Recipe for Disaster?

Two weeks ago I met Janie and Joy, my friends from Los Angeles, in NYC to catch the opening weekend of Cat on A Hot Tin Roof. This trip was attempted before last November to see The Color Purple before Fantasia left, but the stagehand strike kept Broadway dark.

This is the picket line that we couldn't cross. Joy and I were both sick that weekend and spent much of it traveling back and forth to Manhattan in a NyQuil-induced haze. We had fun just exploring different neighborhoods and visiting the Whitney Museum for a Kara Walker exhibit.

So, this trip was planned for a couple months now and of course I waited until the last minute to begin agonizing over what to wear to the theatre. Here, in Atlanta, people seem to show up in anything: what they wore to work that day, jeans & sneakers, etc. But I was raised to dress up when you go to a performance, because it is an event. My current lifestyle doesn't include any dressy clothes since I only go to work, back home, the fabric store, Target and occasionally the movies. Perfect opportunity to make something new, right?

The first pair of pants didn't work out. I finally settled on a silk blouse that I could wear with an existing pair of pants. The only problem is that I would have to make it the night before my flight. Guess how that turned out. By 10 p.m. I was exhausted (my normal bedtime is around 8:30 or 9), in tears and cursing my hard to fit body. The blouse is now a UFO (unfinished object for you non-crafty types) and will be finished sometime soon. The sleeves are fabulous, though!

Did I mention that my cycle was on and my hormones were making me extremely bitchy? Ya'll know I am not like that normally....(crickets)

(Un)fortunately, it was windy, rainy, and cold for most of the weekend and nobody saw anything but my coat and soaked through tennis shoes. We had a great time despite my hormonal breakdown. I can't remember much of what we did on Friday night, but it involved a lot of rain, 2 meals, and some window shopping.

On Saturday:

• a stop in at the conference that was the main reason for Joy being there and breakfast where we met a beautiful young student/model from Kenya who is in college in Dallas. She was spending her spring break by herself in NYC, because you haven't really seen America unless you go there.


• a fabulous boutique in Harlem where we met a woman who was recovering from breast cancer who asked Joy (who has an almost shaved head) about hat options.


• a requisite visit to Carol's Daughter (before their website I used to ask people who were going to NY to pick up stuff for me).


• the shoe floor at Saks (for the male salespeople as well as the shoes).


• the play. Fantastic performances by all, especially Anika Noni Rose.


• some great guacamole (can't remember the name but it was 2 doors down from our hotel).


• Janie & Joy head back to Harlem for a little nightlife. I can't hang that late at night.

On Sunday:

• the weather Gods gave us a break and finally cleared away the clouds and let the sun shine down.


• several stops on the subway were closed for maintenance so we found ourselves down by City Hall where a couple squirrels tried to jack Janie for her almonds (the only criminal activity we saw all weekend - the guys trying to sell tokens in the subway don't count, that's business).


• wound up on the street that my celebrity crush lives on (don't ask me how I know), but dissuaded by Janie and Joy from walking up and down hoping that he comes out of a building.


• found a quaint (I never use that word) brunch spot with fantastic turkey sausage.


• walked from Soho all the way back to our wonderful hotel on Park and 26Th.


• headed to JFK (not my favorite) for our flights home. Maybe Janie and Joy will blog about their adventure.

We had a fantabulous time and are all enamored with NYC and hope to return soon.

12. Such a Pretty Fat

One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie Is Not the Answer

by Jen Lancaster

started 2/29/08 finished 3/7/08

First there was Bitter Is the New Black, which chronicled Jen Lancaster's life as she moved from being a highly paid executive with a fancy loft to carrying a Prada bag to the unemployment office. Her next memoir, Bright Lights Big Ass, shows how she adjusts to her new neighborhood and lower tax bracket.

This new book, Such a Pretty Fat, is Jen's quest to lose weight and get in shape. The difference between this and other weight loss memoirs is that Jen has extremely high self-esteem and has always been fine with her body at any size. But then she is called a "fat bitch" by someone on the bus. And she doesn't go off on them. Not because she is a turn the other cheek kinda gal, but because she has been called "fat bitch" so many times, that she is desensitized to it.

As with any Jen Lancaster book, hilarity and snarkiness ensues. Especially during trips to Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers. This book won't be published until May, but that will give you time to catch up on her other books if you haven't already.

