Pardon, my slip is showing

Ooh, the excitment is building around here.

Not only did Momma finish my LepreCon outfit (complete with matching petticoat and lobster tail bustle) but she is finishing a second to sell in her Etsy shop, Greta Garb-oh!, this week!

Yes, you too can dress like me! Momma plans to make two of each outfit she makes for me (or my Vinyl American siblings) and sell the second on Etsy.

The Thimbles and Acorns description for both the 1870s Bustle Dress and Lobster Tail Bustle and Petticoat are the same:

Fashion is where expression meets practicality and lures it into the realm of the extreme. Though fashion trends have a tendency to push the limits, practicality always manages to bring them back into balance… at least for a time. Full skirts were the hallmark of the early Victorian era and by the 1860s they had expanded to as wide as six feet in diameter.

However, as railroads began forging paths around the world, women began to travel more and more. Full skirts and crinolines made for poor traveling companions and the boundary for this fashion trend had been reached. Still, it would be a gallant exit.

 The 1870s saw a great boom in the textile industry. Hand looms were replaced by more efficient steam driven power looms which resulted in a larger supply of cloth and fancy trims at greatly reduced prices. The great cage crinolines were shed and the surplus fabric from the full skirts was draped in elaborately decorated layers and pulled toward the back in large bustles that were reminiscent of those worn a century earlier. The fashionable silhouette had become smaller and more mobile, but what was lost in size was more than made up for with the elaborate trimming which would become the hallmark of the later Victorian Era.

Momma used the green Victorian Dream Gears and tea-stained muslin. She deliberalty left the petticoat longer than the shortened bustle skirt so the raw, selvage would show. Momma plans to make me a matching camisole and drawers, too!

I think it's pretty awesome, myself.

 

This week in the Civil War: March 30, 1864

Forrest’s Confederate raiders occupy Paducah, Ky.

Forces of legendary Confederate cavalry leader Nathan Bedford Forrest swept into Paducah, Ky., on March 25, 1864 and briefly occupied the city — forcing a Union garrison of hundreds of troops to relocate to a fort there. The Union garrison, backed by two gunboats on the nearby Ohio River, refused surrender and shelling of the Confederates by the gunboats ensued. Forrest’s raiders destroyed supplies and rounded up horses, generating panic among civilians before they withdrew. The Associated Press reported on the raid in a detailed dispatch dated March 26, 1864. AP said an estimated force of 5,000 Confederates captured Paducah at 2 p.m. a day earlier, sacking the place and firing weapons. AP reported that a Union officer in charge of the garrison occupied the fort below the city with about 800 men. “The rebels made four assaults on the fort, and were repulsed each time. Three of our gunboats opened on the city during its occupation by the enemy, much of which was burned,” The AP reported. Some 3,000 civilians had fled the Confederate advance, AP noted, adding they returned home to considerable damages once the raiders pulled out. AP added “Twenty-five houses around the fort were destroyed ... as they were used by the rebel sharpshooters as a screen” during the incursion.

See Joan, See Joan Sew

simplicity.com

My Dear Friend Joan Dickhaut (aka See Joan Sew) at beds-n-blankies.com is an extraordinary woman. 

Not only did she make Francis a Mad Scientist steampunk lab that I am still coveting, but Simplicity Patterns is scheduled to publish her pattern next month on April 18.

Versatile pieces mix and match to create steam punk, gypsy, Renaissance and other eclectic looks to fit 18" dolls. See envelope for more information. Get FREE instructions for accessories at www.simplicity.com/1392.

Mind you, this journey has taken nearly a year! Joan first revealed the exciting news on May 11, 2013 ... and I didn't find out until Aug. 28!

Momma, of course, saw the pattern potential and wrote Joan:

Steampunk Addie is thrilled to see this and can't wait to get a signed pattern!

To which Joan replied:

Hahaha! Guess who was a major inspiration for some of those pieces. I'll need a signed pattern from her!

My pen is poised and waiting Joan.

 

It was a rock lobster

Momma is happily sewing "It's a Peep" Bustle Skirts for me and Clementine. In fact she's made three since my Big Sister claimed the first one!

She has one "It's a Peep" jacket cut out (she says we can share - harumph) and plans to sew it tomorrow. Momma also has cut out my LeprCon outfit using both the Victorian Dream Gears and tea-stained muslin!

