Seize the Stars

I am alive!

Mon, 25 May 2020 12:35:19 GMT

Wow it's been two years since I last logged in to Dreamwidth! And in the last post I made, I was talking about how sick I was, to boot- I hope no one thought I died! Life just got very busy, and I had less time for fandom/social media things- but I became a playwright, and a producer, and a director in that time, and board member of a theatre company I love very much, so those were all good excuses, I think!

Of course, now that we're in the middle of a global pandemic, I have much more time on my hands, since theatre is not happening right now, nor conventions to sew costumes for, so I have time again to check back in on this very ancient blog- if I count the original version of this blog on LJ, I've had it for over half my life, so I can't abandon it entirely.

I don't know if I'll keep up regularly here, but I certainly do think of the friends I have here regularly- I watched a few episodes of Sapphire and Steel last year because thisbluespirit recommended it. (I liked what I saw, but I didn't get very far- I was watching at my ex-boyfriend's house with his Amazon Prime, so when we broke up, that was the end of that, I'm afraid!)

I'm recalling that I have several prompt tables left to fill with Doctor Who fanworks, that I started years ago- after I finished watching all of Classic Who, I kind of fell out of fandom, but only temporarily. I love Doctor Who with all my heart, and I'll probably re-watch the first three Doctors eras at some point, so perhaps once I have the characters voices back in my head again, I'll write some more fic and finish those tables. I never did join AO3, which, now that we're social distancing, (and now that I've written fic for fandoms other than Doctor Who) I really feel like I ought to finally do! I'll probably forget again, but I really am making it a goal to do that this year.

I've missed two years of everyone's journals, so I hope everyone reading this has been doing well in that time, and I hope you're all staying safe now! Hopefully we'll all come out of this okay, eventually!

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(un)happy fourth of july :/

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:58:06 GMT

After being ridiculously busy for the past month, I'm now stuck at home with a nasty virus and feeling miserable because all my friends are out having a Fourth of July party and watching the fireworks while I'm sitting on my own coughing up large chunks of phlegm :(

For the 4th I usually at least watch The Music Man and eat some apple pie, but I don't feel celebratory in light of the horrible things going on in this country, and I'm too exhausted from my constant coughing fits to even try to cheer myself up. The onset of post-show depression isn't helping anyway- I usually feel sad after I finish doing a play, and not having another show lined up to do until December makes me more than a little anxious. Theatre is usually the only thing that makes me feel useful or happy, and there's not even anything to audition for on the horizon. But on the bright side, I made lots of new friends from this last show, and we've been trying to do stuff together on a regular basis, which is nice.

I really need to get cracking on sewing costumes for conventions, but for some reason I've had no desire to sew at all. And I should be excited- at TeslaCon this year, they're having a black & white My Fair Lady Ascot scene theme event, which I've dreamed of doing since I was a little kid... but I don't want to make anything for it, I just want to magically have a perfect outfit spring into existence for me to wear :p

Being super sick right now is probably not helping my motivation or optimism at any rate. Being sick in the summer is the WORST. Be gone, foul plague!!

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Mon, 21 May 2018 19:17:23 GMT

Almost finished watching Classic Who- only 4 more serials left! I've got the DVD of The Mutants sitting there waiting to be watched but I'm almost sad to, since it's the last 'new' Third Doctor serial I'll ever see. But I figure I'd better watch it sooner rather than later, since it's hard to avoid spoilers for a show that's been around this long.

I'm thinking it's time to finally get an Ao3 account at last. It seems Teaspoon is becoming a bit of a backwater as far as Doctor Who fandom is concerned, and everyone there has their stuff on Ao3 now as well, so maybe I should get on the bandwagon. I kind of want to write stuff for some other fandoms too, so Ao3 is the only real option for that, since I refuse to go to The Pit (aka FFN). And anyway lots of fic exchanges and fests and things are done through Ao3, so maybe it'll get me writing more, which would be nice since I haven't written any fic in sooo long, but who knows if I actually would. idk.

Trying to get enthused about sewing things again so that I won't have to last-minute scramble before this fall's conventions, but I'm so busy this summer and kind of not feeling the costuming bug. I'm probably going to mostly re-use old costumes for Teslacon this year, but I finally found a hat for my one of my dream dresses that I've wanted to make for years, so I've been thinking maybe I should make that this year. I told myself no more fussy fancy silk dresses if it's just for Teslacon, but I've got the hat and the fabric, and where else am I gonna wear a full 1880s get-up anyway? Maybe it'll get me excited for sewing again. I guess I should figure out a bodice pattern... (but I'll probably just procrastinate on Pinterest for a few hours instead :p)

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another random update. out of the blue. as you do.

