Take Me Back Tuesday: Homemade Halloween

This crisp autumn Tuesday in October has my mind in deep thoughts of Halloween.  Halloween has always been one of my favorite (if not absolute favorite) holidays.  I love costumes, and I love candy.. so its the perfect day for me.  

Ever since I can remember, the question of  "what to be for Halloween?" has always been a very important one.  When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to have a mom that made all my costumes at home on her sewing machine.  Back in the 80's, the store bought costumes just didn't cut it.. remember those pathetic plastic smocks with a cartoon logo on them with matching crappy thin plastic masks that went with them?    I remember the highlight of September was going to the fabric shop, and looking through the huge pattern catalogs and picking out what costume my mom would make for me that year.

Now that I have my own kids, I still get excited to come up with their costumes.  I usually, don't have to sit at my sewing machine and create something from scratch.  Now the store bought costumes are pretty legit.  Although, I try to encourage them to be something original, that can't be bought off a rack, to spark their creativity.   We usually  hit our local thrift store and fabric/craft stores to get  the supplies to "make" our own costumes from "half-scratch."


When Shaylee was 4 she decided she wanted to be a  "Fairy Butterfly Princess."   So we found, some butterfly print thermal pjs, some off the rack butterfly wings,  and I made her a tutu out of tulle from Hobby Lobby,  also I found a little beaded, bendable butterfly that I fashioned a princess crown out of.   She was so cute, and the only "Fairy Butterfly Princess" at her pre school's costume parade.

 

My kids' have had many costumes that we created like this one, but we've also bought some right off the the Target racks.  This year to my dismay, my 4 year old son, Will, insists on being a Red Power Ranger, lucky for me I found a red ranger costume for very cheap at a kids consignment sale.  Shaylee's costume will be much more fun to come up with though, this year she wants to be Kathy Beth Terry, Katy Perry's nerdy alter ego.  My favorite costumes always have seemed to be the ones we've pieced together ourselves.   What  are some of your favorite Halloween costume memories?

Take me Back Tuesday: Teddy Bear Picnic

Last week, I wrote about missing the mountains.  I grew up visiting the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado almost yearly.  I love the mountains and I love the little mountain town, Estes Park, just as much.  I used to dream of owning my own tourist-gift-shop on the town's main street.  I always collected teddy bears, so I knew I wanted my shop to be a teddy bear shop, and I would call it "Teddy Bear's Picnic."   I would sell nothing but teddy bears, and teddy bear themed items.  No plush cats, or dogs, or bunnies.. just bears.   That was my plan for my future from age 6 to age 10,  I thought that I could also be a children's book author on the side, and during the shop's off season.  

I still think its a good idea, maybe someday, perhaps a retirement job.   I am pretty sure a grandma that owned a teddy bear shop and wrote children's books would be the coolest grandma in the world, and I've always felt that someday I would end up living at the foot of the mountains.  Maybe 30 years from now  I will.  Although, I might need to add some cupcakes or coffee to the store too, teddy bears might not be a  hot ticket item. :)

Take Me Back Tuesday: The Catalog Game

One of my favorite games as a young lass,  was a game I like to call "The Catalog Game."  Every time a new JCPenny or Sears catalog was delivered to my house, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it to play my special game.   I would sit patiently, quietly, and imaginatively going through every single page of the catalog.  On each page I could pick just one thing that in my mind would appear in a poof of magic and be mine forever.  I would raise my pointer finger ever so gently, and carefully touch the picture of that page's picked item.  If I accidentally touched more than one item, then nothing would appear in a magic poof in my imagination... could not be greedy. Sometimes, I would pick things for me, and sometimes I would pick things to give to others.  It's still one of my favorite things to do.  My kids have learned to share my love for the game too!

Little me, around age 3, with my catalog

Take Me Back Tuesday: Ticker Tape Parade

Labor day weekend is coming! I am super excited because I will be working at the Retro Vixen booth at Greaserama, a fantastic classic car show that also has tons of super cool vendor booths.  Also, I will be helping out along side some pretty fantastic ladies, so it is going to be really fun.

Labor day (especially during an election year) always reminds me of Santacaligon Days in 1992.  Santacaligon days is an annual festival in Independence, MO, its like a big carnival/fair only no animals.   My family used to go every year, mostly to shop the craft booths, I used to LOVE country style decorating when I was a kid.. I was kind of a dork like that.  

