Pennsic Planning: Pink and Pretty

     So, I'm an SCA brat. Have been since I was three and my mother brought me to Pennsic. I don't get to make it to very many events any more (LARPing consumes my weekends). But, I had better be deathly ill before I miss a Pennsic. Yes, it's miserable, wet, hot, dirty, stinky, and expensive, but I really honestly can't imagine what to do with those 2 weeks that doesn't involve late night walks by torchlight, falling asleep to the sounds of parties, and really damn good chocolate milk.

     However, I'm also a grown-ass woman, so I have to do things like pack and pay my own way now. I can get into all the cool parties, but I hate crowds, can't be on my feet much, and don't drink much. Most of my socializing is purely during daylight hours or in visits to merchant friends. So, now, I have some sewing to do.

     Most of my garb these days is borrowed, so I'd like a few things that are actually mine. About a year ago, a fellow in the local group was getting rid of some fabric to make space in his attic. I managed to get my hands on a humungous bolt of pink linen. Originally, I planned to make a Civil War ball gown, but that fell through. Now, with four months to Pennsic and a need for handwork to keep me occupied (I can sew while I wait for things), I think perhaps I need new garb.

Pros:
--Lots of fabric to make lots of clothing
--Linen breathes
--Linen lasts
--I don't have to return it to anyone

Cons:
--It's a very pale shade, might look bad on my skin tone (can be over dyed to a darker shade of pink, rose or fuchsia might be more becoming)
--Not sure if it's actual linen, or blended with other material (simple burn test)
--It's a pretty tight weave, might not breathe as well as other linen (might loosen up in pre-wash)
--Not actually certain how much is on the bolt.

     This is also partly an offering. My sister-in-spirit, Coyote, is undergoing treatment for cancer. As of this posting, she's in the latter half of active treatment. The cancer has been trying to kick her ass, and failing. Before the diagnosis, she had converted to Catholicism. It seemed an odd choice, but so far, her faith has helped her. I can't pretend to always understand Catholic spirituality, but, I can make an offering to God in my own way. I'm not a priest, nor am I rich, so saying or paying for masses to be said is out (do they still do that? I don't know). I can offer up the sweat of my brow and use the symbolism to make these outfits a prayer. I want to see her healthy again and able to come with me to Pennsic. She wouldn't wear pink, she wants nun's garb, but the symbolism of pink can be turned to her advantage. I wear the outfit, charge it with my health and my strength and love, and then, when I go to make her garb, I take some threads from the seams of the dress and place them in the hems of her garb. Thus, maybe I will pass my prayers for her health to her.

     Because of that, I'm going with a theme that, to me, is all about feminine strength and health, as well as signifying something that brings Coyote and I spiritually together. I was born under the sign of Libra, which, while being an Air sign, is ruled by Venus. Venus the planet is named after the goddess, known to the Greeks as Aphrodite, a name which is said to mean "foam-born" or "shining foam". She was born from the sea and, as such, has deep connections to the ocean, as well as being a matron goddess of women. Coyote was born under Cancer, the Crab, another watery thing. So, the two things make me think of mermaids.

Dress #1: 14th Century Gothic Gown

     Often called a cotehardie, this dress is designed to fit closely to the hips, at which point the skirts are very full and swirly. Add to this a sleeve design made of half circles and buttons down the front, and it does look very glamorous. I'm thinking of trimming it with the Greek wave trim from Calontir Trims, which is blue and white. If I over dye it, I'm going to aim for a rose pink, with pearl buttons, and make an under dress out of a sea foam color.

Dress #2: Roman Tunica

     Something simple, with the same trimming. Easy to throw on for days when I need to get out of camp.

Dress #3: Italian Gown

     Easy-going, but fancy enough to make me feel a little glam!

     Here I go!

Blast from the Past: Lolita Lit 101--Anne of Green Gables

(Reposted from "Southern Fried Lolita")

Shrub Monkeys #76, Used with the artist/author's permission.
Okay, kids, time to get academic! Have a No. 2 pencil and paper ready... Ah, who am I kidding? I'm not going to quiz on this! But, I do think it's time to get into another post series I have planned for you all--Lolita Literature 101 (Sans Nabokov Edition)! Every month, I plan to go over some book that I feel every lifestyle lolita should at least try. Not love, I won't put that pressure on people, but at least attempt to read for some sort of cultural or, indeed, subcultural merit.

