The finished dress:

[Ginger]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/silverhorse/shinies/P1030483.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/silverhorse/shinies/P1030488.jpg

It'll be here in a week.

[Jane Hurl]

:shock: Wow! What a beautiful, beautiful thing!

Can't tell for sure. Is it an orange-red ... or a coral pink? Either will look stunning on a redhead!

[Ginger]

I still can't believe something lke me gets to wear something like that. It's a "plain old" red, but the camera she uses makes the colors fade just a bit. It's actually more like typical "red velvet" red. My hair will be up, and I'm having temporary highlights (for the first time- I've never chemically altered my hair before) in there so it doesn't clash too badly. It'll be cut short and put up anyways.

Were the place my soul would ideally exist not vacant save for dust-bunnies, I'd actually be touched to the point of sniffliness upon sight of this fine fabrication of textile and Swarovski.

[Fino1]

GingerPoni.............You'll be simply stunning!!

[Edurne]

gorgeous dress Crystal - you are not cutting your crowning glory?

Beautiful gown. You'll look like a fairy princess.

[Blameitonbrio]

That is a stunningly beautiful dress Poni. I hope we will get to see pictures of you in it. It is just gorgeous!

[CarolU]

Looks beautiful Crystal...now, what was that about cutting your hair????

And, I want to complement you on your perserverence in weight loss. You're looking GREAT!

So...lets see that dress with you in it...once it gets here.

[Terri]

Wow :shock: That is simply stunning. I love it. And yes we want to see you in it! And congrats on the weight loss, that is very hard to do.

[Mellifluous]

Wow that is gorgeous!

And you CAN'T be cutting your hair too short, right? I mean you still have to put it up! Your hair is so pretty!

If you have enough length when you do get it shortened, see if there is enough to donate for a wig. I bet there is a kid with cancer out there that would love to have some gorgeous red tresses!

You are walking proof that exercise works and no crazy diets are needed! Way to go Crystal!

[motorgypsy]

Gorgeous!!!! I LOVE it!! With today's makeup and hair rinses we can all wear any color we want to and still look great!!!!

Roux white minx hair rinse. Takes out the red highlights and washes out with shampoo. It doesn't in any way damage your hair. Of course you could do a little shading with a real hair color but personally I think your hair has beautiful highlights already. You can buy the rinse at drug stores, beauty supplies, etc. You towel dry your hair, then apply it and rub it all through and apply again until you're satisfied. There is another non permanent red tone remover that is used on grey hair that you can get at a beauty supply. We used it on a bleached mane section for photos and it worked well. Bluing also works to tone down red. We used to use it on our show cats when they got into something that turned their pale creamy white coat muddy colored. The other non permanents are the colors that say they will cover grey. You can go any color darker than your own hair with them and they wash out in about 8 shampoos like Clairol Loving Care.

For makeup Max Factor Pan Stick is a stage makeup that will cover anything. Good on scars and freckles also. Drug stores carry it. They have a nude ivory and a natural that are very light. After you apply it and rub it in really well you then use blushers and some darker shades to contour your face and nose. There is a very long lasting lipstick out now that works pretty well by the way but it feels kind of funny. I put a gloss on top of it to soften it a bit and it did OK. There is also a much more long lasting mascara out.

We want pictures in good light!!!

[Barbwire]

Love the dress, mostly. I could never handle having that noose around my neck, I can't even wear turtlenecks without stretching them so they are very loose. My loathing for having anything touch my neck probably comes from having my brothers try to choke me, but that's another story. ;-)

[Linda Y]

Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. And I envy you with evey fat cell in my body!

[Edurne]

Can you imagine anyone trying to choke Crystal? :twisted:

[Polly Aulton]

Absolutely gorgeous! You must post photos when you get all gussied up and ready to dance.
Make sure you identify yourself otherwise we won't recognize you!
Polly

[Moniece Dickerson]

Absolutely beautiful and you'll be stunning in it!Can't wait to see pics of you in it!Moniece

[Tracey]

Wow, great dress! And Congrats on the weight loss, you look like a million bucks!
Barb C. I also have that thing about nothing touching my neck! I don't have any brothers, I always wondered if I wasn't murdered in a previous life! I can't even stand really high t shirts!

[DebbieS]

Beautiful Dress!!

