The only thing worse than spending more money than you planned to at DragonCon is getting home, taking pictures of it all, and then trying to put together a coherent post! [Face Palm]

I've done my best, but I want to put in a small disclaimer because I do not have a wide enough area in full sun to take pictures of all this stuff in, so I had to make do. And sometimes making do includes ridiculous props or the plastic you've had up in your apartment for a month (yay flooding).









Ok so I *know* these pictures aren't the best, but I couldn't face actually putting this on my body over the weekend (or steaming it....). You'll see it in some Halloween-y posts next month though, so this really just an "until then" kind of thing. This purchase came about from a want/need to have something to wear with both my grey and brown corsets. I was originally drawn to this same design in black, but after chatting with the owner she recommended the blue and was able to take in the waist over night when we both realized all the skirts she had on hand were too big. I love that this is two separate pieces, because it layers beautifully and looks fuller that way. PLUS while the round buttons are a pain in the butt to open and close, they look great and I am vain enough to be totally on board with that.

And that's it folks! Did you make it to the end? I know this was a mammoth post, but hopefully it gives you at least an idea of some of the geek-y goodies you can get your hands on at DragonCon. I love the ability to actually see and try on stuff in person, because you never know what's going to end up being can't-live-without perfect.

Hey Friends! Did you miss me?

Sorry I kind of disappeared there, but between Puerto Rico, moving, Maid of Honor duties, and DragonCon, it's been quite a hectic few weeks! I'm not going to say I'm completely back on my regular posting schedule, I'm still feeling my way when it comes to places I can take blog photos, but for now here's a look at some of what I've been up to!

(Oh, and in case you want a better explanation of what DragonCon is or some especially good costume photos, make sure to check out Epbot. You won't regret it :D). 

How do you sum up a simply spectacular weekend of geeky goodness in one post?

You don't.

I've had varying levels of success trying to do longer, Epbot style, recap posts of DragonCon and this year I'm just saying no. Between today and Thursday I'm going to post a couple collages of some of the best things/people I saw (or that my friends took pictures of) and I hope it gives you a better idea of what makes DragonCon so wonderful.

It was an epic weekend and if you get the opportunity to go I highly recommend it. Eight years later and I have absolutely no regrets. 

Bet you were wondering where I've been huh? Well DragonCon was a blast - as usual really - but this year I actually caught some form of con crud. Being sick at the end of summer sucks, so that definitely put a damper on my plans for a re-cap post but then the world REALLY decided to screw with me and I got a corneal abrasion. Aka a big ol' scratch on my eyeball. From my mascara. FML.

Guys, don't get scratches on your eye ball. They really hurt and then you have to spend a day of work looking like a crazy person because you have to wear your sunglasses inside.

Sigh.

Still I'm putting all that behind me for now and starting the first of a couple DragonCon posts. This first one is going to highlight the costumes I wore throughout the weekend - 3 were planned and one was a last minute shopping addition!

Friday's "look" was really more of a "I don't want to wear a costume on this little sleep" outfit, so here's a snap of me in my SHE-READ shirt with John from Cake Wrecks/Epbot! I stumbled upon them both at the Vintage Vogue Fashion show - the quickest I've ever done so - and it was so great to say hi to them both :D.


Saturday I had planned on wearing another comparatively normal dress (though covered in pies) but I fell to the magical allure of Pendragon Costumes and bought THIS three piece set:


Fantastic, right? I completely blew the budget out of the water but when I stepped out of that changing room I felt beautiful, and if that's not a reason to buy an outfit that might only ever be appropriate for a Renaissance Fair, then I've never heard one.

Saturday night I changed from one red themed corset-y outfit to another red themed corset-y outfit to cosplay with my friend Jessica as Cher and Dionne from Clueless.



Saturday was not the day for cool or breezy clothing, lol, but it was so much fun sporting these two looks that I regret nothing >.<.

But let me tell you about Sunday. Sunday was possibly one of my favorite days at DragonCon EVER because I got to wear a comfy outfit that totally represented my original idea while also hanging out with all my friends! Sunday was the time of Sock Hop Disney!!



