I don't know what to wear this week, mostly because I am saving all my stylish-yet-warm clothes for going up north this Friday. I am still really excited about it, but slightly less so because I spoke to Daniel last week about seeing him while we're in Manchester. (Those of you who are also members of certain girly communities will have seen me post about this issue anonymously already). Not four days ago I asked him out to a restaurant this Friday, with me and Kris and Mum. He said yes, definitely, and I told him I would have to book a table.
So we had a bit of a hard time trying to book said table because one of our favourite pizzerias in Manchester was, of course, fully booked for the Friday before Xmas. So in fact were the other couple of places we tried. We finally got a booking at Olive Press, and I texted Daniel to let him know where we'd be eating. He then told me he wasn't available Friday night because he'd be stuck in a studio in Rochdale.
I felt annoyed because he'd already said he would be free on the Friday. He asked if we would be around Friday daytime, but I had to tell him (again, as I'd already explained) we wouldn't be arriving in Manchester until Friday evening because Kris has an important Xmas lunch to attend here, for the Chemistry department of the uni. I can't see Daniel (as he suggested) on Saturday evening because we will be in Leeds for Wendyhouse. I asked him if he was free any other day/time, he said maybe Sunday, I said what time, and I haven't had a reply (this was early yesterday evening).
Now, the guys on my Dad's side are flaky (genetically, I guess?) so I'm not filled with horror at this situation, I'm used to it, and I definitely know it's nothing personal. I do despair sometimes though! I reckon if I don't get a reply by say Thursday night, I will call Daniel and hope he answers. I also want to take him a Xmas present, though I don't expect one in return (and actually I don't even mind, I just would like to give him a gift).
I could probably be more furious, I mean, I was more furious initially, but I have to take this stuff with a grain of salt because some people ARE like that, regardless of their good intentions. And to some people, plans are never really set in stone, no matter what. Daniel showed up to my wedding in Venice - if he hadn't done so at the last minute, that really would have changed my perspective on who he is. But really I think he suffers from that general flakiness. I don't think he flakes when he truly knows it is important. I'll be upset if I don't manage to see him over this long weekend, but I will try my damndest to make sure I do see him, even briefly. I do love him a lot. Do I give him too much mercy? Maybe, I don't know. I'm not a very forgiving person as a rule, so hopefully not.
We got Mum a Dior eye shadow duo for Xmas. I also need to choose something else for her. She hasn't asked for anything, but it's really important that we get her something nice, as she has been endlessly supportive of both Kris and I this year. Emotionally and financially - she has bailed us out in many different ways. I can't wait to stay at home briefly and see my cat, Archie <3 and his sister Amber. It feels very weird now I stay at home because my bed is still there in my bedroom, the walls are still dark purple, my old wardrobe is there. But my dressing table is here in Leamington with me, and lots of my stuff. Some of my books are still at Mum's, and dressy-type clothes and things. My bedroom doesn't feel exactly like my bedroom anymore, when I sleep in there. It is more like a guest room (and it's MUCH tidier than it was when I lived in there!) but it's still quite strange to be waking up there again with Kris, like when we first went out together.
I'm also hoping that we can meet up with some goth people when we visit Manchester, for drinks etc. I actually just want to stomp around Manchester in the horrible wintry damp cold, up and down Oxford Street, just for old times' sake... I don't miss it in some ways, but in others I do. I've come to appreciate the good things about it. Now when I go, it's more like a lovely holiday in which I can enjoy what's nice about Manchester, not having to deal with the crap that comes with living there.
I haven't decided what I'm wearing for Wendyhouse yet. I wonder who else is going to the Xmas one, other than the people I know are going. A lot of people seem to be on the fence about it because of the closeness to Xmas and funds (or lack thereof). Kris knows what he's wearing already. We're not really doing the whole Steampunk theme, actually we're pretty much boycotting it. Can't wait to see Mel and Johnny in Leeeeeeeeeds <3
I got Kris' last present that I needed to get today, I had it picked out for a while. Have wrapped it now, and I'm just waiting for something else to arrive from Etsy. I'm hoping it'll come by Friday morning, because I want us to take all our gifts to Mum's and we can open them all together. Solstice doesn't fall until Monday, but anyway.
There is the uni Xmas party thing on Thursday night. Kris is allowed to take a non-uni guest, which would be me, except I don't know if we can be bothered to go. I'm not sure what I would wear anyway.
So, after the utter fail that was the weekend, it was my birthday yesterday and so we headed to London in the afternoon. After checking in to our student hall room in Paddington, we got changed ready to go and see Phantom of the Opera. (Most of you know me well enough to know that I am a HUGE Phantom fan and so this involved MAJOR SQUEE). I wore the same dress I wore for Kris' graduation, with ballet flats and a gold necklace Dad had bought me years ago (I'd since lost it and only found it when I was back at Mum's on Friday, thanks to her sorting out all my remaining jewellery). Kris wore a shirt, smart trousers and waistcoat with the engraved silver pocket watch I'd got him for Christmas 2007.
