpkins this year, my husband Mike is also dressing up for Halloween party season. I’ll be a sea gardener and he’ll be a guardian of the sea. We purchased the foundation for his costume at Natasha’s Attic. Now it’s my job to make it sea-worthy.

Pumpkins on Parade

Special thanks to my most recent blog follower, Maria Damitz. She tossed out the first suggestion for pumpkin-dress up month on yesterday’s blog, NEWS FLASH! Halloween Takes Over Gardening Blog

Maria said:

You are adorable! I love this blog and love Halloween. We’re doing a pirate theme this year; kind of common, but inspired by friend who is dressing up with family as pirates at Disney World now, so if you could do a pirate pumpkin that would be fun to see. Going to do one or so myself!

Maria, this one’s for you.

Pumpkin Pirate

October 1, 2014 by Born To Organize

NEWS FLASH! Halloween Takes Over Gardening Blog

One of Mike’s carvings: pumpkin campfire

We interrupt this regularly scheduled gardening blog to bring you…Halloween!

You may have noticed a few changes, right off the bat.

Everyone’s welcome, whether you’re dropping by in the present or visiting from your ghostly past… or back from the future. This pumpkin-loving gardener is setting the stage for a spooky month.

First up, what exactly is Halloween? In a recent international Skype session with several of my favorite bloggers we talked a bit about the tradition. The Wikipedia article linked here is both fascinating and extensive with nearly 200 citations. If you have the time, it’s a great read.

Who has time you say?

Point taken.

So, here are a few notes from the site Halloween at the Party Spot

Trick or treating comes from the Middle-Age practice of the poor dressing up in costumes and going around door to door during Hallowmas begging for food or money in exchange for prayers. The food given was often a Soul Cake, which was a small round cake which represented a soul being freed from Purgatory when the cake was eaten.

Halloween is also known by other names:
All Hallows Eve, Samhain, All Hallowtide, The Feast of the Dead, The Day of the Dead

Halloween is recognized as the 3rd biggest party day after New Year’s and Super Bowl Sunday.

Halloween is Oct. 31 – the last day of the Celtic calendar. It actually was a pagan holiday honoring the dead.

Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year.

Halloween is correctly spelt as Hallowe’en.

Halloween is one of the oldest celebrations in the world, dating back over 2000 years to the time of the Celts who lived in Britain.

More than 93 percent of children go trick-or-treating each year. (source: NCA)

Read more at Halloween at the Party Spot.

No-Candy Countdown:

Over the next 31 days, I’m keeping track of the candy I **don’t** eat. I’m going to enjoy all the things I love about October while continuing to lose the extra pounds. I’m feeling virtuous today, mostly because it’s day one. That said, I didn’t have a day-before-binge either so I think I’m on to something.

Under-the-sea Costume Updates:

This year I’m creating a costume from my imagination: an under-the-sea gardener. I’ll share my progress throughout the month. The first party is October 25th.

Thrift Store Finds

I love dressing-up. It was great fun as a child, and the passion continued to adulthood. In my youth I enjoyed sketching dresses and sewing clothes for my dolls. In college I studied costume design and fabrication. I worked as a costume cutter, assistant cutter and stitcher at various theatre companies in my early twenties. Those years are among my most treasured memories.

I drifted out of theatre a few years after graduating college. I lacked the stamina for the transient nature of the work, the mediocre pay, etc. Growing up in poverty lead me to realize that I crave stability. I never lost my love of the art though.

Getting Silly with Our Pumpkins:

If you’re a regular reader, you know all the fuss that went into my pumpkins this summer. If not, you can read about the squash bug debacle here and here. In the end, three survived, each about the size of a cantaloupe. Aren’t they sweet?