I look at this blog, and I feel intimidated. Kind of funny, really - it's a blog about Disney and Star Wars, and I look at it and go, "I don't want to write in that. It'll take too long. I'll sound stupid. There's too much to say, and I don't have the time to care about it."
It's all a lot of excuses because I feel like I need to talk about something. But the truth is, I don't need to talk about anything. I ran my first half marathon, and I feel like I need to write up this big, long post about everything that happened. But I don't need to do anything. I don't owe the world anything. I only owe it to myself to remember that it was amazing. I smiled the entire time I ran. I ran 13.1 miles with a freakin' chest cold, and I was never more grateful for hot weather and 90% humidity in my life. I could breathe because of that weather, and I believe it contributed to me getting through. My homemade Rapunzel-esque costume worked perfectly. I got pictures with princesses before the race started. They had fireworks going when I was running into Magic Kingdom. They played "Back in the Saddle Again" when I crossed into Frontierland,
and I thought of my Mom and Dad and all of the years we've spent
together in Florida building memories. That made me smile even more.
And I got through. I'm officially a Disney Half Marathon princess now. Pascal and I made our way through all of those miles to cross the finish line with a smile on our faces, and it was worth every moment of training that I put into it last year. I found my nerd husband (who was having a good health morning that morning), and he met me with a single, bright red rose. He was so proud of me. He was beaming. He took my picture, and he showed me video of me in the home stretch. He was cheering loudly on the video. I never got the chance to see him even though I looked, but he was here, and he was so, so proud. It made me feel amazing.
Would I do it again? Yes, I would. But I think I'm going to wait for Star Wars because I'm assuming that at some point in the future, that half marathon course will run through Star Wars Land...and I'm not missing out on that.
It's back to real life now - at least for a little bit. It sort of stunned me when I looked at the calendar just a bit ago and realized we're only a little more than a month away from our trip for Star Wars Celebration in Chicago. That's insane! With everything going on in life (and believe me, behind the scenes, there's a LOT of crap going on), I kind of forgot all about it. Which means I also forgot all about all of my grand plans for costuming and starting early and whatnot.
Right now, I'm sitting here thinking I might not even bring a costume. That feels odd considering I've at least had one costume at every convention I've attended. So I'm still thinking it through and deciding how I feel as time passes by. Honestly, my attentions are elsewhere in life right now, and costuming or sewing or creation of anything just feels like work. I have enough on my plate, and the last thing I want to do it accumulate more work and/or heartache for myself. Add on to that the fact that I actually gained weight while training for this half marathon (oops), and I don't want to make myself feel bad about the fact that some things just might not fit. I accept that because, hey, I was able to run a half marathon and finish strongly. I don't need to get ahead of myself and undermine my accomplishment. I'll get back to where I was, but I don't want to subject myself to the pain of feeling bad because such-and-such pants don't fit, and omgtheworldisgoingtoendbecausei'mfat.
So I'm over here kind of in limbo - looking at costume upgrade and changes I could make to existing costumes, not wanting to spend the money because of personal challenges we're facing at the moment, wondering if taking this trip is a good idea, but knowing that ultimately it is a good idea, curious about how long it'll take me to get back into a shape I'm 100% comfortable with, debating whether or not I should eat another girl scout cookie because they're too darned good, hoping our friends aren't annoyed that we haven't reached out to make plans with them, and wishing I could just sit and rest and not have this insane run-on sentence of worries flow through my head 24/7.
The paragraph about is why I don't write here (or anywhere) hardly at all. I feel obligated or concerned, and I don't write with reckless abandon like I used to. But this entire post was recklessly written with abandon (and then a little editing at the end), so maybe this is what I need to do. Maybe it's just like training for that half marathon. Take your time. Make yourself strong. Remember it's okay to fail. Remember it's okay to amend your plans. Remember that life doesn't always work the way you want it to, but it does work, and you can work within it. That's what I want to strive to do. I want to strive to keep moving, keep working, and keep pushing forward.
At a particularly rough patch this winter, I wrote a note on a purple post-it and attached it to my monitor at work. Dated January 16, 2019, it reads: "I have the strength to keep going - mentally and physically. I've proven it time and time again."
As Han would say, "It's true. All of it."
Monday, March 4, 2019
Friday, November 9, 2018
The Training of a Princess
It's time to take over this space again with some Disney fun. Well, hopefully it's fun - can you call training for a half marathon fun? If not, then I think we should, and I'm determined to do my best to make it fun!
I've talked earlier in the year about this (check out the blog entry here), but we'll sum up the situation. When my Nerd Husband fell last January and broke his hip, I realized that life throws you curve balls no matter how old you are. You aren't excused from illness or hardship just because you're young. There is no time like the present to do the things you want to do because tomorrow you might not be able to do them. So I got a crazy idea - I was going to run my first half marathon.
I did my research. I asked for advice in my online running groups. I debated. I trained for 5ks and a 10k throughout all of 2018. And finally, I signed up for the Princess Half Marathon to be held in Walt Disney World on February 24, 2019.
My training was to officially start on October 23rd, but guess who came down with a chest cold on October 22nd? Yep. There's one of those little curve balls I talked about. So I decided to postpone the start of my training until November 6th. I'm two weeks behind, but I readjusted the training schedule to something I think works. I also knew it would be better than pushing it while I wasn't well. Starting anything while you don't feel good is a big de-motivator, in my opinion.
Speaking of motivation, I knew starting out the gate that I'd need to find some fun ways to spice up these training runs (because when I thought about it, running 10+ miles just really didn't sound like "fun"). I went to the Dollar Tree because that's my go-to place when I'm looking for cheap and fun ways to make a smile happen. I picked up a crazy amount of Disney Princess stickers, and a set of Disney Princess puzzles (4 mini puzzles in one package). I also picked up a few dry erase boards, some self-stick letters, and a couple packages of adhesive glitter paper.
Next, I knew I'd need some calendars for me to keep track of things on, so I went to the Disney Family website and found a printable calendar for November. It looks like they produce a new calendar page each month, so I'll have to keep an eye open.
The first thing I wanted was an inspiration board - a place where I could cheer myself on, write notes, and leave post-its. I used the largest dry erase board I had as well as some of the self-stick letters to create my "Run, Princess Shada" inspiration board. ("Shada" is a Star Wars nickname that was given to me years ago by some very good friends of mine, and it's stuck with me for almost 20 years now.) I still need to attach some string/yarn on the back so I can hang the board in a visible space, but I'm quite happy with it.
The next thing I knew I wanted was a little corner of my cubicle at work to be dedicated to my training. Let's face it - if you work full time, you spend most of your awake time at work instead of at home. That's where I knew I'd need to see motivation more than anywhere else. I took my printed November calendar and hung it in my cubicle along with a Disney Princess dry erase board (that I modified to a bit with stickers to reflect my favorite princess, Rapunzel) to help me count down the days until race time. I also printed and hung up a map of last year's race, along with a couple sheets of glitter Princess stickers that I could use to mark my completed training days on the printer calendar.
Let's talk a bit about this calendar because this is an unexpected find that I think will really help motivate me in the months to come. The fun thing about these calendar pages is that they seem to add little fun days along the way. Nachos Day was November 6th, and the 45th anniversary of Robin Hood was on November 8th for example. Both of those days were training days, and I honestly didn't think of incorporating the "themes" into my day until I mentioned it to my Nerd Husband last night that I thought it might be cool to watch Robin Hood on its anniversary. NH said, "We'll celebrate both themes tonight - nachos for dinner and watch Robin Hood." We did just that, and it was amazing. So I'm going to do my best from here on out to incorporate the fun days into my training days.
The last motivator that I came up with revolves around that group of Disney Princess puzzles I bought. I love puzzles, and I don't feel like I do them all that often because they always end up in the way while I'm working on them. But the few that I've complete and loved actually act as artwork above our fireplace on a rotating basis. Right now, there's a Thomas Kincade Cinderella's Castle of there, and it's gorgeous. Anyway, I digress... The Disney Princess puzzles motivator is going to work a little something like this.
With each training session I complete, I "earn" one piece of the puzzle. I won't draw my pieces from the pile until the end of each week, so I can draw up to three pieces at a time. The pieces might be for any of the four puzzles, so that will be the tricky part. I'll have to collect my earned pieces, sort them out based on which puzzle I think they go with, and the final goal is to assemble them as quickly as possible. It's a bit of luck mixed with a bit of skill and a lot of making-this-up-as-I-go-along. I think it'll be a good time.
I'll be posting quite a bit about this on social media when I can because I think it has the potential for a couple of good things:
1) Make people happy. It sounds ridiculous, but honestly, I think my goal in life is to try and bring a smile or a laugh. It's the reason I do a lot of what I do or share what I decide to share. So if me making a silly face and talking about stickers makes your day, then follow along on my journey.
2) Make people believe they can do what they set their minds to doing. I realize we all have limitations and things that hold us back, but I do truly believe that we have a lot of power in our minds and bodies, even if they're "broken". I've personally dealt with a history of mental illness for a vast majority of my life. I know how broken your mind can feel. While I've not dealt with physical disability and I know I can't imagine the full effect of the situation. I know I've witnessed those who have dealt with it, and I've seen how broken their hearts can be when they can't achieve what they once could. That's heartbreaking. But I believe there are ways that we can work within a system and make things the best that we can make them. We might not achieve what we could if we weren't "broken", but I believe that having to work within a system designed to hold you back makes your stronger, wiser, and more determined. And it makes victory so much sweeter. I want people to know that and remember it.
While I'll be posting little blurbs on social media, I'll be keeping the bulk of my wordiness out of the limelight and leaving it here in my blog. I know I get wordy when I write, and that's no for everyone. But if it is for you, then it's here, and I hope it helps you in some small way, shape or form.
I've got this. I can do this. I know I can, and I believe I can. I'm nervous that I can't. There might be people who say I can't. But the small voice inside of me that rises up in dark times whispers to me, "Run."
I've talked earlier in the year about this (check out the blog entry here), but we'll sum up the situation. When my Nerd Husband fell last January and broke his hip, I realized that life throws you curve balls no matter how old you are. You aren't excused from illness or hardship just because you're young. There is no time like the present to do the things you want to do because tomorrow you might not be able to do them. So I got a crazy idea - I was going to run my first half marathon.
I did my research. I asked for advice in my online running groups. I debated. I trained for 5ks and a 10k throughout all of 2018. And finally, I signed up for the Princess Half Marathon to be held in Walt Disney World on February 24, 2019.
My training was to officially start on October 23rd, but guess who came down with a chest cold on October 22nd? Yep. There's one of those little curve balls I talked about. So I decided to postpone the start of my training until November 6th. I'm two weeks behind, but I readjusted the training schedule to something I think works. I also knew it would be better than pushing it while I wasn't well. Starting anything while you don't feel good is a big de-motivator, in my opinion.
Speaking of motivation, I knew starting out the gate that I'd need to find some fun ways to spice up these training runs (because when I thought about it, running 10+ miles just really didn't sound like "fun"). I went to the Dollar Tree because that's my go-to place when I'm looking for cheap and fun ways to make a smile happen. I picked up a crazy amount of Disney Princess stickers, and a set of Disney Princess puzzles (4 mini puzzles in one package). I also picked up a few dry erase boards, some self-stick letters, and a couple packages of adhesive glitter paper.
Next, I knew I'd need some calendars for me to keep track of things on, so I went to the Disney Family website and found a printable calendar for November. It looks like they produce a new calendar page each month, so I'll have to keep an eye open.
The first thing I wanted was an inspiration board - a place where I could cheer myself on, write notes, and leave post-its. I used the largest dry erase board I had as well as some of the self-stick letters to create my "Run, Princess Shada" inspiration board. ("Shada" is a Star Wars nickname that was given to me years ago by some very good friends of mine, and it's stuck with me for almost 20 years now.) I still need to attach some string/yarn on the back so I can hang the board in a visible space, but I'm quite happy with it.
The next thing I knew I wanted was a little corner of my cubicle at work to be dedicated to my training. Let's face it - if you work full time, you spend most of your awake time at work instead of at home. That's where I knew I'd need to see motivation more than anywhere else. I took my printed November calendar and hung it in my cubicle along with a Disney Princess dry erase board (that I modified to a bit with stickers to reflect my favorite princess, Rapunzel) to help me count down the days until race time. I also printed and hung up a map of last year's race, along with a couple sheets of glitter Princess stickers that I could use to mark my completed training days on the printer calendar.
Let's talk a bit about this calendar because this is an unexpected find that I think will really help motivate me in the months to come. The fun thing about these calendar pages is that they seem to add little fun days along the way. Nachos Day was November 6th, and the 45th anniversary of Robin Hood was on November 8th for example. Both of those days were training days, and I honestly didn't think of incorporating the "themes" into my day until I mentioned it to my Nerd Husband last night that I thought it might be cool to watch Robin Hood on its anniversary. NH said, "We'll celebrate both themes tonight - nachos for dinner and watch Robin Hood." We did just that, and it was amazing. So I'm going to do my best from here on out to incorporate the fun days into my training days.
The last motivator that I came up with revolves around that group of Disney Princess puzzles I bought. I love puzzles, and I don't feel like I do them all that often because they always end up in the way while I'm working on them. But the few that I've complete and loved actually act as artwork above our fireplace on a rotating basis. Right now, there's a Thomas Kincade Cinderella's Castle of there, and it's gorgeous. Anyway, I digress... The Disney Princess puzzles motivator is going to work a little something like this.
