Brielle's Notions

Lovely Gowns in "The Raven"...

Greetings,

I just returned from seeing "The Raven" today. I thought it 'twas an entertaining well done adaption of Poe's classic tales all rolled into one.

This has always been my favorite of his works so I simply had to see it.

As Poe's tale "The Raven" was published in 1845 I assumed we would at least get a couple of pretty dresses from the ladies in the movie.  

The costumes did not disappoint!

The Costume Designer was Carlo Poggioli. Who also did the designs for Van Helsing, Season of the Witch, Cold Mountain, Brothers Grimm..etc...

He brought that perfect blend of dark romantic into the costumes.

Emily Hamilton was the main lady of this gothic victorian tale.

Thus, I decided to just focus on her costumes for this post.

           *A little Phantom of the Opera-ish don't you think?*

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, .....

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore....

"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
                Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

- The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe (a few lines, not the complete tale)

I wasn't able to find stills of all her costumes...but here are few. From what I can recall I think she wore 5 gowns and then lovely victorian undergarments.

The men's costumes were excellent as well! Lots of thought went behind each look. Poe had an awesome black wool circle cloak with a high collar.

Now I want to create a gown for a masquerade! Oh what fun it would be. I love the off the shoulder gowns and long gloves...just stunning.

 

Thank you for reading. Have a magical day!

Inspired by Rumpelstiltskin?...

Greetings,

I was randomly looking up the tale of Rumpelstiltskin in my Grimm's Fairytale Collection book this evening....

...Why you ask? You see my mom had just received her new spinning wheel and it reminded me of that story. So of course I had to re-read it.

Anyway....

The point is that I found this lovely pen and ink drawing....

Isn't her outfit pretty?

The black hair, striped skirt and laced corset are just my style. 

Mind you the story is rather morbid. Considering the fact she is holding a head dripping with blood and a magic wand. Umm.......

........Typical Grimm.

One never knows where inspiration might be found.

It would be fun to create something based on this old illustration.

 

Anything random inspire you this week to create something new?

 

Have a magical day,

 

Inspired by French Style....

Bonjour everyone!

Today I wanted to share something that isn't really "costume related", but fashion.

I have this obbession with casual French style. Well, French things in general really.

I am learning to speak French, slowly.... but surely. Someday perhaps fluently.

Far to many pictures and images fill my computer of casual French Girl fashion.

However, one of my favorite inspiration for French Style comes from a Victoria Magazine from October 2000. Yes, this is one magazine I have held onto for a long while.

Isn't the cover image so pretty? I want that staircase by the way.

This photo reminds me of a modern day "Belle" from Beauty and the Beast. Not really in looks, but just the fact that she is in a bookshop in Paris.

This whole article is amazing! Corsets are worn with long evening skirts for a modern take on romantic under pinnings.

The makeup is stunning as well. The image below left is one of my very favorites.

ohhh!! and the gorgeous velvets in these corsets are an amazing contrast with the skirts. Those sleeves! Ah, just love them.

A peak inside a high end custom fashion shop.....Can I have that dress please?

Tips and tricks on French Skincare...(another obsession of mine, but alas one I can not afford)

I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of some of my favorite "French Inspired" pages...I adore all the hairstyles and outfit looks. So pretty and elegant. A look I try to replicate...at least a little.

 

Have a lovely day!

*All photos are from Victoria Magazine October 2000 issue. This is before the magazine company changed..they used to be full of fashion and stunning scenery..even the ads are pretty!...sadly, they are not long the same and I don't get the new issues. So all copyrights for the images go to the old Victoria Mag Company.

 

 

How to turn into a Vampire...well, kind of.

Greetings!

*Stop reading right now if you don't like vampires..ok...you have been warned. *

I recently received this comment....

Hey there Brielle,

I really like reading your blog. Do you know of a good place to get vampire fangs? I wanted to be a vampire for prom! wouldn't that be so cool?

Could you post pics, pretty please? Thanx for your help. 

- Miss Jessica

Thanks for your comment Jessica. So happens...yeah, I do know of a good place.

I purchased a couple sets through vampfangs.com.

The first pair I bought...back in, 2009? I needed them for a college level special effects makeup class. I bought the other pair about a year later...so I could have a pair for getting bloody and a pair for staying clean. Ahem.... Because blood does actually stain these, so I suggest getting 2 pairs if you want to get messy.

I prefer these styles of fangs they look a bit more natural and the color is pretty close to my real tooth color. You can't beat the price either. They come in their own little coffin too. lol. I keep mine in a little black circle box though..more elegant.

Ok,...there is no pretty or lady like way for me to show you my fangs.

So here ya go. Before and after.

 

Good thing I don't take myself too seriously, right?

The only thing with mine is that my real fangs are too pointy to wear the fake fangs upon. Ironic isn't it?...thought it was funny.

So I had to move them over to my other teeth. Yeah, so if you don't have super pointy real fangs you should be able to wear these right over your natural fangy teeth...er. Something like that.

