Wednesday, March 31, 2004
The Princess Party
What an event - Zo's 30th bday party last Saturday - (even though she's not 30 for another 8 days).
It all started with Zo calling me to see if I'd go jewelry shopping with her to find the perfect earrings for her dress. I said 'of course', and also made up some lame excuse about having to go by a client's house first to drop off a contract. This was a trick, because I had to figure out a way to get her to the hairdresser's to get her hair done for the special day. So, I asked her to grab my appointment book from the back seat and tell me what the client's name was....that I couldn't remember. When she opened it, it had the name of the hairdresser with a 2-o'clock appt. written in for Zo. At which point, she squealed excitedly "My party is TODAY! YAAAAEEEEEEYYY!"
Too cute.
After getting hair done, going to ABC Wholesale for jewelry (THE place to go in St. Lou for party jewelry, and cheap, cheap cheap!) and having lunch at the Macaroni Grill, we went back to Zo's house to get ready. Once everything was together, I handed her an envelope with a polaroid picture in it and a clue that read:
On this 27th day
We take you to an alley-way,
Where you will find
a face so kind
and you’ll be offered a special treat!
The polaroid was a snap of the door to Saratoga Lanes - an upstairs bowling alley where we used to have drinks & hang out. Our friend Jimboree was waiting there, and was supposed to buy her a cocktail and hang out for a few. Unfortunately, the place was closed for a private party. So he had to settle for giving her a hug - and another clue.....
Now that you’ve made your first strike,
You’ve seen that this ain’t the joint.
So we take you to
A place that you
Drank cuba libras and played pool.
On work days, it was a short hike...
that was the pointe.
This was accompanied by a snapshot of the doorway to a bar called The Hi-Pointe - another hangout of ours from back in the day. By now, you've probably figured out that my goal was not only to befuddle her little blonde brain, but also to keep her guessing. After all, ANY of these places we were sending her to could be the site of her party....
Now, the first snafu kicked in. Because Jimboree hadn't been able to keep her there for a while, she was ahead of schedule. Our friends Brad and Renee were supposed to meet her at the hi-pointe; but when I called their house to get their cell number so I could tell them to stall her a little, it turned out that they were STILL AT HOME. And Zo was already on her way to the Hi-Pointe. So, I had to call Zo, tell her to just sit tight & have a drink. She was nervous about ordering drinks that she didn't bring money to pay for, which I found hilarious....did she really think we'd leave her high-and-dry? Of course not...but the bartender didn't seem too amused when she asked if she could order a drink that her friends would pay for later (hahaha).
Meanwhile, I headed over to drop off a few things at the final party destination and then set myself up at Zo's next site. Brad & Renee met Zo at the hi-pointe & stalled her for a few.....a few longer than i'd thought. An hour later, I was still waiting for her! But soon, she was on her way, after having read her next clue....
Cherries are red,
Violas are purple.
But our favorite color
is somewhere in between...
This clue came complete with a picture of the multitude of clocks on the wall of...you guessed it....Tangerine. I hung out there and chatted with bartender Megan while waiting for Zo. Jimboree showed up to buy a pack of smokes & hang out with me until the Birthday Girl arrived.
Zo finally called to tell me she was on her way, lamenting the fact that she'd had to drive HERSELF to everywhere she'd been. "It's part of the fun, you wench!" I laughed & told her. "Yeah, right!" she said. "I'm driving with expired plates!!"
Uh oh. Didn't know that, or I would've made other arrangements for her. Ah well. Too late at that point, and figured we'd just walk to the final destination:
Damn! That wasn’t the place!
And you were SO sure,
It was written on your face.
But do not wrinkle your pretty brow,
you’ve not FARR-A-to-GO!
Yes, the party site was Farrago - our friend Doug's place. It's a coffee house, it's a movie-rental house, it's a place to kick back. Stylish, fun, and RED - definitely Zo.
We walked two blocks down to Farrago and entered to choruses of "Happy Birthday!" Friends and family were there, as well as red and purple balloons attached to little silver high-heeled shoes on all the tables. Tons of food - including the requisite mashed potatoes. :)
We talked, and drank and danced. Then, the moment Zo had been waiting for - her crowning. We turned on her favorite song by her favorite band: Ana Ng by TMBG - and I placed the tiara on her lovely blonde head.
