Day 27: Persuasion

This is the face of Captain Wentworth. His mom calls him Ciaran Hinds, but he will always be Captain Wentworth to me. He is the male protagonist in the movie version of one of my favorite Jane Austen novels.... Persuasion.

I most recently read the book while I was in Italy this winter. I was healing a heartbreak, and geez, Miss Austen understands the soul of a woman.
Persuasion is the story of Anne Elliott, a woman of advanced years (she is 28!) who had turned down the great love of her life as a girl on the advise of a family friend because he had no money and no connections. Fast forward to her late 20s.... she has never loved another and is living a fairly bleak existence with her insipid family... and the young man has come back to town, all grown up and quite wealthy due to his efforts in the navy. Plus he wears a hot sailor getup all this time. (swoon). As is the case in all Austen novels, there is a lot of angst and politeness and things not said and just when you think the worst... true love conquers all.

The movie is awesome. ALMOST as good as the A&E Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth. If Persuasion were 6 hours long like the P&P, then maybe they would tie. Also, don't be fooled by the new Persuasion movie that came out fairly recently. If it doesn't have Ciaran Hinds, then it is a cheap imitation. Trust me.

Day 25: my first treasury!

Today, after lurking and trying half-heartedly for months, I got my first treasury on Etsy!! See it here: Pink Lemonade is for Girls.

an actual screen shot of the lovely thing....

So, what the heck does this even mean, you might ask. Well, here's the deal: on Etsy, the online craft community where I have a little shop, the treasury is a place where you can curate your own little gallery. I have made sample treasuries in the past, that I displayed on this blog, but I have yet to garner a spot on the Etsy site. The spots are hard to come by... you must wait until enough lists expire that there are only 333 current lists, and then hope you are one of the first few to grab an open spot. Right this moment, for instance, there are 624 lists, so it will be days before any available spots even open up. This is all very complicated, but trust me, it is a thrill to be able to post my very own list. And if I keep my fingers crossed and am very good and very lucky, my list may be chosen for the front page of Etsy.... so it would be the first thing visitors see when they come to the shop. This is probably a pipe dream, but a girl can hope, right? hehe

Anyway, get thee over there and check it out!.

Day 22: impending death

This morning I woke up very early with a feeling of cold cold fear deep in the pit of my stomach. I am trying to convince myself this is just excitement, or will soon turn into excitement, but in my heart I know it is fear: today I am going white water rafting in the freezing waters of the Colorado mountains.

Or rather, the entire stage management and directing staff (plus the Technical Director) of Central City Opera is going rafting. In one boat. Together. Might be a short season. hehe. (I kid so as to avoid sobbing.)

I am sure it will be great once we are all suited up in our wetsuits and shivering on the open water. Really.
Stay tuned...

Day 21: in which i laugh, heaps.

I can never get enough of this video:

Day 20: i am behind

ok, i am not so good at the willpower... skipped several days in a row. and i don't have any real excuse but sheer laziness.

today, i give you: 40 questions you must answer with one word.
Try it. it is thought-provoking.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? Computer
3. Your hair? Growing
4. Your mother? social
5. Your father? retired
6. Your favorite time of day? morning
7. Your dream last night? hazy
8. Your favorite drink? coke
9. Your dream goal? blurry
10. The room you’re in? dirty
11. Your ex? funny
12. Your fear? present
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? comfy
14. What you are not? sure
15. Your Favorite meal? steak
16. One of your wish list items? home
17. The last thing you did? read
18. Where you grew up? south
19. What are you wearing? pajamas
20. Your TV is? stored
21. Your pets? missed
22. Your computer? vital
23. Your life? Undirected. (ironic, eh?!)
24. Your mood? unsettled
25. Missing someone? always
26. Your car? worn
27. Something you’re not wearing? jewelry
28. Favorite store? expensive
29. Your summer? long
30. Your favorite colour? green
31. When is the last time you laughed? recently
32. When is the last time you cried? forgotten
33. Your health? ok
34. Your children? none
35. Your future? unclear
36. Your beliefs? forming
37. Young or old? middle
38. Your image? changing
39. Your appearance? faltering
40. Would you live your life over again knowing what you know? likely

now if you'll excuse, i have an opening night to attend...

Day 16: the day on which I write something more substantial.

Synchronicity... the experience of two or more events which occur in a meaningful manner.

I was reading ye olde Oprah magazine last night (and geez do I enjoy that mag, despite its annoying need to display Oprah as the cover model every daggum month), and came across an interview she did with Eckhart Tolle. I have not read his work, but have been curious what all the fuss is about.

Here is a key point in the article: Oprah quotes Tolle's book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, a passage in which he describes how, at 29 years old and considering suicide he thought,

"I cannot live with myself any longer... Then suddenly I became aware of a what a peculiar thought it was. Am I one or two? If I cannot live with myself, there must be two of me: the 'I' and the 'self" that 'I' cannot live with. Maybe...only one of them is real."

And the rest of the article (to simplify drastically) is about realizing that our thoughts are not who we are. That the voice in our head that is a litany of rehashing the past, worrying about the future, etc, is not real... that only NOW is real. I gotta say, this is kind of a lightbulb moment for me, and I really want to hold onto this. How many hours... YEARS have I wasted in my life stewing over old conversations, imagined conflict, negative thoughts and feelings about things that are completely out of my control... either because they have to do with another person's perception or are just in the past?

