Tall Girl on TV…

So, let me put this out there right away:  I’m not going to be on TV.  However in the past couple of months I’ve noticed a dramatic uptick in the number of emails I’ve received from ‘TV Producers’.  Over the past few years since I started writing on the Tall Blog and since I joined Tall Clubs International (and won the Miss Tall International pageant), I always seemed to get a request or an email about once a month from someone indicating that I should contact them regarding a new, exciting TV show about Tall people.

The first time it happened I was SO EXCITED!  I was living in Portland at the time and this is also during the time when the TLC show ‘Little People, Big World’ was really gaining momentum.  I thought that maybe I had a shot of becoming a hit reality series especially since the Roloff’s live right outside of Portland.  I could totally relate!  That new star could be ME.

Me…on a bike! Cool.

The producers and I exchanged many emails and I sent multiple videos answering their many questions.  I thought I was a shoe-in!  This went on for several weeks.  And then….nothing happened.  Each day I’d excitedly check (and re-check) my email until one day I finally realized that I wasn’t going to be a star.

Now fast forward several years later, multiple emails later, and many videos later.  I’m still not on TV and I’m not as naïve to the process.  I still think I’m quite funny, witty, and totally TV material…but I’m not on TV.  And actually now that I’m a little older (and wiser?  Yes, definitely wiser) I think I have good material to be on TV, but I don’t think I should play myself.  But that’s a whole other blog.

What I find interesting (and definitely a learning experience) about this whole process is the direction that each of the producers wanted to take the series.  Lonely, TALL woman can’t find a man because she’s so tall.  Woe is her.  Well…that’s not real life.  It might be real for some women, but it’s all about choices.  This makes me digress into another quick story.

I could’ve been on TV.  Right after I moved to Madison, WI in the fall of 2012 I got an offer to be on the Steve Harvey show to be part of a dating show.  They asked me to be the Tall Girl and they would have 3 Tall Guys that I could pick from.  They would then film a ‘Dating Game’ if you will, and the winner and I would then go out on a date.  Which of course would be filmed for TV.  I declined the chance to be on the show citing my brand new job as my main reason, but I also wasn’t completely comfortable with another outlet providing the message that Tall Women can’t get dates.  That seems to be the usual message.  Hmmm….frustrating.

So I suppose the whole purpose of this blog isn’t to stop producers from emailing me.  Quite the opposite in fact.  Keep those emails coming, however let’s focus on real life.  I’m a normal person who happens to be a little taller than most people.  That’s it.  For now let’s continue with all of the glorious adjectives that describe me….and we’ll also go with the fact that I’m normal, but taller.

Tall Girl in a Wedding!!

Before you go thinking it’s my wedding, let me put aside that notion.  Mr. Tall Girl is proving himself quite elusive, although believe me, I’m still on the lookout for him.  (He’s out there.  I think.  Maybe.  I hope?)   I’m SO VERY proud to say I’m standing up for my sister, Heather and her fiancée, Noelle, this fall in Minneapolis, MN. Woo-hoo!

Now for those that don’t know me, this will be my 12th wedding.  Yes, you read that right 12.  I have been honored to have been in 12 weddings so far in my life.  I love weddings.  Period.  Love them.  I love being a part of them.  I love standing up, dressing up, waving as I walk down the aisle (at this point, I’m very comfortable walking down the aisle), the presents, the champagne, the wedding speeches, the tears, the dancing (I dance…a little), and THE BACHELORETTE PARTY!  Or parties, plural, as I believe a girl should really celebrate her pending nuptials multiple times.

The first wedding! I was 21 years old. See how my height was ‘hidden’?

The hard part about being in a wedding has always been finding a dress long enough.  In the past I’ve gone to many, well-known bridal stores and they charge an extra $100 for the length in my dress.  But my sister is making is easy.  She said, “Get whatever you want.”

There will be two of us standing up for my sister (so far, anyway) and we’ve started looking for dresses.  Yay for being forced to shop for pretty dresses!  Crap – did you see the girly-girl in me just come out?

Here are 6 more of my bridesmaids dresses! We put them to GREAT use at my 30th birthday party. F.U.N.   (Side note:  My hair is SO short!)

