A Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball with a steamy twist

How do these post always start off? Ok, here goes:

Last night me and my crew hosted - insert event here:

A Mardi Gras Masqerade Ball with a steampunk theme.

It was so much - insert adjective here:

Fun.

The attendance was - insert disappointing number here:

about 20. 

I have no idea where everyone was last night. Many of our event usuals and local steampunk enthusiasts were missing. Most of the people who bought tickets in advance and contest winners didn't even show up.

My best guess is because:

 1. There was a Mardi Gras parade earlier that day so people were probably pooped from that.

2. We hosted the event at a new and rather unfamiliar location.

3. Mardi Gras is still pretty new to our town.

4. Mari Gras + Steampunk = mind boggling concept to the average person.

So really, it turned out to be like a little mixer with a little dancing.

Ugh, I've thrown spontaneous HOUSE parties where more than 20 people came.

MY $5 MARDI GRAS STEAMPUNK COSTUME:

As usual I didn't buy anything for this costume except for the green top hat I revamped.

**Check out my post about making it HERE!!**

Thrifted blouse

Bodice, worn inside out, made by a friend last year, last seen here:

Green overskirt- $5 find from Etsy a couple years ago + purple silk sari skirt tucked and pinned, last seen here:

The makeup and da face.

The PARTY!!

The husband!

 Bustin' a move!

ME!!

Drinking my first Hurricane after a loooong night of socializing and goofery.

 (The Hurricane is kind of the official mixed drink of Mardi Gras)

So yeah, that's it.

Time to go blog stalk! So you all next week!!

I stepped on an eyeball.

 This week has been - hm, I don't have a word for it. I guess I'll make up one. This week has been: smiddledong. 

Yes. 

Smiddledong.

I've been battling manic highs and lows caused by non other than the good old reliable surge of hormones that strikes me every month (unless I'm pregnant). My patience is paper thin but my drive to get things done is incredibly high so when I start on a project and get interrupted by anything... I see red.  Being an event planner, a wife and a mom of two kids under two, there are A LOT of interruptions. 

  I've been spending hours and hours networking and schmoozing, trying to build an audience for this whole mom blog thing. It's paying off but I still haven't found my people you know what I mean? Just a bunch of Starbucks-loving soccer moms in designer jeans, trendy chevron print blouses and infinity scarves. Really though, I'm ok with that for right now but I better find some offbeat and truly groovy moms soon or I'm going to shut this whole operation down.

Nah, that's a lie.

Thar's gold in them thar hills and I ain't quittin 'til I find me some!!

 The thing keeping me motivated the most is blogger earning reports. Professional bloggers sometime share exactly where their money comes from and how. It's seems I'm on the right path- I just need to keep networking, promoting and give it some time.

Meh, I'm looking for overnight success. Heck. Who isn't?

I wanna be a rich and famous blogger!!

HA!! No.

I just wanna be able to buy name-brand breakfast cereal and not feel bad for "splurging".

breaking eggs

I've been a weeeee bit depressed this week. There's been something on my mind that's really bugging me. Well, not so much on my mind, but rather on my chest.

Warning: if you don't like "TMI" now is the time to walk away.

My boobs are still growing. The last time I posted about the big boob issue, I had entered into a 38M.

I'm currently spilling out of said 38M and the last size you can get online is N.  I fear I need something bigger than that and I just can't find it anywhere.

I'm in desperate need of a breast reduction but if I get one right now, I would need to hire a live-in nanny, a maid and a cook. While my kiddos are so young and dependent, there's just no way I can have a surgery and take six weeks off from motherhood to recover.

What I need for right now is a bigger bra.

I don't mind the size really and can you believe that I'm JUST NOW starting to experience pain? My left breast is significantly bigger than the right and when unsupported (or poorly supported)  its tremendous weight pulls the skin on my chest, the tendons in my neck all the way up to my scalp. My upper back stays knotted and my clavicle feels like its cracked. Not cool.

I'm trying to lose weight, taking up exercise several days a week(no jumping jacks!) and cutting back on carbs but I fear it's not my weight that's the issue. I've only lost five pounds so far but my boobs just keep getting bigger and bigger. Pray for me,ya'll. I need a miracle.

A boobtastic miracle.

OK! Now that I've gotten that crap out of the way... let's PARTY!!

 I'm currently working on an upcoming Mardi Gras event. It's a god old fashion masquerade ball, but with a steampunk theme. I'm actually pretty tired of steampunk but we figured it'd be best to ride the recent wave of popularity before is recedes back into the sea of worn out sub-genres and trends... again.

A couple of friends of mine donated their huge collection of beads for us to use as decoration. I like the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold so I spent half a day untangling and picking out those pesky rebel colors. 

I found this gem in the lot.

I used a couple dozen of the necklaces to jazz up a cheap leprechaun to hat for my ball costume.

All it took was some hot glue, a few hours (two kids) and a tiny bottle of wine. I'm not done with it and I'm not going to show you the finished product until after the ball. I would rather show you all what it looks like with my costume. 

A little randomness:

And for everyone saying Cedar looks like me.... she's a clone of her father. We made her... in a laboratory.

(Joke.)

Lookin' cool.

   Rave in the bathtub.

  This was back on River's birthday. I let him eat an entire cinnamon roll.

I'm a good mama.

 And the coup de gras!!

CEDAR FACE TIME!!

...and now he's two.

Well, he's almost two. River's birthday isn't until the 20th but for the past couple weeks, he's been giving us a very thorough demonstration of what's to come for the next 12 months.

They don't call them the "terrible twos" for nothing.

What's making it so hard for us (and him) right now is that he can't talk. Is it his hearing? Nope. He can hear you unwrap a Twinkie a mile away. What's his deal? Dunno.

So, because he can't talk, but has a lot to say, this is how he communicates:

In this particular photo he was extremely upset because mama wasn't delivering those little cupcakes fast enough. 

************************

River's party was supposed to be gothic circus themed... BUT... um, I kind of  forgot about his birthday until just a few days before and had no time to get things ready. Awful, I know. Shake your head at me, wag a finger. Shame, shame, shame on mama. 

It wasn't that I forgot his birthday - I just plain forgot what month we're in right now. 

I decided to go for an arty party. Nice and easy, cute and cheap. I put river to work with finger paints and crayons and used his art as party decor.

Soooo that's all for now. There are still strings of cheap plastic pennants and paper chains all over the place. It's the day after the party and I just plain don't feel like cleaning anything. I don't wanna clean anything ever again and you can't make me!

Ok. Bye.