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 07:17:45 GMT

Why, look, I'm still alive! *gasp* I totally forgot about posting my pics from TeslaCon, which I will do soon(ish).

I'm in rehearsals for another play- this time acting again, which is a bit of a relief after the last show I stage-managed turned out to be a pretty awful experience, but at least it looked good on stage, and it's over now. Onward and upward!

Just bought tickets for a Wizarding (i.e. Harry Potter) Convention this summer, so hopefully that should be fun. I honestly don't know if I'm even going to make any costumes for this one though- I think I might just wear my store-bought Hogwarts gear and just hang around with my friends, since I have a few real life friends who might go too. Not having a sewing project staring me in the face during the run of the play I'm in would definitely be a stress reducing move, after all.

I've fallen down the rabbit hole of Disney fandom once again thanks to the excellent current Disney princess TV series. Tangled: The Series and Elena of Avalor are surprisingly well written and beautifully animated, and I've reached the point where I'm finally old enough to admit I still really like kids stuff lol. And anyway I'm very close to finishing watching all of Classic Who, so it's good to have more shows to binge-watch when I get done with it. (I recently bought a ton of Big Finish stuff though, so I'm not nearly done with Doctor Who itself!)

Since I'm too tired for any more thinking or typing, and have proved that I'm still here, I think it's time for some sleep at last.

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Teslacon pics part 2

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 07:07:17 GMT

Here's my Saturday dress! As a little preface, I should mention that the fabric this is made out of has been in my stash longer than almost anything: I saw the bolt on clearance as a kid, and I begged my mom to buy it, because I knew it would make a perfect Victorian dress. All these years later, it finally has!

( Read more... )

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TeslaCon pics, part 1

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 08:53:41 GMT

The theme at TeslaCon was Bucharest, Romania- so lots of eastern European/folk dress/fantasy kind of stuff mixed with the usual Steampunk stuff. I liked the aesthetic a lot. Starting with my last outfit first, I think the outfit I made for Sunday captured the theme the best out all my outfits that weekend, and since it had bloomers instead of a skirt, it was a lot easier to wear!

( Read more... )

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I'm still here!

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 07:15:38 GMT

I return to update ye old journal once again! Nothing terribly out of the ordinary to report, despite my months of neglect- I sewed a lot costumes and went to some cons, and am now back in rehearsals for yet another play- a panto version of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, which I'm super excited about. A lot of my friends are in the cast (which makes putting up with our crazy director easier!), and it's been fun re-living my teenage love of all things Harry Potter after all these years. I even joined Pottermore and got officially sorted at last- I'm a Hufflepuff!

But of course the hard part of the show starts Monday for me, since that's the beginning of tech week, when I'll have to figure out the tech cues and run the show- with great power comes great responsibility! As long as no one catches on fire, I'll call it a success. (Because yeah, there's pyro again this year. Thankfully just flash-bang wands instead of the flashpots we had last year, but I still don't trust flame around actors in paper costumes. *prays we don't burn down the theatre*)

Anyway, I shall hopefully post fun pics of my Teslacon, Chicago TARDIS (and possibly Harry Potter) costume wardrobes soon. And if not soon, I'll at least try not to leave it for another 6 months lol

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sewing chatter, and goodbye Victoria ;_;

Sat, 29 Jul 2017 08:35:03 GMT

I'm finding that my decision to not do any theatre this summer in order to concentrate on sewing has left me rather bored and bereft of a social life, but at least I've started to make progress on my historical sewing projects, which is some small consolation. I've finally got my late 1880s bustle done, so I can at least start on skirts now, but for the life of me, I CANNOT find a late 1880s bodice pattern that fits AT ALL. The late 1880s is one of my favorite costume eras, and this year's theme at TeslaCon *is* late 1880s, but I've tried so many patterns that just don't remotely work (and I'm terrible at making patterns from scratch) that I'm just about to give up in despair. *sigh* (On the bright side, I finally made an 1860s/early 70s bodice pattern that fits, so I'm super excited to make some new stuff when I get back to Civil War reeanacting next year!)

