hashtags and sewing

in the modern world of communication..what wild times we are having !! People have been reduced to less than one liners !! We have emoticons or emojis little pictorial icon things  :) I mean I like emojis . Lucky us to have hash tags #  , really?  is that what we have become ? We #dog or #bangs or any topic, things are written in abbreviated form. One example is #inaug2013 , take a phrase and type it into your browser or device and you can dive into the current modern thread of trends and ways and what does it all mean ?Are we too stupid or so overwhelmed with digital imagery we cannot have a freaking tangible thought ? What is wrong with writing a sentence ??????? ARGH or should I say @rgh..I guess we all have to flock like lemmings and twitter is a way to get your voice heard (how can you call it a voice when all that is importance is a single word)and instagram is such a clever way to share photos..I will not judge I will not judge... I will use these tools for good .
 
Sewing costumes, sewing is sewing not gluing !!! That is all I have to say on sewing, I have glued I admit it, in 1995 we were going on a new show and I was getting behind on costume construction so I used sparkly fabric paint and glued my rhinestones or sequins on . I have done that when I was desperate but it is not sewing it is gluing .. How wonderful and what a time saver gluing is! I mean we are so busy with our  # & @ . We are going to evolve into virtual people if we aren't careful .

Marshall is a fashion guy

Marshall is sporting a new look, he is the king of retro and will be taking his John Herriott collection of 1980 leisure suits on the road .

 I mean he will if we ever get out of dodge. We are supposed to be in Hugo right this very second ..We have been the victims of circumstance .This morning as we were ready to roll we noticed white smoke vomiting out of our exhaust pipe . I knew it was something with  an egr valve or worse a head gasket . Our mechanic took a look see and  put it in surgery..After making sure the head gaskets weren't blown ,they concluded the egr ( exhaust gas recirculation )or something in that department had done a pratfall . A quick repair ,under a g-note..not so fast..it turns out our turbo had cracked , but fortunately they had one in stock ! We were so happy ,we would be rolling by five  !! unfortunately it was the wrong one..fortunately they are getting the correct size turbo at 7.30 am..and very fortunately it happened here.. with our guys who know our Black Beauty .

The last few days have been filled with angst beyond belief . Stressful things and hemorrhaging money and waiting for the dmv to get it together and not sleeping ..

we were supposed to leave Wednesday , drive to Dallas , pick up the Scythian ,drive to Hugo, drive to Brownsville..The tent is going up Sunday . I have said too much, been too whiny.I should have realized when things seemed great I should have known around the corner...lurks the next lesson or test in life .I will never be cocky again .I will be thankful for everything .

In hindsight we have a had a marvelous winter. Sarasota has been so full of successful wonderful circus activity . I am so serious , great circuses and events everywhere ! What a town !

sewing

My favorite kind of sewing is things , not clothes, but actual objects . I enjoy making costumes and I love patching and repair of anything ,any kind of fabric . I like putting in zippers . I do like making new shiny happy sparkly costumes and accessories BUT there are so many steps ! For example , even if I have a pattern..I will have to alter and rip apart the seams and redo at least twice. AT LEAST two times with the seam ripper after I have double tightest zig zag stitched it. Then I get to finish construction and then the jewels and beads and sequins and accessories . For me personally that means a shiny adorable headpiece .

I started sewing when I was 4 or 5 ! My mom had this beautiful Necchi machine and when no one was looking I sewed, broke a needle , had to replace the needle and figure out the threading . I was very lucky because my mom was a big sewer and very unconventional ! She would whip up an orange eyelash lame' dress, lined with brown and accessorize with brown vinyl platformish pumps for a Bar Mitzvah , the day of the event . The impressive part was , she would not use a pattern . My other fortunate situation was that I come from a family, on one side , of garment makers and my grandfather Philip Ostroff had a place called Advanced Frocks and I would go there and get fabric and pattern paper and watch the people sew industrial style. It was a huge warehouse in a mill in Fall River, Massachusetts. The floors were wooden , there was a lot of light. The buildings were made of stone. The part I despised was that they used Formaldehyde to set the dye and it burned my eyes. I fell super in love with sewing when I was very young.When I was 5 or 6 years old I was into a turtleneck, matching tights and the famous Elaine Ostroff reversible jumper with pockets !  I remember in 6th or 7th grade wearing something different and amazing every day . I would get home from school and hit the sewing room. I made a yellow vinyl dress, a blue suede skirt . In high school I made my own amazing reversible jumpers with amoebic pockets for adults !! for cash !!! I decide to make my high school boyfriend a tuxedo shirt, with a pattern, it was orange, that was some crazy sewing.