One of the best things you can do at DragonCon is hang out with the people you like the most, reveling in the geeky goodness that brought you together in the first place.

And finally, Sunday night, Jessica and I brought back a DragonCon classic (but this time with a 1950's twist): Bobbi and Carla!


I might not have been able to actually wear my mask this year, I forgot to bring contacts and it pushed my glasses so far into my eyes I felt claustrophobic, but I think the gloves gave me a bit of cover and all in all it was a solid effort! (For reference here's the original Bob and Carl.)

Thanks for sticking with me friends! I've got a couple outfit posts in the wings and another DragonCon highlight, so those should be heading your way shortly.

Happy Thursday!

Happy Halloween everyone! I decided that there was really only one costume I wanted to wear for today's What to Wear post: UHURA-CANE!

Debuted at DragonCon 2013, I wore this with sneakers at the convention because honestly I would have killed myself otherwise. I managed to fumble around in the parking garage behind my apartment but make no mistake: I am not a professional skater and these pictures make me look much better than I am.







I love this costume because not only is it a take on a woman and character I admire but it incorporates another badass sport I'll never be able to do, roller derby. Throw in the fact that it's also a geeky homage and I think we can all agree that despite the cold risk it's a costume worth the commitment.

Don't forget to check the link up on Gyspy in Jasper for other great looks (& perhaps future Halloween inspiration?)!

Anybody sick of these recaps yet? Well if you are I have good news - this is the last one!

As you've probably guessed by now DragonCon is the home for all sorts of geeky goodness and people are just out there enjoying themselves most of the time. Even when I saw attendees in line telling the line monitor how NOT to move them the atmosphere was serious but not overly antagonistic. I hope you've enjoyed my trip down memory lane and if you want to take a look at all the pictures from my fabulous weekend you can find the album online.




Click below for more!

In spite of all the people and the fun costumes (which I'm still not done showing you guys) a big part of why I go to DragonCon are the panels. Since this is a convention run by and for fans the panels are often the best part, the times when you get to hear directly from the actors, actresses, authors, artists, etc. that inspire you.

Every year it seems to get a little bit harder to get into every panel that I want (I still haven't seen the Geeky Burlesque Show and was completed shut out of Adam and Jamie's Mythbuster panel) but since DragonCon actually clears the room between each one there's always a chance if you don't mind sitting in the back. I might have missed Amy Acker this year (did she actually do a panel at all? Anybody know?) but I DID get to see Lucy Lawless and hear from some of my favorite authors so I'm still considering this all a win!




Click below for more!

I don't know how anyone gets their pictures up from DragonCon. I always take way WAY too many and then have to spend days picking out which ones are 1) not blurry 2) deserve a little bit of Photoshop to really shine.

Still DragonCon is highly likely the best and most favorite thing I will do in a calendar year so I like to show you guys just what makes it so awesome. To try and not overwhelm you all (and myself) I've broken it into two costume/random posts and one panel post. I hope you guys enjoy!



Click below for more!

Awkward
- People. Oh god the people. I love mingling with my fellow geeks but DragonCon & the hosting hotels need to step up their badge checking game so that every skybridge doesn't end up backed up forever.
- Gang rape by puppets. Yeah - the puppet slam is 18+ for a reason but even I wasn't prepared for that level of WTF*ckery.
- More of a personal awkward, but Eliza Dushku was behind/next to me in the bathroom in the Marriott and I DIDN'T NOTICE. I was chatting with my friend and checking my phone for where we were heading next and even when she tried to signal me I was completely oblivious. Sigh. I'm a bad fan sometimes. (Plus she's really short and I'm gonna stick to the story that it threw me off my game.)
- Moving the merchandise rooms this year to the AmericasMart was such a bad call. Complete chaos, no one could find anything, and browsing was pretty much impossible.
- Guys, I don't understand the lack of underwear for people in tight spandex. I don't need everyone to wear full coverage granny panties but I also don't want to know by looking at you if you're circumcised or not.



