I think you should just say "sorry, I have a few uses for myself in October."

And then:

"how have you been doing?"

How about, "No, I need it for an upcoming event of my own. However, if you are going to be in need of a corset so often I can direct you toward the website where I bought mine."

Oooh, these are good suggestions. Keep them coming!

(I did a search on this thread to see how far back all that happened; she borrowed it in November of LAST year and didn't return it until March of this year, and just now re-surfaced to borrow it again. Yeah...NO.)

Believe me, no one is being as critical of you two as yourselves. BELIEVE ME.

I'm sure this is true--but I was horrified to see my crazy double chin. Which I figure other people see all the time and just incorporate into their concept of me, but it doesn't usually look like that in the mirror! Oy.

Of course, I still have to actually watch the video and figure out how to edit into something that would make the Amazing Race want us on the show. I'm feeling rather doubtful about that.

meara, you are truly stunning in person. Scrappy I've never seen you in person, but you always look beautiful in pictures. Although, I understand the reaction. I am so critical of myself in pictures lately, I can't really stand to have my picture taken anymore.

I slept lousy last night because I was in too much pain, and yet I am feeling so much better mentally today. I think it helped that TCG did that big clean up of the house over the weekend. Things don't feel so completely overwhelming anymore. I'm even getting stuff done today, not big things, but things just the same.

Yay, Scrappy! I'm glad the news for your mother is good.

Watching how people react to pictures of themselves has actually helped me do a bit of a reality check on myself when I see what I consider to be horrifying pictures of me (which is to say, most).

I know that 9/10 times when someone someone thinks a picture of them is ghastly, in my eyes it's usually somewhere on a range from okay to super cute. So I try to remember that what I see in pictures of me isn't necessarily what others see.

I'm honestly not sure that the onus of politeness is on you anymore, Tep. But it's a tight little scene so I'm guessing you want to avoid Drama. I'd probably say I was using it, or that I'm territorial about my things so it caused me stress not getting them back(you incredibly rude person, should be implied...) I've never worn a corset, but it seems like asking to borrow someone's negligee, anyway...is it weird to ask? I HATE most pictures of myself.

Scrappy, wow, what a roller-coaster. You definitely should celebrate.

I've never worn a corset, but it seems like asking to borrow someone's negligee, anyway...is it weird to ask?

A lot of people wear them over a blouse/sheer top/tank top/etc. Even a tank top with the shoulder straps cut off so that it's just like a liner underneath the corset -- that way the corset doesn't get all sweaty and manky. Since you can't just toss them in the washing machine, it's beneficial to try to prevent stanky corset.

Although now that you mention that, I wonder that it doesn't give *her* the heebie-jeebies to borrow something that *I* might have worn withOUT a shirt underneath.