Face Shape

I love my hair the length it is now. It's short enough that the waves aren't pulled straight but long enough to be full and wavy. It feels like mermaid hair. However, I will be sacrificing this mermaid hair to Locks of Love at the beginning of this summer once it grows out. Right now I have about 4" to go until I can cut it and still have long enough hair I'll be comfortable with. My next post will be showing possible hair styles but I thought I'd start with studying my face shape.

I'm essentially stealing this from Inside Out Style's articles here and here and just applying it myself so you should definitely check out her blog for more information.

First I took a picture with my hair pulled back off my face. It's awful but necessary:

Then I imported this photo into a program called Vectorworks, which I use for lighting design but had the tools necessary to complete the rest of this project.

First I drew a line from top to bottom at the longest part of my face and from left to right at the widest part and measured.



I found that the length of my face is 1.57 times the width. So I have a long face.

Then I tried lining up some popular face shapes against mine.



Circle: definitely not
Rectangle: getting closer
Oval: DING DING DING!

My face is a perfect oval.

Next I created a grid with the horizontal lines being marked by the length of my nose and the vertical lines down the center and either side of my face. This was to see how evenly spaced my facial features are.



Again we see that my face is very long. Average is three noses long and I clearly exceed this. Other than that, I have very large cheeks with small features. To help my eyes stand out I will probably want to keep my bangs and adding width to my hair style will help balance out my cheeks.

I will post some ideas for new haircuts soon. In the meantime, if anyone wants me to look at their face shape, I'd love to. Just let me know and I'll tell you what email to send it to.

Lipstick Challenge Wrap-Up

So I must admit, I basically failed. I was great about wearing lipstick at first but could never remember to reapply. I figure I will keep my favorite on hand so I can be ready to reapply when I think of it but I will never be the girl with perfectly shaded lips.

I thought I'd post some pictures though, so anyone who wants to chime in can give their opinion of their favorite.

Spring Shoes

Omigod SHOES! I seriously love shoes. They are probably the one clothing item that I really crave and have a hard time resisting. Cardigans may be up there but you can find cheap shoes easier than nice, cheap cardigans. Ross, Goodwill, Target. I could write some epic love poems to the shoe aisles of these stores. They would be full of metaphors and lyrical alliteration. Spring has arrived and with it so has my lust for a new pair of sandals. You see the problem is, I need comfortable sandals. I need sandals I can wander the city in. I live on a hill and one does not drive in the city unless one intends to pay $20 in parking daily. So I need sandals I can walk around in without removing layers of skin with every step. Comfort aside I created this...ummm...I'll call it an inspiration board on Polyvore.



I decided to go for it and I went out to Ross. I figured I'd see what they had. I knew this was a "want" not a "need" because I could live in sneakers. Not happily but I could do it. So I said I wouldn't spend more than $15. This is what I ended up with:



I'm not going to lie, I was scared. Those thin straps? But they're so versatile. They can be dressed up and dressed down. They're flat but still stylish. I figured I'd wear them to work today since I wasn't called until later. Half a day. Less pressure. I packed another pair just in case. Let me tell you, they passed with flying colors. It was a tough day, too, and included an impromptu trip to Home Depot in the shop truck. I changed later because my toes got cold and I do have a bit of a leg ache which I believe stems from the lack of arch support but these are minor complaints and absolutely NO BLISTERS.

Victory is sweet.

Spring Purse

I planned to do a post on Spring purses in a few weeks when I save up money to buy one. You see my old summer bag died a natural but tragic death in September. I created a little inspiration sheet on Polyvore. I thought I'd pick up a purse at a thrift store and compare it to my inspiration sheet. I did a similar thing with sandals, which you can expect by Monday.

But then the skies opened up and Preppy with a Twist entered my life with a Talbot's bag giveaway. It's gorgeous and perfect for what I need. So I'm doing my "purse post" now.

