A Roaring '20s Infatuation

I have long been in love with the 1920s era. Drop waists, short hair, beautiful art deco jewelry and art. The music, the dancing, the debauchery. I was in heaven with the movie Midnight in Paris! This Saturday, at a local mansion, a Gatsby-style gala is being held. My man will look like a gangster, and I his lady love.

An old '20s make-up ad

 There will be live music, gambling, dancing, and spirits! Period-clothing is required, 

so I am scrounging up my best flapper outfit as we speak. I can't wait!

I love those hair waves!

 What a wonderful night it will be, to pretend it's almost a 100 years ago, 

living it up. I can't wait to take part!

Art Deco is one of my favorite styles

The clothing looked chic AND comfortable!

I'll never get over the jewelry! I love the geometric shapes

I even have a tulip style hat to wear!

It makes me happy to see these old styles still pop up on runways :)

Four Steps to Recovering Surgery

Ha, you'd think I didn't 'kick the flu' judging by my absence in blog land! I'll have to fill you in on my lovely Valentine's day, but right now I'm focusing on fully recovering from my latest surgery. My sweet mom posted about it the other day, and got some very lovely comments back wishing me well. Thanks! If you find yourself in the same situation ever--where they have to remove large screws from your jaw bone--here's the best recipe I've found for getting over it and getting on with life:

Step 1: Lots of fluffy TV. This means a Say Yes to the Dress Marathon. Nothing can put a crooked smile on a half-numb girl like Randy at Kleinfelds talking of satin, chiffon, silks and sashes. Swoon!

Step 2: Magazines in bed. Magazines are like candy to me. I could buy them all. I was treated to a new Real Simple magazine the other day and spent a lazy afternoon, cuddled under blankets, flipping through it. Nice and relaxing. And that glossy cover absorbs much less accidental drool than, say, a newspaper.

Step 3: Cake. Yep, if there's one thing I crave in my Perocet-laden haze, amidst tooth pain and stiff jaw, it's cake. White cake. Plain frosting. Easy to eat and soothing to the soul.

Step 4: The most important step. Have your Mom near by. She is the BEST nurse I've ever known. She picked me up from the doc's and drove me home to the Mommy hospital. I slept in the guest room with vomit-bin nearby, pain meds on the night stand, and stuffed animal cow to cuddle. She supplied me with lots of liquid foods and DVR'd all those wedding shows I mentioned above. And watched them with me. She cleaned my wounds, and cleared my mind. She makes this so much easier. 

Four Steps to Kicking the Flu

They might not work for anyone, but these following steps got me through last week--which was rough!

1. HOT TUB! Nothing bakes out the germys quite like a good hot tub. I got to relax at my parents' house and enjoy theirs while they were on a winter vacation. Me and my rubber ducky lounged under the stars, near the snow drifts in 105 degrees of wonderful-ness. It shortens any illness I've ever had!

Ok, not my parents' hot tub....but this one sure is dreamy!

2. Faux fur blanket! Curl up, be warm, and feel fabulous. Though I had to drag this particular blanket away from my cat (which resulted in a few fights) it kept me cozy to sleep off that flu!

My favorite Black Friday purchase last year

3. Trashy TV! I turned my parents' TV to TLC and let it wash over me. Reality TV at it's weirdest and finest. My faves of course? Wedding shows! But in lieu of these, I pretty much watched whatever else came on. Sisterhood? Um, sure. Starter Wives Confidential? Weird....Toddlers & Tiaras?! I just wanna laugh at the absurdity!

4. Make yourself feel pretty! Amongst the mountain of tissues, the bags of cough drops and the sticky bottle of nyquil, I start to feel pretty unattractive. Nose turns red, hair just doesn't lay right, and it looks like I haven't slept in eons. My fix? New fingernails! Might sound silly but acrylics always make me feel a little classier so I threw on a new pair to transform my mood. Did the trick! Kept my mood up! :) (And they matched my bagel from yesterday morning. LOL)

Valentine's Excitement

I get so excited this time of year! Valentine's Day is coming, and it means I get to switch out all the decor in my home for fun pinks, reds and mauves; hearts, flowers and glitter. I have always adored this holiday since I was little. Since tiny valentines were put into tiny boxes at school parties. Since my Dad would buy me a heart of chocolates every single year. Since I felt like I always had a valentine (be it my friends or family) every year to celebrate with.