But what I am really looking forward to is the 1870-02 Lobster Tail Bustle and Petticoat by Thimbles and Acorns to go with my many 1870 Bustle Dresses.

Momma has found the perfect fabric, too.

Rock, rock
Rock lobster
Down, down

Lobster
Rock lobster
Rock
Let's rock

 

 

This week in the Civil War: March, 23, 1864

Lincoln clarifies his 1863 Amnesty proclamation

President Abraham Lincoln, on March 26, 1864, issued a proclamation refining his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction issued in December 1863. Originally, Lincoln had offered a full pardon to all who had engaged in rebellion but had desisted and subsequently sworn an oath of allegiance to the Union — with the exception of ranking Confederate leaders and military officers. He also had said a new state government could be formed in areas reclaimed by the Union once a tenth of eligible voters in those areas had taken such a loyalty oath. The initial proclamation came after federal forces had begun recapturing several areas of the Confederacy. With his new proclamation of March 1864, the president made clear that his 1863 amnesty did not apply to anyone under military or civil confinement, nor to prisoners of war and those detained for crimes of any sort. Lincoln wrote: “On the contrary, it does apply only to those persons who, being yet at large, and free from any arrest ... shall voluntarily come forward and take the said oath, with the purpose of restoring peace and establishing the national authority.”

Express Your Peepsonality

What a glorious day.

Momma made the first of our  matching Peeps outfits and Pippaloo's Peeps arrived in the mail!

I'm a bit indignant that Momma made Clementine's first, but she told me not to be greedy.

Harumph.

And then, Pippaloo's gift Peeps arrived with a note saying, "Tell Addie to share!"

Honestly. What kind of Vinyl American do people think I am?

Momma told me not to look a gift Peep in the mouth, but really.

There's only so much a doll can bear.

Shindig

fox.com

Heaven help me.

pixiefaire.com

Clementine has decided what she wants to wear when she meets Captain Malcolm Reynolds, I mean Nathan Fillion, at Phoenix Comicon.

She wants Momma to make her a Firefly-inspired dress from Melody Valerie Couture's Ardith pattern.

Captain Reynolds hurt Kaylee's feelings in the Firefly episode "Shindig." To apologize, he bought her a fancy pink dress she wanted and took her to a party.

And now Clementine wants her own version.

Shiny.

I aim to misbehave

abc.com

Clementine is in a dither and, I must admit, I am not much better.

It was announced today that Nathan Fillion is a scheduled guest for Phoenix Comicon.

fox.com

Swoon!

For those poor souls who don't know who he is, Fillion is an actor best known for his role as Richard Castle on the television series Castle, as well as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in both the television series Firefly and its moving picture sequel, Serenity.

Clementine loves both Firefly and Serenity and got actress Jewel Staite's autograph last year at Phoenix Comicon. (I do Star Trek and she does Firefly.)

Not only is he a hilarious actor (who really is ruggedly handsome), but in 2007 Fillion co-founded the non-profit organization Kids Need to Read with author PJ Haarsma.

What's not to like?

Now please excuse me. Clementine and I only have two-and-a-half months to get ready for our photo op with Fillion.

Whatever shall we wear?

Having a ball

pixiefaire.com

Yippee! The Cadewyn Dress pattern from Melody Valerie Couture is now available!

The Cadewyn Dress was featured in the Melody Valerie Couture Fall 1023 Inventions in Steampunk Collection. This epic ball gown for 18” dolls features architecturally pleated shoulders, a high back collar, and a dramatic silhouette. An optional Center Front scallop detail adds interest. Side lacing provides a venue to showcase your favorite ribbon or trim; it closes up the back with a zipper and some hooks and eyes. 

This dress would look great in fabric that holds a crease, such as a crisp cotton, nylon, or silk dupioni. Tulle is probably your simplest choice for the overskirts, but for a challenging (and exciting) effect, try layering several different colors of chiffon. 

Suggested fabrics to use: This PDF pattern was designed for use with silk habotai (China silk) or other very lightweight, soft-bodied, lightly woven fabrics like cotton batiste or a thin tencel lining fabric.

Now for Dianne, and I'll be all set for my Diesel Punk look.

 

The wearing of the green

Momma has been looking for fabric to make me an Epic Outfit worthy of a Work of Art for LepreCon, and she found this:
Victorian Dream Gears by Collier-Morales Studio for Quilting Treasures.

