That annual obligatory birthday post.
Well, it’s my birthday today, and I spent the weekend down in Oxfordshire with some of my friends. With it being exam season, I sadly didn’t get to see as many of them as would have liked to, but it was nice to have a small affair in the local village hall: an informal gathering, play some cards, drink some pop, be silly, and catch up. (The irony being that I’d seen most of them the week prior for my Godson’s Christening.)
I’d chosen to theme the party, as I’d always wanted to do a letter party, with ‘Letter P’ being the chosen one for this year. The task? Dress up as something beginning with the letter P. We had a painter, a peacock, a princess, and a prefect as some examples. I was also fortunate enough that a friend’s mum baked a couple of my favourite American pies that I only ever get to taste during their Thanksgiving meal: pecan and pumpkin pies!
Always one to impress – and, you know, because cosplay and crafting are my thing – I decided to go as a pagoda. Yup. This was actually inspired by my dress, a soft yellow and blue number by reproductive vintage London company CollectIf Clothing. This particular one is their Pagoda print. Uh, hence the idea. I am a fan of Japanese culture and aesthetics (and the food, but that’s no surprise to anyone who knows me!), not to mention a general fan of the dress in itself because of its colours and shapes. Therefore, the idea to become a pagoda was formed. All because of one super item of clothing.
I crafted flat ‘extensions’ onto my shoulders to act as the slightly curved roof shape you see on pagodas and crafted myself a fascinator worthy of a 50s aesthetic but in the shape of the tower roof. These I painted as close a blue I could match to the pagoda detailing on the print on the dress with the paints that we currently have in our house. I then buffeted up my dress with a petticoat and wore my CollectIf Clothing (no surprise there!) Bella Occasion swing skirt underneath – to mimic the pagoda layers.
To finish it off, I facepainted (my favourite bit) a window onto my face. White base; red-purple-brown window frame with a shaded black exterior and a pale yellow wash over the remaining white area in keeping with the colours on the fabric.
Think of it as a combination between these two Google pagoda outfits. Two extremes…
Unfortunately, I was travelling most of today to get back up North to relax before work tomorrow. People are asking me what I did for my birthday, and I just shrug and point to the 12th, as that felt more like my birthday celebrations. Like I said above, it’s always been hard for me to do anything for my birthday, because my friends are always away or studying/in exams at this time. Even though, ironically enough again, I was the one who wasn’t working on a Saturday for once and I organised it down South so that they wouldn’t have to see me. Alas, it meant that some of my new friends whom I would have lived to have come weren’t even on my invite list because I knew that they’d never be willing to travel four hours by car just for me.
Anyway, I’m not complaining. My life is what it is with its downfalls.
To finish off, The Husband took me out to dinner to the Guy Fawkes Inn, a small but well known pub-like restaurant a mere minute’s walk from York Minster. It is said to be the birthplace of Guy Fawkes, hence the name, but also exudes charm by dint of its AA fine dining.
Over the last few months, I’ve really got to know the centre of York so it’s a shame I’ve not had the chance to explore more of its places to eat and chill. Now, I’m on to thinking of tomorrow and moving on with my week.
~
Alexandrina Brant 