I've moved my blog!

Hello there!

I've moved my blog over to wordpress: www.hurraykimmay.wordpress.com so go check it out! It's totally new, totally fabulous, and I hope to see you there.

xoxo

Kimmay

Happy Halloween: Pet Costumes!

Growing up, I had two dogs and a cat. I loved to dress them up for Halloween (or on any random day!). 


Porkie, our overweight dachshund was almost exactly the size of a human baby - thus, fit into my own baby clothes perfectly! Shannon, the border collie, fit into my own clothing really well. I just had to tie up the shirts under her belly so she wouldn't trip on it. She was quite the active dog and we had to avoid tripping. Even though the dogs were reluctant, they eventually went along with it with minimal fuss. Lizzie, our fussy cat, on the other hand, was completely defiant.


So, it only makes sense that the lovely cat that I have now, Bella, absolutely hates to dress up. Don't get me wrong, she loves to model. I have a zillion photos of her ... just zero in costume. I can't even imagine putting her in a fun costume or a hat. She would never stay still long enough to put it on, let alone long enough for me to take a photo of it. So, instead, I will have to enjoy photos of other animals in fun costumes! 


Do you dress up your cat or dog for Halloween? 


 This one is quite inventive! The creator of this costume must have really had some time on his hands... but I say it was worth it.

 Hello Kitty! I mean... c'mon. Adorable.

I had a "hot dog" growing up, but she was black. When we put her in a costume like this, we used to joke that she was a burnt hot dog! Ha!

 You HAVE to visit this Etsy shop, To Scarborough Fair! Not only does it stock the cutest pet hats on the internet, but it also has the best (read: most compliant) cat costume model! 

Cutest. Dog. Ever. This dog isn't even in a real "costume" and I don't care. He is absolutely darling!

This is more like the attitude that I would get from Bella...

Have a happy Halloween!!

XOXO

Kimmay

Halloween Crafts and Decor

I love to decorate my apartment. I wish I had a big house to decorate. It would be so much fun! I must admit, I'm more of a "Fall" decorater - I like to decorate with Fall leaves and Autumn tones to take me through Halloween and Thanksgiving. But, I found some amazing Halloween decor and DIY ideas that I just can't resist. Take a look!

Zombie Pumpkins from Martha Stewart

Black Cat Halloween Art from Raceytay

Organic Walnut Eyeballs from Beth's Organic Walnuts

Halloween Scrapbook/Card Kit from Paper Souffle

Poison Bow Hair Clip from My Darling Frankenstein

Poison Bottles from Moira Coon's Shine

Hot Air Balloon Costume from Country Living

DIY Bat Headband from StyleFrizz

Happy Halloween!

XOXO

Kimmay

Stop the Virgens: Why not?

Hello .... 


I had to take a short break again from blogging. I have been working a lot, but also very caught up in a special project: Stop the Virgens. 


I first heard about this super secretive project through an email from a friend of the producer. It said that the creator/writer was Karen O (who I knew right away from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), but otherwise, details were sketchy. They were doing a reading up north and when I was called in for an audition and couldn't get away from work, I told the casting director to call me if it came back to NY. I thought I'd never hear from her again. But alas, just a few weeks later, my phone rang again... 
This time, I was free for the audition, and in a new position at work - and mentally. I thought, Why Not? Sure, the details were blurry. Sure, it was being coined as a "psycho opera". Sure, it's spelled "virgens" with an E for some reason. But, really, Why Not? 


It was the most crazy and fun audition of my life so far. With director Adam Rapp and Karen O. herself in the audition room, I was ready to sing. But, first I went through the craziest "movement call" ever with the choreographer, Mariangela Lopez (now Mari to us all). She is, for sure, one of the most spontaneous and daring choreographers I have ever worked with. Had I not been in a "Why Not?" frame of mind, I would have probably laughed so hard that I couldn't dance or sing, started crying out of embarrassment, or asked the panel if I was being punk'd. This was a far cry from jazz or musical theater dance class. It was ... severe and organic. I loved it. In fact, after our co-dance session (which was to Heartbeats by The Knife, thank you soooo much. I love this song.) and cool down, and even after I sang, I thanked her before I left the room. I even emailed my friend to say "Thank you so much for encouraging me to go to that audition. I don't think anything will come of it, but I had such an amazing time." While we were emailing about it, I got the offer to be in the chorus. And I thought... Why Not? 


So, here we are, several weeks and long rehearsals and many revisions later and it's opening night. I'm fighting a severe virus, I wear a hot, itchy wig, and I'm crammed on a riser full of other women in hot, itchy wigs... and I don't care. Even missing lots of hours and money from work (though it's crossed my mind) doesn't bother me at this point. Pros and cons aside, I'm so glad that I said "Why Not?" to this project. It's so different from anything I have ever done, and it helps me remember why I need to get creative. It's not just a cliche- it really does feed my soul.

Watch this short trailer from the Creators Project about the show. See snippets of rehearsals, the band, and the set... all amazing.

