College!!!

So. I moved. I'm in a dorm. Yay!

I moved in 2 days earlier than the norm since I have a music scholarship and thus must be in choir - how sad :) - and the choir met yesterday (which is when I moved in) and we practice today again, in preparation for the first day of school - we sing for Mass. I'm so excited!!!

So, campus is really quiet and there's not a whole lot going on - I have a lot of dead time, which isn't all bad, considering I'm still adjusting to being here. There are not very many people on my floor, and those that are here are in band, not choir, so we have different schedules.

Choir practice yesterday was super fun - we learned the music (some people had not looked at it before, so, considering that, we did really good!). I've decided that the choir people are slightly crazy, and therefore I am super delighted that I am one of them! Can hardly wait to actually get to know the people and for them to get to know me so that we can all be crazy. :)

Last night the musicians were invited to the Dean's house for a bonfire and s'more's. It was really fun! I felt like a real college student, sitting and chatting and being silly around a HUGE bonfire (seriously - my sweatshirt was covered with ash from the sparks flying up in the sky and raining down on us like a bunch of fireworks.) I joined ranks with a bunch of other girls, and we decided to walk back to campus. In the dark. It was a very long walk - over a mile, I should think - and my legs were screaming at me - I'd been in the car for 6 hours, done pointe the night before, moved onto the 3rd floor (which required many trips, not to mention weight-lifting ;) ) and then there's this steep-ish hill and scary staircase that must be climbed to get to the music building, which I did multiple times yesterday. So yeah, my legs. are. TIRED.

But I'm having fun, so they'll just have to get over it.

This morning I got my textbooks, so that was very exciting! They're somewhat pretty, I think, although the math one looks kind of scary. ;)

I'd better get ready and go to choir practice now, but I wanted to let you know where I was at. I'm going hiking this afternoon. Should be fun!

A Time of Preparation

Exactly one week from today I will be moving into my 3rd floor dorm room and thus beginning what will be my life for the next four years - COLLEGE!!! I'm uber excited.

So I've been prepping. I sewed 160 squares together to make the top of my quilt; Mom is sewing on the back and batting and finishing it up and stuff - she's awesome like that. ;) When it's done, I'll be sure to post a picture of my loverly fabric.

Oh, last time I posted I mentioned an upcoming vacation - it was awesome! Started off with a super fast shopping trip where I got all sorts of awesome supplies for school, then we settled in for a weekend of family fun! The one downer was my face still hurt tons from the whole wisdom-teeth thing, but I had a really good time, anyway! To see more about what we did, Trudi posted a delightful post with some great pictures here!

So now I've been organizing my stuff (still SO MUCH TO DO!!!), sewing the quilt, I'm making another dress quick (a 1912 summer garden party dress - there will be pictures if I can actually figure out how to make the thing - so far it's really pretty, though!!!), playing organ for church a couple of last times, and, of course, keeping up on the coffee & chocolate intake. Couldn't survive without that, now, could we? ;)

I read a really good book the other day - "The Healer's Apprentice" by Melanie Dickerson. I highly recommend. I couldn't put it down, it was a fairy tale, and the whole story was simply delightful. I look forward to reading more books from this author.


"Every once in a while you just have to decide to do something very crazy and very right--just to dare yourself to live. I don't mean doing something stupid and destructive--just something fun and good and beautiful." ~Regina Doman, The Shadow of the Bear

'But that's all one, our play is done...'

Twelfth Night has ended.

And I miss it terribly.

All three performances went off splendidly - the audiences all had a good time, I think; while there were plenty of mistakes, there weren't any disasters that couldn't be overlooked; and it was SO. MUCH. FUN!!!

