Peace to go with the Plenty

It took me awhile, but I've now got peace with my plenty. I posted "Plenty" earlier on, but now I present "Peace", its new partner in the dining room. Someday they might even have their own frames.
Oh- and the flowers on the table? They're from Mr. Incredible. He brought them home on November 11th in honor of our first date nine years ago. I just love that guy.

Curls never go out of Fashion

I bought a pack of curlers on a whim two years ago. They were on clearance and I got all giddy about the time when Kaykaroo would want to have curly hair. But they've been sitting at the back of the drawer unused all this time. That is until last night. It was totally Kaykaroo's idea, which surprised me because I don't think she's ever seen anyone use curlers before. She was even fine sleeping in them, which surprised me even more. And of course, she looked darling in them.

And this morning, when we took them out, I was surprised yet again -- at how well her hair took to the curl. I was worried that her straight hair was going to reject the curls and that we were both going to be disappointed. But as it is, I think those curlers I bought on clearance are done sitting around. But the real person we have to thank for this is Briar Rose (AKA Sleeping Beauty). Kaykaroo told me that she wanted Sleeping Beauty hair; straight on top and curly on the bottom.


Now if only I could have shiny, wavy auburn hair when I woke up in the morning. . .




(Mr. Incredible took the before pictures, I took the after picture.)

What to Wear for Family Photos

So I was looking at an ad in Meijer and spread over the front cover was a "typical" family gathered around the table at Thanksgiving. But what made the family anything but typical was the fact that all of them were wearing solid, corresponding colors. If this was an actual family, there would be stripes, logos, polka-dots and more. No matter how many times I get asked the question -- "What should we wear for our family pictures?" Very few families manage to take my advice. (This is mainly due to their free-thinking children who refuse to conform.) BUT, if you can manage to finagle your family into dressing for a successful family portrait, here are some suggestions:

1. Solid colors are a must
2. Black really does slim and white really does make a person look heavier
3. Skin draws attention to itself -- so if you want people looking at your legs and not your face, by all means, wear shorts. But for me, faces are the focus of the portrait. So draw attention to the true life-blood of a photograph by avoiding shorts and skirts. Personally, I also prefer long sleeves, or three-quarter length sleeves.
4. Think of the room where you want to display the portrait -- what themes do you have there? What colors? What kind of wood is dominant? Is it a formal room or a casual room? Talk to you photographer and plan a location or backdrop that will enhance, not detract, from the room's overall feel. If it's a formal room, your portrait should also be formal- in posing, dress and location. Likewise for casual. Also, pre-planning the photo can help you find (or match) the right frame for the room as well.
5. Think color. If you're going to the beach for your portrait, avoid heavy jewel-tones or blacks. Your clothes should reflect your surroundings. When at the ocean, wear the colors of the beach. On the other side of the coin, if it is Fall in Vermont, wear those crimsons, deep greens, and dark blues. The clues for your apparel are all in the scenery.
6. Don't get so caught up in what you're wearing that you forget about your feet. Choose shoes that are as dark or darker than your pants. The exception is for those casual pictures. Drop the shoes on the beach. No, I'm not going back on rule number three. Feet, like hands, can look perfectly natural in the nude -- as long as it goes along with the theme.
   
7. And while we're on the subject of feet: Don't wear white socks. Just don't.
8. Necklines-- the forgotten detail. Wide necklines can make your neck look thick, while necklines close to the neck are the most flattering. V-necks and turtle necks are popular choices for photographers.
9. Don't expect the photographer to tell you if your hair looks right. Unless she's your best friend, she won't know what you intended for your hair when you woke up that morning. Hairstyles are too varied and individual for the photographer to know which look you are after. Better just bring a mirror.
10. And lastly, if you wear glasses, wear your glasses in the portrait. People know you with your glasses. If there is a problem with the glass glare that is out of the photographer's control, then, and only then, you might want to take them off for one or two shots.

Now this image is a bit extreme for numbers, but all the more telling for its size. See how the few people wearing different colors get all the eye's attention. Now imagine if every person in this picture was wearing a different color, or worse- PATTERNS. Also try to picture if the front row subjects were in shorts? Half their bodies would be skin. Their heads could never compete.



Now this picture is at the opposite end of the spectrum, but the principles remain the same. The clothes do double duty, accenting the background and drawing attention to the faces.

My First Stake Dance (Kind-of)

So I went to my first stake dance last night. Well, the first stake dance, that is, as an adult. I was a chaperone. As we were driving to the dance, I told the two girls from our ward that the last time I went to a stake dance was before they were born.

But you know what the funny thing was? The moment I walked into that gym, I felt exactly the same way I felt half a life time ago when I was a teenager going to a stake dance. It was crazy! I had to keep reminding myself that I was an "old" person, but it felt more like being trapped in an old person's body. I looked around at all of the other "old" people in the room and it dawned on me-- We're all seventeen year olds stuck in old people's bodies. (I mean, everyone else looked old but me--I still look seventeen. In fact, I'm including a picture that was only taken a few months ago. Give or take.)

On the Other Side of the Hills

I was driving home yesterday evening, and in the distance, the clouds on the horizon were piling up on each other until they looked just like hills. And I got so homesick. I've heard some people complain that mountains and hills feel like walls to them, and even (in rare cases) can create a sense of claustrophobia. But I'm the opposite. A hill in the distance has always been an invitation to me, tempting me to come see what is hiding on the other side. The opposite-- living in a place with no hills -- makes me feel like I am living in a bubble. I can see no boundaries so I can imagine no lines to cross.

So among other things from the Western Half of the United States, I miss seeing hills. One day, while living in Utah, I was looking at the blue hills in the distance. The next thing I knew, I was in my car and driving until I found myself on the other side. That's where I found these horses. They were living contentedly some thirty or forty miles from me in a place of dust and heat. But I would have never guessed them being there had I not answered the invitation to cross into their country.

So I continue to adjust in this beautiful, albeit flat part of the country. My boundaries, for now, must remain in my imagination.