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Sunday, November 25

A cap full of feathers

It's been quite the weekend Chez Lina's.

Friday night, we hosted Tim Williams.  Oh my, if you ever get the chance and are remotely interested in blues, music history, Hawaiian guitar, make the effort to see him.  It was a really fascinating night of music and stories. 

Saturday, we were off to Local Focus 5, a Kitchener-Waterloo film festival.  The Post Lifers was aired yesterday with other short films.  We went, some friends of mine came as well as the guys involved in the film.  It was nice to go for a beverage after the show.  Just a few minutes ago they were awarded best short film.  That's three festivals now that they have won best short film. 

Today Mr. Lina is at the awards ceremony and what am I doing?  Work.  I have a lot due tomorrow which is why I haven't been posting much this week.  Way too much.  A presentation in the morning and a huge map project due by Tuesday.  Not fun.  Well, the presentation will be fun, but getting it ready is not so much fun.

So, I'll be sitting here with my computer, listening to the Grey Cup game on the radio.  Oh wait, that isn't going to make much sense to the majority of people if my stats page is correct.  Canada has their own football league, CFL and the Grey Cup is the final game of the season.  Toronto is playing Calgary and hosting this year, the 100th anniversary of the Grey Cup.  Hosting is decided before the season starts so there isn't always a "hometown" team playing but it lets the city really plan ahead for the game.  I don't really follow football much, although I have to say the games are hella fun to go to and people who are fans are pretty rabid fans.  But given that Toronto is in the game, well, I gotta say
AAAARRRRRGGGGGOOOOSSS!

Tuesday, November 20

I made a sack!

Progress is slow but steady on Burda 2012-10-118A.  I had to grade this dress up and I did an awful lot of flat pattern measuring, measuring me, comparing to the chart, figuring ease, etc.  I marked the seam line, I cut wide seam allowances.

For some reason, I don't trust any of that work when the needle is going in the fabric.

This weekend I sewed up the side seams and it looked, well, like a sack.  You could see both bra straps, if I bent over you could see right down to my panties.  Not so good.  I didn't take any pictures because I really don't want to see it. Without any shape to the dress all I see is a fat sausage in the mirror. It's like I'm drowning in the dress (particularly since in a fear of cutting it too short it's about 3" from my ankles) like a little girl in her mom's high heels.  Not a bit of it was doing my ego any good.

This is not to say is a wadder.  The issue is that I made it too big, sewing in the big seam allowances rather than trusting my seam line.  I didn't take the back darts in enough.  The side gathers could start higher (that's a petite issue).  I have seen improvement just taking in those darts and side seams, but more will have to be removed from the dress before I put the sleeves on.  I do like the way Burda have you put the folded fabric of the cowl front into the back like a little sandwich, it's very tidy on the inside.  And when I cut away some of the extra seam allowance and moved the seam up, both bra straps were hidden.  I think it's always going to be the kind of cowl that you can't lean forward in, but at least we've moved to a little cleavage rather than panty viewing.

In other news...  Blood work for STD screening has been done for both Mr. Lina and I.  Wednesday morning I'm going for the sonohystogram and probably going to work from home.  It seems my doctor will be doing it which is good and baffling.  He's running a clinic with 3 satellite offices, that's a lot of patients.  There are other doctors who work in the clinic who could do tests like this freeing him up for other things, but I'm not going to argue, I like him.  However, I do not like that in order for him to do this, my appointment is at 7:10am.  That means I have to get up at 5:30 (because I know I'll hit snooze and get up at 5:45) to leave the house at 6:25 to be sure I'm there in time with Advil already coursing through my blood (while not the worst test, it's not fun) and breakfast in my belly (I feel remarkably stupid without breakfast).  On the plus side, I paid for it on Saturday so I don't have to add that time prior to 7:10.