11. Helping Me Help Myself

One Skeptic, Ten Self-Help Gurus, and a Year on the Brink of the Comfort Zone

by Beth Lisick

started 2/1 finished 2/14

I am a self-help junkie. I am constantly reading books and watching videos that will help me to be happier, sexier, prettier, healthier, more spiritual, and more successful. My problem is that I have yet to put any of this stuff to work. But when I do, ya'll better watch out because then I will be happier, sexier, prettier, healthier, more spiritual and more successful than all of you!!

Beth Lisick does me one better by picking one self-help guru and their philosophy to follow for a month. The gurus include all of the superstars: John Gray (Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus), Suze Orman, and Stephen Covey.

My very favorite chapter is when Beth goes on a Richard Simmons' weight-loss cruise. Hilarious and touching at the same time.

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Procrastination Sewing

I didn't plan for this to happen (procrastinators always say this). I have known about this trip for 2 months and here it is the day before and I still don't have anything special to wear. (Un)Fortunately it will be cold and rainy in New York this weekend and I can get by with jeans since I will have on a coat most of the time, but I wanted to dress up a little for the theatre (I never dress up in my real life). Yesterday I was hit with some serious cramps and nausea (at least my cycle will be out of the way - sorry male readers) and I only had enough energy to wash and twist my locs...no sewing done. Today I woke up feeling better and I found an easy McCall's blouse pattern that will sew up quickly...I just had to go and buy it. Hancock's is having a 99cent sale on McCall's patterns. Off I go.

I get there early and head straight for the pattern drawers. All of the patterns that I want are new and start with the numbers 56.. However, the latest ones they have start with 55... The new patterns haven't been put out yet! So off I go to the book to search for a comparable blouse pattern that I can still get for 99 cents. While I am looking (and not liking what I see), one of the employees comes over with a big box and starts restocking the patterns. She has the new ones!!!! I will have first pick!!!! While I wait for her to finish, I look around at fabric. I am not planning on actually buying any because:

1. I have placed myself on punishment again and I can't buy any more fabric until I actually complete a wearable garment.
2. I am going on vacation tomorrow with very limited funds and I don't want to dip into my monies.
3. I never find any good fabric in this brokedown store anyway.

Of course I found this really cute fabric (I am a sucker for certain color combinations - and this brown/light blue is one of them) on the $2.00 table so I got 5 yards. Later the cashier tried to charge me the original $3.95 price but the cutting table lady came to my aid.














These are the patterns that I picked up:


I am making the belted version using this silk jacquard (excuse the wrinkles).






























These are three scarves that I have crocheted for friends while I get back in the groove of crocheting. I hope to now move on to more ambitious projects.

















Now, I am off to make my blouse!

Girl Crushes

Those of you who know me are aware of my many celebrity crushes. The collection of photos (some would call it a shrine; but I don't light candles by it or nothin') of Jesse L. Martin that I have at work can attest to the seriousness of my crushes. I also have posters of Maxwell and Roosevelt Franklin. This is all just fun and fantasy.
My girl crushes, however, are more important. I have two primary ones: Jada Pinkett Smith and Erykah Badu.
A girl crush by definition (whose originally, I don't know; but my former co-worker Jamie told me this) is someone who you don't want to have sex with (that would be a regular crush), but you think that if you met them the two of you would be best friends. In essence, you just wanna hang out with them. In my case, I draw inspiration from them and their art. If they mention a book in an interview, I go out and buy it (although usually I already have it; see, we are already on the same wavelength!).
So, this week Erykah Badu released her latest CD, New Amerykah, Part One (4Th World War). Now, normally I would buy it on the day of release, but this week funds were tight and I had to wait until today before I could get it.
Well, after the pants debacle of yesterday and blogging about it today, I wanted to lie on the couch and deal with it some other time. Instead I remembered that I bought the CD and had to load it onto my i-pod and then I listened to it. It is going to take me a few more listens to really immerse myself in it, but I am loving it. Next thing I know, I started looking through my patterns again and then I went back to the fabric stash and found some upholstery fabric that may work for an idea that came to me.
Things are starting to look a little brighter and I credit Ms. Badu. Give thanks.

Recent Failures

1. The Black History Month reading was a bust. My headspace just wasn't in the right place for this book. It is a serious read and it was too much for me at this time.



2. The pants that I made didn't fit. My main concern was fitting the hips and my focus was on that. So, of course, the hips and butt turn out perfectly and the waist didn't come close to working. For now it is on the UFO (unfinished object - for the uninitiated) pile waiting for smaller Toni.



So I am now back to trying to find something "dressy" to wear. I can't afford new fabric so I am attempting to shop my stash. But the problem is that my social life has been non-existent for about ten years and the fabric purchases during that time skew a little casual.



On top of all that, the PMS that I am currently experiencing will not reveal the silver lining in any of this.