Life has been mildly derailed over here the past several days by a family emergency, but happily no one has died, and our last-minute house guest & hospital visits wrap up today. I'm looking forward to getting back on track with posting, so thanks for your patience, guys!
And to tide you over for now, here's another peek at John's Halloween costume:
Did I already confirm he's dressing as DreamFinder? If not: he's dressing as DreamFinder. We dyed both the wig and beard ourselves with alcohol inks, and I've been working on cutting & styling them. (You're not supposed to use irons on synthetic hair, so those clips are holding some curls in place. I've also used roughly a gallon of hairspray so far. Good thing John doesn't smoke. Ha!)
Here they are right after dying:
At one point we had theses hanging on a stand in the front driveway to dry, and I remarked
that if
this didn't worry the neighbors, nothing would. ("Honey, the house with those hermits who stay up all night has scalps hanging in the front yard.
I think it's time to move.")
We're going to be at Mickey's Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party in the Magic Kingdom on October 26th, btw, so if you're going to be there, too, be sure to look for us to say hi!
And this was my little mini-project for our relative in the hospital:
It's not much: just a pretty makeup bag filled with all the stuff I wish *I'd* had the last time I was in the hospital:
In addition to basic toiletries, I also packed things like fuzzy socks, earplugs, tinted lip balm, hand wipes (for when you can't leave the bed to wash your hands), and aromatherapy lotion. (The one thing I did have during my hospital stay was some lavender lotion, and I remember the smell being unbelievably comforting during the worst times.) We also gave her puzzle books and a mini DVD player with headphones.
And to wrap up this random update of randomness, take a look at the heavenly view inside my fridge right now:
John's sister - who is a
phenomenal cook - has been staying with us the past few days, and this morning she made me
homemade whoopie pies. (WOOT!!) I may have had one for lunch. And I may have asked her to stay forever. :D
(The sad thing? Our fridge really is that empty. Cooking is as mystifying to me as sewing.)
K, I have an overflowing inbox and a pesky cake blog to attend to now. Back soon!
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UPDATE: One of you asked for a more pinnable version of my hospital care bag, which I thought was a great idea. So here 'tis:
Oh no! I am going on the 25th (two friends are using the party as a continuation of their wedding reception - perfect Disney wedding!). I am so bummed I won't see the Dreamfinder costume. (I'm still slightly obsessed with Dreamfinder.) Can't wait for photos.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry Jen, cooking is mystifying to me too. But I could bake all day...
ReplyDeleteI am going to the one in Disneyland in California with some girlfriends on the 29th! We are going with a Neverland theme and I get to be CAPTAIN HOOK!! Looking forward to it so much! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're good. I would have at LEAST two. Or three... or...
ReplyDeleteHope everything is A-okay with your family member. If I'm ever in the hospital, would you bring me one of those bags? I'm sure it made that person's stay a lot more bearable! :)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see pics of John in his full costume ensemble.
I will be heading to the Mickey's Halloween party on Thursday night- I am so sad to miss out seeing the Dreamfinder in person! BUT I am happy to know that there will be lots of pics...there WILL be lots of pics, right?? ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of taking my son (of the "who in the box" fame) on the 26th. We would both love to meet you if you're up to it!
ReplyDeleteLooks like the costume is coming along nicely. Also, if you were my neighbors, I wouldn't be creeped out by the wigs in the yard, I would be intrigued!
ReplyDeleteman i wish i had some one like you when i had kidney stones i just sat on the couch forever uuhhh so boring the only good thing was i memarized the tv guide haha hope every things good with the family
ReplyDeleteHey Jen, can you make that hospital gift bag into a Pinterest-able thing? Everyone should know about it!
ReplyDeleteJen, please please please do a post coloring and styling synthetic wigs!! I have one wig that tied itself in knots the first time I ever wore it, and I haven't been able to figure out what to do with it since! I also have a great costume idea knocking around in my head that would require restyling a blue wig, and I don't even know where to begin. As always, your and John's crafty genius inspires me!
