Raggedy Ann Meets Her Match

Did you think Halloween was over? Seriously??

HA.

It isn't. I have one more party to go to tomorrow, and this one is themed (boo), and it has a stupid theme (feel free to join in on the booing, anytime). The theme is...wait for it....wait for it....

1930s Country

Boooooooooooooring. Go ahead, google it. It isn't impressive, at all. The only thing that would have been interesting historically in the U.S. at that point was the Depression, and I thought of it too late to make a potato sack dress (which would have been inaccurate, anyway--historically, they were usually made of flour sacks). I might change my mind and do it anyway if I somehow find some free or really cheap burlap today, but I doubt it. Actually, my creative juices seem to be awakening right now (I just realized Orphan Annie dates to this period, too), but I don't really have time to do anything that will take me more than, say, 30 minutes to do or make. 

So what am I doing?

I'm going as a rag doll, a la Raggedy Ann, without the cap, since I don't like how it looks. Anyway, it is cheap, and I have most everything for it. The only things I am lacking is a yarn wig (which is easily fixed--I'll tell you how Monday) and an apron. I already have decent shoes, and blue skirts/shirts/dresses, so everything should take off without a glitch. 

Hey, it is either that or I adapt my Phantom of the Opera/Addams Family Member costume and go as a widow. A yarn wig sounds more fun. 

The Easiest Costume of All: The Phantom of the Opera

Happy Halloween!

My costume is simple and short, just as this post is simple and short. What am I? If you haven't figured that out, well, that's your problem.

What I'm using:
1 Black Dress
1 Pair Black Stockings
1 Pair Heels
1 Mask (trimmed to fit my face appropriately)
1 Eyeshadow Palette
Spirit Gum
Foundation
Lipstick

This costume has gone through several different variations, including a test run several years ago that is pictured above, but I finally settled on this one mainly because I didn't have the time or money to make a black velvet cloak, and I need something that can look professional again in seconds (normally, I have a class that I can't look weird for in the middle of my day, but other factors have led to that being absent today, mainly working on a project with some theater friends). Obviously, the first three items are quite intuitive in their use, as are probably the last two. However, the rest I, of course, had to mess with.

The mask is actually what I did the most with. This phantom piece was actually inspired by a friend, who commented on the fact that I never had a profile picture that included my entire face. I had mentioned it to my mother because I thought it was funny, and then forgot about it. A week later I was doing some serious shopping for my classroom, and my mother comes up to me with this silly grin on her face and something hidden behind her back. It was a Phantom mask. It was a buck and change, so I threw it in the cart, and then got out the scissors and edited it. It came down to a sharp point along the chin, which I didn't like, especially since it was too small for my jaw, so I rounded that off, and then I lowered the forehead (it was ridiculously high--there might have been a reason it was so cheap!), in the process removing the little stretch band that goes around your head. Now you know why the Spirit Gum is important!

The eyeshadow palette actually helps hollow out my cheek a bit more and give the more unearthly look. A little white powder along the cheekbone never hurt, either. I think I've yet to actually use that eyeshadow on my eyes yet. Foundation helps with blending this out, and the lipstick gives the final touch--you may or may not want to use this, since in my opinion lipstick is messy and I don't like eating it. Incidentally, the average woman consumes something like seven pounds of lipstick in her lifetime. Ew.

The Perfect Cat Face: An Index to Cats, Cat Costumes and Catiness

As I have now post pretty much all the cat costume related stuff I've written/done (but not everything I've planned), I thought it might be helpful to post links to all of the information in one place. Please do keep in mind that the majority of this information was researched and developed while I was working on a Gia the Jaguar piece, but the basic information can be adjusted to suit your individual needs and plans. As I continue developing more cat costume techniques and post pictures of work I've already done, I will update this index to include links to those posts, too.

Creating Cat Eyes
Creating Patterned Fur
Easy(ish) Cat Whiskers
Various Cat Costume Ideas

Planning Halloween

Halloween is, truth be told, actually a bit of a taboo holiday in my household. Due to my heritage, I have a heightened awareness of Halloween's darker side, and can trace it back to its roots loooong before it was enforced by little costumed children demanding candy. Thus, growing up, it was never a celebrated holiday, and I still don't quite feel comfortable with the idea. Still, I've come to attend the occasional harvest party or join my friends in wandering the campus in strange clothing. This year I happen to plan on doing both. My campus friends and I split down the middle for sweet/scary costumes (we currently have a Belle, a pin-up zombie-turned-I-forgot-what, and me), and the harvest party is themed.

I hate themed parties.

This particular party is hosted by a darling family that has a wonderful home, but the people in charge of picking the theme (not members of the host family), come up with some of the most boring ideas. There was the Old Retirees theme one year (I didn't go to that one, and no zombies were allowed anyway), the Nerd theme last year (I apparently annoyed people by thinking outside the box and doing a Alice in Wonderland Nerd costume, ie, my Mad Hatter), and this year happens to have the theme of.... Country.

Moooooooooooooooooooo.

Still working on inventive, non-farmer and non-cowgirl ideas for that. I really doubt I'll be able to find someone for the other half of a cow costume. Which I don't have.

Using Wish: What It Means For You

During my sabbatical, I spent a good amount of time learning about www.wishwall.me. Unlike Pintrest, which seems to only waste time to me, I can see a use for Wish. Here's why.

What is Wish?

Wishwall is pretty simple. You scroll through, find things you like, and wish for them. These things get posted on your WishWall, and you can put them in files and other various things. So far, to me, it sounded exactly like Pintrest. But! With Wish, you can save money.

How Do I Save Money with Wish?

Why, I'm so glad you asked! For everything you wish on, if you recommend it to three friends, you get a 10% discount on that item. After you purchase an item, you send a copy of your receipt to Wish, and they send a reimbursement to your PayPal account. Pretty nifty, huh?

If you add items, you can also get discounts, and Wish runs various deals with different sellers so you can get even higher discounts and other goodies. I actually realized that this was website was worthwhile when I got a surprise $3 off of a $12 item I had wanted from etsy--previous to that, I had signed up and then ignored it.

Is There a Catch?

No, no catch. They do cap how much you can get reimbursed or as bonuses from the site to $100 a month, though. Personally, I think it would be rather hard to hit that limit. Also, I have tested the system, using the chemise I recently bought as a test item for it. I did get the full 10% reimbursement.

Cool! What About You?

Yup, I get bonuses if enough people like my stuff--or, rather, I get higher percentage discounts. But you love my blogging, so you're ok with that, right???