With each training session I complete, I "earn" one piece of the puzzle. I won't draw my pieces from the pile until the end of each week, so I can draw up to three pieces at a time. The pieces might be for any of the four puzzles, so that will be the tricky part. I'll have to collect my earned pieces, sort them out based on which puzzle I think they go with, and the final goal is to assemble them as quickly as possible. It's a bit of luck mixed with a bit of skill and a lot of making-this-up-as-I-go-along. I think it'll be a good time.
I'll be posting quite a bit about this on social media when I can because I think it has the potential for a couple of good things:
1) Make people happy. It sounds ridiculous, but honestly, I think my goal in life is to try and bring a smile or a laugh. It's the reason I do a lot of what I do or share what I decide to share. So if me making a silly face and talking about stickers makes your day, then follow along on my journey.
2) Make people believe they can do what they set their minds to doing. I realize we all have limitations and things that hold us back, but I do truly believe that we have a lot of power in our minds and bodies, even if they're "broken". I've personally dealt with a history of mental illness for a vast majority of my life. I know how broken your mind can feel. While I've not dealt with physical disability and I know I can't imagine the full effect of the situation. I know I've witnessed those who have dealt with it, and I've seen how broken their hearts can be when they can't achieve what they once could. That's heartbreaking. But I believe there are ways that we can work within a system and make things the best that we can make them. We might not achieve what we could if we weren't "broken", but I believe that having to work within a system designed to hold you back makes your stronger, wiser, and more determined. And it makes victory so much sweeter. I want people to know that and remember it.
While I'll be posting little blurbs on social media, I'll be keeping the bulk of my wordiness out of the limelight and leaving it here in my blog. I know I get wordy when I write, and that's no for everyone. But if it is for you, then it's here, and I hope it helps you in some small way, shape or form.
I've got this. I can do this. I know I can, and I believe I can. I'm nervous that I can't. There might be people who say I can't. But the small voice inside of me that rises up in dark times whispers to me, "Run."
Monday, September 17, 2018
River Song Parachute (Zeeda) Dress Cosplay
In my previous post, I got a little broody and serious, so I'm going to try to brush that dust off my coattails and move forward! I mentioned I'd finally finished my River Song costume from the reboot of the tv show "Doctor Who". I wasn't much of a Doctor Who fan when the Nerd Husband first started watching (I think I actually picked on a him a bit for watching such a silly show - sorry about that, NH). But somewhere along the line, I got sucked in a bit. Then I got sucked in even more. And then I met River Song.
River is one of those characters that I instantly fell in love with. She's brilliant, witty, beautiful, mysterious, adventure-seeking, and she has a heart so full of love for the people she cares about. Plus, she's an archeologist, and that kind of felt a bit like a female Indiana Jones to me. I'm sold. Plus - the HAIR!
I've done a River costume once before - the all-denim outfit from "The Impossible Astronaut" (picture comparison below).
I loved how this one turned out - plus I got to wear a western gunbelt which made the little kid in my squee like I was four years old again in my spurs, boots, vest, and cowboy hat. I waited a long time on eBay to get a gunbelt like that in my price range (and one that would fit my hips, but that's a whole other matter).
However, there's another particular costume I had my sights on. She wears it a few times throughout Series 6 in such episodes as "Day of the Moon" and "A Good Man Goes to War".
From here on out, it's going to be some in-depth costume talk and pictures. If that's your thing, you're welcome to stay with me and keep on reading. If it's not, then this blog is not for you. ;)
Let's start on this journey and talk about what I learned, what I liked, and what I don't particularly care for.
Dress
The dress River wears in these episodes is actually based on an All Saints Zeeda dress. Based on my many hours of reading, it sounds like a few modifications might have been made to the original Zeeda dress, however, on the whole it is largely screen-accurate as-is. The problem these days is:
1.) They are no longer in stock at All Saints.
2.) They run somewhere in the $250-$500 price range every time I see one pop up on eBay.
3.) They're really difficult to find in a US size 10 (which seems to correspond to a UK size 14).
I've seriously had this dress (and all of its keywords) set-up as saved searches on my eBay account for probably the last three years. I never had anything that remotely came into my price range, and I started to lose hope. I started checking out other types of dresses that I could just add a zipper to, and I even bought a couple of patterns to frankenstein together to get me a decent pattern to sew my own. And then I found an alternate dress - a Lagenlook parachute dress in a light taupe color. I asked the seller for the measurement from armpit to armpit (always a deciding factor), and it was on the lowest end of what I could manage. So I bought it - because hey, it was worth the risk. The price was right (around $36 or so, I believe), and now was the time.
I absolutely adore this dress. I had two little blow-outs in some of the stitching while I was at the con, but nothing that I can't fix later (one in the armhole and one in a skirt panel). I did have a tricky situation finding an undergarment that wouldn't be visible with the style of armholes this dress has, but a strapless bra did the trick. So happy I took the risk and got this dress.
Wide Brown Belt
The wide brown belt with the bronze-looking studs is actually another off-the-rack item from All Saints. It's the Anina belt, and it's another one of those items that is highly sought after and - thus - highly expensive when I find them on eBay. That was a large "no" for me, so I figured it'd be a good thing to make from scratch. There are some wonderful DIY tutorials out there from other River cosplayers, and I found these two particularly helpful:
https://sweetieoolong.livejournal.com/1078.html
http://ifyougiveagirlaneedle.blogspot.com/2016/11/all-saints-anina-belt-construction.html
I actually ended up using the same studs that Jordan mentions in her tutorial (see second link listed above), and they were so simple to use! It was simply a matter of cutting my vinyl, punching my holes, adding the studs, and voila - belt. That makes it sound a lot faster than it actually took (because punching belt holes is exhausting), but overall, it was a pretty simple and fun project.
My vinyl came from JoAnn Fabrics, and it should be a very easy thing to locate in the Home Decor fabric section. It'll be on a very large roll, and you just take it up to the cutting counter and get what you need. I believe I purchased 1/4 of a yard, and that was plenty for my belt and my vortex manipulator (more on that later).
As for my process, I didn't 100% think this out, so I could have done things a little better. Not a huge deal, thought, and I made it work. Just to give a basic rundown...
I cut a long strip of the vinyl 4" tall by however wide my fabric was (probably 55" or so). I knew I'd be using the brass studs/holes for fastening the belt, but my vinyl wasn't quite sturdy enough to stand up to that kind of use. To give everything a little more strength on the end of my belt, I folded wrong-sides together in order to get me a bit of overlap on the back, and I "pinned" this with a clothes pin to mark my place. I then repeated the same fold on the other side of the belt (always remembering the overlap I'd need for my brass studs).
Instead of sewing down the folds I made, I used E6000 adhesive to glue the two backs of the vinyl together. It worked wonderfully, and I'd definitely use it again. I glued both of my folded sections, and I let them dry under some weights for 24 hours.
24 hours later, it was time to measure and punch some holes. I used the measurements provided in the links above to create a cardboard template to use to mark my punch holes. Using a silver Sharpie, I marked all of my holes down the length of my belt.*
*This is where I would have changed something. I spent so much time trying to figure out how far apart in length these holes should be, and I finally arrived on a particular number...but I never took into account the entire length of the belt I'd just cut and glued. Yikes! So if I were to offer advice, measure the length of your belt first. Let's say your belt is 36 inches long. Figure out how many holes you can evenly space along 36 inches. For example, if you want your holes to be spaced 1.5 inches apart, then you can fit 24 sets of holes. If you have an odd number for your belt length, seriously...do the math as best you can and flub the rest. That's what I did, and no one is the wiser that I have one set of holes that's entirely too far away from its neighbor. Oops.
I then used a leather hole punch I borrowed from a friend of mine to punch all of my holes. You can find leather hole punches at craft stores or get one from Amazon. I used a tabletop hole punch, which saved my hand from cramping. I used the smallest setting available to me and tested it on a scrap piece of fabric first to make sure it would work with my brass studs. Once I was satisfied with it, I punched. And punched. And punched some more.
The screw-back brass studs were the last piece, and they were incredibly easy to use. If you've every worked with a screwdriver at all, you can probably figure this one out.
The last step was trying on that belt and making sure it fit. In my case, it was actually slightly large, but I wasn't about to stress about it. I have enough things to worry about in life; it's not worth it. So I tugged it a little further down my waist, gave myself a smile of approval, and moved on. I hope you can do the same. :)
Curious about that vortex manipulator? Want to know more about the Nerf gun repaint job? Stay tuned until next time... (Maybe not exactly the next time, but eventually we can talk about it.)
River is one of those characters that I instantly fell in love with. She's brilliant, witty, beautiful, mysterious, adventure-seeking, and she has a heart so full of love for the people she cares about. Plus, she's an archeologist, and that kind of felt a bit like a female Indiana Jones to me. I'm sold. Plus - the HAIR!
I've done a River costume once before - the all-denim outfit from "The Impossible Astronaut" (picture comparison below).
|
|
I loved how this one turned out - plus I got to wear a western gunbelt which made the little kid in my squee like I was four years old again in my spurs, boots, vest, and cowboy hat. I waited a long time on eBay to get a gunbelt like that in my price range (and one that would fit my hips, but that's a whole other matter).
However, there's another particular costume I had my sights on. She wears it a few times throughout Series 6 in such episodes as "Day of the Moon" and "A Good Man Goes to War".
|
|
From here on out, it's going to be some in-depth costume talk and pictures. If that's your thing, you're welcome to stay with me and keep on reading. If it's not, then this blog is not for you. ;)
Let's start on this journey and talk about what I learned, what I liked, and what I don't particularly care for.
Dress
The dress River wears in these episodes is actually based on an All Saints Zeeda dress. Based on my many hours of reading, it sounds like a few modifications might have been made to the original Zeeda dress, however, on the whole it is largely screen-accurate as-is. The problem these days is:
1.) They are no longer in stock at All Saints.
2.) They run somewhere in the $250-$500 price range every time I see one pop up on eBay.
3.) They're really difficult to find in a US size 10 (which seems to correspond to a UK size 14).
I've seriously had this dress (and all of its keywords) set-up as saved searches on my eBay account for probably the last three years. I never had anything that remotely came into my price range, and I started to lose hope. I started checking out other types of dresses that I could just add a zipper to, and I even bought a couple of patterns to frankenstein together to get me a decent pattern to sew my own. And then I found an alternate dress - a Lagenlook parachute dress in a light taupe color. I asked the seller for the measurement from armpit to armpit (always a deciding factor), and it was on the lowest end of what I could manage. So I bought it - because hey, it was worth the risk. The price was right (around $36 or so, I believe), and now was the time.
I absolutely adore this dress. I had two little blow-outs in some of the stitching while I was at the con, but nothing that I can't fix later (one in the armhole and one in a skirt panel). I did have a tricky situation finding an undergarment that wouldn't be visible with the style of armholes this dress has, but a strapless bra did the trick. So happy I took the risk and got this dress.
Wide Brown Belt
The wide brown belt with the bronze-looking studs is actually another off-the-rack item from All Saints. It's the Anina belt, and it's another one of those items that is highly sought after and - thus - highly expensive when I find them on eBay. That was a large "no" for me, so I figured it'd be a good thing to make from scratch. There are some wonderful DIY tutorials out there from other River cosplayers, and I found these two particularly helpful:
https://sweetieoolong.livejournal.com/1078.html
http://ifyougiveagirlaneedle.blogspot.com/2016/11/all-saints-anina-belt-construction.html
I actually ended up using the same studs that Jordan mentions in her tutorial (see second link listed above), and they were so simple to use! It was simply a matter of cutting my vinyl, punching my holes, adding the studs, and voila - belt. That makes it sound a lot faster than it actually took (because punching belt holes is exhausting), but overall, it was a pretty simple and fun project.
My vinyl came from JoAnn Fabrics, and it should be a very easy thing to locate in the Home Decor fabric section. It'll be on a very large roll, and you just take it up to the cutting counter and get what you need. I believe I purchased 1/4 of a yard, and that was plenty for my belt and my vortex manipulator (more on that later).
As for my process, I didn't 100% think this out, so I could have done things a little better. Not a huge deal, thought, and I made it work. Just to give a basic rundown...
I cut a long strip of the vinyl 4" tall by however wide my fabric was (probably 55" or so). I knew I'd be using the brass studs/holes for fastening the belt, but my vinyl wasn't quite sturdy enough to stand up to that kind of use. To give everything a little more strength on the end of my belt, I folded wrong-sides together in order to get me a bit of overlap on the back, and I "pinned" this with a clothes pin to mark my place. I then repeated the same fold on the other side of the belt (always remembering the overlap I'd need for my brass studs).
Instead of sewing down the folds I made, I used E6000 adhesive to glue the two backs of the vinyl together. It worked wonderfully, and I'd definitely use it again. I glued both of my folded sections, and I let them dry under some weights for 24 hours.
24 hours later, it was time to measure and punch some holes. I used the measurements provided in the links above to create a cardboard template to use to mark my punch holes. Using a silver Sharpie, I marked all of my holes down the length of my belt.*
*This is where I would have changed something. I spent so much time trying to figure out how far apart in length these holes should be, and I finally arrived on a particular number...but I never took into account the entire length of the belt I'd just cut and glued. Yikes! So if I were to offer advice, measure the length of your belt first. Let's say your belt is 36 inches long. Figure out how many holes you can evenly space along 36 inches. For example, if you want your holes to be spaced 1.5 inches apart, then you can fit 24 sets of holes. If you have an odd number for your belt length, seriously...do the math as best you can and flub the rest. That's what I did, and no one is the wiser that I have one set of holes that's entirely too far away from its neighbor. Oops.
