The Supreme Goddess of Anything She Damn Well Pleases!

photo by Gabriel Cain

if you haven't noticed already, I rarely post here anymore (not like I posted alot before Miss C came along).  It's all Facebook's fault.  The ease of posting pictures, videos, links... stupid quizzes and fan pages.  *sigh*

That and there's not a lot going on in my life right now.  Trying to sort through thrift finds that might sell at the Steampunk Swap and I should be getting skirts and belts made and tagged for MedFest. 

It's amazing how much a pair of pigtails makes Caylee look like a big toddler girl!

18 months on the 18th!  We'll probably go to lunch w/ g-ma and maybe buy her a mylar balloon at the dollar store (she loves balloons!).

  Does this mean I have to start saving for a big blow out party for when she turns 18???  :)

In order for us to do Norwescon this year I had to be promised all my panels to be scheduled for 1 day - which was managed.  Trek down in the morning, not get a hotel room, truck all my stuff around in a rolling suitcase, and Mark would be incharge of Caylee.  

Well we managed it, but boy did it seem like just as much work as going all 4 days!   Panels went well. Shoe and Boots panel was full and we managed to BS the topic for the whole time.  Steampunk 101 and 102 was PACKED/STANDING ROOM ONLY.  I actually kinda wish I knew how the handouts I slaved over were thought of - we didn't hand them out until near the end of the panel.  Costume in Movies and TV was low key because there really wasn't that many 'WOW' movies to discuss.  

I didn't get as many pictures (again) as I'd like.  I need to find a picture of me in my costume and some better picts of Caylee in her Gir costume.  I keep asking myself 'why do I do this?', (meaning going out of my way to make/research costumes for a 4 day con that may never be worn again or may have not been noticed).  But now with having someone cute to dress up I guess I'm slightly encouraged to keep going.

It's snowing here.  Well snow/rain, but still....

nice joke Mother Nature!

So for Valentine's Day I had gotten Caylee this monkey balloon at the dollar store.  She always points to them at the store and she didn't get one on her birthday.  He's still kicking around, C likes to practice her 'up' and 'down' with him (yes I have given it a gender).  Well the last few days I swear he's been stalking me.  I'm sure it's because he's losing his helium, but from where he was in the living room downstairs he's managed to float his way up the stairs and to the vent outside C's room.  And so he gets taken back downstairs by me after C's had some fun with him running back and forth with him between our 2 rooms - I didn't want to run into the string in the middle of the night if I had to go to her room.  So, to see this as I rounded the corner coming back downstairs one day.....


Kinda Creepie!

I love the blog "A Dress A Day" http://www.dressaday.com/dressaday.html - and was reading her entry (and the comments) from March 2nd about her column written for the Boston Globe about how she accidentally coined a word. Anyway, the comments were interesting about how you label yourself if you sew.

I usually say seamstress, which is easiest - but then people want you to mend their stuff and really I do most of my sewing nowadays at the draperies shop (drapist? eww). I kinda like seamster but feel it has union like vibes (am I a member to some organized group? no.) And sewist is interesting, but doesn't define itself to someone who doesn't sew. Costumer, well really that's a few and far between hobby now and should be left up to those actually working in theater and film - ya know, with a degree n stuff.

Sorry, just some interesting thoughts I thought I'd put down...

This is the lot where my house growing up was. It's hard to tell what's what unless you lived there, but where I'm standing was the front left corner of the property which has about 3 evergreen trees toward the edge. About 99% of the original 'landscaping' (yard) is gone; all the trees except one evergreen tree in the very front (and that is looking sad, so I bet it's going to come down later on). The Italian plum tree, the large lilac bush, the large maple, the dogwood, the wisteria along the fence.... The tall hedges have been left for privacy and they filled the original opening with the same type and now have the opening at the L corner.

The foundations for the 2 new houses are laid in their places, and have been for almost a year. The driveway two these spots is very tight without any guest parking. I had pulled up to the first cleared area for the driveway of the first house to get my PT Cruiser nose out and it was a very tight 3 point turn around.

Only one of the neighbor's we were friendly with is still in one of the houses you can see in the background, but pretty sure the folks haven't contacted them.

I've long since mourned the passing of the 'old house', I kinda wanted to see what ugly 'McMansion's they had put up and it kinda makes me smile that the housing market has prevented the building of them yet.

I just don't have anything exciting to post non-baby/toddler related. Mommyhood has definately become my life which is ok I guess, though I miss being able to do stuff at the drop of a hat. Now it has to be planned well in advance, depending on what it is.

But for the update on Caylee the toddler, she's:
walking
getting the concept of cause and effect
understanding phrases like 'let's go brush teeth' and 'go upstairs/downstairs'
still taking 2 naps
still b.f.ing for naps and nighttime
trying to say or mimic some words
doing a few signs for words - though not consistantly, need to work on more signs.

So, that's my life. I'm not bellydancing right now because Mark doesn't get home early enough for us to eat and me to have enough time to get to class. Not doing any sewing because I can't let her into the sewing room and by the time she goes to bed, I'm exhausted and just want to veg/check email/go to bed. And weekends it seems something's always going on.

*sigh*

While we're having a super low key Christmas, I should be thankful I have a healthy daughter who just turned one and is pretty well behaved, a husband with a job he pretty much likes and has been able to work from home with the snow, and I have a job that is flexible enough to let me choose my hours to stay home with my girl.

Yet, I feel a case of the Bah Humbugs. Is it because I didn't decorate or put up a tree? Is it because I received no wrapped gifts (hubby's gift of my new navigation system wasn't a suprise and given to me 2 weeks ago) and no Christmas cards? No stocking were hung. No Christmas Eve dinner w/ the relatives (even though they make me nuts sometimes). No Christmas brunch today (reschedueled for perhaps this weekend). I didn't do any physical Christmas shopping - it was all online and delivered to me. Is it because the snow has 'trapped' me in my house for over a week (no chains and no vehicle that could handle the snow)? No parties to visit friends?

