Hogwarts Has Nothing On My Friends

[teddy_radiator]

Back in 2013, I had the chance to attend a Harry Potter Convention - MISTI-Con. It was one of the most positive experiences in my life. I got to meet friends I had met online, and met new friends there. I came away with the feeling that I belonged to something incredibly special; I had fallen in love with my fandom through the people who loved it just as much as I did, and I couldn't wait to go back two years later.

Cut to 2015, and the frustrating realisation that I was not going to be able to attend - money just wasn't there - bad timing, unpredicted expenses, you name it. I told each friend I could speak to how much I wanted them to enjoy MISTI, because I didn't want to be bitter about not attending.

I meant it. I wanted each person I knew to have the best time and the best experience, and aside from Con Crud, I think most of you had a wonderful time.

Then, about a month later, I was sent a link to a Flickr account, where droxyhad posted a ton of photos of MISTI friends posing with an adorable little Steampunk teddy bear - all to tell me they were thinking about me. Thank you, Mary Trupp MacLeod, for the little feller. It made me realise that, while we speak of the magical world JK Rowling created, my friends are the real wizards, bringing MISTI to me, since I couldn't go.

You can see the photos HERE.

Today, I get a box from sabrebabe - On the outside, it says, "MISTI loves you".



After my heartrate slowed, because Naughty Deb filled the box with a few dozen black plastic spiders! - I start opening this treasure trove of goodies. I found chocolate frogs from Honeydukes. I found a pair of beautifully hand-painted Divination teacups from Deb. I found Cherry Basil Mead. I found a plot bunny from Piper. I found jewelry from Emily, music from errandofmercy, I have gorgeous magnifying lenses from Dolores Umbridge!

I have artwork, Christmas ornaments, not one but TWO MISTI t-shirts, totes, bumper stickers, bookmarks, Slytherin coozies, a Cornish Pixie shotglass, candy, tickets, programs, badges....

And nestled within all this fabulous swag, is the teddy bear, the one you all posed with so that I wouldn't feel left out of MISTI 2015.

JK Rowling once made that immortal quote that 'Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home". Hogwarts has nothing on you, MISTI-Con. You have welcomed me home, all of you.

Thank you, sabrebabe, for this box of friendship and love, and to all who contributed their time and talents to the marvelous goodies therein. I will try to be worthy of you. I will spend my life trying to deserve your amazing friendships.

I will never forget this for as long as I live.

In other news, I have ceased praying the grey away. I've stripped back all the dark brown on my hair (pause for a moment of mourning) and put a very aggressively blue/violet blonde colour. I would love to dye it grey, but you can't get proper grey dye in the US for love nor money. I'm stuck with using Hi-lift blue/violet blondes and blue shampoos and hair mousse. I'm also having fun with the retro victory roll/bandana combo - and I couldn't resist showing off the little Steampunk aviator bear that was my stand in at MISTI. There's a definite family resemblance.

Comments

[tamlane.livejournal.com]

OMG THAT VICTORY ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, the bear is adorable, yes. BUT YOUR HAIR!!!!! And that teal bandana, just WOW!!! What a fantastic look on you.

And what a lovely care package. :D

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thanks, babe - it was my first roll, so I'm hoping I'll get better. My hair is a train wreck most of the time, but I like the retro look. I just bought about 10 bandanas, so I'd better get this right! ;)

I was so blown away by this care package - I mean, wow! :)

[tamlane.livejournal.com]

That was your first one??? Um, yeah, my first attempt at a victory roll did not look like that. Very impressive.

Retro 'dos are fantastic for hard-to-manage hair types, and don't I know it.

[mimimanderly.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to try the bandana, though not the roll (I'm actually crap at styling my hair. I can blow dry it smooth, but get into curl territory, and fuggedaboutit!) I saw a girl with a haircut similar to mine in Whole Foods yesterday with the bandana look, and I thought "Even I could manage that!" It would be a great option for second (or even third!) day hair.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

There you go. I used to wear bandanas all the time in the 70's, so now I'm getting a collection of them again. They are dirt cheap in Walmart, and today we went thrift storing and I hoped to find more, but alas, bandanas were there none.

I like that 'scarf' look so much. I'm really into a show called Masters of Sex right now, and it takes place in the late 50's - mid 60's, and one of the main characters wears a pageboy/scarf combo a lot - I love the look.

[toblass.livejournal.com]

Clearly you are a much loved Teddy. A lovely box of goodies and awesome friends...what more could anyone need?

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Very lucky Teddy here.

[drinkingcocoa.livejournal.com]

BEST POST best best best.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Best friends! ♥

[akatnamedeaster.livejournal.com]

Aww, what a very cool thing for everyone to do for you. *hugs* All the love Teds, all the love. :)

And damn, you've got some really good skin, lady. *is jealous. Is also jealous of your nicely shaped brows.*

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Aww... I've just seriously started going with that look, so I'm hoping I can improve it.

I tell you - my friends here - I've never seen anything like you all. It's the best feeling in the world.

