Goodbye Blogger, Hello Tumblr

As much as I love writing and blogging my thoughts, I found myself becoming less and less engaged with writing lately. Maybe it's because my life has been so hectic and the days are getting shorter (literally) but sometimes it'll take me days before I can summon enough inspiration to write a good post. However, I still have a ton of photos and other cool stuff to share with people, so I've decided to opt for Tumblr instead. That way, I can post something everyday with minimal written content. As for what I'm going to do with Happenings in Singsong on blogger, well I'm not too sure yet. Perhaps I'll just leave it for a while until my life spare me some time and spark for creative blogging. Until then, I'm gone, indefinitely...

Everything All the Time

I've been going through a particularly hard time these past few days because my two-and-a-half year relationship is pretty much on its last legs. No, this isn't going to be a sappy post about how sad and miserable I am. Instead, I'm going to use this as a lead-in for just how much music has always helped at times like this. More importantly, my love for music and how crucial, I think, art is for the well-being of a balanced person.

For those of you who have dealt with break-ups or mourned for a great loss, you're probably very familiar with that sinking feeling you get every morning right after you wake up. You know, that feeling like, "fuuuuck... this is only the beginning of yet another day of my long and seemingly never-ending journey to complete emotional recovery". Perhaps sleeping and dreaming temporarily eliminates your stress and sadness and having to come back to that once you wake up is simply too overwhelming -- like going back to a job you hate after a nice, long vacation. This morning, I woke up and just felt absolutely "UUUUUGHAAAAAHHH...." (we all know the "groan-scream") but I had the important task of getting my first aid certificate so I had to shake the feeling fast. So I immediately remembered Band of Horses, because that became my mantra and muse when I was dealing with a previous break-up. On the way to my training, I blasted Everything All the time through my headphones and the nostalgia just washed over me. Ironically, remembering my last break-up gave me comfort because I know that I have it in me to get through this one, like I did the last time. Furthermore, I find that it's not just listening to music that helps me but playing and actively engaging in any creative process is very therapeutic. Sometimes, I think it may even work better than drugs and therapy. Regardless, I truly believe in the power of music and art and their benevolent forces to inspire and heal during your darkest moments.

I really can't comment much on these two outfits except that I wore the stripe bodysuit and grandpa pants to my friend's birthday dinner and felt very self-conscious due to its "second-skin" appearance. The second outfit is my "Vancouver Commercial Drive grunge" style. You know what I'm talking about, Vancity folks.

The Never Ending Struggle

I love my job as a arts journalist because I get to interview the most interesting people. Recently I conducted an interview with a Vancouver local fashion designer specializing in men's wear. At first I was less enthused about the interview because first of all, I know squat about men's fashion and second of all, I'm not exactly a huge fan of urban street wear, which is what this gentleman designed. However, the interview was extremely engaging and he had this snarky persona about him which I though made the interview so much more fun and exciting. This is how the whole thing went down:

Me: Please tell me a little bit about yourself as a fashion store owner

DL: My name is Dennis Ignacio Arriola. I represent Canadian Street Wear. The name of the shop is Architect By KILLA. Located in the lower East Side ( Beginning of Gastown ), 46 Alexander in the Heritage Building Complex Hotel Europe. This is where KILLA lives and where I operate business

Me: What drove you to fashion?

DL: I'm a b-boy from the first generation of the b-boy scene in Vancouver. My sponsor C1RCA supported me in my development as b-boy/artist, alongside Craig E. who gave me the hooks to learn from. My discipline was from Vancouver Film School's 3D Animation | Digital Effects. I knew I wanted to start something of my own, that would allow me to incorporate the creative aspect with the freedom to develop originality in style, comfort and design from my experiences. This is when KILLA ( wearable electronics ) was created.

Me: With such a huge market out there for female fashion, why did you choose to do men’s fashion instead?

D.L.: It's simple. Not enough cool men’s wear. I want to contribute something back to the community that represents what Street wear is in my vision.

Me: What was your biggest influence in terms of creating fashion?

D.L.: My influences come from what I grew up around and the experiences I've learned from gangs, crews, b-boying, hip hop, streets, family, brotherhoods and fraternities.

Me: Are you personally involved in any of the creative process?

D.L.: I have full control of the creative process from design to production for KILLA. I am also managing other brands in this city and hoping to branch out into the international scene in the near future.

Me: In your opinion, how important is one’s personal style?

