happiness is a warm gun . . . OR it's a UKULELE

I just love my uke.  I got it because after 2 years I finally realized I don't live with Lindsey anymore.  I have to make my own music.  Despite my lounge wear, a sickly voice (the worst part about being sick for me is not being able to sing-it has been four weeks . . . ), and nails not long enough to pluck very well, here is a little song for y'all.  

The Help

 Today I have the flu and have spent most of the night watching movies online in between bathroom runs.  I watched this movie in theaters with a group of women from my family and have wanted to watch it again since.  This was a great debut book from Kathryn Stockett.  I certainly loved reading it.  I was initially so angry about the fact that the film rights were bought before it had even been out a year.  Later I learned that the author's roommate is the director!  I love it when good friends work together.  That is the reason that this movie is THE BEST book-to-film that I have ever seen.  There are a few things I could pick at, but I won't even do it because it was so well done.  First, the performances by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were so inspiring.  They have actual connections to these maids.  Viola Davis said when asked about how she prepared for this role: "My grandmother was a maid, all of my aunts were maids!" It is just about a time that is not too distant. 

I was also so pleased with Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly Holbrook.  Hilly is a villain.  In the book, as well as the movie, you just hate her.  Bryce did an amazing job.  In fact, when I first found out that she was cast I was so sad.  I really wanted Anne Hathaway to be the villain so I could hate her without anyone asking why.  However, after the movie I said to my mom, "It is a good thing that Anne Hathaway wasn't in it.  I would have hated her no matter what she did with the role.  Bryce is an actress I like, and she MADE me hate her."

  

And finally, my favorite person in the movie brought a character to life for me.  Jessica Chastain was so amazing.  I think she is my new favorite actress.  She was so darling in the role as Celia Foote.  She was tough but charming and delicate.  I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but she had a few parts that just sold me.  I think she put 100% into expressing the character in every movement.

So here is to a great book and a great movie.  Emma Stone was asked what she thought was the number one thing people should take from this movie.  Without a breath she emphatically said, "Courage!"  I completely agree. 

Right place Right time

What a wonderful life I live.  As you all know by now,  I suddenly got a job at a preschool in Salt Lake City.  It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks, but I am in the groove now.  Without details, I just set up snacks, different centers, take pottiers, change diapers etc for two year old kids.  I love it.  I don't want to do it forever, but I think I will be here for a year or two.  So that is work. 

Now on to life.  Well, nine months in Europe pretty much wipes you out financially, so my choices of where to look for work were limited to Boise and Salt Lake (free rent).  I really did try to make Boise work.  I love it there and I have great friends and family there. And honestly, I pray all the time that Lindsey and I can live in the same town again someday, as I do with all you girls.  For some reason, it just wouldn't work out.  And, my heart wasn't in it.  I think I just knew I would be safe there. 

So I get this time to be near SHANNA!! She is the best and I love her. And Anna, and Sofia, the most beautiful baby in the world.  Seriously.  Except she always smells like puke. 

As soon as I moved here, I just felt like I was where I am supposed to be.  It is so much more than a mental thing. It is just my privilege at this time to feel so whole and connected.  Everything feels like it is exactly the right place at the right moment.  I feel the chi all around me.  Every step I take is happiness.  When I run, I just have so much more energy.  I have no trouble sleeping (a first for me).  I am just so grateful to be me.  To be Megan Whitlock.  More than ever, I feel like I was supposed to struggle through this past year so I could learn serenity and happiness.  Often I think, "Italy was so much harder than this.  I can do this."  I can't describe it.  I will probably blab more to get my point across.  I wish I could imprint this feeling onto something tangible so you might all know.  But I am sure that you have all felt the same, so all of this really isn't necessary.  So here is to a new chapter, as I like to call it.  I can't wait to see what it brings. 

“Design for Shabby Apple”

Megan Whitlock presents flapper chic for "Shabby Apple Dresses" (www.shabbyapple.com). This design was inspired by the flapper dresses in the 20's. I like to take busy things and simplify them. The color palette was chosen when I saw a little girl in a blue dress holding a pink pig. I hope that anyone who wears this dress chooses pink as their accessory color. The dress on the left would be made out of a matte polyester satin. On the shoulder seam and down the center of the sleeve I have embellished it with a silvery, beaded trim to add richness. The same design on the right is an example of how the dress could have a sheer overlay with a bold print with a little bit of lace sticking out the bottom. A small detail to the design would be to fray the edges to give the impression of a fringe look, a shout-out to the flapper fringe.

