HALLOWEENIES 2013!

Now... for those loyal readers.... hello? Hello?? HELLLLOOOOO??????

You may recall me mentioning that Halloweenies is my most favest holiday. It is.

Unfortunately... I am let down every year by everyone's lack of enthusiasm and options.

All I ever want is a solid house party. And all I NEVER got was a g-d solid house party!

So... I decided it was time to stop belly-aching and make it happen!!

We hosted the 2013 Haunted Hootenanny of Horror! Or something.. I can't remember what we actually called it...

Since my costume was going to be Western themed I figured I would make the whole shebang western themed as well! I spent weeks compiling the playlists and decor. The Bjorn spent like 20 minutes deciding on the menu and about 12 hours cooking it... BBQ pulled pork on homemade buns with homemade cole slaw and corn bread and and and and homemade pun'kin' bread... it was a delight for the senses.

My bestie took a ton of pics which I still have to get off her... but without further ado... what you have all been waiting for.... My costume......

JK That's a pumpkin.. which I carved! (go me!) Using a stencil... (weak sauce.) hehehe.

This one and its buddy were promptly smashed by youths less than an hour after being put out on display. I maaaaaaybe cried.

Now without further ado....

BOOM! What is that?

Who am I?

Fat Jessica Simpson???? No, I told you, no!

QUEEN DOLLY PARTON, PATRON SAINT OF HONKY TONK ANGELS!

Here's another pic so you can see the sweet Wanted posters I made for decor:

And guess who sewed the shirt and headband?? ME! Though without buttons because..well, I just gave up. I guess a collared western shirt isn't a "great" beginner project - but it actually did come out quite well I think!

I wore Freddie's of Pinewood Classics down below with some amazing glitter french tip fakey nails - which caused me to need help droppin' and raisin' trou' so had to switch into the infinitely more stretchy AA disco pants.

I wish I had a picture of how this night ended for me - but no one was clever enough to have captured the wigless hostess who snuck off to La-La-Land... ZZzzzZZZzzzzz.

WAZZAT! Sewing Misadventures!

So I have been pretty quiet around these parts... Don't worry - I am still lurking on other people's blogs... just not pooblishing any of me own. "Why?" said nobody. Because... I have been trying to learn to sew!!!

Here is one of the first "pieces" I created - and actually wore out in public! A green gingham peasant top!

Pardon the less than exciting photo - Picasa changed its online editing - boo! and I am too lazy to sort out another option.... advice?? And as far as the weird angle goes... we owe that to the creative genius that is my Mr. Bear.

I am not even going to mention which tutorials I followed or anything because it is such a sh*tshow... This is like the 4th one I made. I just could not do it... could not get sizing right. Even stuck on a sports bra under this one just to make it wearable as we were headed out the door... and guess who got massif armpit chafing?? ME!... wa-hey! But I think I looked cute - wahoo!

Handmade peasant top paired with Vivien of Holloway jeans - which have become my new favourites even though the Bernie's are more comfy I recently saw some pics of me in them... and.... anyways.... Belt from Target, espadrilles from god knows where and sunnies from San Sebastian tourist trap.

Ain't No Pity in the Big Dumb City, aka I Got Hit By A Car.... And All I Got Was This Amazing Embroidery!

So, it has been forever and a day since I wrote anything on this ol' online expression platform o' mine. Usually this has been for a good reason because I was too busy living it up and setting this town en fuego... har har har.

Some of my recent adventures:

Soundgarden show, Black Dahlia Murder show, Macklemore show, Portuguese weekend in 16th century estate, Triathlon (or Un-athlon since I only did the cycling ha lazy lazy fatness), and some other new hobbies which are helping turning me into the bloggeriest blogger that ever bloggered.... I finally got around to starting up sewing and added embroidery on just for shizzles and giggles.

But in recent days I have had good reason to stay put and immobile - doctor's orders!