Anyway, I will do my best to add all the products I blog about on here to Wish, and give you links to it. At the very least, if you want to buy any of these items, you can get a 10% discount on it. Also, I pretty consistently add products to Wish that I think are cool, but don't necessarily fit into my blogging scheme--books being one of those items. I would highly recommend signing up for Wish, and, once you do so, please follow me. Feel free to browse through the stuff I've liked or added--I think you might find a few gems in there, too!

Tainted Loves is not responsible for any damage to keyboards due to drooling while browsing.

Custom Made Undergarments: The Perfect Chemise

Chemises are one of the few items that I have put off buying for forever and a half. They are necessary for so many different costumes (of which fact I am reminded about 80% of the times I get into one), yet I've been lackluster about buying one. Why? Well, I'm not exactly average shaped. And yes, I did say buy, not make. I have a rule that, if I fail at making a piece the first time, and I can't figure out why, I will never attempt to make it again, and I will always buy it. You'd think I'd be able to manage sewing such a simple garment, but trust me: I tried. It was a disaster. I'm never trying again. 

In the interim, I have used a variety of different button down shirts as substitutes, and they've worked okay, but they definitely gave my pieces a more modern look that I didn't necessarily like. Finally, I took the plunge and began scouring etsy for a good chemise that didn't cost an arm and a leg. It took my quite a while to find something, and waffled around about buying it. Finally, I did. 

The chemise came from a shop called Dungeons, Duds N Jewels. What attracted me to this shop in the first place was the pretty lace on the chemise. The price wasn't bad at all, and the little "Custom Made" line made me quite happy, especially since I wanted a shorter-than-normal one. I went ahead and ordered the Lace Insert Chemise, and after a few emails back and forth over measurements, got the message that the package was on its way. 

And then the post office took forEVER to deliver it. The shop owner, Ellie, had been kind enough to send me the link to track the package, and I swear that the post office sent it every which way just to frustrate me. In reality, it probably didn't take that long, it just seems like it. As it was, I was all sorts of hyper and bouncy when I finally found that dear package in my mailbox. I, of course, opened it right away and had to try it on, and it fit marvelously. My hyper self then spent a good fifteen minutes running around the house alternating between flapping my arms and pretending I was an angel and staring at myself in the mirror and thinking I needed to do a Vampires of Venice cosplay. 

Long story short, I will definitely be getting another one, and longer. 

The Blog That Got Left Out In The Rain

My dear, dear readers (if any of you have survived!),

I am so very sorry to have abandoned you, especially for the icky scholastic season. I have had so many things flying around in my brain to tell you (my muse has been quite hyperactive), but taking 21 units is stretching my life to its fullest. With this said, I am returning to the blogosphere in the hopes of being able to renew my resolve to post at least every other day, if not daily. If I was truly organized (which I am not), I would be rebooted this on the first of the month, or something else pristine and orderly.

I didn't. Instead, here I am, with a brain and closet full of costumes and events and giveaways and all sorts of other cool stuff. Perhaps we can build something nice. I hope to be able to give the blog a new look to reflect the new content, but that may be a while in coming. My current goal is simply this: To manage to post three times a week, starting next Monday.

With love,

Wren

The Sabbatical Strikes Again

...but hopefully only for a week. If you can't tell, I've been a bit hit-and-miss with posting, and I shall be until the summer semester is over. With that, I shall bid you adieu until I've settled into the a few weeks of blissful havoc between the end of summer semester and the beginning of fall semester. Grand total of 3 weeks off.

Bleh.

The Hobbit in Panorama

EW posted a huge banner from The Hobbit yesterday, simply referred to as "The Scroll." It is absolutely amazing, but does have some spoilers (hence, no picture today). I'm really looking forward to The Hobbit. It has been a favorite of mine, and it is finally not only being made into a live-action film, but it is being done to match The Lord of the Rings. Thus, I'm quite happy.

At some point, perhaps when we get a little more information about the new female elven character, I may consider doing a costume. The film will be coming out directly after finals, though, so I don't know how well that will work out. Last year, I was sick directly after finals, a pattern I do not wish to repeat this year.

We shall see, though...

A Sale Indeed: Coldwater Creek's History

 My dearest darlingest Mumsie and I went out for coffee this morning and stopped by Coldwater Creek (mainly because I heard that they were having a sale on top of a sale. Incidentally, she'd heard that too). I surprised myself by purchasing something--two of the double lace tanks, one in grapevine and one in spring lake. Normally, I'm more inclined to forgo the lace and stick with the four season tank, but I didn't like the colors on sale for that one. Anyway, not only was I able to buy a size smaller than I usually do, but, including tax, I got out of the store for $25! Please note that the tanks regularly priced are usually $30+. So I'm quite proud of me.

Anyway, while I was there, we ended up having quite the conversation with the saleslady, who was very knowledgeable about Coldwater Creek and its history. Apparently, the company started out as an in-home business that specifically sold authentic Indian Jewelry. It was highly successful, and on a lark, the owners decided to sell a single Native-American sweater design. The sweater was a huge hit, and thus began Coldwater Creek's journey as a clothing store! All of its designs are unique to the company, and with new policy changes, they are following the indie style of clothing production; rather than having a large collection that sells for several months before the next collection comes out, the collections are smaller and there are only so many of each item produced. This makes me a very happy girl.

I then asked where most of the clothing was made. I was a bit disappointed to find that it was made all over the world, because I think it would be really awesome to have a line made and designed by Native American  people. I mean, that was how the company got started. Fortunately, though, their clothes aren't all mass produced in China. They come from a variety of different nations--China, Sri Lanka, the US, India, Africa...you name it. So I suppose I can forgive the partial abandonment of American roots.

Isn't that interesting?? They have a new rewards card program, too--obviously, I signed up for that. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on their sales. I'd love to score some more well-made, indie-esque clothing for very cheap. In the mean time, I'm going to head to the gym. I'm hoping that buying a S instead of an M means that my gym time has been effective, not just that they're being more generous in their sizing. ;)

P.S. Oh, yeah. There is a sale both in-stores and online right now for Coldwater Creek. 40% off all already discounted merchandise in-store, 30% store-wide online. Check it out at http://www.coldwatercreek.com
Also, if you aren't following me on twitter yet, please do! I post lots of sales and cool stuff on it--stuff that is really too short to merit a post here.

Patriotic Outfits: Baby You're A Firework

Fireworks are wonderful. Unfortunately, every time I've seen a display, I've noticed that I get cold, mainly because it doesn't start until after dark and it is usually over water. To combat this, then, I have created an outfit that can be adjusted to the temperature around you.

This outfit is inspired by the Star Pattern Long Skirt by etsy seller Shovava (that's the skirt to the right). If you like unique, edgy clothing, I highly recommend looking through her store. She has a lot of amazing pieces in there! A bit spendy, granted, but very unique and feminine.