D.L.: It's important to me in the way that your personal style reflects and helps defines who you are. People say, you can't judge a book by it's cover but in this time and age usually based on first impressions, that's what you get judged on.

Me: There has always been a tug-o-war between one’s volition to express a sense of true original style and the overwhelming market of mass produced clothing which takes away from individualism. As a successful fashion entrepreneur who emphasizes both, how do you reconcile this conflict?

D.L.: I adapt my personal style with understanding what exists in the street wear scene.

Me: Can you please comment on the evolution of urban wear for those who are not familiar with this particular line of fashion?

D.L.: The C.P. jackets are derived from the original C.P. Urban Protection series. The jackets are inspired by the concept of protection from pollution and care to avoid CO2 emissions. Ergonomically cut, it features 360 movement and underarm ventilation, articulated hoods and detachable anti-smog masks.

Me: Can you please describe how seemingly military elements such as heavy duty material and smog masks fit with the current political and social state of our world? In other words, how do you think these elements make your clothes marketable and functional to a generation that has little experience with war and political struggles?

D.L. Military elements have been incorporated into fashion since the beginning. It's nothing new. You can see the military inspiration in pea coats, infantry jackets, boots, hats, sun glasses, watches, clothing & bags etc. The military inspirations apply from big brand label houses all the way through to local designers. Basically rooting back to your question, originality, style, quality and comfort. high end street wear built to last. That's what's marketable.

Convocation Day

You are now reading the blog post of a proud Simon Fraser University psychology graduate! Today was my convocation; an occasion I simultaneously looked forward to and dreaded for the past five years. Today is finally the day and it was arduous but nevertheless liberating. I am excited and I want to share this with you because this marks the beginning of another long and worthwhile journey. Congratulations to all my fellow graduands of 2010.


I had to wear something weird and fun underneath my unflattering and (un)necessarily dorky academic regalia so I paraded around in the most obnoxiously bright dress (previously belonged to my mom) I could find in my closet.

After seeing myself in the mirror and realizing just how juvenile I looked, I decided to tone it down by wearing a gray sweater over top. It was a good decision because it not only instantaneously transformed the outfit for the better, but also kept me warm, sitting outdoors for nearly three hours.

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"

As much as I love the organization I intern for, I don't exactly love the type of work I've been doing. Following a total break down on Tuesday, I had a major epiphany which could very well be the beginning of my pursuit for real happiness and self-actualization.
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you can probably sense that I sometimes could be a bit of a "bleeding-heart". It is because of my overwhelming sense of naive compassion in certain issues, I am constantly plagued by the guilt of "not doing enough to make the world a better place". Thus, it wasn't until a couple of days ago that I realized what I truly wanted to do and how I can alleviate the weight of the world on my shoulders. I decided that in order to achieve true meaning in my life I want to have a direct and benevolent influence in the lives of those less fortunate. Whether it's helping out the victims of assaults, protecting the rights and freedom of "social outcasts" or even spreading awareness about cases of social injustices. As soon as I realized what I wanted to dedicate my life doing, I felt, for the first time in my life, uplifted and hopeful about the things I thought I couldn't change. I know that this again sounds like an idealistic notion and that I really can't make any substantial contributions in dissolving all of the world's issues and injustices. However, I am going about this a logical way via educational training and gaining experiences. Thus I've decided to first start with a focused career path in the fields of either counseling, law or journalism. Wish me luck in my decision, everyone.

I'm wearing my new shoes (thank you, Isabel) to celebrate my new found future plan.

Another first (first sweater outfit) to commemorate the occasion.

She Don't Use Jelly

If I asked you "what is the best concert you've ever attended?" you'll probably give me a list of shows you've enjoyed in the past. But if I asked "what is the most mind-blowing, soul-inspiring and too-awesome-to describe musical nirvana you've ever experienced" you will probably draw a blank, unless of course, you've seen The Flaming Lips. Last night was one of the most intense concert experiences of my life -- I saw The Flaming Lips at Malkin Bowl at Stanley Park in Vancouver. It's not just that they make awesome music and can always perform it live at a degree which surpasses all of your wildest expectations. It's that these musicians really connect with their fans and truly love what they do as artists who still continue to inspire and create after twenty-seven years. They're the only artist that I can think of who have always stayed true to their experimental and innovative nature, even when they write "pop" songs that end up in salad dressing commercials. If you are not familiar with The Flaming Lips, you honestly owe it to yourself to let them become your muse.

