New stuff at OmgLia! Plus, my life.

I know it's been a while. But this is a good update, I promise! First, my life. I'm currently living and working in Orlando, Florida for Walt Disney World. It's temporary, and I'll be moving very shortly to Kansas City to do something completely different. Then I'll go back to college and resume my Project Runway style life of living, eating and breathing fashion design. That's pretty much it on the life part. (Oh- Flobee and I are together and doing great, and he loves me working at Disney because it means he gets to visit the parks for free!) Now, on to the new stuff at Omg Lia!

I added a couple of items to my Etsy Shop, but most of the updates are on my website, http://omglia.com. Here's a preview:





Oh, and there's a 50% off clearance sale going on! Prices are as low as $1.50, so check it out.

My first job as a stylist!

This past weekend I had my first paid job as a stylist! Granted, I was paid very little and will mainly be using the finished photos on my stylist website (work in progress) and in my portfolio. We had very little budget, so I chose clothes for the models out of their closets and coordinated outfits that way, and then did all of the hair/makeup myself using my own personal stash. It went really well and I can't wait to get the finished shots back! Here are a few behind the scenes pics:


it was fun but a LOTTTT of work, I was completely exhausted both days!

In other news, omglia.com has closed until further notice. I just don't have the time :(

Hospital Part 3

So I had to go the hospital. AGAIN. That makes 3 times in a week. Did I have time to do anything else? Like fill orders? Or catch up on my homework? Of course not, because I was in the hospital for most of the entire week. What did I do? Slept, took drugs, took drugs, took drugs, asked for more drugs, tried to eat my boyfriends hat, and watched Adult Swim from my hospital bed. For DAYS.

Anyway this hospitalization was as a result of a Pneumothorax, a precursor to a Collapsed Lung. Basically what happened is while they were putting in the pacemaker, they accidentally punctured my lung a tiny, tiny bit, and a tiny, tiny bit of air slipped out, resulting in massive amounts of pain. I was in the ER for 5 hours and received 5 syringes full of Morphine. Yeah. Morphine. It's like medical heroin. I was high as a kite. Anyway they took a CT Scan and an Xray and told me it would go away on its own, and then kept me in the hospital for another 2 nights to monitor it. They also gave me an oxygen mask to help it work itself out. Oxygen masks are cool because they give you more oxygen, but they suck because they are itchy and annoying and get in the way and irritate the skin around your mouth. I was an unhappy camper. If you have ever spent 7 or so nights hooked up to so many monitors that you cannot roll over without something beeping, or go to the bathroom without needing to be unhooked, you will understand my frustration. Although I look happy in the picture above (that's my boyfriend in the background, being a sweet heart and staying with me the entire time, running around the hospital to find me chocolate and dealing with my drug-induced craziness) I was not. Anyway now I am back at home with my trusty icepack on my wound, waiting patiently to drive back up to college on Sunday.

I think I am coming down with a cold. FML FML FML FML

Pacemaker!

So, I got my pacemaker put in! The entire procedure consisted of my catheter ablation - the one they attempted to do on Friday, but could not complete because of the vicinity of the problem area to what is essentially my heart's natural pacemaker - and then inserting a pacemaker. First they stuck 3 tubes into one of the incision in the main artery next to my groin, went up to my heart and fixed the open pathway caused by the WPW. Then they made a slit in the skin near my collarbone, hooked up some leads to my heart and plugged in a little pacemaker. It's not very big at all compared to some, and after the swelling goes down I won't even be able to see it sticking out of my skin (yay)! Plus the doctor I had is INCREDIBLE at suturing, all my nurses were raving about him, so the slit is going to heal up without leaving much of a visible scar at all, just a thin white line. There are dissolving stitches underneath the skin and dermabond, which essentially glues my skin together, on top to hold it in place. I've got an ice pack on there now to help with the pain/swelling. Last night I was partying it up with some Loritabs and a Morphine IV (and by partying I mean mumbling random stuff about eating my boyfriend's asparagus flavored cookie hat and falling asleep).

All in all, I feel GREAT (aside from the intense pain in my shoulder/collarbone). I can already tell I have loads more energy. I can't really use my left arm for about 6 weeks, so I'll need to get help carrying my backpack around and going from class to class, but I'll be able to resume normal activities in a week or two - even exercise! My resting heart rate is now set a 70, low is 65, high is 150, but those are all easily changeable. My old resting heart rate was 40, so this is a HUGE upgrade! I feel awesome. As soon as I'm not in tons of pain with a swollen chest and a sling around my arm I'm going to go conquer the world! :D

Also, Flobee and I are awesome in hospitals.