[akatnamedeaster.livejournal.com]

Well it works for you, I think. And really, I am in awe of your even skin tone. As someone with dark circles like Snape in my icon and loads of freckles on my nose, it kills me. :)

And baby, you're a good egg, don't wonder why we dig you.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

{{{{Hugs}}}} you sooooooo tight

[hbart.livejournal.com]

Wow, great friends, great looking hair ... What more can a gal ask for?!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I feel so truly blessed with great friends. I truly want to be worthy of all this consideration - it's just wonderful.

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

Teddy, the hair colour is lovely! It really, really suits you.

And you know what? I think you should send this post to JKR herself - I am sure she would love to see a little evidence of the influence she has had and continues to have in many individual lives. *hugs*

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

I'd love to send it to her, but I have no idea how I would go about doing it - maybe put it on her website or twitter?

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

I'd try twitter. But maybe lock the rest of your journal?

[mimimanderly.livejournal.com]

I love the hair color; I think it suits you. As we get... more timeless... it looks better to go lighter. Which is why I went dark when I did (I figured it was my last chance for black hair) and also why I went lighter when I did (it's back to a light ash brown -- which is more or less my "natural" color -- minus the dastardly grey of course). The retro look is great, too. Are you doing more of the forties look or just the hair? With me, it's all about the twenties; I think I may have been a flapper in another life.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

I think the Louise Brooks look on you is absolutely perfect. You look so cosmopolitan and dare I say it? French chic. A perfect look for you that suits your pretty face and those gorgeous blue-green eyes.

I have always loved the 40's/50's look, but I've been uber lazy in the past about any kind of 'style'. But something is calling to me here, and I would like to go with it and see where it takes me. It feels right in a way that hasn't felt right before, so we'll see how it goes! ♥

[tamlane.livejournal.com]

Butting in here... (What? I came to take another look at that killer 'do, which is inspiring me so much right now because I haven't tried the bandana yet, just the curls.)

What you say about style rings so true for me. Fashion is something I've always enjoyed very much, but I'm not sure you'd know it to look at me. LOL! And most of that is because I'll never find pretty RTW in my size, and I just don't have the time or skills to sew my entire wardrobe. But these little touches, like a retro hairdo or a wild patchwork bag or a random handmade flower brooch or what have you... they can make a big difference in how you feel about yourself! I've always felt like I wasn't going to look stylish or trendy no matter what I did, but at least I can have fun with it, you know? And when you get that "feeling" from something you're wearing, like it just fits, and it makes you so happy that you don't even care what anyone thinks about it... that's powerful. Like being a kid and wanting to live in that princess dress. Well, what's stopping any of us now, if that's what we want to do?

I'm crushing so hard on the 40s right now. They were so limited in what they had available that they really put their all into the details. A puffed sleeve here, a gathered yoke there, a hand-embroidered neckline, just guh. And even the hairdo like the one you're sporting above. It was clearly meant to be utilitarian (they worked in factories!), but they didn't let that stop them from making it pretty and feminine. What an inspiring decade in fashion.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Butt away, kiddo. When you do, you coin money.

I cannot agree with you more, and what's more, your statement is so inspiring. I feel really good about myself, even though I'm nobody's pin up girl.

[tamlane.livejournal.com]

HOT DAMN.

I'd pin you in a heartbeat! Work that candy apple red, girl!!!!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

BIG {{{{HUGS}}}}

[mimimanderly.livejournal.com]

Butting in here ( ;-) )... I enjoy fashion very much as well, so it would be perplexing if you peeked into my closet. I don't have a lot of clothes. But I love the things I do have and feel wonderful when I wear them. Also, I keep it simple: everything is neutral (mostly black, but some white and brown), and everything must work with everything else that's already there. It's the accessories that make it look like you have a big wardrobe and expand your options. You can take a plain black dress and make it look sporty, trendy, or glam, depending on what you wear with it. To me, it's fun playing around with the clothes and accessories, coming up with a different look. Don't feel that you need a lot of "stuff" to be stylish. After all, fashion and style are two different things. (I like Oscar Wilde's quote that "fashion must be replaced every six months because it is so bad".

[tamlane.livejournal.com]

Ha! I love the Oscar Wilde quote!! So true.

To me, it's fun playing around with the clothes and accessories, coming up with a different look.

Well said, and same here. Dress-up always was one of my favorite games as a kid. ;)

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

What a fantastic gift! You have such thoughtful friends. I think my personal favorite bits from your generous Misti-con stash were the things that were funny, like the "Plot Bunny."

I adore the hair color! I hope it's working out for you and you keep it, because it rocks, especially next to the color of the bandanna.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Pipe gave us all plot bunnies at MISTI 2013 - it's stashed away at the moment but when we (if we) ever get the bookshelves up, it's going up there with its 2015 companion.

I really like the color, and I'm having a lot of fun with this look. My mother saw it for the first time today and said, "Oh, you've gone blonde again! I really like it." I figured she would but it was nice to hear her say it.

[melodyssister]

What a wonderful gift! And you look so great with that victory roll and bandana!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! I'm having a lot of fun with the 'new look'! ♥