Hey! Just a quick note letting you guys know I have started a tumblr to house inspiring photos and whatnot. I probably won't post much right now, but I'm hoping to at least post one a day this week since I'm currently too busy to take photos of myself in which I don't look like some sort of drag queen nun.
Favourite costume, even if it isn't period correct (don't get me started.)
everytime I do a show I forget that I am allergic to eyelash glue. My eyes hurt.
We just love this costume. That was sarcasm.
Someone remind me to take out my nosering tonight.
I miss you guys. Really. I miss posting long mostly boring posts about the nutters who work with me, or the random things that happen to me, or about how many shoes I'm currently hoarding. I miss you all alot. But until I'm done with this week, I really don't think I'm going to be able to swing any posts. Hell week (as I'm sure you get from the title) is my least favourite week of a show, and I'm currently feeling burned out, peeved, and just lain tired. Also boxed in, but that is another subject for another post. So unless some miracle happens and I get a free moment, This will probably be my last post until Sunday, at least. But worry not because I am going to show you something I've been working on and am rather proud of. Alright, I am ridiculously proud of it. It took me a whole day, half a season of Dr. Who, and 1.5 episodes of Proirot to finish it. But enough jabbering.
I have alot of horror stories when it comes to costumes. Alot of tear inducing, "what are you thinking?," "dear God, why do I have to wear that!," purple, sack shaped, bad, bad, bad, costume stories. So what did I find when it came time for costumes for my current show? Alot of purple, and alot of bad. I was kind of bummed at first, but luckily this time I knew the magic words to fix all my problems. These words came in the form of two sentances. The first was "I wear vintage, so I can just wear my own clothes for this." The second was simply, "y'know, I can sew, so don't worry about fixing my costumes." So far four of my costumes are my own clothes, a good portion of things I own are being used as props, and many others are wearing my clothing as costumes. And of course then I have my "fixer" costumes. Like my Phantom costume. Initially I was handed a wad of crushed burgandy velvet and told to make it better. Well now I made it better. It went from this:
To this:
I think we can all agree that this is now the coolest Phantom of the Opera costume this side of 42nd street. The dress (if that's what is was...) was about a foot too short for me and the costumer luckily found about two yards of the some coloured velvet (well almost the same...)amid their stash of fabric. So I added the length, stitched up the slits (why?), shortened the sleeves, added the lace to the neck and sleeves, added lace to the bottom, and made a sash and bow. Basically I took a horrid crushed velvet tent and made it kind of awesome. You have no idea how tickled pink I am about the way this came out! I was trying to get a bustle thing going too, but I don't think that's going to end up working (If I have time I may try to figure it out). Of course the other one I have to fix is worse, and is nearly done, but I'm so happy about how this one came out! I'm not so happy about some of the other costuming going on in this show, but that's another story for another time.
That's it for now, see you all in about a week! How are you guys by the way? I've not had time to read anyone's blogs either. I miss you all so much...
Bracelets- Blue- thrifted, Gold- Target, Charm- World Market
Necklace- Made by me!
Once upon a time I really wanted to be an archaeologist. If it wasn't for the fact that I HATE dirt I might have. I took an archaeology class in college and it is still one of my favourite classes. The professor had the most bizarre habits, but they made it all the more interesting. I think my loves of adventure and history melded perfectly into the Indiana Jones story. While my sisters were all up in Star Wars (don't get me wrong, I love it!), I preferred the sexy adventures of Indiana Jones. And the score is absolutely perfect! Oh John Williams and your perfect sixths! So I turned into a music nerd instead of a sexy adventuring archaeologist. You win some, you lose some. :-)
In an effort to keep cool I dressed like Indiana Jones yesterday. Or at least the female version of Indiana Jones. Cotton blouse, check. Cotton skirt, check. Barely there sandals, check. Funky "anthropological" jewelry, check. Brown Adventure hat, check. I did a pretty good job of keeping me cool. Well as cool as could be. It was still hotter than hell, but not because of my clothes. I knew I wanted to wear this skirt and blouse together, but it looked so plain once I put it on, so I added the belt. Then the jewelry, then the sandals, and I started looking like some sort of adventuring archaeologist and figured I'd go for the full effect. Too bad my whip is in the shop. (I don't really have a whip...)
The hat is one that I found buried in the depths of a bin at the Salvation Army months ago. I've been trying to figure out how to style it ever since. I was planing on going with an The Edge Of Love theme, but I kinda like this better. It may not be the most glamorous outfit ever, but by George it's perfect for hunting for hidden treasures. Even if my kind of treasure happens to be at Goodwill and not the amazon.
