the stress has broken me

Hi. I'm broken. I thought the moving thing was going just fine, but the Epilepsy gods decided it wasn't. ugh. since Sunday, I've had 8 seizures. I'm on the "mega-meds" and I feel like I'm walking through the day in a vat of marshmallows. I sleep very little through the night - mostly fits and starts - then spend the day sitting on the couch dozing off every hour or so.
I think Boogie knows there's something wrong cuz she spends the day laying next to me, just keeping me company, not wanting anything. I'll clear my throat or cough or stretch and she'll pop up and put here little paws on my shoulder and look me right in the face like she's trying to make sure i"m okay. hysterical. comforting.
Mike's "contractor" job doesn't allow for paid time off, so I'm flyin' solo during the day. He's been a champ, though. every night, he comes home and packs another room. I've only been able to do my Dressing Arena - no small task - the TV room and two of the upstairs closets. I did help clean out the "everything drawer" in the kitchen last night... THAT was insane. Where did we get all that kitchen stuff??!?!!! Why in the world would we have FOUR garlic presses, TWO rolling pins (exactly alike), FIVE cork screws (not including that mega corkscrew that was the Holiday Gift of the Season 5 yeas ago), 3 sets of measuring spoons, 3 funnels, any number of assorted mis-matched measuring cups, and a handful of unidentifiable "things"??? madness. I went through that drawer like a ninja, killin' off stuff left and right.
Today, I've promised Mike I'm going to pack up the pantry. Also, there's a little room off of the Dressing Arena where I keep my rolling rack of outerwear... that ended up being a bit of a catch-all for random extra TVs (2?!?!!), boxes of framed photos I never managed to put out here, and unused bedding. Doesn't seem like much, but the way I'm feeling, it'll take all the strength I can muster.
Gettin' sleepy. AGAIN. ugh.

jake-phipps-hats-pendant-lights

jake-phipps-hats-pendant-lights
Originally uploaded by shuboy

The WINNER for over the dining room table. I found these on some random design blog. I fell in love with the tophats. (the bowlers are cute, but... the gold lining threw me off) The blog didn't have a link to a retailer, so i had to do a bit of cyber searching. I finally found a site that was selling them. FOR SEVEN HUNDRED BUCKS A POP. Less than the Dr00g 85 Lamp, but still... I finally just e-mailed the designer directly and asked if he had a distributor. He put me in touch and they were selling them for 252 each! three will be living over the dining room table a little after they arrive in June. wooho.

85_lamps_02

85_lamps_02
Originally uploaded by shuboy

first contender for over the dining room table. this is the same chandalier in the grand room at For3ign Cin3ma in SF... the price is VERY prohibitive... so...

palette

palette
Originally uploaded by shuboy

this is the palette I FINALLY landed on for the new place.

Picture-15-450x443

Picture-15-450x443
Originally uploaded by shuboy

thinkin' about turning this one into a print for the loft... not sure yet.

IMG_0120

IMG_0120
Originally uploaded by shuboy

i didn't edit my bags...

IMG_0124

IMG_0124
Originally uploaded by shuboy

did i mention I love shoes? So... with the impending move (next week - EEK!!!!!) I had to do a bit of editing... I dropped off a bunch (about a hundred or so) at Goodwill. I heard them calling to me as we drove away... "NO!!!! Please don't leave us!!! We don't want to go live with poor people!!!!"
So traumatizing.

The-Fashion-Center

The-Fashion-Center
Originally uploaded by shuboy

love this. gonna have this made into a print for the loft.

Burberry-SS2010accessories6

Burberry-SS2010accessories6
Originally uploaded by shuboy

I saw this bag in the Burb3rry Pr0rsum Spring 2010 show. I lusted after it. It sold out in a week. Thank Buddha for FB - I found a friend of mine who's a VP with B'burry and he ran the last one down for me.
it's HUgE and I love it.

final_bench

final_bench
Originally uploaded by shuboy

I designed this table. I found the bench at UnE@rth3d in Madison. Got the blanket there too... turned the blanket into a pad for the bench. It'll look WAY groovy in the new loft.

awright already!!!!

So I've been gone for awhile... busy? yeah, of course. but mostly, I think the muse has been visiting me during my facebooking sessions. I know, I know - that seems to be everyone's excuse nowadays.

I'm going to post a bunch of pics now. Pics and random musings. enjoy.

retrospective...

