Myssi the Good Witch

Myssi the Good Witch, originally uploaded by v8grrl.

Off to work... :)

Dead Mouse? Deadmau5...it's all Halloween to Me

Some of you have seen this costume I have been working on for Ilin, I have been posting my tortuous updates on facebook. It has been a hard one, but only because I have never thought of trying anything like it before.  Now that I have done it, I can think of all kind of masks I could make.  Next year I am going to try the creatures from "Where the Wild Things Are" ...or maybe a big Stewie (Family Guy) head.

Here's the short version of how he came together.

It all started with a 24 inch hamster plastic ball.  We cut the neck hole, made ears with metal strapping and foam, then spray glued the foam on the plastic ball.

We made our first mistake here:

We put the screen for the mouth on at this point!  NOOOO

we should have done that last.

After that we got the super stretchy velvet from Hancock Fabric. (7.25/yard got 2 yards)

covered ears, then started head.  this was very difficult.  Had never done such a thing.

Learned after the fact , again that if I had done it in 2 pieces, starting at upper lip, up and done just half the sphere at a time it would have been better.

Next time.

Pins Pins and more pins, 

tears tears and more tears....

this took me about 7 hours.  I spray glued as I went.

it sucked

By the time Jon Stewart was on. I had this.

the next hard part was the lip.  It MUST have a lip (from what the 13 year old was barking at me)  It's no good and considered crap if it has no lip.

So, we had to cut a piece of fun foam and put it where the lip is and try to streeeeetch the fabric over it.  I had to hand stitch it to the screen.

Now, it I hadn't put the screen in it would have been much easier.

At this point, the kid did the eyes with the styrofoam balls hollowed out and little LED lights with battery back.

Almost done!!! I have to finish up around the ears and the that is it!  Not perfect, but good.

The kid said I can wear it on Friday night when I go out. 

here's the original:

It's huge...3 feet+ ear span!

I gotta get some rest, Halloween is killing me.

xo,

M

Halloween, you got my goat.

I'm taking a few minutes to eat my oatmeal before I start in on Ilin's costume.  I need the fiber, because this costume has my ass in a knot. I have to figure out how to get the fabric on the big head....It's actually baffling me.  

I helped him do the foam on the head and sliced the end of my finger off, leaving a trail of blood behind.  At that point I wanted to throw the big head thing on the floor and yell, "that's it!!! I'm done!"  but I didn't.  I got a bandaide and continued on, silently cursing the entire family and the holiday, in my head.

Halloween has alway been one of my favorite holidays, but after having children it has become a chore...you parents know what I mean...right?  It can't possibly just be me!  I mean between the costumes and the fall festivals I want to curl up in a ball and hide.

Olive brought home a piece of paper from school asking for more stuff from us for their "classroom" party.

"Mamoo...can you make MORE cupcakes?  PLEEEEEASE"  

no

"PLEEEEEASE"

I said, no.

"PLEEEEAAASSSSSSSE?"

Let those other lazy ass mom's do something, I refuse and I don't care.

***pout pout***

Olive, I'll send a bag of carrots.  How's that?

"Ok, Mamoo.  I guess veggies are on the list"

good

Fall Festival , Princess Leia

You know I have never been much of a Star Wars fan so when the request came for the Princess Leia costume I was a little bummed.... I know every girl wants to be a Princess, so why not Leia? I found a hair pattern on Ravelry and said thank the Gods there is someone more inspired than I am.

So, after a 13 hour night shift I came home to bake cupcakes for the Fall Festival, add the finishing touches to Leia and off we went.

aren't they cute?   

cuter than they taste, I'm sure.

and now introducing  P. L.

 I love this one  :)

I almost have everyones outfits in order, except for me.

Ilin is next in line, he wants to be 

Deadmou5

(he's a DJ...don't worry I didn't know either)

Halloween is fun if you start early enough.

I do want to tell you, I was a bit bummed that the costumes which won at her school costume contest were store bought.

kind of a bummer.

oh well.

Off to take the teenager to a Gorillaz concert. 

should be interesting!

Shut Yo Mouth....

Today, while I mop the floors, vaccuum, do laundry then work on Halloween Costumes I will be dreaming of my new boyfriend:

Josh Kloss

(mmmmmmmmmmmmm)

Take a few minutes to enjoy, because I'm sure, if you are like me, that is the most you can do with any type of creature as such.  I'm not sure I've ever even touched anything like that before.

He's the guy in the Katy Perry "Teenage Dream" video 

Ah hem, excuse me....

Back to my chores...

God, I'm horny now.

laundry, Princess Leia costume...etc...etc...

posting pics later,

ps:

If anyone has an extra something resembling Mr Kloss above, please send to Longmont, I won't need him for long

xo 

m

To a Friend

I wish I could hand write this but no one writes on paper any more do they?  (I mean I do, but I would be scoffed at)

flikr photo by diane_pizzo

My dear friend,

Over time people change.  They grow, they learn, they move on to different things.  Hopefully, as we change we learn from our mistakes.  It's not always the case, but like they say, *if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.*

I know you are hurting, I wish I could take it all away, but that is impossible.  I was never invited into this, so I stay out.  I wish I knew what happened, so that I could have a talk with this other person...but that is not my business.  All I can do is listen, and hope , and try not to remember.  My arms are open, if you need a hug.  My shoulder is here, it is pretty strong, I can handle it.  

