What I Did: ACL Music Fest 2013 + 5 Festival Essentials

This past weekend was week one of Austin City Limits, commonly known as ACL, one of the biggest music festivals here in Austin. Normally, music festivals aren't my thing. I've been to a few and enjoyed it, but I don't actively seek them out. I have a ton of other hobbies that keep my time and dollars occupied! So it was a little strange this past weekend when a lot of my friends were at Dallas Comic Con's Fan Days and I was at a music festival... who am I?!

I actually won my ACL pass through my grad program -- it was an incentive prize for an assignment that wasn't graded. I didn't expect to win, but when I found out I did, I was suddenly really excited about going to ACL! The lineup seemed pretty neat, I love Zilker park, and a few of my friends from my cohort were going too. Soon enough, the weekend was here and I was at the park!

Was it fun? A big, resounding YES! I got to hoop my little heart out (which I've barely done at all in 2013), see some of my favorites live, and hang out with lots of cool people. With ACL, it seems you can go at your own pace. Some might opt to get there early and go to the after parties later, but I took it a little slower. I arrived a little later in the afternoon, took my time in between sets, and made sure I was drinking water and applying sunscreen. I left after the last sets and made sure to sleep a lot to try and recover my sore, tired muscles. And you know, I don't feel like I missed out on anything at all!

Oddly enough, it was still hot even though it's October - Friday was in the mid-90s. I was sweating like crazy! Luckily Saturday and Sunday cooled off and it was way more tolerable. Also, I didn't expect to eat as much as we did. Turns out ACL brings in a lot of local restaurants and food trucks to make up their makeshift food court, and I got to try out lots of new eats I'd never had before. I also didn't realize my body would be as sore, achy, and downright grimy as it was. A small price to pay for good music, though!

If I ever go again, I know I'd be much more prepared for what ACL is actually like. My top 5 essentials for this ACL fest were:

1. Sunglasses. But not an expensive pair, just in case they get scratched up or lost.
2. A large water bottle. I brought my Camelbak and it was just barely big enough. I brought a smaller bottle one day and totally regretted it.
3. A portable phone charger. I used this a lot during SDCC too. I have a charger that works in the wall but also on its own and can supply some much-needed juice when my phone's charge is running low.
4. A super cute backpack. At first, I thought my bag was overkill, but it was the easiest to take through crowds, distributed weight evenly, and held whatever I needed it to hold.
5. Hoops! It doesn't matter what your skill level is, hooping is just plain fun and my favorite way to celebrate live music.

Also, a bonus: someone filmed me hooping during Kings of Leon and used his phone to make it slow mo! I think I look way cooler in this video than I did in real life.

Do you like going to music festivals?

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What I Did: Ann Humphreys Hooping Workshop

It may sound silly, but my little plastic circle has taught me a lot of valuable life lessons.

Like, it's okay not to be perfect. Keep trying anyway.

Or, taking time to make yourself happy will make your work better.

I am constantly surprised by the meditative and teaching qualities my hoop offers me. Maybe it's because hooping is an activity where I'm not stressing about anything else. Maybe it's because hooping allows me to be a work-in-progress. Maybe it's that hooping, for me, is not about money, or grades, or anything else quantifiable. Whatever the reason may be, I have learned many lessons in the hoop that translate to the rest of my life as well.

This past weekend, I went to Ann Humphreys' workshop in Dallas, and I learned another lesson: Community changes everything for the better.

I have been mostly self-taught when it comes to hooping. I would love to take classes and go to workshops, of course, but I had a hard time finding the time and money to budget for that. I occasionally attend events or meet up with friends, but for the most part, I hoop alone. For me, hoop practice was solo time, and that was okay.

When I heard Ann was coming, I did not want to miss out on gleaning from such a valuable and experienced teacher. I knew I'd try new techniques, but I wasn't expecting to have a completely new way of looking at my hobby. My perspective on how I view the hoop, how I view my body within it -- all totally changed. Ann is truly a wonderful teacher.

More than just techniques, however, was the community at these workshops. I met hoopers, some old friends, some new, and we all had our own way of finding the hoop. Some of us could never dance but the hoop set our creative talents free, while others are long-time performers and artists who found a physical form of expression. The people at these workshops were diverse, talented, and open about their experiences.

Talking with each person, hearing their story of how hooping benefited them, reminded me that it's okay to ask for help. It's okay to learn from others, to ask them how they see things.