Coupling this with Free People's Girl Talk Graphic Tank adds a cooler flair, with the crocheted back of the tank and its breezy light color. In contrast to the bursting stars of Shovava's design is the distressed graphic of the tank, which proudly bears the American flag. Finally, round out the look with a pair of DressBarn's slingbacks, and the outfit is finished.

Ah, yes, but what about when the sun sets and it gets cold?? I firmly believe every girl should own a good quality jean jacket. Now would be the time to break it out. Or, if you want a jacket with a little more flair that matches your outfit, check out Forever21's Dip-Dyed Denim Jacket. I think that should solve the problem, keeping you nice and warm and ready to be dazzled by the fireworks.

All pictures belong to the companies/people that produce the garments. So go check out their sites, already.

Patriotic Outfits: Out on the Water

I'm convinced the absolute best place to watch fireworks is where they're over the water. For a full day out at the docks, boating or relaxing, a girl must always look her best.

To start off with the basics, a smart sundress is great. I've chosen Coldwater Creek's Mandarin Crochet Sundress to start things off. With a deep red and nice detailing, this dress is both fun and classy. The sleeveless sundress style gives it a flirty feel, yet the high neckline and moderate shaping keep it from being too sexy or slutty. Plus, I love that Chinese look.

For a cover-up, Forever21's Beaded Lace Jacket in blue is just thing thing. Light and fun, it contrasts well with the red and gives some depth to the ensemble. At the same time, it is always a good idea to have a cover-up when you're near or on the water. Who knows what the weather will bring!

Finally, the accessories. I've recently discovered spottedmoth.com and I must say I quite like their accessories. From Spotted Moth, then, I would reccomend the Enamel Cobalt Bangle Set or the red Besotted by Buttons earrings.

But what really makes the look and pulled it all together? Oh, yes. The Shoes. As always, I love shoes, and this pair is no exception. The Liberty Platform from FreePeople!

Warning: side effects of high heels include hurting toes, twisted ankles, blisters and overall sore feet. To combat this, it is recommended that all women who must wear high heels also carry a pair of flipflops in their handbag. Talk to your pediatrist for more information on how to combat the side effects from high heels, or how to solve your addiction to high heels.

Patriotic Outfits: Stars and Stripes

Another day, another patriotic outfit. In contrast to my last post's serious, more professional outfit, today's is purposefully laid back. After all, what patriotic holiday isn't celebrated with picnics? Can't think of one either, eh?

Now, I'm not one to usually wear things exposing my midriff, but if you aren't in danger of muffin-toppage, these tied crop-tops sure can be cute. This denim Octavia Tie Crop Top from Motel does happen to be one of my favorites. With a high neck and buttons, this top does price out to be $50 (gulp), but there is definitely more than one summer's worth of use in it. Now, if you can only keep the tummy to match it....

The pants, likewise, are expensive. FreePeople always is...although they are also the website that has a handy "download picture" button to support my excessive blogging habits. If you look closely on the leg of these American Flag Super Flare jeans, you'll see that the American flag does reside in white on the right leg. Apparently these run a little small, but getting a larger size is a small price to pay for the nostalgia of looking cute in bellbottoms. I'll watch from afar to see if FP has a sale anytime soon.

Of course, every girl needs her accessories. For a day in the park, everyone needs some nice shades, and aviators definitely have a patriotic feel to them (no idea why. Maybe it has something to do with excessive spy movies). As a plus, these glasses can double as Nikita's for dress-up purposes or when the need arises to look exceedingly cool and have reflective sunglasses. ANYWAY. With the laid-back feel of a picnic, little or no jewelry makes the look. Wild natural beauty looks best. Besides, what fun is it to be outside when you have to make sure every hair stays in place?

Oh, yes. I did save the best for last. I fell in love with these Stars and Stripes TOMS. Not sure how appropriate it is to have flags on your shoes, but cute tootsies are very important and it isn't an actual flag so...I'm sure we're all good. I hope. Either way, these are comfy shoes for busy days. Go play some volleyball!

Patriotic Outfits: Running Up The Flag

What does a girl do for patriotic outfits? Why, spend money, of course! (I only wish I had an unlimited budget!). As I sit within a stone's throw of my state's capitol, my thoughts, for some reason, have turned toward patriotism and the 4th of July. Rather than writing a memorial post and wonderful, deep thoughts about our nation's foundations and how they are quickly eroding, I decided to go on an extravaganza and spend lots of imaginary money by posting four awesome patriotic outfits that I have put together through internet means.

Ironically, my American series was inspired by a ~$900 pair of shoes. Rupert Sanderson's Marquita Sandals, to be exact. I absolutely love these shoes (even though they're exclusive to a British store, Selfridge's), but even for shoes I love...I'm not coughing up that much cash. It did, however, inspire me to hunt around for a few outfits that I think are patriotic...and I've tried to make sure they don't totally break the bank, either. Thus, I can promise that none of these outfits are as expensive as those shoes. Anyway, to go with the shoes.

Today's post is mainly professional in taste, so to match with the shoes (of course!) is a beautiful knee-length Vacation Day Skirt from modcloth, as well as a Windowpane Jacquard Top from Coldwater Creek. Finally, make the outfit perfect with some final touches in the accessories--Patriotic Nail Wraps and a Rock Star Spangled Scarf! There. Your patriotism is complete--and each piece can be used in other outfits, too. Unique, but versatile.

Tweet Tweet! I've Been Twitterpated!

TaintedLoves has its own Twitter now! Pretty amazing, huh? I was hesitant to get a twitter, but I finally decided to when I realized I was running across a lot of deals that I simply didn't have time to blog about. I barely have time to blog once every other day right now, yet I'm constantly running across great coupons, discounts and products that I just absolutely love. At the same time, I don't want this blog to turn into a "ooo, look, here's a deal! and here's a coupon! and here this looks so totally cute, and it is on a BOGO sale!" On the other hand, I don't want to hog all the sales, either.

Thus, the perfect solution. A twitter. With twitter, I can swiftly inform all of you lovely people about any deals I find in 160 (or is it 150?) characters or less. Secondly, if I feel incredibly witty or sarcastic, I'll have a place to let loose my randomness. So be warned, I'm sure the twitter will turn into a mixed bag.

Not scared away yet? If you aren't, you can follow me here.

Cake Stencils: Amazing Cakes Made Easy

Last Christmas, I mentioned these wonderful cake stencils from ModCloth. I enjoy baking, and I actually took cake decorating classes for several years. However, these stencils always looked lovely, so I purchased them a while back, but I never got a chance to actually use them until recently.