I currently have a knockoff Prada I got on the streets of Athens, Greece. Similar to this:



It cost approximately the equivalent on $25 and has paid for itself five times over. It has a nice should strap that has a little snap to keep the straps together on your shoulder. It's shaped in such a way that it fits a ton but comes to a close at the top. That way I can load it full of all my "essentials" and it will still fit comfortably under my arm. I know nothing about music but this purse could inspire me to write the most beautiful symphony imaginable. The only problem is that it's black. Not very summery.

If I can't find it's equal in a summery purse I will stick to my "Prado" and tie a colorful scarf around the handle because here's the thing, every woman says this, but my purse IS my life. I have tried carrying different bags for different purposes. A small one for going out. A laptop bag for work. A backpack for romping around the city. Inevitably something will not make it into the other bag. I have found the best thing for me is keep everything in one place, carry a big purse, and see the chiropractor regularly.

Per the instructions of this giveaway, I will now reveal to you beautiful people the contents of my purse. I'm in technical rehearsals, which means working 15 hour days and not staying organized, so this should be interesting. I wish I could offer some pictures but I just found out about this giveaway and I'm at the tech table while we do an invited dress rehearsal. Stand by why I attempt to shuffle and unpack as quietly and discreetly as possible.

In section 1:
A "thank you" card from my boss
A small plastic baggie of pretzel sticks
A pen
A spoon

In the center section (aka the largest):
Wallet
Small zipper pouch with chapstick and emergency money
Large zipper pouch with
- 3 different lipsticks
- 2 chapsticks
- a pocket Rosary
- tissues
- a compact
- small pill container with mostly ibuprofen
Camera
Business card case
Sunglasses (I should really get a case for those)
Cough drops
A head band
An Ez Comb

Section 2:
Small thing of contact solution
Contact case
Grocery store gift card
iPod touch
Headphones
Mini flashlight

Where are my keys?

Now those of you reading this no longer have time to enter as I only have...AH! 20 minutes, but you should still absolutely read this blog. I just started recently but I'm hooked. This chic is awesome.

For what it's worth, here is my "inspiration sheet" for spring purses and I will let you know how things turn out.

The Power of Dressing Down

So I did a whole post about the power of clothes and how dressing "up" can improve your confidence and make you feel like you will garner more respect. This post though, will be about the flip side; about the power of being comfortable and letting your skills do the talking. You know those people who are so laid back and laissez-faire they must know what they're doing. As with most things, I imagine the ideal lies somewhere along the spectrum and varied person to person.

Two people who have found their "coordinates" particularly well though, are my supervisors, who will henceforth be known as Glitter and Gold. Yes, I know, this breaks the fairy tale trend but it fits so well. Gold is in his early 30's and has more of what would be considered a full time position as the lighting associate at the theatre. He will go off contract a few times a year to design his own projects and at that time Glitter steps into the picture. Gold has reached a point in his career where he's doing a lot more designing outside our theatre and most of his assisting is done as part of his job here. Glitter is in his mid-20's and is a major hot shot assistant as well as a brilliant designer in his own right. He doesn't spend as much time on contract at our theatre and thusly does a lot of assisting out and about in the city. This means that after my internship I will follow him like a lost puppy voluntarily assisting him on bigger shows so I can learn from him and meet new people and grow up to be just like him! He definitely has to rely on his freelance assisting more that Gold does so the two of them combined have been awesome career advisers although my work life will probably more closely resemble Glitter's for a while.

Glitter and Gold are never dressed inappropriately and they are always professional. They've found this pleasant, artsy, casual zone where they are comfy at the tech table but can head to a restaurant with a designer at the drop of a hat. It gives them this whole "Oh you need me to save the show? Sure. I can do that one-handed while keeping track of woot.com, listening to NPR, and listing all of the new Apple products for 2010." vibe. By the way, they both totally could. Gold would probably also be having a deep discussion about the appropriate visual aesthetic for the latest experimental piece he's working on and Glitter would be doing some mad photo and video editing of the latest musical review he co-produced. I made little ensembles for them based on their styles.