I'm trying to be grateful for what I have. I don't need 'stuff'. I am healthy for the most part. I have food, electricity, internet, clothing, heat (hmmm, look at that priority order!) But doom and gloom seem to be hovering somewhere, I can sense it - or it that hubby's pessimistic nature surrounding the house, grumpy that we weren't more prepared for all this snow?

Ok, whine-fest over. Time to get dressed, find some lunch, and play with the baby... I mean TODDLER!

Hiro - Happy 1st Birthday!

and to my neighbor Missy!

And almost 8-10" of snow here in Monroe.  A white birthday for my baby!  Can't belive she's 1 already!  She's getting books and clothes from me and got a Laugh and Learn chair from Mark, and his folks sent a little stuffed bat, a stuffed Count Von Count, and Mark's old walking harness from when he was little.  We'll post pictures later, I think we'll try and do a short jaunt in the snow for some picture opts.  But here's the view from my bedroom...

  <--- hey is that Missy's car?

More later,
Cherie

 On Thanksgiving, she took an average morning nap early and was pretty cheerful, but clingy.  But boy she wouldn't go down for an afternoon nap and we were doing dinner around 4.  So on the way she's pretty whiney but is easly destracted by everyone and entertains herself by toddling after my brother's dog.  Come dinner time we set her up in the highchair and she's a whiney crying mess, so down for a nap she goes.  Grandma takes her, but hubby interups right as she was about to go down.  I nurse her and she's just about down when my dad comes in looking for something.  GRRR!  At this point she wants down and we take her back to the table where she sits in the highchair but eats very little.   She's pretty well behaved after dinner when everyone's away from the table and gets to play with Untie B and Unka G and of course, falls asleep on the way home. 

But at least the food was good, I got to take home leftovers - and it was decided NO presents would be exchanged this year because we're all broke.  But I can't not do at least a small stocking stuffer, right?

I'm sick of living in a mess and being a packrat. But at the same time I have a hard time throwing/giving away stuff I've spent money on and could possibly resell on ebay or at a garage sale.   Mark doesn't and can't really help.  So I have until December 17 to clean up and organize (on the 19th I'm hosting a playdate for some babies and mommies) and I have to:

clean up area in bedroom where computer desk will come live (getting it out of Caylee's room)
move dresser in bedroom and move small entertainment bookshelf to that area (getting it out of Caylee's room)
clean off said computer desk to move it
clean up hallway to be able to make move happen
sell off/get rid of clothes I'm not really wearing
sell off pack n play Caylee's not using
sell off/ get rid of garment rack in garage that's taking up too much room
move computer/monitor/desk/chair/printer/internet/and phone to our room

oh and clean the rest of the house... which we won't even go into.

*waaah!*

So the Totoro costumes were worn Thurs for our Parent/Baby class, Fairy Princess was Hallowween (we went to Bell Square, big mistake), and pirates were for Alisa's pirate themed b-day the day after!

More picts at my Flickr account!
-Cherie

I think it had been over 5 years since my last pair.  I went for something a little more funky with some bling on the side.  Frames are by Lulu Guinness.  I'm still getting used to them - look-wise and vision-wise (though that changed very slightly).  I want prescription sunglasses too but I can only get new frames covered every 2 years through Mark's insurance, so it will have to wait until money is better.
Now for a new hairdo......  Darker?

Today I am babysitting another little girl who is 8 1/2 mnths to try and make some extra cash; so I will have TWO active baby almost toddlers!  I should be able to handle it.....   right?

**update***
GRRRRRR! So Caylee wakes from her nap shortly before 11, and the gal was supposed to be bringing her little one between 10 and 10:30. So I call her to see if we were still on (I had also emailed her the previous night to confirm but didn't get a reply), and she's all 'oh... ah... er... ya I was going to call you this afternoon.  My hubby got laid off this week and he's trying to find a new job... blah blah blah.  I'll call you Monday to see about Weds or not...'.  

Ok so I understand being in a financial and stressed out state of mind.  But you were going to call this afternoon?  Not when you found out you didn't need me on Friday or even shortly before the stated time you were supposed to show up????  And she's a real estate agent!  Even a quick email to me late Thursday night or early Friday morning would have been polite and I could have either gone to the fun playdate at Bel. Square with the other Evergreen Mommies or had a full day at work w/ Caylee at Grandma's.

But at least most of my ebay auctions ended well...

'cause I love it and it's such a good idea!
-cherie

NEW SINGLE!

Remember when I said I was going to start releasing tracks to iTunes as soon as I finished recording them? Well, I'm in the studio this very moment – and the first track released from my next album will be available on iTunes a week from today (October 7)!

This is extremely exciting for me. One of the hardest things I've had to deal with in my career is keeping my material topical even though I only release albums every 3 or 4 years. Now, with the advent and popularity of digital distribution, I don't have to wait around while my songs get old and dated – I can get them out on the Internet almost immediately. It kind of boggles my mind – I thought of the idea for this new song a week ago, and next week it's getting released!

I'm only supposed to "tease" this release right now – I'll post more info about it in a couple days. But I will say that it's a parody of a song that very recently was (or perhaps still is) the number one song in the country. That would be another first for me – I don't think I've ever released a parody of a song while the original song was still number one!

iTunes will have an exclusive on this song for two weeks, after which I guess it will be available wherever else digital downloads are sold. But I'm really kind of hoping this sucker will chart, so if you can, please buy it the first week it's out!

If this release goes well, there will be more to come. Thanks in advance for your support!