Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Lady In Black- or New Job Fashion

Hey I am changing my job!

After 3 years of loyal hard work, the company I have been working for suddenly placed an ad for a position slightly higher than mine in the same department. Funnily, the position was vacant from the day I started there and I'd been expected to be acting as a substitute with higher than my job description responsibilities. And I did, and I foolishly hoped they will appreciate it and promote me, and I waited for 3 years only to find that ad on a job search site. Wow, that is some workplace culture! I am seriously contemplating calling the solicitor over this. But the question is: WHY BOTHER?

BUT I was very lucky to be offered another job in a smaller and nicer place just almost at the same time.  I always believed I am being looked after in life and situations like this one, just make this belief stronger. I had a trial today and it went very well. I am so looking forward to this change in my life.



And this means SEW SEW SEW. The dress code is all black, there is no set uniform (YEY!), so I can pretty much experiment with the way I look.

Now I have to start with some black trousers (maybe 2-3 pairs) and some black tops. I  need to make something warm on the top and shorter sleeves. Maybe like a high neck top - there is a great one coming out in the April's issue of BurdaStyle . The sleeve line is not too high, slightly covering the shoulder,  it creates a lovely silhouette and still keeps the neck warm from the drafts. ( The new job place is lovely, but very drafty)









I also want to make a couple of ampire waistline tops, this one from Burda 5/2010 can do the trick. I like the 3/4 sleeve lenth- perfect for not sticking your sleeves, where they shouldn't be))) I will be shopping for the fabric for these on ebay- from Tia Knight, my favourite seller for jerseys and her store In Fashion Fabrics, definitely worth checking out- great prices, choice of fabrics is endless, the quality is really good and the P&P is very reasonable.




Now the trousers... This is the tricky one, I would like something kinda tight on the top and slightly flared, kinda like a boot-cut, I have a good pair I bought in the local supermarket, but they stopped selling this type, so I will have to get something myself. My last job's dress code was red top and grey trousers, so I have too many of those and only one in black. The major requirement- it has to wash well and look good after numerous washes and it has to dry fast, I am thinking polyester suiting. My favourite ebay seller for suiting is Minerva Crafts And Fabrics with decent polyester suiting fabric from just around €3.50 per meter.




So I am getting over the shocking treatment and the betrayal of my old job, looking forward to the new  grief free life and  hoping that
Change is always happening for the good of you and for everyone. It is the evolution of life.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Ashthon Jones: "I don't think anything is going to stop me"

Sometimes with reality competition shows, you get an image of one of the contestants and then when you hear from them after they’re eliminated, you realize that’s not at all who they were. And you realize if you had known that before, you would’ve supported the person more when they were in the competition.

That’s kind of how I feel now about Ashthon Jones. Granted, I was a supporter of hers, and even named her as my top-ranked girl before the Top 24, but now I feel bad that I didn’t lobby for her a little harder because I think America got the wrong idea about her. The judges built her up as a cocky diva when her confidence actually comes from her faith. And unfortunately for her, there wasn’t really anything she could do to change America’s minds.

Here is some of what Ashthon had to say during her media conference call with us Friday…

On her backstory: “My father passed away when I was 14. I left home. I was gone for over two and a half years. When I got back here, I became a Christian. I turned my life around and started doing much more positive things.”

On her feelings when she was eliminated: “I left it there and left it there to stay. It’s time to be the artist and performer God put in me. I’m very excited about what’s to come.”

On America’s opinion of her: “I just wanted people to see my personality. I don’t think it showed as much as I wanted it to. It’s okay because everything happens for a reason…I wanted them to see my confidence came from God. I feel like America’s going to see that now.”

On her song choice: “I chose that song for a reason. That one spoke to me. I related it to my life and the love that I have around me…I didn’t understand why it wasn’t a bigger hit. America really didn’t feel it like I did. Hopefully it will begin to touch them now [through iTunes]. Ashthon said it gave her the same feeling Mariah Carey’s “Hero” gives people.

On the best advice she got from the judges: “Jennifer Lopez always had something real to say straight from her spirit. Last night she told me it’s all about the songs. Make sure it’s a hit before you put it out.”