They've just achieved such a perfect balance. It's hard comparing a guy's wardrobe to my own. I don't want to be sexist and say it's harder for women but part of me feels like if I were to wear jeans and a hoody I would look frumpier than my male counterpart. Please feel free to disagree and correct me if you think I'm wrong. Especially if you're a guy. But for now that's how I feel. I think I need some more versatile pieces that look great but are super comfy. I think the secret lies in outerwear and select accessories. Here are some ideas:



The good news is I have a lot of cute jewelry I love. I just tend to not wear it. Especially necklaces because I have a very sentimental, personal necklace I wear daily. I sense a challenge coming on!

Magic Box

That is what I will name my tech kit for when I'm working on shows. As a designer or an assistant there are a lot of things you want to have on hand. Usually it is the assistant's responsibility to make sure this stuff is on hand. Maybe each theatre also makes sure they have a lighting tech box. I, though, will be creating my own that will accompany me everywhere. It will perfect. It will be like Mary Poppin's suitcase. "Oh you have some food stuck in your teeth? Do you prefer plain or mint floss?" Maybe not that far. Here is the list of things it needs to contain:

Pencils
Red pencils
Highlighters
Various sized Sharpies
Scissors
Scotch Tape
Masking Tape
Swatch books: GAM, Roscolux, Lee, Apollo
Erasers
Flash Drive
Kleenex
Mints/Gum
Emergency Money
Post-Its

The really fun part will be picking out the physical box for my "Magic Box". Here are my thoughts:



I like the toolboxes because they'll have more than enough room.

The cosmetic cases have happy little cubbies. I love my cubbies.

The lunch boxes are just SO MUCH FUN! The black on with the feet is actually a "decorate your own" kind. The kit comes with paint and you make it yourself. Heheheh!

So, if you have an opinion I'd appreciate. You know, all two of my readers (Hi Little Red. Hi Aurora.)

Luxury on a Budget: Coffee Creamer

I'm not a huge coffee drinker. Particularly not by Seattle standards. However I do consider it a pleasant treat. Sometimes I really need the caffeine boost. Sometimes just the smell and taste is enough of a placebo.

I'm going to digress for a moment into coffee shop preferences. I love my local places. I feel like I'm supporting friends and contributing to my neighborhood. But with prices, I have to consider this almost charity. I don't feel like my goods totally live up to the price. I'm ok with this though, every once in a while, because, like I said, it makes me feel good. But it's an occasional treat. If I get invited out more than I'm comfortable with, I'll stick to tea.

I also love Starbucks. I know. I'm a materialist sheep. But here's the thing. They're a GREAT company. The give their employees great benefits and they spend time and money on making their customers feel appreciated. For Christmas last year, my aunt gave me a Starbucks membership. It was $25 for the year and it meant I got 10% off any purchase plus free wifi. They ended up changing this program so now there are different levels and at the top, you get free customization. I got automatically bumped to the top because of my pre-existing membership but to get free customization and wifi you only have to go five times in one year. Not too hard for most people. And I did the math: if you buy your five drinks, after going to Starbucks 17 times, it will be as though those drinks were free. With this gold status my soy vanilla latte is the same price as a regular latte and I can enjoy it while perusing the internet. Plus they have the free iTunes song cards and do things like "Free Pastry Day" (my reduced fat berry coffee cake is waiting for me). Basically Starbucks has bought my love.

Now I know that Starbucks is a HUGE corporation and to apply the same standards to these local shops is like comparing apples and oranges but it doesn't change the fact that for now it is more affordable for me, I feel like a rockstar, and I like rewarding impressive marketing (I was also a business major and can be a major business geek).

Back to the subject at hand. Even with the perks from Starbucks, I still can't afford coffee very often. I could make my own drip coffee at home...except that I can't. I swear you need a degree in organic chemistry to find the right balance of water, coffee, milk, and sugar to make it drinkable. Or I'm a 22 year old still incapable of making coffee. At home, my parents make instant and add some coffee creamer:



but that can be expensive, too.