The world of Steampunk through the eyes of Roberta Morales. Now the gears are turning. Is it Victorian or is it Science Fiction or maybe a combination of both?

Perfect for both St. Patrick's Day and LepreCon.

St. Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on March 17 named after St. Patrick, the most popular patron saint of Ireland.

St. Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th Century and commemorates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as Irish heritage and culture. Celebrations include parades and festivals, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. Many Christians also attend church services, and the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day.

Green beer? No, thank you. I'll stick to absinthe.

 

This week in the Civil War: March 16, 1864

Freedom for African-Americans in Louisiana

The New York Times reported on March 21 that African-Americans freed from the yoke of slavery by federal forces in control of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana constituted a ‘‘new success’’ for the Union government. The Times noted that many of those liberated by the advance of the federal army could not read or write previously. But in New Orleans alone, some 1,900 young African-Americans were already attending day schools and learning both reading and writing. The Times added that adults freed by the Union had also begun finding paid work. ‘‘Facts furnish the best proof of the success of any system; and, when we compare the condition of fifty thousand negroes in this State last year with their condition now, we need hardly allude to a thousand particulars,’’ The Times said.

Hanging with my Peeps

Pippaloo

Momma has gone into Nostalgic Overdrive with the two newest offerings by Pippaloo and Mini Me Dolly Divas.

Peeps!

Ahem.

Mini Me Dolly Divas

Momma has loved Peeps ever since she was a child and her grandfather brought her a box of yellow chick Peeps and a 64-count box of Crayola Crayons.

So she nearly squee-ed today when she saw Dacia's newest T-shirt idea and Teresa's March food offering.

Peeps!

I don't think she will ever recover from this.

Let me call you Liebster

I am quite honored that Tea Time With Melody Q has nominated me for the prestigious Liebster Award. 

Aww. 

As far as I can tell, the award started about 2010 in Germany for new bloggers. (Liebster means
sweetheart,
darling, or
beloved in German.)

Apparently, the rules have varied over the years, but essentially you answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you, nominate 11 blogs, and ask them 11 questions.

Melody said:

Nominees, your mission - should you accept it - is to post the award on your blog with a link back to the one that nominated you, answer the questions posed to you, nominate your favorite blogs, and create new questions for your nominees. Basically, have fun and pass along the love.

Favorites:

1. Girl of the Year? Kanani
2. Historical Character? Addy Walker, of course!
3. Snack food? Chocolate
4. Dinner? Anything except meat.
5. Beverage? Tea
6. Dessert? Flan, creme brulee, or custard.
7. Writing implement (pen, pencil, etc.)? A fountain pen
8. Flower? Rose
9. Disney character? Mulan
10. Book? To Kill a Mockingbird
11. TV Show? The Big Bang Theory

Melody, thanks again for the award.

My nominees are:

1. Clarisse's Closet
2. Doll Diaries
3. Dolly Dorm Diaries
4. from echo with love
5. Of Dolls
6. Just for Fun
7. Karen Mom of Three's Craft Blog
8. Monster High Parents  
9. Pine Valley Girls Club
10. Pippaloo for Dolls
11. Super Inky!

 

My questions are:

1. What is your favorite toy ever made?
2. What is your favorite toy you ever had?
3. What is your favorite color?
4. What is your favorite scent?
5. What is your favorite moving picture?
6. If you could time travel, when and where?
7. If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who?
8. What event in history would you change, and why?
9. Are you a geek, or a nerd?
10. What would be your superpower if you could choose?
11. What would be your supername be?

 
 Have fun! I look forward to your answers!


 

Lent Madness takes its toll

While many might not associate Lent with fun activities, those who do not have not participated in Lent Madness.

Momma and I have been fans of Lent Madness since it began in 2010 as the brainchild of The Rev. Tim Schenck.

Momma's friend came up with this unique Lenten devotion while seeking a fun, engaging way for people to learn about the men and women comprising The Episcopal Church’s Calendar of Saints. Combining his love of sports with his passion for the lives of the saints, Lent Madness was born on his blog, "Clergy Family Confidential."

The format is straightforward: 32 saints are placed into a tournament-like single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of time and people vote for their favorite saint. Sixteen saints make it to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen; eight advance to the Round of the Elate Eight; four make it to the Faithful Four; two to the Championship; and the winner is awarded the Golden Halo.