This month being Country-Loli Month here at SFL, I'd like to discuss one of the classics, popular here in North America and over in the birthplace of Lolita, Japan: Anne of Green Gables. Written by Lucy Maud Montgomery and published in June of 1908, this novel introduced us to the daydreaming, orphaned, Canadian redhead, Anne Shirley, and kicked off an eight book series (which is better than the Potter kid can boast! Just kidding! I'm a Hufflepuff at heart). Montgomery said she was inspired by a scrap of writing she found from her school days, in which she described a couple that had sent away for an orphan boy and had accidentally gotten a girl, instead.

The tale begins at Green Gables, a farm in the little village of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. The owners are brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who decide to adopt an orphan boy from an orphanage in Nova Scotia to help around the farm. However, there's a mix-up, and the orphan delivered is the eponymous, 11-year-old girl. She's clever, freckled, and detests her name, wishing she'd been a Cordelia. If you must call her "Anne", she insists it must be with an "E", because it's more distinguished. She proves herself to be a chatterbox and extremely imaginative, much to Marilla's constant aggravation and Matthew's constant delight.

She soon meets and makes friends with Diana Barry, Jane Andrews, and Ruby Gillis, and becomes a rival of Gilbert Blythe (see the first two frames of the above comic, and you'll see why). Throughout the book, she manages to get into numerous scrapes, including dying her hair green in her quest to be a brunette, getting Diana drunk by accident, and nearly drowning in an attempt to reenact the funeral of Elaine, the wife of Lancelot. Her intelligence and courage more than make up for her foibles, though, and she endears herself to many along the way. Despite her awkward beginning, Anne comes to consider the pastoral Avonlea and its environs as home, no matter where she goes on her path to adulthood.

As a child, I was a precocious reader. Anne of Green Gables was one of the few books my mother didn't feel the need to put on a higher shelf. It was also around this time that I wound up watching the 1985 miniseries on PBS, and it seems she's had an impact on my life. I've tried to change my name often in my life. Teachers could never say it or spell it right on the first try and I rued the fact that my father had been so adamant about my name (Mom's first choice was Brianne). I gave up in the 8th grade, resigning myself to the fact that it was my name and there was no changing it. Just as Anne wished for dark hair, I've wished to be a blond, then a redhead, after it was gently pointed out that blond hair would look ghastly on me. I've dried my hair to a crisp in search of glorious, "Anne-ish" auburn hair. So far, no luck, but I'm a bit more determined in that respect, I think. And, even before I discovered lolita, I wished for a more elegant and romantic life, often daydreaming, just like she did:

"...Now I'm going to imagine things into this room so that they'll always stay imagined. The floor is covered with a white velvet carpet with pink roses all over it and there are pink silk curtains at the windows. The walls are hung with gold and silver brocade tapestry. The furniture is mahogany. I never saw any mahogany, but it does sound SO luxurious. This is a couch all heaped with gorgeous silken cushions, pink and blue and crimson and gold, and I am reclining gracefully on it. I can see my reflection in that splendid big mirror hanging on the wall. I am tall and regal, clad in a gown of trailing white lace, with a pearl cross on my breast and pearls in my hair. My hair is of midnight darkness and my skin is a clear ivory pallor. My name is the Lady Cordelia Fitzgerald. No, it isn't—I can't make THAT seem real."

She danced up to the little looking-glass and peered into it. Her pointed freckled face and solemn gray eyes peered back at her.

"You're only Anne of Green Gables," she said earnestly, "and I see you, just as you are looking now, whenever I try to imagine I'm the Lady Cordelia. But it's a million times nicer to be Anne of Green Gables than Anne of nowhere in particular, isn't it?"

It seems that Japan is quite taken with her, having two animated series based on the books made. Some of the earliest Lolita designs from the 70's (when the first Anne anime debuted) even resemble her long calico frocks and pinafores, though those silhouettes seem to have fallen out of favor.

Culturally, Anne might very well be one of the earliest fictional foremothers of Lolita style. She struggled to make her life a little more beautiful and cheerful, no matter how dark and dreary things got, and her charm and wit made her friends no matter where she went. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever dreamed high and still managed to keep their feet on the ground.

Today's cute kid moment

So, Youngblood and I are trying to stick to a schedule. We have a PECS board, one side says "To Do", the other says "All Done". When something is finished, we move the picture over. After snack time, I made him move the snack picture over.

Me: Snack time is all done! It's dance time!
Youngblood: Swing time! (Note: he doesn't mean swing dance.)
Me: Not yet, it's dance time!
Youngblood mulls this over, then reaches for the sign.
Youngblood: Dance time all done!