Well in 1992, it was an extra special Santacaligon festival.  It was an election year and the democratic nominee, Bill Clinton, was going to give a speech.  My family is born and bread democrats and they were not going to miss this!   I remember there was an amazing parade of sorts with  police cars, confetti, balloons, all in anticipation for the black limo to cruise down the street.  Clinton's campaign theme song was being glared from speakers, "Don't Stop Thinking about Tomorrow," by Fleetwood Mac.  To this day, when I hear that song, I am instantly brought back to that moment of anticipation in 1992. We had a good spot, right on the curb with no one in front of us.  I was pretty entranced with watching the secret service men in their suits, talk to each other with their ear-pieces and walkie-talkies.

Then, the limousine came.  I didn't really understand  what was going on, and why the people inside of the car were so important, but the energy and excitement surrounding me was catching.  When the limo passed the windows were rolled down, and a handsome, salt and pepper hair colored man, wearing a navy suit, white dress shirt, and red tie was waving.  I was waving back, and then I remember, he looked right at me, winked, smiled and waved.  It was exhilarating, my first encounter with a famous person, and not just any famous person, the future president.  That may have been the moment I became a Democrat in my heart...LOL.

Say what you want about Bill Clinton, and his politics, or argue with me over  being Republican or Democrat... but you can't deny that President Clinton, had an astounding charismatic way about him. That day was truly a very exciting day for me, and it  is ingrained in my memory forever.

Take Me Back Tuesday: My High School Journal

 The above sketch is a self portrait  that I recently found in my old journal from my junior and senior years of high school.  I didn't write typical diary-style entries in it. Instead, it is filled with prayers, poems, lyrics of my favorite songs, and lots of doodles and illustrations.  Some of the things that used to weigh heavy on my shoulders and stress me out back then seem so silly now.   I decided to share  one of my favorite entries, a poem  I wrote in December, 1998 when I was 17:

Don't worry, I will type it out so you don't get a squinty headache.

"T-Shirt and Leggings"

I am sitting home alone in my t-shirt and leggings

papers scattered about

hair in a sloppy pony-tail

Trying to write an essay, listening to music

My dog is on the floor in front of me, laying on a towel

He's got fleas, he's not happy

I'm not happy--

I'm sittin' here alone in my t-shirt and leggings

I am wishing I was on a bench on the plaza in a dress

with a guy-- a great guy-- a love

I'm wishing someone would call and whisk me away

I feel like Cinderella, pathetically waiting for

Prince-Charming to  rescue me

from a dull-drum life

I'm sittin' here alone in my t-shirt and leggings

I need to get out. I hate being here.

I want to fly away

My stomach is growling like a mad dog

I only had potato chips to eat today

I'm hungry, and mad-- PISSED OFF

I despise everyone out having fun--dressed up, eating good food,

DESPISE THEM!

Because it's Friday night and I'm sittin' here alone

pissed off, hungry, unhappy

wearing my t-shirt and leggings

with my dog who has fleas

trying to write an essay.

Take Me Back Tuesday, Best Outfit Ever

I found this old picture in my shoe box full of old pictures the other day and it made me smile.

 First, that's me when I was 9 (I think) wearing my FAVORITE outfit.  You gotta hand to me that I had some insanely fresh style going on black bike  shorts with lime green stripes on the side coordinated with a lime green tee with shoulder pads, and black stripes on the sleeves. They looked perfect together and they came from different stores, I was so proud of that pairing, I wore that outfit as often as I could. 

Second, the dog on my lap was "Slick."  He was a good dog, a mutt that my brother got for his birthday from the animal shelter one year.  He was a mix of  dachshund and shi'tzu  (a wiener shit.)  He later became my grandma's dog when we couldn't keep him at our house anymore because he bit a neighbor kid (btw the kid had it coming.)   I remember whenever I walked him, people would always ask "What IS that Thing?" He had been mistaken for a weasel on many occasions.  He was so strange looking, and I have never seen another dog that looks like him.  Oh and in the picture, there is also a little stray kitten that I was petting and Slick was sniffing.

The yellow glider I was sitting on still sits in the same place on my grandparents' patio today.  I love that glider it's so happy and bright and fun to sit on .

Anyway that's my quick little trip down memory lane.  Do you remember your favorite outfit  from way back when?



