Online Thrift Store Directory!

With anti-consumerism being such a big part of the steampunk/DIY lifestyle, buying clothing used can be a suitable alternative to those--such as myself--less trained in sewing can be a good substitute for making all clothing by oneself. And that's where thrift stores come in!

If you're not sure where to start, I came across this little gem of a website just today. A directory of thrift stores in the US, easily searchable by location. Also useful for newbies is this basic guide to thrift shopping. The Earth and your wallet will thank you. :)

Waaahooooo! Shopping spree time!

My Prom Dress

As any good Neo-Victorian would, I prepared for prom as though it were a grand ball at the queen's palace. It turned out being much rowdier than that (crowd-surfing commenced within the first five minutes), but a good time was had all round.

My dress came from Milanoo's extensive Lolita collection. My review: Though the price for the dress itself was quite reasonable, I had to pay an extra twenty dollars in shipping to get it on time. The quality was mediocre--some of the ribbons were completely frayed after just one night of wear--but that's easy enough to replace. If I may brag a little, it looked fantastic; very Victorian. Some even recognized the style as being Steampunk/Lolita. And since it doesn't have sparkles all over it, it can be re-worn to non-prom events. In conclusion, I would recommend it, although I advise ordering a size up--I ordered a bit larger than my usual size and still found it too be rather tight around the shoulders.
 
OK, picture spamming time:

Beautiful Steampunk Wedding!

I may not be the kind of girl who sits around at age eighteen and dreams about weddings, but this post I found while derping around the internet for steampunk fashion just about blew me out the window. It's a gorgeous extravaganza of steampunk/shabby/rustic/vintage/I-don't-even-know-how-to-define-it style. And they managed to pull all that off without it getting cheesy or tasteless. Have a look for yourself! 

Congrats to the new couple!

Book Review: Uprising

The setting is New York, 1911. Three bold, rebellious heroines seek to bring an end to the gritty industrial system that oppresses them. But Margret Peterson Haddix's Uprising is not steampunk, really. There's no fantasy or science fiction here--just three hundred pages of cold, hard reality.

The Plot: Uprising chronicles the events leading up to the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, via fictional characters Bella, Yetta, and Jane. Bella, a newly arrived Italian immigrant, Yetta, a rebellious-to-the-core factory worker, and Jane, the bored daughter of a successful businessman (a Victorian novel cliche, I know, but actually pulled off fairly well in this case), are drawn together by their involvement in a strike at Bella and Yetta's workplace, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. The three of them form an alliance, and eventually a close friendship, doomed to be put to an end by a tragic accident.

The Good Stuff: This is among the most moving books I've read, bound to get at least something of an emotional reaction from just about any reader. For all its emotional-ness, however, it's one of the few Victorian/Edwardian books I've read that takes a more or less objective look at the issues of the day. Haddix addresses the unfairness of the Gilded Age class system while portraying the factory bosses--technically the villains of the story--as humans with families and insecurities and occasional moments of kindness, and even makes strong points about the suffrage movement without falling into the Men Are Evil Trap, which is understandably easy for historical writers to fall into.

The Bad Stuff: This book is just sad. Yes, I know, I said the same thing in The Good Stuff. It's one of those books. With just about any novel about a historical disaster, it's more or less a foregone conclusion that most of the characters will die. Even so, that's almost a strength rather than a flaw; the continuous knowledge that these carefully-crafted characters are being raised for the slaughter gets quite heartbreaking at points.
At some points this seems a little forced, in a This-Author-is-Most-Definitely-Trying-to-Make-Me-Cry kind of way, but then again, it worked on me quite effectively.
The one thing that's apt to turn readers off is how overtly political it is. Mind you, said politics are of 100+ years ago, so what was extreme leftism then is pretty rational by today's standards. Even so, readers unfamiliar with turn-of-the-century politics might be unnerved by how cheerfully the word "socialism" is thrown around.

The Verdict: If you're looking for a lighthearted adventure, this isn't it. But if you're into the more anti-establishment, politically-based side of steampunk, I urge you to read it, just so long as you have a plethora of tissues on hand.

DIY Birdcage Veil Tutorial

If I may begin this post with a bit of boasting, I'M GOING TO ENGLAND! *fangirl squeal* That's right, the setting of pretty much every steampunk book ever, and I get to go there for a family trip this June! I shall make sure to seek out vast quantities of awesomeness to post about.

I think this would also look quite nice in black, if one is going for a more Gothic effect.

In more immediate news, prom season is coming up, and I've been gleefully searching for lovely neovictorian dresses and accessories and such, and happened across this lovely tutorial by Trash to Couture. I think it would look quite splendid with a flowing ballgown, don't you agree?

Epic Old Computers

For the most part, today's computers become obsolete within the span of just a few years. But at the least some of the obsolete ones look pretty cool! And thus, I've arranged this gallery of epic old-school computers.

The Jacquard Loom, invented c. 1801. Not technically a computer, but it used a lot of the same technology as the computers that came after it. 

And what steampunk computer gallery would be complete without a difference engine or two. This here is a modern production of the Analytical Engine, the second of two computing devices invented by Charles Babbage. In 1823, ten years before this one was designed, Babbage designed the Difference Engine, which inspired the popular steampunk novel of the same name.  

My personal favorite, the Mark 1. This showed up in the 1940's, so it's technically past the more typical steampunk era, but it's just way too awesome to leave out of this gallery. Deal with it. 

All right, this one is a TV prop, not a functioning computer, but it still looks pretty cool.  This one is from the set of LOST, based on the styles of computers in the late 20th century.
>: I miss that show.

Once they started being mass produced, computers, like so many other things we live with, have turned into dull gray boxes. The good news is that a dull gray box could also serve as a blank canvas--the internet is filled with epic steampunk computer mods. Modern functionality meets old-school aesthetic. I like the steampunk future. :)

Steampunk Hotel

I recently received an email from my sister entailing her adventures in the world of grad school tours, which included several pictures detailing the interior design of the Commons Hotel in Minneapolis. This was followed by a few admonishments to get off my arse and blog them already, and I've finally decided to stop procrastinating and do so now. These photos are a bit grainy, I'm afraid, having been shot with an iPod camera, but there are a few better ones on the hotel's website.
 

A small sort of library. Libraries... *drool*

Epic fireplace!

It's a balloon chiar! WANT!

A tin ceiling in the lobby. n_n  I love little architectural details like that.