Costume Blog

In case you didn't see, I started a new costume blog here on blogger.  I like the layout better than LiveJournal so this is where most of my updates will be!  I will probably make my posts on LJ friends only, so start following me here if you're not on LJ or add me as a friend! :)

Check me out!

Oh, and I will try to be better about updating this blog as well.  I have been woefully remiss.  So why not start now!

Tomorrow I am going to my first meeting of my new book club.  We read "Peace Like a River" and if you haven't read it, you should.  I loved it!  I didn't think I would, but I'm glad to be wrong.  I also quite enjoyed the "western-y" bits, which is one reason I thought I wouldn't like it.  Anyway, should be a good discussion tomorrow, I will have to share if it's interesting.

Other books I've read lately that I love: "Ender's Game"!!  Why had I not read this before?  Oh man, I got totally sucked in.  I think I finished it in about 4 days, which for me is fast, especially as these were weekdays.  I really should start one of the sequels or something, but I'm worried they won't be as good.  If you've read any of them, which should I do?  Are they worth it?

And since I seem to be on a roll, I also read "Matched", which I also really liked.  If you liked "Hunger Games" you might find this kind of similar.  I thought it was a clever idea and it's going to be a series, so more to come!  Always a good thing. :)

Oh yeah, I saw the new Jane Eyre movie.  I'll have to give you my thoughts on that soon...

No longer good society

I just had to share this video. Some of you may have seen it, but, well, you'll know why I love it.



I'm leaving tomorrow morning to fly to Alaska for my brothers wedding! And then I'm going to a costuming conference in California, so lots of fun photos and updates to come!

Costuming Madness in Newport

It's been forever I know! I've been a bit busy, and also probably avoiding an announcement of the end of my last relationship a couple months ago. See how I'm just skimming over that? But I'm back to post about my fun weekend! It's official. I'm obsessed with costuming. But you probably already figured that out, didn't you? So that's what I've mostly been doing in my free time from work, church and my social life. And here are the most recent results!

I also posted these photos on my costume blog so sorry if you read both!

So my costuming group, The New England Costumers, went to Newport Rhode Island this weekend to tour the mansions in Bustle Era dresses/fashion! It was a lot of fun and the weather could not have been better for us. We got lucky as it had been threatening to rain the day before, but the morning of, it was clear skies and not too warm! Well, 75, but it could have been worse! We had a very leisurely, unhurried day, and I think we all enjoyed ourselves immensely! We toured the Breakers and Marble House and we're already making plans to go back so we can see a Fashion exhibit at Rosecliff, which was closed this weekend because of a flower show.

These "cottages" were amazing! And we spent the day dreaming up our own versions of our ideal mansions. We also were stopped repeatedly with requests for pictures or to just know why we were dressed up! It was a fun day!




Overlooking the sea.


Jenni, Gloria, Zarabeth and me (and Mike behind the camera...)






In front of the Chinese Tea House


Diet Coke toast with Jenni!


And the ubiquitous shoe shot. :)

More of my pictures can be found here.

If you want to read more about my outfit and how I made it, check out my costume blog!

The summer is just getting started, so hopefully I'll have more to post soon! But yes, a lot of it is going to be costume related! :)

More Costuming Fun

Sorry for not being better about posting! I had a great Christmas break, but didn't get to see any of my immediate family so no fun pics of the kiddos, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy!

Last weekend I attended an 18th Century "Twelfth Night Ball" in Sudbury, MA in a 300 year old inn with my costuming group! We had a blast drinking punch, watching the contra-dancing (doing a bit myself) and feeling like we were living back in revolutionary times!

Pictures, of course, with more here!

With Sarah and Jenni, enjoying the punch:

My first contra-dance:

Gloria and Mike:

I did both our hair before the ball:

It never takes long for Sarah and Jenni to start some kind of fight! (Just for fun, of course)

More of the dancing:

It was a really fun event, I got to know everyone better, we met some new friends, I ran into a co-worker who I didn't know did re-enactments, and we made more costuming plans so that's always a good thing!

I promise to have a non-costuming post up soon, but lately that's all I've been up to really!

Happy New Year, by the way!

Regency Tea Pictures

Finally, I have something to post about! This is a cross post from my costume blog, check it out:

Today's event was so much fun! Let's get right to it, shall we?

The whole group! Well, minus Mike, so....

Gloria and Mike, the perfect Regency couple!



Shoe shot! My pink suede flats matched perfectly.

And now for some shots at home:




The Muff in all it's glory!


Action shot from the back where you can see more details (and a mess in the background)


A side view of the bonnet.

So unfortunately I didn't have time to put the buttons on the sides of the jacket, but other than that it all came together with literally half an hour for me to get ready, which was really cutting it short! But I got there! And the tea was lovely, the food was great {there was clotted cream! my favorite!}, I had so much fun meeting everyone and the tour was really amazing too! So so fun and it got me so excited for even more events! I've found my people! :)

If you want to see more details about getting the whole look together, you can see more posts over here!

Costume Blog

Sorry I haven't posted in a while!
Nothing too interesting going on really, but I have been doing a lot of sewing/costuming lately.
I'm going to be attending a costume event in the beginning of December so I've been getting a new outfit together. It's a Regency Tea at a historical home here in MA.
I can't wait I think it's going to be fun!

So, if you want to see my progress, thoughts and pictures you can check out
my new costuming blog:
Bella Miss Ella
{she's my dress form}

The reason I started a Live Journal blog is because there is a huge costuming network going on over there and it makes it easier for me to keep tabs on others and vice versa! I'm kind of enjoying it so far, although I like the formatting options for blogger more. But that's neither here nor there!

I'll be sure to post pictures from the event here when it happens so don't worry too much!