I then used a leather hole punch I borrowed from a friend of mine to punch all of my holes. You can find leather hole punches at craft stores or get one from Amazon. I used a tabletop hole punch, which saved my hand from cramping. I used the smallest setting available to me and tested it on a scrap piece of fabric first to make sure it would work with my brass studs. Once I was satisfied with it, I punched. And punched. And punched some more.
The screw-back brass studs were the last piece, and they were incredibly easy to use. If you've every worked with a screwdriver at all, you can probably figure this one out.
The last step was trying on that belt and making sure it fit. In my case, it was actually slightly large, but I wasn't about to stress about it. I have enough things to worry about in life; it's not worth it. So I tugged it a little further down my waist, gave myself a smile of approval, and moved on. I hope you can do the same. :)
Curious about that vortex manipulator? Want to know more about the Nerf gun repaint job? Stay tuned until next time... (Maybe not exactly the next time, but eventually we can talk about it.)
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Struggles, Spoilers, and Songs
There's a lot going on these days. At least that's what it feels like. I'm not 100% sure if that's accurate or if that's just feelings, but it's what I'm going with at the moment. There are people I love who are going through some really rough stuff right now. I want to be there for them, but I'm struggling with some personal things, as well. It makes me feel a bit like a selfish attention hog lately - "please, look at me and realize I'm struggling, too - help". And when that doesn't work quite like the annoying 5 year old in me wants it to, I turn to my projects and bury myself in the work that takes over my mind and makes me happy (to a point).
That's a rather depressing introduction to a post that's meant to say...I finally finished my River Song costume. (Is a blog that promises to focus on Disney and Star Wars allowed to be depressing and get off-topic by discussing Doctor Who? You know what - I don't care. Sure, it can. Because it's my blog. So there. ;p)
There are elements of this costume I'm not 100% happy with, and I think that's all right for now. All of my cosplay (I still have a hard time with that word because I used "costume" and "costumer" for years because that was when I started out this entire journey) is done simply and on a certain budget. I like to try to make things from other things instead of spend my time tracking down screen accurate fabric for $40 a yard that requires me to then buy 3 packages of RIT dye to make it the right color. I have nothing against that sort of thing, and I have a great deal of respect for the folks who go through it. It takes a heck of a lot of work, and the results are impressive. I get caught up in this mindset now and then - "how accurate do I need to make this?" or "should I buy this so it's 'right'?" It's a very easy place to fall into, and it's not a bad thing if that's who you want to be.
However, I've come to believe that my real place in his cosplay world and my calling here is to prove to other people that they can do it. You don't have to be a genius. You don't have to break your bank. You don't even have to have knowledge on how to sew. And honestly, if you're out to just have fun - you don't need to be accurate. You just have to be willing to try, to learn, and to work with what you have when you have it. I want to encourage those people who are starting out - the people who feel like crap because someone told them something was "wrong" with their costume. I've had younger folks come up to me at a convention, fangirling or fanboying out over something I've made and then degrading their own work as they're wearing it in front of me, feeling horrible that they can't be as good as someone else. That's when I try to point out to them what I actually have here - a PVC pipe from Home Depot, some silver spray paint, a rubber inner tube from a bicycle tire, a thumbtack, a cell phone clip, some washers, a plastic cable clip, and some glue. It's not much different from what they have at all. And it's certainly not impossible to do with just some time, practice, and a new way of looking at things.
Wow, does this blog entry have a point? Because if it does, I seem to be taking an awfully long time just to say I finally finished my River Song costume. ;) The costume is 100% complete and ready to go for the comic expo I'm attending this weekend. I'm uncertain if she'll go out for one day or two because I anticipate this will be a fun one to walk around in. I guess we'll just wait and see.
And since I'd like to try and follow-through what what I said above (about helping people realize they can do this sort of thing, too), I'd like to follow-up this post with another post talking all about the costume and how I made it work. Look for that to come soon.
In the meantime, just remember that you can do it - whatever "it" is. I know it sounds corny and awful, but I believe that if something lies within our realm of power to change and learn, then we can accomplish it. I think it's easy to forget that because the world like to buck up against us and tell us we can't move. Sometimes, it's true - we can't. Sometimes we're just stuck. But even in those times, your ability to fight forward and keep moving is a blessing, even when your heart, mind, and body are tired. Keep going. Keep moving. Because it's getting closer.
Whatever "it" is.
That's a rather depressing introduction to a post that's meant to say...I finally finished my River Song costume. (Is a blog that promises to focus on Disney and Star Wars allowed to be depressing and get off-topic by discussing Doctor Who? You know what - I don't care. Sure, it can. Because it's my blog. So there. ;p)
There are elements of this costume I'm not 100% happy with, and I think that's all right for now. All of my cosplay (I still have a hard time with that word because I used "costume" and "costumer" for years because that was when I started out this entire journey) is done simply and on a certain budget. I like to try to make things from other things instead of spend my time tracking down screen accurate fabric for $40 a yard that requires me to then buy 3 packages of RIT dye to make it the right color. I have nothing against that sort of thing, and I have a great deal of respect for the folks who go through it. It takes a heck of a lot of work, and the results are impressive. I get caught up in this mindset now and then - "how accurate do I need to make this?" or "should I buy this so it's 'right'?" It's a very easy place to fall into, and it's not a bad thing if that's who you want to be.
However, I've come to believe that my real place in his cosplay world and my calling here is to prove to other people that they can do it. You don't have to be a genius. You don't have to break your bank. You don't even have to have knowledge on how to sew. And honestly, if you're out to just have fun - you don't need to be accurate. You just have to be willing to try, to learn, and to work with what you have when you have it. I want to encourage those people who are starting out - the people who feel like crap because someone told them something was "wrong" with their costume. I've had younger folks come up to me at a convention, fangirling or fanboying out over something I've made and then degrading their own work as they're wearing it in front of me, feeling horrible that they can't be as good as someone else. That's when I try to point out to them what I actually have here - a PVC pipe from Home Depot, some silver spray paint, a rubber inner tube from a bicycle tire, a thumbtack, a cell phone clip, some washers, a plastic cable clip, and some glue. It's not much different from what they have at all. And it's certainly not impossible to do with just some time, practice, and a new way of looking at things.
Wow, does this blog entry have a point? Because if it does, I seem to be taking an awfully long time just to say I finally finished my River Song costume. ;) The costume is 100% complete and ready to go for the comic expo I'm attending this weekend. I'm uncertain if she'll go out for one day or two because I anticipate this will be a fun one to walk around in. I guess we'll just wait and see.
And since I'd like to try and follow-through what what I said above (about helping people realize they can do this sort of thing, too), I'd like to follow-up this post with another post talking all about the costume and how I made it work. Look for that to come soon.
In the meantime, just remember that you can do it - whatever "it" is. I know it sounds corny and awful, but I believe that if something lies within our realm of power to change and learn, then we can accomplish it. I think it's easy to forget that because the world like to buck up against us and tell us we can't move. Sometimes, it's true - we can't. Sometimes we're just stuck. But even in those times, your ability to fight forward and keep moving is a blessing, even when your heart, mind, and body are tired. Keep going. Keep moving. Because it's getting closer.
Whatever "it" is.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Here Sits a Girl
Here sits a girl who:
- is signed up to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon next February 24, 2019
- has a room reservation all set on Disney property
- made her Disney dining reservations 180 days in advance
- and snagged some sweet reservations
- and reserved a table at Victoria and Albert's because - why not, I can cancel if I decide not to splurge that much (never done this before, so it felt right to at least try)
- needs to buy plane tickets for February
- is trying to complete a River Song (Doctor Who, not even remotely part of the two major focuses of this blog, but cut me some slack) costume for a convention that happens in two weeks
- needs to take her cat to the vet for a check-up on Saturday and is freaking out about it stressing out said cat
- will be getting up early tomorrow (fingers crossed) to do training run
- is moving in ten thousand different directions mentally and can't really take the time to figure out which direction she should buckle down and follow
- just wanted to write a blog post to say that she did because this space shouldn't die.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
A New Month with New Jitters
I turned the Star Wars calendar in our kitchen to the new month of August, and I smiled when Rey showed up. I thought, "How fitting. There's our girl showing me that I can move forward and do anything." Then I got to work, and I turned the Star Wars calendar in my cubicle to show the new month of August, and I smiled when Chewbacca's grin showed up on the page. I thought, "There's a true friend if ever there was one."
Then I saw the sparkly Disney Princess Sticker that was marking Tuesday, August 7th on my calendar, and I thought, "Are you insane? Are you actually going to sign up to run a half marathon at Disney? It costs so much? What if you can't make it? What if you get swept? You're not a real runner because you walk and run in intervals. Remember yesterday when we looked at the proof of time submission and your 10K doesn't even qualify to get you in a higher corral? You're slow. You're overweight. You're out of shape. You're not a runner. What makes you think you can do this?"
I realized at that moment that the only thing holding me back from what I can do is my own mind. And what an evil little mind I have. Look at that - up there! All of those horrible things I said to myself in just a few seconds worth of thought-space. And I suppose that's true for a lot of us. A lot of us are harder on ourselves that we need to be. We put ourselves down, and we corral ourselves into these safe little corners where we can hide so no one will ever see how "inadequate" we are. We set our own limitations in our minds, but those limitations do not define who we truly are. It's really our effort to break through those barriers that forces us to grow and become the people we are meant to be.
Next Tuesday, August 7th is registration day for the Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World. I'm going to do my best to secure myself a spot. I have a hotel room lined up on Disney property (had to call to make the reservation since it wasn't even available to reserve online that far in advance). I've priced out plane tickets, and I'm ready to purchase those as soon as I know I have a spot in the race. I'm trying to heal up from a pulled neck muscle before I get back into any real running/exercise again, but then it's time to gear up and start training. I got nervous when I looked at training schedules. TI checked out a couple of different schedules. One stated that I should be comfortable running 3 miles a day 3 days a week. Yeah...that doesn't usually happen with me. lol Maybe 1.5-2 miles 3 days a week? I guess I'm not that far off, but it did make me start to second-guess this plan. I ran a slow 5k in July, and a slow 10k in June. Why am I doing this again?
To prove that I can. To be able to say I did. To be able to celebrate an accomplishment that I never once dreamed I'd be celebrating. To be able to go on an adventure and say, "Yeah, I ran that race, and it was amazing."
Fingers crossed. The single digit countdown to registration ticks on...
Then I saw the sparkly Disney Princess Sticker that was marking Tuesday, August 7th on my calendar, and I thought, "Are you insane? Are you actually going to sign up to run a half marathon at Disney? It costs so much? What if you can't make it? What if you get swept? You're not a real runner because you walk and run in intervals. Remember yesterday when we looked at the proof of time submission and your 10K doesn't even qualify to get you in a higher corral? You're slow. You're overweight. You're out of shape. You're not a runner. What makes you think you can do this?"
I realized at that moment that the only thing holding me back from what I can do is my own mind. And what an evil little mind I have. Look at that - up there! All of those horrible things I said to myself in just a few seconds worth of thought-space. And I suppose that's true for a lot of us. A lot of us are harder on ourselves that we need to be. We put ourselves down, and we corral ourselves into these safe little corners where we can hide so no one will ever see how "inadequate" we are. We set our own limitations in our minds, but those limitations do not define who we truly are. It's really our effort to break through those barriers that forces us to grow and become the people we are meant to be.
Next Tuesday, August 7th is registration day for the Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World. I'm going to do my best to secure myself a spot. I have a hotel room lined up on Disney property (had to call to make the reservation since it wasn't even available to reserve online that far in advance). I've priced out plane tickets, and I'm ready to purchase those as soon as I know I have a spot in the race. I'm trying to heal up from a pulled neck muscle before I get back into any real running/exercise again, but then it's time to gear up and start training. I got nervous when I looked at training schedules. TI checked out a couple of different schedules. One stated that I should be comfortable running 3 miles a day 3 days a week. Yeah...that doesn't usually happen with me. lol Maybe 1.5-2 miles 3 days a week? I guess I'm not that far off, but it did make me start to second-guess this plan. I ran a slow 5k in July, and a slow 10k in June. Why am I doing this again?
To prove that I can. To be able to say I did. To be able to celebrate an accomplishment that I never once dreamed I'd be celebrating. To be able to go on an adventure and say, "Yeah, I ran that race, and it was amazing."
Fingers crossed. The single digit countdown to registration ticks on...
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
A Girl Against the Universe - a Running Story
So a few years ago I picked up something I never thought I would - running.
I was always the little chubby kid in gym class. The one that got picked last for teams. The one that couldn't finish running "the mile" test. The one that liked literature, music, and art way more than physical activity. Then, a few years back, I was trying to think of something I had never done before. I wanted a new goal - something brand new and shiny to work on achieving. Something I never thought I'd ever be able to accomplish. So I set out with a Couch to 5k app and a goal to run my first 5K.
I did it. And from there I ran a couple more 5Ks. Then the Nerd Husband and I trained for the Inaugural Star Wars Dark Side 10K at Walt Disney World. It was freaking amazing.
Then our world blew up. The Nerd Husband's grandfather grew sicker until he was finally diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He passed away quickly after a hellish fight. Then my biological mother had a stroke while we were in Florida, and there I was - worrying for my family until I could get back home. Then - most recently - we had an ice storm, and the Nerd Husband fell in our driveway and broke his left hip. We lived with my parents for a month until he could come home and do the stairs (slowly and only once a day in the beginning).