(Last year's winner? U.S. Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins won the coveted Golden Halo!)

The first round consists of basic biographical information about each of the 32 saints. Things get a bit more interesting in the subsequent rounds as they offer quotes and quirks, explore legends, and even move into the area of saintly kitsch. 

Today's pairing? Joseph of Arimathea vs. Anna Cooper

Today’s match-up is why Lent Madness can sometimes resemble the theater of the absurd. The Scriptural figure Joseph of Armimathea, who asked Pilate for Jesus’ body in order to give him a proper burial, takes on Anna Cooper, African-American feminist, writer, and academic. The good news? Lent Madness returns after taking a sabbath on the First Sunday in Lent. 

Anna Julia Haywood Cooper was one of the first feminists of the 20th century and a tireless advocate for "neglected people," in particular, African American women. Born in 1858 as the daughter of an enslaved African woman and a white man, likely her master, Cooper transcended the limitations of slavery and the post-Civil War’s Reconstruction.

She attended St. Augustine’s Normal & Technical Institute — now St. Augustine’s University — in Raleigh, N.C. She later studied at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio and graduated in 1884 with a bachelor’s degree and in 1887 with a master’s in mathematics. While at St. Augustine’s, Anna met and married her husband George Cooper, who was preparing for the priesthood. Although he died two years after they married, Cooper pressed forward with her education and career because of her desire to foster the full inclusion of black women in civic life.

Cooper’s passionate belief in the power of education to transform lives led her to serve as a teacher and principal at M Street High School, the only all-black school in Washington, D.C. When her superintendent told Cooper that she should focus on teaching trades to her students instead of science, math, and literature, Cooper unabashedly defied his orders and continued with her original plans. As a result of her firm resolve, M Street’s graduates attended some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities during a time when such opportunities were limited for women and people of color.

Cooper wrote A Voice from the South, in which she argued that black women had a unique voice about the experience of oppression and criticized educational, social, and civic advancements that only favored black men. At the heart of Cooper’s work was a firm belief in the potential of every human being.

Never one to slow down, Cooper adopted five orphaned children in 1915, and she earned her doctorate in history in 1925 at the age of 65 from the University of Paris. Cooper died in 1964 when she was 105 years old.

In 2009, the United States Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor. Pages 26-27 of all United States passports quote Cooper’s passionate beliefs about equality and freedom for all:

"The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party, or a class—it is the cause of humankind, the very birthright of humanity."

(Thus it is possible to meditate on Lent Madness while waiting in slow-moving immigration lines when you return to the United States from vacationing elsewhere.)

Collect for Anna Julia Haywood Cooper
 

Almighty God, you inspired your servant Anna Julia Haywood Cooper with the love of learning and the skill of teaching: Enlighten us more and more through the discipline of learning, and deepen our commitment to the education of all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Guess who got our vote?

Kindred spirits are not so scarce

Momma just got home from "Betsy's Ray of Sunshine."

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

The Maud Hart Lovelace online discussion list (Maud-L Listserv) is an electronic mail discussion group focusing on all things Betsy-Tacy as well as conversations of more general interest. 

Momma discovered the Maud-L Listserve many years ago and was instantly hooked..

She loves these old descriptions she found online.

According to Sharyn November,

The Maudlist is one of the best listservs I've seen -- more like a kaffeeklatsch than anything else. Yes, we talk about the books, but we also exchange life stories and recipes and jokes and mutual support. In fact, I even stayed with Carla Kozak when I went on vacation -- and no, I had never met her before. Maudvibes are sent when people are worried and blue, and they work! Trust me.

According to Julie Chuba,

I really enjoy all the little pieces of people's lives--little anecdotes, memories, traditions, different things people notice about books or stories I've read, etc. It's so much fun to hear about them, even though it may not have much to do with Maud Hart Lovelace or Betsy-Tacy. Becky's yummy-sounding meals, Katie's 4th of July, learning about Alice Austen from Diane, Poe's songs of the day, strange names (Dick Trickle finished me), Marsha Q.'s valiant attempts to keep on us on Betsy track, finding out about new books and movies and music--it's just a day brightener for me! I feel as though I a know a bit about a lot of you. Even though we probably have very dissimilar tastes and opinions and lifestyles, it's kind of fun to "get together" this way.

