Hour 5: Before the reading begins…

I’ll be starting my first book during the next hour but this simply could not wait. The Readathon site posted this little video of Benedict Cumberbatch (all sigh together now) reading Little Red Hen*! This was my youngest sister’s favorite book of childhood, and it is now forever changed for me – in the very best way. If you haven’t begun your own readathon journey yet, let this be a bit of encouragement… from (my favorite) Sherlock Holmes himself. Happy Reading!

*affiliate link

this week I love :: One Enchanted Evening

I know it’s cheesy but you’ll just have to forgive me for today’s title pun. It’s impossible to see South Pacific without singing “Some Enchanted Evening” for hours afterward! And that’s just what I did last night as my family attended the preview performance of Kiwi’s stage debut with her college theatre group. Although she is a true performer and has dreams of an acting career, Kiwi never intended to jump in right away. She especially never considered doing so at the county college where she finds herself. But one letter from a high school instructor earned her a scholarship into the drama program. With the first production being a classic musical, Kiwi also learned that she has a bit of vocal talent in addition to her gifts of dance and dramatic expression. She saw all those pieces fall into place this past month and threw herself into musical theatre as she embraced her new world.

Last night we were able to support our girl as she embodied a Navy nurse living it up in the South Pacific during World War II. Though her role was often used to transition scenes and carry attention across the stage, she truly lit up every scene she was in. With her broad expressions and gorgeous fluttering eyes, not to mention a fantastic Victory Roll hairstyle, Kiwi drew attention whenever she entered a scene. (I’m biased, but I think many others would agree!) She also led the chorus in dance numbers and debuted her singing voice in two short segments that did not require all eyes on her. Judging by her bright smile during the curtain call, I think she loved every minute of it!

The production itself was well-done and quite enjoyable. It was beautifully lit, conveying emotion through color and shadow even when the actors said very little, and I was particularly impressed with the set design and the transitions between scenes. The lead actor, Blake Rice, was also practically perfect with his rich singing voice elevating the entire musical. Though his leading lady was not his equal in song, she often captivated with her dramatic performance. The remainder of the cast provided laughs and lightness as a cohesive unit so that the action moved well. I expect the next two weekends will see the cast excel and the production tighten. Last night’s first performance was full of promise, and the team’s hard work was evident. I’m excited to return at the end of the run to see how much they’ve grown!

One last note: My favorite behind-the-scenes tidbit of the night came courtesy of a prop. The dog tags worn by the cast were actually “rejects” obtained by the drama department because of the crazy wording imprinted on them. One of Kiwi’s read: “A Positive Jewish.” Best ever!
 

Kiwi’s boyfriend is a fellow member of the theatre group and played a Seabee in the musical. Adorable, aren’t they? [Note to self: remember to change camera settings when the curtain goes down and the lights come up. Hours of Photoshopping can only do so much. ::sigh::]

 

Kiwi, a positive Jewish.

 

story of a prom dress

Earlier this month the Kiwi girl graduated high school, wrapping up an overly full senior year of activities. Though I have tons of pictures to wade through and a special book in the works, there is one particular story that just might define this year for the rest of us: the story of her senior prom dress.

Kiwi always has very specific ideas about what she wants, and for her junior prom she made it happen fairly well with a princess-ey dress in a deep, gorgeous color. For her senior year she knew that she wanted a dress with less fullness so it didn’t interfere with her dance space, and she really wanted something in white. The search was on before her junior year even ended, and several ideas were tossed around before landing almost definitely on a dress worn by Gwyneth Paltrow in the movie Country Strong. Her grandmother (my mom) actually saw that dress first and suggested it to Kiwi, who loved the idea of bling and feathers creating a bit of drama. There was much discussion for many weeks about how to make that particular dress a reality, and my mom took it upon herself to create it from scratch, if necessary. I lost count of how many times we all viewed Country Strong, and the one concert sequence featuring the dress was replayed over and over in slow motion just to capture each little detail that such a creation would entail. And just as Mom was deep into research for materials, the Homecoming activities began and suddenly Kiwi realized that everyone was wearing sparkly, feathered dresses. She nixed the Country Strong dress right then and there; her prom dress had to be original and never-before-seen. So the search began anew.