Friday we're hosting a house concert with Tim Williams (side rant, why can't people commit?  We could have 8 people at the show or 22 based on all the replies of "maybe"), Wednesday night we are going to listen to Henry Rollins speak.  On Sunday I went to make something for lunch for us and realized I had no milk, no eggs, no tuna, no salmon, no cereal, it seemed like nothing at all.  And yet I had a cupboard full of food, a cold room full of food, freezers that were full.  The cold room is admittedly full of my mom's pickles, pickled beets, tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes.  The upstairs cupboards?  Well, I found a lot of expired food.  It felt good to clean that out but it did mean a stock up trip was in order last night.

With a busy week like this, I couldn't see J. P. Hoe in Toronto last night nor tonight (bowling).  Bah.  He was so good at OCFF, so personable, I really want to go but it just was adding one too many things to my plate.  Hearing him on CBC2 this morning was like salt in the wounds, so close and yet...  I can't go.

Wednesday, November 14

Ramblings

I have a lot of things swirling around at the moment, it's time for a list.
  • I had a new roller coaster dream last night, but on the plus side
    • I did not wake up
    • I did not sleep walk
    • I was not stressed out in the dream
    • We were using the speed of the roller coasters as wind while having my picture taken, weird I know. 
    • Particularly when it became apparent it was kind of a log ride so there was water involved.
  • My mom's cousin's husband had a stroke on Sunday and I came into work to read an email about it.  He means a lot to me so it took a bit to swallow that news.  I get the impression that although they know there will be weeks of therapy, they are still in the midst of testing so not a lot of firm answers at this point.
  • I like dark beers because of him.  I helped him with the statistics for his PhD.  As payment, we would go for a late lunch and we split a pitcher on an empty stomach.  I was usually pretty tipsy before my lunch arrived.
  • Sonohystogram is going to have to be postponed, my period has arrived.  76 day cycle and it picks 4 days before my sono to come to an end.  If it started Monday that would have been perfect, but no, now I have to change it to sometime next week, I think they aim for day 6-11. 
  • Overall though, it's good to have it here, my breasts can return to normal and we'll blame my eye leakiness today on hormones.
  • And if I don't have to go for the sono on Saturday, I can either help Mom with the craft show or help my mom's cousin. 
  • Hospitals take care of sick people, there isn't much I can do outside of visit (and I gather he is tired so visits may be too much just now).  But the immediate family (typically) need help so they can do what the sick person needs.  In this case, their daughter is the same age as me and she is autistic and dependent on them. 
  • So this cousin of mine, let's call her Beth. She's awesome, we have a good bond.  We even have a not so secret pass phrase (which comes in handy when she needs to regulate and settle down).  I've offered some respite time so the wife can do what she needs to do without wondering what mischief the daughter is getting into. 
  •  Beth memorizes movies and quotes them back, using their dialogue for her conversation.  If you watch movies with her, she pulls out props ahead of the dialogue, "You dirty rat" will result in a plastic rat appearing out of a toy box.  It helps to know the movies she has seen recently to get her context.
    • For example, my pass phrase is "Yes, no, I don't know.  If that isn't a true blue miracle, I don't know what one is".
    • Not everyone has a pass phrase and those who do have a phrase of their own.
    • Now the first half is said in a silly sing-song voice with side to side head actions.  If she says that, I have to say the rest, and vice versa.  It's like proof that I am me.
    • The second half is from the 1978 Christmas Eve on Sesame Street special.
  • She also loves my Strawberry Shortcake dolls and is generally trying to manipulate them out of me.
    • Perhaps you could have a garage sale and sell your old toys.  You would tell me when you have a garage sale wouldn't you?
    • Do you play with your dolls, Sera?  No?  Toys need to be played with.  I would play with them.
    • Every single visit to my parents she finds them.  I don't even know where my parents put them last but somehow Beth does.  Then we have to check that they didn't "disappear" into a pocket...
  • I have taken a few more steps with the Burda dress, but last night was bowling so not as much as you would think, the back is joined and it has a zipper.
    • I really did a good job on the invisible zipper part.
    • The spot below the zipper, well, the seam ripper and I got to be good friends. 
  • Stellar Parenting made me leaky.  I love her posts to her daughter.  I must remember the line "You were worth the wait" when I feel impatient.  One day I will feel like that.
Okay, I'm feeling a little more sorted out now.  Thanks for following along.

