Tie dye photos

I don't know how well my photos will post. If you can't get a good enough view, well, you'll just have to stop over for some coffee (or iced tea or wine, your pick) and see them in person!

Here's the front, Violet's is on the left, mine is on the right:



And the backs (same order):



I like the look of the tie dye on the light yellow. Violet isn't quite sure yet. We don't know any fancy methods. I just randomly twist and rubber band. Violet did a lot of dribbling and splattering dye on the untied shirt. My next one will be light blue.

I guess I'm in a tie dye sort of mood. I volunteered to set up a Sharpie marker and rubbing alcohol faux tie dye station at our company picnic. I didn't really want to go to the picnic. But I figure in this economy, being seen is important. And if Mr. I. wants to market his new company with any of my coworkers, what better opportunity will there be.

Well, this year the picnic is on a budget. We're all being asked to volunteer to either arrive early and set up, stay late and clean up or help with activities. I don't want to go early. I don't want to be stuck there. So I offered to do a craft with the kids and suggested the aforementioned faux tie dye. I have the supplies, people would just need to bring something to do it on. I'll try to have some plain white material cut into neat squares on hand in case any of the kids want to try but don't have a shirt or bandana or pillow case to use. Best not to make a partner's kid or grandkid cry you know.

But the committee might not like my idea. The first year I worked there I was on the picnic committee. I suggested horse shoes as an activity. I was told no one plays horse shoes. Every picnic I'd ever been to had tons of people playing horse shoes. "Well, these people don't play horse shoes." I guess "these people" are North Suburban Chicagoans. Or maybe accountants. I don't know. All I know is when they disbanded the picnic committee and had just one person take over the whole thing (the one who said they don't play horse shoes, by the way) I wasn't sad. And every time since I've been to a picnic and seen people playing horse shoes I've felt a little sad for those poor Northsiders (or maybe accountants) who've never gotten to play this fun game.

Let me tell you that did nothing for my feeling like a fish out of water at that company. I'd moved to the suburbs from small, country towns for the first time and I was constantly getting lost and not understanding things. You'd never guess what a difference 90 miles can make but boy oh boy the Northern Chicago Suburbs are nothing like Northern Illinois small towns.

This is the first year we've had a picnic in a while. And the first picnic committee in years (how things come full circle). For the last few summers they've gone to Arlington Race Track to bet on the horses. You had to dress up and there were separate activities located elsewhere for the kids. We said no thank you. We'd like Violet to stay with us and we don't gamble. In the years before that we had the picnic at a zoo (the best!) and a wild west town enactment place. We also had the picnic at a park and had use of the pool before it opened. I was bummed there was no pool this year. Budget Picnic. Back to us planning it.

I'll do a craft with the kids (preferable to making small talk with the partners and their spouses). But I won't join the picnic committee again.

No horse shoes? Really?