C4U Costumes

I am just finishing up the Crazy For You Costume plot. I truly enjoy the research and planning stage that goes into designing and setting the costumes for a show. It consumes me and colors they way I look at everything. I love discovering the reasons and whys for the fashion of the time. I also enjoy developing a clothing story for each of the characters. When you do the costumes you are creating a closet of clothes for the characters to wear. While you never really see the whole wardrobe, you have to know that it looks like and some of the back ground surrounding it so you can create the actual clothing to be worn in the show. If the budget was unlimited and i had the time and skills required it would be so fun to now create it all. But since the budget is limited as in basically non existent, I also have to figure out how to direct the actors in creating or obtaining a costume(s) that fits together with their character and the show as a whole....it's a great challenge.
Back to the research process.........
Since You can only read the script so many times to discover costume clues, you have to go out on your own and do some research. The Internet has made this research so easy to do; you can find images and read about locations and circumstances of the time. I can do it form my home at all hours of the day and night....... Another research tool I have used this time are movies. I have watched most of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies** that are set in the 1930's. ( I am glad that I have a collection of their movies). I know that there are other movies that might have given me a gritter, more real picture of the time period but that was not the image I was searching for. I knew that the Astaire and Rogers movies would give me a glamorous and costumy look that is more called for in C4U...and they are a whole lot of fun to watch as well. It was interesting to really see the hair styles and clothing that was worn by the upper crust and the glamorous people of the time. I loved the cut of the dresses, how they moved, the use of hats and gloves. The Finger waved and pin curled hair was fantastic! ....this of course brought me memories of Grandpa & Granny B...but I digress.....The men were sharp dressed and elegant. I loved their hats as well.......boy we live in a casual world.
Following this movie research I then blended that style with a simplified the style that I found portrayed in several images I found on the Internet and I know have a better idea of how to dress each of the characters in C4U.
I used to think that my favorite time periods for clothing were the 1950's, 1920's 1900- 1915, 1860's, 1800-1820 and royal medieval....however I now have a greater appreciation and love for the 1930 - 1936 fashion.....it has a lot in common with the 1920's and the 1900's.
Most think of the 30's as the time of the great depression and dust bowl era in the USA...and it was, but there was also a chicness about it.....On TV the other day a designer was referring to the 30's as FDR Chic and that was in reference to the furniture..... Anyway it has been so fun to discover a great fashion time period.....and to envision and help create a minuscule look at fashion of the time in Crazy For You.
MCC
** Favorite A & R Movies - Roberta, Swing Time, Shall We Dance & The Gay Divorcee. I also watched The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle - loved it hated the ending but what can you do when it is based on real people? The Berkley's of Broadway. I plan on watching the rest of my collection but they will have to wait a bit until I have more time.

What happened?

- So where did the summer go? I blinked and it is gone...unfortunately so is the time to accomplish my summer goals.....for the most part they were just wishes. I guess I need to be a better goal setter and follower.
- Today is the first JV Football game of the season. It will be fun to see Hayden actually play football. It will also be warm which is nice for now.
- School has started and wow, with only one in public school things are nice. It has been this way for the last two years, but for some reason I am really feeling it this time...I guess it is because Hayden can drive and doesn't need my help as much anymore. He seems to have a great class schedule for the first half of his jr year. He is doing the usual; English, Math, & History, along with Team Conditioning, Seminary, Musical and 2 choir classes.....I guess it isn't really the usual since he has honors and concurrent college enrollment classes......yes he is a smart one. He is also playing football, the leading male in the musical, v.p. of Phoenix Mens Choir, and has been asked to be on several committees and clubs........oh to be so busy and popular!?!?!?!
- 91 days and about 5 hours to go until Elder Call returns home to Utah....that is Thanksgiving Day at 7:00pm form LAX.
- Captain A is 7 1/2 months old. He is trying to crawl, and climb. He was so cute at Sunday dinner; we sat him up to the table with us and he tried to join in the conversation in his own jiberjabber way....so Call like to be adding his two cents to the conversation.
- So what happened ? LIFE! it keeps moving forward and you just have to hang on and hope that you are participating and getting it all done. Another season is about to arrive and it's okay, I will make more goals and plans and maybe this time I will get them done.

It Begins Again.....I love Football!

Uncle Hayden going off to Football practice and the Captain

The Gary Call Family has had a child playing football for 20 years now. Jordan, Nelson and Hayden have all loved it and hated it at times, but the love it side has far exceeded even the toughest times while playing. As a family we have played and watched in the blistering heat, the pouring rain, sleet and snow and extreme cold. We have been off to a game or practice before dawn and arrived home long after the sun has set. We have cheered, and laughed and cried. We have been frustrated and elated with in seconds. We understand responsibility, loyalty and follow through even when it is hard to do. Football has shaped our family and we love it.