Another tough thing about being in weddings is…the height difference when you walk down the aisle with your partner.  Some weddings it’s a big deal.  Others, not so much.  I don’t think it will be a big deal in this wedding since we are all very tall.  And my sister, while a perfectionist, doesn’t care about this.

I am so incredibly excited about this that I could just pee my pants!  We have a shower coming up and a bachelorette party later this summer/fall (he he….look out MPLS/St Paul!).  To celebrate love…and I get to wear a pretty dress.

Now, let’s get working on my date for this big event.  It’s never to early to start thinking about my ‘Arm Candy’.  😉

Does being Tall bring the excitement? (spoiler…yes)

The other day a girl at work said something that has resonated with me all week. She said, ‘You lead the most exciting life. I love hearing about all of your adventures!’ I was taken aback. I think that I’m pretty boring, in general, only because I still don’t consider myself to have much of a social life here in Madison.  My typical night includes reading, walking, maybe a glass (or two) of wine, surfing the internet, and maybe the tv on in the background.  Oh, and watching my cats chase each other!  Boring stuff.

But then I got to thinking…I’m pretty good at finding the ‘fun’ in my life when those weird situations pop up.  You know, like ALL of those people who comment on my height.  I throw my arms around those situations (not the people) and milk it for everything I can.  Homeless people, vendors at work, co-workers, randoms at the store, etc.  Everywhere I go I can pretty much count on someone saying something.

I went to Bed Bath and BEYOND over the weekend to buy a new comforter.  (And in case you’re wondering, the one I purchased is so awesome I’m showing a pic, below)  And I was asked not once, but twice to assist with grabbing something off the shelf.  That’s 2 times people!  I made social contact because of my height, twice, with complete strangers.  And it was pretty amazing because we giggled, than laughed heartily when I dropped the item, and then we stared longingly into each other’s eyes….okay, I go too far sometimes.  That didn’t happen. The thought does make me giggle though.

This is the Seasons Reversible, Down Alternative. In Red.

I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve received an ego boost when someone asks me if I used to be a model or if I’ve ever done any modeling.  I always say yes as I hand them a folded up picture from…okay, again, I go too far.  No.  I never modeled. Although for the record, there was that one time in the tenth grade when I did a photo shoot to enter a modeling contest.  (I’m being serious)  My mom and her friend had a couple of drinks and thought that it would be a great idea to enter me.  I didn’t win.

Oh, and I LOVE it when I pass by a little kid.  Recently, I over-heard a youngster say about me, ‘She big’.  That’s right, ‘I big’.  I can also touch the ceiling, look at your teacher’s bald-spot, and clean the top shelf without getting a step stool.  She Big.

I get asked on a daily basis where I purchase my clothes.  I’m a walking advertisement.  I like to think it’s because I’m fashion-forward and totally rad when it comes to putting together that outfit that screams ‘Holli is fabulous’ however I also realize other tall women are simply looking to see whether your hemline hits your ankle, your shoe, or the floor.  But I make that conversation exciting!  I put some punch in my comeback.  How many other women do you know have a 38″ inseam and can kick you in the face?  (I suppose I don’t need to bring up the fact I’ve got a pretty good kick but didn’t I warn you that I keep my comebacks snappy?)

Excitement in my life?  Yes.  I suppose there is some excitement in my life.  But it’s because I make it that way and I use my height as part of it.  I also use my cats.  Remind me to tell you about the time my little white, Persian Doll kitty ate some bacon grease.  He suffered some gastrointestinal distress…and he has extremely long white hair.  Diarrhea and long, white hair.  Yeah, it was a lovely morning.  But once again, part of my exciting, TALL life.

I’m not really sure what that look is. In fact, I don’t want to know.

Talk Tall to Me

There are few things I like better than ‘Talking Tall’. I love comparing stories with those like-bodied people who have funny tidbits to share. Usually in some way, shape, or form we can all relate to a tall story because we have experienced it or something similar.  Many times I will be approached by random tall people because they want to share a story with me. It’s a tall brotherhood. Or a tall sisterhood. Whichever way you choose to look at it.

My Tall Family, with a close family friend (the short one!)

