Whhhaaat???

I had absolutely no interest in Disney's new feature "The Princess and the Frog." I have fallen out of love with Disney animated features that have become less cinematographically pleasing, less about art, less about plot, and more about pumping out sequels in a high volume so as to capitolize on previous success (I'm looking at you, Cinderella 2 and 3!).
HOWEVER, I have since learned that The Princess and the Frog is
hand-animated! Hand-drawn! None of this "let's make it perfect with computers" junk. Personal. Art-filled. Some of the stills I have seen do not yet convince me that it's as artistic as the predecessors the backgrounds are based on (namely "Bambi" and "Lady and the Tramp"), but I hope that I am pleasantly surprised.
Honestly I'd be interested to see what this new batch of animators would do with backgrounds like the beautiful 101 Dalmations. Or the tapestry-inspired backgrounds of Sleeping Beauty. Thanks, Disney, for remembering that ART has a place in your movies. Please don't forget it for another ten years.

life

Yesterday in class my professor gave us a demonstration (using yours truly as a volunteer) on the magic glove technique, which uses a form of guided imagery and relaxation to reduce pain in blood draws, IV sticks, etc. It was really amazing. Apparently my hands were different colors when it was going on, which I guess means a difference in blood flow. She tested the back of her earring on my hands, and I barely felt it on my 'magic glove' hand, but definitely felt it on my other hand! It worked so much better than guided imagery experiences I'd had before, even in a class full of people crowding around to see it happen!

So much is piling up and I am just hoping to stay on top. I definitely cannot allow any of this to take me over. I am trying to take my assignments one step at a time and not get so overwhelmed that I'm of no use to anyone. I'm trying to just avoid personal problems that I cannot fix and get out of the situation as quickly as possible. I'm a bit afraid of how crazy things are going to be until the end of the semester but I know that making it through will be a testament for me that I can do things that are difficult.
And it is amazing to me that when I get so lost in what I'm doing, something pops up and reminds me how much I'm going to love my job when all is done. I think it'll be harder than anything I've experienced, but also it'll be so rewarding.

Things are getting hard for me on a personal level, in a couple of aspects of my life. I have possible opportunities to escape both of them, so please be in prayer about that.

On a sort of lighter note, a random guy friended me on facebook and started talking to me last night. Just in case any men are reading this at all, here's a top ten list of things NOT to do when you first talk to a girl, when you approach, and she feels you might be a bit creepy so is on the defensive.
10. Do not have only six pictures on your profile, all of them showing off your disgustingly molded muscular body-builder features. (It's like red flag number one for me.)
9. Do not call the girl you're talking to: an actress, a cynic, or a man-hater, simply because she may be being rude to the creepy muscle man who is talking to her out of the blue.
8. In trying to prove your motives are pure, don't throw scripture at her, misinterpret it, and then tell her that as a Christian she is obligated to trust you. (I'm still trying to figure out how that works.)
7. Do not call her out for judging you while refusing to admit you are judging her as well.
6. DO NOT ask her what's wrong with her when you find out she is 23 and has never been on a date (and I quote: "why not? You're cute, have a nice build, and seem interesting, so why hasn't anyone asked you out?")
5. When she lets on that she's getting a creepy vibe from you, don't take that as a signal to ask how far she's gone with a guy.
4. While calling her out on judging you, keep in mind the liberal dose of self-worship that's going on on your profile. And the fact that hot girls make up the majority of your friends on facebook.
3. When you find out that she's held hands with a "boyfriend" she had for a tiny amount of time in the seventh grade and that's it, do not say (quoting again) "Wow, I know only two other girls like you, and you're the only one under 300 pounds." (compliment city, my friends)
2. When you ask her about politics and she's appeared to be a strong, independent, and in this case combative woman so far, expect her to take the opposite viewpoint to yours. Especially when you argue your case so poorly. And don't extrapolate something like a historical reference without a source to back it up. Seriously. Momma didn't raise no fool.
1. When a girl asks you why you friend requested her in the first place and you say "I was interested in you" please be more specific. From chiseled muscle men like you, every word sounds like a come-on. (and please, COME ON!)

Seriously, I don't know why I kept talking to him. It was like a car wreck that I was participating in and could not stop watching at the same time. I dealt with this guy for probably close to three hours and it only stopped because I thought he blocked me. He didn't I guess, but I de-friended him this morning. Dudes, don't expect every Christian to be as conservative as you, and don't basically call them idiots or the devil if they take a more moderate, middle-of-the-road, everything-is-not-all-black-and-white stance. And don't you DARE judge my faith based on my suspicious reaction to a creeper who pops up on facebook chat. I think it can bring out the worst in all of us. And if you're going to ask a question or make an argument, MAKE SENSE! Gaaah!

To end it all, I had a very strange dream last night: I gave birth to a little girl, but when I woke up that next day, she had grown to be a toddler, and then an hour later she was a teenager, and then minutes later she was a grown woman my age (who looked like me but not like me). I was so scared that someone would come in and think I had done something to my baby when really she was sitting right next to me! The novelty of the dream made all the past day's interactions sound as ridiculous then as they are now, though when I went to sleep I was absolutely furious.

the results

The Halloween party at the children's hospital was wonderful. I left my camera in the car because I didn't think it was okay to take the patients' photos (they had all signed photo releases it turns out, but I still think leaving the camera was a good idea). I spent the majority of the time wheeling around a nonresponsive child and trick-or-treating for her. Nonresponsive children make me so sad, with their blank faces, refusing to react to anything (though I DID hear a laugh when we went down the elevator).

