HTTP://SEA-SWEPT-HAIR.TUMBLR.COM

HTTP://SEA-SWEPT-HAIR.TUMBLR.COM

This past weekend was our town’s annual Relay for Life. In case you don’t know what relay is, it’s a charity event raising money for cancer. In short, you’re on a “team” and you and your team raise money prior to relay and then when relay arrives, your team sets up a tent and has the oppertunity to raise money. All of the tents are set up around our track and you walk around the track. Walking is like…what you do to represent your desire for a cure. Did I mention the event lasts about 15 hours? No sleeping! (well…actually you can. That’s what the tents are for..) It’s an all around fun night and not only is it a huge social event- you get to see people whom you have not seen in ages, meet new people and have many bonding oppertunities, but it is also an event that raises thousands of dollars for cancer research. Our team alone rose about $2,000 and I’ll letchya in on a little hint… there’s MANY teams. And half of them raise much MUCH more than 2 grand.

The evening started..well…in the afternoon. We all set up our tents and then began walking around instantly. Some of the booths are incredible. The most popular booth is probably the Bead-o-meter. For 3 bucks you get a string and every while you’re walking the track, every time you pass the bead-o-meter stand, you put a bead on. It’s a great way to keep track. Last year my friend Lauren set the record for most distance walked ever in our town’s relay for life. She ran around 45 miles…if I remember correctly. She kept track with her bead-o-meter. The fire men set up Italian Ice’s that are to die for. They also run a grill with burgers and hot dogs. (funny story about that in the next paragraph) Other great booths include the henna booth (run by a friend of mine she hooked me up with a sweet tat), Jail cell (pay a dollar to put someone in jail, then someone has to pay your bail), Married to the cause (get married..), root beer pong, dunk tank and obstacle course (both of which were not up this year :( ). Not to mention dozens of bakesales, facepainting and cute trinkets being sold.

But it’s not all about buying stuff and playing games. At 10:00 (11 maybe I’m actually forgetting..) is the luminaria(sp) ceremony. What a luminaria is is a paper lantern that you buy and you write the name of someone you know being effected by cancer. During the ceremony a chior sings and speeches and poems are told about how we walk to find a cure, how we walk to put an end to cancer and, my personal favorite, how tomorrow is never guarenteed, just promised. Everyone is given a glowstick and people are asked to light their glowsticks at a certain time. They would say “If you are currently battling cancer, please light your glowstick and step on to the track” and so on. At the end of their list everyone is on the track, showing exactly how many people are effected by this illness. Then everyonne takes a silent lap around the track and lights their luminaria as they pass it. This is really actually the only sad part of relay. To see over a thousand people all on a track walking in rememberence of their loved ones effected by cancer and walking to keep people of the future from it is mind boggling. It’s the part of the night where absolutley everyone is crying- maybe not on the outside for everyone…but everyone crys on the inside. I remember my first year going to relay I was about 10, 11… and me and my best friend were walking the silent lap together holding hands and bawling…then when we passed by the hamburger stand we both kind of stopped and with tears in our eyes she looks at me and goes “I really want a hamburger”…same thing happened this year…I don’t know I thought it was kind of funny with a small sense of irony. The sadness of the moment and how something as small as the sent of a burger and lift you up for a second.. It kind of goes with the theme of the night. How we can all do something small to lift someone in pain up just a bit.

The night comes to an end quickly….just kidding it is VERY long. But when in cuddle fests or a jam session with new or old friends time passes and it is so worth it. So much money is raised, so many eyes are open and it really is just a blast. I highly reccommend that if one goes on in your area- do it. I promise it will be worth it. 

Keep on hoping,

Casey 

So I take a class in school. It’s called “fashion”. Basicly…. you make clothes. And thats a pretty great class if I do say so myself. With still half a semester left of school I’ve made pajama pants, a button down pajama top, 2 skirts, one dress, one t-shirt, and I’m about to make a dress.

I tell people that they should take this class. Whenever I wear something I made and say I made it, they always say “MAKE ME ONE!!”….no. Make one yourself! Take the class next year! But then they say noooo I can’t sew….

AH DUHHRRR THATS WHAT THE CLASS IS FOR.

Not only is it an easy class to pass so long as you do your work in class but learning how to thread a machine and push down on a pedal is EEEAAAASSSYYYY. Then actually making clothes….not exactly easy..but its easy to find a pattern that is easy. (Did I say easy enough?) 

And if you don’t have enough time in school to take the class, you should just learn to sew. Its sick being able to take things and just change them into whatever you want. HELL I made a high wasted skirt out of a button down mens shirt and people thought it was from urban outfitters. Its not. that. hard. LEARN<33

Keep on Stitchin,

Casey