Onto the outfit. I wore this on Friday night when I went out with my friend/drummer of my band and got complimented by a total stranger. He claimed that he works at Holt Renfrew and I was easily the best-dressed person he's seen on the Granville strip all night. If you knew just how hip and stylin' the peeps of Granville street are, you can gauge how deliriously happy I was to hear that comment.

Front Woman

As a woman of this society and someone who is very aware of the gender issues we face on a daily basis, this past week had been a total emotional roller coaster ride. In addition to hearing about the recent atrocities involving the facebook photo postings of a gang rape of a 16 year old girl in Maple Ridge, I learned about the story of Teena Brandon on Monday after watching Boys Don't Cry. As if that was not enough, yesterday, I witnessed first hand an assault of a woman by a man in the back parking lot of my work. Though it is only Thursday, too soon to tell how I would feel for the rest of my life, I have a suspicion that this newly awakened anger and sadness towards the current trend of how women are treated will stay with me for a long time. The truth is, I have felt this way for a long time about all sorts of issues and social injustices, but the difference between reading and seeing first hand a violent act committed towards a woman is unimaginable; the latter experience makes the problem of gender violence a lot more immediate and urgent. Seeing how this is affecting me so much already, I choose not to go into the subject. But I want to raise awareness about it because it is all too real even though sometimes we forget because of how sheltered our lives can get sometimes with our daily routines.

I will end on a positive note by posting my band's first recording for you all to scrutinize. Actually, I'm quite proud of it because I think it sounds pretty good for the first take. Plus I didn't mess up once playing guitar and singing at the same time, even though you can't really hear me and our timing was off at various points throughout the song. Regardless, this is the first song we've ever wrote, so be kind. It's called "King Cats" and it's about ligers.


(sorry about the ads in there, but this the only way I know how to upload an mp3s onto blogger)

Everything I Learned, I Learned It From T.V.

Actually, that's not entirely true because I really don't watch a ton of television. But when I do catch a program that tickles my fancy, I can get real absorbed into the "boob tube". Like today, when I wasn't expecting much quality programing at four o'clock in the afternoon, I watched a charming little documentary on the historical and social evolution of dogs. According to the show, the modern day dog breeds have grew from the original forty variety to over four hundred, due to pedigree breeding. And some dogs are so selectively bred for certain desired physical characteristics, they are unable to adapt to the environment and live a normal and healthy lifespan (ie. bulldogs). So in the end, what we've ended up with are these genetic abominations who are unable to go about their "dog ways" because they are pretty much canine Frankensteins who's fates are completely in the hands of their owners. To give you an idea on just how much dogs have transformed (unnaturally) over the centuries, next time you see a bulldog try and any shred of resemblance to its ancestor, the wolf.


An ending note: we ought to let dogs be dogs.

Losing Mental Fecal Matter

I saw a movie recently called Mysterious Skin. It is by far the most intensely explicit and hard to watch films I had ever encountered (yes, it was even worst than Requiem for a Dream). The movie, I thought was a realistic and harsh portrayal of the ever cringe-inducing subject matter of child sexual abuse which a lot people just wouldn't touch with a thirty-foot pole. But what makes this film successful was far beyond it having an alluring cast and compelling storyline. For little details such the setting and the atmosphere really make the viewers relate to the story and empathize with the characters' afflictions. And the most poignant element which really made this movie what it is, is the music. The soundtrack to this movie is primarily composed of songs by shoegaze bands from the 90's. As a total nut of everything 90's and even a bigger nut for shoegaze/noise rock, I natural lost my shit when I heard songs from bands like Slowdive and Curve and Cocteau Twins.


"Golden Hair" --- Slowdive.

Currently my favorite song.

Seasons Change and So Did I

I spent eight hours in front of a computer yesterday doing grant writing and have never been so terrified of the act of typing after I was finished. So today, instead of brainstorming something to rant about and posting it, I'm afraid I'm going to have to present you all another picture show. It's actually not all that bad because as I was going through my outfit pictures today, I discovered a few photos I have yet to post. So, they are posted here to achieve three major purposes: 1) they're fun to look at; 2) they serve as reminders of the passing of time and change of seasons 3) when analyzed on a deeper level, they are symbols and visual indications of the cyclical nature of things.

I wore this outfit in the middle of June when it was 27 degree (Celsius) out. It was primarily inspired by the cover of Gulag Orkestar by one of my favorite bands, Beirut.

