Dragon Con pictures

In order to make up for my massive slack in posting, I give you pictures from Dragon Con 2010

I'll start with my favorite, me with Stan "the Man" Lee!! Can I just tell you that after this was taken I did the happy dance of joy in the service elevator.

This was late on Saturday night and I *had* been in a grumpy as hell mood. I'd been in heels for too long prior and  changed into my "Siouxie Homemaker" tee and jeans. The when outside smoking, I had almost been hit with falling glass from a broken hotel window. When I got the call to go and escort someone I was hanging out in the bar at the Hilton with my husband and friends bitchin'. By the time I got back to the bar I was bouncing like a 4 year old going to Disney World..

Also from Saturday, Mac and I at the banquet. We were running late to get there in time and in the end I had three people helping me get my belt through the belt loops in my dress. I ended up thinking that I looked way "grandma" in the little over-jacket, and once it was unpacked and seeing how much it had unraveled in the shoulder made me really regret getting it in the first place.

As you can see however, I needed something to cover up the tan lines, yes that's right I had tan lines. Didn't get to many pics of me without the jacket and only got the 2 I have due to other people's cell phones.

I will admit that I helped a tiny bit on Turtle's costume. I made my first bow tie, helped her alter the jacket and convinced her to buy the penguin at the thrift store.

 (It was $3.00 and still had the $32.00 price tag on it.) Saying all that, I totally loved this costume. She had the facial expressions down and looked amazing.

Turtle also does a costume that I had much more to do with, Uncle Fester. Again, I can't say enough about how much Turtle throws herself into a role. She gets the looks down perfect. It's amazing and I'm in awe most of the time. The coat was one of the hardest things to sew just getting through all that material . I broke about 4 needles before I figured out the trick to sewing it. After that it came together wonderfully. This was not the first year Fester came out to play, but he's going to retire for awhile so I wanted to get the picture up. I didn't get any shots that I can find for Turtle's Fairy Hunter costume but I think I'm going to do something to coordinate with that one for next year.

Inuyasha was something out of my comfort zone that I made this year. I will say that between this outfit and the Chuck dress I did I was soooooooooooooooooooo sick of red. It came out really well though and was actually something that Tonya could wear and still deal with having her son with her at con which was a worry for me in the design. I had a great help in Mac in designing the necklace and although I don't have a picture at the moment, I have to tell everyone that Mac made some kickin' teeth for the necklace.

Being a huge Pushing Daisies fan I was thrilled to make this dress. It was something that I wanted to actually costume for myself at some point but Lindsay beat me to . She and Yuri make the best Chuck and Ned and I even can forgive her for skipping out on her last fitting since she had a great reason to not come back to Georgia prior to Dragon Con,.....she got married!

My pride and joy skull dress was a huge hit and I had several offers to buy it off my back. This dress will be seen again. The shoes I thought would be perfect weren't, so the hunt continues. I'm planning on redoing the belt into a wider version but I'd like to finish the companion dress first. I am now firmly cemented in my love for sundresses.

This was my fifth Dragon Con and a great anniversary for Mac and I. We went to Trader Vic's and Nancy's, hung out with great friends, met some new friends and worked our tails off.

Took a short break to get some work done

I know, I shouldn't take a break, I just got here for Pete's sake. I've been busy however, new shirts, more revamped shoes, a broken sewing machine, and finishing up costumes for my holy grail of con's, Dragon Con. It doesn't hurt that I met my husband there, but even without that happening, I'd still love Dragon Con. I've been to a lot of con's, both vending and just for fun. When you start working at a comic store at 16, it sets you on a path to geekdom like nothing else. Dragon*Con is just like SDCC except it's more party, less press junket.
Today I finished every commission I needed to finish for the convention, and I have a whole week before. There will be no sewing til 2am the day before this year. Yippie!!!! I did however get several new ideas for myself today, that will actuallly get to happen since I have the time to go them.

I have a great hopes on a geek fashion at the con post coming soon. I'm in need for any pictures you see of great geek fashion over Dragon Con weekend.

The It's-not -pink-skull-dress

This fabric called to me from accross the store. Called isn't a strong enough word actually, screamed Jinxy at the top of it's little fabic lung perhaps? Now I know that I have already raved about it but the finished product is reason enough to rave again.

I love it, whipped up a cute little belt and found a cute pair of shoes (on sale no less) that work with it and I'm uber happy about the whole thing.

