First Post Since We Entered a Global Pandemic... Looking forward and back

    It's been since 2019 that I've posted on this blog. What can I say... a lot happened since then. We are now reaching the two year mark of a global pandemic. Can you image telling 2019 me what 2021 me would feel about the world she is now living in now? Early 2020 I basically stopped posting on my YouTube Channel. It's was struggling as it was with the new rule YouTube had slammed on us. Adult Disney fans just didn't make since to YT. I did had my GlitterGlamMandy Vids but I never even posted the last one I filmed. When a Pandemic struck maybe there is something wrong with me but I had a hard time adjusting to the "New Norm". Really only now am I really getting my mind into some sort of order. These are things I loved doing before and I find myself wanting to going back to. 

   One thing I didn't drop despite of a global Pandemic was dressing up for Halloween even though I went NOWHERE for the 2nd year in a row... but I've worn a costume EVER YEAR since I was around 3 or 4 years old. After a track record that long I didn't want to break the streak.

  Last year I had an idea what I wanted to do with a costume but didn't have the time or quite figure out how to make it (have to cover that in another post *spoiler: Mockingjay) So I grabbed a black dress and a costume piece I made back when I first started theater. A French hood based on the one worn by the mother of Queen Elizabeth the 1st, Anne Boyleyn. I was preforming with an acting troupe and they were doing The Prince and the Pauper.

Originally I was cast as Lady Elizabeth but we had some casting changes and I was moved to Lady Jane Grey... In these pictures you will see Lady Elizabeth wearing this hood. I am also the maker of the hood I'm wearing. I love these outfits! I do still have them! But no, not dragging them out (aka: not knowing where they are stashed around here... :-)

 I did a TikTok on different costumes I've worn during the years but didn't get to that one... so I'll throw a shot on here of it. And I did make a Tiktok of me in the dress so I'll try and link it here... 

@amandakayhowell

Anne Boleyn actually be like... NO! Halloween 2020 #halloween #six #musicaltheatre #anneboleyn #theaterkid #tudors #wivesofhenryviii #girlssupportgirls

♬ NO - Meghan Trainor

(In case you are wondering the B necklace was bought on Wish.com a few years back, not sure they still carry them but I didn't pay much over $4 including shipping... I should do a seperate blog post on this!)

  This year I did almost completed the Mockingjay costume... but I hit a creative block and since nobody would see it in person anyway I felt more like going simple and leaving the Mockingjay for another time. BTW: Also in my crochet adventures this year I recreated Katniss' cowl neck from the movie... but again, just didn't feel to drive to wear it. But then browsing through YouTube I came across a pattern for a really cool Halloween crop top! This was only a few days before Halloween so it was like, I won't get that finished in time... but I had everything I needed to make it and decided to attempt it. If I didn't finish it... well, there will be more Halloweens ahead (where people will actually get to see it!) And I had a back up plan if needed...

But it was not! I completed the top in about 3 days! I didn't want it to be as skimpy as the original was so I added a few more rows to make it larger. I also wanted it to tie farther in the back then the original and it did. It was cold outside so I just ended up wearing a black T-shirt under it. Not too bad but I think I need to give a little more attention to the fit, the neck does not want to lay right and the bottom is rolling a little (might be my fault for making it too big but it's not bad and being a little more covered is important to me)

I used the color scheme (black and White) she did mostly because it reminded me of the memorable black and white dress from the movie Sleepy Hollow (honestly I have never even watched it even though I worked in the real Sleepy Hollow for years at an Halloween event based on the The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 

Oddly, I discovered I'm am a descendant of the Crane family... yes it was a real family that lived in the area. In honor of this I named my Tux kitten "Ichabod" who would have been my cousin.

  I found the Spider Crop Top pattern on YouTube made by PassioKnit Kelsie If your into crochet tops you might like her stuff!

  As for the rest of my costume I'm wearing a dark stone tiara I got from Wish.com  The Spider web earrings were from clearance from Walmart a number of years ago as well as the spider cape.

