I Got Dressed ... For Halloween

Halloween costume ideas are a pain.  I really love dressing up but coming up with a creative concept is not easy.  

I'm typically drawn to an idea that falls into one of these categories:

• Ridiculously off-beat and tacky (ex: my hubby and I dressed up as Jon and Kate Gosselin back in 2009 during their very public divorce - it's still my favorite costume to date)
• Classic with attention to details (ex: the hubby and I went as our nerdy alter-egos, Martha Weinerstraum and Ronald Rickenbacher)
• Retro whimsy (see below)

This year I was on my own with no hubby to complete a dynamite duo ensemble (sniff) and I had another minor obstacle ... a five month prego bump.  Not a huge bump (yet) but still awkward enough to interfere with a regular costume.

I suppose I could have used my bump as the focal point of my costume but painting my belly orange and wearing a basketball jersey is just not my bag.  Instead I tried to think of something I could carry/attach in front of my bump to make it less "center stage" so to speak.

That's when I discovered (after scouring hundreds of images on Pinterest) the Sunmaid Raisin Girl!  Being an American product icon fit perfectly into my retro whimsy category and the basket-o-grapes was a bonus. Sold!  

(see the original Pinterest pin that inspired me here)

Make It!

red bonnet (got mine here)

long brown curly wig - if needed (got mine here)

white t-shirt (got mine here - maternity)

dark blue rick rack trim (got mine here)

fabric glue (got mine here)

any peasant-y looking skirt in white, black, blue, or red (got mine here - maternity)

flats or sandals (mine are old)

basket (my mom's old Longaberger)

fake grapes (got mine here)

thin wire (from our garage)

a box of Sunmaid raisins of course

Only two things required assembly:

1. The Shirt: I simply cut the rick rack trim to fit the edges of the neck and sleeves and secured it using the fabric glue.  Worked great!
2. The Basket: My bump actually gave me an advantage here because I could tie the basket around my waist allowing it to literally "sit" on my belly.  No hands!  I chose a small basket from my mother's beloved 1980's Longaberger collection keeping mind of the weight (lighter is better and less annoying).  I took satin ribbon and weaved it through the basket and tied it behind my back.  Then I secured the clusters of grapes to the basket with thin crafting wire and taped the box down.  An old bandana was placed beneath the items to add more color and detail.

What I would do differently:

Add an apron!  I was running short on time and didn't want to pay $20 for an apron or take the time to sew one.  But it would have been really cute to have had a red or blue apron against my black skirt.  Next time...

And because I knew you'd REALLY want to see these...

John and Kate Gosselin - Halloween 2009

John and Kate Plus 8 - Halloween 2009

Martha and Ronald - Halloween 2012

Hidden America

After tying up your garbage and walking it out to the curb, do you really think about the people who handle it beyond that point?

When rinsing those delicious blueberries and thinking about how great they'll taste in your cereal, are you ever wondering about the hands that picked them for you?

Are professional cheerleaders just a bunch of dummies with killer hair and rockin' bodies?

When you pull up to the pump every week do you realize how dangerous it was for the team of riggers to obtain that oil for your car?

Jeanne Marie Laskas's Hidden America explores these forgotten questions and more in her interesting and humbling inspection of the jobs that keep America running and those that most have completely taken for granted.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for various reasons.  One being that it completely made me feel stupid.  Why would that be enjoyable?  Because it opened my eyes to essential elements of my country that I had not given much thought prior to reading this book. Although uneasy at times, I actually felt better knowing the truth behind so many jobs that are the glue that holds our everyday needs together.

Laskas explores about a dozen professions including air traffic controller, truck driver, beef rancher, and gun shop owner, just to name a few.  I found almost all of these profiles to be enlightening and worthy of knowing more about but there are a few that are still resonating with me.  My favorite profile was the last chapter where Laskas visits a landfill in California.  Garbage typically isn't something the average person likes or wants to think about long-term.  However, there are engineers out there who have a true passion for trash and devote their entire lives to figuring out how to solve our 50 year dilemma called, "Hey, where are we gonna put all our crap for the next 50 years?"  "Garbage men" so to speak, are not just some dirty guys who weren't qualified to work a "cleaner" job but individuals who are invested in taking care of a huge problem that we ALL have: waste. They take those unsightly bags out of our lives and deal with an issue that most of us don't seem to want to think about ... but we should.  I learned that these professionals are actually environmentalists who care about fixing and prolonging the health of our planet. And they do all this day in and day out without us even giving a moment's thought to the whole scheme of things.