ReplyDeleteThank heavens you're back and that everyone in the Epbot family is ok. (But little selfish me is especially glad about the first bit. This blog features a lot in my plan to stay mostly sane. Even my therapist knows about it.)
ReplyDeletetip: when I did historical reenactments and had to fix my hair falls (student me couldn't afford nice pretty wigs), hair spray, super glue (yes, really - just glue the ends where you need them on the back) and lots of hair nets (so everything stays put) went a loooonnnggg way. And, of course, hairspray (the best kind? VaVoom. If only so you can say 'VaVoom!!!' a lot.).
Oh man, I coulda used one of these when I was in the hospital! Especially the ear plugs! Though I can't do lavender scented things, so the lotion is no good to me. I only had to stay overnight after both my surgeries when I broke my leg, but those stays sucked SO MUCH. Impossible to sleep! Though the food was better than expected.
ReplyDeleteZOMIGOSH, I can't believe your synthetic hair-styling skillz! You would definitely not be a Beauty School Dropout. The color's perfect! The styling's unbelievable!!! I can't wait to see the full reveal of the costume.
ReplyDeleteAnd the hospital bag is genius. So thoughtful. Hope it gets as little use as possible.
You're so sweet to think of all those little things. I'm sure they made a horrid situation a lot more bearable. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
ReplyDeleteThat hairpiece looks astonishing! Some friends and I are going as Spongebob, Squidward and Patrick for halloween. Not scary, but fun to make :)
"scalps hanging in the front yard"-LOL! Best laugh of the day. Hope all is well with your family member now.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you listed what you put inside the bag because I was thinking that white and black thing was, erm, a fancy bra. :D Then suddenly "blindfold" clicked and I couldn't help but laugh at myself. What a sweet present, though! I hope it made them feel mildly better that they're there.
ReplyDeleteAnd can't wait for the full-on costume pictures of DreamFinder! It already looks so epic!
Hope your family is truly well soon. Tho if they need note time in hosp, they'll be comforted buggy you (and you by more baking? ;-))
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update in these hectic times.
Wow, wow and wow! The wig (scalping??!! :D), care kit and whoopie pies all look so cool! :D Thanks for sharing and bringing a smile! :D
ReplyDeleteSynthetic hair needs heat and moisture to set. The best thing to use is a steamer but the next best thing is a blow dryer. Keep it on low heat and constantly move it. Also, if you use pins (straight or bobby pins) rather than clips, you wont have to deal with kinks. As for hairspray, use the cheapest that you can, I personally love Aquanet. I'm working in a wig shop right now so if you have any questions just shoot me an email! Happy styling and may the odds be ever in your favor
ReplyDeleteThat little gift box is such a cute idea! I was in the hospital about six months ago and I would have *loved* something like that.
ReplyDeleteCall me an uninformed Australian but what the heck are whoopie pies? And where can we get some?
ReplyDeleteAnd having 2 family members in hospital this week I feel for you. Good to hear they are on the right track.
Jen, next time have her make Red Velvet Whoopie Pies!!!! Oh WOW to the WOW.
ReplyDeleteyou can set curls in synthetic wigs with steam. You just lightly steam them then put it in the fridge to cool off. They'll be permanently melted in! Works wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was single, I used to keep empty cereal boxes in the cabinet so people wouldn't think I was an alien or anything. I called it my Barbie food.
ReplyDeleteAnalogmommy
Suzanne
Great hospital gift idea! Through my mother's many (many, many, many) hospital stays we've learned the best thing you can have is a plug-in room air freshener. It keeps you from smelling the icky hospital smell, and since your room smells so nice, doctors and nurses will stay longer and give you more information. Works like a charm!