I was going to spend the evening alone, so I decided to make a one layer chocolate cake from scratch (which nearly turned out disastrously--but I survived). The stencil kit contains recipes, too, so I tried out the chocolate ganache. Incidentally, I cheated and make it in the microwave rather than on the stovetop, but that is neither here nor there. The ganache was quite tasty, and I simply poured it over the top of the cake, let it cool somewhat, and then applied the stencil and powdered sugar. When I took the stencil off, I actually had a bit of trouble trying to convince myself to cut it, just because I was so proud of it.

There are, of course, a few catches to using the stencils. For one, you want the cake to be flat, or else the stencil isn't going to be able to lay flat and the image is going to be distorted. This wasn't a huge issue at all for me, as I'm used to trying to make my cakes as flat as possible. However, I guess not that many people know how to do that, so here are a few options:

1. Pound your cake. This is actually pretty simple. After you pour the batter into the pan, put a hand on either side of the pan and essentially pound it against the counter. I usually throw a towel between the pan and the counter, just in case. You should see little air bubbles coming up through the top of the cake. You're technically supposed to do this until air bubbles stop coming up, but you can pound forever. I usually stop when my arms get tired. By getting rid of the air bubbles, your cake will be denser and should rise more evenly and not as high.

2. Cut the top off the cake. Before you take it out of the pan, grab a large sharp knife (serrated works best) and cut off the top of the cake. This also allows for the cook to have something to snack on while finishing cooking. Mind your fingers, though!

3. Flip the cake. As soon as you pull the cake out of the oven, flip it over onto a plate/platter. I usually leave it in the pan when I do this, so that the shape actually flattens, rather than inverting.

Once the cake is rather cool, ice and then apply the stencil. The book has instructions for how to use the stencils, and as long as you follow the step by step, it is rather easy. I've used it several times so far, and I'm quite happy with it. I'm still working on my technique for using it on cupcakes, though....

Brave: Hunting Down The Right Weapons

Merida's hunting accessories do say a bit about her. Finding a replica of Merida's bow says a lot about the costumer. I've left off her more queenly attire to review later, as I'll be examining her mother's too, so I thought those two were best reviewed together. Thus, a short review of Merida's hunting attire.

Key to Merida's dress is her belt/thigh quiver. The belt is leather and holds a quiver--but I can't really see the quiver to find a good match online, although there are matching arrows. While I cannot prove it, I am pretty sure that the belt is actually part of a thigh quiver (essentially, that means that the belt and the quiver are attached to each other). This not only makes sense historically, but also aesthetically, since the quiver seems to hang toward one side, and may have a flattened leather look. Thus, ArmStreet's Bowman Leather Quiver in brown would probably be an accurate match. If you are disinclined to wear a quiver, a close (non quivered) equivalent would be Dark Knight Armory's Peasants Medieval Ring Belt in a brown.Incidentally, this is a very handy costuming accessory, since many fantasy, pirate and medieval costumes will use a belt like this one. 

In contrast, Merida's bow is highly practical. it is a standard long bow of light wood with silver and leather accents. Unfortunately, bows can be quite costly and I don't know how often you could get away with carrying one into a theater. On the same note, while you can buy arrows from the Dark Knight Armory, I would suggest not actually carrying any real ones into the theater.

It is relatively hard to find a bow with the light birch. This bow from Dark Knight Armory is a dark wood and gold version of Merida's. The much more accurate (and exceedingly more expensive) Lothlorien Longbow from the same provider is the right wood color with the light detailing. And it is half a grand, too. Pocket change, I'm sure.

Brave: If The Dress Fits, Put It On!

Brave appears to have some very realistic costumes (with a few exceptions). Thus, I have taken on writing up some notes and observations about them for you. I was planning on going to a prescreening tomorrow, but things have come up and I will be unable to attend (boo hiss). The nice thing about going to a prescreening: you get to check all your facts. The nice thing about *not* going: you don't have to remember everything and write it just-so. Thus begins my commentary on Merida's outfits, and how they are anything BUT just so.

Merida has two basic dresses and a cloak. The first dress I examined was her green travel/hunting dress. It appears to be made from linen, or something with a looser weave and thick thread. Goes to the ankles. If you have $150 laying around, you might consider stopping my ArmStreet and taking a look at their linen Autumn Princess dress. Slight differences include a boat neck and no cream lining, but hey. It is close.

The dress is, incidentally, very close to the one in the painting The Lady Clare--down to the cut of the sleeves and the striped underdress. It made me begin to wonder if the one was not modeled after the other. Who knows if that was the intent or a happy coincidence, but I would say it wouldn't be too hard to simply create a green Lady Clare and call it Merida's dress.

Merida's other dress, her Princess dress, appears to be made of a lighter, satiny fabric. It has the same basic cut as the travel dress, but it is much tighter--hence the tearing that occurs when Merida enters the archery contest. It appears to have the same cream underdress as the Travel Dress does. The belt is a fairly simple gold belt--if you look at the pictures, you could easily create the same thing with some wide golden ribbon, a snap and some jewels. I am still hunting for a replica of her head covering.

Ok, I would never make a version of the ripped dress, just because, well, it is ripped. However, here is a solidly constructed dress that could imitate the tears. Grab your bow, ladies!

Underdress: This, perhaps, is a silk or satin? It has a sheen, and is striped. Is almost as long as the other dress, but shows at the sleeves and collar with a ruffle. If you don't mind losing the stripes, I'd be willing to bet that the Flax Linen Underdress/Chemise from ArmStreet is about what Merida is wearing. In other words, a nighty.

Finally, Merida has an awesome swishy cloak. The fabric appears to be a sort of woolen fabric. Appears to have a hood. Stops about six to 12 inches above hem of dress in some shots--in others it appears a bit longer. It is easy to find cloaks, but hard to find ones with this specific length. I think almost any generic cloak would pass, for a costume, though. 

More notes to come later....

Madagascar 3: Two Free Tickets in San Francisco

Hey everyone! Today I have a little surprise for you: two free movie tickets to see Madagascar 3! This is a free giveaway, but it is also a contest. Below are several different ways to enter this contest, but first, please review the details:

1. These tickets are to see Madagascar 3 at an AMC theater in San Francisco. They are "valid for any 2D show beginning Monday through Thursday, through the run of the engagement." In other words: they aren't good on weekends.
2. The Madagascar 3 tickets are FREE. However, don't be troll. If you want to resell the tickets or something else like that, don't enter. If I catch you...well, I'm not sure what I'll do, but I'll think of something.
3. I'm not responsible for any issues you might have at the theater. I was simply given two free tickets, which I am passing on to you my readers. It is your responsibility to check what show times are available, as well as to confirm that the particular AMC theater you choose will accept the voucher.
4. I will need a valid California address from the winner so I can send you the tickets. If you refuse to share a valid mailing address with me, you forfeit your winnings. And I will only ask once. I will not mail the tickets out of state.
5. The contest begins with the posting of this post, and it ends at 12:01 AM on June 24, 2012. I use a bot to choose the winning entry to eliminate any foul play cries or chance of fudging on times.

