Shrinking Violets -- April 07 Bandsters

[TracyK 3]

Ok gals... need your assistance...

DH & I are going to a "Hooray for Hollywood" Gala @ a historic theater in our town for New Year's Eve... we've NEVER gone out for NYE before (other than to friends' homes to hang out/play games)... I can't remember the last time we had to dress up... this is Black Tie & Gowns... very chi, chi (so why am I, Queen of Keds, going??)... a "Golden Age of Hollywood" theme... w/gaming, movies, dancing, cigar bar, food & drinks... it will be fun, I'm sure...

Anyhoo... the point here is... I need a "gown"!! I'm the worst at this kind of thing... want to look GOOD... I've been looking online & found this... what do you think?

Prom Dresses and Homecoming Dresses at SimplyDresses: Igigi Fiorella Lace Gown

Be honest! Any & all help/suggestions are welcome! Thanks!

Michelle-I like that dress BUT I lov love the one 2 clicks over...the velvet one. What's important is what you like and how you feel in it! Whatever you wear, you will be stunning!! ((((hugs))))

Good morning violets! I am having my morning coffee and trying to decide which store to hit first this morning. Right now (yes 6:00 AM) me and dd are up watching Charlie Browns Christmas. She woke up at 4:45 this morning. I thought I was hearing things! This time change has her (us) so screwed up it isn't even kind of funny!

I wanna go to the casino so bad this weekend but that would be dumb on my part (but fun). I need to stay focused...shop, shop, shop. I am in the mood to play play play. I wonder what thought will win...LOL I will let you all know what I decided. lol

[TerriDoodle 6]

PS - Michelle, I LOVE the dress!!! sounds like I'm built a lot like you are! I like the flesh colored lace one best, but that's just cause I don't look good in red/black combo. My first thought was a boa of some sort. It''d be cool if you could find a shawl with feathers on it!! A LONG string of pearls would help the eye go vertical, too. OOOOOOoooh!! And a wide cuff bracelet...pearls and rhinestones...and drape-y rhinestone earrings!! I wish I was there to help you play dress up!

[mdrai 3]

Hang in there, Terri!! So glad to hear that your mom is improving!

If it makes you feel any better, gals, I haven't done any shopping yet either!! Just lots of list-making! That's one of the drawbacks of being a freelancer... no regular paychecks! It's either feast or famine! But I got a check the other day & it finally cleared my account yesterday, so I'm hitting a couple stores + the Internet TODAY!! Watch out, world -- the Violet's are shopping!!

[mdrai 3]

I wish you were, too, Terri! I forgot I have to add jewelry, too! Yikes!! This is too much like work!

[Jennifur 0]

Morning gals

Terry - glad mom is doing better. Is your dd my dd's twin? mine was 13 in July and last measurement she was 5'7" and weighed 136. she went from a size 3 last year to a size 7 and honestly she was in denial. LOL but I tell her she is perfect and that is actually a good weight in comparison to her height. Can you pull weight charts to show her where she is and that she is perfect?

Michelle

ok here they are... sorry I look so shitty, just woke up and had dd take pics before she went to school, i'm drinking my 1st cup of coffee while I post. I also have a cropped black jacket that I wear all the time that would go nice over it that I would be happy to let you borrow and you would not hurt my feelings if it didn't work. Also know I don't have any spandex things on under it, I actually have on my flannel pj's on too, and if you need to have it altered at all that is ok, I got it for a new year party a few years ago, wore it once, had it cleaned and tucked away ... just in case. HUGS

[mdrai 3]

Oh wow -- it's beautiful... & VIOLET!! Thank you for offering it & for posting so quickly... you've got flannel pj's on under there?? If it's ok, I'm going to keep that as an option while I keep looking around awhile... I figure by the 15th I'd better make a decision!!

Is that your new couch peeking out from the corner of the pic there??

[Jennifur 0]

Option is open... and it is ok... something I had from before my ds and can't part with just because..., it is actually a deep burgundy.

that is my old sofa sleeper that i had to take the door jamb off to get out there. My kids put some of the decorations on the tree last night for me

[kity 2]

Morning Ladies~

Jenn, I love that dress! You look good for wearing your pj's under.

Terry~ It is so good to see you posting again. I don't like it when one of the violets goes missing. It offsets the natural balance in the world! So glad to hear your mom is doing better! I know that plays a huge part in your stress level. Believe me...I know.

TracyK~ Enjoy your shopping today! How far apart are you and Terry? Too bad you can't go together!

Well, I need to get my sinus' xray'd today, since they were closed yesterday. Then Susanne and I will be puttering around...light shopping, etc. We just had a discussion/argument about xmas presents. She thinks we need to have small gifts, since we give all year. I like a big tree w/ tons of gifts under the tree. Either way...we've decided to go to Hawaii next year for xmas!

Have a great Friday!

