Casting call for TALL families.

Gay Rosenthal Productions, the Emmy nominated producers behind "Little People, Big World", are casting an exciting new series TALL! The show will explore the offbeat and often-complex lives of a family or individual with a dramatic physical difference: above average height.If you are a tall family with some of your members at least 6'6" tall, you may be the next famous family!The show will explore the offbeat and often-complex lives of a family or individual with a dramatic physical difference: above average height.Casting Directors are looking for people of towering height who are willing to share their stories on a television series to be aired on a major cable network. The show will feature a family of tall people, an individual and/or a group of tall people, with members at least 6’6”. (Though not everyone in the family needs to be tall.)It’s not easy being tall... The series will address the large set of unique challenges that tall people face every day, from custom-tailored clothes to adapting to a world not made for people of exceptional height. The show aims to explore the fascinating daily lives and journeys of unique and very tall people.If interested please email: casting.jenniferdyal@gmail.com with name, age, height, location, a brief bio, and please include several recent photos of you and family if applicable.

CLEANING OUT MY CLOSET

It’s feeling like spring and I’ve decided to clean out my closet. I tend to shop a bit too much and the clothes I don’t wear anymore get thrown into the back. It has caused my closet to overflow and although the cats love this area to sleep, I can’t find anything.
The task itself seemed insurmountable so I broke it up the best I could. I took the entire contents of the closet out in sections and placed them on my bed. Then I went through the piles and sorted it into 2 parts: keep and give away. If I decided that I was going to give it away, that piece of clothing immediately went into a large suitcase to send home with one of my sisters. The keep pile stayed on the bed. I’m amazed at my results and I’ve tried to sort the results into categories so you can better understand. I have a feeling I’m not alone:
Pre-Tall Clothes—these are the clothes that I purchased before I really knew how to appropriately clothe a tall body. I would shop at a normal store and attempt to fit into clothes that weren’t made for me. They would cover the parts of me that needed covering, but they didn’t fit right. Some of these clothes are from high school or just after college!
Goal Clothing—these are the clothes that I’ve either bought thinking I was going to lose some weight or I honestly thought I was thinner than I was and I ordered the size smaller from what I was wearing. The clothes are a bit too small. I keep these around because you never know when I’m going to miraculously drop 20 pounds.
Different Sizes—I have the same clothes but in different sizes. If I like something so much I might buy 2 of the same thing, but one in a size smaller (see reasoning as above—those same 20 pounds).
Nostalgic Clothing—I have my Grandma Iva’s red shirt, my Grandpa Ray’s brown sweater, and my Uncle Mike’s green sweater turtleneck. I’ve got high school basketball jerseys and college basketball jerseys and coats with my last name on the back. I don’t wear any of these items but I keep them because they bring me good memories.
What I’ve also realized regarding my wardrobe is that I tend to wear one outfit multiple times especially if I like it. This definitely cuts down on my laundry however I’m beginning to wonder if people notice. I recently ordered the Supplex Black Hoodie from Long Legs and I haven’t taken it off in about 2 weeks. I wear it with different colored scarves to spice it up. I’ve worn it with sweatpants or jeans. I’ve switch up the shoes from a pair of Mary Jane’s sneakers. I love this hoodie!
I spent most of the day cleaning out my closet and I now have a pretty good idea of what clothing I have. I’ve discovered that I’m truly eclectic in my style and I can only hope that outwardly I’m reflecting a fun manner of fashion and not a wacko who throws clothes together.
Another thing that I realized is that although I have my favorite outfits it doesn’t matter what I’m wearing as long as I’m surrounded by friends or family. My favorite pictures are when I have loved ones near me and it really doesn’t matter what I’m wearing. I look my best when I have that wonderful, happy look on my face that’s caused from being giddy with love and happiness. Huh….lesson learned.