So I read this little passage last night, and then this morning, one of the blogs I read (Wertzateria) pointed to a new book by Lynda Barry called What It Is, and if you take a look at the book preview HERE, you can see that it deals with almost the exact same subject matter, only in a gorgeous, illustrated fashion.

Synchronicity. Gives me the feeling that there is something here I should be paying attention to. Instead of the non-stop voices in my head. :)

Day 15: oops

Don't do it Papageno!! Everyone makes mistakes!
(the lovely Corey McKern as Papageno)

oops. if anyone is counting, you may have noticed that I missed a day in my thirty day challenge to write a blog post every stinkin day. Day 14, slam in the middle. geez. and I was so proud of my progress, even if they haven't been the most scintillating entries ever.

this is a perfect opportunity to practice ye olde "make a mistake, but move on" type philosophy. So here we are! First thing in the morning, a new blog. entry. And what topic?.... more Magic Flute pictures of course!

Tamino (Vail Rideout) escapes a dragon.

3 Ladies, escaped from a Vegas floorshow, admire Tamino. (i kid, i kid)
(Katrina Thurman, Korby Myrick, Chandra Eggers)

Day 13: Flute pics!

Yesterday was my lucky day!
1. Dido & Aeneas DVD arrived.
2. also pictures
3. Also pictures from my Magic Flute!!

A couple for your viewing pleasure....

The Queen (Bronwen Forbay) meets Tamino (Vail Rideout)

What would Sarastro (Charlie Temkey) do?

3 adorable spirits (and yes, they ARE flying!)

Day 12: Dido pics!

death of dido

At last I have the production pictures from the Dido & Aeneas I did this spring! I will post more pics on the Dido production blog: HERE

Day 11: Wordle anyone?

well I found a fun new tool on the internet: Wordle.
Type in a bunch of text and it makes a word cloud for you. fun!
This is what happened when I put in the bio from my "professional" website:

Day10: Cowboy love

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Boy, I wish I had a tiny cowboy hat to wear! But how would I keep it on my head?"

WELL THINK NO FURTHER!

Jennifer over at the Naughty Secretary Club has provided us with step-by-step instructions for making our own Cowgirl Hat Headband.

This announcement brought to you with love by Tara.

Day 9: Dreamy

Aren't these images by photographer Irene Suchocki just dreamy? You can see (and purchase for your very own!) more at her Etsy shop: ISphotography. I am smitten.

Day 8: Cat massage

I find this gets funnier the more times you watch it.

I miss my cat.

addict

ok, i am an addict. Addicted to beauty, that is...

Day 7: Etsy treasury

Etsy is perhaps one of the most interesting sites on the web. Basically it is an online arts and crafts show...but this is not your mama's craft show. Many many artists (including me!) create little stores and display their wares. The variety of things on the site is astounding, and I do most of my gift shopping there these days. You can see a bit of my shop in the sidebar, and also a selection of some of my favorite items.

Also, they have incredible tools and the site is always growing and changing.
This morning, I curated my own little treaury:
I call it "Pink Lemonade is for Girls"

pretty eh?

Day 6: hog love

I bet you are smiling now. Or thinking dirty thoughts. Or both. hehe.
(p.s. get a load of those dainty paws. geez.)

Day 5: for the cannibal in me

after eating my fingers to the bleeding state yet again during rehearsal today, i have spent a bit of time pondering the perfect band-aid. imagine my delight when one of my favorite blogs featured this little item today: designer band-aids!!

now where to find them???

Day 4: Haircut

This blog is officially the most random blog ever. We swing from great literature, songs, to animal rescue, and today... my haircut. I just like to keep it interesting for the readers, ok?

Anyway, if you have known me in the last 10 years, then you know my hair is usually kept in a pixie or some grown-out stage (usually within 8 weeks of a pixie). And maybe you know that in this new year, I have vowed to grow out the hair a bit. Which has been awkward, as growing out hair invariably is.

But on Monday I got a new haircut, and I think I like it. I actually think I like it.
It looks suspiciously like the haircut of my beloved Miranda from Sex and the City. I will now treat you to a barrage of pics I found on the internet, from the recent movie. Imagine my face there.

Day 3: Animal Rescue

I am often without a TV, but through the miracles of technology, have been able to catch podcasts of the news on the internet lately.... just in time to see Mother Nature showing her anger in the middle part of our country, i.e the floods in Iowa. Obviously the devastation there is mind-boggling, and to consider the loss and need in that region is almost overwhelming. One organization (and I am sure there are many) is doing its part to help those who cannot help themselves: the Humane Society.




Learn about getting an emergency plan together for your own pets! Donate here to Humane Society Flood Fund!

And if you are a sucker for adorable animals, get your daily dose at CuteOverload.com!

Day 2: Animal Vegetable Miracle

it is late-ish and though i really want to turn out my light and hit the sack, here i am, writing a blog entry........ because i said i would. Who says i have no discipline?

And here is the topic of the day: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, by Barbara Kingsolver. I just finished the book yesterday and let me say, it is an incredible read. The story of a family that moves to Appalachia and vows to consume only food products that they grow themselves or that can be found within 100 miles of their home. Not only is it a fun "what adventures we had" kind of read, but it is also a meditation on the state of agriculture in the modern world, the demise of the small farm and what it means for our present and our future when we can purchase peaches any month of the year from all over the world. Never have I wanted my own bit of earth so badly. In the meantime, I am seeking out local produce. Please read this book.