Pink Hurricanes and Hula Hoops

Hurricane weekend. 

I am from Florida so I didn't know that watching the wall-to-wall coverage of a hurricane could be enjoyable - and for the most part, it's not - until you make up a drinking game to play with the insipid and redundant coverage. "Flooding" - drink, picture of a boat - drink, "We seemed to have lost our connection" - drink, Guy in poncho in the rain - drink. You get the picture. 

The only damage we suffered were a few hours without power, lots of rain, and a tree that fell over in the yard. Upon closer inspection I thought the tree looked like chicken. I almost got some ketchup and a fork for the picture - but really, that's overkill (right?)

The very last of my birthday goodies came in today, which was this wonderful Barbie shirt from nikkilipstick.com. Hells. YES. Sleeveless and super light it is amazing hoop wear. 

I brought out the hoops and my last bday balloon to get one of what will be my final sessions in this glorious yard. This upcoming weekend is moving time. 

How did it get here so soon? 

Jumbled Colors/Surreal Memories: Birthday Weekend [!!!]

Currently, I am laying down in the awesome bed-fort that still stands. 

The strings of lights are hanging a bit lower, the sheets are tangled and messy and a few white and pink balloons can be seen deflating slowly underneath pillows and blankets. 

Simple props, made important by memory. 

The weekend began with a bang as Cyndi and I excitedly scavenged all needed supplies for fort building, cake making, wine drinking and non stop revelry. Balloons, oh yes - we need balloons. Glow in the dark bracelets? Absolutely. Plastic wine flutes for added class, several feet of twinkling lights, champagne? Put them all in the cart.  

After putting up the structural support we got to the fun part - decor.  We added the LED hoop for extra lighting, and the new vintage hoop went too well with the color scheme not to be involved. The 3D printed mini hoops were clasped to the lights to further the theme and it was completed with mountains of pillows and balloons and stick-on letters perfect for acerbic birthday wishes. 

(Are there any other kind?)

It was then time for wine and conversation along with my favorite party game for horrible people.

All that fort building and witticism was exhausting and we left the cake bakery for day two. 

Sooooo... RAINBOW CAKE OWNS!  All we needed were five cake tins, one box of white cake mix, food coloring, funfetti frosting and vanilla pudding. We alternated the layers of frosting and pudding to cut some of the sweetness and man-oh-man was that some DEEEELICIOUS cake.

Rainbow flavored joy.

Throughout all of this I also got to dog sit my landlord's sweet silky terrier, which was certainly a birthday treat, and I received a surprise hot pink 29" polypro on Saturday. Sunday was pure recovery. A few spins and turns with the new hoop-but largely a day of lazing before leaving the surreal and care-free weekend world. 

All in all, I must say it was one of the best birthday's to date. 

The past several have been horrifically bad, and I had almost decided that birthday celebrations were over with. But I am so glad I questioned that motive. In my view, you only get one life to live - if you don't create the memories, who will? It is important to celebrate life, no matter what age. This year I stopped taking things for granted and finally made what I wanted to happen - happen. 

The older I seem to get the less I care, and the more fun I have. 

A fact that bodes well for next year, and those that follow. 

Happy birthday indeed.  

Weekend Photo Diary: Spray Paint, Striped Hoops & Sunny Places

I am not sure if I really enjoyed this weekend - or if it was all the fumes I inhaled that made everything seem fun. 

The hoop closet was cleared out and the ceiling repainted. No more indoor hoop sessions until September...

During a stroll to scout out the local yard sales I found the above pink and black hoop - and, though I have been trying to purge everything, and another hoop is probably about the last thing I 'need,' it was too great to pass up. It's almost as light as my poly pro and the sun faded pink is beautiful with the curling black stripes. I took it home and emptied out the nasty brown water circa 1992 when the poor thing was probably made, sanded the inside, reclosed it and viola (!) a lovely new hoop for the grand total of $0. 

Since we were in home repair mode, a trip to Lowes was inevitable. It almost felt weird leaving the store without any tubing, but, we did grab some spray paint and came home to make tumblr inspired art (because anything involving shady people resonates with me too much to ignore.) Again, the fumes wafted wildly through the air, convincing me that brilliance was about to strike. Hence,we painted an old bike frame and any other little goodies lying around just to see how it would look. Brilliance? Well, no - but certainly fun. 

The only way to come up with a great idea is to build from the mediocre ones. Or at least, that's what the fumes tell me. 

Everything I Love

Boots gifted to me from a friend - I always feel the most myself when I am wearing clunky boots, heatwave or not. (I also think it's funny that the eye effect on the second one looks more edited than it is - I actually just blinked at the last second.)

The stuffed bear I have had since I was 3 years old. Now, I am sorry - but look at how well that old thing is holding up. My favorite thing about him is that he isn't smiling. In fact he looks sad, and serious - which I always appreciated as a kid. My teddy bear thinks deep thoughts.

Of course my lovely hoop - though this picture explains my relationship with it this week. Picking it up, throwing it down, getting frustrated, getting bored. 

Taking pictures, hooping, dressing up, deciding how to frame everything. 

There is a feeling that comes with creating something that is like no other. 

Rechristening the Yard

This reintegration business is tough. 

I arrived back home Thursday, but today is the first day that feels even half way normal. I must admit, it's very depressing to return to the real world after surrounding myself with those I love most, and doing what I love most. But, today I decided it was time to pull myself out of the funk and get back into practice.

 I am going to miss the hell out of this yard. 

William and I had a fairly successful apartment search this past weekend, so I now look at the yard with new prematurely nostalgic eyes. I did suffer yet another piercing related accident, of course. When camping at Hoop Fest, one of the ball closings of my industrial slipped off, and today the hoop pushed the earring back through my ear. FUN. That's the realistically pouty picture up there at number 5. Cyndi thought it was fake pout. Oh. no, no.