El Gran Triunfo

As I slowly return to a life lived without nasal spray (though not without decongestants, cough syrups, mucous conquerors, and anti-itch drops for eyes that didn’t want to miss out on the Super Viral Fun*), I am finally able to return to the day when we unleashed the fruits of one month’s labor upon the world.

I shall dispense quickly with my costume, which is yer basic pirata and easy to assemble. I had most of the components to hand after many years of buckling swashes and suchlike. This year, I acquired new boots, as the old one’s toes were out, purchased a snazzy new tricorn, and retired the cutlass in favor of something a little more streamlined. I’d have gone as Captain Jack Sparrow, but since I wanted to wear the bodice I’d sewn from instructions on the internet, I opted for Captain Jackie Sparrow, his little-known yet even more piratical sister. Continue reading “El Gran Triunfo”

El Gran Triunfo
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Scenes From the Costuming Life

Only three sewing days until Halloween! I’ve been frantic, but fulfilled, and it seems we’ll have a wizard ready just in time. Gotta few pictures for ye, which doesn’t make up for my absence, but at least gives you a little something.

This is Misha’s idea of being a big ol’ help:

Misha on the robe.
Misha on the robe.

She loves that robe. She’d always take up station upon it whilst I was sewing other bits of it. She’ll be thrilled to bits when she learns I’m making one for myself out of the same fabric.

My current supervisor fell in love with the robe, too, and decided he must wear it awhile. Continue reading “Scenes From the Costuming Life”

Scenes From the Costuming Life

9 Billion Hours of Sewing Succeed

The Information Twins were a definite hit. In fact, we’re thinking of doing it again next year, with some improvements in the costume department. Not being able to stuff poor Captain TMI into his Superman suit in order to do a proper fitting led to some issues, but we made it through.

Captain TMI and Golden Silence, ready to fight – um, whatever. We actually don’t know what our superhero schtick is.

I’ll have more pics later. For now, I’m going to eat, watch teevee, and not sew a stitch nor paint a prop. I’m tired beyond belief. Arglebargle. How the fuck does making costumes take so much out of a person? Oh, right – no sewing machine. I’m glad most of you who were making costumes had sewing machines. Soooo much easier with a machine.

I’ll have some geology for you later. Which do you want first: the next installment of Rivers, or the final stop on our OSU Geo tour?

I hope my east coast of North America readers are safe and well. I’m sorry Sandy fucked up your Halloween. And if your cell service is down, rest assured we’re fixing it. Even whilst wearing costumes.

9 Billion Hours of Sewing Succeed

Prepare For… All Hallows Read [insert scary ghost noises here]

Neil Gaiman’s trying to own Halloween. I intend to help him. This is a tradition I’d very much like to see become as much a part of Halloween as the costumes and candy and strangely-carved pumpkins. The premise is simplicity itself:

That’s it: just give someone a scary book. Last year, I gave my intrepid companion the book Why Buildings Fall Down. Buildings falling down are fairly scary, and it’s a book appropriate to his interests. See how that works?

You can give a book to kids, adults, undecideds… anyone you like.

And, if you’re in the Seattle area, you could give them their scary book whilst taking them to Frankenstein, which would be double the awesome.

Whatever you do, just have fun. Halloween’s all about the fun. And the scary stories we tell each other with the lights off and possibly some peeled grapes at hand for props.

Don’t mind those Zombie Rights Campaign folks moaning about All Hallow’s Read. Moaning is just what zombies do. Give them a nice scary book. That’ll make them feel better.

Prepare For… All Hallows Read [insert scary ghost noises here]

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Sorry.  My darling Aunty Flow finally showed up.  Wetware nonfunctional.  But I couldn’t let Halloween end without posting Brian Switek’s awesome cat-o-lantern:



Love it!  Of course, it’s got stiff competition from Silver Fox’s Jack-o-Breccia.  If you haven’t seen Jack yet, you really must go say hi.  Bonus: considering what he’s made of, the neighborhood hooligans might hurt themselves should they try to smash him.  My kind o’ jack!

For those who’ve been waiting patiently all month, Accretionary Wedge #28’s up at Matt’s place.  It’s all tricked out, too – nice Halloween touch, there.

Hopefully, in the next day or so, I can show you what I did with my Halloween before Aunty got nasty.  I’m pretty sure I’ve got permission to post the photos, but everyone was rushed and so I don’t want to put anything definitive up until I’m sure I didn’t shoot something that shouldn’t have been shot.  We were testing the camera in low-light stage conditions, y’see.  Some of them came out brilliantly.  It’ll make you want to go see the musical, only you can’t, because it was the last show.  But there’s more where that comes from, and I might even have sneak peeks, and those of you who don’t live in Seattle will end up wishing you did.

Best thing about today: giving my intrepid companion his All Hallow’s Read.  He’s always doing superbly thoughtful things for me, rescuing me from computer ruin, chauffeuring me around whilst I car shop – it was nice to finally take him by surprise with a little something.  (Why Buildings Fall Down, in case you were wondering – All Hallow’s Read’s about giving a scary book, and, well, that’s grownup scary and interesting.)  Five minutes in a bookstore, people.  That’s all it takes to make someone happy – as long as you go in having a good idea what they might like.  Next Halloween, give your own intrepid companions the gift of a scary book they don’t expect.

Next best thing about today: watching Jesus hand out communion wafers while saying, “Body of me.”  Awesome!

And you, my darlings – what did you do to celebrate the best holiday of the year?

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Give Someone a Good Scare

So, Neil Gaiman’s started a new Halloween tradition I can definitely get behind: All Hallow’s Read.  Give someone a scary book today.

Look, I know it’s already Halloween.  That’s no excuse.  The bookstores are open.  You’ve got five minutes.  Just do it.

Now to think up something scary to give.  Romance novel?  Something from the self-help section?  Glenn Beck’s latest – ah, no, I want my friends to survive the fright, and preferably without projectile vomiting.  But maybe a little something by …. Richard Simmons.

Mwa-ha ha!

Give Someone a Good Scare