grace duVal

So for those not in the know,

I was recently approached by Instructables (actually, this is the second time…) to create a tutorial for the wooden dress that I made oh-so long ago. They wanted me to post it on the site and enter their annual Halloween costume contest. Unfortunately I never take in-progress shots of my work, though it’s a really good idea, so I couldn’t easily make a tutorial for them. Still, there was a photography section so I decided to enter my wooden dress as well as my Joan of Arc armor that I recently finished.

WELL my armor post has completely exploded, gotten TONS of comments, been viewed 2,200 times in two days, AND has made it to the front page of the website. For my quick rise to the top, Instructables gave me a year-long pro membership to the site. CRAZY.

The internet is such a strange, strange place.

P.S. Just got an email from the CEO of Instructables. what the hell.

This weekend I had the pleasure of escaping Chicago for a few days and traveling west to Minneapolis. I participated in a competition to re-design the hospital gown and it turns out that I was a finalist. The final fashion show and awards night was happening and an extravagant gala in the Hilton in downtown Minneapolis and SAIC was incredibly gracious enough to pay my way so that I could go.

So Friday I hopped on an early Greyhound and traveled eight hours across beautiful countryside and farmland, brilliantly covered leaves blowing in the midwest wind gusts.

Minneapolis itself was a fantastic city. It seems quaint compared to Chicago, even though it’s still huge and full of massive buildings. The architecture is beautiful, reflective and glass-covered, and all of the buildings sit perfectly against a blue sky. I spent my time in the city wandering around, window-shopping and eating at an English pub (which was totally surreal, yet accurate). I managed to find some locals my age who pointed me in the direction of some good thrift shops, so I went on a hike out of the downtown area and into uptown.

Along the was I found America’s first (stunningly beautiful) basilica where a wedding was about to take place. I then stumbled across a giant sculpture garden full of famous art. I finally wandered up the street until I found the super hip part of Minneapolis, full of thrift shops and kids running around in Halloween costumes for the weekend.

Saturday night was the big gala event, so I dressed myself to the nines in a vintage dress and went to the event. It was beyond elaborate, with an entire floor dedicated to ritzy people dressed in tuxedos and gowns, drinking cocktails and bidding on auctions to support the Park-Niccolet hospital foundation. All of the finalist hospital gowns were on display for people to come up and touch and explore, and many people chatted to me about how much they loved my design. I wandered around and people-watched, taking in the glamor and getting an insane number of compliments on my dress and jewelry (which I bought at a bridal shop in town and a splurge). The ballroom where we ate dinner was decked out in amazing, colorful decorations and the gourmet meal was delicious.

The fashion show of hospital gowns was fantastic, and without a doubt I had the best, most engaging model of the evening. Everyone loved my design, and I was the only one who got cheers when my garment came out on the runway. Unfortunately I didn’t win anything, but it was still incredible to get to stay in a five-star hotel, sleep in a king-size bed and have a proper little vacation. I seriously needed it. It was also nice to escape the big city and see some countryside again… I’m a country girl at heart, for sure. Plus I love traveling more than anything, and the thrill of hitting the open road and seeing something new never loses its appeal.

So all in all it was a fabulous and relaxing weekend. If only I’d gotten to meet Garrison Keillor, it would have been perfection.