But here’s the rub, when a short person asks me direct and specific questions about being tall, I sometimes find it hard to answer.  I wonder if I start spilling all of my awesomely, hilarious and entertaining tall stories, this short person is going to be at their next party saying, “So I was talking to this giant and she was telling me about her height.  She told me…” and then they relay some of my great stories.

I’m not usually very shy so I’ll ‘talk Tall’ with anyone but I find it much more stimulating to discuss anything height-related with other tall people.  I wonder, does that make me a heightist?  Short people usually don’t get it.  They try.  They will tell me their horror stories of trying to find clothes and I can’t relate.  All I can think about is how the petite sections have been around forever.  And I can’t feel pity for a short person who can buy clothes long enough and then get them tailored to fit.  I’ve even had some short people tell me they can shop in the kids section.  I’m thinking ‘Sweet!’.  The kids section has some of the coolest clothes. Who doesn’t want a Hulk t-shirt?

Talking Tall with my friend, Megan who is also 6’4″.

So I guess I don’t know where this leaves me.  I have the type of personality where I can’t stop talking to people so maybe I need to get over my reluctance to share my stories with those physically less fortunate.  Because come on, I’ve really got some good stories to share.

I’ll continue to regale short and tall alike and hope that even though both sides of the coin are dramatically different, we can all relate in some way.  And if not, then I hope I can at least make someone laugh.

 

 

So you wanna start a Tall Club, eh?

You’re tall.  You feel like you hang out with a lot of tall people.  You think it would be fun to start a tall club.  So you talk to your other tall friends and everyone seems to think it would be fun and a great idea.  Now what?  Well, that’s what I’m here for!  I’ve got the inside info on how you can start your very own tall club and also how you too can become affiliated with Tall Clubs International.

The basic requirements:

1. Men must be a minimum of 6’2″ and women must be a minimum of 5’10”.
2. All members must be at least 21 years of age.
3. Start-up clubs should be active for 6 months prior to application for membership
4. Minimum membership prior to application for membership is 15 members.
5. TCI annual dues are $3 per member, minimum of $45, due in January of each year.

The basic steps

1. Name your club and elect officers
2. Publicize your club (Facebook, Twitter, Meet-Up, etc)
3. Begin having regular meetings and social events to attract more members
4. Write your bylaws (samples available)
5. Open a bank account and start collecting dues to fund events
6. Once you have 15 members it’s time to apply for members ship!  (you must have authorization by a majority vote of your members directing the club president to seek membership through TCI)
7. Contact TCI’s Vice President of Membership (tci-membership@tall.org) at least 60 days prior to the annual convention (usually the last weekend in June) to submit your application for membership.  You will need:

• Letter of Application from your Club President
• Letter of Sponsorship from another TCI club in good standing (find one that’s close in proximity to you or perhaps make friends with someone in a club OR contact me and I’ll direct you to someone close to you)
• Send a check for 1/2 of the annual dues (minimum $22.50 for 15 members)
• List of founding members (Include: names, officially measured height barefoot, zip code, and email address)

If all is in order, your new club will be nominated for membership at the annual Delegates meeting during Convention.

Some of my tall club members at Convention in Las Vegas in 2009 when I won Miss Tall International.

Why should I become affiliated with Tall Clubs International (TCI)?

• Charity–TCI is affiliated with several charities so your funds go to some great charities such as Marfan Syndrome and Habitat for Humanity.
• Parents–TCI is a little like your parent.  You have your local club and then TCI above your local club.  It’s a great dynamic.
• Parties–do you like to party?  Yeah, me too.  And so do many of the TCI members.
• Tall People–do you like to party with tall people?  Yeah, me too…..see where I’m going with this?
• Tall Stores–what better place to swap stories about tall stores or even better swap clothes.  Or how about this, many tall stores offer discounts to members of TCI!!!
• Miss Tall International–Are you single, female, and always wanted to wear a crown and a sash?  Perhaps you should consider running for Miss Tall International.
• Ummmm…FUN–I don’t think I need to expand on this

Me and my tall friend Jan. This was taken at a Tall Christmas party!

Now, if you’d like to start a tall club please do!  If you would like more information on this please feel free to contact TCI Vice President (currently Genie Williamson) at tci-membership@tall.org.