   As for Ichabod, (my kitty) he also got costumed as well. I found a YouTuber that has a lot of crochet cat and dog collars and such... you can find her here.... Lingzhi Handmade

Spider Queen & her Pumpkin

 This one didn't take long at all to make. Going for a pumpkin vibe. He took to it well. I learned quickly to put the tie at the top because otherwise he thought he was wearing a toy! (4 months old, so still just a kitten wanting to play) He eventually took it off himself and left it in the middle of the yard which is fine, LOL. He allowed a number of pictures to be taken in it. That's what he gets for picking me as his person...

Glowing in the Dark - A Look At Glow in the Dark Nail Polish

Pure Ice  #001

Pure Ice Nail Polish #001 "Glow in the Dark"

The rest of my collection of Glow-in-the-Dark polishes

    Not often I type in #001. I guess this is their first color? LOL... Anyway, I like to wear glow in the dark polish around Halloween but it can be fun to use all year round if you like. I have 3 bottles of Glow it the dark. Four, if you want to count a bottle of really cheap stuff that I don't quite remember when I got it, or where, or if it had a brand name. But it does glow cause the lights went out and I saw it over there glowing... the other brands I have are Salon Perfect and Wet 'n Wild. The Salon Perfect is an orange color that separates just looking at it and you can't shake it enough to get it completely mixed. It's a mess though it does glow well when you get it on your nails. I didn't pay much for it and I was traveling and didn't bring my Wet n' Wild bottle with me.... well, I think it might be more the case as I had lost it ;-) Pretty cool looking bottle, just found it in an old box of make-up that I don't use much. The bottle looks like a headstone! If I remember correctly I think it does glow.
    But here I have a new bottle of Pure Ice, a brand I like for about $2. They had a number of colors this year for Halloween. Several glowed. I went for the clear'ish that you can use a top coat. It works!

Purple Nail Potion

   So, what were you this Halloween? Me? I worked that night so I wore a costume... so I claim that as my costume this year! 

 

    Wasn't sure what to do with my nails… since I was working, nobody would hardly see them... being it is so cold out now my hands would be wearing gloves. We were starting to get "Wintery Mixes" by this point.

 

    My mom bought some sparkly purple I liked and thought I’d try it out. I like to layer, so here we go…

• Sally Hansen Hard as Nail Xtreme Wear Nail Color #350 "Purple Potion"
• Pure ICE Nail Polish #540
• Avon Nail Experts Quick Dry Oil

 

    I’m not much of a manicure person… just not. I will paint them when I’m in the mood and cut and groom them as needed. I don’t know how in the world people get those LONG nail they haven’t cut in years… it’s for one thing, gross. Second, I can’t deal with long nails… they drive me nuts. (No, I don’t bite my nails! I really cut them that short! I’ve gotten that question before…)

 

   Anyway, back on topic. The first coat is of Sally Hansen "Purple Potion". Sounds like a Holloween'ish name, right? (Well, to be honest to my beliefs I do not endorse Witchcraft. You know that disclaimer in front of Michael Jackson’s Thriller… yeah. … just have to throw that in there.) Ok, back to nails…

   I looked on the Sally Hansen website and they don't seem to have this color anymore! "

   My mom bought a purple to go with this top coat but I decided to use my own. Mine has an iridescent purple that changes to blue. Of all the nail polish I have used Sally Hansen is one of the best. There are two coats here. It would have been better had I done one more.

    I have never use the Pure Ice brand before. I found online that "All Pure Ice Nail Polish are free of formaldehyde, toluene and DBP." I don’t like to make my mind up quickly on if a product is good or not after one use but so far so good. It’s purple glitter with a mix of red. I did two coats. Again I needed more. The glitter is VERY glittery! I like it! It’s a type of glitter that a photo doesn't quite do it justice. It glitters a lot with movement.

    One thing that also drives me crazy about painting my nails is the fact I can’t keep my fingers still to dry long enough to keep from messing up my nails! This Avon quick dry works better than dyers I have used in the past. Some I have used I didn't bother with for long because they didn't’ work very well. I will actually use this and it does for the most part dry the polish and seems to leave it shiner then if I just let it dry naturally. It also doesn't stay really oily afterwards. What little is left is easily wiped away. It’s not yucky.

   I just looked on Avon's site and it says they don't sell this anymore!!! What?!?! I don't now if they made something new to use in it's place or what but this is a good product!

 

 

On Vacation

On Vacation.... Be Back Soon!

Photo by Rob Yasinsac