Needless to say, we haven't been home much. Our house has suffered for it. We have suffered for it - physically and mentally. It's been trying. Running fell to the wayside. Making it through to the next day was really the only goal.
During this last trial - the Nerd Husband's accident - I came up with my next plan. In between sitting in the hospital with my husband and doing the drives back and forth from our house to gather things, take a shower or feed our kitty, it dawned on me that I wanted to show the universe it wouldn't break me. It wouldn't throw all of this at me and see me back down without a fight. I remember saying out loud, "No. I refuse to feel like this, and I won't let you tear me down." Plus, I was doing all of this to help someone else. And I'd been helping other people for so long. I needed to do something purely for me.
I vowed to figure out something I had never done before and make me feel badass, strong, and rebellious against the universe. I thought about a tattoo or dyeing my hair another color. But then my brain rested upon one thought...
I'll run a half marathon.
Not sure that was a normal train of thought. But then again, I've never claimed to be normal.
I've always been interested in the runDisney half marathons. I remember being there right after Princess weekend and seeing all of the people on the buses and in the parks with their medals. It was really inspiring because there were people of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life. It looked like a goal that anyone could obtain with training and tenacity. I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever be one of those people, but I wanted to be one of those people. Plus, how wonderful would it be to run through the place that holds so many wonderful family memories for me. Family and friends and people I don't have with me anymore. They're all still there, in that place, in those moments.
The details are fuzzy on how it all came about, and it was a while before I put my mind to a permanent decision on when this would all go down. I recall asking my virtual running group for advice, signing up for a local 10K (for experience and a time to submit), writing out a training schedule, and then eventually marking my vacation time in my work calendar for "February 2019".
Princess Half Marathon 2019 had been decided.
Now I have a little Disney Princess dry erase board from the Dollar Tree sitting in my cubicle at work, counting down the days to registration. I have nerves floating around in my gut because the registration process got changed this year, and they pushed the dates further away than originally planned. I have a countdown on my phone, and I'm debating where the best place to stay is and how to make this all work.
Best of all, I have a goal, and I'm nervous as hell about it - but it's mine. And that is so stinking exciting that I can't even begin to explain to you how exciting it is. This is mine, and no one can take it from me. I know that bad things can happen, and chances are they totally will. Who even knows what will/could happen when I'm away next February? But bad stuff is going to happen no matter where you are, who you're with, or what you try to do to prevent it. You can't prevent life. Life finds a way. The best you can do is live your life for you. Do the things you can do while you can do them. Share your strength and love with others. And remember to be kind to you. Always. In all things.
Now, if you'll excuse me, this princess has a half marathon training schedule to contemplate.
I was always the little chubby kid in gym class. The one that got picked last for teams. The one that couldn't finish running "the mile" test. The one that liked literature, music, and art way more than physical activity. Then, a few years back, I was trying to think of something I had never done before. I wanted a new goal - something brand new and shiny to work on achieving. Something I never thought I'd ever be able to accomplish. So I set out with a Couch to 5k app and a goal to run my first 5K.
I did it. And from there I ran a couple more 5Ks. Then the Nerd Husband and I trained for the Inaugural Star Wars Dark Side 10K at Walt Disney World. It was freaking amazing.
Then our world blew up. The Nerd Husband's grandfather grew sicker until he was finally diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He passed away quickly after a hellish fight. Then my biological mother had a stroke while we were in Florida, and there I was - worrying for my family until I could get back home. Then - most recently - we had an ice storm, and the Nerd Husband fell in our driveway and broke his left hip. We lived with my parents for a month until he could come home and do the stairs (slowly and only once a day in the beginning).
Needless to say, we haven't been home much. Our house has suffered for it. We have suffered for it - physically and mentally. It's been trying. Running fell to the wayside. Making it through to the next day was really the only goal.
During this last trial - the Nerd Husband's accident - I came up with my next plan. In between sitting in the hospital with my husband and doing the drives back and forth from our house to gather things, take a shower or feed our kitty, it dawned on me that I wanted to show the universe it wouldn't break me. It wouldn't throw all of this at me and see me back down without a fight. I remember saying out loud, "No. I refuse to feel like this, and I won't let you tear me down." Plus, I was doing all of this to help someone else. And I'd been helping other people for so long. I needed to do something purely for me.
I vowed to figure out something I had never done before and make me feel badass, strong, and rebellious against the universe. I thought about a tattoo or dyeing my hair another color. But then my brain rested upon one thought...
I'll run a half marathon.
Not sure that was a normal train of thought. But then again, I've never claimed to be normal.
I've always been interested in the runDisney half marathons. I remember being there right after Princess weekend and seeing all of the people on the buses and in the parks with their medals. It was really inspiring because there were people of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life. It looked like a goal that anyone could obtain with training and tenacity. I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever be one of those people, but I wanted to be one of those people. Plus, how wonderful would it be to run through the place that holds so many wonderful family memories for me. Family and friends and people I don't have with me anymore. They're all still there, in that place, in those moments.
The details are fuzzy on how it all came about, and it was a while before I put my mind to a permanent decision on when this would all go down. I recall asking my virtual running group for advice, signing up for a local 10K (for experience and a time to submit), writing out a training schedule, and then eventually marking my vacation time in my work calendar for "February 2019".
Princess Half Marathon 2019 had been decided.
Now I have a little Disney Princess dry erase board from the Dollar Tree sitting in my cubicle at work, counting down the days to registration. I have nerves floating around in my gut because the registration process got changed this year, and they pushed the dates further away than originally planned. I have a countdown on my phone, and I'm debating where the best place to stay is and how to make this all work.
Best of all, I have a goal, and I'm nervous as hell about it - but it's mine. And that is so stinking exciting that I can't even begin to explain to you how exciting it is. This is mine, and no one can take it from me. I know that bad things can happen, and chances are they totally will. Who even knows what will/could happen when I'm away next February? But bad stuff is going to happen no matter where you are, who you're with, or what you try to do to prevent it. You can't prevent life. Life finds a way. The best you can do is live your life for you. Do the things you can do while you can do them. Share your strength and love with others. And remember to be kind to you. Always. In all things.
Now, if you'll excuse me, this princess has a half marathon training schedule to contemplate.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Celebration Time, C'mon!
So it's finally been announced. The big Star Wars Celebration for 2019. It looks like we're finally headed to Chicago, April 11-15, 2019 at McCormick Place. Apparently McCormick is the largest convention center in the US. That sounds like a great opportunity for them to actually make use of the space and maybe make things a bit easier to get into. Maybe. We'll see.
Celebration is a mixed bag for our little group that's been going for quite a few years now. I personally still have fun, but I go in with very low expectations. What makes it fun for me is the people I get to interact with, the costumes I get to create and wear, and the moments I get to spend with old and new friends. What makes is frustrating for me is hanging my hopes on getting into a panel, but not being able to get into it because I didn't camp out all night just to get a ticket. Or when they accidentally let in a group of people that didn't have wrist bands before they let in the wrist banded people. Or when they only have ONE entrance open for security for thousands of people who need to all go through a metal detector which results in a line that wraps around the building for hours and hours just to get in.
I feel like every convention has hiccups along the way, and Celebration has been no exception over the years. I remember the "this line is capped" signs from Celebration III (my first convention experience ever). Too many people. Too small a space. What are you going to do? Plan better.
But they never quite seem to make it to the "plan better" stage.
One year, they did. They got it right - or so it felt like they did. That was when we were in Los Angeles for Celebration IV. The worst part about that was that none of the hotels were within walking distance of the convention center. You had to rely on transportation. However, the convention center felt big, roomy, and there were things to do at all hours of the day and night. It was easier to get tickets to see what you wanted (like Carrie Fisher's after-hours comedy show; buy your tickets separately on the internet before the event). The store was a simple walk-in, find what you want, and walk-out. Plus there were additional mini-store kiosks all over the exhibit hall! Talk about making it easy to shop (and easy to spend more money).
But I haven't really seen these things return to a Celebration yet. We seem to be back to the Celebration III ways of "you either stand in line for 5 hours to see George Lucas or you stand in line for 5 hours to go to exclusive store". If you don't camp out over night, you don't get in to see anything. What makes this all worse is that - honestly - you really don't even have to pay money to be there. Everything is live-streamed on the internet now, so you can "attend" Celebration without travel or ticket expenses if you so wish. I realize that's both a good and a bad thing. I personally wish there'd be at least a slight delay from the panels to the internet stream. Let us feel like we have some exclusivity since we - you know - kind of paid to be here.
None of these things though keep me from going. That's probably lack of good sense when I think about it, but I honestly think it's because there's something bigger that I get out of attending an event like this. I like to look at things. I like to watch people. I like to wear my costumes, take pictures of other people's costumes, swap stories, encourage others. I feel a sense of community at a convention like this. I don't know if that's normal or not, but it is what it is. So while some of our group are only thinking about attending a day or two at Celebration Chicago (which I respect and understand given the write-up of insanity that I posted above), I'm still planning on all 5 days. I never know what this one will be like. If that day doesn't seem like it'll work out, I'll leave early. If that day ends up being amazing, then I'll take it home with me, along with a big smile spread across my face and a skip in my step like a five-year-old kid.
Even through all of the crap that we've dealt with, I'm ready to Celebrate.
Celebration is a mixed bag for our little group that's been going for quite a few years now. I personally still have fun, but I go in with very low expectations. What makes it fun for me is the people I get to interact with, the costumes I get to create and wear, and the moments I get to spend with old and new friends. What makes is frustrating for me is hanging my hopes on getting into a panel, but not being able to get into it because I didn't camp out all night just to get a ticket. Or when they accidentally let in a group of people that didn't have wrist bands before they let in the wrist banded people. Or when they only have ONE entrance open for security for thousands of people who need to all go through a metal detector which results in a line that wraps around the building for hours and hours just to get in.
I feel like every convention has hiccups along the way, and Celebration has been no exception over the years. I remember the "this line is capped" signs from Celebration III (my first convention experience ever). Too many people. Too small a space. What are you going to do? Plan better.
But they never quite seem to make it to the "plan better" stage.
One year, they did. They got it right - or so it felt like they did. That was when we were in Los Angeles for Celebration IV. The worst part about that was that none of the hotels were within walking distance of the convention center. You had to rely on transportation. However, the convention center felt big, roomy, and there were things to do at all hours of the day and night. It was easier to get tickets to see what you wanted (like Carrie Fisher's after-hours comedy show; buy your tickets separately on the internet before the event). The store was a simple walk-in, find what you want, and walk-out. Plus there were additional mini-store kiosks all over the exhibit hall! Talk about making it easy to shop (and easy to spend more money).
But I haven't really seen these things return to a Celebration yet. We seem to be back to the Celebration III ways of "you either stand in line for 5 hours to see George Lucas or you stand in line for 5 hours to go to exclusive store". If you don't camp out over night, you don't get in to see anything. What makes this all worse is that - honestly - you really don't even have to pay money to be there. Everything is live-streamed on the internet now, so you can "attend" Celebration without travel or ticket expenses if you so wish. I realize that's both a good and a bad thing. I personally wish there'd be at least a slight delay from the panels to the internet stream. Let us feel like we have some exclusivity since we - you know - kind of paid to be here.
None of these things though keep me from going. That's probably lack of good sense when I think about it, but I honestly think it's because there's something bigger that I get out of attending an event like this. I like to look at things. I like to watch people. I like to wear my costumes, take pictures of other people's costumes, swap stories, encourage others. I feel a sense of community at a convention like this. I don't know if that's normal or not, but it is what it is. So while some of our group are only thinking about attending a day or two at Celebration Chicago (which I respect and understand given the write-up of insanity that I posted above), I'm still planning on all 5 days. I never know what this one will be like. If that day doesn't seem like it'll work out, I'll leave early. If that day ends up being amazing, then I'll take it home with me, along with a big smile spread across my face and a skip in my step like a five-year-old kid.
Even through all of the crap that we've dealt with, I'm ready to Celebrate.
Friday, May 4, 2018
May the Fourth be with You!
Happy Star Wars Day! That's what they're saying today, right? It's on the news - newscasters breaking out the lightsabers and having a battle. Companies are having sales. The internet is talking about a new movie, where will Celebration be, the new Star Wars half marathon races in Walt Disney World next year...everything. If you can name it and it's name is Star Wars, it's being talked about today. May the Fourth.
This is an interesting day, I have to admit. Because I remember a day when I had to hide my Star Wars novel spine inside my binder so no one could see a title. I remember that "nerd shirts" were not a thing to be worn in public. Things like that opened you up to ridicule and regret. I had one nerdy friend growing up as a child (and even that wasn't close enough to how nerdy I really felt). I met another nerdy friend toward the end of my high school years, but even then, we were both so busy hiding that aspect of who we were that we only really realized the true depth of our own nerdiness once it was time to go off to college.
Ah. College. The most formative years of my life.
The worst four years of my very existence on this planet earth. And I do not exaggerate.
The loss of friends. The loss of family. The lack of guidance within a sports-driven university. Sickness. Loneliness. Despair. Severe depression. Suicidal ideation.
And in the middle of it all: www.starwars.com/forums
The Star Wars message boards. Back in the day, see, the interwebs had these things called "message boards". Back then, we thought it was better to keep our real selves anonymous online, so we had fake screen names and avatars of anything other than ourselves. And while the names and the avatars were fake, the personalities and the people were real (for the most part - but that's another post lol). In those four years of hell, I found my solace and refuge in a little corner of the internet with people going through similar issues, trials, and thoughts. I found people who liked the same things I did and did some of the same things I liked to do. And here they all were - ripe for the friend-picking!