Besides, if you were really going to bite someone this would be a better placement anyway....but, I shall stop there. Digressing...

I am not a sparkly vampire fan...sorry Twilight.

Just a side note...You could totally wear red lipstick with these fangs as well. I am not really a lipstick type girl and didn't feel like getting all done up for these shots. Thus the "natural" vampire look.I figured there are some vampire who like the natural look...right?

Warning: Fangs also give you a bit of a lisp...lol. So be warned. You might not sound very cool when talking with fangs...in fact it can be down right funny. Looking a like a creepy vampire and then having a lisp...so keep the talking short.

Oh, if you are makeup fan...I highly recommend the UrbanDecay Naked2 set. It is perfect for pale cool based skintones. I never bought the first UrbanDecayNaked color set because the colors were too warm for me.

So if you are a pale creature, I suggest investing in this....really awesome eye colors. It is the only eyecolor set I think I shall ever need. You can achieve all kinds of looks with these selection of colors. I just went for a natural look today.

 

This is what the fangs look like in the little box. I just have them sitting on a diary that looked kind of 1860's to me. Or some such thing.

Do you want to see more of these "cosmetic/special effects" style posts?

It is kind of side hobby of mine...I think it would be an amazing job to be a make up artist. So many things...so little time.

I REALLY want to purchase a pair of these Retractable Fangs. How awesome are those??? So at some point I will have to add those to my collection as well. I shall do a review on those if I buy a pair.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

*A little disclaimer. I am not at all by any means getting paid for this review/post. I am simply wanting to share my review with anyone that might be interested. All pictures are my own.

Reading....

Greetings,

I think far to often in our busy world we forget to take the time to read a book.

A real book.

Not a magazine, not a website, not a digital copy of a book on a digital book device...no I mean a book. Pages of crisp paper with black font...creating a world, a story, a place for our imaginations to thrive.

I think of books as mini vacations.

We can go anywhere we want in a book....learn about new things, expand our knowledge, get lost in a legend, stumble upon a magic land through a wardrobe, travel through england solving a mystery...even ride dragons.

What are you waiting for?

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

My faithful dragon Dracena likes to rest upon some of my books.

 

So why not visit your local bookstore and buy yourself something fun to read?

Turn of your electronics and enjoy.

 

 ...and on that note, I am off to read a book.

Have a great weekend!

Box of Star Wars Costume Happiness!

Greetings,

I was so excited about this I simply had to share it with you.

Ok, so I have been on the hunt for the Star Wars "Costuming a Galaxy" book by Trisha Biggar for...oh...years. There were only 2,500 copies printed of this book. Trisha Biggar designed the book to showcase her amazing work on Star Wars. However, I couldn't ever find it in my price range....until...now! (somehow I missed out on it when the book was published in 2005)

I found an amazing deal on the collectors edition of "Costuming a Galaxy".

The edition was number 1977. Hahha, isn't that cool? Not only is this copy still in the thousands, but it was the same year that Star Wars came out! Way too fun.

The box is 100% silk with the Naboo Crest on the front and of course all kinds of perfect silk details. Once you open the box...it gets even better!

*Click on the pics if you want a larger view.

Up close shots of the silk case for the books. Golden silk sleeve hooks on the side.

This box is really big. The book is huge!! So everything is very nicely packaged.

ok...cue the Darth Vader theme song. .....

That's right my friends.

I have in my hand an actual scrap of fabric from Darth Vader's cape! 

More fabric love!

Check it out, it is like a kids "touch and feel" book, for costume fans of all kinds. An actual fabric swatch from Obi Wan's cloak...and some from Anakin's robe. Let's not forget a ton from Padme...and Zam Wesell...oh yeah.

There are many more swatches in the book, but I only choose a few for this.

A Wookie Belt Buckle!!! An actual prop from the movie. Used on an extra.

Some shots from the Book. Darth Vader and Darth Maul. Enough said.

Padme's Celebration Costume and keira knightley's handmaiden costume too!

 
Someday.....I will have this costume. Comic Con here I come!

Do you think it would be ok if I had a long dark ponytail sticking out the back of her helmet?

Ok, second to last picture....

ALL of the Star Wars costumes are in this book.

However, I won't load the whole blog up with the pictures...as much as I would like to. ;) In the back of the book they have lots of pages that are small images of each outfit for easy reference.

The digital costumes are in another book that also came in this set. Very nice.

There is also a section on "costume construction" fabrics...etc... Love.

So there is a little glimpse of what was inside my "star wars box" today.

Fun times.

Thanks for reading! and may the force be with you....

gadgets and gizmos aplenty...

Greetings,

I hope you are having a wonderful week.

I don't often talk about items not pertaining to costumes on this little blog, but I thought these items were great and I figured why not?

So this will be a once a month post on the Notions Blog...

Yes, lots of sewing is going on too! Costume items will soon be making their way to the kind customers who purchased them. I just don't have pictures done yet. ...oh, and a few fairytale costumes!"

So here is a post on my current "favorites" of this month....err, last month too?