Pamela

[Teachlady 3]

Good Morning, Violets..

I couldn't get to sleep last night for some reason. Soooooooooo I got on ebay and at midnight I got a Zune for the Bobster for Christmas. Hope I did the right thing!! Kat, didn't you say you had one?

Michelle, the dress is stylin', but I really like Jennifur's. The empire style is great for a pear shape. And the color is perfect for this season.

Cindy.. I looked at the ornments. The Bobster saw them and said.. let's get one and make it. Surrrrrrrrrrre!! I said maybe later. lol

We are off to Kalamazoo today to hear Clay Aiken. My Weather Bug is chirping saying that we are under a winter storm watch for Saturday night through Sunday morning. 10 inches of snow possible with freezing rain. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! We will be home Saturday night so hopefully it will be before the storm hits.

Sooooooooo everyone have a good day today and tomorrow and I'll catch up when I get back!!

Patience, Trust, Purple Power and WWJD??!!!

P.S. I didn't have any chocolate covered peanuts yesterday!! And they're all gone so you know how the Bobster's day went!

[Kat817 19]

Good Morning Violets!

Just counted 17 deer in my backyard! Most people only have to poop scoop the yard if they have a dog--not me! At least it isn't as messy as a dog! Although, I damn near killed myself on it last year, our big shed is in the corner of the yard (huge yard) and on a bit of a slope, I was coming down last Christmas carrying a large tote, and could not see the ground, and stepped on some deer droppings---and for those of you unaware, their droppings are piles of pills--little round poop balls!--that when frozen work like stepping on marbles. Get the idea? I danced my way around, trying to remain upright, and hang on to the tote---unsuccessfully, I landed hard on my butt! Nothing broke, me or the things in the tote!

I feel better when I read your posts--I am 2 gifts away from being done! That means by the end of today I should be able to say my shopping is finished. I am off to hunt a box to send my Secret Santa in today as well. Then tomorrow is Kinsey's birthday. They are having her party at the Teddy Connection a build a bear place. They made her one before she was born---it actually ended up bigger than her! And have taken her each year to choose and build a bear or other critter. This year they are having the party there. No mess!

But Sunday--she is not here--Rick is working part of the day (he goes on vacation again then)...so my goal is to be decorated by the time Sunday night TV rolls around for me!

All of my totes are in the garage. My tree is in the garage. I have bought my cards. I usually cheat, and buy address labels! My Aunt was a post master (mistress?) for many years, she started me doing it, saying they love them, the machine reads them so much easier than writing--so I could justify it!

Everything is ready and waiting for me!

I will get Rick to put my tree in the "stand" Saturday sometime, ready for me Sunday. Years ago I found an antique sled, the back board part was cracked, so I bought it for like a couple bucks. We turned it into a stand for our tree, so it never looks empty under there.

Back when the kids were young, I took the girls to a ceramics class, actually we went with them, my Mom and my Grandma, all 4 generations went together. It was done at a local ceramics shop in the evening. Amanda and Abbey decided to do these gnomes--like 10" lawn gnomes, they kept calling them elves. The owner/instructor told us there is a series of 8 of them. Some are standing, some sitting, one on his belly, one on his side lying down, one is a corner piece, he actually hangs by his arms. Well we decided all of us to do them...So each of us did one, then the girls and I did another to complete the set. We painted them all in Christmas colors, and white beards. The level of skill is obvious if you look closely---but we don't! Now they ride the sled until I begin adding packages, and then you find them sitting and lying around under the tree. on boxes....everywhere!

3 years ago, the girls were talking about them and jokingly arguing over who "gets" them. The next November for Manda's birthday---she opens a box---and there are 5 gnomes--all Abbey could find! They spent 3 nights working on them, and had them fired so that Manda had them under her tree last year. Abbey also bought herself a set, and since then we have found another style--so they spent last summer working on them.

They also made me a set with Santa and Mrs, Clause both with their butts turned towards a pot belly stove warming up! Santa's suit is thrown over a chair, with a kitten curled up in the hood, he is in a red union suit with the back flap half undone!

Abbey still does her painting, has moved to doing more tole type now, less breakable. She made me the cutest snowmen this year, she painted, Manda decorated---I will try to get a pic.

Gotta go supervise a swim---Kinsey thinks it is bubble bath time!!!

BBL~~

Kat

[TracyinKS 7]

GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!!!!

Michelle I like the dress, but I have to say that I LOVE Jennifurs dress.......... it it would be much more forgiving in the hips and thigh area......... although the lace overlay of the dress you posted would really be more of the THEME of the NYE gala.. especially all dolled up like Terry described.

I have to get some work done... but I wanted to post real quick.

[TracyK 3]

Jenn-love the dress!! Really pretty!!

DH decided to do both....christmas shop today, casino tomorrow! WHAT FUN!!!

