Burlesque and hair cuts!

First things first! More photographs from derby last week:

 

Spot me line up NSOing with Dionne, complete with clipboard. So legit.

 
On sunday I had the fun experience of attending the Gilded Merkin Burlesque revue and cabaret.

I saw the show with my friends Charlotte, Beth and Lydia, who kindly drove us there as it was about an hour away. After some slight timekeeping issues (okay, pretty close calls!) and having to trek across the city to the venue in the rain, we finally made it to our awesome balcony seats. The show itself was great, funny and incredibly varied, featuring comedy performances, cabaret dance and even an aerial acrobat. Sadly you're not able to take photographs during the show, but it was a good time.

 

 

L-R: Lydia, Beth, Charlotte, me.

 

As you may notice from the photograph, I have had my hair cut! It's the shortest I've ever had it. I'm liking it so far.

Fresh Meat, writing and comic books.

It's been a pretty good couple of weeks. Above (and below!) are photographs of the recent LBRG recruitment day last weekend that I helped out at. My friend Megan was there to try things out and really enjoyed herself - it's awesome to pass on something so fun to another person. There were a lot of new people and they seemed to have really enjoyed it. 

Not a lot happening apart from that lately, but things have still been pretty good. 
I'm looking forward to hopefully having another meet up with my lolita friends before going all the way to London with them in just over a months time - and thus I need to get saving up!

This seems to be an accurate representation of my sleep schedule recently, minus the artistic skill. 

 I have been informed that the latest issue of the steampunk magazine I write for will be finally released soon as there were some complications with the printers. It's rewarding to be part of a project like this. 
I have also recently applied for college this coming September and I'm waiting to hear back (fingers crossed!)
I think that's all the disjointed news I have for now!
 
Oh, wait!
I was recently introduced to two awesome comic book series by my comics-mad friend Ari: Rat Queens and Sex Criminals. Totally unique concepts for someone like me who tends to usually stick to weirder graphic novel - empowering female characters! Weird themes! Explicit artwork that you might not want to read on the bus! (You're welcome)

New year, new stuff, lots of links!

The new year is here, and I'm finally ready to make my first post.

The second in Ari's series of artworks entitled 'Gina is unimpressed by dumb glasses'. The book shop bag in my hand seems to be quickly evolving into a permanent fixture.

So far it's been quite a busy year in terms of events and seeing friends. I've been to the vintage fair in Sheffield with Ari, and last week we finally held our first lolita meet up of 2014.

Maturity lapse.

I've been looking into volunteering opportunities (sadly it seems there aren't any!), and I recently wrote the first article on our joint blog in a while. It seems we took an unexpected hiatus, but we're busy working away on new features for the coming year and will hopefully become more productive in the next few months. 

Recently I have been reading a lot, trying to write more of the multiple Secret Book Projects That Will Never Be Finished, having fun times with friends, playing games, and thinking about the answers to the Big Scary Questions About The Future that need sorting. I've also been trying to keep up to date with my Goodreads account as one of my new year's goals was to try and read even more than usual!

I have a few plans in the upcoming months, and one of the most exciting is that I will be attending the annual Tea Party Club event in London in April, Enchanted!

I'm pretty damn excited for this event! I was meant to go to Frock On! which was their event last year but sadly in the end I couldn't make it. This year however I am definitely going to be there, and outfit planning is in the making, but I am also indecisive and this hinders the progress a little tiny bit lot. I am bouncing between styles - classic, gothic, or sweet. Polar opposites, I know...

A shot from the meet up last weekend, with newcomer Beth (second-to-the-right) who was lovely!

Also in the next month or so I will be purchasing my tickets for The Asylum weekend! It is totally unbelievable and mind-boggling to think that the recent event happened 5 months ago, and as usual I am proactive and planning my attire for the next one, where I will be accompanied by some of my closest friends!

At the beginning of the year I started making these cute jars for friends and family. I paint them and add glitter and ribbons, and sometimes add pieces of paper with funny memories that I've shared with that person. Everyone seemed to like them! One of my goals this year is to travel more and visit new places with Ari, and so I made myself a crazy rainbow jar in which to save my travel-funding monies!

In the next few weeks I plan to write another article for our joint blog, and keep up with my reading goals, not to mention updating this blog more and more frequently when I have news to share/things to ramble about/junk.  
 

Currently reading: This Star Won't Go out by Esther Earl.

Currently drinking: Copious amounts of chocolate milk.

Awesome internet person who makes me happy: Peachie!

What helped get me through this month: Her awesome musical talent

2013 Year end, and defeating procrastination!

Long time no write!

It has been a busy few months and the holiday season has just ended, and I am attempting to use this time to relax, ward off the inevitable stress headaches of the season and catch up with things I've been procrastinating with! It has been a pretty successful day, and I have managed to clean out my second bedroom, and find homes for some lovely new things I received as gifts.

