The path of true love never did run smooth or sometimes you need to grow up a little before you understand

Me as Two at my very first con.

I have a confession to make: I forgot my first doctor.

I suspect it was either four or five.  But maybe it was six?

When I was little my parents used to watch Doctor Who on PBS.  I neither understood nor liked it.  People were just running around being chased by very scary things and they kept dying.  What was so wonderful about that?

Due to may parents viewing I had a vague understanding of things like Daleks and Time  Lords and would laugh at the occasional Doctor Who  joke whenever it popped up, but the show wasn't important to me.  I certainly have no recollection of watching the TV movie - though it is possible I did.

Since I didn't particularly like the show I wasn't interested when the reboot started airing.  My father, who doesn't watch much of any TV, did watch it.  So I'd some times pass by - standing behind the living room sofa, of all things, and catch a bit here and there.  Amused, but not fully engaged.  Then I caught most of The Empty Child.  This was interesting - the London Blitz, a handsome American in a uniform, and mad silliness.  I stayed and watched the rest.  Of course it was a cliffhanger.  I made a point of catching the conclusion : The Doctor Dances.  There's that moment at the end - the moment where the Doctor is ecstatic and yelling "Nobody dies!"  and that was the moment.  The moment I was lost to the show for all time.  Because knowing he didn't like it, knowing that he didn't want to always be surrounded by death and nastiness - well maybe that was all I needed to forgive my traumatic childhood memories.

Of course, then they changed the Doctor on me!  But then he was my Doctor too!  And I loved him.  And then, well it all continues from there, doesn't it?  You decide to check out the old series.  Maybe you host a few Who themed parties.  You put together a second doctor cosplay because he's possibly even more your doctor than Ten(also lots of people dress as Ten but hardly any as Two -which is so wrong!) You go to conventions in your costume and get excited because they know you are Two!  And suddenly it's a piece of who you are.  You are a Whovian.  You can name all the actors who played the Doctor in order.  You know what UNIT used to stand for and what it stands for now.  You always keep an ear out for the sound of the the TARDIS, because, just in case.  And you love the Doctor because he's amazing and flawed and brilliant and funny.  Really really funny.  And then there's the show that elates and disappoints and makes you cry and angry and laugh and it's not perfect.  But it's yours.  It belongs to you as well as everyone else who has watched it in the 50+ years of its history. 


And that's the journey.  That's how I ended up here.  That's how I became a Whovian. 

Any fellow Whovians have a story to share?

Are Diamonds really a girl's best friend?

"Diamonds are a girl's best friend" is one of those songs.   A song that most people view in certain light that I see differently.  Ask around and most people will say it's about a woman professing her love of material possessions.  Or maybe they will say it's about a woman picking money over love.  There are songs about that but when I hear "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" I don't think it is one of them.

If you haven't heard it in awhile  you might want to take a moment to listen:

I like to view this song as advice.  From a more experienced woman to a woman just starting out.  She's telling her to remember that looks fade and men leave.  To not get too swept up in romance because it's not going to keep you fed or a roof over your head.  She isn't saying love is bad or to avoid it.  She's just reminding women to be practical.

When Marilyn sang the song it was 1953.  At the time women were expected to fall in love with and marry a man who would provide her with financial security - in that light this is some revolutionary stuff.   (I am over generalizing here as I know this isn't how things really were - both my grandmothers worked after marriage.  I am referring the fairy tale being marketed to society at large.) Admittedly, the song is being sung by a woman who is having affairs with married men but isn't the advice practical to all women?  Wouldn't it be better to still be able to pay the bills if your husband runs out on you?  I'm not saying money makes it better but it sure makes it easier.   I'd rather be nursing a broken heart with food and shelter.  Am I alone in this?

Yes, love is grand and I'm not trying to knock it.  But I think it's better when love and security don't get all mixed up with each other.   Now I'm not trying to say that it's wrong for a woman to make a choice to raise the kids and keep house while her husband supports her.  In an ideal world we would all have the privilege to make that choice.  I just think all women (and men) are better off when they have the skills or 'diamonds' to make it on their own, should circumstances change. 

So fall in love.  Fall hard.  Get your heart broken.  But make sure you have a 'diamond' or two set aside.  They may not really be "a girl's best friend" but they sure are handy when the rent comes due.

This dress is a Marvel

I am looking at the ceiling in an attempt to get you to fall for the old "look at the ceiling gag"

Part of me wants to cosplay every day of a convention but sometimes that just isn't possible.  Also it's want to have something to wear  at other times that both reflects my personal style and shows nerd pride. Having coveted the many different comic/tv show prints at Jo Ann forever I finally decided that I was going to give in and buy some.  I went with The Avengers. 

I didn't know exactly what dress I was going to make with it.  I did know I didn't want the  whole dress to be made of the fabric - I thought it would be overwhelming so I also picked up some red linen/rayon blend that I love (I made a dress in the same fabric last year) and then I went home to go through all my dress patterns.  I finally settled on Vintage Vogue 8728 .

I was a little nervous to work with the pattern as my mom told me she'd had trouble with Vogue patterns in the past.  It was also rated "average" and not "easy" - so that didn't help.   Still after locating some tearaway stabilizer (something I've never heard of/used before) and pre-washing my fabric I dived in.

Kind of boring from the back.

I made the dress over a month ago, so my memories about the construction phase are vague.  Still I don't recall screaming at the sewing machine or bursting into tears so it must have gone well.  I do recall messing up while attaching the skirt to the bodice - that seems to be a thing with me.  But I eventually worked it out.  I  wore it for first day of this year's ACE and it was a huge hit.

Since then I've worn it twice.  Once just because it was Tuesday and these pictures are from the second time when I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy.  I keep saying I'm going to try a different necklace with it but the shield one is just so perfect.  Nobody said anything to me when I went to see the movie but I got a complement on the dress and necklace when I went to get allergy shots - so that was nice.

Attempting to show the necklace and the neckline off better.  Only succeeded at one.

Looking at the dress I wish I'd taken the time to do a strip of red at the bottom of the skirt - of course I can still do that but I probably won't for awhile.  It occurred to me at the time but my new cosplay took priority.  Also I think I will take it down one size if I make the dress again because it's pretty loose in the bodice.  There are instructions for a belt that came with the pattern - maybe some day.  I am fairly certain I will make a hat or some sort of head piece to go with the dress and promise to post pics when I do.

Without the belt.

Outfit Details:
Avengers Dress - Made by me
Belt - Crusin' via a now closed local store
Shield Necklace - Silverthink
Earrings- Classic Hardware
Bracelet - local store
Stockings- Leg Avenue via Sock Dreams
Shoes - Swedish Hasbeens via Zappos.