[Daisalana 33]

Michelle- I love the dress you posted. I actually looked at that as a bridesmaid dress sometime last year! I think it was advertised as a replica of the Titanic Rose dress. And I see our different tastes coming through haha (I forget who mentioned the velvet one?). The velvet one 2 clicks away made me furrow up my face. Ick.

When I was originally looking for dresses for my wedding, I realized for every 100 sleeveless ballgowns there are, there's only 1 sleeved one. Since we were aiming for an outdoor winter wedding, it was a pain. One place I was looking (and planned to have custom bolero's made for my ladies) was Sydney's closet. prom dresses, plus size prom dress, plus size dresses From Sydney's closet

Get something that shows off the ladies, I have to agree with Pam on that. When a chance to wear a ballgown comes along, I think we should make the most of it!

[SC-Cindy 0]

Happy Friday!

Terry and Judy's Bobster, my mom says that the ornaments aren't too difficult, but she is also a beader and used to working with teensy-tiny thingies. Be bold and buy one! And then you will have another source of gifts to give to others. Let me know when you need my address.

Jenn, awesome dress! And it looks great on you, even pjs and spanx-less.

Pamela, a Hawaiian Christmas next year?!? What a dream trip! Need me to come along and translate into Spanish? Oh, yeah, you already speak Spanish! Oh, yeah, they don't speak Spanish there. Sigh.... that's definitely a dream trip for me!

Kat, hurry and put up your antique sleigh and tree and post photos here. Wait--are you reading e-mail now? Stop! Go work on getting that finished, please, I'm dying to see it.

Time to go get the Christmas things out of my trunk after today's shopping excursion. Dilliards, a dept. store here in the south, had an unannounced special on Liz Claibourne jewelry, and I bought 4 bracelets for Sunday School friends for $7.50 each. I can't even think of anything close to that nice I could buy at Wal-Mart at that price.

Enjoy your Friday evening, everyone.

Cindy

[Kat817 19]

Well I run into town, bought a few stocking stuffers, and just could not make myself care about buying the last things on my list. We were going to have lunch with Rick, and he had to cancel, he had a mask fitting (emergency, safety equipment at work), so he was taking his crew in for that, then taking them to lunch.

So I give it up, and come home! It is cold and dreary, and Kinsey wanted to come home and play, so here we are!

Cindy--what I use is an antique sled, like the Red Flyer, with the runners---not a sleigh, I have seen a sleigh I like, that I could work, so if and when I find one I plan on snagging it! I found an old trike, but it is too tall. We actually found an antique John Deere pedal tractor, it was likely 45 years old or so, rusted clear through in spots---and he was still asking $300.00 for it----someone else got it, I refused to pay that for it! It was too big for my tree anyway! And we have a tractor for the kids...

I have tractor seats all over a wall in my kitchen...so it would have been cute!

I have a dress, I doubt it fits anymore(!) it is black velvet. It is very plain. It has a deep V neck, and is gathered some between the breasts. The fabric is not a true velvet, it has stretch, and it feels kind of slinky, it hangs so well. I have 3 different beaded jacket things to go over it--one all gold and black, one multi colored with a beaded floral design it is long...almost to the knee, but the background of the jacket is similar fabric, it looks very classy, and another done in purple and magenta colors--sounds wild, but it is very pretty.

One time I wore it, I took these things called shoe earrings---made to clip on the top of your shoes for decoration--they were about 2.5 inches long and were just 4 rows of rhinestones things. I took them, and used them on the top of the shoulder straps, right across the top, it changed the dress up---and made it look all sparkly! I just used a lacey shawl that evening--but was self concious the whole time, my fat arms, and my scars were showing. I preferred wearing the sleeved jacket with the dress for that reason.

I agree with the girls---show off some cleavage, be a little dramatic, pull your hair back, to show off your new cheek bones that are showing, and wear some classy drop style earrings.

Most of all----walk tall, walk proud....do like TracyK had to with her swimming suit this summer---------STRUT!!! Going to have to go back and scroll through some more dresses, compare yours to Jenns---then I'll give you my .02 worth!!

Suzanne--Thanks - mail come today!

We spent one Christmas in Hawaii, with our oldest DD. It was different, that is a fact! I know you will be going under different circumstances. But we were trying to have a family Christmas there. Trees---"live" cut trees were selling even back 6-7-8 years ago for over $75.00!! They had lots of decorations, it just seemed so strange! All the snowmen decorations etc. They did have lots with Palm trees, and she had a collection of snowmen ornaments that had flip flops on, and sand dollars for buttons, things like that. And they had star fish painted into Santa's at the International Market Place!

Was fun----we always enjoyed our trips. You will have fun, but miss home is my bet! Although you are not used to winter wonderland Christmas where you are either!!

OK---I need suggestions for dinner, I am in a funk feel like I am always cooking the same old things--help!!

BBL~~

Kat