But wait! This is something you CAN make at home.

14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
14oz. milk of your choice
2 tsps. vanilla extract

I tried this for the first time today and it was pretty dang good. Let’s see how prices compare.

Latte out: $.45/oz.
Store bought creamer: $.25-$.30/oz.
Homemade version: $.14/oz.

I think we have a winner!

For more flavoring ideas look here.

Money Money Money...Monaaay

This blog will probably frequently discuss budget. Not only am I young, I work in freelance. This means I will never know when my next paycheck comes. Eventually I will develop a reputation and won't have to worry about when my next job comes (unless I mess up, but that's negative thinking). For now though, I am pinching the *$#! out of those pennies.

I also have some issues that contribute to my money concerns. I have an anxiety disorder. No major panic attacks or anything but I will almost always be harping on something. My medication helps. As does staying busy but that has gotten me in trouble before. Whatever I'm harping on will be present to the point that it distracts and I can't relax. Sometimes "the thing" is my love life. Sometimes it is my shortcomings as an artist. Sometimes it is my body (those are bad times). Right now, it is money and my lack of income. This leads to buyer's remorse in a big way. Not buyers remorse where I go on a shopping spree and think "hmm, maybe that last pair of jeans was too much." This is buyer's remorse where I'm thirsty and pick up a $1.99 orange juice and beat myself up about it all day. I'm so petrified of developing poor spending habits and watching my life spiral into ruin. Everyone, including my parents, tell my I'm too cautious and can afford to loosen up so I'm trying to rid myself of the guilt but its hard. One thing that has helped is this app on my iPod Touch.



It's called Spend. I believe it's only $.99. Basically you can set your different categories for budgets then categorize every expense. It'll show you the balance remaining in each category and the overall balance at the bottom. I'm still learning how much I need in each category so this is enormously helpful. I've had "unexpected" expenses each month in the form of a new car battery and mop for my flooding bathroom but I know I'm ok because I've ended up with $20+ in "eating out" and "entertainment" so I can pull from other categories to not go over my total budget while still tracking my spending in each category. Now I know I need to increase my "unexpected" budget but I can decrease those other categories.

It makes it so that when I see that -$20 in my "Other" budget I don't have to freak out because I still have $200 in my "Total Available" section and I can calm down about that $1.99 orange juice.

Outfit Inspiration

I've talked about my goal of breaking out of my shell. It may be that my "uniform" is my style and that's what I need to embrace but I think it's more likely that laziness and a slight fear of getting noticed have driven me into this rut. However I am getting help!

One of my other favorite bloggers is Kimberly at Fab Finds Under $50 and every month she does an outfit inspiration calendar. It's amazing! I don't have nearly all the basics to cover her suggested looks yet but it makes me consider about combinations I may never have thought of and utilize articles of clothing I tend to forget about. For example, tomorrow's outfit is "blue and pinstripes". I don't have pinstripes but I have a navy t-shirt and a blazer that I got for "businessy things". So I will wear them. I probably wouldn't have worn that blazer for another three months if it weren't for Kimberly's awesome tool.

Enjoy!

Reader Challenge

I'm going to get personal here so bear with me. I have NEVER felt pretty. I never thought I was good looking. I think I'm average. I'm not repulsive but I would never list my looks as an asset. Until I did this exercise. I have already mentioned Sal of Already Pretty but I'm going to rave about her some more. She makes it her quest to alter people's perceptions of themselves, which I think is desperately needed by many people. She does this not by just saying "you're perfect the way you are" but rather by approaching the subject intellectually. She provides exercises along with anecdotes and inspirational thoughts and this is one of my favorite posts she's ever done.

I did this exercise and do you know what I found? A ton of positives. Like almost all of my attributes were ones I considered assets. It literally blew my mind! I had two or three negatives but those few drastically color my whole perspective. I still don't think I'm your stereotypical knockout but if my list was 80% positive, I can't be the troll I make myself out to be.