The fairy costume was a BIG hit, one person even told me later he didn't remember any other costumes except mine. And that sounds really conceited...but I put a LOT of work into this costume and I'm proud of it.

I know it's vain...but I really love the way this costume turned out...and the way the makeup made me look.

Here's how I had the makeup at the beginning of the morning. And here's the whole costume. Forgive the presumed artsyness and the bathroom setting...I'm a bit contained in my photoshoot choice.

New favorite photo of me ever...and that's RARE, that I ever like a photo of me.

Happy Halloween. I'm spending it at the Texas Book Festival.

It's hard being a fairy...

So on Sunday I went to the store and got just about anything purple in terms of makeup (I like purple, it's versatile, and it looks good on me, therefore, purple fairy I shall be). I tried several different possible makeup and hair combinations and wasn't truly happy with any of them. So, what did I do but post them on facebook, tagging a few of my makeup-expert and stage-expert friends, thinking surely they would give me good pointers. And hey, I'd be fine with constructive input so long as they said something along the lines of 'here's what I like, here's what I don't like, here's how it could be better' (not even that order, it could be any order).

I posted those last night, and some of those photos have as many as 23 comments.

Friends, readers, do you want to know something? I had a mom explaining to me that look one was wonderful, don't change a thing, but look two was tooooooo scary. Then I had a friend tell me that look two was wonderful, don't change a thing, but look one was WAY too scary. Back and forth...so I did another look, borrowing a little from a tutorial on youtube that I've now forgotten, and another person said they preferred this one, that it wasn't too scary. Then someone else who was tagged by a different friend as a joke said that they were all scary, but wasn't that the point?

Anyway, I have four looks now and here they are:

Look one: butterfly fairy Kate

(A mom said this was great, and then a friend said it was scary.)


Look Two: horns? spikes? wings? Yeah, a lot of people liked this one (including my room mates) but I have to say it's kind of frightening. Maybe if I was going to be a different kind of fairy...and not one that helps children in a hospital get ready to trick-or-treat, I'd modify it a bit.

Look three: downplayed fairy (for a fairy day job I suppose). A lot of people liked this one, and it's actually the one I modified from a youtube video, it's just not enough to me, I want to go all out! (Sidenote, wearing my dad's old youth service fund shirt that's probably about 30 now. My favorite shirt and I can't wear it anywhere because it's so see-through!)

Look Four: we have a winner! I like this because I still have color in my cheeks (and on my nose, I put soem blush on the very end so it was rosy), my eyes still are outlined in purple and kind of wing-ish, and my lips are purple (and they'll probably be purpler than this) but not oh-dear-God-she-must-have-drowned purple. And the eyebrows are defined enough to let me be really expressive and clown around with the kids. I've not decided if this fairy will speak or be mute. I have been a mute fairy before and I always ended up talking. We'll see what the kids need. I think I might try mute again, because it's fun.

Look how expressive I am!

The only fabric store in town was closed Sunday and closed when I got out of class today, so Tuesday I am storming it and making my costume. Lots of tulle will be involved. Maybe I'll get ambitious and sew in a top, or maybe I'll just modify a t-shirt (which seems more likely to be honest), I haven't decided yet.

Well, what do you think?

So....grad school

Grad school is hard. Especially when you live in an apartment complex full of crazy undergrads who attend a school known for being partial to partying. Especially when you suddenly fall ill the week of midterms and cannot even look at a computer screen without vertigo. Especially when your room mates are loud at odd times. Especially when you have to get something done, even if you CAN'T look at a computer screen. Especially when your targeted research has no prior work done. Especially when you don't have time to cook for yourself but cannot justify eating out all the time.
I need a break...one that includes the whole school, not just me being so sick I can't stay out of bed for more than three hours!
No, I don't know what I have/had. Symptoms are mostly gone except for some congestion (which is nothing compared to older sinus infections...thank you so much, balloon sinuplasty!) and a looot of fatigue and dizziness. I took the bus home today and watching the cars pass by on the street made me carsick!
Pray that I get all of this done. I'm losing steam.

it's gonna be awesome

This year I am volunteering at the children's hospital for the halloween party. You know what that means, right?
I GET TO GO CRAZY WITH THE COSTUME!

I puzzled for quite some time. I've been a ballerina for the past two years just using one of my old dance costumes, but it's a little too tight for the specifications.
I've decided to be a fairy because I'll get to have some fun makeup and hair. I'm going to sew a knee length tutu (my first ever) out of shimmery tulle, have some wings and a tiara, though I'm not sure what to use as a top! Tank tops seem perfect for this but I don't know if their dress code will find it "too revealing."
And of course, ballet flats and some colorful tights will seal the deal...perhaps with some of my jewelry or something...and of course a lot of glitter!
It's in a few weeks so just stay tuned!

Fun with monster hands

These are the best things ever.

Thank you, Monster Hands, you are amazing. These guys came all the way from England to give me and my friend some giggles.