coo coo for costumes

Well, I've felt like my life is crazy before, but this week is topping the crazy charts!  The KC Ballet fall show opens this thursday night, so we have been putting the finishing touches on all of the costumes, and we moved everything to the theater yesterday.  After yesterdays run-through we have many little repairs and tweaks that need to happen today!  oye vay!  

In the midst of all of this I took on a little halloween costume project for a friends daughter, who wanted to be a"fire fairy"... It turned out super cute, if I say so myself!

All of this work tends to make me a little crazy, here's a shot of me in the costume shop with a spat on my head!  don't ask why...

It was a monster mash!

I've been meaning to post about this fabulous fashion show that I attended last weekend, but unfortunately I've been crazy busy at work and haven't been able to take the time/energy needed to be clever and type simultaneously!  So, here goes, better late than never, right?!... Like I said, this crazy event happened last weekend and was called Adorn of the Dead, it took place at the Replay Lounge in Lawrence, KS.  It was a wild, zombie themed fashion show that showcased 14 different local designers and stores.  The line I was most excited to see was, Belle Amie, by my friend Mary Bellamy.  I love, love, loved her native american prints and the fringe, did I mention the fringe?!?!?

... fabulous, right!  so fun!  See the girl in the last photo wearing the purple top and black and green skirt?!  I already called dibs on that skirt, and I can't wait to get my hot little hands on it!  I can already invision it with a pair of tights and some boots!

all in all it was a great event, Lawrence really knows how to bring the crazy!  If you wanna check out more of Mary's fashion, check out her facebook photos here.

fairly wonderful!

I attended the Kansas state fair, a few weeks ago, this is the third time that I've attended the state fair.  Each year I try and see something new.  Last year I went to the pig races, the year before I rode every ride I could.  We attended the Heart concert and indulged in fried snickers this year!  SOOOOO good! here are some beautiful words from Emily Dickinson and some photos from my experience!

I've known a Heaven, like a Tent --
To wrap its shining Yards --
Pluck up its stakes, and disappear --
Without the sound of Boards
Or Rip of Nail -- Or Carpenter --
But just the miles of Stare --
That signalize a Show's Retreat --
In North America --

No Trace -- no Figment of the Thing
That dazzled, Yesterday,
No Ring -- no Marvel --
Men, and Feats --
Dissolved as utterly --
As Bird's far Navigation
Discloses just a Hue --
A plash of Oars, a Gaiety --
Then swallowed up, of View

Adventures in canning!

Part III:  you bet I CAN!

And so the saga continues!  I think I've kept you waiting long enough...the truth is that my third canning endeavour is really a short one.  I made pickles using this recipe! ( i added some red peppers) 

 and everything went as it was supposed to.  The truth is that all of my foibles and learning experiences are far more interesting than the easypeasy experiences. 

 My friend Lily said that it is almost the season to can peaches, which sounds great, and now that I am a canning genius, well, at least no longer a novice, peaches should be no big thing!

Adventures in canning!

Part II: can- kinda

Well,  I am sure that all  eight of my loyal followers have been waiting with bated breath for the second installment in my canning adventures, so, here you have it...

After my foible with jam I thought I'd move onto something a bit more manageable... TOMATO'S!  I bought a lovely bunch of various colored cherry tomato's at our local city market.  I layered the tomatos with garlic, basil, salt and pepper in my scrupulously cleaned jars and voila, I was nearly done!  (Already I was loving the vegetables way more than the jams!)

Because of some crazy acidic magic that happens with the tomatos and air pressure these jars did not need to be boiled in order to form a seal.  I put them on a baking tray and set the lids, loosely, atop the jars.  After a while (unfortunately I cant find the recipe and can no longer remember the exact time, dur), I removed the tray and screwed on the lids!  

This whole process was really simple and I would almost say that I was satisfied with my efforts, BUT.... unfortunately I did not pack my tomatos in the jars quite tight enough, so after the tomatos cooked and reduced size by about half, I was stuck with several jars of beautifully sealed half-full jars of 'maters!  ahh, woe is me and my kitchen catastrophes.  But don't worry, I did not give up on my culinary genius yet...there is still one more installment to come in my canning adventures... can you bare the suspense?!!!!!

Adventures in canning!

Part I: can-NOT....

This summer I felt the sneaking suspicion that I might be a culinary canning genius.  This assumption was completely unfounded as I have never before canned anything, let alone seen it done! But after reviewing several books borrowed from the library, consulting my friend, Lily (a seasoned canner), and borrowing a giant pot from my aunt, I tried my hand at making and canning strawberry jam.

 The part I was most apprehensive about was immersing the cans into the pot to seal, for some reason, this seemed really intense and stressful to me.  Well, it started off well enough... easy ingredients... strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, you mix and mash it together and then let it boil up.  It was at this point in my efforts that things went all awry.  The instructions told me to let the mixture simmer on the oven for fifteen minutes.  I took these fifteen minutes of down time and sat outside, where there was a breeze (much appreciated after the hot kitchen), and flowers to be watered.   When I walked back into the apartment I was overwhelmed by smoke and the sweet, sticky smell of burning sugar!  I rushed to the oven to see a thin layer of boiling red goop covering a thick layer of black caramelized char!  I quickly poured the so-called jam into my awaiting jars and tried in vain to scrape the chunks of strawberry from the bottom of the pan.  I was so flabbergasted and aghast by my situation that I just plopped my jars into my sterilizing pan and presto, my cans were sealed! (well, more like ten minutes later, my cans were sealed).  

In the end I had six jars of off-colored jam with a layer of foam on top (In my rush, I'd forgotten to skim the top layer off the jam, woops), and a giant, borrowed, pan with a solid layer of black char adhered to the bottom! 

Since this unfortunate first attempt at canning, my culinary skills have improved (but that is a story for "part II"), but I am still stuck with, what is most likely, inedible strawberry jam (without strawberries) and a woefully destroyed stainless-steel pan!

angel math...

I'm tired and worn out from a great, fun-filled labor day weekend, so this one is gonna be short and sweet! I thought I'd give you a look at one of the projects I've been working on a lot lately over at the Kansas City Ballet...I am refurbishing the childrens angel costumes for the nutcracker performance by removing a worn out layer of black/gold netting and adding some seriously needed bling!  so....

this....

minus this....

plus this....

equals this.....!