n i n e q u a r t e t ♠: event: RuffleCon 2014 review and photo gallery !!

hello everyone!
i'm so sorry i haven't updated in awhile. RuffleCon 2014 came and went in a flurry!

the review

it was a lovely experience. for a first-year con, i was pleasantly surprised at the professionalism and courtesy of the RuffleCon staff. i also found that Omni Hotel staff were wonderfully accommodating. i was so happy to have quality time with my girlfriends and see friends that i haven't seen in a long time <3

Friday night was spent with my family - my boyfriend's oldest sister Ruth graduated

VIP spoils

from nursing school, and the ceremony was in the same venue as RuffleCon! Ruthie wanted me to wear lolita, so i wore Astronomical Clock. it was sort of funny being in between both events! i fielded curious questions on both sides. everyone was really respectful of each other. after her graduation, i went to pick up my VIP badge from Registration, and went back to the hotel room i was sharing with my best friends. i had created a custom Cards Against Humanity deck for lolita fashion as a fun surprise, and we played a round with a few other people before we all went to sleep.

a sampling of our game on Friday night

Saturday i woke up early to be able to hit up both the Marketplace and Consignment before i prepared for the Fashion Show. totally forgetting about the lure of Triple Fortune bonnets (still kicking myself about that), i left the Marketplace soon after i went in to stand in line for Consignment. there, i really lucked out! i bought a BABY blouse, an offbrand blouse, a Dear Celine OP, two pairs of OTK, and an AATP headdress. quickly i rushed to my room to drop off my new shiny objects before going back downstairs to Main Events.

my look for the Fashion Show

the fashion show was really wonderful! i walked for Belladonna, and i felt so honored to wear the Ode to Darwin OP. however, i felt like a fish out of water - everyone else looked so lovely and walked so perfectly! i felt like a big mess OTL i think i'd like to participate in more fashion shows, but i need to improve on my walk before i do.

after the fashion show, i changed into Elisabeth and went downstairs. i checked out the Brilliant Kingdom performance and the Masquerade. shortly after that, Heather, Lorie, Carly, and i were shanghai'd into an improv performance with the Pirate Crew of the Dead Rabbit. which was... to say the very least, interesting.

on Sunday, my friends and i decided to grab Starbucks early. on our way, we saw BABI and KAIE coming back from the very Starbucks we were heading to! we all have crushes on the pair (as i'm sure many of you reading do) so it was definitely a nice way to start our day. after we got coffee - i realized i lost my badge! i headed back to the hotel in a panic, checking the streets as i did. i thought i had it clipped to my purse. luckily, it was safe and sound in our hotel room (phew)!

hellooooo my precious

after that debacle, Heather and i went to the Marketplace for a little bit before the Tea Party started. unbeknownst to me, my friend Lorie had been trying to text me, so she texted Heather instead - she found a dress on my wishlist in consignment! i booked it - literally ran - from Marketplace to Consignment (i'm more surprised i didn't trip and fall in my heels haha). i couldn't believe it! i was able to purchase Alice and the Pirates' Poison de l'amour Princess JSK in red! the pink colorway had been a previous dream dress for me, until i wore it and decided the pink color didn't suit me at all. i thanked Lorie over and over, went back to the room to hang it up in the closet and then back downstairs to stand in line for the party.

i wore my black Queen's Coach OP for the first time. the Tea Party was very lovely, each attendee looked gorgeous in their own style. i couldn't pick a favorite coordinate if i wanted to. APUSA graciously donated gift certificates for the raffle. unfortunately i didn't win this time around, but it was fun nonetheless!

my boyfriend had booked a room in the Omni for Sunday night, so i brought my luggage to his room <3 Ben and i enjoyed a day trip to NYC on Monday, which i'll write about later :)

after the Tea Party i changed into Melty Cream Donut (so comfy) and met with Caitlin and Alesha for their Romantic Rose Letter photoshoot. after they were done, i photographed ChRi's Un manege robe coordinate. it was challenging to take photos with the yellowy lighting in the hotel, but i really hope they love the photos i managed to get.

at Prime 16

before my friends left to go home, we ate dinner at Prime 16. it was a really great way to end the convention. shortly after we arrived, more lolitas came in for dinner. we practically overran the place! i found the service to be a bit sub-par, i probably wouldn't go there again unless i was in plain clothes or in a smaller group. the food was great, but the staff wasn't exactly friendly and seemed flustered when they became busy.

for next year...

i would love for the convention to expand to a 3-day event. i think that with the amount of lolitas in attendance on Friday, it could warrant it - even if it would be just one official event in the evening (a meet and greet?)

i think i would like to run a panel! i'm not sure what topic i'd pick, i have a few in mind, but i may try to test-run a panel at Anime Boston this year in preparation for RuffleCon 2015.

the venue was practically picture perfect with the exception of the lighting. i'd like to save up for some decent lighting equipment for my camera in an effort to create more presentable photos.

have a calling card/info exchange panel! i felt really shy around so many lolitas during RuffleCon, i ended up not meeting many new people or exchanging cards at all! a few other people i have talked to felt similarly. maybe it would be a good ice breaker to have a contained time and place for the exchange.

lanyards for badges - i think having a clip on part was great for coordinates, but they fell off very easily. i think including a lanyard would be very helpful for attendees.

and without any further ado, here is my RuffleCon gallery (i will add more photos as i edit them):

Fashion Show