Cat-Less

We are a house without any cats.

Last month, our dear tabby boy Toulouse passed away after suffering from cancer of the jaw for nearly three months.  He was 14 years old. He was my baby, my little tiger, the cuddliest cat I've ever known. He loved snuggling & head-bonking & kisses, & he slept curled up in the crook of my left arm more nights than not.

He died a little over a year after our beautiful girl cat Melusine, the aloof & elegant Maine Coon, passed away after 16 years with us.

It's weird not having a cat in the house. Every time I open the house door, I expect to be greeting by one or two little furry faces. Every time I open a closet door, I expect to have to shoo away cat paws who want to get into the closet & nestle in among my clothes. There's no warm lump of cat at my feet in the bed, & there's no sound of little claws tapping on the hardwood floors around the house.

My husband & I have talked, & yes, we will get cats again. We want to do some home improvements first, plus we'll be out of town & have to plan around that. In the meantime, the house feels strangely empty.

What I'm wearing: Black T-shirt, Target | Black, brown, & white Ikat striped knit skirt, Kohl's | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Silver-grey wedge heels, Anne Klein | Black & cream cat-print scarf, gift from my husband | Pewter key earrings, made by me

Toulouse

Whenever life gets you down, Mrs. Brown

Instead of getting down on yourself, consider these quirks of fate...

10 Oscar-less Hollywood icons

Best films that never won a Best Picture Oscar

10 famous & wealthy people without college degrees

Lots of famous depressed people

Huge list of celebrity atheists

A bunch of famous people who are childfree

Albert Einstein never learned to drive a car.

Greta Garbo couldn't cook.

What I'm wearing: Pink patterned sweater, Chadwick's | Black T-shirt, Target | Black corduroy skirt, H&M | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black wedges, Kenneth Cole | Black & rhinestone necklace, random accessory store | Black & pink sparkly earrings, random accessory store

The Professor's Homework Assignment: What Makes Your Heart Sing

I fully admit, I was not going to do this assignment. I'm in a dark place right now -- while I finally finished cancer treatment, a bunch of other crap has piled up in my life, & nothing is really making me "sing." I hear it's not uncommon for there to be a bit of a reaction after all the fighting to get through treatment, you can suddenly feel more easily overwhelmed by problems & unable to deal with stressors. Something about the fight or flight response finally letting up. Anyway.

But precisely because I'm feeling so down, I'm forcing myself to write about something that (usually) makes my heart sing. I've mentioned costuming plenty of times before, but what I enjoy most about it isn't the sewing (ugh, I kind of hate that!) or the research & design (which I do love) -- I adore being dressed up in costume with my friends. That's what it's all about. I don't make art in a vacuum. My costumes are a means to an end. They're part of what transforms me & the modern setting into the past or a fantasy where my friends & I can let loose & have a fabulous time. The so-called real world melts away, & everything is right, if only for a few hours. It's no coincidence that my husband & I met working renaissance faires. That's the kind of atmosphere where my heart sings & I feel closest to my higher, better self, the me I want other people to see & love.

Even during chemo, I had to go out to a few costumed events, & they were more energizing than exhausting. While sometimes creating a new costume can be daunting, the prospect of a costumed event with friends always perks me up.

me & my husband at Venetian carnevale

me & my best friends at an SCA event

me & my best friends at Colonial Williamsburg

Pink for Pride and Hope

This is yesterday's outfit, which I wore thinking of today. I knew that the momentous U.S. Supreme Court decisions on my home state's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage cases would be announced this morning, & I was hoping they would be announced in favor of equal marriage rights. And HUZZAH, they were! It's a step in the right direction, but there is much more work to be done for full justice across the nation.

Also this morning, I had an important medical test. While I won't get the results for a few days, I hope the results will be at least as positive as today's news. To inspire positivity for both issues, I wore my rockstar skirt made by a dear friend.

Do you have special items in your wardrobe that you wear for good luck?

What I'm wearing:
Black knit military-style jacket, Macy's
Black T-shirt, Target
Pink & white 'rockstar' skirt, made by Donna
Black tights, Calvin Klein
Black heeled lace-up boots, Aerosoles
Pink & gold earrings, Ruche

Trying to Stay Calm

While life goes crazy all around. This is a very easy outfit -- soft knits, comfy sweater, laid-back accessories, simple hairdo, almost-flat shoes. Doesn't require much effort but still looks decent for the office.

Which is good because my work schedule has been insane due to the Olympics (I'm editing anything Olympics-related for the duration), plus I'm trying to squeeze in a trip to my beloved annual costume conference, where I'll be teaching a hands-on class, meanwhile our house is being painted & a window's being repaired & these relatively minor disturbances have set off our older cat into a fury of messy protestations.

Oh, & while you'd think this stuff would end after August 12, nope, I'm sewing some (simple) garments for the incoming Queen of the West in the SCA, which she needs mid-August, & helping plan a huge theme party for the end of August. And then it's on to September & October's mayhem of several renfaires for the Venetian courtesan group I've started performing with, so that requires mucho practice & some refinement of my costume (especially the hair). Finally, in early November, I'm running a huge educational conference for the SCA which includes a historical feast with performances. And new costumes for myself & my husband. Whew.

Yeah, no rest for the wicked, that's my motto ;-)

What I'm wearing:
Black knit dress, Target
Black & white striped sweater, Chadwicks
Black with grey skulls scarf, gift from my husband
Black tights, Calvin Klein
Black kitten-heel shoes with tiny buckles, Aldo
Black & white striped dangle earrings, Kohl's

Paralysis in Pink

I'm well & truly stuck in a rut. I've been having a hard time doing anything creative recently, whether it's putting together an interesting outfit (& thus having anything worth blogging about) to writing (here or elsewhere) to sewing to you name it. My career is stuck, my artistic life is stuck, I'm stuck.

What I'm wearing:
Hot pink cardigan, unknown brand, maybe thrifted | Black knit top with 3D roses, Newport News | Black corduroy skirt, H&M | Black tights, Calvin Klein | Black & pink stripe flats, DSW (shout-out to Coffin Kitsch for mentioning these & inspiring me to get 'em) | Pink & gold earrings, Ruche

I don't quite know how to get my groove back other than try & push through. That's really hard, & yet it's all I can do at this exact moment. I'm open to suggestions tho!