On how she would describe Steven Tyler: “Fabulous. He said exactly what he felt. Backstage he’s the most humble and sweet person.”

On the friendships she’s formed: “I’m gonna stay in contact with them. I never thought I could have so many best friends.”

On what advice she would give the other contestants: “Never look at the blogs. They’re just gonna discourage you.”

On her breakdown after she was eliminated: “It really was not pain. It was more on leaving the stage and leaving my friends…I’m a very, very strong person. Sometimes you have to let it out. I cried because of all of the things that I went through on the show.”

On being the first finalist eliminated: “It’s not always a bad thing to be the first person. I don’t think anything is going to stop me. God has something better for me.”

On non-winners being successful: “ I constantly had to remind myself that. I’m still driven because I know that. There’s an opportunity that’s going to be there for me…I want to let everybody know, don’t stop. You have to feel like you’re already a winner…When elimination comes, nothing can keep you from being the best that you can be.”

On Casey Abrams and the stresses of the show: “My prayers go out to him. I’m not sure what’s going on. It can be stressful if you make it stressful.”

On where she sees herself in five years: “I really see myself performing. And as someone who has grown in her faith. I’m a firm believer in speaking everything into existence. If I speak that in my spirit, it’s going to happen.”

On the strength she showed Thursday night to hold herself together: “It comes from God. A lot of people don’t believe and don’t understand. No way I could be saying these things [without God]. I left my tears on that stage. I picked myself up and said on to the next.”

On whether she was surprised to be eliminated: “It wasn’t a surprise. I had a feeling. But I was still a part of these people. It didn’t crush me at all. I was honored to be on the show with superstars.”

On whether she thought she had a shot at the Judges’ Save: “I felt it in my spirit that it was time to go. I thought I’m gonna go out with a bang. I had a wonderful, wonderful time.”

On her performance: “I gave it my best. I gave it my all. I picked the right song. It ministered to me. Rodney Jerkins and Jimmy Iovine made it a current R&B song. I felt like I gave it more of an edge…You have to grow. The show helped to make me grow.”

On the Top 12: “I predict all of them are going to go far in their careers.”

On her TV persona: “I can only be myself. I’m not going to be different for TV. In the end, being myself is going to win.”

On what she would’ve sung for next week’s “Songs From the Year You Were Born”: Ashthon said she probably would’ve gone with Whitney Houston or Janet Jackson or possibly another Diana Ross song. “I would’ve chosen the absolute hit…I don’t want to look at the past. Now is the time to move forward.”

On the future: “This is not the end. There’s no way I can end it here. I have to continue to move on. I can’t live off that for the rest of my life…It made me stronger than I thought I was…If I don’t get to do anything more, I’m so honored I got to perform in front of [the judges]. But I hope and pray it doesn’t end here.”

Photo Credit: Mark Davis/PictureGroup for FOX

Friday, March 11, 2011

Bucky Covington Coming to Portsmouth!

Got an e-mail today about Bucky Covington’s Hometown Tour…

And according to his website, the tour is making a stop in Portsmouth at the annual River Days Festival.

Bucky will perform September 2nd. The time has yet to be announced…

Photo Credit: Lyric Street Records

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Next Week's Theme Is...

This just in from FOX...

Next week's theme will be the famous "Songs From the Year You Were Born."

Should be an interesting one...

Top 13 Results Show: Did America Get It Right?

So, did America get it right? Absolutely, yes. You guys know I was an Ashthon fan but she totally sang the wrong song this week. She was trying to show a softer side, but she should’ve stuck with the attitude. I can’t help but also wonder if that attitude didn’t doom her a little and it wouldn’t have mattered what she sang.

Something else worth noting tonight is that Naima did not make the bottom three. Which means American was okay enough with her performance to keep her out of the bottom. With her daring choices, she could be a real wild card in this whole thing…

And one last note. I hope for the very best for Casey Abrams. If the stress thing is true, it could be a real problem for him. I’d hate for him to have to drop out…

So what do you guys think? Did America make the right choice? And what did you think of Adam Lambert’s and Diddy Dirty Money’s performances?

I’ll have more for you tomorrow…