Saturday, May 19, 2012

Superhero Sleepover!!!!

I had a blast today.  I am so very tired.  We went to the birthday party for my cousins 7 year old boy.  It was totally batman themed.  There was a Gotham city backdrop, a batcave, penguin pool area, a cool cake with the batsignal on it, etc, etc, etc.  I FINALLY got to wear my Harley Quinn outfit.  Everyone showed up that was supposed to be there, so that was good too of course.  I do not have many pics, but here is one from today. 


I wish I had more close up of each of us, but this is the best one.  As you can see, we had a Joker, Poison Ivy, Commissioner Gordan, Two-Face, and Harley Quinn.  We all pretty much carried off our lines pretty well and I know the kids had a blast pelting us with 100 freaking water balloons and saving Batman.   It was a wet mess but it was awesome. 

So, now I can check that one off my list and free up a little time....until I go on vacay and have to sew curtains for my mom, lol.  I have less than a week and I am homeward bound.  I can not wait to go up there and totally not relax!!!  I am going to be so busy.  I will try to find some more pics of each of the players in the superhero game and get those posted as well.


Crap, now I need to find something else to write about!!!!

Friday, May 18, 2012

The Making of Two-Face Part 1: Pant's on fire

Yesterday was the most hectic day one can possibly imagine.  It was basically go non-stop all day.  I am worn out just thinking about it.  I didn't even have time to hit the gym (not that I wanted to anyways, I am STILL sore).  There is so much coming up that I have been running ragged lol.  We have decided to expand the fence in the backyard.  That will give us a lot more room and will cost some money and a lot of work, but so worth it so the kids and dogs have a bigger space to run in.  We will also probably be re-arrranging everything in the house while the kids are at grandmas. This means a lot of carrying things up and down the stairs and a lot of "spring cleaning".  I think it will be well worth the work and it will get me active at least.

On another front.  The Superhero sleepover is tomorrow.  We finally found time to work on the Two-face outfit.  Since I have neither the time not the inclination to sew two suits together, we are just going to tatter up one side of the outfit and concentrate on  the makeup and props (which I still need to find). 

Did you know it is virtually impossible to set fire to a pair of Dickies?  It took me forever to get some good scorches on the pants.  But at least those are not done.....for the most part.  I may take then out and rub them in the dirt a little bit for effect.  I almost wish I had an iron so I could super crisp up one side.  That would be pretty awesome.

Other than these things, I am now officially enrolled and ready to rock for UTA.  I am really freaking excited about it.  Since the next couple of weeks are going to be so hectic, I may just lay off some things for a bit.  Thankfully school doesnt' start until June 4th, so I have a bit of a reprieve there. 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

On the run

I have been so freaking busy lately.  I have been working, trying to transfer school, working on costumes, finishing up a research paper at my old school, getting ready for my week vacay, planning games and food for a bridal shower.... Oh and going to the gym.

I have finally managed 6.5 miles.  That is about half of what I need to finish the half.  Yikes!!  I do feel really good when I run though.  I think boredom on the treadmill is my biggest problem.  A couple of days ago we had the company picnic and I played really hard, lol.  I still hurt.  I'm bruised, blistered and scratched.  I'm just plain sore.

Today I have to go to UTA campus and try to fit a million errands into about 3 hours.  I don't see this happening in my favor.  I am hoping for once things go smoothly.  

I have finished the Harley Quinn outfit, but have not started on the Two-face.  I also need to talk to someone about building a longer fence in my backyard, so we can actually have MORE backyard.  We are trying to rearrange things in the house, spreading out and making more room.  It is a little crowded with all this STUFF!!  Time to go through and throw out.  Some serious spring cleaning.  I think it will have to wait until after my vacation though.  I am going to seriously need this week off.

The super hero sleepover is Saturday.  I'll be sure to post pics.  I hope it is as big of a hit as I am hoping it will be.  I am still super excited about it!!

Friday, May 11, 2012

The Making of Harley Quinn Part 4: the completion

I have done it.  I have finished the costuming part of my Harley Quinn outfit.  I bought some mens black pajama pants and added diamonds down one leg and a big diamond on the other.  I am not going to post pictures until we get to the party and get the makeup and the whole she-bang going.  A special thanks to David for not only all his advice on the makeup (which I still have yet to try out) but also for the suggestion of fabric glue.  How he manages to think up the easiest solutions to my most pressing problems blows my mind.