Nice try, kid!

My hair and WTF to do with it

     So, I have long hair. Very long. While most people are chopping their locks off, I'm trying to make mine grow more. I love my hair, even when it won't cooperate, which is often. Being mixed, I do have a pain of a time finding products that work (yes, my hair is baby-fine, but it's curly and there's so much of it that volumizing is redundant). When I do find things that work, it costs a fortune that I don't have. I'd love to invest more money into my hair care, but that implies that the money exists.

     When I was in 7th grade, I was followed home by two girls who threatened to cut off my hair. As a child, I cursed the fact that I could have neither blond (I have a very sallow complexion), nor straight (my mother is mostly Black and Puerto Rican), nor stylish (layering and bangs ain't happening, just sayin'). But the threats traumatized me. I have not had scissors near my hair without fear since 1999. Now? Of course I have learned to love "The Beast" as I call it. I just have neither the spoons nor the time to do much to it. I usually pin it up in a bun and call it even. I brush it out as often as I wash it, which isn't, due to the dry brittleness of my hair, but I try to look as well-groomed as I can.

     Now, being both a LARPer (Live Action Roleplayer) and a recent convert to Lolita fashion, I find that a simple bun just won't cut it. This weekend, for example. A friend talked me into playing in a Werewolf: the Apocalypse game, right before my standard Changeling: the Lost. I have my first Loli coordinate all lined up with makeup and accessories, but my hair has me stumped. I will be washing it and, for Werewolf, I'll probably wear it in tons of little braids, but what do I do after? Unbraiding it will save me some styling (huzzah for hair that holds a curl/wave), but do I do the ever-popular baby doll half-pigtails? Just sweep it back? AUGH.

     What do you do when your hair leaves you stumped?

Blast from the Past: My Top Ten Gifts for Austen Fan Lolitas

(Reprinted from my old Blog, Southern Fried Lolita)

Originally, there was no theme to this list, but the more I worked at compiling it, the more I found things I know I'd personally love that had something to do with Jane Austen Fandom. So, the theme of my first list of good gifts for Lolis is the Grande Dame of Romance herself! As with any list, this is purely subjective. Not all Lolis or, indeed, any one, can handle scented candles, has pierced ears, reads tarot or likes history books, but this might at least give ideas for gift giving.

I'll be honest, I don't read romances usually. Jane Austen is one of the few authors who wrote books that I could stand to read. Pride and Prejudice is a favorite of mine and I'm currently rereading it before I start ...and Zombies like a good little lemming *wink*.

So, what do you give the Lolita who's just mad about Miss Jane?

10. Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners

• Most modern readers of Jane Austen have probably read these books and wondered, "why? Why do you need a husband to go with you to visit a young, rich bachelor? Why do you need rules for refusing to marry someone? And what's with all the to-do about social class?" This book explains all that, and points out that even young girls of the day had a hard time with it. When Miss Jane's niece Anna, sent her a novel she'd written for critique, her aunt wrote back that it was wonderful, except that it ignored proper etiquette of the time! The book shines a light on what made these books truly timeless, no matter how long the attitudes have been out of style.

9. Pride and Prejudice, Marvel Classics Edition

• Comics aren't just for kids, anymore (People who took their kids to see Watchmen, I'm looking at you)! I love comic book versions of classic literature. They get kids to read and they bring new life to old favorites. This version is very stylish looking with a cover like a fashion magazine (even if Lizzie on the cover looks like she's wearing a modern prom dress, rather than a Regency frock). This is a great addition to anyone's collection and gives the novel a brilliant makeover.

8. The Jane Austen Handbook - A Sensible, yet Elegant Guide to Her World

• Okay, I'm a Second Generation re-enactor and I started in Regency Era recreation when I was still a tiny tot. I was still twenty before I could tell you what it meant for a woman to be "accomplished" in that time period (or that it meant precisely zilch after marriage). This book explains all of that, everything from Courtship Rules, to Housekeeping, to Hospitality. It has a habit of being a shade snobby and sarcastic, but its still a sublime reference for those of us who were just born too damn late.

7. Pride and Prejudice (Restored Edition DVD)

• By far, the most faithful film/TV adaptation of Jane Austen's classic. Made in 1996, it made Colin Firth a household name, with the infamous "wet shirt" scene... Um, give me a minute, readers, I need an ice water shower. *fans cheeks* The dialogue is faithful to a blinding degree, save where it needed updating to be comprehensible to modern viewers. The costuming is so faithful, I almost expect to see the reed boning in the corsets, and the settings are luscious enough to give one cavities. As wonderfully snide and gorgeous as Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy is, Jennifer Ehle's Lizzie Bennet is his match, with a lip curl that can wither cacti at 50 paces. Every collection of period drama and historical fandom needs a copy of this, perhaps two, because heaven forbid you loan it out and never see it again!

