Nail Painting!

[Sadderbutwisergirl]

I told a friend of mine that I don't wear makeup and she said that she found that sexy because she said that meant that I was comfortable with myself. I think the only things I need to cover up are the dark circles under my eyes and that is barely noticeable when I wear glasses. She also thinks I look like a longer-haired version of Tina Fey. I plan to pose for a picture like that in a similar outfit and ask my friends how similar the two look.

[Betsy]

Well, there are a LOT of makeup issues with me.  One is, I keep wiping my eyes and rubbing my face (although now that I'm wheat/gluten free, that has all disappeared...) and it would mess up my makeup.  I would see a miror somewhere, and realize i looked like a raccoon.  Another, the fact that I only used to wear it for church and other dressy events; and that meant two things: one was that people would tell me how beautiful I was, (with the stuff on) and that I should wear it all the time.  In order, I guess, to be artificially beautiful, all of the time.  The other was that when I ran into someone from church in the middle of the week, I would notice they looked at me differently (I was not made up).  What your aunt, Fleecy, was doing was probably trying not to shock anyone by not ever appearing "different".  Anyway, I used to be a chef, and after that (before the stay-at-home-mom period) taught Culinary Arts.  And I really don't think chefs need to wear makeup.  In fact, once i was eating Vichyssoise (a creamy potato soup) out, somewhere, and I found an eyelash in my soup.  I removed it with my spoon, but in transferring it from the spoon to the napkin, it smeared, and dissolved mascara came off it.  Yuck.  Talk about losing one's appetite.

Which brings me to another consideration: I have heard it said that there are a lot of women walking around who could improve the beauty and morale of the world considerably, just by fixing up a little.   That it would be a work of charity, of sorts.  It IS a good thing to remember that we are seen, even though we are not studyin' it.  On the other hand, an older woman who wears a lot of makeup can look awfully "hard", and not-nice, I think.  And younger ones have natural beauty...of course, they are sitting next to, and being compared with, the painted ladies.  So many angles to consider, and there is one more, at least as far as I'm concerned: wearing makeup can make me look SO much better that I can turn heads.  And being an Aspie, I am rather sensitive and hyper-aware of that, and it bothered me.  The options were to wear makeup 24/7, so I and the world would just get used to it...or eschew it altogether, which I generally do.  Exceptions: weddings.  Maybe funerals, but only waterproof mascara.  And, when I sing professionally, and of course am "dressed".

[Sadderbutwisergirl]

You sing professionally, Betsy? Do you know what your range is? I don't know my exact range and was never taught anything much about notes, but I have a wide enough range to sing as high as Johanna's song "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" from Sweeney Todd to as low as Tony's song "Maria" from West Side Story. I think this means I can do baritone to soprano. I wonder how many octaves that would be...

[Mozart]

You sing professionally, Betsy? Do you know what your range is? I don't know my exact range and was never taught anything much about notes, but I have a wide enough range to sing as high as Johanna's song "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" from Sweeney Todd to as low as Tony's song "Maria" from West Side Story. I think this means I can do baritone to soprano. I wonder how many octaves that would be...

I didn't know it was possible to have such a large range. I think most females are alto, mezzo soprano, or soprano. I don't think it is physically possible for most women to sing so low. If you could sing that low, then your larynx would have to be large and your vocal chords quite thick, which would make it impossible for you to sing in the soprano range unless you were singing falsetto. It sounds like you might be an alto, but it's impossible to say for certain without hearing you. Perhaps Betsy could confirm what I've told you to make sure I haven't given you the wrong information. She is the professional. 

[Fleecy]

Betsy: Eew... eyelashes in food... I had a Filet O'Fish once come back with an eyelash on it. I didn't eat the sandwich (somebody else ate it). I was too grossed out.

Now it's kind of a joke in the family. "I think I'll get a Filet O'Fish..."  "With no eyelashes?"  "Right."

I don't know if she was trying not to shock anybody or not... but in any case I thought it was sad that she feels so much of some kind of pressure that she "has" to have makeup on.

About singing voices... I can sing pretty low but I don't really know what it's called (and I generally avoid singing that low unless nobody else is in the house - I have to sing LOUD to reach the really low notes, and although I really enjoy singing I'm not so keen on other people hearing it, at least not full-blast like that). I can put on a high voice for talking (I like to "do voices") but it doesn't really work for singing, my voice "cracks" terribly if I try to combine high voice with singing. Hurts my throat too. So I don't do it.

[Betsy]

I think my top comfortable note is high F sharp; not certain about the low end, but I have just a spit under 4 octaves, if i remember right.  But, y'all, range isn't everything.  It's just one of those "size" issues -- as in, "How big is yours?".

I took voice for about 7 years, weekly, starting when I was a Junior in High School. I seriously recommend voice lessons to everyone who sings at all.  You will learn how to keep your voice in good shape, which is important, since you don't reach your peak vocally until about age 45 or 50.  Many people have blown out their tubes before that.  And of course, besides damage prevention, lessons teach you how to let what's in there, out! 

When I was a teen and in my twenties, I lacked the ability to sing dispassionately; I would flush, sweat, and tremble. And of course, that gets in the way of any tone that is not supposed to be quavering!!!  Anyway, time went by; I decided to only sing for the Lord.  I did other things, usually singing with a chorus or city chorale, just because I love it.  By midlife, I found I had lost all of those inhibitions; and though it's a little late, now, for the singing career I could have had, the one I have now (in church choir, and as a soloist, for weddings and funerals) is very fulfilling.   

[Fleecy]

"Blown out their tubes"...? That sounds kinda scary.

(I read the rest of the post... but I can't think of something else to say)

[Sadderbutwisergirl]

I think she means doing serious damage to your vocal cords, which can be done by things like doing too much belting. I know a girl who used to be really good at singing, but she joined a band and decided to write songs that required a lot of belting. She experienced throat problems from this and now, she's still good, but worse in comparison to how she was before.
This is why you should take good care of your voice. I take a curricular chorus class in school and as well as learning great new songs, such as "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from Les Miserables, I've learned cool things about taking care of one's voice. One tip I was given was to not drink any caffeinated drinks unless you are able to drink a large glass of water afterwards. My chorus teacher also has a bowl of multiflavored cough drops that anyone can take from at certain times. It's kind of like a candy bowl, but they actually do do wonders for the throat.

[Fleecy]

"Belting" is when you sing as loud as you can or something, right? 
The cough drops thing I think I've heard of that before... Ever had a Ricola? They're surprisingly tasty.

[Sadderbutwisergirl]

Belting is sort of the musical equivalent of shouting and is often used in songs to express extreme emotion. There's quite a bit of it in "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked . Read the Wikipedia article for more information.

[Fleecy]

Oh, I see. Thanks. That was an interesting article. I like Wikipedia.

[Sadderbutwisergirl]

I read Wikipedia myself for enjoyment, but my school has an anti-Wikipedia policy. Sure, it isn't very reputable for serious research, but it has its pros, too. I've found some of my favorite websites through Wikipedia.

[Fleecy]

Aww... anti-Wikipedia policy? I realize it's not the be-all-end-all, but it sure can be a good starting point. Especially because Wikipedia's policy is basically "source stuff as much as possible."

[Sadderbutwisergirl]

I found a loophole to the anti-Wikipedia policy: you can't use the Wikipedia page itself, but you can use its sources. When I have to research something, I go to the Wikipedia page, go to the sources, and use those.

[Betsy]

Wait a minute; I don't know where to go, if I don't use Wikipedia!!!  What does the school say to use, instead???

I like Ricola, too!!!  I like the new herb and lemon, as well as the original.  And I think there's a mint...