When I fall asleep at night I try to remember the good things, please try to do this.  My heart warms and I smile to myself...It's not going to always be like this.  People are hurtful, especially when scorned...You know this, and I know this too well.  

I asked you once if you still believe in  such a thing as  "true Love"?...You said "Hell Yeah!" with no hesitation.  That was a beautiful moment...That moment was the epitome of hope.  The skies opened and the sun shined in.

I've asked you to let it go, many times...You are not ready.  Calmness may be your answer.  People cannot fight against a calm soul.  There is no fight there.  It may take a while for them to realize, but there is no fight in a calm fight.  The fight they bring is their own anger, the anger towards their selves, for what they cannot have.  It is not about you. It is only effecting you. I think silence is sometimes the best fight for our hearts.  shhhhhh, be silent...let the fools make the noise.

You apparently are paying the price for whatever mistake you made, but I think it may be paid in full by now.  Monetarily, it is going to be a long haul, emotionally, rough...but it can end now if you just give in... and say, I'm done.  The little soul, who is left in-between will figure it out in the end.  It is a guarantee.  The world is not that cruel.

Friendships are limitless,borderless, and apparently timeless.

It's Lousy in Here....Gag

licey, originally uploaded by v8grrl.

Not that my life is splendid by any means, but last week we got the "note" that there was an outbreak of LICE in Olive's classroom...she made the first pass with out lice.. this week, not so lucky.  The freak that I am pulled her outside yesterday and started searching, because if there was one thing I learned in Public Health 

Class..."no one in a lice infestation comes out clean...either you aren't looking or you don't care".

I'm pretty sure that most parents wouldn't know what to look for unless you actually showed them.  

you see...a baby louse is about this size ~>   .     you see that?  now imagine it tan in color and at the root of the hair.  Do I really believe all the parents in Olives class are looking for something that small?  Every strand of hair has to be looked at.

by the time they are this big ~>  *    it is too late, infested.

OK so I have taken 27 "rape showers"  (if you know what I mean)...Burning HOT water, hot enough to melt my skin off.  I have pulled my hair back and sprayed it with hairspray....Lice don't care for dirty hair....

and am itchy all over.

Olive on the other hand thinks this is hysterical, that is, after the tears and wanting to know if she would have to shave her head...Knowing Mommy would comb through each strand made her feel much better, so she thinks the attention is great.

Daddy won't let her in the car and wouldn't get near her....we'll have to deal with that trauma in her later years I'm sure....

Ilin graciously searched my head for lice, and I searched his...so far, we are clean.

My High Efficiancy washer is getting its workout out on sanitize load after load.

Last night I coated Olive's hair in Olive Oil and lice combed it through.  I actually only got ONE actual louse,,,blech, vomit puke....then she had about 10 little eggs that I was able to pick off with Ilin's help and support.

We repeated again today

then tonight I will use the chemicals.

:(

FML

attempts at picture organization

has anyone ever attempted to organize the boxes of pictures they have accumulated?  I just can't wrap my feeble brain around where to start?  My type A personality wants me to put them in books in chronological order, yet the boxes won't really allow for that!  it's too many!
I have tons, when my mom passed away, she lefte me with tons and then I found a box with pictures from my dad (born 1916!) !!!!  argh.  I can't leave this stuff like this.  It doesn't seem historically ok!!!  


On a side note....all the fabric is now off the chair to reupholster...and I think we have decided to go with new carpet instead of wood floor with the Wolf dog, kids and cold weather.

What happened to me?

(this mom is happy, she has afternoon plans)

wow,
it officially happened ... I turned into that Mom I said I would never turn into.
I dropped the kids off in my bathrobe...if I wore curlers, they would have adorned my head.
How does this happen?  I just don't care anymore?  yea probably.
I can't remember the last time I actually needed to shave my legs (as in: might have someone look at them or touch them), I threw out all my makeup the other day with the idea I would go buy new...hahahahaha, instead, I just haven't worn any!  Ok, I have brushed my teeth, but that is only because I can taste the gross.
What happened!!!
This is the girl who would wear heels to work every day.
Now I have flip flops.

here are a few funnies that happened the last few days.
Work decided to reimburse me for a semester of school before graduation!!!
I got the check for 1000$ in the mail, and right underneath it was the bill for Olive's ER visit....$985...grrrr
this morning, I walked down the stairs to step directly in dog pee, because it stormed last night and the dog was scared....I had to change my socks.
I stopped my period, shaved my legs and girlie parts in attempt to ...you know...and Bobby said he was going to band practice...
The dog ate the other side of the vintage couch.

Things are gonna start looking up huh?

360 days

360 days, originally uploaded by v8grrl.

10K can mark that off the list

# 4110

graves, melissa

longmont, CO

Age Group F40-44

Boulder 10K

Start	07:00:03.0
Official Finish	01:08:03.6
Chip Finish	01:06:54.7
Overall	154
Women	95
F40-44	14

I would like to thank Mother Nature for allowing me to run this race, have a BM before the race, and for the yummy burrito afterwards...oh yeah that was from Chipotle.

Nice weather, not too hilly and I'm done.

yeah!!!

go M!

It was a big day in the neighborhood

People gathered around from all walks of life.

You know, wearing sequined dresses in the mid day, Bahama shorts and bikinis.

I, obviously, had on my fanciest knee socks.

Because it's not everyday your big brother, super star football player gets to go to prom with a "hottie" like this.

and then drive away in a car like that!

(may 1975)

Life was good at the end of the cul de sac. 

real good.