In fandom news, I'm terribly, terribly sad that Deborah Watling, who played one of my very favorite Doctor Who companions, has passed away. It was apparently a very recent illness- I just saw her at a Doctor Who convention 8 months ago, and she certainly didn't seem ill then. I first met her at the same convention two years before that, when I'd made cosplays of two of her costumes, and I actually cried the first time I talked to her and told her how much her portrayal of Victoria meant to me! But she was very sweet and hugged me, and asked how long it had taken to make them, and said they looked just like the original outfits she wore. And when I fretted that I had to just guess what color to make the dress from 'Evil of the Daleks' because there were no color photos of it, she said that it didn't matter, because I'd made it with love, so even if it wasn't the exact same color, it was still perfect. I'll never forget that as long as I live. You cosplay a character because you love them, and to be able to let the person who created the character know that means so much.

I think Victoria is a hugely underrated character, and Deborah made her so real and lovable. Her scene with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor in 'Tomb of the Cybermen' where he comforts her about her father's death is honestly one of the most beautiful scenes in Doctor Who. It feels like far too soon to be saying goodbye to someone at 69, in this day and age when people live so long, but I'll always treasure the work she did, and the brief time I got to spend with her. RIP Debbie. ♥

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Tue, 13 Jun 2017 04:59:47 GMT

Not much to post about- been shockingly unproductive lately. (Though I did go to see My Fair Lady at the Lyric Opera a second time before it closed! It was even better the second time, and it's now unquestionably my favorite show I've ever seen. If only it had been filmed!! I'd watch it all the time. Ugh, I just love it soooo much!! *starts humming 'I Could Have Danced All Night'*)

I'm slightly questioning whether I'll go to this year's Doctor Who convention- I did already buy tickets, but you can still transfer them to someone else. I had intended to compete in the Masquerade, since there's no guests I want pics or autographs from this year, so I would have time to go to all the rehearsals and whatnot, but I'm having a devil of a time finding a pattern to use for the cosplay I wanted to do. I have all the fabric and accessories for Tegan's Victorian ballgown from 'Enlightenment', but when I made a muslin of the bodice pattern I planned to use (Laughing Moon 1890s bodice)- it did not fit AT ALL. So I'm back to square one, and not terribly enthused about it, and if I don't compete in the Masquerade, I don't know if it's worth it to go. :/

Nearing the end of my Classic Who watch-a-thon though! I've had to go somewhat out of order out of necessity, so I just watched Romana II's last ep and Sarah Jane's last back to back. ( Whovian musings under cut )

So now I have only six more serials left to watch before I'll have seen every Classic Who story!! It's been more than four years since I started; it's going to be strange not to have 'new' old Who to watch. But then of course, there's always Big Finish. I bought the rest of Eight & Charley's stories last time they had a sale, so I've got quite a lot to listen to. There's not really any such thing as being 'done' where Doctor Who is concerned, lol.

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My Fair Lady at the Lyric Opera!!!

Tue, 16 May 2017 03:25:16 GMT

Been laying low and trying to rest up since my last play closed, because a) I was sick as a dog and b) I wanted to feel better for my road trip to see 'My Fair Lady' in Chicago! I saw it on Thursday and it was AMAZING!!!

The Lyric Opera has been doing an annual musical for a few years, and they're always spectacular world class productions, but this one was my absolute favorite I've seen. For one thing, Richard E. Grant is playing Henry Higgins. I nearly fainted when I heard they'd cast him- he's been one of my favorite actors for years, and never in my wildest dreams did I, a penniless midwestern girl, think I would ever get the chance to see him live on stage! And he was perfect in this role, as was Lisa O'Hare as Eliza Doolittle.

( A review with spoilers and squeeing )

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backstage selfies

Fri, 05 May 2017 08:29:36 GMT

It's the final weekend of the play I'm doing! Though I've been sick for the past week and will be glad for the rest when it's over, I'll miss the show itself for sure. In addition to stage managing, I also play a bit part in three scenes, so I have fun dressing up as the 1930s version of myself: I play the wardrobe lady! A few backstage selfies:

Act one, in my cute little vintage apron, aww.

( Read more... )

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Fri, 21 Apr 2017 08:49:47 GMT

So tired. Final dress rehearsal for my latest play went well- but honestly after a very long tech week, I feel like I'd rather just be done with it and sleep for a whole day than go to opening night tomorrow! But apparently people have paid to come see us, which is pretty cool after all, so the show goes on. And since I'm running the show from backstage, I get to play with the vintage hats and costumes in the ladies dressing room while they're all on stage, heehee! (No, I'm not supposed to, but that's just what happens when you leave me alone with a rack full of vintage clothing for any length of time. When the cat's away...lol)

I'm sad that I didn't finish my fic for who_guestfest yet again. *sigh* But at least I started one this year! But once tech week came around, it was a lost cause to even think about writing anything. Still gonna try and finish eventually, but probably after the show closes, since I'll need to sleep sometime between then and now!

