Early Halloween ~ Marie Antoinette

For the past few years, I have always celebrated Halloween early at Gaskell Ball instead of the usual 31st of October. Last Saturday, I finally achieved a minor goal of becoming Marie Antoinette, garish Rococo makeup and all.

Before the night's festivities, I spent about half an hour on makeup. To capture the over-the-top macaroni look, I used Kryolan Aquacolor white, drugstore cream blush, and "Death White" face powder from the Spirit Halloween store. I chose to take it easy with the eye shadow with only pink and violet in addition to mascara. No fancy makeup brands were used. Aside from the Kryolan white (which is becoming easier to find in specialty shops), everything could be purchased in a drug store.

Next came my beloved peach lolita dress, a lucky eBay find. No, I don't have a full Georgian gown yet, but the short length of this dress makes it perfect for dancing. It's flirty too! The wig was a rental, dressed up with some of my own flowers. I adore wigs! 

Best of all, I had my very own lascivious dandy! The coat and wig are from an old theatre company.

The ballroom put some flats of enchanting turf in the lobby, and Duke was, naturally, riveted. 

His glee was not shared by all the guests that night...

It was another heavenly night, filled with music, friends, and laughter. Danced with my favorite partners and a few new ones, and managed to have both the Sir Rogers prove exceptionally humorous. Finished it off with hot chocolate and carrot cake in Berkeley! Ah!

A True Victorian Lifestyler!

I came across this link to a British news article on Facebook, and upon reading it, my jaw dropped in sheer happiness. Here's a woman who has done what I have always dreamed of doing...

How to live the Downton dream in a one-bed flat!

Julia Wood has created a plush and luxurious Victorian wonderland for herself. Her small flat in inner-city Leicester is the result of years of careful collecting and furnishing. From breakfast to bedtime, she is decked out in Victorian and Edwardian era-inspried clothing. This isn't just a visual preference, but her manners, morals, and beliefs accompany her tangible tastes. Her speaks of her wardrobe:

"Jeans? Never. To me they represent everything that is wrong with modern society. Everything is too casual these days. There is casual sex, casual talk. Everything is disposable — from microwave meals to morals. It’s all gone to pot really."

This true lady puts me to shame! I deeply agree with her, and her disillusion with the 21st century world  mirrors my own thoughts and feelings. However, she has had the drive and determination that many of us lack - she has gone and DONE IT by God! She has surrounded herself with what truly makes her happy, and created her own Victorian sanctuary.

I wouldn't be surprised if I end up in a similar situation when I grow older. In her interview she said that her fascination with the past began in her late teens, and her first piece of historical clothing was a pair of silk breeches that she would wear to school. I too used to wear knee-breeches and stockings to highschool as well! 

She speaks about how she bought her first velvet chaise when she got her first home, and the transformation began from there. This proves to be an important detail - if you want something so complete as a Victorian bedroom, one should consider resisting the urge to fill one's current bedroom with contemporary cheap crap. Just wait and save. If you know where to look, antique and recreation furniture is not hard to find or procure, and if you are diligent about not spending funds on the cheap stuff, you should have the money for it too. My own family owns quite a few nice pieces, and my Beau can attest to this principle as well - nearly his entire closet contains vintage and antique clothing. His modern wardrobe is miniscule yet hardworking.

This lady as set the bar, and I am willing to aim for it. Perhaps not right now, but certainly in the future. This seems like a relaxing and pampered way to age and live one's life - away from the endless crunch and clatter, whine and grind of this sloppy and angry century.