A Tall Girl's Lessons from a European trip

I was fortunate enough to travel throughout parts of Europe for 2 full weeks this year. 2 weeks! I’ve never taken this long of a vacation in my life. I went to Ireland once with my best friend for 9 days about 3 years ago. It was the longest, best, 9-day pub crawl I’ve ever done. But this was different. This was with my boyfriend of 3+ years and we wanted to sight-see as well as visit his French family.
I also wanted to simply be me. When I’m me, things happen. My height attracts attention and I wanted to record the extra-ordinary events that take place when you are tall. Being tall creates opportunities. However sometimes it’s difficult to see these situations as opportunities. Every city holds a special piece of me now because I can say that I’ve been there and in every city, something special happened. In fact, it all started in the airplane. My boyfriend told the flight attendant that I was a former Miss Tall International and he wanted his picture with me. He then announced it to the crowd as we were waiting in line to get through customs.
In Amsterdam I was absolutely astounded at how tall people were. Everywhere I looked I was staring people in the forehead, or even in the eyes. Sounds silly, huh? Not if you’re 6’4”. Typically I look around and all I can see is hair or the tops of heads (sometimes bald). But this time I saw faces and it was beautiful! Amsterdam had scores of tall folks everywhere I looked. I felt very at home. When I visited the Anne Frank historical site there were several other tall folk there and we all had some trouble on the teeny tiny stairs. I had to go up the stairs sideways because of how steep they were and it gave our tall group something to giggle about even though it was a very somber historical setting. I had a feeling of camaraderie with these strangers and I wouldn’t have had this without my big feet.
In Brussels I’m fairly certain I was hit on by a homeless man. I can’t be sure of the language he spoke nor can I be sure that he was homeless but he followed me along making gestures and speaking. I simply nodded and smiled the entire time. He kept making this tall motion with his hand and when he realized that I didn’t understand, he winked. Now that I’m familiar with so I understood part of what he was saying but it’s too bad we couldn’t understand each other. That really would’ve been a fun conversation.
We took a side trip to Bruges. I would highly recommend this city to anyone and everyone as it is so beautiful! As we sat in the restaurant overlooking the smaller town square I asked the waiter if he could recommend a local brew. He suggested one and I always go with suggestions of waiters (they know what they are talking about!). He brought the glass of Leffe beer and it was huge. He had this cute little grin and he impishly said, “Grand beer for grand lady”. I couldn’t help but smile. Yeah, I know I’m grand. The beer was delightfully spicy and I was pleasantly surprised to find a store here in Portland that carries it.
In England, London Bridge was where I had the most fun with my height. Visiting the London Bridge was a popular place for schools to take tours and I ran into many, many children who would laugh with me as I had to bend over to fit through the tiny doors.
In Paris I wanted to shop. I could’ve shopped along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées but I’m a bargain shopper and I really don’t care about brand names or couture. I wandered all around Paris and I found a shop called ‘Sunshine’. I found exactly what I was looking for in this shop. Longer tops, fun and feminine, I even saw a few dresses that looked pretty good but I was looking for tops. I went into H&M and found a couple of cute shirts there too. See, tall people can find shirts…we tall girls simply can’t find pants and fitted pieces of clothing. It was fun watching my boyfriend speaking in his fluent French (he’s from Montreal) and me pretending that I understood exactly what was being said by everyone. I think the best part of shopping in Paris was when I wandered into a plus size shop and the saleswomen were trying to fit me into everything as well as teach me French, to the amusement of my boyfriend.
What I learned from my European trip is simple: People are generally the same everywhere…Period. It’s wonderful and consistent and as long as you continue to have a smile on your face you’ll be received as such. For me, this lesson was life-changing. The better my outlook, the better I feel, the better I’m received by strangers. It’s such a simple thing and it goes far beyond my vertical measurements.

Fitness meets Fashion: 38" Inseam Yoga Jeans

Jeans are not generally associated with perfect comfort. They tend to impede the large movements of the body and restrain any unusual stretching. But Second has changed all that! Combining fashion and comfort, Second Yoga Jeans are perfect for a lifestyle where the emphasis is on well-being, and where flexibility and relaxation are part of daily life.
“Yoga is currently very popular in North America. Some 9 million people practice this discipline uniting body and mind. And they appreciate anything that contributes to balance and well-being,” notes Second designer Eric Wazana. "That's why we've created these fabulous jeans that combine the height of flexibility and style.”
Offering the flexibility of a yoga garment, Second Yoga Jeans establish a perfect balance between the trendy styling of 5-pocket jeans and the comfort of lounge pants.

