It's been a while since I blogged, forgive me. I have been a busy little bee lately. Mainly, I was getting ready for my very first Steampunk World's Fair held annually in Piscataway, New Jersey. I had an amazing time. I saw so many inspiring costumes, creations, and gadgets and I met some lovely people. Here's a little snippet of the weekend:
I flew up to my hometown of Brewster, in New York. I was lucky to make a mini-vacation with my family out of the show. I was especially excited to see my mom, grams, and 4 & 1/2 year old niece, Avery Jane. Early in the week, I played with Avery on the swings, took many rambling walks, and spent some time being creative. While Avery watercolored painted and my grams sewed a set of wedding pillows, my mom and I were busy making some new steampunk creations.
On Thursday evening, my mom and I packed the car, picked some violets that grow all along our front lawn for good luck, and we were ready to go! Roadtrips with my mom are always a blast!
After checking into our hotel, we went over to the event center to start setting up. Since I flew into NY, I didn't have my usual displays. And so the booth was a combination of scavenged items from our family home and items my mom has squirreled away for our shop someday. I love how everything came together! Here it is before we put out all of our creations!
A few of our displays that I just love: our box with large lightbulbs...
..our backdrop painting of a Victorian lady. It's titled: "The Eternal Question," we've renamed it "The Puss" since she has such a sourpuss expression on her face!
...My gram's old wooden stool which we used to display canes & umbrellas...
And of course, old standbys: vintage & antique photographs, printer drawers, a model diving bell helmet, wooden boxes, and oddities.
The part of our booth that I felt the most pride in was our hat display. The vintage hats my mom embellished were displayed over large Industrial spools, candelabras, tiny stools, and antique hat stands.
Of course, no booth is complete without your ensemble! I took greats pains to come up with outfits that would not only be in the spirit of steampunk & the fair, but that would be wearable for long hours. Day Two is my favorite! (Thanks Briana, of Bifftastica, for the awesome vest! I got so many compliments on its rows of gleaming buttons!)
The weekend was full of many great costumes. Here are some that stood out to us:
The Diver
The Airship Mechanic
and...The Gentleman (who also purchased one of our steampunk ties which is pictured above!) One of my favorite accessories that I saw was an elaborate set of finger armor. I may have a new obsession!
There's a lot I won't forget about that weekend...Our first sale to a dapper gentleman & pirate, "Obscur Idy." That first sale was so exciting. It made it all seem real. We had a lovely conversation about steampunk and creations. It was his warm smile and sense of whimsy that touched us both. 
...The Lady Mad Hatter who gifted me a capsule from Wonderland (with included white glittery ribbon, a jack, and a tiny wooden mushroom) after I fixed her button that was falling off of her vest. It's a great feeling to be handy, even better when it's appreciated.
...And last, but certainly not least, spending time with my mom. We always have a good time when we're hanging out together, and it's made even more fun when we can share a love of steampunk, a passion for making, and a renewal of creativity.
Check back again later in the week, I'll be posting a DIY on how to steampunk a cake stand!