I am still alive...

Oh yes...have no fear....I am still alive.  I have a whole stack of projects that I have finished up and I'm dying to share.  I have the pictures, I'm just too tired tonight to upload them.

Quick update on my health. .I have a neurologist....whoo hoo!!  February 3 of this year I was in the hospital for 9 days with viral meningitis where I also developed encephalitis (brain swelling).  Ok....So, yesterday was the 4 month mark.  For every single day of the last 4 months I have had a headache.  Never changes, never goes away, always in the same place.  Hence I have a neurologist.  It would seem that the brain swelling switched on my migraine switch permanently....so I've been experiencing a steady, non-stop migraine...What the hell?

My doctor has been great....my neurologist has been great.....and my husband has been the absolute best!!  He has taken over EVERYTHING around the house since I need a 2 hour nap after doing even the smallest thing!  He's amazing and I love him like crazy!  *L*

I just wanted to update really quickly...I have a ton of stuff to share with you guys....I made my daughter anime cosplay stuff for a convention, and I recently had a birthday.  My husband threw me a USO dance...including a dance instructor!  It was awesome!!  I made myself a new dress out of a disaster of an ebay purchase.  I have a ton of pictures....I will post the tomorrow....I promise.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!!

two more weeks until conventionm time!!!! EEEEK

It's Saturday morning and my family is still asleep.  It's when I love them all the most.  *L*  So, I'm sitting here in the quiet (the dog isn't even snoring *L*) contemplating....well....everything.

We leave for the anime convention on the 21st....just about two weeks.  If my daughter were awake I could give you an exact day, hour, minute count.  *L*  She's only just a little excited.  It's the thing she plans for and saves her babysitting money for all year long.

Today I will be sewing...and sewing....and sewing.  I am almost finished with one of her costumes...just a few little tweaks.  I cut out her second costume...just waiting on 10 hot pink zippers to arrive in the mail.  My husbands coat is almost finished, just have to do some finishing touches and add lots and lots of buttons.  And his vest is cut out, just needs to be put together.

 My outfit is coming together....I just got the sexiest boots in the mail...knee high lace up jobs...I didn't think I would like them or find them comfortable, but got them because they went with the theme of my outfit!  However, i am in love with them...so comfy and soft....I will post pictures when the outfit is done.

http://www.discountwomensdressshoes.com/servlet/StoreFront ( go here...they have amazing prices and ship fast....and they have some very vintage-esque shoes (that I will be ordering very soon *L*)

 I got all the parts to finish my underbust corset, so I will try to get that mostly done this weekend as well.  *L*

THEN....on top of all the stuff I'm working on for the convention, my daughter is in a play and brought home two of the costumes that are cut out but need to be sewed together...sure....no problem  *L*  I can do that!

I've recently been teaching her to sew...it's a good skill to have...and now the teacher/play director keeps giving her things to make because no one else in the class knows how to sew....*L*  oops.  I told her, welcome to your new hobby....you'll get hit up AAALLLL the time to just "whip something up".  She says she doesn't mind!  *L*

On a side note...let me leave you with a picture that sums up the new and not so improved me right now...

I complain, but I am grateful every day that I am alive!

Really? Seriously??

Well....I officially start back to work full-time ish next week.  A nice regular schedule...finally.  I have had quite a few set backs lately.  The doctor put me on an anti-viral medication so I don't get sick again....sadly, the pills made me feel like crap!  There are about 30 side effects to this medication and I had almost all but the vomiting. Whoo hoo....they took me off that and I have sworn to never ever take it again unless it's being delivered via IV in the hospital.  Yucky stuff!
This little adventure started on February 2nd.  Since they took me off the anti viral medication I feel better...all the side effects but one went away!  What is this last effect, you ask?  It's a headache.  A bad, bad, BAD headache that makes me want to punch babies!  I have had it every single day for the past two months.  It never changes in intensity, in never changes location....it never changes!  And I think it sucks a whole lot.  Sooo...what does this mean for Trixie?  I have to go see a Neurologist...I fear one of two things happening:
1.  They tell me they can't find anything wrong with me and tell me to just suck it up, it must be all in my mind.
or
2.  They find something terribly wrong...."sorry Trixie...that's a bad brain you got there...gonna have to tear it out and replace it!"
Silly and irrational, I know, but that's my fear.  *L*

I have been sewing a little bit.  We're going to a convention next month and I have a TON of things to finish up.  I keep meaning to make myself a list so I can keep track...in case I haven't mentioned it, the meningitis and encephalitis did quite a little scramble of my memory....basically....can't remember crap!!  *L*  I take lots and lots of notes...Post its are my friends!  I keep forgetting to make myself that list.  HA!!