I love my geek

    For this post I wanted to get the definition of geek, but I don't think I like the dictionary.com version.    Geek 

1. a computer expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often considered offensive when used by outsiders.)
2. a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp. one who is perceived to be overly intellectual.

3. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

The one at Urban Dictionary is a little better.

Geek

1. The people you pick on in high school and wind up working for as an adult

2. Not to be confused with Nerd. A geek does not have to be smart, a Geek is someone who is generally not athletic, and enjoys Video Games; Comic Books; being on the internet, and etc.

3. The term geek now enjoys a special status within the technical community, particularly among particularly knowledgeable computer programmers. To identify oneself as a "geek" indicates a recognition that most people still consider programming computers to be a bizarre act, along with a certain fierce satisfaction in being very good at their inglorious profession.

That most software geeks now easily earn twice as much as the average laborer just sweetens their defiant embrace of the term.

Note: Unlike the word "nerd," which is always pejorative, "geek" often carries a positive connotation when used by one of the group. The use of the term by outsiders is considered insulting.

The blue highlighted bits are what fits for my husband and the red, well that's all me. So being the proud and crafty geek that I am I decided to show it off.

I took this shirt I've had for years, it never gets worn. There isn't a lot of call for long sleeves in Georgia. I love the way it fits though, and it's beyond comfy. It actually struck me as very 80's, I threw it on my all-purpose duct tape dress form to see what I could come up with. I measured 5 inches from the shoulder and then cut off the sleeves. The I sat down and played with all the fonts I've collected and tried to find one that was suitably geek-y enough for what I had in mind.

I went with courier, it new, easy, tech-y looking and husband approved. after measuring the front of my shirt about three times, I figured out what size I needed to print my phrase out and managed to fit it onto a standard piece of printer paper. Which knowing my luck (they don't call me Jinxy for nothing) is just flat out amazing. I taped down my original, and then taped a piece of freezer paper on top of that, shiny side down and very carefully cut out my letters with an xacto knife. Saving the inside of the e's and the g.

I ironed the paper down to my shirt and started painting. I am pretty sure that I have about 5 or 6 coats on this. The black stripes are still visible through the yellow, but I think that getting enough paint to cover the black may have been impossible. Well,...maybe not impossible but I'm pretty sure that if I took a breath with that much paint on the front it would crack.  After letting the fabric paint dry overnight, I just pealed off the freezer paper (well picked it off very slowly and carefully) and ironed both sides and there it was for all the world to see.

Let's get to the geek stuff already

After a weekend spent trying to keep up with the goings on of Comic Con I bring you what I consider several of the best things I saw and heard from my mornful place behind my computer. Although I long to go to Comic Con for the news and the fun stuff. I have no desire to wade through that many people or stand in line for 18 hours to get into a panel. Give me Dragon Con any day.

Let me say that I've been a comic fan since I was about 10, I worked in a comic shop for years and have always been a Marvel girl.
Seeing the offerings from Marvel this year I was thrilled, Thor looks fantastic, Directed by Kenneth Branagh, with Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman
The there's The Avengers with Joss Whedon directing and then Captian America: The First Avenger as well.

Cowboy & Aliens, being a unabashed Harrison Ford fan I was uber-excited when he made his frist Comic Con appearance ever for this movie. The man is a great actor and I've been an adoring fan since I was 5 and saw Star Wars. He's been a trifecta of my favorite movies, Star Wars, Indy and Blade Runner, and is the only man I'd ever leave my husband for.  That all being said, I love the comic, think that Jon Favreau will do it justice just like he did for Iron Man, and Daniel Craig (the current 007) is a great choice as well.

Green Hornet looked pretty interesting when it was first announced, however when the first report coming out of SDCC was that it's booth babes were trashing looking I started to wonder. Everything looks decent, the effect, the sets, costumes, but the trailer made it out to be slapstick-y and it may not be worth going and seeing in the theater. I had higher hopes for it as I really loved the show as a kid (in re-runs I'm not that old).

Sucker Punch was something I hadn't heard of until the con coverage was out, the stills look really cool, and hearing about the plot being about a chick in a mental asylum trying to escape. She neds to get a few things to escape and getting each item turns into a quest turns into a crazy dream sequence. Everyone thinks it's completely insane and fantastically so. Director  Zack Snyder, who did 300 and Watchmen calls it "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns."

