Weird Hobbies

Elaine and I after the Tucson Zombie Walk.

I think most little girls enjoy dressing up, but apparently I haven't grown out of it like a normal person would. I am partly enabled by my best friend Elaine, who seems to like doing the same things. When The Return of the King movie came out, my best friend Elaine and I went to the midnight showing all dressed up. Everyone thought we were crazy; she dressed up as Frodo, and I dressed up as Minas Morgul. My very talented sister painted a balloon to look like Sauron's flaming eye, which I then suspended on a horned headpiece. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures since that was pre-Facebook, and apparently our photo-hosting site from that even went defunct many years ago. More recently, we've also dressed up for a Renaissance Faire and a couple zombie walks. This is apparently strange (at least in my circle of friends and acquaintances), since I'm always greeted by "You did what?!"

Now that July is upon us, my next big project is getting ready for the Harry Potter Deathly Hallows 2 midnight screening. It's the last installment of the HP movie series (octology?), and when this is over, there is nothing else in Potter-verse to look forward to...sadness! I remember when I first read the Sorceror's Stone so many years ago (in secret, because my dad wouldn't let us read it because it had magic and witchcraft), and how beautifully JK Rowling developed the story over the next several years. When the last book came out, I was so sad because it meant there was nothing else coming. Well, that wasn't entirely true, since there were still the movies, but now that this is the last movie there really is nothing else!!

Too much gray, even for me.

I thought cosplaying for ROTK was a once in a lifetime, silly college fangirl thing, but it looks like I've found other people crazy enough to dress up with me for the HPDH2 midnight show! Well, one other girlfriend. My husband, despite my pleading, doesn't seem too keen on the idea.

While Hermione is my favorite character in the books (bossy know-it-all bookworm? that's me!), I decided I wanted to do something a little more offbeat than just finding a gray jumper and a school uniform skirt. I mean, I worked at private schools for six years; school uniforms are not exciting. So...I am dressing up as the ultimate crazy person, Bellatrix Lestrange.

This was my first self-drafted nightmare bodice.

Having made at least part of all my previous costumes, it only stands to reason that I do what I can for my Bellatrix outfit. I thought about going all out and getting velvet and silver paint, but let's be reasonable here: I'm not bringing in any bacon currently and my husband is going to be a grad student shortly. The theme of the story is good-enough-to-get-point-across. So I'm refashioning an old black long-sleeved shirt for the bodice. I already have a fantastic thrifted black skirt that I originally bought just because it was too beautiful to pass up...I'm so glad I did! I'm still hoping to thrift a black leather skirt to cut up for the waist corset thingy, and thinking about getting a wig since my hair's not that long yet, but we'll see. I'll be making my own wand, and if I have time I might even attempt the bird skull necklace!

 

I would really, really, really love it if my husband dressed up as Lord Voldemort (we could be the best couple that never was!), but for some reason going as a bald pale nose-less dude doesn't appeal to him. Gee, I wonder why.