The Process. And Also a Corgi.

 

She kept planting her furry little butt on my skirt. We drew lines of compromise here.

 

She sure makes me more cheerful when I inevitably fuck up a simple seam, though. Lookatthatface!

 

The desert at 90mph.

 

This part of the lawn is VERY IMPORTANT.

 

Sometimes, I'm tempted to put fake eyelashes on my wighead.

 

The 300" skirt and the front tapestry panel.

 

There’s a story behind that tapestry–
Friend Amanda, who is making my bodice
(and regularly whips out costumes for dozens of folks
every year at Faire, ‘coz she’s a genius),
came over to my place last weekend for a shopping trip in the fabric district.

It was amazing to go down there with another veteran–
the districts in LA–fabric, fashion, jewelry, furniture, toys, floral–can be seriously intimidating if you don’t go there often.
It’s crowded, kinda dusty,
parking is a pain in the ass,
and there are so. many. things. whipping past your vision,
it’s easy to get headachey and grumpled.

We both had this moment, about ninety minutes into our trip,
where we were checking to see if the other person was okay,
because that’s uuuuusually the limit we have when we go with other folks,
and we both had to laugh, we were so fine with trucking on
for another three hours.

Plus, girl has a seriously good eye for fabrics.

This tapestry was a simultaneous spotting at Levine’s upholstery shop;
we gasped, I squeaked,
“Oh my God, can I use that?!?!”
Amanda looked at the price, and said,
“No. No, you can’t.”

…It was $24 per yard.

I normally never pay more than $5 per yard when I’m in the fabric district.

There was a great deal of hemming and hawing,
I got a swatch and carried it around for the rest of the afternoon,
and finally just had to come back and get it,
because it was SO PERFECT.

And I only needed one yard.

Shutup.

It’s totally justifiable.

 

And Amanda said I could!

 

Here’s a brief glimpse of my finished top skirt–
I also finished the bottom last night.

 

It's this amazing tweedy mustard color--It feels like I pulled it out of a Vermeer painting.

 

There will be more photos–
still have to attach my waistband,
hem the panel,
attach the panel to my hoop
(oh yes, I am wearing a hoop LIKE A BOSS),
and then the fun begins with chopine construction!

It’s going to be a busy month,
but my brain and heart feel so much better
for having something creative to hold.

 

Today I:

 

Woke up to this:

 

This is mah burfday bike. I like her.

 

And soft sunset colored roses.
In vases, all over my apartment,
adding up to 30, with the most wonderful notes attached.

The Boyo snuck into my place in the wee sma’s with The Roommate’s help
and set all of this up–
let me tell you,
there are worse ways to wake up than to roses and a beach cruiser.

I love this man.

 

Birthdays are strange.

When I first met my friend Wylie,
he said that he was celebrating the first anniversary of his 29th birthday.

I thought that was silly at the time
(oh, 22!).

…I understand it now.

 

Today,
I am 30.

I am now officially the oldest unmarried woman in my family’s history.

I am wearing flats with my favorite black silk dress
because, in all ironies, I tweaked my back but good last night.

I am going to lunch with my favorite co-workers,
and I will *probably* be talked into getting the lavender duck sandwich,
because it is DELICIOUS.

The Boyo and I will go out to dinner tonight,
just the two of us,
and laugh about silly things,
and do the whole gaze-into-each-others’-eyes-over-candlelight-thing,
and then start laughing again,
because true love doesn’t take itself too seriously, you know.

He’s been with me since I was 18.

First friends,
now the core of my heart.

 

He is a good man.

 

Today I am grateful for…everything.
Even my twingy back.

I’ve been so afraid to relax and enjoy what I have right now
because I had so many Other Shoes drop on me over the last seven years,
Imelda Marcos would be jealous.

 

So today?

I am grateful for everything.

For my friends who carried me.

For The Boyo who has stayed.

For a car that works.

For an affectionate, smart little dog.

For my parents.

For my grandmother, who sends the strangest gifts
out of the deepest love of her heart.

For friends getting married, for being a part of their love.

For coffee.

For sunshine and rain.

 

For roses, an adventuresome bike, and a small stuffed dinosaur.

 

Today,
I am grateful for all things.

Well, Of Course.