Laskas engages readers not only into the professional workings of each job but the personal lives that ARE the jobs.  The common thread found throughout each job profile is passion.  There was so much devotion pouring from the pages of Laskas narratives that you couldn't help but feel grateful that these people exist for your benefit.  Many of these professions hold a "lifer" mentality where the employees somehow contain the job qualities in their blood and want to work till the day they die.  Laskas captured the pride behind these hidden jobs and proved to readers that there is so much more to what meets the eye.   

Quality Rating: (out of 5 stars) 

Just Can't Get Enough: September

Yikes!  I skipped my August playlist and am barely making it for September.

This is totally a slack in blogging and NOT a slack in jamming.

I'm always jamming.

Take a listen to what's tickling my ears this month.

1. I Love You by Said The Whale:  I'm a new listener to this band but dang, how awesome is this retro-esque track?  So very, very awesome.  Gimme more.

2. Out of My League by Fitz and The Tantrums:  Still not sick of this song.

3. 365 Days by ZZ Ward: I could listen to Ward's voice all ding-dong-dandy day long!  She's brilliant.  Need to see her live

4. Hold On by Alabama Shakes:  This one's not getting old for me either and it's definitely filling up my monthly gritty soul requirement.

5. Hearts Like Ours by The Naked and Famous:  Recycled 80's pop/new wave elements = Happy Brookey (me).

Whatchya Listening To???  Don't be shy ... SHARE!!!

We Got Dressed ... For the First Day of School

Don't get too excited now.  This was the first day of our Parent-Tot class.  My little Miss Sassy Pants may look like a Kindergartner (and act like one too) but she's barely just starting her academic career. Nevertheless, it was a BIG deal for us both.

May I also mention that I'm four months preggers and HATE "getting dressed" (this could pose as a major hiccup for my style posts).  This is the most aWkWaRd stage of pregnancy in terms of body shape.  The baby bump is not quite round, firm, and pretty yet and so clothes are just a complete Debbie Downer.  Are you lady mamas with me here?  And so flowy, loose-fitting tops are my only friends.

On Me:

Top: Old Navy Maternity (old) (similar here)  

Capri Leggings: Target (here) 

On Sassy Pants:

Romper: Old Navy (no longer available) (cute option here)  

Shoes: Target (no longer available in white canvas) ( BUT, we just bought these for fall) 

Fun Fact (not quite): This photo shoot (if you can even call it that) lasted about three minutes total because Miss Sassy Pants tripped over the tripod and scraped her palm. Can you hear the wailing?  

That's a wrap.

Puckering Up With EOS

Fun flavored lip gloss is very nostalgic for me.  I remember as a young girl collecting every flavored Lip Smacker in a small tin container and keeping it on my nightstand.  My nightly (and morning) ritual was to select the next Smacker in my perfectly planned line up so that each gloss was used with the same frequency. Childhood OCD?  Perhaps.

Lip Smackers remained in my use well into adulthood.  I had one in my purse, one in my car, and of course one in my nightstand drawer (sans the ritual).  Then my glossy world got really stale.  My lively Raspberry Lemonades, Orange Crushes, Dr. Peppers, and Cotton Candy tubes were for some reason replaced by a travel sized pot of Vaseline and a couple of Chapsticks.

What happened?

I believe I lost my lip balm mojo.

Then a few months ago a dear friend of mine whipped out a funny little vessel from her purse and applied a fruity scented gloss that triggered my former Lip Smacker obsession.  I was instantly intrigued.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago as I excitedly purchased my first EOS lip balm in the funky container.  I just knew right then and there that I was reviving my lost lip gloss love of yesteryear.  Except this time my gloss is mature like me.  It's organic, hip, and grown-up.  But STILL deliciously fun and fruity!

