What a lovely evening

[miladycarol]

We attended JR's Halloween murder mystery event tonight. I don't see JR more than a few times a year, it seems, though he lives right down the street. Every time I see him, I remember that I really love him and want to spend lots more time with him. I can't figure out why we can't sync our schedules more often. Perhaps it has something to do with his work schedule being more nocturnal than mine. *sigh*

I went to the Gem Faire this morning. It was like a social event for me. I get to see lots of people I don't see very often at all since I don't work at Harlequin now. I even picked up a couple strands of unusual and exciting beads to add to my collection.

I walked home, made a lovely udon noodle stir fry for lunch, then set about to create my mega pasta sauce extravaganza. The mystery party tonight was set in Chicago's mobster scene, so it called for Italian food. I was suggested as the pasta sauce chef. I made my bolognese and my primavera sauces, created a great mess in the kitchen that I didn't have time to address before I left, jumped into my mobster clothes (which is, to my great joy, a perfect occasion to dress in a feminine drag style with silk shirt, satin tie and fedora) and headed out the door. We all looked divine. I pulled out my great grandfather's bowler hat for G to wear. This is the real deal from the early 1900's. It's a wee bit small for his head which is a better deal than when I try to don it. If I don't move, it perches on my ears and looks cute. If I even blink too heartily, it falls over my face like a perverse mockery of Darth Vader's helmet. I'm sure I can figure out how to make it smaller by padding.

I'm also pleased to announce that my character didn't commit any murders at all tonight. *smug smug*

There were pictures taken tonight. I'll post when JR sends them to me to show you what lovely little mobsters we were. *smiles*

Comments

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

That is so cool you still have his bowler.

We had nothing quite as cool. I do remember my sister's and my horror when we came upon an old heirloom stole with heads in my Grandmother's attic. We were fairly young and my sister's tears were copious. we never saw that thing again, so I'm guessing she got rid of it because it upset my sister so much.

[miladycarol.livejournal.com]

My Mom saves everything. She gave it to me some years ago, but I've yet to adjust it to fit my head. It's really cool to have it. You know how I love historically accurate (or at least the illusion of it) pieces. It's such fun to have wardrobe to span the centuries.

My Grandma had some real fur pieces. Mind you, she was born in 1898 in Massachusetts. Down jackets were not even made then. The best defense against the cold were wool or animal skins like leather and fur. In the mid-1920's, my Grandfather gifted his new wife with a full fur coat. One of those mid-calf length models you see in all the movies and pictures of the era. He saved for a long time to buy it for her. She told me her previous coat was a wool one that had been handed down through the family and had more air-conditioning than air-buffering. She sort of thought he'd be getting her a coat, but she expected a wool one, not fur. It was not thought of as cruel in those days.

I also saw some of her little fur stoles that she had inherited from her Mother (my great grandma) that had been clipped to the collars of wool coats to make them look more posh. I held them with both awe and fascination. I felt badly for the poor little thing to give up it's life, but I was profoundly fascinated with all the little claws, pads of feet, etc. I didn't have pets growing up, so it was my first real exposure to small animals. Great-grandma had sewn the hooks onto the stole herself so she could clip it to her coat.

Needless to say, I didn't inherit any of those. Mom may still have them, I'm not sure.

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

The stole we found was heirloom fur, likely from the early 1900s. certainly, no newer than 1928.

[ninjakitten]

Eee, mystery party!

Eee twice, gem faire! ...is that still going on? I really want to go to that and spend too much money I don't have! :D

[miladycarol.livejournal.com]

It is all weekend. So, it's ending Sunday. At the fairgrounds. Last week there was a coupon to get in for less money in the Weekly. I may even have one here. I usually get in for free because I'm a wholesaler.

http://www.gemfaire.com/schedule/index.html

[ninjakitten]

After I commented I went looking, and Pol's mom serendipitously gave me a free-entry-with-this-coupon she cut out of the Weekly, so I went yesterday. And, er, today. And spent much, much too much. >_> I wish I were a wholesaler!

Now I have to make more stuff and figure out how to get people to buy it so I can buy more beads and... :)

[miladycarol.livejournal.com]

Awesome. We shall have to have a beading night. I haven't really paid my beads much attention over the summer. Winter is a great time to hole up and make things.

[ninjakitten]

Yes! I approve of this plan! :D

[karinablack.livejournal.com]

I loved the gem faire!!!
We went in the afternoon. Had you heard an unearthly howling and seen two women hurredly escorting toddlers from the premises, this would have been us *lol*

[miladycarol.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. *looks concerned*

[karinablack.livejournal.com]

hehehe.. part and partial to having toddlers- they will want to touch and they will throw fits. :)

Sometimes there's just no placating them, a fit's a fit.

We stayed too long, our kidlets were tired (and loud *giggles*)
We left as soon as they let us know they were DONE. (Sarah's daughter kept saying DONE! DONE! BYE! BYE! It was hilarious in a masochistic sort of way.)