6. Regency House Party

• It breaks my heart that I missed this when it ran on PBS, but, lucky for me, it's on DVD. I usually hate romance reality shows, but this one had a charm that the others lack. House Parties were more than munchies and dancing, back then. It was a summer-long vacation, combined with a singles retreat, expressly for the purpose of matchmaking. While that might have been all fine and dandy for people of the day, the modern singletons (and chaperones) are lost in the face of Regency morals and manners. One can't help but feel that, even in comparison to the time, this is a bit TOO faithful (you can't tell me young people going a-courting didn't break a few rules every so often). Still, it's a delightfully fluffy, at times, schadenfreudian look at finding a mate in a lost era. What a shame it only ran for one season!

5. The Jane Austen Cookbook

• Foodies and Regency aficionados alike will love this one. Two authors, a food historian and an Austenian scholar, have banded together to not only reproduce the food of the day, but to put it all in context. Freshness was key, and where and how you lived determined much of your menu. This book breaks it all down and gives a cook everything they need to serve up a meal Emma, Lizzie and the Dashwoods would know and relish!

4. Jane Austen Tank Top

• For the casual Loli who wants to beat the heat, or for an Austen nut who wants to proclaim her love to the world! The neckline is high and the straps are wide, keeping the correct modesty for the look and goes up to a 2X, with a silhouette of what is presumably Jane Austen herself, overlaid with the famous opening line of Pride and Prejudice (“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"). It's a CafePress tank, so the level of quality may need watching, but like any Lolita garment, a gentle wash cycle or hand washing should help it last. Throw a cardigan over it and pair it with a nice skirt and pearls and it could go from the office (on a casual Friday) to the theater!

3. The Tarot of Jane Austen

• Designed with traditional tarot in mind, this deck uses the age-old Tarot symbols, skewed to her most famous works. The suits are changed to Coins (Coins/Pentacles), Teacups (Cups), Candlesticks (Wands/Staves) and Quills (Swords), with cards depicting scenes from the books. It's gotten good reviews and the reports I have on it are wonderful. If you have a Lolita friend or family member who reads the cards, or any hopeless romantic with an interest in divination, they might like this deck and its companion book, if nothing else as a charming conversation piece!

2. Jane Austen Wax Candle from Paddywax

• Perhaps not ideal for the Loli with scent allergies, but charming nonetheless. This candle is scented with the feminine and classic combination of gardenia, tuberose and jasmine, and is labeled with a quote from the author ("There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort") in a nine ounce glass jar and comes packed in a box with a label that almost looks like an old-fashioned aromatherapy prescription. It makes a great housewarming gift and gives that romantic feel to any room.

1. Jane Austen Silver and Pearl Earrings

• A good piece of jewelry can fill out any wardrobe. These delicate little earrings work with jeans, jumperskirts and wedding gowns. I could see these making a perfect gift for librarians, brides and bridal parties in a Romance Novel/Regency themed wedding, or even just for a bookish or literarily-inclined individual with an eye for style. The simple leverback earrings display a black and white woodcut of Jane herself, with a freshwater pearl each dangling from the ends. Simple, modest, yet ultimately elegant. I know I want a pair!

What would you give to to the Lolita bookworms in your life? Any favorite authors you'd want to share with your friends?

The Old 9-to-5

     So, I had a hard time finding work within the past few years. Illness forced me to drop out of college twice, meaning I had very few work skills, and I am in many ways physically and mentally unfit for many industrial jobs (learning disability skewed towards math, spacial cognition and logic problems, high anxiety and tendency to lock up when given too much input to process). I worked in a snack bar for three years in my hometown of Sterling, VA, then for about 2 months in a gelato shop in Richmond when I moved down there. After that, I bounced from babysitting job to ill-fated money-making scheme from 2008 to 2013, when I got a job with a family friend, looking after her son.

     In the past, I have been mocked for being "a babysitter", but this job is so much more. For starters, the kid (hereafter known as "Youngblood") is pretty profoundly autistic. He's seven, but in many ways, is closer to being mentally about four years old. This is not to say he's stupid. Far from it, he outsmarts me on a regular basis. But, his language skills are behind, so it's often difficult to understand what he wants or is telling you. He can be very stubborn and, when thwarted, will either meltdown, become violent, or both. He has many habits, some of which are detrimental, which we need to try and curb. So, you see, nobody just babysits this kid.

