Thank you all for the nice comments and pictures in the previous entry; like sarahbellem, I'm still recovering (despite popping coedine like candy, I'm still achy and rough from lifting and moving everything this weekend), and I'll reply soon, but I have a limited amount of oomph, so I'd better use it on an actual post (y'know, with pictures).

I confess, it had been so long since I'd been to a con of any kind, I felt somewhat trepidacious at attending this one, but a quick phone call to sarahbellemin the lobby, and the weekend was off and running. Awesome roommate - I can't risk offending some of my other dear friends, so I can't say best roommate ever, but it was pretty close.

(Besides, Bob is the most awesome roommate ever. Ahem.)

We got off to a roaring start, and I now have new people on my friends' list - if I've forgotten anyone, please let me know (so I can add you), but the weekend was a roving, incredible, mass of gorgeousness surrounding me consisting of (at various times) sarahbellem, demode, seekatesew, silverstah, bauhausfrau, jubilima, jennylafleur, trystbat, angldst, madamekat, kproche, tattycat, chargirlgenius, (koshka the cat, who I cannot get tohtml properly, sorry!), and of course, as I am her porkchop, pinkleader. Look, I know I've forgotten reams of people, but you were all amazing. Ah- maayyy- ziiiiiing.

(In fact, shout out in the comments if I forgot you - I'll edit you in. Hee!)

I really am exhausted - it was more in one weekend than I get all year, and I caught a bug - THE 18TH CENTURY BUG! Aaaaaaaaaaha, it has infected me mightily. I am craving ruffles and stripes and fluffy wiglets with roses and ribbons.

Speaking of roses and ribbons, apart from Kass and Bob, the dealer's rooms were disappointing. I was expecting something more like the sutlers at Gettysburg. Oh well.

But first - some few small pictures - I didn't carry my camera around much, because I am a wimp, and that mo'fo is heavy, but I got a couple of pics of me, so let's get those out of the way, and get back to dishing the weekend.

Friday night, I was a beeeeeyooootiful fairy:


Sarah hilariously pointed out that the leaves on the underside of the wings curve around my head like a laurel wreath when I'm sitting down. This makes me happy in a very evil and wrong kind of way.

Sarah, was, of course, fabulous:


Friday night, we massed in the giant lobby (which was great for meeting people, but a bit noisy for the masquerades, since half the lobby was taken up by the makeshift stage for those), and had many drinks. I met many people, all of whom delighted me, and made me miss Cons terribly. It's been so long since I've really done the costumer as opposed to the SCA thing, and it's so different, and I miss it. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was in the midst of people, and realizing I didn't feel worried at all, just happy and having a great time.

Saturday was Victorian day for me, starting with the steampunk outfit:


Bob made the guns, I made the outfit and the case. Bonus: All parts of the costume except the hat and boots (and corset) were stash materials.

A close up of the "science" case and the hand gun - I'll have to take a pic of the insides (I forgot) and post it later:


And Sarah in her "Duchess" dress:


I love the rose in the back of the hair. Sorry the pics are so blurry - we were having a very good time, what can I say?

And that evening, I switched into my purple:


Kendra the Gorgeous ( demode? is that right? Man, I had a hard time keeping lj names straight. Next time I'm writing it all down) did my hair in lovely braids and curls - I can't thank her enough.

And Sarah put on her amazing '60s suit:

*phew* *wipes brow*

...And at that point, I just stopped carrying my camera - it's a great camera, but I need a little one I can keep in a reticule, that doesn't have to be hauled around and worried about (not to mention spoiling the look of the outfit).

I guess I'm going shopping.

I'm sorry I'm so lazy, but I don't feel too bad, since tons of people were taking pics, and there seem to be a lot of them online already.

Saturday evening was the Sci-Fi/Fantasy masquerade, and we decided that we'd watch it from Kendra's room, as her window overlooked the stage. This turned out to be a fabulous idea, as we bitches cannot keep our mouths shut, and it was such fun. I had been feeling a bit poorly after dinner (threw up a couple of times - do not mix physical issues, medication, a teeny bit of alcohol, fried food, and excitement, apparently - who knew?), and I perked right up, since thinking of incredibly sarcastic things to say kept my mind off my stomach long enough for medication to work. That was the best time.

...Though it did get Sarah and me thinking about the old days (and I can't tell you how wonderful it was to have her and kprochethere to talk about the old days!), and how the presentations and the costumes were just so much more epic than they were that night. The film retrospective they showed made it all the more apparent, and I remember, even from my last Costume Con - what - ten years ago? It was just so much more theatrical.

( kprochecleared that up for me on Sunday night, as we giggled our way through the Historical Masquerade, telling me that all the old people no longer costume or have died, and there are no epic rivalries any more.)

So, I have decided that Sarah and I are going to go all East Coast-West Coast and take turns doing crazy costume stuff to bring the level of Masquerade costuming back up to where it belongs. I haven't told her this yet, but she's going to be getting some designs soon. Right, Venus girl? ;)

(Y'all are enjoined to start being creative.)

Seriously, though - I want big, and the Masquerades this time were not big. I mean, it hardly felt like a Costuming thing - and I'm told that Anime conventions are now where it's at for the presentations. WTF, people? We need to get our pretty pretty princess tiara back, dammit!

...Mind you, some of the issues may be the judges they choose - I, for one (among many, actually), was unimpressed to a severe degree by the judges they chose for the historical Masquerade. And that head judge? Completely unprofessional, clearly mad with the jealousy, and I swear, people, I thought when she started talking to me that she was one of those fringie SCA people who dress "ethnic" and consider that good enough for historical, so I was trying to be polite and encouraging. In no universe would I have considered her anywhere my equal.

...And I found out she dissed Froggie. Froggie says nyah:



...because Froggie is awesome and everyone knows it.

So, in the end, I wasn't impressed by the Masquerades. I have nothing against the people who entered - I saw some really lovely things in both competitions, and I applaud the people who won, but the actual execution of the Masquerades, and the types of awards they gave came across like some kind of Summer Camp shenanigans, not a serious competition. Yes, it's not official, except that when it's within the costuming community it is official, and the way to get people to really compete is to have rhyme, reason, and sense to the awards given out, and to...

...pick at least one judge that isn't fossilized and bitter and unable to see skilled historical work even if it bites them on the nose and shoves them over a cliff.

I'm just sayin'.

But the people? Best ever. Roommate? New BFF (West Coast division). New Title? I am Supreme Court Justice of the Costume Court (and I declare a mistrial!). Costumes? To die for, dahlings.

I missed Bob terribly - when he walked in the door from evening class, I cried - but I had a wonderful time, and I really didn't want to come back to the real world again.

God, I missed this stuff.