The polka-dot top used to be an awkward length, so did to it what I do to most tops; crop it! I wore this during one of the dog days nearing the end of July, and it was still too damn hot.

This is a recent outfit I wore to my first day of work. It kept me warm in the morning but by the afternoon, shirt-sweater combo seemed like an overkill. Regardless, the days are getting cooler by the minute and I'm starting to regret not getting the most of summer when I had the chance.

Self-Loathing Love Song

Exciting news! Our wannabe band recorded our first live three-song demo today! So now we can finally start working towards establishing a myspace page.
So, I have no idea how this happened. But I have recently went from having little to do, to all of a sudden having potentially four jobs! I think part of it was because I was looking for jobs/opportunities here and there and just ended up with a handful of chunks that eventually added up. So now I am a full-time, unpaid intern at the Canadian Mental Health Association, a free lance staff writer for themodeline.com, a weekend hostess at White Spot and a potential substitute for the Westminster Children's After School Society. You may think that I'm crazy for taking on so much at the same time but I assure you, having a busy life is actually quite exciting to me, until I eventually burn out of course. So even though my responsibilities leave me with little room for a social life, I'm pretty trilled about being productive. Plus with so much to do and a better paying part-time job, I now have more than enough incentive to quit White Spot.

I'm not a huge fan of this photo of me. The shirt looks very bulgy and you can barely tell that I'm wearing shorts rather than a skirt. But I promise this outfit looks a lot better in real life. I was either vibing on my latest professional achievement or reminiscing about going to school when this outfit was put together.

Two Pictures are Worth Two Thousand Words

Instead of ranting today, I want to make this post more outfit-focused because frankly I think I've ran out of things to say (apparently, it is possible).

On the surface, these outfits are seemingly very different in style, at least to me. While the first one is more mod the second one is totally grunge. However, when inspected closely, they both contain more or less the same elements. They both feature a dress of some sort and a secondary coverage; be it a denim dress shirt or a printed cardigan. There's even similarity in the details such as accessories, shoes and leggings. However, despite all that, they're nevertheless of very different aesthetics. Which brings me to the my quote of the day: "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts". And from this quote we can yield a fashion-related lesson which is to always be creative and mix and match your pieces, because everything has the potential to become a part of a few entirely different outfits.

It's Not Rocket Science

Today was my first shift at my temporary, part-time position at White Spot. You see, after months of irresponsible visa card usage I was pretty much forced into this. And after five minute into my shift it all suddenly came back to me; I hate restaurant jobs. I can deal with the hectic environment, the people, the terrible, terrible uniforms, the shitty food and even the fact that I had worked in restaurants all throughout high school and university and have quit time and time again only now to come back to another one after my graduation. That is all fine to me, I am not so stuck up that I can't swallow my pride for the sake of survival. But the the I cannot stand is the way these business are run and staffs are treated. Perhaps not all of my new co-workers know that I have had extensive food and service experiences but the way they treated me as the "first-timer" today was nothing short of how someone would treat another if that person was mentally handicapped. Every command was said with so much unnecessary emphasis and condescendingly superfluous repetition that made every single mundane task seem like verbal instructions for how to deal with something as important as dismantling a doomsday weapon. I really don't know how much I can continue working there if I expect to save any shred of dignity and self-respect. The only thought that's preventing to immediately marching in and quitting is the thought of these shoes:


My ideal part-time job right now would be to work at American Apparel but none of the Vancouver locations are hiring at this moment. Which means, I would have to stick with what I've got going on currently until my head explodes.
I love wearing hats when my hair is short. Totally hipster!

Hare Hair

There comes a time in every self-respecting hep-cat's life when a life-changing decision is made. For me, cutting my hair a couple of days ago was not that decision. However, because it was so anti-climactic and spontaneous that it in turn earned much more focus than it actually warrants, it, in the end, became a huge deal. Even though I was not aware of just how big of a decision I was making especially when I had been trying to grow my hair for the past eight months.
I guess I should have started by saying that I am not one of those people that makes a huge stink about getting a dramatic hair cut because I have honestly had all kinds of crazy dos in one can possibly imagine; from dreadlocks to almost bald. But what makes this occasion slightly different is that I was inspired to get a hair cut by my boyfriend, Daniel, who recently went from looking like a Beatles to a jar head. Plus, I was getting sick of my over-grown mullet so when I one day caught a gimps of my "rat tail" and immediately thought about Billy Ray Cyrus, I knew the hair had to go.

