Real Life Pretty Pretty Princess

After the 1890s ball we went back to our room and decided to be awfully silly. Do you remember the game Pretty Pretty Princess? Honestly, I hardly do, but I do remember there was a box of cheap plastic jewelry and the winner of the game got to put on all the jewelry and the princess! Or something like that. Of course, instead of cheap plastic we had all the (fairly fabulous) rhinestone jewelry of a weeks worth of fancy balls. Including a ton of brooches because I freaked out while packing and just took extras instead of making decisions. Anyway, here we go:

I was the clear loser. Julia counted that I was wearing 20 pieces of glitter during the ball, and here I have stripped down to one measly tiara. But I get points for style on my teased monster hair, right?

Quinn is rocking two tiaras, and some assorted necklace bling.

Julia R with a number of necklaces and a great brooch.

Raven in at least one tiara, plus pearls, rhinestone collar, and some fabulous matching dripping flower brooches that I have plans for but haven't yet debuted.

But here we have our undisputed victor. Can you even tell how many brooches he's wearing? And doesn't he have great hair for tiaras? He can really pull off the look. Not to mention that I love the iron man pants. Congratulations Nick - the rest of us never had a chance.

1890s at the Roger Williams Casino

For the 1890s ball, we went all out on the glitter. For me that meant a tiara, two necklaces, and 14 sparkly bow pins. Excessive? Since it was all about the sparkles, I made the dress out of black velvet for maximum visibility. Add some big hair, and it's a thing. I started Mother's dress for Newport last year, but we didn't get as far as a bodice. Everything this year was a little rushed (I lost about a month of preparation time to the flu followed by a vicious cold), but the fabric is lovely. It deserves to be trimmed with something pretty next time, though. Julia's dress was also new (and unfinished). I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but it is the most amazing fabric ever. Pretty green gauze all covered in gold and embroidery. Wow. Pictures!

The lights are making my tiara difficult to distinguish, but it is a fabulous one, all fleur de lys and sparkles!

Black velvet shows off the bows. I think I need more for the bodice, though. What do you think?

Sitting.

All the angles.

With Julia. This doesn't do the green dress any justice. It is amazing.

With Adrian

Pugliese girls, covered in sparkles

People dancing

More people. More dancing.

Zombie cakewalk!

More typical cakewalk. You can't see me behind Julia, but you can see my foot.

I believe they call this the pimp polka

Events Attended - The Returning Heroes Ball

Last night was Returning Heroes! The music was amazing (if you weren't there to buy a copy of the new CD by Spare Parts, you can always go to their website and get one: http://www.bfv.com/spareparts/index.htm). The dancing was lovely. I got to talk to lots of nice people, and see some old friends. But let's have some pictures, now. I'm going to try this caption thing, but I'm not sure I will like it...

Julia was looking awfully pretty

Julia and Sarah did a great job checking people in... and they look like a painting

My dear friend Raven got to debut her new tartan ballgown. And really cute scarlet tartan drawers, shhhhhhhh!

I wore sparkly jewelry and a feather

Close up on the bling - check out my fringe necklace! And star earrings from Vienna.

I never get good pictures of mother. She is always too busy teaching or talking to people

Obligatory Pugliese picture

Pop Goes the Weasel! A dance sensation!

We did a short German figure with flags - you have to find someone with a matching flag, and that is your partner

I think the flags are so pretty!

I call this one Plaid Battle! Raven and Julia are pretty fiercely competitive in the Gothic Dance

1920s Rhinestone Shoe Heels

Fezziwig's Ball was yesterday, so I should owe you pictures. But mother has most of the good ones, so you have to wait! I also owe you pictures from the Dickens German Cotillion performance last week, and the Salem Light Infantry Levee and Ball before that. I am the worst. But since I am too tired to fix all that the night after a ball, let me distract you with something shiny!

I was browsing about on the Augusta Auctions website one day, when I came across these absolutely drool-worthy shoes heels from the 1920s. The title for them is "Cream & Blue Jeweled Shoe Heels, 1920s" and the description says they are a wood shank with pearlized celluloid overlay, decorated with rhinestones and brass beading.

Similarly, the also had "2 Pair Black Jeweled Shoe Heels, c. 1920s," made of wood with celluloid overlay and rhinestone/brass beading inserts.

And then  "Aqua Jeweled Shoe Heels, 1920s," again made of the same materials.

Wow. This is a thing. A beautiful, fun, sparkly thing. The Kyoto Institute also has some awfully cute ones. AND LOOK HOW MANY OF THEM. These are so amazing, and so varied. Different colors of celluloid, different colors of rhinestones, varied patterns and designs... I love them so much.

Too bad they're all detached from their shoes, right? Well, let's look for some more examples then! These appear to belong to the Bata shoe museum. I absolutely love the use of colored crystals, and the fact that they get repeated on the shoe itself. These are fantastic.

Or there are these ones from Shoe Icon, which have a crazy pattern, swirly gold straps, and sparkly rhinestone heels. Awesome.

These pink ones are lovely too! They are even for sale here. I mean, you could actually go BUY these shoes. Wow.

Or you could buy this pair on ebay here. I love these because they show that you can wear a sparkly silver heel on an un-rhinestoned solid colored not sliver shoe (made of green velvet, no less). Amazing.

And then of course, sometimes you need an alternative to subtle... like all over rhinestone shoes!

I have a dremmel... and a bunch of point-backed swarovsky rhinestones... Quick! Somebody fine me a pair of pumps to destroy! Also, let me know if you have a good idea for how to fake pearlized celluloid... hmm...

Fringe Tiaras as Bodice Jewelry

Fringe tiaras are beautiful and fabulous. They look like this, and have been favorites of royalty throughout the 19th century and beyond. Sometimes they have rounded points, or pointy points, or two types of interlocking spikes... but they all have this approximate Russian-kokoshnik-esque shape. You can wear them perched on your head, or if you're from the 1920s slide them down to the forehead like a bandeau.

 

 

A lot of these tiaras can be worn either as tiaras or necklaces. Extra bang for your buck, right? Actually, convertible tiaras are surpisingly common, and you can find all kinds of cool things (like tiaras where you can pop the jewels out and they are mounted on clips or broach backs, or the tiara breaks into pieces to be worn as a set of bracelets and rings... all sorts of things!). But since I'm focusing on fringe tiaras, let's stay on topic. I think it is neat that the nature of the many-pointed-pieces lets the tiara spread out to lie flat as a necklace. It is very simple and clever.

 But wait, there's more! I think this is totally neat and brilliant. Here is Queen Alexandra wearing what I believe is one or two fringe tiaras... around her waist, attached to the pointed bottom of her bodice. Like an amazing sparkly spikey belt or girdle! HOW COOL IS THAT?

 And here is a picture of Lilly Langtry, doing what looks to me like the same thing. Awesome!

 This is different, but here is are two cool dresses with beaded trim, applied to create a similar effect. I guess this is what you do if you can't afford an amazing fringe tiara. Oh, I need one! Or rather, two (to go around my waist, obviosly!).