This winter has been a challenging sew . I have made my Princess  Fresia  some costumes  , many fittings.. so happy . I have made vines, like in the jungle . For my vine project I used spandex, felt , foam , wire and a lot of thread ! My sister in law Jeanne Williamson Ostroff and friend Anita Vonderheid gave me good input . I have also made some accessories in the feather department . To top it off some adorable, marvelous costumes for me. It seems like so little, but I have been sewing a lot at the machine . At night as we watch our favorite cop shows and I hand sew and bead with dental floss . My little projects are almost finished !

Circus Celebrity Night

Saturday the 19th of January was a wonderful night . It is called #Circus Celebrity Night. Our talented , humble and lovely friend Trudy Strong was the honored celebrity. She is from a very  large circus family, her parents were American Clowns ! She has a lot of sisters, one brother. She has a lot of talent and skills ,from impressive  aerial acts to all kinds of  animals (did I hear seals ? ) tigers, lion, dogs, horses,  contortion, juggling,so many different acts in her impressive career .I felt very privileged to be in the audience beaming and crying . 

I can not use enough words to describe the magnificence of living in Sarasota and having all these opportunities to be part of . We have circus life in all phases. The now , the then , the tomorrow, immortalized , honored , the tributes.This town has every element you can imagine in a big city..opera, ballet, art, BUT places were actually constructed and are still here today because and in the name of circus !!! I suppose I am rambling and not being very specific but I have practice and sewing and hot yoga and doing my 2012 taxes and family and doggies and washing the floors and getting my glasses fixed and sewing and the list never ends !

 

The weather is delicious . The winter is a very lucky time to enjoy this fair town.White sandy beaches , all kinds of architecture, art, flora, fauna . The history of Sarasota is fascinating to me now. I was never interested in " history " until I realized that people before me did these great things so I could have a lovely life . From writing the Declaration of Independence to those 7 brothers and 1 sister that fell in love with the talents of Dan Rice and followed their epiphany .In the olden days everyone rode horses , sang, read plays, sewed and played instruments. It was just what people did, some were better than others .

Crescent Beach

We all call "it" Siesta Beach , but this white soft piece of sand is called Crescent  Beach. 

living life

I wonder why it has taken me so long to see the amazing everyday beauty in life around me . The fur on my dogs, the silhouettes of the tall trees in our backyard . It has been a beautiful time here in Sarasota this winter . We have had friends and family visiting, lovely walks on the beaches , practice has been not too disgustingly wretched ,  meals have been entertaining , sleeping has been successful , we have been to some great events . People are getting married, having babies...life is happening .

This Sunday was the Ring of Fame in St Armands Circle .Chuck Schlarbaum is the maestro for this very huge band/orchestra and they play a concert before and during the plaques and tributes being awarded , people get style chords and entrance music .Marshall played his very old 1831 cornet and he said it felt good. Our friends the  Pablo Rodriquez family were honored , very great ! and Tim Holst and Charles and Mathias Coronas. It was a remarkable joyful day.

One of the cool things about the Ring of Fame is you can walk around the circle and visit the beautiful plaques, you can learn some history and marvel . My Friend Meg just happened to be visiting from way up north, so she got to visit her web teacher .

I painted my room black when I was 14

I grew up in a family where one could paint their room ANY COLOR !! I had pink rooms and gold ceilings and grey floors and grey enamel walls and turquoise and red..I painted my room black once.. I thought it was so neat... They still tell that story, more like the story of painting over it.Dark colors are tough to cover up..Fresia room was so lovingly painted pink when she was a little baby girl. Pink with cherry trim. She is now a teen and decided to paint it . I think she even suggested black.. HA !!I think I said , " no". She went with a gray , "seal gray". I made her cool black and white paisely curtains. She wants to decorate the walls with record albums..I love this kid ! what a keeper ! I love the way she has her dreams and goes after them in her sweet organized youthful way..