That's right... On Thursday AM, I was meant to be at the office c. 7am and so left early and was enjoying the fairly uncrowded roads and cool air of a morning cycle commute when right before the Old Street Roundabout a real go-getter swerved to cut me off and ended up sideswiping me on my right side. Instead of launching me onto the pavement, the ol' luck o' the Gigi meant that SOMEHOW (and I don't know how because I kinda draw a blank at this point) I was launched into the middle of traffic... The next thing I recall is staring at a bunch of cars, not being able to tell if they were coming at me, and trying to spring out of the way. But my legs were all tangled in my little green bike-cycle and I just couldn't go anywhere. Then a kind-face cyclist came and helped pull me to safety. Also - at some point my shoe had flown off.

The driver pulled over about 50 feet down the road and came back over towards me to.... blame me for the incident. So there I was shaking and startled and this guy was blaming me for him hitting me. Unbelievable. He asked if I wanted him to take me to hospital - obviously said no since I was just out of my mind in shock and he left - without exchanging any details - which is a criminal offence in the UK... btw.

I got on the phone with the Mr. Bear and told him what had happened, that I was ok.... then in a fit of "OMG I am actually rather embarrassed by this..." I got back on my bike, audibly groaning with each push. Within 2 seconds I looked down and saw blood coming through my pants and then I realised the full severity of what had happened. So much pain came flooding in.

Anyways, I went online once I made it to the office (via cab after refusing to let anyone take me to the hospital)... and tried to Google around any advice... So I guess I wanted to write this post to offer up some things I have learned that I wish I would have done...

I call this bit:

Congratulations... You've been hit by a f*cking car.

1. Get out of the street.

2. I know it's life-ruiningly frightening but try to catch the license plate - especially if the douche doesn't stop.

3. If the douche does stop, and is not a douche, this will go much easier. Exchange details. Make sure you at least get license plate and name from the driver.

4. If the douche does stop, and is a douche, try to keep your wits about you and focus on getting that license plate number. Let them bullcrap you all they want but just get those digits. A camera works a treat as well though I think a subtle way of collecting data is safest and least likely to arouse ire from the driver.

5. Go to the hospital. Hail a cab, call a friend, just go. Work will be there when you are done. I went straight to the office and worked the whole day. Nothing dire happened because I waited but it's always best to go as soon as possible - especially as there is a portion of the criminal report that asks for this info and helps police assess the severity.

6. Go to the police. Go within 24 hours. I went within 28 hours as I was trying to not be a "baby" and was repeatedly told that I was supposed to go within 24 hours. But either way... just make sure you go and file a report. If the driver did not give you their info then that is a criminal report that needs to be filed and not just incident.

7. Go get a butt-ton of ice cream and some sweet crafting mags....

LONG POST! TL;DR? Here's the payoff...

Since being couch-ridden I have been able to work on this little puppy....

Not to be confused with an amazing embroidery version of Tim Burton's Blue Girl...

Here's another little ditty that I did, based on Sublime Stitching's patterns:

Yay for bed-ridden handicrafts!

Source: tumblr

Secret Music: Laura Marling is my soulmate....

Let me just say that I prepped for this in the strangest of ways... pretending that Laura's sister wasn't temping for us... But she was! And she looks like her and sounds like her... and my sad little fangirl was dying... but I hope I didn't freak her out too bad with all the reminders in my Outlook calendar for the Secret Music show plus reminders to buy tix for the Oct 3rd Bethnal Green show (see ya there suckeritos!).... only a little obsessed.

Here is my face:

Was going for gothic undead 20s spinster-siren.... SPOOKY, no???? I did black lipliner with Feu de Terre by Nars on the lips... As far as I can tell this is a selfie in the b-room once back home so probably not my best look. 

Und here is the group pic:

Can you spot me?

As well as the only surviving evidence of Senor Bear?

How I Spent My Summer Vacation, aka HOLS!

WTF has the time gone?

I am alive. I promise. If only barely. I have been upping the intensity of my new cycling to work routine which has left me battered of body and face... seriously, have got an insatiable family of chinstrap acne that, like a rapper's girlfriend's booty, JUST WON'T QUIT!