Sew-tacular!

I have been looking at Pinterest and the Cotton&Curls blog and it just made me rush to D.I. Which then made me get rid of some stuff. Anyways, I went in to get a large floral print something and came out with more stripes (counted up to 8 striped shirts already in my drawers/closet, tsk tsk.) Here is the before (I was already halfway through pinning when i remembered to take a before pic.


and now the after (photography by Lindsey-pie)




I love these shoes (straight from Italy) and the sand on the bottom. xoxo roma

So then I was going through stuff and you know what I found? Fabric. Specific fabric for Lindsey. Flashback to 2005 Christmas. I dragged Lindsey to the fabric section and had her pick out some fabric so that I could make her a purse. 6 years later I am pulling it out of a plastic bag. I got a FANTASTIC blue purse from D.I.


So I copied the pattern and finally made Lindsey's purse. I hope she likes it. I might have gotten a little carried away with the frill.




This is a tiny braided strap just for fun. I guess she can take off one strap or another if she wants to.



Thanks for attending this episode of SEW-tacular. Hope you enjoyed it!

John Donne said:

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

Rupert, ID

On the third leg of my journey home (LA to ID) I rode with an all time city girl. She is a world traveller and one of the most adventurist spirits. She knows Rupert, ID well and talked about the things she wanted to see there. Aguila's tacos and the Rupert Square were among the most important. She was describing Rupert to her family and talked about how it was the smallest type of town.

I started to defend my little home by saying things like "It isn't how they show small towns in the movies. The judge, the sheriff, and the richest man in town aren't all the same people. People don't know everybody's business ALL the time. And we use WIFI internet. It doesn't take 5 days to send an email or fix a car."

After debating whether it is best to raise a family in the country or the city and enjoying the differences we had quite an amazing trip and I had a familiar encounter with home.

We were just about to exit "town" and get on the main road to get to my house. My friend was speeding up in the lonely 25 mph zone. I glanced over and just as I was about to say "You might want to slow down" we saw the daunting flashing lights of blue and red.

WE stop. He stops. The usual expressions of panic filled the car. We saw a dark figure get out. Strangely, he chose to come to the passenger side. I rolled down my window and looked up into the face of the man who held my friend's fate and said,

"Hi Brother Dudley." This man has been known to stand up in church and declare that no matter who he went to church with he would still give them a ticket. He has always been a friendly guy and with a little prodding he started telling me all about his kids, "Well you know Mike don'tya?" No, but I nodded. I delighted in the new grandbaby. I told him about Italy. With the nicest exchange of words he said "Well, I am just going to give you a warning this time. Good to have you home." As he walked away I said "See you in church tomorrow!"

In the following days I gloried in walking around the fields and ditchbanks. I could see nothing but country for miles, that settled so softly in the twilight. I could smell the fresh cut hay . . . and the skunks. I was talking on the phone one night and did a loop around my house. I was just about to turn to go back when I looked up and saw a skunk 8 feet away from me. We both turned from each other and started sprinting. My dad, still on the phone with me, laughed at the encounter. I walked around my Aunt's house to avoid the skunky dwelling. I had almost reached my driveway when I saw it again! I did a weird curve to avoid it and sprinted to my house.

Flash forward a few weeks and imagine the square filled with everyone and sometimes their dogs. We had a five-day patriotic festival for the 4th of July. We had swing bands, blue-grass bands, country bands, and other types on our gazebo. Each night as I walked around and saw families reuinited for the most spectacular Rupert holiday I reflected on my experiences and thought how very wrong I was to say Rupert wasn't THAT small. In a matter of weeks I ended a conversation with a policeman with "see you in church", I escaped a skunk, I took 2 mile walks without seeing a soul, and I went to the biggest event of the year (came out with a tamale and fresh fries--a mark of the community I guess). It just doesn't get any more small town than that.