At the end of January, when I feel like I still have enough time, I'll start making valentines. I go through the stockpile of frilly scrapbook paper, doilies, stamps and glitter. And then of course forget to remember to consider the size of a standard envelope, and then have to make my own envelopes and then pay a crap ton for postage... Will I ever learn?! :)

I thought these were really cute handmade valentine tags

Simple and sweet!

  When February 1st finally rolls around I will hang the pink swag on the mantel, the Valentine's wreathe on the front door, and add all of my little holiday touches. I love searching the internet and the magazine stands for decorating ideas...

Isn't this lovely?

I can't get over this darling swag

Lots of wonderful red!

 My sister is not a big fan of this holiday--never was. So she has a few decorations I'll put in her room that reflect her distaste for the holiday. Anything to make her laugh!

Are you folks just as excited as me for the next holiday?!

In Honor of a Dream

I'm so glad we take a day to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr., though his influence trickles through our every day lives, 365 days a year. I smile when I think of who he was. Courage like his is rarely exercised, and he showed how much change it can cause by letting it shine. The kind of strength he used, in the face of such anger and passion, shows just how much an Angel on this earth he was. He has my utmost respect and his dream of equality inspires me.

It's why I fight my local battle in Montana regarding the LGBTIQ community. (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, & Questioning.) We're all humans, and judgement based on sexuality--just like on skin color and ethnicity--is absurd. I've made myself a University Ally, being a safe place and a trustworthy person to listen and help students around me that may be struggling. This is the big issue I see in my world. I see a lot of hate and a lot of confusion, and if I can assist in anyway to make my work place and hometown a safer place, I'll do it. In honor of MLK, I'll continue to stand up for equality among my neighbors and peers. We have a ways to go, but look at the strides our country has made so far. I'm going to try and help, one Montanan at a time...

A Montana Winter Wedding

A few weekends ago, I rented a car (4 wheel drive for certain!) and headed south west toward Livingston, MT. A few miles south, out in the ranch land, likes Chico Hot Springs Resort. A lovely place, that I'm embarrassed to admit, I had never visited before (even after being a Montanan for something like 23 years). I got a lot of flack for that from friends! The reason for my trip was for a winter wedding of two friends. I'm a sucker for a wedding, and if it is amongst the diamond crystals of a snowy winter---even better!

 The roads were questionable and after seeing seven wrecks only a handful of miles out of town, I definitely thought of turning around. But I just kept keeping on. The fog rolled in and out, the snow fell, the sun appeared, the roads froze, the traffic thinned, and after four hours I was there. Arms a bit shaky from battling the wind.

Pray, MT

My choice of room was the least expensive variety, which put me in the lovely original lodge at Chico, built in 1900. No TVs, no phones. No bathroom either, except a few down the hall. It was rustic, but beautiful, and I slept well on my antique iron bed.


The rest of the weekend was spent wandering both Chico and Bozeman. I did some shopping, went to the Museum of the Rockies (had to buy my sister a dinosaur souvenir) and drank a lot of good coffee.

 Upon returning to the resort, I sidled up to the bar, ordered a Bud and watched the Bronco game with the locals. This was some of the best fun of the trip! Met some great people until it was time to go get dolled up. I chose my favorite Armani dress and simple accessories and walked carefully down the snowy sidewalk to the ceremony.

The bride's colors were black and silver and white. The whole affair was very elegant, with flickering candles, silver mercury glass and lots of white feathers. The ceremony was sweet and personal. The couple smiling at one another and laughing. Lovely!

 The reception was a joy, with a lot of great food and wine and company. Delicious cake and a big dance floor! The speeches were sweet, the first dances were heartfelt and the party just got better and better. As the night slowed down, we were given scratch-off tickets as favors and we all feverishly scratched away at the bar hoping for winnings!

Early the next morning I bed adieu to the lovely resort and headed home through the cold. (Mind you it was about 5 degrees each day). It felt good to get out of town---and out of my comfort zone! Attending a distant wedding alone is not an easy task for a gal, but I made the most of it! (Thankfully I had friends in attendance and even knew the photographer from grade school!)

Ahh, Montana love. Doesn't get any better!

The lovely bride and groom! Dennis Webber Photography

Winter Colors

Over the white crystal snow here in Montana, we are treated often to glorious pink and orange sunsets. It reflects off the frozen fields like fire and lights up the mountains with the most glorious alpenglow. This frigid land has many moments of sheer beauty!

The setting sun (and rising moon through the trees) in my neighborhood.

A taken-from-a-moving-car photo of red skies over Seeley Lake.

Cotton-candy colors above my tree lined street.