Anyways... these past few weeks... months?!?!... have been emotionally exhausting as well... every dramz, you name it, I gots it. Family dramz? Check. Medical dramz? Check! Dramz dramz? Check check!

But I am somehow making it out.... slowly...

PROOF! 

Girls' night out at Street Feast, followed by an impossibly delicious dinner at White Rabbit in Dalston, where some squinty posh chap let us know that we are cute but "not that hot"... ahhhh. Bless dem beautiful squinty, marble mouthed tw@ts...

If you look close you can see my latest Tatty Devine acquisition... the BURGER NECKLACE! Thinking some tasteful nudes with nothing but the burger are in order... wazzah.

I also stumbled across this pic of The Cr3w while at home in LA showing off my London friends to my mommy... We are forming a LDN bike gang if anyone wants in on that! Yeah, we gon' get jackets.

Oh yes, did I not mention I have been in LA for a while?!?! No? Is that because I was having such an amazing time I forgot that everything else in the world existed? No! But close...

 Not only did we do LA, we also did San Diego and Las Vegas!

We stayed at the Lafayette Hotel in San Diego and absolutely loved it... possibly more on that later!

But here is the pool where we spent 1 week of our lives when we were not eat, eat, eating! This was a particularly overcast moment... I assure you I came back peely and burneded.

Another highlight... when in LA we went to the Wild Records Yound N Wild Weekender! I finally got to see the Delta Bombers!!! And I 'sploded straight from yippy fangirl to hard core humina humina groupie. It gave me feeelings. I also caught a bit of Mary Simich of Wacky Tacky fame! But did not spot Mr. Tiny himself... Bummer! I also got to see Doris MayDay! Both at the PUG boutique and at the show... STALKER ALERT. Jooooookes. Also caught Omar and The Stringpoppers and Gizelle... Let's say I was not overly thrilled that Ms. Gizelle gave the mister the ol' humina huminasssss. Uncool! :)

handsome bastards.... The Delta Bombers!

View from our ace suite at the Tropicana... seriously the revamp they did is so ace even though I am a Tropicana purist... Highly recommended...

And lastly, the only real reason to go to LA... a King's Hawaiian cake!

And eat it we did.... mostly between the hours of 4 and 6am LA time....

Some more posts soon!

Thanks for checking in!

Oh, My Revolution Girl: Generations on a Theme

Natividad aka "Nana" aka "The Godmother of Gardena"

Georgina aka "Mama" aka "Wonder Woman"

Gigi (at 17) aka "Mija" aka "Gordita" aka "Scooter"

Gigi (at 27) aka "Body by Burger" aka "Who let that lady in?"

A Father's Day History Mystery

About 15 years ago, I was having a tough time as a "teenage super-square". I was never too bratty, or angsty, I guess, just kind of.... lost and confused.

One day, my dad came home from doing his rounds on the Garage Sale circuit (That's right, my dad was one of the original G-Salers) with a precious little wooden box inlaid with silver and copper accents in the form of Egyptian motifs.

He told me the box had a very interesting history behind it.

It had belonged to a young girl many, many years ago who was filled with sorrow at losing her love. She would cry every day, saving her tears in this box. And penning little notes of hopes and wishes that when mixed with her tears in this magical box would come true.

So he told me that next time I feel sad I should do the same. And keep all my hopes and wishes in there.

He spun a good yarn and, as I was and will always be a sucker for that man, I still believe every word to this day.

I don't know much else about the box other than that story. A little Sunday googling lead me to this:

So I am assuming it is also from the 1920s / 1930s and it looks like it could be quite similar, albeit in much worse condition.

Not that its condition matters at all. How could I even think of Antique Roadshow-ing a genuine magical wishing box???

But really, I hope everyone has a lovely Father's Day - because I know I won't. Nothing's much of anything without my "Fatty". Staying positive :)