Oh the Treasures You'll Find!

Unless you've just recently bought a house, or are compulsively tidy, there's a good chance that your house is filled with as much stuff as mine is. Of course, my family has only been in this house for about twenty years, which isn't a lot when you think of homes that pass down through generations and generations. Anyway, if you've got
lots of stuff and are fond of nostalgia, as I have and am, then packing up to move can be quite a delightful experience, if somewhat of a chore.
Today we found a cane belonging to my great-grandfather. The handle of the cane was inscribed with his name and the year- 1920!
I was also able to take out my three most precious posessions: three vintage suitcases. One of them is an "Amelia Aerheart" brand suitcase. Another of them has travel decals from when the White Star Line still existed.
It's incredible to be able to hold something that has lived through so much. The stories these objects could tell!

I promise I will put up pictures for this and other articles that are missing them
either tomorrow or Wednesday... Something else I found in packing today:
the USB cable for my digital camera!

I hope your next move is as interesting as mine.
Nostalgically Yours

Sorry Readers

No new post today. I'm going to be loading furniture and other heavy things onto a truck. Add that to a rather severe case of playing air hockey too agressively for too long, and you've got the fixings of a pretty arduous day... Check back tomorrow to see what I'll be talking about.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Dear Readers,

You may have noticed some significant changes to my blog. I think they're a great improvement, but I still have a couple of minor tweaks to finish up, but things won't be changing very much for now.

You probably will also have noticed the tabs I've added: About Me, two Portfolio pages, and two "Ask" pages. Here's a brief overview:

The Portfolio pages are now home to a sample of my artwork and sewing portfolio. I'll update it every so often and keep you posted when I do.

The About Me page will soon contain a more detailed description of myself and my motivations for writing this blog.

The Ask pages are the new feature I wanted to talk to you about: Starting today, I will publicly answer your questions in two arenas: Etiquette (Ask a Gentleman) and Costume Design or Sewing (Ask a Costumer). You can e-mail your questions to nostalgically_yours@hotmail.com, and please specify whether it is a question about Costumes/Sewing or Etiquette. Every two weeks I'll answer one of the two columns in turn. Please see each individual page for more details!

Hope you like the changes!
Nostalgically Yours

Personal Throwback

This is a new segment I'm starting to share some of the work I've done over the years that doesn't really belong in my portfolio but still is fun to look at.

The following pieces were my entrance portfolio to the Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts. Just a fun fact: that guy in the crazy eye makeup in the flash slide-show is me! The Academy was an incredible experience, and in my opinion it shows the positive side of education. More on that later, though. Here are my pieces - keep in mind these were done about three years ago. All are pencil and watercolor on watercolor paper, so they're a bit faint. Hope you like them!



Before you continue I will say that all the work I share on this blog as my own is my intellectual property. I only post stuff that I could prove in court is mine. If you use my work without my permission I will pursue you to the full extent of the law.

Drawstring linen beach ensemble with accessories
and two bathing suit options.

Day-to-Evening top - this one was actually recolored on my computer.

Jazzy Party Dress in silk and chiffon.

Day-to-Evening Ensemble: Oversize Cowl Sweater and Tweed Skirt with matching shoes.

Evening Gown in Crepe Silk with Chiffon detail and matching accessories. This was actually inspired by a Bûche de Noël

Ethereal Work Ensemble with matching boots and attache case.

Urban daytime look: Walking dress in cotton and embroidered cotton chiffon overlay. Cropped Trench, matching gloves and shoes.

Fanciful Evening Gown in Olive Bias-cut Satin. This shows something my newer designs lack: A reckless disregard for technical feasibility - I'll figure out how to make it later!

That's it for now. This will be a continuing segment, however. Especially as I continue to uncover old artwork and designs during my move.

Hope you liked them!
Nostalgically Yours

PS: I'm itching to come up with hat designs for some of these things...!

Is my Spiritualism Showing...?

I'm sure many things come to mind for you upon seeing a pack of Tarot cards. Some of you, I'm sure, associate them with carnivals or gypsies- ladies in beaded shawls who speak with a thick Bulgarian accent and predict "great change". Others might erroniously link them to the Devil, and think of them as tools of evil. A few of you might know it as a tool of Self exploration and discovery. However, I'm sure few of you know that it can be used quite effectively in the writing of stories.

