Family, color, and the dangers of bumper stickers

[clevermanka]

I just got a call from my parents who are preparing to depart for their cruise tomorrow. As soon as I hung up the phone I realized something. Yesterday I was so proud of myself for getting their anniversary card in the mail on time (for once) and they're not even going to be home to get it. Figures. Oh well, why spoil a running family joke now?

In other news, kijjohnson was kind enough to spray me down with self-tanner last night and this morning I woke up all golden! It's really very pretty. A few streaky parts on the underside of my arms where we didn't get an even coat, but overall--very nice. It will be nice to avoid blinding the audience this weekend with my pallid stomach. While it doesn't look bad at the restaurant, sun glare off my flesh is a little off-putting in an outdoor environment. Thanks radcliffe for recommending the Neutrogena brand. I'm quite pleased. I will do another coat on Friday, as well as henna my fingers and palms for the weekend.

The change that this color has on my facial appearance is quite remarkable. I looked in the mirror this morning and for the first time saw a resemblance to Nana (my mom's mom). Very interesting. I need to find a photo of the three of us: Me, Mommy, and Nana. Three generations of first born black haired daughters. When you take our facial features separately, we really don't look much alike. But put the three of us in a group and we look like the Three Fates. It's such a relief to look at the two of them and know I'm going to age pretty damn well.

I'm happy to say that 0verdrive and I are getting along surprisingly well at the moment. This hasn't been a subject I've wanted to discuss in this arena, so I'll leave it at that. I just wanted to let people know we're both doing okay and neither of us are particularly inclined to throw crockery or anything else at this point.

And my last (perhaps only) topic of interest this morning is thanks to chronovore via danger_army: Woman Loses Job at Ass-Hat's Factory (thanks to chronovore as well for that stellar phrasing). Kerry gave her a job with his campaign, so this does have a happy ending, at least for the moment.

Comments

[stuology.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've ever seen you tan. I hope people get some good pics. I haven't used a self-tanner since about 12 years ago. I hated the smell and when it wore off, it did so in patches. I thought radcliffe looked good after she did hers. You'll have to let me know how it does when it starts to wear off.

[arian1.livejournal.com]

I think if I spray tanned...I'd end up..REALLY dark. :) So those of us remote gonna see pics?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've ever seen you tan
That's because I've never been tan. I don't know how well the color will show in photos (as you know, lighting is really weird out there), but I'm sure a couple people will be out there with cameras. I'll try to get a couple shots standing still in the sun.

It does smell a little bit, but not too awfully.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

So those of us remote gonna see pics?
Oh, please, you're talking to Miss Walking Vanity here. Of course there will be pics. I'm super duper happy with these recent costumes and hope to get them shown off.

[radcliffe.livejournal.com]

Oh good you were able to find it! I am glad, as I was going to email you today to see if you wanted to borrow mine :> Youmight want to do a test with henna- I wasn't able to get the henna "birthmark" to work after I had self tanned. Maybe it's me, but it might carry over- that henna doesn't like to mark after self tan. I am trying it the other way around again to see if that helps.

[arian1.livejournal.com]

Of course, how silly of me :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Since the henna is only going on my fingertips and palms (where there is little to no tanner), I hope this won't be an issue. Hadn't thought of that, though. Thanks for the warning.

[radcliffe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I haven't ever really been tan either- it was WEIRD the first couple times I did it. It was like my face was just really dirty or something. But, my face turns up way better in photos with the tan, and I am growing to almost like it ;)

Can't wait to see you all golden and dancing!

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Miss Walking Vanity Oh, that SO made me giggle!

Nice to hear someone else be so honest about it. I was very sorry when I saw that they'd demolished the shop near the front corner by the Bald Mountain Shop that sold the little figurines simply because it had full length mirrors and I could see myself so well! *chuckle*

I'm the mirror image of my mother, too, and it is an odd experience to recognize that in photos. Oddly, I don't have any pictures of my grandmother and I wish I did. She was supposed to be a rather famous beauty in her day. ...makes me start to wonder where all those pictures are...

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Women who are pretty, yet insist on convincing everyone that they think otherwise are lying. I'd rather be accused of self-conceit than self-deception. ;)

[radcliffe.livejournal.com]

OMG I miss those mirrors too!

In our defense- seeing ourselves in mirrors at faire is the only time we ever have a chance to see our costumes on, and from more than a few feet away and in the sun. Photos are pretty good, but don't show sparkle. I have always felt that looking into a mirror at faire I am looking at someone else, that it couldn't possibly be me. It shows us the characters we are playing.

I have never liked pictures of me out of costume- never really saw the point. Photos are to show something specific, a relationship, detail to share, document a time perhaps.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Yep, exactly! Someone asked me once, "Don't you *have* any pictures of you out of costume?"

And I said, "Well, no, not really; what would be the point?"

They didn't get it.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Exactly! That's a wonderfully healthy way to look at it.

It's funny; growing up my sister thought I was the pretty one and I thought that she was. The really funny thing about that: we used to be mistaken for twins!