That said....good luck to you all, and remember to enter every day! Oh, and tell your friends, too!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Madagascar 3: Creating Gia's Cat Eyes

Gia the Jaguar has probably been one of the funnest costumes I've researched/planned in a long time, but unfortunately her time as a featured character on my blog is coming to a close (mainly because Brave comes out next week and I would like to talk about Merida a bit before it opens). I will, however, write one more post about Gia, giving comprehensive instructions, Things You'll Need lists, and a Cool Things I Didn't Use list. And, per readers requests, pictures. But don't expect that for a good while.

On to Gia's eyes. As you can tell from the pictures, she has a strong black outline to her eyes, along with long lashes and a bit of a shadow above her eye, but none below. Obviously, unless you are blessed with a particular ethnic background, there is no easy way to achieve her beautiful almond eye shape, but there is always a way to manipulate looks.

The best way to deal with the long lashes is simply to buy fake ones. Two sets that I particularly like (and require little to no trimming) are Eylure's Naturalites for Gia's regular look and Hed Kandi Lashes for Gia's blacklight look (the lashes are supposed to have purple accents in them). If you look closely at Gia's eyes, her lashes are very short close to her nose and very long at the corner of her eye. Both of these sets are already trimmed that way, cutting out the nasty work of trying to trim them Just So.

Beyond the lashes, of course, you want some good eyeliner to give the black edged look that most cats tend to have. You have good liquid eyeliner and a steady hand, you'll do fine--just add a little Cleopatra flair to the corner. If you have issues with applying eyeliner or aren't used to using it, you might want to try something like Eye Rock Designer Liner. I've never used this one specifically, but I must say, I'm a huge fan of the peel-and-press sorts of makeup--it makes everything so much easier and cleaner!

Finally, a light swipe of grey eyeshadow finishes the look. You won't want to do more than one brushwidth above the lashes, and it shouldn't be very dark at all. If you don't care to use eyeshadow, smudging the eyeliner a bit will give the same sort of effect.

I feel a bit sad moving on from Gia. This has been very fun and I enjoyed writing and researching about her. Who knows? Maybe we'll see her again in Madagascar 4.

Brave: Change Your Fate

Brave is the next big animated movie coming up (at least in my world). Based on the fairy tale of The Bear and the Bow, it is a Tangled-esque story of finding yourself, your true family and the like. Now that Madagascar 3 is out for the world to see and I have very little other commentary about the film, it is time to move on. Brave comes out next, so, logically, it is my next blogging stop, thoughts on Merida's dress included.

Apparently, despite thinking earlier that there were no interesting films coming out this summer, I was wrong, since the line up does include Brave, Dark Knight Rises (but only because Anne Hathaway is awesome), and, uh, maybe Ice Age 3. The Katy Perry film looks interesting, but not interesting enough to wrench open my pocketbook to go. I think it looks interesting mainly because of the weirdness factor. But back to Brave.

The story follows Merida, a king's daughter who is, well, a feisty redhead who knows how to handle a bow. Her wish to be able to change her predicted future leads to the near-destruction of her family, which she then has to save. Accomplice is mad that they changed the name and thus is prepared for it to be awful. I'm a bit more optimistic, although a little concerned that Brave follows so close on the heels of Tangled. I'm hoping that it wasn't simply a response to having such a successful film that they try to churn out another one like it.

I won't be making any costumes or anything based off of Brave. I'm simply not that into the film, and even if I was, I can't create something from every film I like. However, I will be writing about some costumes, especially since Merida's gown reminds me of Susan's archery dress in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Doctor Who: Tips on Becoming The Time Lord Himself

I was flipping through my Doctor Who sites the other day, and I ran across one that I had saved a while back. Obviously, I won't be making one of the Doctor's costumes for myself, since, well, I'm a girl. Despite that, I appreciate how much this fellow blogger has put in to researching, designing and writing about the Doctor's costume. After wandering around his blog a little more, I remembered exactly why I had saved the blog, beside the fact that it is a great guide for referring other costumers to.

It was because of little Jamie, who loves Doctor Who so much that his lovely Mum sat down and made him both a 10th Doctor and an 11th Doctor costume. As far as I can tell, Jamie's mum doesn't have a blog of her own, but I somewhat wish she did. Jamie looks so cute and serious in his costumes. At the same time, it is obvious he loves them. Anyway, take a look at Eleventh Doctor Costume, and be sure to pop over to his other Doctor Who sites. Meanwhile, I am going to go back to studying another Doctor--Doctor River Song.

Madagascar 3: Creating Gia's Spots

Before I share my thoughts on easily making jaguar markings, I will say this; the reason why I haven't really blogged anything for the last week is because the prescreening was highly frustrating. Don't get me wrong; the movie was very well done and overall highly enjoyable. What wasn't so enjoyable was that we had been sent the wrong time, given bad information, and all around had a frustrating trip. The movie itself was great.

Because I was planning on returning home and writing about the showing, and then promptly came home and didn't know how to best to write about it, I've put off posting. However, at the least I should finish my notes about Gia for everyone. On to her spots!

If you look closely at the pictures of Gia, you can see that she has a variety of different spots. Some are the classic O with a dot in the middle look, while others, especially those on her face, are much more dash-like. She also doesn't really have any close to the center of her face, and they seem to fade out if they are close to her nose. The spots probably should be applied over all other make-up; I tried it the other way and didn't really care for the results. At some point I should write something about what base colors to use, but not right now. I'm tired. Anyway, part of the reason I've tried to post good Gia pictures with each post is so that you can get a good idea of her spots for yourself.

The easiest way to do the spots actually struck me while I was putting on concealer. Covergirl liquid concealer is brushed on, and is perfect for applying shapes. You just have to get handy with the brush and have good control to make the shapes. It is always handy to have a picture of Gia close by, so you can try to base your spot design directly off of her face. And, an easy way to do that is to put a picture of her directly below your mirror and simply apply the spots mirror image. Incidentally, that's what I did the first time I ever applied all of my Mad Hatter make-up, and it helped remove a lot of frustration.

