One of the things I like about this region is the cool places to go, events to attend, and opportunities to dress up. one such venue is the Edgar Allan Poe House in Baltimore, and the lovely Westminster Hall where they often hold Poe-related events. His gravesite in the courtyard is very atmospheric in late winter evenings, and several times we've taken pictures there...I'll have to dig some up.

The latest event is a fundraiser to help keep the Poe House afloat, now that it's lost funding from the city. I cannot attend this event myself this year because of work, but encourage anyone local to get out to see John Astin and others read. We have frequently attended Poe House events in costume...they are open to historical dress, and I was contemplating all the genres Poe explored: horror, fantasy, detective, science fiction....I'll bet we could make a steampunk connection as well.  :-)

http://www.poebicentennial.com/events.html is the website. Consider if you feel like a donation to keep this unique historic venue afloat.

Tags: baltimore, forevermore, poe
Current Mood: contemplative

OK, a little belated, but in case you want to know:
1) I made up to #103...thanks for those who voted! I was interested to see that in my range of the rankings, it seemed like every 2 or 3 people pushed me up one step in the ranks. I suspish the curve is not at all constant, and the top 25 were actually WAY above me in daily vote totals. The press release issued by Adrianna Pappell says 55000 "new friends" voted in the contest, and there were 675 or so dresses. Some at the bottom appeared not to even garner votes from their own designers.
2) Scroll back on the Adrianna Pappell Wall to December 6, and you can see individual posts of the top 5 sketches, I think without "liking"....and select bitchy comments like "Got to say some of the "Top 5" in a word SUCK!!! There were 25 . .and this is what you came up with. . . Really? ♥ LEON!" Some contestants posted thank-you-for-the-opportunity. They are also in an album: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.252309658166443.64428.128567653873978&type=1
4) If you're still a fan of the contest, you can see the top 5 dresses there, too (http://eandadriannapapellpromotion.com/contest/top5.aspx): what the professionals felt was original, in-line with the brand, and commercially viable (their judging criteria for winnowing the fan-picked faves). If I were running the contest, I would not make it seem mandatory to "like" the contest to get to see the dresses--and especially not the top 25 (couple weeks ago) and top 5...but that's what they've chosen.
5) There's another round of voting coming up, to whittle down to the best of the five. Voting for that round is January 16-22.

http://www.techzone360.com/news/2011/12/19/6004353.htm is the official press release.

Tags: "red carpet" "dress design contest" "adr
Current Mood: contemplative

I'm particularly fond of flats, and I do costume Regency period, so imagine my delight:





About the Prize:

The "Pemberley" Regency shoes
are closely based on extant footwear from the 1790s through 1810.  The
smooth, dyable, hand-sewn leather upper is designed to be lovely enough
for formal occasions, and durable enough for walking in the countryside.
 Particular attention was paid to the point of the toe, as well as the
other hallmarks of Regency historical footwear, with the main goals
being both historical accuracy and all-day comfort.

And I can dye them turquoise!

Tags: dancing, flats, regency, shoes
Current Mood: cheerful

It's been interesting participating in the Red Carpet Dress Design Contest: http://eandadriannapapellpromotion.com/contest/?z=1634
Thanks to all who are willing to "like" the sponsors and vote for my dress. Please continue till the end of the contest.
Many thanks to all who are willing to share with their friends. Ditto. I'd love to have a last-3-days push to see if a sudden influx of votes matters, but have no way of knowing whether 4 or 4000 votes would "do the trick," lol!

Here are some observations on the mechanics of the app and contest:
1. The "rank" I have reached does seem to fluctuate some with new votes, but it doesn't show absolute totals, just rank (#134 of 676 at the moment I'm writing this), so I don't know how many of you have voted for me, or how often, or what totals I'm up against.
2. I clearly don't have "enough" momentum (Waaaaa! I don't have enough friends!), as my ranking has fluctuated in the 130s and 140s since the beginning of the contest...and the top 12 have only recently (yesterday) changed since day 1.
3. Browsing the other designs submitted shows that a lot of people like mermaid hemlines, or the sample sketches were a huge influence of what people drew.
4. A few designs appear to have absolutely no votes at all. That's sad.
5. I'm so used to better search mechanisms that the "search" function annoys me: I can't search by multiple criteria, I can't sort by rank or name, I can't jump to a specific page other than "my design."
6. I also want a page number mechanism: if they are displaying 25 design thumbnails per age, there are 27 or 28 pages to "next" through, which makes it hard to browse...and I want to browse, not just vote for myself.
7. I'm curious to see the second stage of the contest.