The members get together periodically to actually meet, eat, and explore the country. Betsy's Ray of Sunshine was scheduled from Friday, March 7 through Sunday, March 9, BUT the house party was still going strong when Momma came home to spend time with my Big Sister.

Events included: Happy Hour at Camelback Inn (great view of Camelback Mountain); antiquing in Glendale; desert walks/hikes; Phoenix Art Museum; a desert picnic at The Farm at South Mountain; talking/laughing/games/reading/whatever!

So, are you a Kindred Spirit? 


To subscribe or change your options on Maud-L, send e-mail to listserv@listserver.mtsac.edu. In the BODY of the message type one of the following according to the change you want make:

Subscribe Maud-L (to sign on)
Set Maud-L Nomail (to suspend receiving posts)
Set Maud-L Mail (to resume receiving posts)
Set Maud-L Digest (receive the posts in digest form)
Set Maud-L Nodigest (resume receiving posts one at a time)

Make sure you send the e-mail message from the account that you used to subscribe and that you omit or turn off any signatures in your e-mail message. If you have trouble subscribing to Maud-L, contact Arline.

 

This week in the Civil War: March 9, 1864

Ulysses S. Grant takes command of all Union armies 

On March 10, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed papers promoting Maj. General Ulysses S. Grant to the rank of lieutenant general of the U.S. Army, formally handing Grant command over the entire Union army. The promotion by Lincoln allowed a key distinction that Grant was in charge as general-in-chief of the armies of the United States. By this time in the Civil War, Grant had won fame for victories in western Tennessee and triumph at Vicksburg, Miss., cutting the Confederacy in two. The Union victories around the same time in July 1863 at Vicksburg and Gettysburg would mark a turning point in the war. In the weeks ahead, Grant would send forces to drive through the South while he sought to crush Confederate Robert E. Lee’s forces with the Union’s Army of the Potomac. The New York Times, in reporting March 15 on the promotion of Grant, said the Army of the Potomac was expected to be reorganized for fighting ahead by being remade into three corps. ‘‘The country will look anxiously for speedy and happy results as the consequence of these fundamental changes in command,’’ the newspaper said.

Girl Power

I had no idea it could be so dangerous being a seamstress, but Momma slipped today on some some tulle twisting her right knee and wrist.

It's a good thing I prefer cotton, especially Momma's latest find by Camelot Design Studio: Girl Power!

Move over boys, this is a job for Super Addie!

Unshriven

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pippaloo

Momma is in mourning today because it's Shrove Tuesday and she has to work, so no church pancake supper tonight for her.

Shrove Tuesday is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. (Shrove Tuesday is a moveable feast which is determined by Easter.)

Pancakes are associated with Shrove Tuesday because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar. The liturgical fasting of the 40 days of Lent emphasizes eating plainer food and refraining from food that would give pleasure: in many cultures, this means no meat, dairy products, or eggs.

The word shrove is the past tense of the English verb shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the custom for Christians to be "shriven" before the start of Lent. 

Shrove Tuesday is also the last day of "shrovetide," such as Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and the Carnival tradition that developed in Latin Europe and Latin America.

You can't eat beauty

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Momma doesn't normally watch the Academy Awards. She has pretty much boycotted it ever since The Color Purple failed to get a single award in 1986 despite 11 nominations.

We did happen to watch the last few minutes last night though, and we were both moved by actress Lupia Nyong'o's acceptance speech when she won the Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave at the 2014 Oscars, especially when she said:

It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s. 

But it was her acceptance speech last week for the Best Breakthrough Performance Award at the 7th annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon that truly moved us:

I want to take this opportunity to talk about beauty. Black beauty. Dark beauty. I received a letter from a girl and I’d like to share just a small part of it with you: "Dear Lupita," it reads, "I think you’re really lucky to be this Black but yet this successful in Hollywood overnight. I was just about to buy Dencia’s Whitenicious cream to lighten my skin when you appeared on the world map and saved me."

My heart bled a little when I read those words. I could never have guessed that my first job out of school would be so powerful in and of itself and that it would propel me to be such an image of hope in the same way that the women of The Color Purple were to me. 

I remember a time when I too felt un-beautiful. I put on the TV and only saw pale skin, I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned. The morning would come and I would be so excited about seeing my new skin that I would refuse to look down at myself until I was in front of a mirror because I wanted to see my fair face first. And every day I experienced the same disappointment of being just as dark as I had been the day before.