Monday, November 12

Nighttime Ramblings

I have mentioned this a few times, but I sometimes have problems with vivid dreams and occasionally sleep walking or talking.  I rarely make it past the foot of my bed.  If I do, I wake up enough that I still feel some compulsion to do whatever I started, but I'm a little more aware of what is going on.  I am quite likely to go to the bathroom at that point because it feels like that thing you do when you aren't in bed in the middle of the night. 

Most dreams that lead to walking are reoccurring.   The past few years, the dream has been some variation of thinking someone is in the room and I am concerned because I generally sleep naked and I shouldn't be naked with people other than Mr. Lina.  The practical solution was to wear pj's if Mr. Lina wasn't coming to bed at the same time as me (he was usually the "other person" since he wasn't there when I went to bed), so far that has worked.  But since we came back from Florida, I have woken up almost every night mid dream still believing it's real.  Three times I've gone to bed naked and woken up with pj's on (I do remember putting the pj's on but it's pretty fuzzy).  All but one dream involve going on a roller coaster (in the exception, I was a waitress trying to remember multiple tables orders).  The ending has shifted over the two weeks, starting with not knowing I was in my own bedroom and now I wake up surprised that Disney knew how to make the ride come back to my bedroom.  From that point I get stressed trying to figure out how I got to the ride naked (or how to get off the ride), which leads to me sneakily sleep walking to my cupboard (or laundry pile last night) for pj's.  I put on the pj's and I fall back asleep fairly quickly.  I don't lose a lot of sleep over these dreams but I don't like waking up feeling stressed and confused.  The practical solution will be to wear pj's for a while to stop the walking (although not the dreaming because I don't always walk), but it does hint to other issues.

In short, something is on my mind.  Something is bothering me.  I don't do this when I'm not stressed and over thinking something.

So what could it be... 
  • Infertility treatments are looming, I know I'm feeling a little unsure in my decision to take Humira.
  • Which reminds me, the sono/blood work I thought were booked for Saturday?  We went to the clinic to find out it is for NEXT Saturday.  And when I got home I remembered there was paperwork for me to sign/pick up that I forgot to ask for.  Sigh.
  • It's our last cycle and as much as I am good with that, it doesn't mean it's all butterflies and rainbows.
  • Performance review time is starting at work.  I know my manager will give me a good review but I tend to think critically of myself and don't like writing that out.
  • I am juggling too many clients at work but part of "too much" ends today and I will be back to one day a week at my employers office rather than one day every 2-3 weeks.
  • I really liked Disney and want the rides to continue?  As fun as it was, I don't think this is it.  I wake up either in line or at the end of the ride, I don't remember fun part of the ride and it's not the same as any of the rides at Disney, maybe the closest is the three seat tube like thing for Space Mountain.
  • I am not feeling down like I did a year ago, I know I'm procrastinating horribly at work and hiding from reality in games/books so things aren't perfect, but I know I am in a better mental state than I have been.
I did do some sewing this weekend.  Yay!  I tidied up my sewing table so I could have some elbow room.  I have Burda 118 A cut out.  I am disappointed in myself for not paying attention to the direction of stretch because having the stretch going around my body just makes sense, but I think it will be okay.  It is suppose to be on the bias, but someone has cut it on the straight of grain and it's been fine, so it shouldn't be a fitting issue (or if it is, that's me grading up incorrectly).  It isn't overly stretchy so I don't *think* it will impact the hemline drastically.  I have found some flaws in the fabric.  Just a little thread pulling on one side.  Colour wise, I can't tell front from back of the fabric but those pulled threads have decided which is which.  I cut around the worst one but there are two small spots I couldn't work around (but I also can't see it on the right side where I could if I knew where to look with the larger one).  The stay stitching is done, it's fraying around the curves so I have already zig zagged the seam allowances for the front piece, the gathering on the side is done.  The more I touch the fabric the softer it feels (although burn test has me thinking it's completely synthetic) - I love the fabric.  I think I've been sewing slowly because I'm afraid of f*cking it all up rather than trusting myself to read and follow directions. 

