rules at the cumae ruins

rules at the cumae ruins

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Bargainista Fashionista Contest 2014

Will I be able to complete 2 projects in 2 contests in a row???? I've never accomplished that before! This contest is always a favorite of mine. But it also one with inherent challenges. It inadvertently encourages basic colors or black and white prints. Often, a designer look has a basic design-- an A-line skirt, a bomber jacket, a sheath dress, the "track pant"-- with a distinctive print or unique color. Right now, I am loving Thakoon. Especially the Fall collections he's done the last few years. The 2014, especially, has gorgeous,vibrant colors (not just earth tones so common in fall!) and rich textures. I love this jacket and cape.

I have some stashed boucle in similar tones (mine are darker and it has a metallic), and I think I'll use this HotPatterns jacket

I'll update with pics of the boucle when I destash it! I'm also planning a silk twill skirt to go with.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

She's sewing again!



Inspired By The Movies

Want to see how I made some Mame happen in my drab, bleak wardrobe? Well, click the button at right for the HotPatterns Fast and Fabulous Origami Jacket!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Rape Jokes in a Crowded Theater

When I read this at http://rhinestonesandtelephones.blogspot.com/ I was horrified and disgusted.

(my words
1- Rape jokes aren't funny.
2- I took enough classes on the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and the First Amendment, and I've seen a lot of Law and Order... this speech qualifies as an incitation to violence.

I get that comedians trade in making fun of things that are often seen as off-limits as objects of comedy-- illness. Ugliness. Stereotypes. Human foibles. The list goes on. I've certainly had discussions with friends and colleagues about whether or not we can or should joke about Hitler, fascism, genocide, cancer, and the list goes on. Sometimes humor CAN bring a sense of awareness, or enhance understanding, or be cathartic. But some things are too destructive to be treated with a giggle. And then when confronted, the response should never be to make joke that basically offers instructions to violate-- physically-- another person.

Not funny, Tosh. And Laugh Factory should be embarrassed of their response. )

Reblogged from Cookies for Breakfast:

{So a Girl Walks into a Comedy Club….
This is something that happened to a friend of mine in her own words.
“So, on Friday night my friend and I were at her house and wanted to get out and do something for the evening. We brainstormed ideas and she brought up the idea of seeing a show at the Laugh Factory. I’d never been, I thought it sounded fun, so we went. We saw that Dane Cook, along some other names we didn’t recognize we’re playing, and while we both agree that Cook’s style is not really our taste we were opened-minded about what the others had to offer. And we figured even good ol’ Dane can be funny sometimes, even if it’s not really our thing. Anyhoo, his act was actually fine, but then when his was done, some other guy I didn’t recognize took the stage. Of course, I would find out later this was Daniel Tosh, but at the time I thought he was just some yahoo who somehow got a gig going on after Cook. I honestly thought he was an amateur because he didn’t seem that comfortable on stage and seemed to have a really awkward presence.

So Tosh then starts making some very generalizing, declarative statements about rape jokes always being funny, how can a rape joke not be funny, rape is hilarious, etc. I don’t know why he was so repetitive about it but I felt provoked because I, for one, DON’T find them funny and never have. So I didn't appreciate Daniel Tosh (or anyone!) telling me I should find them funny. So I yelled out, “Actually, rape jokes are never funny!”

I did it because, even though being “disruptive” is against my nature, I felt that sitting there and saying nothing, or leaving quietly, would have been against my values as a person and as a woman. I don’t sit there while someone tells me how I should feel about something as profound and damaging as rape.
After I called out to him, Tosh paused for a moment. Then, he says, “Wouldn’t it be funny if that girl got raped by like, 5 guys right now? Like right now? What if a bunch of guys just raped her…” and I, completely stunned and finding it hard to process what was happening but knowing i needed to get out of there, immediately nudged my friend, who was also completely stunned, and we high-tailed it out of there. It was humiliating, of course, especially as the audience guffawed in response to Tosh, their eyes following us as we made our way out of there. I didn’t hear the rest of what he said about me.

Now in the lobby, I spoke with the girl at the will-call desk, and demanded to see the manager. The manager on duty quickly came out to speak with me, and she was profusely apologetic, and seemed genuinely sorry about what had happened, but of course we received no refund for our tickets, but instead a comped pair of tickets, although she admitted she understood if we never wanted to come back. I can imagine the Laugh Factory doesn’t really have a policy in place for what happens when a woman has to leave in a hurry because the person onstage is hurling violent words about sexual violence at her. Although maybe I’m not the first girl to have that happen to her.
I should probably add that having to basically flee while Tosh was enthusing about how hilarious it would be if I was gang-raped in that small, claustrophobic room was pretty viscerally terrifying and threatening all the same, even if the actual scenario was unlikely to take place. The suggestion of it is violent enough and was meant to put me in my place.”

Please reblog and spread the word.}

Monday, June 25, 2012

Sunday, June 17, 2012

To wrap or shirt... oh, the trauma...

As I mentioned, I'm planning to sew along in the sew along with Sunni. She's selected Simplicity 1880, one of those Project Runway patterns. The pattern has both a shirt and wrap dress options. I opted for a wrap, initially, because it is generally a more flattering look on me. I thought this Vogue 8784 was a good substitute for the Simplicity vogue 8784, Wrap dresses are almost always flattering. I especially like the slimmer skirt. I like the 2 skirt options and the collar option. Then, like I mentioned yesterday, I saw this L'Wren Scott shirtdress... Photobucket The more I looked at it, the more I've realized that what draws me to it is the print, and I like the kicky skirt that looks narrow through the waist and hips and opens lower. That looks like it would minimize excess fabric in places where I don't need excess, while keeping a chic, professional (yet fun) A-line skirt. So my pattern seems to work, and I can trim the sleeves and make a black collar and enter this fabric Photobucket A gorgeously silky microfiber I've had for years.It will probably be a PITA as it is silky (slippery and shifty). I just need to make sure I have enough of it...