And picked them I did. And then I was crazy and even met some of them in person (omgoodness this was scandalacious back in the day, people. Lemme tell ya...)
And lemme also tell ya that it's one of the best things this little depressed, introverted, scared little soul ever did in her entire life. Those four years of hell made me into who I am today - a tenacious little fighter who will not go softly into that good night. I refused. And I still refuse. Because I have hope. Hope doesn't have to me this idealistic image of what things will be - and unrealistic view of the world. I hate false optimism. Hate it. Try to tell someone who is in hospice and dying of cancer to "have hope and think positive and you'll get better". The world doesn't work that way, usually, and it's cruel to offer that kind of false hope.
But I do believe that you can have hope in any sort of situation you're in. Personally - in the darkest of situations - my faith offers me hope beyond this world when there are no other options. In most of the everyday cases, my heart gives me hope that I (and others) can overcome our situations or work within them to the best of our abilities. I have hope that - while we might not be able to change things entirely - we can make them as good as we can in the given moment. To some people, that's a frustrating point of view, I'm sure. "If I can't fix it, what good is it, really?"
It's because - honestly - by doing one action filled with hope, you have no idea what you're actually affecting in the long-run. Every tiny little action you take might not have a reaction now, but no one really knows what it will do years from now. Decades. Centuries. To you, it's one moment. To someone else, it will shape their lifetime.
Do I have hope that me making a copy for someone at work will change their life? No. C'mon. Get real. But do I have hope that me making a copy for someone at work and then dropping it off with a smile and a kind word might make their day a little better? Yeah, I do. Because an action that small can have that kind of power. And when you empower others, there's no stopping them once they build up that strength. That's amazing. That's just astounding to me to think that we can affect that sort of change in someone through such a tiny little action.
But it's what life is about, I think. Having hope. Creating hope. Living hope.
So happy Star Wars day. May the Force be with you all.
This is an interesting day, I have to admit. Because I remember a day when I had to hide my Star Wars novel spine inside my binder so no one could see a title. I remember that "nerd shirts" were not a thing to be worn in public. Things like that opened you up to ridicule and regret. I had one nerdy friend growing up as a child (and even that wasn't close enough to how nerdy I really felt). I met another nerdy friend toward the end of my high school years, but even then, we were both so busy hiding that aspect of who we were that we only really realized the true depth of our own nerdiness once it was time to go off to college.
Ah. College. The most formative years of my life.
The worst four years of my very existence on this planet earth. And I do not exaggerate.
The loss of friends. The loss of family. The lack of guidance within a sports-driven university. Sickness. Loneliness. Despair. Severe depression. Suicidal ideation.
And in the middle of it all: www.starwars.com/forums
The Star Wars message boards. Back in the day, see, the interwebs had these things called "message boards". Back then, we thought it was better to keep our real selves anonymous online, so we had fake screen names and avatars of anything other than ourselves. And while the names and the avatars were fake, the personalities and the people were real (for the most part - but that's another post lol). In those four years of hell, I found my solace and refuge in a little corner of the internet with people going through similar issues, trials, and thoughts. I found people who liked the same things I did and did some of the same things I liked to do. And here they all were - ripe for the friend-picking!
And picked them I did. And then I was crazy and even met some of them in person (omgoodness this was scandalacious back in the day, people. Lemme tell ya...)
And lemme also tell ya that it's one of the best things this little depressed, introverted, scared little soul ever did in her entire life. Those four years of hell made me into who I am today - a tenacious little fighter who will not go softly into that good night. I refused. And I still refuse. Because I have hope. Hope doesn't have to me this idealistic image of what things will be - and unrealistic view of the world. I hate false optimism. Hate it. Try to tell someone who is in hospice and dying of cancer to "have hope and think positive and you'll get better". The world doesn't work that way, usually, and it's cruel to offer that kind of false hope.
But I do believe that you can have hope in any sort of situation you're in. Personally - in the darkest of situations - my faith offers me hope beyond this world when there are no other options. In most of the everyday cases, my heart gives me hope that I (and others) can overcome our situations or work within them to the best of our abilities. I have hope that - while we might not be able to change things entirely - we can make them as good as we can in the given moment. To some people, that's a frustrating point of view, I'm sure. "If I can't fix it, what good is it, really?"
It's because - honestly - by doing one action filled with hope, you have no idea what you're actually affecting in the long-run. Every tiny little action you take might not have a reaction now, but no one really knows what it will do years from now. Decades. Centuries. To you, it's one moment. To someone else, it will shape their lifetime.
Do I have hope that me making a copy for someone at work will change their life? No. C'mon. Get real. But do I have hope that me making a copy for someone at work and then dropping it off with a smile and a kind word might make their day a little better? Yeah, I do. Because an action that small can have that kind of power. And when you empower others, there's no stopping them once they build up that strength. That's amazing. That's just astounding to me to think that we can affect that sort of change in someone through such a tiny little action.
But it's what life is about, I think. Having hope. Creating hope. Living hope.
So happy Star Wars day. May the Force be with you all.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
My Main Squeeze - The Nine Pound Lemon Tree
Well, there are definitely some Star Wars and Disney things to talk about here lately. And what have I been doing? Ignoring this space because "reasons". Yep, I do a lot of ignoring these days in favor of focusing on other things, but I also know that getting back into the things I once loved is also extremely important. Thus, here I am. In the virtual writing flesh.
Today I want to write about something silly because it makes me happy and because it's Disney related and because NINE POUND LEMONS. That's right. You hear me. Nine pound lemons.
Anyone who has gone to EPCOT with me has been inevitably dragged on the Living with the Lands ride. And - also inevitably - I will seek, point at, and then excitedly jabber about the nine pound lemon trees that live inside the greenhouse. Seriously, I love them. I don't know why. I like lemons. Lemons are great. Lemons are tasty, and they're cool looking, and they make great drinks and desserts and things. But they're all of this to the nth degree when they're nine freakin' pounds (and sometimes even larger).
During our "year of Disney" to celebrate the Nerd Husband's and my 5th wedding anniversary, we decided to take the Behind the Seeds tour at EPCOT. This was such an unexpectedly awesome tour, and I am so glad we decided to take it. It was relatively inexpensive for a Disney tour. The website currently lists adults prices at $25 and child prices at $20, and the tour time is listed around one hour (but ours lasted around 1.5 hours or so because of reasons I'll explain later). The day we decided to go, we just walked up the counter outside of the Soarin' ride, made our reservation, purchased our tickets, and waited for our tour time.
We were lucky that day. There were four of us on the entire tour - all adults and all home-gardeners. The cast member giving the tour seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself because we kept asking questions and were genuinely interested in everything going on. He kept us longer than usual and even led us a little of the beaten path so we could get a better look at things. We got to visit the fish farm and feed the fish (talk about feeling like a child, throwing a bunch of fish food in and then watching fish just go everywhere). We learned about hydroponics, picked up our own plan for a homemade hydroponic garden, and taste-tested veggies from the greenhouse. We learned about weird plants, how they grow things, and how they use the things they grow. We got to see and touch things we'd ordinarily only be able to look at.
And then - oh, then, my good people - we got to the nine pound lemon trees.
I squealed a little - maybe even outwardly. It was obvious I was excited for no really good reason other than ginormous citrus fruits. But the tour guide talked about things, and I listened and tried to remain calm. Then he reached into a basket and pulled out not one but two huge nine pound lemons. "Who wants to hold one?"
I was kind. I let the other couple who was there hold the lemons first, but buddy, when it was my turn, I was so stinking excited. Here I was! The fruit of my efforts (ha!) realized! I had a lemon! No! Two lemons! (The Nerd Husband gave me his to hold, too.) The thoughts that went through my head jumbled around and basically exploded into TWO NINE POUND LEMONS IN MY HANDS LOOK THEY ARE REAL OMGOODNESS.
There's a picture that goes along with this. If I ever find it, I'll post it. Because the look at my face is childlike joy. It's kind of embarrassing and amazing all at the same time.
So today's moral is do the thing. Find your happy. Find your nine pound lemon. Hold it and realize that it's real, tangible, and truly worthy of loving simply because it brings you joy.
Oh, and I bought a nine pound lemon dress. It's actually just a dress covered in lemons, but lemons are cooler when they're nine pound lemons. Love makes you do crazy things.
So today, I raise a glass of nine pound lemonade (I've heard it's tasty from the cast member who gave us our tour) to the nine pound lemon tree of Living with the Lands. May you continue to bloom and blossom and bring me citrusy joy for the remainder of my days.
Today I want to write about something silly because it makes me happy and because it's Disney related and because NINE POUND LEMONS. That's right. You hear me. Nine pound lemons.
Anyone who has gone to EPCOT with me has been inevitably dragged on the Living with the Lands ride. And - also inevitably - I will seek, point at, and then excitedly jabber about the nine pound lemon trees that live inside the greenhouse. Seriously, I love them. I don't know why. I like lemons. Lemons are great. Lemons are tasty, and they're cool looking, and they make great drinks and desserts and things. But they're all of this to the nth degree when they're nine freakin' pounds (and sometimes even larger).
During our "year of Disney" to celebrate the Nerd Husband's and my 5th wedding anniversary, we decided to take the Behind the Seeds tour at EPCOT. This was such an unexpectedly awesome tour, and I am so glad we decided to take it. It was relatively inexpensive for a Disney tour. The website currently lists adults prices at $25 and child prices at $20, and the tour time is listed around one hour (but ours lasted around 1.5 hours or so because of reasons I'll explain later). The day we decided to go, we just walked up the counter outside of the Soarin' ride, made our reservation, purchased our tickets, and waited for our tour time.
We were lucky that day. There were four of us on the entire tour - all adults and all home-gardeners. The cast member giving the tour seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself because we kept asking questions and were genuinely interested in everything going on. He kept us longer than usual and even led us a little of the beaten path so we could get a better look at things. We got to visit the fish farm and feed the fish (talk about feeling like a child, throwing a bunch of fish food in and then watching fish just go everywhere). We learned about hydroponics, picked up our own plan for a homemade hydroponic garden, and taste-tested veggies from the greenhouse. We learned about weird plants, how they grow things, and how they use the things they grow. We got to see and touch things we'd ordinarily only be able to look at.
And then - oh, then, my good people - we got to the nine pound lemon trees.
I squealed a little - maybe even outwardly. It was obvious I was excited for no really good reason other than ginormous citrus fruits. But the tour guide talked about things, and I listened and tried to remain calm. Then he reached into a basket and pulled out not one but two huge nine pound lemons. "Who wants to hold one?"
I was kind. I let the other couple who was there hold the lemons first, but buddy, when it was my turn, I was so stinking excited. Here I was! The fruit of my efforts (ha!) realized! I had a lemon! No! Two lemons! (The Nerd Husband gave me his to hold, too.) The thoughts that went through my head jumbled around and basically exploded into TWO NINE POUND LEMONS IN MY HANDS LOOK THEY ARE REAL OMGOODNESS.
There's a picture that goes along with this. If I ever find it, I'll post it. Because the look at my face is childlike joy. It's kind of embarrassing and amazing all at the same time.
So today's moral is do the thing. Find your happy. Find your nine pound lemon. Hold it and realize that it's real, tangible, and truly worthy of loving simply because it brings you joy.
Oh, and I bought a nine pound lemon dress. It's actually just a dress covered in lemons, but lemons are cooler when they're nine pound lemons. Love makes you do crazy things.
So today, I raise a glass of nine pound lemonade (I've heard it's tasty from the cast member who gave us our tour) to the nine pound lemon tree of Living with the Lands. May you continue to bloom and blossom and bring me citrusy joy for the remainder of my days.
Friday, July 7, 2017
Dreams and Hope and Fandom
This blog has been sitting quietly for a while now. I pull it up now and then and stare at it - wondering what will fall on the page next. But nothing seems appropriate right now. I don't feel like going back and rehashing Celebration. I haven't looked through the convention photos much at all. I haven't worked on any new sewing projects. I don't have anything super-lined up and ready to go. The basement is still a mess from April, and I work on cleaning it up piece by piece, week by week.
The truth is we've had some challenging times going on personally, and that's really put me in a down place. I struggle to maintain a positive attitude, but my personal journal is full of a lot of swearing and sadness and blah right now. I don't want to bring that over here into this space because this place is different. I want to keep this as it is - hopeful. So today, when I was feeling a bit hopeful, I decided I'd swing by and give it a shot...and maybe make it Disney or Star Wars related.
Hope is a big thing in both of these fandoms. For example, in Disney, dreams are basically just far-fetched hopes, right? When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. A dream is a wish your heart makes. I know you; I walked with you once upon a dream. You could seriously exchange dream for hope in each of these sentences, and really your meaning won't change much.
However, if you flip on over to Star Wars, dreams take on a little darker tone in some places. They become things we hope for or don't hope for - they aren't always good things. At nine years old, Anakin has a dream that he was a Jedi. In Attack of the Clones, Anakin keeps dreaming about Padmé. In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin dreams Padmé will die in childbirth. Luke looks around Dagobah and comments that it feels familiar like something out of a dream. These dreams are still steeped in hope, even if they contain darker elements. Hope of a future. Hope of love. Hope of saving the one you love. Hope of being in the right place at the right time.