I don't think I have ever quite immersed myself into a project as I have this summer. Twelfth Night was my life for 2 months - not even kidding. I dissected the script, analyzed the characters, learned my lines super-good so that I wouldn't ever be tempted to mess up even in a nervous moment, sewed costumes, studied and practiced the technique of masculine walking, thought deeply about every little movement that I could make with my eyes and limbs and vocal inflections to make my character more believable, and loved every minute of it. :)

The last performance was bitter-sweet for me - while you know a play has to end, it's always sad to say goodbye and let it go. It was really cool that one of the cast members held a small party for the cast afterwards, so we had a good couple of hours to unwind together and share some laughs.

But that was over a week ago.

What have I done since?

Well, first I crashed. Really crashed. I was so wiped out and exhausted afterwards, that I slept a lot and couldn't function normally (what was normal?) for days. This always happens to me after a show, so I was expecting it, but that doesn't make it less dismal.

Even now, when I look at the slideshow of pictures and think about the countless wonderful moments, I almost start crying a little bit - it was truly an amazing experience and I shall always cherish the memories and miss the awesome people that made it possible!

But I'm moving on; I'm getting ready to move to college in two weeks - still can't hardly believe it's coming up so fast! - and I had the terrifying, new experience of getting my wisdom teeth surgically removed. Still recovering. The first few days were really painful, but livable, and I was on pain medication, and just had to lay on the couch and watch movies all day. But no one mentioned the insane migraine that anesthesia, plus the pain meds after the fact, can cause! That has been the worst part. I still have it right now - it's not as bad as yesterday, thank goodness, but it's still pretty awful.

Not the most thrilling experience of my summer, by any means whatsoever.

But I have things to look forward to - I'm going on a vacation to visit my oldest sister and her family tomorrow, with my Mom and other sister, Trudi. We're going to start out with some shopping for stuff I need for college, then head north for some late-summer-fun! I'm super excited, and I really hope my headache is gone so I can really enjoy myself.


"Thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges." ~Twelfth Night
  
"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be." ~C.S. Lewis

"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it." ~J.K. Rowling, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'

"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." ~Romans 5:3-5

"Why, this is very Midsummer Madness!"

My warmest salutations, dear friends!!!


So sorry for the silent treatment, believe me, it was not unkindly meant. 


I've simply been extremely busy.


Being a man.


Ha! 


Seriously, though, 'Twelfth Night' has taken over my life. I've gotten so deep into it, that I've started zoning out at random moments (much to my family's concern). 


What is this 'zoning' I speak of? 


Well, from my side, it's like I'm looking at the stage in the 3rd person, viewing myself and whoever else is on stage, and analyzing my movement/actions/speech while I review the lines and blocking in my scenes. It's quite amazing, really, and I've been figuring out a lot of ways to better my role as Viola/Cesario. 


From my family's side it looks like I've become completely frozen and can't stop staring at that minuscule knothole on the table-top, while my spaghetti gets cold and they've all moved on to dessert...


Yes, they are concerned. 


But me? I'm having the time of my life, and I am SO EXCITED that this is SHOW WEEK!!! 


Yeah, that's right - Friday night we have our first performance! Which means that there's rehearsal tonight, dress rehearsals tomorrow and Thursday, and a bunch of family coming this weekend in to see my new persona as a female man. (that did NOT sound right...) 


But, just to show you what a mean - 

We tried on our costumes on Friday - this is about as 'manly' as I get, folks. ;)

Me and my 'twin' are quite convincing, are we not?


Yes, we are having a blast. And in between, I've been thinking about college - Yessir, I ordered my textbooks today! And what do you think? I get to read "The Hobbit" for one of my classes!!! I love my life...

Some other books that have me quite delighted - "Hamlet" (script analysis), Perelandra by C.S. Lewis, and that math textbook looks quite tempting...ha! But seriously, I am thrilled about music theory and all theater classes, not to mention the dance classes!

But right now, I need to focus, and be the man I need to be. ;)

~*~

By innocence, I swear, and by my youth,

I have one heart, one bosom, and one truth,

And that no woman has, nor never none

Shall mistress be of it save I alone.

~*~

Well, God give them wisdom that have it; and those that are fools, let them use their talents. 

~*~

He is very well-favoured and he speaks very shrewishly; one would think his mother's milk were scarce out of him. 