The secret is in the fiber Made of top-quality denim containing 97% brushed cotton and 3% elastane, Second Yoga Jeans hug the curves of the body in any position. They fit the ups and downs of a hectic day and metamorphose into laid-back fashion in the evening. For those who rack up air miles, Second Yoga Jeans are the ideal transatlantic traveling companion, because Second uses denim with 92% shape memory, while the industry standard is only 64%. And thanks to their revolutionary treatment, the cuts and styles actually shape, hold, and lengthen the body and help mask its defects. We are so excited...they will be in stores this weekend (April 30th) !!!!!

TALL FASHION FROM EUROPE

Listen up ladies I’ve got the skinny on fashion. I’ve been visiting Europe (Belgium, the Netherlands, England, and France) for 2 weeks and I’ve got to tell you what I’ve seen. Now keep in mind, I’m no fashion expert. I love fashion but I’m a stickler for being comfortable. My personal fashion mantra is “I wear what I like.” Sometimes I hit it really well, and then other times I think I miss the mark, but overall I enjoy clothes. My go-to outfit this trip were my super long jeans and favorite purple sweater (both from http://www.longlegs.ca/).

Below is my inventory of what I saw during my travels. Please keep in mind that I was in bigger cities and of course the fashion that I saw doesn’t necessarily reflect what you should wear; it’s more of a fun ‘This is what they are doing on the other side of the pond’. I always say, “Wear what YOU like.” I should also mention, it’s tough to snap good photos of fashion in action so I don’t have any great shots of what I’m going to describe below. Hopefully you can imagine all of the sophisticated women dancing lightly along the sidewalks of Europe looking fabulous!

Scarves—Holy cow! Scarves everywhere. Even the men wear scarves. I wasn’t completely sold on the look before my vacation however I’ve seen so many different looks that I’m now on the bandwagon. You can wear them in your hair, around your waist, around your neck, thrown casually about your shoulders, it’s so versatile. Plus…(this is key) your scarf doesn’t have to match. Prints go with anything and a full colored scarf will make any outfit ‘pop’. The light-weight scarves are great for warmer weather, and grab a knit when it’s cold. Love it!

Skinny Jeans—I love this look on ladies with svelte figures however this is a tough one to pull off if you don’t find the right cut of jeans. I can’t wear this look very well. I have wide hips and the skinny jeans seem to accentuate the parts of me that I’d prefer to keep hidden. Women in Europe are wearing this look everywhere and it looks really…cool. I can’t think of a better word to describe this.

Boots—Tuck your skinny jeans in your boots, throw on a scarf and off you go. Seriously, boots are everywhere too. I wish I would’ve gotten a picture of this one woman who had lighter, brown, tall boots with a matching purse. She had on dark jeans and a dark shirt with a colored scarf. It was a sharp look. I’m going to attempt this look myself with a twist on the skinny jean. (It’s going to be fun!!)

Dressy Coats—I love coats. I have way too many and I see that I would fit in very well in Europe. Coats that are fitted (Trench Coats in particular) seem to very popular although short fitted coats are quite prevalent as well.

Jewelry—Yes, ladies jewelry is everywhere. Long chains, lots of bracelets, and big rings. I love key pieces of jewelry but I actually found myself wondering a few times what the point of wearing so much jewelry when it’s covered by a scarf…but I’m only here to report what I saw, not judge. I literally found that I could sit and stare for hours at all of the fashion that walks by. In fact, that’s what I did a couple of times in London, Paris and Brussels. I ordered some local beer or wine and my boyfriend and I would split a dessert and I sat and simply enjoyed my environment. So, there you have it. These are the looks that I found extremely popular while overseas. I have to admit, I love seeing the outfits that people put together. Some hits, some misses…hmmm, a lot like me.

The New MAXI DRESS

As mentioned in many Spring Trend Reports Maxi dresses are big this season and i can't get enough of this trend. Maxi dresses with their carefree swish and sway have me swooning over them. What I absolutely LOVE about this trend is the ultra feminie look it combines with easy style. Maxi dresses are so versatile; they can be worn from day to night with a quick easy change of accessories. The key to having the perfect Maxi dress for us tall women is definately LENGTH !! Your entire look can go wrong in a hurry if the length isnt bang on. This season we have made our new cotton Maxi Dress 64" long from the shoulder seam. No more having to sacrifice not wearing heels or constantly pulling it down (hoping it will somehow stretch lol) .
This seasons Maxi dress is made to enhance your tall beautiful body....enjoy and celebrate it !