So I challenge you to do this. Maybe you will find you are harping on a few minor things you consider flaws. Even then, what you see as a flaw may not be considered such by others. I have major body image issues but that is my body and I bet she made bank as a model.

If you are feeling a need for more help in this department here is another great post of Sal's.

Challenge: Lipstick

Mission: Lipstick

Description: Wearing lipstick for an entire week. The goal will be that I feel more pulled together, a touch sassy, and will not cringe when I see my face in the mirror.

Backstory: I feel I have achieved a good daily look for my eyes and cheeks but my lips are another story. I am afraid of looking like I'm "trying to hard" and I also always forget lipstick. However, EVERY time I catch my reflection, I feel like I would look better with a touch of color.

Options:

My favorite: I think I have "Sangria"

A great daytime look: The color I have is discontinued but it's similar to "rose petal"

3rd Place: In "Rhubarb". Awesome but it wears off fast.

Plan of Attack: I will try each throughout the week but I promise myself I will be wearing lipstick. I think it will balance out my face and make me look more pulled together. I don't want this to turn into me feeling like I HAVE to be wearing lipstick if I don't feel like it but I'm pretty sure all that's stopping me now is fear and laziness.

I will report back on this challenge next Monday.

Nicknames

It occurred to me that I want to reference people in my life but it seems very inappropriate to use names so instead I'm going to use fairy tale characters because I LOVE fairy tales. These will be based entirely on random quirks and not personality at all.

College friends

Aurora: Named such because she is one of the lightest sleepers I know. Engaged to Grumpy, wants to work in international programs for colleges as well as write and photograph. Both of which she is brilliant at.

Grumpy: because he loves Grumpy. He actually has a coffee mug to prove it. Engaged to Aurora. Also has the traveling bug as he spent a semester in Austria. He also studied international business.

Little Red: because she has amazing "grandma" stories. In a long term relationship with someone I'll call the Matrix because he's freaky good with computers. She is also a writer and is excited for the day she can be a stay at home mom and write the day away.

Jack: of Jack and the Beanstalk because he is climbing a ladder of success as an actor at Actor's Theatre of Louisville right now.

Seattle friends

Cinderella: because she works too hard. Another aspiring theatre person although she is on the stage and production management side.

Aladdin: because he will belt "Whole New World" anytime anywhere. A young gay actor and stage manager.

Thumbelina: because she uses her fingers to work magic on a light board. She works as an electrician in the Seattle area and I consider her a bit of a role model.

Pied Piper: because he is a sound guy. He works on sounds all around the city and is a student at Art Institute of Seattle. He is also my neighbor.

Family

Mommy
Daddy
Monkey: my sister, it's a nickname.

I may add more later and maybe not under the same theme but these are the people who will be most likely to appear.

And I, of course, remain Mistress Medley.

Mission: Accomplished...sort of

So the day went well overall. Things looked great by the end. I had no problem with people not trusting me. But from a fashion standpoint there were a few mishaps.

First, here's what I wore. I apologize for the "meh" picture. I had my dad take it and I didn't want to say "It's for a blog so it needs to be perfect." I'm not sure exactly why but I'm keeping this blog personal for a while. In a week or two I will begin sharing with friends and family but I'd like to get a bit more settled.



Mishap #1: I chickened out on the boots. I felt they looked a little silly. The skirt was not the right length and they were not the right fit. Perhaps I will try them in the future. Instead I opted for a pair of brown flats. I think it was a good choice. It was a bit more professional and it felt more like me. A flowy skirt and ballet slippers? That's how I spent 15 years of my life when all I did was dance. I felt youthful, feminine, cute. I felt more like myself than I would have in boots.

