Homework Assignment: Our Babies

This month's homework assignment from The Curious Professor Z is to show off our babies. Both of the human and furry variety. 

My first baby is not really a baby anymore. My son turned seventeen yesterday. Time flew by and now he is all grown up and much taller than I am. He is very into music and plays the guitar and the drums. He still loves video games, magic cards, and mountain biking also. He can play just about any song on the guitar now and we just bought him a new Bass guitar for his birthday. He is into Metal and Hardcore Punk.  Our house is always filled with music.

Alex was only about two years old in this photo. We are in an old train in Washington State. I think it was 1999?

This was one of the first Fan Expos we went to. We have gone every year since. Alex has been to a ton of Horror Conventions also. He has met a lot of celebrities over the years including Alice Cooper, Bruce Cambell, and Robert Englund.

Here we are Mountain Biking at Blue Mountain. He is a fantastic cyclist and was riding downhill trails really young. He is a much better mountain biker than I am. 

Here we are at a car show a few years ago. That's my hubby in the middle and our 71 Camaro SS behind us. My husband and I go to a lot of car shows in the summer but it's rare we have the whole family including Bella in the car.  And I rarely wear pants much less shorts! 

This was our first concert together. We went to see Def Leppard and Heart. Since then we have taken Alex to see Megadeath, Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Billy Talent, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and Motley Crüe together. Not to mention all the metalcore concerts he's gone to with friends. He is so spoiled!

On our way to another concert...

This was his first guitar. He was so happy that day! 

And this was taken in Cuba last year. He was almost 16 then. 

And here he is yesterday with his new Bass guitar. 

And this is my fur baby. Her name is Bella. Bella the Beagle. She is one spoiled and pampered pooch. But she is so cute we can't help it. I will only admit this one time that she is named after a certain character in a certain vampire book series. But then those dreadful movies came out and spoiled the books for me.  If you were to ask me again who she is named after, I would say Bela Lugosi because his name could never be spoiled for me.   

And here they are together... 

For more information about the homework assignment and other blog posts to read check out The Professor's Blog...

I've been tagged! The Blogvember Challenge

Thank you Sylvie at Little Corp Goth Girl for tagging me in the Blogvember challenge!

This month's questions are: 

What is the best thing about blogging?

For me the best part about blogging is being able to put my thoughts to paper so to speak. I am new to having a fashion and sewing blog but I have been writing for years about Horror Movies over on a website called HorrorMovies.ca under the pen name Monster Mary. Even though I loved writing about my favourite movie genre, the articles weren't really all that personal. Sure my top tens were my personal favourite top ten movies of whatever movie list I was making at the time, however being a Horror Geek is only one small part of my personality or interests. With this new blog that is more personal I can explore any topic or interest that comes to mind. I find that very liberating! Now this doesn't mean that I won't still write a review now and then on my own movie blog, Monster Mary's Little Blog of Horror.  In fact this blog has inspired me to write more than ever before. This blog has opened up a whole new world in which I can express all my crazy creative thoughts in one place. And I am very grateful for all the wonderful people I have met recently through other blogs. I have found a very welcoming and supportive community in the blogs I follow regularly. 

What makes my blog special?

I'm not sure I'm comfortable saying my blog is "special" in any way. The word special seems to imply that one blog is better than another. I think I will just use the term "unique" instead. What makes my blog unique is what makes me unique. My friends and family constantly tell me I have strange and unusual taste. I like Gothic and Victorian fashion, Sewing, Classic Horror and Fantasy Movies, Heavy Metal and Gothic Rock Music, Mountainbiking, Classic Cars, Decorating and Crafts, Blogging and Writing, and reading a lot of Horror and Fantasy Books, Graphic Novels, or Gothic Literature. If that isn't a mixed bag of interests then I don't what is. 

How will my blog look in a year?

In the next year I plan to post more sewing and craft tutorials. This is something I have always wanted to do. I'm not sure if people are interested in posts about sewing but we shall see! I would also love to talk more about movies, fashion inspiration, and even the car shows I attend in the summer. I have very eclectic taste to say the least. 

Which was my best post?

My most popular post according to Blogger right now is Halloween at Home. However my personal favourite post is Anne Rice in Toronto. Because...well that was the day I met Anne Rice! I definitely had a fangirl moment when I met her. 

What other blogs or bloggers inspire me?

I read a lot of different blogs. Everything from movies and fashion to historical fashion and sewing blogs. They are all inspiring! 

Favourite Fashion Blog: Sophistique Noir

Favourite Movie Blog: Fascination With Fear

Favourite Sewing Blogs: Gertie's New Blog For Better Sewing and We Sew Retro

Favourite Goth Blogs: Little Corp Goth Girl and The Curious Professor Z

Favourite Historical Fashion Blog: Madame Modiste Historic Costumes

Favourite Film Fashion Blog and Podcast: Frock Flicks

Favourite How To Blog: GIY Goth it Yourself 

My three nominees are:

The Curious Professor Z, Coffin Kitsch, and Thoughts From An Eclectic Goth Mind. 

Both photos are from Pinterest. 