I can also assist if you would like to contact me at misstallgirlramblings@gmail.com.  I can direct you to clubs near you or directly to TCI for further assistance.

If I could change 1 thing because I’m tall it would be…

Why not bigger tree houses?  We need bigger tree houses to better suit our taller bodies!

I’ve actually thought a long time about this…a long, long time and I’ve wanted to write about it but it’s a difficult and personal thing for each individual.  Someone that is 5’10” is going to want something much different than someone who is 7’8″. And the difference between males and females is also going to vary greatly as well.  I think what I personally would like to change is going to be very, very different than say, a guy that’s 6’10”.  But I guess we’ll see.

The more I thought about this the more I couldn’t narrow it down to one thing.  I can think of one thing that I want more than others, but there are multiple things that I want.  Typical female…I moved my list around so many times although my #1 stayed the same.  Here goes!

If I could change 1 (okay, more than 1) thing because I’m tall it would be:

1.  Airline Seats–now I know this one is obvious but I wouldn’t actually change the width because I fit fine in the actual seat.  It’s the distance between the seats needs to be longer!  My knees are right up against the back of the seat in front of me.  And if the jack-hole in front of me chooses to recline in their seat…I’m going to be a very unhappy passenger.  Or, the airlines could save the bulk-head and exit row seats (provided we can assist in the event of an emergency) for passengers over 6’2″ AND NOT CHARGE US EXTRA!!!!

I chose this for my number one because I travel a lot.  I spend so much money on extra leg-room and checking my luggage that my trips become much more expensive than I’d really like them to be.  An extra $25-$45 for the leg room both ways and then another $20-$25 for my bags, we’ve now added another $100-$150 to my already expensive trip!  Yikes.

Who has extra cash?  Apparently me…

2.  Tall Clubs International—TCI (Tall Clubs International) is such an important part of height awareness and they have so much to give as a social club and as a charity, but unfortunately the group is dwindling.  The club began in 1939 and there are still approximately 50 clubs throughout the Unites States with nearly 2,000 members however there was a time when the active membership was nearly 5,000.  I’d like to help get TCI back on the map with some beefed up membership and more active members but I’ll be honest, even I haven’t been very active myself lately.  Life tends to get in the way.  More membership, more advertisement, more sponsors…we need to get more activity!

My 6’4″ friend Megan who is a former President of Tall Clubs International and of course, Moi on the left.

3.  Clothes–okay, let me be a little more specific because personally I don’t have a terrible time finding clothes however there are 2 categories of tall people who need help with clothing:

• Tall, plus sized-this combination is nearly impossible for women to find good, quality, and reasonably priced clothing.  Most women can’t spend $100 per shirt or $150 per pair of pants.  That’s simply too much for the average woman so there needs to be better availability of tall, plus-sized clothing as well as better pricing.
• Clothes for the super tall-allow me to explain further.  I have a friend, Chris, who is 6’9″.  He shops at 1 store for almost all of his clothes.  1 store!  I don’t know how he does it.  For those men and women over 6’6″ with inseams over 38′, they need specialty stores that also aren’t horribly expensive and they also need greater access to these stores.

This is Chris and these are actually his hats. Wait, that’s not true. He really wears hats like this to distract people from his 6’9″ height. Okay…that’s not true either.

4.  Height Awareness-I’d like to change some perceptions that people seem to have about tall people.  We all play basketball, we are all freaks, tall women only want to date taller men (okay, for those of you that read my last blog yes, I am searching for a tall guy but that doesn’t mean I haven’t dated shorter guys in the past.  Don’t judge) and all the tall men only date women under 5 feet.  We all get labeled somehow.  We’ll I’ve come up with a few examples of things I’d like for people to know that it’s NOT okay to do or say.

• It’s not okay to come up behind me when I’m not looking and stand back-to-back with me while your friends take your picture.  You might get punched, seriously.
• I may or may not have played basketball and unless you know me, you probably should be careful what you ask.  Is it okay to touch a pregnant women’s belly?  Consider my feelings like that pregnant women’s belly…tread lightly.
• To point and stare at me as I walk by is downright rude.  Learn some manners (unless you are under the age of 8, then it’s acceptable)
• Thinking you are funny by saying something clever like ‘How’s the weather up there’ or ‘What’s up shorty?’ is really your way of indicating your very low IQ
• Please don’t ask me to compare hands with you.  Yes, my hands are probably bigger.  I’d also wager that so is my brain.
• No, my parents aren’t tall.  They are very short, I’m a mutant.  Who can explain science?