She was thrilled to pieces by the whole affair and a good time was had by all who attended. Thank you to our lovely friends and family members who made this party such a special day for Zoe!
And Doug - babe - you are SO loved. You SO rock. And I SO owe you SO many hours of massage for this one.
DivAppreciatively Yours,
Vi
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Art is HARD.
Zo and I made a pilgrimage to one of the better art supply stores in the area - Red Lead. Specifically, we were looking for paper on which to place the images for our upcoming art show pieces. They have hundreds of colors and types of handmade paper. It's amazing. Even more amazing is that in only took us about a half hour to agree on three different types of paper for each of the three pieces. She said to me how pleasantly surprised she was that we work so well together. And it is, really. Most people would give their left arm to have such a positive working relationship with anyone - we're lucky enough to have it with one another. So cool.
And at the same time, we're both nervous. We wrote a kick-ass proposal for our piece. We both had the same vision. We've both participated in its creation. Out of 150 applications, only 44 artists were chosen, and "we" were one of them. This was our first year to submit work, AND our first artistic collaboration (outside of confessionsofadiva.com / DivArtistry).
We just have to take things one piece at a time. We have about a week to complete the piece/s. The first part is done. We need to have them printed on our paper, then hand-colored by Zo, matted and framed (we have the frames). We went to a digital printer today who told us that we may have to search for a printer, considering the types of paper we want to print on - they have to make sure that there are no plastic fibers in the paper which would melt into their very expensive printing machines.
It's so exciting, though!! And because she's on hiatus, I'll tell (for Zo) that one of the things she wanted to accomplish by her 30th birthday was to have an artistic piece displayed in a show. VIOLA! (hehe)
We're gonna do it, baby - YOU'RE gonna do it!
..........
On another note, I'm up this late because I had two (of my four) April-due-date moms call me today and tell me that they're having signs of early labor. Woo hoo! But also, a bit nerve-wracking. Oh sure, I have a backup doula in place to cover me should both of them go into labor at once, but I really want to support the families and participate in all of the births that I've signed on for April. I suppose, though, that I have to take a rather Zen approach to things and believe that I will be where I should be, when I should be there. Everything has its reasons......
Speaking of Buddhism, while talking to one of my doula-pals today, she asked me if I'd ever considered being a Birthing From Within educator. "Of course I have!" was my instantaneous reply. The problem? The cost. *gasp* About $1200. But ever, ever so worthwhile. And in need!! We have only one BFW educator in our area, and a reasonably high demand for the classes.
Ok, Universe - if it's meant to be.....send me a winning lottery ticket. ;)
DivArtistly Yours,
Vi
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Snips and Snails....
Driving home from Zo's tonight (later than we'd planned), kiddo asks me, "Can I sleep back here?" I tell him that of course, he can.
"Can I use Lexi (puppy dog) as a pillow?" he asks.
"If she'll let you," I reply.
I watched in the rear view mirror as kiddo took off his jacket and gently covered the dog's back with it, then snuggled down into her side. Lexi licked his face and settled in.
So cute - sugar and spice, even. Ohmygoodness. Wish I would've had a camera....and that I could've taken pictures while driving.
-Vi
Zoe's birthday is coming.....Zoe's birthday is coming....and so is her party - but she doesn't know the details - oooo - secret agent diva stuff!
I'ts been so much fun to torture her with knowledge. She THINKS she knows what's coming, but she has NO idea.....
mwa-ha-ha-ha!!
once it happens, dear readers, you can expect a FULL report. ;)
Diva Hugs & Smooches,
Vi
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Busy Divas!
With Zo working, me working, 4 babies due, two parties and an art show opening all happening in the next month, we're gonna be busy little divas!
So, please, friends - bear with us - we're not going away, we've just got lots of stuff to do. ;)
DivArtistly Yours,
Vi
on hiatus...
zoë
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIN!
Love, Zoe & Vi
HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY FROM THE IRISH DIVAS!
Now, go eat some corned beef & cabbage and get off your damned computer!
Irish-Diva Kisses,
Vi
Monday, March 15, 2004
A Diva by Any Other Name Would Still Be a Diva
I love names. I love what they mean. I'm especially interested in how we grow in to them and all the other stuff that goes along with being quirky and silly about names.