My husband somehow talked me into playing dungeons & dragons with him.  He is a gamer....loves miniatures and dice...I sat down to watch him, our oldest son, and a friend play...and somehow, probably due to my brain damage, I ended up with a character.  WHAT THE HELL??  I don't game!!  I play the occasional video game (hubby bought me a Wii for mothers day so I could play Cooking Mama *L*) and I do play the occasional board game with the kids.  But I don't play fantasy games!  I don't play zombie games!    And yet, I find that now I own my own set of pink glittery dice, and a handful of tiny little miniature people that need to be painted.  I find myself saying things like, "honey, does my thunderwave only affect my target, or will it knock back my companions?"  "honey, if I use my second wind to heal does that give me a +2 to my defense for the length of my turn".  WHAT THE HELL??  I'm gaming!!  *sigh*  I must love my husband very very much  *L*

So, here is one of the tiny tiny little miniatures I'm painting:

Can't figure out how to rotate this picture.  *L*

And what have I been sewing, you ask?  Well, let me show you:

My crazed steampunk-ish bustle skirt!!
Yeah...can't rotate this picture either!

Things are moving right along!

-3.1 pounds (37 lbs total)

I'm a big dork...my Dr. Who nails!

I started back to work today!  Whoo hoo!!  I worked from 8:30am to noon....got home by one and slept from 1 to 6.  Tomorrow I will be working from 10 to noon and we'll see if my nap is shorter.  *L*
We are back on track with the diet...or lifestyle change as we like to call it.  Partly because it's time and I've maintained for far too long....and partly because the new anti-viral medication I'm on makes me queasy and jittery!  So it all works together.  *L*  I've been a bit crafty so I've done a little bit of sewing, and a little bit of crocheting.  I managed to get my hair dyed with a fresh coat of hot pink...it was getting pretty faded...and I did my nails.  I'm slowly working on a couple of craft swaps, and planning out some costumes for my husband and daughter.

I've mentioned before that my husband and youngest daughter go to an anime convention every year together.  It's just something they enjoy and they like that it's "their" time together.  However....this year is seems they've decided I should go with them!  What?  I have nothing to wear!!  Damn it....now I have to make myself something!  *L*  I sew....A LOT....so I am making three costumes for my daughter for that weekend, and my husband has decided to try his hand at a steampunk outfit.  He didn't ask for it, but how can I let him go to a convention without something new and cool to wear...so I'm making him a vest and a long coat!
I've decided to wear something steampunk as well.  I started a skirt, and ordered a kick ass pattern from Laughing Moon Merchantile for an underbust corset!!  Oh how the things I like to wear and do are so varied...so haphazard.....so strange!  *L*
I'm going back and forth on making my outfit all browns and burgundys and western-y and zebra print and hot pink.....I'm leaning toward the zebra today...but yesterday it was the western.  I better decide soon...the convention is in April!

Day 7 - Trixie's back baby!!

No makeup and pink hair!

I have gone and done it...I dyed my hair pink and black....AGAIN!!  Whoo Hoo!!
I'm having a "down" kind of day.  Not sure what the deal is...nothing happened...had a pretty mellow day.  I was a bit productive.  I slept until 10...because I'm spoiled and I don't work on Fridays.  I got up and worked on my overalls.  Betty the dress form, had her first job today of sizing my overalls.  She's currently wearing a blouse I'm working on.  The overalls are coming together great!  Soon, very soon there will be pictures of me wearing them.

365 Project....and we're off....

All dolled up for New Years

Happy New Year!!!  We had no kids for a change so we decided on a grown-up night.  My husband and I went to the bar with a couple of friends.  My husband bought me lots of rockabilly clothes for Christmas, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to wear something super cute!!  I even dug out my cherry print bra that I bought last year and never wore.  We went dancing, had a few drinks and rung in the new year with some good friends.

My duct tape dummy, Betty, is all finished.  So tomorrow I will tidy the sewing room and begin my projects!!

I look like THAT??

Got a lot of things accomplished this weekend, but didn't blog about it!  It's so much easier to write when I'm at work sitting in front of a computer all day! *L*

I love stripes!!

Perfect Hair!