Sunday, November 11

Oops

So remember how I was going to cut the front so the little bit of stretch when around my hips? 

Guess what I forgot to check prior to cutting?

The front now has the stretch going up and down.  And no, there is not enough fabric to cut a new front nor new skirt.  I don't think there is enough left for a single sleeve.

Any suggesions on what to do?  The skirt should be on the bias from the original pattern, is that going to make it okay?

Friday, November 9

Inspiration & Pattern Adjustments

Are you driven by patterns, fabrics or others?  Do you find yourself starting with a pattern and finding the right fabric?  Or holding a fabric knowing the right pattern is out there?

I think I am often inspired by fabric.  I love thinking of the potential for a fabric - a full skirt, a light blouse, a cosy shirt.  As I was working on Burda 118A last night, I realized that fabric had not even come to mind.  Here I was, tracing the thing out, taping tissue paper sheets together and starting to cut them out and I had no idea what fashion fabric I was going to use.  None.  It had not crossed my mind to find one.  How weird is that?

One thing I have come to realize is that I have bought lots of:
  • Poly knits, probably purchased on a 3 for 1 sale
  • Rayon fabrics thinking to make Senchas, Sorbettos and Pendrells for summer
  • Stretch cottons bought this summer
  • Sheer fabrics
  • Silk noil
  • Crazy fabrics (generally purchased with lingerie in mind so they are a bit costumey)
You know what isn't on that list?  Wovens (with the exception of the silk noil).  Rather, non-sheer and non-stretch wovens.  The few wovens I have must have a little lycra or spandex because they all have a little give in one direction.  Strange but true.

A year ago when I was up for jury duty (odd how I remember that trip to Fabricland so clearly), I bought this fabric.



From a distance, it reads as  a solid, but it's a really nice mix of a plum colour and black in a very small herringbone.  It has a little stretch to it, just a little.  I'm going to learn from Allison C's issues of the bias skirt causing problems and cut it so the skirt is straight and the bodice is on the bias.  The bit of stretch around my hips will help if my estimates on sizing up are a little small.  Am I right on that or will disaster ensue? 

I've been doing some flat pattern measuring to figure out where I need to add and how much.  One thing I found interesting in doing the many measurements that Burda has was the front and back body lengths.  I'm 5' and a half inch, not as tall as the 5'6" they are designing for.  I was really surprised to see that the front measurement from my shoulder to waist was pretty close to what they were designing for.  The back measurement, however, was off by 1.5-2" if I remember right. 

Obviously with a FBA, you need more width to go around and deeper darts.  I'm 43-44" at my full bust (depending on the bra) and almost 39" at my high bust.  The less obvious aspect is adding length to go over those breasts.  It seems that in having a fuller bust, I'm ending up with the right body length.  But being short, my bust apex is higher than the sloper.  In the back, I don't have breasts filling up that volume so I need to remove some length. 

Burda Site for Source

I have paused in making my FBA because I need to let my brain simmer a little on how this translates from flat pattern that exists, changes I know I need to add/remove, and my 3D body.  Added to this, look at the line drawing, there are no bust darts.  The side gathers make it a little hard to figure out where the apex actually is (or how much it matters without darts).  I was folding the tissue paper last night to make it look more like the flat finished shirt, tissue paper does not drape like fabric.

I am slow with this stage of sewing.  I like to walk away and ponder, maybe pick up something else for 10 minutes and return to it.  It's a simmering process for me.  As it was approaching 10pm, I also figured it was good to stop rather than push on.  I wasn't ready to cut into the fabric yet and that was going to take time when I was ready.

I mentioned in comments a few updates on the fertility process.  I passed the skin test for TB.  I had my chest x-ray done and here's hoping that confirms the negative test.  If not, well, I'm okay with that too except for the fact I'd rather not have a latent case of TB.  I am clearly not "pro-Humira", I think I'm more trusting in my doctors opinion than really wanting to take it.  A positive test would remove that decision from my hands.  I have also booked all the tests the clinic wants for Saturday.  So once the x-ray results are back and I've handed over some money and consent forms, we're good to go.

