Time Travel: Mark Twain at Lake Tahoe, and Rendezvous in Carson City

So for all my complaining, I love this dress (now).  It wore really quite well!

The events of the day included a trip up to Zephyr Cove, Lake Tahoe, to scout a new event called “Mark Twain Western Days.”  It was SO tiny, with just a couple craft booths, a stage, a band, a cowboy poet, and some gunslingers, but it was such a lovely little place to be.  About 7-10 of us GBCS ladies (and our one gentleman), spread out on the lawn, listened to the band, and had a picnic lunch.  We then flounced around taking photos, looking pretty, gathering strange looks for the “normal” people there to ride the Tahoe Dixie and play volleyball.

After our lunch we all piled into our automobiles, hoops and all!, and drove back down the hill to Carson City, to check out the Rendezvous.  I had never been to a Rendezvous, and I am SO impressed!  It might become my new “thing,” (like Renaissance Faire was years ago), and I’ll have to change the name of my blog! (never!).  We shopped – both my mother and I bought hair – we slurped lemonade, we watched the battle, which was really quite riveting, cannon and all.

What a lovely day.  The weather was nice (thank goodness), and the entertainments were many.  There were no major problems with the dress, save that it wants some hooks and bars on the waistband, to keep the bodice and skirt together, and I need to hem the skirt up a bit, as I was stepping on it all day.

I’m going to do a full-on informational post about the bonnet next, but I want to let you all know a bit about it first.  I did NOT make this bonnet, but instead commissioned it from a friend, Maggie, who has a magical way with hats.  I paid $50, which included all supplies and shipping, and she made the thing super-fast, and got it to me by the next weekend.  It’s exquisite, fits perfectly, and is exactly what I asked for – a straw day bonnet, with a palette of sage green, creams, and browns, rather understated, and with some flowers.  She had never seen my dress in person, and the bonnet matched EXACTLY.

Maggie is open to taking more commissions, and I encourage you to take advantage of her skills while her prices are still so low!  Her e-mail is [email protected].  She also runs a blog: http://serendipitousstitchery.blogspot.com/, though not often updated, but you can contact her there too.