I tried to negotiate with God: I told him I would stop stealing sugar cubes at night if he gave me what I wanted; I would listen to my mother's every word and never lose my school sweater again if he just made me a little lighter. But I guess God was unimpressed with my bargaining chips because He never listened. 

And when I was a teenager my self-hate grew worse, as you can imagine happens with adolescence. My mother reminded me often that she thought that I was beautiful but that was no consolation: She’s my mother, of course she’s supposed to think I am beautiful.

And then Alek Wek came on the international scene.

A celebrated model, she was dark as night, she was on all of the runways and in every magazine and everyone was talking about how beautiful she was. Even Oprah called her beautiful and that made it a fact. I couldn’t believe that people were embracing a woman who looked so much like me as beautiful. My complexion had always been an obstacle to overcome and all of a sudden, Oprah was telling me it wasn’t. It was perplexing and I wanted to reject it because I had begun to enjoy the seduction of inadequacy. But a flower couldn’t help but bloom inside of me.

When I saw Alek I inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that I could not deny. Now, I had a spring in my step because I felt more seen, more appreciated by the far away gatekeepers of beauty, but around me the preference for light skin prevailed. To the beholders that I thought mattered, I was still un-beautiful. And my mother again would say to me, "You can’t eat beauty. It doesn’t feed you." And these words plagued and bothered me; I didn’t really understand them until finally I realized that beauty was not a thing that I could acquire or consume, it was something that I just had to be. 

And what my mother meant when she said you can’t eat beauty was that you can’t rely on how you look to sustain you. What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and for those around you. That kind of beauty inflames the heart and enchants the soul. It is what got Patsey in so much trouble with her master, but it is also what has kept her story alive to this day. We remember the beauty of her spirit even after the beauty of her body has faded away. 

And so I hope that my presence on your screens and in the magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey. That you will feel the validation of your external beauty but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside. There is no shade to that beauty.

Amen, sister. Amen.

No guts, no gory

When my Big Sister and her Cousins started collecting American Girl dolls years ago, Momma knew she had to become a dolly doctor or go bankrupt.

Poor Samantha and Josefina arrived for surgery last week, but Momma had la grippe and then what sounded suspiciously like a consumptive cough.

Today was the day. Momma examined the patients while I tried to calm their nerves.

Poor Josefina was in pretty good shape - except her left arm had fallen off! Samantha had a bad case of Floppy Legs, and her arms weren't much better.

One hour, some elastic, some brass ferrules and washers, and one bottle cap (artificial shoulder replacement) later, both Josefina and Samantha are ready to go back to their new homes.

Does your doll need surgery, too? Let Me know at steampunkaddie (at) gmail dot com and I'll tell Momma.

Tickled steam-pink

www.etsy.com/shop/CedarMoon

I think everyone knows by now about My Fondness for kitschy flamingos, so imagine My Delight when worlds collided with Sir Steampunk!

Sir Steampunk (with monocle and/or mustache) is a handmade garden art sculpture. A OOAK Victorian gift for that formal garden or gardeners. A unique home & garden decor sculpture. He's a reinvented pink plastic flamingo base covered with weather resistant paints, paper/aluminum foil structure, recycled materials, gears/wires, faux-copper make up the rest of the disguise. He has no real metal on him except for some wires and recycled metal and wooden gears. Steam Punk: the future as imagined by the past (Scientific romantic fiction).

Sir Steampunk is quite proper in his optional top hat and monocle. And now with the option of a classy mustache! This unique Flamingo looks great in formal gardens and up-cycled Victorian gardens alike. Each Steam Punk flamingo made will be slightly different because they are as unique as the parts they made from.

His Facebook page is a delight, too. 

This Facebook Page is hosted by me, Ignacio Flamingo, and is the brainstorm of my agent, Kate Higgins. I agreed to do this provided I stay in disguise. The majority of the flock just wouldn’t understand. Belonging to a flock of hundreds is comforting but a bit stifling. Some of us really want to branch out. Some of us have dreams and desires that just don’t merge with the colony...so Flamingo Incognito! was born.

There's another steampunk flamingo listed, too, as well as a whole rainbow of other inspired Phoenicopteridae. If you like flamingos, make sure you check out CedarMoon Studio!

So many flamingos, so little yard... and I still have to tell you about my Zombie Flamingo!

Mwa ha ha!