My experience at the x-ray clinic was awesome.  No appointment needed, I walked in at 5:20 last night and I was at my car by 5:30.  AND the receptionist (in having to type my birthday in) commented on how I looked so much younger than my age.  Score!

Thursday, November 8

Adventures in Burda-land

I think this Burda project is going to require time, but expectations of small amounts of progress for the time spent.  It's a bit of a learning curve to sort out where to look for, well, everything.

Mr. Lina is sick, just a cold, sore throat, whatever.  I left him to video games last night and thought I'd tackle the dress I mentioned yesterday, 118A (B being the shirt version).  I pried back the staples and pulled the pattern pages out and started to unfold them.  I had a Jaws moment.


My goodness those paper sheets are huge.  I was already expecting a crazy eye chart of lines, but wow, that is really impressive.  I don't like marking patterns directly, but I don't see how you can find the right line to trace without making it stand out more.  So I got my highlighter out and was about to start when I realized I have no idea what size I am in Burda-land.

So I pulled out my measuring tape.  This was not fun at all.  I guess my belly was full of cabbage soup goodness, I am well aware I'm a little heavier than I was, but I had to check that waist measurement twice.  It turns out it was crazy bloating because this morning my waist was 2 inches smaller.  Crazy.  I'm still not sure what the "best" size is for me because I'm all over the map and heading more to their plus sizes (but I want the regular size dress!) so I'll be adding generous seam allowances and a FBA.

I had my pink highlighter in hand, patters are opened to Page A as directed.  I find piece 4.  It's small.  It's not suppose to be small.  I find piece 3, it is also small, and is suppose to be small but it doesn't look quite like the layout diagram.  Piece 1 and 2 are large so it's hard to see what the heck they DO look like until I've marked them in pink.  I don't see the very distinctive V shapes that will create the single side gathers.  The magazine refers to piece 1A and I don't see a 1A.  I was very confused.

There is a shirt version (118B) of this dress (118A).  Fehr Trade pointed out the difference in fabric between the "tweed" dress to the shirt.  The shirt has a metallic quality to it and seems stiffer.  So instead of a soft side gathers, it looks kind of wrinkled extra fabric at the waist.  I also think it's a little tighter across the bust than what is ideal. 
Source

I find the fabric description of "techno gabardine" a bit amusing.  Is it best used for light switch raves?


Anyhoo... back to the enormo-pattern sheet that just fits on the dining room table when folded into 4 so I only see Page A.  I look up the shirt pattern in the book and it says that pieces are on Page B, not Page A.  So I do a little origami to get page B facing up and sure enough, I see the V's, I only have one small piece, I have a sleeve, I have darts.  But I'm not that trusting.  I figure maybe there is something else wrong or a reason the shirt/dress are different, someone else has probably figured that out.  Google to the rescue!

So I send a special thank you to Allison C who already made it up twice and confirmed the misprint.  Doesn't she look awesome in this pinstriped version?  I also learned that I'll need to be sure I pick a fabric that has a fairly dense weave because the front skirt ends up on the bias and it's causing her problems with the cranberry version.  

I have also decided that since I have to piece 1 and 1A to make the front of the dress (and it's really wide), my usual tactic of using parchment paper isn't going to work so well.  I like parchment paper, it's easy to see through and I don't have too many complaints about not folding or tearing, but it won't tape together well.  One of my clients is near Ikea, I have read other people using their kids paper for tracing.  Any thoughts?

Tuesday, November 6

Here we go again

I'd like to thank Nothy at Aft Agley for her Burda giveaway.  I was lucky to win her last giveaway but you can too!  She has another Burda up for grabs.  I have never used Burda before so I was excited to win as a way to see what all the fuss is about.  There are some cute dresses in this issue but while my eye likes some of the ones with front pleats, I'm not sure that's a good spot for pleats on me.  I think I'd like to tackle this dress first.
From Aft Agley
The neckline and wrap feels like something that would suit me well and fit in my work wardrobe perfectly.  Although her posture and arm is a little odd, I hope that isn't hiding a gaping neckline.