Last month I went to get lunch from my favourite cafe and popped into a tiny "antique" store on my way. I've been in this place a few times and it's never yeilded much in the way of impressive goods. It's a really odd shop mostly full of furniture that is not as old as they claim, but I do check it out from time to time in hopes of uncovering a real gem. Well last month I finally found a gem.
This is a textbook for the Mansfield Beauty Academy. It's from 1953! While I am not a huge fan of the fifties (far too over the top and frou-frou-y for my tastes. I like my frou-frou in minimal doeses), I think (most of) the principals are incredibly helpful! There are all kinds of bits of info on setting your hair, and applying makeup, and things that I find incredibly helpful for achiving a vintage look. And it cost me $9! Here's a few excerpts. I hope to someday scan the whole thing, but for now here are some of my favourite sections. And as always there are a ton more photos here.
This illustration makes me laugh everytime I see it!
This is an acne tool. It is terrifying.
Okay, while I appreciate the idea of this (I've got a nasty tan on my back), I cannot imagine putting bleach on my body. But hey, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do... I guess...
Just looking at this gives me the creeps! I don't like needles to begin with, but this solidifies my fear of them!
So there you have it! I've already used the book to learn how to do standing pincurls and it's really, really helpful! I think I'll try fingerwaves next!
Oh man I cannot believe It's been a week since I last posted! (I meant to, I really did, but time just keeps slipping away. It's both a good thing and a tiring thing. rehearsals are nearly done and we're heading into Hell Week (tech week), so Posting may be sporatic at best, but I will honestly try to be better. Both on commenting and posting. I've barely read anyone's posts in the last two weeks! I guess the problem is that this silly show has taken over my life (that and something else, I'll tell you about someday. Don't fret, it's a very good thing!). But ye olde bloge is not forgotten. Honestly! I've been trying to find times for outfit photos, but never seem to find any, and my picture taking has been pretty much limited to when I use my camera as a prop on stage (the photos of that scene are getting progressively more ridiculous now that people know I'm actually keeping the photos!). I could probably afford to sneak out of rehearsal between numbers, but that would risk my fellow cast members finding me. You should have seen the re-action I got when I tried to explain my blog to this one guy who was going on about how cool he thought my "rockabilly" style was (I am not rockabilly at all). Ashley: oh thanks, it's actually more 40's inspired but thank you! M: where did you find the idea to dress like that? A: oh, I've always loved fashion, and especially vintage fashion, and I've always dressed a little bit vintage, but in the last year or so I realized it was more "me" so I say what they hey! I have a vintage fashion-y blog and follow alot of other ones, so I get most my ideas there. M: what exactly do you do with a "vintage fashion blog." (air-quotes were present) A: Oh we take pictures of ourselves in our outfits and post them online.... (cricket, cricket) it's alot less narssisitic than it sounds. People are very supportive and friendly. M: uh-hun? Wow. that's really weird. Y'know that right? A: No it's really not! I promise, we're all very normal, nice, not full of ourselves people! We just like clothes! And we like seeing what other people wear. Like I said, I get alot of inspiration from looking at other people's outfits. M: from looking at the clothes on people you don't know? A: It's not weird, okay. See? I'm trying to keep a low profile. At least until my bio is printed (don't worry I didn't whore out my link, but I mentioned blogging (this is sad right?)(oh man I'm talking way too much! I should never not blog for a whole week again!)).
But in news that you might actually care about news, the past week has been quite a good one (aside from two collasally terrible rehearsals... don't get me started)! First off I have discovered a new band Hjaltalin. From Iceland. And if that didn't make them cool enough, the lead femal singer is totally my doppleganger. No joke look:
Basically they are everything I love. Also I totally want that thing around her neck. And to move to Iceland. Are anywhere that it's not 110 degrees. We've had the weirdest weather this last week too! We had virtually no June Gloom, and then the first two weeks of July it was 80 at most. Then This week happened. I've re-enacted the scene where the Wicked Witch of the West melts several times. It's bad. Real bad. But last Wednesday was really wonderful! Bri, Jess, Charissa, Sarah, and I all took a jaunt to Corona Del Mar, (where Arrested Development is set)which is probably my favourite non-surfing beach. It's small, but really lovely. There's a really amazingly tide pool section of the beach with rocks and caves and everything a little girl who wants to be an Irish Mermaid could ask for (not that I know any of those....). We didn't make it over to the tide pools on this trip, but we're definatley going to go back soon for another little trip. It was so lovely, and the perfect vacation from work/rehearsals. I was the only one who braved the "cold" water (it was 64!), and let me tell you, it was so refreshing! Even if I did get a rock in my eye which temporarily blinded my left eye as I drove home. Here's some of the best pictures from our little day trip.
