I started my online program in Costume & Textiles Collections Management this week and I am very happy with it so far.  As it turns out, most of us have a lot of connections.  One of the ladies in the class actually worked with me when I was a Costumer at Disneyland.  It has been about 6 years since I last saw her so it is great to get a chance to get to know her again!  Other women in the class have also worked for Disney, and many of us have connections to the entertainment industry.      

While I was attending Grad School at UCLA, I had the opportunity to do my work-study at the David C. Copley Center for Costume Design.  The chair of the department, Dr. Deborah Nadoolman Landis, happens to be an incredible costume designer, teacher, and author.  She has written some of the best books on costume design in film that are available today.  I was lucky enough to work as a research assistant on various aspects of three of her newest books.  One of these books is now available, and one will be available on October 15th.  I do not know the release date for the third book.

As a research assistant, I had to not only know about costume design and fashion history, but also about computer programs and research methods.  I had to be detail oriented, organized, and communicate  all of the information I found clearly.  I can not describe how cool it is to see my name listed in these books.

Clicking on the book covers will take you to amazon.com

Today I start taking online extension classes through CSU Long Beach in Costumes & Textiles Collection Management.  I am a little nervous about taking classes that are completely online, but I remind myself, this is yet another step in my long-term plan that is actually starting to see fruition.  I am very excited about this program.  Just a cursory look at the class website showed me links to so many new websites I can’t wait to explore.  I am looking forward to adding some of them to the links section of my website.  As my class goes on, I will definitely be sharing some of the tips and tricks I learn in the program.

Have you heard about Shout brand color catchers?  They are brilliant.  You put them in your laundry and they catch loose dye in the water so that your clothes don't bleed on each other.  This also comes in VERY handy when you are doing laundry that is covered in stage blood.  These are eight of the nine color catchers I put in the wash with my zombie laundry.  This picture does not do the color justice, they are actually bright red but show exactly how much dye was floating around in the water.  

Just wanted to introduce you to Sew Any Fabric.  It is an awesome book to have in your library.  It lives up to its' title by giving you directions for sewing on pretty much any type of fabric.  This includes information on sewing machine settings and needle size; but just as important, it also gives you information on the care and handling of items made from the listed fabrics.  Each page is devoted to a different fabric in a very easy to read bullet point format.  I pulled out my copy this morning so that I could figure out how to clean something.  Even if you don't sew, it's not really that expensive, so if you don't have it already, I would definitely suggest looking into it.

So it's been  a while since I've posted anything, but not to worry, I have not forgotten you.  I have however been having arguments with my internet provider.  I am hoping that everything will be fixed soon, but it looks like it won't be on again until tuesday....

In the mean time, I have been learning how to do the cash desk at work, and contemplating laundry tips.  I will be sharing some more on these subjects this weekend (I hope).  

Next week I am also starting extention classes through CSU Long Beach.  Nine months from now I should have my certificate in Costume & Textiles Collections Management.  And of course, anything cool I learn along the way I will share here on the website.