We made our way to Piccadilly Circus on the tube, stopping for coffee on Haymarket because we were a little early. Past seven o'clock and it was time to go into Her Majesty's Theatre (HM), the venue where Phantom originally debuted in London and has played ever since. It was wonderful to visit where it all started - my first experience of Phantom on stage was on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre, so I'd never even seen HM before. It's a lovely yet quite unassuming place and the auditorium was very cosy.
We were seated several rows from the front in the stalls, not as close as I had been at the Broadway showing, but still very near to the stage. The chandelier was raised (and fell from) almost directly above our heads. Before the show began I was quite nervous, drinking in the initial stage setup of the covered chandelier and the dull decor of the auction scene.
When the performance was underway I was taken aback by just how much every cast member seemed dedicated to their character. Everyone from the principal cast to the chorus was totally on the ball. One of my favourites of the supporting cast was Gareth Snook as Andre, he was pure comedy. Rebecca Lock played Carlotta, in a very different manner to the Carlotta I saw on Broadway, slightly camp but not too much. In fact the comic relief seemed to flow throughout the show in just the right amount to balance out the drama and horror.
I believe that Tabitha Webb played Christine last night, and Nigel Richards was Phantom. Sometimes these thins are hard to tell, particularly with the Phantom since he is generally so caked in makeup and costume that it can be difficult to recognise the actor. I was fairly certain however that it was not Ramin Karimloo at this performance. It was a shame, because I had heard tons of reviews of Karimloo's Phantom in the positive vein and he is supposed to be reprising the role in Love Never Dies (the sequel which is due to be debuted next year). Still, Nigel Richards was an utterly dramatic and emotional Phantom, he carried each note with perfect flair and quite the enchanting voice. From the moment I heard his echoing tones through the auditorium I knew he would be excellent. I was, at times, pretty astonished by how entrancing his voice was.
Tabitha Webb portrayed an extremely formidable and very vulnerable, youthful Christine. The scene where she breaks down at the prospect of taking part in Don Juan, was quite striking due to her emotional range. To that effect, the main cast seemed to reflect this - Simon Bailey played Raoul, with so much more depth and charisma than the first Raoul I'd seen. I am a shameless Raoul fangirl so how he is portrayed is VERY IMPORTANT.
The magic and trickery of the production was still as astounding and thrilling as it ever has been, and seeing the show for a second time only made everything better. Knowing the story so well never seems to dilute the energy of Phantom, it just became more enjoyable with every scene, and I was devastated when the show drew to a close, because I just wanted to relive it again straight away.
I met Simon Bailey outside at the stage door, and praised him on his excellent portrayal of Raoul before he signed my programme. :D He was very friendly. It made the night that bit more special because I didn't buy any other souvenirs (I have a few already).
I am, right now, extremely sad that I will not see Phantom again for a long while, and maybe not at all, considering that the sequel will be happening soon and I fear that the original Phantom will finally end its record-breaking run. ;_; I would honestly go and see it every week if I had the means to do so.
Today was the 4th July festival in Leamington, which is actually a celebration of Leamington's independent retailers and companies (including cafes, restaurants and boutiques) with an American theme to coincide with Independence day. We didn't see much of it ourselves, but the day consisted of a skateboarding/BMX ramp in the street behind our apartment, cheerleaders, an Elvis impersonator, an American football team, and free samples of things outside the various independent shops.
I had been wondering when to wear my new leopard-print dress, so I decided to wear it today and then Kris and I thought we'd generally whore ourselves out to the camera.
I was named Sam after the characters in Quantum Leap and Cheers (my mum liked the shows). If I was a boy I would have still been Sam. Other names considered for me were Clementine (really), Primrose, Rebecca, Rachel and Taylor (this was my middle name when I was younger, though it's been changed now).
If I were to re-name myself I guess it would be Kitty.
Most people have probably seen this but I felt the need to post it anyway. The new advertisment starring Keira Knightley, to put a stop to domestic violence against women.
Today we received a gorgeous little package via DHL from our wedding planners, a little white box tied with purple satin ribbon. It contained our marriage certificates and a finished CD of photos.
So here I present our official wedding pictures. Enjoy. :)
Random Joker/Harley fic I've been meaning to finish for ages.
Title: Smile Time Author: glittersavvy Fandom: Batman (BtAS-verse) Pairing: Joker/Harley Genre: Humour Rating: PG Disclaimer: I don't own any DC characters. I just use them shamelessly for my own pleasure.
Summary: Joker catches Harley playing with makeup...