Take Me Back Tuesday: Always Loved Vintage

I have been asked many times lately, what is up with the way I dress.  I guess to some people, it seems like I just started dressing in vintage style, out of the blue.  Not the case.. and here is the picture to prove it.  Me-- in 1998 --wearing my favorite jacket, a 70's vintage track jacket.  Yes, obviously, my style and tastes have changed.. but not my love for old things.  Not that  I need to prove anything to anyone.. I just wanted to show this and say Nee-NER-nee-ner-NEE-NER.

Take Me Back Tuesday: A Look Back at my Baby Girl

My baby girl is turning 9 years old this Friday.  It is pretty strange to be the mom of a "tween-aged" child.  Watching my kids grow up so quickly is like watching Father Time sprint by at Olympic record breaking speed.  So, on this week's "Take me Back Tuesday," I thought it would be fun to slow down, and take a look back at some of my favorite pictures of little-miss, Shaylee.

Hospital Pic

8 mos old

Bath time fun age 1 and a half

Dancin' age 2

 

Ariel the Mermaid, mommy-made costume age 2

almost 3, bringing a flower to mommy

Princess on her 4th birthday

a fabulous 5th birthday

My 7 year old Cheer-leader

 Last  August, 8 years old

This is my beautiful girl today, well a couple weeks ago at least.

Well, now I am all verklempt and teary eyed, looking through all those pics!  I wonder how much Shaylee will change this year, what will 10 look like?  I admire her confidence and her sense of  knowing who she is.  I hope she never looses that, this girl has a lot to offer the world.  I am proud to be her mom... happy birthday Shaylee!

Take Me Back Tuesday: Slumber Party Style

I was at a loss for ideas of what to blog about today.  So I went down to my basement and opened up my old foot locker full of memories and started going through pictures.  I found a few good bits for blog posts.   The best thing I found was a whole one hour photo envelope full of pictures that my friends and I took of each other from my birthday party in 8th grade-- I guess that means I was 14.  Oh wow I was a dorky 14 year old!

The number one activity at any decent slumber party for me was always make-overs.  These pictures are our "after" shots.  My friends and I styled each other using pieces from my personal wardrobe,  clothes and accessories, and from what they brought in their sleep-over bags.  You'll see that my style and look has greatly improved over the years!  

Oh Yeah!  That's me at 14! I believe that was my natural hair color, I guess I have more natural red tones in my hair than I thought.  Notice my sweet hunter green ribbed tunic, paired with a crochet vest, and finished with a lovely castle pendant!   The girls curled my hair, I usually wore it straight and slightly curled under at the ends.

Next is Susan.  She is very color-coordinated, a must for any 90s teen.  She again is rockin a a ribbed top with a crochet vest.  Notice how well her heart earrings match her striped  faux-turtle-neck.

Heather was by far the most successful look. She looked so cute in my burgundy blazer, that matched her ribbed blouse perfectly.  She looked so cool, so "fly girl!'   I remember that she borrowed the blazer and wore it to school and got a lot of positive feedback.

Group Photo! Check out our sweet posing skills!

My friend Nina, was also at the party.  She was wearing my favorite dress, a sweet hunter green flannel baby doll, it was very "My So Called Life!"  She pretended to be asleep to get out of being subjected to the picture taking. She probably knew that 17 years later these pictures would surface on the internet.. smart girl.

Take Me Back Tuesday: Model Me

This week, I received my copy of the July issue of The Cat's Meow Magazine. My picture happens to be in it.  Pretty exciting stuff!  A few years ago when I was wearing size 18 jeans and lacking any personal confidence, I would have never, ever believed that there would ever be a picture of me, in a magazine, wearing a swimsuit, and looking pretty dang good.  However, my younger self, the 5-year-old version, probably would have expected it.  Little Devyn happened to be a "runway model!"  

In 1986, my local Dillard's department store had a contest.  Parents could submit photos of their children to be considered for modeling.  One lucky boy and girl from each grade level would be selected by judges, hundreds would enter, few would win.  I won!  My mom picked a picture of me wearing my dance costume, a shiny black and silver leotard made to look like a tuxedo and a heavily glittered silver  top hat.  The photo was taken at KMart's photo studio and had also been selected to be displayed in the studio's waiting room.  It was a good picture, I will have to search for it and share it with you sometime.

