Skarlett in Transit

I haven’t posted here in ages-and it seems strange to post only to list wishes-

But as I have friends across the globe who are asking for a list-here it is.

Kelly Caleche perfume by Hermes

Louis Vuitton, Monogram Canvas Speedy 30 from eLuxury.

1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die from Amazon.com.

Apple Tango and

Smokey Bacon crisps

 a sea lion

River Icons watch from the Tate online shopi

Spenser’s Monstrous Regiment: Elizabethan Ireland and the Poetics of Difference

Boys can often be amusing-though most often annoying-when they try to ask you out.

Annoying could be any of the following:

He dosen’t take the hint when you’ve said no several times-

He tries some line on you that you can’t believe actually ever works on any woman on the planet-so why does he think it would work on you?

They try and pick you up in completely wrong moments-like when you’re at the chemist buying a pregnancy test. (of course not for me, but for a friend who was embarrised to buy one for herself).

Me-Are you ACTUALLY asking me out in the Pregnancy Test section of the chemist?
Him-well sure…..I mean…..you must party, right?

They just went out with one of your friends-

They try and do it by insulting you-

Yesterday at work:

Him-I didn’t think I’d ever think a size 6 was hot, I don’t ususally go for big girls.

WTF?

Or when Colin tried to chat me up the first time-

C-Will you go for a drink?
Me-Sure
C-I wanted to have a go, you know, get off with you before anyone else got in there.
Me-Have a go? Get Off? Excuse me? Got in where?
C-Oh yes. You’re an American. I’ll speak plainly

And then there’s amusing.

In the lift on the way to lunch-

Him-Your hair is really beautiful
Me-Thanks
Him-I love red hair
Me-That’s nice
Him-My mother was a red head and seeing one always reminds me of her and really turns me on
Me-That’s…..wait….WHAT?
Him-…
Me-*trying to dial my cell phone and praying the doors open soon*
Him-You’ll never go out with me now, will you?
Me-ok bye!

Then on the way back to the office, walking past a man asking for change-

Him-Oh Baby! Stop and talk a minute! Just cause a Brothers homeless don’t mean he can’t take you home!
Yay to funny at work-and too a short day at the office!
 

(x posted)

In a hybrid of 200-year-old poetry, plushie kink, rap, and British tourism, William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud” has been modernized for the younger generation and set to music in a hip-hop, hippity-hop video featuring local Lake District squirrel MC Nuts.

Cumbria Lakes District Site

The gown is done-got it back last night and I’m worried the hand-beader has added too many pearls, and the costume mistress is going to tell me to remove them.
At least it’s done, and as has been pointed out, it’s easier to remove hand beading than to add it.
Will be re-trying to make my neck ruff-this will be attempt #5, using the procedure that worked for attempt #4, but the colors were bad with the gown.

An iteam from Andrew that makes me ever so happy-
Shaun is getting his own show!
(Where you can also make a sheep mask to color and print out)

Today is World Book Day in the UK.  A day devoted to reading, and promoting young people to read.
According to Michael, the Waterstone’s at Oxford Circus has actors dressed as children’s book characters, including someone dressed as Snape.
And Colin had the joy of a special exhibit at The Bodleian Library-
On display is the original manuscript of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows,
and in his class today they discussed children’s books.

Today Jeff and I had a chat about Dr. Seuss-Jeff says it took him years to write The Cat in the Hat, and the reason the book was written was to provide a children’s book that uses vocabulary the students were meant to be learning.

From Wikipedia:

“Seuss wrote the book because he felt that there should be more entertaining and fun material for beginning readers. From a literary point of view, the book is a feat of skill, since it simultaneously maintains a strict triple meter, keeps to a tiny vocabulary, and tells an entertaining tale. Literary critics occasionally write recreational essays about the work, having fun with issues such as the absence of the mother and the psychological or symbolic characterizations of Cat, Things, and Fish. This book is written in a style common to Dr. Seuss, anapestic tetrameter.”
“Dr. Seuss created The Cat In The Hat in response to the May 24, 1954 Life Magazine article by John Hersey, titled “Why Do Students Bog Down On First R? A LOCAL COMMITTEE SHEDS LIGHT ON A NATIONAL PROBLEM: READING.” In the article, Hersey was critical of school primers,

“In the classroom boys and girls are confronted with books that have insipid illustrations depicting the slicked-up lives of other children. [Existing primers] feature abnormally courteous, unnaturally clean boys and girls.” “In bookstores, anyone can buy brighter, livelier books featuring strange and wonderful animals and children who behave naturally, i.e., sometimes misbehave. Given incentive from school boards, publishers could do as well with primers.”

Hersey’s arguments were enumerated over ten pages of Life Magazine, which was the leading periodical during that time. After detailing many issues contributing to the dilemma connected with student reading levels, Hersey asked toward the end of the article:

“Why should [school primers] not have pictures that widen rather than narrow the associative richness the children give to the words they illustrate — drawings like those of the wonderfully imaginative geniuses among children’s illustrators, Tenniel, Howard Pyle, “Dr. Seuss,” Walt Disney?”

Dr. Seuss responded to this “challenge” by rigidly limiting himself to a small set of words from an elementary school vocabulary list, then crafted a story based upon two of the words which rhymed—cat and hat.

Dr. Seuss books were created to supplement the ‘look say’ reading programs taught in schools. Dr. Seuss’ publisher supplied him with a sight vocabulary of 223 words which he was to use to write his books, a sight vocabulary that was in harmony with the sight words the child would be learning in school.