A color was determined fairly quickly – royal blue, because Kiwi knows it’s her best color – and it had to outdo her junior prom dress and it had to be, in her words, “just as amazing in the back as it is in the front.” Having already determined that Kiwi’s dress would most likely need to be created from scratch (yet holding out hope that one could still be purchased as is), my mom began searching the internet for royal blue prom dresses. In December 2011, she found the perfect dress at a prom dress reseller’s online site. Kiwi’s response: “OMG!”

 

Mom and I had a bit of discussion about whether the dress should be ordered straight from one of those sites and shipped, thus calling the entire saga “done,” but the custom-fitted dress would have to come from China and too many questions arose in that scenario. Ultimately, my mom – the best grandmother in the world! – chose to take this inspiration dress and build it herself, from hand-drawn muslin pattern to full-on crystal-embellished masterpiece. Along the way, Kiwi guided the process by asking for more bling here and more structure there, plus fuller straps and better support, so as not to worry over the dress as she danced. Kiwi wanted her prom to be worry-free and her dress to be a showstopper. In Kiwi’s words, “I want a ‘Wow!’ when I come in and a ‘gasp’ when I walk past.” For the most part, I think she got all of that and more, thanks to her grandmother.

By the end of the process – entirely created, I must add, in the living area of my parents’ 5th-wheel RV, which is their only home – this incredible dress featured 6 yards of deep indigo satin with 52 yards(!) of black ruffles creating a petticoat, mounds of silver sequins and beads, plus 800 individually-placed Swarovski crystals that required five steps to place each one onto the dress fabric (repeat, times 800). And if you look closely at the front of the bodice (below) you’ll also see a rhinestone necklace that was disassembled and placed along the V-shaped straps until the strands met a single rhinestone earring that had been turned upside-down at the “V” center.

 

The entire project took 5 months, numerous fittings, and much brainstorming with a new friend my mom met who is a deconstruction/reconstruction seamstress working for a costume company in Dallas. This woman proved invaluable to Mom, and it was only by chance that she even met her when a friend of a friend suggested she be contacted for locations to buy the Swarovskis. In essence, Mom (with the help of her new friend Val) worked tirelessly to make this vision of Kiwi’s prom dress come to life. And Kiwi was a real trooper throughout the whole process..

    

  

Along the way there was a constant search for the perfect accessories to pair with this perfect prom dress. Later in this post you’ll see a feathery hair clip created by hand from Val’s imagination, as well as an awesome garter purse that my mom made for Kiwi to store her cell phone and lipstick without worrying over a purse. Kiwi herself embellished an umbrella with rhinestones in case the weather turned to rain. (The girl was prepared!) But, as always, the shoes were a key component of the night’s look: sparkly silver heels (shown here with her everyday socks), and a second pair of sparkly silver Vans to serve as dancing shoes (which were actually given to Kiwi by her prom date!)

   

And then came the jewelry. A blingy dress needs little embellishment, but my mom really wanted to gift Kiwi with a special ring that put the icing on top of the look. Only one ring comes to mind when we think of “sapphire” and “rhinestones”… Princess Diana’s, and now Princess Kate’s, engagement ring. My parents presented Kiwi with her own “sapphire” ring a few weeks before the prom, before the dress was even complete, and she was surprised but absolutely in love with it.
  

When the day finally came, on May 12, 2012, our Miss Kiwi was never more ready and never more radiant. She prepped all day – as the best glamour girls will do – with hair styling and makeup and a pre-weekend manicure, and though she felt her hair turned out a bit more “Marie Antoinette” than planned, she was quite happy with the final look. Head to toe, Kiwi turned herself into the princess she wanted to be on that night.

    
  
  

Before heading out to the big event, there was, of course, the requisite photo shoot by her own mom as Kiwi posed with her girlfriends and their dates. And then it was finally time for everyone to set off for the night. Kiwi looked great and she had fun, too, making Senior Prom 2012 a big success! (Big thanks to my sisters for sharing their photos from prom day since I was not able to be there with the girl.)

    


        
  

       

FROM THE VAULT :: lessons learned from dad

This month I’m looking back over the past 10 years of blogging to repost some of the entries that help chronicle a decade of public writing as well as reflect who I was then and who I (still) am now. A lot has changed, yet a great deal has yet to evolve, and so I am reflecting on these things without judgement or regret. Thanks for walking through it with me.