It all comes back to one thing - dreams and hope. Disney and Star Wars can be reduced down to that if you boil it long enough. And so can life, really. Those are the things that I believe sustain us through the times when we're down or when it seems like we just can't catch a break. I believe that as long as we get up in them morning and go do our day-to-day thing and then lay back down to sleep at the end of the day, then we have hope. If there was no hope of a better tomorrow, then we wouldn't see the point. Some days we don't see the points, that's true. But you know what? We keep going. And that's magnificent, isn't it? That we have that power, that drive. That we can dream of a better day even when the current moment shows us everything to the contrary?
It's astounding what we're capable of if we'd just give ourselves the chance to shine.
The truth is we've had some challenging times going on personally, and that's really put me in a down place. I struggle to maintain a positive attitude, but my personal journal is full of a lot of swearing and sadness and blah right now. I don't want to bring that over here into this space because this place is different. I want to keep this as it is - hopeful. So today, when I was feeling a bit hopeful, I decided I'd swing by and give it a shot...and maybe make it Disney or Star Wars related.
Hope is a big thing in both of these fandoms. For example, in Disney, dreams are basically just far-fetched hopes, right? When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. A dream is a wish your heart makes. I know you; I walked with you once upon a dream. You could seriously exchange dream for hope in each of these sentences, and really your meaning won't change much.
However, if you flip on over to Star Wars, dreams take on a little darker tone in some places. They become things we hope for or don't hope for - they aren't always good things. At nine years old, Anakin has a dream that he was a Jedi. In Attack of the Clones, Anakin keeps dreaming about Padmé. In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin dreams Padmé will die in childbirth. Luke looks around Dagobah and comments that it feels familiar like something out of a dream. These dreams are still steeped in hope, even if they contain darker elements. Hope of a future. Hope of love. Hope of saving the one you love. Hope of being in the right place at the right time.
It all comes back to one thing - dreams and hope. Disney and Star Wars can be reduced down to that if you boil it long enough. And so can life, really. Those are the things that I believe sustain us through the times when we're down or when it seems like we just can't catch a break. I believe that as long as we get up in them morning and go do our day-to-day thing and then lay back down to sleep at the end of the day, then we have hope. If there was no hope of a better tomorrow, then we wouldn't see the point. Some days we don't see the points, that's true. But you know what? We keep going. And that's magnificent, isn't it? That we have that power, that drive. That we can dream of a better day even when the current moment shows us everything to the contrary?
It's astounding what we're capable of if we'd just give ourselves the chance to shine.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Illness, Schedules, and Good Enough Lists
Man, have I been down.
Last Wednesday I was running around, checking things off my list, got home, got ready to make dinner, went to go talk to the Nerd Husband, and then stood there in the living room and said, "I feel shivery. Are you cold?"
Thus it began - the saga of the flu.
I foolishly thought perhaps I could slug through the beginnings of my feverish state by working on the costume and fighting it with some cold meds. I finished off the Jyn Erso gloves which was a huge accomplishment, but after I dragged myself upstairs (almost literally), I realized just how little energy I had. And my joints had started to ache. I took my temperature (99 at that point), took another dose of medicine and went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night yelling at NH because I thought he was cutting me with his toes (yay, fever-brain). I took my temp again at that point, and it hit 101. The Tylenol in the cold meds wasn't cutting it, so I downed some ibuprofen and water, covered up my feverish self, and tried to sleep.
I stayed home from work on Thursday. I kept the fever. I also kept the fever for part of Friday, so I stayed home again. There was no costuming. There was no moving. There was only the couch, my pillow, my blanket, my cat, my many fluids, what food I could eat, and Netflix. Lots of Netflix. Saturday and Sunday were more of the same, sadly enough, though this time quite feverless which was a welcomed relief. Sunday night, I finally allowed myself just a little bit of work time on the costume as a way to relax. It felt so good to feel kind of human again.
Monday was a rough work day for me - all the way around. It felt like if it could go wrong, it did, and not just with work stuff. It just felt like it was a day of bombardment, and I was so tired by the end of it. But I started to perk up a bit more in the evening, and I allowed myself a bit more work time on the costume. Getting things put together on that vest just made me feel happy. I still didn't sleep well thanks to the cough I have, but such is the way of things.
This week will be a trial to get through, but I think it's possible to get through it. There's a lot to do - personally, work-wise, and vacation-prep-wise, but I'm moving along as best I can. There are some things that are just going to have to be written off, and that's okay. But my brain still has a hard time writing them off. It tends to think, "No, you can do this!" I think the best way to combat that is to make myself a list. Yay, lists!
The Jyn Erso "Good Enough" Versus "Ideal" Costume List
Originally, Wednesday night was supposed to be my Mom's birthday celebration, but Mom and Dad are both down with the crud, as well. Mom suggested we all get together when we're well, and that makes sense to me. So now Wednesday might be packing night. On Thursday, NH and I are going to swing by my sister and brother-in-law's place and drop off my nephew's birthday present.
Somewhere in the middle of everything, I'll rest. I need that, too, because I'm still not great. This cough makes my chest wheeze like Vader's breathing apparatus.
And you know, of course our flight leaves on Sunday. I'm not cutting it close. Nah. It's all good. Well, at least it's all good enough.
Last Wednesday I was running around, checking things off my list, got home, got ready to make dinner, went to go talk to the Nerd Husband, and then stood there in the living room and said, "I feel shivery. Are you cold?"
Thus it began - the saga of the flu.
I foolishly thought perhaps I could slug through the beginnings of my feverish state by working on the costume and fighting it with some cold meds. I finished off the Jyn Erso gloves which was a huge accomplishment, but after I dragged myself upstairs (almost literally), I realized just how little energy I had. And my joints had started to ache. I took my temperature (99 at that point), took another dose of medicine and went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night yelling at NH because I thought he was cutting me with his toes (yay, fever-brain). I took my temp again at that point, and it hit 101. The Tylenol in the cold meds wasn't cutting it, so I downed some ibuprofen and water, covered up my feverish self, and tried to sleep.
I stayed home from work on Thursday. I kept the fever. I also kept the fever for part of Friday, so I stayed home again. There was no costuming. There was no moving. There was only the couch, my pillow, my blanket, my cat, my many fluids, what food I could eat, and Netflix. Lots of Netflix. Saturday and Sunday were more of the same, sadly enough, though this time quite feverless which was a welcomed relief. Sunday night, I finally allowed myself just a little bit of work time on the costume as a way to relax. It felt so good to feel kind of human again.
Monday was a rough work day for me - all the way around. It felt like if it could go wrong, it did, and not just with work stuff. It just felt like it was a day of bombardment, and I was so tired by the end of it. But I started to perk up a bit more in the evening, and I allowed myself a bit more work time on the costume. Getting things put together on that vest just made me feel happy. I still didn't sleep well thanks to the cough I have, but such is the way of things.
This week will be a trial to get through, but I think it's possible to get through it. There's a lot to do - personally, work-wise, and vacation-prep-wise, but I'm moving along as best I can. There are some things that are just going to have to be written off, and that's okay. But my brain still has a hard time writing them off. It tends to think, "No, you can do this!" I think the best way to combat that is to make myself a list. Yay, lists!
The Jyn Erso "Good Enough" Versus "Ideal" Costume List
- Boots
- Good enough: as is
- Ideal: add boot covers and buckles, add weathering
- Pants
- Good enough: Kohl's slim-cut black pants, minor work required
- Need to replace one hook/eye
- Ideal: slim down thrift store pants, add pin tucks, twill tape, buckles, etc., and add weathering
- Belt
- Good enough: reuse Lara Croft belt
- Ideal: create an accurate Jyn belt, and add weathering
- Gun
- Good enough: empty holster
- Ideal: 3D print or foam replica, and add weathering
- Shirt
- Good enough: blue-gray 3/4 sleeve shirt from Kohl's
- Ideal: create accurate shirt from scratch, and add weathering
- Scarf
- Good enough: as is
- Ideal: add weathering
- Green jacket
- Good enough: as is (minus the Rogue One patch I sewed onto the sleeve for fun)
- Ideal: paint yellow stripes down the sides of the sleeves, and add weathering
- Brown vest
- Good enough: some work required
- Sew on remaining felt pieces (2) - Tuesday night
- Sew on storm flap to left side (1) - Tuesday night
- Sew on hook to right side (1) - Tuesday night
- Attach elastic waist - Tuesday or Wednesday night
- Sew/attach buckles to tubing (4) - buckles at top and bottom - Friday night
- Sew/attach tubing to both sides (2) - Friday night
- Ideal:
- Version 1: add weathering
- Version 2: make from scratch
- Necklace
- Good enough: as is
- Ideal: honestly, even though mine isn't accurate, I like mine
- Pocket tool
- Good enough: flashlight from Meijer
- Ideal: 2 cylinders needed
- Vest ID Badge
- Good enough: no badge
- Ideal: create badge from craft foam and attach to vest
Originally, Wednesday night was supposed to be my Mom's birthday celebration, but Mom and Dad are both down with the crud, as well. Mom suggested we all get together when we're well, and that makes sense to me. So now Wednesday might be packing night. On Thursday, NH and I are going to swing by my sister and brother-in-law's place and drop off my nephew's birthday present.
Somewhere in the middle of everything, I'll rest. I need that, too, because I'm still not great. This cough makes my chest wheeze like Vader's breathing apparatus.
And you know, of course our flight leaves on Sunday. I'm not cutting it close. Nah. It's all good. Well, at least it's all good enough.
Monday, March 27, 2017
If You Bleed on It, It Must Be Worth Working On
After this weekend, my fingertips hurt. The index finger of my left hand has a bandaid on it now (which makes typing uber-weird) that covers up a neat little chunk I took out of my finger with a straight pin. My middle finger on the left hand has a little red dot from where I poked myself with a needle. The thumb and index finger of my right hand have similar little red dots, and I also have a neat little "stitch ripped" line where I tried to rip the stitches from my own flesh (oops). The basement trash can is full of little blood-stained tissues. My work space kind of looks like Seymour Krelborn's work space at Mushnik's Flower Shop (you know, before he started feeding Audrey II people).
This blog entry is taking an interesting turn... Let's move on.
Since I started sewing, I've had a saying. I don't even know where the saying started in my project-line, but over the years, I keep it in the forefront of my mind every time I work on something: if you bleed on it, it must be worth working on. For me, this basically means that if you went through this much - this much pain and this much hurt - to get here and you're still going, then it must be worth fighting for. Very rarely does bleeding actually help a project. Usually you have a brief moment of panic and insert an outcry/curse (I learned how to curse when I learned how to sew - that's another blog entry for another time). Then you assess the wound, check for bleeding and then, finally, stop the bleeding before it gets on important things like fabric. (Unless, of course, you're working on a weathered Lara Croft costume. In that case, wipe that wound on whatever item is closest to you and call it "accurate".)
This weekend, I spent most of my time working on the Jyn Erso vest. This is the brown vest that I originally purchased off of eBay that I was planing on wearing "as is" and just saying "forget accuracy". This is the vest we'll be speaking off:
So Thursday night, I happened to be starting at the vest and I thought, "Wait. No. I can make this cooler. Way cooler." (This is how all good and bad ideas start, it seems, so it's difficult to differentiate between the two upfront.)
So I sat down with my stitch ripper, turned on my Rogue One soundtrack, and went to town ripping out those stitches. It didn't stop there. It got way uglier and more involved than a few ripped stitches.
Below is a rundown of how this vest saga has turned out so far:
Thursday
Saturday
Sunday
After all of that, we're looking at a project that currently looks like this:
Now I'm actually sitting in the basement trying to figure out what my "next steps" are. I received a PM from a poster on the RPF boards today in response to my inquiry about the pockets, and they were very kind to provide me with their pattern and instructions. However, I don't have those print-outs sitting in front of me right now, and my brain is really kind of tired. I'm not sure that's something I want to try and mess with this late at night. Really, I wanted to try to type all of this out so I had it out there - so I could see some of my own progress and just how far along this thing has come.
Yeah, I've bled on it. Yeah, I've taken some chunks out of my fingers, flung a few curses, and drank my weight in Diet Mt. Dew into the wee hours of the morning. But it's been worth it.
It'll all be worth it.
This blog entry is taking an interesting turn... Let's move on.
Since I started sewing, I've had a saying. I don't even know where the saying started in my project-line, but over the years, I keep it in the forefront of my mind every time I work on something: if you bleed on it, it must be worth working on. For me, this basically means that if you went through this much - this much pain and this much hurt - to get here and you're still going, then it must be worth fighting for. Very rarely does bleeding actually help a project. Usually you have a brief moment of panic and insert an outcry/curse (I learned how to curse when I learned how to sew - that's another blog entry for another time). Then you assess the wound, check for bleeding and then, finally, stop the bleeding before it gets on important things like fabric. (Unless, of course, you're working on a weathered Lara Croft costume. In that case, wipe that wound on whatever item is closest to you and call it "accurate".)
This weekend, I spent most of my time working on the Jyn Erso vest. This is the brown vest that I originally purchased off of eBay that I was planing on wearing "as is" and just saying "forget accuracy". This is the vest we'll be speaking off:
| 
|
So Thursday night, I happened to be starting at the vest and I thought, "Wait. No. I can make this cooler. Way cooler." (This is how all good and bad ideas start, it seems, so it's difficult to differentiate between the two upfront.)
So I sat down with my stitch ripper, turned on my Rogue One soundtrack, and went to town ripping out those stitches. It didn't stop there. It got way uglier and more involved than a few ripped stitches.