     I have to interpret his language, then decide if it's something I can allow. I make him talk to me, not just echoing, but using appropriate responses to things. I keep him from chewing on his hands and feet, make him walk with his full foot on the ground, feed him, and otherwise help him not burn the house to the ground.

     It's a job I love, despite the stress. The family is wonderful and kind and the kid really is adorable. He knows it too, he flirts like mad with cute young women, especially the therapist who comes in twice a week. But, he's a seven-year-old boy with a muley streak that makes the Mariana Trench look like a fire pit. You have to think three moves ahead and be very aware of sounds. If I can't hear him, that's my signal that he's into mischief. He has broken into his little sister's room and stolen toys. He has stolen his mother's shoes and shoved ALL the vinyl figurines he has in them (ruining those sneakers beyond repair). He will steal electronics and rearrange the apps to his heart's content until there is no way of remembering what we had where. 

     But, he snuggles. Yes, snuggles. His mother has made damn sure that he actually likes to be touched and he will cuddle if you ask. He likes touching his ear to yours, and pressing his ear to the sole of your foot. He loves to dance with you and adores music. He's a great kid and I feel really fortunate to have this job. It means I can sit down frequently and take it easy. I technically don't need to be at work until 2, to get him off the school bus, but I have to arrive much earlier in order to get a ride, so I can take a long nap on the sofa to prepare for him. 

     I guess I'm really glad that it took so long to find a job. I never would have gotten to hang out with Youngblood otherwise!

Welcome to the show!

     I have made many attempts in the past to keep a blog. I'm gonna try again and keep one now. I blame my previous attempts on the fact that they may just have been to narrow in scope, considering I have a shortish attention span when it comes to topical conversation and contemplation. But this is going to be a blog about "ALL the things". And, to introduce the things, I'd like to draw your attention to the title of this blog.

Gimpy- 

     I am living in a body that has its own mind. I may want to be active, but frequently, my joints, my feet, and my energy levels say, "yeah, no, not for you. Sit your fat ass back down and deal with it." As a much younger person, I was a little dynamo. I walked all over my hometown, I took dance classes, I ran around the yard when the excitement of a favorite TV show was too much. I'm not kidding. I totally did. It was usually Power Rangers. Yes, I was a teen at the time. But, bad choices and bad accidents have come back to haunt me. Dance classes with knee and floor work and knees that are naturally hyperextended haunt my love of walking everywhere. My love of steel toed boots with my flat feet have given me a nigh-permanent case of plantar fasciitis. My skin has a habit of deciding it needs new sweat glands. Where there were never meant to be any. My reproductive system tries to kill me at least four times a year. And, its not just physical. I've been living with clinical depression since I was nine, and am pretty plainly non-neurotypical (why exactly is still debatable). So, yeah. I'm living with a crapton of invisible issues, many of which I will probably discuss on here. The gross, potentially triggering, or NSFW stuff I will do my best to label. But consider this a blanket warning. If discussions of suicidal tendencies, real-world body horror, or living as an adult with said issues bothers you, you might not want to read this here blog, or at least not the stuff marked as such.

Geeky- 

      Back when nerds were still "uncool", I was one. I still am. I like Classic Doctor Who, science fiction, fantasy, horror, superheroes, and the finer points of MMORPGs. I've been gaming since I was eight and I am a fierce supporter of Apple products, mostly because as nerdy as I am, I am fairly computer illiterate. I have never killed a Mac. I have never wanted to throw one into a tank of acid because the damn OS was designed by lobotomized domestic turkeys. There will be discussions of fan fiction, television, music, movies, history, books, tech and roleplaying games here, as well as links to my review show (once it's off hiatus). So, be prepared for rampant geeking-out.


Girly- 

     I am a total chick. I consider myself a Post-Modern Southern Belle. Even though my body says, "T-shirts and jeans are all you have the energy for, neener neener," I have a passion for fashion. The glitzier and frillier, the better. I especially love Lolita fashion and I'm starting out on the path to being a Lolita. I will have more discussions of what this is and what it isn't later. I might review makeup and other beauty products here, too. There might also be rants and essays on feminism, sex-positivity, and what it's like for an invisibly disabled, mixed-race, intellectual, femme feminist and equal rights supporter in the former Capitol of the Confederacy (hint: it's easier than you might think). Thanks for joining me on the ride!