What I experimented with much more--and, frankly, I like the looks of better, although it takes more time and a good (or several good) eyebrow pencils. Each pencil stroke equates to a hair, and it looks really cool and furry. This needs much more practice, so your family might want to get used to you doodling spots on your arms. I found that, with this, it is best to practice first on your arms, just so you can get the feel of it and decide what shorts of shapes you like before trying to apply them to your face. If you just start out doing it directly on your face, chances are you are going to get highly frustrated. A much more time-intensive and expensive way is to settle in with a color wheel, like the ones from Ben Nye, as were used for there sample cats, which I talked about previously. However, there is nothing about this look that can't be achieved by simply utilising the options sold at the local grocery store. Perhaps the only thing that isn't easily acquired in town is white face powder, but that is another post. I personally would probably rely on BN to get the basics done, then apply the design on top of that.

Incidentally, one last tip. While I'm not saying that ever spraying hairspray in someone's face is a good idea, I rely on it to hold the detail and shape of my styles. But don't copy me on that because I'm probably poisoning myself by spraying super glue hairspray on my face. Or something. Anyway, it works really well.

For instructions and commentary on creating a Gia, see also:
Clues on How To Create Gia
Making Gia's Whiskers

Madagascar 3: Making Gia's Whiskers

Making cat whiskers really isn't that hard. That said, I'm a genius for thinking this up. I knew that gluing the cat whiskers directly to my face wouldn't work; there simply would not be enough area to apply the spirit gum given the length and weight of the whiskers. Thus, I've contrived a more genius strategy. Granted, this takes a little more planning, but it doesn't take that much to do. All I used was

• Ben Nye Scar Effects Gel
• Spirit Gum
• Wax Paper
• One of those weird light up fiber optic wands we used to get on holidays as kids

Apparently, those fiber optic wands we used to get as kids are now huge rave toys. They're also being sold as hair barrettes, and, if I end up going to an event in the evening that is outdoors ever again, I think I'll wear a set of these, because they look really cool and I'm childish like that. Anyway, back to cat whiskers.

I started by heating water to start melting the Effects Gel--work experience has taught me that this is always the first thing you do. Please, do be advised that hot water is hot, and things melted in hot water will also be, well, hot. I'm used to some things because I handle them all the time and my skin has become desensitized. Yours probably haven't. If there's a little direction manual that comes with your Effects Gel, read it. Incidentally, if you are looking to buy Scar Effects Gel, you usually have to buy it in the effects gel wound kit. You can buy it individually from the International Fun Shop, but I've never purchased from them, so I can't vouch for the company.

After I set the gel to heating, I started measuring out and cutting the fiber optics. You can see, in the picture, that Gia has five whiskers on each side (click the picture up top, and it should enlarge so you can see more detail). For each set of whiskers that I made, I made an extra, just in case something goes sideways when I apply them, or one breaks, or any other mishap occurs.

Once the Effects Gel is liquid, I let it drip out onto the wax paper and cool a bit. When it was more cohesive, I stuck a fiber optic thing into each droplet. I didn't do it straight up and down, because then the angle would be wrong when I applied it. Rather, I did them at an angle to the side. You may have to put something for the clean end of the optic to rest against as the Gel finishes hardening--you don't want the optic to lay flat against the wax paper, either. Then, you just had to let it sit and dry for ever and a half.

You've probably already figured out the final step. After the Gel is hard, you remove it from the wax paper, apply spirit gum and stick it to your face. You'll probably want to stick it above your lip, corresponding to where they sit on Gia's face, not only for accuracy, but also because sticking anything on around the edges of your mouth is just a bad idea, since your lower face moves more than any other part of your face, perhaps excepting the eyelids.

So there. Brilliant, genius whiskers, if I do say so myself.

For instructions and commentary on creating a Gia, see also:
Clues on How To Create Gia
Creating Gia's Spots

So, apparently by law I have to tell you that I do get a kick-back if you purchase something from Amazon through the above Amazon links. So, yay, if you love me and at least can stand my blog, show me a little love next time you have to order something. Ironically, according to Amazon's bylaws and whatever for being an affiliate, I can't tell you that I'm an affiliate and that I get a kick-back when you order anything by getting to their site through one of my links. Not sure who to fear, here. Oh, yeah. If you burn yourself with, ingest any or do any other stupid things with any of the products discussed above, it isn't my fault. It is yours, and this is Darwin's theory being put into action. So pay attention. I already warned you that the stuff gets hotter than you would expect, mainly because when I started working with it, I ended up hurting myself the first few times. Don't be an idiot and ignore me and the notes that Ben Nye puts with the product. Just in case you missed it: Hot Stuff Is Hot. Got that?

Featured Blogger: Anna

First, tell us a little about yourself. What do you consider yourself to be?
What do I see myself as, eh? There are so many answers for this, but I’ll stick to a simple one. I’m an aspiring science fiction writer who’s still learning the trade. Along the way I’m bumbling my way through job seeking and living life in general.

Is that what you originally went to school for, or have things changed along the way?
Ah, a clue that I answered the first questions right! Yes, writing is what I went to school for hence why I’m not very focused in my job search. I decided my senior year of high school that I was going to make a living writing, so I applied for a college that had a creative writing degree. I haven’t looked back.

Favorite hobbies?
Other than writing? Music (which was my other career option) will always be a part of me and so it comes out through singing (in choirs or alone) and the occasional playing the piano. My other hobby which will never change is daydreaming. When I have a free moment I’m always dreaming up a story and, lately, these stories have been turning into inspiration for my various writing projects. I suppose reading can be considered a hobby as well. I’m kind of addicted to reading so I don’t see myself ever dropping this, though the method and source might change. My other hobbies fluctuate.

Are you musically inclined?
Um, yes. See last answer. I sing and play piano and fiddle around on other instruments.

What age group are you in?
The “Just graduated on schedule and am job hunting” age group. In other words, somewhere between 22 and 25.

Are you the type of person who has to get everything done perfectly, or are you more happy go lucky? 
Perfectionist. Guilty as charged. Though, I have learned to relax in some areas.

 How does that affect your everyday life?
How does that affect my life? Depends on which area it is. If I can or feel like controlling it, it’s under a rigid schedule or method of doing things. If it’s an area I don’t bother controlling, it’s a neat mess.

Do your clothing choices reflect that?
Hmm…maybe. But not really. I’m not too fussed about clothing. So it’s an in between area.

Do your clothing choices reflect your hobbies in any way?
Outside of an interest in trying to look a bit more eclectic, no.

About how much do you spend on clothing each month?
Probably not more than $10-$20 on average. I shop cheap (thrift stores, Wal-mart, etc.) and I don’t tend to go shopping unless I need or want something.