All I can say is that I feel whole again ... or at least my lips do.  I have this strong urge to collect all the flavors and kick start my nightly ritual.

Are you an EOS fan or have you found a new favorite lip product?  As always, do share!

Inkheart

Last spring a student of mine came to class one day and practically shoved a thick, red book into my chest.

"You HAVE to read this, Mrs. Gira!" Julia pronounced with wide eyes and a shortness of breath.

"What is this?" I asked.  "I've never heard of it." 

"Oh. My. God.  This book IS my entire life.  Just promise you'll read it." 

Well, dang.  If it's YOUR LIFE then how can I possibly say no?  I love when students get excited enough about a book that they feel the need to force it upon me.  An English teacher's dream.

And with that I jumped into the world of Inkheart, where books truly come to life.  It may have taken me a good four months to complete it (things came up like exams, three other books on my nightstand, and raising a two-year-old) but I kept my promise and I'm glad that I did.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke is a fantasy novel (trilogy actually) that could possibly rival the treasured Harry Potter series (although in my book, nothing ever could).  However, while reading, I could not stop feeling a strange likeness to Harry Potter.  Not so much in the story line but more in the likable characters and the obvious love that Funke poured into the novel.  I understand there is a big fan base for the Inkheart series and this is not at all surprising.  

Meggie is twelve-years-old and lives with her loving father Mo.  Besides a deep love and reliance for one another they also share a love of books.  Mo makes a living doing what he loves, binding books and Meggie is a voracious reader.  For years, Mo and Meggie have enjoyed their love of the written word and have shared many great stories together EXCEPT for one minor detail - Mo refuses to read aloud to his daughter. No matter how many times she begs he won't do it.  Ever.

As strange as this sounds, Mo has a very good reason for his refrain.  Mo possesses a special power.  When he reads aloud from a book the characters come to life.  They literally come out of the book and into the present world.  As you can imagine this can more often than not be a very bad thing.  Very bad indeed. When Meggie was a baby, Mo read aloud to her and her mother Resa one night from the pages of Inkheart, a story full of old-world characters including nasty, ruthless villains.  Needless to say, Mo's entrancing voice summoned out three fantastical characters - Dustfinger, Basta, and the black-hearted Capricorn.  To make matters even worse, Resa gets transported into the book and they haven't seen her since.

Twelve years later, Mo and Meggie find the mysterious Dustfinger standing on their doorstep and no sooner are they off to find and fight Capricorn in hopes of returning Resa to her family.

Funke's plot is probably every book lover's one true wish - to be able to bring written characters to life (I'm assuming this is why Julia claimed the book was HER LIFE). With an enticing story like this, Inkheart could really do no wrong. Perhaps even stronger than the plot is the development of the main characters, particularly Mo and Meggie.  You feel the love they have for each immediately and therefore are rooting them on the whole way.  My only hiccup with this novel was the length.  It was just too long and it didn't need to be.  Although I was engaged throughout the reading I did feel as though I was being dragged through certain parts. There were a few times when I thought to myself, "Okay.  Get on with it.  I can't wait any longer."  As a comparison to another lengthy fantasy novel, I NEVER felt that way when reading Potter.

Recommended Age: 12 and up (because of vocabulary and style)

Quality Rating (out of 5 stars):

Linking Up With...

Kid Lit Blog Hop

My First Feature and Follow Blog Hop

I'm linking up for the first time with the popular book blog hop, Feature and Follow!  I'm looking forward to meeting other book nerds like me.  So ... let's do this!

This week's Feature and Follow question is: 

If you could only have ONE – one book – for the rest of your life. Don’t cheat…what would it be?

Yikes!

I believe this would be a book nerd's nightmare.

However, this is an easy one for me.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

There has not been a single book out there that has come close to comparing with this classic.  The heart wrenching romance between Catherine and Heathcliff is immeasurable.  Bronte encapsulated the true meaning of soul mates.  This story will forever haunt me.

“He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” 
― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Nuff said.

Now, let's be friends!