My daughter's hair was down to her waist and she wanted to cut it (I'm a long-hair myself, so I had a hard time with this). We cut is right before Christmas - to her shoulders. It's very cute and we can still put it up for ballet. It's so much easier to take care of.

I'm not sure if I'll ever cut mine. It's a little below my bra-strap in back now. I did get about 4 inches cut in December. That's about as short as I can go.

Yes, post pics of you all gussied up!!

[Pasogirlz]

WOW! I love it!!! I can't wait to see you wearing it. 8-)

[Ginger]

Speaking of "nooses" and other horrible things to wear- this very blue sparkly happy top of mine, which I thought would be my favorite forever and ever, is AWFUL:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v135/silverhorse/me12306.jpg

The sparkly around the corner and arm holes actually BLISTERED me the other night! Red welts! The glitter abraded my skin until I had to find that Band-Aid brand camphor/benzocaine gel for it. The good thing about this dress is that the float neckband is detachable. It's a sort of "conversion" gown. There are two divisions in most of the comps: American Smooth and International Standard. American Smooth is the same gown, without the "floats"- the extra pieces of material. The IS version has floats and different footwork. Although we're IS bronze-low-silver, I'll still 86 the floats, I think. I'm scared I'll get a foot through one of them, like the time Ickis got caught trying to remove his bathrobe.

The hair has to go at least up to the bottoms of my shoulder blades (it's past my butt again) because the weight has finally started to thin it and make it look ragged. Besides that, it'll stay up in one of those "back of the neck knots" for roughly two hours before it starts to frizz and come out of my three bands I have wrapped around it.

Thanks for the weightloss words of encouragement. It's just really strange to have it happen like this- I never thought I'd lose it short of something majorly invasive (I wouldn't do that because I watched Dateline once... EEK!), or unless I got hooked on crack (which is too expensive and I like having teeth, even if they're gappy). I don't even want the stuff that used to bog me down anymore. I guess it was a careful weaning process like any addict to anything would have to endure. I haven't had a double espresso in months. I'm still hooked on regular sodas (I hate that diet taste, and the GOOD diet sodas with sucralose aren't ever in the machines) and sweet iced tea, but my snacking's way, way down, and the giant plates at the steakhouse or Cracker Barrel are now only respectably-sized. I still can't relinquish that hashbrown casserole. That stuff was put on this planet for a reason, and that was to be worshipped.

It's still not so great, though... the other day, I wanted a "proper chiropractic alignment", so I tacked up Zumi before we went out for the night. I thought "Hmm... I've lost a little... maybe I can do this..." So I climbed on him from the ground. True to his drama queen form, he snorted, staggered sideways, and his knees almost buckled before we righted ourselves. Moral of the story: Use a mounting block. I'm always very careful when mounting- I don't snatch the saddle over and torque the spine or anything.. but I'm still just too heavy to try getting on that way. I'll use the ladder from now on. I was really proud of him though- he left the barn, made some nice circles in gait, and even played "chase" with his Aunt Becky like he does with us! He bucked and crowhopped and did the sideways cha-cha-cha, but he was very manageable otherwise. I just got a different saddle (go ebay!) for him- one of the older Thorowgood gel-rides with full faux suede. I got it for $130, which is a little steep, but I haven't found another like that in ages. It'll be on ebay soon, don't worry!

As far as pics, urgh- I dunno- the three-way progressive avatar took a lot of pondering. A conformation shot in a red sparkly dress is an open invitation! LOL.

[Tracey]

Now you know for that confomation shot, we will require: That you be on level ground, feet shoulder space apart, shots from front and back as well as to the side. And most of all make sure any children in the photo are wearing safety helmets.
Sorry I couldn't resist :twisted:

[Barbwire]

http://bestsmileys.com/lol/5.gif

[Barbwire]

http://bestsmileys.com/lol/5.gif

[Ginger]

Besides that, I wasn't in gait! :razz:

[Brigitte]

Pretty dress!! Just love the color, but I wouldn't want that thing around my neck :-?

[motorgypsy]

Regarding your blue sparkly top - why not buy a stretch satin or velvet long sleeve blouse/body suit to wear under it so it won't scratch? It's too pretty not to wear.

[Paula]

Crystal,

You're looking fantastic!

[Carol Nelson]

Gotta agree, you look great!!! You go girl!!!