Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Valentine's day can be a tricky holiday, since it is SO commercialized and tends to make those of us flying solo feel like crap. I've been lucky enough to not be single on V-day since I was 17. Basically, what I'm trying to say is whether you have a long-term person, a date or are flying solo this year, take some time to do things that make you feel good. You don't have to buy into the commercial side of the holiday (I like to wait and buy the discount cinnamon hearts on the 15th).

But I do think ladies should take Valentine's as a good excuse to get dolled up, whether they have a hot date lined up or not. I personally will be going to the grocery store and then coming home and eating pasta and watching tv or playing games. But damn it, I will look good doing it.

For this V-day makeup look, I went with red lips and pink cheeks, the two main colours of the holiday. I kept my eyes pretty neutral and added a fair bit of mascara (because that's how I roll). You could definitely add some snazzy red nails to complete this look.

Valentine's 2015 by fangirltwirl featuring Maybelline

Maybelline face care / Eyeko tube mascara, 35 CAD / Glow Pore Minimizing Blush | Julep, 30 CAD

WIP Wednesday: Poison Ivy #1

I've decided I want to start doing Work-In-Progress Wednesdays here on the blog. Each week, I will show off what I'm working on and the progress I have made. It's fun to share and I think it will also motivate me, so that I can actually have something to show each week.

This week I am starting off with my Poison Ivy costume. The main piece is actually based on an indie bathing suit pattern (Bombshell by Closet Case Files). I'm still in early stages so it doesn't really look like clothes yet, but there has been a ton of gathering to do, which isn't my favourite bit of sewing. But I'm almost ready to sew the back piece together Yay!

Being an Office Geek

Sometimes it's tough to have a corporate job and the rules that go with it. My office has a rather strict dress code (seriously, no bare shoulders), so all my geeky tshirts sit folded in a drawer, just waiting for the weekend. But do not despair. There are still ways to infuse your workspace with hints of your favourite fandoms. Here are mine:

1. Lunch Bag

I almost always pack a lunch for work in an effort to try to save money and eat healthy(er). I've been at my current job 8 weeks and have bought lunch 3 times. I'm still on the lookout for a cool lunch bag, but for now I have a little TMNT pouch for my lunch money in case I decide to get something from the vending machine. Also, a huge thanks to Joie Fatale for gifting me this when I won her giveaway!

2. Geeky Mug

I drink a large amount of tea everyday at work. My work provides paper cups, but those are wasteful and not so great for the environment, so I brought along my Rainbow Dash mug from home!

3. Geeky Jewelry

This is one of my favourites, since it's a bit more subtle. Probably no one will notice and if they do, only another fan would recognize the significance. But you know and that's what's important.

4. Figurines

This one I don't actually have, since all my figurines currently live on top of my bookshelf. But others in my office do. My coworker has tons of multi-coloured ponies lined up beneath her monitors. I'm not sure what they are from, but they are adorable. Even one of my supervisors has Adventure Time figures on his desk!

How you personalized your workspace or daily outfits with any special items?

2015 Costume Plans

I didn't get nearly as much costuming done in 2014 as I had hoped, but I do have quite a few plans for 2015.

Source

In Progress Costumes:

1. Belle (provincial outfit)

• Acquired/Completed:
• Dress
• Apron
• Hair Bow
• Shoes
• Still Need to Find/Complete:
• Shirt - fabric bought
• Slip

So not too much left to do on this one. I'm just still trying to decide on a pattern for the shirt that I can easily add the shawl collar to.

Deadline: April 24, 2015 (for Calgary Expo)

Source

2. Poison Ivy

• Acquired/Completed:
• Tights
• Skin paint
• Still Need to Find/Complete:
• Bodysuit - currently being sewn
• Wig - I have the wig, but just need to do the styling
• Shoes
• Plan and practice makeup

This one is on my sewing table right now. This costume only has one piece that needs to be sewn, so hopefully it will come together fairly quickly.

Deadline: April 24, 2015 (for Calgary Expo)

Source

3. Ursula

• Acquired/Completed:
• Wig
• Shoes
• Still Need to Find/Complete:
• Bodice
• Skirt with tentacles
• Makeup and body paint
• Shell necklace
• Shell earrings

This is definitely my most ambitious cosplay planned this year. I have a ton of planning engineering to do on the skirt to get a final product like I want. I am seriously considering purchasing a corset or bustier for the bodice instead of trying to make it myself. We'll see.

Deadline: September 24, 2015 (for Edmonton Expo)

Planning Stages Costumes:

1. 1860's ball gown - I'm planning to attend a 1865-era ball this summer and need a fancy dress. I'm considering this bodice with this skirt.

2. 1860's day dress - The weekend of the ball, there is also a high tea the Friday before and a garden party the Sunday after and you can't exactly wear a ball gown to the park on Sunday afternoon. I'm thinking of maybe this.

3. 1860's undergarments - Historical dresses just don't look right without historical undies. This include chemise, petticoats and a corset. I'm hoping to handmake all of these.

Possible/Maybe-if-I-magically-have-extra-time Costumes:

1. Regency costume - There is a regency ball in my area in May, but it's a bit pricy and that's another historical costume to make.

2. Something scary for Calgary Horror Con.

2015 Con and Costume Plans

Last weekend I started thinking and planning for the cons and events I want to go to in 2015. Unfortunately, with having a new job, they do their holidays kind of weird and you only get a certain amount of holidays based on how much you worked the year before, which means I get no holidays until May, then only a total of 4 days for the next year. So not many far-away trips for this girl. I've also taken an interest in historical costuming, so a couple of those events are on the list as well.

Cons:
Calgary Expo: April 16-19, 2015
Calgary Horror Con: June 20 & 21, 2015
Edmonton Expo: September 25-27, 2015

Other Events:
Virginia City Grand Victorian Ball: August 14-16, 2015

Other Possible Events:
OtaFest: May 15-17, 2015 - Local for me, but amine-centric, which is not really my thing
Regency Springtime Ball: May 16, 2015 - Would love to go to this, but the price tag for one night is pretty high
Saskatoon Expo: September 19-20, 2015 - A bit of a long drive, so we'll see who's going
Lethbridge Entertainment Expo (no 2015 dates) - No dates yet and fairly small, but not too far away

Next up: Costume planning!

Umm.. hi

So you may have noticed that I totally disappeared for a few months there. Sorry. Without going into the gory details, my life had a bit of an upheaval that left me with no blogging juice and way to much anxiety.

But, things are back to normal (or as normal as they ever are for me). So I'm back to Fangirl Twirl. Yay!

So what's new with me? I've been working a new job, reading lots, watching Supernatural from season 1 (I previously watched up to season 5, then stopped), not sewing as much as I should and playing the occasional round of CS:GO.

And because posts with pictures are more fun, here's a picture (selfie no less) of me at my friend's bachorette party themed: Nerd's Night Out. So here's a nerd in costume as someone pretending to be a nerd. Weird.

What I've Been Up To

It's been a couple weeks since my last post and I just wanted to check in and say hello. I haven't been up to too much lately. Just things have been crazy at work. And the craziest part? I quit my job this week. There are definitely things I'll miss, but I just can't handle working 12 hour night shifts. So I am soon to be unemployed. Hopefully not for long.

Other than that, I haven't been up to much. Rewatching Supernatural Season 1 (so good!), riding my horse and job hunting.

Also, time to start my Fall Movie Challenge!

And lots of sewing new week in preparation of Edmonton Expo! My fabric finally arrived for my Poison Ivy costume which I need to start (thanks to Costume Supercentre for the awesome accessories I will be featuring soon). Plus I still need to do the top for my Belle provincial costume.