Just to prove I did not spend the entire weekend in a massive geek coma, here's a peek at what I did over the weekend. Finished one dress, modified two pairs of shoes, did a great shirt mod and a few other things.

Thrifting finds

This past weekend I was originally supposed to be visiting family and friends in Connecticut for Sailfest. A car problem had me cancel. To make up for that dissapointment, Mac and I were going to head further south and visit my friend who'd just moved down there. Friday afternoon comes and that gets cancelled, work issues for my husband. So since all my plans had gone awry I had to do something so when my friend Turtle called and wanted to hang out I jumped at the change to hit the local thrift store with her.

I didn't find a lot but what I did find was outstanding. I'm in the process of re-doing my dinning room and the state birds picture is perfect. The frame is in great shape, just needs to be cleaned. The pale green in the print works with the room color and under $4 works for me. The spoons, well I was thinking that I was going to paint them, arrange them as the bones in a skull and crossbones, and then find something kitchen-y to make the skull out of amd hang it up in my kitchen. Looking again, I think that the brown actually goes well in my odd brown and black kitchen, and am reconsidering the painting part of that plan.

     After I get things situated the way I think they should be, I'll take more pics and let everyone know how it turns out.

After the thrifting adventure, we all hit a movie.

It's so fluffy, I'm gonna die.

The hubby and I had been catching the preview for Despicable Me for weeks prior to it's release and were going to see it no matter what. "It's so fluffy" was said so often in our house that I'm pretty sure the dog thought it was his new name.  We hauled Turtle with us to the theater, and might have come up with a new costuming idea. My plate is pretty full at the moment but I think it's something we could all pull off.

I think I now need a few minions, it would lighten up my workload and give me something to watch when there isn't anything on tv.

Cats and Skulls

These are "the girls". Ever since I posted last week about how the dog was afraid of fireworks, complete with picture there has been a rift in the house. Apparently Tiby and Nixy are (pardon the expression) glory hounds.  So there they are in an action shot. Nixy is the despectively sweet looking white ball of fluff, and Tiby is the twisted up seal point one.  I had to make them an area near my fabric to keep them out of my fabric.

  On Friday, I was shopping for some costume fabrics and found this fantastic knit. The second I saw it,  I knew right away what to do with. Normally I fall in love with a fabric and horde it for months waiting for "just the right"project. I've had summer dresses and skirts on the brain for months.        

                                           Then the shirring began, 40 rows, 10 bobbins hand wound, 1 trip to Hancock fabrics for more elastic thread, and a grand total of 3 spools of elastic thread. to get the top finished. So far it's coming along and just as I pictured.

The Force of July

Our 4th weekend started off Saturday, with a surprise in the front yard. A rather large snapping turtle we found walking Max before we headed to the Sandy Springs Farmer's Market

He'd left by the time we got back but was wandering around this morning again. I'm just a little shocked to see one so far away from water. The only time I've ever seen them prior to this weekend was at the lake my family used to spend summers at.

After the farmer's market I finished up with my redo of our back porch. It's a good as it's going to get until we repaint it.

The before picture, complete with Tiby, pollen and the awful print on the benches.

The after, recovered benches, added pillows, painted tables, and a fresh coat of white paint on whatever needed it and it's done. Now it feels relaxing and cool.

The 4th started out lazy and stayed that way, just laid back and relaxed. We grilled a little and ate out on the new and improved porch then drugged the puppy for the onslaught from the neighbors. Max doesn't care for fireworks. So we hearded everyone down to the workroom and turned up the tv. Still Max ended up hiding under Mac's desk all evening.

Then while watching Spike TV's the Force of July marathon, I put the finishing touches on my latest dress and finished the belt that goes with it.

Here's a close up of the belt detail and the fabric. I found this for a dollar a yard and didn't get enough. Besides the dress I also made a very cute skirt. There is a turquoise detail on the fabric that's just really amazing looking in person. I just can't seem to get it to photograph.

The rest of the weekend was spent making a bunch of hair things for my esty page and watching the heck out of every Star Wars movie with my hubby.

If Good Girls Go to Heaven

Well then bad girls must go everywhere.

Women including Mae West, Katharine Hepburn, Helen Gurley Brown and Gloria Steinem have used this phrase to mean different things. From bad girls have more fun, or you have to bust out of the stereotypical good girl mode to advance in today's world.

It's words of wisdom from women who came before and learned about life and what it took to not only keep their heads above water but to get ahead.