Update on my surgery

So I went in for my surgery Friday. It was really not that bad - possibly because I was given 3 IV bags of sedation drugs - and I was only in severe pain for about an hour after I woke up. My friends came to visit me and Flobee (my boyfriend) stayed the night with me watching adult swim and hanging out, which was surprisingly a blast! Also the hospital room was SUPER nice, no hospital smell or anything! The nurses were really friendly and awesome. The bad news is, I have to go back on Monday to get a Pacemaker. So here is an homage to my collar, which will henceforth feature a small raised circle.

Cute oufits I wore while I wasn't updating my blog

Oh geez, where do I begin. Merry Christmas? Happy New Year? Happy 20th birthday to me? Yes, I am now 20! Yay! I'm also dating a really super sweet amazing guy now - I am OFFICIALLY douchebag free - and my classes this semester are 90% fashion related so that's SUPER fun. Of course, I'm insanely busy and blogging has fallen to the bottom of my priorities list - don't feel bad though, lots of other things are down there too! Like, showering. Homework. Etc. Although all of these things are great, I am actually getting heart surgery this Friday to examine my Wolff Parkinson White disease, an electrical issue that I was apparently born with although NOBODY NOTICED IT EVER until now. Fail. So I have to awkwardly inform my teachers that I won't be in class for a week recovering, then pretend like it's no big deal when everyone gets really concerned because lets be honest, it's a HUGE deal, but I'm sick of crying all over the place about it (this is where superboyfriend comes into play! He bought me roses and cupcakes yesterday, for no reason other than that I was feeling down!!! ^_^)

Anyway, since I abandoned you all for so long, and probably will again, here are some super cute outfits I wore recently over break and such. They are relevant to your abandonment because frankly, I prefer looking at pictures of people's outfits to reading whatever they have to say anyway, so if you're anything like me, you will enjoy this.


As you can see I am in love with tights. And finally, a pic of me and some of my friends at my 20s Flapper themed birthday party!

Regarding Pink Hair.

My hair is, more or less, half pink. It has been this way for a while now, and I don't see it changing anytime soon. I get a lot of reactions to my pink hair - almost always positive - and a lot of curious questions about it. So I thought I'd take this time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions, as well as picwhore all of my pinkhaired history.

Question: When did you first dye your hair pink?
Answer: I first put pink in my hair the summer before my freshman year of college (I'm a junior now). I dyed the tips pink. They lasted for about a year before, sadly, breaking off entirely. Turns out damaging your tips is not a lasting solution for wanting pink in your hair. I moved on to bigger and better things soon after my freshman year, adding more and more highlights (I call them, cleverly, pinklights).

Question: What dyes have you used? Which is your favorite?
Answer: First I used an N'RAGE one step bleach/dye kit, which was great and lasted several months. Then I tried to keep my pink bright with manic panic cotton candy pink, which lasted about a week and a half before fading. Next I used Special Effects Atomic Pink which tided me over for about a year, with touchups once a month. Now I'm using Special Effects Virgin Rose, which starts out more red than pink but fades into a brilliant fuschia and lasts much longer than any dye I've used yet! I must say it's definetly my favorite to date.

Question: Do people respond to your hair? What are the best and worst repsonses you've received?
Answer: More people than you'd think respond to my hair! I get loads of compliments on it from chicks my age, and smiles of solidarity from other pinkheads. I also get some unexpected compliments: once, while I was in a Starbucks with my dad, a middle aged businessman approached us and told me he loved my hair. I was so flattered - even corporate dudes love my hair! I was also complimented on it by my wonderful previous employers at http://vibrantnation.com during the interview proccess. It seems to help me get creative, fun jobs rather than hurt me! To date the only negative reaction to my hair was when I worked at Olive Garden. I was a hostess, and apparently sat an elderly couple. Their waitress came up to me and informed me that all they could talk about was my hair, how it was a disgrace, how Olive Garden was supposed to be a "high class establishment" and people with pink hair belonged in "Steak and Shake," and how a complaint to management was imminent. Oddly, my hair was up at the time, and my pink was not even that visible! Happily, I was not fired, and received no further complaints about my hair.

Question: What do your parents think about your hair?
Answer: My poor parents learned long ago to give up any semblance of control over my hair. One time when I was in 7th grade I got in trouble for giving myself an impromptu haircut in the bathroom (to the principal's horror, my mom reasoned that it would grow back and did not ground me). Throughout high school I tried blonde, red/purple, and black. My senior year of high school my mother bribed me to keep my hair naturally colored (which I did - and promptly pink'd it after graduation!) I don't think my parents mind my pink hair. My dad sees it as a sign of my creativity and often uses it as an anecdote when bragging about me to various business associates. My mom (who went to burning man this year, props to her!) told me she was considering dying her own hair pink to match her new pink laptop. My sister, however, wants me to dye it back to brown for her wedding. Boo.


