Masquerade

        So I finally made it to 21. No more ordering ginger ale at the Gulu Gulu, no more feeling worried about the cops every time I have a few friends over for some drinks, no more awkwardness having a glass of wine when invited over to someone's house for dinner, no more being designated driver for my brother. Thank goodness for that. In order to celebrate this momentous occasion in my life I threw a huge masquerade birthday party with a friend of mine.
        "Come drink ridiculous amounts of wine and wear fabulous clothes to help us celebrate our birthdays! The only rule is that you must wear a mask and you must wear it the entire night (this is in order ensure lots of mistaken identities and forbidden kisses so you better have one!)"       -The tagline for the facebook event
         In going along with the party (which by the way was a huge success) I wanted to have a Masquerade photo-shoot, so I rounded up some of my gorgeous friends and an immensely talented photographer (the lovely Mel Hattie) and we had a blast playing dress up and painting our faces. 

        There is something about the idea of a Masquerade that I find ridiculously appealing. I remember the first one I ever went to was my senior year of high school, a New Year's party at Adams. I wore a royal blue, sequined, Banana's find and made a mask to match. We played spin the bottle and drank champagne. It was the night that my boyfriend at the time first told me he loved me. It's up there on my list of favorite high school memories. 

-A hazy flashback

        Wearing a mask presents the opportunity of being someone else for a night. Masquerades show up so frequently in theatre and literature because the idea of disguise is so perfect for equalizing class distinctions and gender roles. 

        Aphra Behn uses a Masquerade in The Rover to provide her female leads with sexually liberating identities. As gypsies the girls can do whatever, and whomever, they please.

        At a Masquerade, society's rules are forgotten. You can be...

Flirty

Fun

Bold

 Or just plain out of this world.

        I have a couple more photos for you guys and these ones are dedicated especially to my mom. A week a ago a received a huge package in the mail from my parents. On the outside scribbled in my mom's handwriting were the words "Open right away... Why wait?" so of course I obeyed. Inside was a mess of tissue paper, a few little things to make cupcakes, 20$ with a note attached saying "buy some champagne" and at the very bottom, wrapped in paper that read "Some birthdays aren't meant to be practical" was this dress. The epitome of a birthday dress. Vintage, 50's, crinoline and fitting, almost, perfectly. Want to know a secret? I cried, I actually cried when opening this box, not because of the dress, but because sitting right underneath it were a pair of perfectly matching navy blue pumps. I have the best mom in the whole wide world. So here's the dress....

and of course the matching shoes.

Thanks to everyone who made this birthday really something special. From trying new things, to Mum Nappa, from dinner with my brother, to candles and ice cream. Thank you. I'm really excited to be 21.

Peace,

        Helen