Now I have to begin work on Two-face.  I have already done half of his hat, but have done virtually nothing for the costume.  I am not sure what I am going to do, but it will be way less involved than Harley Quinn. The party is in one week and Two-face is mostly all in the makeup.  I am pretty stoked that Ryan has decided to play a part and that my sister and her fiancee jumped on board to play Poison Ivy and the Joker.  It is going to be a lot of fun for the kids and worth every minute of this mess.   I only hope that I can leave the making of Two-face more or less in Ryans hands because I am working like crazy this week and trying to transfer schools, looking into new places to live, and getting ready for my weeks vacay to Kansas (which includes a bridal and baby shower....not for the same person)

Saturday, May 5, 2012

The Making of Harley Quinn part 3: I wear my diamonds on my sleeve

Ever hear of finger piercings?  Me neither, but I think that is where I am heading with these silly diamonds.  After TWO WHOLE days of hand sewing, I finally got on 8 diamonds.  ok ok, it was really like 3 total hours, but whatevs, right.  My poor little fingers are hole poked.  The shirt is pretty much finished, I just need to cut up the sleeves and the bottom to make it more joker-esque.  Then I have to work on the bottoms.  A friend of mine suggested making spats to cover my shoes.  I looked it up online, it looks complicated, but doable.  I also got my makeup and face paint so that I can doll up Ryan and I for the big day. 

Did I mention Ryan was going to be Two-face?  I don't recall.  Any good ideas on a quickish and easyesque way to do Two-face make-up?  What the hell, am I Stephen King now, all making up words and shit?  Who cared, its 3:30 am, lol.  I will make up all the words I want!!

Seriously, any help with Two-face ideas would be good.  I'm even less experienced with make-up than I am with sewing, so that is saying something.  Here is the 97% finished version of the shirt.  In hindsight I should have chosen smaller shirts, or sewed them together tighter...whatever, first time sewing, remember?




In other news, I bought a bigger fish tank for the boys room.  They now have a 10 gallon circulating water upstairs.  I really hope they think fish are as cool as I do.  Who knew they could be such interesting pets??  I am certain I had more to say, but my brain is ka-put due to another super late night.  Why do I stay up so late?  Oh well, at least I finished all my homework and my shirt and just have to finish writing my research paper now.  And even that is about 1/4 done.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

The Making of Harley Quinn Part II: Diamonds are NOT this girls best friend

So, I have had rather eventful and entertaining day which I will tell you about now. It's a rather long story so hold on to you butts.

Today is my oldest son, Jaxons, birthday.  He turned 5.  What a crazy fun age.  Anyway, we already had the big party in Kansas so we decided to just have a little thing at the park with cupcakes and a couple gifts.  I invited my sister-in-law and her two boys (my brother being out of town and all).  Her boys are roughly the same age as my boys about 6-8 months younger than mine.  Sooo, we are at the park and my nephew, Vaden, wants to go on the tire swing.  I'm like "sure dude, lets go".  I head off that way with his little brother, Jonas, in tow.  We get there and Jenny and I are standing around waiting for Vaden to decide to come over.  Now the tire swing is on this freestanding metal frame and for some reason the powers that be decided to put a very low bar as a crossbar.  Like really low, ankle biter level.  So I tell Jaxon to come on over and he can swing too. (It is a habit to get all four boys on this sucker).  He comes hauling ass across the park and trips over the low bar.  He fell on the soft rubber ground and it was kind of funny so I laughed.   Then Vaden sees us and comes running over.  He trips on the same bar, and now Jenny and I are both laughing.  SOOOOO, as wicked as we are, we decided to see if we could get 3 for 3.  I say, "Carter (my youngest), do you want to swing".  "yeah yeah"  Here he comes, racing as fast as his little 3 year old legs can carry him...right for the crossbar.  Guess what, he trips.  Jenny, Ryan (the hubs) and I CRACK UP laughing. 

I know, we are total assholes.  But it was effing hilarious.  After than we threw some rocks off a bridge into the water, went on a mini-safari and did some more swinging.  Then we went to dinner, which was as uneventful as dinner with 4 small boys can be, though fun.


THEN, I have the bright idea to work on my Harley Quinn get up.  I think, "I'll just cut out the diamond patters and then sew them on the shirt.  Then I'll be one step closer to being done."  Riiiiiight. First off, I could not figure out how to cut out diamond patters without the ragged edges showing.  I eventually decided on cutting out 5in squares and just folding in the edges and sewing them shut.  So I get started....and my machine keeps bunching up, reminding me constantly that I am a less than stellar seamstress. 

Who am I kidding, I'm a total novice.   So I spend an awful lot of time ripping seam and rethreading (two things I am fairly good at by now).  I FINALLY get all the black diamonds done, load up a red bobbin, get it in the machine and....the bottom thread won't come up.  Now, this is a MAJOR issue.  I try everything.  I take it apart, rethread, troubleshoot online, cuss, rant and almost break into tears (it is almost 2 am at this point).  So I figure, what the hell one more time......put it back together, load it up, turn the little wheel on the side.  no good.   Dammit.  So, in frustration, I crank the wheel the other way.  VIOLA!!  thread.  Would you believe I had simply been turning the damn thing the wrong way.   What the HELL?!?!?  Who dreams up these contraptions.  So, here I am, 3 hours after starting this simple, quick project.  I am finished with the diamonds!!!! Then I set them on the shirt to see how they will look when sewn on and realize that I should have sewn them on BEFORE sewing the two sides together.  Looks like I will be hand sewing on most of them  /head desk

At least I have something to show for all my woe.  These diamonds are definitely not my best friend:



Yes, I know, one of the red ones is crooked, shut up!!  Did you not just read that^^??