Question: How often do you have to dye it? Is it difficult to maintain?
Answer: I typically dye it about once a month. In between dyes it fades to a peachy blonde color, especially at my roots where I use the most shampoo. I also have to bleach my roots ever 6 months or so to avoid that nasty grown-out look. In general, re-dying is no big deal. I have a stockpile of latex gloves and aluminum foil, and I just chill with foil on my head for about 3 hours before rinsing my hair in the shower. It can stain if you're not careful, so I try to be careful! I also try to be gentle with my hair because the pink parts are bleached, and they're a bit more damaged than the other parts of my hair. Other than that it's not too bad at all.

Question: has pink hair affected your self-image at all?

Answer: Pink hair has definetly boosted my self esteem. I have a tendency to think people are judging me if they look at me, and before I had pink hair, I would have a mini freakout trying to figure out what on earth they were staring out. Now, it's obvious - they're looking at my bright pink hair! Having pink hair makes me feel more adventurous, creative, and fashionable, even on the days where I wear sweats and jeans. It helps me feel glamorous and girly at the same time. It makes me happy when I see it all bright in the mirror - after all, pink is my favorite color! (Have you noticed?) I don't think I'll be getting rid of it for a long time - it's definetly become a part of my identity now. I would be sad without it!

About me

So, as I gradually attract more people to my blog (please link exchange with me, people!!) I think I ought to introduce myself a little bit more personally. So here I am.
My name is Lia. I am 18. I attend a 7 sisters college, but I'm transferring to get a business degree next year.
I have 1/2 pink hair, a nose piercing, and hairy legs. I am a self proclaimed feminist.
I like pink, disney movies, Rock of Love, polka dots, and Lisa Frank.
I have a boyfriend of 2.5 years who I love very much. To all you haters who said long distance in college never works: suck it!!
I've been selling crafty things since I was 6. I've been making jewelry since I was 16. Jewelry is actually my newest craft: I've been doing knitting, t-shirt surgery, collaging, and yarn crafts for way longer. I prefer jewelry these days.
I'm working as a camp counselor at jewcamp this summer again, yay!!
And I'm also attempting to build up my confidence to super-high levels after a series of personal issues which I won't go into unless you really want me to :) Let's just say it involves body image.

Any questions? I'd love to get even morepersonal!! And a recent pic of me so this is like SUPER personal.

(PS why yes I did make that necklace, and it's still in the shop!)

When did I start?

A post on Etsy's forum today got me thinking about when, exactly, this crafting/selling business started for me. I think it was a loooooong time ago.

When I was 6, we always had colorful Red Hart yarn lying around and various beads and crafty things. I would make braided bracelets incorporating these multicolored yarns. I then sold them to my mom's orchestra friends at $1 each. Hehe. They couldn't resist.

Then I made gods-eyes (using yarn and popsicle sticks, they're so pretty!) by the HUNDREDS. I seriously had bags of those things! I sold them at a table at the music summer camp my mom runs for a week every summer.

In 7th grade, I started a friendship bracelet business. I would take custom orders and then sell them for like $5 or something. I had this little cardboard thing I made with 6 different slots for each strand of yarn and I would do it all day long. I sold several until someone else started copying me even though mine were SO better.

Then in high school I knit every single day in class (mostly to stay awake and keep my hands occupied.) I would usually just knit scarves and give them as gifts, but occasionally I'd sell a custom order or two. I did some commissions for my english teacher who quit to open up her own yarn store (The Knit Nook in Louisville).

At 16 one day during Christmas break I took a pair of needlenose pliers and set about converting my clip-on earrings to my newly pierced ears. While I converted them to my new hooks I changed them slightly, making them - in my opinion - look way cooler. Then I made some of the necklaces I had sitting around into earrings. Before I knew it I'd gone through my entire stash of jewelry and upcycled it all into earrings! I hopped on my buyer Etsy site and made a shop, and sold all of those earrings plus listing a bunch of crappy knitted items (seriously, they sucked. I've since removed all knitted items from the store, and only sell them offline. I've been knitting forever though!)

And now I'm 18 and I'm selling almost an item a day and more offline! I can't wait until I'm out of college/business school and have my own store. My parents keep saying this "hobby" is just a phase that will pass, but I've been doing it my whole life to a lesser degree. It really is my passion to make stuff and sell it!