50 random facts about me

1. I collect comics and superhero related merchandise
2. My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast
3. I used to play tennis for 7 years and I was pretty good
4. My favorite colors are mint green and lavender blue
5. I drink coffee since I was a baby
6. I earned a gold medal for the bicycling exam when I was 11
7. I love mythology
8. When I was younger I always dreamed of being a vet, until I discovered you can't save all the animals.
9. I appear to be a walking jukebox, whenever I hear a song once or twice I know it by heart.
10. I used to be scared of dogs, now I own one and love them.
11. I still think E.T. is scary
12. I am a chocolate addict
13. I suffer from anxiety
14. At one point in my life I desperately wanted to be a fashion model and almost starved myself
15. I have 9 tattoos
16. At the age of 19 I had my tonsils removed
17. I am scared of wasps
18. I can't stand snails and slugs
19. I love the beach and seaside
20. When I was 15 I had a giant mohawk
21. My first pet was a goldfish with some kind of Disney name
22. I watched Star Wars the Phantom Menace three times at the cinema
23. I used to re-enact X-men episodes with my friends when we were young
24. When I was 8 I had a crush on AJ from the Backstreet Boys
25. I am 25
26. My birthday is on the 30th of December and that used to suck big time because everybody went away on holiday. Now it doesn't bother me anymore ;)
27. I have a weirdly flexible right thumb
28. I can play several music instruments
29. I have a walk-in closet
30. I got my first tattoo at the age of 17
31. Obsessed with nailpolish
32. Loving me some leopard print
33. I have met Wanda Jackson in person
34. I love to sing
35. I don't like to fail and can be hard on myself
36. When I was young I got bullied but karma struck against them (I have seen one of them later in my life ...)
37. I don't like rollercoasters
38. Sometimes I suffer from bad migraines
39. My favorite food is Italian
40. I think the 1940's are one of the most interesting decades
41. I wish unicorns were real
42. My shoe collection is huge
43. I think I am creative
44. Brian Setzer gave me his plectrum
45. I realy want to get married
46. I love to watch cooking shows
47. I am proud that I spoke at my grandpa's funeral service
48. I know my way around London
49. People often think that I am from Romania or Russia
50. I love my friends and family ♥

Re-vamping the ice queen dress

Since I am all in the costuming mode, I have decided to re-vamp the ice queen dress. It was just a plain dress which I bought online, and since it was my first time dressing up at EFF I wasn't sure what to do. So I took out my scissors, hot-fix stones, thread, needles etc and started the make-over.

First I wanted to make a split down the side, because it was kinda hard to walk in such a tight fit. I cut the dress open on the seam, and pinned it into place. After that was done I sew new seams. Yes, it is done by hand since my machine is still at my parent's house. This won't be a problem because I want to decorate the edges anyway.

I don't have the desired decoration yet, so I moved on to the hot-fix stones. Basically they are little studs with 'dry' glue on the back. Once you heat it with your hot-fix tool the glue starts to activate and it takes just 3 seconds. The stud is now on and it is pretty sturdy! I decorated the 'flowy' bit on the side of the dress with dark blue studs. On the skirt part I made snowflake patterns from an example of the internet.

The white gloves got embellished as well, with some nice iridescent studs.

I am planning to make a cape to go with the dress. I remember it was kinda chilly and a coat is not an option when you're in costume. I will keep you posted on this project. It is so much fun to do!

As always thanks for reading!

Anxiety, the bitch in my life

A lot of people suffer from panic attacks and anxiety. I am one of those people. I write this so others will understand what someone is going through if it happens.

What is anxiety? It is basically a mental condition where you can't get control over your body and thoughts. My attacks happen often in crowded places like for example a supermarket. Signs of an attack are:
Breathing heavily/breathing the wrong way causing hyperventilation
Thinking you are going to pass out
Thinking you will die
Weird feelings in your head/lightheaded
Sweaty palms/sweating in general
Racing heart/tight chest

There is no way you can predict when an attack is going to happen. When it does, try to stay calm and do not try to 'escape' the situation. It is hard to do because your body is going crazy and your thoughts are out of control. If you are with someone tell them what is happening. It is reassuring to know that you can get help if you are going to hyperventilate. I always try to gain control of the situation. It happened a few times when I let it out of control and it was terrifying.

Where does it come from? That question is hard to answer because for everyone it is different. My anxiety started when my grandpa was in hospital fighting for his life. I could not handle the stress of losing him. I literately fainted when he passed away and saw him lying there. So my fear is losing people and death as a whole thing. Off course there were some other things going on at that time which were very stressful. It all added up and the passing of my grandpa was the final blow.

Can you be 'cured'? Yes you can, but it takes time. Some things just happen and this whole anxiety thing is just another bitch that comes along in your life. I used to freak out every day but now I just have my moments sometimes. Just focus on the positive and enjoy life. Try to avoid taking pills, they do not solve the problem at all!

I hope this was somehow helpful and if you suffer from anxiety please do not give up. It will get better, stay positive :)