Tags: "design challenge", "red carpet" "dress design" sketch conte, e!online
Current Mood: contemplative

So, I decided to enter it: http://eandadriannapapellpromotion.com/contest/?z=1634

The E!Online Live from the Red Capet and Adrianna Papell Contest.

This is how Facebook does (near) Future Fashion Folios!  Did anyone else enter? I know it's a popularity contest, and if it were me, I might have preferred to let non-voters see the gowns WITHOUT having to "like" both sponsor's pages. But of course, they are trying to gain instant social media presence, and I am interested in looking at the dresses.

And I like design challenges--it's fun to see if you can design something within specific constraints. Once they've whittled the designs down to 25 by popularity, they say the second stage of judging is review by actual designers, and the criteria are fit with the line's image, wearability, and commerciality. Things I think I've done in my sketch.


To vote, you'll need to "like" E!Online Live from the Red Carpet and Adrianna Papell, as this link will tell you.

Once there, if the link doesn't step you through to my design, search for Jonatha Caspian in the designer's list. On Day One of voting, some friends were finding they needed to click the "Search" button several times to get the detail link to pop up.

Winner gets a trip to Hollywood, and the dress worn on the red carpet (*a* red carpet event, dunno which one), and the design sold through Adrianna Papell. You can vote once per day. The voting goes through Thanksgiving, so if you are inclined to repeat vote, and spread the word, I'd be grateful.

And of course, you can browse the 672 (675, it says in another place) designs submitted for interesting fashions!

http://eandadriannapapellpromotion.com/contest/?z=1634 is the link again, and here's the dress, in case you DON'T wish to like random corporations.

Tags: "design challenge", "red carpet", contest, e!online, sketch
Current Mood: chipper

 Must get back to costuming.

Have been beading and dreaming up steampunk jewels. Am trying to corral mountains of "stuff." Just started a new job today. 
Debating whether to change-up Pink Pirate (for upcoming Pirate Feast this Saturday) with my quilted/marseilles cloth petticoat that has been languishing 94% of the way done for half a year at least. 

Must find pink shell flower buttons hidden somewhere in the stash.

Le sigh! 

Tags: jewelry, pink pirate, progress, steampunk
Current Location: home
Current Mood: recumbent

Hi, Friends.

I'm going to "bump" my cousin's Suzanne's plea for sponsors for her local charity, Lincoln Literacy Council is holding a 10 K run on June 5th, and I really liked her Facebook announcement that she was seeking donations.

She said: "Running around in circles? I'm really good at that. Fundraising? Not so much. However, if any of you would like to sponsor me to run around in one big 10K circle, I'm doing that on June 5 at the Havelock Charity Run to raise funds for Lincoln Literacy Council. Go to www.lincolnliteracy.org. A PAYPAL donation ending... in 15 cents($5.15? $10.15 $15.15?) will indicate you are sponsoring me. THANKS!"

When I donated, they popped me back an email asking if I was sponsoring someone in particular, so you might note "runner 15, Suzanne" if you are moved to donate. I think it would be fun for her to get many more sponsors than she expects, and I think Literacy and community building are both good causes.

Tags: "good causes", donations, literacy
Current Mood: energetic

Playing with my new digital camera in Macro mode.

...And also, the blogging tool on Flickr. Decided I needed a camera with better control for details and jewelry/beading pics, found one used on ebay, and voila!

Tags: "new camera", macro, photos
Current Mood: productive

 Please visit <lj user="sewolympics2010"> for complete coverage of the fabulous premier-season Para-Sewlympics competitions!

Thrill as challenged costumers overcome embroidery ennui, serger elbow, hand-sewing cramps, and design paralysis to compete alongside the real paralympics athletes (OK, to compete while watching coverage of the real paralympics athletes?) for the glory of completing projects!

Witness them chronicle their journeys, bask in the sweet sunshine of victory, or overcome the agony of de-feet (sewing machine feet, that is).

Tags: paralympics 2010
Current Mood: determined

(Cross-posted to sewing olympics)
OK, my UFO Decathalon bid has come up short.

BUT!....

I have glorious, event-spanning brainstorm.

Next event is the Paralympics.

The Sewlympics can continue! I can redeem my poor progress, and finish off those pesky UFOS as part of the Paralympics. Are you handicapped by over-scheduling, differently-abled by clutter, or challenged by illness or accident?

The Paralympic 2010 cauldron will be lit March 12.

Let's continue to support the Olympic spirit. March 12-21 is the real Paralympics. I suggest the Sewlympics re-continue!

Tags: paralympics 2010, sewlympics 2010
Current Mood: enthralled