In an interview he gave in Arizona magazine in June 1981 Dr. Seuss claimed the book took nine months to complete due to the difficulty in writing a book from the 223 selected words. He continued to explain that the title for the book came from his desire to have the title rhyme and the first two suitable rhyming words that he could find from the list were ‘cat’ and ‘hat’. Dr. Seuss also regrets the association of his book and the ‘look say’ reading method adopted during the Dewey revolt in the 1920’s by expressing the opinion “I think killing phonics was one of the greatest causes of illiteracy in the country.”

Today also happens to be the 50th birtday of The Cat in the Hat.
At the site is an opportunity to send a birthday card to The Cat in the Hat, and each card sent results in Random House donating a book to a literacy program.

Read something new today
 

Partlet is done!
That’s 1 of the 2 projects I intended to finish today, the neck ruff being the other-
but I woke up not feeling well, am continuing to be sniffy regardless of the medicine I’ve taken, and am now just going to delight in getting 1 done, drink lot of OJ, and watch Marie Antionette before going to bed.

Tomorrow I’ll be visiting FIDM and seeing all the Oscar nominated costumes-
then lunch-
then to the science museum to see the Star Wars exhibit.

I’ve got one week to finish my costume for approval day on Saturday the 24th.

The chemise is done, and I’ve got some extra fabric from it that I am going to try to make the partlet from so they match-I’m going to use a pattern someone mailed me.

If it does not come out, I’ll use the light linen, and the portion of pattern from the Shakespeare in Love dress.

3/4 chemise

Pleated cuffs

A very happy Skarlett that the chemise is done!

The Flurry Dog on the sewing desk, telling me the chemise looks tasty!

It will be a frantic week til Saturday-
still to do:

Bodice
Skirt
Bumroll
Neck ruff
Partlet
French Hood

Wish me luck!

Thanks to Colin forwarding-
The latest Dog Judo video.

Clicky here to see all the rest.

The requested pictures of how far along I am with my costume-
These are the completed pieces with pictures included:

hoops
bloomers
corset

Accesories completed:

fan (purchased from ebay)
girdle

Nearly done but not pictured yet:

chemise
partlet

Still need to do:

bumroll
farthingale
bodice
over skirt
hat

So it’s Valentine’s Day, and I’ll admit I’m opinionated about it.
I don’t think everyone has to buy into the Hallmark aspect of it-thats something about the holiday I don’t like myself.

What I do like about the holiday is that it’s an opportunity to tell those that you care about-new and old friends-that they are being thought of, and that you think they are special.
That gesture costs nothing but your effort and desire to make sure someone you care about, knows they are cared for.

And that sort of thing is very big for me.
If I’m thinking about someone, I let them know-
If it’s a special day, I make an extra effort to let them know they are special-

If not for my new friend Danny, no one would have made any such effort today towards me.  It’s not a “Valentine’s Day” depression-it’s a feeling of always being the caretaker, and no one thinking to show care for me.

Whew! Enough wallowing!

Ganked from Lee-

30 “secrets” about yourself… (My hair color was a secret? Wow…)

1. Is that your natural hair color?
sort of-its normally a more orangey/lighter red. I prefer it darker.

2. Where was your default pic taken?
Snape’s dungeons on a cuddle night?

3. What’s your middle name?
Dawn-as in the rising sun-though my roommate insists on calling me “Kelly Ann” even though he knows my real name.

4. Your current relationship status:
Single

5. Honestly, does your crush like you back?
hmmm I have a couple right now-
Helen Mirren has no idea that I have a straight-girl crush on her-
the other crush is just blossoming and its usually more fun if they don’t know

6. What is your current mood?
Distracted, Disapointed

7. What colour underwear are you wearin?
Red-its Valentine’s Day silly

8. What makes you happy?
The Flurry dog is always good for making you laugh

9. Are you musically inclined?
I play several instuments a tiny bit

10. If you could go back in time, and change something what would it be?
October of last year I’d call my Mum instead of trying to save the costs of the call from Dublin to Dallas

11. If you MUST be an animal for ONE day- what would you be?
Sea Lion-all the way

12. Ever had a near death experience?
Yes.

13. Something you do a lot?
Have near death experiences, or is this a new question?
Lately I’m sewing a lot

14. What’s the name of the song stuck in your head right now?
“Clark Gable” by The Postal Service

15. Who did you copy and paste this from?
Lee-the ever patient dance partner at Faire rehearsals

17. When was the last time you cried?
this morning-much to the uncomfortable awkwardness of my roommate and carpool partner

18. Have you ever sang in front of a large audience?
yes.

19. If you could have one super power what would it be?
talk to the animals

20. What’s the first thing you notice about the OPPOSITE sex?
swagger

21. What do you usually order from Starbucks?
hot black tea-
I like my men like I like my tea-with a spoon in them

22. What’s your biggest secret?
I’ve confessed it-its been forgiven-thats all that matters

23. What’s your favorite color?
green

24. When was the last time you lied?
I don’t lie

25. Do you still watch kiddy movies or TV shows?
adult aimed cartoons and such-
ATHF is the bomb!
(sorry Boston)

26. Do you have braces?
no-but I’ve thought about getting them lately

27. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
to concentrate on myself more

28. What are you eating or drinking?
water-not exciting at all

29. Do you speak any other language?
a bit of several

30. What’s your favourite smell?
cinnamon