Firebrick….OMG…I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Never mind that Bronze is due as we speak…:/ Firebrick and Bronze are starting to remind me of Autumn. I was driving home the other day with my beloved Vanish and he just kind of chuckled when I said “The trees are starting to change color!!!!!”….like it was some kind of major news announcement! We have been fortunate and have had SUCH a mild summer, I guess I keep waiting for the REALLY hot weather and still doubt that the summer is almost over…as evidenced by the trees all around me.
I cannot help but think about the beginning of fall 10 years ago. I was NOT looking forward to having to work at the Fair again that year….8 straight days of hell. I had started making preparations for it…had arranged for workers to be there during the allotted hours and coordinated with other agencies to have all services provided. I had gone to work that morning, just like any other, making sure that everything was in place as planned. We were getting our morning coffee, some of us still “snacking” on breakfast food, and I remember hearing someone call for everyone in the office to come look at the TV. I was not too keen on that idea. There were a lot of us in the office and the TV room was REALLY small. And besides…it was probably some silly something or other that I would see on the news a hundred times that evening. But there was something in the voice of the one that called us that made me think…maybe I needed to see this first hand.
I had intended to peek in and see what was going on and pretend to be interested before returning to work. Everyone was gathered around the tiny little TV and I could see the concern on my co-workers faces. I was always taller than most of the other people in the office, so I squeezed in at the back and tried to be unnoticed as I looked at what had the others so entranced. I remember seeing two buildings on fire. Up until that time, the World Trade Center was just something that I had heard about occasionally in an article or on TV, but if I had been asked to pick out the World Trade Center’s silhouette, I really would have had no idea. I could hear the panic in the peoples voices on the TV and the confusion I felt myself as I watched “things” “fall” from the building…not knowing at the time that it was people who had chosen to jump rather than face the fire.
It all seemed to be happening really fast and yet in slow motion at the same time. I heard the reporters talking about the “strength” of the buildings and how they had been constructed to withstand catastrophes of most kinds. I remember thinking to myself how difficult it must be for those people to evacuate a building if they were on the upper floors. I was in a building 7 stories tall myself…and was not sure that I could make it down SEVEN flights of stairs under those conditions, let alone 77!
All these thoughts were fleeting through my mind as I watched the smoke bellow from the buildings and then there was a collective gasp in the room….and silence….terrifying, bone shattering silence….as we watched the first building collapse to the ground in horror. By this time they had deduced that the planes had been hijacked, that there were at least one or two more that were missing….and this was indeed a “terrorist attack”……a phrase that I had seldom seen or heard in my part of the country, up to that time.
I remember the immediate panic that set in and telling my boss that I needed to go get my kids and that I hoped to be back in a few hours if all was ok. I honestly cannot tell you what she replied. It did not matter to me. The fact that I ASKED her if I could leave was a mere formality. At that moment, my kids were all that mattered to me. I HAD to have them all in one place, safe and sound…under my wing.
All my babies are all grown up now…and have kids of their own. But those events changed us….it changed who we were as individuals and especially who we are as a country. It changed us in many good ways…ways that NEEDED to be changed. And it changed us in ways that I wish it had not. I still thank God that my sweet baby boy returned home to us after not ONE but TWO tours of duty in Iraq.
It has been 10 years and sometimes it seems like we squabble over silly things and are more vulnerable than ever. I only hope that we have learned something…and better yet, that I…as a component of the whole have changed and evolved to become a “better” me. My heart still grieves for those families that lost loved ones that day. And as the day comes and goes…with all the fanfare that a 10 year commemoration usually has, I hope we have at least begun to scratch the surface on what “living together in harmony” really means and that we have finally begun to learn to judge people on their actions and not the color of their skin, sexual preference or religious beliefs. To all of my fellow Americans “at home” and my new European friends and family…may September 11 be a day of peace and rest to you all…a time to reflect on who we were and what we have become…a special day…to mark new beginnings and past lives….a day mixed with joyful celebration and somber reflection. May you all…..be blessed.
On to “fashion”….
I have been wanting to blog about this outfit since I first saw it about a month ago! AnneJoy Paine of aDiva Couture is one of the “hottest” designers I know! And no….I am not talking about the sexual prowess of her avi (although she IS really cute!) There is hardly a day that goes by that Annejoy has not released something new for her clients…making me feel like a LAZZZZZZY blogger! Every time I see her new release I think to myself “Oh god…..that is SOOOO cute…I cannot WAIT to blog it!” And then the next day there will be something EQUALLY amazing ready for consumption!! Her designs are of the finest quality and she always takes the time to make a little something special for almost every outfit! This one comes with the beautiful “Firebrick” red dress trimmed in gold, but also comes with the necklace and earrings shown here along with a matching head scarf and another scarf with attached hair. I felt like the scarf/hair combo fit me better a little farther back on my head than some might wear it, so I added a tattoo layer hairbase by Essences as well.
This is probably the darkest skin I have in my collections and I have worn it on several occasions. It came from Essences. The last I heard, Essences is no longer in business on the grid, but I am hoping that Inka Mexicola will just take a break from creating before she decides that she just HAS to do it…and comes back to create beautiful skins for us, once again. Thank you Inka for your time and talent! It was not “wasted” and you are missed.
Nails, rings and bracelet are from Finesmith Designs. Finesmith has recently released several lines that have a “tribal” “boho” feel to them and would have looked excellent with this dress, but all I used was the bracelet from the “Wild” collection. The nails are from the Metallic line and have a nice color change menu to change rings, gems and nails.
I wanted some simple, elegant footwear for this amazing design, so I pulled out this zipper back sandal from Serina Lacava Collection. It has a color change HUD for the skin, SEVERAL colors for the sandal, optional toe ring, and nails.
My beautiful brown eyes are from Fashism, and lashes are from [Glow] Studio.
The backgrounds are all from Props-N-Poses and the poses are from Purple Poses.
There you have it…my take on “Firebrick”….as I look forward to the next entry featuring “Bronze”!
Until then….have a sweet, peaceful weekend….and as always….be challenged.
STYLING NOTES
Outfit: aDiva Couture – Inspiration Red Earth Top, Bottom, Skirt, Brooche, Choker, Earrings, Hair with Band*
Shoes: SLC – Zipper Sandal Shoe*
Hairbase: Essences – Hairbase – Black
Nails and bracelet: Finesmith Designs – Metallic Nails, Finesmith Wild Bracelet*
Lashes: [Glow] Studio – Innocent. eyelashes – gentle
Skin: Essences – Serenity Skin – Makeup8 (Dark)
Eyes: FASHISM ‘Sunrise’ Eyes – Deep Brown (L)*
Backgrounds: Props-N-Poses
Poses: Purple Poses
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[slickr-flickr tag=”Firebrick”]