My prize was getting to model for a runway show featuring Back to School  fashions in the Dillard's children's department.   I modeled an adorable Spumoni sweats-outfit:  a pink sweat shirt with a puffy painted happy green dragon stretching from the middle of the sweatshirt, all the way down the right sleeve,  on the back of the dragon were adorable little teddy bears using the dragon's tale as a slide.  The shirt was paired  with a matching  sweat-skirt, with a teddy bear at the hem line.  I also modeled some classic Osh Kosh BeGosh overalls.   In the words of RuPaul, " I WERKED"  that runway too.  Most of the kids just acted shy and walked down quickly and then back.. I put my hand on my hip and did a proper pivot turn and smiled big.

This is an example of  a fine Spumoni piece of fashion, you can purchase it HERE on Etsy.

That little girl deserved to grow up and be confident.  I may have lost my way for a few years, but I  am happy to have finally become the woman she was destined to be!

Take me Back Tuesday: Going Boating

Yesterday, I had the extreme pleasure to spend all day at the prettiest lake I've ever seen, Elkhart Lake.  The water was so clear you could see every detail of the sandy bottom.  As the water grew deeper the color became an intense shade of blue-green, something out of blue lagoon!  Most of the time there I was on an innertube pulled behind my uncles ski boat, it was a good day.

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Being on a boat in the lake totally brought me back to my childhood.  My dad and step-mom, Pam, had a boat and when my brother and I were with them every other weekend, we would always take a camper, a tent, and the boat out and spend the weekend at the lake.

I have many memories from those days.  Tent-sleeping in lightening storms,  riding my bike so fast down a hill and wiping out,  having an accident in my swimsuit because I hated using the nasty lake bathrooms, frying up freshly caught fish with lots of salt, pepper, and lemon  in a cast iron skillet on a campfire.  

For some reason one of the things that stands out most to me from the boating days is eating raisins and the ball shape cheese puffs.  My step mom would always bring those as snacks and I remember sitting on the floor of the boat munching away on those cheese puffs.  Next time I get the chance to go boating, I am totally picking up a canister of cheese puffs!

The exact boat snack from back in the day

Take Me back Tuesday-- D+G=Luv

I met  Geoff Lundy the first week in September in 1999.  It was the first night of  my college freshman year.  I had previously picked his picture out of the 1998-1999 Central Christian College year book, as potential boyfriend material (he is a year older than me.)  So when he was the resident assistant assigned to lead my small group on a tour of the campus I knew that we were destined to meet. 

I was wearing a baby blue smokey the bear t-shirt with brown cordoroy pants and blue Sketchers.  My short punky hair was half pulled back with a little blue bow. I looked pretty darn cute, and I knew it, so I flirted with the handsome tall blond boy from southern California.  I remember the first thing I asked him was "Whose your favorite band?" --That was always a sure-fire convo starter with most guys, in my experience

We became good friends, and spent a lot of time together.  Soon the small 300 student campus began talking about "us."   It was October 18, 1999 and I was sitting on the bleachers near my dorm, Geoff met me there and wanted to talk.  This was our conversation:

Geoff:  So  a lot of people have been asking me, "what's up with you and Devyn?"
Me:  Yeah, they've been asking me the same thing
Geoff:   So what have you been telling them?
Me:  That we have fun together, and we're pretty good friends
Geoff:  Well, I guess you can tell them that we are boyfriend and girlfriend if you want to
Me:  Oh, OK!
Geoff:  So how does this change things?
Me:  Um, I guess we can hold hands now!

Geoff and I in 1999

I always laugh when I think about the day we became a couple.  We were so awkward and innocent.  Now that we've been married for almost 12 years, its funny how I can still remember that day like it was a second ago.   We still are really good friends and have a lot of fun together, and we hold hands!

Mr. and Mrs Lundy  June 2012

Take Me Back Tuesday, Summer of the Rejects

The Summer Solstice is this week, I love summertime!  Summer always reminds me of summer camp. I have so many fun memories of good old "L-Bar-C Camp" to share.  I would spend up to six weeks each summer of my high school years at camp--one week as a "camper," all the rest as volunteer "teen-staff."  The best memories are from the teen staff days.

Sandra and I with the camp director

One of my most memorable camp moments was the time my best friend, Sandra,  and I got kicked out!  The two of us were (and maybe still are)  trouble!!  Haha, not really, more like unlucky.  It was the Sunday night before the beginning of the last week of summer camp in 1997.  The "cool" teen-staffers would arrive on Sunday nights, so naturally Sandra and I did.  Every Sunday night, all summer long, a group of kids would go swimming in the lake... this was totally against the rules, but Sunday nights there was a lack of supervision and an exess of  teen-cockiness. Each Sunday night that summer I was invited to join in the swimming, but I always said no.  I was a goody goody that never broke rules.  That particular night, with my BFF by my side, I was a little braver and since it was the last week of camp I finally agreed to take the splash.