We sent Hayden off to play football 9 years ago at age 8, my baby who wanted to "go hit someone." (Older brothers influence). He was a cute little round faced kid who wore glasses, his uniform and pads seemed to dwarf him and make him look even smaller. He is now almost 17 years old and I still think there goes my baby off to "kill 'em or hit 'em hard." His uniform fits better, his shoulders are broad and better able to wear the pads, the glasses are gone as is the little round face. He still wants to "go hit someone" and I guess that is okay, because he only does that on the football field. Tonight begins the BHS Braves Football 2010 season and we are excited to go and be his fan. He has been working hard at football all summer long and will continue to do so daily until the season is over. Hayden will have this year and the next to play football, then we will see what happens. (Our family may then have a break for the next 6 years waiting for the Captain to begin his Football journey.......like it's not going to happen with his father and uncles?) But if he is done after next year or not doesn't really matter I am glad that he has played and that he has loved it.
As a mother I have learned to love having my boys play football. Some mothers think it is so dangerous and rough, and it can be, but the positives it can instill into your kids lives usually far out weighs the danger and the negative aspects. There are a lot of lessons we as a family have all gained because of Football in our lives:
In football we have seen the extra pent up energy and emotion that is usually found in young boys focused in a good way....less beating up the siblings and wrestling during football season. We have had the good coaches and the bad. The good ones are life long friends and great adult male role models. They have taught the boys to work hard and play hard, give it your all, to put in the time and never,never never give up. To finish what you start and most of all to be a good sport. 'The bad one' almost had the whole team quitting and we are not quitters. But we also learned from him, how not to motivate, how to preserver in spite of the situation and how to change things up if they are not good. We have seen the wins and the losses, the championships, the second place finishes and the blanked seasons. Win or lose you learn something about yourself and others....it truly is a growing experience. I think that it is important for your kids to learn that even when you work really hard towards something you may not end up on top. That is life and it is a great lesson to learn early on. Football has instilled a great work ethic in our boys, a team mentality and the knowledge that the stars couldn't be stars with out every member of the team (think the line, the scout team, etc...). Being a member of a team is a good life lesson, you learn how to get along and work with others even if you may not like the people on the team, you learn how to work together for the good of the team, or the job, or the cause etc... Football has taught goal setting in a very simplistic way; 10 yards and 4 downs at a time.... And the joy of obtaining the goal after you put in the work...sometimes you reach the goal quickly and other times it takes a lot of long hard work. It takes a lot of practice to be good and to become better. The lazy don't last. The gifted still need to practice. Lucky breaks come with hard work and time. The friendships that have been made have been because of football are one of the best things I have seen come from playing the game. In little league you are playing with kids from all over, from all backgrounds and situations. You interact with each other in the fun times and in high pressure situations. You learn who are the types of guys you can depend on and who has your back. You understand the importance of making a friend out of almost anyone on the team in football. Both Jordan and Nelson have mentioned how much of what they learned in football helped them on their missions, with companions, their zones and the members: we are all on a 'team' of some kind, each of us with different responsibilities. Football has given our boys a sense of who they are in those tough jr. high years. A place to be, a pack to run with.
When people talk negative about football I get kind of defensive. Like anything the bad stuff makes better news and is easier to get people emotional about. To me the good that has come from football for our family will always out shine the crap that may be associated with it.
Good luck to Hayden and the Braves this 2010 season!
MCC

What a Cute Family!

the happy family J,L & Captain A

yee haw Cowboy

Bear Lake Fun

August 2010

photos by Kimberlyann Photography

MCC

A Day With Gramdma

What a fun day! We had the Captain all day and had a great time playing , eating, watching cars, etc... It was so much fun!

Don't you love his little feet?

Popsicle

....it is so fun to be a grandma.
MCC

the week that was

Two weeks ago Hayden and I decided that we wanted to go to Disneyland....the only open time was the weekend following my ward party and before his two a day football practice began....Gary and Megan were up to it and available so we were off on a whirl wind mini vacation to So. Cal. As part of our plans we thought we could squeeze in a matinee of a national b'way tour...we found In the Heights playing at the OC performing arts center. We had tons of fun, wore our selves out, ate too much, laughed a lot and made up definition/names for the crazy people we encountered. (crazians, adults in strollers, hat people, spoiled princess, amusing dresser, etc....)

Yes, we are the row of weirdos on the Tower of Terror

The Sun Wheel is the back drop for World of Color a water show which is fantastic and beautiful.



the 'new' Melificent Dragon in Fantasmic. (Fantasmic is a family fav!!)
Hayden practical hyperventilated when it came out and when it breathed fire.......


Hayden has never owned his own Mickey ears....

the fab 4!

We'll be back...Nelson will want to see the new Dragon and Captain A needs to experience the Happiest Place on Earth and back for Fantasmic if nothing else..........

MCC

what's shaking?

Thoughts and the rattlings creeping through my brain.....



I am sitting here is a stooper....that mid afternoon, I should nap, but if I do it won't be good because I will wake up and be even loopy than I already am state....not good....



The Apricot fairy dropped off apricots the other day; so now I have bottled pure, sweet apricot jam...a personal fav, and we made some ice cream that was delish.....I would love some more apricots but the thought of bottling it this week would put me over the edge. I will have to wait until next week to even think about canning again....too many other irons in the fire this week.



The little sweet blue eyed Captain visited yesterday....Being a grandma is a joy!



4 months and Elder Call will be home....how crazy is that?



Tons to do and I'm still not done with the regular Monday stuff......of course my mind is racing and I want to do and create more than I have time or energy for.....I need to rewind and get back on the projects that are started......but then the dreaming and planning is much more fun and it doesn't cost anything or take up my lack of energy.....



MCC