Awesome
- The Radius Tower at the Hyatt. From the sounds of things we got a larger room in that area than usual (thank goodness) but the private key card entrance and private elevators were AMAZEBALLS!
- Author panels! Besides just the joy of finding new series to try I love connecting with authors and hearing them speak about their work - it's a rare opportunity to hear them say why exactly they love what they write (and why) and DragonCon excels at this.
- XENA IN THE HOUSE YA'LL! Lucy Lawless was at DragonCon (it was her first big convention appearance ever) and listening to her was amazing.
- I found Jen & John from Cakewrecks again! I got to see them in all their Alice in Wonderland Steampunk glory and it was fabulous (they're so nice!).
- DragonCon TV. Always a plus and probably one of the biggest reasons I stay in a hosting hotel.
- Even though I told myself that my lack of wall space meant I couldn't buy more art, I bought more art. But I love it so the regrets are pretty much nil and now I'm contemplating turning a whole wall in my studio into a Nightmare Before Christmas display!
- Costume success! I didn't get to see Yaya Han in her costumes as much as I would have liked to but I did see her in her Moulin Rouge Snow White look and personally, the couple actual costumes I had went over well (and weren't a pain to wear). Probably the most surprising thing was how much of a hit my Modcloth Pie Dress was with the crowds and I spent a lot of time telling people where to buy it!


In the end, DragonCon is a fantastic weekend where I get to reconnect with friends who live far away and learn more about the areas I'm passionate about. It's pricey but totally worth it, though I do have a teeny tiny hope that maybe a few thousand people will suddenly decide not to attend next year, lol. The crowds were at times oppressive and I can't imagine the experience for those with physical disabilities.

STAY TUNED for more pictures!

Ever wonder what it is exactly about Dragon*Con that makes it so amazing? Well I hope this collage gives you an idea (at least until I get back home and can post pictures!)...

I mentioned in one of my previous Dragon*Con posts that I just don't know how the professionals do it. I know they're inspired by the love for the character they're portraying and by the knowledge of how much other people will enjoy the finish product, but making a costume is hard people. Hard, time consuming, and the part I'm going to talk about here, expensive.

Him? Who knows how much he spent to look that cool.

Rainbow Bright last year was pretty cheap if I remember correctly. The pants were pre-done and ordered from India (thank you Ebay) & the shirt an Old Navy oldie (also thanks to Ebay). Besides some ribbon, glue, and $1 foam headbands, it didn't sent me back much. But as my friends and I discuss what we're going to do next year I realized....I had not faced the facts and mentally accepted just how much I'd spent this year. And I don't think I can make a budget for next year without knowing that number.

In the spirit of helping other people on their own costuming adventures I figured I'd share the tally here. I can't speak for my fellow Rangers, but my Dragon*Con costume expenses went like so...




Costume (dress) - $44.94
Petticoat - $7.99
Corset - $12.28
Fabric/Acrylic Paint & Brushes - $20.00
Rhinestones - $4.75
Headband - $2.99
Helmet - $10.64
Boots - $20.99
White Laces - $4.59
Fan - $3.20
Gloves - $7.40
Decorative Extras - $2.50

Total Cost: $142.27


Motherf*cker.


Maybe I should have allowed myself the peace of glorious ignorance [face palm].

I don't know how anyone does this. I LOVED the costumes I saw this year and narrowing it down to a manageable post is almost evil. It forces me to weigh one against the other in a battle royale of costume-y goodness. Plus my pics are probably sad little representations when placed against some of the DLSR photos but hey, I had phone.

This is just a small sampling of what's available in this album so don't forget to check it out!

 Attack of my childhood! An amazing Labyrinth couple (and if you couldn't tell, Jareth is a girl!). I even saw them later in the weekend in another set of costumes from the movie. I loved them. And who could forget RU-FI-OOOOOOO! Plus with the possibly the best photobomb ever, you also get the Professor and the Powerpuff Girls!