An inquisitive face with a much shorter hair-cut. it's hard to believe I now have no hair.

Here's a boyish outfit to suit my boyish hair. Had to wear a bow to indicate my actual sex. Ya know, like how people put bows on baby girls to indicate femininity?

Some Words

Social theorists often talk about the artificiality of the world we live in. The notion that nothing we come in contact with is naturally occurring foreshadows a bleak future where "genuine living" is merely an idea rather than a process to be experienced.
I've been reading poetry lately. And this poem by John Updike, I think, encapsulates a society wherein everything is constructed, purposefully placed and never organic

Telephone Poles

They have been with us a long time.
They will outlast the elms.
Our eyes, like the eyes of a savage sieving the trees
In his search for game,
Run through them. They blend along small-town streets
Like a race of giants that have faded into mere mythology.
Our eyes, washed clean of belief,
Lift incredulous to their fearsome crown of bolts, trusses, struts, nuts, insulators and such
Barnacles as compose
These weathered encrustations of electrical debris ---
Each a Gorgon's head, which, seized right,
Could stun us to stone.

Yet they are ours. We mad them.
See here, where the cleats of linemen
have roughened a second bark
Onto the bald trunk. And these spikes
Have been driven sideways at intervals handy for human legs.
The Nature of our construction is in every way
A better fit than the Nature it displaces.
What other tree can you climb where the birds' twitter,
Unscrambled, is English? True, their thin shade is negligible,
But then again there is not that tragic autumnal
Casting-off of leaves to outface annually.
These giants are more constant than evergreens
By being never green.

This was the most comfortable outfit I've ever put together. Mom pants and loose crop tops combined achieves the perfect equilibrium of style and comfort

On Love

What if I say I shall not wait?
What if I burst the fleshly gate
And pass, escaped, to thee?
What if I file this mortal off,
See where it hurt me, - that's enough, -
And wad in liberty?

They cannot take us any more, -
Dungeons my call, and guns implore,
Unmeaning now, to me
As laughter was an hour ago,
or laces, or a traveling show,
Or who died yesterday

-- Emily Dickinson

Today is QiXi, aka Chinese Valentines day. It is the seventh day and of the seventh lunar month according to the Chinese calendar. I've never been known to enjoy the celebration of any festivals or holidays and today is of no exception. The reason why I wanted to mention QiXi is because I am more intrigued by the folklore behind it more than the cultural traditions associated with it. The story, if any of you care to know is about the love between a mortal and a goddess and the forbidden love they share that eventually lead to their eternal separation. On the surface it is just one of the many cliche love tales but to me it is a case of the struggle not for love, but for rather companionship.Some years ago when I viewed everything through rose colored classes, I was a firm believer of true love and the existence of "the one" or a "soul mate". But as time passed and people changed, so have my conceptions about what love really is. And to me, the yearning to be with someone is as simple albeit powerful as the desire to seek companionship. We see this in the animal kingdom, although differing in purpose and social codes, human beings are just as driven to seek out any suitable mate as animals. Thus this primal instinct is non-discriminatory, meaning we don't really care if we get matched up with "the one" as long as we find one.
For all the romantics out there, I'm sorry if this has disappointed you but it is merely of my personal opinion and observation. However, I do believe that our will to seek out companionship and the desire to maintain it is what eventually transform into what we call "love". And this love to me is very, very real and in no ways like that between two mating animals. However, we must understand that this powerful and unique bond between people must first stem from the need for companionship therefore it is not exclusive to members of the opposite sex. We also must understand that the only type of love worth maintaining is one having endured many conflicts and great hardship because that is the only test of one's commitment to another. In conclusion, this trumps the idea of "soul mate" because the implication of "destined to be together" connotes not an idea of "fighting for what's valued" but a notion of "what's yours will always be effortlessly yours".