Below is a rundown of how this vest saga has turned out so far:
Thursday
- I ripped out stitches that held in a front zipper. I pulled the zipper and additional zipper panels off.
- I ripped the stitches out of the collar because I knew I'd eventually have to shorten in both height and length.
- I cut off a chunk of the vest in order to shorten it, with the intent of adding an elastic waistline later.
- Since the vest was a little snug, I went ahead and ripped out the side seam stitches with the intent of stitching those back up with a smaller seam allowance.
- Since I was already staring at the inside of the vest anyway, I decided it was a little too "puffy" for Jyn. I snipped holes into the interfacing that held the fluff batting, and I pulled out about half of it in each and every section of the vest. I hand-stitched these holes back up because it made them lay a little flatter and neater.
Vest guts in the basement - Then, since everything was already torn apart and it made it easier for me to do any sort of decorative stitching, I decided to go ahead and start making the decorative lines that are on the front of Jyn's vest.
- I went to bed quite happy with where this was all going.
- We ended with something like this at midnight:
- Trip to JoAnn's to pick up some fabric for pockets, details, additional stuff, lining, etc.
- I added the decorative stitching to the other side of the vest.
- I shortened the collar in all ways it needed to be shortened and stitched it down.
Saturday
- Trip to JoAnn's (again) to pick up coordinating thread that I forgot to pick up on Friday. Also picked up some stiff felt pieces to use as "webbing" because I can't find any dark brown webbing. And this is "good enough".
- Decided the back of the vest would look "super awesome" if I actually quilted it like Jyn's in the movie. So I ripped more stitches, pulled out more stuffing, did some research on tie quilting, and then measured and marked and quilted. By hand. Ouch.
Learning new things - like floss tied quilting - Then, because the torture wasn't quite exquisite enough, I decided that I could totally change the lining of the jacket from tan to the screen-accurate red. So I got down on the floor, put a piece of tissue paper over my vest, drew out a rough pattern with seam allowances, and then cut out my two side lining pieces.
- I hand-stitched one of the side lining pieces, and I pinned the other one in place.
- I cut up some of the stiff felt to use as the two webbing pieces on the vest front and tested placement.
- I decided to hand-stitch the yellow stitch lines that go from the shoulder to the waist band of the vest. I completed one of four which allowed me to place the faux-webbing.
- I stitched down the faux-webbing.
Sunday
- Turned on my sewing machine to realize I'd blown the light bulb. Cue the third trip to JoAnn's in just as many days. Light bulb found. Got caught in store by thunderstorm. Looked around. Remembered I needed elastic. So remembered to get that.
- Decided I could do a back lining piece, too (I'm so glad I'm making this "easy" on myself). Did the same pattern mock-up with the tissue paper, cut my fabric piece, pinned it in.
- I finished hand-stitching in all three lining pieces while watching movies with the Nerd Husband.
- I finished hand-stitching in the last three yellow stitch lines from shoulder to waist band.
- To cut down on the bulk of the garment (because it was currently outer layer, batting, interfacing, original lining, red lining), I decided to cut out as many portions of the original tan lining as I could get to. Some areas were hard to reach and other areas were kept to help stabilize the whole thing.
- I tried to play with a pocket pattern and drafted out two patterns that didn't work out for me. I'm trying to figure out how to add the gusset and make it look decent. It was late when I started, though, so I gave up and went to bed.
After all of that, we're looking at a project that currently looks like this:
|  |
Monday, March 20, 2017
A Mixture of Things and Stuff
Just a little lunchtime update - because I need to share the awesome.
The baby shower (which was the second column on my massive to do list that I've been keeping for weeks now) was yesterday, and it went off without a hitch! It was so awesome to have everyone come together for the planning, set-up, and clean-up of the whole event. Our whole bunch worked together so well, and it made things so super easy. I think everyone had a great time.
So now, that column on the to do list will get hidden, and we focus on only two columns - "Personal" and "Celebration" (as in Star Wars Celebration). It's so satisfying to see the time dwindling down toward vacation, and yet I'm also slightly panicky on occasion. However - just like the baby shower - I think this will all come together and be a pretty awesome event.
Costume-wise, I didn't do anything over the weekend because I was working on baby shower planning and whatnot. But I did have some fun little costuming things that popped up last week at various times. I did do some work Thursday and Friday nights, so we can talk a little bit about that, at least.
Thursday night I decided to take some time to work on yet another Asajj Ventress make-up test. This one went really well, and I'm thrilled with the new make-up style that I'm testing out. I managed to find some great matte eyeshadows for shading and defining, too. I'll have to write-up a more detailed post on this later when I have time, but I think it'll work out really well.
Friday was St. Patrick's Day, so I wanted to follow tradition and wear some green but with a nerdy twist. I pulled out my Her Universe Death Star Plans dress (because it has green in it), my almost-complete Jyn jacket, a Rogue One patch that I quickly stitched onto the jacket sleeve, and some shamrock socks. I put it all together for a pretty nifty outfit, if I do say so myself. Not one person noticed. I so felt like a Rebel spy. It was awesome. Also, a little part of me was sad that no one noticed, but the other part of me felt cool for being such an expert undercover operative. So points for me on the Imaginary Scoreboard of Life.
I also finished up the Kyber Crystal necklace on Friday night by adding the findings onto the leather cord and adding a dab of glue to keep it all secure. I'm kind of proud of this little project for a few reasons. First of all, it allowed me to use some items I already had sitting around the house (leather cording, wire, jewelry findings and jump rings). The only things I purchased for this particular part of the costume was some E6000 glue (which I have never used before in my life and really need more practice with) and a little quartz crystal from a fun little local shop called Accent on Nature. Secondly, I got to visit this awesome little store I otherwise might not have run into, and I actually ended up spending way more time looking around than I intended. I found the employee working that evening was so engaging and willing to help out. He wanted to see the image from the movie, and then he walked around to help me find ways to replicate the project. It was extremely helpful for a person like me who has little to no experience in jewelry-making. They also had shop kitties that roamed around and helped you out with your shopping experience. It was pretty excellent.
Friday was also a test of some fabric paint for the Jyn jacket. I tried a mixture of yellow acrylic and white Tulip "puffy paint" again to get that screen printed puff quality, but I'm either not mixing it at the correct ratio or the puffy paint properties just get lost when you mix in the acrylic. I can't really mix too much more white in, though, because then my yellow starts to turn to a pastel, and Jyn is not an Easter egg. I've been playing with mixing up some colors along with the yellow acrylic I have, too - just to see if another shade needs to be used. But I can't find anything I like. The black made it green. The tan did almost the same thing as the white and turned it pastel yellow again. And honestly, I kind of like how the yellow looks on its own. So I might just go with that. We'll see.
Finally - today - I decided to throw a bit more costume stuff together. I grabbed the Kyber crystal necklace and the almost-complete Jyn jacket on my way out the door for work. The Kyber crystal held up fantastically. No issues. However, the second run of the Jyn jacket actually caused some popped stitches in the back area. I had created a little shoulder vent by using a blind hem stitch because I thought it looked better than an actual seam would down the back shoulders of the jacket. However, two of the stitches popped when I tried to throw it over my shoulder this morning and pull it into place. It tugged at the fibers of the fabric weave, too, and it kind of messed them up. Not a big deal, really, but definitely one I'm going to have to revisit (do I care to add a seam or simply leave "as is").
Despite all of this, I think my next stop on this little project is working on the gloves. I need to shorten those, add the wrist strap, and then those should be done and ready to go. Once those are done, I'll figure out the next step and then the next, until - finally - we'll have something that's "close enough" and hopefully still looks pretty darned fun.
The baby shower (which was the second column on my massive to do list that I've been keeping for weeks now) was yesterday, and it went off without a hitch! It was so awesome to have everyone come together for the planning, set-up, and clean-up of the whole event. Our whole bunch worked together so well, and it made things so super easy. I think everyone had a great time.
So now, that column on the to do list will get hidden, and we focus on only two columns - "Personal" and "Celebration" (as in Star Wars Celebration). It's so satisfying to see the time dwindling down toward vacation, and yet I'm also slightly panicky on occasion. However - just like the baby shower - I think this will all come together and be a pretty awesome event.
Costume-wise, I didn't do anything over the weekend because I was working on baby shower planning and whatnot. But I did have some fun little costuming things that popped up last week at various times. I did do some work Thursday and Friday nights, so we can talk a little bit about that, at least.
Thursday night I decided to take some time to work on yet another Asajj Ventress make-up test. This one went really well, and I'm thrilled with the new make-up style that I'm testing out. I managed to find some great matte eyeshadows for shading and defining, too. I'll have to write-up a more detailed post on this later when I have time, but I think it'll work out really well.
Friday was St. Patrick's Day, so I wanted to follow tradition and wear some green but with a nerdy twist. I pulled out my Her Universe Death Star Plans dress (because it has green in it), my almost-complete Jyn jacket, a Rogue One patch that I quickly stitched onto the jacket sleeve, and some shamrock socks. I put it all together for a pretty nifty outfit, if I do say so myself. Not one person noticed. I so felt like a Rebel spy. It was awesome. Also, a little part of me was sad that no one noticed, but the other part of me felt cool for being such an expert undercover operative. So points for me on the Imaginary Scoreboard of Life.
I also finished up the Kyber Crystal necklace on Friday night by adding the findings onto the leather cord and adding a dab of glue to keep it all secure. I'm kind of proud of this little project for a few reasons. First of all, it allowed me to use some items I already had sitting around the house (leather cording, wire, jewelry findings and jump rings). The only things I purchased for this particular part of the costume was some E6000 glue (which I have never used before in my life and really need more practice with) and a little quartz crystal from a fun little local shop called Accent on Nature. Secondly, I got to visit this awesome little store I otherwise might not have run into, and I actually ended up spending way more time looking around than I intended. I found the employee working that evening was so engaging and willing to help out. He wanted to see the image from the movie, and then he walked around to help me find ways to replicate the project. It was extremely helpful for a person like me who has little to no experience in jewelry-making. They also had shop kitties that roamed around and helped you out with your shopping experience. It was pretty excellent.
Friday was also a test of some fabric paint for the Jyn jacket. I tried a mixture of yellow acrylic and white Tulip "puffy paint" again to get that screen printed puff quality, but I'm either not mixing it at the correct ratio or the puffy paint properties just get lost when you mix in the acrylic. I can't really mix too much more white in, though, because then my yellow starts to turn to a pastel, and Jyn is not an Easter egg. I've been playing with mixing up some colors along with the yellow acrylic I have, too - just to see if another shade needs to be used. But I can't find anything I like. The black made it green. The tan did almost the same thing as the white and turned it pastel yellow again. And honestly, I kind of like how the yellow looks on its own. So I might just go with that. We'll see.
Finally - today - I decided to throw a bit more costume stuff together. I grabbed the Kyber crystal necklace and the almost-complete Jyn jacket on my way out the door for work. The Kyber crystal held up fantastically. No issues. However, the second run of the Jyn jacket actually caused some popped stitches in the back area. I had created a little shoulder vent by using a blind hem stitch because I thought it looked better than an actual seam would down the back shoulders of the jacket. However, two of the stitches popped when I tried to throw it over my shoulder this morning and pull it into place. It tugged at the fibers of the fabric weave, too, and it kind of messed them up. Not a big deal, really, but definitely one I'm going to have to revisit (do I care to add a seam or simply leave "as is").
Despite all of this, I think my next stop on this little project is working on the gloves. I need to shorten those, add the wrist strap, and then those should be done and ready to go. Once those are done, I'll figure out the next step and then the next, until - finally - we'll have something that's "close enough" and hopefully still looks pretty darned fun.
Friday, March 10, 2017
An Update on Why There's No Update
I've been wanting to write out a post just so I can try to keep up with things a bit more regularly, but I find that every time I put some words on the screen, I just end up deleting them. I think it's because it's mostly just my daily ramblings about costume projects. Issues I'm having with sewing or creating things. Or just posts that say, "omg I completed 2 things and have 50 more left to go!" So I delete those types of posts, and this blog just sits silently.
Well, no more, my friends! Today you will get an update on why there hasn't been an update. Actually, I already updated you on that (see opening paragraph). So now...on to an update of rambling and half-finished proportions!
My life has been reduced down into four columns on a spreadsheet, and that spreadsheet is my current tie to sanity. I have a white column with the date, a purple column for personal things, a pink column for baby shower planning, and a blue column for Star Wars Celebration preparation. I update my list every day, multiple times a day. I italicize any items to make them as "done". A row gets hidden when the day is over. Leftover tasks that don't get italicized get moved to another day. It's simplistic but oh-so-effective for me in this hectic time.
I wanted to give a run-down of the Celebration preparation activities that have actually happened. I think if I see them listed out, it'll make me feel better. (And we don't have to talk about the things that are left to do because that will not make me feel better...)
What Has Happened (Since Monday, February 13th)
Now I have to stop. Because writing a blog post was not on my To Do list.
But it is now.
Because marking "done" things in italicized font is my life.
Well, no more, my friends! Today you will get an update on why there hasn't been an update. Actually, I already updated you on that (see opening paragraph). So now...on to an update of rambling and half-finished proportions!
My life has been reduced down into four columns on a spreadsheet, and that spreadsheet is my current tie to sanity. I have a white column with the date, a purple column for personal things, a pink column for baby shower planning, and a blue column for Star Wars Celebration preparation. I update my list every day, multiple times a day. I italicize any items to make them as "done". A row gets hidden when the day is over. Leftover tasks that don't get italicized get moved to another day. It's simplistic but oh-so-effective for me in this hectic time.