Things that make me smile?

Have you ever had one of those really crazy moments in your car where you start laughing out loud? I had one earlier this week. I was sitting at a stoplight and the song, “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns and Roses came on. At that exact moment, a homeless man with a bandana wrapped around his head shimmeyed past. I’m not sure you can call it dancing but whatever it was, he looked like he was having a fantastic time. I started to laugh and at that exact moment he turned to look at me! My first thought was, “I’m so busted”. My second thought after I saw him smile and nod at me, “He knows I wasn’t laughing at him. He knows I was appreciating his good time”. It made my day. And it makes me smile thinking about now.

You know what else makes my day? When a little girl looks up to you and wants to be just as tall as you. My friend, Teresa has a daughter who wants to grow as tall as ‘her mommy’s friend, Holli’. I love that! It’s almost as refreshing as my own 4 nieces who compete to be the tallest. I make a point to tell them that I’m saving all of my evening gowns for them someday so they won’t have to look as hard as I did and the excitement in their eyes is priceless. They can’t wait. They don’t know what they are waiting for but they know it’s something good. Height is something to behold with them. It’s exciting. It’s powerful. Kids want to be JUST LIKE YOU. But here’s the key that I think a lot of people may miss…kids don’t see just the height. Yeah that’s part of it but they see the confidence and how you carry yourself and that’s what they are picking up on. That’s who they want to embody when they grow up.

When one of my younger nieces was 4 or maybe 5 years old I visited her pre-school and she introduced me to everyone in the room. It wasn’t my name that mattered or even the fact that I was Miss Tall International® at the time. What mattered to the boys and the girls was, “Could I touch the ceiling?” (I could) and I felt like a hero that day. Had I been embarrassed about my height, I would not have walked away with that amazing feeling. My niece was proud because she had the ‘Cool Aunt’ for show-and-tell. (Okay, I might’ve made up the ‘Cool’ part, but you get my point). We both walked away feeling awesome.

Another random thing that made me smile this week was one of the many times I got noticed. I went to a comedy club and as I was leaving I passed by where the comedians were selling their CD’s and t-shirts. I walked right up to the table and all 3 of the comedians ignored everyone directly in front of them and they all greeted me, “Hey Tall Girl, thanks for coming to the show tonight.” “How did you like the show?” “Would you like to buy a t-shirt/CD?” “Is that your boyfriend with you?” “How’d you like to go out sometime with someone a little shorter?” Keep in mind, people are 3 deep in front of me but all 3 comedians only have eyes for me. Either that or I’m seriously the tallest woman they have ever seen! I’m shouting over the tops of everyone how I loved the show and that I have a saying about shorter men. I made a motion from shoulder to shoulder and I said, “Must be this tall to ride the ride, Fellas.” I smiled, waved and walked out the door with my boyfriend in tow. Now tell me, how could you NOT smile after that?

Here are some other quick thoughts on things that made me smile this week:

· Knowing that I have exit row seats for my Portland – to – Amsterdam flight because the Delta flight attendant saw our heights (both of us at 6’4”) and she knew that we would really appreciate them

· Receiving 8 free drink tickets from a co-worker for my Delta flight (what a great guy that Roy!

· Getting my hair highlighted and knowing that the lighter color makes me feel like spring is on the way

· Buying new make-up at MAC that can cover anything (you’ll understand when you read below)

Now, I do have something to tell you that does not make me smile. It doesn’t really have anything to do with height but perhaps if you have pets you can relate. I have cats and there’s one in particular who isn’t cuddly during the day, but at night he likes to sleep on my head (the cat in the picture is the offending cat, Meow-Meow). Earlier this week he was directly on top of my head and I must’ve moved during the night in a way that startled him because he launched himself straight off of my face using his back-claws. I now have a black-eye. Honestly, it looks kinda cool, like I’m rough and I got in an altercation however I’m leaving for my big trip very soon and I certainly hope that the bruising and scratches calm down. Nothing that a little make-up won’t cover, I suppose.

It’s been pretty darn good week around my neck of the woods and I can’t complain. I’ll be taking in some new adventures over the next couple of weeks which you can be sure I will write about. Until then…