~*~

~~~Quotes from 'Twelfth Night' by William Shakespeare.

Who saw Cesario?

"I am the man : if it be so, as 'tis, 
Poor lady, she were better love a dream.
Disguise, I see thou art a wickedness..."

It's nearing the middle of July, and I am deep into Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night'. I've been so occupied with figuring out a way to lower my voice to disguise it as a 'man', learning how guys walk (it's incredibly different!), and experimenting with my newly-found sword fighting 'skills'. Ha! I have all my lines memorized (as of yesterday...although I still need to work on them to be consistent. But they are in my mind somewhere!!!), and we almost have the whole play blocked, so that's pretty exciting.

The whole library room in our house has been taken over with medieval-ish costumes. I helped Mom (she's the costumer, just for clarification) re-design a simple black dress into an elaborate renaissance mourning dress. We made princess seams, added sleeves, constructed an overskirt, and decorated with trims. Okay, Mom did most of the work, but I claim concept design recognition. ;)

"I'll serve this duke :
Thou shalt present me as a page to hime :
It may be worth thy pains ; for I can sing
And speak to him in many sorts of music
That will allow me very worth his service."

In between memorizing lines and what-not, I've been making lists in preparation for college, attempting to design a quilt for my dorm room (speaking of which, I finally got my roommate assignment! So excited) and trying not to freak out.

When I have more relaxing days, I read books. I've fallen in love with my Kindle again, and my sister has been borrowing my awesome books, such as "Easter Carats" and "Identical Differences" by Erynn Mangum, (These both were super cute and enjoyable!) "Heiress" by Susan May Warren (I just read this one yesterday...lets just say I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was intense, which means I couldn't put it down. I think that's a good thing...) and now I'm reading "The Messenger" by Siri Mitchell (I haven't gotten very far yet, but that's because I decided to sleep last night, and I have rules about getting sucked into a story in the morning...).
But I intend to enjoy it. :)

Oooh, did I mention I got a new computer? It's fun. This is officially my first blog post from the MacBook :) I'm loving it!!!

I went to see "The Amazing Spiderman" last friday, and it was - you guessed it - AMAZING!!! I loved it a lot :) :) :) Plus it's always fun to go to the movie theater. So, win-win.

"Olivia:
 Are you a comedian?
Viola:
 No, my profound heart : and yet, by the very fangs of 
malice I swear, I am not that I play. Are you the lady of the house?
Olivia: 
If I do not usurp myself, I am.
Viola: 
Most certain, if you are she, you do usurp yourself; for
what is yours to bestow is not yours to reserve.

Shimmer and Laces

There has been wild stitchery occurring here. Maxine has been put to use, and I am nearly finished with what will be my 3rd and most versatile medieval dress. (Well, 4th, if you count the skirt/dress combo, and 5th if you count the blue & gold re-make...so yeah. 5th. Yikes, I need to branch out a bit...)

Anyway...

I don't really take pictures of the process, since I get in the zone, and if I stop it will never get finished (I'm sanguine - I get discouraged/bored easily *shrug*)  so no step-by-steps for you.  Sorry. (not)

But, I will show you how it turned out! And tell you a little bit about how this project came about, etc.

In the beginning, there was a Wal Mart. Seemed like a pretty normal Wal Mart, but you shouldn't judge by appearances. Meandering down the aisles was a young girl, about 16 or 17 years old (yes, this story began over a year ago, if I remember correctly), not really looking for anything in particular, when all of a sudden she spied the fabric section!!! It's practically illegal to walk by the fabric section without at least looking, so, being a law-abiding citizen, she promptly looked at the fabric, heading straight for the bin marked "SALE" - because you never know what you will find for only a few dollars.

What lurked there on this interesting day, you may ask? Well, wonder no longer my friend, for I am here to tell you that a fine specimen, 6 yards of a shimmery, silvery purple knit-like fabric were just aching for someone to take it home and appreciate it's shimmeriness. (of course that's a word...maybe...)