To the many hoopers I spoke to, had lunch with, and shared personal stories with, thank you.

P.S. - I know I've been missing lately, blogging just didn't feel right! I should be back for good now, thanks for your patience with everything.

Hooping: More Ramona Flowers!

After my little video got tweeted and reblogged by the creator of Scott Pilgrim, Bryan Lee O'Malley, a few other things have happened! My friend Darby made a magical gif set of me... Tumblr user ashdraws used my video to make gesture drawings. How neat is that?!

And Burly-Nate on Flickr was actually up on the roof while we were shooting the video, and I found the photos he took this week!

I'm thankful for all the attention that this video has gotten. I'm so happy to share two of my main passions, cosplay and hooping, with so many! Thank you all for sharing my video and for the kind comments.

Hooping: Ramona Flowers at Ikkicon

Right before Ikkicon, I found myself missing my hoop. Between finals and the holidays, I hadn't even touched it in a week or two! I decided to take it with my to the convention and when I saw that my hoop matched my Ramona costume... well, the answer seemed obvious! Make a cosplay hooping video, of course!

It was fun to hoop in such a poofy skirt, but the costume did limit my motions. Regardless, it was really fun to  record and edit this together. 

And, much to my surprise...

Bryan Lee O'Malley, creator of the Scott Pilgrim series, tweeted about my video on Ramona's birthday, January 1st. I'm so flattered that he liked it enough to share it!

Thank you to Peony for acting as my videographer, and I hope you enjoy!

What I Did: LED Hoop Shoot

Hooping is one of my main hobbies and I love it more than I can express. It's a form of moving meditation, it's exercise, and it's a way for me to destress.

My LED hoop is from Moodhoops and it was a birthday gift from my parents. Thanks, mom and dad! I wanted to take some photos with it, so my friend Mexicanime and I headed to the park.

Below are some of my favorite shots. Enjoy!

What did you think? Looks pretty cool, right?

What I Did: Amber Does Dallas Science Fiction Double Feature

Have you ever seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show? It only counts if you've seen it in a theater! What about REPO! The Genetic Opera? Both of these cheesy sci-fi horror musicals are considered cult classics and are performed by shadowcasts across the country and the world. I love each of these movies and encourage everyone I know to go out and see them at least once!

Photo by Scully! Hoopin' outside the theater.

The concept of a shadowcast is a little difficult to explain -- basically, the movie plays on a large screen, but performers act out the scenes, and there are costumes, sets, props, and even techies, just like a regular theater production. What's more, the audience plays a large part in the show by throwing certain things at the actors, shouting out hilarious callbacks, and interacting directly with the cast.

I had the privilege of being a member of Amber Does Dallas, a local cast, previously, and I loved performing so much! Both Rocky Horror and Repo are near and dear to my heart, so bringing them to life was fun. I'm no longer on cast now, but I still go to the shows when I get the opportunity and I love to take my friends to them.

Photo by Scully! Stephanie is in the front, she played Shilo and Janet.

I went to the latest Science Fiction Double Feature, where they perform both movies back-to-back in one night, and I had an absolute blast. It was also my dear friend Gypsy's final show, a special occasion since she was one of the cast's founders several years ago. I came to cheer her on, as well as my other cast friends, old and new! Everyone did a wonderful job. I really think that ADD has top-notch show quality!

If you are interested in catching an Amber Does Dallas show, just look at their website here or join their Facebook group for updates. If you're not usually in the Dallas area, check around for a local cast in your area!

Photo by Scully!

Before the show, my hooping friend Scully and I hooped on stage and outside the theater. It was like old times! I just wish I had an LED hoop for some neat nighttime hooping. (We weren't the only ones on stage, I just didn't want to use photos with other people in them, just in case!)

I had a hard time deciding what to wear -- Should I wear a costume? Should I dress up at all? -- but I ended up settling on this black clubwear-type dress from Forever 21. Really, anything is appropriate for an event like this, but for people who love costuming and clothing, any occasion to dress up is welcome!

I also had the opportunity to wear some heels that were calling my name at Buffalo Exchange, but are so out of my normal style that I hadn't worn them yet. I got tons of compliments all night. Hooping in heels was a real challenge, though!

Outfit Details

Dress: Forever 21 | Heels: Buffalo Exchange

Photo by Amanda Rebholz!