- The Three Musketeers book by Alexander Dumas. I took a break from sci-fi and decided upon a fun swashbuckling, classic adventure filled read. I wanted a cool leather cover, but I went with this one because it was 50% off instead. This was a great read if you like classics. It actually made me laugh, the sarcastic remarks made by the Musketeers was very Shakespeare-esque. *the book was better than the movie!

- Sweet Mint Balm Perfect for a natural pretty lip, without chemicals! You can find it here. This scent reminds me of candy canes...

- China Glaze Nail Polish in Emerald Fitzgerald. You can find it here. This polish was a gift from my cousin back in February, but it seemed so perfect for this wintery season that I wanted to share it. Super pretty dark green.

- Sword Earrings I bought them in May right before POTC4 came out. They are my go to earrings that match everything...and who doesn't want a touch of pirate everyday?

- Tea!! Coconut Chai from Zhena's Gypsy Tea. One of my favorite brands.  Perfect boost of caffeine for the day too...plus it tastes delicious. You can find it here

- Macadamia Natural Healing Oil. You can buy it here at Ulta. This product is awesome! Totally restores my long hair in the dry winter months. I highly recommend.

- Dracula by Brom Stoker. Isn't is cover awesome? I recieved it for Christmas. You can find your own copy here. Leather bound books make me so happy. The detail on this one is very nice.

Do you have any Current Favorites?

Please feel free to leave your favorites in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

 

*Disclaimer, this is not a sponsored post. Just stuff I liked this month. :)

oh! Isn't this a cool picture? For my fellow LOTR fans I am sure you shall agree....

I don't recall where I found it in my wandering online, so I can't credit anyone for it. Sorry!

 

 

Because writing in elvish is more fun.....

Why write english when you could write elvish? ;) .....

I was just messing around with my pen and ink set this weekend. The black ink was gone, but the Sienna jar was still full so I thought I would try my hand at that color.

The pen writes amazingly well. If you have never used a pen that you have to dip into an ink well I highly recommend it. It is relaxing and requires you to actually think about each letter before committing it to the paper.

If you are interested in the realms created by Tolkien or are interested in languages... then you might want to take a glance at this book below. You can get it here. Special thanks to my hobbity cousin for getting this for me!

It is basically a school like guide to ALL the middle earth tongues. A most enjoyable read if you are geeky like that.

Do you like to write? If so...what do you find your self writing?

And with that... I leave you with a very fond farewell until we meet again.

 

 

Movie Costume Monday: Aramis

Greetings!

Well it is Movie Costume Monday yet again on the studio blog and I have decided to feature a costume from the new Three Musketeers Movie.

This movie is one that many people liked...and many people hated.

I found the movie to be a fun, airship battle filled story that was glazed with Princess Bride style humor, plenty of sword fights..and elaborate costumes.  Just don't watch it thinking you are getting a historical, realistic, serious....anything. lol.  And watch it with some friends whom you can laugh and have fun with.

However, one must at least agree that the costumes were over the top. Honestly, the amount of silk, satin, ribbons, gold buttons and general costume bling that was showcased in this movie was amazing. Wow.

The Costume Designer was Pierre-Yves Gayraud. (Bourne Idenity etc...)

I have never been much of a fan of the Ladies costumes from this time period.  M'Lady did have some lovely gowns, but I thought we would focus on one of the Three Musketeers instead.

So if you want to see the ladies silk gowns check out the movie for some fun looks!

I thought all the Musketeer costumes were perfect.

Porthos ____  Athos____ D'Artagnan____ Aramis

My favorite Musketeer was Aramis, who is also a part time priest.

I just liked the over-all look of his costumes best and the priest thing was a fun twist. 

His Costumes consist of black textured silk fabrics, leather jackets and pirate style embroidered shirts. The black wool cape is worn off the shoulder and slung to one side.

A golden cross necklace symbolized his Priest status.  He also wore slightly steampunk-esq glasses (not pictured) while reading. 

Of course no Musketeer's look would be complete without that classic hat that is so iconic of this story...and a giant pair of black leather boots. 

His sword was in the shape of a cross on the hilt. Great design detail done there by the sword designers. You notice it the most when he is kneeling down after killing dozens of guards.

Before I wrap things up I shall leave you with a few more costume pictures from the movie.

M' Lady has a lovely and puffy golden cream gown here.

I must admit though I really did laugh out loud when I saw The Duke of  Buckingham. (Orlando Bloom).

His ensembles were entertaining colorful and....slightly peacock like. However, he does end up in some more manly styles towards the end of the film. But my hat is off to his hair dresser... his hair was always extra quaffed for each occasion. Hairspray any one?

Lots of fun colors of silk there. Although King Louis XIII costumes were much more  flamboyant and shall make you laugh.

 

 

Thanks for reading and have a swashbuckling Monday!

So who is your favorite Musketeer?

P.S.

I am currently reading this book right now by Alexandre Dumas. I have read (and own) The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask, but somehow I never got around to reading The Three Musketeers. So I am reading that to find out more of the written story.

Has anyone else read it?