Everyone ran into their cabins to get their swimwear on.Sandra and I were the first two ready to go, we ran straight out of our cabin over the gravel walk way and jumped right into the lake.  We were splashing around and giggling, invigorated by our rebellious rule breaking when we see an adult staff member, Erin, walking down the hill in our direction.  We froze in the water, and tried to be as quiet as possible, hoping she had not noticed us.  Just as she hit the gravel walk way near the lake, the other's came out of the cabin, yelling, "Here we Come!!"   Erin shouted, "No YOUR NOT," and the next think I knew she was standing there on the dock peering down at Sandra and I, she announced curtly, "Busted!"
We were sent to our rooms for our minds to race all night long over what would happen to us the next day.   I cried, and cried, but Sandra was confident. "Don't worry, I will handle it, We will NOT get sent home," she reassured me.   The next morning we were sent to the camp director's office, to discuss the incident.  I was planning on letting Sandra do all the talking, she was so confident, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she started crying.  We were sent home,  kicked out, rejected.

Unfortunately,our parents could not come pick us up until the late afternoon, so we had to hang out around camp all day as outcasts.  People looked at us, like we were aliens  when we went to the cafeteria for lunch, they would all stop to talk about us when we weren't looking.   We were depressed so we headed back to the cabin to lament over our poor circumstance.  We listened to music, depressing music;  The Verve Pipe's "Freshman," and DC Talk's "The Hardway," on repeat, the most depressing music we had on hand.

It's funny now, but at the time it was quite sad.  I still think they could have thought up a better punishment than just kicking us out.  They had to make an example, I guess.

The annual "Dress like a Hippie" Teen Staff Picture

Take me back Tuesday--Broadway Bike Rider

"Take me Back Tuesday"

I am going to try to start a new weekly feature... sharing stories from back in the day, the good ole 80s and 90s,  I had an interesting childhood and adolescence and I have many stories to tell. :)   So here goes the first story for Take me Back Tuesday:

I lived in a "mobile home community" in Edwardsville, KS from when I was  4 or 5 until I was going into 6th grade... basically all of  the elementary school years.   It was a nice, park-like, neighborhood, not a trashy hill-billy style trailer park.  Most of the people were old retired couples who would have lovely manicured yards decorated with gnomes, pin-wheels, and flamingos.  There were also a lot of young families, just starting out, so there were always many kids to play with and ride bikes all around the "manufactured home park."

In 1989, at the age of 8, riding my bike was my favorite thing to do.  I had the coolest bike with a big white basket attached to the front. I would put my favorite Cabbage Patch Kid in the basket for company, and then take off down the street.  The streets were perfect for bike riding, the speed limit was like 20mph and there were speed bumps every quarter mile, so it was pretty safe to cruise right down the middle of the asphalt.

I am a born performer, whether or not I actually get the opportunity to perform on a stage, the love is in me now and always was.  Back in the Edwardsville days,  I would get on my bike with my Cabbage Patch in tow, and set out to give the  senior citizens  sitting out on their porches a show.   I would ride my bike in a formation, that in  my head looked like beautiful synchronized swimming,   in and out of  "S" shapes and figure eights.  While riding, I would belt out my favorite show tunes, usually songs from Annie! 

"Betcha they're young
Betcha they're smart
Bet they collect things
Like ashtrays, and art!
Betcha they're good --
(Why shouldn't they be?)
Their one mistake
Was giving up me

I would sing at the top of my lungs up and down the street, and the porch sitters would applaud.  I probably annoyed them, but I took their applause for wanting more, so I would revisit them weekly!

Today, I still occasionally enjoy  a similar activity.  I LOVE blasting a great (and sometimes dorky) song on my car stereo with the windows rolled down, so that everyone else can enjoy it while I sing along. I especially like to do this with one of the best songs of all time, " Hold On," by Wilson Phillips.  People usually point and laugh, and I think its hilarious to see their reactions.  It's kind of hard to be in a bad mood when your singing along to "Don't you know, things could change, things could go your way, if you hold on, for one more day, things will go your way... hold on for one more day!"    I'm a dork, but I'm a happy dork!

8-year-old me, rockin my dance recital costume.