Most people have thought me a little odd over the years as they introduce themselves and then I proceed to tell them what their name means. "Oh, hi Brandon. Nice to meet you. Did you know your name means 'stinking hair'. Or because when we added to the household recently (hermit crabs) I made a mad dash for the name book. As if Zander was actually going to let ME name them. Oh no. Which is exactly why they ended up being named Static and Shock. Only mildly better than the guinea pig named Pootie. All I can say is THANK GOODNESS I (or the Easter Bunny as far as Zander is concerned) named our pretty puppy. Or his brother for that matter whom he insisted we name Gwat.
Ok, so I digress...
So anyway...I was thrilled to learn this weekend, by way of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, that there is a title for people like me. I'm a Name Nerd. There is even a website for dorks like me! Beyond this one! www.namenerds.com which lists wonderful things about names that most people really don't care about. Lists of names of what I might like to be called as a grandparent, for instance. (m leaning towards Nona.)
They even have a (somewhat silly) Brit email that lists name meanings so, of course, I thought d look up a few. Hers what I found...very cute.
Vicky- Likes Yoga. And Women.
Wendy - Possibly a man.
(Hmmm...does the meaning change if you spell it with an 'i'?)
Zoe - Talentless rock chick. Prepared to use sex as a weapon.
(Ok, that might be fair. Hey, my talent is in other areas ok?)
Rob - constantly watches porn. (I have learned this to be true.)
John - has no friends or life - tends to kill small animals.
(Untrue according to Johnny Blogfodder.)
And last but not least!
Howard - likes small-breasted women and pornography.
(Oh, Howie Baby!)
So, there you have it. I'm a Name Nerd. Check out the site for yourself if you think you may be one too.
Love,
Z (which actually meansLif)
No Hippie Chicks....
It's just a song lyric - I'm actually rather fond of hippie chicks, having been one to a rather large degree myself when I was younger. But there's this small faction that I've encountered - what I refer to as "granola" - nuts & flakes, baby - nuts & flakes.
Ran into a gal at a pot luck the other night whom I'd met once before. (We'll call her "Mary.") I knew Mary looked familiar, but couldn't figure out where I'd seen her. She looks like the quintessential hippie girl - tall, lanky, long, blonde hair down to her waist - no makeup, homemade clothing and a sunshiny smile. And she likes to talk. Which is cool, 'cause I'm quite a talker, too. But.....
It's the things that came out of her. "Yeah, I have two kids, and my older boy was going to the local Waldorf school...until he got kicked out...." Things like that - which, if they came up in conversation, would be one thing, but this was in her (10-minute) personal introduction of herself as we went around the circle and told everyone who we were. So, then - it sparked - do you know (this friend of mine)? I asked her. "Oh yeah! I'm going to her baby shower tomorrow," was her reply.
Then - it struck me. I'd met her at that same friend's wedding two years ago. She'd just had a baby - a waterbirth - and me, being the baby-snuggling type I am, cooed and talked with her about it. During that conversation, she pulled another one of those weird sentences out - which I've started to call her "nightmare-before-christmas" discussions. It went something like this:
Vi: Oh! What a cute little girl! What's her name?
Mary: This is Grace.
Vi: She's so sweet! How old is she?
Mary: She's 6 months old. I had a homebirth with her. A waterbirth.
Vi: That's so cool - I've always wanted to attend a waterbirth. I'm a doula.
Mary: Really? I loved the doula I had at my birth. (We discussed who her doula was, as I knew her).
Now, at this point, we start in the usual banter of "how long was your labor....are you breastfeeding, etc." You know, mommy-talk. In the middle of it, she says,
"Oh no - I don't have a social security number for her. The government doesn't even know she exists."
Vi: (puzzled) Why not?
Mary: I refuse to let my children be governmentally institutionalized. They'll force vaccinations on her, make her go to school and teach her what They want her to know. It's all bullshit. They might as well bar-code us all.
At this point in the conversation, I politely excused myself. I understand the idea of home-schooling your children and such. I even understand the idea that someone (many people, in fact) don't want to have their children immunized, considering the recent research that shows some immunizations may lead to neurological impairment. But government conspiracies concerning one's children? Sheesh. I really don't think the government is so focused on getting its incorporeal hands on her little hippie-girl.
Then again, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Bush really does have a secret pact with aliens.
Maybe the mother-ship is coming back to get her any day now......
Yeah, yeah - judgemental, I know. But it just goes to show you - sometimes the paranoia lasts far beyond the last toke.
DivAdjudicatingly Yours,
Vi