Do you prefer shopping online or in person?
Most absolutely in person. I can do non-clothing shopping online, but I just can’t order clothes or clothing related items online. I need to try something on before I’ll buy it.

What are your favorite stores?
Goodwill (it’s a treasure trove!). As for other stores, I pay more attention to the clearance rack than the store or brand.

What would you call your style?
Comfortable clothing which vacillates between rather boring and slightly fashionable. 

What color is your favorite to wear?
Judging by the clothes I own, black. Not that I’m emo or goth. I just like the color. But I also like wearing purple.

What color do you feel looks awful on you?
Orange, closely followed by yellow. I try to avoid red and pink but I’ll wear them if they’re the right hue.

Do you like patterns?
I do to a certain extent. I tend towards small patterns though and I don’t have many patterns among my clothes. I’m trying to add more though.

If you had an unlimited budget, what would your dream outfit look like?
See, that’s the problem. I haven’t ever thought of a dream outfit. But the requirements would be a comfortable outfit that was also fashionable and modest.

How do you think clothing reflects personality?
 Clothing choices are a pretty good mirror for a person’s values and priorities as well as personality. But when you see an extrovert walking around in a loud, colorful print and an introvert in muted colors and cuts, you can’t deny it does reflect the person. After all, each person chooses his/her own clothing and so is drawn to something uniquely self-expressive.

Do you have any "mood outfits", or outfits that always make you feel good or impressive?
Yup. These tend to be my “dressed up” or “fashionable” outfits which I put together with a purpose or occasion in mind.

Do you have anything else you would like to share with us?
Not really. Except that I’m very honored to be featured. :D

Where is your blog, and what is it about?
My blog, Writer’s Nook, can be found at www.AnnaMittower.blogspot.com. It’s my thoughts and opinions as a writer as well as other things I find interesting.

Madagascar 3: Clues On How To Create Gia

As I mentioned the other day, I am going to a prescreening of Madagascar 3 in San Francisco. I'm also intending to go as Gia, the jaguar that is in the circus that Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria hail as a cab. As an edit, this is the beginning of my costume design, so there are no instructions in this post. Rather, further posts are linked to at the bottom of this post and can direct you to certain aspects of the cosplay. I intended to start designing my Gia by taking a look at Ben Nye.

I merely thought that Ben Nye's catalogue would lead me down the right path in my search to create a human-sized Gia. In the past, when the Ben Nye catalogue felt akin to a candy store, I could find all sorts of tips and instructions for creating different creatures, characters and animals. There would be a nice picture and step-by-step instructions on how to do stuff and/or a list of ingredients--I still have the explosion victim page saved as a jpeg on my computer so I could keep the road rash/blister stuff close by, just in case I never needed that for work. The catalogue, however, has been replaced with a flashy new one that merely lists what Ben Nye sells and has pictures of models standing around and smiling in professional, normal every-day wear. No spread of circus animals in sight.

So, I'm back at square one. Incidentally, all the tabs on the Ben Nye page that might help me aren't hyperlinked, so I can't get to those pages.

Next stop was google, which wasn't too helpful at first, however, I'm willing to claim an operator error on that. Eventually, though, it gave me a link to Ben Nye's 40th anniversary catalogue, which comes with five different big cats and a pirate to boot. Obviously, as much as I would like to replicate my favorite pussy and merely add spots (check out Demeter on page 29), I can't do that on such short notice, nor do I think I can afford that much make-up for a one-shot deal. It does give me a starting place, though.

So far, I have determined the following:

1. I need to buy a good set of really long eyelashes.
2. Elf ears can act as emergency substitutes for Necomimi.
3. That blue pearl and rhinestone necklace one of my guy friends gave me several Christmases ago can double as Gia's pretty, ornate floral necklace.
4. I want real whiskers.

 For instructions and commentary on creating a Gia, see also:
Making Gia's Whiskers
Creating Gia's Spots

Madagascar 3: Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!

Well, I get to see Madagascar 3 a week before it opens in a pre-screening, thanks to Crowdtap, a website that allows consumers to test, rate and comment on ideas, products and other such things. This Madagascar pre-screening will be in San Francisco, which is a bit of a drive, but that's okay, as I get to bring a friend (probably my dad. He's one of the few people who lives here year-round that can put up with me weirdness. The rest go home for the summer). The idea is, of course, to come back and rave about your wonderful experience, and to take pictures.

Lots. of. Pictures.

I'm going to San Francisco...to see a screening of a movie and I'm taking pictures. Anyone have an idea of what that may lead to? Begins with a C, ends with a Y....

Yes. I will be going as Gia the Jaguar. We'll see how good of a costume I can come up with in a week. I think I'll start by taking a look at Ben Nye's catalogue. I seem to remember a big kitty facial design in there....

For instructions and commentary on creating a Gia, see:
Clues on How To Create Gia
Making Gia's Whiskers
Creating Gia's Spots

The Sounds of Mothers Day

The problem with people you know IRL reading your blog is, well, you can't say anything about them. They just seem to know, no matter what you do, that you are talking about THEM. Mothers also have this uncanny ability, which makes it a bit hard to blog about Mother's Day until the day is, essentially, over. Because, 14-inch five layer chocolate cakes aside, surprises are nice, and I like to be able to pull one over on mom every now and again, anyway.

Curious as to what she got?



Yup. She got the full Skyrim soundtrack. And a package of chocolate coated blueberries. But either way, my mother got a copy of a soundtrack that I think she's fallen in love with. For being a non gamer, she has surprised me with her obvious enjoyment of the music, and even went so far as to give it a place on her blog.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. I'm going to have another slice of chocolate cake.

Pnina Tornai: Say Yes to the (Wedding) Bows

Pnina Tornai has some beautiful design sense, often creating wedding dresses that are jaw-droppingly beautiful. The same elements that make some of Pnina's wedding dresses stunning makes others overpoweringly...strange. I guess that's what comes from looking at high fashion designs. Either way, if you want the look, it comes with a pretty pricey budget. Why oh why must I continually marvel over designers such as Pnina Tornai? Their amazing looks always come with such a price! I'm glad that Pnina is coming up with radically innovative new designs, though. While I love her steady basic designs and their variations, it is always fun to see some out-of-the-box ideas, especially in the wedding industry where, well, everything seems to be all white and looks roughly the same at all times.

This particular Pnina Tornai gown is a mermaid with satin and...I'm not sure if that's more satin, or something else. Leaning toward something else. I like how this particular style is asymetrical, and I really like the bottom of the front, but the bows on the front top and the back are just...overdone, I guess. I like the drape of the shoulder bow in the back, but on the front it seems to detract from the model's face (or the bride's face, eventually). At the same time, I feel like something is left out, with the gaps of bowless-ness on the train. It doesn't really give me the same "WOW!" feel as other pieces have done.