I did have a nice time this christmas. For me it's a secular holiday to celebrate the year gone by and the new one ahead. I got some wonderful gifts, including copious amounts of books... and a Kindle, for more books!

And no, I have not amassed any number of vampire novels on the Kindle. Of course not.

I'm very lucky to have received such thoughtful gifts!

In other news, the month ahead is looking very busy, but hopefully I will find time to post again in a timely fashion.

My friends often joke about my fondness for stripes. I didn't realise how right they were until the other day.

I've done some fun things this year, and managed to attend some really fun events with friends. 

 

Tea parties & preparations

It has been a fun couple of weeks. In the absense of a local lolita meet, Ari came over the other day and we had a super fun day gaming (and realising we were having incredibly nerdy game-related conversation for much of the time) and bowling, both virtually and in the tangible sense. 

Our tea party was delightful

 

Asylum 2013 is fast approaching and I've been planning for a week or so now. I have most of my outfits sorted out (all 4!) but they do need some minor tweaking. I need to figure out my hair and make-up plans and make a few adjustments but I'm on schedule. I didn't realise how organized I am about these things until a friend told me they weren't planning their outfits until a few days before - the thought is enough to give me a heart attack.


I'm also taking the next week to break in my new corset which is not a very fun endeavour as soon as I want to sit down in a relaxed position. Since the initial limit for breaking in a corset is no more than a 2 inch reduction, the modesty pannel just fits. It is however very pretty and good quality, and I got it for a steal so it's all good. 

I think that's it for now!

Whimsical picnics and magical shoes!

Ahh I'm very aware of how badly I've neglected this journal lately! I shall make no excuses because true or not they're never very helpful and talk about stuff that has happened of late! As well as having a birthday (I'm getting old. My bus pass will surely be on it's way in the mail any day now...) and starting roller derby and going on vacation, I have been up to a few interesting things...

This past weekend I went to a picnic meet up in Sheffield. It was a super fun time and the weather stayed mostly fine for us. A number of photographs were taken and I haven't seen them all yet but here are a few humourous shots post-picnic.

Curse the sky!

I also had a lovely day with my mother yesterday. I bought a book that has been in my que forever and she surprised me by buying me the most amazing shoes. Ever! When I saw these shoes I was instantly enamoured with them. I have dubbed them my magician shoes because to me they look pretty and spooky and enchanted. My mum spoils me...

I have also been busy with other bits and pieces. As well as crafting I finally got around to cleaning and slightly rearranging my projects/placetohordefabric/dressing room! It is now dust free! I am preparing to deck the room out with more wonderful spookiness for Halloween too - my black tinsel is never far away.

I believe that's about all for now. I must return to making copious amounts of coffee and umming and ahhing over possible future hair colours...

My kitty Mittens.

I am SO happy to have my kitty back - this photo is what my morning consisted of.

Basically a few days ago, I came downstairs and forgot to move the flower bouquet on to a high shelf. Half an hour later my cat comes in with lilly pollen all over her face and head. Lilly's are toxic to cats- I was actually freaking out and had no idea what to do. After wiping off as much as I could, my mum called the vets and we were told to get her there as soon as possible. When we got there the vet explained that if ingested, lily pollen can cause kidney failure in cats. She said Mittens would have to stay overnight as they treated her but that it was a good sign that we got her there so quickly. I was absolutely devastated - if something happened to Mittens it would have torn me apart. The vet contacted us to say she was peeing okay and that her first blood test was clear which was good news, but we really didn't know what would happen for another day. It was probably one of the most horrible and unsettling experiences of my life- the waiting was awful. The vet took her last blood samples this morning and said everything was fine and that we could pick up the little cutie. I AM SO PLEASED TO HAVE HER HOME. <3 The fact that she didn't ingest the pollen is the biggest blessing of pure luck I've ever experienced in my life. Even though it was an accident and anyone could have done it, this was a huge wake up call for me to be especially attentive to my kitty and take the best care of her I can. I'll never take Mitts for granted, no matter if she comes downstairs with my antique ostrich feather between her teeth again, she's so important to me and is a part of the family.

In less serious news, I am thinking of growing out my fringe. Now I have said this many times before and it hasn't happened; I've caved in at the last minute and cut it! So we shall see how this goes. I've been wearing my fringe in a twisted quiff-type-thing for a few days and it's super easy to do and looks kinda cute! So we shall see.

Weather here has pretty much reverted back to cold, rainy, cloudy and drab. I am so pissed about it. We've had such a rough and long winter, and now I just wanna get out the summer dresses and shelve the winter clothes. Sigh. It better warm up soon...

 And to finish this post, some food for thought...

Love you, little Mittens.