 

Image via Wikipedia

The Page of Cups, The Hanged Man, and The Empress are all cards that represent me in my personal readings.



I'm sure that among you readers there are at least a few aspiring fiction writers and maybe even some established ones. I'm also sure that many of you have experienced writer's block when working on a story. Perhaps a character seems a little flat, or her motivations are unclear. Here is where the Tarot can help. Being a thickly layered matrix of symbolism and archetypes, the cards are a great way to get your creative juices flowing.

Some of you might be hesitant to engage with the Tarot, perhaps because you don't want to spend time learning all the meanings of cards. Well, for the purposes of writing, you don't need a book on Tarot divination or endless tomes on the symbolism or numerology hidden in the cards. All you need is a deck and your imagination! Picking your deck is important simply because it will affect the variety of stories you can come up with. Tarot and other divination decks comes in all sorts of varieties and themes. Obviously, certain decks lack the deep symbolism of others, and themed decks (such as the Vampire Tarot) might just end up pidgeon-holing your stories. My recommendation? The tarot standard for the past century: The Rider-Waite. It's a very beautiful deck with complicated pictures, perfect for our imaginative purposes.

--Need some plot points to fill in your story? Shuffle the deck and pull some cards for a storyline.

--Having trouble "rounding" out a character? Use a Horoscope Spread to get more ideas on what your character's all about.

--Trying to find a conflict in a relationship? Use a Celtic Heart spread.

The good news is that there are spreads for almost any aspect of life, so there can be solutions to pretty much any writing rut you might find yourself in. Of course if you don't feel like looking up spreads online or buying books on the subject, there is absolutely nothing wrong with making up your own spreads, or even ommiting spreads all together and simply drawing cards at random. How you use the cards in your writing should reflect your creative process, and should never make you uncomfortable.

And if you happen to find yourself interested in the Tarot after a while, that's not necessarily a bad thing, either!


Have fun with this!

Nostalgically Yours

If you're interested in learning more about using the Tarot
in your writing, I recommend Tarot for Writers by Corinne Kenner.

Update

Just letting you know I've posted some relevant (and irrelevant) pictures on my Facebook Group. Check them out, join the group, and check back often for exclusive content and updates from yours truly.

Thanks for Reading!

Nostalgically Yours

Beyoncé and Fosse

What do and international R&B superstar and the deceased Broadway Director/Choreographer have in common? Quite a lot, actually. Aside from the fact that they are both often referred to using one name, Beyoncé has been inspired more than once by the work of this iconic Broadway master.

Just another reason why the past is always relevant - it's an unparalleled source of inspiration!






If you haven't seen the video to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies", I've included it above (where were you in 2008, exactly?). Anyway, here is the video of the Bob Fosse dance that inspired the choreography for the "Single Ladies" video. You can watch it with or without the sound; it isn't the original soundtrack.
Update, MAY 2012: This is the original soundtrack but has humorous subtitles added:

Unfortunately, the video with the original audio does not exist on Youtube - if you appreciate good music, for the love of all that is good and holy DON'T CLICK ON ANYTHING WITH "Walk it out" IN THE TITLE. It's some fool parody of the video that has taken off enough to have a group of three women actually remake the "Walk it Out" version of the dance. If you have any self-respect you won't waste your time by giving them any more views. Update MAY 2012: The original soundtrack exists, but only in the subtitled version.

Anyway, Beyoncé has admitted to using this Fosse choreography in her "Single Ladies" video, and has exalted Fosse for the genius that he was. However, I, being the insufferable theater/film/Broadway nerd that I am, spotted some moves in "There's Gotta be Something Better Than This" from "Sweet Charity" that are clearly used in "Single Ladies":

Take that as your Lagniappe courtesy of Nostalgically Yours!

Here is Beyoncé's lesser-known "Get me Bodied": Anyone who's seen "Sweet Charity" recently will probably notice the similarities to the "Rich Man's Frug" sequence and to "Think Pink", the opening number of the classic film "Funny Face". Both are featured below:

(This version of the number doesn't include the "Who is it" sequence referenced in "Get Me Bodied". You'll have to rent the movie to see that, but it's worth it!)





I'm (pardon the expression) tickled pink that Beyoncé is doing this! She and artists like her are making the past relevant again, even if teenager don't fully appreciate that it's happening.


You'll definitely be hearing more about this!

Nostalgically Yours

For more on Beyoncé, see this post.