Our Davenport Adventure

Gracious, how time flies! I haven’t told you anything about our New Year’s Eve adventure. I will start by telling you that this is the first New Year’s celebration that we have spent away from the children. We always ring in the new with a family party on board the Schöneluft, playing music and games, and dropping fireworks from 1500 feet. (This merry tradition has gotten us banned from the airspace of Frankfurt, Nice, Chicago, Bangalore and Oslo. The Mayor of Brisbane, however, has invited us back six years running.)

Therefore the children were furious, then resentful, then finally resigned to be left behind when Herr von Hedwig and I set off for the Clockwork Masquerade Ball without them. After all, they listen to the Clockwork Cabaret podcast every week. They are fans as well and dearly wish to meet the darling Davenports! But, the event was adults only; not even Ulrik is old enough to attend. The children were somewhat mollified by presents (as one often is) which we found in abundance at Emmett Davenport’s Gallery and Coffee Shop, Davenport and Winkleperry. They are particularly delighted by Madame Hemlock’s charming poseable octopi, and the boys have been solving gruesome mysteries with their Edgar Alan Poe and Sherlock Holmes action figures.

Since the event was a masquerade ball, Mein Herr and I put a good effort into our costumes. It so happens that in our youth we held a New Year’s Eve masquerade ball to celebrate our engagement, and so for this occasion we decided to reprise and update our Hades and Persephone costumes from that event.

Then and now:

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Mein Herr hammered his mask from copper and torched it to darken areas and make it more skull-like. The end effect actually made it look like he has an amazing handlebar mustache, so that was great, though not exactly what he intended. He helped me considerably with my mask, which turned out very well indeed. It’s brass and telephone wire and garnets (which look like pomegranate seeds) in a floral motif.

There are two reasons I hate wearing masks -

they limit your vision (which can be dangerous, as one never knows when Count Montesanto or the Mechromancer might be sneaking up on one) and the elastic to hold it on is annoying and interferes with one’s coiffure. We solved these problems by enlarging the eye holes (if you buy a mask, just cut the eye holes bigger – you won’t regret it) and by holding the masks on with ear wires, just like on a pair of glasses. I was able to keep my mask on all night, and Mein Herr only took his off because a copper face plate on a crowded dance floor = hot and sweaty. Also, it looked magnificent on his sparkling new top hat.

In this picture you can also see the Queen of Hades crown I made. It has a dried pomegranate held up by two skeletons. The skeletons were from a cheap Halloween garland and I glued tiny garnets into their eye sockets. I am quite pleased with it, even with the ridiculous silhouette it gives me from a distance. I am amused.

Herr von Hedwig spruced up his corset-waistcoat with new buttons and made new spats with these fantastic skulls. (sorry about the blurry photo)

Then, loathe to appear empty-handed (if a case of champagne counts as empty-handed), we decided to make a hostess gift for Emmett Davenport.

Of course, no gift could possibly equal the gifts she has given us, and all her radio listeners – years of delightful entertainment. However, we resolved to make some small gesture. Since Miss Davenport has a fascination with squid (and whom amongst us does not), I hit upon the notion of making her a giant squid snow globe.

I ordered a preserved squid specimen from a scientific supply company, with the thought of making the snow globe filled with formaldehyde. Mad, of course. The squid arrived fully 18 inches in length! Even if I had been able to find a jar big enough, Miss Davenport is a delicate person, lacking the burly strength to lift such an enormous object and shake it! So, we sent away for baby’s first dissection kit and gave it and the squid to Bettina for Christmas. You should have heard the squeals of girlish delight when she opened it!

However, it was back to the drawing board for Miss Emmett’s hostess gift. I found a toy squid online from an aquarium shop, and started again. Mein Herr helped me with sealing the lid, and Annabelle graciously gave me a pinch of her India Ink powder to color the water. We are rather pleased with the result, and Miss Davenport seemed to like it as well.

It was a magical night! So many interesting, beautifully dressed steampunks!

She made her mask out of masking tape!

Curtis Eller & Doctor Q

Curtis Eller, the man who proves Steve Martin wrong – you can be angry while playing the banjo! Burlesque from Talloolah Love! Emmett and Mingan Davenport and Doctor Q taking turns (ahem, that was a pun, or play on words) in the DJ booth! Interpretive whale dancing! We had a blast. Our Flickr stream has the story in pictures.

The next Clockwork Ball is February 12 at Davenport and Winkleperry in Pittsboro, North Carolina. I’m sure it will be a wonderful time! There is such a marvelous steampunk scene centered around those darling Davenports.