Red and Black Brocade Party Dress

My husband took me out for a formal dinner recently. So I pulled my go to dress out of the closet for formal occasions. It's dressy but not so over the top that I look too overdressed. In other words it's perfect! The fabric is a red and black brocade with lace trim and a faux corset on the front. The dress fits perfectly.  We had a great time at the dinner and there was a decent live band also. 

What I'm wearing:

Red Brocade Dress- Hearts and Roses from Delerium in Kitchener 

Black Fur Stole- Vintage

Black Beaded Bag- Vintage

Maleficent Earrings- Claire's 

Black Beaded Necklace- Vintage

Brooch- Vintage

Black Lace Stockings- Wild Rose in Guelph

Black Satin Peep Toe Pumps- Stuart Weitzman

Mourning Glory Designs Facebook Page

I have a new Facebook page for my blog! I will easily admit that Facebook is not my favourite social media website but it does serve a purpose. I am able to follow all of my favourite websites, blogs, and people easily from one website. However I really do hate the way they filter and change what you are able to see on your feed. I wish they just showed me everything instead of deciding what I want to see for me. But on the other hand I follow some fantastic people on there and see things first on Facebook sometimes so I do check it daily. 

I also have a facebook page called The Gothic Society of Ontario that I run with a good friend. We post local Ontario events that the Goth community would find interesting. Everything from craft shows, movie nights, book fairs, and anything else that might be worth attending. I don't normally post night club events on there though because The Toronto Goth FB page already has that covered. I also try to post interesting articles or pictures when I find them. If you are interested in either page, here are the links...

Mourning Glory Designs:

https://www.facebook.com/MourningGloryDesigns

Gothic Society of Ontario:

https://www.facebook.com/gothicsocietyontario

Daily Commute: Mid-Month Status Report

Well it's officially winter again in Southwestern Ontario. The snow has started and it probably won't stop again until next March. When it looks like a winter wonderland outside all I want to do is hibernate and read and sew. Unfortunately I still have to go to work four days a week. And that means braving the weather and snowy or icy roads. When I left for work yesterday it was -10C outside! It has been unseasonably cold and snowy this week and it looks a lot like January outside instead of November. 

I started a new job back in the summer at a local fabric shop. One of the main reasons I took the job is that it is literally a 5 minute drive to work. I love the convenience and the store is a nice place to work. The staff is great and so are the customers. I call it my "fun" job because I spend most of the day talking to customers about their sewing projects. 

I normally drive my Toyota Venza to work and back. It's good on gas and very good in the snow and ice.

My travel companions are The Count, The Ugly Doll Bat, and Zombi.  My coworkers laugh and say they can easily tell which car belongs to me. 

Since I am not in the car for long, I usually throw on my wool Melton Cape to go work. It's nice and warm on cold days like today. In fact I think I should make another one with a hood this winter!

What I'm Wearing:
Wool Melton Cape
Velvet top- made by me
Crushed velvet tiered skirt- thrifted
Cut out Docs
Crochet Beret- Meow in Guelph

This Cape is so easy to make that you don't even need a pattern. Simply purchase two yards of a good quality wool Melton that looks the same on both the right and wrong sides. Lay it out lengthwise and round off the square edges by the selvages. 

Fold the fabric in half to find the centre and cut about two inches off the fold to the centre mark. Be sure to round the edges instead of making straight cuts. 

The last step is to fold the edges in about a 1/2 inch and top stitch all around. This makes a very clean edge and looks good from both sides. 

So that is my commute. It is supposed to be a very cold winter this year so I am extremely grateful for my short trip to work! To check out other blogs and their commutes be sure to stop by This Is Corpgoth for the mid-month status report. 

Anne Rice in Toronto!

Today I had a great day in Toronto at the Inspire Book Fair. I was lucky enough to meet Anne Rice for the first time. She was in Toronto in order to promote her new book The Prince Lestat. I was a bit  surprised by the relatively small crowd for such a famous author. But the book fair is brand new so I think it just wasn't properly advertised. For a first year, the book fair seemed pretty organized. The only problem was not enough signage about how to get an autograph. Most people were not aware that you had to purchase a book at the show in order to get in line for an autograph. The only reason I knew this in advance was the small posting on the Facebook page. Lucky for me though, I hadn't bought Prince Lestat yet. So I purchased Prince Lestat today and brought in a special edition of Interview With the Vampire from home for Anne to sign. 

The line for autographs was very long but it did move quickly. Anne was very charming and friendly with everyone who was waiting. She also had a short interview and Q&A on the main stage. She talked a lot about what it would be like for immortals to live in a time of social media and paparazzi. A very interesting subject indeed! I am looking forward to reading the new book to find out what happens. 

I also stopped by the Horror Writers Association and spoke to Sephera Giron about her new books from Samhain publishing. The HWA is sponsoring an upcoming Horror Convention in Atlanta, Georgia in May of this year. They had a great display and I wished I could have bought lots of books from them. I briefly spoke to Nancy Kilpatrick but I did not get a picture with her today so I am including an older picture from Fan Expo this summer with her.  Nancy Kilpatrick is known as the Anne Rice of Canada. She has several fantastic vampire books including the Power of the Blood series and several Vampire Anthologies. It's always a pleasure to speak to them both. 

What I'm wearing:

Black and red velvet dress by Black Orchid Designs

Black brocade corset by Black Orchid Designs

Knee high Docs