I went with my mom and my friend to my tattoo gal and had a big piece done on my right thigh!!  It's a chubby pinup girl holding a cupcake.  I'll post a picture when she's done!  We just did the line work and some shading.  I'll be going back after Christmas for the color!!  I am in love with her.  She was going to be a red head, but I am now leaning towards giving her bright pink hair!!  My hair was PERFECT on Friday...so perfect in fact, that I took pictures.  *L*  I also ordered pink hair dye...FINALLY!  Should be here next week!  I get a hair cut on Tuesday then pink hair here I come!!

I started working on my 16 year old daughter's Christmas present.  She is leaning toward Visual Kei/Gothic Lolita styles...so I'm making her a kimono style dress out of some blue and gold fabric my grandma gave me.  I will post pictures when that is finished and sized to her.

Oh Betty...you're so big!!

I haven't been sewing much for me lately because I have been wanting to make a duct tape dummy.  I'm a big gal with lots of bust goin' on and I have to modify EVERY pattern I buy.  I've been sort of winging it forever, but the disaster of my overalls prompted me to get rolling on the dummy!  SO...last night my husband spent quite some time wrapping me in duct tape.  I asked him to painfully careful with the shaping....once it was cut off and stuffed, I was SHOCKED!  I know I'm a chub...but geeeeez.....seeing it in all it's glory in silvery duct tape was a whole lot of reality!!  So, in true Shannon fashion, I decided to embrace my chub and started covering the whole thing in leopard print duct tape and named her Betty (I name everything Betty *L*).  I'm going to mark the shoulders, waist, and such with hot pink.  She should be done tonight!!
We will be building a stand and she will become a working "art" piece for my sewing room.  Still startling to look at but it will be a great help in making my clothes fit better!!

Couldn't find a thing to wear!!

Well, it's Monday, and I couldn't find anything cute or interesting to wear.  So I have resorted to wearing a giant sweater and my "mom" jeans.  I made myself a mini skirt out of an old pair of jeans, but I wasn't really feeling it when I got dressed this morning.  I think I need more clothes *L*

  It would seem that blogging over the weekend is a bit more difficult than I anticipated.  It's not that I don't have the time.  I'm lazy.  I spend quite a bit of time with my laptop, well, in my lap on the weekends, but my addiction this weekend seemed to be The Sims 3.  I don't so much play the game as much as I build people and houses.  Don't get me wrong...I love the game...I love all that power I can wield over my town full of little people who must obey my every command.  *L*  But I also like a good cheat code that gives me unlimited money to build and buy whatever I want.  All my little people are fatties, all unemployed, and all fabulously wealthy.  *L*

I managed to get in some sewing on Saturday, but not much.  I made a hat for my nephew but it has to be all picked apart and redone because I managed to get the size wrong.  Sad day!  I didn't do anything crafty at all on Sunday...just vegged around the house.  Spent time with my husband, went to a meeting for our local medieval recreation group that I and my family are involved in.  Ate some gingerbread cookies....ate some more gingerbread cookies.

Tonight there will be no sewing again.  Our youngest two kids are in high school, one Sophomore and one Senior.  Both are in the band and/or choir and the school is having their annual Christmas concert tonight.  It is about 3 hours of hellish torture.  They one or two bright spots for the night are the Jazz Band...who play all swing style music, and the Advanced Choir...which is full of kids who had to audition to be in so they can actually sing.

I look so disgusted *L*
And my hair is a strange color!

On a fashion note, I managed to get my hair into actual victory rolls (good job ME)!!  It's been a while since I've been able to do that since I cut my hair off several years ago so I could dye it strange colors.  I miss the hot pinkness of my hair.   My hair is telling me it wants to be pink again....no matter what color I dye it, the pink always peeks out!!

Oops...missed a day!

Well then.  I already missed a day of my "I'm going to blog everyday"!  *L*  I was otherwise occupied in the craftroom.  I made myself a denim mini-skirt out of a pair of jeans that I've never worn....I LOVE it!!  I haven't worn a mini skirt since I was in high school, and that was quite some time ago, let me tell you.  *L*
I worked on my 40's-ish overalls....they were an epic failure.  Despite measuring the crotch was too short so it ... um....rode up??  *L*  It was soooo not flattering!  However, I am determined to make a pair of overalls that I can wear...so I will use the disaster as a learning experience and I will measure twice this time.  Fortunately I have a lot of this beige material.  The silhouette of the overalls looks good, so I'm happy with they idea of the pattern I made...just needs some modifications.

Big Apple Red

I did manage to make an appointment for a haircut.  Can't get in until December 21.  The girl who cuts my hair is great and always always booked for weeks.  But it's worth the wait.  I also managed to get a few Christmas presents sewn AND I managed to give myself a fresh new manicure!!