And now into the non-sewing update.

I am in the prep stages for our next (and final) frozen embryo transfer cycle.  I know this is going to be a really hard cycle.  I am ready for it to be the last, but that doesn't mean it will be easy.  I'm already noticing some differences between what is in my head (just get it over with) and my behaviour (waiting 4 days to book an appointment).

I have agreed to trying the drug Humira with this cycle.  It's pretty controversial, there is no real proof it is going to work but there is also nothing saying it won't.  The immunologist we saw last year wouldn't recommend it but my doctor does.  May I say it sucks to be at the cutting edge of medicine?  No one has a single answer to agree on and I'm left in the middle basing decisions on trust because research sure isn't giving me an empirical reason one way or another.

Humira suppresses your immune system.  It is generally prescribed for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, Chrone's, colitis, etc.  I've taken other drugs to suppress my immune system but this one is another class of drugs all together.  My drug plan will cover it if my doctor fills out a form to say it's needed.  Even with 80% coverage, it's not cheap.  Injections happen two weeks apart and the start of Humira is the domino that sets everything else for this cycle in motion.

Humira does such a good job of suppression, I can't take it until I've been checked for tuberculosis.  So I'm off to my family doctor today for a TB test and booking a chest x-ray.  Part of me is annoyed that the clinic didn't mention this back in July, I could have had this done a little sooner but I don't have a time machine so I can't do much about that.  I guess I have dragged my feet about it because it highlights again the risks I'm taking to myself with this drug. 

I also have to get a sonohystogram done and both of us need STD screening done and given that my last period was September, a pregnancy test.  Sonos are not all that horrible, advil worthy, like being hit with the worst cramps out of the blue, but I know it ends and I know the pain is short.  They fill up my uterus and fallopian tubes with saline and check by ultrasound that there aren't any blockages, abnormalities, etc.  If you have blockages, from what I've read this can be really painful as the saline tries to push past.  STD screening is only good for 6 months so it feels like I am always getting this done.  I don't care so much, I have to be there for other blood work and ultrasounds, but Mr. Lina drags his heels.  He doesn't like needles, they draw a lot of blood for that test, and he has to go out of his way to do it.

And the pregnancy test.  My last period was just before my birthday in September.  Something is going on with my hormones, my breasts are crazy tender, it is enough that I did a home pregnancy test the other morning to put my mind at ease when accepting a glass of wine.  But no, either my HCG level was below 25 or something else is going on.  Maybe my period is going to arrive soon and my progesterone levels are rising.  The clinic tests are more sensitive, I am okay with them testing for me again to be sure before doing all this.

I am so done with all this poking and prodding.  It just feels annoying to me, not exciting that we're starting a new cycle.  Usually I don't mind some of this because it means something is happening, hope returns and all that.  Now I'm dragging my feet at the same time I'm impatient to get it over with.

I just want to be a mom.

Friday, November 2

Evil Queen

As mentioned, our trip to Orlando was great.  The screening went well, they took home a prize, it really justified going to that particular film festival.  During the rest of the week, we went to Island of Adventure, the evening Halloween at Universal (which is actually scary), Disney Hollywood Studios and ended with the Magic Kingdom and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween.  Mr. Lina was the photographer for the trip but we took the little point & shoot, not the good camera so not all of the pictures are of the best quality.

I did take a lot of me-made clothing, but looking through pictures, it's hard to tell.  The night I wore a Sorbetto to the Universal Halloween it was freaking cold so I have a coat covering it.  I took the bathing suit I made but again, too cold to wear it.

Last time I talked about my costume plans, I was annoyed by the options in stores.  Either they were too trampy for Disney or just a tube of crushed velvet (and not in the right colours at that) or I'd have to sift through a ton of stuff at Value Village and I didn't have time.  I did find more purple stretch crushed velvet, but when I got home I found they were not even close to being the same purple.  What I had was more blue purple and the one I bought was almost raspberry.  I opted to start from scratch with the new fabric.  I'll cut up the other fabric in to something else so it won't go to waste.  Our camera batteries died as we were dressing up at the car to return to the park, this is the only picture I have of me in the costume at the moment.