My family! All right…my dad is really tall, so is everyone else in my family.

So there you have it.  4 things that I would change and I KNOW I didn’t touch on some topics that others would want to change.  I wonder how much would actually change if I could at least get my wish with the first 4…..hmmmmm, I think I’ll go ponder that for awhile.

So you think you’re tall? And special? Why….yes!

That’s Neri (my upstairs neighbor in front!). See, I AM that much taller!

Yeah, I think I’m tall too. At least I think I’m taller than most women until last night when I went to a movie.  Let me re-phrase that.  I went to a movie with my shorter neighbors (sorry guys, but you are shorter than me).  We decided to go see Dark Knight Rising since we had some Groupons or Living Social Deals that were about to expire.  We get to the theater and while Randy waited out in the hall Neri, Leah, and I made a trip to the ladies room prior to the show and that’s where I saw her.  She was probably my height or maybe, just maybe, a smidge taller than me!  Say what!

We met eyes in the mirror, then quickly looked away.  Then just as quickly we met eyes again.  I felt as though we were doing that weird guy/girl dance of flirting, but we weren’t.  We were sizing each other up but trying to appear as though we weren’t.  You see, that’s what us tall girls do.  It’s so rare to be able to look someone of our same sex in the eye that we want to stare but we don’t want to be caught!

I looked her up and down trying to determine where she got her height.  Was she all legs?  Torso?  Properly or weirdly proportioned?  How did she dress?  Does she like being tall?  Did she stand up straight?  Should I talk to her?  Should I mention ‘our’ heights?  I wonder if she’s looking at me?  Should I smile?  Oh, this is awkward!

She washed her hands while I was still waiting in line and as she passed I stood up a little straighter and tried to catch her eye.  I didn’t say anything to her and I don’t think she would’ve wanted me to.  She walked with a little hunch in her shoulders as if she didn’t like her height and she didn’t even glance up as she walked past.  Too bad, I wanted to give her a big smile.

I wanted to shout out to her, ‘Stand up straight!  Embrace your height!  You are special!  Let your height make the world notice you but make the world love you because of YOU!‘

*Sigh*

I won’t get on my soapbox about this topic because then I’ll rant and rave about how awesome and amazing it is to be tall.   But I will tell a little story about the picture below:

I toast all you TALL women out there!

This picture was taken on my 39th birthday this year.  A friend of mine was visiting from Iowa and I took her to the drag show at Darcelle’s in Portland, OR.  Why am I toasting?  I felt amazing that night!  And here’s why:  I’m tall and I felt beautiful.  I bought the dress from Long Tall Sally and the little sweater cover-up as well.  When I walked into the room at Darcelle’s and while we were being seated, I had multiple drag queens ask me where I got my clothes!  I don’t think you can get a higher compliment than that.  So you can see, my night started out with an ego boost and my night only got better from there.

The point is, whatever you’ve got whether it’s height, beautiful hair, great eyebrows….whatever, you’ve got to make the most of it.  Regardless.  You’ll feel beautiful, you’ll radiate beauty and everyone wins.

Okay, I did end up on my soapbox.  Getting down now….

Your ‘Tallness’ is back

Oh boy have I been having some fun the last few months. I’ve had so many changes happening in my life that it would be impossible to go through everything so here are probably the most important updates. (and I’m sure there will be more to come, life is a bit exciting right now!)

1.  I’ve been traveling (MD, MN, CO, WI, WA, IL) and I’ve picked up a few great memories and some new friends along the way.  Here are a few pics:

This is me and my friend’s mom. Yes, I really am THAT tall!

This is in CO (one of my favorite states). Melissa is 5’11” and her husband, Damian, is 6’5″ish…

In Baltimore, MD at the Belgium beer festival and I met the 2 greatest bartenders in the city!! Yeah, bold, but I said it!

