My First "Real" Award!

I won Best Original/Homemade Costume for my Susan costume at my work party a few weeks ago (got a $100 gift card to Target), but last night I won my first "real" award!

I went to ChicagoTARDIS at the Westin in Lombard, IL, dressed in my Clockwork Droid costume.  I decided at the last minute to enter the Masquerade, and let me tell you, that was the most daring thing I've done in a long time.  Wearing a mask helps (I also wore it to get an autograph from Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto Jones on Torchwood).

This was my first real costume contest ever, and boy was I a nervous wreck!  Thank goodness I hadn't eaten in about eight hours, or I'd have been puking in my very, very hot mask.  We entered backstage through the kitchen - now I know how the stars feel!  (I also stood right next to the rack of coffee makers that Gareth David-Lloyd brought out on stage as his "appliance" during his panel.  God, I've become such a fangirl!)  While we were hanging out backstage, I'm pretty sure that Tony Lee, one of the writers, was back there.  It was hard to see in my mask, though.  The script that the MC read was, "The clock on the mantel is broken!  Straight from the spaceship Madame de Pompadour, this clockwork droid is in search of replacement parts."  Matt says I walked across the stage a bit fast, but the CWDs do walk fast.  I did stop and do a few poses before walking off.  Also, when we were at Dragon*Con's Masquerade and people were up there forever, it got very tedious.

Anyway, when they announced the awards, there were all kinds of silly awards, like "Best Use of a Banana" (given to the Tenth Doctor and Rose).  I ended up sitting next to them, and I thought that was pretty funny because the banana was from the same episode as the CWD ("Girl in the Fireplace").  But then they announced the winner for "Best Workmanship - Novice", and I was the winner!  How exciting!  I also got to stand about 10 feet away from Ian McNeice (who played Winston Churchill in the last season).  He had been one of the judges. 

Yesterday was one of the best days ever.  I met Ianto Jones, (he said, "you are SPOOKY" and shook my hand like he was afraid to), entered my first Masquerade, and won the Novice division!  I'm so thrilled!

The Lion King

Last night my mother-in-law and sister-in-law took me to see The Lion King in Chicago for my birthday.  It was amazing, especially for a costumer like me!  I wasn't too impressed with some of the singing, and I think the audio wasn't balanced correctly a few times (I could barely make out the words) but the costuming absolutely made up for it.

I'd heard from day one that the costumes in The Lion King were breathtaking, and sitting in the second seat from the aisle, I was able to look at the costumes in detail as the cast walked up to the stage.  At one point the hyenas were all coming down the aisle - they were SCARY.  I said, "oh god!" and one hyena turned and yelled "BOO!" right in my sister-in-law's face!  We both jumped a mile.  Totally awesome.

So now I want to make a hyena costume for a future Dragon*Con.  It will be REALLY complicated, so I don't know if I'll ever actually attempt it.  But I'm definitely tossing this idea around, trying to figure out what I'd need to do, what materials I'd use, etc.   I wish I could show how the hyenas look from the side - they are just amazing!

Matt pointed out that Dragon*Con is a scifi convention.  I so do not care.  These are COOL!