ReplyDeleteI was just going to the store today to buy hospital survival supplies (when I sprained my ankle so I will have to do it tomorrow.) I had a family emergency as well and have a sister that will have a very extended stay in the hospital. :( Thank you for the timely post.
ReplyDeleteJen, does this mean you're going to be Figment?! Please tell me you're going to be Figment....
ReplyDeleteThat hospital bag is brilliant! When I ended up in the hospital during a trip last year, I would have given $100 to have a bag full of goodies like that. Heck, I would have given that much for either the lip balm or the earplugs alone. I slept not 1 minute of the 24 hours I was there- so exhausting! You are the sweetest person, and I hope your ill loved ones are on the mend.
ReplyDeleteGlad your loved one is out of the hospital, Jen. That's always a scary time. And a wonderful gift bag to boot! Hospital stays always suck, but thoughtful things like your bag would certainly make it suck a little less!
ReplyDeleteI too can't wait to see John's costume! :)
Glad everyone is getting better.
ReplyDeleteAt our community college costume shop we often use spray adhesive on inexpensive synthetic wigs. Works great.
JG
Jen-
ReplyDeleteTell John's sister that it is perfectly fine to put DOUBLE the amount of cream in those pies. The more the merrier! Yum!
So sorry to hear about your emergency Jen! It stinks when those things happen, but on the upside, it means the family is brought together; it's even better things are going well now.
ReplyDeleteJohn's costume is going to be amazing, and I second a comment I saw above... you should be Figment!! Enjoy your whoopie pies, I made pumpkin ones a few years ago, and they were AMAZING! :)
That hospital care package is such a sweet gift. I'm having surgery in january and I've been making a mental list of what to bring (books, knitting, iPod). Do they let you order pizza?
ReplyDeleteGlad to know everything's fine now after the family emergaeny. I know what's it like when those things happen. I like the DreamFinder Halloween costume. :) Plus the whoopie pies look so yummy.
ReplyDeleteYourWigShop.com
So sorry to hear about your relative! I hope she is better soon.
ReplyDeleteI really wish you lived next to me. I would love to have scalps in the front yard, rather than the several torn-apart cars that my neighbor seems to be restoring. Plus, the amount of redneck-itude/ghetto-ness here could use an antidote!
http://news.yahoo.com/disney-announces-weekly-park-surprises-2013-114925832.html
ReplyDeleteMaybe Dreamfinder will make an appearance during Long Lost Friends Week!
I'm also sorry to hear about the family emergency, but I'm glad things seem to be ok. You're being awesomely supportive, meanwhile!
the Dreamfinder getup is going to be so spot on and high quality that folks will think John works for Disney! He'll be dizzy from all the photo ops! Have a great time! We're so sad that we're not making it to FL for Halloween this year. It's our favorite time of year to visit.
ReplyDeleteI have that exact bag in my brief case right now. It's my travel from office to office toothbrush etc bag. It is not, however, filled with so much nice stuff. Great taste!
ReplyDeleteGlad things are getting better over at the Yates compound. I laughed at the scalps hanging in the front yard! When you said cooking was as mystifying to you as sewing, I had a HP moment: "You're a wizard, Harry." Hee.
ReplyDeleteAndrea
Ok. That wig is A to the MAZING. I'm in awe.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me want to go through with the wig I already ruled out for my costume. But only if you'll make it look awesome for me. Please?!
Jen - a baby step into cooking being less terrifying? One packet of yeast will cover the recipe, even if you double it. 's not scary I promise! http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/01/pizza-and-the-limits-of-diy/
ReplyDeleteThe Dreamfinder wig and beard look amazing! I went as Dreamfinder (with a puppet Figment) to MNSSHP 5 years ago - but, since I'm a girl, I decided to go sans facial hair. ;-) My mom helped me hand sew the costume and it turned out so awesome. If only it wasn't so hot when we typically go (we usually go to one of the first parties of the season) I'd love to wear it again. Please post photos of the finished product!
ReplyDelete