Mishap #2: I've had an issue with this skirt because the back is always higher than the front. I put it on right. The tag goes in the back, zipper on my left side. I assumed it just didn't provide my room for my ample booty. My mom noticed and said try to spin it. I thought ok. I will spin you and show that its just because I have a butt...My mom was right. I spun it so the zipper was in the back and the tag was on my right. Bizarre but my mom said it looked world's better. So, while trying to choose an outfit that would inspire respect. I wore my skirt backwards all day.

The Power of Clothes

I can literally say nothing on this subject that has not been said by my betters and wisers. Some of my favorite bloggers on this subject are Already Pretty and Inside Out Style. They are the inspiration behind my plan for tomorrow. At college I really came into my own in the theatre department. I took on a lot of responsibility and wound up with quite a bit of authority. It took a couple of years, though, and some big "make it or break it" milestones. Now I have to be able to portray that competency immediately. When I go into a call I am leading things. The actual authority lies with the master electrician and master stage carpenters but I tell them what to do. Since I have yet to meet someone in this position I wouldn't trust, I will always accept tips on what order is easiest or what can and can't be done in a certain amount of time. However, if I seem like I don't know what I'm doing, the day is shot. They won't trust me so they will feel like they have to take over, which is not their job and they shouldn't be expected to cover for me. In my past few check-ins with my supervisors, they're biggest tip moving forward is to be confident that I know what I'm doing "because I do". Alas that is the hard part, isn't it? I'm good at my job but saying that sounds like I'm bragging. Plus the people I will be "leading" will almost always be older and more experienced than me. How can I make them think they should listen to me when I'm not sure they should? I believe the answer lies in faking it.

Mission: Embrace my personal power

Description: Use a fun, bolder outfit to inspire confidence.

Backstory time: There is a memorial taking place in our smaller theatre tomorrow and I am in charge of lights. We're in the middle of tech for another show and one of my bosses is moving into his new house. Plus I wanted a chance to spread my wings. So the task falls to me. We'll have four hours in the morning to get everything set and then and hour or so for a dress rehearsal. Of course the schedule is more complicated than that but that's the gist.

Assets:

The people I will be working with are my friends. They are not the types to give me a hard time. They'll respect where I'm coming from and it will be more of a collaboration than anything, so very little pressure there.

The light plot and design is simple and I have an AWESOME spreadsheet to keep me on track.(We'll delve into my organizational habits later.)

Obstacles:

This is a memorial service. This program is supposed to celebrate the life of a beloved Seattle actress and it is organized by her family who must still be coping with the loss. Lots of pressure there.

While I have very little pressure from my crew, I feel a bit of pressure in proving myself to the clients. Famous Seattle actress, highly reputable theatre, and they're sending in an intern? She better be damn good. And she IS. I think. I...hope.

Time. The theatre is in a state of chaos as we did not know about this rental until after the crew left. They're about halfway through striking the last show and we have to put everything together in very little time.

Plan of attack:

I tend to stick to a uniform of jeans, solid colored tee, and cardigan. I don't know yet if that's because that's my style or because that is what is easy. I fear that I have been hiding much of my life so everyone will like me. I don't take big risks so that I don't garner strong opinions. Well tomorrow I want to break out of my shell. I want to wear something in what I think my style is. Feminine. A little artsy. It also has to be professional enough for these people to trust me. I have a somewhat ruffled skirt that I plan to pair with brown boots. What? A skirt and boots? You daredevil you! It will be a first.

I will give you a full briefing with a photo of the outfit tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Compasses

Medley: n. a mixture, esp. of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge; jumble.

That's how I feel right now. I am a mixture of past experiences, future possibilities, and inherent limits. I don't think I'm alone in this boat. Many of my fellow recent college grads are undergoing the same quarter-life crisis. You still have limits but they've changed. If you're fortunate, like me, you get to start designing your lifestyle. You have a ton of choices and yet still feel helpless.

This blog will ideally be a compass for me. It will point the right general direction bearing in mind that this is terrain without a clear cut path. I hope to always be changing and improving and now I have my whole life to do so. Starting now. Here goes nothing!