Getting his Lego Over
posted 27 days ago on @ 14:57 on Fri 05 Jun 2009

Another week, another prize winning costume - Will was most especially selected by our kind sponsors at JustForFun as the best toy at the party- next year we are hoping he'll bring some friends and build a castle....

Will if you contact me on welovefancydress.com I will furnish you with the details of your £50 prize.

in the Skye with Diamonds ( a homage)
posted about 1 month ago on @ 16:44 on Wed 20 May 2009

The price of gold may undulate...
But this girl Always keeps us up till late,
She's been such a loyal fancy dress supporter,
We'd really like to award 'er...
With the coveted Costume of the Month!

Please step forward Miss Skye Graham, and claim your £50 prize!

balls, balls balls
posted about 1 month ago on @ 12:47 on Mon 11 May 2009

If you, like us, are dreaming of costume parties this summer take inspiration from one of the most glorious costume balls of the victorian age, and create your own far away world of people and times with crinoline and silver stars and towering wigs...

Article from The Times, 1897, abut the great costume ball given at Devonshire House July 2nd 1897....

"Of all the private entertainments for which the Jubilee has provided the occasion, none is comparable with the magnificent fancy dress ball given last night at Devonshire House by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

The Royal party itself fell in very readily with this idea, and attended in historical and mostly Royal costumes of the 16th century. There were four Courts strictly so-called, besides two groups which were separately arranged, but which are only to be called Courts by an extension of the term. The four were the Elizabethan Court, headed by Lady Tweedmouth as Queen Elizabeth with Sir Francis Jeune as Lord Chief Justice, Lord Arran a Cardinal, and Lord Rowton as Archibishop Farrer; the Louis XV and XVI. Court, with Lady Curzon as Queen Marie Leczinska and Lady Warwick as Marie Antoinette; the Court of Maria Theresa with Lady Londonderry as the Empress, Lord Lansdowne as Prince Kaunitz, and Lady Lansdowne as Lady Keith; and the Court of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, its Imperial centre being Lady Raincliffe. Of equal importance with these Courts were the group of Orientals and the Italian procession, the chief members of the former being the hostess herself, the Duchess of Devonshire as Zenobia, Lady de Grey as Lysistrate, and Lady Cynthia Graham as the Queen of Sheba; while the latter, which covered not only the great period of Italian art but the 17th century as well, was made illustrious both by the beauty of the dresses and by the great distinction of many of those who wore them.

Nothing could be more fanciful than the system of lighting this tent - a series of festoons of flowers from which at intervals there shone the electric light, the effect upon the gay dresses and the powdered heads of the fascinating groups below being marvellously gay and sparkling. But it may be said that the electric light and the people themselves were the only modern things there, for not a guest, not a musician, not a herald, not a servant, nay, not even any of the waiting-maids who helped the ladies in the cloak-room was permitted to appear in a dress later than the beginning of the century."

You toyed with us... and didn't we just love it!
posted 3 months ago on @ 16:34 on Wed 01 Apr 2009

When cowboys, lego pieces and rubix cubes come together in darkened townhouse off the Tottenham Park Road it's definitely time to play. We had scrabble and slinkys and dominos and dolls, all there to celebrate the wonderful Pollocks Toy Museum in it's darkened glory.
Some of the reported liasons were particularly exciting - we can't wait to see the product of the lovechild of a toy soldier ( typical) and an airfix model!
The tin soldier band whistled, strummed and banged their way through the night and the toys all responded from the dignified ( the old german doll in the attic was seen gently swaying) to the fired up ( the rocking horse claimed he hadn't rocked so hard since '69 ( that's 1769)).
All the prancing and dancing and drinking and slinking raised a good amount for the museum and we were so thrilled to have you all. Here's to next year! ( We heard it might be in a lingerie factory...)
To see our blog click http://welovefancydress.wordpress.com/2009/04/01/you-all-toyed-with-us-and-didnt-we-just-love-it/

Thanks again to our divine host Eddie at Pollocks Toy Museum (http://www.pollockstoymuseum.com/) and our lovely sponsors Geoff and Joseph at Just For Fun (www.justforfun.co.uk)

Spring Chicken!
posted 3 months ago on @ 10:39 on Wed 25 Mar 2009

This has replaced quills, pillows and boas as our favourite use of feathers... Abi you are a wonder