Have you ever seen Rocky Horror or REPO! The Genetic Opera? What did you think?

Repo is on Netflix instant -- now is your chance! Rocky Horror shows up there on occasion, too.

Daily Outfit: Hooping in Florals

Hi all! I know I've been a little MIA this week, but I'm in the middle of moving into my new apartment! If you follow me on Twitter, you've probably seen my updates... my moving company completely forgot to show up on Monday! Ugh! Anyway, I'm busy unpacking now so I should be back to a more regular posting schedule. Yay!

I have to hand it to ModCloth -- they have some brilliant email marketing. Every time an item you add to your wishlist is almost out of stock, they send out this little email:

Oh, if you insist! 

And when I found that this dress had only one left, in my size, and was 50% off.... I scooped it up! If you remember this post, I've wanted this dress for ages. It arrived quickly and right before I moved out.

I was pleased to find that the dress is wonderful quality, super flattering and comfortable, and fully lined. It even has padding on the bust so I don't have to wear a bra, which proved useful after I got a terrible sunburn at Schlitterbahn. More on that later.

They also sent me this free headband, styled after the Japanese usamimi (literally, bunny ears) trend from a while back. I wonder if they matched it to my dress on purpose? Either way, I love it lots! 

I haven't decided where to take photos yet in my new apartment, but this little wall was the only thing not lined up boxes, so it'll do for now :) I can't wait until my closet is completely unpacked and I have more items to play around with and share with you all.

I'm off to meet some friends I haven't seen in a while and hoop! I hope you are having a great Wednesday!

Cardigan: Target | Dress: ModCloth | Shoes: DSW | Hoop: HoopMamas on Etsy

P.S. -- ModCloth's Share the Love program is still going strong! If you've never bought anything from there, use this link and you'll get $10 off, and I'll get a $10 credit! Happiness all around!

Recent Purchases

Since I was out of town for so long, several packages I had been waiting for came in! I love getting things in the mail, it always feels like my birthday. Lately, I’ve been working on selling or swapping clothing that I don’t like or fit into anymore, so I’ve got more mail coming! So exciting! 

Antaina tea party shoes in pink and sax, Sweet Spectator heels by B.A.I.T. from ModCloth.

Super cute hooping stuff from HoopPretty -- they are closing down shop!

Left: Bodyline, Right: ModCloth

All in all, I got:

• Tea parties in sax and pink – Antaina, ordered from TaoBao months ago
• Mint wingtip shoes and pleated dress -- ModCloth
• Hooping mermaid tank top and hooping cat stickers – HoopPretty (they are closing down shop, so check it out!) 
• Blue lolita dress – from a trade, originally Bodyline

Not too shabby for a single day! ;)

As you might recall, my resolution for this year was to buy most of my clothing secondhand, except for intimate or specialty items (like lolita items or the ModCloth order... shh, I'll tell you more later!).

Although most of these items were new, not secondhand, I was still able to save a ton! ModCloth has a promotion right now where if you refer a friend who is new to the site, your friend gets $10 off and you get $10 in store credit. Talk about a win-win. Follow this link if you are interested! I got a little bit knocked off my order with that deal. HoopPretty is having a 50% off sale on all of their stuff because they are discontinuing everything, too!

I'm going to do a post on how to swap, sell, and trade your clothing online soon, since I've really been interested in it lately. Stay tuned!

What have you bought recently?

Daily Outfit: Hoop Dance Party!

Last night, I went to a Hoop Dance Party with Jessica and Kelly! I had so, so much fun there. I'm pretty new to hoop dance and I've only seriously started practicing this summer, but I felt right at home! There were lots of hoopers, lots of styles, and, most importantly, some seriously rockin' songs to hoop to. It was great to be able to hoop with others and I definitely want to go to more meetups now. Hoopers are seriously some of the nicest people you will ever meet!

For those of you who aren't hoopers, you probably don't know that hoops like skin. For tricks and hooping on odd body parts, it can be really difficult without something for the hoop to stick to -- I can't even attempt leg hooping with jeans on! So I picked an outfit that would let me hoop effectively: No jewelry, no extra bulk, and lots of places for the hoop to hit.

Lace bolero: Secondhand at a swap, originally Forever 21
Dress: Target
Shoes: Target
Hoop: Handmade! His name is Nebula :)

Top right photo credit to Jessica Mullen! 

Have you done anything fun this weekend?