When You Dream

People always tell me to "be realistic" or "wake up". Most of the time they say that to save me from disappointments when certain things I've been been hoping and wishing for are too far fetched from coming true. But once in awhile, I simply hate it when people say that to me because it's so damn discouraging. I mean what the fuck does that mean anyway? Am I a dreamer for wanting to make a world a better place? Am I being unreasonable for wanting to pursue a career in arts rather than the corporate world? Or am I operating in a completely different realm from yours and you're just informing me that I'm not living in reality because I'm literally stuck in a different plane somehow? Regardless, I think the whole notion of reality is completely bogus (mind the irony). Because what is reality, really?
Throughout my study of human psychology, I have always find cases where people are so convinced that their perceptions are "real" to be especially fascinating. Because it always boggled my mind that some people can lead a life of what seems like utter obscurity to us but to them, it is the only world they know. As I read, studied and watched a lot of these cases, I eventually realized that sometimes physicians and psychologists really don't have any right in telling them what is real because reality is self-constructed. Take the classic philosophical riddle for example. "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Of course it does, because so many happen without our awareness but that doesn't mean that there isn't a possibility of unperceived existence. So just because certain things can't be understood, comprehended or even directly perceived, doesn't mean they don't exists or that they are not "real". Who is to say that a schizophrenic patient's reality is abnormal and thus "not real"? Because to them, it is as real as it gets. I once knew a girl who was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and experienced severe auditory and visual delusions when her symptoms were at their worst. After a copious amount of drugs, her symptoms finally went away. But til today, she still recounts the experience from that segment of her life with so much detail and conviction that it was almost like she was in an alternate reality of some sort.
Perhaps this is the downfall of having an ego because it really limits us from accepting possibilities outside of our consciousness. However, I do think we have the propensity to do so though, because when you dream, do you not hurt when you dream of walking into a wall? Do you not cry when you dream of tragedy befallen on a loved one? Do you not wake up in cold sweat when you dream of your own death? All of our dreams are as real to us as they can be when we sleep. So why do we emphasize the waking reality more than the dreaming reality? I personally prefer to dream because at least in my dreams no one tells me to wake up.

Here's some obscure photo collage action, inspired by what I've learned about memory and reality. Remember the big-cat t-shirt? It is now a crop tank.

Nope, not askin' for directions.

I've been feeling pretty inspired lately due to the fact that I pretty much have been staying at home and sewing and playing music. As suffocating as it can be at times, being housebound isn't all bad when you dedicate your time to your favorite hobbies. And for me, it's making dresses and playing around with all of my quirky instruments I've recently added a pair of spoons to my collection and have been annoying the hell out of everyone with them). Having discovered the silver lining of my joblessness I'm starting to feel somewhat lucky for the fact that I have all the time in the world to do the things I love. And this blessing in disguise may have just presented itself as a new possibly for I have been contemplating about going into fashion design. Of course, I wouldn't just rashly commit to something as big as a career change. Because ever since high school, I thought my true calling was in psychiatry. However, I slowly discovered that I'm really not cut out for the grueling process of graduate school and medical school. So I guess what the moral of the story is that I can never really know or prepare for what's to come. Who know, maybe it's time for something different...completely different?

These thrifted Banana Republic pants are so incredibly comfortable. They used to have flare bottoms and fitted a little awkwardly due to the disproportionate length. But after I altered them into slim trousers, they're much more flattering and stylish.

I've been working with and wearing lace a lot just because it is the the single best material since cotton and this AA raglan is the best of the both worlds.

Meet Me in St. Louis

Three plane rides, numerous car trips and sixteen hours later I finally made it home from St. Louis, Missouri. The four day trip consisted of copious amount of drinking, dancing and stewing in above 30 degree heat and humidity; so all in all a good time. In the midst of partying like there's no tomorrow I realize just how lucky I am to have been surrounded by awesome people so for the first time in a long time I truly my time being away from home.
Here's something you don't know about me, I am an incredibly shy person upon first encounter and sometimes I come off as being even a little stand-offish. Thus I've always been awkward in social situations when crowds of strangers and semi-strangers are involved. However, this time it was different, I felt at ease in the company of others. This new found sensation was foreign at first then I slowly realized that maybe this is merely a sign of growing up and being able to let go of old habits. This is the dress I made for my friend's wedding I attended in St. Louis. The top is made from scratch from lace and the bottom was a trifted skirt I had recently purchased in Seattle. I meant to take some pictures of me wearing it at the wedding but like I said, there was a lot of drinking.

Looks, it's a tornado! Actually, I'm not sure what it was. My friends said it was just a plume of smoke coming out of that factory, but I say it's some sort of mist pillar. But I really just wanted to take a picture of the Mississippi river.
When I got home yesterday, I was treated with a pleasant e-mail which informed me that my blog review is up and I was also awarded the Featured Blogger badge.