So take it home the girl did, and it was locked up in the fabric collection closet, waiting for the perfect project that would use it's shimmeriness to the best advantage. The girl, who isn't the most decisive person on the planet, just couldn't think what to make out of it, until one day, a few months ago, she was drawing some medieval dress designs in her sketchbook, and fell in love with one in particular and though "There. That dress should be made out of that fabric."

But the girl was very busy, and the fabric kept waiting in the closet, feeling forgotten and forlorn.

Then, in a moment of inspiration, the girl (I hope you've picked up on the fact that 'the girl' is me by now...) spread the fabric across the floor with a pattern and sliced it up with a scissors. Yay!

Then the pieces were folded up and put away for another month or so.

Monday, June 18th, 2012 dawned with a feeling of promise in the air. Sure, it was cloudy, somewhat stormy, and everyone had a headache, but hey. This girl had a project in mind, and when she does decide a thing, she likes to stick to it. So, the shimmery pieces were taken out, unfolded, and the stitching process began with vim and determination. There were plenty of roadblocks and fallen trees, but in the end, perseverance won out (that and the shunning of family members who simply wanted to be helpful...I have to work on the social aspect of sewing projects) and the project of the shimmery purple dress was nearly done.

Thursday, June 21st, 2012, dawned with birds singing, a light breeze floating through the window, and a bright sunshine peeking over the horizon. The girl stretched, sat up, and thought "I'm going to finish that shimmery dress today", which didn't take much. It was almost done. (Okay, I still haven't hemmed it, or finished of the seams, but who's to know? Trifles!)

Now for pictures! I had a lot of fun trying it on - I've never used this pattern before, and it was my first time making a dress that had a lace-up back - I need help getting it on, but it is really comfortable and my mom doesn't mind being my lady-in-waiting.  ;)

Here's how the front looks - the lighting is really bad, so you can't really see how it shimmers. Sad for you.

The back - I sort of designed the sleeves by combining a couple of patterns and altering them to be that way.

Close-up of the lacing. Isn't it fun?!?!

Then I had to add the pirate coat and feathery hat, just cuz I'm me :)

So now you see what I've been doing this week, in between play practices for "Twelfth Night", in which I have been honored with the part of 'Viola', which I am VERY EXCITED about!!!

Of course, I'm not quite done with the dress, but I'm not too worried about that - I'm close enough that I'm certain that I will indeed complete it soon. :)

Meanwhile, it rests on Maxine, looking shimmery with it's laces, until I can return to it and finish it up with finesse.

101 good thoughts...more or less.

So, I realized after my last post that I had just posted my 100th post without taking any notice of it whatsoever, and I like to acknowledge milestones, so here. Were are celebrating my blog, post number 101. *Cheers*

Moving on...

GUESS WHAT I GOT!!!

Okay, you never will, so I'll just tell you.

Oh, and sorry for yelling. I'm excited, that's all :)

Meet Maxine :)

Yup. I finally got a dress form!!! *happy dance*

And I named it Maxine. Mad Maxine, if you will. (Yes, I named her after a character from a Jenny B. Jones novel. Be delighted.)

And look at the color!!! I think that might be why it was on sale, since all the advertisements and even the box said that it would be a dark blue, but when I opened the box I saw my FAVORITE COLOR leaping out to me!!! And yes, my family can vouch for the fact that I totally hugged Maxine when I got her :) :) :)

So, now the hope, plan, and or concept is that now I will be able to design, contemplate, and construct new, fabulous dresses and other garments all on my lonesome and have them fit perfectly when finished. Tada!

Yeah, that's not likely, but hey! There's no excuse for failure now other than sheer laziness.

So let's not be lazy. There is fabric in that cupboard with my name on it and I am so going to cut it up and put stitches in it!!!

You've been warned.

"Blessed be his name, who hath appointed the quiet night to follow the busy day, and the calm sleep to refresh the wearied and to compose the troubled spirit." ~Walter Scott, The Talisman