I wanted to give a run-down of the Celebration preparation activities that have actually happened. I think if I see them listed out, it'll make me feel better. (And we don't have to talk about the things that are left to do because that will not make me feel better...)
What Has Happened (Since Monday, February 13th)
- Finished last hand-stitched hem on finger of Jyn gloves
- Kohl's shopping for blue-gray shirt and pants for Jyn
- Failure on first trip
- Success on the second trip!
- Got Asajj Ventress make-up in mail; did 2nd make-up test
- 1st make-up test was done with old paint that was already on-hand and was completed prior to 2/13
- Painted test stripes with puff paint and puff paint/acrylic mix for Jyn jacket
- Heated up iron and tested puff paint
- Puff paint really puffs; puff paint/acrylic mix did nothing
- New Jyn vest arrived from eBay; too small but will work
- Old Jyn vest was blogged about previously; a tan piece of blah that will probably sit this one out
- Trip to thrift store for Jyn items - no luck
- Trip to JoAnn's to buy fabric for Jyn scarf - no luck
- Trip to WalMart to buy fabric for Jyn scarf - success
- New Asajj make-up arrived
- Asajj princess dress and raven finger puppet arrives (this silly idea deserve it's own post, really; maybe someday)
- Try on princess dress
- Stare at awkwardly fitting dress in the mirror
- Prep dress for return
- Give dress to Nerd Husband to drop off to UPS for return
- Keep raven finger puppet because he's amazingly awesome
- Buy more thread from JoAnn's
- Check out thrift store for friend's planned Cassian costume and send pics to friend
- Check out thrift store for dark brown webbing or belts - no luck
- Find Asajj skirt in dirty clothes and wash skirt
- Restitch shoulder seam on Jyn jacket
- Repin and finish blind stitch on Jyn jacket back
- Finish sleeve detail on Jyn jacket
- Work on Jyn necklace
Now I have to stop. Because writing a blog post was not on my To Do list.
But it is now.
Because marking "done" things in italicized font is my life.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Jyn Costume Update - Shirt & Pants
I take back all of the mean, nasty things I uttered about Kohl's when I left there on Monday night. On Tuesday, they were redeemed. I ended up finding the "good enough" Jyn shirt online with free shipping to store. Plus, they were having a two day sale, which knocked it down about half-price. I ordered it and went to pick it up Tuesday night before I got home.
The moment I walked into Kohl's, it started pouring down rain, so I figured I might as well waste some time and let it die down. I started looking through clearance racks for the fun of it, and I ran across a pair of black pants which would be excellent for Jyn. They aren't perfect by any means, but they had the right shape. I could use them as a template (if I have time), or I can use them as a costume piece. I went to try them on, and I loved them. One of the little hook/eyes was broken, though, but I held onto them anyway.
I went to pick up my shirt, double-checked the size and color, and then went up to the front of the store to check out with my new-found pants. I was mulling the situation over about the broken hook/eye. Technically, the item is damaged, so I kind of thought I had a good chance on asking for an additional discount. After all, it worked at JoAnn Fabrics with the vest fabric I bought. But they were also on super-clearance, so I really wasn't sure.
I got up to the counter, showed the cashier the issue, and asked, "This might be a dumb question, but could you give me a little extra discount on these?"
She responded with, "Not a dumb question at all. I can do 15%."
Sold. And more proof that it never hurts to ask politely.
So I walked out the door with a Jyn shirt and Jyn pants. My Jyn might be looking a little pristine with all of this new clothing - lol. Not exactly what I was aiming for, but it'll work in a pinch. And we are definitely in a pinch. I'm keeping track of my To Do list in a spreadsheet, day-by-day, trying to make all of this work. It's satisfying to see the things get crossed off, so I've gotta stick with that mentality. If things get bumped to different days, I can't let that deter me. I'll get there as best I can.
The moment I walked into Kohl's, it started pouring down rain, so I figured I might as well waste some time and let it die down. I started looking through clearance racks for the fun of it, and I ran across a pair of black pants which would be excellent for Jyn. They aren't perfect by any means, but they had the right shape. I could use them as a template (if I have time), or I can use them as a costume piece. I went to try them on, and I loved them. One of the little hook/eyes was broken, though, but I held onto them anyway.
I went to pick up my shirt, double-checked the size and color, and then went up to the front of the store to check out with my new-found pants. I was mulling the situation over about the broken hook/eye. Technically, the item is damaged, so I kind of thought I had a good chance on asking for an additional discount. After all, it worked at JoAnn Fabrics with the vest fabric I bought. But they were also on super-clearance, so I really wasn't sure.
I got up to the counter, showed the cashier the issue, and asked, "This might be a dumb question, but could you give me a little extra discount on these?"
She responded with, "Not a dumb question at all. I can do 15%."
Sold. And more proof that it never hurts to ask politely.
So I walked out the door with a Jyn shirt and Jyn pants. My Jyn might be looking a little pristine with all of this new clothing - lol. Not exactly what I was aiming for, but it'll work in a pinch. And we are definitely in a pinch. I'm keeping track of my To Do list in a spreadsheet, day-by-day, trying to make all of this work. It's satisfying to see the things get crossed off, so I've gotta stick with that mentality. If things get bumped to different days, I can't let that deter me. I'll get there as best I can.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I'm a Big Ol' Mope.
Mope. That was the word of the day yesterday. Mope mope mope. Which is kind of a funny word when you think of it.
Last night was another discouraging night in the land of costumes. It was a bad brain day, and those days tend to be plaguing me more often than not lately. I let my pessimistic person out to play a bit, and a few people got the brunt of it at work. I'm thankful for their patience, but it can't be easy when someone responds to your "things will get better" with "no, they won't - they never do." Yep. Cringe-worthy pessimistic response of despair right there. Really, I should have just said "thank you" and taken their words to be encouraging. Instead, I sank further into my personal mope until the mopery clouded every other single thing I did that night.
I went shopping for some supplies for a baby shower that we're throwing for a friend, and I then questioned everything I purchased when I got home. I also went shopping for a couple of costume items - a "good enough" shirt and pants for Jyn Erso and a necklace for a Once Upon a Time Disney Bounding project that another friend of mine and I are working on for April (that's another post). I found a necklace, but it wasn't what I had originally intended to purchase; it just looked cool. I didn't find pants. I found a shirt that was perfect - but it wasn't in my size and it wasn't on sale. I did manage to find a couple of cool t-shirts for my Nerd Husband and my bro-in-law, but I still kind of left feeling let down. I then hit a thrift store nearby (which I shouldn't have; I never have luck at this particular one), and then decided - since I'm out - I might as well try Marshall's because they're right across the street.
Nothing. Nothing nothing nothing. Grr.
I got home and saw that all of my fun eBay purchases had arrived today (3 of them) - a baby shower item, a Jyn vest, and the Disney Bound shirt. The baby shower item was a vintage book in great condition. Check. The Jyn vest was...awful. The wrong color (tan - my fault, should have read better - but the pictures made it look less tan that it is which is...pretty darned tan). It fit funky. It was just ugh. Which - unfortunately - that disappointment carried over into the Disney Bound shirt (which I really think will be pretty cool despite it not being 100% my style).
So I sat on the couch, clicked through eBay, and moped. I texted a friend with a mope that consisted of something along the lines of "I give up - meh". I moped on Facebook about the Kohl's shirt. I even flat-out admitted to the Nerd Husband I was moping.
NH: Are you tired?
Me: No. But if you're tired, you should go lie down.
NH: I don't want to leave you down here by yourself.
Me: I'm okay.
NH: What are you going to do?
Me: Mope.
Yep. It kind of went like that.
In the middle of all of my moping, I had some people who reached out. I kind of shut out the light they were shedding on the situation last night, but this morning I want to thank them. All of them. My sister-in-law for offering to look for the shirt at another Kohl's. My friend on Facebook who gave me the info about getting free shipping if you order a different size of the same item from a Kohl's kiosk. My friend who listened and responded to my moping texts with encouragement. My NH for putting up with my sorry butt.
You all must have done your job well, because - in the middle of my moping - I made a snap-decision to purchase a new brown vest on eBay. It's on it's way. I figure if it doesn't work, then at least it's in nice enough condition that I can wear it in "real" life. I went to bed and laid there for what felt like forever, trying to sleep, until finally I drifted off into weird dreams.
This morning, I woke up with a renewed s sense of Lara Croft-ness - that is to say, "Eff you, world. I got this. You tell me I can't do something? Watch me." So today was spent with me trying to sort through some crafting items this morning, organize in my brain what I'd like to try to work on, and figure out where I can get some pieces to make this new brown vest look at least a little like Jyn. I reached out to another friend of mine who I knew recently put in a drip-line irrigation system for his outdoor garden. He has spare black tubing, and I asked if I could steal a length of it. Done - and free for me (thank you, friend!). I've got plans to go through my "bits and bobbles" box and see what I can pull out to make some greeblies. And a new text from the friend I moped to last night gave me encouragement to make sure this project doesn't feel like "work" to me - let it be my thing that isn't work in the midst of all of this other crap. Enjoy it. (Thank you, friend - I'm going to try.)
So to all of you - my Obi-Wan Kenobis in my time of need - I sincerely thank you for the hope you gave to this mope. May the Force be with you always, my friends.
P.S. - And I ordered the shirt from Kohl's today. In my size. And it was on sale with free shipping to the store. Boom, baby. I win this round.
Last night was another discouraging night in the land of costumes. It was a bad brain day, and those days tend to be plaguing me more often than not lately. I let my pessimistic person out to play a bit, and a few people got the brunt of it at work. I'm thankful for their patience, but it can't be easy when someone responds to your "things will get better" with "no, they won't - they never do." Yep. Cringe-worthy pessimistic response of despair right there. Really, I should have just said "thank you" and taken their words to be encouraging. Instead, I sank further into my personal mope until the mopery clouded every other single thing I did that night.
I went shopping for some supplies for a baby shower that we're throwing for a friend, and I then questioned everything I purchased when I got home. I also went shopping for a couple of costume items - a "good enough" shirt and pants for Jyn Erso and a necklace for a Once Upon a Time Disney Bounding project that another friend of mine and I are working on for April (that's another post). I found a necklace, but it wasn't what I had originally intended to purchase; it just looked cool. I didn't find pants. I found a shirt that was perfect - but it wasn't in my size and it wasn't on sale. I did manage to find a couple of cool t-shirts for my Nerd Husband and my bro-in-law, but I still kind of left feeling let down. I then hit a thrift store nearby (which I shouldn't have; I never have luck at this particular one), and then decided - since I'm out - I might as well try Marshall's because they're right across the street.
Nothing. Nothing nothing nothing. Grr.
I got home and saw that all of my fun eBay purchases had arrived today (3 of them) - a baby shower item, a Jyn vest, and the Disney Bound shirt. The baby shower item was a vintage book in great condition. Check. The Jyn vest was...awful. The wrong color (tan - my fault, should have read better - but the pictures made it look less tan that it is which is...pretty darned tan). It fit funky. It was just ugh. Which - unfortunately - that disappointment carried over into the Disney Bound shirt (which I really think will be pretty cool despite it not being 100% my style).
So I sat on the couch, clicked through eBay, and moped. I texted a friend with a mope that consisted of something along the lines of "I give up - meh". I moped on Facebook about the Kohl's shirt. I even flat-out admitted to the Nerd Husband I was moping.
NH: Are you tired?
Me: No. But if you're tired, you should go lie down.
NH: I don't want to leave you down here by yourself.
Me: I'm okay.
NH: What are you going to do?
Me: Mope.
Yep. It kind of went like that.
In the middle of all of my moping, I had some people who reached out. I kind of shut out the light they were shedding on the situation last night, but this morning I want to thank them. All of them. My sister-in-law for offering to look for the shirt at another Kohl's. My friend on Facebook who gave me the info about getting free shipping if you order a different size of the same item from a Kohl's kiosk. My friend who listened and responded to my moping texts with encouragement. My NH for putting up with my sorry butt.
You all must have done your job well, because - in the middle of my moping - I made a snap-decision to purchase a new brown vest on eBay. It's on it's way. I figure if it doesn't work, then at least it's in nice enough condition that I can wear it in "real" life. I went to bed and laid there for what felt like forever, trying to sleep, until finally I drifted off into weird dreams.
This morning, I woke up with a renewed s sense of Lara Croft-ness - that is to say, "Eff you, world. I got this. You tell me I can't do something? Watch me." So today was spent with me trying to sort through some crafting items this morning, organize in my brain what I'd like to try to work on, and figure out where I can get some pieces to make this new brown vest look at least a little like Jyn. I reached out to another friend of mine who I knew recently put in a drip-line irrigation system for his outdoor garden. He has spare black tubing, and I asked if I could steal a length of it. Done - and free for me (thank you, friend!). I've got plans to go through my "bits and bobbles" box and see what I can pull out to make some greeblies. And a new text from the friend I moped to last night gave me encouragement to make sure this project doesn't feel like "work" to me - let it be my thing that isn't work in the midst of all of this other crap. Enjoy it. (Thank you, friend - I'm going to try.)
So to all of you - my Obi-Wan Kenobis in my time of need - I sincerely thank you for the hope you gave to this mope. May the Force be with you always, my friends.
P.S. - And I ordered the shirt from Kohl's today. In my size. And it was on sale with free shipping to the store. Boom, baby. I win this round.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)