a visual descent into madness

I don't care that the current projections in the Minnesota Senate race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman are looking dimmer with each passing day for my Congressional squeeze. Norm Coleman will always have my heart.

And now, thanks to a reader who also knows how to win my heart, Norm Coleman's name can be stamped over it. Literally.

Nothing says true crazy love like Vintage Norm inexplicably floating in a slew of e-hearts, e-screaming through a megaphone that he hearts me.

Turns out, Norm also has my back. Or at least his name stamped on my back!

Gettin 'er done!

Speaking of gettin' 'er done, I'll have you know this shirt didn't become the sweet, retro-style, off-the-shoulder, embroidered mess as shown above on its own. Oh no, I, along with my trusty Janome sewing apparatus, helped it along. Sorta.

See, DIY and I have had only a semi-fruitful relationship. (For true DIY skills, I suggest you check out the craftastic Threadbanger.) That is, I often take T-shirts and shred them, not always to the betterment of the garment. In this case, however, I got things done for this fabric, as it were.

The shirt started as any regular T would -- a bit boring for my tastes, despite all the NORM text. So, I cut off the neck and the ends of the sleeves, set the zig-zag setting on J-Nozzle (my Janome's street name), and got down to business. After I took care of that business, I decided to try my hand at some remedial embroidery by outlining the letters and numerals in "NORM '08" with this sick barbed-wire looking stitch. However, due to a lack of resources (read: limited thread) I was only able to get two things done -- the "N" and the "M." But the final product, while flawed, is at least still wearable.

While the shirt changed ever so slightly, the sh*tty lighting did not.

So, Norm, er, Mr. Coleman, er, Sen. Coleman, er, ex-Sen. Coleman, or whatever. It doesn't matter to me as long as you remain as sexy as you want to be. Anyway, now that I think I've proven just how far I'll go to impress you (I'll craft for you, Coleman! I'll make creepy collages of you, Norm!), how about that grilled cheese and freedom fries at the most romantical table in the Senate cafeteria? Yes??? Don't worry, they'll let anyone in.

Outfit details: Norm Coleman '08 shirt -- courtesy of best reader ever; jeans -- Goldsign; boots -- Frye.

Oh, and, my apologies to my friend Juice for not giving her proper photo credit. She really captured my almost hysteric excitement to be wearing this Norm Coleman '08 shirt.

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Logistical add-on: I'm going to put the proverbial lid on the jenkem jar that is The Anti DC for the rest of the week while I skip town for the holidays. My vacation won't be as classy as last year, unfortunately, but it will probably involve me getting hurt when I take to the slopes for the first time in several years. Wish me and my Norm-couture luck! Happy Thanksgiving!