Watched the season premiere of Doctor Who, since I was sitting home that Saturday night and had nothing else to do anyway. (Or so I thought: I learned the next day that THE ZOMBIES(!!!) had played a concert a few miles away from me that very night and I'd missed it. I had no idea the original band members had even gotten back together, let alone had a tour stop in my hometown, so I spent the next day crying my eyes out at missing my one chance ever to hear my favorite band live. But I digress...) ( text )

Anyway, just hoping to get thru the rest of this weekend without collapsing! *fingers crossed*

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mostly sewing babble

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 08:17:51 GMT

Rehearsals chugging along for the play I'm currently doing. We load in to the theater this Sunday, so I should hunker down and make up scene change lists and whatnot, but right now I'd rather be writing Doctor Who fic and sewing dresses, especially since once tech week starts, I'll have no energy left for anything else. And I'm stage managing AND acting in it, which are two different parts of my brain that don't usually work together, so I'm avoiding thinking about it till I have to. ~~Adulting is hard okay~~

Still figuring out my Teslacon wardrobe- it's probably the only historical costume event I'll get to this year, since I've got wayyy too much theater going on and am taking the year off from my Civil War group again. None of my old 1860s dresses fit anymore, and I don't have time to make a new 1860s wardrobe and a Teslacon wardrobe, and I'm just more interested in the Teslacon stuff. This year's theme is late 1880s eastern European, slightly Goth-influenced, to which I say: HECK YES! The perfect excuse to use up my horde of velveteen and make that Truly Victorian Imperial bustle I've been coveting for so long! I'm still struggling with finding late Victorian bodice patterns that work tho- I've given up on Truly Victorian bodices entirely. They're just NOT made for my figure at all, but then almost nothing is when you're petite and busty. Gonna try the Laughing Moon 1890s bodice pattern and see if that works better. *fingers crossed*

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Doctor Who Mini Prompt Table Masterpost: First Doctor Era - 15 prompts - Poetry Randomiser

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 03:46:02 GMT

Here is the new masterpost for my second prompt table originally claimed on LJ and now transferred to the Dreamwidth side of the comm at who_allsorts:

First Doctor Era: 15 prompts - Poetry Randomiser

#01 Writing by candlelight	#02 – A silken dress	#03 – Too long shut in	#04 – Where are you leading me	#05 – In ferocious cold
#06 – Beating wings	#07 – I dare not move	#08 – I had a dream	#09 – Put off that mask	#10 – The scene is set
#11 – And the sudden light	#12 – Enchantment was undone	#13 - The dust of a kiss	#14 - A gallant flower	#15 - All in war with Time

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Doctor Who Mini Prompt Table Masterpost: Ian/Barbara - 6 prompts - Fanfic Genres

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 03:16:29 GMT

I'm migrating my prompt table claims from LJ over to the Dreamwidth side of the comm at who_allsorts, so here is my masterpost for my first claim:

Ian Chesterton/Barbara Wright: 6 Prompts - Fanfic Genres

#01 – Angst	#02 – Fluff	#03 – Crack
#04 – Crossover	#05 – Plot What Plot	#06 - Romance

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I'm still here!

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 06:38:49 GMT

I realize I've neglected online blogging for a while, due to a combination of being very busy with theater things and the uncertainty over the fate of LJ. Even though I'd officially decided to move over to Dreamwidth, I was clinging to LJ since it's still bigger and busier and I'm loathe to lose the active comms I have there. (There's a comm I'd love to import to DW, but I'm only a mod and I fear the owners are long gone, and I worry about losing that one particularly.)

But I think now with LJ's new user agreement upon us, it's finally time to be more active in my migration to Dreamwidth. I'm not going to delete my journal over there or anything, & I'm going to try to figure out how to cross-post DW entries to LJ, but I might disable LJ-side commenting. I think more of us trying to be active on DW might encourage others and liven things up over here. I'm still getting the hang of the differences between the two sites, and that'll probably take a while to get used to, but I'm going to try. I don't relish losing LJ one bit, since I've been there for such a long time & there's so many memories and so much history there. But if it becomes necessary to let it go one day, I'd like to be pro-active about creating something to take it's place. I'd like to think that if we could build up a fandom there, we can build up the same here too.

So, Hello Dreamwidth! *waves*

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