---

LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY DAD
originally posted on Father’s Day 2010
 
NEVER GIVE UP ON PEOPLE — I learned this lesson by example. My dad forgives, again and again and again. He never stops giving second chances, least of all to his family. And he’s been tested, thoroughly, by all of us, many times over and often through the same mistakes. But he never gives up on any of us. Thank God, he never gives up on us. My dad has never forgotten what it feels like to be forgiven, and he is quick to offer that to everyone else. In this way, he models our heavenly Father, making it very easy for me to believe in a loving, gracious God. I will never be able to thank him enough for that.
 
MARRIAGE IS FOR LIFE — and your word is your bond. If you commit, you don’t break that vow. I can remember a time when my parents struggled in their early married life, and many years later I witnessed them both verbally commit to never divorce and to always work through whatever challenges came along. Since that day, I’ve watched their love grow and their relationship flourish. I continually see them trudge through pain and anger and fear until they can finally make each other laugh again, and I know their example is rare and powerful. I understand the truth of enduring love because of my parents, and I understand how a woman should be treated because my dad has modeled it with my mom (and with his daughters). It’s a high standard of excellence, to be sure, and I refuse to lower my own standards because I know what I would be missing.
 
YOU’RE NEVER TOO BUSY — for family, for friends, for people in need. You might have other plans or ideas about what you want to accomplish, but God is in charge of all your time and when He creates an appointment for you, nothing else is more important. This is especially true for grandchildren and daughters who can probably handle things themselves but really want Daddy to do it instead. It’s far too easy for us to take advantage of our dad because he’s so willing to rearrange his agenda to accommodate almost any request. I wonder if being always available also makes him feel valued and irreplaceable? He is, of course. In every way.
 
THE LOVE OF JESUS IS OVERWHELMING — My dad has a soft heart, but he’s not necessarily prone to tears. Except when he speaks of relationship with the Christ. When my dad considers the sacrifice of our Lord and the depth of His love and grace, he can barely speak about it. The words always catch in his throat. His eyes fill with tears, and his heart swells. He frequently has to stop and take a deep breath before he can speak again. It was this way when he first began his relationship with Jesus, and it is exactly the same (perhaps moreso) 25 years later. Nothing affects my dad in quite the same way, not even his family. And at the same time, my dad bursts with true joy when describing that intimate relationship with our Savior. Nothing in life brings him more delight. Which is why I know that…
 
THE GREATEST CHARACTER TRAIT IS A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR — My life story is full of ridiculous and hilarious episodes, and many of those are directly tied to my family. My dad has always modeled a joyful life. He finds humor in everything. And he is quick to laugh! He and I share a quirky sense of humor, and he has a subtle, dry wit that perplexes those who don’t spend much time with our family. He’s really good at analyzing every situation until he can find something to laugh at, and even when things are the worst you could imagine and keep going downhill, my dad will always find some small goodness in the midst of it. He has a wonderful way of finding humor in the dark and difficult. Because of this example I’ve learned to laugh instead of cry – or at least to laugh in the midst of crying – and I’m always reminded of my dad saying, “Yes, it’s awful, but that’s the darlin’ part!” And after a time I can see that he’s right.
 
My dad, himself, is the darlin’ part of our family. He shows us how to love and how to live life fully, without regret and without turning around to focus on the past. He leads by example, and we have learned to follow. I am truly thankful every moment of every day for God’s great gift to us in my dad.
 

FROM THE VAULT :: the best advice I ever received

This month I’m looking back over the past 10 years of blogging to repost some of the entries that help chronicle a decade of public writing as well as reflect who I was then and who I (still) am now. A lot has changed, yet a great deal has yet to evolve, and so I am reflecting on these things without judgement or regret. Thanks for walking through it with me.

---

originally posted on Mother’s Day 2010
 
The best advice I ever received came from my mother during an especially challenging and personally unsatisfying period in which an employer was a source of constant grief:
 

Everything you’re
 

going through
 

is building
 

character
 

in you.
 

It was a light bulb moment for an almost-thirty-year-old who had only recently returned to her faith and was desiring excellence and a deeper relationship with Jesus. I think this may have also been the exact moment I realized the excellence of my mother, how she had always been good and strong and wise despite my inability to recognize it. Even then, it would still be many years before I understood the depth of my mother’s love and the sacrifices she makes for her family… and for me, especially. But we’ve been building a friendship ever since, and I’ve never forgotten her sage words on that day. Whenever I experience something particularly challenging or stressful, and especially when I cannot understand the why of a situation or a person’s behavior, I remember those words from my mother. Every moment in life is building character in me.