I'm sick today. Sicker than I have ever been in a really long time... I was just on FB chatting with one of my DEARest friends. She's a mom (of TRIPLETS, no less), so she was talkin' me off the edge and offering advice on how to actually survive what I'm pretty sure is some sort of stomach flu.
ANYhow... she and I did a show together about a million years ago. I have super clear memories of just about every facet of that show. I remember the auditions. I remember specific rehearsals for the show. (I was the dance captain, so I had to be at all of them). I can recall how i FELT during certain parts of that whole process. What I didn't understand was WHY? WHY do I remember this particular show so well. There have been plenty since then. BETTER since then. More important shows since then...
I think I may have figured it out. It's probably obvious to Suz... and I guess it's obvious to me. I guess.
Heres' what I came up with: While this wasn't my first foray into theater, this was the show that launched my career. This was the show where I actually thought, "Um... I could DO this. Like a career. I could actually DO this." Kinda' makes sense.
What do you remember about it - my faithful readers (both of you - Mr. Book Police, you don't count for obvious reasons). V-Mo -- did you even see it? I imagine that you would have... or were you at that place where you could've cared less what I was up to? No judgement. If that was the case, I get it. Here's what is still stuck in my mind:
=Suz bringing an entire waiting room of auditioners to a dead (and silent) stop when she sang her first note of "Cry Me a River". Understand that this note came out of nowhere. The song starts WITH the accompaniment. No intro. No nothin'. Just you and the note. Her note was so pure, so ON, so beautiful that it could be heard through a door and over a bunch of spazzed out theater geeks waiting in the hall. I remember thinking to myself, "she's MY friend!!". Suz wasn't one of the totally ensconced theater types. she was a music major (if I remember correctly). While she did have a few theater classes, she wasn't one of the people who hung out in the "department" all the time. In other words, she wasn't expected. the people who saw her prior to the audition had probably written her off as a "nobody". I loved seeing the looks on their faces... that, "oh, SHIT! she's GOOD!!!!" look. priceless.
-Elise Pryor. I actully remember this girls' name even though I haven't seen her since college. She sang La Vie En Rose during the "Tavern Scene". She sat alone at a table downstage right. Lit by a single overhead spot. she broke the audiences' heart every night with that song.
-the 'baby ballerinas" dressed in black and white; all of them in white face. they were choreographed to move around each of the soloists in the "Dream Sequence" number... they floated in and out of the pools of light like ghosts... haunting and beautiful. already so professional at such a young age thanks to their impeccable training and preparation from Patrick.
-Bob standing in the wing opposite me before our big number. he'd crack me up every night when Caylia Ch@ik1n would hit her 'note' during her song and he'd jump around grabbing his crotch like it actually hurt him. What song was she singing????
-the feeling and the sound of the white satin robe wrapping around me and then suddenly releasing when I would do the saut de basque...
-feeling like i had a giant secret because under that white satin robe, I had on what could only be called "S&M gear". A pair of skintight black jeans; bare chested with a studded harness that went around my chest and was attached to a studded leather collar at my neck. Okay... i'll explain. The number was, "Nights in White Satin/Knights in Black Leather". The number started with the chorus boys coming out like monks singing "Nights in White Satin". I had the featured solo during the cheesy "poem"... "Breathe deep; the gathering mist..." step, step step, saute, RONDE du jamb to second position, plie, saute plie, saute to attitude, SLOW promenade; hold your leg! hold your leg!! Turn it out PERFECTLY! Keep it smooth! You MUST look like you're floating!!!!... the number transitioned into Bette M's "Oh My Knight in Black Leather", sung in a leather teddy by Maureen (who I had just done Midsummers with - she was Titania).
-hearing the song "Time Heals Everything" for the first time. It's one of my favorite songs to this day. Alisa, Shirley, and Maureen again.
-Shanna Strassberg and a couple of other people singing, "California Dreaming" during the "Dream Sequence", and being fascinated by their harmony
-the weird Ren-Faire chick KILLING Bette Midlers' "The Rose" EVERY night during the Tavern Scene.
-walking out of the rehearsal studio after rehearsing "Big Noise From Winetka" and being covered with rosin. It was even in my HAIR. (rosin is the stuff you step in to keep your shoes from slipping on the wood floor while dancing)
-Hali opening the show dressed like shirley temple singing, "I Wanna Be Bad". She looked like a doll. A doll who smoked.
-feeling weird cuz i was made to wear my S&M gear for the bows
-feeling special cuz I was made to wear my S&M gear for the bows
-being lifted by 6 of the chorus boys during concept/choreography rehearsals for the "Big Noise" number.
-that girl who stepped out of her skirt during Bill Bears Judy Garland tribute. I was onstage with her and was fascinated how she just kept going...
-Bill's vodka breath (he was the director)
-walking in 5 minutes late to rehearsals post "dorm room date" with Kirk L. feeling giddy and guilty especially after the look Patrick gave me.
-feeling like there was something more to that look that Patrick gave me. (i was right)
-seeing my mom standing up as she was applauding during the bows.
I guess i could go on... and maybe i will. there's something kinda' cathartic writing about it for me.
so Mama of Triplets... will you play along? What do you remember? Anything will do... c'mon! play along...

I like these places...

A friend of mine sent me a message on facebook asking for some wardrobe advice. Why me? Maybe cuz he thinks I know my stuff. In actuality, I'm in a weird space wardrobe-wise. My odd space is largely due to two factors; I'm at a crossroads style wise - not sure where my style inspirations should come from because I'm getting old. reason number two is in the past 2 and a half months, I've lost about 15 to 20 pounds.
Anyhow, I started to compile some websites that I visit regularly (daily) for inspiration and ideas on wardrobe additions. I thought I share them here.

http://secretforts.blogspot.com/
I like this blog because i think the guy is around my/our age. his Head to Toe entries really hit home with me

http://acontinuouslean.com/
this is a bit obtuse, but if you read it enough, you start to get it... he's RED HOT on the blogosphere and a lot of the top websites reference him

http://www.getkempt.com/
a little more accessible and pedestrian... i look for inspiration for styling the LE mens line here

http://www.selectism.com/
dig around in here... it's really good.

http://www.wearethemarket.com/
SUPER edgy... be careful.

http://www.thepursuitaesthetic.com/
less edgy, but "be careful" still holds here

what do you think?

Boogie comes home! 1.24.09

Boogie comes home! 1.24.09
Originally uploaded by shuboy

Welcome Miss Boogie Feva Sloan Montes!!!!

Oh Happy Day!

'nuff said.

Donna Freeman from HGTV's Designed to Sell

is the most annoying person in the history of television. PERIOD.