2.  I’ve been shopping!  (oh dear)  And my closet has never been more full.  I’m thinking about selling some of my older clothes and I found a great website to do so.  Here’s the link if you are interested in selling some of your own, tall, ‘gently-used’ clothing:  No Heels Required

Here is one of my new dresses (Long Tall Sally) and one of my new friends from IA!!

3.  I’m single and ready to mingle…okay, I’ve been single for awhile now and I’m not so sure about the ‘ready to mingle’ part, but I’m working on it.  (There’s really no pics to do this one justice unless I put on a sad face and take a picture…)

4.  I turned 39.  It’s my last year in my 30’s so I’ve got to make the most of this year.  I also celebrated my birthday for several days and there may have been some sketchy characters involved.  BTW…the picture below does not indicate that these people from my birthday party were sketchy, they are merely my newest friends!

These people really know how to show a new 39 year old a good time!

5.  I took pictures with random strangers who interest me.  Oh come on…who doesn’t LOVE to do this???

In the event you can’t read the caption on this gentleman’s shirt, it says: ‘Why R U so small?’ It’s a must-have for every tall girl!

So, as you can see I’ve been terribly busy trying to find a social life and I think I’ve done a fairly good job. So many more stories to tell…but I think I’ll save a few for a later date.  Until then…..

Shopping again?!?

I’m at it again. Yes, even after my fiasco with my previous experience from Tall and All, I’ve found another new Tall Shop and I just ordered a dress!!! But first, let me relate to you my total experience from Tall and All.

I ordered the jumpsuit from my previous post on 2-21-12 however I didn’t receive the jumpsuit until 4-10-12. This was after I had emailed them twice and each time was told it would take at least 10 days. Hmmm…I know I’m not the best at math but come on!

I tried the jumpsuit on and it fits…but it’s quite possibly the poorest made piece of clothing I’ve ever purchased. Even the material itself is coarse and doesn’t lay appropriately on the body. It’s very see through, so although I’d love to take a picture and show you, I’d like to keep my private bits….private.

I’m SO disappointed. Even my friend Jane who is also 6’2″ was disappointed. I tried it on for her and we both fell into a fit of giggles. She asked what I was going to do with it and I told her it may come in handy for Halloween. I truly dislike giving a negative review but I would suggest staying away from the store Tall and All. It’s not worth the $80 I paid for a jumpsuit that’s going to sit in my closet and collect dust.

BUT…let’s get to the positive stuff. Thanks to a wonderful blog from The Junoesque Blog I found out about a new tall store located on the East Coast called Talltique.  I visited their home page and immediately fell in love with a dress worn by a 6’6″ model. It’s the 2nd one from the left below:

Courtesy of Talltique website.

I immediately emailed the website in their contact information section and asked how I could purchase this dress.  Did I mention it’s called the ‘Infinity Maxi Dress’ because you can wear the straps multiple ways?  (Holy Heaven!)  I got a response from Helen Pappas within minutes and we agreed to chat the next day (today).

She was not only delightful to talk to, she gave me a 15% discount as a new purchaser and as a member of the tall clubs!  Additionally, in the few weeks or so she expects their online shopping to be up and running so I now officially have another store that will definitely be seeing more of me.  I can’t wait to see how this dress fits!

You can ‘Like’ Talltique on Facebook or you can check out their website Talltique.

What was I thinking?

Who wears stuff like this? Apparently I think that I do.

You see this jump-suit.  I ordered it.  Yes, I did.  I know, what was I thinking?  Well, let me tell you….

It’s a Tuesday.  I worked a long day at work and I came home where I proceeded to clean, do laundry, go grocery shopping and complete a bunch of mind-numbing chores that allowed me to justify having a glass of wine.  (I did keep it to one glass)

After I completed my chores and I sat down on the couch to drink my glass o’ wine I obviously needed to do something…and shopping online seemed to be the perfect accompaniment to this activity.  I found this jump-suit at a Tall Clothing website called Tall and All.  I’ve never ordered from there and I’m hoping that this suit fits although where I’m going to wear this…I’ve no clue.

I can’t promise that I’ll post pictures because I’ve no idea what this is going to look like but in the event that anyone out there has never heard of the website Tall and All, check it out. they even have latex pants.  And no, I didn’t order those.