I'm currently devouring a new book that Chris allowed me to buy at his expense at the weekend - Queen of Fashion. It is an in-depth study of the life and death of Marie Antoinette, focusing on the oft-neglected theory that both her rise and fall were characterised, if not dictated, by the way she dressed. The subject of Marie Antoinette's fashions is nearly always touched upon in biographies, but there has never been a volume written precisely about it in this context. The book is not a collective of costume plates or sketches presenting her style - there are scarce few pictures. As it is, the actual wardrobe of Marie Antoinette was a tragic loss - destroyed and torn to shreds during the Revolution. Only a handful of pieces escaped. The pieces of the puzzle have been painstakingly put together over the years using a number of sources. Among them engravings and portraits from the period, as well as tabloid caricatures of the ill-fated Queen, plenty of them pornographic in their depictions. These of course may well be exaggerated notions, much like circulated rumours of the time. Historical accounts might also be biased, but in some cases truthful. As such the general style of Marie Antoinette is extremely recognizable today and is not exempt from interpretations on the modern catwalk. The book itself cites John Galliano's 'Marie-Antoinette' dress for Christian Dior, and beyond this immediate homage, many more subtle nods to her are popular in high fashion.
'Queen of Fashion,' though, illustrates Marie Anoinette's life, beginning with her departure from her native Vienna to Versailles, in great detail. It is structured almost like a regular biography, but taking clear note of what the young Dauphine wore along the way. Out of context the idea perhaps sounds superficial. But the truth was that the court of France invested a good deal in outward appearances. Moreover, they were paramount. Maria Antonia, as her name was in Austria, was to marry the Dauphin of France, Louis Auguste, in order to cement the alliance between the two countries. She would become a daughter of France, and therefore had to take on everything that role required. She underwent extreme cosmetic changes even before arriving at Versailles, such as having her teeth set, without anaesthetic, by a dentist in order to make them straight. The process took three months of surgery to complete. In addition, Marie Antoinette (her name modified to be more French) endured various 'rituals' in her early days as the Dauphine, like the handover ceremony in which she was stripped naked and looked upon by a great many French courtiers, before being re-dressed in new French clothes. This humilation was repeated in further displays such as the lever and the coucher (upon waking and retiring to bed).
To be clear for those who aren't aware, I am a huge admirer of Marie Antoinette. At a young age I merely heard only negative opinions of her, at our school's Bastille Day celebrations. Readings would take place at the Bastille Day assembly, and reenactments of Louis and Marie's deaths at the guillotine. I remember only wanting to learn more about this person, a lady who seemed, to me, misunderstood, beyond all the stories about her. I respect people's ideas of her if they choose to dislike her. But so much is blamed upon her. I would never say she wasn't completely at fault. But I prefer to consider her overall situation. After reading from various sources I became somewhat of a fan. In my eyes she was a fourteen-year-old girl torn from her home country to marry a foreigner she did not know, and spend her life thereafter in a strange place with different rules and customs. So much was expected of her at such a young age. Besides this, much of the reason the French public grew to despise Marie Antoinette was inspired by vicious chatter at Versailles. There were many courtiers who did not want to see this Austrian princess come to power, if not through distrust of her country, then from their own desire for power and status. They spread ugly words about the Dauphine whilst pretending to be her friends, gaining her trust and using her shared confidences against her. Marie Antoinette was simply a pawn to them.
I don't mean to make this unbearably tedious - in short, I acknowledge the bad things she did. But I also notice her loneliness and isolation. She made friends at Versailles, who turned out to be real friends, yet everyone else loathed her. Marie Antoinette kept trying hard, however, to win their acceptance - even when it felt like she had no control over things. Her husband's initial refusal to consummate their marriage and allow her to give France an heir. This was not Marie Antoinette's doing, though she was blamed for it. She tried and occasionally made mistakes. But her earnest must have felt all the more exhausting when her attempts did nothing to help her ailing reputation. I can relate to her as feeling desperate and uncertain. Knowing the whispers that are being spread, and knowing of people's aversion to you, is not a welcome feeling. And in that regard she is a sympathetic figure. But I cannot really pity her, as she did have strength. She was eager to please, wanted to make everyone proud. Her fall from grace was accompanied by myriad psychological and emotional factors. Though she stood tall, even on the day of her execution.
The book chronicles Marie Antoinette's story with descriptions of her clothes, belongings, and places she inhabited, in nothing less than a sumptuous manner. It reads almost like a fairy tale, although it is clearly not. The crux of the matter is the acknowledgement of a female's lack of power in society. The Dauphine, perhaps also influenced by traumatic experiences wherein she was stripped naked, knew the power that lay in the garments we wear. By using fashion as a weapon she felt she could regain that stolen dignity. This idea is reflected in the new film starring Keira Knightley, The Duchess, telling the story of the Duchess of Devonshire. In those times the only possible career for a lady relied upon fashion - and this Duchess indulged most readily, becoming the style icon of her day. And it is still true today - not only for women, but the impact of what a woman wears can still make much more of a statement. It is taken note of more frequently. I do not shun this as sexism, merely regard it as a fact of life, and something that may never change, despite our claims of equality. And I'm perfectly happy with that. Fashion is not a female-only territory, of course, but simply observed and interpreted on females in a different way.
3 days for us. Until then, to encourage quell my onset of madness, I shall share a series of my favourite TDK spoofs. Beginning with the Fresh Prince of Gotham.
P.S. If you're across the Atlantic and the movie's old news to you already, BITE ME. I still love you though. Kinda.
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glittersavvy's journal
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