PS: I knew who Karen O. and Adam Rapp were... and I was already pretty darned impressed. But, I failed to look up the band, musical directors and other contributors. When I had started hearing whispers of "he's in that band" or "he did this project" or "she was a part of this thing", I finally plugged their names into the 'ole Google machine. Turns out that most of these people are well known, and pretty rad. The good news is that in real life, they actually are pretty rad...though far more quiet and unassuming than I imagined they would be for being such rock stars or leaders in their creative industry. Even more impressive. 

*Me in gray with other members of the chorus. Plus, Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for good measure.*


So, maybe next time something strange and unassuming comes my way, I may just say Why Not? again... and hopefully it will turn out just as worthwhile as Stop the Virgens.


XOXO


Kimmay

Rustic Horse Farm Wedding in Roxbury, NY

It was one year ago, during this same weekend, that my fiance and I traveled to rural Pennsylvania to attend our friends' wedding. It was a lovely affair- very simple, on her uncle's farm. Best of all, the weather was perfect, and we camped overnight in a borrowed tent! So fun! So, when the opportunity arose for us to camp out again, the same weekend, one year later for another couple's wedding, we were so excited! 

We couldn't borrow a tent this time, since our friend's with the tent were attending the same wedding this year. Instead, we invested in a nice, new tent, packed up the rental car, and headed north of the city. Almost three hours away, and nestled in the Catskill Mountains, the Stone Tavern Farm sits at the dead end of a narrow, winding road in Roxbury, NY. The farm itself is spread throughout a rolling hill and includes a bed and breakfast, a large horse pasture and barn, cows, a goat named Poppy, a bunk house with bunk beds, a very bumpy road that leads to a vast open camping area, a magical barn and pond, and a grand pavilion.

We were extremely nervous about the weather. It had downpoured the last few days. Luckily, it only started cloudy, and quickly became warm, sunny and quite humid, just in time for the ceremony. Our only foe was the gobs of leftover mud. And maybe it was the fresh air, or perhaps it was the picturesque setting... but a little mud didn't seem to bother us at all. Please enjoy these photos of a truly loving and wonderful wedding. 

All photos taken by yours truly. 

 

The bride surprised everyone with a entrance atop a beautiful horse! Everyone burst into applause....

The bride forwent riding sidesaddle in her Nicole Miller gown and her Grandmother's wedding day shoes. 



The cutest attendee...


Though the couple lives in Brooklyn, NY, their wedding was very rustic and fresh. These gorgeous local flowers were set around the pavilion for cocktail hour, which featured a Mint Julep/Manhattan concoction served in jar glasses...




A beautiful photo op as the sun was setting by the pond...




It's no secret that I love purple. And these gorgeous blooms in square vases, with burlap and thoughtfully arranged votives were just my style!



I am absolutely in love with this accidental photo. Their eerie images are dancing in the dark through the barn, like a ghost couple in love. 

Enjoy!

xoxo

Kimmay

Flowers: Faux and Fabulous

I recently spoke with a wedding planner and told him I was on a very strict budget. As we were discussing my costs, he started in on "well, your flowers will cost about $6,000. Maybe $3,000-$4,000 if you're lucky." I knew immediately that he and I were not a good match. . . 


I plan on DIYing a lot of my wedding. Mainly, because it will help me save money. But, also, because it will allow us to put our own personal touch on our wedding day. Some things I will make, but some things I may have someone else make. I thought about silk flowers, since a good friend of mine used them at her wedding and I didn't even notice! But, I almost feel like going faux in a more obvious, handmade way, can make a very creative and colorful statement. As always, Etsy is a great resource for products and ideas. Here are some of my recent favorite faux flowers! 

These are from an Etsy shop called Flower Thyme. The paper blooms are available in a rainbow of colors, and bouquets and arrangements $20-$70. I could even see mixing in some of the paper flowers with real flowers for a mixed media look. 

Another faux fav is the shop Handmade Collectibles. These flowers are made of layers of felt and are also available in many colors. Boutineers start at $12 and bouquets go up to $100. So luxe looking, you won't miss real flowers! 

Just two of my current favorites. The prices may not be a huge savings over real blooms- but they will last longer. Also, you can arrange and prepare them ahead of time and not have to worry about them on the day of your wedding. Also, if you're super talented, you may be able to make something similar! 

XOXO

Kimmay

I'm back! Are you still there?

Hello all of my Hurray Kimmay readers! (Are you still there?) I'm back! It's been a long time and I have so much to share. For now, I just wanted to pop in and give you a quick preview of what you can expect...

• Being engaged is not easy. My fiance and I have been struggling with wedding planning. I avoided writing about it (or anything else for that matter) as a means to avoid added stress. However, I'm now wondering if sharing our struggles, and asking the blogging world for help, will actually be a stress reliever. Stay tuned for some of the good (I found my dress! And for an amazing price!) and the bad (a NYC wedding costs WHAT?). Can not wait to share. 
• I'm in a show! Rehearsals start today for a very unique show with some big names. Very much looking forward to getting creative and being a part of a large group (it has a cast of 70!) of very talented people. 
• I have a new job! Same company- new position. And it's very blog related. Hurray! I have a new neighborhood to explore, skills to learn, and adventures to share. 

I promise that I will be a better blogger, and am so excited for the new things coming my way. Thanks for reading! 

xoxo

Kimmay