The front, though...That I quite like. The cascade of bows doesn't seem to fade into lumps of satin like on the back; rather, each bow seems to be built on top of the others, yet still retains its own form and dignity. The path of the bows, too, is such that it helps to make up for any imbalances elsewhere. The front is busy enough to hold attention, yet not so busy that you don't know where to look. The path of the bows, too, draws your eye up the dress and into the face of the wearer, which I admire. And then you get to the top, which is a wee bit confusing with the boob-bow and basket weave. I would be looking into perhaps moving the boob bow down to the waist and see if the weave looked better that way. I find the basket-weave pattern interesting, as it is a bit out of character for Pnina's designs. Normally, when she has ruching on the the top, it all goes in the same direction, rather than criss-crossing like you can see here. Overall, innovative, but I think Pnina has done better. Incidentally, I think she had a bit of a bow fetish last season.

Here's all your normal blah-blah legal stuff. Yeah, I didn't take these pictures. Someone somehow connected to Pnina took them and owns the rights to them. No, I don't make a profit off of these pictures and I don't claim any rights to them. If you want to see them in greater detail or wish to get more info about the dress, go to www.kleinfeldbridal.com. The Style Number is 32023145. This post may have been sitting in my que for a while, so I make no promises that it is in stock at Kleinfeld's or even that it is still on their website. No, I don't represent Kleinfeld, Pnina Tornai or TLC/Say Yes to the Dress in any way. Everything written here is my own opinion and review of the dress and isn't endorsed by anyone else. If I somehow missed naming some company that I don't represent, pretend I did. If you read all of that, you don't need glasses.

Cat Fashion

As you may or may not know, I have three cats. Incidentally, I am allergic to all three of them, but that's okay.

It is interesting to note that Leia, my younger female, is fine with having me trim her nails and holds her paw out as if I was painting her fingernails or something. Luke, on the other hand, has to be caught, held down and forced to let me cut his little nails. If it wasn't for the fact that declawing really isn't good for cats, I think I would have had him declawed long ago.

Either way, I really wish I could dress them up like this.

Finally---D'AWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

Easter Activity: A New Resolve

On the last day of my spring break, I finally find my way to my blog. I had truly meant to be a busy bee and post every day during break, but, alas, I did not. My discovery of America's Next Top Model, my anger for their kicking out Ashley, frustration that I can't find a date for the start of the next Say Yes to the Dress season, and preparations (or, more accurately, frustrations) for a bridal shower have all come and gone unrecorded. Why? I'm not really sure, actually. Perhaps the only reason I'm writing anything now is because I don't feel like doing any writing or French studies right now.

Also, this is my work season. Perhaps part of the reason why I tend to blog gurlie stuff is it helps to balance out hanging with a bunch of cops and firemen. That's a far cry from pretty dresses and over-the-top Pnina designs. Right now, my focus seems to be elsewhere.

But, this is Easter, once the traditional start of the year. Spring is just beginning, Passover is ended, and Christ is risen--a place of new beginnings. Perhaps this may mark a new beginning for me, too. We shall see, I suppose.

Christ is Risen!

A Moment of Pride

Okay, so, for the first time, I've been featured on another blog, which kinda sorta totally made my day. How ironic that I dragged my feet on it when Anna first asked about it. Anyway, this interview was part of a series that Anna has been doing about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writer's Month) and its results. As you know, I overloaded with school last semester, so while I technically participated...well, let's just say that it wasn't uncommon for me to include whatever essay I had written in that day's word count.

You can read the interview here. Please be sure to take some time and wander around on Anna's blog! She's a favorite of mine, if you can't tell. ;)

Someone Had Too Much Time on Their Hands

Admittedly, it is pretty funny.
.

Down With the Bloody Big Head: Trial Run of a Work In Progress

If you haven't been around for long, it is time that you learn one very important fact: I'm obsessed with Alice in Wonderland. This probably has something to do with reading the books for the first time under the influence of pain medication and a raging fever. That said, I've been building a Mad Hatter costume for quite a while now. Over the next few days (or the next few weeks, depending on how often I can get on to post), I'll be going over some new pieces that I got to add to my collection. However, I did get to put some of my costume to the test recently at a costume party. 

The costume was very much a hit, but, it obvious needs more work. I don't have an undershirt for my corset yet, so I ended up throwing it over a t-shirt or something (part of the reason I'm wearing the jacket and floppy bow tie in these photos). My plan for the bottom half of the costume (pantaloons/gypsy skirt) hasn't materialized yet, so I grabbed one of my dancing skirts, since it is bright and fluffeh. I also used three cans of orange hairspray to manage to get my hair slightly red. That was a last minute plan that was very spontaneous, since I essentially was walking through walmart and went "Oooh! Orange hairspray! Kewl!" and bought it.

 Probably the most accurate part of my costume was my make-up, and even that was...manipulated. I didn't realize until after I put it all on that I had done the eyes mirror image of Depp's Hatter, and I couldn't resist adding in a nod to the Red Queen with the heart-shaped lips. Porsche (pictured to the left as Mini Mouse/Cinderella) was extra supportive in this project, especially since she turned out to be the only other real Disney geek at this party. 

The Hatter costume has a long way to go, but I'm steadily adding things. Perhaps in the next four or five years I can actually complete it. 

Returning to ShabbyApple...with a coupon in hand!

Coupon info at the bottom. Read the post first, you bargain hunters! :P

If you don't remember, ShabbyApple is one of my favorite stores. I always moan because I want to buy pretty much every item they sell, but I simply can't afford to do that. Their recent Mad Hatter Collection is amazing, and, of course, inspired by one of my all-time favorite stories, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I love their dress designs, because many are what I would consider modest--they reach to the knee, have a decent neckline and some sort of sleeve. Also, they have really nice pocket watches and other jewelry.

If you would like the shop ShabbyApple with a 15% coupon, click here. And yes, I do get an incentive for posting that. But even if I didn't, I would share good deals with the people that read my blog because you are actually real people that are actually reading my blog, and that makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Thoughts on Passings

As you might have noticed, I have been gone for the last several weeks, ever since Christmas. What happened? Well, I was sick. After I got better, I traveled, during which I got sick again. While I was traveling, my cousin passed away, due to a fast acting cancer.

I'm thankful that I was able to be with my cousin and her family. Mary lived the meaning of her name and her life honored her namesake. She was a woman of faith, confident, and headstrong in her support of what was right. Still, we will miss her very much. Love you, Mary.