The first time I've had to ask if my eyebrows were even.
In starting again with lots of fabric to work from, I thought I'd do less draping and work with a pattern I knew.  Renfrew to the rescue!  Yes, I know that's not a dress, and yes, it has sleeves, but this was a slap dash costume and at least I knew it would fit my bust/shoulders/waist.  Here is what I did:
  1. I cut the front and back for the cowl version because it was already traced.
  2. I extended the pieces from the hip with just a very slight A line to the length of my body.
  3. I added in godets at the side to give a little more freedom of movement but the end result still fell straight down to my feet at the front.
  4. I turned and zig zagged the arm holes rather than adding sleeves (expecting it to be hot)
  5. I did stablize the shoulders as suggested in the pattern.
  6. I tried steam a seam at the back neckline but I found it hard to work with on the curved neckline and fabric that didn't like pressing so I gave up for the other seams. 
  7. On the plus side,  I think it will keep that from stretching out given that I didn't do the proper U neck and it made the back easy to identify when getting dressed.
In the end, it skims my curves nicely but kept everything covered up.  It was cold the night of the event, down to about 8C.  Fortunately my costume had a cape, but I wore a black tshirt under the dress for an extra layer which actually worked well as the Evil Queen has the black hood starting under her purple dress.

I didn't take a crown with me, I thought it would be the easiest part of the costume to purchase at the park.  I mean really, it's Disney, land of princesses and queens.  What I ended up with was a tiara with a picture of Rapunzel or Sleeping Beauty on the centre.  I blacked that out with mascara so it looked a little less happy princess-y.  Given that I think it was made for kids and my head is not small, I was really impressed at how it stayed put on my head.  I took it off for Space Mountain, but past that I wore it.

With our new flight, we still got home just in time to hand out treats to about 40 kids.  Less than we usually get but not bad considering it was cold and raining and we got a bit of a late start.  I quickly pulled out the dress and my cape from my luggage while Mr. Lina set up ghost lights and tested out his new smoke machine and we had a great time.  I have taken to handing out envelopes of hot chocolate for Halloween and I must remember for next year that with marshmallows was the preference by the vast majority.

And my favourite picture from the trip...
Snuggles on the boat at Downtown Disney.

Thursday, November 1

Hi ho, hi ho, it's back to work I go

Our trip to Orlando was great.  I'm not sure when I've walked so much but my ankle was healed enough to be up to the challenge.  I think it helped that there aren't a ton of stairs, just walking at my own pace.   Mr. Lina went a little picture crazy so I'll have a better post soon but I wanted to mention a few things from the trip.
  • Although we never experienced hurricane Sandy directly, she did impact our trip in very minor ways.
  • Like turbulence on the way there.  I was feeling pretty nauseated by the time we landed but there was a little girl in the seat in front of me giggling every time we dipped.  I couldn't wimp out if she was still giggling.
  • The weather was much cooler than I expected.  Forecasts when I was packing said it would be between 20-32C, I think the warmest day was 25C if you were in a sunny spot blocking the wind. 
  • I didn't need to pack my bathing suit.  Long sleeve shirts would have been a better use of luggage space. 
  • I could have put the long bell sleeves on my costume, it was 8C when we were trick or treating at the Magic Kingdom.
  • Going home, our original flight had a stop at Laguardia airport in New York.  You can imagine how that worked out. 
  • Somehow, we ended up with a way better flight.  Direct to Toronto, taking off at 2:15 so we could sleep in a little later and only got home a half hour later than our original flight, in time to hand out treats!
  • There was a pretty good audience for The Post Lifers screening and they were people who got it, laughed in the righ spot, asked a ton of questions during the Q&A after the screening. 
  • This is not a family movie (one of the zombies is a former porn star and while there is no sex in the movie, she sure does talk about it graphically) someone actually asked what the writers mom thought of it. 
  • For the record, she has seen